Nick

If there was one thing I would admit from the experiences of the raid, it would be that the ambush used to almost entrap us in the fort was well executed, and covered up better than I would have expected Skeletons to manage, even with the numbers I was seeing. It was too bad for them, as my senses had been honed over the past few years, as I had to scout further and further into the dungeon, risking life and limb all on faint smells, tracks, patterns, and even simple hunches at times.

It was due to this heightened sense of smell that I detected the scent of blood hanging in the air. While it wasn't thick, it was easy enough to detect. With my warning, we hadn't been surrounded nearly as badly as we could have been, and we were able to quickly push through to the stairs leading up to the wall. It would take too long for the skeletons to get up another set of stairs, and run the length of the wall in order to try entrapping us again. The few skeletons waiting for us at the top, wearing the armor of those who were originally meant to guard the fort, didn't stand a chance against the rest of Blueberries and Kingsfoil all working together to punch a hole in their perimeter.

"Johnathan, hold the stairs! Mary, go with them, stop a good distance away, and prepare whatever spell you can to blow this fort to hell and back! David, you're with me! Keep me and Johnathan alive until Mary is ready! The rest of you, get clear of the fort!" I nocked a few arrows, charged them with the element of fire, and sent them out, bringing the closest skeletons down, while everyone else rushed to obey my orders. Blueberries and Kingsfoil went over the wall, suffering minor injuries as they landed, and as a few arrows flew their way. Mary leapt off the wall ahead of them, rolling as she landed. "You better not be trying to pull any of that hero crap you did with your last team!" She shouted, before sprinting away, a few arrows landing close behind.

Johnathan stood at the bottom of the stairs, his shield moving wildly as the first wave of skeletons bore down upon him. Checking my quiver of arrows and finding I was at less than half, I began shooting down from the top of the wall, while David fended off skeletons coming from both my right and left, simultaneously healing Johnathan every time he took a blow.

Bone fragments were flying left and right, but it didn't take long for me to run out of normal arrows, forcing me to channel the last of my mana to summon magical arrows, costing a mana point each. I could tell David and Johnathan were running on fumes at this point, the sheer number of skeletons forcing each of us to move, fight, and use skills or spells much faster, and for longer periods of time than we had been used to, even on the fourty-eighth floor and below. Normally we'd be able to rely on other veteran teams like we always did, as was the way to survive down there.

Out of nowhere, the skeleton that had lost its jawbone earlier crawled over the wall, its jaw restored, and bearing down on David, holding the bloody sword in its teeth, standing just behind another three skeletons coming from the right. A similar situation was happening on the left, as the quicker than usual skeleton with the rapier did the opposite, standing at the forefront, throwing out several attacks that David could barely handle, thinning his defense further. I no longer had a choice on who I could support.

"Johnathan! Just stay alive, you big armored bastard!" I stopped firing arrows, and turned to relieve the pressure on the right, whipping my bow around to shatter the skull of a low level skeleton, and breaking the arms of another, forcing Broken Skull to face me directly. For a brief moment I could swear that the skeleton seemed angry.

I put it out of my mind as we started exchanging attacks. I still had the upper hand by a long shot, but no matter how much I hurt him, he was always healed by the damn caster, who I hadn't been able to see.

Probably hiding amongst one of the archery groups. Too bad I don't have the time to actually look for it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mary already preparing the spell a large distance away from us, as both team Blueberries and Kingsfoil ran past her, before almost collapsing. They most likely weren't used to fighting a protracted battle, against overwhelmingly numerous enemies.

Hell, we aren't even used to it. Too accustomed to fighting alongside others of our level. If we live through this, that's gonna change.

Broken Skull seemed to have slowed down like we have, although it looked to be more from mana depletion than fatigue. Unfortunately I wasn't able to capitalize on it, as with every skeleton I knocked down, another would take its place, as more and more began to climb the walls, reinforcing every side with more bones. The only bright side was that we didn't have to fight on a fourth front.

In my periphery, I could see the spell Mary was planning to cast, and it was admittedly, one of the bigger ones I'd seen her cast before.

I guess she had more mana than I thought.

It seemed Broken Skull had seen it too, as it became more frantic in its attacks, even shouting a word out directly. "Go!" It seemed to half yell, half growl the word, and a moment later, I saw David's mace joining my bow every now and then. "The fast one fled! We should find cover!" His voice could barely be heard over the sounds of rattling bones, and the clashing of steel. "No time to get out of the way! Johnathan, got any surprises up your sleeve?" My bow slammed into the skeleton's jawbone, cracking it severely, while Johnathan backed up against us, the sheer number of skeletons remaining beginning to supress him at this point.

"Just enough mana for an [Allies Respite], but I don't think it'll hold up entirely against Mary! It's going to hurt!" The big man smashed his shield into another skeleton, throwing it down the stairs into another of its fellows. "The pits they dug! Go!" I pointed at the nearest hole, seeing that Mary's spell was nearly ready.

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Mary

Nick was so stupid, telling everyone to run away, leaving himself and the others alone in the fort to fend off Gods knew how many skeletons, including what looked like multiple unique monsters. Each one that had an impact was named, and I'd managed to count at least three in there.

You stupid, stupid drunk of a man! If you die because of this, I'm going to kill you!

My mana was being drained away at a rapid pace, the cost for [Solar Nova] being immense. I grit my teeth as the spell dug into my health, forcing me to pay a blood toll along with all my remaining mana in order to cast the spell.

"You idiots... Don't... You dare die... From this..." I hissed, even as Serena and Kingsfoil's mage, a man named Horace, cast buffs on me, increasing the spell's potency. The magic circle rotating around my hands and feet crackling with magical energy.

Normally I wouldn't dare cast a spell like this on a floor this high up, as I wasn't sure the dungeon would be able to take it. All I could do at this point however, was pray.

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Broken Skull

Lilith had to be convinced to leave even though she had promised me that she would get out if things got dangerous, which made my job even harder, as the spell that woman was casting seemed to be getting stronger and stronger with every passing moment. I could see the glowing of the high level magic from the wall, and having to argue with Lilith gave me less time to think about how the hell I was going to survive it. I couldn't run, I couldn't attack, and I damn well didn't have the skills to endure it. The three dungeoneers on the wall were already breaking through our lines, heading straight for one of the burial pits, and I couldn't do a thing to stop, or even slow them, as their ranger kept blocking me every time I attempted to do anything to them.

I saw Lilith grabbing Iliana and Kellor, dragging them over the wall with more strength and speed than I knew her to possess. I hoped they would make it out of range of the spell in time, knowing full well they wouldn't survive it if they were too slow. "This is it! Death is smiling upon us today! Let's greet the bastard with weapons in hand! Pile on those three, and let's drag them down with us!" I knew the skeletons didn't have a chance to actually kill them, considering that the second they made it into the pit, the guardian shielded them with incredibly strong defensive magic, while the cleric expended what was clearly the last of his own mana to enhance the spell even further.

Unable to do anything to them, I looked around for anything I might possibly be able to hide behind, or in. The burial pits wouldn't provide much cover, so instead I sprinted for the opposite wall, furthest from the mage casting the spell. Leaping over the gate, I landed in a roll, and immediately started using the sword to dig as far down as I could manage. It was only a foot deep when I heard the thunderous roar, an almost blinding light illuminating the top of the fort.

Diving down into the pathetic hole, I braced myself for the end, having no mana remaining to form a [Shield].

Damn it. So this is how I go out? Pathetic pile of bones, I should've done more than this. I should've killed her first.

I let out a simple sigh, as I heard the walls of the fort beginning to crumble.

Should've done a lot of things.

The wall protecting me fell apart in seconds, and the spell washed over me like the sun, burning away dirt and rubble, damaging the dungeon floor severely. The pain was unbearable agony, but only for a moment.

Damage to Dungeon Floor 4 detected. Level: Severe. Damage is deemed capable of leading to Dungeon Floor 5. Possible circumvention attempted. Solution found. Consuming experience of Dungeon Master to commence emergency protocol Frenzy.

Monsters capable of subjugating threat: Skeleton (Lilith), Skeleton (Broken Skull). Determining host based on level...

Host determined: Broken Skull.

Temporary multiplication of host levels by five.

Host temporary level: 135

The pain became minimal, at worst. Now, I just felt murderous.