"We're almost at the entrance to the second layer rookies." (Veteran 2)
The veteran who's been looking after us warns us.

"Keep your wits about you." (Veteran 2)

"Why's that?" (Other rookie)

"This place borders on the rat dragon and cursed stump demon territory." (Veteran 2)

"If a battle occurs between them here, your best bet is to find the nearest exit and run for your life." (Veteran 2)

"When the rat dragon's fire and cursed stump's wood magic clash, a cave-in isn't all that unusual." (Veteran 2)

Whilst the veterans explained us the territory dynamics of the demons on the first layer, we finally arrived at another unexpected scene.

"…" (Everyone)
All the veterans were speechless again.

"What the hell happened here?" (Veteran group leader)

The scene we happened upon, were the corpses of 2 large demon lizards skewered on wooden spikes and bound by roots in an odd way.

"Why is that one smirking…?" (Veteran 2)

"These are rat dragons right?" (Rookie)

"Yeah, these are good samples of your average rat dragon. But what happened to these is everything but average." (Veteran 2)

The way they've been constrained… it almost looks like… it's meant to be erotic-

"Could this be… an effigy?" (Veteran group leader)
Huh?

"Perhaps I was wrong about the third layer dungeon break…" (Veteran group leader)

"A disaster might've been born within the cursed stump population." (Veteran group leader)

"…That could be worse depending on the mutation it ends up with." (Veteran 2)

"Yeah." (Veteran group leader)

"What do you mean?" (Other rookie)

"Well, a dungeon break we can potentially handle or stall. It's just some monsters from the lower layers going wild and trying to escape after all." (Veteran 2)

"But a disaster being born… that kind of thing isn't something us humans can fight against." (Veteran 2)

*Gulp* (Rookie)

"For example, a neutral blob from the first layer ordinarily just has the innate mental ability to numb your emotions when you touch it." (Veteran 2)

"But a neutral blob disaster can mutate with the ability to remove your positive emotions permanently." (Veteran 2)

"Your will to live would be lost for good with even so much as an accidental touch." (Veteran group leader)

The veteran group leader interjected solemnly.

I got the chills when the veteran delver revealed why everyone has been so on edge since the mention of a disaster.

"T- then what would a cursed stump disaster b- be like?" (Rookie)

"There are no known or documented sightings of one. But I suppose this is what it would look like." (Veteran 2)

The veteran pointed behind him to the 2 rat lizard corpses that had been penetrated by large sturdy wooden spikes.
They mercilessly went straight through their anuses. 

*Gulp*

M- maybe being a cave delver isn't worth it after all…

"Let's wait for back up here whilst we send a scout up ahead." (Veteran group leader)

"You three dismantle those 2 rat dragons! Rookies, go help them out." (Veteran group leader)

"Yes sir!" (Both rookies)

◇◆◇

 

Even now we still haven't seen a single demon.
By now they should've begun reappearing from the spawning holes-

"Who's there! Identify yourself!" (Veteran group leader)

"Gya ha ha ha! Calm down, the back up's here you old coot!" (Ben)

"Ben and Cynthia! You made it!" (Veteran group leader)

The two guild leaders really came… I've never seen them before in person.
Their gear looks crazy powerful. Where do you even get that kind of stuff?

Just how bad is a disaster if a dungeon break was already enough to get both the guild leaders here…

"Hmmm? What's got you rowdy bunch so quiet? You all look rather worried for just a third layer cavern break?" (Ben)

"Ben look over there." (Cynthia)
Cynthia points at the corpses of the rat dragons that we've nearly finished stripping.

"Is that a high-level wood magic spell?" (Ben)

"No. Wood magic has no spell this powerful." (Cynthia)

"There are no magicians alive with higher-level wood magic than me either. So this is something else." (Cynthia)

"…" (Ben)
Ben looks at the veteran group leader.

"We're thinking we might have a disaster on our hands here. " (Veteran group leader)

Just as the leader finished saying that-

"I- IT'S A D- DISASTER!!" (Veteran scout)
The scout came running back to our group.

A tremor began gradually worsening as if something large was approaching.

"ROOKIES! FALL BACK!" (Veteran group leader)

"INCOMING!" (Veteran 2)

All the veterans get into a battle formation whilst we're being hurried towards the entrance we came out of.

Just as we're about to exit the cavern opening we're in, I get a glimpse of it.

An enormous terrifying monstrosity.

"I- IT'S AN ACTUAL D- DISASTER!" (Random veteran)

"*Tsk* It's one of the worst ones to fight with a crowd as well, everyone spread out!" (Ben)

"Get behind me!" (Cynthia)
Cynthia casts some sort of defensive barrier, separating us from the veterans and the demon that just arrived.

The creature barely fit in the room we were inside.
It had to hunch over a bit just to avoid hitting the ceiling with its head.

An enormous lanky rodent with dark skin stood there looming over the veterans.

For some reason, it didn't look as menacing as it should've.
Its eyes seemed to look… concerned? It looked like it was trying to find the nearest exit.

"Haha… this will be a battle to remember-" (Ben)

"Leader! Look at its claw!" (Veteran 2)

Out of morbid curiosity, I also glanced over just before exiting the room.

Stuck to its claw was some weird material I didn't recognise.
Looks like a bag filled with hay or something?

"…You've got some guts ripping up my property you damned overgrown rodent." (Ben)

The guild leader hit the two expensive-looking knuckle dusters he was wearing together and got in a battle stance.

A crack filled with lava opened up in the floor and started spewing balls of magma at the huge demon. 

The demon disaster spits out some sort of poisonous looking fog, but guild leader Cynthia used wind magic to trap it all inside a ball.

She simultaneously pointed her hand in our direction.

"Go report to the city guard that a second layer disaster has appeared!" (Cynthia)

After she finished commanding us, she used another type of wind magic that blew a powerful gust of wind through the cavern in our direction.

We all turned around and began running in the direction the wind was blowing.

With the wind pushing us in the back, we made it back outside in just a few minutes!
All the other younger delvers seemed just as distraught as I was. 

Confused, the guard at the entrance of the cavern looked at us. 

"Hmmm? What's got you kids in such a hurry?" (Isaac)

"A- a- a second layer disaster has appeared!" (Other rookie)

 

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