As they walked deeper into the forest, the group was left with a complex web of theories and questions, each member contemplating their existence in this game that seemed to defy the boundaries of reality.
The enigma of the World Seed and its connection to their consciousness lingered, leaving them with an unsettling mix of curiosity and apprehension. However, those lingering feelings suddenly came to a halt when Ukiyo called out.
"We're here."
Ukiyo pointed towards a water fountain up ahead. The fountain was a work of art, ornately carved out of solid stone and lined with glimmering gold.
The fountain was three tiers tall, and at the top stood two young women, smoothly carved from the finest stone. They held up a floating sphere in their palms.
They seemed graceful but sad; parts of their faces were cast in shadow by the long, hooded gown they wore. The group admired its craftsmanship together, all but Ukiyo wearing the same awestruck expression
Ukiyo walked up to the fountain, admiring the statue that stood high above the rest of the world. She looked down at a small stone plaque carved into the base of the structure and touched her hands gently to it.
"We pay our humblest respects to the child of light, who guided our sorry souls to salvation. Let this fountain be a reminder of how her shattered soul saved ours," Ukiyo clicked her tongue.
She pushed in the plaque, the old, polished stone making a creaking sound as it moved.
Without warning, the ground around them began to shake, and the statue on top of the fountain began to dissolve into thin air, becoming tiny shards of rainbow crystals blowing in the wind.
The fountain itself followed suit shortly after, as its rigid structure began to slowly fold in on itself at the centre, leaving a pool of glowing purple liquid.
Eventually, the liquid began to drain, sinking lower and lower into the ground until all that remained was a pit where the fountain had once been, its walls lined with unlit torches and a spiralling cobblestone staircase.
Ukiyo looked down into the abyss, satisfied with the result.
"Come on. Let us continue onwards," she called bluntly.
She reached out to Decker, who stood just behind her, and began dragging him by his ear towards the entrance of the delve.
"Ow, OW!" Decker slapped Ukiyo's arm off of his head.
"What the hell are you doing, you NPC bitch?! Ya don't need to friggin' drag me along! I know where we're going! It's kinda the only remarkable thing in this whole place!" He pointed at the entrance.
Junyo ran up to Decker, wondering what the commotion was. "Woah, you guys found the entrance." He looked at Decker, who was rubbing his ear. "Jeez, you had me worried there. Guess you finally got put in your place," Junyo laughed.
Decker glared at him. "Not… funny," he grumbled.
"What's the big rush, Ukiyo?" Kazami asked, concerned.
"We can always leave tomorrow. I'm sure some of us are tired from the trip. Plus, it's getting dark anyway. It'd be safer if we left in the morning," he said, pointing at the setting sun.
"I disagree. I believe it would be better to make haste while we still have light," Ukiyo replied. "Who knows what kind of strong monsters are around an area of significance such as this? It is the only thing allowing us entry into the next delve after all."
Kazami thought about it for a few seconds but was interrupted by a large hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see that it was Kompto.
"I think we should go with Ukiyo's suggestion. We can't deny that Kyushu is cunning, so he could have very well set a trap for anyone lucky enough to survive the initial massacre," he said softly.
Kazami looked back at Ukiyo and nodded. "Lead the way then, Ukiyo."
Ukiyo turned back to face the mouth of the delve and began making her way down the steps, with the others trailing behind her in a single file.
The torches lining the wall, as if in response to their presence, suddenly lit up with a stunning blue flame. Tang-Ji stared down into the centre of the stairwell, and the darkness of the abyss stared back, causing her to recoil and back into the wall.
Slowly, the light from the entrance disappeared as the fountain reformed itself above them.
"It's dark," Tang-Ji mumbled, her thoughts still racing with disarray as each step seemed to dissolve into the shadows below.
Even with the blue lamps positioned along the staircase, she couldn't help but wonder if the deceptive radiance was guiding her into another perpetual night.
She looked around at the others to see if anybody else was scared out of their minds like her until her eyes landed on Emiko, who had been uncharacteristically quiet for the last few hours.
Emiko was more guarded than usual and held her hands together, one in the other, fidgeting with them. She was also looking around, albeit more nervously.
Suddenly, she looked up and met Tang-Ji's gaze, causing her to panic for a split second. Composing herself, she put on her usual cheeky smile and waltzed up to Tang-Ji, now walking besides her.
"Soooo… I saw you talking to the boys earlier." Her tone radiated valley girl, irritating and too playful for her own good.
"What's the deal? You like any of them?" This caused Tang-Ji to immediately become flustered, her face turning a bright shade of red. Emiko smirked; her teasing had caused exactly the reaction she was looking for.
Tang-Ji did not respond, instead choosing to remain silent and attempt to hide her face. "Come onnnn, Tang-Jiiiiii~. You can tell me; I won't reveal your secret."
"I- I don't like any of them in that way," she murmured nervously, her voice somewhat muffled behind her arms.
Emiko grinned. "In what way? I never said you had to like them in a romantic way." She chuckled softly as she continued teasing Tang-Ji.
They continued down the narrow staircase, the dim light flickering overhead. Tang-Ji's voice cut through the silence, teasing as her steps echoed against the walls.
"Let me guess… It's Ji-Soon, right?" she smirked, her tone playful. "He's reliable, I'll give him that. Plus, he's on the student council. And he is quite the looker."
She glanced sideways at them, her steps light as she skipped a few stairs. "Ooh, ooh, or maybe you prefer blonde guys, like Decker?" She imitated dry-reaching as she mentioned his name.
"No judgment, but… his personality? Yeah, pretty shitty. Still, I'll admit—blonde hair, blue eyes? Kinda hot. Plus, he seems really into fitness too, so... bet he's got a nice body under all those clothes."
Tang-Ji shook her head profusely.
"Hmmmm… How about Junyo?" She added it after some consideration.
"I mean… he is pretty boring in terms of guys, but he kinda gives me a mysterious vibe, you know. But… I did hear that guys who seem boring tend to be wild in bed." She teased, winking.
"It can't be Kompto, Right?! Unless... you're actually into older men." Emiko raised an eyebrow.
Tang-Ji remained dismissive, and it was clear that Emiko was getting frustrated. "Ugh. Who do you like the most, then?" She huffed, pouting and placing her hands on her hips.
Tang-Ji's face flushed red once more. "U-um. Well, I guess if I had to say..." Emiko listened eagerly, leaning in closer.
"I'd say Kazami is the one I feel most safe with, I- I guess…" Her voice trembled from embarrassment, embarrassment which she tried to hide again. It was too late; Emiko had already seen how flustered she was and began laughing.
"You feel safe with him, eh? Ooooohh, so it IS Kazami!" Emiko jeered.
"I can see why; he's pretty smart, and he's athletic too. He'd totally be your type!" Tang-Ji whined, her head tucked behind her arms, and continued walking.
Emiko directed her gaze to Kazami, who was talking to Ji-Soon, as if to analyse him.
"So how did you manage to escape the starting town, Ji-Soon? It was pretty chaotic back there," Kazami asked.
A smug expression made its way onto Ji-Soon's face. "Well, I used a hidden pathway that I saw in someone's playthrough of the beta. Pretty cool, right?"
"Lucky. We had to run like hell through the chaos. Eventually, Tang-Ji and I ended up at this creepy, haunted mansion."
Emiko shuddered. "Glad that wasn't me. I can't do horror."
"Speaking of the mansion, remember that letter we found, Kazami?" Tang-Ji pulled up her inventory, scrolling through until she found the letter, and presented it to the rest of the group.
"I was wondering if any of you knew anything about it."
Ji-Soon abruptly stopped.
With one hand resting on the railing, he skimmed the letter's contents. "Red Hood? What's a Red Hood?" He muttered. "And what's that writing at the bottom?"
"I think it's a signature. Like how people sign their letters to let the person they're sending it to know who wrote it. I think it says 'Sabastion Wicky,' whoever that is," Kazami answered.
Kompto's ears pricked up from down below the staircase. "Where did you get that letter?!" He yelled, now fully turning around.
"U-Um... from the haunted mansion in the snow?" Tang-Ji replied, surprised by the sudden outburst.
"I found it in a player's bag."
Kompto's expression became painful. "Give me the letter. Now." Kompto's tone had shifted. He was wholly serious as he made his way up.
"Why? Do you know something about it?" Kazami said, getting serious as well.
"I don't want to have to use force," Kompto replied, preparing himself for a fight. "Give. Me. The. Letter."
Kazami answered by positioning himself into a fighting stance as well. Tension filled the air, and the world became silent and still as the pair stared each other down.
However, the staredown was cut short by shrill screams coming from the front of the line. The sounds were coming from Decker, Junyo, and Ukiyo, who were being swallowed by bright white light.
Before anybody could move or react, the light rose higher within the stairwell, enveloping the entire party in a sea of light. Now, the stairwell was empty; those once within it had vanished into thin air.