INIT ANIIK

The portal slammed shut just as her sister went through it. Init knew that she should have worried, but if she was honest with herself, she was happy that it was Jaaru and not her. Jaaru had her crazy level 100 stats and the ability to use any skill in the repository. If anyone could solo a dungeon of a completely unknown rank that looked higher than any other dungeon she had ever seen, not like the grade 30 that she was told it to be, she assumed it to be her.

Init looked at the group and shrugged: “I guess that we had incomplete information about the dungeon. Good thing it’s her who went through first.”

Jiiti stared at Init: “I thought you like your sister.”

Init nodded: “I do. But I know that she outlevels each and every one of us. She ran the dungeon with me originally. She just looks in fights as if she has no strategy because her stats are very evenly spread so she can afford it.”

Jiiti raises an eyebrow: “What level is she?”

Init responded: “She’s level one hundred. Yeah, really.”

Jiiti looked shocked: “Level one-freaking hundred‽ How‽”

Init looked really unhappily at Jiiti: “Long story. But basically, you know how she and I went on a journey to Tsanh? I got a class that was slightly different from my previous one, and she, she got one that she was able to level up in a freaking weekend. Not even a long weekend! Since then, she has been powerleveling me and sometimes others.”

Jiiti nodded: “Is that how she could pedal so fast to get us all here?”

Init shook her head: “There are faster folk now, but her combination of fast, strong and enduring is unique.”

There was a long pause, then Jiiti changed the topic to talk about work and how a new mindset training had been especially disgusting, which had both of them savage every bit of the company.

It was surprisingly fast that the portal opened again and Jaaru was seen, looking worse for wear but not seriously injured. She walked away from the portal, seemingly looking for something specific. Jaaru glanced back and even gave a gesture indicating that she was okay, before she made haste towards the unspecified destination. Init was about to enter there as well, but Jiiti held her back: “You see the splatter on the walls? That is blood. And it doesn’t look like it is Jaaru’s blood. Whatever she fought in there was numerous and probably a menace. I don’t want it or them after us.”

She nodded, cursing once again her low levels.

When she returned, she carried a large sphere with her. It looked like a large, round rock that had forgotten that rocks are supposed to be opaque. And most likely not orange. Jaaru didn’t seem to be in any particular distress or hurry. She did look however like she was very grumpy, 200% done with the day and like Init would have to get into her good graces this evening by providing backrubs.

As she exited the portal, Init saw a message in front of her very eyes:

Due to continued violations of the Varikaan treaty, the reach of Unlimited Potential on Windrush is restricted. Non-affiliates of Ishtaan or Solidarity are going to experience skill loss akin to losing half their levels and related attribute restriction.

Init’s heart rate raced. She knew suddenly what this was: A contract governor that was kept in the dungeon, probably in order to prevent it from doing its job. “We need to run! This is the enforcement device behind the integration treaty. I am sure every crusty human knows where this thing was located. We need to fucking LEAVE!”

Jaaru ran to the weird, pedal-powered contraption they flew in with. Init and Jiiti jumped onto it and moments later, it took off.

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Soon, drones were flying from the town in the direction of the group. Init felt a weird twinge in her self, like her class was urging her to do something. Generally her Technologist class didn’t have many combat applications, but right now, she felt a rather strong pull towards these. She felt something arise in her as the drones approached. She felt that these drones were intended to trap them with a net and to drag them home.

New Skill: Interception (Level 1)

The drones started swerving, crashing into each other and she shouted happily.

Jaaru sounded scared: “What is happening?”

Init let out a mad giggle: “I gained a new skill! It is amazing! Finally, I can see some advantages of my class!”

Jaaru smiled: “Can you keep them off of me, while I fly the contraption to town?”

Init asked: “Into town? What do you plan? They probably can find the governor anywhere on Windrush.”

Jaaru didn’t respond immediately. Instead she pedalled with determination and speed, while grimacing. Her face seemed to be contorted. Eventually, she said: “We need to get to the repository! Jiiti, can you navigate there?”

Jiiti nodded: “Sure! But why the fuck do you what to get there? It makes no sense! What can it do?”

Jaaru said: “Both are weird magic structures. They should know what to do with each other.” Jaaru paused and then murmured over the wind: “I hope!”

SKIPS-ONE-STEP

The boss was a large, spindly thing. It looked like a combination of a scarecrow with large limbs and its face looked like that of a lizard. It was fast. Even for Skips it was fast. She was barely able to keep herself out of the reach of the monster.

Skips was just happy that this boss area was a several kilometre long stone arena. The flat surface of the ground of the oval-shaped plain was smooth without a chance to hide or ambush. She ran like she never before did, channelling her skills into faster and faster movement, keeping the creature as busy as possible, keeping its attention on her and away from the rest of the group that tried to set up a snare. Skips ran and ran, when at the end of the arena, she had to get past the critter and its long arms, which required her to dodge fast. She ended up getting scratched, bleeping, in pain, and her stamina was reaching its end. She was used to running at a constant speed, but not to zig-zagging, starting, stopping and changing directions. These things drained stamina at a rate that shocked her. Her Advanced Longstrider skill was made for the open desert, for long runs on the Kha Zha plain, not for this fight. She felt drained, tired, miserable, in pain, fighting for every step, every dodge, every moment. Between pained breaths, she exclaimed: “When are you done? I… barely… continue!”

Sure-Climbing-Friend answered: “Give us a few more moments.”

Skips breathed heavy breaths and responded: “Can… not… wait… tired!”

Sure-Climbing-Friend made a noise that translated to ‘I do not appreciate being rushed because I am already working as fast as I can’. A few breaths later that felt like an eternity, Sure-Climbing-Friend shouted: “Done!”

Skips changed directions again, this time running towards the trap and jumped over the structure ahead of her. Moments later, the spindly thing crashed into the net and then couldn’t move. Nourishes-and-Cares attacked the boss monster once and ended it with a very targeted attack.

Skips was on the floor. Her legs and feet ached. She was out of breath. She felt miserable. As the creature disappeared after Nourishes’s attack, Skips looked into the direction, raised her head and then lowered it again, happy that the threat was solved. Teki opened the reward chest and distributed the items. Nothing in there seemed particularly relevant for the current run, but they might become important in the future.

Being thoroughly exhausted from the dungeon clearing, they left the dungeon and made camp in front of it. Moments later, they burrowed.

CVETKA KRALJ

“Hey look, there is a weird thing in the ground in front of a grade 12 dungeon.” Cvetka called out as the drone leisurely flew over it.

Rush snarled: “Monster burrow?”

Cvetka lowered the passenger drone: “Maybe. Want to figure it out?”

Crystal shook her head: “We’re en route to a higher level dungeon. We should not stop here.”

Cvetka used her communicator and zoomed in: “Hey, I think this one is one of our rivals! I think there are supplies on the ground here.”

Rush asked: “They are farming first clears?”

Cvetka nodded: “Looks like it.”

Rush said: “They look asleep. I know an immoral but very satisfying solution to the issue.”