Training my Elemental Defense went about as slowly as I expected.
I knew this wasn't a skill I'd master in the short time I'd likely be spending with them. Still, it stung to have everyone realize just how talentless I was at magic.
After about twenty minutes of practice, we moved on to the next rooms in search of anything useful.
In the next chamber, Tinalara and I faced off against a group of four unarmed orcs and a single sword-wielding one. We managed to bring them down with difficulty. Our reward was a chest containing two health potions.
One potion went to Clighton. Even after drinking the whole thing, his wounds barely closed.
If this were the game, he'd probably have some absurd health stat for a goblin, since the potion looked like a minor-grade one.
Still, it was enough that he no longer needed the kids' support to walk.
The other potion went to me, since I had taken the most damage since teaming up with Tinalara. Unlike Clighton, the potion affected me more, dulling the pain of my injuries—though my exhaustion remained.
If this were the game, I'd probably have a pitiful health stat… What I'd expect, not only from a thief class, but from someone as pathetic as Alen—myself.
With his condition improved, Clighton picked up a sword from one of the fallen orcs. It was far too large for what a goblin should be able to carry, yet he hefted it with ease.
Since I still needed more practice, Clighton suggested we move on to training the Wolf's Stance.
"As you know, Alen, Elemental Defense is all about stances. The most popular stance for each element is the defensive one, but that doesn't mean there aren't many others," Clighton explained.
"We goblins have a natural affinity for wind, rock, and nature," Sheiran added, though his tone carried a hint of disappointment. "But not many of us have all three."
"How many affinities do you have?" I asked.
"I have all three!" His eyes lit up with excitement.
"So many!"
"That's why I call him a prodigy!" Clighton roared with laughter. Sheiran blushed, folding his arms with a proud yet shy grin.
"I do have a question about this stance," I said. "The stances are really restrictive—once you adopt one, you can't move. But I've seen her move around while keeping her defense active."
"I don't really understand it either," Sheiran admitted. "But the texts say the original stances are primitive. Not every stance has to be that restrictive."
"If Elemental Defense is all about moving mana freely, then maybe learning it through rigid forms is what's actually making the difference," I theorized.
"Oh! That makes sense!" Sheiran's eyes sparkled. "Mister Alen, do you also like learning about magic?"
"It's one of the best feelings ever," I admitted, smiling at him.
"Ohhh!"
"I'd say Krath's Glide is less restrictive because the mana flow constantly shifts with the user. If you move, the mana has to move with your limbs to maintain the glide," I added.
"That's a great observation, Mister Alen."
As we prepared to start Wolf's Stance training, I realized I was warming up to Clighton and Sheiran. Tinalara, however, still radiated hostility, while Gola stuck close to the group but avoided interacting with me directly.
The Wolf's Stance itself was simple: lower the torso, balance with one hand on the ground, keep both feet planted—and suddenly you were fighting on three limbs like an animal.
At first, I thought I'd feel embarrassed in such a posture, especially since my fighting style relied on dual daggers.
But when I voiced my concern, Clighton quickly reassured me.
"Don't worry! There's no rule about which hand touches the ground. You can swap mid-fight, though it's harder. And you can still Glide even while holding a weapon."
"You can!" Gola added timidly, finally working up the courage to speak to me.
"Is the Glide something orcs also do?" I asked her.
"O-orcs don't… have magic," she muttered, her voice tinged with sadness.
"They do—it's just even less common for orcs than for goblins," Sheiran corrected.
"Oh… Do you want to learn magic?"
Gola shyly nodded. "Mh! Watching you two talk about it is fun."
"You saw how bad I am at magic. If I can do it, then I'm sure you'll be able to, too."
"You think so?"
"I'll be the first to cheer for you when you learn."
Her face lit up with hope.
…
On another room, we faced yet another wave of orcs.
Ever since I fell into this floor, I haven't seen a single goblin... Then this must really be one of the lowest levels.
This time, though, Clighton joined Tinalara and me despite his injuries.
Watching him fight, the difference was obvious. Compared to Tinalara, who was still inexperienced with Krath's Glide, Clighton was a master.
Even while wielding a slower, heavier weapon, his movements were faster and more precise. Where Tinalara had to pause just to turn mid-glide, Clighton moved with the speed—and destructive power—of a demon.
Once the battle was over, we gathered loot.
"All of this is ours. You get none," Tinalara snapped, yanking a pair of boots out of my hands.
"Huh?"
"You can leave the dungeon whenever you want, can't you? These items are better used by us. Besides, they belonged to our people. They're not yours."
"…Fine," I muttered, careful not to escalate things. Right now, survival mattered more than pride.
She turned and stalked away from me.
"F-forgive her, Mister. She o—" Gola started, clearly trying to defend Tinalara.
"Thanks, Gola." I gave her a reassuring smile before turning back to extracting mana stones. "You don't need to defend her. I know she's going through something difficult."
Gola hesitated, then nodded and returned to Clighton's side.
…
By now we'd explored six rooms. Only two rooms remained in the entire floor. One would lead to stairs going up. The other… either more stairs going down or the boss room, if this truly was the final floor.
I prayed it was the first. If so, I could reach higher floors and maybe find Agatha's group. They were strong; they should be fine—but I still hoped they were safe.
Sure enough, one of the two paths led to an upward stairwell.
"Let's see what the other room holds," I said.
Everyone agreed.
…
And of course, it was the worst option.
At the end of the corridor, a massive log wall blocked the entrance. All around the hallway leading to the log wall, both orcs and other monster type lay lifeless.
I recognized the mysterious monster type as the ones that were dead in the first floor of the dungeon.
The monsters were covered in orange-hued scales, their limbs thick like tree stumps. Quadrupeds, by the look of them.
"What are those?" I asked.
"We don't know," Clighton answered. "They were already here when we were teleported."
"I've never read about them either," Sheiran added.
If orcs and goblin had come from what I suspect to be a different world—from their talks about regions and continents that don't exist in Terra—then maybe these monsters also came from a different world
Which also meant that demi-humans and elves—who also appeared in Terra thanks to dungeon breakouts—also came from other worlds.
That isn't too surprising—history lessons always mentioned how Terra changed whenever there was a dungeon breakout.
I'd just never connected these two facts until now. Especially when it came to monsters like goblins.
The game never explained or delved too deeply into the lore of dungeons. The community had to make do with the minimal clues we were given.
I guess… since dungeon monsters in the mid and late game were fully sentient and capable of reasoning, the corrupted ones blended into the background as nothing more than mindless beasts.
"This is..." Gola muttered, staring at the massive log wall that blocked the boss room.
"Where the king is..." Sheiran said next.
"King?" I asked.
"Our king. The ruler of the western tribe of Turan. He is..." Clighton began but stopped, his fist clenched tight as memories of the peaceful life they once lived before being trapped here seemed to overwhelm him.
"Our kingdom was divided into four parts. We are from the western tribe. And the ruling race of the kingdom were… trolls," he finally explained.
"Trolls..." I muttered.
"Smarter, faster, and stronger than both orcs and goblins. And he was one of the best rulers our tribe could've ever had," Tinalara said, biting her lip to hold back her grief.
"Alen…" Clighton spoke, and everyone immediately looked at him. His expression was steady, yet heavy. "It… may be a selfish request from an old man. But… can you help me fight—no. Can you help me kill the boss? Our king?" His voice was as honest as it was desperate.
"Boss!" Tinalara cried, almost in tears. "We can't kill our king! There has to be a way to save him!"
The two kids gasped and covered their mouths at the shocking request.
"If there's a way to save him, then tell me, Tinalara. Because I don't know what else to do but end his suffering." For the first time, I saw Clighton wearing an expression that wasn't calm—it was pain. Pure pain, and the helplessness of knowing he couldn't change reality.
Tinalara stuttered, unable to form an answer. She had already tried—tried to talk to captured orcs, to reach them. None of them ever returned to who they once were.
"Alen… please. I don't want our king to remain as a bloodthirsty, mindless monster. That's not who he was. I can't let him live like that," Clighton pleaded.
I looked at the thick log wall, then back at the old commander.
"He must've been a great leader, for all of you to react like this," I said, realizing how much weight this troll carried in their hearts.
Clighton wished to preserve his king's honor by ending him, before the corruption could further disgrace his memory. The children gasped in confusion, unable to even imagine striking down their ruler. And Tinalara… she was the most desperate of all, clinging to the impossible hope of saving him.
"I'll help you, Clighton. A good ruler like him shouldn't have to suffer such a fate."
Clighton exhaled sharply, tightening his grip on the massive orc sword.
"Boss!"
"Tinalara," Clighton said firmly, "as your commander, I won't force you into this fight. Keep the kids safe."
Tinalara's face twisted with conflict. She wanted to save her people, but she couldn't. She wanted to stand by her commander, but she couldn't.
"Before we go…" I said, stretching out my arm. "Come out."
I didn't know if it would even obey.
But I didn't need to worry—the spider crawled from beneath my dark cloak, skittering down my body to the ground.
Their faces froze in shock at the sight.
"This is the only reason I'm still alive. The reason I killed those three royal guards," I explained. If I was going to stand with them in such a meaningful battle, I had to be honest.