As soon as I stepped through the door, the entrance was replaced by a solid wall, lit by a single torch. Opposite where the door once stood was a spiral staircase going down. I ventured to the first step and tried to look down but only darkness awaited me.

I held my breath and cocked my head to the side, straining to detect any movement or sound coming from the depths below me. All I heard was the echoing of my own pulse in my ears and the faint crackle of the torch flames. I slowly opened my eyes and scanned the tight, cramped space that was illuminated only by the lone torch. There was nothing but me, the torch, and a sense of foreboding.

I looked from the torch back to the stairs that plunged into darkness and decided that if the lair was giving me the light source, then I would be foolish not to take it with me. I took the torch from the iron holder and the holder shifted, making something click behind me then I felt jet air as if the pressure had been let out of something. I hadn’t detected a trap when I took the torch and yet I had a feeling I just inadvertently disarmed a trap . . . or set one off. Disarm Trap had two functions, first it gave us the know how to disarm most simple traps. Second, it lets us detect traps. That I couldn’t detect a trap was a problem.

I frowned and reminded myself to check everything. This gauntlet was all about traps . . . or it normally was. I gingerly advanced, scanning each stair cautiously before taking a step. I inspected the treads for any signs of wear or scraping around the edges where the steps met the wall. Though it was a slow process, I knew I couldn't afford to make a mistake. Six steps down I noticed an anomaly - a single step that seemed out of place. It was linked to something but I couldn’t tell what and I couldn’t disarm it. I was about to jump over it when I remembered I needed to also check the step after it, which ended up not being trapped, at least, not that I could sense through the skill. Carefully, I stepped around it, skirting to the next step before continuing on my descent, vigilant for any more signs of danger.

As I slowly descended the spiralling staircase, I found a strange landing without a door or any other set of stairs. On the wall, there was an iron torch holder, minus a torch, that was identical to the one I had taken my torch from back at the top. It appeared to have some sort of mechanism built into it, though I couldn't make out what it did. Knowing I'd need my torch for whatever lay below, I tried every trick I knew to make the mechanism work, yet nothing seemed to activate it - except for placing the torch into it. With a heavy heart, I reluctantly slid the torch into the holder. There was an audible click, followed by a sound like gas being released.

Suddenly, from above me came a loud clap of wood on wood, followed by another and another - before long, there was rapid clapping coming closer and closer. With nowhere else to go, I backed as far away from the stairs as I could - yet I didn't smell anything coming for me.

Just moments later, I realised it was the stairs themselves that were clapping together in an eerie rhythm. One after another they stacked on top of each other, until finally all of them were neatly stacked at the bottom. But right as the last stair settled in place, there was a loud creak and crack of wood breaking. Suddenly the stairs broke through the floor beneath them, leaving a gaping hole full of darkness below but with a small reward chest on the other side.

I almost jumped the hole without checking for traps. I quickly reminded myself of where I was and took a safer approach. I didn’t find any obvious traps but something still felt off to me. I threw a flechette, butt first. It smacked into the chest. There was no reaction from the chest but upon bouncing off the flooring in front of the chest, the floor gave way, clattering into the hole. I listened for the sound of wood hitting and was greeted almost immediately, which meant it wasn’t much of a drop. Unfortunately, it was still dark down there.

I looked back to the torch, it had served its purpose, which meant I should be able to use it again, right? I checked the torch again for traps but found none and removed it from the holder, glad to have my free light source back.

I held the torch over the hole and peered downward. It was only two or three metres down. Directly below the original hole was a flat stone landing area. In the area where my flechette and the other bit of flooring landed were a bed of sharp stone spikes.

I still wanted the chest but didn’t see any way of getting to it. I didn’t have any skills that could get me to it. I supposed I could try to lasso it with the rope in my bag but I didn’t have a skill for that either. However, in thinking of the rope, it gave me another idea. I had the skill Macramé which could be used to make nets. I didn’t have the twine to do that but I did have a mystic skill that might work.

I had played around with Shadow Weaving a little on my own but I hadn’t really found a use for the skill. It had great utility but wasn’t much good in a fight. Yet utility was exactly what I needed now. Using both skills together was surprisingly effective. With my first net made and ready, I threw it . . . and missed. The net landed next to the chest and it didn’t even open so I doubted it would have caught the chest anyway. I tried a few more times before I realised I was probably doing something wrong. Knowing the clock was running, I told myself I would only try five more times . . . then five more after that when I almost caught the chest. Then I finally netted the chest and dragged it free of the ledge it sat upon.

The chest was heavier than I thought it would be. It nearly pulled me down into the hole. Instead, I hauled my shadow made net up and pulled the chest on to the floor next to me. I let my Shadow Weaving construct disperse leaving me with a small brass banded reward chest.

I opened the chest and found a pair of goggles with green lenses. I’d never seen anything like it before. I gave the goggles a sniff and smelled the unique tang of magic wafting off of them. I wasn’t sure exactly what the goggles would do, but I couldn’t wait to find out. I slipped them on to my head and over my eyes and the world turned green and strangely well lit. I looked around and winced when I looked at the torch, it was much brighter when viewed through the goggles. That was when I figured out what they did. They gave me dark vision or night vision . . . green vision? It was something like that. It meant I no longer needed the torch. Unless there was another holder that required it.

Unsure if I still needed it, I took the torch and dropped down to the next level. I was met with a stone floor and walls. They appeared rough hewn but were actually smooth to the touch. I looked down the path but only saw more stone as the path gently curved to the right but by that point the view turned blurry because of my eyesight. What I thought was a curve to the right just as easily could have been a curve to the left. Still, I really liked the goggles.

I tried listening for anything ahead and smelled for it as well but found nothing but stone. The goggles did one other thing for me. Despite the green tint it gave everything, there was enough variation in hue to see when something didn’t match everything else. The small dark green stones that mostly blended into the surrounding rock and would have been almost impossible to see without the goggles. I really hoped everyone else found the goggles, if they were even taking the same gauntlet.

I examined the dark green stone on the floor much more closely. It was a pressure plate and a devious one with how well it blended in. Then I examined one of the dark green stones on the wall. It was not a pressure plate but a spike that went deep into the wall. Putting two and two together, I figured out they were connected. I looked down the long passageway again. There were dozens, maybe hundreds of pressure plates lining the floor.

I kneeled down and examined the closest pressure plate again. I thought I could probably disarm it but looking at the sheer volume, I decided it was best just to avoid them.

I kept my focus on the floor as I picked my way down the path, my Footwork skill making it easier. The deeper in I went, the more pressure plates there were until there were more pressure plates than safe places to step. As I got closer to the end, I was forced to leap across a large expanse of the pressure plates, landing on a spot just large enough for one foot before I leaped again to the next spot. It was getting more and more dangerous the further down the tunnel I went until it ended abruptly at a stone wall that climbed straight up into darkness.

The stone wall was pockmarked with handholds that indicated I was meant to climb the wall. Looking at the daunting wall above me, I wished I’d learned the Climbing Skill. I looked at the first of the handholds and checked for a trap but didn’t find anything. I checked several more but still found nothing. I frowned at the wall and looked for the top but couldn’t see it with my limited vision. There was also no way to climb and carry the torch and I didn’t dare drop it to the ground covered in pressure plates that were just waiting to kill me if I did. I sighed, I put the torch in my mouth to keep it lit, got a good grip on the first of the handholds, and started climbing.

I tested every handhold as I climbed, which slowed me down a little, but it was better safe than sorry. Naturally, it couldn’t have been as easy as just climbing.

I had no idea how far up I would need to go, but the sooner I moved up, the better. It seemed easy enough. There were multiple handholds within easy reach. I grabbed one overhead, looked at my feet and stepped up to the next foothold. I repeated with my other hand and foot. I moved one handhold and foothold at a time, slowly making progress.

I reached for the next handhold and began moving my foot when I felt a shudder in the stone I’d just grabbed. It gave way and I swung out from the wall, barely hanging on to the fixed handhold. I let go of the bad handhold, letting it fall then scrambled to get a grip of the previous handhold. I gasped and panted from the sudden exertion as my feet tried to find their places on the wall.

A second later the rock I dropped hit the ground and bounced. I saw orange flashes of light from below where the rock had set off some of the pressure plates.

I stayed still for a minute, trying to rest, except my arms and legs were just getting more tired. I grunted and forced myself to continue.

With every step and grab of a new foot or handhold, a timer started counting down in the back of my mind, urging me to keep moving. It got more difficult the further I climbed as the handholds got further and further apart. I promised myself I would learn the Climbing skill if I made it out of this alive if only to make it easier the next time I needed to climb something, like a city wall or some rich kin’s house I would rob.

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I panted through clenched teeth as I lunged for the next grip, swinging out, then swinging back and heaving to reach the next handhold above me. Not for the first time, I wished I had just left the torch behind. I was so concentrated on reaching the next grip I didn’t notice the ledge just two metres above me until I was grasping at it and heaving myself over. I spat the torch out of my mouth, letting it roll away from the ledge, leaving me panting for breath. I was sweating profusely and was once again thankful for the goggles that kept it out of my eyes.

I’d made it. I was through the tunnel and up the wall. I was also utterly exhausted. I reached into my satchel and pulled out a savoury bun, one of my magically infused ones and stuffed it in my mouth, feeling the energy flood my body as it converted the magic. It wasn’t instant relief but it was a gentle flow into my tired muscles. I finished it off with a cool drink of water from a canteen I kept in my bag.

I laid there for a while until I felt like I’d rested enough. Finally, I looked around the ledge to see what was next for me. I was greeted first by a reward chest about a metre away. Once again, I had to temper myself from running for the reward. I gently tossed a flechette at the box where it bounced off harmlessly and clattered to the stone floor where nothing happened. Satisfied there was no immediate trap, moved to the reward chest and checked it over before popping the lid and being greeted by the familiar sight of a skill stone, a rope, hammer, and some kind of spikes with hoops on the ends. I frowned and picked up the stone.

Skill stone – Rock Climbing – Would you like to learn the Uncommon Skill Rock Climbing?

I grumbled about how it was a little late coming before I accepted the skill, which told me the spikes were called pitons, which were meant to be hammered into rocks as one climbed. Again, too little too late. Still, it would be good to have them for future use. There was no telling if there wouldn’t be another wall that needed to be climbed before I finished the Gauntlet.

Sighing, I put the other climbing supplies away in my satchel and looked for the next step. The iron ring torch holder in the wall clued me in. I picked up the torch from the ground and slid it into the holder. The holder shifted and the sound of stone grinding behind me made me turn swiftly.

The wall opposite the torch holder slid down, opening a new passage, at the end of which I could see light. I turned back to take the torch but as soon as it left the holder the wall slid back into place. I was sad to lose the free torch that had served me so well but it seemed this was where we parted ways.

I started into the hall, keeping a wary eye open for any traps but found none. At the end of the hall was a circular stone room with a stone block in the centre. And of course, there were no doors leading out of the room, which meant this was a puzzle.

As soon as I stepped into the room, the tunnel behind me suddenly collapsed, filling with stone, and ensuring I couldn’t retreat.

I heard stone grinding again and sighed. It was coming from the stone block in the centre, which was unfolding . . . and standing up . . . into a two- metre tall into a humanoid rock monster. A loud vibration shook from its chest and emerged from its mouth in a roar.

I cursed as I activated my Shadow Blade skill to create a pair of knives. As soon as they were in hand, I rushed forward, letting my Shadow Cloak skill cover me. I wasn’t sure how good this monster’s senses were, but anything I could do to avoid detection could only work to my advantage.

I slipped easily between the monster’s legs, my daggers lashing out at the stone, generating sparks but failing to do any damage. As I ran through, the rock slab monster tried to body slam me, seeming to know where I was despite my active Shadow Cloak. I barely dodged clear then had to dive away as it rolled, hammering down with large stone chunks I assumed were its arms and legs.

As I came up from my roll I finally saw the monster’s weakness, if only for a brief second. When it rolled, the stones of its body separated slightly. In those cracks I saw a glowing brown orb.

After rolling, the monster was slow to push back up to its feet. I tried leaping on its back and hacking through the stone, targeting the cracks. Each stab yielded a couple rock chips. If that was all I was going to get, then I would be at this for days. I didn’t have days.

Luckily, the monster didn’t like me on its back. As soon as it stood up, it started to fall again, trying to body slam me. I leaped clear, trying to put some distance between us as I let one of the shadow knives fade and pulled a flechette from my bandolier.

I landed facing the beast, anticipating the roll. As soon as the monster rolled, I leaped back another step then two. On my third step back, I finally had a clear shot. I threw the flechette into the narrow gap and the metal clanged off the stone. I wasn’t fast enough or the flechette was too slow. Either way, I would need to repeat the same circumstances.

As the monster started to stand again, I climbed onto its back and started hacking at the cracks. Predictably, the monster tried to body slam me. For as tough as the monster was, it wasn’t very smart.

I timed my throw, telling myself to throw it as hard and as fast as I could. The metal dart left my hand, cutting through the air, faster than before. It went into the crack and got stuck as the stone tried to close around it but couldn’t. I frowned at the failure and worried I wouldn’t be able to defeat this beast. Then as it stood up, I could see the thing’s . . . heart . . . core? I could see the brown orb exposed.

I leaped onto the monster’s back and tried to stab into the exposed crack but there just wasn’t a good angle, not with the dart stuck in there. I needed a better way to break through rock. Then it came to me.

I reached into my satchel and pulled out the hammer I’d received with the climbing equipment. It was made of a light weight metal, lighter than anything I’d never encountered before. It had a small head to it that was just big enough to strike a piton into rock. Or as in this case, a dart into a monster. I smashed the hammer into the dart, driving it deeper into the rock gap, the tip of the dart just barely piercing into the orb with the sound of cracking glass. The monster gave a full-body spasm and roared in pain, nearly bucking me off its back. I held on tight and swung again, missing. I tried to swing again but the monster finally managed to toss me.

I landed and rolled, bouncing off the stone floor painfully. It was good training for Toughness and my Thick Hide skill, but it still hurt. The monster was back on its feet and seemed to glow and I knew that it couldn’t be anything good. Then the rock shards scattered around the room floated into the air and I knew it was going to be even worse than I first imagined.

I looked around urgently for somewhere to take cover but there was no cover, except under the giant rock monster. Knowing I might be running to my own death, I ran for the beast, settling myself directly under it and just in time as the floating stones started whizzing through the air, encircling the monster but not coming too close to it.

Then the beast noticed me and moved to body slam me again, only this time I couldn’t run from him or it would be running right into the rock storm. I growled angrily as I dumped all the mana I could into forming the largest Zhanmadao I could and hoping it was strong enough to brace and keep the rock monster from squishing me underneath.

It hit the sword tip and the ground below me cracked slightly but didn’t give way. The rock monster roared angrily, lifted itself up, and slammed down again, cracking the ground under my feet a little more but still the sword held. The monster roared again and lifted higher before slamming down a third time. The ground gave way but so did the monster. My giant sword sliced into the rock monster’s centre mass and cleanly bisected the orb at its centre. All at once, the stonestorm stopped spinning and chunks of various sizes and shapes dropped to the ground, clattering harmlessly. I wasn’t so lucky. The rock monster above me fell apart and my sword that would have made a great shield was both stuck in the ground and in the monster’s centre. Stones plummeted, smashing into my arms and body as I curled up and did my best to protect my head.

When the rocks finally stopped moving and I was still alive, I tried to breathe a sigh of relief but failed. The stone that pressed in all around me made it very difficult to breathe. I tried moving and felt the stones above me shift followed by the sound of stone rolling and bouncing off other stones. I gave it a moment to settle before I tried to move again but it wouldn’t be long before my need for air overrode the need to be careful. I shifted again, trying to press upward. I was rewarded with more stone rolling down and away from me, lightening the load I was struggling to support a little more. I pushed again and this time a large stone that made up the majority of the weight shifted and fell away. Suddenly, I was breathing more easily. I took a few large gulps of air and got back to work. A few more pushes and the stone holding me down fell away and I could see the lighted room again.

I breathed a real sigh of relief. Five minutes later, I had pushed enough of the stone away for me to safely climb out. I stumbled down the pile of rocks and found a large one to sit down on. I gave myself a cursory exam. My right shoulder was dislocated and the arm connected to it was broken in three places. Worse, the dislocation must be pinching a nerve because I wasn’t feeling any pain. There were a lot of bruises, scratches, and a couple deep gashes but nothing life threatening. I looked around at all the stones and couldn’t help but feel extremely lucky to have survived. Not for the first time, I hoped everyone got a different Gauntlet.

I clenched my teeth as I gingerly placed the joint back in its socket. My broken arm pulsed with excruciating pain, blurring my vision and making me light-headed. I used bandages and gauze to form a splint, wincing with every movement as a searing heat shot through me.

With a harsh pull, I set my broken humerus back into place and screamed in pain. There was no reason to hold back. I applied one of the splints from my satchel. Finally done with the worst of my injuries, I fell back against the cold stone floor breathing heavily and wishing I’d set the bones before fixing my shoulder. But First Aid told me that would have been a bad idea. Too long without feeling and the limb might have died. That would have been really bad.

With my bones set and splinted I dug into my bag for a healing potion, sucking it down in two quick gulps. Warmth spread through my body, almost instantly reducing the pain. I knew I needed to keep moving but healing was more important right now. I would need both arms if there was another wall to climb or a rock monster to fight. I closed my eyes and waited. It was almost an hour before I decided my arm was good enough and I finally looked around. On one side of the room was a large reward chest and just behind it was a door.

I moved cautiously across the room, stopping short to check for traps, and finding a poisoned needle on the latch that was thankfully easy to disarm. I opened the chest and found a belt with a small bag attached to it and a skill stone.

Skill stone – Identify – Would you like to learn the Common Skill Identify?

Why yes, I would like to learn the skill Identify. Only an idiot would say no to that skill.

After learning the skill, I looked at the belt and got a system message immediately.

Belt of Holding – This belt will not provide much protection but the attached pouch can hold a great deal of material.

While I loved my satchel, it was often unwieldy. Having something smaller like the pouch attached to the belt would be great for things like lairs where the satchel was sometimes an impediment.

I quickly traded my old belt out for the new belt.

I checked the door for traps but found none, so I turned the knob and gently pushed it open. I stepped through and found myself back in the room with the portal and I was alone.