Chapter 35: Pax Ante Cladem

Blood Wardens weren’t exactly as terrifying as their name suggested — Tier 9, just like most things on the first level of the dungeon, and only C-class. Plus, their moveset was one-dimensional and easy to counter, and the main body couldn’t even move. The thralls were annoying, but they’d disappear once the Blood Warden was taken care of.

At least, they weren’t so terrifying when seen through a pixelated game screen.

However, the creature before Peace instilled pure dread in his soul.

A hefty mound of viscous blood that must have been at least seven feet tall. Bloody tentacles sprouted haphazardly from the mass, alongside a few eyeless heads, each lined with serrated teeth fashioned from the palatal bones covering the ground. Finally, a single thin tendril protruded from its side, crowned by one swollen, unblinking eye.

Much like the eyes of most frogs and toads, that eye — and whatever constituted its mind — only registered things when they moved.

Well, it could see still objects, but its own mindless thralls constantly shuffling around it made focusing on anything motionless nearly impossible.

Speaking of those thralls...

They were monsters that had wandered too close to the Blood Warden, only to be consumed and remade into blood beasts. Each was little more than a weaker imitation of what it had once been; and since almost all of the thralls were Skeleton Warriors or Bone Ravagers, they were one-shottable with even weak attacks. The only real issue was that they all aggroed onto whatever the Blood Warden targeted at once.

Ranged thralls were a little more troublesome, as distance negated the whole ’one-shottable’ thing.

Peace shook out his arms as he tried to hype himself up.

’Who’s got this...’

’You got this!’

"Eep!"

The encouragement lasted all of half a second before the Skeletal Stalker launched another spear that Peace barely dodged in time.

’I don’t got shit!’

Dita sighed as she pushed off the ground and staggered to her feet. Once upright, she brushed some bone dust from her pants before handing over her mace.

"Stop squealing... you’re not really instilling much hope. Here."

Peace took the flanged mace with an anticipatory gulp that somehow tasted like hopelessness.

"Ah, thanks."

In turn, he handed her the Bone Sword.

Dita took the sword, then said:

"Also... don’t bother turning around. You can’t afford to take your eyes off it long enough to let a tentacle hit you. I will warn you when to duck."

"I know, I know."

"Do you though?"

"Yeah..."

Peace clicked his tongue as his eyes shifted back to the Stalker, which had begun throwing spears at him as well once he joined Dita’s party. Even then, it still only copied Dita’s speed.

Even before that, though, one of the spears could have struck him by chance. None of the throws were perfectly accurate at this distance.

A distance that had now shrunk to about one mile — roughly 1.6 kilometers.

’And now that freaky bastard is moving like it has a stick up its ass.’

After a sigh that sounded like acceptance of imminent death, Dita said:

"One more thing... just let me hold it. It would make things much easier, no? I promise not to go through it."

Peace took a deep breath, then slowly slipped the straps off his shoulders.

"Alright... I’ll trust you."

"Oh, you can trust me. I don’t want to see your dungeon porn anyways."

Peace’s arms froze halfway through handing over his bag.

"Huh?! That’s what you— no! The fuck?!"

"Oh? You don’t need to deny it. It’s kind of common for people to bring something like that, especially when they’re going solo. You are away from people and all; alone for a week or more."

Peace frantically shook his head.

"Stop! Stop! That’s not what’s in there!"

"Then, what is?"

After a short pause, Peace squawked out:

"Uh... my diary."

Dita rolled her eyes before stepping forward and yanking the bag out of Peace’s hands.

"...Sure."

She slung the straps over her shoulder, then added:

"For future reference, do be quiet in the dungeon. You’re lucky that nothing here can hear."

"I know that."

Dita looked him up and down, from his exposed feet to the tattered rags he wore.

"Again... do you?"

In response, Peace clicked his tongue and ducked. Dita ducked as well just as another spear sailed over their heads.

Peace spat back at her:

"I. Do."

A sly smile crept across Dita’s face.

"Sheesh... no need to be so antsy. Everyone has their fetishes."

’What is wrong with this woman? Did she forget the situation we’re in?!’

Or perhaps it was precisely because of their perilous situation that she felt the need to make light of it...

Peace, of all people, should have recognized her true intent, considering Serene had employed the same tactic on a daily basis.

Aware of it or not, it had gotten his mind off the prospect of doom and gloom, even if only for a moment.

Standing tall, Peace turned his back to the Skeletal Stalker. Glancing at the tan woman next to him, he said:

"Please, don’t screw up your one job."

Dita laughed lightly, then said:

"Well, if I do, you’ll never find out."

To which, Peace promptly sighed, then took a step towards the Blood Warden, entering the edges of the thralls’ patrol range.

His goal was simple: clear out the thralls, weakening the Blood Warden. Then, get close enough for the Warden to lash out with its tendrils, exposing the main core to attack. And, finally, dodge for dear life while waiting for a lucky spear to pierce the fiend’s core.

Scanning left to right, he tried to count them all, but could only manage an approximation. There were simply too many: about fifteen Bone Ravagers, thirty Skeleton Warriors, and five Skeleton Archers.

’Light work... right?’

Waiting and waiting...

Peace took a shaky step forward and swung the mace up into the skull of a passing thrall — a Skeleton Archer. The blood making up its skull burst apart, and the body swayed before collapsing, its remains splashing onto the bone below and quickly sinking beneath.

At once, every single thrall turned towards him.