So far, everything was going smoothly.

The monsters that had appeared were mostly Morgoths, smaller, more agile versions of Borgoths. These boar-like creatures dashed toward us with reckless speed, but they were easy enough to handle. A few well-placed arrows from Darwyn or Elena was all it took to bring them down.

But then, Borgoths started showing up.

Unlike their smaller counterparts, these brutes were larger, tougher, and far more aggressive. Still, we had an advantage, Muradin. Thanks to his passive skill, Forge's Resilience, every monster in the cave seemed fixated on him. The ability not only made him a walking fortress but also significantly boosted his defense, allowing him to take the brunt of the attacks without much trouble.

Behind him, Gorgroth acted as our second line of defense, lashing out with its fiery attacks at any monster that managed to slip past. Darwyn and Elena provided cover from the flanks, their arrows striking down any creature that got too close.

But the real key to our strategy was Orin.

A deep grunt rumbled through the cavern as more Borgoths emerged from the shadows, their beady red eyes locked onto us.

"Orin, they're getting out of control!" Muradin bellowed, his shield rattling as he blocked a charging beast.

[Mana Bomb cast]

A massive blue orb shot from Orin's staff, soaring toward the incoming horde before detonating in a dazzling explosion of arcane energy. The wave of force sent several monsters tumbling, their charred bodies collapsing to the ground.

"Yippee! Feel my wrath!" Orin cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

Her newest spell, Mana Bomb, allowed her to gather magical energy and unleash it in a single devastating blast. The longer she charged it, the bigger and deadlier the explosion became. Of course, that also meant it consumed a ridiculous amount of Mana.

I grinned. "Nice shot, Orin. That cleared up a lot of them."

"Of course! I'm amazing," she replied with a smug smile, twirling her staff dramatically.

Muradin snorted. "Less gloating, more blasting."

"I'm meditating. I'll let you know when my Mana's back," Orin announced, closing her eyes as she began to restore her energy.

We had deliberately chosen to rely on this spell. If we didn't thin their numbers fast, the next wave would trample us alive.

And from the way the ground was starting to shake again, the next wave was already on its way.

The Borgoths stopped charging mindlessly. Now they used a skill, Savage Charge.

After gathering energy for a brief moment, a Borgoth would rush toward its target, its movement speed increasing dramatically for a short duration. Once in motion, its resistance surged, making it nearly impossible to stop. Upon impact, it dealt moderate damage and knocked enemies off their feet.

But the worst part? This ability completely ignored Muradin's passive skill. Unlike the previous waves, these Borgoths weren't fixated on him anymore. They targeted whoever was in range, without mercy.

A sudden blur of motion caught my eye.

"Orin, watch out!" Darwyn yelled.

Darwyn lunged, yanking her aside as a Borgoth barreled past.

Meanwhile, I activated Galestride to Elena, and followed up with Tempest Shield on myself to protect myself.

Muradin wasn't so lucky. Having taken multiple Savage Charges, he was sent sprawling onto the rocky ground. He groaned, trying to push himself up, but his stance was unsteady.

"Hang in there," I muttered, casting Rejuvenation on him.

A faint green glow wrapped around his body, and almost instantly, he gritted his teeth, steadied himself, and got back on his feet.

Without needing any orders, Darwyn and Elena took action.

[Piercing Arrow cast]

[Silkshade Phantom cast]

[Lightning Bolt cast]

Their coordinated assault obliterated the remaining Borgoths in an instant, giving us a much-needed breather to reset our formation.

Darwyn exhaled. "Looks like it's time for our next strategy."

I nodded. "Agreed."

Elena stretched her fingers, a smirk playing on her lips. "Alright, my turn."

With a flick of her hand, her Silkshade Phantom glided forward, serving as a decoy. It shimmered eerily in the dim light, an illusion-like entity planned to attract enemy attacks.

Not long after, dozens of Borgoths emerged, immediately lunging at the Phantom. Several of them activated Savage Charge, aiming straight for it.

Elena, however, was already in control.

Her Phantom danced through the battlefield with stunning agility, dodging attacks with elegant precision. Meanwhile, from a safe distance, she loosed arrow after arrow, each shot landing with pinpoint accuracy.

I watched, momentarily in awe. She's already mastered controlling the Phantom while attacking at the same time?

Darwyn grinned, clearly impressed. "That's my sister."

"You're amazing, sis!" Orin chimed in excitedly.

"Enough praise, you'll break her concentration," Muradin grumbled, chugging a potion and adjusting his armor.

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The battle continued smoothly for a few minutes until Gabborgoth appeared.

This behemoth was twice the size of a regular Borgoth, its thick fur jet-black, its massive tusks gleaming dangerously. Its presence alone sent a chill down my spine.

Unlike the others, Gabborgoth didn't waste time with normal attacks. Instead, it immediately activated its exclusive skill, Tusked Rampage, a more powerful and even faster version of Savage Charge.

Darwyn's expression turned serious. "Elena, pull back your Phantom. Now!"

She reacted instantly, withdrawing her Phantom just narrowly avoiding the Savage Charge attack. Gabborgoth kept chasing the Phantom stubbornly afterwards.

Entering his range, Darwyn took immediate action, hurling several Sticky Bombs directly at the beast.

BLAAAR!

A series of explosions erupted, engulfing Gabborgoth in a cloud of flames and smoke.

But there was a downside. The Phantom had been too close to the blast zone. It got caught in the explosion, instantly unraveling into strands of silk before dissipating entirely.

Gabborgoth staggered but didn't fall.

Not willing to give it a chance to charge again, we launched a full-force attack, determined to bring the monstrous beast down before it could unleash Tusked Rampage once more.

***

After Gabborgoth collapsed with a shriek that echoed through the cavern, we barely had a moment to breathe.

Darwyn wiped sweat from his brow, grimacing. "Don't let your guard down. The next wave will be tougher."

Elena sighed, rolling her shoulders. "How much longer do we have to keep this up?"

I exhaled, gripping my weapon. "I'm not entirely sure," I admitted. "If the book I read is right, and Gabborgoth's already shown up... we're just one-third through."

"One-third?" Muradin groaned, rubbing his shield. "We still have a long way to go."

"Come on, don't sound so defeated," Darwyn encouraged, already setting up traps around the area. He carefully placed Sticky Bombs in each one, ensuring they were ready to trigger at the right moment.

"My bombs need another hour before they fully recharge," he added.

Before we had any more time to rest, the next wave arrived.

The sound of skittering hit us before the air shifted. A sickly metallic scent cutting through the cavern like rusted needles.

Then we saw them.

Another Gabborgoth.

But this time, it was different.

From the shadows emerged Bristlegoths: leaner, twitching things covered in jagged quills that bristled with each breath. Their eyes gleamed with feral intent. One hissed, and a quill launched across the cavern, embedding into the wall with a sharp thunk. It sizzled and spat green vapor.

"Quills are venom-tipped," I warned. "Slow-acting, paralytic. Let's switch formation."

We shifted into a straight-line formation, placing Muradin at the very front, right in front of Gorgroth.

"Lovely," Muradin muttered, raising his shield. "Guess I'm the pincushion."

Darwyn smirked. "Alright, dwarf. Time to be our shield. Take those quills for us, will you?"

Muradin let out a hearty laugh. "You owe me a drink after this."

Orin, who'd been charging her Mana Bomb in silence, now raised her staff. Her eyes flickered with blue energy.

"Clear the lane," she said quietly.

The world pulsed.

With a deafening whump, Mana Bomb detonated in a sphere of rippling azure, vaporizing half the Bristlegoths in a single blast. Screeches filled the air. High-pitched, panicked.

The remaining weren't happy about it.

They retaliated immediately, unleashing a barrage of venomous quills that rained down on Muradin like a hailstorm.

[Rejuvenation cast]

A pulse of green light wrapped around him, sealing the spreading black veins along his arm before they could reach his heart.

Darwyn's shout cut through the chaos. "Positions! Incoming!"

Muradin narrowed his eyes, gripping his shield tighter. "You don't have to tell me twice," he grunted, staring down the Gabborgoth, which was already charging at full speed.

BOOM!

It triggered one of Darwyn's traps, but the beast barely flinched. Muradin lowered his stance, braced, but the impact hit like a siege ram.

BAM!

The force of the charge slammed into him, sending him flying backward.

"Muradin!" Elena screamed.

Before his body could slam into stone, thick vines lashed out from behind. Gorgroth, our summoned guardian, caught him mid-flight, its monstrous leaves curling around him with surprising gentleness.

Then the plant turned on the Gabborgoth with a roar that sounded like grinding bark and tearing roots. Fangs extended from its gaping maw, and it lunged.

[Inner Beast cast]

A surge of energy coursed through Gorgroth, amplifying its strength.

With a snarl, it hurled the massive Gabborgoth like a child's toy. The beast slammed into a rock wall, dazed and struggling to rise.

"Elena! Now!" Darwyn yelled.

She didn't wait. Arrows flew from her bow as Darwyn used his Lightning Bolt.

A flash of lightning, a burst of steel, and then silence.

The Gabborgoth twitched once, then stilled.

We didn't cheer.

We didn't celebrate.

Because in the distance, more footsteps echoed.

The battle wasn't over.

Not even close.

***

We barely had a second to catch our breath.

Darwyn's final arrow punched through the last Borgoth's skull, and the creature crumpled like wet stone. For a moment, silence returned to the cavern, broken only by the ragged sound of our breathing.

I lowered my weapon, hands slick with sweat. My legs ached. My lungs burned. But I didn't dare relax.

Then the air shifted.

A pulse of cold rippled through the cave. Subtle at first, then suffocating. The darkness thickened like tar. Every instinct in my body screamed to run.

That's when we saw them.

Shapes began to crawl out of the gloom. First in pairs, then in hordes. Eyes gleamed in the black. Claws scraped stone.

Morgoths. Dozens.

Twelve Borgoths, snarling and stomping behind them.

Bristlegoths, slick and twitching, their bodies bristling with venomous quills. Eight of them.

Three Infergoths, wreathed in flickering flame, eyes glowing like dying coals.

A couple of Gabborgoths, hulking and lumbering, ready to strike.

Then… the last one arrived.

Everything fell quiet as it stepped into view.

Korrogoth.

It didn't roar. It didn't charge. It simply walked, and the ground shook with every step. Massive stone plates jutted from its body like a shattered fortress rebuilt on flesh. Shaggy black fur clung to its shoulders, matted with streaks of crimson. Two tusks, jagged and curved down and forward, look sharp enough to tear through steel.

It was easily twice the size of a Titangoth, the largest variant we've encountered. Maybe more.

None of us moved.

Orin stared, pale. "That thing's not a monster. It's a mountain."

Elena stepped back instinctively. "So… that's it, then? Final wave?"

I nodded once, forcing the word out. "Yeah."

Darwyn didn't speak right away. He just slid another arrow from his quiver, slow and steady. His voice was calm when it came, but his eyes said everything.

"…Then we make our stand."

He nocked the arrow, and the tip sparked faintly with crackling energy.

"But first," he added, "we survive."

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