A rabid swarm of these Organized encroached on their position. The streets and lanes of this bizarre circus were filled with countless mangled creatures, their bodies contorting and folding into unrecognizable shapes.
The lack of any bone structure left them flailing around as they ran on all fours like the animals they so desperatey masqueraded as. Blades, arrows, shrapnel of ice and fireballs found their mark and obliterated their flesh.
The mages in the backlines, which were defended without fail by Res, hauled magic after magic against the onslaught. All 14 of the Adventures gathered in a ring-like formation where the support and ranged remained.
There were at least 6 people there, with the remaining 8 cleaving through their foes with relentless strikes.
Blood and gore painted the musky earth as the horrid sounds of screaming, growling and the splattering of organs played in this chaotic theatrical.
Where one perished another two seemingly took its place and mixed within the masses were the slow Unorganized.
The animal-skin monsters that sought to rob the Adventurers of their organs.
“HAAAAAAAH!” One screamed, flailing as one of the Organizers clutched onto their body and plopped an organ akin to the external stomach found in starfish.
The acid began to eat at this poor adventure, but thankfully, they were rescued by their fellow comrades before it could eat into their metal armor.
“CHECK YOUR MANA PEOPLE! THEY’RE NOT THE STRONG ONES, SO PRESERVE YOUR MANA UNTIL THE HEART ARRIVES!” This voice belonged to the Paladin, Perla, who closely stuck by the support with her spear and shield in hand.
Magical barriers were casted in addition, and when Frost checked the status of them, she was surprised to see that they indeed possessed their own set of stats.
Shielding Barrier
HP : 500
ATT DEF : 100
MAG DEF : 100
“YOUR STAMINA TOO!”
“WE ONLY NEED TO HOLD THEM OFF!”
A myriad of screams cut through the thick air, bringing about an interesting question. If these things were not the strong ones and were considered weak, then what was the difference between a Trickle Dungeon and a Monsoon one like this?
The answer laid in the Heart itself.
Its strength greatly influenced the risk classification it received, and although the creatures present were weak, Frost imagined stronger creatures emerge alongside the Heart much like the Crimson Hunger.
Furthermore, the average level of these creatures was 60 at best, although this was still way higher than most of the Crimson Hunger.
Not that it would matter anyway. Not when she was here.
These creatures stood little chance against them. Frost moved amongst the swarm, dragging her arms through them like a hot knife through butter. Her sheer ATT obliterated them in a single hit as she took a giant lion by its maw and dragged it around.
Its organs painted the ground, leaving behind a writhing trail of flesh and blood as it screamed: “STOP! THIS IS ME! I’M LOSING MYSELF! MYSEEEEEELF!”
“AHAHAHAHA! More to be a part of me!” A lanky panda with its head perpetually twisted on an axis scooped up the organs and plunged it straight into its chest.
“Let me feel fulfilled! Let me be happy, you violent murdereeeeeeer!” A rabbit exclaimed, snatching the intestines, wearing it like a scarf as it gave chase to Frost.
These creatures were sentient. Perhaps sapient, but Frost refused to believe this from the bottom of her heart. She could not bring herself to believe that they were anything remotely close to herself or any other living creature.
Just because they spoke a common language meant nothing to her, and seeing that they preyed on the living much like the Crimson Hunger –
– She showed them no mercy and devoured them instead.
With a rapid flurry of bites, she took out the lion’s head before they could blink. The lifeless sack of skin deflated as its remaining organs spilled from underneath, the life extinguishing from its eyes before the flesh attempted to wrap itself around Frost.
This however, only caused her to tear it apart as she inflicted a continuous wave of Scrutiny, keeping them at bay as they were the forced to move like they wore concrete shoes. Silence plunged the world during these moments.
For her at least, as the screams of the Adventures and the casual laughter of Cer continued in the background, thankfully drowning out that damned circus music.
And then, as she caught a leaping bunny by the ears and held it close to her face, she spoke with unparalleled conviction, woven with weaponized fury.
“Do you all wish to become whole!? Like that of the Crimson Hunger!? Tell me – what the fuck is your purpose of existing!? To kill!? To murder!? To steal organs!?”
“Bahahahaha! C’mon! Try it! Hand over the ticket and be just like us! Free from all pain! Free to be whatever we want, you wannabe bird!” The mangled bunny spoke as if hard-wired to treat this all as a comedy, and it was not until that Frost munched on its head that it began to weep and beg for it to remain as the bunny it was.
“LEAVE SOME FOR US!” An ostrich with a belly made from many stitched eyelids exclaimed, pecking at the organs.
“DON’T BE GREEDY! GREED IS BAD!”
“One, and two, and three – oh joy, four chunks into my basket~! And half a liter of blood!”
These creatures were not even worth speaking to. They spoke gibberish for all Frost cared anymore. They perhaps didn’t even know what they were saying themselves.
But what they did understand was the language of bloodshed. Violence.
And so, truly understanding that the Impuritas were no more than monsters perhaps worse than the Corrupted, Frost spared no effort to communicate with them through her lips.
Her fists would suffice.
Nav… the Impuritas are evil, huh. Wanting nothing more than to strip people of their organs. And for what? Tch…
“What do you plan to do?”
Eliminate them. But I want to hear a confession. To understand just what the fuck we’re really dealing with.
“Heightening your emotions will be simple. You are already very close.”
I can tell.
She launched herself forward, appearing like a blur to most which left nothing but a hail of gore in her wake. Frost’s full speed was only second to that of Snap’s. The Adventurers, whose heads turned like broken cogs, had their eyes pried agape as they tried to fathom who was supposedly a healer.
No. It had been like this ever since the battle began. If all her other abilities weren’t strange enough, it was the very fact that she ate these creatures that terrified them the most, and yet somehow left others awed.
“THAT’S IT! EAT! EAT THEM ALL!” Cer cheered, also taking her fair share of bites at the enemy. “Yeah, that’s what I want to see. Shock these Adventures. Put them in their place.”
“Where’s the flames at?” Ber said, patiently waiting for the fireworks like she was watching a show. “You know, she kinda reminds me of a Scarlet Healer. She just needs to overheal them to death.”
“You two… FOCUS! We’re not the ones at risk here! Don’t you ever forget that!” Res reminded with a roar, causing the two to stare at each other for a moment.
“… heh. I’m only helping because she said to. Adventurers live to die.” Cer shrugged, easily dismissing this.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
“Good for them. Being protected all the time will make them weak.” Ber stated coldly, causing Res to severely grit her teeth. “… forget I said anything.”
“LITTLE WOLF! Take this more seriously, will you!? You too medium wolf!” Jury exclaimed, backing Res up as Ignis clicked her tongue as if to agree.
“Medium. Hm. So Cer’s lower than me after all. I like it.” Ber nodded to herself, grinning.
… I can hear those idiots over the chaos.
Frost internally complained, remaining in one of the major lanes as she kept an eye on the group at all times. The ground shook on occasion. The tremors split various rides in half, causing various chunks of flesh that they were constructed from to spill into these wide streets like miniature landslides.
She moved back and forth from the group, healing those in need with quick succession as she tried to heighten her emotional state. Rather than fury, Frost adamantly judged these creatures with immense prejudice, seeing them as nothing more than an impurity upon the world, hence their very name.
The young Ignis unleashed havoc on these creatures, her blade now becoming nearly as large as herself with the sheer amount of biomass she had accumulated in the last 10 minutes.
Her rapid swings became methodical cleaves now. One swing bisected up to tens at once. The herd steadily began to thin.
< CONDITION : Only 100 remain! >
Fatigue was beginning to settle into the Adventures by now, prompting most to instantly down green-colored potions. These were Stamina Potions, courtesy of the acclaimed ‘potion makers’, Inflow Direct.
“You – You people… are you really part of the Golden Index!? The potion makers!? A healer that fights isn’t…” Perla’s velvet voice reached Frost’s ears as she passed by to heal the massive blade fellow. “… the Black Dove… you’re a walking paradox. What exactly are you?”
“Save your energy for the upcoming Heart. Whether I’m a paradox or not doesn’t change the fact that I am what I am. A human.” Frost promptly spoke, leaving the rest to her companions as she quickly turned to Res. “Res.”
“It’ll likely fall from above. The Heart will take a minute at most to destroy.” She assured, right as the ground tremored once again.
Res wore a perplexed face as the numbers quickly dropped to 80. Then 70.
60.
50.
…
20.
In the end, Frost was unable to heighten her emotions much to her dismay. However, it did not change that the Heart would be an incredibly easy fight.
Although…
“These quakes aren’t normal.” Res then added, her ears twitching alongside her sisters and the Demi-Humans present. “They’re coming from outside. Even underneath us. I know it’s a Monsoon dungeon but it’s odd.”
“The rescue party might be struggling with something!”
“Of course they would be! More trouble for us!”
“But aren’t there two Golden Index captains with them!?”
“SHUT UP! We’re about to face off with the heart soon enough!”
“DOES EVERYONE HAVE THEIR TICKETS!?”
The voices of the Adventurers returned as the Reorganizers and Organized perished, their woes disappearing along with them. Ignis claimed the final kill, hoisting the body over her like a flag as its blood dripped onto her face.
She absorbed the trickling liquid into her skin, keeping herself clean whilst the Adventurers were doused in crimson and chunks of familiar meat. The group instantly faced the center of the circus tent, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the dungeon Heart.
But nothing happened.
Nothing descended. Only the strange vibrations reverberated through this place, rocking their very bones as the silence constricted them.
It was odd. Eerie. Completely abnormal.
After such a vicious fight the silence of the aftermath became feared.
Nav. Nothing’s appeared even though we’ve killed all of them.
“… this is strange. A Heart should have appeared. Unless, the Heart is currently with the other team.” Nav stated, also confused by this, as its conditions were absolute in Frost’s experience.
“Wait. Could the Heart be with the other team?” Frost relayed this to the others, causing them to shake their heads as others turned to her like she was a moron.
“… why would that be the case? The others are rescuing them from whatever rides are in there. They’re in an offshoot from this place. A Heart cannot move.” Perla was genuinely confused by this take from Frost, who they had thought was an expert of sorts in these dungeons given her strength.
“Listen carefully… Black Dove. I don’t know if this is your fuckin’ first dungeon or not, but an Animal Dungeon will always have its Heart appear in the main cavity. Right there, up above.”
“It’s generally how things work.” Cer added, also wanting to pile onto Frost. “But as you know things have been getting strange – Tch. What’s with all this shaking!? It’s like someone’s setting off a bunch of explosives outside!”
“Yeah, what the hell’s going on!?” Ber snapped.
Indeed. The tremors were quite similar to that of explosions rather than an earthquake. It was neither the footsteps of some encroaching creature either. Frost scrambled to get her thoughts on track as the group impatiently waited for something, anything else to happen.
But the world only continued to shake, prompting them to stick close as Perla erected additional barriers.
“Jury! Ignis! You three! Protect the group! I’m going to check just what the fuck is going on!” Frost exclaimed, delegating in an instant as she prepared to move.
However, there was no need.
“Snap sensing something awry is going on outside. Moreover… Snap’s been exploring the branching chambers. The Heart is indeed with them! But – Something is chasing –!”
“It’s – w-woah. What the fuck… I just became light-headed all of a sudden.” The giant-blade wielding man collapsed onto his knees, clutching at his head in confusion, right as the world shook one final time.
“WHAT’S WITH ALL THE SHAKING!? THIS – THIS IS A MONSOON DUNGEON RIGHT!?”
“DID A TRAIN JUST DERAIL AND SMASH INTO THE DUNGEON OR SOMETHING!?”
Fissures instantly crept across the landscape, tearing apart a multitude of structures as the group were now forced to separate.
“KEEP THEM SAFE! I’M WARNING YOU RIGHT NOW CER AND BER! TRY NOT TO LET ANYONE DIE!” Frost’s voice was nearly drowned by the sifting of earth as plateaus rose to meters in height, showering debris and gore across the land.
Try was an important piece of wording. Because Frost knew in the depths of her heart that there was no such thing as a guarantee, even with beings as strong as themselves. However, what she wanted the most was for them to commit to it.
The explosions subsided. The screams, yells and calls filled the air as the partially fractured groups tried to assure that they were safe. Frost heard all 20 unique voices and swiftly moved to check for injuries, following their voices until she saw a number of people emerge from the furthest entrance.
They were terrified. Fear petrified their harrowing faces as their legs dragged them across the uneven ground. Those that fell were not even helped, and were trampled by these individuals who, judging from their casual wear and lackluster gear, were the missing people.
A stumbling, clawing mass of hysterical people flooded this very chamber. And strangely enough, there was the symbol of a blue diamond floating above their heads. Right next to this diamond was a value all written in red, and all within the single digits.
W-what…? Nav… but what? You never finished your sentence.
As they watched these helpless people run like their lives depended on it, and just as someone reached out an arm to offer a gesture of aid –
“COOOOOOINS!”
“GOOOOOOOOOLD!”
“MY PRICE! I AM WORTH A HUNDRED COINS!”
“HIRE ME! HIRE ME! I CAN DO IT! MY PRICE IS RIGHT HERE!”
“GREEEEEEEED!”
“MY PRICE IS TOOOOO LOOO –!”
– Their heads began to pop one by one, exploding into nothing but coins relative to the value that was shown above their heads. It struck a chord within Frost’s heart as she tried to make sense of this.
Her mind instantly went to the Singing Machine that was referenced by the triplets, which was capable of bursting heads with its song. But there was no song to be heard other than the mocking, screaming circus music.
And so, Nav then finished.
“Frost. What Snap found and detected was a warning. Two warnings. One Monsoon for the Heart – and the other one that supersedes it…”
Don’t tell me. A Corrupted… is chasing them?
The immediate silence confirmed this, causing her blood to flash-boil as she neared the First State.
“I’m afraid to tell you that you must prepare. The rescue group is being chased currently by it. Not the Heart itself, for it cannot move.”
//////// < WARNING > ////////
< ETERNAL NIGHT >
< THE ARBITER’S TRUMPET RESONATES >
“Wait. Wait. Sis… are you seeing this?” Ber was the first to notice something awry, her eyes widened right before she her gauntlets unleashed an unprecedented amount of electricity.
“Here… in a dungeon of all places?” Res stared at the gaping entrance with immense furor, her eyes charged with so much electricity that the scent of ozone began to overpower the bitterness of blood and soil.
“Monsoon for the Heart. A spatial distortion must have moved it there. But that. Why is that here?” Cer could not believe what the prompt revealed.
She was genuinely taken aback. From what Frost understood the triplets truly believed that the Corrupted were so rare that it was nearly impossible to find them just randomly roaming around. Here, in the Nex Megalopolis no less.
But it has happened in the past.
And just as their luck would have it – one would appear right before their very eyes.
“E… Eternal Night…?” Perla’s face paled entirely, understanding the true meaning of this threat level. “… no. No. That’s not right… there’s a Monsoon prompt. A… Ahaha…” The woman clutched at her mouth as she began to hurl out yesterday’s contents.
The mere pressure of this prompt nearly broke her mind, for she knew that she was no more than an insignificant worm to the might that was a creature of the Eternal Night category.
None could properly decipher what exactly was going on. Some also began to break down, truly fathoming their futility in this and began to flee whilst others flicked their eyes left and right, screaming for answers.
“Everyone. EVERYONE! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! HEAD BACK THROUGH THE EXIT! THERE’S A CORRUPTED HERE!” Frost warned as the Corrupted finally revealed itself, just as various people emerged from the entrance.
What she saw was something blue, shaped like a giant, glowing diamond. One that was nearly the size of what appeared to be a five-story building.
But with hands.
Countless extending hands that offered shiny coins right in the center of its many palms.
Greed Counter
< When it comes down to it, we all have an inherent price etched into our hearts >
AFFINITY : Civilization
LEVEL : 150 ORIGIN : Disorder
HP : 120,000
ATT : 2,500 MAG ATT : 6,500 ATT DEF : 3,000 MAG DEF : 3,000
MP : 30,000
RESIST : 200 AGI : 1