Nikolai wasn’t sure what he had expected, truth be told, but the fact that he barely noticed the front teams fighting before he stepped over the corpse of what could only be described as a zombie was telling.

  It had been cut to pieces, but it wasn’t exactly gory. The corpse was so dried out that barely any fluids were visible. It was still a horrifying sight, but it felt strangely distant to him. He saw the undead monster, understood what it was and what it represented, but he simply shrugged and kept moving.

  Perhaps it helped that no one else paid any mind to it. Everyone ignored it entirely—some even casually stepped on it as they passed. That made it easier for Nikolai to adopt the same mindset.

  More zombie corpses appeared as they continued forward, until something finally happened that couldn’t be walked over. A harsh scream of stone grinding on stone echoed through the walls as they slammed shut behind the group. Then came the deep growls of something ahead.

  “Circular formation!” Calim barked.

  People moved with speed and precision, and Nikolai simply followed the orange-robed mage in his group. That proved to be the correct decision, and she gave him a brief approving nod before turning away.

  For a few seconds Nikolai wondered why they were facing the wall—until it split down the middle and slid open to reveal a chamber beyond. It was pitch black inside, but that wasn’t what took his breath away. The horde of undead pouring out, now that certainly did the trick..

  These weren’t simple zombies.. They were armored in rusted mail and plate and wielded swords, axes, spears—sometimes with shields in various states of disrepair. There were also larger monsters: grotesque masses seemingly cobbled together from several people, sporting multiple arms and at least a few heads each.

  As the tide of undead rushed forward, Nikolai held his breath—but nothing got past their front line. The snake woman and the big warrior stood shoulder to shoulder and didn’t give a single inch. The warrior’s shield projected a barrier that extended to either side, holding back a dozen undead by itself.

  Once the charge halted, Simi and the orange-robed caster unleashed magic into the tightly packed mob. Simi’s lightning struck the first zombies, then chained through several more.

  The orange-robed mage wove her hands, forming a sphere of water above her head. When it had grown as large as a small car, she hurled it over the front line. It burst in the middle of the horde, splashing and knocking a few undead flat. The waterball had been strangely ineffective, and Nikolai wanted to comment on that, but the reason why became clear a few seconds later.

  Simi raised her hands and brought them down sharply. Lightning ripped from the ceiling and struck the soaked ground. The electricity surged through the wet floor, electrocuting a large cluster of undead at once.

  Nikolai couldn’t help grinning—okay, that was pretty awesome to watch.

  As pressure on the front disappeared, the melee fighters surged forward. The warrior led, with the snake woman on one side and the small man on the other.

  They went to work.

  The snake woman stabbed with blistering speed, her weapon striking heads like a sewing machine needle. The big warrior relied on brute force, smashing zombies apart with shield and sword alike. The small man went straight for one of the larger undead, whooping with excitement.

  The large monsters lumbered forward, swinging heavy weapons with tremendous force. They might have been terrifying, but compared to the small man and the snake woman, they were painfully slow.

  The two flanked one of the creatures, harrying it with precise cuts and thrusts while the warrior intercepted another of the big bastards. The second monster hammered at his shield, but the warrior stood firm, blocking every blow without budging.

  Simi began channeling another spell. This time she held a wand, lightning building around her hands before surging into a thick beam that erupted forward. It blasted straight through the monster the snake woman and the small man were fighting, punching a wide hole through its torso. The creature stood swaying for a moment before collapsing with a heavy, meaty thump.

  The next one fell in similar fashion, though this time it was the orange-robed mage who delivered the finishing blow. Her spell manifested as a huge ice spike that exploded on impact, shredding the monster. Everyone nearby ducked behind the warrior’s barrier as the shards flew.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Nikolai, who hadn’t been warned and had no idea what was coming, managed to erect his own mana barrier just in time. Even from his position further back, the blast made the barrier flicker, and he spent far more mana than he was comfortable with.

  He had the sudden urge to kick the mage for not warning him, especially when he spotted the small man smirking at him—but he swallowed the anger.. again.

  Instead, he looked around to see how other teams were faring. Many were doing just as well, if not better. One stood out—the cloaked figure from earlier.

  Nikolai assumed the figure was female based on her build, she was small and almost petite, but it was a bit hard to tell through the heavy fabric. She fought beside a massive, armor-clad companion who wielded a sword so large it looked like something out of a manga. The giant warrior held off two of the large undead on his own.

  Meanwhile, the smaller zombies seemed to move as though slogging through thick mud. Any that got close to the cloaked figure were met with flicks of the wand, which shot balls of black fire. The zombies ignited in violent bursts before collapsing. They didn’t burn normally—whatever animated them simply vanished, erased by the black flames.

  More shocking still, the figure gestured with her free hand—and one of the zombies turned against the others, hacking at its own allies. Curious, Nikolai extended his senses and found what he expected: dark magic. The cloaked figure was some kind of dark mage.

  Those purple eyes snapped toward Nikolai—she had likely noticed the probing—and Nikolai quickly pulled his senses back. The mage narrowed her eyes briefly, then returned to the fight.

  Nikolai looked away, watching more zombies fall—blown apart, frozen solid, or cut to pieces. All the while, he simply stood there. He hadn’t been told to join in. No one ordered him forward. And he felt useless.

  Someone tapped his shoulder. A woman with dark brown hair and a brilliantly white robe stood behind him. She gestured toward a few people with minor wounds off to the side.

  “Get to work,” she said briskly—not rude, but definitely short on patience.

  Relieved to finally have something useful to do, Nikolai nodded and moved.

  The aftermath of the battle—intense as it had seemed to him—was handled with efficient precision. The undead corpses were gathered, placed in one of the hidden rooms, secured by a barrier, and burned. The group handled the process smoothly and without fuss.

  Nikolai wasn’t involved in the cleanup. He was busy healing. Only one person had been badly hurt, and even he was up and walking again after a few minutes of magical treatment from the woman. He was guessing this was the one he had been warned about.

  Once everything was handled, orders were given and the group marched on. Two more ambushes occurred before they reached a large circular chamber where the first forward camp would be set up, both easily overcome. It would serve as a fallback point for the early dungeon levels.

  The fighting had been straightforward. The only noteworthy discovery was a few runes retrieved from slain monsters—apparently basic combat-related skills. Nikolai was curious, but he wasn’t about to reveal how little he knew by asking questions. Also, just a few chosen people were allowed to loot, used a specialized items to do so.

  From the chamber, three new hallways branched off, not counting the one they entered from. The expedition split here, each group led by its assigned commander. As it happened, the snake woman with orange hair was Nikolai’s group leader.

  That night she and the other commanders held a meeting while the rest of the expedition rested and prepared. No one truly knew what awaited them, but the camp buzzed with a relaxed and jovial energy. People talked, laughed, and had drinks—but Nikolai didn’t feel like he fit in, and mostly stayed on the sideline.

  In the dim chamber, he felt isolated. He tried not to wallow, but surrounded by camaraderie he wasn’t part of, he couldn’t help feeling apart from the rest, perhaps to his reluctant admission a little lonely.

  He slept poorly. The ground was hard despite the bedroll, and his mind kept drifting to whatever might come tomorrow.

  “My name is Azila Sinfang, and I will be taking the lead of Group Two!” the snake woman declared the next day. Nikolai looked around. Three teams—seventeen people in total—had gathered.

  Similar groups were assembled at each hallway branching off the chamber, each receiving a brief speech.

  “I am sure you are already aware,” Azila continued, “but we walk into the unknown. Each team will send a scout ahead, but otherwise formation remains standard. Fighters front and back, casters in the middle, ranged specialists on the flanks.”

  Everyone nodded.

  “Simi,” she gestured toward her, “will be my second-in-command. You will listen to her orders. We move slowly and carefully. No heroics, no idiotic recklessness. Clear?”

  More nods.

  “Good. Scouts have already moved ahead, so let’s go get rich!”

  A small cheer rose, and Azila smirked in satisfaction.

  “All right, move out!”

  Steel-clad warriors surrounded the much smaller number of casters and healers, and the group stepped forward as one. Nikolai looked back once at their campsite—only a small group of people remained to keep it clear and provide a fallback, should it become neccesary.

  Then the warmth of the fires disappeared behind them, swallowed by darkness as Group Two descended deeper into the crypt.