Dungeon of Pride, Laplace



"That's not what we are talking about. Sir Herm won't know because you are not from the tower town. But there are different areas in the dungeon that are more dangerous than the normal floors. The reward is not worth the risk"…

"Shut your trap! As if that matters to me. Your job is to capture them, so do it no matter the cost".

The tension in the air was palpable as the other side suddenly started arguing among themselves. The adventurers of the tower town who had been commissioned by Herm for this mission started demanding that he increase their reward and reimburse them for their fallen comrades.

While the latter firmly remained adamant on the terms agreed beforehand and unwilling to relent an inch.

'Are they fighting amongst themselves?' Seeing that their pursuers suddenly fall apart and argue amongst themselves, Alvara realised that this was an opportunity. The chance to escape was now.

Alvara hurriedly grabbed Cynthia and Marba and slowly started retreating back. However, unlike the others, the person in the robe had his attention firmly fixed on them. So when he saw their targets escaping, he hurriedly informed Herm.

"Stop creating more trouble for me Princess. You think you can outsmart me and escape? Give up already, maybe I will even consider sparing the life of the remaining subordinate of yours" The latter spat with a twisted grin on his face.

Cynthia's retreating steps suddenly halted and her mind raced with numerous thoughts. But when she remembered her comrades who had fought bravely for the sole sake to let her escape, she found herself refusing to back down at this moment. After all, if she did, she would be letting their efforts be in vain.

An unwavering determination surged within her, the determination to survive no matter what. Alvara and Marba, her two loyal subordinates and friends, stood in front of her, ready to fight and protect her till their last breath.

"Hmph, it seems like I underestimated your Highness's stubbornness. If that is the case, do not expect any mercy" Herm roared glaring at Cynthia.

Just when it seemed like a confrontation was inevitable, the ground beneath them trembled, and the air took on a crimson hue. To everyone's horror and confusion, the Salamander who they thought was defeated by Cynthia and her group, suddenly rose up and crawled out of the crater.

Along with it, the temperature around the surrounding also soared as the monster's fiery breath seethed from its gaping maw. Gasps and cries of terror erupted among the adventurers who recognized the fearsome creature.

"The Salamander lives! It's still alive!" one of the adventurers shouted in disbelief, and the others called out the monster's name in dread.

The Salamander's return unleashed chaos upon the floor. Its crimson scales glistened menacingly under the flickering torchlight, and its fiery breath emanated a scorching heat that made even the bravest of adventurers step back in fear. T

he air crackled with the intensity of its power, and the ground beneath its massive form shook with every step it took.

In mere moments, the Salamander launched into a rampage, striking at adventurers with its massive tail, tearing through formations with its ferocious claws, and breathing flames that consumed everything in their path.

Panic turned to terror, and screams filled the air as the adventurers struggled to find safety amidst the devastation.

"Do not panic, maintain your formations. The beast is near its death throes, we can kill it if we attack it together" On the orders of the adventurer leaders, the panicking adventurers hurriedly got into formation and started engaging the monsters.

However, in this special area, the Salamander wasn't the only powerful monster that had to be wary about. There were also Frostfang serpents, whose icy blue scales could freeze their victims with just one bite, Boulderbacks, massive beasts with impenetrable shells, and Stormchasers, quick and nimble creatures that could strike from afar with electrical energy. Many other monsters were attracted to the area due to the sounds.

"There are more monsters coming this way! We're surrounded!"…

"We can't handle this! Fall back, fall back!"…

"No don't, if we turned around right now, we will be decimated. Hold the line! We can't let them overrun us!"…

"I-I've never seen monsters like these before! They should be from the lower-middle floors, they are too strong!"...

"God we are done for, I don't want to die"…

Unsystematic orders, low morale and dissimilar opinions, the formations of the adventurers completely collapsed with the other monsters surging in. The hopes of controlling the situation shattered as the reality of their perilous circumstances sank in.

In the midst of this mayhem, Cynthia and her group moved with purposeful stealth, taking advantage of the adventurers' distracted state. With their formation in disarray and the attention focused on the onslaught of monsters, they slipped away unnoticed, leaving the other adventurers to face the overwhelming threat alone.

Behind them, the sounds of the skirmish grew fainter with each step, and the chaos of the special area engulfed them. Nevertheless, Cynthia and her group pressed on. With their hearts pounding with nervousness, they navigated the dark and treacherous passages of the special area.

The roars of the monsters and the cries of the adventurers continued to reverberate through the air, creating an atmosphere of chaos and dread. Thanks to Cynthia's skill, they managed to escape multiple monsters on their way and pass through numerous treacherous areas.

At every turn, they would glance over their shoulders, checking if someone was following them.

"It looks like we successfully threw them off. However, we aren't out of danger yet. We need to find some place to hide. I see a hidden cave entrance up ahead. Let's go hide there" Alvara pointed at a rocky outcrop ahead.

The cave was skilfully hidden amidst the overgrown bushes and trees. The fact that one could miss it entirely if one did not pay it enough attention, made it the perfect place to hide.

On Alvara's lead, the three of them headed towards the cave. The atmosphere inside the cave was cool and damp, providing a stark contrast to the chaos they had just escaped. It was spacious enough for them to move freely, yet its walls felt suffocatingly close.

As Cynthia, Alvara and Marba ventured inside, the only sounds they could hear were the soft echoes of their footsteps and the distant rumble of the ongoing battle outside. Soon, they found a relatively secluded spot inside the cave and stopped there to catch their breaths.

"It doesn't appear there are no monsters inside the cave" Alvara commented, loosening the grip on her sword hilt.

"Alvara you are injured, you should take some rest. This entire time you continued to lead us while holding onto your injuries. I would have given you a potion; however, the ones I have are all over" Cynthia spoke with a guilt trodden voice.

"I'm alright princess, these are just some minor injuries and nothing to worry… Kuh!!" The guard captain suddenly clenched her left chest side in pain.

Although she said it was just some minor injuries, it was anything but that. The tail of that salamander was like a battering ram, that completely overwhelmed her defence and deal heavy internal injuries.

Alvara reckoned that the left side of her ribcage was broken and those broken splinters have punctured her lungs making it even difficult for her to breathe.

"Let me support you" Cynthia came forward to support her guard and friend.

"No need princess, aren't you exhausted yourself? Activating those magic without Sir Leo's help must have taken a heavy toll on your body. You shouldn't have been that reckless".

Just like the guard captain had said, Cynthia too was heavily injured. It could be seen from her pale appearance and her shrivelled look. To defeat the salamander, she pushed her body beyond her limits.

It was not just Cynthia and Alvara, Marba too was injured. In fact, there was no one in their group who wasn't heavily injured.

"It's weird, the outside is oozing with powerful monsters. Yet there are no presence of any monsters or signs of them coming near the cave. Although it's a good thing for us, I can't help but wonder why is that" Marba wondered as she fell back on her butt, exhausted after using all of her mana.

The question that she raised, also bothered the rest of them. According to the information they gathered from the adventurers, Special areas were places filled with dangers at every turn. Even experienced adventurers usually avoided such areas. 

Forget about finding a hideout like this, there shouldn't be any safe place like this.

It was only natural that Alvara and the others who relied on the information from the adventurers to find the place they were in, unusual. After all, even the adventurers were wrong about Special Areas.

The term Special Areas was something that the adventurers gave to areas like these which were flooded with powerful monsters that did not belong to the specific floors.

These areas were a recent addition to the dungeon and much was unknown about them. As such, it was still much of a mystery for them. That is why they did not know that the actual euphemism for the place was Danger Zones.

A setup that was created by Fey to slow down the advance of the adventurers or stand in their way as a trial. It shared a common factor with the Hidden Chambers in that it also had the high risk high reward dynamics.

The place might be flooded by powerful monsters; however, they do not go out of the designated area almost as if they are safeguarding something.