Gary spent a few weeks nursing Arrin back to good health. Over the course of their time together they learned of one thing they had in common. They were both transmigrators from earth! Gary was happy to have found a peer who could understand the struggles he had to go through.

“You know what I miss? I miss real coke” Gary said

“Yea, but you could probably make real coke." He had gotten used to the distinct flavor of the cola, but still enjoyed it more than the water and jerky. Gary didn't know how to cook, and he doesn't feel the inclination to learn.

"I miss the internet.” Replied Arrin.

“Probably, but it just wouldn't be the same. I would kill to have our internet back. Midworld had the internet. Just not the same man…” Gary said. “I almost regret it. Almost.”

“Regret what? Dying? Yea, I regret that, but it's not like I could’ve stopped that truck.” replied Arrin

“Ah a truck right. I just sort of died one day.” Gary stated choosing to omit that he had offed himself. “This stuff? all of it was not what I was expecting. I was hoping for eternal darkness, and rest you know?”

“No, I don’t know. That sounds terrifying. Being alone forever. I was hoping to make it to heaven” Arrin raised his stubs to the sky..

“Oh heaven. Yea I guess that would’ve been nice. Too many requirements for me though. Probably would’ve ended up in hell knowing my luck, and karma.” Gary uttered.

“I always assumed I was going to heaven. Do you think this is hell?” Arrin deflated.

“Nah. There’s too much down time. I think hell for me would be constant suffering, but with false hope you know. Like being alive.” replied Gary, who then looked off to the side in thought.

“No, I don’t know.” Responded Arrin. There was a moment of awkward silence.

Goo bro returned from looking for a way out, and floated up to Arrin. “Say you wouldn’t happen to know a way out of this dungeon?” he had been sent out a few months ago, but had gotten stuck in one of the teleportation traps.

He saw large numbers of Elite Gnomes scouring the place, and fighting off hungry ghosts. That had been the first week. Within that week, they had all died, or been trapped.

The sensation of being put in tele-stasis was oddly relaxing. Like, a massage. He had gotten distracted. He broke out of it eventually, but his reduced form also limited him.

"Is this place that big?" Gary asked.

"Nope." Goo dude did not elaborate.

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“We need a special artifact, or you can’t leave. Actually two, one for teleportation, and an anti-wraith one. Without one we’re basically wraith food. This dungeon is the only place safe from them.” asked Arrin.

“Hey boss, can’t you just teleport us out of here?” Goo dude asked.

“Myself maybe. You? Nah.” Gary manifested the cube in his hands. Instantly the world’s population of phase tunnelers became aware of a special opportunity, but not yet. It was too far away.

Gary un-manifested the cube, and looked around wildly. Arrin, and goo bro, sensing nothing, looked around too, and were confused.

Arrin and goo daemon made eye contact, Arrin coughed.“Speaking of wraiths, how'd you get past them?”

Gary scratched his face. “I came in really fast, but if that’s not it i uuh.” He pulled out the amulet with the tiny wizard in it, and showed it to Arrin. He had been wearing it under his robe. “I have this special amulet, see.” The wizard opened his eyes, and made eye contact with Arrin for a moment before closing his eyes.

“It’s umm unique. It keeps wraiths away?” Asked Arrin.

“Well I sure hope it does. Otherwise I’ve been very lucky.” replied Gary. The amulet had been described in some of the notes he found in that asteroid temple.

“Weren’t you told about needing an artifact?” Asked Arrin.

“Fell from the sky. The gnomes might have an artifact with them considering how they were already here. I don’t know where they went. They kind of vanished into thin air when we fell down here.” replied Gary.

“I think I know where they are.”Arrin stated.

He pointed Gary back to the door he’d walked in through, and used the little mana he had to draw a rune in the air. The gnome, and her guards appeared suspended in the air seemingly in stasis. The gnome was grasping a golden elixir tightly.

“There’s a spatial prison here.” Arrin said.

Gary grabbed the golden elixir, and searched the gnomes for the artifact. He found it. It was a small candle with an ever burning flame. Arrin then released his rune, returning the gnomes to spatial prison.

“This’ll be useful.” Arrin said, referring to the golden elixir. He also directed Gary in tearing out a golden token on her. The Celestial Dragon Ascension Token. It was active, and trying to counteract the stasis she was in. It had been inside of her wrist.

“We're just going to leave them here?” Asked Gary.

“They’re not my responsibility. Can’t release them out of stasis, anyways.”Arrin lied as they walked back into the dungeon. Gary mentally shrugged. Arrin led them to a staircase. They went up and found a large storage area with innumerable artifacts.

“Don’t touch anything, it's all cursed.” Arrin warned. They kept walking as Arrin stared into the flame of the candle. It was somehow guiding him in the direction of the exit. They made their way through labyrinthine halls, a herb garden with cursed plants, random teleports, and a menagerie with cursed animals. All while wraiths occasionally popped up, and ran from the light.

They then entered a stone room that was filled with water. At the end of the room there was a large wall of fog. There was a small dock where they were standing, and some canoes.

“We can’t fly away from here, there’s a spiritual pressure that restricts mages, but we can take a boat or swim.” Arrin said

They got onto a canoe, and started rowing away from the dungeon. They got close to the wall of fog.

Before they crossed it Arrin spoke. “Hopefully your amulet works. This candle seems to work off of sacrifices, and it's running out.”

They came out the other side from some rocks. Arrin guided them down a special path that would allow them to leave the island without having to wait 10 years for the wall of ghosts to leave an opening. They existed as a sapient prison array. There were so many that even with the artifact they would all die if not for Arrin’s knowledge.

The candle dies.

The sounds of screeching wraiths could be heard fast approaching. A swarm of wraiths began surrounding, and circling around the canoe. One suddenly charged towards Gary. The wizard in his amulet opened his eyes, and let out a wail.

The noise was nearly enough to burst eardrums. Goo dude, and Arrin both felt immense soul pressure. Gary felt nothing in his soul. The noise was extremely loud though. He tried to cover his ears but it pierced right through.

The wraith’s body began cracking and breaking. Gary felt a stirring in his soul. Almost as if he had gained something. This same situation happened a few more times before the wraiths stopped attacking altogether, and merely kept circling around the canoe. Eventually as they went further out to sea the wraiths began flying away. Getting weaker the further they were from the island.

Arrin vomited off the side of the canoe.

"Weak, amulet, return. Call later. See you." Goo dude de-materialized, and returned to the coward’s amulet.

Gary inspected the tiny wizard, who inspected him in return. He tucked him back into his robe, and kept rowing.