Entering the mine was nothing like what I’d learned about in books. Where I’d expected support beams every four feet or so, sometimes they were more than a dozen feet apart and even I knew that was wrong.

“How did this thing not fall down?” I gestured to the evidence before me. “This place is a damn death trap!”

Jaegan nodded. “That’d be the council cutting corners. For them, replacing a few workers is infinitely easier than spending the money to set this place up right would have cost.” He spat on the wall. “It’s a damn shame, but there’s nothing we can do. We have to keep moving.”

We did just that, moving through the mine with the map Jaegan found. After a few wrong turns and three hours of walking, I noticed Ylsa and Jaegan’s eyes drooping. We’d been moving a long time and they were obviously exhausted. As soon as we can see the Dungeon entrance, we’ll make camp.

A few minutes, and a mine shaft elevator ride later, we stood in a tunnel in front of the Dungeon entrance. Before they could object, I whipped out my cooking supplies and started to prepare dinner.

“Dinner should be ready in half an hour.” I smiled. “Feel free to nap for twenty minutes while I get it ready, OK?” For a second, it looked like Ylsa was going to argue before she sighed and nodded her assent. Less than a minute later, the pair of them fell asleep with alternating snores. Raiju nodded to me before padding down the tunnel to stand guard while I cooked and our companions slept. Left alone for the first time in a while, my mind started to wander.

The next time I actually sleep, there’s a chance I’ll level up. I should really spend some time figuring out where my new stats should go, but that can wait until we get through the Dungeon. Mom and Dad told me how they usually go, but this’ll be my first time so who knows how it’ll actually end up.

Glancing at my sleeping companions, I used the small winch to raise the stew pot up. I smiled. “Sleep tight. This stew’ll be even better in the morning.”

I whistled as quietly as I could and Raiju came back to join me. “Feel free to sleep, I’m just going to meditate for a few hours. Alright?” Her chest rumbled as she laid down with her head across my knees, pointed away from the Dungeon Portal.

“Good night, Artie.”

***

The following morning after breakfast the four of us all checked our gear as we prepared to enter the Dungeon. Ylsa didn’t have much except for her enormous double bladed ax that I had still yet to see her swing, based on its description it was better she wasn’t always using it.

[Bloodsplitter - Rare

Durability - 179/200

Description - Crafted by the Stonesplitter clan, this ax allows the user to use the Primal Rage Skill even if they don’t possess it. If they do, it instead grants the use of the evolved form of Primal Rage, Primordial Fury.]

Jaegan didn’t have much to prepare, merely pulling a few amulets and rings from some storage device to put them on. He patted a new belt buckle shaped like a pair of hands shaking before walking over to Ylsa and putting out his hand.

“Put ‘er there!” He chuckled to himself before turning to look at me. “My [Bad Deal] belt buckle sends half the damage I’d take,” Ylsa shook his hand quickly, “to the last person I shook the hand of.” He nodded to Ylsa, who nodded back before moving to stand with Raiju in front of the portal. “It only lasts a few hours, and the effect only works on Dungeon monsters, so it isn’t quite as utilitarian as it sounds. Still, it’s kept me alive a number of times I should’ve croaked.”

“Sounds useful.” It really did, with that, he was twice as hardy as he should have been, in a Dungeon that meant he could fight longer and potentially avoid death. “Where’d you get it?”

The old man shook his head sadly. “A Dungeon I lost a few friends in. I can’t recommend going, plus it’s a few countries away.”

“Ah.”

The [Mage] went over to stand with Ylsa and Raiju, leaving me the last one to get himself ready. I checked my daggers, potions, and alchemical grenades and found them all in their proper locations. Next, I pulled up my [Dominated Skills] to check after my preparations from the night before.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

[Dominated Skills - Slots Available 2/6

Photosynthesis

Haste

Healing Light

Psyknife]

[Air Step] is useful out in the open air, but I’m glad I unslotted it for today. I’ll leave its slot open, just in case, but I think I’ll be better served with something else indoors. I wasn’t able to pick anything else out last night, so I think I’ll just go in with these four for now. Keeping options open is always good. Right?

Nodding to myself, I sucked the rest of the camping supplies into my ring before moving to stand near the Dungeon Portal.

Jaegan looked the three of us over with a small grin. “First Dungeon?” Raiju and I nodded, but Ylsa shook her head.

“My clan requires young adults to clear the level fifteen Dungeon by our home in order to be declared a full adult.” She smiled for a moment before casting her gaze down. “I cleared it at twelve winters, the second fastest in clan history, only beaten by my mother at eleven winters.”

“Good to know,” Jaegan rubbed his chin as he looked at Raiju and I. “Here’s what to expect.” I started to interject, but he cut me off with a look. “I know your parents probably told you how their Dungeon crawls went, but we’re not the Reapers, we’re a couple of convicts and an adventuring prince with his dog. Things here are going to be different.”

I nodded and he started using his staff to draw in the dirt between us. He drew a big ‘X’ at one end of a box. “In fights, Ylsa is going to be our tank. She’ll soak the hits and draw aggro off of the pair of us. That means she’s going to get hit a lot, but [Storm Drain] should keep her HP topped up as long as she can get into melee. It heals her for however much lightning damage she deals as long as she’s within ten feet of the target.”

He drew a small triangle in the middle of the box. “I’m a pure DPS [Mage]. Some adventurers might say controllers are more versatile, but when steel meets flesh, everyone is happy to see the monsters dying instead of getting tied up or bogged down. I’m in the middle because I’m the squishiest of the four of us, even with my [Mystic Armor].” He looked at me with a smile. “I’d recommend casting [Arcane Armor] now, there’s no way your mother didn’t teach it to you and it’ll serve you well if you remember to cast it before going into a Dungeon. It lasts all day, so you should always have it on.”

I hurried to make that happen, having forgotten to do that when I got up from my trance that day.

He shook his head for a second before moving back to his diagram in the dirt and marked two circles to either side of his triangle. “Arthur, you and Raiju are our backup DPS and off-tank respectively. Your job is to back up Ylsa and I if we get into any situations we can’t handle, trust me, you’ll know if that happens. Otherwise?” He grinned. “Kill as many monsters not engaged with Ylsa that you can.”

He straightened up and cracked his back after drawing in the dirt. “Any questions?”

I shook my head. “None here regarding combat. Raiju?”

“Go in, defend the pack, kill monsters.” Raiju nodded. “Seems easy enough.”

“Storm-Runner.” Ylsa spoke gently. “Please refrain from protecting me unless I call for it. My passive [Skills] increase my damage the more injured I am.”

The white wolf cocked her head for a moment before nodding. “OK, but I just got a new pack, I’m not going to let one of its members die just to increase your damage output.”

“That is more than I could rightly ask for.” Ylsa bowed at the waist. “Thank you, Storm-Runner.”

Jaegan did a little jig. “That’s it. Are we ready to go?” He started to move toward the entrance before frowning at the look on my face. He stopped mid dance. “What?”

“What about when we aren’t fighting? Don’t you think we should have a party order for that?” Dad trained me to be a Dungeon diver. I’ve heard all of this before, but Jaegan seems to be forgetting the most important part, if Dad was to be believed.

“Bah, Ylsa can tank anything the traps might do for a Dungeon this weak.” The old man scoffed and I glared at him. “What, did you have something else in mind?”

“In fact I did. My father, the man you know as Shrike, trained me to be a Dungeon diver and he always stressed not underestimating the non-combat methods they use to protect themselves.” I shrugged and raised my hands up with my fingers splayed. “Not all traps hit just the person in front, and while we are a bit over-leveled for this Dungeon, or at least you two are.” I glared at Jaegan. “I’d rather put my [Trap Finding] and [Trap Disarming] to good use, seeing as they’re both over ninety percent mastered.”

“Over ninety percent mastered and you’ve had a Class for less than a year?” His eyes went wide. “What kind of hellish training did your family put you through?”

“Nothing special, it’s just the Ironwind Clan’s basic training course.” I winced and rubbed a deep scar on my right shoulder from a blade trap I’d missed in training. “That last set of doors and traps still gives me nightmares, but I got through the training a few years ago.”

The [Mage] threw up his hands. “You know what? I’m going to defer to you on that. I’ll direct us in combat, while you handle out of combat. Deal?” He cocked an eyebrow as he threw out a hand for me to shake, which I grinned as I took.

“Works for me.” I stepped up to the front of the line before turning back to look at the group. “Raiju, you’re in the rear. Jaegan, you’re just in front of her.” I petted Raiju’s head. “Raiju? You’re in charge of sniffing out anything I might miss with my paltry senses. If anything smells different or you hear a strange sound, please tell me.”

For a second, it looked like Jaegan was going to object to Ylsa’s placement, but a glare from her set him straight.

“Once more unto the breach!” I charged into the glowing portal with a huge grin on my face as the world slipped away into a bright blue void.