"Arms up," Arin commanded, voice steady.
"We engage."
It opened its jaws.
A deep, reverberating roar shook the tunnel.
Loose pebbles fell from the ceiling.
Victor exhaled slowly and stepped forward, shield raised. "Alright," he muttered. "Guess it's not letting us leave quietly."
"Formation," Arin said sharply.
Victor planted himself at the front, feet spreading apart as he slammed his shield into the ground.
Guardian's Stance activated.
The shift was immediate. His posture lowered, muscles tightening as his weight settled evenly through his legs. It felt as if the ground itself answered his presence, pushing back, locking him in place. Every breath steadied. Every movement became deliberate. His defenses solidified, familiar and reliable.
There was a flicker of tension, nothing more. The kind that came before impact.
Then his thoughts cleared.
Steeled Nerve settled in quietly, smoothing the edges of that tension, stripping away hesitation and excess thought.
The noise in his head faded, and Victor exhaled once, long and steady, holding the line.
Victor tightened his grip on the shield.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's do this."
Raul vanished.
One blink, and he was beside Arin.
The next, gone.
Flowstep.
Raul's body blurred as he accelerated, twin daggers flashing like shards of moonlight. His Sixth Sense screamed warnings into his mind, every twitch of the beast's muscles broadcasting its next move before it happened.
The lizard lunged.
Victor met it head-on.
"COME ON!" he roared, slamming his shield forward.
The impact was monstrous.
Stone crashed into steel, the force rattling through Victor's arms and spine, boots skidding half a meter back despite Guardian's Stance. His teeth clenched, muscles burning as he absorbed the hit.
The lizard hissed in frustration, jaws snapping inches from Victor's face.
Arin moved.
He darted in from the side, blade slashing at the creature's neck—
—only for sparks to fly as steel scraped against stone plating.
"Too hard!" Arin shouted.
"I figured!" Raul's voice echoed from behind the beast.
Raul struck.
His daggers found flesh where rock didn't cover, under the jaw, behind the foreleg, along the softer seams near the belly. He struck fast. Too fast.
Slash. Slash. Slash.
Blood sprayed, dark and thick.
The lizard shrieked, tail whipping around in a wide arc.
Raul's Martial Kinesthesia took over, his body twisting instinctively, ducking beneath the tail by centimeters, boots barely touching the ground as he flipped back.
"Left flank's softer!" Raul called. "Under the ribs!"
"Got it," Arin replied.
The lizard reared back, raising its forebody high.
"Victor!" Arin yelled. "Brace!"
Victor slammed his shield down again.
"Already am!"
The beast crashed down, slamming its full weight into him.
The ground cracked.
Victor's knees buckled, but he held.
Guardian's Stance reinforced him like iron roots, his defense spiking as he dug deep, hammer arm swinging upward.
"Eat THIS!"
The hammer connected with the lizard's jaw in a thunderous blow.
Stone shattered.
The creature reeled back, stunned.
"NOW!" Victor shouted.
Raul was already moving.
Flowstep pushed him beyond exhaustion, legs burning, breath ragged. His arms felt like lead, hands numb from hours of mining and now relentless combat—
—but Enduring Heart steadied him.
Any doubt vanished the moment he moved.
He plunged both daggers deep into the same wound over and over, widening it, tearing muscle and sinew apart.
The lizard thrashed wildly.
Arin darted in, Timed Step activating just as claws slammed where he'd been a heartbeat earlier. Time stretched for a fraction of a second, enough for Arin to pivot and drive his blade into the exposed joint Raul had opened.
The sword sank deep.
The beast roared, staggering.
"Victor!" Arin shouted. "Pin it!"
Victor surged forward, slamming his shield into the creature's chest with everything he had left.
The lizard collapsed backward, massive body crashing to the cave floor.
Raul leapt onto its back, daggers flashing as he stabbed between stone plates, blood soaking his arms.
The creature bucked violently.
"GET OFF!" Victor yelled.
Raul jumped clear just as the lizard slammed its body against the tunnel wall, rock shattering, dust exploding outward.
Arin raised his sword, breathing hard.
There was no fear in his chest.
No doubt.
No whisper telling him he can't do it.
Anchor of Identity held his mind firm, unshakable.
This was who he was.
This was what he chose.
He sprinted forward.
Arin vaulted onto the beast's neck.
"RAUL—EYES!"
Raul understood instantly.
He threw a dagger, not to kill, but to distract.
The blade struck the lizard's eye ridge, drawing its focus upward.
Arin didn't hesitate.
He drove his sword down through the cracked stone of its skull.
Steel met flesh.
The roar cut off mid-scream.
Arin stepped back, not wanting to take the final blow.
Raul moved in without hesitation and finished it.
The Stoneback Lizard shuddered once… then went still.
Silence fell over the mine.
Victor dropped to one knee, shield clanging loudly as he leaned on his hammer, chest heaving.
"…Please tell me that was the only one," he groaned.
Raul collapsed backward onto the ground, staring at the cave ceiling. "Don't jinx it."
Arin stood over the corpse, blade dripping, breathing slowly until his heart calmed.
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
___________________________
Your subordinate has slain a Peak Soldier-rank Stoneback Lizard, +30 Lord Coins.
Current Lord Coins: 61
___________________________
Arin exhaled.
"Done, neat and clean," he said quietly.
Victor let out a tired laugh. "Barely."
Raul rolled onto his side, grinning weakly. "Worth it. That thing's hide alone is probably valuable."
Victor nodded as he looked down at the massive corpse, already assessing it out of habit.
"The hide's thick, layered with stone growth," he said. "If I treat it right, I can turn this into proper leather armor. Not pretty, but tough."
Raul exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Then this trip wasn't just for iron."
Arin looked around the mine, at the bags of ore, the fallen beast, and the quiet that followed the fight.
For the first time since entering the desert, the place didn't feel like a trap anymore.
It felt like a step forward.