The goblins encircled us, growling, waiting for an opening.One of them rushed in—I swung my axe and caught him in the ribs, sending him flying.Behind me, Elise deflected a sword strike with her shield, then countered by smashing her mace into the attacker's knee, shattering it.Another elite came from my left. I feinted right, then ducked low, sweeping his legs out from under him. Before he could recover, I buried my axe into his chest.More goblins came. One after another.We were outnumbered, overwhelmed, exhausted. But we didn't back down.I threw another axe, hitting a goblin in the eye before pulling out a fresh one. Elise smashed a goblin so hard his skull caved in.We fought. We endured.Then, the final Goblin Elite stepped forward.He was different. Bigger. More dangerous.His greatsword gleamed in the firelight, and he grinned, fangs bared.Then he charged at me.I raised my axe just in time, but his strike was too powerful—it sent me crashing to the ground, a weapon flying from my hand.He lifted his sword for the killing blow.I tried to move. Too slow. Too tired.Then—Elise smmed into him from the side, shield first, with all her strength.The goblin staggered, thrown off bance.That was my chance.I grabbed my st throwing axe and, with everything I had left, hurled it straight at his head.The bde buried itself deep between his eyes.He stood there for a second, then colpsed like a puppet with its strings cut.Silence.The cave was filled with nothing but our ragged breathing.Goblins y scattered around us, bodies twisted and broken. The ground was slick with blood—some of it ours.Elise let out a weak ugh, dropping to her knees. "That… was insane."I colpsed beside her, ughing breathlessly. "Yeah. But we survived."And in the end, that was all that mattered.The battle was over, but the aftermath still weighed heavily on my body. My breath came in ragged gasps, my limbs heavy as lead. The once-rowdy goblin camp now y in complete silence, the air thick with the stench of blood, burnt wood, and sweat.
The crude wooden huts stood eerily still, the fmes from their small bonfire crackling softly, casting long, flickering shadows against the jagged cave walls.The rocky cavern stretched high above us, the ceiling uneven and covered in jagged stactites. Patches of moss clung to the walls, giving off a faint luminescent glow, barely illuminating the aftermath of the brutal fight.
The ground beneath us was littered with bodies—goblins, their weapons, and discarded bits of armor. Pools of dark green blood seeped into the cracks of the uneven stone floor, mixing with the human crimson that dripped from our own wounds.I winced as I leaned against a boulder, trying to steady my breathing. Elise was beside me, slumped against her shield, her mace resting against her thigh, slick with fresh goblin blood. She wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, wincing at the movement."That…" I exhaled, rolling my sore shoulders, "was hell."Elise groaned in agreement, flexing her fingers, her knuckles red from gripping her weapons too tightly. "I thought we were done for."I nodded, looking down at my armor. Scratched, dented, stained. It was holding up, but it had seen better days. My axes? A few were chipped, and one of my throwing axes was buried deep in a goblin's skull.I forced myself up, muscles protesting with every movement. "Let's check the loot."I stepped over the fallen goblins, my boots squelching slightly against the blood-soaked stone. My first priority was mid size blue gems—the real currency of the dungeons.Six mid-sized blue gems – Worth a decent amount. These were more valuable than the small ones, signifying stronger monsters.
Fifteen small blue gems – Common, but they added up. These were the bread and butter of divers, the standard payout from weaker enemies.I pocketed them carefully, the cool, smooth texture of the crystals brushing against my fingertips.Next, I checked the fallen goblin elites. Their armor was crude, a mix of stitched-together leather and rusted bits of chainmail. Not worth taking. Their weapons, though…A polished iron sword – Likely looted from a fallen diver. It wasn't in bad shape. I tested the weight. Banced. I could sell this.
A crude steel axe – Heavy, unwieldy. Goblin craftsmanship was as terrible as ever. Not worth keeping.
After that we didn't linger any more, we made our way out of the dungeon.
The moment Elise and I stepped out of the dungeon, the fresh air of Dragnir City hit us like a wave. The thick, damp scent of the underground was repced by the crisp, slightly smoky aroma of the bustling city.
The transition from the rocky, blood-stained battlefield to the orderly, sunlit stone streets was almost surreal. Even with our battered bodies and aching muscles, we felt lighter—alive.
The city center was as crowded as ever, a constant flurry of activity surrounding the massive dungeon entrance. Divers came and went, some ughing, some battered like us, others grim and silent.
The towering structures of the three dungeons loomed behind us, their surreal presence always casting an unshakable weight over the city.
I spared a gnce at the Green Open Pne Dungeon, where the Titan Guild's expedition was still preparing.
Seventy-plus divers, gearing up, checking weapons, sharing strategies. A stark contrast to us—just two battered rookies, barely holding ourselves together."First stop, the guild," I muttered, shaking off the creeping exhaustion.Elise nodded, still gripping her mace and buckler, her hands blistered from the fight. "Let's cash in our small blue gems. They won't fetch much, but every bit helps."We navigated the streets, weaving through peddlers shouting their wares, the cnking of armored warriors, and the ever-present scent of grilled meat from the food stalls. Dragnir's market district was a sensory overload—bright fabrics, spices in the air, merchants haggling, and smiths hammering at molten steel. Despite the fatigue weighing on me, I couldn't help but appreciate the energy of the city.We reached the Dungeon Diver Guild, a massive stone building with banners dispying the guild's crest—a crossed sword and spear over a crystal. Inside, it was packed with divers lining up to register their spoils, recruit teammates, and gather intelligence. The counter was lined with clerks who quickly processed loot exchanges.Approaching the desk, I handed over the fifteen small blue gems, feeling their cool, smooth surfaces one st time before letting them go. The clerk weighed them, inspected them briefly under a glowing mana lens, then handed over our payment—several silver coins.Not much, but it covered our basic needs.With that done, Elise and I exchanged gnces. We had another reason for being here in the city."Bear Paw?" I asked."Bear Paw," she confirmed.The market district buzzed with life as we walked toward Bear Paw, Orm's forge. The further we went, the thicker the scent of molten metal, coal, and burnt wood became. The ringing of hammers against steel filled the air, along with the occasional burst of steam from bellows.
