Elara hit the ground hard, rolling to break her fall as the impact sent a jolt through her limbs. Her dagger skidded out of reach. Not good.

  A snarl cut through the fog as a beast lunged. She rolled sideways, avoiding the claws raking the space where she had been. Another shape flanked her left. Voidwalk.

  Reality folded, and in the blink of an eye, she was there, her hand closing around the hilt of her dagger just as another creature pounced at where she had lain. She spun, slashing upward, her blade carving through thick hide. A sharp yelp—then another beast came at her.

  She ducked under snapping jaws, pivoting as she struck. A flash of silver, a spray of blood, and the creature staggered back. Darius moved like a storm through the mist, his blade cutting down anything that got too close. “Keep moving!” he barked.

  She didn’t need the reminder. Another set of eyes locked onto her, and she met them head-on.

  She steadied herself before another creature lunged. She twisted aside, slashing across its flank, but the beast barely staggered. It was feline in shape but unnaturally large, its sinewy body covered in sleek feathers that shimmered with a faint iridescence. Claws lashed toward her, forcing her to teleport back in a burst of mana. Before she could regain her footing, Darius was already there, his sword cleaving through the attacking beast.

  “Keep up,” he said, his tone more focused than reprimanding.

  She exhaled sharply and shifted her stance, watching as more shapes prowled the edges of the mist. Darius stepped in front of her just as another lunged from the side, his blade intercepting it in mid-air. The creature collapsed with a gurgling snarl, but another was already surging forward to take its place. Elara flicked her dagger, burying it deep into its throat before teleporting to retrieve it, the body collapsing just as her fingers curled around the hilt.

  More shapes darted through the mist—too many. Darius shifted, drawing his second Jian. Dual-wielding now, his strikes became a blur. They fell into a rhythm. He took point, his swords cutting through anything that got close. Elara stayed close to his back, striking at anything that tried to flank them. The air buzzed with energy, the scent of blood thick in the mist. The creatures weren’t mindless—they were pushing, waiting for a hint of weakness.

  Darius moved like a force of nature, intercepting strikes meant for her again and again. She knew she should have been faster, should have anticipated better, but right now, she let him lead. His experience showed in every step, every well-timed parry. She wouldn’t get in his way. Instead, she slipped in where she was needed, striking from the angles he couldn’t reach, keeping an eye on the mist for any new threats.

  Between movements, she reached out with Healing Touch, skimming her fingers across Darius’s arm as he blocked a strike meant for her. The golden glow of magic pulsed softly before fading. He didn’t react, too focused on the fight, but she felt the tension in his shoulders ease slightly. She did it again, catching his side this time as he turned to cut down another attacker.

  They pressed forward, back-to-back, cutting through the relentless waves. She could feel the exhaustion creeping in, the strain of teleportation and magic use weighing her down, but she shoved it aside. They weren’t done yet.

  An abrupt shift in the mist caught her eye—something bigger was coming. A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the air, vibrating through her bones. Something massive loomed just beyond their sight, its shadow stretching long and jagged against the swirling fog. The smaller beasts faltered, retreating a step as if deferring to the new presence. Then, with a rush of displaced air, the creature emerged.

  It was easily three times the size of the others, its sleek feathers dark as ink, rippling like liquid shadow. Its feline body was even more sinewy, muscles coiled tight beneath its glistening pelt. But the most striking thing was its eyes—glowing slits of violet locked onto them.

  Elara tightened her grip on her dagger, instinct screaming that this fight would be different. More dangerous. Beside her, Darius twirled his swords once, exhaling slowly. The creature bared its fangs. Then it pounced.

  Darius reacted, his form blurring as he activated a skill. He sidestepped with inhuman quickness, his twin blades flashing as he slashed across the beast’s flank. The creature roared, twisting mid-air to swipe at him, but he was already gone, his footwork impeccable as he reappeared at another angle, cutting again before the beast could fully react. His movements were almost too fast to follow, his attacks carving precise, deep wounds into its hide.

  Elara didn’t waste time. As soon as he moved, she raised a hand, summoning a Void Bolt. The dark energy gathered in her palm before she launched it forward. The impact struck true, tendrils of void energy wrapping around the beast, applying a debuff on its dexterity, slowing its movements.

  Darius took full advantage of the opening. He surged forward, activating another skill—his blades shimmered, the edges so sharp they seemed to cut through the very air itself. With a spinning motion, he brought both swords down in a brutal crosscut across the beast’s neck.

  The creature screeched, staggering as dark blood sprayed from the wound. It tried to retaliate, but Elara was already casting again. Two mores Void Bolts slammed into its chest, disrupting its balance further. It faltered—just for a moment—but that was all Darius needed. He lunged in, his swords cutting in a final, decisive arc.

  The beast crashed to the ground, twitching once before going still.

  Elara exhaled, lowering her hand as the last remnants of void energy dissipated. Darius stepped back from the body, his swords slick with blood, his breath steady despite the intensity of the fight. For a moment, the mist was silent. Then, from deeper within, a now familiar guttural growl rumbled through the air. They weren’t done yet.

  By the time the next wave had subsided, Darius had already started moving, guiding them deeper into the dungeon. The terrain shifted, the mist growing thinner as they navigated through jagged rock formations between the trees and uneven ground. It wasn’t long before they reached a narrow passage leading into a cave.

  “We’ll rest here,” he announced, stepping inside.

  Elara followed, glancing around. The cave was deep enough to provide cover, but what mattered more was that it was a place he had clearly been to before. He moved with familiarity, settling down without hesitation.

  She lowered herself onto a flat rock, pressing a hand to her side. The repeated use of magic had drained her more than she’d realized. “I need to meditate for a bit.”

  Darius nodded, retrieving a cloth to clean his blades. “Do that. I’ll keep watch.”

  She took a steady breath and closed her eyes, letting herself sink into meditation. Slowly, the lingering strain on her body eased. The rush of battle still echoed in her mind, but she pushed it aside, focusing on drawing mana back into her reserves. Small aches faded, and with another Healing Touch, the last remnants of her injuries vanished.

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  When she opened her eyes, Darius was still at the entrance, one sword resting across his lap as he watched the outside. She rolled her shoulders, feeling refreshed. They weren’t done yet for today. But at least, for now, they had a moment to breathe.

  She pushed herself to her feet, then hesitated. Her thoughts drifting back to when he had kept a distance between them. Better to ask, before just touching him, even if it was for healing. In the heat of the battle, she did not ask, but now, outside of battle, it was different. As she got closer, she paused for a moment before speaking up. “Darius... May I?” She gestured towards his arm.

  He looked up at her, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her face. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded. “Go ahead.”

  She approached him, reaching out to touch his arm where a wound was still bleeding. She closed her eyes and focused on channeling her mana into his body, feeling the warmth spread through her fingers as she worked to heal him. As she finished and pulled her hand away, Darius looked at her. “Thank you,” he said softly.

  She smiled faintly, feeling a sense of relief wash over her as well. It was good to know that she could still help him in this way. She sat down next to him on the rocky floor, feeling a newfound sense of closeness between them.

  They sat in silence for a few moments longer before he spoke up. “You know,” he said quietly, “I’ve been thinking... About what happened back there.” He gestured towards the passage they had come from, where they had faced off against the monstrous beast together. “You fought well.”

  Elara blushed slightly at his praise but said nothing in response. She knew she still had much to learn about fighting and magic alike, but hearing his words made her feel more confident in herself.

  She smiled to herself. “It was... kinda fun, actually.”

  He raised an eyebrow, looking surprised by her admission. “Fun?” he repeated, clearly intrigued by her response.

  She nodded, her smile growing wider. “Yeah,” she said. “When we were fighting together, I didn’t have to think as much. Time seemed to fly by.”

  He chuckled softly. “I know what you mean,” he said. “There’s something exhilarating about being in the thick of battle without having to worry too much about the other.”

  They sat in silence for a moment longer, both lost in their thoughts. She couldn’t help but feel grateful for his presence and his willingness to help her improve as a fighter. A faint glow at the edge of her vision caught her attention. System notifications. She exhaled and willed them open.

  Skill Level Up!

  Your Dagger Throwing skill has increased to Level 3.

  Your Healing Touch skill has increased to Level 3.

  You have defeated Zephyrlynx 7 (Lv. 250, 156, 122, 121, 113, 111, 101). You have earned 80,352 Exp.

  Your Voidstalker has leveled up to Level 66.

  Your The First Unanswered has leveled up to Level 44.

  You have 125 unspent Stat points.

  Elara blinked. Then she reread it. 80,352 Exp. A grin stretched across her face, excitement bubbling in her chest. So this is what dungeon diving really felt like. The last time she’d been in one, she’d barely fought—just a couple of bosses and too many people to split the experience points with. This was different. Here, it was just her and Darius, and that meant far more experience for both of them.

  And more than that… she had noticed something. Darius let her land the final blows. It wasn’t always obvious, but now that she thought about it, there had been plenty of moments where he could’ve finished an enemy himself—but instead, he created an opening for her. Her gaze flickered to him. He was still resting, but she could tell he was aware of her watching him.

  “Thanks, Darius,” she said, her voice quieter than before, but full of sincerity.

  He turned his head slightly, raising an eyebrow. “For what?”

  “For letting me land the last hits.” She gestured at her interface, still lingering before her. “I know you’re doing it on purpose.”

  He smirked, amused. “You caught on, huh?” He exhaled, tilting his head back against the stone. “You’re improving fast. You just needed the right opportunities.”

  She stared at her unspent 125 stat points, a new boldness settling in. He was right. She was improving. And she wasn’t about to waste what she’d earned. She pulled up her stat screen, her mind already made up. 125 unspent points. She didn’t hesitate; she dumped all of them into wisdom.

  A rush of energy coursed through her, a familiar but far stronger sensation than usual. It was like icy fire spreading through her veins.

  Mana: 745/1490.

  Her breath hitched. That was… a lot. She flexed her fingers, imagining the raw power humming beneath her skin. This was it. She could finally use more of her new skills without worrying about running dry. Before, she had to ration her spells—balancing between healing, voidwalk, and her void bolt. But now? Now she had options. Now she could fight and support properly.

  Darius must have noticed the shift in her expression, because he gave her a curious glance. “You just did something, didn’t you?”

  She grinned. “Wisdom. All my gained stat points.”

  He blinked, then let out a low whistle. “Damn. No regrets?”

  “None,” she said firmly. “I need to heal more. And I have a few skills that I haven’t even touched because my mana pool was too small. But not anymore.”

  He nodded, a smirk playing at his lips. “Good. If you can keep us alive, we can take on even stronger opponents.”

  She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her excitement. “That’s the plan.”

  She opened her skill list, scrolling through the abilities she’d previously unused. Her fingers twitched with anticipation as she scanned the list. Until now, Healing Touch had been her go-to, simply because she hadn’t had the mana to spare for anything else. But with 1490 Mana at her disposal, she could finally use her classes properly.

  Her attention shifted to Lance of the Faithless. She focused on the skill, and her body responded instinctively. Her left hand lifted on its own, shifting into a stance.

  Her little finger and ring finger curled back against her palm, while her index and middle fingers extended forward, forming the “barrel” of a gun. But unlike a normal gun-like hand position, her forearm turns and her thumb pointed downward. The position felt strange, yet perfectly aligned with the energy starting to flow through her.

  Golden light flickered to life at her fingertips, drawn from the air itself. A lance of pure energy materialized, hovering above her skin. It began at the tip of her extended middle finger and stretched down to her elbow.

  Darius glanced over, noticing the glow. “That’s new.”

  She nodded. “First time trying it.”

  “Looks solid,” he mused. “How’s the mana cost?”

  “Not bad. 120 per cast.“ With her current pool, she could afford to throw out several before running dry.

  He grinned. “Then let’s find you a target.”

  As if on cue, a deep growl was heard. More Zephyrlynx. She smirked, golden light flickering at her fingertips.

  “Let’s see what this thing can do.”

  Another deep growl rumbled. She couldn’t see them yet, but she knew they were close. Too close. She steadied her breath, adjusting her stance. The golden lance hovered above her hand, casting flickering light against the cavern walls.

  Then—a flash of movement. Just at the edge of her sight. She didn’t think. She fired. The Lance pierced through the air, a spear of light, striking the Zephyrlynx in the chest with full force. The impact sent the creature skidding back with a yowl, its body convulsing as golden energy burned through it.

  Darius clicked his tongue. “Now that’s a hit.”

  Elara grinned. No loss of power—just raw force. Another growl echoed from the dark. Then another. A second pair of eyes flickered into view, prowling just beyond their limited sight. Her pulse quickened. She flexed her fingers, golden light sparking at her fingertips once more.

  “Guess I’ll have to make these count.”

  Darius grinned, eyes gleaming in the dim light. “Keep going. You’ve got the mana to burn, and the best way to level the skill is to use it.”

  She didn’t need to be told twice. She positioned her fingers, summoning another golden lance. The moment it formed, she fired, the light slamming into the Zephyrlynx that had crept closer. It yowled, the force of the hit knocking it back. But more were coming.

  Darius stepped forward, sword in hand, keeping himself between her and the incoming threats. “I’ll keep them from getting close. You just focus on hitting them.”

  Her heart pounded as she conjured another lance. She had never been the type to fire spells over and over, but something about this—the speed, the efficiency, the power—sent a thrill through her. Another lance. Another hit. A second Zephyrlynx got pushed back.

  Darius met an approaching one with a clean slash, forcing it back. “Faster, Elara!”

  She didn’t hesitate. Golden light flashed. Another lance. Another hit. The Zephyrlynx growled and lunged—only for Darius to kick it mid-air, sending it crashing into a boulder.

  “Keep going,” he urged, shifting back into position.

  Elara gritted her teeth, determined. The weight of her mana reserves burned in her mind, reminding her she could keep this up for a while longer.

  So she did. Lance after lance. Hit after hit. Her attacks grew faster, more precise. The glow of her magic illuminated the battlefield in bursts, flashes of gold tearing through the setting air.

  She had never fought like this before—but damn; she liked it.