"Hey, did you hear about Fionne the other day? I heard she-"

Rex sighed, tuning out the gossip of his friends. The White Wings were a powerful group, yes, a C rank party through and through, but this is the 5th floor of the Altane Dungeon. This isn't a place to be gossiping, because from this floor on, the dungeon's most well known feature comes into play.

The Altane Dungeon is unpredictable. Its layout doesn't change. But whereas, in other dungeons, you can roughly expect, for example, a cave level to have bats, or slimes, or goblins, the Altane Dungeon is different. This floor, for example. Dogs, dolls, slimes, fish... On their own, few, if any of these things would exist on the 5th floor, or be as dangerous as they are, but together, they form a confusion that caused many casualties among the first explorers.

After all, who in their right mind expects to be shanked by some damnable, giggling children's toy while fighting warhounds? Or, in the same situation, to have a slime, previously unnoticed, drop on their heads?

Rex doesn't like this dungeon. He gives it the respect and fear it deserves, because, to his very bones, it feels like a wrong place. A place that shouldn't be.

And something, up ahead, is also wrong.

"Shut up, everyone. Up ahead. The doll."

The rest form up, and move closer. But as they do, the gossip, Liam, speaks up, disgusted.

"Rex, it's a doll. And a dead one, too. What's the problem?"

Rex sighs. The White Wings are a new party, and it's only because of his experience with this place that he was chosen as the leader. Liam, Jenna, Piotr... They'd worked together before this, so Rex was very much the new guy. But Rex mustn't give up. He points to a shine on the dungeon floor.

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"Liam, I want you to use your eyes, since you are our scout." Liam frowns at this, but Rex continues, merciless "What is this, that I'm pointing at?"

Peering, Liam shrugs "It's a part of a knife."

"And this, attached to this doll's arm?"

"It's a knife, what's the problem here? It must have been-"

Rex moves forward, and picks up the broken blade. Picks up the doll's arm. Turns toward the rest, and puts the two things together.

Just as Rex thought, it matched perfectly.

"..."

Rex looks at the blank stares. And slumps, massaging his forehead. Jenna pushes up her glasses, and fixes Rex with a cold gaze

"What is this meant to prove, Rex? Okay, yes, the knives are the same, but people make knives like tha-"

"No. They don't make knives like that, because these knives aren't good as kitchen knives. Or dismantling knives. And they look too much like kitchen knives for any dagger maker to pattern them after it. Also..." He holds the cross section of the broken knife toward the party, and motions them to come close. To see the subtle redness, the slight dampness.

"Knives don't bleed."

The group tenses up, and Rex inwardly lets out a sigh of gratitude. Okay. They're starting to understand. Liam, in particular, has his eyes wide in confusion, and probably a little fear. Gaping like a landed fish, he looks at Rex.

"But... Monsters don't attack each other. That's... That's a rule, right?"

The others nod, and Rex... Doesn't. Instead, he pulls out a bag, and begins putting the broken blade, and the doll's body, arm and all, into it. The others have a brief look of envy, because, after all, storage bags are expensive, but they start to attention when Rex speaks again.

"Firstly, it isn't something hard and fast. Monsters outside a dungeon are part of the world, eating, getting eaten, just like any creature out there. And intelligent monsters can fight other monsters. But this is the Altane Dungeon. What you think are rules don't apply here. For example-"

Everyone flinches, raising their weapons, as a high pitched giggle reverberates through the corridors. They can't be sure of the direction, and they know it's a doll, but they're thoroughly unnerved. Only Rex calmly stands, pulling out his sword, and tiredly speaks as he looks around for enemies.

"For example, you could have a doll that attacks other monsters, and might not want to hide."

The laughter rings out again. And everyone begins moving back, covering each other...