Dungeon Sniper

"It's beautiful."

Elysia was looking up at the moon. The first moon she had ever seen in her life. It was the full moon, and the reflection of it on Elysia's eyes formed fluorescent halos around her irises.

"You're beautiful," I blurted. Elysia scoffed, but not unpleasantly.

I did not smile. My eyes were fixed on her smooth cheek, the perfect nose, and the lips that I had kissed goodbye to. I had found her beautiful scarred and bandaged just before entering the Gate from the Colosseum floor. Now, having passed the Gate that cleansed all of our belongings from Level One, Elysia was dispensed with all the scars from the battle against Moniqa, even the ones that seemed near-permanent and long-lasting. They were all gone. She looked the same, flawless Elven beauty from the day I had first met her, if not more lovely.

Elysia felt my gaze and locked eyes with me. I thought she was going to look away, either from embarrassment or annoyance, but to my surprise she smiled, making my heart flutter like crazy.

"Can you believe that I'm actually here? At Level Two?" asked Elysia, running her fingers through her silky blonde hair. She smelled of an unknown flower, as ever.

"No, I feel like I'm dreaming."

Elysia held my hand into hers. It was the first time she made the first move. My heart took a beat and began to pound that it almost hurt.

I was going to kiss her. Right now.

I moved closer to her. Elysia stood still, as if expectant. She closed her eyes. I closed mine. We were only a breath away from each other—

"All right, love birds. You can come down now."

Both Elysia and I jumped at the voice behind our backs. Benedikt was smirking from the entrance to the underground barrack/laboratory. He had told us to evacuate the place while he sprayed camouflage paint on the gear for the upcoming reconnaissance. The Dwarf mastersmith had taken off a breathing mask, now perched near his forehead, and was helping himself to the who-knew-th bottle of beer for the night.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked, slightly fl.u.s.tered. Elysia cleared her throat too.

I did not hear the underground entrance opening. The mechanism for the trapdoor was as silent as it was clandestine.

"From 'Can you believe I'm actually here.' Why? Did I miss much?" Benedikt cackled and belched simultaneously.

"Come on, Elysia. Let's go inside. It's getting chilly."

I ignored the crass laughter from the old Dwarf and led Elysia past him.

"Take the stuff on the table and get dressed at the rooms I showed you earlier. And don't get all kinky and go into the same room. I'm a bachelor by choice, and that means I have the right to enforce my rules of celibacy at my house. You understand?"

"Why do all Dwarves have to be so obnoxious?" I hissed in a low voice just so that only Elysia could hear me.

"You're not thinking about blowing up this place too, are you? Because I know your history with the Dwarves—"

"I wasn't, but you're giving me ideas."

"I know you're not going to do it."

"Or maybe just your room, so we can share my room as a roomie—"

Elysia picked up her stealth suit from the table and slapped it playfully across my face. She then flaunted her amazing rear view as she disappeared into the nearest room down the corridor.

I loved that woman so much.

I gathered my set of stealth suit and other equipment and turned to face Benedikt, closing the trapdoor and yawning nonchalantly.

"Get moving, kid. We're on the move in five."

I blinked at the cranky Dwarf, remembering an unanswered question amidst all the confusion and rush.

"I'll just change here. It's a long walk from here to my room at the end."

"It's freaking ten steps away, on my foot," frowned Benedikt.

"I thought I could ask you some questions while at it."

"And are they so important that I have to suffer watching you get n.a.k.e.d in front of my eyes?"

"You can always turn around. No one's asking you to watch the show, although it's free of charge."

"It's the air. The thought of breathing in the same place with a n.a.k.e.d Human is highly unpleasant."

"Too late. Hold your breath if you can."

I was n.a.k.e.d already and even whistling as I put on the slithery, light stealth suit on my b.a.r.e skin.

"So, I wanted to ask you something, and this time, please no side-tracking. Elysia and I were just talking about blowing up this place—"

"You what?"

"Hypothetically. Relax, grandpa. And you still didn't answer me how you spied on me, not just on the night you showed up but from far before that. You knew about my incident at Minetown, and who knows how much more?"

I was done putting on the stealth suit and was not fidgeting with the headgear that seemed like a telecommunications-enabled helmet. I figured it was exactly that.

"How does this work?" I lifted the helmet, mildly surprised by how light it felt in my hand.

"One question at a time, kid. I'll explain about the headgear when your Elf girlfriend comes out of the room."

"She's not, well, she is, but it's not really official, yet—"

"Wipe that goofy smile off your face. You look dumber than usual."

"You say you're a happy bachelor, but all I'm looking at is a sad, old Dwarf looking for his own love."

"I've got plenty of love around me. My inventions, researches, the solitude—"

"Sure. You spied on some random Human because you felt so fulfilled and contented with what you have here."

Benedikt grumbled and searched the pile of stuff on the shelf angrily. He then raised a remote controller, a different one from before, and pressed the buttons to make a dead crystal orb, the exact same Orb a Reptil serviceman had prepared for me at the Colosseum waiting room, flash amidst another pile of junk in the corner.

"An old man and a tv. Name the more iconic duo," I shrugged understandingly.

Benedikt either did not hear me or ignored me purposely as he beckoned me to come closer to watch the images in the Orb.

"Most think the Orb is run by magic. It is, but more often than not, magic and science are closely associated. There is no superior between the two. They are complements, not contrasts. As a friend told me once, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, especially to the average, humble minds of the general population."

I was about to nod agreeably when I felt something was off. I was sure I had heard the exact same words before, about the indistinguishability of magic and science... from my life before the Dungeon.

But before I could concentrate on my thought, Benedikt pressed a few more buttons and switched between various images showing at the Orb.

"There. You're looking at Level One. And you can only look at what's happening at Level One. What I can also do is, I can pinpoint on any individual, and the Orb shows everything that's happening around that person, real-time."

"That's... rather creepy and unethical, don't you think?"

"It gets boring after a while. I never really used it myself until very recently."

I felt a definite nuance at the final word of Benedikt, a suspected-pervert who claimed he was not, naturally.

"How recent?" I asked warily.

"A month, take or leave a few days."

I had come to the Dungeon a month ago, give or take a few days.

"Were you... expecting me?"

Benedikt did not say anything.

"Why? How?"

I was pretty spooked, if not creeped out.

Benedikt had the same face, the uncharacteristically serious face deciding whether to talk more or hold onto his secret a little longer. The same reserved face he had had when I asked him about Alpha—

Then it hit me.

"Was it Alpha? Alpha asked you to check on me? Spy on me?

"What's going on?"

Elysia had come out of the room. The tight stealth suit looked fine on her svelte, slender figure. I would have ogled at her for the entire night if I were not so shaken up at the moment.

"Answer me, Ben!"

"I told you not to call me by that. Only my friends call me that."

"Yeah? Like your friend from the stalker club, Alpha?"

"There will come a time when I will explain to you everything."

"Why not now?"

"Because we have work to do, now. It is also a test, for you."

"What makes you think I'm dying to take this stupid test? What the f.u.c.k do I care?"

I hated being in the dark. I hated being forced to do something. I had let things take control of me for far too long, far too helplessly.

Not anymore. At least, not without some understanding. Some truth.

From the start, ever since that abrupt meeting with GOD, I had felt that I was being directed, controlled, and led by some kind of shadow, as someone's shadow, a replacement.

A shadow named Alpha.

"Let me explain to you how the headgear works. It allows us to communicate with each other through invisible wavelengths in the air—"

"Don't change the f.u.c.k.i.n.g subject, Ben."

Benedikt snapped too. The remote controller broke in his sturdy hand, and the image in the Orb turned to ominous dark, and then blank.

"Last warning, kid. Act cute one more time, and you'll have to drink your food and pee your shit."

Only his friends got to call him 'Ben.' Benedikt was old, even for a Dwarf. All of his friends had died while he lived under a bunker, alone and dying too slowly for his good.

I got that. I got why he would not want to be called by something by which only his friends had called him. The name was special. The name brought memories. And when someone other than his close circle of friends called him in a friendly manner, the memories were contaminated, tarnished, and mixed.

But most importantly, he was scared to let anyone else enter into his life because, in the long run, he would just lose another friend while the name echoed, without substance, the irretrievable memory and friendship shared in between.

The past two paragraphs, of course, were not my own thinking. I would never be that profound, let alone insightful about other people's feelings. It was Elysia who told me later... when I could no longer apologize to Benedikt about my stubborn insolence.

But right now, things were tense. Benedikt was about to punch my teeth in, and I seriously contemplated about smacking the Dwarf's head with the high-end helmet I was gripping hard in my hand.

"Both of you, stop."

Elysia came between us too.

"Whatever stupid mission or test you're making us do, I'm out unless I get the full story."

"What story?" asked Elysia, having missed the conversation while changing inside her room.

"This old creep has been spying on me ever since I arrived here, the Dungeon. That's how he knows about the Minetown bombing, and who knows what else, the shape of my turd I shit out every night?"

"Is that true, Benedikt?"

"Obviously, I turn to the other channel when he's taking a shit," grumbled Benedikt.

"But you did spy on him. Why?"

"Because his buddy Alpha told him to."

"Alpha? Velonis-and-Alpha Alpha?" blinked Elysia."

Both Elysia and I stared at Benedikt, who sighed and loosened his curled fists a little.

"Look, I get you're upset, and I would be too. But you think I enjoyed watching you?"

"For f.u.c.k's sake, Benedikt, it's really about whether you enjoyed your creepy stalking. It's about why."

"Fine. I will tell you why."

"Thank you so f.u.c.k.i.n.g much."

"After we eliminate the Queen," said Benedikt adamantly.

I blinked. I could feel Elysia staring at me worriedly.

I exhaled, smiled, and picked up the Orb. Both Elysia and Benedikt seemed what was going to happen.

Elysia turned slightly and shielded her face with her arms while Benedikt calmly picked up the goggles from nearby and put it on.

I threw the Orb onto the floor. My second time shattering the Orb. Before, it was out of panic. This time, I was frustrated.

Both times the flying of glass shards and the shriek-like breaking sound helped soothe the mind, like a lot.

No one said anything for a while. I closed my eyes and let the steam off meanwhile.

Finally, I turned to Benedikt.

"Fine. Let's do this."

Looking grumpy and gloomy on his own, Benedikt did not say anything as he pointed to a shelf on which the black-painted sniper rifle, two identical handguns, and utility knives sat.

I went over and picked up the Dwarven sniper rifle. It had lost its shiny silver look and was now covered with matte, black paint. The mechanism was surprisingly similar to the conventional firearm I was used to seeing at my distant uncle's cabin.

Another suspicion crept up: was Alpha also in on this? Or was the likeness between the Dwarven and 'Earth' firearm a mere coincidence?

In time, I thought. I would get the answer.

I attached the strap and wore the clumsy, five-foot heavy rifle over my back.

"And the ammunition?" I asked coolly as I checked the pistol—again, very similar to a typical handgun except for the rounder, curvier design that looked more artistic than practical—and strapped one on the holster by the waist.

Benedikt grunted and came over with a box filled with what looked like bullets, but slightly different. They seemed to be entirely made of silver. The ends were sharper and pointier than the Earth counterparts.

"There's only one type?" I rummaged through the box. All of them looked the same.

"Why would I make the 'bull-rats' come in different sizes? That's impractical," spat Benedikt.

"What did you say? Bull-rats? Like a bull and a rat?"

"Yeah. Small like a rat, hits like a bull. Came up with the name myself," said Benedikt proudly.

I wanted to say something but closed my mouth immediately. My suspicion was growing stronger. Whoever Alpha was, he knew about Earth, my home, and possibly his too. The influence was too obvious to ignore.

Elysia had come over and was examining a handgun with great interest.

"What a peculiar design. What does it do exactly?"

"You put these 'bull-rats' in it, and it fires them. Very deadly."

"Deadly? But it's so small," frowned Elysia in disbelief.

I turned to Benedikt.

"How about a practice shot? Is there a range down here or—"

"Tonight is just recon, as I said. The Elf can practice all she wants when the Goblins are sleeping, during the day."

Elysia nodded and gingerly placed the pistol by the waist holster as well. Benedikt began to pack his stuff too when he realized that I was standing and staring at him emphatically.

He tried to ignore me but eventually threw his short hands in exasperation.

"What now?"

"You said Elysia can practice. You know I don't need to practice because I'm already familiar with your guns."

"My mistake, kid. Practice all you want. Maybe do me a favor and shoot yourself in the foot while at it. No, the mouth, so you can stop talking for good."

"If only you told me the truth already—"

"No, the deal stands. The Queen comes first, and then we take care of your damned impossible curiosity."

Benedikt packed his bag irritably. He put on the goggles with colored lenses, presumably for the night vision, and slammed the button on the wall to open up the ramp leading to the surface.

The cold, desert night air blew inward, and only then I realized how heated I had been the past ten minutes or so.

It cooled me down, just enough to concentrate on the job ahead.

"You said it's only recon we're going out for the night, but I need to kill at least one Goblin. To recharge Mataki's Blade."

"Just one. We don't want to raise any unnecessary alarm for the whole 'colony.' These monsters are exactly like the ants. They share everything, and they know everything, together."

"Got it."

"Are you sure? You don't look it, kid," Benedikt frowned behind the goggles.

I shrugged, deliberately avoiding to answer.

Meanwhile, I felt the twenty bull-rats over the surface of the ammo pouch. I said 'at least' one Goblin. I also felt like shooting at the moment.

I pictured twenty splattered Goblin brains as I climbed out into the serene, full-mooned night.

The silver bull-rats clanked expectantly as I hopped onto the backseat of the four-wheeler.