Chapter 11: 2nd Floor

The moment Han, Jenna, Shay, Tess, and Toby materialized into the new stage, they found themselves in a small camp surrounded by thick forest. The sky overhead was cloudy, casting a dull, gray hue over the land.

"W-What? W-Where are we?" Toby's voice quivered with panic, his eyes wide as he surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings. The fear in his voice was palpable.

[Toby (☆) is in a state of fear. Stats are decreased by 30%.]

Han, unfazed by the new environment, raised his sword confidently. "Guys, are you ready?"

"Yes!" The girls, including Tess, replied in unison, raising their weapons with determination.

"W-What? R-Read—" Toby began, but his words were cut short when, with a sudden thud, a goblin's club came crashing down on his head.

[Toby (☆) has returned to the Goddess' embrace. His fighting spirit will be remembered forever.]

Toby's body crumpled to the ground, lifeless, as his death was instantaneous.

Jenna, who had been a little shocked by the suddenness of it all, stared at Toby's body for a moment, her face pale. She obviously still hadn't get used to seeing people die so ruthlessly. The rest of the group, however, seemed entirely unfazed.

"When did this goblin get this close?" Han asked, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the situation.

"I don't know..." Shay replied, looking equally unconcerned.

Shay then turned to Tess. "But why don't we let our newcomers deal with this?" she suggested.

Tess sighed, looking at the goblin and then back at the group. "Really? Just a little goblin? Why don't you give me something more interesting—"

Before Tess could finish, Shay delivered a swift kick to Tess's rear, sending her stumbling forward toward the goblin.

"Ah..." Tess yelped, surprised, as she turned to face the oncoming creature.

The goblin was small but vicious, its green skin mottled with scars. It swung its large club in a wide arc, its eyes glinting with hunger.

[Goblin, Lv. 5]

"Level 5?" Han exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Why is it so high? Even in Niflheimr, the goblins on the 2nd floor were only level 3! What the hell's happening here?"

Tess took a steadying breath as she adjusted her grip on her spear. She had fought countless goblins before, but this one seemed different. It seemed stronger, more aggressive. She raised her spear and rushed at it, aiming for a quick strike.

The goblin, however, was quick to react, deflecting her spear with a mighty swing of its club. It followed up with a brutal counterattack, aiming for her midsection.

Tess barely managed to parry the blow with the handle of her spear, gritting her teeth as the force of the strike sent shockwaves up her arms. "How is a goblin so fricking strong?" she muttered, struggling to maintain her stance against the goblin's overwhelming strength.

Her mind raced, looking for a way to break through its defense. "Then..." Tess thought, her eyes narrowing with focus. "I'll have to use technique over sheer strength!"

With newfound resolve, Tess quickly deflected the goblin's next swing and repositioned herself. Instead of relying on speed or strength, she focused on using precise, unpredictable thrusts of her spear. She dodged and weaved, aiming for weak points in the goblin's defense.

[Tess (☆☆)'s Basic Spearsmanship has risen to level 2!]

Tess adapted her style to counter the goblin's brute strength. With a final, well-placed thrust, she pierced the goblin's side, sending it crashing to the ground, dead.

After her victory, she paused, turning her head slightly, seeking some sort of acknowledgment from the group. Her gaze drifted towards Shay, hoping for a nod or smile of approval.

However, before she could even process Shay's reaction, a dark shape leaped from the edge of the forest—a black wolf, its glowing eyes fixed on her, teeth bared in a vicious snarl.

Clang!

Shay was faster, reacting instantly. With a swift movement, she raised her sword and parried the wolf's snapping jaws, the sound of metal meeting fangs ringing in the air. Without a moment's hesitation, she slashed downward, slicing the wolf cleanly in half.

[Prairie Wolf, Lv. 5]

Shay stepped back, her sword still dripping with the wolf's blood as she turned to Tess, who had barely managed to step back in time. "Stay focused if you don't want to die," Shay said, her voice stern, but her eyes glinting with amusement as she prepared to move toward the next threat.

Tess, still catching her breath, nodded in acknowledgement, her heart racing from the sudden attack. She quickly refocused, her grip on her spear tightening.

Han, watching the whole exchange, couldn't help but think to himself, "Even the prairie wolves are at level five?" His mind was racing, more and more confused by the escalating difficulty. "What the hell's happening here?"

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden movement—another goblin charging straight at him with its club raised.

Han reacted swiftly, parrying the blow just in time. He followed up with a quick counterattack, aiming for the goblin's head, but to his surprise, the goblin dodged with agility he hadn't expected.

"He's fast, but..." Han thought, studying the goblin's movements. Without missing a beat, he charged forward again, faking a wide swing to the left. The goblin took the bait and moved to block it, but Han shifted his momentum, stabbing the sword straight into its heart.

"Not smart enough," Han muttered under his breath as the goblin crumpled to the ground.

Jenna, who had been watching from the rear, saw the group moving into formation.

"Jenna, stay behind me, Shay, and Tess, and provide us support with your arrows," Han ordered, his voice steady.

Jenna immediately fell into position, standing at the center of the formation. She nocked an arrow, drawing the string back with practiced ease. Her eyes focused, and she fired.

The first arrow flew true, striking another goblin in the eye and causing it to drop dead instantly. Her arrows continued to rain down on the enemies with precision, supporting Han, Shay, and Tess as they cut through the monsters.

"Good job, Jenna," Han said, noticing the sharp increase in her efficiency.

Jenna gave a small, confident smile, her focus unwavering as she kept firing. "Thanks," she replied softly, her bowstring vibrating with each arrow she shot.

The goblins and wolves kept coming, but the group worked seamlessly together. Tess, despite her earlier struggle, was becoming more accustomed to the rhythm of battle, though she had some difficulties with the relentless enemies. However, Jenna's support with her arrows made up for it, helping her land more precise hits and deal with the overwhelming number of opponents.

[Jenna (☆)'s Quick Draw has risen to level 2!]

"Level two already? Isn't that supposed to be a pretty difficult skill to level up?" Han thought, impressed with Jenna's speed and adaptability.

The group was moving faster than he'd expected, and that only made him more cautious—something strange was going on with these monsters, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

The battle continued, the forest around them alive with the sounds of combat. Han's sword clashed with another goblin, and Shay quickly moved to cover his back. Tess and Jenna took out more enemies from behind, and slowly, the group began to take control of the area.

But Han couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Something wasn't right—this floor was more dangerous than normal, and he wasn't sure whether they were ready for what might come next.

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How was this chapter? In the next chapter, I am planning to add a special monster always in this floor, what do you think? It's just to make things more difficult since there's Shay that's basically playing Fruit Ninja here.