The cube's massive, monolithic presence had dominated the land every day that I had been here, like an oppressive aura looming over the village. Its dark surface reflected no light and exuded an unsettling mood that whispered of ancient secrets and awaiting horrors.

I retraced my steps to where it had all begun for me in this world—the exact spot where I had tumbled out of the Cube and into the swamp. This time, the merms didn’t dare emerge to greet me; it would’ve been suicide for them. I scanned the swamp’s murky waters and then lifted my gaze to the looming black surface of the Cube, searching for any sign of an entrance. What I found was underwhelming—a small, square hole, barely a couple of feet wide.

I [Leaped] up to it, grabbing the ledge, pulled up and peeked in.

I said, and [Leaped] right back to the soggy ground of the swamp. When I had come out of that hole, I didn’t have all my armor, and jacked up muscles thanks to my massive attributes. Still, I marked it on my map for later.

Bob asked.

I raced northward, leaping and running along the edge of the swamp that bordered the Cube. My every bounding step echoed against the Cube’s impenetrable shell in the eerie silence.

A couple of miles blurred by before I finally found what I’d been searching for, and just in time too, several minutes before midnight. Ahead of me, the landscape changed—unnaturally, like an old scar ripped across the swamp’s face. To match the scar was a jagged maw of twisted metal jutting out Cube’s perfectly smooth side, just above the waterline.

I slowed my pace, and approached it with care, my breath steadying. The edges of the entrance were warped and blackened as if torn open by an explosion. Darkness pooled within, thick and repulsive, creating fear and anxiety in my mind.

I told Bob.

I slid my helmet on, feeling the familiar weight settle over my head, and tightened my grip around the cold steel of the mace in my hands. [Clashing Span] was set to siege mode, and my petrified wand hung at my waist, ready for any bombardment at range.

Bob replied.

Not wanting to get lost, I brought up the local [Cartographer] map, left it up and in view at the side of my vision. [Measured Savagery] arrived on time as usual, putting a broad smile on my face. Whatever fears and anxieties I had, vanished in an instant.

"Alright, let’s go," I said with enthusiasm.

I [Leaped] right over the water and past the jagged entrance. I landed well inside, the impact of my boots shuddered down the massive corridor. Inside, the air changed -- cooler, mustier. A heaviness hung in the air, a tension that hinted at something lurking beyond. The walls themselves were enormous, stretching high above me, covered in strange patterns and glyphs from whatever civilization had built this place. Cracked metal panels revealed inner workings that had long since corroded. I peeked inside, but couldn’t understand any of the circuitry.

Lights, embedded deep within the walls, flickered weakly -- what few of them still worked. Upon closer inspection, I noticed them pulsing rhythmically with a distant, almost inaudible hum, as though they were breathing along with the Cube itself.

Tiny insect-like creatures, drawn to the faint warmth, crawled around the lights' edges, their translucent wings catching the occasional spark of light as they moved. The place wasn’t dead, and I already knew that before coming inside. These, and other much deadlier insects, such as the Xel’Hust and otherworldly Zar’cha infested the place. The walls were streaked with dark stains, and I saw scratch marks on the metal, too wide and too deep to have come from any human hand.

I told Bob.

Ahead, the corridor stretched endlessly, dark and foreboding. My grip tightened on the mace as I moved deeper in, my boots crunching softly against the debris-covered metal floor.

Every so often, I’d catch a glimpse of movement—just out of the corner of my eye—a flicker of something slick and dark sliding along the walls or ceiling. Normally, I’d be walking slow, cautious, and scared, but now … the bugs should be afraid of me.

Many vents, and various openings lined the walls from top to bottom, allowing easy access and points of attack. The first bug attacked without warning. I've seen one like it before. As large as a wolf, it was adorned with razor-sharp claws and jagged spines. Its multifaceted golden eyes were set on me with hunger.

* [t1] Xel’Hust Raptling [Gray]

With my perception through the roof, the dark tunnels now seemed perfectly lit. It also meant I could see its movement as if in slow motion, lazily floating toward me, jaws wide open. I raised my mace and swatted the bug. It exploded into a shower of gooey bits, the dull clatter of its exoskeleton hitting the floor echoing through the corridor. I almost felt sorry for it.

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Afterward, I had to hold my breath and run forward, not wanting to inhale any of the fine mist left lingering in the air from the devastating impact. I could only imagine the stench of it.

“So far so good,” I muttered under my breath, stepping over slimy remains.

As I moved deeper in, the infestation grew thicker. The walls were covered in hardened nests. Danger was everywhere—lurking in vents, crawling between the massive beams, skittering along the ceilings.

Every few minutes, I’d have to splatter any that got wise. They came in different sizes—some no bigger than a dog, others as large as a horse. I didn’t bother to stop and look for whatever was left of their golden eyeballs.

I moved at a brisk pace and in a southward direction, hoping to reach the same location that I had marked earlier on the map. The place felt spacious, with the passages big enough for a double decker bus. At the same time, the layout seemed utterly strange, chaotic. A number of odd dead-ends caused me to seek out and take lengthy detours.

Many vertical shafts were clogged with insect hives to the brim. Perhaps they were meant to be used by elevators of some sort, yet nothing of the sort was in sight. It felt like whoever lived in the Cube didn’t need to walk, but could fly about freely.

Pausing to get my bearings I rested my hand on the side of the wall and what I thought to be the hand railings. Upon closer examination I noticed that in fact it was more like a ladder, and leading to a wide hatch downaways.

I told Bob.

The ladder was placed horizontally? It was an odd design to be sure, because who climbs ladders sideways?

Then it clicked for me.

It explained all the vertical shafts, and why I had to constantly look for detours. I looked above me, then down at my feet. I wasn’t walking on the floor, but on the wall. The entire place was sideways, as if someone rolled the massive Cube over on its side. But how? What sort of a building would remain intact after that? The structural engineering of this place had to be out of this world.

Pressing onward, I was nearing the location I had marked on the map earlier. Then the ground changed. What had been an occasional infestation turned into something else entirely. Ahead of me, the perfectly square corridors were covered from top to bottom with a dark, organic substance like a living carpet, laid on thick at the floor. Its glossy, slick surface, glistened under light and seemed to ebb and flow as if alive. The air smelled something acrid and foul.

The walls and ceiling were encumbered by insect eggs that clung to every surface, suspended in sticky, pulsating sacs. Web-like strands crisscrossed the space, suggesting spider-like creatures I hadn’t seen before. Large insects clustered in the area within, though few of them were moving.

I asked Bob.

I backtracked, but no matter what detour I tried to find, it all came back to some massive hive standing in my way, clogging up the passages.

Bob suggested to me.

I moved back, scanning the area for a spot roughly eighty yards away—just within the maximum range of my petrified wand. From there, I had a clear line of sight to a path of escape, should things take a turn for the worse.

“Come to my village and destroy half the place will ya?” I muttered.

I’ll show you, I thought to myself with a grin on my face. It was time for some payback. I aimed my petrified wand straight ahead, and thumbed the power crystal, letting out a salvo of [Infernal Barrage.]

The three fireballs surged outward, swelling in size to fill the passage in red and orange. They slammed into the ground and the walls with the force of rocket artillery, igniting the area in a fierce blaze.

Wind roared past me, filled with smoke and the stench of crispy critters. Experience gained messages scrolled by in a fury. Smoke occluded my vision ahead, yet I fired again, and again, moving forward a couple of yards between each salvo. More smoke billowed out, and flames churned.

I lowered my weapon once the stream of experience notifications finally stopped. It took another couple of minutes for the draft to blow some of the smoke away. The revealed sight was gruesome, yet satisfying. I [Leaped] right through and over the charred carnage to move ahead. This brought me closer to my destination.

Another couple of turns, and I stood facing a wall, or maybe it was the floor? There was no indication of the narrow opening I was looking for that I had marked on the map. I was in the same place, yet looking in from the inside.

I told Bob.

I ran my hands over the wall, trying to feel for anything out of place, yet it wasn’t any different. No secret compartments, panels, or openings could be found. I walked down one way, then another. Nothing. Half an hour had passed since midnight and I had nothing to show for it.

I told Bob, as doubts about the whole expedition were starting to creep in.

Bob said in a hopeful tone, yet sounding depressed.

To get the lay of the land, I switched to the global map for a minute, only to find the [Cartographer] resource layer displaying a golden blob, just ahead. It piqued my interest.

“Ooh, looky here,” I muttered to myself. Did I just strike rich? Was it gold? I dashed in the general direction of the treasure without a thought.

Bob asked.

A couple of turns later, the treasure was in the area ahead of me. I came around the bend and froze.

In the distance, the eye blinked.

My breath caught in my throat, and I felt an instinctual urge to flee, yet I was rooted to the spot, caught between terror and morbid curiosity. It was as if time had come to a standstill, the weight of the moment pressing down on me.

I felt something tighten around my ankles. I looked down and was unceremoniously yanked off my feet. With a heavy thud I fell to the ground on my back, but didn’t stop there. It got faster.

Two tentacles were pulling me by my legs. I flailed, turned myself over, dug my claws in. It did nothing, but left deep gouges in the ground. Into the air I went, picking up more and more speed. I skimmed over the ground like a smooth rock, bouncing up and down.

The bumpy ride ended abruptly with my flailing upside down in the air. Twisting and turning, I tried to set myself free. Blood rushed to my head. And when I stopped swaying, I was left face to face with the ominous eye before me. This upclose, it was as large as a garage door.

It blinked again, and the world turned black.