The small dragon dashed the short distance, closing in on her prey. A loud screech echoed out in alarm as the Antlings noticed her presence. It was a second too late. She was already in range for her attack.

A surge of mana traveled up her throat and into her mouth, instantly unleashed as a cone of crippling frost. The air itself seemed to freeze as the power was unleashed.

All that it passed over was turned to frost as the cold shot towards the enemies. Ellie kept it going for as long as she could, pushing the mana up through her body. Ellie knew this wouldn’t be enough to finish them, but it would be a good way to get started.

The ice clung to the ants as they hissed in pain and backed away. They didn’t immediately charge into the frost—to Ellie’s dismay. Ellie had been watching the dumb bugs and their tendencies for reckless attacks while Leo had fought them. The big ant screeched something Ellie didn’t understand and all of a sudden the smaller ants stopped backing away and charged in.

This was good, Ellie wanted them to be dumb.

One of the ants tried to chomp out with its big teeth but Ellie’s teeth were sharper and more practical. She would show them a true chomp.

Her head ducked under the mandibles like a boxer evading at the last second. A moment later, a spurt of green shot through the air as Ellie’s jaws locked onto the underside of the ants neck and chomped. Her teeth and Bite skill made quick work of the chitin and before the ant knew it, its head was no longer attached.

You have slain: Lesser Antling - Level 14

Experience Gained

Leo has gained 7 Store Credits

She got her experience and got stuff for Leo. Ellie loved the feeling of the energy that she got from her and Leo’s kills. It gave her warm fuzzy feelings that made her stronger. Being stronger was fun.

“Watch out!” Leo called out in alarm.

Ellie was distracted by the feeling and didn’t notice the other antling pouncing from her blindspot. Her reaction speeds were not to be underestimated however, moving to dodge the moment she noticed.

Leo watched with the nervousness of a parent watching their child play a contact sport for the first time. When she finished killing the first ant, Leo had relaxed. Then she stopped after getting the kill and Leo couldn’t help but call out when the antling approached her from behind, mandibles primed.

It was all he had to not react as the antling’s mandible cut into Ellie’s leg deep enough to draw a bit of blood. He was watching her carefully, sparks flowing into his palms. If she faltered here then he’d have to step in. It was her first time taking damage and it could cause panic or fear. Maybe she’d run until–

A flurry of claw attacks ripped the antlings face to pieces as they tore through it like blades through pulled chicken. Then a beam of laserlight, crackling with power tore through the newly carved flesh until the face was bisected.

That was hardcore. She really is a little murder machine. He thought as he watched the slaughter before him.

She hadn’t even blinked at the damage. If anything, it had made her mad and retaliate with lethal force. She continued her breath into its head until it petered out, exhaling from her little snout with an angry huff.

Now it was just Ellie vs the Soldier. The latter rushed towards the wounded dragon with the usual ferocity one would see from the antlings, mandibles bared and ready to snap. Ellie didn’t instantly retaliate and instead waited. Leo could tell she was calm, even through the excitement and the rage. It was impressive for such a young creature.

The Soldier snapped out and Ellie used the same manoeuvre to duck underneath it, the height difference was enough to make the task simple. The antling’s leg was sliced as she dashed underneath it, blood dripping from the wound. Mandibles tried to bite down again but she was just too agile.

Another few chomps and the antling was made prone. She just wasn’t giving it any room to fight back or land a hit. It was bleeding and literally, on its last legs—two of them to be exact. Ellie jumped back and seemingly admired her handiwork, green splatters of blood coating her scales all the way from her head to tail.

Leo felt mana gather inside her again as the familiar feeling of her Elemental Breath gathered until it fired out in a cone of flame, engulfing the Soldier completely and continuing to burn it. It succumbed to its wounds a few seconds later and Leo got another notification.

Ellie has slain: Soldier Antling - Level 17

Experience Gained

+24 Store Credits

The fight was done, and if Leo was honest, it was a complete slaughter.

She had handled herself so well, it was almost like she wasn’t a recently hatched dragon. When he’d decided to let her fight on her own, he’d expected it to be a one on one where he could watch carefully in case of any harm. Never did he expect she’d go 1v3 and annihilate her opponents.

Nor did he ever remember feeling so damn proud.

“You did it!” Leo cheered as he dashed to his companion, scooping her up into his arms and swirling her around. Ellie let out a high, melodic trill that almost sounded like laughter, wings flaring as he spun her. The little tail was wagging like an overjoyed puppy and Leo was loving it.

He carried his little murder machine back to camp, she was apparently tired but didn’t want to sit in Leo’s soul-space. Her tail was curled around his neck while her body was drooped across him. She was still such a baby.

And a dirty baby at that.

The green ichor coating her was now covering Leo, but that was something he was used to. Thinking about it, he’d spent probably more days covered in some sort of blood than not since starting the tutorial. His gear may have a self-repair enchant on it but it didn’t have a self-cleaning one.

Something to ask Lena about, maybe.

As he and his lazy companion strolled at a meandering pace through the broken streets, a loud crack echoed out. A crack he recognised.

He dropped Ellie, who landed on her feet but didn’t look happy about being dropped. Leo didn’t wait to explain himself, instantly using his agility and dashes to get to as high a roof as was nearby.

From his new vantage, he couldn’t see the other tower but he could feel it. Something had changed.

The West Tower has been cleared and the crystal atop it shattered.

The dome shield is beginning to crumble.

Time until full depletion: 14 minutes 59 seconds

Well, that’s ahead of schedule.

Leo wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Was he ready? Was the camp?

It didn’t matter really. They’d have to be.

Leo dropped from the rooftop, landing with grace as a Cloak of Wind rippled around him before being dismissed a moment later.

“Ells. We need to get back to the camp, stat,” Leo said with urgency.

She looked at him with confusion. “Stat means fast. Hop on,” he clarified.

Her smile lit up and she leapt onto his back and held on tight.

Leo dashed full speed through the streets, dodging past buildings and alleyways far faster than anyone pre-system and even more agile. He could feel the odd vibration from Ellie giggling from his back. When he later checked her status, he’d find that she’d added all of her free points into agility.

Ellie loved going fast.

The camp was in disarray when Leo arrived. Cecelia was barking orders, moving crafters to a more defensible location. All the fighters had assembled at the exit towards the barrier. A fairly open street that was long, with a turn at the end. Leo quickly approached and as she spotted him she met him mid way.

“Where do you want me?” he asked quickly.

“At the front. Bjorn is already setting up for what might pour out. There is no sign of Gareth’s group but I assume they are not far. We made an agreement that when the dome collapses we would work together.”

To Leo’s surprise, she did not look stressed. Instead he could almost feel excitement coming from her, and he quickly realised why.

Human - Level 25

Leo smiled. She must have been grinding ants like mad.

He didn’t stay to chat, nodding and moving to the front, rushing past people who were looking like bundles of nerves.

The unknown could be a scary thing. What lay behind that shield could be something that no one—even Leo—could handle. Doubtful, but possible. That wasn’t Leo tooting his own horn, simply that it would be really bad game design.

Hopping to the front, Leo patted Bjorn on the shoulder as he arrived. The man’s eyes were locked on the top of the dome as it began to crumble. The pieces of hard light tumbling into the inside of it before vanishing like flakes of snow in the morning sun.

“Hey, kid,” Bjorn greeted warmly. “Any guesses on what’s gonna be in there?”

“Ants?” Leo suggested with a smirk, getting a chuckle in response.

“Wisdom must be your highest stat,” Bjorn laughed.

“Not sure that’s what the stat does,” Ashley chimed in, scratching the dragon on his back in that sweet spot as she purred. “Hello pretty, oh you like that don’t you?”

“Just take her.” He had barely finished saying the words before his back was suddenly a lot lighter.

Ron dropped from the nearby building, then spoke in a quiet but determined voice. “I’ve scouted ahead and the optimal route is this one. There’s a straight sightline to the shield past this turn. As soon as it drops we will see what it holds.”

People were no longer that surprised by Ron’s ability to speak, but it did always command utter silence from the listeners. Almost as if speaking would ruin the magic.

“Sounds good. Great work Ron,” Bjorn clapped the man on the shoulder. Leo was glad to see he was still in good spirits and acting like himself again as one of the generals. There was definitely still a hint of nervousness to him but the role suited him.

The timer ticked down as Cecelia joined them. Nolan’s group and all the other fighters were also present. She gave a quick speech to assure everyone.

“There is less than a minute, so I will be quick. This shield coming down could mean the end for us.” She let the words hang in the air like a dangerous hook before replacing it with inspiration.

“But more than likely, it will be a way for us to grow even stronger. It is clear that with this system, it rewards those who take dangerous risks or push themselves to greater heights. This is merely a new height that we must reach in order to survive.”

She had all those gathered hooked on her words, one final push was all she needed.

“I’m sure you are all aware of how dwindling the number of survivors is and believe it is only a matter of time before we are another of those lost. This is not the case. Your own strength has gotten you this far and will carry you to the end. We will explore this city, find this Ant Queen, and slay her before she can kill any more of us!” She raised her fist high to cheers and applause.

The moment she finished her speech the timer ticked to zero and the entire bottom half of the shield shattered. Everyone’s eyes locked ahead of them and were extremely curious to what they would see as it dropped.

Unfortunately, all they could see was a large wall of a building that had cropped up in front of them. The thing about shields you couldn’t see through was that there was only so much you could prepare for.

A system announcement appeared before all the initiates at once.

Quest Updated:

The shield crumbles, the city unlocks.
Brave initiates of the 64th era, you have cleared both of the trial towers in the city and removed the dome shield that has guarded the inner city.

This is not the end of your trials however, as the Queen’s castle remains sealed.

Slaying her two generals and collecting the keys they hold will grant you access.

Other challenges and treasures lay within.

Good luck.

Cecelia instantly called for information, “Get on the roofs, we need vision!”

Leo was the quickest and needed no more words, landing upon the closest roof in a blur of motion.

What greeted him was both familiar and utterly alien.

If the districts they’d fought through and explored were a city, then this was something else entirely. A forgotten jewel buried beneath the ruin.

The buildings no longer wore crude stone or shattered brick. Each wall he could see seemed carved rather than built, the material almost metallic in its sheen, veins of silver and glass running through the masonry. It still held scars from both time and ants but even decay couldn’t smother the artistry.

Balconies jutted outward like ribs of old giants, their railings twisted with vines and resin. Bridges arched between towers, some collapsed into rubble, others still holding proud against gravity. Leo couldn’t help but zoom in on all the detail, taking in as much information as he could with his new eyes.

On the outskirts, two massive keeps loomed, one charred and crumbling, the other standing almost untouched, the air glistening around it. Between them rose a castle that defied the years, and defied what would usually stand for a castle.

Instead of walls that held records of time and battle they were coated in what looked to be some sort of dirt, almost like the entire castle had been encased within a hive. It gave Leo an ominous feeling as he looked upon it.

That was definitely where the Queen resided. But…a question did tickle the back of his mind.

Why weren’t they below ground?