The next two days blurred together.

  The Plains of Ardun stretched beneath Ravenmere. It was mostly a sun-scorched wasteland, dotted with sparse vegetation, rocks, and very little shade overall.

  It was a stark contrast to the lush forests of Carpa or the beach paradise of Oakenlight.

  And it was also teeming with monsters.

  "Ravenkin patrol coming from the right," I called out, nocking an arrow.

  The creatures were unsettling to look at.

  They had humanoid bodies covered in black feathers and sword-like beaks filled with razor-sharp teeth. They moved in groups of three or four, their voices a mix of human gurgling and ravens chirping.

  Straight out of a horror movie.

  "I'll pull," Athos said, already moving into position. "Kara, be ready with the debuff."

  "Always am."

  Athos darted forward, his blade flashing in the sun as he tagged the lead Ravenkin with a quick slash before retreating. The creatures shrieked in unison and started chasing him. right into my line of fire.

  "Burning Arrow!"

  -282!

  -61!

  -61!

  …

  The shot took the middle Ravenkin in the chest, and the area of effect attack hit all of them perfectly.

  Flames spread across their feathers. Fire’s really good against them.

  Kara's melody shifted, her Lullaby of Dismay hitting the group and applying a slow and attack debuff that made them look like they were moving in slow-motion.

  Athos met them head-on.

  His Horizontal Slash carved through the first Ravenkin before it could react, Piercing Stab already channeling as he pivoted to engage the second.

  I kept up a steady stream of basic attacks, poison stacks accumulating on our targets while Kara's Song of Valor boosted our damage output.

  Ten seconds later, it was over.

  "Clean," Athos said, shaking green blood from his blade.

  "Too easy," Kara added with a smile.

  We'd been doing this for hours.

  Pull, engage, kill, loot, repeat.

  The rhythm was almost meditative at this point.

  The Plains of Ardun had a diverse ecosystem of hostile creatures, but none of them were too hard to deal with.

  The Ravenkin were fast and hit hard, but they were fragile.

  The Ardun Scorpions were massive, the size of small cars, but they were slow even without Kara’s debuff. They had quite the HP pool, and their poison was nasty, but they couldn’t hit players like us even if their lives depended on it.

  Which it did.

  Carrion Vultures circled overhead, occasionally diving to join ongoing fights if they sensed weakness. They rarely stayed for melee, so it was primarily my job to get rid of them.

  Then there were the Dust Hares, which sounded adorable until you saw them.

  These rabbit-like creatures were the size of wolves, with oversized fangs and an appetite for flesh. There wasn’t a second of second-guessing in me when dealing with them.

  And finally, the Ardun Gnomes, vicious little humanoids that attacked in swarms. They were the worst of the bunch.

  They had a mechanic where if they hit you, you had a tiny chance to drop an item from your inventory. Any item.

  The first time it happened, I learned my lesson for a lifetime as I dropped the key fragment for the Trident and one of these fuckers snatched it from right under my nose.

  Thankfully, they dropped the stolen item the moment you killed them, so we showed them no mercy.

  Each monster type required slightly different tactics.

  It was exhausting work, but the experience made up for it.

  By three in the afternoon on the first day, Kara's experience bar finally filled in.

  Level up!

  "Nineteen!" she cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "Finally!"

  "Congratulations," I said, genuinely happy for her.

  She checked her status window, allocating her attribute points with practiced efficiency. "Five more points into Wisdom. Let’s work on that healing efficiency."

  "Good. We'll need it for the catacombs."

  Athos and I were still a ways off from 19. The experience curve was brutal at these levels, and even with the efficient grinding, progress felt tedious at times.

  We pushed on.

  The afternoon gave way to evening, the sun painting the plains in shades of orange and red as it descended toward the horizon.

  We noticed that the monsters became more aggressive as darkness approached; some kind of day/night cycle mechanic that increased spawn rates and maybe even the damage of the spawns.

  We used the increasing numbers to our advantage.

  At seven pm, almost simultaneously, Athos and I hit level 19.

  "There it is," Athos said, relief evident in his voice.

  I felt the same. Level 19 meant we were one step closer to our goal.

  One step closer to the catacombs.

  "That's enough for today," I decided. "Let's log out."

  Nobody argued.

  The second day we started at seven am sharp.

  We picked up right where we'd left off, falling back into the rhythm of combat like we'd never stopped.

  The monsters of the Plains of Ardun had become familiar enemies by now. I knew exactly how many arrows it took to bring down a Ravenkin, exactly how long to kite a Dune Scorpion before it stopped for the poison spray, and exactly when to dodge a Carrion Vulture's diving attack.

  We were a well-oiled machine.

  Morning became afternoon. The experience bars crawled upward agonizingly slowly.

  At four PM, Kara leveled again.

  "Twenty!" She was even more excited than when we cleared the first dungeon. "I made it!"

  "Nice work," Athos said.

  "What's the level 20 skill?" I asked, curious. Each class had access to a new basic skill at level 20.

  Kara pulled up her skill list, her eyes scanning the new addition. "Scherzo of Renewal. Let me read it... 'Perform a rapid, invigorating melody that instantly restores 25% of maximum health to all party members within 15 meters. Additionally, for the next 10 seconds, affected allies regenerate 1% of their maximum health per second.' Cooldown is 180 seconds, mana cost 45."

  "That's a serious healing cooldown," I observed. "Emergency button."

  "Exactly what we'll need for the catacombs," she agreed. "Between this, Healing Notes and Soothing Melody, I should be able to keep everyone alive through some serious damage."

  Athos and I still had a way to go. We were both sitting at around eighty percent of the way to 20; close, but not quite there.

  "Keep grinding?" Athos asked.

  "Keep grinding," I confirmed.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  The hours ticked by. Eighty-five percent. Ninety percent. Ninety-three.

  The sun was setting again, casting long shadows across the plains. We'd been at it for eleven hours, with only short breaks for food and catching our breath.

  "Almost there," Kara encouraged us. "Maybe another hour or two?"

  I checked my experience bar. Ninety-five percent. So close I could taste it.

  "Let's push to Ravenmere," I suggested. "We can log out there and finish the grind tomorrow morning. Should only take—"

  I stopped mid-sentence.

  The ambient sounds of the plains had changed. Even the distant calls of Carrion Vultures had gone silent.

  "Do you feel that?" Athos asked quietly, his hand moving to his sword.

  I did. A pressure in the air, like the atmosphere before a thunderstorm. My Presence stat is warning me.

  Then I saw it.

  It emerged from behind a rocky outcropping about fifty meters away. At first, I thought it was just another Ravenkin—the black feathers, the humanoid shape, the elongated beak.

  But this one was massive.

  It stood nearly three meters tall, its wings folded against its back like a dark cloak. Its eyes were burning with purple fire. It wasn’t necrotic like in the Burial Site, or crimson like the eyes of the Cinderbark monsters.

  I saw similar hues from Acolyte skills; it was dark magic.

  It opened its beak, and the sound that emerged was a shriek unlike anything I’d ever heard before.

  "Oh yes," Athos said eagerly. “That’s level 20 right there, baby!”

  I understood the feeling.

  But we were also at ninety-five percent experience. If we died here, we'd lose a massive chunk of our progress. Days of grinding, gone in an instant.

  "If we die, we won’t hit 20 before the catacombs," I said.

  “It already aggro’d,” Kara pointed out. “And from the pressure of its presence, I don’t think we can outrun it.”

  She was right. It wasn't a boss, but at level 25 it felt like it had passed a secret threshold that wasn’t assigned a number in the system. It was strong.

  The Dreadcaller's head snapped toward us. Its purple eyes locked onto our group with predatory intelligence.

  Too late.

  It screamed again, and a wave of dark energy rippled outward from its position, and I saw a debuff appear on my status bar.

  Dread Cry: Attack speed reduced by 15% for 30 seconds.

  "Engaging!" Athos shouted, already charging.

  No choice now. We fought or we died.

  I raised the Threadweaver and started firing. "Piercing Shot!"

  The arrow struck true, punching into the Dreadcaller's chest.

  -241!

  The elite's health bar appeared above its head. Its HP pool was enormous, easily twice what the Cinderbark Woodwalker had.

  This was going to be a war of attrition.

  Athos reached the creature first, his blade carving an arc toward its midsection. The Dreadcaller caught the strike on its forearm, talons sparking against steel, then countered with a sweeping wing attack that sent Athos tumbling backward.

  -292!

  "Athos!" Kara stopped playing Song of Valor to immediately switch to a healing skill. "Soothing Melody!"

  The song washed over him, stabilizing his health as he rolled to his feet.

  "I'm fine! Keep DPS up!"

  I obliged. "Burning Arrow!"

  -223!

  -21!

  -21!

  The fire damage ticked away at its health, but it was more resistant to fire compared to ordinary Ravenkin.

  "Incoming!" I warned.

  The attack came as a cone of shadow that swept across the battlefield. I Quick Stepped right, barely avoiding the attack. Kara wasn’t as lucky.

  -198!

  I ran into melee range.

  "Fan of Arrows!"

  I unleashed the skill at point-blank range, all eight mana projectiles slamming into the creature's torso.

  -58!

  -61!

  -63!

  -55!

  -54!

  -55!

  -62!

  -63!

  The knockback staggered it, buying Athos time to reengage.

  Kara was using Lullaby of Dismay to slow and weaken the elite, while channeling Healing Notes to heal herself and our swordsman.

  Athos activated Blade Rush, his form becoming a blur as he carved into the Dreadcaller's flank. Rising Tide was active due to the previous attack of the Elite; he was incredibly fast.

  The Dreadcaller screamed again, and I felt my attack speed slow down once again.

  “That scream’s hurting us a lot! Let’s interrupt it next time!

  Easier said than done.

  The Dreadcaller was relentless, its attacks coming in rapid combinations that kept Athos on the defensive.

  I kept up my barrage, but the Threadweaver's damage felt lacking against such an enemy.

  I couldn’t wait to use the Emberwood Longbow, to see Arrow of Ash & Flames in action, but that was locked behind one more level.

  "Eighty percent!" Kara updated. "Keep it up!"

  I switched to basic attacks, letting my mana regenerate while maintaining poison stacks on the target.

  The Dreadcaller suddenly leaped backward.

  Its wings spread wide again, but this time the darkness gathering was different—more concentrated, more deadly.

  "It's charging something big!" Athos shouted.

  I saw my opening. "Web Trap!"

  The silk exploded at the creature's feet, rooting it in place. It shrieked in frustration, struggling against the bonds. The CC interrupted its cast.

  "Now! Everything you've got!"

  Athos launched into Comet and crashed into our opponent.

  -447!

  I fired Piercing Shot, Burning Arrow and Fan of Arrows in a quick succession, each arrow finding its mark.

  -244!

  -226!

  -28!

  …

  -62!

  -63!

  …

  Kara switched melodies. The tune that emerged was dark, discordant—completely unlike her usual supportive songs.

  “Tune of Death.”

  The skill she'd earned from the Burial Site.

  The Dreadcaller's health bar flickered, a dark aura surrounding it as the damage took hold.

  -60!

  +12!

  -60!

  +12!

  It gave us much needed sustain, and the continuous damage kept ticking, periodically staggering the Dreadcaller.

  "It's vulnerable!" Kara called. "Pour it on!"

  Athos didn't need to be told twice. When he used Comet, he’d already activated his trump card.

  “Three-Blade Execution!”

  The first blade was already coming.

  -648!

  The Dreadcaller broke free of the Web Trap, enraged now. Its attacks became wild, desperate—and twice as dangerous.

  A wing slam caught Athos across the chest before he could dodge.

  -311!

  His health dropped into the red as the second executioner blade hit the Elite.

  -678!

  "Athos!" I screamed.

  The Dreadcaller raised its talon for the finishing blow.

  "Scherzo of Renewal!"

  Kara's new skill activated just in time. A rapid, energetic melody exploded outward, and I watched Athos's health bar surge upward—25% instantly, then ticking up further as the regeneration effect kicked in.

  -126!

  The basic attack of the Elite would have killed the swordsman had it not been for Scherzo of Renewal.

  The third blade finally hit the monster.

  -700!

  Athos rolled away from the follow-up strike, the talon hitting the earth where he'd been a split second before.

  "Thanks!" he gasped.

  "Don't mention it! Now kill this thing!"

  The Dreadcaller was at fifty percent health now.

  Athos's Rising Tide had reached maximum stacks. He was moving almost too fast to follow, his blade a silver blur as he carved chunk after chunk from the elite's health bar.

  “Saltstone Edge!”

  -547

  I emptied my remaining mana into a continuous barrage. Burning Arrow, Piercing Shot, Fan of Arrows; everything I had.

  The rest of the fight went smoothly; we were more careful, Kara stabilized our frontline, and after chugging a mana pot or two, all of us had access to our rotations once again.

  In less than five minutes, we were nearing the end.

  The Dreadcaller let out one final, defiant scream that Athos silenced with Saltstone Edge, the crescent wave bisecting its skull.

  The elite collapsed, its massive body hitting the ground with a thunderous impact that shook the earth beneath our feet.

  The Elite had dropped two items.

  "Is everyone... okay?" Kara asked between heavy breaths.

  "Alive," Athos confirmed, still in the red despite the healing. "Barely."

  “Well fought,” I said, my heart still pounding.

  "We did it." Athos managed a tired grin. “Level 20.”

  Kara stretched, working out the tension in her shoulders, then shot me a look that was equal parts exhausted and mischievous.

  "You know," she said, "this really isn't my preferred kind of evening workout."

  Athos laughed.