Carter stepped through the door.
What greeted him was unlike anything he had ever seen.
There were no walls. No ceiling. No ground—only an endless, consuming void that stretched in every direction. He hovered just beyond the threshold, staring into the vast emptiness that seemed to swallow existence itself.
"This place… it's not even darkness," Carter thought. "It's absence."
He focused his Ki, drawing power into himself. A narrow, glowing path materialized beneath his feet, extending into the void. With each step forward, an unseen pressure pressed against his mind, as if the emptiness itself was testing his resolve.
In the distance, a single door floated alone in the nothingness, pulsing with an eerie red glow.
Carter approached it and pushed it open.
[SCENARIO 2 INITIATED]
PRIME DUNGEON
INSTRUCTION: Try not to fall under an illusion.
REWARD: Mental Barrier (Ability)
FAILURE: Death
Carter stepped into a world drenched in crimson light.
"Another scenario?" he muttered under his breath. "I already defeated the Cursed Army and the Cursed King… where's my reward for that?"
The red mist swirled around him.
Then—
"Brother…?"
Carter froze.
Slowly, he turned.
His breath hitched.
She stood there.
His sister—alive, unhurt, exactly as he remembered her.
She ran toward him and wrapped her arms around him. Carter's hands trembled as he embraced her, tears welling in his eyes. For a moment, he forgot everything—the Scenarios, the danger, the war—everything except her warmth.
Then she spoke.
"Brother… I'm not real. I'm an illusion."
Carter pulled back slightly, staring at her in confusion. His voice cracked.
"If you're not real… why are you telling me that?"
She gave him a gentle, sorrowful smile.
"Because I carry her memories. I remember what happened. I remember how much you loved her."
The red mist shifted beside them, forming a glowing door.
"Beyond that door is the real scenario," she said softly. "No one has ever returned from it. You still have time to leave."
Carter wiped his tears, his expression hardening with resolve.
"Just… tell me your name."
She hesitated.
Then, in a whisper:
"Zelenia."
In an instant, she vanished.
Carter stared at the empty space where she had stood.
"Zelenia… that name… it was on one of the doors."
He stepped forward and opened the new door.
[SCENARIO 2 HAS STARTED]
Elsewhere, Ron raised his palm.
A shimmering, invisible barrier materialized between him and their enemies—the mirror versions of himself and the werewolf ally.
"Stay behind it," Ron said calmly.
With a flash of blue light, he teleported through the barrier.
The mirror Ron barely had time to react before Ron struck, releasing a burst of crackling energy that shattered his duplicate into glowing fragments of light.
Behind him, the dark mirror werewolf lunged.
But the real werewolf moved faster.
With a powerful strike, he overwhelmed his counterpart, ending the confrontation in a single decisive move.
Ron glanced back at him.
"Thanks for the help, man."
The werewolf gave a sharp nod. "No… thank you. I owe you my life."
A glowing message appeared in midair before them.
[FIND A WAY TO ESCAPE THIS DIMENSION]
The werewolf turned to Ron, his expression serious.
"We can tear open space itself. But if we stay longer, mirror versions of other people will start appearing. It will only get worse."
Ron reached into his coat and pulled out the magnifying glass Dr. Thomas had given him.
"Then let's try this."
He focused, channeling his energy into the glass. The air shimmered—and two glowing doors appeared, one for him and one for the werewolf.
They shook hands.
"See you again," Ron said.
The werewolf met his gaze. "You better survive."
They stepped through their respective doors and vanished.
Ron emerged back at the place where he had first entered the dimension.
He looked up.
"Sami?!"
The man stood waiting for him.
Sami stepped forward, eyes scanning the area. "Ron… where's Carter?"
Ron's expression tightened.
"He hasn't come out yet. He went through another door."
Sami's face darkened instantly.
"No… not that one. That door leads to one of the most dangerous dimensions in the entire system."
Ron clenched his jaw.
"We're going after him. You in?"
Sami met his gaze, then nodded grimly.
Together, they stepped forward.
A floating door materialized before them once again. They opened it—
—and fell.
They landed in a thick, alien jungle.
Towering, massive creatures moved between the trees—giant reptiles, winged beasts, and monstrous predators that looked both prehistoric and unnatural. The air was heavy, filled with the scent of danger.
A deafening roar shook the forest.
A massive T-Rex locked its eyes onto them.
Then another.
Then another.
They were surrounded.
Ron and Sami bolted, sprinting through the jungle as the ground trembled beneath their feet.
"This is insane!" Ron shouted over the chaos.
A familiar presence echoed in Ron's mind.
"CAN RON DO IT?"
"YES! BUT PLEASE HELP!" Ron screamed inwardly.
"RON, YOU SHOULD WAIT" Dream said.
"Wait?! What do you—"
Before he could finish, the beasts closed in, their massive shadows looming over them.
Then—suddenly—the world glitched.
In an instant, Ron and Sami were ripped through dimension after dimension—blinking through violent storms, seas of fire, glass skies, shattered cities, and impossible landscapes.
Finally, they arrived in space.
Silent stars stretched endlessly around them. Fragments of broken worlds floated in the void.
Ahead of them stood Carter.
His back was turned. His body was tense, trembling slightly. His head twitched unnaturally.
Ron took a step forward—
But Sami grabbed his arm.
"Don't," Sami warned sharply.
Ron turned to him. "What do you mean?"
Sami's voice was low and grave.
"He's under mind control. This realm doesn't dominate the body—it twists the mind. If you step closer, your trauma will become your reality."
Ron's heart pounded.
"Then how do we save him?"
Sami slowly shook his head.
"We don't… not here. No one has ever completed this Scenario. These trials are endless—each one more brutal than the last. Every victory only brings a greater challenge."
Ron clenched his fists, determination burning in his eyes.
"Then I'll do the impossible."
Before Sami could stop him, Ron sprinted toward Carter.
As he ran, his vision blurred.
Darkness crept in.
Whispers echoed.
A crushing pressure bore down on his mind.
Then—
[MIND CONTROL ATTACKING YOU: DISMANTLED]
[ABILITY: MENTAL BARRIER — ACTIVE]
A brilliant pulse of light erupted around Ron's head, forming a protective shield around his consciousness.
He reached Carter—
But Carter turned.
His eyes glowed with unnatural light.
And he attacked.