A wave of putrid air, thick with the stench of something old and primal, washed over the adventurers. Old memories ran through Pos’ mind. Bad memories of terrible mistakes, faces of dead friends and comrades, losses of fights and battles. They cut into his confidence, eroding his heart. Pos was suddenly afraid. It was a fear that made him want to run, only there’s nowhere to run to. He was in a dungeon! There was only one way out of this. His hands reached for his Recall Stone and-

  “Fear effect! [Priests]!”

  [Aura of Courage], [No Fear], [Stand Against The Storm], a series of spells and Skills washed over the assembled adventurers and Pos felt his heart lifting. That was too close. However, Pos did not have time to reflect as twisted, clawed shapes burst forth from the entrances of all three Rooms. There were over fifty of them. Monsters, a horrifying tide of them, rushed towards the adventurers.

  The first to reach the adventurers were dogs; of the twin-tailed variety.

  Black semi-translucent dogs, each with an elongated face white as bone. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural green, and a viscous, ichorous liquid dripped from their gaping maws. They hit the frontlines of the adventurers like a wave of snarls and claws.

  Bezal roared a command, and the battle began.

  Swords flashed, spells ignited, and the air filled with the clash of steel and claws as the screams of adventurers matched that of the monstrous horde. The adventurers in the front, emboldened by priestly intervention, held the line admirably. They stood strong against the monsters while spells and arrow shot out from behind, killing several of the monster dogs.

  “Above us!”

  At the shout, Pos looked up and saw spiderlike monsters, their multiple eyes gleaming with malevolent intelligence, descending from the ceiling. Once they saw that the adventurers had noticed them, the spiders abandoned their slow quiet descend. They began jumping down, falling behind the frontline of the adventurers!

  Pos found his footing and swung his axe at a descending spider, cutting off one of its legs. The spider fell badly onto the ground, but Pos has no time to finish the job. The battle was joined, and the gathering point became a place of chaos. A guttural shriek ripped through the air as one of the larger spiders, its carapace a glistening green, slammed into the ranks, scattering adventurers with its sheer bulk. Bezal shouted, trying to force the adventurers to maintain their formations but Pos, adrenaline surging, barely heard him. He just fought, his axe a blur of deadly motion, with renewed ferocity.

  All was not lost.

  There was chaos but the adventurers maintained a structure. They may not have a [General] or a [Strategist], but most of the adventurers were experienced, and they knew how to fight against monsters. Spells and arrows rained on the monsters while [Rogues] dart in and out of range with quick movement. Pos was no different. He disrupted the larger spiders' attacks from underneath, ducking below their attacks, and chopping at their vulnerable underbellies. Whoever said that bigger was better had never seen a dwarf fight!

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The battle raged, a swirling vortex of steel, magic, and monstrous fury, but the tide was turning. The adventurers knew they were winning. Warriors like Pos were effective, while archers like Bezal rained down a deadly hail of arrows upon the creatures' backs. Monsters were dropping like flies, while the losses of the adventurers were minimum. Then, cries filled the air.

  A shadow covered Pos. He looked up, and saw a human flying over his head. The human adventurer crashed on the ground, and did not move. Pos wasn’t sure if he ever would again.

  He turned to face the source of the cries and saw another monster. It was a tortoise, the height of three humans, marching through the frontline of the adventurers like the [Knights] and [Shieldmen] weren’t even there. Pos cursed. It was a Boss.

  The dungeon core had sent a Boss against them!

  Pos saw several green vines protruding out of the monster’s shell, lashing against any nearby adventurer. The strikes were powerful. Adventurers were sent flying and dust and debris showered the air when one of the vines struck the ground. The vines also kept the frontline adventurers at a distance, and the few adventurers who managed to get close found that their swords were useless against the tortoise’s tough green shell.

  However, experience told. Despite the arrival of this new threat, the adventurers held firm. Tactics changed as adventurers retreated from the giant tortoise and a barrage of magic and arrows filled the air.

  The change was not enough.

  The monster retreated into its shell and spells and arrows exploded harmlessly against it’s shell. The surviving spider and dog monsters used the opportunity to surge forward. When the rain of spells and arrows ceased, the turtle came back out and continued its march. Adventurers looked at the approaching Boss and retreated further in horror. None of them could faced it. Morale was dropping. Adventurers were still fighting, and Pos knew with chilling certainty that something must be done.

  A vine whipped towards him and Pos rolled aside, narrowly avoiding the brutal strike. Pos scrambled to his feet, and with courage he did not know he possessed, he rushed the monster.

  [White Tiger Movement]

  In the blink of an eye, Pos covered the five metres between him and the tortoise. He swung his axe, and the tortoise could not retreat in time. With momentum of the dungeon technique behind him, Pos’ axe bit into the neck of the monster. A geyser of red liquid erupted from the Boss, staining the ground of the gathering point. The monstrous tortoise shuddered, its colossal form momentarily still. Then, Pos saw it’s eyes sharpened. The Boss turned its attention towards him.

  Silence descended.

  Pos stood still in fear, unable to move as the Boss opened its mouth and bit the dwarf in the shoulder. The world exploded in pain. Pos crumpled and he screamed as he heard his bones break. His axe clattered to the now muddy ground, but it wasn’t over. The monster did not let go of him. Instead, it’s neck rose, and with Pos still firmly in it’s mouth, swung viciously to its side.

  Pos flew. He arced through the air like a ragdoll towards the high ceiling of the cavern, before coming down to impact the earth with a sickening thud. The world swirled as his broken body screamed in protest with every ragged breath.

  His world was pain.

  It was spinning

  Then, through it all, Pos heard a shout.

  “Get it!”