Noracin had an amused smile on his face as he walked away from the Scholar’s Pavilion. Just as he’d suspected Alerio and the residing scholars had been the right people to ask about the Dungeon changing a Floor. In fact they had been almost too eager to have Noracin spend his entire day talking about different theories of how Dungeon mechanics worked, and how their System was different from ours, and how best to interact with them, and how to recognize whether certain Dungeons preferred…

It took Noracin speaking up to stop the endless tirade of, albeit interesting if he’d had the time, topics of conversation. But he didn’t have the time. He was already busy with the schedule and planning work, and he now had to plan and prepare for an investigation as well. At least that part had gone well. Just as he’d hoped Alerio had been all too eager at the chance to enter the Dungeon an additional time, and just like that all signs of his reduced Vitality stat were washed away like shadows underneath the light of a midday sun. He even offered to help plan and prepare supplies for the investigations, even going so far as to suggest additional sensory equipment he learned about from his newly made Scholarly friends. It didn’t take much for that conversation to spiral into Dungeon Theory once again. Noracin had left while they had been in the middle of discussing whether a late or early difficulty spike was preferable, and how the difference was a sign of different attitudes from different Dungeons. Normally he’d have stayed and at least listened, but he had to get a message to Ceria as soon as possible if she was going to have enough time to get everything they’d need before the next caravan left.

The messaging station was the first station the Guild got up and running for obvious reasons. It was in near constant contact with the Guild Hall in Aspenfield as well as the headquarters in Ebereya, sending an amount of messages each day that using more mundane means would take a fleet of carrier pigeons. Unlike the Scholar’s Pavilion, the message station didn’t need a controlled environment, nor were the inhabitants old scholars, so the construction was nothing more than a tent set up over a series of tables and desks with chairs in front of them. And not even a full tent at that, as it didn’t have any walls. There was still a line to get in though, and Noracin had to wait for several minutes before he had the chance to speak to the operators.

“Excuse me,” he said. “I have an urgent message to send to my party member back in Aspenfield.”

“Name?” The Operator asked.

“Noracin Lark. Message is to Ceria Dawnwater.” Noracin said. The Operator nodded and flipped a few pages in his ledger.

“Ah, there you are. Approved for priority and security. And for free no less! Sweet deal.” He said. “Must be nice to be discoverers of a Dungeon, huh?”

“I guess…” Noracin said, unsure what else to say to that. The Operator either didn’t notice Noracin’s discomfort or just didn’t care and continued with the process as if nothing special had happened. He reached within a bag on top of his desk, then took out a much smaller box from within it. Noracin felt a gathering of mana as the locks on the box was opened, then the man pulled out a small onyx stone from within it.

“Here’s a secure message stone. Its partner is locked away in our office in Aspenfield, but the Operator’s there will see when it is used. When you use it be sure to choose the correct receiver, because not only will that person be the only one who will be able to access the message, but their name will also be the only thing our Operators can see.”

“Got it.” Noracin said, even though he already knew how secure Message Stones worked and also thought it a waste to use one on such a simple message.

“There’s a private message hall set up over there.” The man pointed to what at first glance might just seem like a small closet set up within the station, but the mana coming of the markings on the ground told Noracin it was much more than what it first seemed. Thought to call it a ‘message hall’ was an extreme exaggeration. A message closet, maybe. A booth if he was being generous. He still nodded politely to the Operator and walked over to the place. Once inside he activated the privacy enchantments and activated the Message Stone. Then just as expected he was prompted with a decision from the System to decide the one who would be able to open the message. He quickly selected Ceria, and went on to describe their new duties and to come to the outpost during the next caravan so she’d be here in time. As a final thought he remembered to ask Ceria to look for the things Alerio had mentioned that might be useful during an investigation, then he finalized the message and waited until a surge of mana told him it had been sent off properly before he exited the booth. Now all he had to do was go find Emmalia. She didn’t like surprises, so he was sure she wouldn’t be as thrilled with the new investigatory duties as Alerio had been, but the sooner she found out about them the better. And she still had a few days to prepare, so she shouldn’t have much to complain about.

After walking around the camp for several minutes without any luck he went to the scouting leader. Emmalia was supposed to be off duty today, but knowing her it wouldn’t surprise Noracin if she asked to go out on a mission anyway.

“…She left just over two hours ago. She isn’t due back until this evening.” The Scoutmaster said when he asked. Noracin sighed. Of course she did.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Alright thank yo…” He said, but was interrupted by a sudden roar from the nearby forest. He turned in the direction of the sound, before a bad feeling made him turn back towards the Scoutmaster.

“Did she go…” He asked. The Scoutmaster nodded once, then took off sprinting toward the sound. Before he knew what he was doing, Noracin found himself running into the forest after him.

***

“Can you walk now?” Emmalia asked as the trio hobbled through the forest. Aira took a step forward, wobbling slightly and losing her balance. She winced, though from embarrassment rather than from any pain. Her health was full, and her body should be working perfectly fine. It was just that it itself didn’t really know that. She’d nearly died, and her body still hadn’t recovered from it regardless of what the System said of her literal Health. An extremely quick recovery was prone to do that, especially if it came from something above your own Tier. At least that was what Emmalia had said. Aira still found it embarrassing to not be able to walk properly though.

“Damnation.” Emmalia said as Aira shook her head. She turned back towards the way they had come as another roar shook the trees around them. “It’s almost done with the monkey’s… I can only hear two of the little bastards now…” She paused for a moment, then stepped in front of Aira and knelt.

“Hop on.” She said. “We’re going too slow like this.”

“…Will you be alright to run like that? What if we have to fight something?” Aira asked.

“I can manage. Come on we don’t have time to argue here.” Aira didn’t hesitate any longer and climbed on the other woman’s back. Emmalia started running, still keeping pace with Athilana despite carrying Aira on her back. Or rather it seemed Athilana was allowing Emmalia to set the pace rather than running as fast as she could.

“What even is it?” Athilana asked as she leaped over a fallen tree.

“I’m not sure.” Emmalia gasped. “But my best guess is a [Thunderwood Raptor]. They’re not common this far north, but they’re the only ones I can think of that lives in the Lashwood and roars like that.”

“…Aren’t they born with access to Tier 3, and most reach those levels before becoming fully grown?” Athilana asked hesitantly. Emmalia just nodded and kept running. The roar sounded behind them once more, closer this time. And for a second Aira was sure she also heard a different sound. Something that sounded like a gurgling scream of death. But she must be imagining things… Emmalia cursed. Or not.

“That’s the last of the monkeys dead. It’s chasing us now.” She said. The women upped their speed, but even Aira could hear the thundering noise of the monster gradually getting closer.

“It’s gaining on us.” Aira said.

“I know.” Emmalia said.

Aira bit her lip in frustration. They weren’t running as fast as they could go. Or rather, as fast as they could go while carrying her around like a useless lump of wood. Emmalia was Agility and perception focused, and not much higher level than her besides. She wasn’t showing it on her face, but Aira knew it must be taking a lot just to keep up this kind of pace while carrying someone on your back. And while Athilana was a caster, she was also an Elf, and her natural boost to Agility should have allowed for much greater speed than this. Again she was the liability. She would be the thing that got the others killed.

No.

She wouldn’t let that happen.

“How does a [Thunderwood Raptor] hunt?” She asked, an idea beginning to form in her mind.

“Huh?” Emmalia said. “Uhh… By sound, I guess? Its ears are very sensitive, even among beasts of equal or sometimes even higher level, hence why I think it was able to hear the monkeys screaming from wherever it’s actual territory is.”

That settled it.

“Put me down. You both can run faster if you’re not carrying me.” Aira said.

“Don’t be stupid.” Emmalia said.

“Me ever leaving you behind is a thing that could never happen.” Athilana said at the same time.

“I can move by myself.” Aira insisted. “I probably can’t run yet, but I can at least walk.”

“What good will that do?” Athilana asked.

“I’m silent when I move around.” Aira said. “It won’t be able to hear me if I’m by myself.”

Athilana glanced at her as she ran, a concerned frown on her face that Aira could tell was because she was thinking that actually made some sense.

“What’s that frown for?” Emmalia asked as she wove between a cluster of dense trees. Aira had to duck her head down to keep from getting a branch in the face, but she still heard Athilana’s response.

“Her Glyph…” She could hear the reluctance in her friend’s voice. “It allows her to move silently, regardless of the terrain.”

“How silent?”

“Silent silent.” Aira said confidently. Emmalia fell silent herself as she thought. A roar that sounded like it was coming from almost on top of them brought them all back to the present.

“We don’t have time to argue.” Aira said, echoing Emmalia’s earlier words. “If we do nothing, it will catch us all anyway. At least with my plan we all have a chance of getting away.”

She could feel the Rogue’s muscles tense in frustration, and hear the clenching of her teeth as she answered.

“No.” She said after a moment.

“See, I knew you wou…” Aira said, then paused.

“What?” she asked, dumbfounded.

“I won’t be someone who leaves someone behind.” Emmalia said with an iron determination that Aira knew would never change. She increased her speed even further, making Aira have to grab on tight as to not fall off.

“You won’t be leaving me behind. It’s the smart plan!” Aira all but screamed.

“Perhaps.” Athilana said. “But you humans aren’t always known for your smart decisions.” The elven girl smiled as she too upped her speed to match Emmalia’s.

“Sometimes though, the right ones aren’t necessarily the smart ones.”

Aira didn’t know what to say to that. Nor did she have the time to, as a nearby crashing of destroyed trees caused her head to whirl around. And there was the thing that was chasing them. Aira only caught a glimpse of it through the trees, as neither it nor they were running in a particularly straight line. Though where they had to weave through even the smallest tree it could crash through some of them, so it was steadily gaining ground. It ran hunched over on two legs, with lightning crackling all across its still over two-meter-tall body, and arcing from it to bend and force the forest out of its path. It seemed to sense her looking, as it roared a challenge of hunger and conquest. Aira instinctively scanned it with the System. Just as Emmalia had feared it was a [Thunderwood Raptor].

And its name was an ominous red, so dark it was almost black.