Luther's hands trembled as he took in the sight of the modest stone house. It wasn't luxurious, just a single story with a sturdy roof and clean walls. But compared to the squalor of the Eastern District, it was a palace.

"This... this is too much," he whispered, eyes glistening. "I... I can't accept this."

I crossed my arms, watching him carefully. "You will. You have no choice. The debt to the Kingdom is cleared. You're free to leave the Eastern District. Free to live without running from the Guard."

He looked around in disbelief, eyes darting from the house to the neatly swept path leading to it.

"Just remember your promises," I said, voice hard. "No more drinking. And you take care of Sam. Until I come back from the Tower."

My voice darkened slightly. "And don't try anything foolish. I have people watching."

Luther swallowed hard and nodded. "I… I understand."

I crouched beside Sam, who stood quietly beside the house, his wide eyes flicking between us.

"Hey," I said, softening my tone. "Keep your chin up, alright? Work hard. Don't slack on your magic training."

Sam sniffled and wiped at his eyes. "I will, Sir Erynd! Thank you for getting me out of the District!"

I pressed a small pouch of Mana Stones into his hands. "This'll last you a few days. Use it wisely."

His fingers clenched around the pouch, gratitude etched into every line of his face.

Everything I took from Borvan, I used for Sam, including Luther's penalty. However, I kept most of it for now, as I felt it would be safer that way.

I ruffled his hair and gave them both a final nod before turning away.

I had more pressing matters ahead.

***

"Where the hell have you been?" Orin's voice hit me like a slap. Her arms were crossed, and her scowl could've curdled milk. "You disappeared without a word!"

"We were worried," Elena added, softer but no less accusing.

Muradin chuckled, trying to diffuse the tension. "Thought we'd have to tackle the Tower without you."

I raised my hands. "I get it. Let me explain."

And I did. I told them about Sam, about the Pit, and everything that happened underground.

When I finished, Orin exhaled slowly. Her anger faded, replaced by something closer to admiration.

"You're lucky to have made it out of there," she muttered, looking almost embarrassed for snapping at me earlier.

Muradin, on the other hand, chuckled and shook his head. "Barbarian and dwarf losing to a druid and a wizard? Shameful."

Darwyn smirked, arms folded. "You do remember who we're talking about, right?" He glanced at the others before nodding toward me. "This is The Mighty Druid, Eryndor the Annihilator."

I groaned. "That stupid title again?"

Their laughter chased away the tension.

***

This would be our third Tower run. Three months in this world.

If I accounted for the slowed passage of time inside the Tower, it was closer to six. Six long months filled with danger, tension, and battles. Yet I loved every second of it. The thought of returning to my old world hadn't even crossed my mind. Why would it?

I had friends here. A family.

By now, I had grown used to the sensation of stepping into the Tower. The numbing cold, the eerie stillness. It no longer unnerved me. If anything, I welcomed it. Because each time we entered this place, we emerged stronger than before.

We moved east toward Redridge Range. This time, instead of venturing near Gnashfang Warrens, we took the opposite route. Borgoth Cave was our target.

We barely left the Safe Zone when a familiar sound reached my ears, a sharp, high-pitched cackle. I spun, memories of my first near-death flooding back.

Gnoll Archer.

This time, Elena shot five arrows before the Gnoll even took a step. It crumpled to the ground.

I glanced at my teammates. Even the newbie of our group had grown this strong.

We pressed forward, cutting down anything in our way. The journey wasn't without danger. A sudden ambush by a pack of Murlocs nearly cost us. They swarmed out of the underbrush, their guttural croaks filling the air, but Muradin was quick to react. With a powerful sweep of his shield, he forced them back, giving Orin and Elena enough time to retreat.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Hours of trekking and combat later, we finally decided to stop for the night.

"We hauled in a ton of Mana Stones today," Muradin said, grinning as he flopped down.

"Yeah, all thanks to Orin's new ring," Darwyn added, smirking. He eyed her hand. "Lemme see it."

Orin rolled her eyes but held it out. Instead of just looking, he took her hand in his.

His fingers wrapped around hers as he examined the silver band closely. "Didn't notice this engraving before. Looks good on you."

The silver ring gleamed in the firelight, the engraving of a soaring bird visible in its center. It wasn't just for decoration. The ring granted a cooldown reduction effect, slightly cutting down the painfully long delay of Mana Surge.

Orin stiffened for a second before looking away, her face barely visible, but I didn't miss the slight pink dusting her cheeks.

For some reason, watching the scene in front of me left a strange irritation bubbling in my chest.

I knew it was my decision to avoid romance with a team member. It could spark problems, breed bias in crucial decisions, or even ruin our cooperation. Yet, my feelings were a stubborn thing, impossible to truly lie to.

"Erynd, are you okay?" Elena's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Yeah." I lied. "Just tired. I think I'll turn in for the night."

And just like that, our first night inside the Tower came to a close.

***

We pressed forward, cutting through the wilderness, encountering one monster after another.

First came the Hoblin. Feral, dog-like humanoids that roamed in tight-knit packs. They were smaller and leaner than their Moblin cousins but far more agile, darting between the trees and attacking with coordinated strikes.

Then there were the Goblins. Small, green-skinned creatures with eerily human-like features. Unlike most monsters, goblins possessed a sharp intelligence, using weapons, traps, and even rudimentary tactics to overwhelm their prey.

Unfortunately, we didn't run into any Hobgoblins or, better yet, a Goblin King. Their rare drops could have been valuable to us.

And so far, nothing had been strong enough to warrant summoning Gorgroth. With its movement limitations and absurdly long cooldown, calling it out for anything less than a real threat would be a waste.

We continued deeper into the forest, pushing through the thick underbrush and dispatching any lingering threats with practiced efficiency.

Finally, after hours of travel, we arrived at Borgoth Cave.

The entrance loomed before us, a massive, gaping maw flanked by two ancient trees. Their gnarled roots twisted around the stone like skeletal fingers, as if trying to pull the cave shut. The ominous atmosphere alone was enough to deter most adventurers.

"Haaah… finally made it." Darwyn groaned before dramatically collapsing onto the ground.

Orin smirked. "Tired already, old man?"

Darwyn shot her a lazy grin. "Nah, just figured I'd take a break while you catch up. You do walk awfully slow."

Orin gasped in mock offense. "Excuse me? I was ahead of you the whole time!"

"Were you?" Darwyn tapped his chin, pretending to think. "I thought that was just the wind pushing you forward."

Orin rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her grin. "Sure, whatever makes you feel better, old man."

Before they could continue their playful back-and-forth, I spoke up. "We should rest before heading inside."

The cave might have been easy to find, but few adventurers dared to enter. The reason? Most who ventured in never made it out. If we were going in, we needed to be at full strength.

"I was thinking the same thing," added Elena, always meticulous and planned. "We should review our plan before making a move. This isn't a place where we can afford mistakes."

"Fine by me," Muradin said, rubbing his stomach. "Besides, I'm starving."

And just like that, we set up camp at the cave's entrance, preparing for whatever lay ahead.

***

After taking a brief rest and reviewing our strategy, we stepped into Borgoth Cave. The moment our feet touched the damp, moss-covered ground, a deep rumbling echoed through the cavern. Stones shifted and scraped against each other, sealing off the only entrance behind us.

Darwyn clicked his tongue. "It's darker than I thought."

"We can do it," Orin muttered, gripping her staff tighter.

Muradin let out an annoyed grunt. "Are we really trapped here?"

I sighed. There was no point in trying to break it down. Even our strongest combo attack, Thunderstrike Slam empowered by Inner Beast, wouldn't put a dent in that rock wall. I had already tested every spell and skill possible in the game, and the result was always the same.

There was only one way out of here. Defeat every single monster inside this cave.

Borgoth Cave was a unique and merciless battlefield. It was home to all sorts of vicious creatures: small Morgoths covered in coarse, bristling fur, towering and terrifying Titangoths, and of course, the most common inhabitants of all, Borgoths. The beasts that gave this cave its name.

This wasn't just a cave, it was a gauntlet.

In this enclosed space, we had to survive against endless waves of monsters. The longer we lasted, the stronger the creatures would become.

I glanced toward the farthest wall of the cave. A dark aura began to swirl and ripple, the first sign that monsters were about to spawn.

"Positions!" I called out, lifting my staff.

Muradin stood at the front, his massive shield ready to block any incoming attacks.

Darwyn and Elena took their places at my flanks, their weapons at the ready. Meanwhile, Orin, our key player, positioned herself at the back, prepared to step in if things went south.

Then, a sharp whisper of magic cut through the air.

[Gorgroth's Call cast]

A loud rumble erupted beside me, and from its source, a monstrous, nearly two-meter-tall carnivorous plant materialized. Without hesitation, it fired three bursts of liquid flame toward the small Morgoths that had just spawned, incinerating them before they could get close.

This was part of our plan. If we wanted to survive the relentless waves, we had to conserve our Mana and Soul Power as much as possible. Gorgroth was a perfect solution, it could fight for us without draining our resources.

I turned to Muradin. "You know your job, right?"

Muradin smirked, adjusting his shield. "Protect your oversized pet until you can summon it again? Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it."

I chuckled. "Good. Because this party's just getting started."

A deep growl echoed from the cave's depths.

The first wave had arrived.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.