"Let's move," Hedin spoke.
Morning had arrived, and Damien was not healed yet. This made it clear to Hedin that he would not be joining them, so he gathered everyone and decided to start the all-out assault on the Corrupted Spirit.
"Everyone is ready," Finn said, his voice flat.
The expedition moved to follow. Most showed clear disdain for Hedin, but they had no choice. Ais, Tiona, Tione, and the rest gave him death stares, but for the sake of their Familias, they followed through with it.
Hedin stopped. He pointed. "What about them?"
Ryuu and Samira stood near the back of the camp, their arms crossed, their expressions unreadable.
"They will not be joining," Finn said.
Hedin's eyes narrowed. "I thought I made it clear. Everyone joins." Anger crept into his voice. "Except for supportive members, all elite members above Level Three shall join."
"I do not care what you made clear. They are not a part of my Familia. I cannot order them."
Hedin frowned and turned to the two women. "You two. What Familia do you belong to?"
"Hestia Familia," Ryuu said, her tone calm.
"With your captain down, one of you is the current representative of the Hestia Familia" Hedin's voice dripped with threat. "Are you willing to accept the consequences for disobeying the Guild's call?"
"We do not care," Ryuu said.
Hedin's face twisted. "What?! You dare...Fels, talk to them!"
Fels moved forward, his dark robes whispering. "The Hestia Familia is a part of this as well. You shall be punished if you do not join the fight."
Samira finally spoke up. "The captain is down. Hestia Familia does not give a fuck." Her voice was hard. "We do not care. Until our captain is back up, we will not move away from his bed. EVER."
Hedin's jaw tightened. "Then once we are done, we shall sanction your Familia."
Fels nodded. "That is correct."
Samira's eyes blazed. "We do not care. We have Damien. Whatever you try, Damien will solve." She stepped forward, her voice rising. "Our captain is the light of this Familia. Without him, WE WILL NOT BE ORDERED."
Silence hung in the air. Fels looked at Hedin.
"Fine," Fels said. "We shall leave without them."
Hedin clicked his tongue. "Tsk. Whatever. The glory shall be ours then." He turned and gestured to the rest. "Let us move."
...
The journey to Floor Sixty took about two hours. With the number of people moving in, they had to go slow and precise, watching every corner for traps and ambushes.
Hedin walked first, Ottar by his side.
"I am going to need you to do the most," Hedin said quietly. "I know this is not a part of your job originally. But if we succeed, the Freya Familia shall join the Zeus and Hera Familias as one of the families to succeed in a Great Quest." His eyes gleamed. "That will make our goddess extremely happy."
Ottar nodded. "Hmm."
No other words were needed.
Finally, they arrived at the entrance of Floor Sixty.
They descended slowly, emerging into the vast land that had been completely transformed. Purple tentacles filled the entire upper floor, crawling across the ceiling, the walls, the ground. The forests and terrain that had existed before were gone, replaced by something alien and wrong.
Demi Spirits roamed everywhere. Monsters that should not exist, fused with corrupted power. Demi Valgang Dragons soared overhead, their scales glowing with sickly purple light. Demi Nidhoggs—creatures from Floor Sixty-One—slithered through the shadows, their multiple heads snapping at the air. And others. Stronger ones. Things that had no names because no one had ever survived long enough to name them.
At the top of Floor Sixty, where all the tentacles extended like roots from a diseased tree, was the massive purple blob of meat. The Corrupted Spirit's true body. It pulsed like a heart, like a tumor, like something that should not exist.
As soon as they stepped onto the floor, they heard it.
Weeping.
Sad but angry crying. The weeping of an angry ghost. It echoed through the cavern, repeating the same words over and over.
"My Aria... my Aria... they stole my Aria..."
The expedition moved forward, weapons raised, formation tightening.
The weeping stopped.
Then came the screech.
"YOU ARE HERE! YOU WILL ALL DIE! GIVE ME BACK MY ARIA!"
Every tentacle on the floor moved at once. Hundreds of them. They crawled across the ground, the walls, the ceiling, reaching for the intruders like the disgusting things they were. The Demi Monsters screeched in unison, a chorus of corrupted rage that shook the very stone.
The war had started. The subjugation had begun.
Hedin raised his hand.
"Prepare yourselves. We shall move all the way to that meat blob in the skies and take it down. We shall take an arrow formation. Protect our flanks and strike first." He lowered his hand. "Let us go. NOW."
....
Meanwhile, as soon as the attack started, a hidden shadow moved.
Hogni slipped away from the main force, his dark form blending into the natural shadows of the dungeon corridor. He moved quickly, silently, retracing the path they had taken. Floor Fifty-Nine passed beneath his feet. Then halfway through, he stopped.
He turned.
His eyes set on the distant camp where Damien lay sleeping.
Since he was alone and solo, it did not take much for him to return. He entered the camp quietly, sneaking past the low-level guards with ease. Most of the people here were supports, healers, logistics personnel none of them had the training or the senses to detect a black elf of his caliber.
He had watched the exchange between Hedin and the two Hestia members earlier. He accounted for them now, noting their position near Damien's tent. He found a spot in the shadows, across from the tent's entrance, and waited.
"You think they have reached Floor Sixty yet?" Samira asked.
She sat beside her master's bed, looking at him. Her face was filled with sadness and anger—sadness for his condition, anger for not being there to help him.
"Maybe," Ryuu said. She stood near the tent's entrance, her hand resting on her kodachi, her sky-blue eyes scanning the camp outside.
"You think they will survive? Kill that thing?"
Ryuu was silent for a moment. "I am not sure. If Damien was not able to hurt it in any meaningful way, then I am not sure how they plan on killing it. They may be able to win against the monsters and tentacles... but killing that thing will not be as easy as that man thinks."
"What is his deal, anyway?" Samira's voice was bitter.
"I do not know him personally. But Anya has told me some things." Ryuu's gaze remained fixed on the camp. "He is obsessed with serving Freya. He was the king of the elves. He might still be. But he abandoned his kingdom just for her. I think he is too eager to bring her glory that he forgoes all sense of danger."
"Damn bastard," Samira muttered.
"We do not have to worry abo..."
Ryuu's body moved before her voice finished the thought.
Her kodachi left its sheath in a flash of silver, deflecting a sword swing aimed directly at Samira's neck. The impact sent sparks flying across the tent.
"SAMIRA! AMBUSH! PROTECT DAMIEN!"
Samira was on her feet instantly, her body placing itself between Ryuu and Damien's bed. Her blade was out, her eyes wide, her heart pounding.
Ryuu stood facing the entrance.
Hogni stepped out of the shadows, his pale features illuminated by the dim light. His sword was raised, his black armor gleaming. A wide grin spread across his face.
"AHAHAH... quite skillful, huh?" His voice was mocking, amused. "It will not matter. Today, the Hestia Captain dies. And I shall kill you too if I have to." He raised his blade. "For I am the man of shadows. The great hunter. HAHAH!"
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