Chapter 14 – The Ambush in the Deep Tunnels
The next morning, Ronan returned to the dungeon earlier than usual.
A faint mist still hung over the city as he passed through the gate and walked toward the familiar swirling portal. The guards barely glanced at him now; they had already seen him enter this dungeon several times.
To them, he was just another hunter.
But Ronan knew things had changed.
The Shadow Step Bracelet on his wrist had already altered the way he fought. Combined with his high agility, he could move faster than most beginner hunters.
And that meant one thing.
He could hunt deeper.
Without hesitation, Ronan stepped into the portal.
---
The dungeon welcomed him with cold, stale air.
Dim green moss illuminated the stone walls as usual, casting faint shadows along the winding tunnels.
But today Ronan did not head toward the boss chamber.
Instead, he chose a different tunnel.
One he had ignored before.
If the rumors about multi-floor dungeons were true, there was a chance that hidden routes existed even inside this goblin dungeon.
And Ronan wanted to find them.
He moved quietly through the narrow passage.
Every step was careful.
Every sound mattered.
Then—
A scraping noise echoed from the darkness ahead.
Ronan immediately slowed.
Two goblins emerged from behind a rock formation.
But these goblins looked slightly different.
Their armor was crude but thicker than normal goblins, and one carried a jagged iron spear.
"Grrra!"
They charged.
Ronan stepped forward instead of retreating.
The spear goblin thrust its weapon toward his chest.
Ronan twisted his body and avoided the strike by a narrow margin.
The spear scraped past his shoulder.
Before the goblin could recover—
Slash.
His dagger cut across its throat.
The second goblin swung a rusted blade wildly.
Ronan activated Shadow Step.
In an instant, his body flickered.
He reappeared behind the goblin.
The creature froze in confusion.
Then Ronan drove the dagger into its back.
The goblin collapsed.
---
[Goblin Warrior defeated]
EXP +20
---
Ronan noticed the difference immediately.
"Goblin Warrior…"
Stronger than normal goblins.
Which meant better experience.
He collected their hearts and stored them inside his bag.
Then continued forward.
---
The tunnel gradually sloped downward.
The air grew colder.
After several minutes of walking, the passage widened into a large underground cavern.
Ronan stopped.
This area was different from the rest of the dungeon.
Broken wooden structures stood along the walls.
Old mining tools lay scattered on the ground.
Torches—long extinguished—were mounted on stone pillars.
"This wasn't made by goblins," Ronan murmured.
It looked like an abandoned mine.
Perhaps the dungeon had formed around an old underground structure.
But the silence didn't last long.
Suddenly—
Footsteps echoed behind him.
Ronan spun around instantly.
Three hunters stood at the tunnel entrance.
They were not wearing guild insignias.
And their expressions were far from friendly.
The one in front grinned.
"Well, look what we found."
Ronan's eyes narrowed.
Hunter ambushers.
They were rare but not unheard of.
Some hunters preferred robbing others instead of fighting monsters.
The second man stepped forward.
"You've been clearing this dungeon alone for days."
His gaze moved toward Ronan's bracelet.
"And you're carrying some nice gear."
The third hunter cracked his knuckles.
"Hand over the rings and we might let you walk away."
For a moment, the cavern fell silent.
Ronan studied them carefully.
One swordsman.
One axe wielder.
One archer standing behind them.
Three against one.
A difficult fight.
But not impossible.
Ronan spoke calmly.
"You're making a mistake."
The swordsman laughed.
"No. You are."
Then he rushed forward.
---
Steel clashed.
The swordsman swung his blade horizontally.
Ronan stepped backward, barely avoiding the strike.
The axe wielder charged immediately after, raising his weapon overhead.
The heavy axe came down with force.
BOOM.
Stone cracked where it struck.
Ronan rolled aside.
Before he could stand—
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
The archer had fired.
Ronan activated Shadow Step.
His body vanished for a fraction of a second.
The arrow passed through empty air.
Ronan reappeared several meters away.
The hunters froze briefly in surprise.
"A teleport skill?" the archer muttered.
Ronan didn't give them time to react.
He sprinted toward the archer.
The swordsman tried to intercept him.
Their blades collided.
Clang.
Ronan twisted his wrist and pushed the sword aside.
Then he kicked the man in the chest.
The swordsman stumbled backward.
Ronan dashed past him.
The archer panicked and tried to nock another arrow.
Too late.
Ronan's dagger flashed.
The blade struck the archer's shoulder, knocking the bow from his hands.
The man collapsed with a cry.
But the axe wielder roared and charged again.
His weapon swung in a wide arc.
Ronan ducked under the strike.
The axe smashed into a wooden support beam.
CRACK.
The old structure splintered.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Ronan seized the moment.
He drove his dagger forward.
The blade pierced through a gap in the hunter's armor.
The man dropped to one knee, gasping.
The remaining swordsman hesitated.
His confident expression was gone.
"You… you're stronger than we thought."
Ronan stepped forward slowly.
The cavern felt strangely quiet again.
The swordsman glanced at his injured companions.
Then cursed under his breath.
"Forget this."
He turned and ran into the tunnel.
Within seconds, he disappeared into the darkness.
Ronan did not chase him.
Instead, he watched carefully until the footsteps faded.
The injured hunters crawled away shortly after, dragging their wounded companion.
The fight was over.
---
Ronan exhaled slowly.
His heart was still beating fast.
Hunter battles were far more dangerous than monster fights.
Humans were unpredictable.
Clever.
And sometimes desperate.
But the encounter had also confirmed something important.
The dungeon was becoming more valuable.
Valuable enough for hunters to risk ambushes.
Ronan walked deeper into the cavern.
As he moved through the abandoned mine area, something unusual caught his attention.
A faint red glow.
At the far end of the cavern, a narrow staircase descended into darkness.
From below came a strange sound.
Low.
Heavy.
Like something breathing.
Ronan tightened his grip on the dagger.
His instincts told him the truth immediately.
"Another floor…"
If this staircase truly led deeper into the dungeon…
Then the goblin dungeon wasn't just a single-layer area.
It had a second level.
And whatever waited below was likely far more dangerous than goblins.
Ronan stood at the top of the stairs, thinking carefully.
The raid dungeon expedition would begin in a few days.
But discovering a hidden second floor could change everything.
He looked down into the darkness again.
Then a small smile appeared on his face.
"Looks like I found something interesting."
Without hesitation, Ronan began descending the stone staircase.
Each step echoed quietly through the underground chamber.
The deeper he went…
The heavier the air became.
And somewhere below…
A new kind of monster was waiting.