The walk back wasn't never long but it was very short either. Boron's house was somewhat distant from the village but was still far enough to make some people second think a visit. The dirt road was barely visible now it was only thanks to the light the giant crystal gave that we could see the path back to the village. The forest around us was quiet and tranquil, but still even one had to be on guard. Monsters still roamed this floor and although true monsters rarely were seen around the villages or near dirt road there have been instances where careless adventures let their guard down and have an unexpected encounter with a monster. Azer finally broke the silence. "That dwarf…. Stay away from him you hear, his nothing but trouble."

"…..I'll think about it." Azer looked over his shoulder for a second, looked back and pulled out a small pouch from his waist. "Here" he said without looking handing me the pouch. It was a small leather bag and its contents were obvious, valis. "It's from today's hunt…"

Why is it that even though we kill so much on our hunting trips, we get so little?

Azer suddenly stopped. "Also this" "This?-Ack!" The blow was straight to my stomach sending me stumbling back, and with Azer being pure muscle well yeah. Once I looked back up at Azer it was already too late as a second blow followed throwing off the dirt road into a bush. "That's for running off on us rookie! What was the big idea anyways!? You know how far down we were?!" "Ha, haa haa" I pulled myself up just using a nearby tree as support. "I haa haa I thought I felt someone die-

Wrong answer…..

"For a stupid reason like that you left?!" I could still feel the blow from his knee as I slowly slide down leaning on the tree. The blood piling up it my mouth didn't help either. "I'm serious haa I felt someone die…" "As if I would ever believe an excuse like that! You're a mess clean yourself up and head to the village the others are there waiting."

Haa remind me again whose fault it is I'm like this right now.

With that said Azer walked off leaving me behind. "ha haa haa…..sigh…well, it could have gone worse." I forced myself up and back on the dirt road where the village light could be seen over a few tree tops. With that over the forest slowly went back to is quiet and peaceful state.

After stopping by and "cleaning myself up" I decided to make my way to the bar. The cheers and rowdy noise could be heard even before entering the main village. The bar was inside the biggest tent in the village run by a couple adventures that were almost always there for whatever reason. Slowly I pushed the flaps of the tent aside to well a less then sophisticated sight. Adventures sitting at every table drinking, throwing arms up cheering and just having a good time. Keiki must have spotted me and started waving at me. I simply just raised my hand to signal that I noticed him. I had noticed Azer almost instantly after walking in, he was always at a table just off of what would be the center of the tent with other big strong adventures. They were all leaders of their own groups but never sat with them for whatever reason.

Sigh

I slowly weaved my way through the crowd to where Keiki and the others were.

"Yo what took you so long rookie?" said William "Nothing I just got held up that's all…"

"So then what's up with the bandage around your head?" asked Keiki. "Probably stumbled and hit his head a little too hard or something." "Hilarious" I stated sarcastically and unimpressed. "So what happened in the dungeon today? Keiki told me you felt someone die or some weird thing like that?" "I rather not talk about it." "Aw come on rookie, fine then what do you want to talk about then? Go on anything you want to ask." He said kicking his feet up on the table. "…..fine tell me about the surface."

…

"You know we aren't really supposed to talk about that you know…."

Same answer over and over again.

"Then tell me who are those people who enter the opposite and leave the opposite side of this floor?" "H-Heck how should I know all I know is that there from other camps and stuff found underground.." "Then how many underground camps are there like the 18th floor?!" "H-how many are there.." "You should know right!- Why is the whole tent quite now…Azer! A sharp pain sent my flying through the tent wall ripping the fabric as I landed outside. Azer walked through the new exit. "Hey, rookie someone ought to put you in your place…" He was drunk but I was done. He was about to throw a kick but was to slow while drunk. "Yo Azer your drunk let it go he was only asking a question!" "SHUT UP WILLIAM OR YOUR NEXT KEIKI MY SWORD!" Keiki hesitated looking at me stumble to get to my feet. I could still feel the pain from earlier. "KEIKI!" shouted Azer turning his glaze towards Keiki snapping him out of his frozen state. Keiki taking one last look at me ran back inside the tent. "Let me make something clear rookie, you work for me. Who was it that gave you a job in the dungeon and saved you after we found you nearly half dead?! "tch…." Keiki came back handing Azer his sword, this thing had turned into a spectacle with everyone who was inside the bar now trying to get a good view. "Come on Azer you get him!" "Beat him good Azer!"

What is this?! A fight club?

"You got no respect for your superior you ungrateful brat!" He was unsheathing his sword and part off the crowd oooo at his as if it was about to get good. "I'm not goanna fight you Azer!" "Good then that makes my job a little easier" He brought down the sword.

This was it then huh…wait.

"Boron?!" There stood the dwarf blocking Azers sword with his own. "Get out of here! I'll buy you time!" "You dirty like dwarf!" Azer brought down the sword again but I had already moved right and Boron stepped back enough for it to miss. "Listen Azer here has just been using you to get profit of dungeon hunts! Take this and run!" He tossed me a small bag with a note attached to the side of it. "BORON!" Azer was too drunk to reason with and I was to at awe to move. "But-" "There's not time to explain just go!"

Move. Move! MOVE!

Finally I got to my feet and bolted towards the village exit. "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOUR GOING ROOKIE!" I turned my head just to watch Boron step in front of Azer before I ran down the dirt road.

"Ha haa haa haa" I was at Boron's house now. The note Boron had attached to the bag said to go to his house and pull the second plank closest to the door up. Taking in a deep breath I opened up the old door to his house. Everything was still a mess but what was to be expected.

Second plank, second plank…

Creek. This plank! I managed to pull up the plank and underneath it was a small long storage area. In it was a black longsword with a sheath to match, a book, small adventurer backpack and a letter.

…..What.

I reached for the letter first. It was from Boron….

If your reading this rookie, then its time now. You probably don't have much time to read this so let me make it short and simple. There was never a god war on the surface, 18 floors above us is a city called Orario the Labyrinth City. Azer has been lying to you this entire time and has the whole village lying to, there great potential in you and Azer wanted to exploit that for money from killing monsters. Get out of here and climb up out of the dungeon! I've complied a bunch of notes in a journal inside the backpack as well as 100000 valis but them to good use when you get out! There a letter inside the book with more information but for now RUN! GET OUT OF THE DUNGEON!

…..Ha….HA HA HA

Theres was a tear running down my cheek..

Thank you, Boron

"Over here!" Huh? There was a light moving through the forest with what seemed to be a scouting party size group with them…

Azer….

I grabbed the backpack and swung it over my shoulder throwing the book inside, and the sword- "Ow!" The sword was stone cold on touch and my head started to hurt, a killing pain my vison went all foggy to as if some mist had covered the whole house.

"His probably hiding in the dwarfs house!" Shit no time, I grab the sword and throw it over my shoulder.

Strange it's not so cold now…

Now to get out of here! The backdoor, without second thought I bolt out the back door running towards a spot not far from Boron's house.

I think I lost them…

I was in the wood at a secret location, I don't think may knew about it but it looked like a shrine. It was a small mount with various weapons sticking out of it. There were some flowers placed near each starting to wilt but what I was looking for was a brush with next to a tree marked with red paint at the base. There. It was harder to spot with my vision being blurred. I pulled out a medium size leather pouch from the bush. "So this makes around 700,000 valis…" Quickly tossing it into my pack I set of again, this time toward that exit. The forest as always was quite but only here, I'm sure else where Azer had the whole village looking for me. The only good thing about this was how the breeze felt as I was running. I finally got to the exit and strangely Azer hadn't posted anyone here. My head was still hurting and my vision had improved little since. "Rookie…." I instinctively pulled out the sword and spun around ready to fight. "Woah easy there it's me William." "Ah sorry about that" I said rubbing my eye "So are you hear to stop me or what?" "No I came here to apologize, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier rookie. Truly I am. Oh Keiki is here to." He signaled Keiki to come out of hiding. Keiki came out holding another pouch. "Im sorry." He said holding out the pouch. "A good bye gift. Its not much but it should help you up there." Explained Williams. "Thanks" I stored the pouch along with the others. "So what is Orario like?" "Don't know never been there myself HA lucky you gets to go, me and Keiki mostly grew up here on the 18th floor, but you don't have a lot of time to be chit chatting do you? Get your ass moving." He said with his grin on his face as he tried to hide back a tear. "Huh also take this" he took his twin blade of his back and handed it to me. "What? No I couldn't it costed you a fortune to buy that here remember?" "Just take it I have another one already, this of it as a gift for lying." "…Thank you-get down both of you!" I threw both Keiki and Williams to the ground "Agh!" An arrow landed straight on my left leg followed by one on my left arm.

Lucky there were just wooden arrows…

"Stay down and say I beat you down and took your weapon, thank you both of you!" With that said I got up pulled off the arrows and ran towards the exit.

This Orario place better be worth it!

Please leave a review/comment and tell me what you think so far. I would greatly appreciate advice and your thoughts. Thank You For Reading - 00KV