Nathan let out a triumphant whoop as he twirled through the air, a ribbon of glimmering light. Wind rushed past his face, feeling cool on his sweat-slicked skin. Fire and flame continued to roar around him, the maw never ceasing its shriek, but he did not care. How could someone care about such trivial things while leaping through the air, light as a feather, quick as the breeze.

He coiled his legs as he landed on the side of another blackened vine, this one already falling down through the air, but was gone again in less than a second, leaping from it.

The assassin rocketed through the air, an exalted cry rising from him as he smiled wide, jumping from vine to vine. With every passing moment, the fire grew higher, hotter, falling like rain in a forest of cinders and smoke. Yet it didn’t matter. He twisted between every falling piece of the maw, every curl of choking smoke, moving like a dancer.

And then, with one final leap, he exited the inferno, soaring through the cavern like a bird from its cage. He saw the ground beneath shift from the burnt trampling of ash and husks of vines, back into cold stone and still puddles. He flew from the fire, missing half a sleeve, skin covered in soot, without his blade, clothes torn, burnt, and scarred, crossbow string snapped from the heat, fingertips half singed off, and smiling.

The ground came to meet him, not nearly as frightening as it had been before, and his feet skidded to a stop upon it, spraying up in a puddle. The droplets caught the orange light behind him and glittered like rubies.

Behind him, he heard one final chaotic shriek. It echoed through the entire cavern, bouncing off the walls and floor. The shriek of the dying, he’d heard similar before. Then, a loud crash shook the ground as something heavy hit the floor.

487 EXP gained

Level Up!

Mutated Nightshade Maw Echo gained.

Echoes Stored: [3/5]

It will be interesting to find out what that Echo does. If it’s anything like this… He looked down at his ethereal arms, thin wisps of curling vapor rose off of them, like fog on a morning pond. Then it will be quite fun.

I’m also one level from ten now. I wouldn’t be surprised if I got something special at that point.

“What the hell was that?” Cleo yelled as she ran toward him. “You were like a shooting star! Why didn’t you tell me you could do that?”

Nathan looked up as the assassin approached and was surprised to see a smile on her face. Probably just happy I didn’t cook her too. Not much longer in there and I’d have been done for.

He grinned back at her, the last bits of luminescent fog drifting off his skin as the ability faded away. That would be one that he missed. Hopefully the next two lunar lynx’s gave him the same ability, and maybe he could find some way to efficiently hunt them. Having such a powerful ability on standby would surely be useful.

“I didn’t know I could do it, myself,” Nathan said, brushing off part of his burnt coat, it crumbled to dust in his fingers. “And besides, would you have told me what you can do? If I recall correctly you were the one that said it was best if we only interacted as much as we must.”

“I–” Cleo started, but then quickly closed her mouth and gave a curt nod. “You’re right. We should only reveal as much as is necessary.”

“That was quite impressive,” Saleh said with a curious smile. “You are full of surprises, Colonel.”

“You can stop calling me, Colonel,” Nathan said, falling back onto his rear to sit. “It’s just us three here. No point in keeping up the act.”

“As you say, Colonel.”

Nathan sighed, but let it drop. He was riding high after that last kill, adrenaline still pumping hard in his veins. Both Cleo and Saleh looked to be in fine shape. Neither had little more than a scratch or slight burn on their bodies. Lucky bastards. Nathan’s everything hurt.

“As fun as that last fight was, I would like to never be in a situation like that again,” Nathan said with a satisfied smile. “Is there more you can tell us about this dungeon, Saleh? If we’re going to get through this alive, any information could be the difference.”

“I’m afraid not,” Saleh said. “At least not anything that pertains to this particular dungeon.” He paused, casting a curious eye over the both of them. “You have been in other dungeons before, haven’t you?”

“Of course–” Nathan started, but he didn’t get any further.

“No, we haven’t. This is our first,” Cleo said, cutting him off. It was an unexpected bout of honesty from the woman. Admitting any sort of shortcoming was not expected behavior from her.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Saleh, however, did not appear to think any less of them for it. Nor should he have.

“We’re new to this.” She gestured around at the dungeon, its cavernous walls, pools of still water. “All of this. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.”

Nathan watched, mouth agape. Did Saleh use his ability to command her to not be a bitch while I was fighting the maw?

“I had a feeling. Although with how capable the two of you are, I was starting to have my doubts. How do two people get as strong as the two of you without ever stepping foot in a dungeon?”

“Are they not rare?” Nathan asked, leaning back on his elbow, relishing the feeling of not moving at all. “With how big a deal everyone is making this one, I would have thought few people would get the opportunity to go in one.”

“Dungeons in general are not rare,” Saleh said. “Many guilds control specific ones for their own personal use, and more appear at random, ripe for anyone to pluck. But a dungeon that has been left alone for decades, its energy and rewards building the whole time – people would kill for the opportunity to delve such a dungeon.”

“And what about you,” Cleo asked, sliding up to stand beside the sitting Nathan.

“Hm?” Saleh said, glancing toward her, his eyebrows slightly raised.

“What would you do for such an opportunity? What do you want from this? You’ve said we could take everything, and I doubt you’re doing this all for the fun of it.”

Saleh was silent for a moment, eyes narrowed, and licked at a tooth. He did not fully trust them yet, that much was obvious, but they didn’t fully trust him either. There was a tenuous mutual respect between them, not trusting, barely even understanding.

If Saleh wanted to keep his secrets, as far as Nathan was concerned, he could. So long as they didn’t negatively impact him.

“You are correct,” Saleh finally relented. “I am not doing this for my enjoyment. There is a reason I am here, but I promise it has nothing to do with you.” Perfect. “You can take whatever you want from here, I will not stop you. But my reasons are my own, I trust you understand. Just don’t get in my way.”

Nathan nodded, but Cleo didn’t look fully satisfied. That one’s opinions really turn on a dime, don’t they?

“Fine,” she said. “Now what else can you tell us about dungeons in general.”

“Come, walk with me,” Saleh said to neither of the two in particular. He turned on his heel and started strutting away through the cavern. “I believe it is about time we moved on, don’t you. Time is precious, and we wouldn’t want the guards at the entrance to wake up while we’re inside would we?”

“I thought you said they won’t remember anything?” Cleo asked.

“They won’t,” said Saleh absently. “But it would be unfortunate if the guild was to come in after us, wouldn’t it? I’m sure they’d insist on taking a portion of your rewards. ”

Nathan struggled to his feet, trying to be gentle on some of his harsher burns, and walked after them.

“Dungeons are a bit like people,” Saleh started. “They start out small, weak, not worth the effort, but…” he raised one hand in the air, pausing for effect. “They have potential! As dungeons grow, they amass energy and power from the Threads. The Threads feed the dungeon and everything in it, causing it to grow fat – also like people – and more valuable.

“Many dungeons disappear after they’re delved once, the energy from the Threads released and spread back out into the world, but not all. Those special ones, like the one we’re in now, are the type usually controlled by a guild or other entity.”

“So that massive plant, the maw, it used to be a normal creature until the Threads turned it into a monster?” Nathan asked.

“Perhaps,” Saleh replied. “Or it was already a monster before. It’s tough to know for sure.”

“If this dungeon has been sitting unplundered for so long,” Cleo said, crossing her arms as she walked off to the side of the other two. “How come we’ve only run into one creature so far? If this place has been amassing power and energy for decades, shouldn’t there be stronger creatures, or at least more creatures?”

“Another good question, but that’s not quite how it works. The dungeon will grow stronger, but not infinitely. Its strength will cap out, or at least begin to plateau eventually,” Saleh said with a smile. “And it’s also possible that all of the energy has just amassed into one place, or perhaps one creature.”

Saleh waved a hand in the air, brushing the issue aside. “It’s all too unpredictable to worry about. We will find out eventually.”

“Or die cause we have no idea what to expect,” Cleo muttered.

They continued walking through the cavern, coming to a series of tunnels that also glowed with the strange moss. There were several splits in the tunnels, but all but one had been caved in. Almost as if the dungeon were corralling them into one place.

Everything was slick with a sheen of glistening wet. Water dripped from the ceiling, its source unseen, splashing in shallow puddles.

All the while, Saleh told them about the basics of dungeons. How certain creatures liked to attack or ambush their prey, different types that he had heard of or delved himself, what to expect near the end. Apparently the dungeon rewards manifested in a visible shimmering of pure Threads. Pure magic.

Magical items – or Thread-bound items as Corvus had called them – would certainly be interesting.

Several times during their walk through the tunnels, the trio was beset by small flutters of tiny bats that flew from the ceilings. They were unable to inflict any real damage, but were annoying enough to be a bother. Nathan managed to slay one, but only received a meager four experience.

He didn’t bother to kill them with his flames, getting an Echo that seemed that weak didn’t sound like a good idea. Sure, he could use it as just a tool to Usher another Echo and progress his ability, but when he only had five total slots to store Echoes, he’d rather conserve them.

After several minutes, they turned a curve in the tunnel and came to a thin stream crossing before a dark archway. The stream was murky and green, with tiny particles of moss floating within it and giving it a faint glow.

Nathan squinted at the door, but he couldn’t make anything out behind it. It was as if a black sheet hung from the arch, making vision impossible.

“Why is it so blasted dark over there?” Nathan asked.

“It’s a shroud,” Saleh replied. “They’re usually placed before stronger monsters or bosses. This certainly isn’t the end of the dungeon, however. We still should have a ways to go.”

“So we’ve got a strong opponent ahead, but it isn’t the end goal either,” Cleo concluded. “And it’s safe to assume this is stronger than the previous creature because there was no shroud before it?”

“Probably a safe assumption,” Saleh agreed, rubbing his hands before him with a mixture of nerves and excitement. “Are you two ready?”

“If this is what’s standing between us and those rewards at the end of the dungeon,” Nathan said. “I’m ready for anything.”