The group moved along the path that led into the forest, leaving behind the distant silhouette of the city center. As they went deeper, the atmosphere grew quieter, broken only by the crunch of leaves under their steps and the occasional murmur of the wind.
Eryon walked alongside the others with the backpack strapped to his back. After a few minutes, he observed his surroundings before turning his gaze toward Sam.
"Why are we going on foot?" he asked. "Four kilometers isn't exactly short."
Sam turned his head with a smile, as if he had been expecting that question.
"From the outside it seems like a lot, but in here you barely notice it," he replied. "With mana flowing through our bodies, we're much more resilient. Even someone in poor physical condition could endure far more inside the tower."
He made a casual gesture with his hand.
"Besides, this way we avoid unnecessary expenses."
Eryon fell silent. He lowered his gaze to his hands and focused on his breathing.
Under normal circumstances, after walking that long while carrying weight, he would already be tired: his legs would feel heavy and his breathing would be uneven. However, that wasn't the case. He was barely sweating, and his rhythm remained steady.
Suddenly, he understood what Sam meant. Mana flowed naturally through his body, reinforcing it in a subtle but constant way.
"I guess… it's true," he murmured, more to himself than to the others.
Vicky shot him a brief glance from the corner of her eye.
"You'll get used to it quickly," she said. "And when you go back to the outside world, you'll notice the difference."
The group kept moving, going deeper and deeper into the forest.
After several hours of walking, they reached a denser area. The trees grew closer together, their intertwined canopies filtering the light and casting irregular shadows across the ground. The air became more humid, and the silence heavier, as if even the smallest creatures avoided making noise.
Sam raised his hand, signaling them to stop.
"This is good. We rest for thirty minutes."
No one protested. It wasn't fatigue that stopped them, but caution.
They set up a makeshift camp with speed and efficiency: a cleared area, equipment organized, everything ready to move at any moment.
Each of them prepared in their own way.
Vicky sat on a fallen log and checked the bolts of her crossbow one by one, examining each tip with absolute focus.
Erick held a rosary in his hands, sliding his fingers slowly over the beads as a faint light seeped between them. He was channeling mana, preparing for what was to come.
Perla, on the other hand, leaned against the trunk of a tree, arms crossed and eyes half-closed, as if she were simply enjoying the rest.
Eryon watched in silence. There was no need for orders or unnecessary words; each of them fulfilled their role naturally, like a well-practiced mechanism. It was obvious they had worked together many times.
He found it… interesting.
Thirty minutes later, Sam stood up. He unsheathed his sword for a moment, checked the edge, and sheathed it again in one smooth motion.
"We move."
The others stood up almost at the same time.
They advanced a few more minutes before Sam suddenly stopped. He raised his fist, and the group reacted instantly, becoming completely still. The tension settled into the air, almost tangible.
Sam gestured for Eryon to come closer.
When he stood beside him, Sam pointed into the undergrowth and spoke in a barely audible whisper:
"Look. Crimson goblins—ugly… and malicious. Individually they're weak, but…" he paused briefly.
"There should be around twelve."
Eryon followed the direction of his finger.
In a small clearing, several reddish figures moved among the trees. They were about the size of children, but their proportions were grotesque: heads too large for their thin bodies, pointed ears, and mouths filled with uneven teeth.
Just as Sam had said… they were horrible.
Some dragged poorly maintained daggers; others wielded small clubs made of metal and bone. They moved erratically, muttering in an incomprehensible language and laughing with a harsh sound.
Eryon felt a slight knot in his stomach.
These were no longer descriptions in a pamphlet—they were real enemies.
Sam slowly withdrew his hand and turned his attention to the rest of the team.
"As always," he whispered. "No noise."
Vicky was the first to move.
With complete composure, she rested the crossbow against her shoulder and readied it; the mechanism gave a faint click as the bolt locked into place, almost imperceptible. Her breathing remained steady, and her gaze fixed on a single target. Eryon instinctively followed her line of fire.
Among the goblins, one stood out. It wore a dirty red robe, too large for its body, and held a cracked staff covered in dark stains. A mage…? he managed to think.
He didn't have time to think further.
Fshh.
The hooded goblin reacted at the last instant, turning its head with eyes wide in panic… but it was too slow. The bolt pierced its skull cleanly and pinned it to the trunk of a tree. Its body collapsed without making a sound.
For a brief moment, the rest remained frozen… and then chaos erupted.
Shrill screams, disordered movements, weapons raised without direction.
Taking advantage of the confusion, Sam moved.
He appeared among them like a shadow, his sword tracing a clean, precise arc. A single slash was enough for two heads to go flying, their bodies collapsing before their owners even understood what had happened.
But that wasn't all.
The air vibrated with a deep hum.
From the rear, Perla raised a hand with an indifferent expression. Mana condensed around her, and in the next instant, a rain of thunder descended upon the clearing. The ground exploded in white and blue flashes, and seven goblins were struck at the same time; their bodies tensed in violent convulsions before being charred, motionless, as thin columns of smoke rose from their remains. The smell of ozone quickly spread through the air.
The three remaining barely managed to react. Driven by panic, they tried to flee.
Vicky fired again.
The projectile cut through the air charged with energy and, mid-flight, split into several nearly simultaneous trajectories. The three goblins were pierced at the same time; their bodies stiffened for a moment before collapsing lifelessly.
Silence fell abruptly.
It had all ended in a matter of seconds.
Eryon remained still, eyes open, trying to process what he had just witnessed. From the first shot to the fall of the last enemy, there had been no disorder, no mistakes, no hesitation… only overwhelming efficiency that made it clear this was an experienced team.
He was still taking it in when a sharp screech tore through the air to his left.
"—Kiiieeek!"
At the sound, Eryon turned purely on instinct.
From the undergrowth, a crimson goblin burst out of nowhere. Its eyes were bloodshot, and it moved with almost animalistic aggression, lunging straight at Erick, whose attention was still on the clearing.
"Watch out!" Eryon shouted.
His body reacted before his mind could catch up. Mana surged violently through his muscles as he activated his ability on pure instinct, reinforcing every fiber of his body in an instant.
With a burst of movement he didn't even know he had, he stepped forward and threw a punch with all his strength.
A wet, dull sound echoed, and the goblin's head exploded like a watermelon, scattering fragments of bone, blood, and gray matter in all directions. The lifeless body fell a second later, as if it still hadn't understood it was already dead.
Stunned, he remained still, his fist still extended, feeling the warm blood slide down his arm and splatter across part of his face. He blinked a couple of times before murmuring, dazed:
"…What…?"
He lowered his gaze to his hand, completely soaked, unable to look away.
Erick took a step back, releasing the breath he had been holding.
"Whew… that was close."
Then he raised his thumb, offering him a sincere smile.
"Good job."
Before Eryon could fully process the scene, he felt a presence behind him. Sam appeared at his back, calmly observing the mangled corpse before giving a slight nod.
"Good hit," he said. "Excellent… especially for your first time."
Eryon's heart was pounding.
That had been his first enemy, his first real attack inside the tower, and the sensation still coursed through his body as the silence following the battle began to settle.
Perla was the first to move.
She crouched beside the goblin Eryon had killed and carefully moved the decapitated body aside. Her attention focused on the weapon, which remained half-buried in the ground from the force of the impact.
"Mmm…"
She picked up the dagger with two fingers and raised it toward the light filtering through the treetops. For a few seconds, she observed it in silence, as if perceiving something the others couldn't.
Suddenly, she let out a soft exclamation.
"Eh?"
She stood up quickly and raised the dagger for everyone to see.
"Sam… this isn't like the others," she said, a clear note of surprise in her voice. "It's a magic dagger."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Vicky stopped checking her crossbow, Erick stepped closer with a frown, and even Sam widened his eyes slightly before regaining his serious expression.
"Magic?" Vicky repeated.
Perla nodded.
"It has a weak but stable core. Probably just a minor effect, but still…" she looked at it again, "a normal goblin shouldn't have something like this."
Eryon watched in silence. He understood it was important… even if he didn't fully grasp why.
Sam took the dagger and slowly turned it between his fingers, examining the worn runes etched into the blade. His expression grew thoughtful, and for a few seconds no one spoke.
Finally, he looked up.
"This isn't normal," he said gravely. "There could be a dungeon nearby… or a treasure chamber."
Hearing that, Eryon couldn't help but blink in confusion.
"A dungeon…?" he murmured quietly.
Sam noticed and let out a faint sigh before turning to him with a half-smile.
"It makes sense you wouldn't know yet. I'll explain quickly."
He handed the dagger back to Perla and began speaking as they stepped a bit away from the clearing.
"Inside the tower, when a dungeon or treasure chamber appears, the mana in the area becomes unstable. Nearby creatures are affected: they become more aggressive… and sometimes gain better equipment or unusual abilities."
Erick nodded calmly. "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 huge dungeon, but it does mean something has appeared that wasn't here before."
Eryon looked at the dagger again.
For the first time since entering the tower, he understood that this place wasn't just dangerous… it was also full of unpredictable opportunities.
And that made him swallow.
Sam remained silent for a few more seconds, arms crossed, his gaze fixed in the direction the goblins had come from. His expression showed a hint of hesitation; it wasn't a simple decision.
"Mmm…"
The group waited patiently, and after a moment, Sam finally lifted his head.
"What do you say we explore a bit?"
Vicky raised an eyebrow, Erick tightened his grip slightly on the rosary, and Perla tilted her head, intrigued.
"If it's a dungeon, we can assess its level from the outside and decide whether to enter or not," he continued. "We're not obligated to take the risk."
He paused briefly before adding, with a crooked smile, "But if it turns out to be a treasure room..." His gaze rested on each of them, making eye contact. It's a win-win for everyone.
His gaze finally rested on Eryon.
Eryon felt a slight shock in his chest at the sound of these words, an unexpected acknowledgment.
For a moment, no one spoke. The echo of Sam's proposal hung in the air.
Then Vicky broke the silence, looking at the goblin who had attacked Erick. "If it wasn't for him, this could have gone very wrong," she said with an unusual sincerity in her voice.
Erick nodded, endorsing his words.
Pearl smiled slightly, a subtle gesture on her usually impassive face. "And the signal is too clear to ignore.
One by one, all the members of the team nodded, doubts dissipating, giving in to the logic of the situation and the promise of a reward.
Sam exhaled the air he seemed to have been holding and turned around, with a new determination. We go a little further, carefully. Do not let your guard down.
The group immediately reorganized itself, like a well-oiled machine, and resumed its formation, going deeper and deeper into the forest. As they advanced, the light dimmed, barely filtering through the thick foliage; The atmosphere became denser, full of mystery, and the manna in the air began to be felt... different as if they were about to cross an invisible threshold.