Surviving the Simulation: The Grand Crusade

Xander felt like someone had thrown him back into project management hell. Only this time, the apocalypse had joined the calendar invite. Endless, soul-draining meetings to discuss the problem, followed by equally pointless meetings to align on the action items from the last meeting. The same cycle. Different warzone.

He'd been good at his job, sure. But he'd always believed that, at some point, someone needed to stop hand-wringing and actually fix something. Fear of making mistakes paralyzed teams back then. Funny how even now, when faced with literal monsters, the real threat was still decision paralysis.

Mistakes were at least progress. Doing the wrong thing beat sitting around doing nothing, hands folded while the world burned.

Predictably, it was the same conversation they'd already had. Cynthia blamed him and Rex. Victor tried to keep the peace. The captain of the guard puffed himself up like a bureaucratic rooster. The only new wrinkle was the fresh adventuring team Victor tried (and failed) to convince to stick around. They were smart enough to bail early and head to the dungeon in Sidney.

The final verdict? A team handpicked by the captain of the guard would escort Rex and Xander's groups. They'd leave at first light. No extra gear, no bonus supplies. Just the honor of being volunteered again because nothing says 'thank you for saving our asses' like a one-way mission with no snacks.

"Hey, Xander!" the leader of the team Xander had met earlier called as they left the conference room. "Man, I'm glad to see you guys are okay. None of us know what happened there at the start. We hit the far side of the street with explosives and then suddenly the building you guys were in went up. We swear that was an accident, and we're not even sure we caused it."

Xander slowed his pace, eyes narrowing just slightly. The timing had been... convenient. Too convenient. He'd considered a dozen ways this conversation might go, and at least half of them ended with accusations and a very public dressing down.

But then he saw it, the look on the guy's face. Not guilt. Horror. Genuine, wide-eyed, cold-sweat horror.

"Don't worry about it," Xander said, voice even, but with a pause that left just enough space for the other man to squirm. "I appreciate you apologizing. Honestly, I don't think it was anything you guys did."

He had been ready to tear them a new one, but the leader's expression made him change course. If they had done it, it hadn't been intentional. Or at least, this guy hadn't known.

"You wanted to know about the rodentia dungeon, right? You guys heading out now or in the morning?"

"We're heading out in the morning. If you're still up for it, we'd love to get together tonight and trade information," the leader said hopefully.

"Sure thing. Rex and I will be in the cafeteria in a few hours. Meet up with us then," Xander said, then turned and walked off. Filing the interaction away for later, just in case his gut hadn't been wrong after all.

Not sure what loot the team had pulled off the boss and commander from the last battle, Xander was already feeling like he'd won the lottery with his quest reward. Finally, he had gotten another spear to replace the one that had broken days earlier. Losing the spear had put a bit of a damper on his combat effectiveness.

Sparkforged Lance
Quality: Uncommon
Enchantments: Spark Infusion
Description: A favorite among foot soldiers, guards, and adventurers alike. A spear's versatile design makes it suitable for thrusting and throwing, providing an effective reach in various combat scenarios. Upon command, Spark Infusion causes the spear's tip to glow with a gentle, calming light. While active, the Sparkforged Lance deals minor additional radiant damage on successful strikes.

Gathering with the rest of his friends, Xander discovered that the loot lottery had already paid out what it was going to give him that day. There were enough supplies to restock him on healing potions, bandages, and add to his stash of gold coins, but there was no grandiose magic item in the cards for him. Everything they'd found had been pretty basic gear. Xander would not look a gift horse in the mouth though, and was happy that his friends had gotten loot that would help increase their power. A power increase for one was a power increase for all.

Later that evening, over dinner, the three adventuring groups exchanged notes. The newest arrivals were most interested in the dungeon in Sidney, but they also brought something else to the conversation. Something stranger.

"We ran into a group calling themselves the Cult of the Simulation," their leader said, half in disbelief, half in warning. "They've taken over part of the outskirts near Champaign."

According to them, the Cult worshipped the Simulation itself. Called it the true architect of order, the 'cleansing system' or some nonsense like that. Their whole vibe was that humanity had failed, and the Simulation was the divine reset button.

"They kept going on about the 'unworthy,'" the leader continued. "They believe everyone's supposed to do their part to bring the system into balance, but didn't say what that part actually was. Just… that the number of survivors needs to be under the level-zero threshold and that it is their mission to help achieve that goal."

It was probably just another case of apocalypse-brain. People snapping under pressure, clinging to something, anything, that made the chaos feel like part of a plan. But still. Something about it felt off. What did "unworthy" mean? Nobody outside the cult knew.

The adventuring groups stayed together, but found a secluded spot away from the usual crowd in the safe zone. Zoey staked their claim while Xander wandered the school grounds, needing movement to settle the noise in his head before calling it a night.

A lot had happened in the past week, but for the first time, he felt close to the end of the road that had started with a single goal: find Jo.

They hadn't confirmed she was in the mine. No message, no sighting, no magical breadcrumb trail. However, the rumors of forced labor, the gnoll patrols, and the proximity to her last sighting made it their best lead. His gut told him she was there.

Tomorrow they'd find the dungeon, clear it, and free whoever the gnolls had chained up inside. And if he was right Jo would be one of them if the Simulation was just screwing with him.

As he wandered the school, Xander passed several new facilities taking shape. An improvised blacksmith shop, a general store, even something resembling a trade board. Civilization had a long way to go, but for the first time in days, it looked like people were trying to build something instead of just survive.

Then he turned down a hallway in the older wing of the school. Fewer signs of life here. Dimmer lighting. Dustier floors. Halfway down, he stopped. The basement door.

He wasn't sure why it caught his attention. He'd passed it before, but something about it pulled at him now. If Alex had stumbled onto something, this would be the place. .

He tried the handle. Locked. Solid. Not like someone had just turned a deadbolt, but like someone wanted it very secure. Like a drop bar on the other side was preventing even a millimeter of movement.

From beneath the frame, a scent drifted out. Faint, but distinct. Familiar, but wrong. Like something he'd smelled before, twisted through a filter he couldn't quite place. It made the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

He stared at the door for a moment longer, frowning. There was something here. He didn't know what. And that was the part that gnawed at him.

But the rest of the group was waiting, and there were bigger problems in the morning. Xander stepped back, forcing himself to move.

Some doors open when they're ready, he told himself.

Even if this one felt a little too much like the parts of himself, he kept locked up, too.

He rejoined the others in silence, trying to shake the chill the door had left on his thoughts. Sleep didn't come easily, but exhaustion finally pulled him under with doubt and dread packed tight behind his eyes.

The Simulation's global announcement snapped him awake, bright and intrusive, as always.

Greetings, players! Congratulations on making it through the seventh planetary cycle of the Simulation reboot. You will be happy to know that the level-zero protocols are working as intended and the global player population is now under the accepted upper limits of the Simulation. Level-zero protocols will be discontinued immediately. Previous player population: 1,003,654,102 Human. Current player population: 999,123,678 Human. No player data for additional player species is available.

For the first time in a week, Xander didn't mind waking up to the Simulation's annoying message. Yes, it was a tragedy beyond tragedies that the global population was under a billion people, but with the level-zero protocols over anyone who had gained at least one level but hadn't reached level five, could take a class now.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Having seen how much difference a class could make, it gave Xander a glimmer of hope that humanity would survive.

"It's about freaking time that level zero garbage ended," Zoey said, handing Xander a can of soda. "Go easy, this was the last can I could get my hands on."

Popping the top, Xander replied, "I've got about a six-pack in my belt, but thanks. Order of operations is: dungeon, find a grocery store with soda, and then maybe solve whatever bullshit mystery is going on around here."

"Do we really want to get involved in the last one? And don't forget about Alex."

"I haven't forgotten him," Xander said, his tone flattening. "But I think we both know we're not getting the entire story there."

Zoey said nothing right away, but the glance they shared said plenty. Every time they asked, it was the same answer. Alex is off doing something for Victor. Or he left early this morning on another errand. Always vague. Always conveniently timed.

"Either he's playing along with whatever game Victor's running," Xander continued, "or he's in way over his head. Honestly, I don't know which would be worse."

She nodded grimly.

"As for the safe zone… part of me wants to walk away. But there are good people here who didn't ask for any of this. The more safe zones humanity has left, the better our odds of rebuilding something."

He took a long sip from the can.

"But I've got a bad feeling about who's actually calling the shots."

The safe zone was a hive of activity as Xander and the rest of the team made heir way to the main gate. The smell of oiled armor mixed with sawdust from the fortification repairs and improvements. He wasn't positive, but he also thought he caught the slight smell of fresh baked bread. Gone too was the dim lighting that had flickered in every hallway. Workers had increased the quantity and quality of the lighting. Hurricane lamps, a staple of every home's emergency preparedness kit, remained, but a few magical lamps, similar to those Xander had seen in the rodentia dungeon, also appeared in various places.

"Xander!" Victor called out as he waved his hand. "I'm glad I caught you before you took off. A moment?"

"Hey Victor, what can I do for you?" Xander said, trying to keep the frustration he felt when dealing with the leadership of the safe zone council out of his tone.

"Sorry again for everything that's been going on. I hate to ask for a favor since the council has been less than appreciative of all your efforts," Victor said, trying to act at least a little ashamed and apologetic.

"But you're going to anyway, I get it. What do you need?"

"Umm, yes. Well, there is a safe zone quest to claim the dungeon. If we can do that, we'll get the ability to mine materials for the safe zone and the monsters won't respawn," Victor replied.

"That sounds like something for your captain of the guard. You don't need us for that," Xander said, motioning to the rest of his group.

"Well, you see, I'm concerned with some things that have been going on here. Supposedly, there is a key of sorts a person has to find to claim the dungeon. I want you and your group to find it and bring it back to me directly. There is no one I can fully trust inside the safe zone community at the moment," Victor replied, shuffling from foot to foot.

Rex shot Xander a glance from the side and Xander returned the knowing look back to him before answering Victor. "Okay, if we find it, we'll get it for you, but we will not start a fight with the safe zone combatants over it if they find it first. Deal?"

"That sounds fair, thank you."

Watching Victor leave before saying anything, Rex finally muttered, "I believe things are coming to a head."

"Agreed."

The captain of the guard and his men were waiting for the adventurers when they approached the front gate. Xander considered this a good sign since, so far, anything involving combatants from the safe zone had been sloppy and unorganized.

There were eight men and women gathered near the cart, most dressed in mismatched leather armor. Their expressions were tight. Not quite ready, but getting there. Xander recognized the look. No one smiled before a fight.

The nearby cart, lightly loaded with supplies, looked familiar. Probably one one they'd 'liberated' during the last outing. The horse-like creatures harnessed to it shifted restlessly, the air thick with the scent of damp fur, musk, and tension.

An older gentleman sat on the cart's buckboard, smoking a pipe; the heavy smell of tobacco filled Xander's nostrils, reminding him of his father. Shaking the thought from his head, Xander reminded himself to stay in the present. Find Jo, then he could take as many days as he wanted, longing for the past.

"All right, let's move out! We have a good idea of where we're going this time, so there won't be a need to sidetrack. Unless it's something we need to deal with directly in our path, we won't be deviating. Anything of interest will have to wait until we've cleared the dungeon," the captain of the guard commanded.

Unlike the last trip, there was no meandering around the countryside. The group walked at a reserved but steady pace. There were several gnoll encounters along the way and one outpost to check out on the way back. Along with the gnolls, there were several encounters with various wildlife, but nothing that sidetracked or significantly slowed down the party.

The group reached the pollywog in the earlier afternoon. The smell of stagnant water and rotting foliage was so thick in the air Xander could almost taste it. A thick fog clung to the swamp floor that almost looked like a blanket flowing back and forth across the landscape. Several frogs croaked in the near distance.

"Remind me again what the heck a pollywog is?" Rex said, once again showing that he most certainly was not a Midwesterner.

"Honestly, it's just a name. Though there is a made up legend regarding a cryptid called the Pollywog Man. Back in the forties there used to be coal and silver mines all up and down here," Xander said as he pointed out an old rusted piece of mining equipment that probably had been laying at the bottom of the lake until recently, judging by the looks of it. "Land conservation wasn't really a thing back then, so when the mine ran dry, they just turned off the pumps that keep them from filling with water and moved on."

"Right… I'm just going to take your word for it. Do you know where we're going from here?" Rex asked.

"The captain and I put our heads together since we're from around here and there are two mines that were actually sunk as shafts. We think either of those is most likely," Xander stated as the group began the short walk to the first shaft location.

The swamp continued to echo with the croaking chorus of a plague of frogs as the group continued on. Xander tightened his grip on his new spear as the hair on the back of his neck was rising. The frogs were much closer than they had been a moment ago. By his side, Zoey caught the increase in tension and knocked an arrow, frost dripping off the broadhead tip. Behind them, the host of warriors followed, their armor clinking with every step. They sounded like a herd of metal buffalo with each clank of their armor and the mud sucking sound of their boots with each step.

They'd attracted too much attention and everyone knew it.

The knot of frogs surged forward, a seething mass of slimy bodies.

The captain of the guard raised his shield, the steel glinting in the murky afternoon light. "Hold the line!" he commanded, his voice cutting through the croaking cacophony.

Zoey's arrows flew true, each shot finding its mark and felling a frog with deadly precision. The warriors engaged in close combat, their weapons clashing against amphibian adversaries. But the sheer numbers of the knot pressed relentlessly.

A large and menacing frog, the size of a small wagon, emerged from the depths of the marsh. Its eyes glowed with eerie intelligence. With a sudden lunge, it snapped its wide jaws around one warrior, swallowing him whole. The muffled screams echoed briefly before being silenced by the creature sinking back down into the brackish water.

Rex, fueled by unadulterated fury, swung his twin axes in sweeping arcs, cutting a path through the froggy onslaught. Xander dropped into a support role by using his divine aegis and healing abilities to keep everyone alive. The warriors fought valiantly, but the swamp seemed endless in its supply of relentless amphibian foes.

Amid battle, a second warrior from the safe zone met a grim fate. Swarmed by a group of frogs, he succumbed to their overwhelming numbers. The frogs dragged the warrior to the ground, and a desperate cry rang out as he disappeared beneath the writhing mass. The cry giving way to the sound of sucking mud and cracking bones.

The captain of the guard triggered an ability, causing everyone to rally and push forward. As the knot of frogs faltered, Xander returned to the front line to fight side by side with Rex, their teamwork proving essential.

Slowly but surely, the party gained ground until the swampland once again fell silent, save for the distant croaks of stragglers.

"Clean up the battlefield and regroup at the wagon," called the captain of the guard once it was clear the immediate danger was over.

"What was the butcher's bill?" Xander asked as he cast a heal on a party member who was walking with a slight limp.

"Two dead, and I don't think we can recover the bodies. Handful of injuries. I think we're okay to continue if you can heal up the injuries before we get to the dungeon," the captain of the guard remarked, looking grim at the loss of two of his people.

Nodding, Xander got to work while everyone else harvested the frogs for any usable materials or loot. The smell of death now hung in the air, along with everything Xander had been smelling earlier. If there was a more depressing location, he couldn't think of one at the moment. Wanting to move on quickly, they completed everything as quickly as possible.

The party picked its way around the various deep lakes, trying to stick to the once paved trails as much as possible. Something heavy had made its way through the area, or the trailways were just more broken down before the reboot than Xander had expected. In the end, the reason didn't matter, but it slowed down the party as they had to supply extra strength to move the wagon across terrain the cart team couldn't.

Twenty minutes later, the first mine entrance came into view. Throwing up a small thanks to whatever AI might be listening, Xander was thankful that the first mine they had checked was the correct one. He supposed both mines could be active dungeons, or the dungeon had two entrances, but he was optimistic that the Simulation hadn't screwed them over for a change.

Dusk Tunnel Mine Complex
Status: Overflowing
Congratulations! You have discovered the Dusk Tunnel Mine Complex. This once-productive mine, rich in silver and iron ore, is now a gnoll stronghold. Can you reclaim the mine for humanity? Gather your party, go forth, and conquer. The greater the risk, the greater the reward!

Three large gnolls stood outside the entrance, each one armored and holding a spear of their own. Nearby, several hyenas fought over some type of meat and bones. For a moment, Xander had the sinking feeling in his gut about what type of meat they were fighting over, but he pushed that thought back down. Whether he was right or wrong, it wouldn't change the outcome.

Mine cart tracks exited the mine, leading into a nearby ramshackle building. Another pair of gnoll guards passed nearby. That made five guards and three or four hyenas by Xander's count.

"We outnumber them, and none of them have names or are rare. Let's go with nothing fancy: tanks out front to grab their attention and then we dogpile," strategized Rex.

"Dogpile? Really?" Xander smirked.

"Poor turn of phrase, not intentional."

Xander returned to Zoey to update her on the plan of attack, then took a moment to reach into the pocket that Cabbot had taken as her own to scratch behind her ears. At one point, he had been worried about her getting hurt, but the spectral cat could disappear whenever she wanted to. Where she went, Xander had no clue, but she always left before the battle started and returned when the danger was over. She didn't seem to mind. At least Xander didn't think she did. One could never tell with a cat, as they always looked like they were judging you for breathing air wrong.