Max adjusted his pointy hat, the cold stone walls of the dungeon made him shiver. This place felt like a prison—a labyrinth of dark corridors that go on forever. Merlin stood beside him, his heavy armor making sounds each time he moved.
“Ready to go, kid?” Merlin, under the alias “Balric the Bold,” asked.
Max nodded, trying to shake off his nerves. He’d been practicing his mana control for weeks, but this was the real deal. “Yeah, I think so. Just don’t expect me to save everyone if things go south.”
“That’s the spirit. But remember, stay focused. These guys are experienced adventurers, but they’re not invincible.”
Max looked at the rest of the party, bringing up their stats in his mind.
Name: Darion
Class: Berserker
Level: 42
HP: 300
Mana: 50
Equipment:
* Weapon: Bloodthirster Axe (+25 damage, +10% chance to cause Bleeding)
* Armor: Reinforced Leather Armor (+20 to Physical Defense)
* Accessory: Ring of Fury (Increases attack speed by 15%)
Abilities:
* Rage Strike: Deals 40 damage, +20 if under 50% HP
* Berserk: Increases damage by 30% for 10 seconds, but reduces defense by 15%
* War Cry: Boosts allies' attack by 10% for 15 seconds
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Name: Lyra
Class: Rogue
Level: 39
HP: 220
Mana: 80
Equipment:
* Weapon: Shadow Dagger (20% chance to inflict Poison, +15 to Critical Hit)
* Armor: Shadow Cloak (+25 to Stealth, +10 to Agility)
* Accessory: Locket of Shadows (Increases stealth duration by 20%)
Abilities:
* Backstab: Deals 50 damage if attacking from behind
* Poison Strike: Inflicts Poison, causing 15 damage per second for 5 seconds
* Evasion: Increases dodge chance by 25% for 10 seconds
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Name: Kael
Class: Pyromancer
Level: 41
HP: 180
Mana: 300
Equipment:
* Weapon: Ember Staff (+30 to Fire Damage, +10 to Mana Regeneration)
* Armor: Flameweaver Robes (Reduces Fire damage taken by 20%, +15 to Mana)
* Accessory: Ember Ring (Increases Fire spell potency by 15%)
Abilities:
* Fireball: Deals 60 fire damage, 20% chance to burn
* Flame Wave: Deals 30 fire damage to all enemies in a radius
* Inferno: Summons a pillar of fire, dealing 80 damage over 5 seconds
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These guys were tough, and with Merlin leading them, he felt a bit more confident. He glanced at his own stats, still a bit surprised by how quickly he’d grown since his training with Merlin began.
Name: Max
Class: Mage
Level: 37
HP: 170
Mana: 160
Spells:
1. Fireball (Level 2):
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* Damage: 25 fire damage
* Mana Cost: 20 mana
* Effect: Targets hit may suffer from burning (15 fire damage per turn for 10 seconds unless extinguished)
2. Ice Lance (Level 1):
* Damage: 30 ice damage
* Mana Cost: 15 mana
* Effect: Slows movement for 3 seconds
3. Shield Spell (Level 2):
* Effect: Creates a resilient barrier
* Mana Cost: 30 mana
4. Healing Light (Level 1):
* Healing: 30 HP
* Mana Cost: 25 mana
5. Teleport (Level 1):
* Effect: Instantly transports within 10 meters
* Mana Cost: 40 mana
6. Brazilian Agony (Level 1):
* Effect: Removes all hair in the targeted area, causing pain and distraction
* Mana Cost: 35 mana
7. Solar Flare (Level 1):
* Effect: Blinds enemies in a radius for 5 seconds
* Mana Cost: 50 mana
Attributes:
* Vigor: 140
* Mind: 130
* Endurance: 110
* Strength: 95
* Dexterity: 90
* Intelligence: 120
* Faith: 70
* Arcane: 65
“You good?” Merlin looked at Max.
“Yeah, just trying to remember all my spells. And not die,” Max said with a nervous laugh.
“Good plan. Stick to it, and you’ll be fine.”
The group made their way deep into the dungeon. The walls were cold, iron bars decorated the rooms, and with the stench of decay that filled their nostrils, it created another perfect dungeon for Max.
“You simply must love the smell of decay!” Max said with a nervous smile.
Merlin led the way, his armor making soft noises, while Max followed close behind. Lyra scouted ahead, while Darion kept an eye on the road, his axe ready to strike. Kael walked in the middle, his Ember Staff lighting the way with a warm glow.
The first chamber they entered was spacious like any other so far, with the walls covered in moss and bloodstains. In the center of the room stood a massive, hulking figure—a scary, mutated warden with chains hanging from his wrists. His skin was green, and his eyes glowed with the same color.
“That’s the Overseer, a brutal creature that once kept the prisoners in line. Now, he’s nothing more than a mindless beast driven by rage,” Merlin explained silently.
Max’s hand began to burn. “No, not now!” The Overseer let out a roar and charged at Max, his chains swinging wildly.
“What?” Merlin looked surprised for a second. “Darion, take the lead!” Merlin commanded. “You,” he looked at Max, “stay behind me.”
The Berserker grunted in response, meeting the Overseer face to face with a powerful swing of his axe. The sound of metal on flesh echoed through the dungeon, but the Overseer barely flinched, his massive body just absorbed the blow.
Lyra moved fast around the edges of the room, looking for an opening. With a swift movement, she slipped behind the Overseer and drove her Shadow Dagger into his back, aiming for a critical strike. The creature roared in pain but still stood strong like nothing happened.
Max unleashed a Fireball, aiming directly at the Overseer’s head. The fireball began to move weirdly in the air once again until Merlin secretly took control of it and made it hit its mark. The creature’s skin sizzled as flames engulfed him. Kael followed up with a Flame Wave, the intense heat made the Overseer stagger backward.
Despite all that, the Overseer continued to fight, his chains whipping through the air. One struck Darion across the chest, knocking him to the ground. Max felt a surge of panic, his legs began to move on their own as he began to retreat.
“Max!” Merlin’s voice made him realize what he was doing.
“Shield!” Max shouted, casting a protective barrier around Darion just as the Overseer raised his arm for a finishing blow. The barrier shimmered, trying to absorb the impact but it was cast too late. The shield broke, and Darion’s body became a giant red spot on the floor, with the rest of his body parts scattered all around the dungeon.
Max froze, staring in horror at the scene before him. Darion the Berserker who had seemed invincible just moments ago, was gone—reduced to nothing more than a bloody mess. The Overseer turned its glowing eyes toward Max.
“Snap out of it!” Merlin shouted. “We need to focus!”
Max’s heart pounded in his chest. He felt like running, like abandoning everything and getting out of this nightmare. But Merlin’s voice once again cut through the fear. He had to fight. There was no other choice.
Lyra retreated back into the shadows. Kael raised his Ember Staff, ready to attack. The Pyromancer began to chant, summoning another Flame Wave, but the Overseer was already on the move, charging straight at Max.
Max’s hands trembled as he tried to cast another spell. He could feel the mana flowing through him, but his thoughts were all in a mess. “Stay focused, remember your training.” He repeated Merlin’s words in his mind.
“Solar Flare!” he shouted. A blinding light exploded from his hands, forcing the Overseer to stop, its eyes burning from the intense brightness.
“Now, Kael!” Merlin shouted.
Kael didn’t hesitate. He unleashed his strongest spell—Inferno. A pillar of fire erupted beneath the Overseer, engulfing the creature in flames. The heat was so intense that even Max could feel it from where he stood. The Overseer tried to escape the fire, but the fire consumed his flesh.
Lyra emerged from the shadows, her daggers reflecting the light. With a swift motion, she jumped at the Overseer, striking with precision its exposed neck. The creature let out one final, agonized roar before collapsing to the ground, the flames finally eating him whole.
Max only then realized that he was holding his breath the entire time. They had won, but the cost was too high. Darion was dead, and it was his fault. He hadn’t been fast enough, hadn’t been strong enough.
Merlin approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “This isn’t the time to lose yourself. We’ll mourn later, but right now, we need to keep moving.”
Max nodded numbly, unable to find the words. Max couldn’t shake the image of Darion’s last moments from his mind. It was just like his friends all over again. Who is he going to kill next?