The Black Prison Forest lies southwest of Soma Town.
Its name may stem from old tales of an evil wizard imprisoning travelers, or perhaps from the forest’s shape, resembling a dark, cage-like structure.
Over time, the long and peaceful years seemed to prove to many that this was just an ordinary forest, common throughout the Alwyn Empire.
However, the recent discovery of ruins in the forest brought some changes, along with an influx of adventurers.
The locals living nearby didn’t pay much attention to the forest or its old rumors. They were more concerned with whether the arrival of these adventurers could improve their lives compared to yesterday.
That is, until the night patrol guards recently noticed something unusual deep within the forest—
Countless leaves fell in droves from the branches, roots rotted and decayed, and the once-lush land seemed drained of life, turning blackened and barren.
If the flocks of crows driving out other animals painted a heavy, ominous stroke of deathly hue across the forest, then the eerie white mist that began to rise at some unknown point cast a thick shadow over it.
From the depths of that grayish-white haze came strange, hoarse whispers and fleeting glimpses of crimson eyes.
It was as if demons were murmuring, and the abyss was watching.
Faintly, it felt like an invisible giant hand had slammed shut a prison gate, turning the forest into a true black cage, as its name suggested, silently swallowing all who entered.
The townsfolk began to panic.
Some believed the rumors had come true, that the evil wizard had returned.
Others claimed a terrifying monster lurked in the forest’s depths.
Amid the escalating rumors, Soma Town’s governor finally took action.
He sealed off the entrance to the forest’s depths, dispatched an investigation team, and requested adventurers to assist in uncovering the cause of the Black Prison Forest’s anomalies.
***
Alwyn Empire, Soma Town Square
Logging in near the fountain, Zhiye couldn’t help but yawn, her expression a bit sour.
Just minutes ago, she was in the midst of a pleasant dream, only to be abruptly woken by a call from her best friend.
Without any clear explanation, just relentless urging, she didn’t even have time for breakfast before rushing online.
It’d be a lie to say she wasn’t a little annoyed.
“If that jerk doesn’t give me a good reason, they’re not borrowing my homework when school starts,” Zhiye muttered, heading toward the agreed meeting point.
But along the way, she was surprised by the bustling crowds on the streets.
“When did it get so crowded again?”
A clear hint of astonishment flashed in Zhiye’s eyes.
She knew Soma Town was currently the hottest leveling spot in the Gruin Region, with plenty of players gathering here, but a crowd this massive?
It felt like the kind of frenzy only seen during a special event not long ago.
Could something else have happened?
Connecting this to the urgent phone call earlier, Zhiye grew certain her friend knew something. With that thought, she quickened her pace.
When she finally reached the meeting point, she was ready to grab the flashy knight in gaudy armor for a thorough interrogation. But instead, he grabbed her arm first. “My dear lady, you’re finally here! Hurry, everyone’s ready—let’s go grab a spot!”
“Relax, we can’t outrace the others anyway.”
“Our gear and team comp aren’t bad. We can compete.”
“Setting up base here was a brilliant call. You guys owe me big time.”
“Didn’t we stay because you, Ayuan, blew all our money and we couldn’t afford a teleport?”
“Shut up, Bullhead.”
Though the group was noisy, they followed along.
“Spots? What spots?” Zhiye, still clueless, was dragged forward by the paladin, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, like arriving at a university library to study.
“Huh? Yezi, you don’t know?” The group turned to her with puzzled looks.
What’s with this feeling, like I’m the only one who doesn’t know tomorrow’s the midterm and I haven’t studied?
Yichen adjusted imaginary glasses on his nose. “Ahao, didn’t you explain it to Yezi on the phone?”
“Haha, forgot, forgot.” The paladin, Ahao, scratched his head sheepishly, trying to defend himself under the group’s stares. “I was in a rush, okay?”
“So what’s going on?!” Zhiye shouted, tired of being ignored.
After a chaotic explanation from the group, Zhiye finally understood the situation, which also cleared up her confusion about the sudden surge of players in Soma Town.
“A dungeon that level 8 players can enter appeared in the forest ruins?” Zhiye blinked, her delicate face looking a bit playful and cute. “Didn’t they say the lowest-level dungeons were level 10?”
“It’s all over the forums—it’s definitely level 8. Xiaoquan said her team’s already gone in,” White Rabbit Candy said, munching on a piece of bread meant for recovery but treated like a snack, her words muffled.
Otaku Ayuan chimed in with an analysis that sounded profound but was mostly fluff. “Lots of pioneering teams have already gone in, and some studios aren’t far behind. After all, this is Epoch’s first real dungeon. Getting your name on the clear record would make you famous.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”
Hearing they could compete with major guilds, Zhiye’s eyes lit up with excitement. She grabbed the paladin’s arm and bolted toward the outskirts of Soma Town.
But something felt off.
The group exchanged glances as they watched the petite mage drag the paladin like a sack of garbage.
“Even if Yezi’s a bit dense, she wouldn’t dump all her points into Strength, right?”
“Could her berserk tendencies be acting up again?”
“Yichen, is your plan even working?”
Yichen didn’t know what to say, so he just hurried after them. “Let’s catch up first.”