The glow of the magical glasses still lingered in Kaz's mind as the party returned to Serene Hollow, their pockets heavier with the 500 gold from the Echoing Caves quest. The appraisal glasses, now a permanent fixture on his face, buzzed with potential—every item, person, and creature he glanced at revealed a cascade of information. The blacksmith's hammer read "[Iron Hammer: Durability 75/100, +5 Strength]," while a passing dog showed "[Rex, Male, Stray Hound, Level 2, Likes: Bones]." Kaz couldn't help but grin; this was the edge they needed in Aetherion's unpredictable chaos.
The group decided to linger in Serene Hollow for a few days, using the gold to upgrade their gear. Liora commissioned a reinforced shield, declaring, "A WARRIOR'S DEFENSE MUST BE IMPREGNABLE!"—the glasses revealing "[Steel Shield: Durability 120/120, +10 Defense]." Grumm upgraded his mossy cloak to a sturdier version, grumbling, "At least it won't fall apart mid-fight," while the glasses noted "[Reinforced Golem Cloak: Durability 90/90, +5 Resistance]." Pippa, predictably, tried to steal a jeweled hairpin from a merchant, but Kaz caught her, using the glasses to appraise it as "[Fake Gem Hairpin: Value 10 Copper]" before forcing her to return it. Nutjob, the tamed squirrel, scampered around, munching on nuts Kaz bought, his stats reading "[Nutjob, Male, Rabid Squirrel (Tamed), Level 4, Trait: Nut Hoarder]."
Rest didn't last long. A messenger from Glitchhaven arrived, panting and clutching a scroll. "Urgent quest! The Developers just patched in a new dungeon—'The Glitched Gauntlet'—near the eastern ridge. High reward, but it's unstable. Volunteers needed!" The party exchanged glances. Kaz adjusted his glasses, intrigued by the challenge. "Let's check it out. We've got the glasses now—should give us an advantage."
Sys appeared, her hologram flickering with amusement. "Oh, this one's a doozy. Fresh code, lots of bugs. You'll either get rich or respawn in a porta-potty. My money's on the latter."
The trek to the eastern ridge was arduous, the landscape shifting from lush forests to jagged cliffs mid-journey—a clear sign of a Developer patch. The Gauntlet's entrance loomed ahead: a towering archway of cracked stone, pulsing with glitchy purple static. Inside, the air hummed with distortion, and the ground flickered between solid rock and a checkerboard void.
The dungeon proved to be a marathon of trials. The first chamber tested their reflexes with swinging blades that glitched into rubber ducks mid-swing, forcing Liora to dodge comically while shouting, "A TEST OF VALOR, INDEED!" Kaz used the glasses to identify a safe path—"[Safe Zone: 3 Meters Ahead]"—guiding the party through. Pippa stole a duck, giggling, "Shiny toy!" as Grumm swatted at it, muttering, "This ain't my job."
Deeper in, combat intensified. A wave of glitch-corrupted skeletons emerged, their bones shifting shapes mid-fight—sometimes swords, sometimes extra arms. The glasses revealed "[Glitch Skeleton, Undead, Level 15, Weakness: Headshot]," and Kaz relayed the info. Liora charged, her shield bashing skulls, while Grumm crushed them with his fists, groaning, "My warranty's void after this." Pippa darted around, stealing bones, which the glasses appraised as "[Bone Shard: Crafting Material, Value 5 Gold Each]." Kaz tried a debug command—"destroy_enemies: skeletons"—but it only turned half into disco-dancing versions, their rave distracting the party until Grumm smashed them.
The next challenge was a maze of shifting walls, each move triggering traps. Poison gas turned into bubbles, and spiked pits glitched into trampolines, launching the group into the air. The glasses pinpointed exits—"[Exit: North Wall, 10 Meters]"—but Pippa's theft of a trap lever caused a cave-in, forcing a detour. Hours passed, the dungeon stretching their endurance. They fought shadow wolves with glowing eyes—"[Shadow Wolf, Beast, Level 18, Weakness: Light]"—and a hulking stone guardian—"[Stone Golem, Construct, Level 20, Weakness: Core]"—which took a coordinated effort. Liora distracted it with a monologue, Grumm targeted the core, and Kaz spawned a blinding light with the console, finally felling it.
Exhausted, they reached the Gauntlet's heart—a vast chamber with a pedestal holding a shimmering chest. The glasses read "[Legendary Loot Chest: Locked, Requires Key]." Kaz searched, finding a rusted key in a corner—"[Dungeon Key: Compatibility 100%]"—and unlocked it. Inside were 1,000 gold, a potion of stamina, and a mysterious scroll labeled "[Developer Patch Note Fragment]."
As they celebrated, the dungeon trembled. The glasses flashed a warning—"[System Alert: Dungeon Collapse Imminent]"—and the party bolted for the exit. Traps reactivated, skeletons respawned, and the floor glitched into a slide, sending them tumbling. Pippa grabbed the scroll, losing a pinecone in the chaos. They burst out just as the entrance collapsed behind them, dust settling over the ridge.
Back in Serene Hollow, they counted their haul. The scroll, when unrolled, revealed partial code: "//Patch 4.0: Enhance Dungeon Difficulty…" Sys appeared, intrigued. "That's juicy intel, user. The Developers are upping the ante. Those glasses might be your only shot at keeping up."
Kaz adjusted the glasses, now reading Sys as "[SysAdmin-04, Female, AI Goddess, Level ??, Trait: Sarcastic]." He smirked. "Bring it on, Developers. We've got this."
Liora posed heroically. "OUR LEGEND GROWS!"
Grumm rubbed his joints. "I need a vacation."
Pippa hugged the scroll. "Shiny paper!"
Nutjob chittered, and Kaz chuckled. The Gauntlet had tested them, but with the glasses and this fragment, they were ready for whatever glitched madness came next.