The world tilted, and for a heartbeat there was nothing but rushing wind and darkness.
Lin screamed as he plummeted. "THIS BETTER NOT BE A BOTTOMLESS PIT!"
Elara clutched his arm. Nyra's staff glowed faintly as she muttered a spell, slowing their fall. Even Crystal's voice dropped a register. "Impact in three… two…"
They hit water with a deafening splash.
---
A New World Below
Lin surfaced, gasping. "Water! Actual water! Not lava, not fire — WATER!"
They floated in a wide underground lake glowing with faint blue light. Bioluminescent vines hung from the cavern ceiling like stars. Stalactites dripped, making the air cool and damp.
Elara pushed wet hair from her face. "Where are we?"
Crystal's voice had a different tone now. "You've entered a hidden sub-biome: the Undercurrent Caverns. Level scaling adjusted. Fire elemental density: 0%. Hydrate freely."
Lin's eyes widened. "Wait… no fire?"
"No fire."
He threw his arms up. "THANK YOU, GAME GODS!"
Nyra swam closer, staring at the glowing vines. "This place wasn't on the map. It's older than the desert. Very few players find it."
---
The Scorpion Above
A thunderous roar echoed from above. The scorpion's claws scraped against the canyon walls, but it didn't follow them into the water. Its molten body hissed at the edge, unable to descend.
Lin shouted up at it, voice echoing. "Yeah! Stay up there, you overcooked lobster!"
Crystal: "You realize taunting the apex predator isn't helpful?"
"Don't care! Finally, something that can't follow me!"
Elara muttered, "You're insane."
---
The Biome Twist
They swam to a ledge and climbed out. The cavern floor was slick with moss that glowed faintly. Strange fish swam in shallow pools — translucent, with glowing cores.
Nyra knelt by one. "These are spirit fish. Eating one restores mana. But don't anger them — they swarm."
Lin crouched next to her. "Spirit fish. Cool. Not flaming fish?"
"No. These are calm."
A faint ripple moved through the water. All the fish suddenly darted deeper, disappearing into cracks in the rock.
Crystal's tone sharpened. "Movement detected."
Lin froze. "Please don't tell me the fire scorpion learned to swim."
"No. This is something else."
---
First Glimpse of the Next Threat
From the far end of the cavern, something rose — huge, pale, and silent. It wasn't on fire. It wasn't even glowing. It moved like a shadow under the water, its eyes catching the faint blue light for a split second.
Elara whispered, "What is that?"
Nyra's voice trembled. "A Deep Maw. A creature of the cold. It devours light."
Lin's grin faltered. "So no fire… but a giant underwater darkness monster. Great. Love this upgrade."
Crystal: "On the bright side, it can't shoot flames."
"Yeah," Lin muttered. "It'll just eat us whole."
---
Cliffhanger
The cavern shuddered as the Deep Maw surfaced fully — a massive eel-like creature, its skin pale and smooth like ice, rows of needle teeth stretching endlessly. It opened its mouth and the blue light dimmed around it, as if it were swallowing the glow itself.
Lin stumbled back, dripping and shivering. "I'm starting to think the game creator hates me personally."
Crystal: "Good instincts."
The Deep Maw surged forward, water crashing against the rocks, and everything went dark.
To be continued…