16 Gate
Anya levelled up to four as they killed more Bayring’s and collected the green crystals – each of them having about 120 green crystals.
After killing so many Bayring’s they were becoming quite proficient at killing them – Anya would keep one stunned while Jay and Muffins would destroy another as they each switched between tanking the damage from it every four seconds so that it’s [Graze] skill didn’t burn them.
This gave them enough time to kill both of them before they could release a charge attack.
Walking through the dungeon, they came to an obelisk which didn’t eject any Bayrings.
It had three holes on each of it’s four sides. It only took a moment before Jay and Anya got a message.
[Gate Challenge To Floor 2 Requirements Met]
[Requirement – 172 Green Crystals]
“Anya, looks like we have to socket our crystals into it”
Anya frowned, realising she had to give up six crystals for two sides.
“I wonder why it requires us to have more than 12 crystals though…” Jay said as he socketed his crystals into the obelisk.
As Jay and Anya socketed the crystals in, they turned from green to blue and began to glow.
When the final crystal was in place, a whole dungeon shook as if there was a massive earthquake.
All the other obelisks sank into the ground, leaving only square black bottomless holes in their place.
Below Jay and Anya, a red ring appeared – above them, a white ring, yet it didn’t glow.
Swarms of Bayring’s came spewing out of the black holes – all charging up, spinning as they prepared to fire.
“Shit!” Jay looked around wondering why he wasn’t being drawn into the ring and teleported out, looking up and yelled “Well come on then!”
Anya noticed that more holes opened up on the obelisk “We have to put in more crystals!”
Jay sprang into action as he began to madly dash around the obelisk and slam his green crystals into them, each side of the obelisk taking fifty crystals each.
A bayring drew closer and threatened the adventurers – Jay made muffin take the graze attack until getting a burn status while Jay frantically fumbled his crystals.
-3, -3, -3, -3, -3, -6
Another Bayring flew near Anya as she shot her crossbow at it, sending it sprawling off into the flowing crowd of bayrings – the Bayrings were still endlessly spewing out of the numerous black holes, all heading for the duo.
Anya didn’t even bother to reload, she was looking worried as she ignored everything else at this point, slamming the crystals into the sockets.
Jay was suddenly grazed from behind; he activated his ring, the bones left the ring and formed a floating defensive barrier between himself and the bayring’s as he summoned the Don’s – outside the dungeon, the Don’s old bodies turned to small piles of mangled soap-rat bones.
-3
The Don’s reformed and Jay sent one to guard Anya while the other guarded himself.
At this point, Muffin was destroyed, charr marks all over it’s remaining bones.
The Don protecting Jay was destroyed shortly after, while the one protecting Anya lasted longer – Jay realised it had levelled up.
“I’ll check its stats later” he thought as he was about to get grazed.
“Just 10 more! How many do you have left, Anya?”
“Seven.. Six!” She popped another green crystal in.
-3, -3, -3
Anya was much faster than Jay at using her inventory, though Jay was getting quicker at using it during the intense situation.
The Don protecting Anya managed to kill a Bayring as it died, two other Bayrings having a grinding contest on it’s skull.
-6, -6, -6, -6, -6,
[30 Exp]
At this point, Jay and Anya could only fight through the pain.
Anya slotted her last crystal, under the pressure of the Bayrings grazing her.
“Done!” she yelled weakly as she collapsed to the ground.
“One more…” The bayring had already applied burn to Jay; two others were on him and chunking his health away.
Jay was down to 20 health now, and he was already feeling lightheaded as he managed to slot in the last crystal. “Done!”
Suddenly, a pulse emitted from the tower – the Bayrings all froze.
“Anya?” no reply.
Jay rushed to the other side of the obelisk, Anya wasn’t moving, covered in blood and burn marks.
Not saying a word, Jay took off his shirt and ripped it, lightly tying it on her wounds – suddenly they began to float.
Jay analysed her health.
Anya
[HP – 4/54]
“Shit, one more attack and she would’ve been dead, then Sullivan would’ve killed me too…” Jay gritted his teeth.
The ring above them had activated, it turned yellow and they were being sucked into it; Anya, her blood, and the bones from the Don’s and Muffin were all floating into it.
“Oh shit! Not now!” Jay yelled as he was separated from Anya’s floating body. She was only just out of his grasp.
Suddenly, a notification appeared.
[Challenge Complete]
[Dungeon Floor 2 Accessible]
[Entering Carter’s Demise – Floor 2]
“Just hang on Anya, I’ll help you” Jay said, pushing off the top of the obelisk and propelling himself more quickly into the yellow ring.
“I’ll see you on the other side”
***Update (to the message below): I decided to add free chapters twice a month to make up for the early paywall. Starting at chapter 126, to make things right.***
***Author here. Hi, I hope you like the novel.
When I got a contract for this, I only had 35 chapters. It was recommended to set the paywall here, so unfortunately, I did.
Later I found out this was really early to set the paywall, and it’s my first novel so at the time I had no clue…
After looking at other novels, I found most had the paywall around chapters 30-40. If my contract was with webnovel I could change it, however, my contract is with a webnovel-partner; I upload my chapters to their website, and their program uploads it here. I asked them to move the paywall to chapter 35, but they said it wasn’t possible after the chapters were published.
I have tried talking with my contractors/editors, but they said they couldn’t do anything about it.
So far, this is the only regret I have with my book.
Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed reading this far, and I hope you continue to enjoy the book – Aero182.***