I didn’t hesitate for a second. My breath caught in my throat as I spun around, heart racing, and bolted toward the tree line where I had reentered the zone. The ground beneath me was uneven, each step jarring my bones, but I didn’t care—I just needed to run.
“Malice, you said the level would end!” I shouted, my voice cracking with desperation as the dense forest loomed closer, shadows stretching out like claws to snatch me back into the nightmare.
[I don't know why, but it hasn't.] Malice's response echoed in my mind, each word dripping with confusion, almost as if it were unraveling itself.
I cursed under my breath, my mind racing even faster than my feet. “Clearly. What do I do?” My voice trembled, fear clawing at my throat, but I couldn’t afford to stop. The soldiers behind me were relentless, their armored boots pounding the earth in a terrifying rhythm that matched the frantic beating of my heart.
[Stand still and let them kill you?] Malice's sarcastic suggestion barely registered, my thoughts a chaotic storm of panic and determination.
I shook my head vehemently, kicked up my feet and sprinted further into the cover of the forest, heart pounding in my chest as the sound of hundreds of soldiers thundered behind me. Each footfall felt like an earthquake, shaking the ground beneath me. My breath came in ragged gasps, mingling with the dust and noise that filled the air as the enraged men and women pursued me relentlessly. Panic surged through my veins, but there was no time to dwell on it now—I had taken the key to the next floor, and though I couldn't fully grasp why, it was too late to second-guess myself.
Elric was the floor boss, and that fact alone made me certain I had made the right move. But doubt gnawed at the edges of my resolve, whispering that maybe I had just signed my death warrant. These people, driven by blind fury, had trapped themselves in a fruitless task that would never end, and now I was running from their madness.
The trees grew thicker as I pushed forward, their gnarled branches clawing at my clothes as if trying to hold me back. I stole a quick glance over my shoulder, my pulse spiking with fear. The dense woods were slowing them down; the thicker the trees, the fewer soldiers were able to follow me. Relief washed over me, but it was fleeting—I stumbled against a tree, its rough bark scraping painfully against my metallic gloves as I caught my breath.
Panting, I leaned heavily against the tree, my chest heaving with exertion. The shouts of the soldiers grew fainter in the distance, and a twisted sense of triumph flickered within me. I had somehow managed to lose them, at least for now. But as I stood there, gasping for air, a more pressing question finally struck me, sending a cold shiver down my spine: Where had the woods come from?
The desert oasis had morphed into a dense jungle so abruptly that I had to blink in disbelief, my mind struggling to make sense of the impossible transition. My knowledge of geography was limited at best, and a surge of unease twisted in my gut. Was this some kind of natural shift, or had I stumbled into a magical anomaly? The trees stretched endlessly before me, dark and foreboding, their shadows swallowing up the last remnants of the oasis behind me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched, that the very forest itself was alive and aware of my intrusion.
I wasn't going to be lost for long. My hand trembled slightly as I reached for the device. “Malice. Bring out the map!” My voice was laced with a mix of urgency and desperation.
[Bringing out the map! Did you know maps have been around since 237 A.A.?]
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“What?” My voice was breathless, tinged with confusion, as the familiar yet strangely out-of-place commentary from Malice cut through my anxiety like a blade.
The absurdity of the statement made me pause, a wry smile tugging at the corners of my mouth despite the tension coiling in my chest.
The map appeared in front of me, flickering into existence like an old hologram, but what I saw made my brow furrow in confusion. It was unlike anything I had expected. While the first floor had been a sprawling castle filled with rooms and monsters, this was something else entirely—a chaotic mess of concentric circles, all clashing and bumping into each other on a nonsensical topographical map. The lines were jagged and erratic, as though someone had drawn them in a fit of madness. Tiny scribbled lines indicated mountains and dense patches of vegetation, and as I zoomed out, the scope of the floor expanded, revealing more of the biomes: Jungle. Ocean. Tundra. Desert. Oasis. Each biome stretched for miles in every direction, all converging at a single spot labeled "The Oasis."
A sense of unease gnawed at me as I stared at the map. I didn’t quite know what to make of it; the layout defied everything I knew about geography, like some twisted reflection of the world I thought I understood. The disorientation was overwhelming, but I pushed the thoughts aside—there was no time for doubt. I had a door to find.
“Hey, Malice, can you show me the description of the key? There’s no door on the map, so I’m out of ideas on how to get out of here,” I said, my voice tight with the frustration of being outmaneuvered by a map.
[One description coming right up, hot stuff.]
“Hot stuff? Do I even want to know what that means?” I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief. Malice had a knack for dropping these bizarre comments at the worst times. Ignoring the strangeness, I focused on the words that began to materialize before me, each one tinged with a hint of Malice’s signature sarcasm.
[Item Name: This is a key. This key will open a locked door, but is otherwise useless. Why would you think that a key could tell you where the exit is?]
“Are you mocking me?” I asked, exasperation creeping into my tone.
[Are you mocking me?]
I swear, Malice was like a toddler with a grudge. My fingers curled into fists, and I grabbed my face in frustration, feeling the rough metal of my gloves press into my skin. It was infuriating how easily he could get under my skin, how he seemed to take pleasure in my struggles. He was not a very good companion—it was like his goal was to frustrate me until I screamed, or worse, until I made a mistake that would alert the soldiers still searching for me.
But despite Malice’s snarky description, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something I wasn’t seeing about the situation, something critical. I strained to think, but before I could piece it together, I heard the distant sound of the army trudging through the forest, the weight of their boots pressing into the earth. Every soldier grunted with heat and effort, their breath heavy with exhaustion. The stench hit me like a wall—a nauseating mix of sweat, blood, and rot, like food left to decay for far too long. My stomach churned, bile rising in the back of my throat.
“Malice, I’m serious, what do I need to do here?” My voice was tinged with desperation now, the fear of being caught and the confusion of the unknown pressing down on me.
[You need to kill or otherwise remove the horde, and then the door will appear.]
“Wait, what?” My heart skipped a beat, cold realization settling in my chest. Killing Elric basically guaranteed a loss on this floor.
[Kill the horde. Clear the floor.]
"And why would I believe you this time?"
[Well there is more for you besides clearing the floor-- loot? Armor, items—there’s a lot of methods of getting stronger on this floor... In addition to fighting the hordes, you can also ransack their homes and loot the caves and mines beneath this area. It’s not necessary to clear the floor, but it’s quite expansive for a...]
Malice’s voice trailed off as I weighed my options, the weight of indecision pressing heavily on my chest. A part of me knew I was stalling, clinging to the hope that something, anything, would present itself to make this easier. But with every second that ticked by, the soldiers were closing in, their relentless pursuit echoing through the forest like the drumbeat of my impending doom. My chances of survival were shrinking with each breath, and the realization sent a spike of urgency through me. I needed to make a decision—and fast.