The sky inside the dungeon never changed.
A pale artificial sun remained suspended above the massive grasslands without moving even slightly, casting cold white light across the open terrain stretching far beyond normal sight. Wind rolled endlessly through the waist-high grass, carrying the smell of blood and burnt flesh from battlefields scattered throughout the plains.
Riven stood near the edge of a rocky incline overlooking the valley below. Smoke rose from multiple locations across the grasslands. Some came from campfires. Most came from destroyed supply carts, burned monster carcasses and collapsed defensive positions abandoned during the fighting.
Farther ahead, the forest line cut across the landscape like a dark scar. That was where most of the killing had started.
"This place is turning into a graveyard," Serena muttered beside him.
Her squad rested farther behind them beneath the remains of a shattered watchtower partially swallowed by vines and moss. Several members were treating wounds while others kept watch toward the distant plains where movement occasionally appeared between the grass. Nobody relaxed completely anymore.
Not after the last two days at least.
Riven kept his attention on the valley below while listening to distant sounds drifting across the open land. Metal clashing against metal. Explosions muffled by distance. Monster roars breaking out occasionally somewhere deeper inside the forest.
The entire dungeon had descended into chaos after the two of the three largest underworld factions in Blackvine City committed forces here. What began as competition over resources quickly became something much worse.
The dungeon itself produced crystalline growths capable of preventing skill stone deterioration when refined properly. A single shipment could sell for absurd amounts in the black market, especially for high-level operators whose skill stones deteriorated constantly over time..
That alone made the place valuable enough to kill over. But the situation escalated after the dungeon mutated three weeks ago.
The inner regions expanded and resource density increased. Several new sectors opened deeper underground. And most importantly, nobody could fully map the altered structure anymore. The organizations controlling Blackvine's underworld saw opportunity immediately.
Now both factions were trapped in a drawn-out war neither side could afford to lose. One retreat would destroy years of influence outside the dungeon itself. Supply routes, protection businesses, market control and recruitment would all collapse the moment weakness became public and the other party got enormous resources in the middle of a major conflict.
So instead, they kept feeding more people into the dungeon.
Serena crossed her arms while watching movement near the forest edge.
"I still don't understand why both sides haven't pulled back yet," she said quietly. "The losses alone should've forced negotiations already."
"They can't negotiate anymore," Riven replied.
She glanced toward him briefly.
"The moment the fighting became public inside the dungeon, backing down stopped being an option. Whoever leaves first loses more than resources."
A group moved across the plains far below while he spoke. Eight figures advancing cautiously through the grass beside two loaded transport beasts. War supplies.
One faction still trying to maintain logistics despite the constant ambushes.
Serena noticed them too.
"Those people aren't making it across the valley," she said.
Riven remained silent because he agreed. Three days ago, the route below them had been relatively safe. Now bodies regularly disappeared into the grass without anyone even discovering where the attacks came from. Patrols had broken apart completely after both factions started targeting supply lines directly instead of focusing solely on resource zones.
That was when the war truly became ugly. Independent operators suffered the most from it.
Contract squads entered the dungeon expecting escort work or monster extermination only to find themselves trapped between faction skirmishes happening across entire sectors. Some groups switched employers midway through the conflict and some vanished entirely.
Serena's squad only remained intact because they stayed mobile. And because Riven kept steering them away from the worst engagements. A sharp explosion erupted somewhere near the forest line ahead. Several birds burst upward from the trees immediately afterward.
Serena narrowed her eyes.
"Another fight?"
"Probably an ambush," Riven said.
The plains favored larger movements and visibility. The forests were different. Dense terrain, ruined structures and cluttered monster nests turned entire areas into killing grounds where defensive formations became difficult to maintain.
Exactly the kind of environment Riven preferred.
One of Serena's squad members climbed toward them from the lower camp area before speaking.
"Scouts spotted movement northwest," the man reported. "Looks like the 'Obsidian Circle' is pushing toward the river routes again."
Serena frowned slightly. "Already?"
"They're desperate," Riven said before the scout could answer. "Their outer camps are running low on supplies."
The man looked toward him uncertainly. Serena noticed it immediately. Her squad still hadn't fully adjusted to Riven's presence despite traveling together for days now. He wasn't officially part of their organization, yet somehow conversations naturally shifted around his decisions anyway. That usually happened only around established leaders.
"You sound very sure about that," Serena said.
"I was watching their movements yesterday." Riven looked toward the distant smoke columns again. "They stopped prioritizing crystal transport and started moving food supplies first. The only reason for that would be their utilities running low. That's what I think at least."
The scout's expression shifted slightly after hearing that.
"You figured all that out just from watching patrols?"
Riven didn't answer directly. He had spent most of the previous night tracking movement between outer camps while hidden beneath Shadow Veil. The conflict looked even worse up close. Exhausted guards and injured porters still being forced onto routes. Internal arguments breaking out between operators receiving contradictory orders.
The factions still looked powerful from the outside but inside the dungeon, the cracks were everywhere. A sudden scream echoed faintly across the valley below.
All three of them looked down immediately. The supply group crossing the grasslands had stopped moving.
Several figures burst upward from the tall grass around them almost simultaneously. Skills detonated across the plains seconds later as the ambush fully erupted.
The carriers never stood a chance.
"They hit fast," Serena muttered.
Riven watched the battle carefully without moving. The attackers wore no faction markings.
That had become common recently.
Once the conflict escalated enough, operators stopped openly identifying themselves during ambushes. Confusion became just as valuable as direct victories. Every unexplained attack deepened paranoia between the organizations further.
The defenders collapsed within minutes. One porter attempted activating a defensive skill near the transport beasts before a glowing blade broke through the barrier and opened his throat cleanly.
Serena's eyes sharpened instantly. She looked toward Riven.
"You saw that too?"
Riven kept his expression neutral despite recognizing the interaction immediately. It was a resonance based attack. It wasn't as powerful as his own skill, but it was operating on similar principles.
'Interesting,' he thought.
The attackers stripped supplies quickly before disappearing back into the grasslands without lingering near the bodies and silence returned to the valley afterward.
Wind rolled through the tall grass once again like nothing had happened there moments earlier. Serena exhaled slowly while staring at the distant corpses.
"This dungeon's going to decide who controls Blackvine after this."
"Yes," Riven replied quietly.
That was exactly why he came here. The underworld outside still believed influence came from territory, money and manpower. But wars weren't won by whoever looked strongest before the fighting started.
They were won by the people nobody noticed until it was already too late.