In the next room the fighter and tank having been warned about this room by other groups don't immediately run towards the two skeleton fighters. Instead allowing the skeletons to come to them meanwhile the mage creates a stone wall to protect them from the arrows. I can't help but notice that the stone wall requires way more mana to create than the water wall. The tradeoff being that once it's created it requires way less mana to upkeep. In fact, if you don't care about repairing it there is no upkeep cost. This means that the mage is free to cast other spells.
Before she can though, the two skeleton fighters need to be dealt with. Something the fighter and tank duo seem to be struggling with. To be fair though, at their level the first-floor boss is still a major problem, and they are exhausted. Another problem which I didn't actually intend on is that skeletons don't actually have internal organs so weapons like hammers and maces do way better against them than swords. Not that anyone seems to be complaining about it. Though now that I'm paying attention it would explain the uptick in the number of tanks with war hammers. Tanks tend to be big and burly, so I guess I just didn't think much of them wanting to use big burly weapons.
That's not to say it's impossible to win with a sword as the leader demonstrates by ducking a horizontal slash and then leaping up and slightly forward with a vertical thrust using her momentum to help send her blade through the skeleton's skull. The second skeleton fighter is rather trivial after that. Now I will admit that I expected them to charge towards the archers. Which wouldn't be the worst plan. Except for the traps. Clearly though they already know about the traps because they are staying back letting the mage hurl stone spears at the archers while taking cover behind the stone wall. It kind of reminds me of an old west shootout but with magic and arrows instead of guns.
Eventually the archers are eliminated, and the party begins cautiously approaching the rooms exit. If I wasn't sure they already knew about the traps, I am now because their eyes are glued to the ground looking for any hint of a trap. Whatever method they are using seems to work since they are able to make it to the next room without triggering any of the traps. They didn't use any trap detecting skills is all I know but if it works it works. I did intentionally make them easy to spot after all.
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Their luck runs out in the next room though. It started well enough with the leader and tank intercepting the two wolves that attacked from the front. The mage was even able to use a stone spike to deal with a wolf that attacked from the side. Unfortunately, she was too slow to do anything about the wolf that attacked from the other side. She managed to get her arms up in time but that did little aside from protecting her throat during the initial attack. The wolfs momentum caused her to stumble and fall backwards which to say the least did not help her situation.
The wolf used its comparatively massive body to hold her down while it once again tried to bite at her throat or face. Fortunately, the mage wasn't just lying there taking it as the wolf soon had a skull full of stone spears. Way more than was technically necessary in fact. The healer had lost her entire party a few months back and from the look on her face she thought it was happening all over again. Seeing the mage lying in a pool of blood the healer feared the worst, but the mage was not only still alive despite the huge gashes in her arm, but she was also actually still fighting. In spite of her injuries, she didn't want to use the healing potion they just got on herself. She was apparently trying to save them for emergencies. The healer was insistent, however.
For their part it wasn't as if the other two didn't realize what was happening. They simply had their hands full already. In fact, the tank used taunt to draw the other two wolves that just appeared towards her. At the mage's insistence the healer soon turned her attention to helping their party leader and tank. The two melee fighters did end up getting bit a few times, but they at least had armor so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.
It doesn't take long after that for them to decide to make their way back to the entrance. Hopefully they will use this as a learning experience. Time will tell though. I didn't intent for the fourth room to be such a roadblock. Then again it is the first time groups are being charged at from multiple angles at once instead of one after another. The best part is that despite almost losing another member they are eager for their next delve. Even the healer which I find rather shocking given her reaction to the mage almost dying. Honestly even the mage wasn't that upset by it. Not that I would blame her if she was, given that she almost died. It does surprise me that she now seemed so eager to go again. I'm not sure I could have kept going.
On a more positive note, that delve went a long way towards giving me the mana I need to continue working on the fourth floor. It's not just the size of the room or the fact that mobs cost way more to summon at the appropriate level. The rooms now need multiple light crystals. As well as several tons of both dirt and water if I chose to add them. All of which costs mana to create. I think it will still be at least a month though before anyone challenges the second-floor boss so it's not like I'm in a rush.
