HEX: Aspect Of The Void

Boss Monsters, the most feared and powerful of beasts that exist. They possess great strength and power incomparable to normal ones.

For every floor, there is a Boss Room, where one faces the Boss monster. Even if one finds it easy to subjugate the monsters on a floor, facing the Boss Monster is a different ball game altogether.

In most instances… Challenging the Boss Room alone means death, so Adventurers often challenge Boss Rooms in groups, whether by making temporary parties or their official ones.

"Huuu…"

However, that logic does not apply to my Party… Because individually, each member of my party can easily subdue a Boss Monster.

"That was boring… It wasn't even that strong" Talia muttered.

She sat on top of the belly of the slain beast. A giant three-headed chimera. Lacerations covered its entire body and its three heads were separated from the body, having the final face of terror. Blood filled the ground where the corpse lay, and Talia yawned where she sat.

The Boss is by far not a weak one, compared to mundane standards. It's just that Talia has grown stronger.

"That's not fair! I wanted to fight too!" Shamac grumbled.

He had also prepared to attack the Boss Monster, but since Talia is faster, she got to the prey before him.

"Don't let it get to you, Shamac… You'll get your chance soon enough" Ana calmly stated, though it's only to suppress her feelings of frustration that Talia beat her to their first Boss monster.

"Okay, that's enough moping around. Let's move on to the next floor" I smiled, walking toward the hidden passageway which had formed after the Boss Monster was defeated.

In a single leap, Talia hurdled through the pool of blood and monster gore. She landed among Shamac and Ana gracefully. The three of them immediately left their positions and gravitated toward me.

We left the Boss Room and entered the passageway which had stairs leading to an upper level. The fourth floor awaits.

Maybe I should let Shamax handle the next boss monster…

[THE SECOND FLOOR]

"Good. It looks like we are all here…" Nathan said, looking at the group of novice Adventurers he entered the Dungeon with.

Nathan was well aware of the random teleportation the Gate imposed on those who entered it.

This phenomenon had caused a lot of confusion and death during the first few attempted Raids. Eventually, the Adventurers discovered the mechanism of the Gates, preventing further fatalities in the future.

"You all did well sticking together, well done" He smiled.

The young and inexperienced Adventures smiled with embarrassment, some even blushed due to his compliment and warm smile. Nathan always made sure to praise them for every effort they made, no matter how little. But…

"However, we must still be cautious. From the looks of it, we've been transported to the beginning of the second floor…" Nathan muttered, looking all around him.

"I-Is that a bad thing?" Lydia muttered nervously.

Since this was the first time within the place, the whole group, except Nathan, looked at their surrounding. They had a mix of nervousness and excitement. They came to make a fortune, as well as fame. Finally, here they were… In the place that could make that happen.

However, unlike a place of dreams, the second floor they found themselves in had no glamorous appearance. Instead, they felt somewhat uneasy, like something kept watching them… A creeping feeling dwelt about them.

The ceilings of the floor were so high up that the space in the room was very wide. There were massive statues that held up the ceiling, in place of statues. Each statue was distinct from the other, having differing appearances, sexes, and sizes.

Cobwebs were seen all over the ceilings and even the statues looked old and abandoned. Of course, this was normal, after all this place hadn't been visited in a year.

"No, not necessarily. In fact, I think it's perfect. Sure, the rewards are more the higher you go up in the floors, but so are the dangers." Nathan stated.

"For Beginners such as yourself, it's better for us to start at a lower level and advance to the higher ones. There's no need to rush, we have 15 days, after all," He added.

"O-Oh… I see…" Lydia responded in her usual shy and unsure tone

"I said that but it's good we didn't end up on the first floor. That would mean the others would have a head start on us, and it'll take us longer to get worthwhile treasures. So this is the ideal floor to begin. Still, we should be careful. Dungeons are unpredictable, and I'm sure you all felt it since we arrived here. That feeling of creeping anxiety, as if our every move is being watched… It's the aura of the Dungeon. First-timers get thrown off a lot by the eerie vibe of this Dungeon, but slowly you'll get used to it." Larry explained.

They all looked relieved as he said this. A wave of assurance started to envelop them, and they regained their composure. Deep within them, they were happy that they had involved Nathan in their Party.

"I can't even imagine how things would be without this guy with us…" Jack thought within himself.

None of them knew Nathan's true strength, or whether he was even that formidable an Adventurer. However, from the few days they had spent with him and the conversations they had, they all developed the thought…

"We are safest with this man!"

"We should start advancing and gain as much ground as we can. Day and night are relative and can not be compared to the outside world. As you can see the ceilings are covered, so we can't even tell what time it is. That's why… We need to act quickly, taking breaks only when we feel exhausted." Nathan said, beginning to walk forward.

They all followed after him when they noticed his movements.

"B-But how do we know when the 15 days are up? I mean, if we don't get out within the time frame… Won't we be stuck here forever?" Lucy asked, looking around her as she walked.

The idea of being in such a place for a year wasn't something she was comfortable with. If they missed their window to leave the Dungeon, wouldn't that mean they would have to wait until the next year before they could leave? If that was the case, then…

"No need to worry about that" Nathan smiled at Lucy's naivety.

"Once 15 days are up, the Dungeon automatically teleports everyone to the outside world. Just like the way we warped here, we'll be sent out" He pointed out.

Their faces expressed surprise as Nathan revealed this.

"Besides, what's the point in counting days? Since we arrived here, did you see an entrance or exit?" He asked.

An uncomfortable sweat appeared on their faces. He was right. The Gate had warped them to their current location. There was no sign or method of going back. That meant whether they liked it or not, they were trapped in the Dungeon until the 15 day Dungeon period passed.

"B-But what if we want to leave before the time limit?" Puck said, looking uneasy.

Puck was the Porter of the party, and while he was an easygoing fellow, in face of danger and uncertainty, he got easily scared. This made Nathan wonder if he was actually reliable.

"I guess that's why he's in the position of Porter, the least dangerous occupation" Nathan had thought to himself.

"You can't leave before the time is up. But there's no need to be so afraid. If an Adventurer does not wish to continue, he can just return to his starting point. Starting points are always safe zones, so no monster will attack you there. Plus, you never get hungry or thirsty here for the 15 days spent here, so there's no need to worry about food supply" Nathan explained.

"F-For real?! How is that even possible? No need to eat?" Jack let out in shock, more concerned about Nathan's last statement.

Puck looked more relieved after hearing Nathan's explanation and so his anxiety died down a little. Nathan continued his explanation since the rest of his party looked at him with wonder.

"No one knows how it works exactly, there's so much we still don't know about this Dungeon after all… But it is true. The only thing one requires is rest. As long as you rest for a considerable period, your strength and vitality return."

"A-Amazing!" They beamed.

"Are you guys for real? You really didn't know about this? Why do you think we didn't bring any foodstuff with us? Not just us, you didn't see any luggage with the other Adventurers before we entered here right? Didn't you wonder about that?" Nathan asked in surprise.

"Weeelll…." Their voices trailed.

"I thought we'd hunt monsters and eat them, like real Adventurers!" Lucy said carelessly.

"Welp, me too!"

"Tee hee…"

Nathan looked at his new party with a disbelieving look. Not only were they inexperienced, but they were actually way too carefree and ignorant.

"Did you guys not learn about this Dungeon before deciding to venture into it?" He asked them.

A guilty look appeared on their faces which made him conclude they didn't. He sighed to himself. He had promised himself never to be careless again after what happened to his last Party, but here he was, with a party that was exactly that, careless!

With a heavy sigh and a look of disappointment and dismay, he thought about their prospects within the Dungeon.

"Oh god… Will we really be alright?"