The Treasure Room of the Duergar was nearly in complete ruin. After Ben and the others had logged out of the game, the ceiling must have kept on disintegrating and most of the ancient gleaming stalactites had fallen and shattered beneath, together with a respectable chunk of the stone ceiling itself. The result was sad, yet still impressive - even now some of the pieces of the stalactites were still glowing in different colors, so the cluttered floor was radiating in an eerie light that gave the ruined chamber a truly otherworldly appearance. An occasional flap of wings could be heard as large bats flew across the room but their appearances were few and far between; with the stalactites gone their small colony was abandoned and the bats were flying off to search for safer perching locations.

Ben materialized on the sacrificial stage of the Duergar, standing on a broken boulder. He looked in dismay at the destruction around him, but the sight of the debris answered something he was curious about: it seemed that time continued to pass in the game even when they were not around to witness it. It made sense, of course, but it was still an interesting concept that wasn’t trivial to understand. The world of Nolxar kept on living while I was away in my own world, he thought, bewildered.

A movement below him, followed by a grunt and a curse, caught his attention and Ben changed his position to have a better look, rubble crunching beneath his boots. What he saw made him smile a little: the Red Mercenary was there, crouching amidst a pile of crushed stone, his muscles bulging as he struggled to push a particularly heavy rock. Ben’s Passive Focus triggered and he immediately understood what Red was trying to do - there was a bronze chest lying beneath the rubble, one of several that gave the Treasure Room its name. He also saw that by the size of the rock Red was trying to move, there were zero chances he would succeed.

“I’m sorry about that,” said Ben loudly. “I guess It’s my fault. Some of it, at least.” It was he who shot the spur of stone at the ceiling with his Godlike enhanced abilities, causing all of the adjacent stalactites to lose their hold and starting a chain-reaction that resulted in the cave-in. Me, and our beloved DM, he thought and smirked. It was just like Raxlon to add to the chaos with a little godly interference.

Red raised his head - he wasn’t wearing his helm - and frowned at his party leader. “We’ll just add that to your list of stupid decisions, then,” he grumbled and straightened, balancing himself on the broken chunks of stone. “There were at least five chests I counted before you decided to break the ceiling. Five chests, skin! Five!” His deep and furious voice echoed in the large chamber, surprising a nearby bat that screeched and took flight. “Big, promising chests in a fucking treasure room! We could find enough rewards to compensate for your blunder that caused us to fail our quest but nooooo,” he stretched the word and screwed his face, “you just had to shoot the damn ceiling and now all of them - every single one - is covered with tons of rock!”

Ben opened his mouth, closed it. He didn’t regret his actions that led to the cave-in, but Red’s mention of the quest failure was another matter. He remembered his companions’ accusing glares and pressed his lips tightly, guilt once again rearing its ugly head. Indeed, while he gained a lot of power by crushing the Power Crystal and turning into a Beacon, his friends saw little to no benefits from his choice. Would he do anything differently? He knew that he wouldn’t but still, it wasn’t easy looking into the warrior’s hard glare.

Wasn’t easy - but totally doable. Ben was beyond being intimidated by Red’s powerful aura. He looked back at the fuming black-skinned mercenary and made himself smile apologetically. “I said I’m sorry, man. For the rocks covering the treasure, at least. As for the quest…” He inhaled and let out the air slowly. “Let me ask you this: if you had a chance to complete a personal quest that was very important to you - say, your Xoric Hearts complete set quest - and you had only a brief moment to decide what to do before two arrows pierced your heart, what would you choose?” There was an edge of steel in his voice when he spoke, as each word made him surer about his decisions.

It was Red’s turn to open and close his mouth. “Well,” he said finally, “when you put it like that…” He narrowed his eyes as if wondering whether Ben was trying to trick him. “Still, I don’t know -”

“I do,” said a melodic voice from behind Ben and he turned to look at Milenna, who materialized on the ruined stage a few feet from him, holding her Enforcer Staff. The sorceress looked as beautiful and regal as ever, but her eyes were cold and angry. “I would let the arrows hit me, knowing that my companions would do what they can to save my life. It was a party quest, Ben. You had no right to do what you did.”

Ben sighed. “I thought we were over this, Milenna. I told you before, there is more at stake here than just that single quest we failed. Me turning into a Beacon has real consequences for the entire world, not just for our small party’s successes or failures.” He jumped off the boulder he was standing on, landing easily on his feet next to the angry sorcerer.

Milenna followed his movement with her glare. For a moment she seemed to struggle to find words - Ben wondered if his Passive Persuasion was already at play - but she recovered quickly. “Let’s say for a moment that I believe that,” she said, her voice quieter now that he was standing so close to her. “Tell me one thing, then. Tell me that wasn’t your plan all along. At least once you realized what would happen if you crushed that crystal in your fist. Tell me that - or admit that you used us to further your own goals. And to hell with that bullshit about a ‘brief moment to decide’.”

The sound of boots crunching rubble announced the arrival of Red, who climbed back to stand on the ruined stage next to them. But Ben’s eyes were on Milenna’s dark-blue orbs. So blue that they were almost purple, he reflected. He suddenly remembered that moment in the first level of the dungeon, after that unfortunate encounter with the Hive Spiderlings, when he was sure the sorceress was about to kiss him. This time, however, Ben was only partially distracted by the tantalizing air the beautiful woman had around her. With some effort of will, he forced himself to keep looking deep into those amazing eyes - and for the first time, used his Sense Intent power.

A warm feeling filled his body, washing his entire being. It was as if he drank a glass of spicy wine on an empty stomach; the warmth spread rapidly everywhere, but it was strongest in his head, making him slightly dizzy. Ben’s eyes widened a bit at the unexpected sensation, and more so - at the certainty that was suddenly fixated in his mind: Milenna loved him. Or at least - cared for him in such a manner that it could be seen as love. Ben was taken aback, clearly not expecting such a turn of events. He turned away, breaking his eye contact with the woman.

Milenna narrowed her eyes. “What did you just do?” She asked suspiciously. Her eyes widened a bit as well. “You used some Power on me, didn’t you. God damn you, Ben! As if what you did wasn’t enough - “

Ben raised both his hands. “Stop it,” he said. Not sharply, but with a tenderness in his voice that caused the woman to stop and look at him in surprise. “Please, Milenna. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you everything. Things happened too rapidly after we entered this room. I had this vision and…” He swallowed, remembering the Hero’s last duel with King Ghol. The Hero - whose real name was Scout Benjamin of Sonadin - whose identity Ben was taking piece by piece. “I didn’t know how things would turn out,” he continued softly. “But I wouldn’t do anything differently. My only regret is that you guys feel that I disappointed you.”

“Your only regret?” Asked Milenna. Her voice was softer now as well. “What about your friend? The dwarf that you killed?”

Mike. As if her question inspired his Passive Focus again, Ben’s gaze was drawn to the spot where Yitro Stone Crusher’s body should have been. There were a few scattered rocks there, illuminated by a soft green light that came from a nearby stalactite that had fallen on the stage. Yitro’s body wasn’t there. Instead, there was a large bloodstain on the floor - and a trail of blood that indicated that something had dragged the body away, into the darkness. Ben’s tracking skill came into play and he could easily tell what happened: one of the Depth’s monsters had found the body and dragged it away to consume at its leisure. In fact, as he looked around he saw that there was no trace of the Ratkin’s bodies as well. Someone had a real feast after we left.

Ben pressed his lips. “I did what I had to,” he said simply. “There was no other way.” A thought came to him then and he looked up, looking from Milenna to Red. “Where’s Shiraz?” He asked. “We’ve been here together for a couple of minutes already. It’s not like her to log in so late.”

His question was met with thunderous silence and Ben was filled with a sudden dread. “Guys?” He asked again, having a hard time keeping his voice steady. “Where is she?”

Red frowned, going as much as to shuffle his feet uneasily, and Milenna sighed. “I’m sorry, Ben,” she said quietly. “She’s not coming back.”

Ben felt a sharp pang inside his body. “What? What do you mean, not coming back?”

Milenna’s tone was sympathetic when she spoke again. “She asked Raxlon for special permission to reach out to Red and me,” she explained. “She wrote to us that she wants to continue her quest on her own. She said that she didn’t believe in the First Rule and that she can’t team up with someone who lived by it.” Milenna took a deep breath. “I think that she logged in a few hours before we did, so she could be alone,” she concluded. “I’m sorry.”

Ben took a step back and sat on a rock, his legs suddenly too shaky to hold his weight. The First Rule. He knew what Shiraz was talking about - he remembered well the introduction mail he had received from Raxlon before his first login. There were seven rules the DM wanted to share and the first spoke of choosing a personal ambition over a common cause: ‘Think long and hard before deciding to join a team in this game. You may form a few alliances, but eventually, you will encounter a situation that will force you to choose between your friends and your own success and power. Choosing your friends may seem like the moral thing to do, but it will most likely lead you toward your own death and destruction.’

Shiraz obviously thought that Ben had made his choice. The beautiful, witty and resourceful Shadow Mage, who had saved Ben’s life more than once, had decided to abandon him and venture on her own. With a sudden impulse, he checked his log, quickly scrolling to the section that dealt with his Leadership status. And indeed, where before there were three names under his ‘followers’ tab, now there were only two. Shiraz had really decided to leave him.

The pang in his heart started to throb, expanded. He closed his eyes when he felt hot tears on his cheeks. His fists clenched tightly, his fingernails digging into his skin. His mind was suddenly filled with her image. How she looked at him wide-eyed, her fiery hair half-covering her face when he came rushing to save her from Jarod’s blade. How she fought the undead Duergar wizard, her shadows dancing around her; how she looked pleadingly at him from beneath the magical purple fist that trapped her, her skin cracking. Her hazel, wounded eyes when she saw how close he and Milenna were standing after the spiders’ fight. The way she presented her neck to him, smiling coyly, so he could help her put on the magical necklace. That unforgettable moment in the treasure room, when she saved him from the Ratkin Zombie Elite, looking every bit the legendary heroine from his dreams.

Some part of him - the calculated part with 34 points in Wisdom - was astonished that he was reacting the way he did; he had known Shiraz for less than two days and his reaction was totally exaggerated. Another part of him - the part with the hormones of a 19 years old - was totally devastated. His ego was crushed. He was heart-broken. He thought that she had loved -

“Hey, snap out of it, kid.” Red’s hand was on his shoulder, squeezing. “Shiraz was great, but she’s gone. Besides, you still got me and that badass beauty of a sorceress, right? So save your tears, skin. We still need ya.”

Ben raised his head, blinking rapidly to get rid of the treacherous tears, and looked up with shining eyes at the formidable warrior. “You are?” He asked. His voice was husky, so he cleared his throat and tried again. “You’re still with me?”

Red grinned at him. “I can’t think of anyone else I would like to follow, your Beaconess.” The mercenary winked at him. “I’ve got a feeling that sticking with you - noob as you might be - is a sure way to find some fame and glory. And what are we here for if not for that?”

Ben managed a small smile. Forcing the image of Shiraz out of his mind, he turned to look at Milenna. The sorceress’s expression was quite different from the open honesty of the mercenary, but he could detect no malice in the way she looked at him. He remembered the warm sensation that flooded his body when he used Sense Intent on her and the unexpected knowledge that Milenna cared deeply about him. Her blue-purple eyes examined him and he felt some of the color return to his cheeks. The black-haired woman cocked her head as if she could read his thoughts and Ben - who didn’t know what kind of mind powers Milenna possessed - quickly dismissed the conclusion that leapt to his mind.

“I’m of one mind with our warrior,” said the sorceress, a smile dancing at the corner of her lips. “Following you will surely be interesting, if nothing else. Besides, you did help me kill that bastard Jonas, so I owe you for that one. I’m staying with you, Ben.”

Ben guessed that keeping two out of his three companions wasn’t that bad a result, considering everything that had happened. “You think he’ll come back to hunt us down?” He asked the sorceress. “Dark Heart, I mean.”

Milenna shrugged. “Most likely, yes. He won’t easily forget what we did here. Be that as it may, I’ve got a feeling he’s not the only enemy we should be wary of. Failing that quest - it must have other consequences, more severe than us disappointed in you.”

Ben winced, both at her brutal words and at realizing she was right. “Yes.” He told them about his Dungeon Menace active status and how he became a mortal enemy of the Duergar. “I’ve got a feeling we don’t want to delay in this dungeon any longer than necessary,” he concluded. “Not unless we want to fight for every inch we gain.”

Red grunted. “Do you know of any way to leave this chamber other than the way we came? ‘Cos if you don’t, it’s going to be a long way back to the surface. I don’t see how we can avoid fighting.” He didn’t sound overly displeased with that notion; Red liked nothing more than a good D&D hack and slash encounter.

Ben passed a hand through his hair, thinking. “I’m not sure it will have to come to that.” He accessed his Scout’s Friendly Map. The huge tunnel complex of the dungeon’s second level spread before him and he quickly focused on the room that had a little dot blinking with his name above it. Next to the dot were two small signs - an X and a triangle. The X stood for the buried treasure and the triangle...

Ben smiled. The triangle was the Duergar’s method of marking a secret passage. At first, he had thought that it meant that this room led further into the Dungeon - a third level, maybe - but now he wasn’t so sure. If there was one thing that was common to nearly all quest games, it was the “easy exit” passage that players could find once they completed a certain dungeon or boss fight. Game developers - or DMs - often took pity on their players and spared them the need to backtrack again through dungeons that they already cleared. Ben had to assume that Raxlon wouldn’t be any different in that regard.

The trickster scout bade his companions watch over him and activated his Hawk Eye Power, sending the invisible eye up high so he could take a better view of the ruined chamber. The room spread beneath him and he flew the eye rapidly all around, wanting to use his ability to its full extent before its time elapsed. Hawk Eye wasn’t the only Power he was using; his Dark Vision turned the dark corners of the room visible to him and he also used his new Perception Power - Far Vision - which increased the distance and clarity he could see. Finally, his Passive Focus enabled him to see things few others would notice. At that moment Ben was a true scout, using everything he had in his disposal - and he was aptly rewarded.

When the Vindicator of the Depths opened his eyes, they were gleaming with pleasure. The other two looked at him expectantly. “Well?” Red asked. “What did you find?”

“A secret door, for one,” said Ben. “But there’s something else.” He smiled crookedly at the warrior. “I’ll tell you if you promise to share the loot evenly with - “

But he lost Red after the mention of loot. The big man’s eye widened and he grabbed Ben by the shoulders, his strong hands digging into his flesh. “Loot!” He cried happily. “Loot!”

Ben was reminded of Hodor from Game of Thrones and the image made him laugh. “Yes! Loot!” He pried the mercenary’s fingers from himself and pointed at a particularly dark section of the chamber. “It appeared that there was a sixth chest.”

Some ten minutes later, the three adventurers were standing next to the now-empty chest, grinning like kids in a candy store. The loot, as it turned out, was so amazing that Ben wondered what would happen if they could reach the other five chests as well. This sixth chest wasn’t a big one - it was the size of a small backpack - and it was made of bronze, curved with the intricate symbols of the Duergar. It was locked, of course, but Milenna proved her usefulness once again by casting an Open Lock spell - though not before she cast another minor spell, Detect Traps. No trap was found and the spell indeed opened the lock, to the delight of the two men who were watching. “No need for a rogue when you’re around!” said Red. Milenna just smiled.

Inside they found a fortune in terms of beautiful gems that shone brightly by the light of Milenna’s magical light sphere. They oohed and aahed over the bright stones but truth be told, this time they could use the help of a professional rogue - someone who could assess the true value of the stones. Ben’s Identify skill of 7 simply stated the stones by their type: quartz, amethysts, topazes, moonstones, and three big green gems that his skill couldn’t name. Ben had to assume that it meant they were truly valuable.

Gemstones weren’t the only treasures that awaited them in the chest. Lying on the gems were four items: a diamond-shaped dagger, a shining silver ring, a black wand, and golden brass-knuckles. As opposed to most of the items they found during their dungeon dive, these four could be easily identified by the three of them - even Red - which, Milenna explained, meant they were genuine Reward Items - much like the ones they received by the first waystone of the dungeon. Four items, for four adventures, thought Ben and felt the pang again. Damn you Shiraz, why did you have to go?

The dagger was a truly awesome weapon of death and deceit. Its handle was nothing special, but its blade was shaped like a diamond and had a small red gemstone embedded in its center that pulsed with a life of its own. Judging by its name and its description, it was the perfect tool for a new-made Trickster. And thank you for that, Raxlon, you mighty and all-powerful DM.

K’zorjian’s Dagger of Trickery: Level 10. Soul Bound. Scalable. This rare (on the verge of legendary!) item was once the beloved property of the fabled K’zorjian Demons-Bane, half-dwarf half-human vagabond hero who gained his title by annoying so many foes with his tricks that even demons chose to let him be. Alas, he tried one trick too many and found his death in the realm of the Duergar. Damage: 1-8 +2 Critical chance: 21% Effect 1: Double Wound. Hitting someone with this dagger may result in a second wound in a completely random location on the target body - often resulting in the target’s utter confusion and consequently, their demise (imagine getting sliced in the leg and feeling someone slicing your back as well. What would you do? Pretty confusing, ah? And deadly). Chance of triggering effect: 15% Effect 2: Disarm. Hitting someone with this dagger may result in the target losing their weapon. Simple. Efficient. Chance of triggering effect: 15%. Effect 3: Blind. Hitting someone with this dagger may result in temporal blindness of the target. Blind and cut open by a diamond-shaped blade. A bad way to die. Chance of triggering effect: 15%. Effect 4: Random. Be warned! This dagger may trigger random effects that could be unfortunate… to you. Chance of triggering effect: 15%. Scalable: This weapon is scalable and will gain levels with its owner (exception: if the owner level is lower than the weapon’s starting level (10). Once the owner’s level matches the weapon’s starting level and elevates above it, so will the weapon). With each new level, the maximum damage will increase by 2 and the critical chance by 2%.

Ben shoved the dagger into his belt with a grin. His list of tricks just got a serious boost. The same could be said about the list of warnings he received, but no warning would stay his hand away from such a magnificent weapon.

The ring was obviously made for Milenna. It was the much-coveted Ring of Spell Storing, a rare item that could store up to five spells - thus making the magic-user who wore it into a force to be reckoned with even in the direst of encounters. Milenna all but giggled in glee when she saw the item and slipped in on her delicate finger without a second glance at her two companions.

The brass knuckles were perhaps the coolest reward item Ben had ever seen in a game of D&D - his own Dagger of Trickery included. They were golden - not a cheap-looking gold, but gold that bespoke of an elegant and high-quality weapon that was probably more valuable than most of the gemstones in the chest. They were shaped in a masterful and smart design, enabling their wearer to hold anything else he wanted - a sword, for instance - even while wearing the knuckles. And their effect was mind-blowing (perhaps literally so).

Red happily demonstrated for his two companions how the weapon’s power worked: he approached a nearby rock, grinned at them - and swung a fist at the boulder. The knuckles glowed an angry bright red, the light enveloping the big man’s fist and part of his arm, and to Ben’s amazement, the mercenary’s fist went straight into the rock! Red, his face a mask of maddened delight, twisted his fist inside the rock - the size of Duergar - and the large stone cracked open, breaking into two pieces. Ben could only imagine what such a blow would do to flesh and bone.

“What is it called?” He asked Red, truly impressed.

“Breaker,” said Red, looking admirably at his new toy - which did look exceptionally badass on his dark skin. “And what you saw is not the only thing this baby can do. I can break weapons with it with just a 20 seconds cooldown! And it gives me no penalties to use it even while I wield my sword and shield. Sweeeet!”

Ben looked at the pieces of the rock and whistled softly. Sweet indeed.

The last item in the chest was the black wand. All three of them grew serious when they looked at it, as it was obvious it was intended for Shiraz. It was called Night Terror and it was the perfect companion for a master of shadows and darkness, enabling its user to turn shadows into deadly bolts without the need to recharge: being in a shadow was enough for the wand to produce a bolt that could deal damage of 5-30.

It had another awesome ability: once a day, its user could cast Shadow Spawn - summoning a shadow creature that would defend its master for 10 minutes before it vanished. To use that power, however, one had to have a level of at least 20 in Shadow Magic. Shiraz has probably reached that level, Ben thought to himself as he examined the wondrous wand.

“You should take it,” said Milenna.

Ben - who was already about to reach and grab the weapon - felt his cheeks flush. He licked his lips and looked from the wand to Milenna. “I think so too,” he said briskly, preferring honesty than to try to twist his intentions around. “I can’t use it as she could, but I’m proficient in wands so I can make good use of it until…” he grimaced. “When she decides to come back, I’ll give it to her. She earned it.”

Milenna just looked at him as he took Night Terror and stuck it in his belt next to his new dagger. It started to become crowded there, so Ben took out Throndrefeen’s Wand and placed it in his backpack. The Duergar weapon was nearly out of charges anyway and Ben didn’t think it would serve him well once he left this dungeon.

Speaking of leaving this dungeon… “Let’s go and check that secret door,” he told the other two, who whole-heartedly agreed and followed his lead - Red with a bounce in his steps, Milenna still giving him long looks, her expression speaking volumes and yet saying nothing at the same time.

Ben shook off the uneasiness that once again threatened to unbalance him and led them toward the boulevard of black pillars. They walked between two of the huge pillars and the two Duergar statues that kept their eternal guard, watching silently under their stone helmets as the companions passed. Here there wasn’t much wreckage - even the big statues suffered only minor dents - and the three adventurers easily made their way across a wide empty section of the chamber until they stood in a semi-circle in front of a nondescript stone wall. Milenna brought her ball of white light closer and they leaned in to examine it.

On the wall, at a dwarf’s eye level, a script in an ancient language was carved around the symbol of a large white triangle. The symbol was what drew Ben’s attention when he scouted with his Hawk Eye. The language was Nefereeth - strange words that probably looked like crude glyphs to Red and even to Milenna, but Ben easily identified the letters - and their meaning.

“What does it say?” Whispered Red.

Ben read: “Show us the way oh child of the clan, read us true and come in when you can.”

“Great,” said Red, nodding sagely. He looked at his party leader in anticipation and winked. “Sounds like an easy riddle for a Beacon such as yourself.”

Ben smiled slightly. Indeed, it was an easy one - not because of his new Beacon status, but rather because of his Scholar title and the hidden knowledge of the world that was now his. Or was it because of the memories of the hero of old that now belonged to him? Or just his high attributes of Intelligence and Wisdom? Ben guessed it was a combination of the three, but didn’t linger to ponder that overly much.

The Scout of Sonadin turned to look at his two companions. “It’s a simple Duergar puzzle,” he explained. “The dwarves of the deep - all dwarves, actually - love anagrams. We just have to use our knowledge of the Duergar that dwelled here and push the correct words.”

Milenna nodded thoughtfully. “The Ironhead clan,” she said.

“Yes.”

“So we need to find an anagram of…”

“Ironhead.” Ben raised his finger and pointed. “And if I’m not mistaken, there are three words here to create a perfect anagram of the clan’s name.” He put his forefinger on the word ‘oh’, then stretched his thumb and pressed the second word - ‘read’. Finally, he lowered his pinky and touched the final word of the anagram: ‘in’. When all three fingers were in place, the trickster pushed - and the three words easily slid into the wall.

They heard the sound of stone against stone and the entire circle of stone was suddenly pulled into the wall by an unseen mechanism. The three took a step back and watched as a large section of the wall began to move, following a respectable tradition of secret doors and sliding back and into the wall. Ben always wondered about those amazing mechanisms that could move stone doors so easily without any system of pulleys to be seen. He shrugged. This is one mystery I’m perfectly fine with leaving unsolved.

Beyond the opening, they could see soft light illuminating what seemed like a middle-sized room. The three exchanged glances and, without words, readied their weapons. Then, with Red leading the way with sword and shield (and brass knuckle) in hand, they stepped into the secret room. They had to duck to cross the opening that was meant for dwarves, and when they straightened inside the room -

“A third waystone!” exclaimed Milenna.

Indeed, the familiar white marble pillar that stood in the center of the room, emanating a bright aura around it and producing a soft humming sound, could be nothing else but a waystone. It was the only object in the room and Ben realized that his suspicions were true: this was the shortcut he was looking for. A way out of the dungeon, without the need to backtrack the way they came.

They approached the waystone tentatively, watching for hidden surprises, until they stood in front of the pillar, just outside its pulsing white aura. Ben didn’t know why but he suddenly hesitated, as if some deep instinct warned him not to go forward from here. He tried to analyze the feeling, to find some logic in it. It was the same feeling he had before he entered the Treasure Room, knowing that he was purposefully led into a trap yet unable to do anything else. But why would he feel like that now?

“Skin?” Red looked at him strangely. “Everything OK? What are we waiting for?”

Ben took a deep breath. He trusted his intuition, but to listen to it now meant to go back into the dungeon and search for another way out. With his Dungeon Menace status, it could take them days to return to the surface and Ben wasn’t sure the three of them could survive alone in the dark with high-level monsters constantly seeking to destroy them.

The Vindicator of the Depths forced himself to smile. “Everything’s super,” he answered - and stepped forward into the light.

A prompt popped before his eyes, blocking his view. Ben stopped dead in his tracks and read:

“Vindicator, I congratulate you on claiming the Epic Power Crystal of my dungeon! The people of Sonadin would love to meet the new Beacon of Nolxar and thus, I hereby invite you into my home to share mead and meal and enjoy the hospitality and blessing of my kingdom, as bound by the Pact. When you’re ready, just use the waystone and come seek me in the Palace of Sonadin. Don’t forget to use your mark!

“Yours truly, Viridion Darkblade, High Watcher of the Mountain Kingdom, Lord of Sonadin, General of the Three Trees Army.”

Ben’s eyebrows did their famous jig. Relief washed over him and he laughed merrily, making Red and Milenna turn to look at him. This was what got him spooked? His intuition needed to go through some serious fine-tuning, he mused. An invitation from the Lord of Sonadin! Ben was sure that his increased Fame was already helping him and was suddenly quite eager to meet that lord and see what was included in his offered hospitality.

The newly made Hero quickly reread the message, this time out loud so that his two companions could hear. Red hoorayed, slapping Ben heartily on his back - a blow that once would have thrown him off balance - and Milenna actually grinned. “Finally,” she said. “I was wondering when we’ll get to meet some nobles. I’ve got a feeling that Raxlon’s highborn NPCs will be a real treat - almost as interesting to face as his dungeon’s monsters.”

On the pillar itself, they could see a cheerful drawing of three golden trees - the symbol of Sonadin. Ben, barely able to contain his anticipation, looked eagerly at his companions. “Are you ready to get some justified heroes’ welcome?”

The other two nodded and the three put their palms on the pillar, activating the waystone.

The room around them dissolved. The darkness was gone and for a moment there was nothing - a transition - and then -

Sunlight enveloped him. Cool wind caressed his skin. The chirp of birds could be heard from someplace nearby. Ben blinked hard, unaccustomed to the bright light, and looked around him. The three of them were standing next to a white pillar - similar to the one in the dungeon, only this one wasn’t placed in a dark room but in a large and beautiful garden, open to the blue skies above them. Trees, bushes and flowers of every kind surrounded them and dominating them all were three huge trees that stood in the middle of the garden, their golden leaves rustling with the wind.

A dozen guards wearing green and black uniforms stood between the trees and were looking in shock at the three strangers that suddenly appeared in their midst.

Ben was still blinking against the glaring sun, but he tried to smile. “Greetings!” He called. “We came to see - “

He didn’t get to finish his sentence, though. Someone shouted, there was the twang of a bowstring and when Ben turned his head there was an arrow zooming frightfully fast toward his unprotected face.