Chapter 1 - Of Caves and Refrigerators

It's often said that reality is stranger than fiction. For those who are swept up in the whirlwind of Fate, no statement could ever be more true.

The situation that Ethan Specter found himself in was unlike any other he had ever experienced.

"Wha-!?" He shouted loudly, jolting himself awake.

Panic washed over him as he opened his eyes, revealing his near pitch black surroundings.

"Where the hell am I?!" He muttered as a swirl of confused thoughts and emotions made their way through his mind.

The last thing he could remember, he was making his way to University teach his first class of the day on the bronze age collapse.

He had been waiting for the light to change at the crosswalk, when suddenly, He heard a loud crash and the squealing of tires.

As he turned to see what had happened, his eyes widened in terror as a refrigerator impacted his body, smashing him completely.

"Really!? That's how I died?" He laughed bitterly at the thought of dying in such a way.

He clearly remembered these events taking place. He had died...and yet was NOT dead. No matter how Ethan tried to make the pieces fit, it simply did not make sense.

"Gah! Forget it!" He yelled, pulling at his hair. Feeling he would undoubtedly get a migraine if he kept thinking about his untimely demise, he decided to let it go for now.

Peering into the darkness, he noticed long, pointed stone structures hanging from the ceiling and growing up from the stone floor. Stalagmites and stalagtites dotted the his surroundings.

"A cave...?" Ethan mused as his eyes began to adjust to the darkness. Fortunately, it seemed that the walls contained small luminous crystals. The light they gave off was a dim bluish-white color, allowing him to see, though not very well.

Although a bit wobbly, he managed to stand.

Making his way around the small chamber, he suddenly felt the air pressure change. Ethan heard whistling, while a subtle, cool breeze wafted over his face. He walked towards a large, nearby stalagtite. Once he got closer, He could just see the outline of a narrow passage just behind it.

"Yes! A way out!" He exclaimed as he approached the hidden tunnel.

The passage was small, very small. Squeezing sideways through the passageway he felt claustrophobic. Ethan had never really cared for tight spaces but this was no time to hesitate. He knew his only chance at survival began by escaping this place.

After a few minutes, Ethan found himself exiting into a large cavern. He was reminded of a large cathedral as the ceiling was at least 100 feet high while the cavern itself was at least 500 feet from end to end. He was in awe, as he had never experienced a place like this before.

Suddenly, the sound of of dripping water brought him out of his reverie. It was then that he noticed a large pool of water. Its jet black surface reflecting the light from the glowing crystals.

Making his way towards the edge of the water he kicked a small stone in to test for anything moving. As the stone hit the water it caused small ripples on the surface.

Just as Ethan knelt to take a better look a large Eel like creature lunged out toward him, Its mouth wide open with razor sharp teeth and set of glowing blood red eyes.

"Holy shit!" Ethan screamed as he fell backwards on to the ground.

Cold sweat streaked down his face and his body trembled.

'Damn, if I had been any closer that bastard might have gotten me' he cried inwardly as he shook his head trying not to think about it.

Deciding not to take any more risks in this place, he stood up and began looking for a way out again.

After a bit of searching, he found the entrance to a larger tunnel. Roughly 12 feet in diameter, it was noticeably slanting upward.

'Not just a cave but underground as well?' He thought to himself as he made his way through the winding tunnel.

After walking for what seemed like an hour, and meeting several dead ends, he turned a corner and was instantly elated.

Sunlight! Sweet, beautiful sunlight!

Overcome by joy, Ethan rushed forward to the cave entrance but was stopped cold. A piercing pain brought him to his knees. It felt like his brain was melting as he clutched his skull.

However, as sudden as it was, the pain disappeared just as quick. Panting heavily, he tried to catch his breath.

'what the actual hell was that?! I thought is was gonna die...AGAIN!!' The thought of dying, twice in one day, made Ethan curse his luck.

It was at this time that he noticed something unusual in his vision. Something that shouldn't exist, but it did.

A large, red window had appeared before his very eyes. A magnificent Golden Eagle, carrying a sword & sheild, sat at the top. while elegant, gold writing began to appear.

[Congratulations! You have successfully completed the Tutorial Mission 'Escape the Forgotten cave'

Your Reward will be calculated by the [Imperial System] based on the overall time used

Would you like to see your rewards, Y/N]

'.....'

Ethan was dumbfounded.

'There's no way this is real, right?' He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was only seeing things. But when he opened them, the window was still there. He had no choice but to believe his own eyes.

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Author's Note - Yes! first chapter done! suck it procrastination!