"This guy's hard to find..."

"Yeah..."

Leona replies on Ford's remark...

"Guard"

Tara follows up, she points to the guard in the guards house.

"Good Idea... We didn't ask anyone before..."

"Huh? How did you find the dungeon then?"

"What do you mean? We made a hole to the ground when Shiva sensed a large room under the town... We kind of got to know where the exit after we explored the first floor..."

"Ah..."

So they picked the easy way in, huh?

"Let's just ask them they know everything that's moving in town... Well some of them does..."

The only one who's information is reliable was the Old man from the mining shaft. I'll ask him again once we don't have anymore options.

"Okay then... I appoint you as the messenger by the power of a team leader!"

"What? Go ask them yourselves it's just an NPC it's not another player."

Ford starts to fidget while glancing at me with his big eyes... It would be a cute appearance if you were a girl but you being a guy just makes it look disgusting and creepy,

"B, but!"

"Stop that you're creeping me out! It looks disgusting!"

"Ouch!"

I kicked him in the middle of his legs. As it hits he assumes the posture of having kicked in the balls... But being in town means that...

"You don't really feel it... Haa! Stop acting and talk to the guard."

You only feel the hit once your outside the safety zone. You will receive damage every little thing you do... Like kicking the rock so hard, tripping, cutting yourself... Other kinds of stupid actions may end up killing you outside the safety zone. But once you're inside you are safe from all that.

Ford stands up and scratches his head while saying...

"If you were not a girl, I could have punched your lights out!"

"I'm a guy damn it!"

And kick him again towards the direction of the NPC... looking back the others had a wry smile and laughed lightly at our argument.

By the way NPC names won't be shown as long as they don't tell you what their names are... So the map only indicates their names as such like [Guard A : West Gate] and [Guard B : West Gate]

You wouldn't know that it's an NPC if you don't have the map data of that area... Since I have the whole map Area of the city I see the NPC names like [Noble A : Noble of Hentric Family] and others like that... There is also [Grocer Man A] in there... In shops however, you will know their name once you enter the shop... since it was bad manners to keep your name from a costumer. It's business after all trust is what matters to the consumers and the entrepreneurs.

Ford goes back to us and announces his findings...

"He said to go find some store named [Shattered Horn] and ask the shopkeeper the name [Delton Rouge]"

"Well, that's specific... Anything that can speed things up is welcome I guess..."

I said so in accordance to his speech... It's a shop so I can sell the remaining shells and shattered orbs stashed in my inventory. I need a new sword too... This one has been chipped and had been cracked all over...

"So... Where is the shop?"

Everyone was looking at me... Wait... Am I the only one who had full map coverage over the city?

"Don't tell me you guys don't have your maps in 100%?"

They all nod at the same time... Why? You guys!

"Alright I'll pass along the map data..."

"N, no it's okay! We don't want to take your hard earned map data! Just lead us there instead!"

"Huh? That's troublesome work! I would rather follow you than you follow me..."

"That's why we want you to do it!"

This guys don't want to work hard! Then Tara comes near and tugs my cloak.

"Can't?"

With upturned eyes she said gently... My eyes widened... S, such explosively destructive cuteness! D, damn! I hate to say this but I lose... I refrained from hugging her since everyone's around...

"T, then I, it can't be helped... Haha.. Ha.. Ha..."

I averted my gaze back at the map and look around for the [Shattered Horn]... It's south of the west gate... It's pretty close, we'll be over in no time...

--

It's been thirty minutes... since we left the west gate... right now we are heading south to the Armor Shop called [Shattered Horn].

[Shattered Horn] is one of the many Armor Shops in the city, the armor's are at dirt cheap prices so it's a well known... to the NPC's at least.

As we were walking bunch of players were also on their way there... I wonder did they finish the quest? However, my assumptions seems a bit wrong... They were still gathering info on where the place is... This is a competition of who enters the game, so no one's helping each other except for their own teams.

"There's still an awful lot of people here... Can they finish the mission by the pace they are going?"

"Let them be..."

"Says the lot who took the easy way in to the dungeon! I had a hard time finding that place you know!"

"Ah! Hahahaha!"

Ford laughs heartily as my eyes turns cold at the people behind me as I was being their tour guide since they didn't want to be bothered looking at the map every time...

Then, I leisurely moved my eyes to the players on the street... It was morning outside... being inside the labyrinth for too long I didn't have a sense of time. Well, technically I did but I didn't bother to look at it as it's a bother.

"Here we are..."

An Elk with a Broken Horn was posted up above the door way to the shop. However the Elk didn't look like a harmless animal more like a dangerous wild monster that would grind your meat into it's teeth if it was still alive. I opened the door to the shop and saw 7 players. It's an armor shop and also a part-time bar so it's a place where you can relax and feel gloomy... From the looks of those 7 they were already at their wits end... They didn't know where to find the labyrinth and the time's running out.

"I got picked yet it's hard to find the god forsaken place! Does it even exist!"

"Yeah! I mean I didn't study for my finals exam to play this game... I failed it and now I'll fail here too?"

"Waaah! I hate this kind of life! Even in games I'm a failure!"

Three man sitting in the nearby table were whining... If you looked more you'll find it! Stop whining! Is what I wanted to say but I didn't want to attract much attention..

I went to the armor shopkeeper/Bar Master and asked about [Delton Rouge]. He then gives us the key leading to the basement.

"Don't you think it's too easy?"

"Meh... I like things that are easy..."

"Haah! Ford you go first!"

"Sure, it's not like monsters will come out after we open that door..."

Stop saying ominous things...

"Okay..."

Click... Clack... Traaaaa... Click...

With the door unlocked we opened it and found a single figure.

The map says the figure's name is Delton Rouge... It's title is...

"Oh shit!"

"Hey what's up!"

"Run! It's after the artifact!"

[Egour Nolted: The Kobold King] seriously, you only flipped the name backwards...

Few health gauges floated at the figure's right side...

"No way! I thought it was too easy!"

"That's what I've been telling you!"

The room warps and everything changes drastically... It became a spacious dome filled with icky meat like walls...

The Map says it's [Cruel Heart's Labyrinth Floor 4]

"It has another floor?"

GRUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

"Well, damn!"

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

It's level is 16... We're not even close to it by 5 levels... I'm still far from it about 7 levels... and the one who's level is the highest was Grazel with level 10. Leona and Tara's level was 8 and Aira's level was 9 so was Ford, Shiva is level 7 since she didn't participate in battles that much.

The monster shrieked... That I almost banged my eardrums broken.

"Leona, Shiva, Tara prepare range support and magic support. Ford, Grazel keep the enemy busy, Aira, you and me will take on vanguard position... Make as much damage as possible..."

"Got it!"

"Let's go everyone!"

"""Ohh!"""

[Earthen Shackles]

The Kobold King's feet was shackled by Shiva's Earth Magic but was to frail that it only took a second before it could move again...

"I'm sorry!"

"No worries keep on supporting!"

[Hunt]

Tara's eyes glowed red... Indicating that she's already taking aim on her enemy...

[Mana Shot: Pierce]

In the Kobold King's hand held a giant axe swung it up cleaving the mana arrow into particles...

"Magic's useless?"

"Ford, Grazel, Aira let's go!"

I ran forward a bit earlier than those three I activated analysis to see if there is any kind of openings in it's movements but to no avail... I swung my sword and activated [Double Slash]

"Aira!"

"Okay!"

[Lion Tempest]

Invoking two skills once again [Wind Magic : Tempest] and [Kick Arts : Lion's Heel] she moved with much speed that if it connects to a shard beetle it would crush into pieces...

Her kick connects but was hindered by the Kobold King's axe... Only making it move backwards a bit.

The Kobold King swung it's axe downward, Aira kicks the axe's side and jumps backward however, before her foot even got close to the ground another swing came into view... Aira closes her eyes as if accepting it.

"Keep your eyes open! Damn it!"

[Shell Breaker]

Blocking off the Kobold King's relentless attack I moved in to save Aira...

"Ford, Grazel what are you doing! Keep it busy!"

I still can't find some openings nor parts where the Kobold King's armor lack defence.

Ford and Grazel swoops in and swung their weapons forward in synchronicity. Series of loud banging metal rang across the room. Just from that sound will make you think that a fierce battle of strength is on going...

"Aira, you okay? Do you have sufficient mana to use skills?"

"Y, yeah I do... But this is hard..."

"It's a boss for a reason..."

Range supports are still quite effective even though it's being deflected every now and then.... relying on [Analysis] does not get me anywhere...

Flanking the enemy in two different direction and assaulting it in the middle while it's occupied of the first two attacks still won't work it's strength was far above ours... and will 100% deflect all of the attacks from every different angle... What to do...

"Aira... My analysis can't pick up any kind of openings... May be because my skills are still far too weak or because our levels don't match up. I'll bash its axe with [Shell Breaker] and try to follow up with [Feral Dance] or [Lion's Heel]. "

I then activated Telepathy and talked to Ford and Grazel simultaneously.

"You guys follow up with Aira after she strikes with your strongest skills... I'll notify the three supporters to keep an eye on enemy's counter attack."

"Got it!"

"Got it!"

"Give me a opening! I'll bash its axe."

"Ooh!"

I kicked the ground as hard as I could to increase the strength of my swing. Ford and Grazel gets mowed down as I entered the monster's aggro radius... I gripped my sword hard and activated [Shell Breaker] as the Kobold King's Axe swings down towards my direction. As our weapons collided, I almost let my sword be flung as the monster's strength was much more stronger than mine, with sheer willpower I tried to at least make its hand flung back...

"Aira! Dive!"

"Got it!"

[Feral Dance]

Flurry of kicks were directed at the Kobold King's belly, the continuous swift and strengthened kicks left a mark in the Kobold King's belly for a moment... As the Kobold King regained it's balance it once again swung its sword down towards Aira, then Ford came swinging his great sword making the Kobold King's swing look useless...

"You got an enemy here as well!"

Grazel swings down his weapon and the Kobold King jumps back a few meters and growls angrily...

"He's enraged! Shiva block his vision now!"

[Sky Pillar]

Pillar of 10 meter thick long and a height that reached the ceiling rose up from the ground, in accordance to the first one 6 more similar pillars rose up in different tactical locations.

Shiva a Crazlun had more effectiveness with Earth Magic, her magic power is way above mine even though she's lower than me by two levels, and also with her Racial Skill [One with the Earth] her magical power rises up even more while on cold hard land, making it possible to create seven pillars to be placed at specific spots.

I then telepathically instructed Tara to move within the pillars in a certain amount of range and agitate the Kobold King so that it would lower it's defense.

[Hunt]

Whilst moving pillar by pillar her eyes once again glowed red... Her movements stopped and her bowstring stretched aimed at the enemy's right shoulder. 

[Mana Arrow : Flat]

Blue light flickered and materialized, an arrow with a blunt like arrowhead was created with one eye closed and the other looked directly on the enemy's position. She loosened her grip at the stretched bowstring the blue light flew to the direction of the enemy.

The Kobold King sensed the vibrations of the Magically materialized arrow, it looked to its direction with rage filled eyes and swung it's axe and the arrow was dispersed into particles as it came into contact with it.

"It's reflexes are fast too..."

"Ford, Grazel keep up with our movements the next time Tara fires we'll enter..."

""Got it!""

Our movements hidden by the erected pillars agitated the Kobold King and soon it started to move carelessly... Summoning two lesser kobolds he instructs them to find every living being in the room...

"Well him just being alive is troublesome enough! He just needed to make a lesser version of himself..."

Although the Lesser Kobolds are only level 6 it's still much higher than my stats, my race is the weakest after all... Aira and I moved within the pillars shadow and flanked the lesser kobolds. Cutting the parts that supports the body's stature and hand movements, it fell down powerless making it easy for Aira to kill it in one hit.

The Kobold King senses its minions death moved to the place where it was killed but with Tara following it, it only gave her a few seconds of opening... She materialized yet another arrow but this time the arrowhead is a pointy one that suggested piercing into another unlike the first one.

[Mana Arrow : Pierce]

Letting her arrow fly, the Kobold King failed to notice the flying arrow at his back successfully hit it's target, it's left arm spurted out blood as it growled in anger.

With this chance Ryo and Aira swoop in and hit the Kobold King hard enough to make it tumble a few meters away...

"It's HP is at 20%"

"Yes!"

"A little more!"

The Kobold King growled in agony and put down its weapon thrusting it deep underground and threw its armor to the ground.

"Heh! What is it surrendering!"

"Something's not right! Keep alert!"

"Hii!"

What we saw was...