23 My head began hurting but I still couldn't think of one...

Night had arrived at The Home of The Gods, and a new celebration began.

Countless brilliant stars twinkled, circling the glorious moon.

Below, the city came alive as countless magic lamps lit up like it was Christmas, equaling the stars above.

And in the middle of this contest was a never-ending tower standing above the alluring yet deadly dungeon.

An alive labyrinth that offered everyone the same deal- Pass my trials and ascend to glory, or die.

-Trik-Kitk…

The trickling green flames cast seven long shadows in the room connecting the first two floors of the dungeon.

"Are you sure young man? It's not safe here… Your captain died defending the two of you. Your lives no longer yours to trea-"

But he cut the words of the gentle Elf.

The boy sitting on the floor wrapped in a thick blanket along with a sleeping little girl sandwich between him and the cloth.

"We'll be fine, sir. My partner is just tired and I can���t just walk away… I will not be able to look in little Sam's eyes if I didn't even bring his father's ashes back to the surface." Said Argus with barely open eyes not leaving the burning body.

A deep sigh of confliction escaped the Elf's nose as he gently rubbed his mutilated right ear and spoke, "Very well… I understand how you must feel. I have been there… more than once, sadly."

Turning to his party of five, he signaled the supporter to come over,

"Artio, hand me the bread and milk we purchased on the 18th Floor."

Argus watched in unhidden astonishment as the supporter zipped out a fresh-big loaf of bread and two bottles of milk before handing them to his Captain.

"It's dark now, young man… and that rumbling stomach is speaking for itself. Please take these… We are heading back to the surface so we don't need them anymore."

Argus's astonishment turned into disbelief. [Am I too poor for him to rob?]

/A single touch shapes nothing, Argus. /

"I-I um… Thank you, sir! how much will these be? I'm Argus, by the way. Argus Hale."

Elf's eyebrow lifted along with a gentle curve on his lips.

"Straight from the hall of heroes, mm? Well, the cost will be a promise, Young Argus… Promise me you'll keep your little comrade safe. You're the bigger one after all!" The Elf said, kneeling beside Argus before leaving the food beside him, while the now heavily breathing Argus's hold on Lili tightened.

Argus's pale lips quivered, his eyes focused on the food this stranger… this adventurer gave away for free.

It was taking an astronomical effort to keep the animal inside him chained.

Images… The actions of the man he just murdered and this Elf were overlapping so disturbingly that it took his very soul to keep himself from attacking.

The smile of the Elf softened even more in front of the suffering eyes of the boy. Slowly getting up, he reversed his steps all the while keeping his hands away from the sword and in Argus's sight.

"We are all adventurers, Young Argus. We spill blood for money… blood, sometimes not belonging to the monsters. Some take pleasure in it, some wake up from nightmares every night… while most have gotten used to it. But know this, none escapes Karma. So, do not lose heart… you did nothing wrong. Just remember to never inflict pain and sufferings you cannot bear yourself.

Farewell for now… in the hope to meet again on a bright sunny day. Will you offer me snacks? I wonder…" The Elf said before he and his party stepped on the stairs, disappearing out of the detection range of Argus's Dark Vision.

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.

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"You did not honestly believe what he said, did you?" asked the human girl walking behind the Elf.

"I did not… His eyes reflected no loss, rather they looked disturbed. He was the one who killed his so-called Captain."

"Then why were you so kind to a… Killer?"

"If he is a murderer, then we all are… Argus was scared and injured. His actions did not differ much from a cornered animal… much like yours that night… Tell me, Revie, where do you think, you'd be if I hadn't stumbled upon you… what do you think, you would've become if I had chosen to save my right ear and walked away."

The Human girl's steps froze and a torrent of 'What-ifs' sieged her mind, looking up a few seconds later she said, "I-I am sorry… Captain."

A gentle chuckle hummed out of his nose as the Elf replied while rubbing his right ear,

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Revie. I just hope, my words alone would be enough to stop him from walking the path we all once did."

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Back in the room, Argus sat in silence, his hungry eyes fixated on the food while the words that Elf said to him looped in his mind,

'Keep her safe, you're the bigger one after all… never inflict the pain and sufferings you cannot bear yourself.'

[Just what the fuck! They won't get outta my head now!]

Tearing his gaze away from the bread, his eyes once again turned towards the entrance of the 2nd floor. Rather than the entrance itself, his eyes were on the silhouettes showing the positions of 2 Runes, 756 meters inside the 2nd floor.

His eyes did not move, not until he felt movements from the girl sleeping on his chest.

Lili's round eyes slowly opened from the warmest, most peaceful sleep as her little mouth stretched in an enormous yawn.

"Good morning or… Good night?"

But Lili's sleepy little head was too sluggish and fuzzy to notice the surroundings or her situation.

"Phive more minzz…" Lili mumbled as she closed her eyes while her face melted back on Argus's chest.

[Take Ten! No problem!]

Her subconscious body then began the trial and error to find the most comfortable position while her body wiggled inside the small cocoon of infinite warmth.

She never felt this warm… this safe.

Every fiber of her being agreed- this is Heaven.

Until…

"I know, Loli- I agree… You're the best body pillow out there. So can you please stop wiggling around my pants? I mean like… pretty please?"

Lili's dozing eyes jolted open, flinging her head up with a crack, she saw a winsome smiling Argus just a few inches away from her face.

Her body froze right then and there as she kept staring with an opening and closing mouth while her milky cheeks turned crimson.

But it only lasted an instant. Argus's smiling face was deathly pale.

Just when Lili's body and mouth were about to spring into action, a hand 'wooshed' out, jamming her mouth with a big chunk of bread.

"Mukf-Kumkf!" Lili muffled before jumping out of her 'warm heaven' with a tomato-red face.

"Take it easy… and chew that good, and look around… Then we'll talk."

Lili's flustered mouth chewed at the highest speed while her sharp eyes scanned the room.

Argus was half-laid with his back rested against her blood-stained bag. He had also shaped new clothes, a warm padded-jacket with a hood, cargo trousers, and a beanie.

Beside him were an empty vial, pain killers, and a pair of short Combat-Axes she didn't recognize.

That's when her mind clicked the gloomy green light, turning around she saw a hulking body of a man being burned to ashes.

And her mind instantly thought of the worst.

Forcing the bread down, she was just about to shoot her volley of questions but Argus spoke first.

"That guy wanted to rob us… He used some undetectable sleepy thingy which affected you but not me for some reason… and things then got either do or die. And please don't ask why." He said with a forced chuckle while Lili's face grew paler with every word.

"A-Are you alright?"

"I wouldn't call it 'escaping unscathed'… He did shove my tummy with my own sword but, I'm good. All that's left is one messy looking tum-tum, and it doesn't even hurt anymore."

"Oh god…" Lili murmured as she shook her own head with her palms pressed against her face.

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*Argus's Narration*

I'm so not good with emotional moments… I literally asked her, 'Do you want some milk?' in my effort to calm her down.

I was once again packed in the thick blanket, with my back against the comfy bag, and my Loli beside me as I told her about what went down while she was dreaming beaches and bikinis… or not.

I told her everything except why diplomacy wasn't an option. That shit is disturbing.

Being the understanding Loli she was, she didn't press for answers either.

And to say, it took an awful lot of awkward effort to calm her down, would be a massive understatement.

Done catching her up on the recent turn of events, we directed our attention to the bread and milk.

I was not in the mood before but, now my tummy was just one step away from eating itself.

The last few hours had been nerve-racking, to say the least, and talking to someone I trust really helped.

But it was just the calm before the storm.

There was another pressing matter I absolutely had to address- Runes.

I was still hearing the strange whispers coming out of the 2nd floor.

"Hey, Loli, did I ever tell you, I sometimes hear creepy whispers that only I can hear…"

"Yes, you've mentioned about 'HER'…"

/Wait-What! Is that what she thinks of me…? Creepy whisper? /

"No! Lili… Not 'HER' and 'SHE' said, 'SCREW YOU!'…"

/I so did not! /

"Well, screw YOU! You creep!" The Loli bared fangs with bread crumbs around her lips.

/What'd you say to me you little-! /

"Okay-Okay! Back to the topic ladies…" I said, laughing out loud… literarily.

"So, sometimes I head whispers… and these whispers means there's a Rune nearby.

Now, what are these Runes? Well, a Rune is a virtual thing, if touched will allow me to upgrade my magic even without a Falna, and I can see their general direction using Dark Vision… made sense?"

"Did…" Lili said before sipping some milk as if just told her I have two eyes.

"Did… that's it?"

Putting down the bottle, she then wiped her lips with a napkin before saying,

"Master Argus, it will come as no surprise if you told me you're some Great Spirit or a Fairy at this point."

While I just stared with a dumbstruck expression on my face.

Well, I guess I wouldn't be either if I was in her shoes.

What are they anyway? Other than some supposed to be big shots.

Pulling myself out of my reverie, I calmed my pounding heart and took a deep breath before turning my eyes towards the second floor's entrance.

After all that had happened, I had no idea how to go about it.

But it was also what happened, that left me no other choice.

"So… um, there are 2 Runes around 700 meters in the 2nd floor… and I must get them no matter the cost." I breathed with my eyes on two glimmering white silhouettes.

But what replied to me was her silence… The silence that clutched my heart.

-SHING!

The abrupt sound of a blade tearing through air assaulted my ears before my eyes darted towards the source.

And what I saw froze even my ugliest demons.

Tears were swelling her eyes reddening eyes as she brought her machete on her neck with enough force to draw blood.

Between gritted teeth and raging breaths she spoke,

"If so! Then the cost is my dead body!"

My eyes and body flung at her as I cried, "LILI!!"

Jumping back, she dogged me, shouting,

"Is everything a joke to you? By some miracle, you have just escaped certain death and now a few hours later you wanna court it again? Do you think you're immortal? Then let me tell you, you're not! You'll die! Again!"

"Just put the blade away Lili… don't do this to me, please!"

"Don't come close! And I should be the one saying that! So, please… I AM begging you, don't do this to me! You're all I have…" She cried as the blade in her hands trembled.

My body shook weakly while a piercing pain began crawling my head.

Her steely eyes left no room for doubts.

So, in a weak voice, I confessed,

"Neither can I, Lili… neither can I. Even at the brink of death, I wasn't so scared… But, when he threatened to kill you… I was just so-"

Her blade trembled even more, but her eyes did not waver.

"Then you should know exactly how I feel…"

"Lili, I just experienced a glimpse of the cruelty you've been through all your life and it terrified me… and right now there's a Familia numbering in hundreds of such people after us… Lili, I-… I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you… but there'll be a slaughter I swear… And these Runes can prevent that from happening."

"We'll be joining Loki Familia in 2 days, Master Argus. And we can come back these… Runes later."

"That's the point, Lili… There are still two days left till we get Loki's protection, and anything can happen in 2 days. All it will only take is a single member of Soma Familia to recognize us… and we'll be dead. I wouldn't mind going suicidal again but, they're hundreds and I only have one life. But, those Runes can turn the table… The upgrade will not only enhance my combat powers but, will also allow us to escape from any situation, any time we want… and we can't just come back for them later, they'll disappear. I know it's a risk… but it's safer than relying on luck. So please… just indulge my stubbornness one last time. I'm scared, Lili... scared." I cried.

A deafening silence followed as we both peered at each other's resolve and reasons.

Lili was right in her own place. The scars that Kobold inflicted were still fresh on my stomach, and now I wanted to dive into the floor infested with them. No matter how I look at it, it is suicidal.

But, so was I... A Familia as big as Soma is bound to have a network. It was only a matter of how bad things had escalated there. It could've just ended with the Raccoon Guy's reputation thrown into the gutter, or the Captain taking offense.

Just when I was about to lose hope, the blade in Lili's hands fell on the floor, returning air back to my lungs.

Lili's tear-stained eyes slowly looked down, her shoulders shuddered. Taking deep breaths, she then said in a quivering voice,

"Floor 1 to 4 follows a room-type schema. Monsters only spawn in rooms, never on pathways… some monsters still wander out of their rooms… but, that's rare.

The second floor never spawns more than five Kobolds, 1 km from its entrance… but the number of Goblins increases dramatically. Hordes of Goblins usually surround adventures while the Kobolds finish them when they're preoccupied.

So, you will follow behind me at all times and use my cross-bow for support… I'll fight on the front lines. And in case of an inevitable contact, you will only engage Goblins. You do anything else… I'll knock you out and stuff you in my bag, and then go back home," Lili said, with eyes still on the floor.

Silence once again settled between us as we both stared at the ground.

And a few seconds later, a chuckle of hundred emotions came out of my lips and I asked in a throaty voice,

"Ara-Ara~ that a yes?"

-Sniff…

Lili craned her tear-stained face towards me, sniffing through her nose as she smiled in defeat.

"Will we walk back, if I had said- No…?"

A smile bloomed on my face too as my teary eyes slowly looked up to hers.

I reckon I looked just as much of a mess she did.

And a second later, we both laughed after I said, "No comments there at all…"