While climbing down the vine-like steps, Fenix felt his body pass through an invisible barrier, and the dungeon transformed from complete darkness into a breathtaking sight. However, he knew from experience that the most beautiful things were often the most dangerous.

  Fenix's eyes flickered towards ChibiScker, who was either lost in awe of the surroundings or meticulously capturing every detail for his recording. It was hard to tell. But one thing was certain - this pce was absolutely enchanting. Even though they were deep underground, it felt as if they had stepped back outside into a starry night instead of a dark cave.

  The walls were lined with glittering minerals that shone like consteltions when illuminated by the faint glow of the bioluminescent pnts scattered throughout the area. Lush tall grasses and clusters of fragrant herbs added to the otherworldly atmosphere, but it was the statue at the far end of the cave that truly captured Fenix's attention.

  It depicted a small child, a little girl, adorned from head to toe with vibrant flowers. Despite being made of stone, she appeared almost lifelike, as if she could come to life at any moment. Yet something was unsettling about her expression - a hint of malice or mischief that sent shivers down Fenix's spine. He couldn't help but feel uneasy in her presence.

  ChibiScker, on the other hand, seemed unfazed and approached the statue curiously. He squatted down, clearing away some of the foliage as if he had discovered something. “Chaotic Nexus, come and look at this.”

  Fenix walked over and squatted next to him, seeing what ChibiScker had found. There was a pque on the statue that read: ‘To begin, give me red and blue. If you fail to do so in 20 minutes, starting from when you first set foot down here, you’re through.’ Beneath the words were two empty holes at the bottom of the statue.

  “What does that mean?” ChibiScker asked.

  “It means that if we don’t give her something red and blue in…” Fenix checked the time. “In 12 minutes, the statue will most likely come to life and kill us.”

  ChibiScker's eyes widened in shock.

  Laughing at ChibiScker’s reaction, Fenix pulled out a red and a blue bottle from his inventory. “Don’t worry, this test is really easy. The first ones are always the simplest. Did you forget that this dungeon was about potions? It just means we need to pce a health potion and a mana potion in the holes.”

  “Why didn’t I think of that?” ChibiScker asked, shaking his head.

  Fenix shrugged and proceeded to pce the bottles into the holes. At first, nothing happened, but after a few seconds, the statue moved, sliding across the wall to reveal a door.

  Had Fenix looked closely at the statue, he would have noticed that its sinister expression had changed to a peaceful smile. But he didn’t, and so he would never see the true beauty of the statue.

  “You did it. Let’s go in!” ChibiScker said excitedly, pushing the door open and walking inside.

  Fenix followed him, and as soon as he stepped through, the door closed behind them and a notification popped up in front of him.

  [System: You have entered room one out of five of Krimplot Dungeon! You won’t be able to leave the dungeon until you finish or die!]

  As the notification vanished, Fenix's eyes scanned the room. It bore a striking resembnce to the previous one, with lush emerald grass and patches of fragrant herbs scattered throughout. He made a mental note to collect them after dealing with the room's challenge—after all, one can never have too many herbs.

  In each of the four corners of the room, towering statues stood atop pedestals, their stone fingers tightly gripping different weapons. As Fenix and ChibiScker entered, the statues sprang to life, their weapons raised menacingly.

  "Uh, Chaotic Nexus, I think we've got company!" ChibiScker excimed, his eyes darting nervously between the advancing statues.

  Fenix tensed as he saw the statues advancing rapidly. “Let’s try to stay calm. We can deal with this.”

  Noticing a glint of silver on one of the statues' chests, Fenix realized it had a pque. Thinking it might be important for the dungeon’s task, he dashed towards the nearest statue, narrowly avoiding a sweeping sword strike.

  “Cover me!” he yelled to ChibiScker, who immediately drew his swords and blocked the statue’s next attack with a resounding csh of metal on stone.

  Fenix read the pque aloud: ‘So busy, always so busy. Every time you overwork yourself, you need to drink me. The more you work tirelessly, the more you depend on me.’

  For a moment, Fenix was puzzled by the riddle. Was he supposed to solve it? Would it weaken the statues? Although he was unsure, he decided to give it a shot and see what would happen.

  “Stamina Potion!” Fenix called out confidently. The statue halted, turned, and retreated to its podium.

  Seeing the success, he called out, “Chibi, we just need to solve the riddles and the statues won’t hurt us.”

  “Got it!” ChibiScker moved to read the next riddle on a statue across the room. "I don’t think I'll be much help here," he chuckled, scratching his head.

  "Don't worry, you’re great at being the brawn," Fenix replied with a grin. "I'll handle the riddles."

  ChibiScker was unsure whether to take offense or be amused by Fenix's words. "Thanks, I guess."

  Fenix swiftly made his way to the second statue as it closed in on them. He dodged a massive hammer swing and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed.

  ChibiScker, once again, blocked the statue’s weapon with his swords, sparks flying as he struggled to hold it back. “Hurry up!” he grunted.

  Fenix read the next inscription: ‘I heal your wounds and cure your pain. From cuts to scratches, I am your gain.’

  “Health Potion!” he shouted. As soon as he said it, the second statue stopped in its tracks, turned, and resumed its pce on the pedestal.

  "Two down, two to go!" ChibiScker cheered.

  Fenix raced towards the third statue as it lunged with a spear. He ducked to avoid the spear's thrust and managed to get close enough to read the pque. Meanwhile, ChibiScker parried a flurry of strikes from the fourth statue, trying to buy Fenix more time.

  ‘To cast spells and weave your magic, you need me most when things get tragic.’

  “Mana Potion!” Fenix decred confidently. The third statue halted and stepped back.

  Fenix then approached the st statue cautiously, his heart thumping wildly as he tried to read the pque between the sparks of weapons cshing. Finally, there was a brief opening in the battle, and he quickly read the riddle, trying to make sense of it:

  'Neither skill nor strength can sway my fate. I am the whisper that seals your fate. In the face of chance, I cast my spell. Not by effort, but by chance, you'll excel.'

  With the pressure mounting and time running out, Fenix's mind raced as he tried to decipher the riddle. "Think, think!" he muttered urgently, stealing quick gnces at the advancing statue.

  Suddenly, he focused on the st line of the riddle. 'Not by effort, but by chance, you'll excel.'

  "Luck Potion!" he excimed loudly and without hesitation. Hoping he was right, Fenix held his breath as the final statue froze in pce and its weapon fell still before retreating to its pedestal.

  As soon as it stepped back on it, a notification appeared:

  [System: You have completed room 1 out of 5! You may enter the next room at any time!]

  As the notification faded, a door appeared on the wall, leading to the next room. ChibiScker was ready to move on, but Fenix held him back.

  “I want to gather these herbs before we go,” Fenix said, already starting to collect them.

  ChibiScker nodded and began to explore the room while Fenix worked, chatting with his viewers.