Invaders

[Twenty Minutes Ago]

As the coast settled, Ace coughed, trying to sit up before parading what had just happened. He could feel a heavy sensation on his arm and he hoped the stones of the dungeon hadn't fallen on his arm again.

Luckily, it was Dawn who was resting on his arm and in a second, she was up, observing the mess the storm had created.

"Armin and Damien are on the other side." Dawn said, pressing her fingers against the wall to get past it, but her affinity couldn't work on the walls.

"And we are not here alone." Ace added, calling her attention to the danger looming behind them.

A sand demon, towering over them ominously while casting its daunting dark lifeless eyes over them, trapping them in a route without escape. Charging forth behind the demon were its uncommon minions— beast wolves with fangs that stretched out like an elephant's tusk.

Their build was solid, and it was no new term to them to resonate with as they weren't just common wolves. Their ragged jaws parted way for drools, carrying on the weight of how hungry they were.

"Abyssal Scan!"

[Name: Sand Demon]

-Type: Elemental

-Level: 10

-Health Point: 300/300

-Mana Point: 150/150

[Dungeon Beast(s)]

[Name: Evolved Dire Wolf]

-Type: Beast

-Level: 5

-Health Point: 80/80

-Mana Point: 50/50

'Can Dawn pull through the wolves alone?' Ace asked himself in his thoughts, doubting she was strong enough to take on the raid.

"Don't worry about me." She said, a ball of fire appearing on her palms. "You take care of the big daddy!"

She dashed off towards the wolves, blasting torrents of fire at the beasts, incinerating the gullible ones at the front line while Ace watched briefly. He purchased a demon slayer sword with the system token reward he had received for a quest and he was ready to charge.

Clearing the wolves that charged towards him with one single strike of his blade, multiple notifications flooded in from the system as their bodies landed across the floor as he dashed by.

[You have killed an Evolved Dire Wolf]x

[You have gained 50 EXP]x10

[You have gained 50 EXP]x5

[You have received a new skill]

He cleared the tabs that flooded his view, his dash still targeted at the sand demon that was roaring like an injured lion as it prepared its attack at Ace.

Ace shot towards it by activating both his dash skill and cloud jump skill, but couldn't make for a reach at the demon as it vomited out a thick stream of sand flame, causing a massive explosion as both forces collided, but Ace got the bitter side of the collision.

The battle to tackle down the demon continued, stretching on for minutes swirling in an endless circle. No matter what Ace did or his level of attack, he couldn't get to the sand demon one bit. All his attacks were indirectly used against him, forcing him to grow weaker.

Dawn was also having a tough time with the wolves as she wasn't fully recovered from her injuries yet. Ace had tried to use his foresight to create better chances, but the sand demon was on a whole new level as this did not work on it.

"Damnit!" He grunted as he missed the demon by a single breath.

[Ding!]

[New skill activated]

A smile brightened his face a little and he signed up for activation without pay.

[Skill: Clone Summon]

[Type: Active]

[Duration: 60 seconds(upgradable)]

[Mana Cost: 30]

[(Description: Summon a clone of yourself that mimics your abilities and attacks for a limited duration. The clone shares 50% of your health and can execute basic attacks or special skills.)]

[(Notes: Clones cannot be healed and will vanish if their health reaches zero.)]

An army of his clones appeared in distinct corners of the floor, creating a surreal momentum that halted the raging battle for a moment, but Ace was left in utter disappointment as his army got summoned.

They were different from him. Instead of being fat like he was, his clones were all fit and sturdy. Blessed abundantly with dazzling physiques and features— unlike him.

"Ugh!" He snorted, hanging an eyebrow higher than the other. "Write my name on the pages of a death note instead!" 

The sand demon whirled into a pool, charging harder than the last round, and Ace knew what he needed to find to pull the demon down— its core. He shot towards the sand demon again, swinging aimlessly around it with his clones as they tried to bring it down, but it was just sand anyway, leaving them to burst through and dissipate.

Landing away from the demon, Ace scoffed as he says; "It has no core, but it has life. This demon is an illusion and this can only mean one thing." He mused, his eyes turning towards a direction in the dungeon before pulling to a stop at a calm spot.

"It is being controlled from the outside."

Suddenly, rifts began to tear open in the dungeon. Yellow torrent of portal wheels swirling into existence and soon, a bounty of mage hunters flooded the dungeon floor, forming an alliance with the sand demon and its minions.

Another rift tore silently behind Ace, an attacker charging at him faster than he could pick the sound, but Dawn had seen this happen. Mustering all her strength and mana core, her wings unfurled, grabbing her flight towards Ace. 

She grabbed Ace, pulling and swapping positions with him in an instant. Her briar hair sweeping across her face with a sad smile adding a compliment which caused Ace to read a million emotions in her eyes that scrolled out in reverb.

For a moment, a scene flashed before his eyes, the dungeon walls shifting into the light, gilded and richly blessed by the sun while the wind tossed against the cherry blossom tree, forcing the petals to dance in her hair with the wind.

She was draped in an elegant gown made of shimmering silk, adorned with intricate embroidery and delicate lace. Her hair was finely molded up with golden hair pins that held up a bun in place and then, her sword slashed against his in haste, her eyes darkening a little as she struck an attack.

'What was that?' He asked himself in his thoughts as the scene scurried away from his view.

The sword of the unseen attacker finally came through, plunging sharply into Dawn from behind, eliciting a sharp grunt of pain from her.