“So what’s this I hear from your dad about you leaving Forestend and exploring the world?” Jake asked as I approached the reception desk. It was late in the day, and the sun was already setting by the time I returned to town and the Adventurer’s Guild. Exploring the Sixth floor had taken a lot longer than I had thought it would. Where the fifth floor had been a series of interconnecting ice caves full of Frost Spiders and Ice Wolves, the sixth floor had been a desert. It was also the first open floor in the dungeon. Instead of rooms connected by short passageways like the other five floors, the sixth floor was one gigantic cavern with an artificial sky and sun. The monsters roamed the floor free and randomly, which went double for the floor boss, a massive worm that could burrow under the sand and attack delvers from below. Smaller versions of the boss, giant scorpions, and Burrowing Spiders could also be encountered.

The only real problem I found was the floor boss. With it able to roam the floor as it pleased, there was the potential for unprepared adventurers to come across it and get seriously injured or, worse, killed. So, I suggested to Dungy that it be confined to a relatively large but still predictable area near the end of the floor. With this being the first roaming boss the dungeon had introduced, I thought it prudent to limit its movements to introduce the concept. Then, on later floors, the boss could have free reign of the floor, and it would be down to the adventure's own stupidity if they got themselves killed.

“I mentioned to Mom and Dad that I was close to reaching level 15, the level I wanted to achieve before I set out and explored the wider world. Plus, I just finished the fifth floor, so I think it was an excellent time to head out.”

“Oh, is that why you're back so late? It's not like you; you're usually back in town well before the sun starts to set.”

“Well, partially,” I said, hiding a smile. The real reason I’m getting back so late is because when I defeated the floor boss on the fifth floor, the reward chest spawned like usual, but a set of stairs also appeared.”

“And being a typical adventurer, you decided to investigate,” Jake added before I could, causing me to smile in response and him to sigh. “so I assume at the end of those stairs was a new floor?”

“Got it in one,” I laugh. “and get this, it's one gigantic caver, unlike any of the other floors, and it is basically a desert. Oh, and the Floor Boss is this giant worm thing that can burrow in the sand near the other end of the cavern.”

“Well, okay. Your dad already left for the day, so you can tell him when you get home, but for right now, I don’t suppose you got any loot from the floor, so we know what we’ll be getting.”

“Oh ya, I got something from all three monster types on the floor, well, except for the boss; obviously, it's level eighteen, and I didn’t feel like getting into a fight right after having killed the fifth floor’s boss.”

“Understandable,” Jake said as I handed over the loot. After a few minutes to review everything, “Well, the only new things are these Venom Sacks and Scorpian Tails. Not sure if we have anyone local who will buy them, so we may have to ship them off to the capital branch.” Jake mused, “Anyway, that’s not my department. I’ll give you a gold for the lot.” Jake looked up at me with a thoughtful look, “You know, I should be surprised that you were the first to venture into a new floor, but I’m not. That dungeon has been acting strangely ever since you started delving into it.”

“I don’t know what to tell you; I haven’t done anything out of the ordinary, well, besides delving a little more than the average adventurer,” I say with a shrug.

“Hum,” Jake sounded unconvinced but let it go, “well off with you. You had best tell your father that the dungeon has decided to open a new floor.”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

~ ~ ~

“Be with you in a moment,” a voice called from the back of the shop. The front of the shop was made up of rows of shelves with an assortment of armor ranging from simple leather to sturdy plates. Various weapons stood on display along the wall, from short daggers to mighty great swords. The Armory was probably, if not the, best place for Adventurers to get armor and weapons for reasonable prices. Oh, there were more impressive shops closer to the West Gate, but they were expensive, and while their merchandise might look impressive, it was also not something an experienced Adventurer would put her faith in. The Armory, on the other hand, was tucked away into an unassuming corner of the Crafter’s District. Closer to the various blacksmiths and leatherworks setup operations.

I smiled, seeing the young man coming from the back room. Daniel had matured in the last eight years. He still had some of his boyish fascination with adventure, but ever since the system had granted him the Merchant Class, he had found a true calling. Mom had tried to hide it, but I could see how relieved she’d been that the System hadn’t given him the Adventurer Class. Having married one, she knew what life was like and how dangerous it could be. I could also see the happiness when she realized that, like Dad and I, she now had someone to pass her own experience and knowledge to. Even though her class was more crafting-focused than merchant-focused, there was a lot of overlap between the classes in both categories.

The chubbiness of youth had made way for a rugged handsomeness; his tussle of blonde hair, so like our moms, had darkened into a mop of brown with some blonde highlights hinting at its previous color. While my chestnut hair, which I’d gotten from our father, had darkened to almost black after spending so much time in the dungeon. Our hair was cut short, only slightly above our shoulders. His eyes, the only feature we shared, were dark blue, brightening when he saw me. A simple, well-fitted tunic and leather pants finished his appearance.

“Mel,” My brother exclaimed, “what are you doing here? Ever since Dad gave you that armor and sword, you never need an upgrade.”

“Can’t a sister come visit her brother before setting out on a long adventure,” I say with a chuckle, “and what can I say? Dad found an excellent piece of armor.”

“In that case, why don’t you come through to the back? I’ll get one of the other apprentices to mind the front.”

“Speaking of the Old Man,” I asked as I followed, “how’s he doing? I’d heard he’d fallen ill.”

“He’s doing better, but the doctor still wants him to take it easy for the next few weeks, leaving me as a senior apprentice to run most of the operation.”

“I'm sure your Class is loving that,” I laugh.

“Ya, I leveled twice in the last week, and most of my skills have reached rank 4. Some of the younger apprentices are a little jealous, but there’s really nothing I can do about it. You know how the System rewards more in stressful situations, and running a busy shop is probably the most stressful situation I can get myself in.”

“True,” I say with a slight nod. “I’m sure you know this, but I should at least say this. Let me know if you need my help, and I’ll delay leaving. It's not like I’m on a schedule or anything; I can leave whenever I want.”

“I know, and that is one of the reasons I love you. But Sarah’s been a big help. So you can head out on your world exploration with a clear conscience.” Daniel said.

“Oh, and are you going to make Sarah an honest woman finally,” I say with a wicked smile, and splashes of red appear on Daniel’s tanned checks. While I might not be the best at social interactions, it was blindingly obvious to anyone with at least two brain cells to rub together that Daniel and Sarah had feelings for each other. Sarah Merchant was the daughter of The Amory’s owner and Daniel's master, Jacob Merchant. Neither my parents nor Jacab opposed the match; the problem was getting either of them to make a move. Oh, they’d been on a few dates, but neither seemed to want to take that final step.

Daniel took a small box out of his pocket, and the blush depended as he opened it; my jaw nearly dropped to the floor at seeing the ring. I watch as my body moves to pull Daniel into a bone-crushing hug on its own accord.

“When?” was all I could ask, letting him go, but Daniel seemed to understand.

“Tonight.” Daniel answered, “I’m taking Sarah to the nicest restaurant in town, and I was planning to propose afterward.”

“Ah, my baby brother is all grown up,” I say, wiping imaginary tears from my eyes, and Daniel punches my shoulder.

“Stop that, or I won't invite you to the wedding,” he threatened, which had both of us laughing. “Any what’s this? I hear about you being the first to explore a new floor in the dungeon.”

“Well, I had just finished the boss of the fifth floor…” I begin regaling the same tale I’d told my father and mother at dinner last night.