The World's First Dungeon Vs Zane

The kitchen was warm, steamy even, as damp bodies, soaked boots, and drying jackets filled the air with the scent of wet leather and instant coffee. Tarni had claimed the best seat by the oven, slouched in a thick hoodie with a fresh bandage taped over his ribs. Zane stood near the sink, still towel-drying his hair, while Lily and Kia nursed steaming mugs at the kitchen table. Bell moved among them like a cyclone disguised as a mother, fussing over cuts, handing out dry socks, and muttering to herself under her breath.

Zane raised his cup. "To surviving."

The others joined in with tired smirks. "To surviving."

They sipped in silence for a few moments, the adrenaline finally fading, leaving only the ache of close calls and bruised pride. Rain still hammered the roof, but here in the kitchen, surrounded by the familiar hum of the jenny and the warmth of the stovetop, it felt like a different world from the one they'd fought in just minutes ago.

"Well," Bell said at last, arms folded as she leaned against the bench, "someone tell me exactly what happened out there. And don't skip the stupid bits."

So they did.

Zane started with the scout and the plan to circle wide. Tarni added his usual flair, painting the hobgoblins as oversized football players on a bad acid trip. Lily jumped in with her spear thrusts and quick footwork. Kia filled in the details—how he'd netted a goblin early, the way the bush exploded, and he remembered his training was able to kill the goblin that had tried to jump on his back, then how the healing had nearly knocked him out cold.

Bell listened to it all, her expression tight, her hand wrapped around a mug she had yet to drink. When Tarni described the moment he was stabbed and Zane shouted his name, her jaw clenched.

"Bloody hell," she whispered, more to herself than anyone.

"Yeah," Zane said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Then Lily perked up. "Oh! Also—I levelled up. Twice, actually."

That snapped everyone's attention back to the present.

"You did?" Zane said, surprised. "You didn't mention that."

"Didn't want to distract anyone," she shrugged,

Kia grinned. "Same. I got one level."

Bell blinked. "Wait, how did you get all the way back here with the system message in your face?"

Zane pointed his thumb at his chest. "They've got me as their mentor. I showed them how to shift the messages off to the side so it doesn't block vision. Told 'em not to mess with anything until we're back and safe."

Bell raised an eyebrow, impressed despite herself. "Alright, fair."

"So, what'd you choose?" Zane asked Lily.

She grinned and rattled it off like she'd been waiting for someone to ask.

" you all know about my title—You Took Your Time—which gives me one point for every stat when I level up? Well, I levelled twice, so that was awesome. Then I dumped three points into Strength and three into Dexterity."

Tarni whistled. "That's a big jump. How much did it shift?"

Lily puffed out her chest with mock pride and recited:

Lily Rider — Level 2
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 9
Wisdom: 7
Charisma: 8

Kai let out a low "Damn," and even Zane gave an approving nod.

"You basically doubled your muscle and agility," he said. "You'll be twice as fast and hit twice as hard."

"Exactly!" she beamed. "Next fight, I'm not just gonna stab things—I'm gonna style on them."

Bell gave a shaky laugh. "You're my daughter, alright."

Kai raised his hand next. "My turn. I'm hoping to heal without needing a nap after."

"Smart," Zane said. "You go Constitution?"

"Nope. All into Intelligence. Want to see if it changes how much juice I've got for the skill. If not, I'll balance it later."

Kai Rider — Level 3
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 9
Constitution: 10
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 9
Charisma: 7

"Fifteen already?" Tarni said, eyebrows up. "Mate, you're on track to be a brain-in-a-jar by level five."

Kia smirked. "As long as the brain's got healing spells, I'll take it."

Zane looked between the two of them, pride and worry tangling behind his eyes. "Alright. Good choices, both of you. But remember, stats aren't everything. Awareness, teamwork, and not getting cocky will keep you alive longer than any number."

Lily gave a mock salute. "Yes, Captain Dad."

Bell finally took a sip of her coffee, eyes on the dark window. "I hate that this is happening and that they need to know this," she murmured. "But I'm glad we are together."

Zane didn't answer, just reached out and rested a hand over hers on the bench.

The rain hadn't let up, but inside the house, the storm had settled—for now.

The house had finally settled into the kind of quiet only exhaustion could bring. Tarni was snoring on the couch under a blanket that barely covered him, one arm tucked protectively around a hot water bottle. Lily had climbed into the loft, still buzzing about her stat boost, but decided she was too full from all the food she had crammed into her stomach to continue to brag about it. Kai had made it to bed last, head heavy with more than just tiredness.

Zane stood on the back veranda, nursing a mug of hot chocolate, rain hammering gently on the tin roof above. The sky was dark, moonlight smothered by thick storm clouds. He was staring out into the dark paddock, watching the fence line for movement even though his muscles ached and his brain felt like soggy newspaper.

Bell joined him without a word, her own mug warm in her hands. She stood beside him for a while, silent and still, before speaking.

"You weren't thinking clearly tonight."

Zane blinked, then glanced sideways. "No. We weren't."

Bell didn't look at him. Her eyes were focused out into the dark, the same direction he'd been watching. "You got too comfortable. Chased something bigger than goblins. Nearly paid for it."

He exhaled slowly through his nose. "Yeah."

"Tarni almost died."

"I know."

"And Kai—" Her voice cracked slightly. She took a breath, steadied herself. "He's not a soldier. He's barely had time to understand the System, let alone live in it."

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Zane didn't answer right away. The rain kept falling. The smell of wet dirt and eucalyptus drifted up from the paddocks. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and even.

"I thought we could handle it. We'd levelled up, we were prepared, we'd trained—"

"No," Bell interrupted gently. "You felt like you could handle it. That's different."

Zane frowned, jaw tightening.

Bell looked at him then. Really looked. "This System—whatever it is—it doesn't just make you stronger. It wants you to want more. That little hit of XP. The stat boosts. The way it makes the danger feel worth it. It's addictive, Zane."

He let out a sharp breath, eyes dropping to his mug. "I felt it too. When the message popped up that I'd levelled—right after the fight, when I was still bleeding—I felt... good. Like we'd won. Like it was all worth it."

Bell nodded slowly. "It's designed that way. Reward you, push you to go a bit further. Risk a bit more. Until you stop thinking about the cost."

Zane ran a hand through his damp hair. "We didn't talk through the risks. We didn't even consider the goblin might have backup."

"You rushed out there looking for more XP," Bell said softly. "You wanted another hit."

Zane winced, guilt creasing his brow.

"I'm not saying you were reckless on purpose," she continued, her voice calm but firm. "But you didn't stop and weigh the risk. And I think it's because the System makes it feel like you're always behind unless you're pushing forward."

He nodded slowly. "That's exactly how it felt."

Bell was quiet for a moment. Then she leaned her shoulder against his, a warm pressure in the cold night.

"I need you to be the one who remembers the bigger picture," she said. "Not the System. Not the stat sheet. The people. Kai. Lily. Me. Even Tarn."

Zane swallowed. "I will."

They stood in silence again, the rain easing slightly. The bush beyond the paddock was a wall of shadow and wet leaves.

Bell looked up at him. "I don't want to lose you to XP."

Zane met her eyes. "You won't."

"Then next time," she said, turning back toward the kitchen door, "slow down. The world isn't going anywhere."

Zane nodded, watching her go. Then he looked back out into the dark and took another sip of his drink, the hot chocolate now lukewarm.

And for the first time since Bell had been healed, he wasn't thinking about his next level.

Lily lay wide awake on the mattress in the loft, staring up at the sloped ceiling, her body warm under the doona, her heart still buzzing from the night's adrenaline.

She turned her head toward the small window. Rain pattered steadily against the glass. The wind had shifted — not strong enough to rattle the house, but enough to make the gum trees creak like restless giants.

She should've been tired.

They'd fought for their lives out there. She'd taken a hit — not serious, just a graze — and used the spear for real, not just practice. And for the first time, she'd killed something on purpose. Something alive.

And she'd levelled up. Twice.

She pulled her stats up again, even though she'd already looked at them a dozen times.

Lily RIDER
Level: 2
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 9
Wisdom: 7
Charisma: 8

She grinned.

It felt good. Not just good — amazing. Her body was different now. Faster. Stronger. More precise. She could feel it in her limbs, in the way her muscles moved, in the way she caught herself halfway through a stumble that would've knocked her flat yesterday.

When she'd added the stat points, it had been like lighting a fire under her skin. Warm. Clean. Controlled. Like a perfect shot of adrenaline with none of the crash. And the Titles — that weird bonus at the start? Extra points to every stat?

It was like the System wanted her to feel invincible.

Lily turned over and stared at the ceiling again, her fingers drumming a rhythm on the pillow. She could hear Kai snoring softly downstairs. Tarni had snorted himself to sleep half an hour ago. Mum and Dad were probably still talking on the back veranda.

She sighed.

That fight had been close. Scary, even. But now that the danger was over... it was hard to remember the fear. What stuck with her was the rush. That moment the goblin lunged and she nailed it dead-centre with the spear. The sound of the XP chime in her head. The glowing message. Level up. Like applause. Like being handed a gold medal.

She wondered how far she was from the next level.

And what she'd get then.

Another three points, maybe even a new skill? Something active this time — something flashy. Maybe some kind of power shot like Mum's. Maybe something cooler.

Lily grinned in the dark, imagining herself leaping from the top of the ute, spear in one hand, kicking a goblin off a fencepost in slow motion. Maybe her spear would glow. Or catch fire. Or fire lighting strikes out of the end—

A small voice inside her nudged her conscience.

Uncle Tarn nearly died.

She frowned and rolled onto her back. That wasn't fair. He was holding his own. And anyway, they all knew what they were signing up for.

Didn't they?

Lily rubbed her eyes. The System made it so hard to focus on the fear. Or the blood. Or the way Zane had looked when Tarni went down — real, sharp fear in his voice for the first time.

Still, if they just trained a bit more, planned a little better...

She could level up again. Soon.

She just needed one more fight.

Bell leaned on the veranda railing with a mug of lukewarm tea in her hands, the rain hissing gently off the tin roof above. The smell of wet eucalypt drifted in from the bush, fresh and sharp, carried on the breeze. Zane had already gone to bed, though he'd left the door ajar in case she needed him.

She didn't. Not yet.

The house was quiet now. Just the creak of timber and the occasional rustle from possums on the roof. But Bell didn't go inside. Not until she saw Lily's shadow move in the loft window for the third time.

Restless.

Bell narrowed her eyes.

She knew that feeling. Body tired, mind racing. Sleep just out of reach because the adrenaline hadn't quite drained, and because something inside had changed — and you couldn't stop thinking about what came next.

She sipped the tea.

Lily had smiled too wide when she'd shown off her stats. Her eyes had shone — not just with pride, but hunger. It was the same look Bell remembered from Zane in his younger years, when he got his teeth into something dangerous. The glint he'd have right before heading off into a fireground or chasing down some wild idea that could've killed him.

It wasn't recklessness. Not exactly. It was purpose. Momentum.

And it scared the hell out of her.

Because the System rewarded it.

Bell sighed and stepped quietly back inside, shutting the door against the rain. She padded barefoot down the hallway and climbed halfway up the ladder to the loft before stopping, one hand resting on the cool metal rung.

"Lils?" she said softly.

A rustle. Lily's head peeked over the edge of her mattress, her eyes blinking wide.

"Hey, Mum. Thought you were asleep."

"I'm on watch. You okay?"

Lily hesitated just a fraction too long. "Yeah. Just… wound up, I guess."

Bell nodded. "I know that feeling. Your mind won't switch off."

Lily exhaled. "Yeah. It's like… everything's different now. I feel stronger. Faster. Like I can actually do something out there."

"You can," Bell said. "You proved that tonight."

Lily gave a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. Bell climbed up the last few rungs and sat beside her, folding her legs under herself.

"You're thinking about going back out again," Bell said gently.

Lily stiffened. "I mean, not right now. But soon, yeah. If we prepare better, we could—"

Bell touched her hand.

"You're not wrong. But be careful, sweetheart. The System... it rewards risk. It makes the danger feel like it's worth it — like it's necessary. And that rush? That little hit when you level up? It's addictive."

Lily looked away, embarrassed. "I just want to get stronger. I don't want to be the weak one."

"You're not," Bell said firmly. "You never were."

Silence stretched for a moment, thick and soft like a blanket. Then Lily asked quietly, "Does everybody feel like this? You know, when you first level up?"

Bell smiled faintly. "I think your Dad was too worried about me when he first started to level up. But once I was cured, he wanted more levels, more stats — more everything. After today though, with Tarn nearly dying, I don't think he'll be quite so reckless."

Then, to lighten the mood, Bell tossed out, "After last night in the sack, I kind of want him to have more stats too."

Lily's cheeks went bright red as she rolled her eyes at her mum talking about sex. Before Lily could say anything, Bell just kept talking, as if she hadn't said anything at all.

"You don't have to chase it," Bell said. "Power's not going anywhere. But you? You only get one life, XP or no XP. Just… promise me you'll think before running into the next fight."

Lily nodded slowly. "I promise."

Bell kissed her forehead and stood. "Get some sleep. Morning always comes quicker than you think."

As Bell climbed down the ladder, she caught herself wondering — not about Lily, not about Zane — but about her own growing desire to level up.

Bell stayed on watch for most of the night, curled up in the armchair by the front windows, a throw rug over her knees and a mostly empty mug of tea cradled in her hands. The rain had softened from a downpour to a steady patter, hissing gently on the tin roof above. Every now and then, a gust of wind stirred the eucalypts, but nothing moved beyond the treeline.

The hours crawled.

She was starting to nod off when the sound of a door creaked down the hall. Bell blinked, lifting her head as Kai stumbled out of his room barefoot, his hair sticking up at odd angles, eyes wide with panic.

"I'm late! Crap, I missed my shift, I—"

Bell gave him a tired, reassuring smile.

"It's alright, love," she said softly. "I let you sleep. You needed it."

Kai blinked at her, still halfway to full panic. "But… watch—"

"You're here now, aren't you?" she interrupted gently. "That counts for something. Thanks for coming to check."

He let out a breath and rubbed at his eyes, still waking up.

Bell stood slowly, her body stiff and sore from too many hours in the same chair. She stretched, winced a little, then placed a hand on his shoulder as she passed.

"You feeling any better?" she asked.

Kai nodded slowly. "Yeah. Still a bit rattled, but… I'll manage."

Bell gave him a faint smile and squeezed his shoulder. "Good. Try to keep the kettle warm — I'll need something strong when I get back up."

With that, she padded down the hallway, her steps quiet, and disappeared into the bedroom to steal a couple of hours of rest.

Kai stood alone by the front window, watching the shadows beneath the trees as the rain began to lighten and the first hints of dawn pressed against the horizon.