The Dungeon’s Rules

Aftermath of the Stalker Ambush

The cavern was eerily quiet now.

The Stalkers were dead.

Their bodies with bladed limbs and jet-black skin, were sprawled across the stone. The metallic scent of blood and scorched hide lingered in the air from Mira's fire spells.

Arlan exhaled, his limbs still tingling from using [Eclipsing Maw] for so long. He had never phased through an enemy like that before. It left a strange, cold feeling in his chest—one he wasn't sure he liked.

Then—Beren's gaze flickered toward the far end of the cavern.

"Wait. What's that?"

The group turned.

Near the Alpha Stalker's corpse, a partially collapsed section of the wall revealed a darkened tunnel. The stone looked worn, smoother than the rest of the dungeon.

Leila narrowed her eyes. "That's… not a normal passage."

Tomas frowned. "Maybe the Stalkers were guarding something."

Mira stepped forward, peering into the passage. "Only one way to find out."

2. Entering the Treasure Room

The tunnel led them to a sealed stone door, etched with faded runes. As soon as they stepped closer, the door shuddered and groaned open on its own.

The chamber beyond was massive.

Ancient.

The air inside was thick with old magic.

Piles of gold coins, glowing gemstones, and weapons from forgotten times lay scattered across the floor, some resting on cracked pedestals, others half-buried in dust. The soft glow of enchanted torches bathed everything in a golden hue.

Tomas took one step in and froze. His eyes widened.

"We're rich."

Leila, arms crossed, deadpanned. "We are not stuffing all of this into our bags, Tomas."

"Why not?" Tomas whined. "Look at all this! Do you know how many pies I could buy with just one!?"

Before he could take another step, a soft chime echoed through the chamber.

[System Notification]

You have entered a Dungeon Treasure Chamber.Rules in effect: Each party may take up to THREE items. Additional items will be lost upon exiting.

The room fell silent.

Tomas blinked at the glowing text. Then blinked again.

"...What."

Leila squinted. "Wait. You're telling me we can't just loot everything?"

Mira folded her arms. "Well. That's disappointing."

Beren grunted. "At least it's fair. Stops people from draining the dungeon dry."

Tomas groaned loudly. "It's robbery, that's what it is!"

Arlan smirked. "Technically, it's anti-robbery."

Tomas pointed at him dramatically. "You are not helping."

While the others debated what to take, Tomas was already drawn to a single pedestal.

On it rested a broad, steel shield, slightly glowing with enchantment, its polished surface reflecting the light like a mirror.

[System Notification]

Warden's Aegis – A shield that bolsters the user's defense and absorbs small amounts of magic damage.

Tomas gasped.

"This… this is the one."

Leila raised an eyebrow. "No hesitation?"

Tomas snatched it up and held it to his chest like a lost love. "I can feel it, Leila. This shield and I… we were meant to be."

Mira groaned. "You're that fond of a old dusty shield?"

Tomas nodded firmly. "Yes. And his name is Gerald."

Silence.

Leila blinked. "Gerald?"

Tomas patted the shield fondly. "Gerald and I are going to be best friends. He will protect me, and I will take care of him."

Beren muttered, "It's a shield, Tomas, not a puppy."

Tomas gasped in horrified betrayal. "How dare you. Gerald has feelings."

Mira buried her face in her hands. "This is so stupid."

Mira, choosing to ignore Tomas' growing obsession, scanned the piles of relics. Something glowed faintly under a broken chest.

She bent down, pulling free a thin, red-bound tome. The moment she touched it, firelight flickered along the pages.

[System Notification]

Skillbook: Emberwave – Releases a shockwave of flame, pushing back enemies.

Mira's lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, this is perfect."

Leila crossed her arms. "So you get stronger, and the rest of us just have to hope you don't burn us?"

Mira grinned. "Exactly."

Tomas, still cradling Gerald, muttered, "If she sets me on fire, I'm using Gerald on her."

With two items claimed, the system chimed again.

[System Notification]

Remaining Items: 1

Beren frowned. "One more."

Leila gestured at the treasure. "Then let's grab something useful—potions, an artifact, something valuable."

"Or…" Tomas grinned, "we grab a big sack of gold."

Mira shot him a look. "No."

Meanwhile, Bones and Shade were scuttling through the loot.

Bones rattled his teeth. "Strong."

Shade clicked his claws. "Faster."

They both stopped, staring at a thin, dark wand resting in the corner of the room.

Arlan stepped forward, curiosity piqued.

[System Notification]

Wand of Withering – A conduit of ancient magic. Unstable. Effects unknown.

Mira frowned. "A wand? Since when do you use wands?"

Arlan shrugged. "Summoners can use them too."

Leila narrowed her eyes. "That thing looks cursed."

The system chimed one final time.

Final System Notification:

Three items acquired: Warden's Aegis, Emberwave Skillbook, Wand of Withering.No further items may be removed.

The remaining treasure suddenly vanished in a flash of light.

Tomas screamed. "MY GOLD!"

Leila patted his shoulder. "You never had it, Tomas."

Tomas, devastated: "But I could have."

With their loot secured, the group left the chamber.

Tomas was still admiring Gerald.

Mira was already flipping through the Skillbook, eager to test it.

Arlan turned the wand over in his fingers, feeling something… odd about it.

Bones and Shade continued their argument, each trying to claim that they where the strongest.

Leila stretched. "Alright. We got what we came for. Let's head back before something decides we shouldn't have this stuff."

Beren shouldered his axe. "Agreed."

Tomas, still mourning his lost gold: "Worst dungeon rule ever."

Mira smirked. "I think it's perfect."

As they exited, Arlan lingered, staring at the wand.

There was something strange about it.

And he had a feeling…

He hadn't seen the last of what it could do.