Agnox saw that nobody was nearby. Only a few specks of moving humanoids further toward the horizon. Nobody’s close enough to reach within a meaningful time. On the other hand, Agnox spotted two challenges and a dungeon portal.
Mathew sat down on the sand, deep in thought. “We need to form a plan. By now, that exit portal is closed. Which means we have to kill an entire new Floor Boss. With just the three of us at that.”
“And Jeffery.” Agnox added as he scratched the top of the wolf’s head.
“And your Wisps.” Cherry also added.
“Fine. With the six of us.” Mathew corrected himself. “The point is, we have less than two weeks. The floor horde will show up in a day as well. We need to weigh our options. Right now, the one true escape from here is the Floor Boss. I wanted to fight one alone when we showed up, but I didn’t expect such a power gap.”
“It took twenty fighters to kill one. That’s with plenty of strong attacks. That’s including Zachary, the highest leveled human.”
“So, what’s our plan?” Cherry asked. “We can’t fight that thing alone.”
“Sure we can. Mathew can whip up a nice Ritual and give us that edge. Right Boss?”
“I don’t think so. I’m down to only Novice Mana Cores now. I have no more Beginner ones. I thought I did, but I am out now.” Mathew admitted.
“Oh.” Agnox said, slightly deflated.
“Didn’t you use two in the ritual earlier?” Cherry asked. “Could you do the same with the Novice ones?”
Mathew shook his head. “That was a heavy risk. And, thinking back on it, it didn’t even use the second one. I left it behind due to the stress of the situation. Which is why I’m all out.”
“Great.” Agnox mumbled. “So, what are our reasonable options?”
“Well, going for the worst possible situation. We have to fight through at least two waves of hoards. A Floor Boss, and do it all in nine days. That’s on top of the other things we find on this floor that include both people and monsters.”
“Best case, we find some other people, work with them to kill another floor boss, then leave together while holding hands and singing Kumbaya.”
“The most realistic?” Mathew asked himself. “We clear out an Apprentice rank Dungeon, alone. Wait out the hordes. Which we know for sure works now thanks to Zachary telling us. Then we find a Floor Boss we can kill. Then do so. All the while honing our powers to the best we can get them in a short time to maximize our odds.”
“Sounds like you have a plan.” Cherry said with a smile. “That’s good.”
“Good yes. Optimal no.” Mathew said. “I hate to admit it, but I really could use someone else with us. It would lighten the stress I am having of getting us all out of here alive.”
“You're not alone here Boss. We share this equally. If you die, we die, so it’s a mutual experience.” Agnox said, trying to sound positive, but ended up sounding like a middle school pep rally.
“Thanks Agnox. That…was…motivational.” Mathew eventually said. Agnox didn't realize his words were more morbid than not.
Cherry looked between them both awkwardly, while Jeffery was laying down, not being involved in the conversation at all.
“As far as myself. I have only one spell slot open for my quest. I want to try and get an Ice element for my third type. We also have the ritual to call upon a spirit, so we have seven fighters at the moment. Possibly more if I complete that quest.”
“What about your Sovereignty Quest?” Agnox asked.
“I still need another Hearth Crystal. I’m stuck at four out of five. I should have asked for another from Adam, but it was too soon after my brother’s death. I was banking on Mr. Melton on securing another one, but it seems he hasn’t yet.”
Mathew closed his eyes, trying to come up with a better plan. “I hate to say it, but our best bet is that Dungeon you saw Agnox. I’m going to summon that spirit, and we are going to go for a fight.”
The spirit that appeared was a goat-like creature. Its horns curled more upward than in on themselves. The horns were almost an entire foot tall, giving it a menacing look. Mathew eyeballed the creature. “Are you the same spirit as last time, or a different creature?”
The goat stared at him before letting out a blep. It just sat there, as if waiting for Mathew to give it an order of some kind.
“I’m taking that as a no. Come on then. We have a Dungeon to clear out.” Mathew said as he started to walk off toward the Dungeon, following Agnox who was leading them there.
Moving across the sand was annoying, but Mathew felt safe since he could see any threats miles away. That was until he remembered that he just fought a worm that traveled through the Sand. There could be more hidden out of sight. He kept his focus partially on the sand under his feet, just in case. He saw no creatures nearby, nor did Agnox.
When they approached the Dungeon, Mathew noted the black, green, and blue swirls. The information on it when he focused on the Dungeon left him curious.
Lost Souls Dungeon: Apprentice
Unlocked
Unclaimed
Number of Attempts: 5
This was the first Dungeon Mathew had encountered where others have died within since joining this World Quest.
“Lost Souls, probably the Undead.” Mathew said with a hint of annoyance. He would rather fight the Sand Sharks than this.
Cherry seemed uneasy, which was hard to see through her bark-like skin. “What if we tried to find another Dungeon?”
“And risk not only losing track of this one, but wasting time before the horde? No. We have to do this one.” Mathew sternly reminded her before looking at the portal once again. “It’s our only option.”
Nobody moved for a moment. Mathew shifted his weight from one foot to the other, visibly worried. Then he faced the facts, and walked through the portal with his summons.
On the other side was a winter landscape. Snow blew over Mathew and the others, but it wasn’t as cold as the night in the desert.
Mathew stood on the edge of a cliff face, looking out toward a series of mountains. He could only spot snow, ice, and rock face. Down below in the valleys, were rivers of dark water. There was a sky that had a pale blue sun beaming down onto them.
Agnox was the first to break the silence. “You know. I was expecting more tunnels. Another labyrinth like Bob had.”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Cherry said in awe. “It’s almost beautiful, but at the same time, dark and dreary.”
“How’s the temperature for you two?” Mathew asked. “If it’s too cold we will leave. I rather risk the hordes with all of us than do this by myself.”
“I’m fine. So long as I keep moving.” Cherry said.
Agnox ignited his blade. “Same. You didn't want a fire in the night, so it was hard to stay warm in the desert. Here, where I’ll be throwing around fire left and right? I’ll be fine. Jeffery too. The giant furry beast.”
Mathew looked down at the goat who hadn’t made a sound since entering the place. His wisps danced around, their own blue light almost blending in with the terrain. He knew if not for both the fact he summoned them, and his Ability to keep track of them, he would lose sight of them easily.
“Stay alert everyone. The fodder will be easy to kill. Probably low Apprentice rank. Once we fight the more difficult undead, and the Boss, it will be full effort. We will do the same thing we did with the Volkar dungeon. We clear out all the weak ones first, then we go for the boss.”
Everyone nodded at Mathew’s plan as he brought out the Lightning staff he had used on the undead so far. Agnox stayed close, but remained as their lead point with the goat-like creature. Jeffery stayed near Mathew and Cherry, just in case of surprise attackers.
There was only one way to go, and that was to follow the path around the mountain heading downward. The snow wasn’t very deep, only three or four inches.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Going around the mountain, Mathew was able to see more of the vast Dungeon. There were only a couple Dungeons he had been in that were open like this. All of them were Novice ranked.
Mathew imagined at least five mountains were truly part of the Dungeon, including the one he was on now. He saw nothing on the surface of any of the mountains. The worry that there could be undead inside the mountains was a worry that Mathew tried to not think of.
“Everyone okay with the cold still?” Mathew asked one last time. Everyone nodded, showing they were not affected by it. Even he wasn’t as bothered by it.
It was another ten minutes before the first fight broke out. Eight undead were walking up the mountain path. Agnox’s flames were all the warning Mathew needed as he came around the corner.
He fired normal powered [Mana Bolts], not wanting to use up all his mental energy on Axioms until later. It took five bolts for him to kill one of them, ending it with a head shot. His proficiency was in power and control, not in speed, so by the time he killed one, all his other summons were finishing their target, or moving on to the next.
He watched as Agnox narrowly dodged one of the undead’s fists. Comparing it to the Novice ranked ones he fought, these guys were fast. Two more came over to attack Agnox but roots appeared around one of their ankles, restricting it.
Cherry fired her own staff at a pace that only rivaled Whis’s own slow attacks. Mathew watched as the goat rammed into one of the last undead, sending it flying off the mountain. Jeffery had taken out his target without any effort.
The eight were taken out without anyone suffering major injuries. “Glad you could finally use that Ability Cherry.” Mathew said.
“It’s difficult, the trees are asleep here in this winter. Plus, the stone is hard to move. However, with enough effort, I can push them along to help.” Cherry looked down into the valley below where Jeffery had knocked one of the undead. “I would rather not rely on it too much here until we get closer to the water where some of the plants still seem to be awake.”
By the time they made it to the base of the mountain, there were two smaller groups of undead. The first had six, while the second only had three undead in them. Mathew was starting to get an idea of their abilities.
Much like Bob’s own undead, they didn’t have real powers or techniques. They acted like animals, relying upon numbers and brute force. Yet, they were still Apprentice ranked. Mathew could tell they were strong, but Agnox’s flames tore through them at Beginner rank better than his own Apprentice rank spell ever could.
Another thing he noticed was he didn’t need to only destroy their heads to kill them. An attack to their chest seemed to have a similar effect. Which made Mathew think these were not undead, but something else.
At the bottom of the mountain, the rushing water echoed off the stone mountains. They sat there for a moment, catching their breaths, and double checked for any problems. They continued forward toward the next mountain. There was no other way unless they were to go into the thicker snow mounds or risk falling down the steep mountain cliffs.
Even though they’ve only been in the Dungeon for an hour, Mathew had a strong assumption of how this place would work. “We have to clear each Mountain, going around them fighting the defending undead. Once we reach the last mountain, we will find both the Dungeon Core and the Boss.”
Getting there would be just as hard as fighting the boss. Mathew knew this, and was going to do his best to lead his summons through this alive.
They followed the river. Mathew stuck his hand in the water, and noted how cold it was. He did not want to fall into the water and risk hypothermia. “Can I even get hypothermia anymore?”
Further down the river was a bridge that he hadn’t seen before. Standing on it was a defensive line of undead. Twenty of them stood side by side with one of them standing behind the line. He was wearing steel scaled armor. Mathew saw that figure was different from the rest. An intelligence sat in its eyes as it followed Mathew.
When he reached the base of the bridge it called out, “We are the first line of defense! Turn back now, or perish!”
Mathew was shocked to hear an undead speak. It proved his previous thoughts. These were natural undead, not the monstrosities that were created by Necromancers.
“I hate to say it, but I’m not leaving.” Mathew responded. “I’m impressed to see you willing to give me a chance to turn back. Why?”
“We have no reason to fight. You are alone, we respect your pride to try and face us alone. Thus, we Lost Souls of the Black Snow Faction will give you a chance to turn back. Speaking from warrior to warrior, I suggest you take the offer.” The leader drew a serrated blade weapon. His message was clear.
Mathew licked his lips, “Going out there for me will be death. The System isn’t giving me much of a choice here.”
“You can crack your token, go home to your family, and live.”
“And lose everything? No.” Mathew said with a shake of his head. “I really wish you didn’t speak, it would have made this easier for me. Agnox! Jeffery! Go for the leader, we will take out the fodder!”
At his command, both Infernals rushed forward. Agnox opened up with a [Firebolt]. Mathew didn’t hesitate and used [Fracture] on the leader’s armor. Mathew heard a snap, but couldn’t see any visible damage.
“Cherry, are the plants nearby good enough for you?” Mathew asked as he fired lightning elemental charged bolts from his staff.
“No! Their roots are too short or thin.” She shouted as she shot from her own staff.
Mathew nodded, “Cover me. I’m going to fight the undead. You and the wisps keep whittling them down.”
He traded his staff for his spear. He had not used it since he fought Aaron, and holding it in his hands felt welcoming. Before the first of the undead could hit him, a [Mana Shield] blocked the attack. Reaching around the barrier, Mathew impaled his spear through the undead's shoulder, tearing the muscles underneath and rendering that limb unusable.
He stepped back, pulled the undead down to the ground as he dislodged his weapon. He turned, spinning the weapon to thrust into the next undead. It puntured a lung, and the figure visibly stumbled at the attack.
He felt a wave of heat as Agnox used [Flare]. He was close enough to singed the backs of a few of the Lost Souls as a wave of fire washed over everything around Agnox.
One of the undead grabbed onto Mathew’s back, its hands tightening down on his sides. If not for his armor, their nails would have sunk into his flesh. Mathew opened palmed a Piercing infused [Mana Bolt] though the head of his grabber, killing it.
He raised another shield and pierced a fourth one through the thigh, rendering him to the ground. His spear was stuck, so he left it. Instead, he used his own mana to create a new spear. He wasted no risk and used his Axiom of Bolster, strengthening it.
At that point, he stopped holding on to the weapons he made. He let the mana dissipate and created a new one instantly once he used the mana made spears to attack.
A large blue bolt slammed into an undead, carving out some of its flesh from Whis. Mathew winced as one of the undead punched him in the chest, forcing him to fall back into another one. They were compacting all around him.
The goat spirit was doing his best to bash away undead, but there were about ten left. Mathew saw the pink Dryad start to step closer to him.
“Don’t come near! I got this!” Mathew shouted and pushed his Axiom of Endurance through his body. The undead’s attacks dulled, and he no longer felt them. He conjured his bleeding dagger, not using it in so long and slashed out at cold dead flesh.
“I took you as a man of honor. Instead you let your flying pig to fight me?” The other undead’s voice shouted that was followed by a grunt of pain. Jeffery had latched onto his leg, holding him still for Agnox to wail on him from the air.
Mathew ignored him, focusing on his own fight. The undead were dying much more easily as there were fewer to focus on. He was surprised the two of them hadn’t killed the leader yet, but once he stabbed his dagger through the chest of the last undead, he stood up. “Cherry, heal please.”
She ran over and touched him. Pink warmth flowed around him. He saw that all three of them had wounds. Mostly Jeffery who was bleeding heavily from the serrated slashes. Mathew swapped out his weapon for his rod and used it as his focus for his [Frostrim Chains] spell.
Instantly the leader was wrapped up. “Stop, let’s talk to him.” Mathew said. Agnox was about to stab him, but stopped.
“Huh?” Agnox asked, looking confused. The heat of combat slowly wears off of him. “Why not kill him?”
Mathew ignored his familiar questions. “I want to know about this Dungeon.” He grabbed his spear and slammed it into the leader's foot. He clenched his teeth and grunted. “You will answer my questions, or I will keep hurting you.”