Tolu knocked on Ore’s door.
After a moment, it opened.
" Tolu?"
"Can I come in?"
Ore stepped aside.
"Sure."
Tolu entered and followed her into her room. She had been sorting through her belongings when he arrived, but she set them aside and sat down.
"You look like you’re thinking about something."
Tolu smiled faintly.
"I am."
Ore raised an eyebrow.
"What happened?"
Tolu sat across from her.
"You remember the Mirefangs we brought back?"
"How could I forget?"
Ore laughed.
"You nearly killed yourself dragging them back."
"They’re in the dungeon now."
Ore’s smile faded slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"The dungeon restored them."
She stared at him.
"Already?"
Tolu nodded.
"All three. And the one we fought before them."
Ore was silent for a moment.
"So the dungeon really is getting stronger."
"Yes."
Tolu leaned back.
"And that’s not all."
Ore waited.
"The Dungeon Heart told me that a dungeon war is coming."
Ore’s eyes widened.
"A dungeon war?"
Tolu nodded.
"Two dungeons fighting over territory and resources."
"And yours is going to be involved?"
"Apparently."
Ore frowned.
"How long do we have?"
"I don’t know."
Tolu’s expression became serious.
"But there’s something else."
He explained what the Dungeon Heart had told him about his intelligence affecting the dungeon’s growth and the possibility of the opposing dungeon being stronger than expected.
Ore listened without interrupting.
When he finished, she slowly exhaled.
"So we’re going to fight another dungeon."
"Eventually."
"Eventually?"
Tolu nodded.
"But I’m not planning to wait until the war starts before preparing."
Ore crossed her arms.
"What are you planning?"
Tolu hesitated.
"I went back to the guild and asked Tobi about the creatures around here."
Ore leaned forward.
"And?"
"There are Level Two creatures."
Her expression immediately changed.
"Level Two?"
"Yes."
Tolu pulled out the small notebook Tobi had given him.
"I’ve been studying them."
Ore looked at the notebook.
"You’re thinking about hunting one."
"I’m thinking about getting one."
Ore stared at him.
"Getting one?"
"Into the dungeon."
She shook her head.
"Tolu, we barely survived three Mirefangs."
"I know."
"And those were Level One."
"I know."
"Then why are you talking about fighting something stronger?"
"I’m not."
Ore paused.
"What?"
"I’m not planning to fight it."
Tolu opened the notebook.
"I want to study its territory and movement patterns. Then I’ll build a trap."
Ore looked at him for several seconds.
"You want to trap a Level Two creature?"
"Yes."
"With what?"
"I don’t know yet."
Tolu smiled.
"That’s what I’m trying to figure out."
Ore sighed.
"You’re insane."
"Probably."
She looked at the notebook again.
"But if it works..."
"We’d have a Level Two creature inside the dungeon."
Ore became quiet.
She understood the significance.
The dungeon wasn’t just gaining numbers anymore.
It was gaining strength.
She blinked.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Ore looked away.
"Don’t make me regret it."
Tolu smiled.
"I won’t."
Ore stood.
"Then if you’re really doing this, I’m helping."
Tolu looked at her.
"You don’t have to."
"I know."
She grabbed her bow.
"But if you’re going after something that can kill us, someone needs to make sure your brilliant plan doesn’t end with you becoming its dinner."
Tolu laughed.
"Fair enough."
Ore smiled.
"Now tell me which creature you’re thinking about."
Tolu opened the notebook again.
"There’s a wolf."
Ore sighed.
"Of course there is."
Tolu spread the notebook across Ore’s table.
The page containing the Ironfang Wolf was open between them.
Ore leaned closer.
"So this is the one you want?"
Tolu nodded.
"The leader."
He pointed to the description.
"It stays with its pack most of the time. If I can separate it from them, dealing with one will be much easier than fighting thirty."
Ore frowned.
"You’re assuming it’ll leave its pack."
"That’s why I have three plans."
Ore looked at him.
"Three?"
Tolu smiled.
"Three."
He held up a finger.
"Plan one. Bait."
Ore immediately shook her head.
"Us?"
"No."
Tolu pointed at the notebook.
"Something the pack already hunts. We find an animal, injure it without killing it, then leave a trail leading away from the territory."
Ore frowned.
"The leader might follow it."
"That’s the idea."
"But what stops the rest of the pack from following?"
Tolu hesitated.
"Nothing."
Ore gave him a look.
"Then it’s not a very good plan."
Tolu sighed.
"It’s simple, though."
"Simple doesn’t mean good."
He nodded and moved to the second idea.
"Plan two. We use the pack itself."
Ore raised an eyebrow.
Tolu pointed at the map.
"We observe them first. If the leader regularly leaves the territory to patrol, we identify the route."
"And then?"
"We place the trap along that route."
Ore considered it.
"That sounds better."
"It doesn’t require us to lure it."
"Exactly."
"But we’d need to spend several days watching them."
Ore nodded.
"And we’d have to get close enough to observe them without being noticed."
Tolu smiled.
"That’s where you come in."
Ore stared at him.
"Of course."
She sighed.
"I’m starting to regret agreeing to this."
Tolu ignored her and pointed to the third plan.
"Plan three is the risky one."
"Of course it is."
"We deliberately provoke the pack."
Ore’s expression immediately hardened.
"No."
"You haven’t heard the rest."
"I don’t need to."
Tolu laughed.
"We don’t attack them. We make them chase us."
"That’s still attacking them."
"Not exactly."
He pointed toward the edge of the territory.
"We lead them toward a prepared area. The pack follows, but we keep moving until the leader breaks away to chase whoever it thinks is the easiest target."
Ore stared at him.
"And then?"
"The trap."
She folded her arms.
"And what happens when the other twenty wolves don’t politely stop chasing us?"
Tolu went quiet.
Ore smiled.
"Exactly."
Tolu scratched his head.
"That’s why it’s the third plan."
"It’s the worst plan."
"I know."
They both looked at the notebook.
Ore tapped the second plan.
"This one."
Tolu looked at her.
"You think it’s the best?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because we’re not relying on the wolf being stupid."
She pointed at the page.
"We watch it. Learn its habits. Find out where it goes. Then we prepare the trap before it ever knows we’re there."
Tolu nodded slowly.
"The problem is time."
"Then we take our time."
She looked at him seriously.
"We don’t need to kill it on our first attempt."
Tolu smiled.
"You’re right."
Ore pushed the notebook back toward him.
"Besides, you said the dungeon war is coming."
She stood and stretched.
"There’s no point getting a Level Two creature if we die trying to get it."
Tolu laughed.
"Fair."
He closed the notebook.
"Then we’ll start by watching the pack."
Ore nodded.