The second stairs were way longer. We were going down for several minutes until we finally reached the third floor. Then we had to go back and get the carts. Overall the whole descend took over an hour. Time wasted if you ask me, especially when we were kinda on the clock. According to my experience, the whole complex could respawn around midnight, and we were slowly approaching that time.
If I were alone, I wouldn't care. It would only mean more crystals for me, but with the rest, it could be risky. I couldn't protect them while fighting, and they were already tired. One peek at Will told me, that he has the same concerns.
- Let's move a bit faster- he said when we finally were ready to march forward.
Morale was terrible among our ranks. We didn't talk much, just pushed on thru the darkness with torches in our hands. Light licked the walls of the tunnel. Smooth, like somebody, would actually build it. It reminded me about the level with the boss in the goblin cave.
- Be careful - I just threw out there and went a bit faster myself.
A few minutes later, without a sound, a blade emerged from the shadows close to the wall, where darkness fought with torchlight. I actually didn't notice it, until it jammed itself in my side. There was a strange, eyeless rat on the other end of that dagger. He had black robes, and I couldn't think about anything else than rat ninja.
- Careful - I screamed, and swung at the rat.
It was enough to kill him. The wound was shallow, thanks to the sturdiness of my body.
- You ok? - Will asked quickly.
- Yes. He barely got me, but you need to be careful. He came out of nowhere. Like fucking shadow!
- Damn - responded will, while looking anxiously around himself.
Clearly expecting to be attacked. But fortunately for him, nothing emerged from the darkness.
- Maybe we should go back? - proposed Aisha.
- You know what? Stay here, I'll clean what's ahead, and come back to you. Just stay together ok?
- Fine for me! - was Will's response.
Nobody else said anything, so I just went ahead. It wasn't long when they started to come out from the shadows like ghosts. I couldn't see them until they appeared just before me, I couldn't hear them, even when their blades were coming at me. Only thanks to my inhuman reflexes, and incredibly tough body I was able to parry, and sometimes just take those strikes. They could cut thru my skin, but not the muscle tissue.
I had to throw the torch, cause I just couldn't allow myself to have one busy hand. I tried then to keep fighting close to the light.
I was too tough for them to take me down, but they for sure tried. Coming, and coming. Like there was no limit to how many of them there were. Dozens, then hundreds. Time flew like a freaking jet when I only focused on fighting. I had to use some healing at one point, to close the wounds, that's how many of them they inflicted on me.
And finally, after one of many swings, they just stopped to appear. I was surrounded by stones. I picked up the torch and looked around. I had to kill a lot of those ninja rats.
There was a decision to be made. Either I return to the rest or keep pushing forward. I decided to do the second, and return after reaching the end of the tunnel. There were no more enemies. Only empty rooms. Caves with doors leading to the main passage. They were empty except simple beddings made of furs.
I kept pushing, and at some point reached a dor. Heavy, made of carved stone with a symbol of strange-looking something, that I could only classify as a tree. Then I returned and made it safely to the rest of the group.
- Finally - said Will. - Fuck. You look terrible.
- Are you alright? - asked Aisha.
- I'm fine. The tunnel is cleared, but there is one dor left that I didn't check. The door - I looked at Will.
- That should be fun.
- What are you talking about? - Alice joined the conversation.
- A boss room. I heard there is one in the goblin cave. You discovered one here, right? - Aisha explained.
- Yes. I'm not sure but would bet all the crystal we gathered today that it's the boss room - was my reply.
- How dangerous the boss is? - asked Aisha.
- Don't know until I fight him. Goblin one was strong. Very strong. I somehow managed to take him down. If we consider the difference in strength between goblins and rats, he shouldn't be that hard to kill, but...
- But what? - she continued.
- There goblin cave is not so deep. Only two levels. On top of that, there is nothing there like these freaking ninja rats. It could be stronger.
- How much stronger?
- Have no idea.
- Let's call it off - said Alice.
There was a note of fear in her voice. Others also didn't look too keen. Will was the only one showing no signs of worry. He trusted my skills. He also was the one who had the best idea about what I could do. He has seen me fighting multiple times.
- Yes, we should go back. We have been here for hours already - Aisha quickly agreed with her.
- Just let him go. He will be fine. As a matter of fact, I'm gonna go with him - was Will's response.
- Are you crazy? - Zoë suddenly opened her mouth.
Se was almost amused by our stupidity.
- Look at yourself - she continued. - You are covered in blood. Your armor is cut to pieces, and you even have no idea what might be there. Are you nuts?
I didn't respond, but Will did. He came right to her and patted her on the shoulder.
- Let's go, Peter - he said.
- Wait! I'm coming to - Hailwic spoke up. - I need to see this.
She had a wild grin on her face. Louna and Anna looked at each other and also smiled. For a moment I thought they all are crazy.
- Fine. Then we are all coming - finally Aisha agreed.
We headed to the door. Leaving the crystals behind us, on the floor. Nobody talked. We achieved this harmony between half of us scared to the death, and the other half excited. At some point, Will started to whistle some kind of tune. I didn't know it, but he for sure was a good whistler.
With that banger, we finally reached our destination. The stone door with the symbol of strange tree-like something.
- What is that? - Zoë asked immediately.
- I have no idea. I'm seeing this for the first time. There is nothing on the goblin boss door. But there is a symbol of an island on the back gate of the city.
- What? - Aisha suddenly joined our conversation.
- Gate on the opposite side of the city to the one leading to goblins territory. There is something like an island on it. And behind a wasteland. That's all I know.
- Did you know? - Aisha looked at Will.
- Yep - was his answer.
- Why the heck didn't I know about it? - she was really pissed. - Is there anything else I don't know about?
- No. That's all I discovered - This time I replied.- Enough talking. Time to go.
I slowly opened the door. Behind them was an oval-shaped room. It was lit by giant bowls burning with fire. At first, it looked empty, but then I saw a human-sized rat, sitting on a throne made of stone, just outside of the light range. No. It wasn't outside the light range. It was like shadows gathered around that rat.
- You know what... Change of plans. I'm going alone
I quickly glanced at others. All of them were nervous. Staring at the rat boss with fear in their eyes. Then I entered the room closing the door behind me. Boss rose up from his throne, and slowly put a giant curved blade out of the shadow.
I was preparing for it to jump at me, but instead, it just appeared midswing from the side. I ducked just at the last moment, then countered with my strike, but it was gone. I only cut the black, thick smoke that was left. At least that was what I thought at first, but it was no smoke. It was something else because it didn't smell like smoke. It had no smell.
I turned around, expecting the rat to be behind me, and I didn't miscalculate. It appeared, just like before, in midswing. This time I blocked the blade and punched him straight to the face. He took the hit and immediately disappeared.
Our speed was similar. I could match him. If only I could put barriers around me, the fight would have been way easier, but I was out of mana.
I needed something to give me an edge. The monk skills were the only thing I could think of, so I immediately strengthened myself, and my weapon. Using all the ki I had.
The strange hide and seek game continued. He got me few times, and I got him also. I used the remaining life energy, to heal myself immediately after receiving a couple of first wounds. He couldn't do that. This allowed me to quickly get an edge in this fight. And even after I was out of healing, he was already too wounded to switch the scales of victory to his side.
It took some time, because he could gain, or shorten the distance at any point, but I finally cut off his leg, and then finished him. After taking two breaths I went to open the door. The rest entered the room.
- How hard? - asked Will.
- Not that hard, but annoying. Goblin was way easier.
- Is that his crystal? - Alice pointed at the stone radiating slight blue energy, laying on the floor. - It looks different.
- Yeah.
- That's it, that's the secret! It's the stone from the boss that gave you special abilities - Aisha quickly jumped to conclusions.
- No. You are free to take it, and check for yourself - I immediately replied, with a smirk on my face.
She didn't believe it and took the stone.
- I wish I could see the fight - Hailwic said while looking around the room.
- You would die. That thing could teleport around. It was an annoying fight.
- Then maybe it's good I didn't go - she just grinned showing her teeth.
- Let's go back. There is nothing more here. On the other hand, we have plenty of crystals to pick up in the tunnel - said Will, and left.
We followed him and picked up the stones. Then we slowly started to make our way back to the surface. Just to face an angry horde of rats when we reached the first level of their nest. I still had plenty of energy, so I just cut thru them with ease. The rest didn't have such a good time because of exhaustion, but they managed better than with legionnaires. Nobody got seriously wounded.
That's how we managed to get outside. Still had to kill few rats roaming around the nest, but they didn't want to fight and escaped inside pretty quickly. Probably to call the reinforcements we already dealt with.
It was very dark outside. Only stars were shining in the sky, and their light had to make it thru the treetops. The night felt so strange with the silence around us. I, again, had this feeling of everything being unreal around me.
With slightly better moods, we made it to the city, and then to its center. The streets were completely empty. We were the only ones making any sounds. The noise of cartwheels rolling on the cobblestone.
After making it to the device, exhausted, we decided to split the score. With 4618 crystals and 8 people everybody got 577, and two people one more. I sold mine for 69 240 points and returned straight home.
Worried about the future, I couldn't stop thinking of what was about to come. I needed to, yet again, push myself to the limits to prepare for the worse.
The day ended with 830 922 points and one class point remaining on my account.