Help! I Think We Summoned A Demon King

It’s been three whole painfully excruciating days since the heroes began descending the catacombs of Permafrost.

At first, they thought it would be smooth sailing, but the further down they descend, the more fierce the monsters become, and the more treacherous the landscape is. The temperature was also dropping fast, and were it not for the constant battling, some of them would be shivering at the moment.

All heroes were running on steam at this point, and although they’ve all leveled up quite a lot during this time, they were both physically and mentally drained.

Lily couldn’t even keep up any longer with the amount of healing her fellow heroes required. Since she’s the only healer on the team, they all would have to rest ever so often to allow her to recharge her mana and then heal those injured.

All the heroes looked haggard and drained, and since there was literally no way to call for help other than abandoning the mission to rescue Caleb and Erica, they had to keep going.

Most would have given up at this point... were it not for the literal force of nature in the lead.

Ava would only take short breaks when the heroes insist she does. She looked like a broken, empty shell running on mere fumes at this point. Covered in thick blood of multiple colors and riddled with wounds over her petite form.

"We have to take a break, Ava.." Ariana approached carefully; the present Ava did not seem like the friend she used to know; her entire aura screamed danger even for the monsters of the dungeon. She knew it was still her friend, but she was scared of her at the moment.

Ava’s speed had more than tripled, but it seems that was only the change when it came to her physicality. She is now very fast, but dealing damage doesn’t depend on being fast alone.

A high damage count is needed. So, Ava would have to attack several dozens of times where a normal attack from a high-level warrior would do the trick in one.

This became obvious the further down they went; now they were on the forty-fifth floor, and Ava doesn’t look like she will be slowing down anytime soon, even though she looked to be on her last legs.

Her eyes behind those glasses were unfocused, hollowed out, and a little dazed. Her curly black hair was marred in blood and grime, and the sleek assassin fabric that hugged her form had multiple cuts going through it.

"Soon," Ava muttered absentmindedly, then turned and resumed her advance, and so too did the other heroes, seeing she couldn’t be reasoned with.

They couldn’t let her run straight into her death, knowing the levels of monsters are just getting higher and higher.

Azaria wasn’t sure what to do. She didn’t really care for any of the heroes; if it were up to her, she would leave them all to die. But they couldn’t die.... Yet.

It was Andrew who came up with the brilliant idea to have her do as little as possible because he thought it was very likely that Caleb and Erica might be on one of the lowest floors.

And if that were the case, they needed her at full strength so she could sweep through the remaining floor, which they all would be incapable of clearing at the moment.

It annoyed her greatly just how smart and insightful the boy is; all the more reason why he shouldn’t be allowed to grow any further. But what can she do... such decisions are beyond her control.

Because of the scary emo brat, they’ve all been pulled along for this thankless task. Now, even as they are managing their food reserves, she wondered if it could last them five more days. Because, like Andrew, she believes those two would be on the lower floors, maybe even the last one.

Which would mean they both are definitely already dead. The other heroes must have thought of this as well.

But who amongst them would dare to say that to that mad woman ?.

So they all kept trudging through. And she, Azaria, was now dubbed their final trump card when she wasn’t even the one who caused this situation.

Azaria sighed.

Returning now to request reinforcement from the kingdom, or at least more resources, since they are all basically freezing at this point, with the terrain getting worse as they advance. That still would be a waste of time, and a certain death sentence to those two if by some miracle, they were still alive.

The journey back would be on foot, since there are no horses, and old man Augustus only sends people here; he doesn’t bring them back.

The journey back for the heroes was designed to be yet another adventure for dispatching monsters along the way; they would now be equipped for just that after clearing up to the twenty-fifth floor.

Now they were all the way down on the forty-fifth floor, heading down to the forty-sixth.

All plans have gone to hell. And the heroes, though hanging by a thread, have all advanced in strength tremendously, like the monsters they are; now they were all very close to the Adept realm.

A feat that would have taken any normal person in this world several years to accomplish; they’ve done it in only three days, and they are still growing and will soon reach the Adept realm fully.

’Monsters.’ Azaria cursed in her mind as she followed behind them, easily dispatching an orc warrior that had slipped through their ranks; with a casual swing of her palm, its head dislodged from the neck.

Azaria knew she would have to take over soon.

The heroes were growing increasingly exhausted, and more monsters were slipping through their formation.

Though she hated it, she had to play her part as the kingdom’s night commander.

A role she hated by the way, and fortunately; one she would soon be rid of entirely.