It Is Right to Take the Next Step in the Dungeon Chapter 9: Shakti IV, a dungeon ni deai o motomeru no wa machigatte iru darou ka fanfic

Well, this is a beefy one. 20k. It's also the climax of Shakti's arc here though, and one of the more in-depth looks we get at the 59th floor. Had a lot to touch on with Shakti, even if I have been trying to drop is one more part of Shakti's 'arc', but at least next two chapters aren't Shakti. Actually three. Think it is a Loki Familia, Ottar, and Tsubaki updates before we finish up Shakti's.

Hope this is enjoyable though. Also, almost forgot replies.

torresjuan010: Hmm, floor bosses. Generally speaking, the real threat is that in comparison to most other monsters, they have much more HP. Goliath isn't too much stronger than another large, high Level 4 monster. But it at 100 HP where most monsters have 5-25. This means that any battle without a large power gap is a slog where a single hit can really hurt you. So unless you have the maneuverability of Ais to dodge and great offensive ability relative to level (and I like to remind people that Ais had to be bailed out once due to a glancing blow from Udaeus) or Ottar's endurance and recovery capability, you just have so little leeway while it has a lot. Generally, 3-5 adventurers a level lower is possible so long as someone doesn't goof. When you go lower, you're probably wanting a dozen just to really keep that chip damage in effect and allow a few to withdraw if necessary.

Okay: Valgang Dragons were not enough. I'm rather a believer in leveling up being hard, especially once you reach higher levels. You'll also receive info on Shakti's spell this chapter.

ObeRun: Unfortunately, Astraea familia died years before this story started. It pains me too, because I genuinely love that familia. One of main temptations for pre-Great Feud story ideas. As for Asfi or Airmid, latter is a bit more likely. Who knows though. Hopefully I have enough worldbuildng done to occasionally just throw an interesting POV in once in a while.

InsaneMakaioshin: PM's you since you had several questions that were easy to answer.

"Everything looks to be in order," Shakti said as she looked over the requisition form for the familia supplies. She nodded at the person beyond the counter. "I shall fetch it all immediately."

"Of course, little Sha Sha."

Shakti stared at the use of that old nickname.

It eventually made Caine squirm, eventually bursting out with a self-depreciating chuckle, "Okay, okay. Shakti. No need to get mad at me. You're a big girl."

"Yet the way you are saying big girl," Shakti countered, eyebrows furrowing at the teasing tone that had been used.

"Okay, enough with the look," Caine finally exclaimed, holding his hands up in surrender. "You'll be a terror when you grow up, Lady Shakti."

Shakti nodded in satisfaction at that.

"Just need a few more years."

And her frown returned.

"Oh, don't listen to this lug, Shakti," the one next to him said, slapping Caine on the shoulder. Jaff then sent her a grin as he added, "He'll distract you from your work for an hour, if you let him."

Starting at that reminder, she nodded and moved into the back.

Inside several minutes she was back, holding a tray of items that she slid to them while saying, "Here is everything you requested."

"That was quick."

Jaff quickly agreed, taking them even as he sent her a look and commented, "It was. Usually, it takes a bit longer."

Shakti nodded and, trying not to puff up, explained simply, "The storehouse is well-organized, but still big. I simply started putting together a selection early in the morning that is ready to go. I have to put away anything unused at the end of the day, but I think it more convenient for rapid turnover items."

"Clever girl," Caine remarked.

"It is," Jaff said, although he quickly put it away. "We got to get running though, so not the time to say more. Have a good one, little Shakti."

Shakti allowed the 'little' to go since he didn't say it in the teasing way of Caine. Instead, she just waved goodbye to the two that she'd known for all her life leaving. She then got back to her job at the Ganesha Familia supply depot.

It was several hours that a voice she instantly recognized called out, "Enjoying yourself, Shakti?"

"Yes, father," she said as she looked at him approaching. "Mother and Laza too. Good afternoon. Do you need anything?"

"Nah, just checking in," her mother said, smiling down happily at her. "Just a few questions about what you wanted tonight."

"Got to appreciate our fine daughter at her job," her father added too, laughing boldly before leaning into whisper. "If you want to leave to have some fun though, I think I can look the other way today."

"Father/Puranas," Shakti and her mother let out simultaneously in chiding tones.

"Sorry, sorry. What can I say? It's my daughter's twelfth birthday. She should have a day," he protested.

Just shaking her head, Shakti watched as her mother took her father to task. It was a rarer sight, since her father was usually actually quite serious. Puranas Varma was the current Captain of the Ganesha Familia, at Level 6. Even he knew that came with responsibilities. It wasn't hard either to look the part. While tanner than Shakti, he was otherwise her written large with dark blue hair, serious set to the mouth, and firm gaze.

He was the indulgent parent though.

Turning away from her father, Shakti looked at her slate-gray haired mother and informed her calmly, "I do not mind how we celebrate, although it's best to ensure Jain and the others are entertained."

Having five younger siblings meant any family gatherings had to go a certain way if one didn't want tantrums.

"We'll handle your siblings, Shakti. This is your day," her mother reminded her gently.

"Your mother is right. Think of what you want," her father said, only to get more serious as he glanced at the supply depot. Sighing, he then continued, "And, just to tell Lord Ganesha before the party, are you sure you wish to stay working here? We wanted to wait till you were ten years, and are honestly glad to have extended it to twelve, but you can receive a falna now if you wish? It's your choice, but…the expectation won't fade."

Shakti just looked at him though, eventually smiling and saying, "I'm quite satisfied merely working to support the familia in the logistics, father."

"Well, if that is your choice," he merely said with a chuckle, putting his hand on her head and ruffling her hair.

Shakti came to with the grimy, slowness that spoke of shaking off Mind Down.

"Captain," a voice spoke as she stirred, making her open her eyes to make out Anaise through blurry vision. "Don't take it too fast. You are still recovering. Ilta!"

While it did take several seconds, Shakti was able to sit up with vision clearing. It allowed her to see that they were in a cave, small crystal magic items emitting light. At least half the team was inside, most wrapped up warmly.

"Finally awake, eh sis?" Ilta asked as she jumped in from the entrance.

"Appears s – you are actually dressed," Shakti started, only to immediately cut to that statement.

"Hey, I am always dressed," Ilta immediately protested, although she then picked at the far more covering and thick clothing with a pout. "It's just cold out, so I had to get dressed a bit more."

Deciding to shrug off the unusual sight of an amazon with a thick coat and pants, Shakti looked down to see the bedroll she had been put in, and asked unnecessarily, "I passed out?"

"You kept moving for quite a bit, but walking down, you know," Ilta said with hands raised with a shrug.

Shakti did. While Mind Down tended to result in straight fainting as Level 1 or 2, higher levels allowed a wider range to start appearing. Depending on one's own characteristics, a number of factors like willpower, Mind reserves, Mind recovery, and more started to have an effect. Sometimes you found people that collapsed in a straight faint at the hint of Mind Down, but recovered in half a day. Others could push through, keep fighting in a battle and even be aware for a short time afterwards, only to then collapse and not be able to speak or think clearly for three days.

Walking down was an unofficial term for those all but unconscious even if they can keep moving and doing simple tasks.

Shakti started to remember it too. The blur of memories and the landscape passing. The exhaustion you push through till you are moving through a haze inside your mind. All details scrubbed.

Nodding, Shakti asked quickly, "Situation?"

While Shakti was the captain and preferred keeping on top of things, everyone in this was a veteran who could handle themselves in the Dungeon.

Which the following explanation proved.

"The Valgang Dragons descended?!"

"Yep," Ilta confirmed with a little pop of her lips.

"They blasted through the stairs bottleneck with their fires," Aniase elaborated, checking Shakti's pulse and eye movement. "Not too surprising since we left them behind, but we had already made some distance and only made more when they came through…not that it proved needed."

"We were too far to see properly and I couldn't go scout as I needed to watch everyone, but some things you don't need to see personally," Ilta added.

Two Valgang Dragons descended to the 59thfloor. Ilta saw the forms of monsters, land and flying, drawn from miles by their entrance descend on them. The Valgang Dragons did not leave the island.

That was enough.

"We can't draw such attention ourselves," Shakti immediately stated.

"We don't intend to," Ilta said, as she then continued to explain.

After making a distance from all that were drawn in by the blaring signal of the Valgang's Dragon's blast through the floor, it hadn't taken the fresher members long to see they needed to rest. Shakti couldn't even remember any conversations. A cave had proven a lucky finding. Well, it had seemingly been more a crevice that they'd had to widen themselves, but that wasn't an issue for Level 4 and 5's so long as it was just regular rock.

"Even found some adamantite," Ilta remarked cheerily, pointing to a little pile of ore. "Alongside some coal of all things, but the adamantite is nice and pure. Lucky perk."

"We hunkered down to allow recovery, with those fresher guarding outside," Anaise quickly took over, nodding at her check of Shakti. Catching Shakti looking at Crem in a similar bedroll to herself, she added, "Crem's fine. It's been a day, but she'll likely need two more."

"A day," Shakti repeated herself, finally nodding with newly resolved look. She forced herself back up, stretching carefully to remove – at least alleviate – the lingering aches and weakness of her body. "We'll keep resting for now, but I need to get a feel for this all myself."

"Well, we have this ready for you," Ilta said as she brought out a coat.

…making Shakti rather aware of how much the battle on the 58thfloor had ruined her battle dress – repair enchantments or not.

She was experienced enough to know this happened in the Dungeon, not overreacting, but she was quick to grab the coat regardless.

She then went out to look over the guards, which only made her ask, "What attacked?"

"These ice raptor monsters. Like from the Dense Forest Ravine," Greant answered her quick, before raising a hand to several teeth marks in his armor. "Much stronger though. I wouldn't want to be alone against a pack, but we were able to avoid that. Main issue is they have this spit attack. My armor blocked it well and Ladako was only stalled for a time, but Disc…"

"Took some skin with it," the slightly pot-bellied tamer of the group said, gesturing to where his right shoulder was wrapped up while trying not to grimace.

"Sorry, it was because I-"

"And I've already said to not worry about it," Disc cut off Zen's apologetic words, ruffling his hair before shoving it playfully. "We all get caught out, and better me then you. It's not even bad enough for a potion."

Shakti took in the wound even as the comradery between the two Level 4's showed, reluctantly admitting, "With Crem down, we do need to be careful with minor injuries. First whiff of any infection-"

"And I'll tell you right away, captain," Disc answered easily, chuckling. "I have no intent on dying to a bloody infection."

Not responding to that, Shakti merely continued her survey of the situation.

Everyone awake and moving was heavily clothed, even inside the cave. If the cave had been drafty though, the outside was bitterly cold. Even Shakti had to pull her coat tighter. Not even a Level 6 would be spared needing more protection, and the Level 4's were requiring frequent times inside to warm up.

She also got her first look at the Glacier Territory. Numerous islands of frozen ice or black rock within view, connected – or not so connected – by bridges of ice. All surrounded by black seas, and an evening sky.

"Was light earlier, but been like this for a while."

Merely nodding at that, Shakti went inside. She called those resting inside to help as they laid out and took an accounting of all their supplies. With everyone but Shakti and Ilta having carried some sort of bags, they were surprisingly well off. Naturally, it wasn't as much as if they had brought wagons. However, they had reached here in the same week timeframe that it usually took wagons to reach the 50thfloor, and their supplies were merely being split between sixteen people as opposed to the half a hundred any expedition usually was composed of.

She made sure to go over all the armor and weapons, then the potions, the current state of everyone, and finally the food.

She soon found herself at the center of everyone still up and explained while meeting all their eyes, "We're doing a classic three-group, two-part-rotation for this. The injured and finished stay here till recovered. The rotation is between home group guarding the shelter and recovering while the venturing group scouts and hunts. I shall always lead the latter. Home group shall defend, but no one is to go out seeking combat without my presence. Understood?"

"""Yes, Captain Shakti."""

"Good, now our priorities and concerns to keep track of," Shakti continued. "Proceed carefully, and I expect all of you to listen if I call for a retreat. We do not know the monsters here, and surprises will happen. You do more by going back with information for next time than standing and potentially dying. That also applies to our drops. Take full liberty with collecting anything of value we can find. Treat this as an information-gathering mission. Monsters, drops, the environment. These are the lifeblood of any plans to advance further. We don't know what the Freya or Loki familias might reveal, so we must secure ourselves in this."

No matter how harrowing it was in this moment, should everything go right, they would be returning here. If Shakti leveled up. If some of the senior Level 4's leveled up. A year or two wasn't impossible. To fail in that would be an ill sign of the near future.

"That isn't all we need to do though," Ilta quickly burst out, clearly thinking the same. The amazon was exciting, grinning and looking at Shakti eagerly. "We're here for you, sis. That's our first priority."

Her words only drew similar looks from the others.

"And sometimes it isn't so simple…but thank you all," Shakti said, trying to take this as it's meant over the more pessimistic thoughts. "That is why I shall focus with the venturing team. You all shall support me in fights that hopefully shall serve to provide high-class excelia. That is my concern, however. You focus on watching yourselves, the monsters, and potential resources and drops."

"We'll do everything necessary so you can focus on taking the next step, captain," Ligand assured her.

Shakti merely hummed in quiet acknowledgement before diving back into other information, "We'll act as a group, sticking to scouting and smaller battles till Crem is up. We can't expect her to heal everything from now on though, as I'd prefer her to provide magical attacks. Anything serious, we use a potion. With our supplies, we're likely to be forced to return due to equipment and potions shortages than food. So be aware, but we're not here to avoid combat. I'd rather have a productive week than two of hiding and sneaking. We challenge these floors to assess their danger for the future. Am I understood?"

"""Yes, captain."""

"Then, adventurers of Ganesha, ready yourselves to move."

Exploring a new territory in the Dungeon was always harrowing. It was arguably the time when most adventurers died. The new environment, new monsters, new strength of the enemies you are facing. It all has a way of overwhelming someone.

More new environmental information than ever barraging you.

A greater need to focus solely on remaining alert to unknown monster threats.

The lack of ingrained habits and experience on what to expect or where to do.

The crossroads of these facts had a way of affecting a person. Not always purely for good or ill either. Some found themselves far more hyperaware of the new environment than they usually were, but made amateur mistakes in combat. Others had their focus refined into a sharp blade, but would come out with little memory besides of combat. Some panicked and lost hope in the face of new opponents that were stronger than they were used to, but subsequently could be inspired to force themselves to new heights.

Shakti honestly had more important things to consider than which she was, but that didn't mean she didn't acknowledge that truth.

There was a reason an old saying was that true adventurers were the ones constantly pushing the border of the unknown.

And the 59th floor was no different in that regard.

You could tell a lot about a floor's dangers based on its pests.

If they were too much a challenge, it was as clear a sign as you would receive that you were not ready for that floor.

Shakti's spear lashed out in a thrust to meet the ice raptor that lunged, but it reacted fast and pulled back. Her spear still cut into its face, but it survived and bounded back while spitting. She dodged the ice spit, and then had to spin her spear to warn away the one that tried to flank her. When this one tried to pull back, she jumped at it.

"Don't let up!" she called as she stabbed it, using that to vault herself to avoid the first that tried to get at her rear. As she landed, she tore the spear out its spine, and she then did a straight thrust at the other. "Divide up between attacking and defending."

"Got it," Greant said, currently blocking the largest one from pushing into the center of their formation. "Disol! Reshid!"

"We're here!" one of the other shield bearers claimed as he moved with great speed to catch a spit attack before it could hit Tamanna.

The other moved too, catching a coordinated strike from the opposite direction the same. Uncaring of how his shield sprouted a flower of ice from it, he added, "We'll be Tamanna's shields."

Shakti nodded even as she twisted her spear into the ice raptor, finishing it off. Exactly as hoped. She'd only elected to take three Level 4's for this first trip, and she'd chosen carefully. Tamanna for Duality Shelter, which should work here as good as it did in the Labyrinth Territory, and Disol and Reshid for their equipment. With the spit attack of these monsters taking no small bit of skin with it against Level 4's, it was only natural to choose the ones with full armor and shields.

The level 5's were in a much better place.

Well, except Greant.

Which was why Shakti darted in to aid him first. The larger ice raptor detected her and managed to dodge enough that her spear merely scored its flank over stabbing deep, and its retaliatory snap of its jaws snapped right by her ear as she dodged too. She had to use her spear to block as it spun to strike at her with its tail, but she flowed with it into a backflip. As soon as her feet landed, she jumped back with three thrusts at its face near instantaneous. It took the blows to its face, even as it then charged right back at her. She had to jump to the side.

"Captain!" Ryana's voice called from a rock she'd jumped onto to provide ranged support.

Shakti immediately understood why. Her jump had put her moving towards one of the smaller raptors. An enemy that was already lunging with mouth wide open. How the larger one then spun to lunge if she dodged was far too in synch to ascribe to luck.

Proper pack techniques and tactics.

Too bad mankind wasn't lacking in such either.

Ryana's arrow caught the smaller raptor in the eye, making it recoil, and – having trusted Ryana would cover that – Shakti sent a thrust right into the larger one's opened mouth. The spearhead burst from the back of its head. It trembled for several moments, as if fighting its fate, but finally moved to collapse.

Shakti tore her spear out the side as soon as it did so, spinning 180 degrees to also cut the neck of the blinded smaller one.

…

The raptors were not simple to handle. Their ice spit was a threat for those caught in it, with any Level 4 at extra risk from the wounds incurred. Their pack tactics also had to be considered.

Only the larger ones could genuinely threaten a Level 5 alone, but they were still threats. Shakti would say any group of Level 4's would need to know of the spit attack and be of equal number to decisively win against them. An numerical edge too if a leader was among the raptors. She also wouldn't place any newer Level 5 against even a small pack alone. Yet, ultimately…

Manageable to proper squads acting with care.

"I see some caribou-like monsters," Ryana said from the highest point she found on this island. She hopped thirty meters without hesitation to land softly beside us. "Next island over."

"Thick horns that don't split but curve?" Shakti asked.

"Yes."

"I read of these from the records of Zeus and Hera. Anteka, they called them," Shakti explained. "They'll attack if provoked, but largely are migratory herbivores. Their horns are valuable though, and can be cut off if we subdue them."

"Well, we are trying to get at least a few examples of everything we can while here," Ilta said, a bit disappointed that this wouldn't be a harsh battle.

Although, said battle did not prove a cakewalk either. The monsters were willing to defend themselves, even if running was their preferred method. The number of nonlethal ways for them to knock out a handful of monsters with the rough speed and durability of weaker Level 5's was also limited.

They succeeded, but it proved an unexpected hassle.

"Captain," Ryana said, breathing heavily since she had been front and center as a tamer. "We might need to come up with a better way."

"Next time, we set Anaise's curse on them," Ilta bluntly declared, growing as she stood over one Anteka that had refused to go down quietly.

Shakti was rather in agreement though, stating, "That does seem to be best. Still, we succeeded. Tamanna, join Ryana and I in harvesting. The rest of you, keep watch to ensure nothing decides to come for an easy meal."

The Anteka did not prove to be the only nontraditional monster for them to find.

Ryana made some sort of noise besides Shakti.

Shakti too felt something that made her tilt her head.

She quickly shook it off though, instead commenting seriously, "I read of these. Pokara, although neither Zeus nor Hera left much else. I am unsure if we've ever seen such an obvious life cycle of a monster species before."

The seal-like monsters before them were clearly a herd. Unlike the raptors, these ones weren't all combatants too. Not when some of them were quite clearly babies and other young, watched over by what appeared to be their mothers.

"Fascinating," Ryana said, mouth running in a whisper even as she restrained herself. "I've never visited the arctic regions on the surface, but they almost appear to be mimicking seals or walruses properly. I've read a bit about them. The species exhibit varying degrees of polygyny, with the females raising the young. Male walruses also sometimes look after them."

"Well, it seems fitting. Their mothers are watching," Shakti remarked, turning her head to focus in on the form that heaved itself out of the water. "And there is seemingly the protector."

As unthreatening as the babies appeared, that wasn't the case for when they got older. The babies were maybe the size of an adult human, if heavier looking due to plenty of blubber. The mothers were significantly larger. This – what she assumed to be a – male was at least twelve meters long and five tall. It also had prominent horns that could do damage if its head or tail caught landed a blow. The Pokaradon.

They ended up stalking the group for a short time. Shakti wasn't sure if they wanted to attack the large one when its mates could assist it. Yet, it was an interesting sight. The clear young monster offered possibilities as a tamer, especially upon seeing what they could grow to.

Ryana, Ledako, and Tamanna also agreed.

"I want one," Ryana whispered with some furor in her voice.

Entirely professional.

Of course, that meant they kept their distance. The monsters did not seem the most sensitive to stalkers, but they were aware. The mothers were quick to give warning signs at the sight of them.

Their watching eventually led to them witnessing a harsh break in the atmosphere.

"What is…something is coming," Shakti said as she spotted something out of the corner of her eyes. She was the first to spot it, not as focused on the monsters before them. The others quickly looked, but it was basically too late.

It was honestly shocking how quickly it came. How little warning there was. Despite the sheer ice and snow in most directions, all that rose was a horn. Or a fin. Something sliding through the ice. It was fast, and barely even made vibrations through the ground.

It only became apparent when it burst from the ground, sharp horn tearing one of the mothers in half. Half of it immediately being snapped up by the monster as it rose. It was a blue and white wyvern technically – forearms also forming wings, but was a monster that could only be called dragon. Its head bore a blade-like horn, a large dorsal fin-like horn on its back, tail ending in a spiked club, and other spikes all over its body.

The pokaradon let out a furious cry, and immediately started moving towards the new enemy.

The dragon interloper was far faster though. The other half of the pokara was eaten, and its tail killed another with a spin before it faced and met the pokaradon head on with a stab of its head. The two monsters were immediately engaged in a ferocious battle, biting, stabbing, and ramming at each other.

"I saw that thing before. It descended on the Valgang Dragons," Ilta warned, eyes narrowing in complete seriousness at the new threat.

Shakti understood the implication, but it was too much an opportunity for Shakti to not stand and declare, "We move in. Wait for those two to wound each other more, and then we'll finish them off."

Ideally, they could come out of this with the magic stones and – hopefully – drops of the downed pokara, pokaradon, and dragon.

"Ryana, watch the skies and ground both. Ensure we aren't surprised," Shakti called as they started moving, keeping the high ground over the two large monsters clashing below them in the valley. "Greant, Ledako, Ilta, target their flanks and rear. I'll stay in front to draw any attacks. Tamanna, put Duality Shelteron me in case. Disol, Reshid, guard Tamanna and keep away any of the other pokara."

Reaching right above them as the two monsters rammed into the ice wall, Shakti dropped. Spear coming down first, targeted carefully for her opening strike. The wing of the dragon.

Her spear pierced and the dragon roared, but it also acted shockingly fast. Pulling away from the pokaradon, it spun and Shakti barely avoided being thrown away. The same for the following tail strike, spikes of its tail whistling right by her. Just as important was the way it put it out of range of the others, who instead had to drop down on the pokaradon.

"Orya!"

"Grah!"

"Hmmm."

The blows of the three landed on the pokaradon, but like Shakti's strike it only caused it to cry out before lashing at the new attackers.

"That thing is thick," Ilta cried as she jumped.

"Both hide and blubber protect it," Greant added, taking a blow on the shield and digging furrows in the ground as he was sent sliding back.

"Just keep at it," Shakti ordered as she was sent into her own series of dodges as she tried to close the distance with the dragon. Her attempt to stab at its tail piercing halfway through its scales. "You all focus on that one. Ryana, support me from afar with this one."

The battle was not a fast one.

The pokaradon was a bulky enemy. Not as high of defenses as a scaled enemy, but critically wounding it was more than a mere challenge. Its furred hide deflected enough, and it had feet of thick, dense blubber underneath that absorbed more. Ilta was forced to take the riskiest position, attacking its head and back that weren't as soft to blunt strikes as elsewhere. Greant and Ladako carved into its sides, but it seemingly ignored the wounds littering its flanks that didn't reach deep.

And Shakti was hardly better.

The dragon was every bit the foe it appeared as. It was not hard to guess that this would triumph over a Valgang Dragon. While not as large, its scales were just as hard. The tail, head, and wing spikes lent every moment an extra lethality. Worse, it was also far faster.

Shakti jumped and rolled, and still felt her shoulder split open as a cut was open from the tail strike it unleashed. She had to ignore it, darting back in for the instant it gathered itself again after the spin. Already given up on breaking that main horn, she thrust her spear into its wing again. Dozens of strikes had come to litter its left wing, all centered on a single target area. The spear head sunk in, but Shakti was forced to retreat before its attack caught her. Barely any distance made, itflappedits wings hard enough that the wind buffeted and threw her back.

She landed, but the monster was following up. It dived into the ice, punching through with utter ease. It then rushed at her, surfacing and descending as if swimming through the ice. Ice and snow launching with its passage, and its cresting exceedingly dangerous due to the sharp horn on its head.

"Clear the way!" Shakti yelled at her comrades, even as she wanted for the right moment.

Right as it was about to crest and run her over, she darted just enough to the side to avoid its horn and thrust her spear right into its neck as it passed.

It landed, its mere passing half-buried her in ice and it continue on despite the counterstrike. After all, the other battle was happening right behind her. Her fellow familia members had heeded her warning, and jumped out of the way. The pokaradon was not so agile, and so found itself stabbed by the horn before the entire weight of the dragon slammed into it. The horn ripped out in a grisly display that sent the pokaradon crying in pain.

And rage. The pokaradon struck right back despite the terrible wound inflicted. Its head rammed into the dragon and it used its horn to tear a gash in its neck. Greater bulk pushed the dragon back, and a bodily spin sent that great, horned tail slamming into the dragon and actually knocking it onto its side.

"Hit the dragon," Shakti called as she went in and started stabbing at the monster as it tried to scrabble back to a standing position.

Her familia members joined. It actually stayed down for precious seconds, primarily from the pokaradon attacking, but it was not so easily finished off. A flap of its wings pushed them away, and its head swung around to inflict another wound to distract the pokaradon. It then stood back up.

A flap of its wings then proved it could indeed fly, and it hovered as it drew in breath. A fierce roar echoed as a red energy started sparking from it. Clearly with new energy and power, it dived down shockingly fast to land right between them and the pokaradon. Its head was buried in the ice, and it spun. Head still in, it threw up massive amounts of ice and snow. Which as it span almost turned into a mini-tornado that then exploded with the red energy.

Which burned.

"Gah!"

Ilta and Ledako were thrown away, and even Greant sunk to his knees as the red energy seemed to cling to him. The armored tank of the group groaning in pain. Shakti was right with him, gritting her teeth as she landed and unable to help body seizing up for a moment at the unexpected pain. Whatever that was, it wasn't of the fire element as it got past Duality Shelter.

All the time needed for the dragon to then shoot at the pokaradon in a fast glide, once again stabbing into it and ramming it against a cliff. It only continued on, more flaps of its wings building up speed. It did a circuit around the valley, buffeting them all with wing and ice that threw them away and froze limbs for precious seconds.

The former was unavoidable, but Duality Shelter spared Shakti of the latter.

Which made her aware as the dragon went after the dead pokara over them. The red energy was gone, but it was soon chomping with eager intent at the monster. Her Tamer DA flared with its intent, as well as the way the energy consumed was being molded and guided.

Shakti's eyes met Ryana, who nodded with the same understanding.

The Level 5 started firing her arrows at the pokaradon while crying out, "Go!"

Shakti ignored the dragon and instead darted at the weakened other monster, stabbing with all her force and weight behind it. It cried, but the wounds had finally taken their toll. Shakti did not reach magic core with that strike, but a jump put her landing and stabbing deep into the largest wound it bore. It cried again, but this time she lifted the spear out before stabbing right back down. The monster's head rose, moving to try and strike at her.

"Hah!" she cried, putting everything into finishing it first.

She felt the magic stone, and her spear pierced it.

The monster seemed to let out a final breath, eyes focused on her, but then it dissolved into ash and Shakti fell onto the snow. Despite the situation, she took a second to recover. Enough to spot the piece of glittering ice that almost seemed shaped like a tear. She snatched the drop that burned it was so cold.

"Retreat," she then called, waving the others as they recovered away. "The dragon will recover."

Thus, they fled in the face of the dragon that used its food to recover, forced to satisfy themselves with having prevented it from eating the pokaradon too for more of a boost.

"Are you alright?" Zens asked when they finally made it back to the cave, after the difficult effort of losing the angry dragon. "You…"

"Don't comment on a lady's messy appearance, Farm boy," Ilta told him, not able to hide the exhaustion in her voice. She did manage to give him a punch to the shoulder though. "We just had a hard fight."

"Does anyone need potions?" Anaise quickly asked.

"Or healing?" Crem asked, sitting up from her bedroll.

"Not healing," Shakti quickly answered though, shaking her head. "You focus on recovering. As for potions…Ilta, Ledako. You take two. Greant?"

"I can handle it," he grunted stoically.

"I too have Healing Power," Shakti said, even as she half collapsed into a sitting position against the cave wall. "Let's just rest and…we'll go back out."

They shared information of what they had been doing, even as Shakti fell into a meditation to try and enhance Healing Power's effect.

"You're…what?!"

Shakti tried to not allow her voice to raise, but she wasn't sure she succeeded as she looked at her little brother.

"I want to get a falna," Jain claimed with a shrug. Speaking entirely casually even as she shook. "I'm going to be turning ten soon, and Lord Ganesha will allow it. It's expected, isn't it?"

"It might be expected, but that doesn't mean you can't refuse," she reminded, still keeping a strict hold of her tone.

"I meant that it's only expected that I want to, right?" he retorted though, sending her a look. "Not all of us are like you, sis. I want to be an adventurer. Like dad and mom."

Shakti restrained herself. After all, what could she say? They had the more normal thought process, wasn't it? The Varma family had been serving Lord Ganesha for near three hundred years. They would be the sixth generation. Captains since had been of their line.

The cost – the family curse…it was just part of that legacy. Of being a family of adventurers.

If she couldn't convince him otherwise…

"Congratulations," she told him, ruffling his hair playfully. "You'll be a great adventurer."

"Aaah, stop it, sis. You're ruining my hair~," he whined.

"But it's so fun," she teased.

"No, it issssn't."

It was. Unlike Shakti who inherited the straighter hair of their father, he had inherited mother's floofier hair. Puffy and thick, it really was so soft it was fun to play with.

Finally managing to fend her off, he tried to straighten it again while pouting at her.

"But how about you wait a little bit to get your falna?" she asked.

"What? Why?"

"Well, you're big sister needs a little head start," she whispered to him, winking.

He gawped, only to then burst out, "You're going to get your falna finally?"

"I suppose it's time," she answered, giggling at his exclamation. "Can you give me a little bit of time though? Like, half a year?"

"You just want to get ahead of me."

"Yep," she answered freely, popping her lips and smirking at him. "Part of being a big sister. Can't allow you to surpass me. I'll have to be the stronger one protecting you, like always."

"Siiiiiis. I'm going to be an adventurer."

"No, I'm not hearing it. I'll go tell mom, dad, and Lord Ganesha. Six months."

She was soon running from him, laughing at her angry face.

…

Shakti got her falna at fourteen, upon hearing her younger brother would indeed become an adventurer.

The next time she led a venturing party, she had Ilta, Ligand, Veter, Anaise, Udar, Dench, and Zens.

With the previous scouting, this time they moved out with more purpose. They found another group of anteka and started following the herbivores. This eventually led them to one of the smaller pantries of the floor.

It was surprisingly normal. The usual pantry with their towering crystals and pools of colored liquid that monsters swarmed very much stuck out. Here, this was little more than what appeared to be a more hospitable valley. Exposed rock and even some plants, and flowing water from what would appear to be an underwater hot spring. No flood of monsters. Only the colors within the water giving away what it was.

Naturally, the details revealed the danger. Some of the plants were the frozen fruit of these floors that would kill a Level 5 if eaten, and were uncomfortable to even hold as they harvested them. A few of the others warranted harvesting too as potential materials, but most was useless to anything that couldn't digest cellulose. The water contained subtle colors within that gave it away, and prevented them from drinking it. The lack of monsters was also easy to explain.

They were skittish, because predators would stalk this area for the same reason as the expedition came here.

Something rocketing out of the water was little surprise.

Shakti ran to keep ahead of the quills shot at her, reached a boulder which she jumped at to use as a platform to jump right at the monster. High enough to reach its head that it kept out of reach by standing on a prehensile tail. Said tail also allowed it to bend to avoid a thrust to the eye, but it failed to avoid the slash to its crest-like fin. It angrily shot more quills from the end of its crest at her airborne form, but she spun her spear to deflect them all.

Its focus on her allowed Veter and Udar to dart in at its back to stab at it with their spear. Zens moved to follow them, heavy rock collected around one arm. At it spun at them and focused in on the charging Level 4, Ilta came in to punch it before it connected an attack on Zens. Although its counterattack on Ilta sent her flying back, Zens managed to weave under its form to unleash a loaded blow into its belly.

The rock around his arm shattered, and the Level 4 grimaced before yelling as he made distance, "Its belly is hard. Don't bother!"

Expected, with its appearance, but still worth confirming.

This monster was a rather odd looking one. Maybe some evolution of mermaid? Its body was like a snake, but it had both forearms and legs. Possibly worse was a disturbingly humanoid face and fins on its head that joined together in a crest that vaguely could be mistaken as hair.

Clearly still bothered by the strike and its failure to land many effective blows of its own, the monsters reared up again. Perched on its tail, it had to be twelve meters or so. Its arms, previously kept close to it, extended to show them to be shockingly large. It then lunged forward, tail sticking to the ground like suction. This allowed its snake-like body to swing back and forth, raking its clawed forearms out far.

Zens, Udar, and even Veter yelped as they were forced to block and retreat. Ilta was already out of range. Ligand took the blow with a large axe, stopping it long enough for Shakti to lunge forward with a thrust. Over aiming for its face again where it could weave its body, Shakti instead targeted an extended forearm. Her thrusts pierced, and blood spurted. The monster cried and struck at her with the other, but Shakti refused to budge this time. She instead put more force behind the thrust till it pierced straight through the forearm. Ilta too arrived to unleash a thunderous blow right at the same spot Shakti had stabbed. A crunch rang out as the retaliatory blow arrived. Shakti moved to absorb it, accepting the blow with a grunt. A raised arm absorbed the impact and meant the claws tore her arm over her torso, and she used the way she was thrown to tear her spear out of it to create an even grislier mess. Ilta then landed a blow to its neck before moving away.

The monster shrieked and hissed, and suddenly started coughing.

It then spat a large cloud of cloud of powder. Everyone knew enough to avoid such, but the sheer amount made it impossible. Upon contact, Veter and Zens both fell onto their stomachs. Notably, Udar, Anaise, and Ligand were fine. Which made the answer clear.

"Sleep poison. Works on F-rank," Udar called even as he moved and grabbed both Veter and Zens to start moving them away while crying, "Veter, you've been slacking on Abnormal Resistance again! I keep telling you."

"Guard them," Shakti called, although Ligand was already on it.

Hissing, the monster suddenly turned and tried to dive back into the water.

"Frigid Petrification."

It was a step behind; Anaise having been waiting for this exact move and freezing the water solid. The new ice cracked as the monster rammed into it, but held. The monster was also stunned by the impact, and squirmed on its side as it tried to recover.

"On it," Ilta said as she dived down to start attacking it. Shakti was right behind her.

Possibly more important though was the move by Dench, who finally yelled out as he threw two objects, "I finished them!"

Ligand and Udar grabbed the two objects, revealing them as hooks with ropes attached. Both moved with familiarity. The hooks were thrown to latch onto some part of the monster, joining one by Dench himself, and when it rose theypulled. Already trying to recover from Shakti and Ilta's assault, the monster came down with a cry of surprise.

It subsequently struggled even harder, and the three started struggling as the full force of the monster started combating them. Until more hands grabbed the robes. Veter joined his brother, and Zens managed to get to Dench.

"We're up, just so bored we decided to take a nap."

"Dammit, so embarrassing."

Seems that while able to affect those with merely F-rank in Abnormal Resistance, the sleep powder only knocked them out ten seconds or so.

An eternity in a fight, at times, but not irrecoverable with teammates.

Such thoughts rose in Shakti's mind even as she came down on the head of the monster, spear thrusting down through its eyes and into its brain.

The partially secured pantry served able in its desired role. It was a very convenient lure. Monsters frequently stopped by, allowing them to prepare ahead of time and familiarize themselves with the terrain to ambush them.

Near to the sea as it was, a number of aquatic monsters came by. Some penguin-like monsters with metallic spines within their feathers. Another of the mermaid-snakes monster even came by. More secure now, Shakti used the chance to face it solo. It made the fight rougher, but that was necessary.

An unexpected benefit also showed from not cutting the fight short like they had before. This second managed to survive long enough to do some odd maneuver where it cracked shells on its stomach that created a number of effects. They managed to secure a few of said shells, although they weren't able to deduce where the monster collected them from.

More monsters came. Several bear monsters with snow white fur, manes, and ice spikes. More ice raptors. Another bear monster, although this one with rabbit features too, a beak, and a shelled stomach. Shakti had them as a group handle the first of each one, but she ended up soloing the second bear monster, penguins, and ice raptors too alongside the mermaid monster.

Also some less aggressive monsters.

"…they are giving us the gimlet eye."

"No, they aren't."

"Yeah, they absolutely are."

"…well, it is rather easy to understand."

The anteka herd, on one hand, seemed surprisingly casual in coming to drink and feed from the pantry. They seemingly had little fear of them. On the other, however, they did not seem pleased with them either.

If a monster could send an unamused look, they were.

Their short horns however rather explained it.

"I guess they remember us attacking, knocking them out, and cutting off their horns but leaving them alive."

"…the horns are growing back."

"I sure as hell wouldn't accept that excuse if someone cut my hair off the same way."

While very much taking their time to eat and drink their fill compared to usual from seemingly accepting that they weren't in mortal danger, it was with a very notable prickliness that they left afterwards.

"Oh, they are so cute," Anaise couldn't help but say as they watched the pokara drinking from the pantry.

"Don't get too close," Shakti warned, which was emphasized as the mothers started letting out barking noises at the sight of them. "The mothers will attack, and don't forget that they are monsters and what they'll grow into."

Although, the fact that the babies seemingly didn't share their mother's instincts and came close in curiosity didn't help. Babies who went up to unknown things in a landscape where most things would eat them…didn't imply a strong survival instinct, but here they were. At least a big one wasn't here.

Although that made Ilta question, "Do you think this is the herd of that pokaradon?"

That really made the babies seemingly wanting to play with her – the one that killed that pokaradon – even weirder.

"Gotcha," Ilta suddenly called, her hand having flashed out from where she'd been standing over the water. Out came a fish. A proper fish. Ilta immediately jumped out to where it landed on the ground, and circled it while dabbing at it with a hand like she was a cat person. "I knew I saw fish. That water is deeper than expected and they're hiding, but I knew I could get one."

"A fish?" Anaise asked as she came close, eyebrow furrowed in thought. "Not a monster?"

"Not sure," Ilta claimed with a shrug.

"I've also seen some insects here," Ryana said as she bounded down from her overwatch position, sending Shakti a significant look. "Small ones."

Shakti hummed at that. True, the Dungeon produced a surprising amount of creatures. Some territories like the Large Tree Labyrinth and Dense Forest Ravine had numerous plants and insect like monsters, and the Water City obviously focused on aquatic monsters and plants. At least the insects and fish though weremonsters. The environments there wasn't like a natural one on the surface, where ecosystems were sustained by seemingly insignificant things like mold, lichens, small fish, insects, etc.

"Let's catch some of the insects," Shakti quickly ordered. "We need to check if they have magic stones."

A minute later, their new activity was interrupted by Ilta yelling, "Yuck!"

Shakti turned to see her spitting; the fish cut open. It made her ask incredulously, "Did you seriously try to eat some?"

"I didn't find a magic stone~," Ilta whined, still spitting even as she tried to defend herself. "But you can taste the Dungeon on this."

The Dungeon was not hospitable, no matter how much adventurers might get used to it. It had a certain foulness to it. Some energy that was antithesis to the natural order of the world above. There were indeed sometimes certain plants, water sources, and even monster parts/drops that could be eaten and consumed. The vast majority however carried the energy of the Dungeon which inflicted anima erosion – soul damage – on the mortal races.

Even among Zeus and Hera, only Gluttony had a skill that granted him protection from such realities.

Thinking such, Shakti could only sigh and remark, "I think if it was that easy, the Zeus and Hera familia would have learned long ago."

There were things you could eat in this Territory, and they were frozen fruit that offered different dangers.

"She's right in one aspect though," Ryana commented from where she'd just been examining an insect. "If these things have magic stones, they are so small as to be unnoticeable."

An interesting conundrum that could have implications on how the Dungeon worked on these floors, supported these monster ecosystems as opposed to earlier floors where everything was basically spawned on the spot by the Dungeon.

…

They didn't have much time for such thoughts though, as it wasn't only cute or manageable monsters that came.

The small – in as only roughly human sized – wyverns came diving down at them. The particularly snake-like monsters were a hassle to handle. They spat poison and launched harrying strikes. Together with their numbers and agile flight capabilities, they could only be called annoying pests.

"Annoying pests," Ligand grunted as he once again missed them, inadvertently proving Shakti's thoughts.

Although she sliced two in one strike before exclaiming firmly, "No matter, they aren't endless. Just keep taking them down."

Pests and good at harrying or not, they were manageable. Their poison was weak, with not a single member of their squad lacking the Abnormal Resistance rank to reduce the effects down to minor tingling. Their tail and diving attacks also lacked the impact to bother them. Maybe if they were weakened or someone was isolated, they could be a danger.

As it was, it was just a matter of winnowing them down till they fled.

…

At least, until Shakti felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"C-Captain," Anaise called out, having been in the back.

"I think I…" Dench also contributed, chienthrope ears perked as he looked to the sky.

Ilta was crouched and ignoring the little monsters, readying herself too.

Shakti felt the instincts surging inside her though, and instead made the judgment call and declared, "Retreat! Something is coming."

Despite the uncertainty, the party listened to her. Ignoring the monsters, they started running. They took all their gear, but otherwise moved as quickly as possible.

As they reached several miles from the pantry, they heard a roar. Then another.

Shakti decided she was right to have run.

As they moved to a different island, they heard a trumpeting sound and turned to see a massive, furred elephant monster crossing onto the pantry island from a different one. It's own noise sounded furious. It charging forward despite the two separates roars coming from the pantry.

Yes, it was definitely the right call to have fled.

…unfortunately, not everything would be a right call. Not here. Not in a floor with new monsters and dangers abound.

"Gah," Greant let out as he blocked the tail strike of the monster, his shield half cut through alone and a cut made on his shoulder with the same blow.

"Make distance," Shakti called urgently even as she threw her spear. It caught the monster in one of the wounds they'd managed to call, and a subsequent leap had her landing on her feet right beside it. Grasping it allowed her to stay on even as the monster started jerking to try and buck her off, and an attempt by Ilta to break the armored head crest Shakti had managed to crack further. Her blow made the monster recoil and stall, but not enough to actually harm it. It instead threw its head to remove her, but that was enough for Shakti to stab deeper before jumping straight up while cracking against another of its dorsal spines. It ignored her, however, breathing in. Already seeing this, Shakti called out, "Close and launch one wave of attacks!"

Everyone moved to do so, even Ilta who was right before the monster. This seemingly left her entirely open as it roared, expelling not just air but also a bright blue beam of ice. It swallowed the amazon.

Shakti did not mind it. Instead she used the height from her jump and its stationary position to come down on its head. Even as Greant and Ligand struck at its tail and the rest at its flank, her spear lashed out with all her power into its cracked head crest. This time, the crack split entirely, and a subsequently spin with all the power she could muster broke off and threw a piece of the crest away.

It made the monster stop its attack, roaring in agony.

Said move also revealed Ilta, safe and still charging. Tamanna's spell having protected her. This also provided Ilta the perfect opening to jump and land a kick right into the vulnerable part of its head now exposed.

The monster did not cease being a threat, despite the damage being incurred. Like a larger bloodsaurus from the Great Forest Ravine, this one was just blue and clearly with ice powers. The size and strong defense and attack made it a dominant foe though.

Shakti wasn't sure if she should have called for them to try and ambush it as she had.

Especially as it kept fighting. It suddenly started rolling forward in a wheel-like attack, forcing everyone to be blown back beside Greant and his two helpers who finally blocked it. However, it's follow-up was swift. Slamming its tail into the ice, it came up with an almost perfectly formed blade which then swung down.

This time, Greant's shield didn't survive. It was cut through entirely. Along with the arm holding it.

"Gah-aaaaagh," the Level 5 let out, not able to avoid it at the sensation of his arm being cut off.

"Sir/Master!" Disol and Reshid let out, diving in front to absorb a follow up blow. This one caught both their shields, and while they didn't vut through sent them flying into Greant. All three were sent sprawling.

"Pull back to Ryana's position," Shakti called, blood and alarm racing anew throughout her at the sight. "Do not engage!"

Landing next to them, Shakti pulled up Greant and all but lifted him as they started running. Others helped Reshid and Disol. The flight remained panicked though, the monster not allowing them to flee easily.

Only the sight of Ryana waving them through a small canyon centered Shakti, and had her lead them all – including the monster – through it.

As she did, the trap was sprung. The boulders set up by Ryana as a backup plan falling as they passed, and crashing right onto the following monster. Even with its great size and strength, Ryana's trap was set up well to hurt and stall the monster.

It made Shakti order, "Turn and counterattack!"

"G-Go, captain," Greant told her, hand clutching his bleeding forearm. "I can handle myself."

Shakti might have protested, but seeing the monster pick up a boulder in its jaws and throw it at Tamanna made her act. Parting from Greant, she leapt. She didn't have enough time to reach Tamanna, so instead sent herself at the flying boulder. Her shoulder connected with it as it flew.

The impact sent her flying, but also redirected the boulder enough to miss Tamanna.

Shakti rolled but clutched the ground till she regained her feet, and then immediately leapt back in. Her shoulder was blooming with pain, but that wasn't enough for her to stop using it to pull back her spear. Her next thrust instead snapped off another of the monsters spines that had been cracked by the falling boulders. She then let out a series of blows that cracked against its jaws, preventing it from lunging and biting at its attackers.

It was through upholding this precarious dance as the monster snapped and shot its ice beam at her that the others finally managed to inflict the wounds to bring it down after Crem, up with Ryana, finally shot off a Nature's Burn that opened numerous new wounds for them to target.

"I'm fine, you darn kids," Greant grunted once they were back at the cave, wrapping up his new stump stoically. Also waving away those crowding him. "It's an arm. The gods saw fit to grant me two."

"I'm sorry, if only I could reattach them," Crem said, wilting at the limits of her healing spell.

"Or if you hadn't allowed us to use the elixirs to do so," Disol added, clenching his fists.

"Someone was going to lose one, and I'm not bothered by eventually getting a prosthetic," Greant told them, new authority now in his voice. Although he then added while looking to Shakti, "Especially because I figure I'll have some help springing for one of the best."

"Of course," she replied, trying not to allow her own tension to show.

"Well, there you have it. I'll be back to normal soon, and till then…" he said as he stood, and actually snatched one of his supporter's shields with a grin. "I'll show you that even down an arm, I can still do my job as our shield."

An arm was not all that was lost.

In truth, even Shakti was caught off guard by this one.

It wasn't just a dangerous foe.

It was the ground erupting at their feet. Ice splintering and a great black form shooting out. The ice that had seemed so solid just seconds ago cracking all around them, succumbing to their weight and plunging them into water that sought to steal the warmth from one's heart.

The whale monsters! Shakti had read of them. They were particularly bad when it came to wagons, tearing up the ice sheets to dump adventurers and supplies into the waters. Shakti had kept them moving when traveling between islands, and so had largely forgone thinking of them as a threat.

And so made the mistake of allowing their group to stop on 'thick' ice to talk for a minute too long.

Not having time to berate herself for the mistake, Shakti pulled her spear from where she'd managed to stab the whale monster by instinct. Raising a leg, she kicked it as hard as possible. It sent her moving to the edge of the ice, where she collided. Fingers digging into said ice, she pulled herself out of the water swiftly. The first of the half of the group that had fallen in with the attack.

Which she moved to correct too. As soon as she had her feet under her, she reached in and pulled Crem out. Ryana had gotten Dench out, but that left Disc and Anaise still in the water. Shakti's arm reached out for Disc, but a form jumped out of the water. A small – only torso sized – shark monster had taken advantage of the opening to close its jaws over her arm. Shakti couldn't hold in the cry of pain at the attack, but she counterattacked almost immediately. A knife was pulled from a pocket and stabbed into its eye to be buried to the hilt. Another three such stabs eventually forced it to drop off.

It wasn't alone though, as a swarm of monsters arose to clasp onto Disc and Anaise to prevent them from climbing out of the water despite their struggles. Then an even larger form dived over them. The whale monster had returned, all but landing on them and pushing them out of sight in an instant.

Shakti dived into the water without hesitation.

The cold bit at her again. The monsters bit at her again. The light was dim enough that it immediately felt like another world.

Yet, she still started swimming down. Her spear lashed out to cut up the shark monsters that approached her, and that was before she threw it into the back of the whale trying to swim deeper with both Disc and Anaise. It dug into it, making it jerk and stop swimming for a moment. Strength and speed pushed Shakti through the water fast enough to take advantage of that, colliding with its back and grabbing her spear. Yelling even as it meant water flooded into her throat, she tore the spear through the monster till she finally connected with its magic stone.

As it disappeared, she grabbed Anaise's hand while trying to signal Disc to follow. She then didn't have time before looking upwards back at the light again, and shooting up in a swim as fast as possible. More of the shark monsters swarmed, but she cut through them and Anaise was not passive either. More bites and blood started flowing from Shakti's body into the water, but the light was reached and they crested.

"T-T-Take h-her," Shakti let out as she pushed Anaise first into the grasping hands of their comrades. "D-Disc?!"

"Not up!"

That was all Shakti needed to dive right back down.

More monsters swarming, but she saw Disc's form sinking deeper. She dived after him. Forcing her aching and screaming muscles to push faster. Fighting back exhaustion and cold trying to sap at her. Shooting through the water at speeds that it was hard to imagine she couldn't reach someone falling.

Then a monster managed to bite onto her, and a millisecond was needed to cut it off.

Then another.

Another.

Another. Another. Another.

Shakti felt the very instant as she made the realization…she wouldn't reach him in time. He was sinking even further into darkness. More monsters were swarming him, and he wasn't struggling. Even if she could fight though the underwater swarm, to reach him and then escape again...

Time seemed to freeze for her as her mind raced. Did he see her? Did he make the same realization that she had? Or had the monsters already gotten to him? Had he already faded into the blackness even if she still could – or was that fantasy – see his form still in the light?

…

Then an even larger blob of darkness surged, and lashed out to swallow Disc in an instant.

And tentacles of darkness surged at Shakti. Now, even she couldn't think of any thoughts but defense. Of cutting the tentacles that were trying to latch onto her. Turning around and going as fast as possible to the surface. Ignoring the small monsters that tried to latch on.

She didn't make it.

A tentacle grasped her ankle. Her spear lashed out to cut it. Yet, her momentum was slowed. Milliseconds everything in a battle like this. A race to the light. She tried swimming even as she looked down, cutting more tentacles as they reached for her. More and more and more.

…

As Shakti was about to have a new realization, she heard something breaking the water. On instinct, her hand lashed out to the side to grasp what it was. A spear.

A spear with a rope tied to the end.

A great tug pulled her away from the tentacles that moved to grasp her, and the distance to the surface was closed in an instant.

Shakti flew out of the water. The light almost blinding her after that battle against the encroaching darkness. The spear in her hand, attached to the rope that the rest of her familia had pulled her out by.

Yet, she was airborne, and the monster was not so readily going to give her up as tentacles followed out of the water to grasp her as she was still in midair.

"We got you!/Frack off!"

Ligand and Veter called out as they jumped, axe and spear cutting through the tentacles.

They landed, and for an instant the feel of feet beneath her feet made Shakti forget. An instant. Then she yelled, "Move back to the islands!"

No one needed further encouragement as only more tentacles followed. They tore through the ice like paper. The surface under their feet fracturing in moments and threatening to plunge them down again.

Yet this time, they were not caught by surprise. This time, they could react with all the speed of Level 4 and 5 adventurers. Even as ice fractured and sunk, they maneuvered the terrain. A mere instant of contact enough to send them running even on this footing.

Even the monster following at speeds not inferior to a Level 4, tearing through ice wholesale and trying to grasp them with its tentacles while even pulling its large form from the water, did not catch them.

Which allowed Crem, carried by Dench's spell, to say her chant.

"Nature's Burn!"

As the blasts of burning white energy shot at the monster, it was finally forced to a stop. Its tentacles instead recoiling to protect itself. Only sheer size and Crem's imprecise aim allowing it to endure as holes were burned to ash by the spell.

Which also allowed Shakti to act, chanting even as she spotted the perfect boulder.

"The Mirror turns. Reflections abound.

I look upon myself, what do I see?"

As she chanted, she launched herself at the boulder. Landing feet first, she used it to launch herself right in the opposite direction. Right at the stalled monster that had revealed its body too.

Its tentacles moved to catch her as she got close.

Her spear cut through the first tentacle, and her feet landed on the remains to kick off of to gain speed.

The next few had to be cut, and she could only angle her body to slip through a small opening.

A thick tentacle moved to block her entirely, and she stabbed into it. Stalled, she instead used her spear to flip herself right overtop. Pulling her spear out, her feet landed on the opposite side, and she regained her speed with it as a platform.

Its teeth-filled mouth opened to shred and devour her approaching form.

Shakti finished her chant.

One hand reached up to brush one tooth in the last instant, even as her other arm had her spear back for a thrust.

"Darpana Avimutta."

Her spear was then plunged into it.

And she came out the other side, hole blown straight through the monster.

"What are you doing?!" she screamed as she struggled against their hands pulling her back. "Jaff, Laza, Caine! Let me down!"

"Sorry, no can do, little Sha Sha," Caine said as he carried her back with them.

"I need to protect the barriers! Vana Freya and Braver won't be enough!" she screamed, pulling. Yet, even her new Level 5 strength was not enough to overcome all three. "If they fall, the King falls, and all of Orario falls! It will all be for nothing!"

"We know, little Sha Sha," Caine said, sending her a smile and for once not teasing with that nickname.

"We know," Jaff added emphatically.

"But you don't have to be the one to go," Laza said, looking at her. "You don't have to be the one sacrificed."

That only raised more alarm in her though.

"We were all there when you and your siblings were born."

"Saw the happiness and fears of your father, and we made a promise to protect you all."

"Yet…we failed too. Again and again. Right alongside you, we failed."

"You're all that is left now. Of your father. Your mother. Your brothers and sisters."

"We wanted to at least be able to protect you, but then you went and got stronger than us."

"So…"

"Please…"

"Allow these old men from a previous era at least once be able to say we managed to save a member of the Varna family."

She struggled, she screamed. She refused to allow it. Once they set her down, they would not be able to hold her back.

"Stop! Listen to your commanders! Get back to your stations!"

"Shakti."

It was Lord Ganesha's word that stopped her. A simple word, backed by something far less simple. Shakti looked at him in portrayal as she felt his arcanum flowing. Not being used, but its mere presence imposing divine will onto mortals.

"Allow them to go," he said, arms crossed. Looking upon those three and the other veteran Ganesha members that were starting to move forth as if planned. "…godspeed, warriors."

They left, and Shakti's body was frozen by Lord Ganesha's presence.

Yet she could still yell after then, struggling to fight this situation that had already passed outside her control.

"Jaff, Raza, Caine! I order you to stay! – Do not think about heading to where Adi is!"

Shakti surged upwards as she woke, adrenaline already running from those memories.

Her movement caused those watching to flinch, although that soon spread to relief as they burst out.

"Captain!/You're okay!/Thank goodness, sis."

Shakti looked around at them, trying to still her racing heart. As she did so though, she flinched from pain. It made her look down to see bandages all over her.

"W-What…"

"You were cut up in the water, and you did dive right into a whole host of teeth, sis," Ilta quickly explained, trying to speak lighthearted. "I mean, you won, but you collapsed with wounds all over your body."

"I tried to heal what I could, but you said to not use potions for you if it isn't lethal due to Healing Power," Crem added, head lowered in self-recrimination.

"N-No…you did good," Shakti told her, although she then looked around wearily and asked despite herself, "Disc?"

The lowered heads was answer enough.

Everyone gathered on the nearest islands to where that ambush had happened, lowering their heads with fists raised to their hearts in the proper direction.

No words needed to be said, as everyone knew enough.

Disc was an unextraordinary adventurer despite reaching Level 4. A good tamer, and decent at both support and front-line combat. Yet, satisfied with where he reached even when Shakti offered to help. He had instead been a reliable senior to many of the second-tier members of the familia.

Crem and Zens were crying, showing that.

Orario would hardly remember him and his name would not echo in legend even within the Ganesha familia…but he had reached the 59thfloor regardless.

A warrior of Orario who had helped continue the long battle against the Dungeon.

Afterwards, it was apparent over the next few days that the expedition was straining at the seams. Everyone fought with a grim resolve against inevitable desperation. Wounds were accrued, and potions running out. Stress built up, both physically and mentally.

And Shakti was no different.

Maybe the worse, in fact. With the Healing Power DA, she refused all but the absolute necessity with potions and healing. Even with the fact that its Mind demand left her weakened. Not helped by her getting wounded more, taking even more and more of the burden of the combat onto herself.

As for her mentally after they suffered a proper casualty…

"Why did you go out?!" she demanded angrily, facing Ilta. Her eyes then swept the group that had followed her. "Didn't I say that I would always lead the venturing team? Did you think sneaking out as I was sleeping was fine?"

"You needed the sleep," Ilta argued, gesturing at her. "You're exhausted."

"That doesn't change anything!"

"Of course it does," Ilta snapped back. "You're exhausted because you are refusing to allow yourself to rest! You are leading all the venturing groups! While half of us rest and sleep, you are leading the other half out again. You hadn't slept for three days!"

"And this is what happens when I do," Shakti countered.

"We didn't go far."

"It's still dangerous."

"C-Captain," Zens spoke, finally lifting his head to meet her eyes. He was clearly nervous, trembling even, but he didn't back down. "We've got to do this. All of us do our part. Enough to make this…worth it."

It didn't need to be said what it had to be worth, although the allusion to Disc made Shakti approach to grab his shoulders to say emphatically, "That's why~. If you aren't with me, if I'm not around when you fight…"

Anurakti Varada won't apply to them.

Not able to say that aloud, however, she instead spun and stalked away.

She was honestly considering starting the climb back up again. They had fought no small bit. They had suffered a death, Greant was crippled, and wounds were piling up. As it was, they had to return in two days from supply issues.

Did it matter if they left early?

Shakti looked at her hand at that, opening and closing it. She had fought a number of monsters. Had she fought enough? Could she level up at this?

It was impossible to say for certain.

If they went up now and she couldn't…

Fixing a stoic look on her face, she forced herself into another nap while giving Ilta the cold shoulder.

She then gave Ligand an order to stay here with everyone as she set out alone, a few extra weapons and a potion.

She knew of at least one monster that had proven too much for a group of Level 5's before, and she knew at least one place it hunted.

The Sword-Horn Dragon roared.

Shakti screamed right back.

Its scales shattered under her blows.

Her blood flew through the air from its strikes.

It flapped its wings ferociously, emitting that red energy again even as it threw ice boulders at her.

Her spear was deflected, even with Darpana Avimutta applied, falling into a distant hill even as it forced her away.

…

She failed.

"At least we didn't lose anyone from this," she mumbled to herself as she stumbled along.

The comfort of her words didn't change the way her body hurt. The blood flowing from a number of cuts and wounds over her body. Her body aching from blunt blows, bones creaking in a way that finally made her feel her age.

It was with shaking hands that she opened the potion, pouring it with a wince onto the large gash in her side that was the most threatening. It made the wound close. Mostly. A bit of blood still leaked, and most of the rest of a furious scab over fresh skin.

Finally no longer hearing the dragon's roars, she stumbled into a gap between two boulders. Honestly, it was barely that. Her feet poked out, to alert anything nearby where she was.

She did not have the strength to search for more.

She just…needed to meditate for several minutes and force Healing Power to really kick in.

…

Shakti recoiled as liquid poured on her, immediately coughing as her blood flowed fresh again and pain receded. The shock of it left her trembling though. Made her feel overwhelmed as she opened her eyes, seeing a dark form looking down on her.

After shaking her head for a moment, she opened them again to see no one there.

Yet, she saw footprints in the snow before the crevice that weren't her own. Far larger. She also finally turned to the liquid that had hit her head to flow over her body. Already suspecting based on how her wounds had been healed and more, she raised a hand to lick the back of it.

"An elixir?" she asked herself.

It wasn't hard to connect the dots.

There was really only one person that could be down here, be the type to use a 500,000 valis potion on someone else, do so by pouring it over their head without a care, and then immediately disappear without a word.

It was all so very…

"Ottar," she forced out after finally managing to track him down.

The boaz warrior turned his head to look at her as she closed the distance. He looked worn himself, admittedly. He had a beard of all things growing, his clothes were worn as if from weeks of travel, and he had the smell of blood and dirt that clung to adventurers after enough time in the Dungeon. Yet, he was still in better condition than her. He wasn't worn from combat, but environmental hazard and deprivation.

He also had a literal tree trunk held over one shoulder, but Shakti really didn't even care about something odd like that right now.

"Ankusha," he grunted simply.

"K-King," she corrected, shaking her head and trying to gather herself. "I assume you poured that elixir on me?"

He didn't respond, instead looking forward again.

"Apologies if this is shameless of me since you already did so, but…" Shakti started, desperation overcoming her usual distance with Orario's strongest. Instead she gave a weak smile, with some of that desperation leaking into it, as she asked, "Can you give me some advice instead?"

That got slightly widened eyes from him.

Shakti sat across the growing fire from Ottar, looking into it. The man had chosen to build it at the top of a hill, offering a view of the surroundings. Uncaring of what it might signal to come too.

"So…" she started, a bit unsure on how to interact with the boaz since she rarely did besides in professional settings. "You brought a tree down from the lower floors to start a fire."

"I can endure cold," he answered simply. "I do not like it."

Well, if you have the ability to cut down a tree in a single strike and literally carry it multiple floors on your shoulders...

Although she did have to point out, "You do realize that there are many coal deposits on this floor to burn, right? Not the most pleasant of fires, but what we have been doing."

Ottar stared at her for a few moments in silence before looking back towards the fire without a word.

It appeared that he did indeed miss those.

It made Shakti feel awkward again, so she then remarked, "I've never seen you with the beginning of a beard too."

"Hmmm," he hummed, raising a hand to his jaw. Before her eyes then, she watched as he basically cut through the facial hair with the edge of his hand. Within minutes, he was respectably shaven. "I usually do so before I am seen."

Shakti looked at her legs in some mild curiosity, considering what she had seen, but spoke idly at the same time, "Might be better to not. It didn't look bad."

"I care not how I look, but Lady Freya said cleanliness is something a man should keep," Ottar explained simply.

Guess the Goddess of Beauty wasn't much one for beards.

Shakti would disagree, but that wasn't here or now.

With what was the point now in mind again, Shakti rid herself of the small talk and instead announced, "We had a casualty. Disc."

"Mahout [Jelly Boy Tamer]," Ottar grunted.

It made Shakti stare, finally asking, "You knew him?"

"I keep track of many adventurers."

Accepting that short claim, she instead looked upwards as she mused, "I'm really not such a good defender, am I?"

She did not receive a response, not that it bothered her or she expected so.

"Have you ever considered not being an adventurer, Ottar?" she continued, although she didn't even look at him. "I did. I didn't particularly want to be an adventurer. When first offered a falna at ten, I refused. Worked in the storehouse."

"You got it at fourteen," he stated, this time making her look at him. He remained staring at the fire though. "You got it when I was still Level 1 and on the first few floors."

"Suppose I did, although I can't say I remember you at the time," she admitted, huffing in dry amusement at the coincidence. "I guess I was rather self-centered at the time. I didn't delay out of pain or fear. I just wasn't interested. Strength…never appealed to me. If I could work in a storehouse with everyone I love and like safe, I would live a happy life."

"Yet, here you are."

"Yet, here I am," she agreed, looking at the fire again. "My brother got a falna. Then the next one. Then a sister. Then another brother. Then another. A sister didn't, but the next did. Then Adi too…I became an adventurer to protect them."

…

"I have only ever failed," she announced quietly, long inured to the words.

Jain got his falna six months after she did.

"Die!" Shakti spat as she stabbed again and again downwards into the monster, even as others tried to pull her away. She didn't see or feel them, only seeing tears from her eyes and the pain racking her body.

A year later, an irregular infant dragon that climbed floors killed him before her.

She did not level up from killing it.

…

The next died from wyvern.

She did not level up from killing it.

…

A Minotaur.

The Goliath spawning a week early.

A vouivre.

A migration forming a pass parade.

…

Her parents dying when dragged off in support of Zeus and Hera against the One-Eyed Black Dragon.

…

Even the sister who did not become an adventurer and instead worked charity was caught in an Evilus attack during the Dark Ages.

Then Adi fell.

None ever inspired Shakti to new heights, instead becoming chains that she carried.

"But I didn't stop," she continued, bearing the weight of the memories with long familiarity. "I have found others to protect. The people of Orario. My familia members. I have a duty, and I won't let it down. If I can protect them, nurture them, then I shall do so. My strength is…immaterial. Unimportant. I don't care about it."

Another grunt was the only response she received.

"Yet, I find the reverse here. They came down here for me, because they want me to gain more strength. They are hurting for it. Striving for it. Dying for it. Asking it of me when I just want to scream at them."

Ottar finally looked up to meet her eyes.

"And I'm not sure I can give it to them," she confessed, breaking the eye contact herself this time. "I tried to fight that dragon again, and yet you saw what was made of me."

"You lost," he acknowledged.

"And now I don't have my spear. No potions. I am wounded and exhausted, only not hiding in a hole right now because someone passing by that I can't even call a friend took pity on me," she spat, looking at her hands in anger. "And it's making me feel it. My helplessness. My fear. Not of that monster, but of more."

…

"My family is blessed with talent, one can say. For generations, the survivor has always reached Level 6. All of my siblings bloomed with overwhelming potential, but I…I have a skill that limits me. One I gladly bear, but I fear makes Level 6 impossible for me – even if they came down here just for that."

Shakti was not Tsubaki or Phryne. She wasn't a smith primarily, or lacking any concept of teamwork. The Ganesha familia had reached the Labyrinth Territory two years ago, and frequently fought there. It was no longer the Dark Ages, where the Level 5's were trapped by Balor blocking the 49thfloor. While a person leveling up was always not half as capable of being reproducible by another as many believed, one could estimate. Even before this, Shakti had been vaguely considering the idea that the reason she didn't level up was something more innate. It wasn't unusual for adventurers to hit their limits at Level 4, much less 5, and Shakti had more reason than most.

Anurakti Varada.

The Varma family had a little-known trait. Alongside Ganaputi Blood which they all inherited and boosted their own status above what their basic abilities would usually indicate, they tended to receive a certain type of skill or spell. Only the curse of their line had made Zeus and Hera so long ignore them, and many newer familia now didn't know.

Healing spells. Buff spells. Skills to assist others. Transfer Mind to another. Boost magic effect. Boost skills. That which made those around them better.

Shakti was no different, with a skill that Lord Ganesha and her had been forced to hide since it burned itself onto her back when Jain got his falna.

Anurakti Varada[Her Own Heart]

Increases growth and potential of those around the user – effect dependent upon affection and love felt by user – at cost of user's own growth and potential, which lowers slightly in correlation to loss and despair.

All of Shakti's siblings had bloomed early as adventurers. Overflowing talent and potential obvious even from their first steps as an adventurer. Even when they were lost too, the Ganesha familia managed. They did not care for talent as many did. Those who showed the proper will to Shakti, she ensured they advanced.

The cost had never mattered. She did not care that her basic abilities were capped. Or that she didn't level up as fast. That she did not gain as many skills or spells as she likely would otherwise.

Yet, had the bill finally come to pay?

A lifetime of losing those around her finally created a limit that she can't overcome?

She had considered it before, admittedly, but it was only becoming more and more a new weight on her mind.

"What if I can't do it?" she repeated again, not able to look at Ottar. Honestly, she wasn't even sure she was talking to him anymore as opposed voicing her own fears aloud. What couldn't be said to a member of her own familia. In that role, the silent man was almost ideal. "What if coming down here didn't have a point? I have never cared about being the strongest, but if I can't answer their wishes and protect them…"

What if Anurakti Varada stopped working to those the same level as her, and she couldn't help them achieve more?

What if she couldn't lead them further?

…

"How lacking."

Shakti's head snapped up at the response she finally received.

Yet, Ottar's hard eyes drilled into her to make clear he knew what he said. She instead watched as he stood, finally looming over her. His eyes remaining heavy.

Then…a sword was at her throat.

Shakti stiffened. She…hadn't seen anything. Hadn't seen him draw his enormous blade and put it to where she could feel it against her jugular. It hadn't even been a quick draw or any sort of technique. Just a sheer gap in speed.

"Do you truly want to protect anyone?" Ottar demanded, sword in one hand. "Do you have the right to claim that?"

He then stomped. Shakti let out a cry even as she raised her arms as protection against the air, dirt, ice, and snow flying as bad as any wind spell. Her weight was picked up, and she was sent flying even as she heard cracking and crashing of stone and ice.

Yet, Shakti was not helpless. Even with the gap, she was not going to allow his words to pass without rebuttal. She had been an adventurer for twenty-four years, and led one of Orario's greatest familia. Despite the sudden attack, she managed to correct herself in midair and land on her feet. They dug trenches, but eventually she came to a halt in something approaching a ready stance.

Ottar was in no such stance, instead standing with sword in one hand and staring at her. He was standing in the remains of the hill they'd been on. The stomp having shattered the hill, and made it collapse.

To be able to throw away a veteran Level 5 with such a casual action?

"Your strength is immaterial? Unimportant? Are you truly so half-hearted, Ankusha?" Ottar demanded, merely glaring at her. "I do not care if you become a storehouse attendant. I do not care if you choose to be a mere police officer in Orario and never Dungeon dive again. I do not have a way to qualm your fears and doubts, and I wouldn't even if I could. All I know is one thing."

…

"If you decide you're going to do something, you commit yourself to it fully," Ottar stated definitively, raising his blade again to point at her. "If you want to be a defender who protects and nurtures your comrades, be that. Do not limit yourself in that by saying such inanity as your strength not playing a role. Do you have the strength to protect yourself here and now, Ankusha, much less your comrades?"

"Quiet," she shouted back, even if her head drops. "I know I'm not."

"Then fight with all your heart to change that," he said though, voice quiet and firm even against her shout. "You will fail. You already know that. You are not such a blessed existence that you shall only know victory. Yet for someone who kept fighting and struggling even after losing the siblings she became an adventurer for, to fear a mere limit at leveling up-"

"That is not what is happening here," she snarled.

"Then break your limits. Surpass yourself," Ottar continued, stepping closer. His sword lowered, but he came till he once again loomed over her. Heavily muscled form standing a full head taller than her. "Answer their wishes."

"It-It's not so simple!"

"Do not confuse simple and easy. That is the path of those who have found something hard and don't want to admit to themselves that it is too hard for them to persist," Ottar claimed, moving and walking past her now. "I do not care about what skill you think is so limiting you. The falna does not say all that is of worth about a person. You are the ones who decides when you stop."

…

"Face the enemy again," he said, finally stopping to look over his shoulder at her again. "Claim the strength to carry whatever burden is weighing you down as a protector. Take the step to who you want to be. Don't have the audacity to stand still out of half-heartedness and claim you truly want more though."

Unfortunately, Shakti was not the type to yell back at him in frustration, because that would honestly be easier.

She instead looked up, acknowledging the point made.

She still did not care about strength. She did care about protecting and guiding others though, and strength was a means in that. To try and disassociate them was impossible though. A façade built on hopes that strength would never be necessary for that.

This floor had shown that she could never expect that.

Shakti really only had one choice before her. Keep trying or satisfy herself elsewhere. It was not easy, but it was simple.

The former meant fighting, failing, and knowing her best had failed to be enough.

The latter meant acknowledging, to herself, that she had become satisfied and accepted that all the losses that might have been avoided.

Either way lay pain and loss, but in the end…she had already made this decision when she first got the falna.

"I want to at least try saving them, even if I continue living my life as a failure," she whispered, taking a deep breath. She then called out to the retreating form, "Ottar, if you ever felt indebted to the Ganesha familia…I ask one thing from you. In return, you shall see everything I can bring to bear."

That made him pause leaving.

"I shall not demand something as foolish as for you to never speak of this again," Shakti said even as she stood before Ottar. The two of them had moved closer to where she'd tracked the dragon. Now, she met his gaze even as she raised a hand. "If you speak of it, there is nothing I can do. I will just say this. If there exists any sense of comradeship between us, I ask you respect the trust I am showing you."

He merely stared, matching wills against her.

Forced to accept that, she explained, "My spell…it allows me to transfer the skill that restrains me to another temporarily."

That made Ottar frown, although it did not equal Shakti's own distaste.

Darpana Avimutta. In practice, it was effectively a buff spell for Shakti. In reality, it was something far more shameless. Something that implied something about herself that she found ugly. Anurakti Varada bound and limited Shakti over the losses she has suffered in her life, like chains. This spell was, at its core, seemingly nothing more than a desire for her to shed that weight and burden. To push it onto others for her own freedom.

An ugly, shameful spell.

Yet, she forced herself to chant, refusing to turn away.

"The Mirror turns. Reflections abound.

I look upon myself, what do I see?

I look upon you, what do you hold?

I cannot see myself, let my essence flow.

I see only you, let your essence overflow.

I chant to myself, willingly I give.

I chant for you, unknowingly you receive.

My curse. My blessing.

My weakness. My talent.

The mirror turns, reflections abound.

It turns from me, and to you it bestows.

I look not at myself, but in you be found.

Reflections abound, and balance shows.

Darpana Avimutta."

"That chant…" Ottar mumbled. Although he was quickly cut off when it finished, the mark being emblazoned on him and no doubt feeling it. His muscles tensed before he raised a clenched hand. "This feeling…I have weakened to a Level 7."

"That…is an effect of the limitation, yes," Shakti said, tired herself as she got used to the Mind.

That was how it functioned as a buff spell for Shakti, but so bad for others. It wasn't in fact a direct transfer of strength. It was just the absence or presence of Anurakti Varada.

Shakti became the version of herself 'without Anurakti Varada', stats and even skills boosted to where they would have without its limitations. For the other, they retroactively became bound by the skill. Artificial caps to basic abilities, and potentially even skills sealed.

It didn't actually shift levels, in terms of gaining or losing Developmental Abilities, but losing or gaining one or two hundred points in each stat, for each level, was almost equivalent when you are a higher level.

A spell that weakened others while strengthening herself like so…there was a reason it alongside Anurakti Varada were kept secret on the surface.

"This skill is…distinctly unpleasant," Ottar then added, face stoney as he obviously didn't mean the power aspect.

"Yes, it is unpleasant when applied to others," Shakti admitted, trying to hide her grimace.

Another reason she preferred not to use it on comrades. The spell functioned off one's sense of loss and despair. When applied to others, it brought to mind the events and feelings correlating to those. People were flooded by such memories and sentiment.

"It must bring you a great benefit if Lord Ganesha manifested it," he commented, examining her. Gods didn't have to accept skills when updating falna, although few were so self-destructive as to be rejected. "Do you regret bearing it?"

"Never," Shakti vowed.

That she knew. This skill manifested by her own will. It was her talent, and she was glad that it had manifested to be able to help those around her.

It was chains binding her, but they were her chains. Each link forged in her life. They were bitter memories of loss and despair, yes, but each was also someone she had loved and enjoyed knowing.

No matter what this spell did, she would always end up being the one to pick those chains back up.

But, she then looked at Ottar, and bowed her head, "I must apologize, however. I did not expect it to affect you so badly. I shamed myself with such thoughts."

Anurakti Varada was worse for those who have experienced loss and despair. She had assumed that – lone, stoic, immovable – Ottar would feel less from it. Put another way, she had assumed that Ottar hadn't cared about many people enough to feel such things. Yet, clearly that was her own assumptions. She didn't, in fact, know much about Ottar. Before Zeus and Hera fell, she knew him as little more than the Queen's favorite victim. Otherwise...

It made her once again remember that besides Mia, Ottar was the longest serving member of the Freya Familia.

From when he arrived, literally everyone in that familia but Lady Freya and Mia had been lost.

"I care not," he quickly declared though, taking a step back. Removing what she just noted now was her hand remaining on his chest. "I have little desire to bear this for long. So, move, Ankusha. I shall be watching."

"Yes, of course," she said, although she shot him a look too as she considered Anurakti Varada's – which he now bore – effects and mechanisms. It made her ask, "Is there something I can say or do to have you feel a rush of fondness and affection for me, Ottar?"

She received a dull look in response alongside, "The best way to impress me is to fight properly, over anything else.

She froze as she considered her words, eventually admitting with a sigh, "Bad choice of words."

She should focus on the challenge before her over trying to manipulate such things.

"I don't suppose I can borrow one of your weapons."

"No."

"Understood," Shakti said, just expecting it by this point. She braced and looked at the island before her. "Maximum effort instead."

Honestly, it was hard to remember the second fight against the Sword-Horn Dragon. She hadn't exactly been calm and collected when she did so. Nor had she been well-rested.

She had simply run at the monster that had already forced her to flee once before.

She…wasn't sure whether she could claim to be doing anything different this time.

Yet, she still approached the island. She had tracked it here the previous time. Found its lair. It had chased her when she had fled before, but it had no doubt returned. Unless it was currently on a hunting run.

As she crested the icy hill surrounding a central valley however, she found that such was not so.

She stared down at the blue and white dragon, and it also stared back. Clearly, it was not as unaware as last time. With her slow approach, it had to have smelled her. It clearly hadn't felt it necessary to come meet her either, with her approaching.

As it looked at her, it slowly uncoiled its body. The wounds she had inflicted largely healed, only forming new scars that decorated its body. Elixir or not, Shakti could not claim the same. Her clothes were torn, and exhaustion still permeated her body. The marking of Ottar with her spell also meant her Mind was already draining. Maybe most importantly, she was all but unarmed beside a small knife she had kept on her. Backup blade broken in the second battle, and her spear deflected.

That thought made her eyes turn towards where she spotted her spear buried into the ice on the other side of the valley.

A move caught by the dragon, which flapped its wings with new urgency. It shot into the air, hovering before her with great flaps. Then it roared, the sound echoing out.

As it suddenly darted at her with horn poised to stab at her, she leapt right back. It adjusted easily, set to impale her. Shakti maneuvered her body in midair in the last several feet though, slamming her palms on the flat of its horn to launch herself just above. Hearing the whistle of the air right beneath her, she flipped to land on her feet on its horn. She then kept running forward on the length of its body, closing the distance to her spear. The entire maneuver took merely an instant, but that was enough time for it to flick its tri-bladed tail. She leaned to avoid the blade, but there was no avoiding it flicking her entire body in a new direction.

She straightened, but the dragon spun shockingly fast to dart back at her. Grabbing a rock she'd put in a pocket; she threw it as hard as she could right at the approaching monster. Even traveling so fast that it could kill lower leveled adventurers, it shattered against the monster's scales without even the slightest damage.

That was not the goal though. The throw pushed Shakti herself from an ordinary, uncontrolled drop into a far faster descent in the opposite direction. The monster adjusted, but her feet landed just barely before it could gore her. Enough time for her to duck, allowing the horn to slide right over her head and jab into the ice cliff right above her. It left her crouching right underneath, and she leapt up right as it lifted its head and easily tearing through the mass of ice that would have held a lesser creature.

Her rising palm strike added to that movement, however, and the monster actually tipped back with a strangled shriek of anger. Its wings flapping and moving, but not able to entirely reverse its fall onto its back. It managed to twist to land on its side, but for an instant it was down. Shakti fainted towards her spear, but its tail lashed out to slam right in front of her.

The faint worked though, as it did not react as she leapt right at it. As it used one foreleg to lift itself, that was where she struck. Thick carving knife in hand, she stabbed it right through the wing membrane.

"Yaaaaah!" she then yelled as she ran up its wing, gripping the knife so hard it hurt her hands. Legs pumping as in an instant she closed the distance to its actual arm muscles, cutting a deep rent in the thick membrane. Finally, the blade connected with its muscles.

She heard the crack of the blade as it connected. Instead of faltering, she pushed through. Till the blade shattered, and the head of the dragon came around to bite at her exposed form.

She jumped right at its mouth, spinning for her feet to land first.

She could feel time slow. Watching as her feet and legs approached its fanged mouth while it closed. More than ready to cut her body right in half.

Her feet planted on a tooth, and she jumped off it as the mouth closed.

The calf and foot of one of her legs came out bloody from a fang slicing open her skin, but the mouth closed audibly just an instant too slow.

And the jump put Shakti moving right towards her spear.

She landed so hard her legs hurt, not having the time to move at anything but her highest speed. She was disoriented from the rapid maneuver and shift in position, but she didn't have time to collect her position. She grabbed her spear, but didn't have time to take any proper stance.

All she had time for was to turn and swing as the dragon surged right at her, deflecting the horn.

But then its entire body slammed into the ice cliff, and both her and the monster emerged on the other side. It unbothered by the impact. She, ignoring the pain and barely avoiding the worse even as she unleashed a withering series of strikes against its head. Even as the entire cliff of the valley was broken and they burst out closer to the shore, neither of them stopped.

The crash of the ice cliff shattering echoed alongside the enraged bellows of the dragon.

It made someone perk up elsewhere, having been agonizing over where their missing captain had gone.

Its head was too heavily armored, and its horn would take more strength than she could offer to break it and different weapons than she had available.

She juked around its head and darted towards its wing, but it answered quick. It spun to first try and strike at her with the spikes on its wings. Her spear was in position, but she didn't all for it. She instead lowered her center of mass even as she sped up, slipping under wing. This left her racing right at the tail that was following its wing, ready to smack her dreadfully if she had used the chance to attack the wing. Instead, she was a step ahead.

"Hyaaaa-" she yelled as she thrust the spear right into the meat of its tail right before that bladed club at the end, the scales shattering and blood flying as it sunk deep. That wasn't enough though. Even as the momentum of the tail was still coming at her, she threw the rest of her body behind it. "aaaaaaah!"

The tail finally slammed into her, and she was launched backwards dozens of meters back in an uncontrolled tumble that broke and shattered ice and rock.

Yet, the Sword-Horn Dragon roared too. The spear had sunk deep into its tail, and the way it came out was little better. All the force transferred to her had aided in tearing the spear and its bladed head out.

It turned to where she had fallen, but in here it was a moment too late. The experience of two battles having informed it of many things. Experience that now betrayed it, as Shakti recovered a moment too fast and moved a sliver too fast. It failed to see Shakti use a nearby cliff as a jumping platform at its side, allowing her to go around it as opposed to straight at its head. Primarily, aim at its tail from a sideways position.

Shakti spun her spear as she flew right over the tail, the spinning spear slicing through the top quarter of its tail like it was a slicing weapon.

The monster roared again as it now spun to face Shakti. She had not come out unscathed from that blow. An arm of her coat had been torn off, her hairline was bleeding, and her arm hurt to even move. Yet, finally, the monster was properly harmed too. It moved differently now, keeping its wounded tail behind it. A hair more hesitation in its movement.

"This is the third time," Shakti gasped out, spear held out behind her as she stared down the wounded dragon. "The first two haven't been for nothing."

The first fight had shown how hard its scales were. How little the others were able to damage it. It revealed that the wings were far less fragile than they looked.

The second fight had shown her own limitations. How little she was able to damage it. The immense strength of its main horn. How it could absorb blows to set up harder blows.

Yet, they had also revealed to her several weak points. Like the tail itself right under the club. The way its spikes protected soft points, making every strike at them inches from injury and death.

And now, with Darpana Avimutta active and a firm resolve to do whatever is necessary to bring this down, she could reach them.

"This time," she gasped out, taking a new stance. "I shall win."

As if responding to the declaration, the monster breathed inwards.

Her arm shot out, throwing the spear right into a previous cut on its face, making it flinch. Just long enough for her to dash backwards. Its roar that landed like a blow to disorientate stabbed at her ears, but not enough. Not enough to prevent her jumping off a rock to rocket right back at it. A picked-up rock was tossed as she flew, connecting with the shaft of her spear and making it come out spinning. She grasped it out of the air, and struck the monster in its moment of vulnerability.

"That's definitely an angry monster. A big one," Ryana declared as the Ganesha expedition ran closer. "Not with a second one nearby either, based on lack of response."

"It's sis," Ilta exclaimed as she led the group. "She came out here to fight."

"Why did she come out alone?" Anaise demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ilta said as she laughed and proclaimed. "To have an adventure."

Finally, they reached the island the roars were coming from. They were on the opposite side though, and had to leap and jump over the snowy hills and ice cliffs. The noises of battle grew louder with every one though.

"Big sis, that's!" Zens let out as they moved.

Ilta followed his gaze, seeing a large figure on the hill they were heading too. The form unmistakable to anyone with any sense of Orario's top levels. Ottar of the Freya Familia. The King.

Right where they were heading.

"Ignore him," Ilta merely snapped, deciding to treat the man as the statue he seemed intent on imitating half the time. "We find and help sis."

So, with that, they alighted on the hill a short distance away from Ottar. He didn't acknowledge their arrival. It made it easy for them to look down at the battle occurring.

"It's captain," Dench said. "Let's help her!"

"I recognize that monster too."

"She's injured, we need to-"

"Stop."

That made them all halt. It was soft-spoken, and had no power behind it in any way that one could point to. It was instead their minds making the connection. Making them turn towards Orario's mightiest adventurer.

Ottar still didn't look at them, instead speaking softly, "Just watch. She's fighting. Trying to make something special happen…Be privileged you are here to watch."

With those words, they were only able to look down at their captain.

They watched as she moved as fast as they ever saw her. So much of the elegance and control she usually had lost, but none of the effectiveness. She dodged blows by the tiniest of margins. Jumped into miniscule gaps and opening. Thrust and swung her weapon with complete focus and determination to strike true. When she took blows, she moved even as those watching flinched and cringed.

Shakti Varma was playing the deadliest of games for adventurers, walking a tightrope with doom waiting her on either side if she slipped up.

It was a sight that every true adventurer knew.

Shakti gasped, but her lungs remained bereft of air to such a degree dark spots danced in her vision.

Her arms blocked, even as she felt the bones cracking and fingers dislocating.

Her body twisted and bent, deep pains in her torso crying out with each one.

Eyes were peeled for the slightest hint of incoming attacks and gaps to attack, despite sweat and blood flowing into her eyes.

Yet, she kept moving. Kept jumping and dodging. Kept attacking. Kept watch over this enemy as it bled and cried in pain just as much as she.

The dragon was irate. Snarling in pain as its own wounds accrued. Managing to wear down Shakti, but incapable of finishing her off.

It was clearly too much, and it dug its head into the ground. Horn buried again; it started spinning. Bringing up the storm of thrown ice and snow, it also sparked with the red energy. The energy built up, eventually causing the storm to blow outwards.

Shakti was dancing back, having expected this. There was no avoiding the red energy that lingered and burned, but she avoided the ice that threatened to freeze her over. Just barely.

She then jumped.

And the dragon burst out, having launched itself in a swift glide forward to try and bowl her over.

Shakti's leap put her level with it. Its horn lashed out, but she deflected it. Not only that, but she also used it to push herself to the side. The momentum of the dragon then pushing it past her, leaving her level with its wing. Specifically, the wing wounded earlier.

Her spear thrust again, and the dragon shrieked as it tipped. One wing finally fully failing. Shakti was smashed out of midair, but the dragon tumbled too. It crashed into the ground, and limb flailing out as it tried to correct itself.

Knowing she couldn't allow itself to correct itself, Shakti moved even as her body cried for a moment's rest and blood erupted from her chest. She ran, but she was too slow. She knew that. Instead, her mind shifted to the on option available. Her arm drew back, and she threw her spear again.

It impacted a cut it the dragon's neck, making it recoil and screech again just long enough for the red energy to fade.

"Heh, got you," Shakti let out, almost tipping and falling over but managing to catch herself. "Never let your enemy know your tricks."

She wasn't sure what that energy was, but she had been able to see how it was used. A rush of potent offence. It was clearly a short-term power though, and demanded recovery afterwards. After all, the first time it had used the created opening to consume food. As for the second, it had been this energy that pushed Shakti into fleeing. Yet, against a flying enemy, that she had escaped at all was indicative of something. That it hadn't the energy to pursue.

Yet, as the dragon turned to glare at her, she noted that her spear remained stuck in its neck and she was now unarmed against a monster.

It lunged, and she danced out of the way.

"Captain!"

Shakti recognized that voice, which together with instinct made her reach out grab what was approaching. It allowed her to snatch an axe out of the air. Ligand's axe.

"Kill that fucking lizard!" his voice roared out.

Shakti could only react on instinct. She ducked the wing stirk it unleashed, and blocked the following tail strike with the axe. With the far larger weapon, she tilted it to deflect the tail above her. Her feet were buried in ice from that, but she jumped after it. Made the axe come down on the already injured and partially cut tail.

The axe dug into the ground, and the severed tail landed right beside it.

The response of the dragon was instinctive, and Shakti had to abandon the axe to dodge the furious bite of the dragon at its crippling.

"Captain, here!"

"We got you!"

"Don't stop."

Yet, her familia members watching kept throwing their own weapons at her. She grabbed each one and attacked the dwindling dragon. Veter's spear want into its other wing. Greant's shield blocked a blow. Ledako's spear dug right into its body.

One blow after another, Shakti barely able to think enough to do more than use each offering as best she could.

The dragon was releasing chilling air from its body that threatened to freeze her. It was too little too late though. Shakti could barely feel her body, and every scrap of ice forming on her skin was broken without care of tearing skin. She was on the edge of Mind Down, but that didn't matter.

This was all instinct.

Intent on answering the calls coming down at her and beating this foe before it could bring tragedy.

She rolled to avoid a desperate bite of the dragon, and used that to get close enough to snatch her own spear. She pushed it deep, trying to pierce all the way through its neck. The cracking instead came from her spear though, as the shaft finally gave way under its punishment and broke off.

Shakti kept moving. The bottom shaft of her spear in hand, she darted and grabbed a discarded axe in the other. She leapt, slamming it into the dragon's body. Dislocated fingers gave in, and her grip on it failed. Yet, she moved instinctively and slammed the pole of her spear into the axe to push it in just a bit deeper.

It finally granted her what she needed.

The flash of shining blue underneath torn flesh and red blood.

Its magic stone.

She ducked a desperate bite. She dipped as it tried to catch her with its horn. She dodged as it spun.

She then jumped, arcing over it. The blunt shaft of her spear held in her good hand. Ready to slam it down on the exposed magic stone as the dragon proved too slow.

"Ankusha," a new voice broke in though, finally making her look away as it wasn't one of her familia members. Her eyes met Ottar's. Pulling one of the spikes from his waist, he tossed it at her with a simple order, "Try this."

Shakti reached out with her injured hand, catching the spike in her palm. Broken and dislocated fingers grasped around it. They could barely hold it, but she could still use it to direct the spike into position.

Its sharp end cracked against the magic stone, and then the broken shaft of her spear came down on it like a hammer and nail.

The spike broke open the magic stone.

An explosion of dust occurred, cutting off the indignant, defiant roar of the dragon instantly.

…

Those outside could only see for a moment the cloud of ash and smoke that formed afterwards. Yet it died down to reveal a dark form walking out. Shakti's form walking out, steps uneven and wobbling, but victorious.

"Sis!" Ilta called as she jumped down.

The cry of others joined as they jumped down to surround her.

"Everyone," she merely said, looking over them with a firm gaze even as she looked half dead. "Prepare to leave the Dungeon. We…are done here."

After that and before her form, there was only one response they could think of.

"""Yes, captain!"""

She looked up to see that Ottar had already disappeared.

It wasn't necessarily pleasant, but she still whispered as they set off, "Thank you for helping me try to make it worth it."

For now though…she had done her best.

And the need to continue doing that in the future wasn't going to disappear.

Well, that was long. Was tempted to split it up till after the Kraken fight, but didn't want to extend this arc even more. Also, some of the flashbacks were before that. But hope it was enjoyable. Tried to make final fight epic, but not up for me to decide success or not.

If nothing else, you got Shakti's AU aspects here. Considering Adi is about as busted of a character as Omori gave us alongside Alise Lovell, I was inspired to make Shakti sort of the same way. Help explain how a bunch of redshirts are Orario's third-strongest familia.

Next chapter is Loki Familia's...unless I decide instead to do a shorter Tsubaki one.