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The familiar, comforting darkness that engulfs me, the place I call the void. Though, I doubt this is the actual void. I imagine the real void is nothing, filled with nothingness. No color, no light, no darkness. A place without thoughts, without emotions.

No, this is more of an intermission. A place where you go while you journey toward the next floor or wait for the next floor to be ready. Whatever it may be, floating weightless through space does wonders for forgetting your recent adversaries.

It also gives you a brief moment to collect your thoughts and focus on what's next.

What is next? A floor of only level 50s? Or could that be it? Only time will tell. Whatever it is, I should be prepared.

Another floor guardian wouldn't be so bad; at least I can gain another boss item before I go. While returning home is entirely different. I don't know what to do once I get back. Do I take revenge? Act as if nothing had happened?

They wouldn't let that happen.

Eric and George were my only friends. All those memories and smiles. They mean... Nothing to me. I don't hate them, but I'm past wanting to help them. I'll let that darkness eat at them; it'll eat until there's nothing left, and then it'll dispose of them. I don't know what to do, so I did what I liked.

Calling forth my stats, a sense of loss invaded the peaceful nothingness I embraced. I didn't think it was possible; this was supposed to be my safe haven against such emotions.

Nonetheless, it made me think. Have I lost something along the way here? What price did I pay for this measly power? Again, for the umpteenth time in the past few hours, possible days, my emotions and thoughts drifted to places I never imagined were possible.

Distinct memories I had buried deep in the darkness of my mind resurfaced. My dad's and mom's laughter rang through my ears like a drug; I craved more.

A particular memory stood out. I was, at most, six. I had just returned to the dark ally we called home; sad, no one wanted to play with me. It must have shown on my innocent childish face because my father picked me up and placed me on his lap.

"Did you make any friends?" He asked, already knowing the answer. "No." I pouted, not daring to look at his face. Because if I had, I knew he would make a silly face causing me to laugh and forget my sadness.

My dad ruffled my hair, causing me to huff and look away from him. But that only made him laugh. "Why won't the other kids play with me?" My voice was laced with confusion and sadness. "I don't know." Dad replied, his voice calm and warm, "But. One day you'll make all the friends you want!"

Stars sparkled in my eyes at the thought, "Really!?" I looked at my face with a hopeful face, "Yes! But in the meantime, how about a story?" I loved his stories; whether they were real or not didn't matter because, in the end, the emotions I felt after each one ended were real.

"Yeah!" I nodded enthusiastically, wondering what mythical tale of heroism he would tell me.

"Long, long ago lived a man named Angus. He wasn't born strong or with a powerful bloodline; he was born average. No matter how hard he tried, no one wanted to be his friend. One day he left his hometown, searching for someone he could call a friend. Along the way, Angus encountered many monsters, and as his level grew, so did his desperation.

Until one day, after a successful hunt, Angus found himself talking aloud in the woods until a tree spoke back- "

''A tree!?" I couldn't believe it, a tree talking! "Yes, a tree." My dad smiled, patting my head.

"After the initial shock, Angus and the tree slowly became friends. He had completed what he had set out to do. He had not befriended just anyone but a monster. Something that has been told to be our enemies since forever, yet Angus didn't care. The tree was wise, and so with his help, Angus's strength rose. He helped all he could; his name spread, and soon everyone wanted to be his friend. Angus never forgot about his first friend and would constantly visit him."

"Do you understand, son?" My dad asked, looking at me expectantly. "I think so. That you shouldn't judge someone by their appearance?" It came out more like a question than an answer.

Nonetheless, my dad smiled, "That is part of it. But you have to understand some things happen because they have to. If Angus had found friends in his hometown, he wouldn't have become a hero who saved thousands of people and never met his tree friend. Listen, something will happen at some point, and you won't understand why it happened. Like today, you didn't find any friends. But trust me; it will make sense one day; then you'll understand."

It wasn't the heroic tale I had expected. But I'm glad I heard it. It was an odd way of telling your kid it's ok; you can't make friends. Nonetheless, it helped.

The memory faded, bringing me back to the present. A single tear fell from my eye, and a smile crept on my lips. I didn't care about the message or even the story itself, only the warmth I felt at that moment.

Guess I'll have to rethink this whole void thing.

What's happening in Nightmare City isn't fair; I know that. But neither is what happened to me.

Maybe I'll just cut off their hands or something. Well... Actually. No, I probably shouldn't. As I drifted through space, my body stood up.

Haaa. I still don't know what the right call is. I wish I had someone to tell me what to do.

"Time already?"

I can feel it. My body started to spin, but I felt no nausea. The darkness around me began to break, light seeping through.

Above me, the darkness broke, revealing a bright orange light. To my sides, trees with bright orange and red leaves shook with the breeze—Goosebumps formed over my back from the gentle wind.

The darkness beneath my feet transformed into orange grass, turning yellow at the tips.

In only a matter of seconds, the void was gone, replaced by the next and last floor of the dungeon. Autumn was my first impression. With the red and orange leaves, and the orange grass, it looked like autumn.

"Does it mimic the actual seasons?" I voiced my question.

If one was to challenge the dungeon in the winter, would this place be covered in snow? No, I'd imagine not. At least the previous floors didn't seem like it. No, this dungeon appears to be based around autumn, though. Perhaps the creator was fond of the season.

Of course, only time will tell. Once I leave, I can finally seek answers to my questions. My best option would be to find some books on general knowledge about dungeons and monsters. A book about the system would also be helpful.

Ahh, forget it. I need to focus; this is the last floor. It's bound to be the most dangerous. Grass crushed beneath my feet as I ventured toward the setting sun. Not too far in the distance, the flat field scaled up.

The hill had two rows of trees with a significant gap between the rows. The previous floors had a path; it seems this is it.

The final obstacle of the dungeon, whatever 'it' was, 'it' awaited me. I'd hate to make it wait any longer.

This provides a great chance to test out grave digger. And considering my dagger could only scratch Vicnor, it will likely be insufficient this time around too.

Of course, if I had to venture into an enclosed room, my dagger would prove its worth, but here, grave digger would more than likely be a better fit. My dagger did give a bonus stat for being equipped. At least, it still provides a use.

My cloak greedily absorbed the heat from the orange sun, causing my back to warm up slightly. The source of heat was pleasant while traveling up the hill.

"I don't need the cloak equipped, do I?" If, for some reason, I find myself in a place with weather far more drastic than this, I'd need to have ample clothes. And if it works the same as weapons, which it should, then I don't need my cloak on to get the bonuses.

That also means other people can do it. Even a seemingly homeless man with torn clothes could have gear bonuses. Which only makes it harder to gauge an enemy.

"Great, ahh." Sighing, a headache began to form. Creating a group to conquer dungeons became even more complicated. If it comes to it, I don't need a group I trust; I need to be able to beat them. Or be able to escape. I'd prefer the former but either worked.

The ground ahead started to flatten out, revealing a large open area. Orange grass with bits of yellow covered the entire ground.

In the middle, with its back toward me, stood my next foe, with its arms extended straight out at its side. Standing in a "T" pose, a powerful aura emitted from it.

A silky black hat that shone with the sun's light, a large brim that went to its shoulders. The hat was at least a foot tall, with a dipped-down tip. A bright orange round object with multiple curved indents sat beneath the hat. It looks sickening similar to 'it.' Pale yellow straw protruded under the orange thing. A black cloth that looked two sizes too big hung from its shoulders in the shape of a torn triangle. The middle strip of the cloth stops just shy of the ground. More pale yellow straw came from underneath the fabric, forming arms and hands at the sides.

A long black rod goes toward the ground in its right hand. At the end of the rod is a long black, thin curved blade reflecting the orange sun. The other hand is set flat.

More straw formed into a set of legs at the sides of the middle strip of cloth.

A damn scarecrow. I saw a few of them before, but those were... deformed. Well, this one will join them soon in that department. At least no other jack-o'-lanterns in sight.

"{Inspect}"

{Dungeon Guardian - Possessed Scarecrow - Jack}

{Tier:0 Level:50}

A big shot. The final guardian of the dungeon, and course, it's tied to damn jack-o'-lanterns. And what's this possessed part? What could possess a dungeon guardian? Could it be that Jack-o'-lantern I keep encountering?

No, it's probably "born" possessed. And I couldn't see that 'things' level; it's beyond this tier, so it can't be it. Right? I still have my doubts, but I had little to go off.

Hmmm. He does have a scythe, which can be troublesome. Its range looks slightly more than grave diggers'. But the blade is by far the most dangerous part. A clean hit from it would cause a severe injury.

It doesn't seem like it's noticed me yet; that or it doesn't care. Whatever may be the reason, it gives me time to think.

I doubt my glove's ability [Venom Touch] would work, considering it's not alive. It's an object being possessed. Without blood, my venom couldn't infiltrate the body. Any bodily fluid would work, but if it didn't have blood, it wouldn't have anything.

Does the object being possessed gain attributes to match the host? If it was an ordinary scarecrow that got possessed, I can't imagine it has much defense, let alone strength. But how could the dungeon guardian be weak?

Hmm. I need a long-range weapon; it would solve so many headaches.

My shovel's blade has a good amount of surface area; blocking should be easy. Though it all depends on the strength and speed at which the attacks come.

I'm tired. I don't want to prolong this fight any more than needed. Taking out grave digger, I stuck it into the ground, with the handle leaning against me. If I didn't have a long-range weapon, I'd have to use what I got. Pin's dagger appeared in my right hand. Gripping the tooth blade, I lined up my shot.

Throwing it with all I could, the dagger sliced through the air with a loud thud; it impaled the back of Jack. Straw fell to the ground for the impact. Jack's 'limbs' twitched alive like they had been stuck in the same position for years.

Freed from its statue-like state, Jack swung his scythe, cutting through the air. After a few more movements, satisfied enough, he slowly turned around.

The piercing blue flames in place of the eye sockets held my stare. It had the same carving as all the other jack-o'-lanterns expect; the flame was wilder this time.

"Who would've guessed it?" Unamused, I lifted up grave digger. Before I marched into battle, I wanted to check something. With a thought, my stats appeared.

{Name: Kai Venator

Race: Human

Class: N/A

Level: 45/50 - (450/2300) -> 50/50 - (50/2550)

Hp: 3,000/6,050 -> 6,725/6,725

Energy: (Locked)

Magic: (Locked)

Mind: 285-> 301(+10)

Vitality: 242 -> 269

Strength: 298 -> 332(+40)

Intelligence: 251 -> 282(+10)

Agility: 295-> 325(+25)

Dexterity: 249 -> 271(+10)

Resistance: 243 -> 260(+45)

Attribute Points: 0-> 10

Equipment: (Click To See)

Inventory: (Click To See)

SC: 1,000 }

My strength stat is at a staggering 372, and my agility is at 350; I shouldn't have to worry about anything. Since the system doesn't add an equipment bonus to the overall total, basic math was needed to see your true stat total. This much I could do.

While I'm confident in my stats, to be safe.

{Strength: 332 -> 342(+40) <+10>}

{Attribute Points: 10 -> 0}

I'll make this quick and easy.

Jack wasn't idle either; step by step, he drew near.

I still doubt the capability of straw even if it was being enhanced. Perhaps the straw was too weak to move any faster, wishful thinking at most.

My right hand held grave digger by the handle, waiting. With each step he took, my heart raced slightly fast. Anxiety, fear, or perhaps excitement, any of them could be the cause. But it won't change anything in the end.

'One more step.'

Jack's foot rose from the ground; the straw crunched beneath his weight as he took the final step I had waited for.

I dashed toward Jack with the fastest speed I'd ever manage; with a thrust, grave digger flew toward Jack's neck with all my strength.

The world slowed down; I watched as Jack stood still. Almost like he expected my attack, yet not the slightest bit of movement to resist my attack. Grave digger went through the straw neck, decapitating Jack.

The world sped up to normal as the jack-o'-lantern hit the floor. The all too familiar bell rang through my head, signaling my victory, but it didn't feel that way.

'That was too easy.' As to ease my suspicion, a white portal appeared a few feet away.

{Earned 13,050 Experience Points}

{Obtained, (Blacken Scythe), (Infusion Lantern)}

{Evolution Available}

No matter how much I tried to deny it was over, the proof was all around me. 'So why do I feel so uneasy?' It seems the dungeon has made me paranoid.

The last notification quickly distracted my mind. Evolution, what will I get? Endless possibilities flooded my mind, ranging from elf to pumpkin-eating demon; I wouldn't mind the latter one.

Thinking wasn't going to make it happen, opening my stats, I had one final look before evolution.

{Name: Kai Venator

Race: Human

Class: N/A

Level: 50/50 - (2550/2550) /Evolution Available/

Hp: 6,725/6,725

Energy: (Locked)

Magic: (Locked)

Mind: 301(+10)

Vitality: 269

Strength: 342(+40)

Intelligence: 282(+10)

Agility: 325(+25)

Dexterity: 271(+10)

Resistance: 260(+45)

Attribute Points: 0

Equipment: (Click To See)

Inventory: (Click To See)

SC: 1,000 }

Mentally clicking {/Evolution Available/} and clicking yes on the next "Are you sure?" prompt, new system messages appeared.

{Calculating... Using Excess Experience Points}

{Generating...}

I tried to keep a calm, leveled head but couldn't; my expectations were too high. Each second felt like an eternity as I waited. Different races and species ran through my head, though it was unlikely to get anything too distinct from your original race on the first evolution.

In the most likely situation, the evolution choices would be geared toward the most basic classes: Warrior, Hunter, and Mage. If I had to choose, I'd be a mage. To me, magic was too advantageous compared to the others.

Finally, the moment arrived.

{Generated Evolutions}

On the blue panel were three races, each one that could determine the rest of my life.

With each choice came a photo of what I assume to be the most generic male of each race to provide an idea of the physical alterations of that evolution path.

Starting with the one on the left.

{Valian}

{Evolved from ancient humans, valians are more inclined with mana. While retaining their human looks, valian's muscles are more compact and durable.

+ 40 Strength

+40 Resistance

+40 Intelligence

+ Mana Affinity

+ 4 Attribute Points (Per level) }

Above the text was a picture of an ordinary man. With short brown hair and green eyes, he looked normal. The only thing unique was his compact muscles that looked to be chiseled from stone.

A solid option overall. Next to the one in the middle.

{Pumpkin Demon}

{Wielding the powers of pumpkin, pumpkin demons thrive at night, absorbing the moonlight. Growing by fear, pumpkin demons wield dark magic.

+ 50 Intelligence

+ 50 Mind

+ Mana Affinity

+ Dark Magic Affinity

+ 5 Attribute Points }

A picture of a man with a giant jack-o'-lantern for a head was above the text. Besides the jack-o'-lantern, he looked like an average human.

And how does one wield the power of pumpkin? Toying with me is like it's a game. How lowly of you, system.

Moving onto the last option, its name, improved my spirit.

{Demi-Human/Spirit}

Demi-humans were considered to be almost human. They resemble humans besides a few features; the most common ones were those with wolf or cat ears. I've never actually seen one, but according to my father's stories, they are the most common. Demi-human means having human blood and something else, in this case, spirit. However, I wonder if spirits have blood. The photo looked like an ordinary human besides his hair. It constantly moved; it appeared to be liquid. It looked like the hair was underwater as it moved to the sides of its own free will.

{Half human, half spirit, it retains the human weaknesses, but none of a spirit. A spirit in physical form, wielding great physical and magic powers.

+ 45 Intelligence

+45 Strength

+45 Resistance

+ Mana Affinity

+ 6 Affinity Points }

Empty descriptions for entire races, I suppose the system wouldn't reveal everything. I must gather information on all races and species to make the most of my evolutions.

The choice comes down to, do I want to stay fully human or party. Valian was the evolved form of a human, so it's close enough, anyway. Becoming a demi-human/spirit seemed good. It seemed like the best. This was my chance to be reborn. To start over. I wanted a clear mind, body, and soul, ready for the adventures and mysteries that awaited me.

No matter how many times I changed, there were some things I needed to remember. The only important memories I needed were of my parents; anything else could be forgotten, lost in the empty space of my mind.

I made up my mind long ago—enough reasoning. Mentally clicking on the last options and clicking yes, my eyes felt heavy, and my body went limp. Falling next to the decapitated dungeon boss, I realized I was right, no blood.