«CITY OF ERAS — Dungeon #34 | 2:04 AM»
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«Imminent danger! For your safety, the system urges you to step away from the area»
[Alec Ross]
Vigor: 24/150 | Source: 75/75 | Lvl.6
4th-year student — Academy of Eras
[Status] — [Equipment]
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"Yeah, yeah, I heard you. Lucky for you I can't shut you up." Alec closed the System tab. Being near the pond made it freak out it seemed—fifth alert tonight.
He dangled his legs over its edge, cool water licking his feet. Droplets fell rhythmically from the stalactites above, rippling the black surface of the cavern pond.
The only light came from the purplish glow of mana crystals, jutting from the dungeon's walls.
Well. That and his laptop.
"Ahh," he sighed, spooning up hazelnut ice cream. "This is the life."
As the credits of the third film faded, he scrolled through his downloads folder to the next bit of junk to numb himself with.
He muttered through a dozen bland titles before spotting it. "Oh! The Curse of the Tower 2: Now It's Personal—worse than the first and way worse than the third. We have a winner." He mimed a little bell ring.
While the movie loaded, Alec tiptoed out of the water to get another beer.
"I shouldn't drink too much though, there's class—"
Oh. Right.
He'd been expelled last week for poor attendance.
Tsk.
Coward. You couldn't even go sign the resignation papers. Three years of paying increasingly expensive tuition—
"Fuck that."
He grabbed two cans and sat back down, feet in the pond. "That's tomorrow's Alec problem."
The dungeon he was in had spawned a month ago. Since it'd appeared near the Academy, the faculty themselves took charge of exploring it.
According to the class chat, two expeditions were enough to declare the dungeon null: no enemies, no loot. That also meant no adventurers.
In short: the perfect relaxing spot.
"Lucky they haven't kicked me out of the chat yet," he chuckled, fingers tracing the tepid water. At least something good came out of the Academy.
His gaze remained fixed on the film, but his mind kept wandering back to the same thought that had brought him there:
"Pa's gonna kill me."
When he was awarded the scholarship to the Academy, his father threw a party for the whole town. It was the first time a Ross aspired to something more than working himself to the bone on the farm.
And he'd managed to get expelled.
"For poor attendance, no less." He crushed the second can.
Just watch the stupid movie.
Something clinked behind him.
"Can I grab one?"
"Sure, man, I've bro—"
Alec jolted so hard he almost kicked the whole pond out. He shoot to his feet, pupils wide.
The System flickered:
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[?]
«Danger! Report [?] to rank A+ or higher adventurers»
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What?
"Ah, they still make these?" The man gulped down the beer like he just crossed the desert.
He turned back to Alec, unfazed. "So... mind if I grab another?"
With that, he fell face-first onto the floor.
—————— ◆ ——————
«TOWER OF ERAS — The Forest of Trials | 00:27 AM»
In a cavernous forest, a woman paced between the trees. She was muttering venomously, hair plastered to her sweat-damp face.
"I can't activate [Raijin] to search the city, you idiot. Do you want the President breathing down my neck?"
The two adventurers kept their eyes on the floor, cold sweat sliding down their backs.
"All you pieces of trash had to do was guard the exit of the stupid Tower," she snarled. "So why—why the hell—did you chase him inside?"
Lightning sparks erupted from her skin as she fought the urge to grab one by the neck.
She took a deep breath. "Let's be positive. Even if he escapes, he can't get very far. I scorched half his body… With any luck, he'll bleed out in some alleyway."
Spinning on her heel, she pointed at them both.
"You two! Get this into your heads: the fugitive resisted arrest and had to be subdued. The commander used her authority. He was reduced to ashes," she said, her voice imposing—as if reciting a mantra they had to memorize.
Letting the silence hang, she added, "And pray that no one ever finds out what really happened…I certainly will."
A long, sour breath escaped her. Wrinkling her nose, she said, "Let's go back to Metropolis. This place stinks."
—————— ◆ ——————
Just mah luck.
Alec had only asked for one night to relax —just one— before facing the mess he'd made of his life. Instead, he got a half-dead stranger at his feet.
Even better, no phone. He could either drag the guy out or try emailing the hosp—
"Oh shit."
One look at the wound under his robes told him no help could fix that.
The left side was a ruin —charred flesh caked in blood, skin cracked like burned earth. Bluish veins crawled from the pulp towards his torso, pulsating faintly as if they were neon wires.
The stranger grunted."Looks worse than it is."
"No shit, looks like hell," the chuckle strained in his throat. "W-What happened? There ain't monsters around he—"
The man cut him off. "Y'know what they say about lightning never striking the same place twice?" He grimaced at the ceiling. "Fake news."
"But it's okay…I give up."
"It certainly is not!" Alec shot back. "C'mon, man, don't die. I can't deal with more shit right now."
But that was an empty plea. The makeshift bandage squelched with blood, and his inventory was useless: no potions, no elixirs, not even herbs.
There was only one solution; carrying him out.
Small dungeon. Maybe with [Quickstep] I could get us out faster…but he's in no shape for that. The acceleration alone might—
"Are you happy with your life?"
"Huh?"
Shit, he's delirious.
Alec shook his head. "Look, you're losing a lot of blood. I'm gonna get you out of here, okay? I need you to—" he tried to lift him, but his side crumbled in essences the moment he brushed it.
Gazing at how the sparkling flakes rose until vanishing, Alec was forced to accept the undeniable truth: No matter what he did, this man was already dead.
Only one thing left to do.
He sat beside him.
This was common knowledge; they even rehearsed it in the Academy grounds.
When a peer was dying, you stayed with him until the end.
As Alec grasped his hand in an attempt to offer solace, the man turned to face him head-on, repeating his question.
"Are you happy with your life?"
Man, is he insistent.
Alec grimaced. He hadn't spoken honestly in years—but it wasn't like the guy could tell anyone. If words could help a dying man, that was the least he could give.
"Not really, to be honest," he answered, averting his gaze.
"I've made some poor decisions along the way…Fear, y'know. Chose the easy route, ran away from my problems."
He sighed, smiling softly at him. "But they've finally caught up to me. And now, I'm really scared of what's to come."
"If I could just change how I've done things, maybe…"
A squeeze snapped him out, making him wince. In a feat of unexplainable strength, the man had clasped his hand in a vice grip.
"I can offer you a change," the stranger rasped, trying to sit though half his body was fading. "But I can't promise it'll be better."
Alec knew that the stranger's incoherent babbling was a result of his condition, but he couldn't help laughing a little at the idea.
"Yeah, I don't think you can do much for me—"
"Listen!" He yanked him closer. "I can donate to you my authority, make you remember…who you are…
Seeing that he was fainting, Alec helped him rest his head.
Half his body was gone, but he didn't seem to care.
"You have to reach the highest floor of the last Tower. Defeat…the traitor.."
"The what?" Alec snickered. "Anyways, that's impossible. In 400 years, not a single adventurer has even seen Eden's Stairs, much less adventured into it."
"It is not impossible!" Alec flinched at his outburst. "The Towers were made to be beatable."
His gaze seemed to travel elsewhere."Everyone just forgot what it means to be an adventurer. Scratch that…they even forgot why they're here."
"I—I don't follow, I'm just trying to—"
"It's useless," the man groaned. "You won't believe until you remember."
Trying to hold some breath, he gazed softly at Alec. "Just, please. I can't let all these years go to waste. Our dream…can't be lost, please…"
Even if he did not understand anything, his pleas were all he needed.
Alec squeezed his trembling hand, a silent promise that he would listen, like a priest hearing one last confession.
The stranger barely nodded. "Once I donate my authority," he said, quieter now, letting each word breath, "you're going to be overwhelmed. Won't understand half of what's happening. But listen—there are two things you must remember."
"First," his voice sharpened. "Never tell anyone the name of this ability. No one. Don't even use it in public. If word gets out that you possess it, the System itself will turn on you."
"Wait wait, what do you—"
"Second," he cut him off, "you need to grow stronger. Then, once you're ready, travel to the lowest level of the Columns of Pitiusas. There, you'll find an ally. Remind him of his name—Gaff, Guardian of the Waves."
Alec frowned. "What? Who the fuck's Gaff? And how am I supposed to find someone I've never even met?"
"Don't worry," the man said, a faint smile ghosting across his face. "You'll know once you see him. He's got a pretty unique design, used to be the final boss."
"Eh? Wait, wait!, I don't even know your name—"
The stranger let his eyes rest.
"Donate, [Tit for Tat]"
A white light engulfed Alec…
—————— ◆ ——————
… and finally, he lowered the curtains.
Locking his bedroom door, he exclaimed. "All set!"
The desktop was fully charged: Spicy chili Doritos, a white Monster, and a glass with two ice cubes.
On one monitor, the full replay of today's football matches. On the other, his new game loading.
Exams done, roommate gone for the weekend.
"Ahh, this is the life," he said, falling into the gaming chair and grabbing a handful of Doritos.
He glanced at the screen, the loading bar was almost done.
"Man, just my luck to get one of the first copies—"
100%
—————— ◆ ——————
A gasp.
Alec jolted from the ground like a man possessed. His hands aimlessly felt it, trying to make sense of where he was.
He couldn't hear anything, only a deafening beep.
In front of him, the system interface pulsated:
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«Congratulations, Altruist. You've been granted access to the True System.»
- Traitor's master control disabled.
- Point redistribution available.
- [Altruist's Dream] unlocked: gain access to other user's systems in exchange for a grant.
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But none of those words meant anything to him right now.
Only once the thunderous noise subsided was he able to gather his thoughts.
He'd forgotten. But how? How could he have forgotten something like that?
My name 's not Alec.
It's Albert — like Grandpa
"I'm not from this world."