Morning light—if it could be called that—was faint and distorted.
Echo led Kael to a new doorway, a black arch flickering between two alien trees.
[Tutorial Dungeon: "The Hollow Maze"]
[Recommended Resonance Levels: 1–3]
Kael swallowed. "Define tutorial."
"Low-risk environment. Mortality rates are minimized."
He laughed bitterly. "What's low?"
"Forty-seven percent death rate."
He swore under his breath.
Steeling himself, he stepped through.
The world shifted.
A labyrinth of shifting stone walls stretched before him. The ground pulsed beneath his feet as darkness swallowed all beyond five feet.
Echo whispered in his mind. "The maze adapts. It is alive. Do not trust the walls."
A chittering grew behind him.
Walls began to move.
A shriek pierced the air as segmented, eyeless creatures poured from floor cracks.
Kael ran, turning sharply—only to be trapped by closing walls.
A creature lunged.
He caught it midair, slamming it down.
Two more followed.
[Pain Response: +8 Resonant Charge]
[Unlock: Burst Pulse I]
Energy exploded outward in a shockwave, turning the swarm to ash.
Kael collapsed, one nostril bleeding.
[Health: 26%]
"Echo—get me out of here!"
"No exit until the boss is defeated."
"The worst tutorial guide ever!"
Ahead, walls parted, revealing a chamber glowing with eerie light.
At its center stood the boss—a towering beast of bone and steam, eyes stitched shut.
No weapons. No allies.
Kael stepped forward.