The two have already hidden behind the wall to the side, with Rei now wondering if they can even handle the red demon over there.
'There's only one way to try, right?'
But Rei had a seriously bad feeling about it. He was currently listening for footsteps coming their way, but surprisingly, none ever did.
"W-what is that?" Avery whispered, everyone else also gathered around them, the same question written on their face.
Rei thought about it for a moment. The first time he saw the red demon, it was heading for the same place, though seeing as it was feasting on the goblins this time around.
'Don't tell me this monster goes around cleaning other's messes.'
He took a small peek and, without even realizing it, was holding his breath. Rei still saw it feasting on the goblin flesh, having ignored them.
'Or did it?'
He pondered about it for a second as he stepped outside of the room and into the one the demon was in.
"What the fuck are you doing!?"
Mark voiced out quietly yet clearly, and honestly, he could have thought the same thing, why would he be risking his third run, which was so successful, to die here?
'It's not like I'm planning on dying right now.'
But he wanted to check something.
The demon didn't notice him, which made him feel slightly relief. Before Rei threw the dagger near it. Which made everyone's eyes go wide unbeknownst to Rei.
BAM
The red demon instantly punched where the dagger was, and note that it was on its side with the blade sticking out. Which made Rei flinch a bit thinking of how painful that would be.
But when the demon pulled his fist back, there was no scratch. Rather, the dagger was wholly destroyed into shards.
'What the!? Is this a secret boss or something?'
The demon then continued feasting.
Mark pulled Rei back, before hissing out softly, "Are you fucking out of your mind?"
Rei hissed in pain from Mark's tight grip on his shoulder, he tried to get his hand off him, but he was too weak.
"Jeez control your damn strength. And no, it was a calculated risk."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It wasn't coming at us, so it was focused on the corpses, and even though it could've seen me when I went out earlier, it only fully focused on us when Avery said something."
"So what?"
"I'm saying, it's-"
"Blind." Seraline finished the sentence, and with a grim face, she then asked, "So we have a chance at sneaking out, yes?"
"Yeah, we could stay near the right side and avoid it, It's probably best if we leave this place." Rei nods, before turning to Mark.
"Can you let me go now?" Which Mark did, after a few seconds.
Rei let out a "Finally." While also thinking of how the demon found this place to feast, did it hear the battle? But how could he hear corpses? Maybe it used its sense of smell.
'Can it smell the dead? No, I shouldn't overthink it. It can smell blood.'
While the others were still thinking, Rei started stripping.
"What are you doing?" Avery asked after Rei took off his uniform, leaving him with a white shirt that had some splashes of blood around the collar.
"The demon can smell blood, that is how it found this place, because of the carnage it was lured in by the massive amount of blood. And why it's feasting on the hill of goblins was because it was the bloodiest place. Probably."
With that explanation, Rei also instructed some of them to strip off whatever bloody clothing they were wearing, including Cherry's tracksuit, Mark took off his leather jacket with an irritated grunt, and the other three were left with whatever shirt they were wearing underneath.
'My pants may be much more bloody than my uniform.'
But would he be that shameless to fight in his boxer? Instead, he tried his best to wipe his pants with some of the clean undersides of the uniform, which, didn't work too much but eh.
"Alright, this should be enough."
Rei said before walking over to the right side of the exit, walking near the walls far away from the demon. The rest followed, and Clara finally took off the veil, and Cherry was helping her walk.
Rei was staring at the demon intensely while sticking to the wall and moving at a fast pace, careful to not make any noise.
He observed that the demon seemed... Bigger, muscular, or was he wrong? No, the more it ate, its muscles seemed to pulse and grow slightly.
'Ahhh you have to be kidding me.'
Great, a boss that grows stronger each time it eats, it already finished the hill of corpses and was picking the rest.
Thankfully, the group managed to reach the exit and began making their way out. Rei also picked up a shortsword and placed the dagger he had on his belt.
While they were making their way to the crossroads, Rei noticed that the goblin archer's corpse was missing. Eaten by the demon most likely.
'And I was planning on taking its mana shard.'
Now, on the path, Rei leads the group to the way where he died, the room that descends to other floors and leads to one unexplored room, the boss room, and the prison room. Rei will just call it the main room.
He also proceeded to tell them what he knew, telling them he had explored much earlier, and when they asked how he explored so much. He begins to act thoughtfully before conveying a reason he'll be using in future runs.
"Maybe we weren't summoned at the same time?"
Boom, it's fantasy. Anything can happen, so they accept it.
"God... Do we need to go deeper to leave this place?" Avery shivered while looking down.
"Doesn't that seem like the exit?" Cherry pointed out the big gate.
"You'll be right with that, but we can't leave yet," Rei replied.
"Why?" Cherry asked.
"Because a guardian is protecting it. So we'll be staying for a while, our goals are simple-"
"Can't we try to kill it? We have power in numbers now." Seraline inquired.
"The earlier monstrosity we saw can destroy a dagger with its bare fist, without being cut. I wonder if we can even injure this one."
"I see..."
"So first, we find food and water, or just water. Second, we grow stronger. Three, we find out more about this place."
They seemed to agree, most having a thoughtful expressions on though, Rei continued leading the group to the left passage, and Avery followed beside him.
"Hey dude."
"Yeah?"
"You know I'm kinda curious about how you kept your glasses on during that fight."
"Oh that, I just kept adjusting them when I had the time. But yeah, kinda surprised they didn't drop during it while I was busy just dodging."
Rei adjusted his glasses once again while continuing. The passage led to another entrance in the caverns, however, this time they saw something heavenly.
"W-water!" Avery stuttered out as he began running towards the pool of water at the right, the rest followed, including Rei.
'About time, I was so damn thirsty!'
But he then stopped in his tracks, was he letting his guard down? Perhaps something was protecting the pool, looking around there were no monsters, what about inside the pool? Maybe he was just too paranoid.
When Avery reached the pool, he immediately cupped his hands together and gathered water into it, before being blasted away, something had done the move [Hydro Pump] right at Avery and blasted him away by 10ft.
The water then flowed back into the pool, Avery wasn't even soaked by the end of it, and whem it all came back a figure made of water came right out, floating just above the water.
A gorgeous figure, one enviable by a lot of women, a body like that of a Goddess.
"Now, who gave you permission to touch my precious water?"
The water spirit smiled mischievously, before looking at the others around the pool.
"Ah, Otherworlders, are you all dying for a drink?"
The rest summoned their runes in caution upon seeing that she was wielding a scythe of water.
"Oh? No no, I'm not looking to fight. Actually, I have a deal for all of you."
"A deal?" Mark asked, and the water spirit nodded.
Rei liked the sound of that.
"You'll just have to kill a monster for me, the goblin queen down a floor from here-"
"So you won't give us any water before so!?- Glurgh!?" A blob of water shot into his mouth, shutting him up before he swallowed it all.
"Of course, all of you can drink my water. But, if you don't kill her in... Let's say, 30 days, you'll die. Sounds good?"
A glint in her eye appeared, or maybe Rei just imagined it, but she definately meant what she said.
The others look at each other for a moment, for Rei, this choice was obvious to extend his run time, even if he can't complete the request this time. He can try again next time, with more information, experience, and skill.
"I accept," Rei said and approached, the water lady smiled.
"Then you can drink." She gestured to the water, before floating down in the center and sitting cross-legged, watching as the rest also accepted with a smile.
Rei satisfied his thirst, it was probably the best-tasting water he's ever had, or maybe it was just because of his thirst.
Once all of them finished drinking, the water lady's smile turned... Dangerous? Yet even more charming-
"And with that, the contract is complete."
[Contract Quest]
Objective: Kill the Goblin Queen on the second floor.
Time Limit: 30 Days (29:24:60:58)
Rej glanced at the quest in surprise, but this gives him a good timer for how long they will stay here.
And finally, he could do something he's always been thinking of...