Liam carefully slid the blackgold cartridge into his weapon, the weighty finality of the action setting the stage for what was to come. Meeting Asher's gaze with a fierce resolve, he declared, "I'll take the shot. But we need to clear out of this room fast. Once it's fired and hits its mark, this whole place will be an inferno. The warden will be consumed, but we must be sure of our escape. Your guardian can serve as our decoy. It might be a hard call, but better it than us. You can always summon it back, right?"
The underlying logic of Liam's proposal was sound, yet there was a crucial detail he wasn't informed of. While Liam believed the guardian's skills and items were intrinsic, the reality was far different. Asher had painstakingly equipped and trained his guardian, nurturing its capabilities over time. Should the guardian fall, the skills it had honed and the items it held would be lost forever. Asher hadn't shared this particular detail with Liam, and now faced the daunting task of balancing the immediate threat with the potential long-term loss.
Asher's heart raced, the notion of sacrificing his guardian gnawed at him; it wasn't just a summoned entity. It represented hours of his effort, strategies, and emotional investment. "Wait, Liam!" Asher said, holding out a hand as he tried to think rapidly, the seconds ticking away ominously. The lumbering footsteps of the Zombified Warden echoed menacingly, growing louder and closer with every passing moment. Its deep, ragged breathing filled the room, amplifying the urgency of their predicament.
"There has to be another way," Asher muttered, eyes darting around the room, searching for any edge or strategy they might have overlooked. The portraits on the walls, the remnants of the shattered desk – could any of these be used to their advantage?
"We don't have time!" Liam snapped, his voice laced with a mix of panic and determination. "Every second we waste puts us in more danger. We need to act now!"
Asher's eyes darted around the room, searching for an answer. And then it struck him. "The corners! We can use the room's structure to our advantage."
Liam raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Explain."
"Look," Asher began, pointing at one of the room's corners. "If we position the guardian with its back to the corner, and bait the Warden to attack it, we can effectively use the Warden's massive body as a shield against the explosion from the blackgold cartridge. The guardian would be somewhat shielded by the Warden and the walls. It's risky, but it might be our best shot."
Liam frowned, contemplating the plan. "If the explosion doesn't go as expected, it's going to be risky for us too."
"We position ourselves opposite the corner," Asher suggested, determination in his eyes. "We'll be at the maximum distance from the explosion, and the Warden will take the brunt of it."
Nodding slowly, Liam said, "Alright, let's give it a shot. But we need to act fast."
'I should increase my vitality, increasing my guardian's health in the process. Better be safe then sorry.' Asher mused to himself as he allocated the 10 attribute points he had on vitality.
You have allocated 10 points into Vitality!
HP: 290 -> 390
With a swift and deliberate command, Asher signaled his guardian towards the designated corner. Raising its spike-guard shield with confidence, the guardian assumed its position. In a calculated move, it unleashed its 'shield throw' skill, diverting the zombified warden's attention from Liam and Asher. While this didn't pack the potency of the 'provoke' skill, it still achieved its purpose: compelling the warden to target the entity that had inflicted harm upon it even if he had immunity to taunts, it was still a brainless zombie making it quite easy to bait it.
"Get ready," Asher whispered, his heart pounding.
The room's atmosphere was thick with tension. Every step the Warden took felt like an eternity. The stakes were high, and the slightest misjudgment could lead to catastrophic consequences. The duo braced themselves for the decisive moment that would determine their fate.
Seizing the brief window of opportunity, both Liam and Asher swiftly darted towards the room's entrance. Both men were gasping for breath, their hearts pounding in their chests as the adrenaline coursed through their veins.
"We need to be far enough when that cartridge goes off," Liam said, glancing over his shoulder to ensure the guardian was holding the Warden at bay. Liam continued, clutching his gun tightly. "I've never tested it but from the description, the blast radius should be... significant."
As for the guardian, it was executing Asher's plan flawlessly. With its back to the corner, it had positioned the warden between itself and the wall behind him. Its shield was raised, and it was doing its best to keep the hulking monster's attention solely on itself.
As Asher and Liam swiftly moved toward the door, Asher's voice, edged with urgency, pierced the tense air. "Liam, take the shot!" He feared that if the Warden continued his assault, his guardian might be weakened to a point where the impending explosion would be lethal, a consequence Asher desperately hoped to avoid.
Liam steadied his aim, focusing on the largest part of the zombified Warden's back. The dim light of the room glinted off the monstrous creature's rotting flesh, providing a macabre target. Liam's finger tensed on the trigger.
Boom!
A deafening shot echoed through the abandoned prison, the sound magnified by the quiet that had fallen over the prison.
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The moment Liam released his shot, Asher swiftly shut the door, shielding them from the impending explosion and the ensuing inferno within the room. And then, an ear-shattering explosion rocked the prison. The force was so intense that the very ground beneath them vibrated, and dust dislodged from the ceiling above, raining down on them. The blinding flash of the explosion momentarily illuminated the entire corridor, casting eerie shadows.
https://i.imgur.com/73pzvfq.png [https://i.imgur.com/73pzvfq.png]
Asher's heart plummeted when he saw his guardian's life dangerously nearing the critical zero mark. Without hesitation, he grasped the door's scalding knob, the intense heat from the inferno within searing his palm. Through the fiery haze, he witnessed the grim tableau inside: his guardian, grievously injured, amidst a raging conflagration. Driven by an overwhelming urge to save his guardian, Asher dashed forward, hoping to heal it before it was too late.
Asher darted into the blazing room, almost choking on the thick smoke. He quickly reached the guardian's side. His hands, still reddened and painful from the door's heat, began to glow with a soft, green light. He placed them on the guardian's, and the healing energy flowed into it. The guardian's injuries began to mend, its health regenerating with each passing second.
https://i.imgur.com/cFRCHOB.png [https://i.imgur.com/cFRCHOB.png]
Congratulations! Goblin's Rejuvenator has leveled up!
Lv: 1->2
Regen: 2% -> 2.5%
Status Aliments duration reduction: 10% -> 12%
The searing flames roared around them, but for a moment, everything seemed still and quiet to Asher as he focused solely on saving his summon.
However, this fleeting serenity was shattered by a guttural, pained roar. Asher turned his gaze to the source and saw the once-mighty zombified warden. The blackgold cartridge Liam had fired had done its job exceptionally well. The warden was engulfed in ferocious flames, his once-pale flesh now blackening and peeling away. Every movement it made seemed to be a struggle as the fire consumed it.
But it was still alive.
Its life force was depleting rapidly, yet the determination in its eyes was terrifying. Through the fiery haze, the warden tried to take a step forward but stumbled, the flames eating away at its strength.
Realizing that the warden, despite being in a weakened state, was still a significant threat, Asher quickly turned his attention back to the guardian. "I know you're on the edge, but we need one last push. Use Shield Charge and finish him off!" he commanded with urgency.
With a final surge of energy, the guardian, despite its weakened state, heeded Asher's call as it braced itself for one last charge. The warden, still burning, its flesh searing and melting off, roared in defiance, an eerie howl that echoed through the prison's chambers.
"Liam, keep firing relentlessly! We have to finish this now; I can't imagine he'll hold out much longer!"
Liam nodded in understanding, his face taut with determination. The rhythmic echoes of gunshots reverberated through the chamber, as he unleashed a barrage of bullets towards the flaming warden. Each shot sparked against the fiery silhouette, the light and dark intertwined in a deadly dance.
Meanwhile, the Guardian, despite its weakened state, summoned the last of its strength for one final assault. With a roar, it charged forward, its shield glinting in the firelight. As it closed the distance, the Guardian's shield struck the warden with a force that seemed to shake the very foundation of the room, without wasting any time it also hurled out his shield towards the warden, adding more damage.
The combined onslaught was too much for the burning warden. Between the unyielding strikes from Liam and the devastating shield charge of the Guardian, the warden's flaming form staggered, then collapsed to the ground in a smoldering heap.
A hush descended upon the room, broken only by the faint crackling of embers and the heavy breathing of Asher and Liam.
Congratulations! Shield Charge has leveled up!
Lv: 1->2
Movement speed increased: 10% -> 11%
Base Damage: 50-55 -> 55-60
Congratulations! Shield Throw has leveled up!
Lv: 1->2
Base Damage: 10-15 -> 15-20
Congratulations! Bearheart Fortitude has leveled up!
Lv:1 -> 2
Maximum Life: 50 -> 60
Physical damage reduction: 2% -> 3%
You have participated in the elimination of 'Zombified Warden'. Experience point earned have been divided by the amount of participants. You have earned 350 EXP! EXP (510/500)
Congratulations for reaching Lv.6! You have acquired 5 Attribute points.
The immediate threat had been neutralized, but the echoes of battle and the lingering tension remained palpable.
Liam, lowering his gun, looked over at Asher. "That... was intense," he remarked, his voice tinged with a mix of relief and disbelief.
Asher, still catching his breath, managed a small smile. "We made it, thanks to our combined efforts. And... thanks for that blackgold cartridge. It was a game-changer."
Liam nodded, looking down at the spent cartridge case on the ground. "Let's just hope we don't run into anything tougher than that in the future. I only had the one."
Having overcome the daunting challenge of the zombified warden, the two adventurers paused, taking a moment to regain their composure. As they caught their breath, an unexpected vortex began to form in a corner of the warden's chamber, eerily reminiscent of the portal they had used to enter this dungeon.
"It seems the dungeon recognizes our victory. Perhaps it's an exit portal?" Liam observed.
"Just a few moments... I'm too drained to move yet. Hold on, what's that?" Asher interrupted, his gaze fixed on the fallen Warden.
Liam followed Asher's line of sight, his eyes widening. "Do you see that? Floating right above him?"
Asher's voice filled with excitement, "Could it be... a loot drop?"
As realization dawned, they both hurriedly approached the spot. Laid before them was an item that left them both astonished, not just by its appearance but also by its description.
https://i.imgur.com/eOZ6Go6.png [https://i.imgur.com/eOZ6Go6.png]
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https://i.imgur.com/tCxsQqT.png [https://i.imgur.com/tCxsQqT.png]https://i.imgur.com/pouVDD2.png [https://i.imgur.com/pouVDD2.png]