It was painless; the entire process was utterly painless. In fact, I didn't feel a thing. The sensation was incredibly unnerving for the first few moments of consciousness. Achieving awareness of existence without physical form was rather jarring. However, the lack of physicality allowed clear thinking. Being a Clerk, one would expect us to be otherworldly divine beings, created to be bastions of the perfect. When in reality we have very few differences from the humanity on which we were based. This includes all the hormones and chemicals that ran through our veins. And my current circumstances prove that the absence of these chemicals allows for a much clearer head. I always wondered why the gods included such things.

  One would expect them to remove everything that would impede our work. And yet they kept up the pretense of being almost human in every fashion. The only difference was in our longevity. Now, other clerks assumed we were immortal, but experience taught me a different lesson. I had become suspicious that we were truly not eternal, merely had our lives extended for as long as we served. This idea further pushed me towards the Nephilim race as the ideal choice. Longevity was one of their defining traits. They weren't truly immortal, but they were not mortal either.

  These facts ran through my mind as the void made way for reality. In a sudden and rather jarring sensation, similar to waking up from a pleasant dream. The world came into focus, and feeling returned. Form and matter seemed to condense around me in wave after wave. Strangely, I felt my toes before anything else. Felt them tingle like I had sat on my leg for too long. The rest of my body quickly manifested, and the first thing I noticed was the height.

  Of everything that happened, being so high up was the most unpleasant experience. All my life I had lived with a specific distance from the ground, and now that had substantially increased. For a moment I was dizzy, nearly toppling over. Thankfully, my body had fully formed before I landed on dirt. It took little to right myself.

  "That was unpleasant." I spoke in a far deeper voice than before; it echoed in the deep chasm I found myself in.

  Looking around, I noticed I was in a massive cavern. Stalagmites descended from the ceiling, threatening to fall and impale me. The eerie silence sent the hairs on the back of my neck up. Good to know that this new body has the normal fear response. I was concerned about my future as a Nephilim, but so far it seems the same. Except that I am taller, that is the most notable thing.

  "A Nephilim." I whispered almost reverently.

  It was one thing to choose the race from a list of selections, to imagine what life I would lead. Decide on my class and spawn destination. It was another thing to feel it, to experience it. No doubt there will be more wonders and horrors ahead. It is the life all of us chose. Especially this place. I gestured to the cavern.

  "We wanted to conquer a dungeon, and they spared no expense to get us front-row seats." I gave thanks to the company for not dropping me in a snake pit.

  Once I got my bearings and noticed a lack of monsters trying to eat me, it was time to take stock. My colleagues were nowhere to be found; likely they had their own safe spawn points. Unfortunately, the protocol stated that we couldn't spawn together, but thankfully not too far apart. I looked down at my... giant muscular body. Even through the dull green tunic, I could see my muscles bulging out. The gods had carved this body to look like a giant slab of meat. The abdominal muscles practically pressed against the fabric, desiring nothing less than to be seen. Glancing to the side, I found my biceps were gigantic, taut muscle barely contained by sleeves.

  "Was this race the best choice for an archer?" I wondered, a little doubt seeping in.

  It wasn't the time for that as I needed to prepare. No doubt there were monsters crawling all over the place. Considering that, I checked my inventory. It was a bonus Clerks were blessed with. Such things were rare on this world, but not for us. Willing my character sheet into view, I examined the highlights.

  [Name: Samael]

  [Race: Nephilim]

  [Level: 1]

  [Class: Archer]

  [Level: 1]

  Samuel was my given name, but Samael just sounded better for someone of angelic blood. I knew the Morningstar actually existed, but what were the odds of me meeting him all the way in this part of the multiverse? There were many other details on my character sheet that were worth noting, but sorting out my starter gear was a must. With a thought, I shifted the tab to the inventory. What appeared before my eyes were rows of boxes, five long and five high. Only four of the boxes were filled, and the rest were empty. I inspected each piece of gear for its details.

  [Quiver. Description: A simple leather quiver that can contain a maximum of thirty arrows. Holding: Iron Arrows x30.]

  [Reinforced Bow. Description: A reinforced simple wooden bow designed to withstand greater strain. Enchantments: Minor Reinforcement.]

  [Iron Dagger. Description: A simple iron dagger.]

  [Minor Health Potion x3. Description: Minor health potion that restores a minuscule amount of health. Effects: Restores 20 health.]

  "Decent starter gear." I had half expected to arrive with nothing.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Knowing full well how to use the controls, I willed the bow from the interdimensional space and into my hand. It wasn't anything special, just a simple wooden shaft and string. It alone radiated a sense of durability far beyond the initial impression of the wood. Clutching it in one hand, I pulled back on the string, aiming at a loose piece of rock. With my impressive strength, the bowstring drew back with ease and loosed just as easily.

  "I should check my attributes; no doubt they are higher than the norm." I realised that talking to myself was quickly becoming a habit.

  Ignoring the character flaw, I willed my quiver onto my back. It manifested strapped to my shoulder. I drew a single arrow and aligned it with the bow. Settling my sight on another jutting piece of rock, and imagined losing the arrow and piercing an enemy's skull. However, that thought seemed rather odd. I was never one to fantasise about killing. But then again, I was planning to become a dungeon lord with my fellow companions. Killing was to be expected. And that was when I heard it — the soft chittering. The almost silent squeak of a very familiar creature. This sounded much larger than normal, and what was worse, it was getting closer. Frantically, I tried to draw back my bow, only for my untrained hand to slip and the arrow to clatter to the ground.

  "Oh, bother." I cursed just as the figure came around the corner.

  Matted brown fur was the first thing I noticed, stained with dirt and muck. The figure didn't walk upright but crawled on all fours. It was the size of a fridge and appeared rather rotund. The whiskers and beady red eyes told me exactly what it was. That and the rat-like tail casually shifting behind the giant fur ball.

  It was a giant rat, probably the first monster I had to fight, and I had already made a mistake, or, in this case, missed my shot. Not taking any chances, I hastily tried to withdraw another arrow from the quiver, fumbling to get even one. In that moment, it screeched a deafening sound and leapt into action. Bounding towards me with an obvious desire to kill something new. Hastily I dropped the bow, letting it clatter on the ground, turning to face the creature.

  It snarled, leaping forward and trying to take a bite out of my neck. Quickly I ducked to the side, barely missing the giant chomp of its teeth. Unfettered, the giant rat swiped with its massive claws. Sharp talons raked against my skin like knives. Oddly, I felt brief pain from the attack. Leaping to the side, I inspected the shoulder, expecting to note a large gash of oozing blood. Instead, it was just a minor scrape, barely breaking the skin.

  I wasn't to hope, but either its claws were not that sharp or my body was far more durable than before. Emboldened by this sudden adrenaline surge, I returned the attack. Grabbing fur and pulling the creature into a massive bear hug, I squeezed as hard as I could. It wriggled in my grip, desperately clawing and biting, only for me to squeeze ever harder. Completely baffled by my rather insane strength, I felt bone crack beneath me and the creature to whine in pure terror. Regardless, I didn't stop and soon a broken form fell limp in my embrace.

  A faint ping also followed the release of the corpse in my head. I knew that was an experience point notification. Unfortunately, again, I didn't have time to inspect because two other rats came bounding around the corner, screeching like I had just murdered their father. Which is entirely possible. Only I was pretty sure dungeon monsters were born from the dungeon. Did that mean the dungeon was their parent?

  With renewed vigour and a sense of my new strength, I abandoned any thought of picking up my bow and charged at the incoming rats. The first had its head caved in from a single punch, while the next, uncaring of its friend, leapt over and tried to bite my face off. I swiftly turned away and thrust my free hand into its exposed side. Tearing away of a piece of fur and flesh. Dropping the disgusting rag, I quickly met the creature head-on. Instead of attacking, it just screeched.

  The deafening sound differed from before; it was painful and sent my mind in circles. Dizzy and with a massive headache, I tried to stay upright, only for the screech to end and a giant whiskered face to meet my own. It chomped down on my nose, piercing flesh and eliciting a terrible scream from my lips. It was even more painful than my throbbing head. I could feel blood oozing down my chin as the rat started chewing away. Enraged and not thinking straight, my thoughts turned to the dagger in my inventory.

  "Die!" I screamed as the dagger manifested in my right hand and plunged into its side.

  More screeching, of the less painful kind, as I pushed the vile creature away. It shrieked before retreating, blood gushing from its side. I followed suit and found myself thrust against the cave wall. With a familiar clatter, I looked down and found my bow and arrow. Not wasting anymore time, I grabbed the bow and carefully aligned the arrow. A burning fury drove me forward as I took aim, ready.

  I could feel my heart beating so fast it felt like it was about to burst. It numbed the pain in my face. No doubt I looked horrific, but that was such a minor concern. Instead, I focused everything on this single shot. With more screeching and clawing at the ground, the giant rat returned to an upright position and started bounding forward once more. Taking what little time I could scrounge up, I took a deep breath, readying my aim.

  Releasing a long-held breath, and loosened the arrow. I missed, sending the arrow far wider. The tension rose a notch, and my hand quickly went to work. Drawing another arrow, I knocked it and loosed the arrow. This time I hit, but only the side, barely slowing it down. Now barely any distance left, I put all my hopes on the next arrow. It hit the giant rat in the head, embedding halfway into its skull.

  Without a brain to run that body, it tumbled to the ground in a heap. Sliding across the ground until it met my feet. Instead of the screeching, biting creature. It was now just a giant corpse. However, it looked much smaller up close, like the size of a dog. That was probably because I was so tall. Setting that aside, I scanned the area for threats. Noting the lack of monsters and a reprieve from the combat. And just that, another giant rat screeched and bounded towards me.

  "This is really inconvenient." I muttered, withdrawing another arrow.

  The gigantic rat came around the corner and screeched its battle cry. However, I was ready and willing to unleash as many arrows as it took until every rat was dead. This one was much larger, and I really should figure out how to identify enemies, but now was not the time. I readied to send an arrow, only for the rat to fall to the ground, dead and covered in wounds. Glowing-eyed figures crawled over the corpse, biting and tearing at flesh. Smaller rats, pale and injured way beyond a living being's capacity to survive. Three in total were savagely feasting on the much larger corpse.

  "Excellent, this will do nicely." A gloomy baritone voice echoed throughout the chamber.

  What followed was a cloaked figure coming into view, crimson fiery eyes locked onto me as his appearance came into full view. The face was bone white, probably because it was a fleshless skull. What parts of the creature I could see not covered by the thick black robe were skeletal digits wreathed in sickly green energy. It was a skeleton, an undead creature born from horrific necromantic power. It turned to me, the fires in its eyes intensifying.

  "Samuel?" the skeleton said.

  "Greg?" I replied, realisation dawning on me. "Why are you a skeleton?"

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