James woke and looked around the room quickly. Roland's bed was empty, along with Barbara's. Connie was asleep with her blonde hair splayed across her face. Doris had her armour removed and was still sleeping under the covers. Even Onyx was asleep on her bed. James had watched the Figurine timer and reset it at the 24-hour mark. She was safe for another day.

Barbara and Roland were busy making breakfast and chatting quietly with each other. When James entered the room, they both greeted him. Tiptoeing to avoid waking anyone, James got out of bed and left the sleeping area.

Roland placed a steaming cup on the table, "Breakfast will be ready soon. We only have another hour in the Safe Room before leaving."

James looked over at Rocko and raised an eyebrow.

"He is not wrong," Rocko explained, "Safe Rooms are only available for 12 hours. After that, they are no longer considered safe, nor do they give you the benefits of accelerated healing or recovery."

James nodded and took a sip of the tea, "I don't think we will be attacked here, but it makes sense that we should be on our way. We still have a Dungeon to clear."

Barbara sat across from him with a cup of her own, "Roland told me what he told you last night."

James looked at her, "Did he tell you it was his idea and that he wants me to take a group of his people, excluding you and your sisters?"

Roland sighed, "You have such an interesting way with words."

James looked over at him, "Is that not true?"

Roland nodded, "It is true indeed, but not in intention. And that is the difference."

"Easy, you two," Barbara chided. "I know Roland wants you to take a more experienced team into a couple of Dungeons and clear them. He also told me of your reservations about leaving us behind."

James turned back to Barbara, "The more people who know who and what I am, the greater the danger to me."

Barbara took a deep breath and sighed, "I know. But you have already left us behind, James. We knew we would only get half a dozen levels with you before you were too far ahead. This Dungeon allowed us to gain a level with all those low-level creatures was a boon for us. It did nothing for you, however."

James shrugged, "If I came here on my own, it would have been the same results. The only difference I could see would be that I would most likely have died."

"I doubt that," Rocko and Barbara said simultaneously.

"I don't think Doris will want to continue after today. But Connie will fight this. She is the youngest of us and is driven to reach level 20. But Doris and I don't have the same drive as hers." Barbara lamented.

"Do you think she will continue adventuring if you two stop?" James asked.

Barbara shrugged, "Not right away. I think she will try to drag us along, but once she realizes that we won't budge, she will move forward on her own."

"So, how can I help?" James inquired.

"Don't be here to help," Barbara said with a sad smile.

James nodded. They weren't going to stop her, but they didn't want to encourage her.

"Once you are more than 6 levels ahead of her, she will realize that she can't group with you anymore and find someone else to join," Roland added.

"So nice of you, go have my life all figured out," Connie said as she walked into the room.

"It is not like that," Barbara sighed.

Connie sat next to James and accepted a hot cup of tea from Roland, "Anyone bother to ask what I want?" she asked her siblings.

Barbara rolled her eyes, "Seriously? You haven't stopped talking about reaching level 20 since we discovered James was a Champion. You have been instrumental in this Dungeon, proving a Wizard's value."

Connie looked down at her cup and didn't say anything for a while.

"No decisions have to be made today. Let's finish the Dungeon, go home and address it later," Roland offered.

"Fine, then let's eat," James stated.

Barbara stood up, "I will go wake, Doris."

----------------------------------------

The group stood before the final door. Doris was given the honour of placing the last gem into its slot. With that done, the final door cracked in the middle and opened toward the Party. Everyone stepped back, ready for the final fight, but nothing did.

Roland stepped up first, "I'll take the lead."

The others nodded and fell in line behind him. It was wide enough for two abreast, but the Party took a Dispersion Pattern that James explained to them. James followed second, then Connie and Barbara several meters apart. Finally, Doris pulled up the rear with the Great Sword of Poison since she was still without a shield. This tunnel turned into stairs leading up and continued for some time.

"I seem some light up ahead," Roland whispered back. James passed the message back, but he could see the light ahead too.

When the Party reached the top of the stairs, they needed several minutes for their eyes to adjust fully. The area opened up into a sizeable arena-like theatre. Around the Arena were rows upon rows of empty seats. Across from them, James could see large double doors, similar to the ones his Party found themselves standing beside. The area was quiet except for the snapping of flags and pennants flapping in the wind. All around the top of the Arena were different coloured pennants, all with the same symbol style. The symbol of Apep.

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"Looks like this is the final battle. An arena fight against a Chimera of some type. Maybe more than one. Any ideas?" James offered.

"Don't die?" Doris quipped. The others smiled at her, but the severity of the situation was real.

"I agree—no dying. Doris, stay back and make sure that if there is more than one creature, you protect your sisters. Roland will run interference on any extras so that we can focus on one or two at a time. That means you don't attack any of the monsters fighting Roland until we are ready to deal with them, and we will designate Barbara to use her arrows to pull them. This is not ideal for your Fireball, Connie, but it will allow us to fight them one at a time." James explained.

"And if there is only one?" Doris asked.

"Go all out, but leave some Mana in reserve. It could be that they may come at us in waves or escalating strengths," Roland suggested.

With everyone ready, the sisters drank their Potions of Bonus Experience (100) and stepped onto the Arena sands.

Suddenly, thousands of people of all shapes and sizes appeared in the stands, cheering and hollering like crazed fans at a football game. The roar was deafening and somewhat encouraging. James could hear an announcer doing his speech to the crowd, but the voice was too distorted to make out the words. It seemed the crowd could hear the announcer well enough, and the volume of the cheering increased and decreased at the appropriate intervals.

When the double doors at the other end of the Arena opened, an expectant hush fell upon the audience. Into the Arena leaped a massive Lion, easily the size of a horse. At first, James was confused, considering they were supposed to fight a chimera-type creature, but when he saw the head of a giant Goat protruding from the back of the Lion, it made sense. The crowd erupted into thunderous applause and cheers at the new arrival. When the Goat's head released a gout of flame from its mouth, the crowd responded by increasing the volume another notch.

Roland tried to say something, but the noise was too loud, and no one could hear him. Finally, when he waved his sword behind him like a tail, James figured out what he was trying to say. Watching the beast approach them, James saw a very long tail that was not a tail but was the body of a Snake with the head of one as well. A large head. With fangs.

'How much you want to bet the Snake's bite is poisonous,' James asked Rocko since this method of communication was the only one that would work.

'You mean venomous, and I ain't taking that bet,' Rocko corrected.

'I knew that. I was testing you,' James teased.

'Focus on staying alive,' Rocko suggested.

The beast had closed half the distance to the Party before Roland started moving forward. When it got close enough, James used Inspect. Connie and Barbara moved to the right side, with Doris staying between them and the Chimera.

Name: ? Race: Chimera (Boss) Level: 15 Damage Range: ? Damage Type: Piercing/Slashing/Fire/Poison Armour Rating: ? Special: Melee - Bite, Poison, Fire, ?

The roar of the Lion's head was louder than the crowd, which was impressive. James never realized how loud tens of thousands of rabid fans could be. Moving to try and flank the beast on the left, James realized that it was futile as the Goat's head focused on him as the Lion's head focused on Roland. The Snake head was long enough to attack either of them, so in truth, Roland and James were both in danger. James waited until Roland slammed his Shield into Lion's face before engaging the beast. James started with a PSI Bolt and then moved into melee range. The PSI Bolt seemed to hit, but he wasn't sure if it did full damage or not. Or if the beast just had so much Health that the damage done by the Bolt was inconsequential. He also noticed that Connie hit it with an Acid Bolt, which made sense. The creature was probably resistant, if not immune, to fire.

James got ready and allowed himself to be hit with the Goat's fire breath. As he had hoped, the fire was considered magical and was reduced by 75%. He wished he had Resis - Fire and advised Rocko to accept the Skill if it was offered to him. Which it was, after being bathed in flames a second time. James had to Dodge the Snake head's attacks several times in between the Goat's flaming breath. He tried to stab the body but was kept at bay by the Snake's head. The fact that the Lion was dancing around while fighting with Roland didn't help either.

While exchanging blows with the Snakehead, James noticed that the Snakehead flinched back when the Goat head breathed fire. James was avoiding most of the flames now. Even though the damage was reduced substantially, it wasn't reduced to zero, and it also was damaging his armour. Working on a hunch, James activated his Shield's power to create a Zone of Darkness, just as the Snake's head attacked. Allowing the hit, James latched onto the creature and activated Grasping Shadowy Tendrils simultaneously. The tactic worked when the Snake's head couldn't let go. The Poison it unleashed into James was no joking matter and was far worse than the flames, but his resistance to Poison helped, and he was healing himself when he had spare seconds.

What happened next was what he had hoped. The Goat's head breathed fire on both James' and the Snake's. The Snake's and Goat's heads had set up a rhythm by alternating their attacks. Since the Darkness prevented them from seeing, the pattern was broken. The Snake's head was not resistant to fire and hissed loudly as its body was cooked.

James was pulled off his feet when the Lion's body moved, charging for the three sisters. Hanging onto the Snakes head, James was dragged behind as the beast moved, tearing the Shadowy Tendrils with ease. Once the moving stopped, James got up, and Shield Bashed the Snake's head. With it stunned and still in the Darkness, James took full advantage to stab and stomp on it until it stopped moving. When the Darkness disappeared, James saw that Roland was back in front of the Lion's head and was a little charred from the flames from the Goat's head. The sisters had moved further to the right and were still using ranged attacks but slowed down. Connie was using Magic Dart, and Barbara was using Explosive Arrow. Doris was still guarding them, but one arm was hanging limply at her side as she cast Soothing Touch on herself.

James realized he had to move quickly and activated his Shield again. When the Darkness descended, he moved so that the Goat's head was in the area of effect, and then Shadow Stepped behind it. Straddling the Lion's body, James wrapped his shield arm around the head of the Goat and tried to pull the muzzle up into the air. The Goat's head was more potent than it looked, but James had the advantage of the ring and positioning. He tried to sheath his sword, but it was too awkward. Deciding to drop it instead, he pulled out his Fine Steel Dagger and went to work on the Goat's neck.

When James sliced the Goat's throat, the Lion's body started to buck like a bull. Using his legs, he wrapped them around the Goat's neck and hung on, continuing to stab the Goat's head and the Lion's body in alternating attacks. He stopped attacking with PSI Bolt and was focusing on just using Heal Self to deal with the Poison still in his body. That reminded him too late of the Snake's head that suddenly clamped its jaws on his shoulder. Now it was James' turn to howl in pain. Not that anyone could hear him.

James thought he was falling to the side, but when his leg was crushed under the Lion's body, he realized it was the Lion who had fallen. James tried to extricate his leg but couldn't. He saw the Great Sword of Poisoning sweep out of the corner of his eye and felt a tug on the Snake's head. After that, things went still. The crowd started cheering louder as the beast finally died.