The dungeon was quiet. In one particular place, a bluish light emitted by crystals on the ceiling was shimmering on a pair of transparent wings. With its thin legs holding onto cracks in a wall, a [Snakefly Lvl. 3] was keeping a watch over a tunnel. Snakeflies were different from ants: each had some individuality. When an ambiance of magic in the tunnel slightly changed this particular giant insect took off and buzzed slowly on its way to the anomaly, alone.

Soon, a wonderful scene opened before the large compound eyes. A group of its species dead foes was scattered across the rocks losing their mana purposelessly. The snakefly screeched and threw itself into a cloud of energy, greedy drinking with every inch of its body, every segment of its wings. Striving for an evolution. An ovipositor opened and closed in desire and the snakefly looked around following the primal instinct, seeking to reproduce itself among lots of potential incubators.

Finally, the snakefly found it, not-dead-yet foe. Unfamiliar, surprisingly big and scarcely short on limbs, but foe nonetheless. Wounded, paralyzed? The giant insect closed the distance. Not too close though, awaiting the rapid evolution...

The snakefly's body glowed with dim green light and started to grow. Soon... soon it would leave a strong offspring... The last thoughts of the snakefly might have been something like this.

Alice jumped, faster than ever, a sword shined gloriously for a moment before hacking the monster into two halves.

[+400 XP +160 BP]

Alice snorted, more angry than scared and suppressed a gagging impulse after having looked at the snakefly's ovipositor aiming at her. The girl closed her eyes, feeling residual pain and fatigue from her recent level-up and remembered the last system plate:

[Snakefly Lvl. 3->4]

So this is how it works for monsters. Or just for this dungeon? The short girl wasn't sure. At the very least, she hadn't been enjoying any incoming XP in the past few excruciating minutes. Nothing close to that snakefly very visibly having siphoned magic energy for itself. It could have probably evolved once or twice more on the ants.

Naturally, Alice was worried now. The monsters in the dungeon were growing muscles with every passing hour. They probably consume a little from the air even without killing each other, right? The girl nodded to herself and decided to assume so. Threats seemed to multiply the more she knew. Like there was no concerns left from the great ants battle...

Finding herself unconsciously opening the system log and thinking too much, Alice stopped. Right. There was something much more important to her. The girl made her way back into the tunnels while gathering her ammunition. Some arrows were broken, so she retrieved only seven.

At the dungeon's entrance, surprisingly, her lamp was still lying on the ground. The ants only had tipped it over. Alice wiped the dust off and kindled the fuse.

Soon, the girl was a little anticipating when she dived in the dark.

>System message!
>You are leaving Emerald Caves (Dungeon Lvl. 0-16)
>Safe zone Node #8 is activated...

It is increasing after all! Alice noticed the maximum level of the dungeon went up by one. Still, I am leveling faster...

Thoughts escaped her when she entered the safe zone.

The fuck?

There was a cave no more. Instead, it was a nice, well-lit white corridor. Not an unground, rough and winding corridor it once was, but a manmade-like straight one. At the end of it, there was a simple wooden door. With a round doorknob, nonetheless.

“You are kidding me.”

Alice turned around. Instead of a wall with a hole near the ground, she saw a familiar curtain of grey smoke.

“You are kidding me! Don’t just rip-off things!” The girl retorted and kicked the floor from frustration.

The curtain proudly ignored her. Close observation revealed but one difference from what Alice knew of such barriers: a sign on a nearby wall clearly spelling ‘Emerald Dungeon’. When the girl tried to pass her hand through the curtain though, it slowed down to a walking speed.

“And there was no boss room there!” She couldn’t help but retort again before retrieving her hand.

Having no more words, Alice tiredly walked fifty meters of the corridor. Is it my perception attribute? Glancing back, she could read the words on the sign. I didn’t notice it, maybe my brain needs time to adapt. These attributes must be tricky in some ways.

For some reason, Alice knocked on the door first.

“I am home?”

She didn’t expect an answer though.

Behind the door, the girl discovered a white room. A studio, more like, ten by ten meters. Boringly empty, also well-lit without any visible lamps and with another door in the corner.

There were only two items in the middle of the room. A very small wooden stand and a notebook on it.

“Wow.”

Alice threaded lightly, as if afraid to spook it back into none-existence. The notebook lacked logo, cable, ports, but she knew this form. The girl sit down nervously, put her weapons away and lifted the screen slowly.

It glowed and loaded in a second soundlessly. Naturally, the system’s (who else’s?) computer had a lackluster OS with a blue background and only two icons.

‘Shop’ and ‘Chat’.

There was no mouse, but the keyboard was sufficient. Alice chose the shop first since it was the first and she was too afraid to choose the second option.

‘Downtime: 11h 13m’

Oh… there was something like that in the system messages…

Alice tried the chat and the notebook reacted the same way. With a disappointing sigh, she turned to the last unexplored part of the room.

The door in the corner was the same as the entrance. Opening it revealed what Alice expected – her portal in an otherwise empty round room.

The Node #8 was still demonstrating a few cops doing their cop things in the lecture hall filled with yellow evidence signs.

Alice suspected the system didn’t conveniently spirited away just a few students from Greyston City who moreover so happened to all gather in the lecture hall of just one university (hers). Despite the system’s initial provocations, Alice didn’t believe herself to be a Chosen One, much less the. It made sense to net the whole globe instead of choosing a hero and then killing her by negligence.

The attention the forensic team placed on this particular crime scene must be because of her mother. The latter wasn’t a small officer in the police department.

Perhaps, Mom’s already been there… The short girl clenched her fists. Watching from afar would have been painful… might be a reason she had run into a dungeon instead of waiting, too. Alice closed the door and said in a somewhat hoarse voice,

“Eleven hours… I need to sleep while not too hungry or thirsty.”

Her whole body had been hurting since the last level up. Apparently, flesh and bones could bear only so much strain in one day. The system left her hopeful, and Alice was really grateful, but for now, the girl found herself a corner, lay down, placed her jacket under the head and closed her eyes. Even if she wouldn't fall asleep any soon, haunted by fears the past and groundless visions of the future, she had to. Thus the girl ordered herself,

Clear mind. Rest.

Alice patiently stared into the darkness until it embraced her and took away for the land of dreams.

From the horizon line to infinite scarlet waters expanded under her bare feet. She trod slowly and a myriad of skulls watched her from the underwater with their cold empty eye sockets.

You aren't the first to tread these waters, and you wouldn't be the last, were they silently conveying to her.

Every step of hers was covering a mile. In the world with light but no sun there was no night, spring or winter, and time was passing away to never run out.

Only light touches of her toes were ruffling the ruby waters. Bubbles of light came up from its depths as she rose her hand. They popped high above, sprinkling with scarlet drops, coloring her dress in red, sparking off stars.

She walked and walked, yet infinity never grew close and the skulls' gazes never warmed up.