When my vision returned again, I was standing in a room with dark plush carpet. It’s ceiling was at least 30 meters high, and I quickly surmised that the room was a cube. The walls were entirely covered in books, as were the myriad tables scattered throughout the room. At each table sat a Guide, all grey skin and white eyes as before, flipping through pages of books rather quickly. I somehow knew I was in a System created room, beyond the presence of the Guides. It felt like the tutorial. The nearest Guide hopped up excitedly from its table.

  “You got 83’s note!” the Guide nearly squealed. “Praise the All-Devourer!” Its outburst grabbed the attention of the previously distracted Guides, and they all slammed their books at once.

  I was a bit too stunned to say anything, but I was knocked out of it when I focused on the books. I recognized many of the titles! Stories of all genres. Fantasy, horror, mythology, science fiction, romance, westerns, just about every genre imaginable was present. Hell, I saw one Guide’s table filled with numerous bestiaries from at least ten different table top role playing games.

  “What the hell is going on here?” I asked, perplexed.

  “We are consuming knowledge for the System while it is occupied with the many tutorials presently active and updating your planet!” the Guide in front of me answered.

  “Well, I’m glad that answering that didn’t kill you this time. Why are you all reading in this insanely huge library?”

  “I’m afraid I cannot answer that one,” it said with a wince.

  “I’d really like to know,” I said in a melodiously pleading tone.

  “72?” One of the guides raised its hand among the crowd. “How’s that workaround coming?”

  “All-Devourer, if you would accompany me to my table,” Guide 72 motioned for me to follow. Its table was not genre specific in any way, but was a smattering of random titles all laid out with the spines facing up off the table. Guide 72 motioned for me to look over the line of books. I read through the first couple of titles:

  Eragon by Chistopher Paolini

  Animal Farm by George Orwell

  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

  That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis

  Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

  The books were all different shapes and sizes with wildly different fonts, so it took me several moments to figure out what the Guides were trying to do. “Oh! I think I got it.” There were 39 books aligned together. Reading the first letters of the titles gave me what they thought I needed.

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  EARTH SYSTEM UPDATE USES CULTURAL REFERENCES

  I… froze. I quickly looked around the library to find five books to spell out yes and no. I stacked them separately and pulled out a short stick from my inventory. “Let’s do the same thing here. You can point to either stack when I ask you questions.”

  Guide 72 nodded vigorously.

  “Great! Okay, when you s-” I began my question, but my vision again went white. I growled in frustration as I found myself in a very dark room. I assumed I was back in the room deep underground, the glowing runes now dormant. Looking up, I saw a tiny speck of light affirming my suspicions.

  “Fuck!” I screamed into the darkness. My whole body ached from the ordeal of eating that damned diamond. A series of system messages and notifications began to flood into me. Before I checked them I double checked the time remaining.

  Tutorial Time Remaining: 29 days, 0 hours, 27 minutes.

  Survivors: 749/2000.

  I swore again. Two hours had passed and fifty-two survivors had been killed while I was dealing with the Systemic Gem.

  I had… a lot of messages. Pleading at first, then cursing my absence. Shit balls ass! I quickly read through them, wincing in frustration and anger as their despair was laid out before me. There was a death list, too, but I couldn’t look at it. Because of the final message I’d received from Jenny less than ten minutes ago.

  Jenny: Oh gods, Dan. Tim… he sacrificed himself to save me. Cari couldn’t heal him in time. Please get here as soon as you can. This isn’t your fault.

  It sure as shit felt like it was. Although I hadn’t liked Tim, he was a connection from my life before all… this. The news triggered a thought that had, as of the beginning of the tutorial, been pushed far from my mind. My father. My very sick, one foot in the grave father. Last seen the night before the tutorial descended upon us.

  I doubted he’d made it this far, although he may have gotten a brand new body and is totally fine. Unfortunately, I had no way of knowing or finding out. Being such a well known entity in this tutorial likely meant that he wasn’t here. Surely he would have made himself known by now if he was, right?

  Damn, the guilt was really doubling down. So, I did what many would do when things seemed bleak. I turned the guilt into pure, unadulterated anger.

  I leapt with all my strength, digging into the wall of the hole I’d made and continuing to launch myself further and further. When I used Void Step, I found myself several hundred meters above the ground and falling. I read through several of my system messages as I directed my fall to land as close to the tower as possible.

  You have devoured REDACTED, Unique.

  UNIQUE SCENARIO ENCOUNTERED! SYSTEMIC ANALYSIS REQUIRED! PLEASE WAIT! You have consumed an object directly controlled by the System, and survived the process. Your pathways have been strengthened as a result of this, and no stats will be awarded in addition. Title received, available upon completion of the tutorial.

  The consumption of REDACTED has reduced the total number of waves by 5.

  Quest: Besieged Updated.

  Good luck.

  Those last two words filled me with dread. Things were going to get bad. Very bad. I needed to get the other Systemic Gems, hopefully before the next wave began. I had less than 24 hours, and no time to investigate what was meant by strengthened pathways.

  WAVE 15 COMPLETE! Next wave to commence in 24 hours. Records received.

  Waves Survived: 15/95.

  Tower Health: 98%.

  Wave Coins: 812,000.

  Survivors within your designated Tower Area: 749/749.

  My anger, worry, and guilt fueled me as I ran as fast as my feet would carry me. In a time that felt very long but was actually very short, I arrived at the outskirts of the bubble, waving my hand to create an opening as I passed through.

  Angry muttering and glares flashed my direction as I tried to ignore them, heading straight for the tower.

  And the rows of bodies meticulously laid out.