Traps and Trouble

Noah and Lucas stood at the edge of the crevasse, the eerie mist curling around their feet. They exchanged a glance, nodding in silent agreement.

Together, they raised their voices in unison:

"Dungeon, Enter!"

Instantly, a pulse of blue light engulfed them. The world around them distorted, the ground vanishing beneath their feet as they felt an odd weightlessness take hold.

In the blink of an eye, they were gone—swallowed by the unknown depths of the Forgotten Crypt.

A thick, eerie fog clung to the air, obstructing the vision beyond a few feet. The dungeon walls, built from ancient cobblestones were damp with moisture. The walls were covered with patches of moss and were creeping with vines. A heavy, almost oppressive essence filled the atmosphere, sending a chill down their spine. Both of them could feel it—this was no ordinary dungeon.

Noah turned to Lucas with a grin. "Do you remember how we first met?"

Lucas chuckled and replied, "Oh, yeah. We were in a dungeon, and I accidentally triggered some trap tile. Next thing I knew, a boulder was coming straight for me. I ran like hell… and crashed right into you."

Noah raised a brow. "And?"

Lucas sighed. "And we both got flattened. Respawned a few minutes later, looked at each other, and just went, 'Well… that happened."

The two of them stood in a narrow alleyway of the dungeon, a solid stone wall behind them. With no other way out, they decided to move forward.

Noah shot a wary glance at Lucas. "You better not step on a trap tile again."

The words had barely left his mouth when

CLICK.

A distinct click echoed beneath Lucas's boot.

The wall behind them rumbled, splitting open as an enormous boulder came rolling toward them.

Noah's eye twitched. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO STEP ON IT, YOU STUPID BASTARD!"

Before Lucas could even protest, they both turned on their heels and bolted.

What started as a desperate escape quickly turned into sheer chaos. Lucas, in his panic, unknowingly triggered trap after trap—arrows shot out from the walls, spikes jutted up from the floor, and at one point, fire erupted from a hidden mechanism.

"STOP STEPPING ON EVERYTHING!" Noah shouted as he dodged a barrage of darts.

"I'M NOT DOING IT ON PURPOSE!" Lucas yelled back.

The thunderous rumble of the boulder grew louder behind them. Just when it seemed like they were about to be flattened, Noah spotted a small opening in the side wall.

"THERE!" he yelled.

Without hesitation, they dived headfirst into the hole. The boulder rushed past, missing them by inches before disappearing into the depths of the dungeon.

For a long moment, they just lay there, panting.

Lucas broke the silence. "Well... at least we're still alive."

Noah glared at him. "I swear, if you step on ONE MORE trap—I'm leaving you behind to deal with it yourself!"

The two continued deeper into the dungeon until they reached a vast chamber where, for the first time, torchlights flickered against the damp stone walls. The dim glow barely pushed back the thick darkness, casting long, eerie shadows that danced across the moss-covered corridors.

Before them, the path split into multiple winding passages, each disappearing into the unknown. The heavy silence of the dungeon pressed down on them, broken only by the distant sound of dripping water.

Noah let out a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. He had enough.

"You know what, Lucas?" he muttered, turning to face him with an exasperated look. "SCREW YOU! You've done nothing but set off traps since we got here. I'm done. I'll go my own way. If you find the boss room, notify me in the chat."

Lucas scoffed, throwing his arms up in frustration. "Oh, I'm the problem? You know what, Noah? SCREW YOU TOO!"

Without another word, they both turned away from each other, storming off into separate paths—each muttering curses under their breath.

As Noah disappeared into the shadows of the left corridor, Lucas grumbled to himself. "Tch. Like I'm the only one who triggered traps…"

Then—

CLICK.

A distant mechanism groaned to life.

Lucas froze.

"...Wait. That wasn't me this time, right?"

A sharp _whoosh_ echoed through the corridor. Lucas barely had time to react before a barrage of arrows shot out from the dungeon walls.

"OH, COME ON—!"

He dove to the ground just in time, feeling the air shift as the arrows whizzed past his head. Dust and debris rained down as the projectiles embedded themselves into the stone.

Meanwhile, on the other side—

CLICK.

Noah, unaware of Lucas's predicament, had just stepped onto an inconspicuous tile.

A deep rumbling shook the ground beneath him. He furrowed his brows. "...That better not be what I think it is."

Then he heard it.

A low, rumbling growl.

His eyes darted upward. From the ceiling, stone panels slid open, revealing glowing crimson eyes staring down at him.

Monstrous howls reverberated through the chamber.

Noah's expression went blank. "...Oh. Shit."

THUD. THUD. THUD.

A pack of Shadow fang wolves—four-legged creatures with skeletal bodies and razor-sharp claws—dropped from above, their eerie howls filling the air.

Noah took a slow step back, gripping the hilt of his sword. "Alright… no need to panic. Just gotta take them one at a ti—"

CLICK.

Something shifted beneath his foot.

His stomach dropped.

A sigil trap flared beneath him.

"…You have got to be kidding me."

A surge of energy crackled across the floor. Before he could react, the ground vanished beneath him—sending him plummeting into darkness.

His yell echoed through the dungeon.

Lucas, still recovering from the arrow trap, looked up at the distant scream.

"…Wait. That was Noah, right?"

He dusted himself off, sighing. "Serves him right, dumbass was acting all high and—"

CLICK.

Lucas froze.

A second later, the ground beneath him gave way.

His scream joined Noah's.

Noah's stomach lurched as he plummeted through the darkness. The wind roared past his ears, and for a split second, all he could think was— 

"Goddammit." 

Then— 

THUD!

Noah crashed hard onto a stone floor, rolling to absorb the impact. He groaned, pushing himself up and rubbing his aching back.

A few feet away, Lucas lay sprawled out on the ground, wheezing.

"...Great," Lucas muttered, coughing. "Even when we split up, I can't get rid of you."

Noah exhaled sharply, shaking dust from his hair. "Trust me, this wasn't my plan either."

He stood up, taking in their surroundings. Dim blue flames flickered along ancient torches, revealing a massive underground chamber. Unlike the corridors above, the walls here were covered in strange, glowing inscriptions—pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.

Something was off.

Lucas finally stood up, rubbing his back. "Where… are we?"

Noah exhaled sharply. "I don't know, but we should—"

GRRRRRRRR…

A deep, bone-rattling growl reverberated through the chamber.

Both of them turned slowly.

In the center of the room, rising from a pool of black mist, was a monstrous figure.

A colossal, two-headed wraith-hound, its translucent body wrapped in swirling darkness, stepped forward. Its glowing red eyes locked onto them, and its jagged fangs dripped with an eerie, spectral mist.

Noah and Lucas stared at the beast. Then at each other.

"...So," Lucas muttered, voice tight. "You were saying something about splitting up?"

Noah sighed, drawing his sword.

"Shut up and run."

The wraith-hound lunged.

The scene abruptly shifted.

At the entrance of the dungeon, a group of figures stood in eerie silence. Clad in dark, battle-worn armor, the Strike Team exuded an overwhelming presence. Their leader, Damian Cross, adjusted his gloves, his crimson eyes gleaming with cold amusement.

With a single nod, the entire team raised their voices in unison.

"Dungeon, enter!"

A blinding blue light engulfed them.

The moment their boots hit the dungeon floor, darkness swallowed them whole. The air was damp and heavy, the silence so thick it felt suffocating. Without hesitation, the team activated their arcane lanterns, a ghostly blue glow spilling from their hands and illuminating the dungeon's crumbling walls. Shadows slithered across the floor, stretching unnaturally in the dim light.

Damian's gaze flicked downward. His crimson eyes gleamed as he muttered, Faint footprints. Fresh ones."

A slow, twisted smile crept onto his face. "We aren't alone."

Adjusting his gloves, he raised his hand. "Go!" His voice was cold, absolute. "Hunt them down!"

The air grew heavy with killing intent. Shadows flickered along the dungeon walls as the strike team immediately burst into sprinting to hunt Noah and Lucas down.

Damian's smirk deepened as a twisted laugh spilled from his lips. He dragged a hand down his face, fingers pressing against his eyes before settling over his mouth. Then, in a hushed, almost reverent whisper, he muttered—

"The hunt begins."