First Floor
The dungeon swallowed us whole, its vast cavern stretching before us. The high ceiling loomed above like the maw of a great beast, jagged with stalactites, shrouded in shadow. The wide stone paths were uneven, slick with moisture, winding deeper into the unknown.
A distant echo reverberated through the tunnels—a guttural snarl, followed by the clicking of claws against stone. The air was thick with dampness, tinged with the metallic scent of blood and the rot of something long dead.
I rolled my shoulders, gripping the twin axes in my hands, the cold steel solid and familiar. Three throwing axes rested against my back, ready for use. My light leather armor felt snug, molded to my form, and the reinforced arm guard on my left gleamed dully in the dim light, primed to intercept enemy strikes.
Beside me, Elise tightened her grip on her flanged mace, her fingers wrapped securely around the worn leather handle. The black iron buckler strapped to her left arm looked as sturdy as ever, its surface scarred from past battles. Her golden eyes glowed faintly, flickering with the thrill of combat.
"Same plan?" she asked, cracking her neck.
I nodded. "Yep, Swift and clean."
Her lips curled into a smirk. "Let's see if they can keep up."
The goblins came in waves.
From the shadows, red eyes glowed, followed by low growls and chittering laughter. The first five goblins lunged from the darkness, their jagged weapons raised, their twisted green faces contorted in bloodlust.
I moved first.
One goblin swung a rusted cleaver toward my ribs. I raised my left arm, the arm guard absorbing the blow with a dull THUD. Before it could react, I stepped forward and buried my right axe in its throat. It gurgled, choking on its own blood before collapsing.
Another lunged, stabbing a crude spear toward my gut. I twisted, barely avoiding the tip, and brought my left axe down on its wrist, severing the hand cleanly. It howled—only for my right axe to split its skull open.
Elise was already in motion.
A goblin leaped at her from the side—she twisted, catching the attack on her buckler before driving her mace into its ribs. The flanged edges crushed bone, sending the creature flying into the cavern wall with a sickening CRACK.
Two more goblins tried to flank her. One slashed at her side, but she spun, deflecting the attack with her shield before bringing her mace down on its exposed knee, shattering the joint. The goblin screamed, but she didn't let it suffer—she slammed the mace into its head, silencing it permanently.
The last goblin turned to run.
I was faster.
Reaching for a throwing axe, I whipped it through the air. The blade buried itself in the back of its skull, sending it crashing forward, twitching before going still.
Six dead. All dead Non survived.
The dungeon did not give us time to breathe.
More chittering laughter erupted from the shadows—then, ten goblins poured out from the side tunnels, their red eyes flashing, their twisted grins wide with malice.
I felt Elise shift beside me.
"Five each?" she asked casually.
I twirled my axes. "Try to keep up."
They attacked in a frenzy.
A goblin with a serrated dagger lunged low—I twisted, driving my knee into its face before splitting its skull with an overhead strike. Another goblin swung an iron club—I ducked, sidestepping before cleaving its neck open with a single, fluid motion.
Two more came from the left, snarling. I hurled a throwing axe, catching one between the eyes. The second hesitated—fatal mistake. I surged forward, driving my left axe deep into its gut, feeling the blade carve through flesh. With a vicious yank, I ripped it free, watching as the goblin collapsed in a heap.
Four down. One left.
The last one tried to feint, dipping low before lunging at my leg. I caught its wrist, twisting hard until I heard a sickening snap—then I drove my axe into its chest, ending it instantly.
Elise had already finished her five.
Her shield dripped with black blood, and her mace was slick with gore. One of her opponents had been caved in entirely, its body unrecognizable. Another had been bashed so hard its skull had burst open, painting the dungeon walls.
She exhaled, flicking blood from her mace. "Still standing?"
I wiped my axe on a fallen goblin. "Barely broke a sweat this time."
As we moved forward, we found the stairwell—blocked by a final wave of goblins.
Fifteen this time. Better armed, more disciplined. Some wielded spears, others short swords scavenged from fallen adventurers. The leader, a hulking brute, carried a crude battle-axe, its jagged edge covered in dried blood.
The leader let out a guttural roar, and they charged as one.
No holding back.
I rushed forward, meeting them head-on. The first goblin tried to stab me with a spear—I grabbed the shaft, snapping it in two before burying my axe into its face. Another slashed at my legs—I leapt over the strike, driving my throwing axe to its skull.
Elise was a whirlwind of destruction.
She caught a sword strike on her buckler, shoving the attacker back before caving in its ribs with her mace. Another goblin aimed for her back, but she spun, shattering its kneecap before slamming her weapon into its temple.
The leader came for me, swinging its massive axe downward.
I sidestepped, the impact shaking the ground as the blade buried itself in stone. Before it could recover, I stepped onto its weapon, launching myself upward—
—and drove both my axes into its shoulders.
It howled, thrashing, but I held firm— twisting the blades before yanking them free. Blood gushed from the wounds. It fell to its knees, struggling to breathe.
I didn't give it the chance.
With a final swing, I severed its head.
Fifteen goblins lay dead at our feet.
The only sound was the drip of blood onto stone.
I wiped my axes, breathing deeply. Elise stood beside me, her golden eyes sharp, her armor streaked with black blood.
We turned to the stairwell—a dark descent into the unknown.
I exhaled. "Ready?"
Elise smirked. "Yeah, let's go."
Without hesitation, we stepped into the darkness of the Second Floor.
The stone steps beneath my boots felt slick with condensation, each footfall echoing into the vast darkness below. The descent was slow, deliberate. The damp, musty air thickened, carrying with it a musky scent of fur and decay. Unlike the first floor, which had felt chaotic yet manageable, this place was different—more dangerous, more alive.
As we stepped onto the wide, cavernous second floor, Elise was the first to break the silence.
"I've been here before." Her voice was low, cautious.
I turned to her, my red eyes glinting in the dim torchlight. "Oh? And?"
She tightened the grip on her flanged mace, the light leather of her gloves creaking. "Fought a goblin rider once."
I raised a brow, I've read about it but never seen one before. "A goblin rider?"
She nodded, adjusting her black iron buckler on her left arm. "They're fast. Coordinated. Unlike the dumb goblins above, these ones actually work together with their mounts."
I exhaled, recalling what I had read before. "If I remember correctly, the second floor has goblins that partner with dire wolves. Goblins, elite goblins, dire wolves, goblin riders, and even elite goblin riders roam this place."
Elise scoffed, her golden eyes sharp with challenge. "Good. I was getting bored."
I shook my head with a smirk. Typical Elise, she is slowly turning to a battle junkie.
The second floor was massive, its ceiling looming high above, draped in jagged stalactites. The stone pathways stretched wide, allowing room for larger creatures to move freely. Shadows stretched along the rough cavern walls, flickering under the dim, magical torches that lined some of the corridors—faint blue embers barely enough to illuminate the path ahead.
Our steps were careful. The silence was thick, unnerving. The further we walked, the more I felt it—we were being watched.
Then it happened.
A low growl rumbled from the shadows behind us.
Elise and I froze mid-step.
Another growl, this time from the side. Then another—a chorus of deep snarls and clicking claws against stone.
My fingers tightened around my axes. My breath slowed.
"Shit," Elise muttered. "They've been tracking us."
Before I could respond, the darkness came alive.
They moved like shadows—six of them, massive beasts covered in dark, matted fur, their yellow eyes glowing in the dim cavern light. Each wolf was the size of a small horse, muscles rippling beneath their thick hides. Their fangs glistened, drool dripping from their maws as they circled us, low growls reverberating through the cavern.
The leader, a scarred beast with a torn ear, let out a bone-chilling snarl.
Then, they attacked.
The first wolf lunged straight for me. I sidestepped, swinging my left axe up in an arc, but the beast was fast—it twisted midair, barely avoiding the strike before landing with a snarl.
Another wolf charged at Elise, its massive paws thundering against the ground. She raised her buckler just in time, the impact sending her skidding back, but she dug her heels in, gritting her teeth.
I didn't have time to check on her—two more came at me.
One went low, aiming for my legs. The other leaped high, jaws snapping for my throat.
I reacted on instinct.
I kicked off the ground, twisting my body. My right axe came down hard, cleaving into the first wolf's neck before it could reach me. Blood gushed as it yelped, collapsing mid-sprint.
The second wolf was already midair, too close to dodge. I raised my left arm, my armored bracer catching its fangs. The impact rattled my bones, but I gritted my teeth and swung my right axe into its ribs, feeling it bite deep into flesh.
It howled, thrashing, but I ripped the blade free and buried it in its skull, silencing it instantly.
Elise was holding her ground.
A wolf lunged at her from the front—she ducked, twisting her body as she bashed its snout with her buckler. The beast yelped, momentarily stunned.
She didn't hesitate.
With a feral yell, she brought her mace down onto its skull, the flanged edges crunching through bone. The wolf twitched once, then went limp.
But she wasn't safe yet.
The scarred leader used the opening to pounce from behind.
"Elise!" I shouted.
She turned just in time.
The wolf was midair, its fangs aiming straight for her throat—but she raised her shield at the last second.
The beast slammed into her buckler, the sheer force sending her crashing onto her back.
I moved before it could land a killing blow.
One of my throwing axes flew through the air—spinning—before embedding itself deep into the beast's side.
It yelped, stumbling back, but it wasn't dead yet. It locked eyes with me, fury burning in its glowing yellow irises.
I charged.
It lunged—but I met it head-on.
My left axe hooked into its side, twisting hard. The wolf howled in agony, but I wasn't done. I stepped in closer, grabbing my right axe and driving it straight into its skull.
The beast went rigid, its snarl frozen—then its body slumped, lifeless.
Silence.
The only sounds left were our heavy breaths and the drip of blood onto stone.
Six dire wolves lay motionless around us, their massive forms casting eerie shadows in the dim light. The stench of blood and wet fur filled the cavern, mixing with the natural dampness of the dungeon.
I pulled my axe free from the leader's skull, shaking off the excess blood. Elise groaned from the ground, propping herself up on her elbows, her blonde hair matted with sweat.
"Tch. Damn thing was heavier than I thought."
I walked over, offering her a hand. "You good?"
She grabbed my wrist, pulling herself up. "Better than them." She wiped the back of her hand across her cheek, smearing a bit of blood in the process. "That was a warm-up, right?"
I chuckled. "If you say so."
But deep down, I knew—we were only just getting started.