Chapter 67: Dungeon Time

“I always wanted to be a mage in games.”

[I have heard this too many times Dwarf!] Rury ripped a small goblin apart and turned her head to shout.

Eren hadn’t been called a dwarf in a long time.

“I thought you guys would’ve figured out by now that I’m a human and now a half-elf.”

But both wolves ignored him. They probably refused to admit they’d been tricked by a human when they first met so calling him dwarf was their revenge plan.

Still so innocent and cute…

“Also, do I really talk about the mage thing that much?” Eren could swear he’d only mentioned it three or four times.

But when all three other people in the dungeon shouted “yes” at the same time he just grinned.

“What I’m trying to say isn’t just about throwing fireballs. I used to think if I ever got to use magic or explore epic dungeons my life would be completely different. Like learning the secrets of the universe or flying by casting spells or hunting a dragon.

That last one actually seems possible now. But if I’m in a magical universe it would’ve been nice to not have to give up on certain things here.”

The wolf cubs – even though they didn’t really look like cubs anymore – didn’t say anything this time.

Because they were simple creatures. If a mother alpha wolf told them to use their claws and teeth then they wouldn’t stray from that. They’d run, hunt, eat and sleep. They never had to give up on anything because they never chose anything in the first place.

Eren sighed remembering how much he used to hate thinking about this kind of stuff and killed the last goblin in the fourth chamber with the arrow in his hand.

[You gained the 100% energy of Verdant Goblin Scout Level 17]

As they prepared for the boss room he felt the excitement of entering without Emily slowly fading. With everything outside that could attack the village again he didn’t feel much like an adventurer anymore.

But something crossed his mind and he turned to the last person in the chamber. “Let me ask you something Mel. You saw me the first day I came to the village. Do you think I’ve changed? More elf-like after the evolution?”

Mel was sitting on the ground with her tired legs stretched out and panting like a dog with her tongue out. After she started thinking about the question she looked at Eren like he was a criminal in an interrogation room.

“Are you really that unsure?” Eren almost laughed but got a different answer than he expected.

“I don’t think your change has much to do with the evolution. On the first day you didn’t seem like someone who could form long sentences and think logically. I actually thought you were naive and easy to fool. Now you’re more… smart.”

Oh boy.

Eren somehow managed to take all of that as a compliment, walked over to Mel and ruffled her hair. “HEY!”

They entered the boss room with a protesting elf and two wolves who were close to adulthood now.

Mel had never been here before so she tried to analyze the two bosses inside with fear in her eyes. Her gaze swept across the boss chamber where the colors were brighter and the walls smoother than the rest of the dungeon. She was about to run to the corner when she felt tremors in the ground.

..

Two red boss tags floated in the air like neon signs from a cheap bar.

[Verdant Goblin Summoner – Level 21 – Elite Boss]

[Verdant Goblin Shaman Adept – Level 19 – Elite Boss]

The Summoner was much bigger than the last one they killed. This new one was almost Eren’s height with arms thicker than its legs and a bone club that looked like it weighed more than Mel.

The Shaman stood behind it with a staff that had two glowing stones instead of one – another upgrade from the shaman he’d fought with Emily on this same floor.

Two bosses. No Emily. And they are clearly much stronger.

Eren grabbed Mel’s shoulder before she could panic. “Don’t move yet. Watch.”

The Shaman was already tilting its staff toward the floor. Eren had seen this exact move before. The stones lit up orange from inside and cracks started spreading across the stone tiles like the last time.

But this time Eren knew what was coming.

“Fury. Rury. Ignore the big one.”

[Ignore?] Fury’s voice had confusion in it.

“Kill the Shaman first. It summons goblins and freezes your legs. If it casts we lose our advantage.”

He didn’t wait for confirmation. He nocked an arrow and fired at the Shaman’s hand before the staff could finish whatever it was charging. The arrow hit the wrist and the Shaman’s grip slipped for half a second.

That was enough.

Rury hit the Shaman like a furry cannonball from the left. Her Beast Claw left glowing red trails across the creature’s ribs and it screamed in a pitch that made Mel cover her ears. Fury came in low from the right and ripped the staff out of the Shaman’s remaining grip.

Without the staff the Shaman looked like a confused old man at a bus stop. It tried to say something but Rury’s second swipe opened its throat before the first syllable finished.

[You gained 40% energy of Goblin Shaman Level 19]

The whole thing took maybe fifteen seconds.

The summoner roared. The bone club came down toward Rury in a vertical slam that cracked the floor where she’d been a moment ago.

“Mel. Stay behind me. If anything small gets summoned it won’t now but just in case, that’s your job.” Eren was already moving to the summoner goblin’s left side with his second arrow ready.

This thing is slow. Strong but slow. Like every big boss in every game I’ve ever played.

The summoner swung sideways and Fury ducked under it so cleanly Eren wondered if the wolf had been practicing dodges. Rury circled to the back and slashed at the tendons behind the summoner’s knee.

It stumbled like Trolls did two days ago in the big attack.

“You really like attacking the legs Rury?”

The wolf with the attention span of a goldfish heard him but ignored with a growl.

Eren’s arrow caught the elite goblin in the shoulder but didn’t trigger charm effect. It wasn’t a killing or cc shot, he used it as a distraction. But it made more than Eren intended and the arm holding the club drop to side with the arrow inside the soft flesh. Goblin Summoner looked pissed but he was slow enough for the next swing to be slower and lower.

Fury went for the neck with the opening while Eren heard a new notification.

[Basic Archery levelled up: Level 4 > Level 5]

Finally!

He had been using the bow even before the half elf evolution and it was the slowest growing skill among all of them.

Maybe even in a system intertwined universe, talent mattered in it. And he sucked at archery.

While he did consider switching to a crossbow the summoner goblin tried to block with its free hand to Fury’s attacks. But Rury’s crimson Beast Claw shredded through the forearm. Fury hit the other side of the neck at the same time.

Eren watched a Level 21 Elite Boss fall to its knees between two wolves and felt good. He’d done this the right way.

I used some brain power to focus on caster first.

[You gained 25% energy of Goblin Summoner Level 21]

[Congratulations! Your party has cleared Floor 2 of Verdant Hollow Dungeon]

[Rewards available at the Final Chamber Chest]

The whole boss fight lasted under two minutes. No death or anyone even close to getting hurt. Mel hadn’t even needed to move and had the same dumb look on her face as her tongue was still outside.

She needs to do some cardio or use her stats on endurance. Probably both..

She stopped staring at the two dissolving goblin corpses with her mouth open. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.” Eren walked to the chest in the center of the room. “The secret to dungeons isn’t being the strongest. It’s knowing what to target first.” Now he was getting a little bit smug about this victory.

The chest had gold, two small vials of things looked a lot like health potions and a ring that gave +10 Agility which Eren already owned.

[Breezy Ring (Ordinary)]

-Agility +10

-Fire Resistance +1%

The potions on the other hand looked cool but there was no description on them. Maybe they weren’t really magical or system approved level yet.

He wondered if these potions could’ve saved old Geralt. A small group of trolls had wandered too close to the village yesterday while Eren was out training and old man caught a dose of their poison aura before anyone could pull him away. He held on through the night but his body gave up this morning.

Eren wished he got here much earlier. But he didn’t know the dungeon would give them health potions and even these weren’t certain for healing troll poison.

Saving someone in a dangerous world was much harder than hunting when you don’t know what you are doing.

Eren looked at the other ring and handed it to Mel without thinking. She needed those stats more than anyone.

“For me?” Her eyes went wide and got a little excited.

“You’re squishy. These help you not die, I hope.” And he already got the same thing and same two artifacts didn’t work. Emily and him tried already.

[I want mating rings too.] Rury sat down and lifted her front paw dramatically.

“You don’t have fingers that work like that. And that is not a mating ring. Those are called engagement rings and show that one side won other sides trust and love. It also show that everyone that got a ring on this finger have a partner.” His Beastin got so smooth now that his throat didn’t get weird. He actually looked like using a normal humanic language.

[I want it more now!!! I will make Fury wear and every female wolf in the forest realize he is taken!]

Both Eren and Fury didn’t comment on that. But Eren knew the fate of this poor little guy was sealed. She didn’t see him as a brother but a future mate.

What a dominant female tornado she was…

The system notification appeared before Eren could talk about marriage customs with wolves to mock Fury.

[Would you like to proceed to Floor 3?]

Eren looked at the wolves, then at Mel who was still admiring her new ring with a red hue on her entire face. She didn’t get tired because she wasn’t hunting anything actually. It was all due to running away from dangers or helping others if they needed water or a meal. She was the errand girl for this expedition.

He decided she would be good to continue.

“We go down to floor three.”

[Party has accepted. Proceed through the descent portal]

A green portal of exit swirled and closed on the far wall and a new darker one opened instead. And the moment it stabilized a second notification flashed. The text was red instead of the usual blueish-white.

[WARNING: Floor 3 is the final floor of Verdant Hollow Dungeon. Difficulty scaling is significant. Exit is only available after defeating the Dungeon Final Boss]

Mel read the red text and all the color drained from her face. “We can’t leave until we beat whatever’s down there?”

“That’s what it says.” He didn’t try to look smug but he had fun messing with her for some reason.

[Sounds fun.] Rury was already walking toward the portal.

[Wait.] Fury pressed against Eren’s leg and looked up at him. [Are we ready?]

Eren stared at the red warning text for a few more seconds. Final floor. No exit until the boss dies. He thought about Emily back in the village covering their defense lines and probably worrying about him right now.

I wish Emily was here.

He stepped through the portal.

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