The descent felt endless. Each step was an invitation to the unknown, pulling us deeper into the dungeon's depths. The dim glow of the magical crystals on the walls cast long, distorted shadows what I assumed was a replacement for conventional torches.
As we advanced, the air grew colder and more humid, filled with the scent of wet stone, but also something else… A strange smell, similar to the damp fur of an animal and dried blood.
Then, I saw it. An old wooden sign hung from the arch leading to the next level. Its letters, though worn by time, were still readable.
"Wolf Fang Dungeon," I murmured under my breath.
Tesline turned to me with curiosity.
"How do you know that?"
Instead of answering, I simply pointed at the sign with my thumb.
"Oh…" she exhaled with a hint of disappointment. "And here I was, thinking you were some kind of expert in ancient dungeons or something."
"Nah, but I do have a skill that gives me a mini-map so I know where to go," I said with a teasing smile.
"That sounds pretty useful. Would've been nice to know you had that earlier."
Tesline scoffed and crossed her arms, but before she could throw a sarcastic remark, she pulled out her bracelet and started swiping her finger across its glowing screen.
"By the way, want me to show you how to check the news?"
"Huh? News?" I blinked. "Ahh, yeah, please."
"Alright, give me your hand." She shot me a condescending look and continued. "Look, you just have to swipe here and…"
Immediately, the screen displayed a live broadcast. The image revealed the same news report I had seen that morning, covering the attack on the museum.
"Is this the only thing I can watch?"
"No, there are also study guides, live dungeon exploration broadcasts, and some acted-out series based on books."
I frowned.
"So… they have news, live broadcasts, and acted-out series…"
"Uh-huh."
"But they don't call it television or movies."
"No. By the way, where do you get those weird names from?" Tesline gave me a raised eyebrow, as if she didn't understand my point.
I ran a hand over my face and sighed.
"Did you read it somewhere, or does it have something to do with your amnesia?" she asked.
"Let's leave it at that. Trust me, it's not worth explaining."
She gave me a doubtful look but let the topic go.
As we moved forward, the hallway widened, and the sense of danger grew stronger. The wild scent in the air was now unmistakable. I stopped and tightened my grip on my axe, feeling the adrenaline begin to rush through my veins.
"We're here," I murmured.
Tesline grinned, flexing her fingers inside her reinforced gloves.
"Time to warm up."
The air grew tense as we heard the sound of claws scraping against stone. Eyes, glowing like burning embers, appeared in the darkness.
Their bodies were dark, almost indistinguishable from the cave's shadows, but their low, menacing growls gave them away. Cave wolves. They wasted no time, launching toward us, swift and silent like seasoned predators.
"Here they come!" Tesline exclaimed, taking her stance.
I didn't hesitate for a second. With a fluid motion, I let go of my axe and slid my staff into my hand. A chill ran through my fingers as I focused my mana. I aimed my staff at the wolf that seemed to be the leader—a larger specimen with a scar running across its snout.
"Freeze!"
A blue glow burst from the staff, and in an instant, a thick layer of ice enveloped the wolf leader, stopping it in its tracks. Its claws were trapped in the frozen ground, its fangs bared in a growl frozen in time.
Taking advantage of the distraction, I spun my staff and aimed at the other wolves.
"Mana Shards!"
Small spears of blue energy shot out, piercing the sides of the beasts trying to surround us. Some dodged on pure instinct, but others were hit directly, letting out howls of pain before collapsing.
Tesline, on her part, wasted no time. With a confident smirk, she leaped onto one of the wounded wolves and delivered a punch straight to its skull. A sharp crack echoed, and the wolf fell lifeless to the ground. Another tried to attack her from the side, but she spun on her heel and slammed her knee into its ribs, sending it flying several meters away.
Within seconds, only the leader remained, still trapped in ice.
"Let's get him," I said, retrieving my axe.
Tesline nodded and moved swiftly. With impressive agility, she circled around the wolf and locked it in a hold with her arms, keeping it restrained just as the ice started to crack.
"Now, Rurik!"
I didn't hesitate. I aimed my staff and fired another burst of Mana Shards, wounding the wolf's legs and side. Seizing the moment, I slid my staff onto my back and gripped my axe with both hands.
"Freeze!"
Another wave of cold enveloped the wolf, slowing its movements even more.
"All yours, Tesline!" I shouted.
With a cry of effort, she lifted the wolf into the air and slammed it into the ground. I took the opportunity and brought my axe down with all my strength, ending its resistance once and for all.
Silence returned to the dungeon. Tesline dusted off her hands and looked at me with a grin.
"That's it? I thought it would be harder."
I let out a sigh and lowered my axe.
"Well, be grateful that the leader was stupid."
She laughed and gave me a light tap on the shoulder before we both moved on to the next hallway.
We descended to the next floor expecting more of the same, but we soon realized that this level had its own peculiarity. As soon as we took our first steps, a sudden movement in the dim light made us stop.
Large silhouettes with erratic movements slid through the shadows. I quickly recognized them—giant rats and water slimes.
"Slimes and rats together?" I muttered, frowning.
"That's new," Tesline replied, raising her fists. "But if it's just those things, I don't think it'll be a problem."
I wasn't so sure. Water slimes were weak, but the rats were fast and aggressive. The strange thing was how they seemed to move in coordination, as if they were actually fighting together instead of being two separate types of monsters. Something was organizing them.
"Let's keep it simple. I'll handle the slimes, you take care of the rats."
"You're taking the easy part?"
"Water slimes are vulnerable to ice magic and explode when I freeze them, which could hurt you."
Tesline grimaced.
"Fine, fine. Do your thing."
Without wasting time, I raised my staff and focused my mana.
"Frost Trap!"
Bluish magic seals appeared on the ground in front of the slimes. A moment later, they burst in an icy flash, trapping the slimes in a thick layer of ice. As they tried to move, they started trembling… until they exploded into crystalline shards.
The force of their explosions directly affected the nearby rats, sending them flying or leaving them stunned.
"All yours, Tesline!"
I didn't need to say it twice. With a roar of excitement, she leaped straight at one of the frozen rats and slammed her Dragon Fist into its head, shattering the creature into pieces.
Another rat tried to attack her from the side, but Tesline saw it coming and intercepted it with an upward punch, smashing it against the ceiling before it fell lifeless.
The rest attempted to scatter, but another slime explosion caught them, leaving them even more vulnerable.
"Come on, come on! Just a few left!" Tesline taunted as she unleashed a flurry of punches, taking down another rat.
As for me, I stuck to my strategy—freezing and exploding slimes to weaken the rats. A final group tried to escape into a side tunnel, but with a swift motion, I cast Mana Shards, striking a nearby slime and triggering one last explosion.
Silence returned to the dungeon.
"That… was easier than I expected," I said, lowering my staff.
Tesline stretched, satisfied.
"Yeah, but something's off. Those things moved together too well."
I nodded. It wasn't normal for different creatures to work as a team.
"Yeah… But we'll think about it later. Let's keep going."
We descended the last staircase, and just before stepping onto the new floor, something clicked in my mind, like puzzle pieces finally fitting together.
"Tesline, how many floors does this dungeon have?" I asked casually.
"Just three. This is the last one."
I let out a slow sigh, nodding.
"Then what's waiting for us isn't just one boss… it's two."
Tesline raised an eyebrow.
"What are you talking about?"
"The rats and slimes weren't working together by chance. Their leaders must have some kind of alliance. And we're about to meet them."
Before Tesline could reply, the crystals embedded in the dungeon walls began to glow, revealing a massive chamber with two makeshift thrones made of bones and stones.
On the first throne sat a Rat King, a grotesque creature the size of a bear, with dark gray fur, scars all over its body, and glowing eyes full of malice. Its claws were enormous, and its fangs dripped with a greenish venom.
On the second throne sat a Slime King, a semi-transparent mass of blue gel with a floating core at its center. It was the same size as the Rat King, and from time to time, it released bubbles from its body that floated around like living mines.
"Oh, wow. I was right," I said with an ironic smile. "Two bosses for the price of one. How generous."
Tesline cracked her knuckles with an eager grin.
"Then we split up. I'll take the rat, you handle the jelly."
I nodded.
"Smart choice. These things have an obvious mechanic. The slime is weak to magic but resistant to physical attacks, and the rat is the opposite. If we fought them the other way around, it'd be a nightmare."
I pulled a mana potion from my bag and drank it in one gulp. Energy surged through my body almost instantly.
"Alright. Let's make history."
The Rat King roared first, charging at Tesline, while the Slime King slid toward me with a squelching sound.
"Don't get too excited, buddy," I said, raising my staff and casting Freeze directly at its core.
The slime tried to move, but the ice spread from within, hardening parts of its body and slowing it down. However, some of the bubbles floating around suddenly exploded, generating small shockwaves that shattered the ice before it could fully immobilize it.
"Interesting… not as dumb as it looks."
I cast another Freeze, but this time I aimed at the ground, creating a slippery layer just as the Slime King lunged at me. It slid clumsily, losing its balance.
"Tesline, everything okay over there?" I shouted without taking my eyes off my enemy.
"Yeah!" she replied, gracefully dodging a bite attempt from the Rat King. "But this guy bites harder than my grandma!"
"Your grandma used to bite you?"
"Obviously not, idiot! It was a joke!"
I chuckled briefly as I charged another Frost Trap. As soon as the slime tried to reform, I activated the spell and froze it completely, turning it into a massive ice statue.
"Time to end this!"
I swung my arm and activated my Beast Fury bracelet, granting Tesline and me a speed boost.
"Tesline, would you mind throwing your friend over here?"
Tesline looked at me confused for a moment, then smiled.
"Don't have to tell me twice!"
With impressive speed, she delivered an upward punch to the Rat King, launching it into the air, then spun on her heel to finish with a spinning kick, sending it flying straight toward the frozen King Slime.
The impact was brutal.
The King Slime shattered instantly due to the ice's fragility, and the shockwave engulfed the Rat King in a shower of frozen shards, piercing its skin and leaving it gravely wounded.
Tesline didn't let the opportunity slip.
"Let's finish this!"
With superhuman speed, she appeared beside the staggering Rat King and, gathering all her strength, struck it directly on the skull with a Dragon Punch.
A dull, dry sound echoed throughout the room. The Rat King's head caved in, and its massive body fell heavily to the ground.
Silence.
I was breathing heavily, feeling the adrenaline slowly fade. Tesline shook her hands, satisfied.
"You know? I think that went pretty well."
"Yeah," I nodded, smiling. "Who would've thought using a slime as a bomb would be so effective?"
Tesline looked at me with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"By the way, that could've failed and killed us both." I admitted.
"What the hell, warn me next time!" Tesline frowned and smacked me.
We laughed as we approached the remains of our enemies. A golden light shone on the ground, signaling the appearance of rewards.
"Alright, alright, let's see what these two left us."
With the satisfaction of a job well done, we prepared to collect our rewards and leave the dungeon.
The sun was beginning to set as we arrived at the guild. Tesline and I were exhausted but satisfied. The Wolf Fang Dungeon had been a good challenge, and now all that was left was to report the mission and enjoy a well-deserved meal.
Aldwyn, the guild's manager, was waiting behind the counter with his arms crossed.
"So, you're still alive," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Good job."
I walked over and picked up one of the registration sheets. It was a standard document where completed missions were recorded for guild tracking. I started filling in the essentials.
When I finished, I handed the sheet to Aldwyn, who quickly reviewed it before storing the document and removing the mission notice from the board.
Meanwhile, Tesline was in charge of ordering food. I had barely eaten since the morning, so the thought of a good meal was almost as tempting as the dungeon loot.
But then, the guild's doors burst open.
A group of high-ranking adventurers entered with firm strides. Their armor gleamed, their weapons were top quality, and their expressions exuded confidence and experience. Everyone in the guild turned to look at them, and Tesline was no exception.
"Wow!" she said excitedly. "They look incredible."
I couldn't help but smile and nod.
"Yeah. Compared to them, we look like trash."
Tesline elbowed me.
"Don't say that out loud..."
The group approached the counter, where Aldwyn was already waiting for them. The team's leader, a tall man with dark hair and a charismatic demeanor, placed a sack on the counter.
"Here's the proof of the completed mission," he said in a relaxed voice.
Aldwyn checked the sack's contents and nodded, removing the mission from the board.
"Good job," he said, while some adventurers around congratulated them.
The group leader smiled calmly and responded in a friendly tone:
"Thanks. And thanks to you, Aldwyn, for saving such a good mission for us."
Aldwyn let out a small chuckle.
"No worries. You were the only ones who could complete that mission."
The group leader nodded and then, turning to the rest of the guild, raised his voice enthusiastically.
"To celebrate, drinks are on me!"
The entire guild erupted in cheers and applause. Tesline lit up with excitement, and I relaxed a bit more. Nothing like free alcohol to keep morale high.
But then, the group leader looked directly at Tesline and me.
"Hmm... and food for those two as well."
Tesline nearly jumped for joy. I just smiled in satisfaction.
The adventurer turned back to Aldwyn with curiosity.
"Tell me, are these two the new ones?"
"Yeah," Aldwyn confirmed. "But they've already made some noise."
The group leader stepped closer and observed us more attentively.
"So, you were the ones who collected the crabs, huh?"
I nodded with a smile.
"Yeah, though honestly, I'd rather you knew us for something... cooler."
The adventurer laughed.
"Don't be modest. I also know about you fighting that orc despite being low-level."
I felt a small twinge of pride but kept my cool.
"Well, I guess that gives us some reputation."
The group leader smiled approvingly and patted us both on the shoulders.
"Keep moving forward. You have potential, and in this world, the strong are the ones who write history."
With that, he left and rejoined his group to start the celebration.
Tesline and I looked at each other for a moment, then smiled.
"You know? I'm starting to like this guild," I said as I took a seat.
"Yeah," Tesline replied, excited. "But first... let's eat!"
And with that, we prepared to enjoy our well-deserved dinner, satisfied with a day well spent.
*・・*・・*・・*・・*・・*
The sun had barely risen when Tesline and I arrived at the academy. The atmosphere was noisier than usual, with students gathered in groups, murmuring with excitement and surprise.
"What's going on?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No idea," Tesline replied, glancing around.
It didn't take long to realize that the center of attention was Darius and Elaine. Both were surrounded by a crowd of students bombarding them with questions.
"It's incredible! How did you manage to defeat the Djinn?" one student asked in admiration.
"Was it really you guys who did it? I can't believe it!"
Darius, with his usual air of superiority, crossed his arms and smirked confidently.
"It was a tough battle, but nothing we couldn't handle."
Elaine, more reserved, simply nodded without saying much.
However, the conversation took an unexpected turn when someone in the crowd asked,
"Hey! What about the mysterious armored man? Did you know him?"
My body tensed instantly.
Damn it.
"Armored man?" Darius repeated the question with a slight frown.
A student eagerly nodded.
"Yeah! They say he appeared out of nowhere and fought against a Djinn in a demonic form like it was nothing! It was incredible!"
The murmurs grew louder, and for a moment, I thought Darius might start suspecting something.
But to my relief, he simply shook his head and changed the subject.
"I have no idea who he was," he said casually. "Probably a high-ranking adventurer passing through."
I let out a quiet breath.
It seemed like Darius had no clue that I was the one controlling the armor. Good. As long as I could keep that a secret, everything would stay under control.
Before the conversation could continue, the loud sound of footsteps echoed down the hall.
"Silence!" the professor's voice cut through the chatter. "Everyone, to your places."
The students obeyed immediately, forming rows and making space for the professor to stand in front.
"Today is an important day," he announced seriously. "We will be conducting the summoning of your familiars."
A wave of excitement rippled through the students. Summoning a familiar was a crucial event for any academy student. At least, judging by everyone's excitement, that seemed to be the case.
"Finally!" Tesline said eagerly. "I've been waiting for this since I got here!"
I couldn't blame her. A familiar wasn't just a battle companion but also an extension of its summoner's power. For many, the creature they obtained would define their future as adventurers.
I crossed my arms and smirked with interest.
"Well, this should be interesting."