'It evolved' Kishio's eyes widened in shock and surprise, of all probabilities he had thought of, he could have never expected an evolution from the boom bug.
Dead beings weren't supposed to evolve were they?…His confusion grew, why was his different.
The marking on his wrist now read 'E rank boom bugs 76, D rank boom bugs 180, C rank boom bugs 1'.
"What was that explosion?" Sasha's question caused Kishio to halt his thought process.
The group was equally confused, especially Kizo. He was certain he had sensed about a dozen silver ghosts approaching from both sides, but after the explosion on his side all the silver ghosts on his side disappeared.
"You all should wait here, let me go check it out" Kizo said to the group, none refuting his suggestion, after all he was the leader and strongest of the group.
Kizo went ahead to scout, after a while he returned shaking his head.
"Nothing," Kizo said, he hadn't spotted anything upon scouting, not even crystals.
"Mmm" Yash grunted while giving Kishio a suspicious look, he didn't trust him.
"Let's move ahead, clear the dungeon and get the hell out of here" Kizo said, sneaking Kishio a suspicious, but grateful look.
As a calculative team leader, he knew his teammates' capabilities, hence he suspected Kishio had played a part in the extinction of the silver ghosts, but what confused him was that there were no crystals there and the large scorch mark on the floor.
Kishio had been with them from the start so there was no way he could have picked them up without anyone noticing, Kizo brushed the thoughts away from his mind,he needed to stay focused if he was going to lead the team right.
"Let's go." Kizo said as he continued walking forward carefully.
'He couldn't have sensed the boom bugs, could he?' Kishio wondered internally, he noticed Kizo's gaze, he guessed Kizo was suspecting him, but he was wondering if he could have sensed the bugs.
The boom bugs were dead, their presence should be even harder to detect, he shook the thoughts off, Kizo couldn't have noticed them.
The group continued forward encountering silver ghosts once in a while, but none too difficult to handle or as much as the second batch they encountered, with each group of silver ghosts the team killed, the more furious looks Kishio received.
"Hey! What is it with this guy?" The huge man wielding the huge axe, Yash, complained, his anger seemed to have reached its peak.
"Why are you with the team if you can't even do a thing…" no one spoke up against Yash as his words seemed to carry the gravity of reality and truth, even Kizo remained silent, he suspected Kishio had played a part in the explosion back at the second batch but he had no real evidence.
Yash was about to open his mouth again when a loud rumbling noise caused the group to fall silent.
–Rumble–
The entire place quaked heavily as if an earthquake was occuring, immediately after the rumble, faint ghost noises could be heard, a wave of silver ghosts were approaching.
"Get ready guys, it's a head on wave of silver ghosts. After this wave we might encounter the dungeon boss, it's trying to wear us down" Kizo shouted, his index finger of his right hand detached transforming into a long silver sword as he also prepared for the incoming onslaught.
E rank dungeons rarely had waves, with how far they had gone and the sudden wave, it must mean they were close to the dungeon boss, the wave might be the dungeon boss' final attempt to get them.
The team prepared their formation, Kizo and Yash stood at the frontlines, Lisse, Sasha and Kishio behind.
"Ninety silver ghosts," Kishio muttered loud enough for the team to hear, they all frowned on hearing his words, they had no idea if he was right, but his words were discouraging enough.
Kizo was the one with the biggest frown, he knew his team couldn't go up against such a wave and immediately fight the dungeon boss.
A tide of ghosts approaching, hollow wails and glowing eyes, figures moving beyond the shadows, shrieking with hunger for flesh.
The ghost noises drew nearer as multiple silver ghosts came into sight.
Kizo gripped his weapon tightly as he muttered "Lisse, me me through." He paused before saying "Silver essence" Kizo's silver sword began pulsating with a low glow.
Lisse on cue lifted the white veil covering her face by a bit, Kishio gazed at the light skinned beauty curious on what she wanted to do, her face appeared almost expressionless, but it only seemed to make her more pretty, oval face, short white hair, angel-like eyes…Lisse's eyes suddenly began to glow pure white.
"Kishio! Don't look in her…" Kishio heard Sasha shout, but it was too late, from Lisse's eyes a bright light shone seemingly illuminating the entire world for a second.
Kishio staggered or so he thought before coming to the realization…He couldn't move.
"Hurry, kill as many of them as possible, he'll be free in a few minutes" Lisse said urging the team, her voice light and a bit weak.
Kizo and Yash had already dashed forward into the hordes claiming as many lives as possible, for Kizo it was because of his rank advantage and weapon, anywhere he moved the heads of the paralysed silver ghosts rolled.
His pulsating sword seemed to beat more as the aura around the sword increased like the sword was gathering energy.
As for Yash, with his axe although slower, he dealt major damage to the silver ghosts with his brute strength, striking their heads and causing it to burst open.
Even Sasha got busy with a bow and arrow in her possession, her arrows hitting through the paralysed ghosts head with clear precision.
Lisse on the other hand remained by Kishio's side with a small dagger in hand.
Kishio looked at the girl standing as a guard for him, he felt her ability was very useful especially in dungeon raids, a strange surge of energy pulsated with him and the hold of Lisse's ability on him faded away, he smiled internally thanking Uragami in his mind, but still maintained a farce by remaining still observe the team try their best to clear the silver ghosts.
"How much more time do they have?" Kishio asked Lisse beside him lightly.
Lisse suddenly turned to face Kishio, although there was a white veil over her face, her reaction indicated she was surprised, "Not much…right about now."
As Lisse said, a low wailing noise came from some of the silver ghosts as they began to move, Yash had already begun to fall back slowly to prevent being encircled by the dungeon beasts.
"Release!" Kizo yelled stabbing his sword into the floor, all the built up energy and aura around his sword shot out in different directions, the sheer force obliterating the body of the nearby silver ghosts. He immediately fell back after using the skill.
"Fine, I've decided…" Kishio said aloud causing the entire team to look at him, looks of annoyance and confusion, anger and tiredness.
"You guys go, I'll handle the rest. Worry about staying alive."
Sasha blinked twice in surprise, realizing how serious Kishio was.
Yash scoffed tightening his grip on his axe prepared to continue his battle as he commented "What's he gonna do, ask them to give up their lives willing"
Lisse narrowed her eyes behind her veil, complex emotions swirling within
Kizo paused, his lips parting slightly. "Finally".