The friends walked out of the village and quickly found the river.

  The water moved unnaturally slowly, as if weighed down by something unseen. Nox felt a faint pressure pressing against his senses, subtle but unmistakable.

  As they continued walking with their eyes wide open, Lina dragged Nox to the side and whispered in his ear.

  “One day I’m gonna tie you up like that man.”

  Her smile was almost too wide, but something let Nox think she wasn’t joking.

  Nox swallowed. His gaze went into the air, imagined a strong rope cutting into his skin

  “Fine, but you’ll have to help me meditate instead,” he decided, pointing at his ring.

  “What are you two doing?” Beatrice interrupted.

  “Nothing!” the two answered in perfect unison, smiling brightly.

  After the group had walked further upstream, they saw how the river split into two parts. Violent waves crashed into each other, and behind the water vapour hid a small, inconspicuous building.

  Despite its size, the building didn’t feel abandoned. The air around it was wrong—too still, too quiet, as if the structure were waiting, aware of their presence.

  “That thing is their base? How embarrassing,” Beatrice bragged, though her tone lacked real conviction.

  “M- Maybe they’re just homeless beggars trying to steal some money,” Regea murmured, actual concern lacing his tongue.

  “What are you two talking about? That’s obviously not their whole base. Let’s go check it out,” Nox said, carefully stepping closer.

  When they inspected the house, they saw a collection of symbols etched across the walls.

  The symbols weren’t decorative; they repeated in uneven patterns, some scratched over others, as if multiple people had tried and failed.

  A mana barrier protected the ground, making it hard to break through with brute force.

  Lina’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the symbols.

  “Seems like we need to find out the right cod—”

  Before she could finish, Nox slammed his hand onto the floor.

  “A magical barrier, huh? That’s no problem,” he said as frost quickly began crawling across the ground, forming a thin, glimmering layer.

  The moment the stone floor collapsed, a wave of stale, heavy air rushed upward, carrying the smell of damp stone and iron. A large staircase revealed itself, plunging into endless darkness.

  “Alright, let’s goooo—ahhh!” Nox shouted as Lina trampled on his foot.

  “How dare you interrupt me,” she pouted.

  “Okay, I’m sorry. Get off me, please!” he cried, taking small jumps while holding his foot.

  Regea and Beatrice exchanged confused glances as the four descended the stairway.

  “Lina is… different.”

  “Yeah… kind of intimidating.”

  The light from above faded quickly, and each step echoed longer than the last.

  After five minutes, they entered a massive underground cavern with multiple tunnels stretching in every direction. Dry blood was splattered over the grey stone.

  The ceiling disappeared into darkness. Whatever had been built here was not meant for a handful of bandits; it hinted at a far greater power.

  In the centre stood a tall, dark-skinned man, speaking to ten bandits.

  Nox’s group ducked behind a nearby structure and strained to hear their conversation.

  “How many main stigma users do we have?” the leader asked.

  “Around ten, sir. But we will receive more food from three more villages,” one subordinate replied. He had a long black sword strapped on his belt.

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  “Good. Oblivara will pay a massive sum for that.”

  Nox’s stomach dropped. He hated being left in the dark, especially right now.

  Suddenly, two men came rushing from the entrance.

  “Sir! The building by the river has been destroyed!” one yelled.

  “What?”

  The leader turned confused and he glared around with sharp eyes.

  “There are intruders in here! The floor gave way beneath them!” another added.

  “Search every corner! None of them leave this place alive,” the tall, dark-skinned leader commanded.

  Torches flared to life throughout the tunnels. Footsteps overlapped, turning the cavern into a living entity.

  “What should we do?” Lina whispered. Her tone was completely calm despite the situation.

  “I have a plan” Nox said, glancing at Beatrice and Regea.

  As the bandits fanned out in their search, a small, masked figure suddenly appeared before them.

  “Hah, that stupid brat! Kill him!” they screamed, charging toward the motionless shadow.

  Five men dashed forward instantly, steel passing through the figure as if it were mud, splitting cleanly without resistance.

  “Idio-”

  The bandits’ faces went pale in shock.

  “A golem?”

  Dozens of humanoid, masked figures appeared and surrounded the intruders in an ever-tightening circle.

  “Shit, they all look real!” a bandit screamed, before his head was decapitated by a blue fireball.

  Panic spread instantly. They turned on the shadows, blades swinging wildly as fire and stone tore through their ranks.

  “They’re too strong,” the leader thought, watching from afar, teeth clenched. Losing men was acceptable, but losing resources was not.

  “We already gave them the sacrifices. I should retreat and secure the food-”

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  A short, silver-haired boy stepped forward, his eyes fierce and unflinching.

  “You’re alone? I think you’re underestimating me,” the bandit leader said, a note of contempt and offence in his voice.

  He drew a small, ancient flute from his belt, its surface worn smooth. A glowing white flag was carved into the wood, diving the leader’s face into an eerie light.

  When he began playing, a rumble rolled through the tunnels as dozens of monsters surged toward Nox.

  “So that’s his ‘strong weapon’? Wonder what I can craft with that,” Nox thought, an excited flicker crossing his face.

  “I won’t run away anymore. Bring it on.”

  With a scream, he launched dozens of ice crystals in every direction, killing twenty monsters.

  The mana drain hit him immediately, vision blurring for a split second, a harsh reminder that this display wasn’t sustainable. He tried to hit multiple monsters at once, but it wasn’t enough.

  “There are too many foes. I need something more powerful!” he thought.

  He collected mana under his feet, but instead of launching upward, he drew water from the stones and shot it toward the floor.

  His arms shook violently, trying to withstand the pressure. Even more mana escaped his core.

  -You have unlocked the skill Ice Crystal Growth

  As monsters lunged at him, a massive blue crystal erupted from the stone, skewering them.

  The magic felt raw and desperate, forced into a shape that barely obeyed his will.

  More crystals formed, casting the grey cave in shimmering, unnatural light.

  After thirty seconds, the noise of battle halted abruptly. Only the bandit leader’s shocked gaze burned in Nox’s mind.

  The crystals glowed softly, warping shadows across the walls; a testament to how violently the space had been reshaped. Ice cold water dripped on the leader’s head, mocking his loss.

  “You bastard! How are you this strong?” he screamed, blowing into his flute again. This time it wasn’t a pleasant melody, but a devastating shriek.

  Nox instinctively jumped back, felling something approaching at impossible speed.

  The stone cracked as a massive being forced its way through passages never meant to hold it.

  Everyone froze as a colossal snake entered the cavern. Its body was thick as a tree trunk, yet from the waist up, feminine features were visible.

  “Who called me?” it asked, scanning the room with piercing eyes.

  “U- Uh… me. Kill those humans!” the bandit leader stammered.

  Before he could react, his head rolled across the floor, the flute snapped in two beside him.

  The cave seemed to exhale, relief echoing through its vast space, but the mood was immediately replaced by fear and uncertainty.

  “Do you think such an item can control me?” the snake woman demanded, her gaze snapping to Nox.

  “Shit… that’s at least a level six boss… and I don’t have any mana left,” he thought.

  For the first time since entering the cave, his legs trembled under him. Power was meaningless without control.

  He stood frozen, panic rising, until warm light engulfed him. A firm hand rested on his shoulder.

  Lina stood behind him, Beatrice and Regea flanking her. Her eyes were confident and Nox wondered if it was just foolishness or courage.

  The warmth wasn't just magic. It was trust, and it gave him more support than any spell ever could.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, smiling brightly. “We made a promise, right? Let’s survive this together.”

  “I- I think have a plan,” Regea said, voice steady.

  “Are you done talking now, humans?” the snake shouted.

  “Who wants to die fir—”

  A few ice crystals shot toward her, bouncing harmlessly off her scales with metallic clangs.

  A giant sunflower sprang up before the snake, blocking her line of sight.

  ‘Do you think such cheap tricks could harm me?’ she shouted, shredding the plant in an instant. Yellow petals floated in the air and crumbled to dust before reaching the ground.

  “Seems the red-haired girl ran away in fear,” she taunted.

  Her tail whipped through the air with blinding speed. Nox quickly grew an ice crystal for protection, but it shattered instantly. Sharp blue particles exploded outward, wounding his forearms.

  He shoved his comrades aside before the tail slammed into him, pain exploding through his ribs. Something cracked, though he had no time to register it.

  Nox slammed into the cavern wall, coughing blood.

  “We need to buy more time.”

  Nox summoned a last ice crystal and hurled it at the snake.

  “Ha! Where are you aiming, human?” she barked as it struck past her, smashing into the ceiling. Stones rained down on her but simply deflected on her green scales.

  Regea tried to redirect her attention with a strike, but it missed as well.

  “Humans are so stupid,” she laughed.

  Her tail lashed again, flinging Regea across the cavern. His arm bent painfully as he collided with the stone.

  “It’s ready,” a voice called from above. It was Beatrice, clinging to the ceiling with practiced precision.

  Her outline looked like that of ninja, making Regea’s pain distorted face light up in awe.

  Nox let out a shaky breath. “About damn time.”

  The cave trembled once more, but this time, the sound was not hostile.