2.3.2 Deeper into the Dungeon (Sky Arrows PoV)

A medium-sized room with three exits lies deep on the seventh dungeon floor. It looks like hundreds of other cellar or dungeon rooms, with only one exception: On one wall a large symbol glows red. The symbol is known as the Repulsor-Symbol and it forces any spawn to leave the room at once. This creates dangerous roaming spawns that can attack any adventurer party any time, even adding to the spawns fighting in other rooms - but it is compensated by the fact that a room with a repulsor is safe because no spawn can enter it.

That fact is why the Sky Arrows had setup camp here last evening. Currently only Tom Blueeye is awake, silently preparing rations for breakfast - the other five adventurers are still sleeping in their bedrolls, although one of them has begun to stir as well.

Gladia Evelarn sits up and streches herself a bit before going to help Tom with the rest of the preparations.

"So what do you think about this dungeon, Tom? Especially with this boooring default for a seventh floor after the very cunning first few floors?"

"It doesn't fit at all, I agree - but that is what gave me an idea of what might have happened. The idea still has several holes where things don't fit, but it might be a start to explain all this."

Tom muses a bit before he continues "The first floors were very cunning, especially the Mapping Hell where every part contributed to make those two floors a challenge to find your way through. And I think that originally the submerged fifth floor was only half submerged like the fourth floor - that would have made it much more difficult, especially for black-ranked adventurers with a low number of perception skills.

But remember that you discovered that the water was not part of the environment, but summoned from the nodes. I think that when that idiotic fight started, the core used the water nodes as an energy dump and that is what completely filled the fifth floor with water - there have to be some cracks between the floors where the water from the fourth floor also went down, especially since it was not restricted as part of the environment.

Then the energy build-up caused the mutations and insanity on the sixth floor, which has to have been the current floor at that moment. I have absolutely no idea how the core was able to contain that mutation and escape to a new floor, but however it was done it can't have been easy or it would have happened to other dungeons as well. And I think it cost the core a lot - including losing most of his cunning, which is why this seventh floor is basically a boring textbook type dungeon.

What remains to be seen is if that reset to defaults is permanent or if the dungeon will recover from it. Personally I hope it will only partially recover - a bland dungeon is no challenge, but I could do with less surprises on future floors compared to the Mapping Hell and the fourth floor."

'Nope, you got several things wrong, Tom - but considering your limited knowledge that is actually quite close to what really happened. But don't worry, I'll have a lot of surprises planned for the second rank of floors after I can level up and get rid of this regeneration limiting status...'

"Sounds reasonable, be sure to write that possibility down in the report. Orwen will have to research that and other options."

With the rest of them awake, the Sky Arrows have a quick breakfast, collect their equipment into their inventories and then continue the delve deeper into the dungeon. After two more hours of dungeon cellars with an assortment of enemies from silver foxes to spear crabs they arrive at the final room of the floor. The titanic crab that is the floor boss is quickly dispatched, allowing them to study the node and the stairs down.

While Cleev Imral, their elementalist, goes to check out the node, D'vol Blackthorn checks the stairs. "From the look of the stairs, the next floor is cellars again. But there can't be many more floors after this - the core has to have been on the floor 6 during the fight for it to have mutated, and after that there were only two mana waves strong enough to create a new floor."

Tom answers to that "I'm not as sure about that, D'vol - this floor might have been done in the confusion after the battle, although it is a bit big for that - and on the other hand I'm reasonably sure that the two tiny waves are not enough for the respawning on the Mapping Hell that we know happened. I think we're still missing something. Cleev, what is that node?"

"It's a small-weapon-node, capable of creating wooden or copper weapons with [Limited] enchantments. Pretty standard as well, like the rest of this floor."

"OK, then let's head down - regular formation with Corvin and Holgun first."

Five minutes later Corvin quietly tells the others: "I can see the first room of the eighth floor - no spawns visible, but there are several stone blocks and walls of about one meter high scattered through the room. It might be a trap or puzzle room, although that would be strange on this low a floor."

"The Dungeon had a token barrier on floor 4, so I wouldn't call a trap room on floor 8 an impossibility, be careful when advancing."

Combat Initiated Silver Foxes A, B, C, D, E and F

vs.

The Sky Arrows

The Sky Arrows are surprised

 "Watch out, foxes"

*Clank* "Damned stone wall, that was my sword"

 "Two foxes behind the stone block south"

 "Watch out for that hole in the stone barrier to the west"

Victory Result No XP due to excessive rank difference between the party and the spawns.

Silver Fox Cadavers can now be taken as loot.

"They seem to be regular silver foxes like the ones on Mapping Hell and the few scattered through that default floor above, but ordered to use ambush tactics. And the obstacles here - especially with those half-meter-holes near the ground - make this room perfect for ambush and retreat tactics from small spawns. I think that we have to consider this floor to be more difficult than regular again."

"Probably, depending on what follows - but it seems that the core is regaining some of its cunning rather quickly. I don't think it'll remain partially damaged like you hoped, Tom."

"That raises an important question, General. We know that the seventh floor was created by Booble and there never was a reset, but it is possible that some damage from the mutation and temporary insanity remains?"

"I don't think so, Gunny. But I can't be absolutely sure. Most of the sixth floor is separated and I have neither access nor memory of it. That includes no access to the templates of the spawns I created there like the Frankenstein Zombie or the flesh golems.

I do have access to the templates I got from sending out the remaining scout sphere randomly while under the effect, and that should indicate that the system removed all mutation connections but nothing else."

"That at least indicates no new insanity was added to the one you already had - after all your command decisions in North Korea thirty years ago were also insane."

At that Orslesh, the Shaman interjects "You should not speak that disrepectfull of the core that gave you life!"

"No, Orslesh, the General is not my father - thank god. And before you judge you need to experience the same - seven different close calls with death within a single hour of a supposedly top secret black scouting mission."

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When the Lizard Shaman opens his mouth again, the General stops him.

"Just accept that this is something from before Gunny and me came to the Sphere, and you won't be able to change that. But to another point because the Sky Arrows are currently doing nothing of importance: Unfortunately Grsmg'wdf iuhulh managed to sneak past his guard and entered the mutated zones of floor six. I was a bit distracted by the ambush on the Sky Arrows and couldn't intercept him in time."

"It's probably better this way - I didn't understand why you didn't have him killed after his mutation anyway." is the only answer from Orslesh.

Everyones attention turns back to the Sky Arrows, who proceeded through two more rooms in that time.

"Three ambush oriented rooms and now nothing but a long corridor going north? Gladia, any chance that we might have missed a secret door or something like that?" Holgun asks over his shoulder while cautiously proceeding.

"No, I doublechecked as well. Nothing but a long corridor that turns east a bit short of the dungeon floor limit. If this were a core floor, I would suspect it was started but is unfinished - but I don't know of anything that could make a core abandon working on an incomplete floor to build a new floor below it. That would reduce its defenses after all."

The Sky Arrows follow the turning corridor until they finally come near to another room. Gladia warns "We are on the last part of the map on this floor - there is a good chance that this is a node room despite the node not visible from here. Unless of course the floor is not incomplete but has another trick to it."

Carefully the Sky Arrows enter the room, checking every corner and obstacle in it. But the only things they find is the floor node hidden behind one obstacle and the stairs leading down to another floor at the other end. There is no trap or spawn in this room at all, something they can't really believe.

"Why is there no spawn here? This is the floor end room, why would the dungeon core cede this without a defense?"

Incredulous and suspicious faces are everywhere while the Sky Arrows take the time and double- and triple check the room again. "Tom, is it possible that the core has gone dormant and is on automatic despite the change of the title two days ago?"

"Perhaps it used up all the mana gained and couldn't fill this room? No, that doesn't make sense either - it would have gotten some mana for this from our own delve yesterday..."

"Hey General, you were right - watching them carefully stalk around nothing is really funny..."

"Yes, Gunny - but it's mostly to keep them guessing and off-guard. Besides nothing I could have placed there would have been a problem for them..."

It took the Sky Arrows another hour of carefully searching an empty room before they go down to the ninth floor - just to be met with another surprise.

"What? A single room floor with the node and both stairs up and down in the same room, all without a defender? Has the dungeon core transported us into a different [Limited]-Ranked dungeon by one of its gates? What's going on?"

While the rest of the adventurers look around in confusion, Tom stands to the side in deep thought. Finally he raises his voice to keep his friends calm.

"No, I think it's beginning to make sense. The two tiny energy waves must have been from creating two tiny floors - this one and floor ten if I'm guessing right. That would mean that the massive final wave would have been the creation of floor number eleven - the very first [very low]-ranked floor.

The dungeon must have realised that it needs escapees from a [very low]-ranked floor to get past the system level limit of 20. And then it must have decided to abandon the already started floor 8 and create this floor and possibly the same next, in order to have most of its mana in a rather difficult floor 11 as a way to quickly get past that rank-limit.

If that is right, the next floor will also be tiny like this one and then there will be the core on floor 11. Let's go on."

"It shows that the Sky Arrows are experienced adventurers, others would probably have taken longer to understand that. But that idea about gates to another dungeon should be noted as well. Gunny, you'll have to keep a lookout for other possible dungeons when I send you out the day after tomorrow."

"Huh? Another job for me? What have you planned now?"

"I set the system to search for a candidate for the rogue contract I had gained as a quest reward, and someone answered. You'll have to travel to the meeting point to guide them to my entrance if you consider them usable. I'll give you the details tomorrow, now let's continue watching the Sky Arrows - they already passed the single-room on floor 10 as well and are approaching the core floor..."

 "Looks like your guess was correct, Tom. I can see a large room at the bottom of the stairs. It's still mostly dark because no one has entered it, but I can see some eyes and shadows of waiting spawns." Corvin whispers back to his companions. "I'll get ready to storm them. Holgun, you take the right side."

The two fighters storm into the room - resulting in several crashing noises and curses, but no combat notifications. When Gladia and Tom follow them ten seconds later they see Holgun wrapped up in some form of fishing net that has a lot of fishing hooks sewn into it, while Corvin is cursing from between two stone slabs that dropped down from the ceiling. Tom goes to help Holgun while Gladia checks the rest of the room.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here...

A trapping room, my speciality - it is an early floor for such a room that allows for multiple and complex traps while all spawns are forbidden. Then again, just because spawns are forbidden doesn't mean that pictures of spawns on the walls are also forbidden.

But I have to admit, the use of colored glass and mirrors make the eyes especially lifelike in bad light, that is new. Of course it only works against people without maps, but then again a bit of paint and glass doesn't cost the dungeon much..."

"Hey Gladia, just because the stonefall trap is too weak to crush my mithril plate doesn't mean I like being stuck here. Stop your admiration speech and do something about this damn trap!!!"

 After fifteen minutes of working, the Sky Arrows had disabled the traps and gotten their comrades out again. Then Tom holds up a glowing crystal. "According to the crystal we got from Orwen this is the core floor - which would fit with our estimation on what the energy waves did as far as floor creation goes. Our contract says that we are not to advance into this floor - I admit that the contract was written before we knew whether the core survived or not, but a contract is still a contract. We'll retreat from here, our job is done."

Everyone reorganises their backpacks and prepares for going back, but Gladia asks: "Will we stay here for a while to participate in the system quest or do you want to head for the Bremarin Dungeon directly? And what about the idea of a base here in Rivansea?"

"We'll discuss both points with the others when we're back in the inn - but the chance is high we'll vote for yes to both questions."

Going up is a lot faster than going down because they no longer need to map the dungeon, but it still takes the Sky Arrows the rest of the day to fight their way up through the respawns that either happened while they were deeper in the dungeon or that were prepaid with the stoning traps.

When they arrive back at the first floor it is evening, but a waiting guard tells them to proceed to a mess tent set up outside and wait for mastermage Orwen who asked to be called no matter how late it would be when they returned. And half an hour later Orwen comes into the tent.

"Hi everyone, let's make this quick. The System Quest Message was send to every guildmaster of every adventurer's guild on Logronal and on the surrounding lands, and I expect to get a lot of visitors and messages due to that. So I need to get a simple overview on how difficult that quest will be and the basics of the rest of the dungeon so that I can set up an official message. The details can wait for when you turn in your report."

Tom looks up from the beer he's enjoying. "In one word - bad. The mutation is like nothing I have ever seen, and I helped in destroying three regular mutated dungeons over the years. Usually a mutation results in a random placement of walls and corridors with spawns that were made of random parts from other spawns, but that floor is both more consistent and more crazy - despite the fact that those two attributes have nothing to do with each other.

It is divided into three parts with three bridges, one of them being a one-way bridge which means anyone going there has to find another way back - and the other two bridges are looking difficult as well. If the System Quest didn't specifically call for adventurers of all ranks I would simply forbid anyone but silver-ranked adventurers to enter that floor.

The dungeon itself has eleven floors - it basically sacrificed any defenses on floor eight to ten to get the eleventh floor as fast as possible. That is what the tiny waves were - creations of two mini-floors nine and ten so that it can fulfill the rank-up requirement of [very low]-ranked escapees as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Tom - the last part is good news, although you won't be handling that. I have to play politics here and that means an elven party will handle escorting the [very low]-ranked adventurers and helping them escape after triggering the halfway HP message on that floor. And then several of the necromancers from Kaarg are waiting to be the first into that mutated floor."

"They're welcome to it - there are indications that one of the three parts would be to their liking as it consists mostly of flesh and bones. We'll write the report and make copies of our maps tomorrow, they should be ready by sixteen o'clock or so. And while we have to discuss and vote about it, most likely we'll ask for help purchasing a home in Rivansea as a reward."

"I expected as much as soon as the System Quest Notification came around. Luckily I already had some people purchase land for the guild before that message happened, you can bet that the prices will get up as soon as that info goes around..."