If Greg had leveled skeletal swordsmanship, he would have expertly deflected the razor-fast whips of the Boss Mimic’s tentacles.

If Doug had leveled Rally Cry, he would have had assistance in hacking the Boss Mimic, their vigor and movements boosted instead of slowly climbing to their feet, unable to keep up with the sheer speed of the destruction at play.

Or if Matt had decided to raid the dungeon when he had a little more experience under his belt, he would have had the spells necessary to boost the attack of his minions.

But alas, this isn’t that type of story.

Matt sees his second death coming even as the words for “Raise Minion” begin to form. His life doesn’t flash before his eyes, no long-forgotten memories, only the promise of the Void and the instant relief from consciousness—

Greg collides with Matt and instantly shatters into a million pieces as the tendril slams into his skeletal frame and breaks him, furs, armor, and helm and all. The explosion knocks Matt on his ass and makes Doug scream one mournful tune,

“BOSS!”

But the Mimic isn’t done. No, he laughs because he knows he took a life. A precious life, even an undead one, is ecstasy to be extinguished in the presence of its God. An ecstasy that means more to the Mimic than the carnal desires for blood and meat.

Mimic shudders at the thought, and the shudder is a deep laughter that chills bones. His laughter propels his tendrils, the extension of his massive jaws to strike and strike at the weird half-life surrounding him, causing floor tiles and bones to explode and shields to thunk in ineffectual defense.

“Everything DIES!” The Mimic laughs in his alien tongue. “DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!”

And everything indeed is going to die as the Mimic lashes and lashes, shattering and pulverizing bone and cracking skulls as the stone floor cracks, and the dungeon core hums.

Skeletal warrior has suffered Critical Bunt Damage

Skeletal warrior has suffered Critical Bunt Damage

Skeletal warrior has suffered Critical Piercing Damage

Skeletal warrior has suffered Critical Bunt Damage

4x Skeletal Warriors have returned to the Void.

And the Mimic’s laughter intensifies, becoming louder and louder, as everything turns to dust around him until, until—

It screams.

Shrill with pain from a body composed of corded muscle and hardened flesh, SCREAM it does, because the Mimic suffers-

Boss Mimic has suffered Great Piercing Damage

And the creatures wonder, How, why, how, no-

The weird presence of the skeletons was not a danger but an inconvenience, a small pleasure to snuff! But in his hubris, he forgot Doug.

Because Doug doesn’t stop stabbing the same spot over and over again. Forward thrust after forward thrust, ignoring the System notices as they pile higher and higher in his limited consciousness. His brothers are dying around him, and Greg died behind him! What else is there for a skelly to do? But violence, revenge-fueled violence, as he strikes faster and faster, boosted by Greg’s Rally Cry and his own grim determination. Again and again, as the steel sword of the Kapa skids on hardened hide, he doesn’t relent nor waiver. In desperation, he summons another sword, the skeletal warrior’s basic sword, and strikes the Mimic harder and harder, with abandon, with no hope of victory.

But 278 strikes later, Doug broke through, first with the steel sword, then with the simple iron, then the steel, then the iron, then the steel in a repeating piston of death, striking over and over again as the System chimes.

Doug Skeletal Warrior has unlocked Dual Wielding

Doug Skeletal Warrior has unlocked Rapid Forward Thrust

Doug Skeletal Warrior has gained +1 Skeletal Swordsmanship

And when the Mimic screams, it doesn’t matter. When it stretches and reforms, it doesn’t matter, and when it shifts to a form better suited to devour men whole, it doesn’t matter. Because Doug just keeps on stabbing.