The company has reached the 4th floor, and problems start to get serious. The challenges the knights and the adventurers have to face are becoming more and more difficult, forcing them to put more effort into everything.
Not only does the temperature on the fourth floor rise again, but the strength and varieties of monsters to fend off increase as well. On the fourth floor, gigantic monsters like ogres, trolls, and golems start to show up. In addition, the first monsters that deal magic damage finally appear: the specters.
The addition of a magic spell caster in the enemies truly stresses out the company. A ranged attack is already dangerous, but anticipating it coming from a dark environment forces the humans to mind their surroundings more cautiously, distracting their focus in the process.
The specters are not the only threats; the gigantic humanoid monsters are as well. Towering up to the height of ten feet, these giants can easily kill an inexperienced adventurer with a swing of their arm.
Adding more salt to the wound, these monsters can learn how to wield weapons. On this floor, they are spotted wielding huge bones and use them like clubs to deal deadly blows to the humans.
Normally, these types of monsters can be found in the deeper parts of a regular dungeon or in the depths of a vast forest on the surface. Even the seasoned adventurers and knights in this expedition need to team up to take down one.
Due to this dire situation, the heroes' party finally steps into action and starts helping the knights and the adventurers defeat the hordes of these monsters. The assistance of the heroes' party greatly boosts the morale of the company. The heroes' party alone exterminates around a third of all the kills by the company.
Geoffrey showcases his superb swordsmanship. He can easily slice a troll in half. David shoots around three arrows in a second, and each of them accurately goes straight to a monster's head, killing it instantly.
Agatha casts spells one after another with minimal interval. A regular mage needs time to cast a spell, but Agatha is on another level, as she has the ability to cancel the casting time, allowing her to spam powerful area-of-effect spells and eliminate several monsters at once.
The frontliner of the party, a man carrying a poleaxe and a parrying shield named Bashel Netram, swings his weapon and skillfully smashes it into every monster's head. At the same time, Bashel uses his shield to block any of the enemy attacks, effectively protecting the party.
On the other hand, together with other supports, Shirley is busy providing area buffs and healing not only to the party but also to the knights and the adventurers. Additionally, they are also providing lighting for everyone, giving them time and space to see the enemies and avoid any friendly fire.
The heroes, knights, and adventurers fight with all their might against the hostile inhabitants of the dungeon. However, even with all their hard work and efforts, they are not able to prevent any casualties on this floor.
"Nine... We lost nine lives today... I'm very sorry I couldn't protect you all..."
With heaviness in his voice, Geoffrey expresses his deep grief, kneeling before the bodies of the deceased adventurers.
On the floor, the nine bodies of dead adventurers are neatly laid in a line with blankets completely covering them. Around them are the brave warriors who want to mourn their sacrifices.
"Geoffrey..." Bashel bends his knees and puts his hand on Geoffrey's shoulder; his voice is deep. "Don't always blame yourself. We are all aware that losses are highly likely unavoidable in this mission. Sacrifices are unfortunately necessary for success."
"..."
Clink. Splat. Clink.
As they mourn in silence, the sounds of cutting flesh and broken bones can be heard nearby. The battle with the monsters settled down not long ago, and only a couple of knights are currently fighting the monsters in the background.
"What's done is done." Bashel continues. "Let's move on together, Geoffrey, and finish our mission. Don't let the sacrifices go in vain."
"Geoffrey..." Shirley calls his name with a soft voice. "I know it's hard to accept, but Bashel is right. We need to move forward. Don't let yourself down."
"Thank you, everyone. My mind has been clearer than before." Hearing his friends' motivated words, Geoffrey smiles before he stands up. "Even though we did everything we could, losing nothing is still impossible. As the hero, I should have known that. Nevertheless, we gratefully thank you, brave fallen warriors, for your sacrifices."
Geoffrey then puts his fist on his chest and bows slightly before the dead bodies. The other members of the party follow suit and give their respects to the dead. Afterwards, Geoffrey turns to Russell.
"Have you made up your mind, Sir Hero?"
"Yeah, captain. Even though it's hard, we have to move on. Shall we continue to the next floor?"
"Ho ho. You are being so lively, Sir Hero. But before we can do that, let's ask the others if they want to continue any further."
After saying that, both Geoffrey and Russell glance at the people around them, especially the adventurers, and they seem to be visually exhausted physically and probably mentally. There are already casualties, and they could not just ignore it, and they begin to worry for their own safety.
"What should we do, captain?"
"With the deaths of these men, naturally, it would be a strain on their mental state that eventually results in losing their will to continue. In my opinion, we should let them decide if they want to stay or go back to the surface."
"That's for the better. I know some of them have families waiting for them, and I don't want them to come home dead. We are not forcing them to accompany us in the first place."
"If that's what you want, Sir Hero."
Russell announces to everyone that they are free to go back to the surface if they do not want to continue anymore. Upon hearing that, most of the adventurers decide to pull back together with their loot. Russell assigns around a dozen knights to escort the adventurers as well as carry the dead bodies with them.
With only a few veteran adventurer parties and dozens of knights left to accompany them, the heroes' party proceeds to descend to the fifth floor.