The might of a floor guardian (1)

Meanwhile, in the queen´s castle, a group of adventurers is in front of the shadow dragon Elizabeth, who had an irritated expression on her normally calm and serene face. She crossed her arms and put her left leg over the other.

Looking down on them from her throne she spoke, "What do you want adventurers. AND what are YOU doing here "STAR GAZER" Mavis Mevulus?! We had an agreement didn´t we?"

Mavis who had a business smile plastered on his face took a step forward and spoke, "It is good to see you too Shadow Dragon queen Elizabeth, I can remember our agreement clearly and I have no intention to break it either."

"Why are you here then? We clearly don´t have an amicable relationship and I see no reason why such a person as you will be here of all places, without a good reason. So let me hear it, Star Mage."

"Yes, I know. I am still sorry for turning your courting advances down, but my heart simply is beating for another woman-"

As he said that her eye twitched uncontrollably as she let out a deep guttural growl. "I wasn´t courting you, you narcissistic bastard. Now get to the point already! Why are you here?!"

Mavis' eyebrow twitched hearing her insult, but held his fake smile, "I am merely here to clean the dungeon to prevent it from overspilling. And I have to ask, did your highness perhaps find an abnormal snake?"

Elizabeth stared at him with a frown, "No, and even if I did, why should I tell you, Mavis? Now go out of my home and let me alone. I have enough stuff to deal with! If you want to discuss the issue about the overspilling dungeon then talk to the current dungeon lord"

Hearing her voice so filled with venom

Hearing her voice so filled with venom Patrus wanted to raise his weapon, but before he could Mavis stopped him, "We will take our leave then. We can find our way out on our own, no need for your servant to waste his precious time. Have a good day."

Elizabeth didn´t respond but clicked her tongue when they left the throne room.

A few minutes later the queen spoke, "Are they still on our floor?"

"No, they immediately left, my queen," responded Seba respectfully.

On the 22nd floor, Mavis, Katharina, Simon, and the other adventurers are hacking down monsters like usual. "Why did we leave just like that? We could have easily killed her!" said Patrus while decapitating another monster with one swing.

Mavis who was rubbing his temples said "You are clearly underestimating her Patrus. Yes, we could have killed her but, it would have caused much more trouble than it is worth. She was clearly lying about not meeting the Acutra, but I couldn´t sense him anywhere on this floor, meaning he must have gone deeper or into another realm, which is quite impossible for him... unless. Hmmmm..."

Seeing his uncle falling into his thoughts Simon asked, "And what now?"

Snapping back to reality Mavis glanced down for a second before marching forward, "We are finishing our mission, we can still find the Acutra on the way out and if we don't find him till then, then I have to pull some strings to get the slippery snake."

The group glanced at each other and ignored the ominous grinning of Mavis.

"How are we going to convince him to follow us?" asked Simon, walking next to his uncle.

Mavis smiled and crossed his arms, "well that is the easy part. He was once a human, so we could let him have a "normal life" with all the wealth, power, and women he can imagine. Normally that would do the trick, and if he doesn´t like that we just have to find out what he wants. But if he is too much of a burden, then we could always sell him to the Seekers, they pay VERY good money and other rare items for Acutras."

"Isn´t that kind of cruel?" asked Katharina. The two didn´t have to do much as the other adventurers already took care of the monsters.

Mavis glanced at the prince who was still a little bit too innocent, "Well, it is. Acutras have revolutionized many fields with their otherworldly knowledge and abilities, but the majority are just crazy, power-hungry idiots that think that this world is just their personal playground. I have witnessed many things in my life, but the things some Acutras have done are unspeakable, even for me. Of course, there are also those that just want a nice and peaceful second life. So, we just have to find out what his personality is and decide then. Naturally, I hope the Acutra is a decent person, well monster, that is worthy of being our national guardian. There is even the possibility to just manipulate or mind-control him, but that isn´t really beneficial."

"..."

"Okey.... so what now? Continue to go deeper and kill as many monsters as possible?" asked Simon.

"That is why are here, no?"

With a nod, the conversation died down and the group slowly walks deeper and deeper into the ever raining Floor. It was more of a pain at this point to kill all the newly spawned monsters, as they came in massive waves. They were easily killed because they didn´t have time to level up and aren´t truly "sentient" yet, like the monsters on the 21st floor.

It took them a few days till the monsters were reduced to the normal amount, but before they could move on a giant swarm of flies flew in front of them.

Katharina and Simon wanted to attack, but seeing the rest of the group being calm and not doing anything they too decided to see what will happen.

The swarm slowly morphed together into a 3-meter tall black spiked-covered insectoid being. His long thin hands hold a pitch-black scepter with a blade on top and sacks that are filled with yellowish-green glowing liquid.

"Despicable intruders, the dungeon core has reached out to me to tell you, that you aren´t allowed to go deeper than the 35th floor. you have already killed enough new spawn. It is under the current dungeon lord's protection. Be warned." Seeing Flegon, the adventurers all frowned. They know this monster well, a notorious floor guardian that is despite his role, doing as he pleases without courting the wrath of the dungeon core. He is known to use adventurers as his test subjects in experiments, injecting them with new poison, diseases, venoms, or other horrendous experiments.

"What an unsightly creature.." whispered Fines Aries the high elf archer, to which Fitz and Simon agreed. The rest just stood there silently, but the silent Eliza Shade, the scout of the team, noticed Milly´s killing intent and frowned.

"And I warn you in particular, Mavis Mevulus. Even a Monary such as you can be brought down if enough sacrifices are made, so behave yourself. Inside the dungeons, the dungeon rules are applied."

"As if you are to speak about following rules, you foul monster!" shouted Milly the usually cheerful girl not able to contain her anger.

Flegon turned his head and stared at her with his two toxic green insect eyes. A small grin formed on his face, "Ah, I remember you. You were with the pathetic human, that tried to kill my creations. I still can clearly remember his pathetic shouts and begging me for mercy as he crawled on the ground. The experiment was quite a success, but I kind of seemed to have forgot his name... what was it again. Milles? Markus? Meh, in the end, he was just another insignificant being, not worth for me to remember his name!"

As he spoke Milly´s face darkened and clenched her armored fists. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!" shouted Milly, launching at Flegon. He only stood still with a large twisted grin on his face. Milly reared her arm back and punched Flegon, but a green membrane in front of him blocked the attack entirely.

Milly wanted to go for another swing but Patrus pulled her back, "Calm down Milly. You know the consequences of injuring a floor guardian without reason!"

Milly looked up at Patrus with a tear-stained face. She gritted her teeth and punched a nearby rook so hard that it pulverized. She glared a last time at Flegon who still had a smirk on his face, and turned away, trying to calm down.

Mavis who wanted to defuse the situation spoke up, "Do not worry, "Toxbringer" Flegon, I am well aware. But I must say, it sure hurts me to know that everything in the dungeon is so hateful of me."

"You know quite well why you are being hated..." responded Flegon with his antenna flaring furiously. "We hate you as much as you hate us, so do your thing and get out of here." But before he could disappear Milly spoke again, "I want to have a dual, Ronan's rules!"

Simon whispered to Mavis, "Ronan´s rules?"

"Ronan is a nomadic tribe that is known for their one-on-one battles. Ronan´s rules mean that everything counts, and the battle only ends when someone is dead or unconscious."

Patrus tried to talk her out of it, but Milly blinded by anger ignored him.

Flegons eyes gleamed eerie green, "The little girl finally grew up and wants to avenge her dear little brother? Of course, I accept! I will send you to hell, where your brother currently is! I am sure Scorge will take good care of your soul too! KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA!"

The others backed off knowing that a dual is now unavoidable.

Milly is enraged and with blinding speed leaped towards the floor guardian and punched his chest, but instead of flying backward or exploding into pieces, he dissolved into dozens of flies again before appearing behind Milly, with one of his 4 arms slashing down on her.

But it didn´t connect as Milly turned around and blocked the slash with her gauntlets. "Too naive," said Flegon as a green liquid seeped out of his hands and into Milly´s gauntlets.

A sizzling sound was heard as the liquid touched her hands. She jumped back in pain, but it wasn´t enough to burn her skin. She threw her gauntlets off and clapped her hands. A blinding light appeared before her open palm rammed into Flegons abdomen. Flegon keeled over but still grinned. His abdomen opened showing rows of sharp teeth. Bitting her hand in place he spoke, "Taking away my senses? How useless!"

Milly frowned but didn´t give up and pulled her hand back with all her might, breaking the maw, but not with some injuries. "If I were you I would get that treated," said Flegon pointing at Milly´s chemical-burned arm.

She ignored it as it had already begun to fizzle and heal. "Shut up!" roared Milly and swung her fist at him. He jumped back, but she was faster than he imagined. He crossed his arms in front of him, but her punch blasted two of his limps away.

Flegon groaned in annoyance. "Summon doppelganger, Black Plage doctor!" A black crow-masked monster appeared out of his shadow that began to cast curse magic at Milly.

The curses flew towards her but small golden orbs flew out of her back and intercepted the barrage of curses. The plague doctor that stood between her and Flegon got obliterated just as fast as he was summoned.

"Hmmmm what a useless clone" mumbled Flegon throwing colorful sacks toward the enraged girl.

Seeing the bags she wanted to dodge them but they exploded next to her face covering her in more disgusting wiggling insects.

"[Pure Cleans]" removing all the critters she reached the insectoid and threw lightning-fast jabs at him. Each punch broke away parts of his carapace and limbs. Milly gritted her teeth as the pure black blood of Flegon nearly completely ate all of the flesh on her hands away. Gritting through the pain she crouched low and jumped up with all her might.

Landing a powerful uppercut made the floor guardian fly towards the ceiling of the dungeon. The attack rattled his brain so hard, that he blacked out for just a second. Which was enough for Milly to kick him to the ground again. But instead of smashing into the floor he just fell through his own shadows and disappeared.

Milly looked around and scanned the area, but couldn't spot him anywhere. Just as she was about to land on the floor the mana fluctuated behind her.

Noticing him behind her, she turned around, but still being mid-air she couldn't dodge his spiked staff. Slamming it into her side he spoke "[Belial´s plague]", before sending the girl flying into the nearby wall. Flegon took a deep breath, his beaten carapace slowly cracked all over his body and broke away. Beneath it emerged a completely new and healthy Flegon.

Clicking his tongue he spat, "Tss, let´s see how you deal with that."

Milly crashing into the wall wasn´t the painful part, no the black and red smoke around her was much worse than any pain she has ever felt. Inside the crater of the wall, she squirmed and wiggled in pain as her flesh slowly peeled away from her skin turning into flies that swarmed around her.

"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Hearing the blood-curling cries of Milly, Patrus clenched his sword in rage, Fitz the guild Master of Featherwind frowned, Eliza Shades stayed stoic as always, Fines Aries the high elf had her hands over her mouth and almost cried at the terrifying sight, Simon nearly threw up and Mavis was looking concerned while thinking.

'How did he learn that spell?'

[Author notes]

I know not many people like those "side chapters" were Raas isn´t it, but meh. Hope you still enjoyed this chapter that is slightly longer than 2000 words. I forgot how hard it was to write so much, I truly envy all the authors that could pump out 3-5k chapters every few days or so. Anyway, next chap Raas will finally be back again. Thanks for the long wait my dear readers, and I will be back at the weekends or so!

That´s all.