It was three days before a Dungeon Raid occurred.
Ariel's face paled as the moss glowed red, and she immediately stopped what she was doing, heading into her room off the kitchen. Behind her, the section of wall reformed, completely sealing her inside, away from the incoming adventurers.
Sitting alone in the red light, Ariel hugged her pillow to her chest, waiting for the moss to return to normal.
-
Outside, three men and a woman surveyed the yard of the Dungeon.
"Hold up there. Those ladders are trapped. The bushes too. The only safe path is the path."
"Seriously? Why doesn't the owner just put up a "Keep off the grass sign," snickered the burly man to the right.
"Enough talking. We wanna get in, get the combat and lifestyle training and get out. This place must be a gold mine after all the adventurers who've died in here." the woman retorted. "Moss, keep your eyes open for the traps. Burke, you're on the flank. Keep me and Albert safe."
"Got it, Trish," Moss replied, fiddling with a rogue's set.
-
'Interesting. These seem to be true blue adventurers, not some half-assed crew of wannabe bumpkins from the next town over. Let's see how they do,' thought Orion.
-
"Cripes. That's a bloody poison asp down there. How in the hell did he get one of those? Utility specialty?" Moss groaned as he focused on resetting the pitfall trap.
"Stop griping and get it closed. Albert may be able to float across, but it's to wide to risk the rest of us jumping it," snapped Burke.
With a click, and a strange snap, the traps doors swung shut and were jammed into place. The adventurers made their way to the door, when Moss stopped them again. With a steel wedge, he immediately locked the door open. The mechanism to force it shut and release the stone slab screamed in protest for a moment, before giving in and grinding to a halt.
"Damn. Lotta traps in just the first few meters. What's next? a giant axe - DUCK!"
<*CLANG*>
"Burke, if you don't shut your mouth, I will shut it for you."
"Yes Trish."
-
The adventurers heard their system message as soon as they entered the living area. Four cots had replaced the single king bed, and an additional wardrobe was set opposite the original. The spring of water gently burbled as it flowed through the piping in the Dungeon home.
"I've never seen a safe room like this before. Is that a feather mattress?" Albert remarked.
"Safe rooms are safe. As long as we don't go into a passageway, no traps, tricks or harm we don't bring on ourselves will occur. Take a look around, see what there is to eat or drink," Trish ordered, exploring the room labelled Washroom Safe Zone. "Oh my," she remarked, reading the instructions on the wall.
-
After a brief rest, the party of four looked at the three remaining passages.
"There are traps down both sides, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to disarm them from here. Sorry Trish," said Moss.
"So then our choices are Moss pays the toll for both sides, we all go down one path, or we figure out a way past the traps on one side without him," said Albert.
"Or, Moss goes down the middle and you figure out the rest for yourselves," replied Moss with a cheeky grin.
"The center is obviously a deathtrap, Moss. Even I can see that," Burke grunted sourly.
"Biggest risk, biggest reward," murmured Trish.
"I'll dice you for it," Moss challenged.
-
'These adventurers... are literally gambling with their lives? You have to be kidding me'
-
"Not with your dice you won't. And I'll see your sleeves rolled up and feel up your hands and wrists before you do."
"Albert, you're no fun."
"High rolls it is boys, snake eyes takes point solo," replied Trish with a smirk.
Unsurprisingly, Moss rolled high, and Burke got snake eyes. Albert, the second highest, pointed to Crafters corner for himself, Trish and Burke, while Moss inspected "The Last Treasure Hunt." As the three departed down the left tunnel, Moss muttered, "I may have bitten off more than I can chew."
-
The tunnel to crafters corner was dimly lit, the glowing moss seemed to dim as they approached.
"Wait a moment," chimed Albert. Muttering a few short words in an arcane language, a small sphere of light appeared, floating just beside him. "There's got to be a trick to this. Everything this Dungeon has thrown at us has had a general theme."
"You mean horrifying and excruciating death?" replied Burke.
"No. Think about it. Almost all the traps outside were designed to keep up from pilfering his garden, or damaging the grass. Even the hen coop was guarded by traps. But the stone path? Clear.
"The first trap on the path was directly before entering the Dungeon. Just to keep out people. The next? To kill those who might make it past the first, either through sacrificing a teammate or some level of luck.
"The rest of the tunnel? No two traps the same. All designed to kill the unwary or unfocused. This Dungeon does not want amateurs entering. It wants professionals."
Burke and Trish stared at him with awe. "This isn't a Dungeon. It's a skill test?" Trish stammered.
"Exactly," replied Albert. "So let me test my theory, and show my skills." Intoning a strange chant, runes began dancing around his form. As he brandished a scroll of vellum, the runes collided, collapsing into form on the scroll, a completed project for the Dungeon.
"My toll, as a crafter, for the day. A basic frost scroll. I expect you to reimburse the ingredients."
Albert calmly strolled through the hall, passing Trish and Burke calmly. Several times his steps triggered pressure plates, yet no trap was sprung. "See you inside!" He called as he entered the workshop.
"How are we supposed to show our crafting skills without tools, you idiot!" screamed Trish.