The flames spread across the island, not like fire, but like a living, ravenous beast.
It devoured everything in its path — tree trunks cracked and exploded from within, sap hissing as if blood boiled in veins.
Smoke coiled and sank into their lungs so deep that every breath was torture.
The sky was gone.
In its place — a black dome with crimson cracks, through which orange light seeped.
The screams of the artlaps tore through the world.
They didn't sound like the cries of beasts, but like the wails of people pressed against the wall by a burning world.
Thousands of voices, filled with pain, rage, madness — a choir of agony that made one want to cover their ears, but even through the body this howling drilled into the mind.
The ground trembled beneath their feet, as if it itself tried to shake off the fire.
The crowns of trees collapsed, sparks scattered to the sides, and it seemed as if every spark was someone's death.
Endel watched the chaos he himself had unleashed, and he understood.
They had maybe ten, fifteen minutes before this hell reached their shelter.
They needed to leave. Urgently. But his friends stood frozen, as if turned to stone.
Carlos stared at the burning horizon, his eyes red from smoke, as if trying to sear every detail of this end of the world into his memory.
What he was thinking about — Endel didn't know, and probably never would.
Leina, meanwhile, glanced between the fire and the flood of system messages blazing before her eyes.
[You have killed a monster: Artlap F-rank]
[You have killed a monster: Artlap F-rank]
[Quest progress: 1790 / 10000]
Her face reflected an entire storm of emotions.
From horror to relief, from guilt to hope. And at that moment, she herself couldn't tell which was stronger.
They understood why Endel had done it.
The logic was crystal clear.
But to see, and especially to hear, the artlaps burning alive — this was no longer just a quest.
Even from kilometers away, they could distinguish the sounds — the crack of bones, the guttural screeches that faded into the smoke but still tore their way through everything.
It was as if death itself was speaking to them.
Guilt gnawed at them… or something like guilt. They couldn't even name it properly.
For while their mission was simple — kill ten thousand, return home — what was happening now had nothing to do with hunting or battle.
This was extermination.
And in that difference lay an abyss.
And yet… wasn't it hypocrisy to condemn him now? Wasn't he the one who had saved them when they themselves had no plan? Wasn't it his mad determination that gave them a chance to see tomorrow?
And so any words addressed to Endel stuck in their throats, turning into a heavy lump they couldn't exhale. Especially since they too were complicit in this hell.
That was why they stared at the flames as if trying to burn every detail into memory — the stench of burning, the smoke, the roaring, the howling, the crackling of trees.
All of it, to remember this moment.
That they were guilty too. That they too were horsemen of the apocalypse, who had destroyed this world.
And yet still, one question pulsed in their heads.
"Could we have done it differently?"
No answer came.
Carlos didn't know.
Leina didn't know.
Endel didn't know.
The Third didn't know.
Noticing how they were drowning in this inner swamp, Endel didn't let them sink deeper.
His voice, hoarse but calm, cut through the air like a blade through wood.
– We need to move further. The fire is spreading across the island fast.
The Third muttered quietly inside him:
"What's done is done. You can't rewrite it. Either them, or us."
His voice seemed to snap them out of their trance.
They turned, forced themselves to nod, showing they understood.
Without looking back at the burning hell, they rushed after him.
Smoke still hung behind them, but ahead the air was cleaner.
They ran in silence, and that silence weighed heavier on Endel than the screams of the dying artlaps.
He was just about to speak when… he tripped over a root.
The fall was sudden and absurd, sprawling him face-first into the mud, branches tearing at his already pitiful rags.
Sharp twigs scratched his skin until it bled.
Endel cursed in pain and groaned.
– Fuck!
It felt as if the world itself had decided to play a cheap joke on him.
Carlos and Leina stopped, staring at him with identical expressions.
A mix of surprise and the silent question: "Seriously?"
Endel slowly lifted his head out of the dirt, swearing under his breath.
He tried to wipe his face with his sleeve — and only made it worse.
Sticky clay smeared across his skin in thick streaks, hiding him beyond recognition. His hair, tangled and filthy, clung to his cheeks.
– Well, there we go, – he said evenly, restraining his irritation and trying to keep calm. – Now I definitely look like a survivor.
He stood up and tossed his hair back with the air of someone pretending nothing had happened.
Carlos and Leina stared silently, not knowing whether to laugh or go back to brooding.
"Or like a beggar," the Third commented dryly, chuckling.
Endel, as usual, pretended not to hear.
They continued running in silence, only the faint chuckles of Carlos and Leina lingering in the air whenever their eyes slipped to Endel's mud-streaked back.
He acted as if he didn't notice — in truth, he was even glad he had fallen. At least he had distracted them from heavier thoughts.
But the laughter faded, and the seriousness returned.
– When we finally finish this quest… what will we do on the other side? – Carlos asked, no longer smiling, realizing sooner or later they'd be back home.
If that place could still be called home…
– Move toward the safe zone. As planned, – Endel answered immediately, as if none of this chaos had changed anything.
They had a plan, and they had to follow it.
Carlos nodded, but the thought of what awaited them there lingered.
And at that moment, cold light flared above their heads, and system lines appeared before their eyes.
[Congratulations! You have completed 50% of the quest, proving you can overcome any hardship.]
[You may leave the dungeon early!]
[Reward: the same as full completion. Additionally: "Most Valuable Member" will receive a special reward.]
[Progress: 5000/10000]
[Clearance of an Unformed Dungeon F(D)-rank: Completed!]
Note: Upon leaving the dungeon, you will receive all rewards. You will also be placed in the nearest safe zone, as a bonus for completing such a high-level quest for your stage. However, if you do not leave within ten minutes, the bonus that ensures you land directly in the safe zone will disappear. You will instead be sent to an unknown location after quest completion. Leave quickly.
[Leave the dungeon?]
[Yes]
[9:59]
The messages struck like blow after blow.
The world still burned, but in that moment reality was wrapped in another light — cold, lifeless, alien.
They stopped, blinking dumbly, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
The messages still hung before them, the note about the safe zone standing out especially — all they needed to do was agree.
A sweet bonus, they thought.
And yet, even after two minutes of silence…
Only the distant roar of fire and the whisper of ash falling from the sky broke it.
– Why are we hesitating? Let's go, – Carlos finally said, frowning, glancing at Endel and then at Leina.
Leina pressed her lips tight. Her gaze darted between her friends.
– Doesn't this seem… strange to you?
Endel said nothing. Carlos only shrugged.
– What's strange about it? We proved ourselves capable. And we got a concession. Nothing surprising.
– Sometimes you're insightful, but right now… – Leina sighed. – This isn't one of those times.
Carlos stubbornly turned away, refusing to admit anything.
– There's no point overthinking. The chance is here — we should take it. Straight to the safe zone. No risk.
But Endel wasn't listening to their argument.
He had been staring at the system lines the entire time, trying to understand why it had suddenly changed the rules.
Like when he had found the hint by the campfire.
Something didn't add up. Too convenient. Too… tailored.
Too fast.
As if the system wanted them gone.
And as if the system itself heard his suspicion, a new message appeared:
[Note: Since the participants are taking too long to decide, decision time has been reduced.]
[Remaining time: 0:59]
Carlos's heart sank. Even he now admitted there was something off here.
Leina's face went pale, realizing they were out of time.
How quickly the situation flipped — from waiting calmly for the end of the quest to making a decision that could determine their fate.
She looked at Endel nervously, clinging to him with her eyes, afraid to choose herself.
And by doing so, she gave him the right to decide.
– Endel… what do we do? – her voice trembled.
He stayed silent for a few more heartbeats, watching the countdown.
"What do we do?" the Third asked, watching the scene.
[0:34]
– We leave, – he finally said, sharp and firm.
"Also the right choice," sighed the Third — for the situation was too strange. Better not to risk it.
Carlos and Leina exhaled together, as if dropping a heavy burden, and agreed instantly.
A white flash tore the world apart, and they vanished, erased from the burning hell.
Endel, already ready to leave, heard the Third's shocked voice:
"Endel… why are we still getting points even though the quest ended early?"
Endel glanced at the endless flood of notifications he had been ignoring.
Hundreds of artlap kill messages.
[You gained 1 point for killing an artlap.]
[You gained 1 point for killing an artlap.]
[You gained 1 point for killing an artlap.]
Endel froze. Something was wrong. He looked at the timer — only twenty-two seconds left.
And again, a note appeared:
[Note: PLEASE JUST LEAVE ALREADY!]
The Third muttered, confused — "Strange…"
– Strange, – Endel echoed, eyes still locked on the messages. His voice carried both amazement and caution.
But there was no panic.
Only curiosity.
[0:15]
[0:14]
[0:13]
Tick…
Tock…
Tick…
Tock…
Endel took a deep breath.
His eyes gleamed strangely.
The timer ticked mercilessly, each second stretching into eternity. The Third's thoughts urged caution:
"Endel… this doesn't feel like a normal situation."
– I know, – Endel smirked, almost aloud. – But aren't you curious why it's acting this way?
The Third didn't answer, but his silence said enough.
Another note appeared:
[Note: You'll pay for this.]
A chill pierced his back.
His body shivered — but there was no turning back. He only smiled wider, that mad grin, waiting for what was to come.
The timer hit zero.
[0:00]
The system answered:
[You did not use the early exit option. You must now complete the original quest.]
[Quest progress]
[7,493/10,000]
[Time remaining: 1 week (6 hours 55 minutes left)]
The notes vanished, leaving only silence. Endel remained in place, far from the fire, deciding to wait.
The artlaps would die from the flames anyway — he wasn't worried.
Minutes crawled like hours.
2 minutes…
3 minutes…
4 minutes…
On the tenth minute, the screen lit up again, freezing a message before Endel's eyes.
[Your quest has been completed!]
[You have cleared the Unformed Dungeon F(D)-rank!]
[Quest progress]
[10,000/10,000]
[Time remaining: 1 week (6 hours 45 minutes left)]
[Would you like to leave the dungeon early?]
[Yes/No?]
Endel and the Third read every word carefully.
The option to leave early was real — everything seemed logical, simple.
But then messages appeared they did not expect:
[You gained 1 point for killing an artlap.]
[You gained 1 point for killing an artlap…]
[You gained 1 point…]
Endel froze.
So did the Third.
Their hearts clenched with an unknown thrill — as if they had discovered something the system wanted to hide.
Even after quest completion, the system still gave them points.
And that was strange.
Something clicked in the Third's mind, his eyes widening. "You mean even after finishing the quest… we'll keep gaining points until time runs out?"
Reading his thoughts, Endel said:
– Yes… – quietly, absently, realizing the scale only now. He hadn't expected this either.
And though neither of them yet fully grasped the value of those points…
The system's odd behavior, the constant notes, the forced bonuses — all of it became clear.
Either this was intentional, or a mistake. And the system did not want them to know.
That was why it tried to force them out early, before the quest's natural end, luring them with bonuses.
That was how Endel understood it.
He drew a sharp, decisive breath:
– We're staying until the end.
The words came out calm, almost cold.
"Are you sure?" the Third asked hesitantly.
– Yes. – Endel replied.
The Third nodded within, realizing there was no point arguing — only supporting the idea.
He too wanted to see what would happen when the timer reached its end.
The system immediately confirmed:
[Accepted. You will wait until the quest's time expires, after which you will be forcibly removed from the dungeon.]
[Good luck.]
But what truly unsettled Endel — was the way "good luck" sounded. Not the cold text of the system, not the usual message… but almost like a human wish.
"Hm… I thought the system itself wrote the notes, but maybe not…", the Third muttered in surprise, noticing the difference.
Endel nodded, eyes fixed on the screen.
Time dragged on, every tick of the clock a step toward an unknown ending.
And in that moment, it felt as if even the fire they had left behind, and the insane hell they had unleashed on the artlaps, had ceased to exist — only this strange silence remained in this place.
...
....