While I can’t see her full face through the battle suit helmet, I can see her smile. Lillian taps the air with her over-sized mech fingers, and she’s suddenly dressed in her blue jeans and t-shirt again. “You may be able to one day. But not at your current level.”
“My what?”
“Your level.” I see her stare at me for a moment and her eyes lose focus as she reads a notification only she can see, “Anthony Tinoco. Level 1. No Class. No job. Currently a student at the Polytechnic University of Pembrook Town. He lives with his mother and sister. Works at the Quickie Stop Mart.”
“Wait, how did you learn all that?”
Another smirk appears on Lillian’s face as she sits back down at the desk and I notice she has a dimple in her cheek. “I told you before. I used the Inspect skill. The same one you used to find out my name.”
“But when I used it on you, it just told me your name and something about a level. What are those anyway?”
“Well, first off, how much information you get from the Inspect skill is determined in part by the level of the skill itself, your level, and the level of the person or object you’re inspecting. I can see more information about you than you can about me. That’s because I have a higher level than you and a higher Inspect skill.”
“Then why do I get so much information about other people?”
“That’s because they’re not a part of the System like we are. The system effectively thinks of other people as having a level of zero. So, you’ll get more information when you use Inspect.”
“Ok, what’s this level business? Is it like a video game or is it something else?”
Lillian nods at my statement. “That’s right. It’s just like a video game level. You get experience points for doing certain things. When you have enough, you gain a level. That gives you more skill points and stat points that you can use to make yourself more powerful. Higher the level, the more powerful you are basically.” Before I can ask my next question, she interrupts me, “Most of this stuff is in that manual I gave you. It’ll tell you all about skills, abilities, your inventory, all that stuff. What I want to talk to you about right now is the purpose.”
“Purpose?”
“Yes. The reason why the System exists. You mentioned a dream you had about fighting a slime.”
I nod in confirmation.
“Well, that wasn’t a dream. That actually happened. That’s how all this started for you. I went to your college campus to clear a dungeon, and you followed me in somehow. When you killed that slime, you got experience points, and it boosted you from level zero to level 1, making you part of the System.”
“But what was that place? That dream, err, the dungeon wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen before.”
Lillian taps her chin, considering me. “Hmmm, That’s a complicated question.” She points at the green door behind me. “That green door is a portal that connects my home base with your convenience store. It will exist for as long as I want. Anyone with access to the System can see that door, but only people I allow can come through it. The place you went was a dungeon, which have a red door that will allow anyone who can perceive the System through. It’s a rare ability. Only 1 in a 100,000 people can even see the dungeon door. If they happen to enter one and live through the experience, they become a ‘System User’ like yourself.
“But what is a dungeon? You haven’t answered that.”
“The dungeons themselves come in two types. The one you went through is called a random dungeon. They appear, well, randomly. In different places, but usually near large populations of people. No one really knows what they are, but most people believe they are reflections of the collective unconsciousness of humanity. They’ll often contain representations of traditional archetypes found in popular culture, myths, stories, and legends.”
“So, that’s why I fought a slime? Because humanity’s collective unconscious made a slime?”
“Sort of. The slime was only one creature in a type of pocket world full of monsters. I was inside at the same time you were, killing monsters and destroying the big boss. Once he died and I completed the dungeon, it disappeared. I found you lying unconscious in the basement hallway, where the dungeon kicked you out when it was completed. I took you to the college nurse to recuperate and then found you later so we could have this nice chat.”
“But why would you go there in the first place?”
“That’s the thing. The whole point of the System. Yes, it gives the users some amazing gear and powers, like that plasma rifle, but the whole point is to clear dungeons like that one. If someone like me hadn’t cleared that dungeon, then it would have grown more powerful. It would have started to affect the normal world around it. Unchecked random dungeons like that one can lead to social unrest, riots, increases in crime, and even wars. The dungeons also get harder to clear the longer they exist. Making them more dangerous.”
“What do you mean dangerous? That slime didn’t seem that dangerous to me.”
“The slimes in that dungeon were among the weakest monsters. But if that slime had managed to kill you, you would have died. One of the things that makes users able to clear dungeons is that we have levels. If I were a level 7 and died in that dungeon, I’d respawn at my home base or in a longer dungeon at a safe zone. I’d have lost some experience and maybe a level, but I’d still be alive.”
“If it’s so dangerous, then why do it at all?”
“Well, for one, not everyone does clear dungeons. Some people take their ability to access the System and are creators of weapons and objects. That battle suit you saw? It was made by a crafter I know.” Her face takes on a frown, and she continues, “Other people are selfish pricks and just use the System to make themselves and their families rich and powerful.” Then motioning to the room around her she says, “But here with me it’s different. My family founded this company with the express purpose of clearing dungeons. There are other companies like ours, but I like to think that we must help people. Which is why I sought you out to educate you about the System instead of letting you figure it out for yourself and possibly getting yourself hurt or killed the next time you walked into a dungeon.”
“Wait, did you say something about getting rich?”
“Ugh. That’s what you heard? Not the part about helping people?”
“No, I heard that part too. Clear dungeons, help people, prevent social unrest. But go back to the part about getting rich.”
“Fine. It was going to come up eventually. As you clear a dungeon, you get rewards. Items, weapons, artifacts, a type of money called credits. You can use these items or sell them for more credits. You can use your credits to purchase other items from traders or crafters. You can also trade these credits for real life money. Some people make a decent living doing this.”
“No, you said rich, not living decent.” Looking around the room at the solid wood desk, the lush carpet, the expensive art on the walls, and the great view, I add, “You, for example, don’t seem to be doing just decent.”
“Well, my family's been clearing these dungeons for a long time, and we’ve built up a bit of wealth. The more difficult the dungeon, the better the rewards. That battle armor wasn’t a loot drop.” She eyes me up and down, “Look, you don’t have to clear dungeons to make some credits. You could become a crafter and make some stuff people need.” Seeing the look on my face she continues, “But if you’re interested in clearing dungeons, I can offer you some training if you sign up with my company. We’ll teach you the basics, help you level up, and even get you some gear. All we ask is that you turn over 30% of all the items and credit you get from clearing the dungeons.”