The entrance of the Bck Labyrinth Dungeon loomed ahead—a massive archway of shifting bck stone, humming with ancient energy. The very air near the threshold seemed thicker, charged with an eerie presence, like a warning from the dungeon itself.Inside, the cool dampness of the underground wrapped around us like a second skin. A faint, rhythmic dripping of water echoed through the stone corridors, mixing with the distant, unsettling sounds of creatures moving in the dark. The walls, carved with unnatural precision, bore the unmistakable marks of an ancient power that had shaped this pce long before men or monsters walked these nds.Some torchlight flickered along the rough, rocky cave walls, casting dancing shadows across the uneven ground. The ceiling stretched high above, nearly lost in the darkness, while stactites hung like jagged teeth waiting to snap shut.

  Massive stone formations jutted from the ground, forming natural barriers and cover points—ideal for both predators and prey. The space here was wider than the narrow corridors above, allowing for more maneuverability, but also increasing the chance of an ambush.Elise adjusted the leather straps of her new bck iron shield, her fingers drumming against the cold metal. Her mace—fnged weapon of dark iron—rested against her shoulder, a stark contrast to the sword she used before.

  "Let's test this out properly," she said, the torch light reflecting off the steel in her determined eyes.I rolled my shoulders, feeling the familiar weight of my two axes. "Just don't fall behind."As we moved forward, the crunch of loose stone beneath our boots felt almost deafening in the otherwise silent cavern. Then, suddenly, a sharp chittering sound echoed through the darkness.I froze, holding up a hand. Elise stopped beside me, her eyes scanning the shadows ahead.From behind a series of jagged rock formations, three goblins emerged. They were scouts, smaller than their warrior counterparts, but quick and cunning.

  Their yellow, glowing eyes locked onto us with animalistic intelligence, their filthy, greenish-gray skin covered in crude war paint. The stench of sweat, blood, and rot clung to them, making my nose wrinkle in disgust.Each carried a rusted weapon—two held daggers, while the st clutched a short spear with a chipped stone tip.One of them let out a shrill screech—a signal."Damn it—don't let them call for reinforcements!" I growled, already surging forward.The first goblin lunged at me, dagger fshing toward my stomach. I twisted at the st second, letting the bde scrape harmlessly off my leather armor, then brought my left axe down in a vicious arc.The crunch of bone beneath my bde sent a shiver of satisfaction through me. The goblin's eyes widened in shock as dark, viscous blood sprayed across the cave floor. It colpsed with a wet gurgle, twitching once before going still.To my side, Elise raised her shield just in time to deflect a spear thrust. The goblin snarled, pressing forward, but Elise reacted fast—twisting her shield outward, she knocked the creature off bance.Before it could recover, she stepped in and swung her mace in a brutal overhead arc.The weapon connected with a sickening crunch, the force of the blow shattering the goblin's skull like a ripe fruit. Bone fragments and dark blood spttered across the ground as the creature crumpled lifelessly.The st goblin turned on its heel to flee, but I wasn't about to let that happen.With a sharp flick of my wrist, I sent my throwing axe spinning through the air. The iron bde bit deep into its spine, severing bone and flesh in one swift motion. The goblin let out a choked scream, stumbled forward, and colpsed face-first onto the stone floor.Elise let out a breath, shaking her mace to rid it of goblin blood. "Not bad. This is a lot better than a sword."I retrieved my axe, wiping the dark, sticky liquid off on a goblin's tattered cloak. "Told you Orm knows what he's talking about."She smirked, flexing her fingers around the grip of her new weapon. "We're getting better with this, huh?"I rolled my shoulders, feeling the tension from yesterday's battles still lingering in my muscles. "Yeah. But we still have a long way to go."We gathered the small blue gems left behind after the goblins' bodies were absorbed by the dungeon. They weren't worth much, but they added up over time.After taking a brief moment to recover, we pressed forward—deeper into the byrinth.

  The deeper we ventured into the Bck Labyrinth Dungeon, the heavier the air became. The scent of damp earth mixed with something fouler—the distinct, pungent odor of rotting meat and filth. It clung to my nose, thick and repulsive, making my stomach churn.The rocky cavern walls stretched high above us, the jagged ceiling disappearing into shadows. Massive stactites hung like the fangs of some ancient beast, and the uneven ground beneath our boots was littered with bones, rusted weapons, and scraps of fabric from those who had fallen before us.Then we saw it—a narrow opening between two boulders, flickering torchlight dancing from within.Elise raised a hand, signaling me to stop. "A camp," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the distant echoes of dripping water.I peered through the small gap. Beyond, a wider cavern stretched out, illuminated by crude, makeshift torches stuck into the rocky ground. The glow cast long, eerie shadows, making the goblins within seem even more monstrous.This wasn't just any camp—it was an elite goblin outpost.Roughly twenty goblins milled about, rger and more muscur than the scouts we'd fought earlier. Their dark green skin was covered in crude war paint, their eyes burning with savage intelligence. Some sat around a rge bonfire, roasting some unidentifiable carcass, its sickly sweet, charred scent mixing with the overwhelming stench of decay.Several makeshift tents made from stitched-together hides were positioned near the cavern walls, while piles of stolen loot—weapons, armor, and trinkets from unlucky divers—y scattered across the rocky ground.At the far end of the camp, near the bonfire, a hulking figure sat upon a stone sb—a Goblin Elite. His armor, unlike the rusted scraps his underlings wore, was forged from scavenged metal, pieced together into a jagged yet functional set. His massive, curved bde rested across his knees, and his yellow eyes glowed with a predatory gleam.I exhaled slowly, gripping the handle of my twin axes. "This is bad."Elise frowned. "If we fight them head-on, we'll get surrounded and torn apart."She was right. Even with our improved skills and new weapons, charging straight into that many enemies was suicide.I scanned the camp again, eyes narrowing. "We'll use the terrain. See that overhanging ledge near the entrance? I'll climb up and attack from above. You stay low, use your shield to draw them in. Once they focus on you, I'll thin them out from behind."We moved swiftly. While Elise crouched behind a rge rock formation, I climbed up onto the natural stone ledge above the camp, using the rough surface for grip. The rock was cool and damp beneath my fingers, dust and loose pebbles slipping under my touch.Once in position, I tightened my grip on my axes, heart pounding as I waited for Elise's signal.She stepped out into the torchlight, her buckler shield raised, and smmed the mace against the metal rim."Come and get me, you little shits!" Her voice echoed through the cavern.