In an instant, they found themselves inside the Fiery Mist dungeon. The sight that greeted them was nothing short of enchanting. The entire environment was shrouded in a mystical mist, which danced and weaved around them.
The dungeon appeared to be a forest, but it held an extraordinary quality. Some of the trees were imbued with the power of lava, causing molten streams to flow down their trunks. Other trees had small fires that flickered like stars in the night sky, casting a warm glow over the surroundings.
"Let's not get too captivated by the beauty. Danger lurks in these woods," Sidius muttered, interrupting the team in their daze.
At he said that, Gion's voice rang out with decisive authority, agreeing with Sidius.
"Ranger, scout the area. We four will move in a group!"
Pliero glanced at Sidius and the latter nodded, granting him permission to proceed with the scouting task. Pliero's keen senses allowed him to cover a wide area, making this mission a piece of cake for him.
The group advanced together, and surprisingly, the once-terrifying forest appeared serene.
However, that calmness was short-lived, as the ranger's voice suddenly echoed through the forest.
"Enemy Attack! Enemy Attack!"
Immediately, everyone turned their attention to Pliero and took up defensive positions.
The big guy positioned himself at the front, wielding a massive shield, while Ray and Sidius stood in the middle. Pliero and Lumia took the rear, bracing themselves for the onslaught of the army of fiery monkeys.
The reason the Fiery Mist remained a free dungeon for ten years was its strict requirement: only E-ranked chosens and below could enter.
Coupled with the ambush launched by an army of agile E rank fiery monkeys upon entering, most chosens were caught off guard, making the dungeon a formidabble challenge.
The misty forest became alive with fiery monkeys swarming from all directions.
"Khu khu ah ah!"
"Khu khu ah ah!"
'Shit! We're surrounded,' Sidius inwardly exclaimed, clenching his teeth. 'Do all of them have intelligence?'
Before Sidius could think of an answer, the fiery monkeys initiated their ambush.
Gion and Lumia quickly unleashed their skills. Meanwhile, Troy pushed back the monkeys with his shield and activated an aggro skill, attempting to draw their attention.
Different incantations and the chaotic cries of monkeys intertwined, creating an eerie symphony of battle.
With the agile movements of the monkeys and their territorial advantage, the party found themselves at a severe disadvantage, and the situation seemed bleak.
Sidius blocked incoming monkey attacks with his dagger while his mind raced, seeking a solution to the dire situation.
'At this rate, my mana will run out, and we will all die!'
'Think, Sidius... think...' Sidius acknowledged the dire situation, his mind racing for a solution.
Meanwhile, Gion and Lumia devised a tactic of attack and retreat, using Troy as their meat shield to fend off the fiery monkey army.
However, facing the relentless onslaught, Gion found himself unable to defend his entire body. Slowly, desperation surged within him as he made a rash decision, grabbing hold of Pliero in an attempt to use him like a human shield.
Anticipating Gion's move, Sidius swiftly intervened, dashing towards him and slicing off his arm through a small gap in his warrior suit.
Sidius had been carefully analyzing the situation from the start. He was expecting what had happened and waited for the right moment to act.
The fiery monkeys who were about to harm Pliero, attacked Gion instead in his vulnerable state, prompting a furious outburst from the wounded warrior.
Looking at tha man's pitiful sight, Sidius showed no mercy. He had taken a swift action as he threw his daggers with all his might, piercing Gion's neck.
"No one can use my people like a puppet," Sidius scoffed with cold eyes.
Enraged, Troy attempted to launch an attack at Sidius, but the agile man effortlessly dodged the attack with his 'Tam step'.
Instead of successfully landing his attack, Troy's strike sent him hurtling into the horde of monkeys that had been ready to attack Sidius. Despite the protection offered by his sturdy warrior suit, Troy was quickly overwhelmed and his body was enveloped by the sea of primates, leaving him helpless in the midst of anguish.
Lumia, witnessing the events unfold, stared at Sidius with a mixture of shock and despair, viewing him as a demon incarnate.
Sidius met her gaze and spoke coldly, "You still have use for me."
Lumia trembled in distress, but Sidius paid her no heed. He focused on the immediate crisis at hand – defeating the army of fiery monkey.
With his hands busy fending off the unendning attacks of monkeys, Sidius adressed Lumia, "You will come with us."
Pliero understood Sidius' intentions and assisted Lumia to clear some path.
In the midst of the relentless battle with the fiery monkeys, Lumia assumed the role of their primary damage dealer, while Sidius and Pliero worked tirelessly to protect her, ensuring she could cast her magic spells and healing incantations without interruption.
The strain of combat was evident on their faces and their mana steadily decreased, particularly for Sidius since he was just an F-rank chosen. Though his skills had been improving, the unyielding waves of fiery monkeys threatened to overwhelm him without respite.
"Boss! We've been fighting for half an hour without a break!" Pliero shouted, shooting down monkeys attempting to lunged at Lumia. "I'm getting tired!"
"I know! I'm thinking!" Sidius replied, seizing a stamina potion from his expansion bag and tossing it to Pliero. "Drink this first," he urged before refocusing on the current task of safeguarding their damage dealer.
As he faced the relentless onslaught, Sidius felt his resolve on the verge of collapsing.
'No, I can't falter like this,' Sidius cried inwardly as he recalled Fia's words, drawing stregth from it. She had become his guiding light, his motivation, alongside his sister's well being.
'Think... think...'
Investigating the monkeys' behavior closely, Sidius couldn't shake off an intriguing observation.
'It's impossible for these monkeys to possess intelligence; their movements are too clumsy. From the moment we entered this dungeon, they were already positioned strategically,' He silently thought, analyzing the situation while skillfully fending off the monkey attacks.
And then, a spark of inspiration ignited in his mind.
'Could it be...' Sidius muttered subconsciously, a tempting idea was taking shape in his thoughts.