Two versions of Telbarantis trashed together, sending a pair of orcs cracking their heads on the hard ground. Targe stood like a sentinel, stabbing with his spear behind his wide shield. Twist wove his bleeding magic on the three orcs the Fighter dealt with, leaving Ethan in the back to watch his mana drain away by the moment. The copy of Tel faded away, leaving the original to finish his pair.
Targe’s Party had moved to the western stretch of halls. They fought in the second room on that line, intending to push toward the sub-boss in that wing. But as they cleared the room, looting the monsters, they spotted another room of normal orcs ahead.
“At least three deep for the first sub-boss,” Targe said, breathing a steady breath out. He cleaned his spear off on the mask of an orc rogue, kicking it in the ribs.
“More experience, right?” Ethan asked.
“Yep.”
But the brief fight showed the problem with [Duplicate Effect]. It had drained his mana almost to empty. Even a short, furious fight would send him to empty. Like Twist said, it was a burning strategy rather than a prolonged fight. This wouldn’t work if the Caller was solo, but it worked very well in a team-format. He’d also learned that both versions of the summon could use their abilities. The copy was far less potent, but it was an option.
“Rest up,” Targe said. “We’ll push straight for the sub-boss, then do the same for center and east.”
Ethan sat on the ground, watching his mana tick up every 5 seconds. That was something he learned from watching Void. Normal casters didn’t have [Mana Regen] that scaled with [Mind]. They relied on a resting effect, which kicked in when they were seated or prone while out of combat.
“My instinct is to slot my [Healer’s Subcore] for the sub-boss,” Ethan said. “But the rewards are based on kill time. Right?”
“Other things, too,” Twist said.
“Kill time. How close the fight was. The level difference between you and the boss. Also, how recently the sub-boss was killed,” Targe said.
“So, what would you say, fearless leader?”
“Slot your [Healer’s Subcore] for that fight,” Targe said. “Slow and steady has worked for us on boss-types.”
Ethan wanted to disagree, but that had been his strategy this whole time. When he ran the [Goblin Dungeon], the place where he found the [Evoker’s Subcore], that was his strategy. And it was extremely effective, especially with his massive [Mana Regen]. Once he was well rested, he stood and nodded to his party. They edged through the tunnel, stopping before entering the next room.
There were fewer orcs in this room, meaning there was likely a rogue hidden in stealth. But the party’s strategy was caution, so they observed the room for some time before acting. This room was large, filled with piles of junk and a ramp on the left side. As Ethan focused on that left side, he saw something curious behind a rotting crate.
“Did you see that?” Ethan said, pointing at the wall.
Twist and Targe looked, narrowing their gaze on the wall. The group watched for some time before they saw it. A hand poked out from the wall for only a moment. It emerged through the wall before disappearing an instant later.
“Orcs in the walls?” Targe asked, knitting his brow. “Ever seen anything like that, Twist?”
“Phase Mage,” Twist said, nodding. “Passed through solid materials. Very tricky.”
Targe tapped his foot on the stone, scratching his chin. They hadn’t dealt with a mage before. Three regular orcs, maybe a stealth rogue, and the mage. The engagement would be tricky if the fight drifted near walls. Even worse, if the Phase Mage could allow weapons to pass through its body they’d be in trouble. The Fighter formed a plan around that idea, relying on Ethan’s summoned spirits to probe the mage’s defenses.
“Your old retreating tactic,” Targe said. “We’ll form up in the previous room and affect a fighting retreat based on your summon’s position.”
“So, just keep re-summoning while we run. Got it. Tel or Luca?” Ethan asked.
“Luca. Have him figure out how the Phase Mage fights,” Targe said. “Tel is too slow. Be ready to burn the mage with three versions of Tel if we get desperate.”
Ethan agreed, casting [Summon Lucantele] to start. The silver squirrel appeared, casting [Barrier of Hope] on Targe before moving down the hall. Moving to the previous room, Twist and Targe left the Caller to do his thing. Luca moved in, slashing at the first orc with [Claw] before retreating to the passageway.
Sprinting down the hall, Ethan watched as the Phase Mage burst from the wall. He grasped for Luca, but missed the elusive spirit. A moment later, the orc mage disappeared into the floor. By the time Ethan reached his companions, the orc rogue had burst from stealth, stabbing the spirit in the side. The damage was minimal, but it left a lingering poison effect that chipped away at the Symbol’s health.
Targe activated [Charge], slamming into the rogue and skewering him. Twist came in behind the group to apply his bleeding spell before retreating. The Fighter held his shield at the ready, deflecting blows as he stepped back into the next passageway. Luca did his part, keeping as many of the orcs busy as he could. With the orc rogue prone, the Phase Mage nowhere to be seen, and two of the three normal orcs busy with Luca, the group brought the single one back. Twist and Targe fought it in the hall as they fell back, bringing it close to death.
Ethan’s feet came out from under him. A sensation like fire spread through his leg. Looking down and stifling a scream of terror, he saw a flaming hand emerging from the ground. Targe spun, swinging his spear with a deft strike, but the hand was gone. The Caller had taken a tenth of his health in damage, and a damaging effect lingered.
Luca sprinted down the passageway, jumping into the air to use his [Persistent Light of Hope] ability on Ethan. The pain faded, allowing the Caller to retreat faster. But the spirit’s actions had drawn the other orcs down the hall. The closer they were to the walls, the more likely the Phase Mage would strike. Panic set in, but Targe’s booming voice brought some comfort. The Fighter was collected, issuing individual orders while smacking away strikes from the advancing orcs.
During their retreat, the group had left the orc rogue behind entirely. Another was dead, leaving only two regular orcs and the mage to deal with. Targe issued another order in the first room of the western wing.
“Stand our ground for a while,” Targe growled, holding his shield at the ready. “Ethan, bring Tel out.”
It wasn’t ideal to dismiss a summon. It was better to let it die, but Luca had taken minimal damage. Down to 140 mana, then 100 after dismissing his spirit and summoning Telbarantis, Ethan kept his [Mana Tap Ring] in mind. Tel burst from his circle, searching the area for something to bite.
“Eyes open, little lizard,” Ethan said. With his words he sent mental commands to search for the Phase Mage. Then he backed up near a wall. Tempting the mage out.
Twist went wild on the remaining orcs. He must have used his abilities, because he was dancing around them like a madman. Knives dug deep gouges in the orc’s skill, drawing red lines across their dull green skin. Targe stabbed at them without precision, only seeking to fill them with as many holes as possible. Ethan feigned interested in the fight, glancing behind him occasionally. Then a grubby hand stuck out from the wall, burning with the same magic as before.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Telbarantis received a series of commands from Ethan. In one fluid motion, the spirit clamped down on the Phase Mage’s hand, shaking his head and tossing the creature into the air. The Caller stomped his feet on the ground, activating [Caller’s Sprint]. He activated [Duplicate Effect], and [Echo] the moment the sprinting lizard-spirit found his way under the sailing Phase Mage. Three versions of Tel tore into the mage before he even hit the ground, ripping into the monster without mercy.
Pieces of the orcish Phase Mage fell through the ground. Whatever magic the creature was using had failed him in that moment, allowing the spirits to maim it beyond repair. When the limbless body of the orc fell through the ground, the Symbol and its copies turned their attention to the last monster standing. They dashed across the room, still under the [Sprint] effect’s influence, and went to work on that one.
Both Twist and Targe stood back, avoiding the spray of blood and limbs.
Then the room went silent, save for the pant of exhausted breaths.
“Alright. Yeah, that was cool as hell,” Targe said, his face smeared with the orc’s blood. Monsters didn’t normally bleed that badly. “That wasn’t the plan at all, but it was cool.”
“Extremely cool,” Twist added.
Ethan dismissed the copies of Tel, keeping the original out. Even seeing the Phase Mage get torn to shreds wasn’t enough for him. His experience watching the thing burst from the wall sent the hairs on his neck standing up. He said a silent prayer to Lucantele that the mage was dead. A quiet hope that they were safe for now.
Moments passed. Enough time for the group to feel comfortable enough to move forward. Ethan’s only assurance that the Phase Mage was dead was his mana regen. He’d shifted to his full regeneration, signaling that they were out of combat. They found the orc rogue on the ground, clawing his way toward the adventurers. With a few swift strikes of daggers and a spear, it died.
The party fell to the ground, looking over the trail of destruction they’d created. As many limbs as bodies scattered the trail, painting the walls with the orcs’ failures. Ethan reflected on the fight, realizing how close it was. That was just a normal room, not a sub-boss room. While the rogues were a pain, the addition of a Phase Mage made things doubly hard. This reminded him of the oozes in the [Goblin Dungeon]. A single addition that threw a wrench in their plans.
Targe gave a report of the battle, commending Ethan’s quick-thinking about the Phase Mage. He admitted there was a gap in their plan, but that the Caller had understood the task. Burning the mage was the most important part, and he’d done that well.
“So, that settles it. The [Evoker’s Subcore] is for burst fights,” Targe said. “Which means what?”
Twist raised his hand.
“We’re teaching the new guy.”
“The new guy who just annihilated that mage.”
Targe grumbled.
Ethan cleared his throat. “We need specialist subcores for everyone.”
“Yeah, that’s my point,” Targe said. “We need to collect more subcores. Which means more dungeons.”
“I have no problem with that. I got another level for my [Evoker’s Subcore] from that fight.”
“Good. Now, let’s rest. Then we’ll talk about the sub-boss,” Targe said.
Ethan reflected on the new tradition of resting. He didn’t care for it, but realized the importance of pausing before pushing forward. The mental strain of running the dungeon was a slow-working thing. That sense of drudgery was brought low by good company and hot tea. They counted the hours of the day by their exhaustion and their willingness to press forward.
At least with the dungeon behaving correctly, they could get a look at the next boss. Ethan had equipped his [Healer’s Subcore] for the fight. The party stood at the threshold of the sub-boss room. The Caller let out a chuckle.
“[Big Subversive Orc]. Yeah, he’s big.”
Most orcs within the dungeon were dressed in little more than rags. This one, twice the size of a normal orc, was lightly armored. Heavy padding around the torso as a tattered gambeson, guards on his thighs with bare calves and feet, and a dented pot helm. Worst of all, the monster had Ethan’s least favorite weapons. A spear.
“Subversive. That’s a tricky tag,” Targe said. “Could mean anything. Kinda in the name right?”
“Right,” Twist agreed.
“Burning is out of the question,” Ethan said. “Should do the old ‘spirit tanks the boss’ trick.”
“Right. We’ll send Luca in to tank the sub-boss until we get a feel for its antics.” Targe adjusted the strap on his shield, testing the weight of his spear. He nodded with approval. “Get your bleed spell on him if you can, Twist.”
Ethan cast [Summon Lucantele], then prepared for the fight. With his [Healer’s Subcore] equipped, they were prepared for a long fight. Luca bound into the room, taking a swipe at the monster to trigger the battle. As time slowed down, a system message signaled the start.
Sub-boss engaged!
[Targe’s Party] has engaged [Big Subversive Orc] in combat!
3…
2…
1…
GO!
Luca dodged several jabs from the orc’s spear. Twist snuck up behind the monster to apply his damage-over-time spell. The sub-boss swung around, spear whistling through the air. Missing the Rogue by inches, the bronze tip chipped at the stone floor. Then the party fell back to watch and wait.
The arena was fine for fighting the orc. Like most of the rooms, it was themed as a ruined mine. Piles of junk were spread across the walls, but there were no slopes to give distance. Just an open arena with two shimmering barriers on either exit. As the spirit faced off with the orc sub-boss, the drain on Ethan’s mana was minimal. He held back on abilities, allowing Luca’s raw agility to see him through as long as possible.
But when Luca died from taking normal damage, no tricks, Targe shouted an order.
“We’re going in,” the Fighter said, activating his [Charge] ability.
Ethan watched from the sidelines, allowing [Caller’s Resilience] to boost his mana reserves. Summoning Tel would only work if he activated the [Spur] ability on his staff. Otherwise, the difference in power between a Rank 0 spirit and a Rank 1 sub-boss was too much. No, this was a classic battle of attrition. Something the ground was used to at this point.
Once the mana regeneration effect wore off, Ethan cast [Summon Lucantele] yet again. When the spirit burst from his circle, the Caller ordered him to cast both [Barrier of Hope] and [Persistent Light of Hope] on Targe. The Fighter had taken repeated hits from the spear. Although the shield absorbed most of the blow, some of that damage was transferred to his health pool. Luca ran to assist with the fight, using his [Claw] ability to stun the orc for only a few moments.
Targe shifted his stance, bracing himself before bowling into the orc. He led with his spear, driving it hard through the monster’s padded armor. Once embedded, the Fighter unsheathed his sword and went for the massive orc’s legs. A fist came down on his head, sending him sprawling back. Ethan resisted the urge to shake his staff, instead sticking to his role as a support healer. Despite the damage of the deadly attack, one [Cure Wounds] brought the man back to full health.
Back on his feet to fight.
Twist drove both his daggers into the monster’s back during the confusion, drawing dribbles of monster blood for the effort. The orc spun, delivering a backhand to the Rogue that required a [Cure Minor Wounds] to heal. Without Targe’s follow-up charge, the sub-boss would have descended on him.
Ethan kept his mind on his [Mana Tap Ring], watching as his mana fell to 100. Luca jumped, latching onto the orc’s neck before shaking his head. The sub-boss grabbed him, pummeling him. Working together had paid off. Twist and Targe didn’t move in to help the summon. They watched as the orc killed the spirit, giving Ethan time to get his mana back.
“Thanks!” Ethan said. He monitored his mana, intent to get all of the benefit of [Caller’s Resilience].
Targe was back in it, bashing the orc in the face. There was more power in these strikes. Even if the Symbol wasn’t actually Lucantele, it was a hard sight to watch. As Ethan watched his mana tick up, he found himself thankful for that fact. Luca had told him the Symbol was just a meta representation of the Great Spirit. But if there were splatters of blood and a sad corpse left behind, the Caller would refuse to adventure.
Instead, the Symbol evaporated into bubbles of silver light. A pleasant sight compared to the alternative.
Twist and Targe worked on the sub-boss, absorbing and dodging around strikes until they’d whittled him down. Ethan just got Luca back out when the monster sagged. But it didn’t fall to the ground like the other sub-bosses they’d fought. The Fighter went to strike the final blow, his sword clattering against an invisible barrier. The Rogue’s daggers met a similar fate.
“What’s going on?” Ethan asked.
“Subversion!” Twist shouted. “I hate this modifier.”
The orc sub-boss muttered something in a strange tongue. He held his spear high, then repeated the words louder. Before long it was a shout that echoed throughout the dungeon. Fearing the worst, Ethan cast his eyes around the scene with concern. Something thundered in the distance. Then a system message popped up.
[Subversion]!
[Big Subversive Orc] has called for reinforcements!
The nearest sub-boss has been summoned to the arena!
[Round 2]!
Sub-boss engaged!
[Targe’s Party] has engaged [Phase Shaman Blarg] and [Big Subversive Orc] in combat!
3…
2…
1…
GO!