“Get back!”

Once again the adventurer leader shouted, pushing Eugene and Alanna away from the spreading dark fog. The mysterious substance oozing from the armor's metallic body was like nothing they had ever seen, and its effects were horrifying. The leader himself staggered back, clutching his arm where the fog had made contact. His skin was turning black, the corruption spreading rapidly.

“What is that stuff? Is it poison… no it looks different, the color is off… could it be?”

Alanna shouted while pulling Eugene up to the floor, the young man fearful. The adventurer leader had seemed to be able to contend with the strange suit of armor. It

“What is it?”

“I think it's dark magic.”

“D-dark magic? But isn’t that only something high-ranking demons use?”

Eugene replied to Alanna while trying to move to the side and towards the path leading out. The Dark Magic she mentioned was something people knew and feared. It was one of the reasons that all other races dreaded demonic beings. The way the adventurer leader’s veins turned darker was a clear sign. Its properties of corruption were well known, and the presence of it here could easily shift the tides of battle.

“It should be… and most demons have been gone since…”

“Stop talking, that doesn’t matter, we need to get out of here!”

The monster approached, its body and blade covered in a dark mist that was slowly spreading in all directions. There seemed to be some kind of area of effect around this being, as the smoke was evaporating instantly after passing a certain threshold. The adventurer leader noticed this but wasn’t sure what to do about it. His stamina was being drained, and he didn’t need to look at his status window to know it. If this continued for too long, he would probably pass out, and the monster would massacre them all.

“Party Leader, hold on!”

There was finally some good news as an arrow flew from the side and connected with the armored creature. The steel tip hit the monster’s pauldron but, unfortunately, it bounced off its armored frame, leaving only a scratch. However, the reinforcements were there but what could they achieve if they could not approach the monster?

“Don’t come close, if you touch the black mist, you’ll be drained of your vitality.”

The newcomers were the three adventurers who had been keeping the horde of monsters busy. As previously planned, they were to quickly follow after and meet Alanna and Eugene at the staircase. However, the bronze monster was now blocking their way and seemed unwilling to let them pass. For some reason, it kept its gaze fixed on the two non-combatants who were in a state of panic.

“Take those two up the staircase, I’ll do something about this thing and meet you back up.”

“But leader, wouldn’t it be better to fight it together?”

“No, we don’t have enough time.”

Monster groans and the clattering of bones started echoing from the distance. A large portion of the monster horde had not been defeated and was still gaining on them. If they let the bronze monster block their path forward, they would be overrun. Once the mist surrounded all of them, even the weaker monsters would be able to dispatch their entire party, and this was not something the party leader wanted.

“But…”

“I’ll be fine, I won’t die to one monster that easily, now go.”

The well-armored man shouted at his party, possibly giving his last order. He was responsible for their survival but was not planning to die here alone. He lowered his center of gravity while shielding his body, an aura surrounded his body which resembled a bull as he activated a skill. Then, he launched himself at the armored being, aiming to push it into one of the walls or even into the hidden side tunnel. The mist it was generating had a limit, so if he managed this, his allies would be able to run through.

His plan was desperate but necessary. With a burst of strength, he charged at the bronze armor monster, hoping to push him away from the corridor and clear a path for his companions. The bull-like aura enveloped him, granting him the force needed for such a maneuver. The creature seemed to anticipate the attack and braced itself but was caught off guard by the sheer power of the charge.

“Get out of our way!”

The leader roared, colliding with Rusty and driving him backward. The impact sent a reverberating clang through the tunnel as Rusty struggled to maintain his footing. His dark mist swirled around them, but the leader's protective aura kept him from succumbing to its draining effects immediately. For a moment, it seemed the leader might succeed in pushing the monster into a side tunnel.

“Now! Go, everyone!”

The leader's voice echoed as the rest of the party seized the opportunity. They helped Eugene and Alanna to their feet, urging them towards the staircase. Alanna, clutching the cage with the Gleaming Ant inside, followed closely behind, her heart pounding. Eugene, still shaking with fear, stumbled but was pulled along by one of the adventurers.

“We’re almost there! Just a little further, don’t look back.”

One of the adventurers called out, guiding the group towards the staircase. Behind them, the leader continued to grapple with the monstrous armor. While he had started off strong and nearly rammed the monster into the side tunnel. However, something went terribly wrong. The bronze being’s weight began to increase, and soon its metallic feet were cracking the ground beneath them. The dark mist was still there, and the man’s plan was backfiring. He had intended to throw the monster into the tunnel and quickly escape, but now he was getting swallowed up by the mist without being able to move the monster an inch further.

His knees started to buckle and his vision blurred. The effect of the dark fog was starting to affect his senses and he could not keep himself steady. His grip on the shield he was using to push the monster away was slipping away, and the monster seized the moment. With a powerful shove, he pushed the leader back, sending him sprawling to the ground. The creature stood tall, his bronze frame glinting ominously in the dim light of the tunnel, the dark mist swirling around him like a shroud.

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The adventurer leader tried to get back on his feet, but his body felt heavy, his strength sapped by the dark magic. He looked up at his opponent and focused on the longsword it was holding in its right hand. The people he was hired to protect had probably reached the stairs and were safe. He could only laugh at his bad luck as the monster approached. His life flashed before his eyes as he closed them but to his surprise, nothing happened, instead of getting impaled on the blade the monster just charged forward.

“Huh?”

It was quite an anomaly, and he didn't know what this thing wanted. However, even though he was momentarily safe from the fury of the monster and the darkness that surrounded it vanished along with it, he was still not safe. The large group of lesser monsters was still there, crawling in his direction, and they clearly wanted to end his life.

“I won’t die here…”

The man felt strength return to his fingers as he grasped his weapon tightly. Despite the odds stacked against him, he refused to go down without a fight. With a determined expression, he braced himself for the onslaught of the lesser monsters. His party members, on the other hand, had finally reached the stairs leading to the first floor.

“It should be safe right? Should we wait for him here?”

“What do you mean wait? Let’s just get out of here!”

Alanna frowned at how Eugene was acting. They had reached the dungeon stairs leading up and everyone knew that it was a safe zone against monsters. No dungeon monsters could hope to cross up or down in this area. However, in their hasty escape they had forgotten one thing, the monster chasing them was unique.

“Wait… what’s that?”

“Is it him? Did he make it back?”

One of the four adventurers pointed out in the direction of the tunnel they had previously used. They saw the glint of armor reflected in the dim light and at first, they assumed that it was their party leader. He wore quite robust armor which could be easily identified from a distance. Thus, as they looked closer, they realized that it wasn’t their leader at all. The figure approaching them was different, with an aura of darkness swirling around it.

“That’s not him… it’s that damn monster, did it kill him?”

“That’s not the problem… we need to get out of here, look at where it is.”

The party tensed up as they noticed that this monster had already passed the threshold. It was somewhere that regular dungeon mobs could not be, it told them that these stairs were not a safe heaven anymore and that they needed to continue running. While the horde of the monsters would not reach them, this one armor and the dark fumes it was producing would certainly get them.

“Damn monster!”

Their archer let off another arrow, but after it collided with the monster’s chest, it just bounced off again. Even though it was seemingly just bronze armor, it had a much higher durability, something the arrows they were using couldn't pierce. Without seeing another option, they all nodded and took off running.

“We need to leave the dungeon. Even if it follows us all the way there, with the help of the guards, we can defeat it.”

The group felt frustrated that they couldn’t approach the monster. In reality, it wasn’t all that strong. Without the constant haze of dark miasma around it, they would probably be able to defeat it with the group here. Even their leader could probably win in a fair confrontation. However, at the moment, they needed to fulfill their mission, and it seemed that this thing didn’t want to let them escape. Soon, all of them took off running and appeared on the first floor.

“Don’t look back, just focus on getting out of the dungeon.”

Two of the adventurers moved forward to push away any first-floor monsters that would get in their way. While they knew the fastest way to escape, there would probably be some monsters in their way. Though those creatures were rather weak, they could still slow them down. Thus their escape continued and even without looking back, they could hear the metallic footsteps of their pursuer.

The group ran through the dimly lit corridors of the dungeon, their footsteps echoing against the cold stone walls. Despite their fatigue, they pushed forward, driven by the urgency of their situation. Behind them, the sound of the pursuing monster grew louder with each passing moment, its metallic footsteps reverberating through the tunnels.

Some monsters interrupted their escape attempt and continued to slow them down. The adventurers pushed them to the side, not wasting any time on combat. Each time, the living armor gained on them and continued to chase them like some kind of otherworldly being. Even when they encountered other adventurers, it continued to chase after only them, as if it had marked them for death.

Their group finally burst through the initial exit leading out of the dungeon. Soon, they would reach the stairs leading up to the surface. However, the metallic creature showed no sign of relenting; it pushed forward into the outer regions of the dungeon, a place rarely traversed by its kind.

“What kind of thing is this? Could this be a dungeon break? Are the other monsters going to flood outside?”

Called out Eugene, his face pale and filled with sweat. His legs trembled from exhaustion, and he was unsure if he could muster the strength to ascend the next set of stairs. The group began to slow down as curiosity replaced their urgency. The dungeon was nearing its end, and by all rules, they should have been safe by now. Yet, the creature emerged, shrouded in the same dark mist, hurling itself toward the exit. It seemed unstoppable, until, to everyone's surprise, it began to slow.

The creature's once steady pace faltered, as if it were walking against a powerful current in a river. Its metallic feet struggled to move further, and it became evident that even this formidable monster was confined by the dungeon's boundaries.

“Ha! Look at that stupid monster, it can’t move any closer!”

The previously tired Eugene started to laugh as he realized that their pursuer could not move any further. This force of nature that had been running after them with relentless animosity was now held back by an invisible barrier. The group took a moment to catch their breath, relief washing over them as they realized they were safe for the time being.

“Let’s not celebrate just yet. We need to get out of here and report this to the guild… hey watch out!”

Just as everything seemed safe, something strange happened. The monster seemingly out of nowhere, materialized a javelin. The adventurer who spotted it was the archer from the group and he wasn’t sure how he missed this detail. The throwing weapon was tossed and flew directly at the laughing Eugene who stumbled down in terror.

“Ahh…s-save me.”

The javelin flew through the air with deadly accuracy, aimed directly at Eugene who had been laughing moments before. As he stumbled to the ground in terror, the others reacted quickly. Alanna reached out to grab him, pulling him out of harm's way just in time. The javelin missed its mark, embedding itself into the stone wall behind them with a loud clang.

“Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah, I think so…”

Eugene stammered, his heart pounding in his chest from the close call. He glanced back at the monstrous armor, fear creeping back into his eyes as he realized the danger they were still facing.

“We need to keep moving…”

The archer from the adventurer party urged everyone to move, the monster was able to produce hidden weaponry, and even if it couldn’t progress further, it could still pose a threat from a distance. The group hurried up the stairs, eager to distance themselves and the dungeon as much as possible. As they ascended, the sound of the monster's metallic footsteps faded into the distance, eventually becoming nothing more than a faint echo.

After emerging onto the surface, they were greeted by the soft glow of moonlight illuminating the night sky. The cool night air felt refreshing after the oppressive atmosphere of the dungeon. Despite their exhaustion, they needed to continue, this issue had to be spread and the dungeon needed to be investigated. The strange creature was still inside and much too strong for any new adventurer to handle…