Beyond The Gateway

A large stone gateway stood as a stark contrast to the verdant forest. The rocky pillars towered into the sky for several meters. Atop the structure, a single, radiant star shone brightly. It twinkled with an enchanting light that Nox couldn't stop staring at.

"A dungeon. Just a one star one too. This could help me leap through the first Rank" he contemplated.

As a 1-Star Dungeon, the strongest monster inside would likely be near the peak of Rank 1. All of the other monsters would be no stronger than that. Typically, the beasts closest to the entrance neared the beginning of the rank whilst those nearer to the boss room approached the peak.

Nox had been struggling to find consistent prey these days, and this provided just the opportunity he was after.

"I have to be careful not to bite off more than I can chew."

There was a large difference between beasts inside and outside of dungeons.

Those outside were far less inclined to be aggressive and actively attack him. Most of them, especially the ones that were far stronger than Nox, would rather avoid him entirely. He simply wasn't worth the effort.

Despite that, any Rank 2 monster he came across might squash him like a bug, simply because it felt like it.

Inside, however, was a different story.

From what he knew, the monsters in a dungeon were filled with an intense bloodlust. The moment they spotted him, they wouldn't rest until he was dead. If Nox ran into something he couldn't handle in there, he wouldn't be let off so easily.

Staring at the faintly rippling gateway, Nox steeled his nerves.

"I'm not going to get a better chance than this. I'm not content taking weeks grinding for a measly level-up. This is a risk worth taking."

Nox had a lot of objectives that needed doing. He needed to resurrect Rana. He needed to escape from this forest. He needed to ask the Gods why he had been made this way.

All of these hinged on him getting stronger, and quickly. The longer he waited, the more likely it became that disaster might strike.

With determined eyes, Nox spurred Aurus on as the pair headed into the Dungeon. When their bodies made contact with the faint barrier, they shifted through it like a pool of water, and vanished.

- - - - -

Nox felt as though someone had taken him by the legs and swung him around like a ragdoll. His head was fuzzy, his stomach churned. It felt similar to when he was low on willpower, magnified by a hundred times.

He had to use Aurus as a crutch to not stumble and crash to the ground. His companion seemed wholly unaffected, at least not outwardly.

After a few moments, the strange sensations disappeared, and Nox had chance to take in his surroundings.

It was quite difficult to see his scenery clearly. From what he could tell, he had found himself in a dark cave. Cavernous walls encased him on all sides, making him a feel a little claustrophobic.

Minute amounts of light were emitted by glowing mushrooms sprouting from the ground. They shone in an eccentric mix of blues and greens, barely illuminating the path ahead.

The gift decided to intervene at this moment.

[You Have Entered 1-Star Dungeon: Winding Caverns]

[Good Luck Adventurer!]

The sweet voice of the Gift did little to reassure Nox.

"Thanks, big help. I could figure out that much myself."

He got the sense that the Gods took their naming sense quite literally.

With a sigh, he drew his longsword and whispered,

"Let's go buddy. Stay alert."

Aurus gave a low grunt as the duo slowly stepped forwards.

The entire environment was eerily quiet. Clacking hooves and heavy footsteps could be heard echoing in the tunnels for what felt like forever. He could only see a few feet in front of him at any one time due to the consuming darkness.

The lack of sensual stimulation unnerved Nox.

He felt as though there was several pairs of eyes peering at him from the darkness. When he would look towards them, they would scuttle away before he could get a good look.

Nox wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or not but he knew that he was letting his agitation get the better of him.

"Focus, idiot. You're imagining things" he silently reprimanded.

After a few agonising minutes of traversing the sprawling tunnels, Nox was greeted by a large amber light in the distance.

Fire.

"What is a fire doing down here? Is this dungeon full of some kind of fire beast?"

Nox was relieved to finally have something tangible to focus on, but was equally confused and cautious.

With measured, softened steps, he inched closer towards the source of the light. The tunnel Nox was in currently approached and joined with a larger, more open cavern. Nox's position led to a small overhanging ledge that overlooked the light beneath.

With a pat on the shoulder, Nox had Aurus temporarily stay behind. As he neared the edge of the cave, he lay flat on the ground. He edged towards the light on his hands and knees.

When he finally peered over and saw what awaited him, Nox grimaced.

Central to the cave was a huge bonfire that crackled with heat. Surrounding it, seven small, green humanoid figures sat and bickered with one another.

Two creatures ganged up on another and held it by the arms as they threatened to throw it into the fire. The monster grunted in frustration whilst the others sat and watched, bellowing with raucous laughter.

Taking a closer look at them, Nox took in their appearances.

They had very short statures at around four feet tall. With bent backs, their posture was hunched over, only accentuating their meagre size. Their skin was coarse and covered in warts and grotesque blisters, ugly and malformed.

Wearing nothing but tattered rags and wielding rusty or broken knives in their clawed hands, they made for a pitiful and revolting sight.

"Goblins" Nox thought silently.

Of all the enemies that Nox could have faced in the dungeon, he was less than enthusiastic about facing Goblins. His lessons with Leonard had taught him that anyone who underestimated them would definitely pay the price.

Sure, Goblins had a lot of easily exploitable features. They had weak, fragile bodies that even most un-Gifted people could easily best. They also lacked any strong features or abilities such as poison or sharp claws.

Unfortunately, that's where the good news stopped.

While they were lacking physically, Goblins made up for it in intelligence. From their interactions, Nox could see that they acted almost human, capable of expressing emotion and having fun.

This made them very cunning, which could prove very dangerous given that he was on their home turf. He would have to watch out for any traps or ambushes that awaited him. Alternatively, they would be less likely to fall for his own traps, unlike many beasts that's relied solely on instincts.

They could also wield weapons, albeit badly, which somewhat made up for their poor physicality.

Their intelligence and social ability made them adept at fighting in groups with basic formations and tactics that could effectively magnify their weak individual power. The benefit of intelligence couldn't be understated.

That wasn't even mentioning the worst possibility.

Given their high intelligence, some rare, gifted Goblins possessed magical abilities, much like the mortal races. If he had to face a Goblin Mage and a retinue of guards, he would be in deep, deep trouble.

Mages, for the most part, were glass cannons. They had almost no health or defences but made up for it with devastating attack power. If Nox got bogged down by a few normal Goblins before he could reach the mage, he would be vaporised.

Nox was at least relieved that this particular group didn't seem to have any mages, but it was something to watch out for as he reached the depths of the dungeon.

He puzzled for a few moments on the best way of dealing with things. He could wait for the Goblins to leave and stalk them from behind, but he felt that that was very risky. He'd be entering a new environment that he wouldn't know.

In the end, he decided that a shock attack would be the best course of action.

Slowly heading back to Aurus, he mounted his steed. The horse's eyes began to shine in azure light as the [Mount] Skill was activated.

Nox took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing."

With a mental command, Aurus charged towards the edge of the cave at full speed. With incredible momentum, the pair launched themselves over the cliff. The unsuspecting body of a Goblin softened their fall as it was promptly crushed.

The others had barely managed to turn their bodies in response to the approaching sound when Aurus stomped another one of them into a bloody pulp.

[Minion Aurus Activated Skill: Power Stomp]

[Overkill!: -6HP]

[Goblin Peasant HP: 0/5]

[Target Defeated]

The beasts stood in stunned silence at the death of one of their companions. Nox didn't let the opportunity he had made slip.

He leapt from Aurus' back as his steed's single horn gored an unsuspecting goblin. It ruptured through its stomach and pinned the beast to the cavern wall. Blood spewed forth and covered Aurus' face as the monster's limbs sagged weakly.

Meanwhile, Nox lunged towards another nearby Goblin. With a heavy twist of his hips, he delivered a horizontal slash that cleaved the monster's head from its shoulders. With a heavy thud, the head beckoned the Gift's incongruously pleasant voice.

[Target Defeated x 2]

With half his opponents defeated in the blink of an eye, Nox was in a good position. Without any way to leverage their numbers advantage and intelligence, the Goblins stood little chance. Reuniting with Aurus, he faced his remaining foes.

They screeched in disgruntlement at the realisation of their fallen comrades. The trio quickly banded together and wielded their ramshackle weapons angrily.

The two forces stared across the crackling bonfire, the air adopting a heavy pressure.

After a few seconds in the standoff, Nox smirked,

"Time for some free EXP."

Nox circled the fire, meeting two of the Goblins at once. While their combat skills were woefully bad, their combined attacks made things somewhat dangerous for Nox. He mainly focussed on parrying and evading any incoming blows.

As their attempts to kill him were continually thwarted, they began to grow red from rage. With a smile, Nox goaded the beasts,

"You're so weak! Hahahahaha! I bet your mothers would put up a better fight than the pair of you!"

Despite not speaking the same language, his mocking tone seemed to strike a nerve in the monsters. Thick veins bulged in their heads as they roared loudly. As Nox watched them charge with reckless abandon, he smiled smugly.

This was the biggest disadvantage of intelligent species. All of those complicated thoughts and feelings could be manipulated. Dumb beasts would never be fooled by such a thing, but the Goblins were a different story.

The pair were so infuriated that they managed to get tangled up with one another. It only took a single moment where one of them blocked the other for Nox to spring into action.

As the Goblin's rusty dagger came slashing downwards, he delivered a swift upwards parry with all of strength.

The poor Goblin was practically launched off its feet as the blade shot into the air. And with the rear foe's vision obstructed, Nox thrusted forward with sword, skewering the pair through their skulls.

Their indignant eyes were filled with disbelief as life slowly slipped away from them. With a forceful tug, Nox retrieved his blade and shook off the vile black blood that marred its surface.

From the corner of his eye, he could see that the Goblin that had broken their fall was lying writhing on the ground in agony. With a few measured steps, he loomed over the monster. Its eyes were rife with fear as its executioner neared closer.

Nox didn't let the beast suffer for long, stabbing its skull into the ground.

[Target Defeated]

Looking over to his companion, Nox wasn't surprised that Aurus' opponent had long been beaten. The pitiful goblin was lying on the ground with its ribcage bursting from its chest and both of its arms pulverised.

Gazing at his steed in the eye, he muttered,

"Well, that went well."