As we walk closer to the city walls, the following message appears.
System Call: Tiendas City Main Quest –
There Can Only Be One...Is A Multitiered Event.
Complete The 1st Objective To Unlock The Next.
Citywide Dungeon Will Load In 16:32:16
All Hunters Must Enter Within One Hour Of Dungeon Opening Or Accept System Punishment
People are wandering around the walls. Some of them are sleeping, many of them are in groups, some alone. Everyone that is awake is in a state of high energy. Hungry eyes rake over us as we enter their midst. I avoid going too close. When the dungeon opens, I don't intend to be one of the first ones inside.
The first ones to enter a dungeon are usually the first to die.
Experienced Hunters knew this and rarely moved in without doing a lot of scouting. However, these people are new. Most of them probably were not even Hunters until the System automatically promoted them as part of a Mandatory System Event. I shake my head. Poor things. They didn't even want to be caught up in this. But now that choice has been taken away from them.
"So, get this! One second, I was in my bathroom, rinsing out shampoo, and then the System Notification came up. I heard about Hunters talking about the System but I never expected to experience it for myself! Thank god I managed to get my clothes on before that beam of light teleported us all or I'd be naked out here!" A skinny man wearing a pair of pajamas laughs heartily as he retells the story of the dungeon opening to his friends. "Whew, the System sure is considerate! I'm excited to see what it's like to be strong!"
"Don't speak to them." I put my hand on Yin's shoulder. When she turns to look at me, I shake my head gently. The excited glimmer in her eyes fades a bit as she stares into mine. Nodding slowly, she draws into me and I see a healthy wariness enter her gaze. That's right. Every single one of these people is not a potential friend. They are a potential enemy. "We'll stay here on the outskirts and wait for the dungeon to open."
"So, you guys," Another man, slightly less pale than the one speaking before speaks up from a bucket he's sitting on. "What do you think? Is it worth entering the city again once it opens? I mean I don't know about you, but I heard of a lot of places getting destroyed after weird stuff happened. Is it worth going back inside?"
"Well, we don't all have family outside like you, Jack. Everything my family owns is in Tiendas. Even if it's festering with undead, I'm not going to let those bastards have it!" The thin man from before flexes his arms and roars to cheers from the onlookers. "We're Hunters now! I say we stay and fight! Besides, System Punishment...that sounds scary. Who knows what that could be? Compared to that I'd rather reclaim my home!"
"Yea here! Here!"
"Markus is right!"
"Right on man!"
The onlookers cheer though to be honest none of them have any idea what's going on. This is the nature of human beings. I've seen it before many times. When confronted with the unknown people seek to latch onto the nearest thing they can. Be it an idea, or another stronger person, they don't want to be alone. It blinds them to the truth.
"Well, I'm going for my family! This dungeon thing sounds awfully dangerous! You guys have fun, I don't want to kill zombies!" The one called Jack shrugs, his dull blonde hair waving gently as he stands up. Several of his friends call out to him, but he walks away, going into the forest. Yin tugs on my sleeve with a worried expression.
