Minutes passed in tense silence. Vance and Dane stayed near the entrance, weapons ready, while I sat against the cavern wall, steadying my breathing. The dungeon's eerie stillness gnawed at my nerves. It felt… unnatural.
Then, a shadow flickered near the entrance, and Roth reappeared, his expression is grim.
"I found something," he said, voice low.
Vance straightened. "What is it?"
Roth took a deep breath before answering. "A castle. In the middle of the dungeon."
The three of us froze.
"A castle?" Dane echoed, his brows furrowing. "You sure?"
Roth gave him a sharp look. "You think I'd joke about something like this?" He exhaled. "It wasn't there before. I know this layout. That thing just—appeared."
Vance's jaw tightened. "Mutation must've altered the dungeon structure…"
But Roth wasn't finished. His next words sent a chill down my spine.
"It's swarming with orcs. Hundreds of them."
A heavy silence settled over us.
"…Hundreds?" Dane muttered, gripping his hammer tightly.
Roth nodded. "At least. I saw warriors, archers, even a few shamans. They weren't just wandering aimlessly either. They were organized, standing guard outside the castle walls. Whatever's inside, they're protecting it."
Vance ran a hand through his hair, cursing under his breath. "Shit… this isn't a normal D-rank dungeon anymore."
I swallowed hard. A fortified stronghold filled with orcs wasn't something we could just fight our way through.
Dane let out a low growl. "So what's the play? We sneak past them? Try to find another way out?"
Vance didn't answer immediately. His eyes flickered toward me.
I met his gaze, my mind racing.
The quest had no time limit, no indication of what counted as "clearing" the mutated gate. But I had a sinking feeling that whatever we had to do… it involved that castle.
And those orcs.
Vance exhaled. "First, we gather more intel. If there's a castle, there's a reason it's here. Roth, can you map out a path for us to get close without being seen?"
Roth nodded. "Already did. There's a rocky ridge about a hundred meters from the castle. It'll give us a vantage point without drawing attention."
Vance turned to Dane and me. "Alright. We move at dawn. For now, we rest."
***
After a few hours of rest, we moved.
The dungeon was unnervingly quiet, the only sounds being our controlled breaths and the faint echo of dripping water from unseen sources. Roth led the way, moving like a shadow, while Vance and Dane followed closely behind. I stayed near the rear, making sure to step exactly where they did, minimizing any noise.
Soon, we reached the rocky ridge Roth had scouted. It was a natural formation—jagged rocks stacked along a steep incline, providing an elevated view of the dungeon's mutated landscape. From here, we could see the castle clearly.
It was massive, far larger than any structure that should exist in a dungeon like this. Its dark stone walls were cracked and ancient, yet it radiated a powerful presence. Torches lined the perimeter, their eerie green flames flickering in the dim dungeon light. The main gate stood tall and fortified, guarded by monstrous figures.
Orcs. A lot of orcs.
From our vantage point, we could see them patrolling the outer walls in well-coordinated groups. These weren't the mindless brutes I'd read about—this was an army.
Vance let out a low whistle. "That's… a hell of a lot more than I expected."
Dane crossed his arms, his expression dark. "Tch. There's no way we're fighting through that."
Roth crouched beside us, his sharp eyes scanning the area. "There's more." He pointed toward a section near the rear of the castle. "I saw cages earlier. And inside them? Humans."
My breath hitched.
Vance's expression hardened. "Prisoners?"
"Most likely other hunters," Roth confirmed. "If they're still alive, they might've been captured before the mutation happened. Or maybe… this dungeon is pulling people in from other gates."
A terrifying thought.
Dane clenched his fists. "Then we have to go in."
Vance exhaled slowly, thinking. "Yeah. But not recklessly. We don't know what's inside that castle. We need a plan."
I finally spoke. "Then let's start by gathering more information. If we can find an opening or a weakness, we can make our move."
Vance nodded, approving my thinking. "Agreed. We observe for now. Once we find an opportunity…" His gaze darkened. "We strike."
***
We remained hidden on the rocky ridge, watching the orc-infested castle. The sheer number of them made a direct assault impossible. Even if Vance and Dane were strong, even if Roth was fast, even if I had Phantom Step, there was no way we could fight through hundreds of orcs and whatever was lurking inside that fortress.
But there had to be a way in.
Roth, ever the keen observer, was the first to spot something. "There. The eastern wall. See that small passage between the boulders?"
We followed his gaze. He was right. Near the far end of the fortress, a jagged rock formation had created a narrow gap along the wall, partially obscured by the terrain.
Vance narrowed his eyes. "A blind spot?"
Roth nodded. "It's not part of their patrol routes. The orcs seem focused on the main gates and watchtowers. If we move carefully, we might be able to slip through undetected."
Dane grunted. "Fine, but we still don't know what's waiting inside. What if it's worse than what's out here?"
Vance exhaled through his nose. "Then we improvise. We don't have the luxury of waiting forever." His gaze shifted to me. "You're quiet on your feet, right?"
I blinked before realizing what he was implying. Phantom Step.
I flexed my fingers and nodded. "Yeah. If we need someone to scout ahead, I can do it."
Vance studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Good. We'll approach as a group, but once we're near the opening, you'll slip in first. Assess the situation and report back."
A rush of adrenaline coursed through me. This was dangerous. But at the same time, I felt a strange excitement. This was my chance to test Phantom Step in a real infiltration.
Roth smirked. "Think you can handle it, kid?"
I returned the smirk. "Watch me."