Starting Off Survival With A Small Treehouse

Chapter 84: Chapter 84 Underground Staircase

Is this... the entrance to the dungeon?

Xu Xin forcefully scraped the door with the iron sword in his hand but didn’t leave any marks on it, only creating a harsh, grating sound.

What kind of special metal is this? If it were made of bronze, his blue-grade iron sword would definitely leave a mark on the door.

Moreover, this entrance is too hard to find, isn’t it? If he hadn’t had the idea to follow the toad just now, who knows how long he would have spent in the maze or what unknown dangers he might have encountered.

Xu Xin thought about the rules of this event.

[All survivors who do not find the dungeon entrance will forever leave this beautiful world.]

It seems now that even this first step might be too challenging for many people to complete.

He just knew that mysterious voice wouldn’t be so kind.

First, let him tell the group how to find the dungeon entrance. Going in alone to explore is too dangerous, and helping others get in can at least lead to experience exchange.

”Everyone, I found the dungeon entrance.”

The [Explorer] chat immediately erupted.

Wang Lei: ”Damn! Boss Xu got out of the maze so quickly? I’m still wandering around!”

Li Wenxi: ”What? You got in even later than I did... I’m a loser, I don’t want to try anymore. Quick, quick, tell me how you found it!”

Ji Chaoyang: ”You got out? My path here has already widened, maybe it’s up ahead.”

Xu Xin: ”Then it should be right, the correct path is indeed very wide.”

Wen Guixin: ”How did you find it? I’ve been going in circles here, but I’ve killed quite a lot of mutant animals.”

Xu Xin told them his method.

Qin Yunlong: ”Is there an underground river below this?”

Li Wenxi: ”So that’s it, ah, I should have kept a monster earlier.”

Zhao Xiaochuan: ”But the mouse I encountered ran too fast, letting it go means I couldn’t catch up...”

Wen Guixin: ”So stupid, couldn’t you injure it badly, preferably its leg, and then follow it? But mice might not lead you in the right direction; it’s best to find an aquatic animal like Xu Xin did.”

Xu Xin: ”Hmm, I’ve told you everything I should. Do your best.”

Xu Xin also sent this experience to the regional channel and warned those people that finding cracks in the cave doesn’t mean finding the dungeon entrance; one must navigate through the crack maze inside to reach the entrance. He also briefly explained the dangers within the maze.

As for how many people are still in the treehouse and how many can see it, that’s not his concern.

Looking at the dungeon door in front of him, Xu Xin first took out various fruits from his backpack to recover his condition. He had spent a long time in the maze, and his positive status had almost worn off.

Feeling revitalized and full of strength, Xu Xin reached out to grasp the doorknob.

”Keke, is there danger behind the door?” Xu Xin turned sideways, avoiding standing directly in front of the doorway, in case something suddenly appeared.

”Hmm.” Keke shook its head to indicate it didn’t sense any danger.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Xin exerted force with both hands, pulling the door ring hard outward.

A teeth-grinding metallic friction sound arose as the door was slowly being pulled open, and a slew of dust fell on Xu Xin and Keke.

”Pff, pff, pff!” Xu Xin spat out a mouthful of dust but didn’t stop his actions; instead, he increased his strength, pulling one side of the door open to the maximum.

A mysterious stench wafted from behind the door, different from the smell of the red mist. This odor was like a long-dampened blanket, a musty, moldy smell.

Looking inside the door, a long stone staircase lay ahead.

The stone staircase pathway descended into seeming infinity; the steps were exceedingly damp, and droplets of water occasionally fell from the rock walls above, making crisp water sounds on the wet stairs.

The sides of the passageway were lined with neat grey stone bricks, and every few meters, there was a device resembling a candle holder, seemingly for lighting up the corridor, but at the moment, these holders were unlit, and the passage remained pitch dark.

It seems this staircase would lead deep underground.

”Hmm...” Keke shivered in fear. The pitch-black environment, combined with the musty scent and the sound of dripping water, was indeed terrifying.

Honestly, after his previous experience in the underground world, Xu Xin felt a tinge of fear for this direct descent into the earth. He even thought, since he’s already found the entrance and wouldn’t die, why not just go back?

Of course, this thought only lingered for a moment, overshadowed by his curiosity and desire to explore the unknown. That mysterious voice also mentioned that the dungeon was filled with resources left by predecessors that would greatly reduce survival pressure if obtained.

Calming himself, Xu Xin first threw a stone inside and confirmed there were no traps before resolutely stepping through the door.

He stepped onto the slippery stairs, making a splashing sound as he moved.

”These steps are too slippery; I must be careful, or I’ll fall and roll down. This long staircase wouldn’t allow me to stop.” Xu Xin proceeded cautiously, taking each step with care.

Keke realized Xu Xin’s difficulty, leaping down from his shoulder and slowly descending the stairs beside him.

Suddenly, a gust of wind came from the depths of the staircase, and a reddish-orange light flared up at the dark end of the corridor.

”What’s going on!” Xu Xin stopped cautiously.

That reddish-orange light started spreading upwards from the distant end, and Xu Xin realized that the candle holders on both sides of the passage were being lit one by one!

Within a few seconds, the candle holders on both sides of Xu Xin were lit, bringing a damp and musty breeze that almost blew Xu Xin off balance.

Then came the sound of the door behind him slamming shut.

”Hmm!” Keke jumped in fright, clinging tightly to Xu Xin’s leg.

”What happened?” Xu Xin quickly turned around to check, only to find that the door he had just opened was now tightly closed.

”The door’s shut? Can’t get out?” Xu Xin’s eyelid twitched. He walked back to the door, which had no ring on the inside, forcing him to use all his strength to push the door he had just opened.

As expected, the door that could be opened moments ago wouldn’t budge, not even an inch.

”...They’re trying to cut off our escape!” Xu Xin gritted his teeth and glanced toward the depths of the staircase.

In these circumstances, the only option was to continue forward without turning back.

So, one person and a panda cub gradually continued down the staircase.

The interior of the passage was silent, only Xu Xin’s faint footsteps splashing in the stair puddles, the intermittent dripping of water, and the occasional crackle of an unknown fuel burning in the candle holders creating sound.

After descending at least a hundred steps, the corridor still seemed endless.

Xu Xin dared not walk too fast; the damp stone steps were indeed quite slippery. He almost slipped once and now had to step sideways on the stairs to avoid slipping. Occasionally, water dripped onto Xu Xin’s head and body, wetting his hair.

Keke seemed unaffected. It would dash ten or so steps ahead, tilt its head to wait for Xu Xin, and after he caught up, it would dash ten or so steps further.

After about ten minutes, Keke, who had run a few steps ahead, suddenly turned around and returned to Xu Xin, tugged at his pant leg, pointed to the corridor, and softly called out: ”Hmm.”

Was there some danger up ahead again?

Xu Xin squinted into the depths and noticed something seemed to be hanging over the edge of the stair corridor ahead.

The distance was a bit far, making it hard to make out.

”Keke, stay by my side, don’t run too far ahead anymore.”

”Hmm!”

Keke obediently stopped running ahead. Xu Xin steadily continued down the steps, advancing further until he finally saw what was hanging above the corridor.

”Hiss—such large bats? And there’s such a huge group of them!?”