Brandt put his helmet on and turned back to talk over his shoulder. “At the last step down below, the first floor begins. It will look like darkness, but you can step through it. We are going to run. The first floor is a snow covered plain with nowhere to hide. You will be disoriented. The sky is not real, it’s all a magical construct. It’s only five miles across in every direction, and there is a room to rest in at the end. Just follow the sun to find it. Ignore the newts. If they get close, don’t let them bite your exposed skin. Everybody ready?”

Madi and Jude tensed up, ready to follow Brandt’s orders.

“Why are we running? Can we just kill the monsters?” Daniel asked.

Brandt paused. “There are a few hundred of them. Do you really want to get worn down and hurt on the first floor? The newts do not do much damage, but with the amount that are on the first floor...”

“We have Orrin to heal us,” Daniel said. “Plus, didn’t you say we aren’t here to actually defeat this place? The goal is just to gain some experience, right?”

“I can’t protect you all from that many newts,” Brandt complained.

“How about we get to the end, then farm some experience?” Orrin suggested. “We can jump through into the room at the end and defend from there if we need to.”

“The monsters don’t follow into the safe rooms,” Brandt answered. “But I like that idea better than having to leave the dungeon because somebody spooked hundreds of tiny monsters into attacking us."

Daniel just shrugged. “I’m fine with Orrin’s idea.”

“Wait,” Orrin said. “Let me cast a few spells, just in case.”

Orrin didn’t wait for an answer and cast [Ice Ward] on the party. He cast [Ward] individually on everyone as well. It costs almost an extra hundred MP, but if they were going to be running for an hour anyways, he’d make most of that back. The spell descriptors gave no time limit for [Ward] and [Ice Ward] but Orrin was willing to bet it would reset if they fell asleep. Both wards up would give each party member 460 damage resistance, if the spells stacked like he hoped they did.

He explained what he’d done. Brandt and Jude gave him another one their looks. He was getting used to everyone thinking he was crazy.

“Brandt, if what the kid says is true...” Jude partially unstrapped his hammer from his back. “Maybe we should just play smash the ugly newt.”

Brandt shook his head. “While I do believe him, we don’t know what could go wrong. We run to the end. Best case scenario, we can spend the rest of the day killing newts with the safe room at our back. Worst case, we don’t have to retreat out of the chambers before a day has passed. We won’t be allowed back in. That would defeat Lord Catanzano’s entire reason for sending us here.”

Orrin agreed with the logic but thought Brandt was being too safe. He also really didn’t want to run five miles.

“Get ready to run,” Brandt ordered. “We go on three.”

“One. Two. Three! Go.”

Brandt took the last step into the darkness and disappeared. Orrin followed after Daniel.

After going down the dark and icy stairway, Orrin blinked at the bright light. He could hear birds singing in the distance. The sky above was bright, like the start of the day. Snow covered the ground all around. It was only a few inches deep, but enough to have to lift his leg to step forward.

Madi and June appeared behind him. Brandt was scanning the frozen plains. The sun sat high and slightly in front of them.

“Everybody here? Good. Move out,” Brandt ordered and began to jog. His heavy armor helped kick up snow, moving it to the side a bit. With Daniel on his heels, a path was already forming.

Orrin let out a groan and began running. Why is there so much running involved in this world?

Orrin kept his [Map] up in front of him as they moved. “Cluster of ten monsters to your right.”

Brandt turned left and kept running. They’d been running in a zigzag for half an hour and Orrin needed a break soon. Brandt was pushing them hard but being the snowplow for the group had to be taking a toll on him too.

“I think if you turn a bit more to the left, we can rest. That group is the nearest right now.” Orrin got out between ragged breaths.

Orrin assumed Brandt was feeling it too, because he took his suggestion. They came to a stop after having run probably two to three miles in the snow.

“Five minutes,” Brandt said and pulled off his helmet. Sweat had matted his hair to his forehead. He wiped it off and unstrapped one of his many water bottles to take a long drink.

“How are you doing?” Daniel asked, turning back to Orrin.

“I’m dead,” Orrin answered. “I’m dead and this is hell.”

Madi didn’t look much better. She sat on her knees and was taking big breaths of air.

“Stretch and try to drink some water at least,” Daniel suggested. He went to talk with Brandt and Jude. Both were looking into the distance.

Orrin took a gulp of water from his own single water skin and then handed it to Madi. “Daniel says to drink and stretch.”

He started doing lunge stretches, feeling his muscles burn. Madi mirrored him after a few seconds.

“It’s incredible we’ve made it this far so quickly,” Madi breathed out. She sounded winded still.

“I guess we’ve made good time,” Orrin replied. “I’m sure Daniel could have run a lot quicker though.”

“Not without getting into a few fights,” Madi retorted. “From the little Brandt has let slip to me over the years, it usually takes the entire day to get all the way through the first floor. Fights are common, even when they just try to run through.”

“That makes no sense,” Orrin stood up and reached towards the fake sky. “Why wouldn’t they just outrun the newts or bring somebody to use [Map] to avoid them?”

Madi let out a burst of air that could have been a laugh. “Nobody who had [Map] would be in a dungeon. And if you caught the attention of a few newts, it would be better to kill them instead of let them follow you, making noise, and drawing in more.”

Orrin touched his toes then stood still. “I still don’t get that. Someone who could map out the dangers would make the floor easier. Someone who could heal would make the danger less permanent. Why does it always need to be five people with sharp pointy things defeating a dungeon?”

Madi shrugged. “That’s the way it has always been. And we haven’t seen what else is in store for us. Maybe we do need five damage dealers to take down a level.” She winced and backtracked. “I’m sure we can do it with you though.”

Orrin waved his hand. “Nah. I get it. This is new for me too. If I’m too much of a burden, you guys could always take someone else for the next dungeon crawl.”

Madi hesitated. “If you truly mean that, you are a better person than me. I would never give up my spot on this team.”

“I just want to be safe. And for him to be safe, too.” Orrin nodded his head at where Daniel was pointing towards something in the distance. Jude was covering his eyes with his hand to try to see. “And you and Jude and Brandt too, of course.”

Madi smiled. “Let’s go keep the [Hero] safe then.”

It took another hour to get the final few miles. Most of that was spent with Orrin using [Map] to slowly evade the red dots. They still hadn’t actually seen a newt. Brandt explained that they usually jumped right out of the snow when you got close, then ran along the top, barely touching the icy top layer.

“They bite with tiny teeth that can’t pierce leather, but have an uncommon knack for finding flesh. Even then, the bite only stings a bit but it causes frostbite.”

Orrin unconsciously pulled the collar of his cloak up higher around his neck.

“There,” Daniel said and pointed. “There’s a door, right there.”

Through the haze coming off the snow, Orrin could just make out what looked like a door of ice. If he wasn’t looking for it, the door might have faded into the snowy background behind it.

Orrin looked at his [Map]. Nothing was between them and the door. He told them the same.

Jude hit Brandt on his shoulder. “We just made the first ever, no damage run. You owe me a drink.”

Brandt smiled. “Gladly. But let’s get through the door first.”

“Wait,” Daniel said. “Let’s get close and then earn some experience.”

Brandt’s smile faded. “Are you sure, they are quick and the frostbite takes days to heal on its own. It would be safer to-“

“I’m sure,” Daniel interjected. “Besides, we need the practice right?”

Brandt didn’t argue but looked less than thrilled as they made their way to the door.

Orrin’s MP was nearly full again, with over 90 minutes passed and [Meditate] giving him the standard 1 MP back. “Are we going to wait in the safe room before going on to the next floor?”

“We can if anyone is hurt,” Jude responded as he took his warhammer off his back.

“I could boost everybody. Or even just the three of you. Get your dexterity up so it’s easier to hit the newts?” Orrin suggested.

“Could you boost your own will first to max out how much dexterity we get?” Daniel asked.

Orrin started doing math. So much running and math.

For whatever reason, casting [Increase Will] or [Increase Intelligence] didn’t stack on their own, but would increase the output of Dexterity or Strength. If he gave himself five boosts of [Increase Will], he’d get up to 28. With his original will at 13, he’d get a 1.3 times +2 output for each spell, or 2.6. Rounding up to three, the five boosts would increase his will by 15. That would cost him 50 MP, as his intelligence wasn’t currently boosted. Casting [Increase Dexterity] at level two would cost another 50 MP per person, but would increase each person’s dexterity by 2.8 times +2 output, or 5.6. An extra 30 dexterity would make any fighter insanely fast at their current levels.

He would only have to wait three hours to make most of that back.

“I can increase your dex, Jude’s, and Brandt’s by thirty, but I’d be nearly useless unless I drank a potion.” Orrin finished the math and reported back.

“Thirty?” Jude spat. “Brandt, I want to try this. The kid hasn’t been wrong yet.”

Brandt still looked hesitant but the entire group was begging for this. “Okay. We will set up here. We can bring a few back at a time and try it out. We retreat at my first command. Orrin, if you see us running towards you, get...” he paused and visible forced himself to say, “...Madi, back through to the safe room.”

“Yes, sir.” Orrin saluted dramatically. Daniel chuckled.

Orrin zoomed out on his [Map] and pointed. Daniel, Brandt, and Jude readied their weapons and crept away.

“I guess when they get back, just hit the things with any spells you have,” Orrin said.

Madi nodded and watched. They could see the three men in the distance, but it was harder with every minute to make out details. It looked like they were moving around but Orrin couldn’t make out any monsters at that distance.

“Can you see anything?”

“I think they’re coming back,” Madi said after a minute.

Instead of the slow careful pace of before, Brandt and Daniel sprinted the last few hundred yards, racing like schoolchildren. Daniel had a burst of speed at the end and won.

“Hah,” Daniel huffed out a laugh. “You guys. That. Was. Amazing.”

Jude came in at a more normal but still fast jog.

“What happened?” Madi asked.

“Five Ice Newts jumped us before we were ready,” Jude answered her. “Brandt cut two in half before they hit the snow, and Daniel here swept the other three up before I had a chance to swing my hammer.”

He looked slightly peeved.

“You’ll get one next time,” Daniel smiled. “Now do you believe in us?” he asked, turning to Brandt.

Brandt turned to Madi. “I think we should have some fun.”

“Don’t forget that spell only lasts ten minutes,” Orrin warned.

Brandt frowned but then shrugged. “We can just camp out here and wait for you to cast it again right?”

“Yes, but I want to get some kills too,” Orrin replied.

“I could just let out a [Gravity Well] shout,” Daniel suggested. “Everything within a few hundred yards is supposed to target me.”

Orrin looked at his map and zoomed all the way out. “There are about twenty-something within that distance.”

“We can take on that many.” Daniel smirked. “I’m going to do it.”

“No, wait-” Brandt tried but it was too late. Daniel had already let out a yell with a small circle of air that forced the ice to push back around him. The sound echoed over the snow. “What have you done? They can communicate over short distances. You might have only triggered those closest, but they can call for reinforcements. It’s why we don’t just run through, letting a band be created.”

“Sorry.” Daniel apologized. “Maybe it’ll be okay and only a few will-“

“Guys,” Orrin interrupted. “We’ve got about sixty or so red dots moving in fast.”

“Fuck.”