Fantasy The Dungeon of Ornesse

[Ullr]

Sagitta





Following his his party into the dungeon Sagitta showed his mark to the guards, then looking back at Seff who had to remove almost his entire armor he thanked Ullr for asking for his hand and not his back.


The following his party into the cave he saw the orange blobs, taking aim and shooting one of them the blob didn't looked like he took too much damage from the arrow in fact he looked angry. The blob starting bouncing his way towards Sagitta, Sagitta immediately shot another arrow this time the blob splattered the only thing that left from the blob was a magic stone. Sagitta remembered what he heard the magic stones are his way of getting payed, taking the magic stone and pocketing it he noticed another blob was bouncing towards him this time he was closer too close to comfort. Sagitta started to back off but as he looked back he saw another one was closing on him from behind, Sagitta took aim at the blob in front of him and the only thing on his mind was to make him stop moving. While Sagitta meant that he wanted to kill the blob in one shot, the arrow he shot was glowing in white after hitting the blob the blob stopped moving. Wasting no time to wonder what just happen Sagitta switched to the other blob who was coming from behind him and shot two arrows at him one after the other, then not bothering to pick up the magic stone he turned back to the blob he paralyzed earlier. The blob already moving again towards Sagitta, and was dangerously close to him. Sagitta shot another arrow towards the blob but the blob didn't splatter, Sagitta took an arrow from his quiver and decided to stab the blob with it. That was a mistake the blob swallowed his arm with the arrow, making him feel amount of pain he never felt before. Thinking he had no other option he tried to smack the blob with his bow, and thankfully the blob splattered, relaxing now Sagitta looked at his right arm that was swallowed by the blob there was no really injury mark his cloths were torn apart but nothing more he wondered if it was because of the blessing of Ullr. Deciding there is no point to ponder on that Sagitta went to pick up the two magic stones the blobs he killed drooped, then hearing Sam offering food he decided it would be a good time to take a snack break "I would gladly accept some Salmon" Sagitta said with a smile while he approached Sam who clearly was fighting as well though Sagitta didn't pay much attantion to any one else fights, Sagitta realized they are not exactly the best party right now.

 

[Mattie]

Avant


"A snack break already?" Avant announces as he walks nearer Sam and Sagitta, examining his still perfectly clean blade. "I wanna keep going—the monsters are too easy for us up here. If it was just one of us, it would be different, but we have a good-sized group. WE should try to get as far as we can—the farther we go the stronger we'll get. Plus, we'll make more money." Avant finishes. And I don't know about you, but I'm worse than penniless—I'm practically in debt to Athena.

 

[Ryik]

Renge


You spend all of ten seconds staring into the crowd from behind the guards before turning back and descending into the dungeon. This was a fucking waste of time. A group might give you the wrong idea about your limits after all, you think. You return to the open-spaced area before the branching paths and pick a different one from before. When you find a bunch of people fighting a herd of floating orange balls, you turn around without a word to pick a different path. The ridiculousness of the sight alone is an adequate deterrent for you.


Finding another pathway, you come to yet another room of sorts. The dungeon is a lot less cramped than you would expect it to be. In any case, the room doesn't appear to have much in it; Some surly bipedal reptiles that appear to want to shank you. Not wanting to see how far monsters are willing to follow you, you run up to the closest one and punch it with the intention of splattering its brain all over the place.


「F O R C E P U N C H」


To your disappointment, the jagged object-wielding lizard thing is merely thrown back, and scrambles back onto its feet as it lands a few meters away. Soon enough it's running back at you, along with every other fucking lizard in the room. You're not sure how many there are, but you're sure there's more than you counted before.


You want to use your knife, but the ability to shove them back with punches is the only thing keeping them from swarming you. One by one you punch them, shoving them much farther than they would usually go. It becomes a game of hitting every one of them before they manage to complete their leap and stab you. Your attention splits in every direction at once, and you find yourself spinning on your heels constantly. In doing so your knuckles naturally take a lot of cuts, even with trying to block their sharp objects with the knife. As time goes on you find yourself staining the lizards in your blood with every punch. Even so, over the course of a few minutes of this you manage to keep them at bay until they all fail to get back up and dissolve from the blows. When all is said and done, it's just you, bloodied knuckles and an assortment of small magic stones. Fighting these things is a bit of a workout you find. You're a little short of breath, but you're fine to keep going. You think you'll start making use of your knife though. You shouldn't be taking on groups so large so soon. Or at least not letting yourself get surrounded like that.


You take the time to pick up the magic stones they drop, for the sake of taking a break if nothing else. When the dungeon floor is clean and you're ready to move on, You continue inward and around a bend. Down a hallway, across an empty room; it's hard to tell whether things are empty by chance or if adventurers before you have just cleared the place out. You imagine many come and go through the first floor, but that just makes it harder for beginners to train. Either way, you make a good amount of progress uninhibited by monsters before you come to another room almost identical to the one the staircase at the beginning of the dungeon opened up to; torches and glowing crystals holstered snugly within sconces along the wall. There's a stairway leading to the next floor, right before you, and you don't waste any time flying down the steps.


All things considered, the second floor doesn't look all that different from the first. It looks distinctly less brown, and there are more stalactites here and there, but other than that, you almost feel deja vu for the place. The amount of paths seems to have reduced for whatever reason, down to only three. Shaking it off, you head down a random pathway just like the first floor. Unlike then, the pathways don't seem to be as straight. When you come to the end of the twisting path, you find another room, forebodingly large. The room is a lot less... predictable in shape. Jagged corners, random parts of the wall jutting out, and floor to ceiling pillars scattered about the room. There are pathways leading from the room in seemingly every direction, but before you can even choose which way to go, you need to handle the monsters in front of you.


You've never been a fan of insects. They don't quite make you squeamish, but you oft go out of your way wasting time killing them. Fitting, you suppose. Before you are three ants the size of large dogs filling you with utter disgust, begging, calling for you to brutally slay them.


Their enormous mandibles click together, and for a moment you think about the consequences that would result from putting a human skull between them, or any other body part for that matter.


You'd best kill them quick.


You dash for them, dagger drawn. before their six limbed bodies can make any evasive maneuvers you've slammed your knife straight into one's head.


...


Your knife pierced the ant's carapace. About one centimeter of the blade has penetrated the Ant's head.


This is bad.


You rip the knife out and leap back before it can close its mandibles around your leg. It doesn't seem particularly bothered with its new brain damage. Either that or its brain is just too small to be hurt by that wimpy wound you managed. Instead it scurries at you surprisingly fast, right along the other two. You try to keep back-stepping, but it doesn't help when they can move so quickly. You could run, but doing so so soon after you got here would just showcase your inadequacy. You can handle some motherfucking ants.


The ant with the negligible wound tackles you, and you nearly fall over. You stop it from doing anything with it's mandibles by punching it off you, sending it back, though as soon as you do, you feel like it's taken a lot out of you. Maybe you should have asked for a more thorough run-down from Tsukuyomi. In any case, the other two ants are at your sides and looking to snap their mandibles around you. You move towards one to attack while evading the other and see if you can't stab it somewhere delicate, like its eye. First you jump at it, foot first, aiming to smash it to the ground. You manage it, steadying the landing with your other foot. Unfortunately its head doesn't crack under the pressure, but while you have the fucking thing under your boot you lean down and shove the knife through an eye. You are happy to find that while the resistance of its carapace is enormous, the knife can get much deeper in by compromising the pre-existing hole. The ant makes a disturbing mix between a squeak and a blood-curdling screech. Combined with the two points of weight that suddenly settles itself on your back and you can't help but run, ripping the knife out and stepping on the ant's head. Your skin crawls as you rush your way towards the wall, away from the ants. It is at this time you see the ant with the small dent in its head running at you along the wall, and you suddenly decide you really fucking hate ants with the abnormal movements they make.


Looking over to the other ants, it seems the one that just had a knife driven into its eye socket is getting back up, and the third ant is already closing in on you. Having backed yourself into a corner like this, you're surrounded, and you don't know how much more you can punch things after how much you abused it on the last floor. You pick the ant on your left to deal with. You're against the wall on the right side of the room. To your right is the ant crawling along the wall, but getting past it just leads deeper into the dungeon. Straight ahead is the most wounded ant, but taking the time to deal with it just lets both of the other ants collapse in on you. To the left is the least wounded ant, and you're going to have to deal with it sooner or later.


You leap at the same way you did to the other ant, foot first. Unfortunately this time the ant manages to snag your pant leg in its jaws. You still get to shove it to the ground under your foot, but as you step on its abdomen with your other foot and try to leap off of it, your caught leg just makes you trip, putting you in between the first and second leg on one side. More from irritation than proper planning, you grab the front leg with one hand and chop it off with the knife in your other.


That same unsettling squeaky banshee wail comes out. It lets go of your pant leg and as you spin and slide onto your back and out from under it, you get a view of its disgusting insectoid undercarriage. As you get up, you drag your knife up its side, aiming for the less solid portions of its carapace. You manage to cut into it, though you don't think you left much of a scratch.


Either way, cutting it while getting up was just multitasking. Once you're off the ground you've got to make some distance between you and it so you can deal with the middle ant now coming your way without being interrupted by it.


Stepping around it, putting the middle ant between you and the de-legged ant, you figure you might as well strike where the fire is hottest and shove the knife back into its eye socket, which is really gross right now, ant blood spilling out of it gratuitously.


Even so, you figure you should be more patient. Pulling the same trick on the same ant twice? They're dumb but even the second one caught your pant leg from seeing it done to the eyeless one. Or maybe it was just lucky. Either way you don't feel like taking that risk in a situation like this.


Instead you let it approach and wait for it to lunge before dodging it, to the left. Not about to let the small window of opportunity go to waste, you jam the knife into its mess of an eye hole and shove it down by the neck so you can 「 P U N C H」 it in. It pops out the other end of the ant, and the ant falls. It doesn't disintegrate though, which is troubling.


Wanting to finish it off here and now, you grab the knife and stab it where its head meets its abdomen and stomp it in. Doing so successfully finishes it off, magic stone and knife clattering to the ground. Of course, the other ant is attacking already, so you 「F O R C E P U N C H」 it off and away. Your legs crumple for a moment before you catch yourself. Clearly you should have stopped using that, but you aren't at your limit yet.


You take the time to pick up the magic stone it drops, unsatisfied with its modestly superior size to that of the first floor. You pocket it before turning back to the two remaining ants, steeling your resolve to deal with them before you leave.


The ant you knocked back (the one with a dent in its head) and the 5-legged ant come at you at the same time. Naturally you pick the ant missing a leg to pick on, letting it block the other from you as you try to cut another leg. You manage to hurt it, but it doesn't come clean off, and you're momentarily disappointed with the range your weapon offers. You suppose you're not one for heavy weapons though anyway.


The less... crippled ant climbs over the other to come at you. It leaps at your throat. You've seen something like this before somewhere. You duck and stick your knife out above you, hoping to let the knife sail through the ant like... well, a hot knife through butter. Unfortunately things don't go as planned. The knife cuts a bit near its mouth, but its far from the bisection you wanted. The action itself forces the knife out of your hand, and now the ant is on top of you, scooting its grotesque body back to bring its mandibles around your head or something. Before it can do so you tuck your leg against your chest so that you can kick it up and off of you, freeing yourself. You pick up your knife, and take a few steps away from the downed ant.


You find yourself in a similar situation as before. The physically able ant is on its back, scrambling to get up while the crippled ant scurries towards you. Like before, you want to keep damaging the crippled ant's legs to compromise its ability to fight, so you naturally try to circle around it, but it spins itself to keep its jaws between you and it. Your knife is too small to trick it into biting, and there's not exactly any stray sticks around for you to wave at it. When a smart option cannot be found, running straight at it will have to do.


You run at it, and it meets you in kind. Not about to get bitten, you kick it's stupid mandible things and then kick it again while it's staggered. You manage to knock it off balance or something, letting you plant your foot on its neck. Shoving your entire weight onto it, you force it to stay grounded while you take the dagger and smash it into its compound eye. It emits the same wretched noise as before, and you decide that it REALLY NEEDS TO SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT THE FUCK NOW.


You rip the dagger from its eye and shove it into its other eye. You then take it out and start mashing little holes in its head that would probably set off someone's trypophobia before realizing ants apparently have three weird little eyes on the top of their head too. They fill you with disgust. You stab all of those out as well and then kick the ant out from under you. If it doesn't die from the wounds you can finish it off later. The able ant has gotten back up and is running at you erratically. Like before you aim to kick those huge mandibles and use the opening to stab it, but to your surprise, it dodges your kick, stopping itself at the last second and rushing you after you whiff your kick. Of course on reflex you kick again, but it doesn't have quite the swing the first one did, and while you manage to push its jaws away, it still tackles you to the ground.


Before you got away from the jaws because the ant mostly overshot you, trying to cut off your head or something. You could have avoided it entirely if you didn't drag it down by trying to cut it, but it worked out you guess. In this case, you're staring down two large razor blades coming to close around you. You had to act fast, and you didn't know what else to do, so pardon you if you didn't do the smart thing and instead jammed your fist straight into its face. It pushed the ant's jaws back, and you didn't waste any time activating your punching skill, but the ant was quick to close its jaws, and while you didn't lose your head, those razors on either end of the jaw grated along the sides of your arm as it flew back, ripping apart the skin and covering it with blood. You can't help but grit your teeth and make a strangled noise. You're not one for screaming out of pain. Even still you want that ant dead.


The adrenaline makes a great pain killer, but not nearly enough to null the sweet hell desecrating your arm right now. You let it hang limply by your side, dripping. You doubt the damage is fatal, but you can feel that the wounds are deep and long. All the more reason why you don't give the ant the opportunity to scramble up this time. You stick the knife into its throat and attempt to punch it through, but nothing happens when you do. Instead you have to settle for stabbing the spot repeatedly as it makes those horrid cries and flails its nasty limbs flailing to correct its upside down position, to shove your foot off of it. You take your time. You don't really have a choice. Hack by hack, you slowly work towards beheading the ant until 2/3rds of the way through the ant disintegrates leaving the magic stone behind. You pick it up and turn back to the blind, crippled ant, who resigned itself it seems, not even bothering to try to stand up. As you near it however you get a whiff of a weird smell, seemingly coming from it. You try not to let it bother you as you finish it off in a similar fashion.


As you pocket the third and final magic stone, you can't help but get the feeling of being watched. Instinctively, you look around, and you barely catch the ant scurrying up the wall trying to avoid your sight. You follow it and find several ants have gathered on the ceiling, crawling to the area above your position. You naturally start heading towards where you came from, the staircase back to the first floor, and as you turn to run you catch a glimpse of more ants pouring out of seemingly every corridor leading from the room you're in, and not even in single file at that.


It seems that, as it so happens, you cannot handle these motherfucking ants.


You run, immediately and as fast as you can manage, hand gripping your left arm trying to ease the pain. You're not sure whether it was the screeches or the smell, but they can apparently attract each other one way or another, which is JUST FUCKING PEACHY.


You don't look back as your fly up the steps back to the first floor.

 

[IceSolstice]

[soren & Avant]


As strategies and paths of action were running through Soren’s head, a familiar burly figure rushes in front of him and absolutely decimates each orb. Soren’s eyes widen. Wow. All dead in one hit?


"Getting tired already, Soren?? Haven't you eaten?"


Soren straightens himself up and brushes some of the dust off of him. With his foot still stuck in the slime. Clearly Sam was blind to it or he figured Soren could deal with it himself. But the truth was, Sam did pull him out of a pinch.


“Thanks for the help. And I ate a light breakfast,” Soren replies amicably.


Soren steps on the slime with his other foot and uses it as leverage to pull his leg out.. His foot is freed with a sticky pop sound. Soren is very tempted to stomp all over the irritating slime, but figures that he’d just get his foot stuck again. He backs away from the slimes and crouches down to stab the slime that had formerly held onto his leg. The knife sinks perhaps too easily and Soren barely reacts in time to yank his arm the opposite direction before his weapon and hand are engulfed in the slime. It would’ve been bad to lose my weapon to a stupid jello monster. Soren attacks the same slime again with more controlled stabs, but it seems to do absolutely nothing. Frustrated, he scoops up the small slime with his weapon and flings it against the nearest wall. The blob splats and surprisingly disappears.


That killed it? That’s all I had to do??


Resigned, he just picks up the magic stone and backtracks to where they first fought the orbs.


--


He listens quietly as Sam suggests a lunch break, with Sagitta accepting his offer and Avant stating that he wanted to keep going.


“We should split up then. If you two want to go eat, fine. But I’m going to kill more monsters. Avant, you coming?” Soren asks.


Soren leaves the room before anyone could respond.


“Yeah, I’ll go ahead with you.” Avant answers, half-jogging to catch up.


--


As the two novice adventurers draw near the next room, the first thing they notice is the flickering light apparently emanating from the room ahead. The flashes of light were completely unpredictable, sometimes flashing on for a few seconds at a time, while at other moments flickering many times a second. As only a very dim glow illuminated the cave otherwise, the flickers of light were the only real way to see what was ahead.


Turning the corner and entering the room, a circular stone room about 15 meters in diameter, with the oddly flashing lighting stones placed haphazardly about the room, the pair were met by the sight of their next foe—small furred four-limbed monsters that could only be described as horned rabbits. Their fur even came in the standard array of rabbit patterns. But what struck them the most was the horn; it spiraled several inches into a very sharp point and looked to be made of a material similar to ivory.


The dim lighting already had the newbies on guard, their weapons at the ready, but Avant missed the brown and white furred rabbit sitting just outside the entrance of the room to his (right/left). Snarling as threateningly as a demonic rabbit could possibly snarl, it leapt into the air with shocking speed horn-first, impacting Avant’s leather chestpiece just above the belt. Although the armor took the blunt of the blow, the horn still managed to pierce part of the way through and Avant stumbled sideways in surprise, nearly toppling over.


“Careful!” Soren shouts, “You really don’t want to get hit in the face with that.”


He narrowly dodges the rabbit that attempted to stab his own body. Close call. If I had reacted a second too late…


Soren applies 「Red Touch」on his own weapon and gear, feeling a wave of tiredness sweep over him each time. Should try to keep this to a minimum.


Avant just grunts, in response to both the pain and Soren’s warning. The brown and white rabbit drops to the floor soundlessly and leaps away agilely—the lights flicking off just before Avant could get a proper swing at it. He swings again blindly at where he supposed the rabbit had scampered off to—then quickly ducks his head just in time to dodge a black-furred rabbit that suddenly shot out of the darkness. If not for the timely flicker of light seemingly freezing the rabbit in mid-air, Avant might have lost an eye or worse.


“This should help,” Soren remarks while he casts「Red Touch」an additional two times, once on Avant’s armor and once on his sword. He also focuses on only enchanting the blade portion of Avant’s weapon and the outer part of his armor.


“Don’t touch that. Unless you’re a masochist.”


“Wouldn’t you like to know.”


“Noted. Can you make it any brighter?” Avant complained, squinting his eyes in the inconsistent lighting.


“I can try I suppose,” Soren replies and concentrates on the red aura glowing brighter.


But it refused.


“Worth a shot I guess.” Avant snorted and flicked his sword up, bracing the flat of the blade with his left hand. He’d noticed a rabbit in front of him had suddenly gone still and guessed it was going to jump. He was right, but forgot about the enchantment on the blade. The instant his hand touched the blade, the rabbit jumped and collided directly with the sword. Shaking his left hand, Avant stomps on the rabbit and stabs it through the flank. Although the monster squealed in immense pain, it didn’t disintegrate, so Avant stabbed it again, killing it for good.


There was no time to dwell on his success however—two rabbits had gone still now, and Avant doubted he could angle his sword to block both at once. Leaping to the side, he cleanly dodged the two rabbits as they bore toward him.


A few meters away, Soren was having a harder time. Without a shield to use, the diminished range and length of his dagger made it unsuitable for blocking, leaving him only able to dodge the horned beasts as they attack him. I should’ve picked up a longer range weapon, or a shield at least. He internally grumbles, pissed off at the inconsistent lighting and the disadvantage he was at. Soren focuses all his attention on the movement of the horned rabbits and relaxes his muscles. A brown rabbit shot towards him from his front, so Soren sidesteps to the right to avoid it. However, a pure white rabbit had attacked him simultaneously and the horn grazes him. The rabbit itself collides with his side and Soren is thrown off balance. The rabbit falls ungracefully onto the ground, stunned from impacting Soren’s armor. Soren frantically regains his footing and spies the fallen rabbit. Knowing that any second he could get impaled by another rabbit, Soren makes quick work of the rabbit by stomping on it repeatedly until it turns into dust.


After one rabbit missed and landed, Avant used 「Charge」to rush close enough to pierce it before it could escape. This brought him within the range of a light-purple rabbit he hadn’t noticed before and it leapt toward him forcefully, burying it’s horn into his thigh before he could react.


Soren quickly flicks his gaze around to survey the relative position of the rabbits. Four of them were intent on killing him, their beady eyes focused on him. If it weren’t for the fact that they could kill you easily with a blow to a vital--they could almost be considered innocent looking. Soren slowly backs into a wall. If they missed him, surely they’d get stunned by hitting the cavern wall? It’d buy him time to figure out the timing for a counterattack at least. He crouches down slightly, holding the dagger in front of him protectively. A light blue rabbit initiates, flying in the air towards him, and the others quickly follow. Soren flinches slightly in surprise, not expecting an almost simultaneous attack. But years of fighting small skirmishes allowed him to keep his cool and dodge the first two rabbits. The third one, a white rabbit with black patches, hurls near his knife so Soren twitches his right wrist to slash at it. He only lands a shallow wound on the animal, but enough to divert the trajectory away from his body. However, the last rabbit was set to pierce his chest. Soren knows it’s not possible to dodge it with the little time he had left, so he twists his body.


The horn buries itself in his left shoulder and Soren bites back a pained scream. He switches his weapon to his left hand and grabs the gray furred rabbit by the neck, ripping it out of his shoulder. He squeezes the rabbit tightly, not letting go as it struggles in his grasp, its feet flailing in the air. Soren shakily uses the blade in his left hand to stab the rabbit in its face. It falls limp in his grip and turns into a gray dust that fades away after a few seconds. Urrgh. I don’t lose too much blood over this. It hurts to move my left arm. Soren gingerly switches the dagger to his right hand again.


The patchy furred rabbit jumps at Soren, slightly slower than usual. He holds the dagger firmly and aims it at the incoming rabbit. It impales itself on his dagger, warm blood dripping down to Soren’s hand. The rabbit feebly twitches once or twice before becoming still and fading away, along with the blood. Lumbering over to where the two still-dazed rabbits still laid, Soren kills one of them with a stomp to the head, its skull cracking beneath his shoe. He finishes the other one with his dagger. Soren checks to see if there were any other monsters left. Avant had somehow cleaned things up on his end with a wound to his leg, the blood creating a dark stain on his clothes. Soren picks up the magic stones before heading over to him.


Avant’s knee buckled under the biting pain and he grabbed the rabbit’s head more on reflex than anything, cracking the skull with an angry clench of his fist. Barely able to catch a breath and still kneeling on his injured leg, he raises his sword to meet another rabbit’s jump. This unfortunate monster ended up leaping headfirst into the sharp edge of Avant’s sword—the forward momentum cleaving steel deep through its diminutive head. Even as the magic stone falls from the beast’s corpse, he has to sit backwards hurriedly to avoid a rabbit thrusting from the side, bringing his back to the wall with an uncomfortable *THUMP*. Hand still pressed to the bloody hole in his thigh, Avant sits back and raises his sword across his body. As long as he was careful, he could let these things do the work for him. As an afterthought, he draws his dagger as well. With the tip of his sword resting on his dagger, Avant figured he’d have no problem holding his sword up for a good while.


---


Soren dispatches the last rabbit with a bloody stab, Avant watching with satisfaction. Although it still hurt quite badly, Avant didn’t see the round hole in his thigh as a problem. Both infection and permanent muscle and nerve damage were easily solved with healing magic, so he wasn’t worried at all. If anything, he welcomed the pain. Hardship and struggles were supposed to raise one’s stats; if a hole in his leg wasn’t a hardship, he’d be having words with Athena when he returned.


Deft use of his dagger and the bottom edge of Avant’s tee shirt serves to create a makeshift but workable length of bandage. After a moment of squeamish hesitation, a small ball of cotton is stuffed directly inside the wound before he wraps and ties the bandage securely around his thigh.


Bracing his sword against the ground for support, Avant struggles to his feet, gritting his teeth in agony. Putting the slightest pressure on his leg made him want to sit down, and this disappointed him. Pain was supposed to notify the body that it was damaged and to prevent further damage. Avant was already well aware of the injury, and healing magic would patch him up with no problem (he’d exhaustively questioned Athena about healing magic before he left) so there was absolutely no reason to stop here.


Taking a deep breath, Avant glares at his uncooperative leg and punches it.


The pain soared to levels he didn’t think existed.


He nearly cries out in pain but stops himself, taking deep breaths instead. It felt like electricity was coursing out of the wound and shooting through his whole body, but the longer the sensation lasted, the more he got used to it.


Before his nerve could break, Avant then hops before he could regret it.


This time, he screams.


Soren sits down gives Avant a weird look, “What are you trying to accomplish?”


Maybe he is a masochist.


Wincing in pain, he cuts a strip of cloth out of his outer jacket and carefully bandages his left shoulder.


Growling and laughing to himself, Avant continues to hop on his leg, beating on it with his hand to make the pain worse and worse. “ALRIGHT! I’M GOOD TO GO!” Avant yells energetically. Blood soaked into the bandage visibly.


Soren stares at Avant blankly. It wasn’t really his business what Avant did to himself. Under normal circumstances, Soren probably would be glad to see a stranger get themselves killed so he could take their belongings. But since Avant and him teamed up together, no matter how unwilling, Soren had to care. Because if Avant died, Soren would have to do more work by himself.


“Are you sure?” Soren asks skeptically.


“I’m sure!” He nods, eager to continue. If he rested any longer, he’d probably give up and head back due to the pain.


Soren sighs and gets up, “Alright. Whatever you say. I’m having doubts about you being in Athena’s guild though. I thought they had intelligent people there.”

 

[Ryik]

Renge


On your way up the stairway to the first floor, you look back to find that the ants don't seem interested in continuing the chase across floors, coming to a stop after the first few steps before turning back. Even still, you keep running. The faster you get out of the dungeon, the faster you can get your arm treated, and you may have to hurry before you slowly bleed out or something.


At the top of the steps you accidentally bump into someone, but you don't bother stopping. You keep running. You're not up for fighting more monsters right now, much less other adventurers, so you keep gunning it through where you came from. At first, the path you go down is empty, but as you go through the next couple of rooms, you find that monsters have taken up inhabitance here once more. You try to run through them all, and it works at first, until you step in a slime. Not about to let something so diminutive spell your end, you stomp it with your other foot, reducing half of it into a paste on the floor. With that you rip both feet out of it and continue running to avoid the monsters you've attracted, not bothering to check if the slime was slain or not. You get yourself tired and short of breath, but manage to reach the dungeon's exit safely, and begin the long trek up the stairs and back to Tsukuyomi's guild.


Avant & Soren


They move on. Passing several empty rooms, the pair finally find a flight of stairs that lead down to the second floor.

A single tear rolls slowly down Avant’s face.


“Ow.”


Soren watches the fleeing youth that had crashed into Avant, That’s probably not a good sign. “Avant, do you want the honor of going first?”


Avant gives him a look. “Soren, I don't care enough. Sure.” With that said, he goes on ahead. Soren trails behind him.


The second floor looked about the same as the first, with the passages being a little more winding. The pair choose a path at random before they encounter their first monster. An ant the size of a large dog.


Still trying his best to ignore the pain, Avant slashes at the ant’s head. His attack hits and slides off uselessly while the ant scuttles closer. Avant attempts to back the fuck away. What he actually does is limp backwards rapidly while cursing and shouting at Soren to do something.


“You probably want to aim for joints or eyes,” Soren comments.


He carefully darts up to the ant, enchants his dagger, and plunges it into the ant’s leftmost eye. It screams loudly and flails its mandibles haphazardly. The mandibles hit Soren, sending him flying several feet back and knocking him down. He clutches his right side, That’s going to bruise.


“I’ll get the other eye then.” Avant calls out, holding his sword horizontally. As the ant moves closer he plants the sword in its right eye and uses「Charge」.


The blade slams into the ant with sudden force, rocking it to the right as the sword stabs through its head.. The end collides with the inside of the ant’s carapace and lodges fast. Pushing on his sword’s handle, Avant prevents the ant from moving any closer, but it was certainly still alive.


Soren scrambles to his feet and takes a few deep breaths. Still not dead after all of that? He calls out to Avant while simultaneous launching his own attack, “Maybe if we disable it by cutting off the legs, it’ll be easier to finish off.”


In response, Avant draws his dagger with his left hand. Wrenching the mandibles out of the way using the embedded sword, Avant starts slashing at the ants foremost leg. Using the time bought from Avant’s attack, Soren dashes in and does the same to the ant’s front left leg, aiming for the joint. Both legs are cut off at approximately the same time, causing the ant to fall forward on its face. Soren jumps onto its back and wraps an arm around its neck, figuring that he’d be safe from the ant’s mandibles. The ant then bucks and suddenly Soren is riding a disgusting insectoid version of a mechanical bull. Soren curses quietly to himself and blindly stabs at the ant’s face to get it to stop. Some of his hits glance off of the ant’s carapace and some stab an eye.


Avant loses his grip on the sword and is thrown back. He backs up a little and lets Soren go to work. Soren could feel the ant’s movements grow weaker and weaker as he whales on it. Eventually, the ant collapses and stop moving.


Avant doesn’t approach, waiting for it to disintegrate. What if it was faking?


Soren gives it one last good stab and the ant dissipates. He scoops up the magic stone and shows it to Avant, “I’ll be taking this one, but you can have the next one.”


Retrieving his sword, Avant notes that the magic stone that dropped wasn’t much larger than those found on the first floor. Certainly not worth the effort it took to kill the ant.


“Fair enough.” He replies. They meet a second ant soon after and dispatch it methodically. Avant stabs it in the eye with「Charge」, allowing them to cut off the ants legs. Once it's crippled, finishing the ant off is simple enough. Although the stone was promised to Avant, he doesn’t waste any time in picking it up once it drops.


These don’t seem too bad now that we have a plan. Soren hears skittering, growing louder and louder. “We need to get out of here,” Soren tells Avant, urgency in his voice, “I think something is coming for us.”


“That’s pretty obvious. We probably can’t even handle two ants at once.” He replies matter-of-factly.


Soren glances back at where they came from, but the same sounds can be heard emanating down the corridor. “We’re screwed.”


“You are.” Avant shoots back, quickly trying to picture using 「Charge」to leap over the ants.


Soren shrugs. He really could just enchant Avant’s armor to cripple him long enough so that he would be stuck together with him.


“If I survive and you don’t...” Avant trails off, realizing he doesn’t care enough about him to avenge his sister in his place or anything.


Soren grows irritated. He uses 「Red Touch」on his armor and then Avant’s clothes. Avant screams in agony. Since tearing his clothes off would take too long with the armor, his pain-addled mind figures killing the caster would cut the spell short. In which case, Avant casts 「Charge」 many times consecutively, smashing Soren into the wall and then smashing into him again and again with the hilt of his sword. Soren casts 「Red Touch」on the rest of Avant’s equipment. Feeling the pain unbelievably intensify, Avant grabs Soren by the skull and uses 「Charge」one final time, cracking Soren’s skull against the wall.


They both fall to the ground, Soren unconscious, Avant twitching uncontrollably. He passes out in the midst of trying to tear his gloves off.


The ants start to close in at this point, conveniently having allotted them enough time to carry out their self-destructive shenanigans. Surrounded by a horde and unable to fight back, there is absolutely no hope of surviving the onslaught themselves.


---


Soren


He wakes up and blankly stares at the ceiling of Vidar’s guild. We were getting surrounded by ants, and then… He sits up, perhaps too fast, and his head spins.


“You were found unconscious in the dungeon plaza,” a voice nearby speaks, “One of our guild members saw your insignia and brought you back.” Soren whips his head around to face the speaker, a burly man with a giant sword strapped to his back.


“Do you know if there were any others with me?” Soren asks.


The man shakes his head, “You could ask the guy who brought you back, but he left to go dungeoning. You should get your status updated by Vidar though.”


I wonder if he’s still alive. I should go check the fountain. Soren feels a slight twinge of guilt for practically condemning both of them to die to ants. They had fought decently well together, until things got tough and Avant tried to bail on his own--not even considering if it was possible for them both to get out alive. Soren decides to check in with Vidar and head over to the fountain afterwards.


Vidar sits on his throne, imposing as ever. But when Soren asks to get his status updated, Vidar nods, smiles, and slaps him in the face. A translucent orb flies out, causing Soren to close his eyes reflexively. He tentatively opens his eyes and rubs his cheek while the god reads information written in a strange language that Soren could not decipher. The god grabs a piece of parchment and it smolders, burning words on it. Soren takes the paper from the god’s outstretched hand and reads it:


Class: Blue Mage


Stats:


Strength: ██


Endurance: ██


Dexterity: ██


Agility: ██


Magic: ██


Abilities:


Skill Drain - Ability that steals a monster’s skill/spell.


Red Touch - Spell that enchants an object to cause a mildly painful burning sensation without any actual heat. Low mana cost that rises with range needed to apply it. Duration: 15 seconds.


The heck is a blue mage??? Although my stats went up nicely. And I guess that’s what happened in the dungeon? I stole「Red Touch」from those dumb orbs????? I’ll have to ask someone about this later. For now I should check to see if Avant is still alive or not.


Soren folds the piece of paper neatly and stuffs it into a pocket. Soren sighs and makes his way back to the plaza, If this isn’t resolved peacefully, it’ll be really messy.


Avant and Grill


This is why Avant was confused when he woke up leaned against the fountain in the dungeon plaza with some grill leaned up against him.


Judging by her clothing, she was probably an otherworlder like himself. He doubted they were manufacturing headphones in this world. The thought of no internet was mildly depressing, no porn but he figured he’d get over it. He hoped at least. (give it a few days)


He didn’t see an insignia anywhere on her. He made sure to look carefully and not pervertedly at all. If someone asked, he’d at least say he was looking for an insignia.


Three possibilities ran through his mind:

1. She’s a new otherworlder
   
2. She’s an otherworlder but not new and is just sleeping next to him????
   
3. She’s a native and just looks like an otherworlder so why is she sleeping next to him??????
   

Anyways, just how did he get back to the plaza? Looking around, he found no trace of Soren. Someone must have carried him out of the dungeon and left him on the plaza, maybe because his insignia wasn’t visible. Maybe the grill was rescued too.


He shakes her shoulder lightly. “Hello?” He prompts.


The grill stirs, bringing her hand up to her face to wipe the sleep out of her eyes. Opening her eyes to the bustling sounds of the dungeon plaza, her immediate reaction is one of panic. Scanning herself and her surroundings frantically, she comes to lay eyes on Avant, whom she immediately slaps across the face.


“Oww hey!” He retorts instinctively, raising his hands defensively. The act of nonaggression goes unnoticed as the grill gets up and starts walking away, already flushed with embarrassment. One night. One night and she wakes up in the middle of god knows where leaning up against a filthy hobo. In her fervent shame, she fails to notice the equipment of the many adventurers surrounding her, or any other detail that would lead her to the conclusion that she isn’t simply in another town or something.


Cheek rapidly turning red, he holds a hand to his stinging face for a moment in shock before he realized she was speed-walking away. “Hey, wait a second!” He calls out after her. In his haste to get up, he forgot that he was still injured and stumbles to his knees. “Wait up!” He calls out again, limping rapidly after her and reaching out to grab her shoulder.


At the act of unbidden physical contact, the grill turns around, pushing out her arm to shove the hobo back. “Get off me!” The hobo Avant steps back and bumps his leg into a passing adventurer’s spear, causing his face to contort grotesquely in pain. What was going to be a question turns into a pained growl as he clutches the hole in his leg with one hand. Fresh blood starts to bleed through the bandage, which was really just a cut strip of tee shirt. He staggers as his wounded leg fails to support his weight further burdened by fatigue and armor. Ultimately, another passing adventurer decides his fate, bumping into Avant just hard enough to shove him into the fountain, his legs giving way on the backstep causing him to spin into the fountain with a spectacular splash.


Bearing witness to the boy’s brazen backflip into a brisk baptism, she can’t help but notice the equipment adorning every single adventurer around her. The fountain water gets stained with a light tint of blood, and with sudden guilt she walks back to the soaked hobo, praying to a god she doesn’t believe in that she didn’t just accidentally commit manslaughter. “Are you alright?”


Having hit his head as he fell, it took him a moment just to find the surface. He sits up in a rush, coughing and spitting water out of his lungs. Once he could breathe again, he heaves a miserable sigh, bleeding and soaking wet in the middle of a public fountain in a crowded plaza. “I’m fine, juuuust fine.” He mutters as he clambers onto the fountain edge and sits down. Patting down his pockets, he spots a dropped magic stone in the water and retrieves it carefully.


Suddenly in a very confusing circumstance and acquainted with no one but a slightly cleaner filthy hobo, it was starting to impress upon her the severity of the situation. All these swords, these silly vendors, even the architecture of everything she could see.


She was in a renaissance fair, wasn’t she?


The stupidity of her situation struck her with another of her headaches, a splitting thunderbolt ripping her concentration asunder. She gripped her head with one hand, willing the unwelcome affliction away, to no avail. Her eyes shut and guard dropped, she doesn’t notice when Avant gets up and puts his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”


She whacks Avant’s hand off her shoulder, perhaps a bit too roughly. “I’m fine.” Though she wasn’t really. It was uncalled for to be so hostile to the one person she knew her, even if…


Okay maybe it was called for and perfectly fine. Still, as she shakes off her headache, she thinks her actions were a bit rude. Blinking away the hazy light as her eyesight returns to an unhindered state, she turns back to the soaking wet hobo, a customary smile donned like glitter on a fridge magnet. “I’m sorry, I’m Eve. Who are you?”


He was almost surprised that nothing bad happened to him. She didn’t hit him or push him into a fountain. She even smiled at him!! Wait, bitch, you just pushed me into a fountain. “I’m Avant. Erm... do you know where you are?”


She shook her head, crossing her arms. “Lost I’m afraid.”


“That’s pretty understandable.” Considering you’re in another dimension? universe? I’m not even sure myself. ”This might be bit of a shock but...” How do I tell a person they’ve come to another world


“...You’re in another world.”


Eve levels a bored expression against Avant. “Yeah yeah, world of might and magic and whatnot. Can you tell me the way to the nearest bus stop?” If she brought her car here she doesn’t think she wants to find it. She can’t have been anywhere approaching coherent enough to drive after all. Not if she can’t remember a thing.


*sweatdrop* “I don’t have any convenient magic to show you but, if you’ll look around, some of this stuff is clearly not possible. Like—look, that guy just made a ball of fire appear.”


Eve gives Avant an unimpressed look before turning to look at the mage whose ball of fire had just dissolved.


Damn. So close.


Eve turns back to Avant. “Okay, I give it that this is some really well made stuff, but enjoying the festivities is the last thing on my mind right now. Are you going to help me or-” At that moment a necromancer behind Avant dumps out a bag of bones before animating it, causing the pieces to come together as a skeleton.


The necromancer then commands the skeleton to dance.


“Dear god.”


Avant turns to look and turns back with a satisfied (and rather impressed) expression. He then turns around for real to keep watching.


With another command by the necromancer, the skeleton starts to breakdance.


(WAKE ME UP)


WAKE ME UP INSIDE


(CAN’T WAKE UP)


WAKE ME UP INSIDE


(SAAAVE MEEE)


Okay but seriously this shit is exactly what Eve needed to get another headache.


Avant just watches, entranced. It takes until he realizes Eve stumbling off for him to be freed of the mesmerizing spectacle.


I’ll just take her to my guild to get her sorted out. Also I can finally heal my FUCKING LEG


“Dammit wait!” He cries out, running after her with his gimp leg. Catching up to her, he convinces her to follow him to the guild of Athena, and she reluctantly agrees, figuring it as good a place as any to get things sorted out. When they get there, they go straight for Athena, whose countenance and identity alarms Eve. As Avant gets healed by Athena, a refreshing invigoration washes over him, contrast to the confused sputtering of the grill behind him.


Avant, tired from a long day of adventuring sits on the side as Eve drills Athena with question after question. At some point he falls asleep, only being awoken by Athena much later. Eve was gone, and naturally Avant had his own questions, which Athena answered preumptively.


After being educated on the nature of gods and guilds, Eve remarked that there was another god she would be better off serving under before thanking Athena for the guidance and leaving. She would not be joining the guild of Athena. Just the same, Athena requested a look at his insignia.


Avant was honestly surprised he had forgotten, the only reason he’d entered the dungeon in the first place was to make use of his insignia. He eagerly complies, stripping his shirt off and presenting his back to Athena.


He stiffens momentarily as he feels the Goddesses warm palm rest against his bare back. “I see. That’ll be all.” Athena prompts him to dress himself once more. A brief sense of disappointment washes over Avant. “Well?”


“Moderate improvement in abilities. You’ve gained a skill, 「Charge」, that allows you to move rapidly in a direction. Your class is listed as Warrior, unsurprisingly. Not bad. I’m looking forward to your growth in the future.”


“Great, thanks!” The words of encouragement warm his heart, even though she’s probably said the same thing to countless others.


Now to cash in my magic stones. Avant thinks, rolling a stone between his fingers in his pocket.


The Guild Association building wasn’t too far of a walk away from his guild, and the trip was made even shorter by periodic uses of 「Charge」. If not for the exhaustion brought on by mana depletion, he probably would have traveled the whole way there using the skill.


He enters the building feeling only slight trepidation. The sight of other adventurers walking up to the counter and exchanging magic stones and occasionally drop items reassures him. Choosing a counter at random, Avant exchanges his magic stones for an expectedly underwhelming quantity of gold coins. Every coin mysteriously fits into his pocket with ease and seems to weigh nothing when stored.


He leaves the Guild Association building with a heightened sense of pride that falls to the ground and cracks open irreparably when he asks one of the many street vendors the price of a meat skewer.


Oh well. He didn’t need better armor anyways—he could just raise his endurance. He didn’t need a better weapon either—he could just swing his sword harder. Health potions? He could just not get hit. And with guild housing, he didn’t have to worry about rent.


Now where did grill go...


Meanwhile, Soren had checked the fountain earlier, but Avant was nowhere to be seen. The fountain water was a disturbing light shade of red though. Maybe he’s still alive? No evidence that he’s dead after all. Might as well go turn in these magic stones for gold. Soren takes his time getting to the guild association where he exchanges his magic stones for a paltry sum of gold. He figures he might as well ask how much each stone netted him to maximize his efficiency. Soren learns from the exchanger that second floor magic stones were worth about five times more than first floor ones. He wanders around, wondering what he should eat and spies Avant in the crowd. Well, crap.


While listlessly searching for the female grill in the crowd, Avant makes eye contact with Soren, the guy that tried to get him killed so he wouldn’t have to die alone.


DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE


...


I’ll probably get arrested after I stab him... Maybe if I bring him to a shadier part of town first... I doubt they fingerprint in this world... but law enforcement might be able to trace me with magic... It’d be worth it.


Avant smiles and motions for Soren to follow him down the nearest conveniently located dark, shady alleyway. Soren simply stares at him. There is no way he has any good intentions. None. Whatsoever.


I guess I’m going to jail for this then. Avant sighs and places his hand on his dagger as he walks toward Soren.


Let’s see.. with all these people around, I don’t think he’ll kill me. Even if I get severely injured, I can get healed. Soren thinks, standing his ground while being wary.


“You tried to kill me!” *rant rant to prevent this from turning into homicide*


“I was angry because you simply left me to die without exploring any other options first,” Soren replies.


“There were no other options! Running away doesn’t take teamwork!”


“You had it super easy with your mobility skill. Trying to get past those ants by myself would’ve most likely resulted in my death.”


“Sounds like a personal problem It’s not like I could have brought you with me, what’d you expect?!”


“You could have at least said you were going to try to get help.”


Avant uses MACH PUNCH!


It is super effective!


Soren staggers under the hit, purposely taking it. “I probably deserved that,” Soren touches his chin, wincing slightly as a bruise forms.


“Damn right you did. Do you have any idea how much your spell hurts??!!”


“I was bitten by one of those orange balloons with it. So yeah, I actually do,” Soren pauses before continuing, “It’s my bad. You’re a good dungeoning partner though.”


“I really wish I could say the same.”


“Yeah, I’m sorry. I won’t do that again,” Soren apologizes.


“Oh, so you’re saying you won’t try to cripple me with pain the moment before we all face a horde of monsters next time. How reassuring.”


Why can’t he take an apology normally? Suppressing his annoyance, Soren responds, “As in, I won’t try to hurt you again.”


Avant grumbles death threats and obscenities under his breath.


“You’re new around here, aren’t you?” Soren remarks, “I’ll treat you to a meal or two to make up for it.” Having good party members is too important.


The promise of food is too enticing. Avant folds. “It better be a good meal.” He grumbles some more.


“Yeah, sure. What kind of food do you like?”


“Do they have lobster here?”


Soren sighs, “Yes, they do. Follow me.”


---


A romantic, candle-lit dinner is had.


---


Unfortunately for Soren, Avant fails to abide by dinner etiquette after the dinner and leaves for his own guild. Once back, he realizes he has absolutely no way of contacting or finding Eve ever again. Thankfully, he was on speaking terms with a Goddess.


Bemused, Athena informs him that Eve had joined Apollo-kun’s guild. “Arigato Athena sensei” Avant replies. He thanks the Goddess and sets off in search of his friend.


---


Apollo’s guild building was very similar in architectural style to Athena’s, both being Greek, but Apollo’s was decorated with hedges, fountains, naked statues and a general theme of excessive gaudiness. The entire building appeared to have a gold trim, exhaustively exaggerative in a way that seemed to make the building bigger than it was.


Wasting no time, Avant walks on in. Not having a visible insignia certainly helped appear to be an adventurer looking for a new guild. As he wanders the largely empty halls of marble blindly, he fails to find anything that would direct him to Eve until he comes to a room whereupon a nude man stands on a platform surrounded on all sides by painters.


It’s Apollo.


Avant has found something that would direct him to Eve. Not here. He leaves the room. Apollo comes out after him, thankfully wearing a golden robe of some sort. Maybe he thinks Avant wants to join his guild.


That’s not good.


*sweatdrop* Avant realizes he has three options yet again.

1. Come clean and admit he’s just looking for grill
   
2. Deflect, buy time, tell him he needs to see the place before he’s convinced Apollo is for him
   
3. Run.
   

Apollo slowly draws near. *sweatdrops intensify* “Athena told me you were coming.” He wears a smile as he says it, an otherwise innocent-looking demeanor Avant finds highly unsettling. Without even realizing it, Avant has taken a step backwards.


“She told you did she? That’s... nice.” He takes another step back, a dreadful sense of horror mounting. Someone send help.


Apollo moves to occupy the space created, getting uncomfortably close. “You know what else is nice?”


Please don’t say it.


Apollo leans in, voice a whisper. “The soft feeling of the thighs of a beautiful bespectacled woman.”


“...”


Apollo leans back, suddenly respecting Avant’s personal space again. “They have you entranced, do they not? The skin of her slender legs between where her stockings meet her skirt.


On one hand, Avant no longer feared for his chastity body. On the other, this was going an entirely different direction he didn’t want it to go.


“Yes.” Avant responds decisively.


Apollo crosses his arms, as if suddenly pretending to be a pervy wise old man. “This evocative sense of fashion you otherworlders have…” he looks back into Avant’s eyes with a gaze that decidedly makes Avant uncomfortable once more. “It’s quite tantalizing.”


Athena why didn’t you warn meee T_T


Barely overcoming his urge to shut his eyes tightly and pray to a non-Greek God, he manages to force out “I... think so too.”


Apollo CHUCKLES at Avant’s expense. “Wait here.” Apollo turns back and heads back into the room full of painters. Avant has to avert his eyes as Apollo drops the robe too early.


He keeps looking in literally any direction but that one until a BESPECTACLED girl comes up behind him, tapping him on the shoulder. “You’re looking for Eve?” Avant nods, suddenly unsure of the meaning of life. “Follow me.”


Avant follows the girl as she leads him through the halls of the temple-like building until she comes to a stop at a door amongst several others. It strikes Avant as distinctly similar to a dormitory. The girl leaving him to it, Avant knocks on the door, which soon opens up to reveal the bespectacled grill. “Avant?”


“Hey. Wanted to see how you were doing.”


Wow this guy. “I’m doing fine, thank you.” Her eyes shift a bit, an awkwardness following in the silence. “You’re an adventurer right?”


“Yeah, did the sword give it away?”


Wow this guy. “So you’re the one who rescued me? I suppose I owe you an apology, slapping you on sight.” her eyebrows crease and she looks down, an expression of forlorn guilt defining her features. “You looked hurt, and… after all you must have went through…”


Avant was never the best at Galge games. Two options appeared.

1. Come clean. Honesty is successful 50% of the time.
   
2. Lie and become GLORIOUS SAVIOR. But how to explain why she was leaning up against you by the fountain do you normally sit on the ground and lean girls up against you.
   

While you do owe me an apology... “Sorry, but I’m not the one that rescued you.” Avant admits sheepishly.


Her apparent guilt vanishes all at once. “Oh. Who did then?”


“I have no idea.” They probably rescued me too.


Eve narrows her eyes. “So you’re telling me you saw an unconscious woman sitting there and decided to start creeping on them!?” Her hand on the door knob.


“I woke up next to you okay?! For all I know, you could’ve sat down next to me and fallen asleep.”


Eve sighs. “So we both got saved by the same person then?” He wanted to hide it didn’t he? Either way. If he needed saving, there’s a fair chance he’s not a very accomplished adventurer.


“I don’t know their gender. It could have been a group for all we know.” Yeah man, keep trying to save face.


Figuring a step above novice wouldn’t be weighed down by her much, she figures she may as well ask him to show her the ropes so to speak. It’ll give her a benchmark to work with. “Anyway, why don’t we try dungeoning together tomorrow?”


“Sure. It can be pretty dangerous your first time.” I can attest.


Was… was that a double entendre? “Great.” … “I’ll meet you at that fountain tomorrow morning.”


“Alright, cya tomorrow! By the way, Apollo can be pretty unsettling doncha think?” Avant adds right before he leaves.


Eve raises an eyebrow. “No?”


Avant thinks back to the miserably violated personal space and intimate whispering. Oh yeah, and his descriptions of Eve’s absolute territory. How do you describe UNIMAGINABLE FEAR? “I don’t trust Apollo.”


Eve just continues to give him her unconvinced look. Avant is at a complete loss. “Nevermind…” Avant offers a warm smile. “See you tomorrow!”


Eve reciprocates. “See you then.”


He pumps his fist mentally as he exits the building, feeling giddy.

 

[Beguiling Discord]

Shiri


“Now, dearie, just hold still,” barked an impatient woman through gritted teeth as she hugged what looked to be one of her relatives from behind, pinning the arms of the relative to his/her sides. The resemblance shared between the two in their hair color, facial structure, and eye color was uncanny. One could almost believe the two to be siblings; however, the obvious height disparity and lack of time-induced wrinkles on the face of the relative, who happened to be female, hinted that the two most likely shared a filial relationship instead of a sororal relationship.


The younger girl bared her teeth at the older woman from over her shoulder as she struggled to break free of the iron-tight grasp that was restraining her. “Let me go, mom! I don’t want to join! If you want money so badly, then why don’t you do the work yourself?! You have forced me to do all of the jobs up to this point to pay for this stupid trip to this stupid town! Pull your own slack! It’s your fault anyway for getting us into this me--"


THWACK!!!


The fervent young lady’s rant was abruptly cut short as she was slapped clean across the face. A third woman, who was most definitely not related to either of the other two women, stared complacently at the now silent girl through feline eyes. Having made her point, the third woman lowered her right hand to rest on her cocked hip and smirked. The edges of her cat-like mouth curled upwards when she grinned to reveal sharp, refined fangs. This woman was like no other. She was a goddess in all aspects of the title’s meaning. With a lioness head and voluptuous curves, further accentuated by the form-fitting sanguine dress she adorned, the goddess exuded such an oppressive aura that a single glance alone would surely silence the most obstinate of mortals. The goddess of war and vengeance, revelling in the authority that she commanded and fear that she incited, purred with satisfaction. “Child, this is my sacred temple. It is not the place for thee to share thy petty vendetta.”


The girl hung her head in defeat. There was no point in arguing with a goddess.


Having settled down, the young girl was released and immediately sunk to her knees. Her cheek was a bold, brazen red with a strange symbol glowing at the center of the inflammation. “Child,” spoke the goddess Sekhmet, “I have marked thee with my symbol, and therefore, thou now belong to the House of Sekhmet, no other. Do my graces well and bring me honor. Do me wrong and face the unholy consequences.” With that, the goddess exited, leaving the mother and daughter alone.


The girl cupped her throbbing cheek. “Shiri…” spoke the older woman as she crouched next to her daughter.


The girl refused to reply, simply staring forward as water welled up at the edges of her eyes.


“Shiri…” the mother tried again. “Shiri, look at me... Look at me this instant!”


Shiri broke out of her trance and whipped her head to the side to glare at her mother. “I hate you,” were the only words that the girl uttered before she bolted from the room. Shiri’s mother was left in shock as she watched her daughter go.


Tears biting back at the corners of her eyes, the girl dashed out of the musty temple into the open courtyard. The stark contrast in the lighting induced a flinch response from Shiri. She teetered. Unable to see where she was going, the disoriented young lass bumped into a someone or something.


“Whoa there!” exclaimed the object in surprise. The tone of voice was somewhat deep like a man’s, yet also slightly light and airy. Shiri came to a stop and lifted her right hand up to shield her adjusting eyes. Through a squinted gaze, Shiri could barely make out a figure with short, dark brown hair. olive skin, and a grinning face. “Why the rush?” inquired the figure.


Shiri rolled her eyes at the man. She didn’t have time for this. This town was trouble. Her mother had just successfully signed her up for some kind of gang group without her consent, and she only had a small, closing window of opportunity to get the hell outta Dodge Ornesse before that abusive gang leader/goddess returned.


Flippantly spinning to face in the opposite direction of the man whom she had bumped into, Shiri began to march towards the courtyard’s gates. Dismissing the insignificant incident, her thoughts wandered back to her mother. I cannot believe that woman, choosing money over her own daughter’s freedom. I wish she would just-


Shiri’s thoughts were cut off as a hand clamped down on her left arm, yanking her back and spinning her back around.


“Eep!” squealed the terrified girl. She squeezed her eyes shut, anticipating the worst. Did her mother catch up to her? Maybe the scary gang leader/goddess with a feline head had return to punish her for dissent. Shiri’s head swarmed with nonsensical ideas and possibilities when a sharp pain was inflicted upon her forehead. Shiri cringed from the duly received flick and opened her eyes. The young man that she had ignored moments prior had been her assailant. His face was now only a foot away from her own. She could now clearly note his unique facial features and imperfections. The most striking component of his face, though, had to be his mesmerizing, enigmatic, olive-green eyes. They could only be justifiably compared to those of a snake.


“It’s rude to not even apologize,” he hissed from behind bared teeth.


“I will scream,” asserted Shiri.


“And who would come?” retorted the man. Shivers were sent down Shiri’s spine. Upon ripping her eyes away from her captor, a quick scan of the surrounding courtyard revealed the unfortunate truth: there was no one else around.


Meeting her assailant’s eyes once more, Shiri did not back down as she choked out the gruesome words. “My mother.”


Silence fell between the two before the man’s serious expression melted away and he broke down laughing. Releasing Shiri’s arm to clutch his stomach, the man collapsed to the ground and started dying and crying tears of joy. Shiri didn’t understand was was so funny, but she did feel like throwing up a little bit. Her last statement was perturbing to say in the least. She never thought that she would have to utter those despicable words in response to that kind of question.


Tired of this irksome diversion, Shiri was about to leave, again, when the man stopped her again; this time with words. “Come on, not even a cute giggle? That was a joke, right?”


She wished.


This man really aggravated her already sour mood, though, almost as much as her mother. She honestly did not understand why she was still patronizing him. “No,” she replied curtly before marching off again.


“H-hey! Wait! Listen!” shouted the man after her, but Shiri refused to wait and she certainly did not want to listen. “Where are you going? Don’t you need a weapon?” Fear and concern was undeniably entwined within the man’s tone of voice as he posed his last two questions. But Shiri could have cared less, which is a shame, because little did the girl know, she may have been wiser to take heed of the man’s words instead of blatantly ignoring them. For the time being, though, the destination that she had in mind didn’t require any weapons. She just needed to find her way out of this kooky town.


Upon exiting the courtyard gates, Shiri somehow managed to retrace her steps back to the bustling town streets. People of all sorts and shapes wandered to and fro, all with a set place to go. Shiri faltered for a moment. Which way was she supposed to go? Trusting her gut, she followed the crowd of travelers to the right. Surely, she would be able to find some means of directions if she traversed far enough. Plus, the people flowing in this particular direction were all clad in adventurer’s gear. Their weapons were concerning, but their kindred facial expressions were those of travelers. Perhaps, they, too, were heading out of town.


Sure enough, they were. After about a 15 minutes’ walk, Shiri, along with the group of people she had been tailing, arrived at the outskirts of Ornesse. Several guards stood vigilantly, checking for “insignia”, whatever those were. Shiri didn’t recall needing an “insignia” to enter the town, but maybe her mother had acquired one with the money she had her daughter raise and flashed it when Shiri had not been paying attention.


One of the guards motioned for Shiri to approach, so the girl prepared to plead her case.


“Insignia? You may proceed.”


Shiri had not even opened her mouth before the guard waved her through.


...oookaaay…, thought the baffled girl. After passing by the guard, Shiri pulled over to the side of the path and began inspecting herself. Since when did she get an “insignia”? Had her mother pinned something new on her clothes? Did she dare ask the guards where her “insignia” was? No. The guards were far too busy. Plus, did it really matter in the end? She was now free! Free of her baggage and burdens!


Shiri continued on merrily, rejoining the waves of people heading down the path. She even dared to throw in a little skip here and there. Dismissing the fact that the path she was taking was completely foreign to her memory's recollection. Shiri didn't even consider the possibility that she was heading down the wrong trail; that was until she came to a halt at the entrance of an expansive cavern with stairs descending into its depths.


Oh no, Shiri thought. This has been the wrong way all along. But something about this place rings a bell.


No...It cannot be...the dungeon cave that mother had ranted on and on about...this cannot be it...


Shiri’s dreaded memories resurfaced. The sole reason her mother had dragged her along to this awful town was because of this dungeon. A dungeon said to bring riches to those who were brave enough to explore it, or at least that’s what the rumors foretold. Travelers carrying weapons and other protective gear streamed into the dungeon.


Suddenly, Shiri’s anxiety turned to anger. The irritation and frustration generated from the earlier incident bubbled and boiled back up inside her. Needing something to blame, the dungeon seemed like an ideal target. The dungeon was the ultimate source of her pain and adversity afterall. If it had never appeared, her mother never would have forced her to work all of those petty jobs nor dragged her into to this godforsaken mess. The desire for retribution fueled her actions.


What could possibly be so great about this detestable dungeon anyway?


Storming down the steps, Shiri entered the dungeon with the determination to quash her mother’s fantasy.

 

[Aerose]

Seff and Odea


*click*


Still crouching over Odea’s prone form, Seff directed his headlamp at the side of the knight’s face.


I saw a doctor do this once


“MEDIC!!!” Seff screamed at the room.


Nailed it.


But nobody came.


The face down girl grumbled as a bright light filled her field of vision. Her face stinged and now she couldn’t see. How intrusive, she thought. Lifting her left arm, Odea attempted to swat at the annoying light source.


Seff leaned left, narrowly avoiding the swipe at his head. “What are you doing?” Seff questioned, while pushing the flailing arm into the ground above the owner’s head.


Face still glued to the ground, Odea tried to utter some kind of sentence... “Wight tew bwight. It hwurts. Ow.”


“Oh! Sorry!” Seff hurriedly retracted his arm pinning hers to the ground, and shut the blinding light with his other. *click* Now glancing up at the room around, other adventurers were staring at him in disgust.


It’s not what it looks like!


Seff glanced back down, letting out a sigh. He rose to his feet and offered up his hand to help her up. “Okay, what’s your name?” Seff said.


Glad to be free of the blinding light and to have her arm back again, Odea decided that it was about time to get up off the unsanitary ground and rejoin society. Completely oblivious to the extended hand being graciously offered to her, Odea rose to her knees before standing up and dusting herself off. She purposefully kept her eyes trained on the all-too-familiar floor in order to avoid acknowledging any and all of the funny looks she was probably still getting from onlookers. Odea only lifted her chin slightly to catch a glimpse of the figure standing directly in front of her. She presumed that the blade-holic had been the one who she had been interacting with moments prior. From her brief peek at the man, she immediately concluded that he was a weirdo. Just the way he stood, holding out his hand in such an awkward manner, and the unreasonable amount of blades that he carried was undeniably queer. Would it really be wise to tell this stranger her name?


Probably not. But, you know what? YOLO, right? How could her day get any worse? Maybe she could even dupe the sorry sucker into helping her...or something.


“...Odea…”she murmured as she lifted her head to meet Seff’s eyes, or tried to at least. Her bright red, friction-burned face was contorted into a stern expression.


Well that’s better than just calling her female knight


“Odea… okay… last name? I’m Seff.” Seff responded.

Spoiler

“Kyah~” screeched Odea as her facial expression changed drastically. Blushing and cradling her cheeks in her hands, the whimsical girl quickly turned away from Seff. “Exchanging last names so soon. But we only just met!” she teased with a sardonic smile.


“Oh. Well I have no Odea who you are.” *ba-dum tss* “But when you put it that way… Maybe next time.” haha this is so awkward assuming there is a next time


“More importantly, I need to be rejoining my party… although I have no idea where they went onto, or which path they took. Are you here with a party of some sort?”


“Oh? Well...I was here with a party, too! ...Yeah...I-I was the leader...and I...just was...uh...taking a break, you see...so it’s a shame you don’t know which way your party went. Would you like me to accompany you and search for them? We could form a mini party for the time being. Your friends couldn’t have gone too far,” Odea bluffs boldly as she begins to regain some of her natural, inane flair.


Party Leader. Sure. Seff skeptically looks at Odea before spinning around and coughing, hand covering his mouth. He gives the wall a long and hard stare before looking back at Odea.


Girl in a dungeon. Girl. In. A. Dungeon.


“That would be great! Are you sure your uh… party will be fine without their leader?” Seff responded, clapping his gloved hands together in front of him. With his skepticism of Odea’s party leader status, his face was of a narrowed expression. Odea’s offer to accompany him was certainly more promising than wandering off alone. “I’ve actually never been here before, so do you have any suggestions?”


“Pah,” scoffed the now overly confident young lass. “I was too good for my party anyway. They couldn’t keep up with me, but you look like you are ready to tackle the dungeon. I have high hopes for you.”


Odea’s nose, despite being chafed from her fall, continued to grow longer and longer. Her head was so high up in the clouds again that she had completely forgotten about the embarrassing incident that she had experienced only a couple minutes earlier. Spinning around in a circle, Odea pointed with her nose in the direction of one of the many caves branching from the room they were currently in.


“Don’t worry buddy, just follow me and everything will be daijoubu A-okay!” Odea flashed a corny thumbs up and winky face before beginning her obnoxious march towards the wrong cave.


All of Seff’s doubts immediately vanished after hearing Odea’s inspirational speech. He could only stare in awe as her demeanor completely changed. This was clearly a skilled individual he was with, worthy of utmost respect.


Incredible! With someone like her by my side, we could easily crush any monster on this floor!


Seff wordlessly followed behind Odea as she appeared to know the best path to take immediately. Odea’s belief in Seff’s abilities filled him with Determination. Any anxiety he had on taking on the dungeon was wiped away by her uplifting aura of confidence. Once they reached the entrance of the cave branch, he disclosed his fighting methods. “I’ll be fighting with my swords, and I’ll also be using these smaller daggers to throw at targets from a distance. Are you just using your sword and shield… perhaps magic as well?”


“Ah yes...but...uh...for practice sake and everything, you should probably try to take point in fights, because you need the practice more than I do. I’ll support you with my shield… or something. Because, you know, some people call me the great swordser...er...shieldman...I’m pretty great!” Odea huffed as she flubbed up the appropriate titles and consequently, her own lie. Odea, copping an attitude, closed her eyes and strode arrogantly into the cave. Unable to see where she was going, the idiotic girl ended up tripping all over again; this time over an egg-shaped object. “What in the world???”


*click*


Rather large broken eggs sparsely littered the dungeon floor, with slimes randomly slime-ing around between them. As the light panned across the room, the eggs slightly turned to face the pair. The egg Odea had tripped over was now between her and Seff, glaring sinisterly at him with its eggy little eyes. The unsettling detail was the jagged opening on the egg, below the “eyes” of each one, which exposed the yolk inside. Clearly the egg was a monster. Seff raised his boot, ready to stomp down on the poor egg who was just trod over seconds before by Odea.


*Pew*


Boot blocking his line of sight, Seff missed the sight of the yolk core emitting a yolk colored laser, stopping all downward momentum from the attempted stomp. Seff paused with his boot still mid-air, confused on what just occurred. Nothing notable had happened to the appearance of his boot, yet it was pushed back by an EGG. The egg again stared up at him before the yolk let out another laser, this time catching him in the cheek. A searing sensation began at the impact and lingered. He let out a “tch” and stomped again, with extreme prejudice while rubbing his cheek. The egg in question crumbled with a satisfying crack as his foot went through the shell and smashed the yolk, killing the monster.


“Odea! Get up please. These eggs shoot some sort of magical beam” Seff pleaded.


Sadly, Seff’s words could not reach Odea, as the girl was frozen in time and space. Her mind raced a mile a minute as it tried to compute the nonsense that it just witnessed. An egg. Pew. LASERS, ran through her mind on loop like a leading news headline. The stunned girl glanced from Seff’s boot to the ground, and then finally over to the surrounding monsters. What had she gotten herself into.


Dazed and confused, Odea staggered to her feet and scrambled to Seff’s side. “So...uh...I suppose I’ll be the one taking the brunt of the lasers and you’ll be looking for openings to strike, then?” Odea’s voice quivered a bit as she confirmed their plan of action.


“Yes! Your shield should block them just fine. We should try to avoid the slimes though, I don’t know what they’ll do if we touch them, but at least the eggs aren’t moving around too much.” Seff confirmed, drawing one of his swords and positioning himself behind Odea where she would be able to block most of the eggs if they fired a laser. The perfect target was directly ahead, just a few steps in front of where Odea had tripped on the first egg Seff had killed.


He sidestepped out from behind Odea and visualized the trajectory of how he would throw the dagger into the egg. The path was perfectly outlined in his mind and with a gracefully swipe of his arm, he threw the dagger right at it. Or at least tried to. His hand completely missed the hilt, resulting in his arm uselessly swinging across his body as he continued the motion, albeit without the dagger. Shockingly enough, the dagger still flew from its sheath, tracing the exact path that Seff had imagine before, stabbing the yolk clean through the eggshell and hitting the floor beneath with a dull *clik*. Speechless, Seff could only gasp as the dagger flung itself back into the air, returning towards him and securely lodged itself back into its sheath.


You’ve NEVER been able to do that kind of magic before, and were quite incompetent as you were just learning the basics, but THIS, was a step above what you expect could have occurred. Was this some result of the insignia? Some by-product of the dungeon granting you power? You have absolutely no idea, but you do you one thing.


You feel really cool.


Seff grinned, excitement dulling the pain on his cheek, and went through the same process as before, selecting another egg up ahead. Using the same sweeping motion, he launched off another dagger, again resulting in it striking the target and returning immediately.


Meanwhile, other eggs have begun firing beams at seemingly random angles toward Seff and Odea, with the majority hitting armor. Evidently the beam was unable to pierce through thick armor and only posed a threat to exposed skin, or perhaps to any thinner portions of their armor. Regardless, Seff exerted caution, still relying on Odea’s expertise to shield him from harm~.


“Wow! Did you see that Odea! I’ve never thrown a dagger with magic before!”


“Hoh wow,” remarked Odea with dampened excitement. It was honestly wonderful news that Seff had managed to channel magic into his dagger attacks, as this would give the ill-matched duo an uncanny advantage. However, the nervous knight was still shaking in her boots and was too busy trying to anticipate where the next laser would fire from to thoroughly express any feelings of appraisal for her colleague’s good fortune. The little room must have looked like a laser light show, except with real, harmful lasers, as the beams seemed to come from a myriad of directions in no specific order. Not even bothering to unsheathe her sword, Odea struggled to keep track of all of the incoming lasers aimed to strike at the two. Playing defense wasn’t particularly a difficult role and should have been quite easy for any danmaku master, but Odea’s nerves and fear of failure fed her insecurities. It didn’t help the Seff had decided to increase the distance between them by going off to the side to take an offensive stance against the egg monsters.


Cautiously readjusting her position, Odea inched closer to Seff whilst attempting to keep an eye on their attackers. Sadly, her movements were too slow. As Odea turned her shield to face her right, an egg released a laser from its yolk and nipped her in the back. A small hole was seared into bottom right of the back of her cloth shirt, revealing a newly acquired 1st degree burn. Meanwhile another laser, coming from somewhere on her left, struck at a portion of Seff’s armor. Odea winced. She felt bad for Seff. It was her fault as leader for getting them into this mess, and on top of that, she was doing an awful job at deflecting the simplest of lasers.


Odea gazed at Seff with a look of remorse for a moment, silently apologizing for her lies, when another laser bit her in the arm. “Oh come on!” the irritated knight exclaimed. She whipped around to face the assailant, her back now facing Seff’s side. She was really growing tired of these egg monsters. The little egg monster had somehow managed to roll within arms reach of the two humans...or maybe it spawned there, but either way, the egg’s cracked face and exposed yolk was the ideal distance away for close-range combat.


Sword in hand, Seff immediately pounced on the vulnerable egg, effectively battering in its shell with consecutive normal attacks. The process continued for several other eggs until his sword came down on a slime. Instantly attached, the slime relentlessly gripped the blade refusing to let it go. No amount of vigorous shaking would detach the slime. Seff just can't hold it back anymore, and slammed the length of his sword, slime included, into the egg. The gelatinous consistency of the slime cushioned the egg, resulting in the slime roughly plugging the egg’s opening. Both the slime and the egg are now firmly affixed to Seff’s sword. Useless. Seff toyed with the idea of slapping the egg onto another slime, and that onto another egg as if it were some superglue. Fortunately, Seff’s god was of intelligence and wisdom, reminding him that he has two grakata swords. Seff let go of his sword, and the egg and slime combo dropped like a sad, lonely beanbag on the floor. It’s like a hard-boiled water balloon


New sword now in hand, Seff returned to Odea, resuming the method of destroying the eggs while Odea blocked the incoming lasers. The arduous task of picking out each and while avoiding the slimes continued for quite a bit before every last one was successfully scrambled.


“Whew.. now that was certainly an egg-cercise.”


“You can say that again.Those egg monsters may have looked harmless. but when it boiled down to killing them, they were hard to crack. Also, egg-cellent job out there, Seff. You really know how to beat some eggs. Nudge nudge, wink wink….Too soon?”


“No, this was an... egg-citing first encounter.” Seff said with a strained voice.


More importantly, the floor was littered with small magic stones and the occasional avoided slime no one wanted to deal with. The eggslimesword was in an odd state, as the egg had continued firing its laser with the slime goo inside, leaving behind a liquified mess. “This is disgusting” Seff whispered to himself as he scraped the disaster clean against the floor before sheathing it with a shake of his head. With the help of his headlamp, Seff then scoured the room for the stones, stamping out a few from slimes that had oozed around them. Neatly piled in his hand, he equally divided the total stones, and passed Odea’s portion over to her.


Looking at the handful of glimmering stones that she was awarded, Odea gaped in awe, and glanced up at Seff. “These are really all mine?” she asked, amazement evident in her voice.


I almost feel bad accepting all of this loot, since I really didn’t do all that much…, Odea thought to herself.


“Yes, equal divide, no?” Seff questioned. He reached out to drop them into her hands and thought for a moment. The pain on his face was gradually returning, evident once he rubbed his cheek. “I think we could just head back now… We spent a long while dealing with these eggs, and the people I’m looking for are probably too far gone to catch up to. What do you think?”


“I think that sounds good,” agreed Odea. One monster battle was more than eggcitement for her first day. Pocketing most of her shiny stones in her pants pocket and carrying the rest, Odea “took the lead” and started marching towards the dungeon’s entrance.

Spoiler

 

[Ryik]

Eve


The sun shines brightly and your head throbs with just as much intensity. You since regret suggesting you should form a party with Avant yesterday. a sleepless night drove you to head to the dungeon plaza early. Perhaps too early though, since you've been sitting here next to this fountain leaning against your spear/glaive thing Apollo gave you for maybe an hour. Maybe moreso than asking to party up with him, you regret saying "morning" instead of specifying a specific time. You feel silly over the whole thing honestly. Too scared to go in alone, huh?


Well, whatever. The sounds of running water help you ignore the bustle around you and soothe the dull ache lingering in your head. This is a nice place to be in, you decide, and being able to focus on nothing for once is... relaxing.


Renge


When you returned to Tsukuyomi, he immediately started berating you over leaving with no weapon or equipment. With a flick of his wrist however, he mended your wounds and clothes, so you can't help but think they didn't matter much. He then demanded you fork over the magic stones and show him the insignia, the former you did, but the latter of which you naturally had no intention of doing. If he wants to lord over his tattoo handiwork, maybe he should have been more careful the first time instead of trying to break your spine. You argued for a bit before he explained to you that you can only get stronger if he updates it. Relenting, you let him at it, now less happy with the arrangement you had made. Once he did it, he read off a bunch of stuff that didn't make sense to you, like how you're a 'Berserker', (yeah, no shit) but you started listening again when he said you learned a skill called 'Force Punch.' You told him that's a stupid thing to call it. He said too fucking bad. You think your vocabulary is starting to rub off on him, or maybe he's just mocking you. Either way, you think it sounds funny when he says it, so you resolved to swear around him more.


In any case, Tsukuyomi blathered on for way longer than he reasonably should have over why you're an inept sack of crap, but he seemed to be most annoyed over how you left without a weapon, implying it affected what skill you got, and as if having 'Force Punch' is a bad thing. You doubt being able to shove things like you did will ever be useless, but he insisted that needing to punch things was a fault, and that it heavily limited what weapons you could wield. You remember saying to him: "Like what? My hands aren't going to be fucking glued to any handles, and even if they were I could still punch with them." For some reason he just pinched his nose and sighed before handing you a small amount of gold and showing you to your bed. The amount of gold was so small, you had to question how profit margins that small were possible in such a popular profession. He brushed it off, saying the payouts get much higher the deeper in the dungeon you go, and with no reason to distrust a god that is also feeding and housing you, you accepted the explanation. It seems the economy is bad no matter where you go.


This morning you woke up to the sounds of Tsukuyomi arguing with one of the other few guild members he apparently had. You don't really see any around at any time, though you guess he would have more. You tried to tune it out, putting a pillow on top of your head, but they wouldn't shut uuuuup.


eventually you barged out of your room. They were fighting in a hallway right outside your door. As they both turned to you, the guild member left while Tsukuyomi's back was turned and left him chasing after them out of sight. You get the feeling Tsukuyomi isn't very popular among adventurers.


You make your way to what looked to be the kitchen and start scanning the fridge for something to eat. How out of place the fridge looks in a place like this doesn't even cross your mind as your stomach rumbles, urging you to hurry up and pick something. While you had a lot of options, your eyes immediately got caught on the fish in the freezer, which you determine to be the perfect meal for breakfast.


You get a surprisingly long amount of time to prepare and cook it before Tsukuyomi comes into the kitchen mumbling something to himself before cutting himself off mid-tangent and switching over to one about how rude it is to go through someone's food uninvited. You ask him if you can't eat the fish. He doesn't answer, so you interpret it as a green light.


You have spent years honing your fish-cooking craft. Artisans far and wide would commend your flawless preparations. You pride your ability to cook it to perfection every single time.


It's time.


Finishing your preparation, you place the fish on a plate before moving to sit down across Tsukuyomi, now looking bored. You cut off a slice before offering the fork with it to Tsukuyomi.


"You do realize gods have no need for food, yes?"


You just kept the fork held out, an unchanging blank expression affixed on him.


He eventually relents, taking the fork and biting off a small piece. He eats the whole thing while you get up to grab another fork, and seems to stare at your plate as if he wants more afterward. "Like it?"


"It was my understanding that otherworlders were physically incapable of cooking."


You smirk as you start cutting up for your own consumption. "Fish or die."


He then tries to take more of your breakfast to which you end up having to fend him off while he rebukes your 'lack of gratitude' to your rebuttal 'Get your own fucking fish.' In any case, you accomplished your goal of getting a god to recognize your fish-cooking prowess, so you can't help but feel proud of yourself as you eat the fish in front of him in a way that's not at all meant to make him jealous nope no sir.


In any case, when you finish he throws the plate into the sink where it breaks into a million pieces and impatiently directs you to his armory of sorts. You expected to pick out a weapon, but instead he picks one and hands it to you. You at first think it's just armor; an ornate pair of gauntlets with crescent moon patterns. When he tells you to hit switch on the outside of the gauntlet, beneath your wrist, is when you decide you like it. Two blades shoot out from the top of the gauntlet, extending a good foot past your fist, short ends downward. You hit it again, and find that they retract just as fast, into the length of the gauntlet.


Nice.


You express your approval to Tsukuyomi, who then goes on to suggest the stupidest looking armor set you've ever seen. You tell him you'll pass before heading towards the front entrance of the guild, Tsukuyomi scrambling to catch up. Try as he may he does not sway you to take any other unnecessary piece of crap with you. You'd like to go in light after all, and you're already taking a dagger you have no intention of using with you. It might prove useful after all.


He does eventually convince you to take a small backpack with you. Having a bunch of stones clang around in your pocket while you fight isn't that fun, and it gives you a place to put your dagger. Your gold coins on the other hand amusingly feel like nothing. Tsukuyomi told you that's just the way coins feel in this world, and since you can take them out of your pocket at any time, you don't see a problem here. You can always confront him later if he turns out to have been lying to you... Anyway, you can leave those in your pocket. He uncharacteristically wishes you luck and he wave him off without looking back.


Finding the dungeon is a lot easier the second time around, and it doesn't take long before you're back at the dungeon plaza, once again wondering if you should try to find a party or just go straight in.


Nah, you have semi-wolverine claws and should be stronger now. Might as well head in alone.

 

[Zane]

Vi

​

Vi sat up on the hotel mattress she had been sleeping on. The early morning light cut through the crack in the rooms drapes. She watched the dust stir in the sheet of light as she shook the last remnants of sleep. Rocking forward she stood up with a groaning stretch. Vi would easily be described as an amazon due to her stature. At six and a quarter feet and muscles that would make most men envious. She would easily be spotted in a crowed. She bore quite a few scars as well but none of them as predominant as the large horizontal scar on the left side of her abdomen. I was obviously quite fresh. Even with all of this Vi was not without her feminine qualities. Even though she wore many things for practical reasons she liked it to come together fashionably. This as probably her most feminine feature. Long raven hair, with many large iron beads holding it together in a thick pony tale, streamed down below her butt. The iron beads acted as a counterbalance for wielding her great sword. Shorts, thick leather belt and leather vest later she was ready. She reached for her very worn great sword. (Not the one in her image, that comes later) Only eight inches or so of either sides point were sharp. The mid had blocked so many blows and seen so much wear that if not dull it had a deep gash in the metal. It was almost more of the three foot long steel club than a sword, but up to this point it had slain every monster she had ever killed. This included her father. Heaving it up onto her back she opened the left the room for the last time.


Down one set of stairs and she was in Amber Waves Inari Okami's tavern. Only a couple of early risers that were staying in the rooms above were down enjoying some breakfast. This however was not the reason she was down there. The night before Okami had invited Vi to join her in the cellar come morning. Given Okami's bountiful kindness toward Vi while she was staying at Amber Waves. Even going so far as to let her stay for some time without Paying. Vi could not refuse the goddess, even though she knew Okami would be claiming her as her Adventurer, Vi felt honor bound to the Goddess regardless. Normally she may have chose one of the war gods, but Okami showed herself to be benevolent and powerful in her own ways.


Vi pushed the heavy cellar door open for the first time. Only Okami and her adventurers were allowed down there. Heading down the stairs it opened into a large room where Inari sat at a small table in the center of it. The Goddess's large honey eyes pierced Vi as she came into the room. The goddess, so pretty even Vi could barely resist a blush, smiled warmly at Vi. “I've watched you since you first walked into my inn, waiting, until I could make you mine.” Vi stopped helpless against Okami's words. Somehow they flattered and startled her. She stared Back at the goddess with the deep black pools of her eyes. “Come and sit with me, Vi.” Okami offered with a motion of her hand.


Vi nodded and made her way to the table sitting in front of the goddess. Okami stared at her for a number of moments without a word. I could feel her eyes devouring her. Her heart beat became stronger as the goddess finally spoke. “You have so much fury, and your eyes Tell me you have dark secrets.” Vi broke eye contact with the goddess for just a moment. Okami grinned knowing that she was spot on. “give me your arm.” she demanded. Vi still without a word put her right arm up on the table. Okami gingerly pulled the long leather glove off. Trailing a couple of her fingers down Vi's forearm. “With you I'll have four full parties.”she cooed. Vi tensed a bit giving Okami cold eyes, she was not one for affectionate touching. Having grown up with so little of it she did not understand it, so to her it felt stifling and borderline violating. In the face of Okami she endured it though, Much to the goddesses pleasure. Finished toying with Vi reached inside of one of her sleeves. Drawing from within a Japanese calligraphy brush. “hold very still.” she said lightly before she lowered the brush to hover just above Vi's pale skin. Okami's eyes gloss as if in a trance, she holds Vi's arm in place with one hand the brush filled with pure red pigment. Each stroke goes onto the skin with practiced deliberation. Lifting the brush the pigment turned jet black. Quickly Okami begins scrolling ornate and beautiful Japanese characters down the center of the red she had put down. Now finished Okami raised the brush her trance like state over. The brush returned to its original stark white bristles as if she had never used it as she slapped It down on the table. She pulled Vi's arm closer to her to look at the work almost as if she hadn't seen it before. “dragoon.” Okami mused. Vi pulled her arm from the Goddess to look at her new marking.


In a minimalist style it was very a oblivious Kitsune mask in red that stared back. In the center of its forehead was the character for 'Vi' stood out in bold calligraphy. Beneath that her stats scrolled downward in a thin column, also in calligraphy, faced her. At the very top between the the kitsunes ears was a jet black five petal sakura flower. Vi stared at it for some time before it dawned on her. “I... don't feel any different.” Vi looked up to her goddess who was still beaming over her new member. “No. what is there represents more so what you will become.” Vi nodded a tiny bit disappointed. Since shes been here shes seen adventurers with vastly higher skills and strengths then anyone she had met in the monster hunting business. She craved to be as powerful as they were. “you may have already heard but the only way for you to grow is to come back to me and have me update your insignia.” Once more Vi nodded to Okami. Eager to get into the dungeon I grabbed her leather glove pulling it all the way back up her arm covering the insignia that she just received. Rubbing the spot as if it were something precious she bowed to Okami. “one more thing, you were a monster hunter, that much I know, but this is not a hunt. Killing 100 weak monsters will not reduce their numbers, nor will it make you stronger than you are...” Okami stroked Vi's bowed head. The only way she could easily reach the top of her head. “..You must strife, you must fight hard, and sometimes you must overcome what you cannot.” her words slightly cryptic to vi she stood up slowly her black eyes staring into her goddesses. “Thank you Okami.” she said with conviction before she turned and went swiftly up the stairs.


As soon as the cobble of the street was underfoot Vi began running towards the dungeon. Her heart was beating as if she were going to a lovers hose for the first time. A mix of nervous and thrill filled her as she ran straight up to the entrance of the dungeon. She came to a full stop her eyes fixated on the large round door that sat beside the entrance to the cavernous dungeon. Walking now she ignores the people looking for a party as she head straight into the dungeon. In her awe of the dungeon and excitement to enter she nearly ran into a young looking man. He appeared to be one of the other people, the ones they have been finding in the dungeon. In his hands it appeared he had dagger like fist claws. “excuse me..” she said apologetically before allowing him to head into the dungeon first. Following behind him. As the stairs gave way to cavern floor she drew her great sword off of her back and continued on with other human.

 

[IceSolstice]

[soren]


As Soren makes his way back to his guild, he thinks back to dinner. It was tense and awkward at first, but it gradually gave way to a shaky sort of peace. He shrugs-- he tried his best to make it up to Avant. Not to mention the fact that Avant had almost killed him too. Soren mistook Avant’s actions back in the dungeon to be betrayal, an elaborate setup to get him killed. He’d encountered too much of it back in the days when…Well, that doesn’t matter right now. Soren acted out of reflex more than anything. And unless Avant was supremely good at acting, Avant genuinely thought that it was simply every man for their own to escape. He couldn’t really blame him for that when he would do the same.


At the guild, Soren pays his designated tribute to Vidar, skimping on a few gold coins here and there. He hopes that no one notices as he drops the coins, the metal making clinking sounds as it falls into the god’s calloused hand. Vidar says nothing, however, to Soren’s relief.


Heading to the guild’s armory, Soren acquires several more daggers and relatively light shield. It was clear in his first excursion that he sorely lacked any sort of range and defense. He definitely did not want to make the same mistake again. He also grabs first aid supplies, berating himself silently for not doing so the first time. Sure, I can get healed by a god but I have to survive getting out of there in the first place. Soren double checks to make sure that he has everything, straps a small pack on his back, and sets off for the dungeon again.


This time around, he takes a different path from last time and encounters a room of only slimes. Soren methodically picks up the smaller slimes with his dagger and splats them against the wall or floor--whichever required the least effort on his part. For the bigger slimes, he scoops them up with his newly acquired shield and flings them against the wall repeatedly until nothing but magic stones remain. Soren breathes heavily from the effort and takes a small break, gulping down some bottled water.


Continuing onto the next room, he meets kobolds, green lizardmen that wore minimum cloth armor and wielded jagged rocks. They leap at Soren, but he casts quick successions of 「Red Touch」on their rocks. They one by one stop in their tracks and drop their weapons. While the kobolds are temporarily focused on looking at their hands, Soren rushes the nearest one with his shield first, tackling it to the ground. The kobold, pinned to the ground by Soren’s weight, frantically struggles to get Soren off of it. Soren holds the kobold’s head still and uses his other hand to slit its throat. The kobold falls limp, throat gurgling with scarlet liquid, and turns into monster dust. By now the other kobolds have recovered, but Soren mercilessly enchants the loincloths of the closest ones. I don’t want to know what they’re feeling right now. The ones that buckle down to their knees are given several stabs to the head, while the others are mildly slowed down by the pain. He fends off the horde of kobolds with an enchanted shield and dagger, causing them to agonize especially over any wounds they receive. Soren slowly and carefully takes each monster down one by one. Towards the end of the fight, Soren barely is able to cast「Red Touch」without feeling like he wants to pass out. The room is eventually cleared however, and Soren gathers all of the magic stones and drops them in his backpack. I should spend less time on the first floor. They’re not particularly challenging aside from going through so many. It’s much more worth it to go up to the second floor.





Soren makes a bold decision to run away from any other monsters he encounters until he reaches the stairs leading down to the second floor. As rooms flash by, he recognizes some of the earlier mobs he had fought, as well as meets new ones. One, for example, were eggs that fired lasers at him. Thankfully, Soren reacted quickly enough to block it with his shield. He also saw a weird komodo dragon that had more eyes than it ever should have. He fled before he could figure out what it had in store for him. He finally rediscovers the stairs and rests on it. Soren sorely hopes that monsters stayed in their respective floors and wouldn’t bother him. I’m a relatively light sleeper. If anyone tries anything funny, I should wake up. Exhausted from the recent exercise and magic usage, he takes a nap, weapons in hand.


He wakes up and stretches his arms, feeling somewhat more refreshed but not completely rested. While he re-checks his gear, he muses how wise his decision to come here really is. I can’t afford to screw up again. I almost died here. To ants of all things. He takes stealthy, measured steps in a different tunnel than last time. Soren peeks around the corner to find more of those disgustingly large ants, gnashing their mandibles and skittering around. Nope nope nope nope nope nope. He backtracks quietly and enters another tunnel. When he checks the next room, he sees more kobolds to his surprise. But these kobolds hold an assortment of primitive weapons, an upgrade to the pitiful stones from earlier. Soren isn’t sure he can take on all the kobolds at once and that he wouldn’t want to risk it anyways. Soren formulates a plan-- if he could funnel the enemies into the tunnel, it would limit the amount of kobolds he had to deal with at once. It would also prevent him from getting surrounded and he had an easy escape route back to the first floor if anything went horribly wrong. Soren picks up a stone, tossing it several times to test its weight, enchants it with「Red Touch」, and chucks it at the nearest enemy. The rock misses Soren’s original target, the kobold’s ugly face, and instead bounces off the kobold’s chest. It still does the trick and all of the kobolds in the room are now focused on Soren.


He unsheathes his dagger at the ready and raises his shield protectively in front of him, waiting for the horde to arrive. And they do, hopping towards him like some sort of lizard-frog. They typically outrange Soren with their crude stone spears and handaxes, but he easily makes the two kobolds that he is currently facing drop their weapons. Soren swipes in front of him several times with his enchanted blade, catching one kobold on their arm and the other on their outstretched hand. They both flinch, and he takes the opportunity to stab one in the face. The other one reflexively jumps back, but collides with a kobold behind it. He thrusts the blade into the wounded kobold’s chest while it clutches its bloodied face. The kobold falls to the ground, but another one replaces its place just as quickly. The other kobold had also recovered and lunges at Soren. He takes a step back and bashes the impudent monster with his shield while simultaneously casting「Red Touch」on the new kobold’s weapon. Soren slashes in a wide arc to land blows on both kobolds, but a rock hurls through the air to smack him in the face. Oww. He gazes at the direction the stone came from and sees a kobold in the back holding a handmade slingshot. It fires again but hits an ally kobold in the head instead. I guess it’s not too much of a surprise. With such a poor quality slingshot, as well as the many kobolds in front of me--it was a small miracle one managed to get through and hit me. If I ignore them, I should be okay.





Soren carries out his tactic, disarming enemies when they were right in front of him, fending the horde off with his dagger, and blocking with his shield. Eventually the kobolds accumulate enough wounds to die and disappear, but it was a slow and arduous process due to the number of enemies. He could feel his left arm turn into putty as it absorbs the shock after shock from the shield whenever he smacked a kobold with it or blocked an attack. Luckily for Soren, the kobolds become scared of his shield before he is too tired to hold it up. All he had to do now was simply raise his shield and the kobolds would back off, not wanting to feel the pain. But now, the kobolds are usually out of reach of Soren’s dagger, so he slides his shield to the middle of his forearm and picks up one of the dropped stone spears instead. Wielding the spear with both hands, he thrusts forward and pierces one of the kobold’s chest. He uses the weapon to keep the kobold a decent distance away from himself, yet still do damage to them. Since the kobolds are huddled in a group, Soren is able to pick off several kobolds in the front before the entire group backs away from him. They reach the room the kobolds originally were in and Soren decides that he had enough for today. He warily watches the kobolds while he picks up the magic stones. This will give me a nice chunk of gold. I should be able to buy a good meal or two with this much. Once he makes sure he has everything, Soren turns tail, rushes up the stairs, and eventually exits the dungeon by avoiding monsters along the way.





He first goes to the guild association to convert all of his magic stones into gold and then heads back to his guild. At Vidar’s guild, Soren enchants all the benign objects he can find lying around until he feels like he’d pass out from the repeated magic use and before requesting Vidar to heal him and update his insignia. The god obliges, nonchalantly waving a hand to relieve Soren of any wounds he had taken, and checks his insignia. When Soren read his paper this time, he notices that the magic stat grew the most. His other stats had some growth as well, but not an amount Soren would call amazing by any means. No new skills showed up on the paper either, which disappointed him. He was supposed to be a mage, but he didn’t even have any long range damage spells. He’d have to ask someone what the heck a blue mage was tomorrow. For now, Soren sluggishly trudges up to his room, strips his equipment, and crashes onto his bed. A few seconds later, he was fast asleep, his chest gently rising and falling with each breath.

 

[Ryik]

Renge


You dashed down the steps, eager to try out your new weapon, You tap the triggers and your blades spring out like fresh fruit. You don't know why Tsukuyomi had such an odd weapon laying about, but come to think of it he probably poofs them all into existence anyway. You can't imagine a god so prissy ever attempting metalwork.


However it came about, it seems pretty sweet to you, at least compared to some plain Japanese dagger. Coming to the bottom of the stairs you start to briskly walk down a random path. You're inclined to believe every path on this floor leads to the next, so navigating doesn't matter, right? You try to avoid fights by giving monsters the widest berth you can, eager to try your hand at the ants on the second floor once more. On your way up a couple of Kobolds seem determined to get in your way, so you cut them down with comparative ease. They don't surround or greatly outnumber you this time, and your long metal gauntlets are great for blocking their crude weapons. It doesn't take long for the small group to be wiped out, and the very act of picking up the stones they drop makes you impatient. Maybe you should just gun it for the next floor when crossing. They may follow you, but you don't think they'll cross floors to come at you, so even if you attract a horde, you won't need to deal with any of them.


In any case, the armor aspect of your gauntlets bring you to consider using a full armor set. You eventually decide against it on the basis that the gauntlets alone are pretty heavy. Maybe mobility may not be such an issue later, but for now you'd like to keep what of it you have useful. Besides, you can take a hit. Probably.


It's not that hard getting to the second floor. When you're finally there, you run off right back to the place you were yesterday and just as expected three ants sit there just as before.


You're ready.

 

[Beguiling Discord]

Shiri


Choosing one of the many adjoining caves at random, Shiri strode down the lengthy corridor with a purpose. After analyzing and scrutinizing every detail and aspect of her selected cave branch, Shiri’s completely biased assessment surprisingly did not change. The dungeon’s dank scenery and atmosphere left her feeling disgusted. It didn’t help that the particular branch of the dungeon’s first floor had been cleared of monsters prior to her arrival. To Shiri, the dungeon was just like any other cave, nothing special. Not even the glowing rocks on the cave walls seemed to be worth much of anything. Her mother’s rumor had just been another load of BS. She should have known better than to doubt her own judgment and chance her mother’s words.


Sighing to herself, Shiri stopped half-way down the cave corridor and turned around. There was no point pressing forward. There would just be more lackluster cave scenery, and the thought of witnessing the even more of the same rock walls did not necessarily appeal to Shiri.


Upon spinning around on her heels, Shiri was about to take a step back towards the dungeon’s entrance when a squishy, gushy slime bound out from behind a rock up ahead. It bounced at uneven intervals in unorganized directions, even bumping into walls occasionally. Its bumbling nature was kind of...cute...in a way. Hopping to and fro, this way and that, Shiri stood frozen in place; her gaze was trained on the slime. Through pure luck or possibly purposeful intention, the slime bounced into her shin lightly and slowly slid down her leg. Chills instantly crawled up Shiri’s spine as the slime made contact with her bare skin. She instinctively jumped away from the awful amorphous being. The slime’s exterior was like cool, jiggly jello. It felt disturbingly weird to touch.


Shiri didn’t like this slime anymore.


It had to be the strangest monster that she had ever laid eyes upon. Shiri had always believed that monsters in a dungeon were supposed to be fearsome, intimidating, and ugly beyond belief. This slime, however, did not fit her schema of a dungeon monster. It looked too weak. Shiri bet that she could even punt it to end of the dungeon cave with just one kick if she so desired.


…


...actually...that could be fun, she thought to herself as a wry smile crept onto her face. The slime seemed to shiver...or jiggle a bit more.


Shiri increased the distance between herself and the slime. She was going to approach this event like a pros that she had once witnessed when she had been a small girl. The slime was to be her makeshift ball, and she would be playing as the kicker trying to score the winning field goal. All it would take would be one miraculous kick to win the game. So the real question was… Could. She. Do. It?


Positioning herself in line with the slime, Shiri took a deep breath and then charged. Once she came in range of the slime again, Shiri leapt with her left foot forward, reeled her right foot back, took aim, twisted hip ever so slightly to initiate the swing of her right leg, and released a mighty kick empowered by her momentum. Direct hit! However, instead of transferring her momentum and force to the slime, the slime absorbed the the impact and her foot! Shiri had not anticipated this conundrum. As Shiri’s foot stopped dead within the slime’s gelatinous body, the rest of her body continued forward with her momentum. A body in motion stays in motion until acted upon by an equal opposite force. Bracing for impact, Shiri fell on her hands and knee.


WTF?!?! she screeched internally.


“Stupid slime,” she muttered under her breath. Shiri wiggled her leg in an attempt to free her foot from the slime. The slime didn’t like that...or the fact that a dirty shoe had penetrated its pristine gelatinous body. What a rude human. The slime, despite its puny appearance, was a nuisance by its lonesome. It refused to let go of her foot. Shiri groaned. It felt even weirder having her foot stuck in the slime. Shiri twisted herself body and leg slightly to test whether the simple motion would free her captive ankle, but the action only yielded an uncomfortable twinge of pain in her right foot. Cringing, Shiri backed up and came to a sitting position in front of the now immobile slime. Its jiggling and wriggling had intensified, it seemed. Perplexed by the slimes odd vibrations and her disappointing situation,


Shiri spent a moment gathering her thoughts, calming down.


Maybe if she pushed on the slime...grabbed both sides and shoved back on the squishy monster, she would be able to use the opposing forces to remove her foot. Scooting closer to the monster, Shiri gave the thought a gander. Placing both of her hands on the sides of the slime, she shoved back on the gooey thing. Her plan failed miserably and almost backfired. First off, it was a struggle to get a grasp on the amorphous being, and second, as soon as the slightest amount of pressure was exerted on the goopy mess, the slimes gelatinous exterior began to give way, inviting Shiri’s delicate palms to join the jiggly party. Withdrawing her palms on instinct. Shiri quickly distanced herself from the slime as best she could…


The girl sighed and flopped back on her back. It was no use. She would just have to wait for someone to happen to wander down the lonely corridor and hope they would be willingly to aid her in escaping her predicament…


Sploohp! ….sploohp….sploohp!


“Someone’s come already…?” queried the defeated young lass. Rolling her head to the side in order to face the direction to which the noise seemed to echo from, Shiri gazed down the dark corridor as she anticipated the arrival of her savior.


But no human-like figure appeared…


Sploohp...sploohp! Sploohp!


Shiri felt a feeling of despair descend upon her. Humans were not the only beings that roamed the dungeon; example being the slime she was stuck to. Careful reanalysis of the the queer sound revealed that the sound was definitely not one of boot or shoe clopping. It sounded almost rubber or liquid-like in tone. Sitting up, Shiri attentively watched and listened for the incoming object. Whatever was making the noise was steadily approaching, that she knew for sure. The noise was growing louder, meaning that whatever “it” was, was drawing nearer.


Sploohp sploohp…


Moments later, a bouncing glob of blue jelly made its appearance. Zigging and zagging this way and that, the slime approached just as the first one had. There did not seem to be any means to its madness as it hopped and bopped into the wall and surrounding rocks. However, as the slime drew nearer, its course suddenly veered to collide with the stagnant slime glued to Shiri’s leg. With a disturbing “Squelch!” the two slimes melded into one. The new conglomerate slime distributed its newly acquired body mass, much to Shiri’s dismay, and consumed more of the ensnared girl’s leg. The amorphous being now claimed up to her knee.


F*** these slimes. F*** this dungeon.


But the torment wasn’t over yet. Shiri didn’t know or understand how it could feasibly be possible for slimes to communicate, but somehow they must have managed to do so. Seconds later 3...no, wait, 4...7! 7 more slimes were inbound.


“You’ve got to be kidding me!” cried the exasperated girl. Today was really not her day. Glancing back and forth from her trapped leg to the approaching slimes,Shiri fully understood how dire her situation was. This would be her end. She was going to die, here and now and there was nothing she could do to help herself. She was weak. She was puny. How and why did she ever think she was better off doing everything by herself? When had she become so arrogant? Why had she disregarded the help and warnings that people had tried to give her? Why had she tried to chance the dungeon? For the petty reason of spiting her own flesh and blood? Bah. Maybe she did deserve to die.


…


No...no...she could not die like this. Not after finally achieving independence from her mother. She had runaway with nowhere to go and no specific goals, but it was a start. A start towards a new beginning, so this could not be her untimely end...not yet.


Angry at herself and infuriated with the scheming slimes, Shiri vented her emotions with an unbeknownst curse, “May the Eye of Ra condemn their souls to perish by her eternal flames.” The words flowed from her mouth in a flurry, no conscious thought behind them at all. Shiri sat stunned for a moment. Where had that come from?


Shiri had no time to think. Her left palm grew hot to the touch against the rock in which it rested. Recoiling as a sizzling sound fizzled from the afflicted area, Shiri stared in amazement as a red, hot light conjured in the air above her palm. It floated gently above her flesh, releasing sweltering heat as it grew in size. The ball of fire grew no bigger than a baseball after about 3 seconds and fizzled out moments later. Awe-struck, Shiri was frozen in time staring at her left palm as she desperately tried to compute what had just occurred. All the while, the mob of slimes advanced.


“Fire...that was fire! If my eyes don’t deceive me...I just made fire from nothing...ahahaha,” the girl shouted in a fit of insanity. Her crazed laughter trailed off to crude whimpers as Shiri curled her left leg to her body, out of reach of the growing slime, and covered her face with her hands. Shiri began to shake and did not calm down until the slimes were upon her.


Yet another slime made the leap, aiming and landing effortlessly on the conglomerate slime. The gentle impact sent a ripple throughout the larger body as even more body mass was added and distributed throughout. The slime now consumed up to Shiri’s thigh and threatened the tips of her left foot’s toes. The girl shuddered. She lifted her head from her ball state to come to face a horde of 10~ish slimes all within jumping range. Headed cleared and immediate objectives set, Shiri wasted no time. Raising her left arm, she took aim at a slime rearing to jump. Muttering something indecipherable under her breath, a flame crackled into existence out of the air in front of her palm. As soon as the bolt of fire reached its maximum size, Shiri “released” the flame. Her timing had been quite off, though, so it was a miracle...or maybe lucky coincidence that the slime actually had to launch itself in the direction of the incoming fire bolt to reach the larger slime. Soaring like an acrobat through a ring of fire, the slime continued on its flight path despite contracting burns. The burning body made contact with the larger body, emitting a wall of steam upon impact. The air smelled of...burning jello mixed with burning rubber? It was a bitter-sweet aroma that stung Shiri’s eyes and irritated her nostrils at such close range. Coughing, Shiri fanned the air and prepared to perfect her next attack.


The slime squelched as it absorbed even more body mass. It now trapped Shiri’s right leg, part of her hip, and up to her curled left knee in its gelatinous body. She really could not afford to allow any more slimes to join the growing blob. She would need to focus the slimes preparing to hop over the currently stagnant.


Gambling with Lady Luck, Shiri believed that probability and stats were in her favor, as 1 of the 9 was surely about to jump...and hopefully only one slime would jump.


Lady Luck is a merciless mistress. As Shiri began her chant, summoning a blaze to her left palm, a slime did indeed flatten itself in preparation to make the leap, but so did the slime to its immediate right. Panicking, Shiri released the fire bolt early catching the first slime in a flurry of fire. She then immediately willed upon a second flame, nurturing it for only a moment before releasing it early, too. The slimes didn’t seem to be fazed too much by the pitiful wisps of fire, but the attack did seem to have negated their jump for the time being.


Relaxing a little, Shiri went to work conjuring up another fire bolt. Adrenaline was keeping her mind clear and focused for the time being, but who knew how much longer she would be able to maintain the mindset before fatigue set in.


The remainder of the slimes conveniently attempted launching themselves one-by-one at the conglomerate blob. Seeing the strange procession as a blessing, Shiri took her time to fire fully charged fire bolts one after another. The slimes hit with the full brunt of the magic attack writhed in pain more so than those hit with the early released versions, but they did not die. Fire was probably not the ideal choice of attack against these semi-aqueous beings, but it was the only form of damage that she could do at the moment.


Sadly, though, after the first round of firebolts, Shiri could already feel the draining after effects of her continuous attacks. Halfway through the assault, Shiri had already started to use her right arm to support and steady her left. Now that there was a moment’s rest, her left arm fell weakly to her side. She was also finding it harder to breathe. Every breath she took was a desperate gasp for air. It did not help that the more the slimes burned, the more toxic the corridor air became. All this in mind, Shiri did her best to stay calm. However, the first few slimes had already finished recovering from their first failed attempt and looked to be ready to begin round two of this pitiful charade. Flipping her palm to face upwards, Shiri began conjuring up another fire bolt. She was ready to contest until the bitter end.

 

[Sheepy]

-Odea-


Head held high, Odea marched up the dungeon steps with a portion of her magic stones in hand. She tried to flaunt her small handful of loot in a casual manner, just to let everyone know that the once (always) clutz actually could brave the dungeon’s depths if she relied on a person with actual skills and determination tried. She tromped through the crowd of adventurers that still populated the plaza just beyond the dungeon’s entrance and headed back towards the town. Navigating to the heart of Ornesse via a series of random left and right turns which somehow worked out for her, Odea soon found herself waiting in line to exchange her egg-monster soul stones for their monetary value.


Eeeeeeeeeee!!! Forseti is going to be sooooooooo pleased! Just look at all of these gems~ I’m sure my status will rise within the guild after I show Forseti how much money I got from my first run! Look out world, you newest, latest, greatest celebrity adventurer is here~!


“Ohohohohohoho,” Odea laughed vainly to herself. A couple of people passing by gave her some skeptical looks before ceasing to give a care. Yielding to her outlandish fantasies, Odea slipped completely into her own world, forgetting all about her party member, Seff, and her position in line. By the time Odea reached the front of the exchange line, she had earned her fair share of dirty looks and newfound enemies from the numerous amounts of times that she had been caught holding up the line. It was a wonder that people had not simply cut in front of her...or maybe they did and she just was too entranced to have noticed…


Hefting the load of magic stones onto the counter, Odea waited impatiently for the teller to name their offer for her stash of loot. The teller analyzed each piece slowly and painstakingly before naming an offer that seemed far too menial for the boastful girl’s perceived value of Seff’s her accomplishments, buuuuuuuuuut there was no point in arguing with the staff. She had already tried once. Smiling adorably, she had barely opened her mouth before instantly being denied. Odea grabbed the small pouch of gold coins and stuffed them into her pants pocket before sulking away from the exchange desk.


The egg monsters had put up a somewhat difficult fight, despite having two people, and yet, that was still not enough to net a decent enough income. Odea would need to endure many more battles and monsters if she wished to increase her daily income, and honestly, the mere thought of that terrified her. Sighing, Odea slinked back to Forseti’s guild. She was tired and a bit sullen again. A decent meal and good night’s rest would put her back into tip top, over-the-moon shape, though, no doubt about that.


Depositing a quarter of her earnings into her god’s outstretched hand upon arrival, Odea wore a complacent smiles as she half-hoped, half-expected her patron god to inquire how her first run went. The God of Justice, however, preferred singing his own tales over listening to those of others. He did, however, request that Odea wait for a moment or two in another line so that he could “update” her insignia and provide essential healing. However. Odea, disappointed with her god’s lack of interest and appraisal in her adventure, ignored the “request” and left the main hall for the pantry-like/kitchen area of the guild hall. She snagged an apple and a slice of bread and left before any complaints could be made.


Wandering out to the side of the pavillion, Odea sat on the edge of the temple’s base and munched on her dinner as she gazed up at the sky. The sun was only starting to go down, illuminating the town of Ornesse in a warm, auburn tone. As the girl relaxed, though, the days aches and pains caught up to her. She probably should have waited in the second line to receive her god’s blessing and healing, but it was too late for that now. Leaning back, Odea came to rest her head on her arms crossed behind her head. The comfortable position easily helped persuade the tired girl to readily acquiesce to her body’s petition for sleep. No matter, there really wasn't much else she could do in the little time left in the day. She would just have to try harder in the next.

 

[Ryik]

Renge


You run up to the nearest one and, just like yesterday, try to force your bladed weapon through the carapace on its head. You smile when you find that it's much more effective this time around, your twin blades sinking through the outer layer and apparently tough flesh in place of a brain. It doesn't go all the way through though, and it doesn't seem particularly harmed by the two new holes in its head, so like a replay of yesterday you're dashing backwards out of harms way.


Unlike yesterday however, you surprise the ants by immediately leaping back at them, tapping the trigger of one gauntlet to deliver a righteous uppercut to the brainless insect with your righteous fist righteously. You knock it all the way across the room and on its back, momentarily lowering the amount of monsters you need to deal with to two. In not a moment more, they're at you from both sides. Reactivating your retracted blade, you rush at one. With a care enabled by speed you're sure you didn't have before, you punch those blades right through on of the ants eyes. It starts making the noise it does when badly hurt and you Force it to the ground with a 「punch」, mounting it the affront to nature so that you can shut it up.


From its back you slice its head clean off, leaving scratch marks in the ground as you do it. You know the neck was a weak point, but you don't think you'd be able to do this yesterday. You can't tell if its the blade or if the nonsense about you magically getting stronger is actually happening, but either way you like it. The ant vanishes out from under you, leaving a stone behind, which you grab and pocket as you run from the other ant coming at you to avenge its fallen comrade.