Marcus had always imagined what it would be like to meet Marie's father. He had feelings for her when they were younger, but… their statuses were too far apart for their love to last, and Marcus didn't even know if he could handle Marie to begin with…
Today was the day that Marcus would finally meet that legend of a man. He was excited. Until he finally saw him.
Marcus and Marie arrived at the dungeon, Marcus's hand covering his mouth as he yawned. "Fuck…"
"You OK, Marcus? Tired?" Marie asked, turning to him with a knowing smirk. Marcus shook his head.
"Yeah! I'm good. Those tests just took a little out of me…" He felt his bones scream in response. Maybe they took a bit more than a little out of him… Summoning his status window, he looked at his stats yet again. The constitution score was saving him, but he wished he had a way to know his body's integrity score.
[NEW STAT GRANTED: Integrity]
[Integrity: 45/100]
"Convenient…"
Shaking his head, the two finally reached their destination: the entrance to the dungeon.
The gate swirled with its normal amount of blue energy. Standing right next to it was possibly the biggest man he had ever seen in person.
Standing at about seven feet tall, the Guildmaster had a head full of reddish-pink hair just like his daughter's, though it was much shorter. It was done up in a military-like bald fade, with just a bit of length on top.
Turning around, Marcus saw more of that massive frame. Unlike his daughter, Paul wore a full set of plate armor, minus a helmet. The chest piece was molded to his muscular body, like a Centurion's armor.
And those eyes—striking blue with a similar sort of iris to hers. But currently, instead of the beautiful hearts he always saw when around Marie, they were sharp, red swords… It seemed like he was angry at something.
"Hello, Mr. Pierce! It's nice to finally meet you!" Marcus called out, holding out his hand for a handshake.
Paul immediately turned back to the gate, huffing lightly. "Call me Guildmaster. Are you rested and ready to challenge the dungeon?"
Marie gasped lightly, shaking her head and answering for Marcus. "Guildmaster, Marcus just finished the assessment! Give him ten minutes—!"
"Silence! There shall be no resting! Are you ready, Marcus?" Paul bellowed, side-eying Marcus, but never showing the young man his full face…
Nodding lightly, Marcus responded in kind. "Yes! I'm ready!"
"We shall see. Welcome to the Devil's Gate," Paul said, immediately walking through the swirling pool of mana into the dungeon... Marie scratched her head at the name.
"Sounds scary for a D-Class Dungeon…" she said, looking at Marcus with worry. "Are you sure you still want to join Guardians?"
"Yes. I'm sure. It's not like your guild is a small one. Your pops seems nice too. No way he'd take us to a dungeon we couldn't handle… By the way, who are we raiding the dungeon with?" Marcus asked, smiling softly as he patted Marie's back, trying to reassure her that he wanted to do this. That there was absolutely no pressure.
"Um... I don't know, actually. The Guildmaster said that our squad would be waiting in the dungeon, so… we just have to enter and see!" Marie said with a look of hope, but Marcus's entire body was filled with a bad feeling. His gut told him that this D-Rank Gate wasn't going to be as easy as they'd hoped for.
With that, Marcus and Marie steeled themselves. Marie fixed her armor and shield, and Marcus tied the sheath of his sword to his hip tighter before they walked through the swirling mana of the gate…
Once on the other side, Marcus groaned in pain. "I'm never going to get used to that…" he said, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness of yet another cavernous dungeon.
Once he could fully see, he looked to his left for Marie. She was already fine, but looked rather surprised. "What's wrong, M—?" Marcus asked as he turned toward where she was looking, and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head as well…
Standing before both of them were just Paul and five healers. One had blonde hair and black eyes, another had green hair and a strange mace on her back, another had their body fully covered in armor, and one more of note wore simple priest's garments. The last lad wasn't really memorable…
"Fa—… Guildmaster. What is the meaning of this?!" Marie called out, frustration and anger making her usually strong voice tremble.
"Marcus is going to be a new recruit. I need to test if he is a good enough damage dealer, and this is the best way to do so. The both of you should be able to clear a D-Rank dungeon alone. I have healers on standby—" Paul was interrupted by yet another yell from his daughter.
"Dad, you're such a fucking dickhead! No other DPS were given this test! You just want to… AAGH! Whatever." Marie blew a raspberry her father's way before turning to Marcus and patting his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, the Guildmaster can make decisions without thinking sometimes… How do you want to do this, Marcus? You'll need to come up with the formation." Marie immediately got into work mode. She was angry, but her irises were still those beautiful hearts. She was focused.
Marcus nodded. She was focused and ready to give her all. He needed to be the same. Pulling off his sunglasses, he looked into her eyes, smirking. "Simple. You lead the way, try and get their aggro, and I'm on cleanup duty."
[Quest Started: Clear the DEVIL'S GATE]
[The DEVIL'S GATE is a D-Rank Dungeon and Gate that has been purchased by GUARDIANS. You must clear the dungeon so that it can be mined for resources by your potential guild.]
[Kobolds Killed: 0/54]
[Boss Monsters Killed: 0/3]
[Reward for Success: 150XP, Guild Hunter Status]
Marcus's eyes widened slightly as he saw the new quest given to him… There were so many Kobolds in the dungeon, and three bosses in total? This dungeon was definitely on the stronger side of D-Rank. Or was D-Rank that much different from an E…? He'd never known it would be so difficult.
Clearing his throat, he nodded to Marie. Marie nodded back, turned around, and immediately began walking down the walkway, shield in front of her and hammer in her other hand. Their dungeon run was just beginning.
Marcus followed closely behind her, his hand on her left shoulder as they entered the caverns of the Devil's Gate. Marcus didn't look behind him, but he could hear Paul and the healers talking amongst themselves... It was actually surreal how much he could grasp from their conversation. His hearing wasn't this good before...
"Sir, are you sure this is fine? Yes, we'll be healing them along the way, but this dungeon is a bit difficult for one C-Rank and a D-Rank noob… This place is filled to the brim with traps," the green-haired one warned, causing Paul to chuckle lightly.
"They'll be fine. What Marie doesn't have in pure talent, she makes up for in tactics. As long as our new friend here can sniff out the traps, they'll live. If they fail, they deserve to die," Paul said... Marcus nearly gasped. This was far more serious than he'd thought. What did Paul have in mind for the two of them that he'd let his daughter die in a gate to complete it...? It made him disgusted.
[Sword Resonation: 20%]
[Senses Heightened while within a 180ft radius of the REDACTED Blade.]
"Hm?" Just as Marcus was distracted with his newest notification, Marie yelled out.
"Marcus! Five Kobolds in the front, pay attention!"
Marcus's attention was immediately pulled to the front of him. From around the corner appeared five Kobolds—strange little creatures that resembled people with dog heads and fur all over their bodies.
They didn't wield weapons, but as the two came into view, their claws immediately popped out of their fingers, and their maws began to move up and down with growls…
Marcus nearly keeled over as they appeared. He could hear their hearts beating, he could smell their rancid stench, and he could sense their desires… to eat them both. "Fuck…!" Shaking his head, he attempted to focus, before he felt a sharp tinge of pain against his cheek.
"Snap out of it, Marcus!" Marie smacked the shit out of him, and he began to calm down. This was all fine. He'd be able to get used to it.
"I'm sorry, Marie. Let's do this." Marcus could see the worry on her face… He needed to lock in.
Slowly pulling out his blade, he threw the scabbard onto the ground behind him. Positioning the blade against his nose and between his eyes, he took a deep breath. "Catch their attention with your skill, Marie. I'll kill them all quick."
"Good! I trust you, Marcus." Marie smirked before turning towards the Kobolds, shield and hammer in hand. She threw her head back into the air and screamed, "Bring it on!"
[MARIE used TAUNT.]
The Kobolds' ears ducked down onto the top of their heads as they heard the scream. Anger began to well up in their eyes before they all started barking at Marie like they were rabid, charging towards her.
[It's highly effective!]
The fastest Kobold reached Marie almost immediately, jumping high into the air and swinging its clawed hand down toward her face. A loud clang sounded out as she blocked the attack with her shield. Swinging her arm with all her strength, she kept the Kobold in the air for one extra second before—
BOOM!
The Kobold whined in pain as it fell to the ground in two pieces instead of one, Marcus now standing in a crater where the Kobold once was.
[Integrity: 44/100]
He could feel his bones screaming in pain, but it didn't matter. He needed to finish this.
Marie ran to fill the space Marcus made for her, smashing her hammer against her shield to gather the Kobolds' attention again. "I'm right here!"
[MARIE used TAUNT.]
[It's highly effective!]
Marie taunted them again, and it was automatic. They couldn't take their eyes off of her.
"They work surprisingly well together, Sir. There's still time to take this back," the healer with blonde hair whispered, causing Paul to click his tongue in annoyance.
"Shut up and heal the boy. He's taking damage just from using his class skills." Marcus covered his mouth, stopping himself from coughing up blood. He loved his new teleportation ability, but ensuring he only moved in straight lines so it looked like a dash, and stopping himself from going too far, was taking a lot out of him.
"Four more to go…" Marcus said under his breath before turning to the other four Kobolds, getting up close behind Marie.
Her ears twitched lightly as she heard just how bad his breathing was… "Marcus, you're hurt. Does [Dash] really take that much out of you?" she asked, a little confused on how he was so hurt already.
"I'll be fine—" As he responded, both of them got notifications from the System.
[ANGEL and 4 others cast… MASS HEALING.]
[Integrity: 45/100]
[Integrity: 89/100]
Marcus watched his Integrity go up with each passing second before it hit one hundred. Taking a deep breath, he felt the weight on his body being lifted… He felt good. "Fuck yes! Thanks!" He gave the healers a thumbs-up without looking back, entirely focused on the Kobolds.
Seeing that her partner was now alright, Marie grinned, eyes on the prize as well. The next Kobold rushed her right side, and she gave it a good whack on the head with her shield, the Kobold stumbling back before—
BOOM!
Another crater appeared not where the Kobold Marie just hit had been, but behind it. One of its friends was cut in two, just like the one before it. The explosion from Marcus teleporting sent the Kobold Marie hit to the ground as well, allowing her to smash its head in with her hammer. Two left.
Marcus turned toward the enemies, his eyes showing a madness that wasn't there before. He was acting halfway on instinct, and halfway on Marie's tactics. He didn't move, letting Marie slowly walk up past him and fill the space he cleared for her.
"He's extremely efficient," the fully armored healer commented, making Paul scoff.
"He's barely fully conscious." Marcus couldn't disagree. He felt like he was watching someone else play a video game. Like he wasn't fully there. But this was good progress. The kobolds stood no chance.
[It seems the Kobolds agree. The two initiate a RETREAT.]
Marcus raises an eyebrow at the notification as he watches the two Kobolds slowly back away into the shadows… He'd never heard about monsters retreating.
Marcus turned to look at Paul, and he didn't seem to be reacting… Seems like this was at least some type of normal.
"Well. Looks like we're gonna be hunting em down, hm?" He asked Marie, look at her with a cheeky smile.
She nodded, giving him a cheeky smile right back. "Yep. We are Hunters, after all~!"
With that, the two started to follow after the two Kobolds, not knowing that this may have been their worst decision yet..
[Trap #56 Disarmed. You have spent… 5 HOURS Disarming Traps. Your quest is close to expiring.]
Hours had passed at this point. Marcus and Marie hadn't even sniffed a Kobold, let alone seen one.
Marcus was beginning to feel like something was wrong. There were so many traps, but he sensed each one before they stepped on them. Arrows from hidden walls, poison gas canisters—the Kobolds had pulled out all the stops.
"Marcus… My window tells me we're running out of time. The Kobolds of this gate were extremely smart. They've been running from us and letting us get tired from the traps," Marie said, her body looking a little worn out from all the walking. At this point, she had swapped out her sneakers for her hiking boots.
Marcus nodded at her words. "Yeah, I know. Good thing this sword heightens my senses. We should be good for the next fight. If we even get into one." Glancing back, Marcus looked at Paul and his entourage. They hadn't said anything for a while…
Marie suddenly stopped walking, almost causing Marcus to bump into her back. "Woah!"
"Seems like we're here…" Looking up, the two of them saw a simple opening in the cave…They looked at each other, shrugged, then walked through together…
Once past the threshold, Marcus had to stop himself from screaming…
They had entered an opening in the cave, the last 52 Kobolds all standing inside, weirdly wearing armor and holding a… formation?
At the far end sat three Kobolds wearing crowns…
"What the fuck?"
Marcus was so confused… He'd never been the type to study, but he knew monsters never did this. This was just like… No.
[The THREE KINGS have noticed the user.]
"Finally. The human is here," the king with brown fur and red eyes said, his eyes locked with Marcus's. Marcus and Marie felt chills as the beast spoke… Its level wasn't high enough to be named, but some bosses could speak. This was one of them.
"This is the one who killed Bara? I can smell the… disgusting scent on him." The king with red fur and yellow eyes spoke next, covering its nose as it did so… Marcus felt the same sensation he felt when he killed Bara. Disgust.
"Our men did a good job leading him here. He seems smart enough. The only way we could succeed is by luring him the way we did." And finally, the one sitting in the middle, the king in blue, spoke.
"Marcus… This is just like at the Gate of the Abyss…" Marie said, her voice trembling with… fear. She looked to Marcus for reassurance that they'd survive this.
"We'll be fine. We have your father for backup if we need him."
[Your half-truth has been concealed…]
"Just get ready."
He never liked lying to Marie… But he had to. He couldn't tell Marie that her father would never save her in this situation. It was two against fifty… He needed to lock in.
Marie nods, believing his words as she walked through the walkway and into the cavern. Hopping down from the ledge and directly in front of the swarm of Kobolds.
She was immediately ready, her body language already showing that she was ready to cast her taunt skill against the army.
Marcus lands right behind her, sword in his left hand, his right against her right shoulder, letting her know he was there with her. The two of them no longer spoke directly to each other, they didn't need to… They were perfectly in sync.
[MARIE casts TAUN—]
As soon as Marie took a deep breath in to scream, an arrow came flying directly for her neck, her instincts saving her life as she brought her shield up to block the arrow, a clang ringing throughout the cavern, causing her body to shake. "Fuck! Marcus, this might be tough!"
"Calm down!" Marcus looks around himself, they were surrounded at all sides but directly behind them… He needed to think…
"Kill them both." The Blue King would say as the Kobolds immediately charged the two lone hunters.
Arrows and rocks start flying from all over the place, a legion of archers on the far right side, at least ten of them. The keep Marie pinned down, as she not only had to protect herself, but also Marcus.
"Archers?! Seriously?!" Marcus gritted his teeth in anger, his eyes looking around for any opening. Marie wouldn't be able to survive this onslaught on her own, and…
[Integrity: 78/100]
His Integrity was being lowered by something… Was he not fully healed? Or was his power always activated? He didn't know why, but this fight had too many time limits.
The kobolds were getting closer…
"Marcus! Do something! Call Dad!"
Marie was in danger.
Is this how it ends, Marcus?
"Not you again…"
"Marcus, what are you talking about?!" Marie yelled out. She couldn't hear the voice.
Marcus. You have to let me in.
"No I don't! Never again!" Marcus's eyes would immediately open back up, snapping himself out of his stupor before he growled underneath his breath. "I'll clear the way. Follow me!"
BOOM!
Marcus had to stay in a straight line, and he did exactly that, teleporting up to 30 feet away in quick succession. But he didn't teleport just once. He remembered how he killed Bara… He did ten teleports in those quick few seconds, causing shockwaves all about, sending a good bit of the Kobolds tumbling onto their backs.
Marie followed quickly behind, never wavering. "Where are we going, Marcus?!" she yelled out, confused on their plan.
"I'm going to take out their archers first! Keep following my path!" he called out to her before doing another ten teleports directly to their backline archers.
"Human attacking—" Before the Kobold could even finish its sentence, its head was rolling onto the floor, a quick slash from Marcus dispatching him just as quick.
"Nine more," he said, turning to the Kobolds with an expression that read complete efficiency.
[Integrity: 65/100]
"No time." Teleporting again, Marcus slashed five more Kobolds in one movement before doing it again and again. Just as quick as he could move, there were no more archer Kobolds.
Marie arrived a few seconds later, sweat running down her forehead as she looked at the carnage with a smile… "Is there anything I can do for you, Marcus?" She didn't want to seem like she was useless… She had other skills than just being a meat shield.
Nodding his head, Marcus responded, "Yes… Do you have the shield skill?"
"Um... Yeah. But it only works for me." She tilted her head in confusion before turning around and seeing the feral Kobolds beginning to swarm their position.
"Go ahead and cast it. You'll need it." Marcus could feel his entire body breaking underneath the pressure of teleporting so many times in such quick succession. But one thing on his body wasn't even reacting. His blade…
[You've discovered your class feature: UNBREAKABLE SWORD]
[Your sword can store kinetic energy to then be released on its next attack, or every five attacks.]
[Cooldown: Dependent on Kinetic Energy Released]
[Damage: ???]
"Just what I needed." Marcus felt like Destiny was calling his name… Everything worked out for him, eventually. Though, it also felt like it wanted to punish him every chance it got.
[MARIE casts SHIELD]
"Green light." One second, Marcus was standing next to Marie's shield. The next, he was gone. He was gone for an entire 30 seconds.
For everyone else, it was just a blur of black and red, his hair and leather jacket being the only things they could notice.
But for Marcus, he was breaking his body. Teleporting all the way around the area, over and over again. Moving forward, moving backwards, storing all that kinetic energy in his blade, preparing for whatever it was that needed to be done…
"Where hoomie go—?"
One of the Kobolds asked, not knowing the human in question was standing right behind him now, so much kinetic energy stored that the ground didn't even crater yet.
"Fuck off."
"What—?!"
...BOOM!!
A sonic boom so loud it sounded like an atomic bomb went off filled the entire cavern. One second, there were 52 normal Kobolds in the room.
The next, it was almost as if a cave-in happened in real time. Most of the Kobolds turned into bloody red paste, but some kept their bodies intact. A lone slash across their chests, heads, whatever it may be.
[Kinetic Energy Dispersed.]
Marcus nearly fell down to his knees as he felt his entire body screaming for rest. But he couldn't stop just yet.
[Kobolds Killed: 54/54]
[Boss Monsters Killed: 0/3]
He still had a job to do.
"Marcus! Are you OK?!" Marie yelled, running up to her childhood friend and grabbing his head. Marcus was bleeding from his eyes, struggling to keep his entire body upright… This wasn't good at all.
"I'm fine. We still have the boss monsters to kill," Marcus said, looking ahead in anger.
The Three Kings slowly got up from their thrones, and Paul still hadn't moved an inch, nor were the healers healing Marcus.
[Integrity: 4/100]
Marcus couldn't use his power for this fight. He had to use pure swordsmanship to win.
"Fuck me…"