A few hours earlier, on the outskirts of Trison.
“Is everyone ready?” Alistair asked as they stood before a deep-blue portal.
“It’s a C-Tier dungeon; we can do this!” Duncan said confidently.
“With these new items Corvin got us, we will clear this without issues!” Ronan agreed.
“You two have certainly changed after meeting Corvin. No more, sir this, sir that,” Anne teased.
Alistair stared at them and sighed. “We all signed that damn contract with the bastard. We are all equals now, but don’t push it,” he muttered.
“Darian, how about you? Scared?” Anne nudged him, making him blush.
“Not scared. We need to get stronger,” Darian answered simply.
“You are right. I don’t have much time either,” Anne sighed.
Alistair walked up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, staring into her eyes. “I promised, way before Corvin came along, that I would find a way. I still stand by that. Pope be damned, you will not end up like that!” Alistair said sternly.
“Yeah, I guess we shall see.” She shrugged and forced a smile.
“Let’s go. We need to do this efficiently. I don’t want to hear him complain that we left money lying on the ground.” She smiled and walked through the portal.
Always Corvin this, Corvin that. Why does everyone gravitate toward that damn weirdo? Alistair grumbled inwardly as he followed Anne, the others close behind.
***
They appeared within a dimly lit corridor that was five meters tall and just as wide.
It was made of what looked like black tile and brick, and every few meters, a simple torch was lodged into the wall.
“Oh, great, it’s tight and dark and smells like sweat and dirt,” Alistair complained as they all arrived.
“I washed myself last night,” Darian said, concerned, making Duncan and Ronan burst into laughter.
“Shush, you two idiots. Didn’t Corvin tell us to always be quiet in dungeons?” Anne hissed as she clutched her staff more tightly.
“Apologies…” the duo muttered.
“Let’s go and be careful!”
Alistair took the lead position with Duncan and Darian next to him, while Ronan and Anne stayed a bit farther back, with Ronan positioned more toward the middle.
As they walked forward on guard, a sudden click sounded beneath Alistair’s foot, followed by the sound of stone grinding against stone.
“Duck!” Alistair shouted as everyone threw themselves to the ground and rows of arrows swished above their heads.
“Oh great, it’s booby-trapped…” Anne sighed as she stood, brushing dirt from her white cloak.
“Apologies for that. I’ll be more careful.” Alistair grew serious and unsheathed his blade.
He started swinging it as he moved, trying to detect any traps earlier.
“Uhm, Alistair.” Darian suddenly called out.
“What is it now?” Alistair asked, annoyed.
Darian suddenly grew a large two-meter-long bone javelin from his palm.
“Here, take this.” Darian offered the bone javelin.
Alistair stared at the long, sharpened bone and grabbed it. “Thanks. You really are versatile, huh? Truly a Unique Icon.”
“No problem.” Darian smiled simply and waited for Alistair to continue.
Duncan gave him a thumbs-up and followed Alistair, who now, with the longer reach, started testing the floor and walls for any traps.
***
They walked for twenty minutes, avoiding trap floors and spears flying from the walls until they reached a large chamber with nothing inside but rows of torches all around it and another corridor on the opposite side.
“Be careful, Alistair. This is usually when something attacks,” Anne warned.
“I know, Anne. Calm down, will you?” Alistair scoffed.
Does she think I’m inferior to that demon? I’ve led them for a year now, damn it. He frowned and stepped into the chamber, yet nothing happened.
“See? It’s fine. Let’s go.” He smiled proudly and continued forward.
Darian and Duncan followed on guard, while Anne and Ronan brought up the rear.
They moved slowly, and once they passed the halfway point of the chamber, a thick, eerie green barrier sealed all the exits, and dozens of skeletal hands burst from the ground.
“Damn it, everyone into position!” Alistair shouted.
Duncan jumped to the back, raising a green shield-like barrier around everyone and positioning himself in front of Anne and Ronan, who cast Protection and Strengthen.
Darian, on the other hand, grew armor over his body and sprouted bone blades that became coated in liquid iron, an effect of his new gloves.
He then joined Alistair, who activated Mana Blade and took a fighting stance.
The skeletons burst through the ground quickly, all holding simple iron swords and clicking their rotten teeth.
Then, without any planning or hesitation, all twenty-three lunged forward, slashing wildly.
“Stay calm; they are only Skeleton Warriors!” Alistair shouted and cleaved one in half with his shining blade.
Darian’s body shone crimson as his muscles bulged and he started slashing like a wild beast.
Each strike of his four iron-strengthened bone blades shattered bones and even broke weapons with ease.
Seeing how smoothly it was going, Darian dove deeper into the swarm, kicking with his plated shins and striking with spiked elbows, each blow eliminating a skeleton.
In the back, Duncan bashed with his shield and pierced with his new sword whenever he could, while Ronan cast Slowness and Feeble, allowing Anne to simply send Fireballs and torch the mindless monsters into ashes.
And those who managed to break through Duncan’s defenses were stabbed by Ronan using the new blade Corvin had bought for him at the auction.
***
“That was easy!” Duncan laughed as the last skeleton fell.
“Well, aren’t they always?” Ronan asked.
“Skeletons are easy to deal with. It’s only their numbers that are a problem, but there are stronger skeletons than these. Stay on guard!” Alistair warned.
They gathered the simple cores left behind when the skeletons broke apart and continued through another corridor, Alistair once again using Darian’s bone javelin to search for traps.
Like that, they cleared skeletons and bypassed traps.
And as they went deeper, the skeletons became stronger.
Skeleton Archers, Ice Mages, and Fire Mages appeared, but all were dealt with easily enough thanks to Darian taking on the role of both tank and damage dealer, helping lessen the burden on Duncan and Alistair.
“Darian, you are controlling your strength better, and your instincts are getting sharper. Keep it up!” Alistair nodded approvingly.
Darian nodded and smiled. “Thank you.”
“Well then, the boss is in the next room by the looks of things. Let’s finish this, and as you remember, don’t break the core just yet!” Alistair warned.
“Yes, we know. Corvin said so,” Duncan nodded.
Alistair frowned. Corvin, Corvin...
They all entered the final enormous chamber, at the center of which a skeletal knight knelt as if praying before a massive greatsword.
As the knight noticed them enter, its eyes lit up green. It rose to its feet, grasped the greatsword, and raised it high.
As it did, a thick pale-green light emerged from the blade, and a ghastly steed appeared, neighing and stomping hooves wreathed in emerald flames.
“Holy shit, that looks crazy!” Ronan gasped.
“Imagine being able to summon a horse like that!” Duncan said in awe.
“Enough nonsense, let’s go!” Alistair shouted and dove in with Chasing Light while Ronan cast enchantments over everyone.
Darian and Duncan followed as well, lunging forward with the power of their enhanced bodies.
Meanwhile, Anne summoned Magic Missiles and unleashed dozens of violet flame-like projectiles that descended upon the knight.
The knight parried some and allowed the rest to strike him while he jumped onto his steed and urged it forward, charging toward Alistair and the group.
Alistair activated Mana Weave: Blaze, and his blade erupted with crimson flames.
He dodged the incoming charge and slashed into the horse’s flank.
The burning blade passed through the steed as if striking a phantom, and the knight twisted his upper body unnaturally before slashing at Alistair.
Alistair raised his blade to parry but was smashed into the ground, his armor creaking under the force of the strike.
In the meantime, Duncan charged with his shield raised and threw himself in front of Alistair, blocking the following downward slash.
“Slowness! Feeble! Weak Mind!” Ronan shouted while Anne prepared another spell, and Darian punched forward, sending iron-coated bone blades flying at high speed and striking the knight across his armor-covered hollow chest.
The knight turned and screamed, a high-pitched, soul-shaking screech, before urging his steed to charge at Darian.
Darian grew serious and grew bone shells over his fists, making them heavy and armored while iron spread over them.
He smashed his fists together and leapt high to meet the Skeleton Knight head-on.
The knight spun his upper body several times, using the momentum to deliver a horizontal slash at Darian.
Darian punched forward, parrying the strike in midair.
He then vaulted over the blade and over the knight himself before driving a punch downward, sending the knight flying off his horse.
“Anne, now!” Alistair shouted as he slashed forward, releasing a massive arc of flame from his blade while Anne cast Cinder Chains, binding and setting the dazed skeleton ablaze.
Alistair’s attack struck the skeleton directly, melting its right arm away, while the ghastly steed neighed and charged toward its master.
BOOM!
The steed exploded in a surge of eerie spectral mana that flowed into the knight, shattering Anne’s chains.
“What the hell?!” Anne shouted. “Watch out, a C-Rank boss should not be able to break those so easily,” she warned.
The knight rose, holding his blade in his remaining arm, now burning with green flames, and slashed at Alistair, sending emerald-burning skulls flying toward him and Duncan.
Duncan raised his barrier and shield just as the skulls struck and exploded into pillars of emerald fire.
Seeing this, Darian roared, his body growing another head taller while exoskeletal armor sprouted over him, making him look like a wrathful titan.
“Bone Titan’s Aegis!” Darian roared and activated a skill Anne was seeing for the first time.
As his armor grew and connected through thick, almost diamond-like ligaments, his forearms extended into saw-like blades, each as long as his arms.
He slashed with his blades and charged.
Around him, a crimson veil emerged as he drove a punch into the ghastly knight.
The knight parried the first strike, raising his greatsword in a shield-like manner before gracefully lifting it above his head and slashing fiercely downward.
Darian attempted to parry with the bone blade on his left arm, but the greatsword cut through it cleanly and left a deep wound across his chest.
Fortunately, the exoskeleton protected him from any serious damage.
“Aaaaaaah! It hurts!” Darian screamed, and his eyes turned pure white. “NO! MORE! PAIN!” He roared.
A visible shockwave rippled from his jaws as he did, and he started slamming his fists into the knight.
His broken blade regrew as he attacked, each punch resembling a sword thrust.
The knight released ghastly flames in defense, but Darian did not care.
He continued forward, relentlessly battering the knight.
Bone and armor flew through the air while the knight carved into Darian, whose armor grew thicker the more rage filled him.
Like that, only minutes later, the knight fell, leaving behind a pile of broken bones and shattered armor alongside his blade.
Darian continued punching at empty air for a few moments before finally collapsing.
Ronan rushed over and cast Heal, then hurried to check on Duncan and Alistair, who were covered in soot with parts of their hair burned away.
Despite that, they were somehow fine.
“Well, that escalated quickly, huh?” Duncan muttered.
“No shit, Duncan!” Alistair ground his teeth. Saved by someone else again. Fuck!