Chapter 33: The dungeon: First floor
Pov Kylo Stromcrest:
The cave opens before us like a dark mouth, whispering with the echo of stillness itself.
Torches flicker dimly, barely illuminating the uneven path. The ground beneath my feet is cold and damp, covered with a slippery moss that seems to hold back the whispers of those who ventured here before me.
(The difference between a game and real life is truly astounding).
And here we found ourselves: Luna Lestia, Elara Celestia, Adelina Sherden, Frederick Roman, Akane Swiftstrike, Gareth Thornridge and, of course, me, Kylo Stromcrest.
Before we went in, we were told some final tips and given our choice of weapons.
I chose a short sword and a dagger.
They were the most ideal weapons for this type of environment.
"Okay, everyone alert, we don't know what might happen here," the first to speak was Elara, who was our default leader being a member of the Celestia royal family.
Our lineup was quite unusual, either because of the number of people or the type of weapon we used.
Basically, we were 6 swordsmen and a mage.
(Well, there's really nothing to be afraid of in this dungeon, they don't call it the tutorial dungeon for nothing).
It is impossible to lose this part in the story mode, either because of the low skill of the enemies, the damage they produce or the simple fact that we have an invincible character.
Yes, you have a person who will help you overcome the dungeon in case you are too stupid.
Can't you guess who it is?
Of course, not everything is so easy and in case you get hurt, you will lose some opportunities.
"You worry too much, princess," in a confident tone, replied Gareth, our mage.
"The enemies we will face are goblins, they are small as children and very stupid," he continued.
"They are the weakest monsters you can encounter after all," Adelina added as if pointing out the obvious.
"It doesn't hurt to be a little cautious," I said seriously, which earned me a mocking look from Gareth.
(Goblins are not as dumb as people think).
Not for nothing, the biggest cause of death among Aerial Chronicles players were goblins.
(Tsk, I'll make fun of you when you get stabbed by one and rendered immobile).
"Let's go."
And so, with our leader's command, we walked into the second floor of the dungeon.
--
Drops of water fall rhythmically from the ceiling, creating a monotonous but haunting symphony. Shadows recede, but never completely, keeping the cave in a constant play of light and dark.
*thump-thump
*thump-thump
As we advance, the muffled sound of our footsteps echoes off the rough walls, as if the cave itself is listening intently.
(We are already approaching the first encounter...).
I knew this place well, so there wasn't much interesting beyond the intriguing ambiance of this floor.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.... Krrrrrrrrr... Groooorrrrrrr..."
Ahead of us, we heard the echo of a creature speaking, needless to say what creature it was.
"Quick, hide!", with a quick judgment, our leader ordered us to hide behind a large boulder that was nearby.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrr?"
A few seconds later, we could notice the creature's appearance.
Green skin, elongated ears, big ugly nose, the size of a child of about 8 years old, it wore only a loincloth as attire, and in its right hand it held a razor, presumably poisoned.
Yes, the mythical fantasy goblin.
"Uggh, it's so ugly."
"What did you expect?"
"Shut up, it's close."
The goblin advanced towards us, confused, perhaps by the whispers of some idiots.
"Princess, can I take care of him?" The first to offer to fight was Frederick.
Maybe because of his position as Elara's fiancé or maybe because he's so brave.
(I joke, the very idiot probably wants to show off in front of Adelina).
"... Well, be careful," Elara looked at him for a moment before giving him permission.
"Don't worry, I'll be right back," he said in a brave way, not before flashing a fleeting smile at Adelina.
(Calm down, inner me, they're just children.)
As someone who practically killed dragons with one shot, it was a bit hard to see this kind of behavior and not feel absurd.
(Well, let's see how this kid does).
And so, we all watched as Frederick advanced towards the goblin.
--
Frederick advanced step by cautious step with his long sword drawn, ready to be swung, waiting for the crucial moment.
*Stealthy steps
*Stealthy steps
When he was already at a close distance, he waited for the goblin to turn around.
"Chitter-a."
Something that happened seconds later.
Wasting no time, he immediately accelerated and prepared to make a horizontal slash.
"HAA," with a battle cry, Frederick attacked.
Whoosh!
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr?, GRRRRRRRR." The goblin, for some reason, noticed Frederick's approach and managed to dodge part of the attack.
(Hmm?)
"GRRRAAAAAAAAAAA", the goblin, despite dodging a deadly attack aimed at his neck, ended up wounded and writhing on the ground.
Shhhhhhhhrrrrrrr!
Taking advantage of that moment of frailty, Frederick aimed at its chest and stabbed its heart, ending its life.
"Whew."
Wiping his forehead, Frederick turned around and prepared to turn back.
(Was it my imagination?)
I had a thought upon seeing the goblin's reaction, but simply let it go for now.
(I'll have opportunities to check it out later).
--
After Frederick returned, we all took turns taking out the goblins that showed up as we went along.
Luna was ruthless and blew her victim's head off with a single blow.
Elara was a bit careless, as the goblin noticed her attack just like the one Frederick encountered, but she quickly regained her stance and took him out.
Akane also had a spectacular performance, as the enemy didn't even notice her approach, and when he did, he already had a sword in his heart.
And when it was Adelina's turn, well....
"Hello, mister ugly goblin!" Casually, Adelina walked towards the goblin and even called out to him loudly.
"What the hell are you doing?" Next to me, Elara made this comment with exasperation.
(I guess it's normal for her to not take this place seriously).
As an Aerial Chronicles player, just like me, she knows that there's practically no danger. Besides.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.... Krrrrrrrrr... Groooorrrrrrrrr...", the Goblin, noticing her presence, ran towards her happily.
The goblin was so happy to see a human approaching him that he simply forgot how ridiculous this situation was.
*Whoosh!
"Grra?"
By the time he realized it, his neck was ripped open.
(It was a good slash, but with the hero's strength, literally their heads fly off by themselves).
After advancing for a while, it was finally my turn.
The goblin, like all the others, was alone and quiet, probably eating some rat it found around.
(Let's finish this quickly).
I didn't feel like playing as Adelina, plus I could check that thing that bothered me a long time ago and that keeps going round and round in my head.
"Kylo, it's your turn, be careful," said Elara, which showed concern for me.
Beside her, I also saw Luna with her sword in her hand, probably ready to assist me.
(... her concern seemed a bit unnecessary to me).
/Acceleration/
I wasted no time and activated the aura skill.
*Zrrrr *Zrrrr *Zrrrr *Zrrrr
At the same time, a grayish aura manifested around me, and just when I felt I was ready, I immediately headed for my target.
*Swoosh!
I very quickly approached his location; he was crouched down on his back eating something, so it's highly unlikely that he would realize that his end was near.
*Downward strike
The moment I executed my attack, I could see that, for a few moments, the goblin may have briefly become aware of my presence before his end.
*Shhhhhhhhrrrrrrr!
"..."
I stared at his corpse for a few moments.
"Well done, Kylo!", but my thoughts were interrupted by Elara, who gave me a light pat on the back and congratulated me.
"Thank you," I replied.
(His reaction time... it was suspicious.)
In video games, especially those with direct combat, enemy reaction time is directly related to difficulty.
You know, if the enemy detects you quickly, he will be able to act faster, thus eliminating the surprise factor or making it more difficult.
And that's just the simplest example I can think of.
(I guess I need to be more careful in the future).
I'm not sure if that's some particularity of this dungeon, but if it's not, if this also applies to all monsters that exist in this world, increasing my caution is paramount.
(Especially now that I don't have a status window, since I can't check their levels).
"Let's go."
"Yes..."
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