2 hours ago.
"That's pretty much all of them, right?" Kard muttered, eyeing the piled-up bodies of dead Nymphis druids. They are all sickly gray with bioluminescent scales, a distant specie of the C-class monster, kappas, according to the Guild Council.
『Guild Council - the undisclosed self-governing body responsible for archiving records of past dungeon monsters, the head figure of all guilds in Arizalde, and the council who convenes all guild masters in the interest of Arizalde's security twice every year. While guilds are given free rein to manage their region, the guild council remains a significant figure ever since the appearance of the first and last [CORRPUPT].』
Nymphis druids were known as skilled dagger wielders and rapierlike agility. This makes their strength in numbers strategy problematic if taken by surprise. Thankfully, they were more than prepared.
"Party leader, we're done," Pamela reported after the last batch of bodies were gathered in another pile. The Nymphis druids were cut down cleanly in the exact weak point without any other damage as per their party leader's instruction.
"I don't sense any more monsters nearby, so let's take it easy for a little." Kard opened his eyes once again as he ordered, earning looks of admiration from his subordinates. They were all initially grousing about their rotten luck being grouped under a leader who lost his party in the same dungeon, but their doubts were soon dispelled at Kard's displaying his knowledge on the enemy's weakness.
Pamela was initially confused by Kard's unusual instruction, but soon accepted her leader's instructions without question. A person who survived hell is different from who he was before. The only thing that matters is he was leading them well.
The group carries on, leaving the bodies behind but with lesser tension. Kard, on the other hand, wore a thoughtful look, replaying Letti's parting words to him before they depart.
"The most efficient way to kill them is by hitting the Nymphis druids across their navel. Afterward, please gather the dead Nymphis druids in a pile after you kill them." Kard stared carefully at Letti's face, trying to gouge anything suspicious. This kid just suddenly asked to talk to him, and straight-up reveal him this critical information. And along with an unusual request too.
Although it was a handy tip...
...But, he wouldn't be a party leader if he was easily swayed. "Why should I believe you?" He decided to ask back. The kid wore a satisfied expression, not the least bit offended by his blatant distrust. It was more like he was expecting him to tell him that.
"I once encountered a similar monster called Kappa in the Nubian River, so I thought this could help. In exchange, I would like you to follow through my request if this tip was helpful." He replied with a surreptitious smile.
'It was more than helpful all right.' He though bewildered.
At the first sign of the druids, he immediately tested the idea. It didn't take a genius to realize that the numbers were dwindling even with the wave of enemies incoming.
He explained the Nymphis druid bit to his party using the outsider's words, but he couldn't directly disclose to anyone why he was gathering their bodies in one place. The kid was also vague about his reason and left just like that.
As he thought, outsiders are a bunch of complex and troublesome people.
'!!!'
He froze as an influx of mana washed over him like a tsunami, a telltale sign of someone powerful suddenly appearing.
At the same time, "Party leader, look at that!"
Every little hair on their body stood up as their eyes adjusted at the brightness of the opening outside the dark cave they were in before and see a colossal double door that takes up the whole wall of the cave.
"It's the [BOSS] Dungeon." Somebody whispered in which they all involuntarily flinched, afraid the door will open by itself at their slight movement.
"Should we report back to the other groups?" Somebody squeak. Nobody dared to step outside. Everyone was just hovering at the mouth of the dark cave; their hearts are rapidly thumping along with cold sweats seeping out their glands.
Their fears were not unwarranted. They were far away from the [BOSS] Dungeon, they realized, that's why they didn't feel the extent of the oppressive mana behind the door until they were right in front of it.
Behind that door is a monster that holds immeasurable mana who could create an endless army of its self.
"Yes, yes, we should. It's already a good thing we were the ones who found it first. Let's go back."
They reached a quick consensus and was about to retreat when somebody scoff. "Aren't you guys overreacting? We already know their weakness. Why do we have to rely on a foreigner to save our asses? Where's your pride as Randell's citizen?" The person who spoke up was a veteran tank warrior who wields a huge mallet from another party before this raid.
The atmosphere quickly becomes heavy with enmity as the group divided into two oppositions, murmuring lowly to each other. Pamela groaned at the party's dumb choice to stir a dispute at the worst possible place.
"Is the money your only concern?" A healer retorted.
The warrior looked down at her with a sneer. "Oi, aren't you gonna benefit too if we can kill the monster by ourselves? You all know Linarest will take a huge cut if we let the bastard kill it by himself." He stated brazenly. "Think about it. How can a small town like Randell oppose Linarest?"
The healer was momentarily startled before her face returns to scowl, opening her mouth to retaliate.
"OKAY! Everyone, I think we should take this discussion somewhere else, right?" Pamela butted in with a stiff laugh, stepping between the healer and the warrior.
'Shouldn't the party leader step forward by now?' Pamela mentally plead.
"Why don't we ask the party leader's opinion then?" Somebody suggested.
'Exactly.' Pamela sighed in relief.
Their eyes quickly drifted to the lone figure facing the double doors expectantly. The said figure stood motionless for a moment as if in deliberation to their previous dialogue. Whatever Kard will decide is their next course of action.
"Everyone." Kard started, causing everyone to listen to his next words ardently, "we don't have much time."
Those who didn't want to face the Nymphis made a sound of protest, not expecting his rash decision. Everyone clearly understood his vague words, and they all have unequal opinions they want to speak up. Didn't he just lose his party days ago because of the same monster?
"Party leader, are you sure? We did fend off the druids, but facing an A-class monster is another matter." Pamela can't help but express her apprehension. She is undoubtedly loyal to the Party leader, but this one is too much for her just to accept blindly.
Please give me a reason to follow you. Her stare seems to convey that message.
Kard understood the underlying meaning of her statement and considered his next words carefully as their party leader. "As I said, we only have a few hours left before the day ends. Tomorrow is the last day until the Dungeon break occurs. If we can damage the Nymphis in the early fight, then the Elder Mage will have an easier time killing the Nymphis later.
"He is right. We can't let the Elder Mage do all the work." He sent a brief look at the veteran warrior. "This is our town, so we should be the one protecting our land and its citizens."
He placed his hand on his chest before bowing lowly—a gesture with the highest level of respect in the Ruvia empire. "I solemnly swear with my authority as your party leader that I will never abandon all of you. I... will protect you with my life. This is my resolve, so please lend me your strength."
Everyone was momentarily blown away by the party leader's compelling words and awe-inspiring show of fortitude.
"Well... if you put it that way, I guess declining would look like we didn't have any ounce of pride as a Randell citizen."
"We can't have linarest have another thing to use as leverage anyway. Their noses are already high up enough to reach the heavens!"
Kard subtly sighed in relief at their positive feedback before squaring his shoulders, gazing at the imposing double doors.
"Let's enter."
As if knowing their intention, the doors made a low rumble noise before the tightly shut door slowly opened on its own after being close for a lot of time.
The interior of the room was the most unusual dungeon they had ever seen. It was spacious with a dome-shaped ceiling that defies common logic for something to exist in a place like this. The room seems like it was intentionally designed after a palace's throne room because of the humongous golden throne on top of the altar in the center of the room.
Their breaths hitched on the throat upon noticing the inanimate gigantic statue of a king sitting regally at the throne. It was like a carved out statue that they almost passed it as part of a monument.
They huddled at the center of the quiet and unnerving room, looking the motionless King statue upward. "Umm... Party lea—"
A gust of strong wind suddenly bellowed, separating the whole party into two. The other half, which is the majority of the warriors and weapon-wielding adventurers, was blown into a corner before an ominous-looking magic circle was activated beneath them along with a ring of blue fire. It was obviously planned to disable a huge part of the party from joining the fight.
It was frightening at how fast everything became chaotic at a snap.
Kard gritted his teet and quickly unsheathed his signature claymore. "Everybody, don't lose your composure! Our real enemy is a mage-type monster!" He growled as his eyes rapidly search his surroundings for the Nymphis.
Ordinary Nymphis could create an endless army of its own, but this kind of magic is out of its ability. He knows this Nymphis is out of the ordinary, but he didn't expect this. And they had to kill it. Even the Elder Mage will have to expend a lot of his mana with this kind of enemy.
Another tremor erupted from within the room. The small group of mages and healers shakily stood their ground and unsheathed their weapons.
The once lifeless statue suddenly emitted a suffocating amount of mana, springing to life. Its once hollow eyes illuminated bright blue; then its fingers twitch loudly like stones clashing together, followed by the head looking down at the disoriented party. Its whole body was made of stone, but Kard could fearfully tell that the unmoving face was wearing a derisive smile.
Kard's eyes shook as the familiar feeling of fear entered his body. His brain was telling him to flee, but his feet felt a hundred times heavier, unable to move. But nothing is much heavier than the sinking feeling in his guts upon realizing the truth.
They got it wrong.
There was no Nymphis in the first place.
Every Nymphis druids are probably controlled by that statue. The foreboding amount of mana was leaking off the statue so much. There's no mistake.
"I can't do this anymore. I want to go back!" A female healer suddenly succumbs to her nerves and broke down, dashing to the tightly shut door like mad.
The statue raised its hand forward before a portal opened between the woman and the door.
They hadn't even heard the door shut behind them, and it was so noisy when it opened.
Shouts suddenly pierced through the room, but nothing is as blood-curdling as the quick and sharp shriek of the female healer as her lower internal organs were disemboweled by the sudden appearance of a jagged katana from the portal.
Nobody even had the strength to make a sound after, rattled to the core at the gory scene. The katana suddenly moved forward and revealed a bulky Nymphis druid. It didn't avoid the mangled body of the healer and stomped the head, letting a sickening crunch.
The remaining members took a step back and let out a flinch in fear. The people trapped in the fire were grimly relieved that they were relatively safe from fighting such a monster. The statue didn't even budge an inch from its position nor move its facial muscles to reveal its thoughts.
"Don't be afraid; use everything to kill it. It's alone!" Kard shouted with wide haunted eyes. He was also terribly afraid, but they were already forced to a corner. The best thing to do now is to fight.
As if to mock the party leader's words, it let out a piercing squeal as if professing a battle cry and leaped to the nearest person and swung its arm, wedging their body at the ornate walls.
It was an instant kill.
Suddenly, an endless stream of Nymphis druids relatively smaller from the former jumped out the portal and rushed to them with monstrous speed.
The following events were nothing but utter chaos.
The mages couldn't even properly cast a spell before a part of their body was dismembered. Kard and other warriors made sure to protect the healers as their divine powers were quicky depleting from healing the comrades.
There was no going back to this.
The statue seemed to convey as it looks on the bloodbath.
The Head of the Nymphis druids was the most active of them all, swinging its katana with the ferocity of a beast.
The rest of the party could only cower and turn their eyes away from the carnage. Their comrades were being slaughtered indiscriminately just because the Nymphis druids were ignoring the fire.
They suddenly realized the laughable fragility of life and how much the world seems to play a twisted game with their lives on the line. They aren't even sure if they can survive through this. After all, they were relying on a magic circle cast by the enemy.
"I don't want to die!" A warrior inside the magic circle wailed to himself.
"Party leader, there's too much of them. We can't heal everyone quickly!"
"Party leader, we can't hold them back any longer!"
"Party leader, what should we do?!"
Voices of varying degrees bellowed amidst the chaos, but every sound was happening all together for Kard to set apart. His mind was beginning to confuse fighting, saving, and leading the party.
Kard's knees suddenly buckled under his weight, letting go of his sword to the ground. He slumped down to his knees as a feeling of weakness enveloped his body.
"Party leader!" Pamela exclaimed before sending a replenish spell on his body.
He just wanted to help everyone and save these people who believe in him. He didn't want more people to die meaninglessly. He wasn't the strongest adventurer when he first arrived, but eventually, his party grew. His party followed him because he leads people well.
'If I can hold it back, just until they arrived.' He thought desperately in his mind. The other party should have sensed the tremors across the cave, so they should be heading this way.
'Somebody. Just anybody. Come and save us.'