Nadia's smile lingered, patient and knowing. "Then it's settled. Logan and Mitch to scout. If what they see matches what I've given you, we can move on to the real fight."
I tapped the edge of the map, narrowing in on the ring of corridors feeding into the food court.
"When scouts report back, we'll need a diversion. The Shaman will be surrounded by goblins and guards."
Nicole crossed her arms. "We split their attention. Scatter their guard."
Marcus leaned forward, jabbing a finger at the western corridor. "Hit them hard from here. A straight push. If they're half as fierce as Nadia says, they'll reinforce immediately. And when they do—" He traced the path, an arrow straight into the food court. "—we slip past and carve out the boss."
I shook my head. "Too messy. Reinforcements can loop around. We need their heads turning both ways, not just one."
Nadia's voice was smooth, almost amused. "A feint. Noise, maybe fire, here—" she tapped the opposite corridor. "—while your main force pulls their focus. Goblins are reactive; they'll chase anything that looks weak."
Her eyes landed on me. "It will work."
Nicole arched her brow. "Or it'll get people killed."
Marcus's tone was flat, clinical. "Bodies will drop no matter what. If they keep the elites away from the Shaman, then they've served their purpose."
I kept my tone steady. "No one's being thrown away. Disruption is bait—fast teams strike, then vanish. Our people aren't pawns."
Marcus gave a noncommittal grunt, but didn't argue further. Nadia was still smiling like she didn't care either way.
"Good," I said. "Disruption teams peel the guards away—hit, vanish, repeat. Once they're spread out, we strike the Shaman."
I dragged my finger to the center of the map, circling the crude symbol Nadia had drawn for the Shaman's altar.
"It ends here with the Shaman. If Nadia's right about his magic, we strike fast. Give him time, and we'll be overrun."
Marcus leaned back, arms crossed, eyes like cold stone. "Then I'll take point. Only the strong deserve to deal the killing blow."
I met his stare, unflinching. "If you're so certain you're the strongest, then you shouldn't care who's standing beside you when the Shaman falls, unless you're afraid someone else might prove stronger."
His jaw flexed with the words he didn't speak. Nadia's smirk lingered, twitching as though the argument itself entertained her more than the plan.
Nicole spoke next, her voice sharp. "What about the women the goblins dragged off? They'll be in the food court. You expect us to fight around them?"
Marcus didn't hesitate. "They're dead weight. If they're caught in the crossfire, that's on them.'"
My chest burned hot. I leaned in, voice hard. "They're not just survivors. They're part of this mission. The system rewards rescues. You want power? Then save them. Letting them die makes you weak."
Nadia nodded, uncharacteristically serious. "She's right. Missions yield resources and experience. Abandoning them weakens us. Ignoring such an opportunity would be foolish."
Marcus's eyes flicked between us, unreadable. Finally, he gave a stiff nod. "Fine. But they slow us down, I won't hesitate."
I let the silence hang for a beat before driving it home. "You won't have to. Wei Shen and his people will handle extraction: getting the women out, keeping them safe, and clearing them from the crossfire. The rest of us stay locked on the Shaman."
The map between us felt heavier now. The plan wasn't perfect. No plan ever was. But it was the only way forward.
No one smirked. The tension that had simmered settled into hard focus, the kind that precedes action.
Marcus broke the silence. "We've been stuck in this mall for six days. Supplies are thinning, and people want to go home to see their families. I'm not waiting another week to crawl through this place. We beat the dungeon tomorrow."
Nicole's head snapped toward him, her voice firm. "Too fast. We agreed on scouts first. Logan and Mitch need time. Nadia's intel is outdated, and I will not send people in blind."
"I agree," Nadia said evenly, eyes still on the map. "But Marcus is right about one thing—the longer we wait, the stronger this dungeon becomes. Every day we linger, the goblins grow, and we don't have the manpower to keep up."
I stayed quiet, weighing it. My gut pulled both ways—Nicole was right about recon, but Marcus wasn't wrong. Goblins don't sit still. They learn, adapt, and when food runs out, they'll come for us. Wait too long, and our chances of getting out shrink fast.
Marcus leaned in, his pale eyes unflinching. "They'll be weaker at night. Fed, tired, guards rotating half-asleep. Security will be at its thinnest. That's when you strike."
I exhaled, then pulled my radio from my belt. "Logan. Mitch." Static crackled before Logan's voice cut in. "Go ahead."
I briefly told them about what we discussed and promised to give them the full story once we get back to base.
"The situation's changed. The plan is to hit the food court at dawn. But first, I need a night scout. Risky, even if Marcus is right about the goblins being asleep. Can it be done?"
Logan paused, then replied, steady as ever. "If dawn's the plan, we'll scout tonight. Tight schedule, but manageable. We leave 2200 or 2300, scout one to two hours, then report back."
Mitch's voice was rough, unshaken. "We'll make it work. Just make sure you're ready to hit hard when it counts."
I let out a slow breath. "Copy. Dawn it is."
When I looked back, Nadia was the first to break the silence. "Then we'll need a way to stay in contact. So we can finalize our plan after Logan and Mitch get back, and during the fight. We also need a rally point to all meet up before the fight.."
"Front doors of the mall," I said. "Everyone meets there, before we attack their den. As for comms—" I reached into my pack and pulled out the spare radio I'd held onto. I set it on the table between us, meeting Nadia's eyes. "Frequency's locked to ours. Don't lose it."
For the first time since we'd walked in, Nadia's lips curved into something that almost looked genuine. She extended her hand across the table. "To our success, then."
I didn't take it. Just gave her a curt nod, rolled the map, and slung it under my arm.
"Dawn," I said. Then I turned for the door with Nicole following behind me.
Nicole fell into step behind me, tension rolling off her in waves. She stayed quiet until just before the hall, when her voice cut low under her breath, sharp enough only for me to hear.
"I don't like this."
Neither did I. But for now, it didn't matter.