The towering doors opened automatically and with a quick glance at the arena, Lyssara furrowed her brows. 'Looks like the arena switches with each dive.' Unlike the narrow and confined room she had expected to see, this time their place of battle was a grid metal platform, beneath them a strange green fluid had coalesced like stagnant water.
'But this should be more preferable given that he rat won't be able to be jumping all over and going underground.' She sighed inwardly however her guard didn't drop, aware of how hard the game was.
Seryn looked around, her eyes darting all over for the elite that they had to face. This time the entrance was far shorter as the beast began with an attack on Seryn from above. "Gah!" She managed to dodge to her side but not unscathed as blotches of the cysts managed to land on her skin.
[{Elite – Vermin Scourge, Gnawback.}]
[{Type: Mutated Rat}]
The notification waved to the side by Lyssara as she prepared herself for her attack. A quick dash from her managed to make the elite back away from her, it's teeth flashing before jumping into one of the sewer holes that spewed the green fluids beneath them. The air was rancid, each second spent made their vision blur.
"We have to make this quick!" Seryn noted as she brandished her dagger. The two stood back to back, their heads surveiling the numerous holes anticipating where the elite would jump out of.
The elite, this time far faster than before made a move on Seryn once more. 'Looks like the beast remembers me for it to avoid me like so.' Lyssara mused as she twirled her body, her blade arcing with the path o. the elite hitting it's eye as Seryn managed to hop on it's back and land a jab at one of the cysts.
The beast's shrike filled the air stunning the two as they covered their ears. However Lyssara wasn't done with her attack as she twirled her sword forcing it into the other eye of the beast.
"RAR!!!!" Another shriek followed however this time the beast was bathed in her black flames that managed to scorch Gnaw back as well as Seryn.
[{You have been applied a burn stack of 5}]
[{Your health is 15 out of 20}]
[{Your health is 10 out of 20}]
[{Your health is 5 out of 20}]
[{Your health is 1 out of 20}]
Her frame collapsed next to Lyssara who rather than frantically start to probe for any injuries watched her writhe in pain before anticipating for the next attack. The beast jumped off the metal platform and into the acid beneath however the doors remained closed indicating that the fight was yet to be over.
The air fell silent before gurgles could be heard echo beneath.
*Gush*
A pillar of acid was shot up at the metallic platform burning a hole next to Seryn who had yet to get up.
[{Your health is dire, do you wish to abandon the run?}]
The prompt felt like a cruel joke, sighing it off, she grit her teeth and brought herself to her feet. Lyssara who was busy dodging noted her presence. "Watch out!" She cried out however it was in vain as Seryn in her pitiful state couldn't make any quick dodges and as expected her body was bathed in acid bringing her dive to an end.
[{Your partner is still in a fight, you will be brought back should they manage to come out alive}]
Rather than the unexplainable abyss, this time she hovered above the arena watching how Lyssara dodged the pillars of acid. Her movement barely better than hers but thanks to her small frame and higher pool of health, it was far easier for her than it was for Seryn.
Once the pillars of acid were gone, Lyssara was back to her guard, her poise ready for the next attack. 'It would look like the beast knew her thus it went for me as I would be easier to take me down.' Seryn cursed as Gnawback emerged from one of the holes nearby.
This time it's body bathed in acid, both of it's eyes dripping with blood and green vile. The cysts on it back bulging before spewing it's contents all over the platform further shrinking the space that Lyssara could use for dodging. 'Damn this it worse than before!' The burrows though a nuisance was far easier than the metallic platform that she was on now.
'If it keeps on going like this then I won't have enough space to kill this elite.' As for Seryn, the matter wasn't all that alarming in her mind. The blotches of acid carpeted everywhere turned to be small balls of acid that began to roll closer and closer to Lyssara. Without much thought she grabbed Seryn's dagger and threw it at one of the balls which exploded into a cloud of acid.
Given that the weapon wasn't initially hers, it was gone forever. She glanced at her sword before looking back at the elite that was busy spreading it's acidic minions all over. With a thought formulating in her mind, she decided to put it to the test. She began her games of dodging the balls till coming to a stop.
'Has she conceded?' Seryn wondered seeing that Lyssara had no more space. Lyssara held the sword with her two dainty hands, her breathes growing deeper.
*Boom*
Out of nowhere her figure was bathed in flames as she gracefully danced in a path heading for the elite. 'I take it that was her skill.' Seryn concluded as she watched after images of her body slay the minions, each attack causing a minor explosion of acidic cloud further restricting her movement. At a glance of her move it seemed idiotic given that she was shooting herself in the foot.
'She's not that stupid. With her cold demeanor I take it that she has a plan formulated in her mind.' But what it was exactly eluded Seryn as she was left to watch the effects. The elite that had remained stationary this entire time now sighting Lyssara's approaching figure hopped back on it's feet but it was already too late.
She managed to close the distance and with an arc, she plunged her sword deep into the beasts skull. A final shriek permeated the air before the beast finally let death take it. It's minions all simultaneously burst into clouds of acid that forced Lyssara to dodge as far away from them as possible, bringing her to the edge of the platform that began to creak and groan from the structural decay.
The doors on both sides opened and with no delay she made for the exit.
"Hah!" She let out a pant followed with her eyes filled with the notification of her achievement.
[{Congratulations on slaying your first elite}]
Still no look of accomplishment flashed on her face as another figure flashed beside her. It was Seryn, her face portraying her shock.
[{Your health is 10 out of 20}]
The message not that much of a concern given her passive would help her replenish her missing health.
[{Your reward}]
For Lyssara, it was a small parchment with odd inscriptions scribbled on it. The system didn't bother explaining what it was, just given to her without a word. As for Seryn, she was given what she had been yearning for.
[{Your reward is 500 gold}]
Before her look of satisfaction could last, a stream of questions flooded her mind. 'If I've been slaying rats this entire time then why haven't I been allotted any gold? Not to mention the ludicrous prices of some of the items, what use is five hundred gold?' The two with questions with silence as their answers.
Still, the two paused for a moment before venturing deeper. With no notification to congratulate on their victory, it was clear that the floor had more to it than they had initially anticipated. The two this time didn't chat as much given that it was both their first time to make it where they were now.
This time the usual common rats were gone, replaced with mutated rats that would implode upon death making it more difficult given the narrow halls. With their frequent stops for respite, they eventually managed to come across the second elite of the floor.
The room was grounded with a lot of space for maneuver. However this fact wasn't important as they glanced at their foe this time. It wasn't one but three mutated bats that they had to deal with.
[{Elite- Vrynala The Brood-mother}]
One of them was far larger than the two, hanging at the back with it's dark crimson beads for eyes piercing the dark staring at the two. Their blood curled at it's gaze before the flutter of wings filled their ears.
*Whoosh*
The torches in the room were all snuffed out leaving Seryn as a source of light thanks to her {Torchlight} utility skill. Still it wasn't enough to see given that it could only cover a few steps ahead of the two. 'Looks like this is a battle for sound rather than sight.' Lyssara knew that fighting in the dark would be a disadvantage for her more than Seryn.
Her flames could give some form of light however it wasn't as consistent therefore she was forced to fight close to Seryn removing a lot of options for the two to utilize with the three bats.
*Hiss*
An ear piercing shriek made the two to freeze before the flutter of wings alerted them back. "Take the initiative!" Lyssara commanded to which as belittling as if felt for Seryn, she had no other means but to listen given that her weapon wouldn't be as effective here. Her dagger would leave her prone to attacks such as the shrills let out by the bats every so often.
Lyssara leapt over Seryn and aimed for one of the bats, her vision enough to see her targets however a blast of sound froze her initiative sending her crashing to the walls.
*BAM*
As for Seryn, she could only grit her teeth as she lunged at one of the bats. Her dagger managing to cleave one but this left her open to the other that sunk it's teeth into her skin. It wasn't painful as she had anticipated but the notification that flashed in front of her soured her mood even further.
[{You have received blood-loss vampirism debuff}]
What it did to her was a mystery that the system once more refused to elaborate. After the bite she too was sent flying crashing next to Lyssara who was scrambling to get back on her feet. "We won't be able to make any progress like this." Lyssara posed, her voice calm as if the two weren't on the verge of death.
Dying meant next time coming here would be harder than it already was then. The stage for the first elite would change, the same for the second elite as well. And with the two already struggling to slay at least on of the bats, the elite hanging at the back would be impossible to get to. "What do you propose?"
Seryn's eyes thrown into the dark hoping that she could at the very least catch a glimpse of the bats but the darkness was far denser than she had anticipated. It felt like a veil had been place making sure that the two couldn't see what was in the darkness. "A reset." Lyssara mused eventually, her sword dropping to the floor.
"You want to start over once more?!" Seryn didn't have to explain why that would be a problem. "We have no means to take out the bats much less see in this kind of environment." Glancing around, she knew that the situation the two were in was hopeless, still she didn't give up so easily.
She made a move forward lunging at one of the bats, her face showing her defiance to kneel to the situation. One of the talons from the met her skin.
[{The debuff has been activated}]
[{Your health is 1 out of 20}]
The graze dealt to the bat instantly healed, her life however meeting it's end before she could think too much. Lyssara was now plunged into absolute darkness with Seryn gone. Taking the sword to her neck, she claimed her own life.