The sun was still low enough in the sky while the small airship was on a slow decent. Angelica was busy showing Olivia how her rifle and side arm worked while the girl had become jubilant with excitement, she and Angelica had hit it off almost immediately.
I think that those two will actually be lifelong friends, Julius thought while resting once again in his usual spot, though he did take quick glances at the two laughing and smiling girls. He did frown when he noticed that Olivia was only wearing a simple green hued dress, with white stockings and simple leather shoes. She's really not outfitted for a dungeon run, but we don't have time to go all the way back to the capitol and get her armor and weapons. He groaned and closed his eyes. I just hope that my party experience sharing system works even if she doesn't participate in battle.
After another half hour passed and Erica could see the island that Julius had marked on her map, but this was an actual island, it was surrounded by water there wasn't any plant life to speak of on the island. Not enough light from the sun could filter thru the high clouds and floating islands that were high above the actual surface of the Earth.
Erica was even having a hard time seeing, the lighting was already very dim and whenever one of the floating islands blocked what little sunlight trickled thru the dense cloud cover made it almost pitch black in places.
Angelica and Olivia had stopped chatting when they descended so far below what they deemed to be normal elevations. Julius smiled and uncovered several magic flashlights, he attached one of them to the forward quad rail on his AR he then did the same for Angelica's and Erica's he handed a magic lantern to Olivia and he even supplied her with a backpack that had a slight enchantment of holding. The backpack wasn't too much to brag about it was only able to hold double the capacity of what it should, but Olivia was very happy and cheered when he gave it to her.
"Olivia," Julius told her while helping her adjust the straps. "Inside there are ten more magazines for our rifles, and twenty more for our pistols. I've also bought several healing potions so that you don't have to worry about using your healing magic the moment one of us gets injured." He removed his Sig from his holster and handed it to her. "I know that Angelica showed you how this side arm works." He slightly racked the slide just enough to show her the brass case inside the chamber. "This thing is ready to go…" Olivia swallowed nervously and took the Sig from Julius. "All you have to do is look over the top of the slide, line up the three dots and squeeze the trigger and whatever you do keep your finger off the trigger unless you want to shoot, now did you understand all that?"
Olivia held the Sig to her chest and nodded. "I understand Prince Julius…"
Julius shook his head. "Just call me Julius, there's no need for you to address me with such honorifics…"
Olivia got rather red in the face while Julius strapped his holster to her belt and leg. A bit of steam issued out the top of her head when she placed the Sig inside of the holster. "Thank you Pr…" she caught herself making them both smile, she shook her head. "Sorry, Julius…"
Julius smirked and patted the top of her head making her blush even harder. Angelica sighed and shook her own head while she watched all of this take place. He really is kind of dense… she thought. But, I guess that beats being a philandering pervert like his father…
Erica was too busy making sure that they were still on course, she didn't pay any attention to whatever else was going on around her. She had sweat pouring off her head while she slowly landed the airship down on a very rough patch of dirt near the entrance to the dungeon. The woman collapsed to the floor of the dingy and let out a lengthy sigh of relief.
"Thank you for getting us here Erica," Julius placed his hand on top of her rather moist head, he didn't seem to mind her nervous sweat and patted her a few times. Again Angelica shook her head in disbelief, nope my fiancé is completely dense… and Erica really wants to become one of his concubines? She sighed again. I really don't know who I should feel sorry for, me, her or Julius…
Again Julius really didn't understand that he was flirting, even when he assisted all three women to the ground by picking them up by their waists and setting them down. Angelica and Erica were already accustomed to his behavior, but Olivia got really red in the face, but under such dim lighting Julius didn't notice while Angelica and Erica weren't about to tell him that what he did was improper behavior, because they both really liked it whenever he did things like that to them, or for them.
The flirtatious atmosphere vanished the moment the four of them stepped thru the entrance of the dungeon. The air smelled musty and moldy. There was a foul odder of decay that smelled of both organic and inorganic matter.
Julius wrinkled his nose, "Kind of reminds me of my garbage man days," Angelica, Erica and Olivia were shocked when he mentioned that he was a garbage man. "Though, this is much less extreme than when I played human compactor…" he chuckled. "Dad always laughed whenever I got up inside the dump-truck and jumped up and down on the garbage pile to make more room for trash…"
Olivia ran in front of Julius and tilted her head in order to get in his face. "Were you really a garbage man in your previous life Julius?"
"Yep," Julius beamed. "Like I said, I was called the human compactor, but my brother in law was even worse… or…" he stopped walking to look up at the illuminus moss laden ceiling a single drop of water splashed against his forehead when he did making him shut his eyes. "Perhaps better than I was?" He finished while rubbing the wet spot on his face with the back of his gleave.
The way that Julius wiped his face and the fact that he was a garbage man made all three women laugh, but even though their laughter was melodious to human ears it was grating to the inhabitants of the dungeon.
An army of insectoid monsters scurried out of every cavern and crevice to hunt down these intruders. Julius and his party heard the monsters before they could see them. With a wide smirk Julius was about to remove his rifle, but Angelica was faster. Olivia was really bewildered when the ruby eyed red-skirt covered with armor blond haired young woman dumped her rifle into her arms and got into a low stance. The army of insects was relatively numerous, but Angelica had the perfect technique that she wanted to try out and with the cave so narrow the ant like monsters could only manage to come at them two at a time.
Julius tilted his head and groaned. "I was about to do that…" he glared at the back of Angelica's head. "I get the next crowd Ange!" he yelled at her.
Angelica smirked while her left hand grabbed the top of her scabbard that housed the make-shift mithril and orichalcum katana. She grabbed the hilt with her right hand. "Hiten-Mitsarugi style," she yelled. "Fire slash!" In a single motion she pulled the blade forth enchanting it with flames. The blazing sword killed the front two ant creatures instantly while a thin wave of flames and energy that looked like an angry glowing crescent moon plowed thru the dumb insects bisecting them while it traveled down the tunnel. She ignored the puffs of arcane smoke and items that the creatures produced, while she charged down the tunnel swinging her sword like a true master that would have made even Sejuro Hiko gawk in awe.
Julius groaned again while Erica started laughing. "I've heard that Lady Angelica was good, but I had no idea that she was a…"
"I've created a monster," Julius cut off Erica who narrowed her eyes at him for an instant before breaking out into laughter. "Is that what you were going to say Erica?"
"Something like that," Erica glanced at Julius, but then she noticed Olivia had fallen to her knees and was clutched onto Angelica's rifle while her eyes were super wide in shock. "Are you alright miss Cambell?"
Olivia slowly turned her head before she looked up into Erica's face. "What… what are you people?"
Angelica finished off the last large insect by driving her fire engulfed blade into the things head. She pulled out the blade and headed back to where her party was. Julius and Erica were picking up the few items that the big bugs dropped.
Olivia was both terrified and awed by the girl who was the same age that she was, looking like something out of a nightmare. Her ruby eyes seemed to glow menacingly while she carried that strange looking , curved, single edged, fiery, weapon in her right hand.
"Nice work Ange," Julius sauntered over to her draping a pair of necklaces over her head when he got within reach. "Next time let me have some… please?"
"If you're good," Angelica spoke softly while Julius backed away. She twirled her katana a few times before re-sheathing it. "And only if I'm feeling generous…"
"Oh," Julius rolled his eyes. "Ha, ha…" he picked up another necklace off the ground and placed it around his own neck.
"What are these things any-way," Angelica lifted the two necklaces to inspect them, the first one looked like a rabbits foot and the second one looked like a peace sign, but there were two extra branches making the top look more like a W instead of a V.
"These," Julius inspected his own necklace. —"are one of the main reasons why this dungeon is one of the best dungeons to grind." Julius dangled the peace sign looking one, because that was the only one he was wearing. "This necklace actually doubles all experience points gained from battle," he released his necklace and pointed at the rabbits foot one that was hanging around Angelica's neck. "That is the lucky rabbits foot, it increases the monster's drop chances and even enhances the chances for rare drops!"
"Wow," Angelica smirked. "Nice Julius," she rubbed her two new favorite accessories. "Very nice!"
Julius saw a few more experience doublers and lucky rabbits feet so he casually strolled down the tunnel and picked them all up. He placed one of the lucky rabbits feet around his neck so that he had one of each. He headed back toward his party, Erica and a still slightly disturbed looking Olivia were headed in their direction.
"Here you go," Julius placed one of each increasing items around Erica's neck.
Erica smiled wide after Julius told her that they could increase drop chance and experience gains. Olivia was very confused when Julius placed three drop chance boosters and two experience boosters around her neck.
"Umm," Olivia adjusted Angelica's rifle that she was still carrying. "Why did you place all of the rest of these things on me?"
Julius tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow at her. "Umm, you are the saintess…" he folded his arms across his rifle.
"What does that…"
"Have to do with anything," Julius interrupted and finished for her. Olivia frowned, but nodded. "Easy as the saintess, you have a special skill that allows for you to have as many growth items and their effects will multiply.
"What," Erica yelled.
"No fair Olivia," Angelica also cried out of sheer jealousy.
"You mean," Olivia was again interrupted by Julius.
"Yep," Julius smiled, proudly and knowingly. "Each of those boosters, give each other boosts, you have three rabbits feet so you get a seventy five percent increase in drop chance, and with two experience boosters you actually get a one hundred percent increase in from every monster that we kill!"
"Olivia is more of a monster than I am," Erica eyed Olivia who quickly turned her head to avoid eye contact with the rather imposing looking woman.
"After we finish up this dungeon she will be," Julius beamed.
They all turned back to look down the tunnel when they heard the massive scurry of big six legged monster ants.
"Alrighty then," Julius did his best impersonation of Jim Carry's Pet Detective while taking up his rifle and aiming at the closest giant ant. He smiled wide when he also saw a few giant centipedes mixed in with the giant ants. "Now we'll see just how these new boosters work!"
He pushed the safety down on his rifle to fire and pulled the trigger. The report of his AR wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. With the added muffle magic engraved into the end of the barrel it sounded more like a silenced rifle, but the sonic crack of the projectile made was still loud enough to make them all wince.
Erica added her rifle to Julius's the bullets that they charged with magic would take out anywhere from two to three of the big ugly insects. Olivia was shocked when she actually felt herself get stronger every time a monster vanished in a puff of purple smoke and glass like shards.
When they lowered the monsters numbers enough Julius and Angelica handed their rifles to Olivia who was happy to take them while they charged the remainder of the monster hoard. Erica gripped her rifle tight and got very nervous while she monitored the two young adventurers thru her scope.
Erica beckoned for Olivia to move forward when the pair of insect slaying adventures were getting too far away for her to cover them.
"I seriously don't think that I'll even need to cover those two," Erica ran down the tunnel with Olivia carrying two AR tens was hot on her heels.
Olivia was scared at first while she watched Julius and Angelica slash and burn the many insect monster using their strange Hiten-Mitsarugi style of swordsmanship which she'd never even heard of before, but then while the very one sided battle continued a feeling of envy welled up within her.
I want to learn this style too, Olivia thought while her eyes grew ever wider with growing determination. If I can get to… no, when I surpass Julius and Angelica then I'll be able to clear dungeons on my own… The very thought made her giddy.
Erica led the now eagerly grinning Olivia down the tunnel that Angelica and Julius were clearing with such ease that they were only a few feet behind the swirling and twirling duo. While Olivia watched the pair of newbie adventurers she would also busy herself by picking up all of the item drops that the monsters left behind. Erica also with nothing better to do was picking the scattered items too. The really shocking thing that they both discovered was that after every lucky rabbits foot the drops were becoming ever rarer. One monster dropped a magic dagger with accompanying magic belt that gave the wearer an extra boost in strength. Erica also found pure elixirs that can even save a person's life even if they were on the brink of death.
The two ladies in back of the carnage creating duo where now focused on the treasure hunt, they would try to outdo each other by finding the better drops. After Julius and Angelica cleared the final centipede by doing a double batoujutsu fire slash they turned around to see that Olivia's neck was completely covered by item boosters and experience boosters. She even had a few draped over her shoulders while she had put down Angelica and Julius's AR tens resting them against the tunnel wall while she was busy running around picking up all of the loot that the monsters dropped.
Just for kicks and giggles Julius opened his status window to see how Olivia was progressing.
"Holy fuck a molly," Julius cried while his jaw hit the floor. "Olivia is already level twenty two! No… that can't be right… I've been doing most of the work and I'm only fifteen…" "Me," Angelica cried while jumping up and down excitedly. "What about me, do me next Julius!"
Julius ignored Angelica's double entendre and checked her status, "You've beat me again Ange," he half frowned half smiled. "You've already reached level sixteen!"
"And,"— Erica who was still busy picking up the very precious loot items glanced at Julius. —"what about me Julius? Did my level increase too?"
Julius smiled and opened his status window to see how far his secretary had progressed. He rubbed his eyes a few times. That number can't be right… can it, he questioned his own sanity a few times. "Erica you're level seventy one now…" Not even Julius could have calculated the look of wonder and disbelief on Erica's face.
"I've gone up eleven levels," Erica almost dropped the healing elixir in her hand, but she gripped it tight and shook her head several times. "Are you sure that's right Julius?"
Julius nodded.
"But I didn't even do much fighting," Erica stammered. "You and Angelica were doing all of the work…"
"Don't be so shocked," Julius pointed at Olivia. "She started at level two and now she's over twenty…"
Erica went really wide eyed while she stared at Olivia that looked like a walking trinket store with all of the rabbits feet and peace sign looking things hanging off her.
Julius suddenly pounded his fist into his hand. "That's it… that's why Erica gained so many levels!"
"What," Angelica cried.
"Really," Olivia stopped picking up drops in order to look at Julius.
"Erica was within the area of effect of Olivia's buffs," Julius laughed. "I should have figured that out before I cleared the floor!"
"Goddess Damn it," Angelica cried. "You mean that we could have gotten our levels even higher if we'd stayed near Olivia?"
Julius nodded. "Yep," he glanced at Olivia whose face got red in embarrassment. "She's the saintess alright…" he couldn't help but laugh.
"Umm," Olivia took a deep breath to calm herself. "I feel a lot stronger now, so would you mind if I joined you and Angelica on the front lines?"
"Of course," Julius smiled wide. "We still have two more floors to clear and one final boss at the end!"
"Wait," Erica yelled in excitement. "Are you telling me that this dungeon can be cleared?"
Julius sighed and frowned. "Yep, unfortunately this dungeon only can be cleared once and then its done!"
"You mean,"— Angelica questioned with a frown. —"that the monsters won't re-spawn like the ones in the dungeon in the capitol?"
Julius shook his head. "Nope once all of the monsters are defeated this dungeon doesn't let you grind any harder for loot, the drops are too good and…" he glanced at Olivia who blushed and turned her head. "You'd end up looking like a cheap jewelry shop, though only Olivia being the saintess has the effect of boosting the boosters, but if she's wearing all of that junk on her she's a walking experience point and rare drop farmapalloza!"
Erica, Angelica and Julius were staring at Olivia so hard that she could feel and hear the disturbing 'geeeee' sound directed at her.
"Fine," Olivia cried in panic, but also in excitement. "I'll stay near you so that you all get the bonuses from… my whatever effect that Julius told us about, are you happy?"
"Absolutely, Olivia," Angelica beamed.
"I'm really looking forward to staying close to you while we continue to explore," Erica was also smiling wide. "The rest of this dungeon Lady Olivia!"
"Before we continue on," Julius looked around at all of the items that still littered the tunnel floor. "We should take all of this stuff back to the skiff, before we head down to the next level…" The girls were all beaming at him making him feel rather nervous. "I hate to tell you but there aren't as many monsters in the lower levels as there were on this one…" the three girls frowned at this, but he waved his hands in front of him. "But they're also a lot stronger down there and that means…"
Angelica cut him off. "That means that there's more experience to be gained and way better drops," she stared at Olivia who nodded her head at her. "And with our secret Olivia our beloved santess and walking drop chance and experience enhancer we won't have anything to worry about! Will we?" She eyed Julius who shrugged.
"Not until we reach the boss room," he smiled a very sinister smile making all three women, shiver and blush.
For some reason, Erica thought. I'm getting really turned on right now…
This story is discontinued on this site... I have all of my works posted on AO3 if you want to continue reading the story it will only be updated on AO3