27 Expedition

At the time that Danse is going to the dungeon there are also a few expedition teams going as well. One particular team from the Dark city has another familiar face in it leading them. Over the course of the dungeon forming till now, Jerry was miserable. The first few days on his journey from the hellish ruins that he lost his brother and future sister-in-law in, were shit. First during the escape 4 guards that were escaping with him were eaten by a worm. Then as they came to a forest that was between the city and ruin, a giant trapdoor spider grabbed another guard. While another tripped over a root and knocked him down hill where he broke his left ankle.

After getting to the city, the earthquake that happened while he was going to speak to the sergeant. During that event he was next to a skyscraper that had glass rain down on him which killed a few of the people around him including a child that he was trying to comfort. Then a metal beam came down perfectly on his right shoulder crushing it and the arm into powder, but he still survived.

Suffice to say for 3 days straight he was miserable, on top of the fact that now he has a robotic right arm and shoulder. As he had the best knowledge of the ruin prior to its transformation, he was tasked with leading a strike force of rank C heroes into the dungeon to eliminate it before it becomes an issue. It was decided that a small team of 4 will go into the dungeon and Jerry was happy to do so. Just 1 problem awaited them when they arrived that was entirely unwanted.

The path they were counting on that was there before was gone, in it's place is nothing but black soil and a few headstones. In the distance they can faintly make out a castle being lit up due to the odd colored lightning. Even worse, they're not the only ones here.

"Hey, if you're going in, I'd recommend against it. A few have died out there already, making that landscape more interesting." Off to the side was a guy standing next to a sign he was hammering into the ground. This man, dressed in black with white hair was a rank B hero named Fate. The man is an oddball who just appears randomly and tends to put warning signs near extremely dangerous places. The Shadowheart family alone has thousands of signs near their land he set up. It's been said, the more signs there are, the more danger you will meet.

"What do you mean, a few have died already? And how have they made the landscape more interesting? We come from the Dark City to destroy the dungeon."(Jerry)

"Everyone who walks into the soil is eaten by a huge worm that comes out of the soil and when somebody dies to it, a new headstone will appear. Those headstones out there are literal markers for those who die. Even worse, this black soil is slowly expanding."(Fate)

After listening to the man spout his crap, they ignored him and walked into the land. Immediately the ground rumbles slightly, as Fate just shakes his head. He watches them for a moment before raising his eyebrows. He turns around and starts making new signs, stating that to enter you must be at least rank C.

That's right that worm, when sensing them and their strength, let them go after sensing they were rank C. And away they went walking towards a castle in the distance, faintly feeling a sense of dread. A few seeing them safely cross decided to follow only to end up in the belly of the worm. Only 1 other group managed to cross over safely.

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In the dungeon, Malorn is busy creating more floors as the xp rolls in. After the Test of Dodge, comes a new mental damaging one. The Test of Sleep, tests you on your ability to resist falling asleep, should you fail, you'll be teleported outside the dungeon to a random location still in the domain.

Next is the Test of Fame, which puts you in an illusion in which you are immensely famous. Should you resist and be truly humble you will pass. Else you get teleported into the lava pit outside the dungeon. An extremely despicable test with a heavy punishment.

Then you have the Test of Lust, this also sticks you in an illusion that sticks you in a situation with the object of the sexual desire. Should you resist, you will pass. But, if you fail, you will lose your genitalia for a month. By that, they will just disappear, leaving a smooth hole in your body in their place with no sense of feeling. A test that would make any perverted person regret their decision.