The descent into the second floor was like plunging into another world. The faintly glowing stone steps twisted downward before spitting Kane's team into a cavernous expanse where the ceiling hung low and jagged stalactites dripped cold condensation. A faint mist curled across the ground, thick enough to obscure their feet.
The moment they stepped forward, the System announced itself:
[Second Floor: Wolf Dens Discovered]
Dominant Elites: Greyfang Hunters
Environment Hazard: Obscuring Mist – Visibility Reduced by 40%
Kane's grip tightened on his axe. This floor wasn't built for brute force—it was built for ambush.
The first howl split the cavern.Then came the others.
Shadows moved in the mist, faster than human eyes could track. The wolves weren't ordinary monsters—these were Greyfang Hunters, their bodies lean, muscles built for speed, eyes gleaming faintly with predatory intelligence.
One darted out of the fog—its fangs snapping at Lena's throat.
Kane reacted instantly, slamming his axe haft between them with a crack. "Shields up! Form a semicircle!"
The fighters obeyed, locking shields, spears thrust outward. The mage muttered hurried incantations, trying to carve shapes of flame into the mist, while the twins leaned against each other, chanting in perfect synchrony.
The wolves circled, testing. Every pawstep was a whisper of death in the fog.
"Don't chase!" Kane barked. "Let them come. They want us to break formation."
As if on cue, one wolf darted left, feinting. Another charged right, drawing a fighter's spear wide. Then three struck at once from the front.
Kane surged forward, intercepting the middle one. His axe cleaved into its flank, a spray of dark blood hissing against the stone. But the others slipped past, snapping at ankles and tearing through leather.
The mage screamed as a wolf tackled him from the side.
"Rallying Roar!"
Kane's voice boomed like a war drum. The air itself seemed to quake. For a split second, hesitation cracked through the wolves' perfect rhythm. His allies' bodies surged with adrenaline, shields rising just fast enough to block another bite.
The twins seized the moment. "Twin Flame Surge!"
A burst of fire carved through the fog, catching two wolves mid-leap. Their yelps echoed in the cavern as their bodies burned, collapsing into motes of dissipating mana.
But Kane's eyes narrowed. The pack was coordinated—smarter than they had any right to be. They were testing his command.
"This floor…" Kane muttered, "…it's teaching us."
Far above, on the third floor where she had been dropped, Reina sat hugging her rabbit plush, legs dangling as her toy soldiers stood in a defensive square around her. The rabbit and robot towered now, both nearly man-sized, their forms gleaming faintly with new energy.
The System flooded her vision with notifications:
[Toy Soldier Unit – Level 10 Achieved]
New Ability Learned: Formation Guard – Boosts defense when grouped together]
Reina's lips curled into a shy smile as she clapped her tiny hands. "Good job, everyone…"
More notifications followed. Her toys had slaughtered countless wolves and goblins drawn to her aura. The loot dropped endlessly—coins, scraps of gear, mana crystals. Her level rose and rose.
[Reina Wylder – Level 19 Achieved]
But it was the glittering chest sitting before her that truly stole her attention.
"Chest?" she whispered, pointing.
The rabbit hopped forward, tapped the chest with its paw. The lock shimmered, then clicked open.
Light poured out, surrounding her in a gentle glow.
[Treasure Acquired – Spellbook: Familiar Summoning]
Grants the caster the ability to summon a contracted familiar, scaling with user's level.
Reina gasped, hugging the book tightly to her chest. "I can… get a friend too?"
Her toys gathered closer, as if nodding their approval.
On the second floor, the battle was escalating.
The wolves adapted quickly, shifting their tactics to harry the flanks. One fighter stumbled—blood spraying as a wolf tore through his thigh. The mage, pale and sweating, barely managed to cast a barrier in time to hold back two lunging jaws.
"Hold the line!" Kane bellowed, his axe glowing faintly as he activated another skill.
[Command Technique: Focused Strike]
Next three allied attacks gain +25% critical efficiency.
The fighters' spears found their mark, piercing through grey hides. The twins followed up, their flames trailing across the mist to cut off retreat paths.
Kane himself lunged forward, catching the alpha with a brutal swing that cracked its jaw.
The wolves scattered into the fog, regrouping. Their howls echoed once more—warning of a second wave.
Kane's jaw clenched. His muscles sang with strength, but this wasn't a battle of force alone. This was a war of tactics.
And he was determined to prove that the Warlord's will could turn even a slaughterhouse into a fortress.
The cavern echoed with howls. Dozens of them, weaving through the fog like war horns calling their soldiers to battle. The Greyfang Hunters weren't animals anymore—they were an army, disciplined, coordinated, waiting for the perfect moment to collapse the humans.
Kane spat blood, shifting his stance. His armor was dented where a fang had grazed his ribs, but his eyes burned with focus.
[Warning: Elite Pack Instinct – Wolves will employ coordinated tactics.][Survival Rate: 47% if standard combat methods are applied.]
A grim smile touched his lips. So… it's not just about strength. It's about command.
He slammed the butt of his axe into the ground.
"Listen up!" His voice thundered across the mist. "This isn't a fight—it's a battlefield! Obey orders, or you'll die!"
The fighters, trembling but bloodied, tightened their grip. The mage swallowed hard, flames still flickering between his palms. The twins nodded in perfect synch, eyes glowing faintly with mana fire.
Kane lifted his hand. His Warlord's skills pulsed in his veins.
[Command Technique: Tactical Grid]Allows the Warlord to designate ally and enemy zones, altering morale and efficiency accordingly.
The mist shifted—not physically, but in the minds of his allies. They felt a faint pressure, as if their bodies moved more surely when within Kane's chosen formation. The wolves, by contrast, twitched with hesitation when pressing too deep into the "grid."
"Spears—frontline wall. Mage—burn their approach lanes. Twins—don't waste power. Wait for the swarm, then cut them down."
The wolves struck again, faster than the eye. But this time, their claws clanged against perfectly aligned shields. Spears thrust out—not wildly, but in practiced rhythm. The mage carved a line of fire across the mist, funneling the pack toward Kane's chosen kill zone.
The twins waited—breath steady, hands glowing.
Then Kane roared: "Now!"
[Command Technique: Kill Order]All designated allies gain +30% damage against targeted enemies for 10 seconds.
Fire, steel, and fury crashed together. Wolves yelped as their formation broke, three dead before they could retreat. The pack faltered.
Kane grinned savagely. "What's wrong? Not so clever now, are you?"
The howls came again, but weaker. For the first time, the wolves looked like what they truly were: predators staring down something greater than themselves—an apex Warlord.
On the third floor, Reina sat surrounded by toys. Her little hands gripped the glowing spellbook she had pulled from the chest. Her lip trembled as she flipped the page.
[Spell Unlocked: Familiar Summoning]Channel your heart's memory into mana. The familiar will reflect both need and desire.
Her toys stood in a perfect square around her, eyes glinting faintly with System-light. But Reina… Reina's eyes brimmed with tears.
She missed Mama.
Papa and Mama were gone before the monsters came. Big brother never spoke about it, but Reina knew. She could feel it in the way he hugged her—like he was holding onto the last piece of family he had.
"...Mama…" she whispered. "Can I… see you again? Even if it's just a little?"
Her toys leaned in as the magic circle bloomed beneath her, runes spiraling outward like a lullaby written in light. Her tiny body swayed as mana flowed, pulled by her childlike yearning.
Light surged upward, and out of her memory and longing stepped something impossible.
A tall figure, wings unfolding like a canopy of moonlight feathers. Her hair shimmered silver-white, eyes glowing with warmth that made even the toys bow their heads. She wore armor laced with vines and starlight, a guardian's presence radiating from her.
The System's voice chimed:
[Familiar Summoned: Seraphim Matron – "Elysia"]Classification: Mythic GuardianRole: Protector & AttackerInstincts: Maternal, UnyieldingAbilities: [Lunar Aegis], [Embrace of Sanctuary], [Spear of Dawnbreak]*
Reina gasped, tears spilling as the woman knelt and embraced her. The warmth was real, soft like the hugs she remembered, and strong like the shield her brother always tried to be.
"Mama…" Reina whispered.
The familiar smiled. "Not your mother, little one… but I will protect you as if I were."
The toys cheered in their silent way, the rabbit thumping its feet, the robot humming proudly.
Reina laughed through her tears, hugging tighter. "Then… you're my Mama now."
Kane didn't know it yet, but his sister had just summoned a myth.
His own battlefield roared with the clash of steel and fang. The wolves broke against his commands, their unity fraying. Each kill made his team stronger, every order sharpening them into something more than survivors.
"Advance!" Kane bellowed, stepping forward with his axe raised high. "We are not prey—we are the hunters!"
And for the first time, the wolves seemed to believe it.