"Erynd, focus on the Gnoll Archers!" Darwyn called out, loosing an arrow without even glancing my way.

"I'll handle the Hoblins!" shouted Muradin, smashing his shield into a charging Hoblin before bringing his warhammer down with a satisfying crunch.

I kept casting Wind Cutter at the archers, weaving in Rejuvenation whenever I could to keep us standing. The battle was intense. Relentless, chaotic, but we were holding our ground.

Until everything went sideways.

One Hoblin broke through the line and lunged straight at me.

"Erynd, look out!" Darwyn shouted, aiming his bow.

I reacted on instinct, activating Windstride and dashing backward in a blink. But not fast enough.

The Hoblin's claws raked across my side with a tearing screech, sharp pain flaring as blood soaked through my robes.

Darwyn quickly unleashed a volley of arrows, forcing the Hoblin to retreat with a frustrated snarl.

"You okay, Erynd?" he asked, eyes scanning my wound.

"I've had worse," I muttered, wincing. Then I spotted an opening and fired Wind Cutter straight into a Gnoll Warrior that had tried to flank Darwyn. "Now quit worrying and focus. We're not done yet."

I pushed myself back to my feet, pain burning in my ribs. There were still too many enemies left.

The fight dragged on, grueling and exhausting. But one by one, we brought them down. Until finally, only one Goblin remained, alone and trembling, its earlier smug grin completely gone.

It turned its back and bolted.

"Not so fast," Darwyn said, letting an arrow fly. It struck the Goblin's leg, sending it sprawling to the ground with a shriek.

"Your turn to die," Muradin growled, charging in with his hammer raised.

The sickening crunch of the Goblin's skull marked the end of the battle.

***

We'd made it through our last battle together, bruised but intact. We rested for a while and continued our journey. And now the path was splitting, each of us bound for separate fates.

I wasn't ready to say goodbye.

Muradin and Darwyn… At first, I'd seen them as disposable NPCs. But somewhere along the way, they'd become something else.

They were comrades.

Real ones.

Muradin Bromir. Darwyn Vonn Gwydion. My first companions in this world.

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"I'll miss the banter," I murmured, almost too quietly to hear.

Muradin clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder. "This isn't goodbye, lad. Just a temporary detour. I'll be back before you start missing me too much."

"And don't get yourself killed while I'm not around to save your sorry hide," Darwyn added, arching an elegant brow. "You have a knack for finding trouble."

"I think trouble finds me, actually," I said with a half-smile. "But thanks for the vote of confidence."

With a brief yet heartfelt farewell, we finally parted ways, walking in opposite directions.

"Don't forget your promise, dwarf!" I called over my shoulder. "Once we're back in the city, you owe me a night of drinks till I pass out!"

Muradin laughed. "Aye, and I'll make sure you regret those words, lad! You best start training that liver of yours!"

"And you, Darwyn," I smirked. "Stop whining about women already. I'll find you one, even if it kills me."

The elf scoffed, shaking his head with mock exasperation. "Please don't. I'd rather take my chances in the Tower than suffer your matchmaking skills."

I chuckled. "Suit yourself. But if you end up married to a goblin princess, don't come crying to me."

Darwyn raised a hand in a mock salute. "If that day ever comes, I'll know exactly who to blame."

I watched them fade into the distance, their silhouettes swallowed by the shifting mist and winding road.

And just like that, I was alone once more.

***

I took the safer path, sticking to roads less traveled. Occasionally, I hunted lone beasts, using the solitude to sharpen my focus. As night fell, I set up camp beneath a sky littered with stars, the flicker of my fire casting shadows across the stones.

My mind wandered.

I remembered the first day I arrived, how small I'd felt. How suffocating the fear had been. The way a single Gnoll Archer had nearly ended me.

But that fear… had evolved.

Now, it was something else.

A challenge.

A thrill.

Every fight, every scar, every brush with death, it all reminded me of playing Dreadspire. But this wasn't some game. It was far more intense. Far more real.

For the first time in my life, I felt truly alive. More alive than I ever had in my previous world.

The thought of returning? It barely crossed my mind. What mattered now was my goal: reaching the final floor and picking up what I'd left behind.

Thanks to Muradin and Darwyn, I had managed to cut down my travel time significantly. That meant I had some extra time to visit certain places before heading to the labyrinth.

Time for treasure hunting.

I began reconstructing my plan in detail, going over every possible route and preparation before finally allowing myself to rest.

***

Smash!

[Magic Resistance +1]

Scattered throughout this rocky terrain were strange, oddly-shaped stones. Break them, and you gained permanent stat boosts. Hidden mechanics. My favorite kind.

Smash!

[Stamina +1]

So far, I'd broken six.

"Alright, last one," I muttered.

Smash!

[Movement Speed +1]

"Not bad," I smiled, feeling the faint stat increase.

[Eryndor Leafshade] [Soul Level: 1 Vitality: 3 → 4 HP Regen: 1 → 2 Magic Resistance: 3 → 4 Stamina: 2 → 3 Strength: 11 Agility: 5 Flexibility: 5 → 6 Movement Speed: 3 → 5 Wisdom: 31 Willpower: 134] [Spells: Rejuvenation, Windstride, Wind Cutter]

This secret area wouldn't open again for several Tower cycles, not until the next reset. A shame. But I'd made the most of it.

I stretched my body, preparing to leave.

That's when I heard it.

Shrikk!

The sound was thin. Precise. Like claws dragging across stone.

No wind. No sounds. Just silence, and that one unnatural hiss.

My fingers tightened around my weapon.

Something was watching me.

And whatever it was… it had already decided I wouldn't leave this place alive.

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