The golden glow pulsed softly ahead, like a beacon cutting through the dark. Dust still hung thick in the air, and every step echoed against the cracked stone walls.
BOOM.
Another shockwave.
But this time, it wasn't an attack. It was a voice.
"You have come far."
The golden glow ahead expanded, swirling like mist. Then—
A figure stepped forward.
Not Chaosgod.
Not a player.
An NPC.
An important one.
His robes shimmered with gold and black embroidery, ancient symbols glowing faintly across the fabric. His face was lined with age, but his eyes—piercing and sharp—held the weight of someone who knew things.
Jack's playful grin returned. "Huh. Fancy NPC."
The old man ignored him, eyes scanning the group. Then, he spoke again.
"The Guardian has fallen, yet no spoils remain. This was no victory—only a shift in fate."
Arianna crossed her arms. "You expected someone else."
The NPC nodded slowly.
"The one who erased the Guardian was not meant to exist here."
Kieran felt a chill run down his spine. "Not meant to exist?"
The old man didn't clarify. Instead, he raised a hand—golden light pooling in his palm.
[A New Path Has Been Revealed.]
A system prompt flashed across everyone's interface.
Erren's eyes narrowed. "A chain quest?"
Jameson read the description aloud. "'Retrace the Steps of the Forsaken King. Uncover the truth behind the vanishing remnants. Beware the shifting fate.' Huh."
Jack stretched. "Welp, sounds like we're getting dragged into something big."
Elamenor smirked. "I like it."
Kieran, still trying to process everything, exhaled sharply. "Great. More mysteries."
The NPC took a step back. "Follow the path. Choose wisely. Fate is watching."
Then—
The golden mist collapsed, rushing past them like a gust of wind.
When it cleared, the three paths ahead were gone.
In their place—
One single, massive stone door.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
[NEW QUEST ACQUIRED!]
▸ Quest Name: Retrace the Steps of the Forsaken King
▸ Quest Type: Chain Quest
▸ Difficulty: ???
▸ Objective:
Uncover the truth behind the Guardian's disappearance.
Follow the path left behind by the Forsaken King.
Beware of anomalies.
▸ Quest Description:
The Forsaken King once walked these halls, but his legacy has been distorted by forces beyond mortal understanding. Something—or someone—is erasing history itself. The Guardian was only the first sign. If you continue down this path, you will not return unchanged.
Do you accept this quest?
[ YES ] – [ NO ]
The glowing system prompt hovered in the air, its golden edges flickering slightly, like static trying to break through.
Kieran's eyes darted across the screen. Difficulty: ???. Yeah, that was a red flag if he'd ever seen one.
Jack, of course, barely glanced at it before slamming [YES] with a grin. "Easy choice."
Elamenor cracked his knuckles. "Wouldn't be fun if it wasn't dangerous."
Erren tapped [YES] without a word. Jameson followed. Arianna didn't even hesitate.
Kieran exhaled sharply, staring at the system prompt like it was a trap.
Which, honestly? It probably was.
But…
He'd already come this far.
"...Screw it." He tapped [YES].
[SYSTEM ALERT: QUEST ACCEPTED.]
The second Kieran confirmed, the massive stone door before them groaned. Ancient gears shifted, dust spilling from the cracks as a golden sigil burned into the surface. The entire dungeon trembled.
Then—
BOOOOM.
The doors slammed open.
A gust of cold air rushed out, thick with something that smelled… old. Like time itself had been sealed inside. The hallway beyond was impossibly vast—twisting corridors stretching into darkness, broken only by faint, flickering symbols along the walls.
Kieran tensed.
Something about this place felt wrong.
Jack whistled low. "Yeah, okay. This is definitely not just some random dungeon."
Jameson's grip on his sword tightened. "Stay sharp."
Arianna took the lead, stepping past the threshold without hesitation. The others followed.
And as they entered—
The stone doors slammed shut behind them.
No way back.
No escape.
The only way was forward.
The second they stepped inside—
SKRREEEEEEECH!
The walls shook. Shadows shifted. And then—
Monsters.
A dozen figures crawled out from the cracks in the stone. Their bodies were twisted, humanoid but grotesque—jagged bones sticking out at unnatural angles, eyes burning with sickly gold light. Some were hunched, others towering, their skin cracking like molten rock as they moved.
Kieran's system flashed red.
[WARNING: HIGH-RANK ENEMY DETECTED.]
[DANGER LEVEL: EXTREME.]
His breath hitched. He could feel it—pure pressure rolling off these things. It was like standing in front of a raid boss way above his level. Way above.
And then he glanced at the others.
Nothing.
Jack's system showed green. So did Elamenor's. Erren? Green. Jameson? Green. Even Arianna, who barely reacted to anything, looked completely unbothered.
Kieran's stomach dropped. What the hell?
Jack yawned, resting his staff on his shoulder. "Ah, damn… this again?"
Elamenor cracked his knuckles. "These things are barely warm-up material."
Kieran blinked. "B-Barely what now?!"
His voice cracked. He couldn't help it.
These monsters? The ones that were blaring red on his HUD? Were warm-up material?
Jameson stepped forward, his sword gleaming under the flickering dungeon light. "We should clear them quickly. No point wasting time."
Arianna nodded, eyes still calm. "Agreed."
Jack sighed dramatically. "Ugh, my powers are so nerfed in this game. If I was at full strength, this wouldn't even be worth lifting a finger for."
BONK.
Arianna's hand moved fast.
Jack's head snapped forward as she smacked him, her expression unreadable but her eyes dragging to Kieran.
The message was clear.
Shut up before he starts asking questions.
Jack grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "Geez, fine. I won't complain."
Kieran was still staring at him, confused as hell. "What do you mean 'nerfed'?"
Jack just grinned. "Nothing, nothing~"
Before Kieran could push further—
The monsters moved.
Fast. Too fast.
They lunged, claws gleaming, golden light warping around them as their screeches echoed through the chamber.
Kieran's instincts screamed at him—MOVE.
He barely dodged as one monster slashed down, its claws carving a deep gouge into the stone where he'd just been standing. He spun, gripping his dagger tight, but before he could even think about counterattacking—
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BOOM.
Elamenor tore through the nearest monster like it was made of paper. One punch—just one—and the thing exploded, its body splattering across the dungeon walls in chunks of molten flesh.
Jack twirled his staff, golden energy crackling around it. "Alright, let's wrap this up quick."
He swung.
A massive shockwave blasted out, hurling monsters backward like ragdolls.
Erren didn't even need to move. She snapped her fingers—a series of invisible blades cut through the air, slicing the creatures clean in half before they even touched the ground.
Jameson? One precise swing. His sword barely made a sound—just a faint silver glow as he decapitated two monsters in a single movement.
Arianna? She simply raised a hand. A pulse of light rippled outward. The moment it touched the remaining monsters—
They disintegrated.
Ash.
Gone.
Silence.
Kieran was still standing there.
His dagger was still raised. His system was still flashing red.
But there were no more enemies.
Just the others, barely even breaking a sweat.
Jack stretched. "Welp. That was easy."
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Elamenor scoffed. "Could've been harder."
Erren swiped something on her interface, not even looking up. "Next wave incoming in sixty seconds."
Jameson flicked the blood off his sword. "Good."
Arianna's eyes drifted to Kieran. "Are you injured?"
Kieran…
Didn't answer.
He just exhaled. Long. Slow.
Then finally—
"...Yeah, okay. What the actual hell is going on?"