“Dungeons?” Dolly’s voice was sharp now, the amulet’s glow seeming to pulse in time with her rising heartbeat.

Jackie nodded grimly. “Yeah. Dungeons, like the kind we’re standing in. Except they’re appearing in the real world. And not just as rumors. There are pictures. Videos. People going inside them and not coming out. Monsters -actual, honest-to-god monsters- have been sighted near some of these places.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Rick said, his voice laced with forced optimism.

“Huh?” Rachel turned to him, her brow furrowed.

“It’s not just us,” Rick clarified, gesturing vaguely to the glowing patterns on the walls. “Means we’re not going nuts. I’d take being isekai’d over losing my mind any day.”

“Portaled,” Rocco corrected under his breath.

“What’s the difference?” Rick shot back, exasperated.

“There’s a huge difference,” Rocco interjected, arms crossed. “Being isekai’d is getting hit by a truck or being summoned through a ritual and waking up as some chosen hero destined to slay the Demon King. Being portaled means we’re just unfortunate passengers along for the ride.”

“And there’s a chance we can go back,” Jackie confirmed.

“Portal Stoned to Narnia,” Duncan piped in.

“Oh, great, that makes me feel so much better,” Rick said, his sarcasm thick enough to cut through the tension. “Fine, portaled. Whatever it is, at least all we’ve got to do is survive this mess, and maybe we get to go home. Better than losing it entirely.”

“Says you,” Rachel muttered, though there was a flicker of agreement in her eyes.

Espinosa let out a low whistle, shaking his massive trollish head. “You’re telling me this isn’t just some one-off glitch? You’re saying it’s happening everywhere?”

Jackie met his gaze evenly. “I’m saying it’s a global thing. Maybe even bigger. And if this is connected to that,” -she gestured toward the amulet Dolly was holding- “then we’re in the middle of it.”

Rocco scoffed, crossing his arms. “You expect us to believe that? That the world is suddenly full of dungeons and dragons? Come on. It’s probably just a new kind of AR simulation, or some weird VR experiment gone wrong.”

“Then what are we doing here, Rocco?” Jackie snapped, her voice rising. “Explain this. I wasn’t on some sort of VR device, were you? Explain why we’re in this dungeon, looking like our avatars, holding magical artifacts that talk to us.”

“She’s got a point,” Rick muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Dolly stared at the amulet in her hands, her mind spinning. The symbols etched into its surface seemed to ripple, the faint light within it dancing like fire. She swallowed hard and turned to Espinosa, handing the artifact back to him. “Here,” she said quietly. “This is yours. You hold onto it.”

Espinosa nodded, taking the amulet with careful hands. It pulsed once, its glow brighter for a moment before dimming slightly, as if settling into his grasp.

“Alright,” Dolly said, her voice steadying as she looked around at her party. “So strange things are happening in the world. Weird stuff we can’t explain. Fine. But what does that have to do with us?”

Jackie stepped forward, her expression grave. She raised her hands, gesturing to the glowing walls, the strange chamber, the pulsing amulet. “Everything,” she said simply. “It has everything to do with us. Because right now? We’re in one of those strange occurrences.”

Rachel glanced at her, the frustration in her expression giving way to unease. “Okay,” Rachel said, her voice still shaky. “So what does that mean? What do we do now?”

Dolly’s gaze flicked to the pulsing patterns etched into the walls, the strange, otherworldly light casting long shadows around them. She took a deep breath, centering herself.

But before Dolly could respond, the room trembled. The patterns of light on the walls shifted, their rhythm quickening. The pulsing grew louder, a deep, resonant thrum that seemed to vibrate through her bones. At the center of the chamber, the glowing diagram flared brightly, and a voice echoed through the room -a voice that was neither human nor machine.

“WELCOME TO THE TEST. SURVIVE, AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED. FAIL, AND YOU WILL NOT LEAVE THIS PLACE.”

The voice sent a shiver down Dolly’s spine, its tone devoid of emotion yet heavy with menace. She exchanged a glance with Rachel, who looked pale.

“Well,” Rick said after a beat, hefting his massive sword. “Guess that answers that.”

“It’s like we’re in some sort of nightmare game,” Rachel looked around for support. “Is that possible?”

“No, it isn’t,” Rick said. “This isn’t an anime, or a GameLitRPG story. This is real.”

“But if it were a LitRPG,” Jackie cut in, “then the only way to survive-”

“Is to be genre savvy,” Duncan murmured, as he adjusted his shield.

“Is to make sure you’re the overpowered MC, and not one of the red-shirt side characters,” Pierson concluded hopefully, before looking down at his crimson robes and wincing in affront.

“You all saw the prompt in the beginning,” Jackie said exasperated, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “It’s a new dungeon.”

She turned her gaze to Espinosa, her expression sharp. “Is this the same dungeon you remember from your dream? Or vision? Or… whatever it was?”

Espinosa hesitated, his young trollish features creasing in thought. “Maybe,” he looked around the room again, his eyes sweeping over the glowing patterns and pulsing light.

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Then, his gaze landed on a door -large, ominous, and faintly shimmering at the far side of the chamber. His tusks glinted in the faint light as he pointed toward it, his hand trembling slightly. “That door,” he said, his voice low. “That’s the one from my dream.”

“What door-” Rick asked as he turned to follow the troll’s gaze. “Oh, that door.”

Dolly’s stomach tightened, but she kept her voice steady. “Alright, so what does that mean? That we… conquer this dungeon?” She scanned the room, searching for any hint of confidence among her team. Most of them exchanged uncertain glances, but Espinosa nodded, though his hesitance was clear. Jackie’s nod was firmer, her determination cutting through the tension.

“No way,” Rachel said suddenly, her voice cracking. She took a step back, gripping her staff tightly as her eyes darted around the room. “I’m not doing this. I want out.”

She threw her head back and shouted at the ceiling. “Do you hear me, whoever you are? I want out! I don’t want to do this!”

Dolly could see the way Rachel’s hands shook, her knuckles white as she gripped her staff. It wasn’t anger -it was fear. The kind of fear that clawed at the edges of control, threatening to consume. Before Dolly could speak, Rick moved to Rachel’s side. His towering frame wrapped around her as he pulled her into a firm embrace.

“It’s okay,” Rick said softly, his voice a soothing rumble. “We’ve got this. You’re not alone.”

Dolly stepped closer, her voice gentle but resolute. “Rachel, listen to me. We can do this. Together.”

“And besides,” Duncan added. “You’re a druid, basically the most OP class by design.”

Everyone chuckled softly in response.

Rachel’s breathing slowed, but her grip on her staff didn’t loosen. Jackie spoke up, her tone flat. “I’m pretty sure there’s no way out. Not unless you know something we don’t.” She turned to Espinosa, her eyes narrowing. “What about you? Can that thing get us out?”

Espinosa shook his head, his large shoulders slumping slightly. “No. I don’t think so. This is where I was when I woke up from the dream, but I never saw this chamber. It was pitch black before. All I know is that door -that’s where the dungeon ended.”

Dolly exhaled, running a hand through her hair. “Alright, team. Here’s the plan. We open the door, conquer the dungeon, and get the hell out of here. Are we in agreement?”

“Short and simple,” Duncan muttered.

The others nodded one by one. Even Rachel, after a long pause, met Dolly’s eyes and gave a hesitant nod. Dolly smiled, resting a hand on Rachel’s shoulder. “We’ve got this,” she said softly.

Rachel nodded again, more firmly this time. “Yeah. We’ve got this.”

Dolly straightened, her voice taking on the practiced tone of a raid leader. “Alright. Quick assessment. I’ve got my healing abilities -you all felt that already. Now let’s see if the rest of you have all your skills and abilities.”

The group fell silent, their expressions turning inward as they focused on their bodies and minds. Slowly, sparks of energy began to spring to life. A faint glow enveloped Rocco’s fists as he flexed them experimentally while drawing his bow. Jackie raised her hands, and a swirl of arcane energy danced between her fingers before coalescing into a glowing sigil.

Pierson, the poison master -summoned a bubbling, gurgling elemental of toxic green that hissed softly at his side. Espinosa, the affliction specialist, called forth a creature of shadow, a void-like genie with a muscular upper body and a swirling, smoke-like lower half. It gave Dolly a toothy grin before crossing its massive arms.

“Now that’s something,” Dolly murmured, her lips curving into a smile despite herself.

“Alright,” she continued, raising her voice. “Same roles as before. You know your positions. It’s just… a little more immersive this time.”

She glanced around, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Stay sharp. Keep an eye out for traps. And gods, I wish we had a thief or a utility class right now…”

Jackie smirked faintly. “You and me both.”

Dolly nodded. “Okay, here’s the plan. Duncan, you know the drill. Rick, you’re the off-tank. DPS, pace yourselves -don’t burn through your mana too fast. Jackie, I’ll need you to conserve your haste spells in case things hit the fan. Rachel, it’s you and me on heals. We’ve got this.”

Rachel gripped her staff tightly, the bark-like texture melding with her skin as faint roots extended from the base and curled around her hand. She grinned at Dolly, her confidence finally surfacing. “Yeah. We’ve got this.”

Dolly turned to Espinosa. “Alright. Your move. Unlock the door.”

Espinosa stepped forward, the amulet glinting in his hands. He hesitated for only a moment before fitting it into the circular receptacle at the door’s center. As he turned it, the lights in the room dimmed, swirling toward the frame of the door as if being sucked into its core. A low, resonant hum filled the air, and then the door itself vanished, leaving only a yawning void.

“Thank god for night vision,” Dolly muttered.

“Low-light vision here,” Rachel said, her tone slightly smug.

“Same,” Rick added, while Espinosa rumbled, “Night vision’s standard for trolls.”

Jackie rolled her eyes. “Alright, for the rest of us…” She cast a spell, a faint glow spreading across the remaining party members. “Mage sight. Not as good as the real thing, but it’ll have to do. Let me know if it drops, and I’ll re-up it.”

Dolly nodded her thanks, then turned to Duncan. “You’re up. Shield forward. Let’s do this.”

Duncan hefted his massive shield and stepped into the void, his broad shoulders cutting an imposing figure as he led the way. The rest of the party followed, their formation loose and awkward at first. They stumbled through the darkness, unused to moving their own bodies in combat rather than controlling avatars from a screen.

We got this, Dolly repeated to herself silently.

∞

Their first encounter came fast and vicious -a crystalline entity that shimmered like glass as it struck with jagged limbs. The party scrambled to respond, their unpracticed movements leaving one member out of position. A near-fatal blow forced Dolly to drop everything and pour her healing magic into the injured player.

“And that was just the starter trash,” Pierson muttered as he tended to his wound, Rachel and Dolly’s healing glow still infusing him.

“Well, now you know better than to pull agro from me,” Duncan taunted.

“If you knew how to properly hold agro, maybe we wouldn’t be having trouble with trash mobs,” Rachel griped.

“Babe,” she turned to look daggers at Rick who held up his hands in placating defense. “I was going to say, babe, you’re right. We’re not the same players we were before. This is all kinds of different, and we need to acknowledge that and move on,” he finished carefully.

“He’s right,” Jackie added. “Sure, we may have the same abilities we’re used to. But it’s a whole new world, with new mechanics. We need get used to the new dynamics of the system.”

“A whole new world,” Duncan sang softly.

“Speaking of system, at least we finally we got the Isekai treatment,” Rick replied, referring to the welcome message that had greeted them upon entering the dungeon proper.

“Portal,” Rocco corrected.

“Fine, whatever. Either way, the system interface appeared, it works,” Rick finished.

“Thank got for small miracles,” Espinosa muttered under his breath.

Dolly recalled the system message that had appeared, and the subsequent interface that followed shortly thereafter.

System Notification:

Welcome, Players. You have been granted access to the hidden dungeon, Akasha’s Domain. Magh Teks Skel. Prove your worth. See the truth. Claim your power.

She didn’t know what those weird words meant, but the last bit was easy enough to understand. They needed to conquer the dungeon.

“Let’s face it guys,” Jackie said as she looked around the group. “We’re a bunch of noobs. And like noobs, we need to learn, otherwise we’ll get wiped. It’s as simple as that.”

“Ooo, loot!” Duncan exclaimed, as he picked up a small glittering shard from the corpse. The crystalline body began to disintegrate.

“Alright, lesson learned!” Dolly said breathlessly as the entity crumbled into granules of dust at their feet. “Formation, people! Stick to what you know. Get used to your abilities. Line of sight is crucial. No one goes wandering off. Stay alert, stay together, and for the love of everything holy -stay out of the fire.”

The group nodded, their expressions grim but focused. They adjusted their positions, falling into a more disciplined rhythm as they pressed forward. The dungeon loomed ahead, its walls pulsing faintly with an ominous light.

“Alright, ready or not,” Dolly said, her voice steady as she raised her staff. “Let’s do this.”