Chapter Twenty: Nothing Makes Sense

< You have learned the skill: Fixation >

< Cogitation Lvl. 9 -> Fixation Lvl. 2 >

I look at the screen blankly before pulling up my status and confirming that <Cogitation> is no longer on my list of skills. It seems I have somehow upgraded my old skill into <Fixation>. Is this a skill evolution like the reward mentioned, or something else?

Perhaps it might be because I hit a level threshold which automatically upgraded the skill. Then again, what kind of skill just goes from ten straight to two? There are also no other notifications even showing that I hit level 10 with <Cogitation> to warrant the upgrade. Furthermore, there isn’t anything mentioning me hitting level 1 in my new skill <Fixation> which leads me to believe that I made a straight jump from level 9 to level 2.

Wait a minute.

I pull up one of my quests to check something.

[Quests]

<Side Objective>

Raise four skills to level 10

<Reward>

-Passive Skill of Choice

‘Raise four skills to level 10.’

It doesn’t say anything about a skill upgrade counting toward the goal. I also never got a notification that <Cogitation> hit level 10. Did this just set me back an entire seven levels? The majority of the excitement in upgrading my skill becomes null and void as I realize I will have to re-level my skill up to ten before it counts toward the quest.

The System is such an asshole.

I dismiss all the screens and run my good hand over my scalp. I can feel a good amount of stubble now, but I am still basically bald. Looking down at myself, I attempt to continue ignoring my ruined left hand while my mind finally turns over to my current predicament. I am on a new floor with what seem like other people. They think I am some sort of ‘Fallen’ and treat me like I am a bother. I might have been overwhelmed with my thoughts when I first arrived on this floor, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t listening to what the first man had said.

He said there were other Fallen that arrived before me. He also said to put me with ‘the rest,’ meaning that I am on the way to see them right now.

There is no guarantee that this means I am going to see the other survivors of Floor One. For all I know, the ‘Fallen’ are some sort of aspect of this Floor’s objective and the people I am going to be stuck with might just be mobs like the two who are toting me around right now. I can feel a slight flicker of excitement welling up in my mind, but I quash it as fast as it comes. I am itching to reach out to them in some desperate shot that they might actually be happy to see me and that the other survivors are good people.

I still have the ‘Forum Access’ reward left from clearing Floor One. I have a hunch that the Forum will be a method of communication for myself and other humans or something even bigger than that. I make sure that I don’t open the Forum yet though, and something tells me that I shouldn’t just yet. I still don’t know if these people are my competition or not. The only thing I know about them so far is that they left me to die, and for that I don’t believe they deserve the benefit of the doubt just yet.

I try to focus on the shaky ride in the cart and make my silent preparations. It seems like I had been ruminating for longer than I had thought, as we have already crossed into the grassy area I saw from the gate, and a few small buildings pass by every now and then. Where we are now, it looks like the constructs are worn down and some even abandoned. My attention drifts to the two men sitting at the front of the cart. They aren’t talking anymore, so the ride is fairly quiet other than the clomping of the bull’s hooves on the road. After some time, I finally get the nerve to speak up and confirm what has been bothering me.

“Are you guys mobs or real people,” I ask bluntly.

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” Brian says without even turn around.

Yeah, I guess that answers my question.

“Can I ask what a Fallen is?”

“You idiots always have the same questions.”

I don’t even bother thinking of another question and just sit back in my seat and stare listlessly at the passing countryside. I hear a low chuckle off to my side which I recognize from earlier as the slim guy.

“Don’t look so dejected kid, Brian here is just a bit annoyed at having to escort some of your kind twice within the same week.” The man readjusts himself to turn toward me a bit, “Fallen is a name for you strays we find outside of the wall. Heh… it comes from the fact you all act like you fell on your head.”

The beanstalk man that I am quickly losing any respect for loses his composure and laughs to himself for a few minutes straight at his own joke. I can even see Brian’s wide shoulders shaking at his comrade’s remark.

Should I kill these guys?

“What level are you two?” I ask after my patience runs out.

Suddenly the laughter dies out, and the beanstalk guy turns back toward the road.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“You got some fucking balls on you kid. I don’t wanna hear another peep from your scrawny ass for the rest of the trip or I will kill you.” Brian states bluntly.

I open and close my mouth a few times before ultimately deciding to stay quiet for the safety of my health. I make double sure that my <Emit> skill is in check before scooting a couple of inches further away from the two armored individuals.