Ren glanced at his watch. "We've got ten minutes before the dungeon closes. If you're still inside when that happens, you'll be teleported out—but you won't keep anything you found. Just your body and the clothes on your back."
That was all the motivation we needed. We hurried toward the portal, stepping through just in time.
Outside, we watched as the dungeon slowly sank into the earth. The ground started shaking violently, like an earthquake has struck, Then a faint echoing roar emerged from below, sending a chill down my spine. For a moment, I wondered—was something still inside?" But the once huge cave with cracked terrain smoothed over, leaving no trace it had ever existed.
"Well, that's that," Jason said, stretching. "That was crazy, honestly."
We climbed into the car, ready to head to the next dungeon—until Jena groaned.
"Nope. I'm done. I need a shower, and I refuse to sit in this car covered in monster blood."
Jason and I exchanged glances. Technically, we could keep going… but since her father was our employer, we didn't have much choice.
"Alright, alright," Ren said, sighing. "We'll call it a day."
Back at the guild, Jena was picked up by her father's driver, still muttering about how disgusting the dungeon had been. Meanwhile, Sam greeted us at the front desk.
"How'd it go?" he asked.
Jason shrugged. "It was alright. No treasures, though."
Ren nodded. "Yeah, and the monster parts weren't useful enough to bother collecting. Came back empty-handed."
Sam sighed. "Yeah, that dungeon's never been great for loot. Well, if there's nothing else, you guys can head home for now."
With that, we wrapped up for the day.
We made it back home, and surprisingly, it wasn't even evening yet. With time to kill, we decided to explore the house a bit more. Luna hadn't returned from school yet, so we had the place to ourselves.
As we reached the top of the villa, we were impressed by how spacious it was. We considered checking out the garage to see the cars but couldn't be bothered to go downstairs. That's when something caught our eye—a button near the entrance labeled "Battle Mode."
Curious, we exchanged glances.
"Well, that sounds interesting," Jason said.
Without hesitation, I pressed it.
A small compartment slid open, revealing a sleek tablet. Picking it up, I scanned the options displayed on the screen—different battle scenarios and attack styles.
Jason leaned over my shoulder. "Let's go with flying."
I tapped the selection, and a new prompt appeared:
Normal, Hard, or Extreme?
Jason smirked. "Hard, obviously."
I pressed it. Instantly, the open space around us was sealed off by a transparent, square-shaped barrier.
"Okay, that's actually pretty cool," I muttered.
Suddenly, mechanical whirring filled the air as Tens of flying drones emerged from hidden compartments. A robotic voice announced:
"Simulation initialized. 200 drones, each equipped with stun guns. When ready, say 'Start.' Tablet must be placed on the stand First."
I frowned. "Stand? What stand—?"
Before I could finish, a machine stand rose from the floor. I placed the tablet on it, and it smoothly retracted back down.
Jason cracked his knuckles, then tossed me my daggers. "Let's make this fun."
He pulled out his pistols, twirling them with a confident grin.
We looked at each other and, in perfect sync, said—
"Start."
The moment we said "Start," the entire rooftop exploded with movement.
BZZZZT!
A deafening hum filled the air as 200 drones launched toward us in synchronized chaos. They didn't attack in waves or small groups—they all came at once.
"Shit—MOVE!" I barely had time to react before a storm of stun bolts rained down.
I dove to the side, barely avoiding a crackling arc of energy. Jason flipped backward, firing mid-air—but the drones were too fast, weaving and dodging through the sky like a swarm of mechanical hornets.
"198 drones remaining."
He only took down two before we were forced into full defense mode.
BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!
The air was thick with flashing energy, bolts crisscrossing in chaotic patterns. There was no rhythm, no predictable attack pattern—just a relentless, coordinated assault.
I kicked off the ground, flipping over a volley of stun rounds. A drone was waiting for me mid-air, its barrel glowing—
I twisted, hurling a dagger straight through its core. It sparked violently before crashing down.
"197 drones remaining."
Jason gritted his teeth as he landed. "Alright, screw this—full power."
He raised his pistols, but before he could fire—
A second wave.
The drones split into squadrons—some circling above, others diving low, flanking us from every direction.
A drone shot at me from behind—too fast to dodge.
CRACK!
I barely blocked with my dagger, but the shockwave sent me skidding backward. My arm burned from the numbing electricity.
Jason wasn't any better off. He tried to roll, but a drone swooped down and fired point-blank.
BZZZT!
His body convulsed for a second as the stun bolt hit his shoulder. He grunted in pain, forcing himself to stay on his feet. "Damn things actually sting…"
No more playing around.
I gripped my second dagger and exhaled, forcing my body to move faster.
A drone came at me—I spun past it, slicing through its core.
Another dived in—I vaulted over it, slamming my blade downward, cleaving it in two.
Jason, recovering from the stun, switched to rapid-fire mode. His pistols roared, sending out a hailstorm of bullets.
"183 drones remaining."
Still too many.
The AI adjusted. The drones adapted.
Now they weren't just firing stun bolts—some had blades.
WHOOSH!
A drone sliced toward my neck. I ducked, barely avoiding decapitation.
"This is insane!" I growled.
Jason laughed through gritted teeth. "Yeah, this is more like it."
The drones closed in.
Our only option now?
Fight harder.
The drones pressed in, relentless.
We were barely keeping up. My daggers could only cut down one at a time, and Jason's pistols weren't firing fast enough to keep the swarm at bay.
Jason gritted his teeth, dodging another stun bolt as he reached into the air—summoning from his storage.
A blue light flared in his hand, solidifying into a massive plasma gun.
"Alright, you metal bastards… time to burn."
He raised the weapon, and the moment he pulled the trigger—
BOOM!
A column of searing plasma exploded from the barrel, incinerating ten drones in a single blast. The sheer heat left a trail of molten metal in the air, sparks cascading down like fireworks.
The drones scattered, their AI registering a new, high-priority threat.
But Jason wasn't done.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
With every shot, more drones melted into slag. Some tried to dodge, but plasma didn't care—it burned straight through.
I leaped away as a drone came for me, only for Jason to blow it apart mid-air.
"Stay still for a sec, man!" he shouted, laughing.
"Yeah, no thanks! I'd rather not get fried with them!"
The drones tried to adapt again—some forming barriers, others zigzagging at high speeds.
Jason smirked. "Won't help."
He switched modes. The plasma gun hummed louder as the barrel split open, revealing a rapid-fire core.
"Plasma Storm."
The moment he pulled the trigger—
A hailstorm of plasma bolts erupted.
Drones exploded left and right.
Sparks. Smoke. Burning metal rained down.
One last drone tried to escape—Jason snapped his gun upward, firing a final shot.
BOOM!
It was over.
The blue barrier flickered before disappearing, revealing the clear night sky once more.
The mechanical voice rang out:
"Jason: 148. Ragnarok: 52."
Jason cracked his neck. "Hah. Not bad."
I exhaled, rolling my shoulders. "Tch. You just had to pull out the plasma gun."
He grinned, resting it on his shoulder. "Hey, I'm not about to let you outscore me."
I shook my head, wiping sweat from my brow. Even though it was just training, I could still feel the sting of those near misses.
But damn, that was fun.
"Again?" Jason asked, smirking.
I looked at the tablet.
New Mode Unlocked: Nightmare Difficulty.
I grinned. "You read my mind."
Luna stepped onto the rooftop, arms crossed, looking unimpressed.
"Hey, what are you guys up to?"
I wiped sweat from my forehead. "Just training."
She sighed. "Yeah, well, training's over. It's already night—you should go eat dinner."
Jason and I glanced up. The sky was dark, stars twinkling overhead.
I groaned. "Man… didn't even notice."
Jason stretched. "Guess we got carried away."
With that, we placed the tablet back into its compartment, the battle mode deactivating. The rooftop returned to normal, as if the fight had never happened.
"I'm starving," Jason muttered.
"Same," I admitted.
We turned toward the washroom, ready to clean up, while Luna simply shook her head and walked back downstairs.