Tier 1

January 15th, 2022

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...[Challenge 1 successful. The Tutorial has been completed. Adjustments have been made]

[Challenge 1 was completed through hidden clear conditions. Bonus rewards will be distributed shortly to the individual(s) responsible.]

[Congratulations, Earth is officially a Tier 1 Planet. Your Challenge Page has been updated.]

"Status," Richter said.

He was one of many who scrolled over to inspect the changes. Turns out, it had gone through a severe overhaul.

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[Challenge: 2 || World Tier: 1 || Challenges to Next Tier: (0/3) Completed]

[Current Challenge – Clear all newly spawned Tier 1 dungeons]

China - (0/6)

India - (0/6)

United States - (0/4)

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Japan - (0/3)

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The list went on. Every country contained one or more of these dungeons, and the locals weren't the only ones who noticed. Drek and Stel were situated far above the city, recording the event from start to finish.

"Ow!" Drek smacked him upside the head.

"You said they was already a Tier 1 planet!" he hissed.

"That's what the broker told me! He's a reputable source, so I didn't question it."

"Reputable my ass, he lied! Now our original contract is toast. We're stuck siding with the family.

Drek tilted his head back, exasperated, "So, What does Father think of this? Are we screwed?"

"I'll find out right now."

Stel pulled out a beautiful runic smartphone from his pocket. The sleek, black design housed a rectangular opening at the bottom, where he slid in a colorless crystal with an audible click. Vibrations made the phone tremble, and its black design became marred with red as it rang. The sudden blue projection reflected back a small girl sitting on the edge of a lavish bed, and neither man looked happy about it.

"Hello boys~" she twitted.

"Hello Clare," they grumbled.

Drek cleared his throat, "I was ringing for Father, can you pass it over to him?"

"He's busy right now, so I'm answering his calls."

Clare merrily swung her feet off the edge of the bed. Her smile was chilling, even through the monochromatic image.

Stel averted his gaze, awkwardly scratching his cheek.

"Um, It's a private matter. I don't think you'd know–"

"Oh I know." She pushed her bangs aside. "Did Richter receive the bonuses?"

Drek and Stel shared a look before speaking.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure."

Clare stared hard at the two men.

"Well, regardless – the XP is its own reward; you've done well. Continue monitoring him and report back once he chooses his subclass. I'll send you an identification scroll to use when that happens."

"But that could take weeks or even months. We can't afford to be stuck here–"

"Yes, you can," She cut in coldly. "Father is kind, even toward deserters. You'll be paid the standard rate while you're stationed there. Twenty Silver per day plus one Gold per week. That should suffice between the both of you."

Drek and Stel clammed up in defeat. The decision had been made for them, and Clare wasn't giving any room for negotiation. They acknowledged her with a light nod.

"Also, I've used my authority to quell some chatter from foreign powers, but they've taken matters into their own hands. Official bounties are being placed on your heads, with some offering dozens of Platinum for your capture or death. They didn't appreciate your meddling."

She paused and took a drink of water from a canteen on her belt, unable to make out the paling faces through the projection.

"Naturally, my word means little to the Outpost, so expect trouble. Good luck!"

Her chipper sign-off did nothing for them. The two reeled back and sat on their floating metal disk.

"We shoulda just killed 'em.

Drek glared at his brother, "Now we're stuck on a fledgling planet with no source of experience."

Stel avoided his gaze, turning red with embarrassment. He'd been warned about getting reinvolved with the family, now they were paying the price. Still...

"That isn't true," he spoke up.

"Hmm?"

"We may have a source of experience, and a good one at that."

His fervent gaze formed goosebumps on Drek's arms. This idea couldn't be entertained.

"We'll make too many enemies Stel; we need to keep it non-lethal if possible."

"We won't have to worry about our enemies if it works out." Stel was bursting with intensity.

"We've been bottlenecked at late Tier 5 for so long – this is our chance to go beyond. You remember Nepon right? They just broke through to World Tier 6, and are hiring guides to assist with dungeons. They'd welcome us with open arms."

The more Stel talked, the better it sounded. Drek couldn't hide his greed for progression. Still, he wanted time to think it over.

Right after, his sense picked up a new signature heading toward them.

"Our first 'visitors' are approaching."

Stel snapped into position by his side.

They drew weapons as two auras raced through the cumulus clouds. Their murderous intent was apparent. This wouldn't resolve itself through diplomacy.

"Let's go."

They flew forward, unleashing Skills and engaging in aerial battle.

In the background of their fight, hundreds of blue beams shot into the sky. These pillars of mana marked the locations of new dungeons. For many, they were a nostalgic sight – boosting confidence and fanning their competitive drive.

People in town left in droves to pursue new opportunities. But for Richer? Well, he was admiring the sights.

'Wow...'

They were beautiful, emitting a level of mana he could sense from far away. His own drive was not based on greed, but on curiosity. Everything was a new experience for him. And there were few better to explain the situation than Koga, Rio, and Reed.

He caught up with the group, who were also starting off for the nearest pillar of mana. They didn't look pleased to see him, and that only brightened his smile.

He slung an arm around an annoyed Reed, "so, what's all this stuff mean?"

The three ignored him. Brent spectated from the back of the group. He didn't understand their vehement dislike for the guy. From his perspective, there was too much competition to worry about one man in particular. Plus, he was a useful person to have around.

"I think it'd be best to tell him."

Reed shrugged Richter off, grumbling quietly. Koga maintained ignorance, and Rio took a long look at Brent and Richter.

Behind her gaze was a mind spinning tirelessly. She weighed the pros and cons, biting her lip until it bled.

"I'll give you some info, but on three conditions," she said slowly.

Richter stood up straight and slipped back into his usual demeanor.

"Go on..."

"First, you must help me clear a Tier 1 dungeon. Second, you–"

"Rio! We agreed to keep him in the dark. What are you doing?"

Reed was hopping mad, though Rio remained unperturbed at his outburst.

"I gave it some more thought. Brent can make good points when he isn't asking endless questions."

"Well then I want in. Whatever the deal is, we're a part of it, right Koga?"

"Precisely."

Koga looked exhausted. This was inevitable in his eyes. The moment Richter took down the Troll, he proved himself invaluable. This was also part of the problem.

"Fine, we can all go." She turned back to Richter.

"Second – you can't kill any of the monsters inside unless we say so. Third – if an item drops, it belongs to us."

Richter mulled over the proposal... It was terrible. But the desire for information tugged at his psyche.

"Deal."

Rio relaxed a bit. "Good, then I'll start.

"Tiers and World Tiers are a basic part of progression. The higher the Tier, the higher the level of the monster or person. The tutorial stage covers levels one through nine. It's very easy, and most monsters pose little threat. After that is Tier 1, ranging from levels ten to nineteen. Tier 2 is levels twenty to twenty-nine. So on and so forth.

"Each Tier introduces new monsters and augments their capabilities. The first three aren't so bad, but Tier 4 and onward becomes a brutal slog. Monsters of the same level will possess attributes far surpassing the average person."

Her eyes swept over a dense crowd in a clearing up ahead. It took over an hour, but they were almost there.

"I've said enough for now, and you'd forget the rest anyway. But now you know why so many are rushing forward. There are a finite amount of resources, and only those who remain proactive will have a shot. It's important to get a head start. Otherwise, you'll never make it in the later Tiers."

Koga and Reed nodded their heads in agreement.

After that, she clammed up. That was all she'd tell him. Rio sped forward, keen on avoiding more questions. It annoyed him.

Richter spread his sense out, focusing on the beautiful dungeon design. The old rocky-grey exterior was swapped out with carved marble. It stood tall, slightly wider than two people, and radiated elegance.

Discussions among the crowd were a mixture of jealousy and concern. Brent, Koga, and Reed hung back to eavesdrop on conversations; Rio did her best to push through the wave of people. Neither method proved effective. It was silly to look at, since there was a simple solution.

[Mana Surge – 5%]

Richter jumped up to a sturdy branch on a nearby tree. The vantage point gave just enough height to make out the navy blue portal in the center. He understood the crowd's woes.

A group of people had already entered, and it seems they'd been in there for a while.

Another half hour later, the portal began to swirl. Six adults walked out exuding confidence. Two of the six struck Richter as odd. They wore matching lab coats, bracelets, and glasses, and had no weaponry. He didn't doubt their apparent uselessness. The two possessed very weak auras.

'Oh?' his eyes widened.

There was another person of interest among the six; one he knew personally.

[Mana Surge – 30%]

He leapt over the crowd, coming face to face with a shocked man.

"Hello again Quinn," he smiled.

Quinn responded with a guttural roar that jolted his party members. The lab coat duo cowered behind his back while the other three drew their weapons. The crowd was just as weirded out.

"Sorry about that, just a gut reaction every time I see him."

He turned to Richter, "So, what do you want?"

"Just saying hi to a former competitor."

"Pfft, yeah right. You're here for the dungeon," Quinn grinned.

"Well it's too bad, because we've already cleared it."

Richter cast his gaze to the marble entrance. It stood loud and proud, devoid of cracks or fractures that would imply completion.

"It doesn't look like it."

Quinn turned around to make the same observations. He popped open the challenge tab to check Japan's progress. It still showed zero of three.

"I'm sure we did it..." Quinn murmured. He scratched his head and turned to one of his companions.

"Does the interface show anything different?"

Jacob stepped up to inspect it.

"No, it's the same as before we entered."

He turned his back to the portal... right as a giant blurry hand came out the other side. Jacob couldn't scream before it wrapped around his body and yanked back.

He smashed into the blue vortex, relieved that it wouldn't let him through. Unfortunately, this lead to a new terror as the arm pulled harder and harder. He desperately circulated mana to keep his body intact while blindly flailing around for the dungeon interface. There was no time.

The building pressure on his bones reached a tipping point. Blood spurt out his nose and mouth; he was out of mana. With one final tug, Jacob lost his life.

His skeleton became a jumble of shards as every bone snapped. The hand released him and disappeared through the stained portal.

What remained of Jacob folded in on itself. The crowd were dead silent. Not a single person stepped forward to help – They just watched.

It was a depressing reminder of the risks. After all, Jacob felt every second of that, and there were no respawns. It isn't a fun activity for friends. It's a death sentence.

The traumatized bunch dispersed, leaving a small group behind.

Richter was just as stunned. His sense still couldn't penetrate the interior of the entrance, meaning the hand was a surprise appearance. It sowed doubt into his heart. As bad as he felt, the other four were worse. Rio, Koga, Reed, and Brent took off running. Their prior deal meant nothing. They just wanted to live a little longer.

The momentary panic triggered their deepest fears.

The four didn't stop until they made it back to town. They rushed to their housing and locked the doors behind them.

Meanwhile, Richter was still in front of the portal, eyeing up the dismayed Quinn. His heart beat wildly.

He wanted to beat this dungeon.

Richter stepped toward the interface.

He had to know what that creature was.

***