Bab 5: The Fundamentals, Part Two

As Zenith walked through the desolate streets, her footsteps echoing against the empty buildings, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at her insides.

The cool night air wrapped around her like a cloak, sending shivers down her spine as she navigated the shadowy alleyways.

She brought up her status screen, her fingers dancing across the interface as she allocated the three Attribute Points she had gained from leveling up.

After some consideration, she decided to invest them all into her Endurance, wanting to ensure that she wouldn't be taken down easily in the face of danger.

Level 2

Mana Points: 10/10

EXP: 0/20

Activity Points: 0

World Shop Tokens: 25

---

Endurance: 4

Speed: 1

Precision: 1

Strength: 1

Arcane: 1

[There, that should do it,] she thought, nodding in satisfaction as she confirmed her decision.

As she continued to walk, her thoughts drifted back to a memory of her sister.

A bittersweet smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she recalled some of the moments they had shared together.

Despite the pain of losing her, Zenith couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude that her sister didn't have to endure the chaos and danger of this new world.

[At least she doesn't have to deal with this bullshit,] Zenith thought, her heart heavy with longing. [Wherever she is, I hope she's happy.]

Briefly, she considered reaching out to her parents, if she could find a working payphone anywhere. And of course, if they were even still alive.

But the thought of their indifference weighed heavily on her mind, and she quickly dismissed the idea, knowing that she couldn't rely on them for support.

Not that they were wrong for treating her that way. She'd pushed them away herself, after all.

[It's just me now,] she reminded herself, steeling her resolve. [I'll have to rely on my own strength to survive.]

With a deep breath, Zenith turned her attention to the map, scanning each dungeon marker that dotted the landscape.

After a moment of deliberation, she identified a couple of level 1 dungeons nearby and plotted a course to the nearest one's location.

[Time to see what I'm made of,] she thought, her jaw set with determination as she set off towards her chosen destination.

---

Following the dot on the map led her somewhere she thought she'd never go back to.

High school.

Literally, the dot was located in the high school Zenith had attended.

[Ugh...] She scowled, standing outside.

Again, those pesky memories of her past flooded her mind.

She remembered Grace, her older sister, and how they'd try to make the hundreds of boring days they went through here more lively.

One memory, in particular, stood out vividly against the backdrop of her thoughts. In that memory, Zenith and Grace were running through the empty halls of their high school, their laughter echoing off the walls like the joyous peals of bells.

They were cutting class, sneaking away from the mundane confines of their everyday lives to embrace the freedom they yearned for.

Zenith's heart raced with nervous excitement as she followed Grace, her footsteps echoing loudly in the deserted corridors. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of apprehension at the thought of getting caught, but Grace's infectious enthusiasm spurred her onward, urging her to cast aside her fears and embrace the thrill of rebellion.

She couldn't remember a time when she'd smiled quite as much as back then.

[This feels like going back in time. Shit.]

Shaking her head to clear away the memories, Zenith pushed open the doors of the high school and stepped inside.

[Okay... Wait, shit, I should be more careful. There could be monsters around every corner.]

The once-familiar surroundings now felt strangely foreign, like a ghostly echo of a life left behind.

[I mean... I literally did die. You could say this place is from a previous life, so yeah.]

As she ventured deeper into the building, Zenith's eyes fell upon the portal that stood before her, its shimmering surface pulsating with an otherworldly energy.

A message materialized above the portal, its glowing letters casting an ethereal light upon the dimly lit corridor.

Haunted Forest

Recommended Level: 1 - 5

Players: 0/4

[Hm. Does this mean I need three more people to go in, or that I can try this with up to four people?]

"The latter!" Tamira responded to her thoughts.

[Oh... Thanks.]

With that being said, she walked in.

As Zenith stepped through the portal, a rush of cool, damp air enveloped her like a suffocating embrace, the dense fog clinging to her skin like a ghostly shroud.

She blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the dimly lit surroundings, but the oppressive darkness seemed to swallow her up whole.

[Great, I step in here and suddenly it's like I'm in a horror movie.]

The wilderness stretched out before her, an endless sea of gnarled trees and twisted undergrowth stretching as far as the eye could see.

Above, the sky was hidden behind a thick blanket of black clouds, casting the landscape below into an eerie twilight gloom.

Zenith glanced down at her map, hoping to gain some semblance of direction in this foreboding wilderness. To her dismay, however, the map remained stubbornly blank, its glowing lines and markers absent in this strange new realm.

[Fantastic. Looks like I'll have to find my own way.]

Just as Zenith was beginning to contemplate her next move, a familiar voice echoed in her mind, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Oh, by the way..." the voice chimed, its tone oddly cheerful given the circumstances. Tamira's spectral form materialized before Zenith, her serpentine body coiled in midair as she floated in front of her. "Listen up. You're in the dungeon now, and you've got one goal: find the boss and take it down. That's the only way to clear the dungeon," Tamira explained, her voice tinged with urgency.

[Got it, got it... But,] Zenith looked back, [what about the portal? Does it still work?]

"Yep. You can walk out at any time. However, if you do walk out before you've beaten the boss, any items you've collected since coming in will be removed from your Inventory. And, you will be unable to come back in for a period of time, depending on the difficulty of the dungeon. For example, if you walk out of a level 100 dungeon, you will only be penalized for 1 hour, because it is completely understandable for you to retreat in that circumstance. If you walk out of here, though... Well, you won't be able to attempt it again for a while.]

Zenith nodded, her mind racing with questions about the dungeon and its mysterious inhabitants.

"What about secret rooms, minibosses, and chests? Are those things real?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Tamira nodded, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Oh, they're real, alright. But not in this dungeon, I'm afraid. This one's pretty low-level, so you won't find anything too fancy here," she replied, her tone tinged with amusement. "But who knows? Maybe you'll stumble across something interesting in other places if you're lucky."

[Alright. Got it.]

With a final nod of encouragement, Tamira wished Zenith luck before disappearing into thin air, leaving her to face the challenges of the dungeon alone.

As Zenith pressed forward through the mist-shrouded forest, her senses on high alert, she suddenly came face to face with her first adversary:

A skeleton.

Level 1

MP: 10/10

As the skeletal figure lumbered toward her with a hauntingly sinister gait, an unexpected surge of anger welled up within Zenith.

It was a pure, unfiltered rage that seemingly sprouted from nowhere. Zenith paused, looking down at her shaking hands. Not shaking out of fear, but murderous intent.

[Wait... What is this?] Zenith paused. [I feel so... angry. Why? Why am I so mad all of a sudden?]

Before she could dwell on the strange sensation, the skeleton lunged at her with surprising speed, its bony claws slashing through the air with deadly precision.

Zenith braced herself for the impact, but the skeleton's strike landed true, its sharp claws slicing across her arm.

Pain flared up, but Zenith gritted her teeth and pushed through it, her resolve unwavering.

"Aahhh..." She hissed, glaring back at her enemy. "This armor, is it literally just cosmetic!? This thing's claws went straight through!"

"It's low-level armor, Zenith," Tamira giggled. "It basically is cosmetic, yes."

[Focus, Zen, FOCUS. You've got this.]

Summoning all her strength and determination, Zenith met the skeleton's next attack head-on, her sword slicing through the air with a satisfying whoosh as it clashed against the creature's brittle bones.

[Right. I do no damage either. But, don't worry,] she told herself. [This thing is just as weak as you are.]

Ducking and weaving to avoid the skeleton's relentless assault, Zenith bided her time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

[NOW!]

With a swift, decisive motion, Zenith lunged forward, her massive, old blade gleaming in the dim light as it arced toward the skeleton's skull with deadly precision.

[Take that, you... bag of bones!]

The impact sent shockwaves reverberating through Zenith's arm as her sword connected with its target, shattering the skeleton's skull into a thousand pieces.

[Got 'em!]

As the skeletal remains crumbled to the forest floor in a heap of shattered bones, Zenith couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction at her victory.

[... Undead nuisance!]

EXP Gained: 5

EXP: 5/20

WST Gained: 15

WST: 40

But as she stared down at her sword, a nagging sense of unease crept over her.

[No, seriously... Why am I so angry? What did that skeleton ever do to me?]

Despite her best efforts to shake off the feeling, Zenith couldn't help but wonder if there was more to her sudden outburst of rage than met the eye.

[Well, whatever. Right now, I've got a dungeon to clear.]

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