The notice appeared above the entrance to The Ant Hill shortly before noon.
INSTANCE CLEARED
The names of the victorious adventurers occupied a smaller panel beneath it, along with their completion time. By the time Hizon reached the entrance, half the nearby market seemed to know.
Adventurers gathered around anyone who claimed to have spoken with the successful party. One merchant insisted the Hobgoblin Artificer had filled the entire chamber with fire. Another swore the party survived because its healer discovered a hidden weakness in the boss's machines. A third claimed they won without suffering a single death.
Hizon ignored all three accounts. He had already reviewed the run.
The party reached the boss chamber through the intended route, survived the opening traps, adapted when the Artificer changed weapons, and destroyed the final machine before it could overwhelm them. They won the fight Hizon designed. No collapsing floor ended it for them.
