System Fall

During my last life when I’d been in the dungeon, I rolled my ankle the moment I landed, causing me to unleash a string of creative curses that Aria, who had been with me, had never forgotten. Thankfully, she had healed my ankle, and I was able to keep going

However, this time I managed to land perfectly, avoiding any injury, and laid flat against the cold roof of the train to prevent being blown backwards by the wind. Behind me, I tuned my senses to make out the yelps and cries of my teammates who had followed me as they landed on the roof of the train.

“'I hope none of them are dead, or if someone is, I hope it’s Alvin. He won’t let me hear the end of it.” I chuckled, feeling uncharitable.

The train vanished into the tunnel, and wind roared in my ears as utter darkness surrounded me, a darkness broken only by the occasional pale light along the moist stone walls. The air became even cooler, and a musky scent, like ozone after rain, wafted through my senses.

The train began to stall, braking with some shudders as it slowed down. Another platform came into view, looking like a mixture between a destroyed station and a cave. I leapt off the train before it fully stopped, sparing myself the last few jerks as it braked to a halt.

I landed on uneven ground and caught my balance with a series of tiny steps, a trick I had once learned while hiking. Little steps helped break the momentum of the body and helped one to not fall over, while committing to holding one’s center of gravity could cause them to fall.

Judging by the sound of bodies hitting the ground and a string of bitter curses, not everyone knew that lesson.

The platform we had landed on was not lit up by electric lights, but instead by torches with blue flames, illuminating everything brightly. We came upon a wall store, a convenience mart built into one of the walls, was dark on the inside, with cracked windows and walls with a few weeds growing in between the concrete. that was anything but inviting. Unlike the protective haven we had previously encountered, this one held no shimmering shield or comforting safety. The windows were splintered, their shards glinting ominously in the dim light.

I was instantly alert, drawing my sword out of its sheath. The other three gravitated towards me after assessing their injuries or lack thereof and drew their weapons as well.

“Mind telling us what all that was about?” Alvin ground his teeth, wanting me to spill the beans already. “I’m getting sick of you pulling us around like this.”

A hint of irritation crept into my voice as I addressed the group. "Oh," I remarked, meeting Alvin's gaze momentarily before sweeping my gaze back over the eerily quiet area. "So, I'm dragging you all around, am I?”

As the words hung in the air, I took a moment to explain my actions, my gaze hardening. "That wall store we just passed? It was obliterated by something - something I have no desire to encounter. The centipedes we faced were already more than enough. I'm not sticking around to discover what could cause such devastation. If you decide to follow me, know that I prioritize survival above all else."

I kept going. “Did the sensation of being carried not sit well with you?"

"Well, it does feel like you're just tugging us along," May chimed in, her tone cautious.

"Did I demand any of you to tail me?" I questioned, my words resonating in the chilling silence that followed. I rotated towards Willow, the only one yet to voice her thoughts. "What about you?"

“I’ve my own thoughts,” Willow murmured. The other two, who were clearly expecting her to back them up, looked at her in slight surprise.

“What? He kept saying that it’s our choice to follow him. What am I supposed to do, lie and say that he didn’t warn us off? Some of the stuff he did seemed like he was taking the lead, but that was for a dangerous situation. I would hardly think it's fair to consider that an invitation from Nick to explore the dungeon with him."

I blinked in surprise. Willow's honesty was impressive, standing up to peer pressure and being as unbiased as possible. I had opened my mouth to say something, but a breeze tinkled through the area, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. The melody was unmistakable.

“What was that sound?” May wondered. “It’s beautiful.”

“Quiet,” I hissed to the rest, my knuckles going white as I gripped my sword. A [Rail Roach] was on the prowl, and I couldn't locate it.

The Rail Roach was a metallic cockroach, its large carapace mirrored the texture of a rusty rail, coarse and sharp. Its body wasn't venomous, but the abrasive carapace could skin a victim alive as it skittered and moved around. When the Rail Roach moved, pieces of the metallic carapace grated against each other, emitting an uncanny mechanical whirring, almost musical with a rhythm to lure in its unsuspecting prey.

Grimacing, I recalled a prior encounter with a Rail Roach, phantom pains flaring along my neck and forearms where the metallic body had cut into me in a forgotten dungeon.

“Why should I be quiet?” Alvin challenged, ignoring my warning. “I’m not going to listen to you–”

The tinkling notes began to play again, coming from the ground. I leaned back and guarded with my sword as the [Rail Roach] shot out of a fissure in the crackled floor, the steel of my blade ringing out against the insect’s metallic body.

I stepped to the side, and the noise stopped. I rotated with some quick footwork, simultaneously bringing my sword under down on a weak point in the carapace. I slashed down in a flash, severing a significant portion of its body.

[Hissss!]

The Rail Roach resembled an armored cockroach, large and coarse, with a domed head that appeared strangely mechanical. Twin slits of yellow served as vigilant eyes, and its jaws revealed a menacing row of jagged, metallic teeth, akin to rusted scrap metal.

“What the hell is that thing? It’s disgusting!” Willow whispered.

'You’re about to find out,' I wanted to say, but a battle was no place for clever words. “Better to stay back.”

Alvin bristled at my commanding tone. “Oh screw you–”

He rushed forward in a blur, and the Rail Roach stiffened up and met his charge head on. If I hadn’t stepped in, he would have been killed on the spot.

Mid-sprint, I kicked a loose pebble towards the colossal insect. It struck the beast's armored carapace with a dissonant clink, agitating it. The Rail Roach reacted with an alarming speed that was unmistakably powered by magic, the roach launched itself towards us, aiming for me particularly.

[You have resisted a magical effect].

The Rail Roach, I knew, had a hidden, potent ability that was unique to its kind: the power to induce paralysis. Its forelimbs were equipped with specialized venomous barbs that could deliver a numbing toxin into its prey. This paralysis would spread quickly, leaving the victim a helpless target. Having encountered the monster before, I’d learned to evade it.

As the Rail Roach lurched towards me, I matched its zigzagging motion, swinging my sword in sync with its erratic patterns. The creature seemed to dance to a bizarre rhythm, jerking and twitching in unpredictable arcs while lunging with its venomous barbs towards my neck.

"Nice try," I muttered with a wry grin.

Anticipating its next move, I sprang forward, delivering a powerful upward kick to its exposed underbelly with my left foot. It responded with a surprised, high-pitched screech, its many legs scrambling in confusion. Despite its frantic movements, the creature was bound to the ground, without the ability to lift off.

As it floundered, I seized my chance, my sword slashing in a swift reverse arc. With a satisfying crunch, the blade cleaved through the monstrosity's armored neck. It was the second time that I’d managed to land a good attack on it. This time did the trick.

[You have killed a Rail Roach].

The Rail Roach's death throes were unsettling to watch, its armored carapace writhing on the ground and its venomous barbs twitching as if alive. Sensing the demise of one of their own, the platform filled with a chorus of ominous sounds. Rail Roaches, being incredibly responsive to the scent of their own kind's blood, rallied at the fatal signal.

"Let's get one thing straight, Alvin. I advised you to stay back. Didn't say it was a mandate," I threw a bitingly sarcastic comment his way. I was already growing tired of him.

But there was no time for idle chatter. The scent of their fallen comrade incited the remaining Rail Roachs into a frenzy, driving them towards us with a vicious determination that was more akin to a swarm of vengeful hornets than cautious predators.

The platform began to hum with an unsettling chorus of chitin scraping against stone as more Rail Roachs swarmed upwards.

"They're burrowing from below," May announced, her gaze locked onto the maze of cracks in the platform floor.

“They are coming up fast,” I told them, “But not centipede fast, we can handle this.”

I frowned but remained silent. I wasn’t sure how my party was going to handle the incoming monster wave.

The harsh sounds of chitinous shells colliding echoed ominously around us as the swarm of Rail Roaches advanced. It was an unnerving, terrible sound and I wasn’t convinced the others wouldn’t turn and run.

"Hold your ground, take down the ones closest!" I ordered, cutting an incoming roach with a swift sweep of my sword.

To my right, Alvin attempted to hold his own. He brandished his cutlass clumsily, attempting to put on a show of bravado. "Just another day at the office, eh?" he jeered, his words bordering on insubordination.

Willow, positioned on my left, was a beacon of silent support, fear shimmering in her eyes but a desire to live etched on her face. Her sword was a blur of desperation and effect, her every move accompanied by an almost audible intake of breath. “There are so many...” she gasped, her voice barely heard over the screeching chaos.

Meanwhile, May fought desperately from behind us, her twin Dao swords more of a hindrance than a help. "We can do this," she shouted, her voice quivering slightly as she struggled to keep the roaches at bay.

Alvin, lost in his own world of glory, left his flank open. A roach rushed in, slicing a shallow cut on his leg. "Alvin, on your right!" I warned, rushing in to intercept the roach before it could do further damage. His only response was a gruff grunt as the Poison Resistance he’d taken as a [Skill]went to work.

Meanwhile, Willow's began to falter as a Rail Roach darted toward her. Her weapon lodged in the carapace of another roach; she was left defenseless. Seeing the imminent danger, I moved without thinking, darting through the swarm to strike the roach threatening her. Our eyes met, and she nodded, silently mouthing a "thank you."

"Damn it...they don't let up, Wish that [Siphon] worked here." Alvin grunted, his energy wavering as he knocked another roach aside.

"We're not done yet," May shot back, struggling to maintain control over her dual weapons.

"Regroup now!" I ordered. We needed to consolidate, and mostly I needed to carry them through the next few minutes and needed the minimum that they could cover me.

"Back to back! We make our stand here!" I ordered, and as one, we pulled back, gathering in a tight circle. Each of us was battered, sweat-soaked and breathless.

"Last push, everyone," I called, holding my sword at the ready. "On my signal!"

With a fierce cry, I launched myself into the relentless tide of the Rail Roaches and tried to create a gap for the others to move through. Willow, Alvin, and May followed closely and tried to keep up the pressure and keep the Rail Roaches at bay, but the roaches were relentless, pressing closer with each passing second.

"Alvin, now!" I commanded, cutting down a roach lunging at May's exposed side. Alvin responded, his cutlass arcing out in a flash. But he was slow, his blade barely grazing the Rail Roach.

"Damn it, Alvin!" I growled, slamming my sword through another roach, its carapace crunching under the force. I spun around, slashing another as it leapt towards Willow, who was struggling to maintain her defensive stance.

May was holding her own, her Dao swords slicing through the air, but she lacked the precision, her swings too wild, too uncontrolled. I found myself constantly watching her flank, taking down roaches attempting to take advantage of her reckless attacks.

Everywhere I looked, more roaches were coming. Alvin was too arrogant, too confident in his own abilities to see the danger. Willow was too timid, her sword wavering, and May was too eager, her strikes lacking control.

Drawing a deep breath, I let out a feral roar, "Enough!"

I held the Lone Survivor class for a reason and between Tenacious Vitality and Indomitable Wil I was able to keep up the fight.

I tore into the horde, my sword a blur of stabs and slashes. I moved with speed, precision, each of my attacks taking out a Rail Roach. Pieces of chitin fell to the ground, cut off from bodies as Rail Roaches fell to my onslaught.

I felt it. The sum of my abilities so far and the expertise I’d wielded in another life.

At some point, the others started to match more of my pacing, and we wore down the numbers of the horde, one at a time.

Eventually, it was over.

"That...that was not easy," Alvin admitted grudgingly, as he tried to catch his breath.

Willow had a cut on her arm, Alvin had a bruise forming on his cheek, and May was bleeding from a shallow gash on her leg, but they were alive, and for the most part, unharmed.

"That was .intense," Willow breathed out, sinking to the floor.

Alvin grumbled something under his breath, sheathing his blade with a huff.

May looked at me, her face pale but her eyes filled with a fire. "Next time, I will do better," she promised, clutching her swords tighter.

Alvin leaned against a wall. “I guess that was all of them then?"

I sighed and prepared myself mentally to do most of the work for the rest of the dungeon.