The second floor of the dungeon didn't look too different from the first. In fact, the only difference between the two was the size of the tunnels and the fact there were smaller tunnels that had clearly been created by the moles, and they must have been at least twice as big as before. The moles had easily been the most dangerous mobs of the first floors, and these were twice as large, and smarter.
I was glad I hadn't decided to come here alone.
A ball of light floated above our party which was set up in a rather simple yet effective way. Rashid was at the front, Lex at the rear, and I was at the center, beside Elorai and Tenna who both had low constitution with Eloria only at a 10 and Tenna at a 12. It was low compared to me now, but before they would have wiped the floor with me in a fight, and could probably take as much as a good fighter back home. It seemed like 12 was the human limit. Past that it was superhuman, but it was ridiculous jumps in durability, but it was definitely noticeable, especially with my twenty-one constitution.
"Stop," Lex said. As a half-elf his senses were naturally better a humans, but he also has the highest sense which was different than perception. Perception focused on the five senses while sense focused on the more supernatural aspect such as spatial awareness, danger sense, instincts, and even the ability sense emotions. Combined it made a person very perceptive indeed. Tenna had the highest perception while Eloria's highest stat was willpower which was directly tied to magic, mental effects, and more.
The attributes of this system were not as simple as those in some novels.
"What is it?" Eloria asked.
"Goblins" He shouted just as the ground below us shook. We quickly got into formation as a group of a dozen goblins charged at us, wielding crude weapons or weapons scavenged from the dead. Too bad for them as they'd pick the wrong group to mess with.
Tenna's crossbow was not a common type. Three bolts could be loaded at a time, and so three goblins fell before they even got to us. Another fell after Elorai shot a small lightning bolt at it. After that, it was up to me, Rashid, and Lex. The goblins didn't stand a chance. Their weapons did little to Rashid's armor while Lex clearly had more skill in the blade than I, although his choice of weapon was a curved scimitar-like blade.
Heads were lopped off, and blood coated the dirt liberally. It was sort of sad, but I didn't let that thought linger. These were dungeon mobs made to kill. This wasn't some natural environment we were encroaching upon, but something created by the system for this purpose. After we were done, we collated the loot and headed onward.
We ran into a few more packs of goblins, moles twice, and a few crabs which looked similar to those in a game I'd once played, except these, moved very fast, and could scale walls so when they came it was running down sideways from the walls clacking their pincers, and they were more durable than the other mobs. Lucky Rashids axe did a good job, and enough force could get through. I'd be able to cut off some limbs, but I didn't have the strength to swing that powerfully. Not yet anyway.
Eventually, we came upon a door.
"This is it." Elorai turned to me. "You sure you wanna come in."
"I have my ability ready and you can heal afterward," I said. "Or should I just get it over with?" Boost had a backlash, but I wanted to fight while using it. Sure it was like a drug but I could handle it better now, especially the backlash which would only take me to my knees now.
"Let's save it for if things go wrong," Lex said.
"Which they won't," Eloria said. "We've got this. Now, Jericho, the ogre isn't too dangerous. The main worry is his strength, but he's not very fast, and he's clumsy. Just make sure your attacks are quick and don't linger. He has regeneration and an ability that lets him turn the dirt around him into the mud. Do not stay close for too long."
Together we headed in through the door which vanished behind us, leaving us in a circular chamber, made of dirt like everything else, except at its center was a ten-foot creature with brown skin, a wide mouth full of sharp teeth, and a rather dangerous-looking club. The only thing covering him was a loincloth, and though he was more fat than muscle, I knew that was deceiving.
He let out a roar and charged, but before he took the first step, three arrows him, one taking him in the end. A bolt of lightning shot at the hand holding the club which caused the ogre to drop it. Lex and I rushed in. I went right, he went left. I stabbed my sword in, and ran with it, cutting him open while Lex leaped up and cut his other eye. Then we were gone. It happened so fast, the ogre was left in confusion.
Then another bolt hit, and the ogre roared, a wave of brown light surging beneath his feet and spreading around him in a wave. Luckily it didn't go too far. The around him turned to mud, but he didn't sink in. He reached back down for his club, but another bolt of lightning hit him followed by two more steel bolts.
Then Rashid was there. He let out a roar and used his racial trait. His axe came around and embedded itself into the troll's neck. Rashid was easily 6ft5 and with his long arms, he was able to reach up. However, the troll did manage to smack him, sending him tumbling into the mud. However, the ogre didn't follow. He tried to pull the lodged axe out, but he was being peppered by spells and bolts. Then his ability ran out, and the mud hardened. Lex and I were back at it.
This entire time, we'd been running around him. So he couldn't face us all. I hit his legs, while Lex actually jumped onto its back and drove his scimitar into the open wound to join the axe. He dropped off, leaving the sword behind as the ogre began to wobble. He futilely tried to free the weapons, but it was too late. He dropped like a sack of potatoes.
"That was… too easy," I said.
"That's because we're in a group and these are the top floors, so there's no adjustments or anything," Lex said as he moved to the corpse and pulled out his weapon. We spent the next few minutes congratulating each other, and after the fight, we each received a separate dungeon reward and a combined reward. I ended up getting some silver, and some herbs which Eloria told me would be worth some coin. The rest got some coins and a mix of different things. The main prize was the hardened shining brown bar that Rashid said was called Algulite. It was a dungeon metal and would net them gold which they'd split with me even though I said it was fine.
We were joking when we got back to the dungeon entrance, however, it was there that my smile faded as I spotted a familiar face among the crowd. The arrogant youth was with his group, and I tried to look away in time, but he caught my eye and was already walking over.
"Fuck."
"What?" Lex asked.
"Prick incoming." I nodded to the prick in question, and the others to my surprise and joy immediately took up position next to me as if to say he's with us. A warmth blossomed in my chest. I hadn't felt this in forever.
"Well, if it isn't the F-ranker." He stopped a few feet away, eyeing the others beside me.
"Not an F-ranked, not an adventurer."
"Of course not." He sniffed. "They wouldn't take someone below even F-rank."
"And yet they took you in," Lex said, shaking his head. "Jericho, do you know this idiot?"
"I'm afraid I don't," I said.
"Then let's leave," Eloria said, and we were all about to turn when the idiot spoke again. "How about a clash?"
We all froze, though I was a second late since I didn't know what they meant.
Elorai turned and shot the idiot a hard look. "You want a fight, fool?" She looked down at him like a bug. "Why would we fight you?"
"A true adventure wouldn't run from a bat—"
"A true adventurer wouldn't start fights for no reason," Tenna interrupted. "Let's not entertain this idiot any longer."
"Ten gold! You win and you get ten gold."
We all looked at each other and naturally, huddled into a circle. I spoke first. "Sorry about this, the guy tried to pick on me, I didn't let him, and well you can guess the rest. But, you don't need to do this."
"No, we dont," Elorai said. "But we will. Ten gold split between us is two gold each, and his group has five. I've seen him before. He's not that much stronger, and we've got an ace." She looked at me. I nodded but did I want to reveal an ability now? People had gathered around the moment the word clash had been spoken which was clearly like a duel, but for groups. And I could even hear people placing bets. We hadn't even agreed yet.
"I'm in," Lex said and the others agreed. I looked back at the arrogant idiot and decided this needed to end.
I grinned. "Let's go kick his ass then."