Choose the difficulty layer you wish to enter
Difficulty Power Recommendation Layer I Party of five at Peak Initiate Level Layer II Party of five at First Advancement Layer III Party of five at Peak First Advancement Layer IV Party of five at Second Advancement Layer V Party of five at Peak Second Advancement
Surveying the screen floating before him, a smile tugged at Thorian's lips. As he turned his attention back to his comrades, it became apparent that they too were engrossed in a similar panel.
"What do you all think?" Thorian posed the question. "Which difficulty level should we opt for?"
"I say let's go for the fifth layer!" Ventus proposed with palpable enthusiasm. However, before he could justify his suggestion, Saxum landed a gentle punch on his head.
"You really need to learn when to keep quiet."
"Ouch! Why'd you hit me?" Ventus protested, grabbing Saxum by the shoulders. "It was the king who asked for my opinion, why do you have to butt in?"
Thorian and the priest shook their heads at the childish banter while Nox was laughing heartily on the side.
"It was my mistake to ask," Thorian grumbled. "We'll opt for the second layer. It should provide us a good baseline to understand the layout of this dungeon."
From a technical standpoint, those recommendations assume a well-geared squad. But this shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.
"But I was hoping for a challenge..."
Ignoring Ventus's grumbles, Thorian issued his command. "Since we can't yet form an official party recognized by the system, we'll need to hold hands before selecting the difficulty. Otherwise, we risk being teleported to different locations."
"Teleportation?" Nox's eyes lit up at the prospect. "Now, that's a sight I'd love to see!"
“How would that work?” Saxum asked with interest.
“You will see soon enough,” Thorian said spreading his arms, “Now take each other’s hands.”
Following his command, the group took each other by the hand before Thorian chose the second layer of the dungeon. With all hands linked, Thorian turned his attention back to the screen and firmly selected 'Layer II'. The moment he did, a radiant light enveloped the group, causing them to instinctively shut their eyes.
Ventus couldn't help but give a startled yelp, his grip on Saxum's hand tightening. A sensation of weightlessness swept over them, like they were being lifted off their feet. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the sensation stopped, and the brilliant light faded.
They opened their eyes to find themselves standing in a vastly different environment than the forest they'd left behind. The enormous tree that housed the dungeon was even more towering from the inside, its inner walls glowing faintly with the bioluminescence of countless fungi and moss.
"Everyone alright?" Thorian asked, scanning his companions. The others nodded, still a bit disoriented but otherwise unharmed. "Then let's proceed with caution," he added, releasing the hands of Nox and Saxum.
Nox, being very energetic, stepped forward with a grin. "Alright! Let's see what this dungeon's got!"
"No need to rush," Thorian admonished, but there was a smile playing on his lips. He was just as eager as the rest of them to clear this new dungeon.
As they moved from the landing area, they entered the first challenge - The Fungal Fields, Thorian noted. The spectacle that unfolded before them was unquestionably surreal. The fungi, in myriad colors, shapes, and sizes, each glowed with its own distinctive luminescent hue. However, the beauty of the spectacle was rapidly eclipsed by the rustling noises emanating from the towering mushrooms.
Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, Ventus spotted movement. "There!" he pointed. Emerging from the base of a large mushroom were several large beetles, their exoskeletons shimmering with the reflected bioluminescent light.
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Armored beetles? Tough creatures.
While Thorian was still occupied observing the newcomers, Nox was already in motion, his palpable excitement bubbling over. "I got this!" he declared, surging forward with a gust of wind that stirred up loose leaves and pebbles in his wake.
"Saxum, slow him down!" Thorian called out. The earth magus quickly cast his root spell, trying to ensnare Nox, but the shadowstalker was too fast.
Nox approached the armored beetles, axe in hand, but as he brought it down, it merely clanged off the beetle's exoskeleton. The beetles retaliated in unison, their sharp mandibles snapping at the black kobold.
"Nox, run!" At Thorian's commanding shout, the shadowstalker leaped into action, sprinting away from the beetle swarm with breakneck speed. However, despite Nox's swiftness, the beetles retaliated with a volley of spikes, effectively blocking all his potential escape routes.
“Gale Slash!”
Just as the lethal barrage was about to impale the black kobold, a burst of wind cleaved through the spikes, deflecting them off their intended course.
Ventus continued his relentless assault of gale slashes, the blasts of wind colliding with and deflecting the spikes away from Nox. The shadowstalker darted around the beetles, attempting to identify an opening. Concurrently, Thorian stepped forward, ready to cast a spell.
"Stand back!" he called out before thrusting his hands forward, conjuring a fireball. The beetles screeched as their exoskeletons heated up, the creatures disoriented by the sudden heat. In their frantic attempts to escape, they revealed their vulnerable underbellies.
"Now, Nox!" Thorian shouted.
With a grunt of acknowledgment, the shadowstalker dashed forward, his swift movements barely visible. His blade whistled through the air as he danced among the beetles, slashing at their exposed underbellies. Each stroke of his axe was precise and deadly, leaving fatal wounds in the soft flesh of the beetles.
However, even with their impeccable teamwork, a stray spike managed to graze Thorian. A sharp yelp escaped him, his movements faltering for a moment. But before the beetles could seize this chance, Saxum stepped forward, his hands glowing a soft green.
"Earthen Grasp," he murmured, slamming his hands onto the ground. Instantaneously, the earth beneath them softened and shaped itself, ensnaring the beetles who were grounded. With the creatures immobilized, Nox could navigate with greater ease, slicing through the captive monsters effortlessly.
Still, the wound Thorian had received needed to be tended to. The priest, standing a safe distance away, raised his hand, a soft, silvery light emanating from it.
With a small intonation, the moonlight stretched out and enveloped Thorian. The flame kobold's grimace of pain eased as the healing magic stitched his wound together.
With their combined efforts, the party swiftly dealt with the beetle threat.
Level up!
Seeing the familiar pop up, Thorian let out a smile. I forgot I was close to leveling up again. Display Panel.
Level: 12/30 (exp: 34/1350)
After checking his level, Thorian immediately closed his stat screen. His eyes then shifted toward the shadowstalker.
“Nox, you shouldn’t get too excited. Understood?” Thorian said, his voice stern but not unkind.
With a grin, Nox rubbed the back of his head, a sheepish look on his face. "Sorry about that, guys," he admitted, glancing over at Thorian. "I got a bit carried away there. Won't happen again."
Thorian nodded, his stern expression softening. "This isn't the same as just killing anything that moves when guarding the wall. We need to work as a team, to keep each other safe."
The rest of the group shared a look, the smiles on their faces betraying their relief. While the battle had been an unexpected challenge, their victory was a testament to their strength as a team. No one was seriously injured, and they'd even leveled up.
"Alright, let's take a moment here," Thorian suggested, sitting down on a nearby mushroom. "We need to discuss our tactics. Nox, you need to remember to let Saxum and Ventus control the battlefield first. You're our ace, our finisher. We can't afford you going berserk from the start."
Ventus, sitting opposite of Thorian, chuckled. "Yeah, listen to the king. You nearly gave us a heart attack."
Surprisingly, even Saxum concurred. "I generally never agree with this blockhead, but you nearly ended up dead. I'm unsure where this idiot discovered such reflexes to come to your rescue."
“Hey! Who are you calling an idiot?!”
Choosing to ignore their squabble, Thorian directed his attention to the priest. "You did an excellent job with the healing. However, remember to also utilize your other skills when appropriate. Ventus, Saxum, your battlefield control was outstanding. We should maintain that level of coordination."
After ensuring that everyone understood their roles, Thorian stood, the rest of the group following suit. They made their way out of the Fungal Fields, Ventus and Saxum leading the way, their senses alert to any potential danger.
As they crossed the Fungal Fields, the path they were led to by the dungeon showed a clear distinction of areas. As they stepped into the second area - The Thorned Thicket - they felt a significant change in the atmosphere. The dense vegetation and the twisting ivy gave the place a claustrophobic feeling, and the quiet rustle of the leaves was a constant reminder of the lurking dangers.
They moved cautiously, Ventus's Wind Gust violently pushing aside the poisonous ivy, while Saxum kept an eye out for any movement in the dense thicket. Nox remained at the back, his gaze shifting from one side to the other, his hand never leaving the grip of his axe.
Suddenly, Saxum raised his hand, bringing the group to a halt. His eyes narrowed at a particular patch of ivy, while he conjured a Rock Bullet with his finger. The moment his magic came into contact with the vegetation, an ominous creature revealed itself. The giant vine shot out with a feral hunger, displaying fangs that gleamed threateningly under the luminescence of nearby fungi.
Ventus was quick to react, a gust of wind sending the vine flying back. Nox stepped forward, his blade slashing through the air, and with a single, swift movement, cut the vine into two. The vine fell to the ground, writhing and hissing until it eventually stopped moving.
A Voracious Vine, huh?
A quiet sigh of relief went through the group. They were in the thick of it now, their every step leading them deeper into the challenges of the Verdant Labyrinth.
"Let's keep moving," Thorian said, his voice low but filled with resolve. "Stay vigilant, and we'll make it through."