Hollowshade Cavern loomed ahead — a yawning black scar at the base of a craggy hill, half-hidden by brambles and weathered stone.
The last rays of the sun barely reached its mouth, leaving the inside swallowed in shadow.
As we approached, the game's ambient sounds shifted — the gentle field music faded, replaced by the low howl of unseen winds and the occasional distant screech of something hungry.
A cold notification shimmered into view.
[Dungeon Entry Detected: Hollowshade Cavern – Normal Mode]
Recommended Level: 5+Party Size: 3–5 Players First Clear Bonus Active
Tessa adjusted the grip on her spear, scanning the entrance.
Kale tightened the straps on his shield arm without a word.
Rayne grinned at me.
"Nervous?"
I shook my head once.
"Cautious."
He chuckled.
"Good answer."
We crossed the threshold together.
The world dimmed.
A heavy weight settled onto my shoulders — the SYSTEM's way of reinforcing that this wasn't safe, wasn't casual.
Inside dungeons, death mattered.
And if you wiped early?
You didn't just lose time.
You lost your reputation.
Your momentum.
Sometimes even your gear if the penalty system triggered hard enough.
No pressure.
The first chamber was a narrow stone corridor lit by the occasional faintly glowing mushroom.
Damp air clung to the walls.
Every footstep echoed.
I tightened my grip on my shortsword.
Ahead, a low hissing noise whispered from the darkness.
Tessa spotted it first.
"Mob pack. Left side."
I caught a glimpse — shapes crawling low to the ground, eyeless and sleek.
[Cavern Skitterling – Level 5]
Perfect.
Starter dungeon mobs — fast but fragile.
Kale raised his shield instinctively, positioning himself between the creatures and the rest of us.
Rayne slid sideways, twin daggers flashing.
"On your mark, Tank!"
Kale didn't answer — he just charged.
The first Skitterling hit his shield with a wet thud, rebounding backward.
Tessa moved next, jabbing her spear into the stunned creature's exposed flank.
[56 Damage Dealt! Critical Hit!]
It shrieked — a piercing, almost metallic sound — and collapsed into twitching legs.
But two more surged forward, jaws gaping.
I slid into position, activating Quickstep.
A faint shimmer wrapped around me — then the world blurred.
I reappeared behind the nearest Skitterling, sword flashing.
[21 Damage Dealt!]
Not enough for a kill.
I pivoted sharply, dodging a swipe from the second, and brought my blade down in a clean vertical slash.
[Critical Hit! 38 Damage Dealt!]
[Enemy Defeated!]
The Skitterling collapsed, and a tiny shower of copper coins popped into existence.
The team adapted quickly.
Tessa used her spear to keep the Skitterlings at range.
Rayne weaved between them like a dancer, twin daggers flashing in deadly arcs.
Kale absorbed the brunt of the attacks, keeping their attention focused squarely on his shield.
And me?
I watched the flow.
Used Quickstep sparingly to reposition.
Picked off the ones that broke through.
Supported without stealing the spotlight.
This is what it's supposed to feel like.
A real team.
A real fight.
But it wasn't flawless.
One Skitterling managed to slip past Kale, lunging straight at Tessa.
She spun to defend — but stumbled slightly, her foot catching on uneven ground.
The creature's jaws clamped onto her side, fangs sinking into her leather armor.
[Tessa – Minor Bleeding Applied]
I moved without thinking.
Quickstep triggered — my body blurred forward — and my sword came down in a clean, brutal arc across the Skitterling's neck.
[Enemy Defeated!]
Tessa gritted her teeth, wrenching the creature off and tossing it aside.
"Thanks," she said, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.
"Potion," I said curtly.
She nodded and popped a Minor Healing Potion instantly.
Crisis contained.
But the message was clear.
Stay sharp. One slip could end it.
We advanced deeper.
The cavern widened into a larger antechamber — old mining tracks crisscrossed the stone, long rusted and broken.
A faint green mist curled near the floor, swirling around shattered carts and collapsed scaffolding.
My pulse quickened.
This was it.
The real fight.
Rayne crouched behind a broken pillar and pointed.
"Boss room?"
At the far end of the chamber, a massive figure lurked.
Twisted flesh.
Malformed arms ending in hooked claws.
Rows of milky-white eyes blinking slowly in the darkness.
[Twisted Foreman – Level 7 Mini-Boss]
The SYSTEM chimed:
[Dungeon Mini-Boss Encountered: Prepare for Battle]
I sucked in a slow breath.
Level 7.
Stronger than any of us individually.
Stronger even than the Skitterlings by far.
This wouldn't be a clean sweep.
One mistake here could wipe us all out.
And judging by the way the creature twitched — already sensing our presence — we weren't going to have long to prepare.
I glanced at my team.
Rayne spinning a dagger between his fingers, adrenaline buzzing in his stance.
Tessa grim, focused, spear planted firmly.
Kale silent, shield raised, eyes narrowed.
And me?
I felt it.
That old, electric thrill.
Not fear.
Readiness.
This was what I'd fought my whole life for.
Not rankings.
Not hollow numbers.
But moments like this.
Moments where survival wasn't given — it was earned.
I tightened my grip on my sword, heart hammering.
Positions. Shields forward. Flanks ready. Keep your cool.
"Positions!" Tessa called, voice crisp and certain.
We moved — instinctively now, like pieces clicking into place.
The Twisted Foreman let out a wet, rattling roar and charged.