“Did you have to cover my mouth?” Franky says angrily, glaring at the level 60 [Shield Warrior]. But Brock, walking calmly down the tunnel, just smiles under his helmet before replying.

“Everyone throws up when they first take the potion. Unfortunately, I only had two on me, so I needed to make sure the one I gave you stays in your system long enough to activate its effect.”

Franky frowns, feeling his skin, finding that its texture has changed to something between tree bark and leather. Heck, his sense of touch is practically nonexistent now. But for all his grumbles, if the potion does what it is supposed to do, then who is he to argue, especially if it means that he has less of a chance of getting killed.

“So, mind giving me a rundown on these… rats? I would like to know what they can do or even what they look like.”

Brock stops and looks back, eyes widening in understanding, “I completely forgot that you were summoned and you wouldn't know,” he says, rubbing his temples.

“Right, we call them rats, but that's short for direrats… um, you know what rats are, right?”

Franky nods.

“Well, direrats are the same thing except that they are much larger. Usually up to two feet, though an adult male can be as tall as three. The females, if allowed to live long enough, can get to the size of five feet.”

“Shit, and we’re going to fight a swarm of them?” Franky curses.

“They're not as dangerous as they may seem,” Brock adds in, waving his arm.

“The females don't fight, usually preferring to run while the smaller rats defend or hunt. Luckily for us, the rats have a hard time getting through armor and hardened leather. On top of that, they aren't very smart and are quite cowardly. They only attack in unorganized groups, which means I will be the primary target. Your job will be to make sure that Siberia and Turnock are left alone.”

Franky thinks on that, looking at the [Shield Warrior], noticing that his armor covers his whole body, leaving nothing exposed. If what he says about them is true, they shouldn't be able to harm him.

“I understand. Stay back and engage anything that gets past you.”

Brock nods before turning around and heading down the earth tunnel. Only five minutes pass by before Franky notices the smell of urine and feces. Apparently, the rats’ home was very close by.

Not a minute after the first sign of the smell, Franky starts to hear sounds. Chittering sounds, legs quickly tapping on stone.

“We’re very close,” Brock whispers.

And right after the whisper, a loud squeal is heard, immediately followed by several dozen more. The rats had been notified. The sound of chittering legs intensifies.

“Shit, get back, they’re charging. They shouldn't be charging!” Brock yells, his eyes staring forward, his shield aimed towards the approaching sound, axe at the ready, unsheathed. Franky moves slightly back, making sure the [Bard] and [Mage] are behind him. Franky copies Brock’s stance.

A moment after, Franky’s nerves are on edge, the sound getting louder. A second passes and he sees the rats, sprinting out of the darkness, squeaking and yelling, their feet striking the ground at an unorganized rhythm.

But the sound of several feet tapping the ground is replaced by music, a soft melody. Then everything starts to slow down, a message pops up at the side of his vision.

You are under the effect of [Melody Of Increased Perception]

Perception speed increased by 37% while music is playing.

The music is making him think faster, allowing him to react faster. Turnock is buffing the whole team.

But it doesn't end there. From the corner of Franky’s vision, Siberia extends her staff, eyes glowing as a ball of blue mana flies forward, impacting the ground in front of Brock. Ice coalesces, forming, spreading quickly in complicated patterns, all in front of him.

And then the rat horde comes, walking over the ice thirty feet away from Brock. Then Twenty feet. Fifteen…

And then, when they reach ten, Brock activates a skill.

“[Paralyzing Impact],”

His shield starts to glow. He extends his axe and then smacks the side of it on his shield.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM*

Like a cannon going off, vibrations of sound discharge from his shield, stopping the swarm in their tracks. Their screeching intensifies, shaking their heads in utter pain.

Only now does Franky realize that the impact of sound was drowned out by the [Bard]’s music, seemingly protecting the team indirectly.

And right as the rats are regaining control of their bodies, the ice on the ground begins to glow before exploding into spikes of ice and killing many of them, wounding several more.

Confusion quickly spreads through the large group of rats. They don't understand what is happening. They smell blood, their brethren screaming in pain.

And then Brock steps forward, axe at the ready. His body tenses, mind relaxed and organized.

But he stops due to a loud screech, one similar to the first one is heard behind the swarm. The swarm stops yelling, going silent as their eyes turn around, towards the darkness they had come from, a darkness Franky is solely keeping back with his glowing armor.

A massive rat steps into the light, its size seemingly eight feet. The rat dwarfs anyone on Franky’s team. Even Brock is over a foot shorter. The beast trudges forward, its eyes gleaming with intelligence.

And then Franky notices it, a horn on the monster’s head. A massive, green, crystal-like horn.

“[Analyze],” he calls, activating his skill on the new arrival.

Dungeon Enhanced Direrat Level 57

A normal female direrat had been chosen by the dungeon to ascend. Its size has been increased drastically as well as being given the ability to manipulate its young.

The rats, now calm, turn their heads toward Brock. They move forward, keeping their distance away from him while expanding out, moving to the sides. All the while, the Level 57 Direrat mother stalks forward slowly.

_____

Fear. It is an evolutionary reaction that has a tendency to activate the human fight or flight response. From there, the human would follow one of two reactions. Either they will run away from what is causing such fear or they would attempt to combat it.

And if Franky wasn't right now surrounded by allies, he would have turned and started running. A response that Franky believes few people would call cowardly. In actuality, not running would be considered idiotic. Nobody from his world would be expected to even think about fighting a giant overgrown rat who, with some difficulty, could probably swallow him whole..

Well… except for Quasi.

A smile forms on Franky’s face as he lowers his stance.

Quasi would probably call it cute, and then try to tame it.

*Schreeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

With a sound that could split ears, the mother screams. Immediately after, like a switch being flipped, the Direrats charge at once, most jumping at Brock while the rest scuttle around him, aiming for the backline.

A backline Franky must protect.

As the first rats get near his position, one jumps into the air, aiming for his face. But Franky had panicked, he didn't expect it to jump. Luckily, his passive skill [Defensive Instincts] kicks in, his shield going up and smacking the rat away. The sound of crushing bones breaks him out of his stupor as Franky regains his posture. A rat attempts to move past him and he activates a skill of his.

“[Flickering Strike]!”

His sword flicks out, slicing the hind legs of the rat, severing its ability to move.

The strike had been fast and powerful, but his aim was slightly off. The rat’s back legs had been cut off. The rat immediately starts to squeal in pain as blood spurts from his severed limbs. Franky’s mind stops, some of the blood had struck his face.

And then something hits his leg, biting down. Pain. It awakens him again. He turns towards the source of the pain. A large rat, one of the grown males had penetrated the leather padding between his steel armor pieces. Unlike Brock, Franky’s armor doesn't cover his whole body with steel, more a combination of leather and metal.

With the pain helping him to regain his senses and the adrenaline flowing through his body, Franky moves his sword, stabbing the rat between the eyes, killing it.

He then kicks it off and regains his stance,looking around, noticing the battle had shifted.

In front of him is Brock, surrounded by dead rats, his armor completely covered in blood. He moves, axe swinging down, ripping through another rat. His movement is mechanical, quick, efficient, like a farmer harvesting wheat. The rats cannot penetrate his armor, they are not a threat to him but merely livestock.

*Schreeeeeeee*

The mother rat screams angrily, taking hold of Franky's attention. The mother’s lower body is encased in ice, ice which is constantly flowing up, attempting to freeze her, but the mother constantly breaks through. For the time being, it is slowing her down.

“I cannot hold her off forever!”

Turning around towards the voice, Franky notices the elf, her staff and eyes glowing. The staff is pointing towards the mother rat. She is stalling it, spending enormous amounts of mana. Her eyes are looking at him, pleading.

Next to her is the [Bard], two dead rats before him, a bloody hatchet in his hand.

“Kill the rats, we’re gonna need Brock for this one,” the dwarf yells before dropping his axe and picking up his guitar.

Nodding in understanding, Franky runs to Brock, swinging his sword and killing a rat which had been trying to fruitlessly eat through Brock’s back plate armor.

Brock grunts in acknowledgment as he slices into another rat, ripping through the bone and muscle with ease.

Franky joins in, covering Brock’s back, his own sword slashing away, slaying rats, killing blows abound. A couple of moments go by and all the rats lay dead around them, none had chosen to run. All had surprisingly chosen to fight.

“I can't anymore,” Siberia yells before slumping on the ground, her mana spent.

And then the ground trembles. Franky turns around, spotting the mother charging, enraged that her children had all died.

Brock reacts quickly, pushing Franky away before raising his shield.

“[Shield Stance], [Heavy Stance], [Hardened Bones]!”

He yells, activating several skills, his body and shield aglow. A moment after, the mother rat slams into Brock. Brock skids back, but only a couple feet. He had stopped the charge. The mother rat is surprised, especially considering she is much larger than him.

Taking the opportunity, Brock strikes forward, his axe ripping into the mother rat’s chest, creating a large deep gash.

But that only enrages her further as she gets on her back legs, rising up several feet. She swings her claws, striking Brock, forcing him to play defense. She doesn't stop, her claws quickly flicking out, bashing against Brock’s shield, each strike sounding like a hammer striking steel.

Brock is forced to take a step back. And then another. And another.

Realizing that Brock is losing, Franky gets up, having been pushed into the ground. He grabs his sword and shield and runs forward, slashing at the distracted mother’s side, drawing blood.

The mother rat screams, turning to Franky. But it was too late, a distraction had been made.

“[Rupturing Screech]!”

A ball of sound forms in front of the [Bard], his hands working quickly, the ball creating a screeching sound similar to nails on a chalkboard. The [Bard] strikes his instrument, the ball accelerating forward, impacting the mother rat in the face, exploding in sound.

The sound was disgustingly loud and horrible, but it was condensed. Blood starts to flow out of the mother's ears. Brock’s axe whips out. Another gash forms, this one deeper than the last, but still not fatal.

The mother screeches louder and turns, attempting to run away. As she turns and starts to run, the shadows at the dark edge where light does not take hold flicker. Something rockets through the air, some kind of ball. It accelerates and impacts the mother’s face. An explosion similar to a grenade goes off, forcing the mother to the ground, her face scorched.

“Don't let her escape,” yells Brock as he dashes forward, axe at the ready.

Franky follows right after, but unlike Brock he notices the mother’s long ears twitching.

Her hearing has already recovered.

As Brock nears, the prone mother turns quickly and jumps forward. Brock raises his shield, but the mother rat had learned. Her limbs flick, quickly grabbing the shield. She lifts, picking Brock up as well before throwing the shield and the [Shield Warrior] at the wall. The impact is accompanied with the sound of breaking bone.

The mother screeches again, watching as Brock attempts to stand back up. She was faster, her body landing on top of him.

Brock screams in both surprise and pain. She grabs the shield and rips it out of his grasp.

As she throws the shield away, Franky uses the slight distraction to jump. The mother’s ears twitch, her head swivels, revealing a scorched face, but it was too late.

“[Blinding Block],” Franky yells, his shield starting to glow. He slams it into her face, the impact creating a light similar to a flashbang. Franky jumps away, the mother starting to scream, her hands on her face. The mother rat had been blinded. The pain she feels is severely debilitating.

Franky looks at Brock, finding the man in pain. He is holding his side, several of his bones must be broken. Blood is trailing from his mouth.

But even with the pain, he looks at Franky and says one word.

“Run...”

Franky blinks and turns, sparing a glance as the mother screams and yells in pain. Her injuries are minor. And when she recovers, she will finish them all off.

He looks back, the [Bard] had stopped playing music. He is helping Siberia stand, the battle had been lost. He is starting to retreat.

Franky takes one look at Brock, a sad look of acceptance crosses his face.

Franky drops his shield and turns toward the mother. His open hand grabs his sword, wielding it with two hands.

[A Hero’s Moment] has been activated. Stats adjusted.

The mother rat starts to blink. She had regained a bit of her eyesight. Her gaze lands on Franky.

Franky accelerates, his speed doubling, tripling. Before the mother realizes what's happening, Franky’s sword whips out and rips flesh. She screams and swipes, but Franky rolls, dodging. His movements are fast and erratic, constantly aiming to stay at her back, always entering and exiting the mother’s claw range with explosive grace.

_______________________________

She had heard it. Brock’s word. He had told Franky to run. That situation of being told to save yourself. She had been in the same situation as Franky. They had told her to Run. That the battle was lost. That she should escape and save herself.

And she had. Her team had died. They had all perished.

She had promised herself that she would never abandon them again. That she would rather die alongside them.

But now,at this moment, She is hidden in the shadows, preparing to leave. To run again. She cant stop something that her entire team couldn't. The whole battle had started without her! She is afraid.

She wants to leave!

And she probably would have. But now... all she feels is guilt. Franky refused to run. Instead, he is fighting. He didn't run. He would die for his team. She never should have run.

Tears start to flow down her face as she bites her lip, drawing blood. Her eyes focus as her hand moves to her pouch, grabbing two balls.

She takes a deep breath and moves, activating [Silent Sprint], allowing her to run without making any noise. She sprints forward, her eyes adjust to the flickering light of Franky’s movement. A light moving faster than she ever could. She quickly gets behind the mother rat, her nails flicking in her palms, arming her explosives. She throws one at the mother rat’s left leg, her [Flickering Aim] skill drastically increasing her aim.

The bomb explodes, setting fur on fire and causing the mother rat to fall. Without waiting a single moment, she throws another bomb, striking the face, causing another explosion.

But to her complete surprise. The mother rat stops herself from falling. Her head is on fire, but she refuses to go down.

She stands back up, her face covered in ash. She is bleeding from everywhere. Part of her ear is torn off. At some point, Franky had severed the tail.

And still, the monster stands.

Its head turns. Its eyes make contact with her own. Jessa’s mouth opens. She loses control of her bladder. Fear. She wants to scream. Emotions riling up.

*Shhhwwwwiiiiinnnnggggg*

And to her surprise, Franky’s sword impacts the mother's throat. He had thrown his sword and it had penetrated through the neck.

The monster panics and moves its claws towards its throat. It wraps them around the sword. With a squelching sound, it pulls the sword out and throws it to the side. The monster still stands.

And then Jessa notices Franky. He jumps on the Mother’s back. He extends his hand and slams it into the open wound on the back of her neck and yells. His expression is one of only calm.

“[Flash Fire].”