'The first floors are no longer earthen caves but a true labyrinth, built of stone bricks. As if someone had constructed every wall, every corridor.'
'The moss that once lit the paths is gone. Now, the only light comes from what each adventurer carries with them. But don't even think about simply putting torches in the floor or on the walls—it won't work. The Dungeon simply rejects them.'
'Besides that, be extremely careful with the traps, this is the most dangerous part. Hidden launchers, pressure plates, invisible wires, false floors, passages that suddenly close. Anything can happen in there.'
'To make things worse, from the first down to the twelfth floor, everything is shrouded in mist. Just like the one that used to cover the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth floors back then, but now, much worse.'
'As before, no one knows the origin of the mist or whether it has harmful effects, but what is known is that it can either dissipate or thicken with no identifiable pattern. So be careful not to stray too far from the main entrance.'
A sigh escaped his lips as he looked around. The description matched perfectly with what Eina had told him.
'Just as she said… unrecognizable.'
Two months of "renovation and skincare" had done wonders for the Dungeon.
It wasn't just a makeover: it was like those anime girls who start out as the chubby, shy friend with thick glasses… then vanish for a few episodes and return as a stunning goddess, complete with slow motion and glitter tracing their curves.
Magnificent. Splendid. Radiant. Subarashii!
Just staring at those brick walls, Luki felt deep in his soul that even crazier adventures awaited him. Like a child about to enter the most dangerous amusement park in the world.
— Deep breath… ahh. I had forgotten the smell down here. I don't know why, but it reinvigorates me. I've missed you so much, Dungeon. — he said with a broad smile behind the helmet, as if talking to an old friend.
CRACK!
The sound of stone breaking echoed at his side. Luki turned his head and widened his eyes. Carved into the wall, letters appeared, familiar ones. His native tongue.
— (I missed you too. 👋)
An emoji of a little waving hand stared back at him, complete with drawn motion lines to mimic movement.
Luki froze.
…
…
…
— Nope. I'm not stressing about this. — he muttered, turning his back without hesitation.
He kept walking as if nothing had happened.
CRACK!
Another crack, but this time he didn't even bother looking. If he had, he would have seen the crude drawing of a round crying face, teardrops dripping from a sad emoji.
— 😢
...
Luki advanced through the new Dungeon's corridors, the greatsword firm in his hands, ready for battle. The metallic thud of his boots against the tiled floor reverberated through the labyrinth, marking his presence with every step.
He walked unbothered, confident, without even carrying a torch. And still, there was no hesitation in his stride.
In fact, it seemed as though he knew exactly where he was going, as if the darkness didn't bother him. Or rather, as if it simply didn't exist.
— Eina exaggerated when she said it was pitch-black down here… it's kind of dark, sure, but you can still see normally. — he muttered under his breath.
— Though that doesn't really make sense… with no glowing moss left, this place should be total darkness. Could the Dungeon be hiding some kind of magical illumination?
A quick note about elves: their night vision is absurd, even superior to that of hunting animals like owls. The younger they are, the sharper it is.
And apparently, even after three months of living as one, Luki still hadn't realized he wasn't human anymore and couldn't be judged by human standards.
Groar!
The silence was ripped apart by the coarse roar of a monster.
Luki raised his sword without hesitation, firm stance, every muscle alert to the slightest movement in the mist.
Months of training hadn't erased the habit etched into his bones: inside the Dungeon, carelessness meant death.
'Closer… just a few more steps.'
A silhouette emerged in the distance, walking slowly through the dense fog.
Humanoid. Shorter than him, maybe about 1.60m. Wielding a worn iron sword and wearing an oversized helmet far too big for its head.
Eina's instructions echoed in his mind, word for word:
'Since the change in the Dungeon, nothing in there is like it was before… especially the monsters.'
'Before, the first floor was exclusive territory of goblins. Now, two new species have appeared, along with more dangerous variants.'
'The first are Imps, red-skinned, demonic-looking monster, with claws like blades, whip-like tails, bat wings, goat horns that can pierce metal and acid blood. The second are Skeletons, undead warriors with extremely durable bones, and wounds inflicted by them are much harder to heal.'
Three threats: an old acquaintance and two new aberrations, each more treacherous than the last.
And now, before him, the first adversary in months.
The mist slowly parted, revealing green skin, a long nose, a petty glare.
A goblin. Plain, ordinary.
Luki exhaled through his nose, almost a sigh.
— So… just a goblin. — he murmured, voice low, almost indifferent.
'Nothing special. But it'll do for a warm-up.'
Luki was in a simple corridor, no intersections or obstacles nearby to use as cover. The only option was head-on.
He advanced first.
Short steps, low stance, the greatsword kept close to his body to avoid exposing openings. The armor's weight didn't call for speed—it demanded structure. Shoulders aligned, hips steady, the sound of boots muted by careful control.
'Always keep a firm stance and a clear mind…' he reminded himself, recalling the teachings drilled into him these past months.
After a few meters, the goblin finally noticed him. Its yellow eyes locked onto the armored silhouette and, in a flash, it lunged forward, gripping its sword with both hands above its head.
— Uhaaarrr! — The roar came raw, no words, just intent.
Luki kept his stride steady, observing every detail.
'He can barely hold the hilt properly… completely clumsy. What a joke. Is this how they felt when they were training me?' Intrusive thoughts, untimely.
The goblin closed the distance in a charge and, upon reaching range, leapt high.The blade came down in a vertical arc, loaded with the full weight of its body.
And then Eina's voice pierced his mind like a strike of its own:
'Remember: the monsters aren't the same anymore. Even a goblin can rival a Level 2 adventurer. I don't even know what you're thinking going down there alone, being so weak… but for the love of the gods, don't try trading direct blows with them!'
Luki sidestepped at the perfect moment.
CRAAANG!
The goblin's blade slammed into the stone floor, sparks flying as cheap metal clashed with the labyrinth.
The creature was already twisting its body, ready to unleash another savage strike, but froze for an instant when it saw the gleam of Luki's sword coming its way.
SHRRRAAASH! — steel sliced through the air.SPLAT! — blood spattered hot against the corridor.
The ascending diagonal cut came close to splitting the goblin in half. The slash carved its face in a grotesque line, tearing from cheek to eye, running down its left arm.
The monster howled in pain and leapt back.
Luki straightened, spun the blade, and lowered his guard just enough to prepare for the next move.
'Almost… if I'd hesitated for a second, I would've cleaved him clean through… this sword's sharp, no doubt about it.'
He had spilled first blood, snapping the goblin out of its blind adrenaline rush. The wound burned, but it wasn't enough to stop it.
Now more alert, the creature charged again, sword raised ahead as both threat and makeshift shield.
Luki didn't take the bait. He wasn't stupid enough to strike recklessly and risk being countered. He simply kept his distance, steady steps, calculating each inch to stay at optimal range.
He was taller, his arms longer, and his greatsword extended that advantage even further.
The goblin, unable to match such control, lost patience and slashed diagonally.
CLANG!
Luki raised his blade at the exact time, intercepting the arc. With a twist of his wrist, he let the enemy's sword slide along his own, deflecting it aside.
Dragged by its own momentum, the goblin staggered forward, straight into Luki's other hand.
THOOOM!
The steel-clad fist exploded into the monster's face, knocking its crooked helmet back a palm's width along with its green head.
'Hephaestus told me you're more suited to greatswords, so we'll start training with those. You need to remember that greatswords are very different from conventional swords; you don't have the same flexibility when attacking.'
'So, mid-combat, you'll need to weave strikes with punches, kicks, and collisions. Though… from what you've shown, that probably won't be an issue.'
Luki adjusted his grip on the gauntlet's mesh, bracing the greatsword with both hands. In one continuous motion, he raised the blade over his right shoulder and brought it down with all his strength upon the goblin.
SKRAASH! — steel tore the air before smashing through flesh and bone, spraying blood.
The goblin panicked and raised its sword to block.
CLANG! CRANG!
Metal clashed, sparks bursting at the impact, but Luki gave no quarter. Keeping up the pressure, he unleashed blow after blow, changing angles, hunting for gaps in the monster's guard.
SHRAK! KRANG! CLANG!
The goblin resisted with everything it had, pushing backward with its legs while lying flat on its back. Its stance screamed defeat, yet its Dungeon-hardened body still allowed desperate flailing without skill.
Even so, the lack of technique became clear. On the last exchange, a small slip: the goblin's grip weakened.
Its sword fell from its hands, clattering against the stone floor.
Seizing the golden chance, Luki drew a deep breath. Even with his arms burning from so many consecutive strikes, he raised the greatsword above his head and swung down with every ounce of strength.
The goblin shrieked, eyes wide with sheer terror.
Stronger or not, if that blade hit its head, it was done for. And it didn't want to die.
A surge of adrenaline blasted through its body. Heart racing, mind firing on all cylinders, milliseconds stretched into eternity.
Then, moving on pure instinct, the goblin rolled sideways as fast as it could.
SKRASH! — the blade carved into the stone floor, sparks and dust erupting.
It made it. Relief flooded its mind, but danger lingered. Instinctively, it stumbled back a few steps.
Luki, still breathing hard, took advantage of the pause. He retreated as well, keeping safe distance, and kicked the fallen goblin's sword further away.
The goblin dashed back a few meters before stopping to face him. Body crouched, arms and legs spread, ready to react to any move. Breath came in ragged bursts, sweat dripping down its face.
Luki reset his stance, raised his guard, and used those seconds to steady his breathing. His chest rose and fell more slowly, far more controlled than the monster's.