Enter The Dungeon

Ren and the others huddled a little distance away from the four adventurers, voices low.

“Hey, it’d be kinda cool, right? You ever raided a dungeon before?” Ren asked, his eyes shining.

“Yeah, I have,” Kazuma replied with a grin. “It’s fun. Kill monsters, get loot, stretch your muscles a bit. Sounds like we could use the exercise.”

“But can we actually trust these people?” Alex asked, glancing at the group. “We barely know them.”

“They seem normal,” Lisa said, scanning them up and down. “Not shady at least. I’m in.”

“Okay, but let me get a few things straight first,” Rachel muttered, stepping away from the group.

She walked up to Marie and the others.

“So, what exactly is in it for us if we come along on this raid?” Rachel asked, folding her arms.

Marie didn’t flinch. “We split everything down the middle. Gold, loot, rare items—we split it fifty-fifty. I even heard this dungeon has some ancient magical items hidden inside. That’s probably why it’s so hard to conquer.”

“But we’re six people, and you’re four. Fifty-fifty doesn’t cut it,” Rachel replied.

“I figured you’d say that.” Marie pointed at the large sack the brawny guy was carrying. “This dungeon could take days. We can’t leave once we go in, and we’ve packed enough food and water for more than a dozen people. We’ll share all of it with your group.”

Rachel’s eyes flicked to Kazuma, then back at the bag. She knew they’d need food—a lot of it.

“Alright. We’re in,” she said finally.

“Wait, why are you looking at me like that?” Kazuma asked, narrowing his eyes.

Everyone burst out laughing.

“Let’s do this then,” Ren said, slapping his hands together.

The entrance to the dungeon was deeper inside the cave, past a narrow tunnel lit only by the glow of magic stones on the walls. At the end of it stood a strange gate—it wasn’t a door, more like a swirling mist framed by a stone arch.

“Is this the entrance?” Ren asked.

“Yeah,” Ignis nodded. “Once we enter, it shuts. No turning back.”

They stepped through one by one, and as the last of them passed the gate, it instantly sealed shut behind them, turning into a solid stone wall.

Alex pressed his palm against it. “It’s closed off... Can we break it?”

Ren and the others huddled a little distance away from the four adventurers, voices low.

“Hey, it’d be kinda cool, right? You ever raided a dungeon before?” Ren asked, his eyes shining.

“Yeah, I have,” Kazuma replied with a grin. “It’s fun. Kill monsters, get loot, stretch your muscles a bit. Sounds like we could use the exercise.”

“But can we actually trust these people?” Alex asked, glancing at the group. “We barely know them.”

“They seem normal,” Lisa said, scanning them up and down. “Not shady at least. I’m in.”

“Okay, but let me get a few things straight first,” Rachel muttered, stepping away from the group.

She walked up to Marie and the others.

“So, what exactly is in it for us if we come along on this raid?” Rachel asked, folding her arms.

Marie didn’t flinch. “We split everything down the middle. Gold, loot, rare items—we split it fifty-fifty. I even heard this dungeon has some ancient magical items hidden inside. That’s probably why it’s so hard to conquer.”

“But we’re six people, and you’re four. Fifty-fifty doesn’t cut it,” Rachel replied.

“I figured you’d say that.” Marie pointed at the large sack the brawny guy was carrying. “This dungeon could take days. We can’t leave once we go in, and we’ve packed enough food and water for more than a dozen people. We’ll share all of it with your group.”

Rachel’s eyes flicked to Kazuma, then back at the bag. She knew they’d need food—a lot of it.

“Alright. We’re in,” she said finally.

“Wait, why are you looking at me like that?” Kazuma asked, narrowing his eyes.

Everyone burst out laughing.

“Let’s do this then,” Ren said, slapping his hands together.

The entrance to the dungeon was deeper inside the cave, past a narrow tunnel lit only by the glow of magic stones on the walls. At the end of it stood a strange gate—it wasn’t a door, more like a swirling mist framed by a stone arch.

“Is this the entrance?” Ren asked.

“Yeah,” Ignis nodded. “Once we enter, it shuts. No turning back.”

They stepped through one by one, and as the last of them passed the gate, it instantly sealed shut behind them, turning into a solid stone wall.

Alex pressed his palm against it. “It’s closed off... Can we break it?”

“Nope,” the pink-haired girl said from behind. “Even if you dig or smash for days, it won’t open. That’s how dungeon barriers work. The only way out is to clear the dungeon boss—or get lucky and find a teleportation gate somewhere inside. But those are rare.”

“I’m Sakura, by the way. Nice to meet you. I use earth magic,” she said with a friendly smile.

“Nice. I use earth and fire,” Alex replied.

“Ignis uses fire too. He’s really good at it,” Sakura said proudly. “And Magnus—our big guy over there—is just muscle. No brain.”

“Just like our Kazuma,” Alex joked, pointing at him.

“Come here, you little—” Kazuma growled and lunged, grabbing Alex into a headlock.

They all laughed as the group started walking deeper into the dungeon. The tunnel turned darker, the walls moist and cold.

Ren walked alongside Ignis. “So, you guys do dungeons often?”

“Yeah, that’s how we make our living,” Ignis said, lighting a small flame on his fingertip to guide their way. “We come from a poor village. Not many quests posted there, so we raid dungeons to survive.”

A few steps ahead, Marie matched pace with Rachel.

“You guys don’t seem like you’re from around here,” she said casually.

“We’re from the Southern Continent,” Rachel replied.

Marie blinked. “Damn, that’s far. What brings you all the way out here?”

Rachel paused for a second, then smiled. “The tournament in the northern capital. That’s our next stop.”

She couldn’t tell the real reason.

---

The group kept walking as the path narrowed and the air grew heavier. Damp, cold stone pressed in from both sides, and the light behind them slowly faded into nothing. Ignis, walking at the front, raised his hand — the flame in his palm flared larger now, casting longer shadows along the tunnel walls. The orange glow reflected off the stone and lit their faces.

Alex walked close behind him, eyes locked on the fire.

"Hey... how do you control that so well?" Alex asked, still staring. "If I tried that, I'd probably burn half the group by accident."

Ignis smirked without looking back. "It's all in the mind. You need to feel the flame like a part of you. I guess you're not there yet."

"Hmph. I’ll get there soon," Alex muttered, but his eyes still lingered on the dancing fire.

Up ahead, the tunnel forked — a wide stone doorway to the left, and a solid wall blocking the path straight ahead.

"It’s a dead end in front," said Marie, checking the map. "We must be at the first chamber."

Ren glanced over. “Wait, where did you even get that?”

Marie tapped the worn parchment. “From records left by old travelers who made it through this dungeon. It’s not official, and it might not be completely accurate… but it’s something.”

Lisa raised an eyebrow. “So you’re trusting secondhand notes?”

“It’s all we’ve got,” Marie said. “And so far, it’s been mostly right.”

One by one, the group stepped through the left entrance. The chamber inside wasn’t huge — just wide enough for them to spread out and fight if they had to. The ceiling hung low, the air was stale, and the darkness felt unnatural, like something was watching.

Then, one by one, magical crystals embedded in the stone walls lit up — soft blue light pulsing gently like a heartbeat. It was almost like the dungeon itself was waking up, preparing to test them.

Something slithered across the ground—fast.

"Hey, what was that!?" Sakura flinched back, nearly tripping.

"I saw it too," Rachel said, eyes narrowing. Her hand went to her sword.

"Stay sharp," Ignis said, his flame growing brighter as he took a step forward. The light reached deeper into the chamber.

Suddenly, a chilling screech echoed from one corner. A wet, skittering sound followed. Something brushed Kazuma’s foot—he jolted.

"What the hell is that slimy thing!?" he shouted, stomping in place.

As the crystals grew brighter, the room came into full view.

A mass of creatures had gathered in one corner—dog-sized lizards, bodies slick with some kind of mucus, long tails dragging behind them. They screeched and hissed, clinging to the shadows but crawling closer inch by inch.

“They’re Cave Crawlers,” Marie said calmly. “Not too dangerous alone, but they swarm. That’s how they hunt. See how they group up like that? Makes them harder to deal with.”

“They hate light,” Sakura added. “Which is why they stick to dark, damp places like this.”

There were maybe fifteen of them — not huge — but their numbers and the way they moved made your skin crawl. Especially if you hated lizards.

“Let’s just leave. I can’t look at those things,” Melissa said, her face twisted in disgust.

“We can’t,” Ignis replied. “We have to beat them. That wall we saw earlier? It won’t open unless we clear the chamber.”

Ren stepped forward, watching the creatures closely. “What even works on these things? They’re scared of the fire, but they’re not attacking.”

“Then let’s beat ‘em the old-fashioned way,” Kazuma said with a grin, cracking his knuckles. “Big guy—come on. You’re with me.”

Magnus stepped forward without a word. The two of them were like a wrecking crew walking into a swamp — perfect for messy, up-close beatdowns.

The two charged in without hesitation. The Crawlers screeched and scrambled, but Kazuma and Magnus weren’t fazed. One punch, one stomp, one swing at a time—they wiped out the pack.

It was loud. Messy. And slimy.

"Ughh, gross!" Melissa gagged, covering her mouth. "How can you even touch those things without puking?"

"That’s why teaming up was the smart move," Marie said proudly, hands on her hips. “Now we know who to throw at the next horde.”

Just then, the sound of stone grinding echoed behind them. The wall that was a dead end before — it was moving. Heavy stone scraped as a hidden path slowly opened ahead.

They all turned, quickly filing out of the cramped room.

"Thank god," Melissa muttered, still looking sick. "If I stayed one more minute with those lizards, I’d have passed out."

Ren looked at the new hallway. "So… what kind of monsters are waiting in there?"

Sakura smiled, a little too confidently. “Oh, you’re in for a surprise.”

To be continued...

“I’m Sakura, by the way. Nice to meet you. I use earth magic,” she said with a friendly smile.

“Nice. I use earth and fire,” Alex replied.

“Ignis uses fire too. He’s really good at it,” Sakura said proudly. “And Magnus—our big guy over there—is just muscle. No brain.”

“Just like our Kazuma,” Alex joked, pointing at him.

“Come here, you little—” Kazuma growled and lunged, grabbing Alex into a headlock.

They all laughed as the group started walking deeper into the dungeon. The tunnel turned darker, the walls moist and cold.

Ren walked alongside Ignis. “So, you guys do dungeons often?”

“Yeah, that’s how we make our living,” Ignis said, lighting a small flame on his fingertip to guide their way. “We come from a poor village. Not many quests posted there, so we raid dungeons to survive.”

A few steps ahead, Marie matched pace with Rachel.

“You guys don’t seem like you’re from around here,” she said casually.

“We’re from the Southern Continent,” Rachel replied.

Marie blinked. “Damn, that’s far. What brings you all the way out here?”

Rachel paused for a second, then smiled. “The tournament in the northern capital. That’s our next stop.”

She couldn’t tell the real reason.

---

The group kept walking as the path narrowed and the air grew heavier. Damp, cold stone pressed in from both sides, and the light behind them slowly faded into nothing. Ignis, walking at the front, raised his hand — the flame in his palm flared larger now, casting longer shadows along the tunnel walls. The orange glow reflected off the stone and lit their faces.

Alex walked close behind him, eyes locked on the fire.

"Hey... how do you control that so well?" Alex asked, still staring. "If I tried that, I'd probably burn half the group by accident."

Ignis smirked without looking back. "It's all in the mind. You need to feel the flame like a part of you. I guess you're not there yet."

"Hmph. I’ll get there soon," Alex muttered, but his eyes still lingered on the dancing fire.

Up ahead, the tunnel forked — a wide stone doorway to the left, and a solid wall blocking the path straight ahead.

"It’s a dead end in front," said Marie, checking the map. "We must be at the first chamber."

Ren glanced over. “Wait, where did you even get that?”

Marie tapped the worn parchment. “From records left by old travelers who made it through this dungeon. It’s not official, and it might not be completely accurate… but it’s something.”

Lisa raised an eyebrow. “So you’re trusting secondhand notes?”

“It’s all we’ve got,” Marie said. “And so far, it’s been mostly right.”

One by one, the group stepped through the left entrance. The chamber inside wasn’t huge — just wide enough for them to spread out and fight if they had to. The ceiling hung low, the air was stale, and the darkness felt unnatural, like something was watching.

Then, one by one, magical crystals embedded in the stone walls lit up — soft blue light pulsing gently like a heartbeat. It was almost like the dungeon itself was waking up, preparing to test them.

Something slithered across the ground—fast.

"Hey, what was that!?" Sakura flinched back, nearly tripping.

"I saw it too," Rachel said, eyes narrowing. Her hand went to her sword.

"Stay sharp," Ignis said, his flame growing brighter as he took a step forward. The light reached deeper into the chamber.

Suddenly, a chilling screech echoed from one corner. A wet, skittering sound followed. Something brushed Kazuma’s foot—he jolted.

"What the hell is that slimy thing!?" he shouted, stomping in place.

As the crystals grew brighter, the room came into full view.

A mass of creatures had gathered in one corner—dog-sized lizards, bodies slick with some kind of mucus, long tails dragging behind them. They screeched and hissed, clinging to the shadows but crawling closer inch by inch.

“They’re Cave Crawlers,” Marie said calmly. “Not too dangerous alone, but they swarm. That’s how they hunt. See how they group up like that? Makes them harder to deal with.”

“They hate light,” Sakura added. “Which is why they stick to dark, damp places like this.”

There were maybe fifteen of them — not huge — but their numbers and the way they moved made your skin crawl. Especially if you hated lizards.

“Let’s just leave. I can’t look at those things,” Melissa said, her face twisted in disgust.

“We can’t,” Ignis replied. “We have to beat them. That wall we saw earlier? It won’t open unless we clear the chamber.”

Ren stepped forward, watching the creatures closely. “What even works on these things? They’re scared of the fire, but they’re not attacking.”

“Then let’s beat ‘em the old-fashioned way,” Kazuma said with a grin, cracking his knuckles. “Big guy—come on. You’re with me.”

Magnus stepped forward without a word. The two of them were like a wrecking crew walking into a swamp — perfect for messy, up-close beatdowns.

The two charged in without hesitation. The Crawlers screeched and scrambled, but Kazuma and Magnus weren’t fazed. One punch, one stomp, one swing at a time—they wiped out the pack.

It was loud. Messy. And slimy.

"Ughh, gross!" Melissa gagged, covering her mouth. "How can you even touch those things without puking?"

"That’s why teaming up was the smart move," Marie said proudly, hands on her hips. “Now we know who to throw at the next horde.”

Just then, the sound of stone grinding echoed behind them. The wall that was a dead end before — it was moving. Heavy stone scraped as a hidden path slowly opened ahead.

They all turned, quickly filing out of the cramped room.

"Thank god," Melissa muttered, still looking sick. "If I stayed one more minute with those lizards, I’d have passed out."

Ren looked at the new hallway. "So… what kind of monsters are waiting in there?"

Sakura smiled, a little too confidently. “Oh, you’re in for a surprise.”

To be continued...