18 Separated in the Dungeon Collapse
"We're surrounded. Leader, what do we do?"
Alex tried to use his gravitational authority to repel a reanimated hunter, but he felt resistance, as if something heavier than their physical body was holding them in place, which was very, very strange.
Before the enemies could reach the four of them, something unexpected happened: the pulsing veins on the walls violently acted as if they were sucking up a quantity of black liquid.
As the group prepared for battle, an evil glow filled the narrow corridor, creating a magic circle beneath their feet that spread through the cracks like a living organism.
(System Notice:Amplified Dungeon RuptureDungeon destabilization detected)
The ground trembled as if something beneath them had awakened, and the entire place seemed to collapse in massive chunks. The walls began to shift with a thunderous sound, as if the gears of a clock were turning.
Barriers rose, blocking everyone's view.
Alex reached out for Félix, but it was too late. Joana was swept to the left by a current of complete darkness, Félix shouted for the Sword Saint before disappearing into a tunnel that opened at his feet, and Arnaldo vanished behind a wall of ancient stone.
Alex turned into a new room, completely silent, a silence that was eventually broken by the sound of footsteps.
The shape of the room was circular, but the floor was riddled with deep fissures, as if countless battles had been fought there. Inside, the air undulated violently, distorting.
Alex clenched his fist, feeling his sword, Excalibur, calling to him in his inventory. In a flash of purple light, the sword took form in his hands, vibrating with lightning energy.
(System Notice:You have equipped Excalibur+10 to all attributes)
Strength = 40 + 10Dexterity = 10 + 10Agility = 60 + 10Constitution = 10 + 10Intelligence = 10 + 10Wisdom = 5 + 10Charisma = 10 + 10Luck = 5 + 10Perception = 10 + 10
The passive ability Gravitational Defense activated automatically.
Alex closed his eyes for a moment, pushing his perception attribute to its limit. The environment unfolded in his mindthe vibrations in the air and the metallic sounds coming from above his current position.
The slow footsteps grew louder, scraping across the ceiling high above Alex's head. At the same moment, Excalibur was raised, and three figures fell from the shadows where they had been hiding.
The first to reveal itself was a spectral archer, wielding a translucent bow like a flickering flame in its dead eyes. Its arrows ignored walls and armor, targeting the opponent's HP directly.
The second undead hunter was a warrior wielding a flaming sword, swinging a blade that emitted necromantic flames, draining and burning the life force of its targets.
The last undead hunter was the most dangerous and strongest of them all: a Bone Guardian. He carried a grotesque shield made from human skull spines, capable of reflecting part of the attacks received.
Alex advanced amidst his enemies.
Active Skill: Lightning Step Lv2
Lightning crackled around his body as Alex appeared behind the spectral archer undead hunter. Thanks to his perception and luck attributes, he was able to identify its core.
The creature fired an arrow that pierced through his Gravitational Defense, directly draining Alex's HP.(HP -15)
The flaming swordsman advanced, each strike releasing wave after wave of purple flames that scorched the ground and reduced his speed.
(System Alert: Area effect, speed reduced -30%)
"You fucking bastards, I'm going to wipe all of you out!"
(Gravity Manipulation Lv2)
The weight around the enemies increased due to Alex's skill, but apparently, it was not enough to knock them all down. The grotesque guardian advanced despite his doubled weight, forcing Alex to step back slightly to regain his composure, while the archer fired from an elevated position.
Alex had to expend a great deal of energy and agility to dodge the arrows and flames.
Taking advantage of a gap, Alex used Lightning Step to its maximum, appearing behind the archer, driving Excalibur into its core and turning it to dust. He then channeled all of his strength into a downward strike against the flaming swordsman, destroying its core.
The guardian, even injured, blocked the final attack and counterattacked, forcing Alex to crush the shield with maximum gravity before delivering the finishing blow.
Silence returned to the room, yet his perception told him he was still being watched.
"Finally finished with them. Now I need to hurry and find the others."
Alex broke through the wall of the room, creating an opening through which he stepped into a different area. His perception scanned every corner for signs of life, yet the place seemed like a lifeless desert ahead.
Suddenly, several orcs appeared, blocking his path. The stench of rotting corpses filled Alex's nostrils, and for a moment, he wished he didn't have any. Twenty undead orcs surrounded him, forming a wall of decaying flesh, their yellowed fangs bared, red eyes burning with rage.
Excalibur shone with purple lightning.
Lightning Step Lv2
Alex vanished. A purple flash cut through the darkness, and the first orc fell headless. Before its body even hit the ground, Alex reappeared at another point, slicing through the chest of a second orc as if it were butter, ripping out its black core that pulsed like a profane heart.
With his refined swordsmanship, he struck twice more, and four orcs collapsed, their joints twitching as they tried to move. Alex advanced like a lightning strike; one precise motion severed three heads simultaneously from their bodies.
A diagonal cut from Excalibur split two more undead orcs in half, and with a leap, four more were sliced to pieces.
The final orc roared furiously, but the purple blade pierced its skull, causing an explosion.
Silence returned once more. Only Alex remained, breathing heavily, Excalibur glowing faintly.
Arnaldo opened his attribute window to find something that could get him out of this situation.