The sandworm went down easily.

Given the manner in which we’d met, I didn't expect Genmark’s party to be any good. But they surprised me, and under the gnome’s leadership, they seamlessly coordinated their attacks and spells with my own.

I ran circles around our prey, keeping it focused on me while the party assaulted it from afar. Throughout the fight, I kept one eye on my foe and the other on my allies, wary not so much of betrayal but of friendly fire.

The party surpassed my expectations, though. Not once was I forced to dodge any of their own missiles, and in short order, we killed the sandworm.

The rest of the morning passed quickly thereafter. Following Genmark’s lead, our group traced a path of destruction around the dungeon’s rim.

Finding monsters to fight was the easy part; securing the kills was more difficult. Genmark and two others in the group were crowd control specialists, and together they managed to fend off most of the encroaching players using spells of illusion, wards of keep-away, or magical obstacles. It didn't always work, but the trio turned back enough players to make dealing with the stragglers easier.

Genmark had been right about the rewards too.

Although each kill manifested a loot chest, the contents were disappointingly meager. Thankfully, the gnome’s group was disciplined, and no one stole—not that I saw, anyway.

Genmark alone looted the chests and claimed all the alchemy reagents. The agreement amongst the group was that all the loot would be sold and the proceeds evenly divided. When the gnome had told me, I had merely shrugged in acceptance.

After all, it was not for the loot that I had joined them.

During our dungeon crawl, I kept a close watch on the mantises, regularly surveilling them from afar. Every time, I found the assassins at their posts.

The pair sat atop the dunes bordering the safe zone with unnerving stillness and gave every impression of being content to remain that way—forever if necessary. I did my best to not let myself be affected by their resolve, but despite myself, I was impressed.

The assassins possessed the patience of true predators.

Other players were likewise affected, and despite the thick crowds in the safe zone, a circle of emptiness surrounded each of the green-clad hunters.

Morning turned to afternoon, and I lost count of the number of creatures we killed. Sandworms, raptors, rock scorpions, and even a chimera—we slew them all.

I took frequent rests between fights. Genmark thought it was to restore my stamina, and I didn't dissuade him of the notion. In reality, it was to regain my lost psi and refresh my facial disguise.

I didn’t, of course, use any psi in battle, but maintaining the shield around my mind drained my psi more quickly than any stamina I lost from combat. In fact, in nearly every skirmish, I barely worked up a sweat.

Genmark’s people did most of the damage, and I was rarely called upon to do more than land the occasional blow. I didn’t even have to heal myself either. Each time I was injured, the party’s two clerics restored me almost before I suffered any pain.

As a result, my player progression was glacial.

You have reached level 99!

Your Mind has increased to rank 52.

Despite the many battles, I gained only three levels over the course of the day. I suspected a large part of that was due to the number of players involved in every conflict. But there was another aspect to consider too.

Today was not the first time I’d fought in a group. However, it was the first time that my own contribution was minimal. In previous conflicts where I'd fought in a party, I'd done so almost apart from the party, picking my own targets and inflicting huge swaths of damage on them.

Not so this time.

But, while the experience I earned was negligible, the same could not be said for my skills. They improved steadily—the ones I chose to use anyway.

For the entire day, I fought one-handed and without spells, deliberately refraining from doing anything that would lead an observer to believe I was anything but a simple human fighter. As a result, my shortswords, dodging, and light armor skills all increased.

They were not the only skills to improve, though. Three others—meditation, insight, and deception—also advanced. Being in close proximity to others, with a weapon concealed and facial disguise cast about me, meant my deception was almost always in use. It did not fail me once. And, of course, I took every opportunity to analyze passing players.

All-in-all, it was proving to be an unexpectedly fruitful day.

~~~

When the sun set—it turned out the dungeon’s sky mirrored that of the city outside—it brought more good news.

The mantises had finally withdrawn.

Peeking over a crest of a dune, I breathed a sigh of relief. The two assassins no longer stood sentry over the safe zone, and their screen of hunter eyes was gone too.

About damn time, I thought.

I’d begun to fear the assassins would never leave. But even though I was eager to escape the dungeon, I made no move towards the safe zone.

Best to wait a while longer, in case this is some sort of elaborate trap.

“Mika?” Genmark called. “Hey, Mika, you still with us?”

Belatedly I realized he was addressing me and turned around. “What?” I yelled back. The group was gathered at the bottom of the dune.

“Rest’s over,” he replied. “Time to find the next beastie.”

“Coming,” I said and rejoined them. Despite the darkening sky, Genmark’s people showed no sign of wanting to quit the dungeon yet. I’ll stay as long as they do, I decided. It would serve me better to leave the dungeon as part of a group instead of on my own.

And besides, while my skills are advancing, there’s no reason to stop.

~~~

It was close to midnight when Genmark finally called it quits. “Alright, everyone, let’s round it up. Time to leave.”

I nodded and dropped in line at the back of the group. Everyone was weary but satisfied. The day had gone better than anyone expected, and as we made our way to the exit portal, I tallied my gains from the dungeon.

Your dodging has increased to level 71. Your shortswords has increased to level 76. Your light armor has increased to level 61.

Your meditation has increased to level 79. Your insight has increased to level 78. Your deception has increased to level 73.

A smile stole onto my face. Despite my initial misgivings and the forced nature of my time in the dungeon, I’d emerged from it vastly improved.

Now, to get out of here safely.

When we reached the dunes bordering the safe zone, I dropped farther back from the group. No one noticed. Other than Genmark, the rest of the party was tight-lipped, and over the course of the day, I’d barely exchanged more than a handful of words with anyone besides the gnome.

Almost there, I thought, lowering my head as we neared the invisible line separating the safe zone from the rest of the dungeon.

You have entered a safe zone. Facial disguise dispelled.

My face was hidden, and no one marked the sudden change in my features. Descending the dune, I was swallowed by the crowds. Despite the lateness of the hour, the area around the exit was still packed—which suited me just fine. Tracking Genmark’s group with mindsight, I followed them to the nether portal.

We reached the exit, and the others passed through without looking back. I hesitated a touch and snuck a quick look around. No one was paying me the slightest heed. If an ambush awaited me, it was on the other side. That or my watchers are too good to give themselves away.

Still, I couldn’t delay any longer. Shoving through the press of bodies, I followed on the party’s heels.

Transfer through portal commencing…

…

…

Passage completed!

Leaving sector 101. Entering the Forever Kingdom.

~~~

You have left a safe zone.

You have entered sector 1 of the Forever Kingdom.

I emerged with my head still lowered and spinning psi, only looking up to scan the area after my facial disguise was in place.

The city square surrounding the dungeon was as full as when I’d entered the portal earlier in the day. I spotted no blur of green—either in the sky or the crowds. Some of the tension in my shoulders eased. I was safe, for the moment anyway.

Escaping the mass of players gathered about the gate, I made my way to the east side of the square where Genmark’s group had gathered, all the while darting furtive looks at the overlooking buildings.

But I saw nothing that warranted a second look or caused my senses to prickle, and the last of my worries faded.

“Mika,” Genmark called, waving me forward as he spotted my false visage, “we were just discussing the loot distribution. Today turned out to be more profitable than I’d anticipated, and I’m afraid it’s going to take more than a few hours to sell everything. Will a deposit into your bank account tomorrow suit you?”

It did not. Giving the gnome my bank details would reveal my identity.

“What’s my share?” I asked, evading the question.

Genmark smiled, sensing my hesitancy. “If I had to guess? Fifty golds.” He shrugged. “But that’s a conservative estimate only. Until I sell the reagents and items we recovered, I can’t say for sure what the final amount will be.”

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. That meant the party had made at least five hundred gold today. Not a small sum by any means. But if I had been alone, I doubted I could’ve slain so many of the dungeon denizens or as quickly. “I’ll take my cut now if you have it,” I said at last.

The gnome nodded. “I thought that would be your preference,” he said, handing me a coin pouch.

You have acquired 50 gold.

“Thank you,” I murmured with a smile. Genmark and his fellows were proving to be a better sort than I’d initially assumed. “Well, I guess this is—”

“Hold on one second,” Genmark said, interrupting me. “The others and I have discussed the matter, and we would like you to join us tomorrow.”

My brows rose. “Tomorrow?”

Genmark nodded. “We intend on returning to the dungeon. You in?”

I pursed my lips, thinking it over. Revisiting the scorching dunes had not factored in my plans, but… but the day had been profitable, in skill gains alone, if nothing else, and I had resolved to take matters slower.

I’d been intending on entering the haunted catacombs tomorrow, but would things there be any different there? And in the scorching dunes, I would at least be in the company of a group I’d already grown familiar with.

“Alright,” I said finally. “I’m in.”

Genmark grinned. “Excellent! In that case, we’ll see you here at first light.” He paused. “Unless you wish to lodge with us tonight..?

I was tempted by the offer, but I couldn’t keep facial disguise active while I slept, and letting them see my true face would invite too many unwelcome questions. “Sorry, can’t. I’ve some of my own business to attend to tonight,” I said, which was true enough.

“Suit yourself,” Genmark said with a shrug. Shepherding his party away, he headed east, in the direction of the gate leading to the Dark quarter, I noted.

After scanning the surroundings one more time and finding myself reassuringly unwatched, I turned north towards the Nexus safe zone.