The next morning they all went to the temple to consolidate their increased abilities. Helga and Martin prayed to Luxia, while Mairina prayed to Amanda, the goddess of magic and miracles, and Sandro to Johan, the god of swordplay and blacksmithing. Mortis did not pray to any deity, as there was no statue of his goddess here.
Helga gained more than 4 levels and was now level 16. She was able to learn a new spell in the temple that allowed her to heal all the members of the group at the same time. It was the "Distributing Light" spell, which created a glowing orb on the priest's hand. All team members within 10 meters received a small amount of healing. In contrast, Mortis could only learn spells or abilities from guilds or stores once a certain level was reached. However, there were exceptions for both, such as secret books found in dungeons.
After settling their spiritual matters, they returned to the castle to train. In the evening, they discussed how to improve their lineup, as well as how to use wild skills. Finally, the next morning they were to set out again for a dungeon.
In the evening, the baron gave another short speech, and then they all went to sleep early to be fit for the next dungeon the next day.
The carriage ride went without incident this time. Marina gradually got used to the group, and they reached their next destination without any problems. After about five hours, they arrived at the dungeon, where soldiers received them and led them directly into the dungeon without further explanation.
The atmosphere in the dungeon was gloomy, despite the lighting. No sooner had they moved a few meters than they were attacked from dark corners by enemies. Small imps fired fireballs, while flying imps attacked them from above. Mortis rushed to one corner, Sandro to another, and Martin protected the group with his shield. Helga was nervous in the face of the sudden attacks when she suddenly heard a voice in her head.
°Cast light shield on Mortis and light shield on Sandro. Marina is ignored. After that, cast Light Orb. In this dungeon you are a healer and you can also do a lot of damage, since demons are sensitive to light.°
Helga followed the voice's instructions without questioning who she was. After a short time, they had defeated the first monsters, and the group quickly noticed that this dungeon was more difficult than the previous one.
Helga finally asked in her mind, "Who are you, and why are you helping me?" °I am a friend of Mortis and I will help you since you are his partner. However, you will have to learn by yourself and get used to the way these dungeons work. I won't be able to talk to you often unless it's important. Take good care of yourself.°
Helga tacitly accepted this and promised to improve and concentrate more seriously on her tasks.
Martin walked on as the group gathered again. They came to a large entrance hall that looked as if it might collapse at any moment. But the real problem was the ten or so imps on the ground and another ten floating in the air.
Mortis charged ahead and roared, "Take care of the flying ones!" With a whirl of his scythes, he killed five imps on the ground, causing the spirit scythe to swirl around him and destroy the other imps as well.
Marina and the others were astonished, but they were more impressed by the strength of the hit than worried about the wreckage of the monsters. Mortis joked, "Oh, how weak. I didn't think they would die so easily."
Meanwhile, Martin and Helga set to work clearing the rest of the imps. Sandro protected the group from the flying imps. Helga focused on her new abilities, actively using light shields and unerringly firing her spells. She finally felt useful and was motivated to keep practicing.
After the room was cleared, three paths led on. One path led upward, but was blocked by a seal. Another seemed to lead to a garden, while the third led to other rooms. The group decided to go to the garden first.
In the garden, they were attacked by demon dogs and bats. The demon dogs were resistant, while the bats disturbed the mages in the group with their shrill cries. After a while, they had cleared the garden and finally reached the center, where a zombie was waiting for them with a large pair of garden shears.
The zombie seemed to interact with the bushes and turned to face them. "You dare enter my garden?" he rumbled. Martin bravely faced the zombie, but the sharp scissors pierced his shield and hit him in the stomach. Mortis and the others intervened to protect Martin, and after a hard fight they were able to defeat the zombie.
The group took a short break to calm down and regain their strength. Martin apologized to Helga for his previous outburst and decided to talk to the Baron about what had happened. Mortis, on the other hand, had dark thoughts about Martin's fate.