Nancy groaned. “Great. Just what we need. Another complication.”

“Should we wait for them or head into the dungeon now?” John asked, his brow furrowed.

Miles hesitated, considering their options. The system hadn’t let him down so far, but this was a different kind of danger—a human one. He looked at the group, their faces tense but resolute.

“We need to be ready, either way,” he said finally. “If they’re here to cause trouble, we can’t afford to let our guard down.”

Lancy nodded, stepping into a defensive stance. “Agreed. If they’re hostile, we deal with them before entering the dungeon.”

Nancy sighed, drawing her staff. “This day just keeps getting better.”

The tension in the air was palpable as the party waited, weapons at the ready. The faint sound of footsteps grew louder, echoing through the quiet landscape.

And then, out of the shadows, the figure emerged. A man, clad in sleek, dark armor, with a smirk that sent a shiver down Miles’s spine. His weapon—a massive, jagged axe—rested casually on his shoulder, but his posture was anything but relaxed.

“Well, well,” the man said, his voice dripping with mockery. “Looks like I’ve got company. This should be fun.”

Miles’s heart pounded in his chest as the system chimed again.

Objective updated: Survive the encounter. No rolls allowed during combat.

He clenched his fists, his mind racing. This was going to be a fight they couldn’t afford to lose.

______

The tension in the air was suffocating as the dark-armored man stood smirking, his weapon resting casually on his shoulder. Miles’s pulse quickened as his system chimed in.

Warning: Opponent's skill detected. All abilities below Level 10 deactivated. No rolls permitted during this encounter.

“What?” Miles muttered, his voice barely audible. He tried to will the dice into his hands, but nothing happened. Panic crept in. No rolls? No abilities? How were they supposed to fight?

John, gripping his shield, looked equally alarmed. “What’s going on? My shield enchantment isn’t working.”

Nancy, clutching her staff, grimaced. “My magic’s gone. I can’t cast anything.”

Before Miles could respond, the system interrupted his thoughts again.

"Skill negation is in effect. Your level is insufficient to counter. Only abilities at Level 10 or above are unaffected."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Miles’s heart sank as he glanced at Lancy, the only one of them strong enough to still fight. She stepped forward, her twin swords gleaming as she drew them with a sharp, metallic hiss.

The two opponents, the dark-armored man and a lithe, hooded figure behind him, exchanged looks of surprise. “What the hell?” the man muttered, his smirk fading slightly. “Why isn’t she affected?”

“Because,” Lancy said coldly, “you two made a mistake assuming all of us are weak.”

Without further warning, she lunged at the man with incredible speed. He barely had time to raise his axe before her blade clashed against it, sending sparks flying. The sheer force of her attack drove him back a step.

The hooded figure moved to intervene, daggers flashing, but Lancy pivoted smoothly, deflecting the strike with her second blade. Her movements were precise and deadly, a stark contrast to the flurry of panic gripping the rest of the party.

“Stay back!” Lancy barked over her shoulder. “I’ll handle this.”

Miles, John, and Nancy stood frozen, unable to do anything but watch. Miles clenched his fists, frustration and helplessness bubbling inside him. He hated relying on others, but this time, he had no choice.

Lancy pressed her advantage, driving the two opponents into a defensive position. Her swords were a blur as she forced them back toward the dungeon’s entrance. The dark-armored man growled in frustration, his smirk replaced with a grimace of exertion.

“This shouldn’t be possible,” he hissed. “No one below Level 10 can—”

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” Lancy snapped, her blade slicing through his guard and slamming into his armor. He stumbled, and before he could recover, Lancy shifted her focus to the hooded figure, disarming them with a well-placed strike.

The fight was over as quickly as it began. Lancy kicked the dark-armored man’s axe out of reach and pressed her blade to his throat. “Surrender,” she ordered, her voice cold and unyielding.

The man growled but raised his hands in defeat. The hooded figure did the same, their daggers clattering to the ground.

“Good,” Lancy said, keeping her sword steady. “Now start talking. What are you doing here?”

The man scowled but remained silent. Lancy applied more pressure with her blade, and he winced. “Fine,” he spat. “We’re here for the dungeon.”

“Why?” Lancy demanded. “What’s your objective?”

The hooded figure hesitated, but the man answered with a sneer. “Monster parts. This dungeon’s creatures are rare and valuable. Perfect for selling to the highest bidder.”

John, still clutching his shield, stepped forward. “You’re harvesting monster parts? That’s it? You’re risking people’s lives, cursing the land, for profit?”

The man shrugged, his smirk returning. “Business is business. If the land gets cursed, that’s not our problem.”

Nancy’s grip on her staff tightened. “You’re disgusting.”

Miles, who had been quiet until now, finally found his voice. “You mean to tell me that this dungeon has been open longer than it should have been because of you? You kept it active to keep harvesting?”

The man’s smirk widened. “Exactly. Gotta keep the monsters spawning, after all.”

Lancy’s expression darkened, and for a moment, Miles thought she might strike the man down. Instead, she stepped back and sheathed her sword, her movements sharp and deliberate. “You’ve done more damage than you can possibly understand,” she said, her voice laced with quiet fury. “The curse on this land isn’t just some inconvenience. It’s destroying people’s lives.”

The hooded figure, who had been silent until now, looked away, guilt flickering across their face. But the man only shrugged again, his indifference stoking the anger simmering in the group.

John turned to Lancy. “What do we do with them?”

Lancy’s jaw tightened as she considered. Finally, she looked at Miles. “What do you think?”

Miles blinked, surprised to be asked. He glanced at the two captives, his mind racing. He wanted to make the right decision, but without his system’s guidance, he felt lost. Still, one thing was clear—these people couldn’t be allowed to continue their operations.

“We can’t let them go,” he said finally. “But killing them isn’t the answer, either.”