Scion of Humanity

Yes. You ordered me to inform you of everything I found, so I marked it on the map.

Oh my God! This is incredible!

Blake suspected a secret treasure was hidden in every scenario, and his group mates agreed. However, they were so well camouflaged, it was almost never worth trying to find them. It took far too long to scour every foot within the boundary, and in that time, your group could complete another scenario entirely. And every treasure they discovered, while nice, was never greater than the reward for completing the scenario itself.

Metal, watch for movement, and alert me if you see any.

Yes, Master.

According to the map, the treasure was not far ahead, past the first trap. He was so excited to find out what it could be, that he rose to his feet, despite his body’s protests. With spear in hand, he stalked carefully through the dark with only the faint light from the torch behind him as a source of light.

Once he rounded a corner, he was forced to use the spear like a blind man’s cane. Luckily, the map over his vision informed him when the tunnel split or turned. He avoided the trap easily thanks to Metal’s reconnaissance. A few minutes later, he stood directly on top of the question mark on his map in near darkness.

Besides the gravel beneath his feet, there was nowhere else the treasure could be located. The low ceiling above, which forced him to duck, was solid stone. He ran his hands over its surface, but there were no crevasses where an item could be hidden. He sat his spear to the side, knelt down, and began to dig through the scree.

When he moved a few inches of rock and dirt to the side, his fingers traced along something smooth. He quickly pried the object from the ground and tried to determine what it was from its shape. However, before he could even hazard a guess, multiple notifications appeared in his interface.

You have found a secret treasure! You have gained a nano-enhanced dagger with sheath.

Sure enough, he was able to wrap his hand around the handle and extract the short blade from its leather container. It was difficult to make out the shape of the weapon in the low light, but he carefully traced its length with his fingers. Unlike the goblin’s weapons, the eight-inch blade was honed to a sharp edge, and he had to handle it with care.

While the metal blade was not as wide as his butcher knife, it was longer. The sheath seemed sturdy. Since it was a treasure, he would also be able to bring it with him when he left the portal. It was not the weapon he desired, but it was far superior to his small pocket knife or cutlery.

The next notification came as a complete surprise to him.

As the first of your species to find a secret treasure, you have been awarded an achievement. - [Scavenger Prime]

The [Scavenger Prime] achievement grants you a fourth reward option when you complete a scenario.

Wow.

Blake had never heard of the achievement, but was very satisfied with the bonus it gave him. The scenario completion rewards were random, and he could not count the number of times he was presented with items he did not need. It was nice to have a fourth option.

Luckily, unwanted items could be sold to others for nano. However, haggling with people over the worth of an item he could not use was a pain. Especially when they tried to guilt him into giving it away for free. Sure, the item itself was useless to him, but the nano it could be exchanged for might save his life.

Blake stowed the knife, hefted the spear, and continued through the complex until he encountered another torch. With enough light to finally see by, he paused to examine his new dagger. The sheath was made of the same leather which wrapped the handle.

When he gripped the knife tightly, he noted that the guard extended just past his fingers. The metal would protect his hand if he used the blade to block or parry another blade. There were two cuts in the sheath where he could thread it through a belt. Unfortunately, he was not currently wearing one and was forced to stash the weapon back in his deep jacket pockets.

Time to finish this. I need a nap.

His excitement from gaining the secret treasure had momentarily given him a burst of energy, but it was now spent, and he once again struggled to keep his eyes open.

Do I need to sleep here and have Metal watch my back?

The idea appealed to him, mostly because it would allow him to give up his current struggle to remain awake and finally relax. But, he could not shake the feeling that it was a bad idea. He knew his companion would benefit from his death and would use any loophole it found in his orders to ensure it.

Too risky.

He scanned his interface’s updated map and traced the path he would take through the tunnels to complete the scenario. Every single goblin left alive was within a large cavern. There were two traps between himself and the group, but he assumed he could easily avoid them as they were clearly marked.

With a sigh, he mentally focused on his interface to adjust it and wished for coffee. The map suddenly shrunk in size until it obscured only half his vision, then it turned mostly transparent. Now, he could follow along without having to open it up and close it constantly.

Using the guide, he shuffled away from the light that the flickering torch provided and followed the eastern passage when the tunnel split. The western path held three traps and continued deep into the mountain, but there were no goblins in that direction. A half mile down that track, the map appeared gray where the scenario boundary cut Metal off from further exploration.

He easily stepped over the first trap, a crude trip wire placed before jagged stones along the floor. Even without the knowledge that it was there, he was unlikely to have been heavily injured in the darkness. A few bruises and cuts would have marred his hands when he caught himself, but that would not have prevented him from continuing.

The next trap, however, was much more dangerous. It also used a trip wire, but would have been far more effective. The snare was placed in complete darkness directly before a deeply dug pit. Punji sticks were sunken into the bottom floor of the cavity, and from the smell, seemed to be coated in feces.

Was the first trap designed to give a false sense of security? Are they actually smart enough for that?

Blake dismissed the errant thought and hugged the right wall as he bypassed the pit. Once he passed it, he had only another fifty feet and two turns before he finally reached the cavernous opening where the goblins resided.

As he neared the well-lit room, he slowed his pace further. If possible, he hoped to take them by surprise. According to Metal, there were eighteen enemies remaining, and he could barely lift his spear.

What he saw, when he peeked around the corner, horrified him.

I hate the Architect.

There was no band of goblin fighters ready to attack. Instead, he found frightened mothers protecting their young. He had already killed the fathers when they attacked him with their all-out assault.

No wonder they didn’t run away. They were protecting their families.

Blake backpedaled, and clenched his fist in anger. He would have no choice but to eliminate them, no matter his wishes. If he did not, he would be stuck here in this cave within the Architect’s boundaries until he died of dehydration. Earth would be conquered, and his parents and brother killed.

Why does it make us do these horrible things?

No matter how confident he sounded to his parents when they discussed the morals of killing intelligent beings, he hated to do so. These goblins were not armed fighters who would likely spread out to kill their fellows in an effort to expand their control. Instead, they were huddled in fear, protecting their young from an invader.

Him.

Resigned to get the unpleasant deed over with, he strode forward and entered the cavern after he tasked his companion with guard duty. As he rounded the corner, the remaining green-skinned humanoids shrank back in fear. Their whines increased as he approached, yet they did not surge forward to attack.

He tried to think of something else, anything else, to distract him from the grisly burden. By the time he finished the filthy deed, tears wetted his cheeks. Blake felt like a monster.

I AM a monster.

The architect had long ago turned him into one. He felt bile reach his throat at the thought of what he had done. Even worse, the entire time he accomplished his task, an infant in a crude crib screamed for its mother. The mother that he had killed. It continued to scream as a new notification appeared in his interface.

You have successfully completed the Combat Scenario. An optional Combat Scenario is now available. Do you wish to see more information?

Blake was sorely tempted to say no and flee the dungeon. He was tired, sore, and felt like garbage for what he had done. Regardless, it would cost him nothing to check out the details.

Yes.

To complete the optional Combat Scenario, deliver the goblin infant to a nearby tribe. Do you wish to start the Optional Combat Scenario or choose your reward and leave?

Is this a sick joke?

Blake had followed the bidding of the malicious Architect and slaughtered many families in his past. Now, for some reason, it wanted him to save a helpless infant.

Start the optional scenario.

At this point, he did not even care about the reward. If he wanted to retain his sanity, he needed to see the baby to safety. The semi-transparent map began to update and expand before his eyes. Where before, the boundary prevented Metal from further exploring the western fork, now it seemed that was his next direction. A large red X was placed on the map, deep into the unexplored mountain.

He shuffled his broken body over to the wailing goblin and carefully lifted it in his arms. It continued to cry as he asked his companion to explore. The last thing he wanted was to die from a simple trap when it could easily be avoided.

Blake slowly trod through the cave tunnels and avoided the traps his companion had discovered while the baby was cradled in his arms. As he traveled, more of the map was slowly revealed to him as Metal explored ahead. The wraith proved to be an invaluable resource. It pointed out additional traps and labeled clear ambushes by bestial predators.

He did his best to avoid the lizard-like beasts which awaited him. Despite his wish to avoid further fights, he was forced to kill two concealed animals along his way. He received nano for their deaths, but could not find it in himself to care.

That remained true, even when a notification informed him that his achievement had upgraded to the second rank for killing one hundred nano-enhanced creatures.

Slayer II increased his attributes by another one percent to two total and should have been an exciting milestone. Yet, all he wanted to do was deliver the baby to safety, go home, take a hot shower, and go to bed.

Finally.

Blake was not yet done with his mission, but Metal had explored far enough ahead to reveal his final goal. The tribe he was to deliver his blubbering package to was already there. According to Metal’s labels, five goblins waited for him at the mark on his map. It was still a mile away, but there were no more enemies between him and his objective.

The smooth floored tunnel remained in darkness, and he was forced to use his spear one-handed to ensure he did not hit his head. Eventually, however, the pitch black environment was lit by the torches the waiting goblins carried.

He cautiously approached the five guards, who seemed far more powerful than the weak tribe he had eliminated. Without the general skill, Identify, he could not be sure, but if he had to guess, they were at least level five. Blake could not survive a battle against the goblins if they wished to attack him, but he doubted they would. The Architect had most likely given them a mission to complete of their own, and they would be punished if they deviated from it.

When he approached the five guards, one stepped forward and held out its arms. He handed off the sobbing infant and quickly stepped away. After the transaction was complete, the leader of the small band nodded once to him, they all turned, and strode away. Not a word was exchanged.

You have successfully completed the Optional Combat Scenario and have earned an additional reward. Would you like to choose your rewards now?

Yes.

His Scavenger Prime achievement kicked in, and he was faced with four options to choose from. To his relief, a double-edged longsword was the first option. He had hoped he would be rewarded with a weapon that he could take with him out of the scenario. The blade reached almost three feet in length and came with its own leather scabbard. It had a wide metal crossguard to protect his hands and a spike pommel he could use to bash an enemy.

The weapon was exactly what he wanted. However, before he immediately selected the reward, he first reviewed the other options. The next object was another weapon, a small hatchet with a foot-long handle and a three-inch blade. It weighed five pounds and was, in Blake’s opinion, worthless.

His next option was a set of two leather bracers. They were reinforced by nanomachines, and would make his forearms almost invulnerable to the weak goblins he currently fought against. It was a good choice, although not nearly as useful as the longsword.

The last item was the largest, and would protect his entire lower body. It was a pair of black leather trousers. Unlike leather pants he could buy on Earth, these were enhanced by the Architect’s technology. They were thin and light-weight, yet incredibly durable. They would also not restrict his movement.

I choose the longsword and the trousers.