The tunnel stretched on for another hundred yards, narrowing slightly before opening into a larger chamber. The faint glow of firelight flickered ahead. John motioned for the others to stop and crouched low, peering around the corner.

  Four goblins stood in a loose formation in front of a heavy, iron-bound door. They wore patchwork armor—mostly rusted chain and bits of leather—but each carried a crude weapon: short swords and axes. One goblin paced restlessly, while the others leaned lazily against the stone walls.

  “Looks like they’re guarding something,” John whispered.

  Thorin shifted, adjusting his grip on his axe. “Only four of them. We can take them.”

  Kaia frowned. “Let’s not be reckless.”

  John nodded. “Agreed. Thorin, you rush them—draw their attention. I’ll slip around and catch them from behind. Kaia, hang back slow and paralyze them when you can.”

  Thorin grinned. “I like this plan already.”

  As Thorin inched forward, John scouted the shadows to the left, keeping low. He spotted a narrow recess in the wall—a perfect hiding spot. Sliding into it, he gave Thorin a nod.

  “Go.”

  Thorin let out a roar and charged straight at the goblins, boots pounding against the stone. The goblins scrambled to attention, weapons raised in a panic.

  “Come on, you green-skinned bastards!” Thorin bellowed, swinging his axe overhead.

  The first goblin barely got his sword up in time to deflect the blow, stumbling back from the force. The others rushed in, blades flashing as they swarmed Thorin.

  John slipped out of his hiding place, silent as a shadow. One goblin had its back to him, raising its axe for a strike. John drew his dagger in a fluid motion, stepping in close.

  Backstab.

  His blade drove deep into the goblin’s spine, right beneath the ribs. The creature gasped and crumpled, dead before it hit the ground.

  “Gotcha.”

  John yanked his dagger free and sprinted back toward the shadows.

  One of the remaining goblins peeled off, snarling as it spotted John. The creature sprinted after him, footsteps slapping against the stone.

  John smirked and activated Shadow Step. The world blurred for a heartbeat, and he reappeared behind the goblin just as it skidded to a confused halt.

  “Boo.”

  The goblin barely had time to turn before John’s dagger slashed across its hamstring. It yelped and staggered, trying to pivot, but John was already moving. He feinted left, forcing the goblin to overcommit its defense, then twisted to the right and drove his dagger deep into its ribs.

  The goblin coughed wetly, slumping to the ground.

  “Two down.”

  A sharp cry from Thorin’s direction caught John’s attention. The warrior grunted as a goblin’s blade nicked his shoulder. Thorin roared and retaliated, smashing his axe into the goblin’s shield and shattering it. The goblin scrambled back, but Thorin was relentless, pressing forward with heavy, crushing blows.

  Kaia raised her staff, chanting under her breath. A faint shimmer of energy wrapped around Thorin, closing the wound on his shoulder just as he delivered a bone-snapping kick to the goblin’s chest, sending it sprawling.

  The last goblin hissed and raised its blade to strike at Thorin’s exposed side.

  Paralyze.

  A soft golden light shimmered over the goblin… and faded. The creature shook its head, unaffected. Kaia’s eyes widened. “It’s resistant!”

  The goblin lunged at her, and Kaia barely raised her staff in time to block the crude sword. She stumbled back, the goblin pressing its advantage.

  John sprinted in, flipping his dagger to a reverse grip. He slid across the stone floor, catching the goblin’s ankle with his foot and yanking hard. The goblin toppled, arms flailing, and John drove his blade into its exposed throat before it could recover.

  Kaia exhaled sharply, nodding in thanks.

  Thorin, meanwhile, had lifted the final goblin by its collar, grinning fiercely. “You fought well,” he growled. “But not well enough.”

  With a final, brutal swing, he ended the fight.

  Silence settled in the tunnel, broken only by heavy breathing.

  Kaia stepped forward, lowering her staff. “That was… intense. Everyone alright?”

  John wiped sweat from his forehead. “I’m good. Shadow Step is a lifesaver.”

  Thorin laughed. “And so is Kaia.”

  Kaia rolled her eyes but smiled. “Just doing my job.”

  John sheathed his dagger and glanced at the heavy door the goblins had been guarding. “Let’s see what they were protecting.”

  Kaia stepped beside him. “I have a feeling we’re not done yet.”

  John smirked. “We never are.”

  With that, Thorin pushed the door open, and they stepped into the next chamber, ready for whatever lay ahead.

  ***

  The corridor opened into a vast chamber, larger than any room they’d passed through so far. The air was thick and damp, carrying the faint, musky scent of goblins. Flickering torches lined the walls, casting jagged shadows across the stone floor. At the far end, a hulking figure slouched against a throne of broken weapons and bones.

  John squinted. “Well… that’s subtle.”

  Thorin tightened his grip on his axe, stepping forward cautiously. “A brute. I figured as much. They like their trophies.”

  Kaia scanned the room, her staff glowing faintly in her hands. “Let’s be careful. Brutes are tougher than the smaller goblins. They don’t go down easily.”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  John arched an eyebrow. “Good thing we came this far for a challenge. Would’ve hated to wrap up the day without nearly dying.”

  The brute shifted, sitting up straighter as if it had heard them. Its thick, misshapen body was wrapped in jagged plates of rusted metal. Yellow eyes gleamed under a battered horned helm. The massive club resting by its side looked less like a weapon and more like a repurposed tree trunk.

  Thorin grunted. “You wanted a challenge. There it is.”

  John sighed, rolling his shoulders as he drew his daggers. “Alright, let’s do this. I’ll aim for the knees—someone’s got to bring him down to size.”

  Kaia nodded. “I’ll stay at the back. Just try not to let him hit you.”

  Thorin let out a low chuckle. “You act like I enjoy getting hit.”

  John said " You might not like it but damn are you good at it"

  The brute let out a guttural growl, slowly rising to its feet. Dust and bones crunched beneath its heavy steps as it advanced toward them. The ground trembled slightly with each step.

  John twirled one of his blades, smirking at Thorin. “Guess you’ve got his attention. Ready to dance?”

  Thorin cracked his neck. “Let’s see if he can keep up.”

  The brute roared, lifting its club high overhead.

  “Showtime,” John muttered as the fight began.

  With a thunderous crash, the massive club slammed down where they had been standing moments before, sending shards of stone flying through the air. John rolled to the side, feeling the shockwave rattle his bones as he came up on his feet, daggers at the ready.

  Thorin was already charging, axe raised high. With a bellow, he swung at the brute’s side, the blade biting into rusted armor. The brute grunted, more annoyed than hurt, and swung its arm out in a wild backhand. Thorin barely managed to duck under it, the force of the swing stirring up dust behind him. Seizing the moment, Thorin pivoted and hacked at the creature’s exposed ankle, drawing dark blood.

  John darted in, his daggers flashing. He feinted left before shifting right, slashing deep into the brute’s knee. The creature roared in pain, staggering slightly. Instead of retreating, John pressed forward, attempting another strike—but the brute moved faster than expected, jerking its leg back and sending John stumbling.

  “Good! Keep at it!” Kaia called from the back, already weaving a spell.

  The brute roared again, this time twisting to face John. With terrifying speed, it swung its massive club horizontally, aiming to smash him against the cavern wall. John’s instincts screamed, and he reacted just in time—Shadow Step. He disappeared in a swirl of darkness, reappearing just behind the brute as the club smashed into solid rock, sending cracks spiderwebbing through the cavern wall.

  “Little help here!” John called as he landed, daggers still poised.

  Thorin didn’t hesitate. He let out a war cry and buried his axe into the brute’s thick calf. The creature howled, its balance faltering, but instead of falling, it twisted unnaturally and lashed out with its massive arm. The backhand caught Thorin square in the chest, sending him flying across the cavern, skidding to a painful stop.

  Kaia gasped. “Thorin!” She raised her staff and chanted, golden light wrapping around Thorin’s battered form, mending broken ribs and easing his pain. He grunted, rolling to his feet, gripping his axe tighter.

  “Damn thing hits hard,” Thorin growled, spitting blood before charging back into the fray.

  Kaia tried again, lifting her staff high. A burst of radiant light shot forth, striking the brute in the chest. But instead of slowing it down, the spell fizzled against its thick hide. It resisted her magic.

  “Great, just great,” she muttered, switching tactics. She braced herself, ready to heal at a moment’s notice.

  Seeing an opening, John lunged forward, daggers flashing as he aimed for the brute’s wounded knee again. This time, he twisted both blades deep, yanking them in opposite directions. The creature bellowed in agony, its leg finally buckling as it collapsed onto one knee. But even wounded, it wasn’t done—it gripped its club with both hands and raised it high, preparing a devastating downward smash.

  “Move!” Kaia screamed.

  John leaped back, but Thorin saw his moment. With a roar of his own, he charged, using the brute’s massive thigh as a foothold to propel himself up onto its back. He gripped his axe with both hands and brought it down in a brutal arc, aiming for the thick neck.

  The brute roared, thrashing wildly in an attempt to dislodge him, but Thorin held on tight. He wrenched the axe free and struck again, this time cleaving deep into the creature’s spine. The brute gurgled, its yellow eyes widening before it collapsed face-first onto the stone floor, shaking the cavern.

  John exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow. “Well… that was fun.”

  Thorin grinned, yanking his axe free. “A good fight.”

  Kaia sighed in relief, lowering her staff. “I suppose we’re still alive. That’s something.”

  John nudged the brute’s massive corpse with his boot. “Alright. Let’s see if our big friend here had anything worth looting.”

  Silence filled the chamber, broken only by their heavy breathing.

  John wiped sweat from his brow. “Well… that was fun.”

  Thorin grinned, yanking his axe free. “A good fight.”

  Kaia sighed in relief, lowering her staff. “I suppose we’re still alive. That’s something.”

  John nudged the brute’s massive corpse with his boot. “Alright. Let’s see if our big friend here had anything worth looting.”

  John wiped his daggers clean on the brute’s tattered cloak before rifling through the remains. His fingers brushed over rough leather and rusted iron, but then something caught his eye—gleaming faintly beneath the brute’s chest plate.

  “Hello there,” John muttered, tugging at the metal piece wedged between layers of armor. With a sharp pull, he freed a thick, intricately designed belt.

  Thorin peered over his shoulder. “That looks fancy. What is it?”

  John held it up. The belt was dark leather, reinforced with engraved steel plates and a buckle shaped like a snarling wolf’s head. Runes lined the inner strap, faintly glowing with blue light.

  Kaia stepped closer, brushing her hand over the runes. “This isn’t ordinary. It’s enchanted.”

  John smirked. “Good. ‘Cause the last thing I needed was a goblin fashion accessory.”

  Kaia gave him a light smack on the arm. “Put it on. It might boost your strength or defense.”

  He strapped the belt around his waist, fastening it snugly. A surge of warmth coursed through his body, and his muscles tensed for a brief moment.

  [Belt of the Iron Fang: +2 Strength, +10% Stamina Regeneration]

  “Oh yeah, I’m keeping this,” John said, flexing his arm with an exaggerated grin.

  Thorin snorted. “Great. Now he’ll be unbearable.”

  John rifled through the brute’s pouch next, pulling out a heavy iron key. It was large, almost comically so, with jagged teeth and an etched symbol resembling a crude goblin face.

  “This looks important.” John dangled it in front of Kaia.

  “It probably opens something deeper inside,” she said. “Best to hold onto it.”

  Thorin knelt by the brute’s fallen club, examining the weapon. Though crude in design, the club’s head shimmered faintly with embedded crystals.

  “Not my style,” Thorin said, but he tapped the crystals. “Might be worth something, though.”

  Kaia nodded. “It could be sold or salvaged for enchantment materials.”

  John dropped the key into his lunch box and rose, patting his new belt. “Alright, we’re one enchanted accessory richer, and I’ve got a key that probably unlocks more trouble. Let’s keep moving.”

  Kaia chuckled softly. “At least we’re better prepared for it.”

  The group pressed on, leaving the brute’s chamber behind, their steps lighter and spirits higher with the spoils of their victory.

  The steps stretched downward, longer than any they had encountered so far. John traced his hand along the stone wall as they descended, the smooth surface cold beneath his fingertips. The faint sound of their boots echoed with each step, amplifying the sense of descent into something deeper and older.

  “Feels like this floor doesn’t get visitors often,” Thorin muttered, gripping his axe tightly. His eyes flicked over his shoulder as if expecting something to come rushing from above.

  Kaia, walking just behind John, held her staff close to her chest. “If the first level was for testing, this might be where the real danger begins.”

  John’s boot touched solid ground at last, and he stepped forward into a wide chamber. The room spread out before them, supported by pillars that reached the ceiling far above. The stone here was different—darker, as if stained by time and forgotten conflicts. Dim crystals embedded along the walls glowed faintly, casting a pale blue hue over everything. The air was cooler, carrying the faintest scent of damp earth and something else—old leather or perhaps rust.

  “Great. I was hoping for a nice open space with plenty of places for enemies to hide.” John let out a dry chuckle, sweeping his gaze across the room. There were two paths ahead, each framed by identical stone archways. One curved slightly to the left, the other straight forward into the shadowy unknown.

  Thorin nodded at the left path. “We’ll stick together. No reason to split up unless you want to give the goblins an easier time picking us off.”

  John glanced upward, noticing faded carvings stretching across the upper sections of the walls. Scenes of battle, figures wielding swords and staffs against monstrous creatures. His eyes lingered on one carving of a giant stone guardian, arms crossed in front of a sealed gate. The depiction looked eerily similar to something he might find at the end of this level.

  Kaia followed his gaze. “Think that’s what we’ll be facing eventually?”

  “Looks that way. Let’s hope it’s as slow as it looks.” John forced a grin, though the weight of the carving's watchful gaze lingered in his thoughts.

  They pressed forward, choosing the left path. Their footsteps seemed swallowed by the dense quiet, leaving them to navigate the long corridor ahead in silence. It wasn’t long before the faint glow of crystals revealed the first signs of opposition—shadows shifting within alcoves just ahead.