"Alright, team," Frank heard Hector speak, his voice steady. "Our rest was short, but we need to keep moving. It would be good to sleep in the grand hall again instead of out in the open so come on, get up and let's go."
Frank has been thinking during their rest, he knew they had to do something new, and he believed he had just the plan.
"Listen up, guys," Frank began, his voice laced with both determination, sounding uncharacteristically serious. "I've got an idea that might help us level up, clear some more of this tower, and avoid running into any more unwanted surprises."
"Go on," Mia urged, her eyes narrowing with interest.
"Instead of heading straight back to our base, we take out a few more monsters on our way down," Frank proposed, his gray eyes shining with excitement. "We'll gain valuable experience, get stronger, and make it easier for us to tackle the rest of the city. Plus, we can take a different route to avoid the group of monsters we stirred up earlier."
“How is that different from what we were doing up till now?” Mia asked, annoyed at the delay.
“We kill them and if we're fine we wait for mana and move on, no butchering or collecting. We move fast and light. That way we kill more of them,” Frank said, quickly, visibly excited ”obviously we go for single monsters or twos.”
“And since I’m level two, the most important part is that you guys should catch up. So, i will try to work as a security net while you battle the monster.” Frank said, unsure how the others would react to his proposal.
"That last bit sounds dangerous, but worth it. It’s a solid plan, Frank. We could use the extra strength and experience," Hector said, nodding in agreement. “We have better equipment and should be hitting level two soon, we should at least try.”
Mia tightened her grip on her spear, resignation settling in her expression. "I see you are all set on this plan, so I'm in too," she said.
As they set off, following Frank, each member of the group felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through them. It was a mixture of anticipation for the challenge ahead and the knowledge that success would ultimately bring them one step closer to feeling safety they’d lacked for so long.
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Frank took the lead, his gray eyes scanning the dimly lit corridor as they descended deeper into the tower. The air was more damp, and every step echoed off the flat stone walls. He moved cautiously, his senses sharpened by his growing unease.
"Stay close together, and keep an eye out for anything suspicious," Frank whispered over his shoulder, his voice low but firm. Saying that and feeling his friends behind him made the stress a bit more bearable.
"Got it," Mia replied, as she followed closely behind him, her emerald eyes alert and focused.
The group moved in unison, their footsteps eerily synchronized, each member keenly aware of their surroundings. As they crept along, Frank couldn't help but picture the monsters watching them from some dark corner, he felt way more prey than predator.
Continuing down the dark hallway, Frank's attention was drawn to a faint, foul smell that hung in the air, like decaying flesh. His stomach churned at the odor, but he steeled himself, knowing full well what it meant.
As if on cue, a guttural growl echoed through the corridor, raising the hairs on the back of Frank's neck. He rechecked his Shadow Dance was active, just to be sure. He motioned for the group to slow down, while he inched forward, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound.
The group froze, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and anticipation. Frank crept ahead, his heart pounding in his ears as he strained to see through the darkness, every muscle in his body tensed for action.
As Frank peered around the corner, he caught sight of the grotesque creature lurking in the shadows. It's dark chitin and white flesh an instant giveaway, it was an Aberration. The best part was that it seemed to be alone.
Frank crept back to his friends, they huddled together, with Hector keeping an eye on the door to the monster's lair.
Using his hands and mouthing words to not make a sound Frank conveyed that there was a single Aberration inside. Frank turned back to the group, making an explosive gesture with his hands to signal Diana, who stifled a sigh of frustration at his charades. She nodded in understanding, preparing herself to unleash her spells.
With their plan in place, they waited in tense anticipation for the right moment to spring into action.
Mia grasped her spear tighter, a rush of adrenaline coursing through her. Hector adjusted his grip on his mace, ready to strike.
Frank snuck back to the door and was observing the crawling nightmare. The seconds stretched like hours as they waited for the opportune moment. Frank's gaze remained fixed on the Aberration's undulating form. It shuffled slightly, its grotesque limbs dragging along the floor.
Finally, the creature began to move, turning its back towards the door. Frank made a subtle hand signal, and Diana reacted instantly. Her fingers tracing rapid runes in the air. A flash and a muffled thump came from under the monster, its body lifted from the floor a couple of inches.
The monster let out a pained screech as it left bloody marks on the floor, it rushed the door sensing that was where the attack came from. Mia and Hector seized the chance. Mia struck their opponent with a forceful thrust of her spear, and Hector lunged forward, swinging his mace with all his might, using both Power Strike and Battle Cry at the same time.
The mace collided with the Aberration's head, and there was a sickening crack as the creature crumpled to the ground, defeated.
Frank, unable to resist the opportunity for a one-liner, grinned at his companions. With a touch of humor, he quipped, "Looks like that Aberration had a real 'crushing' defeat, huh?" His attempt at levity earned a mixture of chuckles and eye rolls from the group, lightening the tension of their grim surroundings.
“Yeah, I guess more weapons and skills do make a big difference” Mia said
"Lets go get some more" Frank said.
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On the way Mia lifted her fist.
YOUR SKILL TRACKING REACHED LEVEL 2 !
YOUR SKILL SPEAR MASTERY REACHED LEVEL 2 !
YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 2.
YOU HAVE 5 UNASSIGNED STAT POINTS.
THE NARRATIVE HAS BEEN ILLICITLY OBTAINED; SHOULD YOU DISCOVER IT ON AMAZON, REPORT THE VIOLATION.
YOUR SKILL NOW CAN REACH THE CAP OF 6.
YOUR SKILL SPEAR MASTERY REACHED LEVEL 3 !
YOU HAVE LEARNED A NEW SKILL, DOUBLE SHOT
She didn’t open her status for a while, the second level in Spear Mastery probably came during the fight with the nightmare flying scorpions. With five unassigned stat points, she knew she had some decisions to make. She didn't dwell on it for long, though. Mia put three points in DEX as it seemed to work fine with her spear and would be more useful when she finally got her bow. She left two points unassigned and pushed the decision back.
As for the new skill, Double Shot, it just left her frustrated. She guessed it would be too much to ask the System to adapt to her being a Ranger with a spear.
She looked at Diana and raised her eyebrows. “What did you get?”
Diana dejectedly said “Nothing, my skills are at cap and the mana situation holds me back in fights.”
“Don’t worry Diana, you will probably be stronger at higher levels” Hector reassured her.
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After a couple of floors Hector checked his own gains.
YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 2.
YOU HAVE 5 UNASSIGNED STAT POINTS.
YOUR SKILL NOW CAN REACH THE CAP OF 6.
YOU HAVE LEARNED A NEW SKILL, BRACE - POSITION A SHIELD OR WEAPON TO ABSORB OR DEFLECT INCOMING STRIKES, REDUCING THE DAMAGE TAKEN FROM FRONTAL ASSAULTS AND MAINTAINING A STEADFAST STANCE.
YOU HAVE LEARNED A NEW SKILL, SWIPE - PERFORM A POWERFUL HORIZONTAL OR DIAGONAL SWING OF THE WEAPON, AIMED AT MULTIPLE FOES WITHIN REACH.
Hector smiled as he saw the notifications indicating his progress. It had been a challenging journey, but he had finally reached level two.He focused on the skill notifications, pondering the implications of Brace and Swipe. Brace seemed like a valuable defensive skill, one that would allow him to shield his comrades from harm during combat. It was a responsibility he took deathly seriously, nothing was more important than their lives.
Swipe, on the other hand, intrigued him with its offensive potential. A powerful swing that could target multiple foes within reach sounded like it would be useful after he got even stronger. Hector imagined himself using this skill to clear paths through swarms of centipedes and keep his friends safe. It was a good skill in Hector’s opinion.
With five unassigned stat points, Hector knew he had some decisions to make. He made them quickly, four into STR and one into DEX for speed. Crushing his enemies skulls was a tactic that worked well for him so far. Wait, did they even have skulls? Exoskeletons? Whatever, he would crush any danger.
"Nice work," Frank said, smiling, he didn’t get to participate too much in the last fight. "Let's keep moving."
"Agreed," Hector said, catching his breath. "Now I feel like I want more."
I tasted blood and it is sweet, Frank thought to himself, looking at Hector. He activated Shadow Dance and moved through the door.
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As they ventured deeper into the labyrinthine structure, Frank found himself once again in the scouting position, with Mia using her Tracking right behind him and pointing where to go. His eyes peeled for any signs of danger lurking around each corner. His heart raced with adrenaline, but he was determined to spot any danger before it spotted him.
"One monster, right ahead!" Frank whispered urgently, signaling the group to prepare for action. They quickly fell into their coordinated roles, opening with Diana’s spells followed by a bashing by Hector and Mia. The fight ended quickly, the Aberration didn’t even scratch them.
Descending the grimy building, the party faced frequent skirmishes with small groups of monsters. Their teamwork improved with each battle, they worked like a well oiled machine.
Mia, felt like she could finally fight back, she impaled Aberrations with secret glee, fighting the nightmares one at a time. Her spear was a lethal extension of her will, tearing through the fleshy bodies with a merciless efficiency..
Frank, shadows becoming his allies, moved with a predatory grace, his daggers slashing through the unsuspecting monsters. He perfected the art of Backstabbing and going back into the shadows. He coordinated with Hector, who wielded his mace like a grim reaper, shattering limbs and ending the twisted lives of the creatures.
Diana, unleashed destructive spells when she should and slowed them when her allies needed an advantage. Her magic was the flickering candle in the pitch-black abyss of this city.
As they descended, each floor brought more fights, more monsters, and more blood. They tracked and killed, finally they were the true hunters.
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Mia leaned against the heavy stone door, her chest heaving from exertion as the door closed behind them. The familiar look of the grand hall brought a smile to her face.
"Home sweet home," Frank remarked, apparently sharing her sentiment "Feels good to be back after all that killing."
“Miiiiiaaaa, I'm going to need your help with these.” He lifted his daggers to show Mia their poor state.
DURABILITY: 5/35
DURABILITY: 7/35
Mia nodded, her exhaustion evident in her eyes. "Sure, Frank. I'll do what I can." She took his daggers and began the delicate task of fixing them. The simple task was oddly soothing, and it allowed her to take her mind off the dangers they faced.
Hector chimed in, his voice gruff but appreciative. "Thanks, Mia. We've been through quite a bit today. Maybe you could do my mace after we rest?"
The girl didn’t raise her eyes from her work.”I will do Frank’s now since they are about to be destroyed, then the rest in the morning, including a new shield for you.”
“We have a lot to talk about, how do you guys feel if we do it first thing in the morning?” Hector asked, aware that there were no mornings in this place but old habits were hard to shake off.
“Yeah, good idea.” Frank agreed, while Diana and Mia both expressed their consent with weary nods. They all knew there were difficult discussions ahead, but for now, rest and recovery were their immediate priorities.
“I will take the first watch, and cook the meat.” Mia pointed to the bags of meat and skins, they gathered it from the last monsters they killed. “Maybe I will even start on the tanning project.”
While the rest of the group settled down for some much-needed rest, Mia got to work. She carefully examined Frank's daggers, grimacing at their sorry state. They had seen better days, that was for sure. With a sigh, she set to work, using a small sharpening stone she had carried with her to carefully hone the blades.
As she worked, Mia's thoughts drifted to their recent battles and the need for better equipment. She decided that when they had some downtime, she really needed leather to improve their weapons and armor.
After tending to the daggers, she turned her attention to the bags of monster meat and skins they had collected after the last fight. Mia knew that the hides could be valuable for crafting, so she began to fashion a rudimentary tanning rack from some spare wood and rags she had found earlier. It wasn't perfect, but it would do the job. She spread the skin over it, then started on the second rack.
After she finished and with everything in order for the night, Mia settled in for her watch. She couldn't shake the feeling that there were many more challenges ahead, so she decided to check her sheet.
YOUR SKILL TRACKING REACHED LEVEL 5 !
YOUR SKILL SPEAR MASTERY REACHED LEVEL 4 !
YOU HAVE 2 UNASSIGNED STAT POINTS.
YOUR SKILL WILDERNESS SURVIVAL REACHED LEVEL 3 !
Now when she thought about it the stone floor didn’t seem so uncomfortable, she idly wondered whether it was Wilderness Survival or she just got used to more hardship. Despite her thought wandering, Mia remained vigilant, her spear at the ready, determined to guard her companions through the long and uncertain night.