Alex Everett

  Race: Progenitor

  Level: 1

  Profession: Progenitor’s Path

  Class: Progenitor’s Path

  Stats

  Strength: 7

  Agility: 8

  Endurance: 7

  Toughness: 8

  Perception: 7

  Wisdom: 9

  Intelligence: 9

  Willpower: 11

  Free points: 0

  Alex glanced at his stats. He wasn’t sure if the Universal System did the stats the same way he had seen before in games. But they seemed pretty straightforward for a gamer, if they did work the same way.

  He ran the stats through his mind, going over each one individually and forming his best guess for each.

  Strength stat is how strong I am in things like fighting and carrying, probably.

  Agility is my speed and quickness.

  Endurance is stamina for running or fighting for long periods. The stamina would also serve as a resource for some abilities I assume.

  Toughness would be my health pool. Higher Toughness would probably give me more.

  Perception …hmm… that’s a tricky one... maybe, it's how fast I notice things that normal people wouldn’t notice? Higher perception might allow me to see things like stealthed individuals or notice someone behind me.

  Wisdom … Hmm, not so sure about that one as well. Maybe regeneration for my health/mana/stamina pools; that would make sense.

  Intelligence is probably mana and magical damage.

  Willpower is hard to speculate on, but maybe mental toughness? How well I can push through things like pain or achieve my goals.

  This is all guesswork, but it's the best I can do for now. I don’t even know if mana or magic is real. I’m purely using video game logic on a world that might not even come close. I wish I had a way to confirm my suspicions. Focusing on the stats doesn’t reveal any additional details either.

  Alex willed the screen away, and another system message appeared.

  Pick a category; some have multiple choices.

  All weapons shown are usable by your class:

  1h Sword

  1h Sword + Shield

  2h Sword

  Spear

  Bow

  Dagger

  Wand

  Staff

  …

  …

  …

  The weapon selection kept going on and on. Alex saw a massive list before him.

  Weird. My class lets me use all these weapons? Seems weird, but I hardly understand what my class even is. So many choices... I don't really have any combat experience. Just a shitty university class. But that's all I got... It's true having a shield would be smarter maybe, but I've never used one. So let's go with what I know. Hand and a half swords were always my favorite.

  Alex picked a longsword that would allow him to use one, or two hands in a fight. A sword and a small pack materialized out of thin air in front of him and fell to the ground.

  As Alex reached down to pick up the sword, he hesitated.

  This isn’t a school class anymore… If I pick up this sword, I’ll have to defend myself for, probably by killing... I’ve never even been in a true fight, just small sparring and practice stances, let alone killed something… I don’t know if I can do this…

  Fight to defend myself and try to find a way out without a weapon, or sit here and die of starvation alone. Those are my shit choices. Seems stupid to even consider not picking it up when I think of it like that.

  His brother flashed through his mind.

  Grabbing the sword and the sheath, he picked them up, along with the small bag.

  I will grow, one way or another.

  The weapon looked pretty standard, but in good condition; he didn’t see any dings or scratches on the metal. It had a basic crossguard, with arms straight out on either side, forming a T. Cloth or leather was wrapped around the grip, and the pommel was a metal ball with a slight tip on the bottom. The sheath had a strap he used to tie it around his waist.

  Tutorial Sword (Common)(★)

  This is a basic sword given to new warriors in a tutorial. It is low-grade and of poor quality.

  Hmmm.. common? And what does the star mean?

  Opening the pack, there was a canteen full of water, a few small bars that said Dried Food Rations on them, and a knife that was too small to be a dagger. He put the small satchel into his backpack for now.

  Tutorial introduction complete. Good luck on your Path.

  Standing in the middle of a tunnel, Alex sat down for a moment to gather his thoughts after everything that had just happened.

  “God, I need a beer. It's been a hell of a day so far, and now I’m trapped in a damn cave. And what is this about being inside a tutorial? A tutorial of what?”

  He let out a deep breath and shook his head, as if to clear it, then continued with his ramblings…

  “I just want to be home, sitting on the couch with my dog and watching some TV," he mumbled in frustration.

  As his thoughts drifted to his dog, he got worried about how she might be faring without him. Alex’s dog was a two-year-old mix between a Golden Retriever and a Samoyed. She had been the only family he’s had since his brother died, and she meant the world to him.

  She’s tough, he thought, trying to cheer himself up. She’ll survive whatever's happening back home, and then I’ll find her again when this shitty ass tutorial is over.

  He pushed the thoughts away and focused back on his situation.

  Let's think of this like a game. I have a status sheet that comes up when I think of it, so its at least a little game-like. Maybe some other rules apply too. What about a personal inventory?

  “Inventory,” he said aloud, but nothing happened. So he tried again, using different words and every other kind he could think of to open it, but none worked.

  Well, I guess there's no inventory, personal or storage space. That's a shame. That would have been super handy to have.

  Alex sighed.

  I also don't feel or see any spells, special skills, or abilities on my status sheet. So I'll swing my sword at whatever's down here, i guess? Sounds like it’ll be a good time.

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Alex pulled out some water and took another bite of a protein bar.

  While he drank the water and ate, he looked over the cave around him. There were two different directions he could go, but both looked the same. Behind him was just a wall. No other choices. but the two paths He hadn't noticed earlier, but the area he was in had small crystals embedded into the walls, giving off light. They allowed him to see better, while casting his shadow all around the area.

  He wasn’t sure which path to choose.

  Too bad I don’t have a coin to flip. Let's just quickly test both, starting with the left. Not much else I can do.

  Shrugging to himself, he stood up, but after taking a single step, a notification appeared:

  You have entered the dungeon -THE DESCENT-

  Recommended level 6

  “Are you shitting me? Not only am I stuck in a cave, but it's a damn dungeon? This is some bull. AND IT'S LEVEL 6?!” his voice lost strength the longer he spoke. “I’m only level 1, how can they put me in a dungeon that much higher?”

  Alex looked up, imagining the Universal System could hear him, if only he yelled loud enough.

  “HEY! You made a mistake! Take me out of this damn dungeon and put me in a beginner's place!”

  No response came.

  Before fear could paralyze him, he gripped his sword tighter and pulled it out of its sheath. He tried to stay alert as he slowly moved forward. Alex did his best to sneak through the tunnel, trying to move as quietly as possible for fear of whatever was down here. His mind refused to be silent, though. Thoughts raced and spun throughout his head, raising all kinds of questions, concerns, and observations.

  The air felt hot and damp; the humidity high. It clung to his skin, making him sweat as he slowly walked along the tunnel path. He walked down the left tunnel for a full minute, but nothing changed. It looked the exact same as before. So Alex turned back and did the same to the right tunnel. But again, nothing changed.

  Well shit. Both tunnels look the exact same, and I don't see any differences between them. I guess we'll just keep going this way then?

  As he keep walking for a few more minutes, he finally did notice a minor change. That's a good sign I’m moving up at least. I hope to find my way back and meet up with the rest of the group, or maybe an exit.

  When he rounded a corner, Alex saw a red glow and heard a metallic sound hitting against the rocks. He peered around the wall and saw a small stream of lava on the edge of the tunnel.

  That explains the heat.

  The sound came from farther in. He crept slowly closer to the rhythmic tapping until he saw its source. When he saw the creature, its name and details appeared before his eyes a second later.

  Kobold Miner (Level 3)

  Kobolds are a race of lizard-like monsters that prefer to live underground. They're aggressive and devious.

  They are known for laying traps outside of their caves and in the surrounding territories. This Kobold variant is among the weakest, focusing solely on mining.

  A Kobold? I remember those briefly from tabletop games. Is this a Kobold dungeon, then? At least, this thing is small, hopefully that means weak. It's still two levels higher than me, though.

  And does the System just know I want more information about something? Names and information seem to be appearing when I look at things automatically.

  The kobold Alex was looking at was a small lizard creature. It stood on two legs with light-red scales covering its hide, and it was about two and a half feet tall. As the monster dug the wall with its pickaxe, it would snarl and hiss to itself between strikes, the sound not unlike that of large reptiles he had seen at the zoo.

  He felt the fear return as he looked at it, the fear of knowing he had to fight and possibly die. This monster from his video games, with its sharp teeth and claws, would probably enjoy killing him. It didn’t matter if the monster looked small. It made Alex hesitate, unsure whether he could do this. This wasn't some modern hunting trip where he could shoot it from a distance, no, he would have to get close and personal with a blade.

  But Alex decided he would fight back when he picked up the sword, but now that everything was so real and the monster was standing in front of him-- It wasn’t just words any longer.

  Is it too late to change my mind? I’m a grown man who’s a couch potato, gamer, and loves Hot Pockets. Not a dungeon-diving badass. I just want to sit with my dog and drink a Dr.Pepper… not do this… I don’t think I can fight this thing…. Maybe there’s another way out if I go back?

  Alex started to turn around, but paused mid-step because he remembered….Remembered his brother again, his fear, his weakness, and the vow he’d made to himself after his brother’s death. The promise to never be too weak again.

  Rage boiled through him, rage at his cowardice, rage at his fear, and rage at the world, the Universal System, and himself.

  Never again, he thought. Never again will I be weak. New world, new me. This is a chance to change how I am, the chance I've been waiting for as I endured the last eleven years…an opportunity to grow strong. Besides, there's no guarantee the other tunnel is any different. It looked exactly the same. This isn’t just empty words I’ve said to myself for years, trying to change myself slowly. It's a way to flip my life in a single moment, truly be different.

  Bravery, or stupidity, surged through him, and a fierce determination.

  Like my favorite rapper used to say, "You only get one shot, one opportunity." And this is mine!

  Alex decided to take his shot. Moving to the far side of the tunnel, he snuck along the wall. This may only be a two and a half foot tall monster, but he didn’t know how dangerous it was. It was also his first time fighting.

  But then, he did something stupid.

  The light reflecting off the molten rock beside him cast his shadow toward the Kobold. The creature startled; all attempts at mining stopped with a suddenness that took his breath away. With an unexpected speed, it whipped its head around, and their eyes met across the orange glow of the tunnel.

  They both stared at each other for a moment; no sound could be heard.

  “Shit!” He yelled and ran toward the monster before it could react. It hissed at him, turning to meet him head-on, and raised its pickaxe high above its body in preparation to hit Alex. When close enough, he dove to the side, the small Kobolds' attack whooshing past his head.

  Mid-roll, he jumped up and lashed out at the creature with a backhanded strike. The blade bit into its scaled shoulder. As he brough the sword around for a second attack, the miner blocked it with its pickaxe, causing a loud metal-on-metal ting to echo throughout the cavern.

  The block caught him by surprise.

  What the hell, this small thing was strong enough to block me?

  The momentum from his sword swing and block carried him forward, knocking him off-balance and leaving him exposed. The Kobold took advantage of the opportunity and lunged forward. Ignoring its pickaxe, it sank its teeth into him, clamping down on Alex's leg. It was the same spot that had been hurt during his fall.

  He screamed out, pain lancing through him from the beast's sharp teeth.

  Desperate and panicked from the bite, he started hitting the Kobold with the pommel of his sword. With both hands, he bashed the creature in the skull several times, forcing it to release him. The monster let go and backed away, dazed from the hits.

  “Asshole, this leg was just healed!” He grunted out through the pain.

  Alex hobbled forward as best he could with the injured leg, moving in before the Kobold could shake off the dizziness.

  It tried to hit him with the pickaxe when he got close enough, but he was able to parry it with his blade and push it aside. Grabbing his sword's grip with both hands again, Alex swung as hard as he could, with all his speed and strength, in an overhead strike.

  He brought it straight down onto the Kobold’s shoulder, where it connected with the neck. The strike cut into its flesh and scales a few inches, though not doing as much damage as he had expected.

  The creature screamed and Alex quickly pulled the blade back out before it recovered and swung down again in the same spot. Blood splattered through the air.

  Alex smiled, enjoying the adrenaline, but he quickly suppressed the feeling and continued the fight.

  He opened the wound several more inches. Arms trembling from the exertion and the adrenaline coursing through him, he repeated the action two more times. His breath was labored. While his blows didn’t cut the creature in half, it was close. From the shoulder to the groin, the monster was split. Each strike he rained down, cut deeper than the previous.

  This Kobold was quickly silenced, falling to the ground with a rend through its body. Blood and entrails covered Alex's lower body.

  You have slain Kobold Miner (Level 3)

  Experience and SP gained

  His knees buckled, and he instantly collapsed after the Kobold died, chest heaving in a rhythmic motion as he gasped for air. He felt exhausted and worn out.

  “I survived,” he said aloud, between his breaths and the winces of pain.

  Why was that little three-foot-tall lizard so strong? Was it because it's level 3? That was literally a twenty second fight and it took everything I had.

  After he caught his breath, he slowly sat up and looked over his wounds. Towards the end of its life, the Kobold had struck him a few times with its claws, but they weren’t too serious. The biggest issue was his leg yet again. Examining the bite marks, he saw they were deep. The creature's teeth had sunk into his leg, made worse by Alex hitting it while it bit him.

  My leg is jacked up. The area the Kobold bit me looks like it went through a meat grinder. I need to hurry and bandage it before I bleed out!

  The pain was immense, and it took all of his effort to push through it. He struggled to move around. With his pants in hand, he ripped off a large chunk of the dwindling fabric and wrapped the strip around his leg, staunching the blood loss. Alex then sat there holding the wound, suffering through the pain, trying to make sure it was bound as best he could.

  Keep moving forward. Don’t die here. He thought, knowing that if he stayed here, he would die.

  Grunting from the pain, he slowly crawled over to the Kobold’s corpse. He searched it and the surrounding area, but didn't find anything useful, until he touched the monster’s scales. A notification sprang up before his eyes.

  Do you wish to loot Kobold Miner (Level 3)?

  Yes/No

  “Oh? Loot, like a game?” he accepted the prompt with full expectation of great glory and riches, until a single coin appeared in the air and fell to the floor. “Well… that's anticlimactic.”

  Picking it up off the floor, he examined it, and the information automatically appeared before him.

  System Coin (Unranked)

  A coin generated by the Universal System to be used as currency in the universe. This coin is the lowest-ranked version—Unranked.

  This item can be stored in your Soul Vault.

  “A Soul Vault, what’s tha–,” Before he could finish saying it, a screen came before his eyes, with a short description under it.

  Soul Vault

  This is a personal space located in the soul of all denizens of the Universal System, allowing them to store the three main mana currencies of the universe.

  Coins, Gems, and Cores.

  This inventory will be lootable upon death.

  The Vault was divided into three sections as the description mentioned: Coins, Gems, and Core.

  Well, that's cool as hell. Why didn’t the basic class gem I used show that it could be stored in one? More questions, surprise surprise.

  Alex pushed his intent at the System coin and watched it vanish. Less than a second passed before the screen updated.

  -Soul Vault-

  Coins

  System Coin (Unranked) - 1

  Gems:

  Cores:

  Awesome. That's going to be super helpful, not having to carry around all the currencies. Definitely safer as well, until you know, I die. Wait… Cores? he wondered, eyes slowly going down to the Kobold's body.

  Does that mean the monsters have cores like some of the games I’ve played? Please don’t tell me I have to cut into this thing to find its core. Shouldn't that have been lootable?

  Alex stared at the Kobold and dreading what he was about to do.