Noah sprinted toward the Klotvulen and punched it without hesitation. Haven't we only been fighting fairly weak monsters so far? he thought. Grimolf was surrounded by Klotvulen, his movements restricted. "Damn it, they're all targeting me," Grimolf muttered as he hacked at the creatures. Harald's golem reached in, yanked Grimolf out of the pile, and hurled him aside. The throw was so powerful that Grimolf slammed into the dungeon wall. "Aghh!" he groaned in pain. "Could you be a little gentler?"
"Sorry. At least it's better than being mobbed," Harald replied.
"Tch," Grimolf clicked his tongue, annoyed.
"Both of you, knock it off," Vannesa said as she dodged a Klotvulen and stabbed it with her dagger.
"Yeah, I don't want to waste any more time here either," Grimolf grumbled, charging back at the Klotvulen and slashing through them. Suddenly, a Klotvulen appeared behind him and swiped at his back. Clang. Its claws scraped against his armor. "Playing hide and seek, huh?" Grimolf spun around and cleaved its head off. "They're weak, but incredibly annoying."
After a while, they finally exterminated every last Klotvulen. "Second wave's over. We're about a third of the way to the rendezvous point," Zad announced.
"You're right. Let's not waste time here," Grimolf said, urging everyone to move.
"Yeah, no point lingering. At least we'll get paid after this," Harald added, stretching his arms.
"Typical. All you ever think about is money," Grimolf said.
"You say that, but what do you use to pay for drinks? Leaves?" Harald shot back.
"Enough, why do you two always argue?" Vannesa interrupted, putting a stop to it.
They continued their journey without further monster encounters until they reached the rendezvous point. "Oh, the other squad's already here," Grimolf remarked as they arrived.
"Looks like your team's still intact," Xynder commented.
"Shut up," Zad said, visibly exhausted.
"You seem to be in one piece too," Alkan noted. "Manfret, even injured, you made it here."
"Well, we haven't faced anything strong along the way," Alkan added.
"Yeah, you could say our route didn't have any monsters dangerous enough for a joint expedition," Grimolf agreed.
"Oh, Vannesa, you're looking as lovely as ever," Xynder said with a smile, stepping closer to her.
"Stop. I already have a boyfriend," Vannesa said, halting his advance with a raised hand.
"Hah? You're always joking like that," Xynder replied, still grinning.
"I'm serious." Vannesa reached out, pulled Noah's hand, and linked her arm with his.
"What's this?" Xynder's smile turned strained, his eyes narrowing at Noah.
Oh boy, I knew she'd drag me into trouble, Noah thought.
"Yep, they've been cuddling the whole trip," Harald chimed in, making the situation even more heated.
All eyes zeroed in on one person: Noah. He felt the pressure from every direction. Looks like I'll be finished off by humans, not the monsters in this dungeon.
Not long after Grimolf's squad arrived, Stadius's group finally reached the point. "What happened? Why are you the last ones here?" Alkan asked.
"We ran into a few complications," Stadius replied calmly.
Bobby checked the time; it was 11:37. "It's already this late. We'll rest for half an hour before moving on to the strongest monster's lair," he said.
"Fine," came the lazy responses from the others. Several healers began tending to the wounded. Guild staff distributed boxed lunches to the expedition members. Noah took his meal and looked for a place to sit. As soon as he sat down, Vannesa came over and settled right beside him, drawing envious glares from many around them.
"Are you tired?" Vannesa asked.
"No, my physical condition has always been pretty strong, so I don't tire easily. What about you?" Noah asked back.
"I'm a little tired, to be honest," she said with a sweet smile.
"Then rest," Noah said, his tone attentive. Once again, he sensed the sharp stares of others. Vannesa rested next to him, while Noah leaned back against the dungeon wall. Ah, I still haven't found anyone who meets my expectations from this expedition, he thought with a sigh. After we defeat the monster up ahead, this expedition will end. If I go home empty-handed, our future adventures will be difficult.
"Something wrong? You look down," Vannesa said, noticing his expression.
"No, just thinking about something else," Noah replied.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll sort it out later," she said.
After the break, everyone regrouped and prepared to enter the lair of the (A-) ranked monster. "Noah, stay close to me," Vannesa said, taking his hand.
"Alright, let's move in," Stadius commanded, leading the way. They entered the vast chamber. "Bobby, can you sense it? Where's the monster?" Stadius asked.
"I feel it's already near us," Bobby said. The group pressed forward into the enormous space.
"Wow, this place is huge," someone murmured.
"You're right," another agreed.
"Ouch!" someone yelped after apparently bumping into something. "Why is there a pillar here?"
"What's wrong?" Bobby asked.
"Nothing, I just bumped into a pillar," the person answered.
"Huh? A pillar? There shouldn't be anything like that here," someone else said.
"Calm down, stay calm," Bobby said, looking toward the person. There, they saw a gigantic monster sitting right next to the entrance, watching the group. "Bobby, is that it?" Stadius asked.
"Looks like it," Bobby replied.
"If it's that massive, why didn't we see it before?" Stadius questioned.
"I don't know, it seems we were—" BAM! A sudden strike from the monster hit Bobby and sent him flying a good distance. Along with him, thirteen others were thrown back by the impact.
"EVERYONE, ATTACK!" Stadius bellowed, drawing his greatsword and charging the creature. He managed to cut the monster, but the wound was like a mere scratch to a human. The monster flicked Stadius; he blocked with his left arm transformed into a shield. Even so, the force hurled him backward, and his body slammed into the dungeon wall with a loud crash.
The fighters scattered, each seeking their position. "HEALERS, FIND A SAFE SPOT!" Grimolf shouted.
"Yes, the healers are the priority right now; we have to protect them," Noah said as he ran, looking for an opening to attack.
Even Stadius only managed to scratch it. What can I possibly do? Noah thought.
"Vannesa, help!" Grimolf called out.
"I KNOW!" Vannesa rushed to Grimolf, touched his axe, and said, "Corruption." The axe turned pitch black, radiating a dark aura.
"THANK YOU!" Grimolf roared, swinging the axe into the monster's leg. The gash Grimolf made was deeper than what Stadius had inflicted. Isn't Stadius supposed to be the strongest here? Noah mused. Looks like Vannesa's skill enhances weapons.
Stadius leaped high and fast toward the monster. "TAKE THIS!" Grimolf yelled, attacking again. The monster blocked his strike with its index finger, receiving another deep cut. "AGAIN!" "AGAIN!" "AGAIN!" Grimolf screamed, hacking at the same finger repeatedly.
"Vannesa, over here!" others cried out. She darted around, touching their weapons one by one. "Corruption." Each weapon darkened. So my hypothesis is correct, Noah thought.
"Everyone's really focused on the monster," Noah muttered, pulling out Corpsemaker and using his skill to close in unnoticed. He sprinted toward the monster's rear while the others kept inflicting scratch wounds. BOOM! An explosion hit the monster's face. It remained still, unfazed, as if the blast had no effect.
"Tch," Stadius scoffed, transforming his right hand into a small cannon. He ran to Vannesa. "Vannesa."
She understood immediately. "Corruption." Stadius's weapon turned black, and he leaped at the monster, slashing deep into its flesh.
The monster rose. Standing up, its enormous body became fully visible, around fifteen meters tall. Everyone gaped in shock at its size. "DON'T BE AFRAID, KEEP FIGHTING!" Stadius shouted, pushing forward to attack the legs. What the—so hard. He couldn't cut the shin bone.
The monster then kicked at those standing nearby, shattering their formation instantly and killing some on the spot. Corpses flew against the dungeon walls. Stadius was thrown too, but survived thanks to his extraordinary endurance. "PREPARE THE CANNONS!" Zad yelled, advancing. Crews aimed the cannons at the monster.
That many cannons will drain too much of my energy, Vannesa thought, seeing the sheer number being readied. "No choice," she said, touching the cannons and using Corruption. "Healer, help Vannesa," Alkan ordered. A healer provided restorative magic to her. "This might only relieve a little of your fatigue," the healer said.
"Huff, thank huff you huff," Vannesa gasped, exhausted. "All done," she finally managed.
"FIRE!" Zad commanded. The cannons roared, blasting the giant monster.
BOOM! The relentless barrage forced the monster backward. ROOOAR! it bellowed, slowly advancing despite the cannon fire slowing it. "It's getting closer," Vannesa said. At the worst possible moment, the cannons ran out of ammunition, plunging the atmosphere into dread.
"Looks like this is the end," Zad whispered in terror.
"HAAAA!" Grimolf roared. "CONCLUSION!" His body expanded, swelling to about eleven meters. "WE'LL FIGHT THE GIANT WITH A GIANT!" he thundered, launching a punch at the monster's face. The creature reeled back, then retaliated, striking Grimolf.
"Bring my axe!" Grimolf shouted. His squad uncovered the cloth-covered cart, revealing a massive axe. "DIE!" Grimolf hurled the axe with all his might. It lodged into the monster's shoulder, but the beast didn't flinch. It punched Grimolf, knocking him to the ground.
The impact was tremendous, sending several people flying from the shockwave. ROAR! The monster straddled the fallen Grimolf and pummeled him. He could only shield his face with his arms. These punches are brutal, Grimolf thought, enduring the beating. Cannon fire struck the monster's face, buying Grimolf an opening to push it off. He punched the monster's face with everything he had, staggering it backward.
As the monster was still off balance, not fully upright, Noah appeared from the side, spinning Corpsemaker in nunchaku form, wreathed in fire and wind. "Noah?!" Vannesa cried out in shock.
"That kid?!" Grimolf thought, equally astonished.
Noah slammed Corpsemaker into the monster's temple with tremendous force. BOOM! The fire and wind amplified the strike, causing a massive explosion against the temple.
Direct hit, Noah thought, brimming with excitement and a wide grin. His attack finally sent the monster toppling sideways.
"GRIMOLF, NOW!" Noah shouted with fervor.
"YAAAH!" Grimolf leaped and drove his elbow into the monster's stomach. THUD. The collision echoed.
Noah then fell hard to the ground. He hit badly, blood streaming from his head. "NOAH!" Vannesa yelled, sprinting toward him. How did he get there? And his attack was so powerful... I didn't even use Corruption on his weapon, she thought, bewildered and amazed. A healer also ran alongside Vannesa toward Noah.
----TBC