Chapter 202 Match 1: The Dungeon Crawl [2]

As the team made their way through the winding passages of the dungeon, they encountered several rooms, each presenting its own set of obstacles and dangers. In one room, they found hidden spiked traps on the floor that could impale anyone who stepped on them. Additionally, rotating blades threatened to slice through anything in their path.

In another room, the air was thick with poisonous gas, and lava pits bubbled menacingly into the ground.

After deliberating for a moment, Ares asked the team, "Which room should we choose?"

And after a brief discussion, they decided to enter the room with the spiked traps and rotating blades.

As they cautiously entered the room filled with spiked traps and rotating blades, they were met with a dizzying array of dangers.

Ares took the lead and began to analyze the room for any hidden dangers. His Hawk's eyes scanned every corner, looking for anything that might put them in harm's way.

After a moment of studying the room, he turned to his teammates and spoke with authority, "Stay close and watch your step."

"Claude, I need you to keep an eye out for any hidden traps or mechanisms. Diana, use your arrows to trigger any traps from a safe distance. Eric, you're on the front again. Use your shield to block any incoming attacks, and take the lead. Livia, I need you to create a barrier around us to protect us from any surprise attacks."

The team nodded, and Eric took the lead, his shield raised high to protect them. As they moved forward, a sudden barrage of arrows shot out from the walls, aimed directly at them.

Swish—Swish—Swish

"Arrows incoming! Diana, take them out!" Ares instructed.

Diana quickly pulled out her bow and took aim, firing a series of arrows at the incoming projectiles.

Tink—Tink—Tink

With precision and skill, she managed to knock each one out of the air before it could hit any of her teammates.

"Nice work, Diana!" Ares said in a voice chat, to which Diana nodded with a satisfied smile.

As the team moved through the trap-filled room, they were suddenly set upon by a group of Hobgoblins armed with swords. One of the Hobgoblins spotted them and let out a loud screech, signaling to the others to attack.

The group of Hobgoblins sprang into action, swinging their crude weapons at the team.

Eric charged forward with his shield raised high, blocking each attack with deft movements. Meanwhile, Ares darted forward with his katana, taking down one Hobgoblin after another with deadly precision.

Claude moved in from the shadows, his daggers glinting in his yellow aura. He moved with a grace that belied his deadly intent, slipping between the Hobgoblins and taking them out one by one. The Hobgoblins barely had time to react before they were falling to the ground, lifeless.

Diana provided cover fire for her teammates, scanning the room for any new threats that might emerge. When she spotted a Hobgoblin sneaking up on Eric from behind, she let loose an arrow that struck it down before it could strike.

Despite the intense battle, Livia conserved her mana, following Ares' command to save their resources for more challenging foes.

As the last of the Hobgoblins fell, the team members took a moment to catch their breath and survey their surroundings.

Suddenly, they heard a low growling noise, like that of a wild animal, and Diana's voice rang out in the tense silence. "...It seems to be a B-Rank monster," she informed the group, her tone serious.

And as they rounded the corner, they saw - a massive troll, twice the size of a man, with a jagged club in its hand. The troll roared and charged at them, its club raised high.

"Get behind me," Eric roared, stepping forward to block the troll's attack. The troll swung its club with incredible force, but Eric's shield deflected the blow.

CLINK—

Claude darted around the troll, with his daggers coated in an aura. He stabbed the troll in the back, but his attacks barely seemed to faze it.

The troll turned and swatted Claude aside, sending him crashing into the wall with a resounding thud. His HP dropped by half from just that one attack, and as he tried to get back on his feet, he realized that the restrictions on his strength were the reason his daggers weren't able to deal any damage to the troll.

Noticing Claude sent flying, Ares rushed in to take his place, slashing at the troll's legs with his katana.

Diana fired arrow after arrow at the troll, but they seemed to bounce off its thick hide. Livia conjured a blast of ice, hoping to slow the troll down.

​ As the battle raged on, it became clear that the troll was no ordinary foe to deal with their current strength. With each swing of its club, the ground shook beneath their feet, and its thick hide seemed impervious to their attacks.

Eric stood firm, blocking blow after blow with his shield, while the rest of the team worked to whittle down the troll's massive health bar. Claude, undeterred by his earlier setback, slipped back into the fray, his daggers glowing with a fierce aura.

But even with their combined efforts, it seemed like they were barely making a dent in the troll's health. Ares gritted his teeth, his mind racing for a solution.

"We need a new plan," Ares said, dodging a blow from the troll's club. "Eric, can you lure it into the trap we saw earlier?"

Eric nodded and charged forward, taunting the troll to follow him by using his Crowd Control skill to get the troll's attention.

And his skill seems to have worked well as the troll roared and charged after Eric, blindly following him toward the trap.

The team watched with bated breath as the trap was sprung, a pit opening up beneath the troll's feet. And as the troll fell into the pit trap with a loud thud, it roared in anger and thrashed about, trying to climb out.

Ares quickly charged toward the trapped troll and used his skill Atomic Slash, gathering all of his strength and focus.

His Katana glowed with a bright, blue light the air crackled with energy as he swung his Katana in a series of lightning-fast strikes, leaving behind trails of light that illuminated the pit.

Swash—Swash—Swash

As the attack was finished, Ares stood with a sense of satisfaction, knowing that he had dealt the final blow to the troll. The creature let out one final, pitiful roar before his sliced body collapsed to the ground.

Fuuu—

Everyone let out a sigh of relief as the troll fell defeated. It was clear they had used a significant amount of mana in dealing with the powerful creature.

"...We struggled so much against a single troll, how are we supposed to handle the boss monster guarding the crystals?" Eric voiced his concern.

The team turned to Ares, hoping he might have some plan on how to defeat the powerful Boss monster that will be guarding the crystal. But Ares was lost in thought.

"...The boss monster is not meant to be tackled by a single team," he finally spoke up.

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