“This… this is too much…” Luther’s voice wavered, his eyes glistening. “I… I can’t accept this.”

  He looked around in disbelief at the small but sturdy house I had just rented for them. It wasn’t much, but it was safe and close to the Ironwood team’s quarters—close enough that I could keep an eye on them, even from a distance.

  On top of that, I had also paid off Luther’s penalty to the Kingdom, a debt that had been hanging over his head. I did this so Luther would be allowed to leave the Eastern District. Now, he was free to find proper work in the city, without the fear of being hunted down by the Royal Guard.

  I crossed my arms and shot him a firm look. “No need to thank me. Just remember your two promises—quit drinking, and take care of Sam. At least until I return from the Tower.” My voice darkened slightly. “And don’t try anything foolish. I have people watching.”

  Luther swallowed hard and nodded. “I… I understand.”

  I turned to Sam, crouching slightly so we were at eye level. “Hey, Sam. Keep that spirit of yours up, alright? Stay a good kid, work hard, and don’t slack on your magic training.”

  Sam sniffled and wiped his eyes before nodding vigorously. “I will, Sir Erynd! Thank you for keeping your promise to get me out of the Eastern District.”

  With a small smile, I pressed a small amount of Mana Stones into his hands. “This is for you. It should be enough for several days,”

  Everything I took from Borvan, I was planning to use it for Sam, including Luther's penalty and the rent for this house. However, I decided to keep most of the stones first, as I felt it would be safer that way.

  His fingers tightened around the stones, his expression a mix of gratitude and determination.

  I ruffled his hair. “Use it well.”

  Without another word, I turned on my heel and walked away. There was still much to be done.

  ***

  "Where in the world have you been? I couldn’t even find you in Willow’s End!" Orin’s voice was sharp with frustration, her eyes blazing as she crossed her arms.

  “You disappeared without a trace! We were worried sick,” Elena added, her concern evident in the way she furrowed her brows.

  Muradin let out a booming laugh, trying to ease the tension. “We almost decided to enter the Tower without you!”

  I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Alright, alright. Let me explain."

  And so, I told them everything—about Samus Xavier, the boy I had taken under my wing, and the short but harrowing adventure I had in The Pit.

  When I finished, Orin let out a long breath, her previous anger melting into something closer to awe.

  “Woah. You’re lucky to have made it out of there,” she muttered, looking almost embarrassed for snapping at me earlier.

  Muradin, on the other hand, chuckled and shook his head. “Barbarians and dwarves losing to a druid and a wizard? As a dwarf myself, I gotta say—that’s downright shameful.”

  Darwyn smirked, arms folded. “You do remember who we’re talking about, right?” He glanced at the others before nodding toward me. “This is The Mighty Druid, Eryndor the Annihilator.”

  I groaned. “That title again?”

  They all laughed, but deep down, I knew. No matter where I went, it seemed that name would haunt me forever.

  ***

  My third expedition.

  That meant I had been in this world for three months now. If I accounted for the slowed passage of time inside the Tower, it was closer to six. Six long months filled with danger, tension, and battles—yet I loved every second of it. The thought of returning to my old world hadn’t even crossed my mind. Why would it?

  I had friends here. A family.

  By now, I had grown used to the sensation of stepping into the Tower. The numbing cold, the eerie stillness—it no longer unnerved me. If anything, I welcomed it. Because each time we entered this place, we emerged stronger than before.

  Without hesitation, our team started moving east, to the Redridge Range area. This time, instead of venturing near Gnashfang Warrens like in my first expedition, we took the opposite route, heading toward Borgoth Cave.

  We had barely left the Safe Zone when a familiar sound reached my ears—a sharp, high-pitched cackle.

  Gnoll Archer.

  For a brief moment, I was pulled back to my first battle here, when that same chilling laughter had nearly spelled my end. But this time, the fight was over in seconds. Elena loosed five arrows, and the gnoll crumpled before it could even react.

  I glanced at my teammates. Even the newbie of our group had grown this strong.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  We pressed forward, cutting down anything in our way. The journey wasn’t without danger—a sudden ambush by a pack of Murlocs nearly cost us. They swarmed out of the underbrush, their guttural croaks filling the air, but Muradin was quick to react. With a powerful sweep of his shield, he forced them back, giving Orin and Elena enough time to retreat.

  Hours of trekking and combat later, we finally decided to stop for the night.

  “Wow, we racked up a lot of Mana Stones today,” Muradin remarked as he dropped his heavy pack onto the ground.

  “Yeah, all thanks to Orin’s new ring,” Darwyn added, smirking. Then he turned toward Orin. “Let me see it again.”

  Orin huffed. “You were the one who found it, and now you’ve already forgotten what it looks like?”

  Still, she stretched out her hand, palm up. But instead of just glancing at the ring, Darwyn took her hand in his, his fingers wrapping around hers as he examined the silver band closely.

  “Huh,” he murmured, brushing his thumb lightly over the engraved bird. “Didn’t notice the details before. Looks good on you.”

  The silver ring gleamed in the firelight, the engraving of a soaring bird visible in its center. It wasn’t just for decoration—the ring granted a cooldown reduction effect, slightly cutting down the painfully long delay of Mana Surge.

  Orin stiffened for a second before looking away, her face barely visible in the firelight—but I didn’t miss the slight pink dusting her cheeks.

  For some reason, watching the scene in front of me left a strange irritation bubbling in my chest.

  “Erynd, are you okay?” Elena’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. She had noticed the shift in my expression.

  “I’m fine.” I forced a yawn. “Just tired. I think I’ll turn in for the night.”

  And just like that, our first night inside the Tower came to a close.

  ***

  We pressed forward, cutting through the wilderness, encountering one monster after another.

  First came the Hoblin—feral, dog-like humanoids that roamed in tight-knit packs. They were smaller and leaner than their Moblin cousins but far more agile, darting between the trees and attacking with coordinated strikes.

  Then there were the Goblins—small, green-skinned creatures with eerily human-like features. Unlike most monsters, goblins possessed a sharp intelligence, using weapons, traps, and even rudimentary tactics to overwhelm their prey.

  Unfortunately, we didn’t run into any Hobgoblins or, better yet, a Goblin King. Their rare drops could have been valuable to us.

  And so far, nothing had been strong enough to warrant summoning Gorgroth. With its movement limitations and absurdly long cooldown, calling it out for anything less than a real threat would be a waste.

  We continued deeper into the forest, pushing through the thick underbrush and dispatching any lingering threats with practiced efficiency.

  Finally, after hours of travel, we arrived at Borgoth Cave.

  The entrance loomed before us—a massive, gaping maw flanked by two ancient trees. Their gnarled roots twisted around the stone like skeletal fingers, as if trying to pull the cave shut. The ominous atmosphere alone was enough to deter most adventurers.

  "Haaah… finally made it." Darwyn groaned before dramatically collapsing onto the ground.

  Orin smirked and crossed her arms. “Getting old already, Mister Gwydion?”

  Darwyn shot her a lazy grin. “Nah, just figured I’d take a break while you catch up. You do walk awfully slow.”

  Orin gasped in mock offense. “Excuse me? I was ahead of you the whole time!”

  “Were you?” Darwyn tapped his chin, pretending to think. “I thought that was just the wind pushing you forward.”

  Orin rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her grin. “Sure, whatever makes you feel better, old man.”

  Before they could continue their playful back-and-forth, I spoke up. “We should rest before heading inside.”

  The cave might have been easy to find, but few adventurers dared to enter. The reason? Most who ventured in never made it out. If we were going in, we needed to be at full strength.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” added Elena, always meticulous and planned. “We should review our plan before making a move. This isn’t a place where we can afford mistakes.”

  “Fine by me,” Muradin said, rubbing his stomach. “Besides, I’m starving.”

  And just like that, we set up camp at the cave’s entrance, preparing for whatever lay ahead.

  ***

  After taking a brief rest and reviewing our strategy, we steeled our resolve and stepped into Borgoth Cave. The moment our feet touched the damp, moss-covered ground, a deep rumbling echoed through the cavern. Stones shifted and scraped against each other, sealing off the only entrance behind us.

  Darwyn clicked his tongue. “It’s darker than I thought.”

  “We can do it,” Orin muttered, gripping her staff tighter.

  Muradin let out an annoyed grunt. "Are we really trapped here?"

  I sighed. There was no point in trying to break it down. Even our strongest combo attack—Thunderstrike Slam empowered by Inner Beast—wouldn’t put a dent in that rock wall. I had already tested every spell and skill possible in the game, and the result was always the same.

  There was only one way out of here.

  Defeat every single monster inside this cave.

  Borgoth Cave was a unique and merciless battlefield. It was home to all sorts of vicious creatures—small Morgoths covered in coarse, bristling fur, towering and terrifying Titangoths, and of course, the most common inhabitants of all: Borgoths, the beasts that gave this cave its name.

  This wasn’t just a cave—it was a gauntlet.

  In this enclosed space, we had to survive against endless waves of monsters. The longer we lasted, the stronger the creatures would become.

  I glanced toward the farthest wall of the cave. A dark aura began to swirl and ripple—the first sign that monsters were about to spawn.

  "Positions!" I called out, lifting my staff.

  Muradin stood at the front, his massive shield ready to block any incoming attacks.

  Darwyn and Elena took their places at my flanks, their weapons at the ready. Meanwhile, Orin—our key player—positioned herself at the back, prepared to step in if things went south.

  Then, a sharp whisper of magic cut through the air.

  [Gorgroth’s Call cast]

  A loud rumble erupted beside me, and from its source, a monstrous, nearly two-meter-tall carnivorous plant materialized. Without hesitation, it fired three bursts of liquid flame toward the small Morgoths that had just spawned, incinerating them before they could get close.

  This was part of our plan. If we wanted to survive the relentless waves, we had to conserve our Mana and Soul Power as much as possible. Gorgroth was a perfect solution—it could fight for us without draining our resources.

  I turned to Muradin. "You know your job, right?"

  Muradin smirked, adjusting his shield. "Protect your oversized pet until you can summon it again? Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry about it."

  I chuckled. "Good. Because this party’s just getting started."

  A deep growl echoed from the cave’s depths.

  The first wave had arrived.