The Verdhi System

Marcus stood solidly silent in the safety of the stone he merged with. He took in the beauty of the world he had found himself in the midst of. He had always seen the apartment complex he mostly lived in to be quite the dull display of human living. The dungeon had a sweet smell to it, like honey had filled the air. The sky was open and a rare aquamarine blue. The clouds swept across the sky like Olympian runners, which made Marcus laugh as the clouds were literally shaped like people.

Beyond the marvelous black and white marble floor, the gray stone pillars that lifted up an already collapsed roof, and the carved castle like walls that made up abandoned area Marcus was in; laid a field of grass and a forest with trees that seemed to gently caress the sky. It was as though the trees were waving to the cloud people.

As he realized just the sheer beauty of the world before him, he saw the body of Samantha being gnawed on by small squirrel-like critters whose fur were as blue as the pacific ocean with tusks as sharp as an elephant's. It howled after consuming bits of Sam's eyeballs.

"Calm down Marcus," he told himself, "This is a dungeon. Runners will be here sooner or later and will come rescue you. But what if they don't find me? I should cry out for help. Wait, but time works differently in dungeons. This is what I get for not studying up on Horology, so much for trying to be a scout. Wait, scouts!"

Clearing a dungeon is frankly impossible to do on your own. Although many people have tried, they have all failed. Once they actually face against what most would call a dungeon boss, all solo runners would die a horrible death. Now is the reason they died simply due to the fact that the boss was too strong or was it due to the fact that the solo runner lacked the knowledge? To solve the issue and prevent as much causalities as possible, the International Runner Association (IRA) came up with the official recommended party structure.

The first and most important- in terms of how highly sought after and needed this type of person is- member of the party is the scout. They are responsible for 3 things; finding the baton, assessing the difficulty of the dungeon, and finding the most effective route to take in the dungeon. Most of these things can be done through internet research, as most difficult dungeons have been thoroughly researched and posted on internet forums for scouts to read up on.

When Marcus was only 7 years old, he found out that neither of his parents were scouts, and his idol Kyles was a scout for a majority of his career as a runner, before inevitably switching off to a DPS role- the same one as his father- which helped him solidify his career as one of the fastest among all the best modern runners. So while he would spend his younger days on his phone or tablet watching scout explained videos on YouTube, his parents would be running dungeons and Samantha would be doing schoolwork.

Like a sponge he soaked up everything you needed to know to become a scout, as well as a majority of information on runners in general, all while keeping his grades up and possible friends away. At school he was nicknamed the false starter, because he was trying to get a leg up on everybody else who wanted to become a runner.

While Marcus waited for a party to save him he began passing the time by going over everything he knew about parties and dungeons. "The DPS is the Destroy Poke Slay role, created for the main purpose of destroying harmful magical objects, to be the one who pokes first when encountering a mob, and to slay any mob that may come into contact with the party. The Tank role, created for the main purpose of defending the party, putting themselves in harms way to ensure everyone else's survival. The Healer role, created for the main purpose of healing the party and dealing with any physiological problems. The group leader, who is meant to command the party."

<You have survived 5 minutes inside a dungeon>

Marcus's heart raced as the stone pillar he was emerged in shook along with the beat of his heart. He heard a mechanical voice whisper directly into his head.

<Activating the Verdhi System>

<Verdhi System active in...>

<3>

"The Verdhi System, origins unknown across the globe," he whispered to himself.

<2>

He forced out a smile, "Every human is capable of magic, but only when the Verdhi System is active."

<1>

"I can free myself with a spell!"

<Verdhi System Activated>

<Do not be afraid, you will now experience your magical core being unlocked>

The sky turned purple. The trees dissolved and mixed with the cloud people crafting moss infested sculptures that plastered the skies. The grass blackened, supplemented with the scent of volcanic ash that was carried along with a breeze that hustled the fragrance of the ocean. Everything froze. Marcus could only feel a deep chill run through his nerves like runners heading headfirst into a dungeon. The chill, conquering his breath and clearing it all out of his lungs. He gasped for air, but could only taste stone. His mouth like swabs of cotton in the Sahara desert. His throat parched and closed. Then suddenly, the same chill that took his breath away, runs through him again in reverse. Filling his lungs up, opening his throat, saturating his mouth, and enhancing the aroma of the ocean. As a euphoric wave washes over him, he let out a loud rhapsodic wail! He paused for only a moment as his heart- THUMP BADA THUMP, in quick succession, multiple times over like the percussion of an orchestra. His eyes rolled back as the world around him rolled back to normal. The sky turned aquamarine blue.

<Magical core successfully unlocked, would you like to see your statistics>

"Yes," Marcus said panting for air while trying to catch his breath. Long inhales and sharp exhales interrupted him as he tried to speak, "Verdhi System, I heard that you," he gulps a mass of air, "ugh- fuck. I heard that you have different personalities for every human."

<Yes, that is correct>

"Can you give me a personality of a loving mother."

Silence rose as Marcus's labored breathing died down. "If not, you can-"

<"Marcus, how are you today?">

Marcus's lips quivered as he heard the Verdhi System's voice. It was a cacophony of Jas the Healer, Diane, his mother, and Sam's voice all rolled into one. shaking the dreadful stone pillar he was encased in. "I entered a dungeon today mom."

<"That's great Marcus! Would you like to tell me about your experience with it so far?">

"Well, I'm inside a piece of stone. I've only been here for like 5 minutes, but it feels like I've been here for hours."

<"Time distortion, it happens in the first 5 minutes you enter a dungeon. Without a clock to keep runners grounded, most runners tend to lose their sense of time due to the difference of how time passes between the human world and the dungeon.">

"Thank you, I didn't know that."

<"I know you've always wanted to ask me about it. Do you have any other questions? I'll try to answer all of them to the best of my abilities sweetie!">

"How does it feel to get a stronger magical core? Like, how does it feel to level up mom?"

<"Have you ever went on a run? Not a dungeon run, but an actual run. At some point in the run, you'll start losing your breath, your legs would get tired, and your heart feels like it's about to implode. Despite it all, a rush comes over you, it's as though you've been rejuvenated and you feel as though you can keep on running. Until you stop, catch your breath, and hear your body scream for you to take a rest, but your mind wants you to run 100 more miles. That's how it feels to level up.">

Marcus's phantom leg kicked forward, oozing out excitement as the stone pillar oozed out blood with feathers embedded into it. "Mom, what does it take to be a great runner like you?"

<I am not a runner>

<The Verdhi System is incapable of answering that question>

Marcus's pupil dropped low, "Oh. I'm sorry."

<"Would you like to view your statistics, honey">

"Ok."

<Loading Marcus Aeon's statistics...>

"You're fine Marcus," he told himself, "Just go over what you know. Magical cores are just like video game power ups, my stats only add onto my physical stats. I don't know how to train my stats, so I'll have to learn."

----------------------------------

[Name: Marcus Aeon]

[Role: UNDECIDED]

[Statistics]

{- Strength : Level 0 (0/10)

- Magic Power : Level 0 (0/10)

- Defense : Level 0 (0/10)

- Sensory : Level 0 (0/10)

Average Runner Level: 0}

[Skills]

{"Loner's Paradise" - This is a passive skill gained through life experiences. While feeling alone you gain bonus experience and rewards.}

[No Spells have been learned]