Part I: The Dungeon's Mouth
The entrance to the Blackstone Dungeon looked like a wound in the earth—a jagged tear in reality that pulsed with dark energy. Fen stood at its edge, spear in hand, studying the notification that had appeared when they'd approached.
[DUNGEON DISCOVERED: BLACKSTONE CATACOMBS]
[RECOMMENDED LEVEL: 8-12]
[PARTY SIZE: 3-5]
[ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME: 4-6 HOURS]
[REWARDS: POWER STONES (GUARANTEED), EQUIPMENT (VARIABLE), EXPERIENCE (HIGH)]
"Herman's late," Ayger said, checking the position of the sun. They'd agreed to meet at dawn, and it was already an hour past.
"He'll come. He needs this as much as we do."
"Does he?" Ayger's tone was sceptical. "He's Level 5. We're 12 and 11. He might think we're using him."
"We are using him. But he's using us too. That's how partnerships work in this system."
A burst of flame announced Herman's arrival before they saw him—a pillar of fire that erupted from the treeline, followed by the mage himself, walking through the smoke like it was morning mist. He was shorter than both of them, stocky, with burn scars running up both arms and a wild look in his eyes that suggested he enjoyed his power a little too much.
"Sorry I'm late," Herman said, not sounding sorry at all. "Had to burn out a nest of those spider things. The ones with the acid spit."
"Alone?" Fen asked.
"Alone." Herman grinned. "Got two levels out of it. Well, one and a half. The last one ran before I could finish it."
Ayger and Fen exchanged a glance. Herman was reckless, but effective. That was why they'd chosen him.
"The dungeon's rated for our level range," Fen said, gesturing to the entrance. "But the system lies sometimes. Be ready for anything."
"Always am." Herman's hands ignited with casual flame. "So what's the plan? Rush in and burn everything, or do you two have some elaborate strategy?"
"We go slow," Ayger said. "We map as we move. We don't split up. And we don't take unnecessary risks."
"Boring."
"Alive," Fen corrected. "We want to be alive when we come out with the stones."
Herman shrugged. "Fine. But if something needs burning, I'm burning it."
They entered the dungeon together, and reality shifted around them.
The transition was immediate and disorienting. One moment, they were standing in the forest; the next, they were in a corridor of black stone that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. The temperature dropped twenty degrees in an instant, and their breath misted in the air.
"Mark the entrance," Fen said, and Ayger used his sword to scratch an arrow into the stone floor, pointing back the way they'd come. It was a habit they'd developed after getting lost in their third dungeon—back when they were still learning the system's rules.
"This place feels wrong," Herman said, his flames casting dancing shadows on the walls. "Like it's watching us."
"It probably is," Fen replied. "Dungeons are semi-sentient. They adapt to the party composition and adjust difficulty based on our levels. Stay alert."
Part II: Hunger
Amanda's stomach had stopped growling three hours ago. Now it just ached—a hollow, gnawing pain that made her dizzy when she stood too quickly.
She'd been rationing the food she'd found in the cabin, but rationing only worked when you had something to ration. The last can of beans ran out yesterday. The stale crackers were gone. Even the questionable jar of pickles she'd been avoiding was empty.
She needed food.
The problem was that leaving meant exposure. It meant risk. It meant encountering other survivors, and after what she'd seen—after what the system had turned people into—she wasn't sure she could trust anyone.
But hunger was a different kind of enemy. One that didn't care about strategy or caution.
Amanda pulled on her jacket, checked that her makeshift knife was secure in her belt, and stepped outside.
Amanda stood in front of the cabin's cracked mirror, studying her reflection. She'd lost weight—her cheekbones were more prominent now, her eyes sunken. The plant magic had kept her alive, sustained her somehow, but it couldn't replace actual food. She could feel herself weakening, her thoughts becoming sluggish, her magic responding more slowly to her commands.
I could try to hunt, she thought. There are animals out there. Mutated things, but still animals.
But she didn't know how to hunt. Didn't know how to skin or prepare game. And the thought of killing something, even for survival, made her stomach turn. She'd killed two people in self-defence when her magic first awakened, and those deaths still haunted her dreams.
The convenience store, she decided. It's my best option.
The world was different from what it had been a month ago. The sky was the wrong colour—too purple, too deep, like a bruise that wouldn't heal. The trees had grown taller, their branches reaching toward each other like fingers trying to touch. And everywhere, there was the hum of the system—that low, constant vibration that reminded her this wasn't her world anymore.
She walked south, toward where she remembered seeing a convenience store. It was probably looted by now, but maybe there would be something left. Something the others had missed.
Her plant magic stirred as she walked, responding to her emotional state. Vines crept along her arms, protective and possessive. She'd learned to control it better over the past few days, but it still had a mind of its own—especially when she was stressed.
The convenience store was three miles away. She made it two before she heard voices.
The forest had changed, too. Flowers she didn't recognise bloomed in impossible colours—blues so deep they looked black, reds that seemed to pulse with their own heartbeat. Some of the plants reached toward her as she passed, as if recognising a kindred spirit. Her magic responded, creating a subtle connection, and she could feel their simple awareness—hunger for sunlight, thirst for water, the slow, patient growth that defined their existence.
At least the plants don't want to hurt me, she thought bitterly.
She'd been walking for an hour when she heard the first sound—a distant crack, like a branch breaking. Amanda froze, her magic immediately surging to the surface. Vines erupted from the ground around her, forming a protective barrier.
Nothing. Just the wind.
She forced herself to breathe, to calm down. Her magic was draining her energy, and she couldn't afford to waste it on false alarms. The vines retreated reluctantly, and she continued walking.
I'm being paranoid, she told herself. There's no one out here. Everyone's either dead or hiding like I am.
But she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The system had changed more than just the landscape—it had changed the people. Made them desperate. Made them dangerous.
Part III: The First Chamber
The dungeon was a maze of black stone corridors lit by phosphorescent moss that grew in patches along the walls. The air was cold and damp, and every sound echoed in ways that made it impossible to tell where threats were coming from.
"Contact," Ayger said quietly, raising his sword.
Fen saw them a moment later—three creatures that looked like wolves made of shadow, their eyes glowing red in the darkness. The system helpfully provided information:
[SHADOW HOUND - LEVEL 9]
[ABILITIES: PHASE SHIFT, PACK TACTICS, LIFE DRAIN]
[WEAKNESS: FIRE, LIGHT MAGIC]
"Herman," Fen said. "You're up."
The mage grinned and thrust both hands forward. Fire erupted from his palms in a concentrated stream, filling the corridor with heat and light. The shadow hounds shrieked—a sound like tearing metal—and tried to phase away, but Herman was faster. He swept the flames left and right, catching all three before they could escape.
The creatures dissolved into black smoke, leaving behind small crystalline cores that clattered to the stone floor.
[SHADOW HOUND DEFEATED x3]
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: 450]
[ITEMS ACQUIRED: SHADOW CORE x3]
"See?" Herman said, extinguishing his flames. "Easy."
"That was the first room," Ayger said. "Don't get cocky."
They moved deeper, following the corridor as it spiralled downward. The moss grew thicker here, and the air grew colder. Fen's breath misted in front of him, and he could feel the dungeon watching them—a presence that was aware and hungry.
The second chamber was larger, with a ceiling that disappeared into darkness above them. In the centre of the room stood a pedestal, and on the pedestal sat three stones—each one glowing with internal light.
"Hold," Fen said, raising his hand. The corridor ahead opened into a larger chamber, and he could see movement in the darkness beyond. "Something's in there."
"Multiple somethings," Ayger added, his enhanced perception picking up details Fen couldn't see. "At least six. Maybe more."
Herman cracked his knuckles, flames dancing between his fingers. "So we burn them all at once?"
"No," Fen said. "We draw them out. Fighting in an open chamber means they can surround us. We use the corridor as a chokepoint."
"How do we draw them out?" Herman asked.
Fen picked up one of the shadow cores from the floor and threw it into the chamber. It clattered across the stone, and immediately the movement in the darkness intensified. Shapes emerged—more shadow hounds, but larger, with armour plating along their backs.
[SHADOW HOUND ALPHA - LEVEL 11]
[ABILITIES: PHASE SHIFT, PACK TACTICS, LIFE DRAIN, ARMOR PLATING, PACK COMMAND]
[WEAKNESS: FIRE, LIGHT MAGIC, SUSTAINED DAMAGE]
"Six alphas," Ayger said. "This is going to hurt."
"Fen, you're bait," Herman said. "Draw them into the corridor. Ayger and I will hit them from the sides."
It wasn't a question, and Fen didn't argue. He was the fastest, the hardest to hit. He stepped into the chamber entrance, spear ready, and the alphas charged.
The first one phased through the floor, appearing directly in front of him. Fen was already moving, his spear driving into the creature's exposed throat before it could solidify completely. Black ichor sprayed, and the alpha dissolved.
[SHADOW HOUND ALPHA DEFEATED]
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: 180]
The other five were right behind it. Fen backpedalled into the corridor, keeping them focused on him, and Ayger struck from the left—his sword cleaving through one alpha's spine. Herman's fire came from the right, engulfing two more in flames.
They fought in perfect coordination, each covering the others' weaknesses. When Fen's spear got caught in an alpha's armour plating, Ayger was there to finish it. When Herman overextended with a particularly large fireball, Fen pulled him back before a phasing alpha could drain his life.
The last alpha fell after three minutes of sustained combat, and they stood in the corridor, breathing hard, covered in black ichor.
[SHADOW HOUND ALPHA DEFEATED x5]
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: 900]
[ITEMS ACQUIRED: SHADOW CORE (ALPHA) x5, SHADOW PELT x2]
"That was closer than I'd like," Ayger said, checking a cut on his arm. It was already healing—one of the benefits of his high endurance stat.
"We're getting better," Fen replied. "A month ago, that fight would have killed us."
"A month ago, we would have run," Herman corrected. "Now we're stupid enough to think we can win."
"We did win."
"This time."
They moved into the chamber that the alphas had been guarding. It was circular, with a high ceiling and walls covered in more of the phosphorescent moss. In the centre stood a stone altar, and on the altar lay a weapon—a sword that seemed to be made of solidified shadow.
[ITEM DISCOVERED: SHADOWFANG BLADE]
[TYPE: RARE WEAPON]
[DAMAGE: 45-60 (SHADOW)]
[SPECIAL ABILITY: PHASE STRIKE - Attacks ignore armour and can hit phased enemies]
[REQUIREMENT: LEVEL 10, AGILITY 80+]
"That's yours," Herman said, looking at Fen. "You're the only one who meets the requirements."
Fen picked up the blade. It was lighter than it looked, perfectly balanced, and when he swung it experimentally, it left trails of shadow in the air. He could feel the weapon resonating with something inside him—a darkness he'd been trying to ignore.
"How does it feel?" Ayger asked.
"Dangerous," Fen replied. "Like it wants to be used."
"Then let's find something to use it on."
They continued deeper into the dungeon, marking their path and collecting loot from fallen enemies. The corridors grew narrower, the air colder, and the sense of being watched intensified.
[POWER STONE DISCOVERED]
[TYPE: MINOR ENHANCEMENT]
[EFFECT: +50 TO CHOSEN STAT, RANDOM ABILITY UNLOCK]
[WARNING: GUARDIAN PRESENT]
"There," Fen said, pointing. "That's what we came for."
"Where's the guardian?" Herman asked, looking around.
The answer came from above.
Part IV: The Encounter
Amanda heard the voices before she saw the people—rough laughter, the kind that had an edge to it. The kind that meant trouble.
She should have turned back. Should have run. But hunger made people stupid, and she was so hungry she could barely think straight.
She crept forward, using the trees for cover, and peered around a thick oak trunk.
Just look, she told herself. Just see what they have. Maybe they'll trade. Maybe they're friendly.
But she knew better. She'd seen what the system had done to people. How it had stripped away civilisation, reduced everyone to their base instincts. Survival. Power. Dominance.
There were five of them. All men. All armed. They'd set up a camp in what used to be a parking lot, with a fire burning in a metal drum and supplies scattered around. Food supplies.
Amanda's stomach clenched at the sight of the canned goods, the packages of dried meat, the bottles of water. Her mouth watered. Her hands trembled.
I could take them, she thought desperately. I have power now. I have magic. I could—
But even as she thought it, she knew it was a lie. She was weak from hunger, her magic was unpredictable, and there were five of them. Five armed, experienced survivors who looked like they'd been thriving in this new world.
Just leave, the rational part of her mind whispered. Go back to the cabin. Find another way.
But her body wouldn't move. She was transfixed by the food, by the promise of ending this gnawing hunger that had been consuming her for days.
One of them looked up, directly at her hiding spot. His eyes were sharp, predatory. He smiled, and it wasn't a friendly expression.
"Well, well," he said, standing. "What do we have here?"
Amanda ran.
She made it ten steps before vines erupted from the ground, tangling her legs. Her own vines, responding to her panic, betraying her.
Her legs were weak, her movements clumsy from malnutrition, but adrenaline gave her speed. She crashed through the underbrush, branches tearing at her clothes, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
Behind her, she heard them laughing. They weren't even hurrying. They knew she couldn't escape.
She fell hard, scraping her palms on the asphalt. Before she could get up, they were on her.
No no no, she thought desperately, trying to command them to release her. Let go, please, let go—
But her magic was as panicked as she was, and the vines only tightened.
Hands grabbed her arms, her legs, lifting her roughly. She thrashed, screamed, tried to summon her magic, but one of them punched her in the stomach and all the air left her lungs.
"Feisty," someone said. "I like that."
They dragged her back to their camp and threw her down near the fire. Amanda tried to crawl away, but they formed a circle around her, blocking every escape route.
The leader—the one with the scar across his face—crouched down in front of her. Up close, she could see the cruelty in his eyes, the complete absence of empathy.
"You were watching us," he said. "Planning to steal our food?"
"I—I was just—" Amanda's voice came out as a whisper. "I'm hungry. I just needed—"
"You just needed," he repeated mockingly. "Everyone needs something. But you know what? In this world, you don't get what you need. You get what you can take."
He reached out and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. His hand was rough, his grip painful.
"And right now," he continued, "we're going to take what we need from you."
Amanda's magic surged in response to her terror. Vines erupted from her skin, thorny and wild, lashing out at the men around her. One of them cried out as thorns tore across his face.
But they were ready for it. One of them had a machete, and he cut through her defenses like they were paper. Another had some kind of fire ability—not as strong as Herman's, but strong enough to burn away the plants before they could protect her.
"She's one of those magic users," someone said. "We should kill her after."
"After," the leader agreed.
They held her down on the cold asphalt, and Amanda screamed until one of them stuffed cloth in her mouth.
"Quiet," the leader said. "We're not going to kill you. We're just going to have some fun."
Part V: The Guardian
The creature that dropped from the ceiling was massive—a spider the size of a car, with legs made of the same black stone as the dungeon walls and eyes that glowed with malevolent intelligence.
[BLACKSTONE GUARDIAN - LEVEL 13]
[ABILITIES: STONE ARMOR, WEB TRAP, CRUSHING BITE, REGENERATION]
[WEAKNESS: SUSTAINED DAMAGE, FIRE (REDUCED EFFECTIVENESS)]
"Spread out!" Fen shouted, diving left as one of the spider's legs slammed down where he'd been standing. The stone floor cracked under the impact.
Herman launched a fireball, but it splashed against the creature's carapace with minimal effect. "It's resistant!"
"Keep hitting it!" Ayger circled right, looking for an opening. "Fen, the legs!"
Fen understood immediately. The legs weren't armored like the body. He darted in, his new Shadowfang blade flashing, and drove it into the joint where one leg met the body. The phase strike ability activated, and the blade passed through the stone armor like it wasn't there. Black ichor sprayed out, and the guardian shrieked.
[CRITICAL HIT: 340 DAMAGE]
The spider turned on him, mandibles clicking, but Ayger was already there, his sword cutting deep into another leg joint. Herman added his fire to the assault, focusing on the wounds they'd created, burning away the regenerating flesh.
"It's adapting!" Fen shouted. The guardian's remaining legs were shifting, the joints retracting to make them harder to hit. "We need to finish this fast!"
"Working on it!" Herman's flames intensified, sweat pouring down his face from the effort. The guardian shrieked again, trying to retreat toward the ceiling, but Ayger grabbed one of its legs and held it down with his enhanced strength.
Fen saw his opening. He ran up the guardian's trapped leg, using his agility to maintain balance, and drove the Shadowfang blade directly into one of its glowing eyes. The blade sank deep, and the guardian's shriek became a death rattle.
[CRITICAL HIT: 890 DAMAGE]
[BLACKSTONE GUARDIAN DEFEATED]
The massive body crashed to the floor, nearly crushing Herman, and dissolved into black smoke.
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: 2,100]
[LEVEL UP! FEN: LEVEL 12 → 13]
[LEVEL UP! AYGER: LEVEL 11 → 12]
[LEVEL UP! HERMAN: LEVEL 5 → 6]
They stood in the chamber, breathing hard, covered in ichor and sweat. The pedestal was unguarded now. The three stones waited.
"We did it," Herman said, laughing with relief and exhilaration. "We actually did it."
"Don't celebrate yet," Fen replied, but he was smiling too. "We still have to get out of here."
"After we claim our reward," Ayger said, walking toward the pedestal.
The stones pulsed with power, calling to them.
Part VI: Violence
They tore her clothes. Amanda thrashed, tried to fight, but there were too many of them and she was too weak from hunger. Her magic responded to her terror, but it was wild, uncontrolled, and they kept cutting it down, burning it away.
The leader went first. He pinned her arms above her head while the others held her legs spread. Amanda tried to scream through the gag, tried to summon enough magic to stop this, but her body wouldn't respond. The hunger had weakened her too much.
"Hold her still," the leader said, unbuckling his belt.
Amanda's mind was screaming, a continuous internal shriek of denial and horror. This isn't happening this isn't happening this can't be happening—
But it was happening.
The first one forced himself inside her, and the pain was immediate and overwhelming. Amanda's back arched, her body trying instinctively to escape, but the hands holding her down were too strong. She focused on the sky—that wrong, purple sky—and tried to pretend she was somewhere else.
I'm in the cabin, she told herself desperately. I'm safe in the cabin. This is just a nightmare. I'll wake up soon.
But she couldn't escape. The pain was too real. The violation was too complete. She could feel every thrust, every grunt of pleasure from the man raping her, every laugh from the others watching.
Her plant magic tried to help, tried to protect her, but it was confused, traumatized, responding to her fractured mental state by growing wildly and uselessly. Flowers bloomed from her skin and immediately withered. Vines sprouted and died. Her power was as broken as she was.
When the first one finished, he stood up and adjusted his clothes. "Your turn," he said to one of the others.
The second one was rougher. He flipped her over, pressed her face into the asphalt, and took her from behind. Amanda tasted blood—she'd bitten through her lip trying not to scream. The cloth gag was soaked with her saliva and tears.
Please, she thought, not even sure who she was begging. Please make it stop. Please let me die. Please—
But the system was silent. No notifications. No achievements. No recognition of what was being done to her.
The third one was the one with the fire ability. He burned away the last of her defensive vines before raping her, and she could smell her own flesh burning where his heated hands touched her skin.
The fourth one made jokes while he did it. The others laughed.
The fifth one was the worst because by then Amanda had stopped fighting. Her body had gone limp, her mind had retreated to some distant place where the pain couldn't reach. She stared at the purple sky and thought about nothing.
When they were finally done, they stood around her, looking down at her broken body like she was garbage they'd finished using.
"Should we kill her?" one asked.
The leader considered it, then shook his head. "Nah. Let the system do it. She won't last long out here anyway."
They took her supplies—the knife, her jacket, even her shoes. Then they walked away, laughing about something one of them had said, leaving her broken and bleeding on the cold ground.
Amanda lay there, unable to move, unable to think. Her magic had retreated deep inside her, hiding from the trauma. She was alone.
And she cried.
The tears came slowly at first, then in great wracking sobs that shook her entire body. She cried for what had been taken from her. She cried for the person she'd been an hour ago—hungry and desperate, but still whole. She cried because she was alone and broken and the system didn't care.
The sun moved across the sky. The purple light deepened toward evening. And Amanda lay in the parking lot, bleeding and crying, wishing she had died when the system first arrived.
Part VII: Power Acquired
Fen held the stone in his hand. It was warm, pulsing with energy that he could feel resonating with his own life force.
[POWER STONE ACTIVATED]
[SELECT STAT TO ENHANCE: STRENGTH / AGILITY / ENDURANCE / INTELLIGENCE / WISDOM / CHARISMA]
"Agility," he said without hesitation. Speed had saved him more times than strength ever had.
[AGILITY +50]
[CURRENT AGILITY: 127]
[ABILITY UNLOCKED: WIND STEP]
[WIND STEP: Briefly become incorporeal, allowing passage through solid objects and immunity to physical attacks. Duration: 2 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]
Fen felt the change immediately—his body lighter, his reflexes sharper. He took a step and found himself moving faster than he'd intended, nearly stumbling. The world seemed to slow down around him, his perception expanding to match his new speed.
"Careful," Ayger said. He was holding his own stone, a smile on his face. "I just got +50 Strength and something called 'Titan's Grip.' I can wield two-handed weapons in one hand now."
To demonstrate, he picked up his massive sword with one hand and swung it in a perfect arc. The blade whistled through the air, and Fen could see the raw power behind the movement.
Herman was laughing, flames dancing between his fingers. "I got Intelligence and 'Flame Cloak.' I can set myself on fire without taking damage. Watch this!"
He activated the ability, and his entire body erupted in flames. But instead of burning, he stood there grinning, completely unharmed. The fire danced across his skin like a living thing, responding to his will.
"This is amazing!" Herman shouted, his voice echoing in the chamber. "We're actually powerful now! We can take on anything!"
"Don't get overconfident," Fen warned, but he was smiling too. The power stone had changed him fundamentally. He could feel it in every cell of his body—the enhanced speed, the new ability, the sense that he'd crossed some threshold into a higher tier of existence.
"We should test these abilities," Ayger said. "Find another dungeon, push ourselves, see what we're really capable of now."
"Agreed," Fen replied. "But first, let's get out of here. I want to see what the leaderboard looks like after this."
They made their way back through the dungeon, moving faster now with their enhanced abilities. The corridors that had seemed threatening on the way in now felt manageable. They were stronger. They were better.
They were winning.
When they emerged from the dungeon entrance, the sun was setting, painting the purple sky in shades of crimson and gold. Fen checked his status screen and saw that he'd gained two levels, multiple new abilities, and enough experience to be well on his way to level 14.
"We should celebrate," Herman said. "Find some food, maybe some of that alcohol the system spawns sometimes. We earned it."
"We did," Ayger agreed. "We really did."
They walked back toward their camp, talking excitedly about their new powers, planning their next moves, already thinking about the Chrysalis and the contest to come.
Outside, somewhere in the broken world, Amanda lay in the dirt and wished she was dead.
Part VIII: Aftermath
The sun was setting when Amanda finally found the strength to move. Her body screamed in protest, every muscle aching, every nerve raw. She pulled her torn clothes around herself as best she could and started crawling.
She didn't know where she was going. Away. Just away.
Her plant magic stirred weakly, trying to help, but it was as traumatized as she was. A few vines grew from the ground, supporting her weight, helping her stand. She leaned on them like crutches and stumbled forward.
Her hands scraped against the asphalt, leaving bloody smears. Her legs wouldn't support her weight. Everything hurt—not just physically, but deeper, in places she didn't have names for.
The system was silent. No notifications. No achievements. No recognition of what had been done to her.
Each step was agony. She could feel the damage they'd done to her—the tearing, the bruising, the burns from the fire user's hands. Blood ran down her thighs, mixing with other fluids she didn't want to think about.
I need to clean myself, she thought distantly. I need to wash this off. I need—
But she couldn't finish the thought. Her mind kept fragmenting, skipping like a broken record. One moment she was in the parking lot, the next she was stumbling through the forest, the next she was somewhere else entirely—a memory of before, when the world made sense.
She made it back to the cabin as darkness fell. The door was still open—she'd left in such a hurry, so desperate for food, that she hadn't even closed it.
Why? she thought bitterly. Why does it track everything else but not this? Why does it care about kills and levels but not about—
She couldn't finish that thought either.
The forest was darkening around her. Night was coming, and with it, all the dangers that hunted in the darkness. But Amanda couldn't make herself care. Let them come. Let them finish what those men had started.
Amanda collapsed inside, pulled the door shut, and wedged a chair under the handle. Then she crawled to the corner, pulled her knees to her chest, and let the tears come again.
She cried for what had been taken from her. She cried for the person she'd been before this happened—naive enough to think that hunger was the worst thing that could happen to her. She cried because she was alone and broken and the system didn't care.
After a while, the tears stopped. Not because she felt better, but because she had no more left to give.
Amanda forced herself to stand. Her legs shook, threatening to give out, but she made it to the bathroom. The cabin had running water—one of the strange inconsistencies of the system's world. Some things worked, some didn't, with no apparent logic.
She turned on the shower and stepped under the cold spray fully clothed. The water ran red, then pink, then finally clear. She scrubbed at her skin with her hands, trying to wash away the feeling of their touch, but it wouldn't come off.
I'll never be clean again, she thought. No matter how much I wash, I'll always feel them on me.
She stripped off her torn clothes and threw them in the corner. She never wanted to see them again. The water was freezing, but she stayed under it until her skin was numb, until she couldn't feel anything at all.
When she finally got out, she dried herself with a towel she found in the cabinet and examined her injuries in the mirror. Bruises were already forming—dark purple marks on her wrists where they'd held her down, fingerprints on her thighs, burns on her hips from the fire user's hands.
There was blood. More than she'd expected. She cleaned it as best she could, but she didn't know if she needed medical attention. The system had changed human physiology—people healed faster now, were more resilient. But this kind of damage...
I should check my status, she thought. See if there's any system recognition of injury. Maybe there's a healing ability I can unlock.
But when she tried to summon her status screen, nothing happened. Her magic was still retreating, still hiding from what had happened.
Amanda found clean clothes in the cabin's bedroom—someone else's clothes, from before, but they fit well enough. She put them on slowly, carefully, every movement sending fresh waves of pain through her body.
Then she went back to the corner, pulled her knees to her chest, and stared at the wall.
Outside, the world continued. The Chrysalis countdown ticked forward. The leaderboard updated. Fen and Ayger celebrated their new powers, already planning their next dungeon run.
And Amanda sat in the dark, wondering if survival was worth the price.
Her plant magic wrapped around her like a blanket, trying to comfort her, but it couldn't heal this wound. Nothing could.
She was alive.
But she wasn't sure that mattered anymore.
Hours passed. The moon rose—larger than it should be, tinged with that same purple hue that infected everything now. Amanda watched it through the cabin window and thought about nothing.
I could end it, she thought distantly. I have a knife. I could just... stop.
But even as she thought it, she knew she wouldn't. Some stubborn part of her refused to give them that victory. They'd taken so much from her, but they hadn't taken her life. She wouldn't give them that too.
I'll survive, she told herself. I'll survive, and I'll get stronger, and someday—
But she couldn't finish that thought either. Revenge seemed too distant, too impossible. Right now, survival was enough.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: TRAUMA DETECTED]
[EMERGENCY EVOLUTION PROTOCOL: STANDBY]
[ANALYZING...]
The notification hung in the air, cold and clinical, as Amanda stared at it with empty eyes.
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE]
[SUBJECT: AMANDA REEVES]
[TRAUMA LEVEL: CRITICAL]
[PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE: FRACTURED]
[MAGICAL RESPONSE: SUPPRESSED]
[RECOMMENDATION: EMERGENCY EVOLUTION AUTHORIZED]
[WARNING: EVOLUTION WILL FUNDAMENTALLY ALTER SUBJECT'S NATURE]
[WARNING: PROCESS CANNOT BE REVERSED]
[WARNING: SUBJECT CONSENT NOT REQUIRED IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS]
[INITIATING EMERGENCY EVOLUTION IN: 10... 9... 8...]
Amanda watched the countdown with detached curiosity. She didn't understand what it meant. Didn't care.
Let the system do what it wanted. She was already broken. What more could it take from her?
[3... 2... 1...]
[EMERGENCY EVOLUTION: ACTIVATED]
The pain was immediate and absolute. Amanda screamed as her plant magic surged back to the surface, no longer gentle or protective, but wild and furious. Vines erupted from her skin, from the floor, from the walls, filling the cabin with writhing green life.
But this was different from before. The plants weren't just responding to her emotions—they were becoming part of her. She could feel her consciousness expanding, spreading through the vines, through the roots, through every plant in a hundred-yard radius.
And with that expansion came something else. Something dark and hungry and absolutely merciless.
The plants remembered what had been done to her. And they wanted revenge.
[EVOLUTION COMPLETE]
[NEW CLASS UNLOCKED: VERDANT FURY]
[NEW ABILITIES ACQUIRED: NATURE'S WRATH, LIFE DRAIN, THORNED PRISON, PHOTOSYNTHETIC REGENERATION]
[STAT CHANGES: +30 INTELLIGENCE, +40 WISDOM, +20 ENDURANCE, -15 CHARISMA]
[WARNING: PERSONALITY ALTERATION DETECTED]
[WARNING: EMPATHY REDUCTION: 67%]
[WARNING: AGGRESSION INCREASE: 340%]
Amanda stood in the center of the cabin, surrounded by her plants, and felt nothing but cold fury.
The contest continued.
And somewhere in the system's vast calculations, Amanda's threat assessment changed from "Unknown" to "Critical."