At the end Elayne learned more from Rose than Rose learned from her. Apparently she just loved talking about herself and ended telling her about her past, her upbringing, her growth, and even about the Vatican, monsters around the world, and the other "Supernatural" people out there.
They were composed not only of people capable of wielding magic, but there were also supernatural bloodlines with powers that were like magic but worked beyond such constraints. Families of hidden superhumans that competed against one another for territory and riches, while also hunting down the monsters, which had always existed in the world, apparently.
Although on very few and smaller quantities than now. Old monsters were rare, at most there would be at least three or five big monsters per area, unlike the hundreds of monsters that may now exist within areas of the world as the days keep going after the First Contact.
Monsters seemed to have been seen as "cryptids" in a way, and just hunting one was a lot of money for these supernatural agencies, so they competed for hunting these monsters for precious materials and the like.
However, now that monsters were just appearing everywhere, they started to panic. The agencies couldn't keep these people awakening powers nor monsters existing everywhere now a secret for much longer. And this Gate that had opened just now may end up creating a domino effect where these things will be revealed to the public.
"We've been hunting monsters since the week began." Elayne said. "We've been finding them around the forest the most. The stronger and bigger animals out there have the highest chances to mutate into monsters, it seems. Today in the morning we faced the biggest amount of monsters, and also Hollows who have been mutating into bigger and more aggressive forms."
"Phew, you're life savers then." Sighed Rose. "Seriously, thanks a lot. It took more than we expected to get here because one of our friends wanted to go on foot instead of using a car… So we had to follow the thing you call Phantasmos through foot all this time. Maybe we could had arrived earlier in car…"
"Y-Yeah… I guess." Elayne nodded. "It has been rather hard. And now this? I wonder if my friends are truly well, and yours of course. If possible, I feel like we should finish this as soon as possible. If we can kill the Boss of this Dungeon, it might collapse."
"Hoh, you have quite an interesting theory. And that's Phantasmos, isn't it?" Rose wondered.
"Yep." Elayne nodded. "I can feel his presence within this dungeon's depths. He's hiding and just waiting for us to get eaten by the monsters inside this Dungeon. Also, my Spirit is telling me that the monsters might begin coming out of the Dungeon's Gate if we take too long, we need to hurry."
"Interesting, this sounds a lot like a web novel I once read, if all of that is really like that, then we're up for one hell of a speed run." Sighed Rose. "Well, let's run then- Ungh…!"
However, before the energetic Rose could get to rush through the dungeon with Elayne. She suddenly fell to her knees, gasping for air.
"Oof… Ahhh, I am tired."
"Eh?! But aren't you a Dhampir?"
"I am, that means I have only half of a vampire's powers in exchange for not having most of their weakness. However, I still have some of them. I haven't drank fresh blood in almost a week. And all of my blood packs I was carrying are gone after we got sucked here…"
"Blood?"
Elayne seemed worried about Rose. Despite being very old, she was young-looking, and she kind of reminded her of her own daughter. Her motherly instincts very quickly took over her emotions.
"Alright then, will this work?" Elayne wondered, suddenly cutting her wrist, as a shiny red blood began pouring out.
"W-What?! Isn't that dangerous?!" Rose panicked, although her blue eyes slowly turned red and she started drooling over the smell of the fresh blood, so rich in nutrients and mana.
"Don't worry, I am not exactly a normal human." Elayne said. "Here, drink as much as you need."
"E-Elayne…" Rose blushed a bit, suddenly grabbing her wrist and beginning to lick it.
It hut a little bit, but something in Rose's saliva made the pain go away very quickly, like a numbing chemical that some bloodsucking animals had.
"Hmmm~ Ahhh~ So sweet…" Rose blushed more, quickly getting slightly excited and jumping over Elayne.
"Uwaah! W-What are you doing?!" Elayne was surprised.
"M-More…! MORE!" Rose continued sucking her wrist while using her legs to lock Elayne on place.
"T-This is a bit lewd…" Elayne said while feeling slightly off. "Take this!"
BONK!
Elayne bonked the head of Rose, as Rose quickly snapped back to her normal self, shocked.
"A-Ah! W-What was I doing?! S-Sorry about that! Your blood was so sweet and flavorful…" She sighed.
"I-I can tell you liked it. My blood is special. Let's say I am something like… a half-spirit? Look." Elayne showcased her regeneration powers, as her wound was healed in a mere instant by her own flesh and skin which turned into roots, branches, and bark. Even a tiny flower grew where it was.
"Huh?! T-That's… not even Master Druids are capable of such advanced Polymorphing!" Said Rose. "Then again, the blood I drank was so rich, I feel filled with energy. Alright, as an apology I'll bring you there myself! Show me the way."
FLUOSH!
Suddenly, Rose's entire Blood Aura shapeshifted into a giant wolf-like beast made of red blood, which quickly let Rose and Elayne ride its back.
"WOOF!"
"This is my Familiar, I called him Crimson. He lives inside of my Blood." Said Rose with a smile, petting her giant Crimson Wolf.
"W-Woah…" Elayne felt amazed. "Well, I'll show you the way then! It is through there! Hurry!"
"Alright!" Rose nodded. "Crimson, go!"
"WOOOF!"
Crimson started rushing through the dungeon at an amazingly fast speed. But only after a few seconds since they began rushing through the dungeon, a large group of Undead greeted their path.
"Wait! Are those skeletons?!" Elayne asked while panicking.
"Looks like it!" Rose said. "But they're not alone…"
A bigger entity behind the army of skeletons wearing weary armor and weapons emerged from within.
"Welcome to the Labyrinth of the Dead, mortals! I am Gustaf, the Death General of War! Face me!"
It was pretty obvious already that someone as cunning as Phantasmos wouldn't just let them wander around his dungeon easily…
