A New Adventure In A Dungeon

Lix clapped her tiny hands together and murmured a few words under her breath. A faint shimmer filled the air, and not long after, a small portal flickered open. From within, another pixie fluttered out, her glow slightly dimmer than Lix's but carrying an air of authority.

"Lix, you called for me?" the newcomer asked, stretching her tiny arms as if she had just woken from a nap.

"Yes, Jix," Lix said with a nod. "Can you take over guiding this merchant group for me for a while?"

Jix sighed, crossing her arms. "Seriously? I was on my break. I still have fifty-five days left."

Lix gave her an innocent smile. "I know, I know. Just put it on my tab."

Jix raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "That tab of yours is as long as a thousand years by now. How do you ever plan to repay me?"

"But Jix," Lix whined playfully, her small wings fluttering. "You're my older sister! You have to pamper me because I'm the cute little sister!" She grinned mischievously.

Jix let out a dramatic sigh before ruffling Lix's hair. "Yes, yes. What don't we do for our little sister, right?"

"Isn't that right, Kix?" she added, glancing at another figure who stepped through the portal.

"Indeed," Kix agreed, crossing her arms. "Our little sister always seems to need help… but when will she help us?"

"True," a third voice chimed in as yet another pixie fluttered through.

Lix's eyes widened in surprise. "Mix?! Why are you here?"

Mix beamed, her wings fluttering excitedly. "I was with my big sisters, floating around, when they told me another big sister needed help! So, of course, I had to come check it out!"

Lix groaned but couldn't help smiling. "Great… now the whole family's here."

Lilith, who had been quietly observing, smirked. "So, let me get this straight—you have an entire squad of pixie siblings?"

Lix sighed dramatically. "Unfortunately, yes."

Jix, Kix, and Mix all grinned at once. "You love us, and you know it."

Jix nodded, confirming Lix's words. "We were more or less born at the same time."

"But we have more sisters too," Mix added excitedly. "There's Aix, Bix, Cix, Dix—"

"You don't need to name them all, Mix," Jix interrupted with a small smile. "Otherwise, we'd be here forever."

"True," Kix giggled.

"Oh! But Lix," Mix suddenly said, turning toward her younger sister. "Who's this?" She pointed at Lilith with wide, curious eyes.

Lix gave a small nod toward the demon lord. "This is Lilith, a Demon Lord from another world. Her mother is a World Tree, just like ours."

Mix's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Really?!" She flitted closer to Lilith, examining her with fascination. "Then that means she's some sort of cousin, right?"

Lilith raised an eyebrow, amused by the sudden enthusiasm. "I suppose that depends… Do World Trees normally have relatives across different worlds?"

Lix sighed. "With our family? Anything is possible."

As the sisters continued chatting, time seemed to slip away unnoticed. Laughter and playful bickering filled the air, but eventually, a voice called out from outside the tent.

"Enter, Helix," Lix said, turning toward the entrance.

An older sand rat stepped inside. His fur was a mix of gray and brown, and a long, braided beard hung down to his chest, giving him the air of a cunning yet wise merchant. His sharp eyes surveyed the tent before settling on Lix.

"Helix, good to see you," Lix greeted him warmly. "I wanted to inform you that I'll be leaving your merchant group for a while. But don't worry—my sisters will take over as your guides in my place."

Helix's ears twitched, and he gave a respectful bow. "To have the blessing of your sisters as our guides is an honor, Guide Lix. I do not know how to thank you enough."

"Pffft," Mix scoffed, waving a tiny hand dismissively. "No need to thank us. We'll get just as much out of this deal as you will!"

Jix smirked. "She's not wrong."

Kix giggled. "Besides, it's always fun to stir up some new adventures!"

Helix chuckled, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Then I look forward to seeing what kind of mischief the famed pixie sisters will bring."

Lix rolled her eyes but smiled. "Just try to keep up, old rat."

Lilith, who had been silently observing, crossed her arms. "So, is this where our real journey begins?" she asked, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Lix nodded. "Yes. It's time to meet the World Tree."

"Oh, and Helix," Lix said, turning to him with a serious expression. "Do not speak of this to anyone." Her usually lighthearted voice carried a firm, almost commanding tone.

Helix's ears twitched, and he gave a deep bow. "Yes, yes, Guide Lix. My lips are sealed."

Lix studied him for a moment before nodding in approval. "Good." Then, clapping her hands together, she turned toward Lilith. "Alright, let's get going. It will take some time, and we have a few stops to make along the way."

With a small flicker of magic, Lix stretched out her hands, and a shimmering portal formed before them, large enough for Lilith to step through. The swirling gateway pulsed with an otherworldly energy, radiating warmth and a faint golden glow.

"Come, come!" Lix urged impatiently, already fluttering ahead.

Lilith took one last glance at the merchant tent before stepping through. The moment she crossed the threshold, a strange sensation washed over her—like being momentarily weightless before solid ground reformed beneath her feet.

Before her lay a vast chamber, unlike anything she had expected. The walls pulsed with veins of glowing energy, casting an eerie but mesmerizing glow throughout the cavern. At its center stood a massive crystalline structure, floating just above the ground, its surface shifting with swirling patterns of magic.

"This is the core of this dungeon," Lix began, her voice carrying a hint of pride. "With this, we can connect to other dungeon cores… and move one step closer to our goal."

Lilith's eyes narrowed as she studied the pulsating core. "Interesting," she mused. "So this is how dungeons are connected?"

Lix grinned. "Exactly. Now, let's see if we can find our way to the World Tree."

A sudden, thunderous voice echoed through the chamber.

"LIX!"

The sheer force of the shout sent a ripple through the air, making the dungeon core pulse slightly in response. A massive figure emerged from the shadows, his imposing form radiating authority. His body was covered in intricate armor made of stone and enchanted metal, and his glowing golden eyes locked onto the small pixie floating before him.

Lix groaned. "Oh, Lord Pria… Fancy meeting you here," she said with forced cheerfulness. "I'm just taking a little shortcut with my friend here." She quickly pointed at Lilith, trying to shift the attention away from herself.

Lilith, unfazed by the sudden tension, bowed politely. "My name is Lilith," she introduced herself smoothly. "I am the daughter of another World Tree."

Pria froze mid-step. His glowing eyes widened before, to Lix's utter shock, he knelt down on one knee. His massive form lowered with surprising grace as he pressed a fist against his chest in a sign of deep respect.

"Another World Tree's daughter… It is an honor," Pria said solemnly.

Lix's wings flickered erratically as she gawked at the scene unfolding before her. "Wait, wait, wait!" she sputtered, pointing at Pria accusingly. "Why are you acting so different toward her?! What is going on here?! Why—why—why?!"

Pria barely spared her a glance before speaking in an even tone. "She is an esteemed guest, worthy of my respect." Then, after a brief pause, he added dryly, "You, however, are just a bug."

Lix gasped in outrage. "A BUG?!" Her tiny fists clenched as her entire body trembled with indignation. "I am a daughter of a World Tree too, you know!"

Pria's expression remained impassive. "Yes, I am aware." He folded his arms, looking down at her as if she were an unruly child. "However, I am also a child of this World Tree. That makes us equals, more or less. But unlike you, I am a Dungeon Creator and the Caretaker of this dungeon's core. My status is naturally higher."

Lix was fuming, sparks of magic flickering around her as she prepared to unleash a verbal tirade.

Lilith, watching the interaction with mild amusement, smirked. "So, you two are siblings in a way?" she mused.

Lix spun toward Lilith, wings twitching. "Don't encourage him!"

Pria, still kneeling, turned his gaze back to Lilith. "Tell me, Daughter of Another World Tree, what brings you to this dungeon?"

Lilith's smirk remained. "I'm here to meet your World Tree."

For the first time, Pria's expression shifted slightly. His glowing eyes darkened, unreadable.

"You seek the World Tree of Xandoria?" he murmured, as if testing the weight of her words. "Then you must prepare yourself… For no one meets her without first proving their worth."

Lilith's smirk widened. "I was hoping you'd say that."