Elijah Merrows tugged his cloak tighter around his shoulders. The group had voted to send a scouting force into the steamy tunnels where the lava drake hatchlings had been spotted. He was one of the volunteers, of course. Sitting back and doing nothing wasn’t an option when the entire group’s future hinged on unlocking the Path of Unification door.
Gideon Pierce, spear in hand, hobbled a few steps forward. Though his leg still pained him, he refused to sit out. Next to him, Sandra Lewis checked the half-burnt torch Greg had conjured. The flickering flame revealed sweat beading on her temple. “I know we agreed on minimal numbers,” Sandra said quietly, “but it’s tough leaving the rest behind.”
“I’ll watch over them,” came Lauren’s soft voice from behind. Her eyes shone with determination that belied her gentle nature. “Harold and I will do our best to keep everyone safe here.”
Lauren’s presence radiated a calm, almost motherly warmth. Elijah offered her a faint nod. “Thank you. We’ll be back before you know it.”
At his side, Nora Reyes adjusted her wind-laced blade. Vince Anders stood near her, electricity dancing faintly along his forearms. Two more fighters—Misha and Patrice—readied their salvaged weapons. This would be the entire strike team, minus Sandra and Gideon who insisted on coming. Seven in total.
Brittany, who was staying with the main group, bit her lip and lowered her head. “Good luck,” she murmured, reluctant to let them go. But the plan was set. The rest of the survivors formed a small circle, watching them depart with anxious eyes.
Their path to the volcanic region lay along a narrow rock passage. The deeper they went, the warmer the air became—humid heat rolling in waves, making sweat bead on every brow. Vince’s conjured sparks flickered like miniature lanterns, revealing the molten glow in distant cracks of the walls.
Gideon led the way, unwavering despite his limp. “We know from scouting that the hatchlings nest in a wide, steamy cavern,” he reminded them in a low voice. “We skirted it before. This time, we need to see if there’s a bigger drake or a hidden puzzle we missed.”
Sandra pursed her lips. “We won’t engage a full-grown drake if it’s beyond our abilities. But if it’s something we can handle, or if a puzzle guardian is there... we move fast and exploit every advantage.”
Elijah nodded. His mind flashed to the System door proclaiming “Path of Unification: Sealed”. The memory rekindled his resolve. We have to find what’s blocking us from unlocking that path.
As they wound around a corner, the tunnel opened into a broader chamber. Clouds of steam hissed from vents in the floor, obscuring parts of the rocky terrain. Pools of murky water shimmered with a faint orange light, presumably from heated magma channels below. And there, at the far end, were the lava drake hatchlings—perhaps six or seven, just as the earlier scouting suggested. Each was about the size of a large dog, with reddish scales and small, stunted wings.
Misha let out a shaky breath. “I count seven. Possibly more behind the rocks.”
Patrice narrowed her eyes, activating her stealth skill Shadowslip. In the misty gloom, her outline blurred. “I’ll circle around, see if there’s an alpha or a bigger one.” She vanished into the steam with barely a sound.
Elijah drew the faint outline of his bow, conjuring a spectral arrow. He didn’t fire yet, waiting for Patrice’s reconnaissance. Nora poised her blade, wind swirling faintly around it. Vince’s sparks crackled softly.
Within minutes, Patrice reappeared, face grim. “I didn’t spot a huge adult, but there’s a deeper vent near the back—might lead further down. The hatchlings are scattered. We can probably pick them off in smaller groups, but if there’s a mother below... well, we’d better be quick or quiet.”
Gideon tightened his grip on his spear, glancing at Sandra and Elijah. “We try stealth. If we can avoid them entirely, that’s best. But we might not find the puzzle or Sigils unless we do a thorough check.”
Sandra flicked her eyes over the steaming cavern. “Let’s see if there’s a pattern on these walls, like the runes we found before. We’ll spread out carefully. Misha, Vince, and I will watch your backs if the hatchlings spot us.”
Nora nodded, stepping gingerly over a fissure in the stone. Elijah followed, heart thumping. The heat felt like an oven, each breath harsh in his throat. He scanned the craggy walls for any sign of swirling symbols, half expecting a new puzzle inscription.
They hadn’t taken more than twenty steps when a pair of hatchlings spotted them. One hissed, puffing a small gout of heated air from its nostrils. The other flicked its tail, eyes glowing with primal ferocity.
Elijah drew the bowstring back without hesitation. “They see us. We have to put them down fast.”
Vince fired off a bolt of electricity that crackled across the stony floor, striking one drake in the flank. The creature yelped, staggering. Elijah’s arrow followed, burying itself near the drake’s shoulder. It roared, spitting embers that scattered harmlessly on the rocky ground. Before it could recover, Nora dashed in, blade slicing across its neck. The hatchling collapsed in a swirl of steam.
The second hatchling lunged at Sandra, jaws snapping. She sidestepped fluidly, ramming her sword into its torso. A scaly tail whipped around, catching her in the side with a dull thud. She grunted, but Misha rushed in, thrusting a gnoll spear into the drake’s underbelly. It let out a pained shriek, then stilled.
Panting, they paused to assess. The other hatchlings, scattered across the cavern, were now fully alert, heads swiveling to locate the source of the disturbance. Gideon grimaced. “So much for quiet. Form up!”
A ragged skirmish ensued. Three more hatchlings bounded across the steaming floor, their claws scrabbling for purchase on the slick stone. Vince lobbed another arc of lightning, momentarily stunning one. Elijah planted an arrow in its exposed flank. Meanwhile, Sandra clashed with a second drake, exchanging savage blows. Nora and Misha handled the third, working in tandem—wind-laced slashes and well-timed spear thrusts.
Sparks lit the sulfur-laced air, accompanied by hisses and roars. Steam clouded everyone’s vision, making the creatures appear and vanish in swirling fog. Gideon stayed near Elijah, keeping an eye out for ambush from the side. His spear found its mark once, twice—each time wounding a drake that tried to flank them.
When the last of that trio fell, the group took a moment to catch their breath. “Three left, maybe four,” Patrice whispered, appearing from the mist, her stealth flickering. “They’re near that large vent. Possibly waiting in ambush.”
Sandra gritted her teeth, pressing a hand to a fresh bruise on her ribcage. “We keep pushing forward. If the puzzle or Sigil trigger is around here, we need to see it.”
They advanced, stepping over the smoldering carcasses. The cavern sloped downward toward a wide, jagged pit from which gouts of steam belched. Streaks of molten rock glowed orange in the depths. Two hatchlings crouched near the rim, hackles raised. A third drake lay half-submerged in a recessed pool of steaming water, glaring with slitted eyes.
Elijah’s bow trembled in his hands as he drew back an arrow. The weight of near-constant fighting pressed on his nerves. He glanced at his EXP overlay: still 98%, edging toward that elusive next level, but not quite there. Maybe these kills will push me over.
At a silent signal from Sandra, Vince launched a preemptive strike—a bolt of electricity arcing into the submerged drake. The water amplified the shock; the drake convulsed, thrashing violently. Elijah fired at the same creature, burying an arrow in its neck. It sank with a final hiss.
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The other two roared in alarm, surging forward. Gideon lunged to meet them. His wounded leg buckled slightly, but he compensated with a precise spear thrust. One drake coiled around the spear, raking claws at Gideon’s torso. Sandra rushed to intercept, her blade biting into the drake’s scaled side.
The second drake bared fangs at Elijah, hissing. Nora flanked it, unleashing a cutting gale of wind. The drake reeled, an opening that let Elijah shoot an arrow straight into its chest.
As the last drake collapsed, an echoing roar rumbled from the vent below—a sound deeper and more menacing than anything they’d heard. The ground vibrated. Nora spun, eyes wide. “That didn’t sound like a hatchling.”
Sandra’s knuckles whitened on her sword hilt. “Could be the mother.”
Gideon swallowed, glancing at the group. They were battered from the multiple fights. If a full-grown lava drake emerged, the confrontation could be disastrous.
“Let’s see if there’s any sign of the puzzle or Sigils,” Elijah urged, voice tight. “We might not want to wait around to meet whatever’s coming.”
They spread out near the vent, searching the rocky walls. Steam enveloped them in short bursts, stinging eyes and obscuring movement. Misha wiped sweat from her forehead, scanning the cracks. Patrice crouched near a small alcove, carefully running a hand over the stone.
A brief glow caught Elijah’s attention. He leaned closer to a formation of runic carvings half-hidden by thick mineral deposits. The patterns looked similar to the ones on the puzzle platform, though partially eroded. He pressed a hand against them, hoping for some kind of System prompt.
At first, nothing. Then, faintly:
“Hidden Sigil Node Detected. Insufficient Essence Accumulated.”
Elijah grimaced. “Same story—some condition not met.”
Vince stepped over, panting. “Let me try my lightning. Maybe it needs a jolt.” He discharged a small spark against the runes. They glowed a hair brighter, then fizzled out. No puzzle guardians emerged; no triumphant message played.
Sandra exhaled slowly, scanning for any further clues. “It seems we’re close to something, but not quite there. Like we found the door, but we don’t have the key.”
Another deep rumble echoed from below, shaking fragments of rock loose around the vent. A wave of intense heat surged upward, nearly buckling their knees. Gideon coughed in the sulfuric air. “We can’t linger. If a full drake is down there, we’re in no shape to fight it without a plan.”
Nora carefully eyed the vent. “We’ve taken out the hatchlings, but we haven’t found a new puzzle or a Sigil reward. What if the mother is the guardian we need to defeat?”
Vince blanched. “We might get ourselves roasted. But if it’s the key to leveling up or unlocking that door, we might have no choice.”
Elijah stared down into the swirling depths. Fight a mother drake? With half the group already bruised? The notion made fear coil in his stomach. But the System rarely offered safe detours.
Gideon planted his spear butt firmly on the rock. “If we lure it out, maybe we can fight on our terms. But we’re risking the entire scouting party.”
A moment of silence passed, dread thickening the air. Then Sandra spoke decisively. “Let’s go back and regroup with the others. If we do this, we do it prepared.”
Elijah silently agreed. Charging deeper alone, half-broken, into a potential boss fight was suicidal. “We can come up with traps, or a strike plan, or see if we can muster enough combined strength. We have Lauren’s and Harold’s healing, Brittany’s buffs... maybe that’s what we need.”
Nora nodded, though tension lines bracketed her mouth. “We need synergy. That might be the ‘Path of Unification’ message the System keeps hinting at. We’re not strong enough alone.”
With the hatchlings slain, the group carefully retraced their steps out of the steamy chamber. Each footstep felt heavier, the sense of an unseen predator behind them oppressive. But no massive drake burst forth. Perhaps the mother was slumbering deeper, or planning an ambush.
They trudged through the winding tunnel, hearts pounding. Elijah’s nerves were raw, but a part of him felt triumphant—eight drake hatchlings were no trivial foes. He checked his status in the swirling interface:
Level 1 (98% EXP) → 100%
Level Up!
A burst of warmth filled his chest, the System’s subtle reward washing over him. He nearly stumbled from surprise, a faint grin tugging at his lips. Finally, Level 2. The notification text hovered:
Name: Elijah Merrows
Race: [Human – Level 2]
Class: Strider (Basic)
Free Attribute Points Gained: +5
He took a deep breath, ignoring the sweat dripping down his face. He’d assign the points once they found a safe moment. For now, he risked a sideways glance at Gideon and Nora, who also looked faintly distracted—likely checking their own gains. Vince let out a small whoop under his breath, a sign that he, too, must have leveled.
They emerged into the cooler cavern outside the volcanic zone, and the tension eased slightly. By the time they limped back toward the rest of the survivors, exhaustion weighed on them like a lead blanket.
The main group had hunkered down in a defensible corridor, with a handful of watchers posted. Lauren rushed forward upon seeing the scouting party approach, her eyes darting for wounds. “Are you all okay?” she asked, worry coloring her tone.
“A few scrapes,” Gideon muttered, lowering himself onto a flat rock with a groan. “We took out the hatchlings, but the mother might be deeper in. No immediate puzzle or Sigil triggered. We’ll need more than just a small team to handle it, if that’s the path forward.”
Harold hovered behind Lauren, relief evident. “No casualties, though?”
Sandra shook her head. “No casualties, thanks to some luck. But we’re battered.”
Elijah stood to one side, momentarily ignoring the swirl of conversation. He opened his interface to assign the attribute points he’d just earned from leveling up:
Level 2
+5 Attribute Points
He placed two points into Agility, one into Endurance, one into Vitality, and the last into Perception, leaning on the same logic: keep building speed, stamina, and precise aim. A subtle glow warmed his limbs as the System confirmed the allocation.
New Stats (Level 2, after allocation):
- STR: 10 + 1 (racial) = 11 automatically for leveling
- AGI: 14 + 1 (racial) = 15, +2 allocated = 17
- END: 11 + 1 (racial) = 12, +1 allocated = 13
- VIT: 13 + 1 (racial) = 14
- INT: 10 + 1 (racial) = 11
- PER: 14 + 1 (racial) = 15, +1 allocated = 16
- WIL: 12 + 1 (racial) = 13
A faint buzz of energy coursed through him, muscles feeling more responsive. He suppressed a small grin—despite the danger, each level felt like a tangible victory.
By the time evening came around, a council of sorts formed around a conjured flame. Gideon sat with his leg bandaged, Sandra leaned against a rock, and Elijah, Vince, Nora, Lauren, Harold, Brittany, and a few others gathered close. The flicker of firelight cast dancing shadows on the walls.
“We suspect the mother drake is the real challenge,” Sandra began. “If we defeat it, there’s a chance we’ll either unlock the Sigil Node we found or trigger another puzzle mechanism.”
Gideon’s jaw tightened. “A mother drake won’t be as easy as the hatchlings. We need a proper strategy. Traps? Coordinated attacks? Buffs from Brittany’s Fortifying Song. Healing from Lauren, Harold. Ranged magic from Vince, archery from Elijah, front-line from me, Nora, and a few others. Possibly we can build a funnel in the tunnels.”
Elijah nodded in agreement. “We also might consider using that flammable residue we found in the other cavern. If we can coat spears or set a trap, we could burn or corral the drake.”
Vince’s eyes lit up. “That’s a good idea. I can ignite it with my sparks.”
Some in the circle looked uneasy—fighting a monstrous drake was no small risk. But the alternative was indefinite stagnation. The door to the next stage, the Sigils, the entire tutorial’s progression… everything hinged on pushing forward.
Brittany mustered her courage. “Then we should gather the rest of that tar, or oil, or whatever it is. Maybe create a perimeter of flame. The drake’s bound to be heat-resistant, but it could still limit its movements.”
Lauren placed a hand on Gideon’s shoulder. “I’ll prepare more Recovery Sigils. We should probably rest for a few hours to get our strength back before we attempt anything.”
Sandra exhaled slowly, scanning the weary faces. “Yes. We’ll make a final assault tomorrow—if ‘tomorrow’ even means anything down here. Let’s call it a rest cycle. Everyone recovers. Then we strike.”
The meeting dispersed. People drifted into small clusters to sleep or keep watch. Elijah lingered near the flickering flames, mind abuzz with the prospect of a drake mother. Despite the swirling dread, a kernel of determination burned inside him. He stole a glance at Nora, who hovered at the edge of the firelight. Their eyes met, and she offered a faint nod of shared resolve.
They were on the cusp of the first major pivot in this twisted tutorial—either they overcame the mother drake, forging a path forward, or they found themselves cornered and wiped out. The System demanded they adapt, unify, or perish.
Elijah settled against the cool stone floor, bow within reach, letting the tension ease from his shoulders for a moment. If the plan succeeded, perhaps they’d gain the Sigils and keys needed to open the Path of Unification. If not, they’d become just another cautionary tale for whichever new survivors found themselves trapped in the System’s relentless design.
At least, he thought, closing his eyes, we won’t go down without a fight.