Four hours later, Leo stood at the foot of the mountain, just a short walk from the cave's entrance. The faint sounds of growls and shifting stones echoed from inside. The kobolds had been coming from here nonstop.
Leo raised his spear and pointed toward the dark opening. His eyes lit up with determination.
"Okay, team. Today we'll explore that cave." His voice carried both excitement and nerves. "There's a good chance a gate is inside, probably leading to a dungeon."
He crouched low, eyes narrowing on the guards at the entrance. Two kobold archers stood alert, their crude bows in hand.
"First, we'll deal with those two." He motioned with his spear toward them.
…
Minutes later, the plan was in motion.
From the bushes on the left, Mor4 burst out, sword in one hand and a round shield in the other, both taken from fallen enemies. He didn't bother hiding. Instead, he stomped on the ground and slammed his shield with his sword, creating noise on purpose.
The kobold archers snapped their heads toward him, snarling as they raised their crude bows.
At the same time, Leo came out from the opposite side, shield raised, blade ready. His sudden appearance made the kobolds hesitate for a moment, two enemies from two sides.
The first arrow flew toward Mor4, the second toward Leo. The distance worked in their favor. With sharp thunks, both arrows bounced off their shields, splintering against iron and wood.
Leo didn't wait. He moved forward in short, quick steps, drawing the kobolds' aim and keeping their focus locked on him. On the other side, Mor4 mirrored his movement to keep their eyes off what was coming next.
'Now!' Leo called out in his mind.
From the shadows behind the kobolds, Mongmor and two other Mors rose silently from the ground. Spears glinted for a moment, then struck fast.
"Chwakk! Chwakk!"
The kobolds cried out in shock, but it was already too late. They fell, their bodies twitching before going still.
(Experience point +1)
(Experience point +1)
Leo lowered his shield and let out a slow breath. Stepping out from the bushes, he looked at his shadows with a faint, proud smile.
"Good work," He said softly.
He turned to his side. "Mor4, check inside. See if there are more waiting."
Mor4 nodded once and dashed into the cave without hesitation.
The others stood ready, spears in hand, watching the darkness carefully. Moments later, Mor4 returned, shaking his head slowly.
Leo raised a brow. "No monsters?"
Mor4 nodded in confirmation.
"Alright. Stay in position. We're going in." Leo lifted his shield as he stepped carefully toward the dark cave mouth. The shadows moved around him, forming their line, two in front, two in back, leaving him in the middle, safe from both sides.
The air inside was damp and carried a faint stench of earth mixed with beast.
"It's dark… hard to see anything," Leo muttered, squinting ahead. He glanced at the glowing eyes of his shadows. "What about you guys? Can you see better?"
They gave no words, only steady nods. Unlike him, the darkness didn't bother them at all.
That gave Leo a small relief. "Then I'll rely on you to guide me."
Slowly, they pressed deeper. The further they went, the more the cave pressed in, its silence heavy, broken only by the crunch of their steps and the occasional drip of water from the ceiling.
Then, at the end of the tunnel, something faint began to glow. A soft light shimmered against the rough stone, rippling like water as it pulsed in and out of view.
When they finally reached it, Leo stopped in his tracks, eyes wide with awe.
Floating in the air was a gate. A swirling, dimensionless portal, its surface rippling like liquid glass, glowing faintly as if stars themselves were trapped inside it.
Leo's mouth parted slightly. "So this… is what a dungeon gate looks like." His voice carried both wonder and caution.
It was beautiful, like looking up at the night sky filled with countless stars.
He steadied himself and raised his shield. "From those kobolds that came out, this dungeon should be F-rank. Only level one monsters so far. Should be something we can handle."
He glanced at his shadows. "We're going in."
The shadows moved closer, forming their usual formation around him. One after another, they stepped into the light, their dark figures swallowed by the glowing portal.
Leo took a deep breath and followed.
The world bent for a moment, colors twisting, his stomach tightening, then everything snapped back into place.
He stumbled a step forward, boots hitting solid ground again. A foul, damp stench filled his nose, like rotten mud and beast breath.
He opened his eyes and froze.
Just a few meters ahead, three kobolds stood waiting. Their yellow eyes gleamed in the dim light, weapons raised. One held a crude spear, another a jagged knife, and the last gripped a rusted sword.
Leo lifted his shield instantly. "Form up!"
The shadows reacted in perfect sync, closing ranks around him. The kobolds snarled and charged with a shrill cry.
"Don't let them call for more!" Leo shouted as he pushed forward, shield first.
Shields clashed against bone as the shadows crashed into the kobolds head-on. Spears darted out, shields slammed forward, and the air filled with snarls and grunts.
One kobold lunged, but before it could even scream, Mor1 and Mor2 drove their spears straight through its chest. The creature jerked once, then went limp as the shadows pulled their weapons free.
Another kobold came from the side, its rusted sword flashing toward Leo. He caught the movement and raised his shield, but before the blow could land, Mongmor stepped in front of him and took the hit with his own shield.
"Nice," Leo muttered, pushing forward. In that same breath, he thrust his spear upward, piercing the kobold's throat. Blood sprayed as the creature fell backward, gurgling.
The last kobold froze, panic flashing in its yellow eyes. It turned to flee…
...but Mor4 was already there.
A shadow slipped across the ground, and in one smooth motion, Mor4's spear pierced clean through the kobold's back. The creature collapsed face-first, its weapon clattering beside it.
(Experience point +1)
(Experience point +1)
(Experience point +1)
Leo let out a breath, lowering his shield slightly. "Quick and clean," he said, glancing around. "Let's move."
They pressed deeper into the dungeon.
The cave twisted and turned, every bend hiding danger. Sometimes, a lone kobold would jump out from the shadows, only to be taken down in a single strike. Other times, two attacked together, snarling and swinging their crude blades, but they were easy prey.
Then came a group of six. Their screeches echoed through the stone tunnels as they rushed in all at once.
Leo raised his shield just in time. The first kobold's spear slammed against it, the impact shaking his arm to the bone. Another kobold swung from the side, forcing him to twist away as the blade scraped against his armor.
He barely had a second before another spear came down, rattling his shield again. The strikes kept coming, fast and heavy, the weight numbing his arm.
"Mongmor!" he called out.
The shadow kobold dashed forward like a blur, spear in hand. Mongmor's weapon pierced through a kobold's chest, lifting it off its feet before tossing it aside. Another lunged at Leo, but Mongmor spun his spear and blocked it.
Seeing the opening, Leo pushed forward. He slammed his shield into a kobold's face, then drove his spear straight through its chest. Blood splattered across the rocks.
Behind him, one of the shadows fell.
Mor3 was struck through the chest, two kobolds working together to pin him down. Before he could even lift his spear, his body burst into black smoke and vanished.
"No!" Leo shouted, rage flaring in his voice. He drove his sword forward, stabbing deep into a kobold's chest. The creature's eyes widened before it dropped lifeless to the ground.
Then Leo resummoned Mor3, shadows gathered at his feet, swirling like mist before solidifying again, Mor3 stood reborn, spear in hand.
"Go," Leo ordered, forcing himself back into stance even as his head throbbed and his mana drained away.
The fight continued, the shadows moving with deadly rhythm. Mor3, Mongmor, and the others pressed forward, their strikes landing clean. Leo followed through, finishing off the last kobold with a solid thrust straight to the neck.
When it was over, the tunnel fell quiet again.
His arms ached. His shoulders burned. But there was something different about him now.
He no longer fought like the boy who once panicked at his first kill.
His stance was steadier. Step by step, strike by strike, Leo was starting to look more like a real fighter.