NOVEL NEXT Chapter 69: Yellow
The golem's heavy body began to tremble, cracks of orange light splitting across its stone skin.
Then, with a dull hum, it disintegrated into fragments of glowing dust that scattered into the air before fading completely.
When the light dimmed, Wade saw what it had left behind.
Resting on the ground where the golem had fallen were several objects glimmering faintly in the dungeon's ambient light.
Two small boxes, a pair of gauntlets, and a glowing crystal.
Wade crouched, inspecting the loot.
The boxes were ordinary enough. He opened one to reveal neat stacks of gold coins.
"A thousand coins," he murmured, then checked the second box. "And another thousand. Not bad."
With that, he'd gotten 4,000 coins altogether now. It wasn't much, but it was a step in the right direction.
His gaze shifted to the gauntlets.
They were made of interlocking stone plates, shaped to fit snugly over his hands and forearms.
The appraisal text shimmered before his eyes.
[Stone Gauntlets: +50 Strength, +20% Fire Resistance]
A grin spread across his face. "Now that's what I'm talking about."
He slipped them on, flexing his fingers.
The weight was reassuring, but what surprised him most was how comfortable they felt.
It was as if they molded perfectly to his skin.
His muscles bulged, before settling with renewed strength.
Next was the skill stone. It glowed with faint gray light, the description hovering faintly before him:
[Stone Skin]
[Temporarily hardens the user's skin to stone, greatly increasing physical defense for a short duration.]
[Requirements: 50 Strength, 35 Constitution]
[Cost: 20 Mana per use.]
"Definitely keeping this one," Wade said, sliding it into his inventory along with the two boxes of coins.
He stood, dusting himself off, and turned toward the edge of the column.
Now, there were two columns within teleportation distance before him.
A blue topped column to the left, and a yellow topped one to the right, both separated by the same yawning abyss.
He could only choose one.
Blue had already been confirmed as holding the dragons.
But yellow? That could either be the safe passage or the manticore's lair.
He exhaled slowly, tightening his grip on his broken sword.
"Alright then. Let's roll the dice."
A flash of light enveloped him as he activated his teleportation skill.
He vanished, landing lightly on the yellow-topped column.
He immediately dropped into a stance, his perception and Focus Sight skill working overtime to find the danger before it came.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
There was no roar, no tremor, and no monster tearing out of the air or ground to meet him.
He stayed still, waiting for the telltale rumble that always came before a fight. But the silence continued.
Then, a familiar ding sounded in his mind.
[Safe Passage Tile Confirmed.]
He exhaled a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Finally."
Relief washed through him, loosening his shoulders.
For once, the dungeon wasn't trying to kill him.
He lowered his sword, sitting down at the center of the column.
From his inventory, he retrieved a flask of water and a small bundle of food rations.
Just dried meat, bread, and a few nuts.
He chewed quietly, letting his body recover from the two brutal fights before this one.
Above, the phantom skeleton audience erupted in noise. Jeers, clattering bones, mocking laughter filled the air.
"Laugh all you want," Wade muttered, tearing another piece of bread. "I'll still outlast every one of you."
He didn't even look up.
He wasn't here for their entertainment. He was here to survive, to conquer this dungeon, and to get his rewards.
When he finished eating, he capped his flask, stood, and stretched.
His strength had returned, and his body had settled. He took a moment to scan the space ahead.
Two columns were within teleportation distance, one topped red, the other blue.
Both were separated by the same chasm that seemed to stretch endlessly into the dark.
His eyes stayed on the blue topped column. He already knew what that color meant. Dragons.
He grimaced slightly.
Still… yellow was safe, red had been a golem, and blue was a dragon.
That only left green, the manticore, somewhere ahead. He'd face it eventually anyway.
And given the choice, he'd rather fight the dragon than another golem.
"Might as well face what's waiting," he muttered, gripping his sword.
With a flicker of mana, the air shimmered around him.
Wade vanished from the yellow column, and reappeared on the blue.
The moment his boots hit the blue topped column, a chill wind howled through the chamber.
Dust and bone fragments lifted from the platform's surface, swirling into the air.
He drew his sword immediately. "Alright, let's see what this one is…"
The sky above shimmered, ripples spreading across it like disturbed water.
Then came the screech. It was high and shrill, like it was trying to bypass the ear and pierce directly into the brain.
Something dove through the rippling air, its descent so fast it was little more than a streak of pale white.
Wade barely rolled aside as it crashed into the column.
The impact sent a shockwave through the platform, nearly throwing him off balance.
The creature straightened, unfurling vast skeletal wings.
Its body was smaller than the first bone dragon he'd fought, but sleeker, like it had been built for speed.
Instead of a heavy spine and broad bones, this one's body was hollow, its bones thin and layered with overlapping plates.
The gaps between its ribs glowed with a faint blue light, and when it exhaled, sparks of cold fire escaped its jaws.
An aerial bone dragon.
Wade grimaced. "You've got to be kidding me."
The dragon's eyes burned bright with icy, blue energy. Its wings flared, and with a single beat, it was airborne again.
He didn't even get a chance to breathe before it swooped toward him, talons slashing.
Wade threw himself backward, the claws narrowly missing his face.
He fired off Fireburst, the flames striking its chest.
The explosion washed over its body but faded quickly, leaving faint scorch marks.
"Of course," he muttered. "Just my luck. Fire's useless on this one."