Little Red stepped forward, her machete resting on her shoulder, her fiery hair catching the faint crimson glow from the dungeon’s veins. “How so? What do you mean?” she asked, her tone carefully even, though her tension showed in the tight grip on her weapon.

  Jack straightened, his arms crossing over his chest as his sharp gaze swept over the group. “I’m assuming none of you have a class yet? A job?” he asked, his voice carrying the kind of exasperated patience one might use with first-year recruits.

  The group exchanged uneasy glances, their confusion evident. Jessica’s eyes narrowed, reading the nervous fidgeting in Madi’s hands and the way Brick’s jaw clenched. No one spoke, but the silence was answer enough.

  Jack sighed, the sound laced with frustration. He gestured toward Brick and Jason, their firearms slung casually over their shoulders as if they were tools rather than lifelines. “And I’m guessing that means you don’t have access to a HUD yet? A UI?”

  They nodded reluctantly, unease creeping into their expressions. Even Rando, who usually had a quip ready for any occasion, kept his mouth shut for once.

  “Figured as much,” Jack said, his tone hardening. “Okay, that means you don’t have a system, either.”

  Jessica hesitated, then raised her hand like a guilty student. “I do. I mean, I think I do,” she said, her voice quieter now. “It’s like… a voice. And some messages that pop up randomly, right?”

  Jack’s eyes lit up, his expression shifting from frustration to something that almost looked like hope. “Exactly. Good. That’s a start. It means you’ve been doing something right - probably completing some hidden objectives or hitting triggers without even realizing it. It also means you’re not completely playing this game blind.”

  Rando blinked and stepped closer, incredulity dripping from his tone. “Wait -what? Red, you’ve got some secret system thing? And you didn’t say anything?”

  Brick crossed his massive arms, his frown deepening into a glower. “You’ve been holding out on us?”

  Jessica rolled her eyes, a sharp edge of irritation creeping into her stance. “It didn’t seem important,” she snapped, her gaze cutting to Rando. “Besides, what would you have done with that information? Believe me? I doubt it.”

  Rando opened his mouth to retort, but Jack cut him off with a raised hand, his presence commanding enough to silence the grumbling before it fully started.

  “Look,” Jack said firmly, his tone brooking no argument, “the details don’t matter right now. What matters is we need to get back to the resurrection node, and fast. You’re going to need that node if you want any chance of making it through this dungeon alive.”

  ***

  As the group moved deeper into the dungeon, the air grew oppressively thick, carrying a metallic tang that clung to the back of their throats. The faint pulsing of the crystalline veins in the walls cast an eerie, shifting glow, their light throwing jagged shadows that seemed to twist and writhe like living things. Every step echoed in the stillness, as though the dungeon itself was listening.

  Jack walked ahead with purpose, his machete humming faintly in his grip. The runes etched along its blade shimmered with an almost imperceptible energy, their glow ebbing and flowing in time with the crystalline veins. Jessica found herself watching him more than she wanted to admit. His movements were smooth, deliberate, and instinctive, as if he was following a map only he could see.

  Her mind raced with unspoken questions. Who was this man? How did he know so much about a dungeon that shouldn’t even exist? There was an ease to his confidence that unnerved her, a quiet certainty that made her simultaneously resent and rely on him. She hated the fact that his presence, maddening as it was, made her feel safer in this impossible situation.

  Finally, Jack stopped, gesturing toward the room they’d bypassed earlier. The jagged stalactites lining the ceiling and floor jutted out like monstrous teeth, framing the entrance to the ominous chamber. The darkness beyond swallowed the light, making it impossible to tell what lay within.

  Jessica’s gut twisted at the sight. This was the room the Dungeon Locator tool had guided them away from. It had pointed them elsewhere, marking this path as unnecessary or too dangerous. Had the Locator been wrong? Or had it been deliberately misleading us? The thought was a thorn in her side, a doubt she couldn’t shake.

  The faint echoes of dripping water and the ever-present hum of the dungeon’s energy amplified the tension. The sound seemed louder here, almost mocking in its persistence.

  “We go through that,” Jack said, his tone flat, as if walking into the maw of a beast was the most reasonable thing in the world.

  Brick’s scowl deepened, his knuckles tightening around his rifle. “Just like that?” he asked, disbelief heavy in his voice. “Are you out of your mind? What if there’s something crazy in there? You said it was going to be dangerous.”

  Molly flipped one of her knives absently in her hand, her lips curving into a wry smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah, boss. Not really looking forward to round two with a spikey death room. I barely made it out of the first one in one piece.”

  Jack shrugged, the faintest trace of a smirk tugging at his lips. “I’m not thrilled about it either,” he admitted, his maddening calm only adding to the tension. “But if you want to survive this dungeon, we don’t have a choice.”

  Jessica felt her jaw tighten as she turned her gaze to the darkened passage. Her fingers brushed the edge of her machete’s worn handle, the weight of it grounding her. We don’t have a choice, do we? she thought, biting back a sigh of frustration. Jack’s logic, as infuriating as it was, held up under scrutiny. That didn’t make it easier to swallow.

  Jack stepped closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur that drew Jessica’s attention. “The dungeon isn’t static,” he said, urgency sharpening his tone. “It’s watching us. Learning. Every second we wait, it’s recalibrating - fortifying. That room is going to be harder now than it was before.”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Jessica swallowed hard, her stomach knotting at the thought. “Harder how?” she asked, though part of her dreaded the answer.

  “More mobs. Smarter traps. Maybe even a miniboss,” Jack said grimly. “And if we wait much longer, it won’t just be harder. It’ll be impossible.”

  A heavy silence settled over the group, their apprehension almost tangible. Even Rando seemed subdued, his usual bravado replaced with uneasy fidgeting. Jessica could feel their eyes on her, waiting for her to make the call. The weight of their trust pressed down on her, suffocating and inescapable. She tightened her grip on her machete, the familiar texture of the hilt anchoring her.

  “Then we don’t wait,” she said finally, forcing her voice to steady. “If we’re going to do this, we do it now.”

  Jack nodded, a flicker of approval in his eyes. “Good,” he said. “But remember - this isn’t just about surviving. It’s about learning. Pay attention to everything. The traps, the patterns, the way the dungeon reacts. It’s going to keep throwing surprises at us, and if you don’t adapt fast enough, you won’t get a second chance.”

  Jessica squared her shoulders, letting his words settle over her. “We’ll make it,” she said firmly. “We don’t have a choice.”

  Jack’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, his expression unreadable, before he turned and moved toward the looming passage. The faint glow of the dungeon veins illuminated his silhouette, casting jagged shadows that stretched and twisted like living things. The group followed, their footsteps heavy with trepidation but resolute.

  As they drew closer to the chamber, the oppressive hum of the dungeon seemed to grow louder, a low, resonant warning that thrummed in their chests. Jessica felt her pulse quicken, her heart pounding in time with the rhythmic flicker of the veins. The machete in her hand felt heavier, almost reluctant, as if it, too, knew what was coming.

  I hope we can trust you, Jack, Jessica thought, her eyes fixed on his back. Don’t prove me wrong.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by a low rumble. The ground beneath their feet trembled, a vibration that grew into a steady quake. The walls seemed to shift, narrowing around them, and the light from the veins dimmed ominously.

  “Brace yourselves,” Jack said, his voice calm but firm, cutting through the rising tension like a blade. “Something’s coming.”

  From the shadows ahead, dark shapes began to coalesce. They moved with an eerie fluidity, their forms shifting and flickering like smoke caught in a draft. Glowing red eyes pierced the darkness, their intensity sharp and malevolent.

  Jessica’s breath caught as the first shape lunged forward, claws gleaming in the dim light. “Mobs?” she asked, her voice tight.

  Jack’s machete was already in motion, slicing clean through the creature. Its form dissolved into mist, but more surged forward, their claws scraping against the stone walls with an ear-splitting screech. “Phantoms,” he said, his voice level. “Fast, hard to hit, and they’ll drain your energy if they touch you.”

  “Fantastic,” Rando muttered, drawing his dagger. “Just what we needed.”

  The phantoms surged forward, their forms flickering and twisting like smoke given malicious intent. Their glowing red eyes locked onto the group, and the air grew colder, the oppressive hum of the dungeon now accompanied by an eerie, whispering sound.

  Jack’s machete hummed with energy as he met the first phantom head-on. His movements were swift and precise, his blade slicing through the creature’s form in one fluid arc. The runes along the machete’s edge flared brightly as the phantom dissolved into a swirling mist, leaving behind a faint wisp of shadowy essence that dissipated into the air.

  He didn’t pause to admire his work. His focus shifted immediately to the next threat, but not before his sharp gaze flicked toward the others. “Take them out, and keep moving,” he barked, his tone commanding but not unkind. “They’re fast, but they’re not invincible. Don’t let them touch you.”

  Jessica moved quickly, her machete flashing as she intercepted a phantom that lunged toward Madi. The blade bit into its smoky form, causing it to recoil with a hissing shriek. She gritted her teeth, pushing forward, her every move fueled by the tension winding tighter in her chest. Don’t falter. Don’t let them see you hesitate.

  “Big Red, hold the line!” Jessica shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. “Molly, flank them! Rando, back me up!”

  Big Red’s massive frame became an anchor as he swung his axe with controlled ferocity, cleaving through a phantom that darted too close. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, dispersing the creature with a sharp crack. Beside him, Little John’s hammer swung in a wide arc, crushing another phantom against the stone wall with a resounding thud.

  Molly darted to the side, her twin knives glinting as they struck the creatures with precision. Her movements were quick and nimble, almost serpentine, as she weaved between the attacking phantoms, leaving a trail of dissipating mist in her wake.

  Rando lunged awkwardly at a phantom, his dagger narrowly slicing through its form. He stumbled slightly as it dissolved, but quickly steadied himself, glancing at Jessica with a sheepish grin. “One down!” he called, trying to mask his nerves with bravado.

  Nick and Jason, the brothers who everyone called “the twins” despite being a year apart, moved in tandem, their movements instinctively synchronized. Their rifles barked in the enclosed space, the muzzle flashes briefly illuminating the shadows. The phantoms darted unpredictably, their smoky forms twisting and flickering as bullets passed harmlessly through them.

  “Damn it, Nick!” Jason shouted, his frustration evident as another round passed through a phantom without effect. “It’s like trying to shoot fog!”

  “I’m trying, alright?” Nick snapped back, his tone equally exasperated. “Maybe if they stood still for half a second!”

  Brick let out a low growl, his heavier-caliber rifle booming as he took aim at a phantom closing in on Big Red. The shot clipped the creature’s form, causing it to stagger but not dissipate. “You’ve got to aim for the damn core!” he barked, frustration etched across his face. “It’s the only solid part of them!”

  Nick and Jason exchanged a quick glance before adjusting their aim, their rifles now targeting the faint glowing cores at the phantoms’ centers. The change in strategy paid off moments later. With a synchronized burst of fire, Nick’s shot hit a phantom’s core, causing it to shriek and dissolve into mist. Jason followed up with a precise shot that dispatched a second phantom, its red eyes fading as it disintegrated.

  “Hell yeah!” Jason shouted, pumping his fist. “That’s two down!”

  “Team effort, bro,” Nick said, a rare grin breaking through his tension. “Don’t get cocky.”

  Brick, meanwhile, steadied his stance and focused on a phantom weaving toward Madi. He lined up his shot carefully, exhaling slowly as he squeezed the trigger. The bullet struck true, shattering the creature’s core and dispersing it in a burst of shadowy wisps. “Gotcha,” he muttered, satisfaction flickering in his voice.

  Jack stayed at the periphery of the group, his blade flashing only when necessary. He let the others hold the line, observing their techniques - or lack thereof - as they fought to keep the phantoms at bay. When a phantom veered toward Madi, who was struggling to defend herself with a small handgun, Jack stepped in without hesitation. His machete moved in a clean, vertical arc, cutting through the creature with ease.

  “Watch your spacing,” he said to her, his voice calm but firm. “You’re leaving yourself open.”

  Madi nodded quickly, retreating behind Big Red for cover. “Thanks,” she managed, her voice trembling.

  Another phantom lunged at Jessica, its claws aimed for her chest. She sidestepped just in time, her machete slashing upward and catching it mid-attack. The creature shrieked as it dissolved, and Jessica felt a rush of adrenaline flood her veins. She glanced toward Jack, who gave her a brief nod of approval before turning his attention back to the fight.

  The phantoms were relentless, their attacks coordinated and unnervingly intelligent. Jack noticed the patterns in their movements - the way they targeted the weaker members of the group, the way they adjusted to their defensive formations. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the dungeon was testing them, gauging their abilities for what was to come.

  And then, the air shifted.