Max was still sleepy even though he had a nap, his stomach felt like it had barely recovered from the hot dog training. He stretched his limbs and groaned, not exactly eager to see what Merlin had in store for him next. But before he could rest any longer, Merlin barged into the room, fully armored and nearly unrecognizable.
"Get up," Merlin ordered, his voice muffled by the thick helmet he wore. "We've got work to do."
Max blinked in confusion. "Merlin? Is that you? What's with the armor?"
Merlin sighed, lifting the visor of his helmet. "We're going on an adventure. I figured it's best not to draw attention to myself. So, from now on, I'm not Merlin the Mage. I'm… uh, Balric the Bold."
"Balric the Bold, really?" Max laughed.
"Yes, really. Now get your gear, we're heading to the Adventurers' Guild to form a party. We've got a dungeon to clear."
Max quickly got dressed and followed Merlin out of the house, where a portal awaited him. Max jumped into the portal, and the next thing he saw, they were in town. People looked at them, but it seemed no one recognized the great mage beneath the heavy armor. He had swapped his usual robes for a full suit of plate armor, complete with a sword strapped to his side. The armor was scratched and worn, clearly used, but it fit Merlin perfectly. His steps were heavy, and he moved with the confidence of someone who had worn such armor for years. The helm covered most of his face, leaving only his sharp eyes visible through the narrow slit.
Merlin, now Balric, pushed the heavy wooden doors, and they stepped inside. Max looked around, trying to see some familiar faces, but no one was there.
"Stick close to me," Merlin said. "We need to find a few more members for our party. We'll need a healer, a tank, and an archer."
Max nodded, following Merlin through the crowd. The noise was almost overwhelming, but Merlin knew exactly where to go. He approached the job board, looking at the notices for something specific. After a moment, he nodded to himself and turned to Max.
"I was right. This dungeon has a reputation for being tricky. Lots of traps. We can't afford to go in without someone who can keep us alive. We'll need a healer for this one."
Max read the notice over Merlin's shoulder. It described a dungeon called Shadowfen Hollow. The dungeon was located deep within a network of caves near the coast, and it was said to be home to ancient, forgotten magic and creatures that had long been hidden from the world. The reward was big, but so was the risk.
"Sounds like a challenge," Max said.
"The kind of challenge that'll make you stronger. Come on, let's find the rest of our team."
They moved through the guild, eventually arriving at a table where a group of adventurers was seated. Among them was a young woman with gentle eyes and a big staff—clearly a healer. Her long, flowing robes were covered with symbols of protection and healing, and the staff was resting against her chair.
"Excuse me," Merlin said. "We're looking for a healer to join our party for a dungeon raid. Interested?"
The woman looked up, her eyes meeting Merlin0s with a calm gaze. "Which dungeon?" she asked.
"Shadowfen Hollow."
She raised an eyebrow. "That's a dangerous one. You're going to need more than just a healer."
"We've got that covered," Merlin said confidently. "What we need is someone who can keep us alive while we deal with the threats inside."
The healer seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I'm in. Name's Elara."
"Balric," Merlin said. "And this is Max."
"Pleasure to meet you both. Let's find the rest of our team," Elara stood and gathered her things.
Eventually, they found a tank—a huge, muscular man with a battle-scarred shield and a warhammer that looked like it could crush boulders. He was sitting in the corner, polishing his armor.
"Looking for a tank?" the man asked.
"Indeed," Merlin replied. "We're going to clear Shadowfen Hollow. Could use someone with your… figure."
The tank grinned, showing a row of rotten teeth that looked like they had seen more than a few battles. "Garrick. If you've got the coin, I've got the muscle."
"Consider yourself hired," Merlin said. "You'll get the money after we clear the dungeon."
Garrick stood up, he was the tallest person in the room. "Let's get this over with. I've got a tavern to get back to when we're done."
With the tank now in the party, they still needed one more member—an archer. Max scanned the room when he noticed someone sitting by the window. The archer was a small, agile woman with sharp eyes that seemed to miss nothing. Her bow was against the wall next to her, and a quiver of arrows hung from her back. She was quietly sipping from a mug, looking through the window, but Max could tell she was aware of everything happening around her.
Merlin approached her.
"Balric," Merlin introduced himself again. "We're heading to Shadowfen Hollow. We could use an archer with a sharp eye like yours."
"How do you know I have a sharp eye?" the woman tilted her head slightly, considering the offer. "What's in it for me?"
"The usual cut of the treasure," Merlin replied.
"Alright, I'm in. Call me Sylara."
"Welcome to the team, Sylara," Merlin said, pleased they finally found their last member. "There is a portal waiting for us outside, Max here is a mage."
Sylara took her bow and headed outside with the others.
"I don't know how to summon portals! What's wrong with you?" Max yelled at Merlin.
"I know, idiot," Merlin responded to him. "That's why I had to cast it."
"W-when?"
"Right now."
The two of them headed outside, where to Max's surprise there really was a portal waiting for them.
On the other side of the portal, they stood in front of the dungeon. The sound of the ocean waves crashing against the rocks echoed through the cavern.
The entrance was a large archway carved into the side of a cliff. The stone was old, ancient, covered in moss and seaweed, and the air was thick with the smell of salt. The passage leading inside was dark, the light from the sun outside barely fighting its way inside.
"This is where the fun begins. Stay close, keep your mind calm, and remember—there's no room for mistakes in there," Merlin said to Max.
Max nodded. He took a deep breath, or at least he was trying.
He looked at his party members, their stats visible.
Elara
Class: Healer
Level: 35
HP: 150
Mana: 220
Attributes:
Vigor: 100
Mind: 140
Endurance: 90
Strength: 50
Dexterity: 80
Intelligence: 110
Faith: 160
Arcane: 70
Spells:
Healing Light (Level 3):
Healing: 80 HP
Mana Cost: 30 Mana
Effect: Restores a large amount of health to a single ally.
Barrier of Faith (Level 2):
Effect: Creates a protective barrier that absorbs 100 damage for 10 seconds.
Mana Cost: 40 Mana
Revive (Level 1):
Effect: Revives a fallen ally with 50% HP.
Mana Cost: 100 Mana
Cooldown: 10 minutes
Cleansing Light (Level 1):
Effect: Removes all debuffs from a single ally.
Mana Cost: 25 Mana
Special Ability:
Divine Grace: Increases the effectiveness of all healing spells by 25% for 5 minutes. Cooldown: 15 minutes.
Garrick
Class: Tank
Level: 40
HP: 300
Stamina: 150
Attributes:
Vigor: 180
Mind: 60
Endurance: 160
Strength: 170
Dexterity: 70
Intelligence: 40
Faith: 50
Arcane: 55
Skills:
Shield Bash (Level 2):
Damage: 40 Physical Damage
Effect: Stuns target for 2 seconds.
Stamina Cost: 20 Stamina
Fortress Stance (Level 3):
Effect: Increases physical and magic defense by 50% for 10 seconds.
Stamina Cost: 30 Stamina
Taunt (Level 1):
Effect: Forces all enemies within a 5-meter radius to attack Garrick for 5 seconds.
Stamina Cost: 15 Stamina
Special Ability:
Iron Wall: Reduces incoming damage by 70% for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Sylara
Class: Archer
Level: 37
HP: 120
Stamina: 130
Attributes:
Vigor: 90
Mind: 70
Endurance: 100
Strength: 80
Dexterity: 160
Intelligence: 60
Faith: 40
Arcane: 75
Skills:
Piercing Shot (Level 2):
Damage: 45 Physical Damage
Effect: Ignores 30% of the target's armor.
Stamina Cost: 25 Stamina
Rain of Arrows (Level 2):
Effect: Fires a volley of arrows that deals area damage to all enemies within a 5-meter radius.
Stamina Cost: 40 Stamina
Shadowstep (Level 1):
Effect: Instantly teleports to a nearby location within 10 meters.
Stamina Cost: 20 Stamina
Special Ability:
Eagle Eye: Increases critical hit chance by 20% for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.