I sat on the cold stone, the sounds of preparation fading away as my mind raced, building scenarios, planning for contingencies that I could not possibly predict. Someone sat next to me. Kira.

  “This is wild,” she said, gesturing to the makeshift fortress of bone and the teams drilling in the boneyard below.

  “You did not predict an apocalypse when you woke up this morning?” I asked, a small smile curving my lips.

  “You know. I do not think I had it on my bingo card.” She gave me a smile that was meant to comfort me, a thin disguise stretched over something more fragile. The smile softened as she looked at me. “I can tell it is weighing on you,” she said, the playfulness gone, her eyes searching mine.

  “I just want to get as many of these people home as I can.” The words came out heavy. The truth carried its own weight.

  She stared at her hands for a long moment. Her face tightened with a focus I had seen only in the middle of chaos, the moment before she cast a healing spell that bordered on desperation. “Then we plan,” she said, slapping her knees and standing. She offered me her hand. “How can I help?”

  I took her hand and rose to my feet. Her grip was warm in a way that grounded me. “This whole thing hinges on you and the archers. No unnecessary risks. You heal critical wounds only. If you pass out from mana fatigue, we will have a lot more casualties. If it gets too hot, you are the first one to fall back. Understood?” My eyes burrowed into hers, willing her to listen.

  “You do not need to worry about me,” she said with quiet confidence.

  “I worry about everything,” I replied, the words dry and truthful.

  “Ain’t that the truth. Twenty six and you already have wrinkles.” She gave me a playful wink before rejoining her archers.

  I watched her go, wishing for a moment that we were back in the diner, with burnt coffee and safe routines. I watched her blend into the archers, watched Shanira adjust her bow, watched the ripple of nervous determination across the group. Then my gaze drifted back to the door. I needed an edge. I needed more than just a plan. I needed to understand the rules of this new world on a level that gave me something tangible to work with.

  My menu flickered into existence before me. My eyes scanned my skills, then drifted to my inventory. Mana Crystal Fragment. I pulled one from the list and held it between my fingers. The crystal glowed with a soft inner pulse. I needed to know how far it could take me.

  I used Wind Step to cross the basin. The familiar drain of energy tugged at my limbs. I repeated the step on the way back, pushing myself until a noticeable fatigue clung to my muscles. My breathing grew uneven. A sinking weight settled into my arms and legs, the kind that told me my mana pool was close to bottoming out.

  Perfect.

  I held the crystal in my hand and mimicked Kira’s movements from earlier. I closed my fist with all my strength. The crystal shattered into a fine dust, and a swirl of ethereal blue light coalesced around my hand. It floated there like curling smoke, but brighter, more alive. I imagined breathing it in. I imagined the light flowing into my veins, my bones, the core of who I was.

  The light obeyed. It rushed into my palm, and a jolt of cool, clean energy washed through me. The fatigue did not just lessen. It evaporated, refreshing my mana completely until I felt like I had not used a single drop.

  HOLY. SHIT.

  The sensation was unbelievable. A fresh surge of focus coursed through me. I leaped to the edge of the basin as adrenaline and revelation collided.

  “EVERYONE,” I roared, my voice echoing across the cavern. “LISTEN UP.”

  The cavern fell silent. Dozens of eyes locked onto me.

  “Kira and I have found a use for the Mana Crystals,” I announced. “You can use them to replenish your mana.”

  I crushed another crystal, demonstrating as the blue light flowed into my hand. Gasps spread across the crowd.

  “I used one of these to recover from two uses of Wind Step. Conserve them for when you need them, but they should give us an edge. Give most of them to our ranged users. Our archers. Our healers. But keep a few for yourselves. Any questions?”

  A hand shot up. “Are there side effects?”

  “I do not know,” I admitted. “But right now, it is the best advantage we have, especially in a battle of attrition.”

  Logan stepped forward, an odd seriousness replacing his usual boisterous confidence. “How do you get mana skills?” he asked. His expression was intense as if the answer was the key to unlocking something inside him.

  The image of Kira’s broken body, the rage that had shattered something inside me, flashed across my mind. “An intense moment,” I said slowly. “For me something broke. You feel the energy and you have to bend it to your will. Force it. I pushed it into my blades to get Mana Blade. I pushed it into my legs to get Wind Step. I hope that makes sense.”

  The cavern erupted into excited chatter. People held crystals in their hands, staring at them with newfound reverence. The possibility of power set everyone alight.

  It did not take long. A joyous roar echoed from across the basin.

  “ELIAS. CHECK THIS OUT,” Logan shouted.

  He bent his knees. A ripple of energy rolled down his legs. With a surge of raw force, he launched himself thirty feet into the air. He came crashing down in a superhero landing, his fist and knee slamming into the stone floor. The impact sent a concussive blast across the basin. Chunks of stone and bone went flying. People dove out of the way.

  Logan stood in the center of the destruction, grinning like a psychopath.

  “I call it Superhero Crunch,” he yelled.

  I rolled my eyes. “Oh yeah? What did the System call it?”

  His face fell. “Mana Leap,” he mumbled.

  “I like Superhero Crunch, but call it something more badass. Like Gravity’s Hammer.”

  His eyes widened with childlike excitement. “FUCK YES. GRAVITY’S HAMMER IT IS.”

  A tap on my shoulder made me spin instinctively, my Jian materializing in my hand. Its tip hovered a hair’s breadth from Flynn’s throat.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Whoa,” he yelped, stumbling back.

  “Holy shit, Flynn. You scared the crap out of me,” I said, unsummoning the blade.

  “My bad,” he said quickly. “New skill.”

  His form seemed to shimmer. The edges of his outline blurred. His movement became hard to track as he slid left, then right, without a single sound. When he solidified again, his chest rose and fell with strained breaths.

  “Visual Distortion and Silent Step,” he said. “But the mana consumption is insane.”

  “You should invest primarily into mana,” I advised. “You can be a near invisible scout if you manage it well.”

  He nodded, eyes already flicking through his menu.

  Preparations neared completion. Our bone and carcass barricades created a grim, winding funnel. The stench of rot sat heavy in the air, mixed with the cold mineral scent of the cavern. Sweat and fear added their own sharp notes.

  We gathered behind the first barricade. I nodded to Logan and Jamie, then my eyes found Kira. She stood at the entrance to the retreat hallway, staff held ready. She caught my gaze and gave me a small nod that steadied my heartbeat.

  I walked toward the sealed colossal door. Chief waited beside it, his expression unreadable.

  “I hate this part,” he said, his gaze fixed on the monolithic slab. “The waiting.”

  “Me too,” I answered, summoning my swords. “Chief, I am glad to have you standing by my side.”

  He gave me a confident smile. “Me too. And I think it is time you started calling me Marcus. Especially after everything we have been through.”

  He turned fully toward me. “Are you ready, son?”

  “Ready, Marcus.”

  I took a final breath and looked back at our people. “Stand ready. We have no idea what will exit this door, so be ready for anything. Protect the people beside you and do not overextend. No heroics.”

  Kira raised one eyebrow and gave me a pointed look from across the room. Even at this distance, I could read the word hypocrite in her expression.

  “If you need help, shout and someone will come running.”

  I met every pair of eyes that looked my way.

  “Okay. Let us get this party started,” I muttered under my breath.

  “WOOOOOO. PARTAY,” Logan shouted behind me, shattering the tension like glass.

  I placed my hand against the stone surface of the door. It was warm, humming with hidden power. The blue screen appeared.

  OPEN

  YES/NO

  Yes.

  Intricate designs on the door glowed with brilliant blue light. The stone groaned deeply as it swung inward. Darkness waited beyond. A sound rose from the depths, not one roar but a chorus. It grew louder and louder. The stone beneath us vibrated as claws scraped stone.

  Far down the corridor, a pinprick of turquoise light appeared. It grew, expanding until shapes emerged within its glow.

  A living river of Lesser Lizards surged forward. They poured down the corridor in a stampede so dense they climbed over one another to reach us. The walls crawled with them. The ceiling writhed with movement.

  This is nightmare fuel.

  “Fall back,” Marcus yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the basin. He landed beside me with a fierce grin. “I know it is bad, but I have missed this excitement.”

  “Things are about to get messy, Marcus,” I said, mirroring his grin.

  “HOLD THE LINE,” he bellowed. His voice carried a new power, a skill infused with golden energy. The wave washed over us and fear melted away, replaced by cold, unshakable resolve.

  Shanira’s bow sang. A streak of white light shot past us and exploded in the hallway with a concussive blast.

  A new skill. That was absolutely a new skill.

  The river of monsters poured into the basin.

  I roared and charged.

  The first wave hit like a body of water, a violent surge of scales and teeth that swallowed the front of the basin. The sound was overwhelming. Claws scraped stone. Bodies collided. Hisses layered in chaotic chords until they blended into a single, deafening roar of motion.

  My blades came alive in my hands. The Jian slid through the first creature with a smooth resistance that gave way when bone cracked beneath the force. The gladius punctured a second one as I twisted my hips and let momentum carry me through both kills. The smell of reptile blood flooded the air, thick and metallic, mixed with the damp mineral scent of the cavern.

  Logan landed nearby in a ground shaking collision. Stone erupted from the impact as his Gravity’s Hammer detonated through the ground. Lizards were flung into the air. Some burst on impact with the walls. The force rattled my teeth and sent a tremor through the barricades behind us. He let out a wild laugh and swung his axe in a brutal arc that cleaved a monster from skull to spine.

  Marcus fought at my other side. His shield absorbed impact after impact. Each time it rang with a heavy vibration that vibrated in my bones. His sword found throats, tendons, and soft underbellies with surgical precision. There was no wasted motion. No hesitation. Every strike had purpose behind it. Every step created an opening for someone else.

  The noise of battle was a hammer against my senses. Screeches. The crack of bone. The dull thud of bodies hitting stone. The shouts of players as they held the line. My world narrowed into a tunnel of surviving the next second and the next after that.

  I moved like a machine. Efficient. Cold. Focused. Every lizard that approached was met with steel. One lunged from my right. My foot slid on loose gravel as I stepped into its momentum and drove the Jian through its eye. Another came low, jaws snapping. I twisted and caught its open mouth with my gladius, lacerating its tongue and skull in one brutal motion.

  Arrows fell from above. Shanira’s team rained mana tipped shots at impossible angles. The streaks of white light carved through the lizards on the flanks, thinning the edges of the swarm. Each shot hummed as it passed overhead, the air vibrating with raw energy. Some arrows burst into bright explosions that coated the walls with green gore.

  But the tide did not stop.

  More poured into the basin. Their bodies tumbled over each other, sometimes crushing their own in the mad rush. A deep tremor rolled through the hallway, rumbling through my boots. The lesser lizards reacted first. They screamed and surged harder, their panic driving them into a frenzy.

  Something was behind them. Something bigger.

  I saw a group of lesser lizards split away, clawing up the far wall to bypass our frontline. They broke into a sprint, heading directly for the archers who were repositioning at the retreat hallway. I felt my blood run cold.

  No.

  I poured mana into my legs. Wind Step activated with a familiar wrenching pull. The world stretched, then snapped as I reappeared in front of the flanking group. My sword sank into the lead creature’s skull before its eyes even registered my presence. I ripped the blade out and stepped forward, creating a small kill zone around myself.

  I carved them down as quickly as they came. The gladius stabbed through ribs. The Jian slashed through jaws and eyes. My body moved faster than thought, guided by instinct sharpened through terror and necessity. Each kill mattered. Each kill kept the archers alive.

  A screen flickered at the edge of my vision.

  Congratulations on leveling up.

  Accept Rewards? Yes or No.

  Another roar tore through the hallway, drowning out the notification. This one shook the basin with a physical force that pressed against my chest.

  Every player froze for a heartbeat.

  Two shadows filled the doorway. Massive. Hulking. Darker than the ones we had fought outside. Their scales were thicker. Their necks were broader. Their eyes glowed with a harsh yellow light that scanned the basin with violent intelligence.

  The Elite Lizards stalked forward. Each step tossed lesser lizards aside like discarded scraps. One bit a smaller creature in half and spat the remains onto the stone.

  The real fight had just begun.

  Jamie swore under his breath. Ryker braced his shield. Logan stopped laughing. Marcus lifted his sword and gave me a tight nod.

  Hold the line.

  The Elites thundered forward. Their heavy bodies slammed into the lesser horde, scattering them in all directions. The ground shook with each step as they entered the basin, jaws snapping, tails whipping through the air like battering rams.

  A lesser lizard jumped at one Elite in panic. The Elite crushed its skull beneath its foot without slowing.

  I pushed through the remaining smaller beasts and met the first Elite head on. It lunged with a speed that did not match its size. I dropped low under its swipe and carved a deep gash across its forearm. Thick green blood spilled from the wound, and the creature snarled at me with a guttural rumble.

  Behind it, the second Elite barreled through our left flank. Its tail swept across three players and sent them flying into a bone pile. One hit a rib and rolled limply onto the ground. Logan roared and sprinted toward the creature, axe ready.

  Shanira’s arrows flashed through the air, but the Elites twisted with unnatural agility, dodging or letting the projectiles slide harmlessly off their armored scales. The air filled with shouts of warning as players adjusted positions and struggled to contain the giants.

  I circled the first Elite. My heart hammered against my ribs. Sweat and monster blood dripped down my face. My arms ached from the endless strikes. But fatigue did not matter.

  Nothing mattered except killing these bastards before they tore through our people.

  The Elite lunged again. I stepped to the side and slashed at its jaw. The Jian cut a clean line across its cheek, spraying green mist into the air. It turned with a bellow and snapped at me. I dodged again, feeling the rush of air inches from my torso.

  Its tail whipped toward me. I jumped back. The club hit the ground and shattered a section of stone. Debris scattered across my boots.

  I darted in, gladius leading. The blade plunged into the soft tissue beneath its chin. The Elite recoiled, and I pushed forward, trying to angle upward into its skull. A shaking growl vibrated from its chest.

  It grabbed me.

  Claws clamped around my shoulders and lifted me from the ground. Pain erupted across my upper body as the Elite squeezed. I felt pressure in my ribcage. Bones strained. My breath hitched.

  I drove both blades into its arm. The creature roared and threw me aside. I rolled across the ground and collided with a pile of bones. Pain lanced through my side.

  “Elias,” Marcus shouted, his voice steady despite the chaos. “On your feet.”

  I forced myself up. My vision steadied. The Elite loomed over me, ready to strike again.

  Logan crashed into the second Elite, axe biting deep into its neck. Jamie stabbed its flank. Ryker slammed his shield into its knee. The beast swung wildly, tail and claws tearing into the ground around them.

  Shanira’s next arrow struck it square in the eye. The Elite shrieked. Logan seized the opportunity and brought his axe down with a roar that echoed across the basin. The blade sank into the skull with a wet crunch.

  The creature fell to the ground. Its massive form hit the stone with enough force to shake the barricades.

  One Elite down. One still standing.

  I turned toward the remaining giant. It barreled past three players and swung its claws toward Kira’s position at the back of the basin. My heart clenched. She was too far. The creature was too fast.

  Wind Step tore through my veins. I launched myself forward. The world blurred and snapped as I reappeared in its path. I stabbed at the creature’s throat. The blade carved a shallow slice across scales tougher than steel.

  The Elite swung at me with its forearm. The hit caught my ribs and sent me sliding across the ground. My breath left in a painful burst.

  Kira raised her staff and cast a quick heal on Logan. Light flared around him. His shattered leg from earlier already looked more functional. He gripped his axe and rejoined the fight.

  The Elite charged again. I forced myself to stand and raised my blades.

  It lunged.

  I stepped into the attack and drove both swords into its chest. The force of the collision threw me back. I hit the stone and gasped for air. The Elite staggered, blood cascading from the double wound.

  Logan roared and brought his axe down again. This time it struck deeper.

  Ryker slammed his shield into the Elite’s jaw. Jamie stabbed at its throat. Marcus appeared beside them. His sword flashed in an elegant arc that severed the final tendon holding the creature upright.

  The Elite toppled.

  Silence did not follow.

  Another roar echoed from the darkness of the hallway.

  Something else was coming.

  The lesser lizards screamed and ran forward in terror. The darkness behind them pulsed with movement. A deeper sound rumbled beneath the roars. Heavy. Slow. Tearing at the edges of my instincts.

  I lifted my blades.

  A chill raced through the cavern as the next shape stepped into the light.

  The real nightmare had arrived.