Chapter 16

Half a dozen more bulls shattered into shards of light over the course of the next half an hour. As the last one fell Jemza and Jayce both received an extra window after the experience, col, and items listing. A congratulatory window signaling they had both leveled up to 9. Three more after this and they would earn another valuable skill slot. If things kept up how they were going this early into the second floor they would be able to reach level 12 within a day or two.

The bulls had followed a predictable pattern so far relying on a charge to inflict damage. The pair was able to avoid it easily enough therefor nullifying the bull's greatest offense. As long as they kept their distance it would continue to charge at them allowing free attacks as it passed by. Thus, it became their routine for Jemza to gain the creatures attention and attack after a dodge. Jayce functioned as a finisher using a sword skill to deplete the remaining health of the bull after Jemza's attack.

"Would it be tactless to say I'm having fun?" Jayce shook his head in response.

"No, I don't think so. Reality is we're trapped here for a long time. However long that may be this is our life now. We're alive so that's something to be thankful for." Jemza smirked while walking towards him. She punched him lightly on the shoulder before putting her hands on her hips.

"Look who's coming out of their shell! I still think you're an imposter. What changed with you?"

"I'm not sure exactly. I was so scared of dying here that I avoided doing anything short of the simplest of creatures. Even then I only hunted for just enough col to pay for my room. I felt safe there, but let's assume that best case scenario a floor was being completed every week. Ninety-nine more weeks is basically two full years, and again that's best case scenario. I can't live hiding in a room in the Town of Beginnings that long." Jemza listened to him explain everything nodding while he spoke.

"There's nothing wrong with being afraid. It's not like I want to die or that I'm not afraid of it. I just want to live my life without wasting any of it." She replied.

"I guess that's the same point I've gotten to now. I just needed something to live for." He said staring into her eyes. They continued to stare at each other in silence, Jemza's eyes narrowing slightly. The sound of virtual wind blowing across the open savannah was the only sound either could hear. After what seemed an eternity Jayce's face began to crack, his lip quivering slightly.

"That was smooth." As the words left her mouth Jayce finally let out the laughter he had been holding in.

"Right? I thought it was pretty good." She was laughing now too as he fought to catch his breath. She shook her head equally finding it hard to breath.

"A for effort sir, you earned it." Jayce bowed sarcastically in response, but as his upper half leaned forward he noticed something strange. Small, digitally created rocks and pebbles were scattered all throughout the open fields. Nothing was strange about that, except that they were vibrating. His body snapped upward and the smile on Jemza's face was already gone replaced with a deep concern.

"I feel it." As she voiced her confirmation of what he saw there was a definite tremble to the entire ground they stood on.

"Earthquake?" Jemza's head swiveled rapidly taking in their surroundings. Aside from the mountain behind them that Urbus was built into there was nothing but open savannah. The few trees and boulders that peeked out every so often were the only other notable features.

"I don't think so." Her voice was tinged with panic while the pair tried to find an answer to the unexplained phenomena occurring around them.

"What…is that?" Jayce pointed in the distance further south from their position. She followed his gesture and noticed a large cloud of dust growing in size. She took a few steps forward straining her eyes to identify the source.

"It looks like it's getting bigger." Just as she turned back to look at Jayce he grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him.

"Run! Just run!" The desperation in his voice was enough to convince her. Without fully knowing why she ran towards the mountain alongside Jayce. They hadn't traveled far from the mountain itself, but the road leading up the mountain towards Urbus was further. Glancing over their shoulders they could see the cloud growing larger as it gained on them.

"Jayce! What is it?" She was on the verge of screaming now. A feeling of terror leaked into her mind at whatever was chasing them. The man beside her gripped her hand tightly keeping her moving as fast as possible as they drew closer to the mountain.

"We need to get up higher!" His answer brought a renewed fear as she stared at the side of the mountain up ahead. They couldn't reach the gradually ascending slope of the roadway that led up towards Urbus. Instead they were faced with a nearly sheer wall of rock jutting high up into the air, jagged stones and outcroppings appearing here and there along its surface.

"Are you insane? We can't climb this!" They both came to a stop using their hands to stop their momentum pressing up against the stone. Without hesitating Jayce dropped her hand and grabbed her waist pushing her in front of him towards the mountain face.

"Go Jemza! Climb!" She wanted to argue, but behind him she could see the cloud of dust. It was already much closer than before and now she could see the seemingly infinite amount of bull creatures rampaging across the terrain towards them

"Oh my god Jayce!" Her white hair flew through the air in front of his face as she turned back towards the wall and began slowly moving up. Handholds were small and difficult to find and neither one of them had the skill Climbing. She felt his hands hold her legs helping her stay steady as she ascended.

"I'm right behind you!" She couldn't look down below, but trusted that he was following her as she reached up grabbing another sharp edged rock to hold onto. She was silently thankful that pain didn't exist because if this were real life her hand would be bloody and cut from the rocks she held onto.

"It's too steep!" A deafening sound filled their ears as the animals bore down on the area below them thundering across the land. Many pawed at the ground looking up at the pair as they climbed higher. Others locked horns with one another in predetermined algorithms to simulate real animal behavior. The bulk of the herd continued to trample across the grass circling below like vultures.

"Can you find a ledge or anything? We can't climb the whole way up!" Jemza looked left and right trying to find anything that would serve as a place they could rest, but nothing was in sight.

"Nothing! There's…" Climbing was a skill modified further by your Strength parameters. Jemza had been focusing on her Agility stat from the very beginning. Having neither the skill nor the parameters required to perform the actions she had been taking finally took its toll and weightlessness kicked in as her hold failed and she tumbled free from the cliff.

"No!" Fifty feet above the ground Jemza kicked against the wall of the mountain one hand held tightly in Jayce's while her other tried to find something to grab onto. Having already exhausted the limits of her character's ability to climb, the system refused to let her hand find any purchase. Every rock she saw that looked easy enough to grab slipped from her grasp each time. She looked up as Jayce dangled precariously from one hand supporting their weight on a rock extending a few inches out of the side of the rock face.

"I can't grab on! It won't let me!" Jemza's legs kicked underneath her body while the animals continued to circle below anxiously. Jayce's hand slipped a few centimeters until only his fingers remained locked in place on the stone. With his higher Strength he was afforded more lenience while climbing, but with Jemza's added weight and a single hand holding them his time was running out.

"I've got you…we're alright." Every word was strained and he gritted his teeth trying to force his arm to lift her up. It was then that Jemza fully understood what had gone through his mind when the Little Nepenthes almost killed her. How someone as scared as him could make such a selfless sacrifice without hesitation. She knew because as she looked up at him the same calmness and resolve now washed all her fears away.

"We're both going to fall. It's not high enough to be fatal, let me go."

"Shut up! Those things will tear you apart!" His arm refused to lift her weight any further leaving her hanging over the horde of bulls.

"You don't have a choice." She used her free hand to swipe down opening the system menu. She tapped once and looked back up at him.

"Please…not again, I can save you this time!" It hurt more than anything before in her life. Whatever demons the man holding her hand faced were once more playing out before his eyes and she could do nothing for him. The best she could do was one single action.

"No, this time I'll save you." With one more tap her gloves disappeared from her hands forcing his grip to falter. He screamed as her body bounced off the rocks, tumbling into the stampede of animals below.