Early in the morning, Eric opened the window first. As with yesterday, the darkness receded to reveal a street air tinged with a chilling metallic scent. Though there were no visible traces or signs on the road, she knew many had perished on these very streets the night before.
Her room lease expired today, and Eric chose not to renew it for the time being. Before check-out time, she hurried to brush her teeth and wash her face. Wearing kitchen rubber gloves on her hands, she took a bath. Gazing at her hair, she recalled how quickly it had fallen out after her illness, yet here she still possessed a smooth, chestnut-brown mane cascading to her shoulders. Staring into the mirror with scissors in hand, she hesitated for a long while before finally cutting it—not into the short style she had planned, but trimmed to collarbone length, just enough to tie into a neat, unobtrusive short ponytail.
"Today marks the beginning of my effort," she told her reflection.
The clothing shelves at Peaceful Department Store's supermarket were sparse, comprising only two rows. They often offered discounted everyday items like pajamas, t-shirts, sportswear, underwear, as well as shoes and socks.
The sportswear came from a relative's factory—a stockpile of returned, outdated items with good quality but poor sales.
Eric purchased these stocks at rock-bottom prices, slightly raising them for resale. Every ten to fifteen days, she bundled and heavily discounted the merchandise, drawing favor from elderly women who appreciated the bargains. Despite small profits, volume sales proved lucrative. Later, with her relative's assistance, she procured more shoes, socks, and children's clothes from other factories, turning the less-than-four-square-meter clothing section on the second floor into a thriving hub.
Eric was grateful to her three-years-ago self for such shrewdness and strategic planning. Dressed in a black-and-white striped tracksuit she had carefully chosen, paired with well-fitting white sneakers and black ankle socks, she looked refreshingly youthful and simple in the mirror.
A smile lit her face, her almond-shaped eyes narrowing to slits.
With her remaining three points, Eric embarked on her third ordinary dungeon quest.
Randomly selecting a pillar, she stepped into the light circle. As with the previous two times, danger allowed no time for reaction. Only after Eric steadied herself, confirming she was in an elevator, did she glimpse the red number "19" ahead when suddenly the elevator plummeted.
"Ah! Ahhh!"
"Where is this? Am I dead?"
"God, the elevator is falling!"
It seemed all except her were newcomers, each bewildered and panic-stricken. Eric shouted, "Everybody stay calm! Escape from the elevator first!"
Four novices lost all composure in the narrow, downward-falling elevator shaft, an entirely understandable reaction. Had this been her first task—plummeting from the nineteenth floor—she would have been terrified all over again even if she had died repeatedly!
Bang!
The elevator jerked to a halt, eliciting another wave of screams.
Fortunately, one newcomer regained composure and pressed the emergency button. Eric, however, had no faith in the elevator doors. From her previous experiences, survival lay elsewhere—she lifted her gaze to the ceiling of the shaft.
Without hesitation, Eric seized a tall middle-aged man beside her, locking eyes with him. "Want to get out of here?"
The man nodded, startled but willing.
"Then crouch down and lift me up. I'm going to pry open the ceiling!" she commanded succinctly, her tone firm and resolute, inspiring immediate trust from Jonathan, who followed her lead.
Perched on Jonathan's shoulders, Eric inserted a fruit knife she had taken from the supermarket into a metal plate above the elevator. Applying deft leverage, she began to pry it open.
The elevator plunged again; Jonathan's legs trembled, and as he bent, Eric nearly fell. Luckily, she held on tightly, using the ceiling for support, her body dangling inside the shaft.
When the elevator stopped again at the fifteenth floor, after two agonizing drops, all the players felt their spirits nearly depart their bodies.
"If you want to live, help me! Hurry!" Eric's forehead bulged with veins, her face crimson; she had reached her limit.
Jonathan steadied himself, gripping the elevator wall to remain upright, raising his voice: "Someone help steady this girl!"
"Y-Yes! That's exactly how they do it in the movies—we climb out from the top of the elevator and hide inside the shaft!"
"I'll help!"
With the assistance of three others, Eric steadied herself and resumed prying. The elevator suddenly plunged once more with violent force, yet supported by Jonathan and the others, she did not fall. Her hands were far from healed; this effort only added fresh wounds. Yet if she failed to open the elevator shaft cover and locate the light circle now, she would perish all over again, crushed into pulp by the crushing fall—
Summoning every ounce of grit, Eric pushed with all her might—
"It's open!"
Jonathan lifted her upward. Eric hurried to climb; smoke filled the elevator shaft. Looking up, she found no sign of the light circle. Glancing down, she spotted a broken-edged circle beneath her feet. If she could close that panel, it would form a complete portal.
"Hurry, everyone! The exit's above!" Eric called down into the dark cavity below, stretching out her hand. "Quick!"
Her hands were dripping with blood. Jonathan urged her to step back, then, relying on his towering stature and strength, grasped the edge of the opening in one swift motion. Someone steadied him by lifting from below; he shouted and vaulted upward.
"Brothers, give me a hand!"
Jonathan hastily extended his hand: "Here!"
He pulled up a man and a woman. The elevator plummeted once again, the hoisting cables sparking menacingly. Eric pressed her body down, yet still felt her lower half lift off.
Sparks flew in all directions, thick smoke billowed, and she confronted the chilling specter of death, silently praying this descent would not be her final one.
Fortunately, the elevator halted once more, with only one person remaining inside the cab.
"Come on, stand up! Reach out, we'll pull you up!" Jonathan shouted.
Inside the cab trembled a shivering man. Raising his tear-streaked face, his gaze grew vacant. Despite Jonathan's urgent calls, he remained rooted in place.
"Where is the exit? Didn't you say it was above?"
"This is terrifying—I want to leave! Where's the exit?!"
Facing their frantic questions, Eric released the panel she had clutched tightly and gestured: "This light circle is the exit. But if it's sealed, he won't be able to climb up."
"Impossible—is this some kind of fairy tale?"
"Girl, you're not messing with us, right? I say we just climb the shaft and pry open the elevator door on the floor above to get out."
"Hurry up, brother!" Jonathan continued calling out.
Eric shouted at him: "If you don't come out, we're leaving. Leaving you here to die again! Remember? You've already died. Once is enough! Do you want to die again?"
At last, the man stirred, bracing himself against the cab's wall to rise. Before Jonathan could exhale relief, the cab lurched downward madly once more.
The fifth plunge was rapid and prolonged beyond the previous four. Eric's instincts warned there would be no pause this time!
Amidst screams, Eric fumbled desperately, slamming the iron panel she fiercely protected shut. The light circle blazed brightly; she rushed inside.
Climbing up, she emerged amid the forest of stone pillars. The sheer tension had left no room for respite. Her heart pounded uncontrollably; she could barely stand. Pushing herself against a column, she gasped deeply, still haunted by the roaring echoes of the elevator's fall resonating in her ears.
A mechanical voice sounded punctually in her mind: [Player Eric completed Ordinary Dungeon: Out-of-Control Elevator, earning 4 points.]