Dungeon Talk

//A bit on the shorter side. My apologies. Next one will be 2.5k words.

As always, go to my Patre0n to read ahead. I'll have two more posted up today thats much longer than this one. You can get the next 2 (and 3 others) for as little as $3.

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Goal: $11.60/$600

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The party stopped at the 28th Floor, at a spot that Tsubaki referred to as a Safety Point, a place within the Dungeon that didnt spawn monsters. It was unclear how long it had taken the coalition of Adventurers to reach their current destination, what with the lack of sunlight and time related devices, but Tenebra estimated it to be around 5 or so hours, give or take.

Apart from learning a bit more information regarding the dangerous and downright otherworldly labyrinth known as the Dungeon, nothing of note had happened. Everyone continued to do their own thing and press forward.

In regards to what Tenebra had learned though, there were three main topics that only served to peak his curiosity even further. It was one thing to speak on particular subjects but completely different when it came to seeing it for oneself.

The areas within the Dungeon were divided up into three main sections, the Upper Floors, the Middle Floors, and the Lower Floors.

The Upper Floors contained the first through the twelfth layers as well as the entrance to the Dungeon itself. This area was pretty much the starting point for all Adventurers and contained the weakest monsters such as Goblins and Kobolds. Level 1 and Level 2 Adventurers mainly roamed around these parts in order to gain experience and hone their abilities as much as possible.

Then there were the Middle Floors, a different breed when compared to the 'beginner stages' of the Dungeon. Encompassing the 13th to the 24th floors, these areas were considerably more difficult, to the point where parties would need to be formed in order to properly clear them. Monsters were far more deadly and spawned much more quickly, making the Upper Floors seem like a leisurely stroll through the park. The Cave Labyrinth and the Large Tree Labyrinth were two places Tenebra took note of when Tsubaki was explaining.

"When we talk about the Middle Floors though, the most popular place amongst Adventurers is Floor 18." Tsubaki took a swig of water from a strange looking canister, gesturing towards the black haired youth from her spot on the Dungeons stone floor. "Its another Safety Point similar to this one, only much nicer."

"In it, there's a town called Rivira. It's like a resting point for those Adventurers who make it that far."

"Oh, Tiona." The one eyed Adventurer glanced back as a young girl with a weapon the size of a small tree danced into view. "Joining in?"

Having paused the slow but steady trek upwards, the group had taken up camp at the aforementioned Floor, situating themselves to get a proper amount of rest for what remained of their lengthy venture. With everyone relaxing and attempting to replenish their energy reserves,Tsubaki had pulled Tenebra aside, away from the hustle and bustle of the other Adventurers. Whether it was to prevent the youth from getting overwhelmed or to properly update his 'memories' on all things Dungeon related, Tenebra had yet to find out.

The one who had joined in on the conversation, offering a smidgen of knowledge of Floor 18, was one of the girls he had seen earlier.

She was slightly taller than he was, standing at around 165cm compared to his own 157cm, and quite possibly weighed more than he himself did. With pitch black hair that fell to the small of her back, wild green eyes that held a mix of amusement and curiosity, and skin a color of tan he wasn't familiar with, Tenebra was immediately transfixed on the new arrival.

She moved gracefully on the ground, her bare feet lightly touching the pavement with every movement, as if she were floating over it. The girl wore revealing clothes, donning a simple white tube top to cover her modest breasts and a brown pareo around her waist, yet she made it seem elegant in a way. Above all else though, she seemed to have a sort of wild nature to her as depicted by the way she moved, strong and carefree, as if nothing could faze her. Coupled with a bright smile and friendly demeanor that held no animostity whatsoever, she was the perfect example to the phrase "full of life".

The exact opposite of Tenebra himself. It seemed silly to label her so distinctively when she had just walked into his line of sight, but that's the impression the youth got.

"You guys got room for one more?" Tiona grinned playfully before moving in close, not even waiting for an actual answer. "You won't even know I'm here."

"I somehow doubt that-"

Before Tsubaki could even finish her sentence, Tiona had already shifted towards to Tenebra, eyes filled to the brim with an innocent curiosity. Front, back, sides. The girl viewed the youth from every angle, as if looking over a new pet or some interesting animal she had come across in a petting zoo. Honestly though, Tenebra didn't care that much, allowing her to do as she pleased with saying a single word.

"Hmmmm." Tiona tilted her head, as if thinking. After a minute, she broke out into wide grin. "I like you. Your name was Teneb....something, right? I'm Tiona Hiryute."

"Tenebra....Vorago," the youth responded, ignoring his strained vocal chords.

"That's a rather interesting name." Tsubaki didn't seem to find Tiona's actions very concerning, letting Tenebra know that that's just how she was. "However, going back to what we where discussing. The Dungeon. The last one you should know about is the Lower Floors, the levels we're currently at right now."

The Lower Floors consisted of the 25th to the 36th floors and contained two major regions within them, Water City and the Dense Forest Ravine. These areas were usually explored by higher ranking Adventurers and Familias, very rarely were they ever ran solo. Additionally, these Floors were MUCH larger in scale compared to the Middle and Upper Floors, to the point where just getting from Floor 50 to the Upper Floors was estimated to take 5 full days with a large party.

There were Floors that existed beyond the three main sections, but the vast majority of Familias and Adventurers never touched them. Only those with strong members, proper knowledge, honed skills, and adequate experience dared to traverse the Dungeons lower depths.

"Aside from that, we have the Deep Forest Ravine which is the region we just passed through. It's basically just a forest. And then we have-"

"Pardon the intrusion."

All three of them, including Tenebra himself, turned to look at the one who had spoken up.

It was another person that the youth had seen upon meeting the Adventurers. A green haired woman with pointy ears and flowing garments that oozed refined elegance. From what Tenebra knew about fantasy, he assumed that this was an elf.

"Tenebra Vorago, was it?" The Elven individual seemed to assess the youth carefully, glancing over him with analytical green hues. "Come with me. Finn wishes to speak with you."

Without a word, the young teen rose onto his feet and carefully made his way over, moving at slow yet steady pace. Though having recovered some energy during the time it took to get to the 28th Floor, it still wasn't to the point where Tenebra could walk properly, at least not without putting a decent amount of effort into it. It was only when Tiona quickly stood up and offered herself up as a crutch that he was fully able to follow along with the green haired elf.

"Thank...you." Tenebra gave the girl a nod as he hobbled along.

"Of course." The girl smiled. "We gotta help each other out right? You can pay me back when you have the time."

"I....don't have..... any money."

"How about, when you get your memories back, you tell me about yourself?" Tiona carefully guided the injured youth around a few Adventurers. "Simple."

Though not having agreed to be an amnesiac by any means, or having confirmed that he had actually lost his memories, Tenebra nodded. "Okay."

"Perfect. I'll hold you to it then Teneb!! Dont forget." Tiona smiled mischievously, almost making the youth regret agreeing to the request in the first place.

-_-_

It started with a fall from the roof.

A day just like any other, not too bad nor too great, a mediocre existence void of any real excitement. A day that quickly morphed into a tango with gravity followed by a quick makeout session with the slabs of concrete dozens of meters below.

And then, just like that, everything had changed.

Whether or not it was for the better was still up for questioning.

Surrounded on all sides by creatures from hell. A parade of demonic beings with long tongues capable of breaking the surrounding concrete and shadowy beings with girthy claws as sharp as kitchen knives. It was truly hard to say if Archard Num was confused or hallucinating, especially since he had spent the last few seconds gauging the situation, having only recently awoken from whatever coma had he been in.

(("Did someone spike my cigarette?")) Archard frowned ever so slightly, red eyes flicking from drooling beast to drooling beast, unsure of what to make of his own predicament. (("Or is this hell? I fell from three stories up so it could very well be the former."))

Without uttering a single word, the teen reached into his pockets and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, of which had somehow tagged along with him. Whipping out a lighter, Archard put the butt of the cylinder between his lips and sparked up the other end of it. Without missing a beat, the white haired individual sucked in a deep breath, tucking the items back into his pockets.

(("So. Not hell. I still have cigs and a lighter. Not dead either. Not hallucinating. ")) Archard wasn't quick to shift his weight, unsure of how the monsters would react to sudden movements. It was already quite unclear as to why they weren't attacking him. (("Teleportation would make more sense since I have my old clothes. Raises a few more questions than it answers though. But I guess the real question is how do I get out of this alive?"))

Switching his gaze from monster to monster, the red eyed teen swiftly noted their placements, physical attributes, and possible weaknesses. After a quick survey of the battlefield, the teen exhaled some smoke and leaned forward.

SHING! SHING!

Before Archard could take more than a few steps in the direction of his chosen target, a frog-like monster with a singular yet enormous eye, a blur of silver passed through the area. Seconds after the flurry of color passed through the monsters ranks, the ugly beasts began collapsing one after another, either falling over or dissipating entirely in disintegrating black smoke. Left behind by each and every corpse was an odd looking stone with a swirling of some strange energy within its center.

"You can get yourself killed being so reckless. What Familia do you belong to?"