The Stairs of Light shimmered before us, and Lu and Tia immediately set to work analyzing them.
"It’s a staircase woven from magic," Lu observed. "I don’t see any hidden traps, but... oh, look at this. It seems even Kuro's and Zabuton's children are counted as individual units."
"That makes overwhelming the dungeon with sheer numbers difficult," Tia added.
"I wonder if it’s a mechanism designed to force us to disperse our strength?"
"If it is, and the rule is groups of three, there’s a chance the stairs might vanish once three people have ascended."
"True. It wouldn't be so bad if they reappeared after a set time, but if the stairs don't return until the first trio comes back down, we’re going to have a serious problem."
"That would certainly be a nuisance."
"Well, it’s only a theory for now," Lu said, shrugging. "We won't know for sure until we test it."
And so, it was decided that a vanguard of three would proceed first. I was the very first person removed from the list of candidates. I didn't object; we had already agreed that while I would travel with the expedition, I would be the last one to actually enter the dungeon. I wasn't allowed to lead the charge. Naturally, the children were barred from the first wave as well.
That left the question of who would go. I figured Lu, Tia, and Progenitor-san would be the safest bet, but Kuro’s children began barking excitedly to volunteer. The spiderlings perched on their backs were just as eager. Not to be outdone, Galf, Daga, and the mountain elves all raised their voices. I appreciated their enthusiasm, but this was dangerous territory. I wasn't going to forbid them, but we needed a fair way to decide.
We ended up drawing lots. The first group consisted of three of Zabuton's children.
"Are you sure you’ll be okay?" I asked.
The spiderlings practically radiated confidence.
"Alright, I’ll leave it to you then. Your first task is to see if you can come back down once you’ve reached the top. If you can’t, just wait there. Whatever happens, keep your wits about you. Don't be like those guards yesterday who refused to step into the sea even when they were under attack just because of a rule. Your safety is the top priority. If you get trapped, I promise I’ll come for you, so don't take any unnecessary risks."
The spiderlings scurried up the stairs. Once they reached a certain point, they were enveloped in a soft glow and vanished. I couldn't tell if the light was just obscuring them or if they had been teleported elsewhere. A wave of anxiety washed over me.
Contrary to Lu and Tia’s fears, the Stairs of Light remained. I suppressed the urge to go after the spiderlings and forced myself to wait for them to return. We waited, but they didn't reappear. Eventually, we sent the next group: one of Kuro’s children and two more of Zabuton’s children.
Like the first group, they were swallowed by the light and disappeared. However, unlike the first group, a bark echoed down from above a moment later. I had asked them to signal if they made it safely, and hearing that bark allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief. Still, in hindsight, drawing lots might have been a mistake. I’d have to reflect on that later.
After that, the groups began to ascend in rapid succession. Since they were moving in trios, I wondered if there were any other hidden restrictions. One by one, our numbers dwindled as everyone vanished into the light, and no one came back down.
Soon, it was nearly the children's turn. Rather than drawing lots, Urza, Alfred, and Tiselle had formed their own group. I would have preferred to pair each child with two adults, but they insisted that they could protect one another better if they stayed together. As they moved toward the stairs to take their place in line, a sudden sound cut through the air.
It was a scream. It came from behind us, back the way we had come. My first thought was the lamias—had they run into trouble while bringing our meal?
Everyone surged into a state of high alert. However, the figures that emerged from the shadows were three soaking wet high elves. They were members of the group that had ascended near the beginning.
"The stairs lead to a massive chamber directly above us," one of the high elves explained after we had calmed them down. "The scouts were all waiting there. Once you finish the climb, the stairs vanish behind you; you can't use them to go back down. There’s a river flowing through that upper room that leads straight to the waterfall hiding this entrance."
"I see," I muttered.
"The room was starting to get crowded as more people arrived, so Lady Lu gave the order for us to begin the trials and move forward."
I had given Lu, Tia, Ria, Galf, and Daga command authority over the vanguard, so I wasn't upset that they had decided to push on.
"The dungeon seems to verify the three-person groups," the elf continued. "There are areas you simply cannot enter unless your trio is together. There are trials scattered throughout the path. We failed one and were swept into the river, which carried us over the waterfall and back here."
The fact that it was possible to return safely was a huge relief. "And what were these trials like?"
"First was the Trial of the Righteous Path, where we had to cross a narrow bridge. Then the Trial of Integrity, where we had to dodge flying mud balls. Finally, there was the Trial of the Hexagon, which was a series of small rooms. That’s where we failed. The rooms are hexagonal, with doors on every wall. The goal is to find the right path, and you can move through them individually... or so we thought. I opened a door that led to a pit. The moment I fell, the floors beneath my teammates vanished as well. It seems the groups of three are bound together. We could swim in the river, but a barrier prevented us from climbing out. Once we went over the waterfall, however, the barrier vanished. It seems the dungeon is designed to reset you to the start if you fail."
That made sense. I decided we should probably get a fire going so the returnees could dry off and warm up. The cave had plenty of airflow, so smoke wouldn't be an issue.
Shortly after the high elves, several of Kuro’s and Zabuton’s children came tumbling down the waterfall. They looked utterly dejected, but I did my best to reassure them that I was just happy they were safe.
As I was busy gathering intel from the wet returnees, my turn finally came. Through previous discussion, it had been decided that my group would consist of Reginleiv and Progenitor-san. Aside from the group that had already washed back, only three mixed groups of wolves and spiders remained, along with a single mountain elf. They were supposed to guard the rear and act as liaisons, but I decided to let the returnees take over those duties so the rest could proceed.
Wait... where were the children?
They were supposed to be in the group immediately preceding mine. I assumed they had already gone up.
A cold realization hit me. If they were at the top, were they waiting for me? No, knowing them, they almost certainly weren't.
"We have to go," I said, my pace quickening. "Right now!"