As Boran moved through the dim corridors, the dungeon's damp air filled his lungs. The bluish light seeping from the walls was just enough to light his way.
He continued carefully for a while, checking each corner with caution. While his footsteps echoed on the damp ground, he kept his shield ready to use at any moment. Suddenly, a rustling from the corridor ahead caught his attention.
As he turned the next corner, he saw two Dark Crawlers turning towards him. The creatures hissed simultaneously and took up attack positions.
"Damn it!" shouted Boran, raising his shield. "I'll have to fight both of them at once."
One of the crawlers suddenly threw its head back and inflated the venom sacs in its throat. Boran recognized this movement from the creature and immediately raised his shield. But at that moment, the other crawler changed position and found an opening to attack from the side. As the first crawler's acid-like spit hit his shield, the second crawler tensed the muscles in its neck and sprayed greenish poisonous liquid toward Boran's exposed side.
"Iron Stance!(IS)"
[10 Damage taken]
[Remaining HP 185]
"SSB!" Boran shouted, swinging his shield toward the crawler on the right.
[16 Damage dealt]
The shield bash staggered the creature, but the other crawler took advantage of this opportunity. Its sharp teeth grazed Boran's arm. However, Boran's IS was still active.
The shield bash staggered the creature, temporarily leaving it vulnerable by disrupting its balance. However, the other crawler skillfully seized its companion's moment of weakness and launched a quick attack. Its sharp teeth penetrated Boran's armor and grazed his arm, but fortunately, thanks to his active IS skill, he was able to deflect most of the impact. A pained expression appeared on Boran's face, but his still-active IS had protected him from a worse injury.
[8 Damage taken]
[Remaining HP 177]
Boran leaped back nimbly, trying to find a safe position in the limited space of the narrow, damp corridor. Under the pale light reflecting from the dungeon walls, as the threatening shadows of the two crawlers approached him, he impatiently waited for his shield skill to recharge. In these critical moments, each second felt like an eternity, and Boran had to stay in constant motion to protect himself from the crawlers' sharp teeth and acid sprays.
"Cursed creatures! I'll have to deal with you one by one."
One of the crawlers inflated the venom sacs in its throat with a threatening hiss and launched a powerful spitting attack. The greenish, acid-like liquid left a trail in the air as it flew toward Boran. Boran managed to dodge to the side at the last moment with his reflexes, but this maneuver put him in even greater danger. The other crawler, as if anticipating this escape movement, lunged swiftly toward where Boran had dodged. As the creature's sharp teeth and claws gleamed in the air, Boran realized the danger awaiting him.
[8 Damage taken]
[Remaining HP 169]
"SSB!" Boran swung his shield toward the nearby crawler.
[16 Damage dealt]
The blow hit the crawler's neck, and the creature staggered into the wall. But the other crawler immediately attacked from behind.
[16 Damage taken]
[Remaining HP 153]
"My IS's duration is over! This won't work," thought Boran. "My health is dropping fast. I've lost almost 50 health from just a few attacks. I need to find another strategy. Wait a minute... by trying to dodge in these narrow corridors, I'm giving them the advantage. They move more freely than me here. If they're restricting my escape route... I'll restrict it even further!"
He began running quickly toward the end of the corridor. While carefully placing each step on the dark ground, a clear plan formed in his mind: luring the crawlers from the wide area into a narrow passage to force them into single file. With this tactic, he could face only one crawler at a time, allowing him to use both his defense and attacks more effectively.
The plan worked exactly as he hoped. Thanks to the natural structure of the narrow corridor, the crawlers were forced to line up behind each other. Having secured this advantageous position, Boran confidently turned to face the crawler in front and gripped his shield tightly, preparing to attack.
"What now?! None of us can move freely anymore! SSB!"
[16 Damage dealt]
The front crawler staggered and lost its balance, completely blocking the passage for the creature behind it. Though the rear crawler struggled to move forward, its staggered companion's body formed an effective barrier in the narrow corridor. Boran immediately recognized this strategic advantage and decided to capitalize on it. He gripped his weapon tightly and launched a controlled and calculated attack with his shield toward his enemy.
[10 Damage dealt]
The creature hissed one last time and collapsed.
[2/20 Dark Crawlers killed]
[50 XP gained]
The crawler behind hissed in anger and leaped over its dead companion to attack Boran. But now Boran could handle just one enemy.
"Now it's just you and me, ugly thing!"
While waiting for his shield skill to be ready, he barely managed to avoid taking damage from the crawler's attacks. Finally, when the skill was ready...
"SSB!"
[18 Damage dealt - Critical Hit!]
The final blow shattered the crawler's skull, and the creature fell lifeless to the ground.
[3/20 Dark Crawlers killed]
[50 XP gained]
[1 Dark Crawler Fang acquired]
[Dark Crawler Fang: These sharp teeth can be transformed into effective spear and arrowheads in the hands of weapon masters. Thanks to their natural hardness and pointed structure, they are particularly preferred for making weapons effective against armored enemies. They are also used by some shaman-class adventurers in charm-making.]
Boran took a deep breath. "That was too close. Fighting two crawlers at once was costing me all my health points. I need to be more careful."
While examining the fang in his inventory with relief, he felt a slight tap against his armor—like a tiny stone making contact. In that instant, a notification appeared before his eyes.
["Arrow Deflection" passive ability used. 60 seconds until recharge.]