Clyde POV

  The next room is another large forest. Eerily similar to the room we just left. At least this time the enemies are more familiar. It looks like just wolves again. That's good, we know how to deal with wolves. Without wasting time, I order Chandra to do a quick check of the immediate area. The rooms are getting too big for her to check the entire room prefight. After that I order the others to stick relatively close together. We've been letting ourselves get to spread out lately.

  Cole uses his taunt skill to get all the wolves focused on him. He does warn me however that he can't use taunt anymore today. Not Ideal but I don't see this delve lasting much longer anyway. I'm already feeling exhaustion starting to set in and although they won't admit it, I suspect both Lily and Darrel are starting to run low on mana. We do have the mana potions we got earlier but unless it's an emergency I'd rather they save those until we can get to the third floor with relatively little effort. The first floor has been a non-issue for a while, but the second floor still requires at least some effort to get through.

  Back to the fight I manage to decapitate one while it's focused entirely on Cole. Unfortunately, this does make the others aware of my existence once again. Darrel manages to ensnare one of them with his water vines. It's still weird watching water sprout up in the shape of a vine. Now though, there is only two each for me and Cole to deal with. Just then a knife suddenly appears in the forehead of one of the wolves facing me. Chandra is apparently done checking the area for traps.

  I don't have time to thank her for the assist as the other wolf choses that exact time to lunge at me. I dodge the first few times but the third time I'm ready and stab my sword right where he was lunging. The result of which is the wolf involuntarily trying to swallow my sword. Not my intention but I'll take it. Taking advantage of the situation, I try and do as much damage as possible while pulling my sword back out nearly slicing the wolf in two. Unfortunately, the wolf is still alive. I say unfortunately because watching the blood and other organs fall out of whatever opening they can find even I'm starting to feel sorry for it. A quick jab through the eye into the brain later and the wolf finally dies. Thankfully when the wolf despawns everything that was a part of that wolf despawns.

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  I turn my attention, ready to help the others just in time to see Chandra and Cole working together to take out the last of the wolves. I'm both proud that they were able to get things done while I was occupied and also a little ashamed that it apparently took me longer than I thought to deal with a single wolf. After the fight we are pleasantly surprised to find that they dropped wolf pelts as well as the leather they normally drop. They're even fairly high quality. Lily once again does her harvesting thing While Chandra checks for traps and apparently hidden goodies. After which we have a long talk while we rest about which way to go or if we should continue at all. Eventually we decide to try one more room before calling it quits for the day.

  The room we end up choosing is much smaller than the room we were just in. This time I only see four skeletons. The fact that there is only four does worry me given how this dungeon has started throwing larger groups at us lately. It also looks like they are all fighters. Another oddity since this dungeon normally likes to mix and match skeleton types. All of these seemingly tiny little incongruencies have me worried. I'm worried that maybe I don't know this dungeon as well as I thought I did. I'm also worried that this fight will be tougher than it looks.

  As we engage the skeletons it becomes clear they've been given a few skills. They fight similar to how you would expect a level 12 fighter to fight. the difference is unlike me they aren't nearing exhaustion. Fortunately, we do have two people who are able to fight at range. Darrel for his part is already lobbing ice spears as fast as he can conjure them. He even manages to score a few hits although he only manages to kill one of them.

  A few moments later one of the fighters I was facing manages to get by me and head straight for Darrel. To his credit instead of panicking Darrel just focuses his attacks on that one soon killing it as well. I however am not so lucky. The other skeleton I was fighting takes advantage of me letting myself be momentarily distracted to find a gap in my armor just big enough to fit a sword through. As I feel the blade bite into my abdomen, I scold myself for my momentary lapse in attention. This is exactly the kind of mistake I keep saying should not be allowed to happen. The skeleton then pulls it out and prepares to stab me again. I manage to deflect the attack this time but only barely. I can feel my strength leaving me. Already just remaining on my feet has become a challenge in itself.

  Readying my weapon I prepare for the skeletons next attack. If I am to die, I'll die on my feet. The attack however does not come. Chandra has appeared behind the skeleton as if from out of nowhere and used one of her throwing knives to stab it in the eye. This does nothing but get Its attention. Another stab a few seconds later, this time in the back of the skull is apparently enough to end it. By this time Cole has apparently finished with the skeleton fighter he was facing because I suddenly realize that I'm surrounded by everyone. I also realize that I must have fallen down at some point because I'm laying down now.