Bisca's Journey

by thehappy

Occurs immediately after the end of Dragon of the Cog. Summoned to a new world, Bisca will face new challenges, monsters and hardships on her quest to return home. With several new companions, Bisca will walk the path of a hero paved with blood and war.

6. Labyrinth

Welp! Here I am with another chapter for Bisca and her party! I know not many a really interested, but its fun to write! And once this is done I'll beheading back to Rising From Sera for another chapter there!

Possible ideas for Shifting: Pitch Black, Ghostbusters, 100 things before I become a zombie. Or if somebody has a decent idea, that might be done. I'm open to them, but if you ask for Naruto...fuck that. Have been thinking of a Bleach chapter.

TTTM: Maybe a sequel chapter of Wendy returning to the RC universe she survived. Evergreen stumbling into the Laxus Rebellion. A Resident Evil version of Magnolia. House Hunting.

Anyway! Those are my current brainstorms!

Chapter Six: Labyrinth

Holy City of Lanill. 501 H.A. October 20th

A chilling rain fell upon the city, the ancient temples and stonework of the religious center awash with the coming winter. While the location of the city meant the winter months were milder compared to other parts of the planet, Lanill still got the occasional snowfall near the years end.

But the sorrowful weather was the least of the kingdom's problems.

Looking out the glass window of her personal bedroom high above the city, Priestess Alma was distressed.

The fall of Kalm had been a devastating blow to the war effort against the demon king, the transfer gate now a smoking ruin of rubble and ash.

Of course, the refugees from the fallen city had been given quarters here in the main church, along with securing the valuable tomes and records safeguarded by those fleeing priestesses.

"Why did that mad king have to wage war? Why didn't he understand the threat?" Speaking to herself, the wind blew a spattering of rain against the glass before the downpour increased.

From all verbal accounts, the king of Gantill had been a genocidal brute, slaying and enslaving all in his path to take Kalm and secure the gate in a bid for power.

Unfortunately, none knew how the war progressed after the gate collapsed.

Even the adventure guild and their planetwide network of magical information was severed, leaving that continent in the dark.

The navy was organizing a flotilla with nearly two thousand soldiers to lend assistance, but it would take weeks to sail across the ocean to the continent of Basill.

Alma would give them the blessing of Lanis before departure.

"I should pray…seek guidance from the goddess" Spinning toward her bedroom door with a twirl of her white robes, she entered the hallway of polished stone, artwork, and hanging tapestries. Passing a few of the holy knights and the guards, they gave her a pleasant greeting despite the somber mood.

Descending the flights of stairs, Alma saw few at this hour before turning left, her destination the Chamber of Light.

The hero, Akame was further ahead near the library, her raven dark hair falling like silk as she carried a few books. Turning, the young woman smiled.

"High Priestess. Good morning"

Stopping with a sway of her robes, the blonde woman returned the greeting. "Good morning, Akame. I see your taking your studies seriously despite the weather"

The raven haired woman gave a curt nod. "Training is canceled for the day. I thought it would be best to try and familiarize myself with monsters I'm likely to face. If I know their weaknesses and strengths, I believe I can be a more effective hero" Her face turned into a momentary scowl. "Unfortunately, the men and some of the other girls just see it as a day to be lazy"

Alma lightly laughed at that, the sound rich and pure. "A day to relax is nothing to be ashamed of. Even I need a few hours to unwind now and then"

Akame nodded, then looked around for anybody else in the hallway before reverting her gaze. "Priestess…Is it true there's a tenth hero that went missing? I've been hearing rumors from the guards and some of the refugees from Kalm"

Alma looked away, shifting her feet. Breathing in deeply as her sizable chest rose beneath her garments, the holy priestess could not lie.

"Yes. There was an incident during the summoning. I immediately dispatched a holy knight to retrieve this tenth hero. But with the destruction of Kalm, I fear the worst"

"Shouldn't we assemble a search party for the far continent in that case?"

"No, Akame. Your job is to build your skills and strength to face the demon king. At this stage, your still vastly underpowered to face his evil. Now I must go conduct my prayers to the goddess, good day" Marching past, Alma knew she should have told them earlier, but the last thing the church needed was the heroes running off on a half baked rescue mission for a person likely to be dead at this point.

It was a distressing thought, but the likely outcome as Alma stopped in front of the Lanis's private chamber. Purging the depressing state of the world from her mind, Alma waited as the two holy knights opened the door for her, their movements stiff and regal.

They closed with a light thud, leaving her alone in the room of serene gold inlays, shimmering marble, and the standing monument to the goddess of light. Standing above an altar of polished stone, the statue was ancient beyond compare.

Kneeling at the altar, Alma began to pray.

"Lanis…the Goddess of Light. Please hear my prayers…"

The God's Realm

Clouds rolled beneath the floating temples and gilded homes of several deities, their appearance and design as different as the actual assemblage of gods themselves. Rolling hills of grass bathed in godly sunlight as bridges of rainbow light connected the different realms and homes in an interconnected patchwork.

Thunderous booms of clanging metal rang from Sares's realm, the god of war hammering away at his forge of steel.

Bountiful waves of grain flowed among overflowing orchards, the bountiful goddess Demerti giving her blessing to harvest and bounty to the mortal world below.

Ironically, her neighbor was Hadis, the god of death and destruction who gave a pleasant wave as dark clouds loomed over his domain. Watering his dead flowers, Hadis was once again wearing his gardening hat for the day of misfortune.

Then, of course was Lanis, her home of crystal glass, gold and sheening marble giving a glow like the sun near the center of the entire god's realm.

A female with white, silken hair, the strands gave a soft glow along with the rest of her godly skin. Her bosom was well proportioned, hidden beneath a robe of cloud like silks as her slender form was perfection.

At least…that's how she should be viewed by her peers.

The prayers from below were muffled, but quickly became louder as Lanis rolled across her bed, knocking several empty bottles of booze to the floor with a clatter. A strap of her dress lowered, showing off her right breast as the goddess groaned.

"Ah…the god of war…such a wonderful night…" She whispered, the goddess fondly remembering the male's efforts the last evening. Smiling to herself, she continued to ignore the prayers while enjoying the lazy morning.

Happy stared down at the sleeping goddess, a glowing tickmark appearing over his tiny catlike body that gave off an azure glow.

"Seriously? I go off and create a bunch of universes and I came back to this lazy drunk?" Pulling up the schematics of Enterra, Happy's mood became darker as his eye twitched. "What's the point of having Bisca being summoned to an Isekai world…WITHOUT RPG LEVELING!? GET UP YOU LUSH!" Kicking the bed in one cosmic kick that no doubt created a slew of new stars, Lanis screamed at the sudden tossing.

"AhhH! That hurt…" rubbing her heavenly backside, Lanis looked over to Happy. "So mean…"

"Don't give me that! What happened to the leveling aspect of Enterra!?" The godly cat shouted as Lanis tucked her right breast back into her nightgown of cloud light and silk.

"Uhhh…I forgot?"

"You were probably drinking and screwing the god of war again, weren't you!?"

"But he really knows how to treat a goddess like me! And he's got godly abs! …so sexy…" Slightly drooling, Lanis looked the part of a pervert as her cheeks flushed with lust.

Happy ran a pawed hand down his face, annoyance and disbelief souring his mood. "I can't believe what a lazy goddess you are…AND YOU'VE BEEN DRINKING AGAIN!" Flying over, he pulled on Lanis's cheeks.

"Ow! Owww! Stop it, Happy! Owww…"

"FIX ENTERRA AND ANSWER THAT PRIESTESS'S PRAYERS! I'M TOO BUSY TO KEEP CLEANING UP YOUR MESSES!" Letting the goddess go, Happy huffed as Alma's prayers grew louder. "I really don't have time for this crap. Such a useless goddess" Flying out the nearby window, Happy disappeared in a flash of light to create more timelines, worlds and realities.

"Stupid…multi-versal cat…always being mean to me and yelling…" Standing up, Lanis suddenly felt sick…then promptly vomited sunlight over her nearby balcony railing to the mortal world below. "I…I really shouldn't drink with the goddess of wine and spirits every night…damn Alberas"

Alma's prayers grew louder, almost like a shout of nails as the words began to manifest in a swirling whirlwind around the nauseous goddess of light.

"YEAH! I HEARD YOU! DAMMIT! CAN'T I JUST LAY AROUND AND DO NOTHING IN PEACE!?" Raising her curled fists in a shout, several nearby gods and goddess laughed at the famous god having a mental breakdown on her patio.

Unfurling her fists and shaking her hands, Lanis then straightened her silken hair and pressed down on her ethereal robe. Adjusting her fabulous breasts, the globes gave a light heave as she prepared herself. "Okay…just…throw her some cryptic stuff about faith…and…uh…crap" Bringing up a small representation of Enterra in her hand, she zoomed in on Bisca's location. "Yeah…she can just trigger the…the leveling thing with her party. Some hidden room or some crap from an ancient age" Pointing a finger, the planet of Enterra glowed as she gave her belated blessing.

Chuckling to herself, Lanis was very pleased with her hard work.

"Goddess of Light, please answer my prayers to save our world…"

"AUGHH! FUCK! I HEARD YOU THE FIRST DOZEN TIMES!" Clutching her head, Lanis kicked over some golden gilded table of crystal while trying to stumble toward the room she used to visit the mortal realm. Finally reaching it despite tripping over her own toga of silk, she made herself presentable in the last moments before disappearing in a flash of golden light.

The Holy Temple of Lanis

High priestess Alma prayed, pouring her whole soul into the effort when she suddenly felt a presence. Looking up, the statue of the goddess glowed, taking on a heavenly form as the deity stepped down toward the kneeling priestess.

"M…my goddess!? You've heard my prayers!?"

"Yes, my child. I've been paying close attention to the many problems your world is facing. Enterra will receive a blessing to help the mortal realm defeat evil and restore peace"

"Thank you, goddess of light! May I be so bold as to ask the blessing?" Alma inquired, her spirit uplifted by the mere appearance of her god.

"It will be provided by the tenth hero. She is strong and will provide your world with the necessary tools to fight the demon king and his evil armies"

"The tenth hero lives? And is a woman?"

"Yes…only she is in a position to bring about the coming blessing in the coming days. Now…now I must take my leave. The God of war is planning a renewed assault upon my sanctuary of warmth and life. I must prepare…"

"Goddess? May I ask the tenth hero's name?"

Lanis paused for a moment as shimmering light poured out of her body. "Bisca Mulan. A great hero"

Stepping back onto the pedestal of marble, Lanis returned to the god's realm, leaving the statue behind as Alma nearly burst with joy.

"Such…such wonderful news! Lanis is truly wonderful!" rushing from the room, she would have to share this vison with the rest of the church.

Back in the god's realm, Lanis groaned while picking up a fresh bottle of heavenly ale. "There. That should be enough! Now to go find Sares and have him give me a good time" Smirking perversely to herself, the god of war would not be getting much done today as the lush filled goddess of light headed toward his domain for a fresh round of ravaging sex.

Unknown Location

Bisca took point, her steps mixing in with the others as they walked forward along the hallway built of ancient stone.

A light tremor shook dust from the ceiling, a falling of particles in the low light.

"Was that an earthquake?" Vera asked with worry, her right hand idly clutching her sheathed blade at her hip.

"I doubt it. Probably just this…temple or tunnel settling. Would be a pretty dumb place to build if this area was prone to earthquakes" Bisca explained with heavy footfalls.

'RRROOOOOOAAARRRR!'

The beastly noise raced down the stone hallway, bouncing off the walls in a detestable echo just as the group of women reached the first four-way intersection.

All directions looked identical with ancient stone walls, a low level source of light illuminating from secured mana stones spaced evenly apart. Set in the upper portion of the wall at a space of twenty feet, half of them appeared devoid of mana, long since exhausted of power.

But enough remained to light their path in case of attack.

Celeste gripped her sword, the blade a shimmer while giving off a faint glow from the holy knight as she carefully studied the different paths. "I don't think it's gotten closer, but it could attack us from any direction"

"Alright…we go left" Bisca decided spontaneously before taking the left hall.

"How do you know where to go, Bisca?" Dia inquired as particles of dust rained down upon her dirty, purple hair matted with an assortment of grime and drying blood.

"I don't. Just guessing" the gun mage replied with a simple shrug of her shoulders while cradling her rifle.

Satisfied with the answer, the feline black mage went quiet, her tail curled around her waist as she tightly gripped her magical staff. Studying the mana stones embedded in the walls, Dia couldn't help but marvel at the effort of this structure.

"I wonder who built this place"

"Doesn't really matter. Whoever did is probably long dead" Bisca responded as the four passed a side corridor on the left that blinked with failing light stones. Nothing moved as the four studied the side passage, but nothing really made them want to investigate either. Moving past as the passage took a right turn, then left for a couple hundred feet of broken illumination, the four women slowed in caution. The hallway ended in a T-intersection further ahead, the unknown paths still shrouded in darkness.

A smattering of scratches and guttural groans came from the left hallway, the inking darkness hiding unknowns beyond.

Celeste extended her left arm, preventing Bisca from taking another step. "Please wait here, Miss Bisca. I heard something further ahead"

The gun mage rolled her eyes, more than capable of defending herself. But she humored the blonde knight who stepped forward, her blade giving a light gleam. "Identify yourselves!"

Bisca slapped a gloved palm to her face. "You don't shout…idiot"

The rasping grew instantly louder as the first creature stumbled around the corner, its rotting visage a nightmare of peeling flesh, broken teeth and sunken eyes. Still dressed in rotting, broken armor of an adventurer, the zombie shuffled forward with a hungry moan.

Then another appeared.

And another, their numbers rapidly jumping to a dozen…then thirty as they sought the tender flesh of the living.

"Undead! Only fire can hurt them!" Vera screamed out in terror as a second corpse tripped over their own entrails, the ribbons of intestines falling under foot.

"Yeah…and headshots!" Bisca shouted back as she raised her rifle and fired at the first zombie shuffling toward them under the dismal mana lights. The skull snapped back as the bullet tore through vile brain matter, splattering the gore as the gun mage switched targets. "DIA! FIRE! NOW!"

"RIGHT!" Rushing forward, the feline mage was already gathering her magic, focusing a fresh spell as the walking dead came closer and closer. Echoing gunfire reverberated against the walls, an ear ringing drumbeat of noise as Bisca slowly stepped backwards, firing in single shot against the tiny horde.

"FIREBALL!" Dia screamed out, the heated flame roiling at the tip of her magical staff. The focusing crystal burned bright, illuminating the hallway as the ball of flame rushed forward into the undead horde. Slamming into the group of rotting humans, the flesh instantly burned, a harsh, disgusting stink that belched and popped with a sizzle.

"Die, foul beast!" Celest yelled with a wide swing, cleaving the head from one of the staggering, burning bodies as it let out a sorrowful moan. Dropping with a thud, the skin of the head still burned as the monster died a second death.

"By Lanis…those things stink" Vera complained while holding her nose, the pile of ashen and shot bodies littering the passage way like a hellish carpet.

A smattering of growls and groans came from behind the four females, the sound distant…but approaching.

"You can complain later" Bisca whispered in a low warning as her eyes narrowed upon the way they had come. Going silent, she waved the others to follow in retreat as they stepped over the burnt corpses in haste. Turning right at the intersection, Bisca hugged the inner wall as the four women became like silent stalkers, none daring to talk as they advanced past burnt out mana stones, gouged stonework and fallen swords overcome with rust and dust.

Diverging left and right, the group took the next leftward passage as the growls and moans fell behind. Moving forward for another hundred feet, the hallway suddenly widened into a large chamber approximately thirty feet long and twenty wide.

It was dark, the only illumination coming from a pair of mana stones still glowing over the doorway across the room. Piles of skeletal bones lay scattered, the meat and sinew long since rotted away. Some still even had their helmets and weapons, the dust and cobwebs undisturbed.

"I think we lost them" Vera said softly, the dark elf tightly grasping her two blades as she looked behind them, the moans of the zombies long since faded.

"For now" Bisca muttered as she oddly kicked a pile of dust, the particles dancing in the low gloom.

"How did you know to shoot them in the head? I though only fire or holy magic worked against the undead" Celeste asked as she stood near a fallen skeleton, the knight unaware of the bone hand starting to grip its rusting sword tighter.

"Not the first time I've fought zombies. They're pretty easy to deal with if you're prepared and have the ammunition. Basically dest—" She paused, a fresh rasp of scraping noise coming from all directions. Spinning around on her heel, the greenette had her rifle ready as the first pile of bones assembled itself, the bleached skeleton gripping a heavy mace while a rusting helm sat upon its head.

"Oh…you have got to be kidding…" Vera stated in exasperated disbelief. Taking a step backward, two skeletons rose before her, their jaws open with a silent scream.

"Liiiffee…"

The lone word came from the first risen, the crackling joints stepping forward as ten of the monstrous skeletons surrounded the four.

"Be gone, unholy creature!" Celeste howled as she swung her righteous blade, meeting the closest in a clang of steel and sparks.

"Dia! More fire!" Bisca commanded as she shot the nearest skeleton in the head. Knocking the skull off its neck, the skeleton momentarily stopped…then picked up the skull before attaching it with a small twist and popping of joints. "Shit…" Stepping backward, Bisca holstered her rifle and pulled her combat blade just as the monster swung in a wide arc. A spark of steel sparked as the undead creature growled, pushing hard against Bisca as she strained with the enemy blade inches from her face. "Grrrr…FUCK!" Kicking out, she snapped the femur in a hard kick just as three more of the monsters advanced.

The monster fell with a tumble, struggling forward with one leg as the others advanced with only death on their minds.

"Fireball!" Dia screamed out in terror from the rear, the feline unleashing a spell nearly point blank into the grinning maw of a spiked mace user. Somehow, the flames made the skeleton scream, dancing across the bleached bone as it collapsed in a pile of dust.

"Yehyaa!" Vera shouted out in a war cry, the dark elf spring boarding off the left wall in a flip of well-trained reflexes. Both blades slashed with deadly arcs, cutting through the necks of the skeletons. Heads dropped to the dirty floor, but Vera wasn't done as the melee continued. "You're all so gross! Just stay dead!" Double slashing one of the headless skeletons as it tried to reattach its head, the bones shattered in a pile while a silent whisper of the spirit escaped.

"HEY! Hit them when they try to reattach something!" Turning in haste as her adrenaline spiked, the dark elf blocked another heavy blow from a third skeleton as her twin blades rung with reverberations. Leaning forward with its cracked and shattered teeth, the monster snapped at Vera's nose in a bid to kill.

"D…Don't bite me you pile of bones!" Planting her feet, she pushed back, throwing the creature off balance before unfurling a double sword swing that took both arms. Not letting it reassemble, Vera slay the monster with another blow, letting its entrapped spirit escape with a sorrowful wail of ethereal mist.

"Fireball! Fireball! Fireball!" Dia bellowed in rapid succession, her magic blowing away three more of the deadly skeletons as they surrounded Bisca and Celeste.

"Thank you, my precious comrade!" Celeste yelled as her sword glowed brighter, the holy knight silently casting a fresh blessing upon the blade. Dodging an awkward swing, her sword clanged against another with a spark of steel and noise. "Begone, foul beast!" Pushing the skeleton away with a mighty shove, Celeste swung her blade in a wide arc, cutting through the rib-cages of the undead duo she faced. Screaming, the holy light was more than enough to destroy the shambling monsters as they turned to piles of broken bones, their spirits finally freed.

"Enough of this shit" Bisca scowled as she summoned her magical scorcher, the weapon bathing the last three skeletons in a harsh light of green. Pointing the nozzle, she poured magic into the weapon, turning it into a high heated stream of destruction. Washing over the last three corpses, the monsters howled in torment as green flames consumed their bleached bones, quickly leaving their spirits to escape to the afterlife.

Vera huffed, bracing her hands upon her knees while leaning forward. "Ugh…Never thought I would actually see walking skeletons. I thought that was just a rumor from the old stories of dungeons"

"Well, they're real. Everybody okay?" Mulan inquired, her eyes scanning everybody for injuries. Aside from a few frazzled looks, the group was fine.

Until the low moans and rasps of the zombies further back became known once more.

"Sounds like they followed the noise" Celeste pointed out as the team leader ran a tired hand over her features.

"You think? Come on, let's kill these rotting assholes. I have no desire to keep running from some undead fleshbags" Stomping forward, her boots crushed a brittle skull, the crunch echoing as the woman quickly grasped her lancer rifle. Pulling the magazine, it was half empty.

Remembering the pouch she had taken upon arrival, Bisca opened it to a very pleasant surprise.

The amount of bullets had doubled inside. Going from ten to twenty. "Did this pouch just create ammo for me?"

"Could be magically infused. I have heard of bags and pouches capable of duplicating non-living objects, but they're unbelievably rare" Dia supported while the undead moans and snarls drew closer.

Smirking, Bisca quickly threw in a boltok and longshot round, the gun mage very pleased at the surprise find before rapidly reloading. "About time something goes my way"

The snarls drew closer, along with the stench of rotting flesh.

Standing straight, Bisca braced the lancer against her shoulder as Dia took up a position next to her.

"I'll cast fireball again. That worked against them as a group"

"Just make sure none of them get into this chamber. They spread out, the zombies could overwhelm us individually if we're not careful"

The purple haired feline nodded, her face etched with fresh fear, sweat and grime. Pouring fresh magic into the mana stone embedded in the tip of her staff, the black mage breathed deeply in a light measure of calming.

A rotting pile of flesh missing an arm staggered around the corner, its clothes a mess of torn rags. Then two more….then five more, each hungry for the soft female flesh before them as they moaned and rasped in hungry desperation to feed.

"NOW DIA!" Bisca roared out as she fired, killing the lead walking corpse with a well placed headshot through the brain. Rancid blood and matter exploded, painting nearby zombies in a paste of grey ichor. Repeating the process, four more of the shambling zombies died as the tiny horde tried to advance the hundred feet toward the living.

"F…FIREBALL!"

Roiling and popping with heat, the ball of flame nearly four feet in diameter was launched, flying along the darkened hallway to slam into the front ranks of undead. Flesh and skin popped with horrifying sizzles, the rotting sinew starting to melt as the dried husks were the perfect fuel for such a flame.

More cracking gunfire echoed in the chamber, a kick of noise that made Vera still flinch every time.

"Hit em' again!" Bisca shouted out, but the command was unnecessary as a second roiling ball of flame was launched, splashing against the decimated horde that had fallen from thirty…to nine.

Tired, exhausted moans of hunger rose from the burning flesh sticks, all of them now charring under the force of fire. Roiling smoke and stench rose from the charred flesh, the meat falling in sickening rivulets as the gun mage continued to gun down the undead until the last had fallen to the ancient floor.

"What a disgusting odor. Come, we should proceed if we wish to find the main threat and leave this temple" Wrinkling her nose, Celeste gripped her sword tightly, her gaze falling upon the dead.

"Good idea. But if we find a good place to rest for the night, we should. We all fought through the end battle of a war today, and now this? Exhaustion could mean death" Turning to Vera and Dia, both females were still disgusted by the piles of bodies around them. "Worst case, we sleep in shifts"

"Here?" Vera asked with a gulp, the dark elf brushing away strands of white hair from her brow in a fit of nervousness.

"Even I'm not going to sleep near piles of corpses" Bisca replied with a dismissive wave before checking her bullet pouch.

"Already three new bullets for my longshot and boltok. Wish I found this at the start. Could've avoided all that crap with the war, signing contracts with the gnomes and dealing with that love-sick noble that wanted to marry me"

"Bisca. Your eye is twitching. Are you having another rage episode?" Dia asked with a tone of worry while studying the gun mage.

"No. Just realized how events of life can be annoying" A muscle jumped along her cheek as the woman smiled like a maniac. Reclosing the tanned pouch attached to her left hip and belt, the group leader unclenched her teeth and moved forward into the glooming darkness of the next hallway.

Most of the mana stones were burnt out, leaving most of the connecting passage in sheer darkness.

"Hold on. Let me light our way" Dia stated as she poured a minimal effort of magic into her staff. The magic stone suddenly illuminated like a tiny star, bathing the walls and floor in illumination. Wiping a bit of sweat and grime from her brow, the black mage could feel the biting exhaustion.

Taking point once more, Bisca led the way forward with caution.

For several minutes, the group walked while occasionally passing a side room with rotting pieces of furniture or the random pile of bones from a long dead adventurer.

Turning right, then left then right again after several hundred feet, the four women suddenly found themselves at another intersection inhabited by two zombies that had been standing near the left passage.

One snarled, its pallid, rotting skin showing sinew and blackened muscle.

"Hyaa!" Swinging, Celeste easily dispatched the two ghouls, their headless bodies collapsing toward the floor. Flicking her blade of the coagulated grime, the knight felt nothing but disdain for the vile monsters.

"Any more of them?" Vera asked, the elf peering down the passage to the right, only to find it empty of any monsters.

"Doesn't look like it" Gazing down the central hallway, Bisca found nothing of interest.

'RRooooAAARRR!'

The bellow shook the walls like before, particles of dust raining down as Dia kept her magical light glowing.

"Does that sound closer?" the feline asked with a cock of her head, her pointed ears trying to pinpoint the source. Unfortunately, the unknown monster didn't repeat the roar, leaving the group in silence.

"Maybe? But the sound and walls make echoes weird. Any of you have an idea which path to take?"

"Uh…straight?" Vera shrugged with uncertainty.

"Good enough for me. Let's keep moving"

Pulsing, soft light continued to pour from Dia's staff as she held it in both hands, the mage trying to ignore the feeling of exhaustion.

"Phew…I really could go for a bath. Or just a soft bed. I'm beat" Vera said in complaint while trying to wipe some dried flecks of…whatever had fallen upon her perfect skin.

"Don't think about it. We stop now, we might find ourselves waking up with zombies chewing on our faces" Bisca warned while casually studying the group. "Celeste seems to be holding up the best, then Vera. But Dia used a lot of magic today. Same with myself. We really need to find a place to hole up soon" Blinking rapidly, Bisca pushed her own growing fatigue to the side, her determination more than enough to handle it for now.

Coming to a corner after another five minutes of walking, she once heard the grating sounds of rot and creaking bones. Giving a hand signal, Bisca peered around the ancient stonework marred by scratches and ancient sword strikes.

Three zombies and two skeletons stood before the opening of another chamber twenty feet away, its glooming shadows disturbed by the glowing stones set above a descending staircase. Retaking her cover before the dead saw her, Bisca pointed to Celeste.

The women switched places, the knight soon understanding the threat further ahead.

"Vera. Stay here and protect Dia. We can't afford something sneaking up on us" Bisca whispered as she pulled her boltok. The weapon gleamed, the cylinder almost sparkling as she breathed. "Celeste. Skeletons are yours"

"Very well. But I'd prefer if you stayed back and let me protect you from harm"

Scowling, Bisca ignored the blonde woman while standing up, her muscles groaning in protest. Not giving Celeste another moment to spout nonsense, she rounded the corner while raising her firearm in one practiced motion.

The muzzle flashed while the gunshot reverberated against the walls like hammer strikes. The first zombie's head exploded into a gore strewn paste, the matter sluicing off the nearby stonework as the other two rotting corpses turned with a low growl of hunger.

"I WILL PROTECT THE HERO! HEYYYAAAA! BEGONE FILTH!" Rushing forward, Celeste's sword glowed with the blessing of light. Jumping in the air, she cleaved the first skeleton in half with a powerful, downward strike.

Two more booming gunshots echoed in the hallway, the flashes of light and sound spelling doom for the other duo of zombies. Head's burst open like ripe melons, the rotting brain matter a sluicing of liquid.

"Unclean filth!" Blocking a slash from the last creature, the enemy's rusting sword sparked and howled in protest against the mighty knight. Sliding her blade free, Celeste unleashed a horizontal swipe, bisecting the skeleton at the rib cage. With the blessing from her god, the undead creature fizzled and died with a last gasp of its escaping soul.

Turning in a panicked whirl, Celeste grasped Bisca by the shoulders and started to shake the gun mage. "Are you harmed, Miss Bisca!?"

"G…get off me you closet pervert!" Shaking the knight's grip loose, the hero managed a few curses while re-holstering her side arm.

"It's impossible for me to be a pervert. For I am too pure" Bowing, the blonde was convinced of her own purity.

"She really is like Erza…Probably has a secret love of smut too"

"Whatever. Dia? Vera? Let's go"

"R..right" Dia replied as her labored breathing grew in exhaustion, the magical light of her staff lightly flickering. Proceeding toward the room and stairwell up ahead, the feline managed to stay level as her friends kept an eye out for new threats.

Entering the chamber, it really had no distinguishing features along the walls or floor. But the archway to the descending stairs was interesting. Not only did the mana stones glow brightly, but the writings nearby seemed to pulse with power as the women entered the chamber. A light shimmer seemed to stretch across the archway, a barrier that gave a small hum.

Walking forward, Bisca ran a gloved hand over the old runes, each carved and etched into the stonework surrounding the doorway as light pulsed from each symbol. Pressing her hand against the magical barrier, it passed through without issue before the woman retracted it. "Dia? What do you make of this?"

Walking forward, the mage finally dispelled the light of her staff, giving her exhausted mana a rest. Squinting, she too ran a hand over the runes as her tail twitched then curled around her waist. "It looks like a magic barrier for the stairs. What it says I can't read, but they can be used to limit access to monsters, people…anything so long as the runes are correct. Still…whoever built this must be from the ancient era. I've never seen symbols like this before"

"Alright. Don't wo—"

Something…sloshed. A noise of sickly liquid was finally noticed by Bisca as she rapidly turned, bringing up her lancer in one fluid motion.

"Any of you hear that?" Pointing toward the hallway still filled with the dead, her gaze narrowed as the other three slowly nodded, each readying their weapons.

Nothing came from the gloom, but the noise of churning liquid grew louder.

"Ew…this water stinks…" Vera complained as a drop fell upon her cheek from above. Wiping it away, she looked up…then became enthralled with terror. "Ah…ah…SLIME! THE CEILING IS COVERED IN SLIME!" Screaming out, the dark elf rolled to the left as the first arm of disgusting green slime swung down in a slow whiff of air.

"Dia…stay behind me" Bisca warned while pointing upward. Firing three shots, the bullets slew into the ceiling monster…causing no damage.

"I can still fight, Bisca. But I can only cast one more spell"

"Slimes are supposed to be weak against lightning! Save it for the killing blow!" Dragging the feline to the nearest corner as the slime stretched another tentacle, Bisca could understand the exhaustion.

It wiggled upon the ceiling, the center mass a jiggle like gelatin. Swiping at Celeste, the knight parried the blow, slicing off bits of sludge that splattered nearby, the connectivity to the main body lost as the mass lost cohesion.

"YOUR DISGUSTING!" Vera shouted as she spun and swung her blades, dancing between two tentacles. Severing one, the dark elf grinned.

"Watch out, idiot!" Bisca hollered while forming a flamethrower with her magic once more.

The tentacle wrapped around Vera, slithering across her chest and midsection while lifting her up.

"AAAHHH! IT'S SOOO SLIMEY!" The elf wailed before she looked down at the slime across her bosom. Her eyes recoiled in disgusting horror as her combat leathers started to melt, a wave of disintegration consuming the material. "IT'S MELTING MY CLOTHES!"

"Then stop goofing off and screaming like a girl!" Stepping forward, Bisca pointed her magical flamethrower upward, its surface a shimmering emerald while Celeste batted away another tentacle of the pervert monster. Pouring magic forward, a torrent of heated, green flames erupted from the summoned weapon before splashing against the slime.

It screamed somehow, thrashing as the heated magic ate at the gelatin flesh. Throwing Vera in a light toss, the slime fell to the floor, its mass reforming into a half sphere.

Dia brought forth every last vestige of her mana, the tip of her staff sparking with power. Pointing it toward the foul beast as Bisca poured more of her magic into burning the slime, the cat mage gulped.

"YOU PERVERT SLIME!" Vera roared with anger, the front of her armor and shirt gone from the slime's acid, leaving her luscious, large breasts in the open. Swinging with both blades, her breasts heaved with a bounce as Celeste sliced at another tentacle of vile fluid.

"LIGHTNING BOLT!" The charged electricity snapped through the air, a popping of ozone and noise before slamming into the main mass. Fluid popped and sizzled, the electricity heating the slime as it began to lose coherency and fall apart.

With a few last pops of bursting bubbles, the slime monster died, spreading across the floor like a puddle.

"Ugh…I should've checked the room first" Turning to Dia, Bisca saw the mage using her staff as a walking stick, barely standing as sweat pooled across her forehead. Tail drooping along the floor, the black mage had pushed herself to the limit. "You okay to walk? Hopefully we can find a room to rest in at the bottom of these stairs"

"Just…just don't ask for another spell" Dia gasped out as she found herself being supported by Celeste.

"Excuse me! I have no shirt or armor! Everybody can see my breasts!" Vera yelled with a stomp, causing them to bounce once more as the nipples hardened from the ambient temperature of the dungeon.

Bisca cocked an eyebrow. "And? We've all seen them before. Not like we have any men in our group to ogle them"

"But it's embarrassing! Can I borrow your armor?"

"No"

"So mean!"

"Come on. Maybe we can find you something on the next floor" Bisca relented before stepping past the threshold of the archway.

It was like stepping into another world. Yes, the stairs were still there, but a wave of warmth, fresh air, pleasant smells and the rushing of water immediately met the four as they descended toward a warm light below.

Emerging at the bottom, the next chamber was amazing beyond a doubt. Shaped like a vast square nearly two hundred yards long and wide, the chamber was picturesque in tranquility. The ceiling gave a soft, warm aura of sunlight, possibly powered by magic. A large home sat in the center, surrounded by a field of grain and fruit trees. Rushing from the left was a waterfall, feeding into a small lake and then stream that cut across the small meadow. A few other structures inhabited the square room, one looking like a blacksmithing shop as an anvil sat outside, waiting for use.

Then, across the chamber was an identical doorway, the stone frame covered in the same runes as a magical barrier gave a light shimmer.

"It's…it's a safe zone!?" Vera shouted out with excitement as she jumped, momentarily forgetting about her bouncing bosom of supple flesh.

"A what?" Bisca inquired as she looked upward, finding the artificial sunlight strange.

"A safe zone! I've read about them as a child! They're in dungeons to give adventures a safe place to rest, recuperate and avoid monsters! This is fantastic!" Stripping down to bare nothing, Vera was standing in her nude glory as a thankful smile crossed her face.

"I thought you were embarrassed showing off your nude body?"

"Not anymore! I'm taking a swim in that lake!" Running toward the body of water, the elf promptly jumped with a resounding splash then turned and waved. "It's perfect! Like a bath!"

"It would be nice to remove all this grime and blood…" Celeste pointed out as she and Dia approached the lake, peering in as Vera swam and cleaned herself with sighing contentment.

"And nobody is concerned that we aren't in a temple, but a damn dungeon that could be anywhere on this planet….great…" Bisca voiced out as the knight and feline began to strip as well.

"Miss Bisca. Please join us" Celeste invited, the blonde already having removed her chest piece to show off her ample breasts.

"Yup…same size as Erza…" Letting her gaze linger on the blonde for a few more moments, the gunmage finally relented.

"Fine. But if any of you try to hug me, I'll drown you" Walking forward toward the lake, Bisca felt a sense of relief shedding her armor, the weight lifting from her body before she jumped in.

Vera had been correct. The water was perfect.

"…GET HER! GIVE HER HUGS!" Vera yelled as she tried to ensnare Bisca in a busty hug, only to get a palm to the face and shoved beneath the surface.

"What did I just say, you fat titted elf!"

"blrughbbrrrgh!"

Releasing Vera after a few seconds, Bisca was content to swim, letting the water wash away the grime, sweat, dirt and dried blood from a hellish day. Hair flowing behind her, Bisca swam under the waterfall, letting the pressure sooth aching muscles as it fell in a cascade.

"So…who built this place if it's not a temple?" She asked a few minutes later, each of the women content with cleanliness.

"Well…the legend is…the gods built the dungeons. They're loaded with treasure, riches and all sorts of valuable equipment. When one is discovered, it can create a town just by serving the coming men and women seeking fortune. But I haven't hear of one on the Basill continent" Dia informed, the feline relaxing on a submerged shelf of stone that was the perfect height to sit at.

"So why aren't there any other people running around? If what you say is true, this place should be crawling with people trying to strike it rich" the greenette asked as she found a place to sit and rest, her breasts floating just beneath the waves.

"Could have been abandoned because the outside area is too dangerous…or it could be undiscovered. If that's the case, we could find some really valuable weapons and equipment here"

"It would be worth our time to search for valuable's tomorrow" Celeste pointed out while her silken golden hair fell over her perky, full bosom.

"What about that monstrous roar we heard? We can't just ignore that" Scowling, Bisca really didn't like sitting around, but if this was a safe zone, the beast could wait.

"Might be the dungeon's protector. Most likely on the bottom level if it's that loud to shake the whole structure. And no, Bisca. I have no idea what it is" Vera stated before the team leader could ask.

"Well…if it's on the bottom like you said, I guess looking for some equipment and treasure wouldn't hurt. Especially since Vera decided to walk around with her tits hanging out like some street hooker"

"Melted! My armor was melted!" Splashing water, the dark elf pouted before sinking, letting her white air spread out like a wave while staring at Bisca.

"We might not even have to go that far? The house down here could have spare equipment? Maybe something at that small forge too"

"Something to check tomorrow" Standing up, Bisca let the water fall down her nude body before climbing out and retrieving her gear. "I need some rest. You all could use it too" Heading toward the main house, she really hoped some food was inside.

The next day…

Bisca rubbed her eyes, slowly blinking awake while giving a long stretch that caused her undershirt to rise and expose her mid-driff. Sitting up, she stifled a yawn, the mattress beneath her allowing the most pleasant sleep she's had in months. Hair a tangled mess, she finally stood with another lithe stretch of muscles before heading to the closest bathroom.

Of course she had checked the house for threats of any kind yesterday…but it was nothing but a normal house. A kitchen, two bathrooms and a sauna room near the back of the home had been utterly underwhelming in terms of danger. Stocked food pantries and multiple bedrooms had taken up the vast majority of the interior with the last room being a small library filled with books about monsters, equipment care, and recreational literature.

Padding her way to the kitchen, Bisca found herself starving and quickly raiding the shelves of food for something filling and easy to make. The fact that any food she pulled off the shelves was immediately replenished by magic was disconcerting, but she tried to ignore it as the lighting outside took on the semblance of early morning with a heavy misting of dew.

"Weather too and infinite food? This place really is weird…" Eating a hasty sandwich piled with meats and cheeses, the woman ate to her contentment as the others slept.

"Dia really needs the rest. She was running on mana fumes yesterday" Shrugging, Bisca saw no need to wake them. Even she needed some time to recoup.

Odds were, they would just use today as a chance to reinvigorate themselves before plunging into this labyrinth.

Finishing the hasty meal and washing it down with some crystal clear water, Bisca stepped outside into the low mist as the artificial light above gave a pleasant warmth. Some of the moisture seemed to tighten her minimal clothing, making the undershirt press against her bosom with a strained protest as droplets clung to her exposed legs.

It really didn't bother her though. With nobody else here, she had no reason to cover up. Striding to the small blacksmith structure to her right, Bisca walked past the flowing field of wheat and the tiny orchard of fruits while the low rush of the waterfall echoed.

"Hard to believe we were fighting in a war yesterday" Bisca told herself as she walked into the structure, the scent of polished metals, leathers, and hints of smoke assaulting her nostrils. Tools of all kinds were lined against the right wall, some hanging from hooks while just waited to be used. While dull in color, they appeared to be almost new by the lack of blemishes or wear.

Turning her gaze to the left, that wall was lined with simple swords, daggers, clubs, shields, and a few armors of studded leathers.

"Seriously…did a god really build all this?" Bisca asked herself in a disbelieving tone. The effort of this dungeon, or just this safe zone alone was daunting just in terms of the lasting magic. Walking toward the closest armor meant for women, there were a few different sizes. But Bisca merely had to find something that would fit Vera so she had something instead of walking around topless.

Hoisting the chestpiece she wanted off the shelf, the weight was low, something Vera would prefer. Sure, it was just studded leather, but the dark elf was actually quite fast and a full set of plate armor like Celeste would just ruin those skills.

Satisfied with the find, Bisca started to turn when a gleaming caught her eye. Moving over, she picked up the armor, her face instantly turning into a look of anger at whoever crafted such a…useless piece of armor.

Essentially it was a thong, a bikini top, arm greaves and an extremely short mini skirt of chainmail that would leave any woman's ass cheeks exposed. "What kind of idiot would make this? It has no protection at all!?" Bisca immediately thought of herself wearing it, facing down some monster that promptly impaled her through the stomach, bypassing the bikini chainmail in one blow. Clenching her fist, the only reason she could think of was some disgusting pervert wanting a female party member to look like a stripper with her ass cheeks hanging out.

It was the most impractical piece of armor she had ever seen and no sane woman would ever wear it.

"Well…Erza might…or maybe Vera would just to attract men…the flirt"

Leaving the blacksmith den with a click of her tongue, Bisca dismissed the bikini armor as nothing more than a perverse piece that will never be worn. Marching back to the house, she quickly entered as the voices of her three friends came from the kitchen.

"Good morning, Miss Bisca. Did you sleep well" Celeste inquired as she ate some toast and scrambled eggs with the other two at the kitchen table.

Bisca's annoyance was forgotten, her left hand still holding the leather chest piece covered in metal studs. "I did actually. No nightmares for once. It was very pleasant" Setting down the item in the corner, she was happy to see Vera had found a shirt that barely contained her sizable assets. "I found you a chest piece since yours was melted yesterday"

"Really!? Thank's Bisca!" the dark elf replied with a smile of joy. Brushing away several strands of silver hair past her pointed ears, she stood up to inspect the piece.

"Yeah…well…Can't have you getting hurt despite your love to walk around naked"

"I'm not that kind of woman!?'

"Really? I could've sworn you were…" Stroking her chin, Bisca had to think about it.

"I'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE WHAT YOUR THINKING!"

Dia chuckled, her meal done. Nursing a glass of milk, the feline looked leagues better after a night's rest. "I don't know, Vera. Every town we walk through seemed to have men staring at you"

Vera turned up her chin, clutching her new armor against her chest. "I can't be blamed for my elegant beauty. I'm basically a princess"

"Okay. Well once you stop with your delusions, try it on and make sure it fits. There are other armors in there" Bisca paused, her voice going hard before pointing with an extended finger. "Don't you dare use the bikini armor. You'll get killed in that"

"Maybe I will, just to spite you. After all, I'll look so hot that the monsters won't be able to attack me"

"Such delusion! They always go for Vera first!" the other females instantly thought in unison as the dark elf chuckled, confident in her feminine allure to prevent attack.

"Anyway. What's the plan?" Dia inquired after a few moments.

"We can rest up for the day here, gather supplies and set out the tomorrow morning. After all, we won't leave this dungeon without finding an exit and like Celeste has constantly reminded us, I am a summoned hero that needs to be taken to the city of Lanill. Can't accomplish that sitting in a dungeon house"

"That's fine. I really could use some time in that sauna. My muscles are so sore" Dia added while rubbing her neck.

The prospect of a full day relaxing was very appealing.

"Then enjoy it while you can. We'll probably be facing some sort of hellish creature tomorrow at some point" Giving them a short wave, Bisca headed to the library, her intent to gather information on possible enemies more important that a sauna. "Well…maybe I can a little later…"

H.A. 501 October 22nd

The group had set out the following morning, well rested, fed and with their respective equipment cleaned of any blood and grime picked up in the journey to this labyrinth like dungeon. The first few hallways had been well lit by mana stones with only the falling shakes of dust flitting through the air.

Even the mysterious roar didn't make itself known, letting the party advance unmolested.

But that quickly changed as they came to a T-intersection and the rage filled roar that came from the left. With a charge of weight and snarls, the first beast came running on all fours to strike.

"BY LANIS! WHAT IS THIS HORROR!" Celeste screamed as she blocked the sharpened claws, her blade singing with reverberation as it sparked. Bracing with gritted teeth and straining muscles, she tried to push back as the furred monster bellowed, flinging stinking saliva across the knight's chestpiece.

"Owlbear! I read about them in the library yesterday!" Bisca cried out as she fired down the hallway at two more of the charging, mammoth beasts that shook the floor with their mass. Bullets punched into the face of one, turning it into a paste of broken bone and flesh. Falling with a thud, it tangled up the second Owlbear, giving the female time to deal with the third fighting Celeste.

'SKKKRAAAWWW!'

"Acid Arrow!" Dia shouted over the din of battle, her magic pulsing from her staff as she leveled the magic tool. Bubbling green erupted a moment later, flashing along the dimly lit hallway toward the twin beasts. Splashing over the owlbears, their flesh bubbled and cooked while deadly acid ate through fur and muscle among hooting howls of agony.

"ACID ARROW!" Firing off another spell, Dia wanted to ensure the third monster would actually die as another bubbling arc of magic slew through the passage to strike the wounded beast. Some hit the snarling face of the owl, melting in a slow horror as the creature finally succumbed to death in a heavy fall.

"HYYAAA!" Running and then jumping off the right hand wall with an acrobatic twist and flip, Vera the dark elf plunged downward with her twin blades drawn. Sparkling in the light, the swords soon plunged into the exposed back of the owlbear, skewering it like a kabob. Crimson blood sprayed, splattering against the elf's new chest armor and chin, the fluid almost under pressure as she grimaced from the action.

'SSSSKKKAAAOOORR!' Unleashing another thunderous bellow, the bear tried to dislodge the elf and kill Celeste with swiping claws, but neither woman was deterred as the mortal wounds delivered by Vera already sealed its fate.

"Oh crap!" Struggling to keep her grip upon the embedded blades, Vera was nearly tossed off as the creature thrashed and flailed, its efforts slowly getting weaker and weaker. Blood pooled and flowed, rushing across the dusty floor before a loud thud echoed. Giving one last wheeze, the owlbear gave its last breath.

"Ugh…Seriously!? Am I the only one that got covered in blood!?" Vera shouted with annoyance as she tried to wipe off some of the warm liquid that had struck her neck and bosom.

"Looks like it. But nice work" Bisca complimented as she crouched down. "What do you think? Get the magic cores?"

"I think we shouldn't. Not only would they take up valuable carrying space, but we have no idea where this dungeon is actually located. When we reach the exit, it could be in the middle of nowhere. Carrying magic cores from every single monster we come across for resale will overburden us in the long run" Celeste pointed out with simple logic.

Bisca shrugged. "Makes sense. Can't take everything we come across"

"Waaa…the bear blood got between my boobs! Can we go back to the safe zone so I can take a bath?" Vera wailed in disgust as some of the red liquid did flow down between her cleavage, tainting the tanned skin of the dark elf.

"No. If we did that we would never find the exit" Standing up with a groan, Bisca looked upward toward the ancient, stone ceiling. "But maybe we should backtrack? After all, going down isn't a very logical path to the surface"

"But what if there is another transport circle at the bottom? There are accounts of adventurers reaching the surface through magical transport after reaching the very last room" Dia voiced out before placing a slender finger upon her lips while thinking. "Of course, those stories are old now. There hasn't been a new dungeon opening in nearly a century if I remember correctly"

"Then we keep moving forward" Stepping past the dead owlbear, Bisca chose the left path at random.

Sinister darkness loomed ahead, the mana stones that had been lighting their way devoid of any illumination.

"I'll give us some light"

Dia's magical staff began to glow, the embedded stone casting fresh rays of soft light that bounced off the walls of stone. Turning to the right at ninety degrees, the four slowed as spiderwebs started to gather, their silken material collected in the corners of the ceiling and floor.

"Ugh…I really hope we don't have to fight giant spiders again" Vera complained as the webbing grew thicker. Slicing through the sticky strands, the elf swung with ease to clear a path.

A tiny corpse was stuck to the wall on the left hand side, the skeletal face a bleached white of bone. Cobwebs filled the eye sockets, a haunting visage as the four women continued past the long dead soul. Light continued to pour from Dia's staff, pushing away the darkness as the group took another turn to the left.

Soft, echoing grunts came from a flickering point of light far ahead, the distance probably a good hundred yards.

Bisca immediately halted, taking a knee before switching weapons. "Dia. Dim that light. I heard something"

The feline complied, the group going silent among the strands of falling cobwebs.

Looking through the scope of her longshot, Bisca breathed silently, waiting for any movement. At first she had thought it was zombies or more skeletons, but the flickering light would've shown something by now.

"See anything?' Vera whispered, the elf crouched down on her heels.

"No…just a flickering light. But I did hear something" Standing up, she waved the others onward, all knowing that silence was important. Walking along the right side of the hallway, a side passage loomed ahead as darkness engulfed the area.

Bisca glanced around the corner, finding nothing but more dust and cobwebs. Darting across the opening, she kept silent while switching to her lancer.

The light grew brighter, a dull flicker accompanied by more grunts and noise as the four rapidly approached the source. It was a side passage, the pulsing light joined by the crackling of flame and those sinister grunts. Stacking up along the wall, Celeste pushed herself forward, her sword drawn.

"Miss Bisca. I'll take a look" the woman whispered, her voice barely heard. Cautiously looking, the holy knight gulped at what she found.

Blood covered the chamber floor, almost a pool of it splashing the stone in arcing sprays as carved piles of meat and flesh lay ready to be devoured. Scents of cooked, burning muscle and skin wafted, a horrible similarity to pork or chicken. A large fire burned in the center of the chamber, roaring with flame as the corpse of a minotaur roasted. The head had been removed, hoisted upon a shelf set into the far wall as eyeless sockets stared outward.

Then…there was the beasts that had killed it.

Some were eating…tearing into their kill as long, stained snouts ripped away sinew and flesh to chomp and chew. Each stood about seven feet tall, their backs having a small hunch to as they stooped to feast. Covered in striped fur and hard muscle, the best Celeste could come up with is that they appeared to be a hybrid of humanoid and hyena.

Abandoned spears lined the feeding pit, tossed there after the pack of ten had no doubt slayed the larger beast. Continuing to feast, the pack greedily tore at the roasted flesh with sickening zeal.

Celeste went back into cover, her face gaunt and worried.

"Ten of them…humanoid hybrids. I don't know what they are, but they can use weapons" she whispered after the group took a few steps away from the corner. Crouched down, the knight knew that they would have to slay the vile creatures. The risk was simply too great the beasts would find a way to track them based on their hyena appearance.

If not for the gorging of blood and flesh, she had no doubt the monsters would already be attacking.

Bisca nodded slowly, knowing she would have to bring out some gun magic for this. Casting a knowing eye to Dia, the female feline returned the understanding.

Moving in a low crouch, Bisca retook point as she formed a long barreled, glowing weapon over her shoulder. Pushing more of her magical strength into it, the aperture glowed a shining emerald green as the air became heavy with power.

The growls became agitated, angered while the sound of tearing flesh abated.

"DIE!" Bisca howled in one fluid motion while showing herself in the doorway. Strands of emerald hair fluttered beneath her hat, flowing from the magical power as she unleashed the attack. The lance of magic burned across the stench filled air, claiming six of the monsters that had been in the process of arming themselves. Unholy screams of agony erupted from their snouts and open jaws, their torsos and limbs taking the full brunt of damage. Three were cut in half, their upper portions falling to the blood soaked floor just as the pulse of magic struck the far wall, burrowing through in a thunderclap of damage and falling stonework.

"FIREBALL!" Dia shouted in the next few seconds, the mage unleashing her own magical attack at the four remaining monsters. Racing across the air, it consumed two of them in a flash of fire, the stench of flesh rapidly rising among howls of pain.

"Are you trying to bring down the whole dungeon!?" Vera cried out as she rushed forward under a rain of falling dust. Jinking to her left as a spear was thrown, the shafted weapon sliced the air a mere few inches past her right arm. Gripping her blades tighter, Vera cried out as she dodged a halfhearted swipe of claws. Swinging horizontally, her first sword dug into the creature's abdominals, spraying a spurting arc of red gore.

"GGRRAAHHH!" Howling, the beast tried to dislodge the blade, only for Vera to rip it out in a frantic spin of motion.

"Hyyyaaa!" Bringing both down, she cleaved the head in half, spilling pinking ichor as the beast died on its feet before collapsing in a pile.

"It was the most effective way to destroy the majority!" Bisca responded with a shout as she pulled her boltok and rapidly fired at the last standing monster. Stenches of cordite and gunpowder filled the woman's nostrils, but it was ignored as four impacts at center mass made the body jump with damage. Falling with barely a sigh.

The four females didn't have time to rest however or bask in their tiny victory. Snarls of noise and bays of anger came from the newly formed hole in the wall along with several pairs of sinister red eyes.

A crude spear flew, the steel tip glancing off of Celeste's chest plate in a shriek of sparks.

"More of them!" the knight yelled as she readied herself.

"FF…FOOOD!" A hyena looking biped brayed out in broken speech as it climbed over the pile of shattered stonework from the darkness. Holding a short sword, it leveled the weapon as a fresh dozen of the furred bipeds appeared, their beady eyes showing a growing hunger.

"KILL THEM ALL!" Bisca yelled in one fluid motion. Switching weapons on the fly while walking backwards among thrown spears, the gunmage unleashed a staccato of rounds into the first enemies to try and close the distance. Bullets flew as monsters screamed, the damage ripping into limbs and punching through torsos.

Resounding clangs of blades echoed among the body filled chamber, Celeste blocking with expert ease. "Foul beast! I will slay you!"

"T…Talking…food…die!"

Gritting her teeth as the two broke apart, the hyena beast lunged forward in an overhead slash, its mouth disgorging a rain of spittle. Stepping backward as the blade slashed the air where she had just stood, Celeste lunged forward, decapitating the monster in one stroke.

But she had no time to rest as another rushed forward, the steel point of it war spear dull with rust. Parrying the thrust to the side, the blonde slashed at its flank, causing a fresh howl as it spun with growing anger and rage.

"FFOOOD!"

"Acid Arrow!" Dia cried from the entranceway, the purple haired feline unleashing a slew of magic into the closest enemy.

Taking a step, the beast was suddenly consumed by a magic spell of acid, the roiling lance skewering it in a melting hell.

Nodding her thanks, Celeste charged toward the next foe readying to throw a spear at Bisca.

"Your all disgusting!" Vera shouted from the left side of the room, the dark elf barely avoiding a swiping sword that cut a few strands of her white hair. Blocking another strike from a second beast, she backpedaled as the duo tried to flank her.

Four more of the muscular beasts stepped from the darkness, each carrying a short sword as they stood upon the pile of rubble. Rasping, harsh speech of broken language passed from the curled maw of the leader, his blade a curved scimitar as he tried to direct the underlings to slay the females for a fresh meal.

A ten round burst of gunfire killed the left-most monster standing next to the pack leader, the unfortunate beast struggling to breathe as the bullets had passed through the windpipe in a passage of ruin and spraying blood.

The rasping speech of the monsters…the cackling laughter as they threw spears in a haphazard bombardment…stenches of burning flesh and skin…

All these things mixed in with the thunder of gunfire, each flash of the muzzle only served to enrage Bisca as her heartbeat thudded louder among the swirling combat. Seeing flecks of red at the corners of her vision, the gunmage once again only saw the locust…the gray skin and snarling teeth as they slaughtered the innocent.

Vera was in need of assistance, but Bisca didn't really see that.

Only monsters.

"DDDIIIE!" Bisca howled as she sprinted across the gore strewn chamber, the telltale sound of her rifle's chainsaw screaming with noise. Bringing it down into the turned back of the walking hyena, the flesh ripped and tore under the churning teeth. Blood sprayed and spewed, ichor splattering the gunmage in a wave of gore as she cut through the creature.

"Thanks!" Vera shouted out while blocking another strike. Bracing with her blades crossed to lock in the enemy sword, the beast snarled, unleashing putrid breath right at the elf.

But Bisca was already turning, spraying a staccato of burning lead into the charging forms of two more monsters with spears.

Wanting to throw up as more ripping teeth and monster screams echoed from around the firepit, Vera quenched the desire to gag as a beast breathed at her with foul rancidity. "Your really need to wash out your mouth" Recoiling as it tried to snap, flecks of drool landed upon her cheek. Shoving to the side in a practiced move, her swords sang with fresh sparks. Staggering past in a light stumble from the switch, the humanoid was quickly dispatched with a sword skewering its neck.

"LOOCUSTT!" Bisca howled from the center of the room, her outline lit by the fire and smoldering corpse of the minotaur. Lifting up the pack leader hybrid with her lancer, Bisca had run the beast straight through the abdominals as it coughed up blood in a pathetic attempt the escape. Chainsaw teeth churned like the blades of the underworld, the hybrid splitting in half as intestines, ichor and stinking gore splattered to the floor right near the firepit of the charred minotaur.

Letting the corpse drop, silence retook the room as Bisca breathed heavily, her gaze a nightmarish stare of rage and bloodlust.

"Are you alright, Miss Bisca?" Celeste asked, noting the gore covered woman taking harsh breaths among the dead.

A minute passed, the armored greenette slowly calming down as the flecks of red left her eyesight.

"I'm fine" she replied after a few moments. Crouching down to inspect one of the bodies, she grasped the slacked face to study it while the tongue lolled out the side among sharpened teeth.

"I don't remember readying about this in that tiny study yesterday, but I think the adventure guild back in Dagon had something about this. Could be a Gnoll" Bisca added, the woman absentmindedly wiping gore from her cheeks.

"Never heard of them" Vera input, her boot nudging one of the bodies with a look of disgust.

"Whatever these beasts may be, they're violent meat eaters capable of taking down a minotaur. With their use of weapons, we must be cautious" Celeste added.

"Not wrong about that" Sighing, Bisca stood up with a weariness before looking at the gaping hole in the wall she had basted with her magic. "Take a minute to rest. I need to reload my mags" Poppin the spent magazine from her lancer, Bisca simply sat on the cleaved half of the deceased pack leader. Digging out freshly grown bullets from the magical pouch on her hip, she had the pleasure to watch new ones instantly forming inside the open satchel.

"Think that thing can do the same with money?" Vera asked hopefully, the dark elf liking the idea of infinite funds.

"Maybe? But I find the endless supply of bullets far more valuable. I can simply take an adventure job or kill bandits for money. Or in your case, marry a rich noble"

"I'll have you know I'm not some money grubbing woman, Bisca" Placing her hands on her hips, Vera glared with defiance.

"Says the woman wanting infinite money from my magic bullet pouch" Bisca relayed while rapidly reloading her empty mags with proficiency.

Celeste kept an eye on the hero, but the enemy had been defeated for the moment. Climbing over the uneven piles of stonework and rubble, she entered the next hallway with Dia. Stretching to their respective left and right, a few mana stone lights flickered, but the majority were burned out long ago. Hazing dust lingered while a few crushed bodies of the Gnoll pack lay under the rubble.

"I think I see a side passage to the left" Dia voiced out while pointing with her staff.

"Indeed. Unfortunately, this entire place is a maze. I have no idea how many levels there are, the layout of each, or where to go"

"Don't forget about the room we were summoned to. There's no reason to assume that was located on the top floor of this place" Bisca added, her task finished as the group rejoined in the newly discovered hallway. Studying the fallen stonework, the gunmage looked at the floor strewn with shattered materials and the occasional corpse. "Think I can blast a hole to the bottom with my magic?" Stroking her chin, the hero could easily see the merit of such a move.

"DON'T! That could collapse the entire structure, Miss Bisca!" Celeste cried out, suddenly fearing that her charge would take such a course of action.

Distant snarls came from the right, the darkness an inky hell of dust and gloom.

"Great…guess we go left then" Not wanting to deal with whatever made those sounds, the group started walking along the left passage, then rapidly ducked into the side hall.

A few piles of bones had been tossed along the floor, the strands of meat freshly picked clean under the few flickering mana stones. But aside from that, no enemies presented themselves. Rapidly advancing a hundred yards, the path turned to the right again leading to a sizable chamber that glowed with pleasant light.

Shambling figures turned, their sunken eye sockets devoid of life as they started to walk forward, abandoning the archway on the far side.

'Grrraahhaa….'

The eight zombies were rapidly dispatched by gunfire, sword and spell, none getting close enough to threaten the living.

"Guess we know what those Gnolls were eating" Bisca joked darkly, her left boot crushing the half ruined skull of a zombie with little care.

"Ugh…that's revolting to think about" Vera said as Dia scrunched up her face, the feline taking on a hint of green to her features.

"I guess it would be a food source for monsters…"

Enjoying the small chuckle from her throat, Bisca strode toward the doorway with caution.

"Another staircase to the next floor? Already?" Celeste pointed out as she studied the steps of stone leading downward.

"Well, I did blow a hole in the wall. Probably wasn't meant to do that" the woman shrugged simply before advancing. "Come on, next floor awaits"

"Oh. Yay. More monsters" Vera voiced with a joyless tone of sarcasm.

'RRROOOOAAARRR!'

Dust rained down on all four, thick enough to cut as the walls trembled with vibrations.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UPP!" the elf screamed out, her brow ticking.

"Well, at least we know it wasn't that dead Minotaur" Dia tried to reason with a smile.

"Yeah…probably something way worse than that" Sighing, the dark elf simply followed her friends toward the next floor of this damned dungeon.

November 1st H.A. 501. Eight bloody and monster strewn floors later…

"RRRAAAGHHH!" Bellowing with a fling of spittle, the Minotaur clutched the giant axe as the ten foot tall beast stomped forward, crushing the body of a Kobold with a sickening crunch. Swinging in a state of rage, the air almost seemed to cleave as splatters of Kobold blood covered its hard muscles.

Standing beneath the archway to a bridge on this floor, the gatekeeper had been attacked by a hungry, baying pack of Kobolds…which it was currently dispatching with a bloody, brutal efficiency.

"Do we really have to fight that thing?" Dia gulped as she stood at the corner, the group still hiding in the nearby hallway.

Multiple dead Kobolds, Gnolls, and a few skeletons littered the floor, their entrails lit up by the pulsing warmth of the magical lights embedded into the wall. Obviously, the four women had killed them in a surprise ambush after traversing the labyrinth passages, but none had known the smaller creatures were planning to attack the raging half-man/half bull beyond.

"It's guarding a bridge which means it's either being very territorial, or protecting something. We have to kill it" Bisca replied, the filthy woman splattered with assortments of dried gore from endless encounters with a whole slew of monsters ranging from more undead, to slimes, to some insane looking treasure chest that had tried to eat them all.

Bisca had hated that last one, the mimic's tongue having licked her from her boots to her face, leaving her covered in a sheen of monster drool that stunk like feces.

"I agree. We have no choice but to cross that bridge" Celeste voiced in a low whisper as she studied the chamber and bridge beyond. Unfortunately, the actual span was shrouded in darkness as the flickering torches near the archways burned.

"RRRAAGGGUUHH!" Killing the last, squirming Kobold with a mighty cleave, the larger man-beast began to calm as the bull's snout snorted.

"How should we attack?" Dia asked, the black wizard clutching her staff with both hands. Crouched down, she peered around the corner then jerked back with fear in her eyes. "I think it saw me"

"BRRAAGHH!" Heavy stomps of weight echoed, the minotaur a snorting mass of muscle and hate.

"Fuck it. I'll just blow its brains out" Switching to her longshot, the longer rifle was ready for action as Bisca stepped around the corner with her weapon raised.

Still baying with rage and manic swings, the ten foot tall beast-man stomped forward.

"Distract it if you want" the gun mage said with a weariness while bringing the scope to her right eye.

The image zoomed, her aim instantly falling upon the bullhead. Ignoring the horns and golden ring dangling from its extended snout, the hero simply breathed deeply…then fired.

Tearing through the air with a loud crack, the round tore through the Minotaur's left eye…then it's brain before exploding out of the back in a spray of skull bone and brain matter.

Taking a few more heavy steps, the beast wavered…then collapsed with a groan ten feet from the warrior.

"That was very anticlimactic. I was sure we'd have a tough time dealing with that thing"

"Eh. No smarter than a Boomer" Bisca shrugged with simplicity. Ejecting the spent shell with a fling of twirling brass, she walked past the beast and the piles of Kobolds that had been slaughtered earlier.

Looking upward at the archway of stone and ancient brickwork covered with more runes. Extending her hand, an invisible barrier of magic shimmered with a ripple, spreading outward like a pond.

"Just like that stairway to the safe zone we encountered the first day" Dia added with wonder, the black mage pressing her fingertips to the barrier. Feeling the coursing magic, she once again wondered who had constructed this place. "Was it the gods? An ancient civilization? Or maybe it was a temple at one point?"

"Well, don't just keep standing there" Bisca groused before pushing Dia through, and rapidly following as the magic barrier rippled and flowed.

Vera looked over the side, gulping as she found the gorge a plunging darkness of what seemed like infinity. Obviously she knew that was impossible, but she couldn't even see the bottom. Stepping toward the center, she was at least relieved that the bridge itself was more than fifty feet wide.

More than enough room for all of them to walk side by side without worry.

"It's very quiet here" Celeste finally mentioned as the four walked forward, their footfalls a dull echo as darkness and shadows grasped from the sides. If it wasn't for some spaced, magical lampposts along the edge, it would've been a pure pitch black.

"I know" Bisca replied, the sound of her voice even sounding flat.

Almost as if it were swallowed by the abyss below them.

They crossed without incident, finding a large set of doors before them. Constructed of wood and iron, the material was surprisingly firm if the age of this place was anything to go by. Standing nearly fifteen feet tall while embedded in an archway of stone, they were closed.

"Well, let's see what's inside" Celeste prompted. Pushing against the middle, the four women gave the effort to open the dungeon doorway. Creaking with protest and screams of none-use, the doors finally opened enough for the party to pass through.

"Oh…wow…" Vera gasped in amazement as her eyes glittered.

"Amazing…" Celeste ventured in agreement, the four captivated by the abundant wealth.

Piles of treasure were collected along each wall, spilling beyond the supporting pillars that extended nearly a hundred feet upwards. Gold shone under magical light, the glittering of jewels, crowns and coin a dazzling sight.

Several elegant weapons and pieces of equipment and armor were laid upon short pedestals to the left and right, their craftmanship a true sight to behold.

Then beyond all that at the far end of the treasure room was an altar with what could only be described as a glowing, floating orb of light.

"It's beautiful…" Dia voiced in admiration as the pulsing glow of the orb ebbed and pulsed like a tiny star.

Something moved above it, catching Bisca's attention as she raised her lancer rifle, her gaze narrowed.

'RRROOOOOAAARRRR!'

The sound was deafening, a horror of audible onslaught that had all four women clutching their ears.

"AAAUUGHH!" Bisca roared, the veteran not able to help herself as the others screamed.

"IT'S SOO LOUD! MAKE IT STOP!" Vera cried, the dark elf falling to her knees as a shadow began to fall from above.

"TAKE COVER!" The gun mage screamed as the shaking, soul crushing noise continued for a good twenty seconds. Grasping Vera by the hand, Bisca practically dragged the elf to the left, hiding behind one of the towering pillars of stone.

Happy to see Celeste and Dia to the same toward the far right, Bisca felt a minimal relief as the bellow ended.

Risking discovery as her ears thrummed and rang from the monstrous noise, the emerald haired gunmage took a glance around the curvature of the pillar, her brimmed hat covering her eyes.

They widened in horror at what they saw.

If one could describe the monster, it was a floating eye with a circumference of about fifteen feet. Glistening with a sheen of moist eye fluid, the iris was a mixture of red and yellow while the pupil was an evil black of nothingness. Blinking, a leathery fold of skin covered the eye, then rolled back, leaving a fresh covering of moisture. Then, four floating tentacles with glowing yellow tips wiggled and danced below it, the red like appendages somehow keeping the floating orb afloat.

Vera gulped, her face pale as she tried to make light of the situation. "Well…at least we know what made those sounds…" Looking around the corner again, the elf felt disgust and fear while readying her swords.

"Bisca! What's the plan!?" Dia asked with a shout, the mage clutching her staff to her chest as the floating eye extended one of its tentacles, the leathery appendage swiping through the air between the separated party.

"What else!? KILL IT!" Unleashing a war cry, Bisca moved around the pillar, instantly opening fire on the floating orb. A few rounds hit the white mass of eyeball, but the lid quickly closed as several more rounds sparked off the hide. "Shit!" Ducking low as a tentacle swiped the air, Bisca sprinted toward one of the weapon pedestals.

"Lightning Bolt!" Dia yelled out, unleashing a crackling surge of electricity to the closed eye. Splashing across the armored skin, the spell dispersed with barely a crackle.

"It's armored! How do we fight it!?" Celeste asked with a shouted yell while sprinting along the right side of the long chamber. Dashing to the next supporting pillar, a slapping tentacle almost beat her down as she tucked and rolled. Hastily swinging at the nearby tip of glowing skin, her blade slashed, damaging the flesh.

'Grrraaahhh!'

Recoiling from the damage, the dungeon guardian opened its eye as the central pupil glowed red.

'BLLLooooM!'

Superheated electricity arced outward, a crackling hell of red lightning that crashed into the pillar Celeste hid behind. Damage was done, surface stone cracking while a few errant pulses melted nearby coins.

To her credit, Celeste managed to stay calm, the holy knight keeping her glowing blade ready as the attack dissipated. Emerging from cover, she halted as the eye closed within the protective shell to send out its wiggling, attacking tentacles to maim and kill.

"THE TIPS! DESTROY THE GLOWING TIPS!" Bisca roared out as she emerged from cover. Aiming at the closest appendage snaking toward Dia, the gunmage unleashed a full magazine of rounds into the glowing end. Casings spit and flew, adding to the chatter as most of those deadly rounds tore into the yellowed flesh.

Exploding with a pulse of gore and rancid rot, the guardian swiped at Bisca in retribution as it recoiled into itself. The blow struck her midsection, throwing the woman against a nearby pillar. Coughing heavily from the shock, she barely staggered behind the supporting construct as the eyelid rolled back once more.

'BLLlloooom!'

Red lightning surged and sparked, howling around the edges of the pillar as Bisca reloaded, her breathing labored from the heavy hit. Stinking of ozone, the attack ended as the three remaining tentacles waved and pulsed, searching for the intruders.

"Bisca! Are you alright!?" Vera asked in concern as she sprinted toward her friend, taking a similar stance of cover.

"I'm fine! Just concentrate on destroying those glowing tips!" Coughing, Bisca pushed through the pain as she readied herself to move.

"THE EYE'S MOVING!" Celeste screamed out in a bellow, the blonde ducking under another waving appendage with Dia. It had cut through a pile of gold and jewels, flinging them in a rainbow of light as the monster floated toward the middle of the chamber.

"FIREBALL!"

The roiling sphere struck another glowing tip, burning and blistering the yellowed flesh before exploding in another rancid bursting of stinking material.

Raising a tentacle, the limb crashed into the floor as Dia sprinted away, the feline breathing hard in fear and rising adrenaline.

'BLLLOOoommM!'

Red lightning burst against a towering mound of treasure mere feet behind Dia as she dove behind a pillar, the woman landing face first. Flying coins and jewels rained down a moment later, but the mage was unharmed as Celeste helped her to her feet.

The eyelid closed once more, the floating orb starting to sag as two of the limbs dragged across the floor, their strength gone. Extending its two remaining tentacles that still glowed, the large monster hovered and moved toward the last known location of the knight and mage.

"HYAAAA!" Vera screamed out as she leapt off a pedestal holding a brown satchel. Both blades shone in the light, their sheen glittering as she attacked.

Jabbing a limb forward, it hoped to ensnare the elf and nearly succeeded.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Shouting as she fell and sliced, the dark elf managed to cut the disgusting, glowing tip of the attacking limb free, causing a stinking explosion of flesh to splatter against Vera as she landed. Instantly falling flat to her stomach, the guardian swiped at her, the whiff of motion flying inches above her head.

"GET INTO COVER YOU IDIOT!" Bisca roared as she emerged from her own place of safety, unleashing a fresh fusillade of rounds at the beast who had opened its eye to launch its own counter-attack. Brass flung and flipped through the air, a good ten rounds smashing into the glowing red iris before she ducked back behind a pillar.

'BllloooommM!'

Arcs of brutal, red lighting flung across the chamber to seek out the dark elf, the female running and sliding behind another structural pillar at the front of the room.

The floating eye lilted, barely half a foot off the ground as it tried to remain aloft. Having enclosed itself in the armored lid once again, it tried to send out its last wavering tentacle to kill.

Chattering gunfire ripped through the air, the rounds tearing that yellowed flesh apart. Bursting like a rancid pustule, the eyeball seemed to scream as it fell to the floor and opened its eyelid.

"You harmed Miss Bisca, foul creature!" Running around the curvature of the fifteen foot eyeball, Celeste raised her blessed sword and swung with all her might. Cleaving into the blacked pupil as the surrounding iris went completely red, the knight was extremely satisfied as the beast bled.

Unfortunately for the four women as they gathered around the stricken guardian, it began to spark with dying power. Red arcs of electricity danced across the eye and among the veins within, each second glowing with more power.

"What's it doing?" Vera asked, the dark elf holding both blades as her bosom rose with each breath from the battle.

"Obviously I slew the beast and it's reaching it's final moments" Smiling smugly, the knight gave a thumbs up to Bisca nearby.

"Maybe?" Dia shrugged as the electricity flowed and danced with increasing pulses. A sudden crack came from the eye, a portion bulging outward like a blister.

Bisca studied it for a moment, then sighed with reserved acceptance. "Awe…shit"

'BBBBBOOOOOMMMM!'

The guardian burst like a ripe melon, splattering each of the four women in the rancid fluid of eyeball material, white gore, and pinkish, red muscles that slapped across the floor, walls, and nearby pillars.

Covered nearly head to toe in what could only be described as eyeball fluid, Vera looked down at herself…then wailed.

"Ah…AHHH! IT'S EVERYWHERE! WAAAA!"

Dia had fallen upon her toned ass, her front nearly a sheening white of disgust. Eyes brimming with horror, all she could do was stare as the vile stenches rose from everything. "Why…WHY DID IT HAVE TO EXPLODE! AAAAUUUGHHH!" trying to wipe some off, the feline found it futile as Vera wailed nearby in a similar state.

"I firmly regret making it explode with my killing blow" Celeste voiced, her tone hitching as she picked out strands of muscle from her hair. Frown forming with disgust, she flung it away.

"Just like the grand python. Yuck" Flinging away more strands of gunk, Bisca tried to wipe away the worst of it on her cheeks and chin.

"Bisca…"

"Hmm? You hear that?" the gun mage asked as she looked around, finding that her three companions still trying to clean themselves.

"Hear what? Ahh…so gross…" Vera complained as she fished a piece of flesh out from between her breasts.

"Bisca…Come closer…"

The summoned hero turned, her instincts pointing toward the glowing, floating orb centered above the pedestal. Taking a step forward, Bisca went silent, her mind and body simply walking forward on instinct. Staggering through the piles of gore around her, the mage walked with a blank look as her inner mind reeled.

"Stop! Stop! Why can't I stop!?"

"Miss Bisca? Are you alright?" Celeste asked in concern as her charge continued to walk forward, her gaze almost a trance.

Already at the altar, Bisca reached out toward the glowing orb, its voice like a surrounding warmth.

"MISS BISCA! DON'T!" Sprinting with all her might, Celeste and the others ran, trying to prevent their leader from doing something regrettable.

"Bisca…help this world…unleash the blessing…."

"Yes…" Placing both hands upon the glowing, starlike orb, it suddenly sparkled with radiance as the light grew unbearable.

"MISS BISCA!" Celeste screamed as she tried to move closer, the knight shielding her eyes from the glow spilling through the room.

Vera hunched forward, her head turned away as the starlight became to unbearable. "WE HAVE TO BRE—"

The sudden pulse of energy burst outward like an invisible wall, throwing Bisca and her party to the ground. Knocked unconscious from the blast, Bisca lay prone as her friends gathered around, trying to rouse her.

"What was that!? Bisca! Bisca wake up!" Vera cried out as she shook the woman with a frantic desperation.

Groaning after a few minutes, Bisca fluttered her eyes open, the concerned looks of her party staring down at her. But that wasn't the only thing she noticed upon regaining her senses. Sitting up, she extended a shaky hand toward what could only be described as a floating screen with a hint of blue coloration.

"W…what the fuck…"

Bisca Mulan

Level: 52

Experience to next level: 38,746/114,500

Hit Points: 4103/4500

MP: 6000/6000

Strength: 12 +4 when enraged

Perception: 8

Endurance: 12

Charisma: 4

Intelligence: 8

Agility: 9

Luck: 2

Skills: Rapid Reload, Gun Expert, Sniper, Magic Gun Expert, Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Cooking, Explosives, Wound Dressing, Heroic Strength

Traits and Titles: Hero. Survivor. War Veteran. Battle Rage. Troll Slayer. Slaver Killer. Adventurer

Bisca blinked, slowly tapping the floating screen. "Uh…do any of you see this?"

"See what?" Vera simply asked before she reeled back onto her shapely ass, her breast giving a small bounce. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!"

"A floating screen? It has my name too" Dia started with wonder as she pointed toward an empty section of air.

"Same here. Did that orb cause it?"

"Well, how the hell do I get rid of it? Something stupid like 'Status Screen?" Bisca complained with obvious annoyance when the floating apparition disappeared in a flash. "Oh…that did it. Status Screen?"

It popped back, floating invisibly before she sent it away again with a glowing tickmark near her gore covered forehead. "As if I didn't have enough issues…NOW SOME STUPID LEVELING SCREEN FROM SOME CRAPPY RPG! GRAH!" Kicking over a golden chalice, she vented with newfound anger.

"I think it's neat" Dia smiled, the feline studying her own skills with wonder.

Dia Stormclaw

Level: 18

Experience to next level: 9,872/10,500

Hit Points: 1,050

Mana Points: 1,200

Strength: 6

Perception: 7

Endurance:7

Charisma: 7

Intelligence: 10

Agility: 8

Luck: 5

Skills: Class C black magic, illumination, Lightning Expertise, Item Identification, Monster Identification

Traits and Titles: War Veteran. Class D Adventurer, Black Mage, Lover of Sunlight, Cute as a kitten

"Not too bad" Smiling at herself, Dia sent the screen away as Celeste poked at her own nearby.

Celeste Brightwood

Level: 22

Experience to next level: 12,533/ 14,200

Hit Points: 1,900

Mana Points: 800

Strength: 9

Perception: 5

Endurance: 7

Charisma: 8

Intelligence: 6

Agility: 7

Luck: 4

Skills: Blessed Sword, Heavy Armor, Skilled Blade, Calming Effect

Traits and Titles: Holy Knight. Follower of Lanis. Hero's Shield. Smut Pervert. Lover of Vanilla Cheescake

"What is this? How could this status screen possibly know that?" Celeste whispered, her cheeks going red. Luckily for her, most of her was still covered in eyeball gore, hiding the embarrassment.

"WHAT KIND OF STUPID CRAP IS THIS!? VIDEO GAME SHIT!? THAT ONLY HAPPENS IN THOSE FUCKING MANGA KNIGHTWALKER READS! GRAAA!" Kicking more treasure around, Bisca continued to rage while clutching her head from the stupidity of it all.

"At least she's feeling better from getting tossed across the room" Vera pointed out as she studied her own personal screen with curiosity.

She ignored the loud crashing of treasure caused by their insane leader.

Vera Twinblade

Level: 19

Experience to next level: 1,023/ 11,000

Hit Points: 1,300

Mana Points: 100

Strength: 7

Perception: 6

Endurance: 7

Charisma: 9

Intelligence: 5

Agility: 9

Luck: 6

Skills: Double-Wielding, Acrobatic, Flexible, Lightfooted

Traits and Titles: Loyal Companion. Charismatic. Double D Breasts. Seducer of men. Easily Tricked. Fat Titted Elf.

"Just what…what kind of titles are those!? My breasts are the same size as anybody else in the party! And I don't go around seducing men!"

"Didn't you do that at the first town we went to?" Bisca inquired, the woman now calmed down from her tantrum.

"NO!" Swiping at her screen, the visage just wavered as her hand passed through before reforming. "Aughh! Status Screen!"

It blinked away, leaving the dark elf very upset. Blowing a gust of exhale upward, a few soaked strands puffed away as she crossed her arms, the cleavage still covered in eyeball goo. "Stupid thing. I am not easily tricked either"

"Sure, you're not" Bisca replied with a hint of sarcasm. Looking around, the treasure room was still filled with untold riches, and nobody was coming to take it from them. "Gather what you want. Gold, gems, or some of that equipment. Just make sure you're not overburdened. It will be impossible to take everything with us" Stooping down, Bisca scooped up some diamonds and colored gemstones, slipping them into an empty pouch along her belt. Repeating the action with gold coins, she wanted to ensure adequate funds for the short term future.

"I'm going to check out some of these swords" Vera replied with an annoyed wave as she walked to one of the pedestals holding a curved, bright red blade.

"Same here. We might as well reward ourselves with ancient treasure and equipment" Celeste added while walking off to search.

"Bisca? What are you doing?" Dia simply inquired as the gun mage returned to the ancient altar now devoid of a floating orb.

"Looking for an exit transport circle. Go find something to your liking" the greenette ordered as she began to look for anything to help them leave this dungeon.

"Alright! After all, we deserve something nice after all the awful monsters!" Skipping away as her tail swished with excitement, Dia began to pick up gold, gems, and search for something a mage could use. Walking toward one of the pedestals, the feline stared at the lone brown satchel. Barely the size of a standard coin bag, information flowed from it as Dia used her newly acquired skill to identify.

Bag of Holding

Capacity of one hundred pounds

No exterior weight difference

No deterioration of items

Dia picked it up and looked inside. A glooming nothingness stared back, far larger than the exterior surface. "Does this mean I can carry food and gear in this?" Deciding to test it, she picked up a shining crown of encrusted jewels, the treasure nearly twice the size of the bag.

The crown fit inside easily with no difference in weight.

"I'm so taking this" Dia smiled, attaching it to her right hip as she went to go collect more wonderful treasure.

A good hour passed for the group, each taking as much treasure that could be stuffed into their pockets and spare pouches. Obviously, they all found some sort of equipment or item to help on their journey.

Vera found two new swords, the weapons infused with ice and fire as the elemental weapons took on a burning or chilled characteristic.

Dia found a chainmail shirt made of mithril, the glowing, serene steel already hidden beneath her leather armor. Nearly indestructible to standard sword and bow, it would greatly increase her chances of survival during battle.

Celeste had easily found a holy battle axe with sling, the knight draping it across her back as the blade glowed with a sparkle of light. With a sturdy shaft and still sharp enough to cut, she believed it would be well used against the evil consuming the world.

As for Bisca? She found a ring of minor healing. Sliding it onto her left middle finger, she could almost feel the aches and minor wounds easing away in minutes. While she doubted it could grow new limbs or heal mortal wounds, it would definitely help with minor injuries. Coupled with her magical ammo pouch, gold and other treasures, she was more than satisfied.

Celeste was all smiles, her new axe glimmering with the blessing of Lanis. Unfortunately, she hadn't found a new set of plate armor for a woman, as all were dedicated to men…or a simple garb that would only cover her breasts and nether region. Fully impractical, the knight was quite happy with her new axe.

"You know that axe is very effective against undead, right? I just used my item appraisal skill"

"I could feel it's blessing of holy light. Of course it would smite evil. But thank you for informing me" Smiling, the knight tried to ignore the vile smell coming off of all four women from the exploded eye residue.

"Grr…Yeah! Just keep talking! Don't help me open this fucking door or anything!" Bisca grunted as she tired to pull down on an ancient lever stuck halfway down. Set into a fixture near a heavy, stone door, the lever of gilded steel had been easily discovered.

But it was old, which explained the issue Bisca was currently facing as her muscles screamed.

"I guess we should" Vera supported, the dark elf walking forward and grasping part of the shaft. "Ung...! This is really stuck!"

"No shit!"

The others rapidly fell in position, each adventurer pulling downward with all their might as they strained their arms and muscles to loosen the mechanisms buried within the stone walls of this dungeon.

'CLUNK!'

It snapped downward, spilling all four women across the nearby floor as the stone door slid open with a gravely groan of motion.

Scrambling to her feet first, Bisca entered the room with her rifle raised, expecting another hidden horror.

But there was nothing like that.

Shaped like a dome, the only light came from pulsing symbols etched into the circular floor. Brimming with power, even Vera could feel it despite her near stupidity with magic.

"Wow…my teacher would love to study this" Dia gasped as she kneeled, her gaze falling upon the symbols that burned a light blue.

"I'm sure you can send them a letter. Now come on" Walking over the pulsing threshold, Bisca waited as the group entered the circle.

Nothing happened, leaving the four standing awkwardly.

"So…is there a mag—" Vera was interrupted then, a flash of light consuming all four as the transport circle took them upward to the surface.

---

"—ic word" Finishing, the elf gasped as the four lightly staggered from the transport, the surprise getting them all.

"The surface. Finally" Bisca relayed as the sun burned down from above. Looking backward, the entranceway to the dungeon was a crumbling wreck of facades and decorations, but still stable despite the disrepair. Dug into a nearby hill covered with pine trees, she knew that it was immensely deceiving.

That's when they all felt the winter cold, the wind a brisk gust of snow and ice that screamed through the trees around them.

"Seriously! It's winter here!?" crying out, Vera tried to rub her arms together as her skin became covered in goosebumps. Pulling her fire blade, she sighed as the ambient warmth did enough to keep her from feeling the worst effects of the cold.

"Pretty sure you're not supposed to use your newly found magic sword as a heater"

"Bisca…it's cold and I don't have any armor protecting me from the worst of it" Wailing, the elf made sure to keep her fire blade nearby as the wind howled again.

The gunmage pushed through the nearby foliage, her boots crunching fresh snow as her group followed. Traveling in silence for a good ten minutes, the howling wind started to die down among the heavy forest.

Stepping over a fallen tree, Bisca pushed through the next cluster of branches to emerge upon a tiny hillock.

In the distance, perhaps a mile or two away, a walled town sat astride an icy river while snow covered farmsteads surrounded the settlement. While not a major city, the town did appear sizable as several plumes of smoke from chimney's dirtied the winter sky.

"Well, that's our destination. Let's find the elf a coat and find out just where the hell we are"

"Auuh…the eye fluid is starting to freeze…"

"Try to ignore it. Just think of a hot bath and a clean bed with warm meals" Dia smiled, trying to cheer up her friend. "Not wrong…its freezing all over me…that was sooo disgusting!"

"Let's hope they have a guild or something" Bisca voiced, her heavy boots crunching the snow as the four continued to march toward the distant town.

Continent of Drannel. Territory of Jazrith. The same day…

Hazil Jazrith stretched across the bed, the sheets of blood red material seductive to her eyes. The fact that the material matched her crimson hair wasn't lost on Hazil, but she really didn't care about that right now.

To be honest, she was exhausted. Sweat covered her nude body, her muscles sore as she lay lazily with her purpled hued breasts rising with each breath.

Next to her was another demon, a blue skinned beauty with white hair and an equally attractive physique. The queen of the ice marshlands, Java Lockva was the second queen of the demon king, and he had thoroughly enjoyed his new wives very much last night.

Standing near the open window, the demon king was like a rock of muscle, his strength felt by all the demons who had fallen under his leadership. Whipping, long hair a deep crimson with streaks of black danced in the wind, only adding to his wild look as two horns rose from his forehead.

Below, troops trained for war, the continued conquest of their ancient homeland not yet complete. Orcs and goblins…Trolls and lesser demons all trained with sword, bludgeon and bow. Spellcasters did the same, strengthening their spells for the fresh offensive in the spring.

While he himself didn't feel the effects of the cold, his troops did. And he couldn't afford to throw away lives for a costly march against the nations of Bemoth, The Kingdom of Geon, and the Haldard Principality to the south of their current gains.

"My lord…please come back to bed. We're still ready for more…" Hazil said with a voice dripping with seduction. Wrapping her arms around her king, the demon stood still for a moment, his hand extended outward to press against an invisible object.

"Somebody has unlocked an ancient blessing of the gods. Most likely a new hero"

"What sort of blessing?" Hazil asked with a hint of worry.

"A leveling system. Right now, We hold the advantage as demons. But if the heroes manage to reach a high enough level with this system of the gods, they will be able to stop us in our righteous quest to reclaim our home" Snarling the last words, his gaze darkened.

"What shoddy work by Lanis. I expected more from that drunk goddess. Probably just fucking whoever walks past her" Dispelling his newly acquired status window, the demon king looked down at Hazil, her crimson hair spilling downward to her bountiful breasts.

"Is there anything we can do, my king?" Java inquired, her blue skinned breasts flecked with drying demon seed from the previous round of lovemaking. Propping herself on one elbow, she was ready to serve her king.

"There is. The origination of this blessing occurred in northern Basill. I would like you to take a task force of ships to find the hero that activated this…shoddy blessing and destroy them before they become a threat"

"Of course, my lord!" Bowing, the first queen held only love and regard for her king as the male smiled.

"Begin preparations tomorrow. But for tonight…" Smirking, he picked up the demoness who gave a girlish squeal. Taking her back to the bed, the demon king thoroughly enjoyed his two queens for the rest of the night as their cries of pleasure filled the castle...

Well, I think that's a good place to end the chapter! Hopefully you all enjoy it!

There were so many more monsters I wanted to include in the dungeon, but sadly, there could be hundreds of them, so I had to just stick with a few. But I'll be including more fantasy monsters down the line so don't worry! Aside from that…I'll be working on my next chapter for Rising, so check that out if you'd like!

As always, read, review, and enjoy!

Thehappy