The moment the group entered the dungeon, the cold, damp air hit them like a sack of rocks. It was as if they stepped into a different time period.
Forcing themselves not to cover their noses, Sera and Zayzal led the way.
The passage they entered was narrow, barely allowing for more than a few people to comfortably walk side-by-side.
The space extended high above their heads, at least a few meters. The walls, constructed of rough, cold stone, were moist to the touch, with occasional droplets of water dripping down into shallow puddles on the uneven floor. Each footstep echoed eerily, amplifying the sense of danger lurking in the darkness.
However, Zayzal could feel a strange energy in this place. It was similar to the one that nearly killed him a few hours ago, except that it hadn’t knocked him unconscious.
‘It feels stronger in here than it did outside.’ Zayzal noted.
Turning around, he glanced at his teammates and noticed that the little orbs inside them were also glowing brighter, the various pathways of energy a little easier to read.
‘What do those mean? Can everyone see them, or is it just me? What do those pathways represent? Why can’t I see mine?’ He really wanted to experiment and learn more about what was going on, but with everyone being so serious, he’d be lucky if one of them didn’t clock him in the head for talking.
Nevertheless, Zayzal kept it in the back of his mind, promising himself he would explore these aspects later.
The dungeon's corridors were labyrinthine, every step echoing and reverberating throughout the tunnel. Sera and Zayzal slowed their march, attempting to lessen the sound, but it only did so much.
The six people kept their mouths shut, afraid that the noise would attract monsters.
As the group ventured further into the dungeon, the air grew thicker with tension.
It was Zayzal's heightened sense of hearing that first detected the soft padding of paws. Sera, too, sensed a change in the atmosphere. The temperature dropped, and the damp moss gave off a faint pungent scent.
Suddenly, out of the shadows at the end of the corridor, a pair of amber eyes gleamed menacingly around the corner. Another pair joined, and then another. The eyes belonged to lean, shadowy figures with sleek fur - wolves, but not the ordinary kind.
They looked identical to the ‘wargs’ that stormed the village.
Zayzal glanced over his shoulder at Einar, who was right behind him and had already drawn his bow. The man nodded, understanding the silent command, and took aim.
When he was ready, Einar stood up and released the drawstring.
Silently, the arrow flew through the air. The wolf's ears twitched, hearing a faint whistling, but before they could determine the source of the noise, it penetrated one of their eye sockets, killing it instantly.
The body dropped to the ground with a thud, causing the other wolves to jump back, only for another arrow to lodge in one’s head.
Einar released arrow after arrow, each one finding its mark with almost perfect accuracy.
As a man who trained with the bow since he was young, he’d fired hundreds of arrows every single day. Hitting a target as big as a head was nothing to him. He’d killed moving rabbits, all kinds of wild animals, and even insects with his godly aim.
He wasn’t the only one in the group who could do this, either.
“Grrrrr!” The wolves, finally catching on, noticed the direction the arrows were coming from and charged at them.
“I’ll tank their frontline! Cover me, Zayzal!” Sera jumped in front of the group, her shield held out in front of her.
“Got it!” Zayzal shouted, his grip on his spear firm. His eyes shone with respect as he watched Sera jump head-first into danger.
Two wolves led the charge, with more following them.
“RAH! Come at me, you mutts!” Sera yelled, banging her axe against her shield trying to catch their attention.
Enraged by her provocation, the two wolves growled, putting a bit more power in their legs. As they neared, one leaped into the air, attempting to rip into her neck, while the other went for her legs.
Sera smashed the head of the mid-air wolf with her shield, crashing it into the wall. She didn’t have enough time to take care of the other one, but before it could grab her leg, a spear thrust beside her, stabbing the wolf’s leg.
It yelped in pain, tumbling forward as one of its legs failed to work. That gave Sera enough time to bring down her axe, cleaving it in the skull.
Stepping forward, she put one foot on the other wolf’s head, cracking it beneath her weight. One of the men behind her thrust a sword forward, stabbing its forehead.
While this happened, arrows whizzed past her head, embedding themselves in the approaching wolves.
Sera smirked, taking in the sounds of battle, the smell of iron, and the feeling of crushing foes beneath her feet.
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‘This is the best!’ She thought, her eyes glowing with battle intent.
“Watch out, Sera!” Zayzal’s voice rang beside her.
Glancing to the side, she watched Zayzal jump forward, piercing a smaller wolf who nearly made its way through, sneaking behind the corpses of its brethren.
He didn’t stop there. This time, he decided he’d take the lead.
“We need to get moving! We can’t allow ourselves to get trapped here!” Zayzal ordered, maneuvering his spear in a way that forced the wolves to keep their distance.
Sera’s eyes shined at how skillfully he moved.
‘Those aren’t the movements of a novice. He’s practiced with the spear before. And not just a little bit.’ She thought, her smile widening.
“You heard him!” Sera shouted, pulling her axe out of a wolf’s head. “Our goal is to slay everything here and protect the village! Enough sitting around!”
“ROH!”
The Viking warriors roared, readying their weapons as if they were about to carve out a path for themselves.
Zayzal sighed, wondering if these guys could do anything quietly, but he didn’t bother wasting his breath.
‘She’s right, after all.’ He commented.
Suddenly, a wolf climbed on top of its brethren and hopped over them. Zayzal jumped back to dodge, which allowed Sera to take the lead once again.
She bashed it with her shield, disorienting it, before hitting it on the back of its neck, snapping it.
“Thanks, Zayzal. I’ll leave my back to you!” She declared with absolute confidence in his abilities.
Zayzal unconsciously smiled, wondering how she was able to put so much trust in him. Regardless, he had to reciprocate her good intentions.
“Don’t worry! I won’t allow a scratch on you!” He shouted back.
“Hahaha! Now, you’re starting to sound like a real man!” Sera burst out laughing while causing a bloody mess with her axe.
With their morale boosted the group relentlessly marched forward, slaying wolves without mercy.
Just like Zayzal promised, he didn’t allow Sera to receive a single scratch. Always watching her blindspots, moving at just the right times so that they never had to stop moving, and even calculating the archers’ movements behind him, he did it all.
He was the cornerstone of this group that allowed them to move forward so seamlessly. The longer the battle went on, the more his body and mind adapted to his teammates’ movements, increasing their efficiency.
His senses were heightened to the max, and it was as if he had entered the ‘zone’.
Because of this, it only took them a few minutes to kill all the incoming wolves and make it to the end of the hallway.
Their heavy breaths echoed down the corridor, the six of them panting in sync. The luminescent blue moss dimly lit the path, casting eerie reflections on the walls and giving the dead wolves a haunting, ghostly appearance. The stench of blood mingled with the musty air, creating a potent cocktail that was a constant reminder of the battles they'd faced.
Leaning against the cold wall, Zayzal glanced around at his comrades, their faces etched with exhaustion and determination. There was a mutual understanding between them all; they were stronger when they fought as one. Despite the trials, the group was building trust with every enemy they faced.
Sera, wiping her brow with the back of her hand, looked over at Zayzal. “You really came through for us,” she commented, a note of genuine appreciation in her voice.
Zayzal gave a slight shrug, trying to play it cool. “It's teamwork. This was a result of everyone’s efforts.”
Sera smirked. “I knew there was more to you than meets the eye. You carry yourself differently than those lazy slugs I met in the cities. Your steps are steady and filled with confidence, something only a warrior would have.”
Zayzal smiled proudly, “I have practiced martial arts ever since I was young.”
Sera glanced at the spear, a smile tugging at her lips. “Just martial arts? Seems like you know more than that to me.”
“...I also picked up the glaive and practice every now and then.”
Sera nodded before she said, “You should learn how to swing a battle axe. You’ll look much cooler.”
Looking into her shining eyes, Zayzal could only nod, “If the opportunity presents itself, I will…”
‘Like hell I’ll learn something so brutal!’ Zayzal glanced around, only to see a hallway filled with blood and guts.
Rather than large, heavy swings of an axe, he preferred the range, control, and precision of a spear or glaive.
His earlier performance proved that his decision wasn’t wrong.
The group took this moment of reprieve to rest. They initiated idle talk, but the only people who could speak decent English were Sera, Einar and Gunnar, so Zayzal just stuck next to them.
After a few minutes, all their breaths had steadied, and they were ready to move on.
Gathering their composure, they made their way towards the end of the corridor. Their steps, though quieter now, still echoed with determination. Turning the corner, they had to walk another hundred meters or so before they were met with an expansive room, far larger than any they'd seen before.
The chamber was circular, with high domed ceilings from which long, delicate stalactites hung, glistening with moisture. At the room's center was an elevated platform upon which a massive blue crystal pulsed. The crystal’s light gave life to the entire room, illuminating intricate carvings on the walls.
“Look!” whispered Sera, pointing towards the base of the crystal. There, an ornate chest was resting there, just asking to be opened.
It was a mesmerizing sight, but what caught their attention next made their blood run cold. Surrounding the crystal were blue goblins – grotesque creatures, their skin mirroring the glow of the luminescent moss. They held sharp weapons and chattered amongst themselves, oblivious to the intruders.
Around them were more wolves, similar to the ones they just fought, but bigger and deadlier. Other than that, there was a large black wolf behind the platform, sleeping.
It was different than the rest. Just the rumbles within its chest from breathing were enough to frighten most people. It was as if it was a giant beast slumbering instead of a wolf.
Something like this was normally impossible to exist on Earth.
“They're guarding the crystal,” Zayzal observed, voice barely audible.
Einar, nocking an arrow, whispered, “We need a plan.”
Sera nodded in agreement, her gaze never leaving the goblins. “We strike fast and strike hard. We can’t let them alert others or regroup.”
As they discussed their strategy, Zayzal's mind raced. He couldn’t help but have a bad feeling, but was also emboldened by his earlier successes and the fact he had Sera by his side. He was confident they wouldn’t lose.