Lillian nods in agreement. “Yup. That’s true. The System gives people like us the opportunity to be powerful.” She squints at me, and I assume she’s using some skill. “You’re level 5 now, and you feel pretty powerful. Imagine what it’ll be like to be level 100 or 200? I know a couple of people that are that high level. They’re old, but the very air crackles with power when they’re in the room. Is that what you want?”
I think for a second. That sounds tempting, but something is off about the idea. Level 100. That means they’ve had four hundred stat points to add to their character sheet. My intelligence is at eighteen, and I feel like I’m a lot smarter than before. I can only imagine what it must be like to have all your stats in the hundreds. How much above the regular ordinary man must they feel? “It must feel terribly sad and lonely to be like that.” I realize that I didn’t just think those last words and see Lillian looking at me contemplatively. I smile and quickly try to explain. “I mean, being that powerful and not like everyone else. Understanding so much and that you can hardly talk to anyone without them boring you after a second. Or being so strong you can never hold your lover for fear of accidentally killing them if you squeeze them too tight.”
Lillian nods thoughtfully. “Yeah, that’s how it is basically with those kinds of people. They can do just about anything and yet can't do the most ordinary things.”
“No, I don’t want that. Right now, I want to be able to take care of my family. That’s enough of a goal. So, how about you help me do that. Care to explain how to turn credits into dollars?”
Lillian smiles at my question. “Sure. It’s not a secret or anything. You just have to upgrade you System Store. Each time you upgrade it, you get access to more powerful store features and better basic items to buy and sell. At level 2, you get access to the bazaar, a kind of online auction house for Users. At level 3, you can convert credits to any real-world money you want.”
I feel crestfallen at the news. It costs five hundred credits to get the first upgrade. I can only imagine what the second upgrade will cost.
“Don’t look so sad, Anthony. I told you before. If you join my team, you’ll get access to the best gear and places to sell your stuff.” A window pops up in front of her, and she turns it around so I can see it. It’s the System Store for her home base. Just scrolling through the items in the System Store, I can tell that it has a heck of a lot more upgrades than I’ll ever be able to afford. It has level 200 basic gear, a tab for the bazaar, a currency tab, a quest tab, a job tab, and much more.
“How did you get all this upgraded? It must have cost you a fortune.”
“It did. It cost me my entire family fortune.”
“Huh?”
“I grew up with the System and all the skills, levels, and stuff. Both my parents were Users. Both their parents were Users. With all that time grinding out dungeons, the family had amassed a rather large fortune by most people’s standards.” She wistfully looks out the window to her right and continues, “Then they all died. After estate taxes, lawyer’s fees, and all the pieces extended family took, I inherited enough to live a life of comfort for the rest of my life. Instead, I started this firm.” She turns back to me, and I see an intensity in her eyes I’d never seen before. “You see, my parents taught me that the System gives us these powers to help other people. We are the only beings on this entire planet that have the tools to destroy the dungeons. If we don’t, then everyone suffers.” She leans in towards me and continues, “I’ve seen dungeons get out of control before and turn hard-working neighborhoods into cesspools of crime and hate. These things have influenced whole countries. Wars have started.”
“And from what you’ve told me, you’ve been letting one grow too powerful as you milked it for experience points. Have you noticed what it’s done to the neighborhood it’s in or were you too busy looting weapons?”
I have to think about what she’s asking. Sure, the corner of the mall where the dungeon is at has been getting worse. Businesses seem to close around it, but I just thought that was the economy or that malls, in general, aren’t doing well.
“Maybe.”
“There’s no maybe about it.” She calls out, “John! Can you come here please?”
After a moment, a skinny dark-haired man with thick glasses enters from one of the doors at the back of the room. He strides confidently up to Lillian, acknowledging me with a nod. Lillian introduces us. “Anthony, this is John, my tech guy. He specializes in crafting tech items but also has a kick-ass A.I. that lets him gather statistical data like no one's business.” Gesturing to me, she introduces me, “John, this is Anthony. He’s a new User. Barely a month old and he’s already screwed up his first dungeon.”
Confused as to why she seems so angry all of sudden and how I messed up I ask, “What do you mean…”
Lillian doesn’t let me finish. Instead, she holds up a hand to me to silence me and asks John, “Can you pull up the crime and economic data around…” She turns to me and asks, “What mall is the dungeon in again?”
I tell her its name, and she has John pull up the data.
John for his part doesn’t question why she wants the data. Instead, his eyes light up as he pulls up a series of blue screens and starts to tap away at them. After a minute, he turns one of the windows around for Lillian to see and explains, “This is the data from the area for the last six months. As you know, the area around the mall has been declining for the last few years as fewer people shop there, but in the last month, the activity has dropped dramatically. Economic growth has plummeted in the mall, and six business have closed up shop. Additionally, overall profitability has decreased by 40%. Overall crime in the vicinity has increased by 30%. There are more reports from police of illegal drug activity in the area documented as well.”
Lillian thanks John, then he backs away giving me a sympathetic look and mouths, ‘Good luck.’ Before turning away and walking through the door in the back.
“Do you see what I mean now?”
“Are you saying that I’m responsible for all the stuff happening?”
Lillian quickly shakes her head, “No. That neighborhood was already moving in that direction before the dungeon showed up. Remember when I told you the dungeons are the manifestation of the collective unconsciousness of people? Well, it works both ways. If a dungeon isn’t cleared, it grows more powerful, and it starts to affect the minds of people around it. At first, people just find that they start having darker thoughts. They feel depressed and anxious as the dungeon becomes powerful. Then it starts to influence their minds and hearts, encouraging the darkness there to grow. People on the edge of making bad choices suddenly have no problem making them. Then the dungeon becomes even more powerful and starts to attract people with darkness in their hearts to the area. People that are usually on the wrong side of the law and people that don’t mind hurting others to get what they want. How fast this happens is a mystery, but it always does. Any wild dungeon out there always causes these types of problems, and it only gets worse the longer the dungeon exists.”
I wonder at the statistics shown. Was I messing up that neighborhood by not clearing the dungeon when I had a chance?
“Thankfully, it’s not too bad yet. Sure, crime is up, but there’s no increase in the murder rate or violent crime. You and I are going to go right now and clear that dungeon before things get worse, ok?”
I nod mechanically, shaken by what I could have caused. Imagine if someone was killed because some psychopath was drawn to the dungeon in the mall? How could I have lived with myself? I feel my hand being taken and see Lillian pulling me up out of my chair. The plate of food drops from my lap, and I wonder how I could have been hungry when people are being hurt by what I didn’t do. Lillian leads me to her office door and tells me to take her to the dungeon.