"I swear, if this next room has another mimic, I'm quitting," I muttered, clutching the pulsating orb we'd just looted. Its faint warmth felt too much like a heartbeat, sending a shiver down my spine.
Leah, ever the optimist, tossed a gold coin in the air as she walked ahead. "Relax! Boss fights are way more exciting than treasure chests that want to eat you. Usually those things only show up rarely, so the next one probably won't be another Mimic."
"Not helping," I shot back, eyeing every shadow like it might sprout teeth. Titan, as stoic as ever, moved silently behind us, his heavy boots pressing into the ancient stone floor. His glowing eyes scanned the corridor, a steady reminder that at least someone here had their wits about them.
The narrow passage opened into a massive chamber, cold and foreboding. Mist clung to the ground, and tall stone pillars lined the walls, each carved with runes that pulsed faintly in the dim light.
And at the center of the room?
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me, I thought you said it happens rarely?" I groaned. A treasure chest sat on a pedestal, its polished surface gleaming in the eerie glow.
I just know it's another trap(-_-)
Leah's eyes lit up. "You think it's full of gold? Maybe this one ain't a Mimic anymore!"
"Gold? No. Teeth? Probably," I muttered, grabbing her shoulder before she could rush in. "We've already been scammed once today, remember?"
She rolled her eyes. "You're still mad about that?"
"Mad? No. Suspicious of everything? Absolutely." I turned to Titan, who had already taken a defensive stance, his massive shield raised. "Big guy, see anything weird?"
Titan pointed to the floor near the pedestal, where faint grooves marked the stone.
"Pressure plates," I muttered. "Classic."
Leah pouted but stayed behind me as Titan led the way, his heavy steps carefully avoiding the traps. I followed close, my grip tightening on my blade.
When Titan reached the pedestal, the chest shimmered—and then dissolved into a cloud of glowing shards.
"Finally, something original," I started, but the ground trembled beneath us.
From the glowing remnants of the chest, a towering thin figure of 5 meters emerged, its body a mix of stone skin and dark shadows. Six glowing red eyes locked onto us, and it raised four thin and long arms, each wielding a different weapon.
What the fuck is that?!
How can it still hold those with such thin arms?!
[System Inspection....
Name: Weakened stone crawler
Type: Beast
Rank: C
Warning!! Do not fight inside dark spaces!! ]
"That's... excessive," I muttered, stepping back as the creature let out an earth-shaking roar.
It looked like that one SCP who kills people whenever they look at him or even just catch a glance of him.
But this one was worse, it's like a combination of that scp and that dog from resident evil...
When it roared, it's face literally split and revealed lots of teeths inside. And with those 4 arms, each holding weapons.... I think we may be fucked!
This creauture's like something straight out of a horror movie!
While I was still in my thoughts, Titan already charged without hesitation, his shield slamming into the creature's leg. The impact barely made it flinch.
That's weakened?!
Still, asking Fen to make a shield for Titan was a good Idea!!
"Leah, aim for its legs!" I called, dodging as the creature swung a massive mace toward us. "Titan, keep it busy!"
Leah darted forward, her daggers flashing as she sliced into the creature's knee. It staggered slightly, its movements becoming clumsy.
"Nice!" I yelled, driving my blade into its side. Sparks flew as the edge bit into its stone-like skin, but it wasn't enough to stop it.
"Is this all it's got?" Leah called, her voice tinged with excitement.
The moment she said it, the runes on the pillars flared to life. Shadowy tendrils erupted from the ground, wrapping around Titan and pulling him back.
"Leah!" I shouted, slashing at the tendrils near Titan, but my blade passed through them like smoke.
Does the katana not work on it? Or is it that the enchantment on it is useless against this?
"The runes!" she yelled, already dashing toward one of the pillars. Her daggers carved into the glowing symbols, sending sparks flying.
With each pillar she attacked, the tendrils weakened, their grip on Titan loosening. But the creature wasn't about to let us win that easily. It turned its attention to Leah, a massive spear stabbing toward her.
"Not so fast!" I shouted, hurling a flask of oil at its face. The creature roared as the liquid splashed across its glowing eyes, momentarily blinding it.
Cooking material, go!
"Got it!" Leah shouted as the first pillar went dark. "Three more to go!"
"Take your time," I muttered, narrowly avoiding the creature's flailing arms.
Leah moved like a blur, her daggers flashing as she dismantled the runes one by one. The creature's attacks grew more desperate, its movements erratic.
By the time Leah reached the last pillar, the creature had backed me into a corner. Its massive sword swung down, and I barely managed to roll out of the way.
"Leah!" I yelled, my voice hoarse.
"Almost there!" she shouted, her daggers tearing through the final rune. The glow from the pillars faded, and the tendrils dissolved into mist.
Titan rushed forward with what I think was a roar, his shield glowing. He jumped and slammed into the creature's chest with all his strength, knocking it to the ground.
"Now's our chance!" I called, sprinting toward the downed beast. With a yell, I drove my blade into its core, the glowing center of its chest.
The creature let out a deafening roar as cracks spread across its body. Light burst from the fissures, and with one final shudder, it collapsed into a pile of rubble.
Leah let out a cheer, her tail wagging as she jogged over. "See? That wasn't so bad!"
I collapsed onto the ground, my entire body aching. "You say that now, but wait until the next room."
Titan approached, holding a faintly glowing orb he'd pulled from the rubble. He handed it to me, and I stared at it, unsure whether to feel triumphant or wary.
[System Notification:
You acquired the Shadow Relic! Can be used once outside of the dungeon! ]
"Another mysterious relic," I muttered. "Just what we needed."
Leah pocketed a handful of shiny trinkets from the rubble, her grin as bright as ever. "Cheer up! We're alive, and we've got loot. That's what matters."
I dragged myself to my feet, glaring at the massive door that had appeared on the far side of the room. "I'm calling it now: whatever's behind that door is worse than this thing."
Leah's grin widened. "Only one way to find out."