Just under a hundred people assembled for the rescue mission.

  There would have been more, but Zane had enforced a strict minimum level five requirement. Anyone lower would be a liability rather than a help, no matter how eager they were. Most of those who had fought on the outskirts or relied on ranged attacks the previous day made the cut—and were keen to go.

  It took fifteen minutes to organize everyone into parties of five.

  Liam and Emma joined Zane, Bell, and Kai, forming the core leadership group.

  Once ready, Zane led them out at a brisk jog, pushing the pace until they reached the edge of the safe zone. There, he slowed and turned to face the group one last time.

  “Alright,” he called out, voice carrying. “Is everyone in a party?”

  He waited, scanning the crowd, then nodded.

  “Good. We stay together until we reach town. Once there, we split into four groups. Search the town. Find people. Help them.”

  His gaze hardened slightly.

  “If you see supplies you think we’ll need, note it and leave it. This is a rescue mission. Not a supply run.”

  Several people shifted guiltily as Zane deliberately made eye contact with those who had argued the point earlier.

  After receiving a round of nods, he turned back toward town.

  “Let’s move.”

  And with that, the rescue began.

  _______________________________________________________________________

  Lewis—who still thought of himself as a Staff Sergeant—slumped back against the sun-warmed stone and let out a long, shaky breath.

  The boulder sat in the middle of a shallow creek, water murmuring softly around its base. It was the first place they’d found since entering the dungeon that felt even remotely safe. The ground around it was clear of brush, giving them clean sightlines in every direction. No ambushes. No sudden movement in the trees. Just open space, cool water, and the quiet aftermath of violence.

  Barry dropped beside him with a groan, helmet coming off as he leaned forward, hands braced on his knees. Hutch followed, sitting heavily and staring at nothing. Deev was flat on his back, chest rising and falling too fast, while Maya knelt at the edge of the creek, washing blood—hers or someone else’s, Lewis wasn’t sure—from her hands.

  They were still alive.

  Barely.

  Lewis grinned despite the ache in every muscle. They were alive. All of them. Against level three to eight dungeon monsters, with no ranged weapons, no proper planning, and—he winced internally—no food.

  That part was going to hurt soon.

  But right now? Right now he felt incredible.

  Yesterday, he’d healed civilians. Today, he’d kept his team on their feet in a place that actively wanted them dead. Every desperate slap of glowing hands against torn flesh, every shouted command to stay conscious, every second he’d pushed through the hunger and fatigue—

  Ding.

  The sound cut through his thoughts like a bell.

  A translucent system window bloomed into existence in front of his eyes.

  Congratulations

  After healing over 1000 HP with Basic Healing Touch,

  the skill has evolved.

  Skill Upgraded:

  Basic Healing Touch → Healing Touch

  Lewis stared.

  Then he laughed—short, sharp, and a little unhinged.

  “Guys,” he said, voice rough. “You’re gonna like this.”

  Barry looked up first. “If that’s another monster—”

  “It’s not,” Lewis interrupted, still grinning. “It’s better.”

  He shared the message.

  For a moment, no one spoke.

  Then Maya’s eyes widened. “That’s… that’s huge, sir.”

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  Hutch let out a low whistle. “An actual upgrade. Not just a level.”

  Deev pushed himself up on his elbows, exhaustion momentarily forgotten. “So you’re saying next time we almost die, we’ll die slightly slower?”

  Lewis snorted. “I’m saying next time, you might not almost die at all.”

  The hunger gnawed at his stomach, sharp and insistent, reminding him they’d made mistakes—big ones. But the smile stayed on his face.

  They’d gone in underprepared.

  They’d survived.

  And now?

  Now they were stronger.

  Lewis leaned his head back against the stone, eyes drifting to the forest canopy overhead.

  Alright, he thought. Maybe this crazy dungeon is worth it after all.

  ___________________________________________________________

  The rescue group had cut through the outskirts without much trouble. Small bands of goblins tried their luck along the way, but they were dealt with quickly—barely enough to slow the group’s pace. Most didn’t even break stride, weapons rising and falling with grim efficiency.

  That confidence faded the moment the town came into view.

  Smoke curled up into the sky from the centre of town, thick and dark against the morning light. The smell reached them even at a distance—burnt wood, ash, and something sour underneath it.

  Zane raised a fist, and the group came to a halt.

  “Scouts first,” he ordered. “No one rushes in blind.”

  Several people stepped forward—those who had gained scouting-related skills since yesterday. They moved off quickly, slipping between trees and ruined fences, vanishing toward the edge of town.

  The wait felt longer than it was.

  When the scouts returned, their expressions said enough before they spoke.

  “Hobgoblins,” one of them reported. “Multiple groups. They’re roaming the streets, smashing anything left standing. Not organised… but not dumb either.”

  Another scout swallowed before continuing. “The pub’s gone. Motel too. Burned down completely. Some parts are still smouldering.”

  A murmur rippled through the group.

  “What about people?” someone asked.

  The scout hesitated. “We saw bodies. Not many. A few in the streets.”

  For a brief moment, hope sparked. Not many could mean survivors. People hiding. People who had gotten away.

  Then a quiet voice cut through the fragile optimism.

  “I hope that doesn’t mean…” the man stopped, swallowed hard, then forced himself to finish, “…that they were all in the pub when it burned down.”

  The silence that followed was heavy.

  Zane’s jaw tightened as he looked toward the smoke. “We don’t assume the worst,” he said firmly. “Not yet.”

  He turned back to the group. “We move in carefully. Four teams, like planned. Clear streets, check buildings, listen for survivors. Hobgoblins are priority targets, but stay focused—this is still a rescue mission.”

  Weapons were tightened in hands. Spells were readied.

  And with smoke rising ahead of them, the group advanced into the town.

  ____________________________________________________________

  Sam, Mia, and tall Hayden— the rest of Kaitlyn’s and Max’s friends—caught up to them as Max, Kaitlyn, and Skippy were making their way back toward the dungeon cube to find Mr Walker and Lily.

  Sam, Max’s best friend, immediately tried to steer them away. He kept glancing ahead nervously, clearly unhappy with their destination.

  “I’m telling you,” Sam said under his breath, tugging at Max’s arm, “that guy—Mr Walker, or whatever you call him—he’s scary. The one you keep calling Tarn. I really don’t want to go anywhere near him.”

  But despite Sam pulling, Max didn’t budge. Not even a little.

  Sam blinked in surprise and tried again. Nothing.

  “What the—geez, Max, what did you do, eat bags of dry cement for breakfast or something?”

  Max stopped walking and turned to face them. He deliberately shifted his stance, giving Skippy time to duck fully behind his legs before speaking.

  “Guys,” Max said calmly, “Kaitlyn, Skip, and I have been given a job. We’re supporting Tarn and Lily at the dungeon entrance. That’s where we’re going.”

  Sam opened his mouth to protest, but Max continued.

  “And honestly? I think you three should come with us. Tarni and Lily are great. I was up talking with them—and the others—most of the night. They know a lot about what’s really going on.”

  Hayden frowned. “Wait… you’re calling Mr Walker Tarn now?”

  Max shrugged, suddenly sheepish. “Yeah.”

  Kaitlyn sighed. “Don’t worry, I still call him Mr Walker. I didn’t get to hang out with the hero all night either.” She gave them a small smile. “But I think they’d be fine with you guys coming along.”

  Sam and Hayden exchanged a look, then both turned to Mia.

  Mia, who trusted Kaitlyn more than anyone—being her best friend and all—considered this for a moment. Then she nodded.

  “Yeah,” she said flatly, “let’s go back to the crazy black cube and hang out with the guy who likes dancing with four-meter-tall monsters for fun. What could possibly go wrong?”

  Max and Kaitlyn burst out laughing.

  Sam and Hayden winced at the mental image, but after a moment, they sighed and fell into step behind them.

  And together—Max, Kaitlyn, Skippy, and their friends, headed back toward the dungeon entrance.

  The black cube waited in the distance, silent and unmoving.

  _____________________________________________________

  Tarni was bored.

  And pissed.

  He and Lily had been talking for a while—about the system, the dungeon rules, possible outcomes, and what might happen when the police unit came back out. Most of it was important. Necessary, even.

  That didn’t make it any less boring.

  Zane, Bell, and Kai were already gone, leading the townsfolk rescue mission. Tarni should have been with them. He wanted to be with them. Fighting, moving, doing something useful.

  Instead, he was stuck here.

  Watching a black cube.

  The reason gnawed at him the longer he stood there.

  He new of the people who had been left behind and he didn’t trust them not to do stupid things.

  More importantly, he didn’t trust the team already inside the dungeon.

  They were the reason Zane had been forced to clear the last floor alone. The reason he’d nearly died.

  They were the reason the whole world had started at level three instead of level five.

  They were the ones who had opened fire on them—had actually hit Zane. And Lily.

  Sure, that Barry Block was a normal copper. A good one, even. He’d tried hard to make up for it afterwards—helping with the twins’ birthday party, sticking close, doing his best to get everyone to the safe zone.

  Tarni could respect that.

  The rest of them?

  They weren’t beat cops.

  They were a trained insertion unit.

  In other words—trained killers.

  And now they were inside the dungeon, doing System-knew-what.

  Tarni clenched his jaw.

  People like that always had plans. Backup plans. Contingencies. And if those plans involved causing more trouble when they came out—

  He exhaled slowly through his nose.

  That was why he was here.

  Why he was standing guard at the dungeon entrance with Lily instead of helping the rescue mission.

  Why he was watching the cube like it might bite.

  And the longer he stood there, the more it ate at him.

  Bored.

  Angry.

  And very, very alert.