Jack caught sight of Amari and the others at one of the pyramid's corners.

  Amari stood, holding the reins of his horse in one hand. Horace’s and Marie’s horses were hitched to a sturdy carriage.

  As he approached, he noticed how different they were from their usual selves. Typically, they’d be joking and teasing, but today, their movements were tense, their eyes darting toward the crowds that surged around the pyramid. Horace and Marie wore hoods that shaded their faces, though the nervous glances they cast over their shoulders gave away their unease.

  Amari, conspicuously bareheaded, stood tall and steady. Jack couldn’t tell if it was pride, a movement to inspire confidence in his team, or a tactical decision—three hooded figures might have drawn even more attention. Perhaps it was just so that Jack could find them more quickly. Either way, their nervousness was palpable.

  Something about the way they clung to the vicinity of the pyramid’s shadow unsettled Jack further. They weren’t just hiding from IronIre—they were poised, like coiled springs, ready to dive into the pyramid at the slightest hint of danger.

  Jack’s stomach suddenly tightened. Wait. I thought that the pyramid was just a rendezvous point. But they are all practically leaning against it. No. It can’t be….

  He practically dashed toward them.

  “Hi, guys,” he said, his voice a little too high-pitched as his eyes flicked nervously to the pyramid.

  “Why are you whispering?” Horace asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Jack noted that Horace himself was whispering, too, but he didn’t use that as a retort. He cleared his throat. “Nothing, nothing. So, why are we meeting here?” he asked, already dreading the answer.

  “This is where we can activate the transport to the Breach.” Amari reached into his pocket and pulled out a key.

  The key gleamed in his hand, its triangular shape mimicking the pyramid’s silhouette. It was carved from polished black stone, its edges etched with faintly glowing lines that pulsed like veins.

  “So the pyramid is taking us to the Breach?” Jack confirmed, dreading where this was going.

  “That’s right.”

  “So is the Breach a dungeon, or not a dungeon?” Jack asked.

  “It’s not really a dungeon, per se. You’re not going to enter the pyramid. But we’ll be transported to a special map that no one else can access and the portal is activated at the pyramid.”

  “Just say it’s a dungeon,” Marie snapped.

  “So the pyramid will manage this special map?” Jack asked, afraid of the answer.

  “Well. I guess.”

  “Right, right. That’s… great,” Jack said, his knees trembling. Piri’s going to be involved in this whole affair. We’re doomed.

  His friends frowned at Jack’s questioning, but he didn’t dare explain. They’d think he was crazy for being afraid of an AI—or worse, Piri might be eavesdropping and take offense at what he said. He wasn’t risking her making their lives miserable out of spite.

  It wasn’t that Jack hated dungeoneering. He’d had good times running mazes in Piri. But Piri had also put him through hell. Memories of flying darts, spiked boots, and near-drowning made his palms clammy. He also remembered the puzzle where Piri had ominously made ‘I see you,’ the combination to open a chest.

  “What’s up with the carriage?” Jack asked, eager to change the subject.

  “A good way to bring more stuff along with us,” Horace said with a grin, patting the side of the carriage. “This baby can haul plenty.”

  The carriage’s sides were reinforced with iron plating, and the bed was packed with carefully stacked logs and empty bomb shells—tools of survival and destruction, all neatly organized for the unknown ahead. The way that Horace spoke of it made Jack think of when he talked about his beloved motorcycle.

  “Did you make it?” Jack asked Horace.

  “Parts of it,” he said, with a puffed-up chest. “But I still need to reach the expert level before I can do the whole thing. I’m still at journeyman carpenter, level 3."

  “Blah, blah. It’s a dungeon. It’s a carriage. Are we ready to go or what?” Marie asked, her voice edgy.

  Jack noticed the way Amari’s steady presence contrasted with Marie’s jittery movements. She kept scanning the crowd, her hand never far from one of her bombs. Horace, meanwhile, seemed utterly preoccupied with his carriage, patting the iron plating with a kind of paternal pride.

  “I actually still need to go to the marketplace and buy supplies,” Jack said quickly. “I just got back to town.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Amari offered, stepping forward. His expression didn’t leave room for argument. “We can make sure you get everything you need.”

  “That would be great,” Jack muttered, shooting one last uneasy glance at the pyramid. It almost seemed to gleam in amusement, its reflective surface catching the sunlight in a way that sent a shiver down his spine.

  As they walked toward the market, Jack decided to break the silence. “What do you think about the pyramids? Where did they come from?” he asked, his tone casual. He reasoned that Piri wouldn’t find the topic offensive, even if she was eavesdropping.

  Amari raised an eyebrow. “What brought that up?”

  Jack shrugged. “Curiosity. You’ve been playing longer than me—you must have theories.”

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  Amari sighed, but his tone lightened. “In my old account, I triggered an epic quest that involved following clues about the pyramid’s true origins. I spent months on it without much progress, and then… well, I had to reset my account because of IronIre.” The last word was said with bitterness.

  Jack frowned. “What was the quest like?”

  “It started with tracking a scholar that had gone missing. I found him, and he told me I had to steal a document from the black market in the suburbs, which contained important clues about the origin of the artifacts. I was stuck at that part.”

  “I see. But did you learn anything about the origin of the pyramids while you were trying to do it?”

  Amari hesitated. “You ever heard the theory that the stones used to build the Great Pyramid of Giza were too heavy to move and didn’t come from nearby?”

  “Not really.”

  “Some scholars say that the old civilizations couldn’t possibly have built the pyramids with the technology they had at hand. Some theorize that they had access to superior tech. Something gifted to them by aliens.”

  “Aliens?” Jack said, baffled.

  “Aliens,” Amari confirmed, chuckling. “It’s just a theory, mind you. But the developers probably drew inspiration from that. I think the pyramid here ties into something bigger—extraterrestrial tech. Nothing you wouldn’t have heard from the tutorial NPCs, though.”

  Jack paused. He’s right! He hasn’t said anything that Tutor Ezekiel didn’t. But he just presented things in such a way that they made them look more mysterious and interesting. Argh. Experience from having a channel. He really is a good streamer.

  Nevertheless, the idea that aliens might be involved in the game somehow gave wings to Jack’s imagination. Maybe it was a civilization of jerks. The Jerkians. That would explain why Piri was so insufferable. He didn’t love being at the mercy of something alien, but at least Amari didn’t sound spooked.

  They left their mounts outside and wove into the crowded marketplace, Jack’s unease temporarily dulled by the buzz of activity.

  “Anyway, what minors did you get?” Amari asked, deftly changing the subject.

  “Butchering and brewing,” Jack replied.

  “Hmmm… interesting choices. Butchering is a good one for the Breach.”

  “How come?”

  Amari shrugged. “Well, the only thing we’re sure we’ll find plenty of are beasts trying to kill us. You can harvest meat from them, which will keep us fed.”

  “Right,” Jack said, unsure if he should be happy about Amari’s prophecy of doom. Nevertheless, he was glad to hear Amari’s tone of approval.

  “Any words of wisdom before I start shopping?” Jack asked as he opened the marketplace window.

  “Since you’re a butcher now, don’t worry too much about bringing food. Just make sure you can cook it. Bring plenty of water. We might not have any where we’re going.”

  “That’s it?” Jack asked, confirming that it was all that Amari had to say.

  “That’s it.”

  Jack opened his inventory. There were several ocarinas in different colors. He’d let them be. He would need them. There were also several honey pots, half of them full. He would keep them as well. He was going to take his hive along, and the honey had to go somewhere.

  He had the vials Ezekiel had given him in the tutorial a week ago, which he’d been using to carry water. They were at breaking point. He put them on sale in case a restorer or recycler wanted to buy them and got ten new ones, already filled with water. It felt a little wasteful to spend silver on containers when he could have made jars using his pottery skills, but he’d already wasted a lot of time, and the gang seemed in a hurry.

  He already had a tent but needed new stakes. He got two new tinderboxes, two simple knives, two new cooking pots, and ten stacks of wood for burning. Even so, he still had ten stacks to fill.

  “Amari, here is what I have. What do you think?”

  “Bring cloths for bandages. More water. More fuel, too.”

  “Right.”

  Even with the extra slots from Snowy, it wasn’t enough for everything he wanted to take along with him. He looked through the window at Snowy and her saddlebags with empty pot hives. “How long do you think we’ll stay at the Breach?”

  “I hope at least two days. A week would be incredible. The longer, the better.”

  Jack weighed his options and finally made up his mind. “I’ll be right back.” He went outside and grabbed two empty pot hives from his saddlebags. He opened the market’s system window and selected the ‘storage’ option. Jack deposited the empty hives for a few coppers in the marketplace’s bank.

  That should free up some space.

  He then started taking logs from his inventory and stuffing them into the saddlebags. Snowy didn’t mind the extra weight and stood still as Jack loaded the fuel. Then, Jack bought more water, cloths, and wood with the freed slots.

  “I’m good to go.”

  “Won’t you need those pots?” Amari asked curiously.

  “I doubt I’ll get three new queens wherever we’re going. At best, I’ll be able to get a second hive. I’d rather have some more fuel.”

  Amari nodded approvingly.

  Jack double-checked everything in his inventory as they marched back to the pyramid. What if I missed something obvious? I hope I’ve got everything I need.

  Glancing at Amari, he imagined their leader’s mind was going through a similar checklist. He had not only his inventory to think about, after all, but everyone’s.

  “Amari, you said that, at most, we’ll last one week in the Breach. Right?”

  “Excuse me. What? Right. One week. Yes.”

  Jack was right. Amari was laser-focused on the expedition.

  “Do you think that will be enough to get off the Slayer’s radar?”

  “When someone has a short fuse like the Slayer, making enemies doesn’t take long. If we give him time, he’ll just find someone else to chase.”

  Jack nodded. “It would be awesome if we lasted a week. I’m guessing the rewards are incredible, uh?”

  “I’m not sure we can do it… You’ll see,” Amari said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “The Breach has… layers. Just be ready for anything.”

  Jack and Amari rendezvoused with the group, and Amari took the key from his pocket.

  “Everyone ready?”

  “Ready.”

  “Ready.”

  “Ready,” Jack echoed.

  Amari held the key for a moment, its polished surface catching the sunlight. “Just remember,” he said, his voice unusually grave. “Stay sharp, stick together, and don’t get cocky. Surprises are the only guarantee.”

  “Great pep talk,” Horace said with a nervous laugh. “Stick together, don’t die. Got it. Anyone want to bet on how long we last?” Horace added, his grin twitching. “I’m putting three silver on myself making it at least three days before I heroically kick the bucket.”

  Marie glared at him, her fingers drumming on the side of a bomb she’d pulled from her belt. “Not funny.”

  “What? We’re supposed to be the A-team here. Gotta have confidence, right?” Horace’s voice cracked slightly, betraying his forced humor.

  “Horace, focus,” Amari said firmly.

  Marie huffed, her eyes scanning the crowd one last time. “The longer we stand here, the more likely IronIre sends someone. Let’s get this over with.”

  As Amari raised the key, Jack glanced at the pyramid. For a split second, he thought he saw something—a faint glow, a pattern etched into the stone—but it was gone before he could be sure. I’m imagining things. Aren’t I?

  Amari pressed the key to the pyramid, and a sharp, resonant chime rang out, making Jack flinch. The air grew heavy, vibrating faintly, and the ground beneath them shifted like something ancient had stirred awake. The pyramid flared with light, intricate patterns racing across its surface before converging on the key.

  A system message blinked into view, its edges flickering with faint symbols Jack didn’t recognize:

  Warning! You’re about to be transported to a special map!

  Warning! You can’t leave the map until you die or finish your quest. The longer you last, the greater the rewards.

  Are you sure you want to be transported?

  Amari must have clicked yes because another message soon appeared.

  You will be transported to a Breach. Prepare for transport.

  The world around them fractured, the lines between objects breaking apart like shards of glass. Jack’s stomach lurched as the colors bled together, swirling into an endless void. For a moment, there was nothing—no sound, no light, just the weightless, disorienting sense of falling.

  Then, with a jarring snap, the world reformed around them.