As soon as the little girl vanished into the darkness, they exchanged a look and bolted. Neither of them spoke, their legs moving on instinct as they sprinted back toward the main road leading to Echelon City. The cold night air rushed past them, and their hearts pounded in their chests.
They didn’t stop running until they reached the dirt road, far from the massacre they had just witnessed.
Erin bent over, hands on his knees, catching his breath. "What the hell was that?"
Lira shook her head, still breathing heavily. "No clue. But I am not staying anywhere near that place."
Erin straightened, glancing back in the direction of the Abyss of Demons. He still felt uneasy, but Lira’s face turned back to normal.
"Should we report it?" he asked.
Lira scoffed. "Nah. Relics go crazy all the time, nothing new. If we report it, we’ll just end up responsible for leading them here, stuck answering endless questions and wasting time."
It was true. Demonic relics existed, items that granted immense power but had dangerous side effects. Some made the user insane. Some consumed their life force. Others took complete control of the wielder’s body. The girl could have been just another victim. However one thing was certain. None of the wielders will live long.
Erin nodded. “We should still report it to father, see if he knows anything about it.”
Lira agreed. "Either way," she said, "we’re not doing that dungeon. No way. Not with that thing running around."
Erin nodded. "Alright, so where to next?"
He reached into his bag and pulled out the dungeon guide again.
Flipping through the pages, Erin scanned for something that fit their needs.
A dungeon with level 1-3 monsters, decent loot, and away from the Abyss of Demons.
His finger stopped on a name.
Magic Woods
- Recommended Level: 2-3
- Monster Types: Low-rank beastmen
- Difficulty: Medium
- Structure: Forest dungeon with minibosses
Enemies:
- Level 1 beastmen (common)
- Level 2 beastmen (rare)
- Boss: Level 3 Beastmen Elite
Notes:
- Beastmen are humanoid, making them excellent for combat training.
- Good drop rate for energy shards and mage items.
Chance of dropping from boss:
- Fangrend [low-grade sword]
- Viper’s Bite [low-grade dagger]
- Wailing Branch [low-grade magic staff]
- Huntborn Carapace [low-grade full body armor]
- Elderwood Spire [mid-grade magic staff]
- The Rootbound Tome [mid-grade spellbook]
- Low-tier energy shards
Erin looked up at Lira. "What about this one?"
Lira’s eyes gleamed. "Elderwood Spire? That staff is so rare, I didn’t know they dropped from this dungeon. I’ve seen them before in a level 5 dungeon."
She grabbed the guide from his hands and scanned the details herself. "Hah! Sounds like it was made for me. We’re going."
Erin smirked. "I figured you’d say that."
Magic Woods was about a two-hour journey from their current location. Compared to the day-long trek they had just endured, it wasn’t too bad.
"Alright, let’s go," Erin said.
Lira nodded. "Yeah. The sooner we get moving, the better."
***
The road to Magic Woods was peaceful, at least, for the first hour.
Erin and Lira walked at a steady pace, enjoying the night breeze. The sun still hasn’t risen, but the light from their torch cut through the darkness.
Then, they heard the growl.
A deep, guttural sound rumbled through the trees ahead. Erin’s body tensed as he instinctively reached for Fangpiercer, his trusty sword. Lira stopped beside him, her fingers already glowing with icy blue energy.
From the tall grass, a pack of wolves emerged.
There were three of them, prowling forward with sharp eyes. Their bodies were lean and powerful, resembling the ones from Wolf Den, except these had a streak of silver fur running along their backs. Their presence seemed to be more dangerous, their fangs glinting.
Lira smirked. “Hey, Erin. You’ve fought level 1 wolves before, right?”
Erin gave her a deadpan look. “Obviously.”
She grinned. “Well, how about a level 3 this time?”
One of the wolves stood taller than the rest, its silver streak more pronounced. Unlike the others, its eyes glowed faintly yellow, and its muscles were bulkier.
Erin rolled his shoulders. “Fine. I’ll take it.”
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Lira raised a brow. “Really? No complaints?”
“You were going to make me do it either way.” Erin muttered.
Lira laughed. “Fair point. Go on, little bro. Show me what you’ve got.”
The pack wasn’t waiting for their conversation to end.
Two of the smaller wolves lunged forward, snapping their jaws.
Lira reacted instantly. “Crystallum Nivis!”
A shard of ice shot forward, slamming into one of the wolves’ heads. It let out a yelp and staggered backward, blood dripping from the wound.
The second wolf kept coming, but Erin was already moving. He sidestepped its pounce and slashed Fangpiercer across its neck. The wolf let out a strangled cry before collapsing.
That left the big one.
The level 3 wolf growled low, locking eyes with Erin. It crouched, ready to pounce.
Erin didn’t wait. He dashed forward, dagger in hand.
The wolf leapt at the same time.
Erin ducked low, narrowly avoiding its fangs as he slid underneath its body. He lashed out, dragging his blade across its underbelly, but the wolf twisted midair, avoiding a fatal hit.
It landed and spun around instantly, swiping with its claws.
Erin barely had time to block, raising his dagger to parry. The force sent him skidding backward, his arms stinging from the impact.
Lira whistled. “Fast little guy, huh?”
Erin gritted his teeth. “You’re supposed to be helping.”
Lira grinned. “Fine, fine. Frostum Lancea!”
A spear of ice formed in her hands before launching toward the wolf.
But the beast dodged, its enhanced reflexes saving it from the attack. It dashed toward Lira now, sensing the mage as a greater threat.
Erin’s eyes widened. “Lira, move!”
Lira didn’t panic. Instead, she smirked.
“Bruma Strigis.”
A cold mist exploded from her hands, coating the ground in frost. The wolf’s paws slipped on the ice, throwing off its charge.
That was Erin’s chance.
He dashed in from the side, plunging Fangpiercer into the wolf’s shoulder. The beast howled, twisting to bite him, but Erin rolled away just in time.
The wolf, now injured, glared at him with wild eyes. Blood dripped from its shoulder, and its breathing grew heavier.
But it wasn’t done yet.
With a last, desperate move, it lunged at Erin again, but this time he was ready.
He sidestepped, raised and swung his sword.
The blade sank deep into its throat.
The wolf gagged, stumbling forward before collapsing onto the frozen ground.
Silence followed.
Then Lira clapped. “Not bad, Erin. Not bad at all.”
Erin wiped his brow, breathing hard. “That thing was fast.”
Lira nodded. “Yup. That’s what happens at level 3. The difference isn’t just strength, it’s speed and reaction time too.”
Erin looked at the dead wolf, then at his sister.
“How can you tell everyone’s levels? I usually just guess based on their size and appearance. But you, how do you know a person’s level?”
Lira smiled. “Finally, a smart question, little Eri. Once you reach level 4, you can get a magic sensor rune from a runesmith. It lets you sense the level of anyone, as long as they’re not more than five levels above you.”
She smirked. “Take that little girl who killed those adventurers, for example. She’s only level 1… but her relic packs enough power to take down five level 4s.”
Erin nodded, eyes wide with surprise.
“But what if she gets even stronger?” Erin frowned, unease creeping into his voice. “Something feels… off. Shouldn’t we report this to the guards before she becomes a threat?”
Lira stretched and shook her head. “Cases like this happen all the time. Even if I touched that relic, I’d be completely under its control, and it feeds on life. A child like her? She won’t last long. Hell, even I’d be dead in a few days at most.” She let out a sigh. “For all we know, she’s already gone. Once that thing takes hold… there’s no coming back.”
"Is there any way to lock it away so it can never hurt anyone again?" Erin pressed. "If that girl's already dead, someone else will find it, and then they'll become its next victim."
Lira gave a slow nod. "The only way to truly end this is for someone to dominate the relic completely. That takes willpower strong enough to match its hunger." She crossed her arms. "Otherwise? It'll keep jumping from host to host until it's finally captured and sealed in a warded vault. But even that requires someone mentally strong enough to move it without being corrupted."
She gestured in the direction of Echelon City. "Most just mark the relic's location and quarantine the area. Those red X's in your dungeon guide map? Each one marks a relic too dangerous to approach."
"I see..." Erin murmured, the pieces finally clicking into place.
***
The journey to Magic Woods took longer than expected, and by the time Erin and Lira arrived, both were feeling the weight of exhaustion.
The entrance to the dungeon was a massive gaping hole in the ground, surrounded by twisted roots and towering trees. A faint mist hovered around the entrance, making it feel almost alive.
Lira stretched her arms above her head and groaned. “Alright, before we go in, we rest. I’m not fighting beastmen while half asleep.”
Erin nodded. They had been woken up in the middle of the night by that strange girl and hadn’t had a proper rest since.
They found a soft patch of grass away from the dungeon entrance, where they could still see if anyone, or anything, approached. Lira sat cross-legged, leaning back against a tree, while Erin lay down, staring up at the sky. The cool morning air helped soothe his aching muscles.
A few hours passed.
When Erin woke up, he felt refreshed. His body no longer felt sluggish, and his mind was clear. Lira was already up, stretching her legs.
“Good?” she asked.
Erin sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”
They approached the dungeon entrance. Up close, the hole was even more unsettling, a perfect circle of absolute darkness. There was no visible bottom, no stairs, just pure blackness that seemed to absorb all light.
Lira grinned and gestured toward it. “After you.”
Erin rolled his eyes. “Sure. Make your little brother go first.”
And then he stepped in.
WHOOSH.
A rush of wind hit him, but aside from that, he barely felt anything. The world around him vanished in an instant. One moment, he was in front of the cave, the next, he was somewhere entirely different.
Erin’s feet landed softly on a grassy surface. He blinked.
They were in a forest.
At first, he thought they had teleported outside, back to where they had just been. The trees were nearly identical to the ones outside the dungeon. The air smelled the same. Birds chirped in the distance, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves.
But when he looked up, his eyes widened.
The sky was bright blue, with the sun shining overhead.
…But it was still early morning outside.
Lira appeared next to him, dusting off her clothes. “Alright. We’re in.”
Erin was still staring at the sky. “How is there a sun in a dungeon?”
Lira smirked. “The same way there’s a sun in this entire prison world we live in.”
Erin turned to her. “That doesn’t explain anything.”
She laughed. “Magic, dummy.”
Erin sighed. “That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the best answer you’ll get.”
Erin shook his head but didn’t push further. This world, the Dungeon Realm, had always been a mystery. No one really knew how things worked. Why did the sun rise and set like in the real world? Why did the dungeons have unique ecosystems inside them? Some things just… were.
Lira patted his shoulder. “Enough questions. Let’s start exploring.”