⦗Discovered Landmark!⦘
"Wow! Did the cold go on vacation?" Bob stood starry eyed as he took in the change of scenery. The gloomy and dark areas were replaced with a massive, well illuminated hall. The space was huge, and there was a fountain at the centre, "I hope that is water, though."
"It's water… well, I've been drinking from the fountains all my life so, uhm, believe it?" Freya was just as shocked as Bob. She had never been to these parts, and believed all areas of the dungeon to be the same! The hard floor was replaced by spiked grass, and the pungent odours nonexistent.
"You mean there is no other water sources?" Bob turned around and gave Freya a shocked face, but she just shrugged without saying another word. He recalled something she said, and froze up, "I guess you weren't joking about killing and eating stuff from this place?"
"When you're hungry, I guess you have to." Freya held her chin, then lowered her gaze, "Unless you want to resort to cannibalism? If you want, I can arrange you a fire in a few minutes. If so, how would you like your meat? Rare, medium-rare or well-done?"
"This is not the time for jokes…" Bob watched Aquarius rush to the fountain, and shouted, "Wait! Do you want to drink before us? Tsk, where has the patience of old travelled to?"
"Uh, Bob." Freya turned her gaze away from the water, and she had a grim look in her eyes, "The hall is massive, and beautiful. There is water, and it's overflowing. We should be on our guard."
"Yes, yes! My thoughts exactly!" Bob nodded, but he noticed Freya was stepping towards him, "I can't imagine what would happen if something lunged out of the water and attacked us."
Bob sighed, blinked, and Freya was gone. His heart drummed against his chest, and he turned to the fountain. To his shock, Freya had already buried her face in the water and the demon lord took it as a chance to bury his two. Watching them, Bob felt his stomach churn.
"Er… Em… Just keep at it, because I am definitely not thirty." Bob would rather die of hunger and respawn than drink water tainted by these barbarians, 'Are we in the stone age? Why drink with her face buried in when she had a few — probably stolen — cups in her inventory?'
"Ah… so sweet…" Freya lifted her head from the water, and staring at her face for a second, Bob felt his heart beat spike. She did not notice this, splashing the water around with her hands, "There's nothing inside, Boss! You can come have a drink."
"No, thank you. I just said—" Bob cleared his throat and shifted his gaze to the wall and his eyes narrowed to needlepoint, forcing him to leap back and pulling out his dagger — the legendary flame serpent fangs! A monster lunged out of the wall.
It had the body of a black snake and the head of a lion, its eyes as red as rubies and scales were as dark as the night. As it roared, its whiskers trembled, expelling a fierce bot breath into Bob's face, forcing the man to lift one hand to block the attack.
"Oh, a monster." Freya stepped away from the fountain, turning to the monster that lunged out of the wall, then rolling her eyes to the side, "Should I deal with this one or should you, Aquarius? We'll have a competition if you want that, though?"
Aquarius's ears perked up hearing the word 'competition' and it raised its head, focusing it gaze on Freya. It wriggled its waist and aimed for the approaching monsters, his fangs bared. Freya saw it prepare, then grinned, "Who kills that guy first gets to ask Bob a question!"
"No. You don't." Bob face palmed, spinning the dagger in his fingers as he stared Freya, thinking she would be wagging her tail if she had one, "You are clearly thinking that you've already won this competition. I, as the leader, do not approve."
"Why do you say that?" Freya raised a hand and placed it on her chin, rolling her gaze from the demon lord to Bob, and she continued in a murmur, "I considered everything so there is no way—"
"Aquarius can't talk." Bob replied simply.
The monster had already exited the wall by now, towering over Bob and opening its mouth wide, letting out a terrifying ear-splitting roar and sending fiery spittle flying. Bob felt one touch him and it scalded! He felt his skin shrivel, and Bob stood stunned, "Another worm?"
"Why don't we change the game rewards then?" Freya frowned, furrowed her brows and closed her eyes, entering a deep thought. After a while she snapped her finger and smiled, "Whoever wins would have Bob give them something in return! Whatever he deems worthy, that is."
She turned to Aquarius, laughing in her heart, but the wolf had vanished! It leaped into the air, rushing forward with all its might at the monster. It roared, spewing a bright red liquid at Aquarius but the demon lord nimbly dodged it. That time was enough for Freya to make a move.
Freya dashed at a fast speed, but the wolf already had the lead and its paws were about to crash on the shocked lion-snake monster. Freya threw her blades, and they flew forth — striking the beast in different parts of its body whilst Aquarius attack hit home!
⦗Demon Lord Dealt Critical Damage to Ancient Snake!⦘
⦗Freya Dealt Critical Damage to Ancient Snake!⦘
Before either could follow up to kill the beast, a fiery dagger hurtled through the air, spinning at a fast speed until it sliced off the snake's head and slammed into the wall behind it. Blood splattered as Bob stared sheepishly at the fallen beast, "I guess I am not giving anyone anything."
⦗Killed Ancient Snake!⦘
⦗Claimed 2500 XP!⦘
"That's not allowed!" Freya shouted angrily as she turned to Bob who shrugged with the shrewd — sheepish ahh — smile on his face. Her face turning bright red, and steam emitting from his ears, "I would not allow you ruin the fruits of out labour! You have to compensate."
The walls began to churn, and the atmosphere in the room changed. Bob held his chin, then with a cold gleam in his eyes, he turned to the walls, "More monsters are coming. Let's do it like this: The worker with the highest kills will get a reward! I'll deci—"
⦗Freya Killed Ancient Snake!⦘
⦗Claimed 1250 XP!⦘
⦗Freya Killed Ancient Snake!⦘
⦗Claimed 1250 XP!⦘
Freya stood with her fist on the wall, a cruel gleam in her eyes as she turned to Bob, and seeing the stunned expression on his face as Aquarius's jaw dropped to the floor, she grinned, "I won, fufu."
'I should have expected that…' Bob sighed, then clenched his fists, his hand trembling, "Okay. As the winner, you get to ask me one question. To this question, I can reply only yes or no."
"So, Boss." Freya withdrew her fists from the wall, turning to Bob, "Are you a demon or human?"