Before Robert entered, he knew what to expect. The guidebook listed this as a demon dungeon, with a wide range of powerful mobs. With 20 floors, this would not be a short run, and he understood why it normally took a party three days to complete. The first level was imps, with an average level of 90 and normally in groups of four to six. One advantage Robert had was that most of the mobs used fire, and Robert had a high-level resistance to fire, but he knew that wouldn't be enough. Within two minutes of entering, he encountered his first group of imps. He spotted five of the little evil things flying around and decided to start with an old reliable, Chain Lightning.
Name: Hellfire Imp
Class: Pyrokine Brute
Race: Imp
Description: These are no ordinary imps. Hellfire Imps are larger and more muscular than their lesser kin, their skin a deep crimson, often flickering with embers. Their eyes burn with an inner fire, and small plumes of smoke curl from their pointed ears and nostrils. Their claws are thick and blackened, capable of tearing through flesh and bone with ease. They radiate intense heat, and the air around them shimmers.
Gender: Male
Stats: Str 45, Dex 128, Con 62, Int 33, Wis 12, Cha 10
Level: 90
Resistances: Fire (90%)
Health: 12000
Mana: 12400
The spell crackled through the air, leaping from imp to imp, but the high-level creatures were more resilient than he anticipated. While the lightning stunned them momentarily, it didn't inflict nearly as much damage as he'd hoped. The imps retaliated with a volley of fireballs, forcing Robert to dodge and weave. His fire resistance mitigated the worst of the burn, but the sheer number of projectiles made it difficult to avoid them all. He realized he needed a different tactic. These weren't the low-level imps he was used to; their magic was potent and they moved with surprising speed. He focused his will, and The Silent Judgment, his adamantine longsword, materialized in his hand.
He charged into the fray, the whispers that always accompanied The Silent Judgment barely audible above the din of battle. He focused on one imp at a time, dodging their fire blasts and weaving through their ranks. The adamantine blade flashed, each strike finding its mark. The imp's magical defenses, which would have stopped most blades, seemed to simply part before The Silent Judgment, as if the sword itself was a judgment against their magic. Even with the imps' tough hides, the blade cut deep. They swarmed him, their claws raking at his armor, but Robert fought on, his blade a blur of motion. He gritted his teeth, determined not to be overwhelmed. He knew that if he could thin their numbers quickly, he would have a chance to survive this floor. The battle was a whirlwind of fire, ice, and the silent, deadly cuts of The Silent Judgment, a deadly dance between man and demon.
The battles on the first floor became a repetitive cycle: Robert would open with a crackling Chain Lightning, momentarily stunning the imps, then wade into their ranks, The Silent Judgment a blur of motion, felling the demonic creatures one by one. While effective, the strategy was agonizingly slow. Each group of imps required careful maneuvering and precise strikes, and clearing the first floor consumed several grueling hours. As he ascended the stairs to the second level, a grim realization settled upon him. This pace was unsustainable. If the party still lived, time was a luxury he couldn't afford. He had to expedite this process, and that meant a radical shift in tactics. Scanning his repertoire of spells, his gaze settled on one, a high-tier incantation of devastating power. It was a risky gambit, as its wide area of effect could be as dangerous to him as it was to the imps, but he knew it was the only way to significantly accelerate his progress. Precision would be paramount.
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Spell Name: Glacial Judgment
Tier: 6
Spheres: Water, Wind, Light
Casting Time: 144 seconds (can be reduced with skill and items)
Mana Cost: 19,000
Range: 300 meters (can be extended with skill and items)
Area of Effect: A 30-foot radius sphere centered on the targeted location.
Duration: 35 seconds (can be extended with skill and items)
Effect: Glacial Judgment is a devastating area-of-effect spell that combines the crushing power of glacial cold with the purifying force of holy light. It is particularly effective against demonic entities, whose unholy nature makes them vulnerable to the divine energy woven into the spell. The spell begins with a swirling vortex of frigid air forming in the designated area. The air rapidly condenses, forming shimmering shards of ice that coalesce into a massive, rotating sphere of glacial energy. Within this sphere, faint runes of holy light become visible, pulsing with a brilliant, celestial blue. The sphere then erupts outwards in a wave of razor-sharp ice and divine energy, leaving behind a field of frost and shimmering light.
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Damage:
Cold Damage: Deals significant cold damage to all creatures within the area of effect. This damage scales heavily with the caster's spell power and cold damage amplification.
Holy Damage: Deals additional holy damage, specifically to demonic creatures. This holy damage scales even more significantly against demons, making it a powerful tool against them.
Secondary Effects:
Frostbite: Creatures damaged by Glacial Judgment have a chance to be afflicted with Frostbite, a debuff that reduces their movement speed and attack speed for a short duration.
Purified by Light (Demons Only): Demonic creatures who take holy damage from Glacial Judgment are also afflicted with "Purified by Light" which reduces their damage output and increases their vulnerability to further holy attacks for a short duration.
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The second floor was more Imps, but the average level was 92. Rounding a corner on the second floor, Robert spotted five imps, their fiery eyes burning with malevolent intent, roughly seventy feet away. They hadn't seen him cast the spell; it was already in motion. A swirling vortex of frigid air, seemingly conjured from thin air, had materialized in their midst, rapidly solidifying into a massive, shimmering sphere of glacial energy. Within its icy confines, pulsating runes of celestial blue holy light flickered ominously. The imps, caught completely off guard, barely had time to register the sudden chill before the sphere exploded outwards. A wave of razor-sharp ice shards, propelled by the divine energy woven into the spell, ripped through the air, instantly shredding their tough hides. The holy light, anathema to their demonic nature, burned with searing intensity, causing visible wounds to fester and smoke. For a full thirty-five seconds, the maelstrom of ice and divine power raged, a swirling vortex of destruction that left the imps no chance to retaliate. Their screeches of surprise quickly turned to cries of agony, then were abruptly silenced as the combined assault of glacial cold and holy fire consumed them. When the spell finally subsided, the air hung heavy with frost, and a faint, ethereal glow lingered where the imps had stood, a testament to the power of Glacial Judgment.
Robert adopted a more cautious approach on the second floor, carefully stalking his prey before unleashing Glacial Judgment. The element of surprise proved highly effective, allowing him to dispatch the imp groups swiftly and efficiently. While still a methodical process, this new tactic significantly reduced his clearing time. He conquered the second floor in approximately an hour, a marked improvement over his earlier pace. Knowing he couldn't maintain such a rapid rate indefinitely, but determined to press on while he had momentum, Robert descended to the third floor. The guidebook's descriptions echoed in his mind: Hellhounds.
Name: Greater Hellhound
Class: Infernal Hound
Race: Demon
Description: Hellhounds are demonic canines, larger and more menacing than any mortal wolf. Their fur is often a dark, oily black, though some breeds may have coats of crimson or even smoldering embers. Their eyes burn with infernal fire, and their fangs drip with venomous saliva. They radiate an aura of heat and brimstone, and the air around them crackles with malevolent energy. They move with a swift, predatory grace, and their growls echo with the promise of pain.
Gender: Varies (Male and Female)
Stats: Str 70, Dex 62, Con 105, Int 20, Wis 15, Cha 14
Level: 95
Resistances: Fire (95%), Poison (70%)
Health: 21600
Mana: 7400
Deciding that if it wasn't broken to continue using it, rounding a bend in the dungeon corridor, Robert discovered a small chamber. Within, a pack of six greater hellhounds waited, their eyes burning with hellfire, their breath misting the air with the stench of brimstone. They hadn't detected his approach. Seizing the opportunity, Robert, already prepared, unleashed his spell. From his concealed position, he channeled his power, and the air amongst the demonic hounds shimmered with cold. Unseen by the pack, a swirling vortex of frigid air coalesced into a massive, rotating sphere of glacial energy, pulsing with an inner light of celestial blue. The hellhounds, completely unaware of the impending assault, had no time to react. The sphere erupted outwards, unleashing a torrent of razor-sharp ice and divine energy. The wave slammed into the demonic hounds, the unholy fire in their eyes flickering and dying as the intense cold and holy light tore through their forms. Their snarls turned into whimpers as the combined assault of ice and divine power ravaged them, leaving a trail of frost and a lingering scent of ozone in the air.
Maintaining his strategy of calculated strikes and swift executions, Robert cautiously navigated the third floor. The level's increased size forced him to pause midway through to recover his mana reserves, but after a little over two hours of methodical clearing, he found himself facing the entrance to the fourth floor. Descending the stairs, Robert anticipated more of the same – packs of hellhounds patrolling the corridors – and prepared to replicate his successful tactics. However, as he located his first group of the demonic canines, he quickly realized that something had shifted.