Reverse Chronicles

Dungeon of Nightmares

The entrance to the academy’s dungeon is a hatch hidden in the middle of the field. Hidden under a patch of grass, it is known by almost all of the student body and is used in various trainings. It is a dungeon that is said to house a secret that guards the Academy.

After dinner, I walk towards Vale’s table with other members of his team. They all wore outfits that made them look like royalty and models in a fashion show. Along with their outfits, they wielded weapons that looks like it was forged by the greatest smiths and artisans.

Vale is wearing a pale brown robe that has a standing collar. The robe is decorated with wavy symbols that reminds me of the wind. It was a repetitive symbol that diverged on his chest where two gems, brown and white on each side, are attached. He wears a white tunic fastened with golden pins under the robe. The combination of the tunic and the collar revealed his clavicle and his bare neck. His outfit beautifully complemented his brown complexion and his eyes. He is also carrying the staff from this morning.

Along with Vale, I was training with Paul, a Knight with black hair, white complexion, and eyes bluer than his armor. He wore an azure armor decorated with motifs of the sun. A large figure of the sun is etched on the chest of his armor. His boots are pointed and has rays that complemented the blue that totals it.

Another companion is Rose who is carrying a silver bow with three points that sparkled. She wore steel bracers that complemented her green eyes. Rolling from her shoulders is a pale green cape with star symbols that moved about. Around her head is a green circlet that fixed her blonde hair. She also wore a tunic that reached until her knees. Her boots have wings that occasionally flapped.

The last person in our party is Xin, a Mercenary with black wavy hair and brown irises. She carried her dual sword on her back. Her outfit is simple but revealing, which allows ease of movement.

We proceeded to the middle of the field, where the dungeon waits. It is a peaceful night. The faint sounds of the city night filled the air, along with the clamors of the students in the dorm.

“Are you ready?” Paul asks as he opens the hatch, revealing a descending narrow staircase.

“Let’s go. Are you ready, Alan?” He looks at me, examining my outfit.

I only wore the uniform issued by the Academy. I have not a single piece of armor in my possession.

“I am,” I reply taking the lead into the dungeon. “What are you waiting for?”

The staircase leads to a torch-lit corridor. At the end of the corridor is a circular room with a magic circle. The details on the circle is very familiar. Upon further inspection, my memory reminded me of the magic circle in the cave where Josh stopped.

Vale and the others follow me inside the magic circle. In a blink of an eye, we end up in a darkness-lit cave. Suspicious cries and howls filled the vicinity. Vale cast a light element spell and the white crystal on his staff emitted light, illuminating the entire cave. The light made the cries and howls louder, eventually dying down.

“I know the way to the next floor,” Paul says as he takes the lead.

“How will we be able to get back?” I ask as I turn to where we teleported. There is no magic circle that could possibly take us back.

“I know Teleport,” Vale replies, pointing his staff in front illuminating the way.

We quietly walk until we stumble on a goblin. It’s green skin and terrifying teeth that protruded from its mouth took me aback. It equipped a short, ragged sword which it brandished when it saw us.

“Rose, Vale!” Xin shout as she rushed the goblin with her dual swords ready. The goblin is about to counter Xin as she approached, but Rose shot an arrow that deflected its attack. Vale strengthened the light blinding the goblin as Xin delivered the finishing blow. The remains of the goblin disappear, and a curved conical bone-like structure remained.

“That was amazing!” I could not help but applaud at their teamwork.

“Thank you!” Rose replies, retrieving the arrow that she released.

Suddenly, a screen appears in front of me. "Goblin defeated, gained 2 experience points. 168 experience needed to level 11."

What is this?

“The experience points are so little!” Rose blurts out of the blue.

“Well, it was only one goblin and there are five of us,” Paul answers as we continue our march,

“So unfair!” Rose answers. “You two didn’t even get to do anything.”

“We’re about to do something now,” Paul steps his left foot forward making a stance with his silver spear. Up ahead are four scorpion-like creatures that cried loudly as they saw us.

“Scocreeps!” Vale shouts. “Don’t let their attacks hit you, Alan. Their tails are venomous.”

Paul charges ahead waving his spear towards the scocreeps as if to get their attention. Two scocreeps simultaneously attack Paul, but he was able to thwart their coordinated attack with a wide horizontal swing, Horizon’s Smile. I use Intense Accuracy and readied my sword for a Feint Attack. I move in and begin with the feint, using Gravity s***h, I defeat one of them. However, as I dealt the ending blow, they all surround me ready to strike. Vale comes to my rescue and created a tornado that ravaged around me protecting me from the scocreeps’ attacks.

“Paul!” Rose shoots an arrow directly above the monsters. It stops mid-air. A white magic circle forms below it and three large white arrows rain down on the scocreeps hitting their tails and attaching them to their body. Paul moves in and thrusts the creatures crushing their very existence.

"Scocreeps defeated, gained 36 experience points. 132 experience needed to level 11."

“That was a lot,” Rose exclaims helping me out of the twister.

“But still not enough,” Vale replies shaking his head as they all reach me. “We need to be stronger.”

“There are stronger monsters in the lower floors. We go there immediately,” Paul indicates hasting his pace.

We made it down to the fifth level. The monsters we encountered and defeated raised my level to 13. We fought goblins, scocreeps, nharmoles, elapieds, revenants, and even inanimate monsters like possessed armors. The fifth floor is lit by crystals embedded on the ceiling and walls of the cavern. The path also became more complicated, with forks within forks appearing.

Sticking together, we move our way around the fifth floor. The monsters appearing are strong with lizardmen, bipedal lizards carrying weapons, and baguas making up most of the encounters. Fighting alongside with the party has strengthened our teamwork. Sometimes, Xin would tell me to launch a coordinated Feint Attack with her creating two illusory images, me and her, which looked like four people attacking. When we were overwhelmed in the front lines, Vale would combine magic with Rose’s arrows sending out a rain of blazing, freezing, and sometimes lightning arrows.

On the eighth floor, the fatigue begins to show. I rush a lone lizardman, but my vision revealed three of them. I attack one which was not really there and end up wounded by the real one. Thankfully, Vale healed my wounds and noticed what was happening.

“Alan, you just attacked thin air.” Vale says putting his hand on my forehead. “You’re tired. We should go back and call it a night.”

“Guys, I think we might be in trouble,” Rose suddenly comes running from up ahead. She was in reconnaissance. What could possibly make her abruptly return? Behind her is a horde of lizardmen, all wanting to cut her down. “The lizardman that we attacked is part of a group.”

“This is bad,” Paul readies his spear as the horde approached. “We are severely outnumbered.”

Vale rescues Rose, firing Fireballs behind her. However, it was not enough to stop the lizardmen’s approach.

“Vale get us out of here!” Xin shouts grabbing Rose closer to the party.

“Teleport takes time, give me about twenty seconds!” panic fills Vale’s voice. “Hold them off for twenty seconds.”

I stand up with sword in hand, ready to fight the lizardmen horde.

“What are you doing? Stand down!” Xin grabs me.

Before we knew it, the lizardmen has surrounded us. We fortify by the cavern wall, creating a triangle of defense. With the wall in our back, Paul in one side and Xin in another, we parried with everything we could. Suddenly, a spear penetrates the triangle injuring Xin’s right leg.

The spear retracts and blood gushes out of Xin’s wound. She screams in pain as she curls on the ground covering the wound.

“Xin!” Paul turns to Xin, letting down his guard. Another spear moves in striking across Paul’s leg, tearing a part of his armor.

“No!” Rose shoots all of her arrows, creating a rain of arrows. However, the lizardmen’s armor and thick skin is too much for the arrows to penetrate.

I grab Xin and Paul closer as we move to the wall. Vale is the only one left standing with his hands on his staff.

“Anytime now, Vale!” I shout. A spear suddenly glides toward Vale. Without thinking any further, I unsheathe my sword and used Fluid Parry. However, my vision was off, and the spear hit my right forearm. Another spear came close, but there was no time to use a skill. I could feel something lodged in my left arm and right leg. The pain made me tremble as I use the last of my strength to even remain standing.

A flash of light instantly blinds me. My knees weakened. My eyes slowly close as the soft grass brushed against my skin. The sensation of pain is going away, as everything gets cold. Sweet slumber calls me.