The air in the Country of Oakhaven was an insult to my sulfur-accustomed lungs. It was too light, too clean, heavy with a scent of resin and filtered oxygen that made my head spin. I climbed over the viaduct's edge, crouching in the shadow of a drone hangar.
Oakhaven wasn't the mud of Sector Z. Here the streets were white polymer and people walked with straight backs, protected by E and D Classes that guaranteed them a dignified life. But I wasn't here for the view. My brain had already identified the target: the "Emerald Labyrinth", a Grade E dungeon managed as an intensive hydroponic farm. There, the super-nutrients needed to complete my physical transformation were cultivated. Without that high-quality bio-mass, my three-year plan would fail from simple structural exhaustion.
The Bureaucratic Obstacle
I approached the dungeon checkpoint. A blue hologram floated before the armored entrance.
[ACCESS REQUIREMENTS - EMERALD MAZE] > Minimum Rank: E-Rank.
Formation: Party of 5 members (Security protocol 04).
Status: Mandatory to possess a valid Rider Card.
I tried to approach the automated registration terminal. I pressed my hand on the sensor.
[IDENTIFICATION... ZERO] > [STATUS: NIL] > [ERROR: ACCESS DENIED] > Note: NIL units are not authorized for a Rider career.
Return to your disposal sector.
I felt no anger. Anger is a thermally inefficient emotion. I limited myself to observing the terminal, calculating the pressure points. I knew that in Oakhaven, beneath the facade of perfection, a black market existed, managed by those who had failed to climb further.
The Shadow Market
I delved into the alleys of the logistics district, where unloading warehouses created shadow zones not covered by the System's cameras. I found a low-level fence, a man with a corrupted "Merchant" Class and a cybernetic eye that clicked continuously.
«I want a Grade E Rider Card. Registered to a 'Shadow-Rank'.»
The fence chuckled, a sound like gravel in a mixer. «It's expensive, kid. Three thousand credits or something of equivalent value.»
I pulled out the copper bracelet and the last fragments of the Beast core I'd kept for emergencies. My brain had evaluated that the risk of being without resources was lower than the risk of not entering the dungeon.
«Take these. And don't waste my time. My patience is a limited resource.»
Ten minutes later, I was clutching a piece of black plastic and integrated circuits.
[ITEM: RIDER CARD - CLONE #402] > Status: Active (Temporary E-Rank Grade).
Neural Signature: Masked.
The Group of Desperates
I returned to the Emerald Labyrinth entrance. Near the mission board, a group of four people was arguing heatedly. They looked exhausted, armor marked by scratches and mana bars pulsing a tired yellow.
A Tank with a dented shield, a Healer nervously clutching a white wooden staff, and two DPS armed with short blades.
«We need a fifth or we'll lose the collection shift», cursed the Tank. «If we don't bring out those nutrients tonight, the guild will demote us to NIL within a week.»
I approached with the calm of one who has nothing to lose. I pulled out the Rider card and spun it between my fingers.
«You're missing an element», I said. My voice was flat, a sound that offered no comfort, but only a solution.
The Tank sized me up. His brain tried to read me, but the Bio-Inductive Stabilizer was already projecting the card's fake data. «E-Rank? You look thin for a fighter.»
«I'm an agile one. I specialize in identifying critical points and... eliminating friction», I replied. «Do you want to go in or do you want to stay here watching the clock run out?»
The Healer, a girl with dark circles under her eyes, nodded frantically. «Let's take him. We have no choice.»
Entry into the Green Abyss
We approached the portal. We inserted the cards. The light turned from blue to green as the sound of hydraulic gears opened the way to the Labyrinth.
[PARTY FORMED] > [MEMBERS: 5/5] > [MISSION: GRADE E BIOMASS COLLECTION] > [WARNING: ACTIVE DUNGEON - THE SYSTEM DOES NOT GUARANTEE SURVIVAL]
As we crossed the threshold, I looked at my four companions. To them, I was their salvation. To my brain, they were just heat shields, expendable variables that would draw the monsters' attention while I prepared for the real work.
The door closed behind us with a definitive thud.
The Emerald Labyrinth welcomed us with its humid heat and the rustle of leaves that felt like blades. They didn't know the most dangerous monster in the dungeon wasn't the one with roots, but the one walking right behind them.
Day 85. Position: Grade E Dungeon. Asset: 4 human tools. Calculation in progress.