Kaiden's heart beat rapidly in his chest as he took in his surroundings. He was way out of his element and comfort zone as he looked around. They were at the top of a valley, but it was massive. Trees and nature stretched in all directions, a vibrant green sea that seemed both inviting and menacing. At the bottom of the valley lay an obelisk, black as night and shimmering faintly under the sunlight, surrounded by walls—layers of walls.

It looked to be about two dozen rings. Each ring was a separate enclosure, walled around the next, meaning the outermost ring was the largest and the inner ring, circling the obelisk, was the smallest. However, the spaces in between the rings were obscured, shrouded in shadow or magic, making it impossible to see what lay within. Each ring was massive, and the sheer scale of it all was dizzying.

Ashkar was the first to break the silence. "At least we know how many floors it's gonna be," he said, his tone cool and detached as always, though his golden eyes glinted with the faintest hint of amusement.

"Right," Zinnia nodded, her chestnut hair catching the light as she spoke, arms crossed in a way that said she was already calculating a plan.

The mercenary didn’t say anything. He kept his sharp, discerning eyes fixed forward, as if trying to glean something vital from their vantage point.

Kaiden, of course, was the only one utterly clueless. His throat was dry as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Does that mean there are no floors and we just need to reach the obelisk? he wondered aloud, his voice trembling just enough to betray his nerves.

Ashkar and Zinnia turned sharply to look at him, and Kaiden immediately regretted speaking. He instinctively shrank back under their gazes, as if he'd just blurted out something laughably naive—which, to them, he probably had.

These people were titans in their own right. The mercenary, probably the weakest of the three, could still end Kaiden in seconds. Zinnia was more of an unknown, but he guessed she was close in strength to the swordsman, Ash. Obviously, they made him extremely nervous. He didn’t trust any of them—how could he? They’d dragged him here against his will, without any concern for his circumstances. And now, they were in a Diamond-grade dungeon. He didn’t know what would kill him first: the dungeon or his party.

"Does that mean there are no floors, and we just—" Kaiden began to repeat, only to falter as Ashkar cut him off.

"The rings are the floors," Ashkar said, his tone tinged with annoyance. "Each one’s probably got its own trials, traps, or Oros-knows-what."

Zinnia nodded again, her expression unreadable. "The obelisk is the heart of it. Reach that, beat the final boss and we clear the dungeon."

"That’s if we make it through," the mercenary muttered, finally speaking up. His voice was deep and gravelly, yet oddly calm—like someone who’d long ago made peace with danger. He didn’t even glance at Kaiden as he spoke, his focus still locked on the obelisk below.

“And why wouldn’t we make it through?” Ashkar asked incredulously. “You planning something?”

The mercenary shook his head. “Not because of me.” He leveled his gaze at Kaiden, making it obvious what he meant.

“His well-being is of no concern to you,” Zinnia said.

The mercenary just shrugged, not caring to argue.

The swordsman sucked his teeth as he looked over Kaiden. “Better stay alive, newbie. I only dragged you here because we need you for something. We just don’t know what yet.”

Kaiden swallowed hard, glancing back at the ominous structure. It loomed in the distance like a silent predator, waiting. The wind shifted, rustling the leaves around them as he tried to psych himself up. Yes, he was way out of his depth, but if he survived, the rewards could be immense. He might even progress by leaps and bounds. Then another thought flickered in his mind: loot. This wasn’t a military-sanctioned run. Technically, he should have some claim to the spoils. But would these people even let him? If they decided to cut him out completely, there was little he could do about it.

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Worse still was the other problem gnawing at the back of his mind. Once he got out—no, if he got out—what would happen to him? He was obviously breaking orders by being here, and he didn’t want to imagine the consequences of that. There was a small glimmer of hope, however. Zinnia had said she’d take care of it. But what did that even mean? He had no way of knowing, and the uncertainty weighed on him as much as the looming danger ahead.

“Let’s go,” Ashkar said. “You’re up front, Merc.”

The mercenary snorted but didn’t reply, instead hefting the shield Ashkar had handed him and pressing forward. The rest of the group followed somewhat in formation. Ashkar moved to the left, just behind the mercenary, while Kaiden took up the rear. Zinnia positioned herself beside Kaiden, beaming at him with a wide smile, her eyes shining with delight, as if he were a fascinating new toy she’d just discovered. Her demeanor was completely at odds with the gravity of a Diamond-grade dungeon, and needless to say, it made Kaiden extremely nervous.

“Uhh... yes?” Kaiden asked.

After her appraising look, Zinnia looked over her shoulder and spoke to Ashkar. “Got anything for our Bracer, Ash?”

The swordsman glanced back, his golden eyes narrowing as they landed on Kaiden’s gear—or lack thereof. A deep frown settled on his face. Kaiden didn’t have armor, weapons, or even a pack, seeing as he’d only been out for a morning run when he was dragged into this nightmare.

Ashkar crossed his arms, his voice dripping with disapproval. “Hmm. Let me see. Can’t have the newbie dying so soon.”

Kaiden saw an opportunity and quickly jumped in before any more names could stick. “My name is—”

“Kaiden,” Zinnia interrupted, finishing his sentence for him.

Kaiden’s eyes widened. “How do you know that?”

Zinnia turned back toward him, her face lighting up with a mischievous grin. “That’s not all I know,” she said, her voice lilting with an almost sing-song quality.

Kaiden blinked, a chill running through him at her words. He opened his mouth to press further, but before he could, Ashkar approached with a bundle of gear in his arms, grumbling under his breath.

“Here,” the swordsman said curtly, dropping the items at Kaiden’s feet with little ceremony. “It’s nothing fancy, but it’s strong. Should keep you alive.”

Kaiden knelt to inspect the gear—a light metal cuirass, a pair of sturdy wristguards, and two small buckler-like shields. He frowned. “There’s no weapon,” he pointed out, glancing up at Ashkar.

The swordsman harrumphed, waving him off. “Like you need a weapon. That’s what I’m here for. Now stop complaining and get it on so we can move.”

Kaiden inwardly sighed as he started strapping on the cuirass. The fit wasn’t perfect, but it felt solid enough. The bucklers were another matter entirely. Their compact size made them easy to handle, but holding two shields still felt awkward and unwieldy.

Satisfied Kaiden wouldn’t immediately collapse under the weight, Ashkar turned sharply and strode back to his position in the formation without another word.

Zinnia glanced back at Kaiden as he fumbled with the gear. Her expression was a mixture of amusement and curiosity, the kind that made Kaiden feel uncomfortably exposed, as if she were reading pages of a book he hadn’t written yet. She leaned on her staff and quipped, “You know, Kaiden, those shields suit you. Really drives home the ‘newbie’ vibe.”

Kaiden tightened the straps on the cuirass, glancing up with a mix of annoyance and resignation. “Funny,” he muttered under his breath. The bucklers were uncomfortable. They looked sturdy enough, but wielding two at once felt awkward, and Kaiden wasn’t even sure how he was supposed to use them effectively. Just not dying is good enough I suppose.

Zinnia snapped her fingers, and her outfit began to shimmer, shifting and twisting as if woven from living light. In moments, her casual travel attire transformed into elegant mage robes of deep violet trimmed with silver glyphs, each one faintly glowing as though charged with energy. A long, slender staff materialized in her hand, its head adorned with a softly pulsing crystal encased in intricate runes.

Kaiden’s jaw dropped. He’d never seen anything like it. The fluidity, the seamlessness of her transformation—it was like something out of a storybook.

Zinnia chuckled, clearly enjoying his reaction. She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a near whisper. “When there are fewer ears around, we’ve got a few things to talk about,” she said, her tone teasing but laced with a hint of something deeper. Then, at a normal volume, she added with a smirk, “That’s if you survive, of course.”

Kaiden didn’t know what to make of her. Everything about Zinnia was unpredictable and enigmatic, from her demeanor to her unsettling knowledge about him. But one thing was certain—she intrigued him more than he cared to admit. Unsure how to respond, he simply nodded, his face serious and his mind swirling with questions.

Ashkar, who had been impatiently watching the exchange, barked, “Stop teasing the newbie and let him gear up so we can finally set out!”

So much for letting his name be known.

Zinnia raised her hands in mock surrender, her sly smile never faltering. “Fine, fine,” she said, her voice light and unconcerned, as though they weren’t standing at the precipice of a deadly dungeon.

But before Kaiden could finish strapping on his wristguards, the mercenary broke his silence. “Wait,” he said, his gravelly voice cutting through the moment like a blade. “We still have something to settle before we head out.”

Ashkar mumbled something under his breath, clearly annoyed. “What is it now?” he demanded, his tone sharp.

The mercenary met his gaze without flinching and said a single word. “Loot.”