~the sword kobold POV~

The strange beast appeared out of the shadows and swiftly slew two of my comrades. The mistake was ours. The [Floor boss], many a time warned us against doing our job half-heartedly. If we maintained our vigilance from the start, my comrades would be here with me, but how envious. Their souls should have reunited with the [dungeon]. I crave for such a day, so much that I live with the looming temptation of hurrying the process, but I have to be patient. There is order to everything, my day shall come, and I will reunite with the [dungeon] with honor.

I wonder if the beast can make my reunion honorable. No, this can't do. To die now means my mission will be a failure. Together with my [slayer], I shall trample every and any evil intention towards the dungeon.

*Shuaa*

The remaining wrinkly one fires a [fireball] spell towards the darkness as my sturdy vigilance remains unshaken. He is not entirely useless it seems, although his spell looks wonderful and fascinating, it's useless once you are prepared. My eyes follow the small mass of fire about the size of my two clenched fists. Though the [fireball] provided light where my eyes couldn't reach, the beast remained hidden.

The beast tactics remind me of the other wrinkly one, even I feared him. During training, he would disappear and only show up at a blind spot. Truthfully, I would never have believed he would fall first before me.

*Shuaa*

The wrinkly one fires another [fireball] towards another direction. I can see the growing frustration on his face, the number of fireballs increases, but the beast is nowhere to be seen. Is it gone? A thought crosses my mind, though the beast looked unharmed after receiving my sword. Maybe that was an act?

"Stupid!"

My thoughts are interrupted as the wrinkly one throws away the [staff] he loves so much. I don't need to ask him what the matter is, as I can already guess. It's a thing I have witnessed several times. The number of spells he can fire is usually limited. If that number is reached, the wrinkly one will remain defenseless. That's why in our team, he is the most looked down upon.

If I were the beast, then I would attack now. The thought crosses my mind, and I reach out my hands to beckon the wrinkly one to move closer.

*Woosh*

My intentions are rudely cut off. All I was able to see was a shadowy silhouette and the falling of another of my comrades. I have to agree. The beast is fast and decisive. It knows precisely where to strike its sword-like claws. And with that, I also understand the beast's attack pattern. If I put all my attention to protecting my neck, I should intercept the attack. The only problem is I don't know whether it will attack the front or the back. Help me O great [dungeon]. I chant a prayer and leave it to the [dungeon], my decision is made, I shall put my all to the front.

*Woosh*

My ears tweak announcing the arrival of the evildoer. The sad thing is I'm still unable to guess the direction. Nevertheless, my sword is already in motion as planned.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

*Clang*

The sound of clashing metals resound, and I shiver. How hard are the beast's claws? I have claws too, sharp ones, in fact. But compared to the beast's, I might as well be having flesh. I get to catch a glimpse of the beast's face, I don't know what I thought before, but contrary to my thoughts, the beast's face is charming to look at. Compared to it, the name beast fits me perfectly. I should stop calling it a beast, but I lack a better word, so my [enemy] should do.

The enemy is sent back by the collision, I don't even bother to give chase as I know he will disappear before I reach him, and as if to prove me right, he disappears again.

I thank the [dungeon] for my wish was answered, although now my chances of slaying him are lower, I still have to show appreciation. Like before, I raise my sword and prepare for a blind defense. Immediately, a problem catches my strained attention. My sword, the [slayer], has fallen, defined cracks on the surface hint of an imminent breakage.

*Sigh*

This is a lost cause. I carefully put down my friend. Soon I will be joining you. I hope we can meet during the next run. That's right. I have decided to cease my pointless struggles as all I will achieve is to prolong the inevitable. After all, this isn't the first time I'm dying. It has happened before the battle to determine the [floor boss]. What I yearn for is an honorable death, and isn't this honorable enough? I get to die while I defend the dungeon.

*Woosh*

There it is. I can feel it.

Only a moment later, and I can see the world spinning, the world turns so much that I'm able to see my headless body standing still like a tree. It is then that I realize my head is flying. I didn't expect it to be so painless. As the light that I presume to be the great [dungeon] appears, I wonder, is my enemy so merciful that he would grant me a painless death, or is he being terribly efficient? I guess that's something I would have to ponder in my next life.

***

~the bat's POV~

You have slain level 17 lesser kobold

Exp gain

That was tough, I have to agree. I learned something new. Although they appeared to be individually weaker, once they grouped, the difficulty increased several-fold.

Killing is getting harder, and leveling up is getting slower. If I am to fight such teams, then it will be troublesome. I will have to use my skills wisely from now on.

That aside, I have noticed the [items] the beasts wore were immediately sucked away by the [dungeon]—what a stingy fellow. The bodies are useless as they are only made up of a dark substance don't ask me how I know that.

My injuries are minor, as I didn't receive any critical hit. I spread my wings and take off. I intend to search for a perfect spot and rest my tired limbs. The roof doesn't disappoint. I discover the ideal place and immediately perch. My eyes shut, and my body relaxes.

*********

*Yawn*

I let out a refreshed yawn and spread my wings to stretch them. The sound of cracking bones never gets old. After a few stretches, I consider what is to come. If the previous beasts are the constant of this floor. Then I need to be serious and cautious. My [shapeshift] skill should be useful for sneak attacks. To achieve a perfect sneak attack, I would have to raise the skill so that I can't be detected like before.

My health is back at its peak, so another battle shouldn't be a problem. I drop from my hanging position and stealthily set off in search of my new prey.

The sky is clear of trees, so I can't conceal my presence the way I want. I unleash my perception to the limit. For this to work, I have to be the one to discover the beasts first.

There you are, a distance away, I can see what I'm looking for, and they are in the same arrangement as the previous group. I was right to be cautious.

I intercept their path and hide my presence this time. I have to do it first and efficiently.