Kyle sat in the uncomfortable metal chair across from Rodriguez's desk, acutely aware of the dried blood still staining his work clothes. The supervisor's office felt smaller than before, the walls seeming to close in as Rodriguez studied him with calculating eyes.
"So," Rodriguez said, leaning back in his chair, "you want to tell me how someone without any abilities managed to kill a Level 2 monster?"
Kyle kept his expression neutral. "I hit it on the head. Seemed like its weak spot."
"Bullshit." Rodriguez's voice was flat. "I've seen trained fighters with AI systems struggle against creatures like that. You're telling me you just got lucky?"
"I guess so."
Rodriguez stared at him for a long moment, then pulled out a tablet and began typing. "Here's what's going to happen, Jake. You're going to work the lower levels of the mine. In exchange, I keep quiet about what I saw today."
Kyle's stomach dropped. "Will I be paid the same rate?"
"You'll get your normal wage," Rodriguez said dismissively.
"Then I'm not interested."
Rodriguez's eyes narrowed. "I don't think you understand the situation. If I report what happened today, there will be questions. Investigations. They'll want to know how someone like you—someone without powers—managed to do what you did. How long do you think it'll take them to figure out who you really are?"
Kyle met his gaze steadily. "I don't care."
The supervisor's confident expression faltered slightly. He hadn't expected Kyle to call his bluff. Rodriguez was quiet for a moment, then leaned forward.
"Fine. You want to negotiate? Here's my offer. You work the lower levels, and I'll pay you based on output. You produce the same as everyone else, you get regular wages. You produce more, you get paid slightly more."
Kyle knew it was still unfair—the lower levels were exponentially more dangerous, and "slightly more" wouldn't compensate for the increased risk. But he didn't have much choice.
"Deal," Kyle said.
Rodriguez smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Good. You start tomorrow. And Jake? Don't make me regret this arrangement."
---
The lower levels of the mine were a different world entirely. The elevator descended for what felt like an eternity, the temperature rising with each passing floor. When the doors finally opened, Kyle was hit by a wave of oppressive heat that made his lungs burn.
The tunnels were narrower here, carved from rock that seemed to absorb light. Emergency lighting cast eerie shadows on the walls, and the air was thick with dust and something else—an energy that made Kyle's skin prickle.
"Fresh meat!" someone called out as Kyle approached the work area. A group of miners turned to look at him, and Kyle immediately noticed the soft glow of AI interfaces around their temples. These weren't desperate powerless workers like those on the upper levels—these were people with abilities, albeit low-level ones.
"Look at this," a burly man with scarred arms said, laughing. "They sent us someone without powers. How long you think he'll last?"
"I give him two days," another worker chimed in. "Three if he's lucky."
"My money's on one day," a third voice added. "The heat alone will kill him."
Kyle ignored their taunts and picked up his equipment. The pickaxe felt heavier than usual—not because of its weight, but because of the oppressive atmosphere. The rock down here was different too, harder and more resistant to his strikes.
The first day was a nightmare. The heat was unbearable, making every breath feel like swallowing fire. The rock felt like steel, requiring multiple strikes to chip away even small pieces. Kyle's enhanced strength and stamina helped, but barely. By the end of the shift, he had just barely met the quota.
Rodriguez looked pleased when Kyle came to collect his pay. "Struggle a bit today, Jake?"
Kyle took the pathetically small amount of credits without argument. He needed to conserve his energy for tomorrow.
That night, Kyle invested heavily in strength and stamina, but when he returned to work the next day, it hardly seemed to make a difference. The conditions were so harsh that his improvements felt negligible. At least this time he met the quota without having to push himself to the breaking point.
During the lunch break, Kyle sat alone in the small rest area, trying to recover from the morning's work. Most of the other miners ignored him, but a young woman approached with a bottle of water.
"Here," she said, offering it to him. "You look like you need it."
Kyle accepted the water gratefully. The woman appeared to be in her twenties, with short dark hair and kind eyes. Unlike the others, she didn't seem to view him with contempt.
"Thanks," Kyle said. "I'm Jake."
"Mira," she replied, sitting down beside him. "What are you doing down here?"
"I was assigned here," Kyle said simply.
Mira shook her head. "You should have refused. Down here, people are guaranteed to die, even those with powers. It's better at the top."
"Why are you here then?"
"I was also assigned," Mira said with a bitter laugh. "People who have abilities are usually put on the lower floors. Management figures we can handle the danger better." She paused. "Though this isn't even the worst floor of the mine."
Kyle felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. "There are worse levels?"
"Much worse," Mira said quietly. "Floors where the monsters are stronger, where the energy is so thick it can drive you insane. Most people who go down there never come back up."
---
That evening, Kyle finally checked his rewards for defeating the monster. The system's interface appeared as soon as he collapsed onto his futon.
MONSTER DEFEATED: LEVEL 2 SHADOW CRAWLER
REWARDS: +2 TO ALL ATTRIBUTES, SKILL UPGRADE: CAMOUFLAGE
CAMOUFLAGE DURATION: 12 HOURS
COOLDOWN: 8 HOURS
NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: STAMINA BOOST
DURATION: 3 HOURS PER DAY
Kyle felt a surge of hope. The attribute increases were significant, and the new stamina boost might be exactly what he needed to survive the lower levels.
The next morning brought an unwelcome interruption. A sharp knock at his door revealed his landlord, a thin man with greedy eyes and an impatient expression.
"Rent's due," the landlord said without preamble.
Kyle handed over most of his meager earnings, leaving him with barely enough for food. He had forgotten how expensive it was to live alone, especially for someone like him.
At work, Kyle activated his stamina boost during the most difficult part of the shift. The effect was remarkable—suddenly the oppressive heat was manageable, and his pickaxe struck the rock with renewed force. For three hours, he worked at a pace that impressed even the veteran miners.
But when the boost wore off, the crash was brutal. Kyle's body felt like it was made of lead, and every movement required enormous effort. Still, he had managed to exceed his quota, which meant slightly better pay.
For the next two weeks, Kyle followed the same routine. He worked during the day, invested his points in strength and stamina at night, and gradually improved his performance. The other miners began to notice his progress, their mocking laughter fading as Kyle consistently outperformed their expectations.
By the end of the second week, Kyle was producing three times the average output. The improvement was so dramatic that Rodriguez had no choice but to raise the quota for everyone.
"How are you managing this?" Mira asked during one of their lunch breaks. "Your output keeps increasing, but you don't have an AI system."
"Rent is due," Kyle said with a shrug, not entirely lying.
Mira's expression grew serious. "You need to tone it down. You're bringing more work for everyone."
Kyle felt a familiar pang of guilt. "I'm sorry. I really am. But I have a lot of financial problems."
"I understand," Mira said softly. "We all do. But—"
"Jake!" Rodriguez's voice boomed across the work area. "Come here!"
Kyle approached the supervisor's makeshift office, where Rodriguez was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Look at this!" Rodriguez said, waving a production report. "Your output today was incredible! Here's your pay."
Kyle took the credits, then looked Rodriguez in the eye. "I want a raise."
Rodriguez's smile faltered. "What?"
"I want a raise. And you need to decrease the workload for everyone else."
"Who do you think you are to demand anything from me?" Rodriguez's face was turning red. "You're nobody! You're—"
"I'm the one delivering the most output," Kyle interrupted calmly. "And I know you're selling the surplus on the black market."
Rodriguez's face went pale. "That's... that's not..."
"If I leave, you won't be able to make that extra money," Kyle continued. "So here's my new offer. You pay me four times the normal rate, with bonuses if I exceed today's delivery. And you decrease the workload for everyone else if I can consistently deliver at this level."
Rodriguez tried to bluster and threaten, but Kyle remained unmoved. Finally, seeing that he had no real leverage, the supervisor relented.
"Fine," Rodriguez said through gritted teeth. "But if your output drops—"
"It won't," Kyle said confidently.
---
The next day, Mira approached Kyle with a curious expression. "The quota got lowered. Was that you?"
Kyle shrugged. "I asked politely."
Over the next three weeks, Kyle's improvement accelerated dramatically. He was now completing ten times the average output in a quarter of the time. With each delivery, Rodriguez was forced to pay more, but the supervisor wasn't complaining—he was making more money than ever before.
During one particularly productive day, Kyle made an impulsive decision. He approached Mira as she was packing up her equipment.
"Here," he said, handing her a bag of high-quality crystals. "Half of today's haul."
Mira stared at the crystals in shock. "I can't accept this. It's too much."
"I insist," Kyle said firmly. "You've been kind to me when no one else was."
Tears formed in Mira's eyes. "Thank you," she whispered. "You don't know how much this means."
Kyle watched her walk away, feeling something he hadn't experienced in a long time—satisfaction that came from helping someone else rather than just surviving.
The miners who had once mocked him now avoided his gaze, their earlier confidence replaced by a mixture of respect and fear. Kyle had proven that power didn't always come from an AI system—sometimes it came from sheer determination and the will to survive.
But as he looked around the lower levels of the mine, Kyle couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. Rodriguez had mentioned worse floors, and Kyle suspected that his current success was drawing attention from people much more dangerous than a corrupt supervisor.
DAILY MISSION COMPLETE: EXCEED QUOTA BY 1000%
REWARD: +3 TO ALL ATTRIBUTES, 200 EXPERIENCE POINTS
NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: COMBAT INSTINCT
Kyle smiled grimly as he read the notification. Whatever came next, he would be ready.