A black barrier storm howled past, and suddenly, the group found themselves in a bright space. Before them lay a massive magic circle, with a central hexagon formed by white pebbles. Surrounding it were six towering magic stone pillars, each engraved with ancient scripts.
They stood in a vast expanse that seemed impossible to exist within a cave. The sky was overcast with a gray haze, and a misty fog lingered everywhere, reducing visibility significantly. Beyond 50 meters, everything was obscured. Sparse patches of low shrubs dotted the landscape.
"A magic barrier—" the usually taciturn elven archmage remarked in astonishment. Seeing the others' puzzled expressions, he explained, "We are inside a magic barrier now. That's why we can't see the cave walls. We only see what the creator of the barrier wants us to see. We must find the exit."
Just then, faint sounds of battle and shouting emerged from the right side of the forest.
A-Feng and Old Locke organized everyone into two groups to encircle the source of the noise from both sides.
With every few steps, they encountered enormous skeletal remains on the ground, clearly freshly shattered. The chests or heads of these skeletons were thoroughly smashed, undoubtedly the work of berserkers.
They quickened their pace.
Beyond a thicket of low bushes, a battle scene unfolded vividly. On one side were four skeletal knights mounted on small terrestrial dragons, wielding long war blades. On the other side were four berserker companions. Among them, Drew seemed the least injured, with only a cut on his face. Although the large terrestrial dragons were over a meter taller than the smaller ones, their chests and backs were riddled with wounds from the agile attacks of the smaller dragons' jaws and claws. One berserker had lost his left arm, the severed limb still clutching a massive battle axe; another had a gaping wound across his chest.
Despite such grievous injuries, only berserkers could continue fighting and even unleash greater destruction.
The four skeletal knights were evidently heavily damaged too. One of the small dragons had its tail severed, the dismembered tail writhing on the ground.
"Charge!" the old dwarf bellowed, raising his huge battle axe and leading the charge.
The skeletal knights noticed the new adversaries and disengaged from the fight, their small dragons swiftly retreating.
Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, the tide of battle shifted again.
Berserk berserkers lose all sense of reason. One berserker picked up the still-twitching dragon tail and immediately began gnawing on it, blood dripping from his mouth. Another berserker chased after the fleeing skeletal knights. "Come back!" Drew shouted in vain, unable to halt the berserk warriors.
The four skeletal knights suddenly let out a synchronized call of "Hrah—" and turned their dragons around, charging directly at the lone berserker. A massive saber intercepted his swinging battle axe. A dragon rammed into the berserker's chest, sending him flying and crashing hard onto the ground. Without pause, two sharp sabers descended upon the berserker, causing a fountain of blood to gush skyward.
The skeletal knights turned once more, hoping to lure another berserker. The downed berserker suddenly sprang up, his massive body covered in wounds deep enough to reveal bone. His largest wound was on his abdomen, with intestines spilling out. Grabbing a dragon's tail, he let it drag him along the ground, smearing blood everywhere. His intestines were severed in several places. "Ah—" The berserker hurled his battle axe at a rider, knocking him to the ground. Abandoning the dragon, he leaped onto the skeletal knight, biting the rider's throat and tearing at him with both hands. In an instant, the knight's arms disintegrated.
The dragon, realizing its rider was under attack, returned to assault the blood-soaked berserker. Its massive jaws clamped onto the berserker's shoulder, and its sharp claws raked deep slashes across his body. Finally, the dragon's claw slashed across the berserker's neck, sending his massive head flying into the air—his mouth still gripping the knight's head.
The gruesome scene left everyone stunned. The magic archer retched violently, while the skeletal knights were also shocked—except, of course, the berserkers. As creators of such bloody scenes, berserkers were long accustomed to them. Enraged by the loss of another comrade, the berserkers charged at the skeletal knights. "Die!" Drew led the charge, his 4-meter-long battle axe cleaving a skeletal knight and its small dragon mount in half with a single blow.
Two berserkers immediately lunged at another skeletal knight. Once again, blood sprayed upward. The dragon's head and forelimbs were chopped off, and as it writhed in agony, it flung the skeletal knight off. The knight rolled on the ground, narrowly avoiding the descending battle axe. The gleaming saber, rolling on the ground, sliced open several gashes on a berserker's leg.
The last two dragon-mounted skeletal knights launched a coordinated assault. "Hrah—" A berserker, unable to dodge, was rammed by a dragon. The impact sent his battle axe flying dozens of meters away. The berserker punched the dragon in the eye. Berserkers typically wore large gauntlets adorned with rows of spikes, and the dragon's eye burst instantly. The dragon let out a mournful cry as its razor-sharp forelimb slashed open the berserker's chest. The berserker's wrist and arm cracked audibly, white bones piercing through bulging muscles. The dragon's momentum suddenly halted, and the knight on its back was thrown off, crashing heavily to the ground. The knight's saber fell, and his body was trampled to pieces by the struggling dragon.
The magic archer, the first to react, shot three arrows at the last skeletal knight, toppling him from his mount. Drew's long battle axe immediately turned the small dragon into a mess of flesh and blood.
"Ah—" A feral cry erupted from the injured berserker, and both berserkers collapsed to the ground.
"Brother—" Drew leaped off the terrestrial dragon, falling onto the fallen warrior, and cried out in anguish.
Even those accustomed to the tragedies of war were stunned by the sight: only four floors into the dungeon, and the most powerful team of five berserkers was nearly wiped out, all of them brothers. Even the old dwarf, who had always had a grudge against the berserkers, bowed his head in sorrow.
Could a double-S level mission really be this challenging? How much further was there to go?
A-Feng approached and gently patted Drew's shoulder. "Drew, I'm truly sorry we couldn't protect your brothers. Perhaps you should return and wait for us at the entrance. Give us two more days. If we succeed, we'll make sure you get a share. If we don't return in two days, report our mission failure to the Mercenaries' Guild."
"Blood must answer to blood," Drew said, grabbing a handful of self-igniting powder from his pack and scattering it over the berserkers' bodies. Flames roared skyward. "Rest in peace, sacred souls," he murmured softly.
The group continued their search and soon encountered several lone skeletal warriors, which they quickly dispatched.
In the expanse, they discovered another massive magical portal. The azure magical energy shimmered between its dark pillars. After inspection, the elven archmage confirmed it was a functional teleportation gate. The group set off on their new journey.