The massive stone doors groaned as they slowly opened.
Cold air rolled out like a wave.
Marcus stepped through first.
His boots echoed across polished stone.
Then he stopped.
"...Oh."
Lyrielle stepped beside him.
Her violet eyes widened slightly.
"This place…"
It was beautiful.
Or at least it had been.
The final floor of the dungeon was a massive monastery.
Tall stone pillars supported an arched ceiling that stretched nearly fifty feet overhead. Broken stained glass windows allowed pale gray light to spill across the floor. Long rows of stone benches faced a raised altar at the far end of the chamber.
Dust covered everything.
Time had eaten away at the walls.
Ancient murals of priests and holy warriors were cracked and faded.
And in the center of the monastery…
A figure floated several feet above the ground.
Wrapped in rotting purple robes.
A long skeletal hand gripped a twisted black staff.
Blue fire burned inside empty eye sockets.
Marcus exhaled slowly.
"Well."
"There he is."
The Lich.
The system window appeared immediately.
Dungeon Boss Detected
Boss: Lich – Keeper of the Monastery
Level: 15
Abilities:
• Raise Undead
• Dark Bolt
• Mana Drain
• Bone Prison
Marcus folded his arms.
"Okay."
"That's concerning."
The lich slowly turned its skull toward them.
Its voice echoed through the monastery like dry leaves scraping stone.
"Intruders."
The air suddenly grew colder.
"Your bones will serve my army."
Marcus sighed.
"You guys always say that."
Then the lich raised its staff.
Dark energy exploded outward.
The stone floor cracked open.
Bones erupted from the ground.
One.
Five.
Ten.
Twenty.
Skeleton soldiers clawed their way out of the monastery floor.
Marcus blinked.
Then slowly smiled.
"...Oh."
Lyrielle looked at him.
"My lord?"
Marcus pointed at the skeletons.
"That's what Liliana meant."
The skeletons finished forming.
Five warriors.
Five archers.
Five mages.
Five priests.
A full undead squad.
The wolves stepped forward instinctively.
Marcus raised his hand.
"Wait."
The skeleton army charged.
Marcus grinned.
"Actually…"
He pointed forward.
"Kill them."
The Discovery
The battle ended quickly.
The wolves shredded the frontline warriors.
Lyrielle's arrows eliminated the archers.
The arachne hunted the mages.
And the skeleton priests supported everyone with healing.
The last skeleton priest collapsed.
Then something happened.
Twenty glowing lights burst across the monastery floor.
Marcus blinked.
"...Wait."
He walked forward slowly.
Cards littered the ground.
Weapons.
Armor.
Skills.
Unit cards.
Marcus picked up the first card.
Unit Card – Skeleton Warrior
Rank: C
Another.
Unit Card – Skeleton Archer
Rank: C
Another.
Skill Card – Dark Bolt
Rank: C
Another.
Iron Longsword
Rank: F
Marcus looked at the massive pile of loot.
Then he slowly turned toward the lich.
The undead boss floated calmly across the room.
Its staff glowing again.
The lich began chanting.
More bones burst from the ground.
Another wave of skeletons began forming.
Marcus's grin slowly widened.
"Oh."
"Oh this is beautiful."
Lyrielle tilted her head.
"My lord?"
Marcus gestured at the new skeletons.
"He summons them."
Lyrielle nodded.
"Yes."
Marcus then pointed at the loot pile.
"And they drop full loot tables."
Lyrielle blinked.
"...Oh."
Marcus turned back to the lich.
"Don't kill the boss."
Everyone paused.
The lich finished summoning.
Twenty more skeletons rose.
Marcus cracked his knuckles.
"We're farming this guy."
The Rotation System
The next hour turned into something completely different.
Not a boss fight.
A harvest.
Every time the lich finished summoning—
Marcus's army destroyed the skeletons.
More loot dropped.
Cards stacked higher.
Weapons filled his inventory.
Armor pieces piled up.
Skill cards continued appearing.
Marcus began organizing the group.
"Alright."
"Wolves frontline."
"Arachne ambush the casters."
"Lyrielle snipes the priests."
The skeleton healers remained behind the line.
Healing anyone who took damage.
The system worked beautifully.
Soon Marcus noticed something else.
Fatigue.
Even with healing, constant combat wore down stamina.
So Marcus created a rotation system.
Half the wolves fought.
Half rested.
Two arachne fought.
Two rested.
Lyrielle alternated between volleys and breaks.
The skeleton priests never tired.
They simply kept healing.
Hour after hour passed.
Skeletons rose.
Skeletons died.
Loot exploded across the monastery floor.
Marcus leaned against one of the pillars during a rest cycle.
He looked at his inventory.
It had become absurd.
Unit cards stacked by the dozens.
Skill cards.
Armor.
Weapons.
His army was becoming stronger every hour.
Lyrielle walked over.
"My lord."
Marcus looked up.
"Yeah?"
She glanced toward the lich.
"It appears weaker."
Marcus looked back.
The lich floated near the altar now.
Its robe hung heavier.
Its movements slower.
Then it raised its staff again.
The summoning circle appeared.
But this time…
Only five skeletons crawled out of the ground.
Marcus blinked.
"...Huh."
Lyrielle frowned slightly.
"It may be exhausting its mana."
Marcus crossed his arms.
The lich tried again.
Another weak summoning circle appeared.
Three skeletons.
Marcus chuckled.
"I think we broke him."
The lich's blue flames flickered weakly.
Its staff trembled.
Marcus pushed himself off the pillar.
"Alright."
He stretched his arms.
"Looks like the farm is closing."
The wolves stood again.
The arachne moved into position.
Lyrielle lifted her bow.
Marcus looked at the exhausted lich.
"Thanks for the loot."
Then he pointed forward.
"Kill the boss."
And the final battle of the dungeon…
Was about to begin.