Floor 6: The Whispering Catacombs
The air smelled of ozone and burnt flesh.
Arthur stepped out of the portal, his obsidian shield thudding heavily against the stone floor. He was wearing his "Consultant Uniform"—which was just his normal mismatched gear, but with a new, clean cloak Rat had bought him.
Waiting for him was Phoenix and her elite team of Silver Wings mages. They looked terrible. Two mages were on the ground, drinking mana potions frantically. Another was being healed by a cleric, his hands covered in black frostbite burns.
Phoenix stood with her arms crossed, tapping her staff impatiently. "You're late," she snapped.
"I'm on time," Arthur checked his watch. "My clock starts when the transfer clears."
He held out his phone. The QR code for a 100,000 Credit transaction was displayed.
Phoenix gritted her teeth. 100k was a fortune. It was the entire guild's budget for the week. But she had no choice.
"This had better be worth it," she hissed, scanning her bracelet.
PING.[Transfer Received: 100,000 Credits.]
"Pleasure doing business," Arthur grinned. "So, what's the job? Boss tanking? Crowd control?"
"No," Phoenix pointed down the dark corridor. "Delivery."
She led him to a pedestal in the center of the antechamber. Sitting on it was a small, golden statue of a weeping angel. It looked harmless. Beautiful, even.
[Quest Item: Idol of Lament]
Objective: Carry the Idol to the Altar of Rest (End of the Dungeon).
Curse:[Aura of Despair]: Deals 100 Frost Damage per second to the carrier.
Constraint: Cannot be put in Inventory. Must be carried by hand.
Arthur read the description. 100 Damage per second. A Level 6 Mage had maybe 300 HP. They would die in 3 seconds. Even a standard Level 6 Tank with 800 HP and Ice Resistance would last maybe 15 seconds before the Healers ran out of mana trying to sustain him.
"We tried rotating carriers," Phoenix explained, frustration leaking into her voice. "Pass it like a relay baton. But the monsters attack the carrier. As soon as we switch, the aggro resets and the line collapses. We lost three runners already."
Arthur looked at the statue. 100 DPS. His regeneration was now +1 HP every 30 seconds (Base Max HP increase) plus his natural Vit Regen. It wasn't enough to out-heal the damage, but his HP pool was massive.
HP: 11,450 / 11,450
11,450 / 100 = 114.5 Seconds. He could hold it for nearly two minutes without healing. With potions and a dedicated healer? He could hold it forever.
"I see the problem," Arthur nodded. "You guys are too squishy."
"It's true damage, you idiot," a mage spat from the floor. "Resistance doesn't work!"
"For you, maybe," Arthur shrugged.
He walked up to the pedestal. "Healers, keep a lock on me. Mages, clear the path. I don't stop for anyone."
Arthur grabbed the golden idol.
HISSS.
Cold steam erupted from his hands. Frost crept up his arms instantly, turning his skin blue.
[System Alert: Aura of Despair Active.][You take 100 Frost Damage.][You take 100 Frost Damage.]
HP: 11,350... 11,250...
Arthur didn't scream. He didn't drop it. He tucked the freezing statue under his left arm like a football. He raised his Obsidian Shield with his right.
"Let's go," Arthur commanded. "I'm billing you for the frostbite cream."
The Gauntlet
It was a massacre, but not for Arthur.
Arthur was a walking train. He marched down the center of the catacombs, the idol freezing his chest, turning his breath into clouds of ice.
HP: 8,500 / 11,452
Around him, the Silver Wings guild was in full panic mode. "Skeletons on the left! Fireball!" "Heal the tank! Heal the tank!" "I can't! He's running too fast!"
Arthur smashed a skeleton aside with his shield. CRASH. He didn't stop to fight. He just plowed through.
"Keep up!" Arthur yelled.
The Curse was ticking. -100. -100. -100. But the Skeletons were also hitting him. -20. -15. -18.
The damage was piling up. But so was the distance.
They reached the halfway point. A massive bridge spanning a chasm. Blocking the way was a Bone Golem (Elite).
"Stop!" Phoenix shouted. "We need to set up formation!"
"No time!" Arthur roared. His HP was dropping below 50%. HP: 5,200 / 11,455
If he stopped, the Curse damage would drain him dry while they fought the golem. Speed was his armor.
Arthur charged the Golem. "Out of my way!"
He didn't use his mace. He used his body. And the shield. And the [Bulwark] passive (Knockback resistance).
BOOM.
Arthur slammed into the Golem. Mass vs Mass. Arthur weighed 200 lbs + Gear. The Golem weighed 2 tons. Arthur bounced back.
But the Golem staggered.
"Now! Blast it!" Arthur yelled.
Phoenix didn't hesitate. "Pyroblast!" A lance of fire struck the staggering Golem, blowing its leg off. The Golem toppled into the chasm.
Arthur sprinted across the bridge.
HP: 2,100 / 11,458
"Healer!" Arthur shouted. "I'm in the yellow!"
A cleric sprinted up behind him, gasping for air, and slapped a [Major Heal] on his back. +300 HP. "That's all I have!" the cleric wheezed.
"Useless," Arthur muttered. He downed a potion himself.
The Altar of Rest
They saw the end. A glowing white altar at the end of the crypt.
Arthur's skin was entirely blue now. His eyebrows were frozen. The idol had frozen to his armor.
HP: 800 / 11,460
"Almost there," Phoenix panted, running beside him. "Just put it on the altar!"
Arthur stopped. He stood ten meters from the altar.
The Curse was ticking. -100... -100...
"Put it down!" Phoenix screamed. "You're going to die!"
Arthur looked at Phoenix. His HP was at 600. Six seconds of life remaining.
"New condition," Arthur said through chattering teeth.
Phoenix froze. "What?"
"The loot from the Hidden Chest," Arthur said calmly. "I want first pick."
"Are you insane?!" Phoenix shrieked. "You'll die in five seconds! Drop it!"
"Four seconds," Arthur corrected. HP: 400.
He held the idol over the edge of the abyss next to the path. "Agree, or I drop it down the hole. Quest fails. We all wasted our time."
It was extortion. It was madness. It was suicide. It was Business.
Phoenix looked at his eyes. He wasn't bluffing. He would rather die and fail the quest than be shortchanged.
"FINE!" Phoenix screamed. "TAKE IT! JUST FINISH IT!"
Arthur smiled. His lips cracked from the cold.
HP: 100. (One second left).
He lunged forward. He slammed the golden idol onto the Altar of Rest.
WHOOSH.
A wave of holy light exploded from the altar. The frost on Arthur's body instantly vaporized. The Curse vanished.
[Quest Completed: The Cursed Idol][Hidden Dungeon Cleared.][Reward: Silver Wings Guild Reputation +500 (Mixed Feelings)]
Arthur collapsed on the altar steps, panting. His HP started to regenerate. 101... 102...
"You are a psychopath," Phoenix whispered, staring at him.
Arthur sat up. He pointed to the chest that had appeared behind the altar.
"I believe that's mine."
He walked over and kicked the chest open. Inside lay a single, shimmering robe.
[Item: Robe of the Archmage (Rank E - Unique)]
Intellect +10
Effect: Reduces Mana Cost of Fire Spells by 20%.
It was a god-tier item for Phoenix. Arthur picked it up. It felt like silk.
Phoenix's eyes were glued to the robe. She needed it. It was her build-defining item.
Arthur turned to her. "I can't wear this," Arthur said. "Tank build."
Phoenix let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "I'll buy it. Market price."
"Market price is 50,000," Arthur said. He tossed the robe to her. "But consider it a gift. A 'Consultant Loyalty Bonus'."
Phoenix caught the robe. She was stunned. He extorted her for loot priority, threatened to fail the quest, and then... gave her the item for free?
"Why?" Phoenix asked, suspicious.
"Because now you owe me," Arthur grinned. "And next time you're stuck, you won't call Vance. You'll call me."
He walked past her toward the exit portal. "Titan Solutions. Always open for business."