Had a busy few days so couldn't get this out even if it had been 80% written. Hope you like it though. Not sure whether I'll be updating this or Alfin this weekend, but I'll try for one.
Really started to explore some of what I've added to flesh out Shakti here.
Also, as I saw a few of you had reviews with questions.
ObeRun - You didn't have a question, but thanks for the long review and I'm not too bothered by lack of interest. This is a pretty niche story type. I had other ideas that likely would have been more popular, but I'm quite enjoying this.
torresjuan010 - This is third person (using he/him or she/her). I do first-person for a fic I have on SB, but stuck with third-person for this one. Not sure if I like it better, but whatever. Otherwise, thanks for the words. As for my writing advice, figure out your own style. I like worldbuilding and detail. A lot of great writers focus on other things.
InsaneMakaioshin - Yes, I made up the ice fruit. While the Dungeon has fruit canonically in it, we haven't even been shown the Glacier Territory in canon so I rather have to fill it out. Fruit worked for story and didn't clash, so I added it. Also, since I see you left a few reviews in Is It Wrong...Tsubaki is stronger than Phryne, but Ishtar has numbers. Hephaestus has 50+ high-class adventurers (Level 2 or higher) with 20 or so as Level 3. Ishtar has 100+ high-class with 'most' at Level 3. There's also that Hephaestus does less expeditions. Note however that no one wants to mess with creators of magic swords (Tsubaki stalled Gareth easily when she let loose). I corrected Hathor to having two strong Level 4's as captain and vice-captain. This is before Bell, but there's plenty of time between Bell's arrival and Great Feud. I can say I have had many ideas on Great Feud ideas, but not this one. Not sure about Allen reaching Level 7 within a year of reaching Level 6, but I can say it is disappointing that basically anyone older than Ais' generation hasn't leveled up in the seven years since the Grand Feud.
After a full day spent on the 50th floor, they finally started on the most challenging part of their dive.
Shakti's spear cut through every Black Rhino that dared show itself as before where she stood right at the bottom of the stairs from the 50th floor. Their thick hides demanding proper weapons, Ilta handled the other monsters arriving with her fists. Ligand joined Shakti in her culling of the big ones, while Ladako helped Ilta clean up.
It was just the four of them at the stairs from the 50th floor. Cutting down the monsters, calm and patient as they waited for every monster in sight to come at them while roaring. They stayed the same as the nearby walls cracked and birthed new monsters. Even when monsters from further away started flowing in, drawn by the roars and sound of combat.
The initial local area was cleared up, but the monsters continued coming in a trickle.
And the trickle soon became a flood.
Once monsters were coming from all available directions, Shakti yelled up the stairs, "Ryana, now!"
Within seconds, noise started coming down the stairs. The four of them moved to the sides, pairing up on either side. Protecting themselves, but leaving the entrance of the stairs open.
Which soon had a stampede of monsters emerge, several Black Rhino's at front but followed by a good number of Fomoire and even a Power Bull.
The work of the day of delay. The familia's monster taming skills put to full use. Monsters from the 49th floor forcefully beaten and tamed, and even a few quick ventures to the 51th floor netting them some Black Rhino's to serve as the meat behind their impromptu stampede.
As the confused, tamed monsters ran right into their fellows, the rest of the expedition force followed and Shakti yelled out while leading, "Down the left corridor!"
The rush of monsters created chaos in the approaching enemies. Bowled over by the tamed monsters fed magic stones that both enhanced their strength temporarily and put them into a state where they could be tamed. Ganesha members guiding the stampede while reaping the toll on the knocked down and injured monsters left in its wake.
It was a move that broke the encirclement, allowing them to leave the congregated enemy force behind.
It was also a fully temporary move. The enemy monsters were soon inflicting wounds on and bringing down the tamed ones. As the tamed monsters decreased in number and the enemy before them soon outnumbered the Ganesha members, whips and commands failed. Old instincts reasserting.
Not hesitating, Shakti led the way by thrusting her spear right through the back neck of one of the tamed Black Rhino's before it turned and continued without a pause.
"Keep moving to the stairs to the 52nd floor," she ordered as she leaned away from several swipes of a Black Rhino, ducked a lunge of Silver Worm, before countering to slice them up. "Don't get bogged down."
The 51st floor was good for being able to kill hordes of enemies without risk from the Valgang Dragon, but also little else if your goal was to delve. It was just an area to clear. In that, thankfully, their strategy worked perfectly. Drawing all the monsters to the same point before punching through with a stampede of sacrificial monsters half-tamed. Their way was clear, only needing to cut through the monsters as they spawned in their way.
The Dungeon floors were well over twice the size of Orario this deep, but the Labyrinth Territory was thankfully one where the stairs down were all relatively centered. If one wanted to explore the entirety of the floors, it would take weeks. If one just sought to descend, the timeframe turned to hours.
The 52nd floor.
There was little difference, right away. The same monsters blocking the way. Shakti ensuring she was front and center, leading the way through the bulk of the enemy. Pushing herself to go faster and faster to keep their pace up.
Yet it was impossible to avoid monsters coming up the rear or the flanks at each intersection, making it inevitable that eventually someone would be 'sniped'.
"Shakti!" Ilta yelled when she ducked a shot of spider web.
It was just one of three, however. The other two continued on, catching onto two of the supporters. Everyone's eyes shifted to the man-sized spiders.
Deformis Spiders.
"Watch out," Shakti yelled, everyone bracing as beams of white-hot fire consumed their sight in one direction.
The Dungeon itself was torn through, the floor shaking.
It made it easy to miss as the Deformis Spiders leapt back, uncaring of how they were consumed by the flames so long as they pulled the supporters forward into the giant hole that remained as the fire died down. Shakti still noticed, and threw herself after them to barely snag the large packs of the two supporters. She ended up holding them both in the open air as her feet were right at the edge.
Grasping them, Shakti found herself staring down at the massive hole that now went straight to the 58th floor.
Just what they had been waiting for.
"Down! Down! Down!" Shakti yelled as she heard screeches of Ill Wyverns rising from the depths. "The 54th floor."
Ilta was the first that ran past Shakti, swan-diving into the hole. Shakti grunted as she lifted the two supporters, throwing them backwards where they were caught. She then dived herself.
The rest of the group followed, although not all at the same time.
Shakti was scanning downwards. Watching Ilta lead the way, the amazon grinning madly as dark flying forms rose up to meet their falling group. Ill-Wyverns, their mouths opening with gathering fire.
Ilta's grin widened as she faced the fire, her arm pulling back.
Shakti only ordered, "Tamanna."
The Level 4 was ready, chant already done.
"Duality Shelter!"
The light of her magic covered Ilta, two separate currents of red and blue light forming an immaterial yet supremely protective embrace.
Ilta was consumed by the breath attacks of three wyverns.
Yet she came out the other side with grin and body untouched, unleashing a punch right into the skull of one of the wyverns while crying out, "Oryaaaa!"
The skull all but exploded before her fist, the wyvern going limp. Also serving as a platform for Ilta to plant her feet to jump off of from towards a new wyvern. This one once again tried to consume her in flames, but failed just as much. It tried to use its long neck to dodge, but Ilta still landed her blow on its body. Scales shattered and ribs clearly cracked before her fist, and she latched on with her fingers to pull herself in. The second blow sent this wyvern falling too.
"Haha, I always love this," Ilta declared as she jumped at a new wyvern. "I don't have to defend at all!"
Eager Violence. One of Ilta's two skills. It enhanced her attack power the more she abandoned any guard or caution for offense, with defense and fear nullifying it.
Which paired perfectly here with Duality Shelter. Tamanna's magic spell provided protection from heat and cold for five minutes to those it was applied to. A third-rate defensive spell most of the time, not providing any protection from physical attacks or magic attacks of any other element. Too situational.
In situations like this? Facing enemies like wyverns which attacked with fire – or the Moltor from before? Priceless.
Shakti had her own enemies, however. She threw her spear, impaling one through the eye, and she landed on its body as it started to plummet. She grabbed the shaft and jumped onto another with three swings carving through its neck. A wyvern managed to catch her with fire, but a spinning of her spear defended and dissolved the barrage of fireballs.
Eventually realizing the uselessness of their flames against either of them, one came lunging at Shakti with large, teeth-filled mouth open. A palm strike met its lower jaw to slam its jaws shut, and a sweeping slash sent it tumbling down.
"Captain, Vice-Captain!" a voice came from above.
Shakti looked up to see that the others had done what was planned. Ryana had used her bow to embed several arrows in the walls, each with ropes attached. It allowed everyone in the party to halt their fall. Without the harassment of the wyverns either, they were able to move into one of the opening on the side. On the 54th floor.
The others safe, Shakti exchanged a glance and nod with Ilta. More wyverns were already coming up, but the two jumped. They landed on the walls, and used it as a leaping point. Unlike the Level 4's that needed the rope, they were easily able to use sheer physical capabilities and what handholds were available to climb back up the fifty meters to the 54th floor. They landed on the ground of the hallway.
"To the first intersection," Shakti ordered as she moved. Two snake leaped at her. Her spear caught the Thunder Snake in the mouth, and she punched the Silver Worm away. Once they were there, she ordered, "Damage the walls."
Several of the supporters started on that, but a call came as well, "Wyverns trying to crawl into the hallway!"
"Remaining supporters block it with Tamanna," Shakti responded.
It might be scary to face down fire-breathing wyverns that filled an entire hallway, but they were the best opponents for the Level 4's.
"Greant, block off that route," Shakti ordered.
The orders kept on coming. Everyone had a job. The walls needed to be damaged to ensure no monsters spawned amongst them. The wyverns from the Vangang Dragon pit killed and held back. A good three other routes needed handled.
Still, despite the seeming threats on all sides, this was where they hunkered down.
The longer they fell, the more wyverns they would have had to deal with. Skipping all the floors would also have allowed the Dungeon to put all its gathered energy into trapping them there. The 58th floor was a wide-open cavern, after all. Compared to the labyrinth where they could funnel enemies into several narrow approaches, the 58th floor was as bad as the Moytura when it came to being surrounded by entire hordes.
No, the Ganesha familia had long since found that the holes blown through the floors by the Valgang Dragons were better to drop but several floors. It allowed distance to be covered, but kept it controlled. They could move multiple floors quickly, but then bunker down. Cull the monsters and strain the ability of the Dungeon to spawn more. The Valgang Dragons also had a cooldown period between their attacks.
To drop to the 54th floor and then climb back up was the usual operation of the Ganesha familia in these floors. Well, when Shakti didn't prefer to have them grind on the 51st floor. 51st floor to 54th and then climbing back up was a limited rotation that nonetheless exposed them to all the dangers of these floors. With a full expedition camped on the 50th floor, they could often do it for days without supply fears.
The only time they had reached the 58th was when they coincidentally had several Freya executives fighting ahead of them, thus partially clearing the way.
And now they needed to do it themselves before going deeper.
The thought made Shakti pause and take another deep breath to center herself, but then a call went out, "Venom Scorpion!"
Shakti immediately moved to the route that called that, facing the two-meter-tall scorpion monster. It was snapping its large claws while its stinger also waved in the air. Numerous bug eyes glared at them with hatred.
Shakti threw her spear again, the blade stabbing into the joint of chitin between the stinger and tail segment. The monster shrieked, but she was the one to run forward first. Stinger hindered by her spear, it snapped at her with lightning fast claws. She had to duck and weave between them, finally jumped over to land on top of its body. She grabbed the haft of her dangling spear before jumping up further. Dragging the spear with her, the blade tore through even more of its tail. She landed feetfirst on the wall, jumping right back in. A final attack removing the stinger.
The monster remained alive, angry too, but fell. Arrows shot into its eyes. Spear thrusts following as its vision failed. Its thick chitin shell kept its main body protected for a time, but failed utterly to prevent its limbs from being lost one by one.
Venom Scorpions were one of the more dangerous monsters, but still failed before any coordinated assault once their stingers were removed.
"I'll harvest its poison," Tamanna called as the monster fell.
"No, leave it," Shakti ordered though, drawing a surprised look. "Not our priority this time."
The venom of the monster was actually a highly valued material, and one neither the Freya nor Loki familias usually focused on. The Venom Scorpion's poison was such that it could greatly harm even someone with Abnormal Resistance ranked F. It just wasn't as well-known as Poison Vermis or Peluda because it was deeper than those two and it…just wasn't a monster well-designed to deliver it. Their stingers were so large that even without the poison, a strike had a chance to be fatal. It made avoiding being hit and removing the stinger literally the first move against them. Harvesting the poison also required E-ranked Abnormal Resistance; far above the G-rank often deemed sufficient.
Knowledge on how to harvest poison being lacking in most frontline warriors also hardly needed to be mentioned.
Yet, it was an essential ingredient in the highest quality detoxicant antidotes, thus lucrative if you could.
Ganesha familia also had an alternative reason. Raising Abnormal Resistance. While an unpleasant process, controlled exposures was the best method for such. Without Venom Scorpion poison, one had to rely on strengthened Basilisk, Poison Vermis, or Peluda concoctions which added more variables.
Their taming meant the familia members were often exposed to irregulars, which frequently developed new or enhanced abilities, and so held a higher standard for Abnormal Resistance.
But not this time.
"We won't burden ourselves with drops or materials at this point," Shakti clarified, looking around. "Keep an eye out for Deformis Spiders. We'll need to tame a few within half a day. Till then, I'll be training."
"""Yes, captain."""
Nodding, Shakti then moved to one of the routes where she told Ilta, "I'll handle this hallway."
"Got it, sis. I'll make sure to reinforce anyone that needs it," her vice-captain said with a grin and wink.
Shakti merely nodded. She then looked at the monsters slowly approaching. Ilta's group had done a good job of clearing the closer ones already, and they were hesitating to move forward.
It allowed Shakti to start whispering, chanting her single spell under her breath.
"The Mirror turns. Reflections abound.
I look upon myself, what do I -̷̨̗͙̙̩̳̆̓̌
Shakti continued speaking, even as the words became garbled and her mind refused to turn to them.
The latter helped by the monsters reacting to the chant, as soft as it was. Several Black Rhino's moved forward. Shakti merely watched as she murmured, eyes sharp. It could have been problematic, but they were slow enough the chant continued till blue light gathered around Shakti's hand. A point where she was able to shoot forward with the chant paused, Ignis Fatuus staved off.
The sudden move allowed her to land a palm strike on the center Black Rhino, and the light shot into the monster.
It remained standing though, confused itself at the lack of result.
Shakti was still calm, merely jumping back to make distance as she resumed chanting.
"My curse. My blessing.
My weakness. My talen-̷̨̗͙̙̩̳̆̓̌
The words came automatically even as her eyes sharpened more and more as she eyed the monsters as they charged again.
The spell fully activated just as the monsters reached her again and all swung in unison to crush and smash her totally.
…
The monsters fell in pieces, limbs flying through the air and blood splattering. Three Black Rhino's fell in an instant, with three more snake monsters joining them. All that remained was the Black Rhino she'd marked, which instead found itself knocked down.
It cried out in anger, and got back to its feet.
It froze however as it met Shakti's eyes. That was all that was needed. It was almost as if it could sense her aura.
And her bad mood.
"I have little reason to tame you, but you can't die yet," she stated as she pointed her spear at it. "Not after I've used this."
She felt empowered. A surge in strength that overwhelmed even the consumption of Mind. All her abilities pushed to the next limit. Less an addition as a restraints being released.
Shakti hated it. Hated this spell. It was an overly long chant that made it oft unwieldy, and the heavy Mind demand was already weighing down on her. It never made her feel good either.
Breaking her chains felt cheap.
Made her feel like she was trying to shed what formed those chains, which she couldn't allow.
No matter how painful or heavy, they were the chains she had chosen.
Yet the lost weight was disgustingly liberating, and it was impossible to deny the utility.
More monsters rounded the corner. It was enough for the Black Rhino to regain its ingrained hatred, and lunged at her again. Shakti's fist met its head. Her fist won, and the monster once again stumbled back.
The others that had joined in got off far worse. Shakti's speed was as enhanced as her strength. Her spear was a flash as they were cut down. The monsters were overwhelmed and helpless against her current prowess, which was hard to believe came from a Level 5.
In but an instant, the Black Rhino once again found itself alone as it faced Shakti.
…
The Ganesha familia members chose to look away as Shakti held that route by herself for hours with the spell she couldn't use on the surface.
They also chose to ignore the shivering Black Rhino that eventually led their next advance as if running from their captain.
It took several days as they continued their steady progress down the Labyrinth Territory. Their speed forced to increase as they got closer and closer to the 58th floor as it became clear the cooldown of the Valgang Dragons was decreasing as they had to blow through less floors. It ensured their time on each floor decreased. The day they had on the 54th floor dropped to 18 hours on the 55th, then 14 on the 56th, and a mere 9 on the 57th.
Thankfully, the shorter intervals didn't prove enough to get them properly caught up in one of their attacks.
After all, they ensured they had Deformis Spiders. Besides their silk which were used as ropes for each dive, the monsters had one great use. Considering their usual modus operandi of pulling adventurers into the blast holes of Valgang Dragons, the monsters had extremely high ability to sense when said strikes were coming. Even a partly trained one served ably as a warning sign.
The half-second hesitation as it fought its taming from the instinctual urge to act was enough.
Shakti's spear cleaved it in half – making it irrelevant which side won the struggle – before they made distance enough that the white blast that lit up their eyes nonetheless didn't touch them.
There were certainly advantages to the sort of monster knowledge that came with taming.
Casting a stoic gaze at the hole now opened up with only the 58th floor below them, Shakti asked, "Status report?"
"For stamina, we're steady," someone responded, although they cast a look to the side as they added, "Although not sure how much it has taken from Crem."
"I am…fine," the ashen-brown haired elf tried to claim, the wobble in her stance betraying her even more than her pale pallor or weak voice. "And it is Cremaestra."
"Take a Mind Potion. We need you ready," Shakti ordered.
While Crem was the weaker of their two mages, a new Level 4 to Level 5 Anaise, Crem had the more destructive spells. Not to mention, she had the healing spell they'd been relying on so far this time. Anaise was more specialized for nonlethal delay and defense. The lack of firepower in the Ganesha familia had led Shakti to start working with the young elf, and it had led to her rising from Level 2 to 4 in but two years.
She was still woefully unexperienced for Shakti's taste, and her status was one of the two lowest of all the Level 4's present.
Shakti preferred to keep her with the Level 2's and 3's of her previous party, but…she would be necessary regardless for the Valgang Dragons.
Once the elf reluctantly nodded and swallowed one of their Mind Potions, Shakti turned to Ilta and asked, "How many Valgang Dragons down there?"
"…Seve-no. Eight."
The answer made Shakti frown. It was an unfortunate number, but also expected. Valgang Dragons were slow – even awkward – once you got close, but also bulky and tough. That defense was not easy for even strong Level 5's to overcome. Eight was a worrying number.
A number that Shakti would usually use as reason to turn back and start climbing again.
This time she just hummed, continuing her questioning, "Potions?"
"We're good on health and stamina, due to Crem, but we're running low on Mind."
Knowing she was partially responsible for that – Shakti's spell was very demanding and she'd been using it every stop to train –, Shakti nodded and said, "Prioritize Crem over Anaise or myself. I'll handle the strain. Anaise, switch to staff wielding if you need to…Equipment?"
"Our current shields have been bent and hammered back into shape, but we'll keep with them to spare the replacements," Greant claimed gruffly.
"Our spears are doing well enough," Veter said.
The Spearmanship DA was common in their familia, which always helped. The DA effectively increased damage dealt by spears with each rank. It made cutting through even tough enemies less damaging. Shakti's efforts to make it common were for such reasons.
Although the real boon on their weapons was likely more due to having skipped so much of the usual grind the floors before the 50th typically demanded. Not having reinforcements or resupply on the 50th floor was worrying, but in many ways it was paying off in how quickly they got here and avoiding the combat that came with wagons and weaker members. That all but Ilta and her were carrying extra gear also helped.
She would have to consider this arrangement for the future in deep dives.
Naturally the good news was soon broken however by Zens speaking up, the youngest Level 4 – alongside Crem – of their group speaking up as he held up his longsword, "My sword is in pretty bad condition. So chipped it doesn't have much cut anymore."
Shakti eyed him for a moment, eventually making a call and declaring, "Keep using it for now. Switch to relying on your spell and avoiding combat. Better to have you use your replacement on the 59th floor than have two chipped ones from trying to fight any Valgang Dragons yourself."
"Sis is right, Farm Boy," Ilta said, laughing bawdily and slapping his shoulder teasingly. "You should be focused on surviving here. Don't make Sis or I save you…although that's probably a fantasy for you, haha."
That made Zens glower, although he took the chuckles that came from Ilta in good stride. Not that he could avoid it. Like Crem, he was a new Level 4. He was brought into this group since he was one of the more talented Ganesha members despite his age and inexperience. Two useful skills and a short-chant spell that allowed him to cover his body in an armor of any nearby material – usually used to form a buckler or punching gauntlet in his off hand – really did place him above what the Ganesha familia usually worked with.
They had gotten down here by knowing their routines, their tactics, and sticking to them.
Not from any overwhelming strength by the standards of the Loki or Freya familias.
The Ganesha familia only had a handful of people with top-quality skills or spells by the standards of those groups, but Shakti had made sure to know how to use every single one as best as possible.
That in mind, Shakti contemplated the situation before her before announcing carefully, "Okay, here is the plan. Our chance of clearing eight Valgang Dragons is small. Doing so without destroying basically all our weapons and armor and before more spawn, even less so. Thus, we won't aim for complete annihilation. Just like before the 50th floor, we'll push our way through. Accounts I checked of the Glacier Territory said it was less densely populated. If we move quick, we can leave multiple Valgang Dragons behind."
Was it wise to not completely wipe out enemies on their route of retreat when they were about to take their first steps into an even more dangerous floor? Probably not. If they intended to reach the 59th floor though, and Shakti had long since recognized her sullen thoughts on that goal as pointless and thus discarded them, it was still their best option. Even if they could wipe out entirely all the monsters on the 58th floor, the Loki familia on their last expedition had been forced to turn back from the toll it took on their weapons.
From experience and by nature, Shakti preferred not to overestimate her own.
"We'll split into two groups," Shakti continued again, meeting everyone's eyes. "An assault team on the Valgang Dragons, and a scouting group to check the 59th. Ilta, you'll lead the latter. You check if the 59th floor allows us the space and room to recover and operate. Should the area be too filled with monsters, we must retreat. If it is open, return and we descend as quickly as possible."
"I won't let you down, sis," Ilta promised, patting her chest confidently.
Shakti merely nodded, continuing, "I'll take Ligand, Veter, Ryana, Anaise, Tamanna, Udar, and Crem. You'll have Greant, Ladako, Disol, Reshid, Disc, Dench, Zens. You all move quick, while we'll set up for heavy combat. Crem, you'll have a role in our opening moves."
The elf sighed and asked plaintively, "You can't even use my full name when you're putting so much on me?"
Shakti was kneeling at the edge of the great hole in the Dungeon to the 58th floor, overlooking the roughly three-hundred-meter drop and the distant forms of the Valgang Dragons.
The buzzing in her head stopped as her chant finished.
"Darpana Avimutta."
Disc had the injured Silver Worm monster laid out next to her, his whip and sword out to keep it cowed as she laid a hand on it and completed her spell.
She stood as her power surged.
She took a breath, and then jumped.
The wyverns filling the air noticed her near immediately. As did the Valgang Dragons. The wyverns started flying towards her, and the nearest Valgang Dragon opened its maw. There were plenty enough wyverns for some to breath fire at her even as others closed in to bite at her, and a bright light started to gather in the mouth of the larger dragon.
Arrows started to pepper the incoming wyverns, failing to slay them yet making them recoil and look at their attacker.
Ryana, who had jumped down with the second group. This one consisting of several others. Grant and his two supporters. And Tamanna.
Who had just finished chanting.
As the protective lights of Duality Shield settled over Shakti, she ignored the fireballs that washed over her. She instead looked at the far stronger blast of the dragon coming up at her. Twirling her spear, readied it for a great blow.
Fire split as magic protected her, allowing her to come down and connect with the dragon's thick neck with a yell, "Hya!"
The spear pierced through; the force of her fall combined with her current power severing entirety of the dragon's neck.
She landed hard on the floor, but her prowess made the fall inconsequential. Before the decapitated head hit the ground beside her, she was moving and attacking. Intent on using the boost from her spell as much as possible before dropping it. Darting at the closest dragon, she didn't wait till she reached it. Instead, she drew her arm back and tossed her spear.
Her spear went through the bone of its wing, blowing a hole in a way closer to a cannon or spell than a simple thrown spear.
Her kick then caught the roaring dragon right under the jaw, knocking it off its feet before darting to regain her spear.
The second group landed, and then the third.
"Oryaaa!" Ilta yelled as she landed on another dragon, striking with all her force like Shakti had done. Unfortunately, the Valgang Dragons were more durable than the wyverns had been. Its legs collapsed and it roared in pain, but its scales held. Nor did the follow up punches of Ilta as she continued, "Just die! Die! Die!"
The amazon was forced off when the dragon recovered enough to stand and heave.
Ligand's own falling strike was just as successful in only wounding the Valgang Dragon he struck at, even his massive axe and heavily armored form only wounding it.
The wyverns up above had detected where they were jumping from, and were closing. Trying to hit them midair as they dropped. Expected.
Crem, with the final group that had yet to jump, had a magic circle forming behind her with multiple white-gray orbs of light pulsing within as her chant finished.
"Nature's Burn!"
The orbs started to unleash beams at the approaching wyverns. The wyverns dipped and dived to try and avoid the narrow beams of magic, but the beams moved to shift with their targets. Not all hit, but those that did burned right through the monsters leaving holes of only ash within them as they fell. Those beams that missed continued on, bombarding the ground uselessly.
Yet, the orbs continued to spawn beams of destruction. This time, they moved to the larger targets on the ground. Two Valgang dragons fell under assault of this magic artillery, and bellowed in pain even as many of the beams missed.
The low accuracy ended up being the monsters' salvation, the spell ending with the two monsters only wounded and harmed by the barrage.
"Form up," Shakti ordered as the final group moved to drop, everyone gathering as the final members of the expedition landed. "Ilta, go!"
"Moving," Ilta said, moving away with her group.
"The rest of you…" Shakti said, looking at the monsters which were gathering themselves.
They had certainly dealt great harm against the monster horde in that opening strike. One of the Valgang dragons was dead, and four more wounded to varying degrees. Nearing two dozen of the wyverns had also been killed.
Yet the sight was not reassuring. Three unharmed Valgang Dragons, four more wounded, and more wyverns coming by the minute. An intimidating array even if everyone was available, much less the four Level 5's and three level 4's with her.
Shakti had planned on dropping her spell due to the Mind drain, but she silently kept it up.
"Target the wounded ones first, and leave the others to me," Shakti said as she took a stance facing the approaching monsters. "Do not be too aggressive. Stay together, and cover each other…don't fall!"
Any experienced adventurer could tell you how even minutes could quickly become as exhausting and straining as hours.
"Hya!" Shakti let out as she made five thrust deep into one of the dragon's flanks in an instant, before ducking to dodge as it spun to try and use its wing as a weapon on her. She felt the heavy blow pass just above her head, blowing her hair, and then succumbed as its actual wing membrane unleashed a local hurricane. She lashed out with her spear even as she was blown away, cutting a rent in its wing membrane before propelled out of range. A swooping wyvern tried to snatch her in midair, but her armored fist met its head. She also latched on, swinging herself onto its back. Even as it flapped and tried to buck her off, her spear pierced it and she jumped off as it fell. As she rolled with the landing, she called out, "Regroup a hundred meters north of the stairs!"
"Y-Yes!"
"On…it."
"Moving."
The responses she received showed that the exhaustion was eating at everyone.
They had done good work. Shakti had managed to finish off two of the injured dragons relatively quick with the boost from Darpana Avimutta, and a team effort had managed to bring down another after some work. Another use of Nature's Burn had brought down the last. Two of the Valgang Dragons had also been rendered insensate by Anaise's curse.
That still left them in a conundrum, and the successes had come at a cost.
Armor had been dented, and no small amount of burns too. Tamanna was using her spell as quickly as possible, but she couldn't cover everyone. The monsters were also smart enough to eventually connect that those encased in light were immune to their flames, and targeted those unprotected. Shakti had already ordered everyone else be protected, but there were other dangers. Udar had taken a blow, and Tamanna was giving him a potion. Ryana had run out of arrows, and was using her whip while her and Veter tried to collect them. Ligand was forced to carry Anaise around, the curse she'd used on the dragons rendering her just as befuddled as her target. Crem was the worst, blood running down her nose and body wobbling as she tried to keep moving. Needing to use her healing spell on Veter at one point had only added onto the necessary offensive spells she'd used on the numerous enemies.
The state of those around her made Shakti refuse to slow as she darted at any enemy approaching the more vulnerable members. She ignored the throbbing of her own head that was a sign of impending Mind Down, refusing to drop her own buff spell due to its necessity in their current state. She also bore the results of prioritizing others for Tamanna's protection. Her orange battle dress was burned and blackened, and no small bit of her skin was the same. Her hands throbbed, her protective gauntlets bent and broken along with at least one bone in each hand from when she needed to resort to unarmed strikes.
She didn't even have the space to wonder how long Ilta's group had been gone.
She just continued to fight, refusing to slow. More enemies yet remained. Multiple wounded dragons dispatched, but more remained and so far she was the only one able to meet them.
Spotting the remaining attacking dragon open its maw again, she reacted instinctively and launched her spear again. It hit right in its eye, and it recoiled. She tried to run forward to jump at it, but she sensed incoming from the side. Her whip came out and smacked one wyvern off course, but another followed.
She had just enough time to use her hands to grab the snapping jaws of the wyvern as it dived on her. It didn't even try to pull up, just slamming into the ground for the slightest chance of harming her. Partially succeeding in crushing her, Shakti found herself fighting off the wyvern as it all but lay on top of her. Hands grasped at its jaws to keep it away from biting off her face, and her body moved from side to side to avoid claws.
She forced herself to calm, however, and merely slowly worked at gaining control of its head.
"You are far too late to be able to kill me," she said simply once she managed to force its head still. Her leg rose, connecting with its lower jaw. This allowed her to force its head up, and finally slip out beneath it. The instant she was on her feet, she lashed out with a palm strike right at its throat, "Hya!"
The flesh crumbled inwards under the strike, but Shakti wasn't able to enjoy it. Instead, she had to jump away to avoid the blast of fire that hit right where she had been. The Valgang Dragon had attacked again, uncaring of its fellow monster.
Shakti breathed as the heat washed over her, meeting the lone remaining eye of the enemy.
"Sis!"
That made her start though, and she turned her head. She had to dive as the dragon lunged, but that was worth it. After all, she saw the sight they desperately needed.
Ilta's group returning.
This situation was about to end. Regardless of the news Ilta brought, that was the case. Either they would be able to descend, or they couldn't and Shakti wouldn't hesitate ordering them to start retreating back to the surface.
"Get away from her," Ilta cried as she charged the dragon itself, landed a kick to its head. The blow largely proved ineffective though, and Ilta was forced to retreat as it tried to snap at her. "Tough bastards!"
"Not the time," Shakti said, despite using the opportunity to jump at the dragon herself. Landing on its head, she held on even as it tried to throw her off. She remained just long enough to grab her spear still buried in its eye. Pushing it deeper briefly, she then jumped off with it when it let out a roar of agony. "What did you find on the 59th floor?!"
"It's freezing," Ilta immediately complained, as if indignant at the very thought. "But no monsters."
Shakti only cared about the latter, immediately crying out loud, "Head for the stairs! Descend immediately to the 59th floor!"
"Shouldn't we finish these things," Ilta asked though, kicking again at the Valgang Dragon.
"No, they are unimportant," Shakti replied, turning away even as she made sure Ilta did the same. "We'll need your group to defend us for a time on the 59th floor anyways. We can't have you tire yourself out."
Not to mention, Shakti saw two large figures approaching from the distance.
The Dungeon had started spawned more Valgang Dragons.
With their current condition, Shakti didn't believe they could clear this floor even if they were willing afterwards to head straight to the surface.
Better to reach the 59th floor, rest, do what they can, and then start ascending while trying to ignore every monster they could.
"Retreat!"
"To the 59th floor!"
Everyone started to move, Ilta's group providing cover from the wyverns that were trying to descend on them. Shakti was right with them. If nothing else, their efforts had thinned the horde currently around them.
Not that the enemy wasn't persistent itself, the Valgang dragon charging after them and the wyverns all swopping to harass them.
It was only natural that a stumble would occur. It also wasn't expected that it was Crem who did so. Bordering Mind Down, a barrage of fire balls from the wyverns hitting before her sent her stumbling back with a cry.
"Ilta, Greant, Ladako," Shakti called even as she turned so fast her innards felt like they were wrenched out of place.
That hardly mattered though as she accelerated again. She jumped at the diving wyverns, twisting body through the air as she swung her spear. Two were downed even as she narrowly slipped between two more that tried to block her, landing before Crem. Fireballs from others were already closing in, and she had to immediately start spinning her spear to break apart and sweep the attacks away.
Manageable…but the wyverns shifting signaled something far worse.
Grabbing her spear firmly, Shakti spun to face the beam of one of the Valgang Dragons and swung down with all her strength.
Heat and force washed over her, seeking to consume her. The fire scorched both cloth and skin, and the attack actually carried force enough to leave one's arms trembling and rocked back on one's heels. Shakti was no different.
Yet it cleared, and she remained. Body scorched and arms trembling, but only just that. While on a different level to the rapid fireballs of the ill-wyvern, these attacks were also a level below their great strikes that tore through floors. She could handle them.
Unfortunately, the move to the 59th floor had finally seemingly released the other two Valgang Dragons from Anaise's curse.
More such beams followed the first.
She swung her spear to meet, endure, and disperse each one.
The sleeves of her battle dress were burned off, and the armored gauntlets on her forearms burned hot and turned black.
Skin blistered and peeled, smoke coming from her body to fill her nose and leave her eyes watering.
Yet she handled it, and the barrage seemed set to end with one final one.
…only for her spell to cut out in the middle, the Silver Worm likely dying.
"Ah."
The relapsing of her chains in the middle of blocking the attack tipped her backwards.
The attack exploded. Shakti's eyes and ears betrayed her for a moment, overwhelmed by being in the epicenter of it. She lost the feeling of ground beneath her feet, and instead floated. Sensations was lost for an instant.
Then she hit the ground, and it all came back.
Even as she scrabbled to her feet, she felt hands grasp at her and words that sounded distorted.
Then a wave of warmth came over her. Not the burning heat of the attack, but a gentle warmth. One that sank into her skin and seemed to sweep away the burning-itching-pain covering her.
"C-Captain Shakti," Crem's voice came out again.
"G-Get back," Shakti said as she regained her feet, Crem's sustained healing spell speeding up her recovery from seconds to even less. "And good job. Now, mo-"
"Sis," Ilta called in, flying through the air to punch a diving wyvern out of the air. "We've got you."
"Guard the captain!" Greant yelled too as he came in to block with his shield more fireballs trying to come down. His two subordinated with him. "Buy time!"
Ledako didn't even need to say anything. She was merely with Ilta, killing any wyverns. Her own spear reaching out to cleave any that came close, her speed picked up enough that it was clear she was using her own buff spell.
"Just get Crem out of here!" Shakti ordered, eyes going to the real threats and darting forward at what she saw.
The injured Valgang Dragon once again opening its mouth, its remaining eye locked on Shakti with hatred.
It was pure instinct from Shakti. The sight of gathering light in its maw igniting the most pure of fight-or-flight instinct, and drawing a response only an adventurer would have. Diving right into it. Her legs pumping so fast she felt like her muscles might tear, her arm rearing back with spear in preparation for the thrust. The distance closed in an instant, but feeling like longer. A moment of extended time as the attack gathered and her spear shot forward in a picture-perfect thrust.
The contest to strike first so close that it was impossible to tell, but each committing entirely.
Her spear pierced.
Fire exploded again.
Shakti didn't even breath as the smoke cleared, in the mouth of the Valgang Dragon. Her spear going through the back of its mouth to connect with its spinal cord. Teeth ready to tear her to shreds all around, but the monster frozen in its moment of death.
She finally let out a breath again.
"I got you, sis," Ilta cried as she darted in, grabbing Shakti by the waist and pulling her out before gravity reasserted itself on the head of the dead monster and its mouth closed. "You got it, and now we'll get you to the stairs. Just watch over Crem."
Shakti was actually fine with that. She's specifically called for this group as they had been the ones who scouted the 59th floor, and thus were fresher. They had clearly picked up on that too, those who had been fighting out of sight – down the stairs – while the remaining scouting group guarded the stairs entrance.
As they did proceed to remove every attacking wyvern they could, Shakti found herself running next to Crem.
The remaining utter exhaustion of the latter soon meant Shakti soon moved and half supported the elf as they ran, drawing a mumbled, "I-I'm s-sorry, captain. I k-keep-"
"Don't worry about it," Shakti said, fighting off her own exhausting and impending Mind Down. "I'm only like this because of your spell."
It was true too. Not only had some of her burns been recovered, but she had also avoided more. Even infinitesimally faster in her strike, she had been caught in the explosion of the dragon's strike. She would have survived, but with more burns.
She hadn't been as Crem's spell had been active. While not suited for widespread healing of many people at once, it was a healing spell with a great deal of utility. Embedding a certain amount of Mind in a spell mark on the person, it then used that Mind to provide physical and magical attacks while also siphoning some off for modest healing and stamina recovery.
To have used the time Shakti was defending her to chant the spell and apply it despite her condition…
Shakti looked at Crem and ensured she could see her smile as she said, "Good job, Cremaestra."
Crem all but going limp from happiness and relief was not exactly ideal, but still sweet.
Until Ilta cursed, "Damn it, those ones."
They had managed to leave the two Valgang Dragons behind, but the two that had spawned had gotten close enough to cut them off from the stairs. Well, one of them. They could hopefully avoid the gathering attack of the other, but those guarding the stairs weren't going to be able to hold it against the first.
"C-Captain," Crem whispered, voice fading. "I-I'm useless like t-this. You can…do it…to me."
Shakti hesitated as Ilta sped up to try and help push the monster back from blocking them.
She hesitated as both Greant and Ladako joined her.
She finally forced herself to stop hesitating as she saw clearly they would fail.
She instead forced herself to chant through a stony face and raging feeling in her heart.
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 flo w̴̮̯͕͎̫͈̜̰̦̓ͅ
She couldn't look at Crem as she chanted, and her words stopped mattering.
The fog only faded when she heard Crem gasp even as Shakti's only power surged again.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-to hurt you all-I just c-couldn't-I can't-" Crem started mumbling, growing increasingly insensate with every word yet her pain and sadness clear.
Biting her own lip, Shakti handed her off to another. Her eyes then turned with a glare at the monster blocking her way. The one that made her do that. She moved forward without restraint, intent merely on making it pay.
"Captain!" a call went out, as Greant caught sight of her and threw his worn and beaten axe in the air over the enemy.
Shakti jumped, hand catching it from midair, and she came down with it in a furious swing.
The axe shattered. The monster's neck was cleaved through. The way was cleared.
Shakti immediately released her spell as she moved towards the stairs, but she saw that Crem had already fainted. Pushed fully into Mind Down. Shakti had to look away.
"Let's go down," she merely said as they quickly funneled into the stairs moments before the remaining Valgang Dragons arrived.
At least they had made it to the 59th floor, whatever comfort that was.
This chap had chance to show how different the difficulties is. Gareth, Bete, Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya basically lasted eight hours on their own against a similar group on the 58th floor, and when Finn and the rest arrived they cleared it. Ottar (in this story) was barely delayed once he got serious. At least in comparison to Loki familia, only Shakti is equal to the Level 5 Loki execs with maybe Ilta, Ledako, and Ligand able to at least stall them for a short time in a one-on-one. Ganesha familia also doesn't really have any answer to Finn, Riveria, and Gareth. On the other hand, I would actually say (in this AU) that Ganesha familia's second-class adventurers (Level 4's) would beat Loki's in terms of experience and ability.
Next chapter is Shakti's too, but I shall confirm that next chapter will indeed have Ottar appear.