The following day, the adventurers got ready for the biggest day of their lives. It was still dark, but the forest was bustling. A domesticated avian crowed noisily while perched on a fence. Some forest residents left their homes to forage food. Other forest militias finished cleaning up the settlements from yesterday’s skirmish. Traders hopped into their equidae to travel.

Milas began her routine of refining her fighting techniques. She imagined an enormous figure in front of her. Throwing punches and kicks in the air, her movements made quick bursts of wind and whirring sounds.

Rez spent the whole night crafting new ammunition. The ammunition is composed of scrap metal, leftover materials and some elemental dust. He bidded farewell from the forest blacksmith and takes a quick nap at a hammock.

The dawn broke, and the aqua-tinted sky stretches through the horizon. Nia, dressed up from her nightgown she borrowed and proceeds to use the bath in her room. After doing her bathing rituals, she dries herself with a robe.

Corbin grabbed a wet towel and wiped his rugged body. The whole night left him sweaty and covered in dirt. He tidily dusted off his military garb after drying himself.

Seeing the adventurers leave their designated rooms except Rez, Rothar called them for breakfast in the kitchen. This time it’s a fried porcus with avian egg and forest fruits.

“I’ll take some for the trek.” Corbin emptied his once full plate. He neatly wrapped some leftovers in a small sack.

Nia took a slice of forest fruit with her cup of brewed leaves. Milas seemed to enjoy the breakfast while asking for seconds. Rez approached the kitchen sluggishly. He sleepily chewed the sliced porcus while lazily sipping a cup of brewed leaves.

“You look well sated to me, good for you! Rez, you might like to take a roasted fava instead of brewed leaves!” Rothar giggled as he bit a runny avian egg.

After eating their breakfast, the adventurers grabbed their belongings and took their leave.

“Take care and may the forest bestow its blessing upon you.” Rothar bidded farewell, hoping for their safe return.

The adventurers marched towards a wooden dock. Away from the settlements, they arrived with just a few steps. Besides the dock is a small, rickety shack. The chimney was lit open, huffing small clouds of smoke.

“Greetings adventurer, call me Dipper.” A portly ogre waved at the adventurers. Wearing a vest and peasant’s outfit, he closed the shack’s door. He headed to the dock and prepared the boat resting at the crisp, clear stream.

“We’ll take the shortest route possible. Don’t worry, we’ll get there in half a day.” Dipper confidently ensured their smooth sailing journey.

Milas boarded first and sat close to the bow. Corbin assisted Nia to sit in the middle. Rez decided to take the back seat and casually lied down. Dipper standed near the stern and began rowing with his massive paddle.

“Let me take a nap while we gently go down the stream.” Rez slided down his spectacles and covered his puffy eyes. He snoozed as their boat cradles him.

“I can’t believe he would just leave us like that!” Milas complained while Rez noisily snores.

“Rez tinkered something with the local blacksmith.” Nia persuades the eager lady to leave him be.

“Fine then. I’ll knock his head once we arrive at the hole.” Milas peeked out at Rez who peacefully whiffed.

Corbin borrowed the compass that Rez crafted yesterday. It accurately pointed towards the ruins. He vigilantly observed the scenery that passed through them. Some wild cervidae playfully ran along with them from the uplands. Milas witnessed a river piscis jumping towards her and she jabs it away. A round avian perches on Nia’s hand and she carefully petted it. Seeing her enjoying the quiet moment, Corbin passed a slice of fruit to Nia. She rested the fruit in her palm and the avian gladly pecked it.

As the sun hovers straight overhead, Dipper stopped the boat at a rugged shore.

“We are here! This is the forbidden ruins of Florescent Woods. Known as the Underworld by some explorers. I’ll send a message to Rothar that we have arrived now. If you need something, burn a torch, wave it to me from a distance and I’ll follow you.” Dipper raised his hand and a hunting avian lands on it. He grabbed a parchment and lead pen from his vest, writing a small note. After some scribbling, he sent back the hunting avian to the settlements.

“No need to bash my head, Milas.” Rez woke up from the boat’s floor and yawned. He slowly bended his neck sideways, smelled the fresh air and stretched his shoulders.

After boarding down from the boat, the adventurers made their way to the ruins. It was tinted in black pitch with a slippery surface. Corbin left a trail using a glowing calcite. Earlier, the forest shaman handed him the calcite. The gem that Nia received glows intensely with an emerald tint, illuminating their path. They passed through shallow steps, potholes and uneven terrains.

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“Wait a minute, looks like there’s the man-made ruins inside the cave.” Rez observed.

“Is it entombed by the cave or built along with the cave?” Milas questions Rez.

“Looks like they’re the same age.” Corbin used his scouting knowledge.

Beyond the natural cave formations were the ruins, paved with man-made ashen materials. Empty, corroded metal boxes lingered on the roads. Few corpses hung around at a metallic coffin with dials and dangling wires. Stone poles with broken ropes erected on each side like decorative streamers. Skeletal remains of the dead were scattered around. They walk to a winding path and sharp corners, passing by corroding man-made structures. A massive signage standed tall in front of one of the man-made structures.

“Look at that Rez, what does it say?” Milas saw a signage with strange drawings of animals and shapes.

“Maybe some nonsensical gibberish? I don’t read antiquated language.”

The adventures entered one of the structures. A spacious gap divided the lower and upper floors. Metallic stairs criss-cross each other. There is a dry fountain in the middle of the podium. They obediently follow both the compass’s direction and the gem’s intense glowing. Some metallic ropes hung out from the ceiling. A spark from the metallic ropes surprised Rez.

Inside the upper hallway, they notice some humanoid figures anticipating them. It was very dark and they couldn’t figure out if there were even living beings in the ruins. A humanoid figure fell above Corbin. He almost attacked the humanoid figure, catching it with both of his hands. He stopped himself from smacking it when he can’t sense life from them.

“They’re fake. No signs of breathing.” Corbin draws back his sword.

“A training dummy, perhaps?” Rez poked at the faceless humanoid figure. It was made out of man-made materials that seemed foreign to them.

“They even have some fancy clothes.” Milas inspected the clothes hanging on the humanoid figurine. She even tries to measure it with her body, but later dropped them out of boredom.

“I never thought that the older civilization has some form of a complex culture. This place looks like a market” Nia looked fascinated but decided to concentrate on their mission.

They descend into the lower floors of the structure. Walking back to the main floor, they spotted unfamiliar things. Forgotten halls showed no signs of life. Broken furniture laid down with fragments of glass and tiles. Violet puddle spread from the floor. The adventurers also traversed to the dry fountain. They only found insignificant cracks and dust. Milas was disappointed that the fountain has nothing of value.

They entered another hallway full of containers and boxes. Critters and small insectum feasted on the remaining goods. Strange utensils and plates are left behind. Broken jars and weird bottles have tainted liquids inside of them. A city critter enjoys munching some of the rotten pan. Rez found cylindrical containers made of metal. He attempted to pry it open. When the container pops, a foul stench permeates with rotten food. His morbid curiosity leads him to an unexpected outcome.

“Blergh! How do they manage to eat this thing?.” Rez spewed out the rotten food from the container.

“Not in front of me!” Milas looked away at Rez out of disgust.

A city critter approached Corbin, standing with its two legs and smelling his food sack. He carefully brushed it off with his boots.

“Let’s take a detour. It’s a dead end.” Corbin and the group took a turn after hours of circling around the lower hallways.

The compass and gem were getting more erratic, yet far from the mark. The adventurers exited the first structure while finding nothing. There was another structure with strange hallways blocking the direction towards their destination.

After walking on another man-made path, they discovered another man-made structure. But this time it has meticulously-embedded sculptures. Pillars have engravings of extinct greenery. Pointy angles formed massive roofs. Corbin pushed the giant metal doors, and it creaked. Flocks of squeaking chiroptera screeched and flew away from the structure. Nia ducked down for safety while the swarm spread. Rez waved his arm to shrug the chiroptera off her.

“I thought this place was abandoned. There’s so many critters and disgusting things living here.” Milas was both excited and terrified by their discovery.

“You leave a house open and somebody would take over.” Rez sneered at the naïve adventurer’s remark.

“I’m fine now. We can proceed.” Nia stood again and dusted off her dress.

The whole structure housed strange books and broken boxes. Its central area has a circular, spacious hall with stairs circling it. The broken boxes in the central area have buttons and opaque glasses. Each stairs lead to a corner that resembles a labyrinth. The adventurers took different paths and surveyed the structure.

“What do these things even do? They just only make clicking sounds like a midnight insectum in mating season.” Milas playfully pressed the buttons.

“Stop playing Milas.” Corbins scoffed while observing the compass getting unstable.

Rez picked up a flimsy glossy book and scanned at the inappropriate images. Then he immediately threw it when Milas notices him smirking like a street lupus.

“Interesting. They do have some kind of collection of knowledge. They are even neatly organized.” Nia attempted to read one of the dusty books, but the print was smudged and blurry. Then the gem tugged Nia towards the structure’s basement. She decided to place the gem on the floor and it began to float.

“Let’s follow the gem. It seems it knows its way.” The adventurers met again in the central area and followed the floating gem. The gem levitated towards a cracked floor. Its radiating light revealed some paintings, old vessels and sculptures. The gem returned to dust once it reached its destination.

“Where should we go next? The gem is broken, and the compass is unreadable.” Rez scratched his head. The compass at Corbin’s hands spinned frantically.

“Nothing is above us. Only rocks and water. We go down.” Corbin proceeded to break the floor with his sword.

“Stand back!”

The floor slowly cracked and the adventurer steped back when it totally collapses.

“Let’s make platforms out of those pieces of furniture. They look sturdy enough for us to descend.” Milas droped the books from the furniture and dragged them to the hole. The hole was fortunately shallow enough. They can hear the furniture lightly drop down.

“Let’s go, but ladies first!” Milas enthusiastically climbed down the newly excavated hole.

“I’ll guide your descent, lady Nia.” Rez climbed down first, then received Nia carefully.

“Thank you Rez.” Nia stepped down while Rez balances her weight.

Corbin was the last to descend. His glowing calcite ran out, and he marked their last path.

“Be on guard.” Corbin positioned his hand at his sword. They have arrived at the enemy territory. At any time, the garou or elementals could attack them from the dark.