On a fallen pillar of the Skyfall Rift, a desert environment extends and in it three groups of three people were separated and fighting their own battles against hulking monstrosities. These were at least two meters tall, green colored and full of black spikes resembling malformed cactuses filled with blood and rage.
And fighting against this desert monstrosity were three humans, one of which you'd recognize as the girl that was trying to chat with Nike previously. The official level of the plant beasts is Danger, a lower difficulty which allowed the groups to have not that much of a hard time fighting even while defending some new faces in the groups. Survivors that had been found in the pillar and were lucky to not have been transported to the dungeon in midair.
''Remember Nike's words!'' The young girl shouted. ''Watch out for the draining ability, if you are punched by these spikes you'll be sucked up dry in an instant!'' Maybe Nike's influence had led this admiring young girl to follow her steps as a leader.
''We know, but only fire and blunt attacks are effective, we aren't dealing enough damage!'' Another man shouted, while blocking with his shield a spiked jab from one of the creature's members.
After some more minutes of grueling fighting, the plant monster is finally on its last legs, but the group is tired and also with growing fatigue and lightheadedness.
''We can do it, we'll survive!'' One of the rescued newbies, a girl with blonde hair, said with a hopeful expression.
Unfortunately, the battlefield is one such place where hope and carelessness might just be a poison as that simple words were enough to hype up one of the attackers who, trying to prove himself, dashed forward trying to prove himself by finishing the best.
However, that carelessness led to an unexpected result, as the young blooded jumped with his sword up in the air, the creature stopped moving.
In the next second, it began to swell and bloat.
''Oh crap! Everyone, find some cover, now!'' The young leader yelled just before a thundering sound spread, bringing with it a storm of needles and screams.
Instants after the explosion, the aftermath could be seen, the young warrior was there on the floor, bleeding profusely, his right arm torn and destroyed beyond recognition, needles poking out of his whole body and blood soaking the dry sand turning it crimson red.
***
Somewhere else, some time before the events pertaining to the less experienced, in another unusual pillar the rattling of a chain could be heard as Artemis escorted a rescued newbie back to the group.
''What's your name, kid?'' She asked.
''Kid, we are only a few years apart! I'm Warrick.'' He answered.
''Indeed we are only a few years apart, but in here that is the difference between survival and a torturing death. So if I were you, I'd listen very closely to my every word.''
He nodded as they walked the decrepit and moist environment.
''So, what's this creature about?'' She asked.
''I'm... not entirely sure myself, you see I got here with a small group of around four people, of whom I'm the sole survivor.'' He explained while looking somberly at the floor. Under this elevator there is another area and another lift even, the last we have seen the creature it was on the lower floor.''
''Any descriptions or weaknesses?'' Artemis inquired.
''Not really, the beast is stealthy as hell, someone would always go missing before we even got our eyes on it.''
''So you were basically picked off one by one... this isn't good. The beast seems intelligent and if there is one thing I learned in these years here, it is that the intelligent ones pose the most trouble and tend to be the strongest.''
Warrick gulped on his saliva and asked:
''Are we going to be okay?''
''Don't worry boy, we've got a team of strong blooded waiting for us, in the worst case we'll duke it out together.''
''What will it matter if it picks us off one by one?''
''We'll, it ain't picking me off, I'm a strong one kid!''
Both returned to silence and attentive walking, Warrick didn't get even a meter too far from Artemis as he seemed pretty shook up and unsafe, due to the previous happenings.
When they were only a small distance away from the group, both began hearing battle sounds in the distance, intermingling with the now more distant sound of rattling chains.
''Come on, kid, let's pick up the pace!'' She said before breaking into a sprint.
''My name is Warrick!'' He said running right after her.
When the pair reunited with the group of blooded, they saw quite a scene. Throw about, were corpses of both humans and lizard men. The battle still went on, but in much less dire circumstances than the other, as this group had kept together and thus managed to fend the wave of abominations more efficiently.
It also didn't take long for Artemis to join the frenzy, but first she left Warrick together with the other rescues for safety.
Soon, she was back on the field, mulling down on the monsters like a machine with the sole purpose of killing.
The young boy couldn't help but think of the contrast between such a beautiful girl and her current savage and bloodied image.
''Somehow, even with the blood and gore, she is still pretty...'' He thought.
***
Back at the desert like pillar, a group of young mournful blooded were gathering around their leader Nike, who showed no reaction whatsoever. She just stared intently at the corpses and wounded being hauled back up the rope, extending up to where they had entered.
After it was done, the young girl that had spoken to Nike before with shining eyes approached her with tears running down her cheeks.
''M-Miss Brightstar, I-I'm sorry, I...''
''Don't be.'' She responded, this time with a deeper frown. ''It was my decision that led to this, it's my burden, my responsibility to carry.
''No!'' The young girl interjected. ''It wasn't you, it was my group that was too lax...''
''Indeed, but as your leader, that means we haven't trained you well enough, it still falls on my shoulders... Gather all teams together, no one splits up anymore.''
''Y-Yes sir.'' The young girl answered, still feeling like it wasn't right for the great heroine to take this burden for herself like this.
While people gathered around and waited for the remaining people to return, Nike was deep inside her own thoughts, sighing inwardly: ''Why did I let them separate? Stupid, I shouldn't have! What's the point of gathering the weaker members around me if I'm not there to look after them?! Shit... Maybe it's just better if to send them all back and finish this on my own.''
Her train of thought was quickly cut short as the groups had finished gathering, all looking tired and struck down by the harsh reality of what was like fighting with small numbers in a dungeon.
Nike was about to address everyone when a shaky voice addressed her: ''I-I've gathered everyone miss Starburst, and uhm... if I can dare to say anything, can we go on with the expedition all together, please?''
The young leader was shocked, she would've expected her specially to want to end this trip after seeing death and life changing injury right off the bet.
''Maybe I underestimated them, but together I can do a better job at keeping them safe.'' She thought.
''What is your name, girl?'' Nike then asked.
''L-Liza sir!''
''Very well, I will remember it.'' She said, while Liza was red with embarrassment and happiness.
Some young ones looked at the brave young girl with admiration, others with worry, and some even with spite (out of self-preservation). But the majority shared the young girl's devotion and admiration for Nike, she was the one who was calling for change in this shitty status-quo after all.
''Alright.'' She said. ''However, from now on no one leaves formation and I will be at the very front of it while the close-combat fighter will be at the back. So don't worry, this trip is also for you to gain experience but above all else, it is to save more people and increase our numbers, your life is valuable as well.''
The group was awestruck at their leader's words and with a victorious cry, they announce their willingness towards the next challenges.
However, another being had also heard that fierce roar and began to weave its own deadly plan.
In just a few minutes, the small cohort left and explored more of the desert like area, cover was sparse and due to the type of beast here unreliable, as plant like beasts could very well be the cover as bait.
They found few monsters on the way, but whenever they did a swift battle would begin if it came from the front or from underground, Nike would engage, but if it came from the back or sides, the other blooded would. If any seemed in serious danger, the warrioress would also intervene, thus making the trip that much safer.
Two hours and a few more fights later, the group would finally spot something in the distance, a Mayan pyramid like rock formation that grew ever ominously closer and closer.
The more it did, the stranger Nike felt, as if something totally opposite to her was being very discretely signaled, or even called here.
''Miss Starburst, I feel I little weird...'' Liza said, beside the leader.
''Indeed... Everyone! On your highest attention from this point onward.''
Horrifying.
Only one thing could describe the scene spreading in front of them, it was a rotting horrifying massacre, corpses of people, plant monster and even monsters from other pillars were just left there, rotting.
Also, the waves emitted from the pyramid were getting clearer, a strange thought went by everyone's mind. ''I want to get closer...''
''STOP!'' Nike yelled, getting her subordinates out of a trance. ''Don't come any closer, let me see something...'' She took out a binocular out of her bag and pointed it at the structure.
''Shit.'' she let slip. As for what she was seeing, it was simple: dozens of young people with their heads pressed against the structure made of black stone.
''Could it be...'' Nike wondered, but was stopped in her tracks. A weird shape that she assumed was just some rock in front of the temple slowly began rising up and moving closer at a terrifying speed.
''EVERYONE! BATTLE POSITIONS NOW!'' And in less than a minute, the ground burst, spreading sand in the wind.
From this sand, skeletal tentacles with black and green growths around them, white thorns, and the trunk from which the appendages grew, ribcages could be seen open and held together in a line, forming a snake, plant, and undead monstrocity.
It then stared at the young girl, who was exuding a disgustingly bright aura, and roared fiercely, shaking the entire pillar.
***
A deadly silence and tension were in the humid air of the cave pillar. The arrival of Artemis back to the group had brought help in defeating the monster, but with it, came new worries.
The leader quickly explained the situation to her subordinates, explaining how she had found only Warrick as a survivor and how the metallic noise was chains pulling the elevator back up and, with it, a probable enemy.
''Should we head back?'' asked one of the more trustworthy subordinates, a powerful force awakened with a hardening power.
''No, we don't know how many groups were hunted by this creature, our best bet would be to face it head-on and finish scouting this pillar. However, I cannot ask you to risk your lives here, especially against such an insidious creature.''
She was about to continue when an interruption came.
''No way, Artemis!'' He shot back at her. ''We have come here together, and we won't leave you behind to fight alone. Plus, who will protect the newbies you find while you beat the shit out of this monster?''
The warrioress was stunned for words; she had only been on a couple of missions prior with this group, and they already had such high expectations of her.
''Do... do all of you think the same way?'' she asked. Most of them nodded in affirmation and respect.
Artemis sighed and said, ''Fine, you can come with me, but half of the group will be in charge of helping me while the other half protects the newbies. If the threat is too great, you return without me. Got it?!''
''Yes sir!'' They answered in unison and began preparing for the ordeal; at this point, the group found a wall unobstructed by any bodies of water and settled the survivors against it while forming a perimeter around it.
Time seemed to tick faster and faster as the rattling of chains grew louder and louder. Half an hour passed, and finally, preparations for batle were done, and the group waited there.
Artemis was wondering, looking for any mistakes in the formation, when she was approached by the young Warrick.
"Hey Artemis, can I talk to you for a bit?"
''Sure boy, whats up?'' she asked, heading towards a piece of ruinous architecture where she sat down nonchalantly.
"I just wanted to thank you for saving me and bringing me here to safety."
''There is nothing to thank; if I hadn't found you, someone else here would've eventually.''
''I know, I just — I don't know — thought that you were good at comforting people who were in despair, and that was pretty cool.''
''... That's something you learn if you see enough death, I guess.'' She retorted as the grim, metallic sound echoed in the distance.
"So this is how the life of a hero really is... not at all what we envisioned when seeing the novels and movies."
''If there is one thing I've learned in my life, it's that authors tend to love embellishing the often cruel reality.''
''Huh.'' He smiled and laughed a bit.
"What's so funny?"
''Sorry, it's just that you don't fit the type I expected to know a lot about fiction.''
''Even a girl like me dreamed of their own fairy tale in the past.'' she answered with a scowl.
''W-Wait! That's not what I meant!''
''Shush!'' Artemis interrupted while quickly standing up. ''Can you hear that?''
"What?" Warrick asked.
''Exactly. The chains have stopped.''