The air in the dungeon was damp, heavy with the scent of moss and blood. Flickering crystals cast long shadows along the rough cavern walls, adding an eerie glow to the battlefield. Elise and I stood side by side, weapons at the ready, as the goblins before us snarled and screeched in challenge.
There were ten of them. Five were the usual scrawny, green-skinned creatures—weak but quick. The other five, however, were elites. Larger, more muscular, with jagged weapons and crude armor covering their vital areas. Their beady eyes glowed with malice, and unlike their lesser counterparts, they held their ground instead of charging in blindly.
I tightened my grip on my axes. "Five elites, huh? This'll be a pain."
Elise nodded, lifting her shield slightly. "We need to take out the weak ones first. The elites won't step in immediately, but once they do, things will get ugly."
As if waiting for their cue, the five normal goblins suddenly screeched and rushed at us, their crude blades raised high.
I reacted immediately, hurling one of my throwing axes. It spun through the air and buried itself in the forehead of the leading goblin. The creature let out a choked cry before collapsing to the ground.
"Four left," I muttered, pulling another axe from my belt.
Elise held her ground as two goblins lunged at her simultaneously. She deflected one blow with her shield, then twisted her body to avoid the other's wild swing. In the same motion, she countered with a quick thrust of her sword, piercing one goblin's chest. It shrieked before slumping over, but Elise had no time to celebrate—the second goblin was already swinging at her side. She barely raised her shield in time, the force of the impact pushing her back a step.
Meanwhile, another goblin lunged at me, dagger flashing in the dim light. I sidestepped its predictable attack and swung my axe in a brutal arc. The blade cleaved through its torso, and a warm spray of blood splattered onto my arm as the goblin crumpled to the ground.
Elise had finished off her second opponent, leaving only one weak goblin remaining. It hesitated for a moment, realizing it was alone.
Big mistake.
I grabbed my last throwing axe and hurled it with a flick of my wrist. The weapon struck true, embedding itself deep in the goblin's throat. It gurgled, clawing at the axe handle before dropping lifelessly.
A tense silence followed.
Then, as if on cue, the five elite goblins stepped forward, their movements measured and deliberate. Their beady eyes watched us with a sharp intelligence that their weaker kin lacked. They spread out, moving to flank us.
Elise shifted her stance. "Here they come."
I rolled my shoulders, feeling the ache of exertion creeping in. "Bring it on."
Two of the elites came straight for me, their jagged blades gleaming under the dungeon's faint light. One swung low, aiming for my legs, while the other went for a wide overhead slash.
I barely had time to react.
I leaped backward, avoiding the low strike by a hair's breadth. At the same time, I raised my axe to intercept the downward swing. Metal clashed against metal with a harsh clang, and my arms trembled from the impact. The elite goblin pushed down with surprising strength, its snarling face inches from mine.
Gritting my teeth, I twisted my axe to the side, breaking the deadlock. As soon as I freed myself, I slammed my other axe into the goblin's exposed ribs. The creature shrieked and staggered back, but before I could press the attack, the second elite lunged at me again.
It was relentless, swinging its blade in rapid succession, forcing me on the defensive. I blocked, sidestepped, and dodged, each movement sending jolts of pain through my arms as my muscles burned from exertion. I needed an opening.
A sharp cry from Elise told me she was struggling as well.
She was locked in a fierce battle against an elite of her own. The goblin fought with brutal efficiency, its sword striking her shield repeatedly, trying to break her defense. Elise gritted her teeth, bracing herself with every impact. When the goblin tried to break her stance by sweeping at her legs, she lifted her foot and stomped down hard on its exposed foot. The creature howled in pain, giving her just enough time to counter. She bashed its face with her shield, then drove her sword into its gut.
It wasn't a killing blow, but it was enough to force the elite back.
I turned my focus back to my own fight. The goblin in front of me lunged again, its blade aiming for my chest. This time, I didn't dodge—I stepped forward instead.
Before its sword could reach me, I twisted my body and slammed my shoulder into its torso, knocking it off balance. As it stumbled, I brought both my axes down in a cross-slash, tearing through its flesh. The goblin shrieked, collapsing onto its knees before falling silent.
One down.
But I had no time to rest—the other elite was already upon me. It lunged, and I barely managed to raise my weapon in time. The force of the impact sent me skidding back. My arms throbbed from the repeated strain.
I needed more stamina.
"Elise! Potions!" I shouted.
She quickly reached for her pouch, downing a stamina potion before tossing one to me. I caught it, uncorked the vial with my teeth, and gulped the contents down. A surge of energy flooded through my body, dulling the ache in my limbs.
Now, I was ready to end this.
With renewed strength, I dashed forward, dodging a swipe from the elite goblin. I feinted to the right, making it raise its guard, then suddenly twisted left, bringing my axe down on its exposed shoulder. The blade bit deep, and I yanked it free as the goblin let out a strangled cry.
Elise, having finished off her opponent, turned her attention to the last elite. The creature realized it was alone, its confidence crumbling. It hesitated, glancing around as if searching for an escape route.
I wasn't about to let it run.
Gripping my final throwing axe, I took careful aim and hurled it. The weapon spun through the air, striking the goblin right between the shoulder blades. It let out a final screech before collapsing forward, unmoving.
The battle was over.
I exhaled deeply, rolling my shoulders. My arms still ached, but the rush of victory dulled the pain. Elise let out a breath, wiping the sweat from her brow.
"That was brutal," she muttered.
"Yeah," I agreed, bending down to retrieve my axes. "But we handled it."
We took a moment to gather our loot—several small blue gems, and to my satisfaction, a few medium ones. We split the earnings fairly, though I decided to keep my medium gems for later.
Elise stretched her arms. "So, what now?"
I smirked, adjusting my grip on my axes. "We keep going, of course."
With our teamwork improving and our confidence growing, we ventured deeper into the dungeon, ready for whatever awaited us next.
After retrieving my throwing axes and wiping off the sweat trickling down my forehead, I let out a deep breath. My arms felt heavy, my legs ached, and despite the stamina potion I drank earlier, fatigue was creeping in. Elise wasn't faring much better—she was leaning against a boulder, rotating her shoulder with a small wince.
"We should rest a bit before moving on," I suggested, plopping down onto a relatively flat rock.
Elise exhaled sharply before nodding. "Yeah, good idea. I don't want to waste more potions than necessary." She sat across from me, setting her shield down beside her. "That last fight was tougher than I expected."
I leaned back, resting my arms on my knees. "It's because we were fighting without a proper plan. We handled the weaker goblins well, but when the elites stepped in, we were reacting rather than controlling the fight."
Elise sighed. "I noticed that too. It felt like they were dictating the battle instead of us."
For a few moments, we just sat there, listening to the faint sounds of distant skirmishes echoing through the dungeon. Other divers were fighting somewhere beyond the darkness, each battling their own set of monsters.
Elise picked up a small rock and tossed it between her hands. "So… how do we get better?"
I took a moment to think before answering. "For starters, we need to use positioning to our advantage. We were standing too far apart when the elites attacked. If we stayed closer, we could cover each other better. Like, if I was overwhelmed, you could block with your shield, and I could counterattack while you kept them busy."
She nodded, rubbing her chin. "That makes sense. But what about stamina management? I almost ran out back there."
"Same." I stretched my fingers. "We need to finish fights quicker. The longer they drag on, the more tired we get. We should focus on creating openings faster rather than just reacting to attacks. Maybe bait them into overextending?"
Elise hummed in thought. "You mean, making them commit to a big attack so we can counter?"
"Exactly." I smirked. "For example, if you raise your shield and pretend to be struggling, the enemy might try to finish you off with a reckless strike. That's when I step in and take them down."
She grinned. "And if they focus on you instead, I can strike from behind."
"Now you're getting it." I stretched my legs and let out a satisfied sigh. "We don't need fancy techniques—we just need to be smarter."
Elise chuckled. "I have to admit, for someone who never trained in a formal academy, you have a solid grasp of battle tactics."
I shrugged. "I read a lot of books, remember? Plus, I've chopped enough firewood to know how to swing an axe efficiently."
She laughed, shaking her head. "You make it sound so simple."
I smirked. "It is simple. People just like to overcomplicate things."
Elise leaned back against the boulder, staring at the cavern ceiling. "Alright, so we'll work on staying closer together, baiting attacks, and finishing fights quicker."
"Pretty much." I stood up, rolling my shoulders. "Ready to test it out?"
She grinned and grabbed her sword. "Let's see if your 'simple' strategy actually works."
With our plan set, we picked up our weapons, steeled ourselves, and ventured deeper into the dungeon, prepared to refine our teamwork through battle.