It had a lion's body, thick with corded muscle under tawny fur. But the head was wrong. It was too broad, too heavy. The snout was that of a warthog, blunt and brutal, with two tusks curling up from the lower jaw until they nearly pierced the creature's own eyes. A ragged mane of coarse, wire-like hair ran down its spine, and its tail ended in a bony knob the size of a mace.
It snorted, and steam billowed from its nostrils. Its eyes glowed a sickly, radioactive yellow.
"That was not here last time," Tamsin said calmly.
"Random Gatekeeper," the elf noted, her voice tightening. "That answers the question . . . the System is definitely bored."
"Random?" Jacob asked, gripping his sword.
"Not attached to the core," she explained quickly. "Sometimes the System throws a unique monster in at the end of a floor just to mix things up. They are typically stronger than normal. They also tend to attack with unpredictable patterns."
"Unique drop," the dwarf grunted, looking almost cheerful. "About time our luck turned."
Carlos did not smile. "We have a hot floor and a Gatekeeper that shouldn't be here. We do this carefully. Jacob?"
Jacob straightened. "Yes?"
"Stay behind Tamsin. If that thing looks at you, hide behind Grimmand . . . the dwarf. We will handle the front."
Jacob nodded. His heart hammered against his ribs. The links to his gear buzzed, tense and eager.
"Positions," Carlos ordered.
The dwarf, Grimmand, moved up, shield set. The elf began to chant. Tamsin drifted wide. Carlos rolled his shoulders and started up the rise.
The Gatekeeper saw them.
It threw back its grotesque head and roared. The sound was like a stone being torn in half. The ground vibrated under Jacob's feet.
"Good," the dwarf said. "I hate it when they whimper." His voice was deep and baritone as he transitioned into a battle stance.
The beast charged. It moved with terrifying speed for something so heavy, closing the distance in three bounds.
Carlos met it. He planted his feet and slammed his shield into the creature's shoulder. The impact rang like a gong. Carlos slid back two feet, leaving furrows in the earth, but he held.
"Now!" Carlos yelled.
The dwarf stepped in, hacking at the creature's front legs. Tamsin flickered into existence on the beast's flank, his daggers sinking into the thick muscle of its hip.
The Gatekeeper screamed, thrashing wildly. It spun, its mace-like tail whipping around with enough force to shatter stone. Tamsin dove under the swing, but the wind of it ruffled his hair.
"Watch the tail!" Tamsin shouted, scrambling back.
The beast ignored the dwarf and focused on Carlos. It reared up, slamming its massive paws down on the knight's shield, hammering him into the dirt like a nail. Carlos grunted, his knees bending under the strain.
"It's heavy!" Carlos gritted out. "Elara! Slow it down!"
The elf unleashed a bolt of frost. It struck the beast's flank, freezing the fur, but the monster simply shook it off. Its yellow eyes darted away from Carlos.
It looked past the tanks. It looked at the source of the magic.
"Aggro shift!" Tamsin warned.
The Gatekeeper dropped to all fours and ignored the steel wall in front of it. It leaped right over the dwarf, landing in the backfield with a ground-shaking thud.
It was directly in front of Elara.
She gasped, raising a magical barrier, but the beast shattered it with a single swipe of its tusk. She scrambled back, tripping over a rock.
The beast reared up to crush her.
Jacob moved.
He didn't think. He didn't analyze the logistics. He just saw the opening. He stepped between the monster and the mage, planting his feet just as his father had taught him.
He raised his sword, not to strike, but to brace.
The beast's paw, heavy as an anvil, came down.
It hit Jacob's sword. The impact was catastrophic. It should have crushed him into paste.
But the runes on his blade flared blindingly bright. The braking enchantment kicked in, fighting the kinetic energy. The force transferred down his arms, through his shoulders, and into the coat. The armor's weave tightened instantly, becoming as hard as diamond.
BOOM.
Jacob was driven into the dirt up to his ankles. The air left his lungs. His vision went white. But he didn't break, and the gear held.
The beast paused, confused. It had expected soft meat, not a wall of enchanted steel.
That one second of confusion was all the party needed.
"NO!" Carlos roared.
The knight slammed into the beast's side like a battering ram. The impact knocked the Gatekeeper off balance. Before it could recover, the dwarf, Grimmand, was there, his axe burying itself deep into the monster's exposed neck.
Blood sprayed hot and black.
The beast staggered, gurgling. Tamsin appeared on its back, driving both daggers into the base of its skull.
The Gatekeeper collapsed. Its massive bulk hit the ground inches from where Jacob stood, rooted in the dirt.
Silence fell over the hill.
Jacob gasped, sucking in air, his chest burning.
Carlos was at his side in an instant, grabbing his shoulders. "Jacob! Report! Broken bones?"
Jacob shook his head, wheezing. "Armor . . . worked. Just . . . winded."
The elf stared at him from the ground, her eyes wide. "You took a direct hit from a Gatekeeper. You are but eleven years old."
Jacob managed a shaky smile, patting the glowing chest plate of his coat. "Good stitching."
Carlos didn't smile back. His grip on Jacob's shoulders tightened until it actually hurt.
"Do not smile," Carlos snapped, his voice trembling with a sudden, sharp anger. "I told you to hide. I explicitly told you not to engage. You are not a tank, Jacob. You are a child. Do not ever try to be a hero on my watch again."
Jacob's smile vanished. He didn't argue. He didn't point out that the elf would have died. He just looked down at his muddy boots and nodded.
"I am sorry, Carlos," he said quietly.
"Leave him be, Carlos," Elara said. She had pulled herself to her feet, brushing dirt from her robes. Her voice was steady, though her face was still pale. "I tripped . . . the barrier failed. I would be dead right now if he had listened to you."
Carlos looked from the elf to Jacob, his jaw working as he fought down the adrenaline. The anger slowly drained out of him, leaving only exhaustion. It was his fault as the leader. He had gotten careless in his bloodlust.
He let go of Jacob's shoulders and looked at the dead monster.
Carlos let out a long, ragged breath and looked at the dead monster.
Quest Updated
Objective:Clear first floor without losing anomaly.
Status: Completed
Reward Earned: Upgrade for one skill (one per team)
PICK ONE TEAM MEMBER TO UPGRADE A SKILL
New Objective: Clear second floor without losing anomaly.
Reward:Upgrade for one skill (one per team)
"System's sense of humor," Carlos muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "Indeed."