They needed to get the wounded out of the way.

  Penelope wiggled her toes to make sure her legs were working as Circe poured a Healing Potion on her eyes. Eldri reinforced the wall with her , but that didn’t stop the axe-wielding Demon from hacking away at it.

  “How’s it coming, Circe?” Frederica looked down at Robert’s headless body and clicked her tongue. “Couldn’t have got the problem one…”

  “I think it’s mainly just sealed shut because of the dried blood.” Circe picked at Penelope’s eyelids. “Now that I’ve wetted it, she should be able to open them in a moment.”

  Riva walked over and pulled one of Kent’s daggers out of its sheath. “It would take one second to put an end to his whining.” She glanced down the tunnel at the others. “No one here would say anything.” She touched the tip of the dagger to the unconscious man’s neck. “You don’t even have to do it.”

  “No.” Frederica groaned. “Hell knows I want to, but that’s not how we do things.” She grabbed Kent’s left arm and dragged him up the tunnel towards the barrier. “Bring the others up here.”

  “We’re going to make our stand up there?” Circe tugged on Penelope’s eyes as she turned to look at Frederica.

  “OW!” Penelope swatted Circe’s hand away. “I think I can do it myself.” She rubbed her eyes with her palms. It was like her eyes had been matted with an enormous amount of sleep, but that did the trick, and she was able to open them. She had to squint as the light from her spell burned her eyes.

  “Are you okay? Do you need another potion?” Circe reached into her pocket.

  “I’m fine!” Penelope grabbed Circe’s hand. “My eyes are just adjusting to the light.”

  “Oh.” Circe stood up and offered her hand. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  Penelope looked at the hand, her tingling legs promising to give out if she tried to stand. “Thanks, but I’m going to sit here for just a little bit longer. “ She nodded towards Marlow. “Why don’t you help them get him out of the way?”

  “You sure you’re okay?” Circe eyed Penelope. “You’re not giving me something to do to get rid of me?”

  “Yes.” Penelope pushed Circe away. “But there’s nothing you can do for me right now. I’ll be fine!”

  Circe narrowed her eyes. “I don’t believe you.”

  “Then do you believe that Marlow needs you more right now?” Penelope tilted her head.

  “Ugh!” Circe stomped her foot. “Fine! But I’m coming right back here as soon as I’m done!” The brunette ran over and picked up the graying man. Despite her small frame, she lifted him with ease.

  “You got my back?” Oakley moved in front of her and set his shield in front of the barrier.

  “As much as I can.” Penelope wiggled her fingers, making the hovering overhead dance. “What happened?”

  “From what I can tell, a fear bomb.” Oakley nodded at the women. “Nothing happened to Freddy, Circe, or Riva, but the rest of you…” He shook his head. “Cecil ran into this room and Robert ran up the tunnel…” He pointed in the direction of the women. “While Marlow ran to us.” He turned and pointed down the tunnel. “Eldri and Caleb ran that way, and Eldri got sucked into one of those Belchers.”

  “You weren’t affected?” Penelope turned to her inner voice. Why weren’t they affected?

  “They’re dark affinity. It provides a high resistance to fear.”

  “I’ve got a passive . It makes me more resistant to status effects.” Oakley chuckled. I got it after you were poisoned back in the eleventh column.”

  “Gotcha.” Penelope leaned against the wall and switched to her other vision. It didn’t take long for her to sweep the area.

  “Looking for trouble?” Oakley chuckled.

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  “It’s coming that way.” Penelope pointed to her right. “A Whisper, two Daschers, and two Belchers with a Caster leading them.”

  “That’s not good.” Oakley looked up the tunnel. “Eldri! We need you down here!”

  “I was going to have her stay up here to protect the injured.” Frederica yelled from the end of the tunnel.

  Oakley downed a Mana Potion, then put the bottle back in his pocket. “Fine, but we need you down here; this wall is about to come down, and we’ve got the fourth group coming our way!”

  He pointed his armored right arm down the tunnel to the east and cast his spell.

  Nothing happened.

  Penelope scooted back as she threw her magic down the tunnel. Oakley grabbed her arm as the projectiles popped and vanished.

  “It knows !” Jeru groaned. “This is the worst square for you to be in!”

  CRACK

  CRASH!

  The wall split and the barrier shattered like glass, toppling the top half of the rock wall into the tunnel. The two Whispers blurred out of the room, running straight for the retreating pair.

  “Move!” Circe fired down the hall at the charging creatures.

  Penelope activated , but instead of moving, a wave of nausea doubled her over. Frederica ran past them, slicing the Whisper on her right apart.

  “Freddy! Get back here!”

  Frederica melted into a puddle of shadows on the floor as the Belchers blasted bombs of air down the hall. Oakley took a knee on top of Penelope to shield her with his body as well as his shield. The two blasts pushed them back but otherwise did little damage.

  “I need that Caster DEAD!” Penelope looked up the tunnel at Circe. “I can’t cast anything as long as it’s alive!”

  CLANG!

  The Shadow Warrior’s axe connected with Oakley’s shield.

  “We’ve got a bigger problem!” Oakley braced as he tried to stand, but he couldn’t straighten under the assault.

  “I’m going!” Penelope crawled on her belly with her elbows as she fled up the tunnel. The roar of the Aerberus followed her as Oakley was pushed back with each incoming attack.

  “Somebody do SOMETHING!” Circe shrieked as she fired arrows around the shield in a vain attempt to hit something. Oakley was doing his job to block up most of the tunnel, but that meant that Circe couldn’t fire at any of the things trying to disarm him.

  “I got you!” Riva grabbed Penelope by the collar and hefted her to her feet. She turned to Circe. “We can’t cast anything because of that stupid Demon back there.” She pointed at the Shadow Caster.

  “Oakley! Move to your left!” Circe shifted right and fired a volley of arrows down the tunnel, only to have them snatched out of the air by the two Daschers and Aerberus.

  “YOU STUPID PUPPIES!” Circe shrieked. “I HATE DOGS!” She winced. “Not really, but…” She glared at the Demons. “I HATE THOSE ONES!”

  “Get ready.” Jeru urged.

  I can’t cast any spells; what do I need to—

  Ding!

  Experience +4

  Penelope twice to get to the other end of the tunnel.

  Frederica had used her passive to slip behind the Shadow Caster while everyone was focused on Oakley, then used to take off the Demon’s head. But unlike which didn’t have a cooldown, did. Leaving Frederica behind a lot of Demons with no Tank or support.

  Penelope appeared beside her friend and summoned all three sets of and threw them at the monsters. The tunnel was plunged into darkness as the spell was canceled.

  The images of the monsters were highlighted by the floating orbs for a moment until Eldri cast the spell to illuminate the tunnel once more.

  “GO!” Penelope targeted the Belchers first, taking out the long-range attackers, then turned her attention to the Canines.

  Frederica plunged her daggers through the chins of two of the heads of one of the Aerberus, earning a bite from the third head. The snap as it crunched the bones in her right arm echoed down the tunnel.

  “OWWW!!!” Frederica plunged the dagger in her left hand through the last head’s ear, releasing her other arm from the bear-trap of a bite.

  “I’ve got you!” Circe fired her arrows more freely as Oakley forced the Shadow Warrior back into the room. In seconds, the tunnel only contained dead monsters.

  “Only the boss left.” Jeru counted for her.

  Penelope reached into her pocket and fished out a Mana Potion, downing it. “I’ve got this.” She nodded at Frederica, then to the doorway and then behind the Demon that was trading blows with Oakley. It was overkill, but she summoned all three sets of her favorite spell.

  Ding!

  Experience +4

  Penelope sank to her knees as the soft glow of the lights around the base of the walls signaled that the square was now part of the safe zone.

  “That was…” Oakley dropped his shield and ran forward to catch Penelope before she fell.

  “I think…” Penelope closed her eyes as he laid her down. “We’re done for a while.”

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