The lively chatter of Emberhold’s Guild Square filled the air as I logged back into Eidolon Nexus, the familiar sounds of merchants hawking wares and pyers preparing for raids grounding me after the whirlwind of the offline world. I hadn’t been in long when Devon and I met up with the group near the central fountain, our party gradually gathering for the day’s grind.
Devon was quieter than usual, his body nguage stiff, though his expression betrayed nothing to the others. Ethan appeared moments ter, adjusting his daggers at his sides. His usual smirk was in pce, but when he caught sight of Devon, the edge to it sharpened.
“Morning,” Ethan said, looking directly at me. His tone was light, but I caught the flicker of something behind his words.
“Morning,” I replied, keeping my voice steady.
“So,” Devon began, his tone deceptively casual as he crossed his arms. “Sleep well st night?”
Fi and Mason exchanged curious gnces, but Ethan didn’t flinch. “Not bad,” he said smoothly. “Why? You worried about me?”
Devon’s jaw tightened, and his hand drifted briefly to the hilt of his sword. “Not about you.”
Fi and Mason exchanged curious gnces, clearly picking up on the tension.
“Okay, what’s this about?” Fi asked, twirling one of her swords. “Did I miss something juicy?”
“Yeah,” Mason added, adjusting his hammer. “What’s with the death stare, Devon? Did Ethan steal your loot or something?”
Ethan smirked faintly but didn’t rise to the bait. “Nothing like that. Just a misunderstanding.”
“Nothing happened,” I said quickly, stepping in before Devon could respond. “We’re fine. Let’s just focus on the day ahead.”
“Uh-huh,” Fi said, raising an eyebrow. “You sure? Because this feels like the setup for a very interesting story.”
“It’s not,” Devon said sharply, his eyes still on Ethan. “Drop it.”
Fi held up her hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. Someone’s touchy today.”
“Guys,” Selene interrupted, her voice cutting through the tension like a bde. “If we’re done with the testosterone contest, can we focus? We’ve got work to do.”
The group fell silent, though Fi muttered something about everyone needing to “chill out.”
The tension eased slightly, but Devon didn’t let it drop entirely. “Ethan,” he said quietly, his voice low enough that only the three of us could hear. “We’ll talk ter.”
Ethan’s smirk faded for a moment, repced by something more serious. “Looking forward to it.”
?????°???°?????
A booming voice echoed across the square, drawing all eyes to the central ptform. Kaelion, the guild leader of Phoenix Ascendants, stood tall in his ornate armor, commanding attention.
“Attention, members of Phoenix Ascendants!” he called out, his voice amplified by the system. “A new opportunity has arisen. We’ve discovered a dungeon of significant value: The Abyssal Forge.”
The murmurs around the square grew louder, pyers exchanging excited whispers.
“This dungeon is not for the faint of heart,” Kaelion continued. “Only those who demonstrate exceptional skill and teamwork will be chosen to represent the guild. Prepare yourselves. Prove yourselves. The selection begins tomorrow.”
The crowd erupted in chatter, the energy palpable.
As the announcement ended, the tension between Devon and Ethan seemed momentarily forgotten.
“The Abyssal Forge,” Selene mused, her eyes narrowing. “That’s not a dungeon you take lightly.”
“Sounds like fun,” Fi said, her grin widening. “I mean, it’s called Abyssal Forge. How bad could it be?”
“Bad,” Selene said ftly. “If Kaelion’s putting out a guild-wide call, it’s serious.”
“Serious means serious loot,” Mason added, his hammer resting on his shoulder.
“Let’s focus on getting stronger,” I said, stepping in. “If we want to be considered for the roster, we need to be ready.”
Devon nodded reluctantly. “Fine. But stay sharp. No distractions.”
Ethan smirked faintly but said nothing, falling into step as we left the square. The tension still lingered, but for now, the group’s focus shifted to the challenge ahead.
We left the guild square behind, heading toward the Verdant Expanse, a sprawling region filled with dense forests, hidden ruins, and mid-level mobs perfect for grinding. The looming presence of the Abyssal Forge dungeon weighed on us, but for now, we needed to focus on building experience, collecting resources, and keeping tensions low.
Fi walked ahead with Mason. She gnced over her shoulder with a teasing grin. “So, boss, what’s the pn? More grinding? Or do we get to have some real fun and take down something big?”
“We’re not ready for anything big,” Devon said firmly, his tone leaving no room for debate. “Focus on leveling and gear upgrades. You can ‘have fun’ when you’re not dragging the rest of us down.”
Fi rolled her eyes but didn’t push further. Instead, she nudged Mason with her elbow. “You hear that? We’re dead weight.”
Mason smirked. “Guess we’ll have to carry harder to prove him wrong.”
Ethan, who had been trailing behind me, leaned closer. “They’ve got a point, you know. Grinding mobs all day gets old fast.”
I gave him a sideways gnce. “You saying you’re bored?”
He shrugged, the faint smirk tugging at his lips again. “Just saying a change of pace wouldn’t hurt.”
Devon, who had been walking slightly ahead, gnced back sharply. “The pace is fine. If you don’t like it, feel free to leave.”
The words hung in the air, heavy and pointed. Ethan’s smirk faltered for a moment before returning, though his voice was quieter when he replied. “I’m exactly where I need to be.”
As we entered the forested region, the familiar hum of wildlife and rustling leaves filled the air. The lush greenery stretched out in all directions, broken only by the occasional glint of sunlight filtering through the canopy. Small mobs—Forest Sprites and Vine Crawlers—roamed the area, their movements predictable and perfect for grinding.
As the mobs thinned out, we took a moment to regroup near a small clearing. Fi flopped down on the grass, letting out an exaggerated sigh. “This is boring. Where’s the excitement? The danger? The—”
Her words were cut off by the ground rumbling beneath us. A low growl echoed through the trees, and a moment ter, a massive Thornback Hydra burst into the clearing. Its three heads snapped toward us, each one covered in thick vines and glowing green eyes.
“Well,” Selene said dryly, notching an arrow. “You wanted danger.”
The ground trembled beneath us as the Thornback Hydra burst into the clearing, its three heads writhing and snapping, each one covered in thick, thorny vines. The creature’s scales shimmered with a greenish glow, and its eyes pulsed like eerie gemstones. As it moved, the earth around it cracked, tiny tendrils of vines spreading outward and spawning Vine Hatchlings.
[BOSS ENCOUNTER]: Thornback Hydra
Level: 30HP: 75,000Abilities:Venomous Bite: Inflicts poison damage over time (DoT).Regenerating Vines: Heals one head every 30 seconds.Vine Spawn: Summons Vine Hatchlings to attack the party.“Focus on the heads!” Devon shouted, already charging forward with his shield raised. “Kiera, lock one down if you can! Fi, Mason—keep those Hatchlings off us!”
The Hydra’s left head lunged at Devon, its sharp teeth dripping with green venom. He intercepted the attack with a glowing Shield Bash, the impact echoing through the clearing and forcing the Hydra back momentarily.
[Skill Activated: Shield Bash]
Cooldown Remaining: 12 secondsI darted to the side, my dagger glowing faintly as I activated Shadow Embrace. Tendrils of dark energy shot out from my weapon, coiling around the Hydra’s center head and holding it in pce. The strain was immediate, and my mana bar began ticking down rapidly.
“Got one locked!” I called out, beads of sweat forming on my forehead as I maintained the spell. “But I can’t hold it for long!”
Fi and Mason dashed forward to intercept the Vine Hatchlings, their movements fluid as they worked together to clear the mobs.
[Fi - Dual Bde Dance]
Damage: 125% to multiple enemies in close range.Cooldown Remaining: 18 seconds.Fi’s twin swords blurred as she spun through the swarm of Hatchlings, their health bars depleting rapidly. Mason followed up with a devastating Hammer Swing, clearing a path through the remaining mobs.
[Mason - Hammer Swing]
Wide AoE damage with knockback effect.Stamina Cost: -15.“Clear over here!” Mason shouted as the st of the Hatchlings dissolved into light.
Selene perched on a nearby rock, her bow drawn and her gaze locked on the Hydra’s glowing weak points. “The center head is regenerating!” she warned, releasing a series of arrows. Each one hit with pinpoint precision, staggering the Hydra.
[Selene - Precision Volley]
Bonus critical damage to exposed weak points.Cooldown Remaining: 20 seconds.Ethan appeared stealthily, his daggers glinting as he struck the immobilized head. His attacks were fast and calcuted, each one targeting the soft underbelly exposed by my Shadow Embrace.
[Ethan - Backstab]
Critical Damage: +150%.Status Effect: Poison applied.“Nice teamwork,” Ethan quipped, smirking as he leaped back into the shadows.
The Hydra roared, breaking free from my Shadow Embrace. Its right head lunged toward Selene, snapping at her perch, but Devon intercepted again with a glowing Shield Charge, knocking the beast off bance.
[Devon - Shield Charge]
Taunts target, forcing focus on the user.Cooldown Remaining: 15 seconds.“Kiera, switch to AoE!” Selene called out, repositioning to avoid the attack.
Nodding, I activated Essence Feast, a skill that drained health from the Hydra and any nearby enemies, feeding it back to the party. A wave of crimson energy pulsed outward, weakening the Hydra’s movements and restoring some of Devon’s health.
[Skill Activated: Essence Feast]
AoE life drain, heals party by 20% of damage dealt.HP Cost: -50.With the Hydra’s health bar dipping below 10%, its movements became frantic. It smmed its tails into the ground, creating shockwaves that knocked several of us back. Devon tanked the brunt of the attack, his health bar dropping dangerously low.
“Finish it!” he shouted, gritting his teeth as he held his ground.
Ethan fired another volley of arrows, each one striking the Hydra’s critical points, while Selene reappeared behind it, nding a devastating critical strike.
[Critical Hit! - Selene: 2,500 Damage]
Mason roared as he charged forward, his hammer glowing with energy as he activated a high-damage skill.
[Mason - Earthshatter]
Massive AoE damage with stun effect.Cooldown Remaining: 90 seconds.The Hydra shrieked as Mason’s hammer came down on its center head, shattering it completely. The remaining heads writhed briefly before the entire creature dissolved into light, leaving behind a glowing loot chest.
The group gathered around the chest, our breathing heavy but triumphant.
[Loot Acquired]:
Thornback Pte Armor (Rare): Boosts defense and poison resistance.Hydra Fang Dagger (Rare): Increased critical damage and chance to poison on hit.Venomous Core (Crafting Material): Used for high-tier upgrades.Hydra Fang Bow (Rare): Increases critical damage and applies poison on hit.Vinebound Core (Crafting Material): Used for upgrading high-tier weapons.“Dibs on the bow,” Fi said immediately, snatching it before Ethan could grab it.
“You don’t even use bows,” he grumbled.
“Doesn’t matter. It’s mine now,” she replied with a grin.
I reached for the crafting material, Selene grabbed the dagger, and Devon grabbed the pte armor, his expression calm but focused. Ethan stayed quiet, watching me with a faint smirk as I added the item to my inventory.
“Good work,” Devon said, sheathing his sword. “Let’s head back to regroup. We’ve got a dungeon to prepare for.”
As we made our way out of the clearing, I couldn’t help but gnce at Ethan. His smirk deepened slightly, but he said nothing, the tension from earlier still lingering in the air.
