Gorbel yelled out in a loud voice that echoed down the cavern. "I'll draw the big one off to the right, it's in the lead. Asti and Fangrim, sorry mates, you can at least taunt and you each have shields. It’s up to you to draw the other two to the left. Keep them busy and let people gain some room. We have to split the damn things up, and get away."

Milo felt things slowing down. Or rather, his thoughts sped up. This happened now and then when he concentrated on a problem. This is what made he and his team able to hack so easily into systems. When plugged into their machines and using their special programs they processed things far faster than a normal human. And right now, Milo had a problem to solve.

Split up, the miners weren't going to be able to take down the monsters, the best they could do was slow them down or split them up. The danger was if the lurkers followed them as a group to the more populated mines.

They could try to delay two and fight one, but with just a shield, sooner or later Fangrim or Asti was going to get a broken arm or knocked down. Gorbel on his own against the big one might have the same problem. No matter how he looked at it, people were going to die.

Whirling Bones

Spectral Spine

Throwing bones into the air from a pouch, the spells created a whirling haze around Milo as a long, spectra whip seemed to grow like some strange sort of tail. Some of the miners paused. Milo yelled out. "Keep to the plan, but I'm with Gorbel." Between the two of them, they might be able to kill one. But Gorbel on his own was a dead man.

=*=

The halfling was a hundred feet up the tunnel already, followed by the stumbling ranger. The mage pauses and looked back. "Elvarion, I'm staying. Go keep our rogue out of trouble." The ranger didn't bother to argue, he knew that look in her eye. "Good luck Belinda."

Belinda had hated the plan to explore in the dark looking for monsters. But she had played with her friends since they had been seven years-old and running around in EOQ2 killing bixies and womp rats in the newbie zones. She hated their crazy ideas but sometimes things worked out and they had a great time. This wasn't one of them.

GENESIS seemed a lot more real, and when NPCs died it just felt wrong. Losing two of their group was bad enough but they'd limp back after a day and they might even get their gear back. She wasn't sure about the NPC's. They seemed so real.

There had been that time that the goblin raiders had chased them back to a village. Lots of people had died. That village was still half empty a week later and there had been harsh words cast at them.

Rufus and Frosty were already dead and Elvarion was wounded and had lost his bow. So they weren't gaming the rest of the weekend anyway. She lost nothing by helping, although she'd miss her Healer's Staff and Robe of Twilight's End if she lost them. As she moved closer to one of the groups of miners, she saw one of them begin casting spells. They felt a lot more powerful than hers. He must be dumping a ton of mana into them. It looked like a defensive shield and some type of weapon. The way the long bony whip moved back and forth made him look like he was wagging a tail.

She didn't have long to ponder the strange mage, as the stone lurkers left the tunnel, the huge one that had killed Rufus in the lead.

Bone Crusher Elite Level? Stone Lurker

massive armor, massive mitigation, bone shattering attacks

=*=

Milo saw Gorbel taunt Bone Crusher and the huge monster started to run at him. The other miners moved up to the tunnel entrance and threw rocks and taunted the two other monsters to get their attention and then turned and moved to the left, separating them from the larger one.

Gorbel was yelling at the creature and striking it with his pick. He managed to dodge one slow strike, and caught the next one on his shield. Milo could tell it hit harder than the others. Gorbel was driven backwards a couple of feet and barely kept his balance. "I've got its attention Milo, do what you can."

Milo moved up behind Bone Crusher, wary of its rear legs, and case Brittle Bones. The spell cost 100 mana and took him down to 260/560 mana. His first swing with Shadowblight did the expected two points of damage. He kept swinging his weapon at the monster’s carapace over and over doing only 2 points of damage each time.

Gorbel was having a worse time. This monster hit much harder than the smaller version. He knew his shield couldn't take many more hits. He was constantly circling back and to his right, angling his shield to deflect glancing blows, and trying to dodge what he could.

Bone Crusher was not only bigger, but was also a lot smarter than his smaller cousins. The annoying dwarf was moving to the side to make him circle. Bone Crusher countered that by moving to the side quickly on his four legs, and circling in the other direction. Gorbel had to quickly adjust, and couldn’t avoid taking a punch from a stony forelimb that rocked him backwards. His shield dented in the middle and Milo heard a sound like a piece of wood breaking.

Gorbel scrambled backwards, a small sound of pain escaping his lips as he sucked in his breath. He tried to get away from the stone lurker, but a loose rock tripped him up and he fell flat on his back.

As Bone Crusher moved in for the kill, Milo tried to get its attention. He leaped onto the creatures back and brought Shadowblight down onto the monster’s head. Simultaneously, he wrapped the ten-foot long, bony tail around the fore-limb about to crush the dwarf.

Nothing in the spell had said anything about how you had to hold the magical whip. Milo was using his tail. It essentially gave him a ten-foot-long extension and he used it that way with ease. Shadowblight came down, puncturing the monster’s skull, with less results than Milo had hoped for.

You have hit! This makes the 15th time you have hit Bone Crusher.

Damage +150

To hit bonus +75%

Evasion bonus +75%

You have Critically Hit Bone Crusher for 4 damage.

Bone Crusher seemed confused by the spectral bones wrapping around his fore-limb but attempted to hit Gorbel anyway. Milo suddenly found himself swung off of Bone Crusher's back, and swung in an arc that ended with him hitting the dwarf and knocking him out of the way. Both took minimal damage from the hit. Gorbel just kept rolling and scrambled to his feet.

Milo found himself lifted by his tail, and swinging back and forth in front of the delighted monster. Bone Crushed lifted him up the way a fisherman checks to see what fish he caught. The other rocky fore-limb was coming around.

If Milo had ever played tether-ball, he might have appreciated his position more. The hit took him in the side of his head and knocked him counter-clockwise, around and around the other forelimb, unwrapping his tail. After three revolutions his tail came loose and he soared through the air fifteen feet, landing in a roll on the hard stone and coming to his feet unsteadily.

Evasion was mitigated by your inability to dodge. You have been hit by Bone Crusher for 200 points of damage.

Damage is halved because of your Hard-Runed Bones.

Bone Breaker effect is negated because of your Hard-Runed Bones.

Health 310/410

Gorbel managed to stand. Milo yelled at him. "Get moving. I'll stall it a bit and then catch up." Gorbel didn't have to be told twice. He was no longer worried about Milo. He'd just seen him take a punch to the head that should have shattered his skull, and then watched him used the momentum of the hit to escape the creature.

Gorbel unstrapped and dropped his shield and retreated, holding his broken arm. Bone Crusher turned to follow, and Milo raced up to hit for another 2 points of damage. He got in two more hits before the monster decided he wasn't easily catching the dwarf, and the other small thing was still chipping away at it. Bone Crusher turned and tried to slam Milo, but the were-rat was on solid ground now, and dodged.

More than dodged, he saw the hit coming and easily just stepped out of the way. The longer the fight went on, the better Milo got at not getting hit. Whirling Bones gave his opponent a -15% chance to hit him. Shadowblight’s curse on Bone Crusher was now giving him an additional -90% chance to tag the quick dodging rat. With Acrobatics and Dodge, the chance of Milo getting hit was small, and got smaller with each hit by Shadowblight on the stone lurker.

They continued their absurd dance; Milo unable to do more than 2 damage and Bone Crusher unable to hit Milo.

Even after 22 hits he was still only doing 2 points of damage. Finally, he managed to slightly injure the creature.

You have hit Bone Crusher, a Level? Elite stone lurker.

This is the 25th time you have hit this creature.

Damage +250

To hit bonus +125%

Evasion bonus +125%

Damage 7 points x150%

You have done 10 points of damage to Bone Crusher!

Milo was relieved to finally be doing damage, but appalled at how much armor this creature had. It was going to be a long fight, but he was growing confident. He needed to not make mistakes. No tripping, no getting maneuvered to a corner. If he could just keep hitting the creature, he could wear it down.

You have done 20 points to Bone Crusher!

You have done 30 points to Bone Crusher!

You have done 40 points to Bone Crusher!

You have done 50 points to Bone Crusher!

You have done 60 points to Bone Crusher!

You have done 70 points to Bone Crusher!

You have done 80 points to Bone Crusher!

You have done 90 points to Bone Crusher!

You have done 100 points to Bone Crusher!

Bonecrusher has taken 25% of his total health in damage. Bone Crusher does not like you.

As Milo was calculating that his opponent has 2000 points of health, the stone lurker slammed both of his fists together. Milo easily dodged backwards, but too late realized he wasn't the target.

You have failed to dodge Burst of Stone. You have taken 37 points of damage. You are blinded by dust and debris for one round!

Milo had been too close to the monster when it used its special attack, and couldn't dodge back in time. Again, he was hit hard and knocked to the side.

Bone Crusher hits you for 200 damage.

Damage is halved because of your Hard-Runed Bones.

Bone Breaker effect is negated because of your Hard-Runed Bones.

Health 173/410

Things were a bit more serious now. He'd have to watch out for that attack. He'd gotten too confident. He went back to moving around the monster, striking when he could.

You have done 110 points to Bone Crusher!

You have done 120 points to Bone Crusher!

You have done 130 points to Bone Crusher!

You have done 140 points to Bone Crusher!

Bonecrusher has taken 50% of his total health in damage. Bone Crusher thought things over, and still does not like you.

Milo had been careful this time, watching the damage notices and preparing for when he got to 50% damage. He rolled backwards twice, dodging out of the area of effect of the attack, and shielding his eyes. He took a few points of damage but easily dodged the follow up attack.

A noise from the side caught his attention and he saw the blue robed human mage approaching with her lantern, a wounded dwarf limping along, pursued by one of the stone lurkers. Not good. He went back to hitting Bone Crusher, with distractions and another enemy coming up from behind.

You have done 150 points to Bone Crusher!

You have done 160 points to Bone Crusher!

You have done 170 points to Bone Crusher!

Bonecrusher has taken 75% of his total health in damage. Bone Crusher has taken you off his Christmas Card list.

Milo dodged backwards, but this time Bone Crusher slammed both forelimbs down onto the ground creating a massive shock wave. A rolling Milo felt himself bounce from the ground and into the air, he landed in a heap, stunned.

Seismic slam damages you for 75 points of damage. Your Hard-Runed Bones save you from additional damage.

Health 98/410

Belinda saw the fight ahead of her and instantly regretted running this way. Her Dancing Lights spell seemed to enrage the creature and it made it easy to keep its attention. She and Asti had been running it in circles while the others tried to kill the first one. Other miners hearing the fight had joined in.

When Asti got injured, they decided to draw their creature deeper into the mines.

They had actually found Gorbel along the way. He and Asti compared injuries and laughed. Gorbel had gone forward to help. He could still swing a pick one handed. She and Asti had continued to bait the other stone lurker deeper. No one expected Milo to still be alive, and neither she nor Asti had much hope of surviving.

The miner who had stayed to save Gorbel was actually killing the huge creature, tearing huge chunks of stone from its hide. But the fight wasn't going all his way, he was bloody and battered. Even as she came upon the fight, the monster punched the ground so hard it sent him flying to land near her.

As Bone Crusher advanced, she touched Milo’s shoulder and cast the last of her healing spells. Then taking a deep breath, she took a step towards Bone Crusher and cast Dancing Lights on where she thought its eyes would be. As with the smaller creatures, this caused it to be angry with her. She ducked and ran away from Milo.

Milo recovered and stood up just in time to see Bone Crusher knock Belinda to the ground, and then pummel her. Milo felt sick. That could have been him. Would have been him for sure if she hadn't drawn the creature away. He sprinted towards the creature and hit a rear leg, shattering it. His hits did so much damage that now he was tearing Bone Crusher apart.

180...190...200. The damage mounted and Bone Crusher shattered into small bits of rubble.

Milo took a moment to cast Mend Bones upon himself. He was running low on health, stamina, and mana, but he had enough to take out the next monster. After Bone Crusher, it would be a relief to just dodge and hit.

=*=

Many hours later, in an inn near the docks, Belinda woke up in her room. As usual, she was wearing beginner trousers and tunic. She missed her fancy robe already. Her head ached as she poured water into a glass. Dying gave her the equivalent of the worst hang-over ever. At least she could cast a spell on herself for some relief. She heard cursing from the room next to hers where the boys would have just respawned.

She wondered if she had lost any levels in skills from this death. It happened to players now and then and made death feared for more than just a headache. Checking her messages, she was very surprised.

Huzzah! Your group has been victorious over the dreaded Bone Crusher, Level 7 Epic stone lurker.

For your part in the battle you receive 5 Core Skill points and 500 Boss EP.

You also receive 200 EP for your part in killing: stone lurker x2

Your reputation with the Mining Guild has greatly improved. They offer to escort you to your tombstone to recover your lost items and loot the Treasure Chest left by Bone Crusher.