Maverick’s question lingered in the air, and even Emma found herself momentarily perplexed. How had she managed to replicate the technique so quickly? It hadn’t felt like mere luck, yet explaining it would only diminish her efforts. Besides, she wasn’t about to let her confidence falter in front of Maverick.

With a smug smile, she responded, “That was easy. Why wouldn’t I learn fast?”

Maverick muttered something under his breath, his gaze briefly flicking to the ground. “It takes months for someone to even understand it,” he admitted, his voice barely audible. “And years to master.” Clearing his throat, he straightened, his expression unreadable. “You’re just lucky.”

“Luck?” Emma scoffed, folding her arms with mock indignation. “I wouldn’t call it that. Care to try me with something harder?”

Maverick’s eyes narrowed slightly as he stepped closer, his movements calculated and deliberate. When he stopped just short of her, he said, “Watch carefully. I’m only doing this once.”

Emma stood at attention, her gaze fixed on him.

Maverick began by clapping his hands twice in quick succession, the sound echoing faintly in the confined dungeon corridor. He followed this with a deliberate triangular gesture, his hands forming a precise shape. Next, he clenched his fists and struck his knuckles together twice, the sharp crack reverberating through the air. Finally, he brought his cupped hands together, raised them to his mouth, and exhaled deeply into the space between them.

A jet of flame erupted from his hands, flickering wildly before dissipating into the damp air of the dungeon.

“That’s all you’re getting,” Maverick said curtly, turning on his heel. “It’ll be enough.”

Emma barely waited for him to take a few steps before she crouched down to replicate his movements. Her hands moved with practiced precision: a double clap, the triangular gesture, the knuckle taps, and the final exhalation into her cupped hands. For a brief, breathless moment, nothing happened.

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Then, with a soft roar, flames burst from her hands, illuminating the space around her.

Emma’s face lit up with a grin of pure triumph. “Success,” she whispered, her voice brimming with excitement. She quickly caught up to Maverick, her steps lighter now, her confidence bolstered by the two new skills she had acquired.

The dungeon path ahead stretched into darkness, the oppressive air growing heavier with each step. Emma’s fingers brushed against the walls as they walked, the rough texture of the stone grounding her.

It wasn’t long before her eyes caught a faint, flickering light on the ground ahead. A glowing magical lamp lay abandoned, its luminescence casting eerie shadows on the surrounding walls.

“Looks like someone was here,” she remarked, her tone laced with curiosity.

Maverick didn’t respond. He simply moved forward, his disinterest palpable. Emma sighed but didn’t press further. His silence was grating, but by now, she was accustomed to it.

Then it happened.

A sharp whistle sliced through the air, and Emma instinctively froze. A large knife flew past her, missing her by mere inches. The cold rush of displaced air brushed her cheek, sending a shiver down her spine.

Her heart pounded as she turned her gaze toward the source of the attack.

A goblin emerged from the shadows. Its hunched frame was grotesque, its back swollen and misshapen as though burdened by a massive boulder. Its beady eyes glinted with malice, and its jagged teeth glistened with saliva as it let out a guttural growl.

Before Emma could react, Maverick moved.

In a blur of motion, he was behind the goblin, his blade flashing as it sliced through the creature’s neck. Blue ichor spilled from the wound, the strange liquid glowing faintly in the dim light. However the knife didn’t cut all the way through. It lodged halfway, stopping against the goblin’s thick, gnarled flesh.

Maverick didn’t hesitate. He leapt backward, performing a fast backflip that landed him directly in front of Emma. His posture was defensive, his blade held at the ready.

The goblin staggered, clutching its neck with clawed hands. Blue blood oozed between its fingers as it let out a piercing screech. The sound echoed through the dungeon like an alarm, its shrill tone setting Emma’s nerves on edge.

The screech was answered.

From the shadows, more goblins emerged. Six in total, each as twisted and monstrous as the first. Their hunched forms crawled forward, their movements predatory and unnerving. Their glowing eyes fixed on Emma and Maverick, and low growls rumbled from their throats.

The creatures radiated a palpable hunger, their jagged teeth bared in anticipation.

Emma’s fist tightened, her mind racing as the goblins closed in.

They had found their prey.....