"Be cautious," Thorian intoned, his voice slicing through the tense air as the creature emerged before them. Clutching his Elemental Scepter, he conjured his Flame Fury spell. A dozen formidable fireballs sprang to life, dancing menacingly around him before he hurled them towards the encroaching insectoid creature.
A giant cloud of dust erupted upon impact, obscuring their foe. Yet, as the haze settled, the monster stood revealed, adorned with mere scorch marks against its gleaming golden exoskeleton, largely unscathed.
"It appears we face a formidable adversary," Forlune observed, drawing his new sword with a flourish. In a blur of motion, he charged alongside Zogarth towards the monstrous guardian.
The orc commander unleashed a thunderous warcry, his giant battleaxe descending in a ferocious arc, only to cleave through empty air. Forlune, with unparalleled agility, engaged the guardian, his blade a shimmering streak of light as he executed a flurry of strikes.
Each slash and thrust, however, was effortlessly parried or dodged by the creature, which then retaliated with a powerful kick that sent Forlune tumbling through the air, landing heavily a dozen meters away.
Vigil sprang into action, casting a healing light over the battered Celestial Kobold, and imbuing him with increased strength and resilience. Simultaneously, Nox ensnared the beast within tendrils of shadow. Seizing the moment, Zogarth unleashed a devastating crescent-shaped slash, imbued with a mix of dark and crimson aura.
The beast struggled against its shadowy bonds, breaking free only to be caught off guard by Zogarth's onslaught. The force of the attack sent it reeling back, a deep, jagged gash marring its exoskeleton.
Not one to miss an opening, Thorian summoned a powerful combination spell. Greater Gale Slash. Fire Stream.
The fire beam, unleashed by Thorian, struck its target with unrelenting ferocity, engulfing the creature in a blaze of intense flames. As Thorian stood poised, eagerly anticipating the outcome of his assault, a sudden proliferation of roots burst forth from the creature’s form, their surfaces shimmering with an eerie purple glow.
Recognizing the peril these roots posed, Thorian hastily retreated, yet even his swift reaction proved insufficient. A stray root brushed against his arm, its touch instantly leeching away his mana, leaving him engulfed in an overwhelming tide of exhaustion.
Regaining his composure, Thorian scanned the battlefield, noting the toll the creature's counterattack had exacted. Zogarth and Forlune, similarly afflicted, had succumbed to a knee, while Nox had adeptly evaded the onslaught, and Vigil remained well beyond the reach of harm.
"Vigil, attend to their wounds!" Thorian commanded, urgency lacing his voice.
Acknowledging with a solemn nod, Vigil summoned a cascade of silver light from his staff, bathing Thorian, Zogarth, and Forlune in its restorative embrace. Though their drained mana reserves remained untouched, the weariness that had gripped them began to ebb away under Vigil's blessing.
"We must conclude this battle swiftly," Thorian asserted, his voice resolute.
In response, Forlune's blade ignited with a vibrant purple aura, while Zogarth's form radiated with dark and crimson energies. Concurrently, a radiant golden light unfurled from Vigil's staff, imbuing each of their allies with enhanced speed, strength, and resilience.
Emboldened by this newfound vigor, Thorian initiated his next spell. Bramble Patch.
Roots erupted from the ground at Thorian's command, weaving a labyrinthine barrier that ensnared the creature, severing all avenues of retreat. Trapped and flailing against Thorian's botanical snare, the beast found itself under renewed assault as Zogarth and Forlune launched forward. Their blades, alight with renewed purpose, forced the creature back step by step, cornering it against the walls of the chamber.
As the creature sought a desperate escape, Thorian activated another spell. Quicksand Trap.
As the creature succumbed to Thorian's trap, Nox's shadows surged forward, seizing its limbs in a vice-like grip, rendering it momentarily helpless. Thorian, seizing the moment, invoked another spell. Earth Burial.
Instantly, dense clods of earth and stone converged upon the beast, encapsulating its form within a cubic prison of soil. Forlune and Zogarth, sensing their opportunity, charged their auras to the zenith before unleashing twin strikes upon their ensnared foe, their weapons carving an X-shaped incision through the earthen block.
Witnessing the fragmentation of the creature's once-impenetrable golden exoskeleton, both warriors exhaled a tandem sigh of relief. Yet Thorian remained vigilant, his senses attuned to the battle's unpredictable tide. Without pause, he commenced the incantation for a complex spell, his focus unwavering.
In the interim, a tumultuous burst of roots sprang forth from the creature's disintegrating form, its visage shattering, forsaking any remnants of its former guise. What remained was a creature devoid of form or face, a mutable horror that defied definition.Stolen novel; please report.
Amidst this chaos, the creature's core—previously obscured behind what mimicked eyes—emerged, glowing ominously. Thorian's spell, a fusion of Galeforce Spear and Fire Arrow, materialized into a singular, fiery lance. Propelled with precision, it pierced the air, striking the core directly before the creature could muster its defenses.
Level up!
"Congratulations, adventurers," the dungeon lady intoned at the same time Thorian received the notification, signaling the defeat of the guardian. "You have vanquished the Guardian of the Fifth Layer, the Aurelian Rootwraith. You've shown strength, courage, and exceptional teamwork. The treasure of this layer is yours to claim."
You have successfully cleared the fifth layer of the Verdant Labyrinth. As you are the first to clear this layer of the Verdant Labyrinth, your rewards are doubled.