Under all the heavy blows he was absorbing, Davick unleashed a Gust at the mage, interrupting its channeling. The spell worked to break its concentration, though it didn’t do any actual damage, being deflected by its barrier. But those few seconds gave them a precious window.

Suddenly, Tybalt began firing stronger and faster Ice Shards, to the team’s visible relief and excitement. Kaiden realized he must’ve leveled up his ability—a lucky break that couldn’t have come at a better time. Tybalt focused his shards on a single skeleton on the right, while Coren handled the left, cleaving through armored bones with powerful swings.

Davick’s breaths grew labored as he absorbed hit after hit, using both hands on his massive shield to keep the attention of the skeletal warriors. "Mana!" he shouted, sweat pouring down his face.

Kaiden didn’t hesitate. He smashed a mana potion on Davick’s back, where the shards of glass vanished as Davick absorbed the rejuvenating energy instantly. Just as Kaiden turned back to the fight, Coren downed one skeleton warrior, and Tybalt took down another with a well-placed ice shard. The two of them turned to focus on the next pair, but then the mage finished its channeling, pointing its staff toward the skeletal warriors. Green energy twisted in the air, and another skeletal warrior began materializing out of the ground.

“Damn it!” Davick spat. “He’s summoning more of them!”

“Kaiden!” Tybalt yelled. “Interrupt that mage!”

“Got it!” Kaiden responded, adrenaline firing through him. He darted around the battlefield, weaving between Davick and Tybalt to circle toward the mage. With a powerful swing, he struck the mage’s staff with his sword. The impact jolted the mage back, forcing it to stumble as the summoning spell dissolved into nothingness. Kaiden grinned—just as he suspected, the barrier shielded it only from magic. A good physical strike did the trick.

"Mana!" Davick called out again, his voice strained as he held his ground.

“On it!” Kaiden shouted, rushing back to Davick and shattering another mana potion against his shield. Davick exhaled in relief as the energy flowed into him, just as Coren and Tybalt brought down two more of the skeletal warriors.

But then, Kaiden caught a glimpse of the mage in the corner of his vision. While Kaiden had been assisting Davick, the mage had begun channeling a new ability. Before he could reach it, the mage pointed its staff and released a pulsing orb of dark magic that shot across the room, slamming into Coren’s chest. Coren was hurled backward, his armor denting with the impact as he hit the stone floor, skidding to a stop against the wall.

“Coren’s down!” Tybalt shouted, his face tight with urgency.

Kaiden bolted to Coren’s side, but the skeletal warrior Coren had been fighting turned its attention to him. The skeleton swung its massive weapon, and Kaiden barely dodged to the side. Seeing the spot where Coren had nearly severed its neck, Kaiden seized the opportunity and swung his sword with all his might. His blade cleaved through the remaining bone, decapitating the monster as it crumbled to the floor.

Kaiden dropped to one knee beside Coren, feeling a rush of relief as he saw the warrior stirring, coughing, and struggling to sit up.

“You okay?” Kaiden asked, helping Coren to sit up.

Coren coughed, and Kaiden’s heart lurched as he saw blood flecked on his lips. Coren’s voice was faint as he mumbled, “Potion…” Kaiden quickly pulled a health potion from his pack, tilting it to Coren’s lips. Coren drank gratefully, his breathing easing as he weakly tried to push himself to his feet. He was still shaky and would need a few moments to get back into the fight. Kaiden didn’t know exactly how much health Coren had just lost, but from the way he looked, another hit like that could easily finish him.

Kaiden turned back to the battle to see that Tybalt had brought down another skeletal warrior, leaving only one left. Unfortunately, this last one had a shield, and Tybalt’s Ice Shards kept glancing off uselessly. And all the while, the mage had begun channeling yet another spell, dark energy pooling around its staff.

“Damn it!” Kaiden muttered, readying himself to rush in and interrupt the spell. But just as he was about to move, Davick’s strained voice cut through the air. “Stamina!” he yelled, his breath labored.

Kaiden spun toward him instead, darting over to where Davick was locked in combat with the shielded skeleton. Kaiden didn’t hesitate—he smashed a stamina potion against Davick’s back, watching as the green liquid spread over him, instantly reviving his flagging energy.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

With a nod of thanks, Davick steadied his stance, bracing himself for the next strike when Tybalt shouted “Mana!” and Kaiden rushed over and crushed a potion on the Caster.

Meanwhile, the mage’s channeling grew stronger, dark tendrils crackling in the air as it prepared a powerful spell.

Right after after delivering the potion, Kaiden darted for the mage, but changed direction when he saw the mage turn toward Tybalt, its staff aimed directly at him.

“Tybalt, watch out!” Kaiden shouted, seeing the same deadly orb that had struck Coren forming at the tip of the staff. Tybalt looked up, caught off guard, his eyes widening like a deer in headlights. Without thinking, Kaiden threw himself in front of the attack, shield raised. The orb collided with the shield, but it was larger than the shield, and part of it struck him square in the chest, blasting him backward. He crashed hard into the wall, the impact knocking the breath out of him as his vision blurred.

A few seconds passed, and Kaiden’s hearing slowly returned, the muffled shouts around him coming into focus. He blinked, dazed, and saw the mage channeling yet another spell. Coren, back in the fight, was dispatching the last skeleton warrior with a powerful decapitation. The moment the skeleton fell, Coren charged at the mage, and Davick ran over to Kaiden.

“Kaiden!” Davick called, his voice laced with panic.

Kaiden forced himself to his feet, wincing. “I’m fine,” he said, waving Davick off.

Davick exhaled in relief, but Tybalt’s sharp voice cut in. “Davick, help Coren!”

Davick shot Tybalt a glare but didn’t respond, silently turning to join Coren in pressing the attack against the mage. Kaiden took a quick look at his condition page—the blast had done a solid 50 points of damage, but his regeneration was already working to close the gap. He wondered how much damage he would’ve taken if he was hit directly like Coren.

Tybalt glanced at Kaiden and said, “Take a potion. Hurry.”

“I don’t need it,” Kaiden replied.

Tybalt nodded, saying nothing more, and Kaiden caught an odd expression in his eyes—a flicker of something almost like gratitude. It was strange; he half-expected Tybalt to snap at him for using his first name in battle, but perhaps saving his life had earned Kaiden a little grace.

Now that the skeleton warriors were gone, Coren and Davick had an easier time. The mage was vulnerable tophysical attacks, and without its summons for defense, it was no match against the two of them. They cornered it against the wall, and with a swift series of strikes, Davick shattered the mage’s staff with his heavy axe while Coren cleaved through its skull. The skeleton mage crumbled to the ground, its bones dissolving into pink mist.

The group regrouped in the center of the room, catching their breath. Kaiden looked around, realizing just how easily this fight could have turned fatal for other teams. The victory was a huge boost to their confidence—right up until Davick suddenly turned on Tybalt.

Without warning, Davick stepped up to Tybalt, his face twisted with anger. “What the hell is your problem, Tybalt?” he snapped.

Tybalt raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as if unbothered. “Excuse me?”

“You just stood there staring at that attack like a damn fool, and Kaiden had to save your sorry hide,” Davick said, his voice rising. “You didn’t even have the decency to say ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry’! He took that hit for you—”

“I didn’t ask him to!” Tybalt snapped, his voice icy. “I’m here to lead, not to hold your hand through every fight.”

Davick clenched his fists. “Lead? Is that what you call freezing up in front of an incoming enemy attack?”

The air grew thick with tension as they glared at each other. Kaiden glanced at Coren, who gave a slight shake of his head, as if to say, Let them sort it out.

After a long, tense moment, Tybalt drew a slow breath, his gaze still hard. “I’m not saying thank you for someone doing their job. That’s what’s expected.”

“Doing his job!?” Davick snapped, his voice rising.

Before it could progress any further, Kaiden stepped forward, placing a calming hand on Davick’s shoulder. “It’s fine. I knew I could take the hit. Let’s just move on.”

“See?” Tybalt said, still refusing to back down.

Davick’s mouth opened, ready to fire back, but then he hesitated, his jaw tightening as if reconsidering his words. Finally, he huffed and turned away. “Whatever,” he muttered. “Let’s just keep going.”

Kaiden felt a surge of gratitude toward Davick. The guy had his back in a way no one had before. Back home, he hadn’t had friends like that. When his condition had worsened, he’d pushed everyone away, choosing a life of solitude. It was painful in a way he could barely describe, even compared to the brutal, life-or-death battles he now found himself in with dungeon monsters. But he wouldn’t trade this for anything.

Here, he was learning to come out of his shell again, bit by bit, even relearning how to talk to people without keeping them at arm’s length. Maybe he’d even find a hobby or something he genuinely enjoyed. The thought gave him a strange, quiet hope. If he survived this dungeon and officially became a Dungeoneer, he’d have freedom he hadn’t tasted in years—no more endless military training, no more isolation. Sure, he’d still have to complete dungeons, but that was more like a day job. He couldn’t help the smile that crept on his face at that thought.

His musings were interrupted by a deep rumbling sound. The far wall behind where the mage had stood began to tremble, the stone groaning as it slid open, revealing a smaller chamber beyond. In the center of the room, a swirling portal shimmered, casting faint light across a second treasure chest resting beside it.

Davick nudged him with a grin. “Well, there’s our cue. Ready for the next floor?”

Kaiden grinned back, his confidence renewed. “More than ready.”