The dungeon was a tomb. As such, it was filled with all sorts of nasties, many of them undead. They moved through halls lined with sarcophagi, some open and others still sealed.

Daisy poked at one of the open coffins. "Did we already kill you or not?" She looked towards her friends. "How are you two feeling? This place is more intense than that starter dungeon they had us grinding at school." She tapped on her dagger hilt. "I don't know what I expected, but not this. It's been an adventure. I've been so focused on getting ahead, I didn't think about what it would be like."

Cedric waved to Theodore. "You've been a great help. Thank you."

Theo perked an ear at Cedric. "Didn't expect that, but you're welcome." He spread his hands. "Look, we're in the same party. I want to win. Also, no offense, but your lady friend? She's still kinda hot, and dangerous. I don't want either of those kinds of people pissed at me."

Daisy huffed at that. "We've got a dungeon to raid." She held her shield up, waiting for the next attack.

The hall opened up into a wide room where the far end was a set of steps leading up to a dais. Atop that hovered a figure with a grand but rusted crown. It looked down on them as they entered. The others with them began to move forward. Zombies in armor, some of which had fallen off and revealed rotting flesh. More skeletons, many with scraps of cloth or bits of metal hanging from their bones.

Daisy glanced towards her mana bar. "Think it's time for a boss. Mid boss or final boss, not sure." She hefted her shield. "You ready?" She stepped forward to keep herself between the others and the monsters.

Theodore moved to one side. He pointed his wands at the undead. With the guttural call of that floating figure, the battle started. "We're behind you!" He unleashed bolts of flame at the zombies. With their rotten flesh, they caught fire easily. The armor made no effort to put the flames out as they burned. One of them collapsed quickly. Theodore laughed. "I didn't realize they would catch so well."

Cedric focused his lightning attacks on the ones holding or wearing metal, especially if they got close to Daisy. "Pace yourself, everyone."

Daisy slammed her shield into the first monster that approached her. The thing looked down at her, and she thrust her dagger into its stomach. Her healing magic flared up and caused the thing to collapse. She took in a deep breath, then exhaled, ready for more. She alternated between martial strikes with just a dash of healing to put down more stubborn foes, and then more healing to take out the undead more efficiently. The thing was soon collapsing under her blows. She glanced towards the one that seemed to be leading the others.

She pointed to it, looking back. "Can we make the push?"

Cedric looked up from his casting, glancing around. "Go for it." He unleashed a spell at an approaching skeleton that was about to leap onto the mouse woman.

Daisy charged the floating creature, pushing past the other undead that were trying to block her. She thumped against the ground, propelling herself upwards in a grand arc. She drove her blade into the creature's side. The thing roared, grabbing at her with a hand of bone. Its fingers were tipped with long claws, and those tore at her armor, ripping cuts into it, leaving bloody lines in her flesh.

She cried out in pain, letting go of the creature. Her magic healed her wounds quickly, but not before Theo called up, "Are you alright? What's going on up there?"

Coloring as if more embarrassed at being hit. "N-nothing!" She charged right back into the fight, pressing her attack against the thing. It began to cast spells down at her. One of them slammed into her, the impact making her feel as if the blood in her veins had turned to ice for one long moment.

With a bellowing call, she put both hands to her dagger and drove it in like a stake, the blow sending her and the creature tumbling. The monster collapsed to the ground, lifeless. She staggered to her feet, leaning against the dais to look towards the others. But there weren't others. With the defeat of their boss, the rest fell over like a host of decaying dolls with their strings cut.

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She was panting, but she forced herself to move. She stepped towards Cedric and Theodore. "Everyone okay?" She moved closer to them, but paused when they both took steps back from her.

Theo looked furious. "I'm fine! Just, damn, fine."

Cedric hurried to her side to whisper to her, "It's his tail."

Daisy blinked and looked back at Theodore. Indeed, his tail looked very different. It had become skeletal. The skin was still attached in parts, but it looked dead, flappy and dragging behind him. She didn't have time to ask before Theo snapped again.

"Check that thing for loot." He turned away, which just made it easier to gawk at his undead tail.

Cedric pulled Daisy over to the corpse to search it while Theodore fumed quietly.

"Hey." Daisy looked down at Cedric. "You're a good friend, you know that?"

He nodded, rubbing her back. "I try to be." He kissed her cheek and dashed off to find the crown on the dead one's head and held it up for Daisy. "Here you are."

Daisy angled it left and right, appraising it. A window popped open with its stats.

─ Rusty Crown of the Dead

─ Type: Accessory, Headgear

─ Rarity: Legendary

─ Description: This once-great crown is long tarnished and rusted, but it still glows with power for any mage who wears it. The crown enhances the effect of necromancy spells, as well as granting a 25% bonus to Intelligence when worn by mages.

Theo had turned back around. "So, what's it do? And how would you even know? You're still a first year at school. You didn't learn appraisal that well, did you?"

Daisy considered trying to explain her ability to see stat, but an idea hit her. "Just a skill I have, lets me appraise things."

"Oh." Theo shrugged lightly. "Good, so what's it do?"

"I'll check." She went over the description. "Oh, it enhances necromancy, and also increases intelligence."

Theodoren nodded at that, then glanced at it. "I'll take that then." He reached for the crown, only for her to pull it away from him. "Hey, why?"

She held up a finger. "We decide as a group who gets this one. Pretty sure there are two wizards in this party, and I bet both of them want the obvious wizard item." She looked between Theo and Cedric.

Theo rolled his eyes, but he relented. "Alright, let's all think about it." He crossed his arms. "But I'd be more surprised if it wasn't mine, after all that."

Daisy Held the crown close. "Let's put this aside for the moment. Theo, you got mutated. I'm assuming you don't want to keep that rotten tail. You seemed pretty happy with the fluffier model."

He rolled his eyes. "Obviously, I don't. It looks horrible!" He gave his tail a disgusted flick. "And I can't feel it at all. I can't feel my own damn tail!"

Cedric put a hand on Daisy. "You could fix it."

Daisy looked confused a moment before it hit her. "I don't think he wants my fix."

Theo perked at the exchanged words. "Your fix? You mean you can fix my tail? Why didn't you just say so?" He moved closer. "What do I have to do?"

She gestured at him to slow down. "I am a mutagen source. But it's only for mice. You want to be a mouse, I can help you with that. If you don't, probably the wrong place to look. So no, I don't think you want my fix."

Theodoren stopped where he was. "No, I really want my body back the way it was before." He looked disgusted. "I can't stay this way." He threw up his hands. "I refuse to be the one that slows this down. If I have to have a nasty bone tail for a while, whatever. I can handle that."

Daisy moved up to him and took his hand. "I could try healing it. Maybe that can fix the mutation?" She closed her eyes and focused her magic into him. She could restore his hit points, but that had no effect on that mutations he had already suffered.

"I appreciate the thought." Theodoren pulled his hand back from Daisy's and crossed his arms. "I'm not about to become a mouse. I don't want to be short."

Cedric grinned, wagging his tall ears as he looked over Theo in a new light. "Being short isn't the worst thing."

Daisy nodded. "It can have its perks. It's a nice way to look up at people. Especially their chins."

Cedric giggled lightly. "So, is there more past that boss, or did we clear the dungeon?" He pointed to the door beyond them.

The two men looked towards it. Daisy moved closer to check it out, her shield still at the ready. "It looks like a door. I think we beat this place, didn't we?" She reached for the door to find out.