The labyrinthian corridors of the underground realm seemed quite the daunting task to search at first. Scott battled his way through several dozen small encounters with the ill-prepared skeletons. There was little in the way of challenge in those fights for him, which was exactly as he wanted things at the moment. Easy loot, and experience points. Though, admittedly the experience gain was abysmal compared to the super gains received in recent days. Such was the case in a normal mission of low difficulty.

"Did we not pass this same intersection a short time ago, my prince?" asked Etragar.

"Yah," said Scott with a nod of his head. They had traveled in a loop. He pointed off toward the left. "Feyah."

"You're right, that would be the only logical direction now," agreed Etragar. Logic dictated that the way they entered the intersection would not be the direction to take. The other directions connected in one large loop. There was but one way forward.

They traveled down the connecting corridor a short distance only for Scott to step onto a perfectly normal section of the floor which immediately caved inward. The world seemed to go into slow motion for Etragar as the ceiling rumbled and rocks began to fall. Clearly a trap designed to crush any unwary adventurer, Etragar's eyes widened in shock as his hero prince moved with far greater speed than the falling rocks. He dropped low to the ground almost faster than the fish man's eyes could follow. He thrusted his open palms together then upward at an angle and shouted.

"Heyaaaht!" screamed Scott just before a barely visible ripple of energy raced up and outward from his body. The rocks were caught up in the incredible ferocity of his energetic assault, including some of the debris which was already on the ground. Most of the rock and debris was sent hurtling forward with the force of a cannonball barrage. Some of the rocks that appeared behind him still fell and struck the traveling trio, but the damage done was minimal. Most of the rocks fell on Scott proper, and seemed to do little damage.

He rose upward to his full height then dusted his shoulder. Scott silently thanked his armor and his level for providing enough hit points to weather that storm. His quick use of his feroki blast mitigated much of the damage, but it had been a close call. The last thing he needed was to become battered enough to take a real injury so early in his mission.

Scott noticed two sets of eyes on him, so he gave them a thumbs up and flashed a toothy grin. Heroes needed to be heroic, right? At that moment a final rock chose to fall. It was a small one. He batted it away with his hand just before it would have hit him on the head then blinked.

The moment turned awkward after that, so he coughed into his fist then turned around. They had a mission to complete after all. Thwarting the trap cost him a great deal of his feroki, however. A single combat grade blast of it should only have cost him a few points of feroki. The raw power that he had to unleash in order to release the aura needed to snatch up that many heavy rocks was immense. The production of a blast of that magnitude was quite draining for him, though he relished the feeling of cutting lose with it for once.

He thought quietly to himself as he continued onward. Why did he not use that power more often? The ice blast version should be quite potent even at its most basic power level. On a mission like this one, spamming those powers would be quite useful as a training tool. A bit of food and a good night's sleep would replenish most of it anyway. Unlike his shroom powers, there were few drawbacks other than a sense of creeping exhaustion that would accrue if he overused it.

Mind made up, Scott walked the corridor steadily. Soon they came to a large chamber. There was one door on the far side, and a strange statue of an armored skeletal minotaur in the center of the room.

Scott snorted at the obvious nature of the thing. He had played enough games to smell a boss battle in the making. Still, he could be wrong. It was best to play it safe.

They circled around the perimeter fearing the presence of a trap. In the end, their caution did not matter. The moment they crossed an invisible line in the center of the room, solid rock seemed to appear out of nowhere and blocked off the exits.

"Fe. Yah..." said Scott. In truth, he had tried to say, "Well, shit."

The statue at the center of the room suddenly began to move. The skeletal minotaur threw its bony head back and roared out a challenge. Massive dual-headed axe in one hand and a tower shield twice the height of an average man in the other, the stone beast stepped down from its pedestal.

The world seemed to stop in a familiar manner for Scott. A mission briefing appeared before his eyes.

[Side Mission Briefing] You have discovered the location of an underworld entrance guardian, Skeletal Underworld Guardian Stone Mino. Defeat the guardian to complete this mission. Finish him in less than one minute for a special reward.

Difficulty: H-1 [Optional Compulsory Challenge]

World Type: Heroic Fantasy Adventure

Force Response Authorization: Solo | Party

Primary Goal: Defeat the Skeletal Underworld Guardian, Stone Mino

Approximate Initial Enemies: 1

Time Limit: None

Reward: Special Event Loot

Special Reward: Defeat Stone Mino in under one minute to receive a special reward.

[Side Mission Briefing]

You have discovered the location of an underworld entrance guardian, Skeletal Underworld Guardian Stone Mino. Defeat the guardian to complete this mission. Finish him in less than one minute for a special reward.

Difficulty: H-1 [Optional Compulsory Challenge]

World Type: Heroic Fantasy Adventure

Force Response Authorization: Solo | Party

Primary Goal: Defeat the Skeletal Underworld Guardian, Stone Mino

Approximate Initial Enemies: 1

Time Limit: None

Reward: Special Event Loot

Special Reward: Defeat Stone Mino in under one minute to

[==]

Scott was given no option as to whether he could take the mission or not. Given the circumstances he would have to fight the local boss anyway, so it did make sense. Though, he did wonder briefly at the oxymoronic nature of the difficulty level. How could something be both optional and compulsory?

In the end it did not matter. He threw his hand out toward his companions, then drew his sword. In the center of the room, high overhead, a massive digital timer appeared then began to count down from sixty.