He lay there for a good half an hour before he started to move again.

I watched him pull himself up to his horse. After several attempts, he managed to get up onto it and ride off. I watched him until he left my sight in the treeline.

I summoned my avatar and walked back to the church. As soon as the Challenger left the Dungeon, Rigger would return to his lair, and the others would start to heal. Things would be quiet for a few days while they healed. I was in no rush.

I reached the church and walked through the doors. The church was silent as I walked across the room, following the central aisle. The altar was before me, and the sacrifice remained on it.

I picked up the watch and closed it. I looked at the side of the church and read the new inscription on the wooden plaque on the wall.

Arthur Richardson. August 3rd, 1893, A.D. He came to find knowledge and understand the power shown to him.

"Arthur Richardson. Well, at least I now know his name."

The fourth Challenger to complete my Dungeon in the last twenty-three years. Was this good or bad? I knew not.

I might ask Senior Ahmed what Arthur's reward was. Finally, getting an answer would be interesting, but I had to remember that it was different for each person who passed through the gates at sunrise.

I was one death away from my next level and getting impatient. I was getting tired of cleaning up the church.

The third cult member arrived two days later.

My Hunters were fully healed and ready.

He entered the gates and turned south. He was well equipped and looked ready. He walked with purpose; his blade was drawn and prepared for use. He watched the graveyard as he went deeper, alert for dangers.

He walked right past a hidden McGregor.

I wish McGregor had made short work of him.

[A Hunter has made a Kill]

[New Midian, Level up!]

"Finally!"

Congratulations!

You have reached level 6!

Your kill count to reach level seven has increased to 160. You have gained a new Hunter slot. Your Dungeon has increased by 0.10 miles. A new perk slot is available to select.

We are impressed, keep up the good work!

The blue box appeared, and I read it twice.

"Eh?"

I reread it to make sure.

"What the hell? A 0.10-mile increase! What bullshit is this!"

There was no answer. I grumbled about that as I read the Perk list. Now, the list is giving me some excellent options. It took me two hours to narrow it down to three choices, all of which were Rare.

Catacombs (Rare)

This does not replace any existing underground structures, but instead adds to and connects them. As you level the ground below, the area becomes even denser with chambers and tunnels.

This perk scales with your level.

"Damn! Me want!"

Additional Hunter (Rare)

Gain a new Hunter slot for your Dungeon.

"Simple to understand."

Basic Weather Manipulation (Rare)

Gain the ability to create localised weather conditions to add effects to your Dungeon or confuse those within it.

This perk scales with your level.

"I could do a lot with that."

Options!

I wanted them all, but had to take one. I procrastinated for another hour before forcing myself to make a choice.

"Numbers are what I need. Additional Hunter, it is."

My reasoning was simple. The Hunters were the means of defence and protection of my Dungeon. My current batch had levelled up so much that leaving for extended periods was an issue, and I now need more flexibility with my options to operate beyond my walls.

I selected this perk, and suddenly, everything went dark.

…..

With a flash, my sight returned, and I was in the church again. However, it was different from what I had expected. The building was fully repaired, which was the first thing that made me happy.

"No more gunfights within the church!"

I made the promise to myself, knowing I might be unable to keep it.

I took a bit longer to look around at the changes in the building's architecture. And the changes were far more pronounced this time than any other. The entire space around the altar, which comprised the central area of the church, was now significantly larger. The ceiling was at least two stories high now, and I could see the wooden beams crisscrossing the space holding up the roof.

The altar was now slightly larger, made of a higher-quality marble. Originally, the altar was white with black veins running through it, but it had now been inverted to black marble with white veins. There was much greater decoration on the four sides of the altar, representing images of the angel of death in different poses. I turned my attention to the angel statue behind the altar and found that it, too, had undergone a change. It was now made of black marble and was much larger, standing a bit further away from the altar.

The windows on the west and east sides of the church were larger, and the stained-glass artwork within them was much more elaborate. They depicted scenes of people moving around the church graveyard and being hunted by the monsters within.

The pews were still wooden but slightly longer and made of high-quality wood. The wood was rich and dark, and the furniture's construction was exceptionally good. Four pillars were now located in the central part of the church, lining the way to the altar. I found more carvings in the stone. Leering cherubs' or devil faces were the most common.

Two large chandelier-like light fixtures hung from the ceiling beams and were made of black iron. I went up and looked them over. They were detailed and very… spiky. They had empty candle slots, but none were in sight.

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There were more vases and urns in the space now, and I checked below ground and found the same room still present. Everything there was as it should be in the places I left everything. I double-checked to ensure all my material wealth was present and accounted for. I wasn't too bothered about the rest.

I found two more small rooms attached to the side annexe on either side of the church. I had no idea what I would do with them at the time, but I set them aside for future reference.

Moving up through the roof, I checked the bell tower next. The bell tower now stood another story above the rest of the tiled roof. Within the tower, I found not one but three bells, all missing their clappers. The tiles on the roof had also changed to a dark slate. Before, they had been the usual grey, but now they were so dark they were almost black.

I moved to the top of the spatial bubble and looked down.

The graveyard that made up the surface level of my Dungeon had been changed more dramatically than any other time. I could now count six distinct rings within the maze of the Dungeon. The inner ring was the church, and it was empty, apart from that one building in my flower beds. The next two rings were incredibly densely packed areas containing gravestones, statues, mausoleums, and other things found within the graveyard.

On the sixth and outermost ring, I found four spaces that had now been created. They were not very large but seemed like little parks or seating areas. Each had several benches and trees positioned around it, granting shade. They were located between the cardinal compass points in the northeast, northwest, southwest, and southeast.

The maze these rings were part of had also become more complicated, with far more dead ends and narrow choke points.

Below, I could make out my Hunters now emerging from their lairs. The sun was setting in the west, and I expected it to be entirely gone within an hour. I knew the lack of light would not inhibit my Hunters as they explored the changed environment, where they would hunt their prey.

I spent the next few hours like them wandering the change dungeon, both in my avatar form and outside of it. The gates in the courtyard held the only change-related items; the rest were alterations to almost everything else. All the bodies buried within the graveyard were concentrated mainly in the second and third rings. Even with a rough estimation, I knew several hundred dead people were now in my Dungeon.

Around midnight, I paused my explorations, satisfied with what had been accomplished. I redirected my focus to the top of the spatial bubble and contemplated the pressing problems I needed to address.

The first problem was easy. I would have to achieve one hundred twenty kills to reach the next level. Hopefully, an additional Hunter would be a great help in this regard.

At my present kill rate, I estimated it would take 20 to 25 years to reach that number. This means I would probably reach my next level between 1915 and 1920. Of course, it might take longer or less time, depending on global events and their impact on the local environment.

In Europe, I could see the tensions building that would ultimately lead to the outbreak of the First World War. There were changes, and I suspected the conflict would be similar yet radically different from the one I was familiar with. How such a conflict would unfold, I did not know.

Technologically, the world seemed very similar to mine. Still, I was no historian, so there might have been some significant technological developments made or missed that I was unaware of. Socially, I had seen many differences between my world and this one. I did not know how they would play out in the long term.

Finally, I reflected on my impact on the world, both directly and indirectly.

I firmly believe that the two most terrible words within the English language are 'What if?'. I accepted this because these two simple words constantly plagued me. The more I thought about the questions raised, the more those words came into play, creating even more questions.

As the sun rises in the East, bringing colour back to the world with the dawn chorus of birds welcoming it, I had to accept that I could only control a small amount of the influence my actions would have upon the world.

"It's bloody frustrating."

September arrives, and the weather will soon begin to change.

My Dungeon was quiet, so the local, national and international news interests me more.

Russia orders more ships from German shipyards to strengthen its Far Eastern Fleet. The first two armoured cruisers it ordered were commissioned and would be sent to their naval base in Vladivostok, where they were expected to arrive after completing their shakedown trials next year.

Relations with Japan were still in the toilet and showed no signs of improvement. In response, Japan accelerated the development of its domestic naval production and explored the option of purchasing more British or French ships.

There were still tensions in Europe, but the situation remained calm on the surface for the time being.

Negotiations about Cuba's future continued, but there was increasing unrest on the island. The American press did not report that much, but the Canadian papers did.

"Good chance of trouble there."

Dawn was arriving, and I had to leave reading the issue of the Portland Times, which I was halfway through. I dismissed my avatar and shifted my view to the top of the spatial bubble.

The sun's early light flooded the area, bringing colour to everything. The sky had few clouds, and it looked like it would be a pleasant day.

I sat and watched the day pass. Traffic along the road was around its normal levels, and everything seemed to be as it should be. The day passed, and I watched it all.

The group of six riders caught my attention.

They came over the ridge from Crossway. Even from a distance, it was clear that they were dressed in a similar manner. I was willing to bet money that Senior Ahmed was the lead rider. I sighed to myself, wondering what he wanted now.

I watched the riders across the river at the Ford, but the trees blocked most of my view of them riding along the road. It was still too early for autumn to start removing the forest's leaves.

Eventually, I spotted them heading up the path towards the Dungeon's gates and shifted down to meet them. I did not summon my avatar but waited for them to approach the gates.

Now that I could see the six riders, I knew them all somehow. Four of them were guards who frequently accompanied Senior Ahmed. There, of course, was Senior Ahmed himself, but the sixth rider that caught my attention was Arthur Richardson.

This was the first time a successful Challenger had returned to the Dungeon. I was filled with questions I wanted to ask, but had to remain aloof and in control. I could summon my avatar when they approached the gates on foot, but I decided to wait until I was called.

Senior Ahmed and Arthur dismounted their horses and approached the gates. I noticed the other riders were far from normal, which was odd. It was senior Ahmed who called out asking to speak to me, and at his call, I waited a few seconds before appearing.

"We greet you, Keeper," Senior Ahmed said as I appeared before him. Arthur seemed more unsettled by my appearance, but I had suspected he had been told what would happen. Still, seeing it was something entirely different.

"Senior Ahmed." I greeted him and then turned to the other man. "Arthur Richardson."

The other man blinked rapidly in surprise as I spoke his name, and his face went pale. Senior Ahmed smiled slightly as if he were enjoying a private joke at the other man's expense.

"We were most happy when Brother Abraham completed your trial." Senior Ahmed spoke on behalf of the other man.

Brother Abraham?

"A third was sent, and as we have not heard from him, we suspect he has left this world for the next." Senior Ahmed continued. "We are grateful that Brother Abraham found the strength to see himself through your trial. The rewards for such a deed are as great as the ancient tales speak of."

"I did not lie to you, Senior Ahmed. Anyone who enters this place and faces the trial can claim the reward upon completion."

"We never doubted your words, Keeper." Senior Ahmed tried to reassure me. "The loss of so many of our number concerned us. But now that one of us has finished the trial, we understand."

"Tell me, brother Abraham. What were your blessings for completing my trial?"

I turned my attention to the other man again, and he was once again surprised by my question.

"You do not know?" He asked in a confused tone.

"Brother Abraham. If I knew, I would not be asking the question."

My tone was a bit snarky, and I felt I had the right to be that way. The man was a successful Challenger but still squirmed under my gaze. I realised he was still trying to process and understand what you went through when he stepped through these gates. He hadn't fully appreciated my appearance yet, which kept him off-balance.

"Apologies, Keeper." Senior Ahmed quickly stepped in. "Brother Abraham is young and inexperienced, even after gaining such new abilities. There is still much he does not understand about what he has gained, and there is much of the knowledge of places such as yours that we have lost."

Diplomatic as always.

"Show him." Senior Ahmed said to the other man.

Brother Abraham extended his arm, palm up, and closed his eyes. He seemed to concentrate on something; I felt a strange shift in the air around us. Suddenly, there was a small flash of light within his upturned palm, and a flame now burned there. It had no fuel source and was not burning his skin.

Magic.

He closed his fist, and the fire went out, ending the show after a few seconds. I remembered what was written on his section of the victors' board. It appears that he gained access to and mastery of magic.

"Impressive."

I did not lie as it was. He puffed up slightly with pride at his new abilities, but I decided to bring him down a notch.

"It is a shame that you did not face the full trial and gain what you deserved for the part you did."

Brother Abraham deflated visibly but looked confused. Senior Ahmed was also confused, but I saw the spark of interest in his eyes.

"What do you mean, Keeper?" He asked, knowing that I appreciated more direct conversation.

"Brother Abraham did not face the full number of those found within. He fulfilled the requirements to collect the reward, which was a remarkable achievement. You should be proud of that."

I looked at the other man as I spoke, watching his reactions.

"You did, however, avoid one and missed a second. If you had faced all that resides within my domain, the reward would have been even greater."

"Thank you for telling us that," Senior Ahmed said. I have not been watching his reaction, but the other one. He seemed relieved that he had missed two of my hunters, but I also noted the look of greed in his eyes when he was told that it could have been a greater reward if he had faced them and survived.

"If Brother Abraham is feeling bold and brave, you can always try again."

That brought both men to shocked silence.

"What do you mean, try again?" Brother Abraham's voice was filled with fear as he asked the question I had set him up for.

"One of the rules of such a place of mine is that anyone who succeeds can try again to claim an even greater reward."

I went through all the rules for Challengers and how they are expected to behave. There is no rule stating that they cannot return and try again; if they succeed, they will be rewarded again.

I watch the reactions of both men and find them both quite interesting. Senior Ahmed is quite intrigued and interested in what I just told him. Brother Abraham looks like he's about to piss himself. I couldn't deny that the man was brave, but the idea of going through the graveyard again to the church and back was too much for him to bear.

"But remember, you must willingly walk through these gates."

I added that to ensure that Senior Ahmed would not force Brother Abraham to return to try again. I wondered if he could handle the rewards the man now possessed. Could anyone inside the Way of Athamos compel him to do anything he didn't want? He had access to magic now, but how much and how powerful was it?

Senior Ahmed brought the conversation to an end, and they departed.

I now knew something of what the Challenger gained upon completion. They gained their reward as promised, along with a shitload of trauma.

As I watched them right away, I wondered what the rest of the year would bring me.

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