AAAAAAAAA---"
The mysterious woman screamed as well, making herself even more terrifying with her sharp, pointed teeth visible, as if she wanted to devour them.
"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! If you want to kill us, do it inside the first floor!" Landon exclaimed, trying to free his foot from her grip.
"RIGHT! So we can revive again!" Maelyrra pulled his hand, attempting to drag him away from the woman. But her grip was too strong, causing Landon to fall.
"OH GODDESS, please forgive me for kicking a woman!"
Landon prayed before trying to kick the woman's head, but she dodged each attempt, making him panic.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HER!"
Maelyrra, now annoyed, lifted her staff to hit the woman's head, but she moved it side to side, making it difficult for Maelyrra to land a blow.
"DAMN! This annoying woman!"
Frustrated, she raised her staff higher, trying to smack the woman but accidentally hitting Landon's foot instead, making him flinch.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, MAELYRRA?" he protested, his foot swelling from the blow.
"AKH! What are both of you doing? Just fight her, Osson! It's not like she's that strong!"
Ismene glared at the dwarf, who was casually brushing his long beard while resting his ax on his shoulder.
"Well, that armor is too precious to destroy," he said, taking the ax in both hands. "Yeah, I think it's made out of overlord dragon scales."
"DO SOMETHING THEN!" The three of them shouted at Osson, who just shrugged.
"AHHH! I'm sorry, lady, but please don't eat me! My meat is tough and venomous!" Landon pleaded, trying to reason with the woman whose hair now completely covered her face.
"Eat? What do you mean I'm gonna eat you? I don't eat humans; they're disgusting."
She said this as she brushed her hair away, revealing her face. Despite her menacing eyes, she was beautiful rather than terrifying.
"Oh... I see... But can you let go of my foot?"
He pleaded again, this time blushing. He was weak when it came to beautiful women. It was different from both of the women in his party though, he already saw their bad side to the point he didn't have any feelings toward them.
"Ah, sorry. I just don't want you guys to leave me."
She released his foot and attempted to stand, though she staggered and had to support herself against the wall.
"What are you doing? Your face is red!" Maelyrra pouted, helping Landon to his feet.
"You are just imagining things," Landon muttered, trying to cover his embarrassment.
"You're not a teenager anymore; stop being embarrassed around women!" Ismene sighed. "So why were you sleeping in the middle of the street? More importantly, who are you?" She crossed her arms, eyeing the woman suspiciously.
"Oh, me?" She pointed at herself and cleared her throat. "My name is—" But before she could answer, she flopped to the ground again. "I'm—" Her stomach grumbled loudly.
"Well, I guess she's one of us now," Maelyrra said as her own stomach rumbled in sympathy. She wasn't a monster who'd leave a hungry woman to die alone. Everyone deserved to eat!
"Right? Let's help her. I want to see that armor up close," Osson nodded in satisfaction.
Landon just tilted his head and ended up helping her stand before ultimately carrying her toward their next destination: the first floor!
"Wait! Why are you just carrying her like that? She's suspicious!" Ismene facepalmed but ended up following them anyway.
As they neared the door leading to the first floor, they saw more creatures and parties gathered. There were many races: elves, dwarves, half-beasts, hobbits, and of course, humans.
They happily passed through the towering door, at least 30 meters high, bathed in light coming down from it.
As Landon's party stepped inside, they were welcomed by sunlight and the sound of wind. The beautiful clearing with a blue sky was dotted with strolling monsters and other parties busy fighting them.
"This is... the first floor," the woman murmured.
"Yes! The Harmony Hollow! This is the easiest floor with normal terrain like mountains, lakes, and such," Maelyrra explained joyfully. She loved this floor for its warm, home-like atmosphere.
"That's... so plain," the woman squinted at the sunlight.
"Hey! This dungeon is an architectural masterpiece, you know! It's just too neat with many unique environments and beautiful terrains!" Ismene looked offended. She had been to many dungeons, and this was the best one!
"Nah, I've seen better."
"You—"
"Stop fighting, guys! Let's eat somewhere!" Maelyrra led the way.
They continued their journey while Ismene still looked annoyed with the mysterious woman, whose name they didn't even know yet.
As they walked, the monsters became more visible and varied. But they didn't attack if they didn't hit them first. The monsters on this floor were relatively tame compared to another floor.
After a while, they arrived at a small town nestled within the dungeon's first floor, its medieval architecture quaint yet bustling with life. Wooden houses, their timbers weathered by time, lined the cobblestone streets that wound through the heart of the settlement.
The town hummed with activity as numerous parties moved to and fro, their footsteps echoing against the worn stones. At the heart of it all, the bustling market square beckoned with its colorful stalls.
Merchants called out their wares, from potions and enchanted trinkets to freshly baked bread and savory meats. The aroma of spices and grilled food drifted through the air, mingling with the laughter and chatter of adventurers swapping tales of dungeon conquests.
"Maelyrra, stop drooling over that meat satay. We're going to Master Lai's pub. Did you forget we don't have any money left?" Ismene said, holding Maelyrra back from one of the food stalls.
"AAHHH! I CAN'T! I'M SO HUNGRY!" the woman dropped to the ground, crawling toward a shop. Landon who was startled, grabbed her feet.
"Stop! You're embarrassing us! We're poor, you know."
His face reddened, especially when he glimpsed the woman's underwear. He closed his eyes tightly and ended up dragging her feet until they reached a cottage with a restaurant sign.
"Ahhh~ finally, we can eat," they all said in unison as they went inside the restaurant.