Spurt!
Auuuu!
The beast let out a final shout as the life drained from his eyes. His trembling body stilled beneath my shadow as my blade pierced its neck. The blood pooled on the ice below the white fur-covered carcass of the frostwolf.
I flicked my sword, clearing the crimson streaks that marked it.
[That was the last of the pack.] Dante said, [Take some rest before collecting their mana cores. You have been fighting for two hours straight.]
I simply nodded, sheathing my sword into the scabbard and taking a seat on top of the wolf's lifeless body. I tapped on the silver-plated ring that was in my left hand.
It glowed with an ethereal silver light before warping the air around it, forming a small hole through which I pulled out a small vial with dark green liquid inside it.
Opening the vial's cork, I gulped down the green liquid or better known as stamina recovery potion. A green ambient light surrounded my whole body, I felt my vigour returning to me like it returns after a good night's rest.
"Fuck! It's bitter," I complained, dragging my tongue across my tooth. But the feeling of recovery was great, it left me feeling whole again.
I threw the empty bottle away, committing to polluting this world. I stood up from the carcass of the fallen wolf. Taking out a small iron knife from the ring, I cut its carcass, trying to gauge out the mana core embedded in its body.
"There are a lot of them," My eyes drifted off to the other corpses—Draugrs, frostwolves, ice wraiths. There were a lot of them who kept coming and coming.
How do they even spawn?
The lore of the mazes was not explained that well in the game's main quest or even the side quest. Either developers wanted to expand upon it in the second game or they just had no fucking idea and put them in brainlessly.
Well, I was not in a position to question anything, time was of the essence, and I was running out of it.
Croft, how many days till the academy?
Fuck! Only five days? By the way, when was the last time I contacted Aeris?
So what?
[Let me finish it. So that Josephine won't beat you up.] Dante scoffed.
I forgot about that concerning aunt of mine, I will be grateful if I survive till the academy starts. I just hope she is not clutching her hair and begging Micheal to find me.
[That she sure is.]
"Well, that is true. I hope I get to bid farewell to Micheal," My voice dropped, as my eyes fixed on the carcass I was cutting. "He will be leaving for his duties. He did train me how to wield a sword and stand on my own."
[You sound more like Noah now...]
"What do you mean?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at his remark. My hand stopped at the sudden change.
[Never mind.]
Not paying Dante's sudden tonal change any mind, I put the knife back in my ring. I was able to collect all the mana cores and would definitely get some good green out o—
Coin out of it.
That being said, for the past two hours, I was hacking and slashing my way to the fifth floor. Where the boss resided.
But before that, there are two tricky enemies that I have to fight—One was a Draugr Knight. What makes him different from the other draugrs?
He can use Aura. Which is capped at Low to Mid Knight Level.
I am currently at the Low Knight level. Which is considered a feat for someone young like me. I can already go toe to toe with a Knight of the army without getting my head chopped off.
Which would've been good enough if not for the other one. The Mage Draugr.
He is also not much of a threat, he might range from High Apprentice to Mid Adept. Which is something I can take on and even defeat.
But the thing is, they both attack together. Let's say they are the starters before the main course, which is the boss of the fifth floor.
The two of them would guard the door to the entrance of the fifth floor, and many mazekins have lost their lives to them.
In the game, they were not that tough because, as Raiden, you get the chance to explore mazes all over the continents in the middle of the game. In like 2nd year of the academy, after defeating the vampiric soldiers of Lilith in the capital.
By that time, Raiden would already be strong by having defeated the vampire lords and their thralls.
But for me, things are different. The only opponents I've faced until now is some teenage girl loyal to their father, a fucking elder brother who beats you to a pulp and some boring monsters.
[And some bandits.]
Right.
Keeping that aside, I made my towards the door of the fifth-floor boss. The more I moved towards the direction of the entrance, the area became quieter as if something was keeping the beasts and other undead away from the entrance.
My blade was in my hand, gleaming in the crystalline ice. My gaze swept across the whole area for any dangers. You could never be careful enough in such places.
And then I spotted it—Huge white metal doors, at least 20 ft tall, carved with patterns of two huge ice crystals on both pairs. It looked aged, as if it had not opened for more than a hundred years, with frost gathering on its hinges.
THUD!
But before I could look at the door any further, an Aura that was equivalent to mine pressed on me. My body became heavier, eyes drifting to the figure who had unleashed this energy.
Clank. Clank.
A frosted armor with spikes poking out of the shoulder pads. Its chest plate was carved with the same ice crystals as the huge doors.
The figure stood at least 7 feet tall. His shoulders were broad with a rectangular shield that rested on his back. A sword strapped to his hilt.
The glowing orbs at his eye socket burned intensely through his pointed knight helmet as he walked towards me with slow and controlled steps. He walked with confidence, as if sure that I would fall to his blade.
But I refuse!
Silver light streaked with black burst from my body, it became easier for me to withstand the aura—No, not only withstand it. I overwrote it.
The knight halted as he sensed my energy, his blue orbs narrowing as if gauging my capability. He unsheathed his sword and shield, taking a stance with his shield raised.
And then.
We both lunged at each other, my sword reflecting his form and his reflecting mine. The ice beneath our feet cracked due to the sheer energy that both of us emitted.
[Noah, watch out!] Dante screamed.
I halted my advance, and before I could detect anything, a few spikes of ice charged towards me. Cutting through the air with a sharp whooshing noise.
[Veil of Nocturn] I chanted, darkness rose from my feet, forming a veil that deflected most of the spikes aimed towards me.
Crisssh!
I stumbled backwards due to the impact of one of the spikes, almost passing through the veil. A red line appeared on my left cheek, marking the first hit.
I looked towards the direction from which the attack emerged. A Draugr wearing a tattered white-blue robe stood there floating. A rusted metal staff in his hands, a blue crystal floated above it.
It was the mage.
I rubbed the blood off my cheek and took my stance again. The knight now stood alongside the mage, blocking my path to the door.
My body trembled as I looked at the two of them, my heart pounding with a scary intensity. A twisted smile played on my lips as my vision turned amethyst with the lightning that crackled around me.
"No holding back,"