Reverse Dungeon

Assoonasthefirstdefenseended,ansummonedSemaandcheckedonthesituationofeachalliedfaction.

"!"

Waterfilledabronzebasin.Astheskillactivated,thesmoothsurfacerippledandrevealedanothersettlement.

heystartedwithameita'sBlackRockillage.

Ablacktideofmamoolwasflowingthroughanarrowpass.

heywerebeast-typemamoolcoveredindensespine-likefur,withshortlegsandrowsofsharpteeth.heirmovementspeedwassofastthatfromadistancetheyresembledadarkriverrushingthroughacanyon.

henextmoment,dwarvessprangfromconcealmentcarryingshields.

hemamoolbaredtheirteethandcharged,buttheshieldswerenearlyaslargeasthedwarvesthemselves,leavingnothingtobite.

hedwarvesstabbedupwardwithswordsnearlyasshortastheirarms,plungingthemintothecreatures'softunderbellies.

"h!"

ameita,whohadbeenstandingbesideanintenseanticipation,clenchedhisfist.

"ext."

here'snotime.

andidn'tallowhimamomentlongertobemoved.

Semawavedhisstaff.

heskillhehadnurturedwithexperiencehadrisenrapidlyinlevel.tcouldnowdisplayanylocationthatatleastonepartymemberhadpreviouslyvisited.

heForestofthelvesappeareduponthewater'ssurface.

hedensewoodlandshiftedandwrithed.

Mamoolwiththelowerbodiesoftigersandtheupperbodiesofhumansranthroughtheforestbeforeabruptlystoppingtolookaround.

hetreesswayedagain,openinganentirelydifferentpath.

hrownintoconfusion,themamoolsplitintotwogroupsandfollowedseparateroutes.

ArrowsfromhiddenlfRangerspiercedtheirthroats.

Jeneanodded.

"ext."

hewaterdarkened.

Deepoceandepthsfilledwithrisingbubbles.

Agiganticgreatwhitesharkwithlegsswallowedfleeingfishfolkalongwithentirebuildings.

Armoredfishfolksoldiersstabbedattheshark'seyeswithspearsbeforewithdrawinginunisonatagesturefromtheMermaidQueen.

Cannonsfiredsimultaneouslyfromatopthewalls.

Asthesharkwrithedinagony,fishfolksoldiersentangleditinthicknets.

"ext."

heatican,hiddenbehindamilky-whitebarrier,waspeaceful.

Childrenwereplayingwargameswithwoodenswords.

Aboycarryingatoybowandagirlwieldingawoodenswordcorneredanotherboywearingafakebeardinatwo-against-onebattle.

hebeardedboysoondroppedthestaffhewasholdingandclutchedhisthroat,pretendingtodie.

hechildrenbehindhimimmediatelykneltandbeganpraying.

heboywiththebowandthegirlwiththeswordjumpedupanddownincelebrationbeforesolemnlykissingeachother.

hechildrenwhohadbeenpraying,alongwiththefake-beardedboywhohadpretendedtodie,allsprangbackupandstartedhoppingaroundexcitedly.

"..."

"ext."

angavetheorderbeforeKeithcouldspeak.

"Wasn'tthatthe'xecutionoftheCorruptedPope'incidentthathappenedattheatican?heykilledthePopeandthenthetwoofyoukissed—?!"

"ext."

ecutoffSema'squestionaswell.

Sayingdidn'twouldsoundlikeanexcuse.

Whowasspreadingsuchabsurdrumors?

Semasuddenlylookedasthoughhehadattainedenlightenment.

henhehurriedlyturnedhisheadawayandpretendedtofocusonwavinghisstaff.

anwasbotheredbytheexpression,buthechosenottoask.

herewasnopointvoluntarilybringingupadisadvantageoustopic.

Amidthestrangesilence,theskillactivatedoncemore.

henextsceneappeared.

Adarkforest.

Ahouse-sizedmamoolwaschasingafleeinghuman.

tlazilyproddeditspreywithoneforepawafteranother.achshovesentthemantumblingforwardacrosstheground,whilethemamoolleisurelyfollowedbehind.

hefleeingmantrippedoverarock.

Rollingacrossthedirtwhileclutchinghisleg,hecriedoutinpain.

henheliftedhistear-soakedface,abandonedanyattempttoescape,andpulledawhistlefromhisclothing.

eblewit.

hemamoolswallowedhiminasinglebite.

Behindthebeastfollowedseveralenormouscreatures.

"...?"

Foramoment,ancouldn'tplacethelocation.

henherealized.

heroadleadingtotheillageoftheBetrayers...

o.

heillageoftheWandererClan.

heyhadalreadycheckedeveryotheralliedsettlementintheDarkForest.

aninstinctivelylookedtowardouise.

ouise'sfacehadgonecompletelypale.

"ordan."

"Whatareyoudoing?"

"...?"

"Whyaren'tyoumovingalready?!"

"Yes!"

ouisestartledviolentlyandsprintedoutthedoor.

venasheurgedhiswolfonwardatfullspeed,ouise'sthoughtsremainedtangled.

hesitated.

hemomenthelookedintotheWaterMirror,hehadrecognizedthevillager.

Yetevenwhilewatchingthatneighboringmanruntowardthevillage,hehadremainedfrozeninplace,simplystaring.

"ordan."

Whydidcallforordan?

edidn'tknow.

venasthewordslefthismouth,hedidn'tunderstand.

Didhewanttohelpthem?

Wouldtheyevenwelcomehishelp?

Beforehecoulddwellonthequestion,however,hislordhadalreadyorderedhimtosave◈оvеlіgһт◈(Continuereading)thevillagers.

hatwasthekindofmanordanwas.

Righteous.

Just.

Anditwasn'tonlyan.

veryoneinthedungeonexceptouisehimselfwasadmirable.

veryoneofthemwaswillingtorisktheirlivestosaveothers.

ameitahaddedicatedhisentirelifetoacausegreaterthanhimself.

Jeneahadthrownherselfintoan'sserviceforthesakeofhervillage.

venSema.

hatmagehadfollowedanfromtheverybeginning,casuallyriskinghislifetoexploitadragonandstealtheWorldreeofthelves.

ouisehadneveraskedwhy.

ButhecouldeasilyimaginethatSemahaddoneitforthepeopleofthisdungeon.

oodpeople.

ouisewasnotoneofthem.

heonlypersonforwhomhecouldwillinglygivehislifewasan.

efeltcompletelyandutterlydevotedtoan.

Yethestilldidn'tknowwhetherhetrulybelongedhere.

hefeelingofbeinganoutsiderwasfamiliar.

venamongtherejectedclan,hehadalwaysbeenalone.

Didordannoticemyhesitation?

Withoutshowingtheturmoilraginginsidehim,ouiseledthecharge.

Soonhespottedtherearofthemamoolhorde.

herewereonlysixofthem.

otmany.

adtheybecomeseparatedandwanderedherebyaccident?

Whateverthecase,theyappearedtohavebeenstarvingforalongtime,judgingbythesavageroarsanddemonicenergypouringfromthem.

hecreatureatthefrontslammeditsbodyintothewoodenpalisadesurroundingthevillageandshatteredit.

tsappearancewasgrotesque.

nsteadoffurorskin,exposedredmusclecovereditsbody.

hesightinstinctivelyinspiredhorror.

"Ready."

ouiseremainedcalm.

Pressinghisthighstightlyagainstthewolf'sflanks,hedrewhisbowstring.

remble.

hetipofthebowshook.

Why?

twasn'tfearofthemamool.

nlythendidouiserealizehisbreathinghadbecomeuneven.

isheartwasbeatingerratically.

otfromfear.

Fromanxiety.

ebithislip.

"Fire!"

hwack!hwack!hwack!

Unlikeouise,thesoldiersridingalongsidehimdidnotfalter.

hemuscularmamool,struckfrombehind,turnedaround.

"RAAARRR!"

hecreaturetoreapartthemusclesarounditscrimsonmouthandreleasedafuriousbellow.

ouisenoticedsomethingelse.

"Where'sthesixthone?"

newasmissing.

Amamoolhadalreadyenteredthevillage.

...!

hesoldiersnoticedaswell.

"oahead!"

nesoldiershoutedbeforeouisecouldsayanything.

twasthesamemanwhohadconstantlygrumbledaboutouisefromthefirstdayofarcherytraining.

ouisecouldn'tevenrememberwhenthemanhadstoppedquestioninghisorders.

"urry!"

"We'llhandlethingshere!"

heothersoldiersmaneuveredtheirwolvesandsurroundedthemamool.

"Catchupafteryou'redone!"

ouiseshoutedandleaptoverthecollapsedwall.

hewolfthathadoncefoughtdesperatelytothrowhimoffnowmovedasthoughitsharedhisthoughts.

hewolflowereditsbodyandsprintedlikethewind.

ouisedidn'tblinkdespitethefreezingairstinginghiseyes.

ecouldn'taffordtolosesightofanything.

ordidheallowhimselfanydistractingthoughts.

speciallynotaboutthesoldiershehadleftbehind.

heopinionsothersheldofhimhadalwaysbeenpredictable.

Andyet...

Whyhadtheysenthimahead?

ouise'sarcherywasn'tmerelyexceptionalwithinthevillage.

twasexceptionalevenwithinthedungeon.

bjectivelyspeaking,hecouldconfidentlyclaimtorepresentmorethanhalfofthearcheryunit'scombatpower.

Withoutouise,thedangerincreased.

hesoldierswereexperiencedenoughthattheywouldn'tdietocreatureslikethose.

Still,therewasnoreasonforthemtoaccepteventheslightestadditionalriskforthesakeoftheWandererClan.

veniftheclanhadnotbetrayedtheMiddleRealm,theywerestilltheWandererClan.

ouisecouldn'tunderstandit.

ischestached.

hered,bald,muscle-coveredmamoolwasattackingthevillagewell.

Collapsedbesideitwasalittlegirlyoungerthanouise.

liza.

hegranddaughteroftheillageChief.

hechildwhohadorderedouisearoundlikeaservant.

ehadalwaysfoundherirritating.

Buthehadneverwishedforherdeath.

isbodymovedbeforehismindcoulddecide.

Drawingandreleasingthebowstringfeltperfectlynatural.

histime,therewasn'teventheslightesttremor.

hwack!hwack!hwack!

Severalarrowsstruckimmediatelybehindouise'sown.

heshaftsslippedthroughgapsbetweenlayersofhardenedmuscleandpiercedeveryvitalpoint.

hemonstercollapsedlikeafelledlog.

Boom!

hecrouchinglizacautiouslyopenedhereyes.

hemomentshesawouise,shockfilledherface.

ouiseturnedaround.

"hemamool?!"

"Wedealtwiththemimmediately!herewereonlyfive,weren'tthere...sir?"

Jeff,thesoldierwhowasalwayscomplaining,suddenlyswitchedtorespectfulspeechafterseeingthevillagers.

Anothersoldierjabbedhiminthesideandwhispered.

"Captain.Captain."

"...Captain!"

"...?!"

ouisedoubtedhisownears.

ecouldhaveswornhehadjustheardanutterlyhorrifyingtitle.

Anditsoundedliketheotherswereencouragingit.

"-ouisе.You'rethecommanderofthesewarriors...thesehonoredwarriors?"

heillageChiefranforwardandpulledhisgranddaughterintohisarms.

henhelookedupatouise.

isfaceheldshock.

Andenvy.

Anddesiredirectedtowardstrength.

otthefamiliarmixtureofcontemptandsatisfactionthatouisehadalwaysseenbefore.

ouisewasabouttoexplainthatwhilehetechnicallywastheircommander,thatdidn'tmeanhecouldorderthemaroundhoweverhepleased.

Beforehecouldspeak,anelementalarrived.

Bynow,evenouisecoulddistinguishtheappearanceofthewindelementalcontrolledbyJenea.

heelementalmimickedan'svoice.

["Youthereyet?"]

"Yes,ordan.Wedealtwithsixmamool."

["Six?"]

heelementalfrowned.

henspokefirmly.

["Sixtymorearecoming."]

"twillbedifficulttodefendthislocation.hepalisadehasalreadybeenbreached."

ouiseimmediatelyreportedthesituation.

herewasnotimetostandaroundinshock.

["vacuation?"]

"owmuchtimedowehaveleft?"

["enminutes."]

"herearetoomanyelderlypeopleandchildren.don'tthinkit'spossible."

ouiseansweredwithoutevenlookingaround.

hesepeoplewerenodifferentfromwhenhehadleft.

achwasfocusedonlyonescapingimmediatedangerwhilepursuingtheirowninterests,makingcollectiveactionimpossible.

hefactthattheywerestillrunningaroundinconfusioninsteadofimmediatelyloadingsuppliesontobeastsandcarryingchildrentosafetytoldhimeverythingheneededtoknow.

heelementalissuedorderswithouthesitation.

["ettheciviliansintothelargestbuilding.athereveryonecapableoffightinganddefendit."]

"Yes,ordan."

["oldout.We'llbetheresoon."]

hetensiondrainedfromouise'sshoulders.

"eaveittome."

hevillagerswouldsurvive.