We landed in a big mess on top of each other. I quickly got on my feet and looked back at the portal to see if the goblins followed us.
"Get of my damn arm!"
"Uhh! I'm so sorry Rolf!" Chioma was directly on top of Rolf. Only his injured arm between them.
She moved away, slightly red in the head. "Were are we?"
We had been transported somewhere else. It certainly wasn't the plaza.
We were standing in a huge cave. The portal whirled directly inside the stone wall. It didn't seem like any goblins came after us.
30 meters down, the cave got wider and some kind of green light made a barrier between, us and the rest of the cave.
"It might be wrong. But with portals and goblins running around... It might be a buffer zone."
"You think it's like a game Rolf?" I smirked at him, as Chioma was feeling his broken arm.
"I can't be sure. But so far everything about the portals and the friggin goblins has followed the same construction as some games."
Chioma stopped touching his arm, "I think you're lucky. Your arm is broken, but it's still in the right place. If you don't disturb it, it should be able to heal on its own."
Rolf ignored her. His face was serious.
"Chioma. What did you experience when you went through the portal?"
"I don't know exactly. I Suddenly stood in darkness. Some kind of wheel in front of me, and a voice telling me to spin it. I did, and some light flashed and flowed into me."
She looked skeptical, not believing herself as she spoke.
"Then the voice told me to activate something, and when I repeated its words, some blue light with numbers and my name appeared. Then I was here. It made no sense."
"Hmm." Rolf pulled his good hand trough his hair.
"The same happened to me. Is this what you spoke of Frey?"
I nodded. "It is. I experienced the same."
"I think this is important. I think it's why you got stronger as well. I think it's data about us. The status..."
He suddenly stopped talking and made a funny sound in surprise. Then his faced turned into a big smile.
"That's it! Can you see it? My status is right in front of me!"
Chioma and I looked at each other, worrying.
"Are you sure you're okay Rolf? Did you hurt your head before?"
He just started to pace back and forth, smiling like a crazy person.
Then he stopped and moved his hand in the air.
"You need to try it! I can see my health and everything! There are even a section, saying I have a Fireball!"
PHWOOOSH!
A ball of fire, the size of small football formed at his hand, and in a second it was flying towards the green wall.
It hit the wall with a bang, the flames spread across the wall and disappeared.
We all stood with open mouths. Then Rolf cried out in laugh. Chioma and I just stared at him in disbelief.
"HAHAHA! That's friggin awesome! You guys need to try it!"
"Status!" Chioma said. Then her eyes widened.
"It's true! I can see it as well!"
"What does it say?" Rolf asked, walking to her.
"Just my name. And some numbers. Strength? Agility? Intellect? I don't know what it means."
"Well, in games they are indicators for how strong you are. Or how much magic you have."
"Are you kidding me Rolf? Magic?"
"Didn't you just see my fireball?! Try putting your hand on the light, you can scroll it. What does it say in the bottom?"
Chioma did as he said. "Skill: Strength Punch. Then it says 40 mana and 1 sec cast. The text indicate I can do more damage?"
"Ohh! That sounds awesome! Try using it!" I had never seen Rolf more happy.
"But how?"
"Try closing your fist. And concentrate on it while speaking the name of the skill."
She closed her fist, and wrinkles appeared on her forehead.
"It's not working."
"How much mana do you have?" He asked. "Look at the top."
"I have 25?"
"That's the problem. Didn't you say it cost 40 mana?"
"I did. I guess I can't do anything for now then." She waved her hand in the air.
"What about you, Frey?" They looked at me.
"Well I'll give it a try. Status!"
Name: Frey Raven. Level 2. Inventory: 0/110
Currency: 0C. 0S. 0G. 0T. Dungeon Points: 1
Health: 86/130 Mana: 135/135 Fatigue: 89/170
Passive Mana regeneration: 2,4 / 5sec.
Unallocated Attribute Points: 3
Stamina: 24 - Strength: 24 - Agility: 24
Intellect: 25 - Spirit: 24 - Perception: 40
Class: None
Skills: (Rank F) Unique Growth Skill: Looter. (Rank ??) Unique Mythical Skill: Dungeon Creation. (Rank N/A) Skill-ability: Eternal Watchful Eye.
Titles: The First. Dungeon Master.
"Woah! This is crazy!"
"What does it say?!" Rolf sounded enthusiastic.
"It shows me numbers and my name, just as you guys. But I'm level 2? And I have 3 unallocated points?"
Rolf and Chioma spoke simultaneously.
"I'm only level 1."
They looked at each other and smiled.
"Try pushing on an attribute. Maybe you can Increase it."
I pushed the first one.
"It worked! The numbers changed when I pushed stamina. It increased to 25! And also the health increased to 135 and the fatigue to 175!"
Rolf's jaw dropped.
"WHAT! That high? I only have 35 health and 75 fatigue? how can that be? What else do you have Frey?"
I looked over my screen again.
"Well I have 3 skills and 2 titles. One skill say I can create dungeons, another say I can loot more currency? Oh and 2 titles that improved my attributes by a lot."
Rolf looked at me in disbelief. "Why did u get so lucky? I only got the fireball."
He shook his head.
"That doesn't matter. Can you use the skills, like I did?"
I tried pushing the Looter skill.
"Nothing happened at the first one. It just expanded the text. Showing me that I have extra void storage. Whatever that is. And that it will gather loot automatic within 1 meter. Also it gives me a chance to loot additional currency."
"Hmm. None of it makes sense right now. But it surely makes me think about games... Try the next one!"
I pushed the Dungeon skill.
"It's just gray. I can't push it. It say I have insufficient points."
Looking up my screen I noticed that I had 1 DP.
"I guess that goblin we killed, gave me 1 point. Apparently that's not enough to use the skill."
"Maybe I was too hasty." Rolf laughed. "Two skills, and so far they are both useless! Tell me the last one!"
I pushed the last one.
"It says I can reveal details about my target. No mana cost or anything."
"Try it on me. Rolf is wounded and there is nothing here. And it doesn't sound dangerous." Chioma spoke while looking with worry at Rolf's arm.
"I agree. You should try it out." Rolf urged me to continue.
I looked at Chioma, thinking about how her status would look like, when suddenly it appeared.
Name: Chioma Adewale. Level 1.
Health: 40 Mana: 25 Fatigue: 54/80
Class: None
Skill: Strength Punch.
"Oh Wauw! I can see your status! But there isn't as much information as on my own. I can see your name, and level. Adewale?"
She winched, "Don't say my name like that, it sounds terrible when you say it! But amazing you can see it! What else can you see?"
They both looked at me very curiously, so I continued.
"I can see how much health, mana and fatigue you have. Your fatigue is 54/80. You must be tired! I know I am!"
"Yeah, I am. Now continue!"
"Well it just says class: None. And then it shows the name of your skill. But I can't see the details about it."
Rolf had just listened intensely so far.
"It must be a game. Somehow the shockwave have destroyed our technology and placed a game in our world. I know it sounds crazy, but it all adds up I assure you!"
He might be right. And however many different thoughts we had right now. It didn't change the fact that I was ravenous hungry. My stomach reminded me by growling loudly.
"Well we know how to watch our status or whatever, now. But I haven't slept for what feels like an entire day. I haven't had any food and barely any water."
We discussed the events so far.
We couldn't exit the cave. We would die if we returned to the goblins. The only option was to proceed trough the cave and hope to find some food and water.
Chioma sat down and removed her jacket. Folded it and put it behind her head, before she let herself fall backward.
"Whatever you want. Or whatever you do. I'm not moving before I've had some sleep. Who knows when we will get another chance like this."
I looked at my uncle, and he looked at me. We both laughed.
"It will be hard to sleep on an empty stomach, on a rocky ground. But you're right. Even if we find food, it's no use if we are too exhausted to gather or hunt."
Rolf lay down next to Chioma. And I followed his example.
"Don't get any funny ideas Rolf, scoot away now." Chioma said, but let him stay next to her for comfort and warmth.
He just laughed.
I fell asleep.