Shaun found walking down the mountain a lot easier than coming up. He had a destination in mind, as, when he had woken up he finally gained the courage to come to a stand, and he looked around from the higher vantage point to see if he could find where other dungeons could be located. He was able to make out a few different areas that were around the forest that seemed to be different from their surroundings. In one area he could make out mist surrounding another mountain in the distance, a canyon in another area, a patch of forest where the trees were all taller than those around them and also a patch of land that seemed to be baron of trees.
He was heading in the direction of the large trees as it was not only closest but if he planned on visiting all of these places to check for dungeons he would be able to circle around to all of them from the trees. He was still sore from the dungeon he had just finished but felt a lot better after his power nap, and now, could move around and if needed fight at about 60% capacity.
He estimated that it would take about a day or two to get to the area with the large trees, and that was accounting for stops on the way for when he would encounter and fight monsters. He had also decided that he wouldn’t go hunting for monsters outside of dungeons, if he came across them he would fight, but the monsters inside of the dungeons, if like the fire one, were a higher level and more packed together, meaning he would be able to gain levels much quicker this way.
As he walked he also practised with his affinity and skills, nothing that would draw attention to him, but enough that he would be able to get a better handle on wielding fire and swapping between that affinity and earth. Changing between the two took time at first, but eventually he got the hang of being able to use both at once, he was able to hold a fireball in the air while also balancing one of his daggers beside him, he could even move them around with his mind at the same time. It was good practice but also got a little boring.
He eventually came across a boar and very easily killed it with one of his new daggers, the blast that it caused on impact was impressive considering he wasn’t adding any extra skill to it, it also did a decent amount of damage. The best part though was in the moments after it had hit the boar where it stood for a few seconds, just swaying as if confused and unable to move. After that it was very easy to finish off.
Over the course of the first day he had encountered a few more monsters, some of a higher level, but nothing reaching level 20. It had meant that he was getting no bonus experience from these monsters and had continuously diminishing returns on experience. He had also came across another jaguar which was an enlightening experience and really showed how much he had grown. Unlike before where he struggled for the entire fight and nearly died, he was able to move quicker than it now, he dodged it a few times before coming to this realisation, but when he realised it didn’t pose much of a threat he finished it off quickly with an elemental strike. He didn’t put much mana into the skill but it seemed like it was still overkill.
The second day proceeded much like the first, he just kept walking in the direction of where he thought he would find the next dungeon and kept a look out for monsters. He had been able to fill up on his water along the way when he came across a stream that ran through the forest, he had also come across two groups of people which he made sure to stick away from. It wasn’t until he thought that he was only a few hours away from what was hopefully a dungeon did things change.
He had felt on the edges of his echo another group of people, but this time, they seemed to be fighting a monster. Curious as to what skills they may have and wanting to compare himself to others when in a fight he headed in their direction. When he got close he was nothing but disappointed. There were three people still alive, one more dead on the ground, and they were all fighting off one jaguar. They were doing okay? They were still alive anyway, mostly. But they seemed to be outmatched by the one monster, even with three against one.
Shaun identified each of them and found that two were level 15 and one was level 14 with the jaguar being level 16. Shaun was only 6 or so levels higher than them but when that converted to 12 full class levels it was a big gap. He could also tell that none of them had hit level 25 in their class as all of the skills they were using seemed to be the standard ones from the basic starting classes, two of them were warriors, both male, and one was a mage who was female.
He was about to turn around and leave when one of the warriors got clawed by the jaguar which seemed to put him out of the fight, the other warrior stood in front and covered for the other but it didn’t look like he was going to last long. Shaun didn’t like being in this position, if he did nothing they would all probably die but if he went in and saved them he would be stuck having to interact and deal with them. With a sigh he walked the final way towards them with his sword out, ready to finish the jaguar and then leave, not wanting to have their deaths on his conscience when he knew he could have done something to help.
“Hi……” cough, “need some help?” Shaun felt awkward just saying it. He hadn’t spoken to anyone in a while and it felt odd to do so again.
“Yes! Please! Anything you can do to help, we will give you anything we can if we live through this!” That came from the mage, who, if he was being honest, sounded pretty desperate at that moment.
“Oh, ah, sure. I guess I can deal with it for you.”
Shaun didn’t bother saying anything else, just walked towards the jaguar with his sword, ready to just cut it through and finish it off.
“Be careful! It is faster than it looks, it has already killed one of us, don’t die too!”
Eh, I really don’t have anything to worry about. When he got close enough the jaguar turned to him and went in for the attack, with a quick side step and a swing of his sword he removed the head from its body. He could have used any of his skills to make more of an impact on the others but he had figured that showing he could defeat it without really needing to try would be more of a warning to them, a statement saying that you don’t want to fuck with me.
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“You can loot the body, won't give me anything I need.” Was the only thing he said to them before he turned around and started moving away. He had done what he needed to and just wanted to head off.
“Wait! Please! We can't defend ourselves properly until we heal up a bit. Can you stay with us for a while? I’m Angus, and this is Jezelle and Marc.” This time it was the warrior that spoke, sounding as desperate as the mage had when she shouted at him to help. “We owe you already for everything you have done for us, but if you leave now and another monster comes along it will be for nothing. Please, just stay a while?”
Looking them over Shaun decided that they were telling the truth, they looked like crap. There was no way that any of them were going to be able to stay alive out here like they were, entering a dungeon was a death sentence for them, completing three was impossible. He could stay an hour, that’s it, then he was going to leave regardless. He wasn’t about to become a saviour of the people but he couldn’t just let them die either.
“One hour, then I am going.”
The look of relief on their faces was clear, the warrior who had been swiped by the jaguar had taken a potion and was looking slightly better.
“Thank you, for everything. We would be happy to give you anything we have.”
“Unless you have anything pretty interesting it's probably fine.” He doubted that they would have come across anything of interest but you never know. They started listing off the things in their inventory but nothing really stood out as something he wanted, and taking something from them for no reason was just stupid and a waste of space in his own inventory. He told them that there was nothing that he wanted and left it at that.
“How did you get the scars on your face?” the mage, Jezelle, asked. “With the way you took out that jaguar I doubt it was from one of them.”
He had to figure out how much he wanted to tell them, he didn’t think that sharing the story would disadvantage him in any way so he decided to be honest. “A lion got me on the ground and decided to start trying to tear me to pieces.”
“A Lion! In the forest? What level was it? Did you kill it?”
“Hahaha, no it wasn’t in the forest, it was level 25 and yeah, I killed the bastard.” He couldn’t help but laugh at the look of shock on their faces. As soon as he said it was level 25 and he had killed it they all went white with fear.
“I have never seen someone with a class like yours…..” Yeah they were definitely scared now, they had identified him, finally, and saw that he was no longer a basic rogue.
“Once you hit level 25 in your class you get a chance to upgrade it.” Figuring the information might actually help them. It's not like it would be kept a secret for long anyway, others would have hit level 25 by now.
“That's pretty amazing, and explains how you could kill the jaguar so easily. But if the lion wasn’t in the forest……” Seems they figured that out too.
“In a dungeon, yeah.”
They all shared a look, it seemed like they all knew each other previously, the way they could communicate without talking was something that would be useful out here, not that he had anyone to communicate with though. He couldn’t help but think about Gabe and Eric, they had been pretty shit towards him but they did try and apologise. He hoped that they were okay, wherever they ended up, he didn’t hate them after all, he just didn’t like putting himself at risk of being abandoned by others again.
“Where is the rest of your team? Did they not make it out?” So that’s what they were worried about? That his entire team was dead? Or that he had killed them to level up?
“I don’t have a team, never have really, except for the group I ended up in stage 1 with. I went into the dungeon alone, came out alone, and have been travelling alone.”
“Seems lonely.” The mage commented, and it was true, at times he had felt a brief pang of loneliness but it passed quickly.
“I like being by myself. Easier that way.” And wasn’t that the truth.
“Can you tell us about the dungeon, we want to do one.”
“I can but you won't like what I have to say.” Shaun told them everything, every detail he could remember and all of the risks that he had to take when he was in the fire dungeon. He left out anything to do with his fire affinity and his heritage, including the elixir, but he did explain that if he didn’t have an affinity to earth he would be dead. He also put emphasis on the fact that if they were to enter a dungeon as they were now they would end up dead.
He felt like he was telling children a bedtime story, they made all of the right expressions at the right time, shock, amazement, fear, it was all there, and at the end they seemed to agree that if they did a dungeon just the three of them that they wouldn’t make it out alive.
“So where are you going now?” Angus queried.
“I have an idea of where another dungeon is, not far from here, so I was going to check it out and see what I could find. Hope to cross another one off the list to be honest.”
They all shared another look, one that made him less comfortable than the last. “Can we come with you? To the dungeon? Maybe even join you inside?”
Shaun wasn’t even considering letting them do a dungeon with him, but letting them come to it? There was little harm in that for him. “You can walk with me, but I fight alone.”
Were they disappointed? Yes. But they also expected that response. Soon after they all moved out, heading in the direction that he suspected the dungeon would be. It was still a few hours of walking but it went by quickly. They continued to ask him questions, which he answered, mostly, but towards the end he couldn’t wait to get rid of them. They had started to idolise him in a way that was making him very uncomfortable, that paired with their incessant questions was getting on his nerves. Not much further and I will be alone again. Can’t come quickly enough.
Once the trees started to change around them, it didn’t take long for Shaun to feel more people through his echo, and the closer he got the more people he felt. They were all gathered around the biggest tree that he had ever seen, and he felt the same feeling he had when he found the fire dungeon. He had been right that the changes in the forest were where dungeons would be which would make travelling much easier now that he wouldn’t have to wander around. But he hadn’t factored in all of the people.
He could feel nearly 20 people gathered around the tree, some in groups, others alone. Why haven’t they gone into the dungeon? What are they waiting for? As they got closer Shaun informed the others of what was ahead, they were surprised yet also happy about the situation. Once they started seeing the people milling around he figured out what was happening. These people were all trying to form groups of five to enter, not wanting to go in with less. And with them having arrived, they were like fresh meat at a market and they all wanted to suss out to see if they were worthy of joining them inside. This is going to suck.