The Tierless dungeon wasn’t nearly as terrifying as Perci thought it’d be. Creepy? Definitely. The glowing webs clinging to the walls were enough to make her shiver, and the damp air smelled weird—like old socks and moss. But scary? Not yet.

Perci twirled one of her daggers between her fingers, the cold steel comforting. She scanned the narrow stone hallway ahead, her sharp eyes darting to every flicker of light and shadow. Alright, time to see if all that training wasn’t a waste.

Up ahead, Marcus led the group with his usual swagger. Always the fearless leader. She rolled her eyes fondly. He kept checking the shadows like he expected something dramatic to leap out at any second.

Mia was in the middle, her bow in hand, her steps deliberate and cautious. Her wide-eyed stare darted nervously at the walls as if one of the webs might come alive. She’s wound tighter than a spring. Mia’s steady grip on her bow said she was ready to shoot anything that dared to move.

Bringing up the rear, Timothy groaned as he yanked his hammer free from a sticky patch of webbing.

Timothy eyed the sticky walls and swung his hammer into a particularly dense web. “Bet this stuff’s stronger than rope,” he muttered, experimentally stretching a broken strand. “If this fails, I’m crafting spider silk armor next time.”

“Because fashion is really what you need,” Perci quipped.

Mia stifled a laugh. “At least it’s not slimy.”

“Yet,” Marcus called back with a grin.

The group chuckled as they moved further in, but Perci stayed sharp, her instincts humming. Something about the silence felt too perfect, too still.

The laughter faded when the clicking started.

It was faint at first, like the tick of tiny claws on stone. Perci’s smirk disappeared in an instant, her dagger now held in a white-knuckled grip. She raised a hand to stop the group, her senses on high alert.

“You guys hear that?” she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Marcus turned, his confident posture stiffening as he adjusted his grip on his sword. “Hear what?”

“It’s like... claws?” Mia said, her voice shaky as she glanced nervously at the shadowy ceiling above them.

“Oh, great,” Timothy groaned, gripping his hammer tighter. “Dungeon crabs. My worst nightmare.”

Perci rolled her eyes. “Focus,” she snapped, her tone sharper now. She edged closer to the wall, her daggers raised, as the sound grew louder, more distinct.

“Something’s watching us,” Perci muttered. She shot a quick glance at Mia, who looked ready to bolt. “Stay calm,” Perci said, her voice steady despite the way her heart was hammering. “We’ve got this. No big deal, right?”

Marcus nodded, his eyes narrowed. “Everyone ready?” he asked, his sword raised.

Perci’s lips twitched into a grin. “Always.”

But inside, her nerves buzzed. The dungeon felt alive, like it was holding its breath. She shifted her weight, keeping light on her feet. “Alright,” she thought, her gaze darting into the growing darkness ahead. “Show me what you’ve got.”

The sound of claws scraping stone grew louder, closing in from the shadows.

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Perci had barely taken another step when a dark blur dropped from the ceiling. A spider the size of a dog stood before her, its thin legs tapping against the stone floor as its glowing red eyes locked onto her.

“Oh, gross!” Perci yelled, her daggers flashing out instinctively. She dove to the side, slashing at the creature’s legs. One of her blades connected, slicing clean through.

“That’s one!” she called over her shoulder, spinning around to face the others. More spiders were descending from the webs above, their legs scraping as they scurried down toward the group.

“Two!” Marcus shouted, stepping forward and swinging his sword. The blade caught a spider mid-jump, slicing it in two.

Mia shot an arrow, her hands steady despite the tension lining her shoulders. “Focus on the ceiling!” she called, her voice sharper than usual. The arrow hit true, sinking into a spider’s abdomen as it twitched violently. The arrow hit true, sinking into a spider’s abdomen. The creature twitched violently before collapsing. “Three,” she said softly, her confidence growing with each shot.

Timothy swung his hammer with both hands, the weight of the weapon making up for his clumsy form. His strike connected with a spider trying to sneak up on Mia, smashing it into the ground with a loud crack. “And four! Who’s keeping score?” he shouted, grinning.

Perci smirked as she darted forward, her movements quick and fluid. She slid beneath a spider as it lunged at her, slashing upward with both daggers. “Too slow,” she muttered, already looking for the next target.

As she fought, Perci’s sharp eyes darted between her teammates, watching how they handled themselves. Marcus was holding the front like always, his sword gleaming with every swing. But his strikes were wide, leaving him open. Careful, showoff. Perci thought with a smirk. You’re not invincible.

Mia was doing well, her arrows flying steadily, each one finding its mark. Perci noticed that Mia wasn’t overusing her fire magic, only summoning small bursts when a spider got too close. Smart, she’s learning to pace herself.

Timothy’s hammer wasn’t exactly subtle, but it was effective. He smashed through webbing and spiders alike, his swings heavy but dependable. He’s like a wrecking ball. Perci thought, dodging another spider. Not graceful, but solid.

The fight dragged on longer than Perci expected. Marcus stumbled as a spider lunged at him from the side, its fangs scraping his armor before Mia’s arrow found its mark. Timothy smashed another spider to the ground but nearly lost his grip on his hammer as sticky webbing coiled around the handle. Perci swore under her breath as her dagger slipped from her grasp, forcing her to kick a spider back before recovering her weapon.

But soon enough, the group managed to take out the last of the spiders.

Perci wiped her daggers on a patch of webbing, flicking the gooey mess off with a grimace. “Not bad,” she said, glancing at Marcus. “But maybe next time, don’t try to solo everything, huh?”

Marcus laughed, wiping his blade clean. “Jealous of my kill count?” His grin faltered for a moment as he glanced at the dim corridor ahead, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face before he shook it off.

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“Hardly,” Perci said, rolling her eyes but smiling.

Mia sighed, lowering her bow. “Do you think there’ll be more?”

“Spiders are like bad roommates—they don’t just disappear after one argument,” Perci replied, her gaze darting to the webs above.

Timothy groaned, leaning on his hammer. “Great. More sticky, creepy monsters. Can’t wait.”

Perci grinned, adjusting her daggers in her grip. “Oh, come on. You know you’re having fun.”

Timothy gave her a half-hearted glare but couldn’t help smiling. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s just hope the next ones aren’t any bigger.”

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The last spider crumpled to the ground, its legs twitching weakly before going still. Perci scanned the walls and ceiling to make sure nothing else was waiting to drop on them.

“All clear,” she said, standing up and brushing sticky webbing off her sleeves. She made a face. “Ugh. I’m never getting this off.”

“Not bad for a warm-up, huh?” Marcus said, grinning as he wiped his sword on his sleeve. His voice was casual, but Perci noticed the way his shoulders sagged slightly from the effort.

“Warm-up? Sure, Marcus. Let’s call it that,” Perci shot back, rolling her eyes but smiling anyway. “Meanwhile, I’m pretty sure you almost got eaten. Twice.”

“I had a strategy!” Marcus insisted, shaking webbing from his hair with exaggerated flair. “It’s called dramatic misdirection.”

“Yeah, right,” Timothy said, leaning on his hammer like a walking stick. “If by ‘strategy’ you mean flailing like you were in a dance-off.”

“That’s generous,” Perci said with a smirk. She flicked her daggers, sending bits of spider goo splattering onto the ground. “But hey, points for creativity.”

She glanced at the others as they laughed and teased each other. They looked… fine. Relaxed, even. But her hands still trembled faintly.

She leaned back against the wall, pretending to inspect her weapons while her thoughts churned. The spiders hadn’t been that tough, but the way Marcus charged in without thinking—or the way Timothy barely dodged—what if the next fight wasn’t so simple? What if they couldn’t keep up?

Shaking the thought away, Perci opened her Status. She hadn’t checked it since they entered the dungeon, but now felt like a good time. Her gaze sharpened as the screen flickered to life.

Perci Flynn

Tier -

Body 13

Mind 3

Soul -

Skills:

Dodging - Basic 3/10

Observation - Basic 3/10

Instant Repose - Personal

Equipment:

Weapon Slot - Twin Daggers of Sharpness

Legs Slot - Leggings of Flexibility

Her Status wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t enough. Every fight reminded her how much farther she had to go. Jeremy wasn’t just ahead—he was in a league of his own. She had to be better, not just for herself, but to keep the others safe.

Mia noticed her looking thoughtful and tilted her head. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Perci said, flashing a grin. “Just making sure I’m still in one piece.”

Mia nodded, glancing at her bow. “I should probably check mine too.”

“Go for it. But I already know you’re solid,” Perci said. Her words earned a small smile from Mia, and Perci felt a flicker of pride in herself. Maybe I’m not so bad at this whole teammate thing.

Timothy broke the comfortable silence, pointing his hammer at the spider corpses scattered throughout the chamber. “So… think we can eat them?”

Perci snorted, nearly choking on her own laugh. “What? Eat that?”

“I’m just saying,” Timothy continued, grinning now. “We’ve got Mia’s fire magic. She can cook it, right? And Jeremy—he has Cooking, right. He could make it, like, fancy or something.”

“Spider steak?” Perci asked, shaking her head. “Hard pass. You first, Tim.”

“Yeah, no thanks,” Marcus added, rubbing his temples. “Jeremy’s probably eating something way better right now,” He smirked. “He’s probably making some gourmet campfire feast just to rub it in.”

That got a laugh from everyone. Even Mia giggled softly.

“Honestly, that sounds like Jeremy,” Perci said, grinning.

Mia’s smile faded a little, her fingers brushing the bowstring absently. “Do you think they’re okay? Him and Andrew?”

The question hit harder than Perci expected. She forced a shrug, keeping her tone light. “Jeremy’s tough. Andrew’s… Andrew. They’ll figure it out.”

But the words rang hollow. Jeremy was tough—sure—but why did he have to keep proving it? She pictured him charging into a dungeon like this alone, that determined fire in his eyes masking whatever doubts he carried. Was it guilt? Pride? Did he even think about the rest of them when he made those choices?

“They’re fine,” Perci added quickly, the edge in her voice softening. Mia nodded, but the worry didn’t leave her face. Perci didn’t blame her. They all had their own stuff to deal with, but Jeremy’s choices still hung in the back of her mind, a nagging itch she couldn’t quite shake.

Timothy yawned, leaning back and stretching. “If we’re not eating those, what’s the plan? Take five and move on?”

“Ten,” Marcus said, resting his sword across his knees. “We’ve earned it.’”

Perci frowned, glancing toward the corridor. “Maybe five,” she countered, her tone firm. “That clicking isn’t getting quieter.”

Marcus sighed but didn’t argue, though Timothy groaned. “What, we just smashed, like, a dozen spiders.”

“And we’re not smashing more until I say so,” Perci snapped. The tension eased a little as Marcus gave her a quick nod. “Five it is.”

The group settled into an uneasy quiet. Mia relaxed slightly, her bow resting in her lap as she plucked at the string, the faint twang filling the air. Timothy scribbled something in the dirt with the butt of his hammer—stick figures of their fight, no doubt. Marcus leaned against the wall, watching the glowing webs like he was planning their next move.

Perci let herself breathe, her posture loosening as she watched them. For all their quirks, they worked well together. Better than she’d expected.

But the clicking in the distance never stopped. It was faint but steady, like the dungeon itself was alive and waiting.

“Marcus,” she muttered, the sound tugging at her focus. He glanced up, his sword already back in hand.

The clicking grew louder, closer, snapping the calm in two. She twirled her daggers, forcing her nerves to settle.

“Break’s over,” she said, her voice sharper now. “They’re coming.”

Marcus stood, his sword gleaming faintly in the dim light. “Let’s finish this.”

Timothy groaned but grabbed his hammer, hefting it onto his shoulder. “Round two already? Fine, but someone else is on cleanup duty.”

Mia strung her bow, her face nervous but resolute. Perci gave her a quick nod. “We’ve got this,” she thought, stepping into position.

The sound grew louder, echoing through the chamber as they prepared for whatever came next. Perci glanced at the shadows ahead, her heart steady but her mind sharp. “Alright, dungeon,” she thought, gripping her daggers tightly. “Bring it on.”