Chapter 14: Dragon's Urn

As Bell's new Party made their way through the Dungeon at their relative leisure, another group had pushed their own way forward before coming to a stop and setting up one more camp on the Fiftieth Floor.

Flying the flag of a cross-legged joker, Loki Familia's top three executives were having a meeting to discuss who would join them moving forward while the rest would remain behind to defend the camp.

"So no objections then?" Finn asked. "The final team will be the three of us, Ais, Tiona, Tione, Bete. Supporters are Raul, Narvi, Alicia, Cruz, and Lefiya. And Tsubaki will come along as our Smith."

"None," Rivieria said with a shake of her head while Gareth seemed to be mulling something over.

"Something on your mind, Gareth?" Finn asked.

"No, just a stupid idea," Gareth admitted while shaking his head.

"I don't mind. Let's hear it."

Gareth opened his eyes as he looked at Finn and Riviera and sighed.

"…Ya think Archer would be able to come down with us as well?"

"I thought about it," Finn admitted without pause. "He is definitely not a normal Level 1…something that he has shown everyone more times than not on the way down here."

"Still a bit shaken seeing him use your spear about as well as you do?" Gareth asked as Finn frowned a bit before nodding.

"It was like looking in a mirror and if I were a human instead of a Pallum," Finn muttered. "It would seem that he can copy the skills of the weapon's owner instead of just the weapon itself."

"…You don't think he's someone like that Revis Creature, do you?" Riveria asked with a frown.

"Honestly, I do not know," Finn said. "And that's what worries me. The Grace of the gods doesn't take into account previous experience when adding points to our Status. There is a possibility Archer…and perhaps the one known as Caster as well…somehow found a way to fight without the falna...maybe they even used the same methods as Revis to gain their power before joining a Familia."

"That doesn't necessarily mean they are allied with one another though," Rivieria pointed out. "In fact, he threw himself more into harms way to protect our Familia than not."

"I know."

Indeed.

Despite supposedly being only Level 1, Archer was constantly moving about the Expedition under Gareth's watchful gaze and assisting wherever monsters appeared in large numbers using a multitude of different weapons.

Swords, spears, maces, hatchets, bows.

All sorts of weapons were created with his near chantless magic and his fighting style changed to suit each new weapon he created.

"I honestly want to believe that he is what he appears to be," Finn muttered with a wry smile. "A good person who wants to help people, no questions asked. However, he is still an 'unnatural' existence in terms of what we know. Loki even said he might not actually be human despite looking like one."

"Hmm…at the very least, he probably ain't a Creature like Revis," Gareth said. "Bete, Ais and Lefiya said that he didn't feel like the ones they fought against. Well…I suppose that means he either isn't one, or he isn't using the same method as they are…by which I mean eating Monsters and their Magic Stones."

Ais and the others had seen Revis tear out the Magic Stone of a Creature, an unknown being that fed on the Magic Stones of Monsters and gained power not unlike that of the Falna, from his chest and devoured it before suddenly increasing in strength like she had undergone a Level Up. Archer on the other hand, ate normal food like regular people…and was a rather good cook on top of it. Revis also held human lives in little regard while Archer did his damndest to make sure no body got hurt, even going so far as to make as many Magic Swords as he could to the point that everyone in the expedition, Hephaistos Familia included, had at least two on their persons.

"But him acting so charitable makes you think he's planning something after making us let our guard down, right?" Gareth asked.

"Everything he does goes against an Adventurer's common sense," Finn pointed out. "I'm starting to think he joined us out of some self issued duty to make sure no one died rather than for the payment."

"True…" Riveria nodded. "He didn't ask for payment for the new Magic Swords and he even showed some of his fake swords to the Hephaistos Smiths."

"Oh, is that why he's always hiding from Tsubaki?" Gareth asked. "I only ever see him at mealtimes when we camp. Really now…when that lad doesn't want to be found, he won't be found."

"I believe he is heading outside the camp to hunt Monsters," Riveria replied. "Lefiya told me that he would occasionally be found comparing two Magic Stones before leaving one behind."

"Probably deciding which ones to carry back home."

"I think we are moving a bit further away from the original topic," Finn said with another wry smile. "…What do you think Rivieria? Should we see ask Archer to come along?"

"I do believe his abilities will be helpful in the lower floors," the high elf nodded. "However, despite his higher skill, he is still a Level 1 and I am reluctant to bring a new Adventurer any lower than this. But if you are worried about his allegiances, then consider bringing him with us so you can keep an eye on him yourself or leave him behind so you do not have to keep looking over your shoulder while expecting a dagger to the back."

"Point taken," Finn replied with a nod. "…Then…let's ask him to come along."

X-x-X-x-X

"…You want me to come along?" Archer asked, still stirring a pot of stew in front of him.

"That's right," Finn nodded, his ever present smile as present as ever. "Having someone with your skill set will make things much easier on us, I think."

"Isn't bringing a Level 1 to a place where Dragons shoot up to the Fifty-Seventh Floor from the Fifty-Eighth the definition of insanity?" Archer asked as he scooped some of the stew into a small plate. "Taste please."

"Is that what the rumor is?" Finn asked with a laugh as he took the plate. "That's completely false. They fire all the way to the Fifty-Second. Hmm…the seasoning is a bit too strong I think."

"…Lily is going to have a heart attack…" Archer muttered as he poured more water into the pot.

"Is that the name of the pallum girl in your Familia?" Finn asked.

"That's right," Archer nodded before his stirring hand stopped and he looked straight at Finn. "…May I ask how old you are?"

"I believe I should be around Forty or so," the youthful looking captain of the Loki Familia replied, still smiling.

"I'm pretty sure that's a crime," Archer deadpanned as Finn laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.

"If such laws existed in Orario we wouldn't have so many Gods loving their children and vice versa," Finn pointed out. "Or elves with other races for that matter. But don't worry. If she or your goddess refuses then that will be the end of it."

There was definitely more to this story than a middle-aged man trying to pick up a teenage girl but Archer felt that it wasn't really his business to pry either way.

"Going back to your request," Archer said, bringing the topic back on course. "If you really think I can make a difference going down with you, then I'll defer to the judgement of a veteran."

"Excellent," Finn replied as he clapped his hands together before his face turned serious. "Oh, before I forget… please be wary of using magic until my say so. There may be more of those New Species from Monsterphilia hanging around and they are attracted to Magic…"

"And we don't want them alerted to our location, got it," Archer understood what Finn was trying to say. "I'll make my blades and arrows beforehand."

"Course there would be no problem with that if we run into them right away…well, aside from the obvious one but you understand."

With a chuckle, Finn left with a wave just as Lefiya came in from the opposite side of the cooking area.

"Was that the Captain just now?" The young elf asked.

"Yeah," Archer nodded. "He asked me to come along with you guys down to the Fifty-Ninth Floor. So take care of me as my senior, Lefiya."

"E-eeeeh!?" Lefiya let out a shout in surprise. "A-are you sure about that? It's not an exaggeration to call everything pass that staircase 'Hell' you know?"

"Have you been down there before?"

"No…but Raul's been telling everyone stories…"

"Geez…if the seniors are all worried, what's a newbie Adventurer like me going to do?" Archer asked with a smirk and a shrug.

"…If you are a newbie where does that leave me…?" Lefiya asked, her shoulders and ears sagging a bit.

"Come now, you have your own specialties and I have mine," Archer said as he put out the flames before standing up and patting her on the shoulder. "Besides, experience in fighting an opponent is always more important than raw stats."

"…Isn't that you just saying you also have a lot more experience in fighting enemies?" Lefiya asked.

"Only human ones," Archer said, noting that Lefiya was a lot sharper than she let on. "Things in the Dungeon surprise me all the time. Especially dragons."

He was far too used to Dragons in human form that the massive lizardlike ones threw him off. Well, it's not like there was going to be one waiting for him back home or anything.

"But still…" Lefia still looked rather unsure of herself, prompting Archer to sigh.

"Think of it this way then," Archer said as he held up a finger. "If you can't trust yourself, then trust that your Captain and Vice-Captain made the right decision in picking you to come along as well. Or are you saying you doubt Riveria's judgment?"

"Of course not!" Lefiya shouted back at him as if she couldn't believe he would suggest such a thing.

"Then there you go," Archer said, giving her a light pat on the back. "She thinks you're up to it so you are up to it. Simple as that."

Lefiya stared at the much taller man before her face broke out out in a smile as she giggled into her hand.

"I suppose it is…" Lefiya nodded. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. By the way…was there a reason you came here or did you just want to chat?"

Lefiya blinked a few times before her jaw fell open as she clutched the sides of her head in horror.

"I COMPLETELY FORGOT!" She screamed.

On the edge of the camp, near a cliff overlooking the large forest of the Fiftieth Floor, Aiz was sitting on the ground hugging her legs closer to her chest as her stomach rumbled.

"Lefiya is taking a while…" she muttered as she stared up at the ceiling.

X-x-X-x-X

"Is everyone ready?" Finn asked as the selected party that was to head even deeper into the Dungeon was gathered at the entrance to the stairs that led down to the Fifty-First Floor and beyond. "You too Archer…this is your last chance to back out."

"Don't worry," Archer said as he adjusted the quivers around his waist with a bow in hand. "I'll stick with this until the end."

In order to not attract the magic hunting New Species, Archer had projected several arrows, his bow, Kansho and Bakuya before hand and was wearing them on his body in leather quivers and sheathes, also projected. Aside from his combat arrows, he also had prepared arrows with reflective lenses as part of the fletching as the lower floors also had long twisting corridors like a maze where enemies can pop out from behind the corner if not from right through the walls themselves.

Even a second's worth of forewarning was enough to keep these High Class Adventurers safe.

"You better be ready, cuz we ain't stopping to pick up your corpse if you bite it," Bete said with a smirk.

"Perhaps I should strap a dozen Magic Swords on me to make it more appealing to do so like you."

"Humph."

Indeed, all across Bete's body were holsters holding Magic Swords that he could use to imbue his Frosvirt greaves with their magic to give them a bit more kick as it were.

"All right, then," Finn said as he looked back at the entrance, his vice little more than a whisper. "The formation will be as follows. Bete and Tiona will be up front. Aiz and Tione will cover the center with me while Riveria and Gareth will cover the rear. Supporters will be between each line while our two Smiths will stick in the Center, got it?"

There was a round of affirmations before everyone fell silent, awaiting Finn's order for a full speed charge straight through the Dungeon Floors.

"Bete, Tiona…go."

With a simple order, the Werewolf and Amazon duo rushed blitz down the hallway in a flash with the rest following a few seconds later.

Archer and the others had only taken a few steps in but Monsters in the form of massive black colored rhinos walking on two legs were already swarming the staircase with countless more already being born from the walls.

"So this is what they meant by 'hell,'" Archer idly noted as he stuck close to Tsubaki.

Compared to the grand cliffs and jungles just a floor above, the Fifty-First floor were made up of graphite ceilings and walls in the form of a maze…one which Finn seemed to have already memorize the route of as he led them down a predetermined path.

Despite preparing his arrows, Archer didn't have time to use them, which was a good thing. If he had to use them it meant things were going badly but Tiona and Bete were clearing the path perfectly while the monsters sprouting from the walls were quickly being dispatch by the center line.

"Archer, mirror!" Finn shouted as Archer nocked a reflective arrow and fired it down the hall.

With his skill he could see something moving down the hall just around the corner.

"Caterpillar monsters!" Archer reported. "The new species? Numbers, 30!"

"Change formation!" Finn said, taking in Archer's information right away. "Ais, Bete!"

Ais switched places with Tiona as she shrouded herself with wind and began charging forward. Running alongside her, Bete's boot absorbed some of the magical winds as they both launched themselves at the Monsters with a thunderous roar.

Corrosive acid was fired from the mouths of the caterpillars but they were deflected by Ais's shroud of wind. With Ais's Desperate and Bete's new Durandal daggers, the two of them were able to block and cut through the monsters without worry of their weapons being melted by the acid the monsters spat out or exploded into when they burst.

From behind, Archer could feel a large amount of magic being gathered as Riveria's chant was finished. For someone without a skill like High Speed Divine Words, it was a rather short chant time and she had been able to gather so much magic while keeping up with the rest of the group. Loki Familia's Aces weren't just for show. Was it a skill from the Falna or was it her natural talent?

"Everyone make room!" Finn shouted as the front and midlines scattered and stuck close to the walls or ducked into a side path, giving Riveria enough room to fire off her magic without fear of friendly-fire.

"Wynn Fimbulvetr!"

Three snowy tendrils shrieked through the passageway. Every monster caught in the bluish-white blast froze instantly. The frozen caterpillars and other monsters caught in the blast became a gallery of ice sculptures.

With a single spell, the main path had been turned into a winter wonderland.

"…Full chant magic is as amazing as always," Archer muttered as they ran pass the frozen monsters.

"You got a sword that can do that in your head library, Archer?" Raul asked.

"If you use your own life force to power them perhaps…"

"…I think I'll pass…"

"If they were so commonplace, us Mages will lose their jobs," Riveria added with a chuckle.

The ice magic not only froze their enemies, it also froze over the openings to the other corridors as well as a good portion of the walls, preventing any more enemies from crawling through, allowing the rest of the Fifty-First Floor to be cleared with relative ease.

"From here on, consider replenishing anything but weapons impossible," Finn said as he looked toward Archer who simply smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "So be careful about using potions. Archer, the magic limit will be removed since we'll need everything we can get to survive."

"Got it," Archer nodded.

Though he said he understood, there was a strange tension amongst the Loki Familia Adventurers, prompting Archer to recall what Finn told him last night.

The true hell awaited beyond these stairs.

By Finn's order, the group sped down the Fifty-Second Floor at an even greater speed than the Fifty-First.

"Avoid combat wherever possible! Simply repelling the monsters is fine!"

Just like the previous floor, the layout was the same as was the constant spawning of the Black Rhinoceros Monsters, although no more of the New Species has shown up yet.

As Archer shot a pair of arrows at a Spider trying to jump them from the ceiling, he heard a distant roar of a dragon coming from down below.

"Bete, change course!" Finn ordered and Bete immediately leaped backwards just as the ground he was standing on erupted in a crimson shockwave, spreading red hot flames all across the dungeon floor and obliterated the monsters that had tried to block them off.

"Take the Western Route! Riveria, protection spell, hurry!"

The party immediately changed course into one of the tunnels toward another wide passageway when yet another explosion erupted right behind them.

"How many of them are there!?" Raul shouted as Archer fired an arrow into the blazing inferno and glanced at its reflective sheen.

"Eight!" Archer shouted as Finn nodded.

"I wish I hadn't asked!"

"You keeping cool, old man?" Archer called back toward Gareth.

"Hanging in there!" Gareth called back just as another explosion erupted a few meters behind him. "Damn, that was closer…Raul look out!"

Archer turned toward his right where Raul was just in time to see some spider thread shooting toward the other man's head. Before he could react, Lefiya jumped forward and knocked him out of the way with her body, causing the thread to attach itself to her back and yank her away from the group.

"Lefiya!" Tione let out a scream as the elf girl was soaring through the air towards the jaws of a massive spider that had dug a hole in the Dungeon floor…only for another explosion to erupt right where the monster was, disintegrating it in an instant, leaving Lefiya suspended over a massive hole like she was frozen in time.

Her expression was filled with shock and horror as she blindly reached her hand back toward the group…only to feel someone grab hold of her hand and yank her back.

The sudden force caused her sense of sight to return as she turned to see a man clad in red smiling at her with relief before she landed on the ground and he fell through the hole instead.

"That fucking idiot!" Bete shouted as he ran pass Lefiya and jumped down the hole with Tiona right behind him.

"Hang on, Archer!" Tiona shouted as she jumped in as well.

She was saved.

She had been saved again.

Was this how it always going to be? People getting hurt or killed saving her because she was too weak to save herself?

And that smile.

A smile of sheer relief that she had been saved from that imminent danger.

No.

She wasn't always going to be the one being saved. Especially not by a Level 1 from a different Familia.

With that in mind, she ignored the cries from the others behind her as she gathered her resolve.

X-x-X-x-X

Archer's smile disappeared as he flipped his body around to face the oncoming swarm.

Filling the massive cylinder hole in front of him were countless Wyverns that began closing in on the falling Servant.

"I am…the bone of my sword," he said to himself, not as a chant, but to focus his mind as he reached back and pulled out his favored twin blades from the sheath on his waist.

In a flash, a Wyvern who had tried to have him as an easy snack was instantly decapitated as he fell pass its body. Then, with a flick of his wrists, he sent the two blades flying toward the next wyvern, severing its wings and sending it falling down to the ground.

Immediately, two more blades formed in his hands as he held them across his chest.

"Trace, Overedge."

Kansho and Bakuya grew in size, length and strength, making them look like a pair of black and white wings. He swung it down on the next wyvern with all of his might, easily bisecting it in two as the blades shattered and dissolved into light.

"…You're making me feel like a moron for jumping in after you!"

A sharp voice caught Archer's attention as he turned to look over his shoulder to see Bete and Tiona running alongside the walls to catch up to him.

"What happened to 'not picking up my corpse?'" Archer asked with a smirk.

"Shut it!" Bete shouted as he leaped off the wall and sliced off a Wyvern's head and kicked its corpse into another wyvern, sending them both falling toward the ground.

"Really now. Angry one moment and all worried the next, you tsundere werewolf."

"First Loki and now you! What the fuck does that even mean!?"

"It means you can't be honest with yourself…"

"Outta the way! Outta the way!"

Tiona ran past the both of them and jumped in front of a massive fireball, taking it head on while coming out little worse for the wear…save for a bit of fire stuck on her clothing.

"Hot hot hot hot!" She shouted as she patted down her body. "I'll remember this you damn dragons!"

Archer could only stare blankly at the angry Amazon who looked like she only had a slight sunburn from staying out in the sun for too long even though she had taken a fireball that vaporized part of the Dungeon Floor and every single monster in its way not ten seconds ago.

Deciding to chalk it up to the magic of the Falna, he focused on the angry Werewolf beside him.

"By the way, who was the third person to jump in besides you?"

"Huh?"

The two of them plus Tiona turned around to look back up to the top of the hole to see a pink clad elf running along the wall after them.

"What the hell was the point of him saving you if you jump in anyway you moron!?" Bete shouted as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "You sure picked a hell of a time to stop being a coward!"

"Archer! Bete! Look out!" Tiona shouted just as something flew past the two of them.

"A black colored Wyvern?" Archer asked.

"Damn it, a strengthened species…" Bete snarled as the wyvern turned around for another pass. "Oi!"

"Got it!"

Bete and Archer spun at each other at the same time and kicked at each others' boots, allowing them to launch off each other toward the walls and avoid the wyvern's attacks.

"Think you can hit it, Archer?" Tiona asked as Archer kept pace beside her on the wall.

Archer was about to respond when he turned back up to look at Lefiya.

"…I might not need to," he said as Tiona looked back up as well.

"Loose your arrows, fairy archers. Pierce, arrow of accuracy…" Lefiya was chanting her magic as she ran down the side of the wall, gathering up the magical energy within her.

Several Wyverns tried to stop her by pelting her with fireballs but she easily avoided them by kicking off the wall as Bete, Tiona and Archer took care of them.

"ARCS RAY!"

In a brilliant flash of light, a single massive magic arrow was launched from Lefiya's staff, blasting through the Wyverns around her before it started chasing down the black Wyvern.

The monster swerved back and forth, trying its best to avoid the magic arrow but it easily homed in on it before crashing into and enveloping the monster in an explosion of light.

"Ain't gonna let you show me up!" Bete shouted with a smirk on his face as he kicked off a wall toward a surviving Wyvern, sliced off a wing with his dagger before kicking it downward to block another fireball from one of the larger dragons below.

Tiona was doing the same, either blocking the incoming fireballs with a wyvern corpse or by taking it straight on with her blades.

"Are you going to be fine if you keep doing that!?" Archer called.

"It hurts like hell!" Tiona called back with wisps of smoke coming from her charred body and clothes. "But better me than one of you guys!"

"Mister Archer!" Lefiya shouted as she caught up with the Servant. "Are you all right?"

"A little singed but I'm all right," Archer nodded as he looked back behind Lefiya for a second before turning back to the Elf. "But what do you know, you can do it if you try."

"Yes!" Lefiya nodded with a smile. "I can't let myself be protected all the time!"

For a moment, it was as if Archer was looking into the determined smiling face of a white-haired boy wanting to be a hero.

"…So similar…" Archer mumbled.

"What was that?" Lefiya asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I said, 'Do you have a landing strategy in mind?'"

The blood slowly drained from Lefiya's face as she looked down and saw the quickly approaching floor where the mass of Wyverns and Valgang Dragons were waiting for them.

"Umm…help?" Lefiya asked as she turned toward Archer who smiled with a small sigh.

Below them, Bete and Tiona were also preparing for the landing.

"Block another one of those fireballs!" Bete shouted. "We're almost at the bottom!"

"I told you that it freaking hurts!" Tiona shouted back.

"Better you than me, right?"

"I'll remember this!" Tiona shouted as she dived further in front of Bete before catching a fireball for him, allowing him to fall through unscathed.

The werewolf withdrew one of his Magic Swords from its holster.

The amber blade atop a golden hilt crackled with an electrical spark as he placed it to his right Frosvirt. The jewel embedded in his long boot absorbed the electrical shock, and the magic dagger crumbled in his hand. With the magic absorbed, the boot was now wrapped in a shroud of lightning.

Taking advantage of the opening Tiona gave him, Bete charged forward like a supercharged bolt of lightning and swung his foot right toward the closest dragon's head.

"Die."

The beast's head exploded. His Frosvirt dug into the dragon's face and discharged the magic stored in his boot, vaporizing the monster's head in an instant, allowing him to land on the Fifty-Eight Floor without any problem.

"I'm back, you dragon bastards…" Bete muttered as he stood up and glared at the remaining seven dragons.

Unlike the previous floors, Fifty-Eighth floor was one wide open room, not unlike a floor with a Monster Rex with the exit easily visible. However, this was not necessarily a good thing as it was also home to hundreds of Wyverns and the Valgang Dragons, all ready to attack Bete at once, to which he could only scoff at them.

"Aaaaaaand…number two!" Tiona landed next to him on the ground of the Fifty-Eighth floor.

"Both of you scatter!"

"Fall like rain, burn the savages to ash."

From above their heads came a warning followed by a majestic chant.

Bete and Tiona looked up just in time to see the other appear through the hole in the ceiling, the former holding the latter in his arms while the latter was pointing her staff toward the floor.

The two of them cleared the area immediately, ignoring incoming attacks from the surrounding monsters as the midair spell concluded.

And then.

"Fusillade Fallarica!"

A torrential deluge of fire arrows rained down on the Fifty-Eighth floor.

Agonized screams swelled amid the storm of magic. While the red scales of the Valgang Dragons seemed to simply absorb the legion of fire arrows as it pushed them onto the ground, the other monsters weren't so lucky. Pint-size, midsize, and even the giant monsters of the depths found themselves wreathed in flame under the powerful, Mind-heavy area attack that raised the bar when it came to skills.

Tens if not hundreds of monsters turned to ash around them, their carcasses joined by the wyverns falling from the sky with rustling wings. The whole of the Fifty-Eighth floor transformed into a bed of corpses.

Archer hit the ground at a run before releasing Lefiya who stumbled a few steps forward for a moment before collapsing onto the ground.

"W-we're alive…" Lefiya sighed in relief and amazement.

"…That's a bit premature, don't you think?" Archer asked as he stood up and turned around to see the Valgang dragons stand up, dislodging the rubble off of themselves.

"Aww, it would have been nice if you managed to kill them too," Tiona muttered.

"P-please temper your expectations of me!" Lefiya replied quickly.

"Well, you cleared a good portion of the small fry anyway," Bete said. "They already got replaced though."

Lefiya's spell did a good job in clearing the room but the wyverns that were hidden in their nests had crawled out and were eager to avenge their fallen.

"Guess we gotta keep them from blasting Finn and the others?" Archer asked.

"Obviously," Bete said as he took out his Durandal Dual Roland daggers. "You keep yourself alive, Magic Sword copier."

Archer let out a snort at the name before looking up.

"Oh, there he is," Archer muttered as Lefiya and Tiona looked up as well.

A shadow slammed into another dragon's head, crushing it into the ground in a mess of gore.

"Oi Gareth, you're late!" Archer called out.

"I don't wanna hear that from ya!" The old dwarf, carrying two massive axes, shouted back. "Still, I'm happy that yer still alive. I get to knock some sense into ya after this!"

"If a Level 6 did that, I would most likely die…!"

As Gareth started walking over to them, a dragon roared in rage from the death of another of its kin prompted every single monster in the floor to charge at the dwarf.

"Gareth!"

"Move it old man!"

Tiona and Bete called out to Gareth, only for the dwarf to vanish and reappear at the feet of the closest Valgang Dragon and plunged both of his axes into the dragon's foot, sending it crashing to the ground at the same moment it took for the others to breathe.

As the Valgang Dragons only had their wings for their forearms, there was no way for the creature to fight back against something so small at its feet when its main form of close combat was swinging its massive tail around. The other dragons also hesitated in attacking something so close to their kin.

Taking advantage of the Monsters' hesitation, Gareth tossed both of his axes aside and grabbed the tip of the tail of the downed dragon.

"Uh oh…" Archer muttered as he had an idea of what Gareth was planning. And it seemed as though he wasn't the only one.

"You've gotta be shitting me…!" Bete said as well. "Everyone down!"

As the four lower Leveled Adventurers dropped to the ground, the Valgang dragon's body started moving. Keeping his grip on the massive monster's tail, Gareth began to spin, whirling the dragon over his head.

Three times. Four times. Five times. Like a top, Gareth swung the dragon around, crushing the smaller wyverns that tried to get close while also batting away the other Valgang Dragons.

Archer remembered hearing from some of the other Loki Familia Adventurers that Gareth once carried an entire galleon that had been damaged back to the shore all by himself. In terms of pure raw strength, did that mean the dwarf was even stronger than Ottarl? Or was the Level 7 even greater still?

Finally, Gareth released his grip on the unfortunate dragon, sending it flying like a bullet into the wall, unmoving.

"…Wow."

Tiona's rather blunt comment echoed in the minds of the others as Gareth dusted himself off.

"…Couldn't you handle this on your own, Sir Gareth?" Lefiya asked.

"Do you really think I can do that twice?" Gareth asked as he looked over at them. Now that the dust had settled, Archer noted that his body was covered with burns and bruises from the fall down as well as from little spin he took. "Now up and at em! We got work to do…or are you all going to let an old fart like me show you up?"

"Like hell you old geezer," Bete said as he stood up along with Tiona and the rest.

"I definitely won't lose!" Tiona said with a smile.

"I-I'll do my best!" Lefiya said, readying her staff.

"And I'll try not to die," Archer said, waving a hand lazily in the air.

"Stick close to Lefiya while you're at it," Gareth said before looking toward a section in the wall. "Damn…looks like we got something other than dragons to worry about too."

Following his gaze, the others saw that the stairs to the Fifty-Seventh floor had been plugged up by a mass of wiggling caterpillars.

"Oh no…" Lefiya muttered as her face paled. "The pathway…"

"Like this, magic will be dangerous to use…" Gareth muttered, stroking his beard before turning toward Archer with an accusing stare. "And no having them chase after you. It'll be about eight hours before the others get here so we have to keep the Dragons from shooting up at them again. We don't need you tiring yourself out before then!"

Archer raised both his hands up to say that he understood.

"You got a good look on all our Magic Swords, right?" Bete asked, flashing a blue one toward Archer.

"Yeah," Archer nodded as he projected his bow and pulled one of the arrows from his quiver. "Just let me know when you need a top off."

"Humph, only if you're still alive for it."

"Do you want your Urga, Tiona?" Archer asked the amazon.

"Mmm…Keep it on hand," Tiona said as she waved her Durandal sword in front of her.. "I'll still need this if I'm going to charge into those acid bugs! Stay safe you two!"

"Yes! Please be careful!" Lefiya nodded.

"At the very least, the New Species aren't friends with the dragons," Archer noted as the caterpillar monsters burst into the room and started spewing their acid at the closest dragon who roared back and incinerated a large group instantly.

And with that, Gareth, Bete and Tiona rushed toward the monsters while Lefiya and Archer headed the opposite direction to stay out of the way and take on the enemies at at a distance.

The three-way battle between the Adventurers, Dragons and Acidic Monsters had begun.