Preparation For A Future Changing Dungeon
Kary left the door closed and locked. She would not take the chance of a random player passing by, taking the dungeon for himself, while she was back in their HQ, planing the dungeon run. They left right away under Kary's command. They walked back to base and she asked the 2 men to find her the three guild lieutenants, Marc, Anthony, and Carol. She wanted to meet them to discuss strategy.
As all 4 of them gathered in the guild leader room, they sat down around a map of the village and its surroundings.
" What did you want to talk about, Kary? " Marc asked.
" I have a few things to discuss, actually, and with the three of you " Kary responded. " Since Anthony has found a nice shield and sword kit, as well as a training manual, I was thinking of getting both of you on the same road to power as him and I " Kary told them, taking out 2 manuals. " This is for both of you " Kary added, handing out a manual to both Carol and Marc.
She then pulled out the weapons she had gathered over the last weeks, the minotaur ax and the rapier/buckler combo. Kary put the weapons on the table and pushed them toward their respective new owners. Carol and Marc could only watch these things happen in front of them, mouths agape, and too happy to utter even a sound.
" Is... Is this what I think? " Carol asked, stuttering.
" Yes, it is. And it's yours now " Kary smiled.
Carol broke out in tears, slowly grabbing the gear and manual. This meant a lot to her. She could finally become stronger on all sides of this dilemma. To Carol, who had kept wondering how she would survive in their new environment, this manual was not just a chance to get stronger. It was a lifeline. It meant she had a chance at being indispensable in the new world, where ever it was.
Marc, on his side, was just looking at the two objects, not daring to take them.
" Are you sure Kary? These items could be sold for a lot of money, giving you a huge head start on everyone else in the game " Marc said, unsure what to think.
" Yes, I'm sure Marc. Take them, they're yours now. Get strong so you can keep having my back. You also need this to become a force to be reckoned in the new world, don't you? " Kary answered him, smiling and pushing the ax and manual towards him further.
" ... Thank you " Marc finally said, keeping his words short and taking the items.
" Good! Now, with this done, let's start talking about the real reason I called you here. Two of our hunters have found the entrance to what I believe is a dungeon " Kary dropped on them.
" What! " all three exclaimed at the same time.
" Then why are we still here and not on our way to raid the place. What if other players stumble on it before us " Anthony said, getting up in a rush.
" Calm down Anthony " said Kary, gesturing at him to sit back down. He sat back down, looking at Kary with big eyes, awaiting an explanation. " The door to the place is unlocked but they would still need the key to open it. And I happen to have that key. I don't believe there is anyone else who has it. As such, that dungeon is all ours " Kary said, slowly. " And with this being the case, I want us to all train for a week before attempting to take the dungeon on. It will be our first full-scale expedition and I want it to go smoothly. What do you all think? " Kary asked. The first to speak up was Carol.
" I agree with you on the week-long delay. I would like to have trained a little in this new technique you gave me, and I believe that it would also be good if our other members all trained with Alexander for the time being. Maybe we could even have some military training, in order for us to coordinate flawlessly during the dungeon run " She suggested.
" I agree with what Carol said " Marc simply said right after.
" And you, Anthony? " Kary asked, looking at him.
" The decision is yours to make, and I'll support you whatever it is you choose. But personally, I would go right now. The faster we clear the dungeon, the more chances we have to be the first people clearing one. The bonus rewards for first clear in the world might be spectacular. Who knows? " Anthony said, with an honest look on his face.
" I think that you are right on the rewards point. But I also think that training to coordinate all together would be for the best. We have barely ever fought as a cohesive group. The raider operation was a free-for-all and does not get us any closer to fighting as a whole. And for a dungeon, that's what we need " Kary said decisively.
" Then so be it " Anthony simply said, surrendering.
" In that case, the meeting is adjourned. Gather the guild and tell them what we decided. Next week we set out in the morning " Kary said, getting up and leaving.
A slow week began, with all of the guild members training individually and in formations, slowly building a united mind in them. In a week, they changed from day to night, becoming cohesive and in sync with each other, giving them a much larger chance of all surviving. During the numerous meetings about the dungeon, Kary had assured all her members that anyone who died in the dungeon would be supported back into their current strength with guild funds. She promised them equipment and exp books if they dropped. If not, they would be dragged out on hunts by the ones still strong enough, to be power leveled. This reassured the people, putting their mind at ease. After all, how could they feel confident if the constant fear of losing almost 2 months of hard labor hung above their heads? Alexander the great had contributed largely to them becoming a unit. He was well versed in leading troops, being an ancient general. This small guild was almost a waste of his talent. Fortunately, he did as asked, without causing trouble to anyone. He even bonded with both Marc and Anthony. He also tried hitting on Carol, but was brutally rejected, which made him laugh to tears. 'I like her!' He has said, whilst laughing.
Kary, on her side, went hunting daily, keeping her fighting edge sharp. Nala tagged along, satiating her bloodlust every day too. Kary and her 3 lieutenants had already decided she would be the general, so to speak, for the dungeon run. That meant she didn't need to participate in the training with the others since she was going to lead them. Instead, she needed to be the strongest there, so here she was, training like a madwoman, leveling herself up the most she could in a week.
The night before the raid, when coming back to base, she finally looked at her stats and Nala's again.
~Wandering Hero~
Class: Swordmaster
Level: 30
Strength: 37(+13)
Dexterity: 34(+15)
Intelligence: 17(+9)
Wisdom: 17(+9)
Toughness:34(+15)
Charm: 3/10
Luck: 7/10
Armor: 21
Attack: 10-25
Bonus Attribute: 5% increase in training and cultivation speed
~Equipment~
~Schweizerdegen des Phönix~ (Mastered)
Rarity: Unique
Attack: 10-25
Durability: 50
~Good Leather Chestguard~
Rarity: Common/Good
Defense: 8
Durability: 20
~Good Leather Pants~
Rarity: Common/Good
Defense: 8
Durability: 20
~Good Leather Boots~
Rarity: Common/Good
Defense: 5
Durability: 15
~Exquisite Swordsman Shawl~
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: 40
Bonus Attribute: 5% increase in training and cultivation speed
~Talents~
Emissary of Fire: Player has been chosen by a spirit Phoenix and has acquired a part of its power. With time and effort, Player has managed to make the power his This gives the player a strong resistance to burns and the abilities 'Rise from the ashes' and 'Fire Manipulation lvl1'. This talent can be cultivated to upgrade.
Pet mind-meld: Player has been acknowledged by a spirit pet. Stats of both parties are shared on a 50% base stats basis.
~Abilities~
Rise from the ashes (1 Year Cooldown): Player can die and come back to life without penalties.
Fire Manipulator Lvl 2: Practice makes perfect. As the player has cultivated her talent a lot and had practiced day in and day out, her control over fire has reached a certifiable level. (You still can't create fireballs, but you can shoot them if you can find fire to borrow)
~Nala~
Level: 25
Race: Feline/Fire Attuned
Sex: Female
Class: Pet
Strength: 26(+18)
Dexterity: 30(+17)
Intelligence: 18(+8)
Wisdom: 18(+8)
Toughness: 30(+17)
Kary and Nala had both stepped up their game by a lot in this long week, so their leveling had been incredibly good. They were now both a huge step in front of their friends and guild members. Kary had also attained a synergy with her sword skills, gaining the achievement on it 'Mastered', which improved its strength by quite a lot.
Kary closed the stats window and went to bed, disconnecting and going back to the real world. She would come back for the big day in 8 hours, so she wanted to rest in both worlds, to be in top shape.
9 hours later, she connected back into the game, ready to kick ass and kill monsters. She walked out of her room and went directly towards the guild main hall, where they had convened to all meet before leaving. She got there, checked with all the members if they all had their stuff ready. Once she was sure everyone was as ready as could be, they departed.
After an hour of walking, they had reached the dungeon door. Kary heard the notification in her ear again.
" System Notification. Key to underworld passage found. Door already unlocked, would the player like to enter the dungeon with a party? "
" Yes " She resolutely said.
" Please choose party size " the system asked of her.
" Party of sixteen " Kary said.
" Party size acknowledged. Teleporting party inside. Good luck adventurers.
With a flash of white light enveloping all of them, they disappeared from their spot, to reappear inside a dark tunnel. With their appearance there, the torches on the walls along the tunnel all lit up. A voice was heard by all of them.
" Welcome to the passage to the underworld. This passage was once a great pass to an underground city. It is now owned and managed by a knight, corrupted by an evil dragon, a long time ago. To have access to this ancient city, you will need to fell the cursed knight. Good luck! "
And with this, their dungeon run would start.