Chapter 12

“Oh my god! We are so doomed.” One from his group said with widened eyes.

The minotaur was huge in size almost triple the size of the tallest person in the group. It carried an iron mace that was also bigger than a high class greatsword.

Dalmik then turned towards the group with serious look on his face. Everyone looked with serious expression. Erisa who was the hishest leveled among them was also frowning at the scene and was calculating a virtual battle in her mind.

Dalmik noticed and then eased his expression.

“What we are about to deal with is a fucking minotaur and we will need proper coordination to get through this boss”.

“Just order us boss” few thieves said with a smile on their faces. It was only natural for them. If there was no hope at survival and no hope to escape, what place was there for fear? It was after a long time they were re-experiencing life of an adventurer and that brought those smiles back.

“Minotaur is a giant creature and usually we can attack from blindspots. We are too many for this job and therefore, we need to split its attention. I will tank and you all will move as fast as you can and hit on its back. The healers will stay hidden and will heal us from time to time. But don’t get noticed. Agreed?”

“Ah but you must be mad right? How can you take direct hits from a Minotaur when you are an assassin class and don’t even have suitable gears?” Erisa asked with a frown.

“I stole few gears from goblins and I guess I won’t play a regular tank. I will dodge and taunt.” Dalmik clarified

“Understood”

“Okay fellas, we either talk after we finish this Minotaur or in afterlife. It’s been an honor working with you lads”

Dalmik finished saying this and looked forward with a grin on his face. Eyes sharp and focused, he yelled and ran towards the Minotaur. As soon as he entered Minotaur’s range of sight, it reacted with a roar and swung the giant mace towards him. Dashing and rolling, Dalmik escaped the incoming attack.

“NOW” he yelled as he kept making distance, keeping his shield handy.

System Alert: Congratulations, you have unlocked a dungeon title: Dungeon Marauder 1000 points

Likewise, the rest of the party took their roles obediently and started striking at blind spots.

After losing stamina, Dalmik frowned and started looking for more options. He would dodge, run towards pillars. Hide behind them. After catching up breathe, he would again taunt and the Minotaur would agro accordingly.

But as soon as he repeated the steps again, this time minotaur attacked the pillar and it fell apart easily. Not getting enough chance to react, he instinctively lifted his shield in order to avoid a direct hit.

PUNT! A metallic sound covered the entire dungeon room and Dalmik was sent flying away. Frowned, Erisa quickly concentrated her healing on Dalmik who was semi-unconscious and his ears could only hear whistle sounds.

Without taking enough time, Minotaur, then located where he had landed and ran towards him.

As soon as Minotaur was going to land his final attack, time stopped. Everyone’s jaw dropped, eyes widened, they could only frown at what was about to happen.

Dalmik, whose visions were still gloomy, could only hope a system notification would pop up and help would arrive, but that was not how system decided, his was a dungeon challenge, not a tragic injustice.

Closing his eyes, Dalmik accepted his fate as he knew death was inevitable and he could not move. Why die like a coward when I did really put on a fight.

Erisa frowned, noticing that her superior healing chant will not make it in time.

SPLASH!

A sound was heard, the walls were covered in blood. Everyone paused for a moment, before returning to their combat.

A member among thieves called Tom. He knew Dalmik for a long time jumped in between Dalmik and the Minotaur. The mace landed on his skull and it opened in two halves instantly killing him.

Dalmik’s facial expression turned ugly as he yelled. Erisa’s superior healing chant was completed and now Dalmik was as good as knew jumped and smashed his shield on minotaur’s face. He kept on shouting in a fit of rage.

“RAUL NOT YOU… AAAAAH!”

“I will kill you bastard” he yelled at top of his lungs. The battle cry gave off an aura that covered everyone in the room. Everyone followed and started shouting and attacking even more fiercely.

System Alert: Skill unlocked >: when used, will give major adrenaline rush in all party. Critical hit chances doubled, physical damage doubled, magic damage halved.

Apparently, when in anger, INT reduces and STR increases, so magic affinity temporarily reduces.

It is a common saying that a mage must keep his cool at all times. Erisa frowned at the new status on her as her healing had reduced tremendously.

She was practically useless by now as she had used a superior level spell and lost almost 90% of her mana. So instead, she started meditating while hidden to build up the mana until the status gets off of her.

As soon as Erisa recovered 100% of her mana, she opened her eyes. By now Dalmik kept dodging but uptill now, three more members had been killed. Now remaining four people including Dalmik remained who were going toe to toe with the Minotaur and Erisa and Eric who were in the back trying to heal as best as they could.

With enough mana, Erisa also begun chanting low cost damage spells as she was mainly a mage.

That actually helped as Dalmik and remaining three began to attack more efficiently.

“Thanks Erisa, appreciate the help. I guess it’s too late but I think I like you. Haha”

Dalmik said as he managed to stun Minotaur and all four of them were mindlessly attacking the head part of the Minotaur.

Erisa mildly blushed but didn’t respond.

Suddenly, Minotaur roared and everyone jumped back. As soon as the monster had lost enough blood, it started wildly attacking and swinging his giant mace randomly. The fury in its eyes was clear. The blood lust was felt by everyone in the dungeon boss room.

“Dalmik, I need an opening” Erisa said and Dalmik nodded.

“You heard the lady right?”

A circle of dodging and attacking began. This time, furious Minotaur threw his Mace towards Eric. In a spec of time, another member pulled Eric and the Mace was missed.

Minotaur no unarmed started lifting huge boulders that were lying on floor, tossing it towards anyone in the room.

In a way, his attack patterns were more predictable but if not dodged meant instant death.

Suddenly, Erisa completed her chant

“Now everyone, move towards the walls and look the other way”

Erisa said and a huge thick cloud got summoned above the Minotaur. The Minotaur looked above, its expressions were like a goat that was about to be butchered.

It opened its mouth and roared much louder than before. The cloud shined and lightening fell upon the massive metallic horns. Instantly, the remaining health of the Minotaur dropped and it fell on the floor.

System Alert: First Dungeon floor cleared. You are granted a wish.

A Well appeared where the body of Minotaur lied before. Everyone was so exhausted they couldn’t even move.

Erisa who had spent a huge pool of her mana fainted and Dalmik just crawled and sat near the wall.

“Ha-ha, we did it”

“Yeah”

“Yeah, but we lost too many of us”

“How many of us are alive now?”

“Seven”

“Damn”

“Yeah”

Such was the conversation coming out from the remaining thief’s party.

After acquiring enough stamina, all of them reached out to the well that had appeared. Erisa was now conscious but still not moving. They all circled the well and were reading the notification carefully.

“So it’s a wishing well.”

“Yeah”

“What kinds of wishes can it fulfil?”

“No clue, the notification just said we can each be granted a wish”

“Okay, let’s try then. Paul, you go first.”

“Ah but Dalmik should be the first to make wish don’t you think?”

“Naah I’m cool, you go first and then we can try”

So it was decided, Paul, one of the thieves would go first, then Simon, Ravi, Eric, Dalmik, Erisa, Varun would try their luck.

“Paul, start”

“Ah, okay. Oh! Wishing well, grant me gold”

A sudden light occurred and a pouch of gold got summoned in his hand.

His eyes opened bright and happiness was all over his face.

“I got gold, real fucking gold and a pouch of it”

“Damn you lucky bastard”

“My days as a thief is ended”

Everyone laughed.

Then it was Simon’s turn. Simon thought of a mischief and said –

“I wish that Ravi loses his dick”

“Fuck you, what the fuck.”

Everyone laughed.

“Hey it’s not like you even used it you virgin ass”

“It’s not that you asshole. I am supposed to get laid only after my marriage”

Naturally, it was Ravi’s turn and he was left with no other choice than to wish his penis back.

Everyone laughed, except Ravi.

It was Eric’s turn and he wished that he could become wealthy merchant so he never has to steal ever. The wish was long term and hence there was no immediate effect. The mood was rather neutral now and it was Erisa’s turn.

“I, err… I wish to find a man in my life” She said with blush all over her face.

Dalmik smiled and said "you didn’t have to wish for something you already had lady".

Erisa, blushed and then smiled again. “Not you duffus.”

“Ah come on, don’t dungeon zone me”

“Okay, it’s my turn to take the wish then”

“Don’t waste on me” she said with a serious face.

Dalmik forwned for second thinking 'Oye hypocrite' but didn't move his lips.

Dalmik knew in his heart that Erisa likes him. It was a love at first sight for him, but he did notice her blushing. ‘She’ll be mine without the wish.’ He thought to himself.

Dalmik stretched his arms and though deeply.

“I guess I know what I should ask for”. He thought about his complete life and with a sigh he said.

“Of all my life, I have always wondered why it is a bloodline that is always chosen as the ruler. Why can’t a thief or scum bag street rat like me have a son who could be a king? I guess I would like to wish for a son who would become a king.”

Again this was a long term wish that could not be fulfilled immediately. That being concluded, the mood was kind of serious. Varun thought now that it was his turn, he should think something out of the box.

“I guess the reason we are here is to reach Vinrya. I wish to be teleported to human colony of Vinrya immediately.”

SPOOF

Varun disappeared as soon as he finished his sentence.

“Bastard, he outwit us all”

Everyone laughed.

“Wish he’d wish that for all of us?”

“Naah it’s his wish, we wasted it on dicks and a pouch of gold” Ravi said in a pissed off tone.

“Yeah, but I guess he was the most intelligent one among us”

“haha haha”

“But I’ll punch him in the face if I see him next time” Dalmik made it clear as he continued to smile.

“It’s not that, like all of you, even he wasted the wish. The final treasure is already a portal to Vinrya” Erisa said.

“Ah but he won’t risk his life in this dungeon any more” Dalmik said.

“Oh you’re right. Cunning man” she sighed.

Everyone continued to enjoy the light mood.

Erisa slightly smiled as she recalled the wish that was asked by Dalmik.

The journey to Vinrya was still not over as they had more floors to go.

***