“So tha’s the game, aye?” Velua muttered as she looked at the fey who had just announced the fact that the Queen had gone missing. She knew that it was too good to be true, skipping to the end of a floor because of a yearly event didn’t make sense. It made more sense that this event happened any time someone entered the floor. The Whispering Stone didn’t have event levels, at least anything that Velua had seen, but she had read plenty on dungeons that did. Supposedly, the temperament of the dungeon and its personality decided if these kinds of events would happen. If this was anything like the Glittering Melon, the more they played into the roles of the event, the higher the reward.

“We will save your Queen!” Velua announced loudly as the gathered party began their chattering, it was clear that they were very good actors from the concern that they were showing. The brothers groaned in frustration at the concept of wasting time helping fey-folk, much rather preferring they simply smash their way through to the end of the dungeon and get the hammer. She didn’t even bother shooting them a look, instead opting for a smug grin as a screen appeared in front of their faces. She knew that the moment that she said it, a Quest would appear for them.

Dungeon Quest!

Queen Lotus has been kidnapped! To complete the floor the Queen must be returned to the Alchemical Oak Throne.

First Win Condition: The Queen is returned to her throne.

Second Win Condition: The Queen dies and a new fey is crowned.

First Reward: The Dauntless Hammer of Creation, 500 gold pieces

Second Reward: The Dauntless Hammer of Creation, Bone Scythe, Necromancy Dust

“Can’t be serious… tha’s an Alchemical Oak? They’re supposed to be gone ‘n dead.” Molin commented with astonishment as he looked up at the tree. “The last Alchemical Oak was lost during the Dark Pull a few years ago. Never grew bigger than a normal oak either.” He said as he understood what he was looking at finally. That was why the tree had so many knot holes or rather natural openings where the crevices and alchemical solutions could be manifested from its natural processes. An Oak that large no doubt would have seeds to restore the extinct species, not to mention some alchemical ingredients were near impossible to harvest otherwise.

“Not important. Focus up.” Velua commented back to him as she insisted that he focused on their new quest, having no real care about the tree they needed to bring the Queen to. She knew about Dark Pull, but there was not much she could do about a disaster that happened in human territory. If she managed to get out of here, maybe she would send a message to the human countries. They needed a win… everyone did these days it seemed.

“Oh, you would? Brave and noble heroes from the outside world, you would save our Queen from those brutes within the abandoned temple?” Arabella asked with a bright shining smile, taking Velua’s hands and showing her glittering white teeth as she was overjoyed with their acceptance. Velua couldn’t help but feel her cheeks blaze red as her heart pounded within its cage. She felt like she could hold those soft hands for an eternity, her body one with the mountain as she hoped the moment could last for an eternity.

She broke out of her stupor as she realized that Arabella was wondering why she wasn’t saying anything, strange looks from Dum and Twe told her that she wasn’t being subtle at the moment. She swallowed before giving a nod, sweeping Arabella into the crook of her arm. “Indeed, fair maiden. We shall save yer Queen and complete this ceremony! Lead the way further into tha dungeon, might we save her!” She said boisterously, her voice loud and cheerful as she drummed up support from the crowd. The fairies began to light up like fireworks, and the few that had vocal cords clapped and shouted in excitement for their soon-to-be heroes.

It was Arabella’s turn to blush now, before nodding and pulling herself from the dwarven noble’s arm and beginning to lead them off of the stage. Molin had removed a journal from his bag and was noting things down as he followed, no doubt information about their journey as well as their discoveries. Already they had come across an exceedingly rare herb, and then an extinct tree that had brought entire veins of alchemy to a halt without its kin. The brothers were muttering curses, Dle even deciding to flash a few insulting gestures at the gathered fey, by either the dungeon’s mercy or the fey’s ignorance of insulting gestures, that had not managed to get them swarmed.

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They traveled around the base of the oak, two hours lost just to that journey alone. Arabella and Velua spoke some, but the conversation was rather limited and dry. The dwarf was too reserved to allow her secret to be revealed to the men of her group. The sun was getting close to the horizon, golden rays peeking out from the blocking branches of the massive tree they were underneath. Now that they were on the other side of the oak, they saw what it had been obstructing from view this entire time. A large dark-stone pyramid where what looked like a pair of individuals were fighting on the steps. It was a strange structure, not anything that Velua had ever seen before. There was an opening at the top, with some kind of gazebo or arches denoting the flat top where one could go further down.

“Oh! The angelic have come down from the branches! Hurry, they could help you save the Queen.” Arabella said with a smile before quickly beginning to try and leave the group behind, not wanting to enter a part of the dungeon she didn’t have the script for.

“‘Ey! Where ya goin’?!” Dum shouted at her as she began to scurry off, a scowl across his face as he reached back for his bow and arrows. The dwarf was the only one with any ranged practice, but hopefully, he was smarter with them than he was with his hammer. He was going to shoot that fey simply for leaving. Velua was about to say something before surprisingly his brother piped up about it.

“Don’t waste yer arrows ya daft idjit! We are gettin’ to the dangerous bit. Gots to focus now, shoot one of them.” Dle ordered angrily as he pointed towards the two struggling figures on the steps of the temple. The brothers didn’t care who won the actual fight in the dungeon, so long as they were the ones to get the hammer.

“Right,” Dum said with a grin as he turned and looked at the two figures, trying to think of which one would be more fun to shoot. He couldn’t get a good look at them, but the one higher up on the stairs seemed to be kicking the other one’s ass. If the lower one was weaker, then that meant it was best they killed the strongest first.

Velua drew her sword as the remaining members of her party brought out their weapons of choice. She took in a deep breath, still feeling the presence of the dungeon watching over them as they prepared to close the distance. She hoped that they would be a good show for it, as it was an old and wise dungeon. With the skill it had crafted this realm and the detail added to its layout, no doubt this was a dungeon of many floors that was simply bored after eons of loneliness.

“On Dum’s arrow. Charge.” She said flatly as she took in a deep breath, preparing a movement skill as Molin tittered away on his flute, their speed increasing with the magic of his tunes. The arrow was loosed from the bow, the fine string giving no sound before the arrow sliced through the air. It flew, the shaft wiggling left and right as the dwarves followed after it as fast as they could. The masterwork arrowhead pierced the shoulder of the upper dungeon minion, causing a gush of fluid to spray out. The arrow traveled all the way through, its fletching caught on the entrance wound to leave it firmly trapped within the threat.

As the group made it to the bottom of the steps, they could finally make out the two figures. What they saw was hardly what they were expecting. Both individuals were humanoid slimes, trading blows with fist-shaped pseudopods. The lower one was a pale blue, a halo glowing over its head as it landed a heavy blow to its combatant. Said fighter was a purple slime sporting a pair of devil horns and a new hole in its shoulder. The appendage was limp, the arrow pulling the hole wider as it attempted to bring the arm back up for more attacks.

“Get the purple one!” Velua shouted as she got to the same step as the angelic slime and began to swing her sword as aggressively as she pleased. The fine bronze blade sliced into the membrane of the creature with ease, gushes of purple fluid spraying out of it. She was splashed with some against her hand and screamed as her flesh seared from the demonic energy within. She hadn’t expected the insides to be so dangerous, but there was little choice she had in the matter. She wasn’t a hammer user, and the two brothers not on arrow duty were still making their way up the stairs. She grunted before she brought her blade into the slime again, cutting deep toward a floating sphere within it.

She ignored the agony that the gushing innards caused her hands, the slice a mere millimeter away from the slime’s core before an arrow beat her to it. She pulled her hands back, tears pricking at her eyes at the way her digits were sizzling and burning as if they had been dunked in acid. The demonic slime began to lose its cohesion once the core was destroyed, and the sack of dangerous demonic sludge fell to the stairs, before beginning to slowly but steadily slip down the entire temple from the midpoint it started at.

The remaining heavenly slime reached down and plucked her blade from the ground where it had fallen, having witnessed the bravery that Velua had offered in an attempt to help it. The creature was silent, making no noise as it cut off its hand and brought the oozing stump over her. The trips of crystalline blue fluid stopped the sizzling pain in her hand, before slowly beginning to restore her. She took a deep breath, a smile on her face as she looked up at the slime. Her hands would work once more, and that meant that she could still keep her men safe.

“Thank y-” Her words were cut off, and the thanks that she was going to issue the heavenly slime fell on non-existent ears. The creature slumped forward, its body squishing against her and coating her with heavenly drool as its core shattered from a well-placed arrow.

“Tha was not necessary, Dum! It was helpin’ her!” Molin shouted through panting breaths, having only just then gotten to the bottom of the stairs. He was exhausted, mainly because he was far from the dwarf of his prime. He couldn’t keep up with these fast-paced ruffians he was watching over. At least, he was trying to watch over them. So far it seemed that they were just relentlessly killing for no reason.