With the sound of the silence of the floor having finished moving back into place, blocks of stone around the perimeter and in the ceiling above start to glow and light up the floor area.

“Choose and Survive!”

A portion of the center wall before us starts to shift. Stone sliding against stone can be felt through the floor as the massive block in the wall starts to slide and move down into the floor.

“Eyes! I NEED EYES!!!” I hear the Raid leader’s voice commanding out.

The room is moving like a fast pace Marching Band Field Show at halftime. I stand in a little bit of awe and watch in amazement as the Raid group positions themselves.

“Larger Trash Mob! No movement. Ah…” One of the fliers ducks his head back from looking over the massive block, through the opening being created between the block and the ceiling. “It’s Heavy in there!”

“Zyrtec! What’s Their Strength!” The old mage is already casting and scrambling up unseen stairs so that he can get a better view over the block.

“The room has Power!” Jack has wall-climbed the smooth wall where it meets the sliding block and is peering over the top. At his words, some of the Raiders are powering up and throwing buffs.

“Blue! And lots of it!” Zyrtec shouts, running back down his unseen stairs, back into the Raid group.

“You need to focus on not getting hit!” My protector has pulled my attention away from the wall. “Do you understand!? Do not let anything even near you!”. I nod in understanding.

“Power up! Hold for My Mark! Save your Best for Last!” The Raid leader is commanding!

The massive block is now halfway down, revealing the room chamber, more like an arena. They are skeletons in squads of three, like what we encountered when we entered this area surrounding the Tomb.

I hear the excitement of the Raiders increase as the mana density hits us like a wave of heat, forcing me to one knee. Circles of power start lighting up the ground throughout the Raid group as more Raiders decide to buff. Armor and weapons are being activated. Incantations and prayers. I had no idea. Saying the Raid group is on another level, I don’t have the words to even describe it.

I try to assess the situation as the massive block continues to slowly recess into the floor. There must be a skeleton squad, or three, for every Raider.

“Defensive Strike!” The Raid leader commands and in a moment the Raid group has reorganized itself from squads and into a tight legion. Shields and tanks compose the first rows and line the perimeter. Spears, halberds, anything with a longer reach behind them. Mages and Clerics are mixed throughout the center with Ranged behind us.

Pushing myself to stand under the mana pressure and ready myself, I let out a soft “Heal” on myself and imagine the Raid group included in the healing.

At that moment, the massive block is still grinding stone against stone and is almost at floor level. Maybe a hundred squads of skeletons can be seen, easily three hundred or more, standing like statues facing straight ahead.

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As the word “Heal” finishes escaping my breath. The Massive block becomes flush with the floor. Silence fills the arena. Almost as one, all of the skeletal heads turn to look at me. The Healing and the mana density burning down into my bones. I feel the eyes of many in the Raid group, especially behind me.

The skeletal eyes start to glow red.

“CHARGE!” The Raid leader is commanding. The front lines rush forward, one following after another like a wave.

The arena before us radiates blue off the walls and ceiling with weapons and armor powering up.

The roar of the Raid group charging forward is deafening as the clashes echo off the smooth stone walls, ceiling, and floor.

Driving forward, the Raid crushes the first row, and the second under shield and boot. Then continues to drive through the skeletons like cavalry, striking and crushing bone as they pass.

The first skeleton I dispatch is already half gone before I get to it. The second doesn’t have any arms, which makes my life easier. The next few are also not in any condition to fight back.

A roar of Raiders far ahead turns my attention to what is happening up front. Three large bipedal skeletal giants like Bosses are standing against the Raid, each with a giant club radiating blue flame.

Looking back, I see a Flaming Blue Hammer coming down on my head soon enough that I am still able to raise my shield and block it. My fault for not paying attention, I am unable to even brace myself for the shield bash that follows.

Bashing me off my feet and onto my back, it knocks the breath out of me when I hit the stone floor. I see the blue of the magic flame radiating off the hammer as it’s arcing for my face again. The last thing I see is the skeleton’s red eyes looking into mine, then the slow motion of its side, then its skull exploding into dust as my protector shield swats it into oblivion.

*****

Jack’s woman is kneeling next to me, her hands on my chest. “Heal” I breathe out while placing my hand on hers. Combat is still ongoing somewhere near.

*****

Opening my eyes, I feel pretty good. There are too many faces looking down at me.

“Are you done?” The Raid leader asks me.

Jack’s woman helps me to sit up. Looking around, combat has finished up and Raiders are already trading between themselves.

“That’s a hell of a “Taunt” you have there!” The Raid leader comments. “Consider when you use it. Good for us that it turned the Bosses towards you. Good for you that we were able to stop them before they got to you.”

Helping me to stand, one of the giants is lying about thirty feet from me. This close, I can see it is more than twice, maybe three times my size. Bipedal yes, this was never a human, the bones are much too thick. The skull, the teeth, something else. This thing was only a couple of steps away.

*****

Discarded weapons and armor are starting to collect in a pile. Some are thrown closer to me with the obvious hint that they are upgrades to what I’m currently using.

I pick up a familiar-looking hammer. Not a dwarven hammer. It looks like a construction framing hammer for building houses, with a meter-long handle. I toss it back into the collection.

“No Dammit! Dammit!” I hear the Raid leader going off about something. His voice echoes a bit and the commotion makes me notice that we are much fewer in number than I remember. Most of the Raiders have taken to the exits and run on to the next levels.

“This.” One of the Raiders is handing me a short sword with a fat heavy blade. Six Raiders are packing up the discards, wrapping them in cloth and other fabric. I trade up and head over to the rest of the Raid group already forming up.

*****

“We stay together!” The Raid leader, Jack, my protector, and two others are addressing what’s left of the Raid group. “Five to a squad. Overflow with the noob.”

The clash of metal and the occasional shout or scream can be heard coming back through the different stone hallways exits.

“We stay together! There are already too many of us in this Tomb or it wasn’t properly farmed. The strength of this room was greater than expected. Why isn’t our concern right now.”

“Priority continues to be every one of us getting out and we will continue to assess our progress. Question?”

“Alright then. Noob! Make yourself useful. Choose a path!” Most turn to look at me for an answer.

Have I been promoted from Flower Boy? There are six pathways leading out of this Arena. Three on the opposite wall we entered, two more on the right wall. One on the left, I think heads in the direction under the area where we were attacked by the skeletal gargoyles.

Thinking of the voice and the challenge it gave, the direct route might be the best choice. “Straight ahead?” I point to the center exit on the far wall.

“Squad leaders! Balance out your squads. Light protection to the rear. Extra eyes up front, with the expectation that things have changed. Jack, you're on point. I’ll take the lead. Awdrie left. Art right. Phaenippos protect our rear.”

The five of them spread out and start picking through the Raid group for squad members. Apparently, my protector’s name is Phaenippos. Jack and his squad are already spread out and moving to the center opening. Awdrie is a sleek female with a short bow and a short sword on her hip, outfitted in some loose leather. Art I’ve seen before, fights with a sword in his left hand, Roman Candle fireballs shooting out his right.

Two minutes and our squads are organized in a diamond formation. Five men each, except seven in mine. Support groups and pack rats following far behind us.

“Trap” One of Jack’s team calls out, our Raid leader’s hand already up in a fist signaling for us to hold/stop.