Morning finally clawed its way into the Forest, the light filtering through the canopy like weak tea. My body felt like it had been hammered flat, run over by a wagon, and then chewed on for good measure. But hey—I was alive. Considering last night, that was a win.
"Note to self," I muttered, dragging my legs beneath me. "Never scream for three hours straight again. Bad for the throat. Ten out of ten would not recommend."
The forest was still eerily quiet, no Duskhound howls, no rustling predators—just me and the smell of damp moss. Good. One night in this place was more than enough.
I followed the dirt trail out, clothes torn, hair sticking up like a haystack after a storm. By the time the village gates came into view, I probably looked like I'd wrestled a bear. Which… honestly wasn't too far from the truth.
Two guards spotted me immediately. One raised his spear, eyes narrowing.
"You there! You went into Forest? Alone?"
I wiped at a dried blood streak on my cheek and forced a grin. "Yeah. Saw a boar. Thought I'd make bacon. The bacon disagreed."
The younger guard snorted, trying to hide a laugh. The older one looked unimpressed. "And the boar?"
"Let's just say…" I tapped the gash in my sleeve, "the boar won the first half. I won the second."
The younger guard outright chuckled this time. "Hah! At least you came back in one piece. Most rookies don't."
The older one gave me a slow once-over, then shook his head. "Next time, try not to look like the boar dragged you through the entire forest. You'll scare the people."
I offered a mock salute and walked past them. Honestly, I was glad they didn't press further. The last thing I needed was to explain how my "boar hunt" actually involved nearly getting mauled to death by a wolf-monster with too many teeth.
The city's portal gate shimmered ahead, a massive stone archway etched with runes that hummed with restrained magic. The thing looked like a fancy doorway into someone's bathroom—except, instead of tiles and soap, it spat you into another city entirely.
Stepping into the swirling light was like being shoved inside a spinning barrel of lightning. I stumbled out the other side gagging and clutching my stomach.
"Ugh. Teleportation… Why does nobody talk about how awful that feels?"
The new city rose before me, sprawling and alive.
Valeria.
Crowds thronged the streets, merchants shouted prices, hunters swaggered with trophies strapped to their backs. The air smelled like fried oil, dust, and ambition.
My stomach growled so loudly a passing dog barked at me.
"Okay, okay, I get it," I grumbled, patting my empty belly. "Food first, world-saving later."
I checked my pouch—just a handful of **lunas**, silver-blue coins that clinked sadly together like they were attending their own funeral. Definitely not enough for a feast.
I ducked into the nearest tavern, a modest place with squeaky chairs and an innkeeper who looked like he'd been born frowning. The smell, however, was heavenly—stew, bread, and roasting meat.
When the barmaid came over, I slapped two lunas onto the table. "What can this tragic amount buy me?"
Her eyes flicked from me to the coins, then back to me. "Uh… gristle stew."
"Perfect," I said with mock grandeur. "Bring me your finest gristle."
A few minutes later, she set down a bowl of watery broth with a few questionable chunks of meat floating inside, along with a lump of dark bread that could probably double as a brick.
I stared at it. "Ah yes… true noble cuisine."
Still, hunger won over pride. I tore into the bread, dunked it into the broth, and chewed. It tasted like salt, bone, and regret. But damn if it didn't feel good to finally eat.
A group of hunters at the next table were loudly comparing scars. One of them lifted his shirt to reveal a mark across his ribs. "Got this fighting a flame lizard! Nearly burnt me to ashes!"
Another slammed his fist on the table. "That's nothing! I fought three frost wolves barehanded!"
I almost choked on my bread.
Barehanded? Yeah right. Probably tripped over three wolves in his sleep.
Meal finished, purse nearly empty, I left the tavern. The city was lively, but I wasn't here to sightsee.
I was here for the dungeon.
Not just any dungeon, either. In the game, this place had been the stuff of legend—the dungeon that let players **increase their rank.** It had transformed the protagonist's future.
And now, it was my turn to steal it.
The path was burned into my memory. Market square, dried-up fountain, sloping road toward the northern cliffs. Past an old watchtower that nobody cared about anymore, there'd be a hidden trail.
Hours later, the city was far behind me. The sea roared against jagged cliffs, gulls wheeling overhead. No one came here—too windy, too empty, too far from anything useful. Which, of course, made it the perfect hiding place.
I found the trail, half-choked with brambles. It looked like something only goats—or very desperate idiots—would squeeze through. Lucky for me, I was the second kind.
Scratched, dirty, and muttering curses about thorn bushes, I emerged into a cavern carved into the cliffside.
And there it was.
An ancient door, towering and black, half-buried in stone. Strange runes crawled across its surface, glowing faintly like fireflies in the dark. The air thrummed with power, and my skin prickled as if the door itself was… watching me.
I let out a low whistle. "Well. Definitely not a wine cellar."
The runes pulsed brighter when I stepped closer. A deep rumble echoed through the cavern, dust falling from the ceiling. I instinctively stepped back, sword hand tightening.
"Okay… creepy magic door that responds to my presence. Totally safe. Zero percent chance this ends in me being eaten alive."
My heart was pounding, but not from fear alone. This was it—the place where destinies split. Where the protagonist of the game had broken free of his limits.
And now it was mine.
I pressed my palm against the cold stone. The runes flared like burning stars, the ground trembling as ancient mechanisms stirred. The massive door groaned and began to part, cold air rushing out like the exhale of something long asleep.
The shadows beyond shifted, curling like smoke.
I swallowed hard. "Yup. Definitely about to regret this."
But I still stepped forward.
Into the Eclipse Hollow.