Chapitre 6: Chapter No.6 Dungeon Dive (3)
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[Samael Ashwood's POV]
As we ventured through the now-open door, the darkness seemed to swallow us whole. The air grew colder, and an oppressive silence enveloped us, broken only by the soft footfalls of our group and the occasional dripping of water from the dungeon's ceiling.
Our torches flickered, casting long, eerie shadows on the ancient stone walls. The atmosphere was tense, and every group member was on high alert for any sign of danger. My heart pounded in my chest, the anticipation almost unbearable as we delved deeper into the unknown.
ROOOAAARRR!!!
A deafening roar shattered the silence, reverberating through the dungeon like a thunderclap. The ground trembled beneath our feet, and a sense of primal fear washed over us.
Blood-red eyes glowed in the darkness ahead, and an enormous, hulking figure emerged from the shadows.
Manticore.
The Manticore, a fearsome beast from the depths of legend, stood before us. Its body was a grotesque fusion of a lion, a scorpion, and a dragon, with a mane of spines, a barbed tail, and leathery wings that spread wide, casting an imposing shadow over our group. Its three rows of razor-sharp teeth gleamed menacingly as it snarled, preparing to strike.
"H-How is this possible!"
"It's Bronze Rank Dungeon, How could a Manticore be here?" Flint's voice trembled with disbelief, echoing the panic that surged through our group. Bronze Rank dungeons were dangerous, yes, but encountering a Manticore, a creature typically found in dungeons of much higher rank, was unheard of.
The Manticore let out another bone-chilling roar, its eyes fixed on us with predatory intent. The atmosphere grew tense, every adventurer gripping their weapons tightly and bracing themselves for the inevitable battle.
"It's a false rank dungeon!"
Marcus's voice cut through the chaos, filled with urgency and realization. "This dungeon has been misranked. We're dealing with something far more dangerous than we anticipated!"
"W-We are out o-of here, we didn't sign up for this madness"
Several voices in the group echoed the sentiment, panic spreading like wildfire among us. The prospect of facing a creature as formidable as a Manticore in a supposedly lower-ranked dungeon was enough to send even the most seasoned adventurers into a frenzy of fear and uncertainty.
But amidst the chaos, a voice rang out, cutting through the panic.
"We can't just run away," Alexander's voice, firm and resolute, silenced the murmurs of retreat. "We came here to explore the dungeon and retrieve its treasures, and that's exactly what we will do. No matter the danger."
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIN-"
Before the frightened adventurer could finish, A tail stabbed right through his chest, lifting him off the ground with a pained cry. The Manticore's barbed tail withdrew quickly, leaving the adventurer's lifeless body to fall to the ground with a sickening thud.
Before the shock could fully settle in, A poisonous breath swallowed the air around us, causing us to cough and gasp for breath. The Manticore's attack was relentless, its primal fury unleashed upon us with unbridled savagery.
"ARRRGGGGG!!!"
A man killed himself before our very eyes, unable to bear the agony of the Manticore's venomous assault. The stench of death hung heavy in the air, mingling with the acrid scent of burning torches and the metallic tang of blood.
Only Alexander was fine due to having an artifact shielding him from the Manticore's poison. With a grim determination, he rallied those of us still standing, urging us to fight on despite the overwhelming odds. His words echoed in the darkness, like a death sentence to those of us who were wavering in despair. Despite the chaos and the overwhelming odds, we knew we had no choice but to stand and fight.
"IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU, BASTARD!!!"
"WHILE WE ARE SUFFERING FROM THIS BEAST, YOU ARE SAFE BEHIND YOUR BLOODY ARTIFACT!" Flint's accusation cut through the air like a blade, his voice raw with anger and frustration. His accusation struck a chord among the group, stirring up simmering resentment and fear.
Alexander's gaze hardened, but he did not falter. "My artifact may shield me from the poison, but it does not make me invincible," he retorted, his voice steady despite the accusations hurled his way. "I am here with you, facing the same danger, fighting the same battle. And I will not abandon you now."
"OH DON'T TAKE ME AS A FOOL LIKE THESE DEAD MEATS HERE, I KNOW YOU HAVE THAT SCROLL WITH YOU, WHICH CAN TELEPORT YOU OUT OF THE DUNGEON!"
My mind raced as the accusation hung heavy in the air. I had heard whispers of Alexander possessing a powerful artifact, but the notion of a teleportation scroll had never crossed my mind. If it were true, it would mean Alexander had an escape plan all along, leaving the rest of them to face the danger alone.
Before Alexander could respond, another voice chimed in, this time from the depths of the group. "Enough!" It was Marcus, his tone commanding authority despite the chaos surrounding us. "Bickering amongst ourselves won't save us. We need to focus on surviving this encounter."
He was right. The Manticore still loomed before them, its monstrous form a constant reminder of the imminent danger. I glanced around at my companions, seeing fear and uncertainty reflected in their eyes. They were a group on the verge of crumbling under the weight of their own doubts and suspicions.
ROOOAAARRR!
But Manticore is not in the mood to give us more time to collect ourselves. A tail swipe from the Manticore narrowly missed Marcus, who barely managed to dodge out of the way in time. The impact sent debris flying, scattering the group and adding to the chaos. We needed to act fast before the situation spiraled further out of control.
"Starlight Burst!!!"
I used my magic for the first time in the battle, conjuring a burst of brilliant light that temporarily blinded the Manticore. The creature roared in disorientation, giving us a momentary advantage to regroup and plan our next move.
"Focus on its weak points!" Marcus shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Its eyes and underbelly!"
With renewed determination, we launched another assault on the Manticore, targeting its vulnerable spots with precision strikes. Blades clashed against scales, and magic crackled in the air as we fought tooth and nail against the fearsome creature.
Despite our efforts, the Manticore fought back with unmatched ferocity, its claws slashing and tail thrashing with deadly accuracy.
Alexander could not be seen anywhere as if he had vanished into thin air, leaving us to face the beast alone. Panic threatened to consume us once more as we searched for any sign of our leader, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Where is he?" Flint's voice was laced with desperation, his eyes darting around the chamber in search of Alexander's familiar figure. "Did he abandon us?"
Marcus's expression darkened, his brow furrowed in concern. "I don't know, but we can't worry about that now. We need to focus on defeating this creature."
His words snapped us back to attention, reminding us of the immediate danger that lurked before us. With grim determination, we pressed on, redoubling our efforts to bring down the Manticore before it could claim any more lives.
The battle raged on, each passing moment fraught with peril and uncertainty. Our weapons clashed against the creature's hide, our spells crackling with raw power as we fought with everything we had.
Only three remained, Marcus, Flint, and Me.
Marcus has a few bones sticking out of his rib area, Flint has his right hand as good as gone, and I was running low on magical energy. The Manticore, however, showed no signs of slowing down, its relentless onslaught pushing us to the brink of exhaustion.
In a desperate bid to turn the tide of battle, Marcus gritted his teeth against the pain and charged forward, his sword raised high. With a mighty swing, he aimed for the creature's eyes, hoping to blind it and buy us some time to regroup.
But the Manticore was quick to react, its tail whipping around with lightning speed to intercept Marcus's attack. With a sickening crunch, the barbed tail collided with Marcus's sword arm, sending him staggering backward with a cry of pain.
"Marcus!" Flint's voice rang out in horror as he rushed to his comrade's side, but there was little he could do to stop the bleeding.
Meanwhile, I summoned the last reserves of my magical energy, focusing it into a concentrated beam of light aimed directly at the Manticore's underbelly. The creature howled in agony as the beam pierced its flesh, eliciting a momentary reprieve from its relentless assault.
But our victory was short-lived. With a final burst of energy, the Manticore unleashed a devastating roar, sending shockwaves rippling through the chamber and knocking us off our feet.
"ATOM, TAKE MARCUS AND LEAVE. I WILL STALL THIS MONSTER!" Flint shouted over the din of battle, his voice filled with determination despite the overwhelming odds stacked against us. With a nod of understanding, I moved swiftly to Marcus's side, helping Flint hoist him up and supporting him as we began our retreat.
But as we turned to leave, a sudden realization struck me like a bolt of lightning. If we were to stand any chance of survival, we needed to do more than just retreat. We needed a plan, a strategy to defeat the Manticore once and for all.
"Flint, listen to me," I said urgently, my mind racing as I formulated a plan. "We can't just run from this creature. We need to find a way to defeat it."
Flint's expression was grim, but there was a flicker of hope in his eyes at the prospect of turning the tide of battle. "And how do you propose we do that?" he asked, his voice tinged with skepticism.
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[To Be Continued]
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