Running through half the desert was exhausting.
They didn't keep running just to avoid becoming bait for that group of hunters, but because, as they ran, several profane larvae came out of the ground and started chasing them.
Honestly, they didn't want to face an entire group of those worms, so they chose to run until they reached the entrance stairs to floor 3.
"Do you think they died?" Catharina asked rhetorically.
"Well, it's likely so." Luan said, catching his breath: "If not all, at least some of them."
"Oh..."
She stopped talking about that subject as they walked up the stairs.
With the cart, they had to go one behind and the other pulling from the front.
Although the steps were long, it was still better for both to work together, otherwise the cart would suffer a lot of impact, and it wouldn't last long enough.
At the beginning of floor 3, before taking a step forward, Luan said: "Let's stay here and rest a bit."
"Alright." She agreed.
Resting wasn't the only reason for taking a break.
He also picked up the arrows used earlier, and remade the tips with wool.
Although he had brought many arrows, it was never too much.
...
Unlike the desert, floor 3 was a huge labyrinth.
It was easy to get lost if you didn't have knowledge or a map.
There were markings made on the labyrinth walls, and there were torches lighting the path.
The ceiling itself was like that of a dungeon, giving a more dangerous feeling, with drops of water falling from the ceiling, dripping into a puddle, echoing through the labyrinth.
*GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!*
Amid the almost deafening silence, a dreadful scream echoed over and over again.
"What is that?" Catharina went on guard.
"It must have been a scream from a Nightmare..." Luan replied with a touch of uncertainty, since he had never heard this creature's scream before.
But, he had to say... It was dreadful.
Pulling the cart, Luan warned: "Let's go, but don't lower your guard!"
"Mhm." She gave a slight nod in agreement.
*Flap-flap~!*
"What?"
Luan looked, and said: "They're just bats..."
"Oh..."
They were very tense, and cautious.
But it made sense.
This was a floor with creatures of the same level as them. It was something that needed to be taken seriously. Not to mention the suspenseful atmosphere that this labyrinth created on its own.
*Stomp, Stomp, Stomp...*
Luan made a stop signal with his hand.
Even without his warning Catharina had stopped as well.
Coming out of a corridor, something tall, fat and wine-red furry appeared.
From the wine-red fur, dozens of eyes opened!
Then the creature turned toward them.
*PLOP-PLOP*
Like something that had been closed for a long time, opening with difficulty as if it had glue, the mouth on its stomach opened.
The tongue came out of the mouth.
It was simply very grotesque and terrifying...
From the nose that occupied the top of what should have been the creature's face, hot smoke came out like a bull preparing to charge.
The enormous hands had fingers like claws, large and thick nails.
When it was described that this creature was covered in eyes, they weren't joking... It literally had eyes all over its body.
From the teeth that were the size of a palm, a viscous slime dripped.
The creature's tongue squirmed disgustingly in its open mouth.
Leaning the upper part of its body forward, the creature screamed.
*GAAAAAAAAAAAHH!*
As if in a sea being struck by a great wave, Luan felt his body being carried away, becoming paralyzed, unable to move.
*PLOP-PLOP- PLOP-PLOP!*
After the scream, the Nightmare ran in heavy steps toward them.
"Shit! Move!" Luan shouts.
"Stop!" Catharina suddenly shouts.
At the same time she shouted, a change was happening in her body, as a total of 3 fox tails appeared, her hands transforming into claws, and especially her eyes turning red.
As if there was a delay, the creature stopped while endless smoke came out of its large nose, desperately trying to move, but it didn't seem able to leave its place.
"I can move..." Luan murmured, looking surprised at Catharina.
"I won't be able to hold it for long... Pull back with the cart." Catharina warned.
"Right!" Without hesitating, he left pulling the cart.
After hiding the cart in another corridor, he grabbed two quivers and their bows.
Upon returning, he threw the quiver and bow to her: "Take it!"
The instant she broke eye contact with the creature, the hypnotic effect was broken.
Taking the bow and quiver, she equipped the quiver, then quickly pulled an arrow.
Before she could shoot the arrow, Luan had fired first.
The arrow whistled through the air, spinning at high speed.
*PLOP!*
With a strong burst, the Nightmare dodged the arrow.
"Quick!" Luan exclaims.
The Nightmare practically turned into a blur with that burst.
*Whoosh!*
Another arrow whistles through the air.
Again the Nightmare stomped the ground with force, to the point the ground trembled a little, dodging the arrow shot by Catharina.
Although he hadn't mastered it... Luan decided to shoot three arrows at the same time.
When the string was pulled, he fired.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
As expected, the arrows didn't go in the desired direction, one went more to the left, the other two to the right.
*GAAAAAAAAAAHHH!*
Bending forward, the creature screamed.
From its scream, sound waves rippled through the air, hitting the arrows, weakening them.
Even when one of the arrows hit the creature, it simply struck like a paper airplane, falling to the ground right after.
Closing her eyes and opening them again, Catharina's eyes had something more red circulating her retina.
Once again, the creature was paralyzed.
Luan's eyes became sharper.
Pulling an arrow, he fired.