Chapter 10

  Donny’s eyes shot open as he sat up, bracing his hands behind him as he looked around, trying to figure out where he was. Wherever he was, it was dark, and all he could make out were wisps of shadow moving in the darkness. He held up his hands, barely able to glimpse the outlines of his fingers.

  “Where the f-” Donny’s thought cut off and he snapped to attention as he heard the rustling of footsteps.

  “What have you done, Serohpmai?” a voice snarled angrily. He felt that the voice was familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

  “What have I done? The question is what haven’t you done? You’ve kept me waiting for far too long, and I’ve grown tired of these games, you can’t lock me out anymore, old friend!” Came another voice, this one deep and distorted, like thousands of voices speaking through a voice changer superimposed upon each other.

  “When we made the champion system, this is not what we had intended. I don’t know how you escaped that place, or how you got back in here, but do not think for a second that I will just sit back and do nothing while you...”

  “Donny!”

  SMACK

  “Wake up, kid, hell’s frozen ball sack you can sleep, come on kid you’re gonna run out of time”

  SMACK, SMACK

  “WAAAAAAAKE UUUUUUUP”

  “Okay, okay, I’m up, Jesus Christ, man!” Donny grumbled, rubbing his burning face where Vinchenzo had been slapping him.

  “Who?” Vinchenzo

  “Never mind that, where are we?” Donny asked, stunned by the scene before him as his eye finally adjusted to the light. What he saw took his breath away.

  Islands floated above them in layers that climbed upwards like a dismembered skyscraper. Each layer was connected by waterfalls, with birds flying around and clouds drifting by. Rainbows glittered in the air above the islands, the misty spray from the endless waterfalls illuminating the sky in a breathtaking display of color and light. It was as if a divine artist was painting with the mist, and the sky was their canvas.

  “This is the Primordial Haven. It’s rumored to be the last remaining remnant of the chaos realm. The realm that existed before the universe we know, before the system was created.” Vinchenzo said, arms spread wide as he looked up at the islands above alongside Donny.

  “The realm of chaos…” Donny whispered, a sense of deja-vu whispering at him in the back of his mind.

  “Yes. We believe this is where the elite youth of that long ago forgotten time would come and train. It is an ancient formation that only allows those at level one to enter, and each person can only ever enter a single time.” Vinchenzo explained, pointing at the massive island that made up the first layer of ever-climbing islands, and the equally ridiculously massive waterfall that fell from it to valley floor below.

  “You will enter from there, NO, don’t step…”

  It was too late, Donny had crept forward, trying to get a better look at the valley below the edge of the hill they were standing on, he could see the trees, but he couldn’t quite see where the forest started. A translucent red wall suddenly hummed into existence in a ten foot radius around Donny, before a dimmer blue outline suddenly appeared around him, and nothing happened.

  “Chill out, dude, it’s cool, I’m just looking man, I ain’t gonna run down there or anything” Donny said, looking at the man who was giving him a look like Donny had turned into a ghost or something.

  “Th-That’s not… that’s not possible! It doesn’t start for another few hours, and the barrier doesn’t start open for an hour, and you’re not level one!” Vinchenzo stared at Donny, and then at the blue outline within the glowing red translucent forcefield that should have at least sent the kid flying a few meters away.

  “Hey, I was going to ask about that. How can I be level one…” Donny said, walking back and forth along the edge, the glowing portion of the forcefield moving with him before turning and stepping away from the edge staring up at Vinchenzo with his hands in his pockets, “If I’m level nine?”

  “I’ll explain that but first tell me how you did that!” Vinchenzo exclaimed, grabbing Donny by his shoulders and shaking him like a snack stuck in a vending machine, face excited.

  “Hey, hey man, you’re crushing me, let go!” Donny cried, trying to squirm out the man’s grip and failing epically before flaring the aura that wrapped his body into small spikes that jabbed into Vinchenzo’s hands. It didn’t do any damage at all, but it did shock the man out of his stupor.

  “Oh, um, sorry, excuse me. I seem to have forgotten myself” Vinchenzo said, coming back to his senses.

  Letting go of Donny, the man patted his shoulders while looking him up and down, brushing him off. Looking rather embarrassed, Vinchenzo seemed to be pretending he had been meaning to simply help Donny straighten out his appearance.

  “Yes, well, you couldn’t know how you did that because you have never been here before.” The blushing man said with a mouth into one hand, looking away as if that would render Donny unable to see him.

  “Dude, it’s probably that golden ticket thing that psycho lady gave us. Wait, she did give it to us, right?” Donny patted his pockets and clothes, even patting his chest as if it might be beneath his shirt.

  “Did you already use it on me or something?” Donny asked, confused

  Vinchenzo slowly reached into the inner pocket of his blazer, removing a glowing golden ticket that pulsed with power. He gave Donny a look that said, “You were saying”?

  “If you have it still, then that means… Oh, so I don’t have to be level one to enter? That’s great, isn’t it?” Donny said cheerfully as realization dawned on him.

  “Hmm, it is, but it isn’t.” Vinchenzo held up a small black bead between his index and middle finger.

  “This is a Return-to-start pill. It allows one to return to level one from any level ninety-nine or below. It’s how the young elites and scions of powerful sects, families, guilds, and associations get into this place to boost their attributes and consolidate their power before attempting the first paragon tribulation. You would lose all class upgrades and class related skills but would be able to access low level areas and gain low level titles as well as keep all attributes, titles and base skills not obtained from or related to a class or profession.” Vinchenzo paused and took a deep breath and gave Donny a serious look.

  “We know you can pass the barrier somehow, but we don’t know if you’ll be able to enter the formation without being level one. And besides, the islands begin at level one and the level rises with each subsequent island. You won’t want the penalty for eight entire islands, especially with how your current build configuration works” Vinchenzo continued, tossing the pill to Donny.

  Donny observed the pill, rolling it around in his fingers as he brought it up to his eyes, inspecting it closely. A small screen then popped into existence in Donny’s vision.

  “Why does it seem like this pill was made specifically for me, or rather, someone with my specific circumstances?” Donny asked, amazed that such a thing even existed.

  “It may seem that way, but people have been farming them for years from similar formations; there are even higher tier versions from higher ranking formations. This one is just the only one that accommodates those below the threshold of a paragon.” Vinchenzo answered patiently, allowing Donny to calculate in his head.

  “So, this is the real reason for the existence of this ‘campaign dungeon’?” Donny asked.

  “Yes and no. All of these formations exist within a campaign dungeon. Throughout the years divine beings have found these relics of the past and after many millennia of research and experimentation, they’ve found that if five individuals with power above at the paragon fifty or above collaborate and expend their power, they can create a campaign dungeon with these formations as the core. These five will then be recognized by the formation as the five wardens and will each be allotted entry passes to divvy out to respective disciples or clients, called ‘Primordial tickets’ or Primo tickets as we call them. As you’ve seen with this one, Margy is the head warden. She and four other divine level underlings fought to usurp the positions of warden, and Margy is the head warden, who is allowed to assign a single golden primo ticket per opening. But the caveat is that if the golden ticket holder fails to reach the first rank of the primordial ladder within the formation, the dungeon will choose one of the other five wardens to succeed the head warden.”

  “So, if I use that golden ticket, I’ll be forced to either come in first or risk the wrath of that insane woman?” Donny asked, eyes bulging as he remembered her ruthlessness after only meeting her a single time. He could only imagine the lengths she would go through to seek her revenge should he fail.

  “And what exactly does the ticket do?”

  “When someone with a Primo ticket enters the formation, they are assigned a random boon. This could be a multitude of things, like a personal storage space specific to the formation, a tailored weapon, or armor. It could be an ability that assists with one’s progression through the trials of the formation. No one knows how it works exactly, and from what information has been gathered it appears to be completely random.” Vinchenzo began pacing like a college professor giving a lecture.

  “The golden ticket on the other hand, gives one the ability to choose their boon, on top of being provided a massive personal storage space to use within the formation, and becomes a unique ranked storage ring upon exit that deteriorates three days after leaving the trial. On top of these things you are given a boost to experience gained within the trials of the formation, as well as higher tiered rewards upon completion of each floor, or island, within the formation.” Vinchenzo stopped pacing and turned to look at Donny.

  “But be warned. If you use this ticket it will assign you a golden border around your name on the ladder, marking you for everyone to see. While no one can physically take it from you by force, they can back you into a corner and coerce you into freely submitting the ticket to them, whereupon they would be able to consequently procure any and all boons associated with claiming the golden ticket.” Vinchenzo’s speech came to an end as he allowed Donny to absorb everything he’d said.

  Donny thought about it for a long moment, as he weighed his options back and forth. On one hand he was new to this system world and hadn’t had very long to train and learn the inner workings of this world’s intrigues and power struggles. He knew that staying low-key and out of the spotlight would work to his advantage and allow him to rise through the island-floors of this formation relatively safely. And he apparently didn’t even need a ticket to enter the formation, as he could enter of his own accord.

  But. Boons and rewards aside, he knew that the strongest steel was forged under immense heat and pressure, and he had a gut feeling that if he didn’t enter the formation under the pressure of being the golden ticket holder, he would lose out on something crucial to his growth and future ascension. He only had one question before he made his decision.

  “The aura manipulation skill. Will I be able to use it within the formation?” Donny asked, though he felt he already knew the answer.

  “Yes. It is, after all, a base skill not tied to class progression. It is actually the main weapon of many heavenly chosen who enter this trial, as those who enter with a lesser version of the skill will be susceptible to the aura of those with a higher rank and rarity of their own aura.” Vinchenzo nodded, giving Donny a knowing smile.

  Donny popped the return-to-start pill in his mouth and swallowed. He immediately felt the rush of energy that felt like it was draining away some sort of mystical force within his body and soul as the pill deteriorated within his intestines. He knew he wouldn’t actually lose anything from this pill, compared to most, but the feeling of even eight levels being lost made him feel nauseous and a bit lightheaded.

  “Geez, I can’t imagine what losing ninety-eight levels would feel like” Donny said, his voice hoarse as he swayed where stood, closing his eyes and folding his chin to his throat to combat the vertigo and nausea he was feeling as he swayed in place.

  “Yes, well, most people take the pill months before the start of the trial to allow them time to recover and acclimate to their weakened state. Everything has its price after all. Now Donny, you really should go now, but there are some things you need to know before you leave. First, you need to understand that there will be players within this game that will be much stronger than you, even with your absurd boons, detriments aside. You simply haven’t had enough time to grow yet. Even your friends are going to train for the next five years or so and wait for the next cycle before entering this place, but we don’t have that luxury for you. Next, once you reach level fifty and above, you will be able to consolidate your stat points” Vinchenzo pulled out a board and chalk and began writing on it, showing it to Donny when finished writing,

  “We don’t really know what floor one hundred offers, but we assume, and if it follows the previous pattern of increase, it would be a one hundred to one ratio of conversion. This means, the you would essentially be changing your body to the extent that each stat point you gain from then on would be as strong as one hundred times its original value. As an example I had three thousand, six hundred ninety-seven points in strength when I reached the eighty-fourth island, leaving me with just under one hundred fifty points in strength after consolidating my attribute statistics” Vinchenzo held the board up as he spoke, allowing Donny time to memorize the script.

  “Finally, you can spend up to a hundred years in the formation before being expelled, though the trials usually last around twenty-five years for most. Floors one through fifty will only have participants from the current cycle, but after floor fifty, you may run into trial-goers from any one currently in a past or previous instance of the formation that’s currently on your level. You can stay on a level for year to start, but you have a hundred years total, so the faster you clear the earlier levels the more time you’ll have in the higher levels, though the maximum amount of time you can spend on a single island is five years before your ranking is set and you’re rejected from the formation. The islands can have warped time, so be careful and always focus on completing each trial as quickly as possible.” With that, the writing board in Vinchenzo’s hand disappeared and he held out the shining golden ticket for Donny to take.

  Going to grab the ticket, Donny tried to take it, but Vinchenzo’s forefinger and thumb did not release on the other end of the ticket that seemed to simultaneously be made of paper, metal and fabric.

  “You need to leave the formation before you turn eighteen years old in universal time, no matter what. Your family will be in danger if you are not out by then. There will be a trial kiosk before each waterfall that will tell you the real time of your current run in the formation, ensure you monitor it closely.” A chilly, dangerous air coalesced from the well-dressed man as a malicious undertone crept beneath the words he spoke.

  “Are you threatening me?” Donny responded icily, his aura beginning to pulse and spike around him as he easily rebuffed the older man’s aura, an ember of fury building in his chest. He knew this man could probably pop him like a pimple on a thigh, but he’d be damned if he allowed anyone to threaten those he loved, consequences be damned.

  The stared at each other, each pinching one end of the ticket for what felt like minutes to Donny but was just a few seconds before Vinchenzo suddenly beamed and gave Donny a bright smile, the murderous shadow that seemed to line the man’s features suddenly disappearing.

  “Donny, my boy, of course not, of course not. I’m simply to let you know that if you do not inherit your rightful claim to your family’s throne by eighteen, the position will succeeded to another family, and you will have lost your chance at fulfilling your champion’s quest” he said cheerily as he let go of the ticket, bringing his hand to his chest as if hurt that Donny would even consider such a thing.

  Donny almost stumbled back but was able to catch himself with a quick adjustment of his left foot, stabling himself as he gave Vinchenzo an analyzing sweep of his eyes. Shoving the ticket into his pocket, he said “Don’t worry, I’ll be out before then. In the meantime, you better hope nothing happens to the ones I love.”

  “Are you threatening me, boy?” Vinchenzo asked as he squinted his eyes dangerously.

  Donny responded with a charismatic grin that could win awards back on earth.

  “Vinchenzo, my big plate of steak…” Donny’s gaze slid down the man mockingly “And shrimp, I would never!” With that Donny waggled his fingers in a “Toodle-oo” fashion as he stepped back through the barrier, the red portion solidifying in front of him as Vinchenzo’s face turned red with fury and he lurched forward without thinking and running right into the forcefield that pulsed with a blaring hum momentarily before sending the older man flying backwards through the air and disappearing from sight as a freaking laser blasted out from the barrier.

  Donny shrugged his shoulders in a dramatic flinch, cringing at the blackened features of the man as he disappeared from sight.

  “Ugh, that’s got to hurt. Serves him right I guess” Donny said out loud as he turned around and began running towards the forest.

  He couldn’t quite figure out the other man’s motives. On one hand, he felt instinctively that the man had good intentions and meant him no arm. He genuinely felt the he cared for Donny and his grandfather. But something about that last interaction… Donny shook his head, clearing his thoughts and continuing forward through the trees as he focused on his footing while he raced towards the giant waterfall in the distance.