Chapter 33

*Looted item: Dark ring*

I had looted all the dark dwarves and organised my inventory. Reaching 13 silver and 85 copper. I had to inspect the ring.

Dark ring: +5 intellect. Dark dwarven set, 1/3.

I put it on, hoping i could get the rest of the set while i was here. It was rough and simple, made of dark stone.

Only 27 units was alive. Spending another 5 silver for healing potions, to get them into shape. 

Out of the 27 units, 16 of them had survived the first dwarf battle, outside the portal. And as i handed some of them a potion, i noticed a difference. 

A few of them, 8 to be exact, had gained the veteran bonus, and a new skill.

Legion unit. Veteran

Health: 255. Mana: 240. Fatigue: 89/305.

Class: Spearmen

Skill: Spear mastery (D-Rank). Shieldwall.

More than 200 health now! Allmost matching my own attributes. Allso the passive shieldwall skill, that reduce physical damage by 10%.

It was definitely worth it, to have them gain the veteran bonus. 

Now i had five veteran spear-units, and a single veteran sword-unit. I wasen't surprised to find that it was the same unit, who had walked in front of the rest outside. 

I had to keep a closer look on him. He somehow stood out from the rest. Not physically, as he looked just as plain as the rest, with his blond hair and beard. But was it his mentality? Or personality maybe?

I finished resummon my dead units, and made them equip the items from the dead. I gave each unit a jug of water and half a bread, letting them rest for a little while, before moving on.

Leaving the tunnel from the mini boss, i appeared at the large end-cave.

Apparently the mini boss was just a taste of what was to come.

One hundred dwarven warriors stood in formation. Behind them, on a tiny cliff overlooking the cave, stood tree unique dwarves.

Dark dwarf. Level 14.

Health: 440. Mana: 255. Fatigue: 505.

Class: Boss monster

Skill: Belch. Panic.

I didn't know what to make of the skills, they seemed different than any i had encountered. Next to the boss stood two identical dwarves.

Dark dwarf. Level 12.

Health: 230. Mana: 455. Fatigue: 285.

Class: Dark Priest.

Skill: Healing bolt. Drain (debuff).

I knew the healing skill of the dark priests. It was the same as Charlotte had, and it made me worry. It was a fast, low cost yet high potency healing skill. 

If those priests would stay up on that cliff, healing the warriors, i would loose units faster than i could resummon them. 

"There must be a way..." 

I felt like there was a way to overcome this dwarven army, and i was so close to see it, yet it escaped me. 

I decided to put my unallocated attribute points into perception.

Frey Raven. Level 13. Inventory 51/410.

Currency: 13C. 12S. 0G. 0T. Dungeon Points: 357

Health: 385/385 Mana: 310/310 Fatigue: 9/425

Passive Mana regeneration: 6 / 5sec.

10% reduction to all damage.

Unallocated Attribute Points:0

Stamina: 61(+14) - Strenght: 50(+6) - Agility: 50(+5)

Intellect: 55 (+5) - Spirit: 60 - Perception: 71

Class: Legion

Unit capacity: 40/40

Skills: Looter (C-rank). Dungeon Creation. Eternal Watchful Eye. Summon Unit (D-rank). Legions Light. Sword dual-wielding (E-rank). Strenght of veterans. Ore tracking.

Profession: Ore manipulator: Ore altercation, mining.

Titles: The First. Dungeon Master. Commander of Legions.

Gear: Leather boots (+3 stamina). Black Thunder Cloak: Strikes on the cloak, has a small chance to paralyze. (+5 agility). Venomscale belt (+4 stamina, +1 strenght). Leather vest (+4 stamina). Leather pants (+3 stamina). Light steel sword (+5 strenght). Dark ring (+5 intellect).

It worked, when my perception hit the 70 mark i was able to understand the layout better. 

I formed a single 20-unit line, with the veterans spread out and the archers behind.

I didn't move them forward, just standing inside the cave, with atleast 50 meters to the 100 dwarven warriors. 

I went forward alone. The boss didn't move and neither did the priests.

I moved directly in front of the warriors, before they started to move.

They attacked and tried to surround me as i just blocked their attempts, slowly moving backwards.

I wounded a few of the dwarves, still walking backwards. They allmost had me surrounded when arrows started to fly. 

My archers was in reach of the frontline, raining 10 arrows every five second. The dark priests fired healing bolts as fast as they could, instantly healing the damage from the arrows.

I decapitated a few when an openeing arised, the only way to kill them without beeing healing.

I continued to move backwards as the arrows blocked the dwarves from flanking me.

Suddenly my plan started to work. An arrow hit a dwarf in the neck, but no healing bolt came to save it.

They were out of the shadow priests reach!

I went back a few more meters.

"NOW! Charge and kill them all!"

Twenty units and veterans came storming in a single line, taking the dwarves by surprise. Many dwarves fell from the impact. But yet more remained.

I joined the line in the center, while the archers emptied their quivers over the enemy.

"Shieldwall!" i yelled.

"For the legion!" The units chanted as they firmly planted their feet into the floor, holding their shields in front of them, taking an defensive stance.

I'll have to get my hands on better shields...

The dwarves was outmatched. My units had higher attributes and now some took 10% less damage. And the dwarves didn't recieve any healing.

It was only a matter of time, before my units and I had slain allmost all of them.

Only 20 warriors remained when the boss started to move. Or well, more like it was panicking. Jumping around like a mad child, it sent the dark priests down the cliff, to heal the warriors.

The dwarves then gained the upper hand, as all cuts was immidiately healed by the fast healing bolts. But this was what I had been waiting for.

"Hold the line!" I yelled, jumping over the dwarves.

I charged directly at the dark priests.

As i neared, i began to feel drained, and my fatigue started to rise fast!

80/425

145/425

215/425

I was allmost there!

290/425

I killed the first priest and went for the next.

350/425

I felt so tired, i just wanted to sleep. Just lay down and close my eyes. What did it matter anyway...

Aya is waiting!

No! I had to move on!

410/425

I killed the last priest. My body fell unto the cave floor, the same time as the dark priest's head.

I just lay there, forcing my eyes to be half open, resisting sleep.

My units had killed the last warriors and was now chasing the boss.

It was just running around with its hands in the air, completely overwhelmed by panic. When my units tried to trap it, it made a huge burp and green gas covered the area, as the boss escaped to a new area. 

Some units, caught in the gas, started to vomit.

This went on for a while, and i started to laugh a bit, looking so comical, before i fell asleep.

*Looted 5 silver, 43 copper*

*Looted item: Leather pants x7*

*Looted item: Leather belt x3*

*Looted item: Leather vest x4*

More loot flowed into me as i woke up. The units had gathered around me with all the loot from the 100 dwarven warriors.

I was still tired, but my fatigue had decreased by 100. So i was okay enough to stand. I had some healing potions and bought a handfull more for the wounded units, before moving to the dark priests.

*Looted 2 silver, 3 copper*

*Looted item: Dark earring.*

*Looted 1 silver, 89 copper*

*Looted design: Dark chainmail*

"Okay, not bad!"

Magnus could certainly use the design, as a blacksmith, i thought, while putting the earring on. It was cold, and made of the same dark stone.

I went to the boss, he way laying on the top of the cliff where my units had finally killed it.

*Looted 11 silver, 21 copper*

*Looted item: Dark necklace*

*Looted ingredient: Dark pearl*

The necklace was basic, crafted from the same dark stone. 

With the the ring giving +5 intellect, the earring giving + 5 spirit and the necklace giving +5 intellect, i had completed the set. Gaining additional +1 mana regeneration every 5 seconds.

A few more of the units had gained the veteran bonus from the battle, and i started to resummon the fallen.

*Skill: Summon unit, has ranked up (C-Rank).*

Messages flashed for my eyes.

*Unit capacity increased 31/100*

*Captain capacity 0/1*

A new single use ability flashed on my status, and i pushed it.

*Promote a unit*

I didn't have to consider it as i called the sword veteran over. He had been standing out twice. Outside the portal he had been the only one to step forward. And only recently, he had been the one to give the boss the finishing blow.

"I promote you to Captain!"

All the units watched as blue light engulfed the unit. Similar to the race transformations i had seen.

When the blue light vanished, the blonde sword-unit stood there as before, exept...

He was completely equipped in white platemail. His sword had changed size and shape, growing longer and sharper. A beautiful black hilt with a red gem in the center. His large triangular shield was equally amazing. Beeing made of pure hardened iron, with a pranching horse ingraved into it. I had to inspect him at once.

Name: Unnamed. Level 1.

Health: 455. Mana: 345. Fatigue: 505.

Class: Knight

Skill: Shieldwall. Heavy slash. Sword mastery (C-Rank).

A new message appeared.

*Choose a captain skill*

*Taunting presence - Extreme speed - Rain of fire - Aura of regeneration*

"This is a nobrainer!" I allmost jumped in excitement.

Finally! A healing skill!

It was a passive skill. Constantly pulsing regenerative waves around the captain unit. It regenerated 5 health every 5 seconds, for those legion units close enough to recieve it. But i didn't worry about the range, becouse it seemed like it reached more than a hundred meters around him.

I went before him, as the other units gathered around, clearly showing signs of big interest.

"What to name you?" I didn't expect a reply, and nor did i recieve one. He just stood there, awaiting my judgement.

"You're a knight now... A blonde knight..." 

"From now on your name is Erik! Named after a famous blonde Viking!"

"Thank you Commander! I am proud to be called Erik!" He saluted as all the units burst into celebratory warcries for their new captain.