The Only Option

{Neve}

The sun poked through the tent's open flaps and prodded at Neve's eyes, forcing her to wake up.

"Ah..."

The healer yawned, standing up and stretching her arms.

[How many hours did I sleep?] She wondered.

She had occupied the high-level players' tents last night, trying to ignore the smell coming from their bodies that forced its way inside. managing to fall asleep had been difficult, but once she succeeded in doing so, it seemed like she'd been out for a while, judging by the angle at which the sunlight was coming in.

[What time is it?]

Her HUD said that it was currently 11 in the morning. She nodded to herself and bought a cup of coffee along with a plate of eggs and bacon in the World Shop.

[Judging by the fact that I'm still in the main dungeon, I'm guessing Thomas and his goons didn't beat the Final Challenge last night. Good.]

She scoffed at that fact. Of course, she had no way of knowing how well they were doing. Maybe they had failed miserably and were currently regretting their actions. Or, maybe they were on the cusp of reaching the 10th floor and were just gathering some energy before what would be their final fight.

"Hm. Maybe I should check how many players are left?"

The answer to that question was a mere 17, which included herself, meaning Thomas's group was 16 players strong. It seemed some of his followers had died.

[Deserved. Fuck them.]

That still did not answer the overarching question of "how well were they doing overall?" And so, all she could do, judging by the fact that she was still here, was guess that they were stuck somewhere.

[... They might not be stuck for much longer, though,] she thought, feeling anger simmering under her skin. [I need to get started.]

So, as she finished her breakfast on a wooden table in that tent, she thought about what she would do next.

"I can't really do the same thing I did on the first floor in the second," she muttered. "With those zombies coming out of the ground, it would be pretty easy to end up getting myself killed. These things weren't designed to be taken down single-handedly... Well, none of these monsters were probably designed to be taken down that way, but, yeah."

Neve walked away from the camp, heading to the bench she'd bought the previous night. The one where she'd spoken to Carson. Pacing back and forth in front of it, she considered what she could do.

And, unfortunately, there weren't many options to choose from. In truth, she had two.

She could press on through the second floor, following Thomas's trail without having leveled up or gotten stronger in any way, or...

"Ah, fuck."

All of the energy she had left her body.

Just thinking about this was enough to make her feel like she'd just run ten laps.

What she had in mind was a death sentence. That much was certain. The problem was, at this moment, she could only choose between two death sentences.

And, this one seemed like it had a slightly, only slightly, higher chance of working. Both plans that she thought of carried a high probability of resulting in her death.

Knowing that caused the strangest feeling to appear within Neve's heart. It was foreign, something she hadn't felt in so long.

[... What the fuck am I feeling right now?]

It was an odd, but potent, anxiety. That feeling, the fear that she would lose her life, hadn't been there since the day the Unity Trials began. She had gotten used to lacking it and, to be honest, Neve wished it wouldn't have come back.

However, there was nothing to be done about it. This was the best idea she could think of, for one simple reason.

If, and that was a big "if", by some miracle, she managed to succeed, then the benefits would be huge.

Mainly, that she would gain access to the Final Challenge's overworld again.

Then, she could try to find low-level dungeons. Preferably, ones that held equipment she could actually use. After clearing enough of them, she could amass enough strength, somehow, someway, to get her revenge.

The other idea, following Thomas's group, simply did not hold as many benefits. Thomas's group had already likely gotten any and all loot she could find herself, alone. Anything they disregarded was probably for a reason, and she would have to do the same.

So, she was close to settling on this one, horrible choice.

Before she committed to the idea, however, she needed some confirmation. Just a quick "yeah, that's how things work" on behalf of the ones in charge.

She cleared her throat and said:

"Tamira."

"Mhm?" The snake asked, appearing before her in a slightly shrunken state.

"If I walk out of the main dungeon, I'm going to get punished, right?"

"Of course," she replied, quickly. "You do not have any Activity Points."

"Right. Now," Neve continued, "let's say I beat whatever punishment I get," Neve said, beginning to pace again from side to side, without even looking at Tamira. "After that, I can go outside the main dungeon and there are going to be other dungeons I can look at, right?"

"Yep," Tamira replied with a pop.

"And..." This was the question she'd been leading to, "some of these dungeons are going to be low-level, right?"

"There are dungeons of all levels around the main one," Tamira confirmed for her. "Did you hit your head or something while I was gone? I swear, we went over all of this."

"I know, I know, I'm just... FUCK!"

Neve cursed loudly and Tamira laughed. The snake reduced her size even further and then wrapped herself around Neve's body.

"Ah... If I'm understanding your frustration, it seems you've come to *that* conclusion."

"No shit," Neve replied. "I'm not exactly being subtle about it."

"Have you decided on this course of action?" She asked.

Neve paused.

[... I literally only have two choices. I can either do that or move forward. Take a huge amount of risk and, if I survive, be rewarded immensely, or, take a huge amount of risk with the only possible rewards being whatever scraps Thomas's group left for me. I... The choice is already made for me, isn't it?]

"Yeah," Neve replied, sighing. "I have."

"It is simply a matter of figuring out whether you have the heart to go through with it. Do you?"

"... Do I have any other choice?" Neve asked.

"The only other one is to venture forth through the second floor, as I'm sure you understand. However, you know how perilous that option is. And, even if you manage to make it through, that path will only lead you to Thomas and his group. Do you believe you can defeat them as you are now?"

"No."

"Then, unfortunately, it would seem that this is your best choice. In my opinion, anyway."

Neve let out a sigh that carried years of hopelessness and failure, packed into one exhaled breath.

"I guess that's what I should do, then. Thanks."

"Anytime."

Tamira disappeared, leaving Neve with the reality of this mess she found herself in.

[... Whatever. If I die, I die. That's the attitude that took me into this fucking place. That's the attitude I should keep throughout it all.]

With that being said, Neve turned, left, and exited the Second Floor's safe zone.

She figured this could very well be the last time she saw all of the bodies, so she gave them one last look before crossing into the First Floor. It was still so hard to believe that this had happened, but now, she would try to do something about it.

On that note, she walked through the first portal. Cutting through the battlefield, she kept going until she was standing at the next portal that she and all of the other players had come in through.

Neve stopped.

Balling up her hands into fists, she felt chills go up her spine.

She was scared. She couldn't deny it. Fear filled her heart as she stood before this portal, knowing she had to walk through it.

[Come to think of it, Tamira had said it would be a random dungeon. Not necessarily a high-level one, even though that's pretty likely... Please, don't suck too much, don't suck too much, just don't suck too much, please.]

And so, willing herself to move forward, she stepped through.

The instant she did, a message came up.

{Activity Points: 0/500}

{You have failed to meet the quota!}

{Punishment: Generating...}

{Generating...}

{Generating....}

{Punishment generated!}

Neve got just about four seconds to look at the Overworld before she was instantly teleported somewhere else.

It was a disorienting experience. She lost her balance and fell to her knees.

[Ugh, I'm going to puke... Where am I?]

She looked around and saw that she was on a stone bridge. There was a strange smell in the air like something was burning. The path led to a black castle. The air was so hot she started sweating immediately. As she looked to the left, she saw a burst of lava explode up into the air.

{You have entered: The Ruined Fortress of Roha Vala}

{Recommended Level: 50}

{Warning: You are unable to leave until the Boss has been defeated}

Neve stared at the message.

Level 50. Her eyes remained fixed on that prompt.

"... Shit."