Chapter 18 - Dark Staircase
Cupping his chin, Lucas fell into thought. ‘All these are decent skills. Smash of Lament doesn’t specifically require a hammer to activate, which means my pew-pew gun could use the same effect.’
‘Eternal Suffering is a solid tank skill. Anguish Roar is similar to Baneful Wail, so let’s cross that one out. Baneful Presence is essentially making me a walking debuff machine.'
'Hmm, why am I even contemplating this so deeply? There’s no Intelligence or Willpower-related skill, so the obvious choice should be something Vitality-related! Just like the Great Mechanic Han! Alright, Eternal Suffering it is,' Lucas mentally roared as he made his decision.
In an instant, the screens before him dissolved into white particles that entered his body. Curious, he summoned his status window.
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Lucas Kun
Level 14
Class: Mechanic
Title: Forerunner
VIT - 20
POW - 8
AGI - 11
INT - 28
WIL - 13
Free Points: 15
Talent: Avid Reader.
Class-Exclusive Skill:
Oversurge Protocol - Lv 1
Machinery Affinity I - Lv MAX
Skill:
Knowledge - Lv 6
Combat Fundamentals - Lv 4
Matrix Simulation - Lv 3
Analysis - Lv 3
Eternal Suffering - Lv MAX
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‘Eternal Suffering! This will be my first step to becoming a Legendary Mechanic!’ Lucas couldn't resist snickering at the thought as he allocated five points to VIT, seven to INT, and three to WIL.
‘But for real, this name just oozes misfortune. I'm not going to step on some cracks on some sidewalks, right?’ he shook his head with a wry smile and closed the status window.
Turning to the girls, Lucas noticed they were done with their rewards as well. “Hope you got something good,” he said while picking up the hammer left behind by the Wailing Nun.
“Yeah, I managed to grab a nice Uncommon Skill that works well with my class,” Samantha chuckled.
Meanwhile, Chloe replied dejectedly, “Just a Common Skill. But at least it’s a decent Passive one.”
“Since we’ve cleared the dungeon, should we head out?” Chloe asked, noticing Lucas was staring at the ceiling.
“Don’t you feel like something’s off?” Lucas suddenly asked.
Taken aback, Samantha interjected, “What do you mean?”
“The boss was too weak,” Lucas said flatly, pacing around the nave as he examined the walls and pillars.
“It’s a beginner dungeon, so I’d assume it’s meant to be easy, right?” Samantha replied.
As if realizing something, Chloe interjected, “No, Lucas is right. Something feels off. Do you remember when we first stepped into the central corridor and entered this room? There was some kind of pressure pressing down on us.”
“She’s right,” Lucas added as he approached the shattered statue. “The boss didn’t have the same kind of aura. What we felt earlier was much more suffocating.”
Bits and pieces of the statue were scattered around, drawing Lucas’s focus as he examined them closely.
After a quick glance, Lucas deduced that all the pieces were present to reconstruct the statue. Concentrating his mental energy, he lifted the broken fragments and began piecing them together.
Before long, a statue of a woman stood fully restored in front of the trio. The figure boasted a voluptuous silhouette, her face obscured by a robe. Despite this, an inexplicable sense of allure emanated from the statue.
“She’s hot,” Chloe remarked without hesitation.
“Yeah, big chest and a nicely shaped back,” Samantha added matter-of-factly.
Ignoring the girls’ comments, Lucas continued examining the area surrounding the statue. That was when his
He soon uncovered what appeared to be a pressure plate hidden beneath a pile of debris. Clearing the rubble away, Lucas revealed a circular disk embedded in the ground, the same size as the base of the statue.
The girls walked over, peering curiously at the circular panel. “Is it some kind of secret button for a hidden passageway?” Chloe asked, her excitement evident.
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“Probably,” Lucas replied curtly, mentally lifting the statue with a focused effort. “Step aside for a moment.”
With care, he aligned the statue and placed it gently on the circular panel. The ground beneath them trembled slightly, and moments later, a hidden staircase spiraled down into the underground, revealing itself.
“This is insane. There really is a secret passageway,” Samantha said, her tone laced with awe.
“Come on, let’s go!” Chloe exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over as she eagerly stepped toward the stairs.
Meanwhile, Lucas pulled up the system window to check the dungeon's status. Nothing had changed except for the confirmation that the dungeon had been cleared.
Clearly, this was one of those hidden missions. Lucas recognized the signs immediately. Turning to the girls, he warned, “Stay sharp. Whatever was releasing that pressure earlier could be waiting for us down there.”
The shift in Lucas's tone made the girls more cautious. They exchanged uneasy glances before stepping closer to the staircase, which descended into an ominous void of darkness.
“This is seriously creepy. Do you think there’ll be a jumpscare?” Chloe asked nervously, her gaze fixed on the unsettling abyss below.
Speechless, Samantha retorted, “A few seconds ago, you were bouncing around, urging us to go down. Now you’re scared?”
“Are you not?!” Chloe shot back, her voice rising. “Just look at it! That ominous aura is literally oozing from the staircase! I’m telling you, the moment we step in, the entrance will slam shut, and fangs will pop out of the walls to grind us!”
“How is a staircase going to grow teeth?!” Samantha rebuked, exasperated.
On the other hand, Lucas stood off to the side, watching the exchange with a helpless expression. “Here,” he said, pulling out some items from his bag. “I’ve got these holy flashlights. Hang them on your chest straps. They’ll ward off any demonic teeth from the walls.”
When the girls heard his words, they were ready to fire back, but Lucas swiftly interjected, “Let’s go. I’ll take the lead.” Without waiting for their retorts, he headed toward the staircase.
The girls exchanged annoyed glances, grumbling under their breaths before reluctantly following him.
Initially, the staircase was dimly lit by faint light from above. However, the deeper they descended, the darker it became. The oppressive pressure they had felt earlier grew stronger with each step.
“Turn on your flashlights,” Lucas instructed calmly despite the suffocating atmosphere.
“Are we even heading downwards?” Samantha muttered softly as the disorienting darkness was beginning to play tricks on her senses. “I’m starting to feel claustrophobic.”
“Lucas, we won’t get eaten by the staircase, right?” Chloe asked nervously, clutching tightly onto Lucas’s backpack as if afraid to be left behind.
Still leading at the front, Lucas replied, “Probably not, but this darkness is definitely strange. Even with our flashlights on, we can’t see beyond three meters. Something’s at play here.”
After several minutes of cautious descent into the oppressive blackness, the trio finally reached what seemed to be the end, a sturdy metal door. Before they could investigate further, a muffled roar echoed from the other side.
“Sounds like a hidden boss,” Lucas said quietly, leveling his rifle to his eyes. “Same plan as before. I’ll draw its attention, and you two will flank it.”
“Alright,” the girls nodded, tightening their grips on their respective weapons.
Taking a deep breath, Lucas carefully nudged the door open with his mental energy, stepping cautiously inside. The trio's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected sight before them.
It was a small, hollow cavity resembling a dripstone cave. Even with their restricted view due to the encroaching darkness, they could make out the far side of the chamber. What stood out more, however, were the rows of cells aligned along the walls, giving the space the unmistakable feel of a literal dungeon.
At the far end of the cave, a hulking figure was chained to the wall, growling menacingly with its head drooping.
At the very end of the cave, a hulking figure was chained to the wall, growling menacingly with its head drooping.
“Hey, over there,” Chloe whispered, trying to keep her voice soft, but the echo still disrupted the beast's slumber.
The creature's head shot up as it caught sight of the trio standing before it. Its eyes blazed with fury, and with a deafening roar, it released a wave of dreadful energy, as though enraged by their intrusion. Grunting loudly, the beast tore the chains from the wall and fixed a murderous glare on the trio.
Feeling the oppressive aura assaulting their faces, Lucas's expression hardened as he raised his rifle, aiming at the beast.
Before he could fire, the hulking creature knelt and grabbed a chunk of rubble, hurling it toward the trio with alarming speed.
Eyes widening, Lucas shouted, “Down!” But the girls were already in motion, dodging the flying debris before his words even left his mouth. The rubble slammed into the ground, sending a booming echo through the cave.
Before the trio could recover, the beast let out a guttural grunt and charged straight at Samantha.
“Samantha!” Chloe yelled, panic lacing her voice as she noticed the beast targeting her companion.
Still disoriented from the deafening crash, Samantha barely registered the looming threat before instinct took over. She leaped sideways just in time, narrowly avoiding a massive fist that slammed into the ground where she had stood moments earlier. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the cave, forcing her to cough up blood.
As the beast raised its fist for another strike, a sudden barrage of bullets tore through the air. The projectiles struck with precision, embedding themselves into its flesh and forcing it to recoil.
Coughing and struggling to steady herself, Samantha felt herself being dragged away. “You okay?” Chloe asked, her grip firm as she pulled Samantha to safety.
“Still alive,” Samantha rasped, wiping the blood from her mouth. “What the hell was that thing?” Her eyes remained locked on the beast as it shielded its vital areas against the unrelenting rain of bullets.
“Potions first, questions later,” Chloe instructed, pulling out a tube of stamina potion. She quickly uncorked it and helped Samantha drink.
In the meantime, Lucas focused on diverting the beast's attention away from Samantha. Despite emptying two more magazines, the bullets barely made a dent, lodging shallowly in the beast's flesh without penetrating further.
Clicking his tongue in frustration, Lucas switched to his
However, as he began swapping weapons and momentarily focused on Samantha's injuries, the beast's eyes gleamed with cunning. Seizing the opportunity, it dashed toward Lucas with terrifying speed.
Fortunately, Lucas noticed it and twisted his body just in time, narrowly dodging the tackle. However, his relief was short-lived as he had misjudged the distance and was still within the beast's striking range.
Before he could react, the beast's arm swung at him with full force. “This is going to hurt,” Lucas muttered under his breath, bracing himself. He raised his forearm to block the attack head-on.
The impact sent him hurtling into one of the dungeon cells. A sharp pain coursed through him as he could feel several bones within him cracked and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.
“Lucas!” Chloe screamed in horror as she watched him slam into the wall.
Seeing the intruder struggling to stand up, the beast huffed in excitement and charged in for the finishing blow.
To everyone's shock, Lucas managed to raise his hand just in time, halting the beast's fist mid-strike. Even the beast was momentarily taken aback by his sudden display of strength. Upon closer inspection, the wounds, bruises, and scratches across Lucas's body began healing right before their eyes.
“My turn,” Lucas smirked before delivering a powerful punch of his own, striking the beast’s skull squarely and sending it tumbling back.