The Manaverse

North of Slatewell Safe Zone

Granite City

Jut backed off after letting the dog Monster hit his shield with its claws. He felt the flow of energy that was Consequence triggering as he did. Despite being upgraded, it did not have any new effects that became visible when triggered, much to Jut's disappointment. The dark red and black energy flowed into the Monster, giving it a stack of Vulnerable.

Joy grunted as she slammed her glowing fists down and into the dog Monster's head. A loud cracking sounded as the Monster's skull caved in beneath her blow. A small trickle of the red and black energy shot into her, but she did not notice that Jut could tell. It did not matter; she did not need healing just then anyway.

Jut and Joy, the only two to step forward when a single Monster had appeared from the cave, waited for a sneak attack to come from the looming mouth.

After a long moment and no more Monsters emerged, clapping could be heard from behind them. Brick, Diggy, and Isabelle were all applauding them teasingly.

"Great job, newbs. So, who is brave enough to lead the charge?" Brick smirked, even as he started unsheathing his large shield and club, clearly ready to take the lead himself.

Jut grinned and bowed, gesturing to the opening. "After you, Master Almight." He teased back.

Brick nodded exaggeratedly. "That's a good fellow. Now, let's see what we have in here."

Joy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Will you boys ever grow up?"

They both smirked at her. Before they could take another step, a new sensation flowed through Jut's mind. He had felt it before, but he was still getting used to Gunther speaking to him across their bond.

As Gunther did not speak in the same way he did, it was not words he heard or text he could read. Instead, it was a mass of sensory images. His vision went dark as the prospective in his mind went into the cave. He could smell multiple beasts within, there was no light, and there was a strange sense of confidence behind the images.

Confused, Jut looked down at Gunther. The Rottweiler sat on his haunches and looked back determinedly.

"Are you excited to explore the cave, Gun?"

Gunther cocked his head in that familiar, inquisitive way, then nudged Nox, glanced at Lily, and let out a soft yip before stepping forward to block Brick’s path, a clear signal that he wanted the lead. He repeated the gesture more than once. His little nub shook so fast the whole time it was like he was not even wagging it all.

A loud chuckle escaped from Brick. "It looks like they want in on the action. Maybe he is saying they want to take the lead?" Turning serious, the ex-soldier turned to Nox. The German Shepard sat up straighter, looking back just as seriously. "Are you certain the three of you can handle it? Randy will kick my ass all the way from the afterlife if he learns I let you go in there and something happened to you."

Unlike Gunther, who was more excitable than not, Nox barked once and never broke eye contact with Brick.

Brick sighed and looked to Jut. "It's you're call, boss. I don't like the idea, but if the animals grow like we do, they need a turn to fight too."

Jut folded his arms, deep in thought as he studied the pets, weighing their eagerness against the potential danger ahead. A short meow came from Isabelle's shoulder before Lily jumped down, landing between the dogs. She nudged them both and looked at Jut as if to say "I will watch out for them."

"Hell ya! Let them take the lead. We’ll be right behind them," Joy chimed in with enthusiasm.

Diggy nodded. "I agree, man. They were a major asset in the battle earlier. Let's see what they can do."

Isabelle looked as nervous about the idea as Jut felt. When he looked at her for her opinion, she just shrugged. If he had to guess, she was worried but knew Lily wanted to go and did not want to stand in the cat's way.

"Fine..." Jut acquiesced. "However, we need a plan. I'm not letting you three get torn up. Let's gather in." He gestured for them to huddle up.

The act of making a coordinated plan was made even harder by the three furry ones. Anytime the plan didn't include "the three pets go in first and wreck the Monsters" it was met with yips, meows, and soft growls. In the end, it was decided, by the dogs and cat, that they would slip in and the two-legged Crusaders would count to ten before following.

"And... Go." Brick signaled the three and they slipped inside. The group counted and followed, Brick and Jut in the front with their shields up. The moment they crossed the cave mouth's threshold, everyone had text appear across their visions' briefly.

Monster Lair - Dog Monster, Stone Rank

Lair Lore has been unlocked.

Jut activated his newly upgraded Skill, Consequence. The swirling black and red energy that appeared within his shield was a bit more vibrant than it had been at normal rank. The details of the Stone Ranked Skill were less exciting than he expected, but it fit the themes of his other skills so he did not complain too much.

Skill: Consequence

Rank: Stone

Level: 0

Type: Debuff

Cost: Extremely Low Mana per second

Cast Time: Instant

Cool Down: None

Duration: Channeled

Range: Self

Normal Rank: Attacks made against you, whether blocked or taken, grant your attacker 1 stack of the [Vulnerable] status effect for 10 seconds while this skill is active.

Stone Rank: The Being that kills a target suffering from the [Vulnerable] status, caused by this Skill, will have their HP restored equal to extra damage caused under the effect.

The Stone Rank Effect did make Jut feel like he was starting to fill his Support role a little better and he was excited to try it out in this more controlled setting. As for his other Skills, he would wait to activate them until they were just about to fight. There was no point in wasting the Mana.

As discussed before they stepped inside the cave, Isabelle opened her lantern's stutter. With the bracelet dangling from her wrist, Isabelle needed only to extend her arm, the lantern’s light shifting effortlessly under her control, ready to reveal whatever dangers lurked ahead.

The pure white light spilled forth, reminiscent of the glow Isabelle’s "From the Brink" spell emitted, casting an ethereal glow that illuminated the cavern. It washed over the team, giving them just enough light to see by for a good distance and allowing them to take in the Lair's details clearly. The cave’s passage was narrow, just wide enough to allow the team to walk shoulder to shoulder, its looming walls pressing in from both sides. The ceiling was just tall enough for them to walk comfortably. Diggy and Joy flanked Jut and Brick respectively while Isabelle floated in the middle of the semi-circle.

After a few hundred yards of the path, they could see an opening where the space beyond had to be larger and wider as their light was swallowed up. The sounds of growling and fighting could be heard just as the team reached the opening.

"Move out, but stay sharp. Isabelle, keep the ceiling in your sights until it’s clear. Brick, you and I will hold the line." Diggy, find an open spot but leave space to return to the group. Joy, you're on heal guard. And lastly, don't let the pets die."

The team moved before Jut had finished speaking. As Isabelle's light revealed the scene, Jut's eyes widened. There had to be fifteen Stone and Normal Ranked Dog Monsters just within sight of their light. The space was large enough that the light could not reach the far wall. More Monsters were standing on stone outcroppings that ran up and down the tall walls. The floor of the cavern had huge boulders that were taller than the group that created a maze-like environment.

The pets had done exactly like their group would have upon entering. They had formed a group and bottle necked the Monsters in areas to take them down at their own pace. One on one, the Normal Ranked Monsters stood no chance. It was when there were a few Stone Ranked Beasts that worried Jut. But the three of them working together did manage to bring one down as they watched.

Gunther barked loudly and the Stone Ranked Monster turned to the Rottweiler. Using the Monster's inattention against it, Lily hopped on the beast, ripping deep, red lines across its back. Nox went for the Monster's back legs while Gunther avoided its attacks.

Unlike their companions, the Monsters attacked mindlessly. Jut had Alex take down a note to think over why individual Monsters could have supreme intelligence, like that damn cat, while most others were not clever at all. They just attacked without reason. For now, though, they had a fight to win. He would not let the pets get overwhelmed. Given the small pathways made by the giant rocks, he pulled his short sword free. He had finally made one of equal quality to the original blade he bought from the System Shop.

Jut changed their plan, letting the pets take lead. "Flank the Pets. Watch their six and above. Let them lead us through."

So, the team began to move through the maze slowly. The pets would initiate a fight, successfully pulling the attention of a single Monster or two. The rest of the team would intercept the fewer Monsters that tried to flank their group. Isabelle would monitor the animals and heal them accordingly. She would also add in a few wand attacks to stop any of the pets from getting cornered.

As one Monster would die, another would jump down into the maze of boulders from above. Isabelle would call out the direction of those she saw in the shifting lantern light. Jut did not understand why they were not rushed by all of monsters as soon as they entered the main cavern. The Monsters on the ledges above were all looking at them. As he was not hard pressed to fight at the moment, he watched to find out why.

It was after about ten minutes of non-stop fighting, Jut finally realized what the Dog Monsters were doing. It had to be a trap. They were being led to an open spot where they could be surrounded and pounced upon. Some of the higher up Dog Monsters were angled to face an area ahead of their progression too. Many more Monsters trailed their group but never initiated combat. It was suspicious to say the least.

"We need to move to ranged. They are leading us into a trap." Jut ordered.

Brick nodded, but he had the time so he offered a suggestion. "I see them too. Why not spring the trap, but on our terms? Aim your shots over there as we move." He pointed to an outcropping that was hardly visible in the swinging light. Isabelle, listening keenly, pointed her lantern that way.

The circle of bright, white light revealed a Monster and the System let Jut identify it in his lore, despite its distance away. Alex made the information display in his vision.

Dog Monster - Boss

Stone Rank

The beast sat and intimidation radiated off it. It was like all the other Stone Rank Dog Monsters there, a more detailed version of the cartoon like Normal Ranked Monsters. Its fur had more detail and it had the telltale scarlet eyes of a Monster. It had a size difference from the others around it though. It was broader and thicker than the rest, by quite a margin. Its shape was like a Rottweiler's. Its coloration was on par for Gunther's too, only where Gunther was brown, the Monster was red.

The Monster tipped its head, looked at Jut, and lulled its tongue lazily before it gave the team a doggy smirk. It believed it was going to win this fight.

Jut rolled his eyes. "Brick. Take point. Pets, lead, but follow Brick's direction. Isabelle and I will move to ranged. Diggy, rear tank."

Jut put his sword away and pulled out his wand. There was a downside to using his wand. His attacks did not count as Special Attacks when he used Magical Strikes. Through discussions with Alex and the team, he had concluded it was because his wand's base attacks were pure magic in nature. The idea behind Magical Strikes was that it added magical damage to a non-magical source. No physical damage and the Skill would not trigger. Until he could test it out with a bow, he had no idea if his theory was accurate. Alex was adamant it was but he was going to test it anyway.

The moment they got to edge of the trap area, a large open section of the room, Brick gave the orders.

"Ranged, fire. Be ready to be rushed. Leave a fall back to a bottle neck."

Jut pointed the tip of his wand right at the Boss. It did not move. His center became warm as he felt his Mana flow into his right hand. That power gathered in his wand, making it glow red, his affinity turning the damage to fire. He open fired, bolts of magic flying from the tip. Isabelle's blue bolts sailed along with his.

They both missed when the Boss leapt onto another ledge. Its landing made a loud thud that was almost felt as the ledge beneath it cracked. The Boss Dog barked once, menacing, and deep. And that was when it was on.

Every Dog Monster in the room that was above the team leapt down at them all at once. More appeared from every direction. It was an overwhelming sight that would have shaken the team to its core just after they had first formed. Yet, having waves upon waves of Human Monsters flood at them repeatedly gave them the confidence they needed to act.

"Bottle neck retreat." Brick called.

The group fought their way back to a handy little niche in the boulders just wide enough to allow three of the Crusaders to form a wall. Isabelle and Jut stepped into the alcove behind the others and Jut pulled out his spear.

Isabelle fired upward. A Dog retreated with a blasted nose, stepping back off the top of the boulder that flanked the healer. Jut covered the other side. He would jab up at the Dogs that landed there. They successfully worked together to keep the team from being landed on.

Brick stood front and center. His giant shield easily rebounded furry bodies as the Monsters jumped at him. He had great timing too. He managed to smash in a skull here or slammed his huge club into a leg there. No attacks got through his defenses.

Diggy was given the most room and his flashing Stone Axe kept his attackers at bay. He would occasionally land a hit and the unfortunate Monster would sail back, nearly chopped in half.

Joy, needing less space, weaved forward and back. She smacked glowing fists into her attackers in rapid succession. The Monsters would turn to retaliate but she would be gone, only to reappear and strike from a different angle.

Before too long, the flood of Dogs ebbed. Jut noticed something during the fight. Fighting the Stone Ranked beasts was no different from fighting the ones at Normal Rank when the team was Normal Rank. They died quickly. Yet, the ones that were predominately browner than any other color seemed harder to kill than usual. The green ones were faster than the others. The black ones were harder to see, even when they were closer to light. It had to be the Monsters' individual magical Affinities at work.

However, the Boss never appeared to fight. Even after no more regular Monsters appeared, the Boss was nowhere to be seen. Then there was another bark. The same deep tambour from before echoed around them.

The team hesitated, but Gunther did not. With a determined look at Jut, the Rottweiler bolted back towards the trap. The other two pets followed quickly. Jut was hit with a desire to follow them. He recognized it as Gunther's communication telling him to keep up.

"I'm going after them." Jut turned to go. Isabelle was hot on his heels.

"Let's all go then." Brick said in agreement and they all chased after.

Even following recklessly after Gunther, the Crusaders kept their formation. Just because they did not see any more Monsters, did not mean they would not spring out at them. They encountered no opposition along the way however.

The wide-open area was a showdown for the ages. Gunther was flanked by Lily and Nox. Across from them was the Boss and two Stone Ranked Dog Monsters. Each group was patiently watching the other. The Boss barked at Gunther. Gunther barked back. It was confusing.

Then, each of the Rottweilers stepped forward. Nox, Lily, and the two other Monsters each sat on their haunches. The four of them made a clearly defined square, like a sparring ring. Only, they were not going to fight to first hit, like Jut and Brick did in their sparring room. This was going to be a blood bath on one side or the other, if not both.

A knot of worry tightened in Jut’s chest. Gunther was still Normal Ranked, after all, and the odds did not look good.

An elbow tapped into Jut's ribs. "Check out Gun's skin and paws, man. It's so fucking cool. I need to get a pet too. I wonder if Nox will ever warm up to me."

Jut looked where Brick was pointing. Even in the limited light from the Lantern, Jut could see familiar effects surround his friend as he squared up to the bigger Monster. His claws glowed blue. His fur had gained a green aura around it while a deep red swirling could be seen passing through him.

Gunther had activated all three of Jut's primary Skills. He felt a sense of pride and fear at the prospect. Could he devise a set of barding for Gunther? Maybe Brick could, being an armorer?

Having seen dogs fight, Jut knew what to expect. They lunged at each other, snapping at each other's necks, and appearing to almost wrestle.

Gunther dodged the Monster’s snapping jaws, but could not escape its claws, which raked across his skin, leaving deep gashes. Gunther, on the other hand, was landing strikes too. Only, his attacks left nothing but the bright red lines of rank disparity behind. Jut could see Gunther's Special Attacks land and Gunther started to move faster, a green energy passing into the dog. Gunther's speed increase had him taking less and less damage. Jut could see his companions HP and it was floating around forty-five percent by the time Gunther was able to dodge all the Monster's attacks.

The damage his pal had taken had translated into vulnerability stacks on the Boss. This was apparent by the increased damage Gunther was doing with his own claws. Each time Gunther ran his paws along his enemy, darker and deeper red lines appeared on the beast's coat. Just before Gunther was about to land a bite on the Boss's neck, it landed a hit on Gunther, sending him back a few paces with a loud crack and a whine.

Jut saw Isabelle move in to heal Gunther, who was staggering. However, the Boss opened its mouth and Jut figured out what the red in its fur meant. A fire ball gathered then launched at the group.

"Incoming!" Jut yelled.

Everyone scattered. When the blast cleared, leaving a small, burnt crater where it had struck, the Boss Monster was once again standing across from Gunther. Both were pretty messed up, Gunther more so.

Gunther lunged forward.

The Boss did not want Gunther to land another hit. It opened its mouth and fired again. Jut lost sight of Gunther and the Boss as he was forced to dodge away from the blast again.

When the second blast cleared, Isabelle's lantern light fell on Gunther. He had the Boss Monster pinned under him, his jaws around the beast's neck.

The mob Monsters tried to pull a fast one, but both Nox and Lily intervened. A wand blast hit the beast that was intercepted by Lily. The cat's claws glowed as she struck out at the monster. Nox had Brick and Diggy coming to his aid.

Jut was going to assist Gunther, but his pal did not need it. With multiple shakes of his head, the red glow dimmed then died in the Boss Monster's eyes.

Gunther was left panting heavily. He stood as tall as he could, looking proud of taking down the imposter Rottweiler. Then the dog collapsed. Jut and Isabelle were both at Gunther's side in a flash. She was casting healing magic while Jut was uncorking a potion and Gunther lapped at the bottle's mouth gingerly.

Jut did not relax until his friend's health bar stopped receding and leveled out. It was close, but it was a victory. He did not even bother thinking about the notifications he received upon the Boss Monster's death until he was sure Gunther was out of danger.

It was when his pal began to eat from the dead Boss Monster that Jut looked away. He already knew trying to stop Gunther would not work. The other two pets also started to eat from Monster Corpses but did not join in on the Boss Monster.

"Ugh. Gross. Okay. Looting procedures." Jut said aloud. The Crusaders all split up to do their duty.

Unlike when they fought human Monsters, Joy had no problem dragging corpses. Between the three of them doing so, Jut and Isabelle were able to loot bodies much faster.

In a matter of no time, all the bodies were looted and they split up to harvest any materials forming within the Lair. Jut and Brick both managed to find some Stone Metal while Joy and Isabelle looked for useful plants, which there were some. They were a different colored cave moss.

Finally, Jut looked over the notifications he had received. Two were overly welcome.

Congratulations! You have cleared a Monster Lair. Your team is the 321st to do so in the world and the 1st to do so in your Safe Zone. As such, a onetime reward will be granted to your party.

Reward: Equipped Skill Upgrade Token, Stone Rank x5

This brought a smile to Jut's lips as now he did not need to use the Mana Chips he just received to create an upgrade token and he was eager to upgrade his final skill. He continued reading, placing his token away which had appeared in his palm.

Due to your Pet, Gunther, defeating a Stone Rank Boss Monster in solo combat, he has reached the point of Ascension. His ascension will begin in 7 hours, 51 Minutes, 20 seconds if not initiated beforehand.

Jut was going to push forward with his notifications, but a flashing warning took up his vision.

This Lair will dissipate immediately now that everything has been harvested. Please make your way to the exit or you will be ejected.

"Shit. Time to go." Jut called out.

The team all started to move towards the exit, but they did not make it. In a wash of Mana blue energy, the team was spit out of the cave. It was reminiscent of dying in the Safe Zone's dungeon, with the group all landing in a heap of arms and armor.

Joy growled as she untangled herself from the party. "I swear, Ophelia must get a kick out of watching us tumble into a heap every time." She brushed herself off before helping Isabelle stand. "Can we get to why we are here in the first place?"

Jut, who was helping Diggy and Brick stand, nodded. "Good idea. That was enough of a detour and I think we should turn in for the night once we're done. Everyone agree?"

With sounds of affirmation, the Crusaders all gathered around as Jut, Joy, Diggy and Brick all pulled out their Urn Orbs. It was finally time to say farewell.