Chapter 227


    ““Well, not much we can do, is there?” retorted another of similar age, “someone has to step up. Make up some excuse and forfeit.”


    “Someone, huh?”


    “Guys,” the soft voice of a third person, an equally young girl wearing long, light-colored robes, was easily overheard.


    “Well, I say the one who registered us on such a short notice and without asking beforehand should have the honor.”


    “Guys.”


    “You can talk, but have you seen the amount of people watching? No way, I can-”


    Guys!”


    “What?!” Finally, the girl managed to get through to the bickering boys.


    “Look,” she pointed and directed their attention towards yet another, the fourth and last, member of their group, “Over there, Annie found something.”


    “What did she find this time?” One of the boys asked, rolling his eyes. But as he turned around, “What the fuck!? What is that?”


    “How- When…?” The other boy was just as confused by what he saw.


    Huff Puff


    “What’s that thing, Annie?” asked the first boy to arrive.


    “No clue, Vik. Still trying to figure that out,” the girl answered without turning her attention away from the creepy stone structure, “But looks like a crypt to me.”


    “A crypt?” asked the other boy, who caught up just in time to hear Annie’s words, before he could inspect the building more closely himself. Then, just to make sure he and Vik hadn’t just imagined things, “How did we miss this thing before?”


    “Hm.”


    “What’s that supposed to mean?” The boy was clearly annoyed by this noncommittal answer.


    “Either way, doesn’t really matter right now. We still have to figure out what to do about this whole-”


    ““What are you doing?”


    “You can’t just-


    “Paul, Vik. Don’t just stand there. Help me,” Annie repeated.


    Without waiting for the two boys to react, Annie put her whole weight against the massive double doors. And finally managed to open them just wide enough to take a curious peek inside. What she saw caused her to momentarily hesitate.


    “I- I think there’s a dungeon in there!”


    “There aren’t any monsters. Right?”


    “Just come and look! There’s a portal in there. Now help me, will you?”


    The two boys shared a quick look before finally jumping into action; now all three pushed the doors until the gap had widened just enough for a person to pass through.


    And then they stared.


    “See? I told you there was a portal inside!” With that, Annie stepped through the door and into the dark interior.


    “


    ““I know, I know,” she replied. “But aren’t you guys curious? Don’t you want to see what’s on the other side?”


    “I mean, we don’t even know if it’s truly a dungeon,” Vik pointed out. “It could lead anywhere!”


    “Oh, please. What else could this be? Of course, it’s a dungeon portal,” Paul, the other boy, challenged.


    “Ooh? I didn’t realize we had an expert in our midst.”


    “Dude, I-”


    “Stop bickering already, you two,” Annie admonished. “I still think we should take a look. I mean, we can always turn around. Right? And we could broadcast all of it! Better than having to forfeit, no? Wasn’t that what you guys were so worried about?”


    “Both boys again looked at each other, more serious this time. And nodded.


    “Fine,” the boy conceded.


    “Whatever you say, boss,” Paul also agreed. “But in that case, I suggest we hurry. We should at least make sure how to use that crystal. Not sure what time it is exactly, but it should be about time for us.”


    “I’m already recording,” came the soft voice of the other girl, who, after she had caught up to the group, had remained silent.


    “Whaaat? Since when? This is live, no? People are watching? Quickly, we need to introduce ourselves! Otherwise, we might get disqualified! If we aren’t already.”


    “Quit panicking already! Boss, I think you should handle this.”


    Ahem


    “Hello! We are a group of four adventurers and explorers. I am Annie, the leader! And those here are-”


    “They don’t need to know that!”


    “Yeah, skip that part! Continue with the motto!”


    “What motto?” Irritated by the interruption, the girl turned towards one of the voices off-camera, where she saw someone mouthing the word N-O-V-E-L-T-Y.


    “Ever. I guess that’s pretty novel, huh?”


    “We might even be the first people ever to enter this dungeon!” added another voice, still secretly convinced this building, and therefore this portal, hadn’t been there just mere minutes earlier.


    “If this even is a dungeon in the first place!” Came again the reminder.


    ““What? Just like that? Don’t we need to discuss and prepare first?”


    “What’s there to discuss? You know what to do. Just do as we practiced! Go, go!”


    With that, the girl materialized her one-handed mace in her right, and a big, sturdy shield in her left. Then she turned around to face the portal, waited for a moment-to take a deep breath, to mentally prepare herself, and to give her teammates similar opportunity to ready themselves-, and then, with all the confidence she could muster, stepped forward and disappeared.


    She was then followed, first by a boy who was now carrying a bow, and then by another who had a big magic tome floating in front of him.


    She hesitated for a few seconds, and then also stepped forward.


    “


    In a matter of seconds, the confidence of the group’s leader had completely fallen apart. Everyone was either screaming, frantically looking around, or both.


    “Nissa! There you are.”


    The girl couldn’t even inquire what was going on before her name was called out; by now she too was scared without even knowing what was going on, just because of everyone else’s antics.


    “There is no exit! No- The portal leading outside. It… it’s missing!”


    “Surely it’s just hidden somewhere around here? Aren’t all dungeons supposed to have a way back out, right at the beginning?”


    “Bu- but! Doesn’t that just mean I was right?” Vik tried to convince himself just as much as everyone else, “that this isn’t a dungeon, I mean.”


    “


    ““As I said before, it doesn’t really matter if it’s a dungeon or not. We need to be careful, either way. Be ready for anything. So stay composed, you hear? So far, nothing has really changed!


    Now, everyone get into formation as we practiced and follow me. And don’t talk unless it’s important!”


    Only the two next pairs of torches could be made out in the darkness, and only the group’s steps and their breathing could be heard.


    Then past the second pair, maybe twenty meters later.


    By the third pair, the group’s steps had become lighter, their breathing more relaxed.


    By the fou-


    click


    Vik drew his bow. And Paul’s tome began to flip through its pages as if searching for just the right spell for this situation.


    But nothing else happened.


    Anxiously, the group waited, frozen in place, not daring to move even the slightest bit, afraid even to breathe.


    For a whole minute, they just stood there, nervous and unsettled, mental exhaustion quickly overcoming them.


    “Are you okay?” Annie finally asked, not daring to turn around.


    Three confirmations later, she let out a deep breath.


    “Any idea what that was?” This time, three negations.


    And so, unsure how to react in this situation, another minute passed.


    “I- You stay where you are. Don’t move, but be ready for anything. I’ll take a step and see what happens.”


    Somehow that would make the situation less nerve-wrecking. At least then, they knew what they had just triggered.


    As things stood, however, the group didn’t have much choice. All they could do now was to tremble in fear and continue forward.


    And there they stopped. Again. Afraid of having the situation from before repeat itself; afraid to step into a hidden trap.


    As thoroughly as they could in those lightning conditions, the group stopped and searched the ground for possible pressure plates. To no avail.


    Using some of Vik’s arrowheads, checking if those would trigger any hidden mechanism once they hit the ground before them, was similarly inconclusive.


    All the group could do was hold their breath and continue to sneak forward.


    From then on, their pace became even slower, the fear of that click sound still fresh in all of their mind.


    Only then did the group slowly relax, breathing a sigh of relief.


    ““Now we will find out whether this truly is a dungeon or not. Be ready for anything; stay behind me.”


    That said, the young woman at the front used her left shoulder to push against the obstacle in front of her.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.This time, unlike earlier, outside, the left wing she put her weight against opened with almost no resistance. Almost as if by itself, it swung wide open, revealing a well-lit, dusty, circular room.


    The whole room was entirely made out of stone featuring artistic, albeit morbid, engravings of skulls and bones arranged in strange patterns.


    And in the middle, the prominently placed, long awaited Sarcophagus.


    Bang


    As they had the predicted, the door hat slam shut behind them.


    Nissa, who had stayed behind the rest of the group the whole time, was now the closest to the entrance.


    Despite her better knowledge, the healer pushed and shook at the door.


    In vain, of course.


    ““Shut up! I swear once we’re out of here I will-”


    “Both of you, get a grip! Fan out and stay at a distance. Only I need to stay in melee range!


    Paul, ready some spell. Vik,” Annie was about to shout further instructions while still only a single skeletal hand had made it out of what should have been its final resting place, when a seldom heard voice interrupted her, “Annie!”


    “Wha- ”


    “Use that stuff! That oil. Quickly befor-”


    “Good thinking!”


    The next moment a small hexagonal shaped flask appeared in her hand.


    “Paul! Catch! It’s the only one we could afford, so make it count!”


    Secretly doubting something like a stat-increasing elixir could truly exist, the spellcaster of the group obediently uncorked the small flask his group leader has thrown him, and downed it.


    In the meantime, the girl had summoned another small bottle into her trembling hand, the red contents of which she was now dumping over the metal head of her mace. The moment the last drop was spilled, she discarded the bottle and once again materialized her shield in its stead.


    Blargh


    “You bastard!” Paul shouted as the tome in front of him flipped to one particular page, only one of two that wasn’t empty, in fact.


    The transparent image of an ever-shifting ball rose up from that page, where it hovered in place. With a pushing motion, Paul then reached out towards it, pushing it.


    Upon touching it, this template of a spell was filled with actual magic and turned into a blazing ball of fire which shot out in the direction he had motioned.


    But it was enough to make it stumble, just for an instant, as it was slowly raising its dull but heavy two-hander above its head.


    Just long enough for Annie to snap out of it and dodge backwards and evade the attack.


    At the same time, two other things happened.


    First, Annie felt a warm light washing over her, replenishing half of the health she had just lost.


    And secondly, Vik was unleashing a barrage of arrows upon the fearsome opponent.


    Out of the seven arrows fired, however, only four actually hit; the remaining ones flew straight through all the gaps in its body.


    The damage dealt so far seemed uncomfortably negligible. Still, this maneuver bought the group valuable seconds; Annie might be the group’s tank, but as she was yet to make a move, the skeleton’s attention was now shifting away from her.


    Which opened up an opportunity for her to activate one of her skills and swing her coated weapon in a wide arc towards the mindless monster’s spine.


    crack


    “Would cracking the spine of a magically moving skeleton be enough to paralyze it? Would a few broken bones be enough to stop it? Annie wasn’t exactly sure about those things. But she clearly did some damage.


    “It’s work-”


    Crack!


    “Arrows flew and missed, fireballs hit and seemed largely shaken off.


    This time around, the enemies’ attention stayed firmly on the reeling girl spitting blood.


    Despite all, she managed to raise her shield once again, and just in time.


    Though that alone would’ve been useless if it wasn’t for yet another healing spell revitalizing her at precisely that moment; an instant later, all the damage that had just been healed, and more, was already gone again.


    The skeleton, though somewhat sluggish, simply overpowered them.


    Annie’s defenses, even combined with Nissa’s healing, were not enough to resist their opponent for long.


    Nissa cast another healing spell, putting Annie back to maybe one fourth of her total health, quickly followed by the only other spell she knew, a small healing-over-time spell. That was all she could do before her mana pool was almost entirely exhausted.


    “


    “Then buy us time,” he therefore demanded.


    Paul understood where the [Archer] was coming and nodded in return, a gesture naturally lost in the midst of combat.


    One of his fireballs was still midair, as his tome began flipping again.


    This time, an elongated, triangular shape arose from the book.


    Again he put his magic into this shape. And the icicle flew forward. Not towards the target he himself had designated, but towards its feet.


    Where it dissipated impotently, not achieving anything.


    “Again!”


    “I know!”


    ‘Missed,’ Annie breathed a sigh of relief. That would buy them another two or three seconds until its next attack. ‘Unless it suddenly speeds up again!’


    She shook off this thought. If that was the case, they were already dead. No use even thinking about that possibility.


    Sidestepping the puddle underneath her, while gritting her teeth in pain, she quickly lashed out at the small wound she had left behind earlier.


    Then, making sure their enemies’ focus was still on her, she quickly jumped backwards, away and outside of its large attack radius. Keeping it focused on her while maintaining her distance, in her mind, was their only chance.


    Fush


    It, first, allowed Annie to put some more distance between them while slowly recovering her health.


    And secondly-


    Swoosh


    Clank


    ““Not enough! It’s not enough! Again!” The boys kept shouting.


    The energy consumption of Vik’s [Snipe] ability was immense, and so was its preparation time. And a hit, despite its name, was not actually guaranteed; repeating this feat would in no small parts come down to luck. At least its damage, if it did hit, was equally immense.


    That much was proven by the skeleton’s reaction; with one foot still frozen to the ground, its upper body now turned away from Annie and towards the [Archer].


    Trusting his mates, the latter again took aim. Five seconds. That’s how long he would be immobilized now that he was activating his [Snipe] skill again. If his group-members didn’t think of something, he would be done for.


    real battle at that-they hadn’t seen Vik’s attack coming. More importantly, they hadn’t seen its shift in aggro coming.


    After all, even she as a newbie knew that holy element healing skills such as hers were an every undead’s weak-point. And so, instead of topping up their tank’s health, she had opted to turn her healing-over-time regeneration spell into an attack aimed towards their adversary.


    And so it was left to Annie, after all, to pull the monster’s attention back onto her.


    Just like before, ignoring the impossible pain in her chest, the girl approached the skeleton from behind, activated her skill to take a large swing and-


    “


    With a healer’s sense of duty to keep their party alive and well, fully knowing that another healing spell of hers not only would be too late but also too little, the youngest of the group threw herself in front of her friend, absorbing the blow in her stead.


    “But it wasn’t enough; Annie took another hit.


    With the last strength she could muster before giving out herself, she flew into a fit of rage, using not only her mace but even her shield to strike and the foe towering above her.


    Which only further ensured that neither Vik nor Paul would ever manage to gain the skeleton’s attention and turn it away from their tank, who was just about to faint.


    “Move! Run,” sounded the desperate pleads again.


    “What are you doing?!” Pressing their attacks while desperately shouting, was all they could do as their lifeless opponent kept going after their friend, who was refusing-and at this point probably also unable-to move.


    Leaving behind only its crude weapon and a random assortment of loot.


    And a shimmering portal.


    Only when they finally did, the yelling began anew.


    ““Nissa! Get her out of here! I’m fine, just get Nissa! Please, be okay.”