Kyle folds his arms as he leans against the wall. "You don't know what a dungeon is? Then what exactly do you know?"

I frown. "I know what it is, you idiot. I just don't understand why that's a big deal or why both of you look at me like that," I point at their horrendous facial expressions. "When I mention the word dungeon."

Peyton slams her folded fist on the table. Her mood is all glum and eerie. It gives me the creeps. "Be quiet, both of you. Dungeons aren't to be taken as a joke around here. Even mentioning the name could get you thrown in one so shut up. Not a single word from you Kyle." She glares at him then her eyes roll back to me.

Did I mention angry Peyton is the scariest Peyton ever? Even scarier than the world ending. My mind goes into auto pilot... if Peyton is all gloomy about Dungeons then it's probably a dangerous quest. "All both of you ever do is throw my questions at each other and never really answer them," Now I'm getting mad. "Why the hell won't you tell me what's so scary about these Dungeons??" I say aloud never minding Peyton's bloodlust urging her to kill me.

Kyle heaves a sigh. He interlaces his fingers then places them on the table to support his chin. "Dungeons... are probably the worst part of the game, bandits excluded. The Dungeons were created to hold in overpowered fugitives, bandits, criminals and even corrupt advisors. But over the time, there was a power surge that caused a rewiring in the setting of the dungeon. A glitch happened." A glitch... like the same thing that happened to me? "Cause is unknown but the Dungeons were said to be harbouring demon animals. Like the saber-tooth wolf. It's a killing machine armed with sharpened senses and teeth. Even SS-rated criminals have trouble killing these monsters. That said, nobody ever comes out of the Dungeons alive."

Peyton nods in agreement. "It's the truth, that's why it's not a good idea to even consider a quest like that. Let's sit this one out and wait for a new quest."

"We can't." I mutter.

"Didn't you just hear me?? People die in that place!" Peyton shrieks.

"I don't care!" I hate yelling at my best friend but I'm not about to give up on a quest that could possibly make my life better. "You just don't understand how I feel because you're not an irregular!!"

"And you... are right." Peyton lowers her voice. "I don't know what it feels like to be an irregular because I'm quite normal." That struck a nerve. "But aren't you being selfish? Try to consider what we want! Why does everything have to be about you? I'm not about to head into my death because you want us to."

I'm burning with fire but at the same time guilt-ridden. I'd just expected them to be fine with it but I'm also the same person who told them not to risk their lives for aimless quests. Afterall, It's my fault that Peyton got kidnapped. "Look it's fine if you don't want to do it." I glance at them. "I'm still going with or without you guys."

"I couldn't care less. Suit yourself!" Peyton dashes off in the direction of the counter and Kyle is looking paralysed in his seat. Poor boy getting caught in the middle of a girl fight.

"What do you want to do?" I ask him. "Are you in or out?"

Kyle is probably shivering under the table right now. The last time I and Peyton had a fight when we were kids, we broke almost every appliance in my house. "I'm sorry Carmine but I can't and I'm gonna advise you not to either."

"That's fine." I leave to my room and even though a voice hollers after me, I keep walking. I lay on my bed but I'm uncomfortable on it. I turn around, spinning to the side but I can't find a position that makes me fall asleep. I'm still annoyed from my conversation with Kyle and Peyton.

There is something bothering you, young warrior.

"So it's no longer a question. It's just your observation now." I smile. Serena grows daily, her research is continous and very helpful. Even a damn NPG knows more than I do. "Do you know anything about Dungeons?"

Why do you ask... it's not really a thing to be spoken of, in fact I'd rather you forget about it.

"Cut the crap. I've heard enough bs from my friends and I don't need you piling more on top. Just tell me what you know." I hiss. Serena is ghost-quiet and I want to believe that she's asleep but she starts talking soon enough.

First, you need to avoid the Saber-tooth wolf. They're viscious and attack anything on their path. It won't be a good idea to get eaten alive by one of those things. Then Hunter Bears, they are trained specifically to attack and recognise scents of other players. If an Hunter Bear ever gets on your track, it's probably another player attacking you, it'll hunt you down to the end of the world. They are also very skilled and smart. Lastly, avoid the death-bringer demons.

Sure, hearing these things make me want to pee in my pants but I will take on this quest. I flash back to the first day of getting to this Village... a wild bear attacked me and I barely escaped with my life but he saved me.

I smack my head. Keanu won't be around and I'm going to get stronger than him so I can kick him in the nuts one day. "Death-bringer demons?" I ask, that's the only one Serena hasn't offered an explanation on.

If you ever come across a death-bringer, run. There's no point in staying there. If you do, you'll die. Game over.

My heart skips a few beats. I'll die if I run into one of those things. I better be careful then. "What's the probability of running into one?"

One in a million. But that doesn't mean it can't happen. One death-bringer demon is enough to wipe out the amount of people on a decent quest.

Well that can't be good... no, that's definitely bad. The part of me that wants to survive is screeching inside, urging me not to go for the quest. The part of me that's desperate and wants nothing but to be tagged as normal gives me assurance, I may die but I doubt that's a fate worse than being an irregular.

What will you do, young warrior? I highly advise that you don't go to the Dungeon.

"Sorry Serena but I have to." I'm done talking. It doesn't matter who tries to persuade me, I'm going to that Dungeon. I have no weapons or skills to fight. What am I even fighting? You don't say I'll have to fight one of those  things Serena mentioned. I wish Kyle and Peyton would reconsider, I really can't do anything without those two.

I open my stats to look at my inventory. Right! That stubborn Shop Owner gave me those... silver nunchuks. I bring them out of my inventory but they are far away from my hold. Normally when I summon something from my inventory, it lands right in my hands. I reach out for the nunchuks and they fly into my hand immediately.

I step back, away from the nunchuks but it bolts right back into my hand. What the hell? I wiggle my hand around but this thing doesn't come off. Why won't it come off? Damn, I stare at the weapon in disbelief as it starts glowing and shimmering. It's so calming... the pull I feel with this weapon is extremely strong. I move it around a bit and it feels just as natural as waving my arm. It's oddly lightweight and bendy too. I swing it around for phases then accidentally break the table in half before I decide to put it back in my inventory.

That felt... nice. I never thought I'd have fun with a weapon besides injuring myself. I fall asleep with a plan in mind: I'll ask Peyton and Kyle if they want to go for the quest and if they still haven't changed their minds then I'm fighting alone.

°°°°

I wake up and head downstairs. Kyle and Peyton are sitting by a corner. I want to approach them but they seem to be in a foul mood so I just let them be. I've decided not to bug them about the quest, I'd rather that they don't risk their lives for mine.

I arrive at the Village Square cycles later, the sun is beaming over the horizon and the temperature is increasing steadily. The quest is pinned to the wall I'm beside and I sign up for it immediately.

Level 3.
Quest: Slay ten monsters in the Labryinth Dungeon.
Prize: 90 exp points, 500 rubies.

The location of the Dungeon displays on my screen instantly. I'm running all the way to the point emphasised on my map, when I reach my destination the map dissappears. Serena seems not to be operating anymore and all I can see is the Labryinth Dungeon in bright bold italic letters.

The Labyrinth Dungeon. Enter at your own risk.

Great! A sign like that can only mean we aren't responsible for any injuries that you may acquire and for your death. In no way does that make me feel better!! I plod in meticulously, I'm not dying here, not until I achieve my goal. The place is engulfed in solemn darkness that makes my skin crawl, not a hint of light is visible as the darkness swarms everywhere. I trip and fall then I manage to get back up but when I do, a loomy figure is underneath my palms and it flashes a wide wolf-ish grin.

I jerk back only to land on my butt. I may have broken a few bones but it's nothing compared to the fear ooozing out of me right now. What the friçk was that?? That thing was no normal creature. I'm about to ask Serena then I remember she's not even operating and a twig snaps which makes me spin to look at the swarming darkness, hoping to make out the figure of the creature. It's futile though, I only end up squinting my eyes more than I should and develop a minor migraine.

A patter of footsteps and splashing of water to my right causes impact in the air. I can't tell where it's coming from or going to but the gruesome noises continue. Soon, thick liquid flows down and soak my cloth. I lick my finger to determine what it is, rookie mistake I know, it tastes metallic like iron... is that blood??

The lights are back on but I can't see the creature anywhere instead I see a half dead human on the floor. His blood is dripping off his fingers and staining the rocky sandy floor. I scream in terror, I just licked that guy's blood! Also there's a possibly dead person in front of me! I rush to his side and he mutters incoherent words. I turn him over and apply pressure to his wounded stomach, first aid, I can't forget that because of Mrs. Gibberson.

The blood gushing out reduces its pace but he's still bleeding out. I need to mobilize him so I sprawl his right arm over my shoulders and carry his limping body to a nearby boulder. I place him to lie against the boulder. What to do now? I only have two healing potions that means if I give this guy one now, I'd only have one chance of saving myself later. Well... I could always just leave this guy here and let things be the way they should, but... I can't. Mom would be so disappointed right now if she knew I actually considered it in the first place, she might just disown me.

He takes up the healing potion and drinks it down to the last drop. I'm guessing his health is at a 100 now because he's looking alert but a bit fatigued. "Thank you so much, I owe you my life."

Kindness: 100.

I smile, proud of myself. Not that I could even let a person just die when I could do something. "Sure. Are you okay?"

"I am okay, no need to worry. My name's Aki."

"Carmine." He has a questioning look that tells me he'll ask me the irregular question but he just smiles and get up, with me supporting him. He looks grateful but fear is imprinted all over his face.

"How very nice of you to help strangers. But it'd be even more nicer if you thought about yourself first, irregular." That icy voice void of emotions I'd recognize anywhere comments, Black Hood.

I blink twice surprised that he's actually not wearing a black hood but a grey one instead. This man apparently has only two pairs of hoods in his inventory. "Why don't you ever mind your business, Keanu?"

"Your business is my business, especially since you're too weak to even light up a candle so you could see in the dark or do you just not think that far?" Keanu asks another impulsive question. My pride is smothered to the ground, who does this guy think he is to insult me and throw my pride right into my face like that? How dare he! I swear I'll kick him in the nuts one day.

"So you've been stalking me?" I fold my arms, accidentally dropping Aki on the ground. I cover my mouth to prevent me from babbling apologies to him. Keanu grimaces as I try to help Aki back up.

"You suck at helping people to walk too. How useless does one have to be to accomplish that?"

"That was only because I-- how dare you-- you don't even know what it's like- wha-at are you even doing here anyways? So you just follow me everywhere now, that's creepy!!!" I manage to say in between my fits of muffled sentences. I stutter but only because Keanu keeps provoking me.

He laughs, a genuine laugh. I haven't seen him laugh at all since we've met. I want to see it more. "I'm just messing with you. You don't have to go all," he holds his neck shaking it vigorously and prattling muffled sentences. That bastard is mimicking me!!! "Don't get yourself killed irregular, it's better you leave or you'll die and it wouldn't even last ten cycles."

"Like you have anything to be worried about. If I die, that's probably what you'd love to happen to me the most." The tears are back and streaming down my face, even Aki is startled by my response and I am too. I cry everytime Keanu expresses his animosity to me, it's just too suffocating and heavy to let it slide.

Keanu is unmoved as he settles by my side and goes on to walk past me, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

I won't. Because I won't regret my decision. Aki tells me his plan to leave the Dungeon because of his inability to go further. He just wanted to test out his ability and now that he's done that, there's no need to stay anymore. Lucky! I trudge deeper into the Dungeon, the walls enlarge as I go in more.

I relax my tense muscles. I was so worried about running into one of those monsters Serena mentioned before but the site is steer and clear of them. I kill other smaller monsters I see along the way, they aren't big like the others I've seen numerous players kill but it still amounts as slays.

I come face to face with a saber-tooth wolf soon. I bring out my knife in defense. I can't even follow the monster's movements, the next thing I see is its long pointy canines biting through my arm. Its grip is firm and it yanks my arm out, swallowing it in contentment. I yell miserably, the pain is spreading all around my body. I can feel my heart pounding away, my vitals must be spiking, even my health has reduced by over half. My other body parts feel paralysed from the sudden shock of losing my arm.

It looks ready to take another bite of my limbs but a player dashes at it, he looks power-crazed as he bolts at the wolf with a two-edged sword. He manages to severe the head from the body and jumps around in jubilation before he runs back in the direction he came from.

I drink up the healing potion in my inventory and the pain reduces dramatically. It feels so nice and warm to have my body repair itself. My arm grows back, the tissue first, blood vessels next and bones. I get back up, aware of the possibility that I have no more chance of healing myself if I sustain an injury. I've killed ten monsters by now, I should probably head back soon but I'm curious. What else could be lurking in there, so I do the only logical thing I could think of: I go further into the Dungeon.

The last monster I run into is a hollow black shadow that's ten times my size. Its presence is enough to crawl under my skin... it's one of those things! A death-bringer demon!

If you ever come across a death-bringer, run. There's no point in staying there. If you do, you'll die. Game over.

I bolt to the entrance but the boulder blocking it won't budge open and the Monster is still approaching me. Its eyes are hollow sockets filled with darkness and its figure is a long and black shadowy silhouette. The light goes off and I immediately take Keanu's idea to light up a candle and the Monster is right before my eyes. It is like looking at death. I stare deeper into its eyes, visions of how I die flash across my mind like lightning. The monster embeds its long crusty grimly fingers in my chest and is holding my heart over my lifeless body on the ground.

A voice rings at the back of my mind, at first I think it's my imagination, then it becomes more real. "Run!" Keanu hollers, slicing through the creature. It only merges together and attacks him again. I trip on my legs while running but I get back up and don't stop till I'm out of the Dungeon. I'm a coward... I shouldn't have left Black Hood in there by himself, but I couldn't have stayed either. We'd both be dead.

I run all the way to the Village square. I can't shake off the possibility that the demon may still be after me. What the hell was that thing anyway? Now I understand what Serena meant when she said to just run. Speaking of a NPG, she's out like a nightlight. I can't even complain or regret it now because she warned me, they all did.

I claim the reward for the quest and I'm on my way back to the Labyrinth Motel. I cook up lies as to why Kyle and Peyton should escort me back to the Dungeon and go save Keanu but I can't find one good enough. I finally give up and decide to come clean to them but I'm in shock as I open the front door. Black Hood is sprawled on the table, limbless and blood gushing out of his body. His lifeless hump of a body is being attended to by Peyton who doesn't seem to be making much progress. The scene reminds me of the day Bluish-grey eyes got shot down in front of me. It was all too familiar.

A/N:
3344 words!!!!! That's the highest I've ever written. Hope you guys liked it 😀