The Ruined Death Knight

Holding their torches up high, the group of Explorers walked inside the next floor.

Instead of seeing a small path of countless stairs leading to the other floor.

The stairs this time seemed to be the floor itself.

There was a small peak of sunlight coming from the top with some sand falling down, which made those who unconsciously looked up rub their eyes to remove the sand.

Unfortunately for them, the light coming from the top was so little that it didn't brighten the whole stairs. 

The seemingly endless darkness in those stairs although creepy, did highlight the little sunlight from the very top.

But such sight was quickly brushed off as one of the Explorers stepped forward and moved his torch forward.

"Hey, I found the beginning of those stairs." He said while turning his head to the others.

Who in turn moved their heads to the man wielding a great sword and the magic caster.

But most of them looked towards the great sword wielder for answers.

Maybe it was because those two were the loudest of them all. Or because they convinced everyone to push forward and challenge the dungeon.

Putting away their greed and worries, every one of them knew that someone had to take the role to lead. Otherwise, the danger of multiple people calling out orders and confusing everybody would occur.

Thus, everyone unconsciously thought of the great sword wielder Isamu and the young magic caster as their leaders.

But since only one leader was able to exist, they decided on Isamu more than the young magic caster.

Although magic casters were said to hold wisdom and many truths of the world.

The people here would rather pick Isamu that the arrogant young magic caster who didn't even consider himself as an Explorer-like them.

Having realized that, Isamu sighted in relief internally.

'Things look good so far.' Breathing in, he raised his greatsword with one hand and pointed at the beginning of the stairs.

"Those who use their shield and wear heavy armor will walk in the front of the stairs, with the others follow by behind."

"I am sure that I don't need to tell you guys, but our enemy is using traps! So make sure to look at your steps and-"

Groaning from the side of the group, one of the explorers heard Isamu's lecture in the basics.

Turning his head up the stairs to find something interesting to sate his boredom.

While looking around through the same darkness, his eyes stopped at the very top.

"Huh?"

Frowning his eyes, he stared at a small silhouette.

'Am I seeing this?' 

Running his eyes and taking a look back, what he saw were some green light nearing him.

"Hey~" his voice was like that of a whisper.

But the longer he looked the bigger the two lights were coming their way.

Realizing what do lights were, his expression turned pale.

"Hey! Everyone-!" He screamed out loud, his tone turning more desperate.

"-Enemy attack!"

Surprised at their comrade's sudden yell, they looked at him confused as they didn't process what the man said.

*Fsheeeeeeen!

Hearing the wind cutting noise, they raised their heads to see where it was coming from.

Those who saw the large wind blade approaching them now finally understood what the man said.

'An Attack'

But unfortunately, as they draw their weapons to defend themselves, the wind blade nearest their ranks was about to make an impact with the unlucky victim.

Isamu who too was too late to react traced the path of the 2 wind blades to see who will be unfortunate to get hit.

"No-!" Isamu yelled as loud as he could seeing who it was.

'They are going for our support!' He thought with a pale expression.

More specific in the term support were one of the magic casters who still haven't even taken notice of the danger.

And the priestess.

Being too late to react, he could only watch how the wind blade was nearing the shocked priestess.

Fortunately though, among everyone here.

One of them was able to react in time.

*Fsheeeeeeen.

Just as the wind blade was about to kill the priestess. She was pushed by the side by a man with a wield in his hand.

*Tiiiickshh

Collidinggng with the shield, the wind blade struggled to move.

Although at first difficult, the longer he held the dark green wind blade, the weaker it was getting.

"Ahh!" 

Pushing his shield forward to the side, the wind blade got destroyed, with no traces to be seen.

"Are you alright?" The man with the shield, Sean, asked qt the priestess who looked at him from the ground.

Perhaps it was because of the light coming from the top, but to her, he looked like a knight in shining armor.

"I-I am alright," she said with a small blush.

Raising from the ground, she suddenly heard the sound of *Booh.

Looking at where the sound came from, she froze as her eyes turned into horror.

The magic caster neither had the time to cast any spells nor a knight to protect him from those sharp winds.

Was now cut in half and laying to the ground lifeless.

"A-Andrew!" The young magic caster called his dead colleague.

But the magic caster laying to the ground, that once few knew, was Andrew.

"No" as she was to cry out loud, Isamu yelled at her.

"Priestess! Use your light!"

Surprised by him, she remember that there was still an enemy.

"R-Right!"

Concentrating to herself she swiftly heard another of those wind-cutting noises.

Making her hands go a little stiff.

"Don't worry about it! Start the spell!"

Swinging his great sword at the next wind blade, Isamu managed to destroy it with little effort.

Trusting in Isamus's words, she raised her staff high.

"[Holy Light]!"

A warm light came from her staff, the staircase floor was soon fully illuminated.

And as result, undying screams echoed through the floor.

"Kweeeah!"

"Kwaaah!"

"Kwae-!"

...

Revealing from the dark, tens of skeletons with each holding a so familiar weapon in their hand were to see.

Seeing that Isamu frowned.

'Guys...'

Seeing his old comrades now in this state, Isamu grieved and cursed at the being who did this to them 

'I will make you pay...'

Turning his gaze towards the one silhouette at the top, he knew that this was the one who did this to them.

"The master of the tower..."

As he waited for more of those wind attacks to come their way, the necromancer which he presume left.

"Huh? Why is he?"

Though he didn't know why the enemy left, he didn't wait for long before he made his move.

"Everyone! We will be charging to the top! Be careful at your steps!" Isamu yelled as he was the first to run off.

"Dammit, wait Isamu!" Sean yelled as he looked at the priestess who ended her spell.

"Come, you are one of the most important people here." Sean said with a solemn face.

Though she was happy to bear that, she knew what she had to do now.

"I known..." She said while gripping her staff tightly.

Hasting their steps to catch up with Isamu, the other explorers followed behind them, with some overtaking the priestess.

"There are only some mere skeletons ahead! There is nothing to fear!" One yelled as he obliterated a skeleton with just a swing of his.

The difference between a 3rd-tier and a 1st-tier skeleton was way off in combat power for the skeletons to even have a chance to fight back.

Step by strep, they climb the stairs while destroying the few skeletons that were there to supposedly be a challenge to them.

Being halfway through the stairs, the explorers got their confidence back from the previous fights.

"Haha, it was the right decision to stay!" He said while laughing after destroying a skeleton.

As he passed a wall that had a hole to the side.

His vision changed to that from the stairs and the bottom of the floor that they first came in.

"Huh!?"

For a second he couldn't understand what happend.

As relaxation hit him, he wanted to yell.

Right as he was about to do so though, he felt terrible paying in his stomach area.

Looking at his size, he was stunned to see a skull face wearing a robe that was made out of pure sand.

"What the-!" 

Seeing the sand move, and grin sinister at him, his eyes were wide open.

The next moment he felt himself falling and the sand figure floating in the air and looking at him with a grin.

"Ahhhhh!" The explored scream out of horror.

Fortunately, or rather unfortunately for him, he wasn't the only one who was falling.

"Ahhhhhh!

"Help!!!!!"

Their screams were desperate.

But even those screams who were heard by everyone inside the tower came soon to an end with a sound of *splash.

One watched stunned by the sudden appearance of those sand figures.

"Kaaabhhhh!"

"Kaaaaaagh!"

"Kaaah!"

And terrified by their undying howls.

"What are those!?" Sean screams as he slashed off the sand figure, but seemingly with no damage showing.

And the one who answered his question was none other than the priestess behind him.

"Wraith's...."