Man, this tower is big.

I can't see the end even standing at the feet of this thing.

How many floors will it have?

It's going to be a horror going up the stairs, is this an office complex? The workers here must have it quite difficult.

It's not like I care, but boy, I'd hate to be the guy who works on the 72nd floor.

Well, this place isn't going anywhere, let's see what this is.

I climbed the many stairs that led to the entrance and looked inside.

There were two flights of stairs, one going up and the other going down. Plus, there was an... elevator.

Oh.

I noticed how the stairs going up were well maintained and made with nice materials, as was the elevator.

Instead, the flight of stone stairs leading down were not even polished, the steps were of irregular sizes and led into the darkness of the depths.

Now way... don't tell me this damn tower also leads to the center of the stupid planet...

This is going to be fun.

There was no one else here, so there was no one to stop me from exploring.

I could feel my adventurous side take over.

Aaand... it was at that moment that I heard voices.

Shit.

I hid behind one of the pillars and simply waited for these fools to leave.

"Come on, we made some luck today, haha?"

"If we had just gone down one more floor, we could have gotten a little more money."

"You're right, but that would have been better if we didn't have this stupid pallum with us."

"Yes, damn useless supporter, always having to follow us to the dungeon, can't we throw her somewhere? Haha."

I heard their footsteps go away and I peeked out from where I was hiding.

It was a group of four people, apparently three adults and one of those tiny people.

This place is pretty weird.

They mentioned fortune as they came from below, could it be that there will be an all-you-can-grab buffet, but with treasures?

I have nothing better to do, so I might as well find out on my own.

Also, they mentioned dungeon.

It must be the basement of this tower then.

Floor 7...

With each step I went down, I went deeper into the unknown.

In a strange way, it felt familiar.

When I got deeper into it, I could notice the internal structure of the basement.

Or dungeon... whatever its called.

There was decent illumination down the hallway. The walls, ceiling and floor were made of rock and there was a noticeable layer of dust around it.

You'd think the basement would get a little more maintenance, but eh...

I walked carelessly through the different hallways of this place, there was not a single soul in sight.

At one point I arrived somewhere where the paths separated into several other hallways, so if I wanted to continue moving forward, I would have to take one.

I really don't want to get lost in the 'dungeon', so I better write this down...

I marked the recent locations I've been to on my PDA using the drawing tool to make a small, poorly made, improvised map.

At least I'm not going to get lost anymore.

I took one of the paths and continued walking for several minutes.

CRACK

That until, in front of me, one of the walls cracked.

Huh?

The wall began to open and I aimed my AKS-74U.

From the hole in the wall, an ugly green face peeked out.

That green thing came out of the rocky wall and fell face first to the ground.

I looked at it curiously as it stood up.

He had some kind of knife in his hands, a fairly small one considering its size, since this creature barely reached my knee.

That horned thing jumped at me and tried to stab me, but I knocked it to the ground with the skeletal butt of my gun.

Fucking asshole.

He tried to get up, but I stepped on his body with all my weight.

I cocked my gun and planted a bullet in his head, he stopped moving after that.

What the fuck was that thing? He looked like a fucking Karlik.

...

Will I be able to exchange those horns he has for money?

Well, I have my hunting knife with me now, might as well...

I dissected the corpse in about 10 minutes.

Basically, all of its internal organs and bone composition appear to be human, except for the skull, ribcage, and the strange purple stone that glowed unnaturally.

What was this creature doing with a stone in its heart?

I pulled the thing and, in an instant, the creature vanished into a thin layer of dust.

Eh...?

Magic, I guess...

Damn mystical shit...

I picked up the glowing stone and looked at it carefully.

It looked... odd.

I put it in my pocket, picked up the bullet casing, and continued walking.

There wasn't much activity for the next few minutes, although I think that was due to the occasional blood stains on the floor and walls.

I guess this place has already been cleaned.

Do these 'monsters' that Naaza spoke of come from the depths?

That would be quite interesting... now I'm curious.

I turned a corner and saw them.

Humanoid creatures with dog-like fur and faces, they look like damn snorks with the way they hunch their backs.

Damn, they were also of a somewhat decent height, barely reaching my chest.

Well I'll be damned.

I hung up my Kalashnikov and unholstered my PB.

They had their backs turned now, so they didn't notice my presence yet.

I whistled and they turned around, their mouths stained with blood and growling.

Below them was the corpse of what I believe was a person.

I couldn't tell because he... or she, I dunno, was literally unrecognizable. Their remaining hair was stained with their blood and their face was a disfigured mess, surely from the repeated blows received from these creatures. Their corpse was way worse.

I bet it hurt.

The first one jumped and I caught him in the air with a bullet planted in his sternum. The beast was unable to complete its course, which was straight for my neck, and instead crashed face first into the ground next to me.

The other ran on all fours and prepared to swipe at me.

I moved out of the way and made him trip over his friend.

With it facing the ground, I planted two bullets in its back, he began to writhe in spasms and then ceased all movement when I gave him one last shot in the head.

I turned towards the other just in time to whip him with the handle of my gun to his face. It spun in the air as it crashed to the ground.

I wasted no time and shot him in the chest twice.

Fucking dogs.

I changed magazines, because the one I had only had one bullet left (not counting the one in the chamber) and scanned the surroundings.

No more beasts.

Hmm...

Good.

I cut the shiny stones off the bodies, collected my bullet casings, and checked the guy's... gal... torn up corpse.

They had a small leather bag hanging from their waist and a short sword clutched tightly in their hand.

Poor motherfucker.

I took their bag and looked through its contents.

He had two scrolls traced with paper, apparently a map of this underground area, as I could recognize the path he was taking so far, there was a mark that said 'entrance to the second floor'.

There was also another map, literally titled 'My map of the second floor of the dungeon :)'.

It was incomplete.

Well, you can't have everything in this life, I guess, at least I now had a clear idea of how to get out.

I slung the bag on my waist next to the sword, just below my small backpack, it's always nice to have storage space and an extra weapon.

I just need to find my way to the seventh floor and look for this 'dungeon pantry'.

Then look for the blue Papilios, which I have no idea what they look like other than they are blue and have wings.

Damn, I should have asked more...

There is no time to complain, I have an order to fulfill.

I followed the route until the marked descent to the second floor.

It was just another flight of stairs with nothing special.

Welp...

I holstered my PB and kept my AKS-74U at the ready.

Always ready for danger.

I descended slowly, watching for any sign of an ambush or trap, you could never be too safe...

After all, the most vulnerable people are those who believe in a false sense of security.

I especially avoided walls knowing that these creatures come out of them, so I got away to a safe distance and moved forward carefully.

I turned the corner and looked at another one of those dogs.

We both shared looks.

He then started running towards me and I readied my gun.

CRACK.

I moved out of the way just in time when, from the wall to my left, one of those Karliks emerged with a stone axe in his hands.

As it tried to get out of the wall, I focused on the dog.

He was a few meters in front of me now.

I timed it and kicked him right in the chin. His head snapped back as his body made a complete turn having stopped his momentum.

I turned again to watch the Karlik fall to the ground and play with the axe in his hands while he looked at me, licking his lips like some kind of maniac.

I put a bullet in his face and he fell to the ground, dead.

Then I turned to the dog still rising from the ground while rubbing its chin and whimpering in pain.

I walked over and kicked him again, this time in the stomach.

My kicks are no joke, I usually run around the Zone with dozens of kilograms of weight on my back, so I have considerable strength.

The creature screamed on the ground as it curled up on its stomach.

Then I pulled out my knife.

Putting my weight on him by placing my knee on his neck, I stabbed the hunting knife into his stomach.

He still was not dead, so I twisted the blade inside of him, damaging his organs in horrible ways.

Slowly, it went limp as the life left his body.

Fuck.

I removed the stones from their bodies and collected the bullet casing, same routine.

In fact, these stones look more like crystals, will they be valuable? Maybe I can sell them like jewelry.

I'm taking them for a reason, if they turn out to be trash I'll be pretty pissed.

I continued my way thanks to the map of the second floor, but I could only get to some point, since it was incomplete, so I continued the mapping myself with a pencil that I took out of that guy's bag.

I only encountered more bloodthirsty beasts that tried to kill me, nothing very interesting because they were very bad at it. The good thing is that I am filling my pockets with these purple stones/crystals.

The bad thing is that I don't think I can complete that order in a single night, since this 'dungeon' was being very extensive to explore.

I've been collecting a lot of these stones now, they surely must have some use, right? There's no way those guys came down here on their own for something else, there was just nothing but ugly monsters.

Well, it's not like it bothers me, I'm just doing something I know how to do very well.

Kill for a living.

I feel like I'm going to have a lot of fun down here.


The Zone had descended into chaos.

No one expected the attack of the inactive cells of renegades within each existing faction in the Zone, creating dissidence and havoc among the Stalkers.

The military also did not expect to recieve a surprise attack after being attacked by who they believed was Lunatic. The renegades, clearly inspired by this mysterious person, murdered all the poor soldiers remaining in the Agroprom base in cruel and sadistic ways.

With the new equipment they obtained and some of military men turned into renegades, the renegades themselves became a threat to the stable ecosystem of the Zone.

The Ukrainian government declared martial law having lost the little control they had over the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, obviously being surpassed by the now two factions fighting for power.

On one hand, they had the clinically insane and psychopathic dissident Stalkers known as the Renegades. On the other, the mysterious cultist faction known as the Monolith.

Several eyebrows were raised by international governments at the lack of 'control' that the Ukrainian government claimed to have over the Zone and, against the country's wishes, a rapid response group was formed by the united nations, known as UNISG, or UN's International Scientific Group.

They prepared themselves for the threat before them. However, they left the rear uncovered.

They would pay dearly for that mistake.

After all, we all of commit sins


The sky was covered with yellowish clouds, the atmosphere had a disgusting greenish color and the wind was blowing with some force.

It was the end of the world.

As if that weren't enough, there was now something strange in the sewers.

The voices told them, there was something new and unknown to them, something they could take advantage of and a new purpose to fulfill.

The Zone works in mysterious ways, he knew it, the voices told him so.

"Alright guys, we'll be sending out explorers methodically, we need to know what lies beyond that space anomaly, volunteers?"

He raised his hand.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Vadim?"

He nodded.

"Very well, you will go with our best available equipment, we do not want to lose one of our most capable brothers."

It wouldn't be necessary, he would die soon, but not before making a great discovery.

He knew it, the voices told him so.

And surely all his brothers knew it too.


The sun illuminated the city of Orario with its morning light, waking up people and starting a new day for everyone.

Stores opened, people went to work in their respective professions. From the market seller to the brave adventurer.

Either way, for Bell, it was a good day.

As everyday, he had to go back down to the Dungeon. Maybe he'd go one floor deeper than is safe for someone at his level... who knows.

Today was going to be a very productive day, was what he thought.

With the time barely marking 5 in the morning, Bell made his way from his home in that dilapidated church to Babel, that enormous building that stood in the center of the city. Today would be his second week since he started exploring the Dungeon and he couldn't be more excited about it.

His excitement died as soon as he saw the guy walking ahead of him, on the same desolate stone path, approaching at a steady pace.

His face was stained with blood, as were his clothes, a long leather coat, pants made of a fabric he did not recognize, and a sweater. Hanging from his back was a strange tool that he knew nothing about and his small backpack, he also had a brown bag hanging from his waist and a knife sheath there, only the handle of the blade being visible.

He carried a short sword in his hand stained with quite a bit of blood, the edges of the blade having been dented, giving an indication of its intensive use.

The guy was scary and Bell froze when he saw him.

As the stranger passed him, the white-haired young man let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

That person had the air of a wise veteran and he thought he looked pretty cool.

He decided to stop thinking about it and continue on his way, after all, he still had to get money.

Bell just hoped he would meet that guy again.


Fucking kid... I was this close to killing him.

It scared me as soon as that young man tensed up when he saw me and stayed absolutely still, I thought he was going to attack me.

As usual, I was about to point my gun at him and extinguish that look he had in his eyes.

Man, I'm really not fit to live in society anymore...

I uncovered the entrance to my shelter and walked down the stairs to the safety of my home.

Once there, I left my equipment on my workbench and sat on my couch.

I've only found stupid homicidal creatures down there, nothing really interesting.

Yet.

I need to lower the resource cost a bit, those things die easily, so a melee weapon and a 9mm pistol would be enough to get the job done.

The PB is good, little noise so as not to attract attention and a magazine with eight 9x18mm bullets.

Better to use those dozens of PB that I have than let them accumulate rust in the shelf.

Although they would need a little cleaning if I'm going to start using them more often.

Also, since the damn beasts come out of walls and are quite elusive, sound-amplifying headphones would be wonderful, they could save my ass.

For protection? Hm...

Maybe something against scratches and stabs, seeing as that's the main method of attack for those creatures.

I was only able to get to floor three after several hours of exploring because the intricate hallways were a bit confusing to navigate... and I'm ashamed to say that I got lost a few times.

The good thing is that error makes practice, and now I have a complete map of the second floor of the dungeon, so going to the third will be much easier.

Well, the short sword I got should work fine, but I noticed that it has lost some of its edge, so I might as well give it some maintenance with my tools, I don't know, maybe change the handle material, it felt a little uncomfortable on my hands.

Lastly, just for emergencies...

I stood up and looked through the few racks of weapons that I have.

I pulled out a Desert Eagle with a small box of bullets.

In case I run into something the 9mm can't handle, .50 AE should suffice.

I took it from a mercenary a long time ago, it's not like his corpse needed it anymore.

It's not the quietest thing I own, but if I ever need to use this gun down there, I doubt being quiet will be one of my priorities.

Grenades? Only one RGD-5 for noisy entrances or escapes.

I placed the Deagle on my work table and sat on my couch again.

I'm feeling tired and my clothes are soaked in blood.

Shit.

I stood up again and changed my clothes for something more protective.

A few minutes later and I now had an LC-F tactical suit from a mercenary I killed long ago. The bastard had it painted black, which is much better for me, it helps me hide in the shadows.

Low weight, good mobility, I replaced the materials of the fabric, as well as the vest, to be able to hold up better against scratches and bites.

I used this suit before to hunt mutants, so that's why I upgraded it.

I ended up putting on black cut-off gloves and a black knit hat that didn't interfere with my headphones.

Now that I think about it...

I grabbed my radio from the shelves.

I didn't expect to find anything, but I started changing channels to see if there was any signal.

...-Ya na tebe kak na voyne

A na voyne, kak na tebe

Oh, uhh...

No ya ustal, okonchen boy

Beru portveyn idu domoy

I wasn't expecting to pick up music... wait, what frequency is this?

Okonchen boy, zachakh ogon'

I ne ostalos' nichego

Ah, that explains it, it's the Zone's radio.

A my zhivem, a nam s toboyu

Povezlo nazlo ~

I fastened the radio to my vest and connected it to my headphones. Having the beautiful melody of 'Kak Na Vojne' playing in my ears was quite relaxing.

I prepared the rest I had in mind and finally lay down on my bed.

It was a long night and my eyes were starting to burn.

With the sound of music I fell asleep in no time.

...

I woke up when I could hear birds singing outside, so I opened my eyes and got out of bed.

Uugh... my arm was numb.

I stretched and realized I wasn't listening to the music.

I checked my radio and realized the batteries were dead, so I changed them and turned off the device. I don't want to be distracted by music right now.

Taking the dull short sword I had left lying around, I used some sharpening stones I had to try to get some of its edge back.

It took about half an hour, but at least now it was usable again.

Grabing my small backpack, the leather bag and holstering both pistols, PB and Desert Eagle, in each of their respective holsters on my hips, I remembered something important.

I hadn't set the time on my wrist watch.

Now it said it was 2 in the afternoon, could that be true?

I went outside and looked at the sun.

Meh... it seems more like 4 pm.

I adjusted the time and again checked that I had everything ready, and then I went back to that stupid tower.

Floor 7... I must continue going down.

I ignored the crowd on the streets as best I could, but it didn't take long for someone to bump into me due to the number of people passing by on the same avenue.

"Ugh, watch where you're walking, idiot..." The guy I bumped into grabbed my arm.

I looked him into his eyes.

It was a man with animal features, a bear, perhaps? I couldn't have known it, but that man had a pretty hairy tail and ears.

The guy was shorter than me by several inches and had a stocky build, his brown eyes looked at me with some apprehension as soon as they met mine.

Quite interesting, I didn't expect to see one of these people this close.

I removed my arm from his grasp as he continued eye contact.

What... don't you plan to give in? I have better things to do than participate in a staring contest.

I rested my left hand on the holster of my PB. "Whatever you're thinking, rethink it."

He frowned and bit his lip.

Finally he gave in and continued on his way.

What a weird guy

At least it's a comfort to know that people here aren't so willing to resort to violence when threatened, so... there's that, I guess.

I was never one to resort to words, so I secretly hoped the guy would give in, I didn't want to commit murder and tarnish my reputation in a city that doesn't know me yet.

I ignored that particular event and headed back to the tower

Even at the foot of that monument, it still looked immense.

I wonder how long it took to build.

Passing through the crowd entering and leaving the tower, I ignored them and went straight down to the 'dungeon'.

Today I must at least find the entrance to the fifth floor, I wouldn't want that Papilios order to be delayed.

I went down with several groups of people who were also entering the depths of this mysterious place.

I still have to discover how the hell those 'monsters' come out of the walls, my theory for now is that it is due to magic.

I walked through the hallways and eventually separated from the last group that traveled with me, both going separate ways.

Now that I was back alone, I took out my map and followed the already marked route, which took me to floor three with almost no complications along the way other than a few Karliks and those dogs from yesterday.

I put the map and pencil I was carrying in one of my plate carrier's pockets and took up the bloody short sword hanging from my waist again.

Well, yesterday I went left, this time it will be right.

The hallways were remotely quiet, with signs that the occasional fight had happened here due to the blood and trash left behind by other people, probably someone who came here much earlier.

As I continued my light walking and mapping, my nose caught a particular scent.

It smelled putrid.

I prepared sword and PB in both hands and proceeded carefully.

Before turning a corner, I made sure there was no one behind me, you can never be too safe.

It didn't take long until I found the source of the smell.

It was a decomposed corpse of what I believe was a fairly tall man. The larvae and flies devoured his body voraciously.

Gross.

His backpack was thrown to the side, looking quite full. There was also a long sword no further than his body and what I think is a bag with something inside.

Well, now what the hell killed you...

I stood there as I observed every corner of the hallway with my practiced eyesight.

Then, I caught something moving on the ceiling.

I didn't move yet so as not to alarm whatever was up there, I don't want to end up like this idiot.

I took a slow step back and brought my pistol to my chest, the barrel pointed slightly upward.

When I looked up, I took another step back.

Something jumped towards me.

I pulled the trigger three consecutive times before dodging out of the way as I lunged forward.

I heard something crash as I rolled on the ground and turned around quickly on one knee. My gun smoking slightly.

It was a giant fucking lizard, who would have thought?

It had three bullet holes, two in the neck and one in the jaw, but it didn't look like the creature was going to die anytime soon, it looked rather angry.

Damn-

I raised my sword as the lizard lunged at me again, its left paw impaling itself on the blade and its right trying to tear off my face and failing, being blocked by my forearm.

Stupid thing.

I leveled the barrel of my gun at its unprotected stomach and fired the rest of the mag until the beast lost all strength to continue.

The thing was still alive, its bloodshot eyes twitching and its jaw opening and closing.

I kicked it off of me and it flew lightly through the air, taking my sword with it.

When it fell on his back, I had time to breathe.

And a deep breath I took as I put my gun away and swapped it for the Desert Eagle.

The beast raised its head to continue, but I put a bullet right in its eye.

Part of its head flew into pieces and the beast fell to the ground, motionless.

Ugh.

I reloaded my weapons and took some time to caught my breath.

The stupid lizard has skin as hard as a Zone's wild boar, lucky that it has the same weakness as those, its soft belly.

I stood up and checked the surroundings.

There was nothing else around.

Great.

I approached the surprisingly large lizard and looked at it for a few seconds.

So... this thing... how should I call it?

Stupid giant lizard.

I removed the purple crystal from its body and took back the short sword, strapping it right on my hip.

I guess these beasts prefer ambush more unlike the others on the first and second floor.

Pretty smart, but nothing I haven't dealt with before.

Although seeing giant lizards is a new one, I must admit.

Whatever.

I looked through the backpack of the poor soul who died and noticed several things.

Apparently, this guy was loaded, a pity that some of his things are in a mess.

There were pieces of broken glass, spilled liquids, broken artifacts I didn't recognize, stained papers...

Tsk.

At least there were more of those purple crystals.

Man, I gotta find a place to sell my trash.

I approached the small bag near the body and opened it.

There was a large number of golden coins inside.

Do they use damn gold coins around here? Fuck, what kind of civilization is this?

I closed the bag and put it in my small backpack.

Back home, this would be worth a fortune.

I also took the long sword and tied it to my back. Luckily it came with its own rope, courtesy of the rotting corpse next to me.

If the main weapons I will find around here are pure metal swords, I will be very angry.

I need to replenish my ammo. I may have a few thousand rounds! But my supply is finite.

Well...

I packed everything up and continued exploring cautiously, always mapping the path ahead.

It took about a few hours, but I was finally able to find a way down to the fourth floor of this 'dungeon'.

Dread is what I felt when I looked at the stairs. I don't know, it gave me a bad omen...

Anyway, it's getting late, it's around 8 and I'd rather avoid staying up late again, it's bad for my sleep schedule.

The way back took much less time than the damn exploration for obvious reasons, plus the hallways were almost devoid of life. Surely thanks to the hundreds of people I saw coming down a while ago and the other hundreds more who probably came down in the morning.

It almost seems like a job, I wonder if it really is.

How much will the salary be...?

Now that I think about it, formal work is not my thing, so I will continue to go down and rob corpses even if it is illegal.

It wouldn't be the first time I've done it.

Half an hour of walk later and I was back on the surface, there was almost no one here at this time.

Great, fresh air and moonlight, my favorites.

...

Man, this place is pretty clean, there's not even smoke anywhere.

Hm...

I wonder where the industrial zone is.

Although... with how technologically backward this city (town?) seems, I highly doubt they even have plumbing.

Haha, at least I can stop feeling bad about not having a decent bathroom if no one else does.

I should take a shower soon.

...

Alright, now, which side was my shelter on...?

Ah, over there.

I walked nonchalantly, being sure that no one would come out of a dark alley and try to shoot me and steal my things.

Although they could very well stab my ass...

Just for good measure, I kept my left hand on the holster of my PB the entire time.

My little Soviet steel will protect me.

The closer I got to where my shelter was located, the more the streets seemed desolate of life, to the point where the only person walking was me.

A little scary, if you ask me.

It's not that I minded, nor that I wasn't already used to walking through desolate places. More like I was starting to feel a bit homesick even though I haven't been out of the Zone for long.

"Haha! How about that, huh!?"

Ah?

"Boss, here's her bag, she has quite a bit of money..."

"Ha! As expected of our little friend, always worrying about us!"

What is happening there?

I got just a little closer to the alley where the voices were coming from.

It sounded like someones getting a beating.

They said something about money, so I'll stay a bit to see what these idiots leave behind.

I looked around the corner and there they were, three guys kicking-

Oh, is that a boy?

Oh damn.

These guys... they stole money from a kid and on top of that they're beating him up? Fuck, that's kind of horrible.

Why does this surprise me?

Ugh, there were no kids in the Zone, maybe that's why.

Shit, what do I do now? The poor devil's getting the beating of his life and I'm here watching.

...

Well, shit. I guess I could do another good deed.

I silently approached from behind, no one noticed until they felt my presence, but that was enough for me.

"Huh? Who's going-" He couldn't continue because I served him a knuckle sandwich.

He fell to the ground, rubbing his lower jaw and groaning in pain. Next to him, a bag of what I believe is money that he was carrying in his hands seconds ago.

The other two turned around when they saw one of their wounded companions and were surprised by my presence.

To the one on the left, I buried my fist in his stomach. He fell to his knees and began to vomit.

I turned to the next one as he raised both hands in the air.

I hit him on the nose and he fell to the ground next to the other one.

Now the three of them were growling in pain on the ground like the bo-

Damn.

Uhm... he was a girl.

Well, uh... fuck.

That just makes it worse, dammit.

The individual who received the blow to the jaw pulled out a knife from inside the leather vest he was wearing and slowly stood up.

This guy looks familiar... he wasn't...?

Oh, it's the one I encountered on the afternoon.

Hello again then.

I unholstered my PB and pointed the gun at his friend who was lying in his own vomit. "Do it and his life will be over in a second."

No response.

Won't you stop for your partner? Wow, I applaud you, you certainly are like me.

Instead of his friend, I switched targets and aimed directly at his own face.

He bit his lip.

Fucking asshole... he probably doesn't even know what is the thing I'm holding.

I shot the ground next to him three times and aimed again at his face again.

A few tense seconds passed before he finally gave up and dropped the knife he was carrying to pick up his partner and leave the dark alley we were in.

Okay, I didn't expect that to happen, but I appreciate it, I don't know how would I feel after killing three people in front of a child.

... I probably wouldn't feel anything, but I'd rather avoid the trouble.

As soon as they were gone, I put away my PB and sighed.

Well, now what do I do with you?

The girl who remained silent the entire time on the ground slowly knelt down while still hugging her bruised body.

Ouch, that must hurt.

She looked up and our eyes met.

Her hazel colored orbs looked at me with a deep feeling of hatred and acceptance.

I... uh...

Tsk.

Poor gal.

"Come on, you can go, I won't do anything to you."

She frowned, as if I had told her the vilest lie she had ever heard and didn't even move.

...

Fuck...

Sigh.

I picked up the money bag from the floor and extended it to her, but I was pushed back as the girl stood up and ran out of the alley with a speed that someone who had been beaten up shouldn't have.

Don't you want your money? Oh well.

Damn, uhh... there goes the good deed of the day.

As soon as there was no one around, I also left that alley and returned to my shelter.

When I went to put the girl's money bag on the workbench, I noticed something else.

There was still that chocolate bar there.

Yeah.

I sat on my couch as I stored that chocolate inside my armored vest.

...

My heart... it stings.

Why?

Now that I think about it, I've had this same feeling before.

What was it... I think it was anguish.

Her clothes were not her size, they looked like rags, her hair was disheveled and her face was dirty.

An orphan? At least that's what I think, any loving parent would do anything to see their children well, or at least that's what mine would do...

Shit, I can't get this phantom pain out of my chest, will she be okay on her own?

Hmm.

For some strange reason, she reminded me of my sister.

It hurt even more when I thought about it.

That anguish never disappeared even though I closed my eyes to sleep.

Between the frequent nightmares and that stabbing pain in my chest, it was one of the hardest nights I've had so far.


The rays of morning light announced the beginning of a new day.

Lili woke up in pain.

Her whole body hurt, although it's normal. Kanu often hits her when she doesn't bring enough money or simply refuses to give it to him.

At least now she was somewhat pleased after seeing him and his foolish henchmen being abused in the same way, although she would have preferred if that stranger had continued beating them.

She sat on her bed and yawned.

Hungry and sleepy, with dark circles under her eyes and the slight growl of her stomach, she was hateing this morning already.

There was nothing she could do about it, she would have to go back to work today, like every day.

10 million... she needed to accomplish that goal and nothing would stop her from achieving her freedom.

She got out of her bed and did some stretches.

It hurt, but at least it would help wake her up.

As soon as she finished, she opened the curtains on her window and let the sun's rays into her room.

There was a swallow at the window.

The room she lived in was a small space inside the house of a Gnome she knew, he was quite gentle and she trusted him, so there was no problem with her staying here.

The bad thing is that she knew that sooner or later, whether it was Kanu or... the Soma Familia, they would find her.

That thought sent a small shiver down her spine.

She didn't want to go back, she wanted to be free, not to be Zanis's puppet again.

It made her shudder.

She took a deep breath of the cold morning air and went to put on her white robe.

One of her few clothes, since she didn't want to spend on other unnecessary things like extra clothes or makeup at all, she was fine like that.

Plus, doing laundry is easier when you barely have any clothes.

She put her special gloves on both hands and prepared what she would need to go down to the Dungeon.

It is better to have more of something than a lack of it.

After all, she was also going to beg from the adventurers today, so it would be best to please them until they get careless and she can steal something of value from them.

Which is why she's carrying a backpack twice her size.

It would be physically impossible for her to carry something like that, however, a skill she acquired long ago allowed her to do so.

She hated that her ability, Artel Assist, meant that she would be a supporter until the end of her days.

Receiving stat boosts sounds great, but for her to receive that boost, her ability only activated when she was carrying a certain amount of weight...

So the more weight she carried on her back, the more the compensation would be.

A skill that would only be useful to a useless supporter like her.

She hated it.

Bringing both hands to her head, she recited. "Your wound is mine, my wound is mine..."

From her head and lower back, two shapes of light appeared.

"The echo is the signal of midnight."

With a puff, she now had animal ears and a tail. Furthermore, the color of her eyes had changed to gold.

She had now become a chienthrope.

After all, it will be more difficult for others to recognize you if you are from a different race.

Besides, yesterday she stole from the fool of Ged and his group, so she should look for another group of adventurers, maybe then she will avoid meeting that guy again.

She took the piece of magic weapon from her bedside table and wrapped it in a cloth.

It's always good to have a plan B.

She put it inside her tunic in a hidden pocket and hoisted her giant green backpack onto her shoulders. Then, she looked out the window once more.

The swallow was gone.

Time to go out too.

She just hoped luck was on her side today.


It was morning and Yuri had gone out again to continue exploring the Dungeon.

He was a little tired, and he also felt slightly ill, but he couldn't just rest well not knowing about that random girl.

The night was awful.

He wanted to wash that feeling off his chest with alcohol, but it didn't work, so he prepared his things and now he would try to get it out with violence.

The only new thing he had with him was the new rail with laser device and flashlight that he had installed on his PB, which would help him a lot when aiming quickly, as well as in dimly lit hallways.

He had reached the plaza right next to the immense tower and couldn't help but look up at the sky again.

It felt surreal.

He took a deep breath and checked his equipment one last time. Being paranoid saved him many times before and he's sure it will continue to do so.

From a distance, unbeknownst to the Stalker, a pair of golden eyes fixed on him.

Liliruca frowned from the fountain she was sitting on.

Was that the guy from last night? She wondered, since she wasn't sure, however, it had to be. She was only able to give him a small glimpse, but she remembered that the person was wearing somewhat eccentric clothing.

He had to be.

Now that she had him in front of her, she asked herself, why did he help her? He surely had much better things to do, so why? She didn't understand it.

No one would stop to help her, she knew that very well.

Something clicked in that line of thought.

What if it was someone abnormally gentle? Of course, there weren't that many people like that from her own experience, since they were all self-centered and petty pigs, including her, so seeing someone who genuinely cares about others is rare.

And if... and if...

She smiled.

It would be quite easy to take advantage of a person like that, plus she's currently unemployed, so...

She stood up and walked over.

"Well, I guess that's it..." She heard him say, apparently checking out a rare artifact in his hands before putting it into a holster on his waist.

Will it be valuable? She doesn't know what it is yet, so she can't imagine the price.

She cleared her throat and the stranger turned around.

Both pairs of eyes met. Gold and black.

Wow, he's tall.

Who's this lost brat? Wait, what the hell...

"Good morning!" She greeted, sharpening her voice to sound younger in age. She had discovered that this way, the adventurers are less likely to take out their anger on her.

"Huh..."

Given the lack of response, Lili was confused.

Do I have something on my face?

"How the hell... ah, magic, it must be magic, of course... yes..." She heard him whisper to himself thanks to her chienthrope ears.

She decided to ignore it.

"Mister, by any chance, aren't you looking for a supporter?"

Lili's words seemed to catch Yuri's attention.

"Supporter you say?"

Lili pointed to the backpack and bag that Yuri was carrying with him. "Adventurers don't usually carry backpacks, so Lili was wondering if you didn't have a supporter with you."

That specific word again, Yuri thought.

Besides, how could a girl who is barely below four feet tall be of any use to him? Sure, she has a giant backpack that she can carry somehow, maybe thanks to still inexplicable 'magic', so he doesn't know-

Looking at it from that perspective, someone who knows how to use magic sounds like someone quite useful.

He decided to entertain the idea for the moment because he really needed someone to get information about this place from and he heard that children are usually honest, that and the face of the young gal in front of him was somewhat familiar.

"Well, first explain to me what an adventurer is... I'm... kind of new around here and I don't really know much about this place."

So someone gentle and naive? Lili felt like she won the lottery.

Although that thing about not knowing what an adventurer is sounded strange to her, generally all the people who come to Orario do so to be adventurers and enter the Dungeon, so what is this person doing here?

"Well, adventurers are people registered with Falna who go into the Dungeon and recover magic stones from monsters and other items that they drop... there is more, but what Lili told you is the basics, so..." She stopped when she saw the man deep in thought.

Have I said something wrong? I hope it's not like that.

So they were magic stones!? Man I feel like I'm going to get rich .

He shook his head and asked. "Registered? Is there an authority that is in charge of seeing who are adventurers or not?"

Now Lili was starting to get nervous, does this person really know nothing or is he just playing with her?

Still, she decided to respond.

"Uh... there is the Adventurer's Guild that is responsible for registering all adventurers with Falna..."

Interesting. "So if someone is not registered, will they be considered illegal?"

She was starting to grow exasperated.

"No... well, it's not considered illegal, but it's stupid, no one would dare enter the Dungeon without a Falna..." She snorted. "Are you or are you not an adventurer?"

He scoffed. "Nope, not a professional adventurer, but a Stalker, basically the same thing." He extended his right hand. "Nice to meet you, Lili, I'm Yuri, would you like to be my supporter?"

Not an adventurer? That was pretty weird.

She seemed a little doubtful, but after a few seconds, she shook the stranger's hand. "Lili's name is Liliruca Arde, a chienthrope supporter, it's a pleasure doing business with you." She finished with a practiced smile.

Hopefully this isn't a bad decision.

They joined the crowd and descended the stairs to the first floor.

On the way, she asked. "So... where are we going?"

Without taking his eyes off the stairs, Yuri responded. "Fourth floor, I'm looking for the entrance to the fifth, you don't have any idea where it is, do you?"

Fourth floor? That was quite strange, how could someone who is not an adventurer go so far into the Dungeon on their own?

He mentioned that he's a Stalker, although she doesn't even know what that is. He said the word as if it were something else, could it be a strong enough profession?

She decided to ignore it for the moment and play along. "Well, Lili knows the paths down to the 11th floor, but after that, Lili would have to investigate... is Master Yuri planning to go beyond the 4th floor...?"

"Please don't call me that and yes, I plan to go to the 7th." Was Yuri's response. "Why? Any suggestions?"

"Ah! N-No, it's just that... actually, Lili isn't sure if you're equipped enough for... that..." She replied, trying to sound as least insecure as possible so as not to insult his companion's capabilities, she once got into trouble for doubting an adventurer and would rather not anger another one again.

They both went down to the first floor and separated from the crowd of people.

"Is there something you know that I don't? Just say it."

She swallowed.

"The thing is... from level 5 the War Shadows appear, at 6 the Frog Shooters and at 7 the difficulty increases a lot with the Killer Ants and the Purple Moths... as well as everything Lili had already mentioned."

Yuri stopped moving and, consequently, so did Lili.

Somewhat nervous, she decided to ask. "Is there something wrong, Master Yuri?"

He sighed. "You're going to keep doing it even if I say no, right?" He whispered to himself, but she still heard him. "Well, explain to me about those monsters while we walk deeper." He responded as he removed the short sword hanging from his bag.

"Uhm... okay..."

They both turned a corner.

"War Shadows are tall monsters made of shadows that have very sharp claws and superior agility, any novice adventurer who faces them would quickly die, plus they usually come out in groups, making it dangerous to face them alone."

Yuri nodded at that. "Sounds like a beast I fought before." Was his response, remembering the bloodsuckers. "Keep going."

With green light given, she continued to explain, her nervousness slowly fading. "Did you know that ants can carry up to 100 times their weight? Well, a Killer Ant is just a normal giant ant, there is not much to explain other than that they have an abnormally hard exoskeleton and the strength to tear someone in half with their jaws."

That explanation made Yuri feel a little nervous.

He already had rats and giant worms back in the Zone, now ants?

"Sounds terrifying."

"What's even scarier is that when they're heavily injured, they communicate with their nearby allies with pheromones, so it's best to get rid of all the surviving ants or else you'll be overwhelmed in seconds."

"Oh..."

"Ujum..."

"I guess Purple Moths are giant purple moths, right?"

"That and the fact that every time they flap their wings they release poisonous dust."

"And... Frog Shooters?"

"Giant one-eyed frogs that use their tongue to attack."

They reached the stairs that went down to the second floor and descended.

"If it's so dangerous, why do people keep coming down? Is there anything of value that people are willing to die for?"

It seemed strange to her that this guy doesn't even know any common sense about the Dungeon, but like the previous times, she decided to ignore it.

Plus that way it would be easier to get his money and scam him.

"Magic stones from monsters at deeper levels usually sell more expensively, although they are more dangerous..."

"Well, then how about we make a small fortune? I plan to get to the seventh floor at some point."

"Do you really want us to go to the 7th floor on our own!? I-I don't even know what level you are!"

Yuri looked at her strangely.

She stopped.

"Don't you have Falna...?"

"No idea what the hell that is."

"A-Ah... I... I'm leaving..."

"Really? After all that talk about me needing a supporter?"

CRACK

CRACK

CRACK

Three creatures came out of the walls right in front of Lili, two Kobolds and a Goblin.

She took a step back in surprise and prepared to flee, but three clicks stopped her in her tracks as the monsters in front of her died in a flash.

She turned and watched Yuri hold the tool she didn't recognize.

Yuri blew into the smoking barrel of his silenced weapon and holstered it on his hip. "Look, I've met monsters much worse than damn green dwarves and werewolves, so don't worry, we'll be fine." He unsheathed his knife and approached one of the corpses, taking out the magic stone in no time thanks to the experience he has skinning animals and mutants.

She looked at him with a frown.

He put the stone inside his bag and looked at the supporter. "Also, we won't go to the 7th floor today, I heard what you said and I know what I'm and not capable of, now let's go... or do you prefer to go back and continue looking for someone to pick you up?"

Now that he put it that way.

"Ugh... okay... Master Yuri."

"Please stop calling me that."


I have walked for hours and hours, I have killed beast after beast and there is no time where I find the damn exit of this stupid maze.

Also, I'm very tired.

There are hundreds of hallways, dozens of intersections, and no damn sign indicating where the exit is.

I can't be in an underground cave complex because of the lack of toxic gases and rare minerals between the stones, plus stupid beasts coming out of the walls and ceiling.

I've faced vicious mutants, sentient anomalies, parasitic nests, and the worst the Zone has to offer after the stupid planet was consumed.

Then why the fuck am I wasting my skills on fucking giant bugs, black ghosts, and beast people?

I'm better than this...

The voices gave me a purpose and they will make me die for it, but I did not expect the voices to command me to die against these beasts.

"Uuugh...please...noo..."

Well, it's not like there's no way out, I've killed several other human beings before and the fact that they continue to appear along these desolate paths means that at some point I'll get out of here.

At least, I hope so.

I prefer to see the sun decaying than to continue looking at stupid walls.

I stepped on the head of the poor asshole who was crawling on the ground. His skull exploding like a grape under my boot due to the increased strength I had thanks to the exoskeleton I was wearing.

Before me lay the bodies of a group of five people, 4 of them killed by my PKM, the last one was lucky.

It's not like it's of any use to him.

Hmph, stupid human beings.

The voices gave me purpose.

My purpose is to kill them all.


Okay, 4th floor.

There was some resistance from the monsters along the way, but nothing difficult enough, the good thing is that Lili is good at avoiding fights, so there's that.

I've noticed that she's pretty good at taking stones out of monsters, I wonder how long she's been doing this...

I didn't ask her because I didn't see a reason for it, although I did see her keeping some for herself, that little thief.

It's not like it's the most troublesome thing in the world, I guess she's securing her own share of the pay.

In her place, I would do the same.

I touched the wall with the tip of my blood-filled short sword. Maybe I could bring my Kukri machete next time, it's better quality, although I think it would take a while to keep maintenance of it.

"Lili." I called. "Yes?" She answered as soon as I did. "Do you know anyone I can buy wheting stones from?"

"Oh! In fact, Lili brings her own set of wheting stones in her backpack, Lili usually uses them when her knife becomes dull... do you need them now?"

I asked you if you knew anyone, not if you had some of that with you.

"No, not now, but thanks anyway, I'll let you know as soon as I do."

"Eh... okay..."

We both turned a corner.

It was full of sleeping Karliks.

Huh?

"Master Yuri... be careful!" She whispered behind me.

Slowly, I took a few steps back.

That's a lot of monsters.

Should I throw my grenade?

Ehh...

"We should go around, the hallway is full of goblins, though... if Master Yuri wants to fight... Lili will be back here... uh, giving moral support."

Well, thanks little comedian, I appreciate it.

I carefully took the grenade out of my pocket, it's the only one I brought, I doubt I'll need it later.

I can't resist the urge to throw her at that group of monsters.

The grenade, I mean... not the little supporter at my side.

"Cover your ears, Lili."

"Eh, why?"

"Just do it, something is going to be really loud." I responded by removing the safety pin from the grenade.

She dubiously obeyed and put both hands to her ears.

"Cover yourself tightly or you'll regret it."

"Okay, okay... hush..."

Great, with that out of the way...

The explosive flew through the air, the safety lever detaching from the grenade seconds later.

It fell right among the crowd of sleeping beasts.

I hid behind the corner and pulled Lili with me.

A loud explosion echoed through the walls of the Dungeon, so much so that I felt my bones tremble slightly.

"What the hell was that!?" Lili panicked next to me.

I put my hand on her shoulder to calm her, although she flinched away from the contact on instinct. Oh well.

"That, my dear assistant, was an RGD-5 fragmentation grenade, quite a useful tool, I must admit."

"Was that magic!?" She responded, her voice much louder, surely the explosion still left her half deaf.

Maybe she didn't even hear me.

"No, just a piece of metal filled with explosives, pretty cool, right?"

"Uhh... I guess...!" She replied, rubbing her ears.

Next time, I'll bring some headphones for her too.

"Well, see if there are still 'goblins' there."

Lili watched from the corner and noticed the bloody remains of what were once Dungeon monsters.

"Wha..."

"Awesome, I know, wait until you see plastic explosives."

She looked at me confused. "The what now...?"

"Doesn't matter." I responded, unsheathing my hunting knife and approaching the bodies liquefied by shrapnel. "Come on, those magic stones aren't going to come away on their own."

"Master Yuri."

Damn, what do you want now?

I sighed. "Yeah?"

She used a knife to cut through the flesh of a goblin and remove the magic stone with practiced ease, the body disappearing in a thin cloud of smoke. "Let Lili recover the magic stones, after all, it is the only way Lili can be useful."

"Bah, we'll have a lot more time if we both do the work."

She pointed the magic stone she had in her hands at me. "No, that's dangerous, who will keep watch in case of an ambush then?"

Ugh...

"I hate that you're countering me with valid arguments and logic, but hey, okay, I'll stand guard while you cut..."

I unholstered my PB and held it in my free hand, the short sword in the other.

There was nothing in the hallway ahead of us, the place was quiet

CRACK

CRACK CRACK CRACK

Well, it was quiet.

I turned on the laser sight of my gun when three dog men and a lizard appeared.

"Miss Lili." I called out loud

She turned to me and noticed the imminent danger. "Alright!" She replied, pulling some monster bodies out of the way for the fight.

Thanks, I guess.

I shot the first and second dog, both fell to the ground writhing in pain from the fragments of the HP bullets now piercing their vital organs, but the third moved just before the bullet caught him and the giant lizard climbed the walls, aiming to the ceiling.

I cut off the Kobold's head with my sword as soon as it got close enough, since it had jumped with its claws extended, surely to pierce my neck right there.

I crouched down and used both arms to block the jaw of the lizard that jumped from the ceiling towards my head.

I could feel its teeth trying to break through the reinforced fabric and only narrowly succeeding.

I pushed it off of me and it rolled on the floor. Then came back on its paws and looked at me with murderous fury.

I turned on the flashlight of the gun and pointed it at its eyes.

The thing backed away from the light, giving me time to unholster my Desert Eagle and put the .50 AE bullet through its brain.

"¡Ahhh!"

Yep, I should definitely bring another pair of headphones.

I holstered my weapons and took a deep breath.

I can feel a little burning on my right forearm, its damn teeth were pretty sharp.

Not as much as the claws of a Chimera, but of considerable danger if it caught me without protection.

Stupid things...

"Lili?" I called.

"Ow... yes, here I am..." She stepped out of the shadows, rubbing her head.

Welp.

I took off my own pair of headphones and handed them to her.

"Huh, what are these? Earmuffs?"

"A tactical hearing device, it protects the ears from loud sounds while amplifying weak ones, quite useful for this line of work." She looked at the headphones with some amazement. "Well? Take them."

"E-Ehm... are you sure Lili should receive such a valuable piece of equipment? Lili doesn't think-"

"Just shut up and take them, they're not magic or anything, just a piece of technology and they'll serve you a lot more than they do to me now."

I wouldn't want my only supporter to develop Tinnitus at such a young age.

Still with visible doubt on her face, she took them and looked curiously.

"They go in the ears, it's not that complicated, you can adjust them if you want."

Her eyes met mine and it seemed like she was debating with herself up there in her head.

I reloaded my weapons while she was still standing there doing nothing.

After a moment, she complained and took off that white hood she was wearing.

Revealing her brown hair and animal ears on her... oh...

Oh, I see.

Before I could even say anything, she hung the headphones around her neck and raised both hands towards her animal ears, then recited something and, with a small light show, made her animal appendages disappear.

I'm damn right, stupid fucking magic.

Wait... those hazel eyes, the face.

She's the same girl from last night.

When her transformation was finished, she put on the headphones and sighed.

She showed me a smile. "Shall we continue exploring, Master Yuri?" She asked not with a high-pitched voice similar to that of a little girl, but with a voice of a tired and apathetic young woman.

Shit, should I say something? Try to give her money back?

I don't have time to deal with drama.

"Yes, but before that, let me pick up my trash."

For some reason she seemed surprised by my answer. Maybe she was expecting me to mention the fact that I recognized her or something like that.

I bent down to pick up the spent bullet casings.

I could make ammo with these again, but there will come a point where the shells are no longer refillable and I will need to get new ammo.

How will I do that? I have no fucking idea, but I'll find out, I guess.

Maybe magic is the answer.

Just when I was about to pick up the spent casing from the Deagle, Lili crouched down in front of me and picked up that piece of brass.

"Your weapons are quite interesting, master."

"Yup, they're firearms."

She looked at me strangely. "Do they shoot fire?"

"What- no, they don't shoot fire."

What the hell gave you that idea?

She tilted her head, confused. "Then why are they called firearms if they don't shoot fire? It sounds ridiculous."

Okay, you're not wrong, but you're also very wrong.

I facepalmed. "I'll explain it to you another time, now we should get the magic stones from those over there and let's continue looking for monsters to kill."

She looked at my face with scrutiny, as if trying to search for something hidden in my expression or my words.

The fact that her attitude has changed from a seemingly shy girl to someone so perceptive gets on my nerves.

...

Are you seriously going to continue to stare at me?

"So... do we take out the stones now or when you get tired of looking at my face?"

"Oh I'm sorry." It was her only response to then turn around and start looking for those gems from the recent corpses.

The rest of the exploration and collection went without problems, Lili was in charge of collecting magic stones at an impressive speed while I was in charge of getting rid of the monsters that were getting increasingly numerous using my skill and creativity.

We only stayed on the 4th floor to collect dozens and dozens of magic stones. She looked surprised when she pointed out that I make many more benefits than a group of 4 level 1 adventurers in the same time... whatever level 1 means.

I could and would do much more if it weren't for the fact that I don't have the necessary equipment to go deeper. That and the fact that the she could be in danger if I'm careless.

It was a relief to see her return to that innocent girl mask she wore, I don't know how much longer I could stand her piercing gaze digging holes in the back of my head.

Also, interesting thing I discovered, the beasts drop parts of their bodies at random. Ironically, she called them drops.

I have no idea why that is, but Lili said they can be sold at a good price, so we picked up those pieces as soon as they appeared.

Now we were packing everything we had collected into our backpacks, lucky that I brought Lili with me, since she is the one who will do most of the carrying of our loot.

I was a little embarrassed to find out that she is relatively stronger than me, but she denied it and said that it is not true.

My only guess, magic.

I patted the bag hanging from my waist, filled with magic stones, the weight making me lean slightly. "Alright, shall we go?"

Lili carried the straps of her giant backpack on her back. "Sure."

Something echoed in the halls.

Lili moved away from me a little, knowing that I was likely to get involved in another fight. "Another monster?"

They were quite heavy footsteps. There was also the tinkling sound of metal clashing against metal.

We turned and looked at the corner where the sound was coming from.

I felt something tug at the back of my brain, like a rope was trying to pull me from my thoughts.

"Ugh! What!?" Lili was just as confused as I was.

From the corner, a huge figure came out... wait.

As soon as I saw the Nosorog he was wearing and the ready-to-fire PKM in his hands, I knew I didn't want to stay and find out what his intentions were.

I used my body to push Lili and I out of the vision range of that armored stranger.

She, rightly nervous, asked me what was happening, to which I simply told her to run.

We reach the end of the hallway and turn through an intersection.

Aaagh, shit... that was-

Haha... hahahahahaha

What the fuck was that?

Shit, shit, shit... my heaad...

I reached into my small backpack, reaching into one of the compartments, and pulled out a blister of pills.

O27 R pills, Alprazolam, mainly used to treat anxiety and panic attacks.

I took out two and swallowed them dry.

This will make me quite sleepy later, but now I need to stay stable.

I didn't expect to feel the influence of a controller here of all things.

Damn, clear mind, clear mind! Otherwise, I won't survive.

And neither would Lili.

I turned my head and looked at her, her body visibly shaking. Even she herself seemed confused, as she looked at her trembling hands with apprehension.

I took her hand and put a pill there, using my own hand to ball her's into a fist.

"Swallow that, it will help you to calm down." I explained to her. We needed her to get out of here quickly, this is a situation where we could both die.

Hahahaha

Come

Fuck.

I unholstered my Desert Eagle and held it in my hand.

Shit, we should run away.

But... what if...

I noticed how Lili swallowed the pill with some difficulty and grimaced due to the dryness of the medicine. "Bleh..."

To hell with it.

I unstrapped the bag off my shoulder.

"Lili..."

She turned her head towards me, her eyes indicating that she was scared. She probably didn't understand anything about the threat I considered familiar.

"I'm so sorry." I told her, handing her the bag full of magic stones, since now they would only get in the way. "It was fun exploring with you, but now you have to go."

She seemed a little hesitant at first, but then she just turned around and started running until I lost sight of her.

Hopefully she survives all the way to the surface.

Poor girl.

Welp, now with her out of the equation, I can focus on dealing with this problem.

"Tak, tak, tak... what do we have here?"

Another 'brave' one?

Son of a bitch, get out of my head.

"I'm surprised to see so many humans down here, although it's a pleasant surprise, you know?"

Consider yourself lucky, I just want to ask you a few questions.

And then kill me, right? Fucking controller...

"Come on... get out of there, little котик..."

Or are you afraid, трус?

I fired blindly from cover.

"You bastard son of a bitch! Now you're screwed."

I heard a click, but then nothing.

Did his gun just jam?

Something fell to the ground, it sounded like plastic, as well as the metallic sound of the machine gun cover opening.

I went out and noticed the controller was reloading his PKM.

I aimed carefully and fired.

The .50 AE bullet entered the receiver with an audible clang, the weapon was now useless because it will not be able to load any more rounds until it is repaired.

Which now gives me the advantage.

I fired another few rounds, this time in the head, causing the motherfucker to cover himself with his arm out of reflex.

The .50 AE caliber will hurt even with that damn titanium Altyn on his head.

A single bullet met its luck and ricocheted off the top of his head. The controller staggered back in daze.

I continued shooting from where I was. I'm not going to risk being crushed by the superior strength of an exoskeleton, not again.

I fired my last rounds and took cover to reload my gun. I could feel my ears start to bleed from the echo of the loud flashes in a closed space like this.

Bad time to give my headphones to the girl.

I moved out of cover again to continue shooting, but something hit my chest and everything around me started spinning.

Ah... I guess I didn't hear him approach, my bad.

When I stopped seeing a blur, I could see that everything was now upside down.

Correction, I was upside down, pressed against the wall.

That kick... it fucking hurt...

Uugh...

I leaned on my side and could feel the rest of my body fall to the ground.

Damn, everything hurts.

I watched as that mountain of a person approached me with a calm step.

He took off his helmet and let it fall to the ground.

Son of a b-EUGH...

The bastard grabbed me by the neck and lifted me off the ground.

Damn... I can't...

"Now listen to me carefully, bitch, I'm going to ask you some questions and you're going to answer me, okay?"

I nodded weakly.

"Okay, tell me, where am I?"

I felt his grip release slightly from my neck, allowing me to breathe and, consequently, speak.

But I didn't speak, better yet, I spit on his face. My saliva mixed with blood blocking his eyes.

He closed them and brought his free hand to his face to wipe away the saliva. "Of course you would do tha-"

He couldn't finish because, in the time it took him to wipe his face, I had pulled out my hunting knife and stabbed it deep into his neck.

You stupid arrogant fool, you would have had a chance if you hadn't taken off your helmet.

He let go of me and I fell to the ground on my butt. He, instead, fell on his back, blood trying to escape through the small holes between the knife and his skin.

Now that I realize, this guy looks like a perfectly normal person, except for the scars on his forehead, so I don't see how someone like this person could have the influence that a controller possesses.

Anyway.

I approached, unholstered my PB and planted a bullet in his forehead. He stopped moving after that.

Stupid imbecile.

...

Just for good measure, I emptied the rest of the mag into his head.

Fuck... Fucking hell! I'll be dealing with armed controllers from now on!? I don't want this kind of shit again...

Just... a coincidence, right?

I can feel like my chest is going to burst.

Another one of those... 'potions' would come in handy right now.

Damn, I forgot to ask Lili about that...

Welp.

I took my Desert Eagle that had fallen to the ground and put it in its holster, as well as my PB.

I picked up the PKM and let it hang from my back. I have another one at home, but spare parts are always welcome.

I also grabbed the dented Altyn that the stupid dropped on the floor.

Yup, first time I've had one of these in my hands.

I put it on my head and raised the visor.

I wish I could pick up the Nosorog from his corpse, but I don't have the physical strength right now to do so.

Wait... is that...?

His suit had a patch I didn't recognize.

The central drawing was a sun with a black center and its white and orange flames. From that passed a ribbon with a text that indicated 'Sin'. There was also a snake at the top left and a symbology of a Russian Orthodox cross at the top right.

Awesome, absolutely great.

I tore the patch off his clothes and put it inside my pocket.

For having controller powers, this guy didn't use them well.

Maybe it's because he really wanted to ask me something?

Could it have been friendly...?

Hell no, I absolutely don't think it's possible.

I took my knife from his neck and put it back on its sheath.

I hope Lili was able to get out safely.

...

Man, what a disaster.


Dang it.

Why...?

Any adventurer would have used me as a shield from danger, but... he...

Hmm...

...

Just when I get someone quite useful... he has to freaking die...

Why isn't life fair?

At least... at least he left me all his magic stones.

That's... good, I guess. It helps me... even if it's just a little.

Yeah, it helps me a lot. I was going to get rid of him soon anyway, he wasn't that much useful.

Yes, better now than later, I surely made like 40,000 Valis.

Great, I should go exchange these stones soon before the guild closes.

Ujum.

So why am I still sitting here in the plaza?

Ugh, it's getting late...

I've been here... how long now?

...

I wonder if he recognized me.

He must have done it.

Why did he save me? I'm just a useless supporter...

Grief? Pity? Compassion? It didn't seem like he had any hidden intentions when he did it, he didn't even say anything as soon as I got rid of my disguise.

Why did I do it anyway? Now he's going to know that I can transform with my magic and he could tell anyone...

My life is ruined... well it would be ruined, if it weren't for the fact that he's probably already dead.

Oh well...

Yeah, it was fun, at least this time I didn't get any physical or verbal abuse. A momentary relief, I suppose, since I'll have to look for a group again tomorrow and they probably won't be as compassionate as Mr. Yuri.

I should go claim the magic stones now, before it gets too late. The sun was already setting on the horizon.

...

For some reason, leaving the plaza gave me the same feeling I felt when that pair of old people pushed me aside... when I was little...

Maybe... just a little more...

It wasn't long until I saw him leave the Dungeon and felt... relief?

Among the crowd of people who came out to go change their stones and return home, he stood out because of his black clothes, his height and the peculiarly shaped helmet he wore on his head. Although it looked like a knight's helmet because of the visor, the lack of ornamental design made it look... strange.

He stood there at the top of the steps, looking up at the sky.

What is he doing?

I looked up and noticed how black the clouds became. A few small drops of water fell on my face.

Oh, rain... it was raining quite frequently during the last few days.

Only a few seconds passed before he lowered his gaze and proceeded to descend the stairs, his movements quite sloppy.

Now that I know he's okay, I can go and redeem the magic stones.

Although he may also go there and find me.

Just to avoid any problems...

I stood up and walked towards him.

"¡Master Yuri!"