In the dead of night, Kael's body jolted awake. A sharp pain pulsed through his limbs, his muscles aching as if they had been torn apart and stitched back together.

  He groggily wiped at his face, only to feel the warm trickle of blood running from his nose.His body was in shock. It had taken hours for the toll of the dungeon battles to catch up with him, and now, it hit all at once.

  Dizziness clouded his vision. He tried to push himself upright, but before he could fully sit up—his strength gave out. His body colpsed onto the bed, and everything went dark.A shadow slipped into the room.

  Deep voice sounded.

  “Recklessness is indeed in your blood.”The figure moved with practiced silence, their cloak flowing like liquid in the dim moonlight filtering through the window. In one gloved hand, they held a small gss bottle filled with a golden liquid that shimmered unnaturally.Approaching the unconscious boy, the cloaked individual uncorked the vial and carefully tilted it against Kael's lips, forcing the potion down his throat.

  The thick, honey-like substance slid down smoothly, vanishing into his body. Almost immediately, Kael's breathing steadied, the tension in his muscles easing.The stranger watched him for a moment, then exhaled, their voice barely above a whisper."You overworked yourself on your first day."And then— gone.

  Vanished from the room.

  —

  Morning arrived, sunlight creeping through the cracks in the wooden walls. Kael stirred. His eyes fluttered open, expecting to feel the remnants of st night's pain—but instead, he felt... fine.More than fine.There was no soreness. No lingering exhaustion. His body felt light—too light. It was unnatural, and yet... oddly refreshing.He sat up, rubbing his forehead. Hadn't he been in agony st night? Hadn't he felt his body breaking down? His mind told him yes, but his body said otherwise. Something was off.But he didn't dwell on it for long. There was no time for overthinking.Kael pushed himself out of bed, washed up, and strapped on his gears. His axes rested snugly at his waist, his armor fitted perfectly.

  Stepping into the main room, he grabbed a piece of bread from the table and took a quick bite.His parents were already awake. His father barely spared him a gnce, giving only a curt nod.

  His mother, on the other hand, watched him carefully before offering a quiet, "Good luck."Kael chewed his bread and gave a zy wave before heading out the door.A new day. A new challenge.As Kael munched on his bread, he entered the bustling city center. The pza near the dungeons was more crowded than usual, with groups of people gathering to watch the guilds test their newly scouted recruits.

  These recruits were fresh graduates from the academy, automatically registered as dungeon divers as part of their curriculum.

  Their final two years at the academy involved practical dungeon training in the Green Open Pne Dungeon, ensuring they had real combat experience before graduation.Many of the graduates were at least bronze rank, with the exceptional ones reaching silver. They stood in groups of seven or more, eager to prove themselves. Among the crowd, a few solo divers made their way toward the Red Underworld Dungeon, their presence rare but not unheard of.Kael weaved through the mass of people, heading toward the Bck Labyrinth Dungeon entrance, where Elise was already waiting.

  She waved at him, her usual confident stance slightly rexed in the morning chill. Kael picked up his pace, running toward her before greeting her with a casual nod.Unbeknownst to him, a pair of sharp blue eyes had been following his movements. A girl with silver hair stood among a group of guild-affiliated students, her gaze fixed on Kael with a hint of seriousness—perhaps even recognition."Lady Luna, what are you looking at?" a voice called out beside her.Luna blinked, her focus shifting momentarily. "It's nothing," she replied, her tone measured. "I think I just saw someone I know…" But that's impossible, she mused inwardly. I'm the only girl he ever knew at our age.Her thoughts lingered as she stole a gnce at Elise.Meanwhile, Kael stretched his arms, feeling surprisingly refreshed despite yesterday's exhaustion. Elise sighed, pulling her cloak tighter around herself."It's quite cold today, huh?" she remarked.Kael tilted his head, looking at her as he swallowed the st of his bread. "Hmm… Maybe? I don't really feel it."Elise gave him an odd look but shrugged it off. "You ready?"Kael smirked, adjusting his axes. "I am."As they stepped into the Bck Labyrinth Dungeon, the dim glow of embedded crystals cast eerie shadows across the cavernous first floor.

  The cool, damp air carried the faint scent of earth and something metallic—blood, likely from past battles fought within these depths.Elise gnced at Kael as they moved forward. "Hey, instead of rushing to the second floor, how about we stay here on the first floor for a while?" she suggested.Kael raised a brow. "Why?""I want to practice our battle coordination," she said, tightening the grip on her new shield.

  "Fighting solo is one thing, but if we're going to be a team, we need to move together properly."Kael considered her words. She wasn't wrong. He had fought alone yesterday, relying purely on instinct, but working in sync with a partner was different. It required trust, timing, and awareness of each other's movements."That is a good idea," he said, rolling his shoulders. "Let's see what we've got."This time, he held an axe in each hand, feeling their weight as he adjusted his grip. The familiar heft gave him confidence.

  Elise, now armed with a fresh set of gear—a sturdy iron shield in her left hand and a short sword in her right—looked more prepared than yesterday.As they walked further in, the guttural snarls of goblins echoed through the cave. Eight of them lurked ahead, their hunched figures blending into the darkness.

  Their crude weapons—rusty daggers, makeshift clubs, and chipped spears—glinted under the dungeon's faint light.Kael smirked. "Eight? Should be fun."Elise pnted her feet and raised her shield. "I'll draw their attention. You go for the kills."Kael didn't argue. The moment she stepped forward and smmed her shield against the stone floor, the goblins' heads snapped toward them. Their beady eyes fred with malice before they let out shrill cries and charged.Elise took the front, blocking the first goblin's dagger strike with her shield before countering with a swift stab to its gut. Another goblin swung a club at her, but she twisted her body, deflecting the blow with her shield's edge.Kael, meanwhile, took the opportunity to fnk them. With a powerful step forward, he brought his right-hand axe down on a goblin's shoulder, splitting it open. The creature shrieked before colpsing. Without missing a beat, he pivoted, swinging his left axe into another goblin's ribcage, the impact sending it flying into the cavern wall.Elise kept three goblins occupied, deflecting and countering with careful precision. She wasn't as aggressive as Kael, but her technique was solid—blocking, redirecting, and striking when openings appeared.Kael, on the other hand, thrived in the chaos. He ducked under a spear thrust, sshing the attacker's legs before driving his other axe into its skull. Another goblin tried to jump onto his back, but he twisted and rammed his elbow into its gut before cutting its throat in one clean motion.The st two goblins hesitated, seeing their numbers dwindle. Elise, noticing their hesitation, pushed forward, smming her shield into one and forcing it backward. Kael took the opening and finished it with a heavy downward strike. The final goblin turned to flee, but Elise lunged forward, her short sword piercing through its back.As the final shriek of death echoed through the dungeon, the cave fell silent.Kael exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Not bad," he admitted. "You hold your ground well."Elise smirked, wiping sweat from her brow. "And you're damn good with those axes, are you sure you're a novice fighter?."“I am.” He replied.

  Kael looked around, spotting the faint glimmer of loot—several small blue gems scattered among the corpses. He knelt down, picking them up and tossing a few to Elise."Split evenly?" he asked.She nodded, catching them. "Fair enough."As they collected their rewards, Kael couldn't help but feel that their teamwork had potential. It wasn't perfect yet, but it was a start. And in this dungeon, where survival meant everything, having someone to watch his back didn't seem like a bad idea.As Kael and Elise ventured deeper into the first floor of the Bck Labyrinth Dungeon, the air grew heavier, the flickering crystal lights casting long shadows along the stone walls. Their earlier battle had given them insight into each other's combat style, but if they were going to work together long-term, they needed more practice.