Dirga stirred awake after just three hours of sleep.
His body felt sore, but surprisingly refreshed — like every cell in his blood knew danger was still nearby. He sat up, eyes adjusting quickly to the dim orange glow from the Eye in the sky, and glanced at the others.
They were still asleep — Saelari’s silver-white braid curled around her like a ribbon, Theryn’s sharp senses dulled for once, and Kaela breathing softly, curls framing her calm face.
They deserve more rest... but we don’t have time.
One more hour. That was all he could afford them.
Sixty minutes later, Dirga moved with purpose.
He crouched beside them, gently nudging each girl awake.
"Time to move," he said simply.
One by one, they stirred. Groggy, but aware — a shared look passed among them. They knew they weren’t safe yet.
As they stepped outside the camouflaged tent, Saelari whispered an incantation. The structure shimmered and folded in on itself like a collapsing illusion — shrinking down into a small rune-marked backpack, which she handed back to Dirga.
Dirga took it, still blinking. "You... made this vanish?"
Saelari grinned. "It’s a multiversal compression bag. My people make these — it’s one of the hottest products in our world. Everything we do is based on runes."
"Yeah. We harvest ambient power from the multiverse, convert it into rune sequences, and anchor them into objects. bag."
Dirga squinted. "Multiverse power... so the energy I use is that too?"
Saelari nodded. "Yours is different, more direct. But yeah, you absorb multiversal energy and convert it into something else — your own form of force."
Dirga narrowed his eyes, gears turning. So... the ’Karma Point’ system Sasa gave me is one way of using this energy. Runes must be another...
He felt a headache coming. What he really needed was a damn book — a guide to how all this worked.
That night, around the soft amber glow of the lamp, the girls told him more.
They confirmed what Dirga had feared — yes, this was Hell. The First Floor.
According to them, the universe — or rather, the multiverse — was layered like a great tower. The middle realm held countless worlds and dimensions. Above them lay the Nine Floors of Heaven, and below... the Nine Floors of Hell.
The First Floor, where they were now, was essentially "open land" — a free-roam level where beings from all planes could interact, trade, fight, and survive. The deeper levels grew more intense, but the First Floor? It was a playground of madness.
Dirga listened carefully, absorbing every word.
They also talked about the Tournament — the one Dirga had heard about from Sasa. An event that happened once every hundred years, hosted by the Asura known as the Ace of Diamond, in the hell-city called Ortheva.
"I know that city," Saelari said. "That’s where the tournament is held. A thousand participants total — 800 are invited, and 200 more fight their way in through a qualifying tournament. Only the strongest make it in."
Dirga frowned slightly. "I already got my invite."
The three girls blinked, impressed. Even Theryn raised a brow.
"Well then," Kaela said softly. "Looks like we’re traveling with someone important."
Later, as they prepared to move out again, Dirga eyed their tattered clothes.
The fabric was worn thin, dirty, and too revealing — especially Kaela’s, whose figure attracted trouble even in moments of silence, in one way she have the asset a big asset.
"You guys need proper clothes," Dirga muttered.
Theryn turned her head, golden eyes locked on his. "Your eyes," she said.
Then she raised a hand, fingers curling slightly — and the black leaves from nearby trees started trembling. Within seconds, they swirled toward her like a summoned wind, wrapping around the three girls in elegant motion.
When the leaf-woven garments were done wrapping them, each woman stood in seamless, organic-looking outfits — black and gray, protective yet lightweight, like armor shaped by the forest itself.
Theryn adjusted a strap over her shoulder. "This is better."
Dirga watched her for a moment, then turned away, muttering, "Yeah. Let’s keep moving."
They began walking through the thick forest under the blood-red Eye overhead. The trees creaked faintly. The wind carried whispers. Shadows stretched unnaturally long.
"So," Dirga asked casually, "you can control nature?"
Theryn nodded once. Not smug — just matter-of-fact.
Figures, Dirga thought. Elves and nature. Some things never change — even across worlds.
But to his surprise, the three women didn’t slow him down. They moved with practiced grace, even Kaela — light on her feet, eyes scanning. They weren’t helpless. At the very least, they had the basics of survival and exploration down.
"Where are we going?" Kaela asked, her golden eyes flickering uneasily.
"To a castle," Dirga replied. "Not far. I saw it when I climbed that massive tree back there. It’s the only major landmark nearby. Could be a vantage point... or something useful."
Kaela seemed unsettled. Her eyes flicked to Theryn, who answered before she could speak.
"This forest is called The Dusk," she said softly. "Some say there’s a devil’s castle hidden deep inside. No one who goes there ever returns."
"Yeah, well," Dirga shrugged. "No one ever said surviving Hell would be easy. We don’t have many options — and I’d rather check than wander blind."
Theryn didn’t argue. "Let’s be careful then. That place is a no-go for most travelers."
Dirga nodded. "Works for me."
They continued deeper into the woods. The air grew thicker, denser. Every breath carried the scent of damp bark and something metallic — blood, maybe. Distant howls echoed once or twice.
Dirga’s instinct twitched. Dirga use gravity sensing
We’re being followed.
Without a word, the Crimson Core shifted in his grip — ten short daggers materializing in the air around him. He didn’t even break stride.
The blades launched with a soft fwip into the trees at three angles.
One of them struck true.
A goblin scout dropped from a branch, dead before it hit the ground — its crude dagger clattering beside it.
"Stop," Dirga said, sharp.
"What is it?" Saelari asked, alert.
Theryn stepped beside him, crouching by the corpse. "A scout," she confirmed grimly.
Dirga inspected it. He wasn’t sure what tipped him off — the sigils carved into the goblin’s crude armor, or the scent of blood and ash that clung to it like a signature — but something clicked.
Kaela’s voice trembled as she stepped forward. "It’s the same."
Dirga turned. "Same as what?"
"The same subordinate of that... legendary goblin," she whispered. "The one who... took us."
Her face had gone pale.
Dirga’s jaw clenched.
If that was true, then this wasn’t just a random scout. Someone was actively tracking them. And if they caught up...
It wouldn’t just be goblins.
Dirga stared out into the woods. The trees shifted with secrets. His daggers hovered behind him again, ready.
"Shit," he muttered. "Things just got more complicated."
I can fight. I can win.
But protecting them while doing it...? That’s a whole different battlefield.