Four hours since we got separated from our party, and things couldn't have gotten any worse. After the crash landing, we've begun hiking to the plateau on the 15th floor that is said to be safe from monsters in the dungeon. However, getting there would take a couple of days at least, and from what I've experienced in the last four hours, the monsters on this level increased in danger.

After the first hour of walking down the wooden road, we were attacked by large anaconda straight out of the Jungle Book that constricted around me in a surprise trap. I managed to escape by burning it and Lanie shooting it in the face; leaving it's body to rot in the swamp, Lanie and I removed its magic crystal while Lanie's older sister, Crystal, kept watch. With how open we were walking the bridge, I was tempted to build a raft out of some wood and boards, and float down the swamp; but that would put us at greater risk to anything lurking in the water. Getting back to the road, we continued walking until we decided to build a campsite on the wooden road.

Crystal and Lanie began to pitch their tent while I built myself a bed out of tree leaves outside. Because we were resting on wood, we couldn't build a campfire but managed to cook some of the snake we killed with my fire magic. While we ate, I learned more about the dog sisters; apparently, Crystal is the only one with any adventuring experience in a village in the west, while her sister Lanie is a university student here in the city. Lanie asked her sister to go with her on the dungeon subjugation to get resources to improve her gunsmithing creations.

"What brings you and your friends here?" Lanie asked me. "I know you wanted to go to the plateau for some kind of ore, but what did you plan to make with it?"

I didn't to say much, but they deserved an explanation. "The ore we're looking for is cheranium, and we need a piece of it for a compass. Said compass is to help guide us on an expedition into the Paganish Realm."

"The Paganish Realm?" Crystal questioned. "What or who are looking for that would be important enough to risk going there? People who go their usually don't want to be found, or wants to look for something that most likely doesn't exist."

"I suppose... you could say we're looking for someone, I can't say who, but they are very important." I tried to dissuade them from asking anymore questions.

For safety, we decided to take turns sleeping in shifts; I would keep watch for right now while the sisters slept. Alone with my thoughts, it gave me time to think back to what happened with the crocodile. Watching the dark sky, I can't shake the feeling like that there was more I could have done, a spell I should have used or something that could have prevented our separation. I guess answers seem more obvious after the test. A few hours into my shift, Crystal came out.

"You can sleep, I'll keep watch next." She said.

"Thanks." I laid down on my bed of leaves. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but why help your sister with this dungeon?"

She giggled. "I guess that's just how sisters are, you do what you can for them."

"I only have a brother." I responded.

"But I take it you have someone who you miss too, right?" She guessed. "That lizard woman, Rana, she's your wife, I think you told us."

"She is... I hope I can see her again." Thinking about her gave me great pain, like a blade through my heart.

"You really love her." She smiled brightly. "I wish could find someone like that, but I guess me and my sister are just out of luck."

"Why say that? Don't hurt me, but you're not ugly, and approachable when you're not so standoffish." I tried to compliment her.

"Thanks?" She laughed. "It's not appearance, it's just that most men are intimidated by women like us and your wife. Usually, they prefer someone whose... daintier." She looked at me. "How did you two get together?"

That was awkward for me to explain. "Sometime ago, I was selling her some materials I hunted and... accidently proposed her. The next night, I mistook a marriage ceremony for a business transaction."

She laughed hearty at my story. "That's a... unique story."

After that, I drifted asleep, feeling less heartache at being separated from Rana and my friends. It still hurt, but now I was reminded that I wasn't alone, Lanie and Crystal were now my friends; and if we stay smart and look out for each other, we would live to see the people we care about again.  

Right now, me and the sisters were treking across a deep marsh; to be more accurate, I was plowing through the mud while I pulled my teammates were sitting on a sleigh made of broken planks. A mile away from the plateau, we found that the road was infested by a large swarm of beetle monsters called 'Firestarters', who get their name because they explode like bombs when damaged. A good thing is that they try hard to avoid water and damp areas, but that means it will take longer to reach the plateau. Because I was physically the strongest, I would pull the sleigh while Lanie would handle attacking and Crystal kept me cool with her wind magic. Reaching the foot of the plateau, we rested on solid ground and started making a plan.

"We made, but what now?" Crystal questioned me. "Do we wait two weeks for people to arrive?"

"From what Ra'sh said, the plateau itself  wards of monsters, but doesn't really protect us from the elements. If we climbed up, we could probably set camp in better conditions. Do any of you know how to climb?" I asked.

Lanie and Crystal shook "no".

I looked up and contemplated out loud. "The climb looks like at least 3,000 feet, too steep for me to carry you up; we could probably hike around it and go up smaller incline, but that's only if this plateau isn't a 'mesa'." 

"What's a 'mesa'?" Lanie asked, I didn't realize I used an English word.

"Oh, a plateau is cliff that flattens out after a certain distance, a 'mesa' is a plateau that stays steep all around." I tried to explain. "So far, I haven't seen any sign of declining in all the time we walked. Unless I carry you up, I have to teach you to climb."

Swiftly, Crystal pulled out her knife. "Somethings coming."

Hearing her warning, me and Lanie got ready for battle. Creeping out of the shadows of the water and foliage, a troop of monkeys appeared. They weren't like regular monkeys, these ones were green with glowing eyes and moss growing from their heads. There was at least twenty in total, but that was only the ones we could see.

"What are these things?" I lost my shield, leaving me with Shaka.

"They're swamp crawlers." Crystal told me. "They're not individually strong, but they're conning and adaptable. They prefer to take on opponents in groups of five or more. If this fight drags out, there's a small chance we win."

"How do we get rid of them?" Lanie asked.

Howling, the swamp crawlers attacked all at once. Mine and Crystal's magic killed a few and pushed the rest back, but they were relentless.

"How do we get rid of these things!?" I screamed as I slashed down the continuing horde.

"With this many working together, they must have been staking out this area for something important! The only way to get out is to kill them all!"

We were tired, and there still was a lot of monkeys; if we wanted to survive, we needed to kill them all fast. Then, an idea came to my head from training with Cavadier and the guild.

"Crystal, I need you and Lanie to get as high off the ground as possible!"

"What!?" She questioned.

"Trust me!" I looked at her for a moment.

Believing me, she grabbed her sister and used wind magic to blast off the ground and slowed the rate of descent. Using the advantage of a wetland, and from the taste in my mouth from the last few days, a saltwater one at that, I had a plan. When I first learned magic, I pictured mana swarming through me like an electrical circuit; that is when I got the idea to try actually firing electricity. I could only get a weak discharge my first day of practice, but saltwater is a great conductor.

"This might not kill me." I told myself as I sent a surge of electricity at the water surrounding me.

Miraculously, the swamp crawlers began to be fried all around me until there was none left. The sisters safely landed soon afterwards; we were all exhausted, but we still needed to make a plan for the climb.

"I don't have it any me to climb." I looked up. "I guess we can camp down-" Without warning, Crystal went for my neck but I caught the blade. "What are you doing!?"

With surprisingly strong force, she kicked me in the ribs, causing me to let go of her knife. Then, she landed, looking at me angrily as she pulled out her sister's missing pistol. "That was something I've never seen before."

"Is that a reason to attack me?" I asked, concerned.

"Sister, what are you doing?" Lanie was just as confused.

"Don't pretend you don't smell it?" Crystal told her sister. "He has no visible traces of beastman features, he has that stench, and he used electricity with his mana." She narrowed her eyes. "He's without a doubt human."

This got me nervous; if I lied I would be killed. "You're right... I am human, but I'm not a danger to you."

"I don't believe that." She was angry.

"Think about it, if I wanted to kill you, why would I risk my life for yours?" I appealed to reason.

"The same reason you brought us here, you needed people to reach this place." She got her trigger finger ready.

"Okay, that is a valid explanation." She was getting more aggravated with each word I said. "But why would I warn you about my attack when I could have killed you with the monkeys?" I saw her puzzled by that. "You can trust me, I'm your friend."

She was angry, but looked less homicidal. Before she could fire or put the gun away, a dart hit her neck; without any more warning, similar darts hit me and Lanie. The girls fell fast, but it took longer for me.

"Who... who's there?" I asked anyone, but got no response, only the sound of rustling of branches, shifting rock, and rapid footsteps. Whoever attacked us, I don't know, but I was too weak to fight, only hope and pray for the best.