Brett slumped against a wall, his staff clattering beside him, smoke still curling from its tip. His robes were streaked with soot, his face pale and glistening with sweat. “I think,” he panted, “I’ve used every drop of mana I have. If another one of those things shows up, I’ll have to throw rocks.”

  Carcan came to Josh’s side, her hands still glowing with soft, golden light. “Hold still,” she said, her voice calm but her eyes wide as she looked at the damage. “You took quite the beating.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time,” Josh said through a weak smile, though he hissed as her healing magic began to knit flesh and stop the bleeding.

  The warm light washed over him, easing the throbbing pain and replacing it with an ache that was almost pleasant by comparison.

  Perberos, bow slung over his shoulder, was already pacing around the boss’s remains or where they had been. “You all might want to look at this,” he said, crouching down.

  As the last motes of the goblin’s body faded, a chest shimmered into existence, an ornate thing of dark iron and gold, carved with spiralling runes that pulsed faintly with mana.

  Josh’s eyes widened. “Is that… that’s the dungeon chest.”

  “Finally,” Bhel said with a low whistle. “Something good fer nearly gettin’ ourselves killed.”

  Perberos knelt and pressed a hand against the chest’s surface. It responded to his touch, the runes flaring brightly before the lid creaked open, revealing its contents.

  Inside were several glimmering items, each resting atop a bed of black silk.

  Perberos reached in first, drawing out a slim, dark-green quiver embossed with silver patterns. “Elven make,” he murmured, testing the balance of an arrow. “Looks like the enchantment acts in the same way as a bag of holding, but just for arrows…” He slung it across his back, placing handfuls of arrows into the quiver with an approving nod.

  Bhel rummaged through next, pulling out a pair of bracers forged of steel, etched with runes of strength. “Aye,” he said with a satisfied grunt, strapping them on. “Now these feel right. Good grip, strong weave, might even let me split a troll skull in one swing.”

  Brett, peering over, found his own prize, a crystalline focus orb, no bigger than an apple, floating above a small rune-carved pedestal. When he reached for it, it pulsed warmly. “A mana focus,” Carcan told him, “”You can replace the one in your staff with that and from the looks of it, it will increase the potency of your magic.” His grin was exhausted but bright.

  Carcan smiled faintly as she lifted a small pendant from the chest. It was silver, shaped like a tear with a faint green glow inside. “A charm of renewal,” she said. “It will restore some of my mana over time. I can heal longer now.”

  Finally, Josh picked up the last item: a solid piece of chest armour, its metal plates interwoven with darkened steel and faintly glowing lines of runic script. The surface shimmered as he turned it, catching the torchlight in a way that made it look almost alive. The inside was lined with reinforced leather, warm and flexible beneath his fingers.

  A notification flickered before him. “Heartguard of the Sentinel,” he read aloud. “Increases overall defence and boosts shield-based abilities.”

  Josh slipped it on, fastening the straps across his ribs. The armour tightened with a subtle, almost organic shift, settling perfectly against his frame. It didn’t feel heavy. It felt right, like it was built for him alone.

  Bheldur gave a low whistle. “Now that’s proper armour. Maybe with that on, ye won’t get flattened next time something twice yer size sneezes in yer direction.”

  Josh narrowed his eyes at him. “You do realise I tanked it for all of you, yes?”

  “Aye,” Bhel said brightly, “and ye did a fine job o’ it. Especially the part where I bounced off the wall.”

  Josh pressed a hand to the chest plate. “Yea… oops. Sorry about that.”

  That finally broke the group; laughter rolled through the chamber, echoing off stone and easing the last of the battle’s tension.

  Josh looked at his sword, then back toward the dungeon’s darkened corridor. “Alright,” he said quietly, “let’s grab what we can and head back. We’ve earned it.”

  Brett groaned, pushing himself off the wall. “Next time, let’s pick a dungeon with fewer angry green things.”

  “Or at least better lighting,” Carcan added, brushing dust from her robes.

  Perberos was already moving toward the door, eyes sharp. “Let’s go before the dungeon decides to collapse or respawn something worse.”

  Bhel snorted as they started moving again. “Aye, and maybe next time, lad, ye’ll remember to duck before the troll hits ye.”

  Josh just grinned. “Maybe. But where’s the fun in that?”

  As the last of the treasure was packed away, the air in the boss chamber began to shimmer. A low hum filled the room, and a swirling blue portal unfurled beside the chest, runes pulsing faintly along its surface.

  Josh wiped his blade clean and sheathed it, exhaling in relief. “Guess that’s our exit.”

  “About time,” Brett muttered, still holding his new mana focus orb. “If I had to meditate one more time in this place, I think I’d have merged with the floor.”

  Carcan smiled faintly, though her face was pale with fatigue. “Before we leave, hold still.”

  She raised her hands, and warm golden light washed over the group. The aches, bruises, and cuts that had lingered from the battle began to fade. Within moments, they all stood a little straighter, steadier.

  Bhel rolled his shoulders with a satisfied grunt. “Ah, that’s better. Feels like I could take another troll.”

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  Perberos shot him a look. “Let’s not test that theory.”

  The dwarf chuckled. “Aye, fair enough.”

  They gathered themselves and approached the portal. The swirling energy reflected in their eyes, blue, silver, and violet, twisting in endless motion.

  Josh took a breath. “Alright. Everyone ready?”

  Four nods in return.

  They stepped through.

  The same disorienting pull seized them, the world spinning and folding in on itself. Josh’s stomach lurched, though this time it didn’t completely turn over. He landed on his feet, swaying slightly but managing to keep upright. “Still hate that,” he muttered, blinking hard.

  Brett looked equally queasy, clutching his staff. “Better than last time,” he said weakly.

  “Speak for yourself,” Bhel grumbled, his face pale but determined not to fall over.

  They’d barely regained their footing when a sharp voice rang out. “Hold it there!”

  A guard stood a few paces away, spear raised and expression tense. The man’s eyes darted over the group, stopping on Bhel.

  “Sorry,” the guard said after a moment, lowering his weapon with a sheepish grin. “Thought you were a goblin.”

  Bhel froze, his eye twitching. “A goblin? Ye miserable—” He launched into a string of colourful dwarven curses that made even Perberos’ brow rise.

  The rest of the group burst out laughing, their tension melting away.

  Josh clapped the dwarf’s shoulder, still chuckling. “Come on, Bhel. He’s got half a point — you are short and covered in blood.”

  “That’s battle grit!” Bhel barked, but even he cracked a grin.

  They moved away from the portal, stepping into the open air. Sunlight spilled over them, harsh after the dungeon’s gloom. The sky was a brilliant blue, the sun hanging high, a few hours past midday by the look of it.

  A nearby guard leaned on his spear and said, “You lot have been gone a while. Thought you might’ve gotten yourselves eaten.”

  Perberos glanced up, squinting. “Five hours, maybe a little more,” he said. “Not bad, considering what was down there.”

  Josh stretched, his joints popping. “Five hours of fighting, bleeding, and getting called a goblin. Not a bad day’s work.”

  Brett laughed softly. “Let’s get something to eat before the next adventure, yeah?”

  Bhel grunted. “Aye, as long as they aint serving goblin stew.”

  That earned another round of laughter as the group made their way toward the wall, the portal’s glow fading quietly behind them.

  The group finally made it back to camp, the smells of roasting meat and stewing vegetables drawing them toward the cookfire like moths to a lantern. They each grabbed a bowl from the nearest pot, something thick and salty that probably counted as stew if you were generous — and collapsed around one of the rough wooden tables.

  For a few moments, no one spoke. Just the sounds of spoons scraping and the faint hum of voices around camp. Then Brett sat up straighter, a flicker of blue light reflecting off his face.

  “Uh… anyone else getting that notification?”

  Josh blinked as the same shimmer filled his vision, the faint pulse of system text hanging before him.

  [You have leveled up to Level 9!]

  [Skill advancement available.]

  A grin slowly spread across his face. “Guess we earned our dinner after all.”

  Bhel gave a bark of laughter. “About bloody time! I was starting to think them extra trolls didn’t count for anything.”

  Perberos tilted his head, scrolling through his notifications. “Looks like my Tracking’s advanced to Adept, and I think my Dead Eye’s not far behind.”

  “Same here,” Carcan said quietly, smiling to herself. “Healing Light just ranked up. I can feel the difference already.”

  Josh opened his skill menu, eyes scanning the list. His Dash had advanced, and Lion’s Roar had reached its next tier, the description showing a wider taunt radius and a longer stagger effect. He poured a couple of points into Strength and Constitution, then added one into Dexterity, the memory of the boss’s club smashing into his shield still fresh in his mind. Maybe dodging should be more of an option.

  Brett groaned as he fiddled with his own points. “I’ve got Flame Chain at Adept now, and Focus Mind as well. Might finally stop setting the walls on fire.”

  “Doubtful,” Perberos murmured, not looking up from his bowl.

  Josh laughed, shaking his head. “At least the goblins won’t complain.”

  Bhel raised his spoon in mock toast. “To progress, lads and to not dying horribly!”

  They clinked their spoons together, the mood light but proud.

  For the first time since entering the dungeon, the tension in Josh’s chest eased. They’d gone in uncertain, tested themselves against monsters that once terrified them, and come out stronger.

  He leaned back, staring at the wall where Ronald and Caistina still stood watch. “One step at a time,” he said softly, more to himself than anyone else. “We’re actually doing this.”

  Brett nodded, still smiling faintly. “Yeah. And next time, we’ll be even better.”

  The campfire crackled, laughter carried on the wind, and for that brief moment, everything felt right.

  Caistina spotted Brett’s eyes on her, and before he could look away, her tall figure cutting across the camp, robes dusted with grime and her staff still faintly glowing. When she reached their table, the tiredness in her eyes softened into a small, genuine smile.

  “You made it back,” she said, looking them each over. “In one piece, by the looks of it.”

  Josh gave a weary grin. “Mostly. The boss was tougher than expected, but we handled it.”

  Bhel chuckled, lifting his bowl. “You should’ve seen Josh! Took a axe to the shoulder, barely flinched. Then cut the ugly bastard down!”

  Caistina arched an eyebrow. “A troll and a goblin chief in one day. Not bad for your first full dungeon run.”

  Perberos leaned forward, pride flickering across his sharp features. “We even hit level nine. Two levels in one run.”

  Her eyes brightened at that, though her expression quickly settled into something sterner. “That’s good progress but don’t let it get to your heads. Overconfidence is how adventurers die.”

  Josh raised both hands in mock surrender, his voice light but sincere. “Trust me, your earlier warning’s stuck like glue. I’ve no intention of getting flattened again.”

  Her sternness faltered into something like relief. “Good. I’d rather not lose any of you to recklessness.”

  Brett leaned back in his seat, stretching. “Still… we could probably run it again, right? It’s good experience, and we know the layout now.”

  Josh shook his head immediately, his tone more pragmatic than hesitant. “Not yet. My body feels like it’s been used for target practice, and I’d rather be sharp before going in again. A few hours’ rest wouldn’t hurt.”

  Brett chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Fair. I used most of my mana anyway. I’ll need to meditate for a bit before I can throw another Fireball without falling over.”

  Caistina’s lips curved in a faint smile. “That sounds like a sensible plan, for once. Rest, recover, and go again when you’re ready. The dungeon won’t be going anywhere.”

  Josh nodded, glancing at his friends. “We’ll be ready soon enough.”

  As Caistina turned to leave, she paused, her voice softening. “You all did well. Be proud of that but remember, every victory makes the next challenge harder. Keep your heads clear.”

  “We will,” Josh said quietly.

  She gave a final approving nod and walked back toward the wall, the shimmer of her magic fading as she went.

  For a moment, the group sat in silence, all of them tired but content, the warmth of the fire mingling with the quiet satisfaction of survival.

  Then Bhel broke it, smirking. “So, another run after a nap?”

  Josh groaned but smiled. “Yeah… after a nap.”