Kael stood still for a moment, listening.
"Low-level demons don't come alone for long," he said quietly. "This place is testing us."
The beast girl nodded.
She wiped demon blood from her claws, then shook her hands lightly as if trying to shake off the lingering tension.
"They're scouts," she replied. "Weak ones. When they die too quickly, stronger ones notice."
Kael glanced at her.
"You've fought here before?"
She hesitated, then nodded.
"My mother didn't want me leaving the deeper levels," she admitted. "But sometimes… I watched."
Her ears drooped slightly.
"I was curious."
Kael didn't comment.
Curiosity was dangerous.
But it was also what kept people alive.
They continued forward.
The dungeon corridor gradually widened, opening into a vast chamber supported by massive stone pillars.
The ceiling was so high it disappeared into darkness. Strange runes glowed faintly on the floor—old, worn, and partially broken.
Kael stopped abruptly.
"…Mana formation," he said.
