Secrets Beneath Eldoria

The next morning, the atmosphere at The Silver Chalice Inn was a little calmer. The celebration party from the night before was over, and the people of Eldoria were back to their usual activities. However, for Lucas and his team, there was a sense of unease that had emerged. They knew that after defeating Morrigan, the threat did not simply end. New signs began to appear."I don't think we can relax for too long," said Lucas as he sat at the dining table, looking at the map of Eldoria that was spread out in front of him. "Some reports we received say there's strange activity under the city. This can't be ignored.""Yes, there are reports of people disappearing and strange noises coming from the underground tunnels," added Evelyn, tracing the map with her finger. "It could just be rumors, but there are too many unusual incidents to ignore so easily.""We could start by checking the entrances to these old tunnels." Finn pointed to several spots on the map. "Some of these entrances haven't been used in years, but now it seems someone has been daring to enter them.""Good, we'll split into two groups," said Lucas. "Finn and I will check the eastern part. Evelyn and Kael, you check the western part."Evelyn nodded. "Okay. If we find anything suspicious, we'll come back here immediately."Finn grinned. "Sounds good. I haven't felt the adrenaline of a truly challenging adventure in a long time."Lucas smiled slightly. "Don't get too excited yet. We might just find giant rats down there."Finn laughed. "Well, then hopefully the rat is big enough for us to consider it a boss monster."After packing their belongings and preparing their equipment, the team split into two and headed to different parts of Eldoria. Lucas and Finn walked towards the eastern part of the city, where they found one of the old tunnel entrances hidden behind an old building."Look at this," said Finn, pointing to the iron door that looked like it had been recently moved. "There are traces here. Someone must have entered."Lucas nodded. "We have to be careful. No one knows what's hiding down here."They both entered the tunnel, and darkness immediately enveloped them. The light of the torch in Finn's hand could only illuminate a few feet in front of them. The air inside was damp and smelled old, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere."You know, Lucas," said Finn in a casual tone. "I've never liked dark places like this. It makes my hair stand on end."Lucas smiled thinly. "Neither do I, Finn. But we're not here for fun."Finn nodded. "True. And who knows, maybe we'll find something interesting."As they continued walking deeper into the dark tunnel, Lucas suddenly felt a notification appear in his mind from the System Window.System Window - Notification.| SYSTEM UPDATE NOTIFICATION || Gacha System Update: || - Gacha for items, skills, and stats is now combined.|| - New Gacha cost is 100 points per roll. |Lucas furrowed his brow."What? Now everything is combined into one, and the price is increased to 100 points?" he thought, grumbling to himself."Isn't this just making things more difficult? I was just thinking about trying my luck again after the last bad gacha results." He sighed softly, feeling a little annoyed with this change, but kept his complaints to himself.They continued walking deeper into the tunnel, hearing the constant sound of dripping water and faint gusts of wind. The farther they went, the more they felt that something was strange."Lucas, did you hear that?" Finn stopped, listening to a soft whispering sound coming from the darkness ahead of them.Lucas nodded, tightening his grip on his sword. "Yes. It doesn't sound like just the wind. We have to be careful."They moved more slowly now, trying not to make any noise that could attract attention. Ahead, the tunnel opened into a larger room, and the dim light from the crystals on the walls illuminated the room. They could see several figures standing in the middle of the room, surrounding something on the floor."Those are... cult followers?" Finn whispered, trying to recognize the figures in the robes.Lucas focused his gaze. "No, it's different. Look at the symbol on their robes. It's not the symbol of Morrigan's cult."As they hid and observed, they could hear the whispers more clearly. The robed figures seemed to be performing some kind of ritual or communicating with something invisible."We have to find out what they're doing," Lucas said quietly.But before they could get any closer, one of the figures suddenly stopped and turned, looking directly at them. "Who's there?!" he shouted."Looks like we've been spotted," Finn said calmly.Without waiting any longer, Lucas and Finn jumped out of their hiding place. "Attack!" shouted Lucas.The robed figures immediately scattered, and a fierce battle ensued. Lucas swung his sword with determination, cutting down two of them in one swift motion. Finn, with his speed and agility, jumped between them, using his throwing knives to attack the enemies from various angles."I need an explanation after this!" Finn dodged an attack from an enemy with a nimble jump.Lucas nodded while parrying an attack. "After we take care of them!"The battle was intense, but with their skills and teamwork, Lucas and Finn managed to defeat their enemies. Some of them managed to escape into the deeper tunnels, while others lay helpless on the floor.Lucas took a short breath and then looked around. "We have to follow them. This could be an important clue."Finn nodded. "Let's go, before they get too far."They both ran into the dark tunnel, following the trail of the fleeing enemies. They knew that this was probably just the beginning of something much bigger and more dangerous.