The dungeon entrance was impossible to miss.
A massive concrete stairwell descended into the earth beside the empty highway, illuminated by harsh white floodlights that cut through the darkness like a beacon. The lights were bright enough to hurt my eyes after nearly half an hour of walking through the dark.
Everything around it was silent, no traffic, no sirens, other sounds of life, just the chilled January wind and the rhythmic clack of Marv’s horseshoes against the pavement.
“Well,” Matt muttered to my left. “That’s not ominous at all.”
None of us answered him.
We stood there staring down into the massive stairwell, the bright white lights that lined the walls leading down vanished into the depths below, disappearing around a bend far underground. It looked less like an entrance and more like the world had cracked open.
Marv snorted beside me and nudged my shoulder with his nose.
“Clay,” Matt said slowly, rubbing both hands over his face. “I need you to understand that bringing a horse into an alien deathtrap dungeon might be the dumbest thing anyone has done so far today.”
“Marv would die up here,” I replied automatically.
Matt blinked at me.
“That’s your defense?” he said, his incredulous tone not escaping my notice.
“You’ve met him,” I said. “He’s a snob. The second the grass starts tasting weird, he’ll decide he’s too good to eat it and starve out of spite.”
Marv tossed his head proudly, as if agreeing with my assessment.
“I can’t believe I’m losing an argument to a horse,” Matt muttered.
“Technically, you’re losing the argument to me,” I replied.
“The horse is somehow more convincing,” he quips.
Aaron snorted tiredly while Lynn leaned slightly against my shoulder. She looked pale. Honestly, we all probably did. The adrenaline had burned off somewhere during the walk here, leaving behind only hangovers, shock, and the growing realization that the world as we knew it was actually gone.
Tommy stepped forward and peered down the illuminated stairwell.
“Looks safe enough,” he declared.
“You fired a gun at a tree during first contact with aliens,” Aaron replied. “I don’t trust your judgment anymore.”
Tommy shrugged nonchalantly.
Marv snorts eyed the stairs warily and snorted indignantly.
I looked at him.
The stallion stood rigid near the edge of the staircase, ears flicking backward as he stared down the steep concrete steps descending underground.
“…Oh,” I say softly. “Right.”
Horses and stairs.
Tommy leaned forward slightly, peering down the endless concrete staircase.
“Aw hell,” he muttered. “There ain’t no way Marv’s getting down that.”
Marv snorted loudly, clearly offended at who was making the observation.
“See? Even he knows it,” Aaron said.
“Maybe we can blindfold him?” Jen offered weakly.
“That sounds like how people get kicked to death,” Matt replied dryly.
“One of many,” I point out.
Kylie stared down the illuminated stairwell with wide eyes. She had barely spoken during the walk here whereas normally she would have complained from having to walk more than twenty feet. Honestly, I couldn’t blame her. She was likely still a bit shellshocked from the world ending roughly an hour ago.
“Do… do we really have to go down there?” she asked quietly.
Nobody answered immediately, because yeah, that was the question.
The massive stairwell didn’t look as if it were made by humans, even if it was constructed of normal human made materials. It felt as if it were manufactured by something trying to emulate human design, like something had tried to design the concept of “safe” without actually understanding what safety was supposed to feel like.
Lynn squeezed my arm slightly.
“Clay,” she said softly. “Are you sure about this?”
No, absolutely not.
But I looked back the way we had come, where there were only empty roads and a silent world covered in churned earth, broken by the occasional tree, then I looked down into the dungeon again.
“No,” I admitted. “But I’m a lot less sure about staying up here.”
Nobody argued with that.
Tommy adjusted the pistol holster at his hip and took a step toward the stairs.
“Well,” he said, full of swagger. “Only one way to find out if the alien murder hole is trap.”
Sometimes I would swear he is too stupid to be alive.
Marv still stood rigid at the edge of the staircase, ears pinned slightly back as he stared down the steep concrete descent.
Aaron ran a hand through his hair, a look of concern on his face.
“Right,” he muttered. “Horse.”
“Maybe he can jump?” Matt suggested.
I stared at him like he was Tommy.
“Matt, Marv is twelve hundred pounds of horse.” I said, irritated
“Counterpoint,” Matt replied, pointing downward. “Gravity.”
Marv huffed loudly through his nose and took a single step backward away from the staircase.
“Well,” Matt said. “That settles it. The horse has more survival instincts than the rest of us.”
“He is not staying up here alone,” I said immediately, stepping back to comfort Marv.
“Clay…” Lynn says, pointing towards the stairs.
A deep grinding noise echoed through the stairwell.
Everyone froze as the ground beneath our feet vibrated slightly.
“Uh…” Aaron muttered.
More grinding followed, then slowly, impossibly, the left side of the staircase began to shift. Concrete folded inward with mechanical precision. Steps flattened and widened as sections of the stairwell smoothly rearranged themselves into a broad stone ramp running alongside the stairs.
Silence fell over the group.
Tommy stared down at the newly formed ramp.
“…Well, that ain’t natural,” he said.
Like I said, too stupid to even live. I don’t even know how his brain manages to keep his heart beating without conscious supervision.
“Way the state the obvious,” Matt retorted.
Marv snorted triumphantly, then, with all the dignity of an emperor descending from his throne, he started down the ramp.
Matt stared at the horse for a long moment before looking at me.
“I hate that this somehow validates your decision,” he said in disgust.
“You’re just jealous because the dungeon likes him more than you,” I reply.
“The dungeon has known me for five minutes and honestly?” he shrugged, “that’s fair.”
I took a slow breath and looked down into the illuminated depths below, then I started walking. I caught up to Marv pretty quickly and he tossed his mane acknowledging my presence. The deeper we descended, the quieter the world above became. The harsh white lights lining the stairwell buzzed softly overhead, casting everything in a sterile glow that made all of us look half dead already. Our footsteps echoed endlessly through the concrete passage.
Well… our footsteps and Marv’s.
The rhythmic clop of horseshoes against stone echoed through the stairwell like somebody slowly banging coconuts together in a cathedral.
“We’re really subtle,” Aaron muttered.
Marv ignored him with practiced dignity.
“I still can’t believe the dungeon made him a ramp,” Matt said.
“The dungeon respects dignity,” I replied.
“The dungeon is a result of the Earth getting repo’d,” Matt said flatly. “I don’t think dignity is high on its priority list.”
Fair point.
The stairwell twisted downward for what felt like forever before finally opening into a massive chamber carved from smooth gray stone and there, waiting at the bottom, stood the doors.
“Jesus Christ,” Matt whispered.
They had to be at least thirty feet tall, wide enough for multiple cars to drive through side by side. Unlike the stark concrete stairwell, the doors looked ancient. Dark metal bands wrapped around thick wood carved with massive figures I didn’t recognize. Humanoid shapes with elongated faces and too many eyes stared downward from the surface of the doors like judges waiting for a verdict.
“I officially hate this place,” Jen announced quietly.
“Seconded,” Kylie added.
Tommy stepped closer to the carvings.
“Ugly sons of bitches, ain’t they?” he said with his usual level of astute observation.
The moment I focused on one of the carved figures, something tingled in the back of my head. A translucent box suddenly appeared in front of my vision. I nearly stumbled backward, caught by surprise.
This is a stylized depiction of a Borant Lawyer, one of the many jobs involved in management of the World Dungeon. Don’t worry. You’ll probably never meet one in person unless your ratings spike.
“The fuck?” I blurted out.
“What?” Lynn asked immediately.
“There’s a box floating in front of my face.” I said, repeating what it says.
Matt stared at me for a second.
“Oh, thank God,” he said. “I thought I was having a stroke.”
“You see it too?” Aaron asked.
“Yep,” Matt answered.
“Same,” Jen muttered quietly.
Tommy frowned at the air in front of himself before physically poking at something only he could see.
“Why does mine keep moving?” he demanded.
“Stop walking while looking at it,” Mary replied, rolling her eyes.
“Oh…” He thankfully falls silent.
The box hovered in front of my vision, semi-transparent and impossible to ignore. I focused on the small X in the corner and the window vanished instantly.
“How do you close it?” Lynn asked.
“I just… thought at it?” I said, not sure what else to add.
“You thought at it?” Matt repeated.
“I don’t know how else to explain it.” I shrugged.
Aaron narrowed his eyes at the air in front of him.
“Huh,” he muttered a second later. “Okay, that actually worked.”
Tommy continued poking at empty space with growing irritation.
“This is stupid.” He complained, growing visible frustrated.
Tommy poked one of the carved figures on the door with the barrel of one of his pistols.
“Well,” he announced. “I guess we go in.”
“Hold on…” I started.
Tommy shoved against one of the massive doors, not heeding my caution, and it opened immediately. The chamber beyond was enormous, torchlight flickered across rough stone walls. A massive hallway stretched into the distance, large enough that Marv could comfortably walk through the center with plenty of room to spare. Smaller passages branched away farther ahead, disappearing into shadow. From somewhere deep in the dungeon, something metallic screeched.
For a moment, nobody moved, then Marv calmly walked through the doorway first.
“Traitor,” Matt muttered under his breath.
Taking a slow breath, I followed Marv inside. The moment the last of us crossed the threshold, the massive doors behind us slammed shut, the sound thundered through the corridor like a gunshot, causing most of the girls to yelp. Marv jerked in surprise at the sudden noise and stamped one hoof against the stone, irritated.
With the bright white glow spilling in from the stairwell gone completely, the only light we had left was the flickering orange torches lining the walls. Shadows stretched long across the corridor.
A voice suddenly boomed through the hallway.
Welcome, Crawlers. Welcome to the First Floor.
Kylie shrieked and Tommy pulled both of his pistols again.
“Jesus, fuck!” Matt shouted.
Unlike the cold synthetic voice from earlier, this one sounded almost cheerful. Male. Loud. Enthusiastic in the same way a game show host might sound before announcing the grand prize, which somehow made it worse.
A translucent window exploded into existence in front of my vision.
You have been designated Crawler Number 1,513,662. You have been assigned the Crawler Name “Clay.”
You are assigned the race of Human. You are currently level 1. You may choose a new race and class upon descending to the third floor. Your stat points have been assigned based on your current physical and mental profile. See the stat menu for additional details.
“Oh, come on,” Matt groaned. “There’s more.”
“Wait, it gave me a number,” Mary said.
“Yeah, me too,” Aaron replied.
Tommy blinked at the air.
“Hold on,” he muttered. “Why the hell does mine say my race is Alabama Mouth Breather?”
All of us fell silent all at once, then Matt collapsed against the wall laughing.
“No fucking way,” he wheezed.
“What?” Tommy demanded angrily.
Aaron covered his face with both hands.
“Oh my God!” He said, whipping a tear from his eyes as he laughed.
“It called me a mouth breather!” Tommy shouted.
“Buddy,” Matt gasped between laughs, “I don’t think it’s wrong.”
More windows immediately burst into existence across my vision before I could even finish reading the first one.
Congratulations, you’ve earned your first Achievement: Costume Party.
You entered the World Dungeon dressed for entirely the wrong kind of event. On the bright side, brightly colored crawlers are statistically easier to identify afterward.
Reward: Silver Apparel Box!
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” I muttered.
“What now?” Matt asked.
“The dungeon’s roasting my outfit.” I said, sighing.
“…I mean.” Matt said as he looked me up and down slowly.
“Shut up.” I gave him the finger.
Another window immediately replaced the first.
New Achievement: Saturday Morning Cartoon.
You entered the World Dungeon looking like the cast of a low-budget magical girl reboot. Somewhere out there, an exhausted producer just greenlit three seasons and a toy line.
Reward: Gold Apparel Box!
Followed by even more.
New Achievement: Dude Looks Like a Lady.
Entering the Dungeon in drag, I have got to hand it to you, I did not see that coming. Luckily, you pull it off well, you sexy little vixen. Keep on rocking that skirt, because I think I’m in love.
Reward: Gold Apparel Box!
New Achievement: Coordinated Entry.
You entered the World Dungeon as part of a fully themed group costume ensemble. How adorable. Studies show that coordinated outfits increase team cohesion by up to 12%. They also increase the likelihood of dying together in highly identifiable ways.
Reward: Legendary Apparel Box!
New Achievement: Latecomer.
Did you know that over a million other crawlers entered before you? Well now you do. Contrary tocolloquialisms, being late is definitely not fashionable. Welcome to the party, loser!
Reward: Bronze Adventurer Box!
New Achievement: Empty Pockets.
You, like many other humans didn’t bring any supplies. None. What is up with your species? You do realize you still have to eat, right?
Reward: Bronze Adventurer Box!
New Achievement: Unarmed Combat.
What made you think it was a good idea to come into a place called a “World Dungeon” and not bring anything to defend yourself with? Even the idiot with you brought a couple of guns! Surely, you could have at least picked up a branch on your way here, but no, you thought My bare hands are good enough! Good luck, Michelle Yeoh, you’re going to need it.
Reward: Bronze Weapon Box!
New Achievement: Horse Girl.
You entered the World Dungeon accompanied by a horse. After all, is there ever a love purer than that between a girl and her horse? Horses are fragile creatures prone to panic, injury, and catastrophic leg failure. Bringing one into a death dungeon seems like a questionable long-term survival strategy.
Reward: Bronze Pet Box!
“…Horse Girl?” I read aloud in disbelief.
Matt made a strangled noise, then yet another window appeared.
New Achievement! Trailblazing Horse Girl.
You are the first crawler to enter the World Dungeon accompanied by a full-sized horse. Seriously. What the hell were you thinking? Out of over a million crawlers, nobody else looked at this obvious death trap and thought, “You know what I need? Livestock.” You’re either incredibly loyal, incredibly stupid, or from Texas. Probably all three.
Reward: Legendary Pet Box!
“THE SYSTEM CALLED YOU HORSE GIRL!” Matt collapsed against the wall laughing.
“I noticed!” I said, trying to hide my irritation. “Lets get moving.”
I think he may have cracked.
The corridor beyond the initial chamber stretched on far longer than it had any right to. The walls were rough stone now instead of concrete, lined with flickering torches that somehow gave off plenty of light without much heat. The air smelled damp and metallic, like wet pennies and burned wiring. Marv’s horseshoes echoed loudly through the corridor.
Clop.
Clop.
Clop.
“Yep, really subtle,” Aaron muttered again.
Marv flicked an ear dismissively.
“Still can’t believe the dungeon made him a ramp,” Matt said.
“Maybe the horse has a better agent than us,” Aaron muttered.
Every now and then Tommy, who had decided he should lead since he was the only one with weapons, would physically poke at the air again while muttering curses under his breath.
“You know,” Matt said after a while, glancing nervously down one of the dark side passages branching away from the main corridor, “this would be the perfect place for some kind of alien murder monster to ambush us.”
“Good,” Tommy replied confidently, patting the pistols holstered at his hip. “Because unlike some people, I came prepared. I got me an achievement for it and everything.”
“Tommy,” Aaron sighed, “you are not surviving the apocalypse through the power of redneck confidence.”
“Heh, watch me.”
Tommy took another step forward and the floor vanished beneath him. There wasn’t even time for him to scream properly. One second he was there, the next he dropped waist-deep into a narrow pit as blinding white flames erupted upward with a deafening roar.
He shrieked.
The smell of burning meat and hair hit instantly.
“TOMMY!” Mary screamed.
He clawed wildly at the edges of the pit, face twisting in absolute agony as the incinerator’s flames engulfed his lower body… then the ammunition on his belt started exploding.
The corridor erupted into chaos.
Loud booms sounded as overheated rounds detonated inside the flames. Stone chips exploded from the walls around us. Aaron cried out and staggered backward, clutching his arm as blood sprayed across his sleeve as Kylie screamed. Another explosion echoed from the pit and Tommy disappeared beneath the flames entirely.
Kylie bolted, sprinting down the corridor toward a nearby door marked with a familiar unisex bathroom sign. She jerked it open the second she reached it. Inside was what appeared at first glance to be a simple bathroom setup.
“Kylie, wait!” Jen shouted, already running after her.
“Kylie!” Aaron shouted through gritted teeth, clutching his bleeding arm.
Kylie disappeared through the doorway and the door began swing shut behind her. Jen reached it a second later and tried to slip through before it closed completely. Jen hit the doorway and, for a brief second, the doorway rippled, as if it didn’t know how it was supposed to behave. That was the only way my brain could process what happened. Jen compressed in on herself, flesh, bone, and clothing, violently collapsed inward into something the size of a shoebox… then she exploded. The sound wasn’t even loud, just wet crunch.
Kylie screamed once and the door shut completely.
The explosions from the ammunition finally stopped, and silence fell over the corridor except for the roar of the flames still burning inside the pit. The smell was unbearable.
Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Aaron sat against the wall clutching his bleeding arm while Mary pressed both hands over her mouth in shock. Somehow, Marv, who had frozen the second Tommy fell in the pit, was unharmed, standing beside me trembling in place. I was shocked that he hadn’t bolted.
The pit suddenly clicked and the flames vanished instantly.
I stared numbly at the blackened hole in the floor where Tommy had disappeared.
There wasn’t enough left of him to identify.
My stomach lurched violently.
“Oh God,” Lynn whispered beside me.
Matt swallowed hard and slowly looked down at the pit, then he frowned slightly.
“Wait,” he said.
“What?” Aaron hissed through clenched teeth.
Matt cautiously leaned closer to the edge without stepping near it.
“There’s a pop-up window.”
“What?” I asked.
Matt focused downward.
“It’s a trap description,” he said weakly.
“You can inspect traps?” I asked.
“Apparently,” his face paled slightly as he read.
“What does it say?” Lynn whispered.
Matt stared at the pit for another second before answering.
“Basic Incinerator Trap,” he cleared his throat. “‘Designed to dispose of small-to-medium organic pests. Warning: prolonged exposure to active flame jets may result in severe injury or death.’”
Silence followed for just a moment, then he added:
“‘Please watch your step.’”
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Aaron said through clenched teeth.