"And why exactly are we doing this, guild master?" asked Lanka, casting light heal on him.
"It sounded like a Quest when I spoke with that man. And all Quests grant a big deal of experience points, even if the pay is bad. And that's exactly why we are here. To level up Lanka. Now heal!" He responded with laughter.
They were already two days in the dungeon. Two full days. No one had ever lasted two days in any dungeon. Lanka was absolutely thrilled by all this. She was level seven, and it was exciting to feel the rush flowing through her. Even Guild Master Uvar Knys had levelled. He was now sixteen, and that was the highest level in their Guild. On average, their main party was at level twelve.
She fixed her grip on the new staff she received today. It was made from a white wood she had never seen before and had steel finishes. They had many item drops and their combat capability increased drastically. Her new staff gave her a rare bonus of 10% cheaper healing, which was phenomenal.
Then they did something unheard of. They started exploring in parties of five people. As they got stronger, bigger packs of monsters started attacking them, but when they split, monsters advanced on them in smaller numbers.
It was as if this Dungeon was... Fair.
•••
"That was excellent, Annika!" I exclaimed, full of admiration. Due to her being only level 10 now, all her dishes were simple. She could make foods like vegetable or chicken soup, potato stew or bread... Easy but excellent. I couldn't wait till she levelled up her reading and cooking skills so she could start using the cookbooks I had summoned. Annika and Marie claimed her food never tasted this good before she came to Avalon.
Dunno though. Never ate her food before.
"Theon is right, Annika. Your food is excellent!" Amber supported my claims.
"Thank you, my King and Queen!" She bowed happily, fixing the long blue apron she was wearing over her cooking attire. She grabbed a porcelain vase and, accompanied by two slime maids who helped her with empty plates, bowed once again and left for the kitchen. I saw a wide smile on Amber's face.
"What?"
"Nothing. I'm just happy. So, what are your plans?"
"I guess you want to hear about our new subjects, am I right? Iris, Lilly and Rose, our three Half-Elves, are training hard with the Pixies and Skeleton Archers." Amber smirked. Theon gave names to the girls, however, this time he didn't give True Names. "Annika is in love with her new kitchen and can't wait until she can use the cookbooks. She is also helping Sally to advance her barmaid class to assistant cook. Wendy is setting up her tailor shop. Ian is excited about the farmland he will be overseeing. And our three dwarves, Ragnar, Verni and Bjorn, are still worshipping their new forge. I was worried about Irene and her depression initially, but she seems fine now. She decided to become a Cleric of Eriar. The children are doing all sorts of crazy things, but Sebastian and the Maids are containing all the ensuing chaos. As for my plans Amber... Well, my plans are simple. They are going to level up."
All the new people in Avalon couldn't believe their eyes when they got to their new homes. Everyone moved to homes in the middle castle, homes that even the Queen of this kingdom would be envious of. Everyone except for Annika and Marie. They moved to the servant quarters of the main Castle. Annika became an official royal cook and was perfecting her skills. Also, she received a corresponding title from the system that gave her buffs for cooking skills as well as a bonus skill.
Irene started teaching reading and writing to anyone who couldn't. And every resident was obliged to learn this skill. Even Skeleton Knights and Galahad attended Irene's lessons.
There was something adorable with watching a frail elf priestess trying to teach the alphabet to Skeleton Knights that were menacing to everyone but the residents of Avalon. And maybe only I was surprised when she actually had some success.
Yeah, she was a Priestess now. I upgraded Eriar’s chapel to a church since it unlocked the school building. When I placed the build marker where the school would be, Irene almost broke down into tears, scaring Galahad with her happiness.
There were changes in the new residents that were already noticeable. They flourished just like Amber did after eating the food of Avalon and after using what I called basic items. And by basic items, I mean soap or some simple cosmetics. I really hope we find an alchemist... Anyway, all their wounds and scars were gone and even their missing teeth grew back. However, the most fundamental change was inside of them. I gave them dignity and a home. I was their King now.
•••
Two days ago, they heard the terrified cry of a small girl somewhere in the fog. That could mean the slaves were still lost somewhere in the fog, but our rangers couldn't pinpoint the location. With heavy hearts, they proceeded with their quest. All guild members finally approached the cemetery, and they noticed a mausoleum at its far end.
"Are you sure it's here, Julp?" Uvar asked, surprised upon seeing how well-defended it was. The battle would be hard, but not impossible.
After almost a week in the dungeon, they managed to find all six map pieces and both keys. However, this adventure was the most wonderful experience of their lives. Yesterday, party leaders came to him and demanded to save this Dungeon, even if that meant their exile or being branded as traitors. They wanted him to fight the Queen's Army.
"Yes, Uvar. It's here. What's more concerning is that we have found traces of slaves! They are fresh, maybe a day old."
"Considering how this Dungeon acts, I'm only slightly surprised. But this is still a Dungeon, people! We must extract these poor people and save them!"
The Guild Master looked over at his adventurers. They all nodded, and he was pleased. All of them, even healers, were at least level twelve. He was almost level twenty. Twenty! General Korkas was level twenty. That meant he would soon be the strongest warrior in the kingdom.
•••
Marie was sneaking through the darkness of the middle castle underground. Nicola and Fiona were good, but they didn't stand a chance since Marie had received her class. This game of tag was hers. They lost the moment Fiona challenged her to play hide and seek tag in the underground complex. It was a complicated game with rules comprehensible only to children under the age of fifteen. They tried to teach this game to Iris, Lilly and Rose, but they were sixteen and thus unable to grasp the complicated idea. She was the youngest and smallest, but she was level 30.
•••
"My Lord, it's all my fault. Miss Annika, I'm so sorry!"
Sebastian was bowing and begging for forgiveness while I was secretly laughing my tears out. Amber was rolling her eyes since she knew me so well already and even my lvl 50 poker face couldn't fool her. Annika, on the other hand, was less concerned than she was amazed. She also spoke first to Sebastian, who brought the news.
"Mr Sebastian, if I am right, that class is very rare?"
"Yes, that's true, but Miss Marie is still a little child!"
"How did it exactly happen, Scion Sebastian?" Annika fixed her long brown hair that escaped from under her master chef hat.
"She played with one of the Slime Maids and managed to sneak up on her and deal critical damage by accident."
"But how exactly?" Annika pouted her cheeks a bit, making my poker face level up.
"She was hiding in a cabinet that was not yet secured to the wall. When Maid was close by, Miss Marie wanted to surprise her but fell with the cabinet right onto Maid, stunning her. That counted as meeting the class requirements and Miss Marie accepted it as she was excited she learnt to read World Words."
"But Mr Sebastian, this is not the point! She is now a Phantom Ranger! One of the rarest classes I ever heard about!"
I couldn't stay serious at this point and started laughing out loud, still sitting on my throne.
Marie, the Phantom Ranger.
Level 30.
Age 5.
•••
Lanka was on edge for some reason. Something powerful was waiting for them in the crypt. They need an entire guild to force their way into the mausoleum. She was level fifteen and could now use holy smite. The only person she knew that used holy smite was the grand bishop Justinian at the capital. It would have been impossible to have learned this skill since their guild was banished from the capital, if not for the fact they found a scroll she needed. It was the strangest scroll she had ever seen in her life, but it worked.
"We will rest in this chamber for the night. I hope that slaves are still alive, but we can't help them if we rush in unprepared." Ikki, the dwarven knight and leader of the second party, advised. "The Scion is probably there."
Everyone nodded. The Dungeon was acting fair so far, which was incredible, frightening and surprising all at once. They then heard Knys shouting.
"All right people! Casters and healers sleep first. Tomorrow we will take on what we all think is the Boss or even Raid Boss."
Everyone nodded tiredly. Lanka was happy to hear that, since she was tripping over her own tail. Ikki, with a smile, gave her a sleeping bag they both found in a small chest the other day. She fell asleep the second she laid her head on the fluffy material.
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Ikki smiled, seeing Lanka sleeping like a small kitten. Knys came to him and patted his shoulder. They sat near the big brazier that they changed into a fireplace, where a few rangers with survival skills were preparing food.
"Knys, our guildies are no longer green kids that followed us in exile," the old dwarf said quietly.
"Aye Ikki. Look at them. A week ago, we were a bunch of desperate vagabonds. Now we have treasures I never dreamed possible!" The big orc was overwhelmed by everything in here. "But these trials so far..."
"Aye! Big guy... What are we gonna do next?" he was concerned. Some of them had families that were most likely already mourning them.
"With all this money, we can buy land nearby this dungeon! We can settle here." Uvar Knys's eyes shone with excitement.
"I don't know... I think some older folk would like to retire, Knys. Also, we should hurry. Other dungeons could attack soon."
•••
I was standing on the balcony and was wondering what Iris, Lilly and Rose were trying to accomplish, climbing over the external wall of the Guard Tower to my Thunder Birb spawner. That had to be the idea of Lilly, who decided to be a wizard. She was probably trying to convince one of my eagles to be her familiar. Knowing her determination, she would try to tame one of my Thunder Eagles.
Well, good luck...
Lately, Amber was studying very hard under the guidance of Stella, but the number of magic spells we had at our disposal was simply sad. All pixies were currently out on expeditions looking for new scrolls and books we could hmmm... Obtain.
All right. Brazenly steal, ok? Fine.
But even so, they found nothing even remotely interesting. So Stella, Amber, Irene and the flower girls were trying to develop something on their own. I guess that's what Magic Towers in dungeons are for.
On a side note. There was something ridiculous. I thought that levelling in this world was somewhat hard. Amber had told me it was almost impossible to level during the long talk we had the night she became my Queen. The strongest people she had known about were barely level twenty. The same thing was confirmed by my newest residents. They said Irene, who was a level five Cleric, had the highest level of anyone they knew of for certain.
Well... I can say I fucking rule, as my lowest-level resident was Ian, who was now level 29. But he was multiclassing so that's supposed to be normal. He recently obtained an engineer class and was now consumed by some 'big farming equipment project' with Verni, who in turn, was practising farming under Ian's guidance.
Well, a dwarf who is not working in the forge or another similar place somehow is surprising. But I guess that was a stereotype in this world as well.
Ragnar, on the other hand, was rarely seen without his hammer. Being a level 35 smith, he was already creating weapons of much better quality than any type my Skeleton Soldiers spawned with. He can't wait to put his hands on some high-grade materials.
Bjorn moved from the forge to the wood workshop and found the new love of his life - woodworking. He is a level 34 artisan and his talent for creating wonderful furniture pieces is just amazing.
Fiona and Nicola still can't decide what they want to do with their lives. No rush.
•••
"No rush!" Ikki reminded his party one more time. He was sure they would enter the last boss area soon.
Lanka was in the middle of the formation. She was the strongest healer in the entire guild, as she could cast Minor Cure Wounds. She was proud and happy.
"Help! Help me, please!" a little girl's voice was heard from inside the boss's room.
All five party leaders quickly sprang into action, and their parties soon followed.
"So it's a raid boss, eh?!" Yelled Ikki, prepared to cast agro on the boss.
"Good thing we brought the whole guild then!" Laughed Fuellar, an elf ranger.
"Focus people! We are in the Dungeon!" Knys silenced them.
A little girl, maybe five years old, was curled in the corner of the room on the big platform which was inside a pit. Near her was a second platform raised over the second pit. But in front of them was standing a monster that could kill anyone here. It was a Level 35 Hunter Slime. It was flailing its appendages and was already focused on them.
When the last guild member entered the raid area, the doors closed with a loud thud. Knys gave a sign to his tanks and casters to engage the Slime while he caught Lanka and quickly checked on the girl.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked the girl. The little kid looked terrified, and she was crying her eyes out.
"I'm just a little hurt, mister. But my mom is trapped!" responded the girl, wiping her nose.
"Just wait here a bit. We will help you!" Knys looked at Lanka, who quickly cast light heal on the girl, just in case. The Orc nodded. "Let's go!"
Meanwhile, Ikki was fighting for his life. His shield was in tatters, but he held it in one piece just by his skill. The off-tanks sprung into action, trying to confuse the slime, but it was dire until Uvar roared and engaged the Slime in single combat, allowing Ikki to pull away and change equipment.
"Archers! Fire arrows!" yelled Fuellar.
"Watch out!" Lanka yelled to him, but it was too late. The slime tentacle hit Fuellar right in the abdomen, piercing his stomach. "Minor Cure Wounds!"
Fuellar was feeling like shit and was barely alive. Thanks to Lanka, he stopped bleeding, but he was out of combat.
"Fuck!" Ikki yelled when the next three guildies dropped unconscious. But he saw that the Slime was also near its end.
"Ice magic! Cast Icicle!" Yelled Julp, leader of the caster party. They may lose some people here. Fuck.
"BERSERKER FURY!" Knys yelled. Red phantom flames covered him and he started slashing at the slime three times faster than ever before with his giant axe. All the other melee fighters were trying to hit the slime from behind, but it was not a big monster. Therefore, it was hard to engage it with more than three people while staying out of the line of fire of their ranged companions. Two more people were struck down.
Lanka was sweating. She was using her healing only on most wounded people, but she only had enough magic for maybe three more spells.
"FLASH STRIKE!" One of the fencers engaged the Slime and dodged its attack at the last second.
"FATAL BLOW!" Yet another skill long forgotten from this world was used, but the slime was still holding.
"Great Fireball!" Yelled Julp, who sent a big flaming projectile toward slime which finally defeated the Slime.
All guild members who were still standing rushed to help others in need. They were giving them all the health potions they had or using their healing skills. But five people were critical.
•••
"How is your experiment going?" Amber asked, teleporting right next to me and Irene in front of the boss's room. She was wearing a majestic long white lace dress embroidered with gold thread. She looked marvellous.
"Actually, very good. It’s just about finished…"
•••
Everyone had a little regret as they threw all the loot they obtained onto the platform near the little girl. It was the greatest loot anyone ever heard about, but everyone knew they couldn’t just leave the child to rot in this pit. And dropping the loot on the second platform was the only way to open the heavy grate, which would release the child from inside the pit.
Lanka was the last to drop her loot, including her incredible staff, onto the platform. Thanks to that staff, she had been able to cast Minor Cure Wounds one more time on Fuellar. She still was not sure if he was going to make it. When her staff landed on the pile, the entire platform moved down and a few things happened all at once.
They managed to free the little girl from the pit, and the doors to the boss room opened.
"You did well, adventurers!" They heard a voice coming from the doors. Lanka saw the tall and muscular man wearing a crown, with two incredibly beautiful women behind him. One of them was also wearing a crown and the most magnificent dress she ever saw, while the second one for sure was a Priestess. "Irene?" the King asked.
"As you wish, my Liege!" She bowed to the King and raised her incredible staff. "Greater Mass Heal!"
Lanka suddenly sat on her butt, shocked by what had just happened. Greater Mass Heal was a spell straight from legends. She saw the wounds of everyone vanishing. That Priestess must have been at least level 40. And that alone was simply breathtaking.
The little girl, laughing now, took Ulvar's hand and effortlessly towed him toward the man who entered the room. She stopped in front of the King and bowed politely.
"They passed the trials, my King! They were kind to me and their cleric even healed me, just in case!" She let go of Knys’s hand and came closer to the King who patted her head.
"You were also excellent, Marie. What do you think? Do they deserve the reward?"
"Yes! And even more!"
Ulvar Knys was looking at the scene before him with shock and amazement. But this man who had to be the King looked at him. Just one look was enough for Knys to drop to his knees. Every guild member followed his example, and soon everyone was kneeling.
"You did well! All of you." The King smiled and everyone was filled with pride. The Queen gracefully stepped next to The King and smiled at them, enchanting them all.
"You proved how resourceful you are when you found the broken Keys." The sweet and melodic voice of the Queen was heard throughout the chamber. "By finding the whole map so quickly, you showed us your spirit and determination. But most importantly, when you all let go of your riches and items you obtained here, you showed us your noble spirits. You have passed the trials of Avalon."
All adventurers smiled at each other. They all were happy and proud of themselves. The King took both broken keys from Marie and closed his hands on them. When he opened them, the keys were once again whole, and he held one in each of his hands.
"As you passed my trials, you are now privileged to choose your reward. These keys will open two doors. You must choose. Every single one of you." He raised the silver key in his left hand. "This key will open the door to the outside of Avalon. All the drops you have thrown into the pit to save Marie are waiting for you there. But when you choose it, you will forget the trials. You will be free to do as you please. You may come and go freely and explore the lower parts of Avalon if you wish. You will be regular adventurers. But you will forget about everyone who chose the second key." Everyone looked surprised at him, but no one dared to speak up. The King then raised the golden key in his right hand, lowering the other. "But this key will open the door to the dangerous and unpredictable future. Uvar Knys. You told me eight days ago that this world is fucked up. This door will lead to a future in which I will try to unfuck it. Behind these doors waits My Kingdom. Behind these doors awaits Avalon."
He dropped both keys, but they never hit the ground. Both hung in the air, waiting to be claimed. One silver and one gold. When everyone looked up, only Marie was still standing there grinning. The King, the Queen and the Priestess vanished without a trace. Marie waved her small hand at Lanka and from the small pocket on the chest of her dress, she picked up a silver whistle. Its melody was surprisingly pleasant. From the girl's shadow emerged a wolf three times bigger than the girl herself and, with a swift movement of its head, threw her gently in the air and caught her on his back.
The girl and her wolf jumped into the shadows, disappearing from the chamber.
"A Phantom Ranger!" exclaimed Fuellar with reverence and shock.