A Familiar Place

The words confused almost everyone in the mysterious white room. However, among them, there were two people who seemed to understand it faster than the others.

Barry and Elaine exchanged a look of understanding.

"Is it just like what we thought?" Elaine asked.

Hearing the words 'Dungeon' maybe it refer to a special place like the one in an RPG game. But, is it really that easy? Does this apocalypse really use the rules of the game?

Barry found it hard to believe that.

"I don't know," Barry said.

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" Danny looked at them both in confusion. He doesn't understand anything at all.

"I'll explain later," said Elaine.

Hearing that, Danny felt that he had to hold back his question until either Barry or Elaine explained it.

Barry stared at the figure made of light. Then he asked. "What can you explain to us right now?"

The white figure was silent without saying anything for a few moments. Then he tilted his head as if he was thinking or pondering over something.

After a few moments of silence, the figure finally spoke. "I can only say that everything that is happening now is because there is a force that wants to destroy the world. I give you the power of the system so you can survive."

Barry and the others felt more shocked hearing that than the previous answer he gave.

"Alright." In the midst of all the confusion, Barry tried to put everything that wasn't important for now out of his mind. And focused on what was in front of his eyes. "What should we do now?" Barry asked.

"You have to increase the strength of your system. Only then can you have a chance to face the Essence of Destruction."

"How strong do we need to be?" Barry asked again.

"Until you reach Level 20, at least."

"What?!" Danny looks shocked. "I'm only even Level 5! My sister is Level 4!"

Barry and the others also felt that it sounded absurd. The Essence of Destruction was exactly outside that portal and none of them had even reached Level 10 yet. 

How could they get that much experience in a short time?

Even though they don't have a clear deadline, they must immediately go to Bunker Alpha to catch up with their families.

"The times will go differently for all of you. One minute in the real world is equal to one day in the Dungeon," the figure said. "I will send you there. I don't have much time."

Hearing that there was that much time dilation made them calm down. But the figure immediately said that they had to leave immediately.

Of course, they are still not ready. But the figure's voice contained a high degree of urgency.

So Barry thought that he didn't really have much time. For whatever reason.

"What will we find in that Dungeon?" Barry asked.

"Everything you need to Level up. You will fight monsters like the ones here, the creation of Ruin. "By absorbing his essence you will be able to raise your level," the figure replied.

Barry frowned. "The creation of Ruin? What do you mean?"

"Can't answer that right now. You all should go now."

Another white portal appeared next to the five of them.

"Get in," the figure said. "I don't have much time."

"How do we get back?" Barry asked.

"Call me with the Shard you possess."

Barry nodded in understanding. Then he led Elaine and the others to enter another open portal.

When they entered, the figure melted into shards of light leaving nothing behind.

---

Barry and the others appear on another side of the portal. To their surprise, what awaited beyond the portal was not something much different than what they had seen so far.

It was a ruined city full of corpses and gore. The time was night which was dark and cloudy.

"What is this?" Elaine asked.

The other didn't answer because he was just as confused as her.

"Maybe this is the Dungeon that the white light figure was referring to," Barry said. "It looks like the same place but there's no black monster here. So we can focus on killing zombies and weak monsters to raise our Level."

Seeing that there was no other answer other than that, they decided to believe it. After all, that's what the light figure said earlier.

"GRUUAAAHHH!!!"

"KHAAAAKHHH!"

"GRRRR…"

The sounds of zombies and mutated animals began to be heard from a distance. As if smelling their presence made them enter a blood-frenzied state.

"Let's go kill them." Barry wanted to move towards the sound. But he immediately stopped when he remembered something.

Barry turned to Victoria. "Do you still have any potions left?"

Victoria shook her head. "What I gave you earlier was the last one."

"Okay. What ingredients do you need to make it?" asked Barry.

"It's actually pretty easy. I only need the blood of zombies or mutated animals, boiling water, and air."

"Air?" Elaine frowned at hearing that.

"I... it's hard to explain it. But since this apocalypse happened I can put air into my concoction. Something like that," Victoria replied.

They all decided not to ask more about it. The unique power that awakens within them makes them able to do many miraculous things.

"Okay. Everyone heard that, didn't they?" Barry looked at the others. They nodded in understanding.

"Good. Now, we have to start killing zombies and mutated animals and give their blood to Victoria so she can use it to make Magic potions. And we also have to protect her."

They all nodded in agreement.

"Let's go."

Barry and Elaine, as the main fighting force of the group, walked at the very front.

Barry intends to give some zombies and mutated animals that he has weakened to Anna and Victoria so that they can also start gaining experience.

A horde of zombies and mutated animals appeared in front of them. Elaine started stretching her hands forward and sending lightning bolts at them.

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