The whole crew was done at the ship of Synexus sanding away. They had just made the walk after seeing Minily off and wishing Prith luck. At this point they were expecting everyone to spend about a week in the dungeon based off the first two trials which Zuls was happy for because she was still having trouble finding the answer for the lock.

  It wasn’t that she couldn’t think of anything that hindered her progress. It was the exact opposite, in fact. She could think of hundreds of flaws and fears that she had. The problem was that most didn’t actually stop her from progressing. They did weigh on her though. She had a week to narrow it down or at least she thought she did.

  Minutes after they got to the ship there was another crackle, but this one was much quieter. Next came a small wave of energy. No one was sure what had happened since Prith just went in there and they couldn’t see any new damage to the mountain range. It could have been on the back side though.

  Running to the mansion for the second time today they did their count and everyone was accounted for. Right in the middle of their count the doors opened, and Prith walked out.

  “Did the dungeon not want you or what?” Zuls was hoping it was the or what because she really did need more time.

  “I passed my trial already. For me it was roughly two days. How long has it been out here?”

  “It’s been five minutes. The other two were in there for years.”

  “Mine was straightforward. A lot of waves of monsters. I got this cool sheath for completing it!”

  “Oh, a combat one? So that is an option. Well, I’m excited.” Kumo was ready for something like that. Her blood was boiling for a good fight.

  “I must have killed over a hundred monsters. One was this big wyvern!”

  “It definitely shows! Five levels. Even in two days that’s insane not too mention five minutes.” Synexus used his achievement ability.

  “It was definitely a boon to my progress. I believe part of my reward was the System increasing my levelling speed to make up for how short it would be. Who knows! I’m going to find some place to rest though. Good luck, Zuls!”

  Everyone turned to Zuls and wished her luck. She sighed and went to the basement to face the lock.

  She pressed her palm to the stone that never really felt like anything. It was there. She could see it and in her mind it was hard, but actually feeling it there was no sensation. It always creeped her out.

  “What I need to overcome is my fear of loneliness!”

  Her exclamation went unanswered.

  I guess that doesn’t really hinder my progress since I’ve never been alone as an adventurer.

  “Okay, my biggest hurdle is the need for revenge!”

  The door stayed closed.

  What is wrong with that? It did stall my progress for a while. I guess now it has become a bit of a drive for me. How in the world did everyone else get this so easily?

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  “Maybe I’m overthinking this lock. What I need to overcome to advance my class faster is my weakness. I fight through my bonded, but alone I don’t feel that I’m close to my peers. I need to find out how to stand on my own to be stronger for my bonded.”

  That was what the lock was looking for. The door opened and she found herself in the empty white space. Out of nowhere massive trees started growing all around her and when she went to avoid one, she found herself on a bed of moss growing along the forest floor. All her gear was gone including her bag that her bonded were in.

  I guess I should have seen that coming. They better be okay!

  Her eyes darted around the forest and took in the sights. The trees were truly massive and there were mushrooms growing everywhere. Instead of the peaceful silence of the Lushwood Forest back home, there were constant noises of battles being fought all around her. Beasts were growling or yelping in pain. Loud crashing was nearly shaking the ground. This was a hostile environment. With no bonded, no companions, and no weapons she wasn’t sure how she’d survive.

  She realized that all she was doing was sitting still and acting like frightened prey. Standing up and dusting herself off, she cleared her mind and started walking forward towards what seemed like a beam of light shooting up into the sky.

  Hiking through the tough terrain was not fun and the humidity of the forest was not something she enjoyed, but she would not be the first to fail this dungeon. Sweat rolled down her body and soaked into her clothes. For a class chosen this was a rarity for sure. Her stats were still there; it was just a really tough hike.

  How far away is this light?!

  It had been nearly half a day, and she had to stop to hide four times because a battle got too close. She thought about stopping to try and bond with this giant beast that stood twenty feet tall, had massive teeth, stood on two legs, and had arms that ended in terrifying claws. It was armor plated, and the other animals seemed to avoid it. She figured it would go against the spirit of this trial, and she wasn’t sure if her bonding skills would work.

  Instead, she stayed to the shadows and utilized stealth. This made her hike even longer. At least the temperature lowered as the sun did. She had to stop and take a break next to a stream to get fresh water and regain some of her energy. Sleep wasn’t necessary and it wasn’t likely she even could with all the hissing, growling, and snarling going on around her in this hostile place.

  Around midnight she took off again for the light. The night helped her stay hidden and the light was way more visible. Hopefully that wouldn’t draw in monsters.

  It was another five hours before the base of the light pillar came into sight. She couldn’t quite see what it was at this distance, but being close was good enough for her. The excitement got the better of her and she took off running. Her destination was right there and from here it looked to be a glowing animal of some kind. She was so close when a giant beetle cut her off.

  This thing was twice her height and as wide as one of the trees. It had a carapace that seemed to sheen when it caught light. Its horn was almost as wide at its body and looked as sharp as one of Prith’s blades.

  She stopped right where her foot hit the ground, hoping the beetle hadn’t seen her yet in the low light. Unfortunately, its eyes were better than hers. In a rage it shot forward trying to take her out in one rush attack. Her stats were high enough that she jumped out of the way at the last second and it ran into the tree a few feet behind her. Vibrations ran up the tree and the leaves shook. Furiously, the beetle yanked its horn out of the gash in the tree it made and turned to find its prey.

  Zuls had immediately taken off running for base of the light as soon as she recovered from her dodge hoping that it was some type of salvation. When she got closer, she realized what it was, and she was excited. It was a glowing outline of her penguin, Siz.

  Running up to the light she didn’t know what to do and just stood directly in it. The glow faded and the beam of light was gone. She was so excited and looked around to find her bonded inferno penguin but found nothing instead.

  Well now I’m confused.

  Another beam of light shot up in the distance and she could barely see it over the treetops.

  Seriously?!

  That wasn’t even her biggest problem. The beetle was charging for her again and this time there was no time to dodge. Panic filled her and then something pinged her mind. Knowledge of something she had seen a million times before. Following the instinctual knowledge she gathered her mana and released a jet of bright red flames out of her mouth to roast the oncoming beetle.