The group, battered but resolute, turned their gazes upward. The realization that they had to ascend back through the dungeon's treacherous floors settled in like a lead weight. Every battle, every encounter they had faced on the way down had already drained their strength, and now, they had to do it all over again—only this time, with their bodies aching and exhaustion clawing at their limbs.
The flickering blue crystals embedded in the walls cast eerie shadows that danced and twisted, playing tricks on their weary minds. The air felt heavier than before, thick with something unnatural. It wasn't just the lingering scent of blood and decay—something deeper, something unseen, pressed against them like an oppressive force.
Kai exhaled, rolling his shoulder. His wounds had been mended with potions, but the dull ache remained. "Alright, let's get this over with."
Garron, ever the cautious one, tightened his grip on his shield. His sharp gaze swept the surroundings, watching for any sign of movement. "Remember what we faced on the way down." His voice was grim. "It might be worse this time."
Belle's silver eyes flickered with determination as she took the lead. "I'll keep watch."
They found the passage leading upwards. The staircase was steep and treacherous, its worn stone steps offering little grip. Lena placed a hand on the cold wall to steady herself, her breath controlled but weary. "We need to move fast. If something's waiting for us, I don't want to be caught on these stairs."
Just as she finished speaking, a chorus of chattering and screeching echoed from above.
The group froze.
Darin tensed, his hands already flickering with embers. "Goblins."
A pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the darkness, then another, and another. Within seconds, dozens of small, twisted figures emerged from the shadows, their jagged blades and makeshift weapons gleaming under the flickering crystal light. Their sneers revealed rows of yellowed, needle-like teeth. The goblins moved with surprising agility, their bodies twitching with excitement at the sight of fresh prey.
Kai smirked. "Guess we don't get a break."
Belle's eyes narrowed. "Stay sharp. These aren't like the normal goblins. They've been corrupted by miasma as well."
Garron grunted, raising his shield. "Then let's kill them all."
The goblins let out high-pitched shrieks before surging forward like a chaotic green tide.
Kai met them head-on. His katana ignited with a fierce burst of flames, illuminating the battlefield as he cut through the first wave of creatures. His blade carved a fiery arc, slicing through flesh and bone with terrifying ease. A goblin lunged at him from the side, aiming a rusted dagger at his ribs.
Kai twisted, parrying the blow before slamming his boot into the creature's chest. The goblin flew backward, crashing into two others. With a sharp exhale, he launched forward, his katana a blur of motion as it cleaved through another attacker.
Belle, standing at the heart of the battle, moved like a phantom. Her enhanced speed made her almost untouchable. A goblin thrust a spear toward her, but before the weapon could even reach her, she had already ducked, her leg sweeping out in a devastating kick. The goblin's body twisted mid-air before it slammed into the stone floor. Another charged her with a frenzied screech, but Belle simply grabbed its arm, twisting it at an unnatural angle before hurling the creature into its kin.
Darin and Lena provided ranged support. The former's fire magic erupted in controlled bursts, sending goblins scrambling to avoid the searing flames. One unfortunate creature caught the brunt of a fireball, its body igniting instantly as it shrieked in agony.
Lena, meanwhile, used her ice magic to manipulate the battlefield. A thin layer of frost spread beneath the goblins' feet, causing them to slip and tumble into one another. She conjured sharp icicles, sending them flying into the ranks of enemies, piercing through armor and flesh alike. Every goblin that got too close was met with a deadly frost-coated dagger, slicing through their flesh with ease.
Garron stood firm at the group's center, his shield an impenetrable wall. Goblins swarmed him, hacking at his armor with their jagged blades, but he barely flinched. With a single powerful swing of his broadsword, he sent multiple goblins flying. One of them latched onto his arm, snarling as it tried to bite through his gauntlet. Garron responded by slamming it into the ground with a sickening crunch.
But the goblins weren't slowing down.
A new wave emerged from the shadows—larger, more armored goblins wielding heavier weapons. Their movements were less erratic, their tactics more refined. The leader among them, a hulking goblin adorned in crude iron plating, let out a guttural roar, signaling the charge.
Kai clicked his tongue. "Great. They brought friends."
The armored goblins moved in formation, their shields locking together as they advanced with disciplined steps. A sudden shift in strategy. These weren't mere mindless monsters—they had tactics.
Belle's expression darkened. "They're adapting."
The goblin leader raised its jagged axe, and in unison, the shielded goblins stomped forward, closing the distance with alarming speed.
Kai tightened his grip on his katana. "Then we'll just have to break through."
He charged, flames erupting from his blade as he swung with full force. The goblins' shields held firm, barely budging from the impact. The leader took advantage of the momentary stall, swinging its massive axe down at Kai.
Kai barely twisted out of the way in time, the axe slamming into the stone where he stood, sending shards of rock flying. The goblin leader was fast, stronger than the others. Kai met its gaze, a predatory grin forming on his lips.
"Alright," he muttered, flames flaring around him, "Let's dance."
Belle, meanwhile, darted toward the flanks, taking advantage of their focus on Kai. She blurred into motion, striking weak points in the goblins' armor, disrupting their formation. Lena unleashed a wave of ice, freezing one goblin's shield solid before Darin shattered it with an explosive firebolt.
The battle raged, the dungeon filled with the sounds of clashing metal, roaring flames, and the shrieks of dying goblins. But the group was relentless. They fought as one, pushing back against the horde with every strike, every spell, every defiant step forward.
And slowly, the tide began to turn.
The goblins, once so eager for battle, began to falter, their morale breaking under the sheer force of Trinity Blade and Obsidian Dawn's assault. The leader snarled in frustration, realizing its advantage was slipping away.
Belle tightened her fists. "Time to end this."
With a final burst of speed, she closed the distance, her fist colliding with the goblin leader's chest. The impact sent a shockwave through its armor, cracks forming along the metal plates before they shattered completely. The creature's eyes widened in shock before it crumpled to the ground, unmoving.
The remaining goblins, seeing their leader fall, hesitated. Then, one by one, they turned and fled, their screeches echoing through the dungeon.
Kai exhaled, lowering his blade. "That was a workout."
Darin smirked, flames still flickering at his fingertips. "And we still have more floors to go."
Belle rolled her shoulders, stepping forward. "Then let's not waste time."
With the path cleared, the group pressed onward, their resolve stronger than ever.
The ascent had been grueling. Every floor tested them with relentless waves of enemies, each battle pushing them closer to exhaustion. But this—this was the final stretch.
Trinity Blade stood at the threshold of the first floor, their bodies battered, their breaths ragged.
A chittering sound filled the air. Then—movement.
Kobolds. A massive horde.
Hundreds of scaly, reptilian creatures crowded the chamber, their beady red eyes gleaming with hunger and aggression. Their small, wiry frames belied their viciousness. Clad in ragged armor, wielding rusted blades, spears, and jagged bone weapons, they shifted restlessly. Their clawed feet scraped against the cavern floor, tails flicking in anticipation.
The stench of damp fur, blood, and unwashed bodies filled the space.
Kai let out a low whistle, tightening his grip on his katana. "That's… a lot."
Lena swallowed hard, her ice-blue eyes scanning the swarm. "We fought our way up here, but I don't think brute force is an option anymore."
Darin, his flames still flickering from the last battle, exhaled sharply. "If we charge in, we're done for."
The passage to the surface—freedom—was on the other side of the horde. Their way out was blocked.
A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the cavern, low and resonant, shaking dust loose from the jagged rock formations above.
From within the endless swarm of kobolds, a figure emerged—larger, more imposing than the rest.
This one was different.
Its hide was darker, thickened with scars of past battles. Deep crimson streaks marked its sinewy frame like war paint, and unlike the ragged, frenzied creatures surrounding it, this one carried itself with a calm, menacing poise.
It was armored—not crudely, but with purpose. Twisted metal plates strapped to its chest and shoulders glinted under the dim glow of the cavern, reinforced by thick, overlapping leather layers. And in its clawed hands, it gripped a long, curved blade, the edge blackened with old, dried blood.
But it was its eyes that truly set it apart. They burned with intelligence. A leader's gaze—one that studied, calculated, and commanded.
The chittering of the horde fell silent. The kobold leader raised its blade, leveling it toward them.
A challenge.
Garron adjusted his shield, the steel ringing with tension. "No doubt about it. That one's in charge."
Belle's silver eyes glowed faintly as she exhaled. "Then we take it down. Break their morale."
The kobold leader let out a screeching roar—a piercing, guttural sound that reverberated through the cavern. And then—the horde surged forward.
The cavern exploded into chaos.
Kobolds rushed forward in a tidal wave of snapping jaws and rusted weapons, their shrill war cries bouncing off the stone walls. The ground shook beneath their sheer numbers, a rolling stampede of frenzied creatures driven by instinct and hunger.
Kai was the first to meet them.
With a burst of speed, he darted forward, the steel of his katana igniting in a flash of roaring crimson fire. The cavern air warped from the heat as he slashed through the first line of kobolds. His blade moved like a burning specter, sweeping in lethal arcs, carving through flesh and bone as though they were nothing more than dried twigs.
The first wave fell instantly, bodies collapsing in smoldering heaps—but more followed.
Kai barely had time to breathe before spears came lunging from all directions. He twisted—parried one, ducked another—only for a third to graze his arm, leaving a thin streak of blood.
"Damn it—" He grit his teeth and pivoted, bringing his blade around in a wide arc. Flames burst outward, the pressure wave of heat forcing the creatures back, scattering embers across the battlefield.
Yet still, they came.
Lena stood at the ready, hands raised. Cold mist gathered at her fingertips as she murmured an incantation, her breath turning to frost.
"Glacier Veil."
A frigid gust surged forward, ice erupting from the ground in jagged, spike-like formations that impaled the nearest kobolds. Some froze mid-charge, their limbs locking in place before shattering into crystalline shards.
But she wasn't finished.
Lena clenched her fist—and the ice exploded. Thousands of razor-sharp fragments tore through the battlefield, cutting down kobolds in a flurry of freezing death. Screeches filled the cavern, the sickening sound of frozen flesh cracking apart.
Yet still, they came.
From the backline, Darin roared, slamming his hands together. His mana flared, gathering in his palms as flames surged outward in a spiraling inferno.
"Inferno Surge!"
A towering wave of fire engulfed the closest kobolds, turning them into wailing infernos. The air burned with the stench of charred fur and seared flesh. Light danced across the cavern walls as the fire consumed everything in its path.
But even with their ranks burning away, the remaining kobolds refused to break.
They were relentless.
Belle moved like a shadow. One moment, she was standing still—the next, she was within their ranks. A flicker of blue—and three kobolds were sent flying, their bodies crumpling mid-air before slamming against the cavern walls.
A spear lunged at her from the side—she twisted. Duck. Step. Counter. With a fluid motion, Belle struck its gut with a brutal upward kick. The impact sent the creature hurtling backward, slamming into a stalagmite with a sickening crunch.
But there were too many.
Belle's breath calmed, controlled, even as her muscles tensed. She could feel them closing in, hear the scrape of their claws, the sharp intake of their ragged breaths.
She couldn't hold back. Her gaze flickered—and then, she moved. One step forward—the ground cracked. With sheer force, Belle launched herself into the fray, her fist tearing through armor like paper. Each strike was precise, efficient—her movements unnaturally sharp. Kobolds collapsed around her, falling before they even realized they had been shot down.
Still, they pressed on.
And then, she felt it. Her gaze flickered to the leader.
That was their key.
End of Chapter 44