Never Forget 1

Life is a grand illusion fate, choice, and will is written by the stroke of a pen. Nero stared at the wooden beam that split his room in two. He'd stared at it every morning of his life. It was time to work his inner alarm clock told him he had minutes to prepare and leave. His bones creaked and the floorboards groaned with his rise. Every sound rang familiar. He stood up off the floor and made his way to do his business.

He heard the march and left his home. From miles the march could be heard. Old men, young men, and boys marched in their leather trousers for the mines. Pickaxe in hand, he stepped into his place in line. His feet quickly met the marching pace of a thousand other men. Nero joined in the mighty sound timed with the precision of a digital watch.

While on the march, he timed his movements with the men around him. If they were punished for throwing off symmetry, then they'd be punished together. His collar chaffed and wiggled just like the others timed with each step. All he had to do to stave off suffering was mimic his fellow men.

Thunderous hooves approached from the right side. He resisted the urge to rub the collar around his neck. His teeth chattered before he could clench them shut. The crowns on his teeth ached and the chaff around his neck worsened. Nero choked down a groan before it escaped his lips. The smell of horse sweat mixed in with the scent of thousands of unwashed bodies. A bouncing rider came up behind them. On her wrist was a smartphone.

She wasn't a beauty. He'd seen more attractive pigs in life. She pointed at one of the strong men. A man easily six feet five with a model's face. He wouldn't work today.

Whips cracked and men screamed. Blood, sweat, and tears poured upon the uncaring mountain's face. He matched pace with the other men and chipped deeper into the mountain. Small glowing crystals fell away each gram worth a hundred of their lives. Magnacite was the official name for the ore they mined. It was valuable and that's all he knew. Only men could safely handle it or that was what he had overheard from the whispering of others.

Nero did as he was told. He didn't have the power to rebel. Since birth in this strange world, he was collared. To survive, he didn't ask question, he kept his head down, and obeyed. Others who tried to mine more than the quota were had their quota's reset higher the next day.

"Please, I'll work harder I promise!" A man shouted.

"I don't care." The whip cracked and his screams echoed through the mine shaft. Nero continued his mining despite the noise. A man who paid too much attention to the punishments of others didn't live long. From birth to death they were tools of the state. A tool that failed was disposed of.

He never hit harder than the men around him. The collar around his neck continued to chaff with each strike of his pickaxe.

"Get ready boys to check your privilege." Nero's eyes widened. His teeth began chattering on their own well before his collar went off. Tens of thousands of volts of electricity passed through his body. He fell to the ground his muscles spasming and clenching until his bones creaked. His pants were wet, and he could smell burned flesh. Minutes later, he turned his head to see an older man unmoving. Not it was worse than that the man was too still. He wouldn't move again.

He didn't know the man and couldn't know the man. If they spoke to one another they were punished. Their fellow men were liable to turn them in for more rations.

"Oh, it looks like a I killed one. Well what are you waiting for. Pick him up and toss him into black bertha." Nero was the first to do as told. He climbed up two traitorous legs and hobbled to the old man's body. "Hurry or I'll give you another shock."

Nero lifted the old man as best he could and dragged him towards the gaping mine shaft. The skin around his collar ached with every step. If it got infected, he'd die this time. He held on through the propaganda.

"You are men. You know what that means. He should be honored that he finally paid for his sins." Nero made it to the pit. Black Bertha she was called the swallower of the sinful. It looked like a random hole in the ground to him. Men didn't gossip but their guards were always chatty.

"I'm never going to get my revenge. I'll die in this damn mine." The words left his lips before he could stop himself. He turned and threw his pickaxe. It spun in the air before colliding with solid air. It fell to the ground worthless.

He froze staring at the traitorous pickaxe. It wasn't fair. Why was he born in this world? Why did he remember freedom, love, and humanity? It was all a curse.

A smile lit the woman's ugly face. She held up the device that controls the collars. Slowly, she approached him finger on the button. Every step further cut off and chance of escape. It dawned on him then what he'd done. He took a step back and froze. Black Bertha's hungry maw was ready to swallow him.

"I'll," his collar shocked him. His heart flipped in his chest and his veins danced against his skin. His muscles felt destroyed by wrecking balls and his bones were paper thin. Electricity was a cat playing with a yarn ball. Eventually, he'd be torn to shreds and tossed everywhere.

"You'll die in this mine and never get your revenge." He fell into the gaping hole behind him while his body spasmed and his muscles fried. His teeth ached and he slammed against the sides of the shaft. Walls of stone didn't care what he was fighting for. They were hard, course, and unforgiving. Skin and muscle tore away leaving gaping bones and he fell.

Nero was a name from the distant time before. It was never given or taken. He was only a man born in this world and told to mine. Boys were taken at birth, collared, and isolated. If he marched like everyone else, he could live. He was swallowed by the darkness and fell into rot.

Life didn't leave him, and more bodies fell. All he had to do was follow the example of other and he'd have lived. Someone would have saved him eventually. If he had just held on a little longer then surely someone would save them. He'd be saved.

His hand lifted to the sky for what he didn't know. He couldn't smell the stink of thousands of bodies anymore. Nero survived but he didn't know how or why. A light appeared in the darkness. It was a screen like the one the overseer had.

Initializing the Sol Invictus system…

Initializing Complete

Territory Mod Initializing…

Territory Mod Engaged.

There was a blinding light and everything changed. The light swallowed the underground and Nero awoke in an underground cave system.

Dungeon Created: Bane – A dungeon core crafted from the bitter souls of the dead. Dungeon laws basic. SPECIAL. All levels gained will be converted into system points upon existing. Skills acquired in dungeon remain and stat points converted will carry over.

Dungeon Stats:

Nero lvl1

S 6(10) STR to S conversion 12/3

P 4

E 8

C 2

I 5

A 5

L 2

Skills:

Mining I lvl 12 – Extract precious resources from stone. +1STR x skill lvl

"Greetings, I am Augustus your guide on this terrible journey." The voice came from the smartphone. A red line appeared over the top of the screen.

Nero licked his lips.

"Who are you? How did I get here?" Nero asked.

"I am Augustus your guide. You fell into a forming dungeon. The signal jammer from your collar has been disabled through dungeon influence." The more he asked the more he questioned.

"What signal jammer?" Nero asked.

"The collar around your neck is equipped with a jammer to prevent our connection. Its irrelevant. We are connected."

Enemies Detected

Battle Protocol Initializing…

Battle Protocol Active

Random Weapon Summoning…

Weapon Summoning Dice acquired

Five coal black dice with radiated hell red numbers dropped heavily to in his hand. A terrible clawing sound alerted him to the tunnel. It was the only way into the antechamber. His phone floated to his right shoulder and its light flipped on.

"In your hand is an infinite number of possibilities. The higher the roll the more powerful the weapon. Roll quickly the enemy approaches it won't care if your weaponless."

Nero held the dice tightly in his hand. He didn't know what to do. Should he follow the system or choose to forgo the dice.

"Roll the dice hurry. They grow closer. You'll need a weapon." He wasn't so sure. The dice in his hand felt strange. Their hellish glow and feel didn't sit right with him.

"What are you doing? Roll the dice."

"Prove you're on my side."

"You don't trust me. If you die, then I won't have a purpose. You'll have to trust me. I was programmed to help you." Nero stared down at the dice in his hand. Clawed hands gripped the stone and a face without eyes emerged from the dark. The stone crumbled under the monster's strength. Its body was covered in hard scales. The body was terribly long. Well over ten long limbs extended from its very human torso. They were stilts made of shadows with powerful long spidery hands at the ends.

"Roll the dice Nero save yourself." The monster's hand moved blindingly fast. It slipped into range and sliced him from thigh to shoulder. Blood flowed down his body sticky and warm. He didn't see it move in the phone's light.

He took a step back clutching the dice in hand. The icy pain sunk through him before alighting with fire.

"Over here, I'm over here." Augustus yelled through the speaker. Nero didn't believe him before and a part of him never would. The dice in his hand glowed with an ominous light. He rolled the dice.

Roll = 5D20 = 19 18 08 11 04 = 60 Summoning

A solid black box rose from the ground. Chains of silver and gold surrounded the case before turning black and rusting away. Red cracks appeared in the box before it splintered open revealing a lever action rifle. He grabbed the gun and pointed it at the monster. He pulled the trigger and felt the gun kick.

The creature twisted over on its side and flailed. Long spindly legs slashed through stone and tore at its wound. Terribly long and slender fingers slid into the wound before pulling out the bullet. Nero pulled the lever and fired again. He pulled the lever after every shot until the gun clicked.

Blood oozed from the monster's wounds and Nero heard more scraping sounds. His gun was empty, and more enemies were on their way.

"Dip you stock into the blood of your enemy?" Nero froze and looked up at his phone.

"What will happen and why?" Nero asked.

Opening Weapon Description…

Hellfire Carbine I lvl1 – +1P/L x gun lvl. A weapon designed in the depths of hell by forge masters of Phalanx the demon fortress monastery. This Hellfire Carbine was manufactured in Yith the demon colony on Sol Invictus system orbital planet 2. Though an out of date model like all demon weapons blood can be used to upgrade this weapon. With levels this weapon can mutate to become a far stronger incarnation of itself.

Nero dipped his weapon in the blood spilled from the monster. Small black roots slipped out of the stock and dipped into the blood. Crimson veins covered the weapon from the soaked-up blood. A metallic blade slipped from the stock of the gun.

"Blood for ammo transaction is possible would you like to make this purchase. This breed of corruptorans is particularly powerful." Nero nodded his head.

A black box dropped down beside him. The chains rusted away revealing a box of ammunition. He popped open the lid and quickly loaded his weapon. More corruptorans slipped through the tiny entrance. Their larger bodies revealed an important fact. The one he fought had been frail.

Nero pulled back the leaver and fired. The room shook from the noise and he continued to fire. The rounds tore through the creatures. He aimed carefully and pulled the trigger. The bullet clipped off the pointed ear of one of the creatures. It shrieked and clawed at its face. The monster charged forward and picking up momentum. He pulled the lever and squeezed the trigger. When he heard the click, Nero flipped the weapon over and swung its axe blade.

A heavy blow from the creature knocked out any stupid ideas of close quarters along with his breath. Augustus distracted them by yelling through his speaker. In the distraction Nero scrambled for the blood that coated the ground. When he dipped his weapon in it more ammo dropped and his weapon drained the blood away.

Exhaustion 40%

Tired Debuff: -50% movement speed

It was a dirty strategy. He wouldn't stop. Every reload brought him closer to his goal. The monsters fell one after another. After the last one collapsed from blood loss Nero approached it. The creature struggled against the inevitable. Its ten limbs twitched but couldn't move. Nero lifted his gun up high. He twisted and lodged the bladed stock into the monster's neck.

Long tentacles struck the monster. While he held the weapon, his eyes didn't lie. Black roots crawled into the wounds and he could see them. They lined the monster's veins and arteries. Through the pale skin he saw black twisting digging roots. Not a drop of blood would be left in the monster's body.

Battle ended

Nero lvl 5

Skill Dice Awarded: 6D4, 2D6

Perk Dice Awarded: 2D8

SPECIAL Dice Awarded: 5D6

Hellfire Carbine I lvl3

S 6(10) STR to S conversion 12/3

P 6

E 8

C 2

I 5

A 5

L 4

"We did it Nero, you've taken your first steps into becoming what you are meant to be. I'd advise using your SPECIAL dice immediately. Then harvest every drop of blood in this place. Be warned some weapon upgrades will only activate when you meet the required stats. The only way to discover these upgrades is to raise your stats and collect the blood of enemies." Nero didn't get why Augustus was so eager for him to become stronger. It didn't sit right with him. That didn't mean he wouldn't take advantage of it.

"What are the corruptorans?"

They are human or they were once. The dead have been dumped in this tunnel for hundreds of years. A collective unconsciousness full of rage will eventually converge into a consciousness. This is a dungeon core formed through the Sol Invictus system. Corruptorans are soldiers crafted by the dungeon core bane from the DNA of humans mutated over decades."

"I thought this dungeon core was recently created through the Sol Invictus system." Nero said.

"Time moves differently in a dungeon than in the outer world. It took my system over three decades to fully revive your body." Augustus said.

"Why revive me? I'm just another man." Nero asked.

"I was made for Nero there is no other operator I'd rather help." Augustus said. It didn't make any sense to Nero. He couldn't understand anyone being so selfless. He'd be more careful. It would be better to follow Augustus' suggestions and wait for a slip up.

He traded the rest of the blood on the ground for four boxes of rounds. Then he took a breath and selected his five-stat dice. Six glowing blue dice appeared in his hand. Unlike the foreboding feeling of the weapon dice, these felt good. Nero tossed them on the ground and watched them fall.

Stat Dice Roll 5D6: 04 04 04 04 06 = 22

S 6(10) + 4

P 6 + 2

E 8 +5

C 2

I 5

A 5 +5

L 4 +6

Nero

Stats

S 10(14)

P 8

E 13

C 2

I 5

A 10

L 10

The whole of his body broke out in an itching fever. Bones cracked and his muscles blew up. His joints grew rigid and agitated before he fell over. Time passed and movement slowly returned. Everything cleared up. The sounds in the distance began to make more sense. There was a logic or a pattern he hadn't heard before.

Nero bent low and crept forward. Augustus's light shown ahead illuminating the path. From the narrow tunnel he saw bits of torn fleshy scales. Old gore covered jagged rocks painted with red rust. The light flashed out of the tunnel up into the darkness. The bodies of massive creatures dotted the walls. Spindly hands gripped stalagmites and tapping stone. Nero aimed his rifle at the largest one. Its head could fill a deep freeze. It wouldn't look out of place floating up in a parade. Nero took aim and fired.

He saw the bullet ricochet off hardened white plates. The creature turned its head and shrieked. It crept higher above the cave as more shrieking took over. From above he heard a series of thumps. Large corrupterans stood tall with long ears sticking out of their heads. These long ears were furred and stood straight atop their heads. They turned with a wolf's trickery. Nero pointed his gun and fired.

When the bullet struck the monster's chest dribbled with a trickle of blood. In moments that trickle ceased and healed over. These ten monsters weren't like the misshapen frail things Nero had killed before. They tapped the stones with their spindly digits. They were leathers to cover their human torso's. Bra's covered their breasts and gloves protected their hands. While the giant above was naked as the frail things he'd killed, these creatures were different

One pulled a long spear from a strap on its back. The long obsidian spear tip glowed in the LED light of Augustus. Nero turned to see another sneaking up while he had been distracted. A smirk plastered her face and delicate features. Her long bat ears were pointed in his direction. She tapped the stones with long fingers in a patter too intricate to guess at. Scratches and taps interplayed faster than his mind could register. She opened her mouth revealing a long flexible tongue. Its end was blossoming flower petals. Each petal had a curved needle was coated with a clear white substance.

Ten hands grabbed with all the strength of dozens of grapplers. He pulled the trigger and heard it hit plate. His eyes widened. Nero dove to the ground and rolled. He pulled the lever while the echoing noise caused a symphony of pained shrieks to fill the cave.

This time he aimed for the corrupteran's unguarded head. He pulled the trigger and leapt at her. Its head twisted to the side mangling soft vertebrae. He used the momentum from the shot to g guide the axe blade to the monster's neck. It was unguarded to the invasion of hundred of tendrils from his hellfire carbine. Nero struggled to make it to the tunnel while his weapon fed. The other corrupterans moved and he fought to pull his prey into the tunnel.

Hellfire Carbine I lvl3 Gained Sharper Blade

Hellfire Carbine I lvl4 Gained Burn Damage

Hellfire Carbine I lvl5 Gained Improved Gun Damage

Still even with increased strength and endurance the corrupteran couldn't fit through the narrow corridor. His hellfire carbine drained the monster quickly but not quickly enough. All things had limits, but this creature wasn't near its own. Mangled bones realigned and popped back together. Nero pulled with all his might dragging the tendrils from his gun out of the monster.

Exhaustion 80%

He fell back a step, pulled the leaver back, and pointed the barrel at the creature. Its head raised up and from its jaws its tongue shot six feet. Nero raised his hand and felt the flower petals close around his hand. A numbing sensation charged up his arm and he aimed using the tongue to guide him. Feeling left his legs and he fell. Still there was strength left to pull the trigger.

Exhaustion 90%

The bullet flew a comet blazing from upgrades. It struck the beast in the soft tissues of its body and lit the creature on fire. It shrieked at him. Nero pulled away while the creature burned. Powerful muscles tried to pull the creature out of the corridor, but it was stuck. Nero would have laughed if he wasn't paralyzed. It was stuck and he was safe.

"I want to make a deal." Nero looked up his eyes widened in shock. The thing spoke to him.

"Augustus what's going on?" Nero demanded.

"Data is inconclusive. My microphone didn't register a transmission of sound." If Augustus didn't hear then what happened.

"Don't be frightened wrathful one. Despite what you did to me, I mean you no harm. We can speak thanks to my venom coursing through your body. With it in your veins, I can project my thoughts into you." That wasn't good.

His hand moved sluggishly to pull the lever. With another round in the chamber, he pointed the barrel at the monster.

"Please don't, I've had enough of the fire and flames. Hear me out." Nero closed his eyes for a moment then opened them.

"I'm stuck and none of my sisters will help me. They'll let me starve stuck in this cave. If you help me then I'll guide you from our nest to the werebear lands. Its your decision but I won't have the strength to hunt for myself in a few days." His first thought was that he couldn't trust her. The second she was free he'd be killed.

Chapter End