Light Show
The golem began to sculpt a new arm from crystal, this time in a shade of blue instead of pink, casting the arena in a new blend of hues. To Janus's surprise, it completed its regeneration much faster than he had anticipated.
He prepared for the barrage of crystal projectiles, but the golem bent its knees and charged.
Shit, it’s changing patterns.
With little time to react, Janus tried to evade the incoming attack by ducking down and to the side. He also attempted to divert the golem's trajectory with a burst of mana, but to no avail. The golem plowed through his mana shell, its jagged knee crashing into him and sending him flying several meters to the side. As he landed, his head spun, and he felt a warm, wet sensation emanating from his thigh.
Expecting a rain of crystals, Janus hastily erected several layers of reinforced mana. His mana shell array was still pulling on his mana reserves to reconstruct itself.
Writhing in pain behind the barriers, his primary concern was tending to the injury on his thigh. The agony made it impossible for him to stand, leaving him helpless on the ground.
As the onslaught of crystalline projectiles shattered his first mana barrier, Janus remained focused on his task. He used [Lesser Healing], wincing as he felt his mana reserves deplete dangerously close to empty.
[Your Mana Burn skill has gained 1 level]
Yeah… Just what I needed….
Janus wasn’t certain if he had healed the wound completely, but he managed to crawl, shaking, to his feet. Only two mana barriers remained after the crystal assault. He watched as the golem reached towards its torso once again.
Oh, no you don’t.
Janus was already creating another mana pearl, channeling every last bit of mana he had left in the tank. He was careful not to dip into negative mana. If this pearl didn’t finish off the boss, he worried that mana exhaustion would make it impossible to escape alive. It was better to leave himself one last mana pearl through [Mana Burn] as final resort.
Not waiting for the golem to finish creating another pair of offspring, he tossed the pearl. This one was still midair when he turned his back and detonated it. The sound deafened him.
He had hoped that last mana pearl would be enough to finish the golem completely. Unfortunately, no notification appeared in his mind.
His ears were still ringing when he looked back at the golem. The dungeon boss had been almost entirely destroyed above the waist, but that didn’t seem to stop it from regenerating. Blue crystals sprouted from its legs and started recreating its torso, while nearby shards of crystal crawled slowly towards it’s body.
The crystals were contorting and shifting in strange ways. It took a moment for Janus to realize that the golem was a lot smaller than before. Portions of its pink leg crystals had reshaped to reconstruct its left arm, while the newly generated crystals shimmered in a vivid blue hue.
The dungeon boss appeared sluggish as it lifted an arm, hurling crystals at Janus in a haphazard manner. Many of the projectiles missed their mark by a wide margin, requiring Janus only to sidestep to evade them, while the rest he deflected with ease.
Overwhelmed by the fear of depleting his mana reserves, Janus had neglected to consider the toll on his physical stamina. His legs screamed with exhaustion, each step feeling like a Herculean effort. Gasping and sputtering, he struggled to draw in enough air to replenish his taxed lungs.
One more mana pearl.
He wasn’t sure if he would straight up lose consciousness after dipping his mana reserves so deeply into the negatives, but the alternative was to give up. The dungeon boss appeared to be weakening, but there were at least six [Crystal Offspring] still in the process of reforming. If he didn’t finish the fight before they reformed, Janus wasn’t certain if he would get out of this alive.
The golem moved its legs uneasily. It appeared to be unused to its newly shortened appendages. Janus could see it getting into position for a charge, and he began strafing to the right. The golem launched itself toward him, but lost its footing. It careened through the arena, sliding on the crystal covered floor, and slammed into the wall near Janus.
Now to get as far away as possible.
Janus followed his instinct, fleeing from the dungeon boss with all the speed his weary legs could muster. Coming to an abrupt halt, he focused on gathering the last shreds of mana for one final mana pearl. Despite the immediate onset of mana exhaustion, he persisted, determined to see his plan through to the end.
With trembling hands, Janus seized the completed mana pearl and hurled it towards the [Crystal Golem]. He fell to his knees as the mana pearl soared through the air. Finally, it landed with a tink and rolled towards the dungeon boss. Before he released the mana within the pearl, he used [Mana Burn] to cast [Pow. Enhancement] on himself. The moment the enhancement magic finished casting, he let the explosion erupt.
[Dungeon Boss Defeated: Crystal Golem]
[You have gained 3 levels]
[Your Lesser Healing skill has gained 4 levels]
[Your Sprinting skill has gained 3 levels]
[Your Spell Weaving skill has gained 1 level]
[Your Mana Reinforcement skill has gained 1 level]
[Your Mana Reinforcement skill can evolve into Spell Augmentation]
[Your Power Enhancement skill has gained 1 level]
[Your Mana Burn skill has gained 3 levels]
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As Janus regained consciousness, he felt as though sharp needles were poking and prodding all over his body. Grimacing, he shifted his position, rolling over with a grunt. It didn't take long for him to recall his surroundings and the ordeal he had just faced.
Sprawled atop dozens of jagged crystals, Janus groaned in discomfort as he struggled to sit up. The arena lay enveloped in darkness, save for the faint illumination emanating from his fallen [Torchstone]. Wincing against the pain in his head, he crawled over to retrieve it, then extinguished the light to ease his splitting headache. In the newfound darkness, another faint glow caught his attention, shimmering dimly about a dozen meters away.
It might as well have been a hundred meters with how bruised and battered he felt, but curiosity got the best of him. Cautiously, he inched his way toward the source of the light, his hands scrabbling on the rough surface of the stone beneath him. As he drew nearer, he discovered another chunk of crystal, emitting the faint glow. Curious, he reached out, feeling its warmth against his fingertips, and identified the mysterious object.
[Deepstone Crystal] Description: Rare raw material from a crystal golem.
Doesn’t really tell me a lot.
Janus shoved the crystal into one of his robe pockets. It jabbed into his ribs uncomfortably.
Where is my pack?
Squinting, he opened his palm, allowing light from his [Torchstone] to shine through. Somehow, his pack hadn’t been crushed or otherwise destroyed by his battle with the dungeon boss. It was another arduous journey as he dragged himself along the ground to reach the pack.
Once he had finally gotten a hold of it, uncaring about his previous neat organization, he quickly upended the contents. He grabbed a bottle of water and greedily gulped down the contents. Placing the bottle down, he gasped for breath and collapsed onto his back, the jagged crystals digging uncomfortably into his flesh. Despite the discomfort, he ignored it, fixating his gaze on the darkness looming above him. Mana exhaustion pulled on his mind and body, leaving him very little room to think.
I’m alive.
He had faced death multiple times since the disaster at Crow Station, but this time felt distinct. He went out of his way to fight the dungeon boss. It was a deliberate act, a conscious decision to confront the danger head-on. In that moment, he couldn't shake the sensation that he was living out one of the heroic tales from his beloved stories—a protagonist venturing forth to save the day and vanquish the dungeon's menace.
The sensation was unfamiliar, a mix of satisfaction, anticipation, and unease. It seemed as though he had crossed some invisible threshold, stepping into a new phase of his journey. Yet, amidst these conflicting emotions, regrets gnawed at him. Foremost among them was Lenny. If only he had exercised more control...
It didn’t matter anymore. Clearing out the dungeon would save lives, or, at the very least, it would prevent others from having to do the dangerous task. Who knows how many people might have died if the dungeon had remained intact, and continued spilling monsters out into the tunnels. It could have been weeks before news reached Bear Station.
Janus could only accept that the past had happened and do his best to learn from it. Destroying the dungeon was the greatest thing he had ever achieved, and that was something to celebrate. He enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment for a few moments longer before considering the notifications he had received.
Right, I think I have a skill evolution.
He willed for the evolution’s description to appear.
[Spell Augmentation] Cost: 25 Mana Cooldown: None Description: You have mastered reinforcing and changing the physical properties of mana. You can augment spells that you have learned, allowing them to manifest new effects. Bonus Stats: 20 End plus 1 Int per level
The evolution excited Janus, and he quickly accepted it. The additional intelligence stat would offer even more power to his spells on top of the other benefits. With this boost, his spells would gain even more potency, and he anticipated the opportunity to enhance those he had already mastered.
Once he felt the stat change take hold, he summoned his status.
Status Name Janus Alamy Class Enhancer Level 29 Guild None Life 594 Max Life 594 Mana 870 Max Mana 870 Stamina 663 Max Stam 663 Stat Total Base Class Skill Item Strength 53 29 0 24 0 Endurance 51 29 0 22 0 Dexterity 31 29 0 2 0 Intelligence 139 29 58 52 0 Wisdom 120 29 29 57 5 Skill Level Bonus Bravery 4 5 Wis / Lvl Writing 8 1 Wis / 5 Lvl Sprinting 10 1 End / 5 Lvl *Spell Weaving 7 20 Int/Wis, 1 Int + 1 Wis / Lvl *Pow. Enhancement 4 20 Int/Str, 1 Int + 1 Str / Lvl *Spell Augmentation 1 20 End, 1 Int / Lvl Mana Burn 20 1 Wis / 5 Lvl Staff Fighter 2 1 Dex / Lvl Lesser Healing 5 1 Wis / Lvl Empty --- ---
The stat spread was impressive. Janus knew that his effective power was much higher than most people his level. The dungeon had been proof. The Delver’s Guild would have sent an entire team to tackle such a dangerous task. [Spell Augmentation] would only make things easier.
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As he rose to his feet, his head swam, and he staggered, struggling to maintain his balance. When he leaned down to lift his pack, his pounding headache intensified. Mana exhaustion was still taking its toll.
Janus brushed aside the thought and started navigating through the scattered crystals, his progress deliberate but steady. His primary concern was moving forward. With his water supply dwindling, finding another stream became a pressing priority.
Despite his mana exhaustion, the walk back was soothing. Janus didn’t let his guard down entirely, but he was much more relaxed than he had been before defeating the dungeon boss.
He stayed vigilant on his return journey, keeping a look-out for the additional tunnel that was marked on his map. Unfortunately, the entrance never manifested. Instead, he continued on toward where he had initially climbed down into the ravine.
Hours later, he arrived at a bloody splotch on the wall. His blood. He could vividly remember his attempt to climb out of the ravine with a wounded arm. It felt like a distant memory, as if he had climbed into the ravine years ago.
Turning away from the bloodstain, he grasped the rocky ravine wall on the opposite side. He would have to be sure to keep his ascent as straight as possible, to ensure he didn’t miss the spot where the tunnel and ravine intersected. With a grunt, he hoisted himself up. The climb proved challenging, even with two functioning arms.
After a while, he spotted the tunnel exit above and to his left. It didn't take long to slide over to the entrance and pull himself through. Collapsing on his stomach, he lay there gasping in the dust.
Well, that was a bit of a detour.
Janus let out a relieved laugh. The dungeon was finally behind him. He had grown accustomed to the ravine stretching off into infinity, uncertain if he would find his way out alive.
After the harrowing experience of the dungeon, being back in the delver tunnel felt mundane. But the familiarity was comforting. Janus took his time and leaned against a wall. He retrieved a few hard pieces of bread from his pack and hungrily tore into them.