Dungeon of Niflheim

137 Chapter 137: The Sanguine Snakes

Though filled with anger the frost troll still understood his job, he recalled most of the weaker monsters from wherever the group were stationed. Sacrificing weaker monsters would be a pointless waste of DP and unneeded pain. But he would have revenge, the other monsters wouldn’t accept his orders any longer if he didn’t satisfy them with bloodshed.

At this point since the frost troll didn’t have access to the dungeon menu and was only a D-rank monster he couldn’t accurately understand his opponents power, just that they were beyond his means to deal with, alone at least. He commanded a veritable army of creatures that could be summoned to deal with a measly 5 men and now thanks to this group evicting the rest of the adventurers he could use them without restraint.

Frost had restricted the frost trolls actions with controlling mass amounts of monsters to avoid the Dungeon coming across as something unusual or more dangerous than intended. But if there was no one to witness such changes then those restrictions were lifted, this group of barbarians sealed their own fate.

The frost troll started to make his moves along with the frost dwarves, this wasn’t going to be an easy fight. Its intelligence was limited and its knowledge of tactics wanting, all it knew was that this group of intruders were powerful and barbaric, weak monsters would do nothing to slow them down. Only E-ranks and above would be involved in this battle. Although cruel, the frost troll utilised the goblins from the spawner to lead the group further into the Dungeon, along with an occasional showing of a frost wolf. Only they were fast enough to escape their aggression and keep their movements controlled.

Eventually with the sacrifice of 7 goblins and an injured frost wolf the group of adventurers were led into the last area of the dungeon, where the most powerful monster lived. Even the frost troll had to admit that he was a tad weaker than the polar bear, his skills worked better with others whereas the bear was a single powerhouse.

“Rooooooarrrr!” The moment the group of five adventurers made their way into the last room which was much larger since the room’s expansion. The polar bear roared in protest, baring its massive and sharp teeth as its body tensed in preparation for a charge. The polar bear lacked the intelligence of the frost troll, it simply saw enemies before it, each all individually weaker than itself, so it charged right in, regardless of the danger.

Its powerful roar sent a momentary chill through the adventurers before they revealed sadistic smiles and started to move into formation. Not an ounce of fear was on their faces, only joy.

The leader, a tall and brutish looking swordsman licked his lips before giving out orders to his team. A polar bear was worth a lot of money, the paws could be sold to restaurants along with sections of meat. The pelt would be highly desired by textile merchants and the bones by armourers and blacksmiths not to mention the nice addition of a D-rank magic crystal. A very profitable monster to hunt if you can find one. Normally you’d have to scour many sections of the external regions of the Glacial mountains to find them and even then, they didn’t travel in packs making hunting numbers a tad difficult. When they initially entered this new monster lair, they never hoped to find such a bounty, and one so foolish to charge right into their claws.

4 out of the 5 adventurers were D-rank with the last, the wizard being still being E, but wizards and magic users were always able to punch above their weight destruction wise. Their group was known as the Sanguine snakes, as they loved the colour of blood and were slippery like snakes. Their party was officially a D-rank party under the Furano guild but were on thin ice. Many times, they’d brushed up against the law and had a terrible reputation, saved time and time again by their notorious backer Baron Adam. They were still in the dark about Adam’s fate, still carrying out his last orders.

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Adam assigned them to investigate the new monster lair, to try and find any remnants of Alex and information on Frost if there was any. The group didn’t hold out much hope and only just now made their way towards the lair, half assing the job. Now however a worthy prey had finally presented itself before them, something to get their blood pumping on such a boring and dull excursion.

They expected far more resistance as they made their way through the lair yet were only confronted with some idiotic suicidal goblins and cowardly frost wolves nothing but a bunch of annoying gnats in their eyes. The polar bear however was another story, alone it wasn’t a match for their practised teamwork, but one wrong move could end up nasty, it was a D-rank monster after all, full of muscle and claws.

The leader and an axe wielder moved to the forefront of the bear’s charge while the archer and wizard moved to the sides and began pelting the beast with attacks. Nothing serious but enough to draw a little blood. Remaining was an assassin type, armed with two steel daggers and cloaked in dark black robes. Out of everyone he was the most ill matched against something like a polar bear. Its fur and fat was thick, a dagger even all in would struggle to reach anything to important unless well aimed.

“Roaaaaaaar!” The polar bear roared again infuriated by the archers and wizards annoying attacks. Picking up the pace, it was on them in a couple of seconds. Bringing to bare its massive 3 metre frame and several tons body, it attempted to smash right on through the two gnats that dared to block its path. It didn’t even swing its claws or try to bite, simply slamming its shoulders and frame against them.

“Hmph cocky! Barren!” The swordsmen leader hmphed with a frown while calling out his comrades name. Barren the axe user smiled evilly and nodded towards his leader. The two of them tensed up their bodies, gripping their weapons with intense force in preparation.

“Now!” The leader shouted and on his command he and Barren swung their weapons with great strength, smashing them against the oncoming polar bear, bringing its angered charge to a halt. Certainly, they could have much more easily dodged the charge, but this way was more fun. Although their arms were a bit numb, they successfully stopped the momentum of such a large creature, greatly infuriating it.

As if they expected such an outcome the archer and wizard started to pelt the beast’s sides drawing even more blood, dying the bear’s white fur red and charring it black.

What proceeded next was pretty much a game of matador. The polar bear would charge and either miss its targets or be stopped in place and be forced to endure stabs and spells. The Sanguine Snakes slowly but surely weakened their foe, with small non-lethal attacks, enjoying the pointless resistance it showed. With small attacks the pelt would be damaged but not beyond use and the group much preferred its new colour.

The polar bear’s roars grew weaker, and fear finally crept into its eyes, but its anger was still prevalent. It couldn’t understand how it was losing to these flies without being able to injure a single one. The disgusting smiles on its foes faces only infuriated it more. It raised its blood dripping claw up high to swat the swordsmen but was easily deflected, smashing into the floor.

“Hahahaha looks like the beast is about done.” The leader laughed out loud as he kicked the polar bear in the ribs, causing a loud crack to reverberate throughout the room. His colleagues joined in his laughter even the assassin which had very little chance to perform.

The polar bear could hear their mocking laughter, but was too weak to continue in resistance, its body refusing to listen to its orders. Pain filling its entire body, it could feel the jaws of death drawing in close. Its vision darkening and the sounds of its killers becoming muffled, the image of Frost started to coalesce in its mind.

Finally seeing the beast’s body going limp and collapsing to the floor, the assassin finally decided to move in. The danger level was relatively low now, so he could finally take part. He twirled his daggers around his hands as he moved in close. He was quite fond of removing the teeth of monsters while they still breathed.

He chillingly licked his daggers before stabbing the bear’s jaw with one and began wedging out a fang with the other. The bear flinched in agony as tears dripped from its eyes, it glared with hatred towards the assassin wishing him a gruesome death. The other adventurers looked on with horrifying smiles, enjoying the assassin’s antics, each of them were quite disturbing individuals.

“This will make a good trophy, shame the original owner was so pathetic.” The assassin mocked as he pulled out the bear’s fang and admired his new trophy as it dripped with blood and bits of gum.

The polar bear felt the last vestiges of its strength slip away, it closed its eyes as it waited for death, thinking of Frost as the darkness took hold.