“No, we can’t just run in and kill them all.” Thomas heatedly said. “There are at least fifty enemies in one place, if not double that.”

“That’s not what I said.” Elise bit back. “I said we taunt them, run away and kill the ones that give chase once they’re away from the main group. Rinse and repeat until we can run in and kill them all.”

“And what if they all give chase?” Thomas said.

“Good. Then we can lead them away from the camp.” Jude said.

“And perhaps allow us to lure them into traps.” Remy added.

“When I ran away from them, they did send a smaller group instead of rushing after me one and all.” Carter said. “The strategy can work, if we’ve got a group large enough to take on the pursuers.”

Thomas sighed, retreating from this argument instead of pressing on and letting himself get encircled by a group that would gang up on him. “Then what do you suggest?”

“Well, exactly what I just said.” Elise said, smile smug and wide from her ideas getting a ton of support for once.

“And who will do it?” Thomas rebutted.

“Well, us. Our gang can handle it, and if others want to come t-”

“Ben is the only one remotely able to keep up with Martin and actually do something when he catches up.” Thomas said. “He remains with the fast group.”

“Meanwhile I’m going back north to check on my corpse farms and see if we can grind those Baxes some more.” Thomas continued. “With the fairies approaching, there is an even greater need for outfitting as many people as possible with at least some decent weapons. And the brindle vespas are a threat we shouldn’t ignore until it’s too late, learning how long they take to fully develop and how much meat they need for it is knowledge best learned early on.”

“Darryl and you have yet to be decided, but I’d like to ask him to join me.” Thomas said, turning to Darryl. “You’re pretty much the only one here who can stop the Bax in their tracks, and trying to kill them before they reach us is unfeasible with their health pool.”

“So I’d have to do this by myself!?” Elise said.

“No, I’m just trying to tell you that this isn’t as clear-cut as it was on the first floor.” Thomas said, with what Darryl assumed was him trying a softer and more reassuring tone only to sound like he was lecturing. “Before we were a small group that only had to worry about our own immediate problems. Now we have to traverse at least four neighbourhoods to get from one side to the other, which takes literal hours. It’s a commitment to go anywhere, but we’re on a tight timetable and there are problems coming from all sides.”

“Rhgmmm… Fine.” Elise said, rubbing her temples. “So, who do I get?”

“Let’s see. Me and Jude can lend a hand.” Remy said. “But don’t expect too much from us. My lovely girlfriend provides great support and I’m a decent tank, but neither of us are on par with your group.”

Jude laughed awkwardly, hand in front of her mouth to hide her flushed cheeks. It didn’t take a social genius to tell that she was embarrassed and would’ve preferred he said nothing over drawing attention to her and raising certain expectations, but she said nothing.

“I’ll come along.” Carter said.

“Not me.” Jeremy grunted. “But you already knew that. I’ll wait here and protect the Safe Zone while Dave is trying to gather the children and an escort to get them here safely.”

“It’s quite likely that this will occupy the rest of team Alpha for today.” Remy said. “Honestly, I’m surprised that Jude and I aren’t still at the camp, we’d help escort the children and there must be some people looking to train now that Martin is holding a sword over their head.”

“Ac-Actually, I think Dave was planning for us to come with Thomas and help farm those Baxes, train people to fight and use their axes and stuff.” Jude said. “But he wasn’t too clear about that, I think the plans were still under discussion when we came with you guys. I’m sorry Elise, but maybe we can’t help you after all.”

“So it’s either me and a few guys that can’t deal much damage, or just me and Carter?” Elise said.

“Beta is gone as far as we know.” Thomas said. “Only two of them exchanged contact information, and both died yesterday according to the chat. So there might be three of them left, but we don’t assume so and they’re unlikely to help anyway. Left the camp as soon as they entered the second floor, after all.”

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“Same for Delta, or rather Boss Slayerz, we found them in the Bubbling Boil Boss Room yesterday.” Darryl said.

“Gamma is still around, but they too are unlikely to circle back and help us.” Thomas said. “They seem fully focused on grinding and finding a Stairway, and said they won’t help others until they’re done with this task.”

“I can actually agree with that one. If no one finds the way down, we all die when the timer runs out.” Elise said. “Still, this sucks. No one, huh?”

“Epsilon might help, especially if you ask, but I doubt you’ll want their help.” Jude said.

Elise spat to the side. “Yeah, fuck those guys. I’m not going to whore myself out for their help, they’re probably just a bunch of cocksure twats without skill anyway. Rather do this all by myself.”

“Zeta and Eta don’t actually exist, because Dave wasn’t that proficient in Greek numerals.” Thomas said. “The French are Theta and they’re going north grinding bosses and looking for a Staircase as well, and we’re Kappa.”

“Iota is around and somewhat helpful, but low level and barely armed. I think they’re planning to guard one of the Safe Rooms.” Carter said. “I think there was some talk about a new group, but…”

“Lambda isn’t official yet, and there’s about two or three groups with alternating members that might claim the name. Too early to tell, and it’s not going to be a group with much skill and levels.” Remy said. “There’s a bunch of people in it that we trained, and I’ve tried to keep track. But Jude is the one you should ask.”

“Oh, uhm, well…” Jude shivered when Elise turned her attention to the shy maiden. “There have been a few groups of convenience that didn’t last long enough to even get a name, people that tried to explore the dungeon but then noped out after experiencing it. There's also a handful of people facing this dungeon alone and doing relatively well for themselves, but might want to band together or recruit some new blood. And then there are always people that are trying to find a decent group without success.”

“The whole Martin situation seems to have stirred them back into action, but people don’t quite know what action that should be.” She continued. “Right now Lambda seems to inch towards a local militia to protect their own, becoming a neighbourhood watch guarding them from some homicidal madman with a name feels more real than the continuous stream of monsters we’ve been facing, I guess.”

“The other option some are leaning to is to become a party capable of surviving by themselves.” Thomas said. “Not to protect others but to be able to fend for themselves, with the additional benefit that it takes them off Martin’s sacrificial lamb list. A less popular notion for those not joining, but more a popular reason for joining than becoming an unpaid guard.”

“And then there’s the nasty one.” Carter added. “Maybe rumours from the people wanting to dissuade the second option, maybe with a kernel of truth. This team that rises in the wake of Martin’s declaration might secretly be after the tickets and are planning to turn on us to get those platinum boxes.”

“I’ve been told that some people put stock in those rumours and are treating Lambda with suspicion or even open scorn, dissuading some from joining or peer pressuring them to advocate the militia.” Jeremy said. “No cases of violence or raised voices yet, but the whispers cut deep for some. Those with actual power are ignoring the notion, as far as I know.”

“Alright. So I have Carter and maybe the couple, and I can choose to get a bunch of bastards I don’t want, a bunch of weaklings, a different bunch of weaklings, and maybe some stragglers if I’m lucky.” Elise said. “Fuck you for not just saying that my plan lacked the manpower we need to begin with, Thomas, but I can see how I might want to skip on this mission myself to go do something else.”

“I got a message from Dave just now.” Remy said. “My beautiful girlfriend is right as always; Dave did plan for us to go back north. To the camp or the baxes is up to us, but he mostly sent us down here to get a good night’s rest in a working and unoccupied Safe Zone.”

“Turns out it wasn't necessary, though.” Remy continued. “Once the timer on those eviction notices runs out, the Safe Zone just disappears. You're not thrown out or killed, the chairs and beds and so on remain. Even the Bopca and the ability to order food. There's just no more Safe Zone effect.”

“Not sure how long it will take those fairies to gather their host.” Carter said. “According to the stories from other groups they were hounded by intelligent mobs on the first day, so we can’t count on them taking much longer before they take a swing at us. I’ll go scout one way or the other, but we need at least some way to do something about them.”

“Well…” Darryl said, speaking up for the first time in a while. “I haven’t yet decided where I’ll go.”

Elise’s eyes lit up. “Right, if it’s you and me, then we can smash those midgets no problem! You stop them dead in their tracks and I go smashing, the others have ever been just additions to our teamwork!”

“Actually I was thinking something else.” Darryl said, embarrassed by her words and the value that she apparently assigned to his humble abilities. “While I agree that I fill an invaluable position fighting those baxes, I don’t see a need for Thomas to be there as well. They’d just soak attacks, and his abilities aren’t for endurance battles.”

“Fighting baxes, followed by facing clurichauns, would be the best course of action for newbies.” Darryl pressed on. “The former to gain weapons and train their attack skills, the latter to face more clever but easy to kill enemies. Low levels won’t be relying much on healing anyway, so the Taint debuff shouldn't matter much.”

“So if you’re okay with it, how about we go with Elise and Carter to the east rather than go in a straight line north?” Darryl said, looking at Thomas. “We drop her off and continue forward to the Bax neighbourhood, you check your brindle farms and then go back to the camp. Be our reserve and help with the organisation side of things.”

“I see. Not a bad idea.” Thomas said. “If the fairies turn out to be a more pressing matter than we thought, there will be three of us there to diffuse it right away. And I suppose my corpse farms wouldn’t take long. As I’ll be taking the bicycle, it’s probably best if Remy and Jude go straight back to the camp rather than join us.”

Thomas looked at the others, and no one brought up any objections or further suggestions. “I see, let’s do that, then.”