Dawn hadn't quite broken when I wandered into the kitchen, and Rosalia looked up from the counter with the same soft smile she always seemed to have ready for me these days.
"Good morning, Rosalia."
"Good morning, dear. Up before the sun again — let me guess. Your jog?"
"You know me too well."
"You do make a habit of it." She smiled, sliding a plate toward me. "Half the city, every morning, rain or shine. And after that? The Guild desk, I assume."
"That's the plan." I hesitated, turning the next thought over before saying it out loud. "Rosalia — I've been thinking about all the gold I've earned lately. I want to give some of it to the orphanage. To you. It's the least I can do, after everything you've given me."
Something in her eyes went bright and a little wet. "Oh, Kazu. You didn't have to think of that, but I'm glad you did. Just — promise me you'll stay safe out there."
"I promise."
Before I left, I checked my status out of habit, the way I did most mornings now.
[STATUS] Level: 65
Active Skills: Blink, Explosive Blink, Bloodlust Unique Skills: Exploration (Level 79), Assassin (Level 75), Cooking (Level 8)
Cooking still hadn't budged past eight. I let it go and headed out.
The Guild hall was already stirring by the time I reached the counter, and Missy greeted me with her usual warmth. "Morning, Kazu. Let me guess — S-rank again?"
"If there's something worth taking."
"Perfect timing, then." She slid a heavy parchment across the counter. "Special request today, S-rank only."
I read it over. Retrieve the Sacred Magic Scroll from Dungeon Floor 35. Left behind by an A-rank adventurer, my child, in a corner of that floor. This item holds great importance. Substantial reward for its safe return.
"Missy," I said, tilting my head, "what exactly is a dungeon?"
Her eyes lit with the particular interest of someone who liked explaining things. "A massive subterranean labyrinth, layered with dangerous creatures the deeper you go. Rare treasures too, though — this necklace I'm wearing came from one. It activates on its own when I'm close to death. A gift from my father."
"Is it dangerous down there?"
"Some call it a death trap. Others think of it as the ultimate test of endurance." She shrugged. "Mostly comes down to luck and preparation, in my experience."
Something in me settled into certainty. "I'll take it."
She flushed slightly. "Alright. Be careful, Kazu."
I was nearly out the door when I collided almost directly with Kazike, freshly armored and grinning before he'd even finished stepping through the entrance.
"Kazu! Quest today?"
"Yeah."
"Mind if I tag along?" His eyes had that particular gleam that usually meant trouble, but a second pair of hands — especially his — sounded like a good idea for a dungeon I'd never set foot in. "We should let Missy know first, though."
"Sure, that receptionist," he said, already turning back toward the counter. As we walked, curiosity got the better of me. "Kazike — why does Missy look so young? She can't be older than us."
He snorted. "She's an elf, Kazu. Looks fourteen, closer to four hundred in actual years."
"Four hundred?" I stared at him. "That's just how it works for elves?"
He elbowed me, grinning wider. "Ohh, why the sudden interest? Falling for an older woman already?"
"It's not like that," I said, feeling my ears heat. "She's more like an older sister to me."
"Sure, sure." He laughed and reached the counter before I could argue further. "OY, MISSY! Kazu's got a crush on you!"
Missy went scarlet on the spot. "Kazike! He's a child — don't say things like that!"
"I do not," I muttered, wishing the floor would open up beneath me. "Kazike, you're making a scene."
He just laughed harder. "Anyway — Kazu didn't know you were an elf, so I filled him in. Also, I'm joining him on this quest. That work for you?"
Missy nodded quickly, still faintly pink. "Fine — just stamp the seal here, so the Guild knows the reward's split."
She handed the parchment over, Kazike marked it, and with that we were off.
The dungeon entrance opened into a wide stone chamber, a teleportation circle etched deep into the floor casting pale blue light across ancient symbols carved into the walls.
"This the entrance?" I asked.
Kazike nodded, adjusting his grip on his greatsword. "Main gate. I've made it to Floor 16 before, solo — enemies got too rough to keep pushing after that."
"If I've never been down before, do I start from Floor 1 every time?"
"Not with one of these." He pulled a small crystalline rune from his pouch, turning it in the light. "Depth Teleportation Stone. Get you straight to the last circle you've personally activated. You can pull them off certain monsters — Demon Rabbits, mostly — but each one's single-use, so you'll want spares before heading back up."
"You know a lot about this place."
He waved it off, though he looked pleased. "Comes with the job. Alright — to bring you down with me, I'll need a bit of your mana to link our auras. Standard for shared teleportation."
"Got it." I pushed a measure of energy toward him, and his eyes went wide the instant it landed.
"That's — that's a lot of mana, kid." He shook his head, recovering. "Fine, fine. Hold on. Depth Teleportation!"
Light swallowed us both, and when it let go, we were standing somewhere deep underground that looked nothing like what I'd braced myself for.
"It's beautiful down here," I said, turning in a slow circle. "I thought dungeons were supposed to be all darkness and dripping water."
"Can be, further in." Kazike's eyes stayed sharp even as he answered, scanning the perimeter out of habit. "Right now we're at the Floor 16 checkpoint — a Magic Barrier keeps the worst of it out this close to the circle."
Massive crystals jutted from the walls around us, throwing soft light across the chamber. "Can we take any of these?"
"You could, with a high enough Mining skill. Otherwise you just shatter them trying."
"Understood." I took one last look at the glow before turning toward the tunnel beyond. "Floor 35, then."
His expression sobered. "From here it gets serious, Kazu. Once we're past the Barrier, stay sharp."
"I will."
The moment we crossed the boundary, cold air rushed past us, raising the hair on my arms before my senses even caught up with the reason why.
[Exploration reached Level 80. Enhance now?]
Yes.
[Dash II has evolved into Blink — castable at will]
[New Skill Learned: Explosive Blink — Cooldown: 0]
[Killing Intent Detection upgraded to Murderous Intent Detection (Max Level)]
The rush of it hit all at once — awareness sharpening, the dark tunnel ahead suddenly full of things my senses could pick apart that I hadn't been able to sense a minute before. Somewhere in the dark, distant but unmistakable, murderous intent pressed against my skin like a held breath.
So many new skills at once. I tried not to let the sudden weight of it show on my face. It's frightening down here. I'll manage.
Kazike caught the change in me anyway. "That's the look, Kazu. Good — hold onto it. You handle yourself better than kids twice your age. Stay close, tell me if you notice anything off."
"Understood."
He drew his sword, expression settling into something grim. "This floor runs heavy with vampires. They like the dark corners, up near the ceiling — keep your eyes moving."
I tightened my grip on the mana already gathering in my palm. "Ready when you are."
The tunnel ahead swallowed the light from the crystals behind us, and the air grew heavier with every step deeper in.