Gasping breaths desperate for air could be heard loudly within the cave along with the echoing of hurried steps.

 

"Stop!" 15's shaking voice said.

 

The group stopped in the middle of the first open cavern they entered, their torches were burning brightly from their recent furious sprint.

 

Although it was silent and empty, this did not make the group feel secure at all, in fact it gave them the opposite; an eerie feeling.

 

"W-w-what the hell were those things?!" 21 said with a shivering voice as he caught his breath.

 

"Were they demons? Is this demon magic?" 16 said as he gripped his bow tightly, afraid it may disappear.

 

"No.. I didn't smell the scent of demonic magic." 18 replied, her voice having a tint of fear.

 

"H-how is it possible?! How can the dead.. " 15 was speechless, he didn't know what to make of the situation.

 

He was no stranger to the vast world and he had heard many rumors of fantastical happenings, though none had involved any mention of the living dead.

 

Of course there were numerous myths and legends about such things for example, the story of the old hero coming back from death to defeat the demon king or the vengeful spirit of a woman reaching out from beyond the grave to kill her cheating husband, but these were merely just stories.

 

There had never been any sort of documented case where the dead rose up and attacked the living.

 

"This may be the result of shaman magic... " 17 said ominously, his old wizened eyes peering into the darkness in thought.

 

The mention of shaman magic had everyone shivering.

 

It was the oldest magic of the long dead primordial races, the origin of mysticism. When the world was young, this dangerous magic was used to call forth ancient powers and interact with the unseen forces. The godlike dungeons themselves were just one of the few things brought into the world by such legendary magic.

 

"Fuck that! This was supposed to be a routine kill and grab, i'm not trained to deal with this shit!" 21 cried out as he clutched his head in fear.

 

"Keep it together! Don't forget, we're still in a dungeon!" 17 warned.

 

"Wait.. Could it be!?" 16's expression changed, a horrified look appearing on his face.

 

"What is it?" 15 looked at 16 with worry.

 

"Could those dead creatures be from this dungeon?" 16 whispered as he looked around fearfully.

 

"How could a wild dungeon spawn such monstrosities? No elemental or monster dungeon I know of can." 18 shook her head in disbelief.

 

"Maybe it's a unique dungeon?" 21 suggested.

 

17 frowned. "Not possible, unique dungeons are mutated from those which already exist and I've never heard of any which involve the dead.."

 

"Is this... a beyonder dungeon!?" 15 blurted out as his eyes dashed from side to side alertly.

 

The group's expressions became grave.

 

"Something never heard of or seen before.. it fits." 17 replied as he gritted his teeth, a drop of sweat rolling down his cheek.

 

16's face fell as he remarked. "This can't be.. "

 

"Fuck! We're totally fucked!" 21 cursed in a panic.

 

"O-okay.. everybody calm down. The dungeon isn't strong yet otherwise we'd be dead already. What we need to do right now is just focus on surviving and escaping."  15 said as he took a deep breath.

 

17 nodded his head in agreement. "You're right, panicking isn't gonna do us any good."

 

"If the d-dead keep rising we'll have a situation worse than what happened to Orlessa.." 21 took off his cloak revealing his appearance. He had drooping grey eyes and a thin face with short dirty blonde hair.

 

"We have to get the fuck outta here!" 21 dropped his torch and took a shield from his back while he readied his longsword.

 

"I agree for once." 18 said solemnly in reply.

 

"Yes we shouldn't have come here." 17 remarked, the torchlight in his eyes flickering.

 

"But how do we deal with the dead following us?" 16 asked nervously.

 

"We can try separating them and focusing on one at a time." 15 replied.

 

"Since they don't seem to die, we can cripple them. Chop the legs off." 21 added as a vicious expression appeared on his face.

 

"Good idea, what about-" Before he could continue, 15 was interrupted.

 

"Quiet." 18's voice said softly.

 

Everyone stopped talking and brought their weapons to bear.

 

"Do you hear it?"

 

"Hear what?" 15 whispered.

 

"That.. "

 

As the they listened intently, they could hear a faint clanking as if someone took two hollow objects and knocked them together.

 

The group became restless as the sound grew louder by the second. First it was singular, but as time went on more similar sounds combined together with it like a symphony of dull knocking, the echoing that resulted in the empty caves only added to it's mystery.

 

17's ears twitched, a hardened expression appearing on his old face. "Prepare for battle!" He snarled.

 

From what the 15 could hear, the sound was coming from the nearby exit towards the next dungeon floor. "Into Formation!" 15 shouted.

 

The group drew closer into a small triangular formation with 21, 15 and 17 at the front while 16 and 18 were behind.

 

The resounding noise had become deafening as if some unseen force was barreling right towards them. Their torches only enough to light the small 6 meter area around them, beyond that was pitch darkness.

 

The clanking sound suddenly became louder as it echoed in the cave.

 

"There in here!! Get ready!" 15 shouted.

 

"I-I don't see anything!!" 21 screamed as he gripped his sword and shield close.

 

15's heart had begun to beat like a drum. His eyes were desperately peering into the darkness, looking for any form or shape as fighting the unknown had always been one of his deepest fears.

 

At least if he saw what was coming he could prepare himself but the surrounding darkness denied him this small charity. He wouldn't know what he was facing until it was right upon him.

 

Time seemed to slow as something finally appeared at the very edge of the area lit by the torches, a familiar shape.. a face that quickly transformed into a skull as 15's eyes adjusted and his brain comprehended.

 

That single skull multiplied until all he could was the bones of the dead.

 

Bursting forth from the darkness was a group of skeletons sprinting towards them, their hollow eyes locked onto each of the group.

 

A loud crash thundered in the cavern as the mass of skeletons bashed against the group full sprint like waves upon rocks. Quickly the formation was broken and each of the group was divided and isolated.

 

Each was fighting a grueling battle alone against a multitude of bony foes.

 

"Hah!" 17 raised his heavy hammer and thrust it down towards a skeleton sprinting towards him.

 

The skeleton in front narrowly dodging with an uncanny movement only the most flexible of assassins would be able to accomplish.

 

Before he could attack again, the skeleton whipped it's arm towards him, punching his face with a loud crack.

 

"Argh! These bastards are fast." 17 growled as he shook his head, his broken nose staining his beard red with blood.

 

Raising his hammer to his chest, he struck out with the pommel of his hammer accurately striking the skeleton's skull.

 

The skeleton staggered backwards, it's cheekbone cracked and it's jaw hanging freely from it's socket.

 

Just as he was about to attack once again with a wide swipe of his hammer, two more skeletons appeared beside the one with the shattered cheekbone.

 

"Not gonna be that easy is it?" 17 gave a stern glare as he readied his hammer.

 

Nearby, 15 was not having it easy. With a shortsword in one hand and a longsword in the other, his fast strikes only left shallow cuts on the skeleton's yellowed bones, the three he was facing never giving him any significant openings with their constant strange movements.

 

With another wave of his sword, 15 managed to land a lucky blow on the skeleton before him, taking off a few of it's rib bones but it didn't seem to effect his enemy at all.

 

It continued to hound him with vicious strikes that left an aching sensation on his body.

 

What was most terrifying to the group was not the skeletons themselves or their weak attacks but the endless reserves of stamina they possessed.

 

Already, a few of the group were beginning to feel breathless. Their stamina was being drained bit by bit and their movements were slowing leading to more mistakes, while the skeletons seemed to never tire or stop, like they could continue forever.

 

21 ducked as a clumsy strike from a bloodied hammer flew over his head.

 

Standing once again, he blocked a skeletal fist strike with his shield. 21 reciprocated with a slash from his longsword but his attack struck air as the skeleton bent backwards at an angle that would surely break the back of a living human.

 

"Fuck!" 21 grit his teeth, as he dodged another attack from the hammer wielding skeleton, a scream of pain entered his ears.

 

Behind him was 16 who had a longsword bursting forth from his belly, his tanned face was warped with pain as the veins on his neck pulsated from the shock and blood pressure.

 

The longsword skeleton behind him chattering it's teeth together in glee, another skeleton in front of 16 struck his exposed face with it's bony fist knocking out a few teeth.

 

"Ahh!" 16 screamed as he waved the shaft of his bow violently striking the skeleton's skull which spun like a spinning top, it staggered backwards confusedly.

 

The longsword wielding skeleton on the other hand pulled out it's sword causing 16 to wail in agony.

 

Falling to his knees powerlessly, 16 took in deep breaths as he held the gaping wound in his stomach with his shaking hands, blood seeping through the gaps in his fingers.

 

"H-help me!" 16 stuttered with a pained voice, blood leaking from his lips.

 

The longsword skeleton raising it's weapon above 16's head.

 

"No! 16!" 15 cried out, though he wanted to help, he was locked down by three skeletons and thus unable to take a step forward.

 

Just as the skeleton was about to kill 16, two daggers struck it's eye sockets. There was a brief moment of stillness but the dagger attack was all for naught, the skeleton didn't even seem to notice that it had two new accessories to its eye holes and casually slashed downward decapitating 16 with little effort.

 

Blood sprayed forth from 16's severed neck painting the skeleton red.

 

Meanwhile 18 who had thrown her daggers from the other side of the cave suffered a deep slash to her thigh from a dagger wielding skeleton for showing an opening the moment she threw her two weapons.

 

She was now finding it far more difficult to dodge the attacks from the skeletons and was suffering strike after strike.

 

15 grit his teeth as he shouted. "Gather together! I'm using it!"

 

"But you can't!" 18 shouted worriedly.

 

"If I don't, none of us will escape alive!" 15 shouted in response, the solemnity in his voice overwhelming.

 

Suddenly, the group used various means to disengage from their enemies, a few even trading for vicious attacks just to escape.

 

The group quickly gathered together, their backs against each other as the skeletons encircled them.  With their bodies shivering in pain from the many wounds they received, they gripped their weapons tightly with shaking hands.

 

15 observed each of the group under the dwindling light of the torches. Each had their own share of problems, for example 18 had a nasty gash on her her arm not to mention the one on her thigh.

 

21 had suffered a large cut to his back when he got attacked by the longsword wielding skeleton after it had finished off 16.

 

15's eyes opened wide in surprise and anger when he saw 17.

 

There was an arrow piercing through 17's thick neck, blood flowed from the wound constantly.

 

"Careful.. one of the bastards is hiding with a bow somewhere." 17 said with clear struggle in his voice. The arrow just narrowly missed his windpipe so he could speak but it had not missed his jugular.

 

"Fuck I don't see it!" 21 said nervously as his eyes darted from side to side.

 

"15, I'll hold them back and try to buy you as much time as possible.. " 17 spoke weakly, his face pale and his beard sticky with blood.

 

"Bu-"

 

"No buts, I'm finished." 17 smiled bitterly. "I've lived a long life...though I never thought I'd die here in some unnamed dungeon."

 

"I understand. I won't be long for this world either after I use it.. so I'll see you on the other side." 15 chuckled.

 

"Heh, you still owe me an ale from that last job. I expect payment."

 

"Don't worry old man, I always pay my debts." 15 replied. He sheathed his short sword and reached out towards 21.

 

"Shield."

 

"So you're doing it.. " 21 gulped as he passed his shield to 15.

 

"Get ready, we have 5 minutes before I expire.. after that you two will be on your own." 15 said with a mysterious power accumulating in his voice.

 

"Any last orders?" 18 asked softly.

 

"Return to the crows, warn them." 15 replied.

 

"And what about Reaver?" 18 asked.

 

15 shook his head. "Forget about him and the contract, the danger of this dungeon to the crows is far more important."

 

"Alright.." 18 sighed.

 

"Are we going yet?" 21 asked impatiently. "I think they're going to attack again."

 

"Yes it's ready.. " 15 replied.

 

A red glow surrounded his body as a burst of air released from his pores. His robe was violently torn apart revealing his appearance.

 

15 had short black hair, light green eyes and a rather stoic appearance with sharp features. He grew in size a couple feet leaving a few tears on his remaining clothes.

 

Veins surfaced on his skin, working hard to pump blood to each of rippling muscles which continued to grow in size.

 

His eyes becoming bloodshot, 15 roared loudly like a beast. Taking the shield, the handle which was creaking under his powerful grip, he charged forward like a bull towards the exit with 18 and 21 closely following behind.

 

The skeletons which threw themselves towards the hulking 15 were easily brushed aside with a bash of the shield. Even an arrow fired from within the darkness into 15's back didn't even make him flinch. He continued to swat the skeletons away with his supernatural strength boost.

 

Under 15's lead, the group escaped the encirclement and entered the exit tunnel. The skeletons didn't give chase however, their skulls turning to 17, hollowed eyes staring silently.

 

"Hehe good, they're out." 17 chuckled loudly, a bit of blood spurting from his neck.

 

Resting his heavy hammer on his shoulder, 17 sneered. "Come and get it you bastards."

 

The skeletons moved towards 17, their bones clanking noisily.

 

In the darkness, a pair of narrowed eyes watched emotionlessly.

 

Holding a drawn bow, Charlotte had a frown on her face. "The danger I sensed.. so it was a skill user."

 

"Luckily it wasn't a dangerous one." She muttered.

 

She looked at 17 with contempt, snorting, Charlotte let loose an arrow.