Chapter-9

"Let's do our best today as well"

"Yes!!"X3

"Well let's go then"

We follow behind the energetic leader.

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"Whew that was easy"

"Don't let your guard down Dylan"

I listen to leader and Dylan's conversation while looking at the magical crystals lying on the ground.

'Everyone is better than before ...'

It's obvious that all three of them got a status update.

'Should I get one after going back as well?'

A thing to note is that none of my party members knows about each others familia's, it's like a silent rule that we all agreed on to not bother with each others personal life and it works well with me since soma familia members have quite the bad reputation.

"William~~ Are you OKAY~~"

Perhaps due to noticing my absent-mindedness Julia calls out to me.

"Yeah I am okay"

"That's good~~"

In the meanwhile leader and Dylan stop their bickering and look at us chatting.

"Hey Dylan don't you think that they seem closer than they usually do"

"Your are imagining stuff"

"This is why you will always be single..."

"You wanna fight"

After resting for some time we move towards the next floor.

"Is this the right way Dylan"

"Yes the entrance to the 6th floor is just up ahead"

I reply after looking at the dungeon map written in my notebook.

"There we only need to go through that cave and we'll reach the 6th floor"

*Rumble*

'Hmm'

For some reason I felt a weird rumble just now....

"ANTS are coming from front"

Dylan's voice makes me regain my focus as I look at the 12 ants approaching from the front.

I take aim and start firing arrows at the upcoming ants.

"AAiiieeee"

'Julia!!'

I look at Julia's direction and see two giant ants coming from underground and attacking her.

*Clank*

One of the ants manages to injure her hand and her weapons falls.

"KYaaaaaa"

The other ant takes advantage of the opening and jumps at her.

*Slash*Slash*

*Screecccch*(dying scream)

"W-william--"

I take out my iron sword.and Slash at the ants directly killing them.

"Take your weapon and GET back"

"Y-yes"

I look at leader providing assistance to Dyaln.

"Leader we should retreat I don't have a good feeling about this"

"LET'S GO BACK THE WAY WE CAME FROM"

Leader replies in a shouting voice while killing a giant ant.

We slowly back off and make our way towards the cave from which we came.

*Screech*Screech*

"No way..."

I mumble in disbelief as I look at the ants coming out from our exit route.

'F*CK'

I curse in my mind as I intercept them.

"WE need to find another way"

"HERE Julia CATCH"

After hearing leaders voice I take out my notebook and pass it to Julia who is currently standing safe in between me, leader and Dylan.

*Flip*Flip*

"It's that way"

Julia flips through the notebook and points at a cave to our left

"You guys go ahead me and Dylan will follow right after you"

"NO We should go together"

"William we NEED someone to stop them here before running or else they will just catch up to us"

"BUT--"

"I don't plan on dying William and neither does Dylan so go ahead and don't worry we'll come right after you"

"Leader--"

"Let's go William"

Julia grabs my hand and begs me with her eyes to come with her.

I look at leader and then grit my teeths as I turn around.

"YOU BETTER COME FAST"

I shout while running behind Julia.

"We will"

Leader replies with a smile on her face.

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"How much further Julia??"

"It's Just ahead"

I run behind Julia while holding the iron sword in my hand.

*Crack**Screeccch*

A crack suddenly forms on the ceiling as a ant falls on me.

'Shit'

I curse in my mind as I slash at it.

*Crack*

'Dammit'

My iron sword breaks of in the middle as I swing it at the ant. But I don't get flustered and shove the broken sword in the ant and kill it. I have swordsman-'I' for a reason

*Screechh*(dying sound)

"Hurry up William"

Julia's voice reaches my ears as I look at her figure disspearing in white light coming from the exit of the cave.

I force my legs to push harder and run towards the exit.

I go through the blinding light and enter a giant space.

"JULIA"

I shout out her name as I don't see her figure worried that she might have fallen in a crack somewhere.

*Rumble*

I once again feel the rumble I felt before.

*Screech*

sound of ants start coming from a nearby cave.

"CAN YOU HEAR ME JULIA"

I once again shout as I take out my magical sword.

*Screech*

I look at the group of four ants coming towards me.

"DIE"

I shout out while swinging the magical sword towards the ant.

*CRACK*

The magical sword breaks down into small pieces as it comes in contact with the ant's shell.

'What--'

*BOOM*

My thoughts are interrupted by the pieces of sword which explodes right on my face.

*CRASH*

My body flies out due to the explosion and crashes in the dungeon wall.

I feel a severe pain coming from every part of my body.

'Why'

My left eye stop working while blood covers my right eye vision.

.

'Why'

*crash*

My body slides off from the wall and fall face down on the ground.

*Blargh

I start vomiting out blood as the pain from my broken ribs make tears come out of the working right eye.

"HO I am surprised that you actually survived that"

A playful yet familiar voice comes from above.

'Ughk'

I turn my eye towards the direction of the voice while ensuring the pain and see the last person I wanted to see.

Zanis Lustra.

But my focus shifts towards the person standing beside him instead.

"W-why"

I somehow manage to produce a hoarse sound from my mouth while looking towards the person.

Julia.

But she completely ignores my existence and look towards Zanis with a frantic look.

"Zanis San I completed your task so please let me have a drink~~"

"Hey look he's trying to say something to you"

"It doesn't matter please give me the drink already~~"

"You can get it after we return"

I look at the familiar expression Julia is putting on while talking to Zanis and feel a pain in my heart.

"W-h-y"

I once again ask Julia while enduring the pain in my lunga.

"Hahahaha do you still not understand"

But what answered me wasn't Julia but rather Zanis's mocking laughter.

"IDIOT can't you see she's a slave of the divine wine"

I grit my broken teeths.

"Look here take a guess at what this is"

isn't that.

"Bingo that's right it's monster lure and she's been using it since you reached the 4th floor. Unfortunately I don't have a prize for you so you can just take this instead"

Zanis throws the monster lure beside my head.

"Well don't hate me too much after all its a world where the strong rule over the weak"

I keep staring at him without blinking my eye.

"Your fault is that your weaker than me and that's it"

Blood starts flowing out from my gritted teeths.

"Goodbye then little William and let us never meet again"

*Screech*

I keep staring at Zanis's receding figure as Killer ants starts overfilling my vision.

*Rumble*

I didn't noticed it at the time that something inside me was shaking.