The party stood outside Daggerpoint, doing light stretches as they waited for the go-ahead to enter the dungeon. Corporal Greaves had already given them a detailed rundown of her battle plan and everyone’s abilities the day prior.

Lena, the Striker, focused on speed and precision, wielding twin daggers to dash in and out of combat quickly. Joren, the Caster, specialized in rock magic, his abilities providing both offensive power and defensive utility. Corporal Greaves herself wielded a massive battleaxe and had the ability to harden her skin and enhance her muscles, making her the natural tank of the group.

Kaiden, meanwhile, felt his nerves gnawing at him as he stared at the bronze door ahead. This dive was different from anything he’d faced before. In his last dungeon, his party only needed him to survive. In battle, he was dead weight, and his contributions hadn’t gone much further than staying alive. But here, now, with this team, it was different. He had to prove himself, to show that he could provide the support they needed. These weren’t just temporary allies—they were the people he’d be diving with for the foreseeable future. He wanted to make a good impression, not just for their sakes but for his own.

“How much longer are they gonna make us wait?” Corporal Greaves huffed, crossing her arms impatiently.

They were the first party of the day to tackle the dungeon, but someone had forgotten the key to unlock the cage containing the dimensional bags. All loot went into those, and without them, they couldn’t officially begin their dive.

Joren yawned, stretching his arms overhead. “I could’ve slept in longer if I’d known,” he said lazily, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Don’t be lazy,” Greaves admonished, her tone sharp but not unkind.

“Yes, Corporal,” Joren replied with mock obedience, his grin widening.

Greaves rolled her eyes. “Don’t start with that,” she said, shaking her head. Then as if a new thought just occurred to her, she turned to Kaiden. “Oh yeah, that reminds me—when we’re diving, you can just call me Anya or Greaves. Don’t worry about military protocol. The only thing I care about is getting us all back alive and in one piece.”

Kaiden nodded quickly. “Understood.”

“Good,” Greaves said, nodding in satisfaction.

Lena chimed in, a playful grin lighting up her face. “I’m with Joren. They’re messing with my beauty sleep, Corporal.”

Greaves let out an exaggerated groan. “Ugh, not you too.”

Lena and Joren chuckled, clearly amused. Kaiden couldn’t help but smile as the lighthearted banter eased some of the tension weighing on him. Despite his nerves, their camaraderie made him feel like he might just fit in after all.

As the minutes ticked by, more Dungeoneers began lining up, waiting for the dimensional bags to be available. At least they hadn’t forgotten the potion pouches. Kaiden let his hand rest on the pouch strapped securely to his waist. It was identical to the one he had been issued back at Camp Thorne. As they waited, he idly watched groups of civilian divers heading into the dungeon ahead of them, their chatter and excited expressions contrasting sharply with the Dungeoneers’ who were antsy having to wait on dimensional bags.

Anya had explained earlier that this dungeon, like Camp Thorne and most dungeons in Aterra, was an instanced dungeon. That meant there was no limit to how many parties could enter at any given time, with each group experiencing its own version of the dungeon without interference from others.

Suddenly, a Private First Class came sprinting up, slightly out of breath, holding up a key. “I got it, Sergeant!” he called out.

A small cheer went through the gathered Dungeoneers as the PFC handed the key to the sergeant on duty, who was stationed near the cage holding the dimensional bags. The sergeant muttered something under his breath about stupid keys as he unlocked the cage and began pulling out the pouches.

After a few seconds, the sergeant tossed a pouch to Corporal Greaves. “Here ya go, Greaves.”

“Thanks, Sergeant,” Anya said with a grin, catching the pouch. She turned back to her party, holding it up triumphantly. “Finally! Let’s go!”

The group stepped forward together, stopping just before the massive bronze door. Without hesitation, they each placed their hands on its cold, smooth surface.

“To boss and back,” Anya said firmly.

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“To boss and back,” the others echoed, their voices steady.

In an instant, the door activated, glowing faintly with energy. A heartbeat later, the party disappeared into the dungeon.

The party found themselves in a dense forest, unlike anything Kaiden had ever seen. The trees were massive, their trunks wide enough to rival small buildings. The air smelled earthy and slightly sweet, likely from the enormous mushrooms scattered throughout the forest floor. Each mushroom was the size of a cow, their thick stalks supporting caps that were painted in hues of blue, green, and orange. Despite the wildness of the forest, a clear path cut through the underbrush, its well-worn dirt trail leading deeper into the dungeon.

“Alright, time to see what the newbie’s got,” Greaves said, taking point.

The others fell into formation seamlessly, as if they’d done it a hundred times before. Kaiden, already briefed on the positioning, moved to the back without needing to be told. They formed a diamond shape, with Greaves at the front, Joren on the left, Lena on the right, and Kaiden bringing up the rear.

Greaves began walking down the path, her battleaxe resting on her shoulder. The group moved silently but with purpose, their boots crunching softly on the dirt. After a few minutes, Greaves suddenly raised a hand, signaling the group to halt.

“I see movement,” she said, her voice low but calm. She gestured toward a patch of bushes just ahead and slightly to the left. The rustling was unmistakable—and it was heading straight for them.

The bushes shook violently before five small figures leapt out. Kaiden’s eyebrows shot up at the sight. Little green creatures, each no taller than his waist, wearing loincloths and wielding crude weapons. Their twisted, ugly faces were unmistakable.

“Yep. Goblins,” Greaves said with a smirk. “Looks like the first floor’s an easy one, Hayward.”

“Okay,” Kaiden replied, unsure of what else to say. He realized, with a touch of amusement, that no matter what world you were in, goblins always seemed to be the bottom of the food chain.

Greaves didn’t hesitate. “Joren, take the three at the back. Lena, I’ll leave the two up front to you.”

“Ugh, I hate goblins,” Lena muttered, shuddering in disgust, but she drew her weapons and waited for her opening.

Joren on the other hand was already channeling his magic. Two rocks formed in front of his outstretched hands, their rough edges smoothing out as more rocks joined together, growing in size like clumps of clay melding into one. With a flick of his wrists, he sent the first two rocks flying. They shot through the air with surprising speed, smashing into the faces of two goblins in the back, dropping them instantly. Another rock formed quickly, and Joren launched it at the third goblin, hitting it squarely in the chest and sending it sprawling into the dirt.

That final attack seemed to be Lena’s signal. She darted forward just as the two remaining goblins reached Greaves. In a flash of movement, Lena appeared on the flank of one goblin, her twin daggers flashing out in a flurry of strikes that left the creature crumpled on the ground. She seemed to vanish just as quickly, reappearing on the opposite side of the last goblin. A series of rapid slashes left the goblin staggering before it collapsed alongside its companions.

The entire encounter lasted no more than a few seconds.

Greaves turned to Kaiden with a smirk, clearly proud of her teammates. “Not bad, huh?” she said, her tone casual but unmistakably pleased.

“That was pretty amazing,” Kaiden admitted, and he was genuine. If he’d never gone to the Diamond-grade dungeon, he might’ve struggled to even follow Lena’s rapid movements or multistrike ability. But the truth was, it all seemed slow to him now. He could clearly follow every strike, every spell, every movement. Inwardly, he grinned to himself.

This might be easier than I thought.

The party continued forward, cutting through the mobs of goblins with ease. Kaiden had yet to activate any abilities, as no one had taken so much as a scratch. From time to time, he activated Arcane Vision, but there was nothing out of the ordinary to see, so he kept it off. With the Heart of Nyssalith, his mana pool was now enormous, and he could afford to keep Arcane Vision on far longer than before, but he still chose to conserve it. Even if he did find any worth it loot, he wouldn’t get to keep it, so what’s the point. They were nearing the boss fight, and it was better to ensure he was fully prepared to heal everyone if things went sideways.

The path ahead narrowed slightly, leading to a thicket of bushes. From beyond the bushes, the sound of rhythmic drumming reached their ears. As they moved closer, the drumming grew louder, accompanied by squabbling and guttural chanting.

“I’m betting this is the boss,” Greaves said, her tone light but edged with anticipation.

They pushed through the bushes and emerged into a large clearing. What they saw stopped them in their tracks.

Two dozen goblins were dancing wildly around a central figure—a massive goblin seated on a crude throne made of bones. He was adorned in mismatched scraps of leather and fur, and a jagged crown sat crookedly on his oversized head. A long, rusted blade rested across his lap, and his beady red eyes scanned the dancing goblins with an air of authority. Two smaller goblins sat cross-legged on the ground to either side of the throne, pounding furiously on drums that reverberated through the clearing.

There was a painted circle on the ground surrounding the entire camp. No doubt this was the aggro line. Stepping over it would start the boss fight. For the moment, they were free to prepare.

Kaiden’s gaze swept over the scene. Two dozen goblins was a large number. The largest group they’d fought so far had been twelve, and this was double that—plus a boss. It was clear this would be their toughest challenge yet.

“Finally, things’ll get a little interesting,” Greaves said, a grin spreading across her face. Her anxious smile suggested she wasn’t the least bit worried.

Joren and Lena, on the other hand, didn’t share her enthusiasm. “That’s a lot of goblins,” Joren muttered, his brow furrowed.

“Oh, Oros, why?” Lena squealed dramatically, throwing her hands in the air.

“We got this,” Greaves said confidently, hefting her battleaxe and stepping forward. “Let’s go!”