The Boss Room’s door lies open, the glowing gem that rests above the door, flickering between green and red as if it can’t make up its mind, mushrooms growing over every surface and even jammed into the hinges of the massive ornate doors that are stuck awkwardly ajar. Fungous grows over everything like mold here, the doors which once depicted boars running through a forest, now reduced to a disgustingly sticky mess of running, living, colors and fussy growths like that of what one might find if they leave food laying out for too long.
Even the stone floors and their perfectly lain bricks of cobblestone are now covered in a lush and flowing carpet of fuzzy green and blue nastiness that would leave most people retching and gagging if they were to touch it with their bare flesh. Every step on this carpet of living filth is accompanied by the squelching of juicy fungous being squished and leaves boots and their leather soles covered in fluids, spores, and fuzz of varying colors that all mix into a color that can best be described as an unflushed-toilet brown.
All of this spreads out from the Boss Room, as if some special sickness is originating from the depths of this room where the braziers are only half lit, half of the room still being bathed in a veiling darkness that keeps the viewer from spying that which is surely hiding away inside.
And something is most definitely in there, the noises of movement and moaning, clicking hard mushrooms, grinding teeth, and bone sliding over bone, escaping a mess of dead throats in a chorus of bestial noise that sends a shiver running down one's spine. Whatever is on the other side is most certainly inhuman in form, as this chorus of revolting noise could not possibly come from even the most disformed of human tongues.
Cautiously approaching the open doorway, three large shields raised and held at the ready, the adventurers stomp through the muck and filth, leaving a trail of brown footprints behind them. Ready and waiting for some Undead horror to come tearing out of the room as they tense their muscles and wait with weapons held at the ready to respond at a moment’s notice.
But nothing happens…
They draw closer and closer, certain that whatever is inside can surely see the large group of humans approaching under the rainbow of lights generated by the hellish fungus that grows on every surface, the old gentle blue that used to light the first layer of the Dungeon having been long replaced by these foreign invaders. Even if they can’t see it, whatever this thing is, it has to know that they are here. But nothing happens even as the tanks reach the door and cover it from frame to frame with their large shields.
Susan watches and waits for behind them, a hand held on the hilt of her sheaved sword, squinting as she tries to peer into the darkness and spot whatever it is that is inside. Allowing herself to look away for a moment when she fails to spot anything, she looks towards where the door switch is, curious as to why it is that the doors is open.
Pressed up against the wall is a woman, her hand held against the switch and mold growing over her entire arm, keeping it stuck in place against the wall. From beneath the mold, the glow of the switch constantly accepting her hand over and over again can be seen as a faint flickering of light. Her body, withered and famished, is practically fussed to the wall from where she apparently fell against it with mushrooms sprouting out of her back and connecting her to the nearest wall, the ceiling, and the floor in a web of mycorrhizal lines and roots, her hair a matted mess of blood and filth, with shrooms growing out of her ears and from a nasty crack in her cranium.
“Somebody, grab her tag. And get her hand off that switch.” Susan orders as she points towards the corpse.
“Right… Geez, poor girl… She looks like she could almost be alive sti-” Mikey says as he approaches the woman, machete held in hand. He is quick to stop though as the woman suddenly opens her one eye and gasps for air, the breath coming in ragged and wet like she is trying to breathe through a layer of sludge lodged in her throat.
“Goddess!” Mikey curses as he quickly backs up; machete held up in defense.
“Please- please… help me… please…”
The woman begs, fighting to move her body as her one exposed eye look toward the frightened Mikey with clear desperation. Tears run down her face at the sight of another human being, her skin stretching as she fights to pull against the fungus that is gluing her to the wall. With every pained breath that escapes her lunges, spores are spread into the air, the mushrooms growing from her body like sick ornaments, releasing more with her every motion as she strains against her prison of colorful flesh.
“Pleaaase! Please, help… me… Please, I don’t want to die like… this… Please… save me…”
“What the fuck, how is she still alive?” Mikey asks as he takes another step back, the pitiful woman’s pleading only growing more desperate as she watches him retreat.
Everyone else is watching now, and though their expressions can’t be seen behind the tinted visors of their suits, it is clear that all of them are watching with varying levels of disgust, pity, and abject horror in their eyes.
“Elaine, can you heal her?” Dale asks in the direction of the crowd.
She is quick to move forward, but doesn’t get any closer than anyone else.
“I… I don’t know. The best I can do is fix broken bones and mend cuts, with enough time and mana, I can regrow some muscle, but… but this…” She examines the crying woman and cringes as she takes in all the damage to her body, looking over how the mushrooms are not just grown on her, but from inside of her, breaking out through her flesh and muscle to be exposed to the open air. In many places, Elaine can see white bone where the roots of the mushrooms have spread, the grey tendrils disappearing somewhere deeper into her living flesh.
“I can’t save her. Not like this, and not here… I don’t even know how she is still alive. The mushrooms are growing into her brain and into her chest cavity. We would have to cut her out and bring her back to the surface for surgery, and even then… I don’t think I have enough mana to keep her alive long enough to make the trip, not without sunlight. I’m sorry, but… I can’t save you… I am so, so sorry…”
The crying woman grows even worse, her words no longer even being understandable as she continues to sob and beg for salvation, choking as another hitched breath forces hundreds of more rainbow-colored spores out of her throat like she is throwing up.
Elaine falls to her knees and holds her hands in prayer. Still being a devout follower of the faith even if she had run away from her call to duty as a future Nun of the Church.
“O Goddess, please watch over this pitiful soul and grant her your love and protection. She did not ask for this suffering, and she does not deserve this anguish. I ask that you watch over and guide her soul into your loving embrace and that she be welcomed into the golden gates of Heaven. Please forgive that we could not save her and for what we are about to do. Know that our actions are ones of mercy and are done in your grace. Please…”
As Elaine prays for the crying girl, other believers in the group also silently join in, those that are wearing a holy symbol around their neck making sure to hold it in their hand as they pray. The rest remain politely silent, watching on as Elaine hold service for the woman and as Dale draws his dagger from his belt.
The woman watches him slowly approach through her one tear-stained eye, her sobbing slowing down as she slowly begins to accept her fate.
“Please…” Is the only word that can escape her trembling lips as she looks up towards Dale and his dagger.
Even without any other words, he can tell that the meaning of her plea has changed. No longer is she asking for rescue, but instead for a different kind of release.
Elaine finishes her prayer, and the room falls into complete silence, the only noise being that of the quietly sobbing woman as she chokes down her tears.
“I am sorry child, please, go without pain.” Dale speaks just loud enough for the unnamed woman to hear as he holds her head with one hand, his fingers petting her bloody and matted hair with gentle affection.
She closes her eye tight, and Dale quickly buries his dagger into her temple without a moment's hesitation, the end of his blade breaking out through the other side of her already weakened skull. She slumps against the wall, all the life leaving her body in an instant along with a final spore filled breath.
Pulling his dagger back out, he sends another quiet prayer to the Goddess, asking for forgiveness and her safe travel to the next life.
“Someone, help me get her off the wall and find her tag.” Dale calls over his shoulder after a he finishes his prayer. With practiced movements, he cleans his dagger and returns it to his belt.
“Right, yes sir.” Mikey calls back, still being the closest besides Elaine who is still quietly morning the woman. He doesn’t complain as he gets to work on the gruesome work.
Susan walks away from the door and the tanks, placing a supportive hand on the other girl’s shoulder. Without a word, the two watch as the men cut through the fungus and mold to pull the woman’s corpse away from the wall, gently setting her down on the ground so they can dig through what is left of her clothes for her tag.
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Most adventurers wear theirs as a necklace around their neck, but many will keep it in a chest pocket on the inside of their armor or clothes, right above their heart. It is supposed to be lucky charm of sorts, and it looks like this woman practiced it as well. A practice that was popularized by a story of an old adventurer that had survived getting shot in the chest with an arrow because his tag had been in the way…
“Found it, Falien of Goldenshire village. She on the list?” Mikey asks as he bring the tag over to be added with the rest of them.
“Hmh, let’s see… Yup, here she is. Both parents are still alive, and she has two younger siblings. Marking her as K.I.A… Fuck me, that’s thirty-two now out of over two hundred missing people, fuck this mess and fuck that Necromancer.” Vincent curses as he marks her name off on the list and adds her tag to the bag with the rest of them.
Everyone nods, and Susan pats Elaine on the shoulder, helping her back up to her feet.
“Alright everyone. Let's get through this boss and to the second layer! I want everyone on their toes and at their best. We have no idea what sort of monstrosity we can expect beyond this point and-”
Susan tunes out Dale’s words as he gives a short speech, something nagging at her in the back of her mind. Something is missing?
…
…
The noises from the Boss Room; the clicking and moaning and grinding of teeth and bone. When did they go silent?”
Susan turns to look towards the still open doors, the large stone things groaning as they fight to close now that the woman’s hand has been removed from the switch but are still jammed open by the fungus and mold clogged in their hinges, the gem above it still flashing red and green without stop like some desperate warning.
No one is looking towards the door now. Because nothing had left the room to attack them, and even further, because everyone is so used to the idea of boss monsters being unable to leave their room, everyone, even the tanks by the door, had looked away to watch what was happening. To witness the final moments of some poor girl whose fate might be their own if they aren’t lucky…
A feeling of dread fills her as she turns to order everyone to focus forward and for the tanks to get ready, but she is too slow.
In the back of the group, Vinny, Susan knowing it is him by his wooden staff that he carries around with that silk handkerchief tied around its top, a gift from his sweetheart, lets out a startled scream as he is suddenly tripped and pulled to the floor, disappearing behind the crowd for a moment as his screams quickly move across the room and towards the door.
Susan moves, her sword already leaving its sheath by her second step as she darts towards the door.
“Save him!” Susan screams as she rushes forward desperately, the screams of the Earth Mage growing more desperate the closer to the door he gets.
One of the tanks turns and spots the mage being dragged across the floor by his leg, a long tentacle of mold covered flesh wrapped so tightly around his ankle that his leg is now twisted in the wrong direction. They try to strike the long limb with their short sword, but the thing impossibly twists and slivers out of the way of the strike, the screaming mage getting dragged and slammed into a wall by the motion as his staff is left clattering on the floor in his wake.
More people are turning and moving to help, Vinny managing to catch the edge of one of the doors as the tentacle practically slams him into it. Holding on for dear life, he screams for help, the nearest tank tossing aside his shield and weapon to grab him by the arms.
“Hold on, I’ve got you!” He yells as he wrestles against the tentacle’s monstrous strength, his feet braced against the ridge of the doorway in a desperate tug-of-war against an unseen enemy.
Susan almost makes it to the door, having to quickly dodge around her own party mates as they turn and call out in surprise. With her sword held above her head, she goes to enter the room but is forced to come to a stop as several more tentacles explode out of the room, two of them heading straight for her as a third and fourth violently spear though the tank’s chest and head, lifting him up off the ground. His hands full with holding Vinny, he wasn’t able to protect himself at all and dies instantly, his limp hands falling away from Vinny, his own grip slipping off of the door.
“Shit!” Susan curses.
Ignoring the spray of blood and brain matter from the dead man, Susan parries the two tentacles attacking her with her sword and then follows through with a single slash that severs them both. The cut tentacles retreat back into the room as the dead tank and a screaming Vinny are carried away inside, the severed ends of the tentacles twitching and writhing on the ground like cut-in-half worms.
“Quickly, get in there and save Vinny! Shields in front, Elaine, light, now!”
Carther and his fellow remaining tank go shoulder to shoulder, shields held before them as they quickly charge into the room, Susan right behind their backs and ready to cut any tentacles that try to worm around their defenses. Behind, protected by the others, Elaine is chanting a quick Light spell and launches it up towards the ceiling, a gloriously incandescent orb quickly being birthed in the room and illuminating everything with pure light.
They quickly find Vinny, still screaming as he wrestles against several tentacle that are wrapping around his body and trying to pull him into a writhing mass of flesh and meat and bone and mold that can’t even begin to be described as anything natural or even of this world.
“Move! If his suit holds, we can still save h-” Susan tries to say, but one of the tentacles manages to wrap itself around Vinny’s head and gives it a sickening twist, the head of his suit turning a full hundred-eighty degrees as his neck snaps and the material of his suit is forced to move much further that intended, his visor is now facing the wrong way.
His Field immediately dies with him, the Earth mana that he'd been gathering for a last desperate spell quickly dissipating back into the air as his hasty incantation dies on his lips.
“Fucken hells! Vinny!” Someone screams in the back, their voice falling apart with remorse at the loss of a friend.
Vinny and the tank’s bodies are slowly pulled into the flesh pile, the Undead thing seeming to struggle with subsuming them as their hazmat suits are getting in the way of whatever hellish process allows for the fusion of flesh to occur.
Everyone stands at the ready to fight, just waiting for the order to charge in, looking at the thing before them as it raises a dozen tentacle in the air in a threatening display.
In its body of rolling flesh and bone, Susan can see the skulls of dozens of giant boars showing though, their tusks and hooved legs growing out from the thing at odd and horrific angles from where pig after pig after pig had been pulled into the growing Undead mass that is growing in this room like some plant from the deepest pit of hell, its stalk growing to the point that the thing is almost reaching the ceiling with the tusks and legs of many boars being like thorns growing from the stalk of a bloody rose leaking pus and poison as nectar.
Looking at the thing, the only way it can keep its giant mass from toppling over is the lines of mycorrhizal growths that act like roots at its base and the ropes of flesh and sinew that connect it to the ceiling and walls.
All along it’s lengths and dotting every surface of its mass, red eyes look down at the human adventurers and watch them unblinking from every angle, some even growing on the walls from where the hellish thing’s meat had spread to grow across every surface, and in a most horrible display, not too far from where Vinny is still being pulled into its mass near the base of the things tall body, a long line opens in its center and reveals a single eye that would dwarf even a fully grown man.
Blinking with wet noises of flesh sliding over flesh and looking around with apparent curiosity, the giant eye eventually looks down at the puny humans, its massive pupil dilating as it focuses in on them and moves from person to person as if taking in each of their details.
Green like an emerald. The eye, in some disgusting twist, is strangely beautiful. Captivating even.
The adventurers freeze, their eyes locked onto the Rose of Flesh’s own as it peers back at each one of them in turn.
“Wha… what the fuck?”
“What is that thing?”
“How, why?”
As the adventures look on in horror and amazement, more tentacles rise up, the flesh at their tips peeling back to expose sharpened blades of bone, as rotted and exposed boar heads move and turn to aim and rattle their tusks aggressively at the intruders.
Susan quickly throws a look towards Dale, and he just shakes his head no. Not a single word needing to be exchanged between the two of them.
Susan reaches forward and grabs Carther by his shoulder, pulling the tank back before yelling, “Fuck this shit! Everyone out, now! Elaine, Ben, burn this thing to the ground. Everyone, protect them!”
They quickly turn and flee the room, not a single person protesting the order as the tentacles move to assault them from every side, only to be repelled by shield and sword as the adventurers sprint out of the room. No one needs to be told twice to get away from that thing. Every instinct in their bodies is screaming at the them that they are looking at Death itself.
Elaine and Ben don’t hesitate to pull out their strongest spells, mana expenditures be damned. Every instinct in their bodies is currently screaming at them that this thing needs to be cleansed off the face of this world before it can grow any larger. Before it can spread its roots further.
With the attacking tentacles being held back by the others, they release their magic together.
“Cleansing Light!” “Fire Ball!!!”
The tanks fending off the last of the tentacles, they are the last to be in the doorway as the spells shoot out over their heads like a pair of cannons going off. Just before they hit, they dive to opposite sides and get pulled into cover by their comrades, people quickly moving to cover their ears or hold their heads in anticipation of what comes next.
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
Fire and light explode out of the room as shockwaves tear through the Dungeon, wind and dust getting thrown around in every direction as the force of the explosion is violently forced through the open doorway. Those closest to the explosion get knocked off their feet, their suits protecting them from the worst of the heat as fire tears down the hall and sets masses of colorful mushrooms ablaze further down, setting off a chain reaction of blasts as mushrooms explode one after the other, the blasts traveling back up the stairs the way they came.
Eventually, the destruction subsides, and people are slowly able to pick themselves up off the floor. Shaking the ringing out of her ears, Susan peeks back into the Boss Room and finds the Rose of Flesh, burnt and exploded, its tall body left collapsed and sprawled out on one side of the room as burning boars let out their final screams, flaming tendrils of meat snapping away from the walls and falling to the floor as tentacles writhe and dance before finally going still, reduced to black lines of charcoal on the burnt floor.
“Geez… Is everyone alright?”
“Yeah, were good, ache… Goddess, this sucks…” Mikey curses as he picks himself up and moves to help the closest person get back onto their feet.
As everyone is checking themselves over and whipping the dust off their shoulders, Susan walks into the Boss Room, waving away the smoke, and looks over the destruction and the twisted remains of something that can only be described as Death incarnate.
“I didn’t know that the Undead could do this. What would have happened if it just kept growing?”
A flash of light catches her attention away from the charred corpse, and she turns to find a little chest having just appeared on the floor, an incredibly common sight for any adventurer with multiple boss kills under their belt, but in the current circumstances, it is a weirdly odd sight.
Deciding to just open the thing and collect what should probably be a couple of mana shards, she kicks the lid open and can’t help it as a single, tired, laugh escapes her lips.
“T’haha… Seriously, what the fuck?”
Inside, she finds a single mushroom…
“She broke it… She broke the Dungeon…”