They reached the mine without much trouble, just a few wandering creepers along the way that didn't slow them down. No one spoke about it. Those fights barely registered anymore.
The mine swallowed them the same way it always did, heat left behind, sound pressed flat, the tunnels tightening with every step.
This wasn't a run for supplies.
No one was counting hides and irons or thinking about meat.
They were here to test themselves, to see how far they could push, how much they could endure, and what would give way first if they went too deep.
Victor took point, shield raised, steps measured. Arin followed a pace behind him, eyes moving constantly, corners, ceilings, the ground ahead. Raul and Mina brought up the rear. Raul's presence back there was heavy, deliberate. Mina felt it like a hand between her shoulder blades, steadying her even when he didn't speak.
They chose a different branch than last time.
New scratches appeared on the wall as Victor marked the path. One slash for entry. Two for exit. It kept the tunnels from becoming a maze when panic crept in.
They hadn't gone far when Arin lifted his hand.
Everyone stopped.
Ahead, something moved.
A low, dragging sound. Stone scraping against stone.
A Stoneback.
Big, but alone.
Its plated hide caught the edge of their light, thick slabs of rock-like armor shifting as it turned its head. The creature hadn't seen them yet. It sniffed at the air, tail sweeping lazily behind it.
Arin leaned in, voice low. "Lone one. We do this clean. No decapitation. No tearing it apart."
His gaze flicked to Mina. "You need it intact."
She nodded, grip tightening around her spear.
Victor exhaled once through his nose and stepped forward.
The Stoneback noticed him immediately.
It roared, short, sharp, and charged.
Victor didn't move.
The impact came hard. Bone and stone slammed into Midnight Lake, the shield ringing like a struck bell. Victor's boots scraped back half a step, knees bending to absorb it. Pain shot up his arm, but he held.
Raul touched Victor's shoulder.
Then he was gone.
Flowstep pulled him out of the moment like a skipped heartbeat. The Stoneback lurched, confused, its head swinging side to side as it searched for the vanished threat.
Arin moved.
He appeared behind the creature just as it twisted its neck. For a fraction of a second, its eyes met his.
Victor charged.
Not head-on. Angled. Shield first, driving into the creature's left side. The impact knocked its balance sideways. Before it could recover, Victor dipped low, hooked Midnight Thunder beneath its body, and heaved.
The Stoneback flipped. Its armored back hit the ground with a thunderous crack. Dust burst upward.
Raul came down from above with no wasted motion.
Midnight Whistles slid between the plates, straight into the heart. The daggers sank deep. The monster jerked once, let out a broken sound that never fully became a scream, then went still.
Silence rushed in.
Victor stayed braced until Arin raised his hand again.
"Clear," Arin said.
Raul pulled his blades free and stepped back, breathing hard but steady.
"Good," Arin said, not loud, just solid. "That was clean."
He looked at Mina. "You're up."
Her mouth felt dry.
She stepped forward anyway.
The Stoneback lay twisted on the ground, massive even in death. Seeing it like this, still, helpless, felt different than imagining it. Her heart thudded in her ears.
She slid her shield onto her back and raised her hand.
"Raise Undead."
The words left her mouth easier than she expected.
Mana tore out of her.
Not gently. Not like a stream. It ripped free, dragged from somewhere deep in her chest, down her arm, into the corpse. Her knees buckled slightly. She caught herself before she fell.
The Stoneback twitched.
Once.
Twice.
Then its limbs moved.
Stone scraped as it pushed itself upright, dead eyes staring forward, empty and hollow.
Mina sucked in a sharp breath. Her head swam. Half her mana, gone. Just like that.
"That took a lot," she said, voice thinner than she liked. "Nearly half."
Arin stepped closer, concern flashing across his face. "We can rest if you want."
Raul shook his head slightly. "What about the timer?"
Mina nodded. "I know."
She wiped sweat from her brow and steadied herself. "I'll contract it. Then it won't crumble."
Arin hesitated. "You sure about it, Mina? That's permanent."
She met his eyes. No fear there, just resolve. "Let's survive today first. We can worry about tomorrow later."
For a moment, Arin saw not a girl trying to prove herself, but someone who had already lived with consequences long enough to stop fearing them.
He smiled softly. Like a proud parent seeing their kids grow up. "Alright."
Mina closed her eyes.
"Undead Contract."
Purple light flared.
It burned behind her eyelids, sharp and cold. When she opened her eyes, the world seemed slightly dimmer, except for the Stoneback. Mana poured into it, threading through dead flesh, locking into place. Its hollow eyes glowed purple in response, awareness flickering back into them.
It stood straighter, stronger.
Although not alive, but not mindless anymore.
A screen flashed in front of her.
___________________________
Undead Contract (1/5):
1. Undead Stoneback Lizard — Soldier
___________________________
Mina let out a shaky laugh. "Okay," she muttered. "That worked."
Victor stared. "That thing looks kind of alive now."
Raul smirked. "There are no signs of life, but it feels like it's alive, unlike regular undead."
They didn't get long to admire it.
Movement came from deeper inside the tunnel.
Nor loud or sudden. Just enough to make Arin's spine tighten.
He raised a hand immediately. "Formation. Now."
There was no hesitation. Victor moved first, stepping forward with practiced certainty, shield coming up as naturally as breathing. The narrow tunnel worked in their favor here; there was only so much space for anything large to push through.
Beside him, Mina swallowed and lifted her hand. The undead Stoneback reacted at once, dragging itself forward with a low scrape of claws against stone. It took position just off Victor's flank, head lowered, purple eyes fixed ahead. Seeing it move still felt strange, even after a few uses, but there was no time to dwell on that.
Arin shifted behind them, sword angled low. Raul melted into the shadows at their backs, already moving, already watching angles that didn't exist yet.
The tunnel ahead stayed dark.
Whatever was coming hadn't shown itself, but it was close.