As it was, and so it shall always be, to my dearest one,
For all things end the same way they started.
Foretold to us by those who witnessed the end, and glimpsed through the hazy hourglass to see the beginning.
In the unlikely case that doubt shrouds us, let this lament breathe life into you.

May your second song be more benevolent than the first,
A life filled with an abundance of adventures and lore.
As for this one?
Let it fade into a distant memory.
My dearest Princess...enjoy thy sleep, for eternal has never existed for our kin.
 
 An Ode to the Sleeping Princess


"Her sweet-sounding words arrived upon me like a vengeful dream,
A thorny rose coiled around my heart,
Darkness invades from the corners of my gaze, rushing towards the center in a bid to drown my vision in darkness.
My voice faded, breathless, and waiting.
Fragile, I lay, tucked beneath her warm and familiar bosom.
And yet still, I was sinking... gradually into a hazy black smoke.
Her soft brown hands wrapped tightly around my little neck.
Her entire remains hidden, for the world was too bright to see.
But her smile was loving, cherry-rose lips distorted, but filled with a motherly love.
The darkness arrived forcefully; her hands still wrapped around my little neck applied. Her cherry-rose smile creased into a cruel smirk and her hands tightened even more.
She was choking me with all the strength her adult body could muster.
The mask of a deranged clown smiles at me, and yet I still love her?

She was crowned in madness!
Beneath her forceful stranglehold.
I made no sounds as I sank into a cold, painless silence.

I remember you were troubled.
I remember the bloom of the white dawn.
I remember the black goat between the stalks of weeds.
And the unblemished golden sheep with wings.

The goddess opened my heart and breathed these curses into me.

'Once the moon's tears fell, the gates of the behemoth's mouth opened.
And Ziz marked the skies with clashes of thunder and rage.
Levi had been slain; her scales washed ashore on the pale sands,
And so lowly kings fashioned their strongholds from her bones and flesh.
A ridiculing tyrant was born but outmatched by his egotistical son,
A barren queen destroyed her plume garden.
She fell in love with her brother; he betrayed her, and was killed for it,
And she dyed the fields with carmine in response,
The rose petals smelt of iron
Disaster-disaster!
The fifth brother robbed the Cult of Swine, and buried his spoils in a Princesses crib,
Disaster-disaster!
Even in death, she refused to let them go
Disaster-disaster!
And together we all sing...
- Nivea's Requiem 


LV.99 POV

The path was narrow, and I came across several hidden pathways branching off into the unknown depths of this eerie darkness. However, I wasn't eager to explore the crypts any further. First of all, my supply of healing potions was running low, and more importantly, I had grown tired of roaming these dungeons for the day. I opted to retrace my steps back to the entrance. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to try out the traceable, scentless salt crystals I had acquired by trading fake golden beans – which I had harvested from the bodies of some middle-tier hammer fist crabs – to a merchant. Personally, I've never been a believer in maps, especially not in ever-changing open-world environments like this one. Relying on my instincts was a better way to truly explore the unknown, avoiding the temptation of cherry-picking my destinations. However, for some strange and frankly disastrous reason, the salts didn't work. Or perhaps, the more accurate truth was that this dungeon was incredibly troublesome. My heels pressed firmly into the stone ground beneath my feet.

"Now then," I said, taking a few moments to gather my bearings while I took a careful look at my surroundings. There was an unsettling darkness that made things a little harder to discern. I could only make out the strange, ancient-looking hieroglyphs drawn along the grey stone walls.

"Damn it! If I had known I was going to be forced to spend most of my evening here, I would've at least packed lunch."

A deep sigh of regret escaped my mouth, knowing my planning for this had been a mess – a rookie mistake for my standards, considering the amount of time I had put into this beta test. Nevertheless, there was only one route left for me. I poised myself for the inevitable and continued my walk. My footsteps moved cautiously along, traces of small crystallized bones beginning to appear along the path. The moment I stumbled upon a second pile of glittering ivory bones piled closely by the wall, I placed two fingers against my wrist and swiftly spoke the words of summon with haste.

"Primary!" SHLICK-CHING! My short sword, already unsheathed from its scabbard, appeared in my hand as if by magic. I held it by its custom-made black handle and swung the shimmering blue blade a few times to loosen my joints a little. I was half expecting a boss fight at any moment, but one could never be too careful when exploring these unknown dungeons.

'Which reminds me. For a Rank A Dungeon, the lack of monsters here is somewhat...concerning.' I thought to myself

I couldn't say how long I trudged down this uneven stony path, but I did eventually reach an open clearing, where I found myself standing in the center of a hexagon-shaped platform built beneath me. I tilted my neck slightly, catching the sight of a high-rising ceiling deep above, a tiny freckle of sunlight fell upon me. But troubling my thoughts were the strange doorways surrounding this small crypt with the enigmatic bust of dragons I noticed wrapped around the walls

 I could discern no distinction between them, nor was I experiencing that instinctual feeling, often referred to as 'going with my gut,' that might have led me to lean towards one door in particular over the others.

All the doors seemed to exude an aura of warning, compelling me to avoid them at all costs. Not to mention those dragon statues placed beside each one emanated the same sensation, as if warning me not to even contemplate opening any of those doors. However... I couldn't deny that the adventurer within me danced with the idea that perhaps it might not be as terrible as it seemed.

Maybe there were spoils, concealed treasures, or even..."N-new weapons." My eyes sparkled with wanderlust, envisioning the possibility of discovering a rare set of much-needed armor.

I stood there for a brief moment, lost in thought, perhaps even salivating at the mouth as I daydreamed about the prospect of uncovering valuable loot.

I thumbed my smooth chin, my arms folded and my left foot continually tapped gently against the ground. You would think a high-ranker like myself might've developed some kind of skill to help steer my way in times like these, but the expectancy was a resounding...big fat no. I spent days on forums trying to discover some kind of skill or ability I could purchase. Older V series games did provide you with the not-so-trusting but forever relied upon 'Navigation spells.' However, I did hear about players complaining that the navigation spell was a toss-up at times. Oftentimes it took you the long way to your destination, and other times you ended up in a den filled with monsters. Fighting your way out of a nest filled with horned wolves or Giant iron-skinned Hornets.

The beta testing phase remained quite limited in terms of the number of players present in these virtual worlds. There was also a lot of inconsistency in generating a foolproof guide at this point.

I had heard rumors that those who pledged their allegiance to the Dawn-Four and their Golden God, along with his benevolent followers, received some sort of relic that operated on the laws of probability. This relic supposedly provided a navigation system to those who had enough Faith to wield it.

But who in their right mind would choose the path of light as a beta tester? It all seemed so predictably dull. I mused to myself, finding much more enjoyment in the warrior build.

Since this was still in the beta testing phase, I naturally opted for the warrior class. This class allowed me to use spells for mid-range attacks and swords or hammers for close-range combat.

I still had a few points to allocate to my defense stat, but I needed to find a Scythe master for that. Sadly, I hadn't encountered a 'Safe-Haven' castle or a peaceful settlement of NPCs in quite some time. How troublesome indeed.

More pressing was the question of which door to choose. I had limited time left to play today and had already spent 15 hours without any breaks in this playthrough.

Hmm, which door should I pick? They all looked the same.

I approached one of the iron-bolted doors, paying close attention to the dragon bust placed beside it. There were five of these statues in total, each one unique.

'How peculiar.'

The stone craftsmanship was so precise that I almost feared the dragon might spring to life at any moment. Dragon statues hidden in eerie crypts were never a good sign. 'Perhaps there are other clues I'm overlooking.'

If my mind weren't constantly occupied with the fear of losing my rank and points if I died, the decision might have been easier. But I had an odd obsession with perfection, I suppose.

I had meticulously researched and tested various theories before starting this game, much like I did with all the MMORPGs I delved into. You could call me the kind of gamer who aimed to conquer the game in the most efficient way possible, and one way to achieve that was simple: avoid dying.

For the past 78 hours I'd dedicated to this beta, I had been playing a highly tactical game, creating a sort of online-famous build that had spread throughout the gaming community. I called it the "turtle game," focusing on minimizing risks for high rewards, even if it meant longer playing times. Not many gamers in the MMORPG world had the patience for this style, but it suited me perfectly.

Now, facing this decision about which door to choose, whether there was a boss fight or not, I had to make a choice. I realized that I wouldn't be leaving this place until I did. So, I decided to close my eyes and select the door where my finger happened to land. Playing without a trusted guide or map was the mindset I had adopted anyway.

Unfortunately...

"Wait

Why's there a halo above me...n-no-no-no- not like this

Wait!..Why the hell am I being dissconnected?

 N-no-no stop it go away you Shoo!...damn it!

 I haven't even reached the checkpoint

Damn these stupid servers! C-Curse youuuuu..."