Continue even deeper.

The next room is pitch black.

As you step foot inside, Amara immediately grabs your arm. "Kyle... I c-can see--"

That's right. Elves have the best eyes of all the races. Good hearing too, but bunnyfolk have that better. Among us, she might be the only one who can see around the room we're in. Snow, as a catfolk, has great sense overall, but it's more like instinct. "What is it?" you ask quietly.

After a click, though one unlike the traps before, a series of blue lights, one after another, switch on. Unlike the other rooms, this one is illuminated in a far brighter, less creepy manner, though the contents of the room still fill you with dread. The room itself is absolutely massive, in length, width, and especially height. At the very far end, you can make out tables with various papers and reagents, though it all looks tattered and broken. Bones litter the ground. However, unlike before, some of them stand. There are at least a dozen skeletons throughout the room, some with swords, others axes, and a few bows, all rusted or moldy.

Three of them are far different than the rest--each about twelve feet tall. Similar to Faceless, they wear dark cloaks and clothing, though no mask conceals their empty skeletal faces. One holds a massive blade, the other no weapons at all, and the last wields a dagger in both hands, though given his size, those daggers are more like swords.

"Ehehehe. We already told you that you're not wanted--" the weaponless one begins to speak, though upon seeing who has entered, he stops and ponders. "You aren't he."

"Begone from here!" booms the voice of the one with the greatsword.

You sigh. "Listen to me. I'm also an experiment of Elok Daven and Breiah. I don't know how long you've been here, but I know your master has abandoned you. So why are you still down here?"

"We wait for him," snarls the one holding daggers. "Forever. We will wait."

Amara looks to you solemnly. "We must lead them to rest, Kyle. That is the greatest mercy."

"Maybe if we collect the flesh of these intruders, master will be proud!" screams the first. "Ehehehe, especially that one in the magic armour. I want that for myself!"

"You wouldn't even fit," you reply. "Get ready, everyone!"

A moment after, the many other skeletons snaps their heads to stare at your party as if moved by a unifying mind. They ready their weapons, and begin their attack. However, your party is ready. They all leap into action, though Amara is the first to react.

The elven archpriest throws the point of her staff high into the air. As mana crawls up her body, tingling between her legs, a warm light hums to life as an orb above. "Beacon of Warding!" she screams aloud with a furious passion. Her eyes pierce forwards at the undead hoard ahead. Then, she slams the staff down into the ground, and as by the magic as well, it remains upright without her intervention. She leaves it there, and the light continues to burn. It projects a barely visible barrier of energy in a radius of about twenty feet.

The undead nearby reel back in what looks like pain. None of them can get any closer either.

Meanwhile, Snow nocks an arrow beside her and Eva readies herself to cast a spell.

Taking advantage of the situation, the melee half of your party springs forward. You slice through the nearest skeleton with ease, separating its skull from its spine, and then a second. A third. A fourth. Your deft bladework and quick feet fells several skeletons as you unleash a flurry forwards. Meanwhile, Lalarin uses her staff to vault even farther in the other direction, past a few of the closer ones to collapse a couple wielding bows in the back before they can fire. Niki runs in the same direction at the same time, and plows straight through the closest foes as they react in fear at the holy barrier before them.

"No!" screeches the unarmed one. He throws his hands forward as he conjures out, "Flare Bolt!" Just as it happens with your own spell, a ball of flames roars through the air towards the party. Amara's barrier protects them from evil creatures, though not fire.

Eva, however, steps forward. She shouts, "Ward!" with her wand pointed up towards the attack. The fiery spell spreads from the spectral barrier projected, and it disperses without any of it reaching the rest.

From behind, Snow lets an arrow fly towards the enemy caster.

However, just before it reaches his skull, a greatsword parries it away. His ally sprints forwards with long strides with massive legs. As Niki gets in his way, he reels his weapon back to cleave the woman in twain.

"I don't think so," Niki mutters. "I didn't get to level ten for nothing, damn it! This is the power of a Stormwall... My new ability! Aegis!" With a flash, a power envelops Niki's body. It's strange to see her use something resembling a spell. Her skin transforms to a sheen of grey steel. Instead of using her shield to block, she takes the sword's swing right down against her shoulder blade. It stops dead in its tracks. "I move a lot slower like this, but paired with my marking, I'm entirely unbreakable. Do you got anything else to try, or is your sword really that unimpressive, big guy?"

"You--"

Before he can react further, Niki drops her mace and reaches up to grab the flat of the blade. With a twist and a throw, she causes the giant to stumble to the side as well as drops his hefty sword to the ground with a crash.

"Niki!" shouts Lalarin as she sprints forwards.

"Go!" Niki calls back. She squats down slightly and brings her shield up as a platform.

The rabbit leaps, and with the strength of her ally, she's able to fault incredibly high. She spins through the air, and using the velocity of her descent as well as her own might, she drives her bo staff right into the skull of her foe. It shatters. As she lands, as does the giant, though far less gracefully than herself.

As this happens, the dual wielding giant throws one of his daggers with incredible speed. However, your instincts pull your attention to the strike as its unleashed. Swiftly, you leap into the air and deflect the attack before it can hit any of your ranged allies. Using your blade, you deflect it away before landing sadly right in front of Eva, Amara, and Snow.

Amara's eyes flare. "Duck!" she shouts as her hands clutch a pulsating ball of energy in front of her midsection.

You pull yourself to the ground.

As you do, she calls out, "Celestial Blast!" before sending out a swirling mass of divine energy. She then falls to her knees with a gasp, but watches as the attack careens across the battlefield straight towards the dagger-wielding skeleton.

He tries to dodge, but it's a little too late. It causes his arm to explode with golden flames. He pats the wound rapidly, dropping his other dagger to do so, and nearly stumbles over in response.

The beautiful heroine Rabbit's Foot is already there to push the attack. She sweeps his foot with her own, forcing him off balance. He crashes to the ground with a thud. Niki then hurries up behind her, Aegis still active, and she leaps a few feet into the air to slam her heavy body down against his ribs.

"Grrr. Flare Bolt! Flare Bolt!" shouts the caster angrily. He hurls two balls of fire, one towards you, and the other at Amara.

You easily dodge the first. The second, however, you leap in the way off, catching it with your magic ring. The magic is sucked up instantly inside, though you don't hold this one for long. Instantly after you land, you throw your fingers forwards and unleash the spell within. A bolt of flames hurls towards him, and he steps back in shock. He brings up his cloak to shield himself, causing the fabric to engulf in flames.

The giant throws his burning cloak to the ground, showing just how scrawny these skeletons truly are. They're nothing but bones after all, but their cloaks and hoods really cause them to appear more intimidating than they are. He hisses, glaring with empty sockets at the party that just fell his allies. He turns his attention to Niki and Lalarin, his closest threats, and begins to conjure another spell.

However, he's first hit by an arrow that sticks in the side of his head. Then, a magic bolt from Eva causes him to crash to the ground. He's not out yet, but he struggles to stand back up quickly enough to avoid his opponents pushing the advantage.

You're already standing over his head with a blade pointed down at his forehead. "I don't know who you were in life," you say. "But I'm sorry you were used. I hope your spirit can rest now. especially knowing we're going to take down those who did this to you."

He stares back at you for a lengthy moment. "... Thank you," he whispers back.

You then drive the blade through his skull and release his from his prison.

With a sigh, you sheathe your blade and look around at all the carnage. Well, it's only bones, so it doesn't look all that gory, but you can't help but be taken aback by the fact that all this happened because of this mortal enemy of yours. Not only that, but this is another vacant laboratory. The first had an angel and nobody else, and now this.

How many labs does this guy have?

Niki holds her head as she walks back over. Her skin looks normal once again. "It's hard getting used to these new abilities."

Eva runs up to her and pokes her cheek. "That was cool! Was that mana I felt?"

Looking proud, Niki places her hands on her hips and tilts up her head. "Yeah. That's right. I use a bit of magic now technically."

"I do not like this place," Amara mumbles as she makes her way over.

You step closer to the elf and pull her in by the arm. "Hey. It's all right. You did amazing. All of you did. Let's grab what we can and get out of here."

"I really wanna know what kinda weird notes we can find," Eva says. She begins hustling over to the other side of the room, but stops as she hears a crunch under her foot. She purses her lips. "... Actually, I just wanna go home."

Niki puts her foot down on the leg of the nearest giant. "Crunch crunch crunch."

"Stop!"