The day started like any other: with Rynhara being dragged out of bed by Kaelira.
"Wake up, Princess," Kaelira said, pulling the blanket off with her usual lack of mercy. "Her Majesty has decided it's time for you to go dungeon diving."
Rynhara blinked groggily. "Dungeon diving? What is this, an adventurer's guild mission?"
Kaelira smirked. "Think of it as an experiential learning opportunity. You've got to level up, and there's no better way than facing hordes of bloodthirsty monsters in a dark, dangerous pit."
"Sounds delightful," Rynhara deadpanned. "Is there a waiver I can sign to skip this?"
"Her Majesty doesn't do waivers," Kaelira said with a saccharine smile.
The dungeon was a massive, ominous cave carved into the side of a black mountain. Its entrance was adorned with glowing runes that radiated foreboding energy.
"This place just screams 'bad idea,'" Rynhara muttered, gripping her scythe nervously.
Tiamora stood at the entrance, arms crossed. "This dungeon is called the Abyssal Labyrinth. It's designed for beginners but still dangerous enough to test your abilities. You'll be fine as long as you use your head."
"I'm taking a weapon that's taller than me into a maze filled with monsters. Define 'fine,'" Rynhara grumbled.
"Think of it as character-building," Tiamora said with a smirk, before adding ominously, "And remember , some dungeons not all evolve alongside the challengers as they delve deeper. If you do find yourself facing an enemy of insurmountable odds levels of power just focus on staying alive until i arrive to rescue you."
Before Rynhara could protest further, she was unceremoniously pushed inside by Kaelira.
"Good luck princess!" Kaelira called cheerfully from outside.
The first few rooms of the dungeon were filled with slimes of various colors and sizes.
"Hopefully I don't run into a certain blue slime. "
Rynhara swung her scythe experimentally, cleaving through a group of slimes with surprising ease. The scythe glowed faintly, absorbing the residual mana from the defeated creatures.
"Well, that wasn't so bad," she said, flicking a glob of slime off her weapon.
As she stepped into the next chamber, a massive green slime descended from the ceiling, roaring (or gurgling—it was hard to tell).
"Of course," Rynhara sighed. "The obligatory mid-level boss."
She leapt into action, her scythe spinning in a blur. The weapon hummed with power, sending arcs of dark energy slicing through the air. The slime retaliated by launching acidic blobs, forcing Rynhara to dodge and weave.
"Is this really necessary?!" she shouted, narrowly avoiding a glob of acid.
The slime lunged, and she swung her scythe upward in a wide arc. A wave of destructive magic followed, splitting the slime in two.
"Victory!" she cheered, only for the halves of the slime to start regenerating.
"You've got to be kidding me. Screw this slime. Violence is the only way." Rynhara said as she charged toward the slime.
Finally defeating the regenerating slime (by freezing it with an ice spell and smashing it to bits), Rynhara descended to the second floor.
Here, the dungeon revealed its cruel sense of humor. The walls were lined with traps: arrows, fire jets, and even a pit of what appeared to be biting kobold heads.
"Who designed this place, a sadist with a construction degree?" Rynhara grumbled as she narrowly avoided stepping on a pressure plate.
Her scythe proved to be an unexpected asset, slicing through tripwires and even deflecting incoming arrows. However, it wasn't foolproof.
"Let's see if I can teleport past this," she muttered, concentrating on her magic.
She managed to teleport… straight into a hanging net trap.
"Oh, come on!"
The dungeon rumbled, as if laughing at her misfortune.
The third floor was swarming with goblins, each wielding crude weapons and wearing expressions of gleeful malice.
"Finally, something I can hit without feeling bad," Rynhara said, gripping her scythe.
The goblins charged, and Rynhara met them head-on. Her scythe whirled like a tempest, each swing accompanied by flashes of dark magic. She spun in a deadly dance, cutting through the goblins with precision and grace.
One particularly ambitious goblin leapt at her from above, and she reacted instinctively, channeling lightning magic into her scythe. The weapon crackled with energy as she brought it down, electrocuting the goblin midair.
"Boom," she said smugly as the goblin hit the ground, smoking.
The final room of the dungeon was a grand chamber filled with glowing crystals and an enormous shadowy beast.
"Great," Rynhara muttered. "A boss fight. Because nothing about today has been easy."
The beast charged, its claws glowing with malevolent energy. Rynhara raised her scythe, parrying the attack with a grunt of effort. The force of the clash sent shockwaves through the room.
"Time to end this," she said, channeling her mana into the scythe. The weapon glowed brightly, its magic intensifying as she prepared her strongest attack.
"Nihilistic Roar of Victory!" she shouted, unleashing a devastating wave of destruction. The beast roared as the attack tore through it, reducing it to ash.
As the dust settled, the dungeon rumbled again.
"Congratulations, challenger," said a disembodied voice. "You have cleared the Abyssal Labyrinth. Your rewards await."
A chest appeared in the center of the room, and Rynhara opened it eagerly. Inside was a glowing orb and a small, golden badge.
"Seriously? No treasure, no weapons, just this?"
The voice chuckled ominously. "The real treasure was the experience you gained along the way."
"Oh, shut up," Rynhara grumbled, stomping out of the dungeon.
When she returned, battered and exhausted, Kaelira greeted her with mock applause.
"Survived, did you?"
"Barely," Rynhara said, collapsing into a chair. "But I leveled up, so there's that."
Tiamora appeared, smirking. "Good. Then tomorrow, we'll push you even harder."
Rynhara groaned. "Next time, just let me fight Kaelira. At least she's predictable."
Kaelira smirked. "You couldn't handle me, Princess. Mo one can."
"My mother would beg to differ."
" I won't deny that you got me there with that one, but you and I both know that not alot of people can handle your mother you included."
Rynhara couldn't help but feel a spark of pride. She was getting stronger—just one chaos filled day at a time.