“We’re running out of time!” Yen yelled. “The only way is to get some other parties to block the mobs. We’re not getting in with enough mana any other way.”
“...and leave them to die?”
“Fuck them!” Yen’s frustrations boiled over. “You got another solution or you just get off on acting like a saint?”
Grace didn’t respond, nor did anyone else speak up, for differing reasons. Shin sat in meditation, his face neutral in thought, while Leon leaned against the wall with casual indifference.
“That’s what I thought. We split into two groups and pick up whatever goons we can. Right, Shin?’
“Mm.”
“It’s cruel…” Grace turned to Leon.
The golden haired swordsman looked back, his expression unchanged. “We can find another way.”
“No we can’t.” Yen pressed.
“We need a plan, and I’m only hearing one right now.” Donny added.
“You could hand over the orbs and volunteer yourself for the role.” The stern eyed shaolin suggested rather firmly.
“Thought we weren’t going to fight until after we got in?”
“The result will be the same.”
Amidst the growing tension, Shin was the first one to glance towards the hall, and the others followed at the sound of footsteps. Three players, one of magic, might, and stealth by their attire and class, four dragonborn warriors, and a drakotaur treasure guardian. All surrounding bronze skinned woman with deep purple hair and playful eyes that shone with the fierceness of the sun.
Leon’s party members readied for battle and Shin’s side tensed, most of all Yen, though the lack of action or wariness from their leaders stayed their hands. Leon saw familiarity in the hollow eyed boy and thus remained as relaxed as ever. Shin smiled, and Sereth returned menacing elation. She walked forward to the helm of her blank faced and glossy eyed followers straight to Shin, taking in a long look before turning predatory eyes to the rest.
“Your others?”
“Temporary.”
“I see.” Sereth seemed pleased. “Are you not going to the dragon?”
“Enemies in the way.”
Sereth hummed, giving the three following Shin a glance. “Shall I push them aside?”
Shin tilted his head. “Sure?”
“I can always find new servants.”
“Slaves.” Suyin corrected.
Sereth looked over, with deepening eyes. “You should be more careful. You’re only temporary.” Suyin firmed herself nervously under the strange pressure the Mesmer gave off with nothing more than her gaze.
“We’re trying again in five hours.” Shin told Sereth their plan.
“Then, I’ll wait here.” One of the players knelt down against the wall on all fours and Sereth found a seat, not beside Shin but across, happily watching he turned his focus to his skills, light shattering off him in an instant. Silently, the expanded group remained, all but three unsettled by the weight in the air.
---
The corridor was silent, save for the dull scrapping of stone. Shin guided the whirling orb of spiritual energy across the wall in smooth precise lines.
[Spirit Gyro has reached lvl. 5]
[Channelling has reached lvl. 3]
Spirit Gyro was leveling well, though it was only an aftereffect of his true focus. Unlike Condense, Channelling strengthened a skill without compacting its size, and even at this low level it could enhance more than its predecessor. Maelstrom was his supplementary skill of choice for its duration, a decision that had proven to be fruitful in these calm hours.
His orb came to a halt and floated a bit away, starting a new line. He had began his training against Yen’s mana shield, but that had lasted only twice before she stated she could do no more if she wanted her mana full for the fight ahead. And with the others in a similar situation, he was thus relegated to a wall for his training partner.
Yen glanced around, namely at Shin and his disconcerting admirer, who seemed more than happy to simply watch the boy in silence. Nerves held like a lump in her throat from the strange unease in the air but the time was drawing near and the danger beyond the door was far more of a concern.
“The horde is a problem…” She mustered the courage to start discussing strategy. “But the bigger one are the two dragons guarding the room. They turn into an elite when both are killed.”
“It’s not an issue.” Sereth answered without even so much as glancing at the orange haired mage.
Yen hesitated for a moment but pressed on. “We only get one more shot, we can’t take any chances.”
This time, Sereth did turn her way, and Yen somewhat regretted speaking up. “Were you the first he chose?”
“...yeah, I guess. First for this party.” Yen balked a little.
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Sereth hummed slightly as she turned her glance to the others. It didn’t seem like she expected to find anything in particular but her eyes locked on Grace and sharpened.
“You were with him at the start.” Panic and shock tensed Grace’s expression as she realized the woman had read her mind. “What was he like?”
Grace was slow to answer but the tone of Sereth’s question was not one that would allow to her ignore it. “He smiled… always.”
Sereth hummed again, her stare lingering for a only a moment before seemingly losing interest as she turned back to Shin.
Yen glanced at both and then to Shin as well, something holding her thoughts for the first time. He had always smiled too, at least at the start. Whatever the situation, he always bore a slight eerily calm smile, but somewhere along the way, he had started to show different sides. Mostly neutral and subtle, sometimes casual contemplation, other times a looming hatred, almost. His expressions seemed so natural she hadn’t ever really stopped to think about it.
The Spirit Gyro popped overhead and Shin rose to his feet, with a smile, a trace of determination within. “Time.” The others rose to their feet and readied themselves as he waited before speeding off.
All followed after him, though Leon lingered slightly to glance at the pattern Shin had created on the wall. Four lines in the form of a golden ratio, all stemming from a perfect circle and meeting in the middle, forming a concave diamond. His slight smile unchanged, but his calm eyes held an unfathomable depth, before he too headed down the path.
The group charged out of the tunnel, Shin at the helm, stopping short before the seven colored flame wall rose from the ground. He waited, ready. The moment the wall fell, Sereth sent all but two players of her thralls towards the horde. They slaughtered mindlessly, paying no heed to their own injuries.
As the group approached the gate, the two dragons appeared in a burst of flames, and faltered. The beasts strained under assault but their minds soon gave in and they too charged into the fray, burning and freezing their own. Seven members of the two parties entering stood near the statues and placed in their orbs. Shin turned to smiling Sereth, a wall of slaughter keeping the forces at bay.
“Thanks.” Sereth smiled back, more brilliantly than before as Shin disappeared along with the rest.
The allied group of eight found themselves in a great lair of stone and wealth. A massive iridescent dragon sat atop a hill of coins and treasure. He mustered from his slumber, fierce and an undaunted.
[Prismatic Dragon (epic) - Greater Lord]
“Greedy Vermin. You will find naught but despair. Just as the ones before.”
Fire breathed down on the two parties, melting the stone they stood on as they charged to the sides around it, split back into two. The dragon flourished his head, spitting out a bombardment of fire. Kong appeared from the air, breaking one the same time as Donny, and Yenny dispelled the third, leaving the rest to blast around them.
The prismatic dragon’s glance landed on them and breathed down a stream of frost, striking a swirling purple shield. The stream of frost chilled the very air as it surged against Kamala’s shield. Gradually, the shield itself began to freeze over and crack. As the great dragon tensed its body with the aim of freezing them whole, a flicker caught its eye and it raised its head away from the spiralling green orb.
At that instant, Leon appeared in the air, his sword shining a brilliant gold that brought fear to the eyes of the beast. Yellow lightning enveloped its body in an instant and burst out, forcing Leon to dart away by the air, his sword still golden. The mighty Drogal turned its focus to the swordman and unleashed hail and storm.
Grace raised her staff and a white ward sheltered them, repelling the fierce onslaught of elements. As the dragon breathed down, a dense firebolt struck its face clean, yet it turn out of the flames barely scathed its scales. Yen barely had time for shock to truly hit as the Dragon lashed its tail.
The scaled whip struck the gong of bastion and shattered it by sheer impact. Donny’s feet held firm, rooted to the ground, blood spurting through his teeth as he bore the attack. The spirit orb chanced another swipe at the dragon’s eyes and was dodged again, this time the beast shattering it to pieces with a lightning fast swipe of its claws. Drogal turned his attention once again to the golden swordsman, breathing blasts and streams as the three around him countered each one.
“We need a plan.” Donny called out in the lull of combat they were given. “Yen.”
“I don’t know!” She strained her mind to think but could find no solution.
Her strongest attack had been weathered almost as if it were nothing. The nova spell and its sheer physical abilities meant neither Donny nor Shin could dream of getting close enough to try their luck. Even Kamala’s roots and vines wouldn’t be able to hold it down, not against its might and elements, even if she were to add her Grasp alongside it. It seemed wary of Shin’s green orb but that was likely because he aimed at its eyes, and nothing more.
“We have to wear it down…”
“The sundial.” Kamala pointed out with her glance. At the wall behind the dragon was a stone dial casting an impossible shadow. “A minute has passed and the shadow has circled a tenth of it.”
“Meaning, what, we’ve got nine more minutes?” Donny asked, golden light healing him.
“It is likely…”
“That’s enough time.” Yen bargained. “It can’t last that long at this rate.”
“Would there be a time limit if it couldn’t?” Donny reasoned, and Yen had no answer. “It costs monsters the same amount to use skills, right?”
“Yeah.” Shin answered.
“Alright then. Let’s wait and see how much it can use. Its too strong and fast to have more than, what 2,000 Spirit? If it keeps going past that, it might have not have a limit.”
“...fuck…”
The party waited on edge, watching the others do their best to dodge, block, and counter at the dragon’s attacks, until the sundial was half covered in shadows. The boss had used more skills than they all could combined several times over. The worst seemed to be true.
“It could be the other way…” Yen suggested. “It might run out after ten minutes and we just have to survive.”
“Or it gets worse.”
“Hey!” Suyin shouted at them, as Leon slashed into the dragon’s leg again to stall its attacks for a few moments. “We all get kicked out of the dungeon if 10 minutes pass!”
“You know that how?” Donny spoke back.
“We ran into a party that tried!” She swatted away another fireball, sweat dripping down her face.
“Funny you kept that to yourself.”
“If we don’t work together now, none of us will beat it!” Suyin snapped. “There’s no time to try again.”
“...she’s right.” Donny glanced at the others.
“We still don’t have a way to kill it.” Yen reminded.
Shin sheared through the handle of a morning star and held the metal head between its spikes. “Make it use Nova.” He looked to Donny.
“Got it.” The knight didn’t need anything more.
“What are you trying to do?”
“Put this through its eye. Protect Donny, and stop Leon.” He told Kamala and Yen.
A glance at the knight sent him charging without a second thought. The dragon sparred a glance, and lashed its tail. The great scaled whip stopped short in the air by an invisible force. A giant slash of wind dispersed into the air and Donny drew close. Lightning surged in its mouth and Leon stole its focus once more, forcing it to breathe the element his way.
Donny saw the chance and burst forward, cleaving his axe at the wound in its leg. A red mist enveloped the blade as he ripped it out, drawing more blood than there should be. Drogal roared in rage at the vermin that wounded it, and fire exploded from its body. Donny crashed into the wall, his body charred, but still alive.
Black markings spread over Shin’s eyes, enhancing his speed of his vision and he flickered forward. Drogal took noticed of the tremor channeled deeply on the hand that palmed the spiked sphere and its jaw started to open towards him, but with a sudden jolt snapped to Leon’s shining charge. The swordsman froze in place, just for an instant before Grace dispelled the Grasp away in time to dodge back from a surge of destructive lightning.
And in that opening, Shin held out his hand. Like a missile the morning star rocketed forth and clanged harmlessly against a dense iron coating. Lightning rent him like claws, faster than even his eyes now could keep up with. Shin watched the morning star fall along with his severed arm falling with the lower half of body, as the dragon opened its mouth to a surge of molten flames.