The two squads stood-off against each other. The air grew tense and heavy with aggression…it was clear from the beginning that these two squads did not like each other and had come together only because of necessity.
"Let's just clear this dungeon and get out of here." Hector said cutting the tension as he walked toward the tunnel where the bear emerged.
'Brave…or stupid…and unarmed healer walking past two armed groups.' Cliff thought to himself as he did mental gymnastics trying to figure out his best play under the circumstances.
Slowly Cliff and his men relaxed and followed the healer into the tunnel.
"Here take these…drink them when I give the signal." Arthos whispered as he discretely passed two separate bottles to Wain and Kristan.
The two squads resumed their normal positions as they walked together deeper into the dungeon.
"Earlier, why did you call the beast a glass bear?" Arthos asked.
"Oh, that's what people call them. I guess it's because these bears feed on mana crystals. Well, they eat anything really…including mana crystals. That's what gives them that shimmering look on their fur." Cliff said as the two slowly attempted to bury their misgivings.
"There's more of them up ahead." Kristan whispered as they approached another open chamber.
"Get ready to fight!" Cliff shouted.
Within seconds, a group of 12-14 glass bears rushed toward the group. Their movement made the earth rumble under their stomps…the air vibrated heavy like a sandstorm…or like a chorus of thunderstorms. The party braced in preparation of the overwhelming force coming their way.
"There are too many of them…we need to fall back!" Cliff shouted.
"Wait! I have an idea! Wain! Spray the ground with fire…try creating a straight line…like a firewall…a thick wall of fire! Can you do that? We need to funnel the bears in and limit their movement." Arthos shouted.
WOOSH
Two walls of fire suddenly appeared on the ground…the bears slowed their advance, reached a complete stop, growled loudly, then redirected their approach while avoiding the firewalls that suddenly appeared from the ground.
"It worked! It worked! Wain, keep the firewalls up…we need to funnel these bears and limit their numbers." Arthos said triumphantly.
With their mobility hindered, the bears were forced to attack in waves of two. The party was easily able to handle the bears two at a time.
!ALERT!
[YOU LEVELED UP!]
[YOU LEVELED UP!]
Arthos smiled with satisfaction…they managed to defeat the mob of bears, score three level-ups, and a sizeable coin amount. The party continued forward deeper into the mountain encountering six other large chambers fill with 12-18 bears each.
"I need a quick break…creating and sustaining these firewalls is draining my MP quick." Wain said in a wheezing voice…clearly exhausted from using so much MP.
"Good idea…let's take a quick break." Cliff ordered. The party separated as each hero found a good spot to rest.
"Hey…so…are you like WITH those guys?" Arthos asked in a low whisper.
"Na…this is my first time working with them…I was referred to them from an info-broker." Hector replied.
"Up ahead…I think we will encounter the dungeon boss…here take this…just in case." Arthos said as he discretely handed a bottle to Hector.
"Wait…is this…" Hector recognized the bottle but stopped mid-sentence. He looked down at Arthos intently for a few seconds…then silently stored the bottle in his inventory.
Ten minutes later, the group resumed their advance deeper into the dungeon. After a few minutes of walking, they approached the largest cavern…it felt like a giant dome shaped cathedral in the heart of the mountain. At the center of the dome stood the dungeon boss.
!ALERT!
[DUNGEON BOSS – BEAR CHIEF]
[LEVEL 50]
The Bear Chief stood up on its hind legs…like a towering hulking mountain of muscle and meat easily 2x or 3x bigger than the other bears. Its claws looked like iron daggers welded straight into the bone. It's course coat of fur appeared to glisten as it moved toward the group…its dark ember eyes locked onto the unwelcomed guests.
"He's a big one! Everyone, assume your positions here he comes!" Cliff ordered sharply.
The bear stampeded towards the group, knocking Kristan back despite using her ANCHOR skill. She gritted her teeth and let out a groan as her entire body strained to defend against the bear's claws.
"Well…good luck to you…" Cliff said cheerfully as he and his companions leisurely walked away laughing…like a school group at the zoo casually walking by, while observing the animals.
"Those bastards betrayed us…their plan was to leave us here to die." Kristan groaned as she struggled to defend against the powerful bear attacks…each strike felt like a landslide crashing against her shield.
Arthos glanced back and waited a few seconds before giving the command.
"WAIN!!!" He shouted.
On cue, Wain unleashed a powerful fireball aimed at the bear's head. The attack was not strong enough to seriously injure the bear…it simply served as a momentary distraction…buying time for the next move. As soon as the attack made contact, Arthos screamed.
NOW!!!"
Immediately Arthos, Wain, Kristan, and Hector proceeded to drink their potions. Within a second, their bodies (including weapons and armor) went invisible.
!ALERT!
[POTION OF INVISIBILITY USED]
[Avatar is invisible for 30 seconds]
The Bear Chief looked around confused for a few seconds…then he spotted Cliff and his buddies walking away deep inside a tunnel. It let out a powerful roar…provoked by the fireball attack earlier. It dashed toward Cliff and his companions like a tsunami gaining momentum with every step.