Cold air swallowed Marcus the moment he stepped through the dungeon gate.
The smell hit him first.
Rotting earth.
Dust.
Ancient stone.
It smelled like something that had been buried for centuries and recently clawed its way back to the surface.
Marcus blinked as his eyes adjusted to the dim light.
They were standing in a cemetery.
A massive one.
Crooked gravestones stretched across the landscape like broken teeth. Dead trees clawed at a permanently gray sky, their branches twisted into skeletal fingers. The ground itself looked soft and disturbed, as if something had dug its way out from below.
A pale blue moon hung overhead, bathing the graveyard in ghostly light.
Marcus slowly exhaled.
"Well… this is cheerful."
Behind him, the wolves stepped forward cautiously.
The arachne's legs clicked softly against the stone path.
Lyrielle moved beside Marcus, her bow already raised.
"My lord…"
Her voice was quiet.
"There are enemies ahead."
Marcus nodded.
He saw them too.
Several figures wandered between the tombstones.
Skeletons.
Dozens of them.
White bones clattered softly as they walked.
Some carried rusted swords and shields.
Others held bows.
A few wore rotting robes.
One skeleton held a crooked staff glowing faintly blue.
Marcus narrowed his eyes.
Then the system window appeared.
Dungeon Floor 1
Enemy Type: Undead Legion
Enemy Composition:
• Skeleton Warrior
• Skeleton Archer
• Skeleton Mage
• Skeleton Priest
Enemies Remaining: 40
Boss: None
Marcus scratched his chin.
"...Okay."
Then he noticed something else.
The skeletons were not wandering randomly.
They moved in groups of five.
Each group had the same formation.
Two warriors in front.
An archer behind them.
A mage beside the archer.
And a priest standing slightly behind the others.
Marcus blinked.
"They're organized."
Lyrielle nodded slowly.
"Yes."
The wolf alpha growled quietly.
These weren't mindless undead.
Marcus watched one of the patrol groups move between graves.
The skeleton warriors walked in front with shields raised.
The archer kept distance.
The mage muttered faint spells.
And the priest glowed with faint healing light.
Marcus whistled softly.
"They have a full party comp."
Lyrielle frowned.
"My lord… that means they will support each other."
Marcus grinned.
"So do we."
He pointed forward.
"Wolves take the warriors."
The wolf demi-humans nodded.
"Arachne focus the casters."
The spider women crouched low.
"Lyrielle."
"Take the archer."
She smiled slightly.
"As you command."
Marcus raised his hand.
"Meteor stays on reserve."
Then he whispered.
"Let's pull the first group."
The wolf alpha stepped forward slowly.
He picked up a small stone and threw it.
The rock clacked against a gravestone.
One of the skeleton warriors turned its skull slowly.
Its hollow eye sockets locked onto them.
Then the priest skeleton raised its staff.
Blue light flared.
The entire group snapped into formation.
The warrior skeletons raised their shields.
The archer pulled an arrow.
The mage began chanting.
Marcus sighed.
"Alright."
"Here we go."
The First Battle
The skeleton warriors charged first.
Their bones clattered loudly as they rushed forward with surprising speed.
The wolf alpha met them head-on.
Steel slammed against bone.
The clash echoed across the cemetery.
Marcus winced slightly.
"Okay they hit harder than normal skeletons."
Behind the warriors, the skeleton mage finished its spell.
A ball of blue flame shot toward the wolves.
"Incoming!" Marcus shouted.
One of the arachne leapt forward.
Her web shot out like a net.
The fireball slammed into the webbing and exploded harmlessly.
Marcus blinked.
"Nice!"
The arachne hissed proudly.
Meanwhile Lyrielle fired.
Her arrow sliced through the air.
THUNK.
The skeleton archer's skull exploded into fragments.
The body collapsed instantly.
Marcus pumped his fist.
"One down!"
But the skeleton priest raised its staff.
Holy energy surged.
The damaged skeleton warrior's bones began knitting back together.
Marcus groaned.
"Oh come on."
Lyrielle immediately shifted targets.
Her next arrow flew straight into the priest.
CRACK.
The skeleton priest collapsed into a pile of bones.
The wolves finished the warriors seconds later.
The skeleton mage tried to retreat.
But an arachne pounced from above.
Her spear stabbed straight through the ribcage.
The mage crumbled instantly.
Silence returned to the cemetery.
Marcus blinked.
"...That was harder than expected."
Then something strange happened.
Light burst from the skeleton remains.
Five cards fell to the ground.
Marcus walked forward and picked them up.
Unit Card – Skeleton Warrior
Rank: C
Unit Card – Skeleton Archer
Rank: C
Unit Card – Skeleton Mage
Rank: C
Unit Card – Skeleton Priest
Rank: C
Marcus grinned widely.
"Oh this is beautiful."
Lyrielle tilted her head.
"My lord?"
Marcus held up the cards.
"Each one dropped a unit card."
Lyrielle's eyes widened slightly.
"That is… extremely valuable."
Marcus laughed.
"Yeah."
"That's my talent."
Then he looked across the cemetery.
Seven more patrol groups wandered between the graves.
Thirty-five undead left.
Marcus rolled his shoulders.
"Alright."
"Let's keep going."
The Hardest Floor
The battles quickly grew intense.
Each group fought like trained soldiers.
The warriors blocked attacks.
The priests healed damage.
The mages cast fire and frost spells.
And the archers constantly repositioned.
Marcus had to think carefully.
They began using ambush tactics.
Arachne dropping from trees.
Wolves flanking the backline.
Lyrielle sniping the priests first.
Marcus used Meteor only when necessary.
Each cast crushed entire groups of skeletons.
But the mana drain was real.
By the sixth battle his breathing had grown heavier.
The final group nearly broke their formation.
Two skeleton warriors pushed through the wolves and charged Marcus directly.
Marcus barely dodged the first sword swing.
"Whoa!"
Lyrielle shot the archer instantly.
But the skeleton priest kept healing the warriors.
Marcus cursed.
"Alright."
"Meteor!"
The sky above the dungeon cracked.
A glowing stone screamed downward.
BOOM.
The meteor crushed the priest and mage instantly.
The wolves tore apart the warriors seconds later.
Marcus leaned forward slightly.
"Man… these guys were tough."
Lyrielle wiped dust from her armor.
"But we prevailed."
Marcus nodded.
He looked around the graveyard.
Skeleton remains covered the ground.
Forty undead defeated.
Cards littered the battlefield.
Then the system window appeared.
Dungeon Floor 1 Cleared
Enemies Defeated: 40
Rewards Distributed
Proceed to Floor 2
In the distance…
A stone stairway slowly rose from the ground.
Leading deeper into darkness.
Marcus smiled.
"Well."
He picked up the last skeleton card.
"Let's see what's downstairs."
And together… they descended onto the second floor.