Inari mused for a moment. "I think we can manage with a group this size. Let's beat this dungeon."
Avin stood in silence for a moment, stunned by the confidence of those around them. How could they all remain so levelheaded in the face of the unknown dangers in the dungeon around them? Then again, they had seen Inari’s power on display for themself. That water spout earlier disintegrated the houndoom blight in a single shot. From that alone, Avin knew they weren’t anywhere close to being on the same level as Inari, but they weren’t completely useless either. Perhaps… they could clear the dungeon!
Avin closed their eyes, took in a deep breath to steady themself, then nodded. “Okay, let’s do this then. We’ll clear this dungeon and get Kaji that Gracidea flower!”
Their self-confidence temporarily restored, Avin felt their dungeoneering senses start to kick in. “Given the presence of houndoom and sawsbuck blights, this is definitely a high-tier dungeon. How one came to be so close to a town is a question for the guild later, but knowing that tells us some vital information on how to proceed,” Avin explained. “I’ll go over this quickly. We should have enough time to make a gameplay, but I don’t want to risk another surprise attack.”
Avin flexed their paw, unsheathing a small set of claws that they began to drag through the dirt on the ground. They hoped everyone’s eyes had adjusted enough to allow them to see the diagram. “I’m not sure how dungeons work in your worlds, if they exist at all, so let me explain as briefly as possible how they function here.”
“Dungeons, for all intents and purposes, function like living beings. Some scholars even argue they ARE living creatures, but I’ll skip the philosophical debates for now.” Avin drew a box on the ground, carving a few small dots inside it. “Much like we have immune systems that fight off invaders and infections, the dungeons have one as well. You’ve already encountered it. The blights serve as the dungeon’s protectors. They attack any sort of invaders into the dungeon, in the hopes that they’ll either leave or worse, die. If someone passes in a dungeon, most of the time there’s no recovering them. There are items to help prevent it but that’s why it’s important to always come prepared. The dungeon will devour them for nutrients and use them to grow, taking over more space and creating stronger blights.
“Low-tier dungeons like Apple Woods in the east can actually be somewhat tamed if you catch it early enough. Mid-tier dungeons too, but it’s much more difficult to achieve. This allows residents in those areas to have a symbiotic relationship with the dungeon. Sky Peak is one such case.” Avin drew a few vaguely hedge-shaped creatures around the box, offering what appeared to be fruit and other items to the box. “We fed the dungeon other sources of energy besides living people and in return, it allowed us to escort tourists through and provided us with food. Though even tamed dungeons can be dangerous since you can’t just entirely shut down an immune system and they’re easy to get lost in regardless, which is why we acted as guides.”
Avin paused mid-explanation as a shiver ran up their spine. They felt it. The winds. Not good.
“High-tier dungeons like this are very dangerous. This dungeon has consumed enough people to reach a point where it’s no longer tameable, and in return, this means its immune system is extremely strong and violent. It has capabilities that are far stronger than that of a regular dungeon, like disabling items, laying traps, and even suppressing our power levels if it’s strong enough.” Avin began to draw some squiggles in the dirt. “The wind you’re feeling now is the immune system too. All dungeons have it but it’s far more active in high-tier dungeons. It allows the blights to locate us more easily, which is bad, so I won’t have us dawdle here much longer.”
Avin quickly drew a zigzag shape in the dirt. “Somewhere on this floor is a set of stairs. It could be anywhere, so we have to keep our eyes peeled. These stairs will allow us to descend further into the dungeon, and temporarily reset the blight’s response.” Avin paused to sniff the air a bit. “I always had a knack for figuring out where they were in Sky Peak, since their locations change upon entry to each floor. Kaji calls it a gift. I think it’s dumb luck. Regardless, we better hope that luck or skill comes into play here.”
Avin closed their eyes and took another deep breath in as they sniffed around. A nagging feeling came over them as they focused. Northeast. They had a feeling the stairs were northeast of them. Opening their eyes, Avin took a moment to observe their surroundings. No immediate threats. Time to move.
“If everyone’s ready, let’s get going. I’ll take point.”
Avin’s entire demeanor shifted as they began to lead their little group through the dungeon. It seemed while they were still frightened beyond belief by the situation they had gotten into, the presence and confidence of those with them now was fueling their own drive.
Avin perked up and began to listen more intently to their surroundings. It took a moment, but the sound was unmistakable. Wingbeats. “A flying-type blight,” Avin muttered. “Probably a larger one too based on the frequency of the flaps. The canopy should cover us for now, but we’ll need to be ready for a potential divebomb.”
Avin paused their trot as a loud hissing suddenly filled their ears. “Tread carefully,” they warned, quickly scanning around.
A pair of gleaming yellow and red eyes pierced through the darkness as a ghastly white arbok emerged from the underbrush, barring the party’s path forward.
It appears the only way forward is to fight.
