Underneath the midday sun, casting its radiant, unyielding light upon the earth, the trio approached the mysterious dungeon entrance once again.

They had spent invaluable time honing their synergy in battle, and with each fallen troll, they found a deeper understanding and reliance upon each other.

As they stood before the ancient, rune-carved door, an invisible yet tangible aura of anticipation and tension engulfed them.

“You sure we’re ready for this?” Anders queried, his voice steady though it carried the faint echoes of anxiety. It was not the fear of the battle that weighed on him but rather the uncertainty that lay beyond the threshold before them.

Sera, hands gripping the haft of her axe, answered without hesitation, her voice resounding with the clarion call of battle. “We’ll never be entirely ready if we keep dawdling here. There’s only forward.”

With a nod of consensus, they moved. The door, which seemed heavier than a large truck, creaked open under their combined strength, revealing the maw of the dungeon, gaping and cavernous. A burst of energy hit them, causing their hair to flutter and the mana within them to surge.

The light of day timidly ventured within, illuminating the stone-laid path descending into the abyss.

The initial corridor was wide, built with smooth stones, and the walls were etched with more of the cryptic runes, glowing faintly, providing a soft illumination in the perpetual twilight of the dungeon depths.

‘It’s much wider than last time,’ Zayzal and Sera both thought. The last dungeon only had room for about two to three people standing shoulder to shoulder. This one had room for probably 7-10. The ceiling was also taller, probably 3-4 meters high.

As they delved deeper, the air grew thick with the scent of moss and the distant, metallic tang of minerals. The temperature dropped subtly, casting a slight chill that made each of their breaths visible in the dim light.

They moved with caution, their senses on high alert. The dungeon was silent, save for their muffled footfalls.

Click. Clack.

Click. Clack.

After about a minute of walking, Sera, who was leading them, stepped forward but felt nothing under her foot. She was about to trip and tumble down the stairs when Zayzal quickly reached out and grabbed her.

Reorienting herself, Sera looked back to give Zayzal a grateful nod before carefully landing on the seemingly invisible step below her. Anders and Zayzal soon followed.

Taking things one foot at a time, they slowly descended into the dungeon. The light from the door was almost entirely gone now, making them almost completely blind.

However, Zayzal’s [Adaptability] talent immediately kicked in. It wasn’t much, but with every second that passed, his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

After several minutes, his vision had adapted enough to where he could make out a rough silhouette of the dungeon.

Tapping Sera and Anders on the shoulder, signaling them to stop, Zayzal went to Sera’s level and grasped the shield out of her hand.

Sera was curious about what he was doing but didn’t object. By now, she trusted Zayzal enough that she didn’t need to question his actions.

Tapping them again, Zayzal put their hands on his shoulders and began to move.

Another minute or so passed, and Zayzal was able to see a little better. It was far from perfect, but it was like looking through a pair of extremely dark-tinted sunglasses.

As Zayzal took another step like normal, his foot sunk into the ground, and he immediately knew something was wrong.

“Watch out!” He whispered while raising his shield.

BOOM!

Something crashed into him, knocking him back onto his companions.

“Ugh!” He grunted, feeling pain in his back and arms, but he tried to ignore that and shot back up in front of them. As the one with the shield, it was his duty to protect them.

He searched around and saw a medium-sized boulder attached to a rope dangling in front of him.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“...Traps.” He whispered to the two, who nodded and put their hands back on his shoulder.

After a brief pause, they started walking again, only to hear…

“ROAR!” The sounds of trolls bellowing came from further down the passage.

“Shit! Stay behind me! I’ll try to tell you when and where to attack!” Zayzal ordered

““Understood!””

Within seconds, the first troll appeared, running up the stairs like a mad bull! It immediately spotted Zayzal and stomped its way up before raising its fist.

“Back!” Zayzal shouted, and the three of them jumped up one stair.

BOOM!

Its fist hit the ground, and Zayzal used this chance to stab it in the shoulder and shield bash it in the face.

“Ugh?!” The troll grunted, confused, as it lost its footing and began to tumble backward, hitting the incoming trolls.

“Push forward! They’ve fallen!” Zayzal ordered, and they complied with their hands still on his shoulders.

They rushed down and stopped just 6 feet before the stampede. Zayzal grabbed Sera’s arm with his spear hand and used it to point at one of the trolls. “Your target is there, about six steps ahead.”

Then he grabbed Anders’ and did the same thing. “Same goes for you!”

“If one of the trolls is about to attack, I’ll warn and protect you! Now go!”

“Got it!”

“Sir, yes Sir!”

With hearts thundering and adrenaline coursing through their veins, Sera and Anders lunged forward, weapons brandished. Guided by Zayzal’s calculated instructions, they fell upon the disoriented trolls with ruthless precision.

“Left, Anders!” Zayzal's voice sliced through the tense air, commanding and assured. Anders swerved, his spear finding its mark in the tender flesh beneath a troll’s arm, drawing a roar of pain from the beast.

Sera cleaved through the darkness with her axe, ready to chop whatever enemies in front of her to pieces. “Two steps forward, swing low!” Zayzal directed, and she complied, her axe biting into the knee of another advancing troll, bringing it down with a crash.

Zayzal dashed in and jumped on the third troll that had already gotten up. He smashed its face in with his shield before landing and thrusting the spear into its eye socket, through its brain.

Yanking it out, he did the same thing to the two other fall trolls, finishing them off mercilessly.

“All clear, but more incoming.” He declared, forcing the other two back into position.

As they assumed their positions again, the oppressive dark of the dungeon seemed to grow denser, more smothering, wrapping its icy fingers around their senses. The distant growls of approaching trolls melded with the eerie atmosphere of the cave.

"Anders, right! Two steps, thrust!" Zayzal’s voice punctured the stillness with startling clarity.

Heeding the call, Anders moved swiftly, his body a blur of controlled motion as he complied, spear darting forward into the unseen, yet met with the unmistakable thud of impact and a guttural cry of pain from another approaching troll.

Sera’s muscles coiled, ready to spring into action, her gaze darting through the darkness, attempting to discern the outlines of their adversaries.

Zayzal’s next command was swift and sharp. “Sera, forward and swing! Wide arc!”

Without hesitation, the powerful woman lunged, her axe describing a deadly arc through the gloom, connecting with the tough, leathery flesh of the trolls with a satisfying crunch. The sound was followed by a choked roar as one of the creatures stumbled, grievously wounded.

But the trio knew better than to celebrate prematurely. Each wounded troll was still a dangerous adversary, and in the echoing confines of the dungeon, even a dying growl could attract more of the lurking dangers hidden within the shadowy maze.

Another troll came barreling in through the other two, heading toward Zazyal. This caught him a bit by surprise, but he quickly recovered and reacted. Blocking the punch, he was slammed against the wall with a loud bang, but he kept his eyes open and still gave out orders.

“Sera! Swing to your right! Anders! Sweep to your left!”

The two didn’t hesitate to follow orders, and within a second, the sound of steel penetrating flesh resounded through the dungeon.

“Ugh!” Zayzal forced himself up again despite feeling aches and pains in his back and shot forward, thrusting his spear into the troll’s screaming mouth.

Sera, having a rough understanding of where it was, removed her axe and dropped it on the monster’s head, breaking its skull.

After it fell down, dead, Zayzal rushed over to the other two and finished them off.

“I don’t see any more. Let’s walk forward a bit to rest, then continue after.”

“Alright.”

“Haa… Haa… Sounds good.”

The trio did just that. They walked a bit past the corpses and found a nice step to sit on before stopping to take a little break.

The darkness around them seemed to ripple as their eyes played tricks on them. Their breaths echoed eerily in the confined space, and the scent of blood permeated throughout the area.

After an unknown amount of time, most likely around 15 minutes, the three got up and kept moving. Zayzal had checked his injuries and deemed them to be minor, but they would probably leave a few giant bruises.

In the dim, treacherous depths of the dungeon, the trio moved as one with total concentration.

However, the darkness concealed more than just trolls; it veiled the numerous traps and pitfalls ingeniously laid out to thwart intruders.

Yet, with Zayzal’s eyes gradually piercing through the shroud of shadow, navigating the dangerous terrain became somewhat less perilous. Their pace was slow and methodical, each step measured, each breath held in anticipation of unseen dangers.

Time lost its meaning in the enveloping blackness.

Their world was reduced to the immediate space around them, a bubble of reality floating through an endless sea of darkness.

As they advanced, the air became dense with mana, the very atmosphere undulating with power. It was oppressive, bearing down on them with invisible weight, yet it also energized them, fuelling their senses and reflexes with supernatural sharpness.

After what seemed like hours but was most likely just minutes, the narrow passage opened up into a wider cavern, its ceiling lost to the impenetrable dark. Runes, larger and more intricate than those on the walls of the corridor, were carved into the floor, casting an eerie, pulsating glow across the stone and lighting up the room.

In the center of the cavern stood a massive statue of a troll, its visage twisted into a permanent snarl, eyes crafted from glowing gems that seemed to watch them with malevolent intent. Around its base, at least a dozen real trolls knelt as if worshipping their stone deity.