It just dawned on him how huge these walls are. They manage to fight their way forward, saving one mage and a warrior. Both have special classes, as proven by the woman with five flying knives, who seemingly could part flesh like it's butter. And a man who has this huge shield shaped like a sword.

  The man, named Romero, fought together with Rue. They held the front line, carving through the server.

  One of the servers went for Rue’s neck, he ducked, letting the knife hit his mask, and it clattered away from the server’s grip. Rue tripped the creature with his cane and cleaved down, drawing a sharp wound across its chest. He immediately spun, hefting another server who tried to ambush him with his shoulder, smashing it against the wall, and crushing its head with his cane.

  Romero, on the other hand, held three servers all by himself. One weakness of his class was that if he was on defense, then it was hard for him to transition into attack. But, luckily, Seila, the knife mages, was there; five Greenish knives flew and spun in a circle, piercing through the servers' heads.

  You Have Slain Server. Lvl 30.

  You Have Slain Server. Lvl 30.

  “Potion!” Romero shouted. He knelt, checking the pulse of a dying woman, who held a wooden wand that was seeping with her blood. Jessica, who was now designated as their potion source, opened the woman's mouth and emptied a red vial. “She will live,” Romero huffed.

  Rue turned his head back, and Jon was running at them. He waved at the old man.

  “Another one?” Jon asked. He had the idea to pick one of the rooms as some sort of sick bay, which is a great idea since they need to advance and have no idea where to put them.

  “Yes, how many now?” Rue asked.

  “Five, we should really leave someone to defend them. I know there shouldn’t be any enemy coming from ahead of us. But behind us?”

  “I told you, a high-level was taking care of that way,” Rue grumbled. The old man has so obviously tried to get out of the fighting.

  “Well, what if one of these quest creatures appeared?”

  If they appeared, then whoever left with the sick would die anyway. Rue wanted to reason.

  “I think I will stay with them,” Jon said. “I will carry her.”

  Romero lifted the woman, handing her to Jon, who quickly turned back for the room they had chosen much earlier.

  “Wait,” Jessica called, fumbling with her pocket. “Here, some potion”

  “No need,” Jon said, huffing under the woman's weight. “I can buy some, your lot will need it more than me.” He waved and began ambling through the room.

  “Will he be fine?” Jessica asked.

  “The old men, purposefully volunteer for that so he didn't have to fight,” Seila said as she juggled her knives. Apparently, that would recharge the force to propel her knives, according to her.

  Rue examined Seila and Romero again, starting from Romero.

  Human. Lvl 30

  Human. Lvl 28

  Both are very high-level, close to Rue even. Meanwhile, the girl.

  Human. Lvl 12

  It might be better for Jessica to go with Jon. But, having someone to carry the wounded they came across is also important.

  “Now, let's not insult him behind his back,” Romero said, staring down at Seila.

  Seila sheathed her knives; each had its own small sheath tied across her black dress that parted on her legs. That dress is also an item she got from her class quest. Although she did not specify what her class is.

  “I’m just saying so. Being a coward is not a problem. It only is if you insist it's not one.”

  She stared back at Romero, who stood tall with heavy brigantine armor colored red. Apparently, the armor was found within the castle, which made the man glare ever more intimidating, especially with that bucket-like helmet with only a thin slit for eyes. Mey party found it and sold it to Romero with the promise of him joining the assault team. Thinking back, Mey also had gotten Rue to promise to join the team.

  She sure had been preparing.

  “What do you think? You, with the Plague Mask,” Seila turned to Rue, and a thin smile crept around her lips.

  “Don't bring me to this,” Rue sighed, his cold breath swirling in his beaked mask. “Come on, let's keep going.”

  Soon, they managed to clear the hallway; it took another three combats, which all went very easily. Seila pretty much killed all the servers, ten of them. They went into defensive formation as more people joined, and they had plenty of warriors. Seila would surpass Rue level if they kept going like this.

  They eventually arrived on the stairwell, and Rue peeked below from the stone railing. The memory of the fight with the plague doctor flashes across Rue’s mind. The smear of blood of James is still there, and the charred stone caused by Mey’s flame was still apparent. Worst of all, there’s a new monster.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Chef. lvl 35

  Chef. lvl 38

  Chef. lvl 35

  Chef. lvl 39

  Chef. lvl 35

  Chef. lvl 36

  Chef. lvl 35

  …..

  He did a quick count, and there are twenty of them, guarding the stairs. And this was not counting those above them, which Rue couldn't see.

  Should they be separated into two groups now?

  “You!” Rue pointed at a scout–a teenage boy who appeared quick at his feet.

  “S-Sir!” The boy stiffened.

  “Go run back and find out what's happening on the other end of the hallway. If they had a similar group, then tell them we are about to push down and up.”

  “Yes, Sir!” The boy unnecessarily saluted and then started to run with wind-enhanced speed.

  “We should send more with him, plague mask!’ Romero gritted his teeth beside him.

  “Nah, the boy will be fine. Plague Mask here is right to not waste more person.” Seila smiled, slinging her arm across Rue’s neck.

  What with them and calling him Plague Mask? Sure, he hasn't told them his name… Well, actually, that is the problem. Well, who cares? It's not that important.

  “Below is a new Variant of the monster called Chef. Level thirty-five to forty,” Rue said, and he was welcomed by the sight of about ten people, not counting his earlier party of him, Seila, Romero, and Jessica.

  Most of the new people they picked up stiffened, just like the boy from earlier. And that was concerning, maybe they spoiled them too much–with them just having to hold a shield and Seila does all the damage.

  “There might be more monsters upstairs, and definitely more downstairs, so get ready for more fighting, and possibly we split the group into two,” Rue said.

  “Each of you, list your class now!” Romero commanded. And Rue would complement the man if he did not shout so loudly.

  The result was three warriors, three archers, four mages, and one scout. Rue wished for more warriors if he could have his choice, especially with Seila here, who could bring death rather effectively. Counting him and Romero then there will be six front-runners, good, they can split into two teams with proper balance.

  And the mages could conserve their Mana from the earlier fight thanks to Seila.

  “What about you two?” Rue asked Seila and Romero.

  “What is this Plague Mask? Trying to get us to reveal it? Just knowing our ability is enough, right?” Seila put a hand on her hip. The woman's face looked like a snake, in a strangely attractive way. He wondered if her class had changed her look, just like Mey’s.

  Romero, on the other hand, he doesn’t know what the man looked like. That bucket helmet of his covered absolutely everything, with just his dark eyes to see.

  “I don’t mind,” Romero said. “My Class, called Swordwall Bulwark, specialized in both offense and defense, but not at the same time.” He motioned to his shield-sword. “It completely depends on how I wield this weapon.”

  That was an unnecessarily cool class name. Even one of the warriors whistled.

  “How did you get it?” One of the warriors asked, an early teenager named Crispin. The boy looked like a bull, with heavy muscle even bigger than Rue’s. When he grows up, he will be quite a warrior. That if muscles play a role in strength stat.

  “Long story,” Romero said, shaking that bucket helmet. “Maybe after we take care of whatever this attack is. Now what about you?” He aimed the question at Seila.

  Seila narrowed her eyes at Rue, then she let out a small sigh. “My Class is Witch Knife. I think this is pretty self-explanatory, now you Plague mask.”

  “It's Frost Swordman.”

  Seila blinked, then some of their group did too.

  “What? No, some kind of weird doctor? Poisoner?”

  “No! I got this mask from killing one of these quest monsters.”

  “Well, whatever, now we have six fronter, let's separate ways. How do we do this?”

  “I don’t see any reason for there to be much enemy above”, Romero said. “We should send the bulk down, and some fast damage dealer to clear upstairs.”

  “No problem here,” Seila nodded.

  It does make sense, and Rue did not have any complaints about it either. “A scout, one archer, a warrior, and Seila go up then?” Rue asked. “Scout and archer, scout ahead. And then Seila kills whatever while protected by the warrior.”

  “Sure, if only I got to pick… Jessica, and you big guy.” Seila pointed to a man, laying her hand on his chest with a seductive smile. The guy gulped, then smiled down on her. The warrior she has chosen is the highest level one, if they do not count Romero. He held a pretty nice equipment also, a good quality steel axe, and leather armor with a shoulder shield on both arm.

  “Just us four,” Jessica gulped, eyeing the others with eyes full of terror.

  No one offers any complaint; they just look around each other, and their eyes settle on their feet.

  And it just struck Rue that the three of them—Him, Romero, and Seila had decided everything by themselves, the fate of all fourteen here. The others just acted like sheep about to be herded to battle.

  Why do they act this way? Rue wondered.

  Sure, their level is low, with the highest being the warrior Seila chosen—Level 14…

  Yeah, that's probably the reason.

  But, he is not about to offer democracy here. What was important was to clear these monsters and save as much as possible.

  “All right, let's go!” Romero shouted. He ran down the huge sprawling stairs alone. Two warriors followed him, heavy boots clacking against the stone floor. That will certainly alert the chefs.

  “Let's go, dear.” Seila soothingly brushed Jessica's hair and winked at the warrior and scout who looked to be around his thirty with blonde, cropped hair .“And you two”

  “Yes, Ma'am.” The warrior blushed and followed Seila with a grin on his face. The scout ran forward to do his job.

  “Ugh,” Jessica grumbled.

  “Good luck,” Rue called back.

  Jessica blinked, as if she did not expect him to say anything nice. “Yes, Sir! We will join the main group as fast as possible.”

  Sir? Well, whatever.

  The Archer and Mages of Rue’s and Romero group arrange themselves, with archers behind the mage's line. Rue had positioned himself beyond the mages, just in case some of the chefs managed to get past the warriors. Which will absolutely happen, the staircase is huge, facilitating a dozen people in a line.

  Shield clacked together, and Romero shouted a command. The warriors kneeled, with their shield up, forming a hedge on their left—the chef not smart, they charged at the shield wall, and that opened a direct line at them.

  “What are you waiting for? Fire!” Rue shouted. The mages flinched, and myriad of spells were released. A fireball burned a chef straight on, but the mages are low level, so the chef was able to fight it out, and their eye settled on the magic user. About three out of eight chefs launch themselves toward Rue’s direction.

  Then two arrows flew, piercing two chefs in their stomachs, sending them sprawling down, dying. The chef's body fell further, into ten more chefs, who by now had noticed them.

  Rue turned back to see the line flinching. The mage's leg shook, and some even began convulsing.

  Blocking the third Chef's attempt at him with his Frostbite Sword, Rue tripped the chef and smashed his head down using his cane. “Kill it!” Rue pointed at one young mage, who couldn’t be more than eighteen. She shot an ice crystal at the chef, bursting its head. “How many levels do you get?” Rue asked.

  “Thr-Three level sir!” She shouted, with a heavy breath.

  “Well, then this is a chance, isn’t it?” Rue flourished his can toward a dozen of the Chef charging, and some were trying to claw their way through the shield wall.

  And it was a brief thing, like a cat licking a food, then goes full on greedy, or a flicker of fire tasted a perfect dry wood and grew stronger. The fire in their eyes went wide, and hunger took over both Mages and Archers.

  “Don’t waste this,” Rue said, and their spell got stronger and much powerful.