Saving a girl in a dungeon?

I wiped my axe on the goblin's tunic, then checked my wounds. Nothing fatal.

Still, I needed to be careful. I wasn't even past the first floor yet.

And I was already this exhausted.

Just as I turned to leave, something shimmered in the dim cave light.

I frowned and crouched beside the elite goblin's corpse. Amid the usual monster crystals, one larger blue gem stood out.

A medium-rank dungeon crystal.

A smirk tugged at my lips. "Well, that made it worth it."

Tucking the gem into my pouch, I stood and took one last glance at the fallen goblins before heading deeper into the dungeon.

I leaned against the cavern wall, finally having a moment to breathe. My chest rose and fell heavily, the tension from the last fight still clinging to my muscles. That was rough. I had fought groups of goblins before, but this one had been different—the elite goblin had been a true challenge.

Reaching for my potion pouch, I grabbed a small healing potion and uncorked it with my teeth. The moment the liquid touched my tongue, a cool, soothing sensation spread through my body. The aches in my ribs dulled, and the cuts and bruises from the battle began to close ever so slightly. It wasn't a full recovery, but at least I wouldn't be limping into the next fight.

With a deep breath, I slid down to sit on the cold, rocky floor. Time to take stock.

I unfastened my loot pouch and dumped everything onto the ground before me. A small pile of shimmering crystals rolled out, glowing faintly in the dim cavern light. I picked them up one by one, counting.

Twelve small blue gems. Decent. Each was a standard dungeon drop, not worth much on their own, but they'd add up when sold.

Then there was the bigger prize. I reached for the medium-sized blue gem that had dropped from the elite goblin. Holding it up, I let the faint glow dance across my fingers. This was worth far more than the smaller ones—an actual profit.

Aside from the crystals, I also had a few goblin weapons. A couple of rusty daggers, a chipped short sword, and an iron ring from one of the goblins' belts. Junk, mostly.

I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Not bad for my first real dungeon dive, I guess."

The sound of distant footsteps echoed through the cavern. Other divers. I needed to move.

Shoving the crystals back into my pouch, I tightened the straps of my armor and stood. This was only the first floor of the Black Labyrinth. There were many more battles ahead.

Cracking my neck, I adjusted my grip on my axe and took another deep breath.

Time to keep going.

The faint sound of ragged breathing sent a chill down my spine.

It wasn't the guttural growl of a goblin or the eerie echoes of monsters lurking in the shadows—this was human. Someone was struggling, hurt, and alone in the depths of this dungeon.

I tightened my grip on my axe and moved cautiously, my boots making almost no sound against the rough stone floor. The dim glow of the dungeon's crystal formations cast long, shifting shadows on the walls, making it harder to distinguish what lay ahead. The heavy scent of blood and sweat filled the air, mingling with the dungeon's natural dampness.

Peering around a jagged rock formation, I finally saw the source of the breathing.

A young woman, probably around my age, sat slumped against the wall of a narrow corridor. Her ashen blonde hair, messy and damp with sweat, clung to her forehead, and her skin was ghostly pale—she had lost a lot of blood. Her right thigh was wrapped in a makeshift bandage, soaked through with dark crimson. Every breath she took was strained, her chest rising and falling erratically.

Despite her condition, she still held a battered iron shield close to her body and gripped a chipped short sword in her trembling hand. Her light brown eyes flickered toward me, sharp and alert despite her exhaustion.

I stayed still.

She was wary—rightfully so. In a place like this, you couldn't trust just anyone. Her fingers twitched around the hilt of her weapon as if preparing for one final desperate fight.

Then her body gave in.

Her sword clattered to the floor, her shield slipped from her grasp, and she slumped forward, unconscious.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath and moved toward her.

Crouching down, I fished out a small vial from my pouch—a healing potion. The glass was cool against my fingers as I carefully tilted her head back and pressed the vial to her lips.

At first, she choked slightly, her throat convulsing, but after a moment, she swallowed. The faint blue glow of the potion's magic spread across her body, sealing the worst of her wounds. Her breathing evened out, her face lost some of its deadly pallor, and the bleeding finally stopped. The injury on her thigh was still visible, but it was no longer life-threatening.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Now that she wasn't on the verge of dying, I sat back against the cave wall, letting my own exhaustion settle in.

The dungeon around us remained eerily still.

The only sound now was the occasional drip of water from the cavern ceiling and the distant howl of goblins further in the labyrinth.

I'd wait.

An Hour Later

A faint murmur stirred me from my thoughts.

I turned my head as the diver began to shift slightly, her body tensing as if sensing danger. Her fingers instinctively curled around the hilt of her sword, and she slowly opened her eyes—light brown, still clouded with fatigue but sharp with awareness.

The moment she spotted me, her body snapped into a defensive posture.

She lifted her sword—not much of a threat in its chipped state—but the sheer willpower behind it was admirable.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Her gaze flicked down, scanning her surroundings, then her body—specifically, her thigh. Her fingers ghosted over the area where the deep wound had been. Seeing that it was now mostly healed, her expression flickered with something unreadable.

She finally looked back at me, her grip on her sword relaxing slightly.

"…Did you do this?" she asked, her voice hoarse but steady.

I shrugged. "Didn't want to leave a fellow diver to die."

She studied me for a long moment, still half-distrustful but undeniably relieved.

After another pause, she sighed and let her sword drop slightly.

"What's your name?"

"Kael," I answered. "Iron Rank."

A hint of surprise flickered in her eyes before she responded, "Elise. Bronze Rank."

After introducing themselves, Kael asked, "What happened?"

Elise grimaced before explaining, "I was ambushed by nine goblins near the stairwell leading to the second floor—three elites and six normal ones. They rushed me, and I managed to kill two of the weaker ones, but then the elites joined the fight. I held my ground for a while, but fighting multiple elites alone is exhausting. One of them managed to wound me… With the odds against me, I chose to run and hide. I lost a lot of blood before you found me."

Kael nodded in understanding. Goblins were cunning and ruthless, always targeting solo divers. After a moment of thought, a grin spread across his face. My next challenge, he mused.

Without hesitation, he pulled out two vials—a healing potion and a stamina potion—and handed them to Elise. She looked at him in surprise, her breath hitching as she saw him readying himself. Kael unsheathed both of his axes, gripping them tightly before meeting her gaze.

"Wanna go get some payback?"