Inside, Kaiden and the group took in their surroundings. The walls stretched high in both directions, towering over them just as they had on the outside. They looked identical to the ones they’d just passed, and for some reason, Kaiden had half expected the interior to be completely different. Back in the Camp Thorne Dungeon, every single floor had been unique. Here, however, the setting felt strangely grounded, almost like an outdoor courtyard enclosed by stone.

The only visible paths lay to their left and right, the walls guiding the way in either direction. The ground beneath their feet was stone, but there were still signs of nature—trees, vines, scattered rocks—almost as if the wilderness had crept in over time. When Kaiden glanced upward, he saw a sky that seemed real enough, but a faint, misty barrier covering the top of the walls acted like a tinted screen. Sunlight filtered through easily, bathing their surroundings in natural light, but something about the barrier told Kaiden that trying to go over the walls would be impossible.

Ashkar was the first to break the silence. “Any guesses?” he asked, his voice calm but carrying an edge of impatience.

The mercenary shook his head without a word.

Kaiden knew exactly what Ashkar was asking. This wasn’t just a matter of choosing left or right. If the dungeon were straightforward, following the walls in either direction might eventually lead to the next entrance. But if this were a labyrinth—and it very well could be—choosing the wrong path could mean getting lost for hours, or worse. Since the inside of the walls was blocked from view when they’d approached the dungeon, no one knew if it was a maze or a straightforward path.

Zinnia’s voice broke into his thoughts. “We could split up,” she suggested, her tone casual.

Ashkar crossed his arms, narrowing his gaze as he considered the idea. He didn’t immediately shoot it down, and Kaiden’s stomach twisted at the thought. Splitting up felt like a gamble—a dangerous one.

Ashkar finally spoke. “I was considering that as well. I’m just not sure it’s the best decision.”

Zinnia responded, “I know what you’re thinking, but maze or not, splitting up makes more sense so we can cover more ground. You and I can handle anything that comes our way.”

Ashkar chewed over her words before responding. “But if we need to proceed together, then...” His voice trailed off, the weight of the gamble evident.

Zinnia picked up where he left off, her tone steady. “Then we can just meet back together. It should still be faster. One of us will find the right spot, and whoever needs to catch up can do so. I’ll go with Kaiden and you with the merc.”

“Why do I gotta go with him?” the mercenary asked, but his voice trailed off as the swordsman shot him a sharp glare. He quickly changed his tune. “Never mind.”

Ashkar shifted his gaze to Kaiden, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I think the newbie’s going to have a hard time keeping up.”

Zinnia shrugged, a hint of amusement in her expression. “He’s apparently not too bad himself, but you already know that.”

Ashkar made a low sound in his throat, a noncommittal hum as he nodded slowly, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.

Talks of splitting up had progressed far faster than Kaiden was comfortable with. Anxiety clawed at his chest as he imagined himself navigating this Diamond-grade dungeon without Ashkar and the mercenary. He knew Zinnia could handle herself, but could she protect him at the same time? The uncertainty was suffocating.

Kaiden forced himself to suppress the negative thoughts. This is an opportunity, he thought, trying to push down his fears. There would be loot to split, and perhaps, he could gain some valuable combat experience. If he could contribute at all, maybe he could start leveling up his abilities. He wondered, Do abilities give more experience in higher-grade dungeons?

The thought gave him a sliver of hope, a distraction from his rising panic. If he could survive—and grow—maybe this wouldn’t be as terrifying as it seemed. Maybe.

Ashkar said, “Very well, but don’t dally. We’ll go left.”

He produced a piece of paper seemingly from midair—a slender strip that looked like a bookmark—and handed it to Zinnia. She grabbed it, and the moment it touched her fingers, the paper began to dissolve into glowing motes of light.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine,” Zinnia said.

Ashkar tossed a small piece of fruit to Kaiden. “Eat this. Now.”

“Okay,” Kaiden replied, catching the fruit and examining it briefly. It looked like a berry but was smooth like a grape and about the size of a small plum. Without hesitation, he popped it into his mouth. He didn’t question it; if Ashkar wanted him dead, someone of his strength wouldn’t need poison to do the job.

Kaiden chewed and swallowed, his eyes widening in surprise as a glowing message appeared in his vision:

You’ve consumed Grapeberry of Constitution:

Temporary boost of +10 Constitution and +5% Constitution until next rest area.

“Thank you,” Kaiden said, grateful for the buff but hoping he hadn’t just triggered a flag—or worse, some kind of ominous foreshadowing.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Ashkar grunted in response before he and the mercenary took off at a jog, quickly disappearing into the left corridor.

Kaiden stared wide-eyed at the disappearing bookmark-like paper. Zinnia caught the look and smirked. “Now I’ve got you all to myself,” she teased. “Let’s go.”

Without waiting for a response, she began a brisk jog.

Kaiden quickly followed, his curiosity finally spilling over. “What was that thing Ashkar gave you?” he asked, trying to keep up.

Zinnia glanced at him with a questioning look, then chuckled. “I forget how little newbies really know about dungeons. That was a communication talisman. It lets me and Ash speak telepathically while we’re in the dungeon.”

“Like a one-time use thing?” Kaiden asked.

“Exactly,” Zinnia confirmed. “Now, I’ve got some questions for you—”

A sharp screech cut her off.

She slowed to a stop, and Kaiden, suddenly alert, did the same beside her.

“But first,” Zinnia said, her tone shifting as her gaze moved upward. “We’ve got company. Up there.”

Kaiden followed her line of sight and saw it. A winged creature was descending fast, its wings cutting through the misty air like knives. His stomach dropped. He recognized that beast immediately.

“A wyvern!” he exclaimed.

He activated Arcane Vision, his eyesight focused on the creature, scanning for magical runes or signs of enchantment but found nothing. However, the misty dome above the walls caught his attention. It was alive with swirling colors and runic patterns, shimmering faintly. He made a mental note to study them later—if he survived.

“Ooo, they look so pretty up close,” Zinnia said, her voice startlingly close.

Kaiden snapped his gaze back and nearly jumped as he found Zinnia mere inches away from his face, staring intently into his eyes.

“What?” Kaiden asked, taken aback.

“Your eyes,” Zinnia said, a grin playing on her lips. “But we’ll talk about that later.”

She stepped back, her staff crackling faintly with energy. “Stand back.”

Not allowing the creature to get too close, Zinnia unleashed an arc of lightning that streaked toward the wyvern with a deafening crack. The bolt struck true, blasting the creature out of the sky. A massive, smoldering hole appeared in its chest, and its lifeless body plummeted toward the ground.

Incredible, Kaiden thought, watching in awe. That single shot of lightning held more destructive power than thousands of Ice Shards that Tybalt could have produced at level 2. It wasn’t just powerful—it was devastating. Before the wyvern even hit the ground, its form had already begun to dissolve into the familiar pink mist.

His mind reeled as he tried to process what he was seeing. There was no doubt now—his old dungeon party wouldn’t have been able to even injure a creature like this. Yet Zinnia had taken it out with a casual ease that made Kaiden question everything he thought he knew about power in this world.

Then came another screech.

Kaiden’s eyes darted upward, his heart racing as half a dozen more wyverns descended from the misty dome above. Their cries echoed ominously, and the air seemed to thrum with the weight of their presence.

Zinnia didn’t flinch. Instead, she planted her feet firmly and raised her staff, its crystal tip beginning to pulse with an intense, electric blue light.

Kaiden could feel the energy building as the spell charged.

A few seconds passed, the pulsing growing stronger with each beat, until finally, the lightning blasted forth. This time, the bolt arced wildly in the air before splitting into multiple tendrils that sought out each of the descending wyverns.

The lightning struck them all, crackling as it connected from one wyvern to the next in rapid succession. The creatures barely had time to cry out before their bodies were pierced, smoldering, and collapsing in mid-air.

Kaiden screamed in his mind, overwhelmed with excitement. A chain lightning spell!

He couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed. Zinnia had taken down six wyverns in an instant, with a precision and power that left no room for doubt. She was powerful, very powerful. Her earlier confidence made sense.

As the last of the wyverns dissolved, Zinnia turned to Kaiden, a satisfied grin on her face. “Not bad, right?” she said, her voice brimming with amusement.

Kaiden could only nod, too stunned to form words. What have I gotten myself into?

Zinnia said, “So, where were we—oh!” She suddenly cut herself off, her eyes lighting up as she walked forward to where the wyverns had dissolved. Kaiden followed her gaze and noticed two shimmering items left on the ground.

Drops? Kaiden thought, his excitement building. He’d assumed loot only came from chests after boss fights, but there were drops too? His heart raced at the prospect of scavenging something valuable.

Zinnia reached down and picked up the items—a pair of crystal-like clusters of rock that glowed faintly in her hands. Before Kaiden could say anything, the crystals vanished, disappearing into what he assumed was her inventory.

Kaiden couldn’t suppress the frown that tugged at his lips.

Zinnia noticed immediately and chuckled, clearly amused. “What? I did all the work, so of course I get the spoils.”

Kaiden cursed internally, trying not to let his disappointment show. She wasn’t wrong—he hadn’t contributed anything to the fight. In fact, he was a liability. Still, he couldn’t help feeling let down at missing out on loot.

Zinnia tilted her head, studying him with a sly grin. “Do you even know what those were?”

Kaiden opened his mouth to respond, but no words came. He closed it again, realizing she was right—he had no clue. He shook his head, feeling a little sheepish.

“They’re mana cores,” Zinnia explained, holding up her staff as if to demonstrate. “Useful for mages, crafters, and even some alchemists.”

Kaiden nodded, trying to commit the information to memory. He hadn’t even known such items existed. “I thought loot was only found in chests”

“You won’t see monster drops until you reach Silver-grade dungeons. That’s probably why you haven’t learned about it training yet.”

Kaiden nodded. “That makes sense.”

Zinnia summoned one of the mana cores from her inventory, its faint glow reflecting in her hand. She extended it toward Kaiden with an easy smirk. “You can take a closer look, but that’s all. Seeing as this is your first time and all. I don’t mind being your first.”

Kaiden gulped, feeling a wave of anxiety for an entirely different reason. Why did she have to say it like that? Avoiding her gaze, he took the mana core from her outstretched hand, grateful for the distraction. It was heavier than it looked, its rocky form cool to the touch.

As he examined it, Kaiden couldn’t help but feel the weight of Zinnia’s scrutinizing gaze. He glanced up and met her eyes, only to find her smirking, clearly enjoying his reaction.

Kaiden forced a small, awkward smile and activated Arcane Vision. He focused on the crystal, noting the way the dark hues pulsed faintly under his enhanced sight. While it glowed faintly to the naked eye, his Arcane vision revealed a well of mana. There were no visible runes, only a deep, dark blue glow—likely due to the density of the mana. If there were no runes, he reasoned, then there were no spells or enchantments at work. This was likely a pure chunk of crystallized mana, unrefined and raw.

Before he could analyze further, Zinnia’s voice cut through his concentration.

“Now,” she said, her tone playfully serious, “we can finally talk about those magical eyes of yours.”