Chương 80: Chapter 79: The Guardian's Blessing

Recap: You fortified the Dungeon. System Repairers arrive in 48 hours. You voted to TRAIN THE PARTY (BUFFS). Fortifying the traps was step one. But traps don't fight. People do. Torin, Kara, and Renn were brave. They were skilled. But they were Level 9. The Repairers were Level 25. That gap was a canyon. I needed to build a bridge. I was the Gatekeeper. I held the Dungeon's authority. I couldn't give them my levels, but I could lend them my authority. I could make them part of the Dungeon's immune system."

Gather around," I creaked. Buzz. (Circle). They obeyed. Torin knelt. Kara sat cross-legged. Renn perched on a rock. They placed their hands on my Voidband lid. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Skill Used: Gatekeeper's Blessing Cost: 10 MP Current MP: 6/26 Target: Party (Torin, Kara, Renn) Effect: Temporary Dungeon Authority (24 Hours) The Core behind me flared. Golden light flowed through me, into my bands, and into their hands. It wasn't just mana. It was permission. Permission to break the rules.

Permission to hurt things that shouldn't bleed. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Party Status Updated: Dungeon Avatars Torin: Defense +50%, Aggro Range x2. Kara: Mana Cost -50%, Spell Power +50%. Renn: Critical Chance +50%, Arrow Trajectory Lock. Duration: Until System Repairers Defeated. Torin gasped. He looked at his hands. The Void Armor wasn't just shimmering anymore. It was breathing. The shadows moved independently of the light. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen.

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"I feel… heavy," Torin said.

"Like the ground loves me."

"I feel… light," Kara countered. Her staff glowed without a chant.

"The mana… it's just waiting for me to ask." Renn nocked an arrow. He let it fly at a target stone across the Sanctum. It curved in mid-air. Thwack. Bullseye.

"It… it bends." Good, I thought. Now you can fight gods. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Quest Progress: The Gatekeeper's Defense Objective: Strengthen Party Status: COMPLETE Reward: Coordination Buff (Party Skills Sync) Effect: Shared Cooldowns, Shared Vision I felt their eyes. Not literally. But I could see what they saw. A 360-degree view of the Sanctum. Torin's tactical analysis. Kara's mana sensing. Renn's distance tracking. All overlaid on my Tremorsense. We were a hive mind. A single weapon with four heads.

"48 hours," Torin said. He stood up. The movement was smoother. Faster.

"We spend 24 training. 24 resting. We meet them on Floor 5." Agreed, I thought. But as the light faded, the Core whispered again.

"…They… Know… The… Blessing… They… Will… Target… The… Source…" Me, I thought. They'll come for me.

"Box," Kara said. She looked at my MP bar (visible via Shared Vision).

"You're low. 6 MP. You gave us most of your reserve." Buzz. (Worth it).

"We need to get you back up," Renn said.

"If you fall… the door closes. We're trapped." Not trapped, I thought. Just committed. I had 6 MP. 36 SP. 31 HP. I needed to recover before the fight. But I also needed to finalize the plan. The Repairers knew we were buffed. They would adapt. Did we hide the buff? Did we flaunt it? Did we wait on Floor 5? Or did we meet them halfway? The Shared Vision flickered. A red pulse from Floor 1. They're testing the entrance.

Current Stats (Level 9 - Gatekeeper Mimic): HP: 31/31 (Full) Mana: 6/26 (Low - Blessing Cost) Stamina: 36/36 (Full) Inventory: 2 Pebbles, Metal Items (Fused). Mage Staff (Loot). Guardian Hammer (Stored). White Door (Integrated). Status: The Gatekeeper, Party Buffed (Avatars), Shared Vision Active. What do you do? A) REGEN MANA (RECOVERY) Meditate with the Core. Restore MP to full before the fight. Essential for Gatekeeper skills. (Cost: 0 SP. Time Skip: 12 Hours. Gain: Full MP. Risk: Enemy Intel Gathering.) B) SCOUT FLOOR 1 (RECON) Use Shared Vision to watch the entrance. See how they breach the dungeon. Learn their tactics. (Cost: 2 MP. Gain: Enemy Intel. Risk: They might sense the scout.) C) MOVE TO FLOOR 5 (POSITION) Travel to the kill zone now. Set up final ambushes. Rest there. (Cost: 5 SP. Gain: Terrain Advantage. Risk: Fatigue.) D) TEST THE BUFF (SPARRING) Fight the party briefly. Calibrate the new buffs. Learn how to combo skills. (Cost: 5 SP. Gain: Skill Sync. Risk: Accidental Injury.) VOTING CLOSES IN 24 HOURS. Reply with A, B, C, or D. Most votes wins. [Author Note] Thanks for voting on Chapter 78! Option B (Train Party) was successful! You bestowed Dungeon Authority on Torin, Kara, and Renn! They are now Dungeon Avatars! But your MP is low!