The notice came, while their forces rested in the final room of the eleventh floor. It was not completely out of the realm given that Daniel Hale had just earned a unique reward, but it was still a bit shocking. Mark was certain that it had been Daniel and not one of the other two to hit dungeon level 4. He was also certain that it had been due to his unique reward and not from a saved up MP. They guy had just fielded far too many beasts and top notch elites, to have that much MP lying around. The greater worry however was the second accompanying notices.
[Notice: The sponsorship feature has been fully unlocked. The other three remaining dungeons will all automatically unlock their lowest remaining technology on their respective tech trees.]
[Warning: The first champions have been summoned to the field, and the first dungeon guardian floor has been unlocked.]
Mark would have been extremely excited if not for the following warning. They only had two techs remaining, Advanced metallurgy and higher level learning. Both cost one and half million MP. Thankfully he had unlocked dungeon features III already, but then there was the warning.
Mark did not really have to guess what a champion was. Obviously it was a powerful unit, and since the battle creators had elected to give the other dungeons a warning and a compensatory free tech, they must be real game changers. Then there was a dungeon guardian. Was that like the entire dungeon equivalent of a floor guardian.
Unfortunately, Mark would have to make a decision within the next hour. Which seemed like it would be far beyond the time Henry intended to rest the army. Mark would have liked to see their own unique reward, assuming that they would get it, but they had no way of pushing Henry to push forward. Not that they would if they could. It would be far better to ensure getting a reward then pushing forward the attack and failing.
The rest was really for Henry and the other surviving 4 bugbears to refresh their skills as well as to allow the black funnel web spiders to refill their venom sacs. Since those were their only elite troops it was better to wait, even if the attack could only continue on this evening. Still the troops only had enough for one light meal, so if there was a thirteenth floor they would have to just continue on. But Mark hoped there would not be too many more floors. Each floor cost at least 300,000 MP with unlocking the floor and the units. Still it was certainly possible she had been saving up for one of the techs and been able to unlock all of the floors.
The twelfth floor looked just as unplanned as the eleventh floor. A long stretch of tunnel leading to a final boss room. The room was manned by eighteen cyclops and seven cloud giants. The cloud giants crouched behind fortifications of a pyramid like structure leading to the rooms exit. Three stairways led up the otherwise smooth ascent. Each had a single cyclops as a guardian. The other fifteen cyclops were scattered behind seemingly random wall barriers forming rings around the base of the pyramid. They would be fairly protected against ranged attacks. On top of what was obviously magic powered armor, Mark's confidence took a serious blow.
The sight did not completely fill him with dread. Mark had the feeling that this was Gale’s final room. The last floor had been a bunch of relatively unequipped giantoids. If it had been the same here, Mark was sure they would easily take this floor as well. But it looked like Gale had used up all her spare equipment for a final stand here since every unit would be extremely difficult to bring down.
Henry gave out his final orders before he led the procession out into the room. Hundreds of tier 1 spider lings poured out first scrambling forward. Following them were the goblin forces. They moved out of the tunnel quickly fanning out, so they could attack from every angle. The cloud giant's fingers started flaring blue almost immediately when it became clear that the attack was commencing. Their ice blasts had at least a 20 to 30 second duration, so the goblins and other units started scrambling to take cover behind the very walls the cyclops hid behind.
Still units were still exiting the tunnel when the ice blasts lanced out. Henry leapt into the air to intercept them. A magical barrier formed catching the first few, before gravity brought him back down and the force of the blasts forced him back. He leapt again to intercept the rest, but a portion had gotten through killing a good dozen units.
Henry immediately barked orders and the sunflowers started pouring out and started making their way across. So far they had not been utilized in the attack, Mark had left them outside for as long as possible to recoup solar energy, but eventually the dozen giantoids from Gale’s armada had made it to the fortress forcing them inside. With their goblin compliment it had been easy enough fighting their way through the first two floor defenders and the wandering maelstrom units before catching up on the fifth floor. The result was perhaps a half a second charge for their sunburst ability. Thankfully the cloud mirage around her territory had not affected their ability to absorb the late morning sun. Hopefully they could make a difference here. Just prior to sending all the spiders into battle on the last floor they had proliferated them for the last time. Now 500 some spiders could act as their vanguard for this final room.
The last of the sunflowers hobbled behind cover as the next round of ice blasts lanced out. The battle was already in full swing. The six remaining witch doctors had all switched to debuffs, each choosing a different cyclops to use their smite spell against. Accompanying them were six reanimated cyclops from the previous floor. The reanimated cyclops were far from going toe to toe with their living brethren. Mark watched as one cyclops brought a blue magic sword around cutting half way through one of the reanimations. The reanimation continued to fight as the living cyclops withdrew its sword it mauled at the open flesh around its opponents neck with its one remaining arm, but it was clear the reanimation would not last for too long.
Two other reanimations had better success having disarmed their opponents and drawn them into a full grapple. However, it was also clear that they were weaker, not being able to use their bodies as efficiently.
The goblins and spiders were faring far worse. The funnel web spiders were having a far more difficult time biting through powerfully enchanted armor. It was looking like it would be nearly the reverse of the last floor. The sixteen tier 3 spiders along with their young were not doing much good besides drawing attention.
Henry quickly worked the sunflowers into the attack. Powerful barriers sprang up to block the sunbursts but they were quickly worn down. The battle for the base wall rings lasted for five minutes. In the end, they were successful, losing only half their number while wiping out the fifteen cyclops defenders, but that left them at the bottom of three sets of stairs leading up to a well fortified position.
The cloud giants had of course saved most of their manna for this part of the assault where it would be most effective. Unfortunately, for them Henry had withheld a powerful trump card for just such an occasion. A few runners were sent to bring back supplies from the tunnel. Of most importance were the 7 shields.
Each shield was masterfully built by gnome smiths and had multiple gems embedded. Each gem had been void embued. They still did not have a ton of magical equipment, having used most of their gems to make energy shields for their defenses, but these shields were the best of what they did have. Unlike the barrier Henry had used earlier, these shields would draw in all energy from magic attacks that came close to them, with little to no effort from their bearers. While they had limits, Mark was doubtful they would hit those limits during the time it took for their forces to climb the stairs. The real issue perhaps was how to get past the cyclops stairwell guardians waiting on top.
After a few minutes the assault began without warning. A bugbear led the charge for the center and left stairways, as the remainder of the spiders swarmed up the right. The lead bugbears held their shields before them, catching the magic blasts as they came. They made it near half way up before the ice blasts lanced down. However, instead of wiping out the foremost dozen assaulters, the blue energy was absorbed right into the shields.
However, far be it said that Gale was not prepared for the limits of her mage’s long spell durations. Cloud giants started throwing blue orbs down at the climbing goblins. Any that came near the void shield had blue energy forcefully pulled from them. By the time they passed by they were basically transparent globes of glass that shattered on whatever they impacted. The cloud giants immediately started targeting units away from the shield bearers. The spiders were taking staggering losses, but their side was just a diversion to keep the defenders from concentrating on the two goblin assaults.
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
However, Mark’s 20 sunflowers had completed their own spell cast times. Twenty blue flashes lanced out as thunderstrike skills lanced out. They shot up to the top of the fortification with surprising speed. Some missed, others met a barrier that flashed into existence from magical armor, but a good half dozen made it through hitting the upper torso or head of surprised cloud giants. Two of them immediately went down, convulsing.
The void shield bearers stopped near the top allowing other units to move in to deal with the cyclops as they guarded the approach. Other goblin archers stopped midway to fire as the cyclops exposed themselves. Several goblin archers were accidently pushed to the side as other units scrambled past them. They slid down toward the bottom of the pyramid, likely hitting the base at bone crushing speed.
Two of the three assaults floundered almost immediately with the magic armored cyclops easily weathering the attacks from the spiders or goblins, but the third on the left side led by goblin mages and pyromancers pushed forward as fireballs lanced out covering their stairway’s cyclops with flame. Pyromancers increased the temperature and kept the flames alive as they burnt through the magical barrier and then sprang to cling to the cyclops itself, leading to the cyclops stumbling back in blinding pain. Melee fighters led by the void shield bearer pushed up and in to gain a foothold.
The respite only lasted a few seconds as a quick thinking cloud giant threw a blue orb to smash against the cyclops on flames. The cyclops was covered in ice, but the flames were gone and it quickly regained its bearing and started back forward to cover its stairway. Goblins were just then ascending the upper steps to reach the top. A club sent most including the void shield bugbear out into the open air. They would plummet to their deaths. However a half dozen goblins scrambled through and instantly started to run into space where it was more open.
They were little more than a nuisance with their own weapons, but at the back of the platform were a few piles of blue orbs. The goblins had definitely seen them at work. The goblins instantly made for the piles. Several cloud giants moved physically to intercept them, leaving the wall undefended. The pressure on the goblins was decreased. Henry was already leading two other bugbears up the center.
Henry separated himself from the rest, accepting a magic sword strike onto his own void shield. The cyclops got the better of the exchange forcing Henry backwards down a few steps, but then Henry sped up pushing up and right into the giantoids guard. Energy sapped from the cyclops magic equipment in steady streams as Henry moved in crushing a kneecap with one swing. It only took a few moments for the continuous energy to cause the void gems to crumble from over exertion.
However, as they crumbled, electricity sprang into existence as Henry started cycling his own manna. He delivered one powerful strike after the other to the cyclops who was too slow to deal with him. The other bugbears edged around to deal with a nearby cloud giant, however even together they were far from its equal. At most they were able to keep it occupied burning their skills up quickly. More goblins squeezed through the cracks of the battle to engage other defenders, but they were far from being any of the defenders equal.
The cyclops accumulated wound after wound despite its protective armor now flaring to stunt Henry’s strikes. Then Henry started to struggle noticeably more. He was still quicker, but his speed had reduced significantly as his speed skill became completely drained. However, a few goblins who had ascended the stairs sent arrows right into the cyclops' unprotected neck. The archers had used high quality non enchanted arrows. The attacks were not deadly to the giantoids, but they were enough to pull the cyclops' attention for a moment.
It was enough for Henry to capitalize; he flared with electricity as he shot up slamming his hammer right into the cyclops' chin. The giant fell straight back falling into the wall before slumping down to the wall’s base. Henry immediately scrambled further onto the platform to avoid a hail of blue orbs. It was pretty much a lost cause at this point for Gale’s forces as goblins started pouring in unchecked from the center. Orbs killed a half dozen at a time, but there were hundreds following them. There just were not enough defenders, but before Mark could get too excited they all noticed something unusual at around the same time.
One of the cloud giants who had chased after the goblins sent a magic bolt straight to a piece of empty space in front of the level door. It had been an seemingly odd move for only a second. Then Mark noticed a camouflaged shape unveiled partially. It only lasted a second, but it was clearly a four legged beast, a smaller one. Daniel had not pulled all his creatures from the attack after all.
Mark did not know which of the defenders was the floor's guardian, but it was thankfully not one of the dead ones. Otherwise the predator-like-cloaked beast would have claimed the dungeon right out from under them.
Henry who had already been running that way had evidently also noticed. He sent a crackling ball of electricity at the fast fading form. This time the creature flashed into view more clearly. It was one of the Caval units. It was even a unique titled unit, Vivi ‘the wanderer.’
“The gall of that guy,” Amelia proclaimed. She also immediately recognized the situation.
Then began an odd exchange as the cloud giant, beast, and bugbear commander all met near the floor exit. The cloud giant whipped a spiked mace around, nearly braining Henry immediately, but the bug commander dropped to the ground at the last second. A moment later he sprang to his feet once again dodging the mace as it crashed into the stone where he had just been.
But he was launching at the quickly fading cat beast, determined to not allow it to fade back into stealth. The cat sprang away, somehow even quicker than Henry could manage, but Vivi had lost its cloaking ability nearly completely. Vivi was large for a cat, but she was still only a few hundred pounds. She circled as the cloud giant once again struck out at Henry. Henry dodged and then moved in delivering his own blow to the giant’s side. The magic armor flared blue from a central gem dissipating the lighting and force behind the strike. Henry managed another half hearted swing before he was forced to withdraw.
The cat attacked him as he left the cloud giant's range. Sharp claws carved up the side of his breastplate. After another exchange, Henry moved away, his side flaring in a faint glow. The cat had cut through the armor easily enough, and Henry was using his healing skill.
Several more exchanges proved that there was a clear hierarchy of speed between the three. Henry could not catch the cat, but the cloud giant could not touch either of them, and all of the other defenders and attackers were far too absorbed in their own struggle to pay the three fighting at the back of the platform any mind.
Henry had healed several more wounds and the cloud giant held its own side covered in blue blood as it carried its mace in the other. The cat had gotten to them both. However, the stalemate between three powerhouses did not last long. It was Henry who broke the stalemate in one move as the cat closed once again on him.
Electricity flared into his surroundings saturating the area, the cat faltered momentarily a few strides away in the electric field. Vivi decided to retreat, but the brief pause was enough. Henry’s hammer caught the creature in the back hip. The cat was sent curtailing through the air. It landed 20 feet away and tried to rise up, before it found its back legs utterly useless. The cat was a perfect scout or assassin, but did not have any resiliency.
Henry and the giant paid it no further attention as they moved in on each other. Henry had clearly lost a step, and now the two were nearly evenly matched now that most of Henry’s skills were drained. With the giant's overwhelming size that was not a good thing. Henry started getting battered as he fought something with longer reach and now nearly the same speed. Things looked pretty grim for a few more exchanges, until Henry used his last trump card.
The giant’s mace came around hard. From all appearances there was nothing the bugbear commander could do to keep it from taking a crushing hit from the side, but then Henry popped a step out of range. It was not teleportation, but his reversal skill that manipulated time. Henry had drained his entire bar to reverse where he had been by less than a second. It was enough, Henry launched forward following behind the swing. His body flared with electricity as he leapt forward crashing his hammer into the giant’s jaw.
A second later the giant collapsed to the ground. The goblins were still half heartedly probing the defenses, but it was clear that other than the fight at the back of the chamber not much was happening. And the fight at the center looked to be a losing battle. The bugbear commander studied his surroundings for a moment longer before he quickly moved to the door and gave it a try. He had been right, the cloud giant with the mace had been the guardian.
All of the other giants immediately dropped their own fights rushing towards him, but he had a head start. He quickly dipped into the core room and rushed toward the glowing blue orb. Mark only saw a glimpse of Gale standing stoically alongside a man. She had an intense flare in her demeanor. The man on the other hand was completely average. A moment later it was finished. A second dungeon had fallen, leaving only four left in the battle.
