10:30 PM

As Xenia's invisible avatar stares out of the open door to her dungeon, she can't help but frown at what she sees. Sure, given that night has solidly fallen and there's no electric lights in this world, she can't see much. But she can see more than she usually can at this time of night, and that's not a good thing.

Normally Grassbrook is indicated by a few pinpricks of light after dark - the taverns and a few other late-evening places of business, a handful of lamps to light up the main street, and that's about it. Tonight, the entire town center is lit up. Every street has lamps or torches going, likely to help the militia find their way around town, and perhaps to aid in the discovery of any Domain infiltrators trying to sneak past the defenses. Meanwhile the local fort off to the southeast of the town is usually invisible from here, night or day - it rarely uses many lights, and the forest trees mostly hide it from this angle. However, tonight the small outpost is constantly being lit up by magic. Luminescent beacons shine down on the forest, while fireballs and lightning bolts briefly light up the sky above the battle. Fortunately there's not many ongoing fires yet indicating that the fort isn't actually burning down, but its long-term chances don't look good.

Even elsewhere around the village, there's other signs of fighting. There were a few brief flashes from the locale of the Highbranch estate, perhaps indicating magical traps going off. There'd been a small-scale battle going on at one of the mansions outside of the town center, until a flashy display by Zappy had put that to a hold for the time being. And here and there, torches indicate the movement of far more people than there ought to be at this time of night. Some seem to be patrolling the road from the mountain to the town, while others briefly flash to life out in the woods, perhaps a sign of small skirmishes in the dark.

And through it all, Xenia can't escape the feeling that things haven't even begun to get bad. "Welp, Guy, Doorman - I think it's safe to say normal business operations are closed for the time being. Doorman, riddles are temporarily off the menu for any Challengers or locals who want into the dungeon - let them into the Floor Five portal if they want. Any Domain troops show up though, give them your toughest, okay?"

"Understood, ma'am! I'll be sealed tight against any evil-doers!" Xenia smirks at the door's attitude, getting the feeling that he would be saluting if he had arms and hands to do it with. It's not long before Guy distracts her with a question, however.

"Ma'am, the final Challenger teams who were still running the dungeon for the evening have finished their runs, and while they've listened to the warnings we've given about returning to Floor Five rather than leaving the dungeon, they do seem a little...riled up. Particularly those two teams of Supremes. If things go on as they are, I suspect they'll soon be returning to Grassbrook against our advice."

"Yeah...suppose I oughtta make a proper announcement or something. Need to save my avatar time right now though...should I tag in Emma? Mmm, nah. They're adventurers, they'll trust one of their own more right now. C'mon Guy, let's find Beatrice."

Finding the Dragon Slayer doesn't take long of course, but it does take a good five minutes to talk her into giving a short speech. Still, time is of the essence, so Beatrice doesn't hold out that long before being convinced to go onto the stage in the Worthy Inn, which is not currently occupied by the small band usually taking up the space. Most of the Challengers present quickly notice the scarred woman, but Beatrice does her best to shout out for attention regardless.

"Hey, everyone! I know you're all worried about what's going on down the mountain, and there's been a lot of crazy rumors flying around here like wildfire! Well, I'm here to give an announcement and brief update on behalf of the dungeon, so quiet down and listen up!"

There's a lot of grumbling about who Beatrice is and how she gets to claim to be spokesperson for the dungeon, but a few others speak up in her support - the Dungeon Fuckers and Paladin Bluehair chief among them. Those four at least are recognized by just about everyone present, and so it doesn't take long to get the crowd under control. Giving the Fuckers a nod of appreciation, Beatrice gets back to work.

"Okay, thanks! So we've had a lot of Challengers trickling in for the past few hours, and we've had Valkyrie Brightsky doing a few quick patrols of the local area, so we have a decent idea of the general picture of things. And that picture is - the Domain army has attacked Grassbrook in force. Not in the thousands of troops yet, but certainly in the hundreds. Additionally, a number of...non-standard monsters have been sighted acting in support of the Domain forces. Although we haven't made any positive identifications so far, we suspect these to be dungeon guardians from Domain-based dungeons."

A number of voices shout out, one dwarvish man being the loudest of those. "So it's true! Like what happened with that dungeon over in the Valleylands! The Dragonlord's been fuckin' with the dungeons, and now they're sending monsters after us!"

"That appears to be essentially correct, yes. Regardless of that, though, Grassbrook is nearly cut off, and we don't expect there to be any immediate relief forces from the Rainlands army. The road north is still open as far as we can tell, at this moment, but unless you can fly it's not likely that will still be the case by time you can climb down the mountain and actually get to the road."

There are a handful of winged demons in the room looking like they might actually be considering it...but the suspicious looks some of the other Challengers are throwing them seems to be telling them that it's a bad idea. After all, given everything going on, a handful of demons spotted flying north are more likely to get shot down rather than welcomed in. One orc does raise a hand with a question.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

"What about the mountain pass to the Valleylands?"

"As far as we can tell, it's still open...but we have no idea what's on the other side of the mountains right now. And if anyone's considering going that way, keep in mind that it's almost a week-long trip before you even get to the closest hamlet on that side, let alone a major town. Of course, if you want to go, you're free to do so. ...I do recommend not trying that pass in the middle of the night, though. It's barely an animal trail, not exactly a paved road."

One dwarvish woman stands up on her chair and shouts, and Beatrice recognizes her as one of the newly arrived Supreme-tier Challengers - Lady Nalina Evervein of the Highbranch team, if she's not mistaken. "Forget running away! How about we get our asses down there and help! I'm sworn to aid the Highbranches...of all the luck, for us to be in the middle of a run up here just as the damn war kicks off!"

Beatrice gives her a nod. "I respect that instinct, but you should know that Brightsky did a quick stop at the Highbranch estate on her patrol. The place is empty - people, horses, carriages, all gone. They've likely already evacuated. If you want to get down there and help the town you can, but our recommendation would be to focus on helping people who want to evacuate - either north, west, or up here. Even a couple of Supremes isn't going to turn away an army."

A minotaur speaks up next, remaining seated but easily heard regardless. Grim from the Association, Beatrice thinks his name was. "Challengers are meant to be neutral in matters of international conflict. That said...I do feel obligated to see to it that the younger Challengers, and the headquarters staff down there, are as safe as possible. Would anyone care to join the Scarlet Eagles on this mission?"

There's a few tentative signs of agreement, but they're preempted by a shout from the entry portal. "No need for that, Grim! It's been taken care of!" Heads turn to spot the Association's inspection team as they come inside - or at least, most of them. Alizz, Kelsey, and Sely make for a rather small group, but they're quickly joined by Parker's wife Laeniel as she moves to greet them. Alizz gives her a short smile, but focuses on making her way over to the stage to provide the latest news.

For her part, Beatrice steps aside to give her space. "You just got here from the town? How are things going down there?"

The drider gives another slight smile, perhaps attempting to appear confident, but it doesn't last long. "The evacuation seems to have gone well. Most of the Challengers and Association staff have taken the road north...aside from those who have volunteered to join the militia. Which is against Association policy...but as the local Administrator, I don't believe I'll be applying punishments on anyone who's chosen to do so. We're not fully aware of the situation at the garrison, but the town defense is currently being overseen by Lady Highbranch and her husband. The town is holding for now, but I do not believe it's been seriously attacked yet, either. The roads are another matter."

A woman shouts out from the bar. "What's happening to the roads!?"

The administrator sighs. "It took us a few hours to get here, even at a rush. Domain scouting parties, or raiders, are constantly trying to block the path from here to Grassbrook. Fallen trees, ambushes, a few magical traps and the like. There's still army patrols engaging them and keeping the road somewhat open...and neutrality or not, my team and I were required to defend ourselves on one occasion."

Off to the side, Kelsey grumbles loudly. "Not to mention Alizz here had to disable like eight different traps that would've blown us to damn pieces. Neutrality don't mean much to a damn rune mine in the road."

"Unfortunately so. With the fort apparently cut off, I'm not sure how long the patrols will be able to keep going, so...I believe I would have to recommend that if anyone does wish to head to either Grassbrook or the road north, they will be required to do so in force."

Nalina again speaks up. "Well if Lady Highbranch is defending the town, we'll certainly be doing what we can to aid her. We're members of the Association, aye, but my oaths to her family and our nation take precedent. But before we go - what exactly is Worthy's intention with all this? It seems plain that you're taking in everyone who's come up here - but to what purpose, eh?"

Beatrice returns to the center of the stage. "Worthy Dungeon is indeed open to all Challengers, refugees, and anyone else who makes it up here. That even includes Domain citizens, if they aren't part of the army." She gives a nod towards the group of nervous demons, who do seem somewhat relieved by the mention. "Now, the dungeon is still bound to all of the usual dungeon rules. Meaning, we can't stop you from running floors, and we're limited on how hard it can be to get inside. That said, I've been informed that the dungeon is going to be making some...design changes."

There's quite a few alarmed shouts at that mention, so the slayer quickly gets to explaining. "Worthy Dungeon's been working on some alternate floor designs, some of which have been tested before, some less so. But it's safe to say that by sometime tomorrow, just about every floor is probably going to be more lethal than it was this morning. Floor Five is the primary exception to that, although we do have plans for increased housing and that for people who come up here. I'm afraid VIP suites might be in short supply, though."

She chuckles a little at her joke, but the humor fades fast. "As for the town itself, I'm afraid the dungeon can't do much to help. Worthy Dungeon can send its guardians outside, but there's worries that the Dragonlord might be expecting that, and might have traps or the like planned for them. Besides, as I said before, even a powerful team of dungeon monsters isn't going to stop an army. The current plan is to hole up and do what dungeons do best - play defense. If we're lucky, we'll hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive. But regardless, the dungeon is working on...contingency plans which I'm not at liberty to discuss."

There's many small discussions that kick up after that, as every team and table begins arguing about what to do. While most of those present have come to trust Worthy Dungeon more than they may have ever once believed that they would, there's still a lot of hesitation when it comes to committing to stay for a siege that could last weeks, months, or even possibly years. On the other hand, if the other options are defending a likely-doomed town, attempting to flee north with demons at their heels, or taking the extremely questionable pass west, the comfort of a warm bed and infinite magical food starts to sound pretty good in comparison.

Still, Nalina remains undeterred. "It's possible that Grassbrook cannot be held, and if we cannot flee north, we may be back here once again before long. But we shall go, and fight, and see what can still be done, aye? Is anyone with us?"

There are actually a number of parties and individual Challengers who join in, and the dwarf grins to herself. "Well then. We shall see what challenge the Domain can offer us. Gather your gear and empty your mugs, we leave in five minutes!"

On the stage but invisible, Xenia sighs to her guide. "Hope they know what they're doing..."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.