With Maim dangling on his shoulders, Raven took a larger step and leaped. At any other time, It was a jump he would have made with ease, yet, today, nothing seemed to go his way. With rocks flying by his head and screams and rumble in the background, he misjudged his calculations.

The unconscious Maim was slim but tall and clad in armor. The additional weight didn't matter much when running, but jumping was a different matter.

As Raven passed above a rock and landed on his heels, he felt his scalp began to tingle. His knees buckled and the aftermath inertia surprised him. He lost his balance, fumbled forward, and without the chance to flail his arms barely regained his footing by squatting down and springing up. But although not falling on his face was proof of his exceptional reflexes this instantaneous mishap was bad enough.

With him lowering his back, Maim's mangled legs roughly scraped the ground. The patched-up wounds reopened, spurting dark and pungent blood. It imbibed in Raven's clothes and wet the ground, drawing out a grimace.

Not good. I need to get our healer's aid...

Raven's thoughts galloped searching for an outlet and he halted in his steps. His muscles bulged. With a sudden jerking motion, he pulled the man and adjusted his position. The sudden action caused a second wave of bleeding and Raven acutely understood a thing. Maim's life was slipping out together with the liquid. His body gradually cooled and his vitals dwindled by the second. His breaths were shallow and his heartbeat light. At this rate, he couldn't last for long.

Slightly frantic, Raven swiped his gaze to check the others' positions.

Jeje led the way, closely followed by Renata. The former scouted their way. He was a nutjob when it came to survival in the wild and was aided by his feline vision. There was no better guy to lead them through this dim environment and chaos. At the same time, he was smart but weak, thus here came the latter. Tailing him up close, Renata used her spell to keep him safe, deflecting all damn shards.

Those two seem fine. I need to find the healer...

Raven's ears perked and he heard the sound of heavy footsteps, which betrayed the gait of their shielder. Somewhere at the back, Leo trotted slowly. Burdened by his heavy shield he couldn't accelerate into a full-scale run and his position was reversed. From the one up top, now he was the last in tow.

Through the crushing sounds and shouts, Raven noticed a disturbing fact. Leo's breathing was unstable. Unlike his lively self, now he was too silent. It could only mean that he didn't have the energy to speak or cuss.

Damn it. It isn't only Maim. All of us are nearing our limits. We have to find a way. We need to leave this area as soon as possible!

Still unable to pinpoint the angel, Raven sensed a fluctuation. His muscles tensed, goosebumps covering his skin. It was a spell powerful enough to trigger his worse-than-average magical perceptions.

Another enemy? No, this is...

Through his Precog which didn't notice tangible malice, he made an educated guess and instinctually shut his eyes. A moment later, his eyelids brightened with a crimson hue. He felt a scorching heat bypass his head and he smelled his scorched-up hair.

Something wriggled in the air and devoured a hail of tiny rocks. Molten smolders, ash, and smoke rained on top of him or filled his lungs, urging him to cough. And the distinctive sound of sizzling clearly explained the situation. There was only one person on his team wielding such a potent flame.

Cough

Leticia...

Cough Cough

I will definitely scold her later...

Cough

For fuck's sake, this is simply adding oil to the fire! Like it's not enough that we are getting wrought by normal rocks! Did she have to make them flaming? Man, that girl didn't even think the sudden burst of flame may blind the rest of us! Once we leave this place, she gets a good ol earful and a lot of training. She needs some common sense!

His thoughts churned and he felt a bout of headache. Yes, he knew Leticia had tried to keep them safe. Perhaps, she even tried to clear a path forward. But still! There was a fine line between good intentions and unthoughtful actions!

Affected by the smoke and heat, he coughed again and pursed his lips. The crimson slowly dissipated and he pried his lids. He peeked toward the source of the annoying fluctuation and saw the woman jogging to his right. What made him feel better was that she similarly looked annoyed by her attempt and didn't dare look his way.

Still, the luck was on her side. Right behind her trotted Harumi. The moment Raven saw her, he forgot his previous misgivings.

Fifteen meters. Close enough. She can cast from there.

"Haru-" He tried to speak but inhaled a whiff of smoke and choked on it.

Bearing through the coughing fit he tried again and shouted, "Cast a healing spell on Maim!" Yet, before his words could reach her, Haru tumbled.

In front of Raven's eyes, she fell and scraped her knees. She didn't cry in pain and tried her best to stand and run again, but it was late. The moment she was locked in place unable to evade, a ball-sized fragment of the ceiling shot her square in the head.

The size and speed were strong and most of all the place of impact was unfortunate. With a cracking sound, her temple caved. Bright red blood and something else seeped into her hair. She staggered and briefly their gazes met.

Surprise. Confusion. Pain.

That was all he read inside her eyes before they glazed and dimmed. Until her last breath, the girl didn't understand what happened. Forget managing to heal their swordsman, she couldn't even heal herself. Everything was over in a second.

Damn it!

"Damn it!"

"Fuck!"

Raven closed his eyes, turned around, and dashed again. Echoing his thoughts, Leo and Leticia cursed aloud and passed the girl's body. No one had the opportunity or time to shed a tear for their fallen friend.

Suddenly, Raven's slightly crispy hair stood on end. Continuing to run he glanced toward the ceiling.

Fractures deeper than before ran across and meshed together. In just a few moments the eerie spiderweb had dug deeper into the rock. As the fissures collided, they gouged out small and larger fragments. Embraced by unforgiving gravity, all these shards became a deadly downpour raining on their heads.

Oh man, this damn collapse doesn't even let me pull a potion.

Raven felt depressed. Suppressing his exasperation, he desperately kicked the ground.

He ran as fast as possible, yet the falling rocks and boulders on his way made his path erratic; ducking under random shots, leaping over larger obstacles, side-stepping, lunging left and right. He ran for dear life. His sole salvation was his shoe effect. Whenever changing ways, his shoes flashed propelling him forward. He sped up.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Like a let-loose pinball, he zig-zagged around the broken passage and successfully evaded lethal blows. But, he couldn't miss them all. His arms were tied keeping Maim in place and he couldn't use his weapon. When he somehow made his way right behind Renata his body was battered from the tiny impacts.

Unlike him, Leo was not lucky. He was slow and suffered in the rainstorm, bearing the majority of the assaults. He tried to guard his head but this action blocked his vision. He slipped and lost his balance.

Falling forward, he face-planted on the ground and dropped his shield. As he fought the exhaustion and the nausea he pushed himself to stand again. Then saw it. A ceiling fragment twice his size creaked and fell toward him.

I can't escape in time. I dropped my shield. Fuck, even with the shield I likely won't hold a candle against a rock this size.

Staring at the drawing near rock, his lips stretched into an angry smile and he scoffed.

He could have called for help but didn't do it. In his exhausted state, he couldn't aid the team simply by surviving. Instead, asking for assistance now could put the rest of them in danger. Raven was burdened by the wounded Maim. Harumi was dead. Leticia and Renata needed time to cast a spell and likely couldn't help in time. And Jeje, well, he lacked the necessary skills.

If I call for help they can only watch me die, or worse, they will end up getting caught in the collision. Heh, I guess I will get revenge on these damn rocks the next turn.

"You imbecile gorilla!"

An angry female roar made him bite his tongue.

Renata cursed and hit the brakes. She half-way turned around and slammed her staff into the cracking wall.

A rushed-up spell escaped her mind and an erratic wind emerged above the shielder's head. The chaotic currents cushioned up the rock and ripped it into pieces.

Man, isn't this too powerful for an impromptu spell?

Leo thought in stupefaction as the rock was smashed above his head. The next moment he snapped awake and forced himself to move. He grabbed his shield and dashed forward, at the same time, he got the answer to his question.

To push the casting speed and to increase the power, Renata must have sacrificed complexity and balance.

The gales swirled and propelled the smaller fragments. Just like bullets shot by someone blind, some fragments shot toward the party members, forcing them to jump or lunge like headless chickens. Other shards hit the walls and bounced around or lodged into the floor. But the worst of all were those that were returned toward the ceiling. Slamming upward, they caused the cracks to grow in size, accelerating the collapse.

"Renata, are you competing with the monster who will kill us first?" Raven felt an impact on his side and couldn't help but grumble. Right behind him, Leticia had a stone slam into her ankle and stifled up a cry, while Leo used his shield to guard against a few stray shots.

"Shut your trap! I did my best!" Renata rolled her eyes and pulled her staff. She ducked beneath a shard and didn't waste her breath again, sprinting after Jeje.

At the front, the Cait Sith was spared from the impacts. He strained his eyes and saw the tunnel branch - one toward the left and one toward the right. He calculated in his head and checked a drawing on his terminal. A moment later, he blinked and came to a decision. Without the luxury of time, he glanced behind, waved his hands, and shouted, "An intersection. Go right. The left pathway has already collapsed!"

Despite the noise, his screams and movements caught the others' attention. Like one, they pursed their lips and nodded.

Relieved that they had understood, Jeje agilely escaped a bunch of shards and moved to follow his command. He leaped above a fragment that had fallen in his way and used his hand to grab the wall and change directions in the air. Two steps later, he turned behind the corner, ran a hundred meters and his eyes enlarged. His pupils shook in desperation and he stopped.

Bang

Renata, Raven, and the rest were on his tail. They couldn't stop in time. Slamming in the Cait Sith, they tumbled in a pile of limbs.

"The fuck, why are you..."

Jumping to her feet Renata cussed exasperated. She looked up front and swallowed back her words. She seemed to need no further explanation.

A dozen meters to the front the tunnel was entirely collapsed. The stacked rocks were tightly packed together leaving nothing but a tiny hole. The opening was narrow. No, it couldn't even be described as opening. Nothing bigger than a rat could slip beyond.

"Oh, my HogPog!"

As she cursed again, Renata closed her eyes. In the meantime, the others too had understood the situation. They unanimously sucked a breath.

"Renata!" Leticia ran toward the hole and placed her hand in it. She groped around and pushed the rocks. The blockage was quite thick and didn't budge at all. Biting at her lips, her tattoos moved atop her skin and she turned to face the elf, "Erect us a barrier. I will try to blast a way forward!"

"No."

But as she spoke, she heard a male voice say in resignation.

"Raven..."

The cold words and the order made Leticia swell up with unknown emotions. Confusion, anger, unwillingness, surprise. She faced the man and called his name. Yet instead of saying he was joking she only saw him shake his head.

"No. Even with Renata's shield, it's pointless. Besides..." Raven's words trailed off and he turned to face the wall. He took Maim down and slowly placed him on the ground. The man was cold and rigid. Without the necessary treatment, he couldn't last enough.

Understanding that they lost another member everyone fell silent.

A moment later, Renata heaved a sigh and rubbed her face. "Leti, this time I agree with Raven. Haru and Maim are dead. The bear over there is exhausted and all of us are wounded. Putting aside the small chance of you piercing these rocks without accelerating the collapse... my mana is too low. I am not confident enough to protect us without gulping many potions."

Leticia was unwilling to admit the truth. She glared at her leaders hissing, "Then we should give up? We should simply wait to get buried?"

"What they mean is that it's just a waste of potions. This round is over." The one to answer her was the one she least expected to agree with Raven and Renata. Laughing like she was a fool, Leo rolled his eyes at her.

"But..." I don't want to die like this! It will be hella painful!

She closed her mouth and didn't voice her thoughts. From their eyes, she understood that they were painfully aware. No one on this team was dense. She had to face reality no matter how unpleasant.

Cough

Raven cleared his throat and shook his head again. "It's useless to prolong what is inevitable..." He felt the tremors in the walls and floor. The collapse was already unstoppable. Instead of wasting time, effort, and resources, they had to brace themselves and plan their second try. "We can't leave unless we clear the dungeon or we die in it. The former is impossible in our state. Retreating here is the smartest option. We are close to reaching the allocated time and this turn is meant to gather information. We have already accomplished our goal. "

After a brief silence, Leticia gulped a mouthful of saliva and said through gritted teeth, "...Fine." She was clearly unhappy but accepted his decision. Following, she closed her eyes in resignation, crossed her arms, and slumped against the wall. Her face looked grim.

"Guys, sorry... I..." Jeje recovered from his shock and mumbled feeling guilty. He felt responsible for leading them this way.

Without a word, Raven rubbed his shoulder with a smile. He didn't blame him for the outcome. If anything with the situation as it was, it didn't even matter. Their team was battered and they had scouted quite a bit. Facing their first death was inevitability. It was just a matter of time.

"Yep, it's not your fault." Renata nodded from the other side and sat as well. She mused to lift the mood, "Let's think positively. We can use this chance to brainstorm how to clear this freaking floor. Heh, most importantly of all, I have always been a little curious about the way I die. Getting crushed by rocks is wild and eccentric. It's glamorous enought to fit the esthetics of my beauty."

"...Can you please shut up? However, I agree that getting your face smashed by a large chunk of granite may slightly beautify you. Nice for you." Raven scoffed at her, while Leticia and Jeje felt hardly any better by those words. Why were their leaders so eager to rub salt in their wounds? Both of them had rotten personalities!

"Humpf, if I can get any prettier I am curious to see it." Renata couldn't bother minding his comment. She looked at their scout and pointed out a matter that had bothered her for quite some time, "Didn't you say that the left tunnel has collapsed?"

"Indeed," Raven said and strained his ears. The roar was getting stronger. More and more of the tunnel they had passed had crashed. In a couple of minutes, their current pocket would face the same outcome.

Harumi and Maim were lucky. They passed out rather fast and didn't have to feel the slowly creeping doom and fear. I need to keep in mind that our deaths will leave a mental scar. If it isn't handled well, it may disturb our future explorations.

He came to a decision and continued. It was best to keep the others well-distracted for the time being. "Jeje, although you were at the front, I didn't see you scouting up the other tunnel. Yet, you sounded certain of its state. Why?"

"Oh..." Jeje rubbed his chin and pulled the picture on his bracelet sharing with them. "As you asked me, I drew a simple map. Look at this. It's the area we have explored. The colored markings are the monsters that we met, their locations, and their details. Right before we met the Takatopa, I tried to expand the map and fill in the blanks. I think I cracked the labyrinth!" As he spoke, he regained his spirit and his eyes flickered with unbridled happiness.

"Can you see it?" He pointed to a certain area and said, "This should be the base pattern. I believe this floor is actually a larger labyrinth made of many tiny ones. At first glance, it's difficult to notice this pattern. There is only one repeated segment, but it seems to be rotated 45 degrees against the clock and its size is not too small. Heh, only after spending ten-plus hours and exploring deeper, did I get some inspiration." In the end, he sounded proud.