The Assassin’s Pledge

Chapter 1: The Goblin’s Den

The dungeon was a labyrinth of damp, moss-covered stone walls, illuminated by the faint glow of bioluminescent fungi clinging to the cracks. The air was thick with the scent of mildew and rot, and the distant drip of water echoed through the narrow corridors. Shadows danced along the walls, cast by the flickering light of a single torch held by Sung-min, its flame struggling to stay alive in the oppressive darkness. The floor was uneven, littered with debris and the occasional bone, remnants of past adventurers who had ventured too deep.

Sung-min tightened his grip on the torch, his knuckles white. "Stay close," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "This place reeks of trouble."

Behind him, Li Wei adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting the dim light. "You don't say," he replied dryly, his staff glowing faintly with a pale blue light. "I thought dungeons were supposed to be welcoming."

Dae-hyun chuckled, his deep voice reverberating through the corridor. "Quit complaining, Li Wei. You're the one who said we needed the money."

"Yeah, but I didn't sign up for this," Li Wei shot back, his tone half serious. "This place looks like it hasn't seen sunlight in centuries."

Jung Uk, the youngest of the group, darted ahead, his movements quick and silent. "Quiet, both of you," he hissed, his sharp eyes scanning the darkness. "I hear something."

The group froze, their breaths held. From the shadows ahead came the sound of shuffling feet and guttural growls. Sung-min's heart pounded as he raised his dagger, the torchlight glinting off its blade. "Goblins," he whispered. "Get ready."

The first goblin lunged from the darkness, its jagged spear aimed at Sung-min's chest. He sidestepped just in time, the spear grazing his arm as he drove his dagger into the creature's side. The goblin screeched, collapsing in a heap, but more emerged from the shadows, scrawny, green-skinned creatures with beady eyes and razor-sharp teeth.

"Li Wei, now!" Sung-min shouted, ducking as another goblin swung a crude club at his head.

Li Wei stepped forward, his staff glowing brighter as he chanted under his breath. A burst of fire erupted from the tip, engulfing two goblins in flames. They screamed, thrashing wildly before collapsing. "That's two for me," Li Wei said with a smirk, though his breathing was already labored.

"Don't get cocky," Dae-hyun growled, stepping in front of Li Wei with his shield raised. A goblin leaped at him, only to be met with a crushing blow from his mace. The creature's skull caved in with a sickening crunch, and Dae-hyun kicked its body aside. "Focus, or we're dead."

Jung Uk moved like a shadow, darting between the goblins with his twin daggers. He slashed at their legs, crippling them before finishing them off with precise strikes. "They're too many!" he called out, his voice tense. "We need to fall back!"

"No," Sung-min said firmly, his eyes scanning the chaos. "We hold the line. If we run, they'll swarm us."

As the last of the goblins fell, a deep, guttural roar echoed through the dungeon. The ground trembled as a massive figure emerged from the shadows, a goblin knight, clad in rusted armor and wielding a jagged sword. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent light, and its presence sent a chill down Sung-min's spine.

"That's not a normal goblin," Li Wei said, his voice trembling. "That's a D-rank monster. We're not ready for this."

"Too late to back out now," Dae-hyun said, tightening his grip on his shield. "We fight or die."

The goblin knight charged, its sword swinging in a wide arc. Dae-hyun braced himself, the impact sending him skidding back. "Damn, this thing's strong!" he grunted, his arms shaking under the strain.

"Jung Uk, distract it!" Sung-min ordered, his mind racing. "Li Wei, hit it with everything you've got!"

Jung Uk nodded, darting around the knight with blinding speed. His daggers struck at the joints in its armor, but the creature barely flinched. "It's too tough!" he shouted, barely dodging a retaliatory swing.

Li Wei raised his staff, his face pale but determined. "This had better work," he muttered, channeling his mana into a powerful ice spell. A shard of ice shot forward, striking the knight's chest and freezing part of its armor. The creature roared in anger, its movements slowed but not stopped.

"Now, Sung-min!" Dae-hyun shouted, pushing the knight back with a shield bash.

Sung-min didn't hesitate. He dashed forward, his dagger aimed at the crack in the knight's frozen armor. With a cry, he drove the blade deep into the creature's chest. The goblin knight let out a final, gurgling roar before collapsing, its body dissolving into black smoke.

The dungeon fell silent, save for the heavy breathing of the four friends. Sung-min wiped the sweat from his brow, his hands trembling from the adrenaline. "We did it," he said, his voice barely audible.

"Barely," Li Wei replied, leaning heavily on his staff. "We're not cut out for this."

"Speak for yourself," Dae-hyun said, though his voice lacked its usual confidence. "We're alive, aren't we?"

Jung Uk sheathed his daggers, his expression grim. "For now. But if we keep pushing our luck, we won't be for long."

Sung-min looked at his friends, their faces pale and exhausted. He knew they were right, they were in over their heads. But they had no choice. They needed the money, and this was the only way.

The group stood in the dimly lit chamber, their bodies aching and their breaths ragged. The torch in Sung-min's hand flickered weakly, casting long shadows on the walls. The air was heavy with the stench of blood and smoke, a grim reminder of the battle they had just survived.

Li Wei slumped against the wall, sliding down until he sat on the cold, damp floor. "We're not cut out for this," he repeated, his voice hollow. "We're E-rank hunters, not some elite squad. We barely survived a pack of goblins, let alone that… thing." He gestured weakly to the spot where the goblin knight had dissolved into smoke.

Dae-hyun leaned on his shield, his broad shoulders heaving with each breath. "We don't have a choice," he said, his voice gruff but tinged with exhaustion. "We need the money. If we don't bring back something valuable, we might as well not go back at all."

Jung Uk crouched near the remains of the goblin knight, poking at the blackened armor with one of his daggers. "This thing had to have something worth taking," he muttered. "Goblin knights don't just show up in low-rank dungeons for no reason."

Sung-min nodded, his mind racing. He knelt beside Jung Uk, examining the armor. "There's something here," he said, his voice low. "Look." He pointed to a small, intricately carved amulet hidden beneath the knight's chest plate. It was made of a strange, dark metal, and it pulsed faintly with an eerie light.

Li Wei's eyes widened as he pushed himself to his feet. "What is that?" he asked, his voice tinged with both curiosity and unease.

"I don't know," Sung-min admitted, holding the amulet up to the torchlight. "But it's not ordinary. Maybe it's worth something."

"Or maybe it's cursed," Dae-hyun said, his tone wary. "We should leave it."

"And go back empty-handed?" Jung Uk countered, his voice sharp. "We risked our lives for this. We're not leaving without something to show for it."

Sung-min hesitated, his fingers tightening around the amulet. He could feel a strange warmth emanating from it, almost like a heartbeat. "We'll take it," he said finally, slipping the amulet into his pouch. "But we need to be careful. This dungeon isn't what we thought it was."

The group moved cautiously through the dungeon, their senses on high alert. The corridors seemed to grow darker and more oppressive the deeper they went, the walls closing in around them. The faint glow of the bioluminescent fungi was their only source of light, casting an eerie greenish hue over everything.

"This place gives me the creeps," Li Wei muttered, his staff glowing faintly as he scanned the shadows. "It's like the walls are watching us."

"Stop being paranoid," Dae-hyun said, though his grip on his mace tightened. "We've already dealt with the worst of it. What else could be down here?"

As if in answer, a low, rumbling growl echoed through the corridor. The group froze, their eyes darting to the shadows ahead. A pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the darkness, followed by another, and another.

"More goblins?" Jung Uk whispered, his daggers at the ready.

"No," Sung-min said, his voice tense. "Something bigger."

The creature stepped into the dim light, revealing a massive, hulking figure covered in matted fur and wielding a crude, spiked club. Its eyes glowed with a feral intelligence, and its mouth twisted into a snarl, revealing rows of jagged teeth.

"A troll," Li Wei said, his voice barely above a whisper. "We're dead."

"Not yet," Sung-min said, his mind racing. "We can't fight it head-on. We need a plan."

"Jung Uk, distract it," Sung-min ordered, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him. "Li Wei, hit it with everything you've got. Dae-hyun, you're with me. We'll take it down together."

Jung Uk nodded, darting forward with his usual speed. He leaped onto a nearby ledge, throwing one of his daggers at the troll's face. The blade struck its cheek, drawing a roar of anger from the creature. "Over here, you overgrown furball!" he taunted, his voice echoing through the chamber.

The troll swung its club at Jung Uk, but he was already moving, leaping from ledge to ledge with acrobatic precision. "Hurry up!" he shouted, his voice strained. "I can't keep this up forever!"

Li Wei stepped forward, his staff glowing brighter as he channeled his mana. "This had better work," he muttered, his face pale with concentration. A bolt of lightning shot from the tip of his staff, striking the troll in the chest. The creature roared in pain, its movements slowing as electricity coursed through its body.

"Now!" Sung-min shouted, charging forward with Dae-hyun at his side. They struck at the troll's legs, their weapons biting deep into its flesh. The creature stumbled, its massive body crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact.

Sung-min didn't hesitate. He drove his dagger into the troll's throat, silencing its roars. The creature twitched once, then lay still, its body dissolving into black smoke like the goblin knight before it.

The group stood in silence, their bodies trembling with exhaustion. The troll's remains were gone, but the amulet in Sung-min's pouch pulsed faintly, as if reacting to the battle.

"We can't keep doing this," Li Wei said, his voice hollow. "We're not strong enough."

"We don't have a choice," Sung-min replied, his voice firm. "We're in too deep to turn back now"

"No" Li Wei yelled, "we're heading back, now!" he walked off towards the labyrinths exit