Within the rest area of the 10th floor of Necropolis, a small party of three was making their final preparations.
“Are you ready?” Lazuli asked her two party members, Nataly and Aron.
Nataly nodded. “Mhm!”
Aron flexed his biceps as he just added attribute points to strength and grinned. “Oh yeah.”
“Are you sure, Aron? Last time I cast it…” Lazuli asked again, remembering how he had convulsed on the floor in pain.
“I’ll be fine! Now that I know how it feels, it’ll be different this time!”
She still wasn’t too sure but nodded, seeing him exude such confidence. She would have preferred spending a day or two more practicing, but with only a day left before the test, she didn’t have that luxury—and her teammates knew that as well. They got along well and didn’t want her to fail, so they tried their best to push through the dungeon.
“Okay, let’s go then!” Lazuli said, raising her magic rod upward. The others nodded, and Nataly signaled their protectors, who had been watching from a distance, that they were ready.
Lapis, Duncan, and Rex approached, following them through the boss door in case of an emergency, though they doubted they would need to intervene unless something went severely wrong.
They soon appeared in a large room lined with coffins along the adjacent walls. Between them and the exit stood a hulking, gray-skinned brute. The Gravedigger carried a large metal coffin on its back and roared at the intruders.
“Good luck. You three got this,” Duncan said, offering a few words of encouragement before falling back with Lapis and Rex. While it was unlikely for the boss to target them, if it did, they could easily slap it away. Duncan was ready to form a barrier around the boss and the trio to ensure it would focus solely on them.
The three nodded seriously as Aron took position in front, while the two mages stood behind, side by side, to cover each other’s backs.
Nataly acted first, tossing a few seeds around her and casting a spell. “[Shrub Knights]!”
The seeds sprouted, forming short bushes with arms and legs. In their branch like hands, they carried sharp wooden pikes.
The shrubs charged toward the Gravedigger with their spears poised, but before they could strike, the boss swung its massive coffin in a wide arc. The snapping sound of the shrubs being destroyed echoed through the room as they helplessly fell to its single attack.
Aron cracked his knuckles at the sight. “This will be fun.”
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He leaped forward and ran toward the boss. The Gravedigger prepared its coffin again and swung downwards with [Coffin Slam], intending to crush the tiny human. In response, Aron’s fist began to glow as he countered with [Bestial Uppercut].
The resulting clash created a loud boom as Aron was sent flying backward. Before crashing into the ground, he managed to regain his bearings and landed on his feet, sliding across the floor.
He glanced at his bloodied fist and laughed. “He sure packs a punch.”
Nataly rolled her eyes as she cast healing magic on him. “No duh! Don’t run in on your own. Remember, we’re here to support Lazuli.”
Aron rubbed his sore shoulder and nodded. “Yeah, yeah. I just wanted to see how I matched up against it. Y’know, a before and after? Lazuli, how’s the spell coming along?”
Lazuli didn’t respond, still mentally chanting the spell. She had already screwed up four times, forcing her to start over. This wasn’t like her previous acid spell, which was a modification of an already existing spell. This spell was completely new, rough, and sloppy. Her inexperience was causing the spell to either fizzle out or veer in the wrong direction.
During this time, the Gravedigger didn’t chase after Aron. Instead, ominous black strands exuded from its body, spreading into the coffins along the walls. From them, skeletons wielding various weapons burst out, aiming their attacks at the trio.
“[Shrub Knights]!” Nataly summoned more pike wielding shrubs to fight the skeletons, hoping to hold them back. While she had a stronger summoning spell that created a massive tree sentinel, Duncan had advised her not to use it, as this was meant to be a test for Lazuli. So, this was her next best option.
The shrubs clashed with the skeletons, trying to keep them at bay, but the skeletons were decisively stronger and more numerous. Her shrubs wouldn’t be able to hold them for long.
With the shrubs occupied, Aron danced around the boss, dodging its coffin strikes, which sent him flying whenever they hit. Luckily, Nataly was there to heal him back to full health so he could keep fighting.
It was only on the 13th try that Lazuli finally completed the spell.
“Now, Aron! [Berserk Tonic]!”
A small amount of red liquid condensed on the tip of her magic rod and flew toward Aron, splashing on the back of his neck. The liquid entered through his pores and quickly spread through his body.
Aron froze as he felt changes happening within him. The Gravedigger saw this as an opportunity and activated [Death Cyclone] to finish him off. As the boss spun its coffin toward Aron’s head, it suddenly found itself unable to move the weapon. To its confusion, Aron was holding out his hand, gripping the coffin tightly. His hand clenched, causing the metallic surface to creak and bend.
Aron smirked as he ripped the coffin from the boss’s grasp, hurling it toward a group of skeletons and shattering them on impact.
“Holy…” Aron mumbled before yelling, “I FEEL UNSTOPPABLE!”
He launched himself forward with a powerful punch. Despite the Gravedigger crossing its arms to block, one of its arms was torn off, and the rest of its body was sent flying.
The Gravedigger landed on its back, and before it could recover, Aron leaped toward it, preparing for a dive kick. The boss, knowing it would perish if struck, rolled to the side as Aron’s foot crashed into the ground, leaving a large crater.
“GODS, I’M IN SO MUCH PAIN!”
Despite his pain filled shout, Aron sent another fist barreling toward the Gravedigger. It tried to dodge, but being prone made it difficult. After a few failed attempts, the next punch connected directly with its face, ending the battle.
[You have slain a Lv 70 Gravedigger! Gained 691,600 Exp (200%)]
With its death all its summons died as well, losing the source of what gave them life.
Seeing the notification, Aron chuckled and said, “Heh, nice,” before immediately passing out. Fortunately for him, the effects of the spell wore off soon after, and Nataly was already casting healing magic on him, bringing him back from the brink.