Chloe's finger trembled as she wiped the blood from her nose; a warm, coppery scent lingered.

The group crowded around Kate the Bear for her [Regeneration Aura]. Hana's [Radon light] cast creepy green shadows on the walls, making the stalactites look like giant claws.

Two distant torches flickered weakly in the back of the room, barely lighting a path toward an exit. They had pushed far enough into room one of the cavern, and far enough from the growing stalactites, that Tess had called for a short break.

Kate the Bear sniffed the blood on Chloe's finger and nose.

Chloe leaned away from her massive bear-head. "Mom . . . "

Her Mom proceeded to lick her face with a rough tongue.

Eventually she relented, leaving Chloe to lean against a nearby rock column.

Chloe grimaced as a series of disturbing images flashed through her mind; the horrific visions she had used during her [Fear] spells kept popping up to haunt her. She massaged her temples, and battled the urge to scream. She squeezed her eyes shut and inhaled deeply, focusing on the rise and fall of her chest.

"They're not real. They're not real."

During Room 1's monster waves, Chloe had discovered that casting spells involved more than merely flinging them like mind bullets. A mental link tethered her mind to each spell as it smashed into the target. At first, she'd severed the connection instantly. Later, as she grew more comfortable with her spells, she had experimented with them. She could allow the tether to remain, giving her increased control over her abilities.

Chloe's use of the [Fear] spell had developed, becoming more powerful and complex. She no longer simply created frightening illusions and threw them at the target. Now, with every spell cast, her consciousness and willpower slammed into the creature. Using her ability this way was more effective, caused longer [Fears], more [Tachycardia Damage], and was more mana-efficient.

But it came at a price. Chloe had to constantly fight to distinguish her own emotions from those of her targets. Mostly, the creatures just felt blind hate, which was fine. She hated these things right back, so having 'more hate' for them was no big deal. However, there was always a point when the creature realized it was about to die. Chloe felt the creature's fear and panic and . . . disappointment in its short life.

When the kids trained on the hill, Chloe watched as they all demonstrated their impressive abilities: flashy fire spells; ice cones; power-infused punches; super-speed; and countless other heroic abilities. If Chloe was to show her invasive and torturous spells, and truly let everyone see how dark and evil she was, she would be lucky if they only considered her weird.

When the apocalypse first occurred, she had naively hoped that the fresh start might have helped her finally make a friend.

Laughable. It's only been a week and I'm already the freak.

Her heart raced as another round of horrific emotions passed through her mind. She closed her eyes and forced herself to remain calm. "They're not real."

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Chloe jumped at the clatter of loot hitting the ground. The ten waves of fallen monsters had transformed into a treasure trove of coins, recipes, blueprints, equipment, and books. More loot than she'd ever seen before.

"Pick up what you can use," said Tess. "Ignore the rest."

Chloe quickly surveyed the loot; she was drawn to a pair of Cloth Boots amid the jumble. She crouched down to retrieve them, noting the slight boost they provided to mental abilities.

Several minutes later, everyone appeared to be fully geared-up. Amber donned a full Leather outfit, her face hidden under a dark hood. She spun her Daggers like an old western cowboy before slamming them in their sheaths.

Chloe and Hana were similarly attired; both wore long robes, hoods, and capes.

Bo's ensemble consisted of a padded vest, puffy pantaloons, thigh-high boots, and that same hideous Bardic Cap; a vein bulged in his head. Brad looked just as ridiculous, only he had a giant smile on his face.

Finn now wore a molded Leather chest piece and Simple Leather Leggings over his winter clothes, with a Leather Hat that reminded Chloe of the old football players.

Loo had added a headband and flowing cloth streamers to her wrists and ankles; Chloe assumed they were some type of magical jewelry.

Chloe's parents looked the same. Her Dad held an Iron Ingot in his hand, which slowly seeped into his palm. Her Mom, still a Bear, sat on her rump and licked the blood off her paws.

The growing stalactites and stalagmites caught up with them, like the leading edge of a macabre stadium wave.

"Tess, are we good to go?" asked Bo.

Tess paused. "Yes, let's go."

Chloe's Dad cautiously took the lead, and the rest of the group followed.

Loo's hand gripped Chloe's as they navigated through the dark, cavernous space. The yellow-green light from Hana's [Radon Light] danced along the jagged edges of the cave walls. The flickering shadows played tricks on Chloe's eyes. The stalactites above morphed into menacing figures in her peripheral vision, each one a Headless creature lying in wait.

As they drew closer to the twin burning torches at the end of the room, Chloe could finally see the path out of the room. The new passage bore the marks of deliberate contouring and shaping; a stark contrast to the previous chamber and tunnel, which nature had carved.

Her Dad peered around the doorway. He looked back at the group, shrugged, and stepped inside.

A pressure plate creaked into the ground, and two spears shot out from the walls. They stabbed each of his thighs, then slammed back into the walls with the sound of metal scraping along rock.

Chloe gasped.

"Ow! Shit!" Blood seeped through Tom's metal armor.

He staggered back out of the tunnel, his legs shaking. The others moved to help him, but he gestured to them to stay back.

"I'm sure it's fine," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "Nobody panic."

Tom's eyes unfocused for a few moments, and the plate armor around the wounds withdrew back into his skin. His gauntleted hands probed gently around the bleeding punctures.

The spears hadn't punched through completely; his armor had done its job. However, their sharp tips had bitten into his legs. Blood flowed down his thighs and toward his feet

Tom looked up at his family. "It's not as bad as it looks." His voice was calm, even as he leaned against the rough cave wall and pressed down on the wounds to stanch the bleeding. "They didn't go too deep."

"I know I need to watch my mana, but I better heal that." Finn stepped forward.

"Don't go near that thing." Tom pointed at the pressure plate.

Finn's hands glowed green, and the torn muscles and blood vessels knitted together on both sides.

Her Dad regrew the Iron armor on his thighs, and stepped toward the tunnel.

"I'll go first." Tom's voice was firm. "If there's a trap, I should be the one triggering it."

He crept into the tunnel's mouth, and the others moved into single file behind him. He inched forward, as though the floor might collapse beneath his feet. Every little sound or hint of movement made him flinch or step back.

Despite his careful movements, he still triggered more hidden pressure plates.

"Ouch! Shit!" Tom had learned to swerve or lean out of the way when the spears shot out, but they still ricocheted from his armor or jabbed into his flesh..

The group slowly picked their way through the dark tunnel. Chloe carefully stepped around the traps her Dad had found.

As they emerged into the next cavern, a putrid stench assaulted Chloe's nose, making it difficult to even take a breath. Torches blazed into life along the walls, illuminating a mound of decapitated human bodies stacked haphazardly in the center of the room.

Chloe's breath jammed in her throat. A strangled gasp escaped her.

Dozens of human heads were skewered upon the cruel points of stalagmites. Their faces were frozen in their final moments of terror: bulging, frenzied eyes; mouths hanging open in silent screams. All genders, races, and ages; from gray-haired older people to round-faced children.

The blood curdled in Chloe's veins. Beside her, Loo's hand tightened around hers in a bone-crushing grip.

The torchlight danced across their rotting faces, casting grotesque shadows that made it seem as if the severed heads still moved.

"I knew him," Loo whispered. She pointed at a young dark-haired boy a few stalactites over. She trembled against Chloe's side like a leaf caught in a storm.

Chloe swallowed hard against the vomit rising at the back of her throat. There were retching sounds behind her; the others were not faring any better.

The smell was another level of torment; an overpowering stench of decay which—confined in the cave's tight space—seemed to seep into her skin. She fought the urge to run.

From behind the mound of decapitated bodies, a new Headless creature emerged.

[Level 4 Head Collector: Dungeon Born.]

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