The staircase descended only a short distance before opening into a wide cavern.
Unlike the upper level, this place felt lived in.
The floor was uneven, covered in scratches and broken stone. Bones—small and large—were scattered near the walls, some cracked open, others gnawed clean. The air carried a strong, musky scent that clung to the throat.
Woon slowed his steps and crouched, picking up something from the ground.
A bone.
Gnawed clean.
He scanned the cavern.
Scratches ran along the stone walls. The floor was marked with shallow claw lines, overlapping again and again, crossing in different directions.
A low growl echoed from deeper within the cavern.
Another followed.
Then another.
Shapes began to move in the darkness.
Gray-furred beasts stepped into the light one by one, lean bodies low to the ground, eyes reflecting the glow of the **Light Orb**.
"…Wolves," Woon said.
The nearest wolf moved first.
It didn't charge blindly. Instead, it circled, claws scraping softly against stone as it tested the distance.
Another slipped to the side.
Then two more.
They were spreading out.
Arth stepped forward, placing himself slightly ahead of Woon.
The wolf in front lunged.
Arth met it head-on. Steel flashed as he blocked its bite and twisted his blade into its shoulder. The monster hit the ground with a sharp yelp, blood darkening the stone.
The others moved instantly.
One went for Arth's flank.
Woon raised his hand. "Stone Bullet."
A compact mass of stone shot forward and slammed into the wolf's ribcage, sending it skidding across the floor.
Another wolf leapt.
"Vine Whip."
Green vines burst from the cracks in the ground, wrapping around its legs mid-air. The wolf crashed down hard, snarling as it struggled.
Arth finished it in one clean strike.
A fourth wolf retreated, growling low.
"Wind Cutter."
The compressed blade of air sliced through the cavern, striking the wolf across the neck. It collapsed without another sound.
For a brief moment, everything went still.
The remaining wolves backed away, ears pinned flat, eyes flicking between the fallen bodies and the humans standing their ground.
One let out a sharp whine.
Then they turned.
Claws scraped against stone as they fled into the tunnels, disappearing into the darkness they'd come from.
Silence returned.
Only the faint drip of water echoed through the cavern.
Arth lowered his weapon. "They're gone."
Woon nodded.
The fallen wolves began to dissolve.
Their bodies broke apart into faint particles of light, scattering briefly before fading completely. What remained were small drops left on the stone floor—coins and a few dull-looking items, placed as if deliberately.
No blood.
No corpses.
Woon bent down and picked them up.
"…So that's how it works," he said quietly.
Arth glanced around the cavern once more.
The den looked empty now. No movement. No sound. Just claw marks and worn stone.
Ahead, at the far end of the cavern, a single staircase descended.
No side paths.
No branching tunnels.
Arth studied it briefly. "Only one way forward."
Woon nodded and straightened. "Then let's move."
They stepped toward the staircase, leaving the cleared cavern behind.
The light dimmed as they descended.
The staircase opened into a circular chamber.
Unlike the previous floors, this place was quiet.
Too quiet.
The walls were smoother here, the stone darker, faintly reflecting the glow of the **Light Orb**. Thin lines ran along the floor, converging at the center of the room like veins.
Something shifted.
A low, vibrating growl rolled through the chamber, not loud—but heavy enough to be felt through the soles of their feet.
From the shadows, a shape emerged.
A wolf.
Larger than the others.
Its fur was a pale gray, but streaks of blue light pulsed beneath it, crackling faintly like static trapped under skin. Frost gathered around its paws, spreading across the stone floor with each step it took.
The temperature dropped.
Woon swallowed. "…That one's different."
The wolf lifted its head.
Its eyes glowed an icy blue.
The moment it moved, the air itself seemed to react.
It lunged.
Faster than the others.
Arth barely managed to block as frost exploded outward on impact, numbing his arm instantly. He was forced back several steps, boots scraping against frozen stone.
Woon reacted immediately. "Bolt!"
A streak of lightning slammed into the wolf's side. The elemental beast skidded across the floor but recovered almost instantly, ice reforming around its body.
So it wasn't enough.
The wolf howled.
The sound wasn't loud—but it echoed unnaturally, sending sharp vibrations through the chamber. Frost spread rapidly across the floor, turning the ground slick and unstable.
"Careful!" Arth shouted.
Woon nodded and switched spells. "Fireball."
The burst of flame exploded against the wolf's chest, steam rising as fire met ice. The creature staggered, its movements slowing for just a moment.
That was enough.
Arth pushed forward, ignoring the cold biting into his legs. He struck once, twice, blade flashing as he aimed for the joints where the ice was weakest.
The wolf snarled and tried to counter.
"Wind Cutter."
The blade of compressed air struck cleanly across its neck.
The light in the wolf's eyes flickered.
Then shattered.
The elemental energy unraveled.
The wolf collapsed—and dissolved almost instantly, breaking apart into fragments of light that were pulled inward toward the center of the chamber.
Silence followed.
Then—
A small pile of loot appeared where the boss had fallen.
Coins.
Weapons.
A pair of daggers.
Woon crouched and picked them up, inspecting them briefly.
"…Not much," he said.
A few silver coins.
Two low-quality swords, edges already dull.
And one medium-grade set of dual daggers—balanced, clean, far better than the rest.
Woon turned the daggers over once, then handed them to Arth.
"For Tina."
Arth nodded. "She'll like those."
With the chamber cleared, the faint lines on the floor dimmed and faded. The oppressive feeling in the air lifted, leaving behind only cold stone and silence.
"That should be it," Arth said.
The ground beneath them began to glow.
Thin lines of light spread across the stone, forming a circular pattern beneath their feet. The air hummed softly, vibrating in a way that made Woon's skin prickle.
Woon looked down. "…What's happening?"
The light flared.
Before either of them could react, the world twisted.
For a brief instant, there was no sound, no weight—only white.
Then—
They were standing outside the cave.
Sunlight filtered through the trees. A cool breeze passed through the forest. Everything felt calm—too calm.
Woon blinked and turned around. "We're… back at the entrance?"
Arth looked behind them at the silent cave, then at the trees around them. "…Looks like it."
Woon let out a short breath. "So it teleports you out once it's cleared."
Arth exhaled slowly. "That was convenient."
With nothing else left behind them, they turned toward the city and started back.
To be continued.....