"…It looks like I didn't judge the difficulty increase accurately enough... the change of tactics and extra effects were a harsher combination than I expected, even ignoring numbers," you admit. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth, and not just from leftover acid webs. You hate losing… but yeah, Maya made the right call here.
"You too Al! C'mon, we were doing fine. Sure we probably would have ran out of consumables, but we could have won," Anshelm grumbles, frowning in your direction.
"We were less than halfway through that room," you sigh, "Look maybe if me and Sera could take down the spiders in two hits instead of three we could have managed it, but this wasn't like the Ogre Den, even if we finished the spider room there were still three more fights to go afterword, and a possible bonus boss."
"That's what I was thinking," Maya adds quietly, "No offense meant to any of you, but without SP you really can't contribute much, by the end it would have been just Anshelm and I fighting the boss. I'm sure you remember just how difficult putting the Crystal Lord down last time was, and only I have upgraded my weapons since then."
"Um…. I have to agree, especially since there were so many, I was even being attacked a lot, and enemies don't usually notice me at all," Sera points out, she still looks uncomfortable.
Anshelm scowls at that, but the reminder that not only were you all blowing through your resources too fast, but that he couldn't even keep all or even most of the agro seems to prick his pride, "…Fine. I guess it's stupid to expect to beat everything on the first go," he still looks really unhappy, but you think he's simmered down a little, "We're coming back and stomping this place at some point though."
Maya lets out a relieved sigh, some of the tension leaving her shoulders, and her ears perking back up, "Yeah, I can get behind that, we'll put on a few levels, get some better weapons and beat this another time, retreating is better than the alternative."
"Very much so. I have no desire to see our names on the Monument to the Fallen just yet," Shimah finally speaks up, "My skills are not yet enough to see us through a dungeon with so many foes. My apologies."
"It's fine," Maya responds, "You have to remember that your job rank doesn't necessarily mean what rank of dungeon you should be going too, and that dungeons have no minimum level, even a dungeon with a cap in the high double digits still has an E rank version, that doesn't mean we would have any business entering it."
"S'pose so," Anshelm says, "What are we going to do next then, I spent the gilder on that blessing, I still want to get some use out of it."
"I figure we can stop back at the city to grab a couple amritas… Shimah healing us up is going to be cheaper than potions. Then we hit one of the close dungeons so we don't get caught outside at night. Say.. D rank ogre den? We took that with four people before and that was with the bonus boss," you say
"That sounds fine, it's… pretty unlikely that we'll get the bonus boss twice in a row," Maya says.
"Yeah, alright," Anshelm's still feeling pretty taciturn it seems.
"That should be fine," Shimah is in.
"If everyone thinks it will be fine, I'm willing to try… can you tell me about it on the way back though, I wasn't here for that one…" Sera agrees too.
You all set off back to town, Shimah taking the time to heal everyone as you walk, and answer Sera's questions.
On the way you end up falling back to talk to Maya, only briefly being distracted by the fluffy black brush of fur now protruding from just above her backside. So fluffy.
Anyway, important things, you withdraw your escape orb from your inventory, "Hey Maya, moneys a little tight right now, so just take my orb,"
"Al? I can't just take this," she responds, looking somewhere between touched and concerned.
"Yes you can, I sure don't know when to use it," you grumble, "Just take it, and make sure to pull us out of the fire if we get overconfident again."
She takes the orb after that, looking thoughtful. "Some confidence can be good, as long as you're aware of your limits."
You grimace,"Yeah, yeah, I got that advice from the Archbishop too, I don't like admitting limits I guess… You must have had something show you yours then, huh? You seemed pretty sad when you mentioned the graveyard," you've really only got one mode socially, and that's being painfully blunt, and you really are curious.
Maya pauses, falling behind you for half a step before catching up, ugh, with that sad look, and the drooping ears, you feel like you've just kicked a puppy, "Yeah, I did. I was the only one of the three of us that made it out of the graveyard."
Right dropping it now, the rest of the trip passes in semi companionable silence, and small talk. Sera is going to switch to her boots, and after a little discussion, you all decide its best for Anshelm to wear the 'Purty Hat' if the bonus boss shows up he'll be the one getting hit the most. Also Ogre's don't have much in the way of numbers, so he doesn't need the extra threat generation.
At least Anshelm switching to the Purty Hat warms up the atmosphere a little, it looks so dumb, like a toddler got into their mothers jewelry drawer and glued everything together into a 'crown.' You do have to hurry, if you want to get back before nightfall though. Shimah and Sera both buy a couple Amritas you figure your two ethers will be fine.
Luckily Ogre's Den is not too far from the city, the hill the dungeon entrance lies in is perhaps only two hours walk from town. You should be fine. You take an Ether on the way there, topping your SP off.
"Alright, we're gonna destroy these guys," Anshelm has gotten a bit of his bravado back, or maybe he's trying to make up for how silly he looks right now with his new hat.
"I'm sure we will, just make sure to watch out for their specials," Maya responds, she still seems pretty down. Ugh, not good with people, you have no idea how to cheer her up and Anshelm is totally oblivious.
"Yup, now lets get in there, we can trash talk while we fight. We're on a timer," You say, instead of what's on your mind.
Sera glances up toward the sun, which is beginning its trip down to the horizon, "Yes Al is right…. Besides isn't it more fun if they can hear us insult them?" she adds the second part with a bit of playfulness you didn't know she had in her.
"Dungeon monsters cannot understand our speech, at least not at such low rank," Shimah puts in. Sera frowns at her.
"It was a joke Miss Shimah," she responds.
"Was it? I am sorry," Shimah answers back, she still seems kind of distracted by something.
Before Sera can answer Anshelm activates the dungeon, and you all set off, the first room is the same as before. A dirt and stone cavern, though there are six of the smaller ogres with the big one, they're just as disgusting and smelly as you remember. Sera clearly agrees by the way her face goes a little green when the smell hits.
No time to think on that, Anshelm calls his challenge, and maya is already gone, you set to slowing the crowd while Sera burns away at the big one. She seems less pleased with the results than usually, probably because burning ogres, if anything smell even worse than normal ones. "Goddess, why do they smell so horrible," you catch her grumbling.
She's right, your eyes are watering. Shimah keeps Anshelm healed up until they all go down, it takes a bite out of her SP, but the ogres dropped faster this time thanks to Sera and Maya's new skill.
Second room comes, four of the little ogres, two of the big ones and the stone hurler, in a wide chamber that lets the nasty thing make the best of its range.
"Seraphine, you and Maya concentrate on the big one with the rock!" Anshelm calls as he takes point, clashing spear on shield to sound the challenge to the rest of the ogres. It goes pretty well, with Seraphine helping the chucker drops much faster than last time, you don't even have to get hit with an exploding rock this time! Anshelm does, but he has more health, and Shimah heals him anyway. The rest follow in short order.
The next room is a bit of a pain, apparently the dungeon decided you were having too easy a time since there are three big ogres, three chuckers and five of the little ones around the bubbling stewpot this time. You eye up the Magi's hut warily, but you know it won't spawn until you finish the others… at this rank, who knows later on.
It's… honestly a pretty painful fight. Anshelm drops into the yellow several times, and you end up getting exploded twice, you have never been happier that you don't really feel pain normally. Shimah keeps up with the healing, buts all she can do until Maya and Sera cull the chuckers numbers, which to be fair they manage as quickly as they can. You have to take your last Ether by the end of the room, and Sera and Shimah both need an amrita. Nothing comes from the hut; you don't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.
The Boss room is up next. The glow of the bonfire casts the ugly tribal totems and their uglier carvers into sharp relief, as the battle is joined. You suppose your luck evened out, because there are only two chuckers this time and four of the big ogres to join the 'Bawws' in the fight. A lucky crit from Maya means the first chucker goes down quickly, and the battle goes well from there. Your slow actually lands on the Bawws, and two of the big guys freeze under your frost spray, rendering it almost trivial for Shimah to keep up with the healing, she even gets a moment to debuff the bosses magic and defense, meaning his healing is less effective. You wouldn't call it easy. A stray rock clips off a third of Maya's health, and Anshelm has to take a couple potions when the ogres land specials, but they drop fast enough. The Bawws falls, and then the two frozen ogres are quickly set upon and shattered, and like that the dungeon ends.
Congratulations!
You have gained.
54 Experience
5 Job points
72 Gilder
The party has Looted.
6 potions
3 Hi potion
4 amrita
2 Ether
[Ogre Belt] A rough hide belt with a buckle made of Steel. Grants additional Health. +10 Health
[Ogre's Rucksack] Five Extra Slots. A crudely made hide sack. Is pretty spacious though.
[Bawws' Hat] A strange hat made of silk, black and tall, with a strip of white just above the brim. How did an Ogre get this? Reduces your starting threat?
[Bawws Stick] A crude wooden staff, or rather a small tree with a skull affixed to the top. Provides a boost to spell damage and the duration of status effects.
[Oni Club] A massive club of iron with spikes protruding around the end, requires two hands and prodigious strength to use. Massive damage, and a chance to stun on hit.
[Oni Race Mod] Smarter, Stronger, less smelly than their lesser cousins. Boosts Strength and Endurance at the cost of Agility
"Hmm A pretty good haul, even if I can't use any of it," Maya says, "I wouldn't mind the hat I suppose."
"I definitely want that race mod," Anshelm adds, that's pretty much perfect for me. You manage not to vocally disagree, c'mon even if this 'oni' thing isn't as bad as straight up ogre, it won't be the same….
"Um… the belt could be useful for me, my health is pretty low, and we will be getting another accessory slot at level five…" Sera says consideringly
"Nothing I need, I suggest we split the consumables as we always do, If no one else wishes for it, I will take the club, most likely for sale," Shimah speaks up last, having been scanning her loot pane. "I believe you should take the bag Al. You are the last one aside from Anshelm lacking one, and he is far from needing one yet."
What do you want?
[]Loot?
Select an action for the evening.
[]Time for a home visit.
[]Spend some time with your friends?
[]Socializing at the Inn
[] Something else?
-2 Ethers
((Nat hundred on the boss room loot, and your bonuses... some of that loot had no business showing up in D rank.))