Floor 1: Chapter One - The Dead Forest

The wind howled low through the twisted trees, their bark warped and lifeless. Pale mist clung to the ground like creeping fingers, shifting with every breath of wind. The Dead Forest, its name alone was warning enough. This is not a place to overstay your welcome. The whispers of lost and forsaken souls seeped through the stillness of the dense treeline.

I crouched low beneath the skeletal remains of an old oak, my fingers tightening around the rough grip of the bow I had crafted. It wasn’t perfect, far from it, but I obviously couldn’t run up with my daggers, so it’s all I had.

My stomach knotted with hunger so sharp it almost hurt. If I missed this shot, I doubt I'd get another chance. I guess I’d start stealing again. It’s easy, but always ends badly. These woods were practically barren, but it was better than returning to a life of looking over my shoulder at every turn. My mind raced even as I traced my prize through the clearing up ahead.

A deer. A real, breathing, living deer.

Its spectral-white fur shimmered in the pale light filtering through the twisted trees. It was thin with ribs pressing against its sunken hide, but it was alive. Unlike the cursed revenants lurking deeper in the woods, this one still had warmth, had a pulse. It grazed cautiously on a patch of withered grass, ears twitching, ready to bolt at the first sign of danger.

I steadied the arrow, exhaling slowly. Bow fully drawn, my gaze lingered on the deer when a moment of reflection crossed my mind. It was desperate, surviving off what little it could find, just like me. Alone, wary, clinging to life in a place where the dead far outnumbered the living. For a fleeting second, I felt a strange kinship with it... Two creatures trapped in a world that had long since abandoned us. “Sorry…seems there is only enough life here for one of us,” I whispered under my breath before finally letting the arrow fly.

The arrow rebounded off the side of a dark tree inches above the deer’s scrawny neck, disappearing into the thick fog and brush.

I missed!

The deer’s head sprang up. Like lightning, it darted through the brush in a blur.

I got to my feet just as fast. My legs may have been weak from starvation, but I had to believe I was fast enough to get another shot. Just as I stood… a guttural roar ripped through the stillness, seizing my heart with panic-inducing sound. It had come from up ahead, past where the deer had bolted, right in the accidental path of my arrow.

Shit! That can't be good.

I crouched again as an image of the ghostly spirits back in the city, sitting down to a grand meal, flashed in my mind. Focus! What was that roar? Peering past the tall grass, I saw nothing but brush… No, it doesn’t matter. I didn’t need to see it; the sound was enough to know it was bad. Really bad. The howl wasn’t like an animal’s. Too deep. Too…wet.

Fighting isn't worth the risk. No, I have to get out of here… but maybe it hadn't seen me…whatever it was.

I’d missed my shot at dinner, but I’d let my stomach growl, as long as I’m still alive to worry about it. I swallowed hard as the silhouette of something massive came into view, looming in the mist. It moved, barely visible through the pale fog, but enough to distinguish itself from the thick forest foliage.

My pulse stopped when I finally saw what it was. Towering, rotting, and hulking through the trees on limbs too large for a corpse was a troll.

I am so fucked!

Thick, dark blood seeped from its open wounds, trailing down its arms and pooling at its clawed fingers. The color was wrong, too dark, almost black, and sluggish. Though the troll was obviously undead, the blood pulsed from it, horrific and unnatural, as if it were also alive somehow. The troll’s hollow, glazed eyes lifted into the air, sniffing. Then, its gaping mouth twisted into something between a snarl and a grin.

My instincts screamed.

Run.

I pushed off the ground, but the troll had already closed the distance. Quick with fury, it lunged at me with jagged claws. I barely threw myself out of the way, rolling hard across the damp earth as claws raked through the ground where I had stood just moments before. My grip almost slipped from the bow as I hit the ground harder than expected, but I held on, scrambling back to my feet. Honey-streaked brunette hair blurred my vision, now sifting back and forth in front of my face as I loaded another arrow, aiming at center mass this time.

The arrow struck the troll’s chest as it turned. Its grotesque body pulsing, leaking that strange, oozing blood with every movement, but it didn’t slow down.

My hand drifted to the daggers stationed at my hips, the only thing I had brought with me from my home on Floor five. Unlike the bow, the daggers were of decent quality.

No time to think. I have to fight. I need to injure it enough to slip away.

The troll lunged again. I barely ducked in time, rolling under its outstretched arm, unhooking and stabbing with one of my daggers. The blade bit into the troll's flesh, but instead of the usual dead rot, the black ooze clung to my weapon, thick and sticky. A cold chill crawled up my spine when the troll didn’t even flinch. Its other arm came down in a brutal arc.

I twisted away, but not fast enough. A heavy claw raked across my side, tearing through the hide and loose leather armor I’d been living in for the past few weeks. Cold, dizzying pain radiated from the wound. Breath-catching, adrenaline began flooding my mind as I stumbled backward

Just run!

I turned, bolting into the trees as fast as my legs could carry me. Vines whipped at my arms as I sprinted like the doe I had missed. Heart pounding hard in my chest, I glanced down to my dismay, finally getting a look at the slice the nasty troll gave me. That's when I realized my heart was desperately trying to make up for the fact that bright red blood was now spurting from the wound in my side. Feeling the breath of the hulking creature behind me, it didn't matter. I couldn't slow down even for a second. I could only cover the hole in my torso, pressing down firmly as I sprinted through the brush.

Blood began to coat just about everything I wore. Could I get any more unlucky? It only hit me once…but that's all it needed. A tingling sensation began to spread as I spotted something in the distance. Just ahead, another figure came barreling through the fog.

A bear. A massive, brown, grizzly bear, running straight toward me. Deciding not to stray from my path, I continued forward. The bear let out a rough, commanding growl as the distance between us closed rapidly. I slid to a stop just as the bear leaped clear over me. Its claws outstretched, snout wide with snarling teeth, catapulting its massive body into the troll's chest.

The troll reeled back, dark blood splattering against the dead leaves. The bear ripped at its throat, its snout coated in that strange liquid. The troll didn’t flinch, didn’t scream, howl, or anything. It just …went limp.

So strange.

Then, as the troll's head began rolling away down the sloped forest, the beast shifted. Bones cracked. Claws retracted. Its massive form melted into something smaller… more human.

All while I stuffed cloth into my wound, falling back frantically into a nearby tree.

"You look like shit," the figure muttered.

My mind was still reeling, my breath too fast, the pain in my side all-consuming. I forced myself to blink at the figure—tall, sturdy, absolutely dripping in black troll blood… And very, very naked.

Oh…my…god…

He scratched at his thick brown hair absentmindedly, then seemed to realize my wide-eyed stare. "Oh, right… Clothes don't survive the shift." He must have looked just as horrid as I did, covered in dead 'undead' troll and all. I couldn't help but blush as I made a quick effort to turn away, reaching to pull a towel from my pack. "Here. Just... cover yourself before I throw up."

I forced my focus to the wound at my side as he wrapped himself in the cloth. My head rested against the tree bark, vision hazy, but his deep voice pulled me back. "You need healing." He said plainly.

The nonchalant arrogance in his voice pulled the words from my mouth, spitting like venom before I could register what they were, "You think I don't know that you big oaf!"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't have said it if I couldn't help.”

As he pressed a hand over my side, warmth flooded through my skin. I exhaled in relief and let out a sigh, "Damn...sorry… and... thank you..."

He grinned. "Name's Dent. I live out here."

I raised an eyebrow. "In the Dead Forest?"

"Yeah?” he said far too casually. All while eyeing the protruding ribs that began pushing against my pale skin in recent weeks.

“...Are you hungry?"

I started to shake my head, but then he gestured to the ground. A small tree sprouted at an alarming speed, bearing ripe apples. I blinked. "Okay, that's not fair."

He smirked. "That's all I can make here, but my camp’s not far."

I couldn’t help but hesitate, remembering all the horrific bedtime riddles read to me as a child. Following strange men into the woods… great idea. But I was too tired to say no, so I only replied, "Sounds nice, I guess… Lead the way.”

He was kind enough to help me up and clear a path as I followed him. An awkward silence lingered before I eventually spoke up. “Why are you helping me anyway?”

“Why not?” He said lazily.

“Uh-huh.” I squinted at him in genuine suspicion, but he only shrugged. “My name’s Remy, by the way.”

“Cool.” His tone didn’t change. “Family around?”

The question hit something sore. Pulling a half-laugh out of me, bitter and sharp. “Nah, bro.”

“Bro?”

“Don’t like being called a bro?”

“Not particularly.”

My gaze shifted to the dirt. “Noted.”

Another silence settled before he spoke again. “Pleasure to meet you…Remy”

“Likewise.” I think.

…

Dent led the way with an easy stride, barefoot and unbothered by the terrain. Meanwhile, I limped behind, exhaustion creeping into my bones now that the adrenaline had burned out. My side still ached where the troll had caught me, but the wound was sealed. I’d definitely be sore tomorrow, but at least I wasn’t dying alone under a tree… with some random guy’s hairy ass cheeks as the last thing I ever saw.

The woods had muffled by the time we reached the camp. That was both a relief and a warning. I’d rather deal with the quiet than another undead troll, but silence stalks like the grave; it never means you are safe.

His camp was minimalist but strangely inviting, a clearing tucked into the hillside, just far enough from the trees to let in light but still covered from the open sky. There was no tent, no walls, or many barriers at all. Just two decent-sized hammocks swaying between trees, a modest fire pit, and a surprising abundance of greenery.

Fruit trees, real, thriving fruit trees, dotted the perimeter, their trunks unnaturally smooth as if they had sprouted overnight. Thick stalks of various nuts and leafy vegetables grew in neat patches near a small wooden bench, where a handful of clay pots and wooden bowls were stacked haphazardly.

I took a quick stroll around, trying not to make it obvious that I was scanning the area for warning signs. Despite it all, I didn’t want to trust him so easily. Nothing came of it, but something did stand out to me. There wasn’t a single dried fish or scrap of jerky to be found. A druid who could turn into a massive bear, and yet there wasn’t a single trace of a kill.

“You don’t eat meat?” I asked, still looking.

Dent tossed a bag of his onto a rock near the firepit. “I obviously could, but no, I don’t.”

“What's that mean…” I raised a brow. “You could?”

He shrugged, tossing some wood into the pit. “Well, I am a bear sometimes.”

“Exactly why I find it strange you don’t eat meat.”

He gave me a sideways glance, then knelt to strike a flint against the stone, sending sparks onto the dried leaves. “Ehh. Don't get me wrong, I’ve tried it, but I can shift into all manner of beasts… And it feels… weird… killing an animal when you could just as easily take a walk in their skin.”

“Fair enough, I guess.” I thought about the doe I’d missed earlier, the way I had seen myself in its gaunt, wary frame. It made more sense than I wanted to admit. “Suppose that makes some sense.”

…

The camp sat uphill from a river, one I recognized immediately. It was the same river that fed into the city, cutting through the forest like a vein. It wasn’t long before I made my way to its edge, letting out a breath of relief as I pulled at the clasps of my ill-fitting armor, peeling it away from skin still sticky with blood and sweat. Both the hide and the leather I wore underneath are basically ruined now. Not a huge loss; the leather didn’t fit to begin with. It wasn’t meant for me, seeing as I had hurriedly stolen it on my way out of floor five.

The cool air on my side stung, but at least I could finally breathe properly. I suspected that following the river upstream would lead me to the southern gate in half a day’s hike, not that I’d be testing that theory. Not tonight, at least.

Dent was already waist-deep in the water, dunking his head before shaking it out like an animal. Water ran through his thick brown hair, catching in his beard before dripping onto his tanned skin. He was built like someone who didn’t try to be strong; he just was.

My reflection shone back at me in the water, brunette hair, a little too long, messy, and tangled from a rough day without proper care. Bright green eyes, pale skin, half-elf ears rising into peaks through my hair, and thinner than I wanted to be. I hated that fact and promised to make gaining weight a priority as soon as I could get steady meals.

I reached down then, splashing water on my face and rubbing at the grime on my arms. “I've never seen that kind of blood on an undead before. I should take some when I head back to the city…It’s probably nothing, but I know someone who can test it.” I said, reflecting on the absurdity of the day.

Seeing as your beastliness probably ingested some.

Dent glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “You look less like you just got mauled.”

“Good to know… And you look slightly less like you just beheaded a troll with your teeth.”

He grinned, rolling his shoulders. “Good times, huh.”

I couldn’t help but shake my head with amusement.

…

My eyes were already heavy by the time we returned. The hammocks swayed in the low breeze, fire crackling between us as we settled in. Golden light flickered against the trees, fading into dusk. Dent leaned back against a tree, one arm behind his head, watching the flames lazily. I sat across from him, one knee propped up, chewing on another apple from his seemingly endless supply.

“Hate to assume,” he said after a stretch of quiet. “But you’re new here, yeah?”

“Mhmhmm.” I nodded mid-chew. “Stumbled in a few weeks ago. You?”

“Same.”

That caught my interest. “Yeah?”

He grinned, smug and lazy. “Looks like we showed up around the same time.”

I tapped my fingers against my knee, watching him carefully. “Meaning you're here for…”

“You guessed it.” Dent stretched out his legs with some arrogance. “The Ascension Challenge.”

Ugh. I rolled my eyes. The Ascension Challenge… A stupid, deadly series of trials for masochists with something to prove. The only benefit being granted access to the various floors of the tower, one at a time. Otherwise, you’re stuck wherever you’re born. This being floor one means it’s the stage for the first trial. Something I had no reason to partake in. Technically, I was here for that… On paper. But I didn’t give a shit about being an ‘ascender.’ I just needed a way off my floor. Somewhere to disappear. Start over.

“Not in a hurry to dive in?” I asked, feigning disinterest while watching him carefully.

He choked a laugh before lacing his hands behind his head. “Nah. I mean, I’m gonna do it, but I’d like to stay here a while, get a chance to explore this place a bit.”

“Scared?” I teased.

“Please.” He choked a laugh. “The fun’s in sticking around. Seeing what each floor has to offer. Why move on before I’ve seen everything?”

“Interesting take,” I admitted. “Thought you might just be another jock, go-getter.”

“Judgy much?” He side-eyed me with a smirk. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you a jock go-getter?” He mocked my tone. “Or what?”

I hesitated, then exhaled, leaning back against my pack. “What do you think?”

“I think.” He paused a beat. “...You could use a decent meal… And maybe a break.”

A low chuckle escaped. “Agreed.”

“Well, I’ve got trees and vegetables in the garden. Eat your fill.”

“I appreciate that,” I said, eyes honest. “Shit floor to hunt on.”

“Then why do it?” He asked plainly.

“Ahh, you know.” I looked away. “...Just...Reasons.”

“Righttt.” He shrugged, uncaring. “Hammocks yours when you need it.”

I should have thanked him again, but I let the moment hang, watching the flames. For now, I just wanted to eat… and sleep.

…

Rest quickly became as rough as the day before it.

I jolted awake not more than an hour after drifting off, my body wracked with shivers. The cold had settled in, creeping past my half-dried clothes and biting into my skin like needles. My thin cloak did little to stop it. I curled up tighter in the hammock, pulling what little fabric I had over me, but it barely helped. Not cold enough to freeze to death, I thought grimly, but enough to guarantee I wouldn’t be getting any sleep. I turned slightly, glancing toward the other hammock where Dent lay. He wasn’t asleep, just resting on his back, one arm folded behind his head, staring at the treetops like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Figures. Of course, the guy who could turn into a bear didn’t feel the cold.

I clenched my teeth to keep them from chattering, but it didn’t do much good. Dent’s gaze flicked toward me in the low firelight, assessing my miserable state.

“Cold?” he asked, though it wasn’t really a question.

“No, I always vibrate like this,” I muttered, voice tight.

He exhaled through his nose, something close to a laugh, though he didn’t push the joke. “Sorry to say it, but I don’t have any blankets.”

I sighed with a slight chuckle, already knowing that would be the answer. “Of course you don’t.”

Dent shifted, turning his head to look at me more fully. “I can share my hammock.”

My body stiffened before the words shot out, “AS IF!”

Dent just shrugged, completely unfazed. “Fair.” He adjusted his position slightly, unconcerned. “You have no reason to trust me. No reason not to. But still.”

I opened my mouth to fire back another snarky response, but nothing came.

He's not wrong. It wasn’t necessary. I’d survive the night, miserable or not. But that didn’t change the fact that while I lay here freezing, he looked completely unbothered, warm as ever. The contrast was enough to make me grit my teeth.

This is stupid. I hesitated, but I was so damn cold. With a heavy sigh, I kicked off what little covering I had and dragged myself over to his hammock, muttering curses under my breath. “Move over.”

Dent scooted slightly, making space without saying a word. I climbed in cautiously, stiff and uncertain at first, but the moment I let my head rest against his shoulder, I felt it, radiating warmth, like an oven. My whole body shuddered from the contrast, heat sinking into my frozen limbs. The exhaustion caught up with me fast.

Gods, what the hell am I doing?

At least I could finally relax, the tension in my muscles fading as the warmth settled in. Within seconds, my thoughts grew muddled and my eyelids heavy.

Dent didn’t move, didn’t even comment. He was just there, solid and steady, like the heat of a campfire in a frozen night, and for the first time since arriving on this forsaken floor, I slept deeply

…

The morning came gently, sunlight filtering through the branches in soft golden beams. The usual eerie weight of the Dead Forest felt lighter in the early glow. Peaceful even.

I stirred, blinking against the light, my body unusually warm despite the morning’s chill. I shifted slightly to find the hammock empty. Dent was gone. The space he left behind, however, remained warm. A hand scrubbed over my face as I rose, groggy but well-rested for the first time in days.

This was the first time I’d seen the forest in anything other than survival mode. The usual oppressive aura was missing, replaced by birdsong and the scent of damp earth. No moaning spirits. No rustling dead. Just a quiet morning.

Dent returned with a bushel of vegetables, herbs, and the like. Sitting without acknowledgement while he casually made a salad out of the greens and berries. Only glancing up when I approached, to lazily offer me a lopsided grin. “Morning.”

“Morning,” I muttered, rubbing my eyes as I dropped into a seat by the fire.

Dent pushed a wooden bowl toward me. “Here. You should eat.”

I took it without argument. Too tired to ask what it was. Too hungry to care. Eventually, I exhaled and set the bowl down. “I’m not doing the Ascension.”

Dent didn’t even blink. Just smirked like he already knew. “Didn’t ask, but okay.”

I shot him a look.

He shrugged. “So what?”

“So…” I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t ask me to team up.”

“Wouldn’t want to anyway.” He looked off toward the trees. “Not after that troll whooped your ass.”

My jaw dropped, and I punched his shoulder without thinking. “Oh, shut up.”

“Ah! shit!” He clutched the spot like I’d stabbed him. “That kinda hurt!”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Go ahead! Talk some more shit!”

“Yeah. Yeah.” He chuckled. “The two of us can’t make a party anyway. We need four.”

“Good, another reason not to.” I stood, brushing my trousers off. “Now… Sorry, but I need another favor.”

“Damn.” He grinned, shaking his head. “What now?”

“I’m heading back to the city. Would it be cool if I took some fruit with me?”

He gestured lazily toward the trees. “Take as much as you want. I’ve got more than I’ll ever eat.”

Maybe things are finally looking up.

I reached out to shake his hand. “You seem nice, Dent.”

“I have one condition, though.” He didn’t let go right away. “Come visit when you run out.”

I smiled. “Deal.”