Mik continued to walk along the rge cave burrowed into the cliff face. It didn’t seem naturally formed as the walls were too uniform and he couldn’t hear the sounds of wind or water that might have eroded the cave to make it.

  He kept going, the light produced from his Static Shock skill that was now closer to small jolts of lightning helped him navigate the path.

  There appeared to be nothing in the cave as he walked down it, until he came to a fall off pont going directly down.

  “Well if that isn’t foreboding, I don’t know what is…” Mik mumbled to himself looking over and down into what seemed like an abyss.

  Finding the end of the cave and satisfied that no one else was inside, he returned to Sofia.

  Mik found her still sitting with her elemental companions at her sides, her legs tucked in against her chest.

  “No one came in?” he asked.

  She shook her head.

  Mik rubbed the back of his, slightly frustrated at how awkward this was becoming.

  “I’m sorry-”

  Both tried to speak at the same time, cutting each other off.

  Mik started first, “I’m sorry I keep making assumptions about how you lived just because you come from a rich noble family.”

  “No, I am sorry I keep snapping at you for it. I know what it must look like. With the armor, weapons, and css that I have,” Sofia responded.

  Mik moved closer, “Okay if I sit down?”

  “Be my guest.”

  He sat down with a plop on the sand, exhaling a breath like he could finally rex for the moment. Mik kept looking to the entrance wanting to make sure nothing came in but tried his best to rest despite it.

  “Is it alright if I ask?” he finally said.

  “Ask?”

  Mik nodded, “About you. I haven’t met many nobles but you seem different than what I would have guessed. I mean you are snobby but you don’t seem like you hate me just for being below you.”

  “Snobby?” Sofia repeated indignantly, “I am not snobby.”

  Mik shrugged, smirking at her, “The way you talk is all proper though?”

  “Is that supposed to be an insult?”

  “No, I’m just teasing.”

  “I would appreciate it if you would cease doing that…”

  Mik chuckled, “Not going to happen. My mouth gets me in trouble quite a bit.”

  “I can tell.”

  “Well then?” Mik asked again, waiting for her to continue the conversation.

  “We have nothing else to do. Fine, what would you like to ask?”

  “Why were you hid away? I mean you seem great. Great css, great looks.”

  Sofia scoffed, but answered, “I have two brothers. Well half brothers. My Father married after my Mother passed, giving birth to me. They have no cim to the Family because of that. My Father is not a stupid man and knew what would happen. I am his blood heir making me the next Family head, that is unless I die first.”

  Mik grimaced, “So he locked you away for your own safety?”

  Sofia nodded, “I was sent to a section of the castle that only very loyal servants were allowed to enter. Everything was checked, food for poison, beddings for poisoned needles, servants for weapons or items. My brothers want me gone so they can head the Family, but they can not do it themselves. And when I turned 16 gaining my css, it was made official that I would succeed my Father.”

  Mik looked to the entrance again, checking it.

  “So that’s why you were sent to the dungeon to level up…” Mik surmised, impressing Sofia.

  “Yes. I needed to improve my strength and my servants suggested I go to the dungeon as quickly as possible. I trusted them. I had been with them since I was very little. But…” a very sorrowful look took hold of her, “I was wrong. They seemed to have had a pn to leave me to a rge group of monsters in the ter floors. But it looks like they were not expecting this many monsters on the first floor. So they ran, expecting me to die I suppose…”

  “That’s…” Mik couldn’t find the words to comfort her. He could see on her face how having it happen had hurt her. She must have truly trusted those people only to have them stab her in the back and leave her for dead.

  “What about yourself?” Sofia asked.

  Mik raised both brows, “What about me?”

  “I have told you my story, it is only fair I get to hear yours,” she said, pcing her cheek into her hand on her knees.

  Mik felt uncomfortable. He had never told anyone about himself. He rarely talked to anyone for that matter. Only the people of the church, James, Mary, and the kids at the orphanage. And especially about himself.

  “Not much I can tell,” he shrugged, “I’m an orphan. I don’t have a great story to tell because I don’t know what happened before I showed up at their doorstep.”

  “What reason do you have for becoming a Climber then? You know how dangerous this profession is, no?”

  “That’s an understatement…” Mik said, thinking about his first few fights on the floor, “I just thought I could help the orphanage by making money as a Climber. Being honest I didn’t think it would be half as dangerous or frightening as it is.”

  Sofia’s mouth hung open in disbelief.

  “After saying I was not prepared, you come to the tower alone and half baked?”

  Mik smiled, trying to cover up his embarrassment, “Not my best decision. But I thought it was my only decision. No offense but Westeria isn’t exactly the booming community you find opportunity behind every door.”

  “Could you not find work as an apprentice somewhere, or the Church?”

  He shook his head, “Nope, none of them will take on an orphan, even if it's the Church’s orphanage. Farmwork, reciming nd, a life of hard bor and little pay. It wasn’t something I could live with, or could pay the way for the kids at the orphanage.”

  “I think you were mistaken earlier. That is quite the story. From what I have seen you have a promising career as a Climber ahead of you.”

  Sofia and Mik stayed silent for a while, both muddling through their own thoughts before a sound came from the entrance.

  “By the bloody horse stinkin’ Gods! Thank shite we’re out of that mess!”

  “Hurry get Lissandra to the back of the cave, we need to treat her.”

  “Wait. There’s someone else here.”

  Mik and Sofia got to their feet, BB and Panda growling next to them.

  “Oi, who ya snivelin youngins be?”

  A short portly man in leather armor, holding a shield and mace addressed them.

  “Borik, don’t scare them, they are only kids.”

  The woman reprimanding the shorter man was tall, wearing torn leather armor, and a bow slung across her back. Next to her was a woman with her face covered by a mask in simir leather gear holding a lizard woman who looked to be wounded.

  “Point still stands. Who ya be?”

  “Well you usually give your names before asking. It’s only common courtesy,” Mik gred, hoping that acting tough would bluff well enough for them not to just attack them outright.

  “I’m sorry for Borik. He’s a dwarf after all, he can be a bit boorish. I’m Madaline. This is Grace, the loud one is Borik and our friend we are desperately trying to get inside to help is Lissandra. If you wouldn’t mind we would like to get to that quickly.”

  “Mik.”

  “Sofia.”

  “Good, now that we aren’t strangers anymore,” Madaline smiled, turning to help bring Lissandra and a huge rucksack into the cave, “We need to get some healing salve on her wound.

  “Don’t waste it Maddie,” Lissandra winced, “It’s not that deep and we might need it for ter.”

  “What happened out there?” Sofia asked.

  “We came down from the 2nd floor,” Madaline answered, “We think it might be a flood if you can believe it.”

  “The second floor?” Mik repeated, now understanding they stood no chance at beating these people in a fight even if they hadn’t outnumbered him and Sofia.

  “Aye. There were hundreds of the damn monsters about. Never seen anything like it in me life. Screwed all to hell, but just as we got to the first floor. A cowardly bastard of a roaming boss was waiting for us.”

  Mik and Sofia shared a look.

  “What did it look like?” Mik asked.

  “Was an extra rge, with a side of ugly Bck Deer. Antlers as big and sharp as my damn dog's teeth,” Borik spat.

  “I’ve never seen a monster y in wait like that,” Grace added, “At least not on the early floors. The monsters here shouldn’t have that kind of intelligence.”

  “Aye. And it’s getting worse. We had to fight our way here. No bundle of sunshine fighting through a sea of low level animals but there was so many they ended up scratching Lissandra there.”

  “It seems that we are in worse trouble than we thought as well,” Sofia said, “We were driven here from another roaming boss. A Bandit Squirrel and it was level 10.”

  “A level 10 on this floor? Are you sure?” Madaline asked.

  “I am. I do not have an identification skill, but I am carrying an Identifying Lense.”

  “Two roaming bosses on the first floor… Unheard of. The Climbers here will stand no chance. How did you two get away?”

  “You won’t believe us, but it let us go. We finished a group of monsters and it just watched us leave,” Mik answered, “By the way what levels are you?”

  “Lad, don’t ya know not to be asking things like that?” Borik scoffed, “Only common courtesy.”

  “Don’t tease the boy. We just got on good terms,” Madaline sighed, “Were above level 10, but still G-Rank.”

  Mik was surprised to hear they were above level 10, but Sofia was less impressed. She had an understanding that Mik obviously didn’t.

  “Then that means you are also waiting for a rescue party,” Sofia said with certainty, “Assuming we are correct in this being a flood.”

  “We are, so looks like we are stuck with ya ss. Off to a gripping start aren’t we?” Borik smiled.

  “Well it shouldn’t take long right?” Mik interjected, “They should be sending out the S-Rank Climbers to clear it right?”

  Sofia shook her head, “You misunderstand. It will take them days to reach the first floor, Mik.”

  Borik nodded, “It’s why we're here ddy, the guild sends rescue parties. But they be starting from the top down. We G-Rank Climbers are a dime a dozen. Guild can’t afford to lose those A-Rank Climbers.”

  Mik felt his stomach drop. Hearing that even the guild didn’t seem to care about their fates was a blow. But he and Sofia had already proven they could handle well over fifty monsters at a time given the right circumstances.

  Sofia put a hand on Mik’s shoulder, “I know what you are thinking. But we did not even attempt to fight the roaming boss remember? And there are two now that we know of. What if there are more that we do not.”

  Mik felt his body shudder.

  “Then we are just going to sit here and wait?” he asked.

  “Unfortunately so d,” Borik nodded, “Can’t risk going about and leading anything unwanted back to us. We just have to hope anyone else coming here thinks and knows the same.”

  “Lissandra is all patched up for now. We just used some bandages to stop the bleeding but she is in no shape to go anywhere,” Grace announced, “She’s resting and I believe we all should get some while we can.”

  Mik suddenly remembered just how tired he was and also how hungry and thirsty. He felt something bump against his arm. Looking over he saw Sofia holding a metal canteen he didn’t know she had and seemed to have pulled out of nowhere.

  “How did you?” he asked.

  “I came prepared. I am assuming you did not,” she smirked.

  “Where did you hold it though?”

  She pointed to her belt a bck ring dangling from it.

  “A low grade storage space,” she expined, “It does not hold much, but enough for some food and water,” she continued pulling out some dried meat.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, but his hand was already moving to the food and water.

  “I will not have the person who saved me die of hunger and thirst. It would not be proper.”

  “Thanks.”

  Mik grabbed a strip of the meat biting into it while taking a few sips of water, relishing both like it was his st meal.

  “I haven’t had meat in a while, that was delicious…” he said with a satisfied face.

  “I am gd you enjoyed it,” Sofia ughed, putting the remnants away.

  They all rested for at least an hour, giving them all ample time to fully recover. But were brought to attention when the sounds of more steps came from the entrance.

  Several groups seemed to have rushed to the cave, desperate looks on their faces as if they had seen ghosts or worse.

  One group looked familiar to Mik, shiny almost new equipment donned by several people, nearly not a scratch on them. And the design was almost simir to someone he knew.

  Mik looked over to Sofia, her face as red as a tomato, and more ferocious than he thought anyone could be.

  “Dominick! Sasha!!” she roared.