Dungeon of Niflheim

89 Chapter 89: Assaulting the compound (10)

‘I really need to find some way to make a decent tasting potion, that or task a monster to do it, because there’s no way I’m downing these on the regular when out exploring on my lonesome.’ Frost didn’t know any healing magic so would be bound to using potions and even if he did, he’d still need to drink mana potions.

He looked over at Luna as she drank her mana potion as well as Ryuu who also drank one but at his level a low level mana potion didn’t really do much, maybe he liked the flavour. Luna drank it without so much as a twitch, further increasing his embarrassment.

He couldn’t walk up to Luna and ask her to cast healing magic on him whenever they took a break just because he couldn’t stand the taste of the potions, could he? ....no, he couldn’t, he’d lose every ounce of respect they had for him if he did that and think of the looks, he’d get.

Frost violently shook his head to regain focus, he’d just have to get used to that disgusting bitter flavour, at least it works.

Luckily, it seemed as though no one noticed his difficulties as they were too preoccupied with their own situations.

Ignoring the horrible smell and the constant killing of other people, Leo and Luna were actually faring pretty well. Having constant fast paced combat with enemies just a tad weaker than you did wonders for their training. Luna’s [air bullet] spell had seen great improvements, she could cast it much quicker now and was far more mana efficient whereas Leo repeatedly used his low-level sword skill [slash] becoming far more accurate with it. They were getting stronger with every opponent they faced, steadily making their way towards D-rank. Thanks to their overpowered equipment they could take risks and really push themselves in battle. Leo could even feel the boundary for adept sword mastery nearing ever closer.

Frost in that regard was still stuck at the last threshold between basic and adept, all he needed was a slight push. When he fought against Bruno and Taka, he moved ever so close but still shy, unfortunately these weaklings that were placed in front of him weren’t enough to improve. He wasn’t like Leo who relied heavily on his weapon mastery to defeat them, no he could simply abuse his greater speed or brute strength to cleave his opponents in two.

He needed someone with a little more grit, perhaps the second floor would have someone to enlighten him and if not perhaps the third.

Frost could feel that if he achieved adept glaive mastery, his repertoire for combat would vastly increase, perhaps he’d even unlock a skill, an active one like Leo’s [slash]. Since he’d only been alive for what a week, he hadn’t the time to drill practice his glaive and unlock low level skills such as slash naturally.

.....

As Maya explained to him skills could be learned similar to magic from magic skill books, but they were a fair amount rarer, the dungeon menu also had some on offer, but they were a fair bit expensive with entry level skills such as [slash] costing 1000DP, twice as much as his [ice bolt] spell.

To learn high level skills, he’d also be required to have a certain level of weapon mastery. Usually, the next level of skills became available once a person reached the adept level. At that level, the skills become much more complicated and powerful like 3rd circle spells over 2nd circle spells the difference is quite substantial.

Unlike with magic, skills don’t use mana to activate in fact they use energy/stamina, for example when Alex used his [shadow step] to rapidly move, it took a massive toll on his leg strength. Frost eagerly awaited learning his first skill hoping he’d have as much fun using it as he did magic.

The group waited for around five minutes for the potions they drank to fully diffuse within their system before grouping up once again, ready to head down to the second basement and face off against more powerful opponents.

Frost struggled to contain his excitement as they walked down the stairs to the next floor, all while keeping his wits about him for another ambush like what Taka did.

Luckily, there wasn’t such an ambush, seems as though Taka was the only archer or the only one willingly to get so close to the intruders among Adam’s goons.

They simply walked down the dim staircase with their steps being the only sound entering their ears.

Down below in the first area of the second basement a group of at least a dozen goons waited in preparation. This group didn’t give off the same presence as the earlier rabble, no they gave off an aura of military. They weren’t shaking in their boots as they waited for the enemy or argued amongst one another on who to take the vanguard position, they were much more disciplined.

“The targets will be here in a couple minutes is everyone ready and aware of our mission?” One of the stronger goons spoke in a booming voice like that of a drill sergeant speaking to his subordinates.

“Yes, squad leader!” The goons responded as one, with passion. Well perhaps goons was the wrong term to describe these men and women.

The dozen or so men lying in wait here were part of Adam’s true private army. They were aware and involved in the majority of his illegal dealings. It was this group of people that ‘encouraged’ the local gangs to submit one way or another.

They were well trained and armed, with each of them being at least E-rank and the squad leader being a D-rank combatant. Their job was to delay and drain the targets of their strength as much as possible. Ideally, they should attempt to force Ryuu and Bastion to enter the fray regardless of the cost. Unlike the goons above they wouldn’t run or hide, many of them were even death soldiers either raised by Adam himself or purchased from a certain unsavoury guild. They’d have no problem offering their lives to achieve their mission.

And worst of all these were just one of the squads employed by Adam. The stronger ones being deployed deeper on the second floor or even down in the third basement. This was not going to be a quick and easy fight.

Upstairs outside the manor the grand melee between over a hundred goons and the 14 hired adventurers was still blazing on. The adventurers in the beginning had a significant advantage given their teamwork and higher quality strength however after around an hour of fighting they began to tire, and the remaining goons were of the stronger bunch and more adept at working together.

Clang!

Bosh!

Fwooosh!

Multiple different sounds of varied weapons rang out as they clashed together and or flew through the air. The archer who drew first blood had ran out of her own arrows and had to recycle some from the nearby dead corpses, reducing her accuracy and firing speed. Many of the close combat types were significantly slower than earlier, enough that the goons could evade a substantial number of their swings or deflect them if they worked together.

Through pure determination and will, the 14 had whittled down their opponents to a mere forty combatants and no more reinforcements were piling in from the surroundings. At one point when a rush of enemies joined the battle from within the manor it took one of the spell casters by surprise giving him a nasty wound on his back before his comrades reached him in time to assist.

Others sported varying degrees of injury but other than the wizard’s, none of them were considered serious or life threatening. Thankfully one of their group was an accomplished healer who helped to keep them all primed and ready, healing most minor wounds as soon as they happened however, her mana had started to run low and she needed to reserve her healing magic for the most dire of circumstances, the wizard’s injury being one such case.

They had to down health potions after that to keep up with their stamina drain and escalating injuries, but the end was in sight as well the end of the first phase at least.

The remaining forty goons would fall in a matter of time, they were confident in their stamina being greater, it was a simple war of attrition. As long as they didn’t act recklessly and conserved their strength, they should be able to eliminate them within another hour’s time.

The problem being if they’d be granted that hour. Two problems faced this group of 14 adventurers. One, Leo’s group needed to succeed for if they fail, the stronger and more disciplined forces of the Baron would quickly funnel out of the manor and take care of their weakened selves without much difficulty. Second and more dependent on them was the amount of notice their battle would bring to the surrounding area. Adam’s claws stretched not only into the local gangs but a large amount of the towns guards and even if it wasn’t a group affiliated with Adam all would be seen would be a group of 14 adventurers storming a noble’s compound, the younger brother of the current ruler no less.

They needed to conserve their strength as much as possible if a conflict arose with the town guards, they couldn’t and wouldn’t blindly kill them since they didn’t know which ones were on the payroll.

Thankfully however there didn’t seem to be any activity so far, but who knows what another hour would entail.

“Hopefully, young master Leo and old man Bastion succeed.” Bagua the large beastman spear user and one of the only C-ranks present muttered under his breath. So far, they hadn’t lost a single member of the team albeit the wizard being a close call. He didn’t however like their chances against a large battalion of town guards. There was a high chance of several of them dying if or rather when that happened.

“Squelch ahhhhhh!” One of the goons was stabbed by a sword.

“Don’t worry about it, we knew the danger when we signed on for this mission.” A two handed sword wielding adventurer spoke words of comfort toward Bagua as he stabbed the chest of the goon, dishing out a fatal wound.

“Ah yes, yes we did!” Bagua smiled broadly no longer worrying as he stabbed out with his spear knocking back two goons who attempted to cleave him with their axes in his moment of thought.

With Bagua’s reinvigorated attack the group smiled with pride, their tired bodies once more filling with strength. There was still much fight left to be had.

Creaaaaaak!

Down at the entrance to the second basement, Frost and Bruno pushed open a heavy wooden door, allowing them access to the first room.

Suddenly as soon as their heads became visible, they were met with an attack.

Wooosh! Don! Don Don!

Two arrows and even a throwing axe were sent hurtling in their direction and with rapid speed Frost shifted the door closed catching the ammunition. The arrows stuck in deep into the wood and the low tone they made revealed the amount of force generated by the archers.

‘Not the same level as Taka but still of significant power.’ Frost compared the arrows shot at him by Taka and roughly gauged these opponents being probably upper E-rank.

The axe however pierced straight through the door and lodged itself deep, the blade could be seen on the other side causing Luna to gasp in shock, but the rest weren’t surprised. They expected their opponents to be of higher level and have more varied attack styles.

Frost gave Bruno a nod, the two of them would burst out first and tank any more ranged attacks. Bruno had his brand new shield and with his mastery he could easily deflect ranged attacks of this level with minimal effort all while protecting those behind.

Frost however didn’t have a shield and even if he did, he wouldn’t be very good at using it, but he did have chakra. His ice armour proved more than effective when blocking Taka’s arrows even successfully taking the majority of his skill [piercing shot] so he’d have no issues tanking.

Bruno gave him a curt nod and mouthed a countdown. He’d take the lead in directing since he had more experience. He gave a glance towards Leo and the rest; they were to immediately follow behind him and Frost once they charged out.

“3, 2, 1” Once Bruno mouthed the number one, he tensed his muscles along with Frost and they violently bashed the door open and ran froward. Bruno with his shield up and Frost with a layer of Frost armour over his arms and chest to deflect any attacks that his glaive misses.