DELVE

It was rather easy to wear the leather armor above our freshman scrubs even without finding a changing room since we just had to put it atop. We soon got familiar with our new party member too. I will confess to some distrust I have about beginners as they always has this wild look to them but Holden was okay. "So what's your rank?" Sky asked.

"Rank 17," He grunted with displeasure. "I'll have you know miss, I would have progressed if I had a party of my own like half the school. But Aldus fucked me over, so."

"Who's Aldus?"

"Professor of Systems, fancies himself to haves earned a doctorate in douchebag philosophy,"

"Now I am dreading meeting him," I said snidely.

Just then Greg lowered his phone and smiled at us. "Bridget will be waiting for you at the entrance hall,"

"The room with three doors?" Sky asked

"Yeah,"

"Then let's be on our way," I slid off the stool and had to take a moment to take us in. We were all dressed in brown leather vests and strapped in weapons; I couldn't decide if we looked like bandits or cosplayers. My quiver was on my waist, so I picked my bow from the counter. It was the same kind as the ones I use for training. Greg said it'd be mine frome now on but if it breaks I'd have to buy it.

"Give me my stuff," Holden grunted rising to his feet. Greg nodded and picked up something from behind the counter, straining from the weight. He dropped a dull golden tower shield on the counter, then a helmet joined it. "Thanks, what about my water bottle?"

"Right here," Greg dropped a canteen above the desk. Holden strapped the water bottle to his belt first, put on the helmet then picked the shield like it weighed nothing, slotting his wrist in the required place. He paused, looking twice the dungeoner than any uf us. Greg was also keeping some things for us. We had him give us the backpack we'd purchased__ including its content__ with our points. I checked to see if the potions, dried rations and water bags were still inside before putting on the bag. It'd been decided I'll be the one carrying our supplies since I will be at the back. After collecting our stuff we set out.

Walking into the hall with three doors, we found Bridget in her metallic glory holding a spear and round wooden shield. She gave us a stern look as we entered. "Hi Bridget," I smiled.

"Sam Ravens," The automaton huffed. "Why would you choose me as the Ward of your party without choosing to join my guild?"

"I thought it was allowed,"

"Of course it's allowed. It's not courteous however,"

"Sorry," I said even though I didn't know what I did wrong.

I thought she might have pursed her lips from beneath the helmet but I couldn't be sure. "You should have chosen someone from the Languid guild," she spat finally and looked away, nodding to my other party members.

I frowned. I hadn't thought she'll take it this serious. My reasoning for choosing her was rather simple: I like her and liked the Languid guild at the same time so I decided to have both. Turned out things aren't that simple.

"Anyway let's be off," she said walking to one of the doors covered in blue light curtain. Bridget plunged in first followed by Holden, before the rest of us. I was in the middle of Sid and Sky, with Sky taking up the rear.

As I stepped into the hallway, the tunnels announced itself by the stifling heat that encased the place. "Why is this place always hot?" Sky complained.

"Verge steel," Holden knocked the wall. "It contains fire elements,"

"Like elementals?" Sid asked.

"Not exactly," the giant frowned. "Like... Maybe coal when it's burning? Verge steel has a fire energy in it,"

"So you are telling me, we'll see fire if we break it?"

"You cannot," Bridget said.

Sky grinned. "Is it like, sacred?"

"Not that. Verge steel is very hard to break, at your level you couldn't scratch it. This is what they make nuclear shields with,"

I caressed the wall as I listened, unsurprisingly it was warm to the touch. "You know about nuclear?" Sid blinked.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Uh, I just thought you were all strictly magically focused and all,"

Bridget nodded. "Well I am, but I also read up about your world,"

"You are not from our world?" I asked.

Bridget gave me a long stare over the rest of the party before looking away. "Yes," she said. "I am from a far off place that was once kind, a world in the skies. Come on, we have a maze to cross,"

"Not like we can't talk while walking," I pointed.

"Actually we can't," Bridget replied. "It'll attract the monsters to our position,"

We went through hallways after hallways in a hurried pace completing an uneventful cross that saw us meet no monster. After 30 minutes we arrived at the large space of the lockers. Bridget breezed past and we followed. So soon we found ourselves plunging out of the wall into the wide plain.

The sun burned up in the sky. Real sky, I took a deep breath of fresh air. "I am told the cross could be tasking," Bridget said.

"An understatement," I said pulling down the backpack and reaching for a bottle of water. I threw one to Sid and Sky before taking a drink myself. Holden did not touch his canteen.

We continued on after the drink. This time our pace was more slower, though not leisurely. It was [11/32AM] by the time we entered the forest. Bridget led the way as we went south. She walked straight with her spear brushing aside shrubs so she could pluck herbs. Insects and birds and rodents made various sounds from unseen places. I hadn't really stopped to marvel at the leaves in the trees the first time out in this forest because of tension I felt at all times. But this time I studied these leaves that seemed ignorant of the Decay in awe.

As we followed, Bridget said. "Listen carefully, for this is the rules. First, I'll not help you with any monster below or at level 3 even if you'll die fighting it. I would however rescue you if it leaves you injured, but only after it leaves or you retreat. Consequently, I'll handle any monster at level 4 or higher,"

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"Fair enough," Sid said.

"I'll only show you around the first two floors of the dungeon. After that we return and you could finally have permission to enter the dungeon alone. What I am here for is to teach you the way of dungeoning, how far you would delve is up to your abilities but even if we don't make it past the first floor, I'd bring you back once I feel time is up. You have curfew remember,"

I memorized the way as we went, weaving past trees, following a footpath occasionally, crossing a stream. After we crested a ridged, we could see the dungeon entrance in the distance. A purple disk of magic, ever swirling. We regarded it in silence then followed our Ward down, descending the ridge.

Soon the giant portal was before us in the clearing, swirling like turning mist. "Amazing isn't it?" Holden said. "The first time I saw it I was shivering in fear too."

"Fear?" Sky scoffed. "Excitement maybe, I ain't afraid of this thing,"

"Okay guys," Bridget said getting our attention. "I am gonna lead for a few minutes then it'll be up to you, understand?"

"Yes," we chorused.

"Who's your scout?"

"Here," Sid said.

"Watch what I do, keep your eyes peeled for traps. There are not lethal on this low floors but they could hurt you badly."

Bridget walked into the portal, then Sid, then me.... I almost gasped. A tingling feeling went through my body then I was standing in an enormous cave lit by glowing blue orbs embedded in its high ceiling among stalactites. The floor was marble black, and statues of fantasy creatures lined the curved walls. It was all beautiful.

At the other end of the hall, a large arched doorway stood. Bridget waited till we gathered, then lined us in formation that saw Holden at the front with Sky and Sid behind him at his flanks, and me behind them some distance away. "This is an orthodox formation both in dungeoning and Camp Games. A tanker up front, two Melee knights behind him at the flanks and one Ranged knight- whether a mage or an archer- at the rear."

"But I am not strictly a knight," Sid pointed, always one for details. I was also curious about it.

"Yet you can use offense skills. The Job classification is not a perfect classification. It only classifies one on what they contribute to the party: scouting, attack, defense, distraction, or boosting other members, while forgetting some people could do more than one. You are a scout that could act as a knight, both you and Sam Ravens,"

"Is that rare?" Sky asked.

"Not at all,"

"Not common either," Holden grunted. "What do you say we do this shinny?"

Bridget glanced at him then turned to the doorway. "Follow me, the corridor is narrow so feel free to follow at every order you'd like, but get ready to fall into that formation when facing enemies in open spaces."

Good for me, I had gotten tired of all this details. Half is what I already read after all. We'd been stressing about the dungeon run for seven days now and I'd gotten fed up with the theories. We went, Bridget teaching us how to look out for traps, disarming a few dart traps. She taught Sid especially since she'd become our scout.

The corridor passed by quickly before we came into an intersection where the tunnels branched off in different directions. We stopped here. At the left in one of the corridors, a goblin noticed us and opened its mouth to shriek while trying to nock its bow at the same time, only for Bridget to throw her spear, skewering it.

It broke into pieces of light. Holden ran there, snatching the orb that fell to the ground and pocketed it with a grin. We took a random tunnel, with Bridget ever leading, continuously explaining for our benefit. Halfway up this hallway we encountered another goblin. It opened its mouth only to be skewered on the jaw by Bridget's spear.

After Holden picked the orb, the automaton turned to us. "Now's your turn, go forward, I'll watch your back,"

We went past her with Sid up front, then Holden, Sky and me, in that order. Sid disappeared forward to scout ahead at Bridget's instruction and I frowned not liking that. The truth is we have similar abilities, maybe I could take on the more dangerous job? I said as much but Bridget scowled at me under her helmet.

"You must learn to trust your party members." She said. "This is the more efficient way of doing things with you at the back. If you plan on putting emotions into dungeoning then you are not prepared to live long. Camp is no fairy land, it'll devour you,"

I glared at her. "So I just hover over in the back like an idiot?'

"Your time will come, now is your sister's,"

I stood stewing about it long after Sid advanced. We followed after her in a mild pace; sometimes we'd glimpse her as she disarmed traps. I spotted her returning after sometime. "There's an Orc in the corridor ahead," she said.

"An Orc eh?" Holden grinned. "Which level?"

"Level 3,"

I felt my heart skip with fear. "Good, good; once we stay in formation you can take him. You are unfortunate it's a hallway. Still, all the same, we'd just need some maneuvering."

I remembered how the Phoenix Might had taking down a Troll. They'd depended on Sofia's maneuvering. A glance at Bridget told me the automaton wasn't planning on helping. We got this all to ourselves, fair enough.

After a brief fretting, we arranged ourselves in a line. Holden, the Tank was at the front, then Sky, followed by Sid before me. We saw it just as we rounded a conner. A large two meter humanoid with white fur covering its body. It wore loin cloth and held a giant club. [Orc Lv3] was written on the bar floating above its head.

"I could take it on alone," Holden said. "But you need the experience so I'll just bunker down. I am curious to see how you plan on dealing with something two levels above each one of you."

I glanced at my sisters and grinned nervously. I drew an arrow and nocked, as I got their nods. Ahead, the orc was matching forward, then it took off in a sprint. Holden bent his knees and held the tower shield in front of him. A bang resounded as the club struck the shield. I shot the arrow at that moment wanting to hit the Monster in the eye, but it suddenly lowered its head, avoiding. It looked up, glaring at me across the hall.

I nocked another arrow as Sid leaped up and flipped to land upside down onto the ceiling with her feet. She advanced towards the Monster walking on the ceiling as if it was normal ground. This is part of her Shadowalking, something I can't do.

The Orc growled at her; it opened its mouth and sent a blue ball of light flying out. Blondie leaped away from the attack and I shot the arrow at it, preventing it from shooting another as it was occupied briefly by my attack. This time the monster used its hand to catch the arrow. Still, I didn't worry, this has all been a distraction.

Sky appeared in front of the Orc and swung down her sword which glowed with orange light. The Orc blocked with its club but the force of the attack sent it reeling back. I nocked three arrows, shooting that number at once, one after another. The Orc couldn't dodge all and I struck it in various parts of the body, looking to slow down its joints. Something I was partly successful at.

Sid appeared behind the Monster still standing on the ceiling and stabbed her spear at its neck. It craned its neck to let it sail past, but in front of it, Sky wasn't done. My cousin swung her sword down, on its knees, slicing through. The Orc only just fell, when two arrows embedded into its eyes.

Then Sky swung down her sword to finish it like we'd practiced, but the Orc rolled away and she struck ground with a splash of light.

Startled, and to keep up the pressure on the monster, Sidney jumped off the ceiling thrusting down her spear. But even without seeing, the Orc caught her weapon between its hands. It opened its mouth which glowed with blue light.

Sid shimmered then vanished, a second later a ball of blue light struck the ceiling above her prior position.

Finally Sky swung her sword again, this time successful on striking the monster on the forehead. With a boom and spray of orange light, the Orc turned into pieces of blue light and vanished, leaving only a monster orb behind.

Sky picked up the orb and threw it at Holden who pocketed it.

"Good job," Bridget said.

"Thanks," I grinned. "Is it normal to see level 3s this early in the dungeon?"

"Depends," The automaton replied. "The dungeon usually gives you monsters closer to your levels in relation to the floor. This level three is probably because of him," she pointed at Holden.

I blinked realizing something. "That's why Camp allows us to party with someone above our level- as far as they are beginners- even if they know he could carry us through the floors, because we'd have to fight stronger monsters, balancing things,"

"And the farther you go, the harder. This is like a party set out to die,"

"Then why didn't you say anything!?" Sky said.

"Because it's allowed," Bridget deadpanned.

I frowned. She's getting back at me for 'offending' her about the guild thing. "But the books said nothing of it," Sid complained.

"If you think you can survive Camp with just reading books then you are in for a reality check girls," Holden said.

I glared at him. The rage made my body tremble. Greg too. He knew, but said nothing and set us up. It was alright now since we are with Bridget, but what if we continued partying with him and get swarmed by several level 17s? We'd all die.

"Do you want to continue?" Bridget asked.

"Yeah," I said. We'd milk her service while we can and get several monster orbs while under her protection and guidance. She wouldn't really step up till we are facing something above or at level 4 but that's exactly all we need her to do.

We continued on our first delve with so much to consider.

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