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Chapter 6 - Temporary Alliance

There was a pause. The tension in the air didn't ease, but no one attacked. They were wary, calculating, but they weren't reckless enough to strike first without cause.

One of the women, a mage judging by the silver runes embroidered on her dark blue robes stepped forward slightly. "You're alone?" Her voice held skepticism but not open hostility. More like disbelief.

Kael nodded once, the motion deliberate.

The noble with the sword exchanged a quick look with his comrades. Then he took a step closer, eyes scanning Kael with an assessing gaze.

"You don't look like you're part of any noble squad," he stated flatly. "Which means you're either a mercenary hired by someone with coin... or a stray."

The last word carried weight. In noble circles, 'stray' meant someone without backing, without protection, without value. Disposable.

Kael didn't answer immediately. He could feel their eyes on him, weighing his worth, trying to decide if he was a threat or an opportunity they could exploit to push deeper into this third level.

He let the silence stretch just long enough to make them uncomfortable before speaking.

"I survived the first and second floors alone," he said, his voice even and matter-of-fact. "Just made it here."

A ripple of interest passed through the group. The mage's eyebrows rose slightly, genuine surprise flickering across her face. The man with the axe grunted, lowering his weapon a fraction, not all the way, but enough to show he wasn't immediately planning to use it.

The leader, however, remained skeptical. His eyes flickered toward Kael's dagger again, then to the blood staining his clothes, some fresh, some dried and crusted. "That Dire Bear on the second floor..." His voice took on a testing quality. "You killed it yourself?"

Kael kept silent, offering no confirmation or denial. Sometimes silence said more than words.

Another pause stretched between them, heavier this time. Then the leader exhaled slowly through his nose and sheathed his sword with a metallic 'shink'. The sound seemed to release the tension in the air.

"Name?"

Kael studied him for a moment, taking in the confident posture, the quality of his equipment, the way the others deferred to him naturally. "Kael."

The leader nodded slowly, as if filing the information away. "I'm Reiner. Second son of House Aldric." He gestured to the others with practiced ease. "That's Luthen, Oris, Mira, and Sera."

Kael didn't miss the way Reiner introduced himself first, emphasizing his noble lineage before anything else. 'House Aldric...'

The name triggered memories from his inherited knowledge. One of the viscountcies in Valoria. Not a major power, but respectable enough. Connected to the right families.

But he also didn't miss the subtle shift in their posture after the introductions. The immediate hostility had lessened significantly. They were still cautious, weapons remained within easy reach but now they were curious.

"You're heading deeper, then?" Reiner asked, tone conversational but eyes still sharp.

Kael glanced past them toward the tunnel leading further into the third floor. The darkness there seemed thicker somehow, more oppressive. "That's the plan."

Reiner studied him for a long moment, fingers drumming once against his sword's pommel. Then, to Kael's mild surprise, he smirked. "Then maybe we should talk."

---

The fire crackled between them as Kael sat across from the noble squad. He didn't fully relax, his body remained ready beneath the surface, muscles coiled and prepared but he listened carefully.

They were discussing the dangers ahead, sharing information freely now that they'd decided he wasn't an immediate threat. The third floor was different from the previous two, they explained.

Stronger beasts roamed here. The labyrinth structure was more complex, designed to confuse and separate groups. Dead ends led to ambush points.

And most importantly, there were other human challengers to worry about.

"The dungeon isn't just monsters anymore," Mira, the mage, said, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. Firelight played across her face, making her expression seem more serious. "We've already run into three other groups. Two ended in an alliance of convenience. The third..." She hesitated, exchanging a glance with Luthen.

Luthen, the axe-wielder, finished for her with a grim tone. "Turned into a bloodbath. They tried to take our loot. We defended ourselves. Only three of their seven walked away."

Kael's eyes flickered but his expression remained neutral. He'd expected as much. The deeper into any dungeon you went, the more valuable the rewards became. Monster cores, rare materials, weapons like his Abyssal Fang Dagger. Resources worth killing for. And that meant competition, often deadly.

"Dorian Valthorne is already ahead," Reiner added, his tone sharpening noticeably. The name carried weight, and not the good kind. "He and his elite squad took control of the central hunting grounds on this floor. Anyone who crosses into their territory without permission..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but the implication hung heavy in the air. Kael didn't need him to elaborate.

One of the heirs to the Duchy of Ironvale, House Valthorne. The arrogant noble from his inherited memories. Someone who saw dungeons like this as his birthright, resources to be claimed by virtue of his bloodline alone.

Kael exhaled slowly, processing the information. He had a feeling their paths would cross sooner rather than later. Men like Dorian didn't stay in one place, they expanded, claimed, dominated.

Reiner leaned forward, expression thoughtful but calculating. "Since you're heading deeper, you'll run into them eventually. It's unavoidable."

Kael met his gaze steadily. "And?"

Reiner studied him for several seconds, as if trying to read something in his face. Then he smirked again, though this time it didn't quite reach his eyes. "And that depends on whether you're smart enough to stay out of their way."

Kael said nothing. He wasn't here to pick pointless fights with entitled nobles playing at being warriors. But if someone tried to stand in his way, tried to claim what he'd earned through blood and survival, he wouldn't hesitate to respond.

Luthen grunted, drawing Kael's attention. "Dorian's squad isn't just strong, they're well-organized and well-equipped. He's got more than four knights from major noble houses, all peak Primal Warriors or higher. And that's excluding his personal Knight Guards. A high-tier mage who can cast fourth-circle spells. And at least two artifact users with enchanted gear that costs more than most commoners see in their lives." He shook his head slowly. "Most challengers know better than to provoke them."

"Most," Mira added pointedly, her sharp eyes lingering on Kael. There was a question in that look, a test.

'Ah. Testing me.' Kael caught on immediately. They were trying to gauge him, see if he was reckless, desperate, or just another fool seeking glory and a quick death.

Kael let the silence stretch deliberately before answering. "I don't plan to pick fights." His voice was calm, measured. "But if someone tries to get in my way, I won't run either."

Reiner chuckled, seeming genuinely amused this time. "Fair enough." He leaned back against the rock behind him, apparently satisfied with the answer. "At least you're honest about it."

Oris, the quietest member of the group, finally spoke up. His voice was softer than the others, more thoughtful. "The dungeon's changing. The third floor is different from the ones before it." His fingers tapped rhythmically against his staff, a nervous habit. "The deeper we go, the more... unnatural things feel." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Something's wrong with this place."

Kael had already felt it himself. The air here was heavier, thicker somehow. The dungeon walls seemed to pulse faintly with something deeper than just abyssal corruption as if the place itself was alive. The luminescent crystals in the ceiling flickered irregularly, their light never quite steady.

But he had no interest in philosophical debates about dungeon corruption or ancient magic.

"What's your plan?" Sera asked suddenly, crossing her arms. She'd been watching him with open suspicion the entire conversation, tension evident in her shoulders. Her hand never strayed far from her bow.

"Move forward," Kael said simply. No elaboration needed.

Reiner exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if dealing with a headache. "Figured as much." He glanced at his squad, another silent communication passing between them. "We'll be resting here for another hour or so before heading out. Replenish stamina, check equipment." He looked back at Kael. "You're welcome to join us. Temporary alliance of convenience."

Kael considered for a moment. Traveling with a group had advantages, more eyes watching for threats, combined strength if things went wrong, shared knowledge of the floor's layout. The disadvantages were obvious too, slower movement, need for consensus, potential betrayal if resources became scarce.

But he wouldn't be able to clear the entire third floor efficiently alone. Not with other organized squads claiming territory and resources.

He gave a short nod. "Until our paths diverge."

Reiner nodded back, accepting the conditional agreement. "Fair terms."

Kael leaned back slightly, half-listening as the conversation shifted to more tactical details. Routes through the labyrinth, monster sighting locations, safe zones they'd identified, other challenger groups and their estimated strength.

One name came up repeatedly, woven through nearly every topic, Dorian.

The Duke's heir wasn't just moving ahead of everyone else. He was establishing dominance systematically. Crushing competition when it appeared. Securing the best dungeon rewards for himself and his followers. Building a power base even within a temporary location like this dungeon.

Kael filed away every piece of information, building a mental map of the threats ahead.

The fire crackled. Sera remained interestingly suspicious. Mira asked careful questions about his equipment. Luthen offered him dried meat from their supplies, which Kael accepted with a nod of thanks.

The leader nodded slowly, as if filing the information away. "I'm Reiner. Second son of House Aldric." He gestured to the others with practiced ease. "That's Luthen, Oris, Mira, and Sera."

Kael didn't miss the way Reiner introduced himself first, emphasizing his noble lineage before anything else. 'House Aldric...'

The name triggered memories from his inherited knowledge. One of the viscountcies in Valoria. Not a major power, but respectable enough. Connected to the right families.

But he also didn't miss the subtle shift in their posture after the introductions. The immediate hostility had lessened significantly. They were still cautious, weapons remained within easy reach but now they were curious.

"You're heading deeper, then?" Reiner asked, tone conversational but eyes still sharp.

Kael glanced past them toward the tunnel leading further into the third floor. The darkness there seemed thicker somehow, more oppressive. "That's the plan."

Reiner studied him for a long moment, fingers drumming once against his sword's pommel. Then, to Kael's mild surprise, he smirked. "Then maybe we should talk."

---

The fire crackled between them as Kael sat across from the noble squad. He didn't fully relax, his body remained ready beneath the surface, muscles coiled and prepared but he listened carefully.

They were discussing the dangers ahead, sharing information freely now that they'd decided he wasn't an immediate threat. The third floor was different from the previous two, they explained.

Stronger beasts roamed here. The labyrinth structure was more complex, designed to confuse and separate groups. Dead ends led to ambush points.

And most importantly, there were other human challengers to worry about.

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