"Waoh, finally that guy died…", sighed Balm, dramatically wiping the non-existent sweat from her forehead. The others nodded lightly. They didn't expect to struggle against a sub-boss. But with the portal at hand, spawning so many minions, the battle was anything but easy.
"Right, the portal!"
Silver Blade turned towards the swirling darkness, her face grim. What if the battle wasn't over yet? What if more enemies appeared?
"Adventurers! We are in your debt! Thank you for assisting us in holding back these demons. Please, take a step back! I will banish them once and for all."
Bafra waved her staff in circles, muttering incantations under her breath. A vast amount of mana began to stir. Dazzling green light gathered at the tip of her staff. Multiple magic circles appeared around the portal, pulsing with frightening energy.
"Wait! Wait, wait, wait!"
Suddenly Cyclone exclaimed anxiously. She noticed that the boss's body was lying within the area affected by the magic. What if it got destroyed? Or pulled into Hell? Or worse yet, what if the NPC pocketed the loot? Cyclone instantly dashed forward, her speed faster than light. Before anyone could react, she had already returned with the loot in her hand, and the body was nowhere to be seen.
"What… just happened?"
The friends were dazed. Surely, this was an illusion just now, right? Or perhaps…
"C! I want to report a bug!", shouted Balm half-jokingly. Unfortunately, she didn't receive an answer.
Cyclone didn't care for the strange gazes of her friends as her eyes were focused on the loot. She giggled to herself, obviously quite satisfied. The others soon ran out of patience. Quickstep boxed Cyclone's shoulder, snapping her out of it.
"What?", asked Cyclone, bewildered.
"Don't you want to share the loot with us?"
"No… ok, ok. No need to look like that. Here."
Cyclone chuckled and finally revealed the most precious piece. It was a skillbook teaching a skill called [Valiant Stature]. This was just the skill's basic version. Like all skills learned from skillbooks it would receive adjustments according to the class of the one learning the skills to a certain extent. However, as [Valiant Stature] could attract aggro it was obviously meant for tanks. Silver Blade and Radiant Shield discussed for a moment and the skill went to Silver Blade.
The female tank happily took the skillbook from Cyclone and used it on the spot.
[Unavoidable Bulwark (rank 1)
Cost: 150 Mana
Effect: You radiate an indomitable aura which taunts nearby enemies into attacking you, drawing their aggro. All your resistances are increased by 50%. (duration: 20 seconds). While Unavoidable Bulwark is active you will be unable to move. (duration: 15 seconds). You can pay Bulwark Energy to increase your allies' resistances as well.
Cooldown: 160 seconds]
Reading the description of her new skill, Silver Blade was greatly satisfied. Although she wouldn't be able to block attacks while the skill was active, with an increase of 50% for all her resistances common enemies would barely be able to deal any damage.
Boom!
Suddenly a thundering noise shook the friends while they sorted out the loot. They had almost forgotten that Bafra was still preparing her spell. The cultist suddenly unleashed her power. Massive wooden logs thick as tree trunks erupted from the ground and struck the portal. It endured a few hits until it finally cracked and exploded, spreading shockwaves containing thick dark magic, contaminating the entire room.
"My HP!"
"Get out!"
"Run!"
The friends were startled. The initial damage was already not low and the longer they stayed, the more HP they lost. They urgently ran towards the exit of the room only to find themselves blocked by a green barrier.
"What happened? Did that cultist turn on us now?"
"Let us out!"
Cyclone had already drawn her weapon, just about to strike at Bafra, when the latter hastily placated the players:
"Adventurers! Don't misunderstand me! I can't allow this dark magic to spread. Just give me a few seconds to cleanse it!"
"Well, then hurry up!", urged Cyclone indignantly. Bafra didn't hesitate longer. She touched her forehead with the tip of her staff and a dense, comfortable green light radiated from her body. When the light met the dark magic, both cancelled each other. Soon, only the green light remained. An incredibly refreshing smell engulfed the bathhouse. Grass spontaneously began to grow on the walls. Liam and his friends visibly recovered.
"Haaa, that should be enough."
After a few seconds Bafra stopped her spell, her face turning a little pale.
"Adventurers, the danger here has been banished but those demons won't stop. The temple is still under attack. Are you willing to help us?"
"Well, when we arrived, we were immediately attacked by one of yours. I don't really feel welcome. Why should we help you? Of course, if you could offer us something…"
Cyclone grinned, rubbing her fingers together. However, she only received a blank look from the NPC. The others felt incredulous, chuckling as Silver Blade stepped forward and assured Bafra that the naturally would be more than glad to help the temple.
"Splendid, adventurers! Your righteousness should set an example for others. It hasn't been often that our family experienced such kindness from outsiders. We won't forget this!"
"Ah, you…"
The friends almost felt ashamed. They came to the temple seeking for a Dragontear, following their quest. Who would have thought the NPC to be this grateful?
At this moment the barrier blocking the entrance vanished. The other cultists rushed in, gathering around Bafra, checking if she was fine. Silver Blade was touched by the scene. She gradually understood what was going on with these cultists. It seemed each of them was somewhat of an oddity, and outsider. But in this temple, they found a place to call home, banding together for comfort.
However, Silver Blade was the only one thinking so deeply. The others impatiently tapped their feet, ready to move on. A few more seconds passed and Bafra finally separated herself from the crowd, waving at the players. They left the room together and returned through the corridor.
"Adventurers, let me thank you again. I don't know how far the demons have already reached. Prepare yourselves. I will open the door. Perhaps we will be forced to join the battle immediately."
Bafra spoke in a solemn voice as the group reached the previous room, stopping in front of the tall gate. She spoke a code phrase and tapped her staff against the gate, which swiftly swung open. Before the friends could study the situation behind the gate, a green light suddenly appeared, engulfed Bafra, and whisked her away.
"What is up with that?"
"Weird…"
Liam and his friends couldn't figure it out and put the matter at the back of their minds. They observed the next room. It was quite large, mostly devoid of furniture. There was another gate towards the front and a broad set of stairs to the left. The floor was made from stone but covered in gorgeous carpet. Everywhere there were small groups of demons fighting against cultists.
"What now?", asked Cyclone with eyes on Liam.
"Down the stairs."
"Do we need to fight?"
"Of course."
Liam took the lead. At first his friends thought he only wanted to open a path, but Liam ran around provoking every group. They slayed demons left and right until none remained. The cultists shed tears of gratitude as they thanked the adventurers before being brought away by another green light.
"Was this really necessary?", asked Cyclone anxiously. It wasn't that she didn't trust Liam but during the fight just now the members of 'The New Number One', or GalanTen as they were called now, suddenly advanced to level 65. They would surely enter a dungeon any moment now. Thus, the pressure on the group increased again.
"Don't worry. It's not a waste of time. You will see."
"Mhm…"
Cyclone didn't argue further. She followed behind Liam as the expert brought his friends before another gate below the stairs. This time there was no additional hindrance. Radiant Shield easily pushed open the gate and the party advanced.
A thud rang out. The friends flinched and glanced over their shoulders as the gate closed behind them. Silence engulfed the small room.
"Guys… I don't have a good feeling about this.", murmured Balm.
The others nodded lightly, putting up their guard while looking around. They found themselves in a small, square room with doors in all four directions. The only decoration were some gargoyle-like statues sitting in the corners, staring at the intruders with a seemingly mocking gaze.
[Congratulations! You have reached a checkpoint!]
Suddenly a notification appeared in front of everyone, startling the party. They couldn't help but be surprised. This dungeon even came with checkpoints? How exactly did those work? Wouldn't they make the dungeon easier?
But before the friends could receive answers to their questions, the eerie gargoyle statues suddenly moved. They spat out streams of mana which reached the players in an instant, fusing into their bodies. Everyone felt a surprisingly comfortable feeling.
"We received a status effect!"
"Underwater breathing? Why..."