We’re All Good
“Eek! Rune-nim, these guys are so gross!”
“Peep!”
Heungmi cast Charm with a cheerful ji-ji-ya!, while stamping powerful paw prints alongside Baekya.
Watching her, Baekya took flight and peppered the monster's face with bird footprints.
Meanwhile, they dodged the whips of swiftly flying tentacles, their movements syncing surprisingly well.
The rest of the party, startled by the sudden enemy appearance, had steadied themselves and entered combat readiness.
“Ramel!”
Kirrruk!
A massive orb of water, larger than a mermaid, gathered at the tip of Amelia's raised hand.
“Over here!”
Whoosh!
The water ball hurtled forward.
Kirrring!
Trailing the water ball, the dolphin spirit Ramel dove in.
The dolphin headbutted the ball to accelerate, zigzagging wildly and devastating the monsters.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Kirring! Kirriring!
The monsters bound by shadows were instantly crushed to death by the giant water ball and the rolling dolphin's body and tail.
Leaving the small fry to Amelia and Ramel, Rune surveyed the battlefield where he'd clash with the main monsters.
'Contribution points—I need the most, but I should let the others rack some up too.'
To the panicking monsters scattering in terror, Rune exerted his dominion through the darkness.
Kiyak! ...Kyarruk.
The frenzied beasts submitted to Rune, dropping their combat stances.
But the madness-soaked monsters twitched like zombies, unable to regain their senses.
Rune scanned the surrounding water, darkness, and mana, then lifted his eyes to the monster horde.
“Let's go.”
At Rune's word, everyone gripped their weapons with tense expressions and charged.
The dungeon, murky with patches of darkness but revealing glimmers of watery light, began spawning stronger monsters as time passed.
Yet the party handled them like a hundred-to-one force.
“Watch out. Don't get too close, bro and Heungmi!”
“Kyaaang!”
“Got it!”
Kurrr!
That was when it happened.
The seafloor cliff suddenly crumbled, and a massive starfish-shaped monster burst forth.
It targeted Perdikion and Dullahan, raising a red leg to smash down.
Boom!
Its trajectory was simple, so no one was hit, but the party's attacks momentarily faltered.
Ghosts immune to physical attacks orbited the starfish like guardians, restricting movement.
Swords and debris passed through or swung futilely at the phantoms.
Rune slowed the monsters' movements and siphoned their strength by absorbing darkness, but the madness-crazed foes resisted fiercely.
Whooo! Whooo!
Kuuuuw!
As the giant starfish raised its sucker leg again, a massive mouth gaped open at its star-shaped center, revealing layers of grotesque triple teeth.
Kaboom!
The starfish's enormous leg slammed down once more.
In the earthquake-like shaking, hundreds of sticky green saliva globs shot from its body.
Splat!
“Dodge!”
Perdikion dashed forward, while Amelia conjured a water shield in sync.
A tentacle-like leg melted away under Perdikion's sword.
His fiery blade aimed to sever another, but the mollusk's regeneration kicked in, regrowing the melted limb.
“Tch!”
Perdikion lunged to prevent regrowth, but was forced back by the cursed starfish's spewing poison.
Kirring!
The dolphin spirit rolled the giant water ball that had swept the monsters and hurled it at the starfish.
Splooosh! Whoosh!
Sss! Kiiik!
The water ball burst, damaging the starfish's outer skin; the shocked beast writhed and began retreating into the water.
Fwoosh!
“Flames of Phantom Fire, heed my call.”
Seizing the opening, Perdikion wreathed his sword in flames.
He leaped atop the starfish in an instant.
“Hah!”
Slash!
Perdikion's sword cleaved the starfish's body cleanly in half.
Blue flames that wouldn't extinguish in water ignited, the sound of its flesh sizzling filling the air.
Kiiiiiik! Sssik!
The bisected giant body twisted wildly as if desperate to live, crushing nearby monsters caught in the frenzy.
Amelia targeted the breached lines, slashing with her spear to send water sprays splitting monsters or shoving them meters back.
Kirryt!
The dolphin spirit protected Amelia from the dying starfish's poison sprays or deflected them.
Poison scattered around the monsters; sea beasts that barely evaded the thrashing starfish screamed in agony from the splashes.
That was when it happened.
Kurrrruk.
Kaboom!
A rickety pirate ship with tattered sails emerged, eerie and foreboding.
Not just the early skeletons, but a massive skull in flowing robes wielding a cutlass appeared.
“I'll handle it.”
Perdikion's eyes gleamed with fighting spirit as he readjusted his grip on his sword.
He shot forward like an arrow, too fast to stop.
“W-Wait! Perdikion-nim, going alone is dangerous!”
Heungmi cried out, but Rune trapped cyclops piranha fish in the darkness and replied.
“It's fine, let him go. He won't lose to a sword-user.”
Heungmi, firing dark foxfire with salamanders to harass foes, blinked in confusion.
“It's okay? But Rune-nim said you need the most contributions in this dungeon.”
Even in battle, she didn't forget the goal—a fine trait.
Rune lightly patted Heungmi's head.
“Yeah. It's okay.”
'My spotlight's elsewhere.'
Rune silently absorbed darkness from the fallen monsters.
“Support bro, Amelia.”
Amelia nodded and aided Perdikion's movements.
Perdikion glanced at her with just his eyes, then leaped onto the deck.
His flame-wreathed sword bisected the monster horde at the waist in a flash.
Using the black pearl Rune gave him, he parted the water around his sword instantly.
'Not used to water powers, yet so fluid.'
As Rune watched in admiration, the flames engulfing Perdikion's sword grew fiercer.
If not for the water dungeon, it would've scorched everything into a sea of fire.
The pirate captain used small skeletons as stepping stones to target Perdikion.
Thud!
With a massive impact, Dullahan climbed onto the deck and stood before the pirate captain.
Kabang!
Without a word, Dullahan and the pirate captain gripped hands in a test of strength.
Perdikion tried linking up, but the trash mobs outnumbered them.
Instead, he circled nimbly, seeking openings.
“Tch. Too many of these bastards!”
Grumbling, Perdikion slashed another crew skeleton lunging to block him even in death.
Kugugu!
Dullahan, pushing and being pushed in the struggle, suddenly flashed his green eyes.
Crack. Crunch!
-Kraaak!
The pirate captain screamed as its hand bones shattered, shoved back in one go.
At the captain's cry, crew skeletons switched targets, swinging cutlasses at Dullahan.
-Grrraaaah!
Dullahan's roar vibrated the water and erupted.
The party, now accustomed to his howls, had plugged their ears preemptively without prompting.
Nearby skeletons rattled from the shockwave.
Dullahan seized the gap, thrusting his fist.
Kwack!
Ribs and body shattered in one blow; in another spot, Perdikion's mana-charged sword pressed in.
Bang! Bang!
-Kiyaaaak!
The undead's death cries exploded everywhere.
The fairy in the black pearl clutched her cheek with one hand, eyes sparkling in excitement.
[So cool. The screams.]
Dullahan's shoulder twitched rigidly at the pearl fairy's words, chills running through him.
The captain skeleton tried reassembling shattered bones, but quieted under Amelia's purification Word of Power.
Amelia couldn't help more, beset by her own foes.
“Hoo, haa... S-So vicious...”
Water ghosts. Nicknamed water wraiths.
Here called water demons, these watery blobs with only black traces of eyes and mouths circled Amelia, exuding icy chill.
Ghost-type monsters that stole body heat and vitality.
'Not a big deal individually, but their numbers...'
True dragons wouldn't even approach, let alone take hits, but these, fattened on dungeon darkness and curses, were tougher and more annoying than expected.
'This is Amelia's time to shine.'
Rune pulled something from his pocket and tossed it to Amelia.
“Amelia.”
Whoosh.
“Uh... Huh?”
Amelia reflexively caught it and opened her hand curiously.
A cozy, bright daisy-patterned candy and an amber baby bear gummy.
“Try it.”
Pale water demons lunged again with eerie wails; the mermaid popped both into her mouth at once.
“Hup!”
Sweet cream and honey melted smoothly on her tongue.
Moments later, a translucent, chewy membrane shimmered around her body.
“Waa...!”
“That's a protective barrier blessed by a Gold Dragon Elder.”
Rune swiped his hand through the air.
“Purify them all.”
“...Yeah!”
A massive water spray erupted around Amelia, who gripped her spear with both hands.
It swirled joyfully, as if the sea itself blessed her.
She furrowed her brow slightly at the strain but steadfastly held the spear one-handed and thrust at the enemies.
“Purify!”
Kurrr. Shaaa!
The blessed heavy wave swept the water demon horde instantly.
-Oooo! Ooooo!
Haunting howls echoed from the dark cavern.
Ghosts shattered on contact with the current.
Amelia smiled faintly; Rune absorbed the curses and darkness from the broken phantoms.
“Done.”
As Rune cleared the darkness, the seawater gradually brightened to crystal clarity.
Madness-afflicted monsters shed their curses, reverting to normal beasts or corpses.
Those too steeped in darkness collapsed powerless at Rune's will.
The party pressed the remaining monsters as if owning the dungeon; soon, none lived.
“Good work.”
“Disgusting bunch.”
“Haa... I-Is it over?”
“Rune-nim was awesome! Sis and Perdikion-nim too. Dullahan too!”
Heungmi approached the party, chattering.
Meanwhile, Rune collected all valuable byproducts.
Cursed dungeons vanished forever once purified.
So he stockpiled unique materials from here.
Woooong!
A vibrating hum filled the area; the party scanned around.
Perdikion raised his sword; Heungmi perked her ears.
Baekya flapped twice, tilting its head and blinking before perching on Rune's head.
“Peep. Peeruru.”
Wooong! Fwoooong...
“Peerit.”
After a short, crisp chirp, the bird responded to the hum with a wistful tone.