A couple of days had passed since the night Saint fought the shadowy girl. His bruises had faded and the cut on his face had closed thanks to Shed's glowing herbs. Saint still felt a dull ache in his ribs when he moved too fast but he could walk without limping. The trio sat in their usual corner of the Rusty Anchor eating breakfast.
Saint took a bite of bread and looked at his friends. "I am ready to do something bigger than just hiding in Ceil. Mark is still out there and the Director is looking for me. Let us go on a real adventure. Dungeon hunting. We need supplies and we need to get stronger."
Sheriff nodded his red eye glowing steady. "You are right kid. There is a recommended dungeon not far from town. One star. Weak monsters. Good for training and collecting valuables. We can sell what we find and get stronger at the same time."
Shed hissed happily and sharpened his bone knife on the table edge. "I am in. A weak dungeon is perfect. We kill monsters easy collect glowing crystals and metal scraps. We come back richer and tougher. Let us do it today."
Saint smiled excited but nervous. "Okay. Let us go. I need to feel useful again after what happened with the shadowy girl. She almost killed me last time. I want to be ready if she comes back."
They finished eating packed light supplies and left the Rusty Anchor. The streets of Ceil were busy with morning traders. No one noticed the trio slipping out toward the forest edge. Unknown to them a group of Mark's crew watched from a rooftop. One goon whispered into a communicator. "They are moving. Heading toward the old dungeons. Fifty of us ready. Follow them quiet."
The trio walked through the fields. Floating rubble drifted overhead. Glowing vines snaked across the path. Sheriff led the way his duster flapping. Shed stayed close to Saint yellow eyes alert. Saint carried his metal rod and a small bag for loot.
After an hour they reached the dungeon entrance. It was a dark archway carved into a floating rock platform. Weak purple light glowed inside. Sheriff stopped and checked his revolver. "This is the one. One star dungeon. Weak monsters. Easy loot. Stay close Saint. We watch your back."
Saint looked at the entrance. "Why is this dungeon so weak Sheriff?"
Sheriff chuckled mechanically. "It is a recommended starter dungeon kid. Designed for new arrivals and small teams to train. Monsters inside are slow and low level. We kill them easy collect the glowing crystals and metal they drop. Perfect for us right now."
Shed hissed. "Let us go. I am ready to stretch my claws."
They stepped inside. The dungeon was dim with floating orbs lighting the way. The first chamber opened wide. A pack of shadow skitterers scuttled toward them. Sheriff fired two shots. The crabs exploded in green gore. Shed leaped in slashing two more with his bone knife. Saint swung his rod hard and crushed one against the wall. They moved deeper killing monsters easily. Small lizard beasts. Floating spore clouds. Each fight was quick. They collected glowing crystals and scrap metal that shimmered with energy.
Saint wiped sweat from his brow after the fifth fight. "This is going good. We already have a full bag of loot. Why did no one tell us dungeons could be this easy?"
Sheriff reloaded his revolver. "Because most people start here kid. It builds confidence. We are doing great. Keep moving."
They pushed deeper. The dungeon felt almost too simple. More monsters fell. More loot filled their bags. Saint started to relax. "I feel stronger already. Like I can actually fight now."
Shed grinned. "Told you. Team work. We balance each other."
They cleared the final chamber and stepped out of the dungeon exit. The sunlight hit them bright. Their bags were heavy with valuable crystals and metal.
Saint smiled. "That was awesome. We did it. Let us head back to Ceil and sell this stuff."
As they stepped onto the path Mark's crew appeared. Fifty armed goons in tactical gear blocked the way. Hover bikes hummed behind them. Mark himself stood at the front scar on his face twisted in a grin. "Well well. The kid the tin man and the lizard. Boss is going to pay good money for you Saint. Alive."
Saint froze. "Mark crew. Fifty of them. We are outnumbered."
Sheriff stepped forward fists clenched. "Stay behind me kid. This is going to get loud."
The battle erupted. Mark's goons charged firing rifles and energy bolts. Sheriff moved like a machine. He fired his revolver fifteen times. Each shot dropped a goon clean through the head or chest. Bodies fell in heaps. Shed leaped into the fray slashing with claws and knife. Five goons went down screaming as green blood sprayed. Saint grabbed a fallen rifle from the ground. He aimed and pulled the trigger twice. Two goons dropped. Saint stared at the gun in shock. "I actually killed two."
The fight raged on. Twenty eight more goons pressed forward. The trio was injured. Sheriff had dents in his chest plate. Shed bled from a deep gash on his side. Saint had a burn on his arm from a near miss. They looked like they wanted to give up.
Sheriff shouted. "Do not give up. Grab one of their hover machines. Run."
They jumped into a nearby hover bike. Shed took the controls. Sheriff grabbed an assault rifle from a fallen goon and started shooting with deadly accuracy. Bullets tore through the pursuing goons.
Shed drove fast through the fields. Sheriff kept firing. One of Mark's crew shot the engine of the hover machine. Sparks flew. The machine crashed down hard.
Shed was sent flying hitting his back on a tree with a sickening crack. Sheriff crashed breaking one of his robot fingers and damaging some wires. His face cracked hard and his leg was damaged. Saint fell and was sent flying crashing into the ground.
They all stood up slowly injured and bleeding. Mark's crew caught up with them surrounding them.
Sheriff shouted at them. "Run!"
They stumbled to their feet running while Sheriff covered them. Bullets hit Sheriff in the shoulder and leg. Bullets hit Shed in the side. Bullets even hit Saint in the arm. They kept running.
Then the shadowy figure appeared. Blue lightning exploded around her. She protected them. She moved like a storm killing the remaining goons one by one. She raised her hands and lightning chained between three goons. They screamed as electricity cooked them inside their armor. Smoke poured from their masks. They dropped dead.
She teleported behind another and slammed her palm into his back. The blast threw him ten feet. He hit the ground smoking.
Mark watched from the back. His crew was almost gone. He shouted retreat and the remaining goons fled on hover bikes.
The shadowy girl looked at them. Saint was scared because of what she had said last time.
She said "You guys are not ready. Go back to Ceil and prepare for the worst."
She teleported away in a flash of blue lightning.
The trio limped back to Ceil bleeding. Sheriff supported Shed. Saint held his arm. They reached the Rusty Anchor exhausted.
The innkeeper helped them inside. The medic patched them up. Sheriff had wires sparking from his leg. Shed had bandages around his back. Saint had a sling on his arm.
Sheriff said quietly. "We survived. But she saved us. The shadowy girl. We need to prepare for the worst."
Shed hissed. "She is dangerous but she helped. We rest and get stronger."
Saint nodded. "I am scared of her because she said we are not ready. We have prepare."
Far away in the towering black spire Mark knelt before a holographic projection of the Director. The masked figure with the glowing red visor line stared down at him.
Mark spoke voice shaking. "I failed boss. The lightning girl showed up. She killed almost all my men. The kid got away again."
The Director's voice rolled out deep and distorted. "You better capture that boy or else."
Robotic hands suddenly extended from the throne and wrapped around Mark's throat. They squeezed hard. Mark gasped choking. His face turned red. Then the hands released him. Mark fell to his knees coughing.
The Director said coldly. "Do not fail me again."
Mark nodded terrified. "Yes Director. I will get the boy."
The trio rested in Ceil that night. Their bodies hurt but their bond was stronger. The shadowy girl had saved them. The Zach Clan was planning something. Mark was still hunting. The Director was watching.
But they were together. And they were ready for whatever came next.