The crack in the rock looked a lot less impressive up close, but the sensation radiating from it was… undeniable.

Lena stood at the base of the hillside, squinting at the narrow, shadowed gap. A draft breathed out from within. It wasn't the damp, moldy rot of a crypt, nor the dry dust of a ruin.

It was warm. Humid.

It smelled of ozone, musk, and something faintly sweet, like crushed fruit and heated iron.

"That's it?" she asked, adjusting the strap of her breastplate. "Your amazing, terrifying, dangerous dungeon?"

Tessa, the mage, adjusted her glasses. Her cheeks were already flushed, though the climb hadn't been that steep. She held a mana-detection crystal in one hand; it was vibrating violently.

"Don't look at the size, Lena," Tessa murmured, staring into the dark hole with dilated pupils. "Look at the… density. The mana pouring out of there is thick. It feels… heavy."

She shivered, despite the heat.

Brin, the rogue, shifted his weight. He was the only one who looked miserable. "It feels like walking into a mouth," he muttered. "A mouth that hasn't brushed its teeth."

"It smells nice," Lena countered. She rolled her shoulders, the leather of her armor creaking. She was sweating already, a sheen of moisture gathering on her collarbone. She liked the heat. It kept her muscles loose.

"Recording token active," Tessa said, her voice dropping an octave as she tuned into the magic. "The Guild—and the Authority—will see everything we feel. I mean, see."

"Right," Lena grinned. She drew her sword. It was a heavy, two-handed slab of steel that she handled like a switch. "Let's go see if this baby dungeon knows how to play rough."

She stepped into the dark.

Deep below, Reed felt the penetration.

It was a distinct, electric shiver that started at the very tip of his entrance tunnel and rolled all the way down to the Core Chamber.

"Oh," he exhaled, his voice vibrating in the quiet room. "They're in."

He was currently seated on his stone bed. Luma was, for lack of a better word, draped over him. She was sitting behind him, her slime-body molded against his back like a wet, heated backpack, her chin resting on his shoulder. Her arms were wrapped around his chest, and he could feel her heartbeat, or whatever rhythmic pulse she had, thumping against his spine.

"Are they nice?" Luma whispered right into his ear. Her breath was moist and sweet. "Do they look… squishy?"

"They look armed," Reed said, trying to focus on the holographic projection in front of him.

[INTRUDERS DETECTED]

Designation:

– Lena (Warrior – F): High vitality. Likes to hit things.

– Tessa (Mage – F): High sensitivity. Likes to watch.

– Brin (Rogue – M): High anxiety. Just wants to go home.

Grika was pacing in the center of the room. She had oiled her skin for "aerodynamics," which meant she was glistening under the violet light of the Core. Her denim shorts seemed to have lost another inch of fabric since yesterday, and her leather top was straining valiantly against physics.

"Fresh meat," Grika said, cracking her knuckles. She picked up her massive wrench and slapped the flat of it against her palm. Smack. Smack. "I'm gonna rattle their teeth."

"Remember the plan," Reed said, struggling to concentrate as Luma shifted her weight, her semi-liquid form squishing against his ribs. "We test them. We scare them. We do not kill them. We want them to come back."

"I'll make them remember me," Grika promised with a feral grin. "I'm heading to the ambush point."

She turned and jogged toward the corridor. The view from behind was… distracting.

"Good luck," Reed managed.

"Don't get too cozy with the puddle, Boss," Grika called back without looking. "She's leaking on your pants again."

Reed looked down. She was right.

"Luma," he sighed.

"I'm nervous!" she squeaked, tightening her hug. "The suspense is making me melt!"

Lena's first impression of the interior was that the floor was alive.

It wasn't moving, exactly, but it felt… responsive. The stone was smooth, almost polished, but beneath her boots, she swore she could feel a low-frequency thrumming.

"Watch your step," Brin warned from behind. "Floor's uneven. Lots of… curves."

"It's deliberate," Tessa whispered. She had her hand pressed against the wall. "The walls are warm. It's like being inside a… well."

"A what?" Lena asked.

"A living organism," Tessa finished breathlessly. She pulled her hand back, rubbing her fingertips together. "The mana is reacting to my touch. It's… tingling."

They moved deeper. The corridor widened into a space that felt designed to be frustrating. The ceiling dipped low, forcing Lena to hunch slightly, emphasizing the cramped intimacy of the stone.

Suddenly, the floor shifted.

It wasn't a trap door. It was a caress.

A mound of stone swelled up under Lena's right boot, rolling smoothly like a muscle flexing. It threw her balance off. She stumbled, her heavy armor clattering.

"Whoa!" She planted a hand on the wall to steady herself.

"Contact!" Brin hissed, daggers out.

"I'm fine," Lena growled. "The floor just… bucked."

From the darkness ahead, a low, throaty laugh echoed.

"Careful, big girl," a voice purred. "You're heavy. You might hurt the floor if you fall that hard."

Lena straightened up, eyes narrowing. She raised her sword.

"Show yourself," she commanded.

Grika stepped into the light of Tessa's staff.

The adventurers froze. They were expecting a goblin. A screechy, scrawny, ankle-biting creature.

What they got was Grika.

She stood with one hip cocked, resting the head of her massive wrench on her shoulder. The torchlight gleamed off her oiled green skin, highlighting the definition of her abs and the curve of her thighs. She adjusted her goggles, looking Lena up and down with a predatory smirk.

"Well," Grika said, her eyes lingering on Lena's breastplate. "Nice packaging. Let's see if there's anything solid underneath."

Lena blinked. "Did that goblin just check me out?"

"I believe so," Tessa whispered. "Fascinating."

"I'm not a goblin," Grika corrected. "I'm the goblin. Name's Grika. I'm the engineer. And you're trespassing in my workshop."

She pointed the wrench at them.

"Rule number one: Don't touch my tools. Rule number two: Try to keep up."

She moved.

Up in the Core Chamber, Reed winced.

"She's taunting them," he muttered. "She's antagonizing the woman with the giant sword."

"She's playing!" Luma said happily, resting her chin on Reed's head now, her slime-hair dripping slightly onto his nose. "Grika loves playing rough."

Reed focused on the connection to the dungeon. He could feel the adventurers' locations like pressure points in his mind. He could feel Lena's heavy boots, Brin's light steps, Tessa's magical resonance.

It felt… weirdly invasive. And weirdly good.

"I need to help her," Reed said. "Grika's tough, but that warrior hits like a truck."

He closed his eyes, visualizing the corridor. He reached out with his mind, grabbing the stone floor around the adventurers.

Nudge.

The fight was a blur of motion and sparks.

Lena swung her greatsword in a horizontal arc—a "cleave" meant to force enemies back.

Grika didn't retreat. She dropped.

She hit the floor in a split, the blade whistling inches over her head. In the same motion, she kicked out, her heavy boot slamming into Lena's shin guard.

Clang.

"Too slow!" Grika laughed. She used the momentum to roll backward, popping up onto her feet.

Lena grunted, annoyed. "Slippery little…"

She lunged forward, committing her weight to a thrust.

That was when Reed interfered.

The floor under Lena's back foot suddenly turned spongy. The stone softened for just a second, grabbing her heel like a suction cup.

"What the—?!"

Lena's momentum carried her forward, but her foot stayed stuck. She flailed.

Grika saw the opening. She didn't strike with the wrench. She used her body.

She launched herself at the off-balance warrior. Grika wrapped her arms around Lena's waist and hooked her legs around Lena's thigh, driving her shoulder into the warrior's midsection.

Crunch.

They went down together in a tangle of limbs and armor.

"Oof!" Lena hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her.

Grika was on top instantly. She pinned Lena's sword arm with her knee and grabbed the warrior's collar, pulling her face close.

"Gotcha," Grika whispered.

Lena struggled, but the goblin was incredibly dense and strong. And—Lena couldn't help but notice—very warm. The goblin's bare thighs were clamped around her armor, and the heat radiating off her was intense.

"Get off me!" Lena wheezed, thrashing.

"Make me," Grika grinned. She shifted her weight, grinding her knee into Lena's bicep. "You're strong. I like that. But you're clumsy."

Brin appeared from the shadows, dagger flashing toward Grika's exposed back.

"Get off her!"

The dungeon reacted again.

A stone pillar near Brin suddenly bulged. It expanded outward like a belly inhaling, shoving the rogue sideways. He stumbled, his dagger scraping harmlessly against Grika's wrench as she blocked behind her back without even looking.

"Two on one?" Grika tsked, looking down at Lena. "Rude."

She hopped off Lena, doing a backflip to put distance between them. She landed in a crouch, chest heaving, sweat glistening on her skin.

"Okay," Lena said, scrambling up. Her face was flushed red. She looked at Grika, then at the floor, then back at Grika. "Okay. You want to play? Let's play."

Tessa, meanwhile, was standing near the wall, completely unbothered by the violence. She had her hand pressed against a pulsing vein of ore in the rock.

"The dungeon is protecting her," Tessa murmured, eyes wide. "Every time we attack, the room shifts. It's… protective. Possessive, even."

She licked her lips.

"I wonder what else it does if you touch the right spot."

The skirmish lasted another few minutes. It was messy, physical, and surprisingly non-lethal.

Grika used the terrain to run circles around them. Reed used the terrain to trip, nudge, and occasionally grope the adventurers with stone bumps to keep them off balance.

Finally, Lena managed to land a solid shield bash that sent Grika skidding back.

Grika HP: 100 → 72 (Bruised)

"Okay!" Grika shouted, holding up a hand. She wiped a bit of blood from her lip and grinned. It was a terrifyingly happy look. "Time out."

Lena paused, sword raised. She was panting heavily, sweat dripping from her nose. Her armor was scuffed, and there was a distinct, muddy boot print on her breastplate.

"Time out?" Lena asked incredulously. "We're fighting."

"We were sparring," Grika corrected. "If I wanted you dead, the ceiling would have eaten you five minutes ago. Boss, you wanna say hello?"

The room went quiet.

Then, the walls hummed.

It wasn't a mechanical sound. It was a deep, resonant vibration that seemed to come from everywhere at once. It vibrated in their chests. It vibrated in their teeth.

"Hello."

The voice was deep, smooth, and felt like warm velvet wrapping around them.

Tessa gasped and dropped her staff. "It speaks."

"Hi," Reed's voice echoed. He was trying to sound authoritative, but with Luma currently nibbling on his ear in the Core Chamber, it came out a little… strained. "I'm Reed. You've met Grika. She's… spirited."

Lena lowered her sword slowly. She looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"You're the dungeon?" she asked.

"I am," Reed replied. "And I'd prefer we didn't make a mess of the floor. Grika just swept."

"You tried to trip me," Lena accused, though there was no real heat in it. She was still buzzing from the adrenaline.

"I tried to catch you," Reed corrected smoothly. "You were falling. I just… provided friction."

Brin sheathed his daggers, looking extremely uncomfortable. "It's watching us. I can feel it watching us."

"I see everything in my domain," Reed purred—accidentally channeling a bit too much Maira energy. "Every step. Every heartbeat. Every drop of sweat."

Tessa shivered violently. "Oh my."

"Look," Reed continued, trying to dial it back before Tessa fainted. "Here's the deal. You guys are rookies. I'm new. We can kill each other, which is messy and ends with everyone sad. Or… you can take the chest in the corner, leave, and come back when you're stronger."

He pulsed his mana. In the corner of the room, a stone panel slid open with a wet shhh-luck sound. Inside sat a small wooden chest.

"Think of it as a… sample," Reed said. "First taste is free."

Lena looked at the chest, then at Grika, who was leaning on her wrench and winking.

"You're letting us go?" Lena asked.

"I'm inviting you to return," Reed said. "Bring friends. Bring better gear. Grika gets bored easily. She needs… stimulation."

Grika laughed. "He means I need punching bags. But sure, stimulation works."

Lena stared at the goblin for a long moment. Then, slowly, a grin spread across her face. She sheathed her sword.

"You're weird," Lena said. "But you're not boring."

She walked over to the chest and popped it open. Potions. A few mana crystals. Solid loot for a ten-minute romp.

"All right, Reed," Lena said, looking up at the ceiling. "We'll take the deal. But next time? I'm not holding back."

"I'm counting on it," Reed replied.

Tessa retrieved her staff, looking reluctant to leave. She ran her hand along the wall one last time.

"We'll be back soon," she whispered to the stone. "Very soon."

Brin was already halfway out the door. "We are leaving. Now. Before the walls start hitting on us again."

As the adventurers retreated down the corridor, Reed slumped back on his bed.

[FIRST INCURSION COMPLETE]

Result: Survival.

Status: All parties alive.

Reputation Gained: "The Teasing Tomb."

"The Teasing Tomb?" Reed groaned. "System, are you serious?"

Grika walked back into the Core Chamber a moment later. She was limping slightly, but she looked exhilarated. She tossed her wrench onto a pile of scrap.

"That," she declared, "was fun."

She walked over to Reed. Luma was still attached to his back, humming happily.

Grika leaned in, placing a hand on Reed's knee. Her palm was hot.

"You did good with the floor, Boss," she said softly. "That trip you did on the warrior? Nasty. I liked it."

She looked up at him, eyes hooded.

"You were watching the whole time, huh?"

"I have to monitor the dungeon," Reed said, trying to sound professional while sandwich-ed between a goblin and a slime.

"Sure," Grika smirked. She gave his knee a squeeze. "Next time, zoom in a little closer. I put on a show for a reason."

Luma piped up from behind him. "I watched too! Grika, you were so bouncy!"

Grika laughed and patted Luma's slime-arm. "Thanks, puddle. Now, get off the Boss. I need him to look at my wrench. I think I dented it on that lady's head."

"Aww," Luma pouted, but she detached with a loud, wet suction noise that made Reed shudder.

He stood up, brushing slime off his tunic and trying to ignore the heat lingering in his body.

He looked at the Core. The crystal was pulsing rapidly, fueled by the excitement of the battle and the lingering mana of the adventurers.

It felt alive. It felt hungry.

And somewhere in the back of his mind, Reed knew this was only going to get weirder.

"Okay," he said, clapping his hands. "Good fight. Great hustle. Now… who wants to help me figure out how to explain this to the Demon Maid when she gets here?"

Grika's grin vanished. "Oh right. Her. I'll be in my workshop. Breaking things."

She fled.

Reed sighed, looking at Luma, who was happily vibrating on the floor.

"Just you and me, kid," he said.

Luma beamed. "Can I sit on your lap again?"

"Maybe later," Reed said. "Maybe later."

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