My hand reached out at the exact moment I woke up, sitting up abruptly in bed. My breathing was ragged, and my eyes desperately searched for my hands. One was missing: the left. My arm was stitched and bandaged, a tight dressing stanching what remained of the bleeding.
Around me, a simple house. It reminded me of the structure where I had slept before, but the walls were made of mushrooms, as was the bed—in fact, everything there was of fungal origin. As I turned to the bedside, memories of DJ and Magrelo flooded my mind like painful flashes. Then, I thought of Musculoso and Baixinha. Are they okay? Are they even alive?
I stood up with difficulty, heading toward the door. Upon opening it, the view paralyzed me: a vast and majestic cavern opened before me. Immense trees sprouted from the ground far below, where green grass and wildlife pulsed, surrounded by stone walls that seemed to embrace the forest. Exotic birds soared over the canopy, and beneath my feet, I felt the texture of wood. I was on a suspended structure, connected to the treetops by bridges and stairways.
I descended the steps until I found a walkway leading to a small building. There was a sign at the entrance in a script I didn't recognize; perhaps the native language of the Mycelians. Approaching, I saw the interior: a table, a chair, and cabinets filled with vials.
Sitting in the chair was a mushroom wearing a white lab coat. He turned quickly, and our eyes met. He was short, reaching somewhere between my chest and stomach.
— Phew, you woke up rather quickly. You're the first human my wife and I have met in person. A pleasure... hmmm...
— Arata. My name is Arata.
— Arata, right. Since you're awake, I imagine you have questions?
— Many.
— Okay, brace yourself. We were enslaved by your species. We aren't afraid of all humans, but we harbor an immense rage. My parents were slaughtered by your people. But don't feel remorse for me; I don't carry that weight. And don't worry, I won't hurt you.
— I don't understand... Enslaved? By humans?
— Unfortunately, yes. Your race treats us like cattle. Beneath Classes City, there is a metallic cube—a prison where our society lives. We work for you, producing internet, electricity, and all the technology of your world. Yes, we know your world. We hear stories while we work; the patrol guards talk too much.
— Wait... you're saying you create the city's technology? But how?
The doctor sighed: — I'll explain it simply. My people were originally hunters of the shadow people—the Corrupted. These black, cubic figures are born from negative feelings and the use of the System itself. Every time you activate a skill, it generates usable energy and a residual charge that is discarded. This energetic waste and the dark feelings of the users create the Corrupted. As long as Systems exist, their birth will never stop.
— So... if all System users died, would the evil in the world end?
— In theory, yes. However, there is another way. The shadow race is divided into ranks: the Husks (mindless cannon fodder), the Sentinelas (tactical and vengeful), and the Abyss Monarchs. And then there are the Three Pillars: Morphos, Lumen, and Logos. If they fall, the entire race dies. But to reach them, you'd need the Guardian Race, the only ones who can take you to the true Hell. Well... that's what the mushrooms tell their children. A legend no one has ever proven real.
— It's too much information to process... but what does this have to do with Classes City's energy?
— Everything. When a Corrupted dies at the hands of a human, it vanishes. But if a Mycelian kills it, we can extract the core. We use our spores to purify it, turning the core into absolute energy. What your people call "A Miracle."
I felt the weight of knowing that if I used the System, a monster would be created. But I ignored it for now.
— But I still don't get it. Why enslave you? Wouldn't just one of you be enough?
— The purified orbs only last 30 minutes after being destroyed, turning into dust. That's why they created a city where we lived just to be cattle.
— That's cruel, man... how can humanity have no empathy for this?
— Perhaps because they hide our race. Our ancestors tried to speak to your people, but they died tragically. They thought we were just Corrupted in the form of mushrooms...
— That's... sad. I almost died against the Colossus. I only survived by luck and with the System's help. It was a good idea to expand it from the inside out, but I felt powerless to protect everyone in my group. Ah, right... Mr. Mushroom...
— You can call me Frockie.
— Frockie, did you see any humans who fell into that massive hole where I came from?
— I didn't find any, I'm sorry.
— It's okay. Where are we? I have no idea what this place is.
— We are very close to the human Underground People...
— Really?! The people beneath the earth?
— Yes, but there is a long path with dangerous obstacles. Perhaps your friends are there.
— And if they aren't?
— Then... they certainly died. Because the opposite path leads toward the Ant People...
— But they're just ants. Why would they be dangerous?
— They are carnivores. They eat anything they see, without conscience. If you have to deal with them, please, just run for your life.
I was interrupted by footsteps. A female Mycelian appeared:
— Honey? Is he awake? I made breakfast.
She placed a board on the table with two leaves and some bizarre insects. While Frockie ate, he asked:
— You're missing an arm, aren't you?
— Yes...
— Right. I'll solve your little problem. But I need materials: the metal from the observation tower (watch out for a scientist's forbidden experiments there) and wires from the forest factory. With that, I'll make your mechanical left arm.
He opened a cabinet, took a map, and suddenly bit and ripped his own finger off. I panicked:
— HEY! You just ripped your finger off! Are you crazy?
— Sorry, I forgot you humans don't regenerate. We can grow back.
He used the finger to mark the map and handed it to me.
— Take the map, find the materials, and come back... please, be careful.
— Leave it to me, boss. Back at school, they called me "Aurudo"—someone with a lot of Aura. Having Aura is a very good thing in my reality... so I won't die that easily!
After a few minutes, I was already in the forest. I felt the damp grass beneath my feet; the air was pleasant, and the birdsong brought a momentary peace. My focus, however, was on the tower. I walked carefully, avoiding vines. I didn't know what might be watching from the shadows.
The tower was tall, nearly touching the cavern ceiling. It stood in an open field. I approached the door and pushed it open. The interior was circular with a spiral staircase. I noticed a heavy hatch on the first floor but decided to stay away.
I climbed the floors, finding chaotic workbenches and yellowed papers. On one level, a paper stuck to my shoe. I pulled it off and read. It was a log about Slimes.
"I always dreamed of slimes in real life... stage 345, I managed to recreate my first specimen. But it died. The cause was hunger. I discovered how to feed them..."
The rest was torn. Slimes? That scientist was playing God.
Finally, I reached the top. There it was: a special metal cube, the size of my palm. I used the System to DECOMPOSE the material and store it in the WAREHOUSE.
As I checked the panel, I remembered the Colossus reward.
[Rewards have already been applied]
I ignored it for now and started my way back. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from below. Something was there. I remodeled my chains into a brass knuckle to increase my punch impact.
On the third floor, I saw it: a static blue liquid sphere. I tried to kick it away. The moment I touched it, the tip of my sneaker began to dissolve.
A terrible theory arose: Slimes fed on everything... or almost everything.
Seconds later, dozens of them sprouted from the cracks. I started running back up. How could I fight a horde that melted matter? I noticed a small core glowing inside them. If I destroy the core, I destroy the monster.
Reaching the top again, I flipped benches and cabinets to block the stairs. I fell to the ground, desperate. I had to act now. I searched the System and found the new skill:
[Skill Unlocked: RAPID FIRE] The user can fire projectiles through their fingertips using analyzed chemical compounds.
I pointed my hand at the wall and commanded: — RAPID FIRE!
The shot blasted from my fingers. It wasn't as fast as the one during my "overdose," but it was powerful. Immediately, I spat out some blood. Overusing this would make me faint. But I had no choice.
The sound of the barricade creaking was the metronome of death. The slimes forced the cabinets, the hiss of corrosion echoing like a countdown. I breathed deeply, the metallic taste of blood on my tongue. My mind sought the rhythm of the melody that defined the coming massacre.
"The world outside is a planned chaos..." — the lyrics pulsed in my skull.
I didn't push the barricade back. I DECOMPOSED it with a touch.
The moment the cabinet turned into blue dust, the horde lunged. I didn't flinch. I took the first step, extending my only remaining hand.
— RAPID FIRE!
Shots blasted from my fingertips like needles of pure kinetic energy. The first slime exploded as the projectile pierced its core. Hot slime splashed my face, but I was already gone.
— FLASH STEP!
The world froze. In a millisecond, the System processed the environment and "guided" my body. I didn't need to think; I simply reappeared on the staircase wall, body horizontal. It was as if the Colossus reward had integrated into my nervous system, optimizing my survival reflexes.
I pointed my fingers down. Three shots. Three cores shattered.
"Dancing between bullets and knives, without fear of getting cut..."
I used the wall as momentum and jumped into the middle of the stairs, landing on a smaller slime. My shoe began to sizzle. The System detected the damage and a notification flashed.
— RECREATE: REINFORCED SOLE! — I ordered mentally, molding a thin metal layer to protect my feet. My body seemed to move on its own.
"Every step is a risk, every cut is a warning..."
I went down the steps as a blur. When a larger group blocked the way, I didn't stop. — FLASH STEP! — The System calculated the perfect trajectory. I reappeared at the base, already touching the metal handrail.
— DECOMPOSE! — The metal vanished under my fingers. I didn't even need to visualize the shape. The System suggested the most efficient creation. I confirmed: RECREATE. Dozens of fixed spikes shot forward. The slimes, carried by their own inertia, impaled themselves on the iron spears.
I spun on my heel, firing RAPID FIRE rhythmically. Bang. Bang. Bang. Every shot made my chest burn. Blood rose in my throat, but I swallowed it. I had to survive.
"In the middle of the crossfire, I found my playground..."
I reached the first floor. The hatch was wide open, spewing a giant mass—the progenitor of the brood. It was a translucent slime filled with old bones. It lashed an acid tentacle at my neck.
I didn't dodge. My body moved forward in a counter-attack calculated by the System. I extended my right hand and DECOMPOSED the tentacle at the millisecond of impact. The slime turned into energy dust.
— You want to eat? — I growled, my voice failing.
I used FLASH STEP to appear instantly behind it, above the open hatch. I pulled the metal cube from the WAREHOUSE and threw it toward its "mouth."
The System processed the best tactic: the central core was the target. — DECOMPOSE! — Just as the cube entered, I turned it into pure metallic dust. Then, I injected that dust directly into the monster's core with a RECREATE command. The metallic mass expanded inside, tearing it apart.
The solid matter shredded the monster's membrane from the inside out. It tried to regenerate, but my fingers were already aimed. — MAX OUTPUT: RAPID FIRE!
A continuous beam of light pierced the expanded metal and shattered the main core. The Giant Slime exploded into a harmless rain of jelly.
"Silence is what's left when the dance ends..."
I walked over the blue remains, through the tower door. The fresh forest air hit my lungs. My fingers trembled, emitting blue residual smoke. The System processed the victory, calming my heartbeat.
I walked a few meters into the open field. My legs gave out. I didn't faint; I just let myself fall onto my back on the soft grass.
I looked up at the immense treetops hiding the ceiling of the colossal cavern. I wiped the trail of blood from the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand.
— Not bad... — I whispered to myself, as the music faded in my mind, leaving only the sound of my breathing returning to normal.
I was exhausted, broken, and missing an arm. But I felt that reality wasn't just crushing me anymore. With the System perfecting my body, I was finally starting to mold it.