Johnathan was going into the Crypt of Forsaken again, with ten Mithril Ranked Adventurers including himself, fifteen Platinum Ranked Adventurers, and one Gold, he was more than confident that they would find and slay the first boss, the Gold was the [Scholar] from the first mission, the only they had brought him was so they could have an accurate fatality number, five of the Platinums were a [White Magus], another were [Scouts], the final five were a mix of warrior classes, they were glorified [Guards] essentially. The Mithrals were the real threat, there were four magic classes including him, three Warrior-type Classes, and then finally there were three [Paladins], the High Priest had sent some of their elite warriors to help the kingdom, though Johnathan suspected they wanted to [Hallow] the Core so the Church would have control of it but that was a matter for another day, for now, they could only hope to get to the first boss.

As Johnathan entered the Crypt, he immediately shot a [Fireball] into the entrance to destroy the Rottouch Fungus and the Shriekers, he was to burn everything away, he got the Rottouch Fungus but the Shriekers activated before they burned away, “The monsters know we’re here prepare to fight.” The Pit Trap and Pendulum were much less effective now that we that they were there, one of Platinums cast [Shield] and another cast [Stone-Shape] to bridge over the gap, though we were ready for the Mantises, instead of one this time, ten of blights creeped out of the shadows and attacked, the battle quick, the [Paladins] made quick of the monster with the help of me and some of the other wizards, the flames, ice, earth, lighting, and light, and water, held down the Mantises while the [Paladins] destroyed them with their [Holy Magic], it didn’t come without sacrifices, one of [White Mages] had their arm sliced off by a Mantis that had escaped the bombardment, it took all four of them, with the help of the [Paladins] to make sure that he didn’t die the same way as the [Summoner] from the first Delve, still though he was maimed and would need help for everyday life. A worthy Sacrifice.

They finally stepped through the entrance and were blinded by the light, it was as bright as the mid-day sun, but as they recovered from the light, he saw at least five hundred of the damned things, their gleaming red shells cast the world in a strange ruby light, they were hunting what appeared to be giant crickets, with black shells and ruby eyes, Johnathan could tell that the Crickets were Peak-Mithral ranked threats but here, they were lambs to the slaughter, two of them looked for powerful, they had a thin aura of power and magic to them, one them looked at him and then it glowed red and shot forward with blinding speed, he cast [Identify] as one of the [Paladins] blocked with a heavy tower shield, the message made his blood run cold, [Boss Identified, Species: Blood Reaver Mantis, Name: The Twin of Chaos, Pluto, Class: Bloodly Wrathful Reaver (Legendary), WARNING MID-ADAMANTINE RANKED THREAT DETECTED!] He cast [Identify] again at the other whose claws were someone already in someone's chest, [Boss Identified, Species: Blood Reaver Mantis, Name: The Twin of Chaos, Hades, Class: Bloody Deathless Reaver (Legendary), WARNING MID-ADAMANTINE RANKED THREAT DETECTED!]

They had found the bosses, and Johnathan knew that they would die soon, both of the Twins had Legendary classes, they were the equivalent of a Raid-Boss. Jonathan snapped out of his stupor, they were on the back foot, and one of the Paladins was dead, he cast in quick succession Spell after Spell, He chanted in his mind as his voice rang through the battlefield, “[Fireball], [Firestorm, [Flame Strike], [Fire Bolt], [Flame Pillar], [Burning Hands], [Circle of Hellfire], [Inferno]!” He wasn’t yet though, “[Tempest], [Tornado], [Wind Wall], [Air Bolt], [Tribulation Lightning], [Cloudkill], [Whirlwind], [Tribulation Storm]” To commoner he was would have looked like a god raining his divine punishment form the skies, but no matter how times he hit those damned Bosses they lived, they live through Lightning, they lived through his strongest tempest, they lived through his divine flames, the [Paladins] slowly fell through their onslaught, he was last mage of any kind still alive, and the warrior was already, Johnathan decided right there and then that he wouldn’t die there, that he would live.

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One of the Mantises lept through the storm of magic, its claws sank into his flesh, bone snapped, but he refused, he wouldn’t die, “I am a [Supreme Arch-Elementalist], I WILL NOT DIE HERE!” The System answered his call, [Skill Granted, Improbable Will]. He refused to die here, he refused to fall, but he needed to leave, so he could live to fight another day, he ripped the claw out of his chest, and lept back, his new skill was fighting the venom, he looked for survivors, there were three other, two [Paladins] and the [Scholar], “[Windwalk]” he shouted, he single fluid motion he glided forward and grabbed the scholar, then he cast another spell, “[Life Hook]” The two [Paladins] had a ghoulish green hook latch on to them, Jonathan barreled forward, “[Wind Blast]” They were launched right to the entrance, then he cast [Wind Blast] again they barreled out the entrance, right into a crowd of onlookers, they saw the two [Paladins] covered in ichor and blood, they saw him a gaping wound in his chest, they saw the [Scholar], unharmed but scared. They saw the grim look on all their faces. They were afraid.

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The Core was sad because while his bosses had slain most of the invaders and had gotten him multiple new Class Schemas, they hadn’t killed everyone there, which meant that their existence would become common knowledge, but new Class Schemas would be fun to play around with, they could see an application for the [Paladin] schema, it went to Golazalam’s room and gave five of the strongest Spacial Kobolds, the [Paladin] Schema, they promptly had their classes adjusted for them.

[Mini-Bosses created, Species: Spacial Kobold, Mini-Boss Name: The Paladins of Order of the Hydra, Class: Spacial Draconic Paladin, Class Schemas Granted, Skill and Spell Schemas granted, Hydra Healing, Draconic Smite, Draconic Healers, Hydra’s Roar, Hydra’s Blessing, Hydra’s Favor, Shield of Faith, Searing Smite, Hydra’s Brand, Blinding Smite, Halting Smite, Banishing Smite, Thunderous Smite, Hydra’s Mantle, Hydra’s Weapons, Hydra’s Circle, Holy Weapon, Redundant Schemas Removed]

Perfect the Core had already salvaged something from this Debacle, it watched as the chosen Kobolds changed, they gained an Adamantine sword, whose hilt was forged to be like a Hydra head, an Adamantine shield which bore the searing visage of the hydra, the gain Adamantine armor, which red and scaled, their helm were shaped hydra heads, it was perfect, the magic bond that the Core felt from the Kobolds intensified with their passing it was perfect, the core was happy with what it had done, for they were already more lethal, the Core realized that their bon bond ensured that the Kobold didn’t have to eat, but the core made it so that they would get twenty-five dead Light Runner Antelope would appear every day, they rejoiced at the sight of the food and of their new champions.

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Fate watched from her loom, cold and callous, but she saw an imperfection in her weave, someone had defied her, had their very Fate, but she would not interfere, for all were fated to die soon.