CHAPTER 4 – HARD CHOICES, HARDER TRUTHS


    Safe Zone – The Endless Dungeon


    ***


    Jeb stumbled in with Bose, his shadow, as he once again found himself in the gray stone Safe Zone. Bogie immediately popped up and quickly started spewing.


    “As you know we got thirty minutes before we will be forced to pop back out and hope that the Vor that was coming our way got it’s fill of meat and wandered off before we have to shit-can this place. We got a lot to go through and you should thank your sweet mother of a Fate Attribute that everything fell into your lap though I will reserve judgment fully till we look at those gems you got and hopefully find something you have Affinity with though your options are almost nil. Take a looking at those Notifications though floating in your head, multiple Levels and a Title. Our chances of getting you out of this alive went from almost non-existent to a bit above non-existent. Go on, focus in your head and the Notifications should just pop right up.”


    Jeb once again had no understanding of what the fuck was going on and he hadn’t forgotten what Bogie had said to him that played with his head to do what he wanted Jeb to do which sparked a lot of things.


    Ultimately it benefited him so from that angle he couldn’t really get upset but the words he used told Jeb the Gremlin knew shit about him he shouldn’t know. What happened on that day was Classified and redacted all to hell even for those with clearance. Right now though the Gremlin was right and he was on a clock that he was well aware of as it was planted in his vision beneath the bars that had popped up when he’d been looking at Health etc.


    In fact the one that had ST in front of it was yellow and slowly rising, the one he’d assumed had been Stamina before which made sense based on what had just happened.


    The whole front of him and Bose, both covered in crimson, was a big reminder of what they’d just done, killed some crazy ass huge dinosaur lizard. Something flashed up in his vision followed by a shit ton more.


    Your actions have earned you a Title Contestant. Congratulations. You have been given your first Title. [Balls Deep}


    Balls Deep – Epic Rank – It was half-fucking dead but still you went balls deep in killing something an entire Tier above you, something that would have killed you with one twitch of it’s tail, and you did it with a blood thirsty hunger that the System applauds. Permanent +10% to all Attributes (Minimum of +0.1) and +20% increase in Experience gains in killing anything that’s a higher Level or Tier than you.


    You have killed a (Young Vor), a creature a full Tier above you. Bonus Experience applied due to Title. Six Levels Gained. You have Reached Copper (6).


    Before he could even take in everything the messages had just said he was jacked off his feet as a stream of energy shot through the gray fog portal, striking him and lifting him off the ground. Spikes of pain shot through his bones and flesh and mind and soul, gritting his teeth as off to side in his peripheral, he notched a stream of energy spearing off him into Bose who yelped as he joined his Pops in the air.


    A few moments later, he had no clue how long as the rush of energy and pain had his brain blasted, he came down on his feet and he felt that someone had just shot him full of adrenaline. He felt stronger, faster, his mind clearer. Bogie’s voice interrupted his reverie as he moved within Jeb’s vision, a stogie back to his lips puffing away and looking once more pristine, tuft of white hair slicked back, suit, impeccable.


    “Now you know what it is to Level-up Soldier Boy. For right now with no Gems slotted and no Class, each Level will bring 0.1 to each Attribute. I’m hoping out of that, a boost to your Will might help a bit with your debuff or at least you being as susceptible to it taking over. We are on a clock though so the next part is the big enchilada, the big break down of how strong you can really be.”


    Bogie floated closer blowing out perfect smoke rings then closed one eye and pushed his other even closer, hard staring Jeb.


    “I literally bet all my life savings on you being the Hoss, the Big Kahuna. Let’s see if I was a dumb ass or brilliant. Those Gems are gonna go a long way in showing the truth one way or the other but more pivitol is the first Gem you attempt to [Identify] the System will analyze, access, and judge your Core Causality. You probably saw it when you took a look at your Status?”


    The big answer to that was a no since he didn’t understand fuck all on most of what was happening and he got lost on the debuff and his mental trauma being shoveled into his face in numbers. Bogie obviously noticed the blank look on his face.


    “Never mind Soldier Boy. The higher Grade it is the more boost it will give to whatever Affinity you have with whatever gems you come across. It is important. If you have at least a C+ or above, we will be in business. The average in the Great Galactic Empire is D+, within the Crucible, C-. The biggest, baddest, toughest of their worlds are who are Recruited to the Crucible of War, anything less makes for bad entertainment.”


    Jeb’s irritation flashed for a moment.


    “Entertainment? What the fuck does that mean? All of this, all the people including me that were taken from Earth are for entertainment?”


    Bogie laughed and nodded.


    “Of course, the greatest entertainment in the Great Galactic Empire. You are on the Crucible of War, Soldier Boy, a giant asteroid floating through the universe with eight cities and a million people for no other reason then to supply perpetual entertainment for the rest of the Empire; the murder, the intrigue, the romance, the betrayal. It is how the Empire stamps down on rebellion within it’s borders. If your people are constantly enraptured watching their vid screens they have less time nor desire to plot against their ruler. I believe your own world uses your entertainment for similar reasons.”


    A grinding low burning anger broiled within his bones. The worst part was he couldn’t argue to a degree about his last statement. He knew the powers that be controlled the media, the information, so therefore, for the most part, people’s minds, even more so if you went into third world countries where it was more pronounced.


    Still, that he was stolen from his home, and all the other humans, to play some kind of gladiatorial Roman Coliseum for the entertainment of a bunch of fuck twats. He mentally slapped himself as Bose rubbed against his legs whining a bit. Fuck, he hadn’t even checked on his boy after going through some kind of amp up.


    He knelt and ran his hands down Bose’s body and flanks. He’d gotten a bit bigger, a bit more musculature. Damn, he had to be closer to hundred and seventy or hundred and eighty pounds, all muscle.


    “Damn Bose. You becoming a beast.”


    His pooch pushed his big blocky head into his chest. Jeb scratched his boy’s head at the same time as Bogie made tick-tock clock sounds. Damn fucking asshole. Jeb swore if he looked at the definition of cock-sucking self-serving asshole there would be a picture of a little cigar smoking Gremlin. He chuckled at the image but stood. The little Bastard was right.


    “Alright Bogie, what do I do?”


    The little Gremlin nodded, his cigar disappearing as he smashed his little claws together.


    “Alright Soldier Boy, the big boom boom. Time to see who you are and what you’re capable of and hopefully get you some good options for your build, ones that you have high Affinity with though our location currently is going to limit our options. (Gritting his teeth) I’m still gonna get those fuck-twat techs. (Ghost spit that landed nowhere) Bring up your inventory and take out one gem, only one, and when it’s in your hand, [Identify] it. Do not and I repeat, do not slot it. You will [Identify] all three gems then we will talk about options and what they mean.”


    Jeb nodded watching the time in his vision ticking down to a bit more than twenty minutes left. He opened his inventory and willed the first stone, to his hand this time. He didn’t feel like getting on the floor to get it. Bose laid at his feet looking up at him with only three things in those eyes, love, loyalty and faith. He knew, inside his bones and flesh, mind and soul, as long as Bose was at his side he could face whatever the fuck this place had for him. He glanced back as he felt the weight crease his palm. It was an iridescent stone, a multitude of hues permeating it, an endless array of colors in every spectrum that ever did or would exist. He used [Identify] on it.


    System accessing Core Gem --- Analyzing. First time User detected. User Interface accessed. Analyzing User’s Core Strength, Potential, Causality. Assessing. Finished. User’s Core Causality Rated and Ranked – Perfect – S+ +50% to the Affinity of all Gems.


    Jeb heard a gasp out of Bogie but was too caught up in what was happening as he felt a flame, an intense core of limitless power birthed within him or more, that it was always there but had been awakened. The next message slipped into his vision.


    Core Gem analyzed and Identified – Gem – Brute – Uncommon Ranked – Affinity with User – 84%.


    Brute – Uncommon. Sometimes the straightest most direct path is the best path. Brutes are that personified, no duplicity, no subterfuge, only direct brutal action when it is required. It does not mean all Brutes are simple, they just have little patience for playing games when action is called for. Associated with extreme violence within straight forward avenues.


    The Gem had changed, now holding a dark brown color mixed with clay red. He still had no clue what it all meant but Brute huh? And he had 84% Affinity, that seemed pretty good. The description certainly fit him. When faced with conflict he tended to be direct in his solutions and actions. Food for thought. He pulled the next stone and used [Identify] on it again.


    System accessing Core Gem – Analyzing. Core Gem analyzed and Identified – Gem – Holy – Rare Ranked – Affinity with User – 16%.


    Holy – Rare. To bring the gift of final rest to the Undead is our purpose and our calling. To protect the weak is our prayer. The ecclesial home of all things considered pure and good. It is known for using Heaven’s infused light to heal and protect. Their main purpose is to fight all that is considered Unholy. The tool is neither good nor evil regardless of the rhetoric. It is the actions of the User that define those paradigms. Associated with Healing, Protection and Light.


    This one took on a shimmer white color with maybe a hint of gold. The Gem sounded better than Brute but it looked like Holy wasn’t fond of hone Jebediah Stone. Made sense. What the hell about him and what he’d done in his life was Holy? Brute? Yea, that fit him like a glove. He pulled the last Gem. Let’s see what the last one held. He threw the [Identify].


    System accessing Core Gem – Analyzing. Core Gem analyzed and Identified – Hell – Ancient Ranked – Affinity with User 91%.


    Hell – Ancient. The home of Devils and their endless soul-bound beasts. In Eternal War with not only Heaven but with the Abyss as well, the birth place of Demons. Hell is the origin of hellfire, a black and red flame that not only burns the flesh but the soul as well. The variety of Devils is vast and are renown for both very powerful warriors but highly skilled Mages and a small smattering of spiritual entities. They desire order within violence, structure within dominion. Associated with infernal power, hell fire, destruction, and inviolate discipline.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Hell. Jeb froze. 91%. The gem was a deep black and dark red the color of blood. Memories began seeping in, corpses. He bit his own lips, gritted teeth, escalated it with teeth to tongue till he felt blood trickling out of his mouth.


    The darkness that was his history receded and in doing so confused him. Did he just fight it back without Bose, without falling to knees and becoming a whimpering mess? He looked at his hands watching them tremor but not escalating to actual shaking. Bogie’s whoop blasted his ear drums causing Bose to growl and hammer bark at the Gremlin.


    “I was trying to keep that in Soldier Boy but I just couldn’t. Kick an Elf in the ass and call her sweetie!!!! S+!!!! S+!!!!!! No one as far as I know in the history of the Empire besides legends long dead had such a powerful Core, not even the Emperor himself who is purported to be A, maybe A+. If you live, if you survive.(Pause, another glance around) well, one foot in front of another, and an Uncommon, which in the Tutorial would have been good, a Rare, which is about as high as anyone sees in a Tutorial, and you got one of those, though the Affinity, ughh, but Ancient? Ancient? Powerful beyond measure...I”


    The clock was ticking but he needed answers, information.


    “Stop chattering Bogie, especially when you haven’t explained shit about shit. What are the rankings? What do they mean? Affinity? S+? All of it dammit?”


    He chewed on the end of his cigar, his brain, in that little Gremlin head spinning.


    “We don’t have the time for me extrapolate on most but I will do my best in the abridged version as you still need to slot at least one of those bad boys if you even have a shot to survive. If we were in the Tutorial with your combat skills I would say hold onto all your gems till we figured out the best combination for you but we ain’t there, we’re here, so I would say you need to at least slot one and get the innate gift whatever it is throws at you. My advice though is too slot two, the Brute as well.


    Info. Real quick, rankings as far as items, gems and the rest; Poor, Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Ancient, Legendary, Mythic and Divine. So getting anything Ancient right out of the gate is unheard of. As I said, a Rare Core Gem, would be a big boon to anyone that found it in a Tutorial. Quick and Dirty. Your Core Causality is basically the strength of your Core or the potential of who you are and can be. It adds whatever bonus you get to the Affinity of any Gem you slot. (Pull of his cigar)


    And I know what’s spinning in that dome of your Soldier Boy. You would think a hundred is as high as it can go right? Nope. Your S+, 50% boost to Affinity, means let’s say, your Brute Gem which is 84%, once slotted, would be at 134%, meaning any ability garnered under it’s purview would be 134% in effectiveness, strength etc. but that’s as far as I will dive into that as we literally have no time left. As I said before, if this was the Tutorial, I wouldn’t be having you slot anything as the System only drops you Core Gems until all three Core Slots are filled at which point it then starts dropping Attribute Sub-Slot Gems until all those are filled.


    And the best part, the real kicker? You can keep all the Gems you don’t use and that’s how people get a good out of the gate nest egg or at least fill out their equipment once they hit the Crucible. (Exasperated breath.)


    Every City has what’s called the Emporium which is the only safe space within each said City, enforced by the System itself, where the fulcrum of commerce happens, neutral territory. Gems can be sold for a good amount depending on the Gem, Rarity and obviously the attunement or concept it is tied to.”


    Jeb put up a hand to shut the man’s mouth as he took everything in and felt like even the avalanche of info was but a toe dip into a massive ocean of complexity. He wasn’t an idiot. He might not be school educated but he’d had an endless road of lessons taught on the hard turf, real world knowledge that kept people breathing. He’d take that over a college education any day. Bogie’s patience to be quiet seemed lackluster to say the least as he ignored the universal raised hand to shut his yapper and continued.


    “I saw a bit of your revulsion at the Hell Gem but it’s Ancient and you have 91% Affinity and with your Causality, that’s a whopping 141% and if we were in the Tutorial you could choose to hold off but as we have already gone over numerous times, we are not, you are not, so slot it and the Brute as well. The Hell in your Body Slot would be the move first.


    Your first Core Slot dictates the orientation of the Class Options, meaning Body, physical, usually melee Classes, also depending on your Main Attribute choice but we will get to that when it’s needed. If you threw it in Mind, more then likely some kind of Mage, and Spirit, Priestly or that area of influence. Up to you in the end but we both know where that first slot is going. Make a decision. We got less than ten minutes left before we get the boot back into the Endless Dungeon.”


    He couldn’t argue with the little shit. Mage or some Priest Class wasn’t him but Hell? He still felt he didn’t know even a tenth of what he should know and probably would at least have a better grasp on if they were in that Tutorial but that wasn’t the Gremlin’s fault and no amount of hand wringing was gonna change reality.


    He had no problem with the Brute one. That was him all day, any day but Hell and his high Affinity with it stuck in his gullet, square to circle. Facts were facts and the concrete of where he was as hard as a fucking punch to the face. He was stuck in a place he had to escape that had the Vor, massive dinosaur lizards, that would squash him with one swing of their tails. Only reason he’d killed the one was it had been on death’s door and far beyond being able to fight back and still it took him swinging like a lumber jack over and over and Bose digging into it’s throat to get past its stony hide and kill it.


    The only thing holding him back in the face of that bitch slap was he just didn’t know what this choice would truly do to him? And Bose was tied to him right? What would happen to both of them? Would they be turned into Devils, some infernal influenced mass murderer?


    Jeb was irritated with himself. In his days in the Army all this moral mental wrestling and indecision would have seen him dead a hundred times over. He buckled down and willed the Hell Stone into his hand. Immediately something popped up.


    Core Gem – Hell – Ancient, detected. User has empty Core Slots. Would you like to Slot Gem – Hell? Y/N


    Before he could talk himself out of it he mentally hit the yes as Bose sensing his stress, hands tremoring a tiny bit, stood and pressed into his hip. Another message rolled on in.


    Choice made and confirmed. Which Core Slot would you like to insert Gem – Hell? 1 – Body, 2 – Mind, 3 – Spirit? Understand that this decision cannot be reversed and has far reaching ramifications as far as Class Choices, Abilities and overall trajectory of the User’s Path. Please make a Selection.


    There was only one place, one, that fit who Jeb was and would ever be. He chose Body, and fuck the System and everything and everyone everywhere. His body froze as he was planted face first into the gray stone accompanied by a piercing yelp from Bose that broke his heart. Oww. Everything within him was burning, a darkness and flame that ate away at him, bones, flesh, once more being remade. His mind shoveled itself into a box, one pitch as night.


    He woke, freaking out, ready to fight, now knowing how long he’d been prone but as his eyes slid to the count-down in his vision, a breath released when he saw it had only been about fifteen seconds. Still, they were down to less than five minutes before they were booted. His hand reached out to grab the handle of his axe.


    Bose crawled next to him and as soon as Jeb felt his weight at his side he immediately pulled his boy to him. And once again he felt changes not only in himself but in his boy. He took a quick look as he pulled himself to his feet and took a step back as Bose’s eyes were now red and looked to have some black and red flames in their depths. What the fuck?


    He was also, once again, a bit bigger, again not by much but probably pushing two hundred lbs. He wondered if he himself was larger as well and also sporting demon eyes or well, based on the description, devil eyes but wouldn’t his jeans or t-shirt or jacket or work boots have ripped? Bogie appeared in front of him pulling on his cigar with a big toothy smile.


    “Looking good Soldier Boy and yes your eyes are like your beast’s and skin a bit duskier but that’s about it besides being a bit larger, maybe a couple inches. Don’t worry about your clothes though. Everything fits it’s size to it’s user inherently when it comes to clothes or most equipment like armor.”


    Burning eyes? He had burning hell eyes now? Ugh, this place sucked big sweaty balls. Embrace the suck soldier. It was less than he thought might happen. At least he didn’t have horns or a forked fucking tail coming out of his ass.


    “Hurry it up Soldier Boy, we about to be booted. This is going to be a bitch to get you a few miles so I’d say slot the Brute as well, anything that would help you survive is a big get at this point and your Affinity is high with it. If you do, I would suggests Spirit as I’m not sure but putting something like Brute in your Mind might have heavier implications. Hold onto the Holy to sell especially as your Affinity with it is shit.”


    Should he? Make a choice, keep it moving. If ya take a step soldier then fucking leap, no regrets, no second-guessing. Do what needs to get done and get the mission in the bag. He willed the Brute Gem, quickly went through the prompts and slammed it into his Spirit. This time he didn’t just drop only bent ever with some sharp cuts of pain, nowhere near what the other Gem had done.


    He didn’t know if it was cause it wasn’t his Major Core choice or difference in rarity or whatever. It didn’t matter in the end. Instead of a yelp Bose threw a low-key whimper. His boy was the man, tough as tough got.


    He went to a knee, ignoring the pain, dropping his axe and this time holding his boy to him. It ended after only five or so seconds. He grabbed his axe back up and stood at the same time as the ticker was falling on its last breaths in his vision.


    Bogie nodded his head as if seeing something he really liked in Jeb’s new devil eyes. Jeb had to agree he felt a lot stronger not only physically but mentally. He knew the memories still lurked in the shadows and had not weakened whatsoever but his mind felt more concrete and solid than it had in a long long long time. He knew he didn’t have time to truly go over it but he mentally willed his [Status] up.


    JEBEDIAH ‘JEB’ STONE


    Race – Infernal Touched Human


    Core – Copper (6)


    Class – (N/A – Please fill all Core Slots to attain a Class)


    Age – 52


    Core Causality – S+


    Titles – Balls Deep


    CORE SLOT – BODY (HELL – ANCIENT) (Major Core)


    Inherent Gift – Infernal Heritage


    Sub-Attributes


    Strength -- 3.0 (Empty)


    Agility – 1.5 (Empty)


    Constitution – 3.0 (Empty)


    CORE SLOT – MIND (EMPTY)


    Sub Attributes


    Intelligence – 1.3 (Empty)


    Perception -- 1.7 (Empty)


    Will – 2.5 (1.9*) (Empty)


    CORE SLOT – SPIRIT (BRUTE – UNCOMMON)


    Inherent Gift – Brutal Savagery


    Sub Attributes


    Soul – 2.1 (Empty)


    Aura – 2.5 (Empty)


    Fate – 2.7 (Empty)


    *Debuff – Induced Trauma


    UNIVERSAL ABILITIES


    Galactic Language Translation


    Spatial Inventory – Small (20 Slots) (Open Inventory? Y/N)


    (Equipment) (Open up Sub-Menu? Y/N)


    Bonded Animal Companion – Bose (Open Status Sheet? Y/N)


    The only thing that truly stood out besides the heady and heavy increase in his Attributes was his race. He was no longer human. That hurt but it was what it was. He’d learned a long time ago you do what you needed to survive war. Bogie’s voice whispered in his ear.


    “Remember Jebediah, stay low, stay quiet and that includes your pooch. I’ll do my best to scout but I can only move about fifteen feet from your position. Trust me and I’ll trust you. I got, what did you human soldiers say? I got your six.”


    He didn’t have a lot of choices but there was something about the Gremlin. He was irritating as fuck and he could tell, self-serving but in this, he trusted him. Once more into the damn Crucible. Good name they chose for this fucking place. He kept low, fingers pressed into the hickory wood of his axe as his other hand held Bose’s collar. Into the gray fog, he waded, into blood drowned trenches he felt like his whole life had been spent stepping through.