_________________________________________________

[Crow point of view]

"So you two will depart together with us?" [Crow]

"We are heading towards the same direction, so why not" [Naoto]

"True, plus, it has been long since I last met with my sister here, not to mention the other two" [Aries]

"Let us dine something nice at Estel, shall we" [Lisa]

"I can't wait for that" [Aries]

I don't have any objections for that, instead, it will be nice if we can accompany them. The dungeon is a long and mysterious place, and one could get bored traveling all alone. As for Saint Louis, sadly, he will head towards different direction.

"Well, before we depart, I thought of visiting that friend of mine one last time" [Crow]

"You mean the one where the butler acts suspicious?" [Lisa]

"Exactly" [Crow]

His father and few of the workers corporate with the prince, and knowing what happen, he can't help but to arrest his own father and now, his family is undergoing trial. I wish nothing but the best for him

While we are walking down the road, a now familiar figure greet us

"Aren't you the guild master that we saved?" [Aries]

"That's correct, and for that, I can't thank you guys enough for it" [Kiserre guild master]

"What's wrong? You look in a hurried" [Naoto]

"Well, remember the underwater lake that the Behemoth Slayer found? There's a report saying that a weird mermaid came out from it" [Kiserre guild master]

"!?" [Other]

_________________________________________________

[Rean point of view]

(Everyone ready?) [Rean]

I said that with a slow and cautious voice. They all reply by nodding their head towards each other

(Right! Let us begin!) [Rean]

With the long distance attacker started to gather their mana, us five brace ourselves and

"Long great light arrow!" [Diana]

Princess Diana leads the charge with her spell, and

~Boom~

~Roar~

Looks like it hit the marks, and soon after, we heard a loud and multiple giant footsteps marching toward us

Just like its name suggest, Rock Apes wear or should I say grew up with a natural rock of various sizes and elements with them. Whether they incorporate it to their body or is in fact, part of their flesh still remains a mystery, but that doesn't change the fact that it add not only to their defense, but also to their attack as the fist is like a rock, and in some cases, literally

"Keep it going!" [Kara]

"Hmpph!" [Muse]

(Haha, this new blessing sure came in handy! I can fire off dozen of spell without even breaking a sweat!) [Zerolith]

"Charge complete!" [Elise]

"Here go" [Charlotte]

With Elise gathering her dark mana into a single spot, it becomes so dense that I could tell that thing is actually heavy, and with Charlotte help, they launch a unison attack. It slow as compared to other attack but

~Hit hard~

""Two down!!"" [Elise, Charlotte]

"Keep it going!" [Diana]

"Mirage user! Now!" [Ray]

""""Right!!!!"""" [Lara, Savel, Lily, Kat]

As per their discussion before, they make an illusion of your typical four group adventure party, with two running away from the battle while another two charge forward. This naturally causes the group of Rock Apes to be divided into two, with one group trying to attack the Illusion charging into them while the other chase after the one running away

"I'll take the one attacking the illusion, Elise, you help me with it!" [Diana]

"Right!" [Elise]

"The rest of you focus on the incoming apes" [Diana]

"""Roger!""" [Muse, Liyana, Zerolith]

The illusion not only serve as a form of distraction, but also as a form of debuff. While Kat only serve to maintain the illusion (as her other magic is still weak), Savel applies ice magic as well, causing frost damage and status to the apes, Lily causing charm and Lara causing multiple status down like attack down etc. She also apply acidic mist to wither any mineral as to further weaken any minerals the apes have

"So they started to realise that this is just an illusion, in which case!" [Zerolith]

Zerolith started to apply blind status to each of his dark arrows. It isn't strong but with that many arrows produce each second, the effect stack up and

~Fall~

"NOW! Charge!" [Ray]

"Understood!" [Other]

The pitfall that we prepare beforehand, there's multiple hazards in it, ranging from spikes to poison ivy, as well as acidic liquid, slippery slopes and not to mention multiple boulder being drop from great height by Singa started to kill each one of them

The Rock Apes counteract by throwing back the boulder into us but

""Deceleration"" [Rean, Nara]

"If it is that slow!" [Kadeus]

With a single swing from his powerful upper body strength, Kadeus smash that boulder into pieces. 

"I can just redirect back the attack!" [Karon]

"Shoot some of it to me! I'll teleport it straight away!" [Singa]

"Great idea!" [Karon]

Singa open up a short distance teleportation portal right in front of him, connected toward the pit, while Karon shoot boulder magic into it, causing a direct hit toward the Rock Apes below

"Stupid apes! If it is like this, I will have no job!" [Mara]

"Don't say that, be grateful that our plan is working" [Ray]

"I know I know, guess, I'll just throw a wind and thunder magic into the pit as well" [Mara]

And Mara here jinx it, one of the apes jump straight out of the pit, covered by multiple rocks which fit rather unnaturally for it

(Did it just rip others apes minerals and applies it as its own armor?) [Rean]

That seems to be the case, as it quickly detaches one of it before throwing it effortlessly toward the mage group

"Singa! Use teleportation on me!" [Rean]

"Got it!" [Singa]

As per my instructions, Singa quickly teleport me right in front of the large heavy mineral.

(Concentrate. Apply a steady mana into your sword, and...) [Rean]

"HAAA!" [Rean]

Combining my fire and dark magic, I make multiple slash with my katana, which not only destroy the mineral, but also serve as an attack the are directed toward the ape. Again, true to it name, it uses earth magic to make a wall but

"Too weak!" [Rean]

That ape should at least make multiple earth wall or make one high quality one. That ape deserves my attack for looking down at it

"Take this!" [Kadeus]

"I'll help!" [Ray]

The two started to attack the ape, and 

"It down!" [Ray]

"Tchh! There's another one! Nara, let us go!" [Mara]

"Right!" [Nara]

Mara and Nara start to charge toward the escaping ape, with Mara with her high agility takes the lead. She carefully maneuver herself and start to attack with her wind imbued knives, aiming at the joint, slowly killing it, and as for Nara

"!" [Other]

Nara charges straight into the ape neck, and slice the front part of the neck, not enough to even decapitate half of it, but blood start oozing out before

~Fall~

That was closed. Shall he not use any buff to himself and debuff the ape just to be on safer side, he would certainly get hit by the ape. Plus

(Not only he can absorb Brother Ash mana, but that almost look like Brother Ash skill) [Rean]

With this, we are nearly finish

"Ice missiles shark" [Charlotte]

"And we are done" [Muse]

"She effortlessly copy Ash" [Diana]

Guess we did it! 

~From afar~

"Sigh... guess I am being overprotective here" [Ash]

"True, and they're holding way better than I thought" [Khamishah]

"I should go and see their condition" [Qis]

"If you and those hidden guards go, I'll attack the princess" [Mahsuri]

"Let us not do that, shall we" [Ash]