Chapter Seventeen) The Second Expedition. Or, running into an old friend.

Jumping into another skeleton did not make any equipment appear in the equipment, which confirmed that it was my arrival in the Mage dungeon that activated everything to act like a new Trainee had arrived.

Climbing up my ladder I had dug into the wall completely out of my dungeon and then going back into it again didn’t do anything either.

So I filled up a backpack with more random gear than a skeleton weighted, wrapped my hands in leather cording to give me the ability to grip things, and set out for another march.

Along with a fresh rope and grapple, hemp this time since Maddy had taken the silk one.

This time I was running across the Strata, soundlessly I noticed. “Still no air remember.” Which made me wonder how I had heard something sniff at me.

Maybe it just not breathable air… No, even if it didn’t have any oxygen, it would still be some kind of air, and it should transmit sound. Right?

So, maybe the Sniffer has air that moves around with it?

In any case, I didn't run into it this time, but rushing over did mean I spent almost two hours finding the mage dungeon again.

Magic walking around Skeletons don't get tired, but running all the way over here did mean that I went off course a lot more. Probably because I stumbled a few times, the heavy pack weighed more than my current body, and while I was strong enough to heft it along with me, it did throw me off balance.

It also helped to keep the grapple in place as I climbed down the rope into the entry room with my leather wrapped hands secure on the smooth rope.

“No alert this time, but I still don’t know if new stuff would appear or not since I didn’t take anything last time, or even move it. Oh, well.”

Looking around more carefully this time, I saw some of that same writing up on the solid wall over the exit from the room. But this time I could read it.

“Stand on the squares and channel Magic to unlock your three skills.”

“Huh.” I guess the fellow that was in here got tired of telling people the same things over and over again. He may have even just put up the writing and then hid from people.

I could do that.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Let’s call that my plan B, and chatting with people plan A.”

So let’s check out the goodies.

On the table in front of me was a six foot long staff that looked identical to the one Maddy had taken for her weapon. It was much heavier with six flat sides and longer than the smooth sided walking stick that had been on the equipment list.

The staff was laid out first, and length wise on the table in front of a very short looking belt, a pouch, and the knife I had seen earlier.

This along with a familiar looking bag that should be full of coins, the notebook, quills, the water bottle, the sack of dried food, and the bottle of ink. All the same as the ones back in my dungeon.

I picked up and started playing around with the gear, even threading the bag and the knife by it’s sheath onto the belt by the flat loops on their back.

The belt which by the way, was the perfect length to strap onto the spine of the skeleton. This ended up leaving the knife and the pouch handing down awkwardly inside it’s pelvis.

"I guess the adjusting for the size of the person don't work that well without anything in the way of a waistline on old Mr. Bones.”

The pouch proved to be more than large enough to hold all the loose stuff, along with dozens of spots like a tool belt for things to go inside that this place had not included as starting gear.

“Cheapskate? Or did the guide here just follow instructions to the letter and never bothered even trying to set anything else out?”

I took the staff along with me as I walked along into the next room, and then hesitated just a little before running for the last three steps onto the [ Mage Gaurd Unlocker ] square.

If I overthought it, I might be here all day. Speaking of which? Is there ever going to be a sunrise around here, or a sunset if it’s already up and I just can’t see it?

As I stood there, it felt like something was draining from me, then…

[ Mage Guard Starter Spell Unlocked ]

“Well, ain’t that nice. But I guess I need to go back home and get a look at a Panel to find out if I can make these back in my Dungeon.”

So how do I make this work?

“Mage Guard?”

For a moment I felt the sensation of being drained again, and then for a moment, a faint glimmer of light was all around my body before it faded away.

Huh. I guess that did it. I wonder how long it lasts?

In the next room, I took a step onto the Mage Bolt square and got the notice [ Mage Bolt Starter spell unlocked ].

“Well, it seemed to work last time. Mage Bolt.”

I felt something gathering up in my hand as I felt the drain again. Lifting my hand I could see a sort of cloud of translucent blue light filling it that warped everything I could see through the thing in my hand...

Trying to shake it off made it shoot into the ground next to the square I was standing on with a snapping sound as it ricocheted off the indestructible floor and flew off into the wall with a crack of shattering stone.

“Hope I don't always have to say things out loud. Having a guide around to ask about that would have been a big help.”

Looking around, I didn’t see any useful writing on the walls to clue me in on how all of this magic stuff worked. A shame.

In the third room, I took a walk up the steps and hopped up to the top, where I felt he drain and felt a surge of lightness nearly lift me free from the ground as I got the notice about Mage Fall, and I looked down at the ground that I was going to jump down to.

Where I saw a slightly battered looking skeleton looking back up at me before it began heading around to the bottom of the steps to come get the trainee it was supposed to fight as soon as they got within ten feet of it.

"Aw heck. Take it easy Mr. Bones, I got no beef with you."

It didn't listen, just got to the bottom of the steps and began to climb up with a determined look on its skull.

“Shoot. I guess we can throw down back on the ground.”

I turned and jumped down… or more like floated down, gently, and worse… very slowly.

There was an abrupt end to the sound of bone feet clattering up steps, and then Mr. Bones slammed into me a moment later as he leaped and hit me halfway down to the ground.