The last strike of my torch against the creature’s skull smashed it completely, creating a gory mess all over the floor and my clothes. I was still wearing a light jacket from earlier, which I hadn’t paid much mind to until now. I removed my jacket and put it into my inventory, cleaning my face off with the back of the coat before putting it there. I was panting still, and I bent down to a knee. Though I wanted to stop, I was beginning to suspect exactly what kind of game this was. If I took too much time, I’m sure something would find me.
The dead Kobold made my stomach lurch, a few of its limbs still spasming from time to time. I was still gasping, in between breaths I wiped my mouth and nose. I spit, trying to clear my senses and get the taste of blood out of my mouth. I asked myself repeatedly, what have I done?
To my surprise, PAI didn’t answer.
Sometime later I gathered myself enough to go through my achievements. They were:
- Achievement Unlocked: Control Freak - You maintained control over an opponent while delivering effective strikes in close combat.
- Achievement Unlocked: Disarmed and Dangerous - You disarmed your opponent through brute force. Effective, though perhaps a touch excessive.
- Achievement Unlocked: Calculated Brutality - You have permanently disabled your foe. A ruthless but efficient decision, as expected in this contest
- Achievement Unlocked: Improvised Arsenal - You wielded a torch with lethal intent. A resourceful and savage approach… most interesting.
- Achievement Unlocked: Ground and Pound - You incapacitated your opponent on the ground. A direct and primal display of dominance.
I was awarded with four level 1 treasure tokens, a single level 2 treasure token, and two skills: Crushing Hold, and Grapple. I was excited to see what they did, so I hopped over to my skills menu. I pulled it up, and PAI kindly narrated as a text screen popped up in my vision.
- Crushing Hold – Level 1 – Activated Ability - Paralyze your opponent from the neck down for (Strength + ?Mass) Seconds. You must have 70% of your total weight bearing down on your opponent. May be activated once every half hour.
- Grapple – Level 1 – Activated Ability – Disable an opponent’s limb for 20-60 seconds while holding on to your opponent. May be activated once every five minutes.
I had skills, but I didn’t quite understand how to use them. “Hey PAI, how do I use these skills?”
A slight buzz, then she replied. “There are two methods most commonly used by contenders to activate a skill. You may equip them to your Thought Bar, TB, the menu on the left side of the UI, or you may associate it to a unique movement. Caution: Associating a skill or item to a unique movement may cause the intended activation at any time.”
I considered this a moment before figuring out how to add the skills to my Thought Bar. Once I had the skill menu open, I focused on the skill and little outlines appeared to the left side of my vision. Eight slots appeared, and I mentally selected one. The small symbol had a little animation as it was applied. I repeated this for my other skill and proceeded inspect the skills. They were kind of hallowed out, and I suspected they would light up once I met the criteria to activate them.
“PAI, do I need to do anything when I level up? Do I get, I don’t know, talent points or skills or anything?”
“At your current level, the answer is no. Upon reaching level five, you are allowed to begin distributing your own stat points and are given the option of two progressions. For progressions, you may choose between increasing a current skill to the next level or choosing one of three dungeon generated skills. Note: If you choose to increase a current skill, all experience dedicated to the skill will be lost.”
I took a little time to process this, I was about ready to be done playing with my UI. It was giving me a headache, and I was starting to get thirsty. Finally closing everything, I inspected the room.
Seeing what I had done once more didn’t help me feel any better about it, though I didn’t stare at it directly. I saw what I did, no need to sear it into my mind anymore than it already had been. I eyed the dropped club, when I moved to pick it up a small window popped up. “Smart Club – For every two points of intelligence above 10, deal +1 additional damage.”
I grunted and put it into my inventory. It would deal one additional damage if I used it, which was better than nothing. From my inventory, I dragged it up, and equipped the Smart Club. I felt a sudden weight on my hip, looking down, it was hanging there without any other attachments, nice.
I grabbed it from my hip, and swung it around a few times. It had some weight to it, but it wasn’t unwieldy. Most importantly, it was better than nothing. I moved over to see if there was any other loot to be had. When I got close enough, the menu popped up over the dead Kobold, and a new little inventory screen opened. In it were a few health potions and some kind of bone charm. PAI narrated the description for me, “Cracked Kobold Amulet: A broken amulet made of bone and adorned with tiny charms. Offers 60% damage resistance from traps, however, breaks after its first application. Durability 1/1.” PAI seemed to struggle for a moment before adding, “warning: any item that reaches 0 durability will automatically be destroyed and will be removed from the contest.”
That was good information, and I said as much. She, to my surprise, didn’t have a response.
After inspecting the area one last time, I headed back to the Indiana Jones puzzle, hoping there might be something there I missed. I was surprised at how long it took to walk there, my flight was expediate, though I couldn’t remember the last time I covered so much ground so quickly.
Upon arriving, I noted the dead rats and activated puzzle. I was beginning to grow concerned that it may have reset, and I seriously doubted the place wouldn’t give me a different puzzle. Glad to set down the concern, I casually walked across the room and through the following hallway.
During my walk I had asked PAI a few questions about the nature of progression and what exploration was like. I had played a lot of games based around dungeon climbing or floor climbing. I had played countless dungeon crawler games, and I wanted to make sure the master AI wasn’t getting clever. And of course, I got a simple, “Information relating to content of this sort is unavailable.”
I had my new club out and equipped the Kobold charm. I began walking through the thinning corridor until I came to a junction. I took out my bloody jacket and slapped it against the wall, figuring I didn’t have any chalk around and that I should at least leave a memorable marking. It was, in fact, quite memorable. There were a few meatier bits that I hadn’t noticed before that managed to shake out of the jacket before I put it back in my inventory. I strode along, hoping that nobody else came through this way.
The stone corridor began to widen slightly, but as I walked down the path I noticed significantly more moss growing between the cracks of the stones. The air grew slightly damp and I realized a low white noise. Waterfalls had a distinct noise, I remembered from some family trips when I was young. The specific memory of a massive waterfall we had visited. The stream itself wasn’t huge, but the drop off made you stop a just gawp, and that sound…
I could see the natural light cutting in to the gloomy dungeon. It was very bright compared to where I’d been and it took my eyes a moment to adjust. The scene before me was iconic, the small waterfall to the left by some 100 yards turned to a stream that gently ran through a meadow. The meadow shown the sun above, but like a break in the side of a mountain before another peak, this place was surrounded by rocky walls. Still, the large bowl chamber had one building that was just past a small bridge. A covered bridge at that, though the small stream hadn’t warranted it, it was in good condition. Some of my friends growing up later became fascinated by covered bridges, which I had never really understood. Still, the painted bridge and adjacent building created a picturesque scene.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Walking up to the bridge, I noted the sweet smell of honeysuckle, though I saw no bushes nearby. There were a few trees spotted about, and birdsong could be heard ever-so-slightly above the sound of the gently moving water and white noise of the nearby falls.
I went to pull up my UI and noted a large banner across the top of my vision that said “safe zone.”
I put my club back at my hip. I had taken a moment before, but not with any sense of safety. I took a deep breath and walked through the covered bridge, up to the front of the building. A hanging sign attached with chains, like right out of an old western or an amusement park, hung limply by an entrance. I didn’t know what else to do, so I walked through the front door.
This is going to sound strange but it was bigger on the inside. I stopped, a poked my head outside, inspecting the borders of the structure. I walked back in, and it turned out I hadn’t completely lost my mind. It was, indeed, bigger on the inside. A heavyset man stood behind the counter wearing a fine vest, complete with the chained pocket watch. His facial hair was long, his mustache and beard pointed, making him look like a thinner Colonel Sanders that lost his scissors.
“Why good day to ye’,” the man said as he took out his pocket watch, flipped it open, then snapped it shut, all in a quick and precise motion.
I smiled, happy to see a normal face, but suddenly realizing how false this all was. This isn’t really a person, I thought. PAI spoke into my mind, “This is an NPC. NPC stands for Non-Participant Character. In the context of this competition, NPCs are entities generated by the Master AI to serve specific roles within the dungeon. These characters do not compete or ascend floors, but they can interact with contenders to provide goods, services, or information. They are often programmed to replicate the behaviors and speech patterns of various civilizations, depending on the floor's theme. While not hostile, NPCs may have limitations or conditions on what they can offer.”
A small window popped up with the character’s name. “Samuel Goodbarrel,” and beside it were a several windows. Most of them were crossed out and hallowed. Unelectable, or so I thought, but the other symbols were clear. I didn’t know what they meant, so I did my best to make the exchange natural. “Hi there, I was wondering what services you offer here.”
“Oh, quite a few indeed, sir! We have wares for sale and rooms for rent. We offer a fine lineup of potions and draughts.”
When he didn’t say anymore, I asked to see what he had for sale. Samuel Goodbarrel smiled warmly, though his eyes flicked to my hands. “Rightly so, sir. I will just need to see your Mark of Ascent.”
“My what now?” I frowned, flexing my hands slightly.
He raised a brow, his smile faltering. “The Mark of Ascent. Proof that you’ve completed the first floor’s trials and are recognized as a contender in full standing.” He gestured at his wrist where a faintly glowing sigil, like an intricately woven brand, hovered just above his skin. “Without it, I’m afraid most of my wares won’t be available for purchase. Only those marked by the competition are allowed access to certain goods.”
PAI chimed in, “The Mark of Ascent is rewarded upon successful completion of each floor. It’s a magical imprint that allows you to trade, interact with higher-tier NPCs, and access locked areas. You will receive yours upon completing the first floor.”
I smiled nervously, unsure of what I was supposed to say next. Samuel twirled his long mustache thoughtfully before breaking the silence.
"Ah, I see you’re a man who knows the value of a good trade. Now, that charm you’ve got there..." He pointed a stubby finger at the cracked Kobold amulet hanging from my neck. His eyes sparkled with something between curiosity and hunger. "A rare piece, I reckon. A one-time thing, yes, but still—could fetch a fine price in some circles."
I glanced at the charm. "It’s just a broken amulet. Offers protection from traps once, then it’s done for." I frowned, feeling a little off about it. It wasn’t like I had many treasures to barter with.
Samuel chuckled, low and slow. “Oh, lad, but in here, even something that works once can mean the difference between life and... well, you know.” He winked, making the whole thing sound like a casual matter. "I could take that off your hands and offer you a few options, if you’re interested."
"Options?"
"Aye! For that charm, I could get you a night’s stay in one of our finest rooms, freshly made stew and bread, and perhaps a little something to aid you on your journey... a minor skill potion, say?" He eyed me, like a fox waiting to see if I’d bite. "Skill potions are rare this early in the dungeon, you know."
I hesitated, weighing my options. "What else do you have?"
Samuel rubbed his chin. "Well, I could give you a standard health potion or maybe a bit of coin. Not much, but enough to get something when you reach the next floor. Or perhaps you’re the adventuring type who’d like to try your luck with a mystery item?" He pulled out a small, sealed box from behind the counter, tapping it with his finger like it was a magic trick.
A mystery item? It sounded like the kind of thing you’d regret later, but then again, maybe not. I looked back at the charm. I didn’t plan on running into any more traps right now, and the thought of a good night’s sleep, real sleep, it was hard to pass by. Since I’d been abducted, sleep tugged at me harder than anything else. I felt like I hadn't rested properly in days, and my body was sore from all the fighting and running. The thought of sleeping without the fear of being gnawed on by rats or bludgeoned by some Kobold brute was too tempting to pass up.
"You said a room and a potion?" I asked, glancing at him.
"Aye, a night’s stay in comfort, hot food, and a skill potion that might give you a little edge," Samuel confirmed, nodding with a knowing smile. "A fair trade, if I do say so myself. What do you say, lad?"
“And one coin.” I said, feeling cheeky.
“One coin, ye say?” The man gave a short scoff, though it only seemed endearing. He dug through a pocket and flipped it once, bit it, then displayed the marred coin before placing it on the table.
I held the one-shot item. I could feel the weight of fatigue in my bones, like I hadn't slept since the whole nightmare started. I felt a weight lift off my shoulders I didn’t know I had.
"Deal," I said, pulling the amulet over my head.
An achievement flashed in the upper right of my vision, but I left it alone for now.
Samuel’s eyes gleamed as he accepted the charm, slipping it into his vest pocket as though it was the greatest treasure in the world. "Excellent choice! Now, let me get your key and your meal will be waiting in your room by the time you settle in. The potion," he winked, "will be there as well, ready for when you wake up a new man."
He handed me a small brass key, its surface shining like it had never been touched. "Room three, up the stairs to the left."
As I pocketed the key and followed his directions, a little part of me still couldn’t believe I had traded something that might’ve saved my life for a night’s sleep and a potion. But another part of me—the one that still felt like I hadn’t slept in days—was relieved beyond words.
I wasted little time before checking my UI once more and verifying the Safe Zone banner. I closed it quickly, kicked off my hiking shoes, hit the blinds and went to sleep. One would think they would take a moment before resting, collecting oneself and all that. That was my usual routine, I needed time to settle before I slept. This time, however, I barely recall hitting the bed.