WARNING
This chapter may contain triggering topics. You should be able to figure out what it is before it becomes to detailed. If you want to skip this part, simply look for these icons: ←←←←
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"What?" Ace exclaimed in confusion.
"I tried talking to him this morning but nothing I said made him budge." Said Sage with a sigh. They all looked at each other and after a few more seconds in silence, Avery spoke.
"Okay... I feel like I should tell you something." She looked down at her hands, twiddling her thumbs. Everyone was looking at her eagerly for what's to come.
"Caleb and I have been friends since we first got here. We got along great and all... At least that was until last night."
"Did something happen?" asked Lia concerned.
"It seems he thought more of our relationship than I did because he invited me over to where he was staying. I didn't mind and came over since we're both pretty close in human years and I thought he just wanted to hang out as friends."
Everyone in the group could see where this lead. It would explain his sudden departure.
"Once I got there, we talked and I had fun. Until he started acting strange." Avery's expression turned dark and it looked like she would shrink into the chair. Sage stood beside her and patted her shoulder.
"We're here for you Avery. You don't need to tell us if it's too difficult." Said Lia.
"No... I-it's fine. After he started acting differently, he told me how he was actually a rogue and how he'd make sure I live a comfortable life." Ace's expression hardened.
She continued, "He started becoming very touchy. I tried to move away and tell him subtly to stop but he wouldn't listen." Her hands had started trembling to the point where the others in the group noticed. The severity of the situation grew more serious by the second she spoke.
"I-I finally had enough and decided to leave but when I was about to, he blocked the door not letting me. That's when he started saying a bunch of creepy stuff. Like how he can make me feel better. How I was a princess in his world."
"I told him I wanted to leave but whatever I did, he didn't let me. I felt trapped, scared..." Tears started rolling down her face.
Ace was seething inside. Caleb was smart for leaving before Ace knew of this or he wouldn't be able to breath again. The slow burning inside him felt never-ending. He needed an output.
"T-that's when he started hugging me... And did all sorts of things..." Sage hugged Avery as she started crying. Lia rubbed her back.
Ace stared at the ground while gritting his teeth. It had been a long time since he felt this much anger inside of him. He tried to calm himself down but the craving he felt to punch Caleb was too strong.
Lia noticed Ace's expression. "Take it easy Ace. He'll pay one way or another." ←←←←
Many minutes passed as Avery slowly returned to a normal state of mind and Ace's mood improved. They promised Avery to not tell anyone about this. Why, Ace wasn't sure but he wasn't about to question her, nor break his promise.
"How do we feel about entering the dungeon?" Asked Sage. "Everyone's finished except us."
"I'm down. We're only four but we should manage as long as we take it bit by bit." Said Ace. The other two nodded. Avery seemed to steel herself as she did.
"It's as they said in the game. Power is everything in this world" He thought to himself. Better to do this and learn from it than not doing anything.
"Alright then. If we're imagining this to be like the dungeons inside the game, we'll need to be quick on our feet if something were to happen." The others nodded. He continued "If it looks grim, we escape. Always watch out for traps. We never run if we don't have to and always try to help others if possible."
While the group was walking, Sage walked up beside Ace and asked, "Since we're now four people instead of five, does that mean we'll get more experience?"
He nodded, "Yeah. If it's similar to what it was in the game, then that should be the case. But how do you know this? Weren't you entirely new to the game?"
She laughed a little, "No not really. I used to play a lot up until a month before we were transported. That jackass Asher is definitely not someone you should trust to have your back."
Ace thought back to earlier that day, how Asher couldn't even stand up - even after the orc was killed as well. And then to the day before when Asher seemed to take up all the space. "Guess that makes sense. It was Asher who said she didn't have experience after all."
"Did he do something to you?" He asked, now worried they had another Caleb on their hands but she shook her head. "No, he didn't really do something. However he really likes to stare at my boobs." That's when Lia jumped in on the conversation, "You thought so too! I thought I was just overthinking it." She said in a loud voice, surprising both Sage and Ace.
"My god, this world is really filled with trash." He said while rubbing his temple. "The only two dudes I've taken time speak with properly are assholes."
"Considering our luck, it's a wonder you haven't done anything weird, Ace." Lia said.
He scoffed, "Yeah that won't be happening. And I'm sure there are other guys here with at least the minimum amount of human decency." Lia giggled, "Well the odds are against us."
Ace knew he wasn't a saint himself but at least leagues better than Caleb and Asher. "I guess nerds seeing what they've been jerking it to live in front of them is too much to bear. Though there's no justification for it. There will always be rotten tomatoes."
He sighed just as they reached the entrance where a guard stood placed. Ace didn't recognize him. Perhaps he'd been spending time elsewhere the past few days.
"Hello! We've come to enter the dungeon." said Sage. The guard looked at the party and asked, "Are you sure about wanting to enter the dungeon with only the four of you?"
They nodded, "We're prepared."
"Then I won't stop you. A fair warning, watch out for ambushes. There's already been a group today who nearly died because one. Hadn't they escaped when they did... fuuh. Can't even imagine what would happen to them. Those kobolds are horrible little creatures." Said the guard.
Ace eyes opened wide. "Which group was it?"
"Hmm?" The guard almost seemed asleep, "The second group that entered. Scared the shit out of me when they came running out whilst screaming." The girls looked at each other, seemingly knowing who they were.
"It was Asher's group." Said Sage. "That's strange though..."
"What is?" Ace interrogated.
"Like I know I've said to not trust your back to him. But he should still be able to tank, no?"
Lia stretched and said, "I'll ask Jude after this. I think they were in the same group. If anyone should know, it's him."
"You ready?" The guard asked.
The group said yes and the entrance to the dungeon opened. Inside was a room with a monument in the middle. On top of the monument stood a round blue crystal ball that seemed to pulsate with energy inside it. The energy seemed to try and press itself out, like there'd be too much energy inside the ball.
The guard stuck his head inside and said, "To enter, you'll first have to create a party, then the leader need to interact with the orb by placing a hand on it. Think of entering the dungeon and you should. Be safe." His head disappeared shortly after.
"Thank you!" Lia yelled out from the room, hoping the guard would hear.
"Then how do we create a party?" asked Avery.
"If it's similar to everything else, then..." He said and what looked like a command prompt appeared in front of him. He selected the three nearby elves and they soon accepted his invitation.
"Everyone ready?" He asked. They said, "Yes" in unison. And they entered the dungeon.
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They were placed inside a room with limited light. Crackling torches hung on the wall. Moss covered the better part of the ground and in the corner, a small tree grew with grass underneath it. The only way forward was a tight corridor in front of them with torches lining the hall. Behind them stood a similar device to the one in the entrance, this one however was donned with a cyan-colored gem in the middle of it.
The air was chilly and dry. But breathing in felt like your lungs were cleansed from all the grime modern society had put in them. If nature had a smell, this would be it.
"Wow~" Avery was stunned looking around the room. "This place really looks like a game!"
Once Avery's awing was done, they quietly moved further into the dungeon. After about a minute of walking, they saw the corridor open up into a large room. The room was filled with bushes and greenery. Parts of the stone floor had been covered with grass and spots of moss were spotted around the room. As the group entered the room, they immediately stopped and crouched down when they heard singing in a language they couldn't understand. It was three Kobolds in the corner. They were jumping around the fire whilst making strange hand movements.
Ace waved the others in and explained in a whisper. "I want to practice their movements, we'll kill two of them but keep one alive for me please."
The girls nodded, their faces serious. Ace liked to see them taking this seriously. It gave him a sense of security he didn't even realize existed before.
The three girls stood hidden behind a bush, counting down with their fingers. A little bit away, closer to the kobolds stood Ace, ready to sprint the second the girls started attacking. Both Sage and Avery drew their bows, Lia made hand gestures and said something indescribable and soon, two arrows together with a ball of ice bombarded the small creatures. One of the kobolds died straight away with an arrow through its head and shoulder. The kobold who had stood behind him was pelted with the ice sphere in its face.
Ace ran towards the hit kobold and quickly struck its neck with [Dagger Strike]. The kobold tried to cover the wound but it was too severe. He soon gargled blood and slumped down. The third and last kobold stood there, frozen. He looked at them in confusion until he decided to grab his nearby wooden club.
Ace watched as it started running towards him in full swing and screeching at the top of its lungs. He watched the weapon and movements of the kobold, preparing himself to move accordingly. A swing came towards his knees - dodging out of the way, he kicked the kobold in the back of the head.
The kobold rebalanced himself and came running once again, swinging his weapon wildly. Ace focused in and struck the kobold's sides with his knife, making small enough cuts to where it would only hurt but not bleed. Keeling over and pressing his hands against the wounds, the kobold stared daggers at Ace, growling and gnawing his teeth.
Ace spent another few minutes trying out different moves on the small creature, always making sure the wound he created wasn't lethal enough to where the kobold would die. After some more practice, he'd started becoming proficient in kicking and weaving out just in time to not get him. Thinking that was enough, he quickly ran up against the kobold and stabbed the dagger into it's head - ending the combat.
"Time to continue?"