Ruiki walked over to the corpses littered over the ground, his eyes darting around as he looked at a corpse that was a bit less gruesome.

It didn't help much though, most of the corpses were injured and butchered in one way or another.

Sighing, Ruiki walked over to a corpse of a man that was somewhat identical to himself in height and size.

He then crouched down, the man's face catching his attention.

One of his eyes was completely white without the pupil, wide open with his mouth agape.

He had three gashes, probably from some creature's claws, extending from his left to the forehead to the right side of the chin.

What type of creature was this?

There were many types of creatures with claws that were as sharp if not even sharper.

Doubt it's the fagosins, they're freaking spiders,

Although he doubted it were the Fagosins, for they were too weak, Ruiki removed the Wizard's Robe from the man and then the leather armour.

Thankfully, the leather armour was left intact, maybe he had died in one blow to the head... Ruiki thought, confused on what to feel.

After measuring the leather armour's weight and thinking it was wearable, he removed his Apprentice Robe and wore it atop his white shirt before hastily wearing the dead man's Wizard's Robe on top and buttoning it.

He felt that before any creature down below killed him, the heat would do the deed faster.

Ruiki rummaged in the robe's inner pocket, finding it heavy, as he took out a locket and opened it with a click, sound.

John D. Barner... He read the man's name that was carved in the locket aloud, before placing the locket back on the man's corpse.

Ruiki then proceeded to loot the man's body as he found multiple darts and a small dagger that was of better quality than the mercenary's dagger.

He also found a leather strap that he could attach to his legs as he took that as well and placed the dagger in it.

He then proceeded to search the other corpses laid about, finding expensive and invaluable items that he reluctantly put down.

He looked at the front, where something akin to a pink gem lay.

Gregon's Pupils, Ruiki thought, tightening the gloves he had stolen. A pity they are too eye-catching and would attract the nearby creatures if there are any,

If it weren't for that, he would have undoubtedly taken that as well and sold it for a fortune at Wind Flower City.

There were also various things that he had left behind, unable to carry more although he had found an enchanted magic pouch, which already had a lot of items inside.

A few gems along with two scrolls of Fireballs and one Chain Lightning should suffice. That was all the magic pouch could carry.

He crouched down, searching the last of the corpses with tired hands. Searching so many corpses had already been a burden on his mind, and he didn't want to stress it further.

Checking the pockets, he found a wrinkled paper, its edges stained with blood.

Ruiki read its contents as he stood: "To the honorable Dragonslayer,

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Your demands are too unreasonable; we have no choice but to refuse."

"Dragonslayer?" Ruiki thought aloud, having read about them in textbooks.

There were many such "dragonslayers" roaming about, killing cattles and pigs.

"Wizard!" An excited and tired voice sounded from behind, startling him. "You're still alive!"

Ruiki took a deep breath and looked back, prepared, spotting a not-very-tall plump man wearing extravagant clothes. Along with him was a woman in her mid or late twenties wearing mercenary clothes.

Ruiki fixed his gaze on the man with a plump stomach, who laughed looking at him.

"Glad I found you, Wizard. Otherwise I might've been in deep trouble today," the plump man said, pointing at Ruiki. "Though you seem... Quite young for a Wizard?"

Ruiki shook his head, saying. "I am not a Wizard," the man's face froze slightly as he paused, "But I am an apprentice currently studying in Iron Wire High at Wind Flower City."

"Oh, is that so..." The plump man nodded, asking, "You can cast spells?"

"Basic recovery spells," Ruiki nodded. "And a few First-Dimensional ones."

"Can you demonstrate?" The man asked, but he quickly shook his head and laughed, "Haha, we shouldn't waste your magic, nevermind." He extended his hand.

"I am Baron Barlet Ployer of Wind Flower City, pleased to meet you."

Ruiki, who had already somewhat guessed his name, nodded as he shook his hand.

"I'm Ruiki Imara," Ruiki said, looking behind the man. "That is?"

Ruiki, huh?

"A mercenary that I found along the way," Ployer chuckled, "since she was from Wind Flower City, I thought to help her."

"Indeed, our Baron is very kind." The woman with red braided hair and pitch-black pupils said with a smile, standing beside the Baron.

Ruiki merely nodded, asking the Baron. "What happened above?"

"You are an apprentice Wizard, aren't you?" Ployer asked but Ruiki didn't reply. "I guess that thing up there didn't hurt you because you weren't a threat to it."

"Though you should be grateful for that, hahaha..."

Ruiki nodded. "Let's rest first, I have a make-shift campfire ahead."

The Baron nodded as Ruiki led the way.

...

"Oh, Rose. You're alive!" Hardwick exclaimed, genuinely surprised seeing his companion return, "Thought our whole group was dead except me."

"Looks like you aren't unscathed either," the mercenary woman standing behind Ployer said, a smile on her face.

Ruiki sat down, asking Hardwick. "Your legs are fine?"

Hardwick nodded. "Somewhat. After you bandaged them and healed them with magic, they should be."

Ployer laughed. "What a good man you are, lad."

"Need some food, old man?" Hardwick looked at Ployer and asked, as if they were old friends,

But Ployer shook his head, denying. "People so old as me shouldn't eat much."

After a bit of small talk, Ployer suddenly asked looking at Ruiki, "You were imprisoned above?"

Ruiki nodded. "Yes, by the Order of the Black Pits." He then took a deep breath as he asked, "Do you know anything about them?"

Ployer smiled faintly saying, "All I know is that they were repairing the pits' once again, came to look at them and check their progress, but boom, here we are." He spread his hands, gesturing to their surroundings.

Ruiki nodded, not buying it. "What was that thing up there?"

Ployer's smile ceased. "It's better if you don't know. It's contagious."

Well, no use knowing it anyway... Although he was curious, Ruiki nodded.

"What to do now? Are there any exits here?"

"There is one," Surprisingly, the one who spoke wasn't the Baron, but the mercenary beside him. She fiddled with her hair as he said, "I saw the Wizards talking about mining their way through the "underground bunker", though the mining was completed, there is a hole in here that connects us to the surface."

Ployer suddenly grinned, Hardwick heaving a sigh of relief.

"But..."

"But?" Ruiki urged.

"Since the mining had made a lot of noise, a group of Fagosins and Brirrads had gathered near the entrance," Mercenary Rose said, "We'd be lucky if they were crushed beneath the rocks, or else..."

At this, Hardwick frowned and scratched his chin.

"It's fine if there aren't more of them. My enchanted greatsword should be here, somewhere."

"I have gathered two intact Scrolls of Fireball spells from the corpses, third-dimensional." Ruiki skipped. "We might be able to make it safely above, if there aren't many creatures laying about."

"Excellent lads and ladies I have around me. Make sure to come to Wind Flower City once, I'll reward you handsomely." Ployer said with a smile, "If we make it out, ofcourse."

"Alright, since you know the way Rose, you can lead us." Hardwick said, everyone nodding.

"Okay," Rose agreed with a nod.

...

After a short discussion, the Baron and group decided to first explore the area nearby before heading for the exit.

This was mainly the Baron's idea as he insisted they searched, lest they found some Wizards alive.

After searching the area they had fallen, which was some kind of prison, the group headed towards the numerous passages.

Although the area didn't seem big at first, the party was a bit surprised after exploring a bit.

At the northwest room of the cavern, a small but intact room lay bare, an indecipherable painting hanging on the wall.

But most importantly, in one of its corners next to a door, a stone golem lay dead, its body strangely unscathed.

"This room is still well," Rose said, stretching her hand towards the painting. "So the golem probably died before the collapse."

Rose removed the painting from its place as a hollow place revealed itself, inside of which was a dagger.

Rose weighed the dagger in her hand, looking a bit surprised.

"An enchanted dagger," she stated, "It's a named weapon then." She then proceeded to give the dagger to Ruiki, and asked him to read the name written on its blade.

Ruiki squinted before shaking his head.

It was in an ancient language that he couldn't read, in fact, he doubted even Wizards could read it properly.

Rose stored the dagger away in disappointment but she wasn't too disheartened since it was still free anyway.

After seeing this, the party rummaged through various stuff for hidden compartments but found nothing except for a small barrel hidden underneath a table, which was discovered by Ruiki.

"Oh," the Baron exclaimed, peering inside the barrel. "An enchanted armour."

Ruiki nodded as he shifted the armour with some difficulty, trying to find the name of the armour and see if he could decipher it.

Ruiki soon found the name, which was written in the inner-lining of the armour.

"Starstreak of Valquin," Ruiki read.

Although people could know the uses of enchanted items by merely reading their names, there were still a few enchanted items that were complex enough that their uses couldn't be known by reading their names.

"Valquin, you say," Ployer said, standing beside Ruiki, amused. "If I remember correctly, there's a family of a Viscount in the Kingdom, named as Valquin."

The party soon decided to give the armour to Rose, whose armour wasn't in a good shape and also because she was the only one capable in the group to defend them, and also since Ruiki, as a Wizard, couldn't wear heavy armor.

Going next to the door the stone golem had died, Hardwick, with the help of Ruiki, tried to pull it open but failed, apparently it was barred from the other side.

Stowing away their fortune, the Baron's Party proceeded into the southeast passage unperturbed.