NOVEL FROG Chapter Fifty Six
Kitti's eyes widened as she gazed into the chamber, her previous revulsion replaced by shock. The hive, once teeming with gargantuan centipedes, was now deserted.
She cautiously entered, scanning for signs of danger. The chamber's silence was oppressive, punctuated only by her footsteps. All around her there were signs of battle, gushes in the wall, floor and even the ceiling.
"Impossible," Kitti whispered. "What the hell?"
Her gaze fell upon the scattered remains, the cyclops' severed arm and the Kraelion skulls. The centipedes' disappearance seemed surreal.
Rae's suspended form was nowhere to be found and immediately, Kitti had a feeling she knew who had done this. "Chrome is far more dangerous than I thought. Damn, this maple tree is something else." She moved around. "Where are the bodies though?" She wondered. "And a battle like this couldn't have gone unheard."
Kitti's thoughts swirled with each step, her eyes scouring the chamber for clues. The battle's ferocity was evident, shredded carapaces, crushed segments and viscous fluids stained the stone. Yet, the centipedes' bodies had vanished.
"Good to know Maple Tree sent their strongest. Wait." She paused. "Didn't he say the twins were stronger than he was?"
She made her way back to the group. As she exited the passage, Shade turned to her. "Kitti, you and your group will bring up the rear."
"Sure thing." She replied, as she snuck a glance at the shielder. 'There had to have been hundreds down there.'
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Kitti wiped some sweat from her brow as she trudged through the steaming swamp. Raising her hand over her face she glanced at the sphere of red light high in the sky that acted as the sun for the second floor.
'Curse this dungeon.' She hauled herself up, mud-slickened gauntlets gripping the rocky outcropping. She joined the others, gazing out at the twisted landscape. Twisted, trees loomed, their branches like crystallized ferns.
"Shade, how much farther?" Jean asked, wiping swamp-grime from his sword.
Shade turned to Bone, who, she noticed, had a map created by one of the mages. "We've moved quite a distance, up ahead is a clearing with some ruins, the second floor's boss could be there. Either that or something else."
The shielder scanned their surroundings, uneasy. "We're exposed."
Bekhan nodded. "With a swamp behind us. Retreat is almost impossible."
As they trekked towards the ruins, the sky's crimson hue deepened. Kitti shot the shielder sidelong glances, questions swirling.
Jean slowed to a steady pace, walking alongside her.
For a moment they said nothing, an awkward air of silence looming over them. She turned to him, her impatience showing on her face.
Jean finally spoke. "You saw the cavern didn't you?" It wasn't a question, Kitti noted, it was more along the lines of a statement. She also noticed him sneaking glances at the shielder.
She nodded, as he continued. "Safe to say, he's the strongest here, he's tough enough to tank attacks from a cyclops, has stamina enough for ten men, and fast enough to fight while protecting a huge group from a pack of dungeon critters."
Kitti could now see the ruins coming into view.
As the ruins materialized, crumbling spires reached toward the crimson sky. Vines and moss shrouded ancient stones, hiding secrets.
"And oddly calm." Jean added, voice low. "I know dungeons aren't rare, but still, this isn't exactly a normal dungeon."
Kitti's gaze lingered on the shielder's broad back. "Maple Tree's influence?"
Jean shook his head. "What influence? They're relatively new."
Their conversation halted as Bone raised a hand, signaling caution.
Before the ruins, a clearing stretched, eerily still. The group fanned out, wary.
Bone's eyes scanned the perimeter as he frowned. "Shit, the ruins is bait."
Shade edged closer to Bone as Kitti heard him whisper. "We're surrounded."
Kitti instinctively went to her stance. "How many?"
Bone's gaze darted between the trees. "Can't be sure, at least three groups. Hidden, but closing in."
Kitti's eyes locked onto the shielder... what was his name? His expression remained serene, but his grip on his cleaver tightened.
"Of course the ruin was bait," Bekhan whispered. "We can't retreat either."
Shade signaled. "Defensive formation. Prepare for ambush."
The group condensed, forming a tight circle. Jean positioned himself beside Kitti, swords at the ready.
The shielder stood at the forefront, cleaver poised. She still couldn't remember his name.
The silence shattered as large creatures emerged from the trees. Humanoid, the smallest one almost eight metres. Familiar red skin glistened under armor.
"Well fuck." Bone spat. "And here I thought I'd seen it all."
The figures encircled the group, trapping them.
Kitti's heart pounded. "No escape."
Shade's voice rose. "Hold formation! Focus on defense!"
Nine cyclops surrounded them, although that wasn't what had them terrified, no.
*Clang*
The sound of metal echoed as shield met sword creating a small shockwave that washed over the adventurers.
The shielder (what the hell is his name!?) grunted as the massive sword pressed down on the shield, Kitti not doubting the force behind it. 'Monsters using equipment? Tha... That can't be fair.'
The cyclops's sword, rose high before coming down on the shielder, who stood firm, cleaver still poised. His expression unyielding.
Taro practically fell on his ass in fear. "Armored cyclops? What the hell."
Jean darted glances between the encircling giants. "This dungeon's full of surprises."
Bekhan gritted teeth. "Bad ones."
A ranger readied his bow, firing swift arrows at the cyclops. "We need openings!"
The shielder parried the massive sword, another shockwave ringing out.
His gaze flicked to hers, then back to the enemy.
"Move!" he growled.
A cyclops hammer crushed the earth mere feet away.
Kitti dodged, her agility saving her.
"We can't hold long," Jean warned.
The shielder bashed into his opponent, creating space between them, he breathed, although Kitti couldn't see any sign of exhaustion. "Just focus on killing, leave all defense to me!!" The shielder yelled.
Kitti gasped. 'Tha... That's suicidal.' yet she moved anyway. Although she thought she heard him murmur. 'hehe, that's Maple's line.' but she paid it no mind.
A cyclops appeared behind her, a black dagger the length of her hand, gripped in his own.
She crossed her arms, hoping to survive the attack.
*Clang*
And felt nothing. As the shielder instantly appeared before her parrying the attack before disappearing again, leaving the monster unstable.
Without even thinking, she capitalized on the opening, a full powered punch, aimed at the monster's nethers, earning a pained howl in response.
The monster fell to its knees, leaving her free to target its head with another full powered punch. 'Thank Suho they're not wearing helms.'
With her opponent down 'That was actually pretty easy. I just took down a cyclops in two blows.' (giggle, giggle) she turned her attention to the rest of the battle.
Shade swung his sword towards the heel of a cyclops, even as the monster smashed down with its hammer. Kitti almost yelled at him to look out.
Before she could however, the hammer was parried with a ringing sound as the shielder appeared above the raiding leader parrying the attack with his shield before promptly vanishing again.
Shade's claymore went through the monster's heel unimpeded, bringing it down to its knees for a decapitating strike.
Kitti eyes roamed the battle field quickly finding the shielder parrying an attack from smashing through a group of six, while they rushed their opponent. The shielder vanished again.
Kitti turned again, watching as the shielder smashed a massive sword into the ground as it was about to stab through Bekhan, pinning the cyclops in place for a well timed fire ball spell from the Magi.
Behind her a shockwave rang, she turned to see the shielder cleave through a cyclop's knee, stopping it from barreling through a group of five, allowing the group to dogpile the monster.
A clang rang beside her once again, only this time, the sound was very close for comfort. She immediately turned and froze as she came face to face with the shielder, his grey colored eyes peering into hers.
Her heart did not skip a beat.
"Ah... Uhm, yeah... Than... I should... Wha..." 'What the hell is wrong with me!?' She screamed internally as she stammered her words, when something struck the earth a few feet from her.
An obsidian coloured spear that seemed to have feathers on the blunt head. 'No.' Kitti thought. 'That's an arrow... Oh, he blocked the attack.'
"What the hell are you standing around for?" She snapped back to reality at the shielder's voice. "R...right." She turned, hiding a deep blush in her face. 'Dammit all!!!!'
She charged at a group of seven fighting a cyclops with a sword and shield, with a leap, she sailed over the group in the direction of the monster.
With laughable ease, the cyclops transited from defence to attack, its shield boring down on her. The cyclops was strong, even among its peers, it was obvious it had training and was just as skilled as the average adventurer. Add that to their natural advantage and this was an A+ rank monster no doubt.
It meant nothing though, as Kitti barely even paid attention to the attack. After all,
*Clang*
He was there.
With a ringing shockwave, the cyclop's shield was redirected skyward, and Kitti shattered its knee. The monster went down to a knee and two adventurers swooped in for the kill as mages peppered it with spells.
"Four left!" She heard Shade yell. She turned to him as he faced a spear wielding cyclops. The shielder appeared, cleaver flashing, the spear shattered. Shade swung.
"Three remaining!" He yelled.
Kitti sprinted toward the remaining cyclops, fists glowing with anticipation. Jean flanked her, swords poised.
"Two!" Shade shouted, as the shielder downed another giant.
The final cyclops, enraged, swung its massive sword. Jean parried with a grunt while the shielder bashed its knee.
Kitti seized the opening. Her full-powered punch crushed the giant's skull.
Silence.
The group stood panting, victorious.
The shielder turned to Kitti. Grey eyes sparkled. "Impressive."
Kitti's flush deepened.
Shade approached. "Clearing secured. Ruins ahead."
Bone unfolded his map. "Traps likely. Stay vigilant."
Bekhan nodded. He turned to the mages. "Magical wards, too."
Jean sheathed his sword. "Let's proceed."
As they entered the ruins, Kitti glanced at the shielder. "Thanks for saving me. I uh... I never got your name."
The shielder paused as he looked at her, confusion etched in his features. Kitti felt a little unnerved.
Jean came to the rescue luckily. "Yeah that's right, we never got your name. Which is weird as you're representing your guild. That's not very polite."
The shielder turned to the samurai. "What are you guys talking about? I told you all my name at the start of the raid, you've all been using my name all through yesterday and this morning."
This time Kitti was confused. "We have? I think I would remember yours... Especially yours." She murmured the last part.
Jean shrugged. "Well what is it? Can't keep calling you shielder now can I?"
'Actually that's what I've been calling him.' Kitti flushed again, thankfully no one noticed as everyone focused on the shielder who now had a worrying look on his face.
"I... I don't... I don't remember."