Episode(85) No rest for the dead
SOVEREIGN OF DEATH~(85)
The inconsistency between the sense of impending doom and the ease of the dungeons difficulty made no sense.
If the monsters that had previously appeared were not easy to kill monsters like horned rabbits, knolls and goblins, then maybe we could have avoided the disaster that came.
By the time we reached the fifth floor, the monsters that showed up were Hob goblin warriors.
Hob goblins were variant monsters, usually difficult to deal with, you normally needed a party of level 60-70 hunters in order to fight a group of hob goblins.
And Hob Warriors?
Not only were they a variant of hob goblins, they were physically several times stronger than normal hob goblins and they were much smarter when it came to ambush tactics.
The fifth floor was nothing but hell.
That being said, we managed to make it through all the way to the 10th floor. But, we were already seeing the dread of the current situation.
Could we last if things continued this way?
But, no matter how much we wanted to turn back it was impossible.
By the 20th floor we had lost all hope of everyone making it back in one piece. Perhaps we could survive but most of us would be crippled.
On the way to the 30th floor, we faced wolf monsters that sometimes inexplicably transformed whenever they were at a disadvantage.
We already had such a hard time beating them and they could even transform, the situation at this point was beyond absurd.
When we faced the boss, we were battered and bruised.
Days had passed and after constantly battling and most of our equipment had been used and thus we were barely in a state to fight.
Even so we fought.
But, what the hell kind of boss was that?
No. forget the boss.
Even its lackeys were way too strong. They could already be considered boss monsters in their own rights in any of the dungeons I had entered before.
By the time the fight ended, we were even more haggard and had little strength or will to continue.
But we did, not because we wanted to continue experiencing hell. It was because of the dungeons smite.
Smite.
An instance where a boss monster is cleared and the challengers have yet to move on to the next floor after 24 hours.
Normally a dungeon revives a boss to their state before they had fought the previous challengers, everything from their condition to their memories of the fight would be erased and the boss would be good as new.
However, in the case of a 'Smite' the boss would still be revived and restored to its original state.
But, not only would its power be boosted several times, its memories of being killed would be retained and it would be in a berserk state.
No one wanted to face that wolf monster and its minions again, especially in a state of taking 'steroids'.
With no other choice, we advanced.
"If the only path was forward, then move your feet", was what the Holy Sun had said at the time.
But, would it have just been better to face the wolf monster and die a swift death?
On the way to the 40th floor, we lost a hero.
It was saddening, and for our group that was already deep in gloom this news was like adding insult to injury.
As for the hero, he seemed to be the hero of water.
Having lost his way somewhere, he must have found an area rich with treasure.
The water hero was an extremely greedy person when it came to treasures.
If nothing else could move him, rare and sparkly items could definitely do the trick.
A monster must have caught him unawares and he was killed just like that.
The despair we felt at the moment was like a mountain pressing down. I don't even know where I got the strength from but I lifted my feet and followed the group.
The floor boss on the 40th floor was too strong.
To say the least, without hero Leonhart we would definitely not have made it out alive.
On the 45th floor, disaster struck again.
While the flame hero was busy facing a lizardman, an arrow pierced through his throat and the enemy used this chance to cut off his head.
Just like that, another hero had died.
My insignificant healing ability was unable to do a single thing and another precious combat power had fallen just like that.
My time only came on the 48th floor.
I only know that I lost my footing and fell deep into some pit.
Hitting the back of my head, I was completely unable to make a move or speak.
I also felt a stabbing pain in my lower abdomen and as it turned out, I had been impaled by a tall metal stake.
So, I was caught in a trap? It seems pretty bad but, I can probably heal it.
At the time I tried to cast my spell, but blood had already rushed to my throat preventing me from muttering the spell.
Several shouts entered my ears as the burning pain of hot blood blocked my airways but I had no time to pay them any mind.
I was dying.
Slowly but surely, I would die.
Had this been before, I would have definitely panicked and gritted my teeth to search for a way to survive.
But now, after months of constant fighting and deaths, I was okay with it.
I wouldn't be able to revive my family, but at least we could be together in the afterlife.
Finally, I would get to see my precious family again.
Closing my eyes, I accepted deaths' embrace.
…
????
What's….going on?
Didn't I die? Is this a dream?
Looking around, what I saw was a peaceful scene.
Surrounded by a field of wheat, the winds caressed the earth and blew my hair gently.
Was I…saved?
Maybe this was the afterlife.
If that was the case I wouldn't mind having such a peaceful environment.
But, as she turned around taking in the scenery something made her pause.
[Mom…..Dad…..Sis?]
Three figures slowly made their way towards her.
This is, is it real?
Her heart thumped wildly, she gulped swallowing the saliva blocking her throat and held her chest as if it was in pain.
Getting closer, both parties paused and stared at each other.
I reached out a trembling hand to my elder sister and mother, recalling their demise I also hesitated to touch them.
What if this was a dream?
Or maybe it was an illusion conjured by the dungeon.
As if seeing her hesitation, her mother touched her hand.
It was warm, a slight pulse could be felt and the touch was extremely vivid.
[Ah]
AHHHHHHHHH!
Tears burst from her eyes and she jumped into her mother's embrace.
Seeing this, her elder sister and father looked at each other and burst into a fit of joyous laughter before joining the embrace.
[How long have I waited-]
How long had she dreamt of this one moment?
Being reunited with her family, breaking down in tears and laughing about the past?
At this moment she didn't care whether this was the afterlife or not, she just wanted the moment to last forever.
But, the scenery changed.
The family in her arms vanished.
Around her, screams echoed in the air, the smell of burning wood and fresh blood wafting through the air.
It was a scene she was familiar with. One she could never forget, ever.
Why, why was she seeing this scene?
Before her, she saw her younger self tripping and falling.
Her father blocking the blow from a monster and having his stomach split open.
Her mother trying to drag her away from the scene but instead becoming the target of monsters and her sister dying trying to save their mother.
The scenes constantly repeated themselves over and over and over.
It was as if even after dying she would never be free from the hell of her cursed fate.
Why? Just why?
Wasn't living a wretched life enough?
Why couldn't they let a soul rest in peace!?
Auuuggghhh!
Slowly, in rage and resignation her consciousness drifted away.