Once someone locates the teleportation platform and breaks the floating stone on top, they will be transported to the boss room of a dungeon.
The walls are adorned with paintings, depicting vamp worms feasting on tailed bats and vice versa. As one approaches the at least 20 meters door, the painting focuses more on the bats with tails. They hold opium red in their hands and teeth, and some also have vamp worms clawed to their feet. Their destination is the enormous stone door.
Dante gazed at the wall murals, reaching up to the ceiling, dozens of meters high. However, his attention was most captivated by the stone door ahead. It bears a carving of what seems like...
"A vampire?" inquired someone and who could it be other than the petite girl wielding a large staff, Trina. She posed this question because the carving bore a striking resemblance to a human figure: long hair, an unsightly face, prominent fangs, and wings that nearly spanned the entire door.
"The matriarch of the tailed bats," Curly explained, eyeing the depiction of the red plants on his medal. The plant's description tells that it's an offering for the tailed bats matriarch.
"So, their mother," Trina remarked.
"Alright, let's focus," Samantha clapped her hands together, then turned to Dante and gave a reassuring nod. Hopefully, there's a safe zone ahead.
Panthy was on the verge of speaking, but he halted upon seeing their serious expressions. He knew that if he blurted out his thoughts, it would dampen the mood. He mobilize his mana, a faint haze encircling him as his Skill kicked in. His entire body emitted a series of cracks, his height stretching to 3 meters, and his tail also grew larger. His once-human face transformed into that of a panther, crowned by a cascade of black hair.
They all wore specially designed uniforms to accommodate their Skills, so Panthy's clothes didn't tear during the transformation.
Trina elegantly twirled her staff, and Samantha exchanged a glance with Curly. He moved towards the rear, recognizing his role as the support for the group. His safety was important for him to assist effectively. From his bag, he also retrieved a retractable bow.
The leader then turned to Dante. "I'm entrusting you with this honor," she declared, gesturing toward the door.
Dante didn't object and stepped forward.
Seeing him without any weapons, Trina couldn't help but inquire, "Are you sure you're going in unarmed?"
"Don't worry over me," the masked figure replied, then placed his hands on the door. He could sense its sturdiness; it would likely take a considerable effort to break through using only his strength.
"If you say so," Trina shrugged. She had grown accustomed to his current appearance, streaked with red blood. Dante hadn't changed his clothes and didn't bother cleaning his now crimson Mask of Support.
With his present strength nearly matching that of a holder with a physical enhancement Skill, he figured he wouldn't be a burden even without weapons. He didn't even inquire about borrowing; fighting bare-fisted would also serve as a great training, Dante reasoned.
The masked holder exerted force, but to his surprise, the door yielded easily, defying its outward appearance of heaviness.
A creaking sound reverberated, and the anticipation of imminent battle kindled in their hearts.
They ventured forth after Dante created enough space. What greeted their eyes was a room spacious enough to accommodate a basketball court, with pillars anchoring each of the four sides. These pillars were so massive that it would take five people to encircle them with a hug. With the sole illumination came from torches mounted on the walls.
But Dante and the squad focused on their objective.
At the farthest end stood a throne, perched on a platform. The throne towered at nearly 15 feet in height, with ample width to accommodate a creature ranging from 5 to 7 meters. Unsurprisingly, a monster of such magnitude currently occupied it.
The carving on the door bore a striking resemblance to the monster before them.
"She does look quite imposing," Samantha remarked, studying the matriarch of the tailed bats. The dungeon boss sat with eyes closed, upright from head to toe, resembling a normal bat but with hair that trailed down to the chilly floor.
The matriarch had her bat wings folded behind her, while her tail swayed gently from side to side. The platform was also adorned with the opium-red plants and scattered vamp worms. This left them wondering how the tailed bats outside had managed to bring their offerings into this chamber.
"Quite scary too,," Curly remarked, and Panthy nodded in agreement.
Trina simply scoffed at the monster.
The masked figure sighed in disappointment. No sub-quest? What a shame.
"Let's kill this motherf*cker!" Trina suddenly proclaimed, poised to launch an attack on the boss.
"Trina, calm down first," Samantha advised, and Trina promptly stepped back, though clearly frustrated, she refrained from complaining. Her respect for her leader remained unwavering.
"Remember, never underestimate our opponent. Keep your composure in battle, and always lend a hand to your teammates," Samantha emphasized, her gaze lingering on Dante, as if she were delivering this message specifically for the masked holder's benefit.
The dungeon boss remained unmoved, eyes shut and tail swaying. Upon close inspection of the boss room, observers would discern a crevice beyond the two pillars—a clear demarcation, resembling a solid line.
This area was also known as the safe zone. Unless one crossed it or employed a long-range attack, the boss would remain fixed in place. Unfortunately, not all boss rooms had this advantage. Samantha breathed a sigh of relief.
"Is there any information about this monster?" Samantha turned to Curly. Their support held his medallion, projecting details about the boss.
Dante listened intently to the specifics. Despite considering himself strong, he understood the value of vigilance.
"This creature is known as the Matriarch Tailed Bat, and it has only been encountered three times before this, making this the fourth. As expected of a dungeon boss, it's at least a dozen times more powerful than her offspring," Curly explained.
"She's quite rare, then, but—" Panthy began, only to be cut off by Samantha's cough, effectively silencing him. She knew his tendency to voice pessimism and chose to stopped it.
"What about her abilities?" Dante asked, addressing the crucial question.