The break lasted about 10 minutes. Once it was over they went over the drops from the Cabbits. The small ones dropped some teeth, an eye, and a heart. While the Large Cabbit dropped a Cabbit Horn and a Large Cabbit Pelt.

  “Ewww, why do the hearts have to be all squishy, and stuff?” Tina asked. She had the heart in her hands and was palming it back and forth.

  “I think that’s the best part,” Gem said in her quiet voice. Whatever it was about combat that got her going left as quickly as it appeared.

  Richard took a moment to touch the drops that he hadn’t seen yet. The Cabbit Eye, Cabbit Horn and large Cabbit Pelt. He wanted to ask the others how they figured out if a drop was good for their crafting skill or not. But thought better of it. Revealing too much was always a risk. Even if they were guild members, there was always a chance. And it was better to trust in small steps.

  They continued on with the second floor. Dealing with the Cabbit packs as they came and even another Large Cabbit. The second time all three of the smaller Cabbits appeared at once. And Richard was tasked with taking one down by himself. Since he was ready for the Cabbit, fighting it was much easier. Though he was still slower than the others. And by the time that he was done Brock had already finished off the Large Cabbit with his water magic.

  The Large Cabbit dropped a Large Cabbit Heart as well as a second horn. Richard took the chance to inspect the large heart. The others would often check out the drops as well, so his interest wasn’t something that should have been out of place. Only he caught Gem watching him as he held the heart.

  “Are, are you done with that?” She asked as she stepped closer. Her voice just as low as normal.

  Her sudden approach caused Richard to be somewhat wary. But in the end all she wanted was to play with the large heart. It was big enough that she needed both hands to hold it. And she would toss it back and forth like it was a heavy water balloon. Brock had to all but wrestle it from her hands in order to get the party on the move again.

  “Alright. This is a first for who? Going to the third floor that is. I know Richard, who else?” Brock asked once they reached the stairs down. Mumford and Gem also raised their hands. “While I’d like to let you experience it for yourself, the next floor is twilight. And the fourth floor is full on night. Which is something beyond today’s exploration. We’ll have some light sources, but otherwise everyone will need to keep an eye out.

  “There will be a Large Cabbit or two, just without the smaller ones. But there will also be Umbra Cabbits. They roam around and will attack us when they find us. Which is fine if we are ready for it. Only they also attack when a party is fighting the Large Cabbits. So we’ll need to be on guard for that as well. Call out anything if you see it, and worse case try to block. It’s better to take a hit you're ready for then letting someone else get caught flat footed.” He turned and nodded to Richard.

  They went over the strategy for the next floor. Since Gem was their tank she would try to get the aggro on the current enemy. Be it a Large Cabbit or an Umbra. Then if any at time should another Umbra appear Mumford or Tina would run interference with it. While everyone tried to focus down the one Gem wasn’t tanking. It was a somewhat simple strategy, but they were limited in what they could do being that there were only 5 of them.

  Once on the third floor everyone aside from Brock stepped forward and cleared the area around the stairs. Brock had produced a small lantern that provided them with just enough light. A chorus of clear came out from everyone once they confirmed the area was safe. Then they circled Brock again and headed deeper into the floor.

  Richard was surprised at how the levels of the Cabbit Dungeon changed. His current point was the deepest that he had gone inside of a dungeon. It made him wonder what the 3rd floors would be like in the other dungeons? He wasn’t really in the right frame of mine to really pay attention to the 3rd level of the Beetle Dungeon. One day he would have to go back.

  There was a rustle at the edge of the grass near Mumford. He called it out and everyone turned towards the source of the noise and waited. Only after several moments there was no more noise and nothing came forward.

  “It might have been something leaving, or an Umbra finding us,” Brock said. “We’ll need to be careful. They had been reported to have higher intelligence than the other Cabbits. And there is a chance that it might wait to ambush us.”

  They continued to move forward, slowly at first, and then faster as it seemed like the noise from before was nothing.

  Tina called out at the same time a Large Cabbit lumbered into view. Gem didn’t waste any time taunting the beast and she pulled it to her.

  Richard went for one of the side flanks with Tina, while Mumford took the other. His first attack landed on the trunk of the Cabbit and it grunted at the blow, but otherwise didn't react as Gem was already in its face. From behind Brock started chanting an aria as he started casting a spell.

  From the otherside Richard could hear Mumford’s punches landing on Cabbit. While Tina would step in and poke a hole into the Cabbit’s hide at times. Every time the Cabbit tried to turn to another target Gem was there bashing away. Her attacks pelted at the Cabbit’s nose and eyes, which caused it to flinch and focus on her instead of anyone else.

  The dim floor was lit up for a moment as the spell Brock was completed. A beam of what looked to be pure water magic flew in between Gem and Mumford and speared right through the large Cabbit. It slumped to the side and started fading.

  “Stay on guard,” Brock said. Tina was already facing away from the party while the others had started to relax. “Now is one of the times when an Umbra might attack. This is a floor where we no longer have the upper hand. Which it is important to remember.”

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  Richard snapped to attention and took up a guarded posture next to Tina. After a moment of tension nothing happened. There was no noise, no monster appearing, everything seemed to be fine.

  It took another moment before Brock called for a break. Everyone checked their weapons and gear to make sure that they were still battle ready. And then they checked the drops. Another pelt and some Large Cabbit Teeth.

  Richard was happy with the rhythm that they had going. While he wasn’t the most helpful of everyone, he was pulling some weight at least. He was also learning a lot. Now that he knew about the lantern it was something that he could buy and carry with him next time. Searching the floor after leaving the stairs was another thing that he never bothered to do. But now he moved with the others, checking for any threats that might be waiting in ambush.

  They seemed like such simple things. But he had never thought of them before. Looking to the more experienced explorers should have been something that he started out with. He really just kind of muddled his way so far. And now that he knew how he was lacking he would be able to improve and push past the limits of yesterday.

  The next rustle in the grass brought with it nothing. At least, that was what Richard had thought at first. The party looked around for the source of the noise. There was a spot where the grass seemed to part, only he couldn’t see anything moving it.

  “Umbra!” Brock yelled. He pointed where Richard was already looking on the other side of Mumford. He quickly brought his gauntlets up in front of himself and dug his feet in. Gem turned to try to intercept only a blur had already shot from the grass and hit Mumford.

  The impact caused Mumford to grunt as his feet slid back on the grass. There, pushing against his gauntlets, was a dusk colored Cabbit that stood around 5 feet tall. Both of its forward paws had sharp looking claws that extended past Mumford’s gauntlets. Its mouth was wide open and snapping at his face or clacking off of his gauntlets. Inside the Umbra’s mouth were two buck tooth razors, one top and one bottom. Mumford’s arms trembled as he tried to push the Umbra away, only it seemed like a battle that he would lose.

  Gem was there before Mumford fell under the assault of the Umbra. She yelled at the Cabbit, “Come on you shitty shit!” and her mace sounded heavy as she stuck it in the back. The Umbra recoiled from her attack and turned towards Gem. Then it opened its mouth wide and a horrid scream sent chills down Richard’s spine.

  Brock moved forward to stand behind Gem while Mumford stumbled as he backed off. Before Richard was able to take more than a step forward Tina yelled, “Second umbra!” and she took up a defensive position on the other side of Brock. Richard’s head snapped to where she was pointing. And he found a second Umbra standing with its claws fully extended and couched down as it was gathering energy in its legs. It was looking back and forth between the party members.

  “That’s less than ideal,” Brock said as he turned to the newcomer. “Gem, can you handle that one for now?”

  “Handle? I’ll more than handle it!” She grunted as she pushed the Umbra backwards. Before it could close with her again she swung her mace, only it was deflected by the Umbras' claws.

  “Alright. Tina and Mumford move to engage the add. Richard look for a lucky shot or two. Try not to pull aggro otherwise it will probably be too much for you,” Brock said and started chanting an aria.

  Tina charged the Umbra before it could pick a target and jump. While Richard followed in close behind. He circled to the side of the Umbra which seemed to bring a sneer from the monster. Just as it was about to attack him Tina’s spear stuck into its side, only the blow was light and didn’t do more than tear the pelt. It was however enough to pull the attention of the Umbra onto her. And she wielded her spear like a quarterstaff to keep the Umbra from getting too close. Tapping away its attacks with one end while trying to sink the spear tip into it.

  Richard tried his best to flank the Umbra from behind, only it would circle around Tina every time he got close. It would have been so much easier if Mumford was there to help. And with a glance Richard found him just standing there, his face pale.

  “Mumford! We need a hand!” Tina yelled.

  Should he go and rouse Mumford? Tina looked like she was losing ground against the Umbra. Richard needed to either land a hit to help out, or go and-

  Gem must have been paying attention, as she pushed the Umbra she was fighting away and kicked Mumford in the behind in the same motion. “Get a move on! If you don’t I’ll feed your ass to the Umbra myself!” She really did become a different person in combat.

  The kick was enough to break Mumford out of his stupor and he jogged towards the Umbra chewing on the half of Tina’s spear. Ricard took the chance and stepped forward with a big swing. It dodged his attack with a quick jump. Only it put itself right into Mumford’s path.

  With a cry Mumford punched the Umbra in the kidneys while his follow up punch landed on its head. Tina brought her spear around and stabbed the wound that she had made earlier. With the pelt broken her spear went much deeper than before.

  Richard wound up and slammed his club onto the leg that was closest to him. It worked on the Walking Mushroom before, and it was no different with the Cabbit. When his attack landed the Umbra squealed as it stumbled and turned to glare at him.

  Brock shouted out and a beam of water shot out from his hands. It was too fast for the Umbra dodge and it pierced into its chest, though not enough to go all of the way. The energy from the skill pushed the Umbra several feet before it collapsed. “Richard, give it a double tap and make sure. Everyone else go and help Gem.”

  Richard stepped forward and raised his club over his head. He would have figured that the spell would have been enough to finish off the Umbra. But he realized that it was still breathing. One of its paws pressed against the hole in its side made by Brock's skill. There was a thud as his club slammed home on the monster's head. The second blow came with a crunch and the umbra spasmed a second before it went limp.

  When he turned to look at how the other combat was going Gem was standing back from the melee and was bleeding from a cut on her cheek. There was blood running down her armor on her right side, and she was trying to put pressure on it with the heel of her hand holding the mace.

  Mumford and Tina had already engaged, and he was landing punch after punch while she was stabbing at the Umbra’s legs. Richard circled around until he found a good chance to attack and he swung downwards at the Umbra’s head. It lightly dodged out of the way. But stumbled as the damage to its legs from Tina had accumulated.

  His next swing connected and Mumford put his shoulder into the Umbra’s chest. The blow was enough to send it to the ground. Knowing what needed to be done Richard finished off the Umbra the same as he did the first.

  Brock stopped his chant and spoke, “Health check, equipment check.”

  Everyone was fine except for Gem who laughed. “Took a bit of damage,” she said, her face a little pale. “Still bleeding a little,” she said as she started to sway back and forth.