The Dreamer's POV

[00 Months: 01 Days: 11 Hours]

'I've already Leveled Up twice since we started raiding this Dungeon...' My thoughts echoed as I stared at the imposing get that led to the Boss Room.

Now in Level 23, I felt a surge of both pride and excitement for my next upgrade. We were almost done with conquering the Dungeon, yet why did it feel like so little time had passed since we started our journey as an Adventuring Party?

The Demons here were tough as nails, but they weren't impossible to defeat, especially thanks to our teamwork.

'Compensating for our individual weaknesses with the efforts of the group. It's not so bad.' Raiding Dungeons like this was at least time efficient.

The dangers were also minimized.

'That's why...'

[SYSTEM WARNING]

<You Will Encounter A Very Dangerous Demon>

Even though the Demon that was bound to dwell on the other side of the gate was going to be immensely powerful, I wasn't worried in the slightest.

I had my teammates to help me out.

"I'm ready."

*******

[Dungeon Of Stone: Boss Room]

The air was thick with tension as my Adventuring Party and I stood before the Boss Monster we were supposed to defeat.

'Haha... it bigger than I thought.'

Standing before us was a colossal Stone Golem. Its towering figure, reaching a height of five to seven meters, cast an intimidating shadow over us.

Its bulky stature and unyielding stone exterior exuded power and endurance.

"It's tough, but..." We already knew that defeating this behemoth was the key to clearing the Dungeon we had ventured into.

With our abilities honed and battle strategies in mind, we braced ourselves for the imminent clash.

"Remember the plan. Take formation!" Byron, the leader of our Party, took charge and yelled.

"Roger." I muttered, my eyes focused on the target before me.

My auxiliary vision caught the figures of my other teammates getting into formation, and I wasn't going to fall behind.

Activating my <Focus> Skill, I felt an immediate surge of clarity as my senses sharpened.

Every movement, every twitch of the Golem, was amplified, allowing me to react with precision.

Without wasting a second, Byron shouted out the battle plan to my comrades.

'We're fortunate this Golem doesn't seem to comprehend speech. If it was intelligent, you'd have just revealed out plan to it...' I almost sighed in exasperation, but controlled myself.

I was already used to Byron's type of team coordination, and since was the Dungeon of Stone, it was of no real consequence.

Jeff, our Poison Gas sprayer positioned at the rear sent a hail sent a fog of his special ability to envelop the Golem.

At the exact moment Jesus, our reliable Mage began peppering it with Magic Missiles, and Daniel, turned invisible at the exact same moment to close the distance between us and the Boss.

Wielding his dagger deftly, he was meant to sneak around, ready to strike at any moment.

My attention turned to Lu, who seemed to be fueled solely by raw strength and speed. She positioned herself at its feet, ready to unleash her powerful punches and kicks.

I, relying on my <Sprint> ability, prepared to dart in and out of combat, seeking weak spots and delivering rapid strikes.

Byron was pretty much the center of attention, standing right in front of the Boss, taunting it with his blade raised and a confident grin flashing on his bushy-bearded face.

We were a well-coordinated unit, each member contributing their unique skills to take down the formidable foe.

As the battle commenced, the Stone Golem swung its massive stone fists towards us. With my <Visualize> ability, I could see glimpses of the future, giving me a small advantage in anticipating its movements.

I narrowly evaded the first blow, feeling the gust of wind from its colossal fist as it sailed past me.

~WHUUUUUUSSSHHHH!!~

With lightning speed, I retaliated, landing a series of precise strikes on its joints and vulnerable areas.

The poison gas filled the air, causing the Golem to stumble momentarily.

Seizing the opportunity, the invisible dagger-wielder struck from the shadows, slashing at its back.

~FWISH!~

~SWISH!~

~BOOOOMM!!~

The Mage continued to unleash a barrage of Magic Missiles, each explosion chipping away at the Golem's stone exterior.

Our combined assault was relentless, but the Golem's immense strength and durability made it a formidable adversary.

As I dodged another thunderous punch, I spotted an opening.

Activating my <Sprint> ability, I darted towards the Golem's legs, avoiding its reach. I delivered a series of lightning-fast strikes, focusing on weakening its foundation.

At that moment, Lu launched a powerful kick, her sheer force denting the Golem's leg, causing it to stagger.

However, the Golem was far from defeated. It retaliated with a ground-shaking stomp, attempting to crush us beneath its enormous weight.

~BOOOOOMMM!!!~

Reacting swiftly, I dashed away, barely evading the attack. But not everyone was as fortunate. Daniel, caught off guard, was struck and sent flying across the chamber.

'Damnit!'

He wasn't going to die from just that hit, so I decided to ignore the little misstep and focus on the Boss.

It seemed the remaining members of our party understood that, so instead of getting distracted, we redoubled our efforts.

The poison gas thickened, making it harder for the Golem to focus.

Jesus' Magic Missiles intensified, hammering into the Golem's structure relentlessly.

Byron's constant blade's clangs echoed across the room as he faced the Boss head on, doing his best to hold out while withstanding a few blows that would have certainly killed me if I was hit.

Lu channeled her raw power, delivering punches and kicks with unyielding force.

The battle raged on, each moment more intense than the last.

The Golem, weakened by our relentless assault, began to show signs of wear.

Cracks spiderwebbed across its stony skin, and its movements grew sluggish. We knew victory was within our reach.

'Finally!' I grinned, closing the distance that had been made due to dodging it's previous attack.

'I should be the one to deal the last hit. Just in case there's a bonus for that!'

"Mikey, look out!" I heard Byron yell from behind me.

It was too late, though.

In one final, desperate attempt, the Golem lunged at me with its remaining strength. It seemed like I was going to die from the powerful blow being directed toward me.

But...

'You really think I didn't see this coming?' A grin stretched across my face.

Utilizing my heightened perception from <Focus>, I sidestepped its attack and drove my fist into a weak spot, shattering the stone beneath it.

~CREAK~

"Bingo!"

~BOOM!~

That very instant, the Boss collapsed to the ground, defeated.

"Damn... you guys finished without me." Limping towards the fallen Golem, Daniel huffed as he clutched his chest.

"You snooze, you lose. You can ask Mikey over there." Byron grinned at me.

It seemed he understood my selfish action just now, but it didn't seem like he was going to reprimand me.

'How surprising...' My huffs filled the air, and so did everyone elses.

As the dust settled, we stood amidst the wreckage, battered and weary, but triumphant.

The Dungeon had been conquered, the Boss Stone Golem vanquished.

Our teamwork, determination, and the synergy of our abilities had brought us victory. We took a moment to catch our breath, sharing looks of relief and pride.

"Who else is hungry?" Daniel muttered, chuckling light-heartedly.

Now that I looked at him in this light, he didn't seem all that suspicious anymore.

"I'm hungry! Haa... we've not had anything to eat for hours!" Lu spoke so nonchalantly and casually.

Something told me she was just pretending to be tired like the rest of us.

"I have some food in my briefcase." Jeff smiled gently.

Out of all of us, it seemed he was the most out of breath..

'I always thought he seemed like the weakest of the bunch.'

"Haha. I think I've had enough excitement for today." This time it was Jesus who spoke, his wheezing tone indicating how tired he was.

"You should sit and rest, old ma—" Byron wanted to intervene.

"Who are you calling old?!"

"Aha... sorry."

"Much better! I'm still in my prime."

I stifled a chuckle, and I could tell that everyone else was doing the same.

'Still, he has a point. This old guy is still more skilled than a lot of young people that would have preferred being sheltered.'

It seemed his quest for adventure really paid off in the end.

If there was one thing I learned from spending time with these people, it was that they all had their motivations.

'It seems every one has a reason for fighting. That's why we're all here and not dead.'

... Not even after fighting a very dangerous foe.

It was a hard-fought battle, an intense struggle against overwhelming odds. But we emerged victorious, forever bound by the bonds forged in the crucible of combat.

'What can I say? They're not a bad crew.'

<You Have Leveled Up>

<You Have Leveled Up>

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[A/N]

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Cheers!

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