The rest of the guild managed to arrive at the dungeon early in the morning. All the adventurer trainees were forced to go to sleep.
The B and A ranked adventurers were looking over them.
But there were two who could not sleep.
"Dimitri didn't send us any messages," Nikola told Jean, who was staring at the sky above.
"Neither had Jack," Jean said, as he ran a hand through his grimy hair.
"Do you think that a song will solve this problem?" Nikola asked, as he tried to think about all the ways things could go wrong.
Jean opened his mouth to respond, only to hear a strange giggle coming from the dungeon.
"I think that the Bogarts got tired of luring us into the cave," Jean murmured, as he stood up.
He had a knife in his hand.
"Wait! The rest of the guild…!" Nikola began, only for Jean to wave him off.
"Forget about the guild! Jack and Dimitri are in there!" Jean rushed inside.
Nikola looked around. No one was paying him any attention. He got up, took his flute and a branch from the ground, and then rushed after Jean.
The two stopped before the mosaic as well.
There were still mana crystals on the ground.
"They were here," Nikola said, as he picked up a mana crystal.
"You know, if we have to kill the Bogarts, we will have to make sure that they can't haunt us afterward," Jean told him, giving him a pointed look.
"You mean, I need to eat their souls?" Nikola asked.
Jean nodded.
Nikola nodded, but his face was all scrunched up.
Even so, there was nothing to be done.
The two stepped through the mosaic when it opened. Going down the fiery halls. The very same ones, through which Dimitri and his party had gone.
Nikola took his flute and began to play the mournful melody he had learned from the other songweavers.
It was like the meows of a dying cat. The whimpers of a lost puppy.
The screeching came soon after.
They heard thundering steps.
"This is just a Bogart," Nikola said, as he tried to calm himself down. "Everything here is an illusion."
The constant chuckling which had followed them into the corridors stopped.
Only to be replaced by a roar.
"I think you insulted them," Jean said, taking out another knife. They didn't have a tank or a healer.
It was just him and Nikola up against the monster.
A giant foot showed itself in the dimly lit corridor. It was hairy, and the nails looked black.
Nikola took a deep breath. Then he began to buff Jean.
The blonde vampire took a step forward. His hands were shaking. If this was no illusion, then they were up against a giant!
He still threw the knife at the being's ankle. Trying to topple it down.
Nikola saw as a trickle of blood fell from the giant's foot.
This was real, he realized with mounting horror. This was no illusion.
He took the branch he had gotten from outside, stopping with the melody.
Jean nodded at him.
They charged.
The giant roared. Trying to get the knife out of its foot.
The two began to try to trip it up. To force it on the ground where its neck would be exposed.
One giant foot rose in the air.
Nikola had to jump to the side to not get stepped on.
Jean weaved between the feet, cutting through flesh. Hoping he could find a vein.
When the blood began to pour down, Jean began to slash at toes.
Nikola stood up, taking deep breaths.
He needed a solution! He pulled the system's screen, typing his question franticly.
"Oi, hold your horses," the system roared, as it gave him result after result. "Just bite down, take hold of the soul, and eat! Do you know how late it is now?"
It was a simple solution. Nikola rushed towards one slashed toe, prayed to God that the giant does not catapult him to the ceiling, and then a bit down.
The giant roared.
Just as it was about to swat Nikola away, Jean threw two knives at the being's hand and hit the pressure points!
The arm began to hang uselessly.
Nikola had never eaten a soul more vile. He tried to chew through the soul, only to want to gag.
Just the thought that Dimitri was in here, somewhere, with nothing to help him, forced him to gulp the vile soul.
The giant's soul was too big. He tore chunk after chunk. Trying to get it in the air.
"Title Unlocked: The Fiend!
As the Fiend, you can use all your mana to destroy a soul. The title was given to you because you are eating the soul of a still living being! Use wisely!"
"Man," Nikola blinked, when he heard Tangra's voice in his ear once more. "Did you think you can free yourself from me this easily? I will make your life a living hell, with or without a system. I placed a giant before you this time! Next, I will throw a dragon at you! Just you wait!"
Nikola gritted his teeth together, using the mana from the moss growing on the walls to send a burst of energy at the giant.
The being let out a whimper.
The moss lost its color.
Soon they were bathed in mincemeat.
"You!" Nikola roared, as he tried to pinpoint from where the deity was speaking. "Will leave my family be, or so help me, your soul will end up down my gullet!"
He heard a chuckle.
Nikola looked at Jean, who was trying to get the gore out of his hair.
The war was on. The world was in danger.
Tangra had to go.
Nikola looked around. There was a door on the wall to the right.
He opened it, leaving the branch in the way. The missing adventurers were all there. Huddled for warmth.
Nikola cursed again, rushing towards Dimitri, who was using Jack's shoulder as a pillow. Looking so, as if he will never wake.
Nikola didn't pray often. He was a cursed soul-eater.
But this time, he took hold of his crucifix and said a prayer.
Hoping that the Leshy and Tangra were wrong, and God was not deaf to his plea.