Mik was fine for the first few minutes, but soon became acutely more aware of the girl leaning on his shoulder.

  Previously it was about survival, namely her survival when they met. He hadn’t noticed just how raven bck her hair was that draped over her slim shoulders. Her skin was almost ethereal in the dim light from the entrance. Or how the sweet scent of fruit lingered in the air when she was around.

  He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath.

  Calm down… Calm down… We’re just in this together because our lives are on the line! Sure I might be a little inclined to help her after hearing her story. But you have bigger problems. Don’t forget about the kids, James and Sister Mary. You came here for a reason! Mik thought, trying to focus on his original goal and remembering all the people he owed money to.

  He opened his eyes.

  Nope, not calming down!

  Sofia was still there, her soft breathing raising her chest up and down gently. Mik able to feel each breath making his hair stand on end.

  Thankfully, Borik’s shout roused the entire cave. Filling it with goans and compins as they mustered the will to get up.

  “Up you zy rd arses! They’re back with more shit stained monsters. That deer seems like a smart one,” Borik motioned to Lissandra.

  She pulled something from her bag, a small gss instrument that made a faint ticking noise.

  “Just past midnight,” she told him.

  “Aye, looks like we won’t be getting much sleep.”

  I’ve been in this dungeon for over eight hours already?!

  Mik’s realization didn’t control his thoughts for long. The sound of monsters smming into Borik’s shield reverberated through the cave.

  Sofia had long since gotten up as well and he, as well as the rest of the Climbers in the cave moved to the front.

  —-------------

  “What are we going to do Dominick?!”

  Sasha whispered from the backlines of the cave, both her and Dominick refusing to help with the fights. Why would they? They were attendants of a noble home. An E-Rank Family.

  They were above fighting monsters.

  “You’re asking me? If that damned guide just did his job none of this would have happened!” Dominick spat, “It was supposed to be simple. Have the monsters take care of Sofia and then we get to move up and serve her brothers.”

  “We can’t let her leave the Tower!” Sasha barked.

  “You don’t think I know that?! But she is stronger than us and has her two familiars- Or no…” he looked at Sofia, her two elemental summons missing from her sides, “She doesn’t.”

  Dominick gave a sinister grin, “Now listen. This is what we do.”

  —--------------

  [You have aided in killing Roaming Boss, Fyrn - The Desert Horn Level 10] [Experience earned]

  [You have reached Lightning Mage Level 9] [+1 FP, +1 SP, +2 MAG]

  [Title has been awarded. Arid Hunter]

  Arid Hunter

  You have felled dangerous game in the wastends of the first floor. Proving yourself as a capable hunter.+1 to DEX, STAM, MAG.

  Mik fell to his back in a heap, the sound of several others doing the same. This time the fight had gone on for well over an hour. If it wasn’t for more Climbers making their way into the cave during the tail end of the fight, they might have more people.

  Thankfully this roaming boss seemed to be focused on supporting the other monsters. It’s individual strength paling in comparison to the Bandit Squirrel.

  Mik and Sofia did their best to recover, as did the rest of the rag tag Climbers that had come together to take refuge in the halfway point cave. Their numbers had grown slowly as time went on but unfortunately for them the sheer number of monsters increased along with their levels.

  By now the average level from the monsters that Mik saw in his notifications was 4 to 5. And there seemed to be no slowing down in sight. Every few hours the monsters would crash against the cave like a wave.

  As if they were targeting the checkpoint knowing the Climbers were gathering there.

  Mik had read rumors that Climbers with superstitions thought the Tower was alive, but there had never been any evidence of it. At least none that Mik had access to yet.

  He took in another deep breath and got to his feet, extending a hand for Sofia. She took it and dusted off her armor. Albeit more caked in blood than sand, she tried to clean it where she could.

  By now Mik’s clothes were tatters, his skin beginning to show under the ripped and torn clothing.

  With the small reprieve and Borik’s party gathering what crystals they could during the break, Mik looked at his status. It had been several hours and levels since he had.

  Mikhail

  Moniker: None

  Race: Human

  Level: 9

  Css: Lightning Mage

  G - STR: 2

  G - VIT: 2

  G - DEX: 3

  G - MAG: 20

  G - STAM: 5

  G - RES: 3

  Free Points: 3

  Skill Points: 8

  Titles

  Thief Catcher, Arid Hunter

  Skills

  Static Shock G - Rank 1

  He couldn’t help but smile slightly, he had come a long way since entering the dungeon. And he was steadily gathering experience as well as skill points for when he finally joined a Family. He was also happy to see he was getting close to halfway to his first css change, which would mark his ability to move up a rank.

  Mik’s spell was still only rank 1 and G-Rank but his Magic stat had grown by leaps and bounds and its increased effects were more than apparent. By this point his spell that started out as a small spark, was now nearly a weak bolt of lightning.

  He could only imagine how strong it could get if he was able to get some equipment and support skills to his name.

  I am a mage after all. They’re supposed to be strong, I just don’t have anything to help me right now is all… He thought.

  While in thought a canteen moved into his vision. Sofia offering him a drink. Mik took it gdly, drinking only what he needed, not sure how long they would still remain here.

  So far they had been stuck in this endless loop of killing monsters from the cave for nearly a day with little to no rest. And the attacks only becoming more frequent.

  “Alright! Someone give me a hand clearing these little bastards before the next stinkin’ wave comes!” Borik shouted.

  Mik moved with Sofia ready to offer help to Borik and the others when a low rumble began to grab their attention form the back of the cave. The earth beneath them began to shake as if the whole cave was about to come down.

  “What is going on?! What is this!?” someone screamed.

  Borik was the first to respond bellowing a strained shout unlike any time before, “Everyone out of the cave! Move your asses if you want to live!”

  “But there are monsters out there!”

  Borik shouted one st time over his shoulder, “Fine! Keep yer ass in the cave with the Floor Boss! Anyone not knocked in the head willing to listen, get out the cave! Now!”

  Mik and Sofia had no objection. Borik had led them to survive this ordeal so far and they weren’t about to start doubting him now.

  Everyone that could, began to barrel out of the cave into the scorching sun of the floor above. Dirt and sand began to shake and fall off the sides of the rockface, the ground around the cave rumbling with increased force.

  Some of the climbers inside the cave gged behind, the st remnants of the group running unsteadily out.

  And that was their st mistake.

  With a screech that sounded like the sheering of metal something huge shot out of the cave, tearing and engulfing the te to escape climbers.

  Mik and the others continued to run in a desperate attempt to distance themselves from the cave entrance and the new monster.

  He looked over his shoulder, the monster enormous and elongated. Its skin a sandy brown and its head open wide with countless serrated teeth lining the edges.

  “W-What is that?!” Mik stuttered.

  “It’s a bloody Sandworm! The floor boss!” Borik grumbled, the cnking of his armor almost drowning him out.

  “A Sandworm?! How are we supposed to fight that?!”

  “We aren’t kid! Us unlucky bastards don’t have the equipment to kill that thing and its minions right now. Not after a day of fighting off those bsted cannon fodder! Gah! I knew something was off!”

  “What do you mean, off? And what minions?!”

  “He means the normal monsters and the roaming bosses on the floor were wearing us down until the Floor Boss found us!” Grace shouted over her shoulder.

  Mik gnced over his shoulder again, the Sandworm shaking in the air as it flung pieces of Climbers into its mouth. Next to it smaller Sandworms screeched as they vied for the scraps.

  By the time his head turned back, Borik at the head of the group skidded to a stop.

  “Son of a damned troglodyte! Of course there’s more bsted monsters! Why wouldn’t this get stinkin’ worse!”

  Mik looked ahead, over a small dune in the distance a line of new monsters headed by a rger Laurel Fox with a golden cactus crown stood looking back at them.

  “Borik, they have us pinned,” Lissandra pointed out, taking position behind him and her other group members, her hands rapidly pulling items from her pack.

  “Don’t I bloody well know it!” Borik roared, smming his hammer against the side of his dented shield, “If you belly dragging rats are coming! Then come! Rock and stone!”

  Mik didn’t want to believe it, his head turning to see the Sandworms behind them, then again to see the army of floor monsters ahead.

  Damn it. Is this it? He thought desperately.

  And just when it seemed it couldn’t get worse, the roaming boss at the top of the dune gave an echoing bark, sending the line of monsters down the dune. Charging right at them.

  “Looks like this is it ds and sses! Been a pleasure!” Borik roared.

  “We aren’t dead yet you old kook!” Madaline snapped, pulling back on her bow.

  She sent out a volley of arrows, her initial arrow glowing green as it flew into the air, splitting into more than a dozen as it traveled. It wasn’t something Mik had seen within the cave.

  Did they hide their skills? Or was the cave too small for them to use them? Mik thought in amazement.

  He saw Grace vanish next to Borik. Lissandra throwing vials of different colors out onto the sand in front of them.

  Borik’s shield grew in size covered in a red glow, his hammer doing just the same as he smmed it to the ground. The sand bent and flexed with the blow as the ground suddenly shot upwards, spikes of earth barreling forward towards the oncoming horde of monsters.

  Mik let out a breath, “No way…”

  A hand hit him on the small of his back. He turned to see Sofia looking at him grimly.

  “Do not stand there looking impressed, we must help as well!” she told him.

  Mik refocused, his hands gripping the chains in either hand. Reaffirming his determination to make it through this.

  He looked to his side, Sofia holding a sword in each hand.

  She’s going to make it too. He thought. After everything, I can’t let something happen to her.

  The charging stampede of monsters from the dune finally connected with the line of Climbers. Borik spearheaded the line and smmed his enrged hammer and shield into them.

  Swaths of monsters flew in all directions from his swings. Some being stuck in whatever liquids Lissandra threw into the sand, others beginning to melt after running over the puddles in a grotesque fashion.

  Grace finally appeared in the breaks of the charge, a dagger in each hand that lit up with dark purple energy as she sshed at their rear and exposed backs.

  Madaline sent volleys of arrows where she could as the te monsters piled in.

  As for the rest of the Climbers they did what they could. Staying as tightly packed to one another as possible, they tore at the monsters one by one. Some sent balls of fire, ice, wind, and earth at the clumps of monsters.

  With the restriction of the cave space gone, many of them could now use their spells without worry along with the other range type Climbers. Mik had never seen Climbers fight before entering the Tower and witnessing the array of skills, spells, and abilities was something that sent him into wonder.

  Waiting for his moment to help, he couldn’t keep himself from thinking. If James could see this he would be doing backflips…

  Soon it was time for Mik to contribute. He and Sofia waited slightly behind Borik preparing for anything that got past him, simir to how their formation was inside the cave.

  A few foxes slipped past the hulking shield Borik used. Sofia bisecting the first pair, Mik willing his spell into his chains, burning the second into a crisp.

  [You have killed 2x Laurel Foxes Level 4] [Experienced earned]

  A few more of the foxes slipped past, Sofia, Mik and the other Climbers dealt with them quickly. It was no longer a concern if they could kill the floor monsters, it was a matter of outsting them.

  A screech came from behind them, forcing Mik’s head to turn.

  The Sandworm bellowed before its head burrowed into the sand, kicking up dust and debris as the rest of the smaller ones followed.

  “Good to know it’s only getting worse,” Mik grunted, spping a fox down with an electrified chain.

  “Shut yer blithering mouth d!” Borik bellowed, “Lis! Get the bloody cannon!”

  Lissandra looked at Borik like he had just ordered her to sell her child, but bit her lower lip and began pulling something out of her rucksack. Something that should not have been able to fit.

  A full sized cannon fell from the rucksack, spping the ground while a small cloud of sand puffed up. A moment ter Lissandra struggled to turn the cannon in the direction of the incoming Sandworms.

  Mik’s jaw dropped seeing the manifestation of the enormous weapon out of nowhere.

  “Cover your ears!” Lissandra shouted.

  Mik reacted a moment too te. The sound of a thunderous boom splitting his ears. Ringing filled his ears but unable to cover them as the foxes continued to slip past Borik, he winced through the pain.

  [You have killed 3x Laurel Foxes Level 4] [Experienced earned]

  Dispatching a few more foxes, he turned.

  Mik’s mouth went agape once again looking at the aftermath of the weapon’s discharge. A massive crater now broke open the sands between them and the cave. Half a dozen smaller sandworms broken into pieces, scattered across the reddish-brown grains.

  “Well reload the damned thing!” Borik rushed, smming his hammer and shield into more foxes.

  Another screech cut through the air as the ground rumbled. Mik looked back at the crater seeing the Floor Boss’s head break through the sand as it barreled closer.

  But that wasn’t the end of his troubles.

  While distracted by having to fight off the flood of floor monsters in front of them. And the imminent Floor Boss breathing down their necks. Mik caught exactly what he feared out of the corner of his eye.

  You have got to be kidding me! He roared in his mind, spping down another fox with an electrified chain.

  Slinking towards him and Sofia, while expertly dodging the responsibility to fight the monsters on all sides of them were Dominick and Sasha.