The trio coated their bodies in aura almost at the same moment.
Energy spread outward from them like a thin second skin, clinging tightly to armor, leather, and steel. The faint glow wrapped around their forms just as the first wave of arrows screamed out of the darkness ahead.
Rolan saw them first.
Thin streaks of metal slicing through the air.
"Front!" he barked.
All three of them reacted instantly.
Aura surged down their arms and flowed into their weapons. The moment the energy touched the blades, the steel hummed faintly, the aura extending beyond the metal's edge like a translucent second blade.
Then they swung.
Three swords cut through the air.
The aura surrounding the blades stretched outward with the motion, forming brief constructs of energy that slashed forward to meet the incoming arrows.
Their attacks collided with force.
Several arrows shattered apart in mid-flight, fragments spinning away into the corridor.
But it wasn't enough.
Too many.
Some slipped through.
The trio braced.
The corridor exploded into motion.
Arrows screamed through the air from the darkness ahead, their metal heads flashing briefly in the pale glow of the floating alchemical glass before vanishing again into shadow.
The small glass orb hovered just above Marek's shoulder, casting a dim, bluish light across the narrow corridor. It illuminated only a short distance ahead of them before the darkness swallowed everything again.
Enough to see the arrows.
Not enough to see where they came from.
Tarin moved first.
His sword cut through the air in a wide arc.
The aura wrapped around the blade extended outward like a thin crescent of light, stretching farther than the steel itself. The energy construct ripped through the corridor and collided with two incoming arrows.
Both shattered apart instantly.
Metal fragments scattered across the stone floor.
But three more slipped through.
One slammed into Tarin's shoulder.
The impact knocked him half a step backward.
His aura absorbed most of the force, the arrowhead snapping the moment it struck the shimmering layer of energy surrounding his armor.
Even so, the impact rattled him.
Still—
"Damn it!" Tarin hissed.
Another arrow struck his thigh.
It glanced off the reinforced leather strapped along his leg, the tip scraping across the surface before dropping uselessly to the floor with a metallic clatter.
The corridor echoed with the constant ringing of impacts.
Beside him, Marek had already shifted into position.
His movements were controlled.
Precise.
Where Tarin swung in wide arcs to intercept multiple arrows, Marek relied on smaller, sharper motions.
His sword flicked through the air.
A short, efficient strike.
Clang.
The first arrow deflected.
Another followed immediately.
Clang.
Steel met steel again as his blade caught the second projectile just before it reached his chest, knocking it aside.
The arrow spun wildly before embedding itself in the stone wall behind them.
But the barrage didn't slow.
More arrows tore through the darkness ahead.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Sparks burst briefly as steel struck arrowheads in rapid succession.
Marek stepped sideways, adjusting his stance to maintain balance as he deflected another incoming projectile.
Still more slipped past.
One arrow slammed into the aura surrounding his forearm.
The energy barrier flickered violently as it absorbed the impact.
The arrowhead bent, snapping sideways before falling harmlessly to the ground.
But the shock traveled through the aura and into his arm.
A dull ache spread through his muscles.
Too many.
Too fast.
Rolan stepped forward suddenly.
He moved ahead of the other two without hesitation, his larger frame sliding into the narrow front of the formation.
"Back half a step!" he barked.
Tarin and Marek obeyed instantly.
Their feet shifted in perfect coordination, falling slightly behind him while maintaining their defensive angles.
Rolan's longsword rose in both hands.
The aura coating around his body surged brighter.
For a brief moment the energy around him thickened visibly, flowing down his shoulders and arms before gathering along the length of his blade.
The steel vibrated faintly.
The aura wrapped around it grew denser.
Then he swung.
A heavy sweeping strike carved through the corridor.
The aura surrounding the blade expanded outward into a broad wave of force that surged forward like a compressed wall of energy.
The construct smashed into the incoming arrows.
Several shattered instantly upon contact.
Arrowheads snapped apart like brittle twigs.
Fragments clattered across the stone floor.
The corridor filled with the sharp sound of splintering metal.
For a fraction of a second, the barrage thinned.
But even that didn't stop it.
More arrows continued to emerge from the darkness ahead.
As if the corridor itself refused to run out of ammunition.
The arrows cut through the air like streaks of silver.
Tarin's sword flashed again.
His aura extended along the blade as he split one of the projectiles cleanly in half.
The two broken pieces spun away harmlessly.
Another arrow slammed against his shoulder.
Energy sparks burst outward as the arrow struck the aura surrounding his armor.
The impact forced him back another half step.
"Damn it—!"
Before he could recover—
A metallic shriek burst from the wall beside him.
Tarin's instincts screamed.
His body twisted violently to the side.
A blade shot outward from the stone wall where his ribs had been a heartbeat earlier.
The steel edge sliced through the air with terrifying speed.
The tip brushed against the aura surrounding his side.
The energy barrier flared bright as the blade scraped across it before retracting back into the wall with a grinding metallic sound.
Tarin stumbled sideways.
"Watch the walls!" he shouted.
The warning came barely in time.
Marek had already noticed.
His eyes flicked toward the stone surfaces lining the corridor.
Tiny seams.
Thin vertical slits hidden between the stones.
Mechanisms.
His sword snapped upward again, intercepting another arrow before it reached his chest.
Clang.
The deflected arrow ricocheted toward the wall.
At that exact moment—
Another blade shot outward from the stone.
Marek's body shifted sideways instantly.
The blade thrust through the air where his stomach had been moments earlier.
Stone dust fell as the mechanism snapped back into the wall.
The corridor had become chaos.
Arrows raining from the darkness ahead.
Blades lunging from the walls.
The air itself felt hostile.
The constant whistling of incoming arrows mixed with the grinding shriek of mechanical traps activating around them.
Every step forward triggered another deadly response.
Another arrow slammed against Tarin's armor.
His aura flickered under the impact.
"Where the hell are they even coming from?!" he growled.
"Front and above!" Marek answered sharply.
He didn't take his eyes off the darkness ahead.
The floating alchemical glass orb illuminated only a short stretch of the corridor.
Beyond that—
Nothing.
Just blackness.
The arrows seemed to emerge directly from that darkness, materializing just long enough to strike before vanishing again into shadow.
Rolan stepped forward again with a low curse.
His boots scraped against the stone floor as he forced his way deeper into the corridor.
His larger frame absorbed several arrows against the glowing aura surrounding him.
The impacts struck his chest and shoulders in rapid succession.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Each arrowhead shattered against the dense layer of aura coating his armor.
The energy around his body flickered with every impact but held firm.
He tightened his grip on the longsword.
The corridor around them continued to erupt with movement.
Arrows continued to tear through the darkness ahead in relentless waves, the whistling of their flight filling the narrow stone passage like a storm trapped underground.
The trio had tightened their aura.
Energy surged outward from their bodies again, the thin luminous layer around them thickening as they pushed more power into it. The glow deepened slightly, clinging tighter to their armor and clothing, reinforcing the invisible barrier that had already absorbed several impacts.
Rolan stepped forward half a pace.
Another arrow struck his chest.
Thud.
The projectile shattered against the dense aura surrounding his torso, fragments scattering across the stone floor.
Behind him Marek moved with controlled efficiency, his blade snapping upward again and again to intercept the projectiles slipping past Rolan's wider defensive swings.
Clang.
Clang.
Steel struck arrowheads in rapid succession.
Each deflection sent sparks bursting briefly in the dim bluish light cast by the alchemical orb attached near Marek's chest armour.
Tarin gritted his teeth.
His sword carved through the air in broader arcs, the aura surrounding the blade extending outward with each swing like a pale crescent.
Another arrow split cleanly in half.
Two more shattered against the energy construct that followed the blade.
But the barrage refused to thin.
Arrows continued to emerge from the darkness ahead as if the corridor itself possessed an endless supply.
"Damn this dungeon…" Tarin muttered under his breath.
Another arrow slammed into his shoulder.
His aura flared brightly as it absorbed the force, the arrowhead snapping against the energy barrier before falling uselessly to the ground.
Even through the protection, the impact rattled his arm.
Marek deflected another incoming projectile inches from his face.
"Keep your guard up," he said sharply. "They're not slowing."
"I know that," Tarin snapped.
Rolan's longsword swept across the corridor again, aura expanding along its edge into a wide wave that smashed through several incoming arrows.
Fragments scattered across the stone floor.
For a brief moment
The barrage stopped.
The silence that followed felt almost unnatural.
No arrows.
No whistling through the air.
Only the faint crackle of aura energy surrounding their bodies and the distant echo of falling metal fragments clattering across stone.
The trio held their stances for a heartbeat longer.
Rolan exhaled slowly.
"let's Move," he said.
They didn't hesitate.
All three pushed forward at once.
Their boots struck the stone floor in quick succession as they advanced deeper into the corridor, maintaining formation while the dim blue light from the attached glass orb alongside them.
Their breathing had grown heavier.
Even with aura reinforcement, the constant barrage had drained energy.
Tarin wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist as they ran.
"Tell me that was the worst of it," he said between breaths.
Marek didn't look convinced.
"I'm starting to feel monster beast hunting is way more preferable than this dungeon."
Rolan kept his eyes fixed ahead.
"Stay sharp."
The corridor stretched forward into darkness, the bluish glow revealing only a short stretch of the stone passage ahead of them.
The walls still carried the same faint seams between the stones.
The hidden mechanisms had not disappeared.
As if to prove it, A blade shot from the walls.
Tarin saw the movement and twisted his body slightly.
The steel edge slashed past his ribs, Another blade lunged outward a few steps ahead. Rolan sidestepped without slowing. Now that they were moving quickly, the wall traps became less threatening.
Before the blades shoot's, they had already passed the trigger point.
Still none of them relaxed.
"Keep running," Marek said.
They pushed deeper into the corridor.
The sound of their boots echoed along the stone passage.
For a moment it almost felt like they had broken through the trap sequence. Then a violent metallic shriek erupted from behind them.
Rolan's instincts screamed.
"Behind, watch out!"
The warning came a fraction too late.
From hidden mechanisms further down the corridor behind them, several long metal blades burst forward through narrow from behind.
Each one spun violently as it launched forward, twisting through the air like massive drills.
The spiral edges caught the faint glow of the orb as they tore through the darkness toward the trio.
Tarin turned just in time to see one coming.
His eyes widened."!" He tried to move.
The spinning blade slammed into the back of his thigh.
The impact was brutal.
Steel punched through the reinforced leather strapped along his leg, the spiral edge biting deep into muscle before tearing through and exiting near the front of his thigh.
Tarin's scream echoed through the corridor.
"AHHH!"
His leg gave out instantly.
He dropped to one knee, sword clattering briefly against the stone as his body buckled under the sudden shock of pain.
Blood splattered across the floor.
The spiral blade ripped free as it continued forward, skidding across the ground ahead before losing momentum.
More blades were still coming.
Rolan spun around instantly.
"Damn it!"
Another spinning blade tore through the air toward them.
Rolan stepped forward and swung his longsword with both hands.
His aura surged along the blade as it collided with the spinning metal.
The impact exploded with force.
The spiral blade ricocheted sideways, smashing against the corridor wall before dropping to the floor with a violent clang.
"Stay down!" he barked.
Marek had already moved.
His sword snapped upward, catching another incoming blade just before it reached Tarin.
The clash rang through the corridor like a struck bell.
The spinning blade skidded across the stone floor behind them.
More were still approaching.
The narrow passage left them little room to maneuver.
They had to intercept them at close range.
Another blade shot forward.
Rolan stepped directly in front of Tarin, his larger frame shielding the wounded man as his sword carved through the air again.
Aura flared bright as steel struck spinning metal.
The impact jarred his arms.
Even with aura reinforcement, the force behind the spiraling mechanisms was immense.
Beside him Marek pivoted smoothly, his blade flicking outward to redirect another incoming weapon before it could reach them.
The deflected blade smashed against the wall and dropped harmlessly.
Behind them Tarin clenched his teeth.
Pain burned through his leg where the spiral blade had torn through his thigh.
Blood continued to spill onto the stone floor.
"Hold still!" Marek said sharply without looking back.
"I'm trying," Tarin growled through clenched teeth.
His hands moved quickly to the pouch at his belt.
His fingers closed around a small glass vial.
The liquid inside glowed faintly red.
Another spinning blade screamed through the air toward them.
Rolan intercepted it again.
The clash sent sparks bursting outward as the weapon was knocked aside.
Marek deflected another.
For a brief moment, The corridor quieted. No more blades followed, Tarin uncorked the vial and drank the contents in one motion, The bitter liquid burned down his throat.
A moment later warmth surged through his body. The wound in his thigh began to close slowly, the torn muscle knitting together as the potion's magic spread through his system.
He exhaled sharply.
"Damn… that one hurt."
Rolan glanced back briefly.
"Can you stand?"
Tarin planted his foot carefully against the ground.
The pain had dulled considerably, though the leg still felt stiff.
"Yeah," he said. "I'm not done yet."
"Good, come on." Marek said.
Because the corridor wasn't finished with them.
From ahead q new metallic grinding sound echoed through the passage.
Rolan turned forward again.
From narrow slits along the corridor's front walls, several long blades suddenly thrust outward.
Unlike the previous traps, these didn't launch.
They extended rapidly across the corridor in stabbing motions.
The blades were nearly the length of spears.
Rolan stepped forward to meet them.
His sword clashed against the first one.
The impact forced him backward half a step.
"Damn it," he muttered.
Another blade thrust forward immediately after.
Marek moved beside him, Their swords struck the mechanism almost simultaneously.
Clang.
Steel rang through the corridor as the blade was knocked aside. Behind them Tarin finished adjusting his stance and pushed himself back to his feet, His leg trembled when he put weight on it.
"Move aside," he said.
Rolan didn't argue.
Tarin stepped forward again, his sword cutting across the next incoming blade.
The aura surrounding his weapon extended outward with the strike, dropping it to the ground.
Then another one activated.
Blades shot outward from both sides of the corridor simultaneously.
Because of the floating orb's light, they could see the seams before the mechanisms fully triggered.
The traps were predictable now, But that didn't make them easy to stop. The impact behind each strike was heavy.
Rolan blocked another blade.
The force rattled his arms as the steel scraped across his aura-coated weapon.
Marek pivoted smoothly, deflecting a blade lunging toward his side.
Tarin intercepted another from the opposite wall.
Their movements had become almost rhythmic.
Another trap triggered.
Another clash echoed through the corridor.
The dungeon refused to give them space to breathe.
Rolan stepped forward again to intercept another thrusting blade, And suddenly his foot caught on something. The unexpected obstruction disrupted his balance, His stance shifted awkwardly as the blade slammed against his sword, The impact forced him backward half a step.
"!"
He glanced down instinctively.
Something lay on the floor beneath his boot.
The bluish glow from the orb on him slightly closer as Marek moved beside him.
The dim light spread across the ground.
Rolan's eyes narrowed.
The shape became clearer.
A body.
The corpse of a man lay crumpled along the corridor floor. Armor torn apart. Clothing shredded. His entire body was covered in arrows. Dozens of them.
Arrowheads protruded from his chest, arms, and neck like a grotesque forest of metal. Some had punched cleanly through his armor.
Others had embedded themselves deep into the stone beneath him.
The corpse looked like it had collapsed exactly where it had been overwhelmed.
Rolan stared at it for a brief moment.
"…Shit!"