Another corpse hit the ground, its lifeless eyes staring into the cold, stone floor. Axe's weapon was drenched in blood, and she breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling in rapid succession. She had done it again—slain a dozen red orcs by herself. It was an impressive feat, especially since red orcs were far stronger than their green counterparts. Usually, warriors required a party of at least four to take down a single one.
But Axe was different. She wasn't done yet. With a savage swing, her weapon arced through the air, sending a spray of blood across the already soaked stones. The purple life essence of the foreign monsters coated everything, staining the battlefield with the remnants of their existence.
I am not done yet... I can't be done.
With slow, deliberate steps, Axe moved past the lifeless bodies of the red orcs. Most warriors would have paused to harvest valuable materials from the monsters they'd slain, but Axe couldn't care less. She never had. It was as if she existed solely to kill—her only purpose the slaughter of beasts in the dark.
Her sense of time was long gone. She had lost track of it, as she always did. Sometimes, she emerged from the dungeon after just a few hours, but that was a rare occurrence. More often than not, Axe spent days, sometimes weeks, deep within the deadliest dungeons, her only company the monsters she hunted and the silence of the dark.
The red-haired woman stood before the majestic gate, the unmistakable mark of the dungeon's end. She scoffed, her brows furrowing in frustration. "That's it?" she muttered to herself, her voice as deep and raspy as always.
Where most warriors would feel relief at the sight of the gate, Axe felt only dissatisfaction. She longed for more. No dungeon had ever truly challenged her. Every time she braced herself for the fight of a lifetime, the dungeon ended just as she was getting started.
But Axe wasn't one to waste energy on things she couldn't control. With a resigned sigh, she placed her hand on the gate. An eerie blue light enveloped her, and in the blink of an eye, she was standing at the entrance of the cave that led into the dungeon she had just cleared.
The outside world felt suffocatingly peaceful to her. She stood in a dense forest, the air thick with the hum and chirp of birds. Foxes and deer moved gracefully across the moss-covered ground, unaware of the fierce warrior in their midst. Axe's frustration simmered, as it always did, but in the distance, the town of Cremia loomed on the horizon. Perhaps if she visited the guild master, she could find a dungeon that would finally test her limits.
Axe had the potential to easily rise to the Diamond class, the highest rank a warrior could achieve. But there was one problem—a certain requirement she had yet to meet.
To reach the prestigious Diamond class and earn the right to enter the most dangerous dungeons in the country, Axe had to clear ten dungeons with a group of at least four other people. It was a requirement that went against everything she stood for.
Why must I carry weaklings? she thought, her grip tightening on her weapon. I'm more than capable of fighting alone.
Axe's thoughts wandered as she made her way toward the bustling town of Cremia. So lost in her mind, she didn't notice the young group of inexperienced warriors passing by, their eyes filled with a mixture of respect and fear. To many, Axe was a symbol of power and hope—the lone woman who had overpowered even the most famous Diamond class hunters.
To others, she was a psychopath, a monster. No sane person could enter a dungeon, slay monsters, and walk away without harvesting loot. Axe could easily double her income if she bothered to sell the parts from the monsters she killed, but she didn't care. The small payment she got for clearing the dungeon was enough—for her, it was never about the money.
Axe didn't care about money. Her sole focus was on one thing: power. Each day, she pushed herself to grow stronger. Why? No one knew—except Axe herself. She was a woman of few words when it came to revealing anything about her past. While many suspected Axe wasn't her real name, no one dared ask her about it. To do so would be to invite death.
"Ah! Axe! Already back from the dungeon?" The cheerful guard at the gate greeted her, but his enthusiasm faltered when he received no response from the woman in worn-out armor.
The bustling streets of Cremia filled Axe's green eyes with noise and movement. Salesmen and merchants shouted across the marketplace, their voices blending into a chaotic chorus. But Axe wasn't interested. Her armor and weapon—the axe strapped to her back—were more than enough. She could defeat the monsters with her bare fists if she ever chose to.
After passing through the large marketplace of Cremia, Axe's gaze landed on the massive building of the Warriors Guild. It was an impressive, elegant structure, designed by the very first warrior to establish the guild. Though his name had been lost to time, the tales of the young warrior who entered a dungeon for the first time and later founded the guild still echoed throughout the land.
As Axe entered the building, many eyes turned toward her. She was one of the most well-known warriors in the entire city, but her hostile demeanor had earned her more enemies than allies. Every now and then, a brave warrior would challenge her to a fight, hoping to "calm her down." Those warriors, however, often paid for their arrogance with their lives.
Axe leaned over the counter, her eyes falling on a beautiful woman with raven-black hair—someone Axe knew all too well.
"Mattilda!" Axe grunted, her voice as deep and raspy as ever.
With a swift motion, Mattilda turned and flashed her a pleasant smile. "Ah, you're back. Don't worry, I've already sent the payment to your deposit. I knew the moment you entered the dungeon, you'd be able to clear it of monsters."
"You know if Adrian is here? I need a bigger challenge," Axe said, taking a large gulp from her mug. The foam from her ale covered part of her mouth, and she wiped it away with a quick motion.
"Axe... you could always do the Diamond promotion. Take a few younglings and—"
"I've said it a dozen times. No!" Axe grunted, clearly annoyed.
Mattilda let out a deep sigh as she wiped down the counter. "I figured as much." But her frustration melted into a cheerful smile. "That's why I've got a special offer for you."
"A special offer? Are you even authorized to do that?" Axe mumbled, her voice curious yet cautious as she eyed her mug.
"Since when do you care about rules?" Mattilda giggled.
"Fair point." Even Axe couldn't suppress the small smirk that tugged at her lips. "Alright, spit it out. What's this special offer of yours?"
Mattilda flashed a cheeky grin, her cheeks tinged with amusement as she locked eyes with the warrior's confused green gaze. The black-haired beauty leaned forward on the counter, her voice sweet as honey. "Follow me."
Mattilda led Axe behind the counter and unlocked a door with a small key from her pocket. The two women stepped into an almost empty room—just a table and a few chairs, with the only light coming from a small window, too high to reach without a ladder.
Mattilda closed the door and locked it. It was only then that Axe tensed, her athletic body stiffening in response.
"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you," Mattilda said, rolling her eyes. "I know damn well you could beat me in the blink of an eye."
Axe scoffed, sitting down in one of the chairs. Her posture relaxed, maybe a little too much. "Then why lock the door?"
"Privacy," Mattilda replied with a smile as she sat down across from her.
"What for?" Axe asked, her curiosity piqued. She leaned forward, her strong hands folding in front of her, though her face betrayed little emotion. It was the first time Mattilda had ever offered her something that felt like top-secret information, and despite Axe's stoic expression, a hint of excitement stirred inside her.
"I might know a way for you to become a Diamond-class warrior without needing four people," Mattilda whispered.
Axe raised an eyebrow. The offer sounded too good to be true. "What's the catch?" she asked, her voice low and suspicious. After all, she wasn't one to fall for tricks. She knew all too well the shady ways people tried to deceive others with empty promises.
"You have to carry someone with you. But instead of four people… you only need one warrior to accompany you into the dungeon." Mattilda's smirk grew wider.
"Just one person? And after ten dungeons, I'm a Diamond-class warrior?" Axe's voice was filled with disbelief.
"Exactly." The black-haired woman leaned back, still smirking.
"Hmpf, fine. And who might this person be?" Axe's voice had turned more serious, the hint of suspicion deepening.
"The princess of Cremia."