Breakfast was a quick and quiet affair between the four of us. Myself, coming along as a support member, Delava Thrensdottor as our frontline defense, Orthan was going to be acting as a ranged caster with some ability to help with healing, and the adventurer Kendra as our trapper.
We ate in silence, lost in our own thoughts and were off to get fitted into our gear. I had the armor and accessories from the dungeon, and had been given a club for a backup. The stalactite I’d gotten from the Tutorial Dungeon was going to be retired. I figured if and when I got a place to live, I’d hang it on a wall somewhere. At the very least, it’d be a conversation piece.
The energy around the dungeon entrance was almost a physical thing. From the people, some concerned and others excited, to the actual mana in the air. If I had to compare the feeling, I’d probably put it in the same category as a metal concert.
Before the dungeon had changed, three groups were capable of running through at the same time. Usually, the split was a group on the first floor, the second on the fifth and the last group on the eighth. The other two groups were of a level, formerly of a rank, to be able to handle the lower floors.
While I’d explained that I didn’t think the dungeon would be built that way anymore, I gave way to the experience of the people who had literally made a career out of exploring dungeons. I honestly didn’t know if what I thought was going to be there would be. The elven captain, who may or may not be the personification of the dungeon, had suggested that things were changing because of things I knew from my old life, but better to be safe than get people killed.
I rechecked my gear, again. It was nerves, I knew. I mean, I was about to go into a dungeon on another world. Maybe in another universe. Yeah, I’d started that way, but this seemed different… Maybe because I was in a group, rather than alone?
The others in my group all looked about like I felt. We were all about the same age, physically at least, so I could understand the reason for the edge. While Orthan and Delava were both level 2 over my and Kendra’s level 1, this would be their first dungeon.
Both Orthan and Delava had gained their ‘experience’ through training and the occasional random encounters while out with larger groups. Orthan with one of his parents going about the Barony, and Delava going from various towns with her church. Kendra apparently had only recently finished her ‘apprenticeship’ with the guild trainers.
In my head, I was jumping from thought to thought. I still needed to figure out what the terminology was, for going into a dungeon. I’d heard so far delve, dive and run. In the tabletop games I’d played in my previous life, it was exploring and in the games it had been run.
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Well, I thought to myself as I rechecked everything I had for the umpteenth time, there will be enough time for Dungeon 101 after we figure out what’s going on.
“All right, listen up!” The shout from the Guild Master shook the four of us and we turned to look at her. “This dungeon has undergone some kind of change. That we’ve gotten word of, two others within the Empire have as well. Outside of the Empire, I’ve received word that dozens have had the same thing happen. None of them have opened yet, and they all have different outward themes.”
“We know, that on the lowest explored floor of the dungeon, that the floor boss was a giant snake,” she continued, then pointed at the giant snake-man statue above the gates of the dungeon. “All outward appearances are pointing to a creature or creatures like that being inside the dungeon.”
“Investigations from Sage Ian Luna the Blessed of Nalura, our own Lorekeeper Memori and her assistants suggest that we should expect to see elves inside the dungeon, as a neutral party.”
This stirred up the crowd a bit. They’d been hearing rumors or bits and pieces of information for the past few days, but now it’d been confirmed. The Guild Master and I had gone over what I thought the Shop chamber would be used for. I’d only seen one other elf inside, and there had been at least a dozen different shop locations we could see. The rest of the area around the ‘courtyard’ had been closed off.
“We’re sending in three groups to get an idea of what’s what. Sage Luna will be leading the first group, as per the ‘request’ of the dungeon.”
I’m what? I blinked, looking at the people of my group and then around at everyone else. Leading? What??
There were people I hadn’t met now looking at me, at the group. I knew from what people had told me that Gods-Blessed were given some leeway and had a few expectations on them. Not all of the looks I was getting were friendly, though none seemed hostile. More of the look you’d give to a new person at work that was given a big task with no proof they even knew what to do, much less that they could accomplish it. “Uh….” I said. Very intelligent, perfect for someone with a class called Sage.
Liscern snorted, giving an amused shake of her head and continued on. “Mimic Bait will follow and be ready to tackle a lower floor if it’s provided.”
That changed the atmosphere to amused as several people chuckled or laughed. The second group all grinned, pumping their fists in the air and chanting their group name for a bit. The Guild Master had a grin on her face now.
“And rounding the trio out is a group from The Order of the Sacred Helmet.” More cheers, the third group being a little more decorous as they bowed and waved, smiles all around. I guess guilds within The Adventurer’s Guild did exist.
“Gee, no pressure on us or anything,” Kendra muttered, looking around at all of us.
The sound of the gates opening, stone upon stone, stopped all conversation as everyone turned to watch. The doors came to a grinding halt, wide open to show a dark hallway leading deep inside.
“Adventurer’s,” Liscern said, now sounding every bit the Guild Master in charge. “Be safe, don’t take chances you don’t have to. We need information to prove that these changes aren’t going to be a danger. Come back alive, yeah?”