Chương 59: Chapter 15 The First Safe Haven(Part 4)

"Then let's head onward. Our welcoming party has arrived." Everyone followed her gaze. There, standing silently, were horses. One for each of us. They were identical. The same black bodies. The same golden eyes. The same unsettling third eye. I had ridden one. First had ridden one. Whatever they were, they truly seemed to be transportation. Disturbing, certainly. But none had bitten or kicked us.

"How do we ride them?"

"Just sit down and think about where you want to go." A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. She paused before continuing.

"But from here onward, things will become harder for you." The smile on her face remained unchanged.

"Forgotten toys want to be played with."

"Broken dolls want to move."

"Discarded things are searching for what they lost."

"The introduction is over." The atmosphere changed. The words sounded casual. But they carried weight.

"The real challenge starts now?"

"Who knows?" She laughed softly.

"Trash always settles at the bottom, doesn't it?"

"Let's enjoy ourselves."

"I want to play too." The cheerful smile she had worn when we first met returned. If First was right, then everything until now had merely been preparation. The information we possessed only confirmed one thing. Somewhere ahead existed the Exit Gate. The Gate of the Fifteenth Layer. If we wanted to return home— that was our destination. There was no other path.

The grotesque horses lowered themselves slightly. As if inviting us aboard. One by one, the team mounted them. The creatures moved without sound. No hoofbeats. No breathing. No signs of life. Yet they carried us forward. The strange grassland stretched endlessly beneath the alien sky. Behind us remained the safety of the resting area. Ahead waited the unknown. Monsters. Secrets. And whatever lay hidden at the bottom of this impossible world. First sat atop her mount, white hair swaying gently.

For a moment she looked less like a young girl and more like an ancient guide leading travelers into a forgotten land. Then she glanced back.

"Ready?" No one answered immediately. There was nothing left to say. Weapons were checked. Equipment secured. Resolve hardened. The horses began to move. Silently. Swiftly. Toward the deeper layers. Toward the Fifteenth Gate. And toward the true beginning of the dungeon.