Beneath the Surface      

The following day, Xin and his companions gathered in the fortress again. 

This time, they had come equipped with an array of potions, each vial carefully chosen to combat various status effects and threats that might await them.

Among their supplies were vials of antidotes, holy waters, HP and MP potions, anti-freeze and anti-burn, Para-kiss, needles, and the like. 

With their inventory laden with potions, Xin and his companions have retraced their steps back to the starting point of the chateau. 

The atmosphere in the fortress had changed overnight. Shadows seemed to creep and dance on the walls, whispering secrets of the dungeon's mysteries. 

The very air felt charged with an eerie energy, making every step they took feel heavier.

To their astonishment, the room they had previously fought in felt foreign, alien even.