34 The dungeon: Second floor
Pov Kylo Stromcrest:
"Die!"
*Punch
"Take this!"
*Strong punch
As I walked around and watched my companions kill goblins, the feeling of annoyance increased.
(For some reason, I can't stop thinking about it).
You must consider something important to understand my concern about the behavior of the goblins we are encountering.
The goblins in the dungeon are generated as adults, and these, in turn, follow their instincts and what they learn during the time they remain alive.
(Their lifespan is short, as adventurers usually enter the dungeons every day).
Although I don't understand much about how dungeons work (since the game doesn't offer much information), I do know that the creatures you encounter are created with magic.
In simple terms, they are simulations of the originals.
And these originals are the ones you encounter outside, in the real world.
If my fears are true, then the goblins outside are smarter and more agile than the ones we are facing.
It's a dangerous thing, especially since I have no idea what situation Adam, the male protagonist, is in.
(I hope nothing bad has happened to him... after all, I need him for my future plans).
Even if we ignore Adam's existence, the fact that a monster is smarter than it should be is a bad omen.
(At least 50% of the enemies in Aerial Chronicles, at least in story mode, are monsters.)
This translates into a monumental increase in difficulty related to my survival now that I'm in this world.
(Maybe I should take getting allies more seriously, even if that requires me to give up my morale...).
After all, that's the way we humans are, we're willing to let go of some things for the sake of our survival.
"Are you okay?" a voice interrupted my thoughts, it was Luna, asking for me.
(Without a doubt, she is the one who surprises me the most out of everyone here).
Killing goblins with that level of mastery is insane, considering we're still kids.
"Yeah, it's nothing," I said while combing my hair a bit.
"You seem distracted, what's wrong?" she asked me once again.
(She is surprisingly observant).
I had no choice but to look at her and make something up.
"I was just worried about the future - will we have to face stronger and uglier monsters than these?"
It is a common fear, especially in children, to face uglier and scarier things, and if we add to it that they will get stronger, it becomes a valid concern.
She took some time to think about the answer, and I took that moment to observe her more closely.
Luna had the appearance of a little girl with white hair and deep blue eyes, which contrasted with her expressionless face. As she thought, I noticed a small but interesting curiosity.
(She's growing her hair...)
You should know that in story mode, she wears her hair short, at least until the beginning of the academy, where she lets her mane grow out.
(Was I the cause of this change?)
Maybe, maybe not, but I must confess that Luna with long hair has a deadly beauty.
"Certainly, we will face stronger monsters... you must stay close to me always, do you understand?".
She surprisingly said those words without any hesitation, though....
(I guess that's her way of saying, "I'll protect you friend" or something like that).
Luna is not a very expressive person, so when she does, she might have some trouble saying what she really wants to convey.
"Thank you," I thanked her with a smile.
"What are you two talking about?" forward, our leader (Elara) admonished us.
"Nothing," Luna immediately replied.
"It's no big deal," I added.
"Really?" she said as she brought her face dangerously close to mine.
"Yes, really," I replied "nervously."
(She's jealous...)
"...Alright, I'll believe you this time," she replied hesitantly.
"Have you found the ladder yet?", this time Luna did the talking.
The "staircase" she referred to was the transition place between floors in this kind of dungeon.
"Yes, look for yourself," she replied and pointed to the place where our companions were talking.
It was a medium-sized passageway, not that big, where some stairs apparently started going down.
With the discovery of these "stairs", we confirmed that we had completed the second floor.
"Go ahead," our leader indicated.
"Yes."
"..."
---
The second floor was almost identical to the first.
If I had to point out one difference, it would be that this time we encountered two goblins instead of one.
We decided to pair up on this occasion.
(... Why am I not surprised?)
As a result of the vote, I was paired with Elara. The other pairings were Adelina with Frederick and Luna with Akane.
As for Gareth, well, let's just say that mages aren't very good at teamwork, especially when you're a newbie, so he opted to observe alone.
(Let's focus)
*Steps
*Steps
The echo of our footsteps echoed in the dark cave as we advanced cautiously.
My fingers firmly gripped the hilt of my short sword, ready for combat, while Elara followed my step with determination, her gaze alert and her weapon ready for action.
(I'd better keep an eye on Elara, because if I'm not mistaken, in this part...).
The guttural grunts of the goblins echoed in the distance, announcing their presence in the shadows. We prepared for the impending combat, taking a stance and waiting for the enemy.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrr... Krrrrrrrrr... Groooorrrrrrr..."
The first goblin emerged from the shadows with ferocity, his eyes gleaming with malice as he brandished his crude weapon.
/Acceleration/
*Downward stroke
"HAAAA!"
I acted quickly, sliding my short sword deftly and finishing off the enemy with a precise move.
(Okay, now go on...)
Elara was also facing her opponent, moving with agility and skill, showing remarkable dexterity with her short sword.
"Take it!"
*Whoosh!
"Graaa!"
However, the goblin, who was more cunning and agile than the previous ones, managed to evade her movements and rushed towards her swiftly.
"What?!!!"
Before she could react, the goblin's blade was about to make contact with her waist.
(My chance!)
/Acceleration/
In an instant, I lunged towards Elara with a warning shout.
"Watch out!"
*Clank!
Pushing her out of the goblin's reach, I used my knife to deflect the attack at the last moment, changing the trajectory of the enemy's blade just before it hit her.
"GRAAAAAAA!"
The goblin growled in frustration at my intervention, and I took that moment to disarm it with a quick swing of my short sword.
(And now for the final blow.)
*Inverted slash
*Shhhhhhhhrrrrrrr!
With the goblin's head rolling on the ground, I ended the combat.
"Are you all right?" said I as I helped her up.
"...Yes, thank you," she replied a little distractedly.
"You got careless," and at that moment, Luna appeared to admonish Elara.
"I'm sorry," Elara replied in a low tone.
"..."
After getting up and recovering, Elara gathered the others to continue the exploration.
(Good, that should increase her favorability).
Actually, this was a small event to improve Elara's favorability, as something similar happened in the game.
Basically, Elara gets distracted by seeing the protagonist's skill and almost gets hit by the goblin, this being the first event and one of the most important if you're looking for her to be your heroine.
(Though admittedly, that goblin was a bit stronger than the previous ones).
(And Luna's reprimand... that wasn't in the game either, as I recall).
With Elara pensive, we set out to move towards the end of the second floor.
