The group, made up of adventurers of all kinds, advanced on the rocky path leading to the dungeon. The atmosphere was lively, the passionate discussions revealing the varied motivations of the participants. Some were there for glory, others for money, and a few simply to test their strength.
Among them were knights, archers, priestesses, thieves, mages and so many others
The group walked through a vast forest, slowly advancing along the barely marked path. All around them, gigantic trees with lush green foliage rose towards the sky, their imposing trunks testifying to an ancient age. The bushes, luxuriant and almost supernatural, formed walls of a bright green, some adorned with flowers of incredible hues that seemed to vibrate in the dim light.
The wind blew gently through the foliage, creating a natural melody, while the ground, covered in thick moss, muffled their steps. This forest, of indescribable beauty, was as imposing as it was fascinating.
After several minutes of walking, the group emerged from the thick forest to find themselves on a vast plain bathed in sunlight. The grass swayed gently in a light breeze, and in the center, a small patch of water sparkled under the clear sky, surrounded by a few rocks and wildflowers.
Weary from the journey, some members of the group approached the watering hole to rest, dipping their hands in the cool water or sitting in the shade of a few rocks to recover their strength.
The group, like any raid worthy of the name, was placed under the direction of an experienced guide. Their leader, the mage Ruyuk, a man with an imposing aura and graying hair, observed the surroundings with constant vigilance. Wrapped in his cloak decorated with luminous runes, he inspired as much respect as trust. Ruyuk was renowned for his mastery of the arcane and his ability to keep his cool in the most perilous situations.
As the group took a short respite, Ruyuk raised his hand to get their attention.
“Enjoy this break,” he said in a calm but firm voice. “This will likely be the last moment of peace before reaching the dungeon. Be prepared.”
His words, heavy with meaning, reminded everyone that the true test was only just beginning.
While the other members of the group exchanged animated conversations or joked to lighten the mood, Nolan remained aside, motionless, sitting cross-legged on the green ground.
Eyes closed, he seemed indifferent to the tumult around him. His breathing, deep and regular, formed a soothing rhythm that contrasted with the soft sound of the water and the rustling of the wind on the plain.
Around him, a subtle aura manifested itself. Faint at first, it became more and more distinct, an ethereal glow of deep blue that undulated gently around his body. Nolan focused his inner energy, aligning his mind and body, immersing himself in deep meditation.
His goal was clear: to refine his control over his aura and ensure that his power would be perfectly stable to face the challenges of the dungeon to come. Such a practice required a rare discipline, and those who glanced in his direction could not help but be impressed by his unwavering concentration.
One of the warriors in the group, intrigued, whispered to his neighbor:
“That guy… he’s not like the others. Do you see his aura? That’s not something you see in just anyone.”
But Nolan, absorbed in his meditation, paid no attention to these remarks. For him, the outside world did not exist at that moment.
Nolan, still motionless and sitting cross-legged, concentrated his aura with exceptional mastery. A mist imperceptible to the naked eye, made up of Nekroz energy, slowly flowed from the environment towards him. This energy, omnipresent in the plain, seemed to vibrate and respond to his silent call.
Around his body, the bluish aura intensified, undulating and dancing like a flame. Nolan absorbed the Nekroz with remarkable precision. Each particle of energy that approached him seemed to blend harmoniously into his aura, strengthening his inner power.
His face remained impassive, although his mind was immersed in absolute concentration. He felt each influx of energy flow through his body, mixing with his own power, refining his reserves and strengthening his connection to the magical world around him.
The massive trees and gigantic bushes around him seemed to tremble slightly, as if nature itself felt this subtle extraction. Some members of the group, intrigued by this scene, stopped talking to observe him in silence.
“What exactly is he doing?” murmured an archer, impressed.
A novice mage answered in a low voice:
“He’s channeling the Nekroz… It takes incredible mastery to do that without causing magical instability.”
But Nolan, indifferent to the stares and whispers, continued to absorb the energy of the environment, refining his reserves and mentally preparing himself for the trials that awaited them.
As Nolan came out of his meditation, he sensed a presence slowly approaching. Even before she spoke, he felt an aura slightly different from that of the other members of the group, like a bright but stable flame.
The young girl with flaming red hair and crystal blue eyes stopped a few steps away from him. Her magician's tunic, decorated with golden patterns evoking stars and constellations, indicated a certain mastery of the magical arts.
In a soft voice, she introduced herself:
"Hi, my name is Azaria."
Nolan opened his eyes, straightening up with controlled fluidity. He looked at her for a moment before calmly answering:
"Nice to meet you, I'm Nolan."
Azaria sketched a slight smile, tilting her head slightly, visibly delighted to break the ice.
"I saw you meditating. It's not very common in such a noisy group." You seem… different from the others.
Nolan raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms in a detached manner.
“Different, huh? Is that a polite way of saying I don’t mix with the others?”
She shook her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“Not at all. It just shows that you have a clear goal and are focused on it. That’s a rare quality.”
Nolan watched Azaria for a moment, trying to decipher her intentions. Finally, a small smile played on his lips.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
“And you, what brings you here, Azaria? You also seem… different.”
She placed a hand on her hip, a confident smile on her face.
“Oh, I’d say I like to observe interesting people. And you, Nolan, are definitely an interesting person.”
Nolan nodded, amused by her frankness.
— Well, I guess that's a good start to a conversation. So, tell me, what are you doing in this group?
Azaria smiled slightly, crossing her arms as she observed Nolan with a sparkling gaze.
“It’s a little more complicated than that, but let’s just say I’m here to show off my progress,” she replied lightly.
Nolan raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
“So, it’s not really the dungeon treasure you’re interested in, huh?”
Azaria shook her head gently, her smile widening.
“Not really. Sure, it would be a bonus, but what I really want is to prove what I’m capable of.”
Nolan was about to answer when a group of girls from the camp, a few meters away, loudly called out to him:
“Azaria! Come here, we need you for something!”
The young magician turned around, visibly surprised but flattered, and gave a small wave in response. The girls watched him with admiring eyes, whispering to each other and casting curious glances at Nolan.
Nolan noticed that, among the group as a whole, Azaria seemed to be a central figure. Not only did the girls seem to admire him for his strength and personality, but the men in the group had lustful looks on their faces.
Azaria turned back to Nolan, shrugging with a half-amused, half-exasperated expression.
“Apparently I’m popular,” she said, rolling her eyes slightly. “It can be exhausting sometimes.”
Nolan crossed his arms, cracking a small smile.
“It must be hard, being the star of the group.”
She laughed softly, a twinkle in her blue eyes.
“It has its advantages, but also its disadvantages. Well, I’ll see what they want.”
Before leaving, she added, pointing at him:
“We’ll continue this discussion later, Nolan. Don’t disappear until then.”
Nolan watched her walk away, a barely perceptible smile on his lips.
“I don’t plan on leaving,” he muttered to himself before sitting down again to continue observing the group.
After a few minutes of pause, Ruyuk, the mage, raised his hand to attract the group's attention.
"Form up, the march resumes," he said in a firm voice.
Everyone complied without discussion, readjusting their equipment and getting into marching order. The members of the group quickly formed a single file, ready to continue their advance. Everyone seemed focused, and a slight tension had settled among them. The air grew heavier as they advanced, as if the dungeon itself was reacting to their presence.
The march then resumed, and the group set off again.
The group advanced in silence across the plain, the conversations gradually dying down as the mountain loomed before them. The slope grew steeper and steeper, demanding extra effort from everyone. Despite a few murmurs of fatigue, everyone followed Mage Ruyuk's instructions without question.
Suddenly, Ruyuk stopped dead in his tracks.
The group exchanged puzzled glances, surprised. The murmurs resumed, some wondering why he had stopped when the summit still seemed far away.
Nolan, however, did not move and watched carefully. A slight smile played on his lips, for he had already understood what was happening.
Ruyuk raised his hand in front of him, and a flow of subtle energy was felt in the air. Slowly, a massive door, decorated with runic symbols, began to reveal itself before them. The layer of invisibility that concealed it dissipated, revealing the door in all its glory.
“There it is,” Ruyuk announced simply.
The group approached with some hesitation, some still in shock from what they had just seen. Nolan, for his part, remained calm, observing the door without showing any surprise.
The members of the group passed one by one, crossing the door and entering a long dark corridor. The stone walls were decorated with torn tapestries depicting battle scenes and mythological creatures. Large suits of armor, blackened by time, stood on either side of the corridor, holding imposing swords.
A thick silence reigned, broken only by the sounds of the group’s footsteps and their breathing. The light mist that floated on the ground added a touch of mystery to the atmosphere, and each step seemed to make the air heavier.
Ruyuk, in a serious tone, addressed the group: — Stay on your guard. What you see here could be a trap or a threat.
Nolan looked around carefully, his eyes shining with a discreet glow as he analyzed the surroundings. He already felt that something was wrong, but nothing seemed so obvious to his companions.
Nolan had taken to collecting the elixir flakes that glowed faintly on the dusty floor, their bright flashes catching his attention. He knelt down discreetly, sliding his fingers in to pick them up one by one, careful not to make any noise. These flakes were precious, and he knew they could be used to concoct powerful potions or enchantments, he was also collecting precious stones installed on the shelves. Beside him, other members of the group, especially those of the Thief class, were engaged in the same activity. They moved silently, their movements quick and stealthy, grabbing the small precious stones scattered here and there. The thieves, experts in the art of stealth, seemed to have a particular flair for spotting objects hidden in the dark corners of the corridor.
Nolan, focused on the treasures scattered on the ground, stayed behind. He picked up a few flakes of elixir and precious stones that caught his eye. The thieves in the group were also leaning over the objects, looking to add a little more value to their bags. But Nolan knew that each object recovered could potentially be a weapon or an asset for later.
Meanwhile, the group, without waiting for Nolan, continued on their way, progressing cautiously until they arrived in front of a large portal decorated with ancient symbols. An eerie silence reigned in the air, and all the members of the group were on their guard, although nothing seemed to threaten them for the moment. They crossed the portal one by one and found themselves in a new environment.
They arrived in a vast and deserted arena. A burning sun beat down mercilessly on the group, heating the already heavy and dry air of the arena. The ground was covered in golden sand, crunching under the adventurers' steps. Around them, high stone walls rose, broken in some places by time, but still imposing, offering a circular view of the arena. The place seemed frozen in an ancient time, as if fights had been taking place here for centuries, but no sign of life was visible.
The sky, a bright blue, did not seem to be able to shelter any clouds, giving the place an almost unreal feeling. No sound, except the light wind, reached their ears. The atmosphere, heavy and silent, gave the scene a threatening air.
Suddenly, the oppressive silence of the arena was shattered by a low rumble. A metal grate, hidden in the ground, slowly lifted, revealing a towering figure emerging from the darkness below.
A knight clad in black armor, as gleaming as it was menacing, advanced towards the group. His massive axe, heavy and decorated with dark runes, was held tightly in his hands. Each step of the knight echoed on the sand, his heavy boots striking the ground with a power that foretold the violence to come. The air around him seemed to grow cold, and an icy aura enveloped his body.
His eyes, hidden beneath the helm of his helmet, glowed with a dark red glow. He said nothing, merely fixed the group with a piercing gaze, like a predator observing its prey. The atmosphere of the arena immediately grew heavier, as if time itself had frozen, suspended by the impending threat.
Ruyuk, without wasting a second, ordered the group to prepare for combat. His voice, clear and authoritative, cut short the tense atmosphere:
“Get ready, this is a formidable enemy. Stay focused and don’t let yourself be intimidated!”
The mage activated his aura. A greenish glow surrounded his body, a powerful energy that pulsed in harmony with his movements. His face, usually calm, was now marked by determination. He placed himself in a combat stance, his hands waving the air as if he were drawing invisible symbols. A fine magical mist formed around him, his energy ready to be unleashed at any moment.
The members of the group, although nervous, quickly followed his instructions. Swords were drawn, bows drawn, and spell began to resonate. Everyone knew that this was not a simple creature they were facing, but a true test of their strength.
Suddenly, the knight disappeared in a flash of shadow, leaving behind only a brief sense of pressure in the air. Before the party could react, a towering shadow suddenly appeared above them. The knight, like a beast ready to strike, stood suspended in the air, his axe raised, ready to crush them all at once.
Ruyuk, anticipating the attack, immediately cast his special skill: [Shield]. A wave of protective energy spread around the party, forming a massive shield of magical energy, enveloping the adventurers. This shield was unique in its kind, composed of twenty layers of energy stacked on top of each other, each capable of absorbing a portion of the attack.
The impact was brutal. The knight rushed towards them with devastating speed, his weight and the power of his weapon exploding against Ruyuk's shield. The first layer gave way under the force of the impact, then the second, and so on, each layer shattering successively. The shield wavered under the knight's furious attack, the energy that composed it dissipating at a crazy speed.
The knight did not stop, striking again and again with a force that seemed inexhaustible. The shockwave of his attacks finally shattered the last layers of the shield, causing an explosion of magical energy. The group was swept in all directions by the explosion. Some were thrown against the walls of the arena, others fell violently to the ground. The ground shook under the impact of the wave, and the air seemed to twist under the violence of the assault.
Chaos had taken over the arena. The terrified members of the group struggled to recover from the shockwave. Some were injured, while others, panicked, tried to flee the dungeon, but their efforts were in vain. The knight, relentless, decimated the fugitives one after the other, with brutal and merciless violence. Each blow he landed sent bodies flying, and terror spread quickly among those who remained.
Ruyuk, seeing the situation deteriorating at an alarming speed, focused his energy and launched a lightning attack of light towards the knight. The bright light split the air, but before it could hit its target, the knight emitted a black aura, an evil barrier that instantly dissipated the magical attack, reducing the light to nothing.
Without giving a break, the knight retaliated by launching a devastating slash, imbued with dark energy. Ruyuk, in an agile movement, managed to narrowly dodge the attack, but the knight's speed and power offered him no moment of respite. Before the mage could even react, the knight found himself behind him.
In an instant, the knight grabbed Ruyuk's head with a steel grip, lifting it and brutally crushing it against the ground with titanic force. The sound of the impact echoed in the arena, while the ground shook under the impact. Ruyuk, trapped, let out a muffled cry, his face crushed against the earth.
As the knight prepared to deliver the fatal blow to Ruyuk, the scene was frozen in an oppressive silence, as if time itself were hesitating to continue. But suddenly, a movement was made in the shadows. Azaria, the only member still standing among the wounded and the dead, stepped forward, her eyes shining with determination and anger.
With a quick gesture, she brandished her grimoire and cast a powerful fire spell. The flames rushed towards the knight with blinding speed, striking his black armor with unexpected violence. However, despite the impact, the attack seemed to dissipate without leaving a trace. The knight, perfectly intact, slowly turned towards her, his icy gaze fixed on the young magician.
Ruyuk, in a last effort, cried out, her voice full of anguish:
— Go away, little one, or else you will die!
But Azaria paid no attention to her call. Fear didn’t touch her. She had no intention of running away. Her fists clenched around the grimoire, and an intense burst of flame burst from her aura. The flames danced around her, fueled by anger and the will to protect those she had sworn to defend. She took a step forward, ready to face this knight despite the overwhelming power of her enemy.
Azaria was determined not to be crushed. This fight, she would fight until her last breath.
— So, old man, come and have some fun, Nolan said with a mocking smile.