I was hoping that Jasmine would loosen up a bit after our second encounter but she seemed to be even more angry with me now. We seemed physically incapable of having a civil conversation at this point and I was done with the whole thing. I felt I’d done my part in trying to work things out and finally confronted her about it. Things had gone a bit pear shaped, but as far as I was concerned the ball was in her court now. If she wanted to spend what was left on the dungeon in sullen silence and never talk to me again after we left then that was her prerogative.

I smashed a skeleton with my hammer ending out latest battle before Meredith finally spoke up. Her words broke the awkward silence that had fallen over our group for the last hour.

“We’re heading northwest toward the old palace that’s probably where the boss is.” She said apparently oblivious to the tension.

“How far out?” I asked with a sigh.

“Not long, probably another three groups then we’ll be to the palace gates.” She said as she squinted down the street we were traveling on. “We would already be able to see it if the ceiling wasn’t so low.”

I just nodded and moved forward. There were indeed three patrols and although my hammer skill leveled up once little else of note happened. The street we were walking down ended as it met another street running parallel. Across from us a wall extended upwards all the way to the ceiling. It blocked our path and forced us to turn off. A quick scan down the road to the left let me see a mass of skeletal soldiers. There were at least a dozen and unlike the ones we’d fought earlier their weapons and armor were in good repair.

After the fight in the market the level of the enemies had increased even further and even with our much improved tactics we’d been hard pressed. These skeletons looked even more formidable and there were nearly twice as many of them as there were in normal pulls.

“Alright, We need a plan.” I said as I looked over at them as they patrolled in front of the gate. Their movements were crisp and their patrols were regular as clockwork. Their undying endurance allowing them a perfection no living being could match.

“My healing will likely be insufficient if we continue with the same tactics. The enemies DPS has been escalating quickly and these look to be even more formidable.“ Meredith said as she inspected the distant enemies as well.

“Well, we could try and have Mo kite half of them while we fight the other half. Then he can bring his back after we kill ours.” I said and I scratched my chin.” We really needed some way to kill a bunch of them but neither Mo’s ice bomb nor my fire would be very useful here, since skeletons were basically immune to both piercing and fire damage. Since I hadn’t figured out how to blow them up we’d have to do it with muscle and steel… or bronze in this case.

“Can’t you just use some big earth spell and smash them all?” Jasmine asked, speaking for the first time since we’d sat out.

“Maybe…. But that’ll probably put me down for the rest of the fight, and honestly unless I get most of them it won’t matter.” I’d never tried anything that big with earth before and with the added strain of having to reach down through the streets to find earth I wouldn’t be able to do anything too cool.

“Just worry about your job. I’ll take care of the rest.” Jasmine gave me a glare that would peel paint and I just held my hands up in surrender. Fighting with her was too much work.

“What scrolls did we pick up?” I asked looking for more options.

Meredith didn’t even look into her pack and instead recited the short list from memory. “Two Raise Dead, one scroll of Bless, one scroll of Chain-Lighting, and a scroll of Musician’s Fury.”

“Does it say what they do?” I asked curiously.

“Negative, The scroll’s are written in some language I can’t read. The only reason I know their names is the game's display pop-up.” The girl replied.

“Too bad most of those are pointless.” I said with a scowl. You couldn’t raise dead without corpses, lightning would be pretty much as useless as fire. Bless might be useful assuming it was a buff but it was hard to say and the last one I had no idea what it did.

“What do you guys think?” I asked after a few moments of consideration. It would basically be gambling. Which us spending gold in the hope the scrolls did something useful. Personally I was for rolling the dice but it was only partially my money.

“Just do it.” MoProblems sighed. “You're always trying something crazy and I can tell you want to.” He said with an eye roll. I gave him a shrug conceding the point then looked to the girls.

“The scrolls of Raise Dead will likely bring a good amount. Bless would likely be more powerful but also less interesting to possible buyers. However such a buff would also likely serve us better against the boss if we think we’ll need it. The last scroll is likely the least valuable. So if you think we need outside assistance I vote you use that one.” Meredith replied.

Jasmine didn’t even bother replying and just stayed silent. I sighed and held out my hand for the scroll. Meredith stuck her hand into her pack then placed the rolled paper onto my palm. The second problem was I had no idea how to use the damn thing.

However, the problem was a short lived one as a menu pop-up appeared in my screen.

Scroll of Musician's RevengeTarget: Single

Rank: Beginner

Tear Scroll to Activate

I re-rolled the scroll. It would be best to use it with proper timing and just launching it at them while they patrolled wouldn’t be as useful. I formulated a simple plan then laid it out for the others.

“Alright, Mo you pull them since you have the range for it. I’ll raise a wall to bottleneck them as usual, then look for a spot to use the scroll. After that I’ll try to get fancy with earth magic while Jasmine tanks and Mo provides range support. Healer….. You heal.” The end fell a bit flat but it wasn’t a bad plan.

Jasmine just rolled her eyes but the other two nodded and Mo strode forward to kick off the festivities. He was still a hundred or so feet out when his orb glowed and a ball of summoned ice the size of a bowling ball shot down the street like a comet. It crossed the intervening space and crashed into one of the paroling skeletons. It didn’t do much but the entire group spun instantly and started to change this direction. Four of the enemies only went a few paces before they stopped, then knelt, as they loaded crossbows.

I grimaced as I saw them start to crank their bows then shrugged as unrolled the scroll, pointed it vaguely in their direction, and tore it. A beam of dark purple light shot down the street at the archers, colliding with one in the middle. Nothing happened for a moment as the other warriors sprinted towards us. Then there was an odd ripping sound that echoed in the street as a rend in reality appeared above the archers.

I watched fascinated as a harp, one of the stupidly big floor models, seemed to fall through that tear already traveling at what had to be terminal velocity. The gap between the ceiling and the floor was a small one and I only had a fraction of a second to react before the harp smashed down like the hammer of god and exploded into a million pieces sending wood, stings, and shards of bone, flying in every direction. Thee of the archers died instantly.

I stared for a moment in stunned incredulity before I remembered I was supposed to be summoning an earth wall to keep the other eight skeletons from overwhelming us. I heaved with my magic and just managed to get the wall up in time.

The first skeleton came through the small gap and met Jasmine as she blocked its first strike between crossed axes. The fight was intense, these elites were much more skilled than those we’d faced before and Jasmine was hard-pressed against her single opponent. While she fought I stood motionless compacting my magic and pressing it down into the earth in ever greater amounts, preparing the earth and stone below me for my one big punch.

The Skeleton fighting Jasmine feinted high then pressed itself against the wall allowing the warrior behind it to sneak through a thrust that caught Jasmine off guard. The blade stabbed straight through her stomach and she let out a pained cry but gritted her teeth and tried to free herself. The warrior had other plans and jerked the blade sideways, pulling it free and ripping open her flesh. She fell with a scream even as healing magic poured onto her from behind.

Some protective instinct I didn’t want to examine sent a flash of pure fury through me as she fall. I poured it into my Magic and the ground started to tremble and the air warped as I finally activated all the magic I’d been pouring down into the ground. The wall of earth swung on its axis like a giant door sweeping all the skeletons behind it into a narrow alley between it and the palace wall. Then with a yell I thrust my arms forward. Sending the earth wall smashing against the palace wall like two giant hands coming together. The noise was incredible and although the first two skeletons managed to escape the rest were crushed.

The spell had been enormous and burned out all but a few points of my mana. I wobbled unsteadily as Mo and a Healed Jasmine fought the last two warriors while I staggered drunkenly down the street after the remaining archer. A crossbow bolt pinged off my armor as I approached and the archer drew a side-sword once I closed the range. My hammer had the reach and I attacked mercilessly but the skeleton was fast and dodged my off-balance attacks with ease as it darted in and out scoring small hits.

.Frustrated, I changed tactics and waited for it to come in again. Then as it trust with it’s short-sword I dropped my hammer and caught it’s arm before twisting savagely and driving an elbow it’s it’s brittle shoulder. The arm simply came off at the elbow and I grinned maliciously as I tossed the limb behind me, the sword still clutched in it’s hand. The skeleton backed out of my reach and I took a grapplers stance as we circled each other. All the skeletons previously had fought with a mindlessness, and ignored anything resembling tactics or self preservation. However, this one seemed to realize that closing to hand-to-hand with me would result in its swift demise.

It lashed out in a sudden sidekick, but abandoned the action as I started to counter. Then it sent its good arm straight at my eyes, it’s bony fingers questing for soft flesh. The feint got me, but I managed to turn my head in time to save my vision. Instead it’s fingers raked my face and neck. Four lines of burning pain followed in the wake of it’s fingers but I ignored the scratches and stepped forward trying to find someplace to grab it. One hand wrapped around a rib and the other around a thigh-bone. Then I simply hoisted the skeleton up over my head. Even it’s it’s armor it only weighed seventy pounds or so and with my strength it was only an average effort. Then I took the few steps to bring me over to the wall and proceeded to smash the skeleton against it until it’s entire body fell apart and the red light in it’s eye sockets went out.

I stood over it’s broken bones panting for a moment trying to catch my breath. Blood dripped from the wounds and my face and neck but the fact the blood was dripping and not spraying crazily let me know the archer hadn’t gotten any of the big arteries. I looked down the street to see if Jasmine and Mo need help but honestly I couldn’t have done much even if they did. I slumped to the ground and breathed deeply as I saw Jasmine and Mo were looking at me with raised eyebrows.

“What?” I asked as I saw their expression.

“Ya know, I think people use weapons in this game for a reason.” Mo said sarcastically. “I don’t think it’s necessary to tear enemies apart with your bare hands.”

I just shrugged. “Weapons are for sissies.” Truthfully, my hammer was just too slow for enemies this fast. I just didn’t have enough agility to compete with speed specialized monsters that were probably eight or nine levels higher than me. My only real option was to try to lure them in and beat them with main strength. Tactics and skill was all fine and good but at some point RPG’s always came down to numbers and every encounter was pushing us further and further. I had no idea what we were going to do against the boss.

I didn’t have any wood left for a camp but between bedrolls and my witchcraft I managed to make enough of a camp to heal us up over the next hour. Meredith heals did most of the work but we were ready to tackle to palace and hopefully the end of the dungeon by mid afternoon in the RL.

The courtyard of the palace was impressive. Paths of white marble moved in circular meandering paths lined with bricked off areas of bare earth that were once likely beds for flowers, trees, and ornamental ponds. The scene was a depressing one. With the ceiling having cut-off the palace’s towers and upper floors the area lacked the majesty it would have once had.

We continued forwards and to our surprise nothing came to fight us. Even as the walked up the steps and through the large ornate doors of the palace. A wide room spread out before us. The architecture we could see was impressive but the ceiling of the room had been so high it had been sliced off and covered up. A raised dais sat directly across from us and on it was an dust covered throne. A human skeleton sat on the throne slumped over to one side as if it hadn’t moved for centuries.

“I’m guessing he’s the boss.” I said as the others walked in with me.

“That does appear to be the case.” Meredith confirmed from my left. I looked over at the animal girl hoping she might have an idea but she stayed silent. I had no idea how we were going to win. Our chances were not particularly good.

“Let's get this over with.” Jasmine said as she took our her lute and buffed us. She had a point. There wasn’t much strategizing we could do without knowing its capabilities or attacks and we wouldn't find those out until fought it.

“Mo try to keep it slowed down I won’t be able to land many hits if it’s going to be as fast as I think it is.” With that I walked forward and triggered the boss.

As I walked close the once lifeless skeleton twitched. It’s limbs jerking spasmodically as it came awake and stood. The lights in it’s skull blazed with blue-fire, setting it apart from all its lowly henchmen. It stood watching us then held out an arm. A sword of rippling darkness formed in its hand and it walked towards us in silence.

Then it moved. It’s rush was insanely fast and I barely managed to stumble away from it before it’s sword cleaved the space I’d been standing in a moment before. The rest of the party jumped into action and Jasmine hacked it its flank and icy-power enveloped it causing frost to form on it’s bones.

I rolled back to my feet sweeping my hammer in wide defensive blows, more concerned with keeping that crazy darkness sword away from me than I was about actually trying to do any damage. I had allies for that after all. Our little cat and mouse game worked for a while as it chased me in circles with Jasmine and Mo pounding on it. However, eventually it wised up and spun on Jasmine as she came in to harry it. It’s sword flashed out. Jasmine raised an axe to parry but the boss’s black sword cut through her own axe like it was paper.

Her axe exploded into mist and vanished, while the blow continued downward and caught her arm just above the elbow. The sword of darkness sheared the arm completely off. Leaving Jasmine gawking at the place her arm used to be. I’ll give her credit though, she only froze for a second before she stepped backwards and raised her other axe in her good arm.

Her wound didn’t seem to be bleeding at all. It must have been some odd effect of the sword , but at least it meant she could fight with one arm. I used the skeleton’s turn to get in a strike of my own. My hammer crashed into it’s rib-cage but the bosses bones seemed to be made of iron and although it had to have done some damage I didn’t manage to break anything vital.

The boss spun back to me after my blow and our fight continued. With Jasmine down an arm her effectiveness was greatly reduced but we managed to hang on. The fight continued like that for a minute or two with me constantly giving ground with Jasmine and MO pouring on anything they could before the boss finally changed the game. He smashed his sword into the ground forming a barrier of flickering black tower. Then raised and hand while rays of black energy shot from it’s hand and hit all four of us. As it did I could feel my life an energy being drained away. I snarled before lowing a shoulder and charging through the barrier. The black power looked like flames but it didn’t burn. Instead it as an icy horrible cold that seemed to pull the life from my very soul. I ignored the sensation as much as I could and brought my hammer thundering down towards the boss. It must have been slightly startled because the blow landed clean on a shoulder and the flow of dark energy sapping all our strength stopped.

It swung its sword in retribution but I knew better than it try and block. Instead I threw myself to the ground and rolled away. I’m sure it looked ridiculous with my size but there was no way I could stand toe to toe with that sword. I rolled clumsily back to my feet and the fight resumed.

Another minute ticked by and although we were doing admirably we just couldn’t seem to hurt the damn thing. It’s bones were just too hard and the longer it drug on the weaker we’d get. Which meant it was time to play our last trump card.

“Alright, Mo do your thing!” I called to him as I had to dive away from a sword thrust. The boy had been bragging about his ultimate six rune single target disable all dungeon and this seemed like an excellent time to try it out.

I didn’t turn to see him cast it but I didn’t have to. Blue-white light from his mage orb flooded the throne room and the temperature plunged. My breath started to form clouds in from of me as his reedy voice thundered out.

“Tirg na Cry et Nef Tirg!” Odd Magical formations appeared on the ceiling and floor around the boss. Then translucent chains of ice as thick as my wrist shot from the formations and bound the boss completely. He struggled against them but I didn’t waste any time. The thing about a hammer in a fight like this is you can generally only land glancing blows. Unless an enemy is too distracted or two hurt for evasion nothing is just going to let you tee-off on them with a two-handed weapon. However, against an opponent that couldn’t move there was no need for finesse or to hold back. So I didn’t.

“Heavy Blow!” I shouted as I charged forward. The flickering orange light from my hammer cast crazy shadows in the gloom of the throne room but they only lasted a second before I brought my hammer crashing down on the boss with every ounce of enhanced strength I had. It landed directly between his glowing blue eyes.

It was like hitting a anvil and reverberations shot up my arms even though my stone gauntlets. My hands and arms went numb and my hammer dropped from my now nerveless fingers. I stared at the boss in incredulity. I knew I wasn’t the best fighter or the most agile but in terms of pure damage in a single strike I was likely #1 in the entire world. The chains binding the boss shattered and it stood there looking at me unreturned. I’d never EVER had anything just ignore one of my full powered strikes before. Hell, when I’d used it on that poor healer in the sewers it had basically turned the kid into hamburger. Now here I was having used all the stamina I had left and the boss didn’t even seem to care.

The boss took a single step towards us, raised it sword, and then fell apart. I sighed in relief then leaned heavily on my my hammer as I tried to catch my breath. I looked over at the others to see how they were holding up. Mo looked about like I did only more pale and with blood running from one nostril while Meredith was hovering over Jasmine pouring healing magic onto the stump of her arm.

I walked over and slumped onto the throne. The thing was damned uncomfortable but it still brought a smile to my face as I looked down over the room like a king. I sat there for a few moments before the bosses body disappeared into mist and a side-door off the throne room opened of its own accord.

Blip

Blip

Blip

I smiled at the familiar sounds and pushed myself up out of the throne to see about the loot.

AN: Mostly NPC action this chapter. Next time we'll collect the loot and get back to the main book 2 plot. I didn't make my Wednesday dead-line, but Thursday is almost as good as Wednesday. And this is the first two chapter week in a while.

Thanks again to all my readers!

-Dutchman

Edit1: Table issues and spelling.