The dungeon air grew heavier the deeper Class Caelis moved. Shadows stretched unnaturally across the moss-covered stone, and the faint stench of rot mixed with damp earth clung to their senses.

The three scouts—Felrin, Col, and Drevin—had returned with their report.

"Mostly goblins and wild boars," Felrin explained, adjusting his glasses. His tone was calm, analytical, as though he were reciting from a textbook. "Individually, they're weak… but goblins never wander alone. In groups, they rise to an E-rank threat."

He paused, glancing at his notes before continuing.

"About a mile in, there's an open chamber. A crude goblin settlement. They've secured a small water source, cultivated patches of edible moss, and collected wild mushrooms. Combined with boar's meat, it's sustainable. They even forage herbs for seasoning."

The students exchanged uneasy looks. A village meant organization, and organization meant danger.

"Then that's our direction," Maera said firmly. Her hand rested lightly on the hilt of her sword. "Stay sharp. Goblins are cowardly, but never underestimate them."

They advanced carefully. Stone walls soon opened into a wider tunnel, and faint echoes of screeches reached their ears.

Keihk… kehh…

The sound was grotesque, like nails scraping against glass.

When they turned a corner, they saw it—a lone goblin, its hunched body shaking as it hammered its fists down again and again. But what chilled them wasn't the sight of the goblin alive—it was the corpse beneath it. Another goblin, beaten into a mess of green pulp.

The creature's shrill cries echoed in the silence of the dungeon.

Drevin glanced at Maera, waiting for her command. She gave a short, decisive nod.

With practiced calm, Drevin drew an ordinary arrow, not one of his mana-infused shafts. He steadied his breath, aimed, and let go.

Thwip!

The arrow cut through the stagnant air, piercing the goblin's skull. The creature froze mid-screech before collapsing beside the corpse it had been mutilating.

The group approached cautiously. The dungeon floor squelched faintly as they neared.

Maera crouched, examining the body with a frown. "Strange… it wasn't attacking prey. It was… beating its own kind."

Ron folded his arms, his expression hard. "We should check the body. Something's not right."

Felrin adjusted his glasses again, his eyes narrowing. "Agreed. Goblins don't cannibalize casually. If there's infighting, or worse we need to know before moving closer to the village."

The students gathered around, tension heavy in the air.

Maera's hand grip tightened. "Stay alert. Search both of the corpses,Others remain on guard."

Some of them crouched around the corpses while others remain at guard to protect them, the smell of iron and moss heavy in the air. Felrin carefully pulled free a dull, rusted knife from one goblin's limp grip. Beside it lay another equally crude blade, its edge chipped and nearly useless.

"What are these?" Selene muttered, wrinkling her nose.

"Goblin craftsmanship," Felrin replied flatly, pushing his glasses higher. "Barely worth calling weapons."

Next, Col bent down and lifted two pieces of wood carved with jagged marks—one scratched with a circle, the other with a crude 'X'.

"Symbols…" he murmured.

Maera's eyes narrowed. "Hmm… two different signs. That should mean there are two groups of goblins here."

Felrin nodded quickly. "That makes sense. From what I saw, the water source near the settlement is limited. It's possible they're sharing it, even though their groups don't get along."

"Sharing, huh?" Drevin muttered. "That doesn't sound like goblins."

Felrin ignored him, instead pointing at the two necklaces they had found. Shiny stones glinted faintly, and each necklace had a wild boar tusk at its center. The tusks bore the same circle and cross marks.

"As much as I know about goblins," Felrin said, voice tightening with focus, "these necklaces aren't decoration. They're status markers. Only two goblins in a tribe wear them—one is the leader… the other is the leader's son."

Ron's brow furrowed. He folded his arms, shaking his head. "But these two didn't seem strong. Weak, actually. There's no way they're leaders."

Lia's pink eyes flickered as she studied the bodies. "Then… these two must be the successors. The sons of the leaders of both tribes."

Silence fell over the group. The dungeon felt heavier than before, the dripping of water echoing ominously.

Maera's expression tightened, her voice lowering to a murmur. "Two groups… living together despite hating each other. If they're tied to the same water source… what should be our approach?"

Before she could answer herself, Jax stretched, cracking a grin. "I have an idea."

Selene immediately snapped her gaze toward him, her tone sharp. "Jax. You know better. Don't say anything foolish."

But Jax only smirked wider, clearly enjoying the attention. "Relax, Selene. I'm not always an idiot. My plan should work."

Maera's eyes sharpened on him. Her hand still rested lightly on her blade as she asked, serious and steady:

"What is your plan, Jax Harl?"

Jax's grin widened as he laid out the idea. "We don't need to fight them head-on. Look—by human standards these two are successors of higher rank, right? If we use these corpses as bait, make it look like one tribe desecrated the other's heir, the two tribes will rile at each other faster than they'll notice us. While they're busy tearing each other apart, we strike when they're weakest."

Drevin's eyes lit up, the aptness of the plan clicking into place. "That could work. Toss a corpse into the middle of a tribe or into the entrance where both groups can smell it. Goblins rely on scent—if they pick up the other tribe's scent on the corpse, they'll assume foul play. A fight will start before anyone figures out what's really going on. But we'll need stealth to place the corpses and a good location—somewhere with limited escape routes so they can't scatter too quickly."

Maera folded her arms, thinking. Then she leveled her gaze at Jax. "And what if they don't fight? What's the backup plan if your trick fails?"

For a moment Jax's confident mask flickered. He blinked, then managed an awkward, lopsided smile. "Uh… I didn't think that far ahead."

The class reacted the way you'd expect—Selene's exasperated look, a couple of groans, and even Maera's restrained shake of the head. Drevin pursed his lips but didn't scoff; the plan still had merit.

Jax, undeterred, tried to play it off. "Come on—give me some credit. It will work. Why's everyone so rude?" he complained, half-joking.

Maera cut him off with businesslike calm. "Fine. Col and Drevin—go to that open chamber. Move carefully. Find the best spot where the tribes gather and where you can toss the bodies without being seen. Report back with the location and the layout. We'll choose who will place the corpses once we know the terrain."

Col Alven bowed, serious. "Understood."

Drevin nodded once, already checking the tension on his bowstring.

Felrin glanced at the pair, then at the rest of the group. "We should also consider escape routes and possible reinforcements.

"Agreed," Maera said. "Stay quiet, stay alert. If anything goes wrong, pull back and notify us. We move as one."

As Col and Drevin ran into the dim corridors toward the goblin village, the rest of Class Caelis watched them go—some anxious, some excited, most silently bracing for what came next.

They had a plan. It was risky. But in a dungeon, risk was part of the lesson.

--

Col and Drevin slipped through the dark passage like shadows, breath held low, boots whispering against the damp stone. When they rounded the final bend, the tunnel opened abruptly into a vast chamber.

It lived up to its name—an open square of stone, its walls rising high and straight, unlike the twisted caverns and narrow corridors that led to it. The floor was flatter here, worn smooth by countless feet, and for reasons neither of them could name, the space felt brighter. Blue crystals studded the ceiling pulsed faintly, throwing light in patterns that looked almost like sunlight dancing across the ground.

Drevin crouched behind a low pillar, peering between two carved supports. "We couldn't get a clear look earlier because of the guards," he whispered. "But they're not at their posts right now." He pointed silently toward the center of the chamber.

From their vantage point the two settlements were obvious—two clusters of crude huts built from bone, leather, and scavenged wood, set at opposite sides of the square. One camp flew a black banner marked with a white circle; the other bore a black flag crossed with a white X.

They moved their heads just a little deeper into the shadowed recesses and noticed the chamber's life-source: a small pond tucked against the far wall. Clear water pooled there, surface glassy and still, fed by a narrow spout—water poured from the gilded mouth of a tiny dragon statue mounted in the stone, its scaled features worn smooth by time and use. The soft trickle echoed oddly in the high-walled room, lending the place an almost sacred hush.

Drevin's expression tightened with satisfaction. "Perfect. Two settlements, two factions. Exactly what we suspected." He tapped a finger against his lip, thinking fast. "If they're keeping their distance, we can move between them from this side. There—see that corner by the supply hut? Goblins pass it on their way to the water." He traced the route with a swift, silent motion.

Col nodded. "Dump the corpse there. It'll be found quickly and the scent will spread toward both camps. They'll notice the other tribe's smell and blow up at each other." He checked the shadows again, eyes sharp. "We'll mark the route back and slip out. Report to Lia and Maera. Tell them the corner is ideal—limited escape routes, tight space. That's where we stage the corpse."

Drevin gave a curt nod, feeling the surge of adrenaline that came with a plan finally clicking into place. "Let's go. Fast and quiet."

They melted back the way they'd come, the chamber's faint light swallowing them once more as they slipped into the tunnels, each step measured and careful. Ahead, the rest of Class Caelis waited—and their plan would soon fall into action.

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