---Temple of Hexhoell, TS9---
Passing through the portal, the group of adventurers entered the dungeon Temple of Hoellho. Before them was a crude but vast chamber, dimly lit by the few flickering torches along the walls to the left and right.
Directly in front of them was a pyramid rising in the middle of the chamber, with long, well-worn stone stairs. She knew that at the top of this pyramid was a sacrificial altar and two bridges leading to the left and right, further into the dungeon.
There was nothing else here. Walls, floor, the pyramid, the bridges barely visible in the twilight close to the ceiling, all hewn from rough gray stone. Of course, the torches, too. The torches, that filled the whole chamber with this sickening, weirdly sweet smell of burning oil and soot.
No carvings, no paintings, no decorations. Only crude, carved stone and empty, smelly darkness. Were torches supposed to smell like this? They didn't, did they? She could classify it, but something about this smell made her stomach churn.
"Nadine?" a party member called her, getting her back in the moment.
"Sorry, I was just…" Her words trailed off, looking at the vast, empty twilight.
"I know…We all know, Vice-Master," the vice leader of the raid said with a vague smile. Behind them were 200 people split into 10 parties. Everyone was looking at the misleading, calm emptiness with suspicion and an awkward feeling that was hard to explain.
This was the effect this room had on people; some adventurers even described it as awe, as it was supposedly the main hall of a temple. There was no status effect; it was just the atmosphere of the place doing its work.
"Alright, you all know what to do. Camden, you take Group Two up there and take the left. Once you are done, we will go and take the right. Unless you find survivors in critical conditions, there is no going back. I want this place cleared today," Nadine commanded.
"Pearlywing Guild! Today is the day! We will reclaim our reputation as the best of Number 9 and take revenge for our guild master!" she spoke to her 200 guild members. Today, they would finally close this place, this pit of tragedy. It had swallowed enough of their people, too many actually.
Following her call, Camden, the third seat of the guild, led his half of the raid team forward. 100 adventurers decked out in uncommon and rare armor, each equipped with their pets, created a colorful yet orderly picture as they followed Camden up the pyramid.
It took half an hour for their shadows silhouetted to vanish along the left bridge, leading to the main part of the dungeon. Then it was their turn. Nadine raised her sword, and everyone wordlessly followed her.
Atop the pyramid, she stopped at the sacrificial altar. Before anyone could continue, they had to make a sacrifice to open the path. A weapon to go left, a piece of armor, or a shield to go right. Nadine placed an uncommon shield on the altar.
Before their eyes, the item was eaten up by green flames. Only when it was completely gone did they dare take the path across the bridge. If one didn't perform a sacrifice at the entrance and entered just like that, the path beyond the bridge would simply stay close and the bridge behind them would vanish.
Beyond the bridge was the main difficulty of the dungeon. The infinite stairs of endless pursuit. The Temple of Hexhoell had no floors like ordinary dungeons. It had two infinite stairwells leading down to the final boss room.
On the way, adventurers would constantly face floods of undead that climbed the stairs from below, but also spawned on the stairs behind them, rushing down. Adventurers would be besieged from both sides without pause.
Although there were no traps or monster houses, there were also no safe zones or time for a pause. It was like a continuous monster house with continuously more powerful enemies, until one finally reached the boss room.
The only reason they knew this much was thanks to the people who had to give up. Singular survivors of parties that attempted and barely made it to the foot of the stairs by an inch of their lives. Nobody had ever entered the boss room and lived to tell the tale.
This was another reason why Hexhoell had not been conquered yet. People actually died here. It was too deep in the mountains for people to be resurrected at the guild branch at TS9, and TS9's adventurer guild was too small to afford a branch at a remote location like Hexhoell.
Still, like many before them, they had come here despite the risk to their life. She would let her father's sacrifice be for nothing. They would conquer Hexhoell and finally stop the floods of undead tainting the mountain range.
Gathering her resolve, she stepped on the bridge. "Follow me! Today, this nightmare will finally end!" she exclaimed bravely, lifting her Ember Saber, glowing with the dim aura of flames in the twilight.
"Oh!" the raid party answered her call, and they crossed the bridge, following her in orderly rows. Having crossed the thing path, she stood at the gaping maw of the winding staircase. Staring into the darkness, she pulled out a magic torch that she had prepared beforehand.
Even with the glow of the torch, she could only make out the first 30 or so steps of the wide, crude path downward. Watching the darkness that reigned over this place, she waited for everyone to arrive on this side and get into proper formation.
At her signal, everyone in the party unveiled some kind of magic device to generate light, while supporters and magicians cast light spells in addition. There was no point in trying to hide the location; the undead were unbothered by the darkness. It was better to just fight in the light instead of getting ambushed in the darkness.
The group of fireflies passed through the high stone arch and began their descent on the endless stairs of pursuit. The darkness closed behind them like heavy gates, leaving the stranded on a small island of light in the middle of the stairs.
100 people in formation could easily walk down the staircase without the place feeling crowded. The size was humbling. They had only taken a few steps down when they already heard the beastly growls in the darkness below. Pairs of red, empty eyes reflected the shine of their lights.
The siege had begun...