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Fantasy Into the Dread Labyrinth

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Loud. It was very, very, loud. And so very crowded, too! Why had she come here again? Some crazy idea about making an entrance? The right timing? It had been the easiest if she had been the one making the announcements instead of this incredibly handsome announcer. Lumi knew a talent when she saw one. But, Sophia wasn't there, she wasn't in the middle of that ever-growing kerfuffle that seemed to develop more and more into an unorganized comedy sketch by the second.

No, Sophia was in the middle of the surrounding crowd. Feeling like a sardine in a can of sardines! Uncomfortable, and quite dead. "Urm... e-excuse me..." She murmured. "O-Oh no!" She could see another guy revealing his S-Rank Talent! That made three! The longer she waited, the worse it'd be! "C-coming through...!" She whispered, trying to squeeze herself past the masses. "S-Sorry!" Eventually, she was at the very front, landing on all fours with a sigh of relief.

Sophia Loreheart was no longer part of the crowd.
Click
Lumi Sonicboom could finally enter the stage.

The young woman stood up, doing a complete 180 on the confidence scale compared to just mere moments ago. "Hop!" Jumping over the small obstacle that divided the crowd from the main stage, it was time to put on her act! Fake it till you make it, as they say. "Excuse me~" With soft steps, and her attire, and considering what was already going on, nobody really stopped her from getting closer to the core of the shenanigans. To the Director, the Scroll, the S-Ranks, and... a prisoner? "If I maaay?" With a light tap on the shoulder of a guard, Lumi had found just Her.Right.Timing!


"I believe a public reveal would be a mistake, but I also have an S rank talent."
"This girl is a Chosen. She has significant abilities..."
"S-Rank ... With all due respect, sir, it seems in poor taste to hold such a gaudy affair in the wake of a disaster."
Critical! Information.

This was all Lumi had to hear. It was all that she wanted to hear! A plan formulated inside her mind for the very next ten seconds. The crowd had been going wild for the first three S-Ranks, and suddenly, here she had three more! Four more!? Maybe one was a sham, maybe another a scam! But it didn't matter! Scroll or not. She would take this chance and put the two of them into the limelight they deserved!

Sure, these party-poopers didn't sound very willing to participate in such a reveal, BUT it's not like they would get any other chance... now. Nonetheless, she had to act quickly.

"Ahem... testing, testing, one two three...." Using her voice and Sonic Bow Tie, Lumi's voice grew louder and louder. Loud enough to rival that of the other announcer and the possible still ongoing fireworks with ease? How did he do it again? Yeah....

"S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S!!!!!! RRRRRRRRRAAAAAANNNKKKKKKUUUUUUUU!!!!!" If the sudden intrusion of a new stranger's voice didn't catch anyone's attention, it sure did now... she hoped. Cutting in in the middle of an ongoing show was always a bit awkward, but by giving her soul companion a wink, he could surely forgive her? Eh.

"NOT JUST ONE, NOT EVEN TWO, FORGET THE SEXY NUMBER THREE!" Using whatever confusion Lumi generated, she walked next to the hooded girl( Tau Tau ), the armored titan( AnonyMouse AnonyMouse ), and the child ( Marceline_idue Marceline_idue ). Taking the two smaller girls' hands and raising them into the air. "BUT FOUR AND FIVE! A DUO!"... before dropping one of the girl's hands and tapping the giantess's shoulder. "AND SIX! WE GOT TRIPLETS! THREE MORE! LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN! THREE MORE! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? GIVE IT A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE FAIR MAIDEN AND HER GIANTESS PROTECTOR AND THE MOST PRECIOUS CHILD AROUND!" The crowd was going wild as Lumi announced the existence of three more S-Ranks to the public. "Oh, and with yours truly, it would make even seven! Maybe it's National S-Rank day today!" Her introduction was just a tad more silent than the others, less to keep it a secret and more so that her role wasn't to stay IN the limelight for too long, but rather support it!

With these words, and the crowd going wild, Lumi now let go of her two future-companions and circled the entire group. Her voice amplified to fill the entire space. "Ladies and gentlemen..." She sounded a tad disappointed. "...I know we can do better than that! These are S-Rank heroes standing before us, each and every one of them deserving of our utmost respect and admiration!" Ominous pause, as she eyed the slightly calmed crowd.

"SO LET'S NOT HOLD BACK! I want to hear you cheer louder than you've ever cheered before! On the count of three, let's give it up for ALL SEVEN of our S-Rank heroes!... One, Two, THREE!"

There, she had done it. At least from those S-Ranks who introduced themselves so far, none was left out! Faaantastico!

Mentions: Technically everyone on stage, but more precisely Tau Tau and AnonyMouse AnonyMouse and Marceline_idue Marceline_idue
 
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Callidora Menchester​
The small girl looked around behind her and noticed that she was now stuck. Guards and the crowd were pressing into her from behind. There was no way she could leave now. Even as small as she was she couldn't make it through the thick of that crowd.

So she stood and waited for the debacle to be over. She had no interest in it really.

The only reason she had come over here was to escape the crowd, and instead she just found herself in a big scene. Of course no one really paid the small child with funny eyes any mind.

Although she did not the occasional glance in her direction.

Most chilling of these being the giantess; when she first recognized Callidora's presence. Calli expected to be met with an intimidating stare, like the one she had first cast to the enchantress, but when their eyes met Callidora felt a sense of warmth in her mind.

Calli was taken aback by this at first; the way the giantess loomed over everyone but seemed the most kind one there. Her fear dissipated and a sense of safety within her presence took its place.

The enchantress moved to the crowd and the spotlight. Callidora as well as some of the crowd moved from her path.

Hadn't she just said earlier that she didn't want to reveal herself? Oh how strange humans are; they never apply themselves to the same rules. Callidora never understood people.

She just couldn't understand the complexities of human nature; there seemed no rhyme or reason to it. All the more to keep to herself.

And just as these thoughts ran through her mind another person decided to join in; although she could see no reason for him to want to wander into this most hostile situation.

The giantess seemed not to like the intruder, which in turn made Calli not like him either. In fact the giantess surprised everyone by seemingly pulling the enchantress towards her; maybe she too was an enchantress.

Callidora was surprised at how quickly the setting changed. It was like a new element was introduced into the compound and bam all of a sudden it was a completely different solution.

The child was grateful she wandered over here now; this scene was anything but dull and it kept her mind off of the pounding in her head.

The enchantress made it even more interesting by challenging the guards; she was meaning to bargain it seemed. A very talented way to diffuse the situation Calli noted.

But nothing prepared Calli for what the enchantress did; it was nothing short of a gruesome execution. At first Callidora was shocked and looked from the scene to the fair lady. And she couldn't help as a smile crept onto her face; now that had been truly unexpected.

With that small scene everything seemed to be set right. The intruder left, the enchantress got what she wanted, and the giantess herself seemed to be more at ease. Now that everything was over Callidora looked for a way out; hoping by now she'd have somewhere else to run to.

She watched as the crowd cleared a path to the stage, both the enchantress and the giantess walked that way, and just as Calli tried to make her swift exit one of the guards ushered her along. It seemed she had been mistaken for as a part of the crew and was now being pushed into the spotlight.

Callidora panicked and tried to get away but, being the small child she is, was unable to push past the guards. And so she was brought up to the stage; to be gawked at like a prized animal.

Behind her panic she could hear the enchantress negotiating with the loud man on the stage, the giantess too agreed to go along with whatever was arranged. Something about proof; she was much to busy trying to get off the stage to care what was being said.

Calli couldn't see any way to escape the situation she found herself in, so she did the next best thing she could. She ran to the giantess and hid within her shadow. Surely if she just stayed next to such a big figure none would notice her. She was such a small thing after all.

As she was planning her safety she could hear Meringue plot to make a profit. Of course even within the most of uncomfortable of situations the prized Meringue daughter could find a way to make money.

And just as it seemed her plan of hiding would work; another element entered the stage. A lady screamed to the audience. Calli cringed away from her. Oh how she hated the noise.

Callidora closed her eyes and tried to hide herself more, but the annoying lady grabbed her hand and thrust it up in the air. Calli tried to pull her hand down but couldn't do anything against her grip.

The lady seemed to have mistaken her for another S-rank. The enchantress and the giantess it was true, but her surely not. She was no special talent.

The loud women dropped her hand and Calli shrunk back trying to hide herself in the folds of the enchantress' hood. She would've clung to the giantess except that she was currently being discussed, and she could not bare to be talked about as such.

The women screamed and egged on the crowd; it was all too much, too loud, too bright. Callidora whimpered and covered her ears. She couldn't take it anymore. She really wished she could escape. Run away back home to the safety of her bedroom. Quiet and secure.

Calli couldn't take it any longer, the lady was just too loud to bear. She needed to be silenced. Someone needed to make her quiet.

Mentions: AnonyMouse AnonyMouse , Tau Tau , TreasureSniper TreasureSniper , AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa , Skyswimsky Skyswimsky
Interactions: AnonyMouse AnonyMouse , Tau Tau , Skyswimsky Skyswimsky
 
Daeva Akasha Everdark
necro-use-png.1118196

AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa​

The old man looked over at the huge woman that made her way over. Her size was very imposing. "Samara Morghan?" he repeated. He recognized that name. She was pretty well known around Ambition. If not for her size alone. His eyes widened. He couldn't believe what she just said. "Is that true?!" She claimed she was also S rank!

Then the woman flashed her status just long enough for the man to see what it said. Sure enough, he read the S rank Talent she possessed. Ah, that was an answer, too. "Indeed, if you show me your status..." he mumbled mostly for the other girl's benefit.

He glanced at the other girl as Samara continued. "Huh? Uh, okay." That seemed unusual, but he didn't think it was a problem. "Real.. reason?" he murmured, furrowing his wrinkled brows. Ah. Right. He had heard about this, too. This was Samara's problem. She liked to whine about such things and be a bit bossy. It made working with her difficult for others. The Director sighed.

Daeva cast her white, soulless, dead-like gaze upon the blonde as she came over to her.

Undead lemon? Smiley? Daeva heard the words, but scarcely understood what they meant, cocking her head.

Suddenly, something the spaz said caught Daeva's attention. If her ears had been like cat ears then they would've perked up. Instantly, her eyes sharpened and a frown formed on her lips. Mamma became infuriated when she heard her little kewt skelebois get insulted!!!

Ignoring the 'hire S ranks' comment, Daeva reached over and grabbed the girl's shoulder, pulling her back around. "Hey! What did you say about my sweet lil child? I heard you say something rude! Don't be a rude lemonhead! Apologize to my child!!" She pointed at the ground and said the spell, "Raise Simple Undead!"

Suddenly bones pulled out of the ground, dust swirled around, and a skeleton was formed. In the black eyesockets red lights appeared for eyes. Daeva looked at Lemondrop with a pouty face, pointing at her summon. "Apologize to this child! Look how kewwwwwt he is!!" With its vacant, but scary red gaze, it peered at the lemony girl, just standing there, quiet and silent at its summoner's behest.

DING!

She heard a ping in her head.

Raise Simple Undead Level up! Raise Simple Undead, Level 2!

Her skill leveled up on the spot. But Daeva had something much more important to focus on! Getting this lemonhead to admit her fault and apologize!

Meanwhile, some other girl made her way to the stage. She had a bigger stage presence than even Lemondrop had! And before the Director could even respond to Samara, this new girl did her little show.

Announcer-san's attention was drawn over to the blonde girl. How could it not be at that announcer voice???????

The man stared, mouth agape. He fell to his knees, and scooted across the arena, raising his hands up to her. "The goddess of Announcing had descended!!!!! I -I -I am not worthy!!!! AHHHHHH!!! Thank you for blessing me with your presence this glorious day!!"

She continued her little show. Not caring about how the people in question thought about it -like a proper announcer! She revealed all their wondrous secrets for the world! For the arena!! The Director looked on in utter stunned shock, with mouth wide open. The old man's heart had stopped. All this craziness had stopped the poor old guy's heart!!

"National S-Rank Day..." the Director mumbled.

mitsuru hitokoe announce.jpg​

Announcer-san looked shocked, too. His eyes sparkling behind his coo' sunglasses. Sparkles all around him, as he looked on in wonder. "National S Rank day..." announcer-san repeated, barely into his mic. Then he got up, raised up his mic, his fist, and shouted. "NATIONALLLLLLLL SSSSSSSSSSSSSS-RANKKKKKKKKKKKKKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU DAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, EV'RY BODYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!! YYEEAAAOWWWWW!"

Spurred on by the two announcers, and this incredible development, the entire arena was in an uproar. They chanted and cheered.

"S.RANK.UUU! S.RANK.UUU! S.RANK.UUU! DAY!!! NATIONAL. S. RANK. UUU. DAY!!!!!!"
Skyswimsky Skyswimsky AnonyMouse AnonyMouse Marceline_idue Marceline_idue Tau Tau Thanny Thanny TreasureSniper TreasureSniper

~~~

The excitement built in the arena until it literally shook all of Ambition. As if a Holy Serenade for all of humanity to collectively gather behind. On this day. The S Ranks were assembled. On this day. Humanity had finally found Hope again!

Sometime later. After the excitement in the arena finally died down. The Director had gathered the group back at his office.

Now, his office was spacious, as he was the Director of Dread Labyrinth Management Association - which was just another branch that worked alongside the Adventurer Guild and Pangea Dread Authority. However, with this group, it was cramped.

The old man sighed, and slapped his hands down on his wooden desk. "Alright. I have gathered you all out of the limelight to discuss a few things. -Today, we held a screening. Our purpose was to find Chosen of noteworthy ability to help us take on the labyrinth. We.. -I- never expected what happened today to happen. And I never expected to succeed to such a degree."

He drew in a breath and stood up straight, looking over the gathered group. "Apparently, the Dread Labyrinth has decided to bless us today. Or maybe some god or something, somewhere, I wouldn't really know. To think, we've struggled -humanity has struggled with the labyrinth since it appeared! Humanity has fought tooth and nail against the labyrinth! And we've been losing. But today, something -something brought you all here. Brought you all together. Brought you all to us. Ignore all the fancy fireworks and partiers from before. In here, we're going to be serious. In here, we're going to discuss business and action. To make it short: I want you. I want to combine all your powers and abilities into one super-amazing-perfect-almighty party! And Raid the labyrinth! Never before has so many powerful individuals showed up! We could barely get to floor 6. Floor 7 and 8?" He scoffed. Then looked sad for a moment. "Pipe dreams. Humanity has been losing this battle. But today, today, we finally have a way forward. With the first S Rank Party, we can -humanity can finally win against the labyrinth!!" He shouted, raising up his fist.

"Who's with me?!"
 
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Seraphina had thought she was being a bit indiscreet, but then again, she'd been escorted to the director by a handful of guards, followed closely by a massive paladin lady, so there was only so much stealth that could be achieved there. His reaction didn't help, of course, but it was the following explosion of verbal energy that finally broke her. At this point, there was nothing she could do but try and minimize the damage that'd already been done.

She sighed as her hand was lifted in the air, using the free one to plug her ears as best she could. This unwanted newcomer was faced away, and she could only imagine the agony if the girl's mouth was aimed directly at her eardrum.

"Oh!" Suddenly, Sera felt a small head nestle itself into the hood of her cloak. The girl from earlier, who'd somehow been roped into this. Judging from the way she was pressing her ears into the fabric, the girl was every bit as annoyed at the crazy top-hat girl as she was.

Whispering softly with her hands buried inside her cloak, a similar glow emanated from within, and moments later, Seraphina produced a smaller cloak from behind her own, for the girl with the strange eyes. It wasn't anything fancy: more of a cotton tarp than expertly-crafted clothing, but at least it had a vague hood-shaped thing to keep her somewhat anonymous. She pulled the girl around until she was in front of her, knelt down, and wrapped the cloak around the girl, before pulling her into a hug.

"It'll be alright," she insisted, reassuring herself as much as she was the strange girl. Heck, could the girl even hear her over these two buffoons? Seraphina pulled her closer, mostly to shield her vision from the ghastly sight of displaced bones that'd just been spawned behind her. She'd handle that later, but for now, the upset little girl was more important. "I'm sorry you got mixed up in this. Don't worry, we'll make it right."


"...maybe some god or something, somewhere, I wouldn't really know."

Seraphina laughed nervously. It seemed like the appropriate response, at least until she realized she was the only one laughing at what wasn't a joke in the first place, leaving an awkward silence that painted an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. Well, that attempt to act natural went just perfect. Thankfully, he continued speaking.

"Well, I'm with you..." Sera answered in that tentative manner that implied a 'but' was soon to follow. "But..." she pointed a finger at the necromancer. "I'm not about to rely on someone who desecrates the dead and twists their remains into those vile abominations. The rest of us should be more than enough, I think. But I will be merciful and not request her immediate execution, as long as she agrees never to do that again."


Marceline_idue Marceline_idue
Thalia_Neko Thalia_Neko
... and everyone else.
 
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Location: Ambition, Director's Office​

Chaos. Utter chaos.

Samara barely finished her question before the arena was rocked by yet another obtusely loud personality. It seemed every S-Rank in ambition wanted their five minutes of fame today and this one seemed to think she was doing them a favor by turning the situation up to eleven. Samara winced as the boisterous young lady took the stage and upstaged --pun intended-- the previous announcer. The small child with the mismatched eyes sought shelter behind Samara, but it didn't take long for the mouthy girl to make her way to the giantess, forcing the child to seek refuge elsewhere. The only silver lining in all of this was that Sera happily took her in, even conjuring a cloak for her, proving her abilities could be used for something other than destruction.

When the announcer laid her hand on Samara's shoulder, the large shieldmaiden quickly swiped it off. She didn't mean to come across as rude and normally had no problem with being touched, but a good announcer ought to know how to read the room and recognize when her actions are bothering the 'performers.'

Ugh, is that what we are now? Samara thought as she returned her attention to the Director, who still hadn't answered her question. There appeared to be a spark of familiarity when she gave her name, but the look on his face suggested he didn't associate that name with anything good. Samara found this puzzling. Did she have a bad reputation? She couldn't imagine what for. Her only major flaw was that she tended to work with low-level adventurers. Most of the criticism she received was from people who felt she could do 'better'... whatever that means. Her adventuring parties always made it home safely and she strived to get along well with everyone. What could be better than that?

Before she could press him for more information, a small disagreement broke out on-stage between the necromancer and lemondrop, who had called her skeletons big and gross. The necromancer decided to correct this by summoning yet another big gross skeleton and demanding an apology. It might be frightening, were it not so absurd. An heiress, perched upon a mountain of beacons, being accosted by a cosplaying weirdo caressing her bony 'child.' God help us all...

* * * * *​

Moments later, the group of S-Ranks found themselves packed into the Director's office. Samara remained near the door, at the back of the crowd. Due to her height, she didn't exactly need to be at the front to see and hear what this man had to say. For better or worse, he did not have much at all to say. No plan. No idea what he is doing. His strategy amounted to 'gather Talented people and throw them at the Labyrinth.' No wonder the last raid ended in failure. Sad. And he should be ashamed of himself for attributing this mess to 'god.'

Samara didn't want to speak first. In fact, she didn't want to speak at all. For a long time, she had hoped for a day like this --a day where powerful people come together to mount a resistance against the Labyrinth-- but it was all coming together in such a clumsy, haphazard way, she simply could not see this bearing any fruit. They're all going to die, she thought, with a heavy heart, And Ambition cannot afford another failure of this magnitude. The world is watching.

She fished her necklace from her blouse, as she often did in times of distress, and turned the tarnished ring between her strong fingers. She felt at ease when clad in armor but, in her plain clothes, this is all she had. It was an unconscious action, a fascinating distraction, so familiar, yet so alien, and evidence she didn't know what to do or where to turn. She just needed a sign.

When Sera spoke, Samara felt a spark of inspiration. She wasn't sure if it was the sound of a familiar voice or her own reminiscence, but she suddenly remembered what she must do and what she represents. I must defend them. Defend them from the Labyrinth. Defend Ambition from this man's folly. Even defend them from one another. That is who I am now. That is who I have always been.

"Careful, dear. When you point a finger at someone, there are three more pointing back at you," Samara said, as a gentle reminder to Sera. She stood up straight from where she had been leaning on the wall and tucked the necklace back into the deep abyss of her cleavage for safekeeping. "Although I strongly share your sentiments, this girl is clearly... erm... 'damaged,'" Samara said with an apologetic smile to the necromancer and a slight bow of her head to show she meant no disrespect. "She is as much a victim of the Labyrinth as you or I... and abandonment is not how we heal one another."

But that's enough lecturing. Her attention turned to the Director. Samara crossed her arms and gazed down at the little old man over the mountain of biceps straining against her sleeves. As a defender, she was used to turning other people's miss-steps into successes, yet this one really rubbed her the wrong way. There was so much disapproval and pity in her eyes, it was a miracle the man didn't literally melt into the floor. "I, too, am with you, Director... because it is plain to see how this will end if we weren't. You clearly have no idea what you're doing, so it falls to us to make this work," she said, her disappointment finally giving way to resignation. "However, I would like to know more about the previous raid... that is, if you know anything at all."
Interaction(s): Tau Tau | TreasureSniper TreasureSniper | Thalia_Neko Thalia_Neko | Marceline_idue Marceline_idue | AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa | Thanny Thanny | Skyswimsky Skyswimsky
 
Daeva Akasha Everdark
necro-use-png.1118196
AnonyMouse AnonyMouse TreasureSniper TreasureSniper Skyswimsky Skyswimsky AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa Tau Tau Thanny Thanny Marceline_idue Marceline_idue

"Huh?" The Director glanced over at the 'necromancer' -that was her Talent after all. Was there something between the two girls that he didn't know about? "Inter-party squabbles aren't unusual," he said, closing his eyes and dipping his head. "But it is up to the individuals to figure it out between them, not up to me. I am not a mediator, girl. I'm the Director of all of this! Essentially of all of Ambition! You could even say, I'm the Director of the labyrinth!"

He opened his eyes and frowned. "I don't know what you mean by 'execution' -we don't do that here- but we do not have the luxury of being picky, girl. While I do not mediate on the party level, this time I am interfering a bit, since it is an extraneous circumstance. No. You all will be a party. I do not care if you do not like one another, you will be in the same party all the same; this is an opportunity we as the collective of humanity should not pass up! Though, you should fix that soon, the labyrinth will not be as nice as me. If you cannot rely on your allies then the labyrinth will eat you right up." He fixated on the girl. "Stop. being. spoiled. No one has any time for that."

He focused his attention on the big woman at the back of the room next. "And you. Learn to respect leadership. You preach that the labyrinth is terrible and people shouldn't fixate on it, yet are eager to throw the weight of your own awakened talent around. Don't make us laugh. Stop being a hypocrite, and focus on your job. Your talent is Defender yes? Do that. Defend. You'll find success moving forward with that, like you have in the past." His face darkened a bit at her question about the previous raid. "There's no reason to get into that right now."

Daeva practically had a question mark pop out of her head when she heard the girl say something odd about her. With a cock of her head, she peered at the white haired girl. Agrees to never do what again? Create adorable babies? Why would she agree to not do that?! Who didn't want to see and play with her babies!

She looked up at the big woman, with an equally perplexed look. 'Damaged'? Who? Her? What?

The Director watched as Daeva appeared to be confused about it all, and sighed. "Do not worry, Daeva, you're an equally important part of this team." His voice drew her attention. Which she looked his way, with a simple look on her face.

He clapped his hands. "Alright alright. Chosen are always like this. Difficult to deal with -perhaps your S rank talents have made you even more so. But just know this, this is for humanity; it's the best chance we've got! We do not know how deep the Labyrinth goes -there's simply no way for humanity to know that as of right now, we -Ambition- apologizes to you for this. So, yes, Samara, you are right, that this isn't ideal, and it is unfortunate. But it is the way it is. Either we sit back like scared children, and never find out what lays ahead, or we push on into the unknown. -That is what you all will be doing." He said, sweeping his gaze over the group. They were were certainly an eclectic group of individuals.

"We will be giving you plenty of supplies to hopefully last you a year.. or more.. it's hard to say... try to ration smartly. Your DS packs will be stuffed with supplies and rations. But not overflowing. Being encumbered is not a good thing either. There are various things in the Labyrinth that can help you, should you need it -we call these "World" or "Harvest" Drops. But I ask you to refrain from making use of these too much, since Ambition relies on these refreshed drops. Now, every floor has a "Floor Boss", which are typically tough monsters. But that's considering the level of weak Chosen. And you are S rank. So they may not be as hard for you to take out, but that does not mean to act recklessly! Each of you will be given your job, please stick to it to the best of your ability -- we know the labyrinth can get hectic, and things can change on the fly, so use your best discretion, and for those of you who are..." His eyes swept over the younger members, "Who are inexperienced, defer to the older and wiser ones in your group." He breathed in and out. "Okay, we will go into depth about all this over the next coming days." He checked his watch and then glanced at a nearby calendar.

"Next Monday is when your expedition begins. Until then those of us in the DL Management Association, the Adventurer's Support team, and the upper staff of the Adventurers Guild will work with you so you will go into the labyrinth with all the knowledge we have of the upper floors. You will initially go in with the Monday Party, the Cleaning Team, and the Collecting Team. The Monday Party is a competent group of Adventurers who usually go in on Mondays that the labyrinth refreshes. They are obviously not S ranks like you all, but they have been doing this for awhile, so their expertise is invaluable. But to sum it up, they are there to just defend the other teams as they do their work. Lets start with the Collecting Team -like I mentioned, the Labyrinth refreshes. The Collecting Team's primary job is to harvest the refreshed crops, and pillage the newly refreshed chests. Their job can take awhile as they travel from place to place within the labyrinth. Stick with them for the first floor, just to see how it is like. After that, though, you can leave them behind -do not worry about them! They have been doing this for years now. Your job isn't to worry and defend others. It's to Raid the labyrinth. To push deeper than anyone has ever gone before. Now, onto the Cleaning Team. The labyrinth obviously breeds monsters -everyone knows this. While we do not know what lies beyond floor 7, for the upper floors, monster corpses breed what we call "Labyrinth Toxin." A poisonous vapor that exudes from decaying monster corpses. Typically speaking, this doesn't matter a whole lot, and adventurers know to steer clear of any toxic spaces. However, this close to Alpha entrance, and it is a problem, so we have to delicately clean up the corpses, so we don't flood Ambition with the 'miasma' -another term for it. Further on into the labyrinth... There will not be any cleaning teams, we simply cannot send them that far. So be wary of what that means."

He took another deep breath. He was an old man after all, and he had been talking away. He stood up straight and bones could be heard popping in his back. "Ahhh.. I'm really getting up there... An-anyway, any questions? We have 5 days until your expedition begins, so even if you cannot think of anything now, we will have plenty of time to discuss about all this. If you're feeling worried, that's perfectly understandable! Within these 5 days, we hope to assuage any worries. Or at least, provide you with enough support that you will be confident going forward."
 
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Lemondrops' "greeting" to Seymour was interesting, to say the least. As expected, her initial concerns were more about how the necromancer girl had "ruined" the introduction of her S-rank to the netizens of the new world. "I don't think it was that bad." Seymour bluntly replied, seemingly not too worried about her now "tarnished" reputation. "Yes...muscle....." And before he could continue his sentence, Lemondrop went on another tangent about the necromancer, citing that the skeletal monstrosities were very much not synergistic with her brand. Seymour had been warned beforehand that the girl was eccentric but this was not what he expected.

Thankfully, her mood shifted once more, now recognizing the other S rankers as a potential asset to her brand. That said, from what he has seen of some of them, they probably need to be more thorough with their selection process. "You're ever so erudite, Lady Lemondrop. That said, you might want to filter through some of them. Let's just say some of them might not resonate too well with your "brand"." Seymour couldn't but give some of his own insight on the other S rankers. Some of them were noticeably more "marketable", than others.

Eventually, all of the S rankers, including Seymour himself, found themselves in front of the director of ambition. With such a heavy title, one would think the "director" would look a bit more imposing, but he looked rather mundane in his eyes. From there, he began his pep talk, talking about how they were even more special than the rest of the chosen. Seymour didn't care too much about "siding" with him, but if doing so was his ticket into the labyrinth, so be it.

But then he realized, he would have to party up with all the other S rankers present, which is worrying, to say the least. This "party" would comprise a wide variety of characters, with some being more "problematic" than others. The "Goddess" was already calling for the execution of the necromancer girl, which seemed a bit extreme even for him. It didn't take long for conflict to erupt between Tall Lady and Director, who didn't take too kindly towards her tone. And then he went on to explain how their party would function, as cogs in this machine for the expedition into the labyrinth.

At last, it was their time to ask the questions, something Seymour was looking forward to. Knowing, Lemondrop's mindset, he knew that she would approve of his next line of questioning. "Thats all nice and all, Director. But I think there's a very important detail that you left out." He pauses, for a short moment, activating his S rank talent for a moment to see what exactly the director was thinking about at this very moment. "You're asking each and every one of us to risk our lives going into the labyrinth to carry out your tasks, while you sit back behind the safety of the city. Do you plan to compensate us appropriately for such a dangerous job?" Seymour was direct with his line of questioning. He wanted to know what was the benefit of doing all this, specifically in the individual level.
 
~~ Thames Abreo, Rash Rider, Director's Office ~~

Here, led far away from the arena, Thames could finally hear himself think. The crowd, the announcer, the other announcer -- it all got to be a bit much and made him shell-shocked, not that he had much to say. Instead, he took in the sight of the remainder of the S-ranked men and women that stood around him, filling the room with a myriad of personalities. His eyes flickered to every one of them, but chiefly he fixated a revolving stare at the youngest of the group, barely adults if even that. One stood in front of him, a child probably less than half his age. He frowned at this. So many youths willing to throw themselves into a Labyrinth of tragedy and danger. There were some older individuals to counterbalance this, all of some semblance of assurance until he focused on the elephant in the room. Morrigan, he remembered the strangely buxom lady's name as -- familiar to him because of Irish myths he read as a child. However, she did not seem anywhere near the descriptions of the phantom queen. Was her Dread Name like his, part of his name?

Concerns and accusations were brought up and quickly shot down by the director, the man made of sturdier stuff than Thames had given him credit for. Perhaps he should have expected such from the top brass, one who has seen it all and perhaps sent multiple people off to their dooms with a smile on everyone's face. Thames too had concerns that did not go away even after the man gave his spiel, not leaving any time for him to slice into the conversation and chance his inquiries . . . until the end, when Seymour first made an effort. Thames went second.

"A valid point too. I am for an expedition to better equip humanity, but, Sir, I am a veteran inside the Labyrinth myself, and I have doubts that a child would find the Labyrinth appealing." He nodded towards Calidora whom he had witnessed holding her hands to her ears back in the arena, expression deadpan. "In the Old World we had things called 'child labor laws' and 'ratings' to protect children from witnessing and partaking in the craziness the world had to offer. Now we have the Labyrinth which reeks of death and miasma, monsters, misery -- I cannot recommend enough that we do not send her on this errand and traumatise her or her parents and siblings. This cannot be chalked up to 'suck it up.' We are dealing with lives and mentalities, both easily shattered by what lies beyond those walls."

The pain and emotion that surged throat-ward upon thinking of Sondra was hesitantly swallowed. The Abreo siblings both went off without parental consent on their first expeditions. What if this little one was the same way? He was not about to willfully ruin another young life, be it against a standard monster, a Floor Boss, or some other mind-melting horror.
 
Seraphina turned to glance up at Samara, offering a mixed expression in reply. "People point fingers no matter what I do…" she answered. Sera granted Samara her point, though the side-glance she gave the necro-girl wasn’t exactly friendly or welcoming. Still, it was miles more pleasing than the death glare she threw the director the second he uttered the word ‘spoiled.’

"Excuse me…!? Spoiled!?" she stepped forward threateningly, locking eyes with him for a moment that felt like forever. How dare this man spit on her honor for demanding a basic standard of decency and justice! Surprisingly, she broke within seconds, shutting her eyes tight with a frustrated groan. "UuuuUUUUuuu!!! I’m doing it again!" she lamented, wandering off to the side so she could repeatedly bang her forehead on the wall in a moment of regret and teenage angst.

One last bonk and she shook her head, rolling it on the wall a few times, before slapping her cheeks. Best she just found a distraction to keep her mind off of the many growing frustrations of the day. Thankfully, she knew just the thing.

Closing her eyes, she held out a palm, and with a combination of whispers and some careful imagination, she worked through one of her favorite recipes, weaving a bright red cupcake with colorful sprinkles adorning a heap of frosting, into existence. Wandering up to the youngest of their group, she knelt down and held it out with a friendly smile.

"Are you hungry? This is my favorite: it’s called red velvet. It’s super delicious~! Go ahead, try it!"


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"'Compensate'?" the old man repeated the word. "I did say we would provide you with necessities, rations, and supplies going in... As for 'compensation'... Is "doing good for your fellow man" not enough compensation for you? You realize, if you-" He shook his head. He should rephrase that. "When you make it deeper into the labyrinth, you will be the first ones to see and collect the spoils you come across, yes? There are bound to be more treasures going even deeper... You lot will have first dibs on those, no doubt -no one up here could challenge that, anyway, could we? Is that not enough? Hm. If.. When you make it back, then we can discuss further compensation depending on what you accomplish down there; if you are not satisfied with the loot you find. Is that good enough?" The Director asked Seymour.

The old man's attention was drawn over to another man. He listened to what Thames had to say, with a furrowed, wrinkled frown. "I know it is not appealing. It is of no concern to me if it is appealing -no one should find that godforsaken dungeon appealing. Yes, well, this isn't the Old World. We do not have such luxuries anymore. Humanity is a fraction of what it once was. There are no longer any such 'child labor laws'. With the population in the gutter, even children must pick up the slack. All of you were Chosen. You have a Talent that can benefit humanity, so you must use it. It's as simple as that. Believe me, I get no satisfaction from sending children into the Labyrinth, but we don't have the luxury of being picky and chosey here. Have I addressed your concerns now?"

He glanced over at the girl who was banging her head on the wall. He sighed. "Someone should see to it that she's okay... Now anything else, before we move on?" The Director asked, glancing around the room. Some of them were easy to deal with, and didn't seem to wonder about such things -those were the Chosen he preferred. Then there were those like the big woman, and the crazed girl who was banging her head against the wall -who were extremely difficult. They had the labyrinth sickness bad. It made his job more difficult. Maybe he should just retire...
 
Callidora Menchester​
Callidora wasn't sure why she felt so angry all of a sudden. She was used to be so overwhelmed with noises, but never angry. But she was, she was seething in anger. And she didn't just want to kick and scream and yell; Calli wanted to silence her, forever. She wanted to make it so that she could never speak again.

The little girl was honestly surprised by these thoughts, but in the heat of the moment she didn't think about it. She just clutched her head.

In this fit of rage she felt a sort of surging through her body; like it was alive with energy. And the strangest thing happened; she saw chemical formulas flit in front of her vision.

CH3CH2OH
Ethanol
CH4
Methane
NH3
Ammonia
Na2CO3
Sodium carbonate
And so on and so forth

In the confusion Callidora heard a sort of chiming noise, her DS's way of informing her of new information.

Before she could check it, the Enchantress leaned over and placed a small cloak similar to hers over Calli's shoulders. The weight of it made her feel safe, and as she looked up at her a sense of gratitude flew through her.

"It'll be alright," she said to her, "I'm sorry you got mixed up in this. Don't worry, we'll make it right."

Callidora just nodded in response and gave a small smile. Her first one since they've known each other, which, in hindsight, wasn't long. But to her it was a show of trust and gratitude towards her. Something that made the small girl truly look her age.

Calli and the rest of the S-ranks found themselves ushered to the Directors office shortly after that whole debacle. On their way Callidora took that chance to check her DS, and sure enough there is was shining brightly for her eyes alone.

Havel

Class: Chemist

Chemistry
S RANK
​
Callidora couldn't believe her little eyes.

Her.

Little orphan her.

An S-rank chosen.

Maybe, just maybe, she was someone special after all.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The director was just as loud as he had been before. He tried his hardest to get them to rally with him, but a lot of the S-ranks in this room looked skeptical.

Callidora herself decided she would stick with the Enchantress and the Giantess, so whatever they decided she would too. She was sure her father would support her. At least she hoped that he would.

She looked up at the Enchantress as she spoke with a hopeful glint in her eyes. And sure enough, she agreed with a small but.

Calli looked over to the raiser of dead. Her head tilted to the side in confusion; she could see nothing wrong with her. And Callidora didn't think her talent was a vile abomination, actually she thought that it was really cool. She hoped that she could see her creatures again. It rather interested her so.

The the Giantess, whom which she now had a fondness for, spoke up. Calling the Fair lady "damaged". Calli looked almost stunned; why would someone so kind use such a word. But then the next few sentences explained her view all too well. She believed it to be a curse of the labyrinth.

A curse of the labyrinth.

Would Callidora become mutated like the Fair lady and the Giantess? Will she too change?

Callidora was too lost in this train of thought to care too much about what the director said next. It didn't matter anyway, if the Enchantress and Giantess was going so was she.

She thought about all the ways her physical form could change due to her new talent. She actually grew rather excited thinking about it. Until she heard something from a voice she was unfamiliar with.

"I have doubts that a child would find the Labyrinth appealing." The stranger said, "In the Old World we had things called 'child labor laws' and 'ratings' to protect children from witnessing and partaking in the craziness the world had to offer. Now we have the Labyrinth which reeks of death and miasma, monsters, misery -- I cannot recommend enough that we do not send her on this errand and traumatise her or her parents and siblings. This cannot be chalked up to 'suck it up.' We are dealing with lives and mentalities, both easily shattered by what lies beyond those walls."

This implied a certain weakness in Callidora. Yes, she was a child but she was in no way weak. What could this guy even do again? It didn't matter. At the age of 11 she was a genius working with toxic chemicals and making new compounds that aided scientific study; what did this guy know about her?

She, being raised as a quiet child, would usually have held her tongue. Callidora would have just sighed and let it go from her mind. But as much as she tried to now, she could not shake the anger that sizzled inside of her.

Quietly at first she said, "Perhaps." She cleared her throat and then spoke a little louder, looking directly at the strange man, her haphazard eyes seemingly glowing in her anger. "You should let the child decide what she wants; instead imposing your will on my 'life and mentality.'" She paused before continuing with a little more passion. "And it's bolden of you to assume I have any siblings or parents. In fact," Calli took a step towards the man. "They were taken from me. 'Shattered by what lies beyond those walls.' So excuse me, if maybe, I'm not as weak as you assume."

Callidora smiled with a small malice and turned finally satisfied with her words. Never had anything felt as fulfilling as what she had just done.

And to her surprise; the Enchantress was waiting for her with a cupcake. Calli looked at her and nod, taking the cupcake from her hands. She smiled to herself and the Enchantress as she licked the icing from the top of the sweet bread.

A splendor of flavour hit her tongue and she inhaled with satisfaction.

Callidora had never in her entire life felt so fulfilled. She was able to speak her mind freely, she was surrounded by people she trusted, and it was the very day she was given her special talents. If she could live the rest of her days like this, she would.

Without a doubt, this is where she belonged.

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Location: Ambition, Director's Office​

It warmed her heart to see someone speak up for the smallest member of their group. Samara intended to circle back around to the matter, but, admittedly, got lost in her frustrations at the Director and now felt more than a little guilty for putting her own ego ahead of the child’s wellbeing. She knew nothing of the eyepatched man who had spoken, but instantly felt closer to him than to anyone else in this room. He seemed to have good sense, backed by a firm moral fiber. When venturing into the Labyrinth, there was no greater tool to have at one’s disposal.

Unfortunately, he only appealed to her because the other members were steeped in eccentricity. Was this the Labyrinth's doing or had they always been... odd? A cackling necromancer, contrasted by a bubbly heiress, and a boisterous show woman. Even Sera was now pounding her head on the wall, much to Samara’s confusion and concern. Is she okay? Meanwhile, the man she had encountered in the corridor seemed relatively sensible. He asked about compensation, as most adventurers would, and this would have been a reasonable inquiry to make, were the Director’s request not so nondescript.

Compensation for what, exactly? What even is the bar for success? What is the objective, other than ‘go down?’ If they reached the Labyrinth’s end and died, what then? Ambition would gain nothing. Likewise, if they hit floor eight or nine or ten and came back up to share what they have learned, would the Director consider that a failure? It seemed they were well and truly on their own. Set their own goals. And achieve them by their own means.

Samara sighed. She might as well leave. This meeting was all a waste of time for her. She had given the guardsman her word that she would see the streets cleaned in exchange for leniency for Sera. That seemed pointless now. Surely, the guard would not move against an S-Rank under the Director's protection. But Samara had given her word and would rather not dawdle in seeing the deed done.

She turned toward the door just as the Director began to address the question of payment. She didn’t care about that. However, the old man immediately sank his teeth into the question of child labor. His reply made Samara wheel ‘round to face him once more, her anger kindled anew. Shock and awe were etched upon her face. She was about to very thoroughly give the man a piece of her mind, when the subject of the discussion spoke up. To Samara’s horror, the small girl with the mismatched eyes was swift to smack down the eyepatched man’s attempt at shielding her from danger.

"You’re wrong," Samara said, the words coming out as softly as a needle dropped from a weaver’s fingertips. It was all coming apart at the seams, unraveling before her eyes, and she didn’t know what to do or how to put her feelings into words. She hadn’t even meant to say anything at all. The phrase had been stuck on repeat in her head for what felt like an eternity, and, before she knew it, was in the air. It was real.

She approached the girl and knelt before her:

"I do not know what saddens me more: that you feel the loss of your parents is a source of strength or that this... this... feckless coward," she stabbed an accusatory finger at the Director, despite keeping her eyes firmly upon the girl, "Sees you as nothing more than a sack of Talents to be tossed into the breach, to dam the flood. If you think you are ready for this, you are wrong, and it is the duty of every adult in this room to tell you so, whether you like it or not."

As she went on, she shut her eyes, as if holding back tears: "But it is also our duty to be there for you, against a world that too often does not care," she said again, with clear intent and purpose as she knelt before the small girl and finally, properly peered into those mismatched eyes, knowing fully that any warning she could give would likely go unheeded. Such is the burden of parenthood; knowing you will be right someday, but praying you will be wrong. Hoping the knot in your stomach is nothing and everything will be fine.

But you're not her mother. You had your chance... and you blew it.

Samara stood to her full height and wiped her face on her sleeve. She hadn't been crying. No, she would never do that. "You should be ashamed of yourself," she said to the Director, her tone more pitiful than angry. "But, of course, you aren't. Shame isn't a Talent and that's all that matters to you. 'Talents," she said with air quotes. "I know better than to argue with a fool and she is clearly smarter than you, with or without the Labyrinth's intervention, so let's get on with it, shall we," she said with a little more sass than intended, but far less than she wanted. "Are we done here?"
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Oh boy. This woman was worse than the rumors surrounding her. "I don't care about that. I care about humanity, woman. Anything that can make humanity stronger and better. If it is such a concern, then, Miss Samara, make sure you defend the young ones well. As an S Rank Defender, that is your 'duty' yes? If anything happens to them down there, then it would fall on you. And the other older gentlemen, correct?" The Director sighed. "It is regrettable to have to force and rely on children, but it is where we are at as a species. Anyway, we are done here, I suppose. I shall see you all later."


~~~~~~~~

It was 5 days later. For those 5 days, the S ranks had been debriefed on all-things labyrinth. They had been given all the information the DL Management Association, the Adventurer's Support team, and the Adventurers Guild had on the first 6 floors. And the various things that they had witnessed on floor 7. They went over their S rank Talents, and tried to come to an idea of what their purpose was, and how they could best be used in the labyrinth. They were then given their positions in the party. Officially called the Party of Hope. But that was a bit cheesy, so mostly they just called it the S-Rank Party.

This is the S rank party:

Thames - Rash Rider - Monster Riding
Lemondrop - Capitalist - Money
Daeva - Necromancer - Necromancy
Samara - Shieldmaiden - Defender
Seraphina - Goddess - Deity
Seymour - Visionary - Eyes of Future Sight
Callidora - Chemist - Chemistry
Sophia - Announcer - Narrator

"The party formation will be like this. Samara will hold the front line, using her Defender talent to the best of its ability to defend the party on the whole. However, if necessary, she can guard specific targets that need it. The obvious ones would be the other girls in the party: Lemondrop, Seraphina, Callidora, and Sophia. And to a lesser extent Daeva. With Callidora being the most obvious choice to defend, as she is the youngest and smallest, and doesn't have any great combat specs.

Next, Seymour and Thames will support her to the left and right of the formation, making a V like formation in the front. They will provide secondary defense, while posing as the party's vanguard. They will stop any attacking combatants, and break away to kill key targets when necessary. With Thames' Riding talent making that more possible due to his natural speed and battle presence.

Sophia will stand relatively in the center of the party, acting as its core. Sophia lacks combat specs as well, and must be protected. Effectively, her ability is what we'd called "Buff mage". From the center she will act as the party's buffer, and tactician. Near her will be Seraphina and Callidora. Both of which will act as support for the party, using their various magic and chemistry abilities.

Finally is Daeva, she will take up the rear. Though can move about as necessary. Actually, even in front of the party will be her summons. They will be the first to engage any enemies. If they fall, then Daeva will simply raise more to support the party where need be, but most likely will be to defend the back alongside her."

"I know we've already went all this before, but anyone have any questions?" The Director asked, surveying the party standing before him. They were at the gates to Alpha entrance. It was about time. Their departure into the labyrinth was looming before them.

"AHHHHH!!! WHY MUST MY BABIES BE IN THE FRONT?!?!" Daeva whined, crying.

"You stupid girl! I told you already!! Your skeletons have a unique ability no one else does! It doesn't matter if they meet the enemy first. In fact, it's a blessing! How many Chosen -no, humans, would've survived if we had such an incredible buffer?"

Daeva cried out. "And I said they do matter!!! MY BABIES do matter!!! Whaaaaa!!"

The Director sighed, knowing there was no discussing it with the crazy woman. "Anyone else?" he asked, pinching his forehead.

The Monday Party, the Cleaning Team, and the Collecting Team were all standby nearby. Their various members were chatting nervously nearby. They had all talked with the S rank members beforehand, but everyone was still on edge about this whole thing. This was something completely different than they were used to, and when something was unusual, it tended to be a negative in the labyrinth. Still, everyone was quite hopeful about this new venture. They were all nervous, but they were equally excited for what traveling with the S rankers would do and mean going forward.

"Okay, everyone inspect your gear now before you leave. If theres still something you need, bring it up now, otherwise you may regret it later, don't be stingy. If you have any qualms, let us know. Have you all eaten enough? Gone to the bathroom?" The old man said, sweeping his gaze over the group. "I know I've asked many times, have you chosen a 'team leader'? They'll be the one to remind you of this stuff going forward, since I won't be there. -None of us will be. It'll be up to you all to function as a tightly knit group going forward. Remember what we've told you of the labyrinth. Be wary of everything. Be cautious. Be suspicious. Do not get comfortable. Do not get complacent. Do not get big egos, and try to do more than you can. Do not be 'heroes'. You are Chosen. The BEST of humanity. But that doesn't mean you're special. Never think of yourselves as such. The moment any of you get big heads and act out -the rest of your party will feel the aftereffects of that. And it won't be pretty. Got it?! Okay, anything else?" The Director finished. His face looked somewhat gloomy. Like he was sad for some reason. But then the look left his face, and the old man once again looked like some hardass old man bastard that Samara hated.

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~~ Thames Abreo, Rash Rider, Director's Office ~~

Thames snapped his head in the child's direction, locking his gaze onto her mismatched eyes before she turned. An orphan, and an impetuous one at that, with an inner strength carrying her on even though she had a seemingly frail body. He did not recall her S rank; did she even reveal it yet? What had happened on the arena came as a hazy blur -- how fast it all was! -- and here he was in a room set upon equal footing with an unripe bag of spite named Callidora. The scales tipped, and yet this was not the first time for Thames.

The giantess who had caught his notice before was quick to jump in again, her demeanour sweet, her expressions kind. Thames let out a hollow sigh as he massaged circles into his forehead over his bad eye. He had much to learn about being the better man if a sassy child was enough to sour his thoughts so swiftly.

"I'm done," he answered succinctly, arms crossed, not wanting to step on any more toes even if it was inevitable. His gaze swept the room, left to right, looking into each and every face. "Ladies, gentlemen, if you've not gotten cold feet, this is as good as anything. Let's do our best."

-- -- -- -- --

With five days came five sets of tedium. Thames had known much of this information from previous dungeon delves and months of gossip hounding in search of redcaps, but it was interesting to watch the others get acclimated. His eyes occasionally drifted over to the lady necromancer and the strangest of their group, the goddess-class. Seraphina stuck out like the queen of sore thumbs, but her intelligence outshone his, perhaps due to her new nature as a Chosen.

Now, however, that was neither here nor there. He straightened his shoulders from at-ease and eyed the Director with whom he had previously had disgruntlement before rifling through his inventory. There was not much animosity anymore, the feeling instead giving way to a sense of slight understanding. Thames wondered about but never directly questioned the Director's past. So sullen he was for a moment before taking on a stoicism. What was his story? Perhaps this was something Thames would never know.

Finding his equipment fine, his rations all in good working order, and his swinging arm in optimal condition, he beamed a smile toward the group.

"All set here, though I don't recall ever nominating a party leader. My vote would be . . . for Morrigan here, or perhaps it better to call her Samara since we're, you know, a unit now. Any other takers?"
 
"A leader huh.." Out of everything spoken thus far, the only thing that truly held his attention was who was supposed to be appointed the leader of the group. Due to his ability, he has had the pleasure/displeasure of hearing the inner machinations of the party members. As expected, they were less than ideal, with some redeeming qualities littered around. In certain ways, perhaps all of them were supposed to "balance" each other out in a strange and twisted way.

However, if he had to pick a person, the one that stood out to him was either Samara, the Shield Maiden, or the Thames the Rash rider. Both of them seem to have enough life experience as well as regular Labyrinth diving. Their S rank abilities were also generally useful for both combat and utility situations. Thankfully, the rash rider would echo similar sentiments about Samara, giving Seymour an opportune chance to jump into the leader appointment bandwagon.

"I agree with Thames. The shieldmaiden would make a good figurehead for this group. She's got the experience and tends to treat everyone fairly." Of course, Seymour, wouldn't reveal how he would know such details, he figured that it was something worth sharing with the group.

Looking at the rest of his teammates, Seymour was slightly worried that half of their teammates couldn't actually fight. While it was not all about fighting, the constant presence of monsters made the labyrinth dangerous to traverse, especially for a non-combatant. But then again, he was on the flip side of this coin, considering he had little to no skills or stats for general utility. As such, he likely needed to rely on his teammates to compensate for his shortcomings.

Throughout the last few days, Seymour had consistently acted cavalier and carefree around his peers. The only few times he seemed serious were during his short bouts with the director's guard during the demonstration. While he never bothered to explain his powers, from his sparring sessions, he seemed to be an individual who was talented in dodging, almost to an unnatural extent.

"Whatever you say, Director," Seymour responded with a casual tone, accompanied by a cheeky salute and wink.
 
"Okay, we’ll go over each one of you so we know what we’re working with. And, we’ll start wiiiith… you."

Sera sat in the back, cheeks in her hands, legs swinging from the chair she was seated in. She was soooo bored and just wanted to go bake more cupcakes, but they’d insisted this was mandatory. That said, they couldn’t force her to pay attention…

I wonder what everyone’s favorite flavor is? I should make everyone special cakes for our delve day.

Ugh, Ambition’s bureaucracy is so boring and awful! I hate this city.

That guy’s really cute, I wonder what his power is…?

"Eyes of Future Sight? Well, that’s new! Let’s see… read the mind and thoughts to predict future intentions. Excellent, excellent! Mind-reading sounds quite useful"

"…!!" Sera glanced off to the side, her cheeks growing a bright red.

"Miss, please…"

"Nuh uh…"

Seraphina shook her head vigorously as the trainer held out the scroll of revealing with a pleading look on his face.

"Miss Seraphina, it’s only us and your companions, I promise no one else will see. But it’s important we know what everyone is capable of."

"It’s… it’s private. I can’t— eep!!"

The Dread System screen flashed opened in the middle of the room as Seraphina flipped around to glare at the man who’d just smacked the back of her head with a spare scroll of revealing.

"H-hey! I said it was private!"

"Deity!? You’re a… goddess!? Why would you hide that!? And can you… smite unbelievers, or something?"

"W-what? No! You can see my skills. And please keep it a secret! Trust me, it’s better that way."

"Are you Lux?"

"What? Where did you hear that name? I’m Seraphina."

"Oh. Sorry, Seraphina. But is it true? Are you a goddess who’s come here to bless us with good health?"

"Not at all! Well… that’s not completely wrong, but… ahem! Who told you that…!?"

"Well it’s just, my husband has caught a horrible cold…"

"U-uhm… I don’t…" she paused, the hopeful look on the woman’s face so hard to deny. She glanced down as she continued, "…think that I…" She glanced up again for a brief moment, shutting her eyes at the sight of the pleading lady. "…really I don’t think I should… well…" One of Sera’s eyes opened; the lady had practically transformed into a puppydog.

"Nngh… just don’t tell anyone, okay?"

"Lux, please, can you help? My kid’s caught a cold…"

"Lux! Lux! Please, I scraped my knee! Could you bless me? Pleeease, miss?"

"Lux, what’s your favorite color? We’re building a small chapel in your honor!"

"My name is Seraphina, and I don’t want a chapel!"

"Oh, beloved Seraphina, please forgive our mistake! We’re merely excited to receive your blessings! Please accept this tribute as thanks!"

"I don’t want your money eith— oh, uhm… well…" Sera glanced off to the side as her stomach rumbled and she realized she was flat broke. She awkwardly snatched up the plate of beacons, dematerializing it into her inventory. "Uhm… thank you. But please, don’t do that again! I can get my own from now on. I’ll make it up to you, though, I promise!"

"Wonderful, because we have several others who would really appreciate your blessings! We’ll visit your room tomorrow."

"Wait, several? How many? I don’t know if…" she glanced at the empty ‘tribute plate’. "Well… maybe I could…"


Once the director had finished speaking, and votes for the leader had already been underway, a certain tardy girl stumbled up like a drunk that’d just finished running a marathon, carrying a bright pink box of colorful cupcakes.

"I’m… I’m hhh— …here… " she gasped, leaning on the gated wall like a life preserver as her legs wobbled. "I… I like… Ssaahhh… Samara… too…"

Seraphina took a bold step away from the wall and almost immediately collapsed to the ground, dropping the box. She watched helplessly as the sweet baked goods flew out and splattered on the dirty ground. "…oww…"
 

~~PREVIOUSLY~~​

After the meeting's end, Samara abruptly took her leave. "See you soon," she said, to no one in particular, but her eyes briefly fell upon the eyepatched man who had spoken up for the young girl. "And... thank you," she added, the words laced with a glimmer of hope, before departing. Attempting to do the right thing was important, regardless of success. A seed had been planted and someday, perhaps, it would bear fruit. But, until then, they had their work cut out for them.

Samara remained considerably less outspoken in the gatherings that followed. The briefings were mostly filled with things she already knew, so she stayed near the back of the room, listening and watching. However, she kept a notepad in hand and her pen would begin to dance across its pages whenever something new reached her ears. The shieldmaiden had been diving into the Labyrinth as a talentless adventurer for nearly half a decade and, as an S-Rank for about two years. However, her tendency to help out E- and F-Ranks meant these excursions were often quite shallow. A brief glimpse of level 4 was the deepest she had gone... and that had mostly been by accident.This party would be going much, much farther than that.

When it came time to share more about themselves and figure out tactics, Samara was open about her abilities and experience. She embellished nothing, and answered any questions they had. Obviously, her size and strength had uses outside of combat. She explained that if they needed anything carried, she was eager to help; a full inventory affected her less than it would them. Her shieldhandling skills made her an excellent tank, especially when holding back large monsters, but her lack of speed meant fast-moving creatures or swarms of critters were difficult to handle.

Her Anchor Pull skill could be used to draw them in, but it cost stamina, so she had to be careful of abusing it, since stamina was the bread-and-butter of a melee fighter. And, althought she has one barrier spell, she lacks the mana to use that more than once without rest. The larger the barrier's radius, the weaker it is. Even when only covering one person, it is far from indestructible. Samara actually admitted to being slightly envious of mages and expressed her hope to level her only spell and perhaps learn more. But, in its current state, it is not something to be relied upon.

Surprisingly, she turned to Daeva here. Fighting alongside skeletons wasn't Samara's first choice, but if she got overwhelmed or swarmed, that girl's summons might offer the best relief. Samara still wasn't sure what to make of the necromancer's abilties. Were her cherished 'skellies' actual dead people, torn from the afterlife? For everyone's sake, Samara chose to deny that possiblity. Just another trick of the Labyrinth. They aren't real. But they are helpful and she can't afford to be picky right now.

Those words held true of everyone here. If she were given a choice, most of these people wouldn't be entering the Labyrinth. Some were simply ill-suited for it and others would be far more valuable in the city. The Director was making a huge mistake. But it was clear that, short of rebelling against Ambition itself, there was no way to change that. Thus, they must play the hand they were dealt.

"Teamwork will get us through," she said.
~~CURRENT TIME~~​

A small cluster of adventurers had gathered around the shieldmaiden. What began as a simple story, had somehow grown into much more. Although she felt the Labyrinth was a horrible beast that had pushed humanity to the brink of extinction, she often enjoyed these moments. The people she met inside, the challenges they faced, and the bonds they built, were all part of the human mythos now.

It all started when she overhead a few members of the Monday Team sharing grisly encounters they had. It was all very dark. Maimings, gore, death, and misery... well, that simply wouldn't do! Stories should be positive. They should give hope! Samara listened in for a little while, loitered on the edges of their little social circle, and, inevitably, was asked to share. They were all eager to hear what 'harrowing tales' an S-Rank would tell. About halfway through some of the Cleaning Party joined and, before she knew it, she had more of an audience than she had bargained for.

"So, the archer ducks behind me. He's trembling. Absolutely terrified," Samara said, crouching in her armor to re-enact the scene. "He's as pale as can be. You would think he's seen a ghost. I've got my shield up. Our mage steps back, too, and the three of us are squinting into the darkness..."

"Goblins," one of the adventurer's said. "My moneys on goblins."

"Shush, let 'er finish."

Samara merely smiled at them both before going on: "We can't make out what it is, but the sounds are awful. Hideous! Enough to make your skin crawl. Rawrghwr!" she said, stifling a laugh as she depicted the creature's horrifying battlecry. "And then, it steps into the light. It's a woman with disheveled hair and a huuuuuge axe! A could feel our archer trembling behind me."

"Vampire? Succubus?" one of the Cleaners.

"Is that a thing?" another asked.

"I wish..." a third muttered.

"No, it was much worse!" Samara said, wagging a finger at them. "The archer's scared witless, but he grabs the mage and starts shouting in her face: 'Fireball! Fireball! Nuke her!' But the mage says, 'you told us she was dead!'"

"Zombie. I knew it."

"Haha, no. But I bet he wishes it was. The axe-lady is walking toward us, slowly, menacingly. The archer's lost his mind! The mage is flailing to get him off of her! I'm stuck in the middle. And then... the monster speaks:"

A hush fell over the crowd.

"'Harry!? Harry, you son of a bitch! Where have you been!? You went to the store to buy eggs three months ago!' she says. It's his ex!" Samara finally lost it and could no longer hold back her laughter. A few in the crowd joined in, collectively doubled over and slapping their knees... but most stared blankly, as if waiting for the bad part. Who dies? Who gets maimed? Who has to live with the trauma? Surely, a Labyrinth story can't have a comedic ending.

"So... uh... what happened next? She cut his head off or somethin?" one finally asked.

"Huh? Oh, heavens no! She was aiming much lower than that," Samara said, wiping back tears. "The mage and I stayed out of it. Not our business. They spent half an hour playing cat-and-mouse, until they were too tired to stand. Then... we all went home." She shrugged.

The tide seemed to turn after that. Once the commotion died down, another adventurer began to tell his story. It was also a comedy and, frankly, was even funnier than her own. And he wasn't the only one. Stories of funny, weird, and exciting encounters came one after another. There were still somber faces in the crowd and an overall vibe of fear and anxiety about what awaited them inside the Labyrinth, but each tale carried a glimmer of hope. Eventually, the Director's voice captured her attention. Time was up. The various adventurers returned to their respective parties, be they Cleaners, Collectors, or the Monday team.

And Samara rejoined her S-Rank companions, just as the votes for 'leader' began to come in. She momentarily frowned, but quickly put on a less distasteful expression. "I'm not a fan of Dread Names. I would prefer 'Samara,' if you don't mind. Or 'Mara,'" she said, with a friendly smile at Thames, as if the former was specifically for him.

The shieldmaiden took Sera's hand and hoisted the goddess to her feet. Sadly, there was nothing to be done about the cupcakes. Nevertheless, Samara knelt down and began collecting them. Once she had filled the box, she returned it to Sera and addessed the bigger issue.

"Anyway, as flattering as this is, I think you all are overestimating my ability to multitask," she said, resting her hands on her hips. "I have a lot of defending to do, since our lovely Director thinks sending people into danger and relying on me to protect them is better than keeping them here in Ambition." The smile she gave him could sour milk. She had been relatively civil with the man over the last couple of days, but couldn't help but get one last shot in. It felt... good. bad, but good.

"Anyway. What about Seymour?" she said, abruptly gesturing to him. She found it strange that he didn't elaborate on his skills during their time together, but she knew enough to see he had impeccable battle sense. She could trust that, even if his behaviour was a little suspicious. "You have good instincts and experience. Or..." she gestured to the announcer. "What about Sophia? Who better to issue commands than one who speciailizes in communication? Or, better yet, what about you, Thames? HIstorically, weren't officers and generals and such usually mounted?"
Interaction(s): Tau Tau | TreasureSniper TreasureSniper | Thalia_Neko Thalia_Neko | Marceline_idue Marceline_idue | AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa | Thanny Thanny | Skyswimsky Skyswimsky
 
A few of the party suggested Samara to be the leader. But she herself, had a few other thoughts on the idea. That made the Director smile. He wondered why she insisted on insulting him, but he was happy to see she had the capacity to actually think outside of the box. "Those sound like good suggestions. While I had hoped you would've had this answered by today, I suppose you all will figure it out eventually. Leaders that are worthy do tend to appear in time. Perhaps you do not have to answer this right away, and a natural leader will show themselves in time."

The old man then clapped, gaining everyone's attention. "Alright! Its time for the Raid! Can everyone gather around!" After the various groups gathered the Director began explaining the operation for one final time, though pretty much everyone already understood the assignment by now. His words were really just going back over everyone's parts, and what they were going to be doing. There were various words of encouragement, and finally, the gates opened up. The old man opened his eyes. "Finally, do not underestimate the Labyrinth. And defend each other. Everyone will have to fight for each other; if you do not, the labyrinth will happily pick you off one by one. Okay! Keep your eyes open, we'll see you all later -except for you S ranks. S Ranks..." His gaze was firm. Almost fiery. "Good luck. Who knows when we will see you again. Try to survive. We want to see each and everyone of you again. Good bye." He waved to the group.

Alpha entrance loomed over them, like a monster's hungry maw. Dread radiated out of the darkness. It was enough to instill fear into whoever wasn't prepared. Cowards wouldn't dare to enter the huge structure. However...

The Monday Party, the Cleaning Team, the Collecting Team, and the S Rank team all entered the Alpha entrance. They walked quietly together, and stopped in the center, standing atop a fancy platform, with a strange etching in it. Suddenly the platform lit up, and with a sudden jolt, it began 'sinking' down. The guards, Director, and others who had showed up stood outside of the entrance, in the light, waving, as the platform descended with the large group.

~~~

For those who had never been in the labyrinth, entering was something of an event for them. When the stone elevator came down, a large world spread out before the people. There was a blue sky, and a brownish world spreading out before them. In the distance there was some grass and trees. As they lowered, they apparently just appeared in the 'sky', with no indication of where they came from. It wasn't even clear how there was sky at all, considering they just descended below the earth. But that's just how the labyrinth was -it was nonsensical.

The elevator magically landed, connecting to some sort of platform carved out of stone. There were handrails on each sides of the small staircase, leading down to the earthy ground.

"Welcome to the Labyrinth," said Skirm Isher. The leader of the Monday Party. He was the defacto leader down here in the labyrinth. His highest Talent was C rank, but he was skilled, and had been doing this job for a year now. He was a reliable man. "We'll follow the Collecting Team for now. The Monday Party will act as Vanguard. S Rank team, you will act as support if need be. Just gather your bearings since not all of you are familiar with the labyrinth just yet. Together, we'll defend the Cleaning and Collecting teams. If we come across monster corpses, we'll wait as the Cleaning team does their thing. Everyone understand?"

"Oooo~" the girl with the dirty black hair leaned over a railing, staring out at the labyrinth spread out before them. She had been in the labyrinth several times now, but was still looking in wonder. "Mhm mhm!" She replied to Skirm Isher, nodding fervently. "Can I summon my babies?!"

"That isn't necessary just yet, miss," he said, with a slight frown. Daeva pouted in response.

tiang-love-png.1119849

Jiànlong Xiaoxiao was his name. His S rank talent became known in those 5 days, and he was also added to the S rank party! While his S rank talent was Walking, he was otherwise a swordsman, though his actual swordsmanship talent was lower than Skirm Isher's. Regardless, in the S rank party, his position was alongside Samara, Seymour and Thames, as apart of the vanguard.

"Got it, sir, Skirm Isher, sir!!!" The boy with the cherry brown hair shouted, stiffly saluting him for no real reason.

"Uh-huh.. right. Your name was Jiànlong, right?"

"Yessir!"

"Right... Well, just keep to what you were told."

"Got it! Can do, sir!!" He was plucked fresh out of the Academy of Conquerors. And was excited as all hell. This was only his second time in the labyrinth. With his only other foray into the labyrinth being a training exercise at school. But after his S rank talent awakened, he was pulled from school and shoved on the team, and here he was!

"Right.. Well.. we're setting out now," Skirm Isher said, waving his finger. With the groups all gathering together. "First stop is the Alpha's Gathering Fields. It's nearby. Won't take more than a few hours to get there."

~~

After they entered the labyrinth. The four parties traveled together. It was like hiking the new world beyond Ambition. Here and there, they were attacked by monsters. But as this was the first floor, and there were quite a lot of them, the monsters they faced weren't much of a threat. Some wolf-like enemies that attacked in packs. Some smallish humanoids with dull gray skin, wearing nothing but loincloths, that attacked whenever they saw the humans, but seemed to lack intelligence, just rushing forward and leaping at them with dull claws and teeth.

For the most part, it went smoothly. They came upon the Gathering Fields. Which were fields that had different crops growing, 'refreshed' by the labyrinth. The crops were some sort of wheat-like grain, with other veggies, which included cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, and other such things -or 'look-alike' veggies that only grew in the labyrinth. It took sometime for the Collecting team to harvest the fields. And the others defended them while they were doing so, from attacking monsters. Which also included bird-like monsters called Wheat-eaters. Or just "Wheatwings". A strange bird monster about half the size of a grown adult, that attacked around the crops.

Since it had gone so smoothly, for the most part, not many of the S ranks had needed to perform many of their unique talents. Samara had simply had to use her shield to block attacks, and the others had finished them off with swords, spears, or thrown weapons. Each monster dropped around a few beacons -even with Lemondrop's money talent in effect.

After all these attacks, the Cleaning team took some time to clean up the corpses -- especially at the fields. Leaving monster corpses there would be catastrophic. The miasma from decaying corpses could and would pollute all the fields, making them effectively poison. For freshly-killed monsters, the Cleaning team took their time in dismantling the corpses. Even on the upper floors, there were many parts of monsters that were useful. They could be used in various alchemical decoctions, potions, and other such things. Callidora, as the team's chemist, would undoubtedly also be interested in some of these monster-parts for her own chemistry needs. The other teams kept most of the random drops as they were not very useful to the S rank party.

However, along their journey, they often came upon monster corpses that were too far gone. Their decaying bodies appearing like nothing more than bones and black sludge. Miasma wafting off them in dangerous purple fog. The Cleaning team went about removing them and detoxifying the air using various talents and spells. For everyone else, they steered clear, not wanting to become poisoned.

After leaving the Alpha's Gathering Fields, the groups worked like that for awhile. They were aiming for Beta fields, which would take at least a day to reach. Meaning the S rank group would spend their first night in the labyrinth. Yes, that meant even down in the labyrinth, there was a "day and night cycle". It got darker, and 'stars' appeared in the sky above. With everyone around, it wasn't that big of a deal. There was a schedule for the guards to keep watch through the night. And if anyone in the S rank party was confused, they could easily observe the others and how they dealt with it. It was rather simple. It wasn't much more than camping. A site was set up as their base of operations, then tents were thrown up. People with cooking talents cooked, and others kept watch. Whenever monsters got near, they were dealt with in a smart fashion. Some had gotten injured here and there. They were quickly looked after, given first aid, or healed with minor heal spells, and if they needed rest, others took their spot for now. That's how it went. It was smooth and informative for the newbies of the labyrinth. After a not-so-eventful night, the four groups carried on the next "day".

It went like that for awhile, with everyone doing their jobs, and pulling their weight. But after a few days, weariness and fatigue set in. And finally, the S ranks got to use more of their signature abilities, to fill in the gaps left from the injured, or those who were at the last of their stamina and mana.

And that's when it finally came... For them to split apart. The Monday Party, the Collecting Team, and the Cleaning Team all stopped before the S rank party.

"Thank you for your help," Skirm Isher said to the S ranks, but he was looking specifically at the people who were facing him. Which were Samara, Thames, and Seymour. As they seemed to have the more "in your face" presence.

"Just that way," he pointed through the forest. "Not even half a day's walk, is the stairs leading to the Second Floor. Here's where we part. Thank you for your assistance all this while, but honestly... what we're doing is just prolonging humanity." He motioned the way he was pointing with a flick of his nose. "That way is hope. You're humanity's last hope." He said, placing his hand upon Seymour's shoulder. Good luck, S ranks. Oh, and don't forget the Floor Boss!" He snickered. "Though, with what you've shown, I doubt the first floor boss will be too much trouble."

"Be safe."
"Goodbye."
"Good luck!"
"We'll see each other again!"

Said various other people from the teams that they had gotten to somewhat know. This camaraderie came from working together in the labyrinth. Everyone departed, hearts feeling heavy. Hope, concern, worry, anticipation, weighed heavily on everyone. Some departed with smiles. Others with tear-filled frowns. And finally, the S rank party turned away, marching towards the Second Floor.

A short while later, after fighting through monsters in the forest, the S rank party came to the end of the first floor. Standing before them, was the Floor Boss.

The First Floor Boss changed often actually. Usually it was a different one after one was slain by adventurers, but occasionally it would just change if the boss was left alone for awhile.

Today it was a Fat Blobjun.

The Jun were those small greenish humanoid enemies that didn't pose much threat, but always attacked with reckless abandon. the Fat Blobjun was easily 4 times as big as other Jun. Its eyes were bulging like the fatass it was, and red, bright red. Its thick blob-like skin made it difficult for weapons to cut, making it a much more dangerous opponent than regular jun which were easily dispatched by cutting them to pieces.

"Ruh?"

It grunted, noticing the threats that entered its vicinity, as it looked up and over its fat. Blinking its ugly red eyes, the Fat Blobjun grunted again, and rolled upwards to get to its feet. It was about the size of Samara, though bigger, and thicker, if that were possible. "RUHBB!" It growled, showcasing many tiny little razor-sharp teeth, and spitting out nasty greenish saliva as it shouted at them, raising its smallish hands with nasty, chipped nails.

"Raise Simple Undead!"

A couple of skeletons clad in ripped clothes and armor appeared. Daeva waved her hand and they rushed the boss.

As they drew near, the skeletons raised their crappy swords. Before one could swing the Fat Blobjun smacked it with its small hand. The skeleton crumpled to pieces immediately. The other skeleton managed to strike, but its flimsy attack just bounced off of the fat. Then the Fat Blobjun reared and attacked the other, smooshing it beneath its fat.

Daeva shrieked, looking distraught. "MY BABIESSSSS!!"

The Floor Boss rolled back onto its feet, its brown loincloth barely covering what it needed to. The ugly monster howled again. Above its head was the DS. It read:

💀 Fat Blobjun, Level 6
1st Floor Boss
​
With a "skull" icon by its name and level.

Most Floor Bosses were only a level higher than the floor they governed. But this one was over 5 levels higher! Maybe... the Labyrinth knew, just knew it was being challenged by the S ranks.
 
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As Sera was hoisted up to her feet, her body resembled a lifeless ragdoll that might collapse the second she let go. It was a pretty common sight to see people exhaust their stamina, so anyone familiar with the process of overexertion would've noticed it in her pretty quickly. She forced herself to remain standing, despite it all, and at the very least, her breathing was starting to slow down.

Throughout this, Sera received a number of dirty looks. She must've known today was the day of the raid, so not getting rest was beyond irresponsible: it was downright stupid. Particularly to the degree she'd spent her stamina pool dry. The gates opened, and once she'd finally managed to drag herself into the privacy of the "Alpha Elevator," she sighed a breath of relief.

"Finally..." Seraphina whispered, almost (but not quite) too quiet to hear. She smiled, then approached their party's riding expert from behind as the platform gently hovered down.

"Oh, Thaaaaames~? Carry me...?" she begged, not waiting for his approval before throwing her arms around his shoulders and clinging to him. "Thank yooou~" She was still dead tired and had zero intention to do any fighting until she got took a good long nap.

And this lackadaisical attitude continued the entire trip. Seraphina looked far better after their first night's rest, but still repeated sought out someone to carry her. Her default was Thames, then Samara, and failing the two of them, the Walking Swordsman could put that talent of his to use for her.

Meanwhile, while the other teams harvested the resources, or cleaned, or fought off the monstrous beasts, she continued to show near zero interest or concern about any of it. Level one was level one, and these pitiful things wouldn't even budge her xp bar, much less offer a fight... so why bother? It was only when they approached the boss that she suddenly took interest. After all, bosses offered quite a bit more! Juicy, juicy xp!

"Don't worry," Sera said, dismounting and stepping forward past the "Vanguards" in front. "The floor one boss is so easy. You can all relax while I take care of it."

Head held high, she pranced forward, summoning one of her heavy swords from her inventory. With a whisper, it began to hover, and she swung it around in front of her with a flick of her finger, as if directing a symphony of sword.

And then she bumped something. And then the something sat up. And then it roared right in her face, nearly knocking her off her feet. And only then, did she notice the number above the monster.

"Wha... s-s-SIX!?" Sera shrieked, before turning tail and running full speed back to the party. "HeeEEEEEEeeellllp!! W-Why is it so strong!?"


Thanny Thanny
 

Samara appeared to be very sullen and contemplative during the first leg of their journey. She kept her wits about her, of course, and performed her duties, but was noticeably less chatty and friendly than she had been over the last couple of days. Her warm smile was gone and even her steps appeared heavier, like a literal tank lumbering across a battlefield. And her position at the vanguard made her seem solitary and distant.

She hated being inside the Labyrinth, but not for the reasons most people did. The artificiality of it frustrated her. The air, the sun, the sky, the cycles of day and night... it was all lies. The old world had been destroyed by this place. She must never forget that. This is but a cheap imitation. Even in these moments of peace, do not forget you are in the belly of the beast. You do not belong here. This is not home. This is not your grave.

But hatred is difficult to sustain. It tires the mind and dulls the senses. By dusk, Samara was mostly back to normal. Staying angry at the Labyrinth was simply too exhausting. Even if the Labyrinth was a lie, the people she was with were real. Focus on that instead. So, when the group made camp, she helped with the cooking, despite not having a Talent for it, and told stories and corny jokes around the campfire, even if she was the only one laughing. People were her anchor, a ward against the Labyrinth's ever-present influence. The spirit of the Old World lives on in each of them.

To be a defender did not only mean being aware of threats. One must also be aware of one's allies. Most of her S-rank companions seemed to be exactly as advertised. They did not change much from what she had seen of them in Ambition. The only surprise was Sera. It seems this girl is full of surprises, Samara thought, noting the way the goddess took no interest in helping. On the first day, she thought the girl was merely tired, thus Samara had no complaints about carrying her. But as their journey continued into its second and third days, Sera's lackadaisical attitude became increasingly troubling. It did not bode well for the more difficult floors ahead.

While some might be angry that the goddess wasn't pulling her weight --literally-- Samara was more concerned than annoyed. When they first met, Sera had been so eager to get into the Labyrinth that she assaulted a guardsman. Where was all that passion now? And why Thames? Can't you go bother Seymour? Samara thought, each time she saw them together. N-not that this was the main issue. In fact, it wasn't an issue at all. Thames had nothing to do with this. Sera was the problem, not Thames.

The shieldmaiden made up her mind that she would speak to Sera, in private. But not now, not in front of the others, especially those who would be returning to Ambition. The city had called these S-Rankers the 'Party of Hope.' Although Sera's behavior was unbecoming, calling her out in front of them would be unwise, even if Samara meant no harm. They needed to show solidarity, at least for a little longer.

After they said goodbye to the Monday Party, Collecting Team, and Cleaning Team, the S-Ranks continued deeper into the Labyrinth, fighting their way through a forest, where they skirmished with some wolves and basic monsters. Samara had seen most of this before. Details changed and landscapes shifted, but the Labyrinth retained a sense of familiarity. She knew they were getting close to the passage to the second floor which meant the Floor Boss would be coming up soon.

I wonder what it will be this time? she thought, but that question was soon answered.

Samara hadn't fought many floor bosses, though she had heard about most of them from rumors and tavern tales. The Director's briefings helped fill in the gaps. She tended to run with low-ranked parties, which meant they either avoided the Boss or waited until a higher-ranked party dealt with it, then slipped through before the respawn could kick in. She had only seen Fat Blobjun once before, and he had been little more than a puddle of bones and putrid flesh being slowly purified by Cleaners.

So, this is what you look like with skin? I can't say it's much of an improvement, Samara thought as she banished her iron shield to her inventory and retrieved the large tower shield from her back instead.

"I'm on it. Cover me," she said, not even hesitating at the sight of the 'Level Six' tag above its head. She began to run forward, just as Daeva's skeletons materialized and began their advance toward the enemy. Of course, 'run' is a very relative term. Samara wasn't exactly built for speed, so the necromancer's summons --and Sera-- immediately sped past her. "Sera! What are you-"

The skeletons were annihilated almost instantly and Sera nearly suffered the same fate. Samara thundered past her as the shrieking goddess fled. With her tower shield leading the way, Samara plowed into Fat Blobjun's belly and planted her feet, attempting to push him back, or at least keep him from advancing. This close to him, she now saw they were nearly the same height, though he was considerably rounder in the middle. His wild eyes met hers and he roared in her face, sending out spittle and foul-smelling breath.

"Shut your damned mouth!" she shouted as she slammed the shield's edge down on his unprotected foot and attempted to drive him back.
Mention(s): Tau Tau | Thalia_Neko Thalia_Neko | Thanny Thanny
 
There was a certain charm to tell of stories past. History, as it had already been written. A retell for some petty Beacon's. A stale insight that robbed one of fresh opportunities. All for the sake of an Audience. Yet, Lumi was well aware that a mystery solved too soon would only become a bore for later. Or maybe she simply felt too lazy.

Nonetheless, with the decision of a leader sort of unresolved, the 'S-Rank Announcer' was seemingly switching between night and day. At times, she was the most outspoken of them all, just to hide herself inside her enormous hat mere hours later. It was simply a matter of perspective. One could maybe call it the opposite of stage fright, a switch to flip on and off. A switch so simple to manipulate, if only one could think of the entire world being their stage.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my...!" Enough of the past, Lumi gasped in excitement upon confronting their adversary. What had been mere moments ago did not matter to her. She wasn't writing some story for those to come or had been. She was here, with a live audience, and a troupe of capable entertainers. Taking off her head, she gave the Blobjun a respectful bow before preparing her ribbon and putting the piece of clothing back on her colorful hair.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in a world where bravery faces the grotesque, I present to you today: The first real trial of our valiant heroes versus the one, the only, the jiggly-wiggly Faaaaaaaat Blobjun!" She started with a classic, her voice loud enough for all to hear, yet not painful. Witchcraft!

"Our battle begins with the daring Daeva Everdark(it's in her name!) taking the front! Summoning her skeletal warriors in a valiant assault alongside the ever-sparkling Seraphina to their side! A match made in heaven...and hell? Yet, the plot already seems to thicken, as the labyrinth's treachery soon reveals itself: The Boss is a level six monster! Thus, I watch in pity, as the bony brigade meets a rather squishy end... dismissed by the Blobjun like a house of cards in a calming summer breeze~

But, do not fear, for this setback is all but a clever ruse! Masterminded by our quick-witted Sera! With the mind of what some call a seasoned strategist, the undead's valiant efforts have given her enough time to execute a most brilliant maneuver: the TACTICAL RETREAT! Just a flash, as she oh-so gracefully pirouettes away from the fray, her retreat covered by a most stalwart defender.

Who, you might ask, steps in to fill this sudden void? Well, none other than the one and only, our Shieldmaiden Extraordinare: Saaaaaaamara! With courage in her eyes, she strides onto the battlefield, a bastion of strength and valor for all those behind her!" Lumi clapped her hands together. "The stage is set, the players in position, let the truuueeee battle commence!!"

Lumi's small prelude had been a full range of emotions. Excitement, suspension, pity, and mystery... albeit not finished, her attention turned towards Lemondrop as her eyes were filled with excitement. "Yet, as the battle unfolds, we welcome our most beloved piggy bank!" Did Lumi just call her a pig?! "Challenging Proclamation: Balance Equals Profit! The challenge: To strike the foe while balancing atop a trembling stone! A test for her supreme focus AND coordination! Shall she find herself succeeding, Lemondrop has very well earned her the rock's respect and favor. Turning itself into the very thing she oh-so desires!"

Lemondrop found herself in front of a UI prompt, asking her to accept or decline the Challenge that Lumi had just imposed on her. Should she decline, nothing happens. But, upon accepting, the very ground below the young entrepreneur would shift and quiver, making it a challenge to even hit the boss properly! Yet, upon success, she'd find the very stones that so dastardly tried to betray her turn into valuable Beacons. Beacons that, upon used as ammunition, seemed more powerful than her other projectiles. Maybe it should have been the 'Beacons Favour' instead...?

AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa
 
"Finally, some excitement." Seymour thought to himself as they finally ventured into the labyrinth. All the stories regarding this mysterious and ominous underground level made it sound like an inhospitable place so to see it with his own eyes was always on his bucket list. At least his deal with the Lemondrops was finally paying off with this venture. Speaking of which, Seymour couldn't help but wonder why the usually talkative and bubbly Lady Lemondrop was so silent during her supposed introduction to the Labyrinth exploration. Hopefully, she wasn't spooked too much by the "monsters".

AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa

In all honesty, the first few monsters encountered by Seymour today were rather lackluster. They were called Wheatwings, which were essentially just oversized birds. Not even the scary kind, more so just big pigeons. Seymour almost felt bad slaying the first half a dozen. Almost. Seymour was mostly upset because not a single one of them dropped any useful "trophies" apart from their "feathers". By the end of their fights, the young man had enough to craft into a shawl. Which had only a minor stat increase. Disappointed by his "loot' he promptly gave it to the person closest to him at the given moment, which happened to be Seraphina. "Hey. Sera was it? I feel like you'd look good with this." Seymour spoke with a cheeky tone before handing over the shawl. He didn't quite like the way the item looked with his current outfit.

Tau Tau

The other party that they were supposed to be working with was decent enough with their methods, clearly the mark of experienced adventurers. They were even nice enough to fight the floor boss on their own. As expected, Samara the Vanguard of the group did not hesitate to throw herself into the sights of the beast, pushing her against the mass of blubber with her shield. Perhaps this boss with an intimidating skull icon on it will prove much more challenging than the oversized avians. Seeing the skeletons of their resident necromancer get pummelled into nothingness did little to dissuade the defenders's courage. An admirable, and more importantly useful trait, something he fully intended to take advantage of. "Keep it steady Samara, I am going for the eyes!" Seymour shouted while sprinting forward towards the tall lady. Using the tall girl's back as a makeshift ramp, he jump upwards and took another step on her shoulder to further propel himself upwards, bringing himself to head-level height. From there he would wrap one of his whip swords around the neck of the beast, pulling himself closer to it, preparing to stab one of its eyes out with his offhand. Based on the visions he's had, thing should work out in his favor.

AnonyMouse AnonyMouse
 
~~ Thames Abreo, Rash Rider, Director's Office, five days prior to the present ~~

Thames almost welcomed being out of the spotlight for the second time today, the conversation with the Director not exactly the best one he had, but before he could dive into the sanctuary of quiet Morrigan had thanked him. Blinking back his surprise, he turned away and abashedly scratched his cheek. The gesture from her was yet another gracious one, and perhaps happy. That made things much more worthwhile than before. Perhaps it was her class or her personality, but for the first time in months . . . he genuinely smiled.

~~ Thames Abreo, Rash Rider, Floor 1 and Floor Boss, present ~~

Voting for leadership seemed to be strongly leaning towards Samara, much to Thames' enjoyment. She had the temperament of a leader, in his opinion, though he agreed with a number of options Samara had proposed instead. Seymour had demonstrated levelheadedness and a number of times, Seraphina had her goddess charms, and Lumi had a quirky amount of oversight to narrate an entire room's actions. If Lumi's ability were to be incorporated into a battlefield, Thames could only imagine the benefits, though was that leadership? He did not know. She was not likely to be omniscient or potent enough to lead armies like the generals of old.

Mara, as she requested him to call her, had also proffered him as leader material, though he made a face strangely somewhere between a simper and uncertainty. While he had some leadership qualities, he felt that he had no charisma and was nothing quite as grandiose as, say, Napoleon Bonaparte or Julius Caesar, able to make proper and powerful tactical reaches out of disarrayed soldiers. He would have to start small, perhaps, but to lead S-ranked individuals? Doubts reared their heads, but he would have to ponder the possibility if more votes occurred.

Movement. Chains, levels, depth, power, and Seraphim jumping onto his back. Seraphim jumping onto his back? Whump. He was glad that his battle axe was not slung over his shoulders, or sharp steel might have proven a challenging thing to embrace. With an awkward chuckle, he adjusted his weight, secured his eyepatch anew, and trudged forward into the labyrinth's bowels with the rest of the group at a steady pace heading into Floor 1. Everything was business as usual. Then appeared the floor boss. If he had to rate it against its weaker counterparts, it would be factor of ten to a hundredfold. That was not to mean either should be underestimated. To kill the strong did not purely require skill -- chance played a factor as well, so he would have to be cautious and not repeat history.

With Samara in front and Seymour above with Lumi feeding information, he aimed for a sideways blow to the Blobjun, going to Samara's left and the Blobjun's right with an obsidian battle axe swung to cleave into the jelly, or perhaps fat, of the strange blob-like creature. A standard attack, perhaps, but one enhanced with the shifting of weight and power to his axe. Lighten and Laden Weapon came as a conservation of force, and gravity shifted from him into the axe to make a blow aimed for centre of mass heavier and cut deeper. With any luck, this would provide openings for others as they charged forward or rained projectiles at the opponent. Level 6 was disconcertingly high -- perhaps it was due to the Labyrinth adjusting for party size -- but with all of these S-ranks here he hoped everything would prove unchallenging.
 
Daeva remembered the current normal strategy to take this monster down. It typically revolved around melee and defensive specialists holding its attention as spells -typically fire-based- were fired at it from afar. Roasting the fatty monster was the primary way of defeating it. Unfortunately she did not have fire spells.

While Lumi was narrating the actual fight, and giving a proclamation towards the lemonhead, the battle was underway. After all, it wouldn't just stall as the announcer girl narrated, now would it? With only 25 strength, Thames' strike was too weak. It bounced right off the Blobjun's fat, literally causing the monster to jiggle and shake like jello. The monster barely noticed, still wrestling with Samara. At the same time Jiànlong used Long Step to reach the monster, striking at it with his Eastern Dragon Sword. The weapon's effect wouldn't be relevant here, as the Blobjun seemed to be only a physical attacker, but that didn't mean he shouldn't attack. Thankfully, the Blobjun had no swordsmanship skills, making his F Swordsmanship Talent irrelevant. But like Thames, his sword bounced back with a jiggle.

That was when another of the humans leapt right at it. The monster tried to shake Seymour, but felt a stab into one of its ugly bulging red eyes. The stab drew bluish-green blood, and the Fat Blobjun roared with pain. "RUHHGGHHHHH!!!!!" Spittle flying out of its nasty mouth, opening its nasty mouth almost like a frog or snake, razor teeth gleaming like a tangle of brambles within.

Angered, its chubby legs bent and it suddenly sprang up into the air, dislodging itself from Samara, and throwing off Seymour. With another roar, it came back down, striking the ground with its enormous fat. This sent out a shockwave over the ground, and an earth-shake under it. Rocks broke up from its slam, flying out from the impact, striking those closest to the monster first. And reaching some of the weaker party members who were at a medium distance from the monster.

Luckily, Daeva was at a considerable distance, so she wasn't endangered by its attack. She held up her hand. "Dark Usher! Dark Usher! Dark Usher! Dark Usher!!!" The dark-haired girl cried out repeatedly. Bursts of smog-black darkness flew out, then struck the Fat Blobjun. Causing the monster to jiggle a little, and whine. But even if she couldn't do fire magic, magic was still effective. And so was her dark magic. The Dark magic left blackened smudges on the monster's skin, that looked 'infected' or 'burnt', with smoke coming off.

"Gruhhuh!" It turned its attention to the dark mage in the back.

"N-now! Strike the spot again!" Daeva suggested to Thames and Jiànlong, or whoever else wanted to respond. She was meaning where her magic had struck, obviously.

But in the meantime, while the melee fighters recovered from the rocky shockwave, the Blobjun ignored its singed flesh and reached down and picked up one of the loosened rocks. Then with power that you wouldn't think it had, it threw the rock right at the dark mage at the back, growling and spitting in anger.

"Eeeeiee! Raise Simple Undead!!" Daeva screamed, holding both hands out in front of her. A skeleton appeared in front of her. Just in time to take the rock for its master, smashing to pieces in an instant, with Daeva diving out of the way of the aftermath of the impact, holding her head and screaming.

For Jiànlong who wanted to strike where he had been instructed, he couldn't. None of his reflex-parameters were actually any good. Speed, agility, adaptability, awareness. All low. Neither did he possess any particular talents that would help him avoid things in a fight like Future Sight, or whatever. He took a significant hit from the shockwave, being at its epicenter, and was struck in the chest by one of the flying rocks. He was laying on the ground groaning in pain. But for what it was worth, he was still trying to push back up, to get back in the fight! His arms were behind him, pushing against the earthen floor, and he was leaning up, gritting his teeth with effort.
 

Samara remained focused, despite the announcer's dramatic narration assaulting her ears. Fortunately, Lumi challenge appeared to be aimed at Lemondrop. While she didn't like the idea of turning combat into a spectacle, at least she now had a better understanding of the girl's abilities than she did at the Arena. If all goes well, her narration might even give them an edge and save someone's life. Compared to what they stood to gain, being slightly annoyed was a small price to pay.

Meanwhile, Seymour decided to use her as a springboard. He announced his intentions before leaping into action. "Erm, glad to be of service... I suppose," the shieldmaiden remarked with a wry smile as he went up and over. It was anyone's guess whether she was being sarcastic or genuinely pleased. It was certainly not the first time someone had decided she made a good step ladder -- it sort of comes with the territory when you're large and stable and always standing in the way. However, that tactic was usually employed by much smaller adventurers, not a man who was nearly her height.

Fortunately, their teamwork produced results. Although Thames's and Jianlong's blades were repelled by the Blobjun's gellatinous flesh, Seymour's strike landed true, injuring one of the creature's eyes. It roared in pain and anger. Okay, here we go, Samara thought as she pressed harder, slamming her shield into Blobjun. They had drawn first blood and would now see how the creature would react. This moment would be her true test as a defender.

She prepared to reach for her sword, which was sheathed between the enarmes of her tower shield. But, at that very moment, Blobjun crouched and leapt skyward. It happened so fast, Samara was left staring at the clouds. Oh no, he's going to slam down! There was a brief moment where she considered getting under him and absorbing the impact, but his size and velocity made it obvious that would be a BAD IDEA. This is no ordinary leap. In the Labyrinth, nothing is 'ordinary.' Its an attack.

The shieldmaiden instinctively grabbed Seymour, yanked him behind her, and planted her enormous shield in the ground to serve as cover, just as Fat Blobjun crashed down, causing a small quake and a shower of rocks and earth. She stretched out her hand toward Thames and muttered an incantation as the shockwave emanated outward from Blobjun's impact crater. "Anchor... Pull!" Samara said, drawing the axe-wielding adventurer toward her as the ground beneath their feet trembled. She now had both men behind her shield as rocks and debris pelted its surface. But the others...

Jianlong was down, injured but alive, while Fat Blobjun was already on its feet and hurling rocks with the force of a siege engine. No, no, no, no, Samara thought as she watched Daeva narrowly avoid being demolished. The necromancer summoned a skeleton just in time to protect herself. She sacrificed one of her 'precious babies' and then proceeded to hurl orbs of dark magic at the boss. Meanwhile, the others were scattered. Samara wasn't sure where to begin or who to protect. It was all falling apart. She didn't know how to defend a group this big.

Think! Focus! If you can't protect the friendlies, isolate the hostiles, she thought, switching tactics as she slipped her hand from her shield's straps and pressed both palms together. I'm no mage, but I'll do whatever I can to protect them. A faint blue light flickered between her cupped gauntlets. The spell took a precious couple of seconds to spool up. If only she could cast as quickly as Daeva. "S-Sanctuary Bubble," the big lady said, as the trembling energy reached a crescendo and formed a chaotic, swirling sphere the size of a baseball. She stood up and prepared to throw it.

She had never quite mastered this spell. Sanctuary Bubble was... complicated, to say the least. When it strikes, it expands to form a bubble shield, but the force of impact determines its radius. If thrown hard, you get a big sphere, capable of protecting lots of people. But, a weak throw makes a small bubble, only big enough for one person. And its total HP doesn't change, which means the bigger the radius, the thinner the barrier.

She already felt lightheaded, just from summoning the sphere, so her throw was far from perfect. But her target was hard to miss. Samara went with an underhanded toss, right at Blobjun's belly. The ball of blue energy struck his side and seemed to explode in a flash of swirling, bluish-white light, forming a bubble around the creature, large enough for an adventurer to slip inside. Fat Blobjun was in the midst of throwing another rock as the sphere solidified. His attack ricocheted off the inner walls of his translucent prison, leaving hairline cracks. It struck the ground at his feet and Blobjun roared in anger.

"Go! Strike the weak spots, it won't hold long," Samara said to Seymour or Thames, or anyone else close enough to hear her. They would know, from their briefings, that allies and their spells can pass through the bubble. Only enemies and hostile attacks are blocked.
Interaction(s): TreasureSniper TreasureSniper | Thanny Thanny | Thalia_Neko Thalia_Neko
Mention(s): Skyswimsky Skyswimsky | AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa
 
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