"Wow, this is amazing loot!" Kelvin said, his eyes sparkling as he examined the enchanted breastplate in his hands. The metal shimmered faintly under the dim torchlight, the runes carved into it pulsing like a heartbeat. He slipped it on, feeling the faint tingle of magic seep into his skin.
"The robes aren't too shabby either," Silvia replied, turning in place to admire herself. The dark-blue fabric rippled like liquid under the light, faint golden threads weaving intricate patterns along the hem. She tugged the hood up over her emerald-green hair and smirked.
"Now, what do we have next?" Kelvin said, his voice echoing as he started down the ridiculously long staircase spiraling into darkness.
---
A Few Hours Later
"Ahhhhh… finally, I made it," Kelvin groaned, falling to his knees dramatically at the bottom of the stairs. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and he was almost tempted to kiss the cold stone floor.
"Don't be such a crybaby," Silvia said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.
"Anyway, what exactly did we get? I didn't have time to really look, thanks to someone being in such a hurry," she added, tilting her head.
Kelvin smirked. "Well, my hot-headed friend, apart from the armor, we've got… some healing and stamina potions, ten thousand aethrium coins, a pair of enchanted goggles, and a spyglass." He pulled each item from his inventory with a small flourish.
"Alright then, Kel—don't you think we should split this stuff up?" Silvia asked, flashing him a grin that made it clear she thought she'd just won something.
Kelvin reached over and patted her head. "You know, you look cute when you think you've won."
Her face turned crimson instantly. "C–C–CUTE?! Don't call me cute—I'm not cute!"
"Oh, you are. Especially when you're angry," Kelvin said casually, reaching out to pinch her cheek.
"Kelvin! If I get my hands on you, I swear I'll—"
"Catch me if you can!" he interrupted, darting down the hallway with a childish "nanananana!"
---
Thirty Minutes Later
Kelvin leaned against the wall, catching his breath. "Alright, enough fun for now, Sil. We should keep moving."
"Aww, but I was just getting comfortable," Silvia pouted, flopping onto the floor.
"Come on, the sooner we finish, the sooner we can rest," Kelvin said, tapping her shoulder.
"Now you're starting to sound like me," she teased with a smirk.
She frowned slightly when he didn't answer and simply gestured toward the door ahead. "Let's just go in," she muttered.
---
The moment they stepped inside, the air shifted. The floor seemed to lurch beneath them, and a sudden wave of nausea hit like a punch to the gut.
"Whoa… where are we? Are we finally free?" Kelvin asked, his voice tinged with hope.
> < CONGRATULATIONS ON SURVIVING >
A flat, synthetic female voice resonated in their minds.
> < WELCOME TO THE THIRD FLOOR OF THIS EXERCISE. HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR EXPERIENCE? >
"Bad! Very bad! Do you know how many times we almost died?!" Silvia shouted into the empty air, her voice echoing off the strange, silent streets around them.
Kelvin wasn't listening. His eyes were darting around, scanning the skyline of the city they stood in. Something about the cracked cobblestones, the placement of the clock tower in the distance, the faded banners on the street corners—it all felt wrong. Or rather… it felt familiar.
> < THE CITY THE CANDIDATES ARE CURRENTLY IN IS A REPLICA OF NO.73 NORTH-WEST REGION: TRANSVINE CITY BEFORE IT'S DESTRUCTION>
Kelvin froze. His breath hitched, and a shadow passed over his face.
"Kel? You okay? You don't look so good," Silvia said gently, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm fine. Let's just keep moving," he replied flatly, his voice stripped of its usual warmth.
---
> < CANDIDATES MUST FIGHT AT NIGHT AND SEARCH FOR A BUTTON HIDDEN IN THIS CITY. THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL NPCs WITH SPECIAL SIDE QUESTS THAT GRANT ADDITIONAL REWARDS >
A glowing timer appeared in the air above them, counting down from 72 hours.
"Three days to find the button, do as many quests as we can, and get out," Silvia murmured, already calculating strategies.
"Here's my suggestion—two days of level grinding and questing, then we find the button on the last day," Kelvin said. His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Besides… I think I already know where that voice hid it."
---
The Next Two Days
"Not bad for our our last day treasure hunting day—we completed three quests," Kelvin said, looking into the bulging loot bag.
Silvia dumped the contents onto the floor and sorted through them. "Grade six storage relic, one skill scroll, two runestones, two upgrade chips, and a grade five monster repellant."
Kelvin clasped his hands together. "Let's make this our base. We've got cupboards, shelves, and—best of all—this cute little scarecrow to ward off monsters." He looked at her with exaggerated puppy eyes.
"Fine. But when we get out, you're buying me a treat," she said, pouting.
"Sure thing, Sil. Anything for you, cutie-patootie," he teased, pinching her cheek again.
"I–I–I… don't call me thaaaat!"
---
Twenty minutes Later – Marketplace
The streets bustled with NPC vendors hawking wares under flickering lanterns. Silvia's eyes lit up as she spotted a bead stall. "Oh! Hi there—of course I'd love to look at your beads!" she said brightly.
Kelvin rubbed the fresh red handprint on his cheek. "Must she smack me so hard…?"
"W–Well, you asked for it," Silvia muttered, her face flushed as she jogged to catch up.
"It's almost night. We've rested enough—there should be a guild hall here. Let's register. Even if this is just inside the dungeon, we can sell beast corpses for extra cash," Kelvin said, scanning the street signs.
"O–Okay… I didn't even think of that," Silvia admitted, embarrassed.
"Then it's settled! Off to the Guild Hall~!" Kelvin declared, sprinting ahead as Silvia shook her head with a faint smile.
---
Author's Note:
From chapters 10–15, the story will switch to first-person perspective.