“…Yeah, you’re right.”
“The problem’s with me. Fire magic’s damage range is too wide.”
Any good ideas?
“Why do Skeleton Warriors notice us first anyway?”
I glance at the lantern Karen’s holding.
“Maybe the light? It stands out in the dark.”
“Then let’s douse it and move.”
“Douse it?”
“Until we’re out of this straight corridor, I’ll lead.”
“No way. What if they spot us without light? I might not protect you, Big Bro.”
“That’s why we use skills.”
I glance at the ring on my hand.
“I’ll use Veil of Concealment. Stick close.”
“Got it.”
Karen snuffs the lantern and sidles up.
Veil of Concealment activates silently, like its name, a curtain unfurls.
No clue how it looks to others. Karen and I, inside the same Veil of Concealment, can’t tell the difference.
Guess we’ll find out.
We creep forward.
My heart’s pounding like it’ll burst.
Karen, glued to me, muffles her breathing. With the light out, a half-second delay spotting a Skeleton Warrior’s ambush could be deadly.
Was this too reckless? Doubt creeps in.
Then, a Skeleton Warrior appears.
“….”
We hold our breath, watching.
It stands still, head bowed. We note its position, back up a few steps, and settle in.
I stomp the ground, making noise.
The Skeleton Warrior doesn’t react.
No eyes, no ears—what does it respond to? Light seems likely now.
So.
I motion Karen back and chant.
“Fire Ball!”
Whoosh!
Flames flare, spell complete.
The light hits, and the Skeleton Warrior charges.
But knowing it’s coming head-on? I feel no fear.
A narrow corridor means no escape for it either. A rough aim still hits a big target like a Skeleton Warrior.
A loud crash, and its b0dy shatters.
“Nice. It reacts to light, so I’ll lead until we’re out of the corridor.”
“Got it. I’ll prep to jump in if your magic misses.”
“I trust you.”
Veil of Concealment lasts about 600 seconds before fading.
I can recast, but since it wears off, if it’s iffy, I let it drop, wait out the cooldown, recast, and we move carefully.
“Fire Ball!”
We take down Skeleton Warriors one by one.
Have I ever fought monsters this tense? My m0uth’s dry.
“Let’s rest.”
“You sit, Big Bro. I’ll stand watch.”
“Cool.”
I pull out the Goddess’s Water Bottle, sharing it with Karen.
I’ve got stamina left, but the dungeon’s vibe drains me more than the forest.
I can keep going. For now.
Dungeons weren’t this brutal on the first floor before. The Lich’s influence?
Probably. Hope we don’t stumble on adventurer corpses.
“Let’s move.”
We press on, downing Skeleton Warriors.
Skill proficiency’s rising, but as Fire Ball’s power grows, the room feels hotter.
Karen, behind me, sweats like it’s midsummer.
This corridor’s probably way hotter than I feel.
Sorry, Karen, but half-assing power’s worse. Better to risk burns and take point than let Skeleton Warriors get the jump.
It’s the best move, not the perfect one.
I gotta find a real fix.
If Fire Ball levels up? That spell’s unusable indoors.
“Big Bro.”
Karen whispers.
The narrow corridor ends, opening into a room. Same as last time. Multiple passages lead to other rooms, all similar stone chambers.
My past visit helps. I roughly know the way.
“…Three ahead.”
Three Skeleton Warriors guard the next path.
Even with strong Fire Balls, fighting three at once? Nope.
Heck, two’s bad enough.
Overcharging a Fire Ball sounds nice, but is there time?
“Should I take point?”
Karen asks quietly.
“….”
Time to decide.
I stick to the plan: cast Fire Ball to take one out, fall back, lure them into the corridor one by one.
How do I explain this…
“When I signal, jump back. We’ll pull them into the corridor.”
“Take ‘em out one by one? Got it.”
Karen gets it, raising her sword.
“Fire Ball!”
I aim to hit at least two, but no luck.
One Skeleton Warrior goes down, but the other two dodge and charge.
“Karen!”
They’re faster than expected. Can she pull back in time?
Then, someone from behind the Skeleton Warriors fires support shots, distracting them.
At first, I think it’s Isti, but no way.
“Fire Ball!”
I cast again, dropping one. The last Warrior, hit by multiple arrows, collapses.
“Did I interrupt, it was Decal, right?”
I drop Veil of Concealment and face them.
Seen him at the Adventurer’s Guild. Gold-rank. Wabid.
Looks like Wabid helped with his crossbow.
“Nah, perfect timing. Thanks.”
I nod gratefully.
“Thanks for the help.”
Karen echoes.
“No silver-haired elf today? You two hunting the Lich?”
“How’d you know?”
“Everyone’s buzzing. Liches carry big treasure. Prime target for adventurers. I’m here for that too… but maybe your goal isn’t just cash.”
Wabid smiles, probing.
Seems decent, but I can’t judge yet. Black Forest taught me: fellow adventurers aren’t always friendly.
“This is why we’re here.”
Snap.
I flick my fingers.
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