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16. A Dungeon Party in Another World
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Now that we were tested for our affinities, we were then urged to do proficiencies. Lyra said she'd rather hold off until she gets a handle on her ice powers and Bea agreed as weapon testing was going to be her challenge. And with finally having a party, we'd challenge the dungeon and use it as intended at first, for practice.
The group returned to the lobby to register the party officially and we had to have a name. After a small deliberation, and Bea wanting to be the best in her field, and Lyra pushing for greatness herself, The Mavericks were formed.
A name people will know across the land, that's to be sure! Well…
"Um, The Mavericks?" asked the guild receptionist.
"It's our party name," said Bea who only ever adventured solo before and was excited to try partying.
"Oh, you're not ranked, a new party, and that name's already taken. There's a lot of parties out there. I see you're applying for dungeon crawling over jobs as well," he said skimming through our paperwork.
Apparently, the place is very much like the DMV in my old world in terms of getting things moving along…
"So… what's that mean?" asked Lyra.
"It means, for now, you're Dungeon Party 6731."
"Oh, what?!" said a puzzled Bea.
"Again, it's for now. You're fledglings. Rookies. You're just going to train right? Train. Get your proficiencies for your affinities. Then accept real jobs to start moving your rank up and becoming well known. Worth hiring." explained the receptionist without being condescending, "It's really just how it works."
"Aye, he's not wrong. It's not an instant thing." Wexel concurred, just wanting to get going and get some action.
"Okay, so the starter dungeon, Balrung's Keep of Albian. How do we go about that?" inquired Lyra.
"Well, this is all you needed," he said gesturing to the paperwork and our guild identification cards, where our party name was now displayed on them as well, "At the dungeon entrance, there will be a guild representative, and they'll give you the information on actually going in. If you've never been there before, it's a ten minute carriage ride south to the Forest of Albian."
"Let's get to it!" shouted an excited Bea.
"Here here." Wexel agreed.
Lyra looked at me and I nodded as well,
"Okay! Let's go. Thank you sir."
"No problem. I'm sure someday everyone will know Dungeon Party 6731," he laughed jokingly.
𓅹𓅹𓅹𓅹𓅭𓅹𓅹𓅹𓅭𓅹𓅹𓅹𓅹
We travelled the road to Albian and it was a quick trip like the guild receptionist said. There were rides to it daily. The dungeon path was littered with other groups coming and going. Those coming back seemed a little worse for wear.
It's just a starter dungeon. It should be a cinch for us. For me. I grew up in one after all.
After a few minutes, we came to a short line at a little shack before a dark stone structure.
"There it is. Balrung's Keep," said Wexel pointing at it, "But first, like official adventurers, we have to check in at the guild stall. They set these up near most dungeons for easy record keeping and with how often this one is used, they've got people out here 24/7."
"Interesting," said Lyra as the group formed a line at the stall.
An elderly man perched over the counter, slender and unyielding with a dead look in his eyes and drooping pointed ears, "Name?" he asked coldy.
"Hi, I'm Lyra-"
"Party. Name?" he asserted.
"Oh, uh, Dungeon Party 6731." Lyra rebuffed and he wrote it down in some sort of record logbook.
"All members show your guild cards."
Wexel and Bea took theirs out and held them up as Lyra grabbed hers and mine. The old man gave them a quick glance and they all briefly glowed as did the old man's log.
"You are free to enter. No wisps are provided in this low level dungeon and there are only two rest points. One after floor ten and the other after twenty. Each rest area has a portal crystal that will have you appear over there on the left side of the entrance," he said gesturing towards it and then continuing on, "The boss Balrung resides on floor thirty. Monsters repopulate a floor every hour give or take. If all is understood then you may enter."
Wisps? What are wisps. This is a lot even though it sounds simple enough.
"I'm sorry, but it's my first time doing a dungeon. What are wisps?" asked Lyra.
"Oh those? They're one time use escape magic. Uh, like a portal creating lighting bug. You have to buy them unless provided for you through the guild, which depends. They are a necessity for hard dungeons." Wexel chimed in.
"Alright enough talk! Let's go!" said Bea getting pumped up.
The party moved to the entrance. Unlike my dungeon, which was a deep diving cave, this was a stone building embedded into the ground, apparently, thirty stories deep. It was time to properly do a dungeon!
I waddled forward and the others followed. The entrance immediately led underground with a giant stone staircase to a large wooden door at the bottom. A number 1 was scrawled on it.
Floor 1, here we come!
I pushed the door open and took a look around as the others stepped through. There was nothing in sight. An empty stone floor with another stone staircase leading down on the opposite side of where we entered.
"Well, this is lackluster." spouted Bea.
"I do admit, I am a little underwhelmed. Maybe we're inbetween spawns?" responded Lyra wondering.
The group walked forward with ease and nothing happened. No monsters in sight. No traps. No treasure. Nothing. So, we moved on to the next floor. It was also empty with another set of stairs at the opposite side. We continued on. It happened again.
What the heck?! Is there anything in this dungeon? I'm not sensing anything! We've gone down five times and nothing!
"Something weird's going on here," said Wexel pensively.
You got that right. What is it though? What am I missing? It's a starter dungeon. Rest floors every ten levels. Do we continue on and see what's what or…
"Quack!"
"Duc?" asked Lyra as we were walking to the center of the room to descend again.
I turned around facing the way we just came. It's not that we were going to a new floor every time. It was in fact the same floor every time! We're still on Floor 1!
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End Part 16
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⋆༺𓆩The.Fellow𓆪༻⋆