The Delve

And so the week passed quickly, and Will’s brilliant plan had already been set in motion. Somehow they were able to acquire enough coin to keep out of the rain, and Will was even able to buy a new sword. It started with the group camping out in the dungeon two nights before the day of the deep delve. Normally, they would post guards to prevent lower ranks from entering the dungeon during the delve, but Will and his party were already inside the dungeon. The upper floors of the dungeon were known for having branching paths, several of which containing dozens of useless and nonsensical rooms that easily allowed them to hide from both monsters and prying eyes.

“Are you sure about this?” Mina asked, leaning against the wall of the side chamber they had set up camp in. “We’re pretty close to the spot we got ambushed last time.”

“Whenever an S rank party rolls through, the top floors are usually cleared out for weeks. They’re like a natural disaster,” Will explained.

“Still,” Alan interrupted. “Expect the unexpected. Every week you hear of a new way monsters ambush unsuspecting adventurers. Can never be too careful.”

Although the upper floors of the dungeon matched most people’s perceptions of what a dungeon should be, this changes further down. They say, as you delve deeper into the dungeon, an impossibility occurs. Sunless forests, sweeping ice fields, and even a vast ocean are rumored to lay deep beneath the surface. This fact was unknown to all but the highest echelon of adventurers.

“We’re running low on food, and the water we brought along,” Mina said. “Last time we were forced to drink dungeon water, we all were sick for weeks.”

“Apparently the water in the Sunless Forest should be safe to drink,” Will responded, walking over and taking a seat by the low light of the lantern.

The sound of every movement was amplified in the narrow hallways, causing the three of them to jump at every abrupt noise. The echo of footsteps was occasionally heard, usually it was adventurers. Once there was even the brief sound of steel, no doubt a battle. Otherwise, they sat in silence, waiting for the quiet hours of the morning when the first of the deep delvers would arrive. And arrive they did. Perhaps two hours from sunrise, the echo of many footsteps reverberated, accompanied by low voices.

“They’re here,” Alan peeked his head into the entrance of the doorway.

“Alright,” Will shot up, shaking Mina awake. “We blend in as planned.”

The vanguard was no doubt an S rank party judging by the quality of their equipment, though it was hard to tell who they were from where Will and his team trailed. They merged into the waves of adventurers, making sure to keep themselves near the backline. There were perhaps fifty of them here. This was the cargo train, meant to supplement the vanguard and the main force. The cargo lagged far behind, defended by the weaker adventurers. It was fairly easy to pretend to be bodyguards, despite their low ranks; no one really bothered to check back here. Merchants, pack animals, cooks and healers made up the non-adventurer part of the cargo train. When ever the delve would stop for the night, they would set up camp.

“How deep is this delve going anyway?” Alan asked, casually striding alongside Will. They had taken a position on the right flank of the train.

“Not sure. Might be deep,” Will responded, keeping his eyes on the rolling shadows of the dungeon walls.

“If we hit the ice fields, we’re in trouble,” Alan said. “We don’t have winter clothing, even if we do stay near the rear here.”

“We’ll turn around before then,” Will assured.

“Think it’s true?” Another adventurer interrupted. He was a silver haired half elf in light armor, a sword affixed to his hip, a large shield on his back.

His party was a trio as well, consisting of a green haired beast cat girl ranger, and a dark human priest dressed in black robes. They lingered just behind the half elf.

“What is?” Mina asked, poking her head out of her hood.

“Our destination. Don’t tell me you signed up for this without hearing the details,” The half elf chuckled.

Will’s party didn’t respond.

“Well,” the half-elf began. “Apparently we’re headed down some new path that leads much deeper into the dungeon. They found a cave somewhere in the sunless forest.”

“Maybe it’s a shortcut across the Vast Ocean,” The cat girl interjected.

“If there is a way across,” Alan replied.

“Ricard has reached it,” Will stated.

“Ricard? The Skill-less?” The half-elf laughed. “I don’t think he was actually skill-less. You know how important a skill is to us adventurers.”

“What do you mean?” Will asked, his eyes narrowing.

“I mean, if your skill ain’t worth anything, might as well find a different line of work,” The half-elf explained.

“I think a skill is only a small part of what makes an adventurer, the rest is up to training and hard work,” Will answered.

“Sure,” The cat girl nodded. She suddenly stopped. “Something’s there. My skill triggered,” she said, pointing at an outcrop on the dungeon wall, drawing forth a dagger.

“Did the vanguard miss it?” Alan asked, readying his bow.

Will drew his new sword, gesturing Mina to take a defensive position behind him. The half-elf too, drew his sword. The cat girl crouched, staring into the shadows, utilizing her skill, Tripwire.

“Watch out!” She yelled, flipping to the side and dodging a projectile.

The blob-like projectile splattered onto the side of a cargo wagon, acid eating away at the canvas and causing the wagon driver to panic.

“Defensive positions!” The half-elf yelled. “Get behind me. My skill, Honor Guard, let me anticipate the attacks of one target I chose.”

Another blob shot out from the shadows. The half-elf responded with inhuman speed, predicting the attack and blocking it with his shield. The acidic blob fizzled against the metal of it, leaving a small patch of rust.

“There it is!” The human priest yelled.

“Slime,” Will noted. “Red.”

“Red? That’s above our pay grade a little,” Alan said.

The gelatinous blob emerged, contorting wildly as it began to size up its opponents. Like autonomous water, it probed from side to side, it’s liquid red body undulating as it measured the number of targets.

“It must have hidden itself from the front, looking for easier targets,” The half-elf said. “I'm going in, you guys follow my lead!”

Will, the half-elf, and the cat girl rushed forward. The slime shot three more blobs of acid, only to meet the half-elf’s shield. The cat girl somersaulted to the side of the creature, twin curved daggers at the ready, aiming to sever the creature’s sensitive inner core.

“Watch out!” Will yelled as the creature changed shape violently.

It seemed to become solid for a moment, before shooting out a sharpened appendage from its body. The cat girl barely parried, the blade-like arm slicing into her side as it threw herself to the side.The cat girl kneeled in pain, grasping at the fresh cut arched along her flank,.

“Annisa, dodge!” The half-elf yelled.

“Wha…” Annisa, the cat girl lay half stunned, watching the creature’s body boiled, sending another lob of acid towards her.

Will rushed forward, shooting himself between the slime and the girl. Several acidic bullets dug into his back, melting through the leather easily and eating into the flesh. He keeled over in pain, barely able to suppress his screams.

“Will!” Mina screamed.

An arrow slammed into the slime, digging into the core and causing the monster to let out a shrill, metallic scream. The slime began to panic, sending out random streams of acid and blade appendages out from its convulsing body. It swung desperately, a blade appendage aimed directly at the crouching Will.

“Not on my watch!” The half-elf cried, blocking the strike with his shield.

“Another one!” Annisa yelled, rolling out from behind Will and chucking a dagger at the core. It barely hit, causing the creature to panic more.

“Not yet,” Will muttered, rising to his feet, smoke oozing from the burns on his back.

“What? Get back! Dan will heal you!” He instructed.

“Mina!” Will yelled, ignoring the half-elf.

“Right!” She nodded, readying her staff.

Will moved with sudden speed, stripping the half-elf of his shield and rushing forward.

“What the?” the half-elf barely had time to react as Will barreled down onto the dying slime.

The creature screamed, sending acid and another blade appendage at Will. He blocked the acid attack with his shield, then parried the blade appendage, the shock of the blow knocking his sword from his hand. Another blade appendage dug into his leg, nearly piecing through.

“Heal!” Mina cast, partially healing the wound enough for Will to press forward.

“You’re mine!” Will roared, ignoring the sheer pain as he slammed the shield down onto the core of the creature.

The creature screams became even more desperate as Will struck downwards, acid flinging everywhere. Two, three, four times. Each time the acid and blades would cut Will, Mina would heal him. Anissa and the half-elf could only watch in shock as Will beat the slime to death with his bare hands. With a final sickening pop, the core burst open, the rest of the slimes body melting away, leaving behind a medium-sized cracked orb.

“You’re crazy,” The half elf shook his head in complete disbelief. “Your skill must give pain resistance.”

“Will doesn’t have a skill,” Mina said, walking over to her party’s leader and healing his wounds. “This is just how he fights.”

“Without Mina, he’d be dead by now,” Alan sighed, walking over to retrieve the one of three arrows he had. “Dammit, its melted.” The shaft practically crumbled in his hands. He broke it and tossed it.

“That is not a sustainable way to fight,” Dan, the priest, pointed out.

“Regardless, you have my thanks,” Anissa said, walking over and kneeling next to Will. “I don’t think I could’ve handled being hit by that acid as well you did.”

“No worries,” Will grunted as Mina treated his burns. “Sorry about your shield.” He turned to address the half-elf.

“Eh, it’s cheap anyway. Crazy man, what’s your name?” The half-elf asked. “I’m Ren.”

“Will,” Will answered. “Good to meet you.”

“Adventurers!” The wagon driver stumbled over. “Thank you.”

He was a stocky dwarf, plump and short even by dwarven standards. His scratchy beard danced as he thanked them.

“Please, have dinner with me tonight, all of you,” He said. “That monster almost hit me. I have a wife and twelve daughters at home.”

“Yes please,” Mina, Alan, and Will said in unison.

They’d been eating dry bread and crackers for the last week.

“Still, doing all that for one kill,” Ren laughed.

“It’s all I can do,” Will stated, getting up from the ground and walking over to collect his discarded sword. “Besides, this core is probably worth a week’s worth of food.”

“You’re right,” Alan grinned. “Maybe two.”

“We’ll finish the treatment later,” Mina said. “When you have time, make sure to change your shirt.”

The cargo train continued onwards for half a day. Thankfully, there were no more surprise monster attacks. As they delved deeper, the rolling corridors of the dungeon suddenly became much more cave-like. What was once a narrow passage way down soon gave way to an enormous cavern. Here, they were much more exposed, but at least most of the monsters had nowhere to hide.

“Cave dragons,” Alan pointed at a few monster corpses as they passed.

They were sliced to cleanly, a few completely sliced in two. Already they were being skinned and picked clean by cargo train scavengers. Alan banked off when the others weren’t looking, returning with a mysterious bag of soaked in blood. Dragon meat and scales to eat or sell. It would be worth about a month’s wages for them. They walked past the corpse of two cave giants. Their heads had been severed off.

“That Blade Princess is efficient, I’ll give it her that,” Ren commented.

They came to a stop in what was the early evening. Already the cave floor was beginning to be covered with moss and small ferns. They would reach the Sunless Forest soon. The cargo train fanned out in a large circular area, the wagons unloading and setting up a small shops. Campfires were lit, and the smell of meat and vegetables filled the air. Brokers began to peddle, trading monster parts for coin and food.

“So this is a dungeon town,” Mina gasped, walking amongst the tents in deep wonder.

“Yep!” Will smiled. “This is a true adventurer experience!” He grinned.

“We’ve been adventurers for six months,” Alan added, chewing on a meat skewer. “And this is the first time I’ve felt like one.”

“Shouldn’t you be saving your appetite?” Will asked, turning to him.

“Trust me, I’ll have room,” Alan patted his belly.

“Are you feeling alright, Will?” Mina turned to him.

Will had replaced his leather tunic with a stained cotton shirt he normally kept for sleeping. He wore his breastplate over it.

“Back still hurts, but I’ll live,” Will pointed. “You’re getting a lot better at healing.”

“Cause you keep getting hurt,” Mina sighed. “We’re supposed to have dinner with that merchant tonight, right?”

It was easy to pick out the wagon. Most of the roof was missing. The fat merchant sat in front of the fire, stirring a pot of stew. Ren’s party was there already, sitting and laughing by the fire. Will walked ahead, raising one hand to greet them. Suddenly he was on the ground, his face throbbing in pain.

“Well, well,” Leo chuckled, kneeling down and looking at Will. “You lot are in the wrong place.”