Chapter 54: The Hidden Floor

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: The Hidden Floor

Arin looked at the circular structure. The strange markings on it still glowed under his touch. He had seen it was different from normal Elven dungeon.

The walls were too smooth.

The markings were not random.

And finally, his Dungeon Master’s Mark recognized it was foreign material.

Foreign Dungeon Authority.

Just that small fact made Arin a bit uneasy. He pulled his hand away.

"What exactly was this place?"

Eldran grew close. The Elf Chief carefully studied it for a few seconds, then shook his head

"I do not know."

"You’ve never seen it before?"

"No."

Eldran carefully looked at it. "Our scholars have explored this particular place for generations now. We know most of what there is to know." He glanced over to the staircase they came from. "This wasn’t in any of the records."

Arin turned towards the structure.

"So, it was hidden."

"Or sealed."

Ayan, who had been relatively quiet until now, walked around the structure. He carefully trailed the markings.

"I recognize some of them."

Everyone turned to look at him. Arin frowned. "From the previous dungeon master?" Ayan nodded. "Some of them seem similar to his work." Zarl, who had been watching everything with the guard of two elves, suddenly smiled. "Well, well." Ayan’s mood darkened. Zarl raised his hands innocently.

"I didn’t say anything."

"You were about to."

"I was merely thinking."

"That is usually when you become troublesome."

Zarl chuckled as he spoke. Arin ignored them. He knelt down near the edge of the structure. A thin line of stone ran along the length of the floor. It formed a perfect circle around the structure. Arin trailed it with his eyes. Then he noticed the line went past the structure and disappeared into the wall.

"Wait.

There’s something underneath this."

Eldran looked at him.

"You can sense it?"

Arin nodded.

"Not clearly.

But my Dungeon Master’s Mark is reacting."

He placed his hand against the floor.

His mark glowed. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the dungeon trembled.

RUMBLE.

Everyone immediately became alarmed.

The elves pulled out their weapons.

Ayan moved in front of Arin.

"Stay behind me."

"I wasn’t planning on standing in front of whatever comes out."

The floor suddenly glowed. Thin blue lines of light spread out from the structure.

They spread out across the stone like veins.

One of the lines reached the wall. And another, and another, until the entire room was connected by glowing symbols. Eldran looked around, surprised.

"This wasn’t here previously."

Arin studied them carefully.

"They’re responding to my authority."

Ayan’s mood darkened.

"Then stop."

Arin immediately pulled his hand away. The glow on the floor faded away. Once again, the dungeon became still. For several seconds, no one said a word. Arin stared at his hand.

"So, touching it activates the dungeon."

"Perhaps," Ayan said. "Or perhaps it activates something that was waiting for a Dungeon Master."

That response made Arin even more uncomfortable. He looked up at the staircase behind them. "Should we leave?" Eldran considered it.

"We could."

Zarl smiled.

"But you’re not going to."

Arin glanced at him.

"Why?"

"Because you are curious."

Arin sighed.

"I hate that you are right."

Zarl’s smile widened.

"It is one of my better qualities."

"No. It is one of your more annoying ones."

The group continued to study the chamber. Finally, one of the elves scholars noticed something carved into the wall.

"Chief."

Eldran walked over.

"What is it?"

The scholar brushed away a bit of dust. Hidden beneath it was a symbol. A circle, surrounded by several smaller markings. Arin immediately recognized it. His Dungeon Master’s Mark reacted. His hand pulsed with a faint energy. "What does that mean?" Eldran shook his head. "We do not know." Arin moved closer.

The moment he touched the symbol, a blue System window appeared.

[Dungeon Authority fragment detected.]

Arin’s eyes widened.

"Authority fragment?"

Ayan moved closer.

"What did you see?"

"Something called a Dungeon Authority fragment."

The system flashed another message.

[Fragment condition: Incomplete.]

[Origin: Unknown.]

[Connection: Severed.]

Arin stared at the messages.

"Severed?"

Ayan’s mood darkened.

"Then this place once belonged to a Dungeon Master."

Eldran looked at him.

"You are certain?"

"No," Ayan said. "But I have seen the previous Dungeon Master work with dungeon authority before."

Arin looked at the symbol.

"If this belonged to him..."

He stopped.

The thought was obvious.

Maybe this was another place that the previous Dungeon Master had come to. Or worse yet, it was something far older. Either option presented more questions than answers. Then the floor moved. A section of stone beside the structure sank a few inches. Everyone took a step back. Another section of the floor dropped. And another.

CLACK.

A hidden mechanism was triggered beneath them. The circular structure slowly parted. A narrow opening formed in the middle. Cold air seeped out afterwards. Arin stared into the darkness. "There is a staircase." Eldran’s face tightened. "How far?" Arin couldn’t see the bottom. He activated Dungeon Sense. For a moment, the entire lower region appeared within his mind. His eyes widened. "There are more rooms."

"How many?"

"I do not know."

He focused harder.

The sensation became clearer.

One room.

Then another.

And another.

The staircase continued downwards.

Far beyond the mapped section of the dungeon. Much farther. Arin swallowed hard. "This place has an entire floor underneath it." One of the scholars looked frightened. "That is impossible." Eldran looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because we have mapped the dungeon underneath this chamber.

There should be solid stone."

Arin looked down the staircase.

"Apparently, there isn’t."

Ayan moved towards the opening.

He studied the stairs.

"These were constructed."

Arin nodded.

"The previous Dungeon Master?"

Ayan crouched down and touched one of the steps.

"I cannot say.

The construction style is similar, but not identical."

Arin frowned.

"So, someone else built it."

"Perhaps.

That possibility makes the chamber feel even colder."

Arin looked at Eldran.

"We should send someone down first."

The Chief immediately shook his head.

"No."

Arin blinked.

"No?"

"You are the Dungeon Master. If this place is reacting to your authority, sending an ordinary scout down first would be foolish."

Arin stared at him.

"You are saying I should go?"

"I am saying that if anyone should investigate it, it is you."

Arin rubbed his forehead.

" Some how, that does not make me feel better."

Saira stepped beside him.

"Then I will go with you."

Ayan nodded.

"So will I."

Mira looked at the staircase.

"I suppose I am coming too."

Adnan smiled faintly.

"You really aren’t going to let Arin explore a mysterious underground floor alone, are you?"

"No."

Arin looked at everyone.

"You all realize we do not know what is down there."

Zarl raised a finger.

"I know."

Garul quietly said, "That is exactly why I am staying here."

Everyone looked at him.

Garul shrugged.

"Someone should make sensible decisions."

Zarl lowered his hand.

"Traitor."

Eldran gave a small smile despite the tension.

Then his expression became serious.

"We will establish a small camp here.

The rest of the expedition will remain above."

Arin nodded.

"That works."

He moved towards the staircase. His Dungeon Master’s Mark began glowing again. Not brightly. Just enough to show it had sensed something. Arin took the first step. Nothing happened. He took another.

Still nothing.

Saira followed him.

Then Ayan.

Mira and Adnan came after them.

The light from the chamber slowly disappeared above. The staircase was narrow, and strangely clean.

There were no roots.

No moss.

No sign of monsters.

It was as if nobody had ever used it.

Arin frowned.

"That bothers me."

"What?" Mira asked.

"There are no monsters."

Ayan nodded.

"That is unusual."

The deeper they went, the colder the air became.

Then, Arin felt something.

A faint pressure.

Not hostile.

Not threatening.

Just present.

He stopped.

"What is it?"

Saira asked.

Arin stared ahead.

"I do not know."

The staircase ended.

They stepped into a massive underground chamber. Unlike the natural dungeon above, this place looked entirely artificial. Black stone walls surrounded them. Tall pillars stretched towards the ceiling. Ancient blue crystals were embedded between them. And at the center of the chamber stood a huge stone door.

Arin stared at it.

There was no handle.

No lock.

Only one symbol.

A circle.

Inside, the shape of a hand.

Arin slowly moved closer.

His Dungeon Master’s Mark began burning

A blue System window appeared.

[Dungeon Master Authority recognized.]

[Sealed chamber detected.]

[Authorization required.]

Arin stared at the message.

"Authorization?"

He looked at the hand-shaped symbol. Then at his own hand, Ayan immediately understood.

"Arin."

"I know."

He placed his palm against the door. The entire chamber suddenly shook.

BOOM.

Blue light exploded across the walls. The ancient pillars lit up one after another. The stone door began opening.

Slowly.

Silently.

Beyond it was complete darkness.

Then, from somewhere deep within the sealed chamber, one single blue light appeared.

Arin’s eyes narrowed.

Something was still happening down here.

And whatever it was...

It had just recognized him.