As the day dragged on, Zane found himself seriously considering Tarni's idea of splitting up.

The suggestion had been delivered with that wicked grin of his—half joke, half dare—but now, several hours later, the thought didn't seem so ridiculous. They'd been moving through the dense, damp forest for what felt like forever. European-style woods, endless and unfamiliar, thick with shadows and far too quiet. They'd only run into two more Kobolds since the fort, both perched lazily in lookout towers. Bell had dropped them with clean shots—one each—before the creatures could even blink.

The only other progress was the glowing System message hovering in the corner of Zane's vision:

Dungeon Progress: 36/?? Monsters Defeated

The double question marks still annoyed him.

He trudged alongside Kai now, letting the others fan out slightly ahead. Lily and Tarni were moving in a staggered formation through the trees, checking sightlines and elevation changes. Bell kept rear watch, eyes sharp and bow ready.

Zane gave a grunt and rubbed the back of his neck. "I've had quieter days with fewer sharp things aimed at my head," he muttered.

Kai chuckled beside him. "At least the trees aren't trying to kill us. Yet."

Zane raised an eyebrow. "Don't jinx it."

They walked a few more steps in silence before Zane glanced sideways. "Y'know… it's good having you here, mate. Weird as hell, but good."

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Kai shrugged, his hands tucked behind his back, baseball bat strapped across his shoulder. "Didn't expect a 'bring your kid to the apocalypse' day either."

Zane snorted. "You're lucky. When I was your age, I was working double shifts just to keep the lights on."

"Try living on an oil rig for six weeks at a time," Kai replied, half-smirking. "Nothin' but salt air, steel grating, and the smell of sweat. And that's just the cafeteria."

Zane barked a laugh. "Bet the food was rubbish too."

"Oh, mate—ever had mystery meat stew served by a bloke named 'Bazza' with one eyebrow and a missing tooth? Every Thursday. Called it 'beef surprise.' The surprise was food poisoning."

Zane chuckled, shaking his head. "You ever think about quitting?"

Kai gave a small shrug. "Sometimes. But I liked the rhythm of it. Hard work, good money. Plus, no one asks you about your feelings when you're welding at thirty meters in a storm."

Zane gave a thoughtful grunt. "Could've used you back home a few times. Things got a bit... messy."

"I know, Dad," Kai said quietly. "I just didn't know how to come back. Thought you and Mum didn't need me, also I think I was running away from Mum's sickness.

Zane slowed slightly, turning to look his son in the eye. "We always need you. No matter how messy it gets."

Kai met his gaze. "I'm here now."

Zane nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Yeah. You are."

A short silence stretched between them—comfortable, this time. The kind that didn't need to be filled with words.

Then Zane cleared his throat, nudging Kai with an elbow. "So. This Bazza guy… did he make a mean cuppa at least?"

Kai grinned. "Mate, Bazza once served coffee so strong it could strip paint off a hull. But it did wake you up."

They both laughed, walking in sync again as the shadows of the forest deepened. Just ahead, Lily made a hand signal for them to stop.

Tarni crouched by a bend in the terrain.

Another lookout tower up ahead. Another chance to cut down the dungeon's numbers.

Another reminder that, no matter how weird this all was, they were in it together.

Dungeon Progress: 37/?? Monsters Defeated

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