Dragged into Another World's Apocalypse - A LitRPG Story

Arianna watched as Marcus dropped a boulder on the worker ant they'd been fighting. The impact cracked through the tunnel, crushing the creature's legs. Before it could move or screech, Michael bravely darted in and drove his sword into its neck.

As Arianna had thought, Michael was a born fighter. He was afraid, who wouldn't be? But he still stood up, went to the front and fought to protect himself and others. He was doing well dealing with the danger of fighting monsters, especially ones that much stronger than himself.

Of course, he was never in real danger. The team weakened or restrained the monsters so that he could kill them easily. And Arianna stood ready to summon a water barrier the moment anything went wrong.

But after so many battles, she'd learned that the worker ants, while as large as humans, were weak. Not like the giant centipede they'd fought when first entering this section of the dungeon. That thing was dangerous, though they'd done quite well against it. These? They were just… exhausting.

They'd already encountered around thirty ants, and this one finally brought Michael to Level 5. The boy's face split into a grin, and he mouthed silently: Level 5!

Arianna smiled faintly. One more person ready to join the party.

They waited a few cautious minutes to make sure no other ants were coming. The worker ants had an irritating way of calling for reinforcements when one was attacked, which might be some sort of hive communication or some inaudible calls they sent out. She didn't know the exact mechanics yet.

When all remained quiet, they decided to make camp.

The endless darkness of the cave made it impossible to tell how long they'd been inside, but their bodies told them enough: it was time to rest. With Arianna's water barrier shimmering faintly around their camp, they settled in their current tunnel, a bit farther away from the sight of their recent battle.

That only left the front and back to guard. And after they'd encountered an intersection of four tunnels, they now needed to be careful of their back, too. Who knew what could come out of the other tunnels and wander into their rear. But the water barrier gave everyone a piece of mind.

Arianna sat beside Nadine, who was once again hunched over the map. "How's it going?" she asked.

Nadine grimaced. "Alright, I guess. But it's more blank space than map. We'll need to explore a lot more before we can complete it."

Arianna sighed. This dungeon wasn't just full of insect monsters, it was a maze. So far, they'd followed one tunnel, reached an intersection, picked the leftmost path, and kept going. They had no idea where the other routes led. Which meant, sooner or later, they'd have to backtrack. Annoying.

"Hopefully we'll find the lumen crystals from the third objective soon," Arianna said. "That'll be easier than mapping out this labyrinth."

Luke nodded. "Agreed. Let's hope we're heading in the right direction."

Arianna turned to Michael, who was sitting cross-legged nearby, staring thoughtfully into the air. "So," she asked gently, "what class will you choose?"

For once, Michael's expression was serious. "Warrior," he said. "I think that's how I can protect my family best."

Arianna hesitated. Part of her wanted to argue. He's still so young. A front-line class meant facing death head-on. But he'd earned the right to choose. He'd chosen to come into this dungeon, fought, and reached Level 5. Though he'd had their support, it wasn't easy coming into a dungeon while this low levelled.

Arianna saw the strain just being in this mana-rich environment put on the low-levelled party members. Going through this voluntarily, and also putting his life on the line, was not easy. Even if them being there made it safer, he was still betting his life on this.

"I understand," she said softly. "It's your decision. But warrior is dangerous. Are you sure?"

Michael met her gaze without flinching. "I'm sure."

"Then choose your class and accept the party invite."

He nodded, then got the faraway look of someone navigating their system screen. Arianna clenched her fist under her cloak. She just hoped she hadn't given him permission to die on the front lines.

She turned to Thomas next. "You'll level tomorrow. Mrs Tchekova, you'll be after him. We'll get everyone to Level 10. That's the goal."

It might be unfair to Mrs Tchekova since they might have to leave before she got to level 10, but Arianna was more willing to bring her into a dungeon again, than the teenagers. And judging by her agreement and the short nod she gave Arianna, she understood.

They discussed watches briefly, then began to rest. Arianna crawled into the tent she shared with Helen.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Cassis had been adamant about that. He insisted that someone should stay close to Helen, even if sleep, in case something went wrong. Arianna hadn't protested, though she'd rolled her eyes. Helen took the job of "keeper" far too seriously, always hovering nearby or watching from a distance.

It was both annoying and… oddly comforting.

Though, if Arianna was being honest, the annoyance definitely outweighed the comfort.

Arianna woke up in her bed again. No way. Why was she here again? This time she knew immediately: it was the nightmare. No confusion, only a cold, clear recognition.

She grabbed her necklace, but it lay suspiciously cool against her fingers, Cassis's heart pendant, which he'd infused with warmth, a start contrast. Why was this happening? It was strange after the second dream, but this was the third. This definitely wasn't normal.

Sighing, she swung her legs out of bed and went straight for the kitchen. She'd have to kill the hobgoblin again. Hopefully, the water wouldn't appear this time.

"Good morning, sweetheart," her father called when she stepped in. Arianna forced a cheerful reply. "Good morning." She pulled the wickedest knife from the drawer. Her father glanced at her, baffled, and muttered, teenagers. In the dream she was still in high school.

Her mother came in. "Good morning, my loves." Arianna rushed towards them as they shared that small, ordinary moment. They looked at her in surprise, but the hobgoblin materialised the instant she got into position. It grinned down at her cruelly and for a second it looked confused by the expression on her face.

The confusion didn't last. Arianna stabbed the knife into its gut in quick, practised motions and loosed a water lance at its face. It died before it could recover. She dropped the knife, spun, and began shoving her parents toward the door. Why was it closed? She knew her mother had left it open.

Her parents stood in shock and let her push them a little, then snapped back to action, struggling to move. "Ari—" "What's going on?" they blurted, but Arianna kept her focus on getting them out. Too late. Water pooled across the floor.

"Fuck."

"Young lady!" her mother scolded, of all things, scolding her for swearing, but Arianna ignored it. They could scold later; she needed them safe now. At the door, she tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. She threw her body at it, then a chair, then a water lance. Nothing worked. The water rose faster; it was already chest-deep.

This couldn't be the end. She could beat the hobgoblin easily now, but how did one beat this? The water climbed with cruel patience. Her parents, still dazed, wrapped their arms around her. "This is bad, sweetheart," her mother said.

Arianna nodded, hot tears stinging her eyes. Why was she so useless? Her throat tightened. Her parents would die in front of her again.

Arianna sat up, gasping for breath. Drowning was even less fun the second time around. With her body already at the peak of F-rank, it took maddeningly long to die of asphyxiation. She closed her eyes, but the image was still there, her parents' lifeless bodies drifting before her as the water swallowed her whole.

"Arianna, what's wrong?"
Helen's voice cut through the darkness. She was still wrapped in her sleeping bag, eyes wide with concern.

"Just a nightmare," Arianna croaked, then winced. "Sorry for waking you."

Helen didn't look convinced. "You're shaking, gasping for air, and pale as a sheet. What kind of nightmare was that?"

Arianna didn't want to discuss it. The dream wasn't scary anymore. The hobgoblin was weak now; she could kill it easily. No, the frustration came from the next event. No matter how strong she became, she couldn't physically fight against water. It angered her that even in her dreams, something always found a way to take everything from her.

Still, Helen's worried expression made it impossible to brush her off completely. That someone cared for her like this again cause a strange warmth to bloom in her chest. And despite not wanting to discuss it, Arianna found herself telling Helen about it.
"It was… the hobgoblin from the first wave," Arianna whispered. "In the dream, I was a teenager again, living with my parents. The hobgoblin appeared and attacked."

Helen's eyes softened.

"But I killed it," Arianna added with a bitter smile. "Saved them, even. And then the room filled with water. We couldn't get out."

Helen frowned. "That sounds awful. But it's just a nightmare, Arianna."

"That's what I thought too," Arianna murmured. "Except it's happened three times now. Or more, depending on whether the loops count as one dream or several."

"Loops?"

"Yeah," Arianna said. "Every time I die, I wake up back home again and repeat everything. Luckily, tonight it only happened once."

Helen sat up fully now, alarmed. "And this happens often?"

Arianna let out a small snort. "Only three nights so far. The first time after the hobgoblin fight, the second after the desert dungeon, and now tonight."

Helen exhaled. "You die every time?"

Arianna nodded.

"I'm sorry," Helen said softly. "That must be terrible."

"Yeah." Arianna's voice was distant. "The first time, Cassis was there for me. The second time, I realised it was a dream quickly. Tonight… I'm just annoyed that I can't keep my parents from drowning."

Helen studied her carefully. "It's good my dear nephew comforted you. I trust he did well."

Arianna blushed. Thinking back, Cassis had done very well. She wouldn't mind a repeat performance, but ever since their conversation about the mysterious secret he'd been keeping, he'd put a stop to furthering their relationship. She didn't want to push, but the curiosity gnawed at her. It couldn't be that terrible. But Cassis was convinced she would leave him if he told her. For now, she'd wait. But not much longer.

Helen's lips curved into a knowing smile. "I'll take that as a yes."

Arianna almost stuck out her tongue, but held back. Barely, and only because she was aware she was an adult and the leader of this party. No childish outbreaks. That would only give Helen more room to worry about her.

Helen chuckled. "Still, recurring nightmares usually mean something's buried deep inside. Something unresolved."

Arianna sighed. She knew that. She'd hoped the first one was a fluke. But after tonight, she couldn't deny it anymore. Maybe the constant danger and stress were finally catching up with her.

"Don't worry," she said. "Once this dungeon mess is over, I'll talk to someone. A professional. Just… not now."

Helen smiled, satisfied. "Good. It's not easy admitting you need help. But the Shadows had it right, regular therapy kept us sane. It's the only reason I can live with what I've done."

Arianna's chest tightened at the guilt flickering across Helen's face. But then Helen straightened and smiled again.

"Try to get some more sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Arianna nodded, though she doubted she could sleep again. She wasn't ready for another repeat of the nightmare. Instead, she thought about the tedious grind of levelling those below five. Hopefully future generations wouldn't have to do this, using the experience-sharing bracelets instead. She could only hope.