The moment they stepped into the chamber, Erin felt it.

  A presence stronger than the other wolves they had fought.

  At the far end of the room, standing on a raised platform of stone, was the boss, a massive creature with its fur a shade darker than the rest. Its yellow eyes gleamed with intelligence.

  Four other wolves stood beside it, slightly larger than the ones they had fought before. Their low growls echoed through the chamber.

  Garrick exhaled, adjusting his grip on his sword. “This is a Level 2 Boss. Lira and I are both Level 4. We can handle it.”

  He glanced at Erin. “You’re not ready for that fight yet.”

  Erin didn’t argue. He wasn’t reckless. The boss was a step above what he could handle. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t fight at all. His eyes locked onto the elite wolves.

  Garrick nodded, understanding. “Alright. You take one of the elites.”

  Lira grinned. “And I’ll deal with the rest.”

  The wolves didn’t wait. They charged.

  Erin stepped forward, meeting the wolf’s attack head on. Its claws lashed out, but he was faster this time, ducking under the strike and countering with a slash of his own. His blade cut into its side, drawing blood, but the beast barely flinched.

  It twisted, snapping its jaws at him. Erin barely pulled back in time.

  Meanwhile, Lira extended both hands. Energy crackled around her fingertips. “Bruma Strigis!”

  A wave of frost erupted from her, coating the floor in ice and slowing the movement of all 5 wolves. Their fur was quickly covered in frost, their growls turning into pained whimpers as the cold seeped into their bodies.

  Lira smirked. “And now…”

  She flicked her hands forward. “Frostum Lancea. Frostum Lancea. Frostum Lancea!”

  Three ice spears materialized in the air and shot toward the frozen wolves, each one striking with precision. The shards pierced through their skulls, killing them instantly.

  Lira sighed, stretching. “Too easy.”

  Erin wasn’t paying attention. His fight was still going.

  The wolf lunged again, its movements slightly sluggish from the previous ice spell but still dangerous. Erin sidestepped, bringing his sword up, and this time his blade sliced through the wolf’s neck.

  It collapsed.

  He barely even felt tired.

  Lira clapped. “Look at you, moving like a real warrior.”

  Garrick, on the other hand, was still fighting the Wolf King.

  But he wasn’t aiming to kill.

  Instead, Garrick was dragging it out.

  His movements were calm, precise. Each time the Wolf King lunged, he dodged by a hair’s width, countering with small but effective strikes.

  Erin frowned, watching. “Why is he taking so long?”

  Lira leaned closer. “He’s showing you how to conserve strength. Watch carefully. Every move he makes is just enough. No wasted swings. No unnecessary dodges. That’s how you fight when stamina actually matters.”

  Erin’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the battle.

  Garrick wasn’t overpowering the boss. He was outlasting it.

  The Wolf King grew slower. Its movements became sluggish. Each attack weaker than the last.

  Garrick took his time. Letting it wear itself down.

  Then, finally, when the beast hesitated for just a second too long, Garrick ended its life.

  A clean strike to the throat.

  The Wolf King collapsed with a final, gurgling howl.

  Silence filled the chamber.

  A faint blue glow appeared over the corpse. An energy shard.

  Garrick exhaled, stepping back. “That’s how you fight smart.”

  Erin nodded slowly. He understood that strength mattered but efficiency was just as important.

  Lira nudged him. “You ready to get stronger?”

  Erin stared at the shard pulsing with energy.

  This was it. His first step forward.

  Erin reached out and grabbed it.

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  He held the energy shard between his fingers. It looked like any other stone, rough and solid, but something about it felt different. It pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.

  He turned to Garrick. “So… what do I do with this?”

  Garrick wiped his blade clean before answering. “It’s simple. Just crush it. The energy inside will flow into you, strengthening your body.”

  Erin glanced down at the shard again. It didn’t look fragile, but he clenched his fist around it and squeezed.

  The shard cracked and then shattered.

  A sudden warmth spread through his body, like a small flame igniting inside him. His muscles tightened slightly, his breathing steadied, and for a brief moment, he felt sharper. Faster.

  It wasn’t overwhelming. It wasn’t some massive transformation. But it was there.

  Lira tilted her head, watching. “Well? Feel any different?”

  Erin opened and closed his hand. “Yeah. Stronger, but not by much.”

  Garrick nodded. “That’s expected. These are just low-tier energy shards. Bosses from Level 1 to Level 3 drop them. The higher the level, the stronger the shard.”

  Lira crossed her arms, smirking. “And before you get excited, you’ll need about ten of those to hit Level 2. So don’t start thinking you’re unstoppable yet.”

  Erin exhaled, rolling his shoulders. He had figured it wouldn’t be instant. Still, this was his first real step toward getting stronger.

  “Then we’ll just keep going,” he said.

  Lira grinned. “Now that’s the spirit.”

  Garrick gestured toward a small alcove in the chamber. “Come on, let’s grab the loot.”

  Erin followed, his heartbeat picking up. Every dungeon had a treasure chest waiting at the end, the reward for clearing it.

  Tucked against the stone wall was a large wooden chest. A simple metal lock kept it shut, but as Garrick pushed the lid open, the lock snapped off effortlessly.

  Inside, the loot gleamed under the light.

  Erin reached inside and pulled out a sword.

  It was slightly longer than his current one, the blade polished silver with deep engravings of wolves running along its fuller. The hilt was wrapped in dark leather. The name was carved near the base of the blade: Fangpiercer.

  Lira whistled. “Now that’s a nice upgrade. Way better than that rusty twig you’ve been using.”

  Erin grinned, swapping out his beginner’s sword for Fangpiercer. He gave it a few test swings, the balance was smoother and the weight was just right.

  Then, at the bottom of the chest, he spotted two familiar glowing stones.

  Energy shards.

  Erin looked at his brother and sister.

  “Come on,” Lira said. “Take it, it's useless for us right now.”

  Garrick nodded in agreement.

  He quickly grabbed one and crushed it in his hand. The energy seeped into his body, giving him the same strengthening sensation as before. He crushed the second one, and again, he felt stronger.

  Not by much, but noticeable.

  “Not bad,” Garrick said. “Three shards in one run. Keep this up, and you’ll hit Level 2 before long.”

  Erin nodded, tightening his grip on Fangpiercer.

  With better gear and more energy absorbed, he was already looking forward to the next dungeon.

  Lira stretched. “We’re done here. Let’s head back.”

  ***

  The journey back through the dungeon was uneventful. The wolves were gone, the eerie silence stretching across the dimly lit corridors.

  Before long, they reached the entrance, a circular platform engraved with strange symbols. The teleportation platform.

  Garrick stepped onto it first. In an instant, his body shimmered and vanished.

  Erin followed, and the world blurred for a moment before he found himself standing at the entrance of Wolf Den.

  The cave’s gaping mouth loomed before them. It was in complete darkness. No matter how hard Erin squinted, he couldn’t see a thing inside. But he knew what would happen. Step into the darkness, and you’d be teleported back into the dungeon.

  Erin turned to his brother. “So… when can we go again?”

  Garrick shook his head. “Not yet. Dungeons have a cooldown period.”

  Erin frowned. “How long?”

  “Twelve hours for Level 1 dungeons,” Garrick explained. “Stronger dungeons take even longer. But there’s no need to worry, there are plenty of Level 1 dungeons to clear.”

  Lira groaned dramatically. “Ugh, let’s not talk about dungeons right now. I need a bath, a meal, and a bed. In that order.”

  She turned toward the nearby trees, where their horses were waiting, lazily chewing on the grass.

  Erin followed, mounting his own horse. Echelon City wasn’t far, but after hours of dungeon crawling, the ride home felt like a well-earned break.

  With the sun dipping below the horizon, they rode off.

  ***

  They were at the edge of the wilderness, also called the High Forest. This vast area stretches for hundreds of miles and contains dungeons of nearly every level, even level 10 dungeons deep in the center. However, the outer parts of the forest have been mostly tamed. Outposts are scattered every few miles, and some guilds have even built their own bases nearby.

  The road continued for a while ahead, the sky slowly dimming from the setting sun. But as Erin rode forward, the massive silhouette of Echelon City came into view.

  It was a massive city, its towering stone walls reaching to the sky. The city was one of the many beacons of human civilization, built in the middle of nowhere, a place where countless people came for refuge, power, and opportunity.

  As they approached the entrance, Erin saw the long lines of travelers, merchants, and adventurers waiting to get inside. The city gates were always packed.

  But the Storm family didn’t need to wait.

  They followed a separate path, one reserved for known citizens, bypassing the crowds. The guards at the gate recognized them immediately and let them through without trouble.

  The moment they entered, Echelon City's streets unfolded before them.

  Narrow alleys twisted between stone buildings, filled with the endless chatter of vendors calling out their wares. Market stalls lined the roads, selling everything from weapons and armor to food and trinkets. Adventurers moved in groups, some that just came from dungeons, others already preparing for their next run.

  “Home sweet home,” Lira said with a satisfied sigh.

  They navigated the busy streets with ease, eventually reaching into the inner section of the city, where more notable people live. They soon reached a large courtyard estate tucked within the city. Two guards stood at the entrance, each gripping their weapons with practiced ease.

  Both guards were Level 5 warriors who had served the Storm family for decades, long enough to see Erin, Garrick, and Lira take their first steps. The moment the trio came into view, the two men broke into wide, familiar smiles.

  "Look what the forest spit back out," the first guard chuckled, his voice rough but warm. "Was starting to think you three got lost for good."

  Erin grinned. "You’d miss us too much, Uncle Daveth."

  The second guard, Harlen, reached out and ruffled Garrick’s hair, a habit from when the boy was barely waist-high.

  "Quiet as a graveyard here. Boring, without you lot causing trouble."

  Garrick swatted his hand away, but there was no real annoyance in it. "Give it a day. We’ll find some."

  Harlen snorted. "That’s what I’m afraid of." Daveth shook his head, but his eyes were fond. "Just don’t drag us into it this time."

  With that, the siblings dismounted their horses and stepped through the gates, finally back home.