The air in the Fungal Grotto was thick enough to drink, a cloying cocktail of wet earth, blooming mildew, and the faint, sweet scent of decay. Every breath Lin Yu took felt heavy in his lungs, each one a reminder of where he was: another low-level Layer, another day spent as less than nothing.
His world was measured in the agonizing bite of leather straps into his shoulders. The pack was a monster in itself, a grotesque canvas-and-leather beast that dwarfed his slender frame. It was stuffed to bursting with the spoils of the Iron Spears' hunt—glowing blue-capped mushrooms called Glowcaps, chitinous mandibles pried from the carapaces of Grotto Creepers, and several quivering, gelatinous spore sacs that sloshed with every step he took. The weight was a grinding, constant misery that had settled deep into his spine, a familiar ache that was the truest friend he had in this world.
Ahead, the three figures of the Iron Spears moved with the casual confidence of the powerful. Kaelen, their leader, was a broad-shouldered Warrior whose enchanted plate armor gleamed even in the dim, fungal light. At his flank was Jin, a wiry Archer who nocked and un-nocked arrows with a restless, twitchy energy. Bringing up the rear was Mira, a Sorcerer whose robes were impeccably clean, protected by a shimmering, barely-visible ward that deflected the constant drip of moisture from the cavern ceiling.
And then there was Lin Yu, twenty paces behind, his cheap boots slipping on the slick, moss-covered stone. He was the fourth member of their party, but he didn't count. He was a Zero. The Pack Mule.
A guttural screech echoed from a side tunnel, and the trio ahead instantly fell into formation. Kaelen planted his feet, his massive shield thudding against the stone. Mira's hands began to glow with nascent power.
"Just a straggler," Jin called out, his voice sharp and dismissive. He drew his bow in a fluid motion, the string thrumming as he loosed an arrow tipped with faint green light. It flew true, striking a skittering, multi-legged horror as it emerged from the darkness. The Grotto Creeper convulsed and collapsed, its legs curling in on themselves.
Lin Yu watched the casual display of skill with a familiar, hollow pang in his chest. A Level 12 Hunter. An enchanted bow. A basic skill, probably [Venom Shot]. It was a simple equation of power he could comprehend but never participate in. His own status screen, the private universe every Hunter possessed, was a void. No class. No level. No skills. Just a name, Lin Yu, that still felt like a stranger's, and a tab for his inventory. It was the System's equivalent of a terminal diagnosis.
"Loot it, Zero," Kaelen grunted over his shoulder, not bothering to turn. "And be quick about it. This grotto won't clear itself."
Lin Yu nodded, though no one was looking. He shuffled forward, unhooking a short, stained knife from his belt. The Creeper smelled foul up close, a pungent odor of rot and ammonia. He worked with practiced efficiency, his movements economical to conserve what little energy he had. He pried off the two large mandibles, their edges still sharp, and carefully extracted the venom sac from beneath the creature's thorax, taking care not to puncture it. The sac was worth more intact.
"Anything good?" Jin asked, already bored.
"Standard drop," Lin Yu replied, his voice quiet. "Two mandibles, one venom sac. B-grade."
Jin scoffed. He sauntered over, ripped a still-glowing shard of chitin from the Creeper's back, and tossed it carelessly over his shoulder. "Catch."
Lin Yu scrambled, nearly dropping the delicate venom sac to catch the shard before it hit the ground. It was a worthless C-grade material, but if he'd let it shatter, Kaelen would have found an excuse to dock his pay. Again.
He stowed the items in their designated pouches within the pack, the new weight settling onto his aching shoulders. Mira sighed dramatically. "Can we please move on? This place is going to ruin my boots. And the smell…" She waved a hand in front of her face, her gaze sliding past Lin Yu as if he were part of the fungus-covered rock.
For the next hour, this was the rhythm of his life. The Iron Spears would fight, their skills flashing in the dark—Kaelen's thundering [Shield Bash], Jin's swift [Double Shot], Mira's crackling [Mana Bolt]. After each brief, violent exchange, Lin Yu would move in like a vulture to pick the corpse clean, his presence only acknowledged when it was time to add more weight to his burden. He was a walking storage chest, a tool, nothing more.
They were deep in the grotto now, nearing the central cavern where the Layer's "mini-boss" was known to spawn. The air grew cooler, and the fungal light more intense, casting long, dancing shadows. Kaelen motioned for them to halt.
"Alright, listen up," he said, his voice low. "The Grotto Matron should be in here. It's a Stone-Shelled Glimmer-Beetle. Slow, but its shell is tough. Mira, soften it up. Jin, aim for the leg joints. I'll keep its attention." He glanced back at Lin Yu for the first time in an hour. "You. Stay out of the way. If you get stepped on, I'm not paying your medical fees."
Lin Yu pressed himself into an alcove in the cavern wall, making himself as small as possible. The ground began to vibrate. A huge, boulder-like creature lumbered into view. It was easily twice the size of Kaelen, its shell a composite of rock and shimmering crystal that refracted the grotto's light into a thousand tiny rainbows. The Glimmer-Beetle.
The fight was a blur of controlled chaos. Mira launched bolts of fire that exploded against the beetle's shell with sizzling cracks, leaving molten rock in their wake. Jin's arrows, aimed with pinpoint precision, struck the creature's massive leg joints, causing it to stumble. And through it all, Kaelen stood like a mountain, his shield absorbing the beetle's clumsy, powerful charges. The sound of his taunting shouts and the monster's enraged screeches echoed through the cavern.
Lin Yu watched, his heart a cold, heavy knot in his chest. He saw every move, analyzed every weakness. He had spent his five years in this world not just surviving, but studying. He had read every monster encyclopedia, every Layer guide he could afford. He knew that the Glimmer-Beetle's third optical cluster, just below its primary mandible, was a critical weak point. He knew that its crystal shell, while resistant to kinetic force, was brittle against sonic vibrations. He knew it all. And it was all utterly useless knowledge, a library of battle plans for a soldier with no arms.
Finally, with a tremendous roar, Kaelen found his opening. His sword, glowing with the white light of a Warrior skill, plunged into a fracture created by Mira's spells. The Glimmer-Beetle gave a final, shuddering cry and collapsed, its massive body shaking the entire cavern.
"Good work," Kaelen grunted, breathing heavily. He kicked at one of the beetle's legs. "Alright, Zero. Let's see the prize."
Lin Yu pushed himself from the wall and approached the colossal corpse. The main prize from a Glimmer-Beetle was always the heart-crystal, a rare material used in high-level enchanting. He carefully cut through the creature's tough underbelly and reached into the body cavity. His fingers closed around a smooth, warm object. He pulled it out.
It was a flawless Glimmer Crystal, the size of his fist and pulsing with a gentle internal light. An A-grade drop. This alone was worth more than his pay for a month.
"Hand it over," Kaelen commanded, wiping his sword clean on the beetle's hide.
Lin Yu moved to place it carefully in Kaelen's outstretched hand, but as he did, Jin "accidentally" bumped into him. "Oops, watch it."
Lin Yu stumbled. For a horrifying split second, the crystal slipped from his grasp. He reacted instantly, catching it against his chest with his other hand before it could fall. It was safe. He hadn't dropped it.
But Kaelen's eyes narrowed. He snatched the crystal from Lin Yu's hands and held it up to the light. "You clumsy idiot!" he roared, his voice bouncing off the cavern walls.
Lin Yu's blood ran cold. "I caught it. It didn't fall."
"Look!" Kaelen turned the crystal, pointing to a tiny, almost invisible line near the surface. "A hairline fracture. It's compromised! Do you have any idea how much value that loses? This was supposed to be an A-grade drop. Now it's B-grade at best, all because you couldn't stand still!"
Lin Yu stared at the fracture. It was a natural imperfection, the kind these crystals sometimes had. It had nothing to do with his near-fumble. He opened his mouth to protest, to defend himself, but the look in Kaelen's eyes stopped him. It was a look of cold, calculating satisfaction. He hadn't been looking for a reason; he had been waiting for one.
"I… it was already there," Lin Yu whispered, the words tasting like ash.
"Are you calling me a liar, Zero?" Kaelen took a menacing step forward. "You're lucky I'm paying you at all. We're docking your share by seventy percent to cover the damages. Now finish looting the rest of this thing. We're leaving."
Rage, hot and useless, churned in Lin Yu's gut. But he choked it down until it was a cold, hard stone in his stomach. He nodded numbly, his gaze fixed on the floor. Arguing would only make it worse. He had learned that lesson long ago. He was powerless, and power was the only language this world understood.
The trek back to the Door was silent. Lin Yu's pack felt heavier than ever, not from the loot, but from the weight of his own humiliation. When they finally stepped through the shimmering, glass-like portal, the world assaulted his senses. The Fungal Grotto's quiet gloom was replaced by the cacophony of the city's Hunter district—the roar of hover-vehicles, the chatter of thousands of people, the pulsating bass from tavern speakers, all under the perpetual twilight of towering skyscrapers and glaring neon signs.
Kaelen stopped and turned. He tossed a few bronze and silver coins onto the grimy pavement at Lin Yu's feet. They skittered across the ground with a pathetic jingle.
"Your cut," the Warrior said with a sneer. "Try not to spend it all in one place."
Jin and Mira chuckled as the three of them turned and disappeared into the throng of Hunters, their armor clanking, already talking about which bar they would celebrate at.
Lin Yu stood there for a long moment, the entire city blurring around him. He bent down slowly, his back screaming in protest, and picked up the coins. It was barely enough to buy a decent meal. He clenched his fist around the metal, the edges digging into his palm. He felt a thousand angry shouts trapped in his throat, a rebellion brewing in his soul. But they were all silenced by the cold, hard truth of his reality.
Then, he looked up.
Across the bustling plaza, standing apart from the crowds, was a figure. A woman in practical, worn leather armor, a longsword strapped to her back. Her black hair was tied back in a simple, no-nonsense ponytail, and her face, though etched with a certain weariness, was calm. She wasn't smiling, but her eyes, when they met his, held no contempt, no mockery. They held only a quiet, steady warmth.
Su Wan.
She was waiting for him.
And as he looked at her, the crushing weight on his soul seemed to lift, if only by a fraction. In a world designed to break him, her presence was a stark, defiant contrast. A single, flickering candle in an endless, suffocating darkness.