With renewed strength, I dashed forward, dodging a swipe from the elite goblin. I feinted to the right, making it raise its guard, then suddenly twisted left, bringing my axe down on its exposed shoulder. The bde bit deep, and I yanked it free as the goblin let out a strangled cry.

  Elise, having finished off her opponent, turned her attention to the st elite. The creature realized it was alone, its confidence crumbling. It hesitated, gncing around as if searching for an escape route.

  I wasn't about to let it run.

  Gripping my final throwing axe, I took careful aim and hurled it. The weapon spun through the air, striking the goblin right between the shoulder bdes. It let out a final screech before colpsing forward, unmoving.

  I exhaled deeply, rolling my shoulders. My arms still ached, but the rush of victory dulled the pain. Elise let out a breath, wiping the sweat from her brow.

  "That was brutal," she muttered.

  "Yeah," I agreed, bending down to retrieve my axes. "But we handled it well."

  We took a moment to gather our loot—several small blue gems, and to my satisfaction, a few medium ones. We split the earnings fairly, though I decided to keep my medium gems for ter.

  Elise stretched her arms. "So, what now?"

  I smirked, adjusting my grip on my axes. "We keep going, of course."

  With our teamwork improving and our confidence growing, we ventured deeper into the dungeon, ready for whatever awaited us next.

  After retrieving my throwing axes and wiping off the sweat trickling down my forehead, I let out a deep breath. My arms felt heavy, my legs ached, and despite the stamina potion I drank earlier, fatigue was creeping in.

  Elise wasn't faring much better—she was leaning against a boulder, rotating her shoulder with a small wince.

  "We should rest a bit before moving on," I suggested, plopping down onto a retively ft rock.

  Elise exhaled sharply before nodding. "Yeah, good idea. I don't want to waste more potions than necessary." She sat across from me, setting her shield down beside her. "That st fight was tougher than I expected."

  I leaned back, resting my arms on my knees. "It's because we were fighting without a proper pn. We handled the weaker goblins well, but when the elites stepped in, we were reacting rather than controlling the fight."

  Elise sighed. "I noticed that too. It felt like they were dictating the battle instead of us."

  For a few moments, we just sat there, listening to the faint sounds of distant skirmishes echoing through the dungeon. Other divers were fighting somewhere beyond the darkness, each battling their own set of monsters.

  Elise picked up a small rock and tossed it between her hands. "So… how do we get better?"

  I took a moment to think before answering.

  "For starters, we need to use positioning to our advantage. We were standing too far apart when the elites attacked. If we stayed closer, we could cover each other better. Like, if I was overwhelmed, you could block with your shield, and I could counterattack while you kept them busy."

  She nodded, rubbing her chin. "That makes sense. But what about stamina management? I almost ran out back there."

  "Same." I stretched my fingers. "We need to finish fights quicker. The longer they drag on, the more tired we get. We should focus on creating openings faster rather than just reacting to attacks. Maybe bait them into overextending?"

  Elise hummed in thought. "You mean, making them commit a big attack so we can counter?"

  "Exactly." I smirked. "For example, if you raise your shield and pretend to lower your guard, the enemy might try to finish you off with a reckless strike. That's when I step in and take them down."

  She grinned. "And if they focus on you instead, I can strike from behind."

  "Now you're getting it." I stretched my legs and let out a satisfied sigh. "We don't need fancy techniques—we just need to be smarter."

  Elise chuckled. "I have to admit, for someone who never trained in a formal academy, you have a solid grasp of battle tactics."

  I shrugged. "I read a lot of books, remember? Plus, I've chopped enough firewood to know how to swing an axe efficiently."

  She ughed, shaking her head. "You make it sound so simple."

  I smirked. "It is simple. People just like to overcomplicate things."

  Elise leaned back against the boulder, staring at the cavern ceiling. "Alright, so we'll work on staying closer together, baiting attacks, and finishing fights quicker."

  "Pretty much." I stood up, rolling my shoulders. "Ready to test it out?"

  She grinned and grabbed her sword. "Let's see if your 'simple' strategy actually works."

  With our pn set, we picked up our weapons, steeled ourselves, and ventured deeper into the dungeon, prepared to refine our teamwork through battle.

  As we ventured deeper into the dungeon, the air grew colder, damp with the scent of moss and old blood. The faint echoes of distant skirmishes still reached us, but the cavern around us remained eerily silent.

  Torchlight flickered against the rough stone walls, casting long shadows that shifted as we moved cautiously forward.

  We weren't walking blindly—both Elise and I kept our weapons at the ready, scanning every dark crevice where goblins could be lurking.

  After our st battle, we had a pn. Now, it was time to put it into action.

  Not long after, a faint rustling reached my ears. I lifted a hand, signaling Elise to stop. She obeyed immediately, tightening her grip on her sword while raising her shield slightly.

  Then I saw them.

  A group of goblins ahead—twelve in total. Seven of them were the usual weaklings, small and hunched, their rusted weapons trembling in their tiny green hands. The remaining five were different—elite goblins.

  Their muscles were thicker, their posture confident, and their crude armor was slightly better than scraps. One of them even had a small helmet, though it was dented beyond proper use.

  I gnced at Elise and whispered, "Same pn as before. We stick close, bait them into making mistakes, and finish them fast."

  She gave a firm nod.

  Then, I raised one of my throwing axes, took a deep breath, and unched it straight at the nearest weak goblin.

  The moment the axe buried itself in its skull, chaos erupted.

  The goblins shrieked, eyes burning with fury as they charged at us in a disorganized frenzy. Elise and I stood our ground.

  The first goblin lunged at me, swinging a jagged dagger toward my gut. I sidestepped, twisting my body to avoid the strike, then brought my remaining axe down on its exposed shoulder. The bde bit deep, nearly severing its arm, and it crumpled to the ground with a strangled cry.

  Elise bashed another goblin with her shield, sending it stumbling backward. She wasted no time following up, thrusting her sword straight into its throat before ripping it free with a wet squelch.

  The elites, however, were different. They didn't charge mindlessly. They took measured steps forward, eyes calcuting, watching for openings.

  One of them feinted toward Elise, making her raise her shield in defense, only for another to strike at her exposed side. She barely managed to deflect the blow, gritting her teeth as the force pushed her back.

  I dashed in, swinging my axe to drive the elites away from her. "We can't let them dictate the fight," I reminded her, stepping closer to keep our formation tight.

  Another elite growled and lunged at me, its jagged sword coming down in a vicious arc. Instead of blocking, I ducked, feeling the bde slice the air above my head. Using the momentum, I smmed my axe into its ribs, feeling the satisfying crunch of bone giving way.

  But there was no time to celebrate. Another elite was already upon me, swinging its club toward my side.

  "Elise!"

  She was already moving.

  She rammed her shield into the attacking goblin's weapon, deflecting the blow before countering with a stab to its stomach. The goblin snarled in pain but wasn't finished yet.

  I pivoted, swinging my axe toward its neck before it could recover. The bde met flesh, and its head hit the ground before its body did.

  Three elites left.

  One of them, the helmeted one, let out a sharp bark, and the remaining goblins repositioned, trying to encircle us. Smart.

  "We need to break their formation," Elise muttered, adjusting her stance.

  I had an idea.

  "Elise, block them for me. I'm going in."

  Without hesitation, she raised her shield just as two elites lunged at us, deflecting their attacks and holding them at bay. I took the opening, sprinting forward with all my strength and hurling my st throwing axe straight at the leader's face.

  The helmet absorbed most of the impact, but it staggered the goblin just enough. That was all I needed.

  I closed the distance, gripping my axe tightly as I swung upward, catching the leader under the chin. The force lifted it off its feet, and it hit the ground with a sickening thud.

  The remaining elites hesitated. A mistake.

  Elise seized the opportunity, driving her sword deep into one's chest. I followed up, burying my axe into the final elite's skull.

  Silence.