End Of Beginning Road.
Twelve goblins, eight kobolds, and two frog shooters. Suddenly, the frogs opened their mouths, revealing long, slippery tongues that shot out overhead, aiming directly for Orion.
Trapped against the wall, Orion realized he couldn't duck—there were too many goblins and kobolds close enough to pounce. But the frog's tongue was just as dangerous. "Fuck it!" he shouted, embracing the chaos.
With a burst of adrenaline, Orion leaped onto the tongue of the left frog just as it lashed out. The slimy appendage shot out like a projectile, and he rode it as it tried to constrict him, the impact threatening to crush him. Quickly, he slashed at the tongue with his knife, but it felt like slicing through jelly. Each attempt was met with resistance, and he could feel himself getting pulled closer to the frog's gaping mouth.
Desperate to avoid being swallowed, Orion leaped off the tongue as he got close enough and landed on the frog's head. The creature thrashed beneath him, trying to shake him off, but Orion held tight. He unleashed a flurry of strikes to the back of its skull, each stab piercing the soft flesh. The frog writhed beneath him, its skin quivering with each of Orion's strikes, but despite his efforts, he felt the blade digging in deeper without delivering the vital damage he needed.
"Come on!" Orion gritted his teeth, determination pushing him to hit harder.
The frog bellowed, a deep, resonant croak that echoed off the stone walls, and with a violent shake of its massive head, it tried to dislodge him. Orion's grip slipped momentarily, and he scrambled to reposition himself, digging his knees into the soft flesh of its back. The creature thrashed, making it hard to find a solid footing.
"Get off me, you oversized toad!" he growled, and with another fierce slash, he struck again sinking in the gummy meat, this time feeling the blade graze something vital. The frog let out a guttural roar, and Orion used the distraction to steady himself.
Suddenly, he felt the ground shift beneath him as the other frog launched its tongue in a wild, sweeping motion. It came crashing down toward him, and with no time to think, Orion dove to the side, narrowly avoiding being flattened. He rolled across the back of the first frog, maintaining his balance as the creature continued to flail.
But it wasn't just the tongues he had to worry about. The goblins and kobolds were closing in, their snarls growing louder. The other frog, enraged at his evasiveness, aimed its tongue at him again. This time, Orion wasn't about to let it catch him off guard.
He jumped up, gripping a protruding spike of flesh along the frog's back to propel himself higher. As he ascended, he glanced back at the other frog, its tongue poised to strike again. "Nah uh!" he shouted, launching himself off the first frog's head just as the second one's tongue whipped forward.
He barely landed on his feet but quickly shifted his weight as the first frog jolted beneath him, its body thrashing in rage. Orion's eyes scanned the below—goblins were still slashing at the air, their beady eyes locking onto him.
But the frog shooters were still his main concern. One of them was starting to regain its bearings, and Orion needed to act fast. He ran along the side of the first frog, dodging the second tongue as it lashed out, narrowly missing him. Orion could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, making him more aware, more focused, more alive.
"Come on, come on!" he muttered, urging himself to move faster. He reached the edge of the first frog's head and leaped onto its wide, bulging eye. The creature flinched, but Orion used its moment of discomfort to steady himself and prepare for a decisive strike.
With a desperate swing, he plunged his knife into the creature's eye. The frog screamed, a sound that vibrated through the ground and into Orion's bones. It thrashed, the pain evident as it tried to throw him off, but he held on, twisting the blade deeper. Blood poured down the side of the frog's head, staining Orion's hands and splattering his face.
Suddenly, his knife snapped. Orion's heart dropped as he stared at the shattered hilt in his hand, panic flickering in his chest. His vision, once slowed and sharp, was back to normal—running out of juice. He barely had time to process the change before the enraged frog, half-blinded and furious, reared up and lunged at him, its massive body barreling toward him with the intent to crush him against the dungeon wall.
"Ugh..." Orion managed to dodge, but not entirely—an inch of his side was still caught by the frog's massive lunge. The impact was brutal, sending a sharp pain ripping through his body. The sheer power of the creature was undeniable; even that glancing hit was enough to crack some of his ribs.
"Fuc—king h—ell..." Orion gasped, clutching his side where the frog's massive body had clipped him. The pain stabbed through his ribs like a knife, a clear sign that some of his ribs had cracked under the sheer power of the monster. His vision wavered for a moment, but he fought to stay focused. He couldn't afford to slow down—not now—not with death breathing down his neck.
His breaths came ragged and uneven as he forced himself into a limping run, his hand reaching for the potion in his leather pocket. Fuck... thick, gummy skin... still a dozen monsters and—
"SHITTY ASS KNIFE!!!" He screamed in frustration, his voice echoing through the dungeon. His knife had long shattered, leaving him almost defenseless.
Orion grimaced, tearing off the protective pieces strapped to his body. The leather and metal hit the ground with a dull thud, but he barely noticed as the pressure in his chest eased. With each discarded piece, he felt lighter.
With less armor weighing him down, Orion bolted forward, moving faster despite the agony that lanced through his ribs. Each step sent jolts of pain coursing through his side, but the reduced weight granted him the speed he needed to evade the creatures closing in on him—he wasn't as quick as before, but it was enough to keep him one step ahead.
He dodged the pursuing monsters, his movements slower now, each step hindered by the pain radiating from his side. Despite this, he managed to stay ahead, though the goblins and kobolds were closing in, their claws scraping against him, but not piercing deep enough to inflict any serious damage.
Orion winced, feeling the sting of a shallow wound on his arm, but he pushed through it, his mind racing. As the monsters continued their chase, his heart leapt when he spotted the stairs down to the next floor—hope flickered in his chest. Just a little farther and he'd escape. But then, a shadow appeared in his path.
A War Shadow.
Orion's eyes widened in shock. He knew exactly what that meant—this monster was notorious for slaughtering newbie adventurers, one of the deadliest on the sixth floor. Its movements were quick, its strikes brutal, but its defense was weak. Despair washed over Orion's face, but he didn't scream—his lips pressed into a tight line, fist tight, his mind scrambling for a plan.
He glanced at the frog shooter still chasing him and made a split-second decision. With adrenaline surging through his veins, he ran straight toward the War Shadow, his heart pounding in his chest. The frog leaped after him, its tongue extending, aiming to snatch him up.
Orion found himself caught in the middle, the War Shadow on one side, the frog's massive body looming on the other. Thinking fast, he dodged to the side preemptively, his instincts screaming at him to move. In a blur, the War Shadow lunged, but the frog's tongue lashed out at the same time.
Orion's dodge worked. The War Shadow, fast but not fast enough, was hit by the frog's tongue. Orion watched as the War Shadow struggled, slicing at the sticky appendage, nearly freeing itself. But the frog's instincts took over, and with a swift motion, it dragged the War Shadow into its mouth. The creature was almost free, but it was too late—the frog swallowed it whole.
Orion's chest heaved as he watched the scene unfold. He was alive—for now.
Suddenly, the frog shooter shifted and started choking, its massive body tensing. Before Orion could fully register what was happening, the beast spat something out, the object landing with a metallic clink next to his feet.
It was a War Shadow's Finger Blade—a rare drop from killing one of the infamous monsters.
Orion's eyes widened at the sight. His mind, fogged with pain and exhaustion, barely processed it before he burst into hysterical laughter. "HAHAHAHA!" His voice rang out like the laugh of a madman, filled with both pain and unhinged determination. His ribs protested with every breath, but he didn't care. The crazed tone of his laughter sounded almost inhuman as he hunched over the blade.
"I'm not letting. ANY. ONE. GO..." His breath hitched from the sharp pain, but it only seemed to fuel his resolve. "FUCK, PAIN!"
With the War Shadow's blade clutched in his hand, he surged forward, staggering toward the frog. Although every movement felt heavy, he pushed through with a desperate grace. He wasn't quicker than the frog, but he was more agile, dodging the attacks of the surrounding monsters as if he were dancing. The frog let out a guttural croak, preparing to shoot its long tongue at him once more. Orion narrowly avoided the sticky appendage, feeling the rush of air as it lashed past him.
Now closer, he seized the moment. He lunged forward, the blade driving directly into the creature's eye with a wretched force. The frog shrieked, its body convulsing violently. Blood sprayed across Orion's face, but he didn't flinch nor blinked, pushing deeper until the life drained from the beast.
"I wouldn't have won if these frog shooters knew how to throw a punch instead of just relying on their tongues," he said panting heavily, wiping the blood from his face with his wrist.
The monster collapsed, turning to dust, and Orion, panting heavily, turned his attention to the remaining kobolds and goblins. His movements were hell-bent on efficiency; every strike and maneuver was calculated, the patterns of their movements seared in his soul. The War Shadow's blade cut through them with ease, carving a path through the swarm. As he dodged their frantic attacks, he felt the rhythm of his experience guiding him, allowing him to anticipate their strikes effortlessly. The remaining creatures stood no chance against his relentless assault, and one by one, they fell at his limped feet.
The final frog shooter loomed before Orion, its tongue lashing out like a serpent. He stood still for a fleeting moment, gathering every ounce of focus left within him. With each attack, he dodged by a hair's breadth, his movements dictated by a primal instinct to survive. But each twist and turn demanded immense effort, and his body was but a broken vessel, protesting against his wilting will.
His muscles felt like lead, each fiber screaming in agony as they strained to respond. The weight of exhaustion pressed heavily on his shoulders, threatening to crush him under its relentless force. Cracked ribs flared with pain, a sharp reminder of the previous encounters, each breath an exercise in endurance as he fought against the sharp pangs radiating through his torso. His skin was marred by cuts and scrapes, in testament to the brutal nature of the battles he had faced.
Despite his battered state, a fierce determination burned in his mind. The thought of defeat was unacceptable; he wouldn't allow himself to succumb to the weariness that clawed at him. Each time he narrowly evaded the frog's deadly tongue, defiance ignited within him. He could feel the darkness creeping in, threatening to swallow him whole, yet he pushed forward, fueling his wilting willpower.
In a burst of resolve, he hurled his knife, the blade sailing straight toward the frog's eye. It struck, and the creature let out a deafening croak of agony. Orion wasted no time—he rushed forward, closing the distance, and plunged his blade deeper into the wound, pushing with all his remaining strength. The frog convulsed violently before collapsing, its body turning to dust around him.
Bloodied and battered, Orion dropped to his knees, his strength drained. But he wasn't done yet. His vision blurred from exhaustion and pain as he began to crawl—each drag of his body along the stone floor feeling like an eternity. His limbs shook from the effort, every inch forward a battle against the growing numbness in his body.
His fingers scraped against the rough dungeon floor, the jagged stones tearing at his skin. Every breath he took was shallow, his cracked ribs making each inhale a struggle. But he kept going, inch by inch, dragging himself toward the staircase that led to the sixth floor.
The stone steps loomed before him, distant yet tantalizingly close. Orion's vision swam, black spots dancing at the edges of his sight as he forced his body to continue. He could feel the warmth of blood trickling down his side, but he ignored it, the urge to reach the next floor driving him forward.
Finally, his hand hit the first step. His chest heaved as he crawled down the stairs, each movement deliberate despite the agony wracking his body. He felt like a marionette, his limbs pulling and pushing against the weight of exhaustion. When he reached the bottom of the staircase, he paused, his vision dimming. His breath was ragged, his limbs numb. He looked back at the stairway, waiting—expecting something. As his eyes searched the shadows, a familiar sight greeted him.
Fels' owl hovered at the edge of the stairway, its eyes watching him closely. A weak smile tugged at the corners of Orion's lips, his eyes glowing faintly in recognition.
And then, everything went black.