The air in the ruin had grown colder, heavier, and more oppressive. Jonash could feel the weight of it pressing down on his chest with each step he took, his breath visible in the frigid air. He and his companions, Eryk and Ava, had barely taken a few steps into the newly revealed passage when the system chimed again, its voice carrying an eerie sense of finality.
"Warning: Difficulty level has increased. New dangers detected in the area."
Jonash stopped, letting the words sink in. He'd been anticipating this, of course. The deeper they went into the ruin, the harder the challenges would get. But hearing it, that clinical tone that couldn't be ignored, made it feel more real. The sense of safety they'd felt when defeating the Trial Guardian seemed like a distant memory now.
"You heard that, right?" Jonash asked, turning to face Ava and Eryk.
Eryk grunted in response, his face set in a grim line. "I did. Not a good sign. We need to stay alert."
Ava, who had been walking ahead, stopped when she heard the system's warning. Her brow furrowed, and she turned slowly to face Jonash. "We need to be careful. If the system's saying things are getting worse, then there's no telling what's waiting for us in here."
Jonash nodded. The passage they had entered was narrow, with walls of jagged stone that seemed to close in on them as they moved forward. It felt like the ruin was alive, watching them, and every creak of the old stones underfoot only confirmed the growing sense of unease.
As they continued deeper, the passage opened into a large chamber, much larger than the last. The walls of the room were covered in ancient, faded carvings—symbols and figures that seemed both foreign and strangely familiar. The floor was cracked, with pieces of stone scattered across the ground, remnants of a civilization long gone. In the center of the room, a pedestal stood, surrounded by a faint glow.
Jonash's gaze locked onto the pedestal, where an artifact rested atop it. The object was a small, intricately designed orb, its surface smooth and polished. It was faintly glowing, pulsing with an ethereal light that seemed to call to him. There was something undeniably compelling about it, a pull that Jonash couldn't quite explain.
"I think we're supposed to take that," Eryk said, his voice low and cautious.
Jonash stepped forward, but Ava moved ahead of him, her eyes fixed on the artifact. "Wait," she said, her tone urgent. "There's something about this—something I don't like."
Jonash raised an eyebrow, glancing between her and the orb. "What do you mean?"
Ava didn't answer immediately. Her eyes narrowed, her expression intense. She was staring at the markings on the pedestal, her fingers twitching as though she wanted to touch them but was holding herself back. "I've seen this before," she muttered under her breath.
Jonash's heart skipped. "Seen it? Where?"
"I don't know," Ava said, her voice distant, as if she were trying to recall a long-lost memory. "But these symbols… they're too familiar. I've studied ancient languages before, and there's something about these markings—something off. It's like they're telling me something important."
Eryk, sensing the growing tension, stepped closer to the pedestal, scanning the room for any signs of danger. "Look, I don't care about symbols right now," he said, his voice sharp. "We came here for the artifact. We can worry about its origins later."
Jonash nodded, but something about Ava's warning kept him uneasy. He could see her hesitation, the way her eyes traced every line and curve of the symbols on the pedestal, as if trying to decipher a code. He turned to her, his voice quieter. "What do you think the markings mean?"
Ava shook her head, her expression conflicted. "I'm not sure. But they don't feel right. We should proceed with caution."
Jonash had learned the hard way that caution wasn't always an option in this game. The system had already warned them that things were getting tougher, and it seemed like the deeper they went, the more dangerous it became. He could feel it in the air—the pressure, the weight of history, of forgotten dangers waiting to be unearthed. But at the same time, he couldn't ignore the allure of the artifact, the promise of power and rewards that could help them survive.
He reached for the orb.
The moment his fingers brushed against its surface, the room seemed to shift. A deep, guttural rumble echoed from somewhere far below them, shaking the very ground they stood on. The light of the orb flared brighter, casting strange, flickering shadows along the walls of the chamber.
Ava stumbled back, her eyes wide with alarm. "What the hell is happening?"
Before Jonash could respond, the system's voice rang out again, louder this time, more insistent.
"Warning: Artifact activation detected. New mission objective: Escape the Ruins."
The ground beneath them shuddered once more, and Jonash's pulse raced. He didn't need to hear more. They had triggered something, and it wasn't going to be friendly.
"I knew it," Ava whispered, backing away from the pedestal. "I knew this wasn't just a simple treasure hunt."
Jonash clenched his jaw, trying to steady his breath. He glanced at Eryk, who had already drawn his weapon, his eyes scanning the shadows. They weren't alone. The ruin was alive with danger, and the artifact had been the trigger. Now they had to figure out how to get out of here—and fast.
Suddenly, the walls trembled again, this time more violently. A low, raspy hiss came from the darkness beyond, followed by the unmistakable sound of movement—scraping, shuffling, and the eerie echo of claws dragging against stone. Jonash's stomach twisted in knots. Something was coming for them.
Eryk raised his sword, his stance firm. "We need to go, now!"
But as they turned to retreat, the door they had entered through slammed shut, a stone barrier falling into place with a deafening crash. The room was now sealed, trapping them inside with whatever was lurking in the dark.
Jonash's mind raced, the heat of panic creeping into his chest. "We're trapped. What the hell is going on?"
Ava looked around frantically. "This can't be good. We triggered something. But what—what was that hiss? Was it—?"
She didn't finish her sentence because, at that very moment, the first of the creatures emerged from the darkness.
It wasn't a beast. Not exactly.
It was humanoid but twisted, its features jagged and broken, like it had been pulled from a nightmare. Its limbs were long and unnaturally thin, its skin stretched tight over its bones. Its face was a grotesque mask of sharp angles, with hollow eyes that gleamed with a malevolent light. It moved with a fluid, unsettling grace, its claws clicking against the stone floor.
Ava took a sharp breath, her hands trembling as she fumbled for her weapon. "What the hell is that thing?"
Jonash didn't wait for an answer. He leaped into action, grabbing a nearby stone to use as a weapon. The creature's eyes locked onto him, and it snarled, showing rows of sharp, serrated teeth.
"Get back!" Jonash shouted to his companions. "Stay back!"
Eryk lunged forward, his sword flashing in the dim light as he took a swing at the creature. The blade connected with the thing's arm, but it didn't seem to slow it down. The creature let out a screech that sent a chill down Jonash's spine and then lunged at Eryk with unnatural speed.
Ava reacted immediately, firing a bolt of energy from her staff at the creature. It screamed as the energy hit, but it only staggered back for a moment before it advanced again.
Jonash's pulse was pounding in his ears as he gripped the stone, preparing for the next attack. They had to survive this—they couldn't fail now.
The system's voice echoed once more in his mind.
"Warning: Multiple hostiles detected. Mission objective updated: Eliminate threats to proceed."
Jonash's grip tightened on the stone. He glanced at Eryk, who was still battling the creature, and at Ava, who was preparing for another spell. They were running out of time, and they had to act fast.
And then, out of the corner of his eye, Jonash noticed something that made his heart race with fear.
More creatures were emerging from the darkness.
They were surrounded.
The artifact glows, and Ava mutters, "I've seen this before."