The entrance to the dungeon loomed before them—a massive stone gateway carved into the side of a rocky hill. The air around it was cold, unnaturally so, and faint whispers echoed from deep within.
Rachel shivered. "That's… unsettling."
Lina grinned. "Welcome to dungeon life."
Rei adjusted her grip on her sword. "This one's a Grade 6 dungeon. Shouldn't be too bad, but don't let your guard down."
Rachel swallowed hard. Her first real dungeon. No training, no safety net—just her, her magic, and her party.
Yami stepped forward first, his scythe resting on his shoulder. "Let's go."
Without hesitation, he walked straight in.
One by one, the others followed.
Inside the Dungeon
The moment they entered, the stone gate sealed shut behind them.
Rachel jumped. "W-What?!"
Rei sighed. "Relax. That's normal."
Kira crossed her arms. "The only way out is to either clear the dungeon… or die."
Rachel paled. "That doesn't make me feel better."
The dungeon was a vast, dark corridor lined with glowing blue crystals. The air was thick with moisture and decay, and the sound of dripping water echoed from somewhere deep inside.
Lina held up a small orb of light, illuminating their surroundings. "Alright, usual formation. Yami leads, I take the rear, Rachel stays close to Rei."
Rachel blinked. "Wait, why me?"
Rei sighed. "Because I'm the best at protecting newbies."
Rachel frowned but nodded.
As they ventured deeper, the light from the entrance faded away, leaving only the eerie glow of the crystals to guide them.
Then—
A guttural growl echoed through the tunnel.
Rachel froze. "W-What was that?"
Yami stopped walking. His eyes narrowed.
"Monsters."
A pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the darkness.
Then another.
Then five more.
Suddenly, a pack of wolf-like creatures emerged from the shadows, their fur black as the abyss, fangs glinting with venom. Their muscles were thin but wiry, built for speed.
Rachel's breath hitched.
"Wraithwolves," Rei muttered. "Fast, but fragile."
Yami grinned.
"Good. Let's see what Rachel can do."
Rachel's eyes widened. "W-Wait, me?!"
Rei nudged her forward. "You passed your adventurer test, didn't you? Time to prove it."
Rachel gripped her staff, her palms sweaty.
The wolves snarled and charged.
Rachel's mind raced. What do I do? What do I do?!
Then—she remembered.
Her training.
Her spells.
She slammed her staff into the ground.
"Tangled Thorns!"
Green vines erupted from the floor, snagging one of the wolves mid-air and slamming it against the wall. It yelped and went limp.
Another wolf lunged—
Rachel spun her staff.
"Blooming Barrier!"
A wall of thick vines and flowers sprang up, blocking the attack. The wolf crashed into it and tumbled back.
Rachel gasped for breath. "I… I did it?"
Rei smirked. "Not bad. But you're not done yet."
Three more wolves rushed forward.
Rachel clenched her jaw. Okay. Keep going.
She raised her staff—
But before she could cast—
SLASH!
Yami's scythe tore through two wolves in an instant, their bodies vanishing into black mist.
Rachel flinched. "H-Hey! I was handling it!"
Yami glanced at her.
"You were too slow."
Rachel clenched her fists. Damn it.
Lina chuckled. "Hey, at least you got one of them."
Kira remained silent, watching Rachel carefully.
Rachel sighed. She needed to get faster.
But for now, they had bigger problems.
Rei pointed down the corridor. "That was just the first wave. The deeper we go, the worse it gets."
Yami grinned. "Good."
He stepped forward.
Rachel took a deep breath and followed.
This was just the beginning.