Max idly scrolled through his stats as he waited for Diaz’s friend to arrive. He figured Leo and Mel were probably doing the same, though it felt more like a distraction than genuine curiosity about their recent changes. Anything to avoid reigniting the debate over splitting the party.

He didn’t think the idea was bad, he and Mel actually agreed on that much, but he couldn’t deny it made him uneasy. Everyone who’s ever played a game knows splitting the party is asking for trouble. Still, what was done was done. Until they found a way to deal with this relentless assassin lady, there wasn’t much else they could do.

His attention lingered on his dexterity stat, now above one hundred and thirty. Impressive, sure, but it made him wonder if it was time to focus on his strength, which was lagging behind in the mid-fifties.

Max’s thoughts scattered as a towering figure approached, casting a long shadow over the group. His breath hitched slightly. Was this Diaz’s friend? If so, Max doubted James’s absence was going to be a problem anymore.

“You lot the friends of Diaz?” The man’s voice rumbled like distant thunder.

Mel stepped forward; her posture stiff as she eyed the giant who somehow made her towering orc frame seem… average.

“Yeah,” she said, her tone steady but curious. “I take it you’re the guy we’ve been waiting on?”

“That’d be me,” the man replied, his voice gruff and impatient. Without another word, he turned and started striding purposefully toward the city gates. “Let’s go. No time to waste… I’ve got things to do.”

“Wait… hold on,” Max called, breaking into a jog to catch up, with Leo and Mel close behind. “Are you not staying with us when we get to this… other city?”

The man glanced back briefly, his massive shoulders shrugging as if the question barely warranted a response. “I’ll be around, but I don’t hold hands,” he said flatly. Then, stopping abruptly, he turned to face them, jabbing a thick thumb into his chest. “You want to get strong? You work for it. I’m just here to keep you from dying when it counts. Don’t make me fight too much, though, or I’ll bonk your heads in for makin’ me work too hard.”

Without waiting for a reply, he resumed his march, leaving them scrambling to follow.

Max, Leo, and Mel exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of forced grins and raised brows. Yep, this was going to be a great adventure. So much for James being gone not being an issue.

They walked in silence for a while, the tension between them almost as heavy as the towering man leading the way. Finally, Max decided to break the awkward quiet. “So… uh, what’s your name, big guy?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

The giant barely spared him a glance. “You want to learn name? Earn it. Fight good.”

Max blinked, slowing his pace until he was alongside Leo and Mel. Leaning in, he whispered, “Well, at least he’s got a great attitude.”

The other two stifled their laughter, their quiet snickers breaking the tension for a moment.

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Then, from a cave mouth to their right, a deafening roar echoed out, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Before any of them could react, the big man dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, sitting cross-legged like he didn’t have a care in the world. Pointing toward the cave, he simply said, “Time to prove. Go.”

Max glanced at Leo and Mel, his shrug saying everything his words didn’t. In a blink, he stepped into the shadows, his form dissolving into the darkness as though the world itself had swallowed him whole.

Max moved through the world of shadows, where everything felt sharper, more fluid. Navigating in the depths was much easier than skimming across the surface. Here, the shadows almost welcomed him. He quickly claimed his perch atop a broken stalagmite, crouching low as he surveyed the cavern. Reaching for his bow, he paused, reconsidered, and instead drew the twin blades at his sides. Their weight and balance were familiar now, almost comforting.

Leo floated up to join him, his presence marked by the swirling auras and spells that danced around him like faintly glowing mist. His staff rotated lazily in the air, keeping pace as he hovered inches above the ground.

Mel waited at the mouth of the cave, her stance wide and firm. Both hands gripped her mace tightly, the weapon glowing faintly with the power it held. Her sharp gaze never left the darkness ahead, every muscle ready to spring into motion at a moment’s notice.

Max shifted one of his blades to his mouth, biting down on the hilt as he rummaged through his pouch and pulled out a goblin lobber. These explosives packed a punch, sure, but they were just mild enough to avoid collapsing the cavern on their heads. At least… he hoped so.

A hideous creature emerged from the cavern’s depths, its grotesque form glistening with a foul-smelling, viscous gel that dripped in slow, sickening globs. Its claws, each longer than a compact car, gouged deep furrows into the ground as it dragged its bloated, slimy body forward. Its maw gaped open in an unnerving "O" shape, revealing countless needle-like fangs, each coated in a viscous drool that hissed as it hit the cavern floor.

The creature let out another bone-rattling roar, the sound reverberating through the chamber like a wave of pure malice. Though its head was eyeless, the beast turned as if sensing its prey. It froze mid-motion, its unsettling focus locking onto Mel’s position.

Mel didn’t wait. In a blur, she dodged to the creature’s right, her heavy footfalls echoing against the stone as Leo unleashed a rapid barrage of elemental spells. Fire, ice, and lightning streaked across the cavern, colliding with the beast’s slimy hide.

Max, wasting no time, hurled the goblin lobber with practiced precision. The explosive sailed through the air; its dull green casing gleaming faintly before it detonated against the creature’s flank with a sharp crack. Shadows enveloped Max as he sprinted through the darkness, reappearing behind the monster to flank it, his blades at the ready.

Mel weaved through the onslaught of claws and acidic spittle, her ethereal form shimmering as she evaded each deadly swipe. The creature’s attacks passed through her like mist; its frustration evident in the guttural growls that rumbled from its maw.

Seizing the opening, Max darted in from the shadows, his blades flashing as they carved into the creature’s slimy hide. The beast let out an ear-splitting shriek as its skin split, releasing a spray of putrid black blood. The corrosive liquid sizzled violently as it struck the stone, melting it in seconds.

Max leaped back just in time, narrowly avoiding the spreading pool of acidic ichor. His eyes darted to the damage he'd inflicted, deep, but not enough. Not yet.

Max’s heart raced as he darted back into the shadows, the acidic stench burning his lungs. The beast staggered, its gaping maw twisting in an unnatural way, emitting a sound that was somewhere between a growl and a laugh.

“That all you got?” Max muttered under his breath, gripping his blades tighter. He shifted his stance, ready to strike again, but then the shadows around him rippled.

At first, he thought it was just the creature’s aura, but then the air grew colder, darker. A voice, low, guttural, and impossibly near, whispered in his ear.

“You shouldn’t have come here, shadow-walker.”

Max froze. The words weren’t meant for the group. They were meant for him.