Chapter 19 - The Bait

A large ball of flames hurdled through the air at the large buzzing creature flying between us.

It was a large bee with smooth striped features and blurring black wings. Under its long stacked body was a large black stinger dripping with poison as it darted back and forth in fixed motions.

"Jasper hit it again!"

"I can't, the piece of shit won't stay still!" He yelled back with fire building around his fingers.

Welm cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled from across the field. "Oi what are you doing, keep that thing still!"

Within its two purple eyes were millions of small eyes that locked onto me, an audible buzzing sound cut through the cooling breeze as it charged.

I expected a little more from a monster on the third floor…

{Honey Stinger Lv7}

This guy's moving insanely fast, I need to slow it down somehow.

{Powerful muscles in its back allow it to move its wings at supersonic speeds. Without its ability to fly, they become useless}

This is Uriel's upgraded appraisal ability? Way to go with the teamwork, you're settling into your role already~

I pulled out the left-handed Chakram and raced forward, even with all the darting and erratic movements I was able to close the distance between us.

I swiped through the air and sliced off both of its wings in a single cut. By the time I lowered my blade from the air, I heard the heavy thump of its body hit the ground.

It squirmed restlessly in the grass trying to keep its body up but its tiny legs wouldn't manage.

"Hyaaa!" Marcel landed down on the monster with his sword and split it in two.

We're still dealing with small fry but from that one hit I could sense it…these guys are strong. They don't dress too flashy and their methods are nowhere near what I expect from Silver rank but they haven't broken a sweat yet.

"Do people seriously die from this, these shouldn't even be considered monsters." Marcel boasted.

As Jasper ripped through the monster for drops, a sudden drone-like noise filled the area.

"What is that? It's getting…louder?" I asked.

Welm removed the axe attached to his backside and widened his stance into a large horse-like stance.

"Are you all idiots, getting relaxed in the Tower? You both should know already that these things don't travel alone."

Violet eyes and bright yellow bodies began bursting out from the trees above us. They swarmed around us like a large moving cloud.

I can barely count them all…three stings from one can put a rust rank in the hospital for a week, add in the whole swarm and it's practically a death sentence!

The whole party readied their weapons but nothing more than that. I felt the intense leering eyes of everyone around me staring at me. Suddenly a hand pushed me from behind.

"Go on then, you know what to do." Welm said as he forced me closer to the swarm.

This was what I was recruited for, the thing that made me 'useful' to these people.

Bait.

Welm's gentle nudge sent me right up to the swarm and triggered their rage-induced charge. I looked up at countless beating wings and fuzzy white manes and jumped back. The spot I had avoided was stabbed repeatedly by diving Honey Stingers.

Their stingers looked like daggers, piercing through the air and past my face. The steaming green liquid dribbling out from the tip was fatal, pure poison.

I heard the buzzing of wings approaching from all directions, causing me to rely only on instincts and reflexes. My body dodged back and forth narrowly avoiding the sharp stings and acidic poison flying through the air.

This was all I was allowed to do in this party, run in and get chased, then lead the monsters back to the party where they would finish it off. Just so that I could share some experience I would have to cut into it a bit without killing it.

At this rate I won't even be able to level up, I need experience if I'm going to grow.

I spun around and faced the incoming bee, it charged at me with its stinger first and its body lagging behind, as if it were being pulled. I ducked back and cut into its body, allowing my blade to wedge deeper as it raced past me.

As the head past me, I saw the notification appear soon after.

{50 Exp received}

"If it's in a swarm, I have no choice right?"

{Rush Skill has been activated}

I pushed back, dodging past all the bees and pulling them closer to the group.

The three regulars tore through the bees with ease, it was clear from the way they moved that they were silver rank but I didn't expect her…

The hooded girl shot through the field with a thin sword extended out in front of her. With a sharp lance, she gathered up three at the end of her sword.

Her face and body were covered by the dirty old cloak but a few loose strands of her hair were still visible. Beautiful white strands of glistening hair flowed down her shoulders as she moved.

She moved elegantly, stepping through the swarm like a dancer as she cut and moved. She never stayed in one place, every time I take my eyes off her I lose her again.

She wasn't dealing as much damage as the other three but she moved better. Her weapon and armour beneath the cloak all seemed like simple gear, was that how she moved so effortlessly?

Are there really people like this hanging around Central Square?

"You forget how to move, careful you don't lose an arm friend!" Welm backed up into me, pulling me back to reality with a hearty shove.

Since when were we friends, isn't he acting really buddy-buddy all of a sudden?

"I'm fine, I was just wondering about her. You said she's silver right, she moves pretty well."

Welm's face lost its excitement.

"Not much to wonder, she said she's silver rank but don't expect much from her. I admit she's quick but there's no strength there, not much she can do if she can't kill them."

"I suppose…"

After leading the swarm to the party Jasper released more magic, blowing up a large portion of them in one go. Marcel and Welm followed after by picking up any stragglers and slaughtered them all.

I wanted to absorb these corpses but I don't think I'll get the chance to anymore, I don't want to reveal my unique skill to anyone just yet. Not until I know it's safe to do so.

"All clear boss!" Jasper signalled as they finished picking out the drops from the last of the monsters' bodies.

"About time you two, let's head over to the next spot already." Welm replied with an eager tone.

We weren't far from the Floor Staircase, meaning we would be able to cross over to the next floor before nightfall. Since the first 5 floors are mostly identical and grow larger with bigger features on every Floor it meant that they all adopt the first floor's day and night cycle which reflects the outside world.

-

Deep within the seventh floor.

A group of adventurers walked along the cave tunnels cheering out happily as they filled the dark area with laughter and light from their lanterns.

"Damn, those salamanders didn't stand a chance!"

"Yeah well you're just lucky that I showed up to help you, or we would be talking about a different incident." One of the older men grabbed the first under his arm and began rubbing his knuckles into his hair.

"Ow-ow! Knock it off, dummy!"

"Geez will you two ever grow up?" A young woman asked as she planted her face into her open hand.

"…ki!"

A distant screech erupted from the end of the tunnel, causing the ground to vibrate immensely. The young adventurers grew serious as each of them fell into position, holding up their weapons.

"Sounds like something else in this cave wants to end up dead!" The warrior of the group said energetically.

"I don't remember anything on this Floor making a sound like that…you don't think it could be a-"

A stream of blood flowed from her mouth, silencing the young woman as she gripped her open stomach. Small stab wounds covered her frail belly that appeared in a second.

"Kami!" One of the members screamed.

"You bastard- I'll kill you!" The warrior gripped his sword and charged ahead, leaving the rest of his party behind as he ran into the dark depths of the cave.

The mage of their group knelt to his fallen comrade and placed his hand over her wounds.

"Spirit of Envy, heed my call and heal my ally from her wounds! Healing Light!"

In response to his words, a powerful green light appeared from his hands and covered her stomach.

"It's too deep…I don't have enough mana to close this up." His face scrunched up in fear.

"Berthold, what are you doing, heal her!" One of the members pleaded anxiously.

"Aaaaahhhh!"

The screams of the warrior flooded from deeper into the cave, plaguing their ears.

"I can't save her…I need to leave. I can't die here, not here!" The mage lifted his hands away from her body and began racing back from the direction they came from.

"Bertho- agh!!"

Further screams followed behind him of his other party members but he only continued running, trying his best not to let it keep him from escaping.

'This doesn't make sense, we've been clearing this path for weeks already and nothing like this has ever appeared! What did this- what could have wiped us out so easily? Nothing on this damn Floor has enough power to kill us, it has to be a Tra-'

The mage slowed his pace and eventually stopped at the centre of the tunnel, gripping at his chest. "What the…blood?"

He gripped his chest instinctively after the sharp pains of the wound increased over time, when he pulled his hand away, dark blood stained his fingertips.

"I don't want to die, I didn't do anything to deserve this!" He glanced back at the large shadowy figure emerging behind him.

He fell back, suddenly weak from the blood that he had lost. A strange texture tickled his fingers as they gripped hold of the ground.

"A feather? No monster on this floor should have anything like this…you really are one aren't you?" He panicked.

Suddenly the monster came into view as it towered over him. His body trembled uncontrollably as he felt the looming presence of death creeping approaching him.

"Please don't…Aaaaahhhhh!!!!"