19 – Dressing the Oni. Dungeon. A Boss?

I slowly woke up with confusion. I tortured a demon until it died of shock.

Staring at the ceiling, I took a deep breath.

Pretty tame for what I’ve seen so far. I sighed.

Weak light leaked through the curtains, the room was still shrouded in the darkness of early dawn. I closed my eyes and listened. The three were still sleeping.

A small relief washed over me. My body was in the exact same position I fell asleep in.

My body slowly regained feeling and I looked down. Yolin was on top of me, face up.

That has to be the worst sleeping posture I’ve ever seen. I smiled.

Slowly moving her to the side, I freed myself of the entanglement. Getting up, I properly covered them with the sheets.

The colors were fascinating. Red skin, tan skin, and light purple skin with dark scales. The Oni had her hair down, reaching her shoulders. A relaxed expression on her face. The Elf was similarly relaxed but her limbs were around Alyssa, who was facing the wall.

I turned around and walked to the bathroom, where I washed my face. A mirror had my reflection staring at me. My blank expression was admittedly bitchy, but a pretty woman can get away with it.

I got naked and my Jörmungandr was ready to start Ragnarök.

Morning erections are a little annoying. I sighed.

Walking to the living room, I sat down on a sofa and ate a peach. I updated my journal and checked the time. Six… that’s fast.

I heard a yawn and turned to the bedroom. Yolin was waking up. She got up and walked to the living room in all her red naked glory.

“What are you up to?” her voice was a little tired.

“Exercise. Wanna join?” I stood up and loosened my waist.

“Here?” she looked at me confused. “Let’s go outside.”

“Okay.” I shrugged. “I’ll leave a note letting the two know.”

She nodded and got dressed, the same chest wrap and shorts from the previous day covered her body. I took a page out of a sketchbook and I wrote [Went out with Yolin to exercise. Hugs and kisses] on it, then placed it on the living room table next to two brass keys.

Yolin left first and I followed. We went down the building and walked to the rest post where we left our mounts. The gentle light of the morning suns bathed the world as we exercised. I followed the Oni’s routine, and we stopped after an hour. She wanted to save energy for the dungeon, so we returned to the room.

The two were awake, and we took a group shower where I introduced the tank to the marvelous, ultimate, absolute, profound, mega technique that was my ‘Natasha Special’. I dutifully performed the ‘Elf Version’, followed by the ‘Luzo Version’. It was undeniably a level ten million skill. The Oni gave up trying to massage me when she realized my muscles were just too hard.

We then went to the communal room to have breakfast. It was like a buffet, and we ate a light but energy-filling meal. There were some other guests but they mostly ignored us, sneaking glances my way once in a while.

After returning to our room, Yolin sat down with a sigh and I stood in front of her.

“What do you use for combat?” my tone was serious.

“Ohh! I want to see her reaction.” Alyssa giggled, sitting down on the other sofa.

“Don’t spoil it.” Lapia chuckled, joining the healer.

The Oni looked a little confused, but simply opened her arms.

“What you see on me right now.” she shrugged. “I buff my own body, so using armor would only slow me down. I can’t cover my shoulders or armpits, since that’s where my Asura Projection comes out of.”

I nodded. “How about rings or jewelry?”

“If I wear rings, I’d either break them or my fingers.” she shook her head. “I just wrap my hands and feet with this.”

She produced a white roll of bandage strap. I took it and appraised it.

It was shit. Better than Alyssa’s staff, but shit nonetheless. It wasn’t even a weapon, it was an enchanted piece of cloth. The Elf and Luzo must have found my disapproving face hilarious, because they laughed.

“What do you think would suit you best?” I sat down on the floor in front of the Oni. “I have a lot of items that can help you survive combat. Tell me what your ideal equipment is.”

“Hmm…” she leaned back and looked at the ceiling. “Better bandage wraps, tight but durable shorts or pants, a top that doesn’t cover too much skin, and fist weapons.”

“I have something like that.” I thought for a second. “I also have a set of leather armor for a tank. It’s stretchy, breathable, feels like air, and increases stats. Would you wear something like that?”

She nodded. “As long as it doesn’t get in the way of my other arms, sure.”

Alright. I have all the costumes from the 2021, 2024, 2028, and 2032 Olympic games. I closed my eyes in deep thought. Taekwondo… nah, it’s just the uniform. Judo… same. Wrestling… no way. Boxing… bingo.

Sixteen rolls materialized on my hands. They all had ‘Boxing’ written on them. The gloves where useless for killing, so I didn’t bother with them. I took out a chest wrap that was part of a risque costume for female swordsman-based characters.

Warrior makes much more sense, though. I smiled.

I placed the items on the floor after confirming they all had SS durability and didn’t have cringe names, then produced the leather armor.

Similar to Alyssa’s, the set consisted of a pair of shorts with a hole for a tail, finger-less gloves, toe-less socks, and a vest. The chest item had sleeves, so I stored it back. The shorts resembled hot pants, and would be useful even if the wearer didn’t have a tail.

Granting a total of 100 strength, constitution, and dexterity, along with enchantments, the ‘leather’ was pretty good, even without the vest.

Next, I took out a pair of Legendary fist weapons since I unfortunately didn’t have any Mythical ones for her classes. This meta-game aspect is exciting. Good thing I was addicted to the game. Wait that sounds wrong.

I chose to go for a weapon that would help the Monk-Asura combo rather than her Paladin class. Asura was a new thing, but Monk was familiar to me and they both were punching tanks if I got it right. I had flails and maces for Paladins, but doubted the Oni would use those. The cheeky thought of giving her a kanabo crossed my mind, but I ignored it.

I appraised the pair of fists and instantly cringed at the name.

[+100 Raging Fists of Thunderous Claps (Legendary) {Ascension Lvl 10}](Kinetic Link SSS+) (Durability S+)-Kinetic Link + 100% ({Lvl 10 Emerald}x10)-Toughness + 10% (Enchantment)-CON + 250-STR + 200-DEX + 100-Raging Blows: Increases Kinetic Link by 1% for every two Enhancement levels. (50%)-Thunderous Claps: Increases Skill Potency by 5% for every two Ascension levels. (25%)-Inner Peace: Increases Toughness by 2% for every five Enhancement levels, and 2% for every two Ascension levels. (50%)-CON + 250 (Transmutation)-STR + 250 (Transmutation)-DEX + 250 (Transmutation)

Exactly what she’d need. I nodded. But what the fuck is Kinetic Link? Where do I even check toughness?

“Those look cool!” Yolin smiled wide and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Aren’t you supposed to be 200 years old? I chuckled and handed them over.

She received the fists and quickly put them on.

They were long boys, covering from her elbows to the tip of her fingers. White metallic gauntlets wrapped in golden rings. They also had short spikes for knuckles.

“Did you appraise them?” Lapia asked, a cheeky smile on her face.

Alyssa giggled and playfully nudged the Elf next to her.

The Oni took one gauntlet off and her eyes widened, then looked down at me with a complicated face.

“I… didn’t know it would be this impressive.” she took the other one off as well, then laughed. “With just these I could tank the entire dungeon by myself.”

I relaxed. For a second there, I thought she’d say something deep or serious. I admit to almost shitting myself. While handing out equipment might be a trivial thing to me, it could be immensely different for others and their sense of normalcy.

“A little anticlimactic.” Lapia slumped a bit. “Can I see them?”

Yolin passed them over and Alyssa joined in the inspection.

I returned my focus to my storage.

Pants. Tights. Yoga pants. The Taekwondo pants would suit her very well. She also kicks, after all.

A pair of white, loose-ish pants came out. They had SS durability, like most of the combat-oriented costumes that weren’t outright armor. I added a black belt for aesthetic purposes.

I gave her the items and she wore the entire ensemble. She put the finger-less leather gloves first, then the wrappings, then the fist weapons after the two returned them. Her breasts were liberated for a second before the new chest wrap covered them. I noticed a pair of very elaborate white panties covering her privates when she stored her shorts. She wore the stretchy and breathable leather hot pants, followed by the white pants of the dobok. Bending over, she put the toe-less socks on, then the wraps around her feet.

I looked at her for a few seconds, rubbing my chin in cultured contemplation. Looks badass. The clothes, that by ‘complete coincidence’ were all white, complemented her red skin really well. The pants were a little on the tight side due to her muscled figure, something I was completely alright with, to be honest.

“Any head protection?” I asked, looking her up and down.

“I make sure to never get hit on the head.” she gave me a peace sign with an added thumb. “I use Asura Projection to cover it.”

It reminded me of the gang signs Alyssa threw last time I gave items. Is this a cleric thing?

“Ah. Have these, then.” I summoned six rings and gave them to her. “Try to put them on your horns.”

She appraised them and cleared her throat. “Are you trying to make me immortal?”

“Yes.” I honestly answered.

Lapia and Alyssa raised their arms.

“There it is!” the Luzo pointed at the Oni’s shocked face.

“Yeeaah!” Lapia celebrated.

“Hahaha!” I laughed. “She didn’t have as strong a reaction as you two, however.”

“True…” the Elf sighed.

“I almost fainted back then.” Alyssa giggled.

The rings fit the horns in a shocking way; they widened the further down she slid them.

Now THAT is convenient. I looked at Alyssa’s tail and thought about surrounding it to the brim with rings.

“I feel… powerful.” the tank breathed out. “This is… thank you, Natasha.”

She hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“You’re welcome, Yolin.” I smiled. “Make sure to fight with everything you have.”

She nodded and her red skin darkened a little around her cheeks.

Cute.

“Now. Let’s talk about potions, elixirs, and such.” I went all in on them.

Their faces slowly lost color as I produced item after item. I focused on concoctions that granted resistances since Alyssa would heal, but added a few Elixirs of Rejuvenation in case of emergency.

It reminded me of the days my clanmates and I prepared for dungeon crawls, raids, junctures, and more in the game. This time, however, death was not an option since resurrection scrolls were nonexistent, and these women were people I actually cared about instead of online friends I would never meet.

An hour later, we were fully prepared and left the inn toward the dungeon.

We mounted up and made our way east. Soon, the suns were completely blocked by bridges and towers, dimming the world around us. We reached a gate at the end of a wide road. It had a tall arc, easily reaching fifty meters in height and twenty in width. The door proper was of wood, and had golden handles. A small blue building with a ship and pickax in red next to it. Alyssa and Lapia asked a Watcher to take the Bhin to a livery.

I checked my pocket watch and it was time to meet. I focused on the Bond and noticed the men’s link was weaker than the women’s. It still hinted direction, but their heartbeats felt a little distant. They were very close. I looked back and saw them turn the corner.

“Ayyy!” the Bonte called to us while waving his arms.

A few pedestrians looked at him with a little annoyance.

“Good morning!” he said once they reached us.

“Good morning, everyone.” the Satyr nodded with a smile.

We shared greetings and I dismounted. Walking to the two, I produced a pair of Unique daggers and a costume that resembled that one assassin from a game where the character jumped from high places into stacks of hay. I also added the consumables the three women carried.

“For you.” I handed him the items and he choked.

“Oi… is this alright?” he raised both eyebrows. “How much for this?”

“A gift.” I smiled. “You’re part of our group, can’t have you enter without proper gear.”

Next was Bromisnar’s, he humbly accepted the items; a tacky Troubadour costume, and a Unique dagger just in case. He was pleased with the colorful fabrics. Since the man had complex horns, I gave him a face mask for protection.

The taller man gave the shorter one a cocky smile. The scout clicked his tongue and gave him a few silver coins.

“I should stop betting with you.” he grumbled and stored the equipment.

Bromisnar let out a satisfied chuckle. “You’d do well to do that.”

“Let’s go in, then.” Yolin laughed on top of Pochi.

“Alyssa and Lapia, you go with Yolin. I’ll take Bromisnar and Bonte.” I said while mounting up.

I helped the two men up, and approached the dungeon gate as the other two climbed the big wolf.

“Halt!” a voice called from the blue building.

A female Watcher walked out and approached, stopping in front of me.

“What can I do for you?” I asked her.

[Perco Human, Lvl 209 Parrier]

What? Who dedicates an entire class to parrying? I chuckled. Unless that’s not what it means.

“Halves pay the tax up front.” she declared.

A couple Watchers observed from the sides. They all had classes that seemed to be warrior-based.

I sighed. “How much?”

“One gold coin.” she nodded. “Then another one when you leave.”

I turned to the more experienced members. “Is that too much?”

Alyssa nodded behind Yolin. “The regular is one silver coin.”

The Oni confirmed and so did the two men behind me.

Bah, not that bad. I shrugged.

I produced the gold coin and paid the tax. The woman walked away and a few burly guards slowly opened the door.

They revealed a slope. Thirty meters wide, plunging into the darkness.

Over-hyped much?

I patted Sonya’s scales and she advanced. Our formation was Yolin, Alyssa, and Lapia on Pochi’s back. Me, Bonte, and Bromisnar on Sonya’s.

We crossed the arc and the door slowly closed behind us.

Darkness consumed us... not quite. I glowed, so the walls, ceiling, and ground were visible. Around thirty meters around me the world was bathed in golden light. I was wearing my leather gear, so only my head, and my long hair were out.

“Oohh!” I exclaimed with excitement as we advanced further into the dungeon.

I was right! It IS useful when going underground! I smiled at the memory.

“Nice! Saves us the need to use spells.” Lapia chuckled.

The rest were eerily silent.

“Shh…” Alyssa shushed us with a serious face. “Let’s begin the prayer. You start, Yolin?”

Eh? Me eyes opened wide.

“Sure.” the woman in question nodded.

I heard a few strings being plucked from behind me as Bromisnar began playing a quiet tune along with Yolin’s soothing voice.

“We enter your bowels once more, Galeia. Please be plentiful. We ask the Mentors to bless our stay; and the Protectors to guide our weapons. O Danuva, guide us Clerics to bring aid. O Photem, advice our Wizard to see past mystery. O Saravia, grace our Performer so that he tells of our glories. O Yvanna, cloak our Scout so he remains unseen. O Natasha, protect us in our time of need.”

A chill ran down my spine.

Our mounts moved down the slope at a fast walk. The walls, ceiling, and floor were granite, just like the city. My glow illuminated enough so that the Ratnak and Fekir could see the path ahead with no issue.

“We enter your bowels once more, Galeia.” the Luzo’s deep voice continued. “A Protector is in our midst. Her might shall bring us unquestioned victory. Her glow shall light the path. Her courage shall embolden us. Her figure shall dispel doubt. Fear not, All Mother. Face us with unbridled fury.”

I turned to Lapia and we met eyes. We were both visibly cringing. Fortunately for my sanity, after Alyssa’s words everyone went quiet and the Satyr stopped playing his instrument. I looked forward and focused on our surroundings.

Busying myself with whatever my eyes found, I tried to not think of the fact that the two literally prayed to me along with actual Gods.

This weighs more than I thought it would. I failed to keep my mind from opening that box. No wonder some people call me Your Excellency. They pray to us Halves as well.

I found no pride in it, however. It felt alien. I would understand if Lapia treated me with great respect, since I saved her life. Nothing would relieve me of the cringe that was to be treated as a peer to Gods, whatever that actually meant.

While I was having a tiny existential crisis, the path turned to the left. After a few minutes it turned to the right and we came to a stop in front of a gate as big as the entrance’s.

“Who gets to open the door?” Bonte excitedly asked.

“Is it heavy?” I looked at the massive double door.

“It opens with E’er.” Yolin chuckled.

I dismounted and walked to it. “Let me give it a go.”

Placing both hands on it, I injected E’er.

“Slow-” Bromisnar began.

Pushing with both fuel and force, the doors swung open. A loud crashing sound echoed like an explosion as they opened completely, impacting the walls of the massive space in front of me and silencing him mid-sentence.

It wasn’t a hall, a cave, a room, a tunnel, or anything small like that. It was a labyrinth. Rows upon rows of pillars and walls filled my vision, blocking the view. One hundred meters tall, they connected ground and ceiling. Cracks on the ground bled light onto the space, keeping darkness away.

Motherfucker. I gaped.

They weren’t pillars of dirt or ordinary stone. The entire space had a definite architecture, as if it was built by a long lost civilization.

I felt my muscles tighten to their limit, then relax. A flood of power surged through my body as a wave of cleanliness rushed past me.

“Is that high density E’er?” I asked, taking a step forward. My voice echoed in the distance.

I wanted to jump in. To let loose and test the limits of reality itself. It called to me like a primal instinct.

Taking a deep breath, I calmed down. The body is a vessel. I told myself.

“Yes.” Alyssa giggled. “How did it feel?”

I turned around and found the Satyr covering his face. Bonte had a worried expression.

“It felt terrifyingly amazing.” I laughed, and the echo made me shut up.

The Luzo smiled. “Good. Now, everything that heard the doors opening will come rushing.”

“What?” Lapia’s eyes opened wide. “That was fucking loud!”

“It was.” Yolin let out a merry laugh. “Don’t worry. Monsters on the first floor are weak. None above level fifty. And people keep the path between floors clear of monsters.”

Lapia and I let out sighs of relief.

We waited in silence, keeping an ear out.

When nothing came, I walked to Sonya and mounted up.

“My bad.” I let out an awkward laugh.

“Happens.” Bonte chuckled.

Sonya began walking, and we entered the first floor of the dungeon. I looked to the sides and the saw the same walls and pillars.

“Gear up.” Alyssa said. “We rush to the second floor!”

I did as told and my armor materialized around me, helmet included and pike in hand.

“Go, Pochi!” Yolin called in Japanese.

The wolf picked up speed and started running.

“Go, Sonya!” I called in Russian.

The Ratnak caught up and we sped through the floor, turning when our advance was blocked by walls.

The man behind me grabbed onto me, and a second pair of hands wrapped around him.

Pillars and walls flew by and the distant screeches of monsters reached us in our advance. I looked around and saw nothing running towards us. Just in case, I looked up. Nothing was there.

If a huge fiery goat shows up, I’ll sue Galeia for copyright infringement myself! I chuckled.

A few minutes later, we reached the opposite wall. A door just like the previous stood there. We moved in a decided path, so it was nice to see the walls didn’t shift with time.

Yolin opened the door, much gentler than I did. We continued to the second floor and the same scene welcomed us. We crossed it and went down to the third floor. The way was also cleared, fortunately. It changed when we reached the ninth floor and I was getting a little bored.

There, I saw monsters. They were green little people holding weapons and moving in groups. I stared at them in surprise. There were a lot of them.

“Walas.” Yolin muttered. “We’ll fight through.”

“Lapia, you kill them with your fire.” the Luzo commanded. “I’ll buff us all so we run faster.”

The Elf slowly nodded. A gulping sound came from beneath her helmet.

“Natasha…” the healer turned to me. “Call them.”

I nodded.

First, I pushed E’er into Initiation, Prevention, Monster Hunter, and Dragoon Might while thinking of ten hours. I saw my E’er pool tank a few hundred points.

Then, I took a deep breath and activated Intimidate Prey with the same amount of time.

“COME AND BURN TO ASHES!” came the unladylike scream.

Sonya and Pochi roared.

The nearest group of creatures got obliterated by the air pressure alone, a red paste left behind.

“Holy shit!” Bonte whispered.

“Let’s go!” the Oni called, and Pochi obeyed.

We advanced with Yolin’s group at the front. The monsters rushed towards us and I managed to get a closer look.

They were bipedal, but ran on all fours. Green skin, ugly faces, thin bodies, black eyes, hairless, and naked. Their weapons were mostly made with rusted metals, stone, or sticks.

Lapia summoned her staff and it floated next to her. She spread both arms to the sides and her hands conjured fire, shooting out. Literal flamethrowers came to life. The heat reached us at the back.

The streams were at least fifty meters long, reaching from wall to wall and burning everything to death within seconds. Orbs of fire floated above the three, from which fiery arrows shot towards those that survived, puncturing their bodies and burning them from withing. Black carcasses were left in our wake.

Bright white halos floated above their heads. I looked up and saw one on me.

As we advanced, more of the green creatures entered the range of my skill, but rushed to Yolin instead. Right into the Wizard’s line of fire.

The Elf burned everything down. The monsters died so fast they didn’t scream or struggle.

When we reached the next door, Lapia started shaking and sobbing.

I dismounted and approached her as I stored my helmet. Tears dripped from her chin behind the helmet. The Luzo was hugging her, not saying anything. Pochi laid down, leaving the woman at arms reach.

“Lapia, come here.” I grabbed her by the waist and put her down. “Look.”

I pointed at the vast dungeon floor, hordes of monsters still approaching in the distance between pillars and walls. Their screams and the clamor of their footsteps grew louder every second.

“What?” she asked in a weak voice, a sob or two escaped her.

“It’s not over yet.” I took her helmet off and wiped her tears. “Keep going. Until it is done.”

Alyssa stood behind her, her red eyes shining with white light. Yolin positioned herself thirty meters ahead of us, between the creatures and us.

Bromisnar took out his lute, and Bonte walked to me.

“Remember what I told you in the river.” I gently raised her to her feet and gave her a soft kiss. “It’s nobodies business but yours, and we’ll stand beside you as long as you need. Make your choice. You have the power to move forward.”

She looked me in the eye and nodded. Then, her face slowly changed from uncertainty to determination.

“I want power.” she growled. “To never feel weak again. Never to be toyed with. Never to feel fear, pain, nor despair.”

I nodded. “And to do that, you need to face it all. The fear, the pain, the despair. We can’t solve this problem for you, but we’ll support you. No matter what.”

The monsters were reaching us, Yolin summoned her extra arms and all her skills came to life.

“They won’t move past me.” she spread all her arms around her.

I looked at Alyssa. She had taken her helmet off and was smiling from ear to ear.

We gave each other a nod and I walked off towards Yolin, Bonte following me.

“Helmets on!” Alyssa called. “Natasha, Yolin, and Bonte will hold them back for Lapia to kill!”

We followed her instructions.

A huge white circle formed beneath us, with the Luzo at its center.

I checked my status and winced at the ten thousand extra strength and dexterity. How does it affect the others? How can my body hold that much strength? Is it Ignore Pain?

“Natasha… those were some nice words.” the tank whispered as I stood next to her.

I raised my weapon horizontally, waiting for the wave of monsters to reach us. They were shortening the distance quite fast.

“It’s not much, but it’s what I can do.” I sighed. “I can’t heal her mind, and she needs to face her demons.”

A loud and quick tune came from behind, the Satyr started playing his lute. The scout crouched behind us, the daggers aiming forward.

“I don’t know what is going on, but I’ll use a few illusions.” the Tigea muttered. “That’ll keep them a little occupied.”

“Thank you.” me and Yolin said at the same time.

He nodded, and shadows spread from his feet towards the green horde. They slowed down, but kept advancing.

“Ah… they are in a state of throwing their lives away.” I bit my lips to avoid laughing. “That might have meddled with their perception or whatever.”

“Something is insanely boosting two of my stats, so it’ll work either way.” he chuckled. “When they get here, they’ll see nothing but shadows.”

I nodded.

The first monsters reached us, clashing against us with their poorly improvised weapons, their bodies, and their claws. The sounds of tools hitting my armor surrounded us as hundreds joined them. A green sea of ugly little shits made me a little disgusted. They reached my waist, and their arms failed to reach my helmet.

I appraised one as it jumped and headbutted me in the chest, failing to do anything other than hurting itself.

[Walas, Lvl 140]

Pretty low for the ninth level.

Their weapons and claws broke on my armor and Yolin’s body. It felt like the Me’ik, but the ugly fuckers looked like bastardized goblins instead of an animal. I just pushed back those that came too close, and a lot of floating arms kept them in place, forming a circle around the tank.

Suddenly, a bright light came from behind us and bathed the visible area in an orange light. I smiled.

Solar Epitaph, was it?

I was already topped off in terms of stats. The various buffs made my eyesight sharper, my mind work faster, and my body more responsive. Streams of gentle energy flowed into me through the Bond, the little stamina I had spent so far slowly regenerating. Bubbles had formed around my figurative mind at some point.

The creatures had their eyes enveloped in shadows, their skin slowly burnt, and wails of pain left their deformed mouths as they assaulted us. They moved slower than the first time I saw them, some were completely frozen.

Our shadows disappeared, the source of light moving right above us.

“Oh, shit!” Bonte hissed and retreated after looking back.

I turned my head around and saw a literal sun descending on us. It occupied most of the space between the ground and ceiling.

THAT’S NOT MINIATURE! I screamed in my mind.

Yolin let out a loud laughter. “COME!”

Lapia yelled something in Elvish, and the sun fell down. A bright light enveloped us and the world fell silent for a second. It reminded me of a summer I went to Italy. The heat was comfortable, if anything.

In an instant, all the monsters turned to ashes. I stared with wide eyes. It reminded me of a nuclear blast, though miniature. The ground glowed red and the air shimmered.

This is a level three hundred wizard… but Alyssa made it sound as if the skill was particularly hard to learn. I gulped. How the fuck did she get kidnapped?

I nervously laughed as the world returned to its dim lighting as quickly as the explosion happened, not a single flame to be seen. Yolin joined me, enjoying the absurdity of it all.

Looking around, no monsters were left. I relaxed and turned to the rest of the group. There was a silver dome where Alyssa, Lapia, Bromisnar and presumably Bonte stood.

We walked to it and I knocked on the surface.

“All good in there?” I asked.

The dome slowly thinned until it disappeared.

They were all good. I walked to Lapia.

“Better?” I hugged her. Alyssa joined, then Yolin.

“A lot.” she sighed in the cocoon of arms. “I’m sorry. I remembered the bandits and relived some unpleasant memories.

“It’s okay.” the Luzo caressed the Elf’s face. “We’re here for you.”

Yolin nodded with a toothy smile. “Like Natasha said, no matter what.”

A loud sniff made us turn.

Bromisnar was wiping tears away. “Oh! I apologize. I’m weak to these sorts of scenes.”

His pink goat-like eyes were a little puffy, and Bonte was rubbing his back.

Alyssa giggled, and we all laughed.

We moved to the next floor, and the environment changed. It was no longer a labyrinth of stone. It looked like a jungle. I looked up and saw white stalactites bathing the world in light. The ground was dirt, and trees blocked out view along with bushes.

“What the fuck?” I blurted out. “What is this?”

“The tenth level.” Bonte answered behind me. “Why?”

“And Golems are supposed to be here?” I asked next.

“Yes. Look.” Yolin pointed at a boulder between trees a few meters in front of us. “There’s one right there.”

It was an unassuming rock on the dirt ground. It was pitch black, and had a lot of jagged edges.

“Well… whatever.” I shrugged. “Let’s get the ores, then.”

They dismounted and assumed the battle formation as discussed the previous day. Yolin was at the front, Bonte a few meters behind her. Lapia, Alyssa, and Bromisnar stood together at the back.

A flying white fist hit the boulder and it immediately moved. Legs pushed it up, and arms rose from beneath it. It stood at five meters in height.

That’s a Golem alright. I circled them, keeping an eye out for any cheeky crature that would approach. Boulders sat every fifty meters, and some formed groups.

[Jungle Golem, Lvl 200]

The monster slowly approached Yolin flattening the ground, cracking branches, and breaking small stones, then raised an arm. An Asura Projection grabbed the limb and kept it from moving.

The Oni rushed to it, and punched it once with a loud impact. It cracked and shattered, splitting in a few hundred pieces and revealing a silvery mass at its center.

“That’s how it’s done.” the tank picked up the ore and tossed it in my direction.

I received it and stored it.

“You can’t use too much force, or the ore breaks. Fire is not advisable, the ore may melt and fuse with the stone… and we’re surrounded by trees.” Yolin spoke as we moved forward.

“Is the ore usable if it’s cut in half?” Lapia asked, her staff floating behind her.

“Yes.” Bromisnar nodded. “The bounty asked to bring clean ores, not necessarily whole.”

“Alright, let’s do it slowly but surely.” Alyssa said from the back.

They moved on foot, and I moved on top of Sonya, Pochi walking next to us.

A few Golems were killed, Lapia used her Thaumaturgy spells to cut the things in half from top to bottom. Yolin punched them and shattered the stone around the ore. Bonte somehow confused them even though they were made of stone. And the Satyr froze them with loud tunes from his lute.

I might have overly boosted them with the items. I pondered as they annihilated monster after monster.

As I had nothing to do, I appraised everything in my reach. All the Golems had the same name, and were level 200 on average. Doing poor math, I failed to reach an answer to the level growth of monsters for each level. The first had 50 tops according to the Oni, and the tenth had 200. The ninth had 140 on average. It made no sense to me.

I saw a boulder near me and approached it on Sonya. When I came ten meters from it, it stood up. Bushes fell from its back and it pushed the tree’s branches aside. A fist came down on me and I stopped it with a hand. Sonya didn’t flinch.

It didn’t make sounds like a living creature. It was deadly silent except for its footsteps and the grinding of stone its limbs produced.

It doesn’t have a head, so no forehead to write. I inspected the thing for a while.

When I was satisfied, I vertically cut it in half with my pike. The thing crumbled and the ore inside was revealed.

I quickly dismounted and stored it, then got on top of Sonya again.

Circling around the group, I decided to appraise my companions. I hadn’t done it once since meeting each of them, and I wanted to see if they had leveled up.

[Lapia Pofeta – Bonded Partner – Domi Elf, Lvl 177 Pyromancer]

[Alyssa Pruvik – Bonded Partner – Krystaali Luzo, Lvl 248 Cardinal]

[Yolin Makav – Bonded Partner – Red Oni, Lvl 305 Asura]

[Bromisnar Bahadh – Bonded Companion – Khlyp Satyr, Lvl 169 Minstrel]

[Bonte Slirmy – Bonded Companion – Shishi Tigea, Lvl 136 Shadow Chaser]

Well… I should appraise them more often. I chastised myself. So little growth.

I read my skill for mounts and noticed it mentioned efficiency of E’er absorption. With me being a Halve, having high affinity with it, Sonya had gained a lot more with a single herd of Me’ik. Besides, she didn’t have classes like people did.

Maybe their lower leveled classes increase more. Can’t see that, unfortunately. I checked the surroundings and nothing seemed out of place. There were no birds, bugs, critters, or anything of the sort. The boulders didn’t react to sound, but moved when someone approached them.

Do they have a radar? I wondered as I dismounted again.

I picked up a rock near a clump of trees and tossed it to another boulder. It didn’t move.

Do they react to living things, then? I looked around, a little bored.

“Natasha, we’re moving!” Alyssa called to me.

I climbed on the Ratnak and caught up to them. We moved through the jungle killing Golems for a few hours. Bromisnar’s lute kept the activity from being a drag, and I vibed to his music.

We reached a wide clearing and I noticed a small little thing flying at the center. Moving past the rest, I approached it to get a better look.

It looked like a bug, it had wings like a dragonfly, antlers like a moth, and feet like a mosquito. It was a little terrifying to look at.

Turning to me, it lazily flied in my direction. I decided to appraise it before killing it.

[Floor Guardian – Morthar Vanguard, Lvl 250]

What the fuck? I stared at the thing in confusion. This little shit is the floor guardian?

“Natasha.” Alyssa’s voice was dead serious. “Walk away from it. Slowly.”

I looked back and they all had assumed battle formations.

“Why?” I tilted my head.

“That is a scout. They’re a swarm.” Yolin quietly said. “They group up and latch onto people, then explode.”

Oh. I nodded. Wouldn’t want that to happen.

I slowly turned and noticed a few approaching them from behind.

“Too late.” I sighed and pointed behind them. “They’re around us already.”