Approaching the light, it's strong, but my eyes get used to it.
Entering the level, the first view Reinier and I have is an open field with some camping tents put up by the adventurers; further ahead, a dense jungle with large trees that extend for the rest of the level.
Trees have no size standard; there are low trees and very tall trees with large trunks. There is a lot of undergrowth, which prevents easy access to the forest.
The ceiling has Blue Crystals of Light, which simulate the sky like level 5.
Rei and I walked through the field to reach the dense forest. In the tents we see, adventurers rest, cook food over campfires, and recover their energy.
"We should have taken a tent." I say.
"I don't know if it will be necessary. If we don't find anyone today, we'll come back tomorrow." Reinier says.
"I think I was a little traumatized by what we went through in Level Eleven." I answer.
We are finally in front of the gigantic jungle; there is so much bush in front of me that it is not possible to see ahead. It's a little funny because it's almost like there's a division between the field and the forest.
"Wait." Rei says to me. "What is the plan?" He asks.
"Well, I guess we'll just walk around waiting for someone to show up." Quietly, I say, and enter the woods.
"You have got to be kidding." Reinier says and goes into the woods.
Walking through the woods, I hear many animal noises coming from above our heads. Some sounds are clearly birdsong, but some sound like other monsters or animals.
"zzzzzzzzzzz..." Mosquitoes surround me and bite me mercilessly.
"Hey Reinier, how do you make that natural repellent anyway?" I say it with dismay.
"Get out... Get out of here!" I look to the side, and he's thrashing against the mosquitoes.
After all the mosquitoes have sucked us to the last drop of blood, Reinier takes a small metal bottle out of his bag.
"Do you want some?" He says after drinking.
"Is that water?" I ask.
"Of course it is. What did you think it was?" Bad-mannered as usual.
"I don't know; maybe it's beer. With that drunk face you have, I don't doubt anything."
"Take it soon." He reluctantly hands me the bottle without saying anything, and I drink what little water is left in it.
Coincidentally, after a few minutes walking aimlessly, we heard the sound of a waterfall.
Following the source of the sound, we come across a place almost hidden by the forest. To enter the place, we have to push the plants in front of us, hiding the waterfall.
When we cross the forest, we see a small waterfall that forms a small lagoon.
As we approach, I see a wild boar drinking water at the edge of the pond. Almost immediately he sees us and runs into the woods.
"Did you see that!?" I exclaim asking Reinier who comes after me.
"That what?" He asks.
"There was a wild boar over there!"
"Damn, we missed out on having a free lunch." Rei slams her fist into her hand.
"Since we're here, I'll take the opportunity to fill my bottle." Reinier speaks and approaches the edge of the pond with the bottle in his hand.
This ravine that the waterfall flows into can be climbed, I think.
"What do you think about going up the side of the waterfall to follow the course of the water?" I say as Rei fills the bottle with water.
"Fine by me." He finishes filling the bottle and approaches the small ravine.
I approach the ravine together with Reinier and start to climb it.
Rei puts her bottle in her fanny pack and tries to climb.
Without much difficulty, I climb the ravine before Rei.
Looking ahead, I see the path that the water takes to flow here. A path that looks pretty big; maybe this water comes from another level, which wouldn't be surprising since I literally already entered a level through a hole in the wall.
Rei climbs the bank a little slower than I do, and we can finally follow the water's course to see how far we've come.
"You said that House Astrid had a checkpoint here, didn't you?" Reinier asks as we walk near the waterway.
"I told you. Why?"
"So I was thinking of stopping by; maybe we'll find someone promising or just to see the place." He says.
"Unfortunately, this is not possible. Only members of House Astrid can enter. In fact, this is why this level is not considered a safe area." I answer.
"Not even if a person's life is in danger, do they let us in?"
"Then I don't know anymore. I don't know if you know, but the heads of the Three Great Houses are known to lack compassion."
"Too bad then"
Suddenly, macaw-like bird noises pass overhead.
Walking through the level, all we see is bush and more bush.
"Isn't there anything else on this level other than plants?" Reinier asks.
"It's not like the previous levels we went through were any different." I answer.
"At least on the other levels, it wasn't hot."
"And there were no mosquitoes." I complement. "At this level, there are some ruins of civilizations from ancient times of people who tried to live here; maybe we'll find some." I say.
"They weren't very smart, were they? Trying to make a city on a deep level is crazy." Reinier speaks.
"I've never studied much about the ancient eras; in total, there are four eras and four generations. I believe that the ruins of this level were built in the Second Era, The Settlement Era." I say.
"If we think about it, I don't think they had much of an idea of the dungeon's danger." Rei says.
In the distance, I see the entrance to a cave. However, this isn't a transition cave to the next level; it's actually a cave in the level itself.
"What do you think about going into that cave?" I humbly ask Rei.
"Well, we don't have much of a choice." I think that was a yes.
We enter the cave and I realize it's more of a natural tunnel than a cave.
When I go to pick up my torch to light the region, I realize that we are already at the end of the tunnel. I can see the light at the end of it.
When we finally reach the other side, I see the ruins of ancient civilizations that I had talked about a little while ago.
The mouth indeed has power.
The place has an arched entrance, made of white stones, which is crooked and worn by the time they have been there. The rocks have vines growing on them, in addition to the moss that gives the stone a greener tone.
When passing through the entrance, Rei and I see large blocks of stones thrown on the ground, and others piled up blocks, probably structures of buildings that gave in to the voracity of time.
The site of the ruins has no trees; the ancient people must have cut them down.
All this is just fantastic!
"I feel like visiting the past." I say with a twinkle in my eye.
"Take it easy, Kaiser; we don't know if this area is safe."
I walk through the ruins, contemplating what little remains of the structures left by ancient peoples.
How old should these buildings be?
Who lived here?
What was their day-to-day like?
Perhaps these questions will never be answered.
Wait, what is that?
Looking closely at the ground, I see a… trail of blood?
"Hey Rei, look at this." I call him to see the tracks.
"You could walk a little slower, huh?" Reinier comes towards me walking in a hurry. Honestly, I didn't even realize I was walking fast.
"Is that blood?" Reinier asks.
"Of course it is. What did you think it was?" The spell turned against the sorcerer.
"That line is mine." Reinier says angrily.
The trail doesn't seem to go back very far.
Following the trail of blood, we passed many rocks, as if someone were running away from something.
The trail leads us to a stone wall that was in our path. Passing it around the sides, we come across the trail leading us to a girl in the distance who is sitting and leaning against a stone block.
The girl is extremely injured.
Looking at her face from the side, I notice the fine ears; she is an elf.
She wears a dark green cape and burgundy-brown pants. On her feet, she wears a black boot apparently made of leather.
She has short dark green hair, with bangs cut across her forehead with two longer strands on the sides of her face; her skin is fair, and she wears black glasses. She has a round face, but with a thin chin.
The girl slowly opens one of her eyes, revealing the large honey-yellow iris. She just watches us for a while and closes them again, presumably from exhaustion.