--------------- Helen's POV ---------------

We were hidden outside the detection range of their scout. Marcy, the three wounded devil monkeys, Emory and the squad and me. And then the world crashed down.

THROOOOOM

RUMBLE

CRASH

"Grendel!!!" The shout escapes from my mouth as I see a huge chunk of his HP going away at once.

I can't believe Grendel's rotten luck. How does he finish every fight the worst way possible? I'm not completely freaked out this time because his HP bar did not plummet all the way to zero. Just near enough.

What just happened? He was fighting with Cedric, the chalice base broke, I saw Grendel jumping up, a huge cloud of dust raised up and then the stone formation crashed on the ground. The ground shook like an earthquake!

I run into the debris cloud only to be forcibly held back by Marcy.

"Where are you going? Wait here for the dust to settle before running there. You have no idea what is in there. The big guy is safe, his health is coming back as we speak."

I won't wait though. I focus my wind magic and blow the dust cloud away from us. "Gust of Wind!"

From behind me, a great wind blew away the dust cloud. Less than a minute later, we were able to see the damage. The polished stone chalice broke from its base, and crashed on the ground, splitting into thousands of pieces. The weight was so great the ground was gouged, forming a big crater.

"Marcy, where is Grendel? Can you find him?"

"Yes, he is ahead. But watch your step, the ground is unstable!"

"Emory, go ahead and check the ground for pitfalls, please!"

With Emory going ahead and tapping the ground, we advance slowly. I can see something sparkling in the middle of the debris, but our destination is where Grendel is buried. His HP is almost full and he has no abnormal status, so he should not be in any danger.

"This is very strange. Why would this stone formation cause such a depression in the ground?" Marcy says while descending into the crater.

It is deep, almost the height of two tall men standing on each other's shoulders. Some broken chalice debris are scattered around. They are thin, I can grab both the inner and the outer polished side if I hold an edge. I can even nudge the smaller pieces. It means that the stone sculpture was hollowed. Maybe even open at the top, like the real tableware.

"Take care, Marcy. It looks like everything can slide at any moment."

"Don't worry, I have a good balance!" She descends a bit more and then yells "Curses! This is terrible! Emory, back off at once!" and begins to climb back.

I kneel and take a roll of rope from my backpack. "Hey, monkeys, help me here! Hold this!" I show them the point of the rope. "Here, hold it here and grip with all your strength." They make a puzzled look but grab the rope. "Now, stay there!" I throw the roll of rope down to help Marcy climb up. Emory comes up with nimble leaps.

"Helen, get away from the crater now!" Marcy doesn't stop to catch her breath, and just tugs on the rope as she runs away from the crater.

We follow her but I am curious. "What happened, Marcy?"

"It is a freaking dungeon! Down there is a dungeon!"

Dungeon. A place of dread and terror only the heroes of legend dare challenge. A nest of terrible monsters, the legacy of ancient ages, prison for demons. All these rumors may be more than just tales to scare new adventurers. There is a dark hole on the deeper part of the crater with an ominous aura leaking from it.

"How can a dungeon be here without nobody knowing?"

"I bet five silver coins that this chalice thing was keeping it shut."

RUUUMBLE

Something stirs the broken chalice pieces, revealing the source of the light we saw before. A glimmering crystal, about the size of a wheelbarrow. It is very well cut and its many facets show different views of what is inside. There is a child inside. Nested in the crystal is the body of a child. I don't think it is alive.

"Marcy! Look at that crystal! There is a child inside!"

RUUUMBLE

Before Marcy can answer, Grendel bursts from the rubble fighting a huge frostworm.

----------------------------- Grendel's POV --------------------------------

For real? There are freaking dungeons in this world? I can't say I am surprised though. It is a very common fantasy trope. What I am surprised with is the existence of one this close to a town, and nobody ever mentioned it. But getting to the bottom of this mystery can wait until I give this grownup earthworm.

White flesh, tons of hooked legs and a toothed maw that would make the Stellar Wars Xarlaac blush. And to crown its mean demeanor, it has a freezing breath.

It is wrapped around me, and currently choosing between grinding me to a pulp with its serrated legs or biting my head off, either before or after I am frozen.

Best thing yet, the critter is as slippery as wet ice. I can't land a clean hit, only scratch it. I have only one arm free to attack with.

"Grendel! Over here!" Marcy waves at me. Good! Helen is by her side, and so are the monkeys.

"Helen, burn this freaking worm into tomorrow."

The worm unwraps part of its body, bends into a U, and shows me the writhing muscles of its insides as the maw closes upon my head. I shake my head around to poke it with my remaining horn. I could probably defend if I had both, but Cedric's greed denied me my natural weapon. It retreats when I poke between the layers of teeth.

"I can't! It will hurt you!"

"Just use a mid-tier fire spell! I'll be fine!" I'd even be grateful if things were to warm up a bit here. I'm already with frostbite.

"Burst Fireball!" Helen tosses an exploding fireball on us. It is exactly equal to the classic spell from the Pits and Lizards tabletop RPG.

"Hiiishaaaaa" The frostworm hisses as to announce the world it does not like being burned. The ice coating of its skin melts, and bubbles burst on its delicate skin. It is even more vulnerable to fire than I was back then. And this spell took 10% of my HP as burn damage.

"I know buddy. This vulnerability thing hurts like hell!" And I can finally dig my claws into its soft flesh. "Helen, shoot again a bit further away from us."

"Burst Fireball!" And another 7% of my HP is burned. But the frorstworm is dead. And I am not frostbitten anymore. Helen's fire is gentle. I'm just a bit scared of a Nova Blast though.

"Thanks, honey!" I give Helen a thumbs up as I catch my breath.

In retrospect, I really didn't make the best choice when the chalice came down. I could use [Instant Movement] to dash away, but I was grappling Cedric. So I leaped up, used the falling chalice to push myself down and kicked the ground with [Emperor's Might] to make a hole. What kind of idiot willingly buries himself? Look no further. I really want some skill to accelerate my thoughts. The ground gave in, the chalice was thin and shattered like an egg. Some monsters that were in the dungeon room right below us were crushed and then this huge frostworm attacked me.

I take a look around there is only chalice debris around. Seeing with one eye only is bad. No. The upper part of the frostworm is on the ground, and something is shimmering... Is that a crystal?

"Did you girls see this crystal thing?"

"Pick it up and get the hell out of this hole, G! On the double!"

I grab the frostworm's head-ish part, toss it outside the crater, then grab the crystal. Holy moly, there is a kid inside!

RUMBLE

It is probably a good idea to jump out of here before the thing falls down even more.

RUUUMBLE! CRASH! ROOOOAR!

"Guys, we need to get away from here!"

I grab the crystal with one hand, the frostworm head on the other and we run away from the hole. We stop a couple hundred yards from the site on top of a hill to catch our breath. Helen is severely winded.

Marcy looks backwards, scouting for danger. "Grendel! This is too bad! Did you see the dungeon name?"

"Beelzebub's something? Hive! Beelzebub's Hive was its name." I look at the same place as Marcy. Two red bugs are squirming around at great speeds. "What are those red things going all around the place?"

She mutters a curse. "Those are blood mantises. C-rank monsters with razor-sharp scythes. They also frenzy when they smell human blood."

"Like from the three bodies buried in the rubble?"

"Most likely. We need to put more distance from that hole. Give me the frostworm, let me remove the jaws and the core. The rest of the meat is dead weight. You take Helen and the crystal and we'll run when I am done."

"Save the pemadra for me!"

"Sure thing, G!"

Marcy dismantles the frostworm jaw, I crouch next to the panting Helen. "Are you fine?"

"Could you stop scaring me every single time you fight?" She is angry, but it is a different kind of angry. Instead of the angsty ', I hate you' type of angry, it is more of a relaxed angry, like getting a scolding from a caring parent after you broke a vase. "And that wounded eye! It is hideous!"

"Can't be helped I guess. This is how trolls fight, the instinct is too sharp. But I was mindful of not getting too hurt in that fight. Sorry to make you worry. I dodged most of the acid arrows."

I pat her head, she holds my hand and rubs her cheek on my thumb. "Let me heal you. Come, give me a shoulder ride."

The blood mantises were too occupied eating Cedric and co to bother with us. While we hiked back, I called home all monkey parties around us like some king of the jungle. I can't let them wander too close to that hole.

Back at the camp, Shraaizar is coiled next to a campfire. "What catassstrophe you caused thisss time, Grendel? We could hear the earth groaning from here."

"Remember that chalice stone? Some human hunters attacked one of our monkey troops, and then tried their luck against me. During the fight they broke the chalice, the ground broke, we found a dungeon full of bugs. Long story short, the bugs are hungry and will swarm this whole area in a matter of days. We need to get away."

"The usual then." She dismisses all my excitement as yesterday news.

"Yeah, sort of."

"I am cold, Grendel. If we are moving out, we are going south where it doesssn't freeze. The death willow meadow isss fine. I think your errands in human landsss are about to end, right?"

"Sounds like a plan." I address my human companions: "Helen, could you please renew the warming spell on Shraaizar?"

"Sure, Grendel. Please let me down, I want to heal the wounded monkeys too." Helen gives me a light tap on the head.

"Don't overdo it. Save some strength, I think we might need it."

Helen casts her spell on Shraaizar, and goes to where the monkeys are gathering. I am amazed at how at ease the monsters are around her and vice versa.

"G, here is your core." Marcy hands me a blue-white core. Bland but refreshing. +127 points. D-rank.

We place a bedroll on a wide tree stump that we use as a table and rest the crystal on top of it.

"What do you think this crystal is made of?" It is clear like glass, but its texture is strange. It is not cold to the touch like you would expect from a stone, and the part that was touching my arm is not warm either. My treasure sense is also tingling. This crystal has the same feeling as those A-rank pemadras from the king's vault.

"I have no idea. It could be a huge diamond, but the feeling is off. Why is this child inside?"

The multifaceted surface breaks down the image too much. But looking carefully and up close, it seems like a naked young boy is floating inside, of about five or six years. Wavy and short caramel hair, porcelain white skin, chubby face, round tummy, one broken wing too small to grant flight and a plumed stub on each side of the back, it is exactly like a baroque angel, including the baby penis.

Spoiler: Illustration

"Marcy, do you have any idea of what an angel is?"

"Yes, they are legendary creatures from the great war ages ago. But nobody has ever seen one. They are supposed to be just myth. There is not even an entry for them in the guild's bestiary."

Helen returns, and peeks at the crystal up close too. "How did this kid end up in there?"

"We think the kid inside this crystal might be angel," says Marcy tapping on the crystal. It makes no sound.

"Angel? Is it a race of winged people? I never heard of one!" Helen replies.

I have noticed before but never paid too much mind. This is too strange. I haven't seen any churches in the towns and cities I visited. It is like this world is dead regarding religion.

"Helen, do you think he is dead?"

"Maybe not. It might be alive inside because I sense a great magic power flowing from this crystal." Helen waves her hands over it.

"We will find out really soon. I'm eating the crystal." This gives the same feeling as one of those A-rank pemadras. They give me a weird look. "But only the crystal! We need to get him out in some way, and using a tool to break the crystal is dangerous. If I bite the crystal, I can be careful. I'm going to leave the kid's body unharmed."

"I think it will be alright then."

Without further ado, I dig my teeth in the crystal. The same thing as any pemadra happens. As soon as I tear off a chunk, the mana in the crystal dissolves and the energy is absorbed. It has a sweet taste and a crunchy texture, like caramel-coated peanuts.

Bite after bite the crystal shrinks, until the chunks around the kid break loose, exposing his skin. I catch the kid gently, and the remaining crystal dissolves into glittering particles that soon fade.

111,111 pemadra points added. 154,258 ponts available. Skill Loot Crate Maniac level 6 acquired. [262,543 / 1,000,000]

Title Deiphage awarded.

Those who that dare consume the essence of heavens.

Effects unknown.

"Whoa! The " I'm so surprised I got a little dizzy.

"What happened?" Helen is worried.

"The crystal had the same properties as a pemadra. It was worth the same as six A-rank pemadras! I got a title saying I consumed the essence of heavens. It is not dangerous, but at least it is confirmation that they are related to the war myth."

Marcy grins with excitement. "This is the find of the century! We are going to be rich!"

"Don't get weird ideas, we are not selling the kid."

"Is he even even alive?" Marcy's protest is ignored by us.

Helen caresses the body. "It is soft and warm."

"Let me check!" Marcy draws a dagger and holds it in front of his nose. A faint fog forms on the dagger's blade.

"He is alive! Now let's keep him warm or he might get sick." Helen takes a blanket from her bag and wraps the kid.

When Helen lifts him, I check his back. "His wings look damaged, but it has already scarred. Those are not new wounds. If he was in suspended animation, the wounds would have remained fresh or healed."

"He will freeze out here. [Warming]!" Helen puts a temperature control spell on him.

"I'll leave the kid in your care, Marcy. Helen and I will tally the materials gathered for the rank up."

"Right! About that, you don't need to worry too much," Marcy says in a meek voice. " Just reporting the dungeon will give us all a rank up. It is that important."

"In any case, they will need to confirm it first, right? I'd rather get this over sooner."

"We can submit that frostworm jaw. There has never been one that size. But it is fine, I'll go nurse this kid." Marcy disappears into the guest hovel they are using to sleep with the kid.

After Marcy is out of hearing range, I approach Helen. "She was joking when she said to sell the kid, right?"

"Of course she was just teasing you. Marcy would never hurt a child. Should we begin to work?"

The both of us count and bundle the herbs and monster parts we caught. I let the more experienced adventurer do the final check.

"All done, Grendel. From the looks of it, we have everything required for the rank up. We won't have to pay any fines for missing quests either."

"Nice. But we didn't search for the heart-shaped sylphium..." Helen blushes the same instant she hears me talk about the herb.

She looks down and forces a smile on her face "Maybe there is some in the town's apothecary. I... we can wait for a little..." fidgeting Helen is the best.

"We are going south after we deliver our quests and rank up. Even if the apothecary here hasn't it in stock, I'm sure Alvus has gathered some for me. We can try to find it while on the road south too."

"OK!"

We stow the herbs and monster parts safely in some bags and begin to break camp.