Derek just chuckled and shook his head, as he pulled out a knife and started showing Alex how to skin the rabbits. He quickly finished the first rabbit, the process only taking a few minutes on such a small animal.

  Alex did the next one, mostly on his own. Moving slowly and methodically, trying to focus on the technique and the exact way Derek had done it. There were a few corrections, but overall, he did well. After his first rabbit, he got the skill.

  Basic Skinning

  An Essential Skill available to all. This skill allows someone to know the basics of skinning common animals. A more difficult or rare beast may prove beyond this skill and the denizen will need to seek a profession related to it.

  Alex quickly opened his status sheet and saw the skill listed in a new category.

  Alex Everett

  Race: Progenitor

  Level: 7

  Profession: Progenitor’s Path

  Class: Progenitor’s Path

  Stats

  Strength: 15 (17)

  Agility: 14 (18)

  Endurance: 10 (13)

  Toughness: 13 (20)

  Perception: 7 (12)

  Wisdom: 10 (16)

  Intelligence: 10 (20)

  Willpower: 18 (22)

  Free points: 5

  Essential Skills: Basic Skinning

  Skills: Stealth, Earth Magic, Power Strike

  Racial Abilities: Eyes of the Cosmos, Celestial Control

  Equipment worn: Sword of Alex Everett(+2 all), Ring of Intelligence(+1 int), Ring of Wisdom(+1 wis), Armored Leather leggings, Boots of the Kobold Kings(+1 agi, +1 per +1 End), Cloak of Zhiva(+3 int +2 tough +2 per), Knight's Halfmail(+1 tough +1 agi), Warriors Gloves, Amulet of Spell Control(+4 int +3 wis +2 will), Vambraces of Deflection(+2 tough)

  Awesome, we get access to some of the basic skills. These Essential Skills will prove quite useful for everyone. Alex prepared to test it on the final rabbit.

  “Get the skill?” Derek asked, noticing Alex looking at his System screen.

  “Yep. It was a lot easier than I thought.”

  Focusing on his new Essential Skill, he felt the innate knowledge of it fill his mind. It was as if a textbook on how to do it had downloaded itself directly into him. He instinctively knew where to cut, the best angles for the incision, and even how to avoid making a massive mess.

  The final rabbit went much quicker and more smoothly. The new skill made it a breeze to complete. He barely had to think about it, and before he knew it, they were done.

  “That’s amazing,” Alex said aloud.

  Derek chuckled. “Yeah, it's something special, that’s for sure. Even for someone like me, who did it before the tutorial, the skill makes it even easier.” Derek said, picking up the three rabbits. “Let’s get these put on the fire. It looks like they’ve gathered enough wood.”

  They walked over to the pile of wood, and Derek handed Alex the rabbits to hold, while he stooped down to gather some of the kindling.

  “Can you use your earth magic to make a fire pit? Lower it into the ground a bit. It will help hide the light and protect the fire from the wind.” Derek said. “Make it about 2-feet deep and 3-feet wide.”

  “Got it,” Alex replied, quickly forming the fire pit with his earth magic. When finished, Derek started putting the kindling, dry grass, and moss into the pit. Then, he pulled out a firestarter tool and ignited it in a few strikes.

  As the fire began to rise, Alex commented on it. “Lucky you had that.”

  Derek grunted. “I wouldn’t be caught dead outside the city without one. I always kept my survival gear in my truck, so I had some in my bag when the integration happened.” Letting out a sigh, he continued, “If the military ever taught me one thing, it was preparedness, though I don’t think it had this in mind. The integration, this tutorial, and Universal System are outside my areas of expertise. I wasn’t prepared for this... and my family… I don’t even know if they're okay.”

  Alex laughed, a full belly laugh that was completely out of place in the current situation.

  “Sorry, sorry. I found it really funny to think about the look on the faces of government officials when all this happened. But I don’t think this was anyone's area of expertise. We’re stranded in some weird place, full of magic and monsters.” He looked away from the fire, making eye contact with Derek.

  “There’s nothing any of us can do. Focus on what's in front of us. We’ll grow stronger, strong enough to protect ourselves and those that can’t protect themselves. Power is what’s important in this new world. If we don’t reach out and grasp it, then the Chad’s of the world will. And as for your family.. Power is how you find them and keep them safe.”

  Derek took a moment to think about what Alex said.

  Where did that come from? Since when is power so important to me, and why am I trying to protect the weak? I never thought like that before. I was the weak one.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Derek stood up from where he crouched by the fire. “I agree. I need more strength to protect them. I couldn’t even protect myself from Chad.” Derek said with resolution in his voice. “Now tell me about this training montage you mentioned.”

  “Not yet. Get those rabbits on the fire, and we’ll talk about it when everyone’s back, preferably while we’re stuffing our faces with some meat.”

  Another hour passed as they watched the rabbits cook. During this time, they small-talked a bit, while Alex ignored the fact that they occasionally stared at him, or tried to sneak glances when they thought he wasn’t looking. Until finally, he got tired of it.

  “Soo.. is it the hair? Why do you guys keep staring at me like I have three heads?" Alex asked, a bit irritated. He wasn’t a fan of so much attention.

  “Bruh,” Samuel began. “We all thought you bit the dust when you fell.” He laughed before continuing.

  “After you fell in the cave, people were freaking out; it was a real buzzkill. And then, before we could get help, the integration happened. Pretty much cementing the idea that you were dead. But then you show up 2 days later, not only alive, but changed, strong AF, and wearing some badass fantasy drip.” Samuel grinned like a fool.

  “Is it Sam or Samuel by the way?” Alex asked him.

  “Just Sam, man. Only my mom calls me Samuel.”

  “Alright then, Sam. Are you high right now?” Alex asked with a serious look on his face.

  “Uhhh.. I wish, dude. My stash got stolen by one of Chad’s buddies.”

  “Just messing with you, Sam, but sorry your drugs got stolen by thugs with magic powers,” Alex said, smiling back. “Anyways, let’s grab those rabbits, they look done, and I'll explain some things while we’re eating.

  And so Alex did, but not everything. He left out any details about his race, the ruins, and his class. But between bites, he mentioned that shortly after surviving the fall, the integration came, which threw him into a dungeon. He fought his way out, killing the boss, and that was how he had gotten the armor.

  After he was done with his tale, Derek immediately asked, “There’s a dungeon inside the cave? Is that the training montage we’re doing?” Derek said with hope in his voice.

  “Yep. After we eat, we’re going to speedrun the dungeon with the 4 of us. I don’t plan to help much, though, unless needed. I really don’t even want to go in there again so soon, but it would be too much of a risk for you all to go alone; it's recommended level 6. The point of this is for you guys to get quick experience and hopefully loot at the end.” Alex replied, enjoying the rabbit meat he was still eating. It was a bit bland, since they have no spices, but meat is meat.

  “Is it safe…?” Sarah asked. She had been quiet most of the time.

  “Nothing is going to be safe anymore, Sarah. I understand you're scared, but if you want to survive, you need strength. We all do,” Derek said to her.

  “Derek’s right. I won’t sugarcoat it; I almost died several times in there. I’ll be there to minimize the danger for you, but I won’t babysit. You need to grow stronger if you want to protect yourself and others. When I first appeared in the dungeon, I was hesitant even to pick up my sword from the ground when it appeared, knowing that if I did, it meant I had to fight. But I did it. I had to work through my thoughts and my fear, but I did it and then fought my way out. I decided that right there, in that dungeon, I would change and grow stronger.”

  Derek followed up. “Think about it like this. My goal is to find my family, right? But what happens if I’m too weak to protect them after I do? I won’t let that happen. Strength means keeping myself and my loved ones safe.”

  Sam was nodding along and said, “Agreed. In this new world, strength is king bro. I’ve watched enough shitty TV when I was high to know that bad people with power is never a good thing.”

  Sarah had a look of uncertainty on her face, but Alex saw it when she made her decision. Determination had come over it. “Let’s do it,” was all she said, with more confidence in her voice than Alex had ever heard from her.

  Walking into the cave after dinner, Alex casually mentioned, “I’m taking you all to this dungeon, but I’d like to keep it a secret. So don’t say shit to anyone about it, otherwise you’ll have me to deal with.” He looked back making eye contact with each.

  They all quickly agreed not to share it.

  When they reached the crevice entrance to the dungeon tunnel, Alex climbed in first. “It’s about a 10 minute walk from here.”

  “Its a well hidden entrance. That explains why we all missed it,“ Derek commented.

  Ten minutes passed quickly and they were standing in front of a blue shimmering curtain. “And here we are.” Alex waved out, gesturing at the glowing curtain, giving a small bow.

  “Should we party up before going in?” Sam asked.

  “Party? Is there a party system?” Alex asked in surprise.

  “Yessir, just focus and want it to happen, or imagine yourself inviting us to your party. The system will take care of it,” Sam replied.

  Alex did it for all three of them and saw the notifications. He now had a small screen in the corner of his vision, and if he focused on it, he could see their names and levels.

  “God, that's awesome. Feels so much like a game sometimes. Well.. until a kobold stabs you in the gut. That isn’t fun, or game-like.” Alex chuckled.

  He noticed they were all looking at him like he was crazy as hell after that comment. But he just ignored them. When the party was created, he touched the shimmering curtain.

  Enter dungeon -THE DESCENT-

  Recommended Level 6

  Yes/No

  Alex let out a big sigh. “Here we go again,” he said, and then accepted the prompt.

  He felt the abrupt shift as his vision went black, and the mana surged around him, enveloping him in the strange mana he’d felt in space. It always felt fantastic to him, and he wished he could stay in it longer, but all too soon, it was gone. They appeared in a tunnel.

  A tunnel that felt very familiar to Alex, but he wasn’t sure why.

  “How does experience work with a party, by the way?”

  “We tested it a bit. Its partially shared, but its based on contribution to the fight. The whole party gets a piece, but you’ll get more if you do damage to the monster or help in some way, like healing. Outside of a party, only the person who does the killing blow gets the experience.” Same told him.

  “Hmm, that’s pretty straight forward. So technically, we might be able to powerlevel some people." Alex thought before telling them what to do for the dungeon. “Derek up front, the other two behind him. I’ll stay in the back. I already mentioned it, but I won’t be helping much.” Alex told them. “But I’ll at least tell you what to expect inside. The dungeon Kobolds range from levels 2 to 6 for normal monsters, and the final boss was level 7. The weakest ones I saw were cooks and miners, all level 2 or 3. The combat kobolds all ranged from levels 4 to 6 and there were warriors, mages, scouts, and supports. All the basic classes. The final boss was a level 7 earth mage.”

  “Got it. You really survived this at level 1?” Derek replied, looking all serious and focused.

  “I did. Barely. I came close to dying several times and even passed out from my wounds. Now let’s go.”

  “Copy that, boss man,” Sam casually replied.

  “Okay,” Sarah replied, looking timid but determined.

  “Derek told me about his class, but what about you two?” Alex asked them.

  “I’m a fire mage, cause you know… I like to 'light up',” Sam said, grinning like a fool, clearly talking about smoking.

  “Support,” Sarah replied.

  “What skills do you all have? Including you, Derek.” Alex continued.

  “I’ve got [Power Strike], [Charge], and [Shield block], but that last one requires a shield, which I don’t have,” Derek quickly said.

  Sarah went next, “[Mana bolt], [Mend], and [Minor Cleanse].”

  “Your fire mage extraordinaire has [Fireball], [Fire Nova], and [Mage Barrier],” Sam replied.

  Alex nodded along, curious to see what skills other classes had. “Those are well-balanced skills. You three should do well together.” He started walking up the tunnel. “Let's get a move on. Derek, go ahead and lead. The first enemies we should find will be Kobold Miners.”

  It's interesting to hear about their classes. They seem really different from mine, and each already has three skills.

  After five minutes of walking, Alex felt his anger rise up. He knew he recognized this tunnel.

  “This is some bullshit,” he said aloud. “This spot is where I appeared after integration. If I had turned around, I would have found the dungeon entrance, instead of fighting my way through it alone. But noooo, my dumbass kept going this way.”

  Alex sighed loudly. “Let's just get this over with quickly. I don’t want to be in this dungeon any longer than I need to be.”