"Get up everyone, we are leaving in two hours. Eat your food and arrange your belongings".
Like everyone Sam and his team members also started packing. "Don't forget your dagger Melodia", Haru reminded her. Teams started taking their position. Team arrangement was like this: team with more than two A rank members in the forefront, followed by B rank team, then C and last was made of D, E and F rank members. All in all their were 15 teams.
The campaign leaders took to the front and made a speech to increase everyone's morale after which they started going down the stairs.
Usually there are 200-300 stairs with a smaller corridor following it and this continues for few times. All in all there are 3000 stairs at minimum between two floors. Once in a while group of monster will attack them and they fought with previous day's strategy.
"The stairs go on and on. I wonder how long it will take us to reach the 10th floor", said Melodia.
'The glow of the wall is decreasing Sei', Sam pointed out. Sei also noticed this anomaly but couldn't explain the reason. As they continued going down the light from the wall decreased considerably so much that they had to light torches to move. In the darkness the air also started to feel chilly. Sometimes monsters would approach them only to be killed but everyone moved carefully that no fatality was reported.
"Wow! It's like a whole different world in here", what they were seeing paled in comparison to any light show Sam had seen. The whole floor was mysteriously covered in light given out by various plants and monsters. Turns out darkness had forced monsters to evolve and many now produce their own light. The seen was something Sam had seen only in movies.
"Never knew a place like this existed", Haru said this while an insect with glowing wings sat on his shoulder.
[Being deprived of darkness the monsters have evolved themselves to produce light. They are constantly consuming mana from the air to do this. It is a very rare phenomenon of monsters using mana on such large scale unless..], Sei stopped speaking in the middle.
'Unless what?', Sam gulped in nervousness. "Everyone do not leave your position and don't get distracted. They are monsters just like you have seen till now"'. Even the team leaders were not sure how to react to this development.
"How can you expect me to kill this baby", Melodia was jumping on the sight of a glowing bunny. They continued moving with utmost care not sure of what was waiting for them.
"Start searching for the signs of the nest", Leon, one of the campaign leader said to his companions. They all dispersed to search for the nest.
"We should search for the signs of the nest", Sam explained his strategy that he learned with his master from his previous quest. Because of the darkness they couldn't see very far and any noise would create a large disturbance that they don't want.
'Sei can you sense any unnatural energy flow or things like that', Sam asked Sei for his help.
[Go to your right. Since we arrived on this floor that one place is radiating energy crazily], Sei could see the energy flow far right in much higher concentration.
Guiding his team mates Sam asked them to move cautiously. Unlike others, Sam's team was moving in opposite direction and this didn't go unnoticed by Carl, an A rank adventurer. He started following them in secret.
As they closed on the place Sei alerted Sam of the sudden rise in energy. A large lake which had glowing fishes in it and in the middle of it grew a large red flower giving out slight red hue, and in the middle of the flower was a black egg. The egg looked twice the size of an ostrich's egg.
"Can you see that egg?", asked Haru.
"A dragon's egg, I have heard of a rumor that dragons lay their egg in grandiose place and in utmost safety", Melodia 's eyes were shining.
'What is that, Sei. Do you know anything about a dragon's egg?', Sam asked Sei.
[I have no collection of anything related to a dragon's egg. But whatever that thing is it is releasing energy like anything], Sei explained Sam.
Carl who was seeing the egg from far heard Melodia's dragon egg talk and smiled. He came out of hiding and started moving towards the egg. Seeing him came out of nowhere they all were startled but before they can act Carl had already jumped on the flower.
"Now you are mine", Carl said this with a big smile. Carl was already in heaven on the rewards he will get once he sell it.
*Badum *Badum Sam felt intense pain in his chest and he broke in sweat. On the other side before Carl touched the egg, the egg wiggled and small cracks started forming on the shell. It was hatching.
'Run as fast as you can Sam if you want to live! RUN!!], Ryuu who had been sleeping till now woke after sensing the danger.
"Sam! What is happening to you?", Melodia and Haru noticed Sam falling on the ground while clutching his chest and rushed to him.
"Run", with a weak voice Sam pushed Haru away. Before they could act they all heard a loud scream and looked towards the egg.
The egg had hatched and a small animal now laid there. It had the appearance of a wolf, white fur, two large ivory teeth and a horn on his forehead and had three big tails like a whip. His whole appearance puzzled everybody as nobody knew anything like that.
"Run ", Sam once again warned Melodia and Haru.