The twisted frames and rubble had once stretched 20 stories into the sky. On the south end, there was an entrance to an underground parking garage while the north went uphill into a mountainside. There were plenty of trails for the apartment’s residents to explore on weekends. And on rainy days, the lower levels fed into a 7-story shopping mall on the westside. The structure had 3 floors above ground and another 4 that went below. And if that weren’t enough, the mall had a direct entrance to the subway line.
Young parents used to make their home here after poring over loan documents and haggling over tenths of a percentage point. But the upper floors were purchased by rich retirees or those who had come from family money. Eager to occupy homes hundreds of feet above the ground.
Since then, the cluster of highrise apartments had collapsed leaving behind a maze of rubble and passages that were dangerous to navigate. It wasn’t just unsteady rubble or the threat of further collapse. Things moved in the shadows. Things that watched and waited.
***
The party moved quietly through the rubble. Willow had scouted the area in advance and researched the maps in the library, so she knew the quickest routes to the checkpoint. She also knew three alternate paths in case something went sideways. And further behind them, their instructors followed at a constant distance.
Everyone had heard the news at the Academy. Somehow, the Onion Knight was back and he would be taking on the post of instructor. Her party was excited when they heard that he would be helping proctor their last dungeon run. Even Willow, who had not gone in for all the onion knight stories and legends during her time here, was interested to see what the legend was actually like in real life.
“Hsst!”
That would be Kieun. He had found the entrance to the shopping mall. A quick lookover confirmed that no monsters were in or around the entrance. This zone was actually home to two dungeons. One stretching from the underground mall to the subway station below and another in the labyrinth of collapsed apartments above. As long as they stayed closer to the shopping mall than the apartment complex, they should be able to avoid anything beyond their capacity.
Willow looked back and saw Hana and Jinyoung watching. Waiting. She was the party leader, so no one would move until she made a decision. Hana gave her the slightest smile and the most imperceptible nod.
Willow took in a slow breath.
“Okay, let’s move.”
***
Jinyoung was impressed. There were only three in the party, but they moved quietly and quickly. There were a few moments when they gathered and whispered to each other, but for the most part each cadet knew their role and carried it out without needing to speak.
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Just beyond the dungeon’s entrance, the party spotted a small group of four Man-Eating Beetles in the remnants of a food court. Without a word, the cadets fanned out and took up positions around the monsters.
Quietly, Jinyoung and Hana watched from a distance as Kieun and Mara slipped in and cut down two beetles within seconds with a short spear and a longsword. Meanwhile, Willow used a crossbow and eliminated the remaining two beetles before they had a chance to react.
“Impressed?” Hana whispered.
“Yeah. Especially the party leader. She might be better than you were when you were young.”
Hana feigned mock-surprise, “I hope so. I trained her.”
Once they cleared the area, the cadets returned to the beatles and, to Jinyoung’s surprise, they cut the hard shells from the bodies.
“What the hell?” he whispered.
“The hardshells are tougher than steel and they’re held on by a carapacial hinge,” Hana explained. “Once they’re cut, the hinges are perfect handles making them perfect to use as shields.”
None of that mattered much to Jinyoung whose face was distorted in disgust. Thoroughly grossed out as he was, he had to admit that the resourcefulness of the party impressed him. Of course, that mattered a lot less when Willow approached him and handed him and Hana each a shield.
“Hold onto these for us. Just in case.”
Jinyoung opened his mouth to protest, but then just as quickly clamped it shut. Hana had already explained the rules of their expedition and the most important of these was that the proctors are watchers unless the party calls on them explicitly. In addition, they can be asked to carry or store materials, weapons, and items found inside the dungeon itself.
“Of course,” he muttered through gritted teeth.
The party moved forward at a steady pace and cleared two more groups of insect monsters on their way to the checkpoint. When the dungeon was first discovered, the walkways of the mall were covered in garbage with blocked passages making consistent progress difficult, if not impossible. But with the constant traffic of players and monsters, trails through the shopping complex made it much easier to navigate. Still, the party of three cadets was surprisingly efficient and would’ve easily outclassed Jinyoung if they attended the same classes.
By the time they reached the checkpoint, it was obvious to all that the final dungeon test was only a formality. And, of course it was, the party’s goal wasn’t just to pass the test. They wanted to prove to their proctors that they should be allowed to fight the mid-boss.
Hana already had it in her mind to approve the party if they wanted to fight the mid-boss. That didn’t mean she didn’t have her concerns. The mid-boss in this dungeon was an ornery one, but it was a good experience for cadets which is why she had chosen it.
“Granted. Jinyoung and I will stay close, but we will not engage in the battle unless one of the party requests assistance or if we deem the danger too great. Proceed when you’re-”
She didn’t get to finish her sentence before she noticed it. Jinyoung was standing off to the side staring into the remnants of a clothing store.
“Does anyone else see that light?” he murmured.
The cadets moved closer while Hana bit her lip. This was feeling too familiar.
“Nothing, sir. It’s just dark.”
Jinyoung nodded. “I thought so.”
And without a word, he stepped forward and reached out his arm before Hana could shout or stop him.
QUEST: Thin Skin (I)
OBJECTIVE: Defeat the MID-BOSS while taking minimal damage.
FAILURE: Take on too much damage.
REWARD: 1000 GOLD