Samuel and the other adventurers were eventually reunited. All of the ones that had survived managed to make their way back down the correct path.
The first thing that happened after Samuel met the others was that the now awake Clarys healed him. She had become conscious not too long after the young mage started to drag her body across the ground.
He had quickly briefed her on the situation and she decided to retreat alongside him without too much trouble. Whenever they came across other adventurers she would heal them. The group slowly expanded like so until they reached the end of the path.
As the adventurer with the highest rank, Clarys declared that if nobody else came in an hour they would leave. This worked out well as 10 or so adventurers returned during this period, Samuel and Christian included.
They didn't loiter around much longer after that as the healed Samuel decisively ordered them to retreat.
The group left without many breaks in between. They were now a much smaller group so their mobility was greater but that did not make Samuel feel even an ounce happy. They had originally entered the dungeon with 105 adventurers more or less. Samuel had counted the ones that survived this ordeal and they numbered only 36.
Among this number, a third of them were B-class adventurers as the C-class stood no chance in the fight or when retreating. Those that did were either lucky or exceptional in combat or intellect.
They continued walking for a good while before finally reaching the small ruins with the portal that led back. Nobody was happy though. As a matter of fact, the entire party had been silent during the whole march.
They took turns entering the portal with Samuel being the first to enter it. For some reason, he couldn't help but think about Drake as he did.
'Drake Vermillion' He muttered inwardly after exiting the portal on the other side. Samuel couldn't help but pity him. He also lamented how things turned out but he felt pity the most.
Drake had no family. He didn't have a wife, nor a grandfather, nor a teacher. The only thing he had was his title as an A-rank adventurer and even that was bound to fade away into the annals of time.
Drake had left the world without leaving a trace of himself behind. One could say that was the evilest part of these dungeons. Their ability to separate families and make the lonely disappear.
Samuel immersed himself in his thoughts as he waited for the rest of the group members to exit the portal. In more or less three hours, they were all ready to go.
The trek back was easy. Any skeletons they came across were easily killed and the few traps that appeared along the way could be easily avoided or blocked. It was to the point where it almost felt like a bother to do anything about them. It was all the more irritating to think about their loss under these circumstances as it felt as if a hidden existence was making fun of them.
The third floor was quickly behind them. So was the second, and so was the first. They were out.
Rays of moonlight welcomed the group out into the wilderness after they exited the mossy cave. The wind was fresh and welcoming, the night was beautiful and peaceful. Samuel only let out an exasperated sigh before turning his gaze towards the group of adventurers.
"The kingdom will compensate each of you for any lost equipment." Samuel spoke solemnly and gauged the expressions of each adventurer.
"I was not put in charge of this quest. If I had I would ensure you each received a hefty bonus. I know that wouldn't compensate any of you… I know that very well...:" Samuel said lamentably and bitterly. The adventurers could definitely sense the helplessness in his words.
Christian wasn't in a condition to speak about any bonuses at the moment. He was one of the most injured and was now unconscious.
"Still, I'll put the word in. If any of you need any assistance, and I can be of help, then do reach out." Samuel added conclusively.
The adventurers, having heard his words, weren't touched. They were completely unaffected by his short speech and unclear promises. The group carried this atmosphere back into Arbor town were the onlookers couldn't help but whisper and murmur words of doubt and contempt.
Of course, some were also sympathetic. Their gazes showered the adventurers' with feelings of pity and compassion. These sorry stares didn't help them feel any better though.
Arbor town's residents were not poor people. Their conditions weren't extraordinary but their lives were ordinary and fulfilling. They viewed adventurers as sorry and pitiful creatures due to this. That was also a reason as to why there were barely any adventurers, especially in the higher ranks, that originated from the quaint town.
The Freedom Union found out about their return and they were all sent into the same room as last time to brief the Union.
"Ahem, I am Khal Lansworth"... Khal introduced himself as their employer and gave them a usual lamenting speech before beginning to talk business.
The meeting lasted a good hour under the mad cries of some adventurers who requested additional compensation or felt entitled to more than their own worth. The latter part was usually talented C-class adventurers who were new to the field and had traces of arrogance.
The room was eventually cleared out and there were now solely two people.
"Miller, Don't consider me for the next expedition" Samuel said while still sitting at the end of the meeting table. He was rapping a jade white bone against the table as he said those words.
Miller was naturally caught off guard by Samuel's words. But he quickly adjusted and decided to persuade Samuel otherwise.
"I-" He was cut off, however.
"I think I know how to reach the next realm. I won't put myself at risk for the time being. Not until I am sure that my family won't need to receive unfortunate news." Samuel said as he stood up from his seat.
"I understand. In that case, I wish you the best of luck." Miller didn't make things difficult for Samuel. He didn't believe that Samuel could breakthrough in terms of strength, and that was fair since the task shouldn't be made light of, but he didn't want to send Samuel to his death either.
"By the way, Count Flamewood is looking for experienced adventurers to farm a certain alchemical material in the dungeon" Miller added as he gazed at the pristine white bone in Samuel's hands.
Samuel noticed this and scrutinized the bone.
"This?" He asked, somewhat surprised.
"That's right." Miller nodded and said.
Samuel was surprised but he was also happy.
'Great, I can definitely take my time to train then' He planned on reaching the next realm and that took a mixture of talent, luck, and time. If he succeeded he might even be one of the first to do so.
What caused towns to develop?
Simple. Resources.
Towns and villages are usually built near rivers and other sources of water or near caverns with resources like iron and gold. The latter formed mining towns and when it came to dungeons. They formed adventurer cities.
A resourceful dungeon was not to be underestimated. If a count himself was involved in the matter then it wasn't unlikely for the royal family to want a piece of the pie. Many adventurers and organizations would similarly want some profits and Arbor town would be no more.
It would be a city, a city full of adventurers dedicated to hunting that sole dungeon.
***
Ed was gathering skeleton's at a leisurely pace when he received an alert.
[All trespassers have left the dungeon]
He was forced to stop in his tracks and think about the meaning of the alert.
'This didn't happen the last time they left…' When the boss chased the adventurers away or whatever had happened, he didn't receive any notice which had led to his flawed belief.
'Is the dungeon only telling me since I was responsible or is it an indirect warning?' The former seemed quite plausible as the only time he received a similar alert was when he had let the fire swordsman go.
And if it was a warning then the message would be to make plans with their return in mind. The adventurers wouldn't kindly wait for the boss to respawn before going back to settle the score.
'I'll hasten my plans then. Status!' Ed decided to check if the dungeon was watching to immediately start his skeleton experiment. He had gathered plenty for it already so there was no need to continue walking around.
[Name: Edw#&!]
Type: Skeleton
Health: 600/600
Mana: 176
Strength: 2
Agility: 1
Constitution: 5
Dexterity: 2
~Skills:~
[Adept Throwing lvl. 4] -Show info-
[Swordsmanship lvl. -1] -Show info-
[Hoarding lvl. 6] -Show info-
[Mental Fortitude lvl. 5] -Show info-
[Transmission Lvl. 4] -Show info-
[Minor Explosion Resistance lvl. 0] -Show info-
[Assessment lvl. 0] -Show info-
[Assimilation lvl. 5] -Show info-
[Thought Manifestation lvl. 1] -Show info-
[Language lvl. 1] -Show info-
[Mana Manipulation lvl. 4] -Show info-
[System link lvl. 2] -Show info-
[Eloquence lvl. 3] -Show info-
[Sixth Sense lvl. 0] -Show info-
Ed gazed at his attributes for a bit, committing them to memory, to determine which area he would focus on when assimilating. He then swept his glance down and saw that the system link skill had been revealed.
'Excellent. I guess the dungeon might need to see the adventurers out to know' Ed mused on the idea of the dungeon kindly and hospitably showing the adventurers out.
He then prepared to enter the system space. It was time to try and take out some consciousnesses!