Worthy Core

"Are you sure you don't want to wait for Tizzy and Linda to finish their enchanted amulets, my lord?"

Cautiously, so as to not miss his step as he makes his way up the mountain trail, Thaddeus turns to shoot Pulg an irritated look. "From all reports, the first floor of the dungeon could be done by literal children, if the dungeon were to allow them inside. If we were unable to do at least that much without magical assistance, I'd throw you and then myself off of this mountain. Also, remember - no 'my lord', 'sirs', or any of that while we're in public. We don't want anyone to think I'm posing as a part of the local nobility or such. There is potentially a duke out there who may wonder who is passing through his territory."

"Of course...boss." The half-orc shaman is quiet for a moment after that, but soon speaks up again. "Did we not want to do this alongside Tizzy, though? She's been scouting for us for a reason, after all."

The human leading the way again shakes his head. "I want her spending her time pushing ahead, and it took her longer than expected to find another party to challenge with, so I don't wish to delay her even longer. The reports we have are more than sufficient, between her scouting and the information the Association is willing to share. A few traps, a few monsters, nothing we can't handle."

From the hard breathing the mage is doing as she struggles to keep up with Pulg, it's clear that Linda isn't quite in agreement even before she speaks up. "That's easy for you to say, my - boss. You're a swordsman. You don't need any fancy spells to kill a beast with a blade. Things are still ten times more difficult for me than it was back home, and I'm hardly about to be killing many things by whopping them with my staff."

This time Thaddeus comes to a complete halt when he turns to face her. "Are you saying you don't believe you're up to the task, Cogswell?"

The woman's flushed face pales slightly as she swallows. "No! It's just - it would have perhaps been a better use of my - our - time if I were finishing our mana-adapter artifacts before we came up here. I assure you, even without them, I still have magic enough for a floor of this dungeon, though! I won't even need ten percent! I'm sure five - two - would more than suffice!"

The prince, satisfied enough with that response, returns to the hike before responding. "I'll admit, I'm being selfish. Scouting things out has kept Tizzy more than busy, and you've been spending time enough with your research and enchantment work. Even Pulg has been able to spend time becoming familiar with the spirits of this world. But there's only so much time I can spend training, I'm afraid. My patience runs short - I need to at least see this dungeon for myself."

"Hear, hear!" Lei shouts out from his position at the front of the group. "And even the boss can at least practice his swordplay in the training yards without making a big scene out of it. You know how it looks when I attempt to practice proper martial arts in public? Everyone was coming up to me, asking about my class, my style - asking what continent I'm from. At least someone out there does train in schools of unarmed combat, but I couldn't even tell you the name of the country where they live. It's getting to the point where if I want to train without breaking our cover, I'll need to go searching out traveling Challengers to practice on."

Pulg rubs his chin. "Like they wouldn't have questions about why you're picking fights with them? ...Oh, you wouldn't be planning on leaving survivors, I imagine."

The Iron Palm grins, but his master frowns. "Don't be so foolish, Lei. We don't know enough yet about how capable the local adventurers are, save that they almost all seem to have some magical talent. If you pick a fight without your mystical techniques on hand, you could well find yourself facing down a rain of fireballs on your head. And while it would be your own fault, I do not want that sort of trouble getting back to me, understand?"

"Of course, master." Lei turns and half-bows. "Simply voicing my own frustration, I suppose."

"Well, it is time to put a lid on it - we're just about here." Sure enough, a minute or so later and a few more turns in the trail brings the quartet before the infamous Doorman. Thaddeus advances to the fore of the party, putting on his most formal tone of voice as he greets the door.

"Hail, Guardian of Worthy Dungeon! We seek permission to engage your challenges and seek your rewards."

As usual, Doorman answers the party with a smile on his face. "Is that the sound of a translation artifact I hear? You must be travelers from quite far away, if you don't speak any languages I know of. Where are you from, might I ask?"

The prince pauses, having been forewarned about the rather...unusual form of the door's 'riddles'. "Is that your test, Master Door?"

"What? No, can't a man just ask a question once in a while? Have a bit of pleasant conversation? There's more to me than just my job, you know."

"I see." The man considers his cover story options, but experience has taught him that it can sometimes be harder to lie to a mystically-animated object than it can be to a flesh and blood person. "I'm afraid our homeland must remain a secret. My companions and I prefer to travel without incurring too many...complications on the way, you see."

Doorman lets out a whistle. "Ooooh, a mystery. I like that! Criminals on the run? Slaves escaping from the Dragonlord? The possibilities are endless - perhaps that's even better than an actual answer!"

"Well, I'm glad to have provided some amusement." Having said that, Thaddeus is inclined to press on and ask again for the riddle, but he's struck by the fear that he may have become entangled in...small talk. "And...how is your day going, Master Door?"

"Please, call me Doorman. And well enough, well enough! Not too busy today, but enough to keep things interesting. Ah, good news though, the last group to try Floor One finished not long ago, so you'll be able to enjoy the full experience rather than the mirrored version of the floor!"

The reference confuses the entire party, but it's Linda who speaks up first. "There's...a version of the floor inside a mirror?"

"Well, I don't know how the process works exactly, but it's a copy you're teleported to - I don't know where it resides, to be honest. But no worries, you'll be able to face the original, fully ensouled BB!"

Thaddeus attempts to look thankful. "That's...good to hear?"

"Indeed! Ah, but I suppose I've held you up long enough, it is a door's job to occasionally open as well, I suppose. So, your riddle! Is your friend over there with the wrapped fists doing okay? He seems a shade of gray I haven't seen on a face outside of Taly's, and she's dead! Is he some sort of...partial mummy? Is that contagious?"

The half-dark elf Lei is about to respond with a sarcastic remark, but Thaddeus, still worried about the risk of lying to the guardian, quickly interrupts him. "A condition he was born with, Master Doorman, but he's quite fine, I assure you. Why, if anything, he's one of the strongest men I know!"

Doorman looks suitably impressed as Lei begins flexing in a not-so-subtle manner. "I see, I see! Well, we do have a healer on staff, just in case you want a checkup later. But enough of that! Welcome to the dungeon! Try not to die!"

With that said the door swings open, and Thaddeus gestures for the showoff half-dark elf to take the lead.

As the party finishes up with the last of the skeleton warriors guarding the boss arena, Pulg makes note of an unusual expression on the prince's face. "Careful there, boss - you're actually smiling."

Thaddeus actually reaches up to his face to check. "Am I? Perhaps I was feeling more pent up than I even realized. It's been a while since I've been on a good monster hunt, even ones as low-tier as these."

Lei scoffs. "Hardly even worth warming up for. The traps I really don't understand, though. They've reportedly been known and unchanged for a year, wasn't that right? They're so easy to avoid if you already know where they are! What's even the point of having them if they're never moved?"

Linda answers that question, having done a little dungeon research since their arrival. "Some dungeons do update more often, or even daily, or so I understand. But even more often it seems to be a trend for dungeons to make their first floor almost too easy, sometimes. If people die before they even get a hint of a reward, the mood towards the dungeon is likely to sour. Give them an easy floor to earn some prizes on, however, and they'll much more happily proceed onwards to their deaths in the lower floors."

The prince nods, but refocuses his party's attention. "Interesting, but we will stick to one floor for today. Now remember, as the report said - the boss focuses on speed and agility. Pulg and I shall focus on keeping Linda covered, Lei, you're our offensive striker."

The half-orc nods. "Indeed, he is quite offensive."

"Ah, I'm so glad my efforts have been noticed." The martial artist gives the shaman a grin before turning towards his boss. "Ready if you are."

"Proceed."

Lei leads the party into the boss arena, and almost immediately a number of small explosions set off, filling the room with smoke. Linda begins casting a spell to summon wind to clear it away, but before she's even finished the boss makes his appearance, springing off of a wall with his powerful legs. He aims for Pulg first, either by coincidence or by having recognized the shaman as the party's healer, but has to quickly dodge away instead as a beam of arcane energy shoots from the orc's staff.

"Bah, thought the lady was your mage! But I see you've got some teeth on you, too!" The lightly-armored rabbit grins at Pulg as he readies his daggers for another attack, but the Rogue finds himself surprised as Lei leaps into combat with him before he can launch it. The melee that ensues is a rather fascinating one to watch - Lei's movements are swift and precise, a clear result of years of constant training. BB's knife-fighting meanwhile is of a form almost unique to him. Aside from the skills implanted within him by the dungeon, his movements also owe much to his unusual biology, particularly the strong legs which allow him to rapidly hop back and forth, avoiding most of Lei's swings and kicks.

Most, but not all. Eventually Lei does land an open-palm strike against BB's chest, and as he does so the runes inked into his fistwraps light up with a yellow energy. It only lasts for a fraction of a second before exploding into the boss, launching him through the air and slamming him into the nearest wall. BB still manages to recover to his feet quickly enough, despite surely having broken a few ribs, but that's when the wind spell Linda had been preparing finally finishes its casting. Once again the rabbit man finds himself slung back against the wall, and this time the magical gale keeps him there for several seconds.

Which is perhaps not as long as Linda would have liked. "Crap, the spell's already running dry - finish him quickly!"

"It shall be done." Without further fanfare Thaddeus himself comes to the fore, his blade swinging at the monster. BB continues to manage to dodge, despite the spell holding him in place, yet the prince never quite misses, either. Every blow cuts a limb or a joint, enough that while none of them are quite lethal on their own, when the spell finally runs out BB finds himself collapsing into a heap on the floor.

"Huh...funny. Seems like my legs...don't quite want to work..."

"Then allow me to help you, friend, by hastening your resummoning." With a cold look on his face, Thaddeus brings his sword down one more time, giving BB's head a vacation from his body. The expression soon turns back into a smile though as he turns back towards his party a few moments later. "Well! Clearly no match for a 'Supreme' swordsman like myself, but an interesting bit of exercise, wouldn't you say?"

"Of course, boss." Linda's voice is dry as she gives her agreement. "Now - shall we see to the prizes? I'm interested in examining more of the local potions, if we happen to earn any."

"Indeed! To the victors go the spoils, after all."

As the party wraps things up and makes their exit through the portal at the rear of the arena, Xenia finds herself with a frown on her face. "Guy...we've got trouble."

The screen bobs in agreement. "Indeed - a Supreme-tier Challenger has arrived? Such a party could be a threat to even the new Floor Nine!"

"Not that, Guy." Xenia shakes her head. "I mean that unless someone around here has, by total coincidence, started making knock-off brand copies of Hua's enchanted Iron Palm wraps, our...special guests have arrived."