I Was Reborn as a Daddy in Another World

Descent - Part 5

Val and Katya broke camp early the next day and began their trek toward the level five exit. The journey across the fifth floor would take about twice as long as the prior levels, thanks to the winding paths that took them between impenetrable patches of thick forest.

Apparently, level five had a floor boss that guarded the stairs to the level below, a towering golem made of stone and dirt that sprung from the earth around the end of each month, but it was apparently such a pedestrian encounter, and offered such comparatively valuable items, that it was generally downed within hours of forming. Val had heard of the creature, but wasn't worried, knowing he could just camp out nearby until some wandering guild group came by to take care of it.

Still, they had some distance to cover, so they started early and kept to a fast clip over the course of the morning. They kept to the paths, relying on keeping a consistent pace over the lure of potentially dangerous shortcuts.

They stopped for lunch just inside the treeline, and away from the path, before a wide expanse of undulating open ground. It was nice to see the clear sky after hours on the narrow, tree-lined path.

Val put together a simple meal of hard baked biscuits softened with a tart fruit preserve, layered with cold leftover slices of butterpork loin and a sharp, soft cheese that Val had bought even though he knew he'd have to eat it within the first few days of his journey.

Katya looked on covetously as Val put the final touches on the food.

He handed her the plate, watching with satisfaction as she took her first enormous bite, then started on his own meal. As he ate, he looked out over the field, watching the clouds cast shadows on the grass as they floated above.

He was only half way through his meal when he noticed a small group break from the trees on the opposite side. There were about ten of them, running and carrying one another in an apparent panic. They were armoured for combat, and a number of them had their weapons drawn.

Katya suddenly appeared beside him.

"What's going on down there?" she asked.

"No idea," Val responded, concern apparent in his voice.

The group were still moving at a full sprint, at least those that weren't limping, despite having well and truly cleared the forest. Val looked behind them for any sign of pursuit, but couldn't see anything.

"It -"

Val had barely uttered a word when the treeline behind the group exploded outward, shredding entire trees and launching splintered branches high into the air. Out of the chaos ran a giant bull, easily the size of a semi-trailer, with wicked iron horns that glinted in the sunlight.

The bull stopped in the clear space, snorting and scanning the area. Val could see that its face and haunches were criss-crossed with fresh wounds, bloodied, blackened and peppered with arrows. But the damage looked superficial, and the bull wasn't moving like it was injured.

"Holy hell," Val uttered, "What is that thing?"

"The dire bull," came Katya's response, her voice hungry.

Val looked over at her, seeing the avaricious look on her face.

"The..." he trailed off, "As in, -"

"The floor boss from level twenty, yeah," Katya interrupted, "It must have tailed them back up here."

"It chased them fifteen floors?" Val said, horrified.

"They must have really ticked it off," Katya replied.

The bull caught sight of the fleeing group and bellowed with rage, picking up the chase and, now in the open, closing the distance rapidly.

"What do we do?" Val asked.