Chapter 107
With the plans in place, Draco turned to face Dimitra, who was the next to undertake her trial.
Dimitra, noticing his gaze, approached him with a determined stride.
"Are you ready?" Draco asked, his voice tinged with a hint of apprehension.
The trial he had devised for Dimitra was no easy feat, and he found himself doubting whether he had set the parameters too challenging.
Dimitra, as an archer, wielded a bow and arrows as her primary weapons.
As with any such armaments, the bow and arrow had inherent weaknesses.
They were not well-suited for close-range combat, their rate of fire was relatively slow, and their ammunition was limited.
While the skill of the user could bridge the gap in rate of fire, the bow and arrow still lost much of its advantages as one ventured deeper into the dungeon.
Fortunately for Dimitra, she was blessed with special abilities that counteracted some of these shortcomings.
Due to her skill, Draco had struggled extensively to determine the appropriate monster she would face and the conditions under which she would fight.
Her special skills made larger opponents within the upper middle floors easily manageable, as her ability could be easily triggered.
Additionally, her skill enhanced penetration, rendering defensive monsters less of a threat to her.
Speed-type monsters seemed like a viable option, but Draco only found a few that were both fast and durable enough within the first fifteen floors of the dungeon.
The ones that met the criteria were a bit too much for her current self to handle, so he removed them from the list.
He needed monsters that were beyond her but were somewhat possible to beat, while also serving as training material.
Ultimately, Draco settled on the Hell hounds as Dimitra's opponents.
These dog-like monsters possessed the ability to unleash magical flames from their mouths.
While physically weak, they could make up for it with their numbers and with the added restrictions Draco would impose, Dimitra was in for the fight of her life.
The Hell hounds' ranged attacks and agility would pose a significant challenge for Dimitra, who would also be limited to a mere sixteen arrows.
Her special skill required ten consecutive hits on the same target to be triggered, but the Hell hounds' lacked the durability to endure it.
This was going to make using her special skill effectively, a daunting task.
Draco also took into account the fact that she might try to use her bow for melee attacks to trigger her special skill, but it wasn't going to be easy.
Going for melee attacks against the Hell hounds was quite risky for a ranged fighter, as she could be bitten or even worse, burned.
Draco felt he might have been overly demanding, but Dimitra's strong determination was evident.
"I don't want to be the first one, fighting with a reduced difficulty," she had responded when he had voiced his concerns.
Seeing the determination burning in her eyes, Draco had no choice but to relent and hope that Dimitra knew what she was doing.
With everything in place, Draco led the group to the room on the thirteenth floor, where he had set up the trial.
The air was thick with anticipation as they watched Dimitra enter the arena, their breaths held in abated silence.
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Dimitra's boots echoed against the damp, bedrock floor as she cautiously made her way deeper into the room.
Her keen eyes scanned the area, alert for any signs of danger.
The terrain was uneven, which could be both useful and troublesome if she wasn't careful.
Large, crumbled rocks were scattered across the room creating dark spots as they cast shadows on the walls, offering potential cover or an opportunity for an ambush.
Gazing upward, Dimitra noted the small and large stalactites that menacingly hung from the ceiling.
"I should remember that," she muttered, committing the observation to memory.
The air was stale and heavy, the only sounds being the dripping of water and the faint scuttling of unseen creatures.
Suddenly, a low, guttural growl reached her ears.
Dimitra immediately gripped her bow tightly, her fingers calloused from years of training, and whirled around, bow raised and ready, just as a pack, consisting of 8 hell hounds emerged from the shadows.
Their jagged, fang-filled maws were bared in a snarl, eyes glowing with a malevolent intelligence.
Flames flickered at the back of their throats, promising a deadly assault.
Dimitra's heart pounded in her chest, but she refused to let fear consume her.
Eight against one – the odds were not in her favor, but she was determined to survive this encounter.
Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Dimitra nocked an arrow and let it fly.
The first hell hound howled in pain as the projectile struck its shoulder, slowing its charge.
Quickly, Dimitra fired her second arrow, this one aimed at the hound's head.
The hell hound's eyes widened in surprise before the arrow found its mark, and the beast collapsed to the ground, unmoving.
"Seven left," Dimitra muttered, already reaching for another arrow.
As she drew back the bowstring, a stream of searing flames erupted from one of the hell hounds' mouths, forcing her to dive to the side, dropping an arrow in the process.
The flames licked at the edge of her salamander wool cloak, but the fabric held firm, protecting her from the scorching heat.
Dimitra rolled to her feet, nocking her fourth arrow and unleashing it at the hell hound that had breathed the flames.
The arrow struck the creature's flank, causing it to howl in pain and momentarily break formation.
But its companions surged forward, their fiery breath scorching the air.
Dimitra deftly dodged the streams of flame, using the uneven terrain and the scattered rocks as cover.
Nocking her fifth arrow, Dimitra aimed for the third hell hound's head, but the shot went wide as the creature suddenly darted to the side.
Cursing under her breath, Dimitra quickly re-positioned, using her agility and the salamander wool's fire resistance to evade the hounds' attacks.
She released her sixth arrow, this time striking one of the hell hounds in the flank, causing it to howl in pain and stumble.
Seeing an opportunity, Dimitra nocked a seventh arrow and took aim, but as she released it, the hell hound she had wounded suddenly lurched forward, disrupting her shot.
The arrow flew wide, embedding itself in the rocky wall.
Frustration welled up inside her, but she pushed it down, focused on her next move.
Dodging a barrage of fiery projectiles, Dimitra retreated, her eyes scanning the area for any advantage.
She spotted a large, crumbling rock that could potentially be used as long term cover.
Quickly, she dashed towards it, narrowly avoiding a stream of flames that scorched the ground where she had just been standing.
Taking shelter behind the rock, Dimitra nocked her eight arrow and peered around the rocks edge, targeting one of the closest hell hounds that followed her.
Her shot found its mark, piercing the creature's eye, and it fell to the ground, its death throes echoing through the chamber.
Dimitra felt a surge of triumph, but it was short-lived as the remaining hell hounds redoubled their assault, their fiery breath licking at the edges of her cover.
Dimitra's quiver was growing lighter, and she knew she had to make every shot count.
Nocking her ninth arrow, she carefully timed her movements, waiting for the right moment to strike.
As a hell hound lunged around the corner towards her, she let the arrow fly, striking it square in the throat.
The creature collapsed, its fiery breath sputtering and dying.
The remaining hell hounds, sensing the tide turning against them, began pacing in front of Dimitra's position, their eyes glowing with a newfound caution.
Dimitra knew she had to act quickly before they decided to overwhelm her.
Retrieving the arrow from the fallen hell hound close to her, she nocked it and waited, her muscles tensed and ready.
‘2 injured, 3 uninjured and 8 arrows in my quiver huh’ Dimitra quickly assessed her situation.
She quickly scanned the room, looking for any advantage she could use to conserve her ammunition.
Her eyes landed on the stalactites above the two injured hell hounds who kept the furthest distance, her mind quickly formulating a plan.
It was quite risky, as missing the stalactites or if it’s durability was too high, she would be wasting a precious arrow, but this was her chance to take out two hell hounds at the cost of one arrow.
With her mind made up, Dimitra aimed and timed her attack carefully, then let loose an arrow, striking one of the larger stalactites.
To her luck, the rock formation trembled and then broke free, crashing down onto the pack of hell hounds.
The two injured creatures that were her target got crushed beneath it, their anguished cries echoing through the chamber.
"Three left," Dimitra muttered, her voice tinged with relief.
But her little triumph was short-lived as the remaining hell hounds had regrouped, their eyes burning with a renewed fury.
The hell hounds opened their mouths, unleashing a barrage of flaming projectiles, shattering the rock that protected her.
Now in the open, Dimitra began dodging and weaving, her agility and the protection of her salamander wool saving her from the worst of the rapid assault.
But one of the fiery shots grazed her uncovered arm, and she hissed in pain.
Clutching her wounded arm, Dimitra nocked another arrow and fired, but the arrow fell short, sinking into the ground in front of the hell hounds.
She cursed under her breath, realizing that her injury had affected the strength of her draw.
The hell hounds charged forward, their razor-sharp claws and teeth bared.
Dimitra backpedaled, firing arrow after arrow, but the creatures were relentless.
She managed to take down one more, but the other two were closing in, their jaws snapping dangerously close to her.
Dimitra's heart raced as she frantically searched for a way out of this predicament.
She only had around 3 arrows left, and she knew she needed to make the last 3 shots count.
Steeling her resolve, she took a deep breath and focused her aim, letting the first arrow fly.
The projectile struck one of the hell hounds in the eye, causing it to howl in agony and stagger backward.
Dimitra wasted no time, nocking another arrow and sending it straight into the creature's open mouth.
The hell hound choked and gurgled, collapsing to the ground.
"One left," Dimitra said, her voice barely above a whisper.
She turned her attention to the final hell hound, which had a look of pure malice on its face.
The creature opened its mouth, unleashing a torrent of flames that forced Dimitra to take cover behind one of the few rocks left.
As the flames dissipated, Dimitra emerged, only to find the hell hound had charged straight at her.
She nocked her last arrow and took aim, but her hands were shaking from the strain of the battle.
The arrow flew wide, missing its mark entirely.
Dimitra cursed under her breath, dropping her bow and drawing her dagger.
The hell hound pounced, its jaws snapping just inches from her face.
Dimitra gritted her teeth and thrust her dagger upwards, driving it forcefully into the creature's vulnerable throat before it could unleash its searing flames.
The hell hound convulsed violently as the flames it had been building up spilled out in all directions, engulfing its own body in the intense blaze.
With a final, agonizing growl, the beast disintegrated at Dimitra's feet.
Standing there amidst the smoldering remains, Dimitra panted heavily, her clothes and armor singed and her arm throbbing with pain.
But she had prevailed, emerging victorious against the overwhelming odds she had faced.
As she began the trek back towards the exit, Dimitra's mind raced with the events of the brutal battle.
She had been forced to rely on her quick reflexes, sheer determination and luck rather than her specialized combat abilities.
The environment of the chamber had worked in her favor, but she knew that in an open battlefield, the outcome may have been very different.
Dimitra gritted her teeth in frustration, realizing that she had not even had the chance to utilize her unique skill during the confrontation.
This realization only further fueled her determination to become even more cautious and strategically-minded in the battles that lay ahead.
With each heavy step, Dimitra's thoughts turned to thinking of area she could do  better.
The road ahead was uncertain, but for now, she was alive - and that was the only thing that truly mattered.