The sun was barely cresting the horizon as we emerged from the dense treeline. Hollowcrest stretched before us in the distance, its towering spires piercing the orange sky like jagged knives. Even from here, I could see the faint glow of the city’s lights in the early dawn haze.

It felt both comforting and suffocating to see the city again. The memory of our last encounter with the underground PvP arena lingered like smoke—chaotic fights, corrupted anomalies, and Ethan left behind.

My HUD displayed faint notifications still flickering from the last dungeon. Ethan’s party status had been marked [DISCONNECTED], but his character wasn’t showing as [DEFEATED]. That meant he was still alive… somewhere.

The city gates loomed large as we approached. Players bustled in and out—adventurers hauling loot, guild members shouting commands, and low-level players excitedly comparing gear. The massive archway pulsed faintly with protective runes, a security barrier keeping out wandering monsters or glitch anomalies.

As we passed through, the familiar buzz of Hollowcrest filled the air. Street vendors hawked glowing potions, blacksmiths pounded steel into fine weapons, and chatter spilled from open taverns.

“First things first,” Selene said, stopping at a small inn named The Crow’s Perch. Its wooden sign swung faintly in the breeze, engraved with a raven perched on a crooked branch. “We’ll set up base here, regroup, and then plan our infiltration.”

The inn’s interior was warm and inviting, lanterns casting soft golden light across polished wooden tables. Other players and NPCs sat scattered around, sipping drinks and sharing whispered conversations.

Selene motioned to the innkeeper, a sturdy NPC woman named Marla, and rented us three rooms.

“We’ll meet back down here in an hour,” Selene said firmly.

Our party was gathered in one of the larger inn rooms, sitting on mismatched chairs and crates arranged in a semi-circle. A rough map of Hollowcrest’s underground layout had been conjured in the center of our HUDs, glowing faintly with highlighted entry points.

Selene took front stage to explain the plan,“we know the passage connects to the southern outskirts of the arena’s underground network. It’s rarely patrolled, mostly because it’s infested with low-level mobs. If we move quietly, we can slip past without drawing too much attention.”

Devon frowned, arms crossed. “What about the central checkpoint?”

“We’ll need to avoid it entirely,” Selene replied. “If we alert them, the whole network will know we’re coming.”

Fi leaned forward, her chin resting in her palm. “What if we pose as participants again? You know, flash some fake guild tags, look intimidating, all that jazz.”

Selene shook her head. “Too risky. We don’t want to be flagged in the system.”

Mason tapped his fingers on his cheek. “So we sneak. Stick to the shadows, avoid unnecessary fights, and get to the core of the network.”

Devon let out a low sigh. “Alright. We stick to the plan. In, out, no unnecessary risks.”

I nodded, “Here we go again…”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

By the time we reached the entrance Selene had marked on the map. Hidden behind a crumbling stone wall in one of Hollowcrest’s abandoned districts, the tunnel entrance was barely wide enough for Mason to squeeze through sideways.

The air was damp and smelled faintly of mildew and metal. Water dripped from unseen pipes above, echoing faintly down the narrow passage. Our footsteps were muffled against the moss-covered stone floor as we crept deeper into the underground network.

I activated Shadow Embrace instinctively, letting faint tendrils of darkness curl around my feet and dull the sound of my steps.

Fi walked ahead, as she scouted for traps or movement. Selene brought up the rear. Devon walked beside me, his hand resting lightly on his sword hilt.

The deeper we went, the more oppressive the air felt. A low hum filled the silence.

Suddenly, a faint light glimmered ahead.

We ducked behind a rocky outcrop as voices filtered through the tunnel.

“—They say she’s some kind of glitch. Not even the devs can track her.”

“Yeah, but the payout if we capture her? Insane. We’d be set for life.”

“Quiet. Patrol’s coming through.”

I exchanged a glance with Selene.

Security. At least three of them.

Selene held up two fingers, signaling that we’d move past them silently.

But just as we started creeping forward, a sharp ping! echoed in my HUD.

[PLAYER DETECTED: STEALTH BROKEN]

One of the security spun around, eyes narrowing as he spotted me.

“Hey! Who’s there?!”

The others turned, weapons drawn.

“Oh, for the love of—” I muttered as my hand clenched around my dagger.

The rogue players grinned, weapons raised.

“Well, well. Looks like we found ourselves a jackpot.”

“Looks like,” I said softly, shadows beginning to curl around me.

The security spread out, forming a loose semicircle around us. Their weapons gleamed faintly in the dim light—swords, daggers, and one ominously glowing staff crackling with faint runes. Their usernames hovered above their heads:

* [PLAYER: RazorByte | Level 27]

* [PLAYER: NyxClaw | Level 25]

* [PLAYER: GlimmerHex | Level 23]

They weren’t outrageously high-leveled, but they had numbers, positioning, and confidence on their side.

Selene and Devon stepped forward.

Fi positioned hererlf with a casual smirk. “You three really thought you could ambush us? That’s adorable.”

Mason cracked his knuckles and hoisted his hammer onto his shoulder. “You want to do this the hard way? Fine by me.”

My shadows pooling around me like ink spilling across the stone floor. My HUD flickered with notifications:

[New Encounter Detected: Security Ambush]

[Objective: Defeat the Security and proceed deeper into the tunnel.]

NyxClaw lunged first, dual daggers flashing in the faint light as he went straight for Fi. She parried his attack with a casual flick of her wrist, sliding under his follow-up strike and slashing upward in a smooth arc. Sparks flew as their blades met again.

Mason charged forward, his hammer swinging down in a brutal overhead strike aimed at GlimmerHex. She dove sideways, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow, and unleashed a flurry of magical projectiles that exploded against Mason’s thick armor.

Devon squared off against RazorByte, their swords clashing in a series of brutal exchanges. Devon’s strength was undeniable, but RazorByte was fast, his movements sharp and precise.

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Selene, meanwhile, vanished into the shadows. Her presence became a faint ripple in the air, dagger appearing in sudden flashes as she weaved through the chaos, striking weak points and disabling enemies with quick precision.

I focused on NyxClaw, who had disengaged from Fi and was moving toward me with a sly grin.

“Think you can handle me, sweetheart?” he sneered.

“Oh, I can handle you alright,” I shot back, raising my free hand.

“Shadow Embrace!”

Dark tendrils erupted from the ground, wrapping tightly around NyxClaw’s legs and dragging him to the floor. His health bar ticked downward as the shadows sapped his energy.

“W-What the—?!” he choked, struggling against the binds.

I followed up with Life Drain, leeching HP from him in steady pulses.

“Here, let me help with that,” Fi called, darting forward and planting both daggers into NyxClaw’s back. His health bar dropped to zero instantly, and his avatar burst into glitch-like pixels before disappearing.

[PLAYER: NyxClaw — DEFEATED]

One down.

GlimmerHex realized she was outmatched as Mason’s hammer cracked the stone floor near her feet. She threw up a glowing barrier to block his strikes, her health bar flashing red from chip damage.

Selene emerged from the shadows behind her, a wicked grin on her face.

“Peek-a-boo.”

Two swift strikes later, GlimmerHex collapsed forward as her health hit zero.

[PLAYER: GlimmerHex — DEFEATED]

Only RazorByte remained.

He gritted his teeth, his sword glowing faintly as he activated a skill, launching a shockwave of energy toward Devon.

Devon planted his feet, bracing himself against the attack. The shockwave slammed into him, but his health bar barely dipped.

“You’re done,” Devon growled, lunging forward.

RazorByte barely had time to raise his weapon before Devon’s greatsword cleaved through his torso in a devastating arc.

His avatar shattered like glass.

[PLAYER: RazorByte — DEFEATED]

The air fell still, the only sound being the faint drip of water somewhere deeper in the tunnel.

“Phew!” Fi exhaled, wiping sweat from her brow. “That was spicy.”

Mason grunted in agreement. “They weren’t strong, but they were coordinated. Could’ve been worse.”

Selene sheathed her daggers, her eyes scanning the now-empty corridor. “We need to move. Those three might have backup nearby.”

Devon approached me, his brow furrowed. “You good, Kiera?”

I nodded, releasing a shaky breath. “Yeah. I’m good. Thanks for asking.”

He gave a small smile before stepping back into formation.

“Let’s keep moving,” Selene said, her voice firm. “The path splits up ahead, and I’d rather not be caught in another ambush.”

We started walking again, the tunnel growing narrower and the air more oppressive the deeper we went.

After about twenty minutes of travel, we reached an intersection. The path split into two directions—one descending into what looked like a maintenance shaft, and the other curving into a larger chamber.

A faint, glitching glow flickered from the larger chamber, like static on an old TV screen.

I felt my HUD flicker faintly in response.

[WARNING: Anomaly Detected]

Selene raised her hand. “Hold. Something’s not right.”

Mason squinted into the chamber. “That glow… it’s not natural.”

Devon drew his sword again, his shoulders tense.

I stepped forward cautiously, my shadows curling at my feet in anticipation.

But before we could investigate further, the faint sound of metal scraping against stone filled the air.

Then, a voice—faint, mechanical, and distorted:

“INTRUDERS DETECTED. SECURITY PROTOCOLS ENGAGED.”

From above, the ceiling cracked open with a metallic groan, and a massive mechanized construct dropped into the chamber. It was spider-like in design, with sharp, segmented legs, glowing red optics, and mounted cannons on either side of its sleek, black carapace.

Its level hovered above it in bright crimson text:

[SECURITY AUTOMATON MK-II | LEVEL 45]

Fi’s face went pale. “Oh… oh no. Not one of those again."

Selene’s daggers were already drawn. “Stay sharp. It’s faster than it looks.”

Mason braced himself. “We’re not running from this, are we?”

“Nope,” Devon said. “We’re not."

The automaton’s red optics locked onto me specifically, glowing brighter as its cannons began to charge.

“PRIORITY TARGET IDENTIFIED. EXECUTE.”

The ground shook as the automaton prepared to fire.

“Spread out!” Selene barked.

The battle had begun.

The Security Automaton MK-II let out an earsplitting metallic screech as its cannons began to glow ominously, building up a charge of concentrated energy. Its segmented legs clanked against the stone floor, sending vibrations rippling outward with each step.

“PRIORITY TARGET IDENTIFIED. EXECUTE.”

"Move!" Selene barked as she dashed to the left, her cloak fluttering behind her like an inky shadow.

Devon grabbed my wrist and yanked me to the side just as a blinding beam of crimson energy scorched the ground where I had been standing. Fi and Mason scattered as well, barely avoiding the blast. The automaton’s cannons whirred as it recalibrated, locking onto the nearest target—me.

[WARNING: Hostile Enemy Locked]

“Oh, come on!” I hissed, sprinting forward and activating Shadow Mirage. My form splintered into three flickering copies that darted in different directions.

The automaton hesitated for a brief moment, its glowing optics flickering between the three versions of me.

“Fi! Mason! On its legs!” Selene commanded sharply.

Fi launched herself forward, her daggers flashing as she targeted the automaton’s joints. Mason followed close behind, swinging his massive hammer in an arc aimed at the creature’s rear leg. Sparks flew as steel met enchanted metal, and the automaton staggered backward.

Devon moved in from the opposite side, his greatsword glowing with radiant energy. He struck at the automaton’s core plating, the force of the impact creating a resonating clang that echoed through the chamber.

“Selene, cover me!” I shouted, summoning Shadow Embrace to bind the automaton’s two front legs in dark tendrils.

Selene appeared next to me in a flash, her dagger slicing through one of the creature’s exposed wiring. The automaton jerked violently, its cannons swiveling erratically.

“Target compromised. Recalibrating...” it said in a distorted mechanical voice.

Its optics glowed brightly, and a pulse of energy exploded outward. The force sent all of us skidding backward, our HUDs flashing red from the AoE damage.

[Health: 42%]

My breathing came in sharp gasps as I struggled to my feet. The automaton was staggering now, sparks erupting from the slashes and dents our party had inflicted.

“This thing is nearly down!” Mason roared, hefting his hammer again.

“Let’s finish it!” Devon charged, his blade glowing white with a charged skill.

“Infernal Command!” I called, shadows swirling around me. The shadows snaked outward, gripping the automaton’s chassis and locking its legs in place.

Devon’s greatsword struck true, piercing directly into the automaton’s exposed core. Sparks erupted as the machine let out one final mechanical screech before collapsing in a heap of smoking metal.

[BOSS ENEMY DEFEATED: SECURITY AUTOMATON MK-II]

[XP GAINED: +5,600]

[RARE DROP: AUTOMATON CORE FRAGMENT]

The room fell silent except for the faint crackle of dying sparks and our ragged breathing.

Fi clutched her knees, panting heavily. “That… was not fun.”

Mason wiped sweat from his brow, letting his hammer rest on his shoulder. “You’d think security would be a little less homicidal.”

Selene scanned the wreckage. “We need to move. That thing’s destruction might have triggered alerts in other parts of the underground system.”

I nodded, pocketing the Automaton Core Fragment tightly. “Let’s go.”

The tunnel stretched ahead in eerie silence, faint flickers of glitched light casting shadows on the moss-covered walls. Every footstep echoed faintly, and none of us spoke as we pressed forward.

After about fifteen minutes, we reached a large metallic door embedded into the stone wall. Its surface was covered in glowing runes, faint static-like distortions flickering over its surface. It was locked, and it didn’t take a genius to know that we had reached something important.

“Looks like a checkpoint,” Devon said, his hand resting on his sword hilt.

Before any of us could react, a faint clapping sound echoed from behind the door. Slow. Deliberate.

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

The door hissed and began to slide open, revealing a figure standing in the center of the illuminated space beyond.

A familiar figure.

The young man stood with his hands casually in his pockets, a faint smirk playing at his lips. His armor was different now—sleek, dark, and polished, with faint crimson accents running along the seams. His once-disheveled appearance was replaced by sharp confidence.

His username floated above him:

[PLAYER: ASLYLIAR | LEVEL: 29]

My stomach dropped.

“Wait…A Sly Liar…” Mason muttered under his breath, putting the pieces together. “Are you serious?”

Fi’s brows furrowed. “Wait, is that… Ethan?”

The smirk on Ethan’s face widened slightly as he stepped forward, his boots clicking softly against the metal floor.

“Surprise,” he said smoothly. “Did you miss me?”

My HUD pinged softly.

[SYSTEM ALERT: HIGH-THREAT PLAYER DETECTED]

“What is this?” Devon growled, stepping protectively in front of me.

Ethan’s eyes shifted to him, a sly grin playing on his lips. “Come on, now, Devon. Don’t look so surprised. Did you really think I was some low level player that just so happened to join your party?”

Selene stepped forward, her daggers glinting faintly. “You were playing us the entire time.”

Ethan chuckled softly. “I was doing my job. The devs hired people like me—Security Enforcers. Our job is to identify threats, monitor anomalies, and… deal with them.”

His gaze flicked to me, lingering for a moment. I felt my stomach twist at the weight of his stare.

“You…” I said softly, the pieces falling into place. “You lied to us this whole time.”

He spread his arms, palms up, as if welcoming the accusation. “Guilty as charged.”

Devon’s grip on his sword tightened. “If you think we’re going to let you just—”

Ethan held up a hand, and Devon fell silent.

“Relax,” Ethan said, his voice low but sharp. “I’m not here to fight you. If I was, you’d already know it. I’m here to offer you something… an understanding. Maybe even a deal.”

Selene’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of deal?”

Ethan’s smirk faded slightly, replaced by something far colder. “That depends on how cooperative she is.”

His eyes locked onto mine again.

The tension in the air was suffocating, every muscle in my body coiled like a spring ready to snap.

“Let’s talk,” Ethan said softly, his smirk returning.