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**Danger**
Lucian watched as the adventurers approached, a team of five. When climbing the tower, it was advisable to do so in a group. The many dangers the tower held made going alone a one-way ticket to an early demise. Many talented and prominent figures who ventured alone had lost their lives.
"Hey, you're the porter assigned to us by the guild!" a booming voice snapped Lucian from his thoughts. He looked up at the towering figure before him—a large beastman, standing three meters tall, with a double-edged axe resting on his shoulder. This was one of the five D-rank adventurers. He appeared to be a berserker.
Startled, Lucian quickly straightened his posture, bowed, and said, "Yes, sir Bhroul. I was tasked by the guild to accompany you to the forest to investigate a missing persons report."
"Hah! And what makes you think we need an F-rank trash like you?" scoffed the person next to Bhroul, a human knight clad in full body armor, wielding a large sword.
"Calm down, Henric," said Ria, a female mage clad in dark blue robes that barely held her bosom. "Besides, who else would be carrying all our equipment?"
Lucian stayed quiet, not wanting to anger any of them and get himself killed.
"I don't have time for this," barked another adventurer, a green-skinned orc who was supposedly the team's hunter.
Amidst the commotion, the lizardman shaman remained silent, already accustomed to the meaningless squabbles of his comrades. Known for their buff and debuff abilities, shamans were crucial in any party.
Lucian had much experience with such teams and knew to be respectful and not talk back to individuals who often had huge egos. Bowing again, he said, "I apologize for any problems I might cause. I will do my best not to hold you down."
"Snort. You better," Henric muttered.
"Alright, let's go," said Bhroul, being the leader of the team. "While we walk towards the city gates, porter, brief us about the mission."
"Of course, sir Bhroul. It started a few days ago. Everyone who went into the forest never seemed to come back. The guild branch in this city reported it, and an E-rank team took the job, but they too went missing. The city is called Yara. It's one of the smaller ones in the empire. The forest in question is roughly 2 km away from here."
As they arrived at the city gates, the lizardman shaman spoke up. "Normally we would stay at an inn before any mission. Why the hurry?"
"I want us to enter the tower and attempt our rank-up missions," replied the female orc huntress.
"Okay, then. Let's go and complete this mission fast," Bhroul replied.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Everyone nodded in agreement and left the city, heading towards the forest.
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The journey to the forest was uneventful, the group maintaining a brisk pace. The tension in the air was palpable as they entered the dense, foreboding forest. The trees loomed overhead, their thick canopies blocking out much of the sunlight, casting eerie shadows on the ground. The group's coordination was impressive; they moved like a well-oiled machine, each member falling into their designated roles effortlessly.
They encountered a few low-level monsters, which were quickly dispatched without much trouble. However, they soon noticed something unsettling: the number of monsters was far fewer than expected. The forest, usually teeming with life, seemed unnaturally quiet. A sense of foreboding crept over them.
"Something's not right," Bhroul muttered, gripping his axe tightly. The rest of the team nodded, their eyes scanning their surroundings warily.
Suddenly, the ground trembled slightly, and a low hiss echoed through the trees. Emerging from the shadows was a massive serpent, easily over ten meters long, its scales glistening in the dim light. This was no ordinary snake; it was a D+ rank monster known as the Venomous Basilisk.
The tension skyrocketed as the adventurers prepared for battle. The Basilisk reared its head, its eyes glowing with a malevolent light. Henric was the first to act, charging forward with his sword raised. "Piercing Slash!" he shouted, his blade glowing with mana as he struck the beast. The attack landed, but the Basilisk's scales were tough, and it barely flinched.
Ria stepped forward, her hands weaving intricate patterns in the air. "Arcane Chains!" she intoned, and glowing magical chains shot out, wrapping around the Basilisk and momentarily holding it in place.
Bhroul seized the opportunity, leaping forward with his axe. "Berserker's Fury!" he roared, delivering a powerful blow to the creature's side. The Basilisk hissed in pain, its tail lashing out and sending Bhroul flying into a tree.
The orc hunter, Grash, nocked an arrow and chanted, "Piercing Shot!" The arrow flew true, embedding itself in the Basilisk's eye. The beast screeched, thrashing wildly.
The lizardman shaman, Xarth, began chanting in a guttural language. "Spirits of the earth, grant us your strength!" A faint green aura enveloped the party, bolstering their defenses and healing their minor wounds.
The battle raged on, with the adventurers and the Basilisk exchanging fierce blows. The serpent's venomous fangs dripped with deadly poison, narrowly missing the adventurers as they dodged and counterattacked. The forest echoed with the sounds of combat, the air thick with tension and the smell of blood.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Henric landed a decisive blow, severing the Basilisk's head from its body. The beast's lifeless form collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash.
Breathing heavily, the adventurers gathered around the fallen monster. "Good work, everyone," Bhroul said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Let's rest for a moment."
The group nodded, their spirits buoyed by their hard-won victory. The forest was still dangerous, but they had proven their strength and teamwork. They knew they could face whatever challenges lay ahead.
Lucian, who had stood far away from the battle holding the team's gear and occasionally throwing their weapons if needed, was shocked by such a high-intensity fight. Coming closer to the team, he sat down near the campfire. Noticing him, Ria asked, "So, how old are you anyway?" Looking down, Lucian replied, "I'll be turning 18 tomorrow." "Tomorrow, huh? So, in a couple of hours from now, you'll be able to enter the tower," the female orc said. "Hmph, a weak level 1 like you won't last a second in the tower. It's no place for cannon fodder," Henric added, clenching his fist. Lucian knew from stories how dangerous the tower was, but he still wanted to try. He hated being this weak, listening in but ignoring the conversation. Bhroul said, "Don't you think it's a little strange for a D-rank monster to be here? They're usually found in the inner areas of the forest." "You're right," the lizardman shaman said, "unless something happened to make it leave its territory."
Hearing a few branches snapping, the team immediately went on full alert. The air sizzled, and a few needle-like objects flew, sticking the orc huntress. Screaming, she fell.
"Grash!" said the lizardman shaman loudly as he went to her side. Checking for a pulse, there was none. "She's dead. It appears to be poison," he said angrily.
"What kind of poison is that deadly?" Bhroul yelled.
Behind the trees, a silhouette appeared. It had the head of a lion, bat-like wings, stood on two legs with a scorpion tail behind it, and its body was covered in porcupine-like needles. It screamed, releasing an ominous aura.
"What the hell is that creature?" said Ria with a pale face. Lucian was sweating profusely. He quickly activated his analysis skill.
**Status**
- Race: Chimera
- Level: 44 (C Rank)
- Alignment: Evil -250
- Faction: Floor 5 Monster
That's all Lucian could see, but what made him afraid was the monster's level and rank. It was a C-Rank monster.
"Dammit, it's a tower break," said Bhroul. "Really? Here?" Henric yelled. "I don't know. All I know is we will have to face it since running from such a monster is not possible with our team's current condition. Tower breaks," Lucian exclaimed, reading about them. When the tower released a wave of monsters, such events only happened every 100 years. It would seem the time for another such event is nearing.
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