Gayle rushed me out of the manor after he collected me from Elenai's room. He didn't give me much time to get a good look at the house, but I got the impression that it wasn't much of a home but a grand display of wealth.
Spacious hallways, elegant furniture, crystal chandeliers; the manor had all of that. But I didn't spot any random things lying on the ground, like a toy or a forgotten pair of socks. The family pictures hung up on the wall were lifeless―not a smile could be seen on any of the family's faces. There was nothing here that made this giant house feel like a home.
I flashed back to the old apartment I lived in as a kid. My toys were always scattered around the living room. My dad's daily newspaper stationed in its regular spot on the small table by the recliner. My mom, an avid photographer, hung pictures of me she'd taken over the years, from the time I was a newborn to the time I turned 12. It was old, cramped, and in dire need of a fix-up, but it felt like home.
The circular courtyard was just as beautiful as the inside of the house. The manor sat squarely in the middle. Two walkways made of bluestone divided the semicircle into four parts: one path led from the front door to the gate while the second path curved around to match the circular shape of the courtyard, providing two ways to enter the backyard. In between the walkways were inner walking areas made of hardened white clay.
Think of the inner walking areas like large squares. Each square had a fountain in the center with four benches. Green, blocky shrubbery made up the sides of the square with an entry point so people could enter. One of the fountain's statues was a prideful golden lion, holding its head high as water trickled out of its mouth and down into the basin. In the other fountain, the statue was a silver lioness, stopping down as if to take a drink of the water from the basin. Such fine craftsmanship!
Gayle ushered me over to the gate and pressed a button. The back iron bars swung open. A cold feeling slithered up my spine. Trouble waited for me beyond these gates.
It came in the form of an odd contraption. A huge a steel sphere floated 3 feet above the ground. Think of it as a shiny grey balloon without a string the size of a car. That's what this thing was.
The big guy sauntered up to it, slapped his hand on its side, and took a step back. The slap caused a circular door to appear on the floating sphere. It slid open, revealing a luxurious interior.
Inside were two white leather seats equipped with armrests, cup holders and panels with multiple buttons on them. A smooth, silky material I didn't recognize made up the floor.
"Get in," Gayle grunted.
I stepped inside and slipped into one of the chairs. It molded to fit my body shape so I could sit comfortably. Nice! I didn't understand the science behind this vehicle, but I could tell whoever designed it was a genius.
Gayle got in and clapped twice. The door shut and a steering wheel appeared before the big guy. He pressed a button and the black glass in front of us became transparent, revealing the outside world.
I sat up as I watched it transform. "Woah!"
He glanced at me, expressionless. "Put your seatbelt on."
My hand went to grab the belt hanging next to me, but all I touched was thin air. "Uh...Where is it?"
"First button on the panel."
I pressed it and as soon as the seatbelt came on, Gayle sped forward. The force of his sudden start made me slam back in my seat.
Clenching the armrests, I looked over at Gayle and said through gritted teeth, "You mind slowing down?"
He gave me a grunt and only sped up. My opinion of this hairy bugger was getting worse by the minute.
...
The ride to the dungeon took around forty or so minutes. I took a short nap during the ride; sleep was the only escape from Gayle's reckless driving.
He woke me up by dragging me out of the floating sphere and throwing me on the ground. What a nice guy.
I got up with a grunt, rubbing my shoulder. "You didn't have to do that."
Bigfoot only pointed to a one-story building and said, "Go."
I walked over to it, studying its features. There wasn't much to look at., as grey stone made up the entirety of the building. It had no redeeming traits at all, besides the sign in front of it, labeled 1-STAR FOREST DUNGEON.
A bus pulled up next to us. It looked relatively normal, except for the fact that it was also floating off the ground. A group of forty or so people unloaded off the bus. Two adults―a man and a woman―led a group of kids toward the building. The kids were around 10 and were jumping around, like the hyper little buggers they are.
The woman spotted me first. She smiled at me and said, "Hi! I'm Lexus. Our supervisor explained we're getting a helper to help us with the new Players. Are you Edmundo?"
I glanced back over at Gayle, but he was already leaving. If floating cars could have smoke trailing after them like in the cartoons, then this one definitely would.
Looking back over to Lexus, I said, "No, I'm not Edmundo. My name's...Powyn Theeves."
The man who'd been trying to calm the kids spun around with an ugly look on his face. "You're who?"
Lexus pursed her lips. "You heard him, Rae. It's Powyn Theeves."
Rae scowled and crossed his arms. "What's he doing here? Shouldn't his family be taking care of him?"
"Yeah, no," I answered. "They're kind of not cool with me so they booted me off to this place."
He sneered. "Serves you right."
"Rae," Lexus warned. She gave him a look before turning back to me. "So you've been Reincarnated. The losing side of the PvP battle always resets back to level 1, so of course, your family would send you here."
Huh. So that's what Elenai meant.
The woman continued talking. "I understand that coming from the substitute world, you're a bit confused about how things work here. If you want some guidance, we'd be happy to help."
Rae protested, "Lexus! Why should we help that-"
"Enough, Rae," Lexus snapped. "We're here to help all new Players, including Reincarnates." She looked at me, her eyes flashing. "No matter who they are."
Okay, getting mixed vibes from this lady. And what was this Rae guy's deal? I didn't even know this bugger and he's acting like I killed his best friend and slept with his wife afterward.
Before I could accept their offer for help, an alert popped up in front of my face.
Briiing! [This is a Main Mission. Players cannot receive help while completing a Main Mission.]
I sighed. "Sorry. I've got a mission so I apparently can't get help."
She nodded. "Don't worry. I understand. If you want to stick around while we teach the kids, it won't technically count as helping."
"That's pushing it, Lex," Rae grumbled. "You know how serious the Game Master is when it comes to his rules."
Briiing! [The Player Rae Burgen is correct.]
Lexus gave me an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I guess we'll see you around in the dungeon."
"Mm."
I marched over to the building and grabbed the door. Hesitating only for a second, I pushed open the door. I was ready for whatever was on the other side.