Devi held out the magic tool in front of her as she limped deeper into the foreboding cave, its glow providing a feeble source of light. The flickering flame sent the shadows dancing, amplifying her trepidation as she ventured further into the unknown. Each step she took reverberated through the rocky tunnel, amplifying the eerie silence that surrounded her.
With a white-knuckled grip on her crossbow, Devi remained on high alert, ready to swing it up and fire at any moment. Her senses were heightened, as every stalagmite seemed to conceal a bloodthirsty beast hungry for her flesh. The narrow passageway began to widen, gradually exposing a vast cavern that swallowed her feeble light, plunging her into a realm of impenetrable darkness. Even the ceiling extended far above her, dwarfing the small tunnel she had just emerged from.
Devi's heart thundered in her chest as she cautiously treaded further into the expansive chamber, leaving behind the relative safety of the tunnel. Her eyes darted back and forth, straining to pierce the suffocating gloom that enveloped her.
Suddenly, a clatter echoed behind her, causing Devi to whirl around, her crossbow aimed in the general direction of the sound. She stood frozen, squinting into the darkness, waiting for an ambush. Moments passed in agonizing anticipation, but nothing leapt out, and no glowing eyes materialized from the void. Finally, she released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
There is nothing there, she thought angrily to herself. Get it together.
Determined to quell her fear, Devi summoned her resolve and stepped forward with more confidence, whispering reassurances under her breath. The intermittent glow of her light played tricks on her, casting eerie shadows on the scattered stalagmites and causing her to startle more than once.
Eventually, her meager light reached the other side of the cavern, revealing a pair of imposing stone doors seamlessly carved into the rocky wall. Faded intricate carvings adorned every inch of the doors, some bearing a resemblance to the symbols she had been experimenting with. The designs covered the doors almost entirely, except for a circular section about 20 cm across, which was divided across the two massive doors. The outer edge of the circle appeared jagged in places, while other sections were perfectly smooth. Symbols seemed to flow through the circular section, only to abruptly end at its edge.
Devi traced her fingers over what appeared to be a missing segment of the door, her mind racing with possibilities. The sight of such a door within a cave triggered her gamer instincts, as there was no way it was just a random door. It had to be where she was supposed to go next. Even if she hadn’t, a pair of giant stone doors that easily reached 3 meters screamed importance.
However, a frustrating problem presented itself—there were no handles or visible cracks to pry the doors open. Devi's gaze scanned every inch, searching for a solution, but her efforts proved futile.
"Not like I have a crowbar anyways," she muttered in frustration.
Caught between two options, Devi weighed her choices. She could either retreat and leave the dungeon, hoping the boar had vacated the area during her brief rest, or she could search for the missing piece of the door and forge ahead into the dungeon, assuming it was in fact the way forward.
Devi was tempted for a moment to head out and come back with both Matt and Mars after all of them had a bit of time to recover before she remembered the blue box that had popped up right before she had entered the dungeon. It had said something about only getting a single attempt at the dungeon. She didn’t know if that meant she only had one attempt to go completely through the dungeon, or once she exited, she couldn’t go back in but decided not to risk being unable to return and complete the dungeon. She really wanted to figure out what the doors did before she left at the very least.
Deciding to at least poke around to find the missing part of the doors, Devi started following the cave wall as it began to curve. The doors soon disappeared from sight, to be replaced by the ever-looming darkness.
She picked her way carefully around the rock formations that lay scattered throughout the cave, eyes scanning the dark fruitlessly for any signs of monsters she was sure had to be hiding just out of sight.
In the dim flickering light of her candle, casting eerie shadows on the cavern walls, Devi's gaze fixated on the curve where the rocky surface gave way to a small crevice. It beckoned her, its opening no wider than her shoulders, its depths shrouded in mystery. She squinted, trying to discern what lay beyond, but the twisting tunnel vanished quickly from sight.
Her heart fluttered with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. She hesitated, weighing the risks of venturing into the narrow confines. Besides, she reasoned with herself, I have not even explored the whole cave. Who knows, the missing door piece might be laying around somewhere that is not down a cramped tunnel.
Pressing on with her exploration, she carefully picked her way through the rugged terrain, navigating around stalagmites that stood like silent sentinels in the darkness. Step by step, she retraced her path until she arrived back at the imposing double stone doors. She scowled at them, not thrilled about the idea of delving into the newfound tunnel. However, she couldn't see any other viable options.
As she made her way back to the spot where she had seen the tunnel, Devi mentally prepared herself. She kept reminding herself of the potential magical knowledge that awaited her down that small, dark, and twisty path, even though she was certain that lurking monsters awaited her.
It will be fine. Do it for the magic.
She took several deep breaths, attempting to calm her racing heart, though the effect was only marginally successful. The jagged entrance loomed ominously before her, causing her to question her resolve. Devi, who wasn’t typically claustrophobic, found herself reevaluating her claim as she stared at the narrow tunnel.
Shaking off her apprehension, she summoned her courage and tried to stride forward confidently. Yet, her strides remained hesitant, betraying her lingering unease. As she passed through the tight opening, relief washed over her, accompanied by a soft sigh. The tunnel began to widen, providing a welcome respite from the constricting confines of the entrance.
However, the newfound openness didn't equate to spaciousness. Devi soon realized that the tunnel was still quite narrow. She extended her arms only to find that she could easily touch both walls without raising her arms very far. Devi doubted another person could walk beside her as she cautiously crept further down venturing deeper into the winding darkness.
Devi proceeded along the twisting path of the tunnel, tightly clutching her crossbow in one hand, prepared to swiftly raise and fire it if the need arose. Each step she took seemed to startle her more than any potential threat in the darkness, as the shifting gravel beneath her feet sent shivers down her spine.
Suddenly, the tunnel opened up, revealing a fork in the path. Devi halted, her gaze sweeping the area in search of any clues as to what tunnels she should choose. That's when she noticed a figure slumped against one of the walls. At first, she had mistaken it for a mere rock formation, but a faint glimmer caught her attention, emanating from the figure.
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Mind warry of skeletons reanimating and attacking her, Devi approached the corpse carefully, crossbow aimed at it the whole time. She nudged it with one foot, and sprang back a few inches, seeing if it would react.
Her nudge caused the corpse to topple over with a resounding clatter, which reverberated through the tunnel, becoming the loudest noise she had made since she began her exploration.
Devi froze, her heart pounding in her chest, her eyes scanning both tunnels, anticipating any response to the noise. Soon enough, her fears materialized as a faint rushing sound reached her ears. Gradually, it grew louder, transforming into an overpowering cacophony that crashed over her senses.
With determination, Devi raised her crossbow, steadying her grip and preparing herself for whatever lay ahead. She had confronted giant squirrels and even tussled with a rampaging boar before; she was confident in her ability to hold her ground against whatever threat emerged from this tunnel.
The darkness surrounding her seemed to writhe and shift, matching the growing intensity of the sound. Gradually, the source became discernible to Devi—an amalgamation of several wingbeats echoing down the tunnel, hurtling towards her.
Suddenly, with a piercing screech, a small winged creature emerged from the darkness. Its red eyes glowed ominously in the flickering candlelight, revealing a bat-like form with two menacing fangs protruding from its mouth. The creature swooped down at Devi, but she swiftly evaded its attack, narrowly avoiding another bat that darted towards her face.
An onslaught ensued as what felt like a swarm of bats assailed her, their sharp claws digging into her skin as they darted past. Devi fought valiantly, attempting to fend them off with her crossbow. With a single well-aimed shot, her bolt pierced through the swirling mass of wings, eliciting a loud screech in response.
Devi's heart raced as the bats relentlessly clawed at her, their attacks draining her strength with each strike. The wounds they inflicted seemed to have an unnerving effect, weakening her more than mere scratches should. The bats' claws trailed an eerie red energy as they sliced through the air, intensifying the pain.
Driven by determination, Devi seized her firestarter, unleashing a powerful stream of fire into the swarm of bats. The creatures recoiled, fear evident in their movements. The fire proved devastating, singeing the wings of several bats, rendering them unable to fly as they emitted pained cries.
As the assailants temporarily retreated, Devi seized the opportunity to gather her thoughts.She quickly pulled up her Status sheet, and with a grimace, dumped all her remaining free points into Agility, hoping she would be able to out-evade the bats. They were smaller than her, but even taking that into account, she felt as if she was just as fast, her 17 in Agility really showing its worth. With just a bit more, she reasoned she’d be able to outmaneuver them, hopefully.
"Attribute Enhancement!" she shouted, channeling her focus into boosting her Agility even further. As she did, a surge of mana flowed through her veins, empowering her movements in ways she had never experienced before.
A rush of tingling sensations accompanied her heightened abilities, and it couldn't have come at a better time. The bats, their glowing red eyes piercing the darkness, resumed their dive towards her, undeterred by the flames.
Devi tightened her grip on her crossbow, her sole reliable weapon, and swung it with precision at the first oncoming bat. Despite the creature's attempt to evade, its movements seemed sluggish compared to before. Adjusting her swing mid-motion, she heard a sickening, wet crunch as the bat collided with the wall, presumably dead.
The next bat lunged at Devi, its menacing jaws wide open, ready to sink its fangs into her. Reacting swiftly, she extended her magical tool and unleashed a scorching blast of fire at point-blank range. The flames engulfed the bat, its fur igniting as it crashed to the ground, desperately attempting to extinguish the flames.
However, while she dealt with the immediate threat, the remaining bats took advantage of the chaos. They swarmed her, their claws slashing at her relentlessly. Devi fought back valiantly, swinging her crossbow and unleashing bursts of fire, but their numbers overwhelmed her.
She felt the stinging pain of their claws tearing through her flesh, her health steadily decreasing despite her best efforts to evade their attacks. Every swing she made was met with two more bats diving in, their claws seeking purchase on her vulnerable form. She found herself weaving and dodging through the swarm of flapping wings and glowing red eyes, desperately trying to stay one step ahead of the relentless assault.
Exhausted and injured, Devi fought on, her dwindling mana barely enough to sustain her fiery onslaught. With each blast, the flames consumed a bat, reducing their numbers one by one. However, her mana reserves were depleting rapidly, now resting at a meager 3.
Her body ached, covered in deep scratches and puncture wounds that throbbed with every movement. The ground around her was littered with lifeless bat carcasses, yet more continued to swarm and harass her. She had lost her grip on her crossbow during the chaotic skirmish, and it lay just a few meters away, an agonizingly distant hope amidst the horde of monsters.
She had ignored the persistent notifications that had accumulated during the battle, but now, Devi finally took a moment to scan through them, desperately hoping for a level-up. She needed any advantage she could get, and a level increase would be a welcome boost.
As the messages flickered before her eyes, she swiftly dismissed most of them, each one telling her she had defeated her opponent. But among the notifications, she found the one she had been seeking.
XP threshold reached
Novice Support (inferior) lvl 2 -> lvl 3
+3 Free
She swiftly allocated all her available points to Wisdom, reveling in the increase in her magical reserves. With her newfound Mana boost, Devi felt a surge of energy and determination. Gripping her magic tool tightly, she focused her gaze on the remaining bats that fluttered around her, eagerly searching for an opening.
A fierce snarl curled her lips as she launched herself at the bats without hesitation, denying them any chance to regroup or regain momentum. She expertly evaded a swooping attack, narrowly avoiding the talons that grazed her hair. In a fluid motion, she spun around, unleashing a torrent of fire that engulfed the bat attempting to sink its teeth into her shoulder.
However, her success was not without cost. A sharp pain seared through her leg as another bat managed to sink its fangs into her calf. Determined not to be deterred, Devi quickly pivoted and attempted to kick the relentless creature off, but it clung tenaciously.
Thinking quickly, she stooped low, gripping the bat firmly by the back of its neck, and hurled it away with all her might. Although her throw wasn't particularly powerful, the bat managed to regain control mid-air and promptly returned for another assault. Undeterred, Devi countered with a well-aimed blast of fire, immediately spinning around to evade a different bat's dive.
Despite the intense struggle, Devi's determination burned bright. She knew she had to press on, overcome the odds, and emerge victorious. The only other option was to die here, and she was definitely not going to let that happen. Not until she cracked how magic worked wide open. Her eyes blazed with fierce determination as she fought with all her might, refusing to yield to the relentless onslaught of the bats.
Though weary and battered, Devi refused to give in. Her determination burned bright as she fought on, using her waning Mana reserves strategically to keep the bats at bay. She relied on her agility, anticipating their movements and evading their onslaught with nimble footwork.
As the number of bats dwindled, Devi seized the opportunity to deliver swift, calculated strikes, effectively thinning their ranks. The remaining bats, sensing their disadvantage, started to retreat, scattering in disarray.
Devi scanned her surrounding, getting ready for the next attack, but none came. Corpses of bats lay scatted around the narrow tunnel, and most were still smoldering after being set ablaze.
As the adrenaline of the fight faded, her body remembered how battered it was even before the fight, and there were a host of new injuries after. Everything seemed to hurt as she stumbled to the corpse she as seen.
You better have something good on you, or I’ll light you on fire.