Enter the dungeon.

"Wow!" Niki exclaims. "I fell all the way down, and these shorts only got a tiny rip on the cheek. Now that's quality material right there."

Amara stands behind her with glowing hands out-stretched. She laughs nervously at her ally's recklessness as she administers a small healing spell. Then she sighs softly as the tingle of her mana warms her body. "And I will always be here to mend your wounds."

"That's why you're the best. Oh yeah. Speaking of mending..."

You look to the tear in question. It's small, though her vibrant red panties betray the subtle damage by shining through. With a playful, firm, wound-up smack to Niki's backside, you cast out your, "Mend," spell to seal the damage. As the most athletic of your party, she may have the most dangerous ass. It's firm, yet bounces perfectly behind tight brown shorts.

She grins back at you. "Perfect job."

"Is everyone ready?" you ask.

Snow fingers the arrows in her quiver as she squeezes the grip of her bow. Niki straps her shield to her arm, and playfully swings the mace in her other. Amara nods with her beautiful silver staff grasped between both hands. Eva wields her shiny new carrot-like wand. Though Xiaoqing wields no weapon, she raises her long sleeves--shape of her hands pressing through the fabric, ready to call forth the power of ice whenever it's needed.

And you hold up your shortsword. The blade shimmers with a pink magical glow. It's light and swift--even moreso as you've grown stronger over time--and cuts through the air with such ease that you wield it with caution. You can feel the warm pulse of the weapon's power. Though on top of that, you can feel your own. The bond you share with the five girls with you instills upon you an unseen strength. Both you and Lauo work in tandem. It may detect the arousal of those nearby, but together you become a truly dangerous foe when backed by the love of your allies.

Inside you can see a long hallway of wide-tiled floors. It's unnatural--the size, the smooth cleanliness of the interior, and how nobody stands guard.

"Stay behind me," Niki says. "This is my element." She raises her shield up with a toothy grin behind it, though that's as far as her exercise of caution lasts. Her feet move swiftly, carried by excitement, until she catches herself running straight through the gaping doorway. She stops abruptly, and then turns back to her party with a nervous laugh. "O-Oh. Sorry. I thought we were charging."

Snow nudges her head forward. "Go on," she says to you. "I'll protect the rear."

"Xiaoqing, Eva, Amara, you three stay around the middle," you state. "I'll catch up, closer to Niki."

"I'll keep closer to you, if that's all right," says Xiaoqing. "I'm not a mage, contrary to what people might think."

You nod. "Then let's go."

Next in line, you step through the passageway. The floor is made of solid stone--abnormally flat, despite them seeming to be made from regular rock now that you can see them up close. Each tile is about five feet across, with the separation between each one accentuated by thin dark lines. Strangely, the walls and ceiling consist of the same sized tiles, though more faintly carved, but otherwise you can't make out any specific markings. There's nothing to suggest the culture this structure may have belonged to, it's purpose, or how long it's been here.

Along the walls there's a series of lit torches mounted in metal sconces, though none of the emit smoke or even heat. Farther down, you spot a dark wooden doorway on both the left and right side, parallel to one another.

Not far behind that, it's a dead end. Nothing more is present.

Though as soon as Snow steps between the massive stone doors, they start to move, and with a speed that betrays their appearance. They swing closed in seconds. The sound is quite thunderous, and the shift in air pressure nearly topples the party over.

With no light from the sun outside, the dungeon hall is now lit only by the warm flickering light of magic torches, and the glow of your sword. "Well, I guess the only way is forward," you say. "Guess we have a hint of why nobody's returned. This place is enchanted in some way to trap you. We just need to figure out how and why."

Just then, a voice picks up. It doesn't seem to be coming from anywhere in particular, but from all around you. It's rather clear as well despite the acoustics. From what it seems, it belongs to a woman, though you don't see the source. She is rather well-spoken--enunciating distinctly, and in a tone that's soothing to hear. "You enter the dungeon. The floor is made of solid stone, as are the walls and the rest, with the only light emitting from torches mounted on the walls by iron sconces."

"Wh-Who was that?" Xiaoqing asks.

Everybody frantically looks, yet nobody finds. You're still alone in this hall.

The voice continues. "It's completely silent, and the faint scent of mildew fills the air around you. Ahead are two doorways. One is on the left, and the other on the right. What would you like to do?"

"Who are you?" you bluntly ask.

There's no answer.

"I've got an idea," Niki says from up ahead. She then delivers a mighty kick to the doorknob of the passage leftward. If it was locked, it certainly isn't anymore, as it absolutely shatters the mechanism keeping it closed. It swings open so quickly and so hard that it slams up against the wall on the inside with quaking hinges.

"Actually, that's a pretty good one," Eva comments.

"Guess that means we don't gotta discuss which door to take. Come on, Xiaoqing. With me. Let's keep the same marching order," you command with a gesture of your hand before marching forth, a short distance behind your tank. "But be careful. If this place is designed to trap adventurers, I doubt we'll have to wait long before--"

"It's weirdly colourful in here," says Niki from the other side.