Re:Monster - Re:Vival

Day Eleven

The camp was surrounded by my summons like a stone wall around a fortress. Inside, Mara, Ares and Ankou were keeping guard while I went between keeping watch and investigating the potential of my skills. Even then, I suppose it only makes sense that the humans wouldn't trust us enough to keep guard by ourselves, leaving one of their own to keep watch and swapping out every few hours.

The Ranger went first. Too nervous to sleep I could tell at a glance. Her eyes darted around constantly, watching for any suspicious movement from me or my summons.

The Swordsman seemed overtly concerned with Ankou, probably because of their similar styles, meaning that if we were going to slit their throats in the night, he believed Ankou would be the one to do it.

The Crusader managed to stay calm and stoic for the most part, though most of his attention fell on Ares. He probably held a bit of a grudge against him for taking his shield a few days ago, not that there was much of a choice. Plus, it saved his life. There really shouldn't have been anything for him to complain about.

The last one to keep watch was Lia. When the Crusader woke her up, she groggily sauntered over and sat beside me. The rest of the night was spent with her one-sidedly chatting with me. She regaled me with stories about the 'Jade Eagle' party and how thankful she was, both for them letting her join, even if it was temporary and for me saving them. She then went on to tell me her own life story. Apparently she was from a big family, around twelve kids including her. She, her sister and three of her brothers left to become adventurers while the others stayed behind to work on their family farm. I really didn't care about any of this but she continued, nevertheless.

Apparently one of her brothers died, one found a partner and settled down while the other joined a party and left without them. She went on to talk about how her sister and her separated when her skills failed to keep up with her sister's. She hurriedly affirmed that her sister didn't abandon her but rather, for her safety, told her that she should give up becoming a proper adventurer and take up a safer job. She admitted that this would have been the best plan but she couldn't let go of her dream to be a great adventurer. She didn't want money, fame or anything like that. Apparently she just wanted to explore and discover new things. Whether that's dungeons, artefacts or even monsters. As she spoke, I started to realise something. She was an idiot.

That said, there was something oddly endearing about her idiocy. It might have been her small stature but she reminded me of a puppy. Regardless, it seemed like any proper communication between myself and their group would most likely have to go through her so a few hours of absentmindedly listening to her prattle on was fine if it meant making this temporary alliance easier.

When the others finally roused from their sleep, they checked their equipment and surroundings while Lia gathered her bag and reported on the night to the group. They walked around the corner, likely to avoid me or my summons from overhearing them but thanks to [Predator's Auditory Perception] that was a pointless exercise. Unsurprisingly, the group asked Lia if she discovered any weaknesses I might have. Surprisingly, she tried to change the subject, telling them that I showed no interest in any of them whatsoever. It was true, to be fair. I honestly couldn't give a rat's ass about them unless they try to pull something. That was really the only reason I was paying any attention to them at all.

Once we finally got moving, the enemies fell one after the other. Unfortunately, none of them had any skills I could extract so it seemed like this floor would be a bust. That was when we came across an area with three pathways, four if you included the one we came from. One to the left, one to the right and one straight ahead. In the centre, there was an enemy we hadn't come across before. To use terms I'm familiar with; if the 15th floor boss is the Underboss for the final Boss, then this guy would be a Caporegime, or a captain. It stood at around 8 feet tall and possessed a boney exoskeleton in the shape of full body armour. It's helmet had two green horns jutting out from the top that gave off a feeling similar to a mages staff or one of those elemental stones. It held a massive greatsword in front of it. It's hands rested on the pommel while the top pressed into the ground.