The Programmer's Dungeon

Chapter 1 : Strange World, Unending Troubles

I was falling down.

Having lost my grip that wasn't even strong, to begin with.

And falling into the bottomless abyss that I couldn't see the end of...

Somehow, time slowed to the point that I could even see the edge of the rocky ravine that I'd previously stabbed my sword into. I was really, really trying to reach out my hands there but to no avail.

It had a weak base; I shouldn't have done that in the first place. It might have been a sudden spark of the moment but what a complete fool I was, thinking that I could hold onto the weak ravine wall with a dull sword.

Is this how I will die? I asked, feeling my heartbeat in my throat. My eyes were growing wet, the vision blurring.

Time might have been slowed down, but the edge I had been previously reached had gotten smaller and smaller as time progressed. Is this what they call the "illusion of time"?

Ah, how reassuring it was that this might just be a dream. Yes, a bad dream that I would soon be awake. Who never had a dream about falling from a high place? At least, I had experienced it multiple times.

But how did I end up here?

Last time I remembered; I was having a presentation for our project...

I closed my eyes, thinking about the bright future that I would enjoy once I woke up. All about the presentation was a complete success.

Right, it all began after I had my presentation...

***

"And that's how we can make a profit from the application that we are developing."

A variety of gazes fell on me and my team, as I uttered that sentence. Curiosity, doubt, interest, and any kind of expression... I could see those in the lectures' gazes. However, not even one expressed disapproval of our proposal.

"We are looking for the future development of this. I hope you all can achieve success," said one of the lecturers.

I smiled, holding my hands loosely behind my back while feeling a ticklish prickle all over my skin. Nothing at this moment could break the sense of accomplishment that the success brought. Really, nothing could. What a day indeed.

...

I was a programmer, learning to be a programmer to be exact, as I'd yet to graduate. Logical thinking was my forte, or so I thought...

With a heavy clank, the vending machine dropped a sports drink. In a moment of thirst, I took the drink and began gulping it down.

"...Aah! A sports drink sure always comes in handy after having a presentation."

"Vincent, you sure do like buying things from this vending machine, huh?"

I turned back to see who was calling me and saw two people approaching me. The one who called out to me was a plump man around my age — Bryan, one of my friends on campus.

"Our presentation went without a hitch. It still feels surreal for me," he said.

And then, a man with glasses and well-structured face beside him added, "Indeed. I've made a calculated prediction that it'd go smoothly but not to this extent."

"—Hmm? This vending machine..." He kicked the machine without care, saying, "The last time I used this machine, nothing came out of it. The campus must've been beating a dead horse for using this malfunctioning machine!"

Well, the man with glasses was the leader of our team — Alfred. He was usually calm-mannered and collected, not often pissed. A contrast to his earlier conduct, this machine must have hit his nerve.