MIcky looked on as the leaders discussed the issue. They had picked up two other parties that had then joined the raid, and seemed kinda pissed not to be included in the discussion before. After all, what was there to discuss? It had already been decided before, now they were getting their argument on with a vengence, being contrary just to be contrary. Not that anybody else was any different.

The main issue was to either hunker down in the area till a teacher comes by, or go hunting for one. Or if not, either go to the source of the black beasts, likely where the teachers are, or the exit of the dungeon, this was well and above their pay grade.

Whatever it was Micky wasn’t going to get a say in the matter, they weren’t going to listen to a pink mage. So the group voted Prin to be leader, who seemed moderately reluctant since she herself was Micky’s knight.

Clearly the teachers weren’t at the boss room. So they decided to go somewhere else, probably. Or something even more nefarious was at play… and the group was even more screwed. That was the biggest worry, that their impending doom was waiting on them, and that it was all because they were in the wrong adventurer class. Micky had his doubts he was important enough for this, but somebody else technically could be.

The votes were counted and they were all going to stay, if the teachers weren’t back in three candles they would go looking for them on the way back to the entrance. So they hunkered down for the inevitable battles. Setting up fortification or relaxing as best able, and waiting.

The waves began quickly, but they were also just as easily fought off. The biggest problem is that it shouldn’t be happening. Sure they prepared for it but this was a ‘safe’ room. The boss's aura should keep this area unoccupied, even from intelligent monsters.

But the black beasts came in, slowly and hesitantly at first, but as they died, they grew more heroic and intrepid.

Now it was facing a flood. Luckily it was easy enough to set up a rotation to keep them at bay. Micky, as a pure buffer did not, but all he had to do was buff people up, and occasionally cool a hot head. The black beasts actually had to remove bodies to access the students now.

Then a sword wave hit. The front lines were a mess, people cried out. The whole group turned into a mess.

“Stop crying you babies!” Yelled a teacher over the screams of not agony and fear. The teacher didn’t really care in her short glory. She had her half sword half spear resting on her shoulder. Realising that it was a teacher some of them cried.

“Alright you lot fall in, we have places to be, people to rescue, and monsters to fight!” Said his gnomish teacher. This of course did not stop the squawking of the students, but increased it. They asked questions like “What’s going on?”, “Help!”, “Can we leave now?”, and the cherry “Will you marry me?”. That last one earned a strike from an embarrassed teacher.

“Alright you lot, fall in!” She screamed, tired and getting a headache. This easy teaching gig was starting to give her a migraine, it all started with a migraine. The students fell in like it was instinct, and it was, a survival instinct.

“Now march!” Said the teacher and they did, quickly realising they didn’t have a destination, but relieved just the same.

“We’ve set up around the [Antolion]’s den. The beasts are swarming up the place with a vengeance. This is unexpected. Normally this would be great for your training. But this is beyond you right now. So I’m going to bring you over to an area we’ve kept clear.” Said the teacher. She herself had brought three other groups. So now all thirteen groups were marching towards the unknown, for them.

“Is the dungeon mutating?” Said a student. “Is it going natural?” Said another. “Will you marry me? You didn’t answer last time!” Said that same student who was pointedly ignored by the married woman.

“To put it simply we don’t know...” said the teacher, but she didn’t sound confident, or should it be said she sounded hesitant. Not one for subterfuge this one…

So the group marched on. This time treasure chests were pointedly ignored. Mostly because if they tried a [Sword Wave] would hit them skillfully causing pain and suffering without any real injury. After all, they still needed to march didn’t they?

The black beasts were not so much a threat now that the teacher took care of the front, and the zombies were never a threat to the instructors. The teacher was a woman on a mission and went straight through the paths. “Crap, I’m lost again, I hate these labyrinth types.” She said.

Well maybe she wasn’t the most trustworthy teacher afterall.

Eventually the students and teacher arrived at where they were supposed to gather. They picked up another party on the way. She deposited them without further ado and then left again to hunt down more students without much more than a “Stay here listen to him.” as she pointed out the Orc. Now she was off to find more students.

The orc was fending off a wave of black beasts while another group of students stood back and watched. The ants were basically constantly flowing out from where they were. However this was a good choke point. And, what Micky assumed was the point, if they contained a large enough group here, they wouldn’t be able to maintain a foothold in the greater dungeon, instead the zombies would assault the place and try to remove the other monsters.

The orc finished a wave with his axe and the student parties got back to defending when he left off.

“Alright you new lot, gather up. You’re going to be on the defensive over here!” He said. Not much of a rousing speech but it was good enough to get what they needed to do. He told them to start a rotation now that more students had gathered up and about seven and a half tenths of the total students who were already gathered started their rotations.

The other teachers would come by with more students. Some had come over from the other choke point, one of three, that the other teachers were maintaining. Apparently, they were keeping the monsters contained, and the last choke point was apparently being attacked by zombies, waves and waves of zombies. It was a brutal affair that was left to the monsters themselves. And they were holding up to their name.

Micky gathered up with the rest of the supports. He maintained his buffs but at the current moment had nothing to do. He had gained severely and never really been out of combat this entire time. So Micky had finally hit and passed level 15. But right now was still not the time to receive his gains. He would have to do so when he was safely out of the dungeon.

The teachers would slowly bring students in, but none of the students were taken out. And when the students asked the teachers when they would get to leave they were evasive. What they did see was a few more adventurer parties coming along that were helping with the defense.

When finally all the living students were gathered the teachers made an announcement. “Buckle up kids because you’re not leaving the dungeon tonight!” This obviously did not leave warm fuzzy feelings in the adventurer class.

When the teachers settled down the clamor they said “We have discovered that those that kill a black beast, an [Antolion] of any type, will be scented. They will then be tracked and hunted down. And currently the outside is also full of the beasts. If you think that it’s bad to fight endless waves in er’ then you won’t last a second out der’. So we’ve called in an escort. That’s where most of the instructors are. When they arrive we will all go on a nice field trip back to the town. Until then you will all need to stay in here where it’s safe...”

This put a damper on the students of course. And Micky asked “Did somebody do this on purpose?” To which a student added “Are we being targeted?”