The search for level 3 begins!
"So, what's the plan?"
Three people stand in the green plateau that surrounds the safe zone of Floor 18. A human adult, a grizzled Dwarf and a human child. Brandished with their weapons and armour, the steel glistening under the night-time crystal stalagmites hanging off the dungeon ceiling. Their eyes all looking down at the abyss that awaited them on the bottom of those stairs.
"Youngin', how far you gone?" The dwarf asked, stroking his thin ginger beard, his War-Hammer standing in the ground to his side. He looked at the young, black-haired boy. In contrast to the dwarf's bulky, muscular frame adorned with armour plates and a helm, the boy was small and thin. Covered in Light armour befitting a Vanguard, he had the shin protectors and arm greaves on that the dwarf had made, with black elbow and knee supports nestled just above. Underneath his armour, shorts and sleeveless hoodie, his hood swaying slightly behind him, the boy also wore a thin but protective layer of poison resistant material courtesy of spirits. His brown boots had a steel toe cap on the end, along with his wrists being covered by his Galva-Knuckles.
Along the boy's waist lay a belt. Attached to it were several items. A journal that contained detail maps of the floors they were about to traverse. An empty satchel ready to be filled to the brim with magic stones and resting just below his spine, a personal 8-inch knife hand-crafted by the Dwarf, along with every other shiny thing the boy wore. This included a new piece of armour, twin shoulder blade protectors, with leather straps under his armpit so not to disrupt his biceps. They finished midway to the boy's clavicle, leaving his collar bone still exposed but also more moveable.
"I've been on Floor 22 for about a week and a half now," He replied, his voice quiet and calm. Percy had quickly gotten over the anticipation of reaching the next level and was now ready to get back in the flow state that allowed him to thrive in this hell.
"Brant?"
The man twizzled the blade of grass in his mouth, his Claymore resting on his back with the help of a hilt holder sewn into a leather strap that wrapped around his right shoulder and under his left. The man wore simple, typical adventuring clothes. Loose brown battle trousers, a simple black shirt with a brown leather jacket over it. The jacket was padded for protection but he had even less armour than Percy. His large weapon would be sufficient enough for blocking attacks and if he ever got injured, in his words, "I'll just walk it off."
His bottom half consisted of similar boots to the boy, steel-capped shoes that added extra umph to any kick. His trousers were also leather padded, the tanned coloured material was especially loaded around the knees.
Unlike his two comrades, Brant didn't have any protective under-layer, his abnormal resistance development ability providing stronger protection that any piece of cloth could provide.
A new feature was added to his attire. A brown gambling Stetson was perched on his shaggy brown hair. He peaked under the folds of his hat, his brown eyes glanced over to Reg.
"24... you?"
"Same here," Reg replied. Brant nodded, he thought as much. Given another month or so and Percy would've joined them. Brant didn't want to wait a month.
Percy tilted his head up slightly to take in the two men who would decide his next couple of days. He had a few things he could've said but it was nothing they didn't know. The entire journey down, they had drilled the young boy on what he would be facing.
They had also revealed their stats, magic and skills to each other. Reg and Brant knew they should've been surprised by the ridiculous level the boy was at. A-tier on all of them but his magic which was still B-tier in less than a year at level 2. But after what the boy achieved the year before, they just smiled at the absurdity, Brant even making light of it by mentioning how the boy was dragging his feet compared to his first level up.
Percy had been drilled as he would be Vanguard of the group. Given his stats and his magic, he was by far the heaviest hitter and the fastest. Reg was still the one with the best defence though. Through his extensive career as an adventurer, he had been a tank since day 1. His experience with a shield was first-class and combined with his skills and magic, he was a perfect frontliner for any party in the dungeon. Even with Perseus' pain-resistant skill, he was still no match for the endurance and vitality of a Dwarf.
Brant would remain in the rear for most of it. While Percy and Reg dealt with the brunt of the monsters, it was his role to protect the back, but he was also assigned role of commander. With Reg and Percy to pre-occupied with fighting, he would direct them on the battle-field. He may be statistically the weakest but his senses and ability to read the situation made him a formidable adventurer, a field he was head and shoulders above the other two.
However, his main role would be dealing with any poisonous enemies, which was a lot. When faced with a wall of Dark Fungus or a Bloody Hive, it was Brant's job to take the brunt of the toxins, to allow Percy to sneak up on it and take it out.
Percy knew that they were a strong combination. Brant and Reg understood they were perfect. The only thing that could be improved was if the Vanguard and Tank had Abnormal Resistance but that is what the protective under-armour and potions are for.
You wouldn't find a better three-man party consisting of upper-class adventurers taking on the Great Labyrinth. But as Brant and Reg looked at each other, they concluded it wasn't their goal to simply take on the Great Labyrinth.
No, if they wanted the prize sort after, they would need to push past who they currently are. And only meeting your old personal best would not suffice. They will conquer the maze that lay below them.
"Well, we ain't gonna find what we're looking for up 'ere," Reg said as he hoisted his War-Hammer onto his back and hefted his large square shield into place, the spike on the front glistening. Brant spit out the blade of grass in his mouth and hoisted the supply bag onto his back, the bag swinging into his latent Claymore. Perseus flexed his fingers, his muscles twitching as he felt the cool steel bar in-between his joints.
With a few cracks of pressure being released the only sound made in the few seconds of contemplation, the three man party marched forward. To find an adventure.
I push off, rolling to my left as a gust of wind flies past me and smacks into the mossy ground, its previous trajectory being my skull. I quickly spin around, finding where the Gun Libellula's poison attack almost hit me.
"Keep movin lad!"
Brant's command forces me on my legs once more. I get down low and build-up pace as an air strike of poisonous darts are rifled towards me. I'm grateful I continued to focus on my agility as my speed stat is good enough to keep me ahead of their pre-empted attacks.
*CLANG!*
A loud ringing noise bounces around the open cavern. I don't turn around, knowing it was Reg blocking an attack from a Sword Stag. A monster that walks on four legs that stands as tall as Ottar or Mama Mia. Its most discerning features are the twin sword like antlers on its head, hence the name.
I trust Reg to deal with it. Ever since entering the Great Tree Labyrinth, I've finally understood how important a tank is. Reg, like now, is tanking the main brunt of the attacks, which then allows me or Brant to take out the monsters.
I quickly leap over a fallen tree and continue my forward pursuit. In my way is a Mad Beetle. A giant cockroach monster with a hardened shell like steel. Fortunately, my strength combined with Reg's smithing skill is enough to take it out but I still have my first magic line activated, though most of the blue lightning is covered by my protective under-armour, the only line visible is the bit that snaked around my forehead.
I slide under the monster's deadly mandibles that contort from its mouth. It screeches in pain as some of the poison that was aimed at me smashes into its outer shell.
I dodge its thrashes needle like legs, regaining my balance and in a blink of an eye, I upper-cut its soft underbelly with considerable strength. I found out quickly when I soloed down here that if I wanted to one-shot a Mad Beetle from its shell. I would need to infuse my magic and use all my strength. But from underneath, I only need a bit of extra effort and with the help of my Galva-Knuckles, the Mad Beetle fades to ash.
Right now we are on Floor 23. We are currently fighting in an open cavern. It's covered in lush foliage; with moss, grass, vines and plenty of trees littered everywhere. The walls produce a glow from a type of fungi that grows on it, casting a green hue over the dungeon floor. It gives enough natural light to allow adventurers to see without the aid of a magic-stone torch.
We have spent the better part of an hour in this area as a non-stop flood of monsters has hounded us every step. It started out with a huddle of Bugbears but after we defeated them, a group of Mad Beetles combined with a few Lizard Men attacked us.
We used the same plan each time. Brant would place down the supply bag somewhere safe before pulling out his Claymore and watching Reg's rear. The dwarf would then activate his skill, 'Now you see me'. This skill, it is amazing. I can immediately tell when it is activated as all the monsters suddenly target Reg. They completely ignore me and Brant as they start attacking at his shield, even climbing over and killing each other just to get to him.
With his giant square shield firmly placed in the ground, with ground spikes spilling out behind the shield for extra support, Reg begins holding off the horde with his almighty dwarf strength. This then allows me to spring into action as I dart out from behind, throwing a flurry of punches and kicks as I take out the distracted monsters.
The skill isn't omnipotent though as if I don't one hit a monster it is pulled from the charm and targets me and it only has a certain radius, meaning some of the flying monster's aren't affected. Like right now, as Reg is holding off a Sword Stag that joined the party while Brant finishes off the remaining Lizard Men.
As the Vanguard and main monster killer, this gives me time to take out the annoying Gun Libellula's. They are really annoying, like frustratingly so. They seem to have an endless supply of poison to throw at me and I know from experience that if even one hits me, I'm in trouble.
Whenever I do get an opening and jump at them, they are far enough away and quick enough to dodge and after missing all of them, I'm in free fall for a few seconds which is plenty of time for them to re-initiate their onslaught.
"Urah!"
I sneak a peek as I watch Reg bring down his War-Hammer on the Sword Stag's skull, crushing it immediately. He then turns, leaving his shield planted in the dungeon floor as he swings his weapon, taking out one of the Lizard men fighting Brant.
The two quickly make quick work of the monster's and they turn towards me. Finally, I can deal with these annoying flying pieces of...
"-Force Hand!" Brant wastes no time finishing his chant, and instantly one of the Libellula is paralyzed, left vibrating in the air as it tries to free itself from the invisible force holding it. I don't waste a second, leaping at it with all the speed I'd built up, my blue lightning wrapping around my muscles as I push off. Due to their insane agility, their durability isn't too good. With a swift punch, one is down.
Brant's magic can only focus one target but unlike Reg's skill, it has decent range and because they aren't difficult to hold down and it is a short chant, I deal with the remaining five flying monsters swiftly.
After dealing with the last one, I drop down. I quickly scan the area, looking and listening for any more monster's wanting a fight. After sensing nothing for five seconds, I give a thumbs up to the two men, who let out a breath, their weapons relaxing.
I jog over to them, dispelling my magic as I make sure if anything that I didn't sense does attack, we are all together.
"Ya didn't get hit, did ya?" Reg asks. I shake my head as I give a quick show of my body. He gives a gruff snort as he digs his shield out and puts his hand through the leather straps on the inside.
"Anything from you?" The Dwarf says towards Brant.
"Not that I know of."
"Good enough."
I hear Reg crack his back as he moves his shoulders back. It must be a lot of strain on his body dealing with such force all the time. He has been doing this since we entered and while it works really well, I feel like I should be doing more.
"Don't fix what ain't broken lad. Let me do my job and I'll let ya do yours."
That was what Reg had said and Brant backed him up after I tried to suggest me doing more. I didn't argue further, knowing their experience far beat-out my slightly better stats.
"Oi, brat?"
I look over at Brant, wondering what he wants. I'm still not used to his hat but I can't lie, he does look cool.
"How long since we entered the dungeon?"
I tilt my head back and forth a few times as I think through how long we've been here. It doesn't take long for me to calculate it.
"Probably past 5 hours... considering we spent almost an hour on floor 18, yeah about 5 hours."
"That mind of yours is might convenient, Ha!" Reg remarked with a laugh. I've never been able to understand how people act towards the way I think. I understand that my memory is a bit better than most, especially since it isn't normal for people to remember being born, apparently. But my inner clock is just something that is just there. I never developed an inner clock to keep track of time, I can just simply remember how long we've been in the dungeon, in the same way I just know where to go in Daedalus street or what monsters do what.
"About 5 hours you say... ya think we should take a break?" Brant asks, motioning towards the dwarf. While Brant was the commander in battle, it was silently agreed between us that Reg still made the important decisions.
"I mean, it looks like you and the youngin' can keep goin'."
"It ain't us I'm worried about, I heard ya back a second ago."
"What ya implying?" Reg said with an undertone of bite to it.
"Exactly what ya hearin'. Ya have been out the dungeon longer than me and ya twice my age and then you are taking the brunt of the damage, we both know it ain't gonna do you any good if ya push ya'self to much right now."
I could tell Reg wanted to argue back but I saw his good eye twitch as he started ingesting Brant's words. I agreed with Brant, not liking how quickly Reg has jumped into this. He has been instrumental for us getting here this fast and most likely being able to move forward but it's whether he can keep it up.
"Aight, I hear ya. Guess it won't hurt," Reg says with a sigh. "But when we go lower, I won't be so lenient," He finished with a strong look. Brant sniggered at it. "That's exactly why I want ya to rest up here, so ya don't have to down there."
The two men let out a sneaky smile at their quick banter as Brant turns to me.
"Go find some quiet backroom for us to take a quick break would ya."
"Understood."
I skip off, running lightly on the soft mixture of moss and water. The lower we get down; the more water is mixing in with the foliage. Reg and Brant described as something like a Swamp. I'd read about that in the Dungeon Oratorio but the one I read about was deadly and bottomless. This was just a bit wet and boggy.
I kept stepping lightly, not wanting any of the water to get into my boots. Wet socks is one of the worst feelings, right up there with being punched by a Minotaur.
I try and stay insight of my two party members, knowing how much they worry sometimes, even if they don't admit it. Honestly, I'm either with the Astrea Familia who worry too much, especially Maryuu who is like the older sister of the group; or I'm stuck with those two fossils where a 'be careful' is optional.
I smile at the friends I'd made, which only reinforces my decision further to make sure this trip is a success, not only for me but for Brant and Reg.
After another 10 seconds of quick searching, I think I've found a suitable room. I think of whistling them over now but I know that if I can't see the full room, I don't know if it is safe.
I crouch down, hopefully signifying to them that I've found something if they are watching me and start edging into the room. The room entrance is covered by draping vines that almost touch the floor. It is perfect cover for us to rest from the monsters but that also means it is good cover for anything lurking in it.
There isn't much glowing fungi on the walls, making it slightly darker. As I push past the vines, my instinct is already telling me to be careful. I might have a really good memory and a good way of knowing things, while also being able to get stronger faster than everyone else but it seems the world thinks that means I need to be nerfed. And by doing that, I never have good luck.
A brown mass of fur and flesh starts shuffling before me. It starts moving, the shaggy fur makes a ruffling noise as the figure only starts growing and growing and growing. Before I know it, my neck is looking straight up and the figure only continues to get taller. My eyes go wide as the hump on its back crashes into the ceiling, sending bits of rubble and moss falling to the ground.
'Of course a Mammoth fool is in the only room I check,' I think as I tighten my fists, activating my Galva-Knuckles.
"UUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The Mammoth fool roars as it charges me. I leap backwards off my left leg as it follows me out of the caved. It smashes through the entrance, dragging the hanging vines with it as they drape over the monster's giant tusks.
'How in Penia's name did it fit in that room if it doesn't even fit through the entrance?' I think as my bad luck is only exuberated by the absurd height of the monster. I've dealt with a Mammoth fool a few times since adventuring the Tree Labyrinth. They are easily the single strongest monster and when they are joined by a horde of monsters, they are very dangerous. I've watched parties of 4 and 5 members get wiped by a single one of these. But fortunately, this one is on its own and even more fortunately, dealing with strong monsters is my speciality.
The Mammoth lowers its head as it swings its tusks at me violently, thrashing about as it moves towards me. I quickly identify its pattern and dart under a very wide swing. A second later, my right Galva crashes into the monster's knee-cap.
"UUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
It roars out in pain as it stumbles around. I know what its next move is as when I first fought one and got into this position, I thought I'd won. That was until the giant furry monster decided to just fall to the ground. I barely made it out before being flattened. This time was no different but I knew better.
I dashed out to the side and as predicted, the Mammoth fool thudded to the ground with power and weight enough to shake the dungeon floor.
I waste no time as I jump onto its humped back and start sprinting towards its head. The Mammoth tries to stand back up but it being so heavy alongside its damaged knee; it struggles to get up. This gives me plenty of time to reach the front and just as the monster is about to regain its balance, I jump up slightly before slamming both my armoured fists onto its skull.
The body crashes into the ground, creating a small crater under its body as the ground once again shakes. The monster roars, shaking its head around as much as it can but blood is already pouring out from where I hit it. However, those tusks are still dangerous.
"Step back youngin!"
I listen to the command as I step back onto the spine as a second later Reg drops down from the sky, slamming his War-Hammer onto the already damaged skull. Before I know it, I'm falling into a pile of ash, along with a giant purple rock.
"Trust you to find such a thing," Brant says as he walks up to me. It seems he wasn't too worried about my fight, something which I appreciate as it shows a level trust.
I look up to him and point at the place the giant monster had appeared from.
"Found a room."
The two men just laugh as they shake their heads. Brant stabs the magic stone with his claymore, knowing we can't take it with us. I get to work slashing the dungeon walls with my knife, making sure no monsters can spawn here.
Reg makes the room a bit lighter while also camouflaging the room entrance better since the Mammoth Fool had slightly destroyed the cover.
With everything set, we sit down for the first time since the 18th floor. I can't say I'm used to this; I rarely ever break in the dungeon and that's only for brief moments to quickly eat or drink, or to check my map to see where to explore next. Not a proper break like this.
Brant starts digging into the supply bag, pulling out three small, wrapped cloths. My assumption that it was food turned out to be correct as Brant hands me a few crackers and a skin of water. I thank my previous training with Lyra as she forced me to get used to eating in the dungeon, which made this simple for me.
Brant, having done the least work out of the three of us is on look-out while Reg is currently pulling out his compact, portable smithing gear.
He begins polishing his shield, not wanting the monster blood turning the metal weak and rusty, trickling some of his water down the square face. He then goes about inspecting his armour, mainly his arm greaves and his chest plate.
Both seem fine to me but I'm not a blacksmith. I do a quick one over on my equipment and everything is in good condition. I've gotten use to me shoulder plates, having already been helped by them from a down swing by a Lizardmen. Though, I don't want to rely on them. If my armour is forced to work then my fists aren't doing their job.
As I finish off my biscuits, I walk over to Brant who is nestled in the remaining vines the Mammoth Fool didn't take with it.
"-hey," I mutter, knowing that due to my stealth skill, I can unwillingly sneak up on people so it's best to give a heads-up. Reacting to my voice, the man turns his head slightly, peeking out from underneath his hat. still keeping one eye on the cavern and one hand on his Claymore. I hold up my water bag to him and with little thought, Brant takes my offer.
As water trickles through his shaggy beard, I gaze out. I notice a few monsters having already spawned, a few Lizardmen on one end were taking sips out of a small pool of water that had built up and a pack of Gun Libellula's had spawned and were now patrolling the air.
"Where's the path to the next floor?" I ask, not having come this far. The only time I'd gone through a floor this quick was when I had plummeted down a hole and crash landed onto the 16th floor.
Brant raises his free hand, still keeping his dominant right hand on his weapon, and points. I squint my eyes, trying to spot what he is referring to. I notice it after a second, seeing an opening.
"That takes us into the room before the stairs to floor 24," Brant says quietly. I'm a little surprised by this. Had we really traversed the whole of floor 23 by now. I know we are taking the main route but surely we couldn't be this fast.
Brant must've noticed my shock at his statement as his lets out a grunt.
"I guess ya ain't used to this kind of speed, is ya?"
"N-no, not really."
"To be honest, neither am I. I mean, we used to get here pretty quick but not this quick. Didn't realise ya were this lethal kid."
"You sure? N-normally I'd be getting through floor 22 by now, I'm not sure I'm the reason we got here this fast."
"But when ya are on your own, ya don't stick to the normal route, do ya?"
I shake my head.
"And since ya have us guiding ya and havin' your back, ya don't need to worry about anything but fightin' and cause of that, we've flown down 'ere. I've barely had to do much and while yeah, Reg has been a proper tank, he's still gettin' used to this schtick again. You've done the main liftin'."
I don't bother arguing, enjoying the praise that I can never give myself. It's nice to hear it now and then, especially from Brant or my Mom.
"So... when do we go to 24?" I ask, my eyes gazing over the lush greenery. Every time I look out over the Great Tree Labyrinth, I'm stunned by its beauty. How something so magnificent could grow down here, it is just one of those things a mortal mind can't comprehend.
Plants flow from everywhere; the floor, the walls and even hanging down from the ceiling. The pathways that divert and twirl around the open space make it seem like they are a dried up river that used to feed all the vegetation.
But then a pack of Lizardmen enter my sight, their sabres gleaning under the blue hue of the moss that is the main light source. A chilling reminder to not get wrapped up in the view.
Brant doesn't answer my question. He seems to focus on the scaly monsters as well and with a quick grunt, he turns back around.
"Coast should be good for a few minutes," Brant mutters before turning around, motioning me to follow as we go back to Reg who has finished examining his gear.
"Anythin'?" Reg asks. Brant gives a small rundown of what we saw. Reg gives a small sigh before they both turn to me.
"Percy."
I'm wary at my name being used, especially since it's coming from Brant. I immediately give my full attention.
"You remember me sayin' how floor 19 is a trial run for floor 20 and below?" Brant begins, his voice stoic.
"Y-yeah."
"Well, floor 20-23 are the trial run for floor 24."
I let that sink in for a moment. Truthfully, I kind of expected it. Floor 10, 11 and 12 might look the same but they played out differently. The same goes with floor 16 and 17 compared to the other middle floors.
It was Reg's turn to talk as he crossed his legs to face me.
"Floor 24 is the guard to the Lower floors... lad, I don't think you understand how ridiculous it is that you 'ave been solo divin' up to floor 22."
"It isn't that bad... is it?" I ask, still unaware at how massive of a thing it really is.
"I told ya he don' get it," Brant scoffed as he took a glance at the room entrance, making sure that they wouldn't be interrupted. As for Reg, he just smiled as he shook his head slightly.
"Let me start with this then. Youngin', do ya know how important the guild is to us adventurers."
I want to say yes. I know they trade magic stones for money and they hand out maps of the dungeon but I look into the dwarf's amber eyes and I know that I have no idea, so I bite my lip and shake my head slightly.
"Well, they ain' just there for makin' money. They house the biggest data base of the dungeon in the world. They know about every explored floor, even the really deep ones that the Zeus and Hera Familia explored."
The mention of my old Family makes me tense slightly but I stay concentrated.
"One of their main roles is givin' advice to us adventurers, mainly rookies or Familia's that don't know much about the dungeon. If ya wasn't keepin' ya'self a secret, you'd probably have a Guild advisor."
I look slightly over at Brant who chuckles at the notion that he is my Dungeon advisor.
"Aye, you do have us and some others, I know. But if you had a Guild issued advisor, I can say with 100% certainty, ya wouldn't even be at floor 18."
"What, why?"
"The guild issues certain levels to each section of the dungeon. If ya ain' level 2, don't touch the middle floors. If you solo level 1, then you don't go past floor 9."
"But I-" Reg held up his hand, stopping me from explaining that I could easily handle floor 10 as a level 1.
"When we get past the 18th floor, it is Guild mandatory that you form a party to every level 2. It is considered that a solo level 3 struggles with the Great Tree Labyrinth and that party sizes of level 2 should be at least 5-6 at the smallest and that most, if not all, should have some sort of resistant skill or development ability to negate poison."
I wanted to interject again but thought better of it. Are these floor really considered that tough? A level 3 would struggle to solo, but I got to level 22 on my own as a level 2. Yeah, it wasn't easy but I always managed without too much of a struggle.
It seemed Brant had noticed me digesting this information properly.
"I told ya brat, ya are an anomaly."
"Brant's right. When he came up to me and said ya was soloing the Great Tree labyrinth, I was speechless. Anyone else I'd have laughed and thought it a joke. But after what I've seen today, ya have even blown past my expectations. I mean, ya haven't even needed to fully use ya magic yet."
I looked down at myself, squeezing my fists, my Galva-Knuckles scraping together as I did so. The methodical clanking of steel echoing around the room as I processed this.
'Am I really that weird, or is everyone else that... weak?'
I questioned the strength of my fellow adventurers. A level 3 would struggle? Level 2s can't solo this and need to be in a big party? Really...
I look up at Brant and Reg who are just silently staring at me.
"What about you two... we aren't in a big party and you have done fine, great even."
"Aye, and that's cause of you."
"But you've been to floor 24 before?"
"Yeah, in a party triple our size and with a level 3 adventurer to boot."
"Brant, you were on floor 19 while you wated for me?"
"And I always kept the main stairs in sight in case things went dodgy, which they did."
"But-"
"Lad, this is the honest truth."
I had liked Brant's praise before but this was too much, I was beginning to hate it. I didn't seem that strong to me. It's not my body that is strong but my mind. Reading the monsters comes naturally, but I still have to fight them to learn their moves.
This isn't right. I know if this hadn't happened, I'd have hit floor 23 and even floor 24 within a couple of months. Would the city really be shocked if they found out a level 2 soloed the Great Tree Labyrinth.
"W-what... what's this got to do with floor 24?" I ask, trying to get back to the original point. Reg takes a second before answering.
"Even though ya have been great dealin' with these floors, I've still seen hiccups and struggles. That is to be expected but it is unacceptable from here on out. Floor 24 has what is known as mini bosses. Green Dragons that guard treasure trees and Blood Hives that would rip apart a 20 man party in less than a minute. Down there, the poison, even if ingested even a bit will kill you, no questions asked... do ya understand what I'm sayin?"
Floor 24 is the gateway to the lower floors, a whole new experience. New monsters, new adventures... new dangers. Of course the dungeon would ramp up the severity of its attempt to kill us. It's like it keeps training me for what's next.
I always try and be careful about when I enter a new floor, making sure I can comfortably escape or my stats are good enough. But this time is different. This time I'm going down not to progress further in the dungeon. No, my goal tonight isn't to catch up to the Loki Familia's record but to close the gap on their strength. For that to occur, something needs to happen and that will be found on floor 24.
I look at Reg, making sure my green eyes portray everything I'm thinking into his amber ones. This won't be like my previous Level-up nor will it be like anything I've faced. I need to understand that even if I'm above what is considered normal, there is still a reason why the Guild issues these orders.
It's not enough for me to humble myself anymore.
"...I understand."
The group spent a couple of minutes preparing in their little den. The serious conversation had set the mood, the atmosphere was thick with determination. The drive to take that extra step.
Brant delved into the supplies bag, handing out various sets of potions while Reg began drilling Perseus with instructions.
The boy took the potions, handing Brant his Journal and magic stone bag to make room on his belt. Mind potions on his right, health potions on his left. His knife still strapped at the back. Perseus planned on starting off with no magic to test the waters but any sign of increased danger, his first chant would be sung in less than a second.
Reg fastened his armour, the metal shifting in place as he gave one last check of his War-hammer
Brant strapped his black Claymore to his back, latching it in place. Perseus admired the strong weapon; having seen it been used to decimate enemies that got within its large range. The only reason it didn't look too big was due to it fitting Brant's height. If Percy were to strap it to his back, it would dig a trench as he dragged it behind him.
"Ready?" The man said as he looked down at the boy. In response, Perseus clamped his Galva-Knuckles shut with a satisfying clunk.
"Ready!"
Brant gave a half smile. They hid the supplies bag in the room, nestling under a clump of moss and grass before getting ready to push the vinal curtains to the side.
"We are not coming back here until all of us 'ave levelled up... got it!"
"Aye!"
"Yes!"
"...let's have it!"
Once again, I write more than I plan as I can't help myself but properly take time to show things. I mean, I only showed the end of the fight on floor 23 and a small fight with a Mammoth fool. Yes, the main bulk was exposition but I felt like it was necessary for Percy, you guys and myself to understand how ridicolous Perseus actually is. I mean, a mammoth fool is a level 3 monster and has already fought a few of them and in my mind, it makes sense due to what he has done.
My source for what Reg said about Guild issued sanctions comes from the main wiki page as well so it shows how above Percy is. That's what happens when you solo dive, you have to fight every monster, meaning more exp and being forced to deal with harder experiences mroe often with no back-up.
I wonder how they will level-up or if they even will survive to gain level 3...
Review time:
Guest - Yes, Percy will always be above Ais. I'm planning that being a part of the story in some form. As for what our boy will come canon, only I know that at the moment. And glad you enjoyed.
ARK786 - Depends on who recognises who first. Will Alfia spot Perseus first or will Percy find his Aunt before she knows about him being in the city.
Roland Tepes - Yeah, if the lads want a chance of survivng the dark times, they'll need this level up.
utgyd70 - Thanks.
As always, thanks for reading. I'll see ya next time, Peace!