Herald of death

As the blue light recedes, the place bathes in darkness. Ethan reaches for his phone and turns its light on. He finds himself alone in a long tunnel. 'I hope Russ is okay,' he thinks.

Looking down at his phone, he notes that there's no signal; his map displays his location as the middle of the Pacific Ocean. 'Eighty-three percent, nice,' he thanks himself. Turning the screen off but leaving the light on, he sheaths his phone in his coat to light up ahead.

He keeps his steps silent, focusing his senses on listening for anything other than himself. "Adding the Stealth skill. Based on your previous experience a level of 71 has been applied."

The cavern diverges into several pathways, of which Ethan keeps a mental map. Naked, small steps echo from behind him. Looking back, he sees the flicker of a torch. Ethan turns his own light off and hides in the relief.

Two of the red creatures pass him, sniffing the air. He moves behind them, stealing the torch-bearing creature's dagger from its belt. With a swift thrust, Ethan sticks the dagger through its owner's neck. It releases its grip on the torch it held, and Ethan grabs it. The second beast turns around. Ethan slams the torch in its face before immobilizing its arms and strangling its neck. It loses consciousness, and he drags it away from the torchlight.

"Adding the Melee Weapon (Dagger) skill. Based on your previous experience a level of 51 has been applied. Adding the Melee Weapon (Improvised) skill. Based on your previous experience a level of 42 has been applied. Adding the Unarmed Combat skill. Based on your previous experience a level of 66 has been applied."

Listening for any other encounters Ethan examines the creature. It shares the skeleton of humans except for a lizard's head with small, scale-covered horns. Its skin is tough except for the throat and under its joints. Using its dagger, Ethan opens it from the throat to its stomach. 'Well, everything seems to be in the right place,' he muses.

"You obtained the Kobold hunter title. One characteristic point has been granted," the voice announces. "You obtained the First hunter title. The Predator's sight ability has been granted."

Ethan's sight shivers, blurs, and its colors shift. For an instant, he sees beating red pulses through the walls and hears the breathing and steps of creatures several tunnels away. One source stands louder than any other, its heart slower, and its breathing deeper. Ethan's senses shift back to their human standard; his head spins and his stomach turns.

"Adding the Ether Manipulation skill. Based on your previous experience a level of 0 has been applied," the voice echoes. Ethan's heart fills with a crushing pain, forcing him to kneel.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he feels a slight wind he didn't notice earlier. His sight, darkened by his eyelids, fills with strands of white and blue floating around him. Some of them lick his hand, sending tingles into his skin.

"Ether Manipulation leveled up."

The sensation climbs along his arm into his heart, relieving his pain. He opens to it, moving his hand to touch more strands. "Ether Manipulation leveled up," the voice announces.

His suffering ends. He stands up, glancing to each side of the tunnel he's in. 'What was that?' he thinks. 'Am I able to do that at will?' Ethan tries to focus on his sight and hearing, but nothing changes. Puffing at the idea, he thinks, 'Predator's sight.' The world around him shifts, and he can once again see the living creatures around him. It only lasts an instant but stops without the pains he previously experienced.

Drawing from the threads of Ether, he reiterates the experience several times. After a minute, he succeeds in triggering and canceling this new ability with a mere thought. "Ether Manipulation leveled up. Ether Manipulation leveled up. Ether Manipulation leveled up."

'I should move towards the big one. All of this seems too much like a video game for it not to be a boss," Ethan thinks, restraining his laughter from erupting in the cavern.

Ethan moves through the tunnels, scanning for enemies with predator's sight to avoid any further encounters. He reaches the edge of a circular room made of carved stone. Decrepit wooden structures show the place was once used as a mining shaft. Crude elevators hang from unseeable heights. Wall torches and brasiers lit the room. A human-sized kobold sleeps peacefully in the center, perched atop a pile of rubble.

Carcasses of humans and wild animals lay around. Though only their bones remain, it is clear that they fell from a massive height. "Adding the Medicine skill. Based on your previous experience a level of 38 has been applied."

Two kobolds enter the room from another tunnel. They carry bags filled with herbs and berries. 'Is there a way for them to exit those tunnels?', Ethan asks himself.

Their leader opens its eyes, lifting itself up to evaluate their findings as they present them. A long stone sword scrapes across the floor as it sways from its hip. Ethan aims his rifle at the biggest creature's throat. It opens its mouth, releasing a series of hisses at its subordinate.

The room fills with deafening cracks as the target falls to the ground, swiftly followed by the two others. Ethan moves in. Blood paints the center of the room. Triggering predator's sight, Ethan sees that other creatures are running towards the room. A deep breath sends shivers down his spine as he turns to the kobold's leader.

By reflex, Ethan parries the stone sword with his rifle. Its strength is far greater than his, forcing him to bend backward. It snaps its maw at Ethan's face, capitalizing on Ethan's surprise to pry his rifle. The gun tumbles meters away, thrown backward by the kobold.

The blade fragments as it smashes on the floor, missing Ethan by a hair.

Ethan draws his pistol, shooting three rounds at the side of its knee. The bullets splatter across the creature's scaled skin. Yet it shrieks in pain and tumbles as its kneecap exits its joint. It falls its maw wide open. Ethan seizes the occasion, discharging seven rounds into the creature's mouth, leaving only one in the chamber.

A kobold enters the room, its eyes filled with fear as it sees the death of its leader. Without hesitation, the creature flees back into the tunnel.

"You obtained the Dungeon conqueror (F) title. Extra rewards have been granted," the voice announces. "You obtained the First dungeon conqueror (F) title. Extra rewards have been granted." A gray window opens once again.

Kobold lair (F)

Kobold teeth (x7)

Scaled leather (x5)

Copper coins (x15)

Return stone

--- Extra rewards ---

Return stone

Haversack (F)

--- Extra rewards ---

Ability book: Piercing shot (F)

Ability book: silent steps (F)

Ring of protection (E)

Dungeon stone: Abyssal keep (D)

As the window disappears, a rising light forms into a pile at Ethan's feet. The light morphs into items: a bag, coins, teeth, books, and everything else promised. Hearing a swarm of rushing steps, Ethan gathers everything into the bag. He takes special care when manipulating the singular, ominous red stone. Every item he places seems to disappear into the bag, yet if he wants to take it back, thinking of it suffices to grab it.

Ethan keeps one of two gray stones in his hand while he picks up his rifle. As the first kobolds enter the room, he shatters it. A flash of light fills his sight, and he hears a "woof."