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“Hah…hahhh… Finally…”

 

Orne slowly let Grudo down. The dwarf started walking towards them on shaky feet.

 

Maki and Chiharu went to him. They finally felt safe.

 

“And what are you doing, you old dwarf? This is an emergency! If you know these kids, take them away! We’re starting to hear noises from the dungeon entrance!”

 

With that, they looked towards the dungeon. It seemed like a lot of people were going to come out. Grudo saw this and made a decision.

 

“Alright. Sauro, Saikania. Take Maki and Chiharu back to the health resort. That is quite far from the dungeon, so the monsters shouldn’t be able to reach them.”

“Alright!”

“Alright!”

“What about you, Grudo?”

“My heart can’t take another trip through the air. I will wait here with the soldiers.”

“But…”

“Sauro. Saikania. There’s no time to lose!”

 

It was better that they didn’t slow the others down. Chiharu decided. Sometimes the weak had to run.

 

“Let’s go, Maki.”

“But…”

“We’ll only get in the way if we stay here! Hurry!”

“Alright.’

 

However, Maki and Chiharu were not carried up into the air.

 

“Soldiers!”

 

An Adventurer shouted. And then one after another, soldiers began to roll out of the dungeon. Those soldiers quickly regained their balance and held their swords ready as they looked back at the entrance. Then Edwy and Aeris rushed out along with many other soldiers.

 

“Monsters are coming! We don’t know how many! Surround the dungeon in a semi-circle! Take the wounded to the back!”

 

Edwy shouted the command in a voice that sounded raw from so much shouting.

 

“Your Highness, we will stand in the front. You should go to the back and catch your breath!”

“Thank you!”

 

The Adventurers surrounded the entrance while the soldiers lined up behind them. In the meantime, soldiers were still rushing out and moving into position.

 

“Here they come!”

 

The shouts came from Kaider and Nyran, who had been holding the rear.

 

There was a shudder in the earth and then a loud buzzing sound that started to get bigger.

 

The first monster to come out was a gazer.

 

“It’s a gazer!”

 

They were not too difficult when in a dungeon with a roof. However, the sky was the limit once they got out. There was nothing you could do when they flew high into the air.

 

“Sauro. Saikania. Contain the gazers! Don’t let them get away!”

 

The birdfolk hesitated upon hearing Edwy’s order.

 

“Go! We’re with Grudo. We’re going back to the town! Help Edwy!”

“I guess we have no choice. Let’s rush back to the town.”

“Grudo. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Let’s hurry.”

 

The birdfolk watched the gazers from afar. One, two, three…before they knew it there were countless numbers in the sky. Some looked at the soldiers while others looked at the town.

 

And amidst that moment of tension, four-legged monsters started to come out of the dungeon.

 

Like the gazers, they had dark bodies oozing miasma. This made the shape of their bodies undefined. They came in various sizes. The smallest were like dogs. The large ones like calves.

 

The sun was starting to descend. The monsters were here. It was a moment that should have been full of fear, but it was oddly quiet. To Maki and Chiharu, it was as if the monsters were trying to feel with their entire body, the brightness of a sky they were seeing for the first time, and the night’s breeze.

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