Over the next month, Chrome and Vay worked together and arrived at a mutual understanding that optimized both Chrome’s leadership and Vay’s experience. The former would be the de facto leader and issue the commands and plans, but Vay had the option to voice her opinions in case the idea was bad and attempt to change Chrome’s mind. While the arrangement did have the blind obedience many necromancers had with their undead, Chrome was satisfied with the relationship, because he knew how much he was lacking and was eager to utilize other’s experience to help him develop. Even Zom with his high requirements expressed satisfaction with the arrangement. The others had teased him initially (and still a little now) when the learning curve was high, claiming that it was unclear who was the master and who was the servant, but Chrome knew that they also supported the decision and could also see the visible improvement he was making. And improve he did.
In the last month, Chrome had finally caught up to his classmates in terms of physique, and he no longer lagged behind Riernel and Celene in their morning exercises. Furthermore, after having an outlet for the information he learned in his War Tactics, Leadership, and Politics class, he found a new enthusiasm for the course and quickly absorbed the material.
Chrome was not able to keep Vay around 24/7 due to his low mana regeneration, but his 11 WIS did allow him to summon her for several hours about once every two weeks. He was always eager to practice what he had learned while she was gone and obtain her feedback. His eagerness had nothing to do with the fact that the combat class introduced 1 on 1 sparring, and without his undead, a necromancer was a sitting duck. Nothing at all. Today was the day that he was able to summon her, and he looked forward to winning a sparring match, showing his improvement and getting more feedback.
So with a bounce in his step, and Vay and friends by his side (since he summoned her in the morning), he walked into the arena. As usual, Zom was already standing in the center of the arena with his arms crossed waiting. Once the entire class was present, he began speaking.
“Today, I have something different planned besides the usual individual training or sparring. In the last month, you got familiar with your skills and combat. Now, we will put your training to the test through hunting monsters. Split up into groups of 5. I will wait 5 minutes, and then we will head out to a nearby dungeon.”
The class was abuzz with excitement. Hunting monsters meant that they would finally be able to level up; this was the moment they had all been waiting for ever since they first gained their classes. Chrome was especially ecstatic as it meant that he would be able to increase his WIS stat and summon Vay much more often and for longer periods of time. He quickly paired up with his 4 roommates (Vay as a summon did not count towards the 5 person limit), and the group waited as the rest of the class sorted themselves out.
Chrome took the time to look at his teammates who have similarly improved and found their path in the last month. Tybalt now sported a large hunting bow currently slung over his back with a pair of daggers attached to his side. Joan hefted a solid sword with a wide blade and flat top. There was a hold in the middle of the blade where a handle was placed so that she could use the weapon both offensively as a sword and defensively as a shield. Riernel and Celene, both magic casters, carried no equipment, but they dressed in light leather clothes that allowed nimble movements. Chrome was dressed similarly as the royal two, and Vay was dressed as she always does in her black outfit.
Soon after all the teams had been created, the general led the class outside of the arena to an enclosed encampment nearby. There were two guards placed at the entrance, and after Zom handed a document to them for inspection, the two saluted and let the class pass.
“The dungeon is a national resource as it provides a local and relatively safe method to gain experience and level. Entry to it is strictly monitored in order to manage resources and without previous approval strictly prohibited.” Zom stopped in front of a cave with two solid steel doors barring the entrance. There were two more guards standing in front of these doors as well. “For the most part, over the next three years, every student will have to apply to gain access to the dungeon and hunt monsters.”
He turned towards the students. “See these doors? These doors are located at the entrance of each dungeon floor with guards positioned on either side. You cannot pass through the doors unless you reach a certain rank. The first emperor created these doors and placed them at those locations, because the dungeon gets progressively harder the deeper you go. The first floor is for rank 1, the second floor is for rank 2, and so forth until the final 5th floor.”
At this point, another soldier walked up to Zom with a box of circular tokens. Zom reached down and grabbed one. “This here is an emergency token. If your life is in danger, crush the token, and we will send someone to get you. Your dungeon run ends immediately as soon as you are retrieved. However, these tokens only work up to the 2nd floor. On the 3rd floor and beyond, you are on your own.”
“Finally, a word of warning. You all are the future of our country, and as such, we have several measures as mentioned previously in place in order to promote your safety and growth. However, make no mistake, the dungeon is dangerous, and you can die if unprepared or caught by surprise. Hopefully, I have prepared you well enough in this past month that at least the first floor should be relatively easy, but if you meet a max level rank 1 monster, that will probably still give you a run for your money. Alright, that’s the basic introduction. Grab your tokens and get going.”
The mention of death dampened Chrome’s enthusiasm, and his excitement, while still there, became subdued, replaced by cold determination. He looked at his teammates to see them seem also mentally preparing. Vay looked a little bored. The group took their tokens, and nervous but excited, decisively entered the dungeon.
----------------------------------------
The dungeon was darker than Chrome expected. Man-made torches lined the sides of the cavern tunnel every so often and contributed a source of light, but they also cast long, dark shadows obscuring the rest of the cavern. He gulped at the thought that a monster could jump out and catch him unaware when he was passing. He felt something touch his shoulders, and startled, he quickly turned.
“Ah! … Oh, it’s just you.” He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Vay standing there.
“You shouldn’t be so tense. While caution is good, too much of it and stiff joints may cause you to blunder where you might have otherwise not.”
Chrome nodded, but it was easier said than done. He took a deep breath and that helped relax him.
“Is everyone ready?” Celene took this moment to address the group and upon receiving affirmative nods, the group ventured further into the caverns.
The first battle was as sudden as it was short. As soon they turned a corner in the cave, they came face to face with a short, green creature wearing dirty rags and wielding a small wooden club. Everyone was startled, and for a second, no one moved. Then the goblin shrieked and charged at them, breaking them out of their stupor and causing them to act on instinct.
“Wind Blade!”
“Energy Bolt!”
“Smite!”
“War Song!”
“Dark Sword!”
The combination of the four attacks buffed with Celene’s support crushed the goblin into meat paste. In the resulting awkward silence, the five stood there observing their work, feeling a little embarrassed about how they collectively panicked at a single goblin. They looked at each other and nodded at each other in a tacit understanding that at least for the 20 years, this incident would remain unspoken.
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“Dark sword?” Vay broke the silence and asked with a question. She looked at Chrome. “The active skill for Necromancer at rank 1 is definitely ‘Summon Undead’. Where did ‘Dark Sword’ come from?”
“...”
“Is there some secret you can’t tell me? As your undead, remember that I can’t do anything that will bring you harm.”
“Vay, to be honest, I haven’t told you, because it wasn’t necessary for you to know, and given the limited amount of time we had anyways, it would have been a waste of time.”
Vay signaled for Chrome to continue. However, rather than explain, Chrome did what he always did.
“Status. Public.”
The blue screens showed up as always, and the only sign of surprise was a slight widening of the eyes.
“...You don’t seem that surprised.”
“...”
“I guess if you include the entire underworld, my case is less unique than I thought?”
“...”
“...Vay?”
Vay stood there as usual, her eyes still widened. After another uncomfortable amount of time in silence, she blinked before her eyes focused on the necromancer.
“Chrome.” She paused, and he tensed as Vay seemed to be about to say something of crucial importance. “I have a brother who is also an undead vampire in the underworld. Next time you are able to, you should summon him.”
Chrome almost fell down. She pretended it was something important, but it was just a referral? He made a noncommittal nod.
Riernel cleared his throat and brought the topic back to dungeon diving. “In hindsight, we should be in some sort of formation to make sure that we are properly prepared for future situations. Let’s do the standard triangle formation. Celene, as our support, will be in the center. Joan will lead the party at the point. Tybalt will take the lower left, and I will take the lower right.”
“What about me?”
“Chrome, eventually, you could probably create a party of undead entirely on your own. However, for now, you only have Vay who is strong enough, even without her class skills, to fill any role. That versatility is best used to reinforce one of the weak points. So you will also be placed in the center, and as need rises, you can send Vay to the area that needs the most help. The alternative is that you can be with Joan up front, and Vay’s position stays the same, but I’m not sure about your mana pool.”
“I don’t have enough MP to use Dark Paladin skills, and I’m ill-equipped. I’ll probably take the first option.” Chrome nodded and turned to Vay. “How does that sound to you?”
Vay responded, “That’s fair. If need be, I can also debuff enemies, but in general, I will probably take a hands-off approach.”
The group rearranged themselves and proceeded through the rest of the first floor for several hours. Whenever they encountered a monster, all of them goblins, the group would methodically dispatch it. By the end of the next hour, they had not only set up a rotation system to determine who would get the last hit and the experience associated with it, but also utilized it relatively successfully, and everyone leveled up twice. Chrome was pleasantly surprised to see that Vay automatically leveled up with him without needing to accumulate experience again.
Unfortunately, as the entire class was currently in the dungeon at the same time, the amount of monsters available to hunt had to be shared and was limited. Soon, the group exited the dungeon where they found Zom waiting, standing as if he never moved from the place since the moment he watched them enter.
“Good job. Today was your first dungeon diving, and regardless of how it went, it was a success if you stayed alive. In the future, after you apply for permission to enter, you will not be sharing the dungeon with any other groups, so there will be many more monsters for better or worse. The rest of the classes for the day have been canceled, so you can go ahead and rest now.”
After hearing the words of conclusion from the teacher, Chrome was suddenly hit by a sense of fatigue. He guessed that, after the adrenaline had disappeared, all the accumulated tension from the dungeon caught up all at once. As soon as he returned to his room, he unsummoned Vay, and by the time his head hit the pillow, he was fast asleep.
Celene’s Class: Galeforce Muse
Rank
Stat & Skill
Skill Description
1
+2 CHA per Level
Passive 1: Song of the Wind
All of your abilities also raise ally DEX stats by 10% for the duration.
If the skill improves DEX, then this bonus is added on.
1
+2 CHA per Level
Active 1: War Song
25 Mana
You sing a musical note imbued with war, bolstering your allies and subduing your enemies.
Ally Boost:
5% of CHA increase in all stats
Enemy debuff:
5% of CHA decrease in all stats
Riernel’s Class: Galeforce Wizard
Rank
Stat & Skill
Skill Description
1
+2 INT per Level
Passive 1: Spirit of the Wind
Your mana is attuned to the wind, granting you increased movement speed.
+1 Dex for every 5 INT
1
+2 INT per Level
Active 1: Wind Blade
10 MP per cyclone
You throw a crescent-shaped wind blade at your enemy.
Deals 1% of your INT as damage
Joan’s Class: Valkyrie
Rank
Stat & Skill
Skill Description
1
+2 CON per Level
Passive 1: Valkyrie Connection
The closer you are to death, the more other valkyries can connect to and help you.
For every missing 1% of health, gain 0.1% extra stats. This bonus is up to a maximum of 10%.
1
+2 CON per Level
Active 1: Smite
25 MP
You smite your enemy with an empowered blow.
You deal 10% STR.
Tybalt’s Class: Demon Hunter
Rank
Stat & Skill
Skill Description
1
+2 DEX per Level
Passive 1: Anti-Demon Energy
Your energy takes on anti-demon properties.
Against demons you gain 50% increase in all stats.
1
+2 DEX per Level
Active 1: Energy Bolt
25 MP for imbue
100 MP for create
You create or imbue a bolt with energy.
Each bolt deals 25% DEX extra damage. Energy bolts cannot be stacked.
Pure energy bolts deal 5x as much
Requires 1 minute to charge or create
Vay’s Class: Blood Witch
In general, curses do not always apply successfully, especially on someone of higher rank or with higher stats. In these situations, no curse is applied (i.e. the cost is not doubled), and the user needs to try again.
Rank
Stat & Skill
Skill Description
1
+2 INT per Level
Passive 1:
Empowered Restraint
In addition to restricting the movement of your opponents, the curse mark also seals some of your opponents stats and mana usage.
Curse seals 10% of stats
Locks 10% of MP
1
+2 INT per Level
Active 1: Curse Mark (Restraint)
100 MP per curse
You attach a curse mark onto your enemy that restricts their movements. The strength of the restriction is 100% INT (i.e. someone with greater STR than your INT can break the restraints and be unaffected)
This can be stacked on a single target, but each additional curse doubles the cost.