Chapter 2: Depths Begin
Morning sunlight crept through the smudged windows of their tiny apartment, mixing faintly with the fading neon glow still clinging to the city outside. The hum of drones buzzed faintly beyond the glass, carrying cargo and messages through the skyways.
Aiden sat at his desk, fingers hovering uncertainly above the holographic interface of his neural chip. The translucent blue menus floated before him like a dream he could almost touch. Rows upon rows of games scrolled past—most of them free, most of them ignored by the world.
Last night, he had combed through the endless list, searching for something that wasn't just another generic grind. And then he found it.
Depths Crawl.
The description was simple: "A ten-floor dungeon crawler. Clear the dungeon or die trying."
But the community reviews told the real story. No one had ever cleared it. Most gave up by Floor 4. A few prodigies had clawed their way to Floor 8 before losing everything. The game was free, brutal, and whispered about in forums as a badge of masochistic pride.
For Aiden, it was perfect.
He leaned forward, muttering to himself. "A dungeon no one's ever cleared… yeah. That should grab people. Even if I can't finish it, at least they'll come to see how far I get."
A name input box blinked in front of him. He tapped in three simple letters.
Rei.
"Good enough. Short. Easy to remember." He smiled faintly. "And for the appearance… let's keep it simple. Black robe, nothing flashy. Don't want to look like I'm trying too hard."
With a final confirmation, the avatar shimmered to life. Tall, slim, with black hair just like his own, but sharper, cleaner—a version of himself that fit the shadowy dungeon aesthetic.
A chime confirmed the account registration.
[System: New streaming account created under the name Rei.]
Aiden leaned back with a small grin. "Done. Guess I'm really doing this."
---
"Aiden!" Lina's voice cut through his thoughts. "We've gotta open the shop, come quickly!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," he replied, closing the menu with a flick of his wrist.
They headed downstairs to PixelMart. The shop looked exactly as they'd left it the night before: cramped shelves of cheap hardware, snack packs, neon-lit drinks, and holo-accessories. It wasn't glamorous, but it kept them fed.
As they set up, Aiden sighed. "So… another day of sitting here waiting for customers."
Lina shot him a sharp look. "Of course. Unless you want to starve. Work first, dreams later."
"Yeah, yeah…" he muttered, slumping behind the counter.
The day dragged. A trickle of customers wandered in, buying chips, spare drone parts, or replacement holo-batteries. Just enough sales to scrape a small profit, nothing more. By nightfall, the streets outside glowed wet with rain again, neon spilling across the windows like melted paint.
Upstairs, the siblings sat down to their usual dinner. Rice and stew, simple and filling.
Aiden leaned back after eating. "Hey, Lina… I'm gonna start the stream tonight."
"What's the name?" she asked, washing her hands.
"Rei."
She stared at him, unimpressed. "Seriously? Just Rei? That's your online name too."
"It's simple. People will remember it."
Lina rolled her eyes. "Whatever. So which game?"
"Depths Crawl."
She froze. "Wait… that one? The hardest free game out there?"
Aiden grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. If I want viewers, I need something that grabs attention. People watch just to see someone try clearing it."
"Well… true," she admitted, crossing her arms. "It's popular with niche streamers. But it eats people alive. You sure?"
"I don't care if I fail," Aiden said firmly. "If I try, it's still content. And maybe—just maybe—I'll make some money."
Lina smirked faintly. "Fine. Just don't cry to me when you lose everything in ten minutes."
Aiden smirked back. "Deal."
---
He flopped onto his bed, activated the chip, and let the VR interface swallow him.
The world shifted into a glowing white chamber—the VR hub. Avatars of other players floated by, chatting, trading skins, or heading into their own games. It felt unreal, like standing in a dream.
Aiden whispered to himself, "Alright… stream setup first."
A faint ping sounded.
[System: Streaming mode activated. Current viewers: 0.]
The empty number glared at him, but he clenched his fists. "Everyone starts at zero. Doesn't matter. Let's title it… 'Depths Crawl: First Attempt, Dungeon Clearing.' Hm. Not the best, but it'll do."
He took a breath. "Alright. Let's go."
---
The darkness of Depths Crawl swallowed him instantly.
The opening cutscene played, far more immersive than he expected. A lone figure—pale, gaunt, glowing faintly—wandered through a cavern. Words echoed like whispers in the dark:
"A soul that cannot die. A dungeon that cannot be escaped. To leave, clear the Depths."
Aiden's eyes widened. "Whoa… seeing it directly is different. Creepy, but kind of amazing."
A glowing panel appeared.
[System: Player Rei, please choose a class.]
He scrolled through. Mage. Assassin. Swordsman. Each had a simple description. Most players online recommended Mage for its damage potential, but that also meant low defense. Assassin had mobility but weak sustain.
Aiden muttered, "Most would pick Mage… but I want balance. Let's go Swordsman."
[System: Player Rei has chosen Swordsman. Basic equipment and skills assigned.]
Before him appeared a worn leather armor set and a plain steel sword. Not flashy at all, just practical.
"Guess this is me now."
He called up the stat panel.
[System: Current Stats –
Race: Human
Class: Swordsman
Strength: 2 (+1)
Agility: 1 (+1)
Mana: 1 (+1)
Stamina: 2 (+1)
Skill: Slash]
Aiden frowned. "Wait… that's it? Only one skill? And the stats are all garbage. No wonder people say this game's brutal."
Still, he grinned nervously. "Well… let's see what Floor 1 looks like."
---
Stone cracked under his boots as he entered the first floor. A quest panel appeared in glowing red.
[Mission: Defeat 100 Goblins.
Reward: +1 to all stats, skill, and equipment upgrades.]
"Kill a hundred? On the first floor?!" Aiden groaned. "No wonder no one clears this."
The cavern stretched endlessly in both directions, jagged walls dripping with damp moss. A faint stench of rot filled the air.
Movement flickered in the dark. A small green goblin staggered forward, clutching a crude wooden club. Its yellow eyes locked onto him.
The goblin snarled and lunged.
"Too slow." Aiden sidestepped instinctively, blade raised.
He hesitated for a heartbeat, then activated his only skill.
[Skill: Slash activated.]
Energy surged through his body, his sword glowing faintly as it tore through the goblin in one clean arc.
The creature collapsed instantly, dissolving into ash.
Aiden blinked. "Whoa… that felt real. Stronger than I thought. But…" He checked his panel. His mana dropped from 2 to 1. "…one use eats half my mana. I only get two casts at the start. Damn."
Another goblin appeared. Then another. This time, he decided to fight normally. He swung clumsily, but the goblins were slow, predictable. One strike, two strikes, dead.
"This isn't so bad. I get why people call it hard, though—if they come in groups, you're screwed."
As if the dungeon heard him, a chorus of snarls erupted ahead. Twenty goblins shambled out of the darkness together, clubs raised.
Aiden's jaw dropped. "Wait—seriously? Twenty at once?!"
A red notification pulsed.
[Current Kills: 70/100.]
His heart raced. "Seventy already? That means thirty left. But all at once?"
The goblins charged.
Before he could think, a message popped into the corner of his vision—chat.
Dragoon: hi there. new?
Aiden blinked. A viewer?! His first one?
"Yes! Uh—yes, I'm new. And welcome to the stream," he said, voice shaking with both nerves and excitement.
Dragoon: lol. i'm first viewer huh. you're almost done w/ floor 1 too.
Aiden's chest swelled with something he couldn't describe. His first viewer. It felt unreal, electric.
"Yeah, you're the first. Thanks for being here." He smirked faintly. "Weird name though, Dragoon."
Dragoon: focus man. goblins are on you.
Aiden snapped back to reality. The mob was almost on him.
"Right! Slash skill—go!"
His sword flared as he swept it in a wide arc. Half the goblins dropped instantly, bodies turning to ash. But his mana hit zero.
Dragoon: whoa. thought you used both already. smart saving 1.
"Yeah," Aiden panted. "I figured I'd need it at the end."
The remaining goblins swarmed. Clubs cracked against his armor, dull pain reverberating through the VR feedback. He gritted his teeth, dodged, and slashed wildly. Each goblin went down in two, three swings.
One after another, they fell.
[System: Kills 93/100.]
Aiden exhaled, sweat beading on his forehead in the real world. "Seven left. Almost there…"
The timer flickered faintly in the corner of his vision.
[Stream Time: 47 minutes.]
He tightened his grip on the sword, staring at the next wave of goblins forming in the shadows.
The first challenge of Depths Crawl was far from over.
To be continued…