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Fantasy Into the Dread Labyrinth

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"My moniker? What's that?" The skeleton asked, almost looking offended as he reeled back a bit, only to laugh. "I don't know who told you that, but that's a joke, or a lie, I hope the former, cuz if it's the latter that's just rude and mean and uncalled for! I assure you!"

"My rumors? Ahhhh!!" The skeleton seemed pleased, though it was impossible to tell just by his outward appearance. "You have a keen mind, sir! Rumors are amongst my best 'merchandise'! Yohoho! Anyone dumb enough to not heed my rumors wouldn't last long in the labyrinth, I assure you! OH~? Are you interested in the curse, sir? Hm, for you? -" The skeleton seemed to regard the man. "Ahhh~ Well, isn't this interesting? Yes, the Targeted Curse's negative effect for you is quite obvious, sir. If you were to be cursed, then for 2 floors, you would not be able to wield a weapon at all!! YO HO HO HO! What a conundrum! How would one survive 2 WHOLE floors without a trusty weapon? Certainly a terrible negative effect, wouldn't you say! But with such a requirement, I'm sure you'd earn a big pay off in the end!" Since Seymour began asking other questions and about his other wares, the Skeleton's mind did not dwell on his rumors for very long, causing Seymour to not be able to read anything about them. The skeleton's mind was like the rapids of a river, constantly rushing towards the next item he could sell in a sales pitch.

"Hm? No.. No I don't think so. How many low level weapons do you find that have such incredible effects? Certainly not many, wouldn't you say? This weapon's got quite a rare ability! You're paying for that, obviously."

This time Ripoff almost looked offended, or he was incredulous at the very least. "Heh heh.. Sir. While, yes, planning out your path through the labyrinth is a good idea... It is quite presumptuous of you to assume you'll last that long, don't you think? Instead of considering what merchants might exist, or what they might sell you in the future, perhaps you should instead focus on the one before you now, and how you'll survive the labyrinth right now. Hm?"
 

After dumping a generous portion of the rockshell meat into her inventory to save for later, Samara accepted the offered skill scroll. She had heard of such things and even been fortunate enough to find them in the Labyrinth, but not fortunate enough to find one with a skill she could use. Her parties always sold them or gave them to an adventurer whose Talents fit. Now, she was that adventurer.

As she unfurled the scroll and began to read the words which weren't words at all, its light flowed into her and the skill appeared before her eyes and... that was it. Seemed awfully anti-climactic. It felt strange to think that she had gone for years with only two skills and now had doubled that number in under 24 hours. The same brutal Labyrinth that had taken the lives of her friends, family, and loved ones --and Thames-- was being awfully generous now.

How long would it last? How could they trust the Labyrinth's bounty?

With a sigh, she tossed aside the useless scrap of paper. It had served its purpose. While she was not a fan of littering, perhaps the Labyrinth would reclaim it and scrawl a new skill onto its parchment, for the next adventurer to acquire during the next reset. She could only hope. Either way, the shieldmaiden set her eyes on continuing their journey. Although the Labyrinth was not to be trusted, she needed this power, and much, much more, if they were going to stand any chance of success.

She took up position at the front of the pack, to guard against the scathing winds and sands. A short ways into their journey, Seymour asked about the monsters they had encountered, and the Wega. "You aren't missing anything," Samara assured him, "I often ran with far weaker and smaller parties than this one. Even then, the Wega were no great threat, unless they caught us unawares." After a small pause, she added, “However, I, for one, am glad for the lack of challenge. Perhaps the Labyrinth truly is testing us, feeling out our capabilities. Our poor showing against the first boss might be the reason for the reduced dificulty, but don't get too comfortable. We shall see what the next boss heralds.”

They were here to understand the Labyrinth, down to its deepest levels. This was as much a scientific expedition as a martial one, so it was only natural that she finally voice this hypothesis which had been taking shape in her mind for hours now. Was this all a test? was the Labyrinth a thinking, feeling, entity, watching their every move and tailoring these encounters to see what humanity was capable of enduring? Only time would tell?

* * * * *​

What a strange creature, this 'Ripoff Skeleton Merchant.' While the others spoke with it, bartered with it, and attempted to coax answers from its lying maw, the shieldmaiden stood by, scowling down at the merchant with her large biceps crossed over her even larger bosom, looking like a puffed-up nightclub bouncer pondering if she should ask the gentleman to leave or literally yeet him out the metaphorical door without bothering to check his ID.

Even a fool could see he did not belong here. Even a fool could see this was a trap, at worst, and another test, at best. As the negotiations wore on, Samara progressed from angry scowling, to pacing, and finally, circling around it, to observe it from all angles, like a vulture over carrion.

The Meringue girl had thoroughly tested her patience the day Thames fell, but Samara had given her time, decided to take a 'wait and see' approach and see if the girl proved worthy of her place. Surely, Lemondrop Meringue, paragon of mercantile endeavors, would have something to say here. So, I'll just keep my mouth shut and let her hande it, Samara thought. Unfortunately, her allies had no such patience and the lemon was not swift to drop. When Seymour began to inquire about this monster's curses, Samara finally had enough.

“Only two floors? Pfft. He will 'survive' by having friends who will protect him. Large ones. With shields,” she retorted, turning up her nose at the bony bastard. “Not that you would understand the concept of looking after your fellow man."

What is this nonsense, anyway? A merchant, here, of all places? And whose homes are these, anyway? The nerve of him to squat here, of all places, to hark his wares.

"Riddle me this, skeleton man..." Samara said as her frustration at the absurdity of the situation finally gave way to reason and a desire to 'play ball,' as they say. If this truly is a game or test, so be it. Let's play to win. "Don't you think these prices are a bit high? Extortionist, even? I doubt you'll find another group of adventurers with more beacons that we have, and certainly not any time soon. Not only did you people run off a group of A-Rank raiders, you also murdered an S-Rank, and placed a level six boss on the first floor." She leaned in to him. "I don't think many people are clamoring to enter the Labyrinth right now, friend. Certainly not any with fat pockets."

To be frank, she didn't trust him. Didn't like him, either. If she had a means by which to gauge his threat level, she probably would have drawn steel by now. But Samara's inability to discern if he could safely terminated, coupled with her companions' willingness to do business with him, forced her to at least try to treat this merchant as a merchant... instead of the literal monster he was.

"I want the minor heal for two hundred quartz. Half paid up front. Throw in a free mana potion, so I can test it," she said firmly. "Once I have determined its efficacy, you'll get the other hundred. This is how you establish trust, Mr. Ripoff. It's just good business. After that, we can discuss Kirsten's barrier scroll and Seymour's sword... which he's probably going to break in a day, but who am I to judge," she added with a dismissive flick of her wrist in Mr. Slaymore's direction. "That comes with a warranty, right? It better. Oh, and how much to know what the second floor boss is this cycle? I don't do 'rumors.' I want targeted intel."
Interaction(s): Thalia_Neko Thalia_Neko | TreasureSniper TreasureSniper | ERode ERode | Tau Tau | Skyswimsky Skyswimsky | AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa
 
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"Fellow man?" He lifted his arms and made a show of checking himself over. "I have no such thing! YO ho HO ho HO!" He laughed, then pointed. "Ah! My mistake! Turns out, I do! Who woulda thought? Yohohoho!" He continued to laugh, making note of the skeles following Daeva.

"HIGH?! My word, NO!" Ripoff was quick to retort. "A man's gotta make a living right?! Though, I be no man, nor living, either! YO HO HO HO! I can't just give my beautiful, wonderful, incredible wares for free, now CAN I?! What would I EAT?! YO HO HO! Though, without a stomach, I don't even NEED to eat! Yohoho!"

Then he paused, and practically snickered. "Right. No other adventurers.. No one else.." The skeleton cocked his head. "But miss! I didn't do any of those things! I'm but a humble, simple merchant! I've hurt nary a soul! Nor would I!"

Even without flesh, it was clear how shocked, how incredulous, and how utterly stupefied the stunned skeleton was. "TWOOOO HUNDRED?!?! What are you on, miss, I want some of it! YO ho ho ho! Though, it wouldn't affect my mind, body, or anything else, since I have no mind and body! 200? A minor heal skill scroll is worth 10x that?! Wouldn't you say? Just what sort of price could you put on saving your friends' lives in a pinch, after all?!?! Yohohoho!" He listened to the rest of her spiel and audibly chuckled. "Oh, you're good, miss." Sounding obviously impressed. "But, you forgot one simple fact. I'm not parting with this for any such paltry amount. Wa~rranty?! This is the labyrinth, no such thing exists, my dear! YO HO HO HO HO HO HO!!!!" It was odd, this was about the first time he actually acknowledged the Labyrinth at all.

If he had lips, he definitely would've grinned. "Aha, finally, getting somewhere. You want to know about the boss this time around? Aha, that I can tell about." He held up his finger. "For the right price, of course. One Emerald, please." He said, holding out his hand, grasping with his bony fingers for the green shining beacon that would inevitably drop.

Even though he was keeping tight-lipped, at the question, the skeleton couldn't help but think about the boss. If Seymour were to read him at that moment, he'd see:

'@3t f)554 boss @.,2 @x;m 'r@u%9 8s @%3 Wandering W3@4 Shaman 06 t23 #s1mx. A t$92y 0@4r^ #03. Yohoho... I t%(n7 30u11 n33D 4n07h34 rumor 5#^U87.'​
 
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As Samara relieved some stress and Seymour poised his own questions, Kirsten examined the wares once more. The prices were definitely hiked up, perhaps three times what they would run for at the market, but she had never considered much the price of equipment or consumables before. There was little need to, when beacons flowed only so one's life was retained. Despite that, however, there were only a few unique items that were worth purchasing at all here. The Defense Cut skill scroll seemed like something that would be perfectly slotted into a physical-damage-focused party as this, while both the Rumors and the Curses were worth considering too. This early on, they could go on without Seymour having a weapon, so long as he could maintain his capabilities as an evasion tank. The Echo Blade's cost was a bit too heavy to take, unless they broke down the 2 Gold Beacons they had, anyways. The greater problem, however, was that this merchant before them seemed to not have any need for Beacons at all. It was a game within a game indeed, an interest in amassing wealth without the necessity of spending it. As a monster, it needed no shelter from other monsters. As an undead, it had no thirst or hunger to sate. And perhaps the Labyrinth itself bequeathed the creature with its wares, meaning that there wasn't even a cost associated with supplying itself.

More questions then. It looked as if Lemondrop was going to sit back and observe. That was fine.

"What are the prices of the Curses? I'm presuming that this is a service you are offering us here? As well, regardless of how tedious it is, tell us what sort of Targeted Curses all of us would get anyways. We can't decide who should potentially receive it without knowing all our options first." A pause. They had plenty of Beacons if they wanted only to transfer it into Rumors. "As well, we have Unidentified Skill Scrolls with us. Do you sell anything to Identify them with?"
 
The Skeleton merchant turned to the woman who spoke up once again. Meeting her fierce gaze with his blank one of pure black void.

The skeleton would've smiled if he could've. "I do not sell any such thing, however, I do have the ability to Appraise one scroll. That's 200 quartz."

"We have an Appraisal stone, too," Daeva pointed out.

"Heh, good of you to mention it, darling. With that, I can appraise another scroll. Or I can appraise for only 100 quartz. Incidentally, it'll cost 100 quartz for me to use your stone either way."

He snorted. "Heh. Seems you're really interested in the Curses, smart choice!" The skeleton seemed pleased. "Very well. I'll consider what the Targeted Curse would require from each of you.. though it's a hassle... Hahhh.. Okay..."

"From the man, like I said, he will not be able to equip a weapon for 2 whole floors. If he does, then he will feel immense pain. And if he continues to try doing so, regardless of the pain, then well... Heh heh heh..."

'.. m.. lose ... benefit .. ... curse. Yo hoho..'

"What it means by 2 whole floors -- is the defeat of 2 floor bosses. After you defeat the second floor boss, then the curse will be lifted and you will receive the blessing."

"For you, milady.. Hm... You will have to fight with your Strength, Speed, and Stamina halved."

"For the girl in the hat, she can't speak above a very soft whisper. Her effects would still work, but she'd have to whisper in someone's ears to have them work or for her to be heard. Plus, an announcer.. speaking in such a soft mousy whisper is probably a hell in of itself, heh~ Yo ho ho ho.."

"For the other swordsman... He would not be allowed to walk or run. Someone would have to carry him! Ha ha ha!"

"For the little white haired girl, she'd have to rely on only having 10 mana, and be burdened with a perpetual Taunt effect."

"For the scurreh lady that's so quite enchanting and interesting.. Heh," the skeleton waved at Daeva. Which caused the girl to giggle in bashful delight. "She would not be able to raise any more undead for these 2 floors. She'd be permitted to use any undead before receiving the curse, but none until it was removed."

"For you, big woman, your Stamina would constantly drain, and it would not replenish until after these 2 floors. And finally, for you lemonhead, for each step and action you take, beacons will constantly drop from your pockets a few at a time and disappear, never to be recovered. Furthermore, if you ever ran out, you would die on the spot. Heh, whew, yeesh, that one's harsh! Well, there you go, mean lady!" The skeleton huffed. "All your Targeted Curses! Remember, costs -oh, I didn't tell you! Heh. The Targeted Curse costs 10 emeralds! The Secret Curse 8 Emeralds."
 
Sera immediately whipped out one of her swords, ready to smash the hideous undead to bone meal. And then it started speaking. After a short time, she still wanted to smash it, but everyone else seemed enthralled by the offers, so she slowly and reluctantly put away the blade.

"Vile creature..." Cupcake spat, echoing Sera's sentiment. "How dare you refer to Lady Seraphina as a mere 'little white-haired girl!' Know your place and bow before your goddess, foul demon!"

"Uhm... Cupcake, calm down, it's fine..." Sera insisted with a dismissive wave of her hand. "And please don't call me goddess. Why don't you go shoot Jian a few more times? I bet he'd like that."

"...!?" She paused a moment, astonished by the act, before obeying. "Y-yes, of course..." Cupcake stammered, the repeated betrayals of her nature taking their toll on her self-confidence. At least their party's expert walker seemed to appreciate her as-is, so that was a small consolation.

Sera continued listening to the merchant's back-and-forth for a while, particularly paying attention when it came to the curses. After he'd finished, Sera stepped up and addressed the merchant for the first time.

"I'll take both curses and the exp booster!" she declared with a mix of fear and determination. Sera turned away briefly, shutting her eyes briefly, before opening them again and staring the merchant down with an even greater boldness.

"Cupcake, I guess this means you'll have to go away for a while. Sorry." The summon swiftly nodded and then vanished without a word of protest. "Oh, but first, uhm... I may as well drain my mana pool if I'll lose it anyway. You first. Samara, receive my blessing: Salutem Benedictio!" She repeated this for each party member - although she visibly skipped over Daeva's abomination - until everyone had received the blessing. A small one, barely noticeable, but present. Breathing was easier, walking felt just a little less tiring (except for a certain expert), and bruises from the prior battle slowly melted away.

"Alright, 'Mr. Ripoff,' whenever you're ready."
 
N2WgR9O.png

​
"No."

Before the skeletal merchant could get overly excited at the prospect of making far too much money off of a little white-haired girl's rash decision, Kirsten stepped between the two of them, physically blocking Seraphina from Rip-Off's sight. One curse was debilitating enough. Two, when Rip-Off had just stated that these curses could be fatal? It'd be stupid to layer them upon someone else. And 4 Emeralds for an EXP Booster of unknown efficacy was too much.

From a more selfish perspective, of course, Kirsten simply didn't want one of their most unstable party members first weighing everyone down and then becoming far too powerful for anyone's own good.

"Rip-Off, identify two of our scrolls first," Kirsten said instead, motioning for Daeva to hand over the Appraisal Stone that they had previously looted from a battle. Three hundred quartz for skill scrolls they could actually use was about as much of a steal as they could get from this scammer-skeleton. Now it was 2 Gold, 24 Emerald, and just a little over 3000 Quartz. They didn't have enough for the Echo Blade at all, unless they wanted to barter with Gold Beacons. On the other hand, Defense Cut was valued at 2500 Quartz, and looked desperately good. She'd have to hold off on contemplating that purchase until after the appraisals were complete though. Instead...

"As for your services with regards to Curses, how about you put that on our tab, Rip-Off? These Curses are negatives for us right now; they'll only become useful after two floors worth of bosses. Thus, we should only pay for them once they actually benefit us. Meet us on the Fourth Floor, after we clear out the Floor Boss there, and we'll pay you for however many Emeralds owed." She smiled thinly. "Do that, and you'll have repeat customers who'll have two more Floors worth of Beacons and loot to trade with you. Samara was aggressive, but I personally agree with her. If you want to establish trust, you should show some trust."

A slight shrug.

"And if you do that for us, Rip-Off, then we'll be much looser with our Quartz as well. One of the swordsmen here have been eyeing that Echo Blade for a fair while, and while we don't have enough Emeralds for that, how about substituting the entire price with 1 Gold instead?"
 
Lemondrop Meringue
Thalia_Neko Thalia_Neko @OthersAround @was an honor serving you all​


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"I'll take everything from here," she pointed at one end, then the other, "to there!"

But Lemondrop clicked her tongue with a smug grin. "Is what I'd like to say, if this wasn't an obvious scam!" She pushed her way to the front, obviously not taking this merchant seriously. "These prices are absurd! Not at all like Meringue Spelunking's affordable prices for all walks of life! You know what we call this, sir? Extortion! Trying to profit off the desperate and needy—you should be ashamed of yourself! I'm taking you to court. My lawyers will bleed you dry so fast that you'll be sitting on your bum in the middle of the dungeon with nothing to your name before you even realize what happened! Now lower your prices, or else the entire corporation of Meringue Spelunking will pound you into bone dust and feed you to our farms!"
 
While Seymour's outward appearance remained calm, inwardly he was irate by the fact such a being is so difficult to read. To think a literal bone head's thoughts was finally the one to pose a challenge. Additionally, he wasn't too happy that he was trying to acquire a weapon and the curse associated with him was forcing him to be weaponless for the next two floors. The labyrinth has a very sick sense of humor today. Thankfully, he was able to pick up some useful information here and there, namely the tidbits about the boss of this floor, indicating that it was some sort of a wandering shaman, likely of Wega origin.

"I don't think it fair for you to charge so much for information that is easily discernable through other means. I already know that the next boss is the Shaman. Perhaps you can tell us something more specific? What is it's expected level or drop perhaps? Are there other mobs accompanying the boss? Is this the type of information you are privy to? " Even if he wouldn't get a direct answer from this skeleton, he would at least make him think about these details. Regardless of whether it was scrambled, he should be able to extract some useful information from him. This time he gave him ample time to think about every detail, speaking slowly and methodically hoping to slow his torrent of thoughts.

And then came Sera who would suddenly make a move that absolutely no one expected, to claim the curses all for herself. Madness. Even someone like Seymour was crazy enough to attempt such a feat. Hell, he would even go as fast to call her greedy for hoarding so many resources herself.

Thankfully, his teammates were able to keep their cool as well, with Samara showing a more cautious approach whereas Kirsten was more pragmatic with her line of thinking and questioning. It was times like these that he was thankful he didn't need to deal with such characters himself. Otherwise...he would have to rely on more unsavory methods to procure his desired results.

He was happy to hear that Samara was willing to be his meat shield should he choose to take on the curse, ever so reliable and utilitarian. Besides that, he also appreciated the fact that Kirsten had noticed his interest in the Echo Blade and was actively trying to pursue its acquisition. He would have to some way to return the favor for both of them later on.

The Lancer's suggestion to use their resource first to identify the skills scrolls was something he wholeheartedly supported as it appeared to be the safest option in terms of value. "I agree with Kirsten, it would be best for us to identify what we already have first. For all we know, we already have what we need..we just dont know it yet." Seymour spoke in support of Kirsten's decision, giving his own reasons on why he thought it was the best way to go about it. From there Seymour stayed silent for a moment to allow the skeleton to respond, or at least process Kirsten and Samara's bargaining attempts, carefully listening to what exactly he thought about the two strong women. It was a good opportunity to see what the skeleton's opinion was on their comments about his pricing practices.

"Honestly, if I had it my way I would want to get both the weapon and curse for myself. But even I understand how counter-intuitive it would be for me to request a weapon only to leave it in my inventory in the next two floors. After all, we only have so much resources to work with. Unless of course..."

At long last, the star of the show would make herself known, Lemondrop finally broke her silence with some...interesting remarks. She essentially berated the merchant for his "predatory" pricing and threatened to take legal action against him. The irony was palpable but Seymour nonetheless understood that this Lemondrop's way of trying to improve their situation to the best of her abilities and understanding. "Didn't think Blackmail was part of the Lemondrop technique" Seymour silently thought to himself as patiently waited for the merchant's reaction.
 
"But I'm not a demon... I'm a skeleton.." he mumbled.

RIpoff's skeletal jaw grew into what could only be described as a wide wide grin. He clapped his skeletal hands together. "But of course, little lady! I would gladly -!" He was forced to stop what he was about to say, as the mean woman once again got in the way. He thought he was about to make quite a fortune! But instead, was denied such a beautiful sale. Which soured his mood.

However, she still wanted something. To appraise 2 of their Unidentified Scrolls. Since they had 3 that meant 1 would not get appraised, what a shame. It also meant the 2 that would would have to be picked at random, no hard feelings just in case it wasn't what they were looking for!

"Wise," he replied to Seymour, almost in a mocking tone.

"Of course, miss! Just hand me the stone..." He took the Appraisal Stone from Daeva, and two of the scrolls. "Okay... Appraise! Appraise!!" He used the magic spell Appraise to Appraise one of the scrolls, then the stone's inherent ability to appraise to appraise the other. The spell lit up a light from his hands that traveled into the scroll, causing the scroll to light and glow. The stone glowed as well, with runes and symbols appearing on its surface, these traveled to the other scroll, lighting it up. Both scrolls revealed their secrets. They were:
​
Simple Lockpick Spell​
Thief Talent Scroll​
A spell to unlock simple locks. If a simple lock doesn't unlock then the thing -whatever it is- is obviously boobytrapped.​
​
Supplemental Heal​
Generic Spell​
Use one's Stamina and/or Mana to heal wounds. Drains stamina or mana to heal. Using both will result in a better heal and recover the wound better.​

He seemed pleased. 300 Quartz disappeared from their collective pockets and then dropped right into the skeleton's "pocket" with a very obvious gamey 'ka-ching' sound.

"Tab!? Oh, no no no! Saying we'll meet to repay the tab is one thing, and it sounds quite nice miss, but there's no guarantee we'll ever meet again! What if you perish before then? What if I do! YO HO HO HO! Though, I'm already dead! YO HO HO HO! NO tabs! However.. if you were to promise extra... then perhaps I'd be willing to.. AH! The Echo Blade?? MM, yes! Good choice, good choice! An excellent weapon! A gold you say? Hm.." His eye sockets practically lit up with a golden hue. "I'll part with it for 1 gold and 799 quartz," he said affirmatively.

"??" The lemonhead finally spoke up, pulling Ripoffs attention to her. She started talking about nonsense things like court and shame and stuff. He laughed, interrupting her. "Heh heh, I like your moxie and your pitch, but... Shame?! I have no shame! I'm a skeleton! Yohohoho! And I'm already sitting in the middle of a dungeon! Yoho ho! Extortion? Perhaps, but do you really have the luxury to complain about such things? Here its ride or die, you get what you get. My prices may not be to your liking, but its up to you to buy. Can you afford to not buy what I have to sell? Is your money worth your life?" The Skeleton chortled darkly. "The Labyrinth's only going to get harder from here. Are you going to complain when you die? Are you going to whine to yourself when you're on your deathbed, and you hadn't bought anything from me to save your life? Are you going to be happy you were stingy with your Beacons, while they sit collecting dust in your pockets as your life leaves you? Whose fault would that be then, yours or mine? Would you curse yourself then, or me? Heh. Little lady, your courts may help you back where you come from, but this is the Labyrinth, it's time to stop screwing around and wake up. Now! Anything else?" he asked, returning to his usual cheerful tone. "The little -uhh... lady, wanted the curses?" Ripoff inquired, wondering about that weird girl who disappeared but who chewed him out before.

"Oh-ho! You can easily gain the info from elsewhere can you? Then you don't need to from me!" Ripoff replied with a chuckle. These people! However, he furrowed his calcium white brow. So they already knew the boss was the Wandering Wega Shaman? How did they know that? Well, no matter. "I may be privy to such things, heh heh.. 1 Emerald," he said, holding out his bony hand.

'Level? _. The Sh.... .... .. surround.. .. . curse .. slow. .. .... .... allies. .. move ....... ... lights .... .. ... to .... ... path.'

The Skeleton looked up at him. So he wanted the weapon, but ALSO the curse that deprived him of such a weapon? The skeleton chuckled. This man. What a clever one he unintentionally was... If only he knew.

'... curse .... ... ... ... level .... weapon.'

He somehow could intuit the benefit of the curse, even if it denied him his precious weapon for 2 floors. But ah, how could he know its benefit?
 
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Samara never expected the skeleton merchant to accept her offer, but grew visibly more annoyed when he laughed in her face and called her mad. She knew she was asking a lot, but expected a counter offer, not a lecture on the value of her companions' lives. She really wanted that Minor Heal scroll, but this buffoon was yet to name a price. Instead he chuckled and said such a scroll was worth ten times what she had offered.

I do not care what it is worth to others, and how dare you try to tell me what it is worth to me. I wish to know your price, so we can negotiate, she thought, incredulously, but ceded ground to those more willing to put up with this farce. She wanted that spell, but it was not worth giving anything to this monster. And when he suggested they pay him an emerald --an entire emerald beacon!-- just to know which boss was currently in rotation, she gave up all hope. Even Seymour's bluff could not sway him. As expected, he is no merchant at all, the shieldmaiden thought as she stepped back and took a seat on the ruins of a nearby bench, where she could wait for everyone else to tire of these shenanigans.

Kirsten stepped up next, asking if he could appraise their unidentified scrolls, but that seemed unlikely, in Samara's opinion. Why would the Labyrinth give them these scrolls and the stone only to drop this fellow into their laps mere hours later? It seemed such an unnecessary extra step and a waste of everyone's time. Samara began toying with the golden ring on her necklace, idly wondering when the others would give it up and move on.

However, her jaw dropped when the Ripoff merchant said he could appraise the scrolls. "Some salesman you are! Why didn't you lead with that?" she said, suddenly rising to her feet once more. That was infinitely better than blowing all of their beacons on his garbage! Her mind raced, not only with the possiblities of what those scrolls might hold, but the 'why' of it all. Hiding the scrolls' secrets behind an appraisal wasn't just a time-waster. It's a new game mechanic, she thought. Samara had not been much of a 'gamer' in her past life, but understood enough to see the patterns. No one had ever seen an unidentified scroll before and no one had seen this merchant before. It must be connected! And he could only appraise one because that is all the Labyrinth will allow... for now. Which means...

We're going to see this son of a bitch again, Samara concluded. Or something or someone like him. It was only a hypothesis, of course, but she felt confident in it. Seymour had already attmempted to ask about such a thing, but was deflected.

While the Ripoff merchant listed the various curses, she approached and gave his wares another look, with a more scrutinizing eye this time. It's not about what what we want, she thought. It's about what the Labyrinth feels we need. When they first arrived, Ripoff had been awfully pushy about that Barrier Scroll. Now that Samara thought about it in this context, she saw that everything he offered was either defensive in nature, with an emphasis on survival, such as the barrier, the block skill, and the healing spell, or buffed attack speed or lowered enemy defenses. And his targeted curses mostly stripped them of their ability to defend themselves or move freely.

Hmmm....

Unfortunately, she was snapped out of this when Sera --once again-- made an impulsive decision. The would-be goddess emptied her mana reserves, bestowing a blessing on each of them, before stepping forth to take on both curses for herself! If Kirsten and, dare I say, Lemondrop, hadn't intervened, the shiledmaiden certainly would have! "Have you lost your mind!?" Samara scolded her. "No one takes a curse unless we agree on it. Whoever accepts one potentially becomes a burden to us all. That is not something to be decided on a whim and certainly not decided alone," she said, glaring at the white-haired girl. Others had expressed interest, too, but it was only that: interest. They didn't step forward and demand the merchant proceed, as Sera had done.

If not for Kirsten's swift intervention, this monster could have swiped their beacons and condemned this girl to death. Instead, he busied himself with appraising their scrolls which, interestingly enough, yielded yet another healing spell... and a lock picking spell, which no one cold use. Samara put on her best poker face, but inside, wanted that healing spell so badly, her heart ached for it. And it used stamina, instead of mana, too!? O, Labyrinth, why must you tempt me so!?

"Now, hold on a moment. You can't talk to her like that," Samara said, after Ripoff delivered his scathing rebuttal to Lemondrop. She couldn't believe she was coming to the girl's defense, but they clearly had a mutual enemy here. And she had a point to make and a theory to test. "Fearmongering to get sales? How trite. Imagine the absurdity of a Labyrinth-born creature lecturing us about life and death. I bet you get wiped and respawn every five days, like every other monster. There's probably another you on another floor right now... maybe even one without 'ripoff' in its name," she said, with a smug grin.

"But enough insults. For what it's worth, I commend you for coming down in price on the Echo Blade. It seems there's the ghost of a merchant in there after all," she acquiesced, bowing slightly to him. "But one gold, and then some, is still absurdly expensive for something he's probably going to break or cast aside once something better comes along," she added with a glance at Seymour. "You need skills, Slaymore. A weak strike landed twice is still a weak strike, but..." she thumbed her cheek pensively, "Death-by-a-thousand-cuts is a viable tactic against the Shaman. Here's a thought: why not take Defense Cut instead? With the enemy's defenses halved, it will be as if everyone gets a second cut, not just you."

"It's time we started thinking like a party. We should be discussing our potential purchases amongst each other, not with the enemy," she said, with a playful wink at the skeleton merchant, as if trying to say thre were no hard feelings... but there were definitely hard feelings. She returned her attention to her companions: "I, for one, vote for Defense Cut and maaaaybe Cross Chop, if his pricing permits. The Barrier scroll is nice, but less effective than what I can already do with a few mana potions. Still, it might be a nice backup if anything were to happen to me. In my opinion, we should avoid the curses entirely. Don't get greedy. This is not the Labyrinth we know. It has thrown many surprises at us already and we're only on Floor 2. It's too soon to handicap ourselves in the hopes of receiving a later boon. And, besides... I've a hunch this won't be the last time we see him. Don't let him pressure you into making a mistake you will regret."
Interaction(s): Thalia_Neko Thalia_Neko | TreasureSniper TreasureSniper | ERode ERode | Tau Tau | Skyswimsky Skyswimsky | AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa
 
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"Ah, come to your senses have you?" Ripoff casually chastised Samara when she began speaking once again, with a grin upon his skeletal maw. "Hm.. I wonder whose out there..." The skeleton sat forward. "Who is saying he'll break it? Though, far be it from me to deny the labyrinth's generosity when it bestows you with better armaments in the future! YO ho ho ho! That has NOTHING to do with me! Buy now and get something better, or don't! Whose to say?! Yo ho ho ho!"

"Ahhh, Defense Cut! Now there is a valuable Skill! Such a discerning eye you have!" He 'glanced' around. "It would only work on Rockshells around here, but, whose to say how invaluable it'll be in the future?! YOHOHOHO! 2.5k quartz!"

Ohhh! If only he had the wonder that was a face! He would've raised his eyebrow at what she said next! Whatever. Ripoff raised his perpetual eyebrow at the mention of "avoiding the curses". To him, that sounded like a preposterous notion. In what world did people ignore the potential to become stronger faster? But hey, it was their Beacons! And their lives! Yo ho ho ho!

Still, they seemed convinced they would see him again. He wondered where this idea came from as he had said no such thing. But eh, who was to say? The labyrinth was certainly a strange mistress, and she worked in strange ways.
 
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"No…?" Sera repeated, staring up at the back of Kirsten’s head. The woman was intimidating, but for once, Sera was dead serious, and she didn’t flinch at all. Instead, she paused for a while, considering her options and the words of the others, before answering carefully.

"I understand I’m asking a lot of you all, to protect me for two floors," she began, mostly aimed at the two who had been most vocal in protesting "But I have a responsibility to level my blessings as quickly as I can. Not just to protect all of you, but… well, to help someone I care about! And maybe many others like her. So let me take on these curses for us… please!"

Sera bowed her head, pleading. She almost puked, as the unwanted fever parasite revolted against the act with the mental force of a freight train, but she held the position for several seconds before straightening up.

"Samara can heal now, so I shouldn’t be too necessary for these early floors. And if these curses make us almost useless, wouldn’t it be better if only one of us was affected? We can get the benefit of beating two curses, but only lose one fighter." Sera circled around, standing beside Kirsten to look the unholy abomination merchant in the eyes.

"I’m not here on a whim, Samara," she added, still looking towards the skelly. "But if I wasn’t racing against time, I wouldn’t be here."
 
collab with ERode ERode Tau Tau TreasureSniper TreasureSniper

How did he know that?

Setting aside Lemondrop acting out and the negative impact such behavior may have upon negotiations, Kirsten’s own eyes flicked over towards Seymour for a moment. The Labyrinth had many bosses, and Seymour was certainly no adventurer. How did he know, specifically, about a Shaman at all? And how could he say that with such confidence?

What did he claim he was again? A swordsman with strange eyes. He could see through walls, but what else could he see?

Her brows furrowed. An unnecessary complication, keeping such secrets. And as she mulled over such matters, the situation progressed further. Samara, placing her own orders. Seraphina, displaying some amount of resolve. The issue with the tab, remaining unresolved. Kirsten allowed them to speak their piece. Then, she spoke up once more, eyes settling upon Rip-Off.

“Let’s get back to the matter regarding our tab, Rip-Off,” Kirsten said, taking one step forward. “We will not perish. If we do, you will be able to collect from our corpses anyhow, meaning you get an influx of Rare Grade weapons for no effort. And you won’t die either. You’re a monster, after all, in a monster’s world. So cut the crap. You’ll know where to find us, and an arrangement where we promise to meet works out for both customer and merchant.”

She paused, her features softening as if she was reconsidering her hardline stance.

“Of course, since this is a service you are providing, depending on the benefit of the Blessing we receive at the end of the Fourth Floor, we may give you a tip. That should be enough incentive, Rip-Off.”

“You assume I could find your corpses. Or have the means to get to them. You act as if monsters ignore other monsters, or we’re all friendy-friend-friends! Heh! I am rather flattered by your belief in me, but I prefer guarantees in my line of work, rather than flowery words by greedy adventurers. Don’t tease me, woman, I’ve seen eyes like yours before. Again, if you want to wait to purchase, then the price will rise, simple as that. After all, 2 floors later, your pockets will have more to give, will they not? How stingy can a group of adventurers be, do you not value your lives? Aha, I understand, I understand, the allure of Beacons is strong.”

“A tip? It better be a big one, or unlike what you said before, not only will you not be returning customers, but I will never offer you my services again! I don’t help out greedy, lying wretches.”

“It should be obvious why we’re stingy with our Beacons, no?” Kirsten raised a brow. “This is the first time we have met you, but we’ve all met plenty of doors and traps, chests and vaults that could only be unlocked with Beacons. Rip-Off, you claim that the Beacons in our pockets would be a waste, but from the perspective of an adventurer?”

She shrugged. “A pocket full of Beacons could be the key to keeping us alive. Now, do we have an agreement on starting a tab?”

Ripoff shrugged, shaking his head. “It is up to you to figure out how to manage your finances, not me. I offer aid to beat the labyrinth, and all I get is pushback and whining. No gratitude whatsoever. Whatever, let us move on. Are we finally arriving at a deal? I do not like this word ‘tab’, I will get your Beacons in the end, lets leave it at that. So what do you want?”

“Secret Curse on Seraphina first.”

“Heh, very well. Remember, this is gunna cost you extra. So, a Secret Curse for the little white-haired lady, coming right up!” Ripoff slapped his white hands together and gave them a rub. Then he held them up towards Seraphina, and dark energy glowed.

“Seraphina, I now… Curse you!”

Dark energy swirled around the small girl, until it enveloped her, hanging over her like a blanket. This dark energy weighed on her shoulders, and felt bitter, and nasty. Just like the Targeted Curse, this one seemed to interfere with her mana.

Sera’s outrageous mana stat would become poisonous to her. She’d feel like she was being eaten alive, and become deathly sick, for as long as she had mana. It would constantly drain, but at a slow pace. If it reached 0 before the two floors were up, Sera would die. Oh, and it went without saying, with this cursed, “Corrupted” mana, she would not be able to cast any spells.

Not that anyone would willingly want to spend their mana, with such a condition placed on them.

At once, Sera’s face contorted, and she began to cough violently. She held back a tsunami of bile that threatened to escape her throat before managing to steady herself again.

“N-n-now the other one, p-please…!” she stammered.

Kirsten glanced over at Sera, but her words were for Rip-Off. “Explain the curse.”

“The one afflicted should explain it, as it is Secret, I do not know what it is,” Ripoff pointed out.

Her gaze focused upon the sickened Deity.

She tried answering, but through the sickened coughing, it was hard to make out any real words. Failing that, she opened the Dread System window and let Kirsten read the effect.

The lancer had expected this, somewhat. A Secret Curse would naturally be worse, and Lemondrop’s Targeted Curse already revealed that there were death-dealing curses out there. No time to waste then, especially not after Seraphina had already nearly emptied out her mana for an entirely different curse.

Taking the identified scroll of Lockpicking, Kirsten offered it to Rip-Off without hesitation. “Utility skills like these are far more valuable than pure violence. I’ll exchange this for 20 Mana Regen potions.”

“I don’t have 20. But even if I did, the exchange rate would not work. Anyway, I’ll give you 5 for it.”

“You’re saying that this is worth 1000 quartz?”

He held out his hand. “That’s not what I’m saying, but I’m feeling generous. And your friend’s DS is open, when it’s open, even I can read it. She’s dying yes, do you really have time to waste bartering?”

“Yes, because if she dies on the spot, that means we don’t need to buy any more mana regen potions from you.” The exchange was made, regardless. “Stock up, Rip-Off. Looks like you’ll have repeat customers going forwards.”

“Heh, callous. That’s one of your party members! Your allies. Your comrade.” The skeleton snorted and shrugged, pocketing the scroll and dropping the potions into their hands.

As soon as the potions were handed over, Kirsten handed one to Seraphina, helping the girl drink it if necessary. It was a matter of how much time they could buy with these potions versus how much further they’d have to travel. A forced march was looking likely at this point, as well as consistent avoidance of random enemy encounters.

Seraphina gulped it down greedily, each sip like a cold drink of water on a hot day. In the end, she was left panting, eying the other 4 with a watering mouth. “Th-thanks…” she replied, wiping her brow and struggling to stand. Pointing a finger at the creepy merchant, she said, “Y-you didn’t tell me I would feel this sick!”

“Girl, what are you on about,” Ripoff said with another halfhearted shrug. “It’s a curse, what did you expect it to feel like? Rainbows and daisies?”

“That would’ve b-been nice…” she murmured, coughing lightly a few times before timidly backing off.

“Echo Blade as we’ve discussed before.” They’d need DPS more than ever then, and this early on in the Labyrinth, there was little use for Gold. She’d keep one though. Considering how 1 Gold was worth more than 30 Emerald to Rip-Off, they’d be able to use that to pay off the tab further down the line. “Break down another 1 Emerald for a Defense Cut too. How much Quartz can you convert based off of that?”

“So, 1 Echo Blade for 1 gold and 799 quartz, coming right up,” Ripoff said, the sword appearing out of the ether. He dropped it before them as he took the payment. “5 Emeralds and 300 Quartz for Defense Cut.”

“Deal.” She calculated the conversion in her mind. The numbers didn’t match up in a round, agreeable manner, but Kirsten could understand that there was some conversion at play here. A pause. There was the Shaman, wasn’t there? She understood how it worked. Low defense, but with bothersome debuffs. Assassination specialists usually made quick work of it, and Ken had been Amassing his special skill for quite a while now.

“Here’s 1 Emerald more. Tell me about the Boss of the Third Floor.”

“hehe.. Thanks for doing business with ya,” the skeleton purred, dropping the Skill Scroll for Defense Cut into their hands after receiving the payment.

“Aha! The rumors! Finally!” He purred in delight, as if he had been waiting for this moment, clasping his hands together and rubbing them together.

Ripoff took the Emerald, staring at the Beacon in his hand. Upon its angular face was a skull, with two glowing green eyes, and a glowing emerald hue around the entire bronze artifact. At first, he had been thrilled to finally get these questions. But hearing her next question gave him pause. The skeleton deliberated what to do.

“I do not know about that,” he said finally. His fingers clasped around the beacon. “However, since you’ve already paid, I will go ahead and reveal a different rumor. Everyone knows the shaman is weak to close range - so this time, rumor has it, she is not letting anyone get near her. She will have a mire of Slow and Weakness. There is only one way to make it through this cursed bog.”

He held out his hand.

“But that.. Is another rumor entirely.”

That was new. The Floor Bosses were learning?

“Seymour, heard of that before?"

"The cursed bog you say? Tell me Rip off, theoretically, if we were to pay you for this additional rumor. What type of details would you be inclined to reveal? An exact route perhaps?"

If only he how brows and eyelids! He’d be narrowing them at this line of questioning. Ripoff lowering his hand. “Are you asking me to tell you the details of the rumor, without asking for the rumor? In what world would that make sense, boy? How audacious of you!” It was clear the skeleton did not like the ring-around he was being given, however, he was unable to stop himself from thinking about it when questioned.

‘..... …. .. . lamps … …. light. …. lit, …. …. burn …. … bog.’

"With all due respect, I just want to make sure you give info I don't actually already know. And by the way If your rumor is about the lamps, I already know about that as well. "

Ripoff paused long enough for them to feel a weird vibe from him. “You do, do you? How do you know that?”

"I have my sources. And they have been proven to be reliable. I'm always looking to expand my list of reliable providers. I was hoping you'd be one of them." Seymour wasn't bluffing about that.

“Well,” Kirsten said flatly, “What’s this about the lamps then, Seymour? Because this is the first time I’ve heard of it, and I’ve been running in the Labyrinth for a decade.”

"It's what we are going to use when inside the bog. Burn it down if we must."

Ripoff was not pleased with this turn of events. He was out an Emerald! All because of this man! How did he know? That was suspicious, so the skeleton would regard him suspiciously. “Perhaps, if I am paid for it, sir,” Ripoff wryly said.

Fire, she could provide. “And you have no Rumors regarding the Third Floor, Rip-Off?”

“What floor are we on, madam? No, I have none. However, I still have some rumors to tell.” He once again opened his hand expectantly.

"About what exactly this time? An enemy? Secret treasure paths? You need to be more specific. We don't want to waste our beacons on something we already know." Seymour spoke with more conviction this time, openly showing that he was very disappointed with what has been provided thus far.

Ripoff regarded this man with suspicion and scrutiny. Then he made a show of scratching his nonexistent beard on his white calcium chin. “You ask a lot of questions, sir, without actually paying the amount for the rumor. That’s quite odd, isn’t it? Quite, suspicious, honestly. Why do you ask so many questions, sir? Pay me first, and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

This time, his mind was not on the rumors on hand, but rather, on why Seymour was asking so many questions. And on just how suspicious this man was. It seemed if you pressed too much, even a skeleton without a mind would begin to get suspicious of such antics.

“This is an actual waste of time now.” Kirsten turned towards Daeva and Ken, cutting through the brewing tension between the merchant and the swordsman. “Anything else you two need?”

“You have no more need for the rumors about floor 2?” Ripoff interrupted.

Jianlong was fretting about the state of Sera. And Daeva was too busy being fascinated by the talking skeleton. “Wait, who is receiving the targeted curse?” she asked.

"No. I think I've seen enough of what he has to offer with these rumors. Your weapons and ware are mostly acceptable, but I certainly hope you raise the quality of these rumors." Satisfied with the outcome, Seymour retreated back, letting the others take the stage.

What did Seymour have to gain from aggravating a merchant? This was a different sort of aggression compared to Samara’s more understandable distrust of any resident of the Labyrinth. A sense of manipulation and deceit, perhaps, against one of the parties in the Labyrinth that, if nothing else, proved to be neutral.

Was he possibly baiting Rip-Off to hit him with a curse? Kirsten let out a low sigh. It felt as if another headache was rising up. Samara was their only tank, Ken was their key to a quick victory against the Wega Shaman, Daeva could end up getting them all two more Boss Monster Undeads as meatshields and allies, while Lumi didn’t appear stable or useful enough to benefit from a permanent enhancement anyways. Seraphina, of course, was out of the question.

A forced march, racing against the clock that was Seraphina’s draining mana. Clearing out two floor bosses while minimalizing time-wasting activities or detours. 1 Gold, 18 Emeralds, and around 2000 Quartz. How much more should they prepare for?

“Ignore Seymour, Rip-Off,” Kirsten said. “At this point, his source probably comes directly from the Labyrinth itself. Regardless, our transaction concludes with a final exchange. 1000 Quartz for 5 Stamina Regen potions. And grant me that Targeted Curse.”

Even with her stats halved, she could still burn bright enough to scour away the bog.

“No? Shame.” He closed his hand and backed off. “I suppose you’ll find a tavern around here where you’ll hear all your rumors for free, then?” Ripoff turned to Kirsten. “Are you sure about that? What about the EXP booster? Here’s your stamina potions. Ten Emeralds. This one will not be going on any ‘tab’. That was a special case for the other one. Pay this one upfront.”

With the payment received, he held up his hands. Another sinister glow appeared around him and around the recipient. And Kirsten was cursed by the Targeted Curse, her parameters taking quite a significant cut, halfing her physically relevant ones.

“So! That concludes our business then!” Ripoff purred in delight. He was literally bathing in Beacons, as they fell and slid through his hands, sinking into the dusty ground, glittering like gold. They were his possession now, so even if they looked like loose change, they could not be picked up and received by anyone else. “Ha ha, thank you very much, adventurers! Good luck on your journey! Hope you learned and bought enough to survive…”

With that dark warning in the air, he picked up his strange instrument and began plucking the strings once again, their discordant sounds in the air once more.

‘.... didn’t …. ….. … vault…’

He thought finally, with an amused chuckle.

Kirsten felt the fatigue cling to her limbs, more like shackles than actual exhaustion. It was debilitating in one way, but she could handle it. Her thumb grazed the bottom of her mask. She could definitely handle it.

“We’ll head straight for the Floor Boss then. The faster we clear all this, the less risk we run. Seymour, take point, Samara, rear guard. Ken, you’ll be our ace for the upcoming fight. Daeva, drink a potion and fill up your mana; we’ll need your support now that Seraphina is functionally incapacitated.”

The pale-eyed woman took a breath.

“Let’s go. Depending on the pace of Seraphina’s mana drain, we may not have time rest a full seven hours, so drink the stamina potions if needed.”

"As you wish, lancer. With any luck, we might even have some time to look for the vault." Seymour stood up and took point with small smile, walking forward in a noticeably better mood.

The skeleton peered up from underneath its hat. There was no way he knew about that. This boy must be a mind reader. That was the only explanation. Damn him. Reading my mind, and cheating me out of my money! Ripoff would remember that.
 
As the group walked away from the skeleton sitting with his back to the wall of some shabby clay building, that very skeleton got up. "YOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!!" They heard, wailing on the dusty winds, drawing all their attention back to him.

What they saw there was a tallish skeleton, in nothing but his shiny calcium whites, laughing up to the sky. In just a moment, he froze. Then his body crumpled away, turning to bones and dust in a pile right where he stood. His guitar-like instrument falling atop the pile, his hat atop that, before it blew away in the arid wind.

Daeva looked on with sadness in her eyes.


~~~

It was quite sometime later, but they finally came upon what the next stop was on this adventure. Hours of nothing but walking, but time was of the essence, seeing as how they now had a timer for their adventure, otherwise their friend would perish due to her conceit and impatience for power.

They were upon the route leading to the swamp before floor 3.

The Road of Sacrifice​

A DS window, above their heads, read as such.

This place was well known to adventurers, Ambition, and humanity. It was a solemn place, and the path leading into floor 3.

Wirey blackened stakes of varying sizes were stabbed into the ground at various angles. None of it symmetrical. The stakes were worn to tips sharper than any weapon, gleaming dangerously and with warning.

The stakes were sparse, but close enough to resemble a path. Atop some of them, stabbed through them, crucified upon them, were Wega. Dried and decrepit bodies of shriveled, puny, pathetic Wega.

Today, though, there were some differences with the path.

Before the path -that is to say- just before the group actually reached the path, there in their way, was a strange beast.

A large, regal deer. When it raised its head, as if alerted to something, visible, atop its head, were gorgeous, magnificent antlers. A pair of antlers that were the size of the boulders on the big rockshells the party passed or fought against.

This was a Valadeer.

A majestic beast. Valadeer were known for their pureness and majesty.

A monster that was not ... typically? seen outside of Floor 3. Actually, it was never seen this early. Strange. But perhaps, it just ran through the opening from floor 3 to floor 2, this place wasn't.. that far away, so it was conceivable. Still, that was a pretty big stretch...

Sure enough, something was off about it.

Whereas Valadeer looked like typical deer, albeit with antlers and eyes that glowed of magical colors, this one...

Was reddish-black. Well, like black. Only reddish veins, lines, coloring, or whatever you wanted to call it, swirled through it, like some strange.. miasma, or affliction.

"Look there!"

Daeva called to the rest of the party, though hopefully, not loud enough for the beast to hear -though Valadeers were known for their keen sense of hearing.

Above its head did not read what everyone was expecting. The monster name was not, in fact, Valadeer lvl 3 or 4. Oh no, it was not.

Instead, it read:

💀 DREAD Level 15


Once that was noticed, the danger that was imminent was felt by the party. The danger fell over them, like a weight, like a carpet, like gravity pulled them downwards. It was a palpable danger, so much so, that it physically pained the party. This was clearly something not right. This was something never before encountered by humanity.

Soon enough, the so-called 'Dread' opened its mouth. But it wasn't how you expected it to. The deer's maw suddenly aimed up towards the sky, and ripped apart. "YYYEEUUURREEGHHHHANNNHHHHUUEEEEERRRHH AHHHHHHH RRAAAAAAWWWWWWGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"

Came the sounds from that newly misshapen mouth that was now at the top of its head. Its voice was like screaming cats, and nails raking across the chalkboard, and a screaming woman, and the roar of a treacherous beast all in one.

After its yowl, the beast suddenly began to change. It bulked up, and its body began rippling. Black spines sprouted up out of every spot imaginable, the hooves in front turned into a set of razor-sharp claws bigger than any tiger's or lion's, and its back hooves turned into big hands with opposable thumbs. Its deer-like tail morphed into a tail the length of an anaconda, thrashing about, and one wing sprouted on its right flank. And a second wing sprouted from its upside down head on the left. Its eyes took on a orange-yellow hue, and before they knew it, the Dread that stood before them, was ready to murder the party. Seething with untold anger and hate.

Somewhere, wherever he was, Ripoff was laughing, knowing they did not receive his warning.
 
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Samara's annoyance grew as the negotiations wore on. She felt as if these people were compelled to do the opposite of what she had asked. However, she had asked them to reach a consensus together and they seemed to unanimously agree that taking on the added burden of curses was a wise decision. As much as she despised the outcome, it was nice to see them agree on something for once. She desperately clung to that silver lining. Thus, Samara merely sighed and took a step back, to leave them to their fate.

She frowned and slowly shook her head as the curse struck down Sera, instantly reducing the girl to a sickly, weakened state. There would be no more blessings for anyone. Their sole healer was down for the count and would be fighting for her life. Samara looked like a dispproving parent as she watched the goddess gasp and wretch and guzzle the mana potion. The girl's conviction and resolution was worthy of respect... but this place knew nothing of respect. Would it all be worth it in the end? Was it ever 'worth it' in this damned Labyrinth!? Did this place, which had taken so much, ever pay pay back even a fraction of what was lost!?

Of course not.

Samara silently seethed, not at what the Labyrinth had done to them, but at what they were willing to do to themselves to 'win.' In a game without rules, does anyone ever truly win? We only receive what we are allowed to receive and take what we are allowed to take. Nothing is earned.

When things began to wind down, at last, Samara stepped forward, addressing Ripoff directly, as if the others were no longer of any concern to her. The negotiations had nearly reached their end, but the shieldmaiden decided to get her two cents in, since the others had already given and taken their pounds of flesh. A few moments later, their coffers were lighter and she was in possession of the Strong Block scroll. Would it be enough to make up the fighting strength they had lost? Unlikely. But if she was to defend these fools, she would need everything she had. And they certainly weren't making it easy on her.

Lemondrop's delusions. Lumi's fantasies. Seymour's bloodlust and secrecy. Kirsten's callous nature. And now Sera's shortsightedness. Samara had had just about enough of it all. They only thought of themselves and their own trifling desires, yet she was supposed to protect them!? How!? Why!? Is it my duty to stand in the breach each time they throw themselves into the fire!? she thought as she looked at the two scrolls in her hands: 'Supplemental Heal' and now 'Strong Block,' as well. With the addition of these two, she likely had more skills in her arsenal than any adventurer in Ambition...

A frightening thought. But not one she took any pride in.

Samara opened the first and began to read. The warm glow of new knowledge flowed into her. And this damned Labyrinth just keeps throwing more power at me. More and more, but never enough, she thought as she absorbed the second scroll as well. All her life, she had wanted to heal the sick and injured and shield them from harm. Now she had it, even if this was just a basic, entry-level spell. But it felt so hollow. For what? So I can get them to the next rope from which to hang themselves? Great, I am a 'healer' now, but can't even save my companion on the brink of death. Bah!

She threw down the depleted scroll in frustration, but it dematerialized into a haze of sparkling dust before it could strike the ground. The Labyrinth would not even allow her this small act of rebellion. When the lancer demanded she hold the rear, the giantess was quick to dismiss that order. "You are weakened. I'll take point," she said, in a tone which made it clear this was not up for debate. "Seymour, on me. Your eyes are needed," she said, snapping her fingers at the man, like a master beckoning a servant.

The thought briefly crossed her mind that addressing him in such a brusque manner was unfair. But she quickly quelled it. There was a coldness in her eyes as she gazed upon the man. He will earn my respect when he stops keeping secrets, the shieldmaiden thought as they continued their trek. She had half a mind to take him aside and settle the matter right now, but knew that would not end well unless she calmed down first. A little self-awareness could go a long way. There is too much at stake for such selfishness. We shall see if he grows wiser before someone ends up dead.

* * * * *​

Samara kept up a brisk pace, as much as her nonexistent speed stat would allow. Her long, confident stride and deep stamina pool more than made up for it. The shieldmaiden did not slow or falter, no matter the road conditions, even while carrying more steel and iron than some of these adventurers’ entire body weight.

It did not take long to arrive at the Path of Sacrifice. Such a lovely place, Samara thought as the scenery began to change and the Labyrinth’s title card loomed overhead. Her earlier anger and frustration had long since given way to cynicism. The task before them did not allow for such distractions. Sera’s life hung in the balance. They needed to fell two floor bosses before their supply of mana potions ran dry. Although she was displeased with the choices the girl had made, Samara certainly did not wish death upon her.

Despite the ominous name, The Path of Sacrifice wasn’t known for dangerous encounters. The, umm, 'scenic views' were the main attraction here. So, when Samara spied a valadeer blocking their path, she slowed… but did not stop. These creatures were known to be territorial, but not particularly dangerous to those who knew how to handle them. The reduced pace was her way of assessing if this was a fight worth having or if they should give it a wide berth.

Then again, valadeer were not known to appear on this floor at all. Another anomaly, Samara thought, her eyes narrowing.

She halted and held a raised fist, signaling the others to do the same, so she could assess the situation. Unfortunately, the Labyrinth gave no such time. The creature began to contort and change, limbs and claws burst from its majestic form, twisting it into a red-veined abomination. This was no longer a valadeer. Samara’s mind raced as the sense of foreboding clamped down upon her, as if the atmosphere itself became a burden. By the time Daeva called out and pointed at its absurdly high level, Samara had already made up her mind what must be done.

Although others might buckle under the weight of despair, she prepared herself for battle. Using Quick Swap, the S-Rank Defender summoned all of her plate armor and her tower shield. She knew they needed to run away as fast as humanly possible, before the goup's more aggressive members get any dumb ideas... but Valadeer are also fast. A level 15 one, even more so. Would these grotesque mutations give it more speed or less? Did it possess ranged attacks? Could it bombard them from behind, even if they did somehow get away?

We shall soon find out...

“Companions, on me! We must push through,” Samara quickly surmised. "But... I don't know if our natural speed will be enough to escape." Its roar pierced the air like a sword, yet Samara remained eerily calm, as if she had found her purpose. It had seen them. They were in its territory now. But the floor boss lay beyond this obstacle. Turning back was not an option.

“Lumi! A challenge stands before me. Your work is half done," she said, with a devil's grin. "I do not know how your strange power works, but if you can somehow grant everyone a speed buff for my umm, efforts, I will be forever in your debt.”

She nearly said 'for my sacrifice.' But let's stay away from the death flags, shall we.

Samara retrieved her helm from her inventory and clamped it down upon her head, something she had not done this entire journey. Most of them probably didn't even know her suit of armor included one. “I don't know if our natural speed will be enough to escape. I suggest we run past and pray it does not strike us down. If it does attack us, I will do what I do best: defend. If I succeed, you all get a speed boost and away we go. Should I fail... well...” The brief hesitation was clear in her voice as she said that, but the next words were firm and resolute: “It has been an honor being your shieldbearer,” she said with a smile and a shrug.
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Lumi had been silent for the better part of the trade exchange. Maybe there had been the one or other knick-knack she would have been interested in, like a hat as Ripoff pointed out, but the constant arguing of her own party and the not-at-all stage-like setting had made it rather difficult to find a place to speak up. Thus, she decided for herself to do so at the next opportunity.

Nonetheless, after everybody was more-or-less happy about what they had gotten, negative or positive, the band went on their merry way again. This time, it was the Road of Sacrifice. A location known to Lumi only through tabloids like 'DDD - Dread Dungeon Daily'. A gruesome path that was... anything but exciting! A yawn escaped from the young woman's lips as they continued down the path. Sure, she could feel scared or disgusted at the sights, but as a Narrator, it was her responsibility to do so only on her terms.

Before the blonde could make up her mind to make any Narration, however, the group came to a stop upon Samara's hand gesture. "A most curious stag!" Lumi stated the obvious, watching the oddity up until the point they read its tag. "..." Lumi's eyes widened in fear lit up in excitement. "This is it!" She whispered. Her lips forming a maniacal grin over the pounding of her heart.

Any other party surely turned with their tail between the legs.
Any other party surely lacked in the designation of S-Rank.
Any other party surely didn't have the power to bring forth miracles.
Any other party was not THEIR party.

They were the chosen ones. And levels were just a number anyway! If Blobjun hadn't been enough, the Labyrinth had simply decided to throw their next foe at them. An opponent worthy of battle. A legend ready to be written. Right here, at their fingertips, and...

"...escape?" Lumi blinked multiple times in confusion as Samara called out her name. Even if she entertained the thought, would they even be able to? Lumi shook her head. It wasn't time to argue, but even if she would have wanted to obey Samara. "My epics do NOT work that way. It's about overcoming unfavorable odds and, if none are present, creating them! In exchange for even more glory." Lumi gave a satisfied nod.

Even if she couldn't follow Samara completely through, the Narrator wasn't powerless. Pointing at the monstrosity, Lumi declared. "Against overwhelming odds, our heroes find themselves challenged by a beast of Carnage. Sin incarnate. A monstrosity vile enough to make the bravest souls tremble and the purest hearts falter. But remember this, Tyrant of Shadows and Spines: In the deepest darkest, the light of courage can shine the brightest! For you may have claws, but we have a cause! So, I declare, let this be the rhythm of our resistance. Challenging Proclamation: Foedus Obrepit Errabundus. Dare to conquer the vile Dread, and let Valor be on your side! As the way forward is a challenge in itself, your courage shall be rewarded by a temporary increase in combat prowess, for we are the heroes this story favors!"



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Seymour watched as both Sera and Kirsten took on their respective burdens in hopes for a greater boon in the future. Another missed opportunity for Seymour. But if nothing else, he would at least acquire a new weapon, one that allowed him to dual wield once more, the echo blade. He had a lot catching up to do. And now more than ever, he needed to step to make up for his weakened team members. Feeling the new weapon in his hand, he fastened it to his belt, looking forward to put it to good use.

Seeing Sera squirming from he new curse he couldn't help feel bad for the girl and remember his promise he had made to the shieldmaiden. Making his way to Sera, he decided to exchange some kind words. "I must admit, you're tougher than you look. We'll pick the slack for this floor and the next. You'll do the same for me won't you?"

Listening to Samaras thoughts he could see that she was beginning to feel the pressure of being the only "sane" among the group. It would seem that sense of altruism was finally getting to her. He could sense her distrust has grown. Perhaps he had overplayed his cards during his short exchange with Ripoff.

Yet again, the labyrinth continues to make a mockery of all of them. Of course the crafty skeleton would leave out such an important piece of information from his catalog of rumors. Why wouldn't he open with that? Did he not want repeat customers?

This monster was interesting one to say least. At first presenting itself as a majestic beast before revealing a much more corrupted and eldritch form. The aura of death and despair that surrounded it was palpable. But most of all...it's bloodlust. As expected it's thoughts were simple and singular. The words "kill" and "die" repeated numerous times over.

And yet despite all that, all Seymour was thinking about was how fortunate he was to find something he deemed a worthy challenge, a worthy kill. A small smile formed around his lips as both of his hands clenched his blades, preparing to unsheathed them. Right now, every instinct within this man told him that this creature is the one that he MUST kill. Taking a few deep breaths, Seymour quickly calmed himself, releasing his grip on hills of his blade.

"I swear if I had a luck stat, it would be in the negatives." Seymour spoke, sounding rather disappointed in himself. If only he could have met this beast a bit later.

Listening to Samara, he couldnt help but think she was putting too much of the burden on herself once more. Just because she's the tank didn't mean she needed to put herself on the chopping block so easily. "Easy on the heroics, shield maiden. Besides, we have a much more disposable candidate... no offense Daeva" He was of course referring to the boss from the previous floor.

For one reason or another, Seymour wasn't confident in their abilities to outrun this monster, at least not without sustaining a few casualties. And then narrator would proclaim her own challenge, to fight the beast head on. And here he thought he was the insane one. "Hhmm as much I would love to kill this thing, and belive me I do, I don't think we can. Not at our strength. Our lancer is currently at half strength and we know almost nothing about this creature. The best can do is stall it out, by time for everyone to escape." Seymour, for first time in all his years of combat, was reluctant to go in. Caressing his chin for moment he carefully thought about his next move.

He could see in his UI that his Grit has clearly been activated, indicating that this was a perilous situation. "Hmm with my Red Razor Rush, Grit and Lumi's buff, I'll be the fastest party member here...I can distract it while the rest of you run pass the beast. But to be honest....I'm not even sure if I'll be fast enough to outrun thing" Seymour let out small chuckle while rubbing the back of his head. "Quite the predicament we have here."

"That said, there something about this place that feels....odd. All those creatures that have been sacrificed on those stakes. I have a feeling they hold some importance in this area."

"Samara, Kirsten. You two seem like good Tacticians. What course of action would you recommend?" It wasn't often that Seymour gets stumped, but if there's anything he's learned here, this place is always full of surprises.

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The Dread was an entity with a singular goal: Slaughter all who dare oppose the labyrinth. It was a being with no mind at all. With only one decree that it lived by. Given to it by the Labyrinth.

KILL. KILL. SLAUGHTER. DEATH. DEATH.

Although it was a mass of dark tendrils and nether energies unheard of and untold in this world, it acted more like a living machine. Dedicated wholly to its duty. Never faltering, never considering another avenue, and unceasing in its task. Completely obedient, and wholly dedicated. Its allegiance to the Dread Labyrinth was unwavering. It needn't to eat, crap, or sleep. It needn't any source of outside energy. Its sole function was to its role.

The Dread hadn't yet seen them, though they were not aware of this fact. Instead, it, being unnaturally clever in the art of hunting prey, had sensed them with otherworldly senses that are impossible to describe. It hadn't yet honed in on them, but knew they were around. To be clearer, it sensed prey. Prey of the labyrinth. That was why it shed its Valadeer visage.

KILL. KILL. KILL. KILL!!!

When Jiànlong spotted the creature, he felt himself grow weak. Even his knees began to shiver and buckle! "We.. we never told about anything like this..." the blonde mumbled, his voice weak. He glanced over, his party members hadn't yet given up, though it was clear by some of what they said, that they were well into considering the immediate danger. Surprisingly, he felt power well up within him. "Huh? What?"

He glanced over at Lumi. It was her doing. Her strange proclamation, her strange power! He gave her a silent thank you, but this wasn't enough for him to find his courage. In fact, he felt so fearful, that this beast seemed to depower him and drop his stats simply by existing. He wondered if Lumi's buff was even a buff, or if it simply returned his stats to their original state. Regardless, he didn't feel like moving at all -and he was the man who could walk endlessly! But now, his legs were jello, he didn't feel like taking even a single step. Where did all of them find such courage??

Daeva felt the power well up within her, as well. It was a good thing too! At that moment, the Dread noticed them.

In that moment, running through its head was all the same dreadful things, this time laced with such vitriol and caustic hate unlike before.

KILL, DEATH, ANNIHILATE, KILL, SLAUGHTER, DIE, DIE, DIE. KILL, KILL, KILL!!! DIEEEEE!!!!

The deer-like face of the Dread glanced in their direction. Then screeched and part its maw once again. Its maw now took on a circular shape, with hundreds of rows of teeth descending down its throat like some sort of hellish medieval trap or hellish grater. In a flash of cloudy white, a burst fired out of its mouth at the group.

Daeva was the first to react. She knew Seymour hadn't meant any offense, but he hadn't needed to say that -she agreed with him. "Now!" She called, flicking her hand. Two skeletons she had already summoned that were walking alongside them flung themselves before the group. The blast connected with them briefly, and Daeva grit her teeth. A second later and there was a LOUD BURST. The skeletons exploded into dust and bones, but the party was safe. If not for Lumi's buff, she wasn't sure that would've been enough to hold back such an attack, she got lucky... but Daeva had gotten the sense that that attack was on the weaker side. As if the Dread hadn't taken them seriously at all. That only lowered her morale, but she decided to not dwell on it.

Even though Daeva tried with all her might to block the shot, even though it was a weak blast, it was still strong enough to rip through her skeletons. It shred through their bones like paper, and some of the blast carried on through them right at the group. With the shieldmaiden being in the vanguard, she was the only one within range to defend the party -- or take a blast to the face.

"The man is right!" (the man = Seymour) Shouted Daeva. She had gotten a sense for that thing's power. "We should run! We have a ticking timer, remember!" She said, in reference to Sera. Even if they could handle this erm thing -enemy- whatever with Lumi's buff, and she wasn't so sure they could, it would be a waste of time. "Blobbykins!!!"

As soon as she shouted, the big oaf zombie ran forward with a pounding, yet waddling gait.

"GEEEAARRHIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAARRR!!!"

Roared the Dread, as if offended or aggrieved its prey were taking action against it.

It galloped forward, with heavy footfalls that pounded the dusty ground. Each foot that hit the ground sent out a shockwave that rumbled under their feet, and up through the party's legs. Like the very labyrinth shuttered when the Dread took a step.

It clashed with Blobjun -or 'Blobbykins'. The undead Blobjun slapped its fatty body into the deer, grabbing at its side. But the grab was made with no thought, and haphazardly, and the clash was violent from the Dread's side. So Blobjun was immediately pierced through by many spines, and the antlers tore into its side, spilling out rotted guts. "GRHUHHHUH!!" Blobjun groaned. But Daeva didn't relent in her order. And for now, Blobjun was grappling with the beast, but for how long could that last?

"RUN!" Daeva ordered.

Without thinking or considering the others, she immediately bolted towards the Path of Sacrifice. It felt counterintuitive to run towards the Dread, but they had to reach floor 3, and take out its boss. If they didn't take this opportunity to go forward, they may never have another chance! She assumed everyone else thought the same.
 
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"Well, I guess we're doing this," Samara said as Lumi's challenge appeared before her. She swiped right without hesitation. She wasn't a fan of running anyway and had only suggested it because they had a dying party member to look after and couldn't spare the time for this. But if they could not overcome this, what hope did they stand against the floor boss? Samara didn't think anyone would be willing to face the Dread, but Lumi seemed to think otherwise and one supporter was enough to sway the shieldmaiden to take up arms. For once, Samara was grateful for the girl's flights of fancy.

However, the grim truth was staring them in the face. As Seymour laid out his plans, she turned to him with a sharp glare, a bit of her earlier vitriol returning. "Oh, you have a 'feeling,' do you? Did your sources tell you that, Slaymore?" she said, chiding him. "As for your plan, that is awfully bold of you to assume this creature will give a damn. You alone are no more of a distraction than a fly to a charging bull, nor is your swordsmanship s-ranked. Your strikes will mean little, same as Blobjun's blubbery defenses. But, sure, let Thames' killer do my job, rather than place your trust in one suited to the task."

As if on queue, the Dread fired a blast of energy in their direction. Samara did not hesitate to position herself in the path of the attack and hunkered down behind her shield. But Daeva's skeletons shambled before her and took the brunt of it. They were immediately disintegrated and what remained of the blast was deflected by the giantess's shield, charring its surface, but otherwise leaving her unharmed.

Her eyes remained on the beast as the summoner cried out that they should run. Daeva sicced her minion on the Dread before fleeing. Samara scoffed at the departing necromancer, before turning to her remaining allies. She refused to succumb to dread.

"If we cannot stand and fight here, what hope do we have against this floor's boss or the next or the next!? It will not get easier!" Samara said to her companions, trying to rouse them for battle. With Lumi's buffs coursing through her veins, she delivered her orders. "Stand strong! We need you," she said, giving Jianlong a hearty slap on the shoulder. "Seymour, lend him the Echo Blade. We're betting everything on a double Amassed Energy Strike. You and Kirsten, follow me. Our goal is to clear a path and harass the enemy. Lemondrop, Lumi, use ranged attacks to do the same. We're a swarm of flies. You're the executioner. Understood," she said, meeting Jian's gaze with grave seriousness.

"If you miss, or it somehow doesn't phase this beast.... then we run. But I refuse to flee without at least trying," she said. The exp alone made this worth the attmempt. And, who knows, perhaps the curses count this as a floor boss. It was certainly stronger than anything humankind had yet encountered. But so are we.

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"Uhhh.. we're staying and fighting that thing?" Jiànlong questioned, his eyes staring at the large woman patting his shoulder. To him, what Daeva and the others said about fleeing made much more sense in this case -Daeva even made an opening for them to run! Sure, he felt the buff from Lumi's power after accepting her challenge. He was worried his attack wouldn't hit hard against a monster such as this, even with the Echo Blade's effects.

"What makes you think the floor boss is stronger than this enemy?" Jiànlong asked. To him, a level 15 enemy that looked like that -whatever that was- indicated a much more dangerous threat than the floor boss, even if the floor boss was higher level like Blobjun, surely it wouldn't be level 15, right?

"Easy for you to say..." he grumbled, looking dismayed. 'If your attack doesn't work then we run, blah blah blah..' Yeah, but at that point, everyone would be close to the monster -and he would be standing right beside it! With its obvious ire drawn to him! Jiànlong was a walking maniac, not a runner.

"Err.. Okay, I'll try.." He murmured. He really wanted to put on a brave face, but when it came to something like this monster that literally exuded despair and an aura of fear, he wasn't confident at all. He looked over at Seymour expectantly for the sword, saying, "Heh, sorry mate. You'll get it back in no time..." How he seriously hoped that to be true.
 
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Level 15.

How many times had she passed through the Road of Sacrifice now?

How many times had she passed this place with no incident?

How many times…

It didn’t matter now.

There was only the weight of death, heavier upon her shoulders than the curse, that paralyzing cold of impeding doom. Dread was a fitting name for that beast, the monster that tore itself out from the shell of a Valadeer. Nothing remained but a genocidal hatred, and if such a creature made it out of the second floor, made it out of the first floor, there was no doubt in Kirsten’s mind that it could make good on its promise. The Dread Labyrinth existed only to take, after all. Take lives, take Beacons, take hope. It existed to grind everything down to dust, reduce to rubble civilization and humanity, urging all to suicide rather than struggle. The Blobjun, boosted to Level 6. A Valadeer, distorted to Level 15. The disparity increased far faster than the party’s ability to level up. What would there be at the third floor? Level 20? Level 30?

The Dread Labyrinth had thrown down its gauntlet. If they could not slay monsters multiple times their own level, then they were simply fated to perish, like any other common adventurer before them. It wasn’t a matter of sacrificing the minority for the survival of the majority. It wasn’t a matter of choosing the path of least resistance. It wasn’t about survival.

She could feel cold sweat break out, the chill passing through her organs one that could only be felt by herself. Dread held itself heavily. A monster almost four times her own level. An entire dimension away in terms of pure capability and destructive force. Her heartbeat drowned out her thoughts. Skeletal shards scattered over them all like rain. Lumi’s proclamation was received numbly. There was no way to have predicted this. There was perhaps a possibility of asking that skeleton about this. There was only the slimmest chance of beating this.

There was no point in this.

Kirsten’s fist slammed against her chest, violence restarting her heart.

Since when was there need to think when there was a monster before her? Since when was there reason to fear when the world had already died? Her past was already gone, crushed beneath fifty tonnes of concrete, then washed away by a tsunami the height of a skyscraper! So much was lost. To lose anymore was unforgivable. Chaser your death! Avenge the past! The weight of twenty-four years, of bright eyes and brighter expectations, of celebrating and beautifying life, had long settled into ash in the wake of the Comet!

Fireblood coursed through her veins, the flaming aura burning bright like a torch in pitch-black.

She was the Hellbreaker Diamond, destined to descend and shatter this sadistic hellscape.

Her breath escaped as steam through the vents in her Half-Demon Mask. Her blood ran hotter and hotter, old scars glowing like crimson lightning. Samara had said all that Kirsten would’ve said. Lumi had granted them the necessary blessing to speak all that was needed. Sera could choose her own fate, whether to lie upon the ground and await their victory or death, or to charge with them, for nothing except morale support. Seymour, perpetually unshaken by the matters of the world around him, would be dragged into the inertia of promised violence. That, already, was a majority.

The minority had no hopes of descending past Floor 6 without them.

“You should all be able to keep up now.”

She crouched. The sprinter’s position. The cavalry charge. A straight line to the monster.

“Let’s go.”

And the Comet flew.
 
Sera felt her cheeks redden a bit as Seymour approached with admiration… though maybe that was from the mana fever. "Oh, uhm… thank you. Yes, of course…" she nodded, agreeing at once. After a short moment, she called out again, "Oh, S-Seymour? You can borrow this one too," Sera added with a cough, spawning in her second sword, which fell into the dust with a big thump.


Sera stood still, mouth agape, as every fiber in her body quivered from the gross abomination in front of her. It was so vile, it made Daeva’s monsters look like angels by comparison. And that failed to even mention the gruesome surroundings.

But for all that horror, her party still stood strong, and so, she’d do so as well. They’d been blessed with good health, and now, spurned on by a rousing speech. It might’ve been fruitless, but Sera still summoned her final sword, struggling to lift it up from the ground.

She stood there, panting heavily just from pointing the sword in the direction of the beastie. There was no way she was about to swing it, but it still had a pointy bit on the end. Maybe a little jab was enough to push a narrow death into victory.

And so, despite good sense, Sera ran forward while the demon was busy devouring its more capable attackers, seeking to plunge the giant blade into its side with all her might.
 

Jianlong's fear was palpable, but Samara still chose to put her faith in him. She hated putting hi on the spot like this, but had to believe he would rise to the occasion. If she could not trust her allies, what else was there? Down here, we only have each other. Nothing else, she thought as she released the boy with an encouraging smile, despite the snarling beast behind them.

"Thank you," she said as Seymour exchanged the Echo Blade with him. She could feel the young man's disappointment. Slaymore valued his tools, after all. She felt a twinge of guilt for having been so skeptical of him and sharp with her words a moment ago. She still had many questions for him, about his abilities and why he chose to keep them secret from the group, but now was hardly the time for that.

Unsurprisingly, Kirsten launched into battle with a quick one-liner, still fleet-footed despite the curse weighing upon her. For the briefest of moments, Samara had seen the Lancer show hesitation. That woman was a literal weapon sheathed in flesh, yet she almost seemed human when the Dread transformed and despair descended upon them. If there was one person Samara could count on to charge into battle beside her, it was this one.

"Keep up?" Samara scoffed as she, too, began her charge toward the Dread, following the comet's trail. "Defenders do not 'keep up.' We are always at the vanguard. Sanctuary Bubble!" As she shouted the incantation, a swirling sphere of bluish energy brgan to form in her hand, behind her tower shield. With her off-hand, she threw it underhanded and it struck Kirsten's back. The energy swiftly expanded, but only large enough to encircle the woman in a barrier no bigger than her body.

The way Sanctuary Bubble worked, its expansion was based on how hard it was thrown. A light throw kept the barrier's diameter small, but it still had the same HP, essentially making it thicker, stronger, more compact. The size was perfect to shield Kirsten and little else, while not impeding the Lancer's thrusts, thanks the long reach of her weapon. And, because of Lumi's buff, Samara did not feel as if her mana pool was completely depleted by the casting. Could she fire off a second barrier? She wasn't sure. But she certainly felt as if she could.

The shieldmaiden gritted her teeth as she pounded forward, her heavy footfalls churning the dry, barren earth beneath her. She felt powerful, envigorated, brimming with righteous purpose. Each step pushed the world back, creating the illusion that she ws being propelled forward. Though her speed was still lacking compared to the others, she felt relentless, inevitable, unstoppable.

Focus. I am not unstoppable, she reminded herself. She couldn't let Lumi's fantasies blind her, but would use them to propel herself to victory. As she gazed up at the level 15 abomination, drenching the ground with offal and gore as it tore into Blobjun's once-mightly form, she was ready to revel in this fantasy. But neither are you! the shieldmaiden thought as she arrived.

While she was not known for her speed, Samara had learned to make use of the tools at her disposal. One way or another, this wasn't going to be a long fight, so there was no reason to hold back. She veered off to the right just as she arrived, making way for Kirsten and Seymour. As she branched off, Samara quickly cast Strong Block and a very brief Anchor Pull in rapid succession, using her momentum to arc around the creature's left side, pull herself in, and slam into its spiked body with her shield, as both a defensive measure and an impromptu shield bash, in the hopes of toppling it, or at least upsetting its balance enough for the others to safely get in a strike. However, she remained aware of the fact that their primary goal was to harrass and distract, so Jianlong could slip in with his amassed energy strike.
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"Hmm. Guess it's do or die then. " Accepting the situation for what it is, Seymour wholeheartedly accepted the narrators blessing. Setting aside his grievances, Seymour detached the echo blade from his belt and handed it to Jian Long. Something told him he wont live to regret this decision.

It wasn't like Samara to suggest such a risky plan especially when they had a teammate he literally wasting away as they spoke. He was...conflicted. As someone who had always risk his own life, he found it uncomfortable to risk someone's else's.

Hearing the lancer have some hesitation before committing to an attack was a surprising yet weirdly comforting moment for Seymour, revealing that she too can feel fear. "Not this time lancer." Refusing to be outdone, by the lancer, Seymour enveloped himself in his signature red aura of amplification and bolted forward faster anyone could imagine, easily outpacing his entire party by a large margin.

"Sera....I won't let your sacrifice be in vain.." Seymour thought to himself as he unsheathed his the Zweihander that he had been entrusted with. "Even now I'm relying on the kindness and strength of other people...how pitiful." He hated it, this feeling of weakness and powerlessness. It was like the creature was put here just to mock him. Taunt him! This was surely the doing of the labyrinth. If this was an attempt of the labyrinth to scare him, it had failed miserably so, he was angry at the not just the creature but whatever entity was responsible for this. One day, when Seymour finds it, he will make sure it screams be heard from the deepest pits of the labyrinth, all the way to ambition.

But until then, killing this thing will suffice. With a zweihander one on hand and a gladius on the other, he launched himself upward, quickly running up blobjun to deliver a boulder shattering kick to the Dreads face. "Just another monster." Before gravity had time to take hold of him? Seymour would use his other foot to kick into the creature's face again, pushing him specifically towards a large stake at the side. From there he would pinball back towards the creature with no delay.

In the fraction of a second, he could see it, Samara moving forward to serve as distraction and Kirsten, catching up to him. Blobjun trying its best to hold the beast in its place. "Heh. Maybe ill get to see her do that when she's back in full strength." Seymour smiled to himself, charging towards the creature from another angle and delivering his amplified slashes towards the creature's hind legs. Regardless of tough this opponent was, his Limb Buster talent would still allow him to do massive bonus damage to these parts of the bodies. He circled a few times around the creature, his afterimages made it like there were multiple people attacking him at once from several angles. With his gladius and zweihander he went to work, slicing at any exposed muscle, tendon or any fleshy surface. Despite his speed, he was very meticulous with his slashes, with each strike being done with utmost efficiency with exceptional angles to maximize damage. During this time, he also studied the creature, its joints, range of motion and brindspots. As long as he played his cards right, this creature's strikes will never reach him, with or without his mind reading skill.

"I am Seymour, the Great Slayer of the arena. Champion killer of the pits. Hear me Labyrinth, I am coming for what lies within your core. That will be my final trophy.' Seymour mentally announced his intention, continuing his relentless onslaught of blades on all of the creature's limbs. Even while the sheer impact from his attacks slowly ate into his hands, he did not waver, never slowing down, never giving it a chance. His body will break before his will does.
 
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