With Mina's spear mastery at an advanced level now, Arin adjusted their formation without hesitation.
She no longer belonged strictly in the rear. Not after what he had seen and experienced. Especially not after her upgrade. Now she could finally hold on her own, fight with a spear as a battle-hardened warrior.
One more stoneback, Arin thought as they moved. Just one more, and I can push it again into the next level.
After that, he would focus on upgrading Raul's Advanced Dagger Mastery skill, which was now long overdue.
Mina recalled Rook and Tank, the two undead dissolving into faint motes of dark light as they returned to her subspace. The chamber was quiet now, littered with cooling bodies and the smell of blood and crushed stone. They rested only long enough for breathing to steady and muscles to loosen, no more than necessary.
When they moved again, the tunnels split into three branching paths.
They chose the first without much discussion. It narrowed quickly, stone pressing in from both sides, the ceiling dipping lower with every dozen steps. After nearly fifteen minutes, it ended abruptly in a collapsed wall of rubble and ancient claw marks.
A dead end.
They turned back without complaint and took the second path.
This one opened into another small chamber, its ceiling higher, the stone floor worn smooth by age and movement. Three stonebacks occupied it, smaller than the ones before, scattered loosely, not yet alerted.
They didn't get the chance to react.
Rook and Tank burst from Mina's shadow first, undead weight slamming into living mass. One stoneback went down immediately, crushed against the chamber wall before it could even roar. Raul and Victor took the second together, their movements crisp, practiced. Steel rang once, then again, and the creature collapsed with a dull, final thud.
The third tried to flee.
Mina intercepted it.
She stepped in, shield raised, spear driving forward in a clean, decisive thrust that pierced beneath the jaw. The stoneback shuddered once and fell still.
He had enough to upgrade Mina now, and he didn't waste any time on it.
He opened Mina's upgrade panel immediately, the familiar interface forming in the air between them.
___________________________
Upgrade Panel (Mina)
1) Upgrade Rank to Captain — 1000 Lord Coins
2) Upgrade Skill: Advanced Spear Mastery > Spear Form— 200 Lord Coins
Current Lord Coins: 270
___________________________
"Ready?" he asked.
Mina's eyes were already shining. She nodded without hesitation.
"Do it."
Arin selected the option.
The moment the upgrade was confirmed, Mina stiffened.
Mana surged through her body like a violent tide, flooding her veins, her muscles, her bones. She cried out, the sound ripping free before she could stop it. It wasn't just pain; it was information, forced into her mind with brutal intensity. Forms, angles, movements she had never practiced but now understood. Her limbs trembled as if they were being rewritten from the inside.
She dropped to one knee, hands clenched into fists as the sensation intensified. It felt like her body wasn't strong enough to hold what was being poured into it.
Victor looked away, jaw tight.
Raul didn't. He watched her with a familiar expression, one born of experience. He knew that pain, as well as Victor.
After what felt like an eternity, it ended.
Mina sagged forward, breathing hard, sweat plastering her hair to her face. She stayed seated on the stone floor, shoulders rising and falling as the last remnants of energy settled into place.
Victor exhaled quietly. "Yeah," he muttered. "That one always hurts."
Raul nodded. "Advanced upgrades at Soldier rank… your body pays for it."
Mina laughed weakly, wiping her face with her sleeve. "That's one way to put it."
The panel updated on its own.
___________________________
Upgrade Panel (Mina)
1) Upgrade Rank to Captain — 1000 Lord Coins
2) Upgrade Skill: Spear Form > Spear Intent— 1000 Lord Coins
Current Lord Coins: 70
___________________________
Arin studied the display for a moment, then dismissed it.
He crouched slightly so he was closer to her level. "So, what changed?"
Mina flexed her fingers slowly, then rose to her feet. She rolled her shoulders once, experimentally, and her eyes widened.
"Where do I even start?" she said, a faint laugh slipping out. "Ignoring the pain… I feel lighter. Like my body finally understands what a spear is. The techniques, the footwork, the timing, it's all just… there."
She lifted the spear, spinning it once in her hand. The motion was smooth, effortless.
"It feels magical."
Victor snorted. "Well. It is magical."
Raul stepped closer. "You good to move, or do you need rest?"
Mina didn't hesitate. "I've never been better. Let's keep going."
Arin nodded, then pointed at the shield strapped to her arm. "Focus on that, too. You're still missing basic shield mastery."
She glanced at it, thoughtful. "Yeah. I can feel it now, how it's supposed to fit into the flow. I think… I think I can take a lizard head-on if I use it right."
A confident smile tugged at her lips. "I'll use it more."
"Good," Arin said. "Let's move."
The next stretch of tunnels was longer, quieter. Their footsteps echoed faintly as they advanced, senses sharp, formation tight. When the tunnel finally opened again, the space beyond was vast.
But it wasn't an incubation chamber.
It was… singular.
A massive stoneback lay at the center, its body coiled and still, breath slow and heavy. It dwarfed the others they had faced, easily five times their size, plated hide thick and ridged, claws like carved obsidian.
A Captain-rank monster.
Arin's stomach tightened.
"Fall back," he hissed. "Now, slowly. Don't wake it."
They retreated the moment the words left his mouth, careful, silent, choosing a different route without looking back. No one argued. No one questioned the call.
Four hours later, exhaustion caught up to them.
They chose a defensible stretch of tunnel and settled in.
The routine was familiar now. Three slept while one stood watch, rotating through the nightless hours. Eight hours total and six hours of real rest for each of them.
The tunnels remained silent.
And for now, that was enough.