Struggling, Jake tried to open his eyes. The eyelids bent to his will and slid wide. Yet nothing but the blackness approached his vision. Barely, he could distinguish some shapes in the all-encompassing darkness.

  He breathed in deep as the cold, damp air filled his lungs. A welcome sensation yet long forgotten. The man felt shivers going down his spine as sweat formed on his forehead.

  Oh, the usual. Hallucinations… But quite real this time. He thought to himself as he moved his hand. He stopped, lowering his head to the side; he pinched something under his hand. HAND?!

  “Wait?! WHAT?!” The man exclaimed, as he covered his mouth in astonishment, that he could talk. Squeezing his hand tighter, he felt the cold handle and the smooth metal.

  Jake could feel his pulse rampaging inside his chest; his mind was a swirl of incoherent emotions. But there was no denying it any longer; he had the body. He could feel the power swirling inside.

  How is this even possible? Wait… There was that fiend; I had to do something. I simply reached out. Ah, yeah, managed to create that barrier to shield the lad, but the impact shattered it with such a freakishly heavy explosion. And I was there, the torture, ah, man, my head hurts.

  Suddenly the man felt sick and dizzy. The loud buzzing drilled him inside, his ears rang, the world was shaking.

  Holding his head, the man tried seeking answers. He could not understand what the logical conclusion would be, trying to reconstruct the order of events. I was there, in that room… the flash, and… The next thing I remember is sitting in that chair, the torture. But it was the memory from years ago, still from home. When I was captured during that mission.

  I see, so it was repeating time and time again. How many were there? Twenty, thirty, or, maybe even a hundred. Damn that shit, I was stuck in the loop. But the pain, that fucking pain, was far too real. Darn it! And then, right, right… One of the walls crumbled. What was there, hmmm… A hand! And the silhouette stepped in, dressed in gold; it looked like… DRAKE!

  So Drake… Wait! Drake! Where is Drake?! Did he survive?! At that moment he felt like his head was about to explode; an influx of blood pushed out. He felt like his eyes were about to pop out of their orbits, and the vein inside his nose burst; blood dripped down. The man slowly wiped it with his fingers and sampled it with his tongue, just to make sure.

  Warm, tastes fine… He caught himself thinking while a certain sense of dread pinched at his chest. Something was missing; a bizarre sensation pulsated at his temples and tugged at his forehead. As if he had forgotten something vital. It seemed like someone was trying to reach out to him.

  Before he could investigate the source of that peculiar feeling, a voice resounded. Barely traceable at first, growing clearer and louder. Directed at him from all directions.

  “J-jake, Jake! You there, man?! Answer me! W-what’s happening?” The uneven voice came from inside his mind, shaken and meek.

  “Drake?!” The man jumped to his feet instantly. Jerking his head to the sides, searching. “W-where the hell are you?! Don’t you fucking say…”

  “Well, yeah. I’m pretty sure you figured it out. I’m inside my mind now, I suppose.” The young man’s voice was still filled with confusion.

  “This is bullshit! Stop shitting on me, lad! That was not supposed to happen!” Jake grabbed his head, clutching the thick black hair, musty from sweat and blood spilled throughout all the previous fights.

  We are seriously fucked. What am I going to do? Have to think fast. What was that old geezer saying back then? Damn you, Grognos! Not a thing we agreed on is going as planned. No choice but to shoulder this crap alone. You owe me, man!

  Rambling in his head, Jake nearly lost the gravity of the situation he was in. Drake could feel the man’s turmoil from inside; that was the first time he felt the man so confused and conflicted.

  “Hey, hey! Man, don’t dwell on it too much. I don’t think we have the luxury of time.” The young warrior tried to reason, feeling the growing distress.

  “Oh, yeah! What the hell am I doing, getting consoled by a teen? That’s quite pathetic of me, isn’t it?” Jake reapplied, unusual shame laced his tone.

  “Well, well… Look how the tables have turned. For all that pestering you gave me, look at you, sounding like an old fart, ha-ha!” Drake could not hold himself any longer, bursting into laughter.

  “Hah, it’s deserved, I suppose…” The man mused, wiping sweat from his forehead. He could not help it; the perspiration covered his body. Despite the cold around.

  “Don’t take it close to heart, is something you would say in a situation like this. Right?” It seemed like Drake gave him a smug look.

  “So you were actually listening to my advice all the time. Admirable, I’ll give you a passing grade!” Jake felt the shift of mood.

  “Only passing?! You’re too stingy; I did not know you were a sad old geezer. Where is that casual bravado you showed me when we were sightseeing on that square?” The young warrior questioned.

  “Ah, shit! You got me there; not in my best condition, eh! And here I was going to hide it from you for eternity without end. Ha-ha!” Jake smiled as he could not contain the laughter.

  The man felt that he finally got the proper grip on reality. Yet he felt he did not want to; the matters at hand were too complicated even for him to deal with. But this time it was Drake who showed him the right way. So he wondered about the reason he acted unusual for himself but had to discard it quickly. A question for another day.

  “Listen, Drake, thanks for the fun and games. But our current position is not a laughing matter. You don’t want to get on my bad side. Right?” The man furrowed his forehead while brushing a few throbbing red scars.

  “But… I admit, you have matured beyond your years. I must say, at your age, I was nothing but a dumb lad thinking that the world was mine to take.”

  “What?! Genuine praise from you? Did something change since you've taken over my body?” The young man’s voice resounded in a slightly raucous tone.

  “Huh, you can say that something did happen…” Jake paused, closing his eyes a few times, breathing deep.

  “First of all, do you know what this place is?” The man scanned the space around slowly; his vision started to adapt, and the contours appeared to form the shapes. Nothing but stone walls, as it seems.

  “This must be the hidden dungeon. And in short, that’s bad news!” Drake said with a sense of confidence. “At least we’re alive…” He added, murmuring.

  “Bad, how so?” Jake raised a brow, scratching his head. He still felt weird, fully controlling someone else’s body. This is absolutely different from those previous times. What the…

  “Ah, right… My adventuring career is only at its dawn, so we didn't discuss much about dungeons, we were not planning any raids. Do you want me to go with the short version or the long one?” The young warrior asked.

  “I would prefer the short one in this situation. But what about trying the thought transfer, just like we used to? It could be worth a shot, at least.” The man suggested the alternative shrugging.

  “Yeah, yeah! That’s a great idea. It can save us the hassle.” Drake agreed eagerly yet paused.

  “But I don’t really know how to do it; I'm, you know, not used to being in this place. This hellhole of yours is torture. I don’t envy you.” Jake could trace the sore notes in the young man’s tone.

  “You have to guide me through the process.” Drake added after, a small pause.

  “Khm, yeah, I know what you mean. Hang in there; I’m sure we will find the way to fix this. I don’t feel too good either, ukh, in someone else's skin.” He sighed loudly before continuing. “Oh, damn, sorry about that, lad; I’m complaining again, Grandpa.” Jake lowered his head.

  “D-Don’t bother, man; I-I’m just glad. I’m glad you're here!” The young man responded, stumbling for words.

  “I see… The more the merrier, or something like that. Honestly, I have no idea what’s going on nor how this happened. But don’t worry, you'll have me, boy. Let’s push through it!” Jake inhaled deeply, finally putting his worries aside, for the moment.

  Jake once again returned to the comfortable position by the stone wall. There he explained the process to Drake. On how he actually shared the knowledge and thoughts from inside his mind. Neither of them was sure it would work since their roles were reversed, but they knew that the options were limited. No harm in trying, or so they thought.

  The moment Jake closed his eyes and concentrated on Drake’s voice, the terrible buzzing pain struck his mind. Like an electric current was crucifying his brain. The overload was unbearable, as if every neuron was overcharged, ready to explode.

  His heart pounded like a drum, his muscles tensed like steel. He clutched the handle of the axe, heaving his creaking joints. An influx of knowledge forced its way inside his conscience. Flashes of Drake’s life, his childhood, the sweet and bitter memories. Everything was there; he could feel all the emotions throbbing inside his chest.

  Slowly, Drake managed to get on track, take the flow under control, and structure the jumbled mess. Now, instead of haphazard emotions and random flashes, he was able to concentrate on the knowledge about the world. Jake relaxed and did not resist.

  In just a few moments, the man from Earth knew practically everything that the young boy had ever read or heard about the dungeon ecosystem of the Carleen Empire.

  The dungeon represented an unprecedented and complex magical concept. It was a repository of powerful magic and valuable loot. Driven by the concept of the dungeon core. There were still many debates on how the dungeons appeared. But the sure fact was how they worked.

  Once a person entered the dungeon, they would be slowly, entirely, shielded from any connections to the outside world. The quality of the dungeon core would determine the number of floors, as well as the power of the final boss and the possible loot that can be found there.

  That’s why all the dungeons were protected and under the property of the empire. Adventurers were allowed to raid the dungeons and received the loot, yet they had to pay over sixty five percent of all the findings as the tax.

  Despite the astonishing rate, it was still extremely profitable even for a group of ten adventurers to raid a medium-grade dungeon. That if they only managed to beat it.

  There were a few ways to leave the dungeon. Either to find the teleporting gate, the number of which and locations were random, but not less than one per three floors. Or one needed simply to beat the final boss and receive the greatest reward. Along with the dungeon core shard.

  After a certain amount of dungeon core shards were received, the dungeon would become depleted and simply disappear. It was also possible to destroy the dungeon core altogether and receive all the shards immediately. Yet such a feat was possible only for the strongest of the strong. The S-rank adventurers.

  Holy shit. That’s quite the ecosystem. This world does not cease to amaze me. So many possibilities and so much danger. Jake could not help but marvel at how different their worlds were. After everything he saw, he still was in awe over the concepts of magic and skills that existed. Something he could only dream of or see in video games or fiction otherwise.

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  The knowledge continued to surface while Drake got the gist of it conveniently and fast. The diligent and responsible learner at this point. Jake relaxed to the sensations even more.

  Without buzzing and pain inside his head, his heartbeat evened out, he could feel a peculiar tingling sensation over his body. Slowly sinking deeper and deeper into the feeling of comfort and warmth. It was as if he was floating on a cloud at this very moment. I'm in the dark, cold stone room.

  Suddenly his eyelids slid open by themselves, his jaw dropped. There was no more darkness around. He could clearly see the walls made from the sturdy old massive bricks, crackled and covered in moss. The floor was slick black tiles laid out in the mosaic formation.

  What?! Why did I do it…? The man jerked to his feet, twitching his head around.

  “What the hell is that? You can see in the dark now?!” Drake exclaimed, looking from behind the man’s line of sight. “I could not see shit in such a darkness. Since when do you I have darkvision?!”

  “Huh, darkvision?! But this is your body; shouldn’t it be… Wait… Can it be?!” Jake's head suddenly buzzed with a loud humming coming from inside. He took a knee, trying to hold it in, fighting against it. But the wave of power was far too strong, as it swept over him in a single strong swing. Crashing down, taking him over with unimaginable force.

  The man’s eyes opened wide, rolling until only white was visible. His mind races with principles, ideas, and techniques. Things he would never know, things he could never fathom. Not until now. All the alien subjects suddenly became clear and relatable.

  Mana, magical flow. The things he could only dream about, it all made sense. The puffs of blue fog rose from his skin; a powerful aura formed around him. Veins all over his body bulged, flowing with shining azure-like liquid visible on the outside. Every muscle fiber vibrated with power, strength, and vigor. The man saw throbbing red wounds that closed off entirely, and the scars faded to the point of being barely traceable old mementos.

  He could feel the aligned bones healing themselves, reattaching to each other. The excruciating pain reverberated, but only for a mere moment, fading away with the slow passage of time.

  The next time he opened his eyes, there was not a thread of doubt; his entire body had healed.

  “Holy shit! Did you see that, Drake?!” Jake called out to the young warrior.

  “Yeah, I felt it too! What was that?” Followed the anxious question.

  “Well, make sure you are buckled up there, because when I tell you, you will not believe a single word! This is awesome!” The man replied as he jumped into the air, clutching his fist, like a winner after claiming gold.

  Jake is behind the column, breathing unevenly. Hold it, man. Just relax. Take control; don’t get swept away by emotions. Damn, I can’t understand why I’m so worked up. It’s like the first time. Well, technically it is.

  The man rambled inside his mind, leaning over the sturdy stone structure. His hands were shaking. The hues of azure fog still enveloped both of his palms. The sensation was incomparable to anything else. It was the emotions that he thought long forgotten for him.

  Something inside him screamed like a little kid from the moment he cast his first spell. When the lightning seared the flesh of that grotesque, hunchbacked, green gnoll, the man felt overjoyed. Overflowing with excitement.

  Throughout all the years he spent getting rid of the scum, he never felt like that. He used guns, bats, and knives. But this was the pure power manifested by the mind and spirit inside the body. And with that, Grognos’s power residing within his reserves was quite substantial.

  Drake could not believe that Jake did not have access to any of his skills while in control of his body. But instead the man now had the skillset of his own. And it was something the young warrior did not have himself. Pure spells and magic.

  Jake’s lightning aptitude was insane. He managed to explain everything to Drake, yet he still found it difficult to believe. Which was only until the moment they encountered a gnoll blocking their way.

  The massive ratlike creature holding a spear and a shield immediately dashed for the kill. Jake made a deft sidestep to avoid the sharp edge by sheer reflex, yet the creature was fast and agile. As it was passing, it rammed the man with the shield. Sending him flying to the far corner, landing hard on his back.

  Without hesitation, the man jumped to his feet. Making strange moves with his palms and fingers, like drawing a circle in the air, a shining casting ring manifested from thin air right before their eyes.

  The next movement the creature dashed forward, a massive lightning current struck it, burning the short bristles on its body along with the rags it had for clothes to a charred crisp. Only when the dead, smoking body hit the ground and the vomiting stench hit his nostrils were both of them able to comprehend.

  Just when Drake was about to ask something, Jake felt more incoming enemies; his perception sphere screamed danger. Looking around, he found the perfect spot to take cover.

  Now behind that column he had a small breather to strategize.

  “Do you think you can take all of them?” Drake's voice reverberated from inside.

  “Hah, I believe I can, if I play smart.” Jake replied, still breathing hard. Exhilaration ran through his veins.

  “You sure? We don’t know the full extent of your power.” The young man voiced his doubts.

  “Well, you saw how I dealt with the one. But I have to admit they're quite fast and agile. But I don’t think we have any choice. We agreed to leave this palace as fast as possible.” He reassured the young warrior.

  “Then suit yourself; just remember that it is my body!” Drake warned the man in control.

  “Do you take me for a fool? Did I ever let you down, boy?!” Jake replied with a hint of anger. “And, remember, your body is much more sturdy than you think, right?!” He then added, chuckling.

  “Don’t you dare, man!” The voice inside sounded irritated.

  “But what if I do?! Let’s have a bet!” Man in control, said playfully.

  “Out with it, we’re running out of time!” Drake cut him off.

  “If I get us out of this place without breaking a single rib. I’m going to get wasted, and I mean it, hard fucking drunk!” The man’s voice was filled with enthusiasm.

  “Oh, darn! I should have known what I was getting myself into from the start. But, okay, fine, let it be!” He finally responded.

  “No way on taking it back, not while I’m in control, at least!” Jake clenched his fist, reverberating with magical power at his command.

  “You…” Before Drake could finish, the man had already dashed from behind the column.

  While they were talking, he had already assessed the situation. There were five gnolls in total. The corridor was just wide enough to host two side by side without them getting in each other’s way too much. And that’s precisely how they moved. Two rows by two, and the last one following behind.

  The one at the rear was at the very least a full head higher than all the other ones that were just slightly bigger than a usual male adventurer. And both its shoulders and arms were visibly bigger. Must be the leader. Judging by the size and the demeanor.

  Jake did not intend to waste any time, as he rolled over the shoulder, appearing right before the first two. One held two shortswords, one in each of his hands. While the other had the spear and shield, like the one he burned to a crisp previously. They were just investigating the still steaming body of their fallen comrade.

  Immediately they dashed their muzzles toward the man appearing out of nowhere. Letting out shriek-like grunts, they were beyond any doubt ready to fight.

  Their gear seemed to be rusted and weathered but still posed a threat. He could feel that even without any weapons, the creatures were extremely strong. They did not know the floor of the dungeon nor the grade. But having such creatures meant that it was at the very least a D-rank dungeon.

  The man was just far enough to make the first move. So before the one with the shiled could react, the zap of lightning struck at its skin. But, to Jake's surprise, instead of burning and falling dead, the creature jerked its shield. Making the currents dissipate over the metal surface and disperse into the surroundings. It was definitely more skilled and formidable than its other brethren.

  It was slightly burned on the right side of its face, with one of the eyes slightly budding out of the orbit. Other than that, it looked in fighting condition.

  Did not expect that. Jake thought to himself, thinking about the next move. But the beast with two swords was already upon him. Slashing at his stomach from one side and aiming at his head from the other.

  The man darted backwards, barely avoiding being slit open. It was dangerous to get hit without any armor. He had to build some distance. Yet the creature did not intend to let him go. As it pressed forward with killing intent. Both swords splitting the air with astonishing speed. Something that the man overlooked in his assessment. Those were humanoid-like monsters, which meant they were far more intelligent and could acquire the gear-specific skills and proficiencies. And this particular one was quite good with the swords.

  Jake dashed and ducked, avoiding each of the slashes, strikes, or stabs. All the while the spearman was slowly gaining, getting closer. There was no doubt that they were trying to get in him into a tight pinch. While the ones in the background were slowly walking towards him, absolutely unbothered and sure.

  It seemed like the group of monsters held a significant tactical advantage over the man. They were surely trained to fight together and specifically in enclosed spaces like this.

  Just as expected. The man managed a smirk. While he ducked under one of the slashes, he undercut the overextended creature with his leg. This made the gnoll stumble over its comrade, stopping their advance altogether for a few moments. Providing Jake with a short breather. Just enough to create significantly more distance between them.

  He could see the frustration building up in both of them, as the leader seemed to have grunted them some orders. Its voice was like the one of a dog barking and a rat squeaking. A quite unsettling sound.

  The sword wielder once again pushed forward. Yet this time Jake was far too familiar with the pattern. Suddenly he grabbed his axe on the belt and blocked the overhead strike aimed at his head. While the side swing was still coming from the side, he dashed under and forward, appearing to the side of the startled creature.

  “Did you think I would not have any weapon to use?!” The man laughed aloud, with the sound reverberating across the stony corridor. His palm already electrified with magical lightning. A close release pierced the gnoll from the side of its ribs.

  The lightning currents shackled its body, while its skin and fur burned. It squealed like a sewer rat, not. The flesh burned away, revealing the white of the bones becoming dark. As the lifeless carcass fell to the ground with a thud, steaming entrails painted the dark floor even darker.

  Its comrade was only able to raise the gaze. The man was already too close for it to be effective with the spear. Jake used his support leg as the spring when he ran over the wall, pirouetting to the side, landing right behind the startled beast.

  Another lightning flash lit the dark corridor with blinding light. Another charred gnoll hit the floor. This time it did not have the shield to protect itself.

  The other three were yet too far to properly react. It was time for Jake to capitalize on their confusion. This time the man dashed forward with killing intent. His fingers moved in weird formations, while small casting circles manifested around his wrists.

  One of the gnolls raised its longsword, ready to slash the man, while the other jerked with its dark metal morning star. The timing of their attack was far too reactive and off-timing, making the chain of the mage get entangled on the sword hilt of its comrades.

  When both of their confused gazes met, Jake was already in between them. He laid his hands over their fur; the circle formation crawled over their skins. Wanting no time, he moved further away. Now staring before the biggest threat slightly towering over him.

  Two gnolls behind only managed to peek over their shoulders the moment the lightning traps on their bodies exploded right into their muzzles. Flaying all the fur and skin from their skulls. Without any time to react, the lifeless corpses with exposed, burning skulls fell to the ground. The stone corridor was filled with smoke and the stench. Like someone forgot to turn off the heating and left the chicken soup to burn forever.

  “Seems like it’s only you and me left now, big guy.” Jake said with a smirk as he studied the leader with his gaze.

  It was definitely bigger and stronger. Its armor was also not just rugs but pieces of metal plates and even some chainmail stitched together. For the weapon, it held something like a boarding sword with a nice guard to protect the fingers. And a small buckler was in its other hand.

  I wonder what its fighting style is. Was the only thing he could think, right before his face met a powerful punch with the small shield right between his eyes, sending him flying over fifteen paces backward, hitting the stone column with his back.

  The man could feel his teeth rattling inside his mouth, while his nose filled with blood, and he could hear the crackling of bones from inside his skull. It was quite an unpleasant experience, but to his surprise he welcomed it. For the man it was something he had long forgotten. That punch had awakened long-forgotten emotions inside him. Evoking the memories of his glory days.

  Wiping the blood from his face, he spat more crimson to the floor. Well, at least I did not break a rib, did I? Jake chuckled.

  Still, I have to deal with this. What can I do? The man contemplated while the massive gnoll dashed forward. Absolutely locked on finishing the job it had started.

  Before the man could come up with a viable option, dust and gravel fell over his head. Part of the column hand crumbled under the impact. Chunks of rocks stuck under his right palm, poking at his skin as he tried to push himself upright from the floor.

  What if? Huh, could it be! A wild idea popped inside his head.

  Without any hesitation, the man grabbed a few stones. He threw them into the air, flinging them toward the creature with all the momentum he could muster.

  The creature did not flinch; it knew too well that simple rocks were nothing but a distraction for the man to try to do something else. Yet it could not have been further from the truth.

  Jake’s hands swirled with the puffs of blue smoke. The thick azure aura enveloped his body, and his veins filled with power, overflowing. Fixing his gaze on the flying stones casting circles manifested around each of the stones.

  With the flick of his fingers, the loud bang resounded throughout the dungeon. So loud that his eardrums nearly shattered.

  The massive gnoll leader stood there motionless, stopped in its tracks. A multitude of various-sized holes adorned its body. With the massive gaping hole in the palace of its eye, dark crimson liquid with the brain matter slowly slipped from the wound with taps over the floor.

  Each hole soon filled with blood, flowing like a small stream. The massive body slowly crumbled to the floor with a muffled thud. The pool of crimson reached the man’s bare foot. It was not as hot as he anticipated.

  “That’s what I’m talking about! Did you see that, boy?!” Jake shouted out loud.

  “I think you earned your liquor!” Followed the shocked response from Drake, who silently watched the spectacle from behind the eyes.

  Should I call this Magic Bullet or something?!

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