Heartbroken

"Keep moving! We'll have to maintain our distance once more! Let's keep looking for the entrance back to the first floor!" Rochelle ordered as she skewered the last orc scout blocking her path.

"The Lord's Cloak Aiolos made for us is not working!" the ineffective equipment made Pharcis questions the reason for wearing it. Furthermore, a side of her battle gauntlets cracked, which means it won't last until they're outside the dungeon.

"Werewolves! Ready for battle!" Hansen's shout is accompanied by blocking their claw attack. They were attacked along their way while looking for the entrance leading to the first floor.

"Sword Smash!"

"Staff Blast!"

"Twin Slash!"

Their most effective skills mowed down a bunch of Werewolves obstructing their path. But with only three strikes, it is far than enough to teach the group of seven werewolves a lesson they'll never forget.

"Get down!" Rochelle charged forward. Not being given a title as Spear Master is seriously underestimating her skills. In a few agile steps, Rochelle created a skewer of hearty werewolves. Her attack crushes their heart in a direct attack before they can even howl.

"Zhenwu's Thunderclap!" two thunderous orbs were compressed with one another, creating a shockwave a hundred times stronger than Alrune's Staff Blast. Along with the shockwave came a silencing and paralyzing side effect.

Luckily, they're in a party with Rochelle.

That Zhenwu's Thunderclap of hers has blown not only the dust and gravels around her. Even the loosely grown weed around them flew outwards for over 200-300 meters.

The entrance leading to the first floor finally is in their view. With Rochelle taking care of their back, four of them scales the staircase, with Hansen throwing a Flame and Wind Slash at the entrance.

Rochelle skillfully slipped through the gap between the skill's execution. Once she escaped from their pursuit, she followed behind the party members until they're back on the first level.

"Finally! We're away from the hell of a place!" Alrune lies flat on the ground without bothering about the cleanliness. As for Pharcis, she pulls her cloak up from touching the ground. Between them, only Hansen is foolish enough to roll around the dirt as he complained.

"We almost died!"

"The monsters are targetting at us on purpose!"

"There's a conspiracy going on!"

That is what keeps coming out from his mouth. But after close to ten minutes of rest, their sanity finally returned. Alrune patted her white robe as she stands, in case any of the dust settled onto her.

Only Rochelle remained in a standing position. With her vitality points almost seven to tenfold of what they have, she's unable to feel their physical exhaustion. But to her mental exhaustion, she can be said as going over her limit.

Her Warlock Magic cost quite a toll on her available magic power. Although her magic points are at 68, that's only enough for six execution of Zhenwu's Thunderclap. Furthermore, the Extreme-Hunger from killing monsters weakens her as she continues to fight.

"Rochelle, we're ready. Please have something..." Alrune tapped Rochelle's shoulder and gave her a piece of the meat-filled baguette. The now seated Rochelle devour the bread roll like she was starved for a whole month.

Food continues to be given to Rochelle until she's finally returned to being herself. The insatiable eating behavior also somewhat recovered some of the magic power used previously.

"Let us hunt on the first floor today. We'll... What is that?" Rochelle was going to suggest that they explore the first floor until it's time for them to return to the surface. But from not too far from them, another surprise is coming over at them.

It was a monster stampede. If anyone in the party can see further, they'll be able to notice some corpses of crest holder is getting eaten by them. The wave proceeds at a considerable speed, but their numbers are not.

"Looks like the hell... Went crazy today," Rochelle raised her weapon. Even an elephant could fall from the attack of a million ants. Facing against over a thousand monsters around level 1 to 10, they could be overwhelmed in minutes.

"Everyone, protect me as I cast my magic!" Rochelle placed both of her palms facing one another as it stopped still before her voluptuous chest. An orb of the lighting element appeared in between, with bolts of lightning slowly gathered as time past.

A bouncy mass took the liberty of the first attack but parried by Hansen with the Scarlet Blood. Unfortunately for him, a stampede means there's more than one target at a time. Two more slimes attacked him and breaks his defense on the third attack.

Hansen quickly activates the ability "Sharpen" on the Scarlet Blood. The suddenly sharper edge cuts through the incoming Swift Wolf before Hansen was exposed into it's attacking range.

"Wind Slash!" the Swift Wolf was cut into two parts.

"Twin Slash!" Yesha joined the fight from behind, killing two slimes before her blade struck into the third. But as both of them catches their long-held breath, close to three monsters charged at where they stand.

"Rising Dragon Dance!" Pharcis charging blow throws all three monsters backward. The well-trained Hansen and Yesha charges at their closest target to deal a killing blow, with Pharcis participates last.

But their battle against seven monsters was just a warm up. They're surrounded by the goblins, slimes, and swift wolves immediately.

"Magical Dance!" Pharcis continued. Even if using skills consecutively will cause a mental strain on her, there's no time for much consideration. Her solo dancing performance started as Hansen, Yesha, and Alrune begins swinging their weapon.

The battle continued. Although there were only a few steps left between the monsters and them, they're worthy of praise for defending against the monsters for close to two minutes.

"Zhenwu's - Great - Thunderclap!" Rochelle's magic preparation is finally complete. An act of forcefully breaking the orb of lightning releases the collected might within and creates a long-drawn and powerful wave.

The force explodes outward, blowing the monsters numbered more than a thousand away from them. They immediately grab the chance to escape while the monsters are in a state of chaos.

"Aargh!" Alrune falls. Something like a hand is grabbing on her leg as she tries to run. When she turned her head around, Alrune's emotion literally plunged into the pit of hopelessness.

A boss-grade monster, furthermore, it's a Stone Golem that can only exist on the second floor! Falling onto its hand spells death!

"Yah!" Rochelle lunged into the Stone Golem's reach, trying to tank away it's aggression. With its target now moved from Alrune to Rochelle, the hand on Alrune has now moved to attack Rochelle.

"Come On!" Rochelle swung her spear, almost to the point she could draw off half of the moon.

It was a great clash between the sharpest spear and the sturdiest rock here. A crack appeared on the wrist of the Stone Golem, but it wasn't enough. As for the spear, cracks appeared due to the curse. At most, two to three more attacks would take away the life of her weapon.

"Rochelle, take this!" Hansen throws the Scarlet Blood at Rochelle. But as the sword remain untouchable to her. Even with Aiolos' grace, the Scarlet Blood doesn't approve her as a part of the family.

Rochelle was speechless.

But as she turned and face against the Stone Golem, Alrune appeared before her chest with the Scarlet Blood. Forcefully placed the sword on her hand while whispering, the blade has no option but to satisfy the wish of two of its family members.

And in Rochelle's hand, the Scarlet Blood performs differently.

The power of a weapon doesn't rely solely on how it's built. Below-Heaven or Low-Heaven, a blade would only perform if it was given to a suitable user.

With a simple swing, Rochelle separates the Stone Golem from its proud arm. But she did not stop right there. Three more swings followed. Only the torso and head are still attached to the golem's core, which powers the monster.

But she hesitates from delivering her last hit.

If she did, that means her contract with Aiolos, where the number of monsters killed shall not exceed 500. If she delivered this attack, it means she has fulfilled her part of the contract, and joining them into the Heavenly Dungeon is no longer possible.

"Let me do it!" Hansen steps forward. With the backup sword in his hand, he swung it hard on the Stone Golem, only to cause the blade shatters in the middle.

Between the five of them, only Rochelle could deliver the last blow. The others are just too weak.

"Rochelle... We'll talk to Aiolos, you won't have to worry." Alrune said. She understands her effort so far, and it's heartbreaking to see how she is now.

"En!" Rochelle nodded. The blade pierced through the golem's core.

They left the Heavenly Dungeon afterward, exhausted with most of their weapon is either broken or reaching its breaking point. The situation outside wasn't anywhere better. The play from the Moon Priestess created more trouble to the surface, along with the death of a few crest holders inside the dungeon today.

Even death is nothing new, as there are casualties daily. But there's nothing stopping people from grieving and forming a party to executes their revenge.

Still, nothing hits the three girls worst than looking at the smiling Aiolos! He's chuckling as he caresses Tetros's fair fingers, with a matching bracelet on their wrist!

Is this why Aiolos being nice to them?

To flirt with that milky-boobs goddess?

"Really?"

"Ai - O - Los!" Alrune called.