Asimov reacted quickly upon seeing the corpse. He pulled out a scroll of paper and activated a soul-type-enchanted spell called "detect life." At the same time, he also gave orders for us to form a circle until we were sure the creature in the broken cage was dead. When the spell gave no sign, Asimov finally relaxed a bit. He sent the trap experts first before sending the group's Necromancer to check the corpse.
The experts quickly confirmed that there were no traps inside, but we still kept our guard up. Asimov's spell could only check a small area, so there could still be something alive in there. As we split up to explore the lab, I still saw some specimens trapped in glass cases. Some looked like parasites smaller than a palm, others were small lizards of varying appearances. I don't know how some of them are still alive after all this time.
Most of the cages contain only the bones of small creatures; some are broken with no sign of their occupants, and others that are larger have human skeletons, probably test subjects that died of starvation after the death of the Tower Master. What makes me anxious about all this is the stupidity of the tower owner in having so many test subjects on the upper floors. He must have overestimated himself and ended up being killed by one of them. This amount of creatures should be on the lower floors, but if they are here, what could be down there?
The group's Necromancer confirms that the man was killed by some kind of claw that went through his chest. Since it has been a long time, there is no trace of his soul left to discover more details. After analyzing the corpse, we form pairs and spread out to explore if there is anything of value in the laboratory. A warrior in heavy armor and I go to the area where the strange parasites are inside the jars. There is no food inside, but somehow, the creature has been alive for at least 100 years or maybe more. I will ask for one to study them later.
Meanwhile, the captain, the oldest trap expert, and one of the group's wizards went to the room inside the laboratory, where we'll probably find a safe with some loot, as well as the bag and other items from the corpse. As soon as they opened the door to the room, I heard several grunts followed by two bangs. When I looked towards the door, I saw the trap expert flying like a puppet without strings. The leader, Asimov, slid out as if he'd been pushed hard, and the mage jumped into the air and was slowly falling to a safe, distant place.
The man in armor and I reacted quickly. He went to the mage, who was vulnerable while slowly falling using "feather fall," and I took out a healing potion and quickly went to the old man who looked like he'd been hit by a truck. As I gave him the potion, I saw 4 creatures coming out of the room that didn't even look like a room anymore; everything was full of green slime, cocoons, and pieces of dried skin. The four looked like lizard men with huge tails, greenish skin, reptilian faces, and fierce-looking claws. The largest of them is almost 3 meters tall and the other 3 are 2 meters tall each.
As soon as they left the room, the largest one advanced towards Asimov, another went towards the wizard and my armored partner, while the other 2 came towards me and the injured man who was lying next to me. I stood up and drew two pistols, the two shots made their familiar "bang", alerting the other members of the group, and hit the chest of one of the monsters, pushing him back and making him fall, but it was no use, he soon got up and continued towards me.
The pistols disappear and I shoot a fireball at the one that is coming close to me, the flame hits his chest, he screams and continues coming towards me without slowing down, I use my arm protector to defend myself, but I soon realize that I made a mistake, although my body is much stronger than before, it does not compare to the strength of the creature. It throws me, making my body hit several things that were in the way, including some of the terrariums, when my body falls to the ground a long distance away, I feel as if a truck had run over me and I finally understand what the Necromancer went through, my back is bleeding because of the glass I hit while being thrown, the metal protector protected me from the creature's claws, but the impact was so strong that I suspect that my shoulder also dislocated.
A brief system message confirms this as well. Then the creature that hit me goes in the direction I was thrown, while the other one that was delayed by my shots is about to kill the injured man on the ground, when finally 2 teammates arrive to save him. I barely have time to get up, and the creature tries to hit me again while I'm down. My Raven flies towards it, and its claws cut its eyes.
I take advantage of the brief distraction and hit it with a breath of fire that hits it full on, I draw my sword and decapitate it, when I turn to go help my teammates I am surprised by a chill on the back of my neck, a brief signal that I can now capture due to the training in the room of senses in the Garden of Beasts, a fifth creature falls from the ceiling and its claws fall straight on my head, my ring releases a glow transforming my body into shadows and making me reappear 3 meters away, but the creature doesn't waste time either, all I can do is spit another breath of fire at it before a huge tail hits me with brutal force in the abdomen throwing me again.
This time, all I feel is my head hitting a wall hard, and I hold on tight to keep from falling into a hole that I can't identify where it came from. Dizzy from the blow and spitting blood from what I assume are several broken ribs, I start to lose strength, and my hand that was holding onto the edge of the hole loses its grip. I start to fall, and the last thing I see is my little crow trying to hold me by my clothes while flapping its wings hard, trying to slow my fall. I feel my body hit the ground hard, and my vision, which was already blurry, finally goes dark...
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