Chapter 73: Inside the Yellow Dungeon II

The first monster ever since they entered the dungeon appeared, walking out of a low shelf of rock.

It walked on four thick legs, with a broad body large enough to block most of the narrow passage. Hard plates overlapped across its back and formed raised ridges along its spine in three rows.

Its head remained low as it moved forward, while a long, heavy tail dragged across the stone behind it, just as long, if not longer, than its body.

After that one, another lizard crawled out from beneath the shelf.

Leon watched the first one turn, and its tail struck the rock beside it with a sharp crack.

’I’ll stay away from that.’ He thought to himself.

"Ridgebacks." Gareth said. "Grade 3. Watch the tails."

Movement appeared inside an opening farther to the left. One of the professionals moved towards it, while another took the opposite side of the wider passage. The woman with the short spear remained behind the students, watching the route they had entered through.

Gareth stepped into the path of the nearest Ridgeback.

Dark scales spread across his forearms as he used Unification with his summon. He lowered his stance as the beast rushed forward, then struck the side of its head with enough force to turn its entire body away from the students, its claws scraping across the rocky floor to prevent it from turning all the way.

Gareth didn’t follow it to finish the fight, and instead stepped back a little. "Caleb, Nolan, Leon. Forward."

The other students moved back with Lex, leaving enough space between themselves and the two Ridgebacks.

Caleb summoned his Greyhorn Boar without wasting any time. The beast appeared in front of him, with a broad body, thick shoulders and a heavy horn growing above its snout.

Nolan’s Wind Hawk appeared beside him before spreading its wings and rising into the open space above them, though it wasn’t much comfortable and it would have to exercise greater caution than usual.

Leon summoned the Great Swordsman and both Undead Desert Skirmishers.

Caleb and Nolan glanced towards the three undead, but neither allowed their attention to remain there for long with two Grade 3 monsters in front of them.

"Boar takes the left." Caleb said. "Nolan, keep its head busy."

He looked towards Leon.

"Can yours take the one on the right?"

Leon nodded.

"Take that one." He told the Great Swordsman before looking towards the Skirmishers. "The two of you stay with me."

The Skirmishers moved apart and took positions on either side of him, their stance lowering at the ready. Leon kept them within the space assigned to their group, but close enough to intercept anything that got past the other summons.

The Great Swordsman advanced alone towards the Ridgeback on the right. As the swordsman closed the distance, it opened its mouth and lunged towards it. The Swordsman stepped outside the bite before swinging its sword low, cutting into the softer fold where the creature’s front leg joined its body.

The Ridgeback twisted sharply, bringing its tail around.

Instead of retreating, the Swordsman moved closer to the beast and passed inside the wider part of the swing. The end of the tail struck the floor beyond it with a loud crack like a whip.

Leon took another step back.

Caleb’s Boar charged the other Ridgeback from the side and forced it away from the path behind their group. Nolan’s Hawk dropped towards its face with its talons extended before quickly climbing when the monster snapped at it.

"Again. Same side." Nolan ordered as he watched the Ridgeback turn.

The Hawk circled and came around from the same direction, keeping the beast’s attention while the Boar pushed forward.

The Ridgeback lowered its weight and swung its tail towards the Boar’s legs at that instant.

"Back." Caleb ordered.

The Boar withdrew just far enough for the tail to pass in front of its snout.

The end struck and shattered a loose stone, sending it sliding towards the students.

One of the Skirmishers stepped in front of Leon, who was standing in the path before the students behind. The stone glanced off its blades as it blocked and parried, and bounced away, then Leon directed it back into position while the second Skirmisher continued watching the open side of their group.

The Great Swordsman had already moved around to the other side of its opponent.

The Ridgeback’s injured foreleg bent when it tried to turn. Its head lifted as its balance shifted, exposing the paler scales beneath its jaw, and immediately as soon as the opening presented itself, the Swordsman drove its blade beneath the throat.

The Ridgeback jerked and tried to drag itself sideways, but the Swordsman followed its movement before pulling the sword free and stepping away.

The creature’s weight struck the floor. Its tail swung once more, but the Swordsman was already standing outside its reach. The tail moved a little more, then stopped.

Leon looked towards the remaining Ridgeback.

The Greyhorn Boar was keeping it turned away from the students, though the hard plates across its back had handled the previous impact well.

Caleb changed the angle of his attack and directed the Boar towards the Ridgeback’s shoulder instead of sending it straight into the creature’s side.

The Wind Hawk dropped again. This time, its talons caught the Ridgeback above one eye. The creature recoiled and raised its head away from the attack.

The Boar charged into its front quarter, folding one of its legs beneath its body.

The Great Swordsman began moving towards them.

"Leave that one." Leon ordered.

The undead stopped at that command. As for his own Ridgeback, he didn’t bother asking the Swordsman to strike again to be sure, since it could sense if it was alive itself.

As for Caleb, he had already created the opening they needed. The Boar pushed forward again, while Nolan sent the Hawk towards the exposed throat.

The Ridgeback tried to stand, but it lost its footing and rolled far enough for the Boar’s horn to reach beneath the armoured plates.

The impact drove it back into the ground.

Nolan’s Hawk struck again when the creature lifted its head.

Some time later, Caleb and Nolan called their summons away from the fallen beast.

"Still two?" Gareth asked as he looked towards the professional covering the left opening.

"Two."

"Hold there."

Caleb released a breath, while Nolan directed the Hawk towards a lower perch on one of the rock formations so it wouldn’t block anyone.

Leon recalled the Great Swordsman to his side.