Rona and I slid down the long, winding tunnel. It was narrow, damp, and so twisted that it felt less like a slide and more like being flushed down the universe's toilet.
"Wahahahahaha!" Rona's wild laugh bounced off the walls like a maniacal echo.
Me?
I passed out the moment gravity took control.
My eyes were rolled back, my soul halfway to the afterlife. This wasn't a ride—it was punishment from the gods.
Then—
Swoosh!
"Ugh…" A blinding light hit my face like a divine slap. I shut my eyes tight, but before I could scream—
SLAM!
My entire body crashed into a stone wall. No. Correction: I became the wall.
"ARGH!" I tried to scream, but the wall swallowed my voice. Every inch of me was stuck—plastered like a human sticker. I wriggled like a struggling bug. 'This is not working. There's no space. I can't even flail properly.'
Crack.
A small piece of rock crumbled beside my shoulder. 'Wait… that moved.' I shifted my arm, slowly freeing it from the stone.
Crack. Crack.
Bang!
I dropped to the ground like a potato sack.
"MY BUTT!" I screamed. Pain shot through my tailbone. I massaged it, gritting my teeth. "Ugh… Gravity's a sadist."
Plop. Plop.
Water?
I touched the top of my head—dripping.
I looked up. Dozens of sharp stalactites loomed above like the jaws of a beast. I froze, scanning the vast expanse of the cave. It was enormous—breathtaking even, in that 'I-might-die-here' kind of way. Crystals glittered faintly in the distance. Stalagmites jutted from the ground like jagged teeth.
Step. Step.
I turned to see Rona standing beside the human-shaped dent I'd left in the wall.
"Hahaha! Was Lil trying to make a snow angel? This is a wall, not snow, silly~" she teased, poking the dent.
"Yeah… Silly me." I laughed awkwardly, brushing dust from my clothes.
I checked her from head to toe. "You seem fine."
"Rona stopped herself before becoming modern art," she replied proudly.
I stared at the wall again. "…It does look like a cartoon crash scene."
Rona nodded seriously. "Exactly."
Then—
RUMBLE…
The ground trembled.
"Oh no." I looked up, eyes wide. "Not the ceiling—"
CRACK. CRACK.
CRASH!
Stalactites shattered around us like thrown spears. One missed me by inches, smashing into the ground with deadly force.
"Rona! DODGE!"
I shoved her aside, tumbling to safety.
BOOM!
The dust cleared.
Heart pounding, I whispered, "That could've been us…"
But the shaking stopped.
"LM! Rona's here!" she suddenly shouted and dashed deeper into the cave.
"Wait—Rona! Don't run off!" I scrambled after her.
The further we went, the hotter it became. Sweat dripped down my back. My chest felt tight.
"...Huff... huff…"
[You have acquired a new skill: Heat Resistance.]
Cool air wrapped around me like a breath of relief. The dizziness faded. My vision cleared.
Ahead, something sparkled.
I crouched and picked it up. "Crystals? Why does this feel… heavy?"
It was dull, but dense. Not decorative—functional.
I opened the group chat—
[Unable to send message due to current location.]
"Ugh. Great. Just great." I sighed and slipped it into my inventory. "Isaac can analyze it later."
[Heat Resistance: Level Up!]
[Heat Resistance: Level 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → MAX]
I groaned. "Can I mute these things?"
Drip.
Something wet echoed again.
I followed the sound—and froze.
The cavern opened into a massive chamber filled with towering crystal clusters, glowing faintly.
"Wooooow…"
I stepped onto the first one cautiously. It held my weight.
One wrong step and I'd be skewered by the deadly spikes below.
"No negative thoughts."
One careful step at a time.
Each footfall echoed like fate holding its breath.
When I reached the other side, I collapsed in relief. "I did it!"
[Heat Resistance has reached MAX Level.]
"Thanks for the help, system…"
But suddenly the air turned cold. My fingers stiffened.
"What now?"
[You have acquired a new skill: Cold Resistance.]
Warmth returned instantly. My body adjusted like magic.
"Nice… That's better."
Step.
Step.
Crunch. Crunch.
I heard something.
Chewing?
Don't tell me… LM's eating Rona?!
I sprinted forward.
"RONA!"
I skidded to a stop.
There she was.
Safe.
Sitting beside LM.
Munch. Munch. Chomp.
They were both snacking on the crystals like old pals at a buffet.
"YUM! Rona never tasted something like this before!"
I blinked at them, stunned. 'What am I looking at…?'
I walked over and crouched beside her.
"Rona. That's not edible."
"Lil! Want some?" Her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk, hands full of crystals.
I stared at the crystal. Saw dollar signs.
"Sure," I said and pocketed it.
"Rona, stop eating the cave!"
"Rona likey~"
"You'll get constipation."
I turned to LM.
Then the crystal.
Then back again.
"…No. It can't be… Right?"
"Gwargh…" LM suddenly trembled and let out a low groan.
"Was that… a burp?"
"Rona didn't know worms could burp," she giggled.
LM suddenly bolted, wiggling toward a hole it created in the wall.
RUMBLE.
CLANG. CLANG.
More crystals fell like missiles.
KRAK!
One stabbed into the floor inches from us.
"THAT WAS HALF AN INCH!"
I was sweating bullets.
The cave began to collapse.
I grabbed Rona's hand. "We gotta go! Now!"
We chased LM, crawling through the tunnel it left behind.
And then—fresh air.
We stumbled out into the forest.
"YES! AIR!" I collapsed to the grass in relief.
"Rona found tracks!" she pointed at the huge trench LM left behind.
I groaned. "How can something that huge move that fast?!"
And we ran.
[Isaac – Dungeon Entrance]
Rustle. Rustle.
Isaac arrived at the edge of the forest. His brow furrowed.
Nothing. Just an empty plain.
He tapped the map again. "This is the place…"
A foul wind blew past.
He raised his voice. "I know you're here."
"Hahahaha…"
A chilling laugh echoed.
Mr. James appeared out of thin air, perched on a boulder with Looney sitting on his shoulder like a pet.
"Hello, my little bunny. Where are the others? Eaten, perhaps?"
Isaac didn't blink. He drew his katana. The blade shimmered under the fading light.
"In your dreams, lunatic. Hand over the worm."
"Oh? You want Looney?" Mr. James grinned like a shark.
Isaac narrowed his eyes. "That's what I said."
"Then…" Mr. James raised a hand. "Beat him."
Looney leapt down. Its body expanded—twisting and growing until it stood several stories tall, towering like a mountain of muscle and scales.
"Have fun~" Mr. James vanished, laughter trailing behind him.
Isaac exhaled slowly, raising his sword.
"…Llyne's bad luck is contagious."
"GUWOOHHHHHHHH!!!"
Looney roared, the ground splitting beneath its tail as it slammed toward Isaac.