I.T. 30 (Seperated)

The area around the field of flowers slowly changed as we walked further away from it. The area had previously been beautiful, but has soon become a marshland filled with decaying trees. The ground was full of stagnant water and mud that let off a smell of rot and decay. I could not imagine how such a beautiful area could be surrounded by such filth.

Leisha had it much worse than myself, her bestial nature had enhanced her sense of smell. She was forced to empty the contents of her stomach on several occasions, and had quickly been left to only dry heave. I could only look on with sympathy, there was nothing I was able to do to comfort her.

Sierra thankfully had stepped up began to rub her back. I'm not sure if it was the back rub or simply her lover's presence, but Leisha was eventually able to stand on her feet. She looked extremely pale, and her steps were wobbly, but she was able to continue on.

Bailey was the only other person to have an extreme reaction to the environment. Hers was not because of her senses, but rather as an elf she was closely connected to nature. Even though swamps and marshes were part of nature they were not something that an elf would willingly step into.

She had become pale as well, and I could feel her natural energy was having a negative reaction to the environment. I sighed, we would not be able to rely on her strong attacks on this floor. She and Leisha would be basically useless in whatever confrontations we encountered.

I looked around at the rest of my team. Other than those two the rest of the party seemed to doing fine. In particular Lucifer was doing exceptionally well, and seemed to be more energized than normal.

The journey had been slowed down greatly by the two girls who had a poor reaction to this place. I had never experienced the situation before, but I had heard of it often. Certain races or people of specific abilities would do better or worse in different environments. Sierra for example would have much better progress in an environment with rich fire energy, but would be much less effective in an environment of extreme cold.

This was a natural boost that the world energies gave to specific environments. This is why you would find fire type beasts in volcanoes, and ice type beasts on the top of mountains. The boost they received was massive, and their natural resistance to their own elements made it a perfect breeding ground for them.

Of course this applied to all the elements, and animals that lived in environments filled with a specific element would gradually develop an affinity to that type of element. This is why goblins could survive in all environments. They reproduced fast, and their bodies would quickly adapt to their new environments. There were few other species that could match the goblins in this regard, but insects and bugs were perhaps the biggest competitors.

Ants in particular were able to adapt rapidly to different environments. You would find different species of ants in every environment, each species having their own unique traits.

Where there were ants there were also spiders. The spiders of this world were the ants only natural enemy. The ants tough shells, and ability to move in packs made them a cut above other creatures, especially when they reached higher levels.

Spiders however were crafty creatures, and would often set traps for the ants. Because of this even if spiders were creepy they were seen as good luck most of the time. That is of course as long as you were not on the menu.

There were actually several shrines dedicated to spiders, and they had their own unique demi gods and pantheon. They Spider goddess was actually normally an enemy to the bug god, which made the cooperation between the velocinds and the bug god back in Slagstone an odd occurrence. I could only hope it was an isolated incident. If the two warring gods had put aside their differences and began to work together they would easily be able to conquer most of the environments they resided in.

Because my mind was wandering as I walked I was not paying as much attention to my surroundings as I should have. When I finally snapped out of my thoughts I realized I was alone. I quickly examined the area around me, looking for tracks. Even after scouring the area I was unable to find a single clue as to how I had gotten here, or where my party had gone. The area around me clear of any signs of recent travel, even my own.

A chill went down my spine as I thought of this. I was completely alone, on a floor where countless parties had died. The environment was not friendly. If I did not quickly rejoin my troop the chances of survival would be almost nothing.

After a moment of panic I could feel a sensation in my mind. The sensation was a familiar sensation, one I had felt often in the past. It was the sensation of my familiars. Two distinct sensations could be felt, both of them in different directions. I examined them for a moment. The closest of the two was Lucifer, and in the opposite direction I could feel Hylia.

I thought for a moment before heading towards Hylia. Lucifer might have been closer to me, but he seemed to receive a buff from this environment. He was also an extremely versatile being, and was more likely to survive on his own. Hylia on the other hand was an archer, when it came to close range combat she had lost her edge.

With my decision made I was quick to follow it. I summoned my weapons as I carefully walked in the direction of Hylia. I could only hope that I would not arrive too late.