Chapter 20
by inkadminAdventurer Ellen
“Are you all right?”
Ellen panted quietly as she stared at the smoldering remains of the spider that had, seconds ago, nearly bitten her face off. She was pretty sure that Vincent’s blessing wouldn’t have been as effective against that kind of attack.
It had been unreasonably close.
“Ellen?”
Again, the voice prodded her. Ellen snapped out of it and blinked, turning to face the trio of more experienced adventurers. She became aware of Vincent gently checking her over for injuries, while Edmund scouted the perimeter. Miriam was the one asking about her health, wearing an expression of concern that she never thought she’d see on the grouchy mage.
“I think so,” she finally croaked out. “I just didn’t expect all of them to pounce after me at once. S-sorry I messed it up, Miriam.”
To her surprise, the mage shook her head. “No, you lunged just fine. It really was a shock to see them all go after you, you’re not wrong. It was very strange.”
“It was?” Ellen stared, automatically lifting her arms while Vincent checked her out. “Um, I think I’m okay, but thanks, Vincent.”
“A more experienced adventurer might have been able to handle it,” Miriam explained. She still wasn’t going easy on Ellen. “But someone new to it like you? I don’t blame you for freaking out. For a newbie you did well. Did you gain a Level?”
Ellen shook her head. “No. I’m probably about four thousand away from Level 8.” She paused to check. “Closer to three thousand, actually. If I can kill a few more dungeon spawn and get a couple more first time bonuses, I might reach it before we leave.”
Miriam nodded while Ellen reviewed her notifications. “Level 8 is usually a Skill Enhancer. Do you have any unlocked? We’ll need to push you to unlock one if you haven’t.”
“I unlocked Spear Fighting this fight,” Ellen reassured her with a nod in return. “I’m hoping to get an Agility point and take Sure-Footed later when I hit 11, but I’m not sure yet what to take for my Level 9 Perk. My sister wants me to take Strong Back if it’s offered again, but I might want something more combat-focused.”
“Sure-Footed is a great pick.” Edmund spoke up as he rejoined the group. “If you want a more combat-focused one there are good choices available. If you were offered Strong Back that means you might qualify for Firm Grip or Power Strike. Either would be good. The former is better for a spear, but the latter opens up more advanced Perks later. Strong Back is better for utility if you don’t intend to focus on being your party’s sole front-liner though.”
Ellen nodded gratefully. “I took Overbear for my Level 6 Perk. I thought it would help keep the monsters at a distance.”
Edmund clapped her on the shoulder. “That’s not a bad thought, either. For a spear-user, it’s a great first pick. I just thought you’d be more bow-focused.”
A look of confusion briefly passed over Ellen’s face before she remembered that Edmund thought she was a Hunter Class. She’d almost messed up in talking about her Perks. Fortunately, a lot of the Strength and Agility Perks between Hunter and Fighter were similar. She’d have to be more careful about that.
“I um… I’m going for a more close-in build,” she mumbled lamely. “Maybe I should have picked Fighter instead, but I’m curious what kind of options will open up for a close-in Hunter later on. I might even try to unlock a Hybrid.”
Miriam chuckled, and Vincent gave an amused snort, but neither mocked her statement. Edmund was a little more gracious about it.
“Might see how well you’re leveling and how much you enjoy what you are doing first,” the swordsman grinned. “We all want the Hybrid Classes, but do you really want to slog through the early levels again?”
You have no idea, Ellen thought to herself, but she just smiled back at him.
“Yeah, it’s kind of a fantasy, but you were all talking about Gran- Greylan earlier so the thought came to me. He’s kind of my hero. Well, one of them.”
Miriam laughed, covering her mouth. “You and everyone else’s, kid.” Still condescending, but Ellen liked her better with this more lighthearted attitude she’d been carrying since entering the dungeon.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
“So far, this looks like a pretty early dungeon, that much is true.” Edmund stared at the exits. “It’s still giving spawn bonuses, but if it isn’t spawning loot then we may need to let it cook a little longer or mark it as a minor dungeon. Guess we can’t get our hopes up too high. We were lucky to get this job at all.”
“Well I’m glad the Guild sent you!” Ellen smiled… then tilted her head as the others gave her a puzzled look.
Edmund shrugged. “You stay here and sit down, recover from that shock. Miriam, you stay here with her and recover your mana… that Fire Bolt on top of the other two spells can’t have been easy. Vincent and I will scout out the tunnel to the left and see if it goes anywhere interesting.”
Vincent ruffled Ellen’s head lightly before the quiet healer followed Edmund, ducking into another narrow passage with the swordsman. This left her alone with Miriam.




0 Comments