They breezed through five more rooms in the next forty minutes, scooping up cores and goo while Mason cleared the way. Ethan couldn’t help but shake his head. This is totally cheating, he thought.

  Finally, they came to a staircase leading down. Ethan glanced back at the team. “I guess that was the first floor. It went by really fast. But… we did cheat the whole way.”

  On the next floor, the slimes were all bigger and faster, but the team barely noticed. Mason just ran up, plucked the cores right out of the slimes, and brought them back, dropping each core neatly at Ethan’s feet. If Mason started looking scuffed or discolored from acid, Ethan just channeled a little more mana into him. Dirt and stone would rise up, filling in cracks and smoothing away imperfections. As long as Ethan kept providing mana, Mason was as good as new.

  After about three rooms filled with oversized slimes, they finally reached a chamber where nine-foot-tall golems made of stone lumbered forward to meet them. Ethan’s first command was simple: “Mason, grab the cores out of the golems.” Mason charged, jumped, and reached up—but could barely get high enough to touch the golems’ chests. It looked for a moment like a toddler trying (and failing) to reach a candy jar.

  Ethan quickly changed tactics. “Okay, take out their legs first.” Mason swung with surprising force, knocking the golems off balance and crumbling their lower halves. Once the golems were down, Mason yanked at the cores, though several cracked in the process.

  Ethan winced. “Guess it’s hard to be gentle when the cores are buried in stone and you’re just ripping them out.”

  Moose eyed the fallen golems. “I could probably get to the cores once Mason knocks them down.”

  Ethan nodded, deciding to try that next time. Fortunately, the next room had twice as many golems waiting.

  “Mason, make sure the golems don’t have any arms or legs,” Ethan ordered. Mason set to work, systematically dismembering the stone constructs. No matter how hard they swung at him, they barely left a scratch.

  Once the golems were just torsos, Moose moved in. With earth magic and a practiced touch, he dug into each shattered chest, carefully extracted the cores with his mouth, and trotted them back to Ethan. It reminded Ethan, for a moment, of Moose as a puppy—playing fetch in the backyard, proud and careful.

  Ethan grinned as the pile of cores grew at his feet. With teamwork like this, even the dungeon’s tougher challenges started to feel like a game.

  It took them about an hour and a half to make it to the end of the floor, easily beating every slime and golem they encountered along the way. Occasionally, they ran into a flock of flying bats or a scurrying pack of rodents—enemies that gave the rest of the team a chance to stretch their legs and get in on the action while Mason handled the heavy lifting.

  Just as they approached what looked like the final room, Mason, leading the way as usual, suddenly vanished with a dull thud. The ground had opened up—a pit trap—and Mason had fallen straight in.

  Ethan rushed to the edge and peered down. Mason was sprawled at the bottom, perfectly unharmed, staring up with blank crystal features.

  Ethan called, “You okay, Mason? If you’re fine, come on back up.”

  Without hesitation, Mason stabbed his chunky hands and feet into the wall and began climbing straight up, gouging handholds as he went until he scrambled out onto solid ground.

  Ethan shook his head. “Guess we should have been watching out for that. We were warned about pit traps…”

  Buster muttered, “Glad it was him and not me.”

  They carefully made their way around the pit trap, watching for any other surprises as they continued toward the boss room.

  The second floor boss was a rune-stamped brute—a massive golem covered in glowing symbols, built like a fortress. Ethan and the rest of the team stood well back, letting Mason go out alone. It was golem versus golem, and for a moment, it almost felt like they were watching some strange sporting event.

  The fight was… honestly, a little anticlimactic. Mason charged in, aiming to take out the boss’s arms and legs. The rune-stamped golem kept punting Mason away—sending him skidding or rolling across the stone floor, sometimes coming back a little more scuffed or cracked, but always getting back up and going straight for the kneecaps.

  Finally, after Mason had whaled on the boss’s legs enough, cracks started to show. The rune-stamped brute suddenly raised both arms, its eyes blazing. With a thunderous boom, a giant stone spike erupted from the ground, slamming right into Mason. Instead of piercing him, it sent Mason flying ten feet into the air, shattering the spike into rubble. Mason landed with a ground-shaking thud that made everyone’s teeth rattle—but he got up, shook the dust off, and dove back at the brute.

  This cycle repeated at least three more times—Mason flying, the earth trembling, the team holding their breath and keeping a safe distance. Eventually, one of the golem’s legs broke off completely. After that, the boss couldn’t defend itself, and Mason finished the job.

  Once the rune-stamped brute collapsed, Moose spent five minutes carefully digging the core out of its chest. It was bigger than the others, and glowed faintly. Ethan tucked it away in his storage.

  “Can you imagine if we were the ones getting impaled by one of those spikes?” Ethan said, shaking his head. “I’m really glad Mason was here.”

  “I feel like that boss should have been harder,” Pixie said, “but… maybe it would have been. If we were actually fighting it.”

  The team exchanged grins, none of them complaining as they gathered themselves for the descent to the next floor.

  The next floor was different. The slimes were bigger, faster—and this time, they fought back with more than just acid. As soon as the team entered, they found themselves dodging sprays of acid, bursts of fire, and jets of ice. The cores inside these slimes glowed in different colors—fiery red, bright blue, and deep green. It didn’t take long for Ethan to realize they were up against elemental slimes.

  One of the slimes, its core burning red, unleashed a burst of flame in Mason’s direction—not exactly spitting fire, more like casting a spell. Others fired off shards of ice or clouds of corrosive mist, turning the fight into a dangerous, chaotic game of dodgeball. The Pack darted and weaved as magic whizzed past them, but Mason hardly seemed fazed.

  Even with the extra danger, Mason made clearing the rooms look easy. He’d charge in, dodge or tank whatever the slimes threw his way, and pluck the elemental cores out one by one. As soon as a core was separated from its slime, the creature collapsed to the ground, motionless.

  The rooms went by in a blur of color and chaos—elemental magic flying everywhere, but Mason always bringing the prize back to Ethan, intact.

  They fought more golems along the way, but none of them were as tough as the floor boss. Mason could still take out their legs and arms, leaving the golems completely harmless and easy to dismantle.

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  There weren’t as many rooms on this last floor compared to the first and second, but Ethan could tell—if Mason wasn’t with them, they would have turned back a long time ago. After the fifth room, they reached a giant chamber. At the far end stood a massive crystal golem, nearly nine feet tall, its core and facets glowing a soft red—very different from Mason’s purple.

  Everyone was at full health, their mana topped off except for Ethan that only had about half of his mana after Mason and the mana potions. Their storage bags were still full of untouched health potions. With Mason on their side, Ethan figured, why not try for the final boss? They quickly discussed strategy and slipped into the formation they’d practiced at the Guild’s training hall—this time, with Mason leading the charge up front.

  Once everyone confirmed they were ready, Mason charged. The two golems faced off—one purple, one red, the latter towering three times taller than Mason. The crystal golem met Mason’s charge with a massive swing. The fight erupted all at once: Lyra unleashed foxfire, Pixie crackled with lightning, and Moose conjured stone bullets to launch at the boss—though they barely left a scratch on the thick crystal. This was going to be a real fight.

  Ethan dove in, sword blazing with arcane mana—he was the only one managing to chip away at the golem, carving lines of bright energy into its armor.

  About thirty seconds in, eight elemental slimes appeared in a circle, surrounding the team. Ethan immediately ordered Mason to disengage from the boss as Moose ran up to take the front. Mason lumbered around the chamber, grabbing slime cores as fast as he could while the rest of the Pack dodged fire, ice, and acid magic flying in from every angle.

  Buster yelped, hit by a shard of ice that stung his back leg. Ethan didn’t hesitate—he pulled out a health potion, drank it, and willed the healing through the bond, just like he’d done before. He followed up with another mana potion and a stamina potion, pushing energy out to the team. Lyra activated Probable Shift and Fortune’s Favor, boosting everyone’s dodge and luck. Amelia intercepted an attack with Umbral Pounce, barely deflecting a blow, then disappeared into Lyra’s shadow to avoid the follow-up. Pixie zipped around the battlefield, landing a quick strike followed by her new Static Shock. Buster barreled straight at the crystal golem, body checked it, and bounced off, looking dazed. The golem swung for Buster, but Moose called out his Guard Shift power and intercepted the blow with a wall of stone in front of them.

  Once Mason had cleared out all the slimes, the team refocused on the boss. Ethan activated Command Surge, and everyone went into overdrive. He got in close and landed a heavy strike, pouring as much mana as he could through his sword. The blade cracked deep into the crystal golem’s calf, and the entire leg shattered with a sharp, echoing crack.

  The golem tumbled, but it wasn’t finished—swinging three huge arms as it half-crawled across the ground, still trying to reach them. Now that it was lower, Mason could reach it more easily. He battered the remaining arm joints while Ethan hacked at the other leg, crystal shards flying everywhere. The boss kept fighting; the torso broke off, growing new, smaller legs and arms, forcing them to battle a four-foot-tall crystal golem that still loomed over Mason.

  It might have been an even fight if it was just Mason and the crystal golem, but with the Pack and Ethan hacking and spellcasting from all sides, it was only a matter of time. They chipped away, dismembered it again, and now the torso was just a bundle of crystal limbs—still held together by the core.

  “This thing just won’t quit,” Ethan panted. “How does it keep coming back?”

  “Get it!” Buster whined, dodging another stray shard.

  “Go, Mason!” Pixie barked, launching a battle cry.

  At last, Mason picked up the struggling torso and held it out to Ethan. The core still pulsed with red light, thin tendrils of crystal waving like desperate fingers. Ethan glanced at Mason and said, “Can you get the last bits off?” Mason obliged, plucking away the remaining shards until only the glowing core remained.

  Ethan walked up and studied the chest, nodding in satisfaction. The rest of the Pack circled around, still winded—except for Pixie, who ran laps around the chest, whooping and hollering, jumping up and down in celebration.

  Everyone was panting and catching their breath, recovering from the fight, when suddenly a stone chest began to rise from the center of the room. The mechanism ground and clunked, lifting it higher until it rested atop a five-foot pedestal—solid, angular, and veined with faintly glowing runes. The chest itself looked ancient, carved from a single block of polished stone, with a heavy lid and no visible lock.

  Pixie was the first to recover, racing circles around the chest, whooping and hollering, tail a blur. “We did it! Did you see that last move? I bet there’s treats in there—there has to be!”

  Buster dragged himself up, licking his lips. “I wouldn’t mind some snacks after that. Or gold. Or both.”

  Moose gave the chest a wary sniff. “It smells old. And dangerous.”

  Amelia crept closer, peering at the runes, then retreated behind Lyra’s legs. Lyra just eyed the chest, calculating. “No traps on the obvious lines. But let’s not get cocky.”

  Ethan grinned, still catching his breath. “Alright, stand back, everyone. Let’s see what we earned.”

  He braced himself and gripped the edge of the heavy lid, half-expecting a trap or a blast of magic. But when he lifted, the lid opened smoothly and silently. Cool air wafted out, along with the faint, tingling scent of old magic.

  Inside, nestled in padded grooves, lay a cluster of treasures: a pair of shining red cores, a crystal vial swirling with elemental energy, a handful of gold pieces, and a rune-etched ring that pulsed faintly with power.

  Pixie gasped. “I call dibs on the shiny!”

  Buster just wagged his tail. “Best. Dungeon. Ever.”

  As Ethan reached into the chest and touched the loot, a crisp system message flared before everyone’s eyes:

  System Notification

  Achievement Unlocked: Dungeon Conqueror (First Clear!)

  You have completed the Celdoras Dungeon on your very first attempt.

  Bonus experience and rare loot awarded.

  A rush of energy swept through the team. Ethan felt it—a bright pulse, a hum behind his eyes, his senses sharpening as the familiar [LEVEL UP!] prompt flashed in the corner of his vision. Across the Pack, one by one, stat windows flickered open. Pixie cheered, Buster let out a pleased huff, Moose rumbled in satisfaction, and Mason just stood there unmoving.

  While the celebration buzzed, Ethan handed the crystal vial, the two shining red cores, and the rune-etched ring to Lyra for appraisal. As she focused, he sent a thin tendril of his mana into her over the bond—something they’d started doing almost automatically now. The system window shimmered, then flickered, the text expanding and deepening with new detail.

  [System Notification]

  Skill Upgraded: Appraisal → Enhanced Appraisal

  Repeated use of external mana support during Appraisal has triggered an upgrade.

  [Enhanced Appraisal] now reveals hidden properties and advanced details for rare or unique items.

  Lyra’s eyes shone with curiosity as she read the expanded results aloud:

  [Enhanced Appraisal – Crystal Vial]

  Type: Elemental Potion

  Effect: Grants temporary resistance to fire, ice, and acid. Instantly restores a small amount of mana when consumed. (Hidden: Can be split for partial use, retains potency for up to 24 hours after opening.)

  [Enhanced Appraisal – Shining Red Core]

  Type: Fire-Aligned Monster Core

  Description: Used for high-grade enchanting, alchemy, or as a potent mana battery. (Hidden: May be used as a catalyst for evolving certain constructs or spells.)

  [Enhanced Appraisal – Rune-Etched Ring]

  Type: Rare Accessory

  Effect: Increases wearer’s mana regeneration rate. Grants minor protection against magical attacks. (Hidden: When worn during a successful dungeon clear, slightly increases chance of rare drops.)

  Ethan didn’t hesitate—he slid the ring onto his finger before the appraisal window had even finished fading. The mana drain from the fight still tugged at his limbs. As the metal touched his skin, the ring shimmered faintly and tightened until it fit perfectly, resizing itself with a soft magical pulse. He flexed his hand, half-expecting to feel something right away. “Anything that helps the tank refill,” he muttered, mostly to himself.

  Pixie’s eyes sparkled. “WE HAVE TO DO THIS AGAIN!”

  Moose nodded his head sagely. “Well earned.”

  Ethan grinned, rolling his shoulders, still buzzing with the stat boost. He paused, glancing at the system window. “Why does the dungeon and the city have the same name?”

  Lyra shrugged. “The town was named after the dungeon. People settled here because of it, not the other way around.”

  Ethan nodded. “Got it. That explains it.”