The further we went, the tighter the air felt. The tunnel narrowed, forcing us into a staggered line. Torchlight licked the walls, revealing jagged mineral veins that pulsed faintly with mana.
Reina muttered, "This place is wrong. Feels like it's listening."
I would've laughed if I didn't agree.
We hit the first trap about ten minutes in.
One of the rogues, thin, cocky, smelled like he bathed in smug, stepped on a pressure plate. The floor ahead exploded into a row of spear-sized spikes.
He jerked back just in time. "Ha! Reflexes."
Kazuo didn't even look at him. "Next time, use your eyes instead."
That should've been the warning, but of course, I was too busy watching the shadows. That's why I didn't notice the second trap until it was practically biting me.
A grinding sound echoed behind me. I turned, too late.
A wall section slid open and something long and chitinous shot out like a harpoon.
Reflex kicked in. Rift Step.
The world warped and I reappeared a few meters ahead, just in time to watch the harpoon spear slam into the spot my head had been.
"Oh yeah" I breathed. "This is fine. Totally fine."
The relief didn't last.
From the darkness beyond the wall, they came.
Kobold Vipers again, but these ones were leaner, faster, their scales edged with glowing red patterns.
One blurred toward me, its tail whipped like a blade. I brought my sword up, blocking the strike, but the force still sent me skidding back.
Kazuo barked, "Rian, on me!"
Another viper lunged. I slid under it, slashing up with Venom Slash, my blade tearing through its belly, green-black ichor splattering across my arm. It screamed, thrashing, before collapsing.
The system stayed quiet this time. No skill prompt. I'd already turned down what these things had to offer earlier. Guess the gods don't hand out consolation prizes.
"Figures" I muttered, yanking my sword free.
One of the hunters screamed, his shield arm was hanging at a bad angle. A viper had gotten through the front line.
I didn't think. Rift Step again, right in front of it. My sword came up in an upward arc, cutting straight into its jaw. It crashed to the ground in a twitching heap.
"Close" I said to the unconscious hunter, "but no hero points for you."
The last viper fell under Kazuo's greatsword, its head splitting like overripe fruit. He turned, scanning the team.
"Status?"
"Three injured, one down" Reina reported.
Kazuo's gaze landed on me. "You moved fast."
"Fast is just my way of not dying."
For a second, I thought he was going to laugh. Instead, he just nodded.
We regrouped, patched up the wounded, and pressed on.
The deeper we went, the more that heavy, breathing feeling in the air grew.
I adjusted my grip on the sword. Something told me this was only the dungeon saying hello.