CHAPTER 4

The group had entered through the portal to get to the dungeon entrance from Dungeon Dwellers GO! HQ. The group was in contact with the VR command The feed started to get fuzzy at the Dungeon Dwellers GO! HQ.. The players and VR command were able to get the connection back to normal. Kevin was very nervous about doing a SS rank dungeon he told Maria. Kevin was wearing his newbie gear. He never could get enough game currency to get better stuff. Besides most gear was rank and level restricted.

Kevin wore a basic beginner tunic, leather boots, and pants. He had a short sword in his right hand.

Maria assured them she would keep him safe. She had cleared many new dungeons with no issues, she told him. Maria stopped Kevin. “Here take this,” she said. What is it?” Kevin asked. “It is an illusion escape crystal” “Kevin read the item description. “The illusion escape crystal allows one to escape an illusion by throwing the crystal on the ground in white light. Any illusions not caught in the light will reappear in the normal room with a player. The user will lose half there of a stat at random when used.” “Remember to use the system chat if you are in trouble if you are separated. “She told Kevin. Her comrades were still not too thrilled with her dragging her weak rank E friend. The five of them reached the dungeon’s starting portal. Above the portal, a sign read “Altered Reality”. Below the dungeon sign, had a statement saying that a minimum of four players were needed to run the dungeon. The dungeon could be entered if one of the players was ranked SS or higher. They stepped through the portal and ascended into the new dungeon. As they ascended into the dungeon, the connection at VR command was cut off. The players couldn’t contact the VR command either. The players were only getting static. Looks like we are on our own, said Cory the five of them entered the first room. The room was a large square room that was 100 feet by 100 feet

A sign outside the room stated. To activate the switch to the room a player needs to stand on the stepping switch. Cory took the lead. Maria told Kevin to stand by her no matter what. She cast [HEAL 2] on Kevin. “The first thing I told you I would do was to heal those wounds of yours,” she smiled. Her teammates rolled their eyes at the comment. “I still think this is a bad idea bringing him along. If he drops dead don’t blame us.” Cory said with a sigh and a little frustration.

Brad and Samantha prepared their weapons. Everyone got ready for the fight. Cory activated his skill [AGGRESSION] (mobs tend to go to a player with aggression status) (tank stance). Maria cast [DIVINE SHIELD] (all damage is nullified by half for any damage greater than 1000). She then followed up with a few other spells, PURE (gives players poison immunity, as well as no bleed effects, the spell wears off after the player has been hit three times with poison or bleed effect), [GUARDIAN ANGEL] ( a spell that summons a Valkyrie to protect a person, the summon has many uses including self-sacrifice which the Valkyrie dies instead of a player if this happens the spell can’t be cast for a full 48 hours) on Kevin.

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Everyone okayed they were ready. Cory stepped on the switch plate. He suddenly was encased in a glass box that was 6 feet tall. Cory began to freak out. “I am afraid of cramped spaces.” He muffled.

A message appeared in front of each player. The box will fill with sand. If players must stop the sand from filling the glass box, otherwise the player will die. Doppelgangers of the trapped player will spawn for each player in the room. Each player must beat an assigned doppelganger, which is set toward their rank level. The sand slows down with each dopple ganger defeated. Resumes at the same speed moved to the next player to go into the glass box. The sand accumulates with each player.

Everyone looked very worried. The four SSS elites had been in worse situations before but were now more worried as Kevin was in the mix. The sand only got to about a foot and a half when Brad’s doppelgangers were killed. Maria buffed Kevin with damage-boosting spells. Next was Brad’s turn to be encased, the sand rose by 6 inches. Then Samantha ended up in the box. When their doppelgangers were beaten. The sand had risen by 6 inches.

Things went badly when Maria was encased. Kevin couldn’t get any buff attacks from Maria. Though they were annoyed with the situation, Brad and Samantha lent support with attack buffs. The bigger issue was Kevin didn’t want to strike down the doppelganger. It made him feel weak. It made him feel wrong to attack a clone of his friend. He hesitated to attack. The doppelganger was the first to strike out, Brad ran at the doppelganger to strike a killing blow before it could hit Kevin. Unfortunately, Brad passed right to throw the doppelganger as if were nonexistent. The doppelganger cast a firebolt at Kevin. The bolt headed right for him. With lightning speed, the Valkyrie blocked the incoming attack with its sword. Maria looked over at Kevin in concern but calmly spoke throw the glass. “If you are afraid of killing me, then kill the doppelganger. Otherwise, I will be buried alive in the sand. Then I truly would be dead.”

Her words had an immediate effect. He lashed out and killed the doppelganger. Now Kevin was encased in the box the sand was right up to his neck. It began to rise and rise. It began covering his mouth, he did everything he could to keep from suffocating. He stood on his toes and lifted his head. The sand finally got over his mouth. He took one last breath in his nose and just closed his eyes. The sand filled the top of the glass case when it suddenly shattered. The group had beaten Kevin’s doppelgangers, but they were not fast enough. Kevin fell lifelessly backward onto the sand. Maria screamed running over to his body.

Cory then said with a harsh voice. “This was bound to happen if you haven’t brought him. Maria was in tears. Just then the Valkyrie appeared next to Maria. The Valkyrie told her he was still alive. The Valkyrie said it had put him into a suspended state. The Valkyrie did this so he could remain alive since there was a good chance of suffocation with the growing sand. The Valkyrie went over to Kevin. Then picked him up and brought him over to Maria. The Valkyrie then woke Kevin out of his slumber. Kevin began to cough up sand. Maria hugged him with a death grip. I can’t breathe said, Kevin. Sorry, she said. After everyone checked their stats and made sure they were okay they moved on to room 2.