We were now in a jungle, on a flower-lined path leading to the ninth dungeon: the Fairy King's castle.
A system message appeared in front of the sky as three world-ranked players entered the dungeon.
[WORLD RANK PLAYERS DETECTED]:
[PLAYER 21]: [ADAM WHITE] — (LEVEL 81) — [WORLD RANK 10]
[PLAYER 61]: [LEON LEONARDS] — (LEVEL 83) — [WORLD RANK 8]
[PLAYER 10]: [CLAIRE PASTEL] — (LEVEL 85) — [WORLD RANK 9]
The crowd erupted behind me. Players gasped, screamed, and jumped like they'd just witnessed a miracle.
"IT'S THE LEGENDARY TRIO!"
"No way! They're here?! We're gonna win this for sure!"
"LET'S GOOOO!!!"
They sounded so sure. But the moment my boots sank into the dirt, the jungle twisted. And so did my gut.
"What the…" I breathed, spinning as the flowers withered before my eyes.
What should've been a serene, flower-lined path to the Fairy King's castle morphed into something monstrous. The trees lost their color. The sky went sickly green, like bruised fruit left too long in the sun. Vines as thick as cathedral pillars choked the canopy, winding around bone-white columns cracked with age.
The air was sweet. Rotten sweet. It clung to my tongue like syrup that had soured in the sun, thick and wrong. A metallic tang buzzed behind it, like copper and mildew mixing in the back of my throat.
A fly crawled across my cheek.
"Ew!" I said, slapping it away.
Beside me, Claire Pastel shimmered into view like someone had dropped a drag queen into a horror movie. She was petite, with a fair complexion and bright blue eyes. Her pink robe changed into a pink silk dress with lace, and she wore dangling gold earrings that jingled like wind chimes in a graveyard. Her golden curls bounced as she turned, and her smile was pure sin wrapped in sugar. Her class was Love Caster, a unique rarity class that can be found in hidden chests.
"Damn it, I thought that detonator would teleport me to a treasure chest room…" I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.
Claire sighed dramatically, flicking her pink orb. "What did you expect?" she said, raising a brow. "Leon told you not to press it. Now we're in a dungeon we haven't prepared for." She leaned closer with a teasing smile. "Try your best not to die, I guess."
My mouth opened—then shut again. I couldn't respond due to shame.
She rolled her eyes and brushed past me, heels clicking against the dirt.
Adam White followed Claire, side eyeing me.
Adam was a tall, muscular man with a tan complexion and topaz-colored eyes. He wore silver-plated armor etched with faintly glowing holy symbols, and his white ponytail swayed as he moved. He stepped forward slow and deliberate, every step silent despite the soft, wet earth. His class was Sentinel, a level two class upgrade of the Healer class.
"Weapons up, everyone," he said, his deep voice cutting through the noise. He planted his spear into the ground with a quiet thud. "Or you'll die."
Behind Adam, Leon Leonards appeared like a shadow torn from reality. He was a tall, imposing, mysterious man. He wore a helmet and armor of blackened steel, darker than black, and a cape of black fog that trailed behind like smoke from a dying fire. He carried an obsidian shield with a living eye that stared unblinking into the jungle. His class was Death Knight, a unique rarity class that could be found in hidden chests.
My eyes widened out of admiration. "Leon Leonards, such aura…" I whispered, barely audible.
A system message appeared in the sky once more:
[PLAYER DETECTED]: [SHEN BEIFONG] — (LEVEL 78) — [WORLD RANK CANDIDATE]
Shen stepped through the mist.
Shen was a tall and lean woman with a fair complexion, blindfolded eyes, and a silent presence. She wore white armor that clung only to her chest and waist, leaving much of her lean body bare, along with gleaming gauntlets and greaves. A katana scabbard rested at her side, and the katana's hilt was pure white with three glowing purple diamonds. Her class was Sovereign of Storms, a unique rarity class that could be found in hidden chests.
"Seems like a cool weapon... I wonder what the blade looks like," I thought.
People whispered like they were in church.
"She's a candidate?!"
"Everyone said that she solo'd a mini-dungeon boss by herself."
"She looks so cool…"
She stepped up beside me, silent, the weight of her presence heavier than iron. Her aura crackled—literal lightning dancing at her fingertips, the air warping around her. Then she nodded at me, and I nodded back. A silent pact was formed.
An ancient tablet of rough stone, covered in moss, rose before us.
Strange markings glowed faintly across its surface, forming words that read:
[Exterminate all the pests in the jungle in order to enter the Fairy King's castle.]
The jungle suddenly shook.
A tree moved—or no, slithered.
The first monster suddenly broke through the underbrush.
It was a towering creature, ten feet tall, built of warped bark and pulsing muscle. Its chest split open to reveal a glowing red core that looked like a meat heart dipped in oil. Vines were rooted into its limbs and dragged behind it like rotting tendons. It had no eyes, only a mouth that was hollow and jagged. Its breath smelled of blood-soaked moss, and when it groaned, it sounded like a forest dying.
A system window appeared above the monster's head:
[JUNGLE DEVOURER] – (LVL 65)
"L-LEVEL SIXTY-FIVE?!" an archer screamed, stumbling backward. "WE'RE FUCKED!"
Then it roared and charged.
More followed. Dozens.
And players spread like wildfire across the jungle, screaming in panic.
'WE SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE HERE!!!"
"RUN!!!"
But other players were clutching their weapons. They weren't cowards.
"CHARGEEE!!!" a bulky warrior covered in platinum armor yelled, swinging his massive axe as he charged toward the enemy, mindlessly.
"I'LL KILL IT FROM BEHIND!" an assassin in black cloak shouted, slipping through shadows with deadly intent.
Seconds later, their screams were drowned out by the sound of bones crunching.
A Jungle Devourer lunged from the underbrush, jaws snapping around a male mage's head. The male mage's eyes went wide, then blank, as he was crushed.
"Someone help!" a female healer in cyan robes cried, casting a skill, but it fizzled before the monster tore through her defenses, ripping her body apart.
Nearby, a male mage in white robes activated a skill: Fireball. The fireballs erupted into a brilliant sphere, setting vines ablaze and burning back some monsters. But the monsters were relentless. One root-like claw slashed through his midsection, and she crumpled with a cry.
"H-HELP!!!" a male archer screamed, launching arrows that barely hurt an approaching Jungle Devourer.
As I ran to help him, Claire launched a massive pink beam of energy toward the Jungle Devourer.
"What a bunch of cry babies," she said, fixing her hair.
Suddenly, another player, a lanky archer, was caught in a tangled mass of vines sprouting from the ground. He struggled, panicked.
"Somebody! help me!" he gasped. The vines squeezed tighter until his armor cracked. Then his throat was crushed in silence.
"Shit!" I said, looking at the lanky archer.
I looked at the ground, the sound of players' screams entering my ears.
"It's all my fault... I killed them..." I thought. "Damn it..."
"Gather around me!" Adam shouted, slamming his lance into the ground. He activated a skill: Banner of Empowerment. A golden banner unfurled into the sky, bathing us in warm light. A shield shimmered into place, thin but strong. I felt it in my bones.
Claire's heels clicked against the blood-slick earth as she stepped forward elegantly. Her orb shimmered like a living gemstone.
"Alright, bugs and boys, it's showtime!" she shouted, activating a skill: Love Bomb. A radiant heart shot into the air, hovered, and detonated like a bomb. The shockwave washed over the Jungle Devourers. Their roars twisted into soft groans. Their eyes glowed pink as a debuff appeared above their head: Charmed.
Leon stepped forward, slashing through the charmed Jungle Devourers.
Claire twirled a curl and winked at Leon. "Thanks, baby!" she said.
"I'm not your baby..." Leon replied.
One Jungle Devourer jumped at Claire.
"Not today," Claire said, flicking her wrist, activating a skill: Pure Love. A massive pink beam shot from her palm, slamming into the jumping Jungle Devourer's chest, launching it backward into a tree. Then, it exploded into pink petals.
More Jungle Devourers charged behind Claire.
Claire spun as her orb started spinning around her, pulsing slowly. She activated a skill: Love Orbs. Six massive orbs surrounded her and launched, one by one at the monsters. Each—poom! sent a Jungle Devourer flying, pink sparks erupting as they hit. One hit the ground so hard its bark cracked and its core burst like rotten fruit.
Leon stepped forward, eyes narrowed, and activated a skill: Soul Cleave. Black crescent waves of energy slashed outward from his sword, slicing through the jungle air. Each wave struck five Jungle Devourers. They shuddered violently, their movements freezing mid-step as the Paralysis debuff took hold.
Then, Shen moved to finish it.
Shen didn't walk. She vanished.
Shen activated a skill: Storm Call. A blue X mark lit across five jungle devourers. She unsheathed her katana, and in a single heartbeat, five bolts of violet lightning cracked from the sky, illuminating the jungle with searing arcs of purple light, killing the five jungle devourers.
"She didn't even move!" a female healer shouted in awe.
Shen vanished again as she activated a skill: Thunder Step. Afterimages flickered like ghosts. The monsters near her convulsed, stunned by the electric aura she left behind. Then, she raised her hand and activated a skill: Primal Water.
Claire blinked as massive jets of water that came from the ground slammed four Jungle Devourers into ancient trees, cracking trunks and sending splinters flying with a deafening crash.
Claire scoffed. "Water AND lightning? She's a walking weather disaster!"
"She's insane!" a male warrior whose face was covered in blood shouted.
"Amazing!" a bruised male assassin shouted.
Claire rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. We get it. Now, can I get some stage time?"
"Claire, behind you!" I shouted as dozens of Jungle Devourers lunged at her.
Without looking, Claire flicked her wrist. Her orb pulsed, and dozens of heart-shaped projectiles shot backward, homing in on the Jungle Devourers that sneaked up behind her. They struck with soft poom-poom-poom sounds. Each blast was followed by a sharp jolt of energy that lifted the monsters into the air.
"Back off, creeps! This is a designer armor!" She shouted, looking pissed.
Then a pack of Jungle Devourers circled toward Claire. Five of them. Fast.
"Ugh. So persistent," Claire said, tossing her orb upward. It hovered above her, spinning faster, pink light intensifying.
Claire activated her orb's skill: "Valentine Vortex." The orb exploded into a swirling storm of pink and gold hearts. The Jungle Devourers were sucked into the center like a vacuum, their bodies flailing as their limbs bent inward, drawn by an invisible gravity. The ground trembled under the sheer magical pull.
Claire stepped back and snapped her fingers. "Bam!"
The vortex imploded, a glittering nova of pink energy blasted outward.
When the light faded, all five monsters lay twitching, their bodies smoldering, pink burns scarring their bark.
I spaced out. "So that's the power of a world ranked player..."
Shen glanced at me. "Focus."
I replied with a nod.
"Copy Skill. Thunder Step." I muttered.
"Did he just say my skill?" Shen thought.
Then a system window appeared in front of me:
[New Skill Detected]: [Copy Skill?]
[Y/N]
"Oh…" I thought. "I can… do it?"
Before I could think twice, I tapped "Yes."
My body surged forward in a flash of violet sparks. Lightning arced along my arms and legs as my speed multiplied. I became a storm myself, darting past enemies, crackling with purple current. Their howls of pain sounded distant, like screams underwater, stunned by the static that rolled off my skin.
Shen moved to a halt beside me, her expression unreadable behind the blindfold.
Shen looked at me. "You copied me..."
I nodded, panting. "Yeah."
"But how?" she said.
"I'll answer your questions later," I replied, eyes scanning for more threats. "Let's kill these monsters first."
She tilted her head. "You're not normal."
"I get that a lot," I replied.
We pushed forward again, fighting side by side.
Shen was a blur of destruction, her movements flowing like wind and crashing like thunder. She summoned another set of blue X marks across a swarm of monsters and unsheathed her blade in a smooth arc. Her blade was living thunder itself. And in a blink, she vanished, then reappeared behind them, her sword crackling with energy as a line of monsters collapsed, split open, and burned with electric heat.
The stench of ozone filled the air. My skin tingled just standing near her.
In the end, there were eleven deaths out of the three hundred and ten players after the clearing.
And then… a breath. Too still.
"I think we're clear," I said.
Shen turned to answer, then staggered. Her body hunched slightly, blood soaking down from under her arm. Her HP hit fifteen percent. She pulled a healing potion from her belt with shaking hands, unscrewing the cap with trembling fingers.
A sudden snap cracked through the clearing.
The ground split open behind Shen.
A level seventy Venus flytrap, the size of a wagon, burst upward, its petals lined with saw-like teeth. And before Shen could drink the healing potion, it closed around her in one violent, final slam.
A wet crunch echoed.
Claire reacted, activating a skill: Pure Love, shredding the monster into bits.
But it was too late. Way too late.
"No—NO!" I stumbled toward the place where she'd been.
Shen's body fell to the ground. It was filled with large bite marks.
"I-I'll save you, Shen!" I stuttered. "Hang on…"
I shut my eyes, focusing my memory on the female healer earlier. I reached deep. And then, I saw her, helping an injured archer, casting a healing skill: Greater Healing.
A system window appeared in front of me:
[New Skill Detected]: [Copy Skill?]
[Y/N]
I tapped yes, fast and immediate.
[Skill Copied]: [Greater Healing]
The magic surged through my arms. I pushed it toward her. "Greater Healing!"
The light shot forward like a comet and died.
A system window appeared in front of me:
[CANNOT HEAL A DEAD PLAYER!]
My eyes widened. The skill animation fizzled. My stomach dropped into my feet.
Claire stood beside me. Her orb dimmed. Her dress was stained and tattered.
"Stand up," Claire whispered, quieter than ever. "Let's finish this."
I nodded slowly. "Yeah. Let's do this."
Adam wiped blood from his blade. "Not bad," he said. "Didn't think a random would keep up."
I wiped blood off my weapon. It stuck like glue. "I'm not just any random person," I replied.
Claire gave a soft laugh, brushing ash and spores from her dress. "Ya hear that, Adam? Don't underestimate the kid!"
Leon said nothing. His shield blinked. Once. Twice. Watching the gate.
Claire frowned, muttering, "How was this kid able to use another class skill? That's impossible..."
A system window appeared in front of us:
[ALL MONSTERS CLEARED. DUNGEON BOSS ROOM IS NOW OPEN.]
The moss-covered stone gate groaned open, grinding like bones in a crypt.