djarcher

The people of the alpha plane have made it their hobby to enter the dungeons of other worlds and conquer them. Naturally not everyone is happy with this as dark undercurrents begin to work against the conquerors.

As some people die in the dungeons they are made an offer. To give up their humanity in order to live on. 
Guy, a veteran carrier, is one of them, he can't bear to leave his family alone and accepts. From then on he must fight in the dungeons but as a monster while simultaneously continuing his life in the alpha plane in the shape of a human.
Jade, an elite adventurer, also accepts the offer but her intent is solely to get revenge on those who killed her and make humanity suffer for her life.
Monica, a little girl not native to the alpha plane is pulled into the happenings due to her childish innocence.

Counter Dungeon-Delving

It's a snake lady! But based on her voice, she is definitely a big sister!


From the torso downward extends a white snake tail with blackish swirls like marble. Her hair is also made up of similar looking snakes. Her upper body is human-looking but also very pale. And her eyes are a beautiful, scintillating purple.


I don't know what scintillate means either.


"Are you perhaps unable to speak? Hmm, let me take a look. Ah, you are out of mp, here, this should help."


Because I was busy talking to Navi, the snake lady approached and noticed that I couldn't move. 


She lays a hand on my head and with a light caress, a torrent of mana is injected into me. My mp recovers to about half its full capacity but the big sister does seem tired at all. 


"Oh, my precious little one can speak after all. Looks like that mana injection did the trick. I can give you some more but first I want to know where you came from."


"I came from VR Dungeons. Navi sent me here to defend the dungeon."


Another current of mana is poured into my body from her slender hand that keeps caressing my head. But this big sister seems confused. Then, her eyes flash and she looks... enlightened?


"Ah, so you are sent by the great dungeon alliance. The dungeon has informed me about your extended stay here until you evolve. If any of those adventurers bully you, just come find me and I'll turn them into marble statues!"


"Also, if you are ever lonely, I'll gladly spend some time with you."


So this big sister has no friends? I'll be her friend!


<Sure, sure. But not today. Say goodbye, it's time for you to play hidden glory. The setup just arrived and I'm having Tele install it in your room.>


"I'll come to talk to you soon but now I have to go home and beat the dreaded apocalypse mode first try!"


My vision blurs and I feel my body dissolve into specks of something. The transition feels weirdly uncomfortable as if I am moving through a bad place. Is this the underworld?


But it's uncomfortable. I don't want that.


That sounds way too complicated! What do you feel in this place, Navi?


<Loneliness, being ignored, being akin to dust or perhaps even a burden in people's eyes.>


I find myself in my room. The bed is really soft, as if it's made from fluffy clouds. Sister Tele?


Sister Tele is wearing her usual maid dress while handling a dozen or so cables. Wait, why does sister Tele have four hands?!!


Sister Tele seems to be done with the cables. She stands up, nods at her work. Will she now teach me how to play? No! Don't just disappear! I need your help sister Tele!


I do as Navi tells me, switching on the game and strapping on the controllers. The screen lights up and a bunch of icons are displayed. I can't read what any of them say though…


<Sigh. The buttons are IMRP, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinky finger.>


Oh, I press down my right index finger and the selected icon spins as it expands to take up the whole screen. Then, I see the monk with the staff holding a cool pose as letters appear above and below him.


<That's the title screen. Press I again. Then again to select new game and then one more time to select the difficulty.>


Marble Medusa