Jax reached the edge of the forest as dusk began to settle.
The trees thinned gradually rather than ending all at once, trunks giving way to rough dirt paths worn flat by repeated use. The air changed with the terrain. The scent of pine and damp soil faded, replaced by smoke, sweat, and something metallic that reminded him faintly of old coins.
A settlement came into view.
It was not a city, nor even a proper town by modern standards. Wooden structures clustered together behind a crude palisade, their construction uneven but functional. Lanterns hung from posts at irregular intervals, casting warm pools of light across packed earth and trampled grass. The sound of voices carried clearly now, overlapping conversations forming a low, constant hum.
Players.
Jax slowed his approach, staying within the tree line long enough to observe. Dozens of figures moved through the settlement, some armoured, others dressed in mismatched gear that suggested recent arrivals. Weapons were visible everywhere. Swords at hips. Staves slung across backs. Daggers tucked into belts.
No one looked relaxed.
A translucent barrier shimmered faintly around the perimeter, visible only when someone passed through it. As a pair of players crossed the boundary, Jax felt a brief tug at his senses, like pressure equalising.
A safe zone.
He watched closely as a third player followed them inside. The barrier reacted normally, its surface rippling before settling again. No alarms. No resistance.
Jax waited several more minutes before stepping forward.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the pressure that had lingered at the back of his mind since the forest eased. Not vanished, but muted. The sensation of distant attention faded to something manageable.
His interface flickered.
[Safe Zone Detected.]
[Combat Restrictions Active.]
He exhaled slowly.
Inside the settlement, the tension took on a different shape. Players gathered around notice boards, argued with armoured guards who appeared more NPC than player, or sat near cookfires eating simple meals. A few lay on the ground, staring blankly at nothing, their expressions hollow in a way Jax recognised.
Shock.
This was where reality finished sinking in.
He moved through the settlement without drawing attention, keeping his hood low and his posture neutral. His armour marked him as combat-capable, but not exceptional. That was good. Standing out invited questions, and questions led to scrutiny.
As he passed a group near the notice board, raised voices caught his attention.
"I am telling you, he just vanished," a young man said, his hands shaking slightly as he gestured. "One second he was there, the next he was gone."
Another player scoffed. "You panicked. That is all."
"I did not," the first snapped back. "He was standing right there."
Jax did not slow, but he listened.
Fear spread faster than rumours.
Near the centre of the settlement, a stone platform served as a registration point. An NPC clerk stood behind a desk carved from a single slab of wood, his expression fixed in practiced neutrality. As players approached, translucent panels appeared briefly, confirming names and classes before fading.
When Jax stepped forward, the clerk hesitated.
It was subtle, but unmistakable.
The man's eyes unfocused for a fraction of a second, then refocused with visible effort. His fingers twitched against the desk as the panel appeared.
It flickered.
The clerk frowned, blinking once before forcing a polite smile. "Welcome," he said, though his tone lacked conviction. "Please confirm your identity."
Jax said nothing.
The panel stabilized enough to display his name, though the edges distorted as if resisting definition.
The clerk swallowed. "You are registered," he said quickly. "Facilities are available. Lodging, supplies, and basic information may be obtained within the settlement."
The panel vanished with abrupt finality.
Jax stepped away, noting the way the clerk avoided looking at him afterward.
The system did not like this interaction.
He could feel it.
As he moved toward the edge of the settlement, a familiar pressure returned, lighter than before but present. His interface surfaced again, slower than usual.
[Anomaly Flag: Persistent.]
[Restriction Bypass: Partial.]
"So even here," Jax murmured.
Safe zones offered protection from violence, not from oversight.
He found a quiet corner near the palisade where he could sit without being boxed in. From there, he observed the flow of the settlement. Players came and went through the barrier, some confident, others hesitant. Groups formed and dissolved. Deals were struck quietly. Arguments broke out and were quickly suppressed by guards.
This place was not safe.
It was controlled.
As night fell fully, a bell rang from near the registration platform. Conversations died down as a message appeared in the air above the settlement, large enough for everyone to see.
[Announcement.]
[Dungeon Access Available: Stonefall Trial.]
[Entry Requirements: Level 3+]
A ripple passed through the crowd.
Excitement. Anxiety. Calculation.
Jax felt the system react before he did.
A brief surge of resistance followed by forced compliance.
[Dungeon Detected.]
[Instance Allocation Pending.]
He frowned.
That was fast.
He had not approached the board. Had not registered interest. The system had flagged him anyway.
Around him, players began forming groups, calling out roles and levels. The familiar hierarchy asserted itself quickly. High-level players took command. Lower-level ones followed or were ignored.
Jax remained seated.
His interface flickered again, text surfacing reluctantly.
[Warning.]
[Instance Compatibility Error.]
His heartbeat quickened.
The pressure behind his eyes returned, stronger than before, accompanied by a faint ringing that made it hard to focus. He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, pushing back instinctively.
The glitch system responded.
Not with clarity, but with force.
Something shifted.
The pressure receded slightly, replaced by a sensation of sliding sideways rather than forward, like being pushed into a parallel channel the system had not intended to open.
The message updated.
[Instance Assigned.]
[Status: Isolated.]
Jax opened his eyes.
Players around him were already moving toward the dungeon gate that had formed near the far end of the settlement. Light spilled from its archway, stone steps descending into darkness.
No one looked his way.
No one noticed as his interface pulsed once, then went still.
Jax rose to his feet.
Whatever waited inside that dungeon, he would be facing it alone.
And judging by the system response, it would not be playing by its own rules.