The Pinnacle Warrior

There were another two packs of gnolls waiting for them as soon as they got out of the stairway to the second floor. Fortunately, the gnolls’ packs were the second floor packs, and there were only 10 of them total. Astrid and Muti left the safety of the stairway together, ready to engage with whichever monsters wanted to come close. The rangers, only three of them, tried to get shots in on Astrid, but she merely roared as she tore through the brawlers and avoided the shots

“Muti! Behind me!”

The Rogue immediately understood as Astrid cleared a path for her to escape the encirclement of seven brawlers. As she left, she dragged her swords through two different gnolls’ hamstrings, and Astrid grinned as Skandr, who had taken nearly an hour to recover his mana, sent a curtain of lightning smashing into the rest of the brawlers. Astrid’s hammer and shield pulverized all resistance as they crushed through their would-be ambushers. Around the same time that Astrid and Skandr broke the brawlers’ morale, Muti cut down the second ranger.

Now that she’d had several potions pumped into her, Muti was able to chase down the last ranger without issue, her shouts of challenge filling the air. Astrid couldn’t help but smile hearing her party member’s revitalization as she, with Skandr’s lightning bolts, killed the final two brawlers as well. As the monsters’ kill notifications flashed in Astrid’s vision, Astrid looked out for any new monsters that were approaching. Seeing nothing, she looked down and started extracting the materials from the gnolls.

It had been a particularly busy day, and as she cut the trophies free, Astrid checked her experience more out of habit than anything else.

1,975/12,000

The third floor’s experience was, most days, lower than what they had experienced on the second floor. Now that somebody was sending packs of gnolls at them, they were gaining quite a bit more experience than before. Today, they have gained a hair over 1,000 experience each. Astrid rolled her shoulders, comforting herself with the fact that if they managed to survive this, it would only be a bit over a week before they each reached level 10. The penultimate level before the second benchmark of Bronze tier…

“All right, our goal now is to get off of the second floor as fast as possible without killing any more gnolls than we absolutely have to.”

“Yeah, we know, Astrid.” Skandr’s voice wasn’t unkind as he said it, just tired and Astrid felt a hint of a blush creep up her neck.

“Yeah, sorry. I promise I trust you, it’s just—”

“Yes, we understand. Let’s go.” Skandr waved his hand forward as he started walking towards the nearest exit from the Dungeon. Muti’s face shifted a little bit, but it was obvious that she agreed with Skandr’s desire to get out of the Dungeon as fast as possible.

Astrid didn’t feel the need to say anything else and just fell in line. Despite her having been on the front line and having taken the second most wounds between the three of them, she was obviously in the best shape as they made their way out of the Dungeon. She kept her eyes peeled to ensure nothing else got the drop on them as they escaped.

***

“You guys are looking tired!” Bogdan’s voice greeted them as they walked into the inn. His little grin immediately triggered something, and Astrid began to wonder if, beyond all her expectations, Markus and his party were the enemies that they had been struggling with.

“I’m surprised to hear that you’re struggling at all!” Marcus said.

“Well, they do not have a supporter or healer of any sort. It is altogether unsurprising that the difficulty of the third floor has been something that they struggle with.” Antoni seemed to look down his nose a little as he said as much. Astrid narrowed her eyes as she looked at him, and he didn’t seem to care at all about her suspicion.

“Well, the third floor is a lot harder than the rest. Stay safe OK?” Markus‘s voice was genuine, but Astrid couldn’t hold herself back.

“You’re the ones who have been doing this? I can’t believe it! Why would you betray us like this?”

“Betray you? Somebody here is misunderstanding the other. You’re just getting the regular treatment of people on the third floor, right? You know, they’re sending a couple waves of gnolls at you but making sure you don’t get too overwhelmed? Getting you some of that easy experience while also helping you to understand how much harder the third floor onward is?”

“I don’t think that I would call 20 gnolls chasing us off of the damn floor to be easy experience!” Astrid poked him hard in the chest, hard enough to send him back a step. Markus‘s face twisted in anger initially, but then he listened to and understood what she said.

“20 gnolls is nothing like what we experienced! We got maybe two or three waves of five coming at the same time, and in the last pack was a shaman. What are you talking about?”

Skandr stepped between them, a hand in front of both as Markus retorted and Astrid went to do the same.

“Marcus, Muti nearly died today. However, it wasn’t because of what you seem to be describing, and we didn’t get any support like you’re saying. So what are you talking about?”

“Well, we can tell you now that you’ve experienced it, but we can’t really talk about it here in front of everybody. Do you want to come somewhere a little more private so we can talk for a second?”

Muti growled as she so frequently did, but she also looked at Astrid for the answer. The Warrior took a calming breath. Then another. And another. Finally, she rubbed her face and agreed, “Yeah, sure.”

Markus waved for his party as well as Astrid’s to follow him as they walked into one of the almost never used dining room suites. Before they entered, Bogdan nodded at Tomas and pinched a copper tenner between his index and middle finger before putting it down on the bar. Then, as they entered the dining room, Bogdan settled into the darkest corner of the small room that he could reasonably fit in. As soon as Astrid, Muti, and Skandr were inside of the room, Markus nodded.

“OK, information. The Guild has something of a ‘training program’ that they give everyone who gets onto the third floor and can stay there successfully for over a week. In our case, we were down there for a bit under a week, returned to the second floor, then after getting some more experience and levels, we returned to the third floor. When we were back there, it didn’t take long before we started to be pushed harder by gnoll packs. There wasn’t anything we were doing different, but they just kept finding us. Turns out, somebody from the Guild, we’re not quite sure who, is in charge of aggroing these packs to the party. They’ll do it a couple times, make sure that you won’t all die if you manage to draw in another pack while you’re delving on the third floor, and then they’ll be on their way. Sounds like this is part of what happened to you.”

“Yes, this is basically what we’ve had happen for the past day, but that isn’t how it ended. After a large pack of eight with a shaman came, one escaped and brought at least three packs worth of gnolls down on us. It was a damn miracle that any of us survived, especially since there were even more gnolls that were in the top half of the stairway in an effort to keep us bottled in.”

“What?” Bogdan‘s question was a barked shout. “How many gnolls?”

“Six in the stairway itself, and another ten on the second floor. I think we scared one or two out in the process of hunting those on the stairs, and those either gathered more or cautioned the rest of their kind from coming down as well.”

“Oh, Duchess above!” Kaya’s voice was a kindly interruption. She stepped forward to Astrid and put the Warrior’s face in her hands as she looked her over. “Are you OK? Do you need Antoni to heal you?”

“I’m mostly fine. It’s Muti who may need a physician’s assistance.”

“I have taken sufficient potions…” As Muti protested, she looked at her two party members, sighed, and corrected herself. “I would welcome the assistance that you are offering, but I will ensure you are paid fairly in exchange.”

Markus‘s eyebrows shot up at the Barbarian’s acceptance of help while Bogdan whistled low from his place in the corner of the room. Muti snarled over at her fellow Rogue who raised both of his hands in apology and returned his attention to the conversation that was occurring.

“Yes, well, would you like me to see to you in another room, or would you like me to make my assessment here in this room with everyone around? Do know that I will need to check the previously injured location thoroughly.”

“Here.” Muti said as she stripped off the shredded remains of her armor. Her stomach had been healed, but the criss-crossed patchwork of scars that had previously been there was now just one solid, white expanse of scar tissue across her belly. As soon as he saw it, Antoni’s voice caught in his throat before he spoke.

“Oh.” He swallowed twice. “Well, I would suspect that you will need my assistance. If you will permit me to palpate the area, I will be able to give you a better estimate of what exactly will need to be done.”

“I do not understand what you said, but do what you must.”

“He wants to touch it.” Bogdan shook his head. “Use some regular damn words.”

“They are regular words. And they are more accurate technical terms as well.” Antoni put his nose up as he said it, but he also laid his fingers gingerly on Muti’s stomach where the flesh had been ripped out and then healed by excessive potion use.

“This was… How many potions?”

“Three. Two oral and one poured over the wound.” Skandr said when Astrid and Muti looked at each other, unsure of what exactly Skandr had done to heal her.

“That is probably how I would have done it as well. Now, you cannot have any more potions for the time being. At least a week I would say. If you do take anything magical, you risk mana intoxication, or even mana toxicity. I would also recommend that you stay out of the Dungeon for that time, but I also know that that will not happen. Instead, I will ask that you instead, delve less than you have been, stay close to the stairway, and maybe even hire a healer or other supporter to delve with you.”

“It’ll save you money in the long run too.” Markus chimed in. “Antoni is a member of the party, so it’s not quite the same, but he does get a double share and we’ve never regretted that.”

Astrid, Muti, and Skandr met eyes. They had enough cash to fully pay off the debt that they had still with Skandr’s Kin moneylender, but they had kept it at 50 silver for now, telling him that they wanted to keep that money for a while longer. There was no telling if that was going to keep people thinking that they could be extorted through monetary means, but it was what they could do. Given that they had to buy some potions now, perhaps it was for the best.

“If we were to hire a Healer to delve with us,” Astrid ventured, “who would you recommend?”

“Honestly, Orden is your best bet, but he has his party, and they are delving on the fifth floor once every three days. They’ll spend a long time down there, and I would guess that he would prefer to get the rest if he could. But if you could manage to get him, he is absolutely your best option.”

Astrid sighed as she nodded. She had suspected that that would be the answer that they would get, but it wasn’t one that she wanted to hear. Orden was somewhat famous alongside his party as they were the highest level delvers in Kznietch, and they were almost idolized by most of the delvers. Given that he had healed Skandr when he’d been poisoned, there was no doubt that her party were all willing to have him delve with them if the opportunity arose, but there was, as Markus said, very little chance that he would actually be willing to do so.

“OK, and as a second choice?”

“When I am not actively delving, I will be willing.” Antoni spoke. “I would call my rates quite reasonable, either a double share of all profits, and a silver upfront, or three silver upfront. Of course, any expenses that I incur as a result of delving alongside you would be paid for by the party and not by myself.”

“Of course.” Astrid fought to keep the sarcasm from her voice. “We’ll see if we can manage to snag Orden for now, and if we cannot, we will ask you again. Is that all right Antoni?”

“Of course. I will need to coordinate with my party before any decision on timeline can begin, but I would be willing to deal with you or wait or whatever it is that you decide.”

Astrid nodded and Mardus pulled her attention back.”So, what do you think happened? I know I just asked, but I also find it hard to believe.”

“Well, if you’ve been paying attention, this isn’t anything new. Some damn bastard out here is trying to kill or maim or do something to us, and we’re not really sure what their end goal is. Maybe kill us or make us have to depend on them.”

“You have had a surprisingly large amount of problems occur in the past month since you started delving together… And you’re sure that this is deliberate? Could it really be that you all just have very bad luck?”

“That’s possible,” Astrid hedged, “but so improbable has to be called impossible at this point. Just… If you hear anything, let us know. You know, if there’s something you’re hearing about people following us or whatever?”

“Of course!” Kaya said as she chimed in. “Just let us know, and we will come to your rescue, or whatever it is that you need from us.”

Despite everything else, Muti growled at Kaya at the mention of being rescued, and the Archer recoiled a little bit. Even so, she gathered herself after being startled, leaned forward into Muti‘s face, who was nearly as tall as Kaya was even while sitting, and bopped the Barbarian on the nose.

Muti’s growls intensified as she surged to her feet, but Kaya stood her ground.

“Look, I’m not your party member, and I don’t know if I would even say that I am your friend, but we’re both delvers! I’m going to help you because it’s what we do, even if you’re an angry, growly lioness in human form. Or Barbarian form, whatever you want to call it. So shut up and accept my help, got it?”

“I do not need your help.” Muti growled, then, she seemed to force her face to soften, and she said, “I do understand that you are standing in solidarity as Humans do. For treating me as one of your own, I give my thanks. Even so, I do not wish to receive it and if you force it upon me, you will find enmity, not gratitude or friendship.”

Kaya threw her hands up in frustration and looked at Astrid. “Is there something that I should do about this?”

“Accept that she isn’t a Human and listen to what she’s saying?” Astrid replied. “You’re being helpful, and standing up to her is probably a good way to get along with her, right?”

Muti shrugged, though Astrid could see the assent in her eyes.

“So, be strong, confident, and deal with Muti as a person, though not a Human. Her values are different from ours, and you offering your help would be something I could easily accept while Muti never would. It’s nothing against you and it is everything to do with the fact that she does not accept assistance easily from anyone for any reason. Is that a fair thing to say, Muti?”

The Barbarian nodded once, and looked at Antoni. “Is there anything I need from you?”

“I have seen how you eat, and I would tell you to eat two or three times as much meat at every meal as you have been. That will help you to recover from the blood loss as well as to, hopefully, allow your Fortitude to restore whatever bits of organs that you have lost until now. If you can, I would also seek out Orden and just have him inspect your intestines, spleen, and stomach specifically. Those are the ones that I am relatively sure took the brunt of the damage, though having a Healer be able to understand what’s happening inside of you will be helpful. Otherwise, I think that’s it. The inspection will be 10 copper.”

Muti nodded in response a single time and seemed to go to stand up. Instead, Astrid waved for her to sit down and looked at the other party. “If you would, I would prefer to use this room for a conversation that we need to have. If there are any fees that you would like us to pay, we are happy to do so.”

Markus waved her off and simply said, “Don’t worry about it. Let us know if you figure out who’s responsible for this because, as we said when Skandr was attacked, we’ll happily help you to make sure that the bastards die.”

“Thank you.” Astrid nodded and the other four people walked out of the room. When the door closed behind them, she took a deep breath, sighed, and looked Muti in the eyes.

‘“I think it’s time for me to explain part of why I dislike Barbarians. Or, I should better say, hate the Hordes.”