At the construction site.
Even without Kael's supervision, the workers pushed on tirelessly. They were healthier now Kael had been providing food and vitamins, enough to keep their bodies in top condition. He even allowed them up to four hours of overtime if they wanted, but beyond that? Rest. Twelve full hours for sleep and games.
The dam was nearly complete. The pumps were already installed, the massive concrete structure just needed to harden a two-week wait to fully dry. After that, all that remained was the electric wiring, connecting the tubes to the city, and installing the generators that would power the entire water system.
Meanwhile, mercenaries from the Black Fang Guild and hunters supplied by the Mercenary Guild stood guard around the site. Their duty was simple but critical: make sure no monster broke through, ensuring the workers' safety until completion.
The four Andrew, Liam, Paul, and Jordan were busy scouring the island.
Kael had already wiped out every major monster camp, but hundreds of dungeons still remained. Perfect training grounds.
In just a month and a half, the four had cleared more than fifty dungeons ranging from F-rank to B-rank. Thankfully, no A or S-rank dungeons existed on the island.
They had become frighteningly efficient, clearing three to five dungeons a day.
By now, all of them had reached level 90 a rapid climb made possible by the endless supply of Mana Essence Potions.
At that moment, they were raiding a C-rank dungeon.
The Goblin's Den.
"Shrrrriiiieeekkk!!!"
A deafening shriek echoed as a horde of goblins rushed from the shadows armed with crude blades, jagged knives, and rusted bows.
Arrows rained down, but
Clang, clang!
Paul raised his shield, blocking them with practiced ease.
"Taunt!" he shouted.
The goblins screeched and immediately fixated on him, charging recklessly.
"Shit… there's at least a hundred!" Paul cursed, gritting his teeth. "Now!!!"
"You got it, big oaf!" Liam smirked, raising his staff. "Icicle Rain!"
Shards of frozen spikes rained from above, skewering dozens of goblins at once. Screams filled the cavern as bodies fell.
But Liam wasn't done Andrew had already drawn his bow.
"Tempest Arrow!"
A glowing arrow of compressed wind shot forward, exploding midair into a swirling storm. The blast tore through the goblin ranks, cutting them down and leaving others bleeding from countless invisible slashes.
Still, dozens of goblins remained.
"Now it's my turn!" Jordan shouted.
He unsheathed his blade, the air around him vibrating with mana.
"Mana Sword. Strength Boost. Agility Boost."
He vanished from sight.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
His sword carved through goblins like paper, severing limbs, cleaving torsos. With every swing, he destroyed their formation.
One goblin lunged behind him with a dagger
Whoosh!
An arrow pierced its head cleanly.
Jordan turned and saw Andrew lowering his bow with a cocky grin.
"Tch. This fucker… hahahaha!" Jordan laughed. "Take a look at THIS!"
He accelerated, cutting through goblins in a flurry of slashes. One blade got stuck in a skull he kicked the body away, sending it crashing into its own kind.
In mere moments, not a single goblin was left standing.
"Hahahahaha! I'm strong, right? Admit it!" Jordan gloated, raising his sword.
"Ahhh yes, yehey," Paul mocked flatly.
"Hoy, Paul! I don't like your tone. Come here, I'll cut you down!"
"Pfft-just try getting past my defenses, idiot!"
"What did you say?!"
The two squared up, glaring at each other. Best friends, worst rivals.
"Oi, stop it," Andrew sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Hey hey, Andrew, just let those idiots be," Liam chuckled, already pulling out the energy reader. "Let's move to the boss room."
Wait take a look at this !!
The energy is changing rapidly!
Said by Liam.
The two fighters froze, their expressions turning deadly serious. Andrew's chest tightened he could barely breathe.
The energy reader in his hand flickered. What was once a soft light-green glow suddenly shifted orange, then red.
Dungeon Rank Indicators:
Black – SSS Rank Dungeon
Blue – SS Rank Dungeon
Red – S Rank Dungeon
Orange – A Rank Dungeon
Yellow – B Rank Dungeon
Light Green – C Rank Dungeon
Blue – D Rank Dungeon
Light Blue – E & F Rank Dungeon
Andrew's face went pale. "W-what does this mean?" His voice shook.
He remembered something his teacher had once said: double dungeons. Rare, terrifying phenomena where a dungeon hides another dungeon inside. Survival rate? Nearly zero.
Andrew whispered, "We're in trouble. Once we finish the boss, there's a tunnel… leading to another S-rank dungeon."
Paul's eyes widened. "Oyy, Andrew are you really sure about that?! You know clearing an S-rank requires actual S-rank hunters and a raid party of at least ten A-ranks." His voice cracked in fear.
Andrew nodded grimly. "Even us having with hundreds of thousands of mana, it won't be enough. An S-rank dungeon holds tens of thousands of monsters. Each one is as strong as a C-rank boss monster."
The group fell silent.
Finally, they clasped hands in a circle. Andrew muttered, "Then this will be our last fight."
"Let's make it count," Paul said.
"No!" Jordan's shout cut through the gloom. His fists clenched. "I don't want to die here. I'll find a way to survive."
Liam shook his head, voice trembling. "Survive? You do realize S-rank dungeons require S-rank hunters. Even if we're all at our best, we're still as strong as A-rank at most! Do you understand the gap? average level 100 S-ranks are ten times stronger than us. They even have Combat Mode we don't! We can't clear this!" His words broke into sobs.
Andrew and Paul lowered their heads. They both knew he was right. Hopelessness wrapped around them like chains.
But Jordan raised his chin. His voice was firm, defiant,he clench his fist. "Even so, I refuse to die without trying. Trust me—I have a plan."
He looked around at his companions. "First question: how much food do we have?"
Liam dug into his storage ring. "Over two weeks of meat and bread."
"Six days' worth," Paul added.
Andrew revealed his own stash. "Ten days of bread."
Jordan nodded. "I've got another six days."
He counted quickly in his head. "That's enough to last us two months."
"Two months?!" Liam snapped. "You're saying we should hole up in this cave for two whole months? What about water? We can't survive without it!"
Jordan smirked. "We already have water."
"What are you talking about?" Liam frowned.
Andrew's eyes widened in realization. "He's right. We do have water. Endless supply."
Jordan pointed at Liam. "You. You're our water source."
Liam blinked. "What me?"
Jordan grinned. "You have ice magic. You can pull water from the air and freeze it. Melt the ice, and we'll never run out."
The anger drained from Liam's face, replaced by reluctant acceptance. He exhaled. "…Fine."
Andrew adjusted his grip on his sword. "Food and water solved. But we still can't escape this dungeon unless we either wipe out all the monsters… or destroy the dungeon core."
Paul's lips curved into a grin. "Then I've got an idea."
The others turned to him.
"We'll pick them off one by one. Goblins first abduct, ambush, assassinate. Cut down their numbers in secret." His eyes gleamed with determination. "At the start, they won't notice. But when they do…"
He leaned closer. "We change tactics. Hit them at night. Strike fast, retreat immediately. Wear them down until they're exhausted. What do you think?"
The group exchanged looks. For the first time, hope flickered.
"…Yeah," Liam said quietly. "I think that could work."