The faint hum of magic grew stronger as the team stepped past the shimmering portal into the next level of the dungeon. A palpable shift in the atmosphere greeted them; the air was heavy with unstable mana, crackling faintly at the edges of perception.
They found themselves in a massive corridor, its high vaulted ceiling lined with ancient carvings that glowed faintly with mana. Chandeliers, long since unlit, hung precariously from the ceiling, their intricate metalwork hinting at a forgotten age of grandeur. Unlike the ruins in the previous level, this chamber seemed almost preserved—elegant but undeniably aged.
"Wow," Greene murmured, her voice echoing softly in the cavernous space. She brushed her fingers along the walls, tracing the carvings. "This place feels... different. Like it was meant to be more than just a dungeon."
"Old knowledge," Camille said, studying the runes etched into the stone pillars. "This was probably a library or a center for studying magic."
Avince nodded, his eyes scanning the area. His amulet pulsed faintly against his chest, reacting to the residual mana. "If this place held old knowledge, it makes sense they’d defend it with magic. Be on guard. I doubt the enemies here will be as easy to handle as the skeletons we faced earlier."
Josh hefted his warhammer onto his shoulder with a grin. "Whatever they throw at us, we’ll just smash right through it."
"Don’t get cocky," Rick muttered, his daggers already in hand. "This place reeks of traps."
The group moved cautiously forward, their footsteps echoing in the grand chamber. The corridor opened into a wide room with towering double doors at the far end. The doors were made of dark stone and carved with intricate symbology, glowing faintly with a deep violet light.
As they stepped further into the room, the carvings along the walls began to shimmer, and a deep rumbling filled the air.
"Here we go," Josh muttered, gripping his weapon tightly.
The rumbling grew louder, and from the shadows emerged three humanoid constructs. Their forms were made of gleaming metal and stone, their eyes glowing with an unsettling blue light. They moved with precision, each step heavy and deliberate, the sound of grinding stone accompanying their movements.
"Constructs," Kai said from the rear, his tone calm. "Middle E-rank. Their magic resistance will be a problem if you’re too reliant on spells."
Avince stepped forward, his expression calm but focused. "We’ll see about that," he said, raising his hand. Faint sparks of fire flickered around his palm as he prepared to strike.
Josh charged first, his warhammer glowing faintly with mana as he aimed for the nearest construct. His swing connected with a deafening crash, but instead of shattering the construct like the skeletons earlier, it only staggered slightly before retaliating with a heavy swipe of its stone arm. Josh ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding the blow.
"They’re tougher than they look," Josh grunted, rolling to his feet.
Avince extended his hand, summoning a small, tightly controlled vortex of wind. The air spun violently, its sharp edges creating a whistling sound. He hurled the wind blast at the construct attacking Josh, aiming for the joints where stone met metal. The vortex struck, causing the construct to falter as the wind sliced into the vulnerable connection points.
"Focus on their joints!" Avince called out, flames now sparking around his other hand.
Camille raised a glowing barrier just as another construct hurled a projectile made of condensed mana toward Greene. The barrier absorbed the impact, but the force pushed Camille back a few steps.
Greene retaliated by summoning thick vines that snaked around one of the constructs, holding it in place long enough for Rick to dart in. His daggers flashed as he targeted the weakened joints Avince had exposed, chipping away at the construct’s mobility.
Avince shifted his focus to the third construct, weaving a bolt of fire between his fingers. He consciously held back, trying to control the output and avoid another overpowered strike. With a sharp motion, he sent the fire hurtling toward the enemy.
The flames struck its torso, leaving a blackened scorch mark, but the construct didn't stop. It continued its advance, seemingly unfazed by the damage.
"Too much resistance to fire," Avince muttered, switching tactics. He planted his feet firmly and tried to use a bit more mana in the next spell, summoning a wave of water that crashed into the construct. The water seeped into its joints, slowing its movements and leaving it vulnerable to Josh’s follow-up attack.
The battle was grueling but manageable. With coordinated attacks, they dismantled the constructs one by one. Josh’s raw strength and Rick’s precision proved invaluable, while Camille’s barriers and Greene’s vines provided much-needed crowd control. Avince’s mastery of elemental magic kept the constructs off-balance, exploiting their weaknesses and providing openings for his teammates.
Despite the chaos around him, Avince was acutely aware of his own efforts, carefully adjusting his magic output with every spell. Each burst of magic felt like a test, his mind calculating the risks as his body moved instinctively. He had to stay sharp, not just for his own sake, but for the safety of his team. He couldn’t afford to suddenly cast a spell too strong that could possibly hurt his teammates. The last thing he needed was for a fireball to be too strong and catch someone off-guard with the explosion, or a lightning bolt to be so powerful that the shock would affect someone close.
As the final construct crumbled to the ground, its core shattered and releasing a faint burst of mana, the team took a moment to catch their breath.
"That was tougher than I expected," Rick admitted, wiping sweat from his brow.
Camille knelt beside one of the fallen constructs, examining the faintly glowing remnants of its core. "Their magic resistance was no joke. I had to pour more mana into my barriers than I’d have liked."
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Josh grinned, slinging his warhammer onto his back. "Still, we handled it. What’s next?"
Avince approached the large double doors, his eyes narrowing as he studied the glowing symbology. "A puzzle," he said after a moment.
"What kind of puzzle?" Greene asked, stepping beside him.
Avince traced his fingers over the carvings. "These symbols... they’re part of an old language. I recognize some of them from the 'History of Dungeons' course, but they’re mostly used for magical inscriptions."
Camille joined him, her eyes lighting up with recognition. "You’re right. These symbols are similar to those used in mana circuits. If we figure out the pattern, we might be able to unlock the door."
The team gathered around as Avince and Camille began to work. The puzzle required them to channel mana into specific runes in a particular sequence. Avince analyzed the symbols, identifying their meanings and how they might connect, while Camille used her expertise in barriers and circuits to determine how the mana should flow.
"Try connecting this rune to this one," Camille suggested, pointing to two symbols.
Avince nodded, channeling mana into the runes. The carvings glowed brighter, and a faint clicking sound echoed through the chamber.
"That’s it," he said, a smile tugging at his lips.
After a few more adjustments, the doors shuddered and slowly began to open, revealing the next chamber.
Josh let out a low whistle. "Not bad, you two."
The team stepped through the doors into a grand chamber that dwarfed the previous one. The room was circular, with a high domed ceiling adorned with more glowing carvings. In the center stood a massive figure, easily twice the size of the constructs they had just faced.
An Arcane Golem stood at the center of the arena, its massive stone body pulsating with a deep, magical hum. Smooth stone panels covered its towering form, streaked with glowing blue veins of mana that seemed to pulse with its every movement. Its eyes, two burning orbs of azure light, scanned the group as if it could understand their every move.
Kai’s voice broke the silence. "Middle D-rank. This won’t be as easy as the last one."
The ground beneath their feet trembled as the golem took a step forward, its movements slow but deliberate. The sound of stone grinding against stone echoed, sending a chill down their spines.
Josh, ever the tank, stepped forward first, his warhammer raised. “Alright, let’s get this over with. Focus on the openings!”
The golem’s arms raised, each one a massive limb of stone that seemed capable of crushing anything in its path. With a swift, almost mechanical motion, it swung one of its arms toward Josh. He barely had time to raise his shield, the impact sending him sliding back quite a bit..
“That thing’s faster than it looks!” Josh grunted, quickly regaining his footing.
Greene was the next to react. She slammed her hands into the ground, and thick vines shot up from the earth, wrapping around the golem’s legs. The vines tried to restrain its movements, but the golem's strength was overwhelming. It swiped its arm, shattering the roots with some effort, but the momentary distraction allowed the others to strike.
Avince, standing at the ready, raised his hand. With a focused burst of mana, he summoned a blast of water that slammed into the golem’s chest. The torrent of liquid struck with such force that the golem staggered, the water flowing into the cracks between its stone exterior. Avince quickly followed with a second wave, the water swirling and pushing further into the gaps, trying to disrupt the flow of mana that powered the golem’s body.
“Nice shot!” Camille called out, but she wasn’t idle. She extended her arm and a shimmering barrier appeared around Josh, absorbing the impact of the golem’s retaliatory swing. “Keep it together!”
The golem roared, its body glowing brighter as its mana surged. It retaliated by bringing both of its massive fists down on the ground, sending shockwaves through the arena. The ground cracked beneath them as the force rippled outward, threatening to knock them off their feet.
Rick, already on the move, dashed forward in a blur, using the shadows as cover to close the distance. He reached the golem’s side, darting around its swinging limbs with agility honed from years of training. With a quick, calculated strike, he drove his dagger into the golem’s exposed side. The dagger sank into the stone with a hiss, sending a strange, unnatural vibration through the golem’s body. The strike didn’t penetrate deeply, but it caused a visible crack to form along the stone, and a faint pulse of mana flickered through the golem’s body. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to show that Rick’s attack had done some real damage.
Avince, seeing the opening Rick had created, decided to switch up his tactics. His fingers crackled with energy as he summoned a sharp, jagged bolt of lightning. He hurled it at the golem’s chest, the electricity surging through the stone body. The blue veins of mana flickered and sparked, but the golem’s exterior absorbed most of the charge.
“It’s resistant to electricity!” Avince called out, frustration creeping into his voice.
“We’ll have to wear it down,” Greene suggested, summoning more vines to bind the golem’s limbs once again, but this time wrapping them with an enchanted binding spell that should hold it longer.
With the golem temporarily immobilized, Josh swung his warhammer with all his might, landing a powerful blow to one of its legs. The impact was deafening, and the sound of cracking stone filled the air as the warhammer smashed into the golem’s leg. The force of the blow shattered the stone, sending large fragments flying. A deep fissure formed along the golem’s leg, causing it to stagger slightly. While the golem didn’t fall, the leg was visibly damaged, its movements now slower and less stable as the cracks spread, weakening its structure. The golem let out a low, reverberating growl, its glowing eyes flickering in a sign of distress.
Avince wasn’t about to let up. He quickly analyzed the situation and realized the water spells had shown promise earlier, especially in disrupting its mana flow. He focused his mana again, but this time, he infused the water with ice magic. The blast of freezing water hit the golem’s chest, rapidly solidifying the liquid into ice and freezing over some of the cracks in its body.
The golem shuddered as the ice expanded, its movements slow as it struggled to regain control. “It’s losing mobility!” Avince shouted.
Josh stepped forward and with a grunt, smashed his warhammer against one of the golem’s arms, cracking through the ice and stone. The golem’s arm disintegrated into rubble.
“Perfect, keep hitting it!” Josh urged, pressing the attack.
Camille, always in tune with the flow of battle, created another barrier around the group to ensure they didn’t get caught in the golem’s wild swings. With a flick of her wrist, she formed a barrier in front of the golem’s other arm, blocking its next swing.
“Everyone, now!” she commanded, and the group pounced.
Avince, now with a clear opening, summoned another wave of freezing water, this time coating the golem’s torso and neck. The golem roared in fury, but its movements were sluggish. The ice was taking hold, restricting its mana flow further.
Rick, using the golem’s momentary paralysis, darted up its side and attacked its exposed core—the crystal deep within the golem’s chest that powered its mana. He jammed his dagger into the crystal, and the golem let out a shrill cry.
Avince didn’t hesitate. He summoned a final burst of water, flooding the golem’s body with more water, and then he channeled a final lightning spell directly into the core.
The golem’s entire body lit up with intense blue energy as its mana, overloaded and disrupted, short-circuited. For a brief moment, its form trembled, then collapsed in on itself, cracking and splintering like brittle stone.
The fight ended with the golem’s body breaking apart, its once-pristine form now shattered into pieces. The crystal core, now cracked and unstable, fizzled out with a final burst of mana.
They had emerged victorious, and despite the ferocity of the battle, none of them had sustained a single injury. The team stood in the aftermath, catching their breath, their victory clear but hard-earned.