“It’s alright. It’ll heal in no time,” Elowen reassured him with a small smile.

“We don’t have much time left,” Kael said looking at the ceiling. “How much further?”

Elowen stood up with the help of Kael and started to move towards the stairs, but she saw they were in another room and there was only a door in the dim light. Something mysterious was written on the door, and she wanted to read the strange inscriptions, but they couldn't use the light as per the rules. The darkness seemed to thicken around them, making the air feel heavier. Elowen strained her eyes, trying to make out the faint markings on the door.

Her heart raced as she strained to make sense of the markings. The air grew heavier with each passing second, thick with an oppressive darkness that seemed to close in around them. The rules were clear—they couldn't use light. Yet, she had to see what was written on the door.

She took a slow, deliberate breath and closed her eyes, relying on her other senses. The faintest shift in the air—cool, then warm—seemed to point her toward the door. She reached out, fingers brushing the surface, feeling the deep grooves of the inscriptions. The markings were etched into the wood, rough and jagged, as if carved by something not human.

Through the delicate touch of her fingertips, the strange words began to emerge in her mind, as though her skin could sense their meaning:

"__In the silence of the void,

The web will stir, the beast will rise.

Bound by darkness, awake in fear,

The spider's gaze will draw you near.

Beware the moonless hour,

For death comes on eightfold power.__"

The words lingered in her thoughts, their weight more palpable than ever. She could hear the faintest vibration in the air, as if the door itself was alive, holding a terrible secret that could not be seen, only felt.

[Time Left: 1 minute]

The other 14 players successfully made it upstairs. At the top of the stairs, however, things were different. At the very top of the cavernous cave, which stretched across the entire floor, was a massive, gaping hole. The tunnel leading to the next level had never been visible from the ground. Dax groaned in anger as he saw nothing atop the stairs, slamming his foot on the ground with such force that it triggered something neither he nor anyone else could have foreseen. The dungeon designed with mechanisms beyond human understanding, responded to his actions. The air grew heavier, the very walls vibrating as a low hum reverberated throughout the staircase.

Dax reached into his bag, pulling out a small, artificial light. He didn’t think twice about it—the light was a tool he had used many times before in dark spaces, and it would help him find his way down the stairs faster. But as the light flickered to life, it began to glow unnaturally bright.

That was the moment everything changed.

[Red Herald Butterfly Notification]

[System Alert: Rule Violation Detected]

[Warning!! ID: ZKP-14785 has violated the established rules by using light in the designated area]

[Punishment Initiated: Toxic Gas Release]

[Effect]

A cloud of toxic gas begins to spread through the environment, rapidly filling the air. The gas will persist for 5 minutes, and all players within the affected area will begin to suffer the following debuffs:

- Poisoned: 15% Health loss per minute

- Dizziness: -10% to movement speed

- Vision Impairment: Reduced clarity and focus

[Please be advised to follow the rules for your safety]

An invisible trap, hidden deep within the ancient stones, was triggered. The walls groaned as a hidden compartment opened, releasing a deadly, fast-spreading cloud of toxic gas into the room. The air thickened instantly, suffocating all who inhaled it.

Dax’s breath caught in his throat as the poison filled the dungeon, turning the clear air into a choking fog. His eyes widened in panic. "What the hell?" he gasped, falling to his knees.

He could smell it now, a sickly stench that filled his lungs painfully. He could barely breathe, the toxin filling his head with dizzy disorientation. His chest tightened, constricting as he struggled to pull in air that refused to come. His vision blurred slightly, causing him to stumble backwards. He tried to fight against the effects of the gas, but found himself unable to do so; his limbs felt heavy as lead, and a wave of lethargy swept over him. His body was struggling to remain upright, refusing to accept any form of resistance. His legs gave way to the floor, leaving Dax fell on the floor as his sight began to blur even more.

“Help me…!” Elowen coughed weakly as the poisonous mist filled her lungs.

The sound of someone running towards her pierced her ears, breaking through the cloud and helping her finally break free from its paralyzing hold. A soft hand gripped her arm, dragging her away from the toxic fumes that filled the room.

“Come on, Elowen! Come on open the door!” Kael shouted, pulling on her arm.

“But—" she paused for a few seconds as another wave of dizziness hit her. She stumbled forward, allowing Kael to tug her away from the toxic fumes.

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"Get out of here first," Kael shouted frantically as he pulled her along, dashing through the murky smoke and disappearing behind a corner. Elowen coughed hard, almost losing consciousness as she struggled to keep up with Kael’s pace. “Just a bit more, Elowen!”

The two ran towards that deadly door__their only option at this point __while the poison continued to cloud Elowen’s mind, her vision growing hazy as she fought against her own body. Her strength quickly drained, leaving her helpless as the poison took its toll on her.

The others, too, began to realize what was happening. A few attempted to cover their mouths, but it was too late. The poison spread quickly, the pungent fumes attacking their lungs, burning their throats, and blurring their vision. The staircase became a nightmare, filled with gasping, coughing players who stumbled blindly in search of escape.

Some players fell, crying from the excruciating pain they felt every time the poison took full effect, but most continued on, hoping to reach the exit before dying. The toxic gas took over most of their vision, leaving everyone struggling to see in the dark. They struggled to stay standing, stumbling over one another. One player tripped on the edge of the last step, dropping down into it. The rest stopped and turned to look at him, noticing his sudden fall. There was a tense pause, and then one after the other, the players began moving forward again, searching for some semblance of comfort amid the chaos. They all had to leave the dungeon now, or die trying.

Kael opened the door and dragged himself into the room, followed by Elowen. As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, another panel slid shut at the bottom. The light above went off, plunging both of them into darkness once again, save for the tiny little flame that remained glowing in front of Kael’s face.

[Red Herald Butterfly Notification]

[Time Left: 15 seconds]

[If you failed...]

[Severe Punishment: Loss of 20 Experience Points, and the fireflies of Nightbloom Hollow dimmed, making future quests more challenging.]

[System Alert: Time-Sensitive Puzzle Detected]

[Objective: To get the Firefly Lantern, both players must simultaneously place Glowstone Blocks on either side of the wall]

[Instructions!!]

-ID: THS-11130: Place the Glowstone Block on the left side of the wall.

-ID: PQC-71036: Place the Glowstone Block on the right side of the wall.

[Both blocks must be placed at exactly the same time to trigger the lantern’s activation]

[Failure: If both players do not place the blocks within time, the puzzle will reset, and the Firefly Lantern will dim completely, causing the dungeon to plunge into total darkness.]

[Countdown: 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...]

[Activate Now!]

In the instant the countdown hit zero, the pressure was overwhelming. Elowen and Kael had barely a second to react.

“Quick, now!” Kael shouted, already darting to one side of the wall, his hand reaching for a Glowstone Block that shimmered with an ethereal light. The block was warm to the touch, its surface covered in intricate patterns that seemed to pulse faintly. Elowen followed suit, her fingers trembling as she grabbed the second Glowstone Block. The smooth, radiant stone felt almost alive as she sprinted to the left side of the wall. The seconds felt like an eternity as they scrambled to place the blocks in the right spots. The sound of the system’s countdown echoed in their minds as they worked in tandem, adrenaline flooding their veins. Elowen glanced over her shoulder once, her heart pounding heavily as she watched a strange shadow begin to appear in the wall opposite them. It appeared to be a single large square, yet there was no discernible door anywhere nearby.

With a final push, both Glowstone Blocks slammed into place at the exact same moment.

[System Notification: Puzzle Completed. Firefly Lantern Activated]

The lantern flared back to life, its glow bright and steady, bathing the area in soft, golden light. But the clock was still ticking—their time to escape the dungeon was running out.

[Silver Herald Butterfly Notification]

[Time Left: 5 seconds]

The air was thick with tension as Elowen and Kael moved swiftly through the dungeon’s shadowed corridors. The oppressive silence was shattered only by the sound of their hurried footsteps and ragged breaths. They had found the Firefly Lantern, its faint glow barely enough to illuminate their immediate surroundings. But as each second passed, their light grew less and less strong until all they had left were flickers.

“Kael, we don’t have much time!” Elowen hissed, clutching the lantern tightly. She could feel the soft warmth of its light against her palm, but it was fading. A quick glance at the dimming flame told her it would be out within moments.

Kael's eyes scanned the darkness ahead. “We need to run faster. If it goes out, we’ll be blind in here.”

The glow of the lantern flickered. The shadows in the dungeon seemed to pulse, creeping closer with each passing second. They ran down the narrow corridor, but the maze-like structure of the dungeon made it feel like they were getting nowhere. Every turn felt the same, and the light grew weaker with each step.

Elowen’s pulse quickened as the flame dimmed even further. Her heart raced, and the air grew colder. The thought of being trapped in total darkness with no way to navigate sent a chill down her spine.

“Where is the exit?” she whispered urgently, her voice strained.

Kael’s eyes darted from side to side, but all he could see were the same old stone walls, no indication of the exit. The lantern’s glow weakened even more, now barely more than a faint ember. It was almost gone.

“Don’t panic,” Kael said, though his voice lacked conviction. He grabbed her arm, pulling her toward what appeared to be a large stone door ahead. “It’s got to be there. Come on!”

Elowen’s legs burned, her breath shallow from the adrenaline. The last sliver of light flickered, and she felt the world around them closing in. Then—snap—the lantern’s glow completely vanished.

Darkness surrounded them, engulfing the entire dungeon. They couldn’t find any signs of life. The darkness seeped into her bones, chilling her from the inside out.

"I can’t... I can’t see anything..." Elowen muttered as she slowly lowered herself down onto her knees. She leaned forward and placed her forehead on the cold stone floor.

There was nothing else for her to focus on. Just her and the icy feeling spreading throughout her chest. She knew the effects of the poison would pass, that the effects would wear off shortly, but she still felt sick from the effects of the poison. The lightless darkness surrounded them. Elowen couldn’t make out anything in front of her. All she saw was a dense void where the hallway used to be. Darkness enveloped everything, blocking her sight of any obstacles. It was like falling endlessly. Her heart beat wildly against her chest. The world plunged into darkness. The faintest sounds became amplified in the sudden void—the soft skitter of unseen creatures, the eerie echoes of their breath. Elowen froze, her hand still gripping Kael’s, when they felt someone suddenly drag both of them.