Leon gave Luna a quick nod as she laid out their options. "Well, we could destroy the core right now," he said, eyes scanning the chamber, "I've got a clear shot at it. If we do, the monsters will weaken immediately, but we won't get any rewards."
Luna looked conflicted for a moment, but then gritted her teeth and made her decision. "We fight," she said firmly.
"Alright then, let's deal with this monster wave," Leon replied, nodding in approval.
"This is clearly a survival-type dungeon," Leon continued as they fended off the incoming horde of plague rats. "We just need to outlast the waves."
Luna slashed through another group of plague rats, the darkness swirling around her as her shadows lashed out and cleared large groups of enemies. "How long does it usually take?" she asked between breaths.
"For a Grade 1 dungeon like this, it could take anywhere from an hour to three," Leon explained, hurling another Aether blast.
"Make sure you manage your mana," he added. "There's no source here to replenish it, so we have to be careful."
Luna nodded, her expression focused as she unleashed another round of deadly strikes, her shadows wiping out entire clusters of rats in the blink of an eye. They continued battling, side by side, determined to survive the onslaught and claim the rewards at the end.
As Leon and Luna continued their relentless fight against the seemingly endless wave of plague rats, the intensity of the battle mounted. Each swipe of their blades and casting of their spells pushed them further into the survival-type dungeon, where the objective was clear—endure the waves or perish. The rats, mutated and monstrous, were no ordinary creatures. Each was the size of a large dog, their bodies covered in oozing pustules that emitted a foul, toxic vapor. Their numbers seemed limitless.
"Just keep at it!" Leon shouted, his voice tense but focused as he unleashed a burst of Aether, vaporizing several rats in one go. His eyes darted toward Luna, who was faring just as well, her movements swift and precise, cutting down rats with a mix of skill and power. Her Night Lord abilities were in full display, shadows dancing around her, slicing through the enemies with lethal efficiency.
"I'm managing," Luna replied, her voice steady despite the fatigue that was starting to creep into her muscles. "But if this goes on too long, I'll need to conserve more mana."
Leon understood the importance of her words. Without a reliable mana source to replenish themselves, they were burning through their reserves quickly. "It's all about pacing. The moment we overextend, we're dead."
He summoned another Demonic Servant to assist with the battle, ordering it to clear the path ahead. "We just need to keep going, wave by wave, until this dungeon tires itself out."
Luna gritted her teeth, lashing her blade at a pack of incoming rats. "Survival dungeons like this can be grueling. It's a test of endurance more than anything."
"Yeah, but it's also a test of patience," Leon said, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the rhythm of the monster waves. "There's always a pattern. We need to find it."
As they fought, Luna's shadow abilities were especially useful, allowing her to strike from multiple directions at once. The shadows danced like a second set of limbs, mimicking her movements and overwhelming the plague rats. At the same time, Leon's Aether magic was a powerful deterrent, casting explosive bursts of energy that thinned out the enemies before they could overwhelm the duo.
Time dragged on, each wave of monsters becoming stronger than the last. The dungeon was clearly adapting, testing their resolve. Sweat dripped down both of their faces, but they kept pushing forward, determined not to let the dungeon break them.
"Keep going we are reaching the end, now it's going to be either an Demon or a powerful Boss" Leon said as he saw there are no more Plague rats spawning.
Luna groaned in frustration but kept going, her blades never ceasing. "We better be ready for whatever comes at the end."
"And don't forget," Leon added, his voice serious, "if the Dungeon Core does decide to summon a demon, it'll be more powerful than the final boss. We've got to be prepared for that too."
"I know" Luna said as she took the Sources Leon is giving her continuously.
"You should absorb some too" She said as she absorbed another bunch gaining a level.
"I am," Leon replied, glancing at the system notifications flooding his vision. Each plague rat they killed, whether it was a Tier 1 or lower Tier 2, kept rewarding him with high Tier 2 power sources, when he then donated to Luna through his Charity system and received the high tier 2 power sources.
'Heh, this Charity system is broken, and it's only at Level 1. I wonder how much stronger it'll be when I get it to Level 2,' Leon thought, continuing to slay the remaining rats with renewed enthusiasm.
After about ten minutes, the final plague rat collapsed, and both Leon and Luna paused to catch their breath. Leon scanned the area, noticing the plague rat corpses being absorbed into the ground as the dungeon core prepared to summon the final boss.
"I guess it's not hatching a demon for us," Leon remarked between breaths, his voice calm.
Luna nodded in agreement. "We should rest while we can. It'll take about five minutes or so for the boss to fully materialize, judging by how fast the bodies are dissolving," she said, her voice a bit strained from the battle.
Leon nodded back, settling down cross-legged on the ground. He closed his eyes and began to meditate, aiming to replenish his mana and regain focus for the upcoming fight. Luna sat nearby, doing the same, as they prepared for the final confrontation.
As Leon and Luna continued meditating, regaining their mana and composure, the dungeon core pulsed with dark energy, working tirelessly to craft the final boss. It was the core's last line of defense, its only hope to stop the intruders before it was forced to flee, leaving behind its precious treasure according to the ancient rules governing dungeons.