The Twisted Foreman roared, a guttural, bone-rattling sound that echoed through the cavern.
And then it charged.
The ground shuddered under its heavy, misshapen limbs as it barreled toward us.
Kale stepped forward instantly, raising his shield just as we'd practiced.
The collision was brutal — a hammer blow against a stone wall.
Kale staggered back three full steps, his boots scraping against the rough stone, but he held.
[Kale – Minor Injury: Bruised Shoulder]
Tessa didn't hesitate.
She darted left, angling for a flank.
Rayne peeled off right, slipping into the Foreman's blind spot.
I tightened my grip on my sword, heart pounding.
This wasn't like the Skitterlings.
This thing could kill us with one mistake.
Kale absorbed another heavy strike, his shield groaning under the impact.
But the Foreman was slow — telegraphed.
Every wide swing left it open.
Tessa lunged in, driving her spear into the Foreman's exposed ribs.
[32 Damage Dealt!]
Rayne's daggers flickered in, carving twin lines across the monster's twisted thigh.
[18 Damage Dealt!]
But the damage notifications were small.
Chipping.
This was going to be a war of attrition if we weren't smart.
The Foreman swung a clawed hand sideways — a massive backhand meant to clear us out like insects.
Tessa ducked low.
Rayne rolled.
I saw my opening.
Quickstep triggered — a flash of motion, faster than the eye could follow — and I reappeared just behind the monster's exposed side.
My blade sank deep into the gap in its armor of malformed flesh.
[Critical Hit! 74 Damage Dealt!]
The Foreman bellowed, twisting toward me with alarming speed.
I barely threw myself backward, Quickstep still on cooldown.
Its hooked claw raked the air where I'd been standing a heartbeat earlier.
Too close.
Kale caught the next blow full-on, shield shuddering.
Tessa jabbed at the Foreman's wrist, forcing it to recoil.
Rayne darted in, aiming low for the ankles, slowing its advance.
We were holding.
Barely.
But then the Foreman roared again — louder, deeper — and slammed both fists into the ground.
The cavern floor shook violently.
Cracks spiderwebbed outward.
Tessa lost her footing, falling hard.
Kale stumbled.
Rayne cursed as he caught himself against a boulder.
And me?
I dropped to one knee instinctively, avoiding the worst of it.
But the Foreman wasn't done.
It surged forward, claws lashing wildly — sensing weakness.
Tessa scrambled to rise.
Kale threw himself between her and the monster — shield raised high — but he was too slow this time.
The Foreman's claw slammed into him, knocking him off his feet.
[Kale – Moderate Injury: Broken Arm]
He cried out, clutching his shield arm as he hit the ground.
The Foreman loomed over him, preparing to finish the job.
Move, Damien.
No hesitation.
Quickstep was back online.
I triggered it — blinking across the broken ground — and drove my sword into the Foreman's exposed lower back with every ounce of strength I had.
[Critical Hit! 81 Damage Dealt! Armor Shred Applied!]
A loud SYSTEM ping echoed.
[Weak Point Exposed: Defense Reduced by 15%!]
The monster roared, staggering.
Rayne took advantage instantly, slashing at its hamstrings.
Tessa, back on her feet, launched a vicious thrust into its shoulder.
Together, we forced it back.
The Foreman bellowed, its movements growing sluggish.
Bleeding heavily from multiple wounds.
But it was still dangerous.
It gathered itself for a final, desperate charge —
one last gamble to crush us before it fell.
Kale, gritting his teeth through the pain, lifted his shield weakly.
Tessa braced her spear.
Rayne circled wide, looking for an opening.
And me?
I waited.
I watched.
I timed it.
As the Foreman lunged, I triggered Quickstep one last time.
The world blurred.
I slipped under its grasp, sword flashing upward.
Right through the exposed weak point beneath its arm.
[Critical Hit! Fatal Blow!]
The Twisted Foreman shuddered.
Let out one last, broken roar.
And collapsed.
The cavern shook as its massive body slammed into the stone.
For a moment, none of us moved.
Breathing hard.
Listening to the silence where chaos had been moments ago.
Then the SYSTEM chimed again.
[Dungeon Mini-Boss Defeated: Twisted Foreman]
[Reward: 1,200 XP | 40 Silver | Random Equipment Drop]
[Server Announcement: Congratulations to the Party of Rayne, Damien Cross, Tessa, and Kale for First Clear of Hollowshade Cavern (Normal Mode)!]
Another announcement.
Another ripple across the playerbase.
I could already imagine the whispers starting.
"Damien Cross again?"
"Who are these people?"
"First Clear on a dungeon already?!"
I let out a slow breath, feeling the tension bleed from my muscles.
We'd done it.
Not perfectly.
Not easily.
But we'd earned it.
The Foreman's body began to disintegrate into light, leaving behind a single glowing item.
Rayne whistled low.
"That... is going to be sweet."
Tessa chuckled, shaking her head.
"After we split it fairly."
Kale, grimacing as he clutched his broken arm, managed a strained smile.
"Someone else can pick it up."
I stepped forward, reaching for the prize.
[You have obtained: Tarnished Foreman's Gauntlet (Uncommon)]
+8 Strength+5 Defense Passive Skill: Laborer's Endurance (Minor stamina regeneration over time)
My eyebrows rose.
Not bad.
Not game-breaking — but solid.
A good first serious dungeon reward.
Exactly the kind of small but meaningful dopamine hit players would kill for early on.
Rayne clapped me on the back, nearly knocking me off balance.
"First Clear and first pick! Looks like the game's smiling on you, Cross."
I smiled faintly.
Luck?
Maybe a little.
But mostly?
Preparation.
Dedication.
Knowing how to move when it mattered.
We gathered our loot, patched Kale's wounds with emergency potions, and prepared to leave.
But just before we reached the dungeon exit, something caught my eye.
A narrow side passage — almost invisible, half-hidden behind a collapsed pillar.
And carved above it, faint and ancient:
[Deeper Depths Await Those Who Dare.]
I stared at it, heart pounding.
A hidden extension.
An even more dangerous layer.
And probably rewards no casual player would ever see.
Rayne noticed my gaze and followed it, whistling low.
"Think we could handle that?"
Tessa laughed — a short, tired sound.
"Not without better gear... and better planning."
Kale just shook his head.
But me?
I felt it.
That old hunger.
That fire.
We weren't ready yet.
But we would be.
Soon.
Very soon.