I was down to just a 1 box of ammo. I'd spent the rest practicing. The Dungeon would be Open in an hour, typically people would delve in pairs of 3 since that was the maximum party size and activated maximum difficulty. So for my lv it was better to go solo. For 1 member enemies were lv 1-6, 2 is 6-12, and for 3, 12-17.

The dungeon's amount of rooms and the room itself would remain the same but where they were was different every time like puzzles that can be put in any order, Besides the boss room of course. In Mudtooths case, it was always at the bottom.

Do my minions count as party members? They weren't really alive so I don't think they would. I was worried about its ability to operate in the tighter mineshafts so I probably wouldn't descend to the bottom: just the quarry itself and the wider upper shafts.

There are a total of 3 loot rooms in this dungeon, I'd only reach one.

I should start going. I double-checked everything to make sure I had all I could need. I reached to my left and grabbed something else I'd purchased.

A one-handed flanged mace. It was entirely unspecial. It was a metal stick that I was gonna use to beat things to death in the event they got too close.

With my preparations done, I started out towards the dungeon. I had my skeleton hold my duffel bag, I'd taken to just leaving it in the alley.

I'd found so many odd little problems with my skeleton, since it Inherited my memory it was more of an extension of me than a separate entity. If I pointed a gun at it, it would react without fear. It responds to most situations as I would, and that's both handy and detrimental. It means I don't have to worry about them doing something I wouldn't agree with, but it also makes them predictable to an extent.

I've found that the only thing they don't inherit is fear, or they specifically don't have self-preservation instincts, I couldn't tell you which. They do things I wouldn't do because I fear it would kill me, jumping off a 20-foot pile of rubble even if I knew it wouldn't hurt me seemed like a great way to die, but it didn't even hesitate. So at least I didn't have to worry about their willingness to sacrifice themselves for me, 'cause I certainly wouldn't sacrifice myself for anybody.

I neared the clearing where the dungeon lay. I'd arrived earlier than everyone but Eliza. So I sat down against a slab of concrete using a jacket I was wearing to pad my head a little, Not the best choice for the weather, but supposedly the Quarry was cold.

She didn't seem to have any interest in talking to me, rather she just sat around looking bored.

I muttered under my breath.

"Works for me."

It took about 15 more minutes for everyone to arrive.

2 guys joking with one another off in a corner, they were rather far and I couldn't really make out much other than that seemed to be having a good time. A woman who seemed immersed in sharpening a sword of some kind, seems like a bad weapon choice for this dungeon but maybe not, what do I know after all? Another woman in leather armor of some kind was eating some jerky, an engraved Warhammer lay-up against the wall, typically the fancier weapons were Higher rarity weapons under The Cycle. A man was uncomfortably close to the pulsating black orb that was the dungeon. He was wearing full-plate armor with a rusty handaxe and shield.

Here's an example of an atypical higher rarity weapon, using a rusty handaxe was very clearly, a bad choice, so that meant the chance of it being just an average handaxe was zero to none. Pretty much every Rare had their own aesthetic, but some Uncommons Did as well, such as mine.

We had about 35 minutes before the dungeon opened up, which meant it was time to go find who my future allies would be, or maybe just learn about these people who I was certain to become acquainted with.

In the time I spent immersed in thought though I had already been approached.

"My god, that's terrifying."

A gruff voice quipped, the man in plate armor.

"If by terrifying you mean intimidating then I can agree."

He let out a chuckle.

"Maybe both, names Alexander. A little birdy told me you'd be joining us at some point."

"You say us, but I only see you."

He pointed to the woman with the Warhammer

"Her."

I nodded.

"Mhmm."

He called out to her and waved and she started jogging over. I stood up.

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"It's a pleasure to meet you. Though I must say, why didn't you bring any armor."

I gave him a blank stare.

"Couldn't afford it."

"Don't worry about that, the mayors pay for a successful delve is by no means small."

"Wonderful, but what about now?"

"With all due respect, I'm certain you'll be more than fine."

He motioned to my skeleton. Then another voice reached my ears

"Your name is Admatha right?"

"Yeah, but you can call me mar, that one's kind of a mouthful."

"Well, I can agree on that one."

"How do you know my name though?"

She shrugged her shoulder.

"Who knows."

She had one of those loud voices with an undertone of aggression, a tone that demanded to be heard.

"Either way my name's Corra."

"Pleased to meet you."

Alexander interjected our conversation.

"It's not exactly like the giant monster that's been following you around town was very subtle."

"Well subtly wasn't goal."

"Then why the surprise."

"Well, I wasn't expecting people to find out that quick."

He nodded.

"Fair point."

We sat about and chatted until the dungeon was open. Normally I don't bother to talk to people, but they're not bad, and I've got nothing better to do anyway.

A dark pulse emanated from the center of the clearing.

"Well, it's time for us to go. Nice meeting you."

"Wait up, how do I, enter?"

She looked a little surprised.

"Just go touch it."

Then she jogged off wherever Alexander had wandered off too.

So I did just that. Staring at the Abyssal orb made me feel chilled.

I reached out my hand, and as soon as I made contact. Bony gaunt spider-like limbs covered in a mesh of stringy flesh, accompanied by the same limbs but dripping blood and constructed entirely of barbed wire wrapped all around me and pulled me into the center.

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I stared out at the hole below me, it was probably 800 feet deep, according to the practically nonexistent knowledge I had of quarries this was supposedly quite deep for a quarry. Normally there was supposed to be water at the bottom, or so I'd heard, but there wasn't.

Looking behind me I saw my skeleton standing there. It was turned around looking at the great mists that outlined the quarry. Directly ahead was a slope that very clearly descended deeper down. And they weren't lying, it certainly was rather cold.

My leg always gave me trouble with slopes. It was pretty flat on the bottom so it didn't really have any traction. So I was certain If I just walked down I'd go tumbling. So I had my skeleton go down the slope while on all 4's and shoved myself into the lattice that made up its chest. It was tight, uncomfortable, and somewhat painful. But it was definitely the most effective way to descend the quarry. You'd find your first enemies at the bottom so this should be perfectly safe.

So I spent a fair chunk of time just sitting there whilst my back decided to start hurting more and more every other minute.

But eventually, there was just one slope left between me and the bottom. So I crawled out into a lovely heap on the floor and opened the duffel bag I'd been keeping a tight grip on. I removed the rubber tips on my claws and spikes, grabbed a magazine and loaded my gun, flicked off the safety, and pulled the slide, I'd made sure to load another cartridge into the mag after.

Carefully, I managed to descend the final slope and reach the bottom.

As soon as I started towards the hole in the wall a good 50 feet away 3 Mudteeth emerged and quickly laid their Emerald eyes filled with malice upon me, and broke into a sprint.

Soon they reached maybe 30 feet away, and I took my first 3 shots, and missed.

So I tried to wait a little longer, which was quickly proving to be something I was incapable of, and I fired again after maybe another second or 2.

Now I could really see them, so I fired again, this time I landed a hit as one of the Mudteeth tripped, if they were made of hardened or dry mud my handgun would've been much more effective but they were made of a somewhat moist mud.

I retreated backward retrieving my mace from its resting place on my belt and put my handgun into my new holster, my skeleton charged in.

I didn't want to hold my gun anymore, my hands were getting shaky.

My skeleton was almost as fast as them when it was sprinting, and it slammed its hand into a Mudtooth whilst the other attempted its best to pry off one of its legs.

As for the 3rd, it went right by my skeleton directly for me. I muttered a low curse. It was far too close for me to feel safe going for my gun.

"Shit."

I pulled my arm back and readied myself as best I could. When it was maybe 3 feet away my nerves got the better of me and I swung far too early.

I panicked as it barked and pounced at me, I barely managed to bring my mace back for another swing.

Mud splattered from its head as the 1 1/2-foot beast bit directly into my left hand, pulling and trying to drag me to the ground.

"FUCK!"

I slammed into its head with my right hand and dug my claws into its face. I ripped my hand out splattering mud everywhere as it whimpered and let go. That was the only moment I needed as I swung my now free hand and obliterated its head with the mace. Luckily I'd managed to hold onto it even after it bit into my hand.

My hand pulsed with fire as a mixture of mud and dirty blood ran down my left arm.

I looked up at my skeleton as it picked up what seemed to be the last Mudtooth and slammed it into the ground like a ragdoll. I sat down and looked at my hand.

The wounds were bleeding far more than I was comfortable with and were covered in mud. I started rummaging through my duffel bag until I found what I was looking for. A bottle of antiseptic and some gauze. I just needed this injury to not shut down this delve, I'd get myself properly switched up later. Antiseptic was incredibly expensive, it's a shame I was already using some.

I contemplated using a Crimson Vial, but I didn't, I only bought 3 vials.

Maybe I should just send my skeleton into the mines and let it do all the killing, that was far too sloppy for my taste. I spent so much time thinking about the strategy of the fight, that I never thought about how it would feel, the tension made me swing too early, 1 good hit probably would've destroyed it's head, and I would be fine, but my nerves got the better of me.

As I was busy tending to my wounds I got a notification.

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+15 Xp!

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And they were all lv 1 too, Doesn't that suck.

Xp was Xp though, can't complain about that, nice to know Skelton kills give me full amounts though. After tightly wrapping my hand I saw the remains of the golems had vanished, no mist cores. I quickly gathered all my things, reloaded, and got ready to move again.

I'd decided I'd go down, I was hoping to find the loot room in the upper area before I left, and I of course needed to be there for that, since the treasure chest required an awakened to open them and my skeleton, technically wasn't.

I approached the Mineshaft, lanterns illuminated the tunnel, It was probably 5 feet wide and 7 feet tall, my skeleton could fit if it crawled, so I sent it ahead of me rather than using it reactively like I did before. It descended down as it sloped ever so slightly down, supports made of old wood were all around me as we approached a junction.

Left or right. I'd always hated choices like this.