The archway loomed ahead, massive and engraved with glowing runes that pulsed faintly, as if breathing. My stomach twisted into knots. The air beyond was heavy, thick, carrying the faint scent of rust and ozone. Each breath felt like inhaling metal, the weight of the unknown pressing against my chest.
"Dungeon detected," Notice said. "Completion will reward points. Choice to continue available after each stage."
I swallowed, my throat tight. The word "dungeon" had always sounded fictional, distant. Now it was real. My hands trembled as I stepped forward, the stone floor cool under my bare skin. The shadows seemed to move of their own volition, flickering at the corners of my vision. A low hum vibrated through the walls, deep and resonant, like a heartbeat that belonged to the building itself.
The first challenge appeared quickly: moving platforms suspended over a pit of glowing, bubbling liquid. The metallic scent was stronger here, acrid, almost sharp enough to sting my lungs. My heart raced, chest tight, as I measured the distance, feeling each vibration through my boots. My pulse synchronized with my breaths, steadying me.
I leapt, rolling as a platform wobbled beneath me. Sparks flew from a shard I welded into a makeshift step, and the smell of scorched metal filled my nostrils. Adrenaline surged, muscles screaming with exertion, heart hammering, but I kept moving, counting beats, measuring gaps, anticipating shifts.
"Trial one complete. Points earned: 50," Notice said.
I exhaled sharply, feeling both relief and the raw thrill of survival. My hands were sweaty, trembling, but my mind buzzed with clarity. The points flashed briefly, meaningless yet validating. But there was no time to linger.
Another doorway materialized, darker, heavier, almost alive. A prompt shimmered before me: exit with earned points—or keep going, risking everything for more.
My chest tightened. Fear twisted with excitement, uncertainty with determination. I clenched my fists, feeling the energy pulse through my veins. Keep going.
The second dungeon stage assaulted my senses immediately. Shadows—faster, smarter—skittered along the walls, coiling around pillars, stalking me. Their movements were fluid and unpredictable. I could hear their claws scrape against stone, sharp, metallic, echoing painfully in my ears.
I dodged instinctively, flexing Best Welder, twisting shards of metal into barriers, welding spikes into the floor to block paths. Enhanced Perception highlighted their faint energy traces, letting me anticipate attacks by the tiniest shimmer. My chest heaved, lungs burning. The taste of iron filled my mouth as I ducked another strike.
Minutes blurred together. Sweat ran down my temple and stung my eyes, but I pressed on. Every breath, every pulse of adrenaline, was a rhythm I could rely on, a constant anchor in the chaos. I realized then: fear didn't paralyze me. It sharpened me, made every choice vital, every movement matter.
Finally, the last shadow recoiled, slipping back into the dark corridor from which it had emerged. My legs trembled, hands quivering. The glowing liquid below reflected my wide eyes, my heartbeat pounding in my ears, my chest heaving.
"External threat neutralized. Adaptation successful. Reflection necessary for continued growth," Notice said.
I sank against the wall, muscles trembling, mind buzzing. Every step, every choice, every shred of instinct had mattered. I had survived the first dungeon. But I knew the next one would be harder. Darker. Deadlier.
I clenched my fists, chest rising and falling. Fear and excitement twined into a single pulse in my veins. My heart screamed, I am ready. I can do this. I will survive.
And with that thought, I stepped forward into the darkness, letting it swallow me whole.