++ Dungeon Boss -- Unnamed ++

After the runners sign the contract and exit the arena, the dungeon speaks up again. “Even without them fighting you, I’ve gained a solid amount of Narath thanks to their fights in the other rooms. I believe I now have enough to upgrade the rats to something with a little bit more substance.” As I put my great-sword down and lean it against the wall I start to think about any suggestions I might have for the core. Although having stronger mobs would be great, this place really needs more detailed design. I mean, the enemy rooms are basically hollow stone cubes and my arena has not one, but four glorious and reverent torches.

While I mull over some improvements I come up with for details, I sit back against the wall next to my weapon. Honestly, I’m a little torn on the encounter with our first runner team. On one hand I’m glad they accepted our offer and signed the contract, while it was my idea to negotiate with them, the dungeon came up with the contract thing and now we have a consistent source of Narath with basically zero risk. On the other hand if they had decided to decline both offers or just outright ignore me and begin attacking right away, I might have been able to get a huge bonus for the core for their obstinance.

Either way I intend to make this offer to any new faces here, I'd rather secure the core’s safety by insisting on the contracts rather than just hoping anyone strong enough to beat me will just decide not to destroy the core. As I think about all of this, the dungeon breaks my attention by addressing me. “A runner has just perished inside of the third room of the dungeon. Looks like it was one of the ones that signed our contract.” What? How? There shouldn’t have been any enemies left in our mob rooms, so what happened to them? “Did they trigger one of the traps on the path out?”

I stand to my feet and grab my blade as I get my answer. “No, there is a second party that entered the dungeon after we spoke to the first group. A large party of 8 people that look unwashed.” That’s not much more than the first party’s number. However if they just lost someone, that means It’s now two to one for them… “Did you resurrect them outside? The one that was killed did sign the contract right?” I imagine the team is going to be in a rough position. They’re very fortunate, having signed something realm enforced that revives them just a few minutes before this attack.

The core, in a calm tone, simply responds; “The contract only covers their combat with you. No other source, including other bosses and external threats, will trigger any resurrection.” Wait what? Well that’s a rough deal. Here's hoping the rest of them can get out of here without any deadly wounds. Although, if those guys aren’t something like 10 levels under the party, they might be screwed.

++ The Inspection Party -- Vern ++

Idiots! I told them to be quiet! Now we're down one and these assholes know where we are! …It’s fine, this is fine, we can still survive this. While it sucks they got that surveyor, he wasn’t a fighter so our combat skill hasn’t gone down much. With what little time I have I manage to deflect a sword strike from one of the hostiles and deliver a quick kick in response. These guys look like bandits, I wonder if they’re the guys that the guards have been whining about.

A blocked strike and a quick glance at his party reveals everyone seems okay but the only remaining surveyor, Alaine, who is struggling to evade one of the bandits. Looks like they were the archer that nailed Domun. If I could help her I would but I'm already dealing with enough. And I doubt Feran can help either as she is somehow fending off three of these guys. Interrupting his thoughts to dodge an overhead strike from a mace user, Vern starts to sweat a bit from the exertion.

As this fight progresses, he notices Feran take a knee to the stomach while blocking an attack. Our party might be strong compared to these guys but they outnumber us. Sooner or later we're going to lose someone to a bad wound. If we had just fought the boss then we wouldn’t have been caught so unawares by this mess!

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As he dodges out of the way of the sword user’s next attack he hears a nasty tearing sound, followed by a clipped shout from Alaine and a heavy thud. I don’t need to look her way to know she’s gone. With no time to mourn his only response is to stab at one of his targets, successfully landing a hit on the mace wielder he takes a step back to avoid any counter attacks. “Hell this is going nowhere. Feran we need to get out of here!” His shout is only met by a clang of two swords together from where his leader is fighting.

Attempting to behead the mace wielder and failing, Vern is thrown into a roll to the side. His heavy breathing is starting to drown out the sounds of combat as his eyes briefly shift to where Arilla and Feran are dealing with 5 of the bandits. Even though we’re even more outnumbered, those two are managing to avoid any major injuries, at least so far. No telling how long this will last though.

As I bring my focus back to my two opponents I attempt a wide sweep with my sword only to miss and get into a short blade lock. As the sword bandit pulls back to release his blade I hear a quick warning shout from Feran; “Vern move!” And only a moment passes before the sound of a blade scraping against wood and metal rings out from just behind him. The tiniest of glances over his shoulder reveals Feran pushing back against another sword user as two more bandits approach from behind it.

Luckily in the same glance he spots Arilla landing the killing blow on one of her opponents. Still, it's two to one and we're all starting to get exhausted. It won’t stay this close for much longer, at this point I have to start thinking about how we get out of this alive. It might actually be time to leave these two behind.

Even as I think this, the fight’s getting worse for us as Feran takes a hit on her leg, while minor it’s just going to snowball into more injuries. It’s getting really difficult to even just evade attacks coming my way, let alone find a counter attack opportunity. One barely deflected stab later and Vern comes to a decision.

This fight is going south fast. This party is nice and all, but I’m not dying here thanks to six diseased wretches looking for easy cash. With that thought, I start trying to look for an opportunity to haul ass out of here. That moment comes after about a dozen attacks from the two bandits engaging him. Having taken his first hit, he finds himself gritting his teeth at the new brick sized slash in his side, he prepares to slip past the bandit that's now trying to follow up with a mace bash to his face. However, before he gets the chance to risk evading it, Arilla lands an arrow in the mace wielder's shoulder.

Even better! This is the only chance I'm getting to bail. He doesn’t hesitate to follow this with a mad dash out of the room, eliciting shouts from friend and foe alike. This doesn’t stop him though, as much as he knows his ex party members are furious with him, he also knows that they won’t be around long. Vern sprints out of the last of the dungeon's enemy rooms and into the entrance room. Of course as Vern expected this room to be empty of bandits he slows down only a little from his exhaustion.

At least when I get back I can find a new party to raid this place with, I can’t believe we went in with only 3 combat capable adventurers. Morons the lot of ‘em. Vern gets just outside of the dungeon’s entryway before his final thoughts are erased by the blade of a bloody curved sword.

++ The Inspection Team -- Feran ++

Feran’s blade cleaves the arm off of one of her attackers just as Vern abandons them. As her target falls to the floor and she evades another bandits attack, her only thoughts are of frustration. I’m going to beat him to a pulp when I get out of here. I suppose that’s assuming I do, in fact, get out of here. Just then she has an idea. What if they lead these bandits to the boss arena. They might not recognize it as a dangerous room and try to pursue us, I just hope that knight thing lets us pass by them so this can work.

“Arilla! Retreat to that room!” As vague as it is to suggest, Feran can only hope her only remaining ally understands her. With very little time given for Arilla to realize what I mean, I rush back towards the arena. Unlike that coward, I'm not just going to abandon her, even if the odds of getting out of the dungeon alive are slim.

Feran only glances back one time and it soothes her nerves just a little. Arilla is following close behind, and just behind her are the remaining five attackers…