Almost...

For the next few days you continue your scheme, reaping XP from your own boss. You feel a bit smug about it, using your superior to grow more powerful. It fills you with a sense of rebellion.

Currently you are waiting around by the boss door as usual with some other monsters. At this point they know that you always run away when heroes approach, so they throw an occasional glare at you. They don't try to shoo you away though, so that's good enough for you. You open your stat menu, just to admire it again.

Dark Caster
Lvl: 9
Melee Attack: 0
Ranged Attack: 0
Armor: 0
Weakness: Melee
Special Abilities:
Hex: Reduces target's damage resistance by -40% for 27.5 seconds.
Curse: Reduces target's attack damage by -40% for 27.5 seconds.
Ward: Increases target's damage resistance by +40% for 37.5 seconds.
Empower: Increases target's attack damage by +40% for 37.5 seconds.
Corrode: Damages target's armor and weapon by 40 durability.
Shadow Trick: Blinds target for 5 seconds.
Sinister Grip: Deals 2 HP/sec to target instantly.

That new spell you got was really exciting at first, and in a sense it still is. You finally have an offensive spell. You can in fact technically kill someone on your own. The only problem is that firstly, 2 HP per second is very little. You don't know how much HP an average hero in this dungeon has, but you'd guess something like 100-200. Meaning you'd need one or two minutes of constant casting to kill them, which is not reasonable since it's a concentration spell. You can't move while casting it, so it's obviously yet another spell that's meant to be used while you have other monsters tanking for you. Still, much better than nothing.

You hear another party of heroes approaching and enter your routine of running away like a bitch, earning a sigh from one of the orcs on guard. By now you've done this five or six times. You got a feeling you have enough XP for this time to elevate you to level 10. You're hoping that the double-digits will bring with it something impressive. Something that can make you more independent. All you gotta do is successfully repeat this process one more time...

As usual, the heroes get inside the boss room and you stand in the door opening waiting for your chance to strike. When the necromancer appears to be low on health you sneak inside and quickly get over to him, but shortly after casting a Hex you feel a bony hand wrapping itself around your arm and lifting you off the floor. With a terrified squeak you look into the empty eye sockets of a seemingly pissed off skeleton, and you hear the very worrisome sound of a hero dying. Shortly followed by the rest, and suddenly there's no battle anymore. The skeleton then throws you to the necromancer, you once again falling on your belly in front of him with what you swear is a squeaky-toy noise. You look up at him, met with a very displeased glare.

"Don't think I haven't noticed your little trick, you slimy traitor," he mutters with contempt in his voice.

You stand up, relieved to not be pushed back down. He probably thinks that your stature doesn't make enough of a difference between standing and lying down to be concerned with such things... You don't respond though, other than through some nervous incoherent stuttering where there should be an awesome lie.

"I would kill you, but you'd just be brought back... So instead I am going to keep you somewhere safe. One of these coffins maybe... Not all of them are full, you know. Yes, that should be appropriate..."

He waves his staff and turns around, walking back to his altar. "Stuff this little imp away where it cannot cause me trouble."

The skeletons around you close in, reaching for you. With a screech of panic at the idea of spending a potential eternity in a coffin you rush past them, luckily being successful in that attempt as they're a bit too slow to react. However one is close to the door and shuts it properly, standing on guard. Looks like you're not making it out of here... Turning around, you see the remaining five skeletons approaching with weapons drawn, all while the necromancer isn't even paying attention to you.