4 Player One is a Masochist

[Player Kelly has entered the Waiting Room. In preparation for your Dungeon experience.]

[Please choose one of the following nine classes. Each class has a spell attached to it that can be used during your time in the dungeon. However, this spell is only available inside of the Dungeon. If you want to use it outside of the dungeon, please study hard.]

Kelly heard the voice inside her head again, and when she gathered her bearing, began to look around the room.

It was a grey room with no windows or doors.

"I was teleported? It seems like the globe was some kind of space-time artefact."

In front of her was the Interface, and it was open on a dial. All Kelly had to do was spin the dial to choose one of the nine options.

At the end of each of the dial points was a figure. Underneath each figure were words. Even with Kelly's little literary understanding, she found to her amazement that she was able to read the text fluently.

[Warrior – Basic Strength Enhancement.]

[Mage – Basic Magic Bolt.]

[Cleric – Basic Healing.]

[Rogue – Basic Stealth Enhancement.]

[Guardian – Basic Defence Enhancement.]

[Bard – Basic Hypnosis.]

[Druid – Basic Imp Summon.]

[Hunter – Basic Dexterity Enhancement.]

Looking at all the options, Kelly felt a slight headache. However, she found that she could open each option to view their content in more detail.

The System offered a small information section, and Kelly skimmed over it to familiarize herself with some of the terminology needed for the Dungeon.

"So it's a fabricated reality? It seems like my job is just to fight monsters and complete certain objectives. If I succeed, I can be rewarded. If I fail, bad luck, and try again."

She eventually settled for the rogue. It was a stealth class with emphasis on swift and lethal movements. That, and it's skills were most suitable for her current lifestyle as a resident of the slums.

It appeared as if she could change her class, or rather refine her class down the track. Even if she chose it now, she could revise her decision at a later point, at the cost of progress.

[Player has chosen the Rogue.]

Kelly felt a cool and refreshing feeling settling down onto her, and she looked curiously as the dirt and grime that had caked her skin began to fade away.

She felt light and airy, as if she could walk on the wind itself.

[Player: Kelly

Level: One

Class: Rogue

Skills: Basic Stealth Enhancement

Equipment: Basic Dagger

Currency: 0]

[Player, please prepare to start the Slum Dungeon storyline. A small reminder that all damage suffered inside the damage will be negated when Player exits the Dungeon.]

[Monsters have a small chance to drop currency. Currency can be exchanged in-store for skills and equipment.]

Kelly listened to the System carefully, and readied herself for teleportation. The ground shifted from underneath her, changing to wooden floorboards.

The wood was rotted and dingy, and it creaked when Kelly was teleported.

"I'm in a house?"

The walls were all built from concrete and fired brick, and it really did remind her of the slums. Only the barest decorations, including some old, browning photographs adorned the room.

Kelly marvelled at how realistic the scenery was, and she found a new respect for Dayna's master.

[Player is currently in the Hamelin Orphanage. A mysterious incident has caused the children under your care to disappear. Please follow the sound of the music, and it will lead you to your next battle. Return all five children safely to the orphanage.]

As soon as the System finished it's narration, a flute noise pierced through the walls of the house.

"It's all so realistic. Is this the service that he was talking about?"

Kelly found she had a small dagger strapped onto her waist. She unsheathed it, and slowly moved out of the orphanage and towards the sound.

The streets were empty, giving her an eerie feeling. Every now and again, she would hear a soft chitter come from the surrounding houses.

It was overcast, and her visibility was lowered.

"The voice mentioned monsters. Are they magic beasts?"

Kelly murmured to herself as she stalked towards the source of the noise.

Caution never hurt anyone, even though the voice had said she wouldn't be able to sustain damage outside the Dungeon.

"I can vaguely feel the spell working. Even though I can't understand exactly how I'm doing it. I'm not even sure if I'm the one casting it."

Her footsteps were light, and they made no noise. Not even her clothes made noise as she shuffled closer and closer to her destination.

Then, she saw the first movement.

It was only a slight shadow, and it swiftly disappeared into one of the buildings on the sides of the streets.

"The sound is very loud now, so this should be it."

It was a cellar of a store, with the floorboards seemingly chewed away. Three very large rats crawled along the floor, swaying left to right and laying waste to the goods inside the store.

They were about the size of a loaf of bread, and were dark in colour. They had long claws and winding tails, looking quite fearsome.

[Feral Rat – 100HP]

"So you're the things I need to kill."

They didn't seem to notice her, yet, so Kelly had some time to prepare.

She crept closer to the one of the rats, which is inspecting a potted plant with it's snout. Getting closer, and with knife in hand, Kelly raised her foot and harshly stomped down.

"Eck!"

The rat produced a sickening cruck as her foot flattened it into the ground. Without giving it any time to recover, Kelly drove down her knife.

The other two rats noticed her now, and their red eyes brimmed with fury as they scampered towards her.

Kelly didn't wait for them to reach her. Instead, she ran over and kicked one of the rats into a wall. Unfortunately, the other one bit deep into her heel.

She didn't thrash her leg, even when the rat ran it's claws down her skin.

Instead, she took her knife and cleanly dispatched the monster.

"Wow, it really does hurt."

Kelly gave a quick glance to her mutilated foot, and did some quick movements to make sure she could still fight. She didn't mind the pain. Even if she was torn apart by the rodents, she couldn't care less.

So long as she could still fight for the sake of her goals.

The remaining rat, dazed from the impact, once again chittered as it rushed towards her.

Kelly didn't give it any time to struggle, and drove her blade into it with a thud.

"Despite being larger and more dangerous than normal rats, in reality they're just bigger targets."

Kelly spun the knife in her hand, quite fond of the weapon.

"I can still hear the music. Do I have to go into the cellar?"

Kelly looked at the hole in the floor, and the flimsy staircase done that already had holes on it's steps. Even though she was reluctant, she ignored the burning pain in her foot and began to climb down quietly.

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she saw five more of the rats surrounding a young, sleeping boy no older than eight.

[Feral Rat – 100HP]

"I should maintain the high ground and use it to my advantage. The rats don't seem to want to harm the kid anyways."

Kelly tossed up her options, and settled for a defensive strategy this time around.

She made a shout which got the attention of the rats. Sure enough, they scampered towards her, and began to leap up each step.

Kelly used her already mangled leg to kick them away, figuring it didn't matter how much she damaged it at this point. It was better to have one healthy leg and one crippled leg than two slightly crippled legs.

The rats continued to rake at her skin, but Kelly didn't flinch, just batting them away and whittling down their HP.

When all the rats seemed tired and unable to move, she stepped down with a limp to finish them off.

One of the rats blinked away in a white light.

[You've obtained 1x Copper Coin.]

"This is the currency I use to make purchases?"

Kelly moved towards the boy, and tried to hoist him up. After all, he was one of the mission objectives. Only, Kelly was confused as to what to do from there.

Should she take him back to the orphanage?

[Player has cleared 1/5 of the mission objectives.]

The boy blinked away in the same white light as the rat, leaving Kelly alone in the cellar. The music changed, and seemed to be coming from a different direction.

"The music will change location each time I clear an objective?"

Even though her leg was in excruciating pain, and the Dungeon was only 20% cleared, Kelly was in a very good mood.

That was because, when fighting, she seemed to be able to grasp the [Basic Stealth Enhancement] spell slightly better, or at least become more aware of it.

She wasn't able to sense the patterns, nor even become close to casting the spell herself, but she could sense it running in the background.

"Is this what he meant when he said it would be worth participating in the Dungeons?"

This kind of practical learning isn't something that could be replicated by Magic Academies. Though Kelly had no way of knowing it, magic wasn't something so heaven-defying. Only Dayna with the aid of the System could make it happen.

Players would be able to get currency from monsters and exchange them for skills that can be cast either automatically or manually from the Interface.

However, Player proficiency with skills in-game was with the helping hand of the System. It wouldn't translate to reality, and was up to the Player to learn.

It was like having a training wheel on a bike, but that training wheel being taken off when they leave the Dungeon.

The experience of riding was still there, only it would be more difficult to put into practice.

Kelly followed the music once again, and ended up by the port. Already, she had started to notice the resemblance between the Dungeon and the Lower City of Vance, but she didn't question it. In fact, wasn't it only natural that artists would draw inspiration from the world around them?

The docks were filled with various trade vessels, and it seemed like the music was coming from a wooden flagship.

Climbing up the ramp and onto the deck, Kelly traced the source of the music to the food storage area.

At least ten rats were knowing away at the various fruits and vegetables.

"There's no way I'm going to be able to do this."

Kelly frowned. Her foot was injured and her mobility lowered, and the food storage area didn't give her a high ground.

"Let's just try."

Not caring for her life nor death, Kelly jumped into the fray, swinging her knife wildly. Unfortunately, no matter how suicidal she was, nor how crafty her life had forced her to become, she had no formal combat training.

The Feral Rats quickly swarmed her, taking out chunks of her clothing and skin. One particularly nasty rat sunk it's front teeth into her wrist, letting out a bloodcurdling crunch.

[A reminder that Player can choose to exit the Dungeon at any time.]

"No, I don't think I will."

Ignoring the flying pieces of blood and flesh, Kelly continued to move any and every limb she could in a wild attempt to take out as many rats as she could.

Even when a rat took off her finger, she just gripped it by it's neck and slammed it into the floorboards.

Her knife was dripping, and she looked like a nightmare.

Kelly's attempts weren't in vain, and white lights flickered by. However, she was helpless against the sheer amount of rats, and her body eventually failed her own mind.

No matter how much she grits her teeth, some pain was simply unbearable.

She fainted and was removed from the Dungeon.

[Congratulations. Player has cleared 20% of the Dungeon and collected the following loot: 3x Copper Coin.]

[Player: Kelly

Level: One

Class: Rogue

Skills: Basic Stealth Enhancement

Equipment: Basic Dagger

Currency: 3x Copper Coin]