Nikos and his party carefully go down through the entrance of the lake dungeon, a hidden cave beneath the murky waters. The entrance was narrow, the rocky walls damp with a constant trickle of water seeping from above.
The tunnel opened up into a vast, underwater labyrinth, dimly lit by an ethereal blue glow from the algae lining the walls.
Nikos reached into his pack and pulled out a set of magic lamps, handing one to each party member. "These should help us see better," he said calmly, activating his own lamp. The glow of the lamps mingled with the natural light, casting eerie shadows along the tunnel walls.
Marielle, took the lamp with a small smile. "Thank you, Master. This place gives me the chills."
Liriel, took hers with a nod, her eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. "Let's stay alert. This dungeon might look peaceful for now, but it's still dangerous."
Jarek, the lizard-man warrior, gripped his lamp in one hand and his greataxe in the other. "Masster, I'll take the front. My sensesh are better adapted to these conditions."
Nikos nodded. "Great idea, Jarek. Go ahead."
As they ventured deeper into the dungeon, the party slowly became more accustomed to the surroundings. The waterlogged tunnels branched out like a maze, with numerous dead ends and hidden traps. The air was thick with humidity, and the sound of dripping water echoed through the corridors.
Nikos in the middle, his mind constantly assessing their situation. "We're here to gather ingredients for new potions. The creatures in this dungeon should provide what we need," he explained to them, his voice calm and authoritative.
Marielle, still nervous about fighting monsters, nodded. "Are we going to go really deep into this dungeon?"
Nikos shook his head. "No, we will only go to the third floor, for now. We're still a beginner party, and I don't want to risk more than necessary."
Liriel chimed in. "That makes sense, sir. We should be able to handle the challenges up to that point." She had begun to appreciate Nikos' strategic thinking over the past month.
Jarek walked in front of them cautiously, checking the surroundings. "Ash long as we stay together and watch each other'sh backs, we'll be fine," he agreed.
They continued their descent, each member preparing themselves for the potential dangers ahead. The maze-like structure of the dungeon tested their navigation skills, but Nikos' analytical mind kept them on the right path.
In the middle of the second floor, the atmosphere grew heavier. The constant dripping from the ceiling increased, creating small pools of water along the path. The party moved cautiously, their senses heightened.
Suddenly, 9 water elementals emerged from the pools in front of them, their forms shifting and smoothly raising. Behind them, another 7 water elementals manifested from the drops of water trickling from the ceiling.
Surrounding them many creatures of living water, limbs formed of swirling currents and a torso made of twisting water. The monsters stood in waves of water as their legs, without faces, like you were staring at the ocean itself.
In total, they encountered sixteen monsters.
Nikos' eyes narrowed as he quickly assessed the situation. "We're surrounded. Everyone, get ready. Jarek you handle the front, Liriel take our back side. Marielle, stay on your spot and heal us as needed."
Jarek nodded and stepped forward, raising his greataxe.
Liriel nodded, her daggers glinting in the dim light. "Got it, sir," she said, dashing toward the monsters at the back.
Marielle clutched her staff, her nervousness she tried to replaced by determination. "I'm ready."
------------------------------------
!Change Class
{Class: Support} ⇄ {Class: Archer}
------------------------------------
Nikos switched to his archer class, pulling out the bow from his back and pulling an arrow through the bowstring hard. He fired the arrows, helping Liriel handle the monsters on the back.
— Arrow Shot
This much is still manageable, but later if things get too dangerous, I can use the teleport scroll to get us out. But only as a last resort. Nikos thought to the teleport scroll he had on his inventory bag as backup plan.
— Reckless Charge
— Quick Chop
Jarek charged at the water elementals in the front, his greataxe slicing through their liquid forms with powerful, sweeping motions trying to chop them.
Each strike sent waves of water splashing through the air, but the elementals quickly reformed, their attacks relentless at Jarek.
— Taunt
Jarek let out a shout, "COME AND TRY TAKE ME DOWN!" gathering the surrounding monsters to focus on him and not letting a single one move past him. The water elementals charged towards him with reckless abandon and less organized attacks.
On the back, Liriel darted around the battlefield with her daggers, her movements a blur.
— Shadow Step
— Quick Strike
She targeted the elementals' cores, small glowing orbs within their bodies, causing them to destabilize and collapse into puddles. "Focus on their cores!" she shouted, her voice sharp and alert.
------------------------------------
!Change Class
{Class: Archer} ⇄ {Class: Mage}
------------------------------------
Nikos' hands crackled with fire as he pointed at the monsters at the back, then unleashed a barrage of fireballs.
— Fireballs
His spell hit some of the creatures, the heat causing the water elementals bodies to steam and evaporate.
Liriel seeing that glance back at Nikos in confusion. What? Sir Nikos also a mage? How is that possible?
"Keep at it! They're weakening!" Nikos commanded, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the chaos around them.
Liriel shook her head. Right, I need to focus first. She threw her daggers at the other monster that was steaming, aiming at its core.
Marielle stayed on her position in the middle of it, her staff glowing as she cast healing spells to mend her comrades' wounds. "Jarek, watch out!" she cried, sending a burst of healing energy towards him as he took a heavy hit from an elemental's watery fist.
— Cure Wounds
Jarek grunted in pain but stood his ground, his loyalty and honor driving him to move forward again. "I'm fine. Thank you for the heal!"
------------------------------------
!Change Class
{Class: Mage} ⇄ {Class: Archer}
------------------------------------
Nikos switched back to his archer class, firing arrows that pierced the elementals' cores with pinpoint accuracy on both the front and back side.
— Steady Aim [Passive] + Eagle Eye [Passive]
— Piercing Arrow
Whoosh Swish
Each arrow disrupted the creatures' forms, making it easier for Jarek and Liriel to finish them off. "We're making progress. Don't let up!" Nikos shouted, his calmness inspiring his team.
The elementals from both side closed in, their attacks more coordinated now.
------------------------------------
!Change Class
{Class: Archer} ⇄ {Class: Support}
------------------------------------
— Barrier Area
Nikos quickly switched to his support class, casting a barrier around the party to deflect the incoming blows. "We're almost there. Just a bit more!" he encouraged, his calculating mind always two steps ahead.
Jarek roared, swinging his greataxe in a powerful arc that cleaved through four elementals at once. "For the honor of lizard-folk!"
— Wide Cleave
On the back, Liriel took advantage of the monster opening, her daggers flashing as she struck the elementals' cores with precise, lethal blows. "That's the last of the back line," she called out.
------------------------------------
!Change Class
{Class: Support} ⇄ {Class: Warrior}
------------------------------------
Nikos shifted his class into warrior, drew his sword while dashing to the front line helping Jarek. He slashed the monsters through Jarek's blind spot, helping him fend off the monster while Jarek finished the monster as their forms struggled to maintain cohesion.
"Finish them off!" Nikos ordered, his voice a mix of calm authority and strategic focus.
Liriel also jumped forward to help finish the rest of the monsters on the front line. Marielle showed her cooperative side even more as her nervousness became less and less affecting her.
— Healing Wave
She cast a powerful healing spell that rejuvenated the entire party. "We've got this. Stay strong!" she urged. A wave of healing power enveloped the rest of her team.
With renewed vigor, the party launched a coordinated assault on the remaining elementals. Jarek's greataxe cleaved through the weakened creatures, while Liriel's daggers struck with deadly precision. Nikos' sword provided another offensive side, keeping the monsters at bay while protecting his team.
The last of the elementals fell, their watery forms collapsing into the ground. The dungeon fell silent once more, the only sound the steady dripping of water from the ceiling.
Nikos surveyed the area, his mind already planning their next move. "Well done, everyone. We handled that well," he said, his calm demeanor a source of reassurance.
Marielle sighed in relief, her nervousness completely dissipating. "That was intense, but we did it," she said with gentle smile.
"Go collect the creature cores, we will need them for our new potions," Nikos ordered them.
"Yes, Master(Sir)," the trio nodded, following his instructions to gather the monster ingredients.
Shortly after finishing collecting the monster cores, they continued their journey until they found the stairs to go down to the second floor. They stepped down the dungeon, going deeper.
As they reached the second floor, they were greeted with a layout of the dungeon that was definitely different from the first floor.
"Stop first," Nikos instructed.
They stopped their move and looked at the layout in front of them. They stood on the ground, but in front of them was an area that was quite large. However, what made this place different was that the area in front of them was submerged in water that almost reached their necks.
And in the water, Nikos caught some subtle and vague movement.