I had less than 30 seconds left.
I scrambled over the edge, trying to get closer to the water. My foot slipped on a moss-covered stone and down I went. I slammed into a rock, and let out a yelp. Pain shot up my left arm, but I kept rolling. Water glittered ahead, and I took a large gulp of air just before I went under.
Quest Complete: You have found the clarity pool.
Panic filled me as I thrashed in the water, and I swear I heard someone screaming in pain before it cut off. Eventually, I made my way up above the water and took several harsh breaths of air. It took a few moments to realize I could stand, and I felt the warmth of a blush hit my cheeks. The water came up to my waist, and I laughed in relief. The sound filled the air until I got it under control.
The pulsing green light from the mark on my hand was gone. The mark was still there, but the inner light had vanished. No more pain from it, and I prayed it would vanish. Otherwise, it'd be hard to hide it from my mother. My shoulder still ached, but not bad enough to worry. Relief filled me until I realized my hand was empty and the hammer was gone.
"Oh, shit."
I spotted it on the edge of the dirt inches above where the water lapped at the dirt. I eased through the cold water, not wanting to stumble. it was slow going since I couldn't see the bottom and I'd splashed further in than I wanted. At least I wasn't poisoned anymore. Finally, I picked up the hammer and held it out as I gazed around the pool. If the quest was complete, then I needed to get out of here. I should be done, a whole 10k richer. Yet, I was still in the dungeon, which meant I had to find my way back to the entrance.
Dirt inclines surrounded the clarity pool, like someone had taken a scoop out of the ground and filled it with water. Water soaked everything I wore. The cold water felt good against my legs, but somehow the heat from the jungle wasn't as intense. I moved along the water's edge until I found the lowest slope to climb up. Even with it being the easiest I could see, it was steep, and I had to use the pointed tip of the hammer to slam deep into the dirt to help get my balance up the first part. The climb up the dirt took longer than I'd have liked because of my left shoulder. It ached every time I slammed the hammer down, right where I'd hit that rock.
More palm trees, fronds and vines greeted me at the top, but something was off. My eyes narrowed as I searched the jungle for whatever had made the hair on the back of my neck raise during my mad dash to the pool. My fingers tightened around the hammer and I stepped to the side slowly. Nothing jumped out at me as I moved to get some distance between me and the pool. Falling back into it wasn't in my plan.
Then it hit me; the green leaves were still there, but the smell was gone. The humid scent of the jungle had vanished along with the heat. All I could smell was the sweat on myself. Some chirps sounded in the distance, but that was it. I hesitated before stepping back into the foliage. The feeling of wrongness increased with each step I took.
I zoomed out on my map but it didn't have another star on it. All I had to go on was the stream I'd followed to get to the place I’d crashed into the pool. Somehow, I needed to find my way back to the entrance without running into too many of those chirping bird creatures. My luck didn't hold out, after only two more steps through the palms five of them dashed in front of me. They paused, looked at me and chirped at each other. One of them, a little larger than the rest, growled louder and all of them sprinted into the undergrowth away from me.
I held my breath and listened. Something had drawn them away from me.
The silence that followed was eerie, like the calm before a storm. I strained my ears, trying to catch any sound, any clue to what had startled the creatures. There was nothing but the distant rustle of leaves and the beating of my heart.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Curiosity gnawed at me, urging me to investigate, but I resisted. With cautious steps, I ventured deeper into the jungle, following the path the chirping creatures had taken instead of whatever they fled in the distance. The foliage grew denser and a sense of foreboding washed over me. This wasn't right. The environment felt altered, distorted somehow. I still couldn’t smell anything but myself, and it gave the environment an artificial feeling.
From behind me I heard a crashing sound in the distance and saw one of the tall trees fall, like something had shoved it from behind. Another one crashed to the ground, this time closer. I didn't wait around to see what was happening, or if it would kill me. I dashed away from the falling trees as fast as I could.
My heart pounded in my chest as I sprinted through the dense undergrowth, desperately trying to put as much distance as possible between myself and whatever was causing the trees to topple. Fear gripped me like a vice, urging me to run faster, but the thorny vines and tangled roots made it difficult to move with speed. I jumped over fallen logs and dashed around thick fronds.
As I pushed through a thick cluster of ferns, a sharp pain shot through my leg from a fallen branch. I glanced down to find blood seeping into my pants from a gash on my shin. Ignoring the pain, I pressed on, driven by pure adrenaline and the instinct to survive. Whatever was coming would flatten me like a pancake.
The crashing sounds grew louder behind me, accompanied by low rumblings that shook the ground beneath my feet. It felt as though the very jungle itself was tossing and turning. My mind raced, desperately searching for any explanation for this chaos.
I'd completed the dungeon, and I’d finished the task. Why was everything going crazy?
My eyes grew wide, but I kept running pushing myself to move faster through the jungle. Maybe that was it. I’d completed the dungeon, and now the dungeon was closing. As the edge of my map came into view like a solid wall, tilted higher to the west, I searched for an opening. I couldn’t find one. I ran closer to the wall, then began following it to the north.
The sounds of rocks cracking chased me and more of the jungle crashed to the ground. With every ounce of strength I had left, I pushed myself forward, my legs burning with exhaustion. The cut on my shin hurt with each step, but I couldn't let it slow me down. The ground shuddered beneath me, threatening to swallow me whole as the very earth rebelled.
The wall of the dungeon loomed just ahead, and I strained to see any sign of an opening. There had to be a way out. A glimmer of hope flickered within me, urging me to push harder, to find the exit before it was too late. A faint light caught my eye. It was small at first, but the flickering light of two torches burned in the distance. So close, I could make it.
I sprinted towards the flickering light, my heart pounding in my chest. The chaos of the collapsing jungle seemed to intensify with each passing moment, as if the very fabric of reality was tearing apart. The torches grew brighter, their golden glow guiding me through the thick underbrush.
As I drew closer, I could make out the stone archway, partially covered in moss, with the gap in front of it before the jungle. Relief washed over me as I realized it was the same entrance to the dungeon that had brought me here. Right now it was my only escape from this nightmare. Without hesitation, I rushed through the archway and into the cool darkness of the cavern.
The moment I stepped inside, a heavy stone slammed shut behind me with an echoing thud. The noise reverberated through the chamber, sealing off the outside world completely. I crashed against the floor, dropping the hammer and panting heavily, grateful for a moment of rest. Rough stone dug into my palms as I panted, unable for a moment to catch my breath. The two torches flickered just inside the archway, keeping the darkness at bay. The ground rumbled again in the distance and the unease didn't let up.
"Congratulations on completing ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. You have gained a level."
“I did it,” I whispered to myself. I let out a sigh and giggled, which sounded broken in this odd, dark space.
A golden spark crawled along the far stone wall starting at the floor. It traced upward several feet then jerked to the right three feet before heading back to the ground. The light flared once then the stone within the lines vanished, creating another doorway. The last notes of the song echoed from within. I frantically stood up from the floor and picked up the hammer.
The cut still bled, but I strode forward, ready to leave this place. I maintained a firm grip on the hammer as I crossed the threshold of the doorway. Darkness overtook me as the torches vanished.