“What...what do we do now?” Thraisly asked, her expression desperate.

I walked back and forth under the light rune while Thraisly stood and Dota sat, thinking.

“I’m afraid all we can do is go deeper and search for another exit,” Dota said, fiddling with one of his crossbow bolts.

“A-and what about what just happened? The dungeon targeted us! Who’s to say it can’t just collapse the other side?!”

“Nobody,” Dota responded calmly. “I simply don’t know. I’m not even sure why a dungeon would want to kill us.”

“Well, it’s a dungeon. Of course, it wants to kill us.”

Dota shrugged.

Regardless, I agreed with him -there wasn’t anything better to do at this point but continue. I stomped the ground, getting them to look towards me. {Maybe it can only attack us once in a while, like a spell’s cooldown.} Wipe, write, {If that’s the case, we need to leave as quickly as possible.}

“I...I guess that does make sesne,” Thraisly said. “I mean, if it could trap us inside, it would have done that already.”

Dota stood. “Perhaps. For now, we should leave such questions for the road.” He handed thraisly a torch and she burnt it alight with [fire bolt]. She wasted no time stepping onto Milo, and we followed as the mule trotted forward, into the darkness.

Before we reached the split-off point, I began to coach my comrades in nonverbal signals, roughly basing them off Sayanica’s sign language.

Hand up: wait

Fist out: fight

Point backward: run

Arms out: danger

Finger to mouth: shush/sneak

We ended up at another split-off point, where both passages led inward. After a bit of conversation, we agreed to go left. The two passages were entirely indistinct, and our sense of direction wasn’t very sure, so we were left with no reason not to take a left. Besides, if Symantha took a left, like she seemed inclined to, we might eventually meet up with her.

With little to work on, we pressed forth.

It took nearly twenty minutes before we found anything aside from the tunnel, but eventually, I saw a red light far in the cave.

Its source, as it turned out, was a whole nother’ cave. It was covered top to bottom in strange plants similar to the ones in Gruan’s office: vines with metal spikes, red, glowing mushrooms growing in a charcoal-colored, viscous liquid that poured from the ceiling and walls, and enorous rose bushes that crept through the cave, with obsidian spirals to provide structure, and more of the charcoal-colored liquid dripping off it like dew. There was also what I could only describe as a serpentine tree that buried in and out of the ground, growing far into the cave’s depths like a worm.

As I walked further in to get a better look, mesmerized, Dota pulled me back by the shirt. “Don’t walk in there without a plan, it wouldn’t be good if lava fell from one of those roses onto your body.”

Jeez, I just wanted a better look! And what the heck was lava?

Thraisly chuckled. “Plants are my thing, so there are more dangerous places to be.”

“Sure...Actually, what even is this place?” Dota asked.

“It’s a ground grove. The plants in these places adapted to absorb geothermal energy through magical processes, using heat as power and turning lava into obsidian and iron defenses.”

“Whoop-dee doo,” Dota said. “Mind parting the way, then?” He gestured to the thick overgrowth that blocked our way.

“Well,” Thraisly responded sheepishly. “I don’t think...I can part it all. My [nature’s wrath] can only be used every ten seconds, and it has its limits...” She walked into the cave and snapped a branch off the tree, placing it in her component pouch. She continued to do so with the other nearby plants and mushrooms while using the tree’s lavaproof sticks as tongs. “I’ll try to guide you two through, ok?”

{I’ll leave it to you.}

“Oh, and Saya?”

“Hmm?”

“That stuff,” she said, pointing at the lava drenching the mushrooms and pouring from holes in the walls and ceiling, “Is lava. It will burn through your body like...butter through a knife.”

Butter through a knife?

“A knife through butter,” Dota said, barely stifling a chuckle. “What she means to say, Saya, is don’t touch the liquid stuff. It makes a fire look like a good thing to bathe in.” Dota pulled a small chunk of his clay hand off then threw it into a stream of lava ten feet away. It burned like an oil-soaked barrel, instantly reduced to black steam.

Oh, yeah, now I saw why they didn’t want me running in here.

“Umm...Dota? Did you really need to chuck part of yourself into the flame? That seemed...”

“Unnecessary?” Dota finished for her.

“Yes.”

“You’re entirely correct. It was,” he admitted.

“Then why did you do it?”

“Because I could.”

“You act wise, but you don’t seem very smart,” Thraisly said, unamused.

“Well, if you can tell me the difference between intelligence and wisdom then I’ll give you more of my skin!” the clay man jested.

“I don’t think I know the difference either, but more importantly, I want nothing to do will keeping your finger as a keepsake.”

“Too bad, I’m very nutritious.”

“You wanted me to eat it?!” Thraisly asked, disgusted.

“Tooootaly, that wasn’t sarcasm!”

“Oh. Whatever -let’s just get through here! Milo, stay safe, ok?”

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Yee-haw!

I ended up walking behind Thraisly as she took a machete and cleaved through the overgrowth(I still regretted not taking the [cobold]’s machete with me). As we got further from the entrance, the plants became less thick.

I saw a creature with massive teeth fall to the ground near me and immediately unclipped my falchion.

It was a little, black-furred rodent.

“What are you doing, Saya?” Thraisly asked jokingly. “Are scared of a wittle beaver?”

Huh? Oh, it was a beaver.

Dota seemed surprised too. “You mean that’s not a monster?”

“Nope! Just an innocent animal.”

“What about that thing?” Dota asked, pointing behind himself where one of his eyes was looking.

I turned to see a ten-foot-tall, doglike creature running at us. Its eyes brimmed with fire that trailed behind it, lava dripped from its obsidian skin, and it bared long, blueish teeth.

“Oh, that’s a hell foxhound,” Thraisly said as it dashed through the grove, pointing at the creature’s fox tail. “And that’s very much a man-eating monster.”

That was all I needed to know. I readied my sword and shield and stood in its path.

Dota immediately shot at it, but his bolt was swiftly sidestepped by the foxhound. “Did it just dodge-”

He took a step back as the creature suddenly sped up, and it bridged the gap between us in an instant. Fast.

I readied to swing horizontally, but before it got near me, it leaped above and landed beside my backline companions. And kinda intelligent.

It spat lava at Dota, then swiped a claw at Thraisly before I could reposition. The former was deflected aside when Dota activated [fire barrier], while the latter attack hit a yellowish [barrier] spell, which caused it to fizzle into nothingness. A skill, not magic.

I ran in front of Thraisly, my fist extended, then swiped at the creature’s extended paw just as she disabled the [barrier]. It retracted its paw, then snapped at my arm.

I pulled back and used my other hand to hit the massive creature with my shield. It missed my arm, and my shield smacked its snout, disorientating it. Thraisly took another step behind me and cast [nature’s wrath], sending an obsidian rose bush into the creature’s back while it was distracted, causing it to howl in pain. It then ran to its left, circling us.

I raised my hand up, so we backed to each other’s sides, ready to face it when the creature tried to move in once more. The foxhound didn’t find any chinks in our defense, so it attacked with its fire spit once more.

“My [fire barrier] isn’t up!” Dota yelled as he realized what it was preparing, forcing us to dodge on quick notice, splitting us up. As Dota moved out of the way, he shot a bolt, scoring a hit on the creature’s neck while it was distracted.

I ran after Dota when the foxhound bounded towards him. It managed to grasp the [viinrougt]’s leg between its teeth even though he sidestepped. It shifted its mouth, trying to get Dota further into its maw, but sprang back as I ran at it, my fist held out.

As it jumped away, Dota yelled in pain, then dropped his crossbow to unsheath his sword with the help of his [quick swap] skill and slashed at the creature’s nose just as his vine harness latched onto a tree, tugging him out of the infernal beast’s mouth.

Knowing the foxhound could probably use the ability that made it run quicker multiple times, similar to Maladrain, I immediately dropped my chase to help Dota back onto his...talons.

“Seraph-forsaken creature!” Dota yelled, barely walking with me, “It broke my leg...”

Not this shit all over again!

I threw Dota into Thraisly’s arms once we reconvened, then when the foxhound finally rounded back and dashed towards us, I vaguely signed to Cobaltio, fly me.

I had been largely powerless against its massive leap the first time because of my lack of [life wing], but if Cobaltio’s [death wing], even when he was undamaged, could give me just the smallest bit of height, I could land a substantial blow.

The creature was keen enough to attack my backline first but not smart enough to anticipate the effects of our skills.

Specifically, our magic.

As it approached, a put my shield hand into my component pouch. Its speed became blinding as it activated its version of [fast steps].

It spat at me, then leaped.

I quickly swiped my shield hand, imagining my [flame manipulation tier 2] sending the lava ball careening to the side while I focused on leaping up just as it soared above me.

I prepared to swing, knowing I was too far below the creature to do any real damage, relying on him.

Please, Cobaltio, fly!

Don’t take me for an idiot!

I felt sharp claws slide under my arms, then tug up on me, dragging me the extra foot I needed to grievously harm the foxhound.

Thanks, bud. And as far as you’re concerned, dog...

I cut diagonally, letting my body take over as I cut through its thigh with my swing, then carved its underside as it flew past me.

You can go and die!

You gained [ruthless striker tier 2]!

With a hellish shriek, the foxhound landed behind my companions. It lost its balance on impact but still bit at Thraisly, only to collide against a barrier of light.

I glided onto the [barrier] because Cobaltio had apparently activated [draconic embiument], then plunged down it its throat, only to see another ball of lava fly at me.

Shit.

Straining my mind to the point I couldn’t properly think, I cast [water creation tier 1].

You gained [water creation tier 2]!

A few gallons of water spouted from a spot in front of my chest and hit the lava head-on, but it wasn’t enough.

Then, Cobaltio dived off my shoulders and took the hit for me. As he and I fell onto the creature, it threw its hind leg at me, its paw sending me careening into the [barrier], while the lava splattered around Cobaltio, his body protecting me from harm.

Cobaltio, his face only seared and red with burns because of his [infermal resistance], was knocked out of the way of the foxhound’s bite by a thorny vine and ended up balancing mid-air, circling around to rejoin the fight.

I slid down the barrier’s wall after I was hit, and even though the breath was knocked out of me, I remained dead-focused. The foxhound wasn’t finished yet either, and it scrambled onto its three functioning feet, then it roared a monstrous scream as it blindly charged at me before I could fully recover.

Just as I raised my falchion to try and block its attack, Dota plunged his shortsword deep into its neck, somehow falling from above.

Did he just tele...oh, Thraisly just cast [leap] on him.

He jumped off the creature, but it still tried to ram into me with a manic expression. I leaped to the side, knowing it was so big that I was guaranteed to be at least a little hurt by its fall, but a [fire bolt] exploded on its shoulder, changing the foxhound’s trajectory enough to keep me safe. I twirled onto my feet as Cobaltio drifted onto my shoulder and watched as the foxhound tried to get to its feet once more, refusing to die, only for a crossbow dart to plunge into its other leg. I was surprised to see that Dota had teleported to his crossbow with [shadow step].

The creature tried to get up again, but its same leg got impaled by a vine, causing it to roar in pain.

Yet, it stood regardless. I rushed towards it, ready to decapitate the beast, but before I could end it for good, it raised its head and howled.

The howl reverberated through the cave, disorienting me like an earthquake. I heard the plants shake under the howl’s pressure, the walls quake in reverberation, and the lava shudder by its voracity.

I stepped to its side, then jumped and sliced its head clean off its body with the help of Cobaltio. I landed beside the body as it tumbled down, lifeless.

You killed [hellwalker foxhound]!

You gained 57 Exp!

You leveled up!

Stat up: Str: +1 Dex: +0 Con: +0 Wiz: +0 Int: +0 Cha: +0

In combat. . .

Well, that was a shitty level up!

A-and why did it say I was still in combat?

[hellish foxhound] used [battle roar]!

All nearby monsters of the same type know your location for one minute and are directly aggressive against you!

Howls from across the grove began to pile up, with more and more foxhounds joining the chorus before they finally burst into roars of bloodthirst.

Ahh, I see.

“Interlopin’ scoundrel!” Dota yelled, “Of course it had that skill!”

“You knew it could do this?” Thraisly asked.

“It was sarcasm! But either way...”

...that was bad.