“Completely understandable,” Xaiver replied, clapping Chase on the shoulder. “Just remember what you can do. Your talent is a game changer.”
From the back, Lisa chimed in with enthusiasm, “We all believe in you, Chase! Just think of it as another day at the training grounds!” She swung her Flameblade playfully, the fire flickering brightly along the blade.
Mia bounced on her toes, her wind manipulation giving her a slight lift. “Yeah! And if we run into anything scary, we’ll just blow it away together! Right, Derek?” She turned to their earth-manipulating teammate.
Derek, who was adjusting the stones embedded in his gauntlets, glanced up, a look of irritation in his eyes. “Sure, as long as I’m not the one getting blasted by your wind. Just remember, you all have to watch your backs,” he grumbled, crossing his arms.
“Aw, come on, Derek! You worry too much! We’ve trained for this,” Mia said, her energy unyielding.
Karl, leaning against a nearby rock with his arms crossed, rolled his eyes. “Training doesn’t mean squat if you don’t have the guts to face what’s inside. Just try not to scream too loud if something jumps out, alright?” His words earned a few chuckles from the group.
Ethan, who had been quietly observing, smirked slightly. “I think the real question is, who will scream first? I’m betting on Derek.”
Derek shot him a glare. “Like you wouldn’t panic if a bone dragon popped out.”
“Let’s not jinx it,” Chase interjected. “We just need to stay focused. We’ve got this.”
Xaiver, seeing the bond bloom between them, nodded approvingly. “Exactly! It’s about teamwork. Stick together, support each other, and we’ll make it through. Now, let’s get ready to step into the portal.”
Just as he said that, a talent window materialized in front of them, displaying the dungeon’s details.
Dungeon Name: Ruined Dragon City Type: Field Rank: A-rank
The glowing interface faded away, and Xaiver stepped forward, pointing towards the portal. “Alright, team, this is it! On three, we step into the portal. One… two… three!”
The team took a collective breath, glancing at one another with a touch of excitement and fear before stepping through the shimmering blue portal together, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
As the team stepped through the portal, they were met with the oppressive heat and smoke of the Ruined Dragon City. The air was filled with the smell of burning rubble and scorched earth.
Flickering flames could be seen among the crumbling buildings, casting shadows across the desolate landscape.
The sky was an inky black, with not a single star or the moon in sight, almost as if they had all been swallowed whole by the dark clouds above.
The remnants of the city sprawled out before them, with charred walls and toppled structures. In the distance, the growls of undead creatures echoed through the streets, sending shivers down the spines of the raiders.
Xaiver quickly assessed their surroundings, his voice ringing out above the crackle of flames. “Alright, team! Stay alert. We don’t know what we’re dealing with just yet. Keep formation and stay close.”
As they slowly moved deeper into the city, a talent window materialized in front of them as they heard the growls of a creature that crawled out from the corner of a burnt-out building.
Monster Name: Undead Dragon Kin Total Combat Power: C
The creature stumbled out, its flesh withered and gray, eyes glowing with a faint blue light. It raised a sword made of rusted metal, preparing to charge.
Mia pointed it out. “Undead monster! They’re not too strong, but watch for their speed!” Xaiver took charge and commanded, “Chase, get ready to freeze it in place. Lisa, Mia, stay on the flanks. Derek, get some cover-up. Karl, be prepared to charge in if it gets too close.” As the Undead Dragon Kin charged forward, Chase focused, channeling his mana. The air around him grew icy, and he thrust his hands forward, unleashing a blast of freezing wind. The cold surged toward the creature, encasing it in ice and halting its advance.
“Nice job, Chase!” Lisa cheered. “Now let’s finish it!”
Swiftly, Lisa charged forward, her Flameblade igniting into a blazing inferno. She slashed down, breaking through the ice and cleaving the undead creature in half. The two halves fell to the ground with a dull thud, releasing a faint plume of smoke as the flames consumed them.
“Just like that! We make a great team!” she exclaimed, looking back at her teammates with a bright smile.
“One down,” Xaiver said, glancing around for more threats. “Keep moving. Stay vigilant.”
The team continued deeper into the ruins, cautiously stepping over debris and avoiding patches of fire. As they ventured further, the distant growls of more undead echoed around them, mixing with the sound of crumbling stone.
“Keep your eyes peeled,” Xaiver cautioned, scanning the area for any signs of movement. “There could always be more lurking in the shadows.”
Suddenly, the faint rustle of movement drew their attention.
“Something’s approaching!” Mia exclaimed, her eyes wide.
From the shadows emerged a couple of other Undead Dragon Kin, their bodies shambling forward, swords raised. Xaiver quickly assessed the situation and yelled orders to the team.
“Stay sharp! Everyone, ready yourself!”
The first Undead Dragon Kin charged out, its sword glinting in the flickering light. Chase took a deep breath, and a chilling wind swirled around him as he thrust his hands forward,
launching a blast of freezing air toward the approaching creature.
The icy blast caught the Undead Dragon Kin mid-stride, freezing its legs in place.
As the monster struggled to free itself, Chase suddenly emerged before it. A spear made of ice materialized in his hand, and he grasped it, his eyes widening as he thrust it forward, piercing through the monster’s skull. It fell to the floor.
“Nice shot!” Mia cheered, her wind manipulation already causing the air to swirl around her as she charged forward.
She summoned a powerful gust that knocked the frozen undead off balance, sending it tumbling into a nearby pile of rubble. “Let’s keep moving!”
As the rest of the team pressed on, Xaiver darted forward, using his enhanced speed to close the gap between himself and the next wave of undead.
His blade glinted in the faint light as he sliced through an approaching Undead Dragon Kin, executing one after the other with single swings of his sword.
“More on the left,” one of the team members shouted as another wave of undead surged from the ruins, skeletons this time, their bodies illuminated by the flickering blue flames in their
eye sockets.
The bone-rattling growls filled the air, intensifying the atmosphere as a touch of dread began
to seep into the hearts of the raiders.
“Isn’t that a bit too much?” a female team member murmured.
“Stick together! Form up!” Xaiver yelled, his voice cutting through the chaos. With his enhanced speed, he darted ahead, his sword gleaming in the dim light as he continued to whittle down the numbers.
As Xaiver engaged the undead, Chase took a deep breath, his heart pounding with adrenaline. The air around him started to become cooler. Ice began to swirl around his hands as he conjured a bunch of icy shards, sending them flying toward the nearest Undead Dragon Kin.
…
Meanwhile, in what seemed to be a run-down castle, a skeletal figure clad in black armor from head to toe stood in the throne room, like a statue, facing a regal skeleton adorned with a pair of black horns and a massive sword embedded in its chest. The sword pierced through the throne, and past the now visibly shattered ribcage, the bones of a tail could also be seen at
its side.
The armored figure twitched, and suddenly blue flames ignited in the visors of its helmet. It slowly turned around and murmured, “My lord, it appears we have company.”
Turning back to face the motionless skeleton seated on the throne, the figure in black armor continued, “You need not worry, my lord. Rest easy; I shall handle them myself…”
“Forgive me…”
“But… I may need to borrow my sword.”
The monster walked forward and began to slowly pull the blade from where it was embedded
in the throne and the ribcage.
As it did, blue runes began to appear on the blade, crackling with blue lightning. The figure then turned around and made its way toward the exit. As it moved, it walked past the skeletal remains of other figures who appeared to have died at the hands of this same blade. Some were slashed down the middle, while others had been slit from the side. From the looks of it, one could tell there was no struggle; each had been ended instantly where they
stood.
Reaching the exit, the figure in black armor looked to the horizon, taking in the sight of the ruined city with flames in the distance. Its eyes then landed where a massive boom could be heard. The figure then declared,
“I, Alexei Von Valor-Void, shall not allow any intruder to disturb the resting place of my lord
or his people.”