The faint blue light from the dungeon walls had dimmed by the time Arios reached the next floor. The transition gate behind him sealed with a low hum, and the room ahead opened into a large circular space with no enemies — just silence, broken only by the rhythmic dripping of condensed mana from the ceiling.
He adjusted his grip on the training sword strapped to his back. The last fight had left fine cracks on the handle, but it held. He preferred not to switch weapons unless absolutely necessary.
A moment later, footsteps echoed from the tunnel ahead.
Liza's voice called first, dry and slightly out of breath. "Well, you look terrible."
Arios glanced up. "You're late."
"We had to navigate collapsing corridors because someone shut down the field node," she replied, walking in with a light smirk. "Next time, leave a warning."
Lucy appeared next, still slightly flushed. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Arios said simply. "Just low on mana."
