Speed Running?

So, this is the 11th floor. Lilith took a moment to take in her surroundings, marveling at the serene atmosphere. The air was fresh and cool, filled with the scent of damp earth and greenery. A gentle rustling in the canopy above hinted at life bustling around her. She smiled faintly. The soundscape was remarkable: birds singing melodiously, blending with the distant gurgle of running water.

"This dungeon stuff is ridiculously detailed," she muttered, shaking her head in mild disbelief.

Her ears perked at the sound of a nearby stream. Curious, Lilith began making her way toward it. As she approached, the soft babble of the water grew louder, and the scene unfolded before her. A clear, bubbling stream cut through the forest floor, its surface sparkling in the dim light filtering through the dense canopy above.

By the water's edge, a handful of small critters had gathered. Mice and rabbits sipped cautiously, their ears twitching and eyes darting nervously toward the shadows. Yet, despite their constant vigilance, they seemed unbothered for the moment, content to drink their fill.

Lilith observed the scene quietly, leaning against a nearby tree. She pondered the odd juxtaposition of this tranquil moment within a dungeon teeming with monsters. However, the peace didn't last long.

A sudden rustle in the underbrush nearby broke the calm. The smaller creatures scattered in panic as a wolf burst out of the bushes, a goblin perched on its back. Lilith narrowed her eyes as she watched the scene unfold. The wolf lunged at the rabbits, snapping its jaws and quickly capturing its prey.

The goblin rider dismounted with surprising speed and gathered the limp bodies, securing them in a makeshift sack slung across its back. Without wasting a moment, the pair disappeared back into the brush, retreating the way they had come.

Lilith chuckled, an amused smirk tugging at her lips. "A goblin hunter, huh?" she mused. Her eyes lingered on the spot where the duo had vanished. "Interesting. So even in a dungeon, goblins have roles and routines. Guess they're not all just mindless fighters."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Still, I should keep an eye out. Hunters like that might set traps... and I don't feel like stepping into one today." With a final glance at the stream, she turned and continued her exploration, her mana saber humming faintly at her side, ready for whatever might come next.

As Lilith made her way through the 11th floor, she encountered more goblin wolf riders. Thanks to her sharp senses, she managed to avoid direct confrontation, choosing instead to outmaneuver them quietly. These riders were more persistent than she expected, their movements strategic, but they weren't much of a challenge to evade for someone of her skill.

The 12th and 13th floors followed a similar theme, maintaining the dense forest setting. Lilith battled a few goblin hunters and their wolves along the way, but the encounters felt routine. She dispatched them with calculated precision, her mana saber carving through foes with ease. "More of the same," she thought, brushing a stray leaf off her shoulder as she descended further.

However, as she reached the 15th floor, the atmosphere shifted drastically. Lilith stopped in her tracks, taking in the scene before her. Gone were the towering trees and the cool, shaded forest floor. Instead, she found herself standing at the edge of a vast, arid desert. The air was dry and carried a faint taste of salt and sand. The ground beneath her boots had transitioned to coarse, sunbaked earth.

"Well, this is a change," Lilith murmured, shielding her eyes from the glaring sunlight that illuminated the barren landscape. She squinted at the horizon, noting dunes that stretched endlessly and rocky outcroppings scattered like ancient sentinels. A faint, warm breeze blew past her, carrying with it the dry rustle of sand shifting.

Scanning her surroundings, Lilith assessed her next move. She quickly noticed that the area near the staircase was oddly calm. Monsters, which had been omnipresent on the forest floors, seemed to avoid the immediate vicinity of the stairs.

"Convenient," she mused, her voice tinged with relief. "I guess this spot will do."

Lilith dropped her pack and began setting up a small camp near the stairs. She conjured a shimmering barrier of protective magic around her chosen spot, ensuring her safety while she rested.

As she sat cross-legged on the ground, sipping magically conjured water and nibbling on a dried ration from her pack for appearance's sake, she surveyed the desert once more. "A desert, huh? I wonder what kind of monsters roam this floor. Something tells me this isn't going to be as straightforward as the goblin hunters and wolves."

Lilith stretched her legs and leaned back against the cool stone wall of the stairway entrance. Her mana pulsed faintly as she replenished her reserves, preparing for whatever challenges lay ahead in this scorching, unfamiliar terrain. 

At some point during her rest, Lilith had dozed off, lulled by the warmth of the desert floor and the faint rustle of the wind. However, she awoke suddenly to a deep rumbling sound beneath the sands. Her sharp senses immediately kicked in, and she sat upright, eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of movement.

"Something's coming," she muttered to herself.

Closing her eyes, Lilith extended her mana outward like a web, letting it flow through the ground to detect disturbances. Her magical awareness quickly painted a picture in her mind.

"Sandworms. Big ones," she murmured, her lips curving into a faint grin. "And... what's this? Tribal people?" Her brow furrowed as she concentrated further. "They're moving around in groups. Could be goblins, but their movements feel... different. More coordinated."

Lilith opened her eyes, her gaze snapping in one direction. "Interesting," she mused. "The stairs are that way."

Brushing off the sand clinging to her cloak, she stood and adjusted her gear. Her mana saber shimmered faintly at her side, ready for action. With the protective barrier around her camp fading, Lilith began her journey toward the stairs, her pace steady and her senses on high alert.

The rumbling beneath the sands persisted, but it seemed to follow no discernible pattern. Occasionally, she'd pause, crouching low to the ground to confirm her suspicions. The sandworms were massive, their presence rippling through the desert like waves in water.

"Better avoid them if I can," Lilith thought. "Fighting something that size in this open terrain would be... inconvenient."

As for the tribal figures, their movements were deliberate and purposeful, suggesting they had some familiarity with the desert. Lilith's curiosity was piqued, but she remained cautious. "Best not to engage until I know what they are," she told herself.

The desert stretched endlessly before her, but Lilith's confidence never wavered. With each step, her mind calculated the best path to take, balancing stealth and speed. Though the environment was harsh, her determination burned brighter than the desert sun. Whatever awaited her near the stairs, she would face it head-on.

"Is this some sort of speed run?" Lilith mused aloud, her tone light with amusement as she approached the stairs to the next floor. So far, she had skillfully avoided the sandworms and tribal figures she sensed. Her pace had been steady, deliberate, and efficient—almost like she was racing against an invisible clock.

The memory of the three forest floors before the desert lingered in her mind. "If this pattern holds," she thought, "it's likely the next few floors will be more of this desert."

Her prediction proved accurate as she descended the stairs. The landscape below was another stretch of shimmering sands, the air dry and heavy with heat. Lilith sighed, brushing some stray sand off her gear. "All desert again," she murmured.

Extending her mana outward, she carefully mapped the floor ahead. This time, the presence of the tribal figures was more concentrated. Unlike before, when they were scattered and mobile, they now seemed to cluster near the stairs leading further down.

"Looks like I'm meeting some new people—or monsters—today," Lilith said to herself, a faint grin on her lips.

She advanced cautiously, her movements fluid and precise. While her curiosity was piqued, she knew better than to charge headlong into unknown territory. Her mana saber remained at her side, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.

The figures ahead were shrouded in a haze of heat and sand, making them difficult to distinguish. Lilith could sense their keen awareness of the area, their movements purposeful and calculated. She paused, taking a moment to observe them from a distance.

"Let's see who—or what—you are," she thought, her smirk deepening. With each step forward, her anticipation grew. Whatever awaited her near the stairs, Lilith was ready to face it—be it foe or, perhaps, something entirely unexpected.