Lucas took a moment to reorient himself and adjust to his new environment. Although, it wasn’t much different from where they came from. They were standing in a clearing, surrounded from all side with thick trees. From their position, they could see something of a dirt road leading through it. There wasn’t much of a horizon, thick forest blocking their view.

As Lucas was finishing his observations, announcement appeared before his eye:

Welcome to the Echo of Viridi scenario dungeon.

Eons ago, dryads of Viridi tamed the nature on their planet. To support their aggressive expansion throughout the universes, they started to mutate plant and wild life found on planet, creating beasts of war trough magical and scientific means both, bringing massive destruction with them. Learning this, forest elves of yore launched a holy war on their race, their action deeply offending core living philosophies and religions elves abide to. For dozens of millennia, war was waged in many universes, finishing when elves landed on Viridi and broke through the layers of defense of the last dryad king, siege taking untold amount of life from both sides and ending Viridi dryads as race in the multiverse.

Now, the echo of the past has arrived on recently integrated Earth, still ravaged by the tribulation of the invasions which served as a test and learning experience both for the new denizens of the multiverse. Manifesting itself near historical landmark, Camp Hearth, a settlement that served as a staging point for heroes, adventurers and armies of Earth to fight of the last unchallenged invasion, has showed that although humans of Earth were successful in their fight, pain and suffering they brought still linger in the collective echo of their race.

You have challenged this Dungeon, recreating the steps elves took to defeat their foes. Three layers they overcame, on the end of third brightest in their force killing the last dryad king and breaking the Viridi.

First line of defense is the fabled Darkgrowth, breeding ground for mutated weapons dryad made. As elves made their way, chaos that always follows wars managed to separate some species from their minders. Those creatures now roam free, sowing deaths to both the invaders and defenders, rage in them fueling their hunger for revenge.

Lucas was frowning by the end of it. Scenario dungeons were extremely rare phenomenon that carried great rewards when closed. Difficulty of course followed both of these, making these dungeons very threatening and difficult.

“Not to mention a lot of fun” he added to his musings.

Another prompt appeared in front of Lucas and he started to read it:

“Quest updated “Help the Camp Hearth”: You find out that specters of past haunt Camp Hearth. It falls to you to put them to bed, safeguarding the future of the settlement.”

“Still melodramatic” he thought.

Focusing back on the forest, Darkgrowth, Lucas spotted his party members apprehension. Clearly they knew at least as much as he of the scenario dungeons and were getting cold feet thinking of the dangers ahead.

“How are we playing it?” Lucas asked, hoping to get them on the right state of mind, appealing to their so vaunted professionalism.

“Three way free-for-all, mutated beasts on the loose? Are we even equipped for that?” Michael asked him.

“Don’t look at me, I’m dumb muscle here. You are the one for “strategy briefings” Lucas responded to his friend, smile already forming.

“Which you don’t read” Michael told him.

“Later, lovebirds. We need a plan” Hannah inserted herself into conversation.

“I vote for “Walk down the road, kill everything in the way” Lucas told his party, triggering a eye roll from them all. “You assholes have anything better?” he asked.

Unfortunately for them, Lucas’s plan seemed to capture the gist of the challenge, and they started executing it, although Michael reframed it as “careful advance” with potential “hostile contacts”. Maraya went first, followed by Hannah, while Michael and Lucas flanked her, making a inverted “Y” formation and theoretically making Hannah their center for maximum protection.

“As if the battle is that orderly” Lucas thought to himself. John probably thought the same, shrouding himself in the growth which was all around them, acting as party scout. First part of their journey was unnervingly calm, not a sound coming all around them. Sensing that the forest was trying to lull them, Lucas kept his Perception sharp, for all the good it could do. He hoped that John was alert, and like the fate herself decided to take a laugh at him, a small branch fell in front of Maraya, signaling danger near them. How near was it, however, they didn’t guessed. Four lianas shot somewhere from the right of Lucas, slamming into party. Lucas felt a heavy blow on his legs and found himself flying.

“You took 74 points of damage”

Landing hard into the earth, he quickly activated “Dodge” purely on instinct, rolling away a second before another whip slammed hard into the spot where he laid. Getting on his feet, he scanned his environment. Several balls of branches, plants and lianas assaulted his team. Luckily for them , attacks seemed random and without a clear goal. Cursing his carelessness, he activated his buff skill and then checked his opponent with “Eye for details”.

“Entanglem, level 27”

“Entanglem, level 27”

.

.

.

“Entanglem, level 31”

Six Entanglems, near their levels. It looked doable in Lucas’s eyes, but first he needed to relieve his party. John had the same idea, as a loud boom was heard, and one of the balls went flying backwards, impacted with bullets from John’s shiny new rifle. Using the momentarily created confusion in his enemy ranks, Lucas repositioned and activated his new skill. He started rotating, his sword fixed in front of him. Poor Entanglem didn’t stand a chance, Lucas’s sword connected with it and pierced trough it with little effort.

“You have slain Entanglem, level 28”

Remaining Entanglems started lashing at Lucas, forcing him to dodge with the use of his skill. In the meantime, rest of the party recovered and barrier appeared in front of Lucas, courtesy of Maraya. Michael’s gun started firing, suppressing plant balls and leaving them as easy pickings for John, whose sniper was heard again and sent another enemy flying. Not wanting to miss the fun, Lucas jumped over the barrier, going full throttle towards one of the remaining Entanglems. Activating “Death by the thousand cuts”, he went to work. His sword made a cut after cut, sap flowing freely from every wound. Taking a step back, Lucas pivoted, finding himself at the exposed flank of his opponent. Quickly plunging his sword into it, he ended the creature’s life in an instant.

“You have slain Entanglem, level 27”

Grenade skill from Michael flew over the Lucas’s head, landing at the remaining creatures and ending their life. Meanwhile, Hannah targeted him with a burst of green light.

“You are healed for 100 damage”

Pleasant energies coursed through Lucas’s body and he reveled in it. Michael was already ordering to move forward, and they were on the move again. About ten minutes later, John appeared in front of them.

“Large number of enemies ahead. Mounted dryads and at least two Ents” John spoke.

“Can we avoid them?” Michael asked.

“I can’t say for certain, but there is probability”

They quickly set on avoidance route, trekking between trees and stopping at every sound, hoping that the enemy hadn’t spotted them. One time, they stumbled at another group of Entanglems, which were quickly dispatched. After another report from John, stating that they circled around the enemy host and to straighten course to find the road again, they heard a snarl from behind them. Looking back, Lucas spotted three big cats carrying dryads on their backs. Riders spurred their mounts forward, and one of them fired a bolt of orange light at the party. Lucas activated “Dodge”, sliding forward, using this as a chance to close the distance. Bolt went over his head, slamming Maraya’s shield with a loud gong. Getting on his feet, Lucas quickly activated “Stinging cut”, slashing one of the mount’s head. The big cat screeched loudly, thrashing around. Dryad on top of it couldn’t hold long, falling down as his mount continued to bleed and screech in pain. He took out his flail as he was getting up, locking eyes with Lucas. Before they got to exchange blows, Michael grenade landed behind them and exploded in a flash of orange, forcing other two dryads to scatter. That left Lucas’s potential enemy as easy target, and John took opportunity, blowing his head open.

“Kill steal” Lucas shouted.

“We do this by the book, Lucas. No heroics, and certainly no kill steals” Michael shouted back at him.

Lucas just shrugged, and went to finish the mount of now dead dryad. His sword went quickly trough the feline head, ending the creature life.

“You have slain Viridi feline stalker, level 32”

Not wanting to waste time, he quickly turned towards the remaining enemies. Michael fire suppressed them, preventing them to reform. Caster noticed Lucas and started to prepare another spell to cast. Unfortunately for him, Lucas was faster. “Infused piledriver” he murmured and few seconds later he rammed into him, his sword going through dryad shoulder. Not that it mattered much, as rapier went to the hilt, piercing so much that unfortunate dryad fell on the other side of his mount, wringing in pain. Lucas climbed his cat, pulling his sword loose and turned the cat to the remaining dryad. He went charging, and then lost his balance all fall down.

“That was a pretty bad idea” Lucas scolded himself as he was standing up, and from a look on the rest of his teammates, he guessed they agreed. John’s rifle was overheard again, and remaining dryad fall down, his mount dead. Sensing the chance, Michael threw the grenade, which exploded right in the face of rider, transforming his place into bloody mush. Behind him, Maraya moped the wounded caster.

“You have assisted in slaying Dryad, Disciple of Moon level 33”

Taking a second to catch a breath, party started speculating what to do next. It hasn’t escaped their notice that the last cat couldn’t be found, and they have to assume every enemy around them was on alert.

“We have to get moving, and hope that the scenario is complete when we leave the forest” Michael said.

“Want to bet we are the best and brightest, or however System called it, who killed the king?” Lucas asked nobody in particular. Nobody in the party felt the need to respond to him, everyone thinking the same thing. They resumed their journey, finding five more groups like the one they fought, eliminating them with no particular trouble.

“This is too easy, being a Scenario dungeon” Maraya noted.

“Or we are badasses” Lucas offered the alternative. Somewhere, someone must have heard this and decided to punish the arrogance. Ground shook and little booms started to happen on its surface. One such explosion launched Lucas into the air, and he landed on a wooden platform that stood on one of the tree branches. He spotted John on one of the branches next to him, and old man quickly came to stand next to him. They signaled the rest of the party, and they were quickly reunited, just as the whole ground were they stood sunk, leaving a gaping hole.

“Pure luck, this time” Michael said “John, what happened?”

Old timer just shrugged his shoulders, causing frustration in Michael.

“Whatever happened, I see only one way forward” Hannah spoke, pointing to the place where platform connected with the solid earth.

“This is confusing. Tree looks like it grow directly from some hill, but there isn’t anything in sight” Lucas noted.

“Potential mind magic or illusions. Stay sharp” Michael ordered and they moved forward. As they traded wood for earth, they found themselves in clearing not unlike one they encountered ant the entrance. Only difference was breathtaking horizon sprawling, showing a mighty looking city in the distance. A wooden tower, decorated with all manners of massive carvings and other flowers and plants loomed from somewhere in the city, a symbol of wealth and might from its owner.

“Hmm, Dargkrowths misdirection didn’t stop you. Interesting.” a voice spoke right to them. When they turned to the source, they spotted a female dryad staring at them intensely. Her violet eyes carried much glint in them, and she looked like Christmas came earlier.

“Welcome, my new pets, to your new home. I will make such fun creatures out of you”