It led her through the dense undergrowth until she reached the soothing murmur of a small stream, and then she followed its winding path upwards to the tranquil sight of a small waterfall cascading down moss-covered rocks. Next to the waterfall, almost hidden behind a curtain of ferns, was a narrow crack in the side of the imposing mountains. The stone in her pocket pulsed with a distinct thrill of excitement. It wants me to go in there. Jade sighed, a mix of trepidation and resignation swirling within her. She had come this far, hadn't she? Why not add shimmying her way into a dark hole in the wall to the growing list of unbelievable things that had happened today, all because a seemingly magical rock insisted? She moved forward towards the shadowed crevasse, turning sideways to squeeze through the narrow opening. Once she had wriggled a couple of feet into the darkness, the passage abruptly opened up into a surprisingly spacious, mossy cavern. In the center of the softly lit space stood a smooth, stone pedestal, and upon it rested a large, obsidian crystal. A small, perfectly circular divot in its polished surface looked eerily like it was specifically designed to hold the small stone currently warming her pocket. There was nothing else of note within the cavern’s confines, but Jade still approached the pedestal with cautious steps, all the while the stone in her pocket vibrated with increasing excitement. Jade walked towards the crystal as if in a trance, an inexplicable pull drawing her forward. She felt a deep, almost irresistible urge to reach out and touch it, a primal instinct that momentarily eclipsed all other thoughts. Her hand extended, her fingers reaching, and for a fleeting, disorienting moment, that single action consumed her entire awareness. Then, abruptly, Jade stopped mere inches from the smooth, cool surface of the crystal, her hand trembling slightly as she fought against the unseen force that had been guiding her. No one is going to control me. Not again.
> [Strong Willed +10%]
>
The notification flickered briefly into her vision as the last vestiges of a strange mental fog dissipated, leaving her feeling oddly clear-headed. The realization that something had been subtly influencing her movements sparked a surge of anger through her veins. Her hands tightened into fists, shaking slightly as she pulled the small stone from her pocket. As she held it, she felt a distinct wave of sadness emanating from it, an almost palpable sense of apology. Jade didn’t quite know how to process the feeling of being seemingly betrayed by a rock, so she shoved it back into her pocket for the time being and took a couple of wary steps back, her eyes scanning the interior of the small cavern. Dark green and black crystals were embedded in the damp walls, their facets catching the faint light, while thick vines snaked between them, creating intricate patterns. The floor was a soft carpet of moss in various shades of emerald and lime, dotted with a scattering of small, delicate flowers that shimmered with an unexpected rainbow of colors. The large crystal sat serenely in the center of the cavern, radiating a soft, internal light that pulsed gently, like the steady flicker of a distant candle.
Just then, a distinct clicking sound echoed around the cavern walls, quickly followed by the unmistakable croaking of multiple voices. Jade spun around, her heart leaping into her throat and instinctively scrambling to crouch behind the large crystal; it was the only object large enough to offer even partial concealment Her heart hammered against her ribs as she listened to the chorus of Bullywugs talking in a guttural, clicking language she couldn’t even begin to comprehend. "Shit," she whispered under her breath, her voice barely audible in the echoing cavern. "What am I going to do?" She’d managed to take down one of the creatures, but only because she’d caught it by surprise and disoriented it. These sounded like a group, actively searching. Her hand tightened around the familiar grip of her makeshift sword as she carefully slid it from its resting place in her waistband. Suddenly, she felt a strange wiggling sensation in her pocket, and a moment later, a small, jet-black spider… suspiciously the exact same size as her previously annoying little crystal… scuttled out and onto her hand. It moved with surprising purpose towards the cavern entrance, its tiny legs leaving shimmering trails of runic shapes that pulsed faintly in the dim light, a bizarre sight that triggered a fleeting, unsettling flash of Dawn and her companions engaged in strange, rhythmic chanting. Next, a shimmering rainbow of colors flickered in the air near the entrance, almost like a fleeting mirage, hanging momentarily before dissipating into nothingness just as a significantly larger Bullywug lumbered into the cavern. This one wore crude leather chest armor and a tattered loincloth, and in its webbed hand, it hefted a large, menacing halberd. Its large, unblinking eyes scanned the room with a predatory intensity, and Jade instinctively crouched lower to the ground behind the crystal, careful to avoid touching its smooth surface. The larger Bullywug emitted a series of loud clicks and guttural croaks, its gaze sweeping across her hiding place but seemingly not registering her presence. Jade wasn’t sure what its limited vision perceived in the dimly lit cavern, but she certainly wasn’t going to risk making a sound or movement. As the creature turned to leave, its gaze lingered on the space behind the crystal for just a fraction of a second before it finally turned its back and lumbered out of the cavern. Jade let out a ragged breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, trying to slow the frantic pounding of her heart. Exhausted and emotionally drained, she sank to the mossy floor, drawing her knees up to her chest.
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The small black spider cautiously approached her, hesitating the last couple of feet as if uncertain of its welcome. Jade slowly reached out a hand, beckoning it closer with a gentle curl of her finger. The spider, seemingly understanding the gesture, excitedly scuttled onto her outstretched palm. She brought the tiny creature closer to her face for a better look. Its body was perfectly round and jet black, similar in shape to a jumping spider back home, but where those were typically fuzzy, this one was unnervingly smooth and seemed to possess the same faint, internal luminescence as the larger crystal. It had four small eyes that held no discernible pupils, their surface the same deep, obsidian black as its body. "So you were the crystal…" Jade murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "Could you always turn into the spider?" The spider tilted its small head and then pointed one of its delicate legs towards the large crystal in the center of the cavern. "You needed to be closer to the crystal to… transform?" It gave a slow, solemn nod in response. Jade stared at the tiny creature on her hand, a whirlwind of disbelief and dawning comprehension swirling within her. Had she finally succumbed to madness, or was she truly having a conversation with a crystalline spider? "Why did you lead me here?" Jade asked next, her voice still hushed. The spider jumped off her hand and scuttled over to the large crystal, tapping its smooth surface with one of its delicate legs. Jade watched it intently, mentally replaying every strange interaction since she’d woken in this bizarre forest. Could she truly trust this creature?
Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, Jade began to push herself to her feet, her muscles stiff and aching. She walked cautiously towards the large crystal until she stood directly in front of it, its soft light illuminating her face. She reached out a hesitant hand, and the moment her fingertips brushed against the cool, smooth surface, she felt a strange sensation, like her consciousness was being gently but firmly pulled into the depths of the crystal. Suddenly, Jade found herself standing in a vast, inky black room; she couldn’t discern any walls, only an all-encompassing darkness that seemed to stretch into infinity. In the oppressive darkness directly in front of her stood a figure, the faint outline of a man who nervously wrung his spectral hands. He stopped his restless motion and turned towards her, and in the next disorienting instant, he seemed to materialize directly before her, leaning in close as if confirming her very existence. “You’re real,” he whispered, his voice a soft, ethereal murmur. His translucent hand reached towards her face, but Jade instinctively took a quick step back, a primal sense of caution overriding her confusion. He offered her a sad, almost apologetic smile before slowly drawing his hand back. “Welcome to the Mirrorstone Cavern. , I am Therian, the dungeon heart. Cyrano had been gone for so long….I had almost lost hope…” Jade gazed at him, trying to make sense of his flickering form; he looked like a ghost, a barely-there outline of a man that shimmered in and out of sharper focus. One moment, his image cleared, and she caught a fleeting glimpse of a man with shaggy, green-blonde hair that fell across a strong face, his deep obsidian eyes glinting with a hint of weary humor. He then performed a quick, surprisingly formal bow that startled Jade, causing her to terrjump back instinctively. Therian’s spectral form followed the movement fluidly, almost as if he hadn’t moved at all. A sudden wave of emotion washed over Jade, not fear, but a potent surge of anger. How dare he bring her to this terrifying place? How had she even gotten here? Her hands began to tremble as she frantically searched her fragmented memories for what had happened after she’d stepped into that bizarre warehouse. Would she have ever willingly agreed to this? Jade stared at Therian’s patiently waiting form, her jaw tight with unspoken questions. “Why am I here? Is Dawn okay?” Her sister’s face flashed vividly in her mind, a complex mix of resentment and lingering affection. There had been a time when Dawn had meant the world to her. Walking away… they had never truly recovered from that fractured bond. Too much unspoken hurt lay between them. Therian straightened the nonexistent vest he seemed to be wearing, his form flickering slightly as he moved. He said, his voice echoing softly in the black void, “I don’t know the specifics of what happened to bring you here. For that, I am truly sorry. I… broke off a piece of myself long ago, a desperate act in search of a dungeon keeper. Dungeons used to be born with their keepers, a symbiotic bond, but something catastrophic happened long before my time, shattering that connection. But none of that matters right now; the crucial thing is… you’re here!” Jade shook her head in disbelief as a new, glowing screen abruptly popped into her vision:
> [Congratulations! You have a new title: Dungeon Keeper (Novice)]
> [This is an upgradable title.]
> [Integration in 1… 2… 3…]
>
