The mist was a bit mad, really sketchy, and you never knew what would come running out of it. It filled the alleyways, and flooded into the streets, infiltrating into the buildings, behind the windows, under the beds. You could see it in the eyes of good men, women, and children and even in the mirror, floating slightly behind you, stalking you. Scarface liked the mist, walking with a satisfied smile, and the mist liked him back, clouding around him, almost as if he was producing it.

Flies buzzed around the lanterns. They produced just enough light for the road to be visible, and just enough for the alleyways to be dark. The black rods the lanterns stood on were formed like a willowing flower, slightly bent and dejectedly looking down at the ground. All the flowers here looked like that.

“Why is it so silent?” Lucian asked, glancing around. It wasn’t only the silence that bothered him, but also the stillness. “Where is everyone?”

“I see a tavern just there, there’s probably people inside.”

“Everyone’s probably in there.”

“Do you think..”

“No, it's way too early for that.”

“Not necessarily.”

“Surely not.”

“Let’s go find out.”

They pushed the tavern door open and felt the warm yellow light land on their faces. The barkeep looked at them as he held a bottle and a cloth, rubbing it sparkling clean. Three people sat around a table, and about thirty other people stood around them, all of them had turned to look at Lucian and Scarface.

The three people sitting on the table were Cupid, Frost, a famous ice mage, Cocos, a warrior famed for his stupidity. He was once asked to say the capital of Canada, and said C in response.

“Look at the two boyfriends,” Frost sneered.

“Shut it dwarf,” Scarface said, walking up towards the table. “Why is everyone huddled here?” He asked.

“I guess you didn’t receive the notification,” Cupid said, “Just-Killed has killed over one thousand people, angering all the gods but one.”

“Already?” Lucian shot out.

“Yes, already, we got the notification dumbass,” Coco said, scrunching his eyebrows.

“Huh. I didn’t get it,” Scarface said, looking up at the roof, “That’s strange.”

“It is,” Cupid said, “And what’s stranger is that the monsters received another buff entirely. One much stronger than usual.”

“Out with it then,” Scarface leaned over, staring at Cupid with wide eyes..

“They have been given the gift of the throne,” Cupid said, embracing her elbows.

The gift of the throne stood for being granted a system, the one players had. It was common that one or two monsters each game would be given a system, but every single one begged for chaos. There was a famous case of a dragon being given a system. Not a single player won that game. That was the first time that happened.

“Then we need to party up,” Lucian said.

“No shit, that’s why we’re sitting here,” Frost sneered.

“Currently there’s two parties,” Cupid said, “Me, Frost, and Coco, and the others. You two are free to choose whichever party you want.”

Lucian and Scarface glanced at each other. “We’ll join you,” Scarface said.

“That’s bullshit!” One of the men standing around the table shouted, “you promised you’d give spots to us.”

“I never promised,” Cupid said, tapping her fingers against the table. Her cold eyes staring the man into silence. “And the circumstances have changed.”

“That’s not right, who are these people even?”

“Hah,” Scarface said, stretching his neck to make his chin and scar as visible as possible, “You must be new to the game then?”

“This is my first game, I saw the prize pool and thought that I’d like it. It’s just a game, how hard can it be-” Scarface dove across the table, sticking his dagger into the man's throat. The man stared at Scarface vacantly, and tried to breathe, tried to grab his weapons, tried to say something, but fell down onto the ground.

“He pissed himself,” Coco said, “Hahaha.”

“Eyy, I levelled up.” Scarface said.

“Just a game…” Lucian muttured, “what a fucking moron.”

“Agreed,” Frost, Coco, Cupid said simultaneously.

Scarface rose up after getting his dagger. He rolled over the table again. The table barely moved. Lucian had to figure out how to roll without putting all your weight down. It seemed impossible.

“Let’s get going,” Scarface said, “things have changed, so I wager the plan has as well.”

They stood up and walked out of the tavern. Coco muttered, “What should we call the party?”

“I couldn’t care less,” Frost said.

“Then I’ll decide,” Coco boomed like a judge, “Cat killers.”

“What? Why?” Cupid asked.

“I like it,” Coco said.

Cupid facepalmed, “Why not cat lovers instead.”

“Too boring,” Coco said.

“I agree,” Scarface said.

“Cat killers it is then,” Lucian said.

“Morons,” Frost whispered.

They were on their way to a general store. You could buy a little bit of everything there. Potions, bandages, rope, gunpowder, and torches / lanterns. They bought two lanterns, splitting the cost, and gave one lantern to Coco, and another one to Lucian. One in the front and one in the back.

They head out into the forest. Cupid said she’d seen the entrance to a dungeon, and they’d return to it. Better to get as much farming done today as was possible, tomorrow it would become a lot harder.

Lucian heard the howling of owls, and the breaking of twists beneath, and the rhythmic sounds of steps. The darkness clouded all around them, dispelled only by the lanterns. Anything could be out there, lurking, watching as they walked by without a single clue.

At certain times, Cupid and Scarface would stop, and turn, readying their weapons. Creeping the hell out everyone else, they stared into the darkness with dead eyes. They had heard something, and they’d wait for a few minutes, stiller than rocks, and then they’d continue as if nothing happened.

They didn’t get attacked a single time by the time they spotted the entrance to the dungeon. The entrance was a black figure in the dark, blue runes shining on the outline. Lucian thought that it could be credited to the cleansing of goblins earlier, and also the natural fear predators had for fire. Also, Lucian could imagine that your prey suddenly turning around and staring at you, after you step on a branch, was a bit disturbing, and probably warded off a few pursuers.

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Wild Dungeon

Recommended for levels 15 - 20

Party of 3+ required.

Size = Gigantic

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What the hell is going on?