"Come on, come on, catch me if you can, slowpoke!" I exclaimed hastily with quickened breath, before jumping to the side and evading Lemon Tart with a long jump. Here in the canterlot gardens, only but a cat's jump away from where a cottage for Gentle and I has been built on the palace grounds, where we were enjoying the day. She didn't wear her armor, it was my wish, thus allowing her to have a chance at the game. On a side note, it also allowed me the possibility to see her actual colors. A long, fuzzy, dirty white coat enveloped her slightly chubby form, while a yellow, curly mane rested on her head, a short one at that, in addition, she possessed a cutie mark that looked like a sweet, a lemon drop, much fitting to her name.

"You'll be eating those words in just a moment, you hear!" Lemon Tart shouted while comedically waving her hoof in my direction, before taking on the chase with a bombastic start. "I've survived boot camp, catching you is just a matter of time."

I gasped loudly, before jumping straight into a sprint while being chased like a great deal on Black Friday.

I was twelve years old, a dozen years have passed since I've become an inhabitant of this world, and now with all the experiences I've gained, the fun I've had, and challenges, worldly and otherworldly, I cannot deny that I couldn't quite imagine a future where I would've been much happier in the grand scheme. The playdates with my friends, playing sports with Gerb, reading books and comics with Cairn, or drawing with Sugar Drop, all complimented my life here and I was happy, it was no longer hard to swallow for me to proclaim that my old life was shit, but saying that my existence was pleasant, that was a sentence it took well over a decade to truly admit.

With every day I've learned more from Hauhuthos: the world's politics, the balance, the magic, and its inhabitants, they all contributed to my worldview. The relationship with the various races in this world gave me a kind of vision I lacked years prior. And the relationship with my family, not adoptive, at least it wasn't so in my heart, was something I ~~desired~~ yearned wished for a long time.

I was happy despite the long road that was set before me, as host and prince, but now with the tools and mindset available, I could claim I'm ready to take on the journey.

Suddenly I felt a strong tug from my backside, and I was pulled back. I dug my hooves into the soft, grassy turf like iron spikes, and tried to push myself forward whilst a look of absolute shock was plastered on my face. I jumped forward, separating myself from the tether, but just a second later, I felt a heavy object collide with me and sent the both of us rolling, and despite this, I giggled loudly.

I was caught.

Lemon Tart huffed heavily with me laying right next to her, although I was less exhausted, still, my heart pounded just as strong. "Y-you, if you weren't my prince, huff, you'd make a darn good recruit."

A smile sprung up, and I jumped from my position, hopping around the tired mare gleefully. "Come on, the day's still young, another game, another game."

Things weren't the way they used to be, with me appearing frail and lacking any impressive physical abilities, those deceptive days were long gone. I had since gained a healthy layer of fat and muscle and soft fur to boot. My strength, physically and magically, rivaled those of adult unicorns through various, daily training routines, exercise, extensive training to push me to the next level. Heh, a pun.

"Goodness young prince, she may still be as jumpy as any youthful mare, but she’s still got her limits." Puff Pastry commented from the side while laying on a comfortable garden chair, and she too lacked armor, but her reason was not due to my wish, she quit guard duties a year ago. My wish to still see her, however, was the cause for her presence. A cream, wooly coat graced her elderly body, and a meshy crown of graying, light-brown hair sat atop her head. "Your son, on the other hoof, seems to be getting wilder by the day."

"Huh, well, yes." Gentle Touch lay in a hammock while writing a letter, one she put a lot of care into. My original suspicion that she was seeing someone was kind of proven right, at least she does spend time with a stallion, or at least, the Game claims that the hair contains DNA sequences of a male pony. I wasn't even stalking her, let the mare do what she wishes to do, she deserves it, the Game just loves to inform me about everything. Things like air humidity, flux levels, air molecule to dust particle ratio in the air, all sorts of stuff. "A colt’s got to test his limits, especially if mines' get pushed always higher."

My ears sank into my long, fluffy, some might even call it mare-ish mane while a sheepish smile sprang on my blushing visage. Some of the things I heard Gentle say were embarrassing, at least so in public, though they did remind me of my first, young years, the emotions almost reminiscent of my buried feeling of yonder.

A nearby creature has lost a marginal amount of health. The Game spoke, and my ears flared up, and indeed I heard grunting. I was surprised by the sudden announcement, not in the sense like an alarm clock or a used-to scream, more so an unígnorable notification.

"Who's groaning so much?" I asked loudly, before turning to the huffing Lemon Tart, who, a few seconds later and seeing a confused look on my face, quickly straightened up and puffed her chest in an attempt to mask the moment of fatigue.

"Oh ehm, that's, because today is a school visit planned, they're overviewing a sparring season of the future recruits." Lemon Tart said and walked towards a railing, from which one of the training grounds for the guard could overview. I followed with peaked interest and with a little shove of my personal guard, I saw quite the show.

Huh, pony foals from above kind of looked like sausage dogs, very colorful hounds.

"I am pretty sure foal-no, scratch that, fighting rings, in general, are outlawed by the third clause of the entertainment sector regulation act. No pain, suffering or damage, temporary and permanent, may be caused for monetary exchange." I spoke without any thought while overlooking the scene. Huh, never quite thought about this, but I can recall memories completely on my own without the Game. Or he was just getting better at guessing.

"Ugh, don't just jump in front of him, those wooden swords have quite the punch." Lemon spoke with a whine.

A pretty robust colt, white fur and two shaded hair, teal and blue, again and again, he jumped into the ring to be knocked out of it. He huffed and puffed heavily, but most certainly not as much someone his age should, given the constant beating he was receiving. The boy's eyes wavered for a moment, taking this moment to rest not just his muscles before he double took his latest sight, and our eyes locked.

"Is he saluting me?" I waved back with my typical smile, 'cause, well, looking away with concern and talking to a third party while someone had apparently enough respect to salute you would be severely damaging to one's pride. Beating is not calculated into the equation.

"Most likely a colt in the pre-recruitment selection stage." Lemon Tart said, eyes still looking onto the field below. There was a weirdly suspicious trio of griffon tourists who were taking an awful lot of pictures. Not a few moments later, a pair of guards intercepted them and by the looks of it, they got into a little argument.

The source is located too far away with an excessive amount of noises disturbing my ability to single out the voice lines.

'Not important now' I replied in my head, lowering my head and nodding towards the colt as my second last action, for only one more thing was necessary for me to do, before returning to play. To see the potential this one had, for if the power radiating from this sprout was an indication for his future, it would be a fruitful one.

Entity Shining Shield: He possesses the perks [Greater Unicorn Heritage], [Greater Mage Ancestry], and [Shield Warden]. Stats seem to be more advanced than his peers by an intensive margin. The Game read out his stats to me with a musing tone, copying my own mood.

Nowhere near as jawbreaking as Twi's numbers, but he surely is someone gifted. Keep an eye on this one, I'd like to formally introduce myself to him soon.

With my final thought, well, thought out, I turned back to the scene of Gentle Touch giggling to herself while giving an envelope to a servant. I couldn't help but smile inwardly at the sight: I still didn't know much of her previous life, and I wouldn't pry, but I most certainly could be happy for her.

And then my smile immediately fucking died when I saw Raven walk towards me with a clipboard. With a deep sigh, and a smile plastered atop my smile, I walked forward to greet the tasks of Tuesday ahead: In other words, more formal dancing lessons. Urgh, I couldn't wait for them to be reduced in two years for sword fighting practice.

The Gamer's Dream

I gnashed my teeth while submerged in shallow water. My body was cut and burned by knives and magic while struggling under the weight of a large boulder. I could barely make out the artificial sun rays that shone around the rock's silhouette before my vision was disrupted by a family of bubbles as air escaped my lungs in bursts.

At times, I worry for your health, Star. The Game said, filling my head with his almost white-noise-like voice. He sighed with much displeasure. For your intensive use of strength and resilience under severe circumstances you earn one point in Strength and Endurance.

I jerked, and the last of my air left me, and my strength planned to do the same. I wrapped my magic around the weight, and readied both my forehooves, to catapult the stone away from me with the combined use of [Levitation] and [Powerstrike]. The rock shot out of the water, and I followed suit but a second later to greedily bite and swallow every crumble of air I could get my mouth and snout on.

"It was-fuck!- worth it!" I explained while violently coughing, my lungs and brain received great damage, but it all would be, just as I said, be required for desired results. I grunted still seconds later, willing the water and blood from my face, only to see that my projectile had demolished an incomplete statue of a doe drinking from a tranquil puddle. Not much of a loss, it was a failed endeavor either way, or at least, I told myself that.

I was referring to your mental stability. The Game pouted angrily. While using self-harm as a way to level up resistance is agreeable with me, using, frankly, torturous methods of precise body trauma and asphyxiation to boost your stats is not a sustainable practice.

"Okay, I get it, hurting myself is bad, but the norm doesn't count right now." I rubbed the bridge of my snout with the tip of my hoof, before walking toward a sunny patch of grass. "I'm hurting myself, but I'm not hurting, however, I need every advantage I can scour before the next dungeon."

If you say so...

"And please do refrain from using guilt tripping." I said with a nod, turning around to greet the projected form of the Game. "Sides, I'm just doing everything to survive, I ain't getting any sick pleasure kicks from stabbing myself between the ribs... Alright, that does sound morbid when spoken out loud."

I exhaled and frowned deeply to myself. I sacrificed this chance six years ago, and here I was now hesitating, but I wouldn't delay it any further, I couldn't, for it was time. The moment to present all I learned and not be brought once again, to within an inch of my life.

It's time. The Game spoke without solemnity, excitement, joy, or caution, leaving me with just my emotions.

I sat there at the side of the small river, really it was more akin to a snake-like pond, with my hindlegs submerged in the water, while basking my face in the sunlight. I enjoyed the sensation of flesh mending, it wasn't like a primal urge, an artistic desire, or a guilty pleasure, it was just so natural, even if the act of receiving damage first was, albeit painlessly in most cases, unnerving. Growing flesh and bones, mending tissue, so much so that even time-limited cells regenerate so fast that, for a few seconds, I felt mortality and immortality slip by one another. I can't describe it in words, no sentence exists within any language I knew, and I understood several, but this... this was just an excuse, I had already healed thirty seconds ago, this only served to prolong the moment of peace, because what awaited me was nothing short of genocide, pest control in the lightest of terms, and it was all just a means to an end. I felt nothing for the beasts, but I was afraid to inch closer to them, I was eating them, they were becoming part of me even if ground to dust first. Perhaps, it was just the fear that leveling up too much could change me even further.

Hell, I couldn't recognize myself anymore, but I couldn't quite tell if that was for the better or worst.

"Let's go." Were my last words, before the world morphed into something... divine.

Lucus Caelestis

Within a clouded ocean in the sky, where no stars nor mountains could be seen, a floating city of bleached gold, whitened crystals, spires of stark bone, and gates of light sprawled across layers and levels, spanned as far the eye could see, I emerged. But all I saw was a long, wide road at which's side stood pillars, long as houses and tall as skyscrapers, guiding my path towards a gate atop which's poles stood a great blue gem, each chained to the stone. However, it wasn't just a normal road, for, in the middle of the path, two pillars collapsed and blocked my view, while further outwards, behind the pillars, loomed an endless fall. This city wasn't floating above a world, it was in a void, or so my eyes perceived.

The air tasted like water, while the wind blew through my fur below my armor quite fiercely, not enough to cause damage, but a mortal man certainly would, after the extended duration, suffer damage. I took a deep breath in, hopped onto my hind legs, and slowly walked forward with my halbert in hooves. [Spirit Senses] was a miraculous ability, albeit too powerful for its own good. It was perfect to sharpen the senses to dangers, however, I couldn't activate it near too many sources of interest, as even in a sparsely filled market was enough to overwhelm me.

I took in a deep breath, the air was thin, horribly thin but rich to unexplainable degrees. It was like I was drinking a thin layer of air atop yogurt, but to sustain myself I had to forcibly 'bite' the air. There was an artistic desire within me to view my surroundings more thoroughly, however, this place was less so of a museum, and more akin to a colosseum.

My heart pounded under my chest plate, most of my armor wasn't worth anything anymore except for my helmet, and the shield could only help me so much, but I have learned that five health points can make the difference, so I wasn't to question it. I perked my ears, picking up the slightest irregularities between the howling wind, and the air sizzling past my ear flaps. My eyes slowly turned towards my halberd, the shining metal reflected my face and what lay above me.

I wasn't scared, but most certainly nervous. I wouldn't let my guard down, however I needed to steady my nerves with more calming thoughts, the vision of progress, and images of satisfaction. Stress and anxiety wouldn't kill me, but anticipation seemingly could.

I had been making preparations to make my own forge, of course not entirely through my own means. Sooner or later I found more material, even a few nuggets of metal of obscure nature, an anvil was bought and diagrams of equipment and patterns were copied, hundreds of them during my short visit to the forge. I claimed to organize the folders, which I did, but ultimately I gained recipes to make ingots. I had the blueprints, the material, and a lot of equipment, but lacked the forge, I could make ingots since I had a professional heater, but using it in the current state would destroy it without a seared tank infused with aether or a seared crucible, and I wouldn't easily gain another opportunity to find an alley merchant selling one of them, much less so buy one given how expensive they were. No, all I needed was grout, or in other words: Clay, gravel, sand, and a bit of mineral powder, however, those aren't sold in Canterlot, maybe in an industrial city like Manehatten or Fillydelphia, which is why I haven't started to craft my own weapons yet. It was quite a dilemma, but it was only a matter of time till I got my hooves around some, I mean, I even got a furnace in my cave.

A flash of lights flashed across my weapon's blade. I rammed my polearm up into the air, into the abdomen of the nightmare attacking me, and hurled it onto the metallic floor away. The sound of rustling armor, metal on metal colliding against one another time and time again brought jerks and flinches forward with each sound, ultimately forcing me to deactivate [Spirit Senses]. My eyes sharpened onto the quickly rising, gold-plated nightmare, but even in its weakened state, I remained diligent, no hesitation, no waiting, every strike would be delivered with the intention to kill. My breath slightly clouded my vision in front of me, my heart pounded, and my breastplate stretched and gnarled in anticipation.

Finally, a humanoid armor of gold-bearing but an empty, devoid void below the metal, it was but a framework for something that only differed marginally from a nightmare stood before me. It was an atrocity, the nightmares may be monsters but this thing, in its very rooted essence, was something even more wrong. The nightmare clenched its weapon, a straight sword made of heavenly, hard light, the same material its wings were made of. There, where my weapon punctured its breastplate, a great hole protruded from which golden and purple dust flowed out and dissipated like smoke. It was not bothered by the wound, in fact, it walked toward me with steady, firm steps while holding its weapon tightly.

I kept my gaze on it, waiting for it to strike first, analyzing the behavior of my new foe, but when I heard the sound of more wings flapping in the distance, I knew my liberty of time had been taken. I retracted my shield back into my inventory and charged onward with its quick death in mind. I was not the same I was six years ago, I was stronger and faster, and closed the gap in seconds. My hooves left the ground with a spring-like jump, nearly two meters in the air, and plummeted, with my weapon pointed, downward on the clad knight.

-45

My eyes widened when I saw my weapon bounce not off my foe, but on the metallic floor. The nightmare foresaw my attack, and rolled out of my attack's path, before ramming its sword into my armpit. It wasn't a hastily stringed-together set of moves, it was an ingrained, masterful execution, partially robotic, partially intuitional, perhaps even more refined than my fighting was. With gritted teeth, I let go of my weapon and punched it in the face with an [Power Strike] enhanced attack. Bits and pieces shot in all directions, but I didn't stop there, for when it managed to flip it onto its knees, I launched a [Kinetic Blast] which shattered its skull. And when it died, I knew that what I fought was not the kind of nightmare I knew, for it crumbled away into flakes of light, unlike the un-materialized nightmares lurking in the mirrored capital, but differently, it returned to somewhere else, leaving behind but a pulsating, golden coin.

I huffed and turned around, seeing two more living armors land not far off, one bearing a spear, the other a longsword. My face tightened, I was above letting my disdain for them cloud my judgment, but that did not mean that suspicion and paranoia ran rampant in my skull. "Observe." I whisper, my breath gliding across my lips meagerly, but it was enough to set off both knights, they charged at me in synchronicity.

Lower Lesser Sanctum guardian
Level - 25
Class - Divine Scion - level 25
Race - Construct/Artificial ?
HP (Health Points) - 800 [--- per minute]
MP (Mana Points) - 420 [--- per minute]
SP (Stamina Points) - unlimited [--- per minute]
STR (Strength) - 150
END (Endurance) - 175
DEX (Dexterity) - 125
INT (Intelligence) - 0
WIS (Wisdom) - 0
CHA (Charisma) -0
LCK (Luck) - 0

Construct
This creature does not require any sustenance to exist, however, cannot regenerate without the use of skill or repairs. This creature is immune to mortal status effects and those affecting the mind. It cannot grow.

"Game, keep up with me." I said, before lowering my gaze and running forward, while a torrent of weak mana bolts shot at the longsword wielder. It raised its weapon, and slashed forward, attempting to swipe as many of them out of the air as possible, but at the same time rooting itself in place. I continued to charge, still holding onto my flurry of attacks, and when I reached the spear-thing, I raised my weapon high up into the air. The nightmare in response attempted to slash open my gut, but I interjected by ramming the side of my weapon into its face with an overhead push, before sliding down in a split and crushing both of its legs with a horizontal strike.

In my singular second of relaxation, I underestimated my enemy once more and was baffled, when it slammed its palm onto the ground, stabilizing itself mid-air, and returning the favor by almost copying my attack. I was barely able to block the strike with my halberd, but at a cost, for the head of the polearm was launched away. With a scowl, and another incoming attack, I grasped the head of my halbert and pushed it against the attack using [levitation], but to my horror, a mere second after touching the energy weapon, it began to melt. With widened eyes, I took my stick and rammed it forward, but only managed to dent the helmet, for it let go from the ground and grasped the wooden staff. In response to its counter, I quickly used this moment of unbalance to increase the force on the melting metal and hurled the blob at the helmet. The constructs jerked, violently attempting to swipe the thick, metal goo off its face. Using this quick moment of confusion, I infused my stick with lighting and whacked it across the still dry side of the helmet again and again till the beast started to crumble just like its predecessor.

I pushed myself up, and turned to the battered and burned longsword user. With a growl, and at my behest, Wadjeta and Tesla appeared at my side. The nightmare only realized my attack too late, when a blast of water knocked the metal man into a pillar, pushing it with such force that its armor groaned and creaked before a booming thunderstrike struck into its abdomen and spread the individual pieces of armor in all directions.

I took a deep breath, and ground my teeth against each other while pressing the liquified head and my wooden staff against one another, slowly preparing it. Looking back, I could feel my skin char and crumble, my moisture sizzled, but at the same time tediously increasing my fire resistance. It was only partially the pain that was responsible for my facial expression, it was also because my equipment was starting to fail me.

Polearm proficiency has risen to level 3, your summons have leveled up to level 5. The Game noted after a few seconds when my weapon was at its peak once more, but quickly stuffed back into my inventory and replaced by my Hobgoblin Club. The dungeon officially begins just a few meters ahead, there you may equip another class. While I do not know much more than you currently about this test region, it is noteworthy that falling 'out of bounds' will not kill you, but severely injure and lock you out for some time. The coins are also of some future importance.

I huffed with a little smile and rested the club on my shoulder. "'Appreciate you pushing my mind in a different direction." I said kindly, before looking at the path ahead and saw a great, circular, silver plate on which the same goat emblem was emblazoned, but in addition, it seemed as if a circle of blue light, moving like fire, rested just above it. "I'm not going to whine about the challenge, even if it makes surviving harder, I just hope the zombies didn't make me soft." I huffed while shaking my head, before walking forward, each step sounding like a pebble thrown into an empty boiler.

I stopped, just a step in front of the glowing circle, and looked around with skepticism. "Looks awfully Christian if I am being honest." I scratched my helmet while looking over a patrol of four constructs flying far off in the sky. "Isn't religeon supposed to have, I don't fucking know, be seen as something, ya know, not nightmarish?"

"Tremble before the Lord and rejoice as he opens his kingdom to you" The Game said with an awfully thick pronunciation.

"That doesn't sound like a bible quote"

You never read the bible

"So did most people who quote that book." I said with crossed arms, before leaning my head back, looking at the brightly illuminated sky lacking a sun. "But then again, not a lot of people do read that old thing anymore, hell, Lord of the Rings and that Scientology tome outsold it like five years ago before I left." One religion out, two in its place.

The idea of an afterlife featuring gold and palaces in the sky is very dominant in a majority of earth-bound creatures believing in an afterlife, you'll see that the dungeon often only graces your understanding of power and scale and concept. After all, we might see a hellish realm of fire and demons after this, then a forest bearing powerful beasts, and after that a crypt with the undead.

I lowered my gaze, and nodded, before finally entering the circle of light.

You have entered the second dungeon: Lucus Caelestis. You may choose another class

*First Task: Kill the Gate Guardian

[Necromancer] [Arcanist] [Pyromancer] [Cryomancer] [Archer] [Engineer]

"Put the Necromancer class out of my face, I've already become a corpse walker, no need to entail more." I scowled, before looking at the rest of the selection. The engineer was, for some strange reason, the class that was enticing me on some mortal, unconscious level, perhaps it was just the short-lived thought of one day building a gauss-rifle, but given that I couldn't even muster up a simple forge, it snuffed that idea out quickly. Archer fell partially into the same problem as Engineer, I couldn't produce the ammunition, at least not right now. Maybe stone arrows, but that wouldn't be enough. Pyromancy and cryomancy are specialized classes that either poped or flopped, and the trap of overspecializing in a profession where ANYTHING could be encountered was too dangerous, especially, when my enemies right now couldn't burn and were immune to frostbite.

"Give me the Arcanist." As these words left my lips, I felt my flesh and muscles writhe like sporadic wires. My strength was leaving me, not to bring me low like a foal, but at least a quarter was lost, but at the same time, the sensation I experienced in my brain and horn was, true in every way to the description, mind-blowing. I quickly pulled off my helmet and looked at my reflection in it. My horn curved ever so slightly backward and my eyes ever so weakly glimmered with a silver layer of magic. My mouth's corners wrinkled upwards ever so slowly as I felt the arcane power take hold in my expanded core.

My eyes slowly turned to my surroundings, the two great pillars next to me broke the chain of similarity, for they were felled by brutal force and their mineral carcasses spilled across the floor. With a deep breath as preparation, I enveloped a great chunk of rock in my silvery aura and lifted it several meters into the air. "38 Kilograms and still going strong, not enough to lift a nightmare yet, but it’s a start." I thought devilishly, before hurling the chunk of stone with intense speed against a greater boulder, chipping both it and destroying my projectile.

It was a good start, I just wished that Levitation would level up like my resistances, per level, but so far it hasn't changed in the slightest since acquiring it, only my level increases its potency, but that is starting to buckle and bend under pressure. "Is there a way to make my skills more powerful?" I asked loudly, rubbing my chin slowly... was I slowly starting to grow a beard? Did ponies have beards? Was I in the middle of puberty? Question for later when I would be in Canterlot once more.

All skills become stronger when they reach a higher level, some just grow differently compared to some like your resistances. The Game noted, but ultimately not speaking anything I didn't know before, after all, a bigger number meant always better chances.

My ears perked, when I heard a blunt thud near me, and I waited less than a second to greet the new arrival. Two more golden nightmares, bearing halberts of their own, were attempting to ambush me, and it dawned upon me that even when remaining quiet, out of sight, and inconspicuous, they're able to find me.

"I’m sorry, but I won't engage you in a fist-to-hoof fight now lads." I said dryly, and with an uncomfortable amount of superiority before launching several spells at once, a feat previously only unlocked through meditation and stillness. An Icebolt was launched and the crystal engulfed one of them in an icy cloud. The frost crawled across its armor, leaving behind but a statue. The other opponent managed to dodge the Icebolt, but in its moment of weakness, I blasted its legs off with a powerful Mana Bolt, however despite the severe damage done to its frame, but not surprising at this point, its severed upper body started to crawl towards me. I looked at it for a moment, before flicking my horn towards it and destroying it with yet another Mana Bolt. My eyes wandered to the frozen armor and gave it the same, final treatment as its companion, a swift mana bolt. It shattered, and the sight of snow and metal flying through the air was artistically inspiring.

I hid it well, but it was heart-wrenching to see their armor and equipment vanish, especially their weapons, but there was little to change that. Right now at least I have my hooves full.

"We should make a plan before moving out, those things could ambush us at any time, and the is no terrain advantage to speak of, other than the fact that, while they can continuously call reinforcements, they are defenseless in the air." I noted while looking up with a strained scowl, it was a miracle that wrinkles couldn't touch me, otherwise, I'd look like a steamed, naked mole. "My spell may be strong, but I can't fire a continuous barrage, or at least, dodge for five minutes straight. But, it’s not like I can treat them like the mindless packs I encountered previously, they're smart, organized, and not nightmarish at all." I chewed the insides of my mouth while digesting my conclusion. I currently bore the title of [Nightmare Slayer I] but didn't receive any stats, but then again, I fought simple grunt zombies with higher levels than these. Truly, a mystery with a divided answer.

My answer, however, would wait, for something else pushed forward just ahead.

My eyes shrank, so fast I believe my retina to have ripped, and ducked in the same second as I pulled out my Ram Crest Shield to cower behind. The ground shook and a mighty blast of air nearly pushed me forward. Breathlessly and quivering I turned around, still in the cover of my shield, and saw a great, ballista-bolt-like projectile lodged into the dented ground, before disappearing a second later in a pulse. It dented several meters of thick metal.

It is safe to assume that the dungeon is reacting to our actions and does not appreciate certain actions. The Game noted, but strangely, the conclusion was not beyond my understanding, for a matter of fact, I could make it out myself. It was strange how it worked, the intelligence stat that was, boosting my understanding, thinking, and learning so greatly. I finally opened my mouth, ready to spout something or maybe take a breath, but I couldn't. I pulled my shield back into my inventory and held my hooves to my throat as I felt some formless entity tighten my throat.

Warning, our physical form is suffering damage. The host stands at the exit point, immediate expulsion is imminent.

Star's Room

My pupils expanded on-demand, and from the blurred image presented to me, quickly a clear picture was presented. I saw two griffons clad in mixed armor, bearing plates, and cloaks, but mostly leather to hide their feathery form. The smaller of the two held tightly onto the doorknob, while the second one pointed a crossbow at the door. I tried to open my mouth, but then realized I couldn't, something tightly held me in place, upright and away from the ground. I looked down, as far as I could while my lungs started to ache from the lack of air.

A white piece of cloth drenched in an acidic, putrid liquid, a stench even the scratching night air could not push away, was held over my muzzle by a scarred, grey talon. I started to shake my head and push the claws holding me away and alarmed the intruders as a result.

"What the fuck are you doing." The crossbow bird turned his head away from the door, but his face was left a mystery to me, for it was covered by a metallic mask of a twisted lion.

"You do it then." My captor hissed through his beak while pressing his talons into my flesh that his claws dug into my bone. My blood drenched the cloth quickly and my panic grew as I felt my vision starting to fade, all I could feel were his talons, his cold, unrelenting talons, two shredding my muzzle, one crushing my nose bridge and the last pushing my teeth in. The tight grip was so much pressure I could feel my jaw bending and skull cracking. Suddenly, A light went up in my head, so much so that the adrenalin woke my vision momentarily, and I bit down onto his finger through the cloth and his bone. It fell to the floor, severed. I was let go when he let out a muffled scream, one that died quickly, but I acted quicker. I enveloped the closest object I could grasp with my magic and hurled it at the Griffin behind me while firing an ice bolt at the griffon guarding the door.

Much happened in the moment following, my projectile which I hurled hits its mark, made apparent by the grunt I heard behind, but the ice bolt missed, but it was not fruitless, for the spell knocked two of my four door hinges into the hallway, knocking a statue of sorts down, in addition of the frost covering the floor. Out of instinct, and from the corner of my eye, I erected a small mana construct in the shape of a shield to block a crossbow bolt that, while losing its momentum, melted away my used mana. With panic in mind, and seeing the door guard rush toward me, I jumped away, only to fall anyway.

I heard something crack, so loud that it deafened my ears, but I couldn't move, only a disgusting, creepy sensation of fear crawled in the shadows of my mind as I lay there for two seconds, a period of time in which I saw the crossbow griffon pull down my beloved bookshelf to barricade the door. The door guard pulled out a green glowing gem and threw it out of my vision, all I heard was my window shattering. I tried to move, but I couldn't while I lay there, for two seconds, no feelings below my neck, and all I heard was continuous, repeating, hushed cursing of the bludgeoned griffon who tried to suffocate me. I was grabbed by something and my body was pulled across the floor, and at this moment I saw that the object I threw was the dragon which I quickly absorbed into my inventory. A moment later, I felt my head bash against the wall below my window, something cracked, and I lost vision, only the cool night breeze held me comfortably in my last moment of conscience.

Perhaps it was reflex, perhaps it was the game who pulled the egg in, I didn't know, I lacked time to think, for in the next I was no longer there, where I previously was. All I had were my memories of the day to think, even if only moments passed. Even if I couldn't look at something else, only my thoughts were left to me. I couldn't tell if a second passed, or an hour, the memories played off in real-time, and yet hours in a second's time. It didn't matter, but what awaited after my awakening, which I could feel approaching, would.

Star Touch - Nightmare Slayer I (John Weaver)
Level - 37
Class - Arcanist- level 1 (The Gamer)
Race - Unicorn
HP (Health Points) - 640 [64] per minute]
MP (Mana Points) - 2007,5 [178 per minute]
SP (Stamina Points) - 640 [64] per minute]
STR (Strength) - 65 [115]
END (Endurance) - 64[116]
DEX (Dexterity) - 82
INT (Intelligence) - 201 [73]
WIS (Wisdom) - 168 [112]
CHA (Charisma) - 108 [120]
LCK (Luck) - 52

Casting Proficiency (Novice)
You are able to cast most spells at slightly higher efficiency and potency, as well as have a slightly higher mana reserve than an average being.
You receive the following buffs while having this class equipped:
*1,5 times higher Intelligence
*1,5 times higher Wisdom

Polearm Proficiency lv 1 --> lv 3

Wadjeta lv 1 --> lv 5
Tesla lv 1 --> lv 5

five Celestial coins were added to the inventory

Ram Crest Shield
Level 50 item
unique
A shield once belonging to a valiant knight always ready to charge into battle, who sold his body to a higher being, to achieve a purpose older than his bloodline
* 200 defense
* 50 Magic defense
* Charging Damage Doubled
* Poise is increased

Author's Note

I've decided to add a few changes:
* Changes in a chapter are now displayed at the bottom of it, while a chapter collecting all changes is added at the end of an arc.
* Chapters from now on will be more often than not split into two categories: Dream/Nightmare chapters, those containing the dungeons, and most growth.
Waking chapters are those containing content based around daily activities regarding Star such as drama, slice of life, and filler. They will not be called Nightmare - or Waking Chapters, though I try to make it clear in the title which of the two they are.

If there are any suggestions or wishes, then please do not hesitate to comment below.