The jungle trail ended at a colossal door carved with the image of an elephant.

  Not a noble, wise-looking one either — this one looked furious, mid-charge, and possibly aware of taxes.

  They stopped several meters back.

  Harlada squinted. “Final boss?”

  Leo nodded. “Has to be. Nothing that angry is optional.”

  Bert tilted his head. “Could be misunderstood.”

  The Maze pulsed.

  Clarification: It’s not.

  Leo rubbed his chin. “All right, we do this like the plant. Distance combat only. No heroics.”

  Harlada nodded. “Agreed. Ranged precision, tactical movement.”

  Bert sighed dramatically. “So I just watch again?”

  “Unless you’ve got long-range options,” Leo said, tightening his sling.

  Bert frowned, then snapped his fingers. “Wait. We have a shop.”

  Both Harlada and Leo froze.

  “You can buy things?” Harlada asked slowly.

  Bert nodded. “Yeah! Remember? Tutorial Two. We used it to get the yarn ball.”

  Leo’s eye twitched. “We could’ve bought weapons this entire time?”

  The Maze pulsed, delighted.

  Realization unlocked: Player forgetfulness. Achievement earned — ‘Selective Memory.’ Reward: None.

  Bert scrolled through the glowing interface only he seemed to remember existed. “Here it is. Bow and arrows. Common quality. That means… not terrible.”

  The Maze pulsed again, weary.

  Purchase confirmed. Currency balance: Tragically low.

  Bert materialized a simple wooden bow and a small quiver of arrows. He held them proudly. “Finally! I can contribute!”

  Harlada stared at him. “I hate that this feels like progress.”

  Leo nodded grimly. “All right. Everyone ready?”

  Bert drew the bowstring experimentally. “Born ready. Also slightly poor.”

  The Maze pulsed, dry as ever.

  Final door unlocked. Boss engagement imminent. Level title: Heavy Lifting.

  The elephant carving glowed red. Stone cracked. Somewhere behind the door, something very large exhaled.

  Harlada floated back. “That’s… a lot of heavy breathing.”

  Leo steadied his sling. “That’s our cue.”

  The Maze pulsed, almost giddy.

  Commencing boss encounter. Recommended mindset: Regret.

  ***

  The door shattered outward in a rain of stone dust.

  The elephant emerged — enormous, furious, and definitely carnivorous. Its tusks were streaked with red, its eyes glowing faintly like a bad mood given form.

  Leo loaded his sling immediately. “Spread out!”

  Harlada rose into the air, lightning already crackling around her fingertips. “On it!”

  Bert drew his new bow, grinning like a child on their first field trip to danger. “Finally, something I can shoot!”

  The Maze pulsed.

  Boss engagement: Commenced. Player morale: Inappropriately high.

  The elephant bellowed, the sound shaking the trees.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  A shockwave of air and leaves hit them as it charged.

  Leo rolled aside, firing a stone that bounced harmlessly off thick hide. “Need softer targets!”

  Harlada blasted a bolt of lightning into its flank. The smell of burnt fur filled the air. The elephant screamed — angry, alive, and still coming.

  Bert drew, aimed for the eye, and loosed. The arrow stuck somewhere in its ear. “Partial success!”

  The Maze pulsed.

  Partial success confirmed. Monster irritation: Rising.

  The elephant swung its tusks wildly — one caught Bert in the thigh and threw him halfway across the clearing.

  He landed, groaning. “I’m fine! It’s… mostly a flesh wound. Just not my flesh anymore.”

  Harlada winced, adjusting her aim. “Stay still!”

  Leo shouted, “Wait, not me—”

  The lightning struck anyway.

  He twitched violently, hair standing on end. “You hit me!”

  “Friendly fire builds character,” she said.

  The Maze pulsed, approving.

  Accidental teamwork detected. Damage distribution: Democratic.

  Bert limped upright, nocked another arrow, and fired again. This one found its mark — deep into the creature’s exposed throat.

  Leo steadied his sling, took a breath, and launched one perfect shot into the same wound.

  The elephant staggered, trumpeted once more, then collapsed like a falling mountain.

  Silence followed.

  Only smoke, dust, and the faint smell of overcooked steak.

  Harlada lowered herself to the ground, exhausted. “That… was easier than expected.”

  Bert leaned on his bow. “Except for the tusk part.”

  Leo brushed soot from his face. “And the lightning.”

  The Maze pulsed, almost anxious.

  Boss defeated. Difficulty rating: Underwhelming. Concern: Players learning efficiency.

  Bert grinned weakly. “Silver run’s still alive.”

  Harlada smirked. “Barely.”

  The Maze pulsed again, sounding almost sulky.

  Victory registered. Fun factor: Critically low.

  ***

  Smoke still drifted from the elephant’s carcass.

  For a long, glorious moment, the three of them simply stared at their handiwork.

  Leo exhaled. “We did it.”

  Harlada smiled faintly. “Competence. Actual competence.”

  Bert wiped blood from his leg and grinned. “And loot! Big monster means big loot.”

  The Maze pulsed, cautious.

  Victory celebration detected. Probability of hubris event: 100%.

  They approached the fallen creature together.

  Harlada hovered just above the ground. “Go for anything shiny or magical-looking.”

  Bert leaned against the massive tusk, patting it fondly. “This thing’s huge. Bet the hide’s worth a fortune.”

  Leo nodded, stepping closer to the creature’s belly. “We’ll strip what we can carry. Maybe the Maze will even—”

  The ground groaned.

  Bert looked up. “Uh… why is it moving?”

  The elephant twitched once. Then gravity remembered it existed.

  The entire corpse rolled sideways with the weight of a landslide.

  Harlada shouted, “Move!”

  They didn’t.

  The Maze pulsed, calm as ever.

  Attempt three terminated. Cause of death: Loot enthusiasm.

  A long pause. Then:

  Progress: Impressive. Awareness: Absent.

  Respawn scheduled.

  ***

  The jungle shimmered.

  Respawn. Again.

  They landed in the same familiar mud, the air heavy with damp and déjà vu.

  For once, no one said a word.

  Bert got up first, brushing off leaves without expression. Harlada floated upright, her hair still faintly crackling from the last electrocution. Leo stood last, checked his sling, and just nodded.

  No complaints. No plans.

  Just quiet understanding.

  Together, they started walking.

  The jungle didn’t seem to mock them this time. Even the birds stayed silent, as if paying their respects to persistence—or stupidity.

  They reached the clearing.

  The silver door waited.

  It shimmered faintly, its carvings changed: smoother, brighter, almost alive.

  Leo stopped and stared. “The gem’s different.”

  Harlada looked too. “How?”

  “It’s glowing stronger,” Leo said softly. “Means we’re progressing. We must be getting close.”

  Bert sighed. “Or it’s just hungrier.”

  The Maze pulsed.

  Interpretation ambiguous. Progress confirmed. Satisfaction withheld.

  None of them smiled.

  They simply stepped forward.

  The silver light brightened, spilling across the jungle floor, washing the mud from their boots and the exhaustion from their eyes—at least for a moment.

  Then, together, they entered.

  The Maze pulsed one last time, uneasy.

  Level Five completed. attempts 4 silver level awarded…

  a small pause then it pulsed again.

  Shit was all it said.