The group stood in the shadow of the fortified base, tension hanging thick in the air. Cassian and Peter approached the gathered Ascendants, their steps measured, their gazes sweeping over the new faces.
Delara, the towering woman wrapped in chains, stood at the forefront, her eyes hard and assessing. She flexed her massive hands, the chains covering her body rattling with every subtle movement. “You’re the wrecking ball,” she said, her tone flat. “I hope you live up to the hype.”
Next to her, a wiry man with sharp features and a cloak that seemed to flicker with shadows stepped forward. Vren’s dark eyes darted to Cassian, his lips curling into a faint sneer. “Don’t drag us down. We’ve got enough problems without babysitting an outsider.”
Erdan, the tall, thin mage with glowing hands, gave a curt nod, his expression neutral but distant. He rested one hand on a glowing orb of energy that hovered beside him, the faint hum of its power a constant presence.
Finally, Marek stood off to the side, his pale complexion matching the sickly green glow of the curses swirling faintly around his hands. “Try not to bleed too much,” he said dryly, his voice as sharp as the daggers on his belt. “Healing curses work both ways, and I’m not fond of overusing them.”
Peter stepped forward, raising his hands in a calming gesture. “We’re here to help, not hinder. Let’s focus on the nest and not each other.”
Delara’s eyes narrowed, her chains tightening slightly. “If he’s as reckless as he looks, he’s a liability.”
Cassian smirked, hefting his glaive onto his shoulder. “Reckless? I prefer ‘efficient.’ You’ll see soon enough.”
The group exchanged wary glances before Delara turned and motioned for them to follow. “Let’s move. The nest isn’t going to clear itself.”
As they travelled, the group moved with deliberate caution, avoiding unnecessary skirmishes. Delara led the way, her massive form blocking the others from view as they slipped through the deserted streets.
Peter and Vren scouted ahead, their Paths complementing each other in guiding the group past lingering threats. Vren melted into the shadows, his movements silent and predatory, while Peter’s Survivor instincts steered them around trouble.
Cassian, trailing behind, grumbled under his breath. “What’s the point of dodging fights? We’re here to clear the zone, not tiptoe around.”
Peter shot him a look over his shoulder. “We’re conserving energy. Not all of us can shrug off pain like it’s a warm hug.”
“Some of us actually have to manage our mana,” Erdan added, his voice clipped. The orb of energy beside him flickered faintly, a reminder of his limits. “Every construct I create takes time and power. If I burn out now, I’ll be useless at the nest.”
“And I need to save enough to heal all of you when things go wrong,” Marek muttered, his eyes flicking toward Cassian. “Which, judging by your attitude, will be sooner rather than later.”
Cassian rolled his eyes, his grip tightening on his glaive. “Sounds like excuses to me.”
Delara’s chains clattered ominously as she turned to glare at him. “We don’t all have your endless stamina, wrecking ball. Every swing of my chains costs me. Every blow I take drains my strength. If we waste resources on pointless fights now, we won’t make it to the nest.”
Vren emerged from the shadows, his tone icy. “Some of us have to think ahead. You should try it sometime.”
Peter stepped in, placing a hand on Cassian’s shoulder. “Let it go, Cassian. We’ll get our fight soon enough.”
Cassian snorted but fell silent, his irritation simmering beneath the surface.
When the first unavoidable group of monsters appeared, the Ascendants moved into formation with practiced precision. Delara charged forward, her chains snapping out to ensnare the creatures and keep them focused on her. The beasts’ claws scraped against her armored body, but she stood firm, her massive frame absorbing the blows.
Erdan stayed at the back, his glowing orb expanding into a lattice of radiant energy that unleashed a devastating beam, incinerating two creatures in its path. The effort left him pale and shaking, his breathing labored as he worked to recharge.
Marek’s curses glowed sickly green as he linked himself to Delara, feeding her health even as the monsters clawed at her. The act made him flinch, the curse siphoning a portion of his own vitality in the process.
Vren darted in and out of the fray, his shadowy form slipping between the creatures to deliver precise, lethal strikes.
Cassian stood at the edge of the fight, his glaive at the ready but unused. Peter had convinced him to observe the group’s teamwork, and despite his frustration, Cassian couldn’t help but be impressed by their coordination.
“They’re efficient,” Cassian admitted grudgingly as the last monster fell.
“But too slow,” he added, his tone sharp. “At this rate, the nest will be crawling with reinforcements by the time we get there.”
Delara shot him a glare as she adjusted her chains. “We’re not built to bulldoze our way through. We fight smart, not reckless.”
“Reckless works,” Cassian said with a smirk. “Let me help.”
In the following battles, Cassian stepped in, his glaive carving through the monsters with brutal efficiency. The group’s pace quickened as Cassian took point, his relentless attacks drawing the attention of the creatures and allowing the others to conserve their strength.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Marek’s healing curses proved unexpectedly beneficial for Cassian. The magic’s dual effect caused brief, sharp bursts of discomfort that fueled his focus and enhanced his abilities.
“You’re the first person who’s actually enjoyed my curses,” Marek muttered, shaking his head.
Cassian grinned through a slash across his arm, the wound knitting itself together even as blood dripped down his glaive. “Keep them coming. They’re perfect.”
But as the battles continued, Peter began to notice a shift in Cassian. His strikes grew more feral, his laughter darker, his movements more reckless.
“Cassian!” Peter shouted, stepping into his path and forcing him to pause. “Remember what we talked about. You’re still mortal. The group needs you alive.”
Cassian blinked, the haze of bloodlust fading slightly as he focused on Peter. He nodded reluctantly, tightening his grip on his glaive. “Fine. I’ll play nice.”
When they finally reached the entrance to the nest, the group froze at the sight before them. A horde of monsters surrounded a shimmering mirror-like portal, the air around it crackling with energy.
A notification appeared before all of them simultaneously:
System Notification:
Dungeon Detected. Party Formation Recommended.
The interface prompted each member to accept, and after a moment of hesitation, they did. Their health, stamina, and mana bars appeared in the corner of their vision, the shared information creating an immediate sense of unity.
“This changes things,” Peter murmured, glancing at the others.
Cassian rolled his shoulders, his smirk returning. “Good. Let’s clear this nest and see what’s on the other side.”
The shimmering portal loomed ahead, casting its silvery glow over the horde of monsters snarling and clawing at the group’s approach. Each creature was a grotesque mass of limbs and fangs, their blackened eyes locked on the Ascendants as they prepared to defend their stronghold.
Delara surged forward first, her chains coming alive with an unsettling, writhing motion. The metallic tendrils snaked out from her body, their jagged ends piercing into the ground and nearby monsters alike. With a sharp pull, the chains recoiled, dragging creatures into her reach where her spiked gauntlets smashed down with bone-shattering force. As claws raked at her, the chains formed a shifting barrier, weaving around her to deflect attacks and leave her standing firm against the tide.
Behind her, Vren’s form disappeared into the shadows, his outline dissolving into a swirling pool of darkness that slid across the battlefield like an oil slick. The shadows reappeared behind one of the larger monsters, and Vren emerged silently, his daggers flashing as he severed tendons and sliced throats with surgical precision. Before the creature’s lifeless body hit the ground, Vren had vanished again, his dark form slipping between shadows to strike at his next target.
Above the chaos, glowing sigils lit up the battlefield as Erdan summoned his energy constructs. Fiery orbs materialized, their heat radiating like miniature suns before launching into the crowd of monsters, detonating on impact and leaving smoldering craters in their wake. Shards of ice followed, freezing monsters in mid-swing, their bodies shattering into jagged pieces as Erdan shifted to a beam of plasma, its searing light burning through several enemies at once. The constructs shimmered and shifted, each tailored to the demands of the battle, leaving no doubt about the destructive potential of his Path of Radiance.
Marek, meanwhile, exuded an eerie, almost suffocating aura. Dark green beams of cursed energy shot from his outstretched hands, striking the monsters and visibly withering their flesh. The cursed energy slithered back toward his teammates, wrapping around their wounds and feeding vitality back into their bodies. Each time Delara staggered under the weight of an attack, Marek’s curses restored her strength, keeping her chains snapping and spinning with relentless fury.
Peter was a blur of motion, his versatility on full display as he set traps to ensnare and immobilize monsters. Explosive devices buried themselves in the ground, detonating with fiery bursts that sent limbs flying. Small but deadly spinning disks shot from his hands, embedding themselves in the creatures before erupting into shards of shrapnel. Each trap and gadget was placed with precision, turning the battlefield into a deadly maze that slowed and scattered the horde.
At the center of it all was Cassian, a whirlwind of brutal efficiency. His glaive danced through the air, its blade deflecting and redirecting attacks with almost mocking ease. He spun and twirled through the enemy ranks, the jagged spikes of his weapon ripping through flesh and bone with every slash and stab. Blood sprayed in his wake as he moved like a macabre dancer, each movement calculated yet brimming with chaotic energy. The spikes along the shaft of his glaive extended further as he pushed its enchantment to the limit, biting into his hands and feeding his strength.
System Notification:
Combat Meditation: Level Up! (29/50)
Glaive Mastery: Level Up! (30/50)
Cassian grinned darkly as the notifications flashed in his mind. The pain from the spikes only heightened his focus, every sensation fueling his relentless assault.
The tide of monsters pressed harder, their numbers seemingly endless. Delara’s chains lashed out, ensnaring a group of smaller creatures and yanking them into Erdan’s path, where they were incinerated by a wave of fire. Vren appeared from a shadow near Marek, slicing through a beast lunging for the healer’s throat before vanishing again to strike elsewhere.
Peter threw a cluster of traps that erupted into a wall of flame, forcing the monsters to split their formation. “You’re welcome!” he called, grinning despite the tension.
Cassian didn’t bother to respond, his focus locked on the creatures swarming toward Delara. He charged in, his glaive spinning in a blur as he cut down the attackers, freeing her to press forward.
“Stay in formation!” Delara shouted, her chains forming a barrier to cover their retreat.
But Cassian wasn’t listening. The thrill of battle consumed him, and he pushed deeper into the horde, his glaive carving through the monsters with devastating precision.
“Cassian!” Peter shouted, glancing at the party interface. Delara’s health was dropping, and Marek was struggling to keep up with the healing.
Cassian hesitated for a split second, his eyes flicking to the interface. With a growl, he pivoted, slicing through the creatures threatening Marek before moving to cover Delara’s flank.
The battle reached its climax as Erdan unleashed a massive plasma construct, its blinding light searing through the remaining monsters. Marek’s curses lashed out, draining the last dregs of life from the horde and restoring the group’s strength.
As the final creature fell, silence descended on the battlefield. The portal’s silver light bathed the exhausted group, its glow reflecting off the blood-soaked ground.
Cassian stood in the center of the carnage, his glaive resting against his shoulder, the jagged spikes glistening with gore. His chest heaved, but his grin was unshakable.
Peter approached, his expression a mix of relief and exasperation. “We’re supposed to work as a team, you know. That means not throwing yourself into the middle of everything.”
Cassian smirked, gesturing to the corpses around them. “Worked, didn’t it?”
Delara groaned as she leaned against a wall, her chains slack around her. “If you’re this reckless in the dungeon, we’re all dead.”
Cassian shrugged, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he glanced at the shimmering portal. “Then I guess we’d better not let me get bored.”
The group exchanged weary glances before setting up a quick camp to recoup. As they settled in, the silver light of the portal loomed over them, a stark reminder of the challenge that lay ahead.
Tomorrow, they would enter the dungeon.