Dragontooth looked over the Dawn's Arrows.

“Bah!” he said. “Friends of Downtrodden planning to ambush but Order of Crimson Wyrm stop them.”

Vugar shook his head.

“We’re not planning to ambush anybody. Actually, we’re here to help.”

His gaze travelled to Boondus, Velt and Jeremy, members of Frederique’s party. They were looking on nervously.

Frederique nodded to herself.

“Then ya’ll better get outta here” she said rapidly, “cause there’s a rampage coming this way.”

Vugar drew his weapon, Cosmic Edge the battle-axe with a wind mana gem in it.

“Get Emiria outside the dungeon, we’ll try to slow them down,” he said summoning his courage.

Dragontooth turned to face the passage deeper into the dungeon.

“Go!” he shouted.

Frederique didn’t waste time and started to run again.

As she ran towards the exit, she shouted back, “Thank ya’ll kindly!”

Emiria stuttered out, “Th-thanks guys!” as she ran away in the middle of the formation.

From Emiria’s bag, 517 said, “Bravo! Ladies and Gentlemen, bravo!”

The two parties remaining formed up facing the passage leading deeper and prepared to fight.

About a minute after the Dawn's Arrows had left, a horde of monsters called assailing mushrooms came hopping out of the passage. Assailing mushrooms were large dog sized funguses that hopped along the ground and tried to collide into adventurers and cover them with spores that were harmless. There were at least twenty. From deeper inside the passage, the characteristic squishy sound of slimes could be heard.

Vugar shouted to the rest of the adventurers as he rushed forwards to engage the monsters.

“Incoming slimes!”

The wind mana edge of his battle-axe cut through two or three assailing mushrooms with each blow. Rakugann did the same at his side with his great sword. The front line of the Order of the Crimson Wyrm, Sir Kindleman and Taeg, were doing just as well, fighting with Sir Kindleman’s lighting poleaxe and a Taeg’s massive hammer. The was a sudden explosion and a blast of fire. Roughly half the assailing mushrooms had been cooked by one of Dragontooth’s powerful fire mana attacks.

Quickly and efficiently the two adventuring parties cut down and roasted the assailing mushrooms but behind them red and yellow slimes slid out of the passage to attack.

Red and yellow slimes were faster and stronger than blue and green ones. Yellow slimes could even use rudimentary mana attacks. However Cosmic Edge could cut through them easily, causing them to leak their fluids onto the grass.

Vugar ducked under a rapidly moving fireball a yellow slime had created and Rakugann jumped forward to stab his great sword into its nucleus, finishing it off.

A wall of water prevented the monsters from rushing past and attacking the rookies. It was one of Mildred’s mana constructions. Mildred was currently concentrating on keeping the wall strong. Every now and then Redleaf would snipe a particularly troublesome slime with an arrow, his blade bird and grey lioness were harassing the monsters in the front lines. Bolts of shadow mana came out of nowhere to freeze slimes solid, doubtless the work of Edith the shadow mage.

At the back of the formation Isolde trained her flintlock musket on the monsters, ready to fire in an emergency. Next to her Oliver of Eastfield had his nature wand in hand, watching carefully but not wanting to pull the monsters attention to himself.

Following the wave of red and yellow slimes was a wave of walking mangroves. Tall and powerful monsters that resembled rotting trees. These had come up from Floor 8 or 9.

Usually, The Friends of the Downtrodden would avoid walking mangroves since they were tough and hard to finish off but practically blind.

There was another, bigger explosive blast of flame and the walking mangroves fell over burning.

Dragontooth panted.

“Is... only... rotting wood,” he gasped out.

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There were footsteps from the passageway.

Redleaf notified the others about it quickly.

“Sounds like a humanoid coming this way.”

Vugar immediately thought of the Dryad Triad rampaging to Floor 1.

A dryad indeed walked slowly out of the passage. It was humanoid creature made up off green plants. It wasn't attacking so the front line walked slowly towards it, surrounding it.

Suddenly it gave a shrill screech and a wave of nature mana burst out of it. The grass began to grow wildly. Ready for it, Vugar narrowly dodged being wrapped up by the growing grass but Taeg wasn’t so lucky, caught up and bound by the grass.

The dryad dodged to the side to avoid a low power bolt of flame from Dragontooth and the flower buds on its body began to open, releasing pollen which Vugar knew had mind altering effects.

A torrent of water and wind mana from Mildred washed away most of the pollen.

The dryad screeched again and jumped at Vugar, claw-like fingers reaching out to slash him. Vugar countered the attack slicing into the dryad’s leafy body with Cosmic Edge. Wounded the Dryad fell into a crouch and another, bigger wave of nature mana caused the grass to grow and try to entrap the front line. This time Vugar was caught in it despite dodging out of the way. He watched helplessly as Cosmic Edge fell from his fingers.

New buds grew rapidly on the dryad, preparing to release more mind effecting pollen.

There was a gunshot. The dryad flew backwards having taken the mana infused musket ball dead on. It screeched in terror, scrambled to its feet and ran into the passageway deeper into the dungeon, abandoning its prey.

Isolde let out a breath.

“Good,” she said, “get out of here!”

Vugar picked up Cosmic Edge when the grass released him.

“Nice shot, Isolde!” he praised his party member, thankful she had hit. Her musket wasn’t always the most accurate weapon.

Taeg was confused.

“Why did it flee?” he asked out loud in a deep voice.

Vugar responded, his voice still full of relief and gratitude.

“Frederique must have gotten Emiria out of the dungeon.”

Taeg nodded slowly in realisation.

“I see,” he said.

Vugar gestured towards the exit.

“Let’s head out of here.”

Dragontooth nodded.

“Me agree.”

***

Outside the dungeon a small army of rookies and The Dawn's Arrows were waiting for them. Robert the Guard Captain came over to question them.

“What happened in there?” he asked Vugar.

“There was a multi monster rampage but we dealt with it.”

“And the casualties?”

“None.”

The crowd let out a cheer.

Robert let out a breath.

“Excellent news,” He said, visibly relieved.

Frederique pushed through the crowd to approach the other two parties.

“Ah was thinkin’...” she trailed off. “Ah was thinkin’ we should split the reward between us.”

Isolde made a mini fist pump.

“Whoo-hoo!”

Vugar took the opportunity to explain the plan he had been thinking about.

“What do you guys think about teaming up to break the Dryad blockade?”

Frederique replied instantly.

“I’m in.”

Dragontooth was a little more suspicious.

“Why you want this?” he asked.

“People are depending on the healing herbs from Floor 16. People like Beefeater.”

“Beefeater?” Dragontooth echoed. He paused.

Vugar questioned him hopefully.

“What do you say?”

Dragontooth nodded.

“Me help you.”

The three bumped fists to seal the agreement.

Vugar noticed Smithso and his party in the crowd and called out to them.

“Nice work you guys!”

Smithso smiled at that. His companion Susan called back.

“We’re glad to help, Vugar!”

The adventurer’s walked back to the Adventurers Guild triumphantly.

***

A bustling crowd had formed around the Adventurers Guild. Vugar and Mildred jumped up and down to see what they were looking at.

Mildred immediately recognised the group of expensive looking red armoured adventurers getting out of the carriages one by one.

“It’s Lady Sara and the Red Knights!” she squealed. “Look! Look! It’s Duncan!”

Archmage Duncan Whitefinger the black cat beastman walked humbly into the Adventurers Guild dressed in red armoured mage robes. Behind him was an archer in red monster leather. Mildred knew his name by heart.

“Algernon of Eastfield!” she said with small tears in her starstruck eyes.

The crowd began to chant “Hip-hip-hooray!” Vugar joined in.

One by one, eight red knights entered the Adventurers Guild. Mildred announced the name and title of each of them only stumbling over which of two almost identical heavily armoured shield bearing adventurers was Reginald of Harald’s Crossing and which was Eustace of Breadhaven. The last to enter was Lady Sara “Drakesbane” herself, an elf woman in red drake skin armour with a long handled two-handed hammer on her back. The crowd gave one last “hip-hip-hooray!” Lady Sara didn’t seem to notice them, her eyes focused on the Guild.

Dragontooth wasn’t as in awe as the others.

“Bah!” he said, “So she kill some Dragon younglings, big deal!”

The crowd began to disperse when there was nothing more to see and the adventurers were finally able to approach the Adventurers Guild. Vugar had plans. The Dawn's Arrows, the Order of the Crimson Wyrm and the Friends of the Downtrodden... With the Red Knights help it should be easy to break the dryad blockade.