novelraw Chapter 128: First Claim
Chapter 128: First Claim
The fight progressed, as the second class ogres attempted to gather mana again, but Arthur shut them down each time with clean, efficient strikes. No panic. No rush.
Just timing.
At some point, the outcome became obvious.
The first class ogres fell one after another under the combined assault. The second class ogres, stripped of their advantage, were forced into direct combat where the captain’s power overwhelmed them with his heavy attacks.
The last one roared desperately before the captain’s axe silenced it for good.
When the final body hit the ground, the cavern went quiet once more.
But this time, the silence felt different.
It wasn’t heavy.
It was electric.
For a second, no one moved.
Then someone let out a loud shout.
"We did it!"
Laughter followed.
Weapons were raised in the air. A few explorers pumped their fists, adrenaline still coursing through them.
What had once felt like a disaster waiting to happen now felt like nothing.
Not easy.
But controlled.
Arthur exhaled slowly, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"This was better," he admitted quietly.
Ryn walked up beside him, breathing hard but grinning widely.
"You say that like you weren’t the reason it started that way."
Arthur shrugged. "You all handled the rest."
The captain approached them, wiping blood from his axe.
"Well done," he said to both of them, then raised his voice to the squad. "Good work! Clean it up!"
The explorers moved to collect cores and weapons, their movements lighter now. Conversations broke out. Small jokes. Excited retellings of specific moments.
"You saw that double pulse?"
"He stopped both!"
"Ryn, that knee strike was perfect!"
Even the captain allowed himself a faint smile as he oversaw the loot distribution.
There was no need for long rest this time. They weren’t drained like before.
Instead, they were energized.
After the loot was shared, the captain looked toward the deeper parts of the dungeon.
"No reason to slow down," he said.
No one objected.
They adjusted their gear, tightened straps, and reformed the formation.
Arthur glanced ahead into the darker path of the dungeon.
His eyes were calm.
Stronger monsters likely waited deeper inside.
Yet he stepped into position with confidence.
"Let’s keep this momentum," he said lightly as they moved forward.
They didn’t slow down.
After the last fight, the squad had pushed deeper into the dungeon at a steady pace. No long breaks. No wasted movement. They had found a rhythm, and no one wanted to lose it.
The dungeon widened, then narrowed again, but the routine stayed the same.
Scout ahead.
Report numbers.
Form up.
Engage.
Clear.
Move.
The ogres kept coming in groups. Three. Five. Sometimes six. First class most of the time, and every now and then a second class slipped into the mix.
Arthur stayed in his role.
Whenever a second class appeared, he focused on shutting it down. He didn’t try to steal the spotlight. He didn’t rush for kills. He made sure their skills never went off cleanly.
And when there were only first class ogres, he shifted.
That was when he moved with the others.
He didn’t overpower them. He didn’t need to.
He watched their footing.
When an ogre stepped too wide while swinging.. Arthur struck its ankle just enough to throw off balance.
Or another fight where an ogre leaned too far forward during a charge.. Arthur cut across its thigh, shallow but precise, forcing it to stumble.
In the current battle, an ogre raised its weapon high, exposing its ribs for a brief second. Arthur didn’t attack the chest. He hit the wrist instead, making the weapon tilt off course.
"Left side!" he called.
The captain didn’t hesitate.
His axe came down in a brutal arc, burying deep into the exposed side.
Another one down.
Ryn caught on quickly.
Arthur would create the smallest crack in their stance, and Ryn would widen it with clean, sharp cuts. Then the captain would end it.
It became a pattern.
Stagger. Expose. Finish.
One of the silver squad members glanced at Arthur after a clean takedown and let out a short whistle.
"You’re annoying," the man said with a grin. "In a good way."
Arthur smirked lightly. "I’ll take that."
There was no arrogance in him, no need to boast. He simply did what he thought was necessary.
The more they fought, the smoother it became.
But the dungeon wasn’t passive.
As they moved deeper, the air changed again.
It was subtle at first. A faint heaviness pressing against the lungs. Then the smell. Damp and metallic.
Ryn coughed once. "You feel that?"
Arthur nodded slightly.
"Yeah. It’s starting."
He had felt this before. That same tainted shift from earlier when the dungeon began mutating. It wasn’t fully there yet, but it was building.
Early stage.
If they moved fast, they could stop it before it spread further.
He glanced at the captain. "We should keep pushing. It’s not stable yet."
The captain studied him for a second, then nodded. "We don’t stall."
But he ogres changed even more this time.
They weren’t just charging blindly anymore. Their formations tightened. The second class ogres delayed their skills, waiting for better timing.
But it didn’t matter.
Because Arthur adapted just as fast.
When an ogre tried to bait the shield line into overextending, Arthur caught it.
"Don’t chase. It’s waiting," he called.
And they adjusted instantly.
When two ogres tried to split their attention by attacking from both sides, Arthur intercepted one just long enough for Ryn to reposition.
It felt small in the moment.
A foot placed half a second earlier.
A blade angled slightly differently.
A warning shouted at the right time.
But those small moments kept them alive.
They hadn’t dropped pace once.
Group after group of ogres fell.
And strangely, the more the group fought, the more energized they became.
After each victory, instead of exhaustion, there was excitement.
"Next one," someone would say, almost eager.
Adrenaline sharpened their movements. Confidence steadied their hands.