A Dungeon Master's Master

The orb trembles, then rocks rapidly. It floats to about waist height. Below the orb, a sort of tree root grows. The root attaches itself to the orb.

The orb's crystal clear body becomes foggy. It takes on a hue. White, black, red, orange, gray and lands on a dark green.

It shimmers with a range of illumination. Wavering from dim to radiate.

All I do is stare dully at it.

The light show ends abruptly. The orb now contains a deep ocean inside. Foamy waves play. Starting from the center  and rippling outwards.

As I look closer, I see the tiniest glimmers of lights. I can almost hear the sound of twinkling chimes.

"Fascinating, right?"

I spin around in a daze. My head turns this way and that way. My eyes rove up and down trying to see everything at once.

"Up here, young Dungeon Master."

My neck whips back.

A green man in a business suit hovers above me.

I utter out. "Woah!"

"I'm the Administrator of this district. Your sector, 1229B. Is under my care."

"What do you want from me?"

"I don't want anything. It is the System that wants… No, needs you."

"System? Why me!?"

"The Mythology Dungeon System needs DMs like you to earn experience points, or XP."

My heart beats faster and my voice trembles. "I-I, don't want t-to…"

"You must. For it is XP that powers the System, and in return powers you."

"No! I won't play along with your demands! This isn't a video game! This is real life! My life!"

"That decision isn't mine to make. I'm… Sorry." 

I turn away from the green man. I look into the orb and run my fingers over its surface. Somehow it feels like cool water. When I pull my hand back, there's a slight dampness left on the tips of my fingers. For a moment, I see a snowflake of light dance on my index finger.

"Ah, I see that you've unlocked an ability. Congratulations."

"What does that mean? Can I fly or shoot lasers from my eyes?"

"If you are lucky enough, yes. To know if you have a high luck stat, simply say, 'character sheet.'"

With a moment's hesitation, I say. "Character sheet." 

A screen appears and reads:

Character Sheet.

"Now say 'attributes' and they will appear."

"Attributes."

The screen flickers and reads: Attributes -

Intelligence: 5

Agility: 4

Strength: 4

Perception: 5

Luck: 6

Will: 6

I'm not sure if these stats are normal or not. I ask. "What's the average number for stats?"

"It depends. For humans, 5 is the average."

The green man lowers himself and floats an inch or two from the ground. "Dear DM, you are part of a cause greater than you know. If you need a guide, call me by name. You know what? Because I like you, you can just call Admin."

I nod my head as I study my Character Sheet.

"I would like to leave you with a little observation I made. Your dungeon is very close to your fellow DMs. Even after I went through the trouble of giving each sector plenty of space. Hugh."

"Is that bad?"

"Not as of now. It might be once all three of you gain great power. Though, the other two DMs started much earlier than you did."

"Is this some sort of competition?"

"That's a good way to think of it, but a more accurate way to put it is surviving. The stronger you are, the better. So please, gain XP and gain abilities. To be honest, The only other thing more important than your survival is your dungeon. Protect the core."

As he says this he disappears.

The root connecting the core to the ground begins to crack. 5 tendrils grow in a semicircle. They look like a hand. The main root forms a wrist and palm. The tendrils form the fingers. The fingers clench down one by one, enclosing the orb in a wooden, viny and leafy fist.

I look at my surroundings. Everything seems brighter and cleaner.

 The waterfall and the stream it pours into. Looks clearer. All the trees, shrubs, flowers and even grass around me have a serene aura.

I rest again, but this time on a patch of tall grass. It is soft and cool to the touch. A perfume hangs over my head, and I fall asleep.