Gerard took the lead without a word. His massive silhouette, emphasized by his worn plate armor, stood before them.
" T formation, " he ordered in a low and authoritative voice. His tone left no room for hesitation. It was as if an inner switch had been flipped, shifting him from a gruff group leader into a seasoned soldier ready for battle.
Lyna moved into position on his right, her short sword already drawn. She moved with a lightness that contrasted sharply with Gerard's heaviness. Aaron stood slightly behind, an arrow nocked to the string of his bow. His gaze swept through the darkness with total focus.
Jessica remained at the center of the formation. As a support mage, she was the fragile core of this war machine. Ken stayed at the rear, a curious observer.
They advanced about ten meters when the first sound reached Ken's ears. A dry scraping, like iron claws dragging against stone. The noise was quick and jagged, as if it came from everywhere at once.
" They are coming, " Aaron murmured. His ear had caught the vibration. He turned his torso to the left, his bow following the motion smoothly.
Suddenly, a silhouette burst from a crevice in the wall, five meters above. It was the first time Ken saw a Zorth Clawer. The creature resembled an emaciated primate, covered in gray, oily skin, hairless, with abnormally long limbs.
What stood out most were its hands. Four fifteen centimeter claws, black and razor sharp, had replaced its fingers.
The creature did not scream. It hurled itself into the void, claws forward, aiming straight for Gerard's head. The movement was primitively savage, a straight trajectory meant to tear flesh apart on impact.
Gerard did not flinch. He raised his shield at the moment of impact. The collision rang out, metal striking chitin. The monster slid across the curved surface of the shield, its claws carving deep grooves into the already damaged iron.
" Now! " Gerard roared. Taking advantage of the creature's imbalance, he slammed it sideways with his shield, sending it crashing a few meters across the ground.
Before the creature could recover, a whistling arrow cut through the air. Aaron aimed for one of the joints in its hind leg. The steel tip buried itself into the flesh with a sickening sound.
The monster let out a shrill scream that pierced Ken's ears. It tried to leap again, but its injured leg collapsed under its weight. That was the opening Lyna had been waiting for.
She lunged forward like a coiled spring. Her short sword traced an invisible arc. She did not seek brute strength, but surgical precision. The blade met the creature's neck where the skin seemed thinnest.
A spray of dark blood splattered the ground, and the creature's head rolled a few centimeters. Its body collapsed in a final spasm. It was over in less than five seconds, a cold efficiency that left Ken stunned.
Ken stared at the lifeless body, the sharp smell of blood rising toward him. To his surprise, he felt no disgust. On the contrary, a strange shiver ran down his spine. Watching that animal life fade beneath steel gave him an indescribable sensation.
What is this was the question he asked himself about his own feelings
" Do not lose focus, even if you are doing nothing! " Gerard snapped without turning around. He seemed irritated by Ken's calm, or perhaps simply asserting his authority. Ken did not know. Only the blood interested him as they resumed their march.
Three more Zorth Clawers emerged from the now wider cavern, moving along the walls with agility. They used their claws like anchors, trying to surround the group from above.
" Jessica, " Gerard called.
" Yes. " The mage clasped her hands and whispered a quick incantation. A sphere of intense white light burst above their heads, flooding the cavern with blinding clarity.
The monsters shrieked in pain, their bulging eyes unable to endure the visual assault. They lost their grip, falling from the walls like ripe fruit.
" Aaron, left! Lyna, right! I take the middle one! " The team's coordination was impressive. Ken found it hard to believe that none of them, not even Gerard, had reached level fifteen. They moved with the familiarity of countless hours spent together in the depths.
Aaron released two arrows in a fraction of a second. The first struck a monster in the shoulder, pinning it to the ground, while the second pierced its skull. The creature collapsed without a sound.
Lyna, on her side, flowed through a series of movements, dodging a desperate strike from the monster on the right. She spun, using her momentum to drive her blade between the creature's ribs. She withdrew her sword cleanly, releasing another stream of dark fluid.
Gerard simply crushed the third monster. He blocked its claws with his shield before bringing his longsword down in a devastating vertical strike. The creature was split in two, its insides spilling across the bluish stone.
Ken watched the carnage with morbid fascination. Every movement, every drop of blood fed his need for violence. It felt like witnessing a magnificent performance, one in which he was nothing more than a frustrated spectator.
His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword, still sheathed. His blood pounded in his temples. A part of him burned with the urge to throw himself into the fray, to feel flesh resist beneath his blade.
But Ken remained still. He had to stay calm and suppress that visceral urge to kill so as not to appear suspicious to his teammates.
" Are you alright, Ken? " Jessica asked, approaching him to check if he had been hit. Her face looked concerned, marked by the strain of her magic.
" Yes, I am fine, " he replied in a neutral tone, masking the adrenaline that made his muscles tremble. He gave her a brief nod before returning to his position. Lyna glanced at him from the front before turning back toward Aaron.
The advance continued for an hour. They crossed several chambers inhabited by small groups of Zorth Clawers. The team handled each encounter with precision, though Jessica seemed increasingly exhausted.
Aaron retrieved his arrows whenever possible, while Lyna regularly wiped her blade on the skin of fallen creatures. Gerard remained vigilant, scanning the surroundings.
" We are entering the intermediate zone you know what that means, " Gerard announced. Dungeons had three zones the lower zone, the intermediate zone with creatures twice as strong, and the upper zone housing the bosses.
The tunnel opened into a vast chamber dotted with crystalline stalactites. At the center, six Zorth Clawers seemed to be waiting for them. But these were different.
They were nearly twice the size of the previous ones. Their muscles bulged beneath their gray skin, and their ebony claws gleamed with an unhealthy sheen under the bluish light.
" Tight formation! " Gerard shouted.
Two Zorths charged head on while the other four split apart to flank them. It was a sophisticated maneuver for rank F creatures.
Gerard absorbed the first charge, his shield vibrating under the force of the impact. He had to step back to keep his balance. The Clawer unleashed a rapid series of strikes, searching for weaknesses in his armor.
Lyna moved to assist Gerard but was immediately engaged by one of the flanking creatures. She parried repeatedly, her short blade struggling against the relentless attacks.
Aaron tried to adjust his shots, but the monsters moved too quickly, using the pillars as cover. " They are not giving me an angle! " he shouted, frustration in his voice.
Jessica attempted to cast a protective spell on Gerard, but a Clawer leapt toward her, forcing her to break her incantation to dodge. The formation stretched under the pressure.
The battle reached its peak. The air was filled with the clash of blades against claws, the shrieks of monsters, and the heavy breathing of the fighters. The smell of blood and sweat became overwhelming.
Ken took a step forward, almost without realizing it. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword. He wanted to strike to cut. That thirst for blood had become a physical pain in his chest, a vital need to exist through violence.
But he saw Gerard shove his opponent back with a powerful shoulder strike before following with a thrust that pierced the creature's torso.
Lyna, seizing an opening created by one of Aaron's arrows, cut through a Clawer's tendons before driving her sword into its eye socket. The monster collapsed with a cry of agony.
Seeing their kin fall, the rest of the pack hesitated. Their coordination broke, replaced by animal panic. The team did not miss the opportunity.
Within minutes, the remaining Clawers were slaughtered. The chamber had become a graveyard of gray flesh and black blood. Gerard lowered his shield, breathing heavily.
" Is everyone intact? " he asked, scanning the group. He looked exhausted, but satisfied. Lyna nodded while cleaning her blade, while Aaron gathered his projectiles in silence.
Ken forced himself to loosen his grip on his sword. His knuckles were white. He steadied his breathing, trying to calm the fire burning in his veins. No one had to know what had crossed his mind.
" We take a five minute break, " Gerard declared. " Check your gear. It will not get easier from here. " He handed a vial to Jessica, who simply took it.
Ken sat on a flat rock, apart from the group. He looked at his hands. They were not trembling from fear, but from frustration. He had been born for this he had been born to slaughter monsters and to him this was the greatest blessing that could exist confirming his resolve
After the break, they resumed their march through a narrow tunnel that sloped downward. The air grew heavier, filled with a malevolent energy that pulsed through the ground.
Encounters with Clawers became rarer, but each monster was a solitary beast, stronger and more ferocious than the last. The team needed three or four members just to bring one down.
Finally, after a last turn, they emerged before an imposing structure. Two massive doors of black stone blocked the way.
The aura emanating from the doors was crushing. Even from ten meters away, Ken felt as though an invisible hand was squeezing his heart. This was likely the boss room.
Gerard stopped abruptly before the monumental entrance. He placed a hand on the stone, his eyes fixed on the glowing runes. He seemed aware of the challenge his massive frame suddenly looked small before the door.
" This is it, " he said. His teammates gathered behind him, their faces marked by both determination and apprehension.
Ken remained at the rear, staring at the door with excitement.
" Get ready, " Gerard added, gripping the iron handles. " Once we are inside, there is no turning back. " He cast one last glance at the group before pushing the heavy stone doors open.
[You have entered the boss room Zorth Clawer rank F]