Elix had found a small inn above one of the rough, looking homes in the city centre. The room was basic, consisting of a bed only, but he was grateful that he had managed to find a place to stay. The cost was 20 Teth per night, which he was able to afford due to the Teth Wreg had paid in exchange for his escape.

  It was morning, and the time had come to meet the others at the Nook. When Elix arrived, he found the party in the street. Elisa was in her usual mood and scolding Ren.

  "I cannot believe how much of our Teth you lost! You are an absolute fool!" She scoffed.

  Ren looked sheepishly at Dorgo and Latrus for moral support but they looked away wanting none of Elisa’s smoke. Then Ren noticed Elix.

  “Ah the squire returns, welcome back Elix, I hope you had a good night's sleep todays going to be an exciting one. We head straight to the Zeri ruins.” He walked over to Elix who was back at his normal level 5 state and clapped him on the back.

  “Yeah it was ok, I found an inn in the city centre so im ready.” Elix didn't mention his battle with Wreg or that he had befriended a Finx. He still had a feeling that something wasn’t right about Ren. It was a nagging feeling that he could not explain. But for now he decided he would just see where travelling with the party leads.

  The rest of the day was spent traversing the wilderness and heading in the direction of the Zeri ruins. Every now and again, Elix summoned the card map to check that they were heading the right way, with nothing that could surprise them. At one point, it had indicated that a monster was up ahead, but the party made off in a different direction.

  The landscape had become truly wild, with giant fir trees sporadically scattered around and thick bushes of brambly plants. They had been walking for some time when Ren stopped up ahead. Elix, who was at the back of the party, caught up. In front of them was a large lake, its surface rippling and shimmering in the bright sunlight. The expanse of the body of water was so great that Elix could barely see the other side.

  "I got this, Ren," spoke Dorgo.

  He walked over to the edge of the lake, summoned a card, and made a wooden rowing boat appear. It was just long enough to fit the party, albeit cramped. Elix was at the back, his legs being crushed by Latrus' giant man-beast body.

  As the party crossed the lake, the wind swept by them. Elix looked at the other side and could see that mountains began to spring up. At the foot of the mountain, he could see trees, not a thick forest, but just enough to offer some cover at the base of the mountains. The mountains themselves were not an impressive range; they were small and grouped together, not expanding very far.

  "Just up ahead now, within those few mountains, are the Zeri ruins. It won’t be long before we reach the abandoned dungeon. Latrus, Dorgo, keep paddling, we are close!" shouted Ren over the noise of splashing water and rushing wind.

  The boat landed on the shore and skidded across the soil until it was partially in the lake and partially ashore. The party jumped out, glad to be back on dry land. Dorgo re-summoned the card and then stored it in his inventory.

  "We are not far away, a few hours in that direction," Elix pointed at the mountains that were overlooking them. The journey went smoothly thanks to the magic card map.

  Elix noticed that animals were avoiding them, from a squirrel darting away up a tree to a small fox-like creature seeing them and running away in fear. The closer they got to the ruins, the more the landscape changed.

  The ground became hard and stony, the trees grew gaunt and thin, as if starved of nutrients, and the air itself began to feel stifled, like there was fear and anticipation weighing down on nature itself.

  The warning signs were clear. Animals had vacated the area. Anything alive that was connected to the ground, like plants and trees, seemed to be gasping for unspoiled water. It was gradual and wasn’t noticed by the party until they reached the foot of the mountains.

  "So what are we looking for? Is it some kind of hidden door in the mountains? That’s what most dungeons are like," asked Elix. He was growing in excitement, as he had heard about dungeons before. They were M.i created locations where various challenges were set in exchange for rewards.

  The M.i never simply gave anything for free, instead it required adventurers to complete a dungeon or slay a monster. That was the original way to obtain stronger and rarer magic cards, rather than buying them or having them passed down through one's family.

  "Look for a fluctuating aura. When we feel it, we’ll know we are on the right track. The dungeon is not stable due to its inactivity and inhabitant," replied Ren as he jumped from rock to rock like some kind of animal.

  "I can feel it! It’s coming from beneath us!" shouted Elisa. She stopped and crouched down, placing both hands on the ground. "Yes, I feel a strange aura emanating from far below. It’s faint, but there is something down there."

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Ren, and in turn the rest of the party, froze. As they passed a rather large assortment of rocks, which ran out into a clearing. The clearing was unnatural. Giant stone pillars stood taller than any building Elix had ever seen, surrounding the outer edges. The inside was empty, save for a large stone square in the center.

  "Is this it?" frowned Elisa.

  "Yes, this is it. Do not let its simplicity fool you, this is, in fact, the location of the Zeri ruins," replied Ren.

  Elix felt underwhelmed. This was not what he had expected. He had wanted to be blown away by some giant, intricate dungeon entrance, and instead he found a square slab of stone on the floor in an empty space. Had this all been an overhyped trip to some dungeon that was no longer there?

  "This is definitely the place," stated Latrus, and Dorgo agreed.

  Elix couldn’t feel it, maybe because he had never tried sensing the aura of a dungeon before. I don’t even know what feeling I’m supposed to be looking for. He was also keeping himself at level 5 to avoid arousing suspicion. As they all approached the dungeon, the stone slab began to slide away across the ground slowly. Then, a voice spoke to them.

  Welcome to the Zeri Ruins. This dungeon is now closed. The M.I. thank’s you for your interest in entering the Zeri Ruins. There will be no rewards or challenges, and you may come into contact with non-M.I.-initiated instances within these ruins.

  Enter at your own risk. Do not complain if you die.

  Requirements: Only one being and one MIB may enter the dungeon from any party. Entrants must be level 20 or below. That’s it! not too demanding, right?

  "Wait, only one person and one MIB can enter? Oh no!" exclaimed Ren.

  There was a fleeting moment of silence. Dorgo looked at Latrus, and Elisa looked at Ren with a flash of understanding across her face.

  "Elix, your time has come to prove your usefulness to us. I had no idea that the dungeon would have a restriction like this, but here we are. I think you should scout out the dungeon and then report back to us with intel so that we can best prepare for our journey inside," stated Ren. His lie about the dungeon was transparent, and Elix knew that this was the plan all along.

  "You planned this from the moment you met me. I would hazard a guess that, in the days leading up to meeting me, you had been searching for a new squire. The death of your old one must have been an inconvenience!" sighed Elix. He was tired of pretending and just wanted the truth out in the open.

  "Well, wouldn’t that be something, kid," laughed Ren.

  The other three party members watched on, not interrupting. Ren, who seemed to have lost his carefree demeanor, now wore a serious expression. Elix felt a shift in his aura, it was cold and void of the Ren he had come to know.

  "Let’s be honest, you left your boring life for excitement and to get stronger. What better way than to do the job you were recruited for? I will send Pon with you, and if you run into any trouble, you can just return here. I won't take no for an answer." Ren smiled, but something felt off. Elix realized that he was brought along for this specific reason, whether Ren would admit it or not.

  Hey kid, it's Lef. I think you should just accept it. They still don’t know your true power. This is a level 20 dungeon, you should be able to get in and out alive. Take the XP and loot and leave these scheming guild Cardmancers in the dust.

  "I’ll do it," replied Elix to Ren. The group looked surprised at how little he protested the task.

  "That’s great! Here, I’ll summon Pon, she will go with you," grinned Ren, his usual carefree demeanor returning.

  There was a flash of blue light, and Pon appeared in her usual brown light armor with her bow on her back. The MIB stood for a moment, head bowed in front of Ren, before seeming to receive her orders and moving to stand next to Elix.

  Pon walked over to the stone slab on the floor and looked at it. Elix hesitated.

  "How do we open it?" he asked out loud.

  "Do you know nothing? Just place your hand on it and channel your mana," snapped Elisa.

  Elix knelt down and placed his hand on it. There was a grinding noise as the slab began to slide forward. There was no dust, and the movement was smooth. Elix noticed that the stone was unblemished and perfectly smooth.

  "That's it, just like that. They grow up so fast," laughed Latrus. He had been standing next to Dorgo, who was twisting his beard.

  "Hey kid, if you find anything useful, bring it back to us. Don't go stealing our loot," grumbled Dorgo. Clearly, Elix’s welfare was the least of his priorities.

  With the stone now displaced, a square entrance hole was revealed in the ground. Elix didn't even look back, he was done with the party and had made the decision that his future was to be a solo one.

  Stone steps led down into darkness. As he walked, Pon followed a few steps behind. There were torches lining the walls, and as he approached, each one lit up the steps in front of him. The air was growing cold. With no circulation, the way down began to feel stifled. After the steps had reached their end, Elix walked through a large stone archway and into a circular room. The walls were carved into the earth itself, and the ceiling could not be seen. The air now felt fresh, and it was easier to breathe.

  Pon arrived a little after Elix. She looked around, scanning the room.

  Hey, can you hear me? Elix tried to use his ability to talk to MIBs.

  Yes, I can hear you, oh great and powerful Elix, replied a male voice.

  Lef, quit playing around. Also, how the hell were you allowed to enter the dungeon? The M.i specifically said only two can enter, one Cardmancer and one MIB!

  You caught me. You should know by now that I won’t be telling you my secrets. We are way too early in our time together for that. Lef was using his most patronizing voice. Look, keep your wits about you, the real fun's about to start.