I’m woken up by somebody shaking me, along with the familiar scent of iron.

Looking up bleary-eyed I ask, “What is it?”

“We’re going into the boss’s chamber. Ready?”

I forgot about that… is there any way out of it? I… uhm, I’m not sure I’m ready for this…

Noticing my hesitation, Ismund tells me, “Well, if we don’t move soon here we’ll just die from the swarm. We’re leaving. Just stay out of the way. Don’t get involved, if possible.”

Looking around wearily I finally notice how everything around me seems to have some sort of monster blood on it, including myself.

Gross… ah yeah. We should hurry. Oh, we’re hurrying, I don’t like that very much. I might die. Well, I guess I could’ve died anywhere in this dungeon… I’ll just think of it like another fight room that has one big monster instead of a lot of monsters… Ismund’ll take care of it. Right?

“Stop procrastinating. We’ve got to go!”

“Ah, Alright. Um,… okay. Sorry.”

Pushing myself up, I headed for the door.

At least I feel refreshed… I wonder how long I was asleep for.

[User Drifa was asleep for approximat-]

I don’t want to know the answer to that! If I was asleep for five minutes or something but feel refreshed, it’s probably in my head. I don’t want any potential psychosomatic effects to go away. I’m well rested, yeah.

After I reached Ismund he swung the doors open and ran. Seeing that I wasn’t nearly as tired as usual, it went well. Ismund chopped one that got too close. Other than that, I was able to keep up without help. That may’ve been because Ismund wasn’t bolting at full speed. But still.

Ahead I saw a giant metal door. Different from the usual wooden doors or lack of doors existing. It had a giant rabbit face carved onto it. It was snarling with deep wrinkles lining the face. Two handles were in place of its buck teeth.

Weird.

Ismund nodded to himself flung the doors open leaping inside. I followed behind him and let the door close on the wave of rabbits behind me. Stilling my breathing I looked around. Everything was still, I would say silent, but… that’s always the case. Who knows, maybe it was really loud.

Looking over to Ismund he was observing the surroundings as well. He was so tense. You could fool me into thinking he was a statue if it wasn’t for his head darting around.

Up and to the right of us there was a giant, and I mean giant boulder that was thrusting up and out of the ground. It must’ve been a little over six times my height. Thing is, the ceiling made that look like a pebble. It must’ve been like a hundred feet high, and it was decked out with giant icicles shaped like stalactites to boot.

Forward and to the left there was a rickety wooden ladder and a platform. Next to me, there was a bucket full of snowballs too.

I wonder what that’s for.

> [That’s a special item that can be used to significantly hurt the mini rabbits that the System has sensed.]

My eyes widened and I grabbed the handle and lifted it off of the hook on the wall it was hanging from.

I’m keeping these.

Ismund looked at me sharply and whispered, “What’s that for?”

“To kill tiny rabbits.”

He looked around the empty room confused, “Where?”

That’s a good question.

> [A swarm of enemies is behind the large rock.]

I pointed at the rocks. He took a breath to say something, then stopped partway through.

Maybe it’ll just be a bunch of tiny rabbits? That’d make things easier…

My breathing was starting to pick up.

I don’t think I can do this.

I sucked on my teeth nervously while I fiddled with my sleeve.

Ismund looked back at me. He seemed to have a plan of some sort.

“I’m going to climb up that rock. You’re going to act as bait so whatever’s behind there will face away from me. Then, I’ll get it from behind.”

My face went pale and I felt shaky.

Me? What no… This can’t be happening. I thought I’d be able to sit back and just worry about not dying. Why… WHY, is that the only plan he can think of?

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Although I was thinking a mile a minute, all I managed to do was step away from him and shake my head.

He frowned at me as his toothpick snapped.

“This is the safest alternative. Not only for me but for you. If I charge right in without some advantage over something unknown, I don’t have a very good chance. If I die, you’ll probably follow me pretty quickly.”

I can’t really argue with that… I just really hope he’s right.

Nodding robotically, I answer him.

“I-I-I’m going to, uhm, make it so I can hear the energy frequencies instead of you…”

> [Affirmative. User Drifa must wait twelve hours to change the settings again.]

I’m okay with that.

Ismund looked like he was going to say something again, stopped himself and thinned his mouth giving me a nod.

Carefully creeping up I got to the side of the rocks. Looking to the side I could see that Ismund was already scaling them. Looking back at me he waved me forward with his hand.

Alright…

Stepping out from the side I could see a massive ugly rabbit. Sitting it was probably seven feet tall. It had large jowls hanging from its face flopping from each sleepy breath it took. Unlike some of the other rabbits it wasn’t missing patches of fur. Instead, It had probably two feet of tangled matted fur on it’s back. Strangly enough, it was littered with large tunnels. Wherever the hair was sparser, you could see muscle bulging. In summary, It looked old, scary and gross.

I guess I have to wake it up

“Hey! Over here! Wake up so we can kill you and stuff!”

I’ll admit my voice quavered, but not as much as some of the rocks around it as it looked up at me with its small beedy eyes. It opened its mouth revealing many partially rotted seraded teeth.

They’d probably get stuck in you if you got bit.

Suddenly a few of its teeth were tilting forward and it’s throat seemed to flex.

I guess it’s screaming back at me.

Looking up I could see Ismund in position.

This better work

Taking a small jump forward, the Boss made the rocks he’s standing on shift, making him lose his footing.

Crap.

He started falling only to catch himself on a ledge with one hand. Still, he wasn’t in any position to sneak attack the monster.

This is baaaad.

I took a step back, the boss followed. But, instead of another small leap, it jumped high into the air, casting a shadow on me.

I’m dead.

Time seemed to slow as I watched everything unfold, while I stood frozen.

As it was falling I could see its back hair wriggle. To the right Ismund was ready again.

It’s probably too late.

I covered my eyes with my hands.

I felt something corse brush up against my left arm, followed by something hard hitting me in the gut and knocking the breath out of my lungs.

I thought it’d be heavier.

My arms were stuck to my side so it was a bit difficult to uncover my side. Looking around I found Ismund on me, his elbow pushing down on my stomach. His sword was lodged into the boss’s ribs as it leaked a thick dark red, almost black liquid.

Well I’m glad it’s not the monster on me, but ow.

“Gah!”

Ismund pushed my head back with his free hand to stand up.

Why’d you have to do it like that?

Looking up again I found that Ismund was running behind the boss towards it’s foot. As he was running over mini less-gross rabbits started coming out of their burrows, leaping towards me.

Kicking myself backwards I grab the bucket I had dropped.

I hope there’s still something in here!

As I threw my first snowball at one of the creatures I felt a vibration through the air. Looking to the side I could see that Ismund had cut the achilies of the monster’s left foot.

Yes!

After the creature finished screaming it’s head whipped around and it kicked Ismund with its other foot slamming him into the far wall.

No!

After throwing another snowball, I looked back at Ismund. He wasn’t bleeding, but it looked like he was hurt.

Probably hit by the pad of the monster’s foot.

Facing back at me the boss limped toward me. But, since it was so massive, it was still pretty quick.

The mini-monsters were starting to swarm at my feet more now, so I tried stomping on them as I ran over to the rotted leader that collected to a tall wooden platform that was attached to the wall.

The rabbits were kind-of slippery after you stepped on them, like an unpeeled banana, it came with the squish and everything. Although, since they were so lean, I could feel it’s bones through my leather boot.

I’ve gotten better at killing these things!

> [Negative. These are the weakest monsters the dungeon could reasonably make.]

Hey!

Right before I make my way to the ladder I turn around to see where Ismund is.

Is the rabbit eating him? No, the System would tell me.

To my relief and horror, Ismund was climbing up the Boss’s back using the tunnels as hand-holds. Grasping one of the many folds in it’s nape he pulled himself up onto its neck. Making both swords appear in his hands he stabs them into the thick mass of hair and flesh below. The monster once again shrieked violently.

“Look out!”

As he turned towards me the monster’s good foot raked at the back of its neck trying to pull Ismund off. It only succeded part-way. Ismund’s clothes were thoroughly ruined. Three long streaks of blood started pooling out of his back, shoulder, and left arm before quickly freezing over.

Is he alright!?

As Ismund tried to pull himself up all the way the blood-ice on his back cracked and stretched with a few crystals falling onto the ground or into the boss’s messy fur.

Can I heal him from here? I’ve got to try! Uhm…

Pulling the two snowflakes out of my pocket I held them with my stiff hand, feeling as if I couldn’t move without allot of effort. Flexing the energy inside the snowflake, I broke the frost shell and held onto the energy itself.

I really want Ismund to not die and kill that…

Letting out a breath, I smushed the pieces of energy together.

The energy isn’t moving for some reason, it’s like me, heh…

Coiling my hand back, I whip the energy forward like a bullet.

I don’t know that it’ll do anything, but I can try… shoot.

As the energy got further away from me I lost my connection with it making me go pale.

I can’t control it and fix his wound… it’s just gone, I think.

As the Monster was thrashing in pain it’s head jerked into the way of the piece of energy flying forward.

Oh, no. Maybe the energy ‘ll explode or something?

Quite the contrary happened. As it hit the monster’s face, it’s beady eye stopped moving properly, and it stopped its foot mid-swipe.

Looking up it opened its mouth and hollered making some of the icicles on the ceiling shake and fall.

What? Well, That’s good I guess!

lodging his feet into the monsters matted fur, Ismund pushed himself up and landed on it’s head and straddled it with his legs to stay on.

As his other arm hung limply he stabbed the eye I struck with the energy causing it to explode into frozen shards.

I guess I froze it!

As the boss shook it’s back and forth ferociously Ismund was thrown off.

I’m gonna get out of here.

Grasping the cold ladder next to me I climbed up, driving splinters into my hand.

Looking to my left I saw a giant mallet attached to the wall. Quickly hurrying over to it I tried to pull it off.

> [This Item will only be unlocked if you meet the special condition of this boss room.]

What?

As I’m distracted I feel the ground break from underneath me making me fall. My shoulder hits something sharp that gets lodged into my shoulder and I’m overwhelmed by the horrible smell of rotting meat…

* * *

ISMUND

Looking up from the ground I saw the injured boss jump up, hit the rickety platform she was standing on, and swallow her before it tried to shriek, which it couldn’t do quite right for some reason.

My blood ran cold and I continued to ignore the damage notifications the System was sending my way. I could feel the searing pain well enough.

“No, no, this isn’t happening.”

Shaking my head I ran towards the now crazed boss to kill it.

Maybe I still have time to get her out.

The monster was writhing and thrashing on the ground as I ran up to it. Its back claws were digging at the holes I had made in its neck, making them larger. until it hit something hard it couldn’t quite break through. Brining it’s leg back again it slammed it into the ground and hit it hard

THWUD!

It then jumped onto it’s back and twisted around crazed.

… I’m gonna kill it before it accidentally falls on me or something.

As the monster thrashed around making a ruckus the vibrations met the ceiling and the giant icicles crashed down around me.

Frick.

To my right a large piece of ice fell.

KrINk!

The top of it was well over my head, but it was flat.

I could probably stand on that.

Pulling myself up the rocky surface to my left I climb a few feet and jump onto the flat, icy surface of the giant broken icicle.

The boss had torn more of it’s neck and was growing progressively frantic and was now gagging.

Now’s as good as ever!

Jumping from the ice I landed on the boss’s face and stabbed my sword straight through it’s shattered eye, into its brain.

> [The Boss has been defeated. You have one hour to leave before the dungeon is reset and the Boss is created again. Since you didn’t activate the special trigger for this room you’ve been awarded the achievement, [What Special Trigger?]]

> [Would you like more infor-]

“Stop! Let me focus.”