The next morning Aron went for his morning walk, thinking about how to improve their current chances. The plan Jack proposed was already been built minus the mammoth bone defences, they didn't have any bones left. Thovora now walking out of the door saw Aron deep in thought.
Thovora: Good morning Aron, I see your up early as well. Can I do something to help? You seem to think deeply about something.
Aron: Yes, I'm thinking how to get the goats killed without any issues. As you saw we could only deal with 3 goats at a time, the 4th was to much even if we have all our mana left it's still a tough fight.
Thovora: Did you face other animal attacks before? This because it seems to me that the defences you have can stop most animals.
Aron: That is just it, most animals we can at the moment bit I don't know what the future will hold. Just walk with me and I will show you something. Also do you plan on staying with us or are moving on soon?
Thovora: I would like to stay with the younger people, the older amongst us like to stick to their old ways. So if there is need for some of us dwarfs to help just let us know.
Aron: Just talk with my sister Jessica about the total number of people staying with us. Now look at this, did you ever seen portals like this?
Thovora: Yes, it's the cause of our move, we lost plenty of our people in the past few weeks so we decided to move towards our ancestors lands. The same portal is around 5 days walk from this settlement as you call it.
Aron: That is good to know, so we have time but not a lot. Go to Jessica and she will ask you the questions to stay in this settlement, she will explain more what our plans are and how you might be able to help and perhaps even thrive.
Thovora went to Jessica sorting everything, she told Jessica that 68 dwarfs would stay. Most of them younger folks a few children and a few elderly who had it hard in the past few weeks. The settlement had now a total of 370 inhabitants, making Jessica planning to make some shops and try to get a currency going for work done so they could spend it in the shops. The quest board Jessica now placed in the city hall was mostly giving out heart crystals, probably a good currency to use.
In the city hall Aron was meeting up with all high level people to see if they could find and clear another level 1 dungeon. They knew the goats would be a problem bit the mammoths they hunted before or the bunny's would be fine if the levels didn't change. Aron's hope was more dungeons cleared and located between their walls would help them progress.
The second topic was skill training, Aron did asked the woodworkers to build 200 dummies. From now on they would produce between 30 and 100 dummies a day, if they could get xp for it. When they wouldn't get anything from it they would let Aron know. Aron now telling every damage dealer to empty their mana pool before bed if they didn't have lookout duty. Why do this skill upgrading for everyone, now the guards and captains did get something else to do with the healers. The guards and captains would spar and healers would heal.
Now the last thing he wanted was the location of the mammoth dungeon if there was one, if not then he would like to know another level 1 dungeon. Jessica just entering on the dungeon part was happy to hear teams would start looking actively.
A week passed. In that week almost everyone leveled up their skills. They killed a few goats close to the stone mine, making Aron or Jack escorting the team of miners and staying with them until they headed back to the settlement. Both of them did get a quest every time they escorted the miners.
This did help Aron consumption of heart crystals, he still could buy skills from the system but equipment was locked. Jack was now saving crystals if he needed to consume crystals later on as well. He was hoping to be Aron's second in command. It was Jack's time to scout for the possibility of a mammoth dungeon, they killed plenty of mammoths in the week but couldn't find the dungeon.
Jack had Ricky, Ivy, Sophie, Erik and James with him and 13 level 15 hunters and one other healer. They did travel fast that day, they didn't encounter any mammoths until they went 24 km away from the settlement. This was the furthest distance that they had gone before. Luck was on Jack's side today because behind the mammoths he could see the entrance of the dungeon. The mammoths in front of the dungeon didn't pass level 12, now Jack used his inspect skill on the dungeon.
[Dungeon
Level: 1
Type: treasure
Boss level: 16
Side bosses: 30]
Jack: I guess it's time to return home, it's a level one dungeon so we should be fine. I'm happy my [inspect] did level up yesterday.
Ricky: Do you think we could get [inspect] later on as well? Or some other skill like it?
Jack: I don't know, at the moment only captains can, I changed classes from guard to captain giving me the ability to use both skills. Knowing Aron he will focus on strengthening his core team and your one of them. Enough talk let's go back fast as well, I would like to prepare for this dungeon.
In the evening Jack, Aron, Jessica and the rest did sit together and discussing what to do. They has the issues of escorting the miners and only Jack and Aron could make teams of 50+ members.
Kim: What we could try is having two captains escorting them. You still can select a captain can't you?
Jessica: I can now give one new class and one the same Aron did with Jack, it would cost 1000 heart crystals.
Aron: Do we have a 1000 crystals left? After me consuming 1600 crystals already. Also before we go I would like to have my consumption of them done, because I don't know what will happen.
Jessica: I will assign Thovora to be captain if she accepts, it might boost their moral. Regarding upgrading I think a level 20 would be nice but it shouldn't effect our core team.
Ricky: I understand, still if you have an extra I would love one. What about a spar between the guards and see who is best? A guard with captain skill did turn out to be good look at Jack.
Aron: Ricky is correct with captain-guard system together is overpowered, healing a bit when possible, doing OK with damage and as holding agro over everything is no issue. Only problem is the damage we get, but I guess that is with everyone.
Jessica: We have 8 guards on level 15, so a small tournament to see who is best suited?
Aron: We could do that or enter the treasure dungeon that we have and see how they perform. It would help if we clean it before we go towards the mammoth dungeon.
Everyone did agree on that in the end, they would take the top damage dealers, Jack, Ricky and Thovora into the dungeon. Only if Thovora wanted to help in the future, Aron and Jessica went to talk to Thovora straight after.
Aron: Hi, Thovora how do you like it so far in our settlement?
Thovora: I really like it, why do you ask. It seems you both are itching to ask me for something.
Jessica: Do you like most of the fighting skills of Aron?
Thovora: How can I not, your skills saved me and my people. As I sad before I would do anything in my capability to repay you for that.
Aron: What if we want you to do half of what I can do? You will be helping me a lot if you can lead a small team. Perhaps in the future you would be able to do the same but you won't be able to do so now.
Thovora: Yes I will do it. I have seen you all training, scouting, helping others and making sure everyone is able to return to their families at night. How can I say no to you giving me the chance to help you do that. It would be my honour.
With that Jessica turned Thovora into a captain, she would report to Jack tomorrow morning for her first dungeon.