In the darkness of the first layer, there was a pair traveling beneath a bright blue glow. The man at the front wore a torn black cloak and kept his hands by his side, ready to react to the slightest noise. The feminine figure behind him carried their crystal light source. The magic tool’s glow seemed almost sinister as it dyed the figure’s mask in a pale blue.

Theo and Mavis had tried their best to look presentable, but they still came out looking like a couple of wraiths.

Ultimately, their appearances didn’t matter. Other raiders wouldn’t attack them on sight, and that was all Theo wanted. The dangers that he’d faced alone and unarmed were now nonexistent. With light, food, and a very dangerous teammate, Theo was confident that they could get through the first layer without any hardship. This newfound confidence was compounded by some items that he’d picked up in the slime’s cave.

Theo grinned as he patted his new shoulder pack, but there was a cautious glint that never left his eyes. He surreptitiously retrieved a dagger from underneath his cloak. It was one of three resting in his hidden belt. The blade’s enchantment was weak, a far cry from his old weapon, but it still gave him an immense feeling of satisfaction. After being stripped of his belongings, Theo realized how truly naked he felt without a blade.

“Why Theo…choose…small sword?”

Mavis’s voice caused Theo to jump. Surprisingly, it had noticed him draw his weapon.

“These are called daggers, and they’re great.”

“Had…bigger…swords…look…more…great.”

“And I didn’t take those swords, I took this one. Why do you even care?”

“Want talk more…learn…for…when…find…town.”

Theo sighed and found that he was smiling, despite himself.

“Fine, I’ll explain. Weapons like swords, spears and maces are all strong in open combat. However, raiders must be ready to fight at any time in any place. If you’re in a cramped tunnel like this one, or climbing a wall, or on a steep slope…really, there are endless examples…but the point is, conventional weapons can quickly become useless in a dungeon. Don’t be complacent, though. Veterans cover for those weaknesses with enchantments. Furthermore…”

The slime’s head spun as Theo continued to rant. He spoke so fast that it could barely understand, but Mavis didn’t want to stop him. This was the first time it had ever heard a human speak so passionately.

“…Anyways, the main takeaway is that daggers trade reach for versatility. Though you can still throw them, so they’re basically the perfect weapon.”

“Mavis…understand…daggers…great.”

“Are you even trying?”

An enlivened Theo turned back to look at Mavis.

“If you’re talking about yourself, then use ‘I’. Also, you’re telling me your thoughts—what you ‘think’.”

“I…think daggers great?”

“I think that daggers are great. Say it!”

“I think that daggers are great.”

“Again!”

“I think that daggers are great!”

“With spirit!”

Mavis jumped and raised its hands in the air.

“I think that daggers are great!”

Theo nodded sagely.

“One of the first things my master taught me was to respect my weapon.”

He coughed. “But we went a little overboard. From now on, don’t raise your voice unless I tell you to yell.”

Mavis nodded and they started walking again. Even though they were fooling around, Theo wasn’t worried about getting lost. After all, it was impossible to be any more lost than they already were. Mavis had no suggestions about navigating the maze, and so the pair decided to keep walking until they reached an exit.

“What is…master?”

“Ah, a master is an important teacher. Kind of like a parent…but you wouldn’t know what that is. Forget it, I don’t want to explain that right now.”

“Your master…teach…what?”

“Raiding. He taught me about dungeons.”

“Master…reason…you…here?”

Theo chuckled, but he sounded a little less cheerful than before. “Yea, he’s the reason why I’m here.”

Mavis’s hair waved around, as if carried by an unseen breeze. It seemed to be thinking hard.

“Theo must…show master…I…thank him.”

Theo suddenly stopped moving, but he didn’t turn around.

“Glad…you are…here.”

After a moment, Theo sighed and continued to walk. Mavis waited patiently, but he never replied.

- - -

Midway through the second day of their search, Yale realized that he had overestimated this dungeon. Naraka’s tunnels were dark and intimidating, but hardly dangerous. There were no traps to speak of, unless one counted the maze’s ever-changing nature. The largest monsters he saw were emaciated hounds, which scurried away like cockroaches when exposed to light. However, Yale still preferred them over the only creature that would attack him. For a man of the Wallace family, being challenged by a slime was simply too insulting. They would drop from the ceiling with all the cunning and grace of a rock. Yale’s grueling swordplay lessons with Galt had taught him to stay on guard against unseen attacks. Compared to that man’s blows, dodging a slime or two was nothing but a chore.

Yale sighed inwardly, but he refused to be disheartened. After all, this journey’s climax was still ahead of him.

The young master was suddenly ripped from his musings as Galt pulled him towards an adjacent tunnel. Yale opened his mouth to complain, but his guard hurriedly shushed him. Galt quickly shoved his torch into the dirt, extinguishing it. The pair hid in their tunnel while a bright blue light filled the area they had been walking through.

“I hear footsteps…” Galt whispered. “Two sets.”

“They’re raiders, right? Why are we hiding?”

“Because, that blue glow isn’t magelight and it definitely isn’t from a torch.”

“It’s from those crystals, Galt. We’ve seen dozens of them.”

“Which is why you should be on guard. Why would raiders use crystals as a light source?”

“Because they lost their torch?”

“No one comes in here without preparing spares.”

“So, what is the threat, exactly? Do you think monsters know how those crystals work? If they’re raiders, then we shouldn’t be hiding.”

“Just—!” Galt tightened his fists. “Just be quiet for a moment. There’s something off about those two and because I can’t figure out what it is, we should stay cautious.”

For once, the young master did as he was told. They watched the blue light grow brighter and brighter, until it abruptly stopped. One pair of footsteps continued.

“Wait…” A sonorous voice called out.

“Hmm?”

The second pair of footsteps stopped.

“Ahead…humans…two.”

Yale and Galt froze.

“Really? Where?”

“Corner…tunnel.”

“Ok, we’ll be fine. Just act natural…Actually, in your case, don’t.”

“Stopped…can hear…us.”

“Shit.”

Despite Galt’s death-glare, Yale stepped out from their hiding spot. He stood before the strange pair, arms raised at his shoulders in mock surrender. Yale had prepared a suitably pompous greeting to accompany his pose, but when he laid eyes on the intruders, his mind went blank.

Galt rushed over to place himself in front of Yale. He turned towards the two raiders, stiffened in shock, and then grimaced. For a moment, he wondered if his young master had been right. Maybe this was fate.

Seconds passed, but no one spoke. Theo was thrown off by the pair’s stunned reactions. Mavis had already been told not to speak in the presence of other raiders. Galt was silently cursing whoever had told Yale about that rumor.

“Greetings.” Surprisingly, Yale was the first to recover. “I must apologize for startling you. My companion insisted that we should be cautious.”

“No worries.” Theo replied while smiling in a practiced manner. “We’re just passing through.”

“If you want to leave, then I won’t object. However, I’ve spent quite a bit of time looking for your friend and I’m loath to part with just a simple greeting.”

Theo narrowed his eyes.

“What do you want with her?”

“There are rumors that a masked outlaw has been hiding out in Naraka’s first layer. Apparently, this person is a ruthless brute who stalks their prey more efficiently than monsters. Countless people have claimed to be survivors, and yet none of them were able to land a hit on their assailant.”

Theo looked back at Mavis, who hurriedly shook its head.

“I don’t know why you restrict yourself to the first layer, but it is very convenient for me. How about a duel? I’m sure you’ll be more entertaining than the spineless monsters in this dungeon.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Theo waved his hands. “We don’t want any trouble.”

“You’ll refuse?”

“Of course!”

Yale slowly drew his sword.

“What? Are you going to attack a couple of raiders for no reason?”

“You’re both outlaws. What’s the harm in attacking you?”

“We aren’t…”

Yale tapped his forehead. “Then show me.”

Galt stared at Theo’s makeshift headband and then drew his weapon. Theo sighed and stepped forward, drawing his dagger. Mavis tried to follow, but Theo grabbed the slime’s crystal and then waved it back.

“Fine.” Theo said. “But if you want to duel her, then you’ll have to fight me first. One on one.”

“Theo…wait…danger…”

Theo looked back and winked.

“I accept.” Yale replied calmly. “Galt, stand back.”

Theo watched carefully as Galt retreated ten paces. After he did, the two fighters readied their stances.

“If you’re being such a gentleman, then you may as well count us down.”

Yale smirked. “Alright. Three…Two…”

Theo suddenly threw his glowing crystal into the ground. It shattered and the stored magic exploded in a flash of blinding light. The outlaw pivoted and ran back towards Mavis. He grabbed the confused slime’s hand and the two of them fled as quickly as they could.

While Yale was reeling from the sudden brightness, Galt rushed to his side. The guard had managed to protect his eyes before the explosion occurred. He stood in front of his master and watched the pair run off into a dark tunnel.

“Get out of my way, Galt!”

Yale thrashed around, pushing Galt aside. He stared down the tunnel with bloodshot eyes.

“I’ll kill them. I’ll definitely kill them today!”

“I understand.” Galt sighed. “Letting a pair of outlaws get the better of us will bring shame on the Wallace name.”

Putting the matter of shame aside, Galt knew that Yale had been extremely stressed before entering this dungeon. In fact, this entire trip had been meant to help him regain his confidence. When Galt weighed the lives of two outlaws against his master’s development, he decided that they were of no consequence.

Galt set his backpack on the ground and retrieved a cylindrical magic tool. He used it to relight his torch. Meanwhile, Yale channeled mana into his coat and it began to shimmer. The lustrous white glow expanded to cover his entire body while the young master cracked his knuckles. Galt tossed him the torch, along with a small green crystal.

“Go on ahead, but keep that crystal. Otherwise, I might not be able to find you.”

“Thanks, Galt!”

By the time those words left his lips, Yale was already several meters away. He sprinted through the tunnel with inhuman speed. It wasn’t long before the light of his torch shone on two figures running through the darkness. Yale lunged forward and swung his sword, taking aim at the sneaky coward who’d blinded him. His horizontal chop whiffed as the masked woman grabbed Theo by his hair and forced him to duck. Yale’s eyes widened. She hadn’t even looked back.

Theo swung around and thrust his dagger towards Yale. The young master parried while stepping back. This caution afforded him a few extra milliseconds to see the second blade that was hurtling towards his face. Yale twisted his neck to the left, dodging it by a hair’s breadth. He scowled as Theo drew a third dagger.

“You’d have died without that coat’s enchantment.” Theo taunted.

“So would you, if that woman didn’t have eyes in the back of her head.”

“I have…no…eyes.”

While Yale was still processing that statement, Mavis spoke again.

“Other man…ahead.”

“Fuck.” Theo swore. “Mavis, we passed a tunnel a few meters ago. Get his attention and run through there. Let him chase you around for a while, but don’t try to fight. If you can lose him, then run back here. Otherwise, yell really loudly and I’ll find you.”

“But…”

“Just trust me!”

Mavis shot past Yale and ran towards a glowing silhouette that was just barely visible in the darkness. Apparently, Galt was using an enchantment similar to Yale’s.

“And what about me?” Yale asked with a devilish grin. “Am I going to let that happen?”

Theo glared at him with murderous eyes.

“You wanted a duel, right?”

“Galt!” Yale looked back and yelled into the void. “That girl’s escaping! Chase her down and we’ll regroup later!”

Mavis and the silhouette both disappeared as they rounded a corner.

As Yale turned back towards Theo, his pupils constricted. The young master covered his eyes just in time to block another blinding flash of light. It wasn’t as bright as the first, and Yale guessed that Theo had been carrying smaller pieces of crystal in his pocket. Yale smirked as he blocked a stab targeting his chest.

This was what he wanted. Rather than languish in his manor where the only the only combat was a fight for succession, Yale wanted a real battle. Instead of unraveling the tedious stratagems set up by his peers, he wished to think during the infinitely long instant before his opponent’s blade reached him. Members of the Wallace family always excelled, and ever since he’d picked up a sword, Yale knew that he would too.