Chapter 267: Treasure Hunters (1/2)
Shaking the healer a little, she suddenly gasped and opened her eyes. “Baron…,” Her voice spoke weakly. “The crawlers… I fell… what happened?”
“The stranger intervened. We’d be dead if not for her.” He said, turning to flash his light at Ilea.
Ilea smiled as she looked into the yellow feline pair of eyes, full of wonder. How young is that one? She wondered, the roaches now thinning out behind her, heated up and killed by Embered Body Heat and her reversed recovery. The latter of course dealing the majority of the damage. She had at least another ten minutes worth of this in her before she would want to get some distance between them. Ilea wasn’t about to run out of mana with a bunch of strangers standing next to her. The dwarf seemed sincere enough to her but one never knew.
“My harmonica…,” The cat said, Ilea summoning the thing and throwing it toward her. She had picked it up after she had thrown the healer.
She caught it with a swift movement, starting to play a melody immediately. Ilea felt her body relax a little, her mana recovering just a bit more quickly. A bard? She cocked her head sideways and looked at the cat who held her stare. Bard and healer. They continued through the tunnel, casually walking while the roaches died behind them. With the melody ringing through the caves one could almost wonder if it wasn’t the bard luring the insects into an ashen death.
Five minutes later, Ilea stopped walking. She recovered some more of her mana while the last dozen roaches worked their way through the wall of ash. “Want to get some of the action too? The experience might actually be worth it for you guys.”
The dwarf lowered his arm, the healer hopping off to let him through. Smashing his massive two metal fists together, he changed into a more aggressive stance. “It would be. My joy.” His massive form stepped past Ilea, the head nearly reaching the ceiling of the large tunnel. Walking to the healer, her form was swiftly wreathed in ash, expecting more than a little gore to come their way.
The wall crumbled when Ilea severed the thin connection she had remained, around ten roaches, more or less injured rushed towards them. Most of them focused on the massive form of the metal machine, the heavy plating groaning against their teeth. One heavy arm came down, the roach splashing against the walls while the others crawled onto the armor, looking for weak spots or ways to enter. The dwarf fell backwards while trying to get one of them, squashing two others in the process.
Three of the beasts suddenly turned and came at Ilea and the healer, the cat immediately moving behind her. Ashen limbs shot out, piercing all three of the beasts. Two of them had lunged at her, now hanging in the air. Blood dripped down, the ashen limbs moving up as the corpses slid away, landing with a wet sound. The healer stumbled a step further back, Ilea noticing the light in the distance had stopped moving.
“Are you alright?” She asked, the dwarf screaming and shouting as his huge mech suit turned in the mud, blood and guts. He slipped but still managed to hit one of the roaches, injuring its jaw in the process. Two of them were still alive but another frantic movement squashed them against the wall. The last injured one was stomped to death by the massive steel foot.
He stomped again and again, blood and intestines covering a big part of his armored suit. He turned towards them, the floodlight turning warmer, “What?!”
Ilea couldn’t help but laugh. Her sphere let her see the grin on the healer behind her. When the dwarf took a step and slipped, barely managing to keep standing, both of them couldn’t hold it. “You dumb fucks! I swear if I get to you!” The dwarf shouted but his chuckled were indication enough that he wasn’t serious.
The charge that followed made the healer stumble back before she fell on her ass. Ilea just stood there, the massive form of the war machine stopping a meter before her. “Didn’t think so.” She said with a grin, a little disappointed that he hadn’t at least tried to slam her away.
The dwarf laughed, “No offense stranger.”
Ilea moved her ash to clean away the guts that had landed on her from his charge, “A little offended in your lack of trust in my stability.” She said and covered him in ash before cleaning off the blood and guts. He didn’t move throughout, either trying not to anger her or understanding what she was doing. “Your friend stopped or dropped his torch.”
“Not friend, more… dreadful company.” He said after she was done, “Thanks for the cleanup. Not necessary.”
Ilea snorted, “It stinks. Do you guys know how to get to the fourth layer? Might as well help me out after I saved your sorry asses.”
“Aye… we know. At least if his map is to be believed. So far it’s led us into that.” The dwarf said and pointed to the gore filled tunnel, some parts still twitching. “Friends call me Baron. I’d be glad to help you to the fourth layer. If his map is junk I know some other more conventional ways but I’d think you want some of the treasure as well.”
Ilea watched the cat look at him and then her, her eyes squinting just a little. Not enough to be noticed without her sphere and heightened senses, “Nice to meet you Baron. I’m Ilea. Depends on the treasure really but I’d be happy to join you for a while.
The healer bowed, “Seath. Thank you for saving our lives.” She said. Ilea wasn’t sure if her fur was brown or if she really needed a shower. Seath was a little smaller than her and definitely thinner. The coat was ripped in parts but still holding up. Ilea checked her notifications while they slowly walked towards the torch. It seemed like nobody was particularly concerned about the man who soon started shouting for help.
‘ding’ ‘You have defeated [Monster Roach – lvl 184]’
…
‘ding’ ‘You have defeated [Monster Roach – lvl 194]’
The messages turned to team notifications soon after. Ilea assumed it was considered a team effort as soon as Seath had started her music. She thought about it for a while but came to the conclusion that it was only fair. To decide on becoming a bard and healer without much combat potential was already a dangerous decision. Having an easy time in battles, just standing behind one’s group and playing some tunes certainly sounded nice but when you couldn’t defend yourself against even a single enemy, it didn’t sound just as enticing.
‘ding’ ‘Your group has defeated [Monster Roach – lvl 178]’
…
‘ding’ ‘Your group has defeated [Monster Roach – lvl 183]’
‘ding’ ‘Embered Body Heat reaches 2nd lvl 16’
‘ding’ ‘Embered Body Heat reaches 2nd lvl 17’
Ilea grinned at the level ups. Of course the bugs had been much too weak to give her classes a substantial boost but for Embered Body Heat it had been perfect to shine. Some of the kills might have even come from the burning hot ash. “Oh thank god you survived.” The man said, stuck in one of the small trenches, his left shin pierced by one of the poop sticks.
“You left us to die.” Baron said.
The man smiled, “Nah, I knew the stranger could handle it. Hello by the way, Austin the name, best ranger in town. Your armor looks fierce, Shadow’s Hand perhaps or a dark one?” Ilea was at least impressed by how little the man seemed to care about his injury, blood continuously seeping into the pit.
Two of her ashen limbs moved under his shoulders and gave him a lift, “Wait wait, don’t move me so suddenly the…,” He yelped and cursed when his leg came loose, the wound opening wider in the process. Ilea set him down next to Seath who quickly gathered mana in her hand before his wound started closing. Opening her eyes again, Seath sighed.
Austin leaned back, his head resting on the ground, “Aw man. Thanks Seath. Glad I brought you along.” The woman tensed up a little at the mention, not noticeable to the eye alone. “And you, fierce warrior.” He said and jumped to his feet, dusting off his brown coat and getting back his very inappropriate hat. “Thank you for helping out. We will move along now, back to camp to recover.”
He was obviously lying. Even Ilea knew it. “I’m not exactly a fashion guru but why the hat?”
The man just grinned and walked past her, trying to tap her shoulder. An ashen limb intercepted his move, a second time when he tried again. “I’m coming with you. You’ll lead me to the fourth layer.”