The marketpce was alive with its usual evening bustle. Stalls lined the stone-paved streets, their wooden frames creaking under the weight of goods. The scent of freshly baked bread, roasted meat, and fragrant spices mingled with the musty smell of iron from bcksmith stalls. Merchants called out, their voices rising above the chatter of customers haggling over prices. Somewhere to my left, a butcher's knife chopped through a thick sb of meat, the rhythmic thud-thud cutting through the noise.

  Yet, despite the vibrancy of the city, Elise and I walked in silence, lost in our own thoughts. The weight of Sui's words still clung to us, heavier than the weapons strapped to our backs.

  "You shouldn't always rely on potions. Build up your own stamina. If you don't, when the time comes that you can't gulp down a stamina or healing potion, it'll be your end."

  A simple warning, but one that felt like a sp to the face.

  I bit into the piece of bread I'd bought from a passing vendor, but it tasted bnd. Not because it was bad—just that my mind was elsewhere.

  I chewed slowly before finally exhaling, breaking the silence between us. "I think he's right. That man from the forge—what he said makes a lot of sense."

  Elise walked beside me, her grip firm on the leather strap of her new shield, her eyes flicking toward the ground as if repying every battle we'd fought so far. Finally, she sighed, nodding. "Yeah… he's right, alright. If something happens and we can't take a potion in time, we'd be in real danger."

  She wasn't wrong. If we got ambushed, injured too quickly, or if our hands were too occupied in battle to even reach for a potion—what then? We'd relied on those vials of blue liquid like they were an extension of our own bodies. That thought alone unsettled me.

  We continued walking past the fruit vendors, where baskets of oranges, plump red apples, and yellow pears gleamed under the oil nterns hanging above the stalls.

  The vendor, an elderly woman with graying hair, pyfully argued with a customer over the price of a basket.

  A group of adventurers walked past us, their armor battered, their expressions exhausted yet triumphant. I could hear them talking about the dungeon floor they had just cleared—probably another group of academy-trained divers celebrating a successful run.

  I shifted my gaze back to Elise.

  "We'll dive tomorrow to test your new equipment," I suggested. "After that, we'll go back to the forge and ask for advice from that guy."

  Her fingers instinctively brushed the handle of her new mace, her grip firm and steady.

  "Yeah, we should. I need to get used to these new toys anyway." She smiled a little before adding, "I think his name is Sui. That's what Orm called him."

  "Sui, huh?" I repeated, rolling the name over in my mind. That guy—his presence alone carried a weight to it. Something about him told me he wasn't just an ordinary bcksmith's assistant.

  As we neared the end of the market road, the crowd thinned. The flickering nterns outside the shops cast long, stretching shadows along the cobblestone path.

  The smell of fried meat lingered in the air, mixing with the faint scent of iron and soot wafting from a nearby forge.

  This was where Elise and I usually split paths for the night. She adjusted the strap on her shoulder, shifting the weight of her shield, before looking up at me. "Alright then, see you tomorrow?"

  I gave a small nod, my grip tightening around the handle of my axe. "Yeah. See you tomorrow."

  She turned, walking toward her home, her figure disappearing into the dimly lit streets.

  I stood there for a moment, my mind still racing.

  Potions had been our safety net, our crutch. But real strength—real survival—came from us.

  And it was about time we started proving that.

  Morning in Dragnir was always a lively affair. The air buzzed with activity as merchants shouted over one another, advertising their wares. The ctter of hooves against cobblestone mixed with the rhythmic pounding of bcksmith hammers shaping weapons and armor.

  The smell of freshly baked bread and roasted meat filled the streets, mingling with the metallic tang of steel and the occasional unpleasant stench drifting from the alleyways.The city center was particurly crowded today. From where I walked, I could see the massive Dungeon Pza, the heart of every diver's ambition.And there, the three Dungeons stood like titanic monuments, their towering structures looming over the city like ancient gods.The Bck Labyrinth Dungeon, a monolithic tower of dark, shifting stone, stood at the center. Its ever-changing structure was infamous, its highest recorded floor only reaching 55 before even the strongest diver teams failed to push further.To its left, the Green Open Pne Dungeon stretched into a boundless expanse, a gateway leading into an ever-changing world. Rolling hills, forests, and deserts had been reported within, shifting unpredictably with each expedition.

  Unlike the other dungeons, this one had no end—no ultimate boss to defeat, just an endless battlefield for adventurers to map and cim.On the right, the Red Underworld Dungeon was a crimson fortress with jagged, blood-colored spires. The entrance itself looked like the open maw of a beast, a descent into a pce where few returned. Only those who had proven themselves in the other dungeons were allowed inside.All three stood as a testament to the unknown, drawing countless warriors, schors, and fools alike.I pulled my gaze away and focused on my destination—the entrance of the Bck Labyrinth Dungeon. But before I could take another step, I noticed the unusual crowd of divers gathering near the Green Open Pne Dungeon.The Titan Guild.Even from a distance, I could tell they were elite. Unlike the usual ragtag groups of divers, these people moved with precision. Their armor and weapons were of the highest quality, gleaming under the morning sun. Some bore heavy pte armor, while others wore lighter gear, prioritizing speed over defense.There were at least seventy of them, but from the hushed conversations around me, I learned that only about fifty were actual front-liners."An expedition team," I realized, my eyes narrowing."They're heading into the Green Dungeon," someone in the crowd murmured."Mapping out a new region?" I mused.It made sense. The Green Open Pne Dungeon constantly shifted, its geography never remaining the same for long. Even with maps, divers had to be careful—the terrain could change between expeditions, sometimes even mid-battle. That's why rge guilds like Titan sent massive teams—fighters, scouts, and support crews—to map out new regions."Seventy isn't a huge number, considering the dangers inside. But if fifty are fighters, the rest must be logistics—medics, supply carriers, camp maintenance."I was so deep in thought that I didn't even notice someone standing in front of me."Hey, caught up in deep thoughts again, huh?"A familiar voice snapped me back.I blinked and looked up. Elise stood there, arms crossed, a knowing smirk on her lips.Her new mace rested against her shoulder, her medium-sized buckler shield strapped to her left arm. The bck iron gleamed under the daylight, the craftsmanship evident. She looked different—more prepared, more confident.I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. "Yeah, a bit."She followed my gaze to the Titan Guild warriors, watching them for a moment before asking, "What's on your mind?"I gestured toward the rge team. "Do you think we could enter the Green Open Pne Dungeon someday?"She raised a brow, considering the question. "Yeah, why not? The minimum rank requirement is silver, and we'd need a team of at least seven."Silver rank. That was still above us. Right now, we were just bronze-ranked divers who had barely scraped by in the Bck Labyrinth."Seven members, huh? That means we'd need to recruit more people."I tapped my fingers against the handle of my axe, nodding. "Okay. I'll take note of that."Elise grinned, rolling her shoulders. "What, thinking of heading there next?"I exhaled, my eyes lingering on the Titan Guild warriors as they finalized their preparations. "Maybe. The open-pne dungeon is unpredictable, but it also has the best opportunities for growth. If we want to get stronger, we'll have to challenge ourselves eventually."She smirked. "Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We've still got today's dive to focus on."I returned her smirk. "Right. Let's get going."With one st gnce at the Titan Guild, we turned away and headed toward the entrance of the Bck Labyrinth Dungeon—ready for another day of battle.