Chapter 129

“The Tower.” Part 8

“So the boss is a kobold?” Rita questioned, after running to catch up with her.

Kalysto stopped, surprised by the comment.

“What did you say?” She asked, stopping to look at her map to turn her face and look at the blonde next to her.

“The mission. You have it too, right? Because otherwise, it wouldn’t make any sense how the kobold deaths continued to increase without any of us doing anything.”

“Did you get it too?” She was surprised. If we share the same mission, that means we also share the experience points. That explains why they are so calm even though they didn’t find any monsters. She was annoyed to realize that despite her warnings, she was still carrying all of them. I want to get out of here now.

“Yes, of course. Now it says 119/120 kobolds. That’s why I asked you if that was the boss.”

“No, I don’t think so. I haven’t received the key to enter the boss’s room yet, but I suspect he’s the guard," she commented, looking at the empty space inside her map, in front of which glowed the only red dot she needed to eliminate.

“Oh..." Rita’s gaze wandered, cautiously observing the surrounding huts, including the burned remains of one of the largest of them. “Do you really think we can find anything useful?”

“That hut over there is a kitchen. I found some fresh bread and fish a while ago. If you can find a place to keep some, that will be useful for when we get out of here.”

“Really? Thanks for the tip!” Then the blonde stopped after taking a step forward. “What do you want in exchange for the information? -She asked her bluntly.

“If you find at least one enchanted bag, give me one. If you give me two, I’ll give you a bottle of water.”

“Done, we have a deal!” Rita got excited and then ran off to the hut Kalysto had indicated while the rest of the group was busy looting the huts near the entrance to the village.

And while Kalysto ran to the place where the red dot was located, Oscar, who instead of staying with the group discussing whether or not they should enter the village before meeting the fairy champion and had been the first of the rest of the group to start looting them in complete silence, approached the hut where Rita was without the others noticing him after having finished looting several huts. The rogue brunet was carrying a sheet tied behind his back like a backpack with a knot tied in front of his chest to make sure that the things he had stored inside, along with several sets of sheets, would not fall out. And in his hands, he carried a larger sheet with which he wrapped another collection of sheets and blankets, intending to give it to the blonde for her protection during the cold night.

Oscar soon found Rita with a collection of loaves of bread in her arms in the middle of a hut far away from the rest.

“Here," he offered immediately, opening the sheet he had picked up for her on one of the tables.

“You can keep them here so they won’t get in your way.”

“I’m still mad at you," the blonde replied as she tried to pick up the last loaf of bread without dropping the rest she held in her hands. Oscar let out a long sigh before approaching her, but Rita took a step back, and then looked warily between him and the bread she had been about to pick up.

“You don’t have to worry about me. I would never steal your food," Oscar muttered, and his sad look reflected how much it hurt him that she thought so badly of him. Still, he took the bread and held it out to her. And when Rita finally put her misgivings aside and took it, he stepped back and let her advance to the table where he had opened the sheet for her.

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“I…“ Rita bit her lower lip and very carefully approached him, depositing her new collection of breads on the clean sheets.

“There are things about me that you should know if you really want to be in a serious relationship with me.”

“I thought I was pretty clear when we were together the first time.”

“I... I never said I didn’t want to be in a relationship with you... At least I didn’t mean for it to be understood that way. It’s just that maybe you are too young to understand all that being with someone like me implies.” Rita was about to walk away but Oscar came closer to her and, after taking her face in his hands, he ran his dark thumb over her pink lips. ”... I know you think well of me, but... I’m not a good person, Rita...” he assured her, looking into her eyes, while remorse shone in his eyes. “I’ve done things I’m not proud of and while that’s all in the past, it doesn’t take away from the kind of person I was or what I did.”

An awkward silence stretched between them, as Oscar waited with fear for what she would say next.

But despite his apprehension, she didn’t pull away from him.

“I hear you," she replied in a whisper and hope shone in the silent brunet’s eyes.

‘This isn’t the best time or place to talk about it,” he replied quietly, pressing his forehead against hers, and allowing their breaths to mingle. “But if you’re really sure you want something with me, we’ll talk about it when we get out of here.”

“Okay.”

“...But I need you to... look... I’m not the kind of man who shares, if you’re with me you need to be absolutely sure that I’m what you want, because there will be no turning back. If we’re together, it’s because we’re both serious about this. ... And Rita, I have no intention of letting you go.”

While the two young heroes were trying to patch things up between them, Kalysto pierced the kobold’s neck with an ice spear.

[Congratulations, the user has completed the quest!]

[The user has acquired ‘Key to the boss room’ as a reward and it has been added to her inventory!]

[The user has acquired: ‘Luck +2’, ‘Charisma +1’ as a reward and they have been added to her stats!]

“Inventory!” she whispered as soon as the cooldown time of her ability was over and took out the key that opened the huge double door cloistered between a gigantic boulder.

And opened it without waiting for the rest of the group to join her.

[Warning! The user has entered the room of the boss of the eleventh floor of the dungeon!]

Inside the illuminated cavern adorned with several torches on the sides, Kalysto could see with total clarity the grayish silhouettes of two kobolds, each holding a sharp sword in their hands, along with two hobgoblins dressed in purple robes. And behind them, seated on a throne of bones and skins, was the chieftain. A fat, tall kobold.

All five heads turned toward her as soon as they heard her open the doors wide without any delicacy, and immediately one of the hobgoblins began to conjure a spell. But long before he finished it Kalysto had already run towards him, and with her delicate hand outstretched against the monster’s ugly face, she grabbed him and slammed him to the ground.

She then pulled a dagger from her inventory with her left hand and slashed its neck.

[You’ve gained 700 experience points!]

“Tundra!” she whispered, immediately freezing the guards, leaving only her and the boss who immediately stood up and rushed towards her with his huge spear in his hands, jumping over her small figure. “Perfect aim! Ice spear!” Kalysto conjured while he was still in the air, making it impossible for him to deflect her attack. Her spear pierced the boss’s chest, pushing him backwards and impaling him against the wall behind his throne.

[The boss of the eleventh floor of the dungeon has been defeated!]

[You have gained 700 experience points!] x3

[You have gained 3700 experience points!]

[The user has gained 300 extra experience points for participating in the boss defeat!]

[The user has acquired ‘Spear of Shadows’ as a reward and it has been added to her inventory!]

[The user has acquired ‘Health Potion’ x3 as a reward and they have been added to her inventory!]]

[The user has acquired ‘Mana Potion’ x2 as a reward and they have been added to her inventory!]

And as she finished receiving all her rewards, the rest of the group came running up to her.

“It’s time to go to the next floor!” Kalysto announced, walking up to the blue portal that opened next to the throne and being the first to go through it.

[Warning! The user has entered the twelfth floor of the dungeon!]

A deep darkness greeted her followed by utter silence.

Kalysto frowned and turned around to see the others exit the portal after her, but there was no portal.

All around her was nothing but darkness.