8-09: Continue Marching On
The boss the girls were facing wasn't a typical creature. Rather, it was a swarm of creatures. Tons of undead, kobolds and even a few hobgoblins. Bosses they've face on earlier floors.
Thankfully, the girls had eight, decently skilled adventures. So, while it was tricky, and there were plenty close calls, the girls made it out fine, and onto the twelfth floor.
Similar to some of the earlier floors, it was a huge, sprawling jungle, with sunlight poking through. Or rather, whatever light it was, considering how far underground they were. If Lilith wasn't here, the girls wouldn't even know how to get back.
"A few more floors, and I think you'll be at our record." Kazue said.
"You've only gotten down this far?" Cassidy asked.
"Around floor sixteen is where we really started to struggle, and decided to leave before one of us got seriously injured. The floor was confusing and the boss was practically cheating." Kazue huffed and crossed her arms, angry at the memory.
"Gah... it was terrible. My old axe couldn't even get through it's hide. Then I had to spend way too much on a new one." Sirtia added.
"It seemed way too interested in me. I'm not even the tank! I'm frail, and it targeted me most of the time for some reason." Seraph complained before taking a deep sigh.
"So, the boss is not very good. Gotcha." Cassidy responded, dreading the upcoming floors.
"Hold it! Something's watching us." Aviris warned, scanning everything around them.
The girls followed Aviris' motions, looking around for the threat. Not a single sound, no wind, no life signs.
"Are you sure? It's dead silent." Eleanora asked, keeping her eyes on the trees.
"And that's the bad thing. It should never be dead silent."
Aviris slowly took a knife from a pouch placed just above her butt and threw it as quick and accurately as she could. Clearly, it struck something, as it made a disturbing, inhuman shriek of pain and fell to the ground, out of sight.
"A creature that hides in the trees...? Why haven't we seen these when we came down here?" Sable wondered as she entered a defensive stance.
"The dungeon must be fucking with us." Lilith said, trying to find that creature. "I see blood, but no body. Or foot prints for that matter. And the blood doesn't go anywhere."
The girls couldn't just stand in one spot, but they can't move into uncleared areas. Step by step, eyeing everything they can in an attempt to not get ambushed. Whatever this thing is, it's too damn good at stalking.
They kept moving, slowly and defensively, trying to find either a safe spot to wait, or the boss room. Though, they did come across a rather disturbing site. The remains of dead adventurers. No one the girls recognized. Though, it didn't help that the bodies were just a pile of gore.
"Okay, what? This has to be a brand new creature." Seraph said, examining the gore. "Nothing like this was ever here in any of our expeditions to this floor."
"A stealthy creature that gruesomely tears apart it's victims? How lovely." Veronica said sarcastically.
"The bodies don't have any identification. Or extra gear. Oy bits and pieces of their armor. Where did the rest of their belongings go?" Sirtia said, trying to figure out things herself.
Such a creature shouldn't exist, and the girls soon realized an important thing. They were in its territory. They were the intruders. And that thing was stalking them from the shadows.