Sorry for not answering under last chap. I had few personal issues, that I had to take care of. And then as I wanted to answer, I simply reached conclusion, that you would be far more satisfied with new chap, than few answers. So I began writing, even as I had no intention of releasing chap today

Edited by: KenChi死

I felt sharp pain in my calf as something pierced it. I hissed in pain as I turned around and brought my mace down. I heard a crunching sound which ensured me that I hit my target. I was surrounded by a few crawling undead torsos. Annoying enemies, they tend to die pretty quickly, if I would hit them in the skull, they would simply crumble, the problem is, that they’re literally laying on the ground, jumping only from time to time, which in order to deal them a blow forced me to almost bow my whole posture for every attack.

Well, as I was lowering my body to perform a blow, the one behind would never let such an opportunity go to waste, and rushed at my legs. Because of that I had my legs seriously scratched. I felt drops of blood run down and my overall mobility slowly falling. Tsh! If I could only see them! That would be so much easier! But no! I had to either hear them or make on opening to encourage them to jump on me.

Using only hearing was a pain in the ass, there is simply to many of them, there sounds are merging into one annoying cacophony. Sensing mana was also pretty useless, despite their deformed bodies, they were fast. Their weak magical forces were distracting me, sometimes only appearing in places they were a second ago.

After a minute or two of fighting I dropped my boots. Reasons? A bit silly, but as mana sensing and hearing were failing me, I decided to try feeling vibration over the floor. Unfortunately, the floor of the dungeon was not made of wooden panels, but of ceramic one? I guess? Or similar material, as it was cold like the last layer of hell.

Yet it helped, a little.

I pretend to bow to deal another blow at the enemy behind me, then I felt it. A small tingling sensation from behind me, as another undead started gathering momentum in order to pounce at me. I spun in place. My mace met resistance.

The only one of my huge advantages was my body mass, I was far heavier than every single one of them (Maybe even more than all of them combined). The privilege of having my skeleton coated in flesh, blood and piss. So each time I would hit them, I would send them flying.

You have slain [Shadowling Creeper Level 16]You have gained [80 exp]Your party member [Gisele Redwing Level 34] has gained [20 exp]

Yeah, each time I killed one, Gisele was leeching part of my exp, even as she did nothing! NOTHING DAMN IT!

Hm? This feeling… crap! They are not as mindless as I thought! As I performed the same feint for a third time, the one that waited at my sides bolted in my direction. I was still finishing my rotation, so any other movement would simply make me collapse. Were they actually learning my patterns same way I did with them? Or maybe…

The [Puppet] in their titles. Somewhere there must be a necromancer that is controlling them! But to coordinate their movements so fluently, he or she has to look at the very battle from nearby! Eliminating that necromancer became my priority!

Ouch. Ah yeah, I forgot. I was being attacked from both sides without the possibility to defend myself…

You took 29 damage

You took 41 damage

You are now [Bleeding]You will take 1 additional damage point ever 5 second

Your [Left calf] is severely damagedYour [Agi] has temporarily decreased by [8 point]

Damn it you little!

I collapsed on one of my knees. I swung my arm to both sides, damaging the monster by my sides.

You have slain [Shadowling Creeper Level 16]You have gained [80 exp]Your party member [Gisele Redwing Level 34] has gained [20 exp]

How many is that? 4 of them?! So at least four more to go! Haha… I will not make it. It’s impossible. They are learning far to quickly.

As I was trying to think about another solution, something heavy fell meter from me. They rapid sound of slashing could be heard and dozens of bones start falling to the sides.

Your party member [Gisele Redwing] has slain [Shadowling Creeper Level 16]Because of the level difference between you and your party member, Exp you gained will be halved.You have obtained [10 exp]

Your party member [Gisele Redwing] has slain [Shadowling Creeper Level 16]Because of the level difference between you and your party member, Exp you gained will be halved.You have obtained [10 exp]

Your party member [Gisele Redwing] has slain [Shadowling Creeper Level 16]Because of the level difference between you and your party member, Exp you gained will be halved.You have obtained [10 exp]

Your party member [Gisele Redwing] has slain [Shadowling Creeper Level 16]Because of the level difference between you and your party member, Exp you gained will be halved.You have obtained [10 exp]

Ah, here comes the cavalry! … WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!

“Zari, are you ok?” No! My leg is bleeding, I am all scratched from the belt down and you leeched my exp! Let’s bully her a little… “Phm! Why did you get yourself involved! I had them!” “You surly did.” I heard her sigh. “… you really did well, I simply came in to bask a little in your glory.” “Hmph!”

She chuckled.

“Stop acting like that, or I will hug you to death.” She brushed my hair “.. now come here, we have to take you to the side and treat that wound on your leg. We don’t want it to start suppurating.”

She helped me rise, as she dropped my arm through her shoulder carrying me to the side of dungeon.

“You are a monster, you know?” She said. My heart jumped to my throat “… fire magic, nature magic, neutral magic, more or less skilled in spear, and you even fought blinded with so many difficult enemies…”

No! We don’t want you to glorify me! If you would, you will start getting some silly ideas again! No! I am your little brother! Your little cuddle friend! Look at me this way! Pretty please?

“Before we entered the dungeon, you told me that first ten or so floors are nothing more than warm up, yet here I am with my leg needing some healing… I would be dead back then if not for you…” “It is a warm up for a whole party of experienced adventurous, Zari. You fought alone, against monster you saw for the fir… I am sorry…” She got confused after saying a word regarding the ability of seeing. “Why are you sorry? I SEE no problem at all!” “Why are you so mentally strong! Most of adventurers would need a month or so to get used to your situation! But instead of problems you see opportunities!? HOW!?”

Now, how should I play it? Let’s pick [Playing cute] route.

“… People in the guild were nice to me. The closest thing that I could call a family until now was master Hanna, but… I screwed up a little, you know? She needed to cast me out of the village to protect me… No, I am not mad at her, I am grateful. She picked the best solution… but I was wandering without a home, family, purpose… until I found the guild. Even if a few of them are jerks, they mostly took me in, they are my new family… after they did so much for me, I can’t simply let them worry about me, that would be disgusting to simply use their kindness…”

… did it work? Sufficient or not? I overdid it, didn’t I?

I was only patted on the head.

“Sit there, and hold this near your leg, I will make ourselves a camp, raise a fire place… wait until then, will you? Somewhere I have a few herbs that can accelerating the speed of wounds healing… I will combine it with water and make a paste…” “Wait, I will help you…” “No. It’s fine. Rest a little.”

That was both tone full of concern and that didn’t even consider [No] as option.

So, I overdid it.

Gisele’s Pov

I was hardened by steel, fire and blood. The life of adventurers, even if worshiped as a merry life, full of adventures and happy encounters by bards… was not even close to it. We have spent weeks, months in dungeons, covered in dirt and blood, risking our life for a few silver coins.

And then, when we would leave it, as we would get back to the guild… we never felt more alive than in that very moment. So we sang, so we danced, so we drank. And every person that would walk past us then, would view us as a happy bunch, living life full of joy and happiness. Not many know, that our songs of joy are covering tears after friends we lost. People grow up quickly here. They are losing their… purity. Pretty quickly from looking for adventure, their struggle change into looking for self perfection. To get better, to never see your comrades die ever again.

Yet here he is… That white haired kid. So full of optimism, always smiling, from sarcastic, wicked smiles, to full and cheerful ones. How can he be so pure? How could he not lose his original purpose?

In this cruel, cold world, how can he be so… DAMN CUTE?!

I raised a small tent, all over the camp I put a few repealing charms. As I was coming back, I saw him by the fireplace. I did not make one. Even as I told him not to do anything, he simply made one.

One of his hand was put over his damaged leg, a weak green glow was covering the wound. As he heard that I was approaching he raised his hand in my direction and once again smiled. This time apologetically.

“Sorry, for getting caught back then. If not me we could proceed further. I will get myself back to shape in not time! You will see!”

… He doesn’t want to be a burden to anybody. Is that why he keeps smiling? Is that why he made that campfire, even thou I told him to rest?

But… why are you afraid of being a burden so much!?... wait… how said that already. He wants a family. The last he had shattered.

So, he is overworking himself, because he is afraid that he would be abandoned?

How could I abandon someone that warms my heart as much as you?

I start preparing a meal. Well, preparing a meal sounds proudly, but all I did was simply warm ready rations over the fire. All this time he was talking. About everything and nothing at same time.

“Gisele, how good are you with spears?”

He mostly spoke about fighting, he kept asking various questions. I knew why.

“Well, only basics, Master Jericho demanded me to have some basic knowledge about using every possible weapon. [You never know what kind of situation you will find yourself in], he used to say. I prefer swords, and was really nagging back then, whatever he would say I simply kept asking him [When would we have a sword lesson]… so he took me to the forest, he gave me a swords, as told me to fight him. Pretty quickly, he kicked the sword out of my hand and out of my reach range, but he kept attacking. All I had to defend myself were the long sticks that were laying around. Then he would mock me [See? You never know the situation you would find yourself in. Imagine that I am a bandit that took you by surprise. You don’t have your sword around, only those branches. And you are dead. You could have some small chances of surviving, if you would learn how to use pole weapons, but you had to be smarter!]. Ah, even now I remember all those bruises he gave me! But I fought with a few spears users, so if you would need anything…”

He talked about fighting, because he wanted me to speak about something I know. Something I can share. He wanted to boost my self-esteem, to made myself look like a pro. So carrying about him teammates feelings, boosting their morale. Instead of saying [You are great], he allowed you to indirectly say the very same thing. [I am great]. He will be a great team leader in the future. But for now, he is but a cute, heart warming kid.

I sat by his side and grabbed him by his shoulder.

“Sis, what are you doing?”

I only smiled

“Enough talking, you have to rest before tomorrow.”

And I start bringing his head toward my lap.

“Sis?” “What? Are you uncomfortable?” “That’s not it!” “So there is no problem. Sleep.” “But…” “It’s an order.”

He only sighed as he gave up. I kept petting his head watching him as he was slowly relaxing. Pretty soon he started breathing peacefully.

Then I noticed a huge shadow creeping near the edge of the barrier made of hexbags.

It looked like a gray skinned, crooked, coated man. He held a lamp filled with green fire in one hand and staff in another. I was not afraid of an attack. It was not their role.

“It’s rare for one of you to come on your own.” I whispered quietly not to wake Zari “It’ssss rare for one like him to be born… not ssssaying about vissssiting this placcccce in perssssson” The Reanimator hissed. “What do you want?” “Flesh and bones. Bloods and souls. Dust and ashes.”

Annoying bunch. Either speaking with riddles or not answering precisely. Yet never lying. If you would ask him for advice, but did not precisely say that you want answer about the dungeon he would simply answer with [It’s better to be late, than never] and so on.

“You know what I mean. What do you want from us… no, from him.” “It dependssss, of what the Ssssinner wantssss from ussss.”

Sinner?

“We came to train him. Nothing more.” “Nooo. Thisss isss, why YOU came here… He alwaysss hasss more goals. Hisss eyesss…” “Yes, they are gone. This is why we came here. To train.” “Ssssily child. Hisss eyesss were a sssacrfice. He sssaw this place and he knowss what this place guardsss. Tell him.. that what he issss looking for, isss at 50th We can’t give it to him. Dungeon forbidssss. He isss also to weak now. Let him come later… to put us out of our… misssssery.” The Reanimator turned back and started leaving, just to turn for a moment before “… if he desiresss improvement… I will ssssend more puppetsss… until then. Keep him alive. We would not forgive you, if he would die… he holdsss a key… to our freedom.” “More riddles?” “Riddles? He really hassss a KEY. On hisss neck.”

He pointed at the pendant. Then he vanished in darkness.