A group of four young adventurers wandered through the damp darkness of an underground passage that looked as if it had been built by drunken dwarves—low ceilings, sharp turns, and muddy, treacherous ground. Their leather boots and mismatched pieces of metal armor clicked and clacked with each step, much to the irritation of the lone female in their group.

They'd been walking for what felt like hours, yet there was no sign of a large opening ahead—not that they could see or hear too far. Even the best torches wouldn’t illuminate more than a few meters ahead, and they didn’t have the best torches.

Venira sighed. She was a striking woman—her long blonde hair and the way her robes hugged her figure in the dim light were a delight to anyone with eyes. As a level 16 mage, it was hard to find well-paid jobs, so she couldn’t deny that her appearance might have played a role in getting hired with this lot.

She glanced at the two young swordsmen murmuring behind her. They look like thugs. What have I gotten myself into? She tightened her grip on her long wooden staff as her foot slipped on a wet rock.

"Careful there, or you might break your little princess feet!" said the tall fighter behind her in a mocking tone, his sharp smile showing little concern.

The fighter behind him snorted. He was a scrawny-looking man in an oversized cloak. Thankfully for Venira, he was quiet—most of the time.

"You know, there’s a spell called Light? It has a short incantation. S-s-surely you know i-i-it." He sneezed, using his free hand to wipe his nose, bringing the torch in his other hand dangerously close to his friend.

"Hey, watch out, dumb-ass!" the tall one snapped, jumping back.

"Great! And I have to trust those two to guard my back?" Venira muttered incredulously, steadying herself and trying to ignore them.

"Shut it, Venira! You’d better—"

"Enough!" the third man shouted, making all of them to jump. "There should be a break to the second stratum in a few dozen meters if this map is accurate." He tucked the map into a leather sack at his waist. His voice, crisp and assured, hinted at his noble upbringing.

For the three newbies, finding a nobleman willing to pay was a rare stroke of luck. He’d offered them three gold coins each and access to the second stratum through a hidden passage that few people even knew existed.

That knowledge alone was worth hundreds, maybe thousands of gold coins if sold to the right buyer. They’d bypass the main entrance, where the guards would surely stop them for being under-leveled, and instead reach prime hunting grounds that could skyrocket their ranks. Truly, a godsend. If only I could get rid of the others, thought the rearmost adventurer, unaware that he wasn’t the only one harboring similar thoughts… though for slightly different reasons.

One would think they ought to know better. Venturing into a restricted area with two strangers and little knowledge of their employer or destination was a rookie mistake. But as they broke through the first opening and entered a cavern dimly lit by strange fungi, they drew their swords and scanned their surroundings like any other dungeon party.

The cavern was small, maybe less than a mile wide, framed by patches of glowing greenery, large bushes, and two ornate entrances at the far end. They waited, and waited… and waited.

There was nothing to fight—not even a goblin lurking in the shadows. They lowered their swords and relaxed.

"This can’t be the second stratum," muttered the tall adventurer, eyeing their surroundings skeptically. "It’s supposed to be twice as big as the first stratum."

"T-that's true. It’s too small," his friend added, coughing.

"The map stops here, so one of those entrances must be it," said the noble, eyeing the left passage.

"So, what now?" the tall one asked.

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"We split up. Venira, you’re with me," the nobleman declared, tossing a dark stone to the remaining pair. The scrawny one caught it.

"Wait, we can't do that. It’s too dangerous! What if we encounter a tough monster or a pack of them?" Venira protested.

The noble turned to her. "As I mentioned when I recruited you, I need to explore a part of the dungeon. What I didn’t mention is that it’s the second stratum." He checked his knives and the straps holding them. "So keep your mouth shut and do as you’re told!" he snapped, glaring at her.

"We have eight hours until the dungeon guards start getting suspicious. Do you know what happens to anyone caught using an unregistered passage? Do you?" He chuckled darkly as Venira paled. Yes, Venira, they’d at least strip you of your clothing and chain you in the darkest cell. Wouldn't that be nice?

He turned away, collecting himself. "Pour a bit of mana into the dark stone after you exit. If it vibrates, keep it close to your ear. It’s imbued for distance communication."

As Venira and the noble disappeared down the left tunnel, the other two exchanged glances. "Of course he takes the female mage," muttered the tall one, glancing at his partner’s outstretched hand, now smeared with mucus and holding the dark stone.

"Keep it!" he added, looking defeated. "And if the stone doesn’t work?" he called after the noble.

"Then we’ll meet back here in two hours," the noble’s voice echoed back.

The noble was silent as they advanced in the dark, the only light coming from the torch he held. He had no trouble seeing in the dark. Thanks to his magic ring—one of his few magic possessions, he was able to sense his location in space due to a rare passive skill the ring got during its creation. The actual power of the ring was Analyze.

He was frowning, caught in his own thoughts as the gargantuan cave swallowed them—if it could still be called a cave. The vast bioluminescent field stretched endlessly, broken only by tall, twisted trees and human-sized mushrooms scattered throughout. No monsters in sight, yet.

Venira's gaze fixed on a strange flower, not twenty feet away, and she approached it cautiously. She leaned forward but ended up crouching, feeling a twinge in her back from the earlier trek.

The flower was unique, delicate yet vibrant—its red petals glowed faintly in soft pinks and purples. Venira didn’t know she liked flowers. It wasn’t as if she saw them every day—so small and cute, waving slightly in the breeze. The breeze? Her thoughts shifted as a shadow, hard, long, and pointed, rose behind her.

She reacted instinctively, grabbing a handful of sandy ground and throwing it at her assailant's face as she tried to evade the now fast-approaching sword.

The noble screamed in pain, losing control of his sword but still managing a small cut across her shoulder. She fell on her back, clutching her injury.

“You’re going to regret this,” the noble growled, trying to clear his vision, his eyes now full of blood.

"Stay away from me, you piece of—" She extended her uninjured arm, casting one of the few spells she had managed to learn. “Wind Blade!” A blade of wind materialized inches from her palm, rapidly gaining force. Unfortunately, the noble was too close. He plunged his sword into the ground before him, bracing against the force.

Venira, still lying on her back, tried to get up, but the noble abandoned his sword and lunged at her, using a dash skill. He grabbed her injured shoulder with one hand and punched her in the face with the other. Again, and again.

"I’m sorry… but your services are no longer needed," he said, catching his breath.

Venira’s good hand skittered around her, trying to find more sandy ground, but it was hard and unyielding. Where did I get that sand from? She tried to cast another spell but couldn't focus due to the throbbing pain in her head. The wooden staff was out of her reach as well.

"You see, I can’t let any of you leave alive." He swallowed.

"But why? What have we done to you?" Blood stained her cheeks and robe as she looked up at him.

"Besides being nuisances… nothing. But now that I know this map is genuine, I can’t leave loose ends. You know too much."

"Wh-what about the others? Are you g-going to kill them too? They won’t believe you if you say I was killed by a monster," she mumbled, trying to stall.

"Ah, don’t worry. The stone I gave them has nothing to do with communication. It’s just an overcharged magic stone. If they use mana on it, it’ll vibrate as a warning—then explode."

He unhooked a knife from his back. “But as I said, don’t worry. You can meet them soon.” His blade glowed red, ready to strike.

Her eyes widened as she desperately struggled. But a mage was weak to close physical attacks; she knew this.

She closed her eyes. But nothing happened. but then, a strange squelching sound echoed, and a hard weight dropped to her left. The pressure on her body was gone. She looked up to see dozens of thin, vine-like tentacles dragging the noble straight toward a flower, now far larger than it had been minutes ago. "No... no. Leave me. I'm too young to die." the noble screamed in terror while Venira's strength faded. The only thing she could hear as she lost consciousness was bones cracking and flesh tearing.