Chapter 13

Rishido again. Did you ever feel sometimes that you just need to break your beliefs and principles because you just had enough or some people can’t do their job right. For me, I do sometimes break that but most of the cases, things always end up being more complicated.

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We are on a dangerous situation where we need to stay alive at least we find some hole to get us outside but even if I scanned the walls around and even the holes where the scorpion pours out, I got nothing even the entrance is covered with scorpions and rocks now.

The silver teams are taking out their all to the floor master and luckily no one has fallen down except some injured but no one died but that might be soon as things get worst. The guides can’t help that much because they are weak against poison with their small body while other people is being treated and protected from the small fries that keeps swarming us.

If we keep this stalemate with the floor master, the damage will be on us in the end so we need to act fast. I scanned people and teams that might be able to lend some hands as the others protect the weak ones. Mages can’t do their fire magic without hurting others and earth magic is being inhibited by the floor master’s presence while wind magic will only spread the poison mist that keeps fighting the antidote smoke that I produce then water magic will make a poison puddle within the boss area.

The only thing the mages could do it mana bolts and other magic that don’t have affinity but it was weaker and only basic magic that don`t really do that much but protect others from the small scorpions. Having defective team mate is really a big blow specially the DPS, without them battle will take longer time and we are running out of it.

“Leyla, can you and your friends protect the others? I need Cerous help to end this and I don’t want anyone of you to get hurt inside the compartment if things done work well.”

I got some plans but I have to leave the guide and Leyla to the others.

“Is it safe now? No more poison fog because we won`t last long if it’s still there.”

She said as I open one down and saw other guides cuddling each other and crying because of fear of death but I won’t let that happened.

“The fog is now cancelled out by the smoke I produce but the boss still some of it around its body but don’t worry it won’t affect you. And what I need to all of you is protect each other and the injured ones, some of your partners are defeated but the presences of the master prohibit you from getting out of here but don’t worry will defeat so come out now and help us.”

I leave them to discuss as I sweep out the scorpions coming near us, even thou they are small fries but the number can`t be laughed about even their size is bigger, they look like full grown lobster so they are really dangerous.

“Okay we will help but drop us near them so we can`t be attack.”

“Can`t you just fly there?”

“Have some consideration Raiser, some of us is still shaking from fear you know besides our wings might be infected while others might attract attention.”

Guess she might be right about this so I just nodded and drop them with the others that holding their ground while protecting each other. As I send them away and let them help the others, I rally around 5 able members of different team that could do the plan I propose. At first they are hesitant because of the poison thing but I have a damp cloth with antidote in it so the mist won’t be inhaled so I got 5 brave men and they are beastkin from the Thunders Roar.

As we ran into the fight, my team will rammed the side of the scorpion as I jump on its body and attack the stinger to prevent others from being shoot or stab. They need to turn around the boss with Cerous as their main force and protect him from getting pushed or trampled on.

At first when we got here, I like to do a passive role and only collect things that I need but things really don`t work well when the opposite side is not within the plan but I have to help to survive to explore more and also collect more things.

As Cerous got contact with the boss and Razack-san team, the leader of the Thunders Roar, I jumped on top of Cerous and intercept the stinger that keeps moving irregularly. The boss was still in rage but the lower part is not poisonous so they could do it while I can’t be poisoned so I hope that we can pull it off.

I keep slamming my sledge hammer on the tail`s base and the stinger while Cerous and Razack-san team keeps on pushing the boss upside down. While we are doing our own plan, the silver team keeps fight the boss head on but they spread out as we arrived and proceed with the plan. As I see some of them help us out with Gerhard-san and Jiendo`s teams keep fighting the boss and being covered by Luin`s team, Gariadak and Ahya-chan teams help us with this by protecting us from the incoming scorpion and pushing the boss upside down.

Gariadak that is with Ahya-chan team did a really good job on lifting the boss as I change the gear of Cerous to rage mode to increase the power but drop the speed. The energy cost of Burst and Rage gear is huge and even the damage compensation but I have to do some crucial decision to help out more. As the monster got lifted up sideward I jump off and land near them and pumped my mana energy to be the main power and gear shift to Rage mode.

As my body starts to produce stream I take some momentum from running and coordinate my attack with Cerous and the others that is helping us right now. Others pushed out the scorpion to have some distance as get closer while I ordered Cerous to push the scorpion and to have a brief moment lower its head and forelegs and doing a horn slam as I do an upswing towards its soft lower shell.

At that moment when all of us attack the lower shell of boss, Gerhard and the others run towards us and begin an all-out assault destroying the soft shell and piercing its innards until it won’t able to fight back because of being turned around. As we finished off the floor master, the smaller scorpion starts to move away from us and return to their holes as I scanned the surrounding confirming it.

We can`t really have a cheery mode right now as we tend the others from injuries and poisoning but atmosphere around is more relax and joyful. As the silver team take out the things that the floor master produce which is really new to me, I mean when we subjugate the queen ant it didn`t drop thing but here the floor master do drop things like in RPG games.

Gerhard thanks us from helping them because they are also trying to turn the floor master but they are lacking and they can`t really order us because we are also in a tight situation. Gerhard is really a good person as of now for me, maybe it was the nature of knights around this kingdom or Arth-dono forge him to be like this.

Anyways, the floor masters drop will be transferred from here to the dukedom then from there it will be a long travel to the kingdom. It was a rule to show the floor master’s drop to the king and nobles, the subjugation main team can take one from the loots while the supporting team and that is us will gain some compensation from helping like gold coins, title, weapons and other things that the kingdom could give.

Well from what Ahya-chan explain to me, only the main team will be travelling to the kingdom and take audience to the king but we can travel with them to the dukedom to meet the duke which is a good thing besides we can only meet the duke on special occasion or being summoned by him, also we can only go to the dukedom by Arth-dono`s letter of recommendation so this floor masters subjugation is like a ticket or test for us to get out of this town.

We could travel on our own but the dukedom is strict from travellers without letters from the village leaders or influential people like guild masters. Well from what I remember, the quirky MC said that things will be a lot different when we reached the dukedom so it might be a good chance for me to travel but I have to end all my business here.

The loots from previous floor masters are being stored in the guild building not the treasury from town hall because it might attract people from stealing it like what happened from other places I don’t know how could someone steal things from space magic but I guess it was a powerful person to do such fit. Well our items and coins is safe because it run from different space magic so I relieve now.

After few more minutes of taking rest and healing for the injured ones we are ready to depart but for some reason we can’t use the escape rope and earth magic is still unusable. The rock debris from the entrance is still there and we don`t have any more stamina to do this things, well I do have some energy and Cerous but my mind is too tried now.

The guide that is with Leyla is joyous and lively now so the atmosphere is really relaxing. The scorpion`s corpse is still there so I request to scavenge it which they didn`t really mind because the whole place around it is covered with poison so I can have what I want here.

First I take out some exoskeleton then the claws which is really big but after the floor subjugation I receive a 5 level up plus 2 from sweeping small fries which gives me item box slot that is around 35. The other bonuses and notif are still unread because i`m lazy to read them now. The magic core from the floor master is already with them but it was big as a basketball and the colour is bright red with green drop like objects inside.

I don’t want to be too technical around magic cores but magic cores from monsters range from black to bright red and it only apply on dungeon monsters and special cavern or field monsters. If some of them have mana affinity or element the core will have some coating or indicator of element depending on the quality of course. But in some occasion, some magic cores have different colour than the others like the steel white core we got from queen ant.

Now that I think about it, that core is really different from the ones I see.

After I scavenge everything including some innards which is really discussing but I can’t puke because i’m a robot but still the feeling is a nuisance, everyone decided to go down the fifth floor just to see what is there and also do some monsters checking.

As we descend downwards which is really big and long that Cerous could still fit, what came to our view is like a forest sanctuary inside the dungeon and our view is overlooking the entire place from my rough estimation of the place it was around 10 hectares and the height from the ground to the ceiling is as high as a 50 storey building.

As we walked down from the entrance cliff where we arrive, it was really amazing to see such place like this inside a dungeon. There is also wildlife here like from zoo but they can`t be eaten because they are made from 90% metal but they are more different from monsters we have seen. The initial assessment of this dungeon is 10 floors with dangerous powerful monsters but this place is like a sanctuary of monsters.

As we enter the forest from our long walk, my sensor signals dozens and dozens of metalize animals roaming around us but most are just low level one like a deer with razor horns, some birds and even insects. We also see some predators like wolves but they are cautious about us.

As we find a clearing near a water stream that is so clear that we can see some metal fishes, we immediately prepare a resting place and fire. While the silver team is discussing about what we will do here, some starts to roam around and check on things like trees bearing fruits that is inedible because it was metal. Most of the plants and flowers are metal but the colour of they look natural.

While the guides are enjoying the surrounding with the others that stay around the fire, I can`t help myself to start collecting that piqued my curiosity, from metal fruits to flowers, from weeds to tree branches there are just tons of materials around me that make we what to scream for joy.

But I hold myself from excitement and start listing what I should collect. First on the list are monster eggs or babies but I got a vibe of animal smuggling from taking monster eggs but I just shrugged it off and continue on, Metal fruits and seed if there is any is the second one well I do have some agriculture books so it might, third will be the herbs here that have different effects even if some are hard as a rock if chewed raw, last will be ores which is hard to find.

After I enlist things and store the ones that I already have like fruits, herbs and other plants I went back to the campsite which is on heat right now. They are debating if we should stay more here to explore or went back up to report and have more exploring team but the thing is that there is a monster nest around the floor master`s room that is really hard to penetrate if the team is just compose of newbies.

But as the possibility of other exploration team get wipe out because of monster dens and monster train last time we decided to stay and collect things that we could bring with us. So everyone start to form their team and begin on collecting thing like flowers and fruits but trees are left alone because taking one down is really annoying and elves from other team forbid us.

I bring Cerous and Leyla with her pet Mabby on exploring the wild as we collect things around. While Leyla is pointing out things that she like to bring home, I dig some flowers from the ground with isn`t metalize so earth balling some plants is easy. I like to preserve them as much as I could.

The compartment is full of items so I shove some of it inside my item box which is full of poisonous things from scorpions. Others are moved into the forge are but only the little ones that is inside the boxes. As I reorganized my things and storing the plants, I detected a presence differ from the whole team and I can`t identify it.

Leyla also know that there is an unexpected guest, maybe a metal dryad or dungeon guardian.

Then all of the sudden it rush to me but I was on alert status but the speed is nothing to laugh about. As I swung its arms down to me I blocked it with the shield that`s inside the compartment. As I saw the image of the aggressor, I was in shock.

It was a clockwork but it was different from what I imagine. the clockwork still have a helm face but it was like a helmet from knights but make it more robot-like, the body is a bit small compared to me but the power of its fist can rival me. As the new comer make distance as it scanned me as I do to, the information is block from what I see and my sensors assess it as a level 5 threat.

“Why did you attacked me”

“You are attacking the dungeons core. Safety procedure is initiated. Exterminate threat.”

Damn it, after the hard fight against the scorpion this is what we will get. And this clockwork is like from the scrapyard that I saw on my first arrival maybe it was eaten by the dungeon and give it new life. As I scan it again using my mana features, I can see a mana tread from its back going up and fading away. The core is shine bright in the center which is very similar to mine.

Maybe this dungeon could help me, but first I have to defeat it but I don`t want to destroy it so I need to deactivate it`s system.

“Orders received. Eliminate all threat.”

What? Maybe the perpetrator is just near to us or maybe the dungeon core is here. But radar can`t detect it anywhere but the numbers of enemies just increase and most are clockwork like. Change priority, I need to stay alive and kidnapped one of this clockwork and help the other to escape this place.

Then I signal Leyla to stay back with Cerous as the unnamed clockwork attacked me again after scanning the surrounding. The fist that I keep blocking is a really deal and I can’t let my guard down right now. As I evade another punch going to my face I do a side step to the right and hooked my left arm on her right shoulder and complete is with a head lock.

The clockwork keeps struggling from my grip as I start to disconnect the cables from it neck and head from the tools in my arms. It even almost slip from the hold but I hold it tighter as I make it kneel with me then pushed my body down the ground so it won’t have more space to move.

I keep my scanners and sensors on high alert and use my mana scan to see the mana connection of it and cut if off then the cables that is connected to the main system to power it down. As it stop struggling and lose power from it arms I got up and check it`s status and it said it was power down.

I lifted it on my shoulders and place the body on the forge area but I tied its arms with its feet at the back for safety precaution. Leyla said to me that others are struggling right now as she watch the radar on her bag so we move out and never talk about what happened just now because everyone is under attack.

As I arrived at the camping site I saw destroyed clockworks and other monsters, some natives and players are heavily injured but no one died. Some guides that are with us start to have magical circle under them meaning some players are getting wipe out. But we can give a back up to them right now as per order of Jiendo who`s with us right now. Other team are on their way for save others.

Most player team are not here except the ones that Jiendo`s team just save. We are all anxious as Ahya-chan and Luin came back with some injured natives and players. Luckily they hold their defences as Luin and Ahya-chan teams arrive some players died protecting them but all of the natives did survive because they stay at the campsite.

As Gerhard-san and Gariadak teams arrive with the rest of the teams that survive, we assess that from the talks of the clockworks that attack us, we might be at the dungeon core room of dungeon heart. But it should be a high level place with terrifying monsters that could defeat us in seconds.

Well the dungeon is just built a few days ago but the floor masters are strong and need 20 or so team to take it out but this place is really different. Some magicians said that the mana condensation is at the center so if we need to destroy this place we need to move towards the center or we could escape and prepare another assault with more teams with us.

But the dungeon can have time to make a stronger defence against us. Even if it was a dangerous battle that await us we need to do it now before it gets harder.

As the others got healed and able to fight, we don`t waste more time and proceed towards the center which mana keeps surging and condensing.

From time to time we fight our way out of the forest full of monsters that keep attacking us. The dungeon is preventing us reaching its core so the animals around us is attacking us right now. But we managed it out because of battle prowess of us and the level gap is big to compensate the number of them because they are not like scorpions that keeps flowing out of hole so we are safe, just now.

As we arrived at the center, we saw a huge tree and at the center of the trunk is an embedded orb shining brightly but we saw a more horrifying sight from the branches.

Each branch is bearing around 5 different monster and some are full size clockwork. It was very haunting to see a tree that have hanging animal and people even if it was just game and they are machine. I will get nightmares from this sight.

Some of us stop advancing and fell on their knees while others tried to run away just to be grabbed by their own team mates to calm them down. Even I feel an ease feeling around this place. But we keep marching on the tree even if we entered the tree`s branch circumference with animals and clockwork hanging above us.

It was an eerie place for me as we got closer and the one by one some of the finished clockwork starts to drop down the center of the tree. That is the start of our struggle as we approached the tree because we can see some animals being drop and quickly engage on us. Magician is already prepared for this as we enter the danger zone but still the area magic can`t stop the assault of dozen machines in one go.

We take a circular defence as Cerous as the center and do backup with the turret that I reinstalled and began firing earth balls to dozen of enemies and spears for close calls.

As we keep getting closer, the enemies start to attack aggressively so we are having a hard time fighting but the vanguards keep us safe as magician and archers scrape all the power they had to support everyone. Even the guide that is still here are helping by firing their magic on monsters around us specially the close ones.

“Gerhard! I can see the dungeon core clear and I can shoot it down and pulled it out with my anchor spear.”

“Do it when we made a clearing in the center, men destroy everything in the way?”

Then everyone near the center with Gerhard pushed down or destroy enemies and I load my anchor spear and lock my spear turret to its maximum range it can get.

“Spear Ready!”

“Mages now!”

As he signal them dozens of magic flowed down the center and clear the way as I unload the spear and let it fly passing us and monster right through the dungeon core.

But monster intercept the spear as they block the path and be pierced by the spear that so powerful it penetrate at least 3 clockwork.

“Gerhard they intercept the spear we need to move closer”

“Men hold you defence, Jiendo, Gariadak make some opening we will run fast then take hold Ahya, Luin back us up with your team, others mages recover your mana for another assault the rest keep on guard and stay alive. Clockwork we are counting on your spear so do it right.”

I just nodded and they began to move, I use Cerous big body to help Jiendo’s and Gariadak`s team to make some opening as we fight our way out as the rest starts to run beside Cerous. Things are getting tougher as we move closer because we know that enemies will increase spontaneously but we need to move closer.

As we reform the defence formation, the battle pressure starts to affect other members and even the morale are going down as some got injured from constant monster attack.

“Clockwork ready yourself we taking another shot here.”

“Okay”

If we could only remove the dungeon core from its base and destroy it, we will able to survive this predicament.

Then an idea hit me. Even though it was so insane I have to try it.

“I need Gariadak to pull the lock the spear turret.”

Then Jiendo signal Gariadak as he takes cover his position on the defence because he is one of the pillars that supporting the form with his team of trolls.

“Pull this and hold on until Gerhard signal us and don’t ask why.”

I teach him how to operate the turret that is like a giant crossbow and the spear will be me. I know it was insane but if the spear got stop gain that might be the end of us. Players can revive and fight again but native can`t and 5 silver team is a big blow to the moral of other teams.

“Fire”

Then another volley of magic and skills are being release by everyone around us then as the coast got a bit clearer I signal Gariadak to let go of the lock. It was the one that use for rock throwing and it was the most suitable for me.

“No!!!”

“Raiser you dumb metal!!”

The first one that scream is Gerhard as he see me flying then Leyla who`s being held down by other guide. Sorry Leyla but I have to do this.

As I flew on my half mark and begin to descend down I prepared myself with my knives on both sides. I know, I won’t reach the core but I could run passing other monsters with burst gear. I fired my grappling hook on one branch and I descend down to make a swing to fling me closer and have a safer landing.

As I reach my upward arc from the swing I pulled back my grappler to increase the height and speed then let it go. For another ride I prepare myself and take a deep breath as I came down gain.

When I came in contact with the ground I use my burst gear with mana energy to run faster. I was just several meters away from the core but enemies are here and there and I can’t use another hook so I just pulled out my knives and start throwing them to the core which is block by its minions.

Then I pulled my daggers as I make my way towards the core as I jump, dodge and maneuver around the enemies while blocking incoming attacks that in unavoidable.

I keep gaining some damaged from the burst mode and the attacks from the enemies but I keep moving on until I almost reach the core but another clockwork block my path and it was stronger than the others. It got a shield and spear with a big build like me but it was bigger and stronger than me as I blocked its spear with my daggers.

“Exterminate, Exterminate”

Another lose clockwork but I have to fight my way and my energy is still draining even if i`m not moving too much. I don’t know if it will work manually but I have to.

“Bravery Activated”

When I shouted it nothing happened so it was a fail but I don’t lose hope because I still got my quick shift and mana energy but as I keep exchanging blows with this guardian my body can`t keep up with the power and speed of the enemy.

I don’t have any other choice but to use the last option of the quick shift which is a double edge sword.

“SYSTEM OVERRIDE!”

I command my system to release all fail-safe conditions, i`m able to use both Burst and Rage Mode without the drawback of each other. The compensation is that my body will take toll from over using the system and might kill me in the process but I have the power to protect the others that I don’t when i`m with her so I have to use it to the limit.

As I feel the energy and power keep flowing inside me, I draw out my sledge hammer and begin my battle with the guardian.

“WE WILL ESCAPE THIS SHITHOLE AND NO ONE CAN STOP ME!!!”

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A/N

okay another chapter is done and it was a fight scene...

anyways about the drawing dont expect too much coz im just a noob.

just want to illustrate it but i`ll make better ones in the future because im enjoying thing series and drawing of course

can a FB pic be linked here. if not is there other places coz i liked to keep them in private