The crimson glow faded, and darkness swallowed me whole.
Then came an ominous silence.
My brigand instincts hissed, “Run!”
I snapped back, “Enough!” They must not find us…
At last, the lurking dungeon exhaled; beasts howled in impotent anger… somewhere far — I broke into a smile.
They call me Lucky Adam for a reason. I alone had heeded our wolf’s warning and dove into a fetid pond on a wild hunch.
A heartbeat later, the beast was consumed by a forked tongue of blue flame. It lashed out from around the corner, only to disperse before the petrified adventurers’ eyes. The moment my team exhaled, the serpent itself followed, having sniffed out life.
Neither anti-magic amulets, nor resistance spells, nor even our warriors’ heavy armor made any difference — my best-ever party of seven was incinerated. And the river of fire rushed on, leaving behind molten pools and suffocating vapors.
Never had I witnessed such devastating magic. Was it a demon pursuing us?
Then a chilling realization struck me — I could see neither the spell, nor its aftermath! I was drifting away underwater…
Have they found me?! Is my mind no longer my own?
I listen inward — no, my thoughts are still clear. Yet an elusive presence swirls around me, drawing closer. I pretend to be dead, but in vain. It seeps into my hideout, then coalesces into a cold, measured voice in my head:
“Didn’t I tell you to bypass the outpost?”
It can’t be…
“Didn’t I warn you, Adam?”
Damn you, wizard! So he’d been watching us all along!
“What have you done, vainglorious fool?”
I have nothing to say — and he won’t shut up.
I try to force him out of my head, but our thoughts begin to bleed together, until I can no longer tell what’s real and what’s been planted. Yet one truth stands unquestioned:
“…The Collision teleports creatures from all over the worlds into the dungeons, turning them into the deadliest natural selection battlefield in existence…”
Now the footsteps outside echo in an unnatural pattern. How can they not see me? Oh, right — the wizard’s mind games.
“Get up already!” His voice cuts through the haze — sharp and commanding. “Now!”
I try to rise, but my body won’t obey. Battlefield, you said? More like a graveyard…
But you know what, goddamn wizard?
I’ll make this dungeon bleed!
Don’t screw it up! I give you the winning card — Lucky Adam’s memories. Hidden stashes, unique artifacts, trusted comrades — all of it is yours now. But your ultimate weapon — my skills.
Whoever you send in my footsteps — train them with my experience...
Turn the page to Adventurers: The Beginning (Chapter 1)