The continuous drips of water resonated through the passageway as two people wandered down a dimly lit passage. With a [Potion of Night Vision] their vision in the dark helped them see clear as day as they continued to advance unimpeded. The creaking of rock pebbles tumbling down to the stony floor kept them on edge in fear of an ambush from the creatures that lurked in these tunnels.

  “Oh my god, I hate this dungeon!” A brown skinned burly man echoed out into the cavern, “Why did we get stuck with a Tier C Mission again?”

  “Well, Gryph, we were the only ones out close enough for the routine check,” a slim pale man with glasses replied.

  “This is the last time I EVER go this far out AND TO THINK THIS WAS YOUR IDEA OF A GOOD TIME,” Gryph said.

  “You disgust me sometimes, Elliot,” He flatly added, making Elliot chuckle.

  “We can regroup with the others soon anyway,” Elliot said, ignoring the joke.

  The two continued down the winding corridor back to the meeting place where stood two humans and an elf. The group had their backs turned to them as they were hastily whispering between themselves.

  “What’s got you three in a circle-jerk?” Gryph announced, making the group of three flinch in surprise.

  “We found this,” the younger of the two humans stated as he presented them with a cloudy green glowing fist sized orb.

  “Anton, did you Identify this?” Elliot asked the group, specifically the older man that had salt and pepper hair and a beard to match.

  “I tried, but my profession as an Arcanist is apparently too low,” the older man, Anton, said.

  “Alright, a Profession check failed, which can be a good thing for pricing. What do you make of this then, Phaendral?” Elliot asked the lean looking elf, the third person standing next to the two humans.

  “It looks like a [Key Orb] for a deeper part of the Dungeon,” Phaendral smoothly replied.

  “Well, would ya look at that! Finally, something to brag about when we get back to base, eh, Aldrin!” Gryph said as he grabbed the younger looking man who had shoulder length wavy brown hair and copper skin in a bone crunching side hug.

  “Gryph, please, can’t breathe.” Aldrin struggled out.

  “Gryph put Aldrin down. He is turning blue,” Elliot commanded.

  “Before we proceed, we need to do equipment checks, status checks, and distribute our points for those of us who leveled,” Elliot continued after Gryph released Aldrin.

  Aldrin nodded, pulling up his character sheet and abilities.

  Aldrin debated between getting the next levels of Minor Antidote to cure Tier 3 poisons and lower, Dispel to break Tier 3 curses and lower, or Armaments of the Dedicated to help reduce the damage to all. However, his stats needed to be worked on; but he was also acutely aware of what it was like to have something enticing peeking around the corner with skills. So it was always a gamble. Never knowing if the next level of the skill was the one you needed all along to give you an edge in most cases. That thought process would change once you got to a Tier 4 Class then you would start to snowball in skills and stats, ultimately changing the playing field again.

  Unfortunately, for now, the choice between stats and skills was a question. The question that often plagued those who were Adventurers. Here, for Aldrin, being an offset tank-healer hybrid, they were traversing a routine sweep of this dungeon yet found an anomaly in the [Key Orb]. That being said, he would rather have more protection than not if things were going to continue to become weird.

  Coming out of the Status Screen stupor, Aldrin looked to see if the others were done as well.

  As usual, Elliot the Chromatic Apprentice(Tier 2 Mage), their de facto leader for this dungeon run, was the first to be done and eyed the dark passageways that led to this cavern. Gryph, the resident meat sponge and freshly advanced Behemoth(Tier 3 Knight), was busy scrubbing his tower shield that looked more like a slab of dense metal.

  Phaendral, the reserved elf and Beast Tamer(Tier 2 Rogue) kept a watchful eye on the ceiling and walls for any signs of movement since fire breathing giant insects seemed to be a thing in the dungeon now. And lastly, Anton, the Divine Monk(Tier 2 Healer) still had the look of Status Screen stupor.

  “Do you ever get that weird feeling that something big is about to change?” Elliot whispered as Aldrin walked up.

  “I haven’t felt it since we were abducted from Earth and came here to Grenora.” Aldrin bitterly replied.

  Elliot let out a coarse laugh,”I remember that. I was young when people started vanishing in beams of light and then soon after it was entire cities,” He said.

  “It took us from our homes, our friends, and family,” Aldrin grumbled.

  “How long has it been since we left Earth again? 20 years ago, right?” Elliot asked, scratching his non existing beard.

  “22 years tomorrow at least,” Aldrin said, memories of the escape replaying in his mind like it happened yesterday.

  Elliot cursed to himself, "Has it really been that long?"

  Stolen story; please report.

  Aldrin nodded back to him.

  Elliot grumbled to himself, signaling the end of the conversation between the two. Of course, this left Aldrin pondering over thoughts he buried within the deep recesses of his mind. The fear of the large portal he and his family had to walk through, the fear of the unknown.

  “I have finished,” Anton announced, snapping the others out of their vigilance.

  “I will scout ahead,” Phaendral said as he departed down the only passageway that led deeper into the dungeon.

  “Think we will find anything else that is out of place in the dungeon?” Gryph asked, strapping his metal slab of a shield to his arm.

  “I don’t know, but I don’t want to take any chances, so be prepared for anything,” Elliot replied as they all faced the passageway Phaendral went down.

  Grim faces were the only answer Elliot got in return. Aldrin and Gryph took point, each with their shields raised and weapons poised to strike. They trekked their way slowly down the passageway, the [Potion of Night Vision] allowing them to see perfectly in the dark tunnel.

  Hurried footsteps echoed down the chamber and no sooner did Phaendral appear. He rounded the corner, eyes wider and paler than usual, holding a gaping wound with his intestines spilling through his fingers.

  Anton and Aldrin immediately cast Minor Healing on him, engulfing him in white light. The wound healed slightly, but then reopened and continued to eat away at his skin. “Tier 5 Poison Curse!” Phaendral breathlessly shouted.

  Gryph and Aldrin opened the shield wall they made as Phaendral came stumbling through to be caught by Elliot. Black blood spilled out of Phaendral’s mouth, squirting some on Elliot’s face that began to eat away at his own skin like acid. Elliot cried out as he furiously and desperately tried to scrub away the acidic blood, causing it to spread to more of his face and hands.

  “What the hell causes Tier 5 Poison and Curse in a Tier 2 Dungeon?!” Gryph demanded, eyes wildly searching every crevice and opening of the tunnel.

  Aldrin kept casting Minor Healing on Elliot as he screamed. Anton used a combination of Healing Hands and Minor Healing on Phaendral but to no avail. The Tier 5 Poison Curse continued to eat its way through his insides. Sizzling and popping were the only sounds made as Phaendral lay there dying by his own acidic blood that ate away his skin and flesh. Anton grunted and chugged a [Magic Potion] giving up on trying to save Phaendral.

  Aldrin’s system notice blared in his vision.

  “I know, damn it! Just give me a minute!” Aldrin said to himself, chugging a [Magic Potion].

  Anton rushed over to help with Elliot, his face pale when Aldrin looked at him. Their eyes briefly met and gently shook his head no. The staccato of marching boots echoed, slowly creeping down the hallway.

  “Guys, what’s the call?!” Gryph panicked.

  Elliot stopped making noises as his hands fell limply to the side, revealing a shiny alabaster skull with empty eye sockets. The Tier 5 Poison Curse ate away at the rest of the flesh on his skull, making Anton heave out our lunch from earlier off to the side. Aldrin was numb to it all as he lost 2 party members in seconds.

  “Oh my god,” Gryph breathlessly said.

  Aldrin read the system notice and read again to make sure what he was reading was correct. A whimper escaped Anton’s mouth as the reality of what shithole they stepped in bore its shit-eating grin to them.

  The boots got louder,this time it was coming from the way they came. Torches lit the passage as whatever was marching towards them came their way. The passage walls amplified the shrieks and guttural growls.

  “I’m going to die here,” Anton began panicking, “Doing something I never wanted to do!” He continued, “I gotta get out of here,” He scampered up and ran off back the way they came regardless of what would happen.

  Roars of whatever was behind them and Anton’s screams traveled back not a moment sooner. Aldrin looked at Gryph, who was looking at the bodies of Phaendral and Elliot before finally meeting Aldrin’s eyes. Fear, terror, and anger danced in the Behemoth’s eyes that Aldrin knew all too well.

  Aldrin picked up the [Key Orb] and did the only thing to do in a moment like this. He looked for any place or indent that would fit the [Key Orb] comfortably. Gryph caught on and started the other wall across from Aldrin. A deep, mischievous laugh rattled through the minds of Gryph and Aldrin, making them wince in pain.

  “I respect those who in the face of death still cling to life. Come, I await to greet thee.” Said a voice so deep it spoke to your greatest fear.

  The wall that Gryph inspected moved with a rumbling shift, giving access to a large stone door that held the lock fitting the [Key Orb]. Aldrin was the first to notice as the pounding in his head died down. Stumbling over, Aldrin barely managed to grab Gryph off the ground before he inserted the [Key Orb], making the stone door open inwards to reveal a shimmering white portal.

  Aldrin pushed Gryph through first before he looked behind briefly, catching a glimpse using Identify of what was coming for them.

  It was burnt orange with lizard scales that covered a human-like face. Its eyes were pure black with teeth that could easily shred through bone, and small black horns dotted around its bald scaled head. It glared at me before it smirked and brandished its jagged-edged, glowing red blade.

  Aldrin’s skin crawled as the Demon looked at him and through him. Aldrin knew it would relish using his bones as a snack before whatever feeling wiggled its way up Aldrin’s spine stopped and he could move again.

  Immediately, Aldrin turned around and jumped through the portal. Passing through the veil, feeling eyes everywhere on his skin before they disappeared altogether. Heat was the next thing that greeted Aldrin, followed by blood-curdling screams of agony off in the distance that made his skin raise in goosebumps.

  He looked around the vast Hellscape to call it. Lava falls dripped into lakes of lava that had other Demons bathing in it glaring at him menacingly. The heat in the atmosphere had turned everything extremely hot, with shades ranging from bright red to the darkest orange. Gas vents erupted, releasing what must have been toxic vapors into the sky. Beyond the vapor-filled area, a mountain ridge was visible, and a storm of red lightning crackled around its peaks.

  “Like my realm?” The deep voice that saved them said.

  Aldrin didn’t want to turn around as his body and mind instinctively knew only death awaited him if he did.

  “Where is my friend?” Aldrin stuttered out.

  “Not brave enough to turn around and ask me directly after I saved you? And not even a thank you? My, I am disappointed. I think I have been away from the Mortal Planes too long,” The deep voice mockingly said.

  A taloned scaled black hand with pulsing veins of lava rested itself on Aldrin’s shoulder in a death grip, giving the warning of instant death if he moved wrong. Whether he wanted to or not, the hand gently forced Aldrin to turn around.

  “There, that’s much better,” The voice said.

  Aldrin came face to face with a chiseled chest of a burnt orange color. Peering upwards into the glowing orange eyes that held the torture of a thousand souls within them was the only thing Aldrin saw first. Both of its arms were the taloned scaled black with pulsing veins of lava that led into its torso. Its legs were normal besides also being taloned scaled black with magma veins. The Demon had a nose that was just two slits, much like a snake. Deadly curved horns that grew out of the side of his head pointed upwards.Thin lips that barely covered his needle-like teeth.

  “Go on, Identify me child,” The Demon taunted with a smile that promised pain.

  Aldrin fought against his rational mind, telling him to run versus listening to the sweet lulling voice of the Demon before him.

  “Are you going to kill me?” Aldrin whimpered.

  “Is that what I asked you to do?” The Demon’s smile grew wider.

  Aldrin used Identify, horrified by the slew of notifications that came to greet him when he did.

  Aldrin's pale face alone made the Demon laugh uproariously with glee.

  “Now, this is what I have missed from mortals! The fear that I give them!” Kilinos bellowed out to his audience, getting shrieks and roars of demonic laughter in return. “Bring the rest to me,” Kilinos smiled viciously.

  Aldrin heard four loud thumps behind him, one of which he could tell was alive because of the struggling grunts. Kilinos continued to eye Aldrin with interest as he watched three bodies and one alive being dragged by Hydra Demon Lancers. It was a momentous day for Kilinos. All his planning and subtle shifts in the mortal plane have finally brought him to this moment.

  “Now normally I wouldn’t particularly care to concern myself with the likes of you and your kind, but I couldn’t let you leave knowing what you saw either,” Kilinos shared.

  “It’s a trade secret that I am sure your Gods didn’t share! OH WAIT! THEY CAN’T CAUSE THEY’RE DEAD!” Kilinos teased, letting out a deep menacing laugh.

  Aldrin stood there silently, looking around the room for any hopes of escape, but he was greeted with diminishing hopes as all the demons present here were fourth and fifth Tier classes, with Kilinos being the only sixth Tier here. Gryph was soon thrown down next to Aldrin, his face bloody, with one eye swollen. His mouth looked like it had barbed wires sewn through it to keep him from speaking, and his armor was broken in various areas. It seemed like Gryph got the shit end of the Demon treatment. The three other bodies who he assumed were his teammates were then roughly dropped around Aldrin in a full circle, with Gryph to the left of him and the body of Elliot to the right of him. Aldrin could only assume the two thuds behind him were the bodies of Phaendral and Anton.

  “I can see the gears of your mind turn,” Kilinos said, bringing Aldrin out of his reverie. “So I am just going to cut straight to it,” He continued, “I am going to enact a ritual which in turn will make you into a herald for me until you gain an equal footing in terms of power,” He explained, clapping his hands together at the end.

  “Fitting it would be a healer to end up the one being the taker of life,” Kilinos teased again, making the smile that promised pain bloom again.

  Aldrin’s breath grew short and rapid as Kilinos took two steps back from him, raised his hand with his palm facing toward the red sky of the realm, and enacted a barrier. Aldrin looked around as pillars of flames so hot they were white erupted from the ground. Cowled hunched-back creatures emerged from those pillars of white flames, each carrying a staff that made Aldrin’s skin want to crawl off and away from him.

  “Begin,” Kilinos commanded.

  The chanting started low and held a primal edge to it that Aldrin desperately tried to cover his ears from. Blood flowed outward from the bodies of the three dead companions. Gryph started having a seizure as his one good eye rolled into the back of his head. Kilinos stood there as he let his Hadean Magistrate(s) do the heavy lifting.

  Aldrin lost track of time as his consciousness grew hazy. He didn’t know if what he was feeling was a severe case of vertigo or if this was what it felt like to die, as his whole body felt like it was doing flips. He felt his skin peeling away, revealing all of his flesh underneath. The pain that came after left him wishing he would die as a tendril of white flame bathed him and burnt away the rest of his flesh, only leaving his skeleton intact. He knew he should be dead, but something forced him to cling to life still.

  Kilinos’ booming laugh was the only thing that reminded Aldrin of where he was as the chanting grew louder and rapid. He felt his bony feet lift off the ground. The chanting grew into a crescendo, then the realm shook. Streaks of red lightning darted across the sky and the eyes that Aldrin felt when he passed through into this realm from the portal looked at him again. His mind, being unable to handle anymore, finally let his consciousness slip away.

  He awoke to pins and needles running up and down his entire body as the ritual remade his bones. Then there was another round of mind numbing pain that sent him back into darkness. The next sensation he felt was the itching, awakening him to see flesh growing back onto his skeletal frame. Aldrin didn’t know how much time had passed as he slipped in and out, but the last time he awoke, they sprawled him out on the rocky ground. Kilinos stood over him as he began to fully awake.

  “Wakey wakey new brother!” Kilinos greeted Aldrin.

  Groggily sitting himself up, bleary-eyed, and disoriented, he remembered where he was when he looked at Kilinos again. He tried to scoot himself backwards, fumbling with his limbs as they were not responding as they normally should.

  “Don’t worry, the grogginess you feel now should pass,” Kilinos explained as he knelt down beside Aldrin.

  “Now, to complete the ritual!” He clapped his hands and a small cup of thick, dark red liquid was brought forth from one witch.

  Kneeling over Aldrin, the witch pushed the cup to Aldrin’s mouth, making it slosh back and forth yet never spilling a drop. A nauseating burning feeling erupted from Aldrin’s stomach as the tantalizing scent drifted upward into his nose. Aldrin’s notification kept blinking, but he ignored it in favor of that sweet dark liquid. Ripping the cup out of the witch's hands, he voraciously chugged it down, noticing that the nauseating burning feeling subsided. Kilinos grinned and had another cup on hand, ready to go. Aldrin threw that cup away and raced for the second cup that another witch held out. The desire for the dark red liquid lasted for another five cups before Aldrin could regain his sanity, and the burning feeling in his stomach disappeared.

  “I’m sure you’ll find a way to manage that when the time comes or maybe you’ll just cause unfettered destruction,” Kilinos debated with himself.

  “What did you do to me?” Aldrin asked hoarsely.

  “Gave you a gift, so to speak,” Kilinos got up to walk around in a circle around Aldrin. “Now that being said, here is what’s gonna happen. You are going to check your system messages, you’re gonna panic, probably pass out from the sudden shock, and then you’ll wake up on the outside of this Dungeon with a quest from me and be on your way,” Kilinos stated as he continued to walk around Aldrin with his hands clasped behind his back.

  “What?” Aldrin sputtered.

  Kilinos sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Just check your system messages,” He finally said.

  Aldrin focused on the blinking red dot in the corner of his vision that held his notifications.

  “What?” Aldrin whispered, then he pulled up his status screen.

  “What the fuck...” Wide eyed Aldrin said to himself.

  “We have great things in store for you,” Kilinos said as the change Aldrin went through finally caught up with him, lulling him to sleep.

  Fear was the only thing that accompanied Aldrin to his slumber.