As the final battle began, the oppressive aura of the towering figure clashed with the group's unyielding determination. The figure was colossal, its dark armor gleaming with malicious energy. It held a massive weapon, a greatsword that seemed forged from shadows, its blade humming with dark magic.
The ground beneath us shook with each of the figure’s steps, and a low growl of malice rumbled through the chamber. Its deep, mocking voice shattered the silence that had fallen over us.
"You are brave, but brave fools nonetheless. You will fall like the others."
Sarah, undeterred, raised her sword high. "We won’t fall that easily."
With a war cry, she charged in, leading the charge with all the grace and authority of a true leader. Nicholas moved alongside her, his greatsword already swung into a defensive stance, ready to protect the group from any onslaught. As the figure lunged with its massive weapon, Nicholas blocked the strike with his shield, the sheer force sending him skidding backward, but he held his ground.
"Focus on defense!" Nicholas grunted, trying to steady himself.
Dominique moved like a blur, dodging in and out of the shadows, her daggers slashing at the dark figure's exposed joints. Each strike caused sparks to fly, but the figure’s armor was relentless, absorbing the blows without much sign of weakening.
"Too tough! This armor’s resistant to normal strikes!" Dominique shouted, looking to Andrew for support.
"Got it!" Andrew shouted in response, raising his staff. A burst of radiant light erupted from the tip, illuminating the chamber and forcing the figure to recoil. The light pushed through the cracks in its armor, exposing faint vulnerabilities.
"That’s the weakness!" Andrew called out. "Light magic works! We need to keep hitting it!"
"Got it!" Sarah shouted, pivoting on her heel and attacking with renewed vigor. She pressed the assault, aiming her sword at the exposed cracks Andrew had created. Her strikes were precise, but the figure was quick, using its massive sword to block and counter.
I saw an opening, the dark figure distracted for just a moment by Sarah’s relentless attacks. My weapon shifted into the form of a spear, its point gleaming with deadly intent. I darted forward, thrusting with all my strength toward the figure’s exposed side. The spear punctured through the crack in its armor, and the figure roared in fury, its voice like thunder, as it staggered backward.
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But the beast retaliated, swinging its sword in an arc that caught Sarah off guard. She was thrown back, her body crashing into the stone floor with a sickening thud. I couldn’t suppress the gasp that escaped me. We couldn’t afford to lose anyone here.
"Nicholas, cover her!" I shouted, charging in to support Sarah, who was already pushing herself up.
Nicholas leaped into action, taking the brunt of the figure’s next strike with his shield, the force of it rattling his bones. He gritted his teeth, holding strong. "You won’t get to her!" He slammed his greatsword down on the figure’s weapon, locking them into a brief stalemate.
I reached Sarah’s side, offering her a hand as she grimaced in pain. "Get up; we can still finish this!"
She nodded, determination flooding her eyes as she grabbed her sword. "I’m not done yet."
Enraged by our resistance, the figure let out a shrill scream and summoned dark tendrils from the ground. The shadowy appendages shot out like whips, aiming for anyone who dared approach. They lashed out, narrowly missing Dominique as she danced out of their reach.
"Stay on the move!" she warned, her daggers flashing as she sliced through the tendrils before they could entangle her.
Andrew’s hands flared with skills, sending a wave of icy frost to slow the dark tendrils, freezing them in place momentarily. "Now’s our chance!"
"Focus on the head!" Sarah barked, rallying the group for the final push. "We’ve got one shot!"
With a collective shout, we all surged forward. Nicholas led the charge, bashing into the dark figure with his shield, while Dominique flanked it, moving in to strike at its vulnerable spots. Andrew’s light magic flared brighter, and I aimed for the weakened armor, thrusting my spear into the gap once more.
The figure’s roar echoed through the chamber, but it was no match for the combined might of our team. The blow struck true. The figure staggered, its enormous weapon falling from its grasp, the armor cracking under the intense barrage of light, frost, and steel.
"Now, Sarah!" I called, seeing the final opportunity.
With a final, devastating blow, Sarah’s sword pierced the heart of the dark figure. It let out one last screech as its form disintegrated into a cloud of shadows, the darkness dissipating in the light of Andrew’s magic. The ground shook as the figure fell, and the oppressive aura it had cast over the chamber melted away.
We stood, panting, sweat and blood staining our clothes. Sarah slowly lowered her sword, eyes scanning the space where the figure had been; only a tiny pile of shadowy ash remained. And that was only because something needed to trigger the loot action.
"We did it," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“So now what?” Nicholas asks as we gather in the center of the room, “We're at the end of the dungeon, so how do we reactivate it or do whatever needs to be done?”
“Um, I’m not sure,” I say, faining indecision, “ I know we need to find the Dungeon’s Core, but how we go about doing that is anyone's guess. In any event, without the Intelligence running the dungeon, we don’t have to worry about the boss respawning, so we can make camp here while we look for some way into the Core.” Of course, I knew exactly how to get into the core. It just wasn’t something I was willing to share with the group.
«So, how do you expect to sneak away from them?» Gem asked
«Knowing Sarah, she’ll want to set up a watch, so when it's my turn, I figured that would be the perfect time to sneak away and figure out why you can’t reboot the DI,» I respond before starting to help set up camp.