CHAPTER 109: MONSTERS...

His vision spun.

It wasn’t like any teleportation he’d experienced before.

His body was tugged violently in all directions, weightless yet crushed, spinning through a spiral that pulled the breath from his lungs.

His senses blurred—no up, no down, only a whirl of yellow light and soundless pressure.

And then—

His feet struck hard ground.

Riley staggered forward, regaining his balance, his sharp eyes instantly adjusting to the new environment.

He stood within what seemed to be a massive, cavernous space.

The air was thick, damp, and heavy with the scent of earth and stone. Darkness pressed in from every direction, broken only by faint glimmers of glowing moss that clung to the jagged walls.

The ceiling stretched so high above that it vanished into shadow, echoing with the faint drip of unseen water.

A cave.

But not an ordinary one.

It stretched far into the distance, a labyrinth of shadows and uneven terrain.

Strange yellow crystals jutted out of the walls in some places, pulsing faintly as though alive.

The ground beneath his feet was rough stone, cracked and uneven, still humming faintly with the energy of the portal that had spat him out.

Around him, other players were beginning to appear, their figures blinking into existence one after another, groaning, cursing, or gasping in awe at the strange new world they had been thrown into.

The dungeon.

The Forgotten Depths.

Riley’s eyes flickered, sharp and calm amidst the rising noise. His lips curved again, but this time the smile was faint, thoughtful.

So this was the first event.

And the real game was only just beginning.

The moment Riley’s vision steadied, the sounds of unsettled voices filled the cavernous air.

Players glanced around in confusion, their eyes darting from one wall to another.

The dim cave was unlike anything they had seen before—its jagged surface was lined with strange, glowing crystals.

Their soft illumination only added to the unease, making the surroundings feel more alien than comforting.

Murmurs quickly spread among the players.

"Where... is this?"

"The dungeon?"

"What the hell are those crystals?"

No one seemed to have an answer.

Riley, standing quietly among them, observed the scene with a calm gaze.

But he wasn’t the only one here—he noticed movement behind some of the players, and soon realized that several figures weren’t part of their group at all.

Mixed among the players were people who looked completely out of place.

Their clothes were simple and rough, their expressions panicked.

A handful of women clutched at their dresses, their faces pale with fear.

A few men, older and weaker than the fighters around them, stumbled as they tried to get their footing.

NPCs.

They were the unfortunate ones who had been swept into the trench earlier, dragged into the portal along with the players.

Unlike the adventurers, they had no system interface to guide them, no status window, no attributes, and no skills to fall back on.

To them, this was no game—just a nightmare they had been forced into.

Their terror was palpable. Some clung to each other, shivering uncontrollably, their breaths ragged in the cold cave air.

They looked around desperately, as if searching for a way back, but found none. A child whimpered softly, his small hands gripping tightly onto his mother’s clothes.

Unlike the players, who at least had a vague understanding of what was happening, these people were utterly defenseless. No system, no weapons, no hope of surviving if danger struck.

A few of them, their fear outweighing their hesitation, began to huddle toward the nearest groups of players. They lowered their heads, voices trembling as they begged for protection.

"Please... help us..."

"Don’t leave us alone... we’ll die here."

Their pleas echoed faintly against the cave walls.

The players they approached didn’t respond with warmth. Some exchanged wary looks, others shifted uncomfortably.

A few simply ignored them, their focus fixed only on their own survival. Still, the NPCs remained close, unwilling to be left completely alone in this unknown place.

Riley’s eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the scene. He exhaled a quiet sigh, his thoughts unreadable.

Despite the NPCs moving instinctively toward groups of other players, not a single one approached him.

It wasn’t that he expected them to, nor that he particularly cared—but the way they had all subconsciously avoided him was noticeable.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze following the trembling figures who had chosen to cower near strangers rather than stand near him.

His mind lingered on it for only a moment.

"...Hn."

With a faint curl of his lips, he dismissed the thought and turned his attention back toward the depths of the cave. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter.

Whether they trusted him or not was irrelevant.

The way the NPCs subtly avoided him didn’t escape Riley’s notice. They huddled near the other players, trembling, desperately searching for safety—but not a single one came close to him.

It reminded him of what happened when he went back to the real world.

Back there, people had always done something similar—ignoring him, stepping around him as if his very presence was something they’d rather not acknowledge.

Whether it was at school, on the street, or anywhere else, he had been treated like someone who simply didn’t exist. This wasn’t much different.

Riley let out a quiet breath and looked away.

Before the silence could settle further, bright screens suddenly flickered into view before his eyes. Cold, mechanical text scrolled across them, making every player pause.

[The ranking of this event will be determined by points!]

[Players can gain points by killing monsters or other players in the dungeon. The amount of points gained depends on the type of monster killed.]

[The Dungeon is also filled with numerous rewards, all for players to claim.]

[The top ten players will also receive rewards at the end of the event, depending on their rank.]

[Good luck, players!]

The moment the notifications vanished, the atmosphere inside the cavern shifted sharply.

Players who had been muttering in confusion only moments ago now stared at each other with a different look in their eyes.

What had first seemed like a shared struggle quickly turned into something else.

The rewards were tempting enough, but the line that stood out most was clear.

Kill other players for points.

That single sentence changed everything.

The air thickened, no longer filled with uncertainty but with caution.

The players glanced sideways, studying the people nearest to them.

Where there had once been unease about the cave and the crystals, now there was something darker beneath the surface—wary suspicion.

Riley’s eyes narrowed.

"So it’s begun..." he thought to himself.

This alone would be enough to shatter whatever fragile cooperation had existed between the players.

Greed, fear, and ambition would all take root here. It might seem calm at first—players grouping together, pretending to form alliances—but he knew better.

It would get worse.

Much worse.

In time, they wouldn’t just be fighting the monsters of the dungeon. They would turn on each other, blades drawn not for survival alone, but for points, for rank, for treasure.

Friends would betray friends. Groups would splinter apart. Blood would be spilled over loot, over fear of betrayal, or simply because someone saw an opportunity to climb higher.

Riley could already see it.

This dungeon wasn’t just a test of strength. It was a test of trust. And most of them would fail.

The ground suddenly trembled.

A deep rumble ran through the cavern floor, shaking the crystals jutting out from the walls.

Before anyone could react, a thunderous roar ripped through the vast space, echoing endlessly until it pressed against every ear like a violent wave.

The NPCs shrieked in terror, some collapsing to the ground while others clung to the nearest player for support.

The players themselves stiffened, faces paling as they turned toward the source of the sound.

Riley’s eyes narrowed. Though his expression stayed calm, he didn’t let his guard down for even a moment.

The roar came from the far end of the cavern, the darkest stretch of the trench.

The bioluminescent moss that covered most of the rocky walls grew sparse there, leaving the stone swallowed by shadow.

Another sound followed—the heavy thud of footsteps.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Each one made the floor quiver beneath their feet, sending loose shards of crystal clattering to the ground.

The noise wasn’t hurried. It was steady, and filled with confidence. As though whatever was coming had no reason to fear the humans waiting in the cavern.

The steps grew louder and louder, filling the silence until some of the players began shifting uneasily. Fingers tightened on the hilts of swords, on spears, on bows. Shields lifted.

Weapons pointed toward the dark.

Then, from the shadows, three massive shapes finally emerged.

They were boar-like in appearance, but grotesque in size—each one nearly three times the height of a grown man, their thick brown hides bristling with coarse hair.

Their eyes gleamed faintly red under the dim light, feral and merciless. But what drew the most attention were the horns.

Each of the beasts had a single, spiral-shaped horn jutting from the center of its forehead, sharp enough to pierce stone.

The creatures stomped their hooves against the rocky floor and roared in unison.

The sound reverberated through the trench, so loud it rattled bones.

Chills ran through the players’ minds, an instinctive fear gripping them as though their bodies understood just how dangerous these beasts were.

The NPCs cried out again, shivering, while the players braced themselves, sweat starting to bead across their foreheads.