In the dimly lit depths of the ancient dungeon, damp walls echoed with the sounds of dripping water, lending an eerie ambiance to the cold, stone chamber. The air was thick with a musty scent, mingled with a faint scent of decay.
Amidst the gloom, Rose stood there in a trance, her eyes carrying a mix of confusion and determination, as she re-examined her surroundings. The memories of her past flooded her mind, memories of modern conveniences that were now absent.
She was supposed to escape this place, but how? She was unfamiliar with the surroundings, remembering something she slowly raised her trembling hand in the air and summoned the system to her service.
A holographic interface materializes before her, casting a soft blue glow on her face. The system's AI companion appeared.
(System activated)
"Welcome back, Master"
"Since the host hasn't acquired any points, there's no way the system can be helpful, as of now", Dictated the system.
"Tsk…. I just want to re-look at the thing that you showed me moments ago" Roselyn sighed.
[Reloading Status]
[Quest: Survive!]
[Difficulty: Hard]
[Grade: Prologue]
Description: You wake up to find yourself locked in a dungeon with no way out. Time ticks as the day of your death draws close. Are you sure you can survive this?
Objective:
- Find a way out of the dungeon
Time limit
-08 Hours 40 mins
Rewards:
+3 Free Attribute Points
+50 EXP
+Skill: Inspect
Penalty
-Death
Remarks: The guards have weird fetishes. Be careful]
Roselyn carefully read her status, and the time was running a marathon. She only had 8 hours and 40 minutes to escape the dungeon and her death as well.
"Can you at least help me with the way around?" Roselyn questioned with a tiny hint of hope in her voice.
["No, the system is incapable of activation, unless the host completes the task and achieves enough points to unlock stage 1".]
Once again the system disappeared leaving Roselyn in a state of confusion.
"Seriously? What's the use of having a system, when I'm instructed to do everything by myself". Roselyn sighed in disappointment.
"Time to put the ideas to action" Pressing her lips, she slowly wandered her eyes on the floor, she noticed a knife, that was lying on the blood-covered floor, lifting it she wiped the knife clean, grabbed her gown tore a piece of her frill, gathering all her scattered hair, with the help of the cloth she tied her hair into a tight head bun.
Looking down at her lengthy gown, "Not the best time to be a princess", Roselyn nodded her head in disapproval. She tore all her frills until her gown turned into a less lengthy and lightweight dress. Knotting all the pieces of the frills she turned it into one large piece of cloth and tied it around her waist. Placing the knife in her DIY waistband.
Roselyn gazed around with determination, "Escape huh?" her eyes narrowed as she studied the rusty iron bars and stone walls that imprisoned her.
"Well, let's show off some teenage skills",
A faint, confident smile plays on her lips as she recalls her skills and knowledge of past life. Wasn't she a badass teenager? Her stepmother used to lock her in their backyard, with a large and rusty iron gate in front. She once tried climbing but ended up injuring her back. Later she learned lock-picking techniques, sometimes she used wires, and many times she used her hair clips.
With a quick assessment, she noted the mechanism of the lock, and she was ready to go. Turning her head from the iron bars, Roselyn surveyed the place once again, and she could see the talismans hanging on the wall. Some were tied with ribbon that was made of satin cloth, while others were small iron plates on it were carved some spells in an unfamiliar language and symbols were drawn on it, Lucky her, those iron plates were tied with copper wires, and grabbing one of the talismans she untied the wire and with Swift movements of her fingers, gently bending the wire into shape, she crafted the end into a hook and fashioned it into a makeshift lockpick.
With her heart pounding, Roselyn focused on the task in front, she held her breath as she inserted the wire into the keyhole, her fingers working with delicate precision. The initial resistance gave way to a satisfying click as the first pin within the lock was released.
Her heart soared with a mix of exhilaration and accomplishment. She had successfully navigated the first hurdle. The lock that held the powerful witch of Caizen. Her fingers deftly adjusted the angle of the wire as she continued to manipulate the tumblers within the lock. Each pin yielded to her skills, and she could feel the tension in the lock easing with every moment.
Time seemed to blur as she lost herself in the task at hand, her absolute focus was on the lock. It wasn't just a modern lock with a modern mechanism, this was an ancient world with complicated things existing in it. However, the copper wire felt like an extension of herself, an instrument that connected her to the world beyond the door.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the final pin gave away. The lock clicked open with a soft trumpet sound. Unleashing the heavy metal lock she swung open the iron door, revealing the darkness beyond the threshold of the unknown. With a mixture of trepidation and anticipation, she rose to her feet, tucking the copper wire into her waistband.
She stepped through to peek out, leaving behind the candlelight chamber and stepping into the corridor beyond. The path ahead was shrouded in shadows.
"Uh, the path is too dark to walk, but, but, but… with a smile and glow on her face she continued "My determination burns brighter".
"Pfffttt~ a sound of chuckle echoed in her ears, Roselyn flinched in surprise.
A holographic interface materializes before her,
[System activated]
"Master, Are you sure you will be able to walk through the darkness just with the light of your determination?" The system slightly laughed at her words.
"Isn't that very funny, to not help people in need? Yet have the audacity to be an onlooker and laugh?" Rose refuted.
"But Master is at level 0, what help can I be of?"
"Do you've any name that I can refer to, when I wish to summon you?" Roselyn asked, as she turned and walked to the left.
"No, Master! That's because you haven't named me yet, and you are walking in the wrong direction, Master" the system alerted her.
Grabbing the flaming wooden torch of medieval times that is fixed on the walls, Roselyn walked back to the system.
"How about I call you a foolish/useless system, huh?" Roselyn smirked.
"That's…..Mean, Master"
"You are being the same, by letting me do things by myself" Roselyn expressed her disappointment.
"Wait, " said Roselyn as though she remembered something. Walking back to the chamber she grabbed the leg-chained shackle that the witch was Cuffed in. Folding it smaller, she kept the shackle in her waistband.
Looking at the blue light emitting by the system, Roselyn smirked. "You are too dumb to understand my actions". And walked forward.
"07 hours remaining to fulfill the quest, if the host fails to do so, death will be served as punishment," The system smirked back at her.
"You..… controlling herself Rose walked forward, "You ain't that dumb, huh? You know to back answer your master".
They moved forward unaware of the danger lurking in the darkness….