"Alright, let's move." The knight that appears to be the leader of the group speaks, leading the group into the dark tunnel.
It has started.
"Tch! They'd better pay us well for this job," An adventurer with a gold tag scoffs, clicking his tongue as he looks around the dimly lit tunnel.
"Hm? What do you mean?" The mage adventurer walking beside him asks, also gaining the ears of the few adventurers within hearing range.
"Use your head for a sec. This dungeon wasn't here the last time we passed this way for a quest. That means it's new. And if it's new it means it hasn't been explored yet. Sure we'll be the first to any relevant treasure, but that also means we don't know what kind of monsters are here. For all we know, this place might truly be the home of high leveled demons like the rumors say, and if that's the case, we're screwed." He postulates, scratching the back of his neck lightly as he glances at the knights walking far ahead.
"Rumors?" The mage adventurer queries.
"Haven't you heard?" Another adventurer with gear that fits the warrior job class replies. "Apparently, there are rumors saying that the giant that attacked the square earlier headed in this direction, and some adventurers nearby claimed they saw it enter this place, along with a horde of monsters that used to stay in the forest."
"Whoa!"
"Yeah. Some people are even saying that giant might be the demon lord."
"That's just speculation. This thing used to be the floating isle right? Wasn't it supposed to be an SS-rank dungeon? Doesn't it seem weird that the knights are letting even gold class adventurers enter even though the created that annoying barrier around it before?" The gold class adventurer states, eyeing the knights as they moved ahead.
"It does seem weird. Maybe they needed the extra help?" The mage adventurer says.
"The order of knights has some really monstrous individuals that could probably take on an A-rank dungeon by themselves. Why would they send only six first and second class knights, and a few mages from the tower to take care of an SS-rank dungeon? Even if they say we're just 'scouting ahead', it still doesn't feel right."
"You think they might be up to something?" The mage adventurer asks, turning to gaze at the knights in front of them.
"I don't know. And as long as they pay me enough, I don't care."
A slab of earth is raised, as the group move further in, blocking their exit path.
"Tsk! I thought it was weird how there weren't any traps on the way in," The lead knight of the group mutters, watching their escape path close. Turning to the rest of the group he yells, "Stick close together and keep your guard up."
Slowly, the sounds of undead skeleton soldiers approaching grows louder. Soon, a multitude of undead soldiers blocks their path forward.
"Get in formation!" The lead knight yells, joining the other knights in forming a guard line before the mages from the tower, while the adventurers move up front to deal with the mass of skeleton soldiers.
"Just skeleton soldiers? We can handle this without even trying." One of the adventurers speaks, hitting down skeleton soldiers that approach in droves.
There was no need for interference from the knights, as the adventurers took care of all the undead soldiers.
"Good work," A second class knight says to the adventurers as they continue to move forward.
Groaning sounds begin to fill the tunnel as more undead soldiers start to get respawned.
"Don't relax. The second wave is coming." The lead knight states, tightening his grip upon seeing the enemies they would be facing.
"Wha-what is that?"
The group stares in awe at the undead soldiers that appeared. Unlike the last wave, they were bigger, more durable and wielded weapons and armor, with a few undead mages lined behind them.
Before the group could assume a defensive position, the undead mages begin to hurl attacks at the group with magic. A fire ball lands in the center of the group, causing them to scatter, followed by more consecutive elemental attacks.
"Crap! They can use elemental magic?" The gold class adventurer remarks, docking behind a stray rock.
"Mavena!" The lead knight exclaims, calling to tower mage behind him.
"Right!" She answers back, leading the other mages of the tower to activate a barrier spell, surrounding the knights, and protecting them from the magic attacks.
"Porisfa!" Gripping her staff, the tower mage called Mavena uses a spell to buff the physical abilities of all the knights around.
"Thanks," The lead knight states, moving forward with the other knights to clash swords with the undead soldiers in the fore front.
The knights of the group, along with a few adventurers manage to defeat a couple of the undead soldiers, but they stand up resurrected by spells cast by the undead mages behind them every time they are cut down.
Panting, a first class knight adds, "This isn't getting anywhere."
"We're just wasting stamina this way."
"We'll have to take down those mages first," Mavena gasps, using magic to quicken the steps of he knights.
"Alright," The lead knight sighs, taking a breath before turning to the adventurers. "You guys take care of the undead soldiers. We'll burst through and kill the mages.
After much hesitation derived from the difference in status and treatment between them, the adventurers finally give in and agree to the plan. It was clear that the adventurers were only here for the money promised to them.
As per the plan, while the adventurers distract the undead soldiers at the fore line, the knights go through to back where the undead mages are positioned.
The undead mages fight back with magic, but are still no match for the four knights that pass through. Cutting the last of the undead mages down, the adventurers finish up with the remaining armed undead soldiers.
"Phew! Good work," A knight complimented the adventurers, as the group took a break to restore their stamina.
After half an hour, they resumed their trek inwards, to the exit of the tunnel. They managed to defeat every monster that stood in their way as they moved towards the end of the tunnel.
"It looks like we've reached the exit?" A knight asks.
"Finally. It's really dark in h-"
The group stop their motion at the sight of something being slashed apart.
"Kyaa!" A female adventurer screams as she falls to the ground, right beside the corpse of a member of her party that had been split in two.
"Draw your swords!" The lead knight instructs, tightening their formation around the mages of the tower.
"What's going on?"
"What's that?"
From the darkness of the tunnel, another undead creeps up, larger, but more lightly armored than the last wave of undeads. It dawns a black robe, and a gem embedded in his rib cage, and levitates lightly above the ground.
"I-It can't be..."
"Is that a... Lich?!"