This the first part of two parter chapter... please enjoy

The air is dank and moist as we take our final step down onto Floor 24. The vegetation is even wilder down here and the main path chaotically spirals instantly. There are four immediate available options to go down. I can hear distant fighting, the sound of steel clashing against steel followed by a roar tells me we aren't alone. It does little to quell my anxiety, if anything it only heightens it more after what Reg and Brant had said. I can't help but get excited.

'Yeah, this is definitely the final floor to something new.'

Reg and Brant have a quick deliberation before agreeing on the third path. The second and fourth are normally the main routes and where we would run into other parties, with the first and third would take us deeper into the floor.

"Stay close youngin', this floor is bigger than half of Orario and it's mighty easy to get lost," Reg said as he led the way down the stone road, his War-hammer and shield nestled tightly in the dwarf's firm grasp.

A small tingle runs through my body at the new information. Half the size of Orario. I don't think I've even experienced half of Orario. I look over at the dungeon, the horizon stretching for as far as my heightened sense of sight could see. It was mesmerizing.

It didn't take long until the stone pathway slowly got overrun by foliage and before long, I was wading up to knee height in ferns and grass. The gate to the lower floors only waited a minute before it sent its guardians after us.

"BBBBBBBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTTTTT!"

"Incoming!" Reg hollered as he raised his square shield as a gang of Deadly Hornets swarmed towards us, their stingers glistening in the blue hue of the moss.

I heard Brant ready his Claymore as I clenched my Galva-Knuckles down. This was it, the next step.

"Bestow upon me the strength to defeat my foes."

I felt my magic surge in my body, my muscles getting hotter as the blue lightning wrapped around me.

"Gift me the power to withstand their attacks."

The extra layer of invisible armour nestled over my metallic ones. I caught a glimpse of the horde of giant bugs in my light arm-guard and waited for the command.

"Reg, get ya skill activated and Percy, stay clear of those pincers!"

I couldn't help but smile once more as I tensed my left leg. I lowered my body, almost touching the ground, like a predator about to pounce.

"Now!" The dwarf shouted. Not a moment later and rubble and dust kicked up into the air as I pushed forward.

I've never fought a swarm of Deadly Hornets before, only ever taking on three at the most, so this was a first for me. I didn't leap right away, waiting for them to get drawn to Reg. I sprinted underneath, using my stealth skill as a hundred wings battered the air above me, creating a horrid buzzing sound that I forced myself to put up with.

It didn't take long to get behind them and just as Reg was about to intercept them, I jumped. I gained enough momentum to stay air-bound for about three seconds. I was testing the waters here as I reached just above the hornets. As I got near them, I realised just how big they actually were. If I was lying down, I'm not sure if I would be taller than them. With a wingspan that dwarfed my arms and even worse, a horrid pair of black mandibles that were gnashing from their mouths. But the main attraction, the reason why they earnt the name the Deadly Hornet was the giant stinger that spiked from its back. As I got within arm's reach, I could smell the poison that was oozing off them, a toxic odour that almost paralyzed me mid-air.

I quickly shook my head and with a quick one-two, a pair of magic stones fell into a bush below me.

'Good, I can one hit them.'

As I landed, I spun on my heel as my boot grated into the dirt. Wasting no time, I started taking out the backline. Up front, Reg was curled up behind his shield as Brant expertly swung his Claymore, taking out the fastest bugs that got within reach.

Due to Reg's skill, the monsters almost lined up. Instead of using their immense numbers to surround the pair, the fastest Hornets flew in front, giving Brant just enough time to deal with them one or even two at a time. But their speed was ferocious and if Brant even mistimed one swing, they would be in serious trouble.

'That's why I can't lag behind,' I say internally as I relentlessly jump from side to side, taking out two or sometimes even three at a time. I can feel my muscles beginning to ache but that means nothing to me now. I've been doing this almost for 2 years.

I make sure to get a direct hit into the body, aiming for an instant kill so the dying bug doesn't alert the ones in front with any screech.

It didn't take long until the final Deadly Hornet was defeated. I wipe a bead of sweat off my forehead and jog over to Reg and Brant. Reg digs his shield out of the ground, hoisting it onto his arm. Before I get time to ask how that went, Brant issues a command.

"Let's keep moving. I don't wanna face a proper swarm of them bastards in an open space.

"Agreed," Reg followed with as the two men started into a jog. I was stunned in place before my mind ordered me to follow, which I did but not after a thought lingered in my mind.

'That wasn't a proper swarm," I quietly gulp at that as prepare for the 24th floor.

"Lad, deal with them quick and go 'elp Reg!" Brant orders as he pivots around the giant mandibles of a mad beetle before spearing the monster.

I dig my boots into the ground as a pair of sword-like antlers clash with my gauntlets. I'm in stale-mate with a Sword Stag, with three piles of ash beneath our feet. I grimace as I want to obey Brant's order, knowing Reg is dealing with a pack of Lizardmen right now and Brant, after dealing with the mad beetles, is going back to slashing at the Dark Fungus that is blocking our path. He is the only one with Abnormal Resistance, meaning he is the only one able to create our escape route.

I want to quickly deal with this Sword Stag, my eye twitching as I see its friend climb back to its feet from the place I kicked it. I had hoped I would've killed it but it managed to dance backwards just enough of a distance so it wouldn't deal with my full strength. Curse these intelligent monsters.

I see the monster huff a shaky breath before its blood red eyes fixate on me. All the while, the other Sword Stag I'm entangled with is shedding sparks off my Galva's as it continues to push me back.

Then I feel it, the muscles in its neck tense and that means it's about to throw its head upwards, taking its antlers and me with it. I won't let that happen.

Just before it throws its head back, I dislodge my fists from the grip, releasing the tension we had built up. This meant the monster used too much force and it wailed in shock as it left its underbelly completely exposed.

Sucking in a breath, I launch my left fist straight at its core just before its friend has time to help. With a screech, the monster evaporates into ash, blinding the other Stag. Even if it was only a split-second, the monster lost eyesight of me and that meant my stealth skill activated.

Using this, I leap upwards, the unsuspecting monster swivelling its head back and forth, desperately searching for me. I flip mid-air and as I hurtle towards the ground, I smash my shin-guard into the back of its neck. I feel the bone break under my leg as the monster drops to the floor, dead.

I waste no time and dart off, determined to complete Brant's order. I see sparks fly as a twin pair of curved blades slash at Reg's shield just before the dwarf brings his War-Hammer down. The one Lizardman attacking manages to side-step out of the way, leaving its friend behind it exposed as Reg's hammer crushes its skull, blood flying everywhere.

That reminds me as I quickly shake the blood off my Gauntlets as I dive into the fray. Reg doesn't have his skill active as that would bunch the monsters together. I shoulder barge into the closest monster, connecting with its abdomen and sending it flying.

I immediately swivel kick, my shin connecting with a sword aimed at my head. I out strength the Lizardman, making it lose balance. I see an opening but I don't engage, knowing that two more would intercept me and only make the fight harder. I backwards side-step to Reg, the dwarf breathing a bit harder than when we started but I'm not exactly full of energy. What I am full of though is adrenaline and I don't waste time for Reg to give me an order, not that he needed to.

"Come on then!" Reg roars as he runs at the remaining four monster, the red-scaled monsters almost shaken by the dwarf's war cry, or maybe it's the giant hammer that threatens to smash every bone in its body.

With their eyes momentarily drawn to the blacksmith, I use stealth and leap at the closest one. It stands no chance with my combined strength of my gauntlets and my magic's first line. I still haven't activated my last line nor am I in a scenario that is worth for Warrior to activate, which means I'm not at my complete strongest.

The Lizardmen can survive one punch from me, but only barely. I'd put them at just a bit less durable than a Minotaur but that didn't mean they could survive two hits.

As the monster throws up a pool of blood and I see its red eyes roll into the back of its head, I throw my right fist and with that, there are only three remaining.

Make that two, as Reg has dealt with one.

"Youngin, deal with these two. I'm goin' to cover Brant!" Reg states as he cracks his neck before running off to defend Brant who is almost done slashing through the Dark Fungus. Reg won't get to close or else he will be affected by the poison. I don't think about that though, as I smirk at the two remaining monsters in front of me. I hear them snarl at me, their teeth glistening in the moss light.

"URROOOOOO!"

I pivot the first blade before catching the second one with my right gauntlet. I then throw an upper-cut to it stomach, only to meet the first blade again. However, being short has its advantages.

I break my block just before the second pair of swords attack, darting under the Lizardman's body. With a trained kick, I connect my metal shin-guard, no longer surrounded by light as I would be close to mind down by now, and with a sickening squelch I break the monster's kneecap.

"UUUUUUURRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Its scream of pain hurts my ears, so to stop it I give a quick flurry of punches to its chest and dash away before the ash falls on me. This only leaves the last monster who is now clearly shaking. Having seen all its comrades die would make him nervous to be honest but that doesn't mean I'll show it mercy; I can't afford to risk that.

Not willing to lay down and die, the scaled monster roars at me before slashing its sabres at my skull. After fighting one, I understand their pattern. After fighting ten, I could read almost every attack. After all the ones I've killed now, I almost didn't need to know their next attack as I have learnt the best counter to each attack.

I side-step to the left, parrying the monster's right sword. I then quickly grab its wrist and yank it down. I then dodge the inevitable desperate bite from its viscous teeth and deliver an elbow to its jaw. As it stumbles away, I jump up slightly and use my heightened level 2 strength and crunch through its skull with two decisive punches.

Perseus quickly jogs over to the two men, Brant almost finished with the wall with Reg receiving no rest having to protect the man. Six Gun Libellula's are raining poison from above the dwarf who can only block as his War-Hammer won't reach that high and if he tries to jump, that will mean dropping his shield and exposing his face to the deadly toxin.

The young boy quickly took note of the situation and sprung into action once more. Since he could move undetected, Perseus was able to spend time calculating his trajectory and with a strong push, he leapt of the ground, taking bits of grass with him.

Due to their lack of durability and his leg having a wider range, Percy spun in the air and smashed his leg into the flying monsters. His knee crunched one in the back of the head, his shin crashing into the back of another two while his steel-capped boot connected with a fourth.

Twisting in the air, he unclenched his right Galva-Knuckle and grabbed one of the remaining Libellula's by its wing, the monster letting out a screech of fear as it wriggled in the boy's grasp.

As the boy landed, the monster tried to spit poison at its capture but with a practiced manoeuvre and a sickening crunch, Perseus snapped the winged monster's neck.

His ears caught two sounds after he let the pile of ash slip through his fingers before crushing the small magic crystal into tiny shards. One was the sound of the final flying Gun Libellula escaping back into the dungeon and the other was a desperate, exhausted screech coming from his right.

The boy looked over and saw one of the monster's writhing around in pain. It was the one he had kicked with his boot, having only made enough contact to disorientate and ground it. Now, with a broken wing and fractured body, it lay helpless on the ground as the towering figure of a fully plated dwarf walked over to it, the weapon that would be its executioner already swinging down.

"Go check on the man," Reg said to Percy as he lifted his War Hammer, a small red and purple smudge splattered on the flat face.

Perseus gave a quick nod and began jogging over to Brant. They had been going non-stop for at least 2 hours, maybe even more. Like most floors, the monsters were unrelenting but never had Percy dealt with such ferocious diversity down here. There was never a fight that consisted of one type of monster and it was always a decent number.

Even though this was still considered the middle floors, unlike the ones above it, The Great Tree Labyrinth didn't have any spawn rooms. It had small rooms, like the one they had rested in but it never had tunnels that lead to a wide room that would spawn most of the monsters, like the room Percy fought all those Minotaurs.

It was just an expansive jungle that was infested with deadly creatures that crawled out of the bark of the branches that littered the floors, walls and ceilings. Like a giant snake that wrapped itself around the entire area, it created tight and uncomfortable fighting arenas that made battling, especially for a brawler that needed to get up close, awkward.

Just as Percy made his way over to Brant, the rugged man charged at the wall of Fungus, his hat falling off his head as he leapt and dealt a deadly slash right down the spine.

With a sickly yellow smog, the Dark Fungus burst into a toxic cloud of poison that forced even Brant to cover his mouth. Perseus stayed back a bit, not wanting to get near the fumes. He watched as Brant nestled his Claymore onto his back before bending down and picking up his hat by the crown. The man dusted off the crap that was stuck to the top before placing it on his head.

"Any injuries?" Brant asked as he made his way to his junior. The boy opened his arms slightly to give the man a better look as he shook his head, almost as if he believed the man wouldn't trust him.

"Good, how's the old geezer?"

It had taken Brant almost 20 minutes dealing with Dark Fungus wall, a single level-2 was not enough to quickly deal with such an obstacle and with Percy and Reg unable to help, it was down to Brant. This meant that Percy and Reg were forced to protect their commander for that period and it was non-stop.

Now, with the poisonous fumes dispelling into the air and a minefield of ash piles scattered that covered a large area, it seemed the dungeon would grant the adventurers a small luxurious break.

"How many potions we used?" Brant asked as the pair made their way to the dwarf who was wiping the muck of his weapon.

"I've used two stamina potions and a single strength... ya'self?"

"One strength, three stamina."

Even though Brant had technically dealt with the least amount, he had been fighting non-stop so it was fair for him to use so many.

"Youngin?" Reg motioned to the young boy who didn't need to look at his belt to answer.

"One mind, one strength," He quietly remarked. Percy had only needed to use a mind potion just after they entered the 24th floor before quickly dispelling his magic. He needed to be careful with his use of it. And his strength potion was used at the same time as most of the others were used, during their quick barrage they had just finished dealing with.

"Still plenty to go then," Brant stated as he scratched his scraggily beard. "Anyway, I'd like to not let my hard work go to waste, so if ya please, let's see what those bastards were protecting."

Having sampled their quick rest for long enough, the trio began walking in the direction of the gruelling battle Brant had just fought, to see the prize they had all grafted for.

After a few seconds of wariness, Brant declared it safe for the other two to walk through. The path was a lot dimmer than the rest of the floor they had been on so far. This was of little issue as Reg, the ever tinkering black smith that he was, flicked on the small magic stone lamp he had installed at the top of his shield.

It was kind of remarkable by how nonchalant the dwarf was at his invention when he first showed it off but there was no complaints. During battle, the light rescinded into the folds of the steel and when it was activated, the contraption flipped over and a small light flickered on.

Due to his invention, Reg led the way and because of his keen eyesight, Perseus was on watch-out duty, constantly glancing back in case anything popped out behind them.

The party continued to have small encounters, well small by the 24th floor's standards anyway. It wasn't much that the trio had trouble handling, the worst it got was when a pair of sword stag's double-teamed Reg from two sides, forcing the dwarf to tank one of the antlers with his bare arm. A simple healing potion and a few gulps of water sorted out the minor gash.

"A tank should just be as strong as his shield," Reg commented as he laughed away at his injury that Perseus was busy bandaging.

It seemed what the Dark Fungus had been guarding was a pathway. It still held the same terrain as the rest of the floor but with a lot more limited space. It felt cramped compared to what the adventurers had been fighting in so far. The giant trunks overlapped with each other and the foliage was a lot thicker. There was also a lot less options to go, seemingly being a one way street.

This made life easier in regards of navigating but it brought about a sense of unease to the party. The two veterans felt that it was a dungeon made trap they were walking into while the youngest member was comparing this to Daedalus street, how it was so easy to get cornered in by the maze-like walls.

Eventually, the seal broke and the party came across a large opening, the blue hue from the moss invading the dimly lit passage. They had just finished dealing with a few Lizardmen and a small swarm of Deadly Hornets and now they were looking for another rest bite in their journey.

'Hopefully this might be where our level-up fight is?' The boy thought with hope and excitement.

I want to keep walking forward, to peer forward and take in the sight of the giant area we have found. I want to revel in the smooth light and the warm foliage. A clear drop-off isn't too far ahead of us, aching to be seen what it holds below. But this feeling is what is making me anxious.

I get down low and start crouch walking over. Reg and Brant stay back as they must feel the same. Something in this room feels wrong, our adventuring instincts are telling us to stay quiet and unseen.

As I get closer to the cliff face, the ground gets steeper. I nestle down into a prone position and start crawling towards the edge. With the thick grass covering me and combined with my stealth skill, I'm confident enough to know I won't be spotted by any nearby monsters.

I push the large blades of grass out of my way, my clothes getting dirt all over them but that's not my main concern now. Just as I'm about to reach the drop, I get a wave of nausea. I've felt this a few times.

The pass parade, my first encounter with a minotaur, Freya. All these moments have one thing in common. Danger. And as I peer out from the grass and glance over the side, I see why.

This had been one of things Brant and Reg had warned me about on the floor prior in our break room. What is commonly referred to as a Mini-boss of the 24th floor.

The cliff face met the ground 150ft below me, it expanded into a plain meadow, with flowers and trees spreading all over the floor. It was reminiscent of the 18th floor in a way, that was the outer layer anyway.

As I followed the ground, side-ways tree trunks started to weave there way out of the ground. Then they got larger and more joined in. Slowly the meadow caved away to a swarm of wood as the ever-growing quagmire of branches and roots crashed into each other at the centre. I scanned as far as I could see and from what I could tell, it was the same all around the perimeter. However, I couldn't see the opposite side due to one thing, one massive obstructive thing.

When we had walked in, I had seen what I thought were a few bushes poking out of the ground. However, now I can tell what they really are. Bunches of leaves, upon more leaves, upon even more. Branches stuck out of them here and there but there was so many leaves that the area below them had been completely blocked out from any ceiling light, not that I'd be able to see the ground below due to the swamp of tree trunks that curved and stretched around each other. It was like a giant snake that had curled around the base.

The base that took me almost 15 seconds of looking down to reach. It was massive, nothing I'd ever seen could even compare. One giant trunk stood erect as it shot to the ceiling, it even dwarfed the surrounding cliffs.

I held my breath as I scanned the humungous tree that stood in the centre of the area. Those tree trunks coming out of the ground, they were roots. They were the same ones that had snaked around the base of this tree, pushing it up so far that its leaves in some places were caressing the ceiling, almost 200ft above the ground.

I knew what this was, from what Brant and Reg had told me I could most certainly take a good guess anyway. It wasn't until a gleam hit my eye as it bounced off some natural light that I was certain. I spied some gems that were rooted into the bark, then some more that dangled off the branches, then some more.

The obelisk began to glisten as the embedded jewels that gave the structure its name hit the light and my wave of nausea became clear. This was a treasure tree, one of the most sort out objects in the entire dungeon. And there was one very good reason why this one had not been looted or probably not even been reported. I didn't need to see it to know it was there.

The mini-boss of floor 24... The Green Dragon.

"The kid wasn't lyin'" Reg muttered as the three adventurers lay flat on the cliff edge. Reg quickly withdrew his small spyglass, snapping back into itself before tucking it into a satchel on his belt.

"Any sign of the Dragon?" Brant asked nervously.

"No, it must be hidden in the thick branches," The dwarf answered back, his voice staying level. Reg knew there was little point in getting worked up or nervous about this, even if they were within fighting distance of a monster classified as a level 4.

"So... now what?" Percy said, perking his head up from peering at the large tree.

"Well, we can't go any further that's for sure," Brant muttered in an annoyed tone, ruffling his hair as he scrunched his face in thought.

"..." Percy didn't say anything, his head turning back to the tree.

"Long trek back behind us but guess we got no choice," Reg sighed as he started standing up, his knees cracking as he did so. Brant quickly joined him. However, after a second, they realised that their young companion wasn't joining them.

"Oi brat, how long ya plannin on staring at that thing, it ain't goin' anywhere," Brant remarked but he got no response from the boy. Reg made his way over to the boy's side, his shield on hammer scraping together on his armoured back as he moved.

"What ya thinkin' youngin?"

Perseus looked up at Reg. He bit his lip as once again; he seemed to be so easy to read.

"I thought we came looking for an adventurer..." The young boy said, announcing his thought. It struck the men like an iron rod had been shoved up their bums.

"Are ya stupid!" Brant immediately went to shut down the idea. "Yeah, we came looking for a level-up, not suicide."

"What's the difference?" Percy asked and to that, neither man could answer. They opened their mouths a few times, a response on the tip of their tongues but nothing came out.

"For my level-up, I almost died like... a lot of times, isn't that what a level-up is, overcoming impossible odds... like all those heroes."

Perseus mumbled that last part to himself but the two men caught it. They exchanged a look. It was a mixture of concern, anxiety and distress. But when they looked back at the boy's bright green eyes, they realised their eyes were missing something. That spark.

They had both had it at one point, every adventurer did. The want, the burning desire, the unbridled feeling that can only be quenched by one thing. An adventurer.

The dwarf broke first, falling to the ground as he ruffled the boy's messy black hair.

"Ya really are somethin', ain't ya..."

"Reg... seriously." Brant was still hesitant but then he looked at the boy's eyes once more. He had seen those eyes every week without fail for almost two years and they only grew stronger, no matter what. And Brant realised something else. He was jealous of those eyes, of the desire and determination in them to grow further.

Finally, Brant fell to the floor, his sword clanging into the grassy dirt as he let out a long sigh.

"Fuck it... why not." He said with a snort.

Perseus couldn't help but smile at how the two men listened to him and actually agreed with him. This was the moment he had been waiting for, an adventure with a party of people he knew and liked. Or it should have been it.

"'Old ya horses youngin', we ain't going in yet." Reg said as he dragged the boy back from the cliff edge by his collar before the danger hungry 6-year-old threw himself off the drop.

"We are knackered and I thought ya would know," Reg stated as he held up his pocket watch. "It's been almost a full day since we entered. If we are fightin' whatever is down there, we are havin' a sleep first."

"Sleep... in the dungeon?" Percy questioned as he crossed his legs as a confused look appeared on his face, his head slightly tilted to the side.

"It's more common in larger Familia's that go on expeditions but what we are doin' is essentially on of them anyway."

"-but... where?"

"Leave that to me," Brant volunteered as he stood up, cracking his back with his knuckles. "Imma need a kip, maybe I might see some sense afterwards."

With that, Reg picked up Percy with easy and placed him on the ground. The pair followed after the man who led them back into the dark tunnel where they came from. At some point, they all looked back, mentally preparing themselves for what they were about to deal with.

After a bit of encouragement, Percy managed to fall asleep. It wasn't exactly a new experience for him, sleeping in the dungeon, the boy falling unconscious after his desperate fight in his first minotaur encounter. But that was unintentional and if he wished to go deeper into the dungeon, he would have to learn to sleep voluntarily.

"Better now you learn it with us than when ya have no other choice," Reg remarked with a grin, something Perseus couldn't argue back with.

So the two men sat back, each taking small swigs from their water skins, with a bit of extra flavour from Reg's little stash of whiskey the dwarf always carried around with him, to help soothe the nerves.

The pair sat in silence as they watched the boy's chest rise slowly before sinking back down, only to raise once more. He was a quick learner but the men suspected that a day's worth of constant fighting had helped as well.

"... are we really gonna do this?" Brant asked as he gulped his flavoured water, the man slumped up against the wall of the small room he had found 10 minutes earlier.

"...I guess we are," Reg muttered back, sitting crossed legged as he inspected his gear once more. Nothing had really happened since the last inspect but it passed the time. He was first watch and he was waiting for Brant to get some rest.

"Ya remember the first time we seen one of those monsters... I ain't wanting to experience that again."

"It was ma second time actually... maybe third times a charm."

"Why are ya so insistent on gettin' us killed?" Brant said, frustration in his voice rising.

"Ya agreed to it, don't ya forget that" Reg calmly responded as he wiped his shield down with a small rag.

"Yeah and I'm already starting to regret it."

"So why ain't ya?"

"Why ain't I what?"

"Why ain't ya left? Why ain't tried to stop the lad? Why are ya still planning on fightin' that monster?"

Brant didn't respond for a second, not liking what his mind was thinking but it was the truth.

"You know damn well why, old man" was the man's answer before Brant shuffled onto his side. He lowered his hat over his eyes to block out some of the moss light and closed his eyes, mumbling to himself.

Reg could only smile as he watched his old friend fall to the land of sleep, leaving him alone with his own thoughts. Thoughts that mirrored Brant's.

Yes, Reg knew why Brant hadn't left. It was the same reason why Reg agreed to fighting the Green Dragon. That gleam in Percy's eyes.

Reg knew this was it for him. Brant had convinced him to join them on this mission, not for old times sake or for the thrill of adventure. No, it was to survive the dreaded feeling that was encompassing the city of Orario.

The dwarf was fortunate his stats were high enough to level-up, they had been for some time. But after his level-up, those stats reverted back to 0, nothing. He was too old to begin again, at a harder level, which required stronger monsters. That life was long gone.

As for Brant, Reg was unsure. Brant had been a retired adventurer but was now a semi-retired adventurer. There might be a world where the man got back into the swing of things... but it wasn't this world.

"Sorry but I ain't restarting my illustrious career, the kids these days are too... different."

Reg knew what he meant and it came back to the gleam in Percy's eyes. Unlike the two men, the boy had only just begun. A level-up in less than a year and he was on course to make it two for two. It was ludicrous, it was almost demeaning.

Brant and Reg were only ever getting to level 3 max. It was still impressive, 50% of adventurers don't even get pass level 1. But how could they compete when their junior is re-writing history in front of their eyes.

When Reg saw that gleam in those green eyes, he saw the future and he knows Brant did too. That was why he was going to fight tomorrow. Because he had faith in the future. The future where Percy would beat the Green Dragon, make level 3 and only continue to shine.

'I'm sure he'd find a way to beat that beast all on his own.' The dwarf chuckled to himself at the thought, even more so because he believed it.

And maybe there was one more selfish reason why he was joining the battle.

"Can't let the young'un's have all the fun. Let's go out with a bang, ha."

We are hovering over the edge of the cliff. Reg is fully suited up, his War hammer in his right hand while his shield remained on his back.

Brant flicked up his cowboy hat as he looked down, his strap over his Claymore loosened and ready to be used.

I clenched and unclenched my Galva-Knuckles slowly, stretching my muscles, preparing them.

"On your notice, commander," Reg jokingly said to Brant, earning a gruff grunt.

I remain vigilant, looking for any sign of movement. I had been re-drilled on the Green Dragon but from I gathered, Reg or Brant had only ever seen a Green Dragon, never fought one. New monster experiences always went in two directions. Very good, fun almost or...

"Let's have it!"

... not so very good.

We had already made our way over to the shallowest part of the cliff, the incline being manageable.

I advance first, digging out my knife from behind my back and drag into the cliff-face as I begin to slide down the rocky surface. I hear Reg use the pick-axe side of his War-hammer while Brant chooses the simpler option of just sliding down and hoping for the best. The incline steepens near the bottom, forcing us to push of and free-fall to the bottom. For a regular person, they would be lucky with two broken legs. For us, we just needed to land with our knees.

We all land in similar fashion. All three of us move into a crouched position. I hadn't realised how thick the grass was at this level. From all the way up, and wow it was really high-up now that I'm looking from the bottom, the grass looked like normal grass. The only one who would be able to see clearly out of it would be Brant and he is fairly tall for a normal person. Me and Reg stood no chance.

I wasn't complaining as it gave us cover. As we crept through the underbrush, I heard Reg take his War-Hammer from his back. Meanwhile to my right, the faint sound of steel stretching across leather tickled my ears as Brant grasped his Claymore. I followed suit, clasping my Galva's shut.

From the base of the cliff to the giant trunk, Brant had estimated it to be about 300 metres. If we had wanted to, we could have sprinted and made it there within 10 seconds but I don't think my two companions were in any rush.

I was grateful enough that they had agreed to this to make a fuss so we kept crawling through the thick grass. The overbearing shadow of the Treasure tree masked out most of the light, only giving us brief glimpses of the base of the trunk through snippets of green blades sticking out of the ground. The only light source that gave us sight was the hundreds of gleaming gems scattered over the bark and branches.

However, the first change of scenery that we encountered was one of the roots. It was stupidly thick. If we all lied down, head to toe, we might just cover one side of the trunk. I suggested climbing on it, giving us an easier root to the tree while giving us more visibility.

"If we can see the tree better, then the monster hidin' in the tree can see us too."

Brant quickly shut that down. We used the root to guide us to the base of the tree and after about another 2 minutes of stealth walking, we made it into the small clearance that surrounded the tree.

We stayed just on the verge. My eyes darting around everywhere, begging to see some movement. With a treasure tree, it wasn't 'If' a Green Dragon was guarding, it was a fact. The worrying question was where.

But after another 3 minutes of waiting and nothing happening, I heard Brant sigh.

"Last chance brat, now or never. Are ya sure about this?" The man said. I narrowed my eyes and nodded without hesitation, earning a grunt from him.

"Suit a self. Get ready you two."

With that, Brant stepped out from our cover and walked over to the base of the Treasure tree. He slightly covered his eyes from all the bright lights that bore down on him but he quickly ducked under the gemstones.

He was only about 20 metres ahead but he reached the base and had diverged a bit, heading to a specific spot.

"Heh, he's just as mad as the rest of ya," Reg smirked but I didn't understand until I watched Brant raise his Claymore and dig it into the tree, just under where a gleaming blue crystal was shining. With a bit of shifting about, the gem popped out of the tree.

"Guess he got tired of waitin'"

Nothing happened for 7 seconds, I counted each one. On the 8th it happened.

"OOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAA!"

An almighty roar cascaded out from within the swamp of twisting tree branches and roots. It was soon followed by an earthquake, and then another one and then another. I recognised footstep anywhere. Each footstep sent shockwaves through the ground.

The next thing that happened was the sound of wood shattering. I can only assume the monster doesn't want to swerve around its environment, instead taking a more direct approach as it smashed through the bark. I could see bits of shrapnel from where I was.

I felt beads of sweat begin to pour down my forehead, wetting my hair. I could feel my body tremble with each thunderous footstep and my throat went dry as another sickening roar ripped through the air.

"UUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Reg stepped out from the tall grass, meeting up with Brant. The dwarf pushed down his helmet while Brant flicked up his cowboy hat. He picked up a bit of wood debris that had flown over to him and placed it in-between his teeth, grinning as he bared his Claymore, his coat billowing in the wind created by the monster's footsteps.

For a single brief moment, I thought that Reg and Brant looked like Heroes out of my book. I wasted no time in joining them, hoping I looked as cool they did.

I couldn't help but smile alongside the two men. I now realised what they meant, this really did seem like suicide. Only a monster on an insurmountable scale could create such ferocious feats of strength without even being seen. It was exciting.

"Remember gentlemen!" Reg bellowed. "Mountains were made to be climbed!"

The final giant branch splintered into a million pieces as a monster straight from myths appeared before us. It towered over us like a giant looking down at ants.

Its body was completely covered in green scales, shimmering in the blue hue of the moss and the shiny gemstones it guarded. Each of the four legs, bulked to the limit with hardened muscle ended with 4 razor sharp talons that could slice through steel.

Its body looked slim for its size but it stretched on for what seemed like miles in the moment. It then ended off in a stream-lined tail that whipped through a nearby root like it was a thin piece of paper. All of it adorned with the same green scales that only seemed more defensive the more I looked.

At the top was its head, nestled on an elongated neck. I could see steam pulsing out of the giant nostrils, as if it breathed fire itself. It's blood red eyes bore down on us, striking a primal fear that I didn't even know existed. With a single snarl, I caught two rows of razor sharp teeth, ready to rip us to pieces if they get the chance. The monster finished off with two sharp horns adorning its crown.

It really was like it had jumped from the Dungeon Oratorio. It truly lived up to its name, it deserved the title of Dragon.

We gave each other a single glance before nodding.

"LET'S FUCKIN' HAVE IT!"

"RRAAAAAAAAARRRRHHHH!"

"-bring it!"

"OOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

END OF PART I

REPEAT, THIS IS PART UNO. Next part is just there, right there... you see it, go on.