The doors began to open—slowly, creaking, as if they hadn't been opened in decades (because they hadn't).
Darkness beyond. Cold. Absolute.
And from within—a voice. Ancient. Resonant.
"Finally... visitors... after so long... enter... if you dare..."
The doors opened fully.
Alex took the first step into the darkness.
His team followed.
Viktor watched from outside as the doors began to close behind them.
"Good luck," he whispered. "You're all going to need it."
The doors closed with a final BOOM.
[Fallen Citadel - Raid Activated]
[Participants Sealed Inside]
[Countdown: 72:00:00]
---
[LEVEL 1: HALLS OF BONE - 7:03 PM]
The darkness lasted only seconds.
Then torches along the walls came to life—sickly blue flames that provided no warmth, only enough light to see.
And what they saw was...
"God," Maya breathed.
The walls weren't regular stone. They were bones. Thousands of them. Human skulls, femurs, ribs, vertebrae—all compressed together, cemented with something dark and resinous, forming solid walls that stretched into the darkness.
The floor was black stone slabs, each engraved with faintly pulsing runes.
The ceiling was 10 meters high, arches supported by columns also made of bones.
And ahead—a hallway stretching maybe 50 meters before turning out of sight.
"Lovely decor," said Raven. "Very homey."
[System - Update]
[Level 1: Halls of Bone]
[Objective: Reach Stairs to Level 2]
[Boss: Bone Knight (must be defeated to progress)]
[Enemies: Minor Undead patrolling]
"Stay together," Seraph said, taking point. "Formation—me front, Grim and Maya flanking, Alex and Raven center. Don't separate."
They began moving down the hallway.
Every step echoed. The silence was oppressive—not just absence of sound, but a presence of stillness that felt unnatural.
They reached the first intersection—three paths.
"Left, right, or straight?" Maya asked.
Alex activated [Soul Sight].
[MP: 420/440]
His vision shifted—seeing energy instead of physical light.
Left: three weak auras—probably patrolling skeletons.
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Right: one strong aura—something more dangerous.
Straight: two weak auras... wait. Also something else. More subtle energy, almost hidden.
"Trap ahead," Alex said. "And enemies to the left. Right has something strong—possibly a mini-boss."
"Left then," Seraph decided. "We clear minor enemies first, then worry about bosses."
They turned left.
Fifty meters ahead, three figures stood—skeletons in rusted armor, wielding swords and shields.
[Skeleton Warrior - Level 32]
[HP: 800/800]
"Those are stronger than normal skeletons," Maya noted.
"Of course they are," said Raven. "We're in a legendary dungeon. Even the trash mobs are elite."
The skeletons noticed the group—skulls turning toward them, red lights igniting in sockets.
Then they charged.
"Engage!" Seraph shouted.
The battle began.
Seraph met the first one, spectral scythe clashing against skeleton's sword.
CLANG.
Maya launched [Fox Fire]—three orbs striking the second skeleton, shattering its ribs.
[Skeleton Warrior HP: 800 → 600/800]
Grim engaged the third, scythe cutting through its shield like butter.
Raven threw [Blood Needles] from the rear, piercing weak points in the skeletons' armor.
Alex tried to use [Reanimate] on... wait.
He attempted—but the skill didn't activate.
[Error: Targets already under Greater Lich control]
[Cannot override]
"I can't reanimate dungeon enemies!" Alex shouted. "The Lich King controls them!"
"Then use other skills!" Maya responded.
Alex switched to [Blood Weapon], creating three crimson daggers that he threw—
Two missed. One hit, embedding in a skeleton's skull.
[Skeleton Warrior HP: 600 → 450/800]
The fight lasted two minutes.
Three skeletons destroyed, reduced to piles of bones.
"That was... easier than expected," Raven said cautiously.
"That's because Level 1 is a warm-up," said Seraph. "Wait until Level 3."
They continued.
Over the next hour, they fought:
· 12 more Skeleton Warriors
· 5 Skeleton Archers (level 33, annoyingly accurate)
· 2 Skeleton Mages (level 34, casting [Frost Bolt] and [Dark Missile])
· 1 Necrotic Slime (level 35, acid that melted armor)
Each fight was manageable but exhausting.
By the time they reached the end of Level 1, everyone was at:
[Alex HP: 780/880, MP: 240/440]
[Grim HP: 1,050/1,200, MP: 200/360]
[Seraph HP: 1,200/1,400, MP: 500/700]
[Maya HP: 1,050/1,200, MP: 650/850]
[Raven HP: 750/900, MP: 450/650]
Not bad, but definitely not full.
Ahead—massive double doors. Engraved on them: an image of a knight holding an enormous sword.
[Level 1 Boss: Bone Knight]
[Warning: Boss Fight - No retreat once started]
"Let's drink potions first," Maya decided. "We go in full."
Everyone consumed health/mana potions, replenishing.
[Resources Restored]
"Ready?" Seraph asked.
"No," said Raven. "But when has that ever stopped us?"
Alex pushed the doors open.
They opened into a massive chamber—30 meters by 30 meters, ceiling arching 15 meters high.
And in the center—
Bone Knight.
Three meters tall. Armor made entirely of compressed bones—not decoration, but functional armor. Two-handed sword 2 meters long, the blade made from what appeared to be a giant femur sharpened to a razor's edge.
And worst of all—it wasn't a simple skeleton. It was a fused skeleton. Multiple human bodies blended into one, creating a warrior that shouldn't exist.
[Bone Knight - Level 38]
[HP: 5,000/5,000]
[Skills: [Bone Crusher Strike], [Shield Wall], [Necrotic Aura], [Rally the Dead]]
The Knight raised its sword.
It roared—not with vocal cords (it had none), but with pure magic—a sound that shook the room.
"SCATTER!" Seraph shouted.
The battle for Level 1 had begun.
---
[BOSS FIGHT: BONE KNIGHT - FIRST PHASE]
The Knight charged—surprisingly fast for its size.
Grim met it head-on, scythe clashing against sword.
BOOM.
The shockwave sent cracks through the floor.
"Maya, flank right!" Seraph ordered. "Raven, left! Alex, ranged support!"
They worked the formation perfectly.
Maya and Akari attacked from the right, [Flame Dance] creating a vortex of fire.
[Bone Knight HP: 5,000 → 4,700/5,000]
Raven attacked from the left, [Blood Whip] wrapping around the Knight's leg, trying to trip it.
It didn't work—too strong—but it distracted.
Seraph attacked from the front, [Phantom Strike] piercing through bone armor.
[Bone Knight HP: 4,700 → 4,300/5,000]
Alex provided support, [Blood Weapons] creating a rain of daggers that struck weak points in joints.
The Knight roared, spinning—
[Bone Crusher Strike]
The sword descended in a massive arc.
Grim blocked—but the impact sent him sliding back five meters.
[Grim HP: 1,050 → 900/1,200]
"Too strong for direct block!" Alex shouted. "Dodge his swings!"
They adjusted tactics—evasion over blocking.
For the next five minutes, they slowly wore down the Knight.
[Bone Knight HP: 4,300 → 3,000/5,000]
Then—
[SECOND PHASE ACTIVATED]
[Rally the Dead]
The Knight slammed its sword into the ground. Necrotic energy pulsed outward.
And every pile of bones in the room—remains of skeletons they'd defeated earlier—began to move.
Twenty minor skeletons rose.
"Of course it summons adds!" Raven cursed.
"Ignore them!" Seraph shouted. "Focus the boss!"
But the twenty skeletons didn't allow that—they charged, forcing the team to divide attention.
Maya had to peel off, [Ring of Fire] vaporizing ten skeletons.
Raven had to defend herself, [Blood Needles] taking down five more.
That left only Seraph, Alex, and Grim on the boss.
The Knight capitalized—
[Shield Wall]
It planted its sword, necrotic energy forming a 360-degree shield.
[Bone Knight: Temporarily Invulnerable]
"Shit!" Seraph struck the shield—her scythe bounced off.
"We have to break the shield!" Alex looked at Grim. "Awakened Form, maximum power!"
Grim was already there—scythe blazing crimson.
[Death's Reaping Strike]
He struck the shield with everything.
CRACK.
The shield splintered—but held.
"Again!" Alex shouted, channeling his own energy. [Blood Sacrifice]—20% of his HP to temporarily boost Grim.
[Alex HP: 780 → 624/880]
[Grim: Temporarily Boosted +50% Damage]
Grim struck again.
SHATTER.
The shield exploded.
The Knight staggered, vulnerable—
Seraph didn't waste the opportunity. [Soul Reaping]—her special Fragment 2 skill.
The spectral scythe cut—not physically, but spiritually.
[Bone Knight HP: 3,000 → 1,500/5,000]
Massive damage—but also—
The Knight was paralyzed for 3 seconds, its connection to its necrotic source temporarily severed.
"NOW! EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"
Five seconds of coordinated attack:
· Alex: [Blood Weapon] blade rain
· Seraph: [Phantom Strike] three-hit combo
· Grim: [Reaper's Strike] boosted hit
· Maya (returned): [Fox Fire] twelve orbs
· Raven (returned): [Blood Whip] strangulation + [Hemomancy] manipulating the Knight's necrotic blood
[Bone Knight HP: 1,500 → 200/5,000]
The Knight collapsed to one knee, armor cracked, sword falling from its grip.
It reached for its sword—
Grim severed its bone arm.
Then—mercy kill.
Scythe through the skull.
[Bone Knight: Defeated]
The massive body disintegrated into dust.
[Victory]
[EXP Gained: +2,500]
[Alex: Level 25 → 26]
[Grim: Souls harvested: 42.3/1000]
[Total Souls harvested: 293.6/1000]
[Loot: Blessed Bone Fragments x5, Major Health Potion x2, Mana Crystal x3]
The team collapsed, breathing heavily.
"That was..." Maya gasped. "...intense."
"That was Level 1," said Seraph. "Five more to go."
A door at the far side of the chamber opened, revealing stairs descending.
[Level 2: Crypt of Fallen Champions - Unlocked]
"Rest here?" Raven asked.
Seraph checked the countdown. [Time Remaining: 70:45:00]
"Thirty minute break. We eat, recover, then continue."
They set up a temporary camp—consumed food supplies, bandaged wounds, checked equipment.
Alex sat beside Grim, who had returned to meter-and-a-half form.
"Good work out there," Alex said.
"Together. We win. Together."
"Yeah." Alex smiled—tired but genuine. "Together."
He looked at the stairs descending.
Four more levels.
Then the Lich King.
Then Fragment 3.
We can do this, he thought. We have to.
Because failure meant death.
And Alex Carter had survived too much to die now.
