It was a good thing they only had scratches and minor injuries, but the enemy kept on coming as if the wave was unending.
Green Dungeons have five waves in which the last stage includes the Boss fight. The star-marked animal is both a shortcut and a death wish. If you want to clear the dungeon fast, then just find one and the enemies along with the boss will come at you and the difficulty of the next wave depends on the person who killed the last enemy of a wave. With Cassius sending arrows after arrows earlier, then, the enemies also kept on coming like a flood on the next wave. Aside from that, they can't level up unless they successfully clear it all.
With a raging caw, another batch of giant crows appeared speeding towards us. I noticed that the barrier was faltering. Sigh. These kids.
A vial of Mana Regen potion was now in my hand as I silently summoned it in thin air. The blue potion shined with the light. I closed my eyes to feel them and be in sync with their pace.
'Appraisal.' I said in my mind and as I open up my eyes, I could now see their status.
Claire [Lvl 1]
[Apprentice Mage]
GE: Xxxx
Health: 90/100
Mana: 12/500
Agility: 15
Vitality: 45/50
Skills: ACTIVE (Enhanced)
Oh. Why is it enhanced? I looked at Freya for possible answers, and I wasn't disappointed.
Freya [Lvl 3]
[Healer Elf]
GE: Xxxx
Health: 100/150
Agility:10
Vitality: 50/50
Skill: Blessing of Life
Passive: ACTIVE
O-hooo. This is interesting. A passive that enhances the teammate's skills. She had also leveled up during their team practice. Healing the guys must have resulted in that which is good, as the stronger the healer is, the better it would be for our team. There's nothing wrong with her status, as elves rely on nature, so Mana shouldn't be detected on her. Of course, mana came from nature, but healers were an exception to this. The tree of life blessed the healer elves with nature healing abilities. They just need nature to heal. In short, they don't run out of heals. Healing for free means there's no need for medication. Pharmaceutical companies did not like that, and although it was just a myth, healer elves were sent into hiding years ago as they were being hunted for a billion gold per head. It was a tragedy. Such a shame.
I applied the potion to Claire, til her Mana got back higher as it is impossible to make it full when she's using her skills.
After making sure that Freya was also okay, I now focused on the guys.
Gabriel [Lvl 1]
[???]
GE: Xxxx
Health: 50/100
Mana:100/150
Strength: 50
Agility: 30
Vitality: 20/50
Skills: ACTIVE (Enhanced)
Hahaha. So it was Gabriel. As expected, his strength is low for a tank. Even his health is lower than average. "Freya," I called, and her ears perked up. "I need you to heal Gab." He got confused and looked at me as Freya answered me with a little,"Okay.", but I just dismissed him. "Focus on the enemies, I don't need you distracted at the moment." then, I saw our firecracker being so immersed with automatically slashing those who gets inside on his teammate's blind side. He was like the wind even with the restriction of his armor.
Marcus [Lvl 1]
[x Wielder x]
GE: Xxxx
Health: 90/110
Mana: 100/100
Agility: 60
Vitality: 50/50
Skills: (Locked)
It seems like we do have another talented member here. He's not even exhausted when continuously moving around. He's also precise with his movements. A natural warrior. I would have to give him a proper sword and teach him practical things. His battle sense will save this group. If only he's not a magnet for trouble.
Cassius [Lvl 1]
[???]
GE: Xxxx
Health: 150(+2)/200
Mana: 55(+3)/ 70
Strength:150
Agility:15
Vitality:60/60
Skills: ACTIVE (Enhanced)
Hmmm. Auto health regeneration and auto Mana Regen along with that strength. There's no doubt about it anymore, but with such tricks, they will be able to move more freely than others. All that's left is for me to talk to them later on. He must be from a family of warriors. If not an origin, then a distant relative.
Dead beasts kept on piling up and a few more minutes later, there was nothing but silence as the last batch got defeated.
I whistled to get their attention. "I need you to help me gather the materials. We only have fifteen minutes more before the next wave starts." I saw the two ladies get excited. "I need you ladies to take the feathers and a few vials of blood from both species." I handed them a red pouch for the task.
They happily took it and went on with the task immediately.
The guys looked like they didn't want to participate, so I smirked. "You, on the other hand," I smiled at them with evil intentions. "I need you to gather claws, meat, fangs, pelts and the hides." I handed them a bag each. They were reluctant, so I put an offer that they wouldn't want to miss. "The more you gather, the lesser work you will have later on the next waves." Their faces brightened at that one, but I just darkly chuckled. If they don't help clean after the next wave, there will be consequences and they won't like it. *Insert evil laugh.*
They were reluctant at first, but when the ladies announced a competition in which the person who collects the most materials would be treated by the others, it sparked their attention, and they did not even bother to ask about how to perform the extractions. Marcus' competitive self, Cassius' pride, and Gab's desire to defeat Cassius, fueled them and made the impossible task manageable. Even the meats were sliced in different ways; thin, cubes, steak versions, and the ribs were perfect sizes for roasting and barbecue.
They have a fire that is unwavering. If we keep it fueled, they should be better than those who have been working longer than them in this industry. This group is an exact jackpot.
I smiled at the ladies and they were ecstatic. One point for the ladies, for the guys, zero. The men had no idea that a war had started and that they were currently losing.
The guys were comparing their hauls when a horn sound appeared. They were shocked as to why there was one, and I just stood still. A war of turf was being announced, and it meant that the next waves were going to come all at once. There will be a total of two more monster waves and a boss fight, yet having them all in one means that it will be a joint attack and a brutal one at that. Dungeon Boss' never worked with his subordinates as his pride would not let him work with lesser beings, but whenever there's a threat with greater power, then their pride overlaps with each other, which forms into one desire and that is, to defeat their enemies. Unlucky for them, if they were beasts, then, so is my team. They might look innocent, but their dark auras were impossible to conceal. The dark shadow that wraps them together whenever they fight made me realize that I couldn't lose such precious individuals.
That's right.
They were my first students who were hardened by destiny and I will support them as stated in our contract. So now, my first task is to not let them die on our first team mission.
Fists clenched and with gritted teeth, they tense as they looked in the direction where the sound came from. They were anxious, scared and vulnerable, but there was something else that made me want to make them my people. Something stirred inside of them. Their faces didn't show it, but their eyes were as clear as day. I chuckled as I felt their desires grow. The determination to end this situation, the desire to live and the hunger to kill. Dearest, Azul. My students are going to wipe away the world... And I'll be there to watch it all happen.
I felt a powerful presence towering over the marching goblins along with dire wolves and their army could be a total of two hundred, as per what the shadows informed me.
"Our visitors will be tougher than earlier, so I want you to listen closely." I started and they were now paying close attention. "If there's a marching band, you have to greet them with the same vigor. Now, all I want you to do is to trust me fully and do exactly as I say, no questions asked as always." I got five blindfolds with me as I sweetly smiled at them. "Put these on." They hesitated. Why wouldn't they when they're at this level, and it looks like I'll let them fight blindly?
Freya took the blindfolds from me but didn't say a word. They had a bit of a group meeting and Marcus was the only one who was so thrilled with fighting blindfolded. They were having an intense session, so I decided to step further away and give them privacy.
Those are see-through blindfolds. I know that they're new, so, of course, I will not be suggesting such a ridiculous idea. The purpose of those blindfolds was to make sure that their faces would not be seen after the dungeon clearance as this would definitely be recorded. First team dungeon clearance Boss fights were always aired automatically to Arthur's office and interesting finds would be announced to the world. It's possible because of a seal on the signed papers. It was to ensure that the group were indeed the ones to clear the dungeon. The good thing about it is that it only captures the last few minutes before the boss dies, so the whole fight will not be recorded, but be assured that the finishing blow was highlighted and the timestamp of the completion upon arrival will be documented as well.
"Yami," Gab called, so I went back. "We're done."
I saw Freya assisting Claire with wearing it because of her hair getting in the way.
"Ready?" I asked and a series of "Yes." was their response.
"Cassius, I want you to switch places with Gab." they were stunned but did exactly as asked. Both exchanged weapons too. The others were curious why, but I did not bother explaining it to them. "Freya, I want you to stay beside me for this." the elf nodded and stood next to me as the others waited. "The positions would be Cassius in front and Marcus behind him. Take note of the commands. When I say, switch, you switch. Our tank will push them back, as our knight cut through them, then our ranged members will take care of the enemies. Fire means fire, but only fire when I say so." I paused. "It will be a team attack and Freya will be the one under pressure here, as she must heal you even when there are only scratches. Why? Because these goblins are not normal. They have blades with enchantments. The more injuries you have, the more you'll bleed to death. If you think you can no longer fight, put in mind that you will be chess pieces. Freya is your healer. A lady. The king will be looking for a hostage. A mage is difficult to deal with, so who will they go after? A monster might just be a monster, but a king needs to protect his people. Being defeated here will mean the abduction of your friend. If you let that happen, you will no longer see her as she will be stuck in the void forever. Remember to protect your healer. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
With another reason to fight for, the fire continues to burn, and their aura suddenly harmonized but only for a second. Fascinating. They keep on drawing me into the depths of the unknown. A path of good and evil. A path made exactly for them.
They get in position as we wait for their arrival and in just a minute, goblins could be seen running towards us. Cassius stopped them from getting close.
"Push." after getting them to get back and unbalanced, I shouted," Switch!" with a slash, six goblins dropped headless to the ground. Before the enemy could react, I ordered again," Switch!" and now Cassius was shielding again, but their distance of a few meters away, made it easier for our next attack. "Fire!" Fireballs and burning arrows were now sent to the closest opponents till only burnt bodies were left.
Of course, we could've fired when they were far away, but they would've seen our attacks, which meant they'd be able to avoid it, so they had to be at a closer range so that firing was least expected as they were occupied with our front lines.
Another batch had arrived, and we did the exact same strategy over and over again until the dire wolves came.
As the beasts started to sprint towards us, I put our tank on standby. "Fire!" They evaded the attack, but only one was able to successfully go forward, yet before it could slam on our tank's barrier, I shouted. "Switch!" now its head started to roll on the ground.
The others started to growl after seeing their pack member's dead body. They all started to rage towards Marcus, but before they could get close, I ordered again, "Fire, then switch!" In the blink of an eye, a barrier was put on their faces, getting our member out of their reach as they were blasted with burning hot fire.
There was no time to celebrate as a new batch was now approaching and there were a few who were riding behind the wolves. Riders! Well, that's new. They were only supposed to appear in higher dungeons, but never mind. The harder the round, the better for the team. "Fire!" as expected, they were able to avoid the attacks.
I waited.
They're cleaver. They continued coming towards us.
I was about to ask for a switch when I saw something shining in a goblin's hand.
With a quick decision, I firmly said, "Fire."
Smoke fogged the area in front of Cassius as he questionably looked at me. I just gave him a close-eyed smile.
The goblin I saw earlier was getting ready to leap and slash. The shiny object that I saw was a silver dagger, and it was being dipped inside his pouch that was possibly filled with poison. Getting poisoned is something that we should avoid. I was expecting a normal dungeon clearing, so the possibility of dealing with poison was not on my list. Having one of them infected will make this ordeal harder than it already is. So now, I have to take more precautionary measures.
The smoke cleared, and I focused on any clue that could clarify my claim.
At first glance, only burnt bodies and darkened land could be seen, but if you look more closely, some of the ground was melting, and it created tiny holes in the affected areas.
Toxins. They were low leveled, so they were not immune to toxins. Yet somehow, they have it in their arsenal.
I gritted my teeth. Someone has to be messing with the ordinance for this to happen. After all, why would a star-marked animal be located near the dungeon entrance when they usually live in the center area of the dungeon?
The central area of the dungeon is where the neutral elements were located. Star-marked beings were harmless to adventurers. They were like livestock, but they were still considered friends to the boss. No. Rather, it's considered as the dungeon boss' pet. So why would it stray near the entrance? There's no way that this is just a coincidence. I needed to- "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!!!" a guttural scream cut my line of thoughts.
"Oh fuck." I managed to say as I saw a giant goblin standing in front of us looking almost like a muscular orc.
That is definitely not a low dungeon inhabitant.