Dust particles floated motionless under the reddish light emitted by the magical fire torches embedded in the obsidian walls.
Renn adjusted his mask. Unlike the previous hallways, there was no chaos here. No goblins running around or makeshift barricades. The room was in complete silence, an artificial stillness that suggested absolute control of the space.
"Interesting decor," Lysandra commented, breaking the silence.
The celestial princess walked with total unconcern, still wrapped in Renn's leather jacket. Her gaze swept over the tapestries made of tanned skin and the banners of conquered tribes hanging from the walls. Her attitude contrasted radically with the vibrant tension of the rest of the group.
"A bit derivative," Valeria added, materializing to Renn's right. Her crystal dagger spun between her fingers with a hypnotic rhythm. "I've seen better intimidation attempts. The architecture is clearly trying to compensate for something."
Renn looked at his two companions. Neither showed signs of stress. Valeria was in professional evaluation mode, bored but alert. Lysandra looked like a critical tourist in a low-quality museum.
Up front, the situation was very different.
"Delta Formation!" Varic ordered. "Tanks to the front, block the line of sight! Healers, I want you to stay behind the pillars!"
The Supervisor raised his greatsword. His armor, dented and stained with green blood from previous fights, creaked with the movement as he adopted a defensive stance.
"This is madness," Darian Volt complained from the rear, near where Renn stood. The Lord rubbed his hands nervously. "We should have waited for reinforcements."
"Shut up, Darian, and prep your shields," Arcturus Stormhand growled, positioning himself next to Varic. The veteran slammed his gauntlets together, generating sparks. "If you try to run, I'll break your legs myself so you can serve as bait."
Kral'thak, the Hobgoblin King, still remained motionless, sitting on his throne of bones.
The red eye located in the center of his forehead glowed with a rhythmic pulsation, illuminating the ritual scars that furrowed his greenish face. There were no visible weapons in his hands, but a massive warhammer rested against the side of the throne.
Kral'thak didn't waste time on speeches. He simply raised a finger.
"MOVE!" Varic roared.
The floor beneath the vanguard's feet exploded.
Half-ton stone slabs flew through the air like shrapnel.
"SCATTER!" Arcturus ordered, diving to the left a second before an obsidian spear the thickness of a log erupted from the pavement where he had been standing.
Combat began immediately.
Kral'thak rose from the throne with a speed that belied his size. He grabbed the warhammer and jumped.
It was an inhuman jump, propelled by pure magic. He rose twenty meters into the air, suspended for a second at the room's zenith.
"HE'S COMING DOWN!" Lily shouted. "BARRIERS! NOW!"
"Don't panic, substitute Lord," Valeria said next to Renn, unflinching. "The shockwave radius is fifteen meters. We are at twenty."
The impact of the hammer against the ground sent a visible seismic wave rippling through the room.
Three of the vanguard warriors were thrown into the air. The support mages' magic barriers flickered and shattered with the sound of breaking glass.
Renn watched the wave of dust and force approach them, but just as Valeria said, the energy dissipated three meters before reaching their position.
"See? I told you," Valeria said, crossing her arms. "This is dirty, repetitive work. Your role now is to learn as much as you can from the humans' battle against the Dungeon Boss. Let the 'heroes' act first."
Varic charged through the dust, his sword glowing with a red aura. The Supervisor intercepted the Hobgoblin Boss's second strike. The sound of steel against dark steel was deafening.
"Aggro secured!" Varic shouted, gritting his teeth as his boots left deep furrows in the stone while being dragged backward. "NOW! FLANK HIM! FIRE AT WILL!"
The room erupted in lights and sounds.
Kyra Emberclaw and her mages unleashed an elemental combination. A torrent of blue fire crashed against the boss's left flank, immediately followed by ice spears intended to create thermal shock and weaken his armor.
Sera and her elven archers fired with a mechanical cadence. The arrows, enchanted with armor penetration, whistled through the air seeking the King's joints.
Bram, the dwarf demolitionist, ran down the right flank and threw three concentrated explosive charges directly at the boss's chest.
All attacks connected.
A cloud of smoke, fire, and magic enveloped Kral'thak.
"Did we hit him?" Lyra asked, reloading her bow with trembling hands.
"No," Lysandra replied from her position next to a column, a few meters from Renn. The princess observed the spectacle with mild curiosity. "They didn't even scratch him; apparently, he has merged with the Dungeon Core, so this Hobgoblin is stronger than he used to be a moment ago."
The smoke dissipated with a sharp movement of the Hobgoblin Boss's hand.
A translucent dark purple barrier surrounded him. It floated inches from his skin, absorbing every impact and converting it into harmless light.
Kral'thak smiled, showing his fangs. His third eye shone with blinding intensity.
The atmospheric pressure in the room changed instantly.
"Shit," whispered Darian Volt, who was a few steps away from Renn. The Lord fell to his knees, screaming as his luxurious armor began to deform under its own weight.
Renn braced for the impact, expecting the pain, expecting his knees to buckle.
But nothing happened.
A soft hum emanated from Lysandra. Without her making any visible gesture, an imperceptible dome of energy surrounded Renn, Valeria, and herself.
Outside that bubble, the world was coming down.
"SHIELDS!" Lily shouted, her voice drowned out by the pressure. "HELGA, GRETA, RESIST!"
The vanguard dwarves grunted, their compact bodies shaking violently as gravity tried to crush them into the ground. Kyra's mages fell face down, their staffs rolling away, unable to lift their arms to conjure.
Darian Volt, with his face pressed against the stone floor, tried to pull a teleportation scroll from his belt. His fingers clawed at the stone, seized by panic.
"Get me out of here!" Darian squealed. "Abort mission!"
The scroll ignited, but the magic collapsed in on itself, crushed by the density of the gravitational field. Darian whimpered, realizing there was no way out.
Kral'thak advanced step by step toward Varic. The Supervisor was the only one still trying to stand. He was kneeling on one knee, using his greatsword as a crutch. His muscles bulged, the veins in his neck looking like they were about to burst.
The Hobgoblin King stopped in front of him and raised his hammer. The gravity around the weapon visibly reversed, making it light as a feather for him, but retaining its destructive mass for the downward strike.
Varic looked up, defiant, but unable to lift his own sword to block.
Renn watched the scene. He could have felt fear for Varic, but he looked at Lysandra.
The princess sighed. A sigh of genuine boredom.
"Unacceptable," Lysandra said. Her voice, though she didn't shout, cut through the chaos with crystal clarity.
Kral'thak paused his strike, confused by the sound of a voice that wasn't moaning in pain.
Renn watched Lysandra step away from the column. She walked toward the center of the room, leaving the safe zone where he and Valeria were.
She walked upright, with the elegance of someone strolling through a royal garden. Her black dress rippled softly, and the leather jacket rested on her shoulders without showing any weight. The zone of increased gravity, which held elite warriors immobilized, bent and parted before her presence.
"That is my specialty," Lysandra said, stopping ten meters from the boss. She removed the black veil with a fluid movement. "And your technique is atrocious. Crude. Without any elegance."
Kral'thak turned completely. His third eye swiveled frantically, focusing on the small female figure challenging his dominion. He growled something in his guttural tongue and reached his hand out toward her.
Renn saw the air around Lysandra distort. The stone floor beneath her feet cracked and pulverized into a perfect circle, subjected to pressure that would turn coal into diamond.
But Lysandra didn't even blink. She brushed an imaginary speck of dust from her sleeve.
"Is that all?" she asked, tilting her head.
She raised a hand, her long, slender fingers extended gracefully.
"Allow me to show you how it is done."
She snapped her fingers.
It was a dry, definitive sound.
Kral'thak collapsed. As if he had been smashed against the floor.
His purple barrier shattered into a thousand shards of light. His black plate armor dented inward with a horrible metallic screech. The warhammer fell from his hands and sank ten centimeters into the solid stone.
The Hobgoblin King, who seconds before seemed invincible, was now sprawled on the floor, completely immobilized, with his face smashed against the rock and his eyes bulging.
"This," Lysandra explained, walking calmly toward him and stopping to look down at him, "is precision application of force. You don't need to crush the whole room, imbecile. You only need to apply the correct pressure and nullify your own field."
She turned toward the assault group, who stared at her from the floor with a mix of absolute terror and surprise.
"You can get up now," she said indifferently, waving her hand. "I've canceled his field over you."
The pressure disappeared instantly. Renn watched Varic take a huge gulp of air, coughing. Lily let herself fall into a sitting position, exhausted. Darian Volt remained motionless, too terrified to move.
"Varic," Lysandra called out, signaling the immobilized King with a nod. "He's all yours. Kill him before I get bored. I'm not going to maintain this all day."
The Supervisor stood up, staggering. He looked at Lysandra, a small woman holding a three-meter monster in submission without even touching him. Then he looked at Kral'thak.
Varic was a professional. He asked no questions about the nature of Lysandra's power. He knew when to accept a gift.
"GET HIM!" Varic roared, charging with his sword held high, channeling all his frustration and fear into the strike.
The rest of the combat was a technical execution.
Without his magic and with his mobility reduced to zero by Lysandra's will, Kral'thak was just a very durable punching bag.
Lily and her troops unloaded all their firepower. Helga and Greta smashed his exposed knees with their hammers until they shattered. Sera put two arrows into his third eye, snuffing out its red glow and nullifying any possibility of magical counterattack.
And finally, Varic decapitated the King with a clean strike of his greatsword.
The massive body jerked once and collapsed.
[DUNGEON COMPLETED] [BOSS ELIMINATED: KRAL'THAK, THE BONE KING] [EXPERIENCE GAINED: 15,000 EXP] [Resource Points: 8,500]
Renn's bracelet vibrated violently. Notifications began scrolling across his retina at breakneck speed.
[LEVEL UP!]
Twelve. He had gone up nine levels at once. The shared experience from a dungeon boss of that caliber was absurd for someone of his low level.
Renn leaned against the wall, exhaling air he didn't know he was holding. He wasn't physically tired—his girls had done all the heavy lifting—but the mental tension dissipated, leaving him slightly dizzy.
"Level 12," he murmured, checking his base stats. "I've exceeded our goal."
"Technically, we achieved it," Valeria corrected, appearing at his side. She held out a vial of blue liquid. "But it is an acceptable advancement. Drink this. It will hydrate you."
Renn accepted the vial and drank it.
The rest of the room was a hive of activity. Survivors cheered, hugged, or checked their gear. Darian Volt, miraculously recovered from his terror, was already over the King's corpse with a skinning dagger, trying to pry the rings off the dead man's fingers with repugnant greed.
"HALT!"
Varic's voice cut through the celebration like a whip. The Supervisor cleaned his sword on the dead King's cape and turned toward the group.
"No one touches the loot until we do the count and damage audit," Varic said, walking toward the corpse. "Darian, drop that ring or I'll cut your hand off right here."
Darian dropped the ring as if it burned and stepped back, raising his hands with a fake smile.
"Just securing it, Supervisor. For the Alliance inventory. Standard asset recovery protocol."
"Sure," Varic grunted. He ignored the Lord, and his eyes searched for someone specific. He walked directly toward where Renn stood, flanked by his two protectors.
The entire room went silent. Everyone watched. The soldiers knew who had turned the tide of the battle.
Varic stopped in front of Lysandra. He looked her in the eye. The man was a tower of muscle and armor, but in front of her, he seemed small.
Slowly, deliberately, Varic removed his right gauntlet and extended his bare hand, calloused and stained with dried blood.
"Thank you," he said. Simple. Direct. Unadorned.
Lysandra looked at the human's hand. There was a moment of tension. Renn knew Lysandra considered most humans to be insects or pets. Touching one voluntarily was not on her list of favorite activities.
Lysandra smiled. A small, almost imperceptible smile.
"You made a clean cut, human," she said. She didn't shake his hand, but she offered him a regal nod, which coming from her was an honor. "You have good technique with that ridiculously large sword."
Varic withdrew his hand, not seeming offended. He appeared to have accepted that Lysandra operated on a different scale.
"You," Varic turned to Renn. "Shadow. Come here. We're opening the Core Chest. You get the first pick."
A murmur of astonishment ran through the room. The "First Pick" was the sacred right of the raid MVP.
"I object!" Darian squealed, stepping forward, his face red with indignation. "This is irregular! He's an outside mercenary!"
"The loot belongs to whoever saved our asses," Arcturus Stormhand replied, stepping forward and crossing his arms in front of Darian. His shadow covered the Lord. "If you have a complaint, Darian, you can present it to my fist."
Darian looked at Varic, then at Arcturus, and finally at Lysandra, who looked at him as if he were an unpleasant fungus on her shoe. He closed his mouth, saving his indignation for another day.
"Go," Lily whispered, appearing on the other side and gently pushing him toward the throne. Her eyes shone with pride. "You earned it, Renn. Don't let them intimidate you."
Renn walked toward the throne. Behind the bone seat, a blue light pulsed. The Core Chest. It was a black metal box with glowing runes floating a meter off the ground.
"Open it," Varic said. "The system will register the opening in your name."
Renn placed his hand on the lid. The metal was cold to the touch.
The chest opened with a pneumatic suction sound and a display of holographic light.
Inside were three objects floating in individual stasis fields.
[Grimoire: Echo of the Earth] Type: Spellbook Rank: D+ Effect: Allows learning three advanced earth magic spells.
[Chestplate of the Night Guard] Type: Light Plate Armor Rank: D Effect: +40 Physical Resistance, +25% Darkness Resistance.
[Beast Egg] Type: Mysterious Item / Pet Rank: ??? Status: Dormant / Unstable Description: An egg recovered from a dimensional rift. Radiates chaotic energy.
"Choose one," Varic said, looking at the items with an expert eye. "The grimoire is fast money; any Lord will pay you a fortune. The armor is excellent for an off-tank, but it's no use to you."
Renn looked at the objects. The money would come in handy. Very handy. He could buy better gear, prepare for his expulsion...
His gaze drifted toward Lysandra. She was looking at the egg with predatory intensity. Her ears twitched slightly under her hair.
"That one," Lysandra said, pointing at the black egg with purple veins. "I like it."
"The egg?" Renn asked.
"It has potential," Valeria said, intervening. "And if it goes wrong, we can always make a stew out of it."
"The egg," Renn said, making up his mind. He trusted his girls' instinct more than market value.
Varic raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"A pet? That's a risky bet, kid. It could die coming out of the shell if you don't have the proper facilities. The grimoire is a safe bet."
"I'm good with difficult pets," Renn said, glancing sideways at Lysandra and Valeria with a half-smile.
Valeria let out a small cough that sounded suspiciously like a stifled laugh. Lysandra simply raised her chin, accepting the comment as a twisted compliment.
Renn took the egg. It was heavier than it looked, warm, and vibrated slightly in his hands. He stored it in his dimensional storage with care.
"Done," Varic said, closing the chest. "The rest gets auctioned and divided among the survivors. Darian, start the inventory of the minor drops. And don't try to steal anything; I'm watching you."
The exit from the dungeon was much less tense than the entry. The atmosphere was one of contained euphoria. They had survived a mission that instantly increased in difficulty.
When they stepped out into the fresh afternoon air of the Northern Frontier, the sun was setting.
"We did it," Lily said, intercepting him before he could walk away. She hugged him tightly, not caring that his armor clashed against her light gear.
"You were incredible, despite it being your first time," she said.
"Just trying not to die," Renn said, hugging her back. He felt Lysandra's gaze on the back of his neck. "My companions did the real work."
"You have a... peculiar team," Lily said, pulling away but keeping her hands on his shoulders. Her gaze traveled toward Lysandra and Valeria, who waited a few meters away with visible impatience. "They are very strong. And very... protective."
"They're cute girls," Renn said.
"Hey, Lily..." Renn began, changing the subject. "About going to the swamp to celebrate..."
Lily looked back. Her troops were loading the wounded onto medical transports. Varic was arguing with a logistics officer.
"I have to go back to my territory," she said with a sigh of frustration. "I have to file the mission report, process the wounded, deal with the stupid Alliance bureaucracy, and probably testify against Darian if Varic presses charges. It's going to be a long night."
"I understand. Duty calls."
"But," she squeezed his shoulder firmly, "I will come to see you. Before your Alliance deadline. I promise. And then we'll celebrate properly. No goblins, no armor."
"I'll be waiting for you."
Lily stood on her tiptoes. There was a second of hesitation, and then she gave him a quick, soft kiss on the lips.
"Take care, Renn. And be careful with that egg."
She ran off toward her troops, shouting orders to hide the blush on her cheeks, leaving Renn standing there.
"Adorable," said a voice behind him.
Lysandra was there, arms crossed and wearing a mocking smile.
"Miss Lily has marked her territory. How primitive. And strangely effective for her species."
"Shut up," Renn said, but he couldn't help smiling as he touched his lips.
"Shall we go?" Valeria asked, checking the perimeter one last time. "I'm hungry. And I believe Her Highness also requires... sustenance."
"Tuna," Lysandra said immediately. "Extra premium. You promised. And I want you to brush my hair. That dungeon was full of dirty particles."
"Yes, yes, whatever you say," Renn took the teleportation crystal from his pocket. "Let's go home."
He squeezed the crystal. The world bent and twisted around them.
They appeared in the swamp.
The humidity and the sound of insects welcomed them. Renn fell to his knees in the mud in front of his tent, accumulated exhaustion hitting him suddenly.
Level 12. A mysterious egg of incalculable value. The respect of a high-level Supervisor. And a kiss from Lily.
He looked at Lysandra, who was already transforming back into her orange cat form, and at Valeria, who stretched under the moonlight before adopting her purple feline form.
"Not a bad day," Renn said.
The orange cat looked at him, meowed with imperious demand, and headed toward the tent, waiting for her dinner.
Renn got up, shook the mud off his pants, and followed her. He had work to do. And an expulsion to plan. But for tonight, everything was fine.