Found my stride, so I'm spoiling you all. We'll be back to weekly after this.
I don't own Danmachi or its associated works.
I actually made it to the fifth floor… other people may have done the work for me until now, but that ends here. The path I'd been following until now is completely gone. The people who descend this far know what they're doing so they don't bother wasting time to try and get money and Excelia here when they know that they can always go deeper and get more valuable rewards.
From what my Grandpa told me, the only monsters on floor five are the dreaded war shadows and considering the most frequent method of killing them involves destroying their magic stone, and their finger blades are typically made into a weapon or carving knife, they aren't a particularly good source of Valis.
From what I've seen until now, that means this floor is probably deserted like the first was. I'm not sure if that should make me as giddy as it does, but I'm excited that I won't be coddled by more experienced adventurers clearing the way for me.
A lot of great heroes had allies or mentors that helped them, but they were never babied. It would only serve to harm their growth after all. A hero needs to be able to solve their own problems. If Cu Chulainn had only swung a spear around in Dun Scaith while his mentor Scathach, a goddess, took care of all the dangers, it wouldn't have been anywhere as effective for him.
I know I'm nowhere near the level of those heroes yet, but using them for guidance isn't a bad idea I don't think. After all, that's what I'm doing now with the string on my waist.
Speaking of, I must not have walked very far on the past few floors because I haven't needed to replace it yet.
Glancing towards the spool, my heart stops.
This is bad… this is very bad… instead of a nearly empty spool like I expected, there's a brand new spool of blue string. The same spool I attached to my belt before I descended to the second floor. The same spool I forgot to tie off in my excitement. I have no marked path back.
I spin around wildly. Looking for anything in these cavernous halls that could tell me how far I've gone from the stairs to even just this floor. I haven't been paying even the slightest bit of attention to the turns I've been making!
Dammit! I'm lost! I'm an idiot! What was the first thing she told me? "Rule number one; Never lose focus in the dungeon!"
How could I have been so stupid?! And why is this just making me more excited?! I should be terrified! This is the worst possible situation I could be in!
A ghastly whisper coming from behind me is a good reminder that I was wrong about that.
Now it's the worst possible situation. A war shadow is stalking me.
I break out into a sprint with my dagger in hand. I have nowhere near the level of skill required to fight this thing head on, and I know my dagger won't do anything to what is effectively a ghost. But the weight of the blade in my hand is reassuring none the less.
This is really bad. My heart is beating wildly and I know that it isn't from fear. Why isn't it though? Why does this desperate situation only excite my heart even more than the goblins did? Do I actually have a death wish?
No, I know that isn't the answer. So why do I want nothing more than to turn around and test myself against the ghoul of the fifth floor? I'm on my first quest! I should be happy just to be down here! Even if I have to act like a thief-
Oh I see. I'm dissatisfied… I don't feel like sneaking into the pantry, stealing a bit of food, and running away is a heroic quest. I mean, how often does a hero act like a petty thief?
I can feel my pace slowing even though it isn't a conscious decision. I can tell. I feel like if I don't take out at least one war shadow, what I presume to be the reason that Mama Mia sent me to this floor, that I'll be failing the spirit of the quest even if I succeed.
I know what I need to do… I turn around and grab my cleaver from where its strapped to the bag I brought with me, shrugging it off in the process. No more running.
The ghastly sounds quickly draw near, and then the creature comes out from around a corner I had just gone around. A translucent black shaded cloak with a glowing crimson core in it's chest and blood red claws the length of small swords, I can see why people run away from the fifth floor in terror. The half decomposed mouth full of razor sharp pointed teeth that's only barely visible beyond the shadowy veil only enhance its terrifying presence.
But I won't be afraid. I will survive this. I will continue my adventures. As the creature drew closer I lashed out with my knife.
I'll admit I expected the war shadow to intercept the attack, this was just to get a feel for how fast it is after all, but I didn't expect the shriek of metal tearing through steel as the shade's attack continued unhindered while my knife was split in two.
Throwing myself to the floor I was barely able to dodge the blades that shrieked as they tore through the dungeon floor where I was standing just moments ago.
It wouldn't take a genius to tell that I was almost just split in two.
I clambered to my feet as fast as I could, holding the cleaver in both hands now. This time when the war shadow lunged at me I stepped to the side and used the weight of my cleaver to push the finger blades away, deflecting the blow with another loud shriek as it left another laceration on the dungeon floor.
Unfortunately I'm not fast enough to capitalize on the opening that the move created so I instead jumped back to create some distance.
When the ghoul turned around again it was wearing a twisted facsimile of a smile. I'm not a fool, I know better than to think that I'm actually providing a challenge here. It's only been using one hand after all, but that doesn't make the mockery sting any less.
I'm barely staying alive while this monster treats me like I'm a toy.
As it raises both sets of claws, I ready myself for the oncoming onslaught. I doubt it raised them both for nothing.
Sure enough, I was right as it came at me with a feral fervor that the goblins on the first floor could only dream of emulating. I try to keep up, deflecting attacks as much as possible but I don't stand a chance of matching it's speed.
More and more cuts start decorating my arms as I'm pushed further and further back. I'm lucky the landform weapon is strong enough to hold of against the assault but the signs of wear are obvious from how many nicks there are along the blade. It won't last much longer, that much is clear.
I need to find a way to distract it or kill it. Even if I had the time to set a trap, the incorporeal nature of the war shadow would make the endeavor obsolete. So what else do I know?
War shadows are feared for their speed and ambush tactics. The fact this one chose to fight me head on is nothing short of a godsend. They embody an the best defence is a perfect offence. A single strike is all it takes to kill them but the sheer difficulty of landing a hit on the magic stone core makes that not a viable strategy for me.
I need to think faster. I can feel my arms getting numb and my grip slipping on my cleaver. I can't take much more of this.
Think Bell! Think! What else? They are vulnerable to magic, I can't use magic so that's a non starter. Suddenly a vague memory passed through my mind.
"Remember Bell, an adventurer fights head on, but a survivor will use anything they can to stay alive" a younger me stared up at the figure with ashen hair "But a hero? A hero will do both."
I narrowly dodge the next swipe, getting only a small cut on my cheek as it shredded the already recovering floor.
Wait… "..but that regenerated! Just like magic!" Gods I hope I'm right about this… please let there be one here…
I don't know if its luck or some kind of divine intervention but the one chance I have is directly above me. A stalactite a piece of the Dungeon's environment. The walls regenerate, so it must have magic right? So that means it can kill it! At least that's what I'm hoping. If I'm wrong I'm going to die here anyways.
The chips in my cleaver are almost halfway through now, it will be completely useless soon so I guess this is my last fight with it. Honestly, I think I'm going to miss this sword. I know that doesn't make much sense but it was only because of this crude weapon that I've survived as long as I have.
I've only got one shot at this… Bracing myself for the pain I know is coming as a result of the "tactic" I'm about to try, I let the war shadow's claws embed themselves in my leg and bite back the scream of pain, this is my chance.
I push my long numb arms beyond their limits to heave the heavy cleaver upwards. But instead of swinging it down, I let go.
The thick blade soars upwards and crashes into the stalactite shattering in the process, just as I'd hoped, and the spike falls from the ceiling like a divine spear, impaling the war shadow to the ground killing it in the process.
As the monster disintegrated, I can't help but think that it was confused as to why that which birthed it had now killed it.
With the war shadow gone, and three claws still embedded in my leg, I finally collapsed in pain.
I pulled the blades out and immediately used them to cut parts of my clothing to use as makeshift bandages. I need to stop the bleeding fast or I'm just going to die anyways. With a bit of fiddling and some rather painful first aid, the wound was patched up enough that it probably won't kill me.
I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Honestly, I could just fall asleep right now- No. I learned my lesson. The Dungeon doesn't permit its invaders to lose focus. Especially on a floor full of ambush hunters. My instincts screamed at me to use the claw and stab my own shadow.
The blood red blade sank easily into the floor. Or rather, the war shadow hiding in my own shadow if the shriek of pain it unleashed is anything to go by. War shadows can cut themselves. Good to know. But more importantly, if I had fallen asleep like I oh so badly want to, I would be dead.
Taking a closer look at the claws I collected from my former adversary, I noticed that they weren't just covered in the blood of its prey like I previously thought. Instead, the claws themselves are crimson in color.
That's odd though… aren't war shadow finger blades supposed to be a silvery gray? That's what everyone I've spoken to said at least, and I somehow doubt all of them could be wrong.
Deciding to shelve the thought for another time, I collected the other blades and attached them to my belt. I also cut a bit more of my clothing to wrap a part of the blade to use it as a handle since all my other weapons are broken and I don't really want to cut my hands anytime I need to fight.
Getting up I start dragging my feet as I started to fully explore the fifth floor, keeping clear note of every branching path and any distinguishing marks such as a cluster of crystals along the way, all the while keeping my left hand on the wall. Just in case. I really hope I find the pantry soon…
I have no clue how long it's been that I've been searching the fifth floor but my new method of not getting lost seems to be working out pretty well because I've managed to recognize a few paths as I explored, hell, I even found the stairs to floor six and despite the almost unbearable desire to descend further, I was able to resist the siren call of adventure to stay focussed on my task, luckily finding the stairs to the fourth floor as well in the process..
It must have been an hour or so ago, but I even managed to take out another war shadow! My crimson blade cut straight through the somewhat paler shade and it's claws like they were butter! The fact that both the magic stone and the finger blade remained after the war shadow disintegrated definitely made one thing clear; the first war shadow was definitely not normal, the finger blades it dropped must be magic in nature if it was able to cut another's intangible body.
I do have further proof of my hypothesis too! I tried to use a normal finger blade to kill a war shadow earlier but it simply passed through the body and was caught in its claws. My crimson finger blade once again cleanly split the spectral form immediately after that.
My theory also makes the more vicious and animalistic method of attack it employed, as well as the emotional intelligence I saw it display, easier to understand. It was an irregular monster. One that just so happened to have made my life more difficult than it had to be.
I'll have to report this when I return to the surface. At least I have a cool story to tell about my first quest right?
I can feel myself getting tired though. The limp in my wounded leg is getting more pronounced even though the pain has long since faded away. I'm thirsty too, the dried rations filled my stomach but I forgot about the large amount of salt used to preserve them when I was getting my water supplies so I ran out more than just a little while ago. Honestly, I should probably head back up soon…
Or at least that's what I would have done if I didn't round a corner into a dead end filled with spices, strange meats and a clean watering hole at its center.
I actually found the pantry! Ignoring the protest of my leg, I ran full speed to the small pond, if you can even call it that, and started drawing handfuls of water into my mouth, almost choking a few times in the process, to quench the brutal thirst and my dry throat.
With my immediate thirst sated, I filled up my water skin for the trip back and collected a few different spices to fulfill the actual request from Mama Mia. I figure that grabbing some of the meat would be a bad idea considering the monsters on the floors above me are all carnivorous and I frankly don't have the energy to deal with them right now, especially the pack hunting kobolds with their phenomenal sense of smell.
Hm… how curious… Now that I think about it. Why was the kobold that stumbled into my trap back on the first floor alone? Oh well, not worth thinking about it. I can just ask a more experienced adventurer when I get to the surface.
Speaking of, its about time I head back that way.
Following the path I learned will lead me where I desire, I was briefly confused when twenty minutes later, instead of the stairs to the fourth floor, I instead found myself at the stairs to the sixth.
I know for a fact I went the right way to-
I see… "The path I desire huh?" I muttered looking down the dark stairs that, as always, feel so inviting to me. I want to go deeper. To see more of the monsters, dangers and curiosities that the dungeon has to offer.
My feet start moving without me telling them to, approaching the gateway to a new adventure.
SMACK
I slapped myself. What am I doing? I'm exhausted, injured, without a proper weapon, even I have something that works just as well, and my bag is half full of herbs and spices with the other half being filled by a few magic stones and the normal finger blade. It would be foolish to go deeper.
I turn on my heel and force myself away from the stairs and this time I end up at the correct staircase.
As the group of four adventurers carried me upwards to the surface, I can't help but feel I got lucky.
Strictly speaking, I didn't actually need the help but when I was about halfway through the fourth floor, I ran into a party heading to the surface themselves, apparently one of their members was tying to grind the last few points they need before they can start looking for an adventure to push them to level two.
Guess they wanted quantity over quality for those last few points.
Anyways, when they saw me they asked me and I quote "Were you run over by a heard of minotaur?"
I explained what happened, the irregular war shadow and everything. Although I left out the fact I almost went deeper to save myself at least a little bit of embarrassment.
Surprisingly, they didn't laugh at all. Instead they looked almost impressed. So much so that I feel like I was missing something. After that, they offered to carry me to the surface so I don't butcher my leg even further, an offer I graciously accepted.
"Hey Bell, how long have you been an adventurer anyways?" asked the male of the party, Kashima if I remember correctly.
Kashima is a slightly tan giant of a man, dwarfing me by at least seven inches with wild black hair and bulging muscles. On his own he looked intimidating enough, but the nasty double ended spear he carried definitely enhanced that impression.
"Bell?" he asked again. Whoops, got lost in thought.
"Oh sorry. I've been an adventurer for two days, maybe three now. I've been in the Dungeon for quite a while now."
Had the group been a mine cart, they would have screeched to a halt.
"TWO DAYS?!" a beautiful woman with a ponytail of raven black hair shouted. From what I've seen, she's typically a dignified proud warrior, the katana and wakazashi at her hip furthering the image of a samurai, so her sudden loudness was more than just a little surprising to me. I think Kashima called her Yamato earlier?
"I know I was diving beyond my means, but really I didn't actually expect to run into a war shadow…" I tried to placate. It didn't work.
"How are you alive?!" Ow, this is actually starting to hurt my ears.
"I dropped the dungeon on it and it died! I don't know, I just got lucky!" Apparently that was enough to satisfy them considering we started moving again. That or they just gave up on me.
"Sigh Where are we bringing you to anyways?" A mousey girl with short black hair covering one of her eyes asked.
Actually that's a good question, I don't want to reveal my lack of familia to them though so… "Just the guild will do. I need to make a report on the irregular after all"
Kashima nodded "Well, when you hit level two, come by the Takemikazuchi familia if you ever want to party up. I'd offer to party now but, well, we're planning to start preparations to head to the middle floors and it would be too dangerous for you there" he said.
What a considerate guy. I'll have to remember that name when I get to the middle floors. Obviously I'm not hitting level two anytime soon, mostly because I don't have a falna, but still. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the help guys!" Smiling as best as I can with the level of fatigue I'm experiencing, I thanked them.
I probably would have made it back to the surface on my own. It just would have been infinitely harder. But now? We've just arrived at the staircase up. "Just here will do" I say while trying to wiggle out of their arms. Luckily they set me down. It would have been embarrassing to accidentally throw myself to the floor.
As the group said their goodbyes I just wish I could do something more to thank them… oh wait.
Moving as quickly as I could with my still injured leg, I called after them "wait a second!"
The Takemikazuchi party turned back with a questioning look as I took out the third, also longest, of the three finger blades I got from the irregular and offered it to Yamato "It's not much but you might be able to make a wakazashi out of this. It probably doesn't compare to the one at your hip, but I know for a fact it can cut war shadows without hitting the crystal."
The look of surprise didn't last long because I had already told them about the strange nature of the drop items and I think Yamato was going to refuse at first but then thought better of it "I'll graciously accept it, thank you Bell." Her voice was soft, so much unlike the shouting earlier that I couldn't help but think I like her better this way…
Watching them walk away, I can't help wondering if that's what I could have had if I joined a familia. The group is clearly very close, like a family I'd say, and they care so much about each other. Even the quiet girl I never got the name of.
It must feel nice to have someone to rely on down here… maybe I shoul- No. I'm not at my limit yet. I can still go further, deeper on my own. I can still walk further on this path called heroism.
As I limped my way up the last few stairs, I covered my eyes from the bright midday sun that peeked through the windows of the guild and silently felt a bit of disappointment that the air of the surface isn't as welcoming to me as the Dungeon is.
4k words this chapter. Guess I just skipped over the 3k I was aiming for. Before anyone asks, yes I know that I used the last names of the Takemikazuchi familia. Bell studied heroes, he knows better than to refer to the people of the far east by their given name when they've just met, even in his own head.
I'd also like to say thank you all for the reviews. They are helping me find my confidence again a lot faster than I expected and I really wish I could answer the reviews, but I know myself well enough to know that if I do I'll start spoiling parts of the story and I want to avoid that as much as possible.
See you next week!
