It took a while, but we found a relatively safe path down the slope. The descent was steep, but with careful steps, we made it to the bottom. Elk grunted in pain now and then, but aside from that, we handled it with grace.

Still, it took us close to an hour to reach the dense forest again. Accessing the minimap, I saw more than one group closing in. However, none were heading directly toward us. Everyone followed straight lines toward the city stone, while we moved diagonally—still heading toward our ultimate goal but not in a straight line.

As soon as we stepped onto the muddy ground, I turned to my companions.

“I’ll scout ahead. Keep your eyes open,” I muttered loud enough for them to hear, then slipped into the woods. With my stealth boosted, it wasn’t hard to move silently.

When I was several feet ahead, I waved for them to follow me. If they kept that distance, I’d be able to ensure their safety. I didn’t find any traps or monsters in the cave’s direction but was pleasantly surprised to spot a small stream at the edge of my vision, maybe just a mile from the cave.

I stopped, signaling them to catch up as I inspected the water. Small Earth fish swam in the stream, following the current and darting away from my shadow. Nothing about the place screamed danger, but I still waited for Tress’s opinion.

When she crouched and started drinking without hesitation, I took that as my cue. I cupped some water in my hands and rushed to Elk, who drank it in a half-sleep, half-awake state.

“We’re close. Hang in there—you’ll be healed soon.” I tried to reassure him as best I could, but all he managed was a slight nod. Mary brought him another handful of water, and we pressed on.

The sun was already high in the sky, signaling we were nearing noon—if that assumption made any sense in this new world.

I finally caught a glimpse of a ravine, and at its edge lay the cave, its mouth gaping open toward me. I turned to my party, signaling for them to approach as silently as possible.

At the cave entrance, three kobolds stood facing our position. They seemed to be guarding the place, but their expressions carried a semblance of boredom. Two of them held short swords, while the third carried a small bow with a quiver on its back.

They didn’t seem concerned about the fact that several competitors were out there—and they were a source of growth for me and the others.

I glanced at Tress, pointing to the archer and then to the swordsman on the far side. She nodded in agreement, and we stepped forward. Hidden between two large tree trunks, I counted to three on one hand, and she followed my lead.

When the count ended, we stepped out of cover. I summoned my dagger and wand instantly. The dagger flew toward the kobold on the far left, while a lightning strike hit the other one square in the chest.

Tress loosed an arrow at the archer and immediately grabbed another from her quiver, firing at the same kobold I had struck with lightning. I wasn’t sure which attack finished the unfortunate creature, but the messages were clear:

Congratulations, you have slain Kobold - F5.

You have slain Kobold - F5.

You have slain Kobold - F5.

You earned 3 credits.

We moved back into cover and watched the cave entrance, waiting to see if any other creatures would come to aid the fallen kobolds. After three minutes, it became clear no one was coming.

Sixteen credits, thirty-four to go, I thought, waving for the others to approach the cave entrance.

“There are more inside. Be careful,” I whispered, taking the lead again as we approached the cave’s mouth.

The darkness that seemed to shroud the cave’s interior wasn’t quite as it appeared. A quick glance inside revealed torches illuminating the walls—walls that were too close together. I’d have to walk with my head lowered to venture deeper into the place.

Reality struck me like a boulder, and all the air in my lungs seemed to vanish instantly. My vision blurred, and I forced myself to take a deep breath.

With one hand on the outside wall, I looked down, trying to ease my breathing and calm myself. It’s not the time for this, I told myself. You’ve faced it before. You can do it again.

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“You can do it.” Tress’s voice close to my ear nearly made me jump. My fear of being overwhelmed by the phobia had kept me too focused on my breathing to notice her approach.

“I’m sorry,” she added, stepping back.

“It’s fine,” I forced a smile. I peeked inside the cave again, the fear slowly fading but still hammering at the back of my mind.

“What are we going to do with Elk?” Mary asked, stepping closer. She lowered her weightless shield to the ground as gently as possible, but the demon still grunted in discomfort.

“We’ll go inside and find a place for him to rest while we head deeper to deal with the kobolds,” I said. I didn’t have a better plan, but thankfully, Tress agreed.

“Inside? Do you think it’s safe?” Mary asked, frowning.

“Nowhere’s safe. I’d rather have him close to me and in an enclosed space than out in the open,” I argued, though she still didn’t look convinced.

“He’ll be a sitting duck,” Mary protested.

“I can defend myself,” Elk rasped, his voice weak but firm as he summoned his staff. “Just put me against a wall, and I’ll shoot fireballs at whoever or whatever comes near me.”

“Great,” I smiled and stepped into the cave. The smile stayed on my face, but only god knew how forced it was. I couldn’t let fear take hold of me—not here, not anywhere, but it was a struggle.

I can punch an abomination to death but can’t handle a small cave? I asked myself, and a wave of confidence surged through me. Riding the boost, I moved faster, scouting ahead.

Torches lined the walls, making it nearly impossible to walk without risking knocking into one. The space was perfect for kobolds, but for a full-grown human? It was a tight squeeze and a challenge to navigate.

A few feet ahead, I noticed the torches flickering, as if responding to a gust of air—but I couldn’t feel anything on my back. I slowed my pace, realizing it was actually a corner. With deliberate steps, I approached and peeked around it.

To my surprise, someone else had the same idea.

It took me a second to notice, but when I looked down, I saw a kobold right below me. The realization seemed to hit the creature at the same time it hit me.

Its eyes bulged, but before it could raise its small sword to attack, my dagger was already descending onto the top of its bald head.

A squish, followed by a grunt, and the monster collapsed onto the ground, dead.

Footsteps echoed nearby. There were more ahead, but the narrow corridor didn’t leave enough room for me to fight side by side with Tress.

I focused on the end of the corridor, listening as footsteps approached—both from my companions behind me and the kobolds in front.

When the first kobold rounded the corner, I unleashed a lightning strike. It hit its chest, sending it stumbling backward into another kobold. A third kobold leapt over the fallen one and ran straight into my dagger, which I buried in the middle of its eyes.

I rushed toward the one that had fallen, slamming my dagger into the center of its chest.

Four kobolds down, and eight credits earned.

I squinted, straining to hear any signs of others approaching, but there was no movement nearby.

“Put Elk at the corner. There are only two directions for him to cover—it won’t get better than that,” I said, keeping my eyes on the corridor where the kobolds had appeared.

Tress and Mary gently lowered the demon, and he suppressed a shout with a pained grimace.

“Hold on, partner. We just need to take care of a few more of them.”

Elk nodded weakly, and I started moving again. Mary dismissed her shield for the first time in hours and followed behind me, with Tress bringing up the rear.

With each step, my breathing grew heavier. I wasn’t sure if it was the phobia or the air thinning as we delved deeper. My heart pounded in my chest, and cold sweat trickled down my scalp.

I swallowed hard before turning another corner.

Three more kobolds stood at the end of the corridor. I pulled Mary down, and she crouched instantly. Tress noticed the movement ahead and loosed an arrow at one of the kobolds. I struck the one behind it, and she finished off the last.

Three more kobolds down and six more credits earned. We only needed twenty credits now. The thought was both reassuring and unsettling. I wasn’t sure if there were more of the creatures in the cave or how far it stretched. There was a good chance we wouldn’t encounter any other enemies ahead.

With that in mind, we kept moving—there was no reason to hesitate now.

After a few moments, we reached what appeared to be a dead end. The corridor had no corners, no kobolds lurking in the shadows, nothing. However, as I got closer to the wall, I noticed a hole in the ground.

I crouched and peered through it.

There was light below, and the drop wasn’t much taller than I was. We could descend and climb back up by using each other as leverage. The others seemed to come to the same conclusion, each of them silently peeking through the hole.

I gestured that I’d go down first, and they nodded.

My feet touched the ground, and relief washed over me. This part of the cave was round and far more open. A gust of cold wind hit my sweat-drenched face, and I inhaled deeply, grateful for the fresh air.

A moment later, Mary landed beside me. We walked a few steps into the open space, trying to discern what lay ahead, but the sparse torches only illuminated enough to reveal the vague outlines of the cavern.

As soon as Tress landed, a message appeared from the system:

Field Boss Encounter - Activated.