Gothe, Gotha, and I had quickly made our way to the fifth floor.

The third floor had been a luxurious bedroom infested with giant rats, while the fourth floor was a banquet hosted by three small forest trolls.

Although I still hadn’t levelled up since encountering Gothe and Gotha, the few extra points in endurance, vitality and strength I’d gained earlier made all the difference. It was as if I could conquer two dungeons on the same day… Well, I couldn’t forget the help provided by the gargoyles.

No… I couldn’t lie to myself. If it weren’t for them, I’d have tapped out a long time ago. I doubt I’d even have been able to make it past the goblins.

Regardless, that was all in the past. I shouldn’t think about that.

Ready to continue I made sure Gothe and Gotha were in good shape. I’d heard that the macabre dungeon’s fifth floor was its safe level, but you never knew when it came to dungeons. They were living beings like any other and had the power to change.

Still, that didn’t happen often. Richard and Isabelle should be there.

Heading down the stairs to the fifth floor I stopped in front of its door. Closing my eyes and holding in my breath I waited for the gargoyles to make it down. Their feet clattered on the stone steps; they weren’t perfectly proportioned so it made them awkward when it came to delicate movements.

Finally, when I felt their warmth next to me, I opened my eyes and pushed open the door.

My eyes darted around the floor. Yes! They were here. “Richard, Isabelle. You’re safe!” I yelled from across the floor. It was a garden of wilted flowers, and they were sitting next to a murky pond. Running over, I could see Richard’s lips move.

Why are you here? It read, why?

He had been distant the past few months. I thought he was just having a hard time with the cards dealt to him, but things weren’t adding up. Why ignore me, why avoid the Général Arnault. Slowing down as I got closer; I looked down to him. That’s when he blew up.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!” He yelled, almost screaming out his lungs.

Stepping back, I looked over to Isabelle, but she looked away.

“What going on?” This wasn’t normal. He’d never been like this. I didn’t want to believe it, but something was going on and he’d been hiding it from me for a while.

Richard reached dead flowers and threw them at me. “Did you not look to see if Sophie was fine? —Why. Are. You. Here!” His eyes were red, and his cheeks soaked in tears.

“I went to your place; the landlady told me Leia was healed.” Was he being targeted by someone? I should have asked if he needed help earlier. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.

“I can’t believe you trusted that old witch.” He collapsed in Isabelle’s arms. “I couldn’t get the two golds with what we got from the dungeon. We were one short. When we got home, Leia could barely breath, I don’t know how she got so sick so fast!” He started to cry. “I had to borrow from the Triste gang. They said I’d need to pay back two golds in two weeks, that was fine. But when she was healed… they took her. They said they’d use her to pay my loans. I don’t know what to do! If I could—If I could...” His voice was drowned by his tears.

It couldn’t be. Those bastards, I couldn’t believe they did something like that. If the lord heard of this they’d be annihilated, they must have grown too comfortable.

“I’m useless.” Richard continued; his bag was covering his leg. Taking it off, a mess of bloody clothes covered his leg. I can’t do anything. Please save her.” He looked at the gargoyles then back to me. “Save her and I’ll give you my life, it’s not worth but it’s all I have—”

—

It was silent for a second. I didn’t know how to react, nothing I said could help him and I felt horrible for having thought he was hiding something scandalous from me. Finally, gulping down the lump in my throat I answered. “Of course I will.” I got down near him. “We’re family. It’ll be quick. I’ll save her before anything happens.”

“Thank you.” He muttered, his face dishevelled, anxious, and traumatized. He closed his eyes and leaned back against Isabelle. She couldn’t look at me. She must have also felt just as useless.

“Do you have enough food for a week?” I asked.

“Yes.”

Regardless. “Here.” I handed them my rations; they’d just slow me down. “I’ll come back if you aren’t back in a week.” I don’t know how they’d get out. Maybe…

“No.” Richard had lost all the strength in his voice. “Just keep Sophie safe. It’s not the worse wound. We’ll make our way back up tomorrow. I just need to sleep.”

Looking at the state of my friend, I couldn’t help but sigh and get up. “Don’t sleep too long.” At least he didn’t look fatally injured. If that were the case, I probably have one of the gargoyle transport him, damn if it took me a bit longer to get out.

Looking back at them one last time I ran down to the sixth floor, it’d be quicker since there was only one exit to the dungeon and it was much closer to Bayeux than any of the entrances.

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#

The sixth to the eight floors weren’t more difficult than the earlier ones in large parts thanks to Gothe and Gotha. The urge to head to more remote dungeons crept into my mind. Still, I had to keep my ego in check.

The only dungeons kept alive in Normandy were only the safest ones. They were nothing compared to legendary dungeons found in the Sahara, North Sea, and Great Steppes.

I only had to think back to the attack on our caravan. I doubt Gothe and Gotha could do anything against that mage. Maybe one day…

Reaching the ninth floor, we descended the flight of stairs leading to the final floor. But before I entered the boss room, I opened my status.

Nothing. Not a single change. Craftsmen classes were too disadvantaged when it came to this. It was always better for a craftsman to craft, fighting gave us nothing. I wondered if what I was doing was a complete waste of time. But seeing as I’d used gargoyles to fight, you’d think that I’d be able to gain a few levels. Maybe if I used my own gargoyles, I could get an achievement and level up, but that was a no go.

Regardless, I had to focus on clearing this dungeon as quickly as possible. Standing in front of the tenth and final floor I had Gotha and Gothe position themselves in front of me. Ordering them to kick open the door Gotha wrapped me in her wings before Gothe made splinters fly in all directions.

We entered.

The room was dark, pitch black. I couldn’t see anything until a sliver of moonlight drifted past a prison cell window, slightly illuminating what was a dungeon.

A silver glint past my eyes. Sitting in a cell, a young girl with knee length moon coloured hair got up. “Are you here to steal my blood?” She asked. Her hair hovered slightly above the mouldy earth floor.

“Are you the boss?” Why did a monster have to take that kind of form. That’s why they were called as such and not animals.

Gotha moved to my right while Gothe stood to my left. Was it blood lust? Seething anger? I don’t know, but whatever it was, it was powerful.

The monster finally answered, “Boss! No. I wouldn’t entrust this mission to something like that.” Her hair gripped the jail cell’s bars and with a high pitched grinch she spread them apart. Stepping out, she extended her thin white finger at me with a bloody frown.

“You.” She muttered; her frown grew larger. “You stole what is mine!” She let out a terribly high-pitched screech and her hair extended in all directions, like a lion’s mane.

Covering my ears, I lost sight of her until the Gothe’s disappeared and a bang resounded in the distance. He was logged two feet deep into the dungeon’s walls. White hairs were wrapped around his body.

Shit, she was strong. I stepped behind Gotha. Looking around there didn’t seem to be anything else. She said she wasn’t the boss. Didn’t that mean she was the dungeon herself?

“Do you know. DO YOU KNOW! How hard it is to create two gargoyles?” She screamed; her eyes bloodshot. “And you think you can wander in my room! And try to defeat MY boss with MY beasts—” She had a hard time speaking, her breath was so ragged. “For this, I’ll kill you myself.” The girl’s hair swayed in the air, ready to strike us at any time.

I glanced over to Gothe. His eyes still shined red, and his name was showing on my status.

Move when she attacks Gotha. I’ll head to the side, and we’ll attack her from all sides. I tried to telepathically communicate to the gargoyle, I couldn’t speak up, she was an intelligent monster.

Gothe blinked. He must have understood what I intended, after all we were now contracted, we were united in some sort of way.

The next instant, the girl’s hair spun faster and faster until it shot at Gotha. I ran to the right, and Gothe jumped out of the wall.

Gotha flapped her wings with all her force, preventing the dungeon from binding her.

Encircling her, Gothe and I made a mad dash at her. Releasing Gotha, the dungeon enclosed herself in a cocoon of hair.

I slashed at the hair with my sword while Gothe tried to punch through, but nothing happened until a stake sharper than a spear and made of hair shot at me. It was too fast; I couldn’t completely dodge it and the spear cut through my leather chest piece. Jumping further back. We waited for the girl’s next move.

Glancing down, I checked my wound. It wasn’t too deep, at least from a glance. Slowly more and more blood came up and covered the missing patch of leather. I’d have to see how bad it was later, but it looked to have just grazed me.

Now, the girl was standing still in the middle of the dungeon, her hair swaying in the air. Her eyes glanced from me, to Gotha, to Gothe, and then back to me. She didn’t seem to be able to attack more than one person at a time.

We should have attacked now, but no one wanted to take the first step.

After what seemed like an eternity, she took the initiative, and another spike of hair flew out. This time towards Gothe.

Gotha and I dashed forwards. My sword pointing straight, ready to pierce her hair, another spike flew out at me. Committed to the charge, I couldn’t move out of the way. Tilting my sword, I tried to deflect the blow, but—

I screamed. My sword was shattered, and I was skewered in the shoulder. “Fuck! Kill her!” I ordered. That’s when Gotha plunged into the mass of hair with her clawed hand outstretched. She managed to break through the girl’s defence, and the hair in my shoulder fell limp.

Not long after the monster’s cocoon collapsed, and the beast’s hair dispersed into the moonlight alongside her body.

You have cleared the dungeon.

As a reward you have gained 1 level, you are now level 2.

You have killed a dungeon.

As a reward you have gained 1 level, you are now level 3.

You have undergone a difficult trial using gargoyles which were not your classes creation. For this unique feat, you have gained 1 level (you are now level 4) and the title:

Leader of Gargoyles:

(Having conquered stone hearts which once belonged to another. You may claim to be natural leader of all gargoyles.)

The system congratulates you on gaining your first title. Titles are not easily earned and although they do not grant you abilities, they may influence your future class upgrades. You have one day to refuse a given title.

Status

Gargoyle Craftsmen Apprentice (Level 1 class)

- Level 1/15 --> 4/15

Vitality: 10/10 --> 6/12

Strength: 8/8 --> 7/10

Endurance: 13/13 --> 10/14

Dexterity: 10/10 --> 5/11

Mana: 7/7

- Abilities:

Dextrous hands (F Rank)

Control delegation (C Rank)

- Additional information:

Gargoyles: None

Titles: Leader of Gargoyles

A flurry of notifications popped up. Dizzy, perhaps from that and/or all the blood I’d lost, I collapsed to the floor.