Behind the counter, Orm sat zily, puffing on his pipe as usual. His grizzled features were calm, his thick arms crossed over his barrel-like chest.Kael skidded to a stop in front of him, panting slightly. "Orm! How is this possible?" he blurted out. "It's still morning!"Orm smirked, exhaling a slow trail of smoke before speaking. "This," he said, gesturing vaguely towards the forge, "is a specialized stationary pocket dimension. It works differently from the usual ones."

  He leaned back, tapping his pipe against the table. "Inside that red door, time slows. Eight hours in there only amounts to one hour out here."Kael felt his brain struggling to grasp the concept. The idea of time manipution wasn't unheard of, but only the biggest guilds—Warlords, Titans, or the Imperial Court—could afford such powerful magical spaces. And yet, here it was, being used as Sui's personal training ground and Orm's private nap room.Even Elise, usually composed, had a rare look of astonishment on her face. "That's… unbelievable," she muttered.Sui emerged from the forge then, stretching his arms behind his head. "Gramps, lend them some weapons," he said casually. "The crude ones will be fine."Orm gave him a side-eye gnce but didn't argue. He stood up, his massive frame moving with surprising ease, and began rummaging through the back of his shop. After a moment, he returned with an assortment of weapons, pcing them heavily onto the wooden counter.Two battle axes, three throwing axes, one iron-headed mace, and a round wooden shield with metal reinforcements. Each weapon bore signs of use, the handles slightly worn, the edges nicked from past battles.Kael eyed the selection before him. The axes weren't as polished as the ones he was used to handling, but they would do the job. Elise tested the weight of the mace in her hands, swinging it experimentally. It was heavy, but not unwieldy.Orm leaned against the counter, puffing on his pipe again. "These should hold up, as long as you don't do anything too stupid," he grunted.Sui, standing nearby, grinned. "Alright, you two. Go into the dungeon, fight some monsters, and come out before te noon. After you exchange your loot, buy me some booze from the apothecary."Kael frowned. "Booze? From an apothecary?"Sui chuckled. "Just tell her I sent you. She'll know what to give you."The two young divers were still processing everything—the time dition, the harsh training, the sudden dungeon dive with barely any gear—but they knew better than to argue. Kael let out a slow breath, gripping the handle of one of the throwing axes."Fine," he muttered. "Let's go, Elise."With weapons in hand and muscles still aching from their grueling morning, the two stepped out of the forge and into the bustling city streets, their next challenge awaiting them within the dungeon's depthsDragging my aching body through the cobbled streets of Dragnir, I could feel the sweat clinging uncomfortably to my skin. My clothes, damp from the morning's relentless training, stuck to me like a second yer, the fabric heavy with exhaustion.

  Each step sent a dull ache through my legs, my muscles protesting after hours of being pushed beyond their limits. Elise walked beside me, her expression as unreadable as ever, though I could see the occasional twitch in her brows—evidence that she was just as sore as I was.The market district was as lively as always, the scent of freshly baked bread mixing with the pungent aroma of spices and grilled meat.

  Vendors called out to passing divers, their stalls filled with potions, weapons, and dungeon gear. The chatter of merchants haggling with customers filled the air, blending seamlessly with the clinking of coins and the occasional outburst of ughter.I barely had the energy to take it all in.Still, the sight of divers in full gear—armored in leather, chainmail, or even heavier pte—made me feel all the more ridiculous. Walking through here without armor was practically announcing ourselves as reckless fools. And, as expected, people took notice.As we reached the city center, a rge crowd had gathered near the entrance of the Bck Labyrinth Dungeon. I didn't need to ask what was going on; the murmurs around us answered that."That's them," a bystander whispered."The newbies that took down the fifth-floor boss?" another added, voice tinged with awe."Looks like they're diving again. Going after another boss, maybe?"A group of divers stood at the heart of the crowd, cd in high-quality gear, their weapons gleaming even under the muted city light. Their leader, a young man with a confident smirk, stood tall, taking in the attention like he was born for it. They looked prepared—fully armored, well-armed, and supported by a team that clearly knew what they were doing.And then there was us.Two idiots, sweat-drenched and weapon-only, dragging ourselves toward the dungeon entrance as if we had a death wish.I could feel the stares, the silent judgment, the amused smirks from seasoned divers who thought they were watching two dead men walking. Some whispered, others outright scoffed. One guy even ughed, nudging his companion."Look at those two," he snorted. "They serious? No armor? They must've lost a bet or something."Elise kept her head high, seemingly unaffected by the scrutiny. I, on the other hand, felt the weight of the attention, but not enough to actually care. If anything, the absurdity of it all almost made me want to ugh.Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted her again.The same girl from the other day—the one who had been watching me before.She stood slightly apart from the crowd, her eyes focused on me. Unlike the others, there was no amusement in her gaze, no mockery. Just a calm, almost calcuting look.I frowned. Does she need something? Or do I really look that much like an idiot?Whatever it was, I didn't have the energy to care. Instead, I turned back toward the dungeon entrance, where the guild representative stood, arms crossed.The man, cd in the signature blue-and-gold uniform of the Dungeon Diver Guild, gave us one long look before sighing. His expression was caught somewhere between amusement and exasperation."So," he drawled, "you two one of those crazy ones, huh?"Elise and I exchanged a gnce before forcing awkward smiles. Without answering, we reached for our badges, holding them up for verification.The guild rep shook his head but didn't argue. He stepped aside, motioning toward the dungeon entrance."Try not to die too quickly," he muttered.

  And with that, we stepped into the Bck Labyrinth Dungeon, the murmurs of the onlookers fading behind us.