บท 54: Battle form
"Cling!"
"Bang!"
Five anxiously watched as Toba single-handedly smashed one of the skeletons with a helmet to the ground. It had already been 10 minutes since the barbarians entered the labyrinth and they were progressing faster than expected!
None of the skeletons could stop the group and already, more than 20 were smashed to dust. Of the 5 barbarians, only three of them needed to act and that was only when they were attacked on both sides.
Dreidus manipulated the skeletons to make them attack sneakily from behind but the barbarians were not taken by surprise.
Now, it looked like they would reach Five's location in less than 15 minutes and there was nothing they could do. The difference in level between the barbarians and the skeletons was simply too large and more importantly, the axes used by the barbarians were also of higher quality than the swords of the skeletons.
While the skeleton with a helmet managed to survive 2 hits from Toba, it barely bought a few additional seconds.
Five looked at Dreidus who was still completely calm. "Do you think you will be able to stop the barbarians?" asked Five. Seeing how calm he was, it felt like he was not even taking the barbarians seriously.
"There is no guaranty." Dreidus gave out a short and direct answer which did not help at all.
With a quick look at his balance, Five had 15000 DP and could summon some more monsters and even a harpy but from the looks of it, only a level 33 harpy might be able to stop Toba. But that was just statistically speaking; it was clear that Toba had some fighting experience and with the help of the other barbarians, the harpy might not last for long, especially in an environment like a labyrinth.
Five thought quickly, he wanted to quickly open up the third floor which would cost 4000 DP. It looked like a waste but this way, he would not only be able to run further but also give a more favorable environment for the harpy to fight!
Compared to the labyrinth, an open space was more appropriate for a harpy and if done appropriately, the stairs could be a good hunting spot for her. It would be harder for the barbarians to dodge her attacks and position appropriately on the stairs.
While Five was racking his brain to find a solution, Lumen was not feeling any better. The poor firefly queen was pitifully buzzing on the floor next to Five's knee.
Soon, the barbarians arrived at the central place of the labyrinth. It was not positioned exactly at the center but acted like a central hub which was connected to several other corridors. Five planned to use the center as a resting place and possibly put a treasure there in the future.
The barbarians either already knew this place or were simply too lucky; not once did they take a wrong turn.
If Five did not do anything now, it would be too late. Having already thought about it, he opened the interface and was about to unlock the third floor but at that moment, Dreidus calmly stood up.
"Master, leave it to me. Although I am not at my peak yet, I should be able to deal with those barbarians!"
Hearing that, Five was stunned. He never expected Dreidus to say something like that. He was only level 20; fighting level 30 barbarians was equivalent to suicide! He knew that boss monsters would simply revive later but he felt inhuman at the idea of using them as sacrificial pawns. In the end, that was the concept of a dungeon; to send monsters to their death and become stronger.
"Don't do something stupid, Dreidus! Stay behind, I will summon a harpy to deal with them, it would be efficient and safe this way, you can help her when she will battle the barbarians," said Five.
However, instead of complying, Dreidus shook his head, "I know that summoning a harpy now might not be beneficial to the dungeon. I will ask you to trust me. You already summoned skeletons for me to command and I will make sure to stop these barbarians there."
"Although I am only level 20 now, remember that I was much stronger than that and even if my body is now weak, I still have the knowledge I acquired through all these years. Also... There is something you don't know about boss monsters and I think it is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that."
For the first time, there seemed to be some emotions in Dreidus voice. It was a strange mixture of melancholy, sadness, pain and at the same time some excitement.
"Something I don't know?" asked Five with suspicion.
"Well, it's not true for all boss monsters but you will see. It's better to demonstrate than to explain it... Please allow me to go."
"If you are confident you can win this battle, then go," said Five. He was curious about what secret the boss monsters could have and also, he felt that he should trust his monsters more. It was the foundation of his dungeon; if he could not even trust the monsters he raised, then he would go nowhere.
"Win? I cannot say I am confident of that... But stopping them should be fairly easy..."
...
With Dreidus gone, Five could only wait and see the results. He needed to trust his monster but could not help but feel the tension building up inside of him.
He quickly opened the interface and looked at the map. The skeletons of the labyrinth were slowly making their way towards the center under the orders of Dreidus.
"I hope Dreidus knows what he is doing."
On the screen, the barbarians took a quick rest and reviewed their harvests. In addition to the ores and coals, they also picked up the equipment dropped by the skeletons upon death. Although these swords were of bad quality, it was still metal and could be used to trade.
Furthermore, the barbarians also collected the bones of the skeletons. They could pick up one or two bones from the skeletons before the rest of the body would suddenly turn into dust and slowly disappear. Skeleton bones were actually useful items that were different from human bones. They were commonly used when crafting poison since they contained a trace of dark energy which was an excellent catalyst.
In front of Five, several screens were opened: one focusing on the barbarians, one on Dreidus and one representing the map of the second floor. At the moment, Five was focusing on Dreidus; he was very curious about what he could be hiding.
Dreidus was quickly making his way towards the barbarians, using the Necromancer's Death Wand as a cane. While he looked carefree, he was actually coordinating all the other skeletons, making sure they were ready to intervene at his call.
"Master! I know you are watching. Please excuse me for not telling you about it earlier but I also only just learned about it. It is a strange power that I only obtained upon becoming one of your monsters."
"..."
"Well, enough talking. I have never been a man of many words when I was alive," said Dreidus. At the same time, he arrived at an intersection and as soon as he turned left, he would come into view of the barbarians.
Suddenly, the cold and dark aura around Dreidus changed. A strange green light appeared around him as the light in his eye sockets became brighter. A sudden air current started to swirl around him, carrying the green light and slowly, Dreidus got off the ground. The air around Dreidus completely changed; it was as if a spectral aura was looming over him.
Something in Dreidus suddenly ignited and a green transparent flame completely covered the whole skull. Around the rest of his body, the green light slowly solidified, forming a ghastly mantle, just like a necromancer's robe. On the screen, Five felt like Dreidus was now a completely different monster.
"Master... This is... my Battle form..."
"1 minute... 1 minute is my limit..."
"But to deal with those pathetic humans, 1 minute is more than enough!!!"
...
At the end of the labyrinth, even Five was stunned by the sudden change in Dreidus. His battle form really looked much more powerful and threatening; compared to his previous skeletal appearance, he now looked like a real lich!
He had to admit that Dreidus now even looked a bit scary but with a quick look at the interface, Five did not see any change in Dreidus' stats; it was as if only the physical appearance changed but not the stats.
However, Five also felt that his connection with Dreidus became stronger! He was not confident in his judgment, but it felt like the Dungeon Core was now supplying Dreidus with this new strength.
"I hope that Dreidus will be fine..." quietly said Five as he stared at the screen. It was obvious that this strength had a cost; from Dreidus' tone, it felt like he was in pain and struggling to contain something.
Especially the last sentence he spoke; it was as if he suddenly unleashed the mad bloodthirsty personality he was hiding.
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