The Lacertine Commanding officer was orbiting the Alcaran Moon. He had been there for three days now, monitoring to ensure that the platoon of warriors deployed on the moon were properly prepared. The interdimensional dungeons had several formats, and the exact goals and parameters wouldn’t become clear until the dungeon was activated. The Coeus were known to throw kinks into the mix at the last minute to create the most challenging atmosphere possible.

  There was really no way to gain an advantage, so the Lacertine government had gone all in on numbers. There would be approximately 40 Lacertine warriors on the surface of the moon when the dungeon started. The cost to field such a large force was exorbitant, but the possible payoff was worth the risk. The star system surrounding the planet known as Earth was ripe with heavy metals; those alone would pay for the cost of fielding the large group If the Lacertine Empire were successful in gaining the rights for the claim.

  The real prize for the victor of this contest was not the mineral-rich star system, though. Yes, the minerals on the planet would cover the initial investment made by the Lacertine Empire, but there were several other fringe benefits to winning the right to reap the planet. The billions of humans would turn quite a profit on the galactic slave markets. Their species was still primitive, having not yet unlocked the ability to travel out of their galaxy or the technology required for biological enhancement. This was good; it would make it that much easier when it came time to conquer them. The real prize, though, was the rest of the star system. Since humans had not yet progressed enough technologically to open up to the benefits of interstellar travel, they had not yet been granted galactic citizenship. In addition, no other species had made a claim on the other planets in the solar system. This meant that every planet and the yellow dwarf star would be won, along with Earth. The sizable initial investment was worth it. The resources mined from this solar system would fund the Lacertine expansion effort for a century.

  The Lacertine Commanding officer, Colonel Scincid, was determined to see positive results; his career and likely his life depended on a victory here. The Lacertines were not fond of failure. Failure on a scale as visible and expensive as this would bring shame to Scincid and his clan. Failure was not an option. Scincid had been briefed on the arrival of the Enforcer General Anthragor. Anthragor was well known among the Lacertine military. He was not to be trifled with. It was well known that death would often follow where Anthragor traveled. The Enforcer was currently unconscious in the medical bay of the Colonel’s ship. The circumstances of his injuries were, as of yet, unknown, but Scincid knew that the aid he had provided the Enforcer General would surely bring benefits. For now, there was nothing that could be done. Anthragor had apparently suffered a traumatic brain injury, and while the Lacertine medical technology had been aiding in his recovery, it would still be some time before he would fully recover.

  Scincid had bigger issues at hand for now, though. The dungeon would soon start, and his warriors would work to claim a resounding victory as soon as possible. Of course, the Lacertines were not alone in their desire to claim the right of reaping; there were other factions currently on the Alcaran moon preparing for the dungeon to begin. Aside from the Lacertines, who had fielded the equivalent of four full teams, there were five other teams currently preparing for the start of the dungeon: The Blemians, the Lycaons, the Rereks, the Malakim, and the Trimeans.

  The Blemians were a humanoid race known to seek war and the honor of battle. They were physically large, averaging seven to eight feet in height. Their bodies were thickly muscled and built for physical combat. Their heads were as wide as their shoulders, with an arm sprouting from each side. The race was sturdy and would surely be a problem for most teams.

  The Lycoans, on the other hand, were killers, often used as mercenaries for missions the Universal Council deemed less than optically ideal. The species had recently made an effort to expand its territory and political reach as the newest member race of the Universal Council. The Lycoans had visited Earth in secret over the last few hundred years, as many species had. There were legends and tales created to explain what the humans had seen. Lycoans were a bipedal race but could also easily transition to running on all four limbs. They were covered in thick fur; their torso was wide and thickly muscled. They had a long furry tail protruding from their lower back as well. Their heads had two long pointed ears, and they generally had black, piercing eyes that were well-suited for seeing in low light. The snout contained rows of jagged teeth, perfect for ripping armor or flesh. The Humans would refer to the race as werewolves. Apparently, there was a species of animal on Earth that closely resembled the Lycoans called a wolf, and that is where the legend came from.

  If the Lycoans were fast and silent in their brutality like an assassin’s dagger, then the Rerek were a war hammer. The Rerek race controlled nearly one-quarter of the universe, and few would oppose them. The race was physically imposing, even to a Blemian or Lycoan. Some of the warriors stood nearly nine feet tall. Their skin was primarily red with flecks of black. They wore no armor, instead choosing to go into battle with a bare torso, considering it an honor to receive a wound in battle. It was said that the Rerek king had once wrapped his arms around a Blemian in battle and squeezed until he shattered the Blemians back before ripping the Blemians arms off to dishonor the corpse. The Rerek had black horns sticking out of their heads, usually two large ones in front and smaller ones in rows along the sides of the head. The more horns, the older and stronger the warrior. Their eyes had a yellow glow and could be seen even in the dark, adding to the savage mystique they had engineered over several centuries. The Rerek were eerie to see in person; one hoped they would never have cause to.

  The Malakim looked much like humans, although slightly larger. They were agile warriors capable of taking on multiple enemies at once. Their lives revolved around honing their craft as warriors, and their mortal enemies were the Rerek. The Malakim didn’t control as much territory as the Rerek, but they still held a respectable percentage of the galaxy and a spot on the Universal Council. The Malakim handled the Council’s security details, and this was a source of great honor for the species.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  The Trimeans were also present on the moon. Though many thought they had no reason to be here. Nearly all other council races looked down on the Trimeans, as they currently held no seat on the Council. They had contracted with the Council to assist with the tutorial level, so they received a slot in the dungeon as payment. They were not expected to last long.

  Finally, there was the Lacertine group. The Lacertines had seeded the planet and initiated the reaping process. They had invested heavily in the entire process and needed to secure the reaping if they were going to recoup that expense. Their reputation within the Council would suffer as well if they failed to secure the reaping. Colonel Scincid would do everything he could to make sure that didn’t happen.

  #

  Down on the planet, Lieutenant Teiid was working to secure the forward operating base. His men were all ready for battle, whether it brought victory or death. The forty warriors had volunteered, all at the peak of their military careers and ready to bring honor to their clans. The dungeon assigned the warriors a starting Level of five after the reaping was initiated. This wasn’t ideal, but Colonel Scincid had them farm two grinding stations prior to coming to the Alcaran Moon, hoping to boost the overall combat prowess of his soldiers before the dungeon began. All of them had leveled some; three had even reached Level 9, to his surprise, and all were over Level 7. A win here would guarantee them all five additional levels, which would help with the second level of the dungeon. Once the Dungeon activated, they would identify the objectives, kill the other participants, and leave this moon to prepare for Level 2. There was no doubt in Teiid’s mind that victory was a guarantee.

  #

  Back on the Bloodhound, I was finally caught up on everything that had been happening during my self-imposed quarantine and understood that we were ready to start preparing to head down to the moon’s surface. Before we could do that, I needed to talk to Red and Loren’s group. I needed the extra people, but I had to make sure they wanted to be here, and most of all, I needed to make sure they could be trusted.

  I walked into the armory, where CJ and the new group were sitting and talking about the upcoming dungeon. “Hey, do you all mind if we talk a bit?” I said, approaching and grabbing a seat.

  Red looked over at me, his arms crossed on the table in front of him. “Yeah sure, uhh… Captain, is it?”

  “Now that we have several more people on the ship, it will help. It’s weird, but according to Elvis, I am the captain,” I said with a shrug.

  “No problems here, but we aren’t technically your crew,” Red said. “We just don’t have a ship anymore.”

  Loren rolled her eyes at Red and then turned her attention to me. “Why don’t we take a minute and introduce you to everyone?” I looked at the other three people sitting there. Loren pointed across the table directly in front of her at the smaller brunette woman.

  I held up my hand in a stopping gesture. “Hold on, Loren, I need to know who you are, but I also need to know what skills you have, Earth skills and new skills. I just want to understand who is on my ship and what value they bring,” I said as I held up both hands to show I didn’t mean offense.

  “No problem at all, Captain. I’m Claire Dontess," The brunette woman said as she held out her hand to shake mine.

  “Hi Claire, nice to finally meet you for real,” I said with a laugh.

  “I was an accountant before the drop, but during the tutorial, I received a class called Nebulus Buffer. Basically, I can provide offensive and defensive buffs for people in my party and do some minor healing. Unfortunately, I'm only Level 5 right now, so I can't do much yet.” Claire said, seemingly a little disheartened. She looked across the table and moved her finger back and forth between the two large guys sitting across from her. “Those two are brothers, Jax and Matty.”

  I reached across the table to shake their hands. “Hi guys, I hope everything has been good so far on the Bloodhound.” The two men looked at each other. They were big guys. They obviously stayed in good shape before and after the drop.

  “Bro,” Matty said, “this ship is fuckin awesome,” in a thick New York accent.

  Jax leaned up and locked eyes with me. “CJ showed us the food box. I’ve been slammin' Cannolis non-stop. Elvis even let us take a look at the friggin' space cah in the cahgo bay!” Jax said in his thick accent.

  “Look,” Matty chimed in, leaning forward and looking side to side, “I’m not sure what the plan is, but we wanna sign on with you and the Bloodhound.”

  “Okay, we can discuss that. Tell me about you guys first, though,” I said, trying not to overplay my hand.

  “We was both in the National Guard and were part of the police department back home,” Matty said, jerking his thumb back and forth between him and his brother.

  Red chuckled, “They are underselling it, Captain. They were on the damn NYPD Swat team, and before that, they both served multiple tours in the Middle East!”

  “Yeah, but after the drop, everything went to shit.” Jax Chimed in, shaking his head in frustration, “We never got called up afterward because the EMPs fried everything. We ended up settling upstate, where we met these three. We were on a security patrol when the orbs activated. That is how we ended up in the tutorial. We both chose the Interstellar Assassin class. We figured with our weapons training; we could do some damage.”

  I sat there listening, and CJ stood right beside me, smiling. He obviously knew that we needed more people, and these people could definitely carry their weight. CJ nudged me, “Red and Loren both chose Galactic Brawler, so we have a good mix on the team.”

  I looked at the group, “Look, I’m sorry Elvis ate your ship. The good news is that he apparently got some good upgrades, so it wasn’t for nothing. Red, you told me you guys didn’t have a guardian and couldn’t operate the ship, so as far as I can see, this is a good thing for you, right?”

  “Yeah, we honestly thought we were screwed back there. We don’t know everything that is going on with you, but CJ filled us in on some of it. Anyway we look at it, joining up with you guys is our best bet. So, we're in.” Red replied.

  “Tiff, how can I add the group to my crew?” I asked Tiff who was sitting in a chair near the wall.

  “If you focus on one of their party, your interface should highlight them, at which point a prompt will pop up. Once you choose to offer them membership in our party, they will see a prompt as well and can choose to accept or decline; it's that easy,” she shrugged.

  I focused on my interface and looked at Red as a prompt popped up:

  Invite participants Brian, Loren, Claire, Matty, and Jax to join the crew of the Bloodhound? Y/N

  I clicked yes, and they all received the invite and accepted.

  “Well, it’s official. You're all part of the crew now. We can discuss official positions later. For now, I need everyone to gear up and head to the cargo bay. We need to get down to that moon.”