The first ant-monster slammed into Targe’s shield. Flailing limbs joined with tentacles, slamming against the walls and broad shield alike. Ethan had fallen to the ground, near where Twist and Void stood. They were shouting at each other, desperate to find a solution to the situation. The passage was too narrow to fight the ants, but retreating to the first room was dangerous. Too close to the other passageways, and they’d gain the attention of the other ants.

Monsters weren’t meant to leave their rooms in low-rank dungeons. They were supposed to stay where they were, or suck the party in when it came to bosses and sub-bosses. Targe shouted a series of orders and the group began a backwards procession toward the first chamber. Twist hoisted Ethan under the arms, shoving him back. Sound bled back into the Caller’s hearing, and he had his orders.

Targe had taken too many hits from the charge. The tentacles battered against his shield, several well-placed insect limbs jabbing into his midsection while he retreated. The health bars made it easy for Ethan to judge when the right time for a heal was, so he popped off a [Cure Minor Wounds].

Down to 175 mana, Ethan channeled his [Summon Lucantele] spell. The silver squirrel was given his orders mentally, and went to work. A blinding sliver light flooded the tunnel, the shield from [Barrier of Hope] springing up around Targe in an instant. Luca jumped over the tangle of monsters, using [Claw] on his way down. Stunned by the attack, the ant in the rear of the group chittered, then gave chase.

Ethan activated the ability on his staff and shoes, the sound of ringing bells filling the entrance room. Luca was off like a bolt of silver lightning, trailing the one ant monster behind him. The group emerged into the large room, fanning out into position. Three angry, flailing ants burst from the tunnel. Tentacles slapped against Targe’s shield, errant strikes reaching back to search for the backliners. The Caller stuck with Void, finding a spot nearest the entrance to watch the battle.

“Focus one,” Targe grunted, his knees almost buckling from the force of attacks.

Blue-black bolts of energy flew from Void’s hands, spiraling through the air like a wounded bird. They slammed against the rightmost ant to great effect. The creature toppled over, the tentacles on its back acting like legs. Twist moved in without missing a moment, chopping away at the flailing black tentacles with his daggers. Ethan kept his mind with Luca, ensuring they wouldn’t have a fourth creature to deal with.

“Heals,” Targe said.

Ethan’s eyes shot to the Fighter’s health, then he began casting [Cure Minor Wounds]. Luca’s health was dropping by the moment. He wasn’t doing well against the ant solo. There were too many tentacles to deal with, and those chittering mandibles looked as though they could crush steel. Down to 100 mana, the Caller kept his [Mana Tap Ring] in mind. The bright side was that he had allies now. Resummoning Luca would be a simple task, so long as they kept the ants off him.

The barrier around Targe shattered, falling away in sheets of clanking silver. But Void’s attacks were relentless. Her skin didn’t turn the strange seething color this time, but Ethan could tell she’d used some ability. Her mana bar was drained by large chunks everytime she cast her spell. But the effect was absolute. Between her magic, and Twist’s methodical chopping, the ants fell one-by-one.

“Take a moment,” Targe said, breathing heavily. “Got one more to deal with.”

Ethan sent his mind to Luca, begging for information. The spirit was in a panic. The Caller popped his [Mana Tap Ring], bringing him to 150. Then it was time to deliver the bad news.

“The spare is bringing a pair,” Ethan said, tightening the grip on his staff.

“You’re joking!” Void shouted.

Luca’s health hit 0. Ethan didn’t miss a beat, he was casting the moment his summon went down. The effect of his [Caller’s Resilience] ability reduced the cost of the spell by 10.

“Form up,” Targe said. “Welcome to the party, Void. This is our luck. Ethan, keep another busy in the tunnels.”

“On it,” Ethan said, sending his fresh version of Luca down the dirty tunnels.

More chittering, the snapping of mandibles and wet slapping of tentacles, came from the passage. Lit by a silver light, the ant’s shadows were cast in long, seething pillars down the hall. Ethan felt Luca grab one ant, bringing it down the tunnel to fight. Two monsters burst from the tunnel, descending on the group with a flurry of attacks.

Luca had a better sense of how to fight the ants on his own. Ethan felt him dodging tentacles, then moving in to strike the vulnerable appendages. He couldn’t get in close enough to strike at the main body, but he could inflict enough damage on their weak spot to make it worth it.

Void dug deep, wringing the last of her mana until she was empty. Twist’s breath came in ragged gasps, sweat forming to drip from the bottom of his mask. From beneath that stone visage, the singular eye darted with wild abandon. Targe stabbed with everything he had, slamming away attacks and shouting for heals.

“Last one,” Targe said, bringing his shield down on the last ant. Twist moved in, finishing the job. “Bring us the remaining monster, Bells.”

Ethan nodded, ordering Luca to return. But the spirit, at half-health by the time he arrived, came alone. The Caller never received word that the ant was dead. The party stood in tense silence, no one willing to hope that the last had died to the summon. Limping down the hall, an ant came into view. The creature’s tentacles were mangled, seething with black ooze. Now that he looked at it, he noticed the amount of goop stuck to Luca’s ethereal fur. He’d gone for the tentacles to great effect. It seemed to dampen the monster’s ability to move at all.

Targe made quick work of the last monster. Everyone collapsed in a heap.

“That… was… fun,” Void said between labored breaths.

“Disagreed,” Twist said.

The team composition had a clear advantage. Targe didn’t need to tank an entire group of monsters with Ethan around. Luca could run away with the attention of one monster, weakening the attacker’s force. Without Luca, things would have been different. Perhaps not the complete destruction of the party, but casualties came to the Caller’s mind. The only thing that distracted him from that fact was the notification popups. His [Healer’s Subcore] hit level 5.

“Let’s take a break,” Ethan said. “I need to upgrade my [Healer’s Subcore].”

“Break faster the first fight,” Targe laughed. “Fine. You do that. We’re going to discuss strategy.”

Like his main core, Ethan’s subcores gained ability picks every 5 levels. They didn’t provide attribute points, though. He sifted through the list of healer abilities, finding only two that stuck out. The Caller was building himself to save mana, so those are the abilities he eyed.

[Healer’s Subversion]

Healer Ability

Cooldown

2.5 minutes

Description:

Any healer-related spell cast after using this ability will have halved cast time and mana cost.

[Clarity of Mind]

Healer Passive Ability

Description:

After casting a healing spell, you have a 50% chance to gain 10s of out-of-combat [Mana Regen] instantly.

Effect:

Restores 2 ticks worth of [Mana Regen] 50% of the time after casting a healing spell.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Ethan decided on [Clarity of Mind], since it synergized with his scaling mana regen. Half of the time, after casting a healing spell, he’d gain 28 mana back. Since this was tied to his [Healer’s Subcore], it would see a lot of use. Compared to [Healer’s Subversion], where he would save half the cost of a healing spell every 2 and a half minutes, it was slightly better. The Caller didn’t do the math on it, but he didn’t want to take another active ability at the moment. He felt the ability slot into his core, then turned his attention to the conversation.

“Well, we’re not under attack now,” Void said, chuckling. “And! Listen to this! We cleared two rooms!”

“We assume they have the attack range of normal monsters,” Targe said with a nod. “20 paces… sometihng like that, anyway. Now that we have two rooms cleared, we have more room to pull them back. And the means to do so.”

Everyone looked over at Ethan, who had finally caught his breath. “Yay,” he said with exactly no enthusiasm.

The group went about the disgusting task of looting the monsters. They spasmed when looted, revealing monster parts no one wanted to touch and a [Corrupted Monster Core]. Ethan inspected the item.

[Corrupted Monster Core]

[Monster Core]

Rank 1

Epic

Description:

Seething with hate, this corrupted core is useless for core-related applications.

“These are more trouble than they’re worth,” Void said. “And hard to destroy. Best to leave them in the dungeon. Hope they get purged when it collapses.”

Twist, Targe, and Ethan agreed. They made a pile of the pulsing black cores near the entrance, then came together to form a plan. The order in which rooms were cleared was important. Especially since they didn’t know how the sub-bosses would interact. Assuming those monsters would not obey the rules of the dungeon, they intended to take it slow. Everyone could use the experience, and it was possible random chests would drop from regular monsters.

“We can clear the entire west side, if you want,” Targe said, pressing his finger into his chin. No one, not even the Fighter, wanted to stand too near the other passageways. “There’s room to work in those chambers. They might connect to the center, or eastern lines. Who knows?”

“Agreed,” Twist said.

“Bells, did you catch our assessment of the fight?”

“Nope.”

Targe broke it down for him. They did everything they could have done right, except for Void. Her attacks weren’t measured, and she burned everything she had in the first burst of the fight. Ethan wouldn’t blame her for that strategy. So long as the Fighter had the monster’s attention, there was no reason to hold back. Most fights in this world took place over the course of minutes. Quick bursts of battle where the objective was to whittle an enemy down. His mind went back to the [Goblin Dungeon], where he’d spent hours working on the slimes.

“You never told me that story,” Targe said, his brow knitting tightly. “A constant, hours-long battle? That must have been stressful.”

Ethan shrugged. He didn’t see it that way. “I figured it was part of my [Mana Regen] build.”

Twist nodded. Void blew out a breath.

Something the Caller noticed from the fight was the experience he gained. When he arrived in the world, equal-level monsters gave 25% experience per kill. The ants they killed here, which were Rank 1 level 4, only gave 10% for his main core. His subcore didn’t suffer from that problem, jumping up two levels after the fight. But he still needed 4 kills at the same level and rank to get a single level in his [Caller’s Core].

The group moved down the passageway on the western side of the dungeon. “So, it really does slow down at Rank 1. Doesn’t it?” Ethan asked.

“Thought you’d be sailing through the levels, huh?” Targe asked, laughing. Despite the dirt walls, his booming voice echoed.

“Funny thing about that,” Void said, trotting to keep up with the group. “The system is smart enough to understand intent for experience gain. With your [Healer’s Subcore], you could prance around town curing people of ailments. That would give you experience. But likewise, you gain experience killing monsters with your [Caller’s Core]. That brings up an interesting distinction.”

“Between combat and non-combat,” Twist said.

Void nodded. “Because there are crafting and harvesting classes. Do you think they gain experience by slaying monsters?”

“I hope not,” Ethan said.

“They don’t. Someone with a [Jewelcrafter’s Core] gains experience from making jewelry. If you took a [Jewelcrafter’s Subcore], you’d experience the same thing.” Void tapped her pitch-black staff on the ground. “Even more curious. What happens if you kill someone? A sapient being?”

“I assure you, I have no idea,” Targe said.

“Do you gain experience? Hmmm? It depends. If you’re a bandit, praying on low-level adventurers you get nothing. Curiously, if you’re a bandit and you kill an equal-level person… you also get nothing. But if you’re a bandit, and you kill an equal-level person who slew your father?”

“You gain experience,” Twist finished.

“Strange, right?” Void asked. “Talk to a scholar about the ‘why’ because I don’t know.”

“This is all very academic,” Targe said.

“Indeed!”

The group rested in the next room. Ethan made sure to charge his [Mana Tap Ring], and Targe charged his [Fighter’s Earring]. Void’s mana regeneration was slow, crawling back from empty at a snail’s pace. It gave the party time to inspect the room. This one seemed more themed around an ant’s nest. Pulsing hives were dug into the wall. Tiny larvae were visible within, undulating in a way that made the Caller feel uncomfortable. Twist checked to see if the future-ants were aggressive, which they weren’t. The one bright side of the entire dungeon delve.

Ethan summoned Lucantele and sent him ahead to ensure the next room was clear. It wasn’t. On the far side of the room, there was a single ant that hadn’t joined in the attack. The group made quick work of the singleton and inspected the room. The hives covered everything, but these also pulsed with the oozing black goo from the corruption. He formed a theory that the deeper they got, the worse it would be.

It was a decent room for a fight, though. Mounds of dirt with ramps created kiting areas, while pillars of hive-material scattered the room. Ethan marked it in his mind as a place where they could retreat if things got hairy in the sub-boss room. But as he edged closer to the next room, he spotted more ants. There wasn’t a sub-boss in the third room, which meant one thing.

“This dungeon is bigger than the [Goblin Dungeon]. Deeper, anyway,” Ethan said.

“Obviously. It’s Rank 1,” Targe said.

“First Rank 1 dungeon?” Void asked. “I remember my first.”

“Can’t have been that long ago,” Targe said. “Right. Everyone charged up? Ready to go?”

The group affirmed, bowing to the Fighter’s leadership. It was better to have one point of command, anyway.

“Right. Ethan, give me a sense for the next room. Pull them if it’s decent. No more than four. Then send Luca back to distract one,” Targe said.

“Understood.”

Ethan sent the mental command to his summoned spirit. The silver squirrel bounded through the tunnel, sending back a general sense for the area to his master. The tunnel was long, gaining more of the black ooze as it descended into the dungeon. Luca was at the edge of his range, forcing the Caller to step into the tunnel a few paces. But the report he sent back was promising. Three ants in this one, all in worse states of infection than the last.

“Three,” Ethan said, ordering Luca to engage before retreating back to the group. “Coming in hot.”

Luca dodged what shots he could, taking a few hits on the way back. He made his way back through the tunnel, passing the group before waiting for the next command. The ants slammed into Targe, the summoned spirit jumping into the air to cast [Barrier of Hope] on the Fighter. Luca kicked off the ground after landing, jumping over the ants to use [Claw] on the rearmost one. Targe walked the remaining two back for a clean fight in the larger room.

Void didn’t seem like a woman who took orders easily. But as they battled against the two ants, she measured her mana usage. Instead of an all-out volley, she focused on sections of the ants. Her bolts slammed into places on their exoskeletons that would inflict the most damage. Most shots were designed to cripple the monsters, rather than kill them outright.

Twist picked up on the same energy, focusing all his efforts on attacking the tentacles. Each slash of his knives sent the other tentacles flailing, giving Targe a moment to adjust his position or move in for a deft strike.

Unlike the last fight, perhaps owing to having less ants to fight, the group killed the two ants with coordinated effort. Void had barely burned through her mana, resting just above half, when the two ants fell. Targe gave the order to let the two close-range fighters take out the last. Ethan called Luca back, satisfied when he finally saw him bounding down the passage. The summoned spirit had hardly taken damage, but the ant that limped behind him was near death.

“We’re getting the hang of this,” Void said, chuckling to herself. “I suppose you never know when a big ant king is going to burst through the ground, right?”

Ethan topped Targe’s health off with a [Cure Minor Wounds]. He felt his new ability [Clarity of Mind] trigger, reducing the cost of the spell to 2 mana, down from 30. He felt much better with 168 mana to play with, instead of the normal 140-ish. Void even conserved her mana, expected that ant king to arrive at any moment. When the last ant fell, experience rolling through both of the Caller’s cores, they breathed a sigh of relief.

That was the first normal fight they’d had in the dungeon. Even if it was with a bunch of corrupted ants.

“Might as well rest up,” Targe said, nodding to the group. “That was the easiest fight by far.”

“Yeah,” Void laughed. “And no ant king… woah, am I feeling woozy?”

Ethan felt it too. He wasn’t feeling off, though. It was the ground beneath their feet. A gentle rocking of the soft soil that made him feel seasick.

“Guys?” Ethan asked, pointing down. “I think something is coming.”

“Damn it, Void!” Void shouted at herself. “Why did you have to call forth the ant king?”

Magic barriers sprung up on both ends of the room. Time froze as a system message flooded all their vision.

Sub-boss engaged!

[Targe’s Party] has engaged [Hive Tunneler 5368] in combat!

3…

2…

1…

GO!