Chaos erupted.
The first creatures burst into the cavern from the tunnels—hulking, quadrupedal beasts with elongated limbs and blackened, bone-like armor covering their bodies. Their glowing red eyes fixated on the group like predators locking onto prey.
Fraero didn't hesitate. "Hold the line!"
The first monster lunged, claws slicing through the air, but Fraero stepped forward and slammed his fist into its face. The impact sent a shudder through his arm, but the beast staggered back.
"Too slow," he muttered, raising his sword. "These guys are weak!"
But more came. Too many.
Garrick roared as he caught one mid-leap. The sheer force sent his boots grinding against the stone floor, but he held firm. His muscles bulged, veins tightening as he grabbed the monster by its throat and, with a guttural shout, slammed it into the ground. The cavern floor cracked beneath the force.
"Ha! That's all you got?" he bellowed. "They wouldn't last a second in the ring."
Another beast lunged.
Yara reacted instantly, hands flaring with bright, flickering flames. "Back off!" She thrust her palms forward, and a gout of fire exploded from her hands. The flames licked against the monster's armor, charring it. It howled in agony before crumpling.
"Oh?" She was shocked by her own power.
"One shot..." Julius muttered, perhaps they had been worrying for nothing.
Julius darted forward, shadows clinging to his form as he activated Stealth. He circled the fight, daggers in hand, watching for an opening. It seemed however that the team was so strong that there wasn't much for him to do.
Kiera took her position in the back, nocking an arrow. "Stay still for one second..." she murmured, waiting for a perfect shot.
A beast went for Yara—she was still mid-cast, it was aiming for her head.
Julius struck. Emerging from stealth, the monster had no idea he was there to save her.
He lashed out with his dagger, he used his free hand to slam the monster down and used his dagger to slit it's neck. It's flesh was soft and thin, it had been freakishly easy to end it's life. Blood spilled over his hands, sizzling strangely.
Yara exhaled in relief. "Nice timing."
"No problem-."
Julius barely had time to react before another enemy was against him. He dodged, twisting his body just as razor-sharp claws tore past his ribs. Pain flared up his side, but he gritted his teeth. The creature was like an oversized rat. He was going to attack but a shout from Kiera stopped him.
"I've got it."
Kiera took her shot. The arrow whistled through the air and embedded itself in the creature's eye. It let out a hideous screech before Garrick stepped in and delivered a brutal punch that sent it flying.
Another beast rushed Fraero. He blocked with his sword, bracing for impact, but the sheer force sent him sliding back. "Damn, they hit hard now," he muttered. "I think they're getting stronger
It lunged again—but suddenly, Fraero's sword pulsed with a golden glow.
His Knight Skill activated. When he used it, a small tab showed in the air, Julius read it with interest.
[Unyielding Bastion] – When bracing for impact, reduce incoming damage by 70% and reflect a portion of it back.
The moment the beast slammed into him, it recoiled as if it had hit an iron wall. The force of its own attack rebounded, cracking its bone armor and sending it tumbling.
Fraero didn't let up. He drove his sword into its exposed underbelly, silencing it.
Julius spun just in time to see a third beast lunging at Kiera. She had just loosed an arrow—too slow to react in time.
Garrick moved.
His Tank Skill flared.
[Titan's Grip] – Allows user to grab enemies, regardless of their size, and immobilize them for a short duration.
His hands clamped down on the beast's head mid-air, stopping it completely.
The monster thrashed, trying to break free, but Garrick grinned. "You ain't going anywhere. I like this class."
Then, with terrifying strength, he lifted the entire creature over his head and slammed it into another beast. Both collapsed in a heap.
Yara gathered fire in her staff, She screamed. "Garrick, move! I'm using half my mana on this."
Garrick dove aside. Yara released a fireball, and the explosion engulfed the monsters in roaring flames.
Kiera's arrows blitzed them, leaving only a few monsters straggling. Then Julius leaped from stealth and impaled the remaining beasts with ease.
"That's it. They're all dead." Julius called out, a sense of victory ran down their veins.
The cavern fell into a tense silence, only their ragged breathing filling the space.
Blood, ash, and the stench of burnt flesh lingered.
Julius wiped sweat from his brow, his daggers trembling slightly in his grip. "That was insane…"
Fraero nodded. "But we won."
Kiera leaned against a rock, catching her breath. "I don't think I've ever been that concentrated. I didn't even look away once, I just shot arrow after arrow..."
Yara was silent, glancing at her staff idly.
Garrick laughed. "Hell of an introduction to this place."
{Wave 1 Completed.}
A pause.
{Wave 2 incoming…}
The air turned cold.
Julius' heart sank.
"…Wave what?" Yara whispered.
Then, the system delivered the final blow.
{Congrats on clearing Wave 1 out of 3.}
{You will be given your EXP at the end of the Trial to ensure the Trial is fair.}
A silence heavier than any battlefield fell over them.
Fraero's fingers tightened around his sword.
Kiera exhaled shakily. "No way."
Yara looked pale. "We barely survived that."
Garrick gritted his teeth. "So what? We'll fight the next one."
Julius clutched at his hands. "Huh? We didn't even get any levels from that? What about the loot?"
His hands clenched. His heart pounded.
He looked at the tunnels—deeper, darker, and stirring.
More eyes.
More growls.
And this time… there were bigger ones.
Impossible difficulty was just getting started.
{Wave 1 Completed.}
A metallic chime echoed through the cavern, followed by a glowing blue screen appearing before each of them.
{Loot Rewards Available.}
Julius, still catching his breath, tapped on the system menu. A list of items materialized in front of him. "Ah. Here it is."
Everyone used their systems to assess their new loot, it seemed it was dished out uniquely, based on their classes.
[Loot Acquired]:
[Ironfang Dagger – Level 1] (+5 Attack, Extra Durable, Minor poison effect)
[Faded Leather Armor – Level 1] (Basic protection, slightly improves agility)
His eyes widened. Gear. Actual gear.
The others were getting their own rewards too.
Fraero pulled out a sturdy [Steel Sword – Level 1], its polished surface gleaming faintly in the cavern's dim light.
Garrick grinned as he strapped on [Steel Brass Knuckles – Level 1], increasing his fist strength.
Kiera received [Hawkeye Bow – Level 1], giving her slightly enhanced aim.
Yara studied a [Flame Touched Ring – Level 1], which, according to the description, improved the intensity of her fire magic.
Julius equipped his Ironfang Dagger, feeling its weight settle in his grip. The blade had a dark sheen, and when he flicked it, it almost hummed in his hands. "Not bad."
But their relief was short-lived. Although they were pleased by their new loot, they had to face even stronger enemies now.
{Wave 2 incoming…}
{Identifying enemy types…}
A new screen popped up. This time, it displayed enemy levels and descriptions.
{Monsters Approaching:}
[Carrion Howler – Level 5] (Elite) (A larger, faster variant of the creatures fought in Wave 1. Its howl can debuff enemies, lowering defense.)
[Gnawing Scuttlers – Level 3] (Fast, crab-like creatures that attack in swarms. Weak individually, deadly in numbers.)
[Twisted Stalker – Level 6] (Rare) (A humanoid beast with elongated limbs and blackened claws. Intelligent: It targets the weakest first.)
A gut-wrenching howl echoed from one of the tunnels.
Julius' stomach twisted. "Level six?" He turned to the others. "I thought we were going to fight things at least close to our level!"
Fraero tightened his grip on his blade. "The system wants us dead. That much is clear."
Yara exhaled sharply. "No kidding. At least we have all this new loot!"
Garrick rolled his shoulders. "We just need to do what we did last time. Fight smart."
Kiera's face was pale. "But we barely survived Wave 1. I mean there were too many close calls, Yara almost got caught out."
No one had an answer.
Then the growling and crickety sounds intensified.
Eyes—many, many eyes—glowed from the tunnel entrances.
And then they came.
Wave 2 Begins
The Gnawing Scuttlers came first.
Dozens of skittering, skeletal creatures the size of crabs, their mouths filled with needle-like teeth. They poured into the cavern like a flood.
Kiera fired an arrow. It struck the first one in the chest, causing blood to seep from it's fleshy underlayer. But more came.
Fraero braced himself bashing aside two creatures that lunged at him. "We need to hold them back!"
Julius vanished into Stealth, circling around the enemies. His dagger gleamed in the dim light.
One Scuttler broke past Garrick's line and rushed Yara.
She gasped. "No, no—"
Julius struck first.
His Ironfang Dagger slashed across the creature's underlayer. A faint green glow followed as its poison effect activated. The Scuttler let out a strangled hiss before collapsing.
Yara shot him a relieved glance. "Thanks."
He nodded. "Most of them are gone now."
But they had bigger problems.
The Carrion Howler arrived.
It was twice the size of the previous creatures, its blackened fur matted with gore. Its mouth opened unnaturally wide, and then—
It howled.
The sound ripped through them like a physical force.
{Debuff Applied: Defense -20% for 30 seconds}
Fraero cursed, staggering slightly. "Damn it, that thing is weakening us! I don't even want to get near it now."
Garrick, unaffected, charged. His fists crashed into the beast's side with brutal strength, but it barely staggered.
Then, the Twisted Stalker moved.
It was fast—a blur of darkness lunging straight toward Kiera, the one furthest away from the rest of the group.
It targeted the weakest.
Her eyes widened. She tried to raise her bow, but it was too close—
Garrick moved like a flash, running like his life depended on it.
[Titan's Grip] Activated.
He caught the Stalker's arm mid-swing, stopping it just inches from slashing Kiera's throat.
But the Stalker grinned.
Then, with inhuman flexibility, it twisted its body and kicked Garrick full-force in the chest.
Garrick flew back, crashing against the cavern wall.
"It's too strong... I can feel the difference in levels."
"Garrick!" Yara shouted.
Julius gritted his teeth. They were getting overwhelmed.
Then he had an idea.
He activated [Pickpocket], targeting the Stalker.
{Pickpocket Success: You have stolen 'Shadow Veil Cloth' from Twisted Stalker. Item has been set to your level [1] }
The moment the item vanished from the creature's body, it stiffened.
Julius barely had time to read the description:
[Shadow Veil Cloth – When worn, grants (Terror State).]
[Terror State: Grants bonus speed, resistance to physical damage and reduces visibility.]
It had been using this to boost its speed and this was how it had reached the backline.
Julius grinned. "Now you're slower."
Fraero took the opening.
His sword glowed.
[Unyielding Bastion] Activated.
He rammed into the Stalker full force, sending it sprawling.
Julius followed up.
He leapt, dagger in hand, and plunged it into the Stalker's skull.
It let out a hideous shriek… then stopped moving. It seemed most of it's power was in it's assasin-like nature.
"It's so... Weak." Julius laughed lightly. It felt surreal.
"Most of it's power was in that initial blitz." Keira sighed, still shivering slightly. "I thought I was gonna die. Thanks Garrick, you saved me."
"Of course, of course. It's just what I do." Garrick grinned widely.
{Twisted Stalker (Level 6) Defeated.}
Julius panted. His heart thundered in his chest.
They were actually winning.
The Carrion Howler snarled, realizing it was alone.
Kiera fired an arrow straight into its chest.
Fraero slammed his sword against it.
And finally—Yara raised her hands, fire surging between them.
The fireball exploded, engulfing the beast in flames.
It collapsed.
Silence.
Then—
{Wave 2 Completed.}
A brief, exhausted relief fell over them.
They had won.
Then the system crushed their hopes.
{Wave 3 incoming…}
{Final Boss Approaching.}
A deep rumbling came from beneath them.
Julius looked down.
The cavern floor cracked.
"…Oh, what now?"