Kael adjusted the straps on his worn leather pack and exhaled slowly.
The sun hadn't yet risen, but the path to the Ridge Dungeon was already alive with distant howls and rustling wind.
His breath fogged in the chill air as he stepped onto the frost-bitten trail.
He walked alone. Just like the system required.
[Daily Quest Active]
Complete a solo dungeon run.
Time Remaining: 12:47:03
Taren and the others had taken the southern entrance.
He'd overheard them in the guild hall boasting about a hidden chamber deep in the ruins—something about ancient loot and mana-forged gear.
Kael chose the north.
It wasn't about pride. It wasn't even about survival.
It was about proof.
The system had given him one job. And this time, he'd see it through.
The outer levels were easy enough. Lizard hounds. Rusted blade traps. Crumbling stone bridges.
He moved like a shadow, dispatching threats with quick thrusts and minimal energy.
Each small victory restored a fragment of his tattered confidence.
His blade hissed through the neck of a goblin. It collapsed, twitching.
[EXP GAINED.
Progress: 87% to Level 4]
He grinned.
Almost there.
The dungeon grew darker the deeper he went.
The walls slick with moss. The air, thick and damp.
His torch flickered as he stepped into a narrow passage, then—
A whisper.
Not in his ear. In his mind.
You shouldn't have come alone.
He spun, sword raised—nothing. Just echoes.
Kael shook it off and pressed forward, deeper into the unknown.
Then he saw it: the artifact chamber.
Vines curled around a glowing pedestal, at the center of a circular room carved with forgotten runes.
And floating above it—an orb of condensed mana, pulsing with ancient energy.
He stepped closer, heart pounding.
But the second his foot crossed the threshold—
CLANG.
A gate slammed shut behind him.
Another dropped ahead.
He was caged.
Footsteps echoed. Voices.
Kael turned.
Across the room, on the other side of the gate—Taren, Lyra, and the others.
"Kael?" Lyra blinked, surprised.
Taren's eyes narrowed. "You've got to be kidding me."
Kael grabbed the bars. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"We could ask you the same thing," Taren said, smirking. "But I guess rats get everywhere eventually."
Lyra stepped forward. "We thought this chamber was sealed off…"
Kael gestured behind him. "Different route. I was on a quest."
Taren's eyes scanned the room. "That orb. It's reacting."
Kael followed his gaze—the artifact pulsed brighter with every heartbeat.
Lyra looked uneasy. "It's… it's bound to someone already."
"Yeah," Taren muttered, staring at Kael. "Him."
Kael's blood ran cold. "Wait—what are you saying?"
Taren looked back at the others. "We can't access the artifact unless he's gone. You saw the system lock."
Lyra stiffened. "There has to be another way."
Taren's smile turned cruel. "There is. But it's messy."
Kael stepped back, heart hammering.
"You wouldn't—"
Taren's spear slid through the bars, jabbing the release crystal behind Kael.
A trap rune lit beneath his feet.
"Sorry, Kael," he said, almost cheerfully. "You're just not worth splitting the loot."
The floor gave way.
Kael fell.
Darkness swallowed him.
He crashed into slime.
Burning, acidic heat tore across his skin.
He screamed. Fumbled for his blade. Gone.
The slime surged up, wrapping around his chest, his neck—
[WARNING: HP CRITICAL]
[WARNING: ACID DAMAGE]
[HEALING ITEMS: NONE]
Above, through the hole, he saw their silhouettes.
Taren.
The others.
And Lyra.
She lingered, standing at the edge.
"Lyra…" Kael choked.
Her lips parted. Her eyes shimmered.
For a moment, she looked like she might jump down after him.
Then—
She turned.
And walked away.
Kael coughed blood, the slime eating through his side.
His vision blurred.
So this is it. Betrayed. Trapped. Slain by a slime.
The irony was so heavy, it almost made him laugh.
But then—
A flicker in his vision.
[SYSTEM OVERRIDE COMPLETE]
[REALM TRANSFER PROTOCOL ACTIVATED]
What?
Everything turned white.