Donning the same equipment as his previous escapade stands expressionless in front of the rift. His backpack is filled with everything he had in it the last time.

  The rift floats unchanged before the freezer door, its rich light blinding to Kyle's shut-in eyes.

  “Still think it’s stupid I can’t have any fucking ice cream” he pouts while reaching a hand out. Despite Kyle’s complaining all he needs to do is go from the side, scoot his freezer over a foot, or so and it will be perfectly functionable. Kyle was just so torn up that something unconvinced him he can’t think of the simple solution. He believes that this too must be another intentional way the world is especially bad to specifically him.

  The air of the dungeon defies everything Kyle knows about caves. When he first got here he wasn’t really focused on that, or anything really. There’s no draft, but the air still feels fresh, when he breathes in it clears his lungs as if there is the perfect amount of oxygen. The air is cool and it smells vaguely of forest, but with less dirt and wood smell.

  Light was also strange here. It was just bright. It didn’t seem like there was a source, or at least nothing that can be considered a source by a human definition. The dungeon was: unless it was less night time shadow less. Everything was bright unless fully covered as if every part of the world seemed to generate light.

  Even sound travels oddly here. It’s not like the stones absorb sound well, sound still travels fairly far, but there isn’t an echo. It just doesn’t sound like a cave here, more a room filled with furniture..

  “Alright time to prepare myself for disappointing me. Stats”

  Seeing his stats unchanged from his last visit, save for his health which recovered a single point Kyle is surprised. He fully expected the experience would reset to 0. Soon after he blocks the positivity “Ahh whatever it’s not like that much progress is really anything to care about, I’m still getting way too little xp for my work”

  Kyle profusely refuses the notion that something could be anything less than shitty. He refuses to allow himself to be hopeful.

  Unfamiliar with if his previous encounters here were typical Kyle’s plan is very loose. Stay and find monsters until he’s level 1. He also understands he will need to be a little more careful than yesterday, but his approach isn’t too energetic. His precautions are only half measures. The first things he could think of applied through the laziest of methods.

  To avoid getting lost again he has resolved to “pay more attention.” a statement that ultimately means absolutely nothing.

  He will try to steer clear of running into monsters back to back without a full magazine by “actually fucking reloading this time.” He sets that as an actual priority and will fully reload even before looting. That he ties into another goal of his, which is to figure out how long the pouches stay on the ground for. He’s willing to waste an hour and sacrifice a silver coin for this since neither of those resources really matter to him.

  He wants to avoid getting ambushed, or ganged up on, but he isn’t really sure how. “Okay maybe I can be a little more quiet. Try to keep my thoughts inside.” This will be a real challenge for the man. Even before his parents died he’s basically been a shut-in. It only got slightly worse when he moved back to his hometown. Never being near people has made his issue of talking aloud a full blown uncontrollable impulse. He genuinely doesn’t mean to do it when he emotes vocally, it just happens. Apart from his attempts to silence himself he has no other plans to avoid detection.

  “If I get pincered I’m fucked. Maybe if this firearm skill proves not useless I can bring another goal and dual wield. I know now if I try I’ll miss like 100% of the time. I should find some way to avoid that, maybe backing myself into a wall. Kinda hard to do in the open environment, but unlike a melee fighter I wouldn’t need much room to get the full use of my weapon.” He says immediately breaking his vow of silence.

  “How the fuck can these monsters even be so damn sneaky when there’s no fucking shadows. Wait, it was totally darker last time I was here. Does the light level change here? Is there a stealth skill? Damn this place gettin’ interestin’.”

  While walking he gets the idea that he will be slightly more prepared for an ambush if he keeps his gun in his hand rather than his holster, but the thought of accidentally shooting himself wracks his brain. “Maybe I should just not smoke when I’m down here” *naw fuck that* He thinks to himself before taking a massive hit. *It would be kinda funny if died in a dungeon by my own fucking weapon instead of monster* He decides to keep the gun in his hand, the ammo gauge on fully display in his vision at all times.

  After an hour of walking in the opposite direction he went the last time Kyle stubbornly kicks the wall like a pouting child. “Ow” He yelps from stubbing his toes. “Damn did I choose the boring direction this cave fucking sucks.”

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  “Yeah fuck running into nothing I’m not wasting my time” After a moment of standing still debating if he should just turn back and give up again he has another though. “Maybe I should make some noise. Try to get some monsters' attention. They die instantly anyway. How much danger am I really in?”

  He walks ever so slightly faster down the tunnel. With his left hand he pulls out his phone and chooses the loudest sound he has downloaded and lets it blare

  “Fuck yeah two birds one stone. Now I won’t be as bored and all the stupid ass monsters will come running towards me”

  ******

  Embers fly softly hitting against a slanted heat resistant pelt as Grimwoli throws another log at the firepit in his house. He lets his mind settle as he takes his time to organize all of the lies and half truths he’s told recently. Just about every group that has come to him asking him about the portals has received different options.

  For the non craftspeople civilians they’ve been kept mostly in the dark. They know basically nothing apart from the stories children are told. They believe the portals link to other places in the dungeon and can be used to teleport freely. They’ve been led to believe less, by Grimwoli and more by the excited warriors, that the portals are a great boon. They will bring new exotic resources and foods without providing any real danger.

  Most of the warriors and craftspeople have been told the kobolds are monsters and that the loot they receive from them will be dungeon generated. They’ve been informed that the portals will be opening up again. They somewhat correctly were able to figure out from the injuries Harkell suffered taking out his group. That they should train because these monsters are slightly stronger than average and might have unique classes, or evolutions. Grimwoli is intentionally keeping the true power of the kobolds and the threats on the other side of the portal a secret.

  He told Harkell “Figuring out precisely when the portal will open is impossible” a lie. Since Harkell knew the kobolds weren’t monsters after his fight left him 4 kobolds corpses richer. Grimwoli gave in and gave up. He told him a half truth: that the kobolds aren’t the only other things that can come out of the portals and once it opens fully they should expect more powerful kobolds and even monsters. He told him of the different states of the portal that when blinking the portal is only partially open and while solid the portal is fully open. He lied to him and told him the portal was only temporary and once solid it will only remain for a short time.

  Even to his apprentices he’s kept most of the major details hidden, least of which being how he has most of this knowledge in the first place. He did give them the formula to calculate how often the portal will blink into partial existence allowing for a flood. Confident as he was in his own skills, he wanted to be 100% confident that he got the exact time of each of the floods. He NEEDED to know the exact time of the full opening.

  Glish likely has the most information of anyone apart from him. He’s told her the most and shared with her to expect danger and what that danger could possibly be. He told her about the lower floors of the dungeon and monsters of much higher levels than what they see. Of course she doesn’t know these portals are a two way street. He hasn’t told her about the different portal colors, or their meanings.

  Power was a weapon and so too was information. Grimwoli will do everything to maximize both because he plans to use those tools to stand at the top of all of the goblin tribes by the end of this even if he has to sacrifice this village and everyone in it to accomplish it.

  With his mind cleared and every thought neatly in its place he expands his mana over the room. The dried bits of red from his silver chalice aglow, he begins to chant.

  ******

  Harkell and his group finally arrive at their destination. A forked tunnel near the very edge of the outer tunnels and into the area known by all of the goblin tribes as the Wild Lands.

  The dungeon is shaped like a massive plate. The inner tunnels concentrated at the tunnel. The light generated by the dungeon works on a different schedule and some tunnels within will be completely dark. The inner tunnels in general are where the many goblin tribes within the dungeon make their home.

  Surrounding that in a circle with a larger radius, but around the same surface area since it has a giant hole in the center is the outer tunnels. This is where monsters spawn. The night cycle is slightly longer and slightly different here and all tunnels within the outer tunnel will be at the light level at any given moment. At night in the outer tunnels monsters will spawn in many at level 0 these monsters will typically lurk far away from each other in the middle of the tunnels. The walls within can be destroyed, digging and mining can be done, but there's a limit at some point the stone becomes too hard to continue.

  Surrounding that is the wild lands. It’s another, larger half circle with an even larger hold in the center. There are only 2 walls, the back outer one closing off the dungeon and then one separating the outer tunnels from the wild lands. From the wild lands you can tell the dungeons has large dome roof. The curved ceiling can be seen. Apart from that it’s open in all directions. The walls and roof here are seemingly indestructible and aside from the indents that texture the floor the area is entirely level. Monsters once they reach a certain level of strength naturally wish to gravitate towards this section of the dungeon. Monsters within won’t really group up, but like the froghemoths at the lake, they aren’t aggressive towards each other. Most of the monsters here are all the same level of strength except for the few that stay near the holes in the wall. Those weaker monsters wander back into the outer tunnels at night.

  This is how this particular, enclosed section of the dungeon has worked since well before the goblins' records begin.

  “Let’s split up now and meet back once it’s night. I won’t have you weaklings slow me down, or get in my way.” He turns to them speaking between clenched teeth with a wicked expression “DON'T GET HURT!”

  A tremor runs through Greeses body. He knows his master wouldn’t execute for no reason, but if he proves useless and gets in the way Harkell will spend no extra strength to save him, or bring him back. Then his pride takes over. He is hit with a rush of adrenaline and confidence *oimma go an’ murder a big ole beast and make that bitch Ikar shit his pants. I’ll fuckin’ spit on his face in front of Harkell*

  Greese runs off with a newfound sense of vigor, his speed momentarily reaching an apex greater even than when he started the trip “Arrrr Murder”. He screams at the top of his lungs.

  Ikar scoffs *that idiot. Why is he always trying to show off?* “Don’t worry sir, I’ll keep in tip top shape, hell I’m actually pretty close to leveling my shortsword skill. I can just feel it, you know? I’ll be more than ready by tonight.” He says with a fake smile

  Ikar takes off the small buckler from his back, cusps it firmly in his right hand and with his short sword in the other hand gracefully moves towards another tunnel. While not nearly as fast as Greese, he is practically running and doing so making as little sound as possible without a stealth skill.

  Harkells face darkens and he marches single mindedly towards his tunnel. The moment he is in the tight corridor he activates two skills. Bloodlust and Warcry his classes two unique skills. They work better when in a group, or when directly opposing a group of enemies. He doesn’t care that the small effect they’ll have of drawing monsters towards him is more than good enough.