Elsewhere in the Slime Grime Dungeon.
"Tankers, hold up the line of defense!" A blue-haired girl draped in a white robe stained with blood yelled, her black eyes glimmering with determination as she issued the order. They were going to survive this, one way or another.
Boom! rippling sounds echoed in response as three youths stepped forward, drawing massive shields etched with faint runic patterns from their class, planting them in front to block the charge of a group of incoming acidic slime waves.
"Archers!" Lena yelled, her blue hair rippling with the force of her voice. "Draw your bows and take aim." She growled, eyes narrowing as the distance to their foes shrank.
"Hold it..." she breathed, her breath hitching as she allowed them to come closer to maximize damage. Before the slimes crossed the five-meter mark, she lifted her hand and issued the command: "Fire!"
Multiple arrows streaked through the air, locking onto the charging beasts with a hiss before they struck true.
They lodged deep into the slimes’ flesh, barely impeding movement as the monsters continued on, seemingly unfazed.
Their maws opened, spraying vats of acid that hit the tankers’ shields, corroding the surfaces while the pressure of the attack pushed the frontline back.
"Warriors, reinforce the tankers! Hold the line. The slimes can absolutely not pass!" Lena breathed, her vision hazing as she whispered under her breath, "Just a little more time."
"It’s done!" a voice from behind her pulled her from her thoughts. A youth with a head full of curly black hair and sharp eyes growled; his voice was gruff.
"Good. Now show them hell!" Lena yelled; a faint smile tugged at her lips as relief flooded the group.
Nodding, the youth and two others inhaled sharply, raising their magic staffs. Having finished casting, they synced their attacks and yelled, "Fire Meteor Descent!"
As the words left their lips, the dungeon’s temperature climbed dangerously. Beads of sweat formed across the team, the spell’s fury bearing down on them.
The air rippled and spasmed, as if welcoming an alien entity, then sizzled as a ten-meter rock, ablaze with intense fire, coalesced above the slimes. The mages slammed their staffs down and cried, "Rain down the judgement!"
The meteor obeyed as It crashed into the horde, sizzling the slimes to ash; others were crushed instantly.
The mages who cast the spell fell to the ground, their skin tightening as vitality drained away. They had overstepped their bounds by tapping mana beyond what their F-rank bodies could safely handle.
The tankers at the front were sent flying by the shockwave. Fragments of the meteor lodged into flesh; blood oozed. Not even the tanker class’s shield enhancement could save them from everything.
Still, the advantage outweighed the cost. Streams of notifications flared before them; dungeon points were allocated according to each member’s contribution to the battle.
<Ding! Congratulations for killing a Level 15 Common Acidic Slime! 1500 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! Congratulations for killing a Level 14 Common Acidic Slime! 1400 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! Congratulations for killing a Level 16 Common Acidic Slime! 1600 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! Congratulations for killing a Level 13 Common Acidic Slime! 1300 dungeon points awarded!>
"Everyone injured! Gather up close to me!" Lena muttered, eyes scanning the aftermath. They’d won the first skirmish, but the war was far from over.
Wounded fighters were brought before her. The faint smile on Lena’s face spread as she murmured, "You’ve done well. It’s my turn to contribute now." She raised both arms; radiant golden energy seeped from them. "Radiant Energy: Quick Heal!"
The flow spread across the group, sinking into flesh, closing wounds, halting blood loss, and healing minor cuts. Rejuvenation returned to them slowly; spirits rose and color flushed their faces again.
"Enough, Lena." One of the tankers growled, forcing himself to his knees. "Don’t overdraft yourself."
"No, I must..." Lena tried to resist but fell to her knees; the energy cost of healing had taken a toll.
"You’ve done enough. Leave the rest to us," another warrior said, and one by one they rose. Though the situation was bleak, their solidarity was touching.
They didn’t have time for sentiment. A shriek from one of the front liners snapped everyone back to reality.
"Incoming.. another wave of those slimy bastards!"
"No biggie, we’ll just deal with them," someone said, confidence swelling before it was crushed.
"Holy shit! They’re different this time. I’m seeing twenty — no, thirty — thirty-five... it’s a horde!"
"Wait, what did you say? What’s their rank and level?"
"It’s 20, common rank — wait, that can’t be right. They just gained a level: 21... no, 22."
"Fuck, their rate of evolving is fucked. We’re doomed!"
"Everybody, regroup on the formation! Let’s hold them as long as possible!" Lena breathed, forcing herself up.
"You heard her. Form the line. If we fall today, let it be in battle, not by running away!" a tanker yelled, planting his shield into the ground; its self-repair kicked in, mending corroded segments.
"Fuck it. If I die today, I’ll be sure to bring some with me!" another cried, planting his shield as well.
"Argh, what am I afraid of? We only die once, right?" someone muttered. Before long, a wall of shields stood erected.
"Good. Now..." Lena began, about to issue a fresh round of commands, but the words froze in her throat.
The slimes’ movement blurred from her vision. Before she could register what was happening, vats of acid rained down on the frontline, corroding everything they touched. The tankers’ shields became scraps within seconds; some warriors writhed as the acid ate their skin.
The leading slime, towering over four meters and at level 23, opened its maw. Instead of unleashing more acid, it munched down, swallowing youths whole and killing them outright.
The beast turned to the rest, now frozen in place with terror on their faces, watching comrades get reduced to slime food in seconds.
"So this is the end, huh?" Lena whispered, despair overwhelming her. She’d known she would die one day, just not like this, not this soon.
She closed her eyes, preparing for the inevitable.
Seconds ticked by. Then Lena snapped her eyes open in confusion and awe.
Where the devoured youths had stood, a cloaked figure appeared, gripping two extremely enchanting blades, his back to her.
Huh? The cloaked figure from before who had refused to join any group? Why was he here? Did he not know the danger these beasts posed? Questions flooded her mind. Then the words that slipped from his mouth made her eyes widen in shock.
"So you’ve been hiding here all along? Tough luck, I found you. Now die for me!" Aurelian growled.
He gripped his blades and sprang forward, his eyes lighting up with the same swirling abyssal and crimson glow as his blood boiled with exhilaration. His mind already fully drawn to the battle at hand.