The 18th Floor was dark as heck!
The creepy vibe it was giving me made me bring out a shlight from my Inventory without thinking.
I realized that everyone was watching me with a surprised look on their face. They probably wanted their own light sources too, considering how dark it was around them.
''There''s only so much a single shlight can achieve, after all.''
Out of my benevolence—or maybe a bit of guilt—I gave everyone a shlight of their own.
Thanks to helping them out with technology they never had before, the System gave me rewards as an achievement. I got extra Karmic Value for my deeds of righteousness... not that I was aiming for that from the get-go.
Trust me!
***************
With this newfound Magic Item that was bestowed upon her, Asa pierced the darkness with the light in her grasp.
Never had she felt so confident and powerful, having the ability to do freely use Light Magic, one of the rarest kinds in the world.
''This is so...'' Her face disyed shades of pink as she proceeded down the path the Legendary Dragon yer trod.
Thanks to her Ranger abilities, she was able to get a good grasp of her surroundings, and her heightened senses made her confident, to an extent.
The problem, however, was that the tunnels diverged to many points, and it was somewhat impossible to determine which one had the monsters they sought.
Plus...
''I don''t see any Mana Chalk or Mana Crystals here. Isn''t this ce... an empty wastnd?''
"You should all stay rooted... and be prepared for what is toe."
Asa shook a little, surprised to hear his voice. Yet, the calm tone which he used managed to soothe her anxieties. She obeyed and patiently waited.
>SHWWUUUUUUUUUUUUU<
An ominous energy rang from within all the tunnels that wereid out before them, and the wind howled in the most malevolent manner.
Screeches and noises that echoed emptiness sprang forth as they are louder and louder with each passing moment.
Asa trembled, feeling chilly all of a sudden. The fact that it seemed like multiple enemies were approaching in multiple numbers made the hair of her skin stand.
The noises grated her ears, and they sound like wicked groans and insufferable cackles of evil.
"So it''s them... the ones who have been cursed to the rotten home of darkness. Those who shall forever remain in the glorious crevices of pitch ck."
It sounded like poetry to Asa''s ears, hearing the Legendary Dragon yer address impending chaos with such glorious words.
"Let us put an end to this charade, shall we? Ghouls, Imand thee..."
The owners of the screeching noises finally appeared in their multitude. They were at least a hundred—no, even more.
They kept pouring out of the tunnels, having wretched bodies and faded skin colors. They blended with the darkness, though their gleaming crimson eyes shone all across the room.
"KIKIKIRRRRRIIII"
Having hunching postures, they snarled and barked, scratching their long nails on the hardened ck ground.
Focusing the shlights on the walls and ceilings, several ghouls also crawled there, like lizards who could never be exposed unless light revealed them.
Before long, everyone was surrounded by these vile creatures—humanoids who looked nothing like humans.
''A-are these... ghouls?'' Asa was astonished.
She didn''t think any undead would be here. These monsters, with sharp teeth and nails, were cannibalistic in nature.
They hunted themselves, raped themselves, lived in total chaos—a good contrast between them and the Minotaurs.<novelnext></novelnext>
Their murderous smiles and enraged faces depicted what they thought of the group of Adventurers—nothing but prey.
However, Asa could not help but smile with full knowledge of how the situation would y out.
After all, their champion was present.
"... [Domination]"
Before she could count the seconds, the brought them under his control. It was just that easy.
*
*
*
The Ghouls'' territory, though Asa initially thought was useless, proved to be worthwhile.
ording to the Legendary Dragon yer, while this floorcked Mana Chalks or Mana Crystals, or even Mercury, it was home to a certain kind of ore that only formed in pure darkness.
She never knew that, yet thanks to his sinct exnation, she had learned something new.
''Is there really something he doesn''t know?'' She began wondering to herself.
Once again, the Ghouls were made to perform the task of mining the important resources—which they did with absolute vigor.
Their menacing eyes remained, though, but that was simply a part of their characteristics.
"Let us proceed." He snapped her out of her thoughts, and she dly followed once more.
''I don''t know how far we''ll go, but... I want to keep following him!''
And so Asa did... until they arrived at the Final Floor.
*
*
*
After going through several monsters like LizardMen, High Orcs, Hobgoblins, Spectres, etc., they arrived at thest Boss Room, which had a giant Hydra as the champion.
Having three heads—one which breathed fire, the other ice, and the final one poison, the monster was at least 15 meters and was the embodiment of carnage
Of course, the Hero easily subdued the overgrown snake—though he had to roughen it about a bit.
The defiant Hydra had to be smacked a little before it saw reason, and it was such a wonderful sight, seeing the Legendary Dragon yer fight for the first time in a while.
After subjugating it, he used his dominating effect, thus making the giant Hydra his ve.
Asa enjoyed every moment, watching as a usually impossible monster was made to be nothing more than another existence to be trampled by the overhelming might of her champion.
"Let us proceed." He said once more.
The Lamias, who were the previous subordinates of the Hydra, were left in charge of mining the area of the many avable riches it contained.
However, the Legendary Dragon yer was not satisfied with all he saw. Apparently, there was more.
And so... using his powerful fist, he created a hole into what would have been a bare floor with nothing beyond.
However... what was revealed to be within the hole surprised everyone—Asa included.
"H-he knew all this?! H-how—?!"