Return to Jorgaldur Volume IV: Reunion

Second Floor (III)

With the help of the goshawk to find the serpents, and their strategy to cool and attack them, it was relatively quick to accumulate experience. The amount of experience that each one gave was multiplied by the difference in level.

It would have taken over two thousand normal enemies at the same level to level up, but they only needed about thirty of those serpents three levels higher. However, despite their speed in finding and eliminating them, it took over an hour between completing the subjugation and recovering mana. In addition, they had to eat and sleep.

Going back into the dungeon and traversing the entire first floor each time took too long. On the other hand, there was no safe place to put their castle-tents in the middle of the lava zone. Therefore, each day, they went back to the entrance tunnel.

There, they planted a tent to rest, next to several dozen others. The tent was large, although they didn't sleep directly in it. Inside, there was Gjaki's Shadow Protection to hide and protect them. Besides, behind that protection, there was one of their castle-tents. They took turns at Gjaki's suggestion, as she wanted to try them all. They had no reason to refuse.

The outer tent served as camouflage and the first layer of protection. It had a barrier that prevented intrusion unless it was destroyed. If they did, the occupants were alerted. Half the tents in that area were like this. In the other half, they took turns to guard.

The neighbors were usually friendly or indifferent, but there was no hostility, there was no reason for it. In fact, the first day, they had shared information and dinner with five other groups.

Half of those groups were going to cross the lava maze to reach the other side the next day. The other half had the means to stay on that floor of the dungeon. There were also the beings who enjoyed the lava, but they preferred to rest inside one of the lakes, not in the entrance tunnel.

It was the third night when a large group arrived at the tunnel. The three companions had already set up the tent, and were preparing to share dinner with some of their usual neighbors, and some new ones. They had calculated that they could level up the next day.

"Leave room! Take away your filthy tents! The Ice Fang tribe reclaims this place!" an arrogant voice demanded.

They didn't know exactly who the voice came from, but it surely belonged to one of the barbarians coming down the tunnel. They were more than fifty, muscular and with hostile looks.

Those barbarians knew that it was forbidden to kill each other in the dungeon. They could get into serious trouble if they used their weapons against other adventurers, but fist fighting was allowed. At least, it was tolerated. The group of barbarians had confidence in their physique.

"Oh, the Ice Fangs," Goldmi murmured.

"Do you know them?" Gjaki asked curiously and somewhat surprised.

The vampiress didn't remember having heard of them, even though she had been in the world longer than the elf. Also, she had traveled a lot more, while her friend used to stay in the village.

Eldi was looking at her with interest as well, while keeping an eye on the approaching barbarians. Some stayed along the way, in front of the other tents. They were taunting the adventurers, confronting them.

They tried to intimidate them, although it wasn't easy. The adventurers were all veterans, and had lived through many situations, many fights. Almost all of them had reached level 95, at least, so it wasn't surprising.

"If you'd paid more attention..." Goldmi sighed, and looked at the vampiress with resignation. "Smashy and Crushy told us about them. They're their neighbors, they've had more than one confrontation with them."

"Oh! Do you mean those idiots who wanted to force the two of them to be concubines of their bosses? I remember it! Crushy and Smashy challenged them and beat them up! One by one to the whole tribe! They'll be happy if we give them what they deserve again!" Gjaki exclaimed. She was pressing her palm against her fist, and beginning to get itchy.

"I guess there's no other choice," Eldi sighed, while intertwining his fingers and stretching out his arms.

"It'll be fun" the elf agreed.

None of them were afraid of the barbarians, even though they were a few levels lower. In fact, they started playing rock-paper-scissors. This time, Eldi won. He had observed that they both tended to start with scissors, and that had given him an advantage.

"You don't even have the level to be here. Get out before we kick you out," a barbarian half a head taller than Eldi disdained them.

"You alone? Skullsmash was right. A lot of barking and little biting," Eldi provoked her.

Quickly, his companions had given a summary to Eldi. He was the one to start the provocation, so he needed some information.

"Do you know Skullsmash?" the barbarian asked, a mixture of hate and fear in her voice.

She looked at Eldi menacingly. She seemed to want to jump on him and gouge out his eyes, like he was her worst enemy.

"Of course we know Smashy. Also, Crushy. I remember she said that you only know how to attack the weakest with the large numbers. That you were just cowards," Gjaki intervened. She had been second.

"How dare you?!" another barbarian exclaimed and took a step towards her.

"Oh, how scary! Are you going to hit me?!" the vampiress made as if she were scared, though she was clearly mocking him.

He took another step, threatening. He clenched his teeth and fists. There was no trace of the bravado of a few moments before. Now, he seemed deranged, enraged.

"Be carefully. Remember what Smashy said. They piss on themselves, so they can splash you," Goldmi added.

That was a serious insult to the barbarians. They knew it from the two siblings, and it was the best way to provoke them. They hadn't liked how the barbarians had come as if they were the masters of the place, while wanting to get everyone out. Added to the stories of their barbarian friends, the companions had a very low opinion of them.

Despite that, they believed that many adventurers would have trouble facing them in an unarmed fight. Therefore, they wanted to get their attention, deal with as many as they could, provoke their anger, and make them make mistakes.

"You're going to swallow your words!" the barbarian threatened.

There was no doubt that they had managed to get their attention.