3 YEARS LATER
The glassy sky of early morning still lingered over Elyon. The city lay dormant with only a few souls walking about the wide avenues of the main district. They headed towards the Gate, a building that stood in the center of the capital. There were always those who entered the Dungeon at ungodly hours, attempting to prove themselves to the gods while the rest of their competition was asleep.
Footsteps resonated in the area as two adventurers arrived at the main plaza. Zane took a deep breath, looking at the three golden statues that contrasted with the silver shine of the building and the rest of the figures.
The three gods that stood at the epitome of power were Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Those who received their marks were considered the Three; a trio of adventurers so powerful they could rival the power of nations if they worked together.
The pair came to a halt, meeting each other's gaze before one spoke up jokingly.
"Today's the day, huh? Did you prepare everything?" asked Zane as he ruffled the dark hair of the individual before him. A hand slapped him away annoyingly, the boy looking up with his dark blue eyes.
"Yea, yea, I did," he replied, "You've only repeated the same thing forty times in the last five days."
Zane grinned from ear to ear at the comment.
"I take great pride in my ability to annoy you, Ash. Now get going, you don't want to get caught up in rush hour. The first floors are always swarmed with morons around those times."
"Right, right, I'm off then."
Ash turned, heading towards the giant entrance that lay at the foot of the silver building. Zane lifted his hand slightly, giving a minuscule wave as he watched the boy submerge into the darkness of the Dungeon.
The dark-haired teenager walked calmly, listening to his footsteps echo as he descended into an open cavern that split into multiple narrow paths. He pulled out a small piece of parchment, straightening it as ink lines drew themselves. They spread across the page like wildfire, consuming the whiteness and revealing the area that Ash found himself in: Floor 1.
He crumpled up the map and slid it into a hidden pouch inside his cloth undergarments. Light armor protected the adventurer's vital parts, the dim glint that was reflecting off of the polished steel from the glowing crystals in the maze illuminating Ash's immediate surroundings.
Zane had given Ash one goal to accomplish during his first expedition: explore the first floor and return after three hours. The motives behind the mission were unknown, but Ash trusted Zane fully.
Not only as a brotherly friend but also as the strongest member of the Three.
Ash continued onwards, feeling the cold grip of his sword by his side. Zane had described the Dungeon as an unforgiving monster who tore away at the innocence of adventurers, but all Ash could see was the sparkling beauty of the multicolored gems inlaid within the walls.
He momentarily forgot that he lay in the abode of monsters, but he was quickly reminded of that.
The rocky contours of the tunnel suddenly shook. Ash felt his heartbeat quicken, his arms burning from the surge of adrenaline that overtook his body. His senses heightened, revealing the source of the anomaly.
A crevice had opened in the wall in front of him, and what escaped from the hole was the first monster Ash had ever come across. The beast walked on six legs, its piercing red eyes and drooling silver fangs sending shivers down the novice's spine.
"A Direwolf," muttered Ash. He forced his arm downward, disregarding the slight tremors of fear that he could feel, clutching the grip of his sword before unsheathing it in one swift motion.
The Dungeon had given birth to another monstrosity, specifically targeting the lone adventurer that was wandering amidst its body. The direwolf growled with a hushed tone as if it were restraining its murderous urge, awaiting the slightest movement from its adversary.
The rugged sound of Ash's breathing filled his ears, his eyes locked with the red pearls of hatred before him. Was it normal to be this scared of a single direwolf? He knew other adventurers were exploring the first floor, but other than his own panic, Ash could hear nothing.
The entire world had been reduced to that single corridor of stone.
He could feel his limbs shaking, but even so, his thoughts remained logical and calculated.
"You'll experience a fear unlike any other in there," had warned Zane a few days prior, "It's okay to be afraid. The only thing that matters, Ash, is what you choose to do with that fear."
Ash gritted his teeth, attempting to move his legs forward. A single goal had occupied his mind for the last three years, and he wasn't about to let cowardice take the better of him.
The tense atmosphere exploded as the direwolf howled, feeling the determination in the dark-haired boy. The beast shot towards Ash, all six limbs working in harmony, carrying the beast like a current of air straight into its target.
Without a mark of recognition from the Gods, all Ash could rely on was his physical strength and technical abilities. Zane had taught him the basics of survival and combat but had always refused to teach him more advanced techniques.
Ash rotated his weapon, sticking his hand against the flat part of the blade and blocking the oncoming attack. The direwolf thrashed wildly, grazing the boy's unprotected upper arm.
No words were uttered as the wound sent jolts of pain throughout the adventurer's body. He endured it, throwing the direwolf back with one push and beginning his offensive.
Direwolves were monsters who focused on killing their opponent as fast as possible. When forced onto the defensive, even the weakest of adventurers could win.
The Direwolf knew this, pouncing onto Ash one final time.
Ash waited patiently as the world slowed. His mind raced, screamed, calculated. He bent his legs, turning around in one fluid motion as he pointed his blade upwards.
The boy found himself underneath the creature's body, the six legs above him squirming as the Direwolf realized the unfortunate situation it had found itself in.
Ash let out a cry of determination, thrusting upwards with all of his strength and fury. The silver sword impaled the beast, the sound of flesh being torn resonating in Ash's ears. Shrieks of pain emanated from the Direwolf's jaws, but the boy continued with his assault.
He slammed the monster to the ground, using his sword as a handle that controlled the beast's trajectory. Ash violently twisted the hilt of the weapon, finishing off his opponent with a sickening crunch.
Blood gushed forth from the wound like a never-ending lake. Ash wiped off the blood that had stained his face, a weird sense of pride swelling up within him. Even if it had only been a direwolf, he had managed to slay his first monster.
The adventurer removed his weapon from the corpse. He remained still as the body disintegrated into a cloud of thin dust, washing away into nothingness.
It reminded him of a scene that had ingrained itself within his memory. One that he had tried so hard to forget.
A high-pitched scream suddenly rang. Ash snapped to reality, sheathing his sword and pulling out the map. Were an adventurer to be in a life-threatening situation, they could tear their map apart to reveal their location to nearby allies.
Ash rushed towards the small red stain on the parchment, praying to the gods that no monster would appear before him. The corridors finally converged into a large room, revealing the source of the cry.
A team of three adventurers was surrounded by dozens of Direwolves, all of them slowly approaching their encircled prey. Their armor and clothes were shredded, revealing the tattoos that lay on their upper arms.
These adventurers had the mark of the gods.
____________________
"Why did you send him in alone?" asked a voice. Zane turned to face his companion. The man had a short brown ponytail that emphasized the glowing energy that swirled within his turquoise eyes. He wore a white robe that had been crafted specifically for battle, the golden highlights giving him a divine aura.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't feign ignorance, Zane. You sent Ash into the Dungeon alone even though he hasn't received the acknowledgment of the gods. Without it, he can't even use magic. Why would you do that?"
"Atlas," said Zane, meeting his friend's gaze, "there are two things one must learn when becoming an adventurer. By going in alone, Ash will most likely experience these concepts."
"…"
Zane continued, interpreting the silence as a request for him to expand on his statement:
"The first is that compassion within the Dungeon is misplaced. The second is that death is solitary. When you're faced with a life-threatening situation, teammates or allies become irrelevant. The only person who will be by your side during your last breath within the Dungeon… is yourself."