Shards of Reminisce Ch.63 (Patreon)

I'm dead set on increasing my level. It's my main objective in the long-term plan.

So here I am, back in Forever Fall once more, and Neo's tagging along.

I didn't want to come back to this cursed forest for a long time. Not really. Because I'm still scared of that abomination I faced months ago—that massive, grotesque thing that could somehow control tree roots and nearly killed me. If it wasn't for Neo being there, I would have died. The memory of its claws and maw ripping through my stomach makes my hand unconsciously move to my abdomen, even though the wound healed long ago. Or almost being chewed alive by that wolf-looking thing back in the tunnels at Mountain Glenn.

I don't want to deal with another one of those things. Ever.

Even if those monsters give a lot of experience points, they're not worth the danger.

But I can't keep running forever. And like I’ve said before I have an objective—grow strong enough to deal with Cinder for good, and whatever those masked freaks are. Strong enough that she'll think twice before even daring to threaten me, and can't hold anything over my head.

So here I am, resting against a tree trunk, catching my breath after clearing out another group of Grimm. Beowolves, mostly, with Myrmidons mixed in as always. Nothing too challenging, but there were a lot of them trying to swarm me. Got a little tired from killing way too many of them.

As for Neo, she doesn't get involved like last time. She's perched up in a tree nearby, legs swinging idly, occasionally checking her scroll. It's mostly me doing all the fighting. Though she did kill a few Grimm that tried to attack her or got too close.

My ears perk up suddenly as I hear loud, familiar rustling and cracking coming from the north.

'Class change: Gladiator.'

I push myself to my feet, summoning my shield and sword, focusing in that direction. Moments later, an Ursa Major bursts through the treeline, charging straight at me with a roar that echoes through the woods.

However, rather than dodge, I stay rooted in place and raise my shield.

Seconds later, the Grimm crashes into me head-first. The impact reverberates through my arm, and I hear a very loud cracking sound—but that crack isn't from me. It's from the monster's skull. All the while, my feet haven't moved an inch. My stance is solid, just as expected.

After all, I withstood the attack from that horned Grimm abomination. What's a single Ursa in comparison?

As a result, the Ursa bounces back from the collision, actually falling backward in what might be a surprise. It lands on its back, momentarily stunned.

I don't waste the opening. I leap forward, my sword already in motion, and cut clean through its neck. I use the shield to shove the body away as it dissolves. The head separates from the body, and both dissolve into black smoke before they even hit the ground.

I land in a crouch, then straighten up and roll my shoulder. A small chuckle escapes me as I remember how, months ago, I actually struggled to kill an Ursa. That was my first ever encounter with one, and it had been brutal and messy.

And now? Now it's nothing more than a flick of my wrist.

Can't help but feel proud at that much progress.

I relax my shoulders slightly, rolling them more to work out the tension. With that Ursa taken care of, the wave of Grimm should have stopped for now. Just like every time, a short break follows, and the forest settles into an eerie quiet.

"Status."

Ma'iq Rak'han

Race – Feline Faunus Age – 18 Class: The Pugilist Level – 26 (21%)

Mentor – Neopolitan Apprentice – Jeanne d'Arc

HP – 1320/1320 [100 regen per minute] MP – 2740/2740 [350 regen per minute] SP – 4910/4910 [340 regen per minute]

STR – 115 END – 91 DEX – 97 INT – 63 WIS – 56 CHA – 58 (+3) LCK – 1

Status: [The Big One protects yes, yes!] [Clock Tower: Do you hear them yet?] BLOCKED [Ȳ̶̨̼ỏ̪͔͍ͯ͜͞ú̴̷͔̦̥͍̊͞ ̴̘̲̤̮̠ͦͣͣ̕̕͟c̷͍̩̭͚͔̯̩̓͒ͭ̈́̿̕a̢̡̛̻̭̝̗̗ͥ̉ͬ̀͗̌҉n̸̡̡̡͔͖̺͇̭̯̊̄ͧ͑̍́'̱̗̼̞̱͉̃̾ͬ͂́̃̈͟͜͟t̨̨̨̠͓̗̩̙̙͆̏̅̑̀̅ͮ ̬̙̳̬͖͎́͗ͧ͊̾͗͊͢͜ḛ̷̡̹̟͙̖͍̒̊̈́͌ͥ͞ŝ̴̸̶͍̺̹́̇̓̉͜c̺̀̆́̄ͩͪ͘ͅa̸͚̭̪̔̌̈́p͎͆̐e ▒] (PERMANENT)

Mentorship: 25% exp increase

I click my tongue in frustration.

Only 3% gained from that much Grimm killed.

It's really fucking small. But I'd been expecting it. Killing regular Grimm just isn't worth the effort to increase my level anymore compared to months ago. The experience gain is pathetic compared to what I need now.

I swear I’ve killed at least a hundred of them so by quick math, I would need to kill thousands upon thousands of them to increase a single level.

Which leaves only one option for real progress: hunting those abomination Grimm.

And I really, really don't want to do that if I can avoid it.

Just the thought of fighting one of those things again sends a chill down my spine. There's a very real chance I wouldn't be so lucky next time. Last time, I only won because I was able to level up at the exact moment after killing one more Grimm—leving up healed my eviscerated stomach and the level milestone gave me new passive abilities that increased my strength by a lot too. Otherwise, Neo and I would have died. That abomination ripped my stomach open, left me bleeding out on the forest floor and was about to splatter Neo.

The scar might be gone, but the memory isn't.

So no. I'm seriously, genuinely scared about facing another one of those.

There has to be another way to gain experience instead of just killing Grimm. Killing more thugs could work, especially thugs with aura. People give way more experience than Grimm do, generally speaking. But...

That line of thought just makes me hesitate.

I mean, I already killed a few thugs, and they deserved it. I don't regret shooting them, but... Yeah. I just don't feel comfortable with it. It makes my skin crawl, as stupid as that sounds and I don’t know why I keep hesitating to go for another group of parasites. I'll leave it as a last resort.

I let out a frustrated growl, running a hand through my hair roughly enough to disturb my ears.

"Fuck," I mutter to the empty forest.

A quiet, amused huff comes from above, and I glance up to see Neo watching me from her spot. She's got that knowing smirk on her face, the one that says she knows exactly what I'm thinking.

"What?" I snap, more irritated at myself than at her.

She doesn't answer—obviously—but she points upward at something above her head, and my eyes follow.

'I'm bored. Give me your drone.'

I squint at the words, confused for a second, then blink. "My drone?"

Oh. Right. That thing.

I completely forgot I even had a drone. When and where was the last time I even used it? Months ago? Fuck, it has been a while.

With a mental command, I summon the small thing, and it materializes in my hand before I set it down on the ground. Then I pull out my scroll and toss it to Neo, who catches it easily with one hand.

She pulls out her own scroll and starts doing... something. After a moment, she tosses my scroll back, and I catch it just as easily.

The drone's rotors suddenly spin to life with a high-pitched whirr, and it rises from the ground smoothly. It hovers for a second, then starts circling around me a few times. Then, without warning, it shoots straight up into the sky and disappears into the canopy above.

My scroll buzzes with a new message.

‘Wear your helmet and set open call.’

My helmet?

Oh, right. The proto-Allagan visor thing.

I summon it with a thought, and the sleek headpiece materializes in my hands. I slip it on, and the display flickers to life inside, casting a faint blue glow across my vision. Then I open the call function like she asked.

'You forgot you had this, didn't you?'

Neo's message appears directly on the visor display.

"Yeah, no need to remind me," I mutter aloud.

'What else might you have forgotten? Hihihi~'

I roll my eyes. Not my fault there are way too many things to keep track of.

If I forgot about something, then it probably wasn't important, anyway. Or at least, not important enough to matter until now.

'Many Grimm to the east. They're moving this way.'

Yeah, that checks out. The longer I stay in one place, the more Grimm show up. It's always been like that whenever I venture outside the city.

So I start walking in the opposite direction—west, away from the incoming horde. Not because I'm scared of them or anything. It just feels pointless to fight them when the rewards are so pathetic now.

As I walk, the visor displays Neo’s updates.

'3 Boarbatusk. Moving northeast now.'

The annoying rolling pigs. Great.

I adjust my course slightly to avoid them. No point wasting energy on those things when they'll barely give me anything worthwhile.

'Creep cluster ahead. 500 meters.'

I nod to myself, changing direction again. That's a new type of grimm so it is definitely getting more dangerous. But the drone's really proving useful for this. Makes navigating through Forever Fall way easier when I can see what's coming before I stumble into it.

'Beowolf pack. a dozen of them with an alpha. Heading south.'

"Got it," I mutter, veering away from that direction too.

For a few minutes, it's just me walking through the red-leaved forest while Neo feeds me information about Grimm movements. It's almost peaceful, in a weird way. No ambushes, no surprise attacks. 

Then a new message appears that makes me stop in my tracks.

'Something interesting to your right, kitten.'

I turn my head to the right, squinting through the trees. "Interesting how?"

'See for yourself.'

That definitely piques my curiosity. So I change direction and start heading that way, gripping my sword and shield tighter out of instinct.

As I get closer, I start to notice the trees are more spread out here, creating an almost unnaturally clear area. There's a rocky outcropping jutting up from the forest floor, covered in moss and vines. And there, partially hidden by overgrown roots and fallen branches, is what looks like an entrance to an underground cave. Or maybe a burrow?

The entrance hole is pretty big too—easily wide enough for two people to walk through side by side.

But that's not what makes my steps slow and cautious.

There's fog seeping out of the entrance. Thick, gray fog that clings to the ground and spreads outward in slow, creeping tendrils. It doesn't move like normal fog should—it's almost deliberately creeping along the forest floor, like it has a mind of its own.

And if that wasn't enough, there's a feeling coming from that hole. An eerie, unsettling sensation that makes my frown deepen and my tail puff up involuntarily. My instincts scream that something is wrong with this, yet I still push forward.

I stop some distance away, my ears flat against my skull.

"Neo, you seeing this?"

'Yep. Creepy. Very creepy.'

"Yeah, no shit."

I stand there for a long moment, just staring at the entrance. My gut is telling me to turn around and walk away. Nothing good comes from creepy fog-spewing holes in the ground. And the last time I let curiosity lead me, I ended up stomping a weird statue that somehow called that abomination that nearly killed me.

But... curiosity is a bitch.

I crouch down and pick up a decent-sized rock from the ground. I walk closer to the entrance, and after a moment of hesitation, I throw it into the darkness.

The rock disappears into the fog.

One second passes.

Two.

Then I hear a distant thunk echoing up from below.

My ears perk up. The fall isn't that deep, then. Maybe six or seven meters? I could make the jump without taking any real danger... But why the fuck would I want to jump inside there to begin with?

'You thinking about going in?'

"I don't know," I admit, still staring at the hole. "Something about these feels... off."

'You don't know? Curiosity killed the cat, kitten.'

"Yeah, yeah. Heard that one before." I scratch the back of my head,feeling how my tail is still lashing nervously behind me. "Can you check it out with the drone first?"

'Already ahead of you.'

My ears twitch as I pick up the faint whirring sound of the drone descending from above. It appears through the canopy, hovering for a moment before Neo directs it toward the entrance.

The drone flies down into the hole, its rotors creating a soft echo as it descends into the darkness. The sound gets fainter the lower it goes.

So I keep watching the entrance, waiting.

Five seconds.

Ten.

"Neo?" I ask after a moment of silence.

'It died.'

I blink. "Are you serious?"

'Yep. Lost signal completely. One second it was fine, next second poof.'

"Fuck." I let out an annoyed sigh, running a hand through my hair roughly enough to disturb my ears. "So I just lost my drone."

'Technically YOU didn't lose it. I crashed it.'

"Same thing." I stare at the entrance again, now even more conflicted. If I want the drone back, I'll have to go down there myself.

Which is probably what killed it in the first place.

'Sooooooo... you going in or what?'

"I don't know," I repeat, more irritated this time. "This feels like a really stupid idea."

'Most fun things are stupid ideas.'

"That's not reassuring."

'Come on, kitten. Where's your sense of adventure?'

"I left it back when that abomination nearly ripped my guts out and almost turned you into paste," I mutter darkly.

'Details. You're not scared now, are you?'

I bristle immediately, my ears flicking back. "I'm not scared. I'm being cautious. There's a difference."

'Sounds like scared to me~'

"Fuck off, Neo."

'Scaredy cat. Fraidy cat. Chicken cat.'

"Those aren't even real insults."

'Bawk bawk bawk.'

I let out a long, frustrated groan. "It doesn't even work in text, you idiot. Also, I don't know why you're so insistent on me jumping inside there to begin with. Why not come down with me?"

'If something happens, I can call for help, you know? Someone needs to stay topside.'

Well, fuck. That's actually a good reason.

'Pretty please? I'll give you a nice reward back home~'

I pause at that. "What kind of reward?"

'The kind you like ;)'

I can already imagine it. "You're really going to keep this up until I jump, aren't you?"

'Yep! :)'

I stare at the entrance for another long moment, weighing my options.

On one hand, jumping into a creepy fog-filled hole that killed my drone is objectively a terrible idea. On the other hand, Neo's going to tease me relentlessly if I don't, and I really don't want to lose that drone permanently, even if I barely use it. Plus, her "reward" is definitely a nice incentive.

And then there's that nagging curiosity. What's down there? Why did the drone die? What's with the weird fog?

"Wait for me, okay?" I finally say, resigning myself to this stupid decision.

'I will, Ma'iq.'

Hearing her use my actual name makes me smile despite the situation. It's reassuring, somehow.

I take a deep breath and step forward.

"Going in..." I dismiss my sword and shield—don't want to accidentally stab myself on the way down—and approach the edge with caution.

The fog is thicker up close, cold and clammy against my skin. It smells... like wet dirt and something else. Something vaguely metallic that makes my nose wrinkle.

I peer over the edge, but I can't see shit through the fog and darkness. Just a black void waiting to swallow me whole.

"This is such a bad idea," I mutter to myself.

'Probably!'

"Thanks, Neo. Really helpful."

'Always happy to help~'

I take a deep breath, then another, psyching myself up.

Then, before I can talk myself out of it or second guess, I make the stupid jump.

The fog swallows me immediately, and for a brief, disorienting moment, I can't see anything at all. Just thick gray nothingness pressing in from all sides. The cold dampness clings to my skin, and I feel my stomach drop as I fall.

Then I hit the ground.

It's not as bad as I expected—the fall is maybe six meters like I estimated, and I land in a crouch, absorbing the impact with my legs. The ground is soft, almost muddy but not slippery.

Perfect landing, if I say so myself.

I straighten up slowly, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. The fog is even thicker down here, but my natural night vision kicks in, revealing my surroundings. I also have some flashlights in my visor if I remember correctly but I will use them if necessary, I don't want to waste the battery after all.

However, the first thing I notice is that I'm in a tunnel. A big tunnel, wide enough for three people to walk side by side comfortably. The walls are rough stone and packed dirt, and they look like something big have excavated them. That’s all I can tell by just looking.

And the fog is everywhere, clinging to the ground and walls like some kind of ravine. It’s really weird because fog shouldn’t be like that.

"Neo?" I call out, my voice echoing strangely in the confined space. "You still hearing me?"

Silence.

That's not good.

I pull out my scroll to check, but just as I suspected, there's no signal. If the drone signal died as soon as it went down, then of course the scroll signal would too.

"Fantastic," I mutter, shoving it back in my pocket.

I'm on my own down here.

My ears swivel forward, picking up sounds deeper in the tunnel. Distant, but definitely there. Scraping. Clicking. Maybe... footsteps?

Fuck that.

Yep, I'm NOT going there. I'm leaving. Right now.

But first, I look down, scanning the surrounding ground. After a moment of searching through the fog, I spot it—my drone, lying on its side with one of its rotors clearly broken from the fall.

"At least you're still here," I mutter, picking it up and sending it to my inventory with a thought. Main objective completed.

Now to get the hell out.

I look back up toward where I jumped from, expecting to see the entrance hole with light streaming down.

But there's nothing there.

Just solid rock wall.

"What?"

I blink, staring up in disbelief. It was there. It was right there moments ago. I literally just jumped through it.

So where the fuck is the entrance?

I move closer to the wall, running my hands over the surface. Solid stone. No seams, no hidden door, no sort of illusion. Just a stupid wall.

"No, no, no...Don't do this to me, fuck…" 

I look around frantically, but it's the same story in every direction. The tunnel stretches out in one direction, disappearing into fog and darkness. And behind me? Just more wall.

The entrance is gone.

Which means there's only one way out now.

Through the tunnel.

"Fuck!" I slam my fist against the wall in frustration. "Why do I do this to myself?!"

The shout echoes down the tunnel, and for a moment, everything goes eerily quiet.

Then I hear it.

That scraping sound again. Closer this time. And definitely moving toward me.

My ears flatten against my skull as I slowly turn to face the tunnel ahead.

My sword and shield materialize in my hands, and I drop into a defensive stance.

"Alright," I growl. "Let's get this over with."

The scraping gets louder.

Closer.

And then something emerges from the darkness.

A small green creature rolls into view.

It's small—barely knee-high—and shaped like a cactus with stubby limbs covered in what look like short, needle-like spines. It even has a hollow face: two circular eyes and an open mouth that give it an almost comical expression.

What the fuck?

My initial surprise and confusion dissipate almost immediately when I notice one of the green shards on top of its head, encrusted into its body. And it looks pretty big too—easily the size of my palm.

Still, what is this thing, and why does it have a shard?

I take a cautious step closer, and the cactus thing suddenly jumps, then rolls away like a wheel at surprising speed, disappearing back into the tunnel.

"Wait, no, you little shit!" I lunge forward, but it's already gone.

Dammit. That thing got away with one of the shards. I guess I have to track it down now. It's kind of a lucky encounter in a way, since I stumbled onto one of the shards I'm looking for to upgrade my system. And with the size of it, I wonder how much my system will improve once I absorb it.

But what the hell even was that? Seriously. Because it definitely wasn't a Grimm. It didn't have the bone plating, the red eyes, or the black body. It was just... a weird cactus with arms and legs that it doesn't even use since it moves like a wheel.

Although…

Although it was just that strange cactus creature thing and not a Grimm. Or worse. So that's good for now, I guess.

I take a deep breath, roll my shoulders, and loosen my legs before venturing deeper into the tunnel, the only way forward.

Just as I expected, my natural night vision stops working properly after a certain point. Things become very dark—too dark even for my Faunus trait to be useless. Just like that time I ventured underground in Mountain Glenn.

I turn on the flashlight in my visor, and a beam of white light cuts through the darkness ahead of me. I keep walking, following what I assume is the trail of that cactus thing; a single line dragged through the dirt.

The tunnel remains the same for a while—rough stone walls, claw marks, that persistent fog clinging to everything. My ears swivel constantly, picking up distant sounds that I can't quite identify. Scraping. Shifting earth. Maybe water dripping somewhere far off.

I don't let my guard down for even a second, expecting a Grimm to pop out at any moment. But the more I walk, the more it seems like that won't happen.

Soon enough, I reach a more open space—a chamber; I guess? It's just a lot of open area instead of a confined tunnel. My flashlight sweeps across the space, revealing that there's no other exit in sight.

That's not a good sign.

The chamber is mostly dark and empty, except for a small elevation in the center; like a raised platform of stone.

However, when I turn my head to the left, my flashlight beam catches something that makes my heart skip a beat.

A very human-shaped figure.

I approach it cautiously, raising my sword as all my muscles tense up.

Once I'm directly above it, I look down to get a better view with my flashlight, and it's just as I suspected—a body. Or rather, a skeleton wearing light metal armor that's corroded and damaged. Next to it lies a broken mechashift weapon that looks like it was once a spear, now rusted and split in two.

"What the fuck," I breathe out, taking a step back.

This is bad. This is really fucking bad. Someone died down here.

Did they die trapped in this place? Or did something kill them?

Both are equally terrible options.

My ears suddenly twitch, picking up movement behind me.

I instantly pivot on my heels, bringing my weapons up and assuming my defensive stance.

And there it is—the same cactus creature looking thing, now standing on top of the elevation in the center of the room. It almost connects gaze with me before it bounces around excitedly, almost like it wants to be the center of attention for some reason.

Nothing is making any sense, but the sense of dread in my gut only keeps increasing.

And that feeling becomes reality as the earth suddenly shakes.

"Shit—"

The ground explodes around me in multiple places, dirt and rocks flying everywhere forcing me to use a hand to protect my eyes for a moment. And from those holes, Centinels start appearing—those worm-like Grimm with segmented bodies and snapping jaws. They come bursting out of the ground, shrieking and wiggling wildly.

"Goddammit!"

I knew this would happen; I fucking knew it.

I can count at least eight of them, but I have a feeling that there may be more underground. Their bodies coil and thrash as they surround me, cutting off any escape route.

But before I can even engage, one of the Centinels lunges at the strange cactus creature.

The insectoid Grimm's jaws clamp down on the small creature, and it starts shaking it wildly like it's trying to tear it apart. However, rather than being torn to pieces like I imagined it makes some weird, high-pitched squeaking noises.

And then it explodes.

The blast is sudden and violent, accompanied by a sharp crack that echoes through the room. The Centinel's head gets completely blown off, black blood spraying everywhere. The headless body collapses immediately, already dissolving into smoke.

Two other Centinels that were close enough also get hit by the blast their bodies getting shredded. They screech and thrash violently before collapsing dead within seconds.

"AGH!" I scream in pain as something sharp pierces my left leg.

I look down and see several needles stuck into my calf and thigh. Blood is already seeping through my pants

But how?!

I have aura, for fuck's sake! 

Anything should have bounced off!

Then I look back at where the cactus was and see the scattered needles everywhere. That's when it hits me—that stupid cactus thing exploded all its needles in every direction when it was attacked

And they went right through my aura like it wasn't even there.

I grit my teeth against the pain and yank the needles out one by one. Thankfully, they weren't that deep, so it's easy—if painful—to pull them out fast. Each one comes free with a small spurt of blood.

The remaining Centinels recover from their surprise and turn their attention fully on me now, their eyeless heads swiveling in my direction.

"Yeah, yeah, come on then!" I snarl, raising my shield and hitting it with my sword to make noise, drawing their attention even more.

The first one lunges, and I meet it head-on, slamming my shield into its face and crushing its skull with a satisfying crunch.

The second one tries to flank me from the right, but I pivot and bring my shield around just in time to block its snapping jaws. My sword follows through, severing its segmented body in half.

I quickly spin and catch another one that tried to sneak attack me from behind, cutting it clean through before it can latch onto my back.

I charge forward, shield raised, and bash another one with enough force to stun it. My sword follows immediately, stabbing through what passes for its throat. It goes limp and starts dissolving.

That's when the ground beneath me explodes again.

Another Centinel bursts up directly under me, its jaws wide open and aimed at my legs. I barely manage to bring my shield down in time, jamming it into the Grimm's mouth before those jaws can close on my flesh.

Using that opening, I let go of my shield momentarily, step back, and swing my sword in a brutal arc that severs the Grimm's head completely. I quickly grab my shield back before it can fall.

A scraping sound behind me makes me whirl around just in time to see the last Centinel trying another sneak attack, lunging low at my ankles.

I just stomp on its head with my boot, feeling the satisfying crunch as its skull caves in. It twitches once, then goes still, dissolving into smoke.

The chamber falls silent except for my heavy breathing.

Is that all of them? Or are there more waiting underground?

I stay tense, ready for another attack, but nothing comes. After a long moment, I allow myself to relax slightly.

Only then my eyes fall on the small elevation where the cactus creature thing was bouncing around.

Was. Past tense.

Because now there's just a small pile of green... dust? Powder? Whatever's left after it exploded itself. And sitting in the middle of that powder, gleaming faintly in my flashlight beam, is the green shard.

"What the actual fuck was that thing?" I mutter, walking toward it cautiously.

I crouch down and examine the remains. Mixed in with the green powder is the shard that was embedded in its head, now lying innocently among the pile like it didn't just cause this whole mess.

At least I got what I came for. Sort of.

I pick up the shard carefully with my hand and examine it. It's bigger than the other shards I've found before, and it pulses faintly with that same eerie light, warm against my palm. A;though taking it a closer look, its still smaller compared to the red shard I got from the abomination.

My eyes drift back to the skeleton lying against the wall.

Maybe that person got killed by the Grimm? Or maybe they tried to grab the cactus thing and got killed by the needles when it exploded?

The last one seems like a more reasonable explanation, especially now that I know those needles can pierce right through aura. That's fucking terrifying. If I'd been closer to that explosion, I could've ended up like that skeleton; full of holes and very dead.

I frown and check my leg again. The blood has dried on my pants, so I pull up the fabric to examine the wounds. They've already healed themselves, leaving only faint pink marks that are rapidly fading.

My regeneration is working properly.

I take a deep breath and focus back on the green shard in my hand. It's warm, almost uncomfortably so, and that pulsing light seems to be getting stronger the longer I hold it.

After a moment of hesitation, I crush it in my hand.

The shard shatters with a soft crack, and the fragments dissolve into light that flows into my skin. I feel that familiar rush of energy spreading through my body. The light burns as it travels up my arm and spreads through my chest.

My vision flickers, and a notification appears.

[New system update received!]

[Initiating Data Recovery]

[Processing...]

Data recovery?

That’s a new one.

I quickly look around and check my arms and legs, expecting to feel something; pain, weakness, anything but there's nothing. No burning sensation like with the smaller shards. No discomfort at all.

[The Gamer system has been updated to V 2.0]

[New Function Unlocked: Dungeon duties]

[New Function Unlocked: Levequests]

[New Dungeon Unlocked: The Scarlet Sink - First Level]

Changelog

-New items added to the store

-New items added to the library

-Alchemist and Botanist job recovered

-Casters class recovered

-Crafting fixed

-Ingredients extraction recovered

-Materia extraction recovered

-Spiritbond recovered

I stare at the notifications, blinking in surprise.

Holy shit. That's... that's a lot of new stuff. And no pain, no side effects, nothing? Just a straight upgrade?

My eyes catch on one line in particular.

Crafting fixed.

That line makes me frown. Fixed? 

Was it broken before? I mean, it seemed to work fine when I used it. I made food, clothes, plushies, weapons among other small things... What was broken about it?

Before I can dwell on that thought, another notification pops up.

[Scarlet Sink - First Level Cleared!]

Suddenly, I feel a light enveloping me—faint and warm, like standing in sunlight after being in the cold. It spreads across my skin, through my body, and then fades just as quickly as it appeared.

I frown and immediately pull up my status to see what changed.

‘Status’

Ma'iq Rak'han

Race – Feline Faunus Age – 18 Class: The Pugilist Level – 26 (79%)

Mentor – NeopolitanApprentice – Jeanne d'Arc

HP – 1290/1320 [100 regen per minute]MP – 2700/2740 [350 regen per minute]SP – 4710/4910 [340 regen per minute]

STR – 115 END – 91 DEX – 97 INT – 63 WIS – 56 CHA – 58 (+3) LCK – 1

Status: [The Big One protects yes, yes!] [Clock Tower: Do you hear them yet?] BLOCKED [Ȳ̶̨̼ỏ̪͔͍ͯ͜͞ú̴̷͔̦̥͍̊͞ ̴̘̲̤̮̠ͦͣͣ̕̕͟c̷͍̩̭͚͔̯̩̓͒ͭ̈́̿̕a̢̡̛̻̭̝̗̗ͥ̉ͬ̀͗̌҉n̸̡̡̡͔͖̺͇̭̯̊̄ͧ͑̍́'̱̗̼̞̱͉̃̾ͬ͂́̃̈͟͜͟t̨̨̨̠͓̗̩̙̙͆̏̅̑̀̅ͮ ̬̙̳̬͖͎́͗ͧ͊̾͗͊͢͜ḛ̷̡̹̟͙̖͍̒̊̈́͌ͥ͞ŝ̴̸̶͍̺̹́̇̓̉͜c̺̀̆́̄ͩͪ͘ͅa̸͚̭̪̔̌̈́p͎͆̐e ▒] (PERMANENT)

My eyes widen immediately.

79%?!

I was at 21% before going into that tunnel. That means clearing that dungeon gave me a massive 58% experience boost!

"Holy shit," I breathe out, staring at the numbers in disbelief.

That's insane. Absolutely insane. That small place was called a dungeon, and despite its size, it gave me that much experience. Then clearing dungeons is the way forward. No more killing regular Grimm for scraps. No more risking my life against those nightmarish Grimm abominations.

Just dungeons. And it's safe to assume that the bigger the dungeon, the more rewards I'll get.

This is exactly what I needed. A reliable way to gain levels without constantly flirting with death.

A grin spreads across my face. "Fuck yes."

But then reality sets back in, and I look around the dark place.

Right. Still stuck down here.

How the fuck am I supposed to leave?

As if answering my question, the entire chamber suddenly shakes. The ground trembles violently beneath my feet, and I stumble, catching myself against the wall.

"What now?!" I shout over the rumbling.

Then, with a deafening crack, part of the ceiling caves in. Rocks and dirt tumble down, creating a massive cloud of dust. But through that cloud, I see it.

Sunlight.

Actual sunlight streaming down through a newly formed hole in the ceiling.

I blink, then laugh in disbelief holding my head. "You've got to be kidding me."

Not one to waste an opportunity, I dismiss my sword and shield and quickly make my way toward the light source. The hole is maybe four or five meters above me, but that's nothing I can't handle.

I take one final look at the chamber; at the skeleton lying against the wall, at the pile of green dust where that weird cactus thing exploded, and the marks of the grimm that were there.

Then I crouch down, tense my legs, and make the leap.

I propel myself upward with all the strength in my legs, reaching out for the edge of the hole. My fingers catch the lip, and I use the momentum to pull myself up and through, scrambling over loose rocks and dirt until I break through into open air.

Fresh air hits my face immediately; cool, clean, and absolutely wonderful after breathing in that stale, fog-filled tunnel air.

I take a deep breath, savoring it, then pull myself the rest of the way out and collapse onto solid ground, the grass soft beneath my back.

For a moment, I just lie there, staring up at the sky through the canopy above, catching my breath and letting the adrenaline drain from my system.

Then my visor buzzes like crazy.

Because a series of multiple notifications flood the display; all of them from Neo, and all of them increasingly frantic.

'Kitty?'

'Kitten?'

'You okay down there?'

'Ma'iq answer me'

'If you're dead I'm going to kill you'

'MA'IQ'

'I swear to the gods if you died I'm dragging your corpse back just to kick it'

I can't help but smile at the messages. She earned a headpat.

So I quickly open the call function. "Yeah, I'm fine, Neo. It got weird down there and I lost signal. Also, fuck you for making me jump into that hole."

There's a pause, then text appears on my visor.

'Where are you?'

"I'm in the Forever—" I start to say, then trail off as I actually look around at my surroundings.

Wait.

The trees aren't red, same with the grass.

They're green. Normal, fresh green.

I slowly stand up, turning in a circle to take in my surroundings. Definitely not Forever Fall. The foliage is completely different; the trees are different species, and there's no red anywhere. The entire atmosphere is different.

"I'm in the Emerald Forest," I say slowly, confusion clear in my voice. "What the fuck?"

'What do you mean Emerald Forest? You were in Forever Fall with me.'

"I know!" I run a hand through my hair in frustration, disturbing my ears. "But I'm looking at Emerald Forest right now. Green trees, different plants, everything's different."

I didn't walk that far in the tunnel. It was basically a straight shot through one chamber. How the hell did I end up in a completely different forest that's at least several kilometers away?

'That makes little sense.'

"You think I don't know that?!" I snap. "I went down a hole in Forever Fall and came out in Emerald Forest. Nothing about this makes sense!"

I look back at where I climbed out, and my frown deepens.

The hole is already collapsing inward, rocks and dirt tumbling down to fill it. Within seconds, it's completely sealed, leaving just a slight depression in the ground covered with loose earth and grass.

Like it was never there at all.

"What the fuck," I mutter, staring at the spot where the entrance used to be.

'That's... actually really weird. Even for you.'

"Thanks for that helpful observation," I say dryly.

'I'm in Forever Fall still. Want me to come find you?'

I consider that for a moment, then shake my head even though she can't see me. "No, don't bother. I can make my way back from here. Emerald Forest isn't that far from the city."

'You sure?'

"Yeah. I'll meet you back at the apartment." I pause. "And Neo?"

'Yeah?'

"Thanks. For worrying, I mean."

There's a pause, then:

'I wasn't worried. Just didn't want to have to clean up your corpse.'

I snort. "Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

'See you at home, kitten. And you're still getting that reward~'

My face heats up slightly, and I clear my throat. "Yeah, yeah. See you later."

I end the call and let out a long, tired sigh.

What a fucking day, and it's not even close to being over.

I found a weird cactus monster, fought Centinels, upgraded my system significantly, gained a massive amount of experience, and somehow teleported from one forest to another through an underground tunnel that shouldn't exist.

And it's not even noon yet.

I dismiss my visor and find a nearby tree to lean against, sliding down to sit at its base. My leg has fully healed from the needle wounds, and aside from being tired and confused, I'm physically fine.

Mentally? That's another story.

I pull up my status screen again just to confirm what I saw earlier.

Level – 26 (79%)

Yeah. Still there. Still real.

One more dungeon like that and I'll hit level 27. Maybe two more and I'll be at 28. The progress is actually achievable now instead of feeling like an impossible grind.

I just need to find more of those dungeons.

Which... how the fuck do I even do that? It's not like they advertise themselves. I literally stumbled into that one by accident because Neo's drone died and I was stupid enough to jump down after it.

My ears twitch as I pick up a distant sound. Voices? Multiple people, and they're getting closer.

I strain to listen, trying to make out words. Female voices, definitely. And they sound... young? Energetic?

Please don't be more Beacon students. I really don't have the energy for that right now.

I push myself to my feet, brushing dirt and grass off my pants. My tail flicks once in annoyance as the voices get even closer.

Should I just leave?

But before I can make that decision, the group comes into view through the trees.

And I immediately recognize two of them.

A short girl with black hair tipped with red, silver eyes practically sparkling with excitement as she gestures wildly while talking. 

Ruby Rose.

Next to her is a girl with orange hair, bouncing along with way too much energy. 

Nora Valkyrie.

Behind them are two others: a girl with white hair pulled back in a side ponytail, looking prim and proper, and a guy with black hair with a magenta streak.

Ren and Weiss.

Ruby's head suddenly turns in my direction, and her silver eyes lock onto me. Her face lights up with recognition.

"Ma'iq?!" she calls out excitedly, waving her hand. "Hey! It's you!"

The entire group stops, and suddenly I'm the center of attention.

Nora's eyes widen as she recognizes me too, and she immediately points at me with an accusatory finger. "Hey! You were at Beacon yesterday! And you didn't come say hi to us! That's pretty rude, you know!"

I let out a groan but can't help the small smile that tugs at my lips. "Yeah, well, I was with Jeanne."

At least this is better than encountering more Grimm. 

Ruby practically bounces over to me, her enthusiasm infectious despite my exhaustion. "What are you doing all the way out here? This is pretty far from the city!"

"It’s a long story," I mutter, crossing my arms.

“Well, we got plenty of time! Let’s hear it. And can you give me one of those cookies?”

Damn.