Getting Out

The three of them stalked through the halls of the Abyss stylized school, as they sought to destroy creatures until they were released from this place. Well mostly Moira and Moonstone did the actual destruction of creatures, while John hung back and out of the way.

After what felt like several hours and many kills by Moira and Moonstone, John got a pop-up.

Trap dungeon status: Empty
Would you like to exit now?
<Yes> <No>

‘Easy choice,’ John thought as he pushed the yes button. In the walls of the dungeon cracks and fissures appeared before the dungeon collapsed around them like shattering glass. Moonstone let out another girlish shriek before running off.

Achievement unlocked: Survival
You have survived your first trap barrier encounter. (Barely)
+2 Str
+2 End
+$2500

Moira turned to John, a determined look in her eyes. “You will come to my house tomorrow, and we will talk about what you are and what is going to happen to you,” she stated in a matter of fact tone. Moira stomped off down the hallway.

John nodded numbly at Moira’s back before he turned away, headed towards the gym to get a change of clothes since he was currently shirtless. ‘This has certainly been one hell of a day,’ John thought to himself as he made his way through the halls using move silently and stealth. By the time that he got to the locker rooms, both of his skills had gotten a level.

Skill level up: Stealth
Increased difficulty for you to noticed by others.

Skill level up: Move Silently
You make even less noise when walking normally.
Upgrade unlocked: Sound indicator
Sound Indicator: When using Move Silently you can now see a visual representation of how much noise you are making.

John shook his head as he changed into his gym clothes. Now that he was fully dressed again, John decided to call it a day and head home before something else happened. John snuck out of school with relative ease and was beginning to make his way home using side streets when a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

“And just where do you think that you are going?” A familiar voice asked, “Do you think that you would be able to escape meeting the rest of my clan so easily?”

John turned to face Moonstone with a **** sigh. “Do you mind if I change into something proper first?” John asked tiredly, to which Moonstone nodded cheerfully. John resumed his walk to his house, surprised by the difference in noise that he seemed to make in comparison to Moonstone’s footsteps. It sounded to him like she was stomping along, while his footsteps seemed almost inaudible. In fact when he matched his steps to fall at the same time hers did, he couldn’t hear his steps.

As the two of them entered his neighborhood, John noticed that something strange was going on. The sky changed color again, although thankfully not to the blood red that it had been this morning, but changed it had. Moonstone looked up and sighed.

"Are you just a magnet for barriers or is there something else?” she asked accusingly of John as she took in the surroundings. There didn’t seem to be anything around them but sparse looking trees and open fields. “Although, if we had to get caught in a barrier,” she stated somewhat wistfully, “I would rather be here than trapped at school.” She gave a mock shudder as she remembered their adventures this morning.

“Do you think it is a trap barrier, or would it be possible to get out of it?” John asked noticing the distinct lack of enemies nearby. Moonstone shrugged her shoulders and raised her hand. She closed her eyes, and John took this moment to use Observe on her again.

New skill learned
Escape Barrier Level 1, Active
Cost: 25 MP
Description: By focusing your mana into your hand, this skill allows you to collapse a barrier and escape. Does not work on Barriers twice your level, trap barriers, or dungeon barriers.

Moonstone closed her hand into a fist with a sudden ferocity and the Abyssal world of the barrier collapsed around them, leaving them where they had entered, at the entrance to his neighborhood.

“Well, at least it wasn’t a trap barrier,” Moonstone said with a shrug and a smile, “Now hurry up and take me to your house so that you can get changed and we can introduce you to my clan!” With those words of encouragement, she slapped him on the back hard enough to propel him forward in an effort to hurry him along.

-1 HP

‘Geez,’ John thought to himself as he led the way to his house, ‘if it weren’t for the Gamer’s Body skill, I am sure that would have left a bruise.’ But led the way to his house John did. Several times the pair of them were **** into barriers. With the number of barriers in his neighborhood, it almost seemed as if someone had layered barriers in this area, and as John showed the way to his house, they seemed to hit every one of them.

“For fuck’s sake, this is ridiculous,” Moonstone cried out after they broke the last barrier, which had been erected just outside of his home, to which John agreed.

“Mom, I am home early, and I brought a friend over,” John called out to see if anyone was in the house after he had unlocked and opened the door. Hearing no response, John had Moonstone wait in the kitchen while he ran upstairs to change.

He was quick as he changed his clothes, but as he stepped out of his room, he heard a noise coming from his mother’s room. John, curious about the noise, crept towards the door that had always been closed to him. He placed his hand on the door, and slowly pushed the door open, taking a peek inside.