Level 1 Fallen

I continued to walk down the path that my True Sight showed me, destroying any golems that I encountered along the way. The elite golems, those that became stronger as others were killed, were soon dyed entirely red. At this point, they had become level one hundred, and their growth had stopped.

For a level ten to be able to fight level one hundred golems like this, it definitely isn’t to target normal players, I thought to myself, before wondering what reward the system would have set specifically for powerful Fallen. The best reward that I could imagine was none other than Bella’s Offline Leveling trait. With that, I would be able to level up as if I were a player.

If that was the reward for this dungeon… that thought alone drove me forward, walking with renewed purpose towards the mysterious center of the dungeon. It took me more than twenty minutes to reach the unknown core, thanks to all the twists and turns I had to take. 

At one point, I had considered simply teleporting myself to the end of the maze. However, this dungeon proved to be a special instance, preventing any teleportation within, and also preventing messages from being sent in and out. This only further strengthened the idea that this was an important dungeon created for Fallen like myself that Players had mistakenly forsaken.

As I arrived at the center of the maze, I saw a large, ornate stone door. Everything beyond this point was utterly unknown, my True Sight incapable of peering through. Going by normal standards, this should be a boss fight, a final test to determine if the Fallen challenging the dungeon has earned the prize.

I pushed the door open, stepping into a large, circular room. Looking at the interior, I was pleased to find that it was large enough for me to use my Dragon King skill if need be, with a ceiling far higher than the exterior mountain would suggest.

At the center of the room was a small tube, like one would use to carry a scroll, resting atop a pedestal. I approached cautiously, watching for any sign of monsters spawning. Now that I was in here, my True Sight was completely sealed, leaving me with just the dozens of projected bullets orbiting my body.

Once I got to the pedestal and lifted the scroll case, I pursed my lips, finding it lighter than I had expected. I opened the case, eyes widening when I saw that it was empty. In addition, beneath the case was a perfectly smooth stone set into the pedestal, one that I immediately recognized as a respawn anchor.

No sooner had that realization come than the projected bullets flickered out of existence. I tossed the scroll case away with wide eyes. The only door to the room slammed shut. All around me, monsters had begun to appear, rising from the floor. These were the same deep-red golems that I had encountered in the maze, meaning that each of them would be level one hundred.

Gritting my teeth, I activated Dragon King, taking on my draconic form. However, my eyes widened as I transformed, feeling something immensely wrong. My breath suddenly became short, my vision swimming. Although I had transformed, I couldn’t maintain my balance, collapsing onto my side and panting heavily.

I knew these symptoms, though I had never experienced them before. This was Mana Burnout, something that should have been impossible for me to feel. I could only watch with half-lidded eyes as the golems approached, barely able to move so much as a single claw.

Despite my side, I proved utterly incapable of stopping them. One golem stepped on my front leg, and I felt a jolt of pain as the bone shattered. Others followed, trampling over my broken body and beginning to punch at my vitals, their fists penetrating and scooping out both bones and organs until they reached my heart.

However, I knew that this was not the end. The respawn anchor at the center of the room ensured that. I felt my vision going dark, moments before I appeared at the pedestal again. The golems were less than a dozen meters away, standing atop my--no, where did my body go?

The giant draconic form I had assumed previously was nowhere to be seen. In its place, only a puddle of blood and viscera remained as evidence of its prior existence. Now, I knew what this dungeon truly was… a trap.

Any Fallen capable of entering this far in would have to have a trait powerful enough to let them qualify as a raid boss, maybe even a world boss. As soon as they reached this room, however, that trait was sealed. My trait was sealed, leaving me completely incapable of fighting back.

Thanks to the respawn anchor, I couldn’t escape through death. Every time I died, I would appear at the center of the room, surrounded by golems far too strong for me to defeat. Over and over again, until inevitably my trait dropped.

Quickly unequipping all of my gear, I ran towards the door with all of my strength. If I could make it there, I had a chance. Maybe, if I activated Beyond the Veil for just a moment, I could pass through the door and reach the other side. The monsters shouldn’t have respawned, so I had a chance to make it through to the entrance if I could recover from my Mana Burnout fast enough.

Thankfully, the golems were slow. Even with a level one body, I could outrun them, if only barely. I watched the door get closer, timing my pace. The less time I had a skill activated, the less time I would suffer from the burnout.

Just as I reached the door, I activated Beyond the Veil, slipping through it and collapsing on the other side. I held my stomach, retching as I lay on the ground. If I could send a message, I could… no, I couldn’t even call for help. Nobody would be able to follow me into this dungeon.

It was only now that I noticed a brand on my right hand, a glowing red X that pulsed with energy. My equipment was too heavy for me to run in in this state, so I had even unequipped my gloves. This brand was the cause of everything. Until it was gone, I couldn’t use any of my skills.

I heard the scraping of stone behind me, my face going pale as I realized that the door was being opened from the inside. Looking at the corner of my vision, I still had… oh no.

There were more than twenty minutes left for my Mana Burnout injury. The cost of using such a high-level skill with a level one body was simply too great. Even if it was only a brief activation, it left me completely incapacitated. In addition, there was another injury listed: Sealed Traits, with a duration of permanent. The only way to remove it would be death, but as soon as I spawned near the pedestal, it was applied again.

I could barely lift my head, looking at the golems emerging from the room behind me. With one stomp, I was crushed, appearing back at the pedestal once more. Now, however, the golems were all near the entrance. Even if I wanted to make a run for it, they were blocking the path.

Moving back, I positioned myself at the wall furthest away from the door. Maybe, if I can lure them all over here, I can make a run for the door and escape when I respawn again. This was the only thing I could think of. Maybe, just maybe there was a way for me to trick the system.

That thought fled as soon as the golems returned to the room, the door slamming shut on its own again. My mind went blank from despair. In order for me to get out of the room, I had to go through that door. However, the door would only open if the golems were leaving to chase me.

Maybe… maybe I can sacrifice one life to get through the door, then try to charge between the golems after I respawn? The thought flashed in my mind, but I quickly shook it off. I could only just barely outrun the golems in my current state. If they were blocking my path, there was absolutely no chance that I would be able to run by so many without getting caught.

I needed to think. There had to be something that I could do. This dungeon had to have been a trap by the monster dungeon makers. Maybe… maybe it had a connection to a monster city? If I could get through, I should have been able to remove the brand and teleport back to Brita.

My thoughts were interrupted by a stone fist slamming through my head, causing me to appear once again at the pedestal. Stumbling, I quickly gathered myself. Kelly’s death training was paying off in the worst ways now.

The only landmark in this room was the pedestal. If there were a position to place the key to a monster city, it would be here. However, the only way to activate the portals to the monster city were to use fresh monster blood.

Taking the gamble, I activated Ancient Shifter-X, turning into a hobgoblin. Immediately, the symptoms of Mana Burnout kicked in, though not as severe as when I used a grandmaster skill. I could still stand, as long as I supported myself with the pedestal, and the injury would heal in five minutes.

That was still too long. I bit down harshly on my tongue, spitting the blood onto the pedestal. Pain wracked my nerves, but this was all I could think of. I didn’t have any time to check my inventory between deaths, so I had no idea what I had already lost. For all I knew, my trait was already gone.

I stared at the blood on the pedestal for several long moments. It dawned on me with horror that this dungeon was not connected to a monster city. And if it was, my Ancient Shifter-X skill wasn’t enough to fool it.

I died again, stomped beneath a golem’s foot. And again, I ran after respawning, fleeing to the edge of the room to try to come up with another plan. What else was there? What skill could potentially carry me out of this dungeon without burning my mana completely?

My traits were disabled, so maybe I could access my magic skills now? No, there’s no way that my fireballs will be able to take on level one hundred monsters.

Another death, another mad dash to evade the golems. Even if I used Enchanted Arms to load a skill, that enchantment would burn mana to cast. Any enchanted equipment would--

My eyes widened, a spark of hope filling my gaze as I looked through my inventory. If they were still there, perhaps I had a chance.

Soon, I found one of the smaller houses registered in my backpack’s inventory. Looking back at the golems chasing me, I removed the house from my inventory and placed it on top of them. The room shook with a crash, the house falling and crushing the golems. Taking items out of my inventory didn’t burn any mana at all. That said, this trick wouldn’t work for long… I didn’t have many houses that could fit in this space, which was getting more and more cramped. And none of them would fit in the halls on the way to the exit.

What other items did I have that could help me? I scrolled through my inventory, taking a moment to breathe as the golems started to respawn. “Potions, materials, no, none of that…”

Just as the golems approached me again, my eyes landed on a stack of items in my inventory. Before I could reach for them, I was smashed against the wall by a heavy stone fist, my vision fading.

When I reappeared, I was once again surrounded by golems. However, this time I had a plan. I reached for my inventory again, relieved to see that they were still there. “Come on out, Chandelicker!”

I pulled the monster card that I received from the mimic tower and activated it. As a consumable item, this did not cost any mana to use. And the mimics were all over level two hundred, more than enough to defeat the golems.

With a flash, the tongue-covered chandelier appeared, reaching out and crushing the nearby golems. I ran for the door as the mimic fought, looking for any way to open it. There were no handles, so the door must have automatically opened when the golems left to pursue me.

Gritting my teeth, I knew that Beyond the Veil was my only option. I pulled out another card, this one for a Crystal Skeleton Swordsman, and plunged through the door. As I collapsed on the other side, I activated the card in my hand, issuing a single order to the summoned skeleton. “Drag… drag me out.”

Each card would only last one minute, not nearly enough for the skeleton to take me all the way back to the entrance, even if there were no fights along the way. However, after four days of farming that dungeon, I had dozens of these cards. With any luck, I’d at least be able to last until my Mana Burnout wore off…

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