The group moved along the trail that led deeper into the forest, leaving behind the distant silhouette of the inner city. The atmosphere grew quieter, broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath their steps and the occasional murmur of the wind.
Eryon walked alongside the others, his backpack strapped to his back. After a few minutes, he couldn't help but glance around before looking at Sam.
"Why are we going on foot?" he asked. "Four kilometers isn't exactly a short distance."
Sam turned his head and smiled, as if the question were a familiar one.
"It seems like a lot from the outside," he replied, "but in here, you barely notice it. With mana flowing through our bodies, we're much more resilient. Even someone who used to be in terrible physical shape could endure far more inside the tower."
He made a casual gesture with his hand as he continued walking.
"Besides, it helps us avoid unnecessary expenses."
Eryon listened in silence.
A few seconds later, he lowered his gaze to his own hands and focused on his breathing.
Normally, after walking so long while carrying weight, he would already be tired—his legs heavy, his breathing uneven. But reality told a different story. He was barely sweating, and his breathing remained steady.
That was when he realized it.
Sam was right.
Mana flowed naturally through his body, reinforcing it in a way that was almost imperceptible. It wasn't flashy or spectacular, but it was there, supporting him.
"I guess… that's true," Eryon murmured, more to himself than to the others.
Vicky cast a brief glance back at him, assessing him.
"You'll get used to it quickly," she said. "And when you return to the outside world, you'll notice the difference."
The group continued forward, venturing deeper into the forest.
After hours of walking, they finally reached a specific area.
The trees were denser there, their canopies interwoven, filtering the light and casting irregular shadows across the ground. The air was more humid, and the silence felt heavier, as if even the smallest creatures avoided making noise.
Sam raised a hand, signaling them to stop.
"This is good," he said after surveying the surroundings. "We'll rest for thirty minutes."
No one protested.
Though they didn't seem particularly tired, everyone understood that this wasn't about fatigue—it was about caution.
They set up an improvised camp quickly and efficiently. Nothing elaborate: a cleared area, minimal vigilance, and organized gear so they could move immediately if something went wrong.
Each of them prepared in their own way.
Vicky sat on a fallen log and began counting the bolts of her crossbow one by one, checking the condition of each tip with absolute concentration.
Erick, meanwhile, held a strange rosary between his hands. His fingers moved slowly over the beads as a faint light seeped through them. It was clear he was channeling mana, preparing for what was to come.
The only one who seemed completely relaxed was Perla. She leaned against a tree trunk, arms crossed, eyes half-closed, as if she were enjoying the break rather than preparing for a hunt.
Eryon observed in silence.
Each of them fulfilled their role naturally. There were no unnecessary orders, no wasted words. This was a group that had worked together many times before.
He found it… interesting.
Thirty minutes later, Sam stood up. He drew his sword for just a moment, checked the edge, then sheathed it again with a clean motion.
"All right," he said. "We move out."
The others rose almost at the same time.
After walking a bit longer, Sam came to an abrupt stop.
He raised a clenched fist, and the group reacted instantly, freezing in place without making a sound. The atmosphere tightened in an instant.
Sam turned his head slightly and motioned for Eryon to come closer.
When he was close enough, Sam extended a finger and pointed ahead, into the thick of the trees. His voice was barely a whisper.
"Look. Those are crimson goblins. Ugly, very malicious creatures. Individually, they're weak…"
He paused briefly.
"According to the mission, there should be about twelve."
Eryon followed the direction of his finger and focused his gaze.
Between the trees, in a small natural clearing, several red figures moved about. They were roughly the size of an eight-year-old child, but their proportions were grotesque. Their heads were far too large for their thin bodies, with pointed ears and mouths full of uneven teeth.
Just as Sam had said, they were ugly.
Some dragged poorly maintained steel daggers; others carried small clubs made of metal and bone. They moved erratically, muttering among themselves in an incomprehensible language, laughing in a harsh, unpleasant way.
Eryon felt a slight knot form in his stomach.
These weren't just words in a pamphlet.
They were real enemies.
Sam slowly withdrew his hand and turned his attention back to the rest of the team.
"We move as usual," he whispered. "No noise."
Vicky moved first.
With absolute calm, she rested the crossbow against her shoulder and began preparing it. The mechanism produced a faint, almost imperceptible click as she adjusted the bolt. Her breathing was steady, her eyes locked onto a specific target.
Eryon followed her line of fire.
Among the goblins, one stood out. It wore a dirty red robe far too large for its body and held a half-broken staff, covered in cracks and dark stains.
A goblin mage…? was the first thought that crossed Eryon's mind.
Before he could fully process it—
Fshh.
The sound of the shot was sharp yet subdued, more a whisper than a bang.
The robed goblin seemed to sense the danger at the very last instant. It turned its head, eyes widening in panic—
Too slow.
The steel bolt pierced its skull cleanly, pinning it to the tree trunk behind it. The body collapsed without even letting out a scream.
For a fraction of a second, the other goblins stood frozen.
Then… panic.
High-pitched shrieks, erratic movements, weapons raised without direction. That was when Sam moved.
He appeared from the side like a shadow. His sword traced a clean, brutal arc.
One slash.
Two heads flew.
The goblins' bodies hit the ground before they even understood what had happened.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
The air thundered.
From the rear, Perla raised one hand, her expression indifferent. Mana gathered, and in the next instant, a rain of thunder crashed down upon the clearing.
The ground erupted in flashes of white and blue.
Seven goblins were struck at once, their bodies convulsing violently before being left charred and smoking on the ground.
The smell of ozone filled the air.
The remaining three, seized by absolute terror, barely had time to attempt to flee.
Vicky fired again.
An electrically charged bolt streaked through the air, splitting into nearly simultaneous trajectories. All three goblins were impaled, their bodies tensing for an instant before collapsing lifelessly.
Silence.
It was over.
Eryon stood motionless, eyes wide in shock.
From the first shot to the fall of the last goblin… only a few seconds had passed.
There was no chaos.
No mistakes.
No hesitation.
Only absolute efficiency.
This was an experienced team.
Eryon was still processing what he had just witnessed when a sharp screech tore through the air to his left.
"Kiiieeek!"
He turned his head on reflex.
From the undergrowth, a crimson goblin burst out of nowhere. Its eyes were bloodshot, its movements frantic, almost animalistic. It rushed straight toward Erick, who at that moment had his attention focused on the area where the last enemies had fallen.
"Watch out!" Eryon shouted.
He didn't hesitate.
His body reacted before his mind could.
Mana surged violently through his muscles as he activated his ability on pure instinct.
Full Physical Reinforcement.
Eryon stepped forward and threw a punch with all his strength.
The goblin, completely defenseless, took the blow squarely to the head.
There was a wet, dull sound at the same time.
The goblin's head exploded like a watermelon, fragments of bone, blood, and gray matter splattering in every direction. The lifeless body collapsed a moment later, as if it didn't yet understand that it was already dead.
Eryon froze.
His fist was still extended.
Warm blood dripped down his arm and across part of his face.
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"…What…?" he murmured, staring at the corpse and then at his own hand, completely soaked.
Erick took a step back, releasing the breath he had been holding.
"Whew…" he sighed. "That was close."
Then he raised his thumb toward Eryon and gave him a sincere smile.
"Good job."
Eryon hadn't fully recovered when he felt a presence behind him.
Sam appeared at his back, observing the headless—or rather, utterly destroyed—corpse.
"Nice hit," he said approvingly. "A very good hit, especially for your first time."
Eryon swallowed.
His heart was pounding.
That had been his first enemy.
His first real strike inside the tower.
Perla was the first to move after the brief silence that followed the battle.
She crouched beside the goblin Eryon had taken down and carefully moved the headless body aside. Her eyes stopped on the weapon still half-buried in the ground by the force of the impact.
"Hmm…"
The mage picked up the dagger with two fingers and raised it toward the light filtering through the treetops. For several seconds, she said nothing, studying it as if listening to something the others couldn't perceive.
Suddenly, she let out a small exclamation.
"Huh?"
She stood up quickly and lifted the dagger for everyone to see.
"Sam… this weapon isn't trash like the ones the other goblins had," she said, clear surprise in her voice. "It's a magic dagger."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Vicky stopped checking her crossbow.
Erick frowned and stepped closer.
Even Sam's eyes widened slightly before returning to a serious expression.
"Magic?" Vicky repeated.
Perla nodded.
"It has a weak but stable core. Probably a minor effect, but still…" She looked at the dagger again. "A normal goblin shouldn't have something like this."
Eryon watched in silence.
He understood that it was important…
Just not entirely why.
Sam took the dagger from Perla and slowly turned it, examining the worn runes etched into the blade. His expression grew thoughtful. Several seconds passed without anyone speaking.
Finally, Sam looked up.
"This isn't normal," he said gravely. "There might be a dungeon nearby… or a treasure chamber."
Eryon blinked, clearly confused.
"A dungeon…?" he murmured.
Sam noticed and let out a small sigh before turning to him.
"It makes sense that you wouldn't know yet," he said with a half-smile. "Look, I'll explain it quickly."
He handed the dagger back to Perla and began speaking as they moved a few steps away from the clearing.
"Inside the tower, when a dungeon or a treasure chamber appears, the mana in the area becomes unstable. Nearby creatures are affected—they become more aggressive… and sometimes gain better equipment or abnormal abilities."
Erick nodded.
"It's like the environment 'feeds' them."
"Exactly," Sam continued. "A goblin with a magic weapon is usually a clear sign. It doesn't mean it's a large dungeon, but it does mean something that wasn't here before has appeared."
Eryon looked at the dagger again.
For the first time since entering the tower, he realized that this place wasn't just dangerous…
It was also full of unpredictable opportunities.
And that made him swallow hard.
Sam remained silent for a few more seconds, arms crossed, his gaze fixed in the direction the goblins had come from. His expression showed hesitation; this wasn't a light decision.
"Mmm…" he murmured.
The group waited.
Finally, Sam raised his head and spoke firmly.
"How about we explore a bit?"
Vicky raised an eyebrow, Erick tightened his grip on his rosary, and Perla tilted her head, intrigued.
"If it turns out to be a dungeon, we can check its level from the outside and decide whether to enter or not," Sam continued. "We're not obligated to take the risk."
He paused briefly, then added with a crooked smile:
"But if it turns out to be a treasure room…" He looked at each of them in turn. "We'll all be rich."
His gaze settled on Eryon.
"Even you, Eryon."
Eryon felt a small jolt in his chest at those words.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Vicky looked at the goblin Eryon had crushed while saving Erick.
"If it weren't for him, this could've gone badly," she said sincerely.
Erick nodded.
"I agree. Eryon reacted fast."
Perla smiled softly.
"And the sign is far too clear to ignore."
One by one, they all nodded.
Sam let out the breath he seemed to have been holding and turned on his heel.
"Alright," he said. "We move a bit deeper, carefully. No lowering our guard."
The group reorganized immediately, advancing in formation as they ventured deeper into the forest. The light grew scarcer, the atmosphere heavier, and the mana in the air began to feel subtly different.