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[F09 - SP] <<Guardian of Fire>> Shielding Against the Flames [Completed]


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<<Guardian of Fire>>

This quest takes place on Floor 9
This quest is repeatable

This RP will not count in the benchmark
  

Cerberus_Dog-like_form.png

 

 

 

Rumors about a three headed dog are floating around Vulcan Village, that spawns a rare potion that gives the user the ability to inflict burn damage. They say it is hard to get to. It takes two days and three nights due south to get to the cave in which the beast lurks.

The Cerberus only appears after players make their way into Inferno Cavern a cave that is immensely hot. The heat is so strong that all players who enter loose 10 HP If their craft roll is below 6. There they must defeat an unknown number of  
«Hell Hounds»  to awaken Cerberus.

Cerberus appears from seemingly nowhere; a dark body covered in dancing flames; its three heads are ferocious; and each attack individually, players must destroy all three heads in order to defeat Cerberus.

 

 

Requirements:

-At least two [2] Pages (21 or more posts)
- Must RP that two days have passed from «Vulcan Town» to «Inferno Cavern»

-Once in Inferno Cavern - players must use the Perma Roller to roll craft Dice. Any roll below 6 incurs 10 HP damage
-Must Defeat X amount of Hell Hounds At 30 HP each.  (Where X is 3 hounds per player present)
- Cerberus MUST be defeated


Cerberus Information:

 

«Cerberus» is a Field Boss and has the following statistics:
Head 1: 75 HP
Head 2: 75 HP
Head 3: 75 HP

Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn Damage next turn
Cerberus ignores armor mitigation on a natural roll of 9-10
Each head attacks independently of one another. 
Thus, every hit you inflict the Cerberus will attack you three times.


Rewards:

  1. Cerberus Soul: A Potion that when used on Weapon adds burn damage for the duration of the thread, burn damage at +2 for 2 turns on Natural Dice Roll of 8-10
  2. 3 Skill Points.

 




Parties or Groups of low level players are advised.
Recommended Level: 23

(updated for September update)

Before unlocking the Survival skill, an attempt at the field boss Cerberus would have seemed impossible. While it was true that Shield had the defense to fight the creature, doing so in such harsh conditions would have been unmanageable. The information he had garnered from the broker was quite extensive, and it seemed as if the damage of the environment was meant to be a big part of the difficulty of the task.

"Even the minions you have to defeat before the boss appears aren't statted with their own damage," he wondered to himself, stepping between standing pools of lava just outside of the small settlement of Vulcan where he had arrived. "They're an endurance test to see if you can stomach the heat."

Shield checked his inventory, making sure his Drunken Master was ready for use as soon as he was in danger of combat. If being easier to hit would make the enemies drop quicker, it might be his best bet to survive some of Cerberus' more deadly attacks.

Spoiler

ID# 78353 results: Loot: 3 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 8 - No materials (0 total)

 

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ID# 78354 results: Loot: 20 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 25 - +1 Material! (1 total)

 

While the floor itself was literally lava, there was a sort of beauty about it. In most games, one viewed hot pools of lava through the lens of a screen, but as Shield wandered slowly among the various obstacles, they were more tangible. It made him feel primal, as if he truly were stumbling along in some prehistoric, primordial landscape that would one day give birth to life.

As the invisible sun was setting at the end of the first day, he happened across a pool that, for some reason, his earring responded to. The pale glow on his shoulder cast by the small hoop trinket grew brighter the nearer he came to it until right there on the shore of it, he spotted a glimmer. This was a very small thing to have to spot, but as he stepped nearer, he recognized the shine of what appeared to be a diamond.

"I had heard diamonds could be produced as a result of volcanic activity," he said, awed by the unexpected find.

He quickly recovered the item from the hot, blackened volcanic rock that framed the pool.

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ID# 78357 results: Loot: 16 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 21 - +1 Material! (2 total)

his progress being as slow as it was, and, even with the survival skill, the environment being so uncomfortable, Shield forewent sleeping for the night and trudged on, pushing through until the overcast sky on the opposite horizon began to show light. If not for the constant heat, his eyes would have drooped more, but the discomfort it provided him was the perfect conditions to be both a boon and a curse.

At one point, about midday of the second day, he realized that his earring had been glowing to indicate the presence of another material. It was bright, too. He wondered to himself how long he had been zoning out this particular find and how many others he had missed completely. Glancing down, he saw what appeared to be a piece of porous volcanic rock, which he groggily snatched up and stored away with the diamond he had found the previous day.

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ID# 78360 results: Loot: 9 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 14 - No materials (2 total)

Shield opened his HUD for what seemed like the third time in the last minute, but his tired eyes had no easier of a time registering what was on it than the previous two. It was not until he saw the dot of his objective finally depart from the very edge of the screen that it dawned on him that he was actually getting close.

Closing out of his menus, he examined the area. He found himself at the base of what seemed to be a dormant volcano, though the entrance to what he was sure was the cave where he would face his trial had smoke actively pouring out of it. Perhaps it was less dormant than it looked. Either way, he was in no shape to press on in order to do battle. He found an oasis of actual earth with a half-charred stump of a tree and decided that it was the closest he would find to comfortable temperatures in the blackened and lava-dotted landscape.

He swapped out his gear into his more defensive set, complete with shield and axe at the ready. With that, he slumped his tired frame down against the trunk and slept.

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It was hard to say how long he was out for, but when Shield opened his eyes again, the world around him looked no different than it had before, other than maybe the actual level of light. However, between the overcast sky and the molten rock that constantly cast the landscape in a steady, crimson glow, sunlight would make very little difference. He was still tired, but he felt considerably more combat ready, so he stood and made his way up the slope of the mountain, stopping at the entrance to the cave.

"Well, now is as good of a time as any," he said to himself, summoning up his alcohol-heavy lunch.

While more flavorful than the trail rations he had been surviving off of, the Drunken Master was hardly filling, consisting of only a rice ball and a strong saucer of sake. Still, he saw his evasion drop considerably on his HUD, which made his thorns a much more dangerous prospect. With that, he forced his feet to talk the straight line of the mountain tunnel.

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ID# 78363 results: Loot: 7 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 12 - No materials ( 2 total)

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The walls on either side of him were hardly ornate, but they were hewn with precision, and meticulously smoothed to a near mirror polish. Around him, the air pressed in with a heat and ferocity he had now known before. It would have been overwhelming if not for the survival skill.

The tunnel led him to a shelf that ran around the inside of the volcano overlooking the magma chamber. With a howl, three flaming canines erupted from the surface of the lava lake below and galloped up the walls, leaping over the ledge and landing in front of Shield, their lips curled back to expose their fangs.

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ID# 78365 results:

Shield
HP: 580/580, DMG: 3 (24 Bleed), Mit: 96, Regen: 54, Thorns: 28 dmg
Battle: 7 - Hit Hell hound 1! - 3 dmg

Hell Hound 1: 27/30 HP, DMG: 1
Hell Hound 2: 30/30 HP, DMG: 1
Hell Hound 3: 30/30 HP, DMG: 1
MOB: 9 + 3 = 12 - Hit! - 1 dmg + 1 = 2 - 96 mit - 54 regen = 0 dmg

Stepping towards them, Shield swung with his axe, but before he could even follow through, the agile hounds had dodged around the blade and latched onto either of his legs, sinking in their fangs and shaking vigorously, like a dog shaking a squeaky toy. The damage was nonexistent, probably not even dangerous to his level one self from a month ago.

"Looks like this isn't going to take long," Shield said with a sigh.

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ID# 78384 results:

Shield
HP: 580/580, DMG: 3 (24 Bleed), Mit: 96, Regen: 54, Thorns: 28 dmg
Battle: 8 - Hit Hell hound 2! - 3 dmg, Bleed - 24 dmg next 2 turns

Hell Hound 1: -1/30 HP, DMG: 1 [DEAD]
Hell Hound 2: -1/30 HP, DMG: 1 [DEAD]
Hell Hound 3: 2/30 
HP, DMG: 1
MOB: 3 + 3 = 6 - Hit! 1 dmg - 96 mit - 54 regen = 0 dmg, Thorns - 28 dmg

Shield took careful aim at the nearest hound's head, cracking it on the skull with the back of his axe and opening a deep gash. The canines released him, only to bite at his chest and arms. Immediately, both of the hounds he had struck burst into red pixels, and the third was so low on health that it might as well have done the same. It looked back and forth, confused about where its companions had gone.

"They're dead, Fido," Shield said, with a little more of a slur than he would likely relay to Beat when telling the story of this quest. "And you're gonna end up the exact same way."

He raised his axe, and the hound yipped, falling back and running in a panicked circle, whipping around once it had collected itself to snarl at Shield.

"Yeah, you don't like that I killed your buddies, do you? Well, don't worry. You'll be joining them soon."

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ID# 78385 results:

Shield
HP: 580/580, DMG: 3 (24 Bleed), Mit: 96, Regen: 54, Thorns: 28 dmg
Battle: 2 - Miss

Hell Hound 3: -26/30 HP, DMG: 1 [DEAD]
MOB: 6 + 3 = 9 - Hit! 1 dmg - 96 mit - 54 regen = 0 dmg, Thorns - 28 dmg

The last hell hound, whether unwilling or unable to do otherwise, disregarded caution and lunged forward. Shield swung his axe, but the blade missed by a hair's breadth, the fanged beast sinking its teeth into the tank's arm and immediately suffering the same fate as its pack mates. It was almost poetic in a sense, the way that it sacrificed itself in a seeming act of solidarity with its brothers or sisters. He hoped that he and Beat would never have to make such a stand.

With the immediate threats eliminated, Shield knew from the information he had garnered that the real test was about to begin. Sure enough, a rumble began to build in the magma chamber below. Shield glanced over the edge to see three bulges begin to form in the magma near the far edge of the glowing lake. The bulges parted, the molten rock sloughing off to reveal muscular canine heads, seemingly designed for the express purpose of powering the biting ability of each set of massive jaws.

This was Cerberus.

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ID# 78396 results:

Shield
HP: 580/580, DMG: 3 (24 Bleed), Mit: 96, Regen: 54, Thorns: 28 dmg
Battle: 4 Miss

Cerberus ignores armor mitigation on a natural roll of 9-10
Head 1: 47/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn, Thorns - 28 dmg
Head 2: 47/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn, Thorns - 28 dmg
Head 3: 47/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn, Thorns - 28 dmg

MOB: 7 + 3 = 10 - Hit! 80 - 96 mit - 54 regen = 0 dmg x 3 = 0

The massive canine pulled itself out of the molten lake, shaking off on the shore like it had just taken a pleasant dip in cool water. Its eyes turned up towards Shield and it snarled, baring its fangs. Despite the heat, Shield felt a chill run up his spine. It was not so much fear as a sense of awe. He was standing in the presence of a figure of mythology.

The beast charged up and around the incline to the ledge that formed the balcony to the great volcanic churning and bubbling that lit the space in its eerie red glow. Although he was prepared for the fight, as Cerberus closed the gap, he found himself swinging just a moment too late. The three heads flicked to the side to avoid the blade, and as they swung back around, their force bowled Shield over. Their jaws one at a time tore into him, but they left no significant mark, at least not in his heath bar. Still each bite left glowing marks where they had landed.

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ID# 78397 results:

Shield
HP: 499/580, DMG: 3 (24 Bleed), Mit: 96, Regen: 54, Thorns: 28 dmg
Battle: Drink potion

Cerberus ignores armor mitigation on a natural roll of 9-10
Head 1: 47/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn, Thorns - 28 dmg
Head 2: 47/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn, Thorns - 28 dmg
Head 3: 47/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn, Thorns - 28 dmg

MOB: 9 + 3 = 12 - Hit! 80 + 1 = 81 - 54 regen = 27 dmg x 3 = 81 + (30 burn - 40 health potion) 

Burn damage. Shield had forgotten that detail from his research, but he knew that his wounds were about to start burning. He pulled out a potion just in time for the bite marks to begin hissing, their radius glowing like hot iron. He downed the potion, neutralizing the damage. Just as he turned his focus back to the great canine, however, he discovered he was a moment too late.

Three sets of jaws once again bit into him, but this time, they damaged him. An attack had never sunk deep enough and dealt enough damage to register before, but all three at once did so, dropping his health dramatically before the regeneration kicked in. Once his shield had returned as much heath as it could, he was much better off, but it had cut off a good portion of his health, almost down to the yellow for a moment. He would have to be more careful. Immediately, he readied another potion.

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ID# 78398 results:

Shield
HP: 425/580, DMG: 3 (24 Bleed), Mit: 96, Regen: 54, Thorns: 28 dmg
Battle: Drink potion

Cerberus ignores armor mitigation on a natural roll of 9-10
Head 1: 47/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn
Head 2: 47/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn
Head 3: 47/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn

MOB: 10 + 3 = 13 - Hit! 80 + 2 = 82 - 54 regen = 28 dmg x 3 = 84 + (30 burn - 40 health potion)

Shield unstoppered another health potion and downed it as quickly as he could, but just like before, the fangs of Cerberus proved to be relentless. They gripped his legs and tossed him across the ledge, his body skidding to a stop just shy of the edge. He scrambled away from it, feeling the radiating heat from the magma and knowing that no amount of survival could save him from that.

Launching himself forward, he rolled and came up standing face to face to face to face with the beast once again, his mouth dry as he eyed his health bar. It was so alien seeing it even partly depleted, but even so, amazingly, since each hit had landed and healed separately, he had never dropped below the yellow marker on his health bar. But he had come close.

"Okay, mutt," he panted, wiping sweat and grime off of his forehead with the back of his arm. "You've had your fun. Now let's see how this goes."

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ID# 78399 results:

Shield
HP: 435/580, DMG: 3 (24 Bleed), Mit: 96, Regen: 54, Thorns: 28 dmg
Battle: Drink potion

Cerberus ignores armor mitigation on a natural roll of 9-10
Head 1: 47/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn
Head 2: 47/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn
Head 3: 47/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn

MOB: 1 + 3 = 4 - Miss - + 40 health potion - 30 burn

Cautiously, not moving his eyes from any of the heads, Shield summoned out another health potion, downing it just as the jaws launched themselves forward as a snarly, snapping mass of teeth. He jumped back, avoiding the sharp assault of the teeth, only to have the burning reminder of their previous strikes flare to life on his limbs. The soothing of the health potion cooled the heat somewhat, but the reminder still burned his pride.

"You're a tough one, aren't you?" Shield said softly, keeping his eyes forward and focused. "Well, I'm pretty tough too. We're just gonna have to figure out who's tougher. Neither of us have hit yellow... yet."

He held out his axe as a buffer, making the process of getting to him at least a little more cumbersome. Hopefully it would make the difference between being tossed around a little or being completely destroyed by the beast.

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ID# 78400 results:

Shield
HP: 580/580, DMG: 3 (24 Bleed), Mit: 96, Regen: 54, Thorns: 28 dmg
Battle: Drink potion

Cerberus ignores armor mitigation on a natural roll of 9-10
Head 1: 19/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn, Thorns - 28 dmg
Head 2: 19/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn, Thorns - 28 dmg
Head 3: 19/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn, Thorns - 28 dmg
MOB: 6 + 3 = 9 - Hit! 80 dmg - 96 mit - 54 regen = 53 health x 3 = 162 + 40 health potion = 202 health

Now breathing a little easier, Shield took out another health potion, downing its contents and finally feeling the full effect without any burn. It was odd. Its jaws had only once each activated his thorns, and yet a significant portion of each head's health bar had already been depleted. Could their health really be so low?

Curious, and more confident now that the beast had missed him once, he held out his arms, inviting the jaws this time rather than fleeing from them. His invitation was accepted, and since he was in control of how he exposed his limbs, he could help steer where each bite landed. Each found flesh, but not without finding thorns along the way, and each dealing so little damage that his equipment's generation actually pushed him immediately back to full health.

"Looks like this just became a completely different battle," Shield said aloud, smirking at the heads, each now having fallen beyond yellow and directly in to the red zone.

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ID# 78401 results:

Shield
HP: 580/580, DMG: 3 (24 Bleed), Mit: 96, Regen: 54, Thorns: 28 dmg
Battle: Drink potion

Cerberus ignores armor mitigation on a natural roll of 9-10
Head 1: -9/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn, Thorns - 28 dmg [DEAD]
Head 2: -9/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn, Thorns - 28 dmg [DEAD]
Head 3: -9/75 HP, Damage per Attack: 80 + 10 Burn, Thorns - 28 dmg [DEAD]
MOB: 3 + 3 = 6 - Hit! 80 dmg - 96 mit - 54 regen = 53 health x 3 = + 162 health

While typically a stoic man, Shield actually laughed out loud, unable to believe how quickly the battle had turned around. In one volley, Shield had been reduced more damage than he had ever received in all of his experience in Sword Art Online. Now, back at full health, he had Cerberus on the ropes. The great black dog slumped slightly on its massive paws, clearly feeling the effects of the damage it had received.

Shield stepped forward, his arms still out as he looked up into the multiple faces of the dying field boss. His defensive openings tempted the teeth of the mongrel canine, and just as he suspected, the simple creature took the bait. Three heads, each independently, snapped at Shield, yelped, and fell still, until the last attack landed, at which time, Cerberus was no longer a mythical, god-like figure, but just a very tall, muscular dog. The pooch let out one last yelping call before its entirety burst into a wind of red pixels.

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ID# 78403 results: Loot: 18 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 23 - +1 Material! (3 total)

Shield stood in silence, his arms still outstretched, his chest heaving from the exertion of having first experienced real danger in Sword Art Online. After a few breaths, his heaving turned to chuckling which turned into laughing. He fell backwards, laying on the hot stone floor and looking out of the pinprick of the volcano's mouth thousands of feet overhead. His chest shook with the laugh of someone experiencing ultimate relief and a new chance at life.

Slowly, he came back to himself, exiting out of the loot window that had been waiting for him, not even bothering to read it. He swapped out his combat items before pushing himself back onto his feet. Immediately, his earring blazed to life, and not even bothering to look to see if there were more, Shield snatched up the nearest piece of volcanic stone from the floor and marched his way down the tunnel and outside.

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ID# 78422 results: Loot: 1 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 6 - No materials (3 total)

Trudging his way back to the little charred oasis, Shield plopped himself back down exactly where he had taken his little nap the first time, and before he was even aware of making the decision to do so, he had closed his eyes and fallen back into a deep sleep of exhaustion. The events of the last hour had left him so emotionally drained that even if he had tried to resist it, his need for rest would have won out in the end.

When he awoke, he found himself actually feeling rested. Either from the new lease on life, or just from having been allowed the time to properly recuperate, his mind felt sharp and his body was energized and ready for travel. He sat up and used his broad hands to pull himself upright on the stump. Tapping through his menus, he brought up his HUD to navigate him back to town.

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ID# 78426 results: Loot: 12 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill point = 17 - +1 Material (4 total)

The walk back to Vulcan Village was slow and carefree compared to the journey to the mountain. Shield stopped every once in a while to admire a particularly interesting pool of lava, or to wander down a different strip of land, or even just to sit and think for a moment. He knew that once he made it back to civilization that he would be right back to his efficient ways of working towards the front lines, but for now, he was still alive, and that was more than enough.

As he walked, he found a little pool of water, which was odd considering the terrain. The edges were hissing slightly, the stone on any given side still hot from the nearby pools of molten rock, but there seemed to be a natural spring feeding up in this spot, which created a nice spot to splash some water on his face, albeit warm water. In doing so, he spotted another sparkly speck on the shore. Taking a closer look, he found yet another tiny diamond. He collected it and took a moment to stretch before continuing to walk.

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ID# 78428 results: Loot: 17 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 22 - +1 Material (5 total)

The sky remained overcast through the first day, as well as through the night. Shield would pause occasionally for a rest here or to close his eyes there, but never for very long. The second day of his journey back, there was a solid hour in the afternoon where the sun actually poked out from behind the clouds, casting a golden filter over the normally blackened landscape.

"Such an odd floor," he thought to himself. "It's true that volcanoes and lava flows are known for their destructuve capabilities, but there is so much more to them than that. If allowed time between, the area that's been destroyed bounces back with new life. There are so many nutrients in the ash that the world rallies and comes back even more lush than before."

Looking down at the ground, Shield spotted a little section of bare earth, except for a small white flower that had spouted in the center. Strangely, it seemed to be a collectible item, so he plucked it up and stashed it away.

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ID# 78429 results: Loot: 16 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 21 - +1 Material (6 total)

"It just seems like such a sad thing," he continued aloud, looking at the spot where the flower had grown. "Two sides to the power of volcanic activity, and yet with a place like this, people will only ever see the destructive side."

Despite having picked the flower, he still noticed a faint glow on his shoulder. Glancing around, he saw a sharp, reflective shard of something black embedded in the soil.

"Obsidian?" he thought to himself. "I suppose it makes sense to find it here."

He took out his axe and used the blade to pry it up from the ground. Its edges were all razor sharp, which confirmed his suspicions. This would make a decent component for someone to make into a small blade of some sort, either a dagger or a spear. He stashed the bit of volcanic glass in with his other items and straightened back up to continue along his way.

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ID# 78430 results: Loot: 19 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 24 - Advanced Dungeon

As Shield came closer to town, he began to notice little spots where more of the plain, white flowers grew. These, unlike the first, were not pickable items. They seemed to just be a part of the background. Still, Shield followed them, walking from one little white dot to the next. The trail of proverbial bread crumbs led him to the south east away from his route, and into a formation of jutting, vertical, sharpened spires of stone. He wound around behind a boulder to find a gaping maw of a cave, flower blooming around the inky blackness of its open entrance.

Quickly, Shield pulled up his map and began making careful notes of the landmarks and coordinates to the dungeon he had discovered. He was in need of returning back to his shop, but this would make a very interesting quest for someone down the road. Entering the last of the information, he saved the data and filed it with the other dungeons he had found.

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