“Oh, Ziph…Where are you? Come out and play!” A masculine voice called out in a song along tone.

Under the floorboards, he heard every step the man took drawing louder and closer with every step.

“Ziph… your Mom is gone. It is time for us to bond.” A man called again, Ziph at the young age shook relentlessly. His eyes were shut tight and he forced himself not to make a sound.

"Tick-tock. You know your dad doesn't like waiting." The man slammed his foot, and Ziph held back a bellow of fear.

'If I go to sleep, this will all end. If I go to sleep, this will all end.' He repeated the mantra, his mother had taught him, over and over again. 

She always said, "If your father ever gets in one of those moods go and hide and sleep the night away. When you wake up it will all be over."

He tried his hardest to sleep through the creaking of the wooden floor and the sound of his father's voice. He couldn't though, the fear was overpowering and he couldn't sleep. 

Ziph woke up to find himself in a completely different location. He was sleeping on what appeared to a flagstone floor with a channel of water along the south wall and a bunch of demon masks along the east wall. The walls appeared to all a type of stone masonry and there were two other people in the room along with himself.

[The God of the Realm has awoken you from the nightmare.]

[The God of the Realm sponsored Ziph a calm mind.]

[Other Gods are annoyed with The God of the Realm.]

[The God of the Realm shrugs.]

After reading the messages Ziph bowed his head in thanks.

Lucia and Anax woke up a solid 10 minutes after Ziph had, who was too scared to sleep.

They were both covered in sweat and both awoke with a jump. Lucia surprisingly calmed herself much quicker than Anax had.

Lucia looked around the room with heavy eyes and her eyes were glossed over as they met Ziph's. 

"Did everyone enjoy their dreams?"

There likely a unanimous no resonated from everyone who heard this same message from Fluffy. I remember in my room I punched the figment of Fluffy and had a horrible punishment as a repercussion, that isn't today's story though.

"That is what will happen if you sleep in this dungeon. You will relive the darkest moment of your life."

"It's time for the next exam. Do your best to entertain, the Gods are watching!"

[Second Examination - Become Kings of the Dungeon]

+++

Clear Conditions: <There are Multiple Ways to Clear the Exam>

Time Limit: Indefinite

Compensation: ???

Penalty: ??? 

+++

Ziph clicked on the statement to see all the ways to clear the dungeon.

+++

1. Live to the end of the Exam.
2. Become King of the Dungeon.
3. Leave the Dungeon.
4. Kill the Ruler of the Dungeon.

+++

The three of them gathered in a circle and discussed how they were going to go about the dungeon.

Lucia was the first to offer her opinion, "I offer we search the dungeon in hopes of finding the Ruler." Anax nodded in agreement. While Ziph shrugged indifferently to the idea. 

'I would prefer just staying here and doing nothing, but I'm going to need to eat at some point.'

The first step was finding water and the channel in their room looked to be perfect for that.

Lucia stood up to fill her bottle with water but Anax beat her to it. He took hers and his bottles in hand and filled them both up at the stream.

"Allow me m'lady." Pukes Sorry, just pukes. 

Lucia put on a small smile and thanked Anax, but it was easy to tell she wasn't pleased. Ziph on his own walked over to the channel and filled up his own water.

With the three of them having now water it was now time to find food. The three did a once over of the room and Lucia found a secret entrance along the east wall. The way to find this was actually really complicated, you had to turn the first mask on the far left upside down, the next one untouched, the third 90 degrees right, the fourth 90 degrees left, the fifth turn completely around in a circle, the sixth take off the wall, the seventh flip over, the eighth take off, and the ninth 90 degrees left. So it isn't something you could just randomly guess. Though somehow Lucia did, and with her comment from before this. I think our astute readers can guess what type of character she is.

After she did this the wall opened up and a small room with a chest opened up. It's a mimic! A room with only one entrance and only a single chest? It's a mimic!

Though she walked right in and nothing happened, no flashing red lights, no screams of terror. 

Anax followed her in and stood on guard with his pistol drawn; in the cause anything jumping out when she opened the chest.

Ziph just stood in the room waiting for them to move on. There was no gain to him following them in as if it was a trap he would prefer having a head start, and if it wasn't he would follow them after there was no chance of backlash.

'I've played enough fantasy games to know a trap when I see one.'

Though nothing happened, the two opened the chest without any problems and recovered the rewards. 

"Ziph come in here!" Lucia ordered taking the things out of the chest. Begruntly he strolled over releasing a yawn when he reached them.

Inside the chest was three items, a shield, a pillow, and a robe. I think we all know which one Ziph wanted. 

"Give me the pillow."

I'm pretty sure the God of the Realm had their hand in this situation too.

[The God of the Realm has no clue what the Narrator is talking about.]

Yea sure, you don't.

Bronzeapollo

To anyone who saw the accidental publish congrats, you got a sneak peek of the chapter.