The system didn't wait long to remind them who was in control.
As Ravi leaned against the cracked wall of the outpost, the voice rang out like thunder inside his skull:
[Main Scenario #3: Into the Dark]Objective: Survive the descent.]Time Limit: 45 minutes.]
Before anyone could process the words, the blue barrier dissolved.
The ground shuddered beneath their feet. A yawning hole split open in the center of the plaza, stone and dirt crumbling away into an abyss of black. The air rushing out of it was cold, foul, reeking of mildew and rot.
The crowd recoiled. Some screamed. Others scrambled for the edges of the outpost, as if they could escape the pull. But the system was merciless.
[Warning: All players must enter the designated zone.]
And then came the push. Not physical, but irresistible a pull behind the eyes, a weight on the chest, dragging them toward the abyss. One by one, bodies toppled forward, vanishing into the hole like moths into flame.
Ravi cursed as his legs moved against his will. He tightened his grip on the pipe, the rope coiled over his shoulder. The world tilted. Darkness swallowed him whole.
For a heartbeat, there was nothing. No air, no sound, no light.
Then he landed hard on damp stone. His knees buckled, palms scraping across rough rock. Around him, others crashed to the ground, groaning, gasping.
The darkness was absolute.
No glow of the system text. No faint light from the surface. Only the sound of frantic breathing, boots scraping on stone, someone's muffled sobs.
"Where… where are we?" a voice whispered.
Ravi forced his own breathing steady. His mind raced back to memory. He'd been here before. He remembered the stench, the weight of the dark, the first sound that shattered the silence.
And right on cue, it came.
A low growl.
It slithered through the cavern, vibrating in the bones. Wet, guttural, hungry.
Then another. And another.
Dozens. Surrounding them.
Someone screamed. The sound echoed wildly, bouncing off unseen walls.
"Shut up!" Ravi snapped. "Don't make it worse!"
But it was too late.
The growls rose into shrieks. Footsteps or claws skittered across stone. The sound of teeth clicking together in the dark.
Ravi's gut tightened. He could almost picture them shapes just out of sight, bodies low to the ground, jaws lined with knives.
His voice cut through the panic. "Everyone! Back-to-back, form a circle! Don't let them split us!"
Some listened, stumbling into formation. Others broke, scrambling blindly into the dark. Their footsteps vanished, swallowed by the void. A second later, so did their screams.
Ravi cursed under his breath. He fumbled at his belt, pulling free the rope. His hands worked by memory, tying one end to his wrist. He shoved the coil toward the nearest survivor. "Tie it. Pass it around. If the lights don't come back, this keeps us together."
The man obeyed with trembling hands. The rope moved from wrist to wrist, linking half a dozen survivors into a chain.
A hiss tore through the dark. Something lunged.
Ravi swung the pipe by instinct. The impact reverberated up his arms. A howl of pain rang out, followed by the wet slap of a body retreating into the black.
Coins chimed faintly in his vision proof the thing had bled.
[Monster injured. +10 Coins.]
But the victory was short-lived. More skittering. More shrieks. They were everywhere, testing, circling.
Arjun's calm voice cut through the din. "They're waiting for us to panic."
"Yeah?" Ravi gritted his teeth, pipe raised. "Then let's give them a reason to wait longer."
The air grew colder. The sounds drew closer. The teeth in the dark were patient, but hunger always won in the end.
Ravi exhaled slowly, centering himself. He couldn't see them. Could barely hear over the pounding of his own heart.
But he remembered.
The dark wasn't unbeatable. It just demanded a price.
And as the timer ticked down
[Time Remaining: 42:19]
he knew the real fight hadn't even begun.