And with that, the decision was made.
This would be their final run of the mines.
They didn't say it out loud, but the way they moved, steady, deliberate, without the restless edge they'd carried before, made it clear. There would be no half-measures this time. No rushing for scraps. No retreat unless absolutely necessary.
The mine entrance loomed the same as ever. Dark, familiar, and unwelcoming.
Mina stepped in first.
The moment they crossed the threshold, she summoned Ghost.
The undead ghost scorpion slipped into existence at her side, half-transparent, flickering as it anchored itself, its purple eyes the only solid thing about it. Without a word, it slipped ahead, body melting into the shadows of the tunnel walls, phasing in and out as it scouted.
Mina followed at a measured pace, spear held low but ready. Victor, Arin, and Raul moved behind her, spacing tight, senses sharp.
They didn't need to discuss direction.
Memory guided them.
They followed corridors they already knew, taking familiar forks without slowing. Their steps were quieter now, more assured.
The mine hadn't changed. They had. The paths felt clearer now, easier to read.
They encountered resistance sooner than expected.
A soldier-rank stoneback lizard lumbered out of a side tunnel, claws scraping against stone as it lifted its head and hissed.
Raul stepped forward without looking back.
"I've got this."
No argument followed.
He moved the instant the creature charged. Not reckless, but precise. His body slid just outside the lizard's reach, daggers flashing as Midnight Whistles sang through the air. The reinforced blades cut deep, finding joints and soft points he would have struggled to reach before.
The fight didn't drag on.
Raul stayed inside the creature's rhythm, anticipating movements before they fully formed. When it tried to turn, he was already gone. When it struck, it found empty space.
The stoneback collapsed in a spray of dust and blood.
Raul exhaled once, steady.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "The reinforced daggers feel good."
They moved on.
Another soldier-rank monster appeared later, this one, Mina handled herself.
She wanted to test something.
The fight was brief. One clean thrust, perfectly placed.
As the creature died, a new interface slid into her vision.
___________________________
Harvested Souls:
1. Soldier Rank: 1
2. Captain Rank: 0
Exchange: 1000 Soldier Rank Souls > 1 Captain Rank Soul
___________________________
Mina frowned.
"That's… steep."
She opened her contract interface next.
___________________________
Undead Contract (3/10):
1. Rook (Undead Stoneback Lizard) — Soldier +
2. Tank (Undead Stoneback Lizard) — Soldier +
3. Ghost (Undead Ghost Scorpion) — Soldier +
___________________________
She tapped the faint + beside Rook.
___________________________
Requirement:
Use 10 Captain Rank Souls to upgrade undead "Rook" to Captain Rank.
___________________________
Mina let out a slow breath.
"Ten."
That wasn't just a grind. That was unreasonable.
She closed the interface and walked on, thoughts turning over quietly in her head. Ten captain ranks for a single upgrade. Not impossible, but not something to throw away on impulse either.
She brought it up as they walked, and the others agreed quickly. Stronger, rarer undead would be worth the cost. Strategic choices. Not just anything they could kill.
Better to wait.
Eventually, the tunnel widened.
The air changed.
They had reached it.
The Captain Rank Stoneback Lizard's chamber was still there, massive, carved out by claw and bulk rather than time. The ceiling rose high above them, jagged and uneven, and the stone floor bore deep gouges from past movements.
The monster itself lay at the center.
Sleeping.
Its body was enormous, easily the size of a hut, armored plates overlapping like natural fortifications. Each breath caused its chest to rise and fall slowly, dust drifting with the motion.
Mina stopped at the chamber's edge.
"I'll take care of it."
Arin glanced at her. "You're sure? It'll be on par with the Captain Rank Ghost Scorpion."
Mina nodded calmly. "My undead will distract it. Even if they get smashed or bitten, I can heal them back."
She adjusted her grip on Midnight Flash. "And if I can't handle it, same as usual."
"We run," Victor finished.
Arin nodded. Raul did the same.
"All the best," Victor said quietly.
Mina didn't respond. She was already moving.
She stepped into the chamber without hesitation, then broke into a sprint.
Her speed was nothing like before.
The distance vanished beneath her feet as she vaulted upward, spear drawn back, body aligned perfectly for a killing strike. Gravity pulled her down, momentum gathering, Captain-rank strength coiling through her limbs.
She came down like a falling star.
Midnight Flash struck the stoneback's head with a sharp, tearing impact. The reinforced spearhead punched through armored plating, carving a deep hole just behind the eye ridge.
The monster convulsed.
It woke screaming.
The roar shook the chamber as the stoneback surged to its feet, blood pouring from the wound. Its eyes snapped toward Mina, feral and furious, and it lunged without hesitation.
Mina was already gone.
She slid aside just as its massive jaws snapped shut where she had been, the impact cracking stone. At the same time, her undead surged forward.
Rook and Tank slammed into its legs, claws digging in, sheer undead mass slowing its movement. Ghost phased in and out around its head, snapping at eyes and joints, forcing the creature to divide its attention.
Mina moved.
She didn't rush.
Each step carried her just outside danger, spear flashing in tight arcs. She struck tendons, joints, and the edges of armor plates, never overcommitting, never staying in one place long enough to be punished.
When the stoneback tried to crush Rook beneath its weight, Mina drove her spear into the exposed joint behind its knee. When it swung its tail, she slid beneath it and struck again, carving deeper into the initial head wound.
The undead took hits.
Rook was slammed into a wall, Tank was bitten and thrown aside, and Ghost was disrupted mid-phase by a desperate thrash.
Mina felt it all, but it didn't slow her down.
The moment an undead began to break apart, she recalled it. They weren't there to win. They were there to hold.
The stoneback grew sluggish.
Blood loss mounted. Its movements lost precision, rage giving way to instinctive desperation.
Mina saw the opening.
She dashed forward, leaping up the creature's shoulder, planting a foot against its armor, and launching herself toward its head once more. Midnight Flash plunged into the existing wound, this time deeper, cleaner.
She twisted.
The monster shuddered.
Then collapsed.
Dust filled the chamber as its massive body hit the ground, breath leaving it in a final, rattling exhale.
Silence followed.
Mina landed lightly, spear still in hand, breathing steady.
The stoneback was dead, but intact.
There were no severed limbs, no crushed skulls.
Perfect.
She looked back at the others and nodded once.
"Got it."