Life goes on. It's pretty routine now. Dungeon for a few days, come back up for a break for a day or two. My information network is still pretty slow getting off the ground. Piggybacking off of Hermes' network worked very well initially. But I know he also gets notified of every interaction between me and his network. Asfi and Falgar are amicable but, the relationship between us are showing signs of strain. I mean I just do my own thing, I don't know why they're salty.
I'd stopped blowing up the Wall of Grief. It was attracting a bit too much attention from the people on the 18th floor. It also meant that I needed more challenges. I'd set up a gym near my treehouse, which was helping me fill out. I was nowhere near where I wanted to be but my physique was improving.
It was my 13th day, in a few days I'd head back up. I was currently in the process of using minotaur blood to attract a lot of them to fight and kill. I'd stopped with the use firearms for the upper floors. I needed something worth shooting, also I needed to improve hand-to-hand and melee skills. The enchanted bayonet made things so much easier and complicated. It would fight on it's own and watch my back, but I still needed to keep an eye on my surroundings. Sometimes I need to prioritize a certain enemy over others. It's following it's enchantments perfectly. It's just that constant use of the bayonet has led me to see the short falls. Maybe I'll craft golems and program them to learn and adapt to my fighting methods and style. I thought about training other people and making my own squad, then looked out the window, and immediately rejected that idea. Experienced adventurers are set in their ways and no way are they taking orders from a new guy.
Preparations done I was about to cast the runes, when a mission appeared.
{MISSION: Purge the horde of monsters unleashed on the 12th floor. If possible rescue any adventures. Use all means available. Optional: Find and kill the perpetrators.}
'Good news, my first mission! Bad news, all my preparations for attracting large groups of minotaurs and other monster were useless now.'
I burned the runic circle on the ground and left for the 12th floor. I made my way up quickly. The floors were pretty empty so that helped in me in getting there faster. A few low levelled monsters here and there but nothing too serious. I got to the 12th floor in about 20 minutes. Kitted out in my green combat uniform, I equipped my plate carrier and flack jacket, and called out my entire load out. Spear, xiphos and shield were left in the INVENTORY for now. The MAP showed a red blob moving towards the stairs to the 11th floor.
Running up to the sea of monsters, the sight both excited me and filled me with dread. Minotaurs, orcs, silverbacks, hellhounds, ligerfangs, wyverns and infant dragons all rushing towards the upper floors. 'I'm gonna need more firepower.' I didn't see any adventurers, well not living ones anyway. There were body parts littered here and there.
Resigning myself to bring some peace to the souls of the departed. I tossed 8 grenades towards the middle of the horde. Then using my rifle I opened up on the rear of the horde. The shots rang out before the grenades exploded. 'Good news, the Dacia...no not now James! The monsters were not moving to the upper floors. Bad news, They were now moving towards the noise. Meaning me.'
'Tactical retreat it is. I have to contain them to this floor. I need the buffer of the lower numbered floors.' Laying down suppressing fire and killing tens of monsters with the remaining ammo in the mag. I tossed a grenade and moved to a different position while reloading. Repeating this tactic for I don't know how long the monsters were all dead. The enchanted bayonet doing it's job beautifully, and keeping my path clear of smaller annoyances. I was shooting faster then the ammo could regenerate. I had to use the shotgun with buckshot and slugs to give the rifle time to cool down and to regenerate the ammo.
Shoot, throw grenade, move while reloading, repeat. That was all I knew in that moment. Looking back on it I think was actually happy. My training form my past life and weapons that didn't require me carrying 200 extra rounds wherever I went made things so much easier. 'I need to look into getting a LMG.'
Auto-Loot was working overtime. Picking up cores and drops as I ran past them. I noticed a large black sack that smelled horrible, there were infant dragons clawing at anything that got too close to it. 'I think that's what they used to attract the monsters but they used too much.' I shot the dragons stored a bit of material from the sack in my INVENTORY and cast 'Flamethrower' using my Runemaster skill on the sack. I didn't let up the spell. I switched to the MP7 and let loose on anything that got too close. It took about 5 seconds for it to burn completely, but those were the longest 5 seconds of my life. Burning of offensive artifact complete I was surrounded by the monsters. Shooting towards the thinner side of the encirclement, I attempted to break out of said encirclement and move to a more defensible position.
Shoot, scoot, reload, repeat. I took more than an hour for the 12th floor to have no hostile signatures, I'd moved around so much that there were no drops left on the ground.. The mission however was not complete, 'Fuck there are more on the upper floors.' Downing potions like bottles of beer, I ran towards the 11th floor.
The MAP was all red. From the entrance/exit for the 12th floor to 500 metres from my position. 'Alright let's go.' I started shooting, mercilessly taking out large swathes of monsters. I jumped onto the rock outcroppings and trees to get a better line of sight. I didn't move as much as before, I wanted a place to be able to retreat to before going in any farther.
After I had sufficient range from the monsters I started moving. The mist although a bit thinner wasn't helping. I mean I could've done this all quietly, but the MISSION parameters specifically required me to at least attempt to rescue some unlucky fucks. Speed and violence of action are key once a fight begins, and I needed to be more violent. Moving around the floor like a man possessed I kicked ass and took names. Another hour passed before the floor was silenced. Still no sign of mission completion. I looked around for any survivors. Friendly or hostile. Finding none I drank a few more potions I moved up to the 10th floor.
The mist was thinner, so was the horde of monsters. There was a group of 15 adventures fighting a losing battle. They had no cohesion. The heavy shields were being pounded like a five-dollar hooker. The Mages were about to drop from Mind Down. The fighters were fifty shades of fucked up. A pair of archers were doing their best to keep the monsters at bay. Some minotaurs were already past them. A few were circling back to attack the adventures from behind. 'Fuck it I don't have time.' I ran to the group, shooting anything close to me with the MP7. Reaching the group, I called out "ON ME!" switching to my M14 I shot the minotaurs attacking from behind. Killing them I started giving orders.
"Shields make a wall! Mages hold! Fighters secure the flanks! Archers kill shots only! MOVE!" This broke the group out of their shock and they just followed my command. 'Still got it.' The group wasn't used to fighting so close together. It showed in the gaps between the shields. "Shields! Get closer. They aren't your mothers' legs close the fucking gap! Mages drink your potions if you got them!" I started shooting and tossing grenades. It took a few minutes but the impromptu tactics started working.
"Mages sound off!" No response. 'Fuck they don't know what that means.' "Are you ready!" "YES!" 'Thank fuck for that.' "Wait for my mark."
"Now!"
Keeping a tight formation and spacing the spells every 2-3 minutes worked. 20 minutes we were in the clear. "I'll leave the drops to you." I said as I drank a few potions and moved up to the 9th floor.
Arriving on the 9th floor I encountered the minotaurs from before as well a band of orcs. Taking care of them swiftly, I was looking to the end the mission as quickly as possible and report to guild. The 9th floor was pretty normal. The spawn rate for the monsters was normal. I switched to spear, xiphos and shield. Then I came across a sight of a whitehaired boy fighting a minotaur with a knife. 'He's gonna die.' I was some distance from the fight. I ran to the boy hoping to help him out. I saw a group of adventurers appear on the other side of the cavern. The boy was screaming in fear and trying to survive. Before I could do anything both minotaur and boy charged at each other. The boy dodged tot he side and stabbed the minotaur. He then cast a spell "Firebolt!" a few times, before the minotaur disappeared. I continued running towards the boy. A blonde elf was faster and caught him before he fell. He was out cold on his feet. 'Mind Down and still on his feet, good lad.'
{MISSION COMPLETE: Purge the horde of monsters unleashed on the 12th floor. If possible rescue any adventures. Use all means available. Optional Complete: Find and kill the perpetrators.}
{Mission rewards in INVENTORY}
'When did I kill the perpetrators? I guess shooting at outlines in the mist worked in my favour. But where are the bodies? If the monsters ate them then that's very convenient.'
I just stood there staring as the elf and the boy when I was broken out of my thoughts. "What you staring at?" Someone from the group of adventurers called out. I jerked my head to look at who it was, the bayonet also floated close to me. "Apologies, just analysing the boy's injuries. He needs to see a medic and rest for a while." I lied smoothly. Well the analysing the injuries part, a blind man could see the need for a medic and rest.
A pallum stepped forward and spoke up, "I apologize on my members behalf. But can you explain why you were running towards the fight?"
"No worries, well as to me running towards the boy. He was clearly in over his head. I don't know who he is or where the rest of his weapons are but he was struggling against the minotaur with a knife, so clearly he needed help. Don't tell me you didn't hear him scream out like a lil' bitch?" I replied.
This got a laugh out of another grey-haired mutt. The others were indifferent or frowning. The pallum spoke before someone else could. "That may be but why did you decide to step in?" he asked.
"Was I supposed to do nothing and let him die?"
"..."
"There is a group of adventurers on the 10th floor I helped as well. Ask them if you have any doubts. I was in my way up when I encountered a horde on the 12th floor. They were moving towards the upper floors. I took care of them." I stated simply. I began walking away when a hand on my shoulder stopped me. It was a dwarf. My bayonet was an eighth of an inch from his left eye.
I looked towards him, "Yes?"
He backed the fuck up pretty damn quick. "I'm sorry 'bout that. You said you took care of the horde moving up from the 12th floor. That means there was a horde on the 11th and 10th floor as well. Do you mean to tell me you took care of, what is essentially two hordes and still have the ability to fight? Despite the effects of potions that shouldn't be possible. So I'm going to have to ask you to come with us until we clear the situation."
I was encircled as the dwarf was talking. These people had experience. Not only against monsters, but other people as well. Two mages, a shield, three fighters, an injured boy being carried by the fourth fighter. I noticed the crest on the dwarfs' armour. 'Loki famillia, tch.' "Alright, I'd check on the 10th floor soon though." I complied with the dwarfs request.
I called back the bayonet and relaxed my posture. More than accommodating them. I just raised my left eyebrow looking at the dwarf. He just looked a bit flustered, I don't think he was expecting it to go so smoothly.
The pallum stepped in, "right, Riveria and Bete will take you to the guild building. Ais will accompany you and take Bell to the emergency ward. The rest of us will go in deeper to verify your claims."
*****30 minutes later, 13:20*****
Upon inspecting myself I realized wasn't as clean is a would've like to be. I was covered in blood and viscera. I was in my 1965 Marine combat uniform. My current look was of a marine who time travelled to the Battle of Thermopylae. I looked like a clown. A clown covered in blood and guts but a clown nonetheless.
On the way up I didn't say shit we were running to get the boy, Bell to the emergency care. Name and familia is all they got. The mutt Bete didn't give a shit, he was happy to keep his thoughts to himself. The elf Riveria asked questions for the first few minutes, but after getting every iteration of "Cassius Jordan, Hermes familia" she just muttered something under her breath and left me alone. Ais just carried the boy like a sack and ran alongside.
I'll just wait and see what happens now. 'I need to get cleaned up. Also check on my rewards.'