On the first delve, the dungeon claimed three lives.

  Kuzo and Bram returned empty-handed.

  They slept through the night; the waves kept them company.

  On the second delve, Kuzo and Bram entered with three more men.

  They returned with one, but with their sacrifices Kuzo and Bram explored even more of the second floor.

  They meandered through thin pathways all whilst thick black arms lunged at their legs.

  Kuzo walked with his sword drawn; it sailed through the air at the ankle-biters beneath him.

  Bram, meanwhile, clung to Kuzo’s back like a wet dog.

  And the third man — well — he survived didn’t he? A few toes were lost in the process, sure, but alive nonetheless.

  Their party of three made it about a quarter way through the second floor.

  On the third delve, and thus the third day, they made it halfway through the second floor.

  It was then that Erin started to panic.

  They’re advancing way too fast!! He thought.

  So he returned his attention to the mountain’s peak where the bat’s originated from.

  His presence slithered through their ranks: studying, analyzing, inspecting.

  Erin found two bats that he liked; he poured his mana into them, forged their cores, and directed them to his dungeon.

  On the fourth night, whilst Kuzo and the others slept, the two bats slipped into the dungeon unnoticed.

  They flew straight into the depths of the second floor, into the canyon, where they underwent a transformation.

  Unlike almost all other instances, Erin did not make these bats bigger; rather, he made them faster.

  Erin spent a lot of time focused on the bat’s pelt; he wanted them to glide through the air like oil in water: slippery, illusive, almost impossibly so.

  But how does one do that?

  Within the air, a multitude of elements existed: various gasses that each weighed a different amount, each rose and fell a different amount, each responded to temperature a different amount.

  Erin’s logical brain could not find a solution.

  His core could though.

  The mana in the air, in response to his will — his desire — was able to accomplish it.

  The bat’s pelt darkened; more than black, as if their fur itself absorbed the light.

  It cast a shadow-effect on the bats; their visage twisted into something darker, as even in the light they remained among the shadow.

  In addition to their rapt change in color, their fur also grew greasy. From the bat’s pores, miniscopic driblets of a mucus-like-substance started to fall.

  Slippery to the touch, Erin was confident no net or cage could entrap these bats. From there, Erin provided them with the appropriate tools for slaughter.

  He sharpened their wings and extended their reach. With wider wingspans, Erin hoped to grant the bat’s more aerial mobility; he envisioned them cutting through the wind, using large bursts of air to quickly maneuver around his dungeon.

  Along the edges of their wings, Erin formed a single, elongated talon. The talon mirrored silver; it was sharp, reflective, and deadly.

  But Erin wanted more.

  He directed his attention to the coral reefs. There, he searched for the sea urchins.

  He slid his mana into one; then another.

  Erin’s mana coursed through their blood, their limbs, and their being. Inside and out, Erin studied the sea critters.

  In no time at all, he retreated back to his dungeon — to the venomous bats to be.

  Erin sharpened their fangs, but more importantly, he developed a second-hand pedicellaria just behind the bat’s fangs.

  The pedicellariae, or the part of the sea urchin that produces venom, was the perfect fit for Erin’s new species. The venom acted slow, with a life cycle of twenty-four hours.

  In the first four hours, numbness assaulted the victim.

  First their finger-tips and toes, then their wrists, their joints, and by the time the numbness grew concerning, the pain would flare.

  After four hours — the hot zone — the venom ignited within the victim, it attacked their nervous system, much like the sensation of burning alive; it started in the hands, but very quickly spread to the victim’s chest.

  Although no real harm befalled the victim until this point, the pain would certainly be excruciating; and if the unlucky victim was still alive after twenty hours, only hell awaited them.

  Erosion; or disintegration.

  The nerves themselves, after prolonged torture, would begin to erode.

  Erin couldn’t even imagine what that would feel like.

  There was an antidote; of course, Erin wasn’t a sadist.

  He even made the antidote fairly abundant; it practically lined the second floor.

  The antidote for the bat’s venom grew within the floor’s algae — but the algae could not be consumed raw — no — that would be too simple.

  Instead, Erin concocted a simple rune around the inner-ring of the first floor’s fountain. As such, new patterns emerged upon the fountain: ancient, geometric, all-connected.

  To purify the algae, it could be dipped into the water found on the first floor. When dipped, the water would shine and the once turquoise algae would instead ignite orange — an indication that the antidote had been activated.

  The goal of the venom and the antidote, much like the cat and the mouse, was to entrap the adventurers in an endless loop.

  Erin hoped that these changes would slow down the adventurer’s descent, which would allot him more time to experiment with his mana

  In addition to the new bats, Erin also began to work on his dungeon ecosystems; thus far, the second floor was populated with Bat-Apes, the new bats, the algae, and water. From there, Erin invited bugs and flora.

  Along the canyon’s riverbed, Erin formed a miniature stream of water — about a foot deep. He stole some of the moss from the coral bed along the shores. He invited some translucent, tiny shrimp too — but in order for this to happen — Erin first had to dig a tunnel from his dungeon to the sea.

  The tunnel was small — for now — just large enough to pass a cannonball through.

  Erin also planted some weeds along the canyon; he selected a berry bush from the surface and modified it to produce mist, effectively moistening the bottom of the canyon whilst simultaneously obscuring its presence.

  Worms, dragon-flys, spiders, two species of lizard, one species of snake, and a bed of seaweed later; Erin finally moved onto other things.

  For example, throughout the week of constant raids, Erin discovered a feature among his dungeon that he had overlooked prior; what happened to the people who died?

  When the white haired man from long ago perished, Erin had fallen into a slumber immediately thereafter.

  Many times, in fact, Erin’s ability to observe and learn from the world had been stripped of him due to spontaneous bouts of rest.

  Erin figured it was stress or adrenaline; something internal — within him — that caused the slumbers, but Erin no longer believed that.

  Instead, he thought it was a type of evolution.

  Erin had noticed that when humans died within his grounds their mana returned to the environment; it burst out of their limited bodies of flesh and converged with the tainted mana among the air — but before it faded entirely — Erin could direct it towards himself.

  Like a whirlpool, Erin directed the bursts of mana unto his core; and whenever Erin’s core had absorbed enough mana — slumber struck him.

  If that’s not an evolution, I don’t know what is. Erin thought.

  From this realization, however, Erin had more to learn; did this effect apply to magic beasts, for example?

  To begin with, Erin excluded the beasts of his own modification. He believed that, since the beasts were molded from his mana, their mana would not so succinctly return to him upon their deaths — as Erin had to expend mana to create them, he did not think the dungeon would reward him with an infinite cycle of create and return.

  He tried it, of course.

  Or rather; he acutely observed the inner-workings of his mana upon Smoky’s seventh death.

  Poor guy.

  And upon his seventh death, like the six others, when Smoky died his ambient mana retreated back into his core — the core Erin had manipulated to stimulate various forms of evolution.

  This occurred to all of the beasts within Erin’s halls; when slaughtered their mana returned to their core’s.

  But when the human’s were slaughtered, however, their mana returned to the world.

  Moreover, if that happened to be within a dungeon, the mana instead flowed to the dungeon’s core.

  Does this prevent humans from being resurrected? Erin thought.

  As in order to resurrect Smoky for the umpteenth time, Erin required his core and mana therein to be intact.

  An impossibility, at least from what Erin had seen, for humans.

  The Batarangs, meanwhile, (the new species of venomous bat) settled into the dungeon’s second floor. Their first batch of offspring had been born and hopefully, by the next day’s dawn, Erin could implement them into his dungeon.

  On the fifth day, however, Erin’s dungeon was not raided. When the sun rose and cast its light upon the world, Erin cast his gaze towards the adventurer’s camp.

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  Kuzo stood alone in what appeared to be the camp’s central-most tent. It was the largest tent amongst them and unlike the rest, a large table had been constructed within it.

  Kuzo stood over the table. He studied a map; a map of Erin’s dungeon. It fully encapsulated Erin’s first floor. The map included the type of enemy, the number, and the locations and details of all of his traps.

  For the second floor, however, there was much left to be discovered.

  The map of the second floor was incomplete; it resembled a maze, it had a slew of thin pathways that converged around one another, each a step away from plummeting into pitch blackness.

  Upon the map, Kuzo had marked each section of algae. He marked the deadends too and the pathways yet to be fully extinguished.

  There were three left; three pathways that hadn’t been explored. One traveled east, one north, and one west.

  Thus far the maze of the second floor followed no preset pattern; Kuzo had already walked along the left and right sides respectively with his hands permanently stuck to each wall.

  The maze, unfortunately, proved too great; that was the only real reason they hadn’t explored further, after all.

  Kuzo and Bram were simply lost. The beasts of the second floor, although deadly, were not so much for Kuzo and Bram.

  Kuzo’s reaction time, regardless of light or dark, was too keen for the Bat-Apes. Some sixth sense seemed to guide him as he effortlessly side-stepped and beheaded Bat-Ape left and right.

  It was so severe, at one point, that Erin had to manually regrow many of the Bat-Ape’s hands as they were often left with nothing more than stumps.

  In addition to Kuzo’s intense deliberation over Erin’s second floor, the day off more so manifested as thanks to Bram’s request.

  Bram laid sprawled on the beach.

  He was shirtless on the sands and as he stretched, his core muscles glistened underneath the sunlight.

  His white shaggy hair was greasy and loose.

  His hands behind his head, Bram exhaled leisurely.

  Nobles. Erin scoffed.

  On the sixth day, Kuzo and Bram entered again — although with a woman this time.

  That’s new. Erin noticed immediately.

  Not the woman part; Erin noticed that Kuzo and Bram entered with a woman — alone.

  For all other raids, apart from the initial inspection with Hyzen — Kuzo had entered with five people. Erin assumed it was tradition, simply the way adventurers adventured: in party’s of five.

  Today, however, proved otherwise.

  The woman, meanwhile, was different.

  She wore gray robes with black boots. Her hands were covered in leather gloves and a hood guarded her face, but she was petite.

  She stood a head beneath Kuzo and even more underneath Bram. Luckily, Erin’s senses transcended mere vision.

  He saw underneath the woman’s hood; she had dark skin — not dark brown as was typical for southerner’s — her skin was gray; the same as her robes.

  And her eyes… Erin was lost in them.

  Violet.

  Indescribably, remarkably violet; near celestial.

  Erin directed his attention to the party’s conversation. From eavesdropping, he discovered her name.

  Lyra. Erin said to himself.

  With Lyra in tow, the party of three quickly made it to the second floor; Smoky didn’t stand a chance.

  Then, they stepped into the second floor’s caverns and the air stilled; a tinge of wetness pervaded the area and a soft light buzzed from the corners of the enclave.

  Kuzo led. Then Bram. Lyra followed.

  Kuzo’s sword was drawn; Bram’s hands were raised; Lyra though — she continued nonchalant.

  She kept her hands in her robes, her head down.

  Erin looked closer.

  Her eyes are closed. He realized.

  Lyra moved through the dungeon without sight.

  Then, a howling shriek pierced the air and an arm exploded out from the dark.

  *shing*

  Kuzo’s blade flew across the air and cut through bone.

  “EEEEE!!!” The Bat-Ape wailed.

  Another claw burst from the darkness on the right. Without batting his eye, Kuzo pulled a throwing knife from his jacket and launched it towards the beast.

  The knife cracked against the Bat-Ape’s skull and the beast rolled back, plunged into darkness.

  More Bat-Apes emerged. Bram casted a spell.

  The winds tore through the cavern, ruffling their clothes and assaulting Bram’s hair; the wind blasted like a gale and slammed into the side of the pitfalls.

  The Bat-Ape’s along the walls dug their nails into the stone, but the gale winds proved too ferocious.

  The Bat-Ape’s fell into the abyss; their shrieks and howls echoed until void.

  For a few hours, scenes like this unraveled; Bat-Ape’s attacked, but to no blaring success. In the same light, in the time that Erin observed the trio — Lyra hadn’t made a single move.

  She never casted a spell or drew a weapon; she did nothing apart from follow Bram’s back.

  Soon, though, the trio would arrive at the halfway point.

  There, the Batarangs would make their debut.

  ***

  “The impasse is just ahead.” Kuzo’s stern voice traveled far.

  “Finally!” Bram commented. “And here I thought we were lost again.”

  The trio approached an intersection within the underground maze. From their vantage point, three pathways emerged.

  They stood on a circular stone spire; all around them, the pit consumed. Three thin bridges of stone broke off from the stone center — explored-pathways-to-be.

  In the center of the spire, darkness engulfed them. Some algae grew along the ceiling, but for the most part, the trio stood in darkness.

  Kuzo turned towards Lyra.

  “You’re up.” He said.

  Finally, Lyra opened her eyes; she pulled her hands from her robes and with them, she pulled down her hood.

  Ears! Erin noticed immediately.

  Lyra’s ears were long and pointed and bedazzled with silver rings.

  She was bald and along her smooth scalp, geometric runes covered her head and slid down her spine.

  Her irradiant eyes peered through the darkness. In fact, she easily spotted the three pathways, Erin watched as her eyes juggled between them.

  “I sense mana from-” Lyra began.

  “GET DOWN!!” Kuzo bellowed.

  He sprinted across the stone pillar and crashed into Lyra. The two slammed to the ground.

  Meanwhile, Bram recited an incantation.

  “Shaped Wind: Revolving Dome!”

  A stream of wind surged towards Bram and blew around him. From the eye of the storm, Bram poured his mana into the spell, further enhancing its strength.

  The winds tore at their robes.

  Bats, miniature little creatures, flew into the impasse and rushed towards the center spire.

  The Batarangs dove from the air like fighter pilots, and like kamikaze’s, they crashed into the revolving winds unceremoniously.

  The Batarangs entangled with the winds.

  They spiraled around the air and plummeted around the cavern; some slammed into the walls, others caught their bearings and returned to the dark: hiding, waiting, hunting.

  Bram’s spell weakened.

  Sweat dripped from the fourth born’s forehead; he unclasped his hands and slid his hair back into place.

  “Get off of me!” Lyra pushed Kuzo.

  “I can take care of my-”

  Kuzo drew his sword and thrust it towards Lyra. His blade slid past her cheek.

  *ting*

  It collided with one of her earrings, but upon his sword’s edge, a bat twitched its final movements.

  Lyra caught her breath. Seconds after the fact, she dodged to the right.

  “Th-thanks.” She said.

  Kuzo brought his sword to his face. He inspected the small bat impaled upon it.

  “These are new.” Kuzo stated.

  “Now’s really not the time!!” Bram shouted.

  From beyond the veil of black, shrieks and sonic howls grew louder.

  A flock of Batarangs emerged from the North; they blotched the cavern’s ceiling and snuffed out the algae’s soft glow.

  For a moment, the only light therein burned from within Lyra’s eye sockets.

  Kuzo lit a match.

  “Shaped Wind: Revolving Dome!” Bram repeated the spell.

  The winds surged forth; a momentary shield from the tide of Batarangs.

  From within the storm, a single match lit, a flicker of flame.

  All around, the bats entangled with the wind; they fought and screeched, they dove from the ceiling, they tore against the winds — but their mass proved too little to pierce the storm.

  *thump*

  *thump*

  The ground quaked.

  *thump*

  From the East, something shook the very dungeon itself.

  “Bram!!” Kuzo shouted.

  He threw his match into the storm.

  Then, with intense precision, Bram used his winds to send the match skyward — East.

  The match’s light flickered in the wind; it casted shadows along the cavern’s walls: beasts dancing and nightmares warped.

  The burning match hit the stone floor.

  *thump*

  The foot of a beast emerged from the veil above; it plummeted through the air and crushed the match beneath its meaty paw.

  “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!!” Lyra shouted above the intense winds.

  “SOMETHING NEW AGAIN!!” Bram roared back.

  Kuzo lit another match; in fact, he lit the whole pack.

  “We’re switching to plan B!!” Kuzo said.

  He ripped a throwing knife from his vest and launched it into the storm.

  “Bram!!” Kuzo yelled.

  “I GOT IT!!” Bram whipped the dagger around and shot it due East.

  Kuzo slapped his palms together; he pressed his thumbs to one another then interlocked his knuckles.

  “Silver’s Fall: Mirrored Steps.”

  Kuzo vanished.

  His figure appeared beyond the storm — in the dark — beside the dagger he had thrown moments ago.

  As he hung in the air, Kuzo grasped his dagger and threw it once more; it sailed through the air and plunged into the thick back of the beast.

  Then, Kuzo steeled himself. He gripped his sword with both his hands and rapidly spun his torso.

  “Second Form: Whirlwind!”

  Kuzo’s figure struck like lightning. He plummeted from above, spinning incessantly as he descended.

  His sword struck something thick. It sank into it while Kuzo’s momentum kept him going.

  He razed down the edge of the beast like a whirlwind. He eviscerated its right arm into sashimi.

  “RREUOOOOO!!” The monster’s roar penetrated the air.

  Meanwhile, the winds slowed down.

  Bram stumbled forward heaving. He clutched his chest. His expression was grim.

  Lit by the flickering flames of the matchbox below, Bram’s demeanor did not look good.

  He looked at Lyra.

  Lyra’s eyes were closed.

  Her hands were clasped.

  She mumbled to herself — an incantation — but one much longer than what Kuzo and Bram were used to.

  Finally, she opened her violet eyes.

  “Will Of Omen: Skyfall.”

  As her words fell from her lips, Lyra’s eyes shone brighter.

  A wave of mana exploded with her at the epicenter; her robes displaced wildly, her runes — her markings — burned teal.

  As the wave of mana spread through the caverns, it infected the Batarangs and Bat-Apes; it clung to their flesh and weighed heavily upon them.

  The Batarangs among the air… began to fall.

  They plummeted from above like meteors in the night sky.

  Their meek voices screamed and echoed throughout the void until a symphony of thuds played one after the other.

  The Batarangs crashed onto the floor; a pressure held them down — it cracked the stone underneath them — and killed many of the beasts under the pressure. Their organs popped, their eyes bulged, and their brains splattered.

  As the Batarangs fell, the behemoth Bat-Ape engaged with Kuzo kneeled.

  The weight pressed down on its shoulders; it dragged him to the ground and pinned him there.

  The large Bat-Ape resisted. Its veins bulged with ferocity as it pressed its powerful forearms into the stone and against the pressure.

  But while it fought against the added pressure, it could no longer resist Kuzo’s onslaught.

  “Silver’s Fall: Execution.”

  A flash of white light.

  Kuzo’s sword slashed across the air.

  The beast’s head slid off its shoulders and plummeted to the ground.

  Bram’s eyes widened out of their sockets.

  His vision scattered along the mess of bat corpses that littered the spire.

  Most of them were dead and the ones that weren’t, they twitched and heaved disgustingly — as their bones were likely broken, their organs likely pierced and leaking.

  Bram looked at Lyra.

  “Holy shi-”

  “Ouch!” Lyra yelped.

  She jumped to the side. Beneath her, a barely-breathing-Batarang nicked her ankle with its fangs.

  Lyra angrily stared at the beast. Her eyes ignited.

  *squish*

  The Batarang’s flesh slammed into the stone so thoroughly that its bones and muscles turned to mush.

  “Are you okay?” Kuzo approached.

  “I’m fine.” Lyra remarked.

  “Kuzo did you see that?!” Bram lit up.

  “She killed them all!”

  “I’m aware.” Kuzo replied. “Which means her rate just went up.”

  “It sure did.” Lyra commented.

  “Five hundred gold coins — or I walk right now.”

  “Five hundred!!” Bram exacerbated.

  “Fine,” Kuzo didn’t miss a beat, “but you’ll need to return to Moorndell to collect the additional four hundred.”

  Lyra paused.

  “Fine,” She said, “but you’re going to escort me there.”

  Kuzo’s eyebrow twitched.

  “Then, we have a deal.”