Surviving the Simulation: The Grand Crusade

The scent of rust and decay clung to the air as the party stepped into the train tunnel, their footsteps echoing against the cold, finished stone walls. Xander took the lead, his Cat's Sight giving him an advantage in the low light environment. The tunnel stretched endlessly before them, its arched ceiling barely visible in the gloom, lined with ancient pipes and gears. What had once been a marvel of arcane engineering was now a forgotten tomb.

"Stay alert," Xander said, as Wyatt moved up beside him.

"Any sign of the constructs? It's odd that we haven't seen any patrols like before." Wyatt asked.

Xander shook his head and pointed with the tip of his spear. "No. Look there, someone destroyed them."

The remnants of the arcane constructs lay scattered across the tunnel floor, their metallic limbs twisted and broken, their once vibrant, magical cores reduced to dim, lifeless orbs. What had dismantled these powerful guardians, however, was far more troubling. The flickering torches along the walls cast long shadows, but those shadows moved unnaturally, as if alive with a presence that did not belong.

"The undead have taken this place," Zoey whispered, her breath misting in the damp air. "This whole place feels wrong now."

Ford tightened his grip on his mace, his usually calm demeanor tinged with unease. "I'm sick of this world event."

"Yeah, I'm not really feeling this whole dungeon take over vibe," Xander whispered. "We saw a bunch of rodentia in the last mechanical dungeon, but that felt like it was supposed to be part of the flavor. This feels much different."

The tunnel widened as they pressed on, opening into a vast underground cavern. Spanning the abyss, the remains of an ancient train trestle groaned under the weight of time, its iron beams protesting. The cavern was immense, its ceiling lost in darkness, with only the faintest trickle of water echoing from above. Rough and jagged walls, streaked with dampness and overgrown with strange glowing fungi, glittered faintly with mineral deposits. The floor of the cavern, however, was invisible, swallowed by a void of impenetrable blackness.

"Don't look down," Wyatt muttered as they approached the trestle.

The group advanced cautiously onto the narrow iron pathway. Every footstep sent a shudder through the ancient structure, and the distant echoes made it feel as though the very cavern were breathing around them.

Halfway across, Xander's senses prickled. He halted, raising a hand. "Something's here."

From the shadows at the far end of the trestle emerged a group of undead, their forms barely human. Twisted and decayed, clad in the remnants of what were supposed to be uniforms of railway workers. Their eyes glowed with a sickly, unnatural light, and in their hands, they wielded rusted tools turned into deadly weapons by the malevolent force animating them.

"They're coming!" Zoey shouted, letting loose an arrow. The frost-empowered shaft flew true, striking the first undead square in the chest. Ice spread rapidly from the wound, encasing the creature in a shell of frost, but it kept advancing, slower now but no less determined.

Wyatt and Jo surged forward, meeting the undead with a clash of steel. Wyatt's sword cleaved through rotting flesh, his shield bashing back the relentless onslaught, while Jo moved with lethal grace, her blade cutting down any that came too close.

Xander thrust his spear forward, its holy light flaring as it pierced through an undead's skull with a critical hit, the creature collapsing into a heap of bones and tattered flesh. But more were coming, clambering over the fallen without pause.

Ford remained at the rear, casting healing as needed. A golden light enveloped the party, mending their wounds and fortifying their spirits. When an undead broke through the front line, he swung his mace with surprising strength, shattering its skull and sending it tumbling into the darkness below.

The battle on the trestle was brief but fierce. With the dispatch of the last undead, its body plummeted into the abyss. The cavern returning to silence once more, save for the faint creaking of the trestle beneath them.

"That wasn't any fun," Wyatt said. "I almost lost my balance and went over the side with that last undead."

"Same, I had one try to drag me over the edge as well." Jo replied.

"Hopefully, the last boss is close. This is taking a toll," Xander said, his voice steady despite the tension in his jaw. He exchanged a look with Jo, who nodded. Looking at the rest of the group, Xander could see the exhaustion creeping in.

Jo wiped her brow with the back of her hand. "We've been in this dungeon for almost a day and a half now. How much further do you think it goes?"

"Too far," Wyatt said. "Bet these tunnels go on for miles."

"Can't be much further. It's odd that this dungeon has taken us as long as it has. It's the longest one I've seen, anyway. So we wrap this up, bag the loot, then we get the trains back to Starlight, figure out what to do about this General, bam it's mojitos by the pool!"

"I just hope we can speed up the end of the event. Sanctifying graves only moved the needle a fraction. We've got entire regions at risk if this keeps going." Ford said as the group resumed its trek deeper into the tunnel.

"Safe zones won't stay safe for long," Zoey added. "The General showing up changes everything. If these undead are organized, they'll start targeting the places we thought were secure."

Xander nodded. "That's why we have to take it down. The sooner we end this, the sooner we can start rebuilding. We saw the announcement when we took down the Phantom Brakeman. That's the most we've moved the needle toward finishing the event. I'll bet we don't need to sanctify all the graveyards, just need to crush the big bads."

As they pushed forward, the tunnel's condition continued worsened. Large cracks spidered across the walls, and they had to clamber over several mounds of debris where the ceiling had partially caved in. Despite the increased damage, the faint light ahead grew brighter, casting shadows that danced unnervingly across the tunnel walls.

"What's the plan for getting those trains back to the Starlight Oasis?" Jo asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. "The undead have made the entire region a death trap."

Zoey sighed, "It won't be easy, but if we can clear the immediate area and get the trains moving, we might stand a chance. Still, it's going to be rough without a larger force."

"One step at a time," Xander said, trying to keep the team focused. "Step one, get the trains moving. Step two will deal with the tunnel between here and Champaign. That's a natural choke point and a danger. After that, it's Champaign, and that's going to be a heavy lift."

A sudden burst of static crackled through the tunnel, and the PA system came to life again. "We regret... disruption... because of an outage... restore services... apologize..."

The automated message echoed eerily as it began repeated at irregular intervals, its neutral tone at odds with the oppressive atmosphere around them. The party exchanged uneasy glances, the juxtaposition of the old, automated system and the current state of the dungeon not lost on any of them.

"Well, that's comforting," Wyatt said dryly. "Think they'll be issuing refunds for our trouble?"

Jo managed a small smile. "I think we missed our chance by not asking the conductor earlier. Maybe we'll see if there is a ticket counter at the entrance and ask on the way out."

Ford chuckled softly. "That announcement might be the only friendly voice we hear in these tunnels."

Ford's words hung in the air, mixed with the automated voice announcements. The group moved forward cautiously. Every footstep echoed through the space, the ground beneath them seeming to shift uneasily, as if the tunnel itself were alive and waiting.

"Let's just hope that friendly voice isn't the last one we hear," Jo said, glancing back at Ford with a faint, wry smile.

Xander still led the way, his eyes scanning for any hidden dangers. The tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly, but as they walked, the light caught on something. A wall of debris blocking their path.

"It's a dead end," Zoey said. "Looks like the whole tunnel collapsed."

But before anyone could respond, the ground beneath them shuddered violently. A low rumble grew into a deafening roar as the earth split apart, the stone floor crumbling beneath their feet.

"Move!" Xander shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

The group scattered, trying to avoid the gaping chasm that opened up in the middle of the tunnel. Rocks and debris tumbled into the abyss, the sound of their descent swallowed by the darkness below. Wyatt, in his rush to reach solid ground, lost his footing and his torch slipped from his grasp. The flickering light spun downward, spiraling out of sight until it vanished completely, leaving the sinkhole in blackness.

"Wyatt, look out!" Jo screamed, reaching out to grab his arm.

Wyatt scrambled, his fingers scraping against the loose gravel as he fought to regain his balance. Xander was there in an instant, his spear planted firmly on the ground as he extended his other hand toward Wyatt.

"Grab on!" Xander ordered.

Wyatt grasped Xander's hand just as the ground beneath him gave way entirely. With a heave, Xander and Jo pulled him to safety, and the three of them tumbled onto the solid ground, breathing hard as the last remnants of the floor disappeared into the void.

Zoey and Ford had reached the far side as well, but the group now stood panting, their backs against the cold, unyielding rock wall, with the sinkhole stretching out before them. The over head lights giving off a faint glow obscured by dust lingering in the air.

"Everyone okay?" Xander asked, his voice rough with exertion.

"Bruised and battered, but we're all here," Zoey replied, touching a hand to her scraped cheek.

"That was too close," Ford said.

Jo, still running on adrenaline, surveyed their surroundings. The tunnel had collapsed completely behind them, and the yawning sinkhole blocked any path forward. The air was thick with dust and the acrid scent of disturbed earth.

"We're trapped," Wyatt said. "No way forward, no way back."

"We'll find a way," Xander said, coughing from the dust. "There's always a way."

The tunnel had been their path forward, but now it seemed to have turned against them, leaving them isolated in the bowels of the dungeon, with only the faint hope of escape and the ever-present threat of the undead closing in around them.

And in the silence that followed, the broken PA system crackled again, delivering its static-laden, almost mocking message: "We... disruption... outage... apologize..."

As the sound faded into the distance, the group pondered their next move, the oppressive darkness of the tunnel closing in around them.

The dust settled slowly in the dimly lit tunnel, the echoes of the collapse fading into a heavy silence. On the far side of the sinkhole, the group huddled, catching their wits after their narrow escape. The flickering light from overhead cast long shadows, highlighting the tension etched on their faces.

Xander was the first to speak. "Ok, now that everyone has had a beat to recover. Is everyone truly alright?"

"Mostly," Wyatt replied, brushing off dirt from his armor and glancing back at the chasm. "Lost the torch, but it's nothing we can't manage."

Jo moved to Ford, who was cradling his arm awkwardly against his chest. "Ford, let me see."

He grimaced, sweat beading on his forehead. "It's just my shoulder. Got yanked when I tried to catch myself."

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

Jo's expression softened as she knelt beside him. "It's dislocated. Hold still. I can put it back."

Ford nodded, gritting his teeth as Jo carefully positioned his arm. With a swift, practiced motion, she pushed the joint back into place. He sucked in a sharp breath but then exhaled in relief, rolling his shoulder to test it.

"Thanks, Jo," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite the pain.

She smiled back, patting him on the back gently. "Don't mention it."

Zoey said, pointed to the blocked cave-in at the end of the tunnel. "Well, we're not digging our way out and that sinkhole is a good eighty feet across, so we're not jumping that. There's got to be another way out."

Xander nodded. "There might be a maintenance door somewhere. We've passed a bunch of them that were inaccessible."

They spread out, searching the walls with their limited light. The air was thick with the smell of earth and metal, and the distant rumble of settling stone was a constant reminder of their precarious situation. Overhead, the PA blared on its apologies, oblivious to their situation.

"Over here!" Wyatt called out after a few minutes, his voice echoing down the tunnel.

Xander joined him, examining the heavy rusted door Wyatt had found with a critical eye. "It's rusted shut. We'll need to force it open."

Wyatt nodded, already positioning himself beside the door. "On three, then?"

"Three," Xander confirmed, and the two of them braced their shoulders against the door.

They pushed together, muscles straining as the old metal groaned in protest. The door barely budged at first, but they didn't relent, putting their full weight into it. Finally, with a sharp, grinding sound, the door gave way, swinging open with a shudder that sent yet another cloud of dust billowing into the air.

Zoey wrinkled her nose at the musty smell that wafted out from the darkness beyond. "I'm not sure what's worse. The undead or whatever's been festering in there for years. I thought the railway tunnel smelled bad."

Ford, still nursing his shoulder, gave a half-hearted chuckle. "At this point, I'm just glad it's an option."

Xander peered into the opening, his Cat's Sight revealing a narrow passage lined with pipes and exposed gears. "It's not much, but it's better than staying here. Let's go. Single file, I'm on point."

The tunnel narrowed as the group pressed forward, the light from the primary tunnel growing dim behind them. Rust and stagnant water filled the air, splashing around their boots as they moved in single file through the cramped passage. Corroded pipes lined the walls, some hissing steam, others leaking a foul-smelling liquid that trickled down into the murky water beneath their feet.

"Keep your eyes open," Xander whispered, his voice barely carrying over the soft splashes of their footsteps. "This place is falling apart."

Broken pipes and jagged metal jutted out at odd angles. Other, more unsettling sounds joined the faint groans of the settling tunnel as they continued. A skeletal hand burst from the water near Ford, a ghoul pulling itself up from the muck with a low, guttural growl.

"Ambush!" Ford shouted, swinging his mace down with a crack. The ghoul crumpled under the blow, its bones splintering and scattering across the tunnel floor.

"Should have guessed that was coming with the water on the floor. I'm going to bet we're going to be dealing with that the rest of the way through this tunnel," Wyatt muttered, his sword at the ready as another skeleton emerged from the darkness.

"We need to move faster," Jo urged, glancing nervously ahead. "This place is crawling with them."

The group quickened their pace, cutting down the undead that appeared in their path. The encounters were unsettling, each ghoul or skeleton reminding them of the undead invasion that permeated the dungeon. Despite their best efforts, the tunnel seemed endless, the walls closing in as they pushed onward.

Then they saw the sparks.

Ahead, bright flashes of electricity arced across the tunnel, leaping from one broken pipe to another in unpredictable patterns. The crackling sound echoed through the narrow space, and the air hummed with residual energy. The group halted, staring at the obstacle in their path.

"Looks like we've got a new challenge," Zoey remarked, her voice tense as she watched the electricity dance through the air. "We'll need to time this perfectly."

"Go one at a time," Xander instructed. "And be quick."

One by one, they darted through the sparking gauntlet. Wyatt went first, his shield raised to block any stray arcs, and made it across unscathed. Jo followed, moving with agility and speed, while Zoey deftly slipped through the danger zone. Ford, despite his earlier injury, timed his dash perfectly, clearing the area just as another burst of electricity surged through the pipes.

Xander took a deep breath and made his run. But as he neared the end, a spark flared unexpectedly, catching him across the arm. He cried out in pain as the electricity seared his skin, the tunnel briefly illuminated in a blinding flash of light.

"Xander!" Jo's voice was sharp with concern, but Xander gritted his teeth and pushed through, stumbling to safety on the other side.

"I'm fine," Xander said, though his face was pale. He raised his hand and cast a healing spell, the soft light enveloping the burn and easing the pain. "More embarrassed than injured."

Finally, they reached the end of the tunnel, where an enormous iron door stood partially ajar. Pushing it open, they stepped into a vast, well-lit room. A maintenance workshop, designed to service the very trains that had once roared through the underground railway.

The room was a steampunk fan's wet dream. Copper pipes and brass gears lined the walls, interlocking in complex, elegant patterns. A massive workbench dominated the center of the room, cluttered with tools, schematics, and half-assembled machinery. Overhead, pulleys and chains hung from the ceiling, connected to large iron hooks used to hoist heavy components. The furnace in the corner, though cold, stood as a silent reminder of the power that had once fueled this place.

"This has to be it," Zoey whispered, her eyes scanning the room warily. "The last encounter."

"But where's the boss?" Wyatt wondered aloud. "Shouldn't there be something waiting for us?"

Xander stepped forward cautiously, his spear ready. "There's something we're not seeing."

The group hesitated at the threshold, their eyes darting around the room. An unsettling energy thrummed in the still and silent maintenance workshop, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath. The surrounding machinery seemed almost alive, gears and pulleys frozen in a tense moment before the storm. A faint, metallic creak echoed through the chamber, but nothing stirred.

Then, as if summoned by the group's collective anticipation, the darkness in the center of the room coalesced. Shadows twisted and thickened, drawing in the ambient light until, with a rustling of fabric and the groan of ancient machinery. A woman emerged, a grotesque blend of necromancy and steam-powered machinery. Her posture was regal, strikingly out of place amidst the grime and rust. Clad in dark, opulent Victorian garb, her pallid, undead face twisted into a cruel smirk. In one gloved hand, she clutched a severed mechanical head. With a sneer, she regarded the party as they stood dumbfounded in the doorway.

"Oh, this isn't good." Xander said to no one specific as he analyzed the monstrosity.

[Analyze] Baroness Geargrave | Level: 16 Boss (Special) | Status: Hostile | Class: Special
Warning! The current ongoing world event replaced the normal boss with this boss.

[Analyze] Supervisor Rustbelt | Level: 12 Boss | Status: Dead | Class: Engineer

"Filthy peasant," Baroness Geargrave said coldly, tossing Rustbelt's head aside as if discarding trash. "Unworthy of even a moment's breath in my presence."

Xander stepped forward, his spear at the ready. "I'm sorry. Was he not able to remove the stick from your butt? I'm assuming that's why someone like you would be found in a place like this," he growled, but the Baroness merely chuckled.

"Such vulgar defiance," she sneered. "I shall enjoy watching you grovel."

With a sudden, violent surge the battle began. Jo dashed in with her sword, her strikes a blur of motion. However, Baroness Geargrave parried each effortlessly, her movements unnervingly graceful. Wyatt charged in right behind Jo, shield raised, drawing her attention as Zoey fired a volley of frost-tipped arrows, aiming to freeze the ground beneath her feet. The Baroness sidestepped, but the cold slowed her momentarily.

"Press the attack!" Xander shouted, plunging his spear toward the boss. The tip grazes her arm, and she hissed, her eyes glowing with rage. "Push her back!"

But Baroness Geargrave was quick to retaliate. "Know your place, vermin!" she snarled, raising her hand. The old, malfunctioning machines around the room suddenly springing to life. Saws, hammers, and gears whirr and grinding ominously. A massive, sparking drillpress swung toward Wyatt. He blocked it, taking the strike on his shield, the impact forcing him to his knees.

"Faster than she looks…" Jo muttered, leaping aside as a steam vent erupts nearby. "But we've got this. Just don't get distracted!"

Zoey narrowed her eyes, lining up another shot. "Wyatt, steer her toward the vent. I've got an idea."

Wyatt gritted his teeth and charged again, slamming his shield into Baroness Geargrave, driving her back toward the steaming pipes. But she's ready. Her hand lashed out as she channels dark energy. "Such pitiful resistance from such common stock. Did you truly believe you stood a chance?"

She hurled the energy toward Xander, who raised his spear to block it, but the force sent him staggering. Ford rushed to his side, casting a healing spell. "I got you!"

"Damn that hurt," Xander groaned, spitting blood out on the ground. His lip bleeding from where the shaft of his own spear had been driven back into his face from the Baroness' attack.

The Baroness's laughter echoed through the chamber, a chilling sound that resonated with the clanking of machinery and the hissing of steam. Her voice, both ethereal and mechanical, reverberated through the maintenance shop, filling every corner with a sense of dread. The Baroness had the upper hand, and she knew it, her cruel smile widening with every step.

"How quaint, the stench of ignorance accompanies you like a shadow," The Baroness said in a haughty voice dripping of sarcasm and arrogance. As she flung her arms high into the air causing an increase in the machine activity in the room.

The room itself seemed to continue to conspire against them. The gears in the walls turned with a relentless rhythm, each grinding movement sending tremors through the floor. Steam vents erupted sporadically, releasing scalding clouds that forced the party to scatter, their movements frantic and disjointed. The machinery moved with purpose, as if the Baroness had awakened the very heart of the workshop, turning it into a lethal extension of her will.

Xander's gut clenched as Zoey barely dodged a piston that cracked the stone floor. He could just make out Ford on the far side of the room, fending off mechanical limbs that lashed out like they had a vendetta. There wasn't time to help, as they all had to survive their own fight.

The Baroness, reveling in their desperation, unleashed another wave of her power. Her gloved hand, adorned with rusted gears, swept through the air, and from the cracks in the floor emerged ghostly apparitions. Ethereal figures of long-dead workers, their faces twisted in eternal agony. They surged forward, their mournful wails drowning out the clamor of machinery as they reached for the party with clawed, spectral fingers.

Xander narrowly avoided one such apparition, feeling its icy touch graze his arm. He stumbled, nearly losing his footing on the slick, oil-streaked floor. The Baroness's mocking laughter rang out again, louder this time, as she watched them struggle. Her eyes, glowing with a sickly green light, locked onto Xander, and she raised her hand, preparing to strike him down with a final, devastating blow.

"Shit, shit, shit. We are so screwed," Xander said as the boss continued to be a study on how not to beat a dungeon boss. He searched the room for something, anything, to turn the tide toward their favor, or at the very least, give the team a moment to regroup.

Then, in a moment of clarity amidst the chaos, Xander's gaze shifted upward. Through the haze of steam and the cacophony of battle, he noticed a large, rusted crane suspended precariously above the room. It swung slightly with the vibrations from the machinery and combat taking place on the workshop floor, its chains creaking ominously. His mind raced, the pieces falling into place as he realized what needed to be done.

"Ford!" Xander shouted. He pointed to the crane, and Ford, in the middle of parrying a deadly strike from one of the Baroness's minions, followed his gaze. Their eyes met, and in that brief exchange, an unspoken understanding passed between them.

Xander blinked away the blood in his eyes and caught Ford sprinting for the crane controls. Zoey had already read the play. Her arrows whistling past like punctuation marks in Ford's path. Xander's heart slammed against his ribs. If this didn't work, they were out of moves.

The Baroness, sensing their intent, hissed in fury. With a swift motion, she unleashed a torrent of shadow bolts toward Ford, the dark magic crackling through the air like a whip. Xander leaped forward, placing himself in the attack's path. The force of the blow sent him sprawling to the ground, his vision swimming, but he held on, his body shielding Ford long enough for him to reach the controls.

Xander could barely make out Ford at the panel, tugging levers with the desperation of someone guessing under pressure. The crane groaned to life, chains grinding overhead as its massive arm swung into place. Across the room, the Baroness turned, her eyes wild. She'd realized what was coming, and she was going to kill to stop it.

Wyatt shoved himself to his feet, battered but unbroken. He slammed his shield with his gauntlet, the telltale clang of a taunt ringing through the shop. Xander watched as the Baroness's head snapped toward the noise. Wyatt had her attention now. "Is that arrogance natural, or did you purchase it along with your title?" he taunted, his voice laced with defiance. The Baroness's gaze hardened, her fury blazing as she lunged forward, intent on obliterating the insolent warrior.

The crane groaned overhead. Then the claw released with a shriek of metal. Xander's breath caught as the rusted payload dropped like a wrecking ball. Just as the Baroness raised her weapon toward Wyatt, the mass of steel smashed into her from behind with a thunderous crack, knocking her off her feet.

The Baroness screamed, a sound of pure rage and pain, as the impact sent her sprawling. The surrounding machinery stuttered, the gears grinding to a halt, and the spectral apparitions flickered and faded, their energy dissipating as the Baroness's control wavered.

It wasn't over yet. Though wounded, the Baroness had not been defeated. She clawed her way back to her feet, her once immaculate dress now tattered and stained with oil and rust-colored dust. Her eyes blazed as she prepared to unleash one final catastrophic attack.

"Everyone, focus on keeping her in place!" Xander shouted, pulling himself back to his feet with every ounce of his remaining strength.

"How dare you!" she roared, her voice dripping with venom. "A lowborn wretch like you will never outwit a noble!"

Jo, battered but unbroken, charged forward. With a battle cry, she raised his sword for a thrusting strike. She plunged the sword into the Baroness's chest, piercing through gears and bones alike. The Baroness convulsed, her scream echoing through the chamber as the light from the sword spread through her body, shattering the dark magic that sustained her.

"Sorry, I didn't RSVP to your little apocalypse tea party." She said, while flipping the boss the bird.

The Baroness's form disintegrated, her body collapsing into a heap of twisted metal and decaying flesh. The once-alive room, filled with hostile machinery and ghostly apparitions, fell silent. With a final, exhausted hiss from the steam vents, the gears ground to a halt and fell silent.

Midwest Regional Announcement: Baroness Geargrave, Commander of the Undead Legion, is dead!

With the fall of this fearsome specter, the grip of the undead on the surrounding lands has weakened. The ethereal chains binding their forces are unraveling, causing their power to wane. Adventurers in the area will now face reduced undead presence and diminished hostility as the influence of the Undead Legion crumbles.

Seize this opportunity to press the attack before the darkness regathers its strength!

Xander wiped the blood from his face before looking around at his comrades. "There's a laugh that is going to haunt my nightmares. Great job everyone. That was a close thing, but we kicked ass in the end."

"Two Commanders in one dungeon. I'm going to call that a win," Zoey said as she rubbed her shoulder from the overexertion of constantly firing arrows during the battle.

"Maybe the reason the dungeon was here is that the Simulation was throwing us a bone with the world event?" Ford pondered.

"I suppose it is possible, but let's not try to figure out the reasoning of incomprehensible beings. They probably view us as sims in a game to be toyed with." Xander said, surveying the room.