Chapter 18

Chapter 18

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The Drunken Delver, Phenoc Colony, Medea Island

Four Days Later

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Haythem Linus growled in anger and slammed his flagon of beer on the table. They had delved the dungeon for the third time today, and been forced to teleport out of the fight with the guardian for the second time. Frustrated, they had retreated to one of the three taverns in the little village to let out a little steam.

"Our party is too small," he finally spoke. Bertram and Flasa looked up from their own drinks at his outburst, the grimaces on their faces all the he needed to know that they agreed.

"There are too many monsters for us to handle, especially underwater." Flasa added. "If it was just the Guardian, the fight would be over quickly. I guess that's the point, though." she finished, weakly. Bertram spoke next, a thoughtful expression on his normally carefree face.

"I wonder," he began, "the dungeon is going through so many monsters to keep us out of the third floor. The drain on its mana must be significant to create so many of them so often." Haythem hummed in thought.

"I would say the same about the first floor," he agreed. "The dungeon must realize the crabs aren't enough to keep us out. The Platinums can reliably get past the second floor now, too. Perhaps soon we will only encounter a token force on the first and second, in order for it to focus on stronger defenses on the third," He reasoned.

"Sounds like a dream." Bertram said, his eyes staring into the middle distance. "I've had enough of Crabs and Fish. Though a floor full of insects isn't exactly appealing either."

Haythem shook his head.

"It's all just speculation. For all we know it judges the mana it expends worth it, to keep us from going deeper." He raised his flagon, gulped down the final few mouthfuls, then set it aside. He leaned forwards, putting more weight on his elbows.

"Flasa, keep an ear out for any smaller parties that have a similar problem. Bertram, you make contact with them and organize a meeting." He looked between his oldest friends as realization turned to eagerness in their eyes.

"We're getting a raid together."

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The Platinum parties breaking through into the third floor was incredibly motivational for the Silvers and Golds. Every party who delves fights with a determination that is almost scary to observe. I mean, I understand why they are this way. They had been delving me for more than half a week, with the Platinums stuck on my second floor. Someone finally making progress, even if it is only their strongest fighters, emboldened the rest of them.

It can be done, they thought. If we try hard enough, we can do it too.

In this newly invigorated atmosphere, disparate parties began to group up. From what I understood this wasn't something done often. It would be too easy for one group to betray and turn on the rest, either leaving them in an area too dangerous for them to fight alone or by killing them directly.

There is a reason the party system existed, after all. Your party was your family, your party was your life. The shield that diverted blows, the sword that skewers enemy. A shield that could be trusted to block a deadly blow, a sword that you could trust implicitly would never turn on your back.

However, when multiple parties did join forces, their combined power could overcome challenges that alone would destroy them.

But that encounter is far off, if it ever happens.

More currently, the Kobolds have found an isolated party of four and decided to attempt an ambush.

The ambushers included ten Kobold Villagers armed with crude stone clubs and axes, the Shamans of Fire Tribe and Lighting Tribe, as well as six Kobold Villagers armed with short bows.

They were in the branches above the party; who were making a poor attempt at stealth. The Kobolds Villagers were a small, hunched monster. I might have mistaken them for particularly buff Goblins if not for their lizard-like snouts, molten gold irises and scaled skin the colour of dried blood. The Shamans had a more upright posture and refined facial features; draped in primitive robes and fishbone charms. Where they had developed this fashion sense, I had no idea.

In order to preserve the Kobolds' anonymity the ambush had to be sudden and overwhelming. None of the Guilders could be allowed the chance to grab for their teleport crystals.

The plan, therefore, was relatively simple.

The archers would fire from above, aiming more to separate the guilders than going for an immediate kill. They weren't yet accurate enough to do more than that. Maybe with more practice and better bows. Simultaneously, the warriors would jump down with weapons raised. These would strike the stumbling and confused humans, if not outright kill them.

The two Shamans would then join. The Lightning Shaman with her stave would direct bolts down at important targets, such as the group's healer. As a side effect, the bolts should be disorienting to the rest of the humans. A bright light to blind them and thunder going off in their ears, after all. The Fire Shaman would throw bolts of fire at the others, even as the Villagers below whaled on the now confused, divided, concussed and flaming guilders.

The plan proceeded perfectly.

One man almost reached his crystal, but a well-aimed axe throw to the back of his head stopped that.

And so, I had another four corpses to experiment with. I had the Kobolds collect the mana-cores and throw the meat to the fish in the river. The skeletons and cores were taken down to my experimentation rooms on the fifth floor. I'm probably going to need to move those south soon.

Also, the Fourth floor wasn't exactly up the same standards I'd set for the other floors. A winding set of dirt and rock tunnels filled with rats, compared to ruin-filled jungle and an intricately carved and elaborate maze. I'll need to spend a few days getting it up to snuff. It'll slow work on the sixth, but my perfectionism carried over from my last life and it was bugging me.

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Matha Gorge was simultaneously pleased and vexed about this new development. Vexed that the dungeon had apparently re-activated long-dormant traps and mechanisms, and pleased that it had stymied the golds and silvers who had been making progress.

Her and her brother would be the ones to shatter the core. They had greater reason than these bloodhounds that followed the scent and promise of gold.

She did worry a while of the Raid the Golds had cobbled together. Thankfully it seems one of the groups was lost to the dungeon. Most of the Golds thought that the lost party had been killed by another on the third floor, after the raid had dispersed. In the end it didn't matter, since just the fact that they were in-fighting all but assured her that another Raid was all but impossible for them.

"Sister, I think we're ready." Litan stated, looking over all the equipment they had commissioned from a capable Magesmith on the mainland. Insect-repelling, temperature-regulating and waterproof. They didn't have much in the way of defense, besides the high-quality monster leather and mana-infused metals. Their reflexes should be protection enough.

"Yes, brother. I think we are. Tomorrow, as a Raid?" She questioned, to his nod. She hummed, pleased. This dungeon was tricky. But it would fall.

They all had before.

This one was no different.

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