June startled awake as a loud, booming sound echoed around him. It was so deafening that the vibrations shook his bones. Fluttering his eyes open, confusion clouded his mind because the scene before him was not the familiar cabin at all. Instead, an endless, dark abyss surrounded him.
His heart raced as he tried to clear the fog of confusion clouding his mind. Where was he? Then it hit him—his family! He tried to push himself to stand, but couldn't. He wasn't on the hardwood floor in Elias' cabin anymore, that much was clear. Instead, he floated in a thick, liquid-like substance, similar to honey or sap. Yet it had the same texture as water.
How was that even possible? Then again, everything that had happened was beyond the bounds of possibility. The meteor shower, the fiery sky, the voice in his head announcing, The System of Cultivation. Then came agonizing pain followed by that light. It was all mind-boggling, to say the least. Not what he'd expected on a normal weekend trip to the Appalachian Mountains in New York.
June grunted, his voice muffled by the water, as he tried to shake his head. But the thick liquid slowed his movements to a crawl, letting him only shift his head to the right. He didn't have time to think about what had happened. He just needed to figure out where he was and how to get back.
That was easier said than done, though. June's body was numb. A biting cold seeped into him, sapping his strength. He needed to get out of the water before hypothermia set in, leaving him dead. He took a deep breath before coming up with a plan, but then froze. How had he taken a breath just now? In fact, he had been breathing the entire time, without ever realizing it.
Panic overwhelmed him before he managed to calm down. He had to be dreaming—there was no other explanation. Gritting his teeth, he pinched himself hard, trying to wake up. After about thirty seconds of enduring the pain, he gave up, a welt forming on his forearm.
What the hell! Why am I not waking up?
A low rumble pulled him from his thoughts. He stared into the void as the gnawing dread that had haunted him during the meteor shower crept back into his mind. Panic seized him as he froze, trying to stay hidden. The rumbling sounded again. This time, even louder. Fear clenched his heart, threatening to crush it under its weight. He wasn't alone in these waters.
He tried to swim away, but before he could even try to, a sudden vibration reverberated through the water. A roaring voice erupted from the depths a moment later and slammed into him. The resulting shockwave sent him tumbling end over end, a disorienting experience that lasted what must have been an eternity before he finally stopped.
June struggled to straighten himself, his mind thoroughly rattled like a mixed drink. But before he could do anything else, the monstrous voice roared again. This time, along with several others.
Before this, he hadn't understood what the voice said, but this time it was loud and clear. "JUNE-TAE MIKKELSON!"
Fear's grip on his heart tightened, leaving him paralyzed. Had he only been hearing things, or was Sasha's voice mixed with the roaring below? That was impossible.
However, before another thought could cross his mind, the shadows in the corner of June's vision shifted. He instinctively turned, and his blood ran cold. A tear in the void appeared, and blood-red light radiated from it as the tear widened. It quickly became clear to him that it wasn't a tear at all, but rather an eye wreathed in blood-red flames.
Once fully open, it gazed upon June, suffusing him with its unholy red glow that burned with hatred and malice. The eye was nearly twice June's height, and that was saying a lot considering his stature of six foot one. His mind blanked out as he tried to comprehend the size of this monstrosity before him.
Shadow tendrils shot out from the eldritch monster and ensnared June, leaving him no chance to react. Actually, that was false. It moved so fast that even if he wanted to, he couldn't react. The eldritch creature pulled him just a few inches from its face. Its gaze pierced him, examining his soul and judging it.
The eye tilted to the side as if contemplating something before the voices echoed around June again. "JUNE-TAE MIKKELSON! SUBMIT AND SERVE!"
Sasha's voice rang out clearly this time, joined by Natalie's and Zach's voices as well. Rage surged from June's core, eclipsing his fear. "Fuck you!"
He had no intention of becoming this monster's slave. He struggled against his restraints to free himself. It was a hopeless effort, but he kept fighting until his muscles finally gave out. The eye narrowed as more tendrils hovered in front of it. June let out a scream of pain as the tendrils shot forward and pierced his chest, abdomen, and head. His veins bulged and turned black as the tendrils slithered through him, worming their way deeper, trying to infect him.
"SUBMIT AND SERVE!" it boomed again as the tendrils reached deep within June, invading a space he wasn't aware of until now.
Shadows obscured his eyes in a sea of darkness as he dangled, suspended in a silent scream, his mind flooded with a jumble of emotions and visions. The first was of Natalie. Grief and loneliness radiated from her as she huddled in the corner of their bedroom. The house rocked as a giant shadow swept across the window. She held a hand to her mouth, trying to stay as silent as possible. The thing lingered for a moment before its earth-shaking footsteps trailed away.
Natalie exhaled the breath she had been holding and hugged her knees to her chest, tears running down her cheeks. Fear quaked through her body, and she slowly rocked herself, trying to soothe her nerves. Her eyes shifted to June's 1911 handgun, held tightly in her hand.
"I'm sorry, June," she said before raising the gun to her temple and pulling the trigger.
The vision suddenly ended, replaced by another. Zach, a few years older than he was, stood at the front of an army made up of humans as a host of angels descended from the heavens above. Zach led the charge, shouting a war cry before the two armies collided. But the fight was hardly a battle—more like a slaughter, as the angels tore through the human ranks like a knife cutting through butter.
Zach stood alone, the only survivor. He fought bravely, but ultimately, the angels overwhelmed him. He dangled helplessly, with each limb gripped by an angel. Their shark-toothed smiles widened, and they released high-pitched laughter as they tore him limb from limb. Zach let out his last scream as the angels guzzled his flowing blood before feasting on his body.
Again, the visions changed, and there was Sasha as an adult. She lay on a disgusting bed stained with an amalgamation of fluids, a musky scent heavy in the room. Men came and went, their presence a plague, infecting her and the room. What was worse, though, was the depraved smile she wore as her clouded eyes stared vacantly up at him.
The images of what happened burned into June's mind as wrath blossomed within him. He tried to scream, tried to do anything to stop what was happening to his family. But he couldn't. He was nothing more than a passenger on this ride as even more visions flooded his mind. These, however, he couldn't even understand.
A woman's decapitated head lay in his lap. Her fox ears drooped, and her lifeless eyes gazed up at him as if to mock him. Confusion coursed through him. A mixture of emotions swirled within him for this woman. Love, devotion, anger, grief, and a sense of failure. They all emanated just as powerfully as if she were his family. But how could that be?
Before he could dwell on the thought, another vision flashed by. A lithe Elven woman with pink hair and bright yellow eyes stumbled to her knees, sweat drenching her face. Surrounded, she had fought tooth and nail against mutated shadow monsters, yet their numbers seemed endless. With nothing left to give, she could only scream for her father, begging for his help before they tore into her and dragged her into the same void he was currently in.
Then, finally, a blue-skinned Elven woman hung limply, impaled from her navel to her mouth on a stone spike protruding from the ground. Her shriveled body suggested she had been like this for some time. June fell to his knees, tears blurring his vision. How could he let this happen? Why hadn't he been there for her? The same rage and anger he felt for the fox woman also roared within him for her. Who was she, and why was he feeling this way?
Back in the abyss, June sagged limply, shadows almost engulfing his entire body. The eye bobbed, a deep rumbling laughter resonating through the void. It had nearly broken June's mind, but then something unbelievable happened. June lifted his head and looked at it. The blackness in his eyes receded, revealing a burning flame.
"Fuck you," June whispered, his wrath overcoming the monster's attempt to break his will.
None of what he had seen was real. He refused to believe that they were. He roared with everything he had as the world around him trembled. By sheer force of will alone, June forced the monster's tendrils back and expelled them from his body. His will manifested into a powerful wave of light that radiated from him, obliterating the eldritch monster and the void.
June's eyes snapped open, his heart pounding a million beats per minute. His vision blurred, barely able to perceive the blond hair cascading down onto him. His ears rang as if a grenade had gone off nearby. A muffled voice called out for him, and he immediately recognized it. Familiar, supple lips planted kisses across his forehead, cheeks, and lips.
Natalie's muffled voice came between each kiss. "Thank god, you're okay."
His arms ached, but he ignored the pain and reached up, pulling her down onto him. His lips met hers, and they shared a passionate kiss. Their tongues engaged in a familiar dance, and the fog that clouded his mind lifted as he savored his wife's embrace. After enjoying the moment a bit longer, he released her, and they came up for air, both panting heavily.
"Looks like you're all better now," she said with a slight giggle.
"Thanks to you," June said.
She gave him a radiant smile before pushing herself up and helping him to his feet. June stumbled the moment he stood straight, his head feeling woozy. Natalie caught him before he could fall, and he gave her an appreciative smile. But when his eyes met hers, the vision from the nightmare reappeared, and he grimaced, holding his head.
"What's wrong?" Natalie asked, steadying him.
"It's nothing," he hissed through gritted teeth.
He repeatedly told himself it wasn't real, that it was nothing more than a nightmare. He was awake now, and everyone was okay. Still, the image of Natalie's terrified face remained.
"June!" Natalie cried out, trying but failing to keep him upright as his legs buckled and he collapsed to his knees.
Sasha's head whirled in his direction upon hearing his name.
"Daddy!" she exclaimed, hopping from her seat at the dining table and bounding over to him.
He struggled to maintain his composure but failed as a blinding rage exploded within him at the sight of his sweet baby girl. His Pumpkin. The floorboards groaned in protest as an invisible pressure radiated from him while the nightmare vision of what had happened to her played on repeat, tormenting him. Sasha froze in her tracks as the very air around June vibrated with energy.
"Daddy?" Sasha asked, cautiously stepping forward, only to be halted by Zach.
"June!" Natalie cried, falling to her hands and knees as the pressure descended on her.
The pressure he unknowingly released built up into a raging storm. It wasn't until the sound of wood snapping and Natalie's cries of pain that jolted him out of his trance.
"Wha—" June attempted to say, but couldn't.
He slumped forward and barely caught himself before face-planting on the floor. A sudden drain shocked his body, sapping him of his strength. Sweat trickled down his face as he fought to steady his breathing.
Cracks spider-webbed across the floorboards. The boards and subfloor beneath June's feet lay shattered, with splinters of wood scattered around, and dust slowly settling. The scent of mildew and mold crept up from the crawlspace beneath, causing him to sneeze.
"What the hell was that?" Christine asked, her voice trembling with panic.
Her question went unanswered as Natalie's pained groan from beside him caught his attention. She lay on her side, curled in the fetal position, and cradling her left arm. Any thought of exhaustion disappeared from his mind as he turned to his children. "Zach, grab the medical bag."
Zach nodded, concern in his eyes, before he retrieved the item June had asked for.
"Let me see," June said, helping Natalie up and onto the couch.
She winced with every movement, and it pained his heart to see her like that. Sasha finally approached, giving June a wary look as she sat beside her mother. That look alone ate at his soul. What had he done to warrant that reaction? He gave her a reassuring smile before gingerly examining Natalie's arm. Luckily, he found no broken bones. It must have been a fracture then. But how did it happen? One moment, he was on his knees, and the next, Natalie was beside him, injured.
The same feminine voice from earlier echoed in his mind, now sounding much more human than AI and very familiar.
It was because you released your Aura. However, I fail to understand how you released it. You are newly integrated, so you shouldn't have unlocked your Essence and Energy Cores yet.
June's eyes widened as he looked around frantically, searching for where the voice was coming from.
I'm in your head. Actually, not just your head, but my point still stands.
"Hello?" June said aloud, drawing a confused glance from Natalie before recognition flashed in her eyes.
"Is it the voice?" Natalie asked at the same time as the voice responded.
Hi, June!
"You hear it too?" June asked with a frown, ignoring the voice for now.
Natalie nodded her head before wincing and clutching her left arm. "I've confirmed that everyone besides the girls hears a voice."
"A voice? As in, you all hear different voices?" June asked, unzipping the medical bag and taking out a roll of gauze, bandages, and a triangular bandage. Realizing he'd need a splint, he asked Zach to retrieve a wooden spatula.
"Yeah," Natalie said as June used the spatula as a makeshift splint for her arm. "I hear my dad's voice."
June followed Natalie's gaze to Zach, who stood nearby, overhearing their conversation, prompting him to speak. "I hear Anna Mikarie's voice."
"The actress?" June asked, raising an eyebrow and flashing a cheeky grin.
"Shut up, Dad," Zach huffed, his face as red as a tomato.
June couldn't help but snicker as he placed Natalie's arm into the triangular bandage and tied it behind her neck to make a sling.
"What about you, June? Who do you hear?" Natalie asked with a teasing lilt in her voice.
June's face darkened as he leaned back before responding. "Emilia."
"Oh," Natalie said, her smile instantly disappearing. She was speechless at that revelation. Silence settled heavily around them.
Not wanting to leave them in a dour mood, June took Natalie's uninjured hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry. Apparently, I did this."
His eyes fell to her injured arm, drawing her attention. "Yeah, the voice in my head told me."
"It did?" June asked, his eyes darting back up to meet hers. "What else did it tell you?"
"A lot of stuff. Just talk to it and you'll understand, although I barely understood half of what it said."
June narrowed his eyes in skepticism, but he had no real reason to doubt Natalie. In the end, he gave a half-hearted shrug and followed her instructions.
Hello?
That's quite rude of you to ignore a lady like that. Although I'll overlook it this time, since you were speaking with your wife.
Her haughty attitude grated on June's mind, dredging up distant memories.
Oh, shut the fuck up, Emili—
However, he stopped himself before finishing the sentence. This was not Emilia. It wasn't his sister. It had been well over a decade since he had heard her voice outside of homemade videos. So hearing it now, and in his head, was really jarring.
How are you doing that?
Hmm? Doing what? You're going to have to specify what it is I'm doing.
June could already imagine her standing there, with an indifferent look on her face as she inspected her nails, just like Emilia used to do whenever she wanted to annoy him.
That! How are you speaking with Emilia's voice and sounding like she did!
Oh, that? Well then, let's start from the beginning, shall we?
She paused for a moment as if preparing herself for a presentation.
The great System of Cultivation has integrated your planet, saving it and you from annihilation.
She paused again.
This is where you're supposed to clap.
However, June simply ignored her and waited.
Hmph, a little gratitude could really go a long way, you know.
June rolled his eyes before giving a single mental clap.
That'll suffice. Now, if left alone, you wouldn't be well-equipped to handle the Dwellers of the Abyss. Additionally, the great System of Cultivation has also granted you a significant boon for being a progenitor of this planet.
She paused again, creating suspense that June lacked the care for. In fact, it irritated him more than building intrigue.
Me, your System Appointed Representative and Assistant, or better known as S.A.R.A.!
The image he had of her changed. Emilia posed, showing a peace sign with one hand and forming a heart with her thumb and index finger with the other. June shook his head to dismiss the image, telling himself it wasn't really Emilia.
So, what? You're like an AI?
Ding! Ding! Ding! Bingo! But more precisely, I am a system-created construct designed to guide you through the world of Cultivation so that you can better defend this world.
So why do you sound like my dead sister, and how is it that you are acting exactly like her?
A brief silence passed before she spoke.
I was designed to adopt the voice and personality of someone my host was closest to or admired, to build a stronger bond.
And you chose my sister?
Yes. When Emilia was still alive, you two were inseparable, even after you joined the military.
And how are you able to take on her personality if she's dead?
Your memories, duh. You and I are bonded, so I have access to all your thoughts and memories.
June shuddered at her revelation. His sense of self and free will slowly withered at the thought of having such an invasive thing living inside him. If the System had the power to infect everyone with these constructs, then it wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume it could just take over everyone's minds, turning them into mindless husks working for a hive-mind overlord.
However, the construct's words interrupted his thought.
It's not like that! You humans and your skepticism. Especially you! A military man of science.
She harrumphed as if she had just crossed her arms.
Always so cautious of the unknown, looking for enemies where there are none. It's not the System you should worry about, but the Abyss. Based on your recent memories, you've already faced The Abyss firsthand, so you should understand how dangerous it is.
The Abyss? You've mentioned that before. What is it?
Then it hit him—the nightmare he had. Her following words confirmed his realization.
That wasn't a nightmare. Instead, your soul was pulled into the realm of the Abyss, a place that exists within every sentient being where your deepest, darkest thoughts and desires reside. Great job fending off that Dweller, by the way—a feat that few can accomplish, and even fewer among those still in the Mortal Realm.
June frowned, staring into space.
So that thing was real?
Yup.
And what it showed me. Was it real, too?
Maybe, maybe not. Abyss Dwellers are incomprehensible and unknowable. Who can say for sure? Just be aware that they breed through corruption and will use any means necessary to achieve their goal. If you come across someone acting off or not themselves, you'd best end them before they open a fissure, allowing the Dwellers to spread their corruption through our universe.
A shiver ran down June's spine. Were those visions meant to happen? Or was it just the Dweller's ploy to corrupt him? He didn't know and didn't want to face the idea that it could be real.
He sighed and looked at Natalie. She met his gaze and smiled, the same smile she always used to reassure him that everything would be okay. He scolded himself. He was supposed to be the one comforting her, yet here she was, being the one who held him together.
I can't keep referring to you as Emilia since you aren't her, so…
He paused for a moment, considering names before it clicked. It was sitting right there in the open; he'd be a fool not to use it.
I'll call you Sarah from now on.
Sarah? Seriously? Hmph. That's so unoriginal.
June could clearly see her lift her chin toward the sky, as if she thought she was better than him.
Thanks! Anyway, I still have many questions, but they'll have to wait. For now, I need to take care of my family and friends.
Yes, yes. Go be the father and husband you're meant to be. Oh, and June?
June paused midway through rising.
I like her, Natalie. Don't do anything to lose her, you hear me?
June chuckled, fully rising to his feet.
"What?" Natalie asked with an intrigued smile.
"Nothing," June said before pointing to his head. "Just something Sarah said."
"Sarah?" Natalie queried.
"Yeah, she's not Emilia, so I'm not going to refer to her as such."
Natalie gave him a quizzical look but didn't question his reasons. At some point, Kia had joined them on the couch, sitting beside Sasha. He followed her gaze and saw Christine hunched over Elias's unconscious form a few feet away.
"Everything's going to be okay, honey," June said, patting Kia's head.
She turned to him and offered a faint smile, but her terror-filled eyes betrayed the truth. June could only sigh inwardly.
June turned to Sasha and knelt, giving her a big hug. "I'm sorry, Pumpkin. Daddy didn't mean to scare you back there."
She trembled slightly within his grasp, whether from him or their circumstances, he didn't know. Her tremors only grew worse until she couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears, holding onto him as tightly as she could..
"Everything's going to be okay," June whispered, rubbing her back while Natalie stroked her head.
"How do you know that?"
"Because Daddy's here now," he said before kissing her forehead. "And Daddy needs you to be brave. For your Mommy and big brother Zach. Can you do that, Pumpkin?"
"Be brave?" she asked, her tears slowing and sobs becoming sniffles.
"Yes, like a cowgirl," June said, pulling her toy revolver from her hip. "Be brave like Cassie the Cowgirl. Fearless as she is when taking on the bad guys."
He flipped the toy revolver around and handed it to her. A small smile formed on Sasha's lips as she looked at the toy in her hand. "I can be like Cassie?"
"Yes, Pumpkin," June said.
Sasha's little smile grew into a big grin as she looked at him.
"Now, I need you to stay with Mommy. Daddy has to go check on Uncle Elias, okay?"
She nodded her head vigorously, brandishing her toy revolver. He kissed her on the head before standing up and walking over to Christine and Elias.
"Is he okay?" June asked, standing beside Christine. As a nurse, her medical knowledge would surpass his own.
Christine gasped as she looked up at him, having not heard his approach. "Oh, June! You nearly scared me half to death!"
"Sorry," June said with an apologetic smile before gesturing to Elias. "But?"
"Right," Christine said, steadying her breathing before continuing. "Everything seems to be fine on the surface, with no obvious sign of trauma—"
But before she could finish, Elias suddenly shot upright, startling everyone. A wave of relief swept over June, only to be replaced with pure shock as he lunged forward, blocking Elias's leg. If he had been a second slower, Elias would have hit Christine's face with a powerful roundhouse kick.
"Elias!" June shouted, but he couldn't get another word in as Elias's crazed eyes locked onto him, and a heavy haymaker flew toward him.
June was in a precarious position. Still on one knee, he guarded like a boxer, blocking Elias's punch, nullifying most of the attack. However, the power behind that single hit left a sharp bruise on his arm. Acting on instinct, June lunged forward, elbowing Elias right in the stomach and knocking him off balance before sweeping his leg. Elias fell hard, and his head crashed against the hardwood floor with a loud thud.
June stood up and positioned himself between Elias and the others, forming a solid barrier.
"Elias!" Christine yelled, rushing to him, only to be stopped by June.
"Wait!' June said, eliciting a glare from her. "Let me."
She held her glare a moment longer before giving in. June stepped forward as Elias groaned in pain, slowly forcing himself upright. The wild look in his eyes faded with each blink. He rubbed the back of his head as his eyes locked with June's.
June? What the..." He looked around the room, confused. "What's going on?"
"Are you okay?" June asked, approaching cautiously.
"I think so. Besides the fucking throbbing on my head I'm fine."
That was all Christine needed to hear as she hurried past June and hugged Elias. Only then did June notice the blood on Elias's hand, the same hand he used to rub his head.
"Shit," June whispered, then grabbed the medical bag and an oil lamp.
He set the items beside Elias, catching Christine's attention. When she saw the blood, she quickly moved around Elias as June tore open the flap of the bag. After inspecting his head, she found a cut on the back of his head. She reached for the bag, but June was already handing her gauze and disinfectant wipes. She nodded in gratitude before cleaning the wound with the gauze.
Elias hissed when she wiped his cut with a disinfectant wipe before looking at June. "What happened?"
"You seriously don't remember?" June asked, placing a suture kit in Christine's palm as she reached for it.
"No," Elias said, flinching as Christine stitched his wound.
"Hold still, babe," Christine said, a little exasperated.
"Sorry," Elias said, then looked back at June.
"Right," June said before explaining everything he had learned, from his time in The Abyss to the information he gleaned from Sarah. "So that's the gist of it."
June wanted to speak with Elias some more, but it could wait. Standing, he returned to his family, giving them space to adjust to their current reality.
"Go on, Kia. Your dad's awake."
Kia hopped off the couch and almost tripped, rushing to her parents. June turned back to his family, and it finally clicked that Zach had his MR-35. His hand instinctively reached for his holster, even after seeing the gun in Zach's hand, but found nothing. Seeing this, Zach handed the gun back to him. He checked the weapon and found it in perfect condition. He was definitely glad he had taken steps to protect against EMP-based attacks that could render his weapon useless.
"So, what are we going to do, Dad?" Zach asked after June had holstered his gun.
"We can't go anywhere right now. Not with our cars dead. We'll have to walk, but that will have to wait until tomorrow."
That's not a feasible plan if you want to survive, given your current location.
June frowned, hearing Sarah's words.
What are you talking about?
Sarah sighed lightly before replying.
You're in a Dungeon right now. It's filled with dangerous monsters, and you won't be able to leave until you either defeat the Dungeon Boss or destroy the Dungeon Core.
June's mind struggled to comprehend her words. Dungeon? What, were they in some kind of video game or something?
No, you're not in a video game, but some of your games do draw inspiration from the System, so it's not too different. Just look outside and you'll see what I mean.
June's frown deepened as he approached the drawn curtain and peeked through it. His mind went blank at what he saw. Beyond the cabin, a massive stone archway stood. It must have been ten feet tall and wide, and instead of a door, a bright blue light filled the empty space.
June's jaw clenched at what he saw beyond that. Gone were the coniferous woods and open plains, replaced by a river flowing where the trees once stood. Past it were trees he'd only seen in rainforests. If he had only taken a quick glance, he might have thought someone had uprooted them from the Appalachian Mountains in New York and dropped them right into the middle of the Amazon rainforest.
So a Dungeon?
Sarah's voice resounded, short and straight to the point.
Yes.
And we have to either kill the Dungeon Boss or destroy the Dungeon Core in order to leave through that gate?
Yes, the Dungeon Gate.
June closed the blinds and walked to the dining table.
So, what can I do with the System?
Sarah perked up at his question.
The System of Cultivation allows you to ascend past your natural limitations, enabling you to use magic through Soul Essence or enhancing your body to rival that of a god with your Soul Energy.
June disliked the sound of that. If anyone could reach godhood through the System, Earth was about to be thrown into chaos. In a world where might makes right, he had to rise above them all in order to protect his family.
How?
Killing monsters or each other—doesn't matter. As long as you collect Soul Crystals dropped by everything within the System's purview and absorb the Soul Remnants inside to Cultivate.
June sighed, running his hand through his hair as he stood beside the dining table. On the table were his and Elias's gun cases and the large gear bag. June unzipped the gear bag first and pulled out plate carriers, one for each of them, and the accompanying plates. With practiced ease, he inserted the plates into the carriers before calling Zach over.
"Is everything okay, Dad?" Zach asked when he arrived beside him.
"No," June said. He always had a firm stance on telling the truth, even when it wasn't easy. "But it will be." He then handed Zach the carriers and had him distribute them to the others.
While Zach was busy doing that, June moved to his gun case. He entered the code before placing his thumb on the biometric scanner and unlocking it. Inside were two black rifles that resembled an M4, two ACOG scopes, and ten Ion Capacitors. They were his latest prototypes: the MR-17A Ion Pulse Rifle. Like his MR-35, these rifles fired plasma bolts, except in a highly concentrated form, increasing their penetrative capabilities.
He attached the scopes to the rifles, placed four capacitors into his carrier and four into another, then slung a rifle over his shoulder. He slid the remaining two capacitors into the rifles, and they hummed to life, with blue lights glowing along their rails.
"Here," June said, handing the other MR-17A to Zach as he returned. "It's just like any other rifle you've handled before. Just be very careful."
Zach nodded, accepting the weapon. They returned to the couch, and June motioned for Natalie to stand.
"Up, up," June said to his wife as he picked up her carrier.
She rolled her eyes at him before standing. He helped her into the last carrier, avoiding her injured arm before securing it. After finishing, he unclipped his MR-35, holster and all, and attached it to her belt.
"Is everything okay?" she asked with a pensive look.
"If by okay you mean will everything remain the same after a world-shattering, life-altering event has happened, then the answer would be no," June said.
Natalie didn't find his joke funny at all as she smacked his arm. "This is no time for jokes, June."
June feigned injury as he rubbed his arm. "Sorry." He sighed before going on. "I don't know, but I'll do everything I can to keep you all safe. I promise."
His charming smile eased her anger, and she leaned in for a hug. He held her tightly, being careful of her injured arm, and leaned down to give her a lingering kiss.
"Eww!" Sasha exclaimed as Zach made gagging noises, mimicking vomiting.
Their lips parted before they broke into genuine smiles.
"I love you," June said.
"I love you, too," Natalie responded before they separated.
"Elias," June said.
He interrupted the conversation between Elias and Christine as Elias looked at him. With a tilt of his head, June signaled for Elias to follow him to the dining table. Elias whispered a few words of comfort to his family before standing up and joining June.
"Sorry about what happened," Elias said, scratching the back of his head and wincing slightly as he touched his wound.
"It's all good, Elias," June said, patting his shoulder.
A relieved smile spread across Elias's face before he unlocked his gun case on the table. "So, what's the sit rep?"
The inside of Elias's case contained the same items as June's. Elias packed his gear while June explained where everything was and what they needed to do to leave. Elias almost fell backward from the shock when he learned about their situation, but caught himself and hid his reaction by relying on his military training.
So, it's either kill this Dungeon Boss or destroy the Dungeon Core to leave?
June nodded. Elias scoffed and leaned forward on the table, his head hanging low.
"On a scale of one to ten, how fucked are we?" Elias asked, tugging his rifle sling tight.
"Us specifically, or humanity as a whole?"
"Both, I guess."
"We'll be fine. But overall, I think humanity is screwed," June said.
"Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine?" Elias said, pushing himself up. He grabbed his spare MR-17A and its Compactors before they headed back to the living area.
They explained the situation to their families, and Natalie and Christine had concerns, but there was nothing they could do. They said their brief goodbyes before heading to the front door with their rifles in hand. Each took a position on either side of the door, guns shouldered. Being closest to the door handle, June unlocked it and pulled it open. It swung inward, silent as a ghost.
Elias trained his rifle through the doorway, ready to fire at anything that approached. The storm door latch clicked as June pressed it and pushed it open. Its hinges screeched like a banshee, swinging outward to bang loudly against the wall. The racket echoed through the air, the only sound in the otherwise silent night.
They held their positions for a breath before June signaled with his hand for Elias to move forward. Elias breached the entrance and swerved to the left. His muzzle swept the area, searching for any threats. June followed quickly, closing the door behind him and moving to cover their right flank. Finding nothing, June slowly closed the storm door, its hinges squeaking the entire way. They held their breaths, waiting for something, anything, to come slithering out of the water or charging from the jungle. But nothing did.
June and Elias looked at each other and nodded in unison before moving off the porch, their rifles sweeping the area continuously. They quickly checked the perimeter of the cabin and found that they were on an island connected to the mainland by a five-foot-wide path. After clearing the area, they cautiously made their way to the Dungeon Gate.
Just as June saw from inside the cabin, the Dungeon Gate was a large stone archway. But that was all. No extra walls or frames supported it in any way. How it still stood remained a mystery to him.
They circled the gate and noticed it was identical on both sides—a simple stone archway with a glowing blue portal. Returning to their original spot, June raised a hand and reached out toward the portal.
"What are you doing, man?" Elias asked, grabbing June's arm and yanking it away from the portal.
"We need to verify if we are truly trapped."
"What if we aren't really in a Dungeon?" Elias asked. "What if we were somehow teleported to a random rainforest on Earth and that," he pointed at the Dungeon Gate, "is actually the Dungeon?"
June considered Elias's words before shrugging. "Only one way to find out."
Elias shook his head, reluctant but giving in. June reached out again, but his hand hit something solid and invisible before he could touch the portal. He let go of his rifle, letting it dangle from its sling, and tried to push past the invisible barrier with both hands.
"What are you doing?" Elias asked.
"There's something here," June said as he strained.
Sweat beaded down his forehead as he pushed with all his might. But whatever force stood between him and the portal remained firm. Curious, Elias moved up beside him, placing a palm against the barrier.
"What is this?" Elias asked.
"It's got to be a barrier of some kind," June said, giving up on trying to force his way through. "The System must have placed it here to prevent us from leaving."
"How?" Elias asked, pushing against the barrier but gaining no ground, just like June had.
"Magic, I'd presume."
"Magic?" Elias asked, only to get a nod in response. His shoulders shook as he laughed before he doubled over. After his laughing fit, he straightened up to face June, whose face was devoid of mirth. "You weren't kidding?"
"No," June said, unfazed. "It could also be some form of advanced alien tech, but I don't know."
Silence lingered between them until fury surged across Elias's face, and he punched the barrier. "Son of a bitch."
A hollow thud sounded when his fist struck, but his attack didn't leave a dent. He roared and raised his rifle, but June stopped him by placing a hand on the barrel and pushing it down before he could shoot.
"Are you mad? Do you want to attract everything out there to our position?" June asked, looking beyond the waters at the obscured jungle.
Elias followed his gaze, then clicked his tongue in frustration. He lowered his gun and spat on the ground. "I guess this proves we're in a Dungeon."
"That'd be an apt conclusion," June said, checking the other side of the Gate only to find another barrier.
"Looks like the only way out is by killing the Dungeon Boss," June said, circling back to Elias.
"Or destroying the Dungeon Core," Elias said.
"Yup," June said, shouldering his rifle. "Let's move out."