On the third floor, Father Daniel stood in anticipation.
(“It'd be a disappointment if he left the dungeon but it'd also make sense. In the first place, why did he even come in here? He could have easily run back to the forest, granted he might be missing a few more limbs if he allowed me to chase. And where the hell are the rest of them? Unless…”)
He thought about the adventurers barricading the dungeon but deemed the idea unlikely given the resources in the area. Furthermore, he knew no one with the ability among the adventurers who could do something on that scale.
With the time to rest, he could think in peace about that boy and what his goal was.
(“The dungeon… could he be scouting it out? Unlikely, why would they send a man to his possible death for information? They're already inside this forest and for them, this type of move wouldn't make sense if they're doing this out of revenge.”)
He didn't want to believe it, but the boy most likely had left. It'd be foolish not to. Only the second floor had any sort of guard presence, except for a few guards resting.
He contemplated heading back up but the sound of commotion caught his attention.
----------------------------------------
“Is this really the best move?” He thought as he looked at the guards. Thankfully he managed to walk here with little issue. But each time he attempted to throw something or attempt a sneak attack, they'd turn red. When he thought about doing a certain type of attack and ran at them, they'd show a blue hue.
He cringed going through that again but if this was his best move he had no alternative.
----------------------------------------
Several guards fell down the stairs, with one of them taking a nasty-looking bump.
(“So he is still here… is he baiting me up? Did he watch as I headed down? But where would have seen it from that angle? Or did he risk it and think he hit gold when I wasn't present with the guards? Perhaps he thinks I'm searching this floor for him. Oh well, at least I can keep him in this space.”)
The stairway was just what he wanted. It was enclosed and the stairs made for awkward footing. As long as he guarded the entrance the boy would be shit out of luck for options. And the priest would also no longer worry about falling down the stairs like he did on the first flight.
The guards continued falling and he slipped past them as they came one by one down the floor. He looked up in anticipation for when Kevin would arrive but he heard an odd groan from one of the men on the floor, followed by running.
“Why'd he throw himself?” He said in pain trying to get up.
----------------------------------------
The guards all had their backs turned and the room nearby had the guards conversing and making meals. It looked like it had been turned into a makeshift canteen. A few guards inside the canteen got to witness what happened by chance as they looked outside the room.
Kevin dressed himself in the clothing and armour he found in a random room. This allowed him to walk this close to the stairway without any questions.
And he jumped into the air.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
The few inside the kitchen area who saw him wondered if what they saw was real until he disappeared from the visibility of the room's doorway.
The guards of the stairway had their backs turned looking out to the intruder the priest mentioned, so they were none the wiser until impact.
He hit all four guards with a cross body, none being swift or strong enough to stop it. All five men tumbled down the stairs, in for a few minutes of hurt.
----------------------------------------
As the man began running away, the priest soon realised something as he turned the corner.
(“There were only four guards at the stairs and based on the lack of noise, a brawl hasn't broken out. That little sh- bastard!”)
He immediately chased after him but no dice. He only ran for a minute but he knew he had lost him. He didn't blame himself for this. Because in what world would he have predicted his opponent doing something like that?
He could only shake his head in disbelief and check out his men.
One was seriously injured while two were able to walk but weren't anywhere near fighting ready based on their limbs. The final man seemed able to fight but was more appropriately placed in a reserve category if things got dire.
The priest mumbled to himself cursing this defeat the white haired boy had given him. What amazed him most was the boy was able to run away almost unharmed from the fall.
(“Maybe he's more durable than I gave him credit for.”)
----------------------------------------
Kevin bit on the sleeve of his shirt trying to withstand the pain. He broke something. He definitely broke something in that fall. He had slowed down to a crawl and it was a miracle (from an outsider's perspective) he was able to hide in a nearby room close to the stairway. If the priest noticed his breathing when he ran by the room it was all over. This floor's lack of light certainty helped as well.
He took off his helmet and noticed a dent on top of it. There was some space between the top of the helmet and his own so he never felt the brunt of the impact. This was the only blessing he was given when it came to the fall.
Part of his arm felt seared with so much pain, that he contemplated finding a knife to cut his arm off. His chest felt like a horse landed on him and he limped with both legs as he walked.
As he leaned against a wall fighting back tears, he couldn't help but feel unnerved that this was the best option for going deeper into the dungeon. It wasn't just semi-optimal but the best choice. What would have been in store for him if he found some way to half-ass it?
He continued walking. He had to find out what his eyes led him towards. What was worth all this pain and suffering he had been put through?
The armour he put on was strapped tight to the point it hurt his body. He didn't care if his eyes would recommend it or not, he took them off and limped in the darkness until he found a torch. He took it down and continued forward.
----------------------------------------
“We're finally here~” Ruby stated before she fell into the back of Furor.
Just a few hundred metres away was a strange stone structure. It was obvious to everyone present what it was. They were finally here. And based on the lack of guests, it was obvious to everyone who had shown up first (they were wrong, unfortunately).
“Holy shit, she really did reach before us,” Tina stated as she placed Lily down and pushed Nora off her.
Based on the dirt thrown around and the blades of grass cut, it was obvious some sort of scuffle occurred.
“Of course she did, she isn't the strongest person in the parish by accident,” Furor responded.
Everyone else looked unsurprised and nodded along to what he had to say
In a nearby brush of forest. (“Why are they all agreeing with him? Even if I was travelling by myself, I can't imagine I'd run off further into a dungeon without them. But a battle happened here… who was-”) A certain red headed associate of hers appeared in her head but she told herself there was no way it was him. She couldn't imagine whatever took him over, coming here of all places.