Dungeons. At their core, they are a closed space filled with various traps and monsters. Traditionally, dungeons must have one strong enemy at the end, protecting a treasure. We as adventurers must advance through it, defeat the enemies to get stronger, so we can beat the boss and get the goodies. Did you get it up to this point?
"I understood it, Joseph, but why are we playing this anyways? Shouldn't we train instead?" It is me speaking. No, that's my younger self when I was in military high school. And I remember this day. In parkour training, I almost managed to break my leg by slipping from a climbing wall. I was trying to break the previous record for the last month and acted a little carefree since I had a good headstart.
"Are you sure? You got scolded three times this day because you overworked yourself and almost broke your leg. Also, you promised to play Dungeons with me, remember."
"Okay, but let me tell you this. If one cannot surpass its limits, then one is destined to fail at one point. Without breaking the chains holding you back, you cannot survive. That's the life."
"Life is not a constant trial of survival. Well, if I consider that your grandfather locks you in a forest filled with wild animals every year, it could be for you, but it isn't for everyone. If you overwork yourself, you will just hurt yourself. Now let's put that to a corner. What class do you want."
"Well, I promised. So, what choices do I have."
Joseph. A friend of mine from the military high school. The kid was a little physically weak and got bullied a lot but had a heart of gold and an unbreakable will. You must see him on the school's last day. He turned from a wimp to a Hercule. I had an affair with some upper-classman. So one day, I found them beating Joseph in an empty place at the school and decided to relieve some stress by breaking a leg or three. That day I almost got kicked from school for attacking other students, but thanks to my family and Joseph's testimony, I got away with a warning, and bullies got kicked out.
Ah, looking at these memories, I feel a familiarity. Goblins, dungeons, skeletons. Just like the games Joseph played back then. What sort of place am I here anyways? Monsters, and magic, I am now wondering what kind of being decided to create such an environment.
*****
I began walking down the right path. Slowly but steadily, war cries and sounds of battle faded and gave their place to bones grinding and equipment hitting each other.
Shortly after, a group of skeletons appeared in front of me, all armed with various weapons and some wearing armor. I looked at the walls of the room. There is enough distance to swing my polehammer without worrying about the spaces. Then I turned towards skeletons, then to my weapon.
There is nothing to be scared of or nothing to slow down. "You wanted all of that, you psycho bastard, now enjoy your all you can fight buffet."
I strengthened my grip over the weapon handle and charged toward the monsters waiting for me.
The second first skeleton got into my range. I horizontally swung my hammer and pierced its skull with the hammer's nail, then I pulled and slammed it to the floor. "You make one." Using my leg to keep the monster down. I pulled my weapon back, and the nail stuck inside shattered its skull. Good that I learned how to defeat these things on my first day.
Suddenly I began hearing lots of footsteps coming towards me. All skeletons in my view are moving towards me, ready to attack. That will save me lots of effort.
I changed my stance and grabbed the weapon with both hands. My polehammer is above my head, ready to strike at the first enemy that will dare to get close enough.
The second skeleton moved to my range, and I swung my hammer forward with all my strength and crushed the head in a single strike. "That makes two. Anyone else wants to try it? No answers, good, then I pick the next one." Heh, trying to tease skeletons who only attack and wander.
Another skeleton got into my range and shared the same fate as the one before. A lighting fast strike of my hammer and shattered bones, but I don't think this will be enough.
A massive amount of skeletons are currently moving toward me. I can barely see them through the wall of bones standing in front of me. There are at least twenty. Time to change tactics. "Boys, time to have some action."
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I charged forward and tackled the closest skeleton, then immediately attacked the one next to the one I tackled. Nail pierced through its skull. They weigh almost nothing, so I turned the pole hammer's head and struck the tackled skeleton. With it, I crushed two in one attack.
But their places got easily replaced by more skeletons. Well, that is the fun part of this dungeon. "More you break!" I crushed another skeleton's head with a powerful two-handed strike. "The more you want to break." I took a deep breath and spun my hammer over my head, and used its energy to shatter another skull. "The more shattered." Three new skeletons took the place of the two I killed. "More comes to be shattered!"
I charged toward the skeletons with a horizontal swing, and slammed five of them towards the wall, then with another swing to the other side, and slammed three more to the opposite wall. Using this opening, I leaped forward and slammed down a skeleton waiting behind the lines. Its skull cracked under my weight, and it died right there.
Then I turned back towards the skeletons I just slammed and began crushing their heads one after another, they tried to attack me back, but I blocked their pathetic strikes. Seconds later dungeon's floor got covered in bone shards from monsters' skulls, but I didn't stop.
Deeper and deeper, monster after monster, I carved my way through the army of skulls and bones and finally arrived at my destination, a final spot, a large circular room with a giant iron double door at the end.
The room itself has some goblins hanging around, around three or four. Nothing more than a short nuisance.
I pulled my sword out of its place and put the polehammer there. One must use the right tools for the job. Blade to cut flesh, hammer to stomp bones. This simple logic worked for me up until now in this world.
I directly moved towards the goblins, they were surprised at first, but then they got back to their usual aggressive selves and began hissing and swinging their weapons towards me. I find that a little cute considering how ineffective it is to intimidate me.
I charged forward and cleaved down the first goblin. Meanwhile, another one tried to jump to my back and stab me with its dagger. Before it managed to land its strike, I threw it away with a hit from the back of my arm.
Goblin hit the floor and rolled out a little away. Meanwhile, another one jumped towards me too. These are much more aggressive compared to the goblins I encountered till now.
The monster tried to bite my neck. Goblins have sharp teeth that are unusually big for their size, so it is dangerous, but thanks to luck, I barely managed to stop it, yet dropped my sword in the process.
Still, stopping wasn't enough. Like a wild animal, the goblin began trying to attack my neck no matter what.
I grabbed the goblin from the mouth. "You know. You give me enough bother." With all my strength, I ripped away the goblin's jaw, then threw the bleeding goblin towards its piers.
"Let's end this for good." I grabbed my sword and dashed towards the goblins, cleaved away the head of the first one I got close to in seconds. And split the other one's skull into two with a single vertical slash.
Finally, this short nuisance is over too. I moved towards the gates at the end of the room.
Made from metal, looks quite sturdy and heavy. But it isn't just a massive chunk of iron melted into a door shape. It has art on it. An art mirrored through on both sides of the door. I can clearly see the gravings of several knights in a line, holding their swords against a monstrous spider.
Suddenly, a scream of terror and pain echoed through the dungeon. It is coming from the place behind this door. Should I enter it? I don't know, but I probably cannot stop myself either.