章 53: chapter Fifty Three
*RAAAAAAARGH*
The six meter tall Kraelion reared up on its hind legs, raising both of its claws and slamming it down on a charging Chrome.
Chrome raised his shield without even slowing down, charging straight into the beast's claws for an epic clash.
|| Cover Move ||
That didn't happen as Chrome vanished right before impact, leaving the beast swiping through the air and slamming into the ground with full force, over extending itself.
Kitti yelped as Chrome appeared in front of her immediately dashing at the still dazed Kraelion.
Chrome's cleaver bit deep into the beasts shoulder, causing the roar in pain as its venom tipped claws ripped through the air, forcing him to roll right under its swipe.
Taking advantage of the beast's unstable balance, Shade's claymore bit into the beast's right hind leg while Kitti launched a vicious uppercut into the beast's chin.
The force of the uppercut transmits through the Kraelion's skull, stunning and disorienting the beast.
The beast's head snaps back, its jaw askew, as it staggers backward. Its venomous claws flail wildly, but without coordination or accuracy as Its hind legs buckle, causing the Kraelion to drop to one knee.
Chrome seizes the moment to strike at the Kraelion's exposed flank. Shade's claymore bites deeper into the beast's hind leg, exacerbating the injury. Petra unleashes a barrage of arrows, targeting the Kraelion's vulnerable face and neck. Arin charges forward, his massive frame ready to deliver the finishing blow.
The green stripes along the beast's sides glow furiously as the Kraelion roars a toxic breath towards the charging warrior.
Arin's eyes snapped wide as the Kraelion's toxic breath hurtled toward him. He attempted to halt his charge, but momentum carried him forward.
|| Cover Move || Cover ||
A grinning Chrome appears before Arin, his tomb shaped shield deflecting the toxic breath. The venomous fumes slid off the shield, eating through the ground to the far left and right. Chrome's strength wavered, his vision blurring from the putrid stench of the poison.
"Finish it!" Bekhan shouted, his barrier faltering.
Shade's claymore ripped through the beast's hind leg, severing tendons and crushing bone. Petra's arrows pierced the Kraelion's face and neck, finding vulnerable spots between its scales.
Kitti's gauntlet erupted with a milky aura as she delivered a crushing blow to the Kraelion's exposed chest. The beast's roar turned to a pained squeal, its body shuddering under the relentless assault.
Arin, now free from the toxic breath's danger, used Chrome's broad back as a springboard, leaping into the air. His massive frame slammed into the Kraelion, his sword raised high.
"Come on!" Chrome bellowed.
Arin's sword descended, slicing through the Kraelion's neck. The beast's head separated from its body, its toxic breath dissipating into the air. The Kraelion's lifeless body crashed to the ground, sending shockwaves through the meadows.
The party stood victorious, their chests heaving with exhaustion.
The rest of the beasts, seeing their leader slain, scattered immediately in a messy retreat.
"By the gods," Petra whispered, her eyes wide with awe. "We did it."
Bekhan's barrier dissipated, his hands shaking from the strain. "What a scenario to wake up to." he said, a hint of a smile on his lips.
Chrome sheathed his cleaver, his gaze sweeping the meadows. "We're not done yet. There's still the second floor monsters."
Bekhan's smile faltered. "Monsters? We just barely survived this battle. If these aren't the monsters then..."
Chrome sighed. "I understand what you're saying, and I thought so as well, but halfway through the third pack back when you were all still unconscious, something started watching me. I couldn't see it, but I could feel its gaze and my instincts told me it was dangerous, so we should retreat and regroup."
"No way... What the hell kind of dungeon is this!? I refuse to believe those weren't the dungeon monsters trying to kill us." Chiyo, finally awake, cried in despair as her short sword trembled.
"Chrome's is right though." Shade walked up to the trio, his party's rogue in tow. He gestured to his rogue. "Bone?"
Before the rogue could begin, The large brawler, Kitti walked up to the group alongside the samurai Jean.
The scruffy haired rogue nodded. "Right. While you guys dealt with the alpha, I took the liberty of scouting our surroundings for any unusual threats."
"How?" Chiyo asked her fellow rogue. "We were still surrounded by dozens of Kraelions.
Bone shrugged, "I'm that good." Shade chuckled.
"Anyway, I discovered other creatures close by, large fearsome creatures that would be just as dangerous as these Kraelion abominations, but they weren't bothered by us at all. They were simply grazing in the grass and various flora." Bone continued and realization dawned on the group as the had a collective frown.
"Dungeon animals, shit, and Kraelions are naturally predators so of course they'd attack us. Chrome you mentioned we're in the second floor, if we are, then the Kraelions were way too weak for a dungeon monster. As unlikely as this sounds, we might be dealing with a dungeon from the stories of legends. An S rank dungeon. We have to retreat and regroup." Kitti groaned.
"Retreat and regroup?" Chiyo repeated, her voice laced with frustration. "We just barely survived that battle. What's waiting for us on the second floor that's worse than those... things?"
Shade's expression turned grim. "We don't know, but we can't afford to find out unprepared. An S rank dungeon, damn. Bone, how many of those creatures did you see?"
Bone rubbed the back of his neck. "At least a dozen, scattered across the meadows. They seemed to be... grazing, like I said. But their size, their presence... it's unsettling."
Jean spoke up, his voice measured. "We should prioritize regrouping and reassessing our gear. We can't take on unknown threats without a solid plan."
Kitti nodded, her massive frame sagging in relief. "Thank the gods someone's talking sense. I don't think I can handle another fight like that anytime soon."
Shade's eyes narrowed. "Not here, though. Those creatures might not be interested in us now, but that could change."
Chrome's hands still shook from the strain of using his shield for so long. "I agree with Shade. We need to move, but cautiously. Something is still watching us."
Chrome's gaze swept the meadows once more. "There should be a cave system east from here. I spotted it when we were falling. We can reassess our gear and plan our next move from there."
Bekhan watched as some of the adventurers started placing the beast corpses in their storage pouches. "The head count just came in, five of us died from the fall, two of us died to the Kraelions, there's thirty of us here still alive. Dear Suho, there were sixty of us for this raid."
"Don't forget, our scouts are still mia, six of them." Jean mentioned.
An archer from the pink petals party made herself known. "Uhm, I'm Prim and uh, our party leader is still on the first floor with those girls from Maple Tree."
Chrome smiled. "Oh yeah, Daisy right? Yeah she's fine, the twins are stronger than me."
"So that's nine of them not here, plus thirty of us here, that's thirty nine." Jean shrugged.
Bekhan clutched his prayer beads. "That's still twenty one of us dead in a single noon. We shouldn't have come here."
"Nothing we can do now, but survive, let's move." Shade frowned.
The party began their retreat, their movements wary and deliberate. As they distanced themselves from the rest of the Kraelion's lifeless bodies, the meadows seemed to grow quieter, the air thickening with anticipation.
Shade's voice dropped to a whisper. "Keep your eyes open. We don't know what's waiting for us."
The group of thirty, spent the next few minutes walking alongside the bank of a sizzling purple river before noticing the cave opening behind a hill.
As they crested the hill, the cave's entrance came into view, its mouth a dark, ominous void in the hillside. The air around them seemed to grow heavier, the silence oppressive.
"Alright, let's get inside," Shade whispered, his eyes scanning the surrounding area. "We don't know what's watching us."
Chrome led the way, his shield at the ready. The group filed into the cave, their footsteps echoing off the rough stone walls. The air inside was stale, the darkness absolute.
"Light," A few mages murmured, hands weaving intricate patterns. Soft, blue-green luminescence bloomed from fingertips, illuminating the cave.
The group's collective sigh of relief was palpable as they took in their surroundings. The cave was spacious, the ceiling lost in darkness. A series of ledges and outcroppings provided natural seating. Patches of glowing blue mushrooms providing light further down the cave.
"Let's take a moment to reassess," Jean suggested, his voice low. "We need to prioritize our gear and plan our next move."
Kitti collapsed onto a nearby ledge, her massive frame sagging in exhaustion. "Thank the gods for solid ground."
Prim, the Pink Petals archer, approached Chrome. "Hey, Chrome? Do you think Daisy and the others are okay?"
Chrome's expression turned grim. "I hope so. Eventually we'll have to send a party to retrieve them once we're better prepared, though personally I think they're ok."
Shade began to pace, his eyes narrowed. "We need to know what we're up against. Bone, can you tell us more about the other creatures you saw?"
Chrome, Kitti and Bekhan perked up at this, new bit of information. "Other creature?" Chrome voiced out their thoughts.
Bone leaned against the cave wall, his eyes fixed on the ground. "It was huge, easily three times the size of the Kraelions. Almost as big as the cyclops. Scales as black as coal, eyes that glowed like embers. It seemed... civilized... It had a bow."
The group's collective unease was palpable. An S-rank dungeon was completely new territory.
"We need to be smart about this," Jean said, his voice measured. "We can't take on unknown threats without a solid plan."
As the group began to discuss their next move, an adventurer studied one of the glowing blue mushrooms.
The adventurer, Pota, gently plucked the mushroom, its glow intensifying in his hand. "Guys, look at this," he said, his voice filled with curiosity.
His partner paused her pacing, her eyes narrowing. "What is it?"
"It's a Luminous Spore," Pota replied, his eyes shining with excitement. "They're rare, mostly found in the general area of the Kelpe forest. This could be a valuable resource."
Bekhan's interest piqued, he walked over to Pota. "How valuable?"
"Extremely," Pota said, his voice measured. "Luminous Spores can enhance magical abilities, amplify healing potions, and even grant temporary resistance to toxins."
Chrome's gaze snapped toward the deeper recesses of the cave. "Are there more?"
His partner nodded as Pota continued. "I saw several clusters growing further in. We could harvest them, but we need to be careful. The spores are fragile, and the cave's ecosystem is likely delicate."
Kitti groaned, her massive frame sagging further into the ledge. "Great, because we didn't have enough to worry about already."
Jean's expression turned thoughtful. "Actually, this could be an advantage. If we can harness the spores' properties, it could give us an edge against the unknown threats."
Shade's eyes narrowed. "Let's prioritize gear and strategy first. We can't afford to get distracted."
As the group continued discussing their next move, the sound of dripping water echoed through the cave, growing louder with each passing moment.
"Guys?" Prim whispered as Bone nodged her tilting his head towards the innermost part of the cave, her voice trembling. "Do you hear that?"
The group fell silent, their ears straining to pinpoint the source.
Suddenly, the sound ceased.
The silence was oppressive.
"What's going on?" Chiyo whispered.
Chrome's shield instinctively rose, his eyes scanning the darkness. "I don't know, but stay alert."
A faint rustling echoed through the cave, followed by the sound of shifting stone.
The group's collective unease was palpable.
Something was coming.
"Get ready," Shade whispered, his claymore at the ready.
The darkness seemed to coalesce into a presence, its attention fixed on the group.
"Here we go again," Kitti muttered, her gauntlet glowing with anticipation.
The group steeled themselves, bracing for the unknown threat.
But as the presence emerged from the shadows, they realized it wasn't a monster.
It was one of their own.
A grey haired scout, covered in dust and blood, stumbled into the cave's light.
"R-Run," the scout stammered, eyes wide with terror. "It's... it's coming..."
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