Denizens of the Labyrinth

It had been a few hours since they had entered the tomb of the clay emperor, even further since their last conflict with the clay soldiers that made up the tomb guardians of the emperor. The captain had been tier III and Jazmel wondered how strong the foes and monsters would be further into the labyrinth.

Baek had been travelling alongside them and since they had entered the tomb, he hadn’t intervened and had left Sadé and Jazmel to oversee the clay soldiers and officers that attacked them. Jazmel had defeated three captains so far and gained a great deal of stats and exp from it. Sadé had probably gained even more than Jazmel in this tomb; she had decimated the forces in droves. Her skills were the exact weakness of these monsters and every time they tried to use their numbers on them. she simply swept them away with either thunder or fire.

The last unit had been trumped and now the next few corridors that descended further into the tomb were traps, arrows shot from walls, floors fell away leaving gaping holes with no bottom that Jazmel could see; even with his Mana enhanced sight. The traps were just not strong enough to catch them off guard and they moved through easily.

DING!

CONTINUOUS MANA USAGE

+3 PER

+2 INT

The system was empowering him, and he nodded in thanks, the notification screen disappeared with his head nod. After the last few traps, Jazmel found that there was nothing ahead of them. Dead silence from behind and also forward. He looked around seeking out Mana, but he found none.

“You have come before the bosses room.” Baek explained and they rounded a corner and found a large doorway, gilded gold with eastern dragons spiralling up and down the doorframe and on the actual doors there was the emperor embellished in gold and gilded into the door on the left and on the right the door; which was slightly ajar. Was the armies there were the soldiers, the captains and then there were two figures Jazmel hadn’t seen anywhere inside the tomb just yet. The door was ajar a little and Jazmel squeezed himself between it and pushed it open wider to make space for Sadé and Baek.

The actual tomb was a treasure trove; the chamber itself was a giant hexagon and dark green banners hung from each segmented side of the wall. Dragons threaded with gold fluttered up and down on each banner. Beneath the banners; seemed to be the wealth of the emperor in his death, he had brought all his treasures with him. Pots the size of cauldrons were filled with gold and white gold coins. Items of opulence and then others radiated with the energy of Mana too. Jazmel couldn’t believe what he was seeing around them.

But the joy of his findings ended there, before them were the broken and dead bodies of a party who had clearly made it to the chamber. Three laid dead not too far from where Jazmel and Sadé stood, the other two members of the party were doing their best to fight off two clay soldiers that were much stronger than the soldiers and captains.

DING!

CONGRATULATIONS ON FINDING THE CHAMBER OF THE EMPEROR

…

DEFEAT THE CLAY GUARDIANS

EARN THE RIGHT TO THE WEALTH OF THE TOMB!

The notifications popped up and Jazmel read them quickly. So, they were the guards of the tomb, the last of the tomb’s defences. Which Jazmel could tell they were strong and the Mana pouring from them certified what he had already guessed.

Thunderfire!

Thunderbolt!

Thunder crown!!

Sadé dove into action and cast her skills and he watched as her eyes flickered, and he realised she was looking at the system.

Thunder inferno!

Thunderstrike!!

Her moves had evolved, and she was using them immediately, the two seekers before them were deeply injured and as soon as Jazmel and Sadé leapt in, the guards relented their assault on them.

TIER III GUARDIAN OF THE LEFT!

TIER III GUARDIAN OF THE RIGHT!

The system flashed in his eyes. The guardian on the left was whirling a spear that had a point at both ends. Blocking the thunder skills that Sadé was hurling at them. the spear was taller than it but the way it moved it around its body, Jazmel could tell it was extremely well skilled with it. the other guardian; of the right. Carried a curved sabre and a thick circle shield, its armour was thick too; both of theirs and Jazmel kissed his teeth. The armour was not made of clay like the others they had seen in the tomb, these guardians were covered in actual armour.

The two survivors of the other party were strong but heavily injured. Jazmel threw two health potions at the closest one; a woman who was about his height and quite muscular. He ran at the spear wielding guard and drawing his sword and fought him.

Flight of the blue kite!

Cleave!

Cleave!

He struck with his skills, making sure to try and create distance and the guardian leapt back from each strike. None actually doing any damage, but the threat was enough that it decided it needed to deal with him immediately.

The shield user was bearing down on Sadé; she was protecting the two survivors with her thunder, and they were healing as best as they could. Jazmel hadn’t been aware just how grievously they had been wounded and he wondered how dangerous these guardians actually were. He poked at the spear user, trying to keep its attention. It stabbed out at him, and he dodged to the left, using the movement to lash out; it reminded him of a biting viper, and he felt the blade graze the shoulder and neck of the guardian before glancing off the armour. The clay creations did not have any features beyond eyes. Which were soulless and hollow, there was no emotion. This monster was just doing its best.

The shield user had pushed forward under the guard of its shield. It had survived the onslaught and Jazmel was worried about Sadé; but she was able to hold herself. He used the shield to bash Sadé out of the way. He slashed across the guard of the lead girl; someone who was trying to protect her damaged friend. it tried to cut her again, but she blocked it with her left arm and the sabre bounced off. Jazmel used his eyes and he saw her entire left arm was weaved in an intricate creation of Mana. He hadn’t seen anything like that before and Jazmel was shocked about it, but he didn’t stop what he was doing. He ran to check on Sadé, she had been knocked into a pile of pots filled to the brim with gold coins.

He appeared beside her, and she yelled out raising her hand and turning to see what she was looking at. In the split second he guarded himself with his katana and he heard the sound of dread. The sound that morbidly broke his heart. The sound of Hajime breaking where the sabre struck it across the blade. the blade took the harsher part of the attack. But he was knocked to the side and his chest was left open and there the guardian of the right struck him with the shield bashing him across the chest and knocking him away.

WARNING!

STATUS CONDITION; RIGHT SHOULDER BLADE CRACKED (minor)

HEALTH AT 67%

He groaned and rising up on hands and knees; he drank a health potion quickly and didn’t even look at the shield user but simply swapped swords and put the broken haft of Hajime in his storage ring and then drew Nozarashi instead. He still managed to rise up before Sadé and moved over to her. He helped her up, just as he heard the girl cry out. “No!” looking over he saw that the girl was watching her friend as the spear user stabbed her friend who had not recovered properly. The spear user had made it over to the wounded seeker and stabbed deeply into their heart. Piercing the heart, Jazmel watched as he died, his breath rushing through his lips as if he were exhaling quickly and Jazmel closed his eyes sadly.

Radical crash!

The girl with the Mana arm punched the spear user as hard as she could, and it caught the guardian square in the chest. It crashed back across the chamber of the tomb. The guardian of the right tried to stop her, but Sadé was there, and she caught it from behind with her skills.

Thunderstrike!

“Go!” she yelled, and Jazmel knew what to do. He bolted through the madness of the chamber and rushing over to the spear user. He cut through its arm and with his other hand, he pulled the spear from its hand and stabbed down into its chest to keep it stuck to the ground.

Cleave!

He carved through its head with his skill; killing it and for sure measure the clay soldier crumpled and broke apart where it lay. He turned to see the shield soldier rushing at Sadé and he noticed Baek remaining at the door, simply watching them all fight. “Hey!” he heard, and he noticed the girl running towards the shield user from behind. “Throw it!!” she said, and he realised what she meant, he tossed the spear user into the air; in her direction and she leapt into the air. It felt like time slowed down and he watched as she caught the spear deftly; before descending from her height and stabbed down into the neck and shoulder of the shield user. Piercing it through its entire body. It broke where it stood, body shattering from the strength of her attack. The body broke apart and the shield and the sabre fell about the mound of clay that remained where the body had last stood.

DING!

TIER III GUARDIAN OF THE LEFT DEFEATED!

TIER III GUARDIAN OF THE RIGHT DEFEATED!

THE TOMB OF THE CLAY EMPEROR HAS BEEN CONQUERED!!

REWARDS

STATS

TIER II ITEM

RANKER TIER TRIBULATION

WILL YOU CHOOSE?

Y/N