Chapter 4 — A Strong Home

“The news said a gas line burst.” Mom stared out the rearview mirror at the huge wall and gothic towers of my school. “That is no gas line.”

I tried to explain what happened, but she looked at me like I’d hit my head up until the evening news came on TV. A stunned newscaster notified me and mom and dad that our school had impacted by a new AI printing and morphing technology released by Revolve Technologies.

The newscaster blinked a lot, telling me he was nervous about what he had to share next. “A spokesperson from Revolve assures us that the AI is coded to ensure no humans can come to harm and that the school is absolutely safe, though slightly different.”

“What?” Mom shouted and folded her arms. “Even the front sign said ‘Dungeon Royale’ how is that safe?”

“While the device has restructured the school after a popular game, students who are disqualified from the AI generated event, are returned to normal as evidenced by multiple cases.” The reporter shifted in his seat again and sighed. “Therefore, to continue her ‘No Classes Missed’ campaign, Governor Alice Milton has declared the security around the North Pacific Academy would be increased, but classes would continue as normal.”

“I don’t believe her!” Mom spun on dad like he was the governor. He just lifted his hands in surrender. “Samuel is not going to school tomorrow. I won’t have it.”

“That makes sense, babe. We can home school for—”

“And that governor woman won’t be getting my vote next year!”

“Totally reasonable—”

“And you!” She turned to me. “Go help your dad paint the bookshelves. We’ll need them finished for school here tomorrow.”

Dad put a hand on my shoulder and steered me toward the garage. Mom paced around the living room and glared at the TV as the smell of paint met me from the open garage door.

Two solid redwood bookshelves sat upright in the dim garage. Dad handed me a paint brush. “Crazy day at school?”

I started at the brush, mouth open. I’d worn armor earlier today. A weird wristband told me I’d leveled up, given me potions, strength buffs, and Dr. Byrd and... It had been one of the weirdest days in my life. But the newscaster was right. Nothing had actually hurt, it was just... different. And it had been partially my fault. “Dad... it was Dylan and I... the scientist guy was making a presentation, and Dylan started to mess with the equipment.”

Dad hugged me. “As long as you’re okay, kiddo, I don’t care what happened.”

“It’s just... so weird.” I talked for a while and dad listened until the paint started crusting up on his brush.

Turning the dry paint in his hands, he rinsed the bristles in the garage sink and resumed painting. I followed suit, but I couldn’t help but say, “It was kind of cool wearing armor, though.”

“I bet.” Dad stretched to paint the top shelf.

“And I got a potion and...” I trailed off and started on the other bookshelf. No matter that some of what had happened at school had actually been kind of cool, there was no way mom would let me go back. I was a homeschooler now, I guessed.

Would I have to start pulling up my socks super far? That’s what a lot of homeschoolers did, but—

The bookshelf dad was painting tipped.

Dad slipped and hit the garage floor, splattering paint. The bookshelf started falling.

I lunged to grab it, but what could I do? That was eight feet of solid redwood.

The newly painted shelf brushed against my fingers, and my hand closed around its frame. The bookshelf stopped midair. I held it with one hand like it was made out of Styrofoam.

Dad’s mouth fell open from where he lay cringing on the floor.

I lifted the entire bookshelf with one hand, and in a quick movement, I set it back upright.

“T... tell me about that potion you got again?” Dad asked.

I felt my muscles, but my arms looked normal. Still, I’d just lifted an eighty pound bookshelf. “Uh... it was a strength potion...”

“Wow.” Dad just stared at me.

My mind raced. Did the powers I got in the dungeon apply in real life even without my fancy armor? If I got this much strength from a minor strength potion what would a major potion do? I could literally become Spider Man or something! I looked at Dad. “I think... I think I want to go to school tomorrow.”

Dad looked nervously at the door to the living room.