Morale was low amongst the men as we marched back to Brooksdam. Almost a third of our forces had been done in during our short exploration and we all felt it. Normally the average knight could fly through the first few floors of a dungeon without getting serious. But that dungeon had been different. The terrain made fighting difficult, the monsters fought with a strange intelligence, knew how to retreat, and it’s first floor was abnormally large. All of this pointed to it being a mutant or controlled somehow. But no dungeon master should have that much direct control over the layout...

To make matters worse, dying in a dungeon is considered one of the worst ways to die. Not only are you likely torn apart by monsters, but your family won’t have a body to grieve over. The greedy core would always absorb the fallen to enhance itself. It’s not uncommon for families of the deceased to maintain a grim hope of their loved one’s return despite the obvious. Waiting for years in some cases for their children or lovers to return with some fantastical explanation as to what took them so long.

Without the fisherman to bring us back to town the march was long and silent. Even the captain’s usual joyful air had been dulled. Carrying the slowly recovering wounded on our backs we constantly replayed the day’s events in our minds. Each life lost bringing with it regret and scornful reflection.

‘If only I’d been faster’

‘If only I’d noticed’

‘If only we’d never entered that dungeon!’

But despite our self-loathing we continued the march. It was our duty not only to help the injured, but also to bring news of the new dungeon to the people in power as those that survived. Taking the dungeon with just the captain and myself would be possible, but also punishable by death. Since the new resource fell within Illia’s borders the decision fell to King Rylen to appoint a worthy dungeon master. As ownership could not be passed from person to person, whomever currently held the title would be killed without restraint. Such a law shows just how valuable a dungeon can be based on relative to what resources can be harvested from each.

The sun was just beginning to set when we arrived in Brooksdam and captain Eli dismissed the men. Our drinking party had been unanimously canceled but some still headed to the bars for decidedly different reasons. With how the captain ran the squad almost everyone was on good terms, and being rookies, most were unaccustomed to the loss of comrades. It would be a test of commitment for many of them.

Our duty however, wasn’t done. Me and the captain made our way to the mayor’s residence to report the news and discuss the consequences of this discovery. Regardless of what decisions are made in the future Brooksdam will be facing big changes.

While we waited for the maid to bring the mayor I glanced over at the captain. His cheerful eyes were more sunken than usual, and underneath his sad exterior a quiet anger rumbled. Out of all the knights he was taking the rookie’s deaths the hardest. It had been on his orders we scouted ahead instead of immediately reporting back after all. Like anyone in the military he’d lost men before, but for the gentle captain it never got easier. Such was the trade off for forming relationships with each and every subordinate.

Now sitting silently at the same table we’d dined at only 24 hours ago, we were all silent. Mayor Simmons was skilled enough to read the somber atmosphere and wait for the captain to begin on his own. It took a few minutes but eventually he found his words.

“Simmons... I’m sorry to say that Ford, Shane, and all 5 militia members are most likely dead.”

A sad frown on his face Simmons answered. “I see... Do we know what killed them?”

Gripping his knee Eli responded “The same thing that took 9 of our countries best today. Inside that cave we found the new 9th dungeon of Illia.”

Fear, shock, and gloom all quickly crossed the tired man’s face at once. Ironic as it may have been I fond my respect for the mayor increase. Unlike a typical greedy noble he hadn’t grown excited at the prospect of a nearby dungeon. Instead he focused on the deaths of the knights who’d answered his call for help and lamented his friend’s loss.

“Am I to assume this dungeon is somewhat special? A dungeon old enough to challenge your men would surely have been discovered earlier?” he tentatively asked.

Answering for the captain I said “We have both fought and trained in several dungeons before and this one is rather remarkable for it’s age. Naturally others are much stronger on later floors, but I would compare the first of this one’s to the average 7th or 8th floor under a master. It’s monsters are beyond the scope of what a first floor should have and are far from scarce. The terrain feels specifically designed to combat humans and our magic was more difficult to use while inside. That leads me to the conclusion that Mr. Ford may have modified the dungeon in some way during his experiments.”

“Could he have been a dungeon master all this time and simply not reported it out of fear?”

“It’s certainly a possibility but with the mage guild backing him I doubt he’d have been executed. At the worst he’d have become a puppet for the official dungeon master behind the scenes.”

Leaning back in his chair Simmons said “Speaking of, I’d love to ask the mage guild personally given they know much more than us about Ford’s efforts but telling them about an unclaimed dungeon wouldn’t be a good idea. In a few hours they’d be raiding in an attempt to claim ownership.”

“That would likely be for the best. Our next order of business is contacting the king so we can make preparations. I’m sure you are aware but soon as word gets out hundreds of young people will come rushing to their graves like those before them in pursuit of treasure.”

Simmons nodded “Yes, I’ll prepare a formal request for aid from the capital for both military aid and advice on what to do. Keeping this as secretive as possible and preventing anyone else from entering seems the best course of action for now.”

Captain Eli spoke up suddenly “Would you let me take that request?”

“Surely you remaining at the entrance would be safer Eli?” said Simmons.

“No, Rylen trusts my judgement and will see me immediately if I go in person. Skipping the political nonsense is just a perk of my rank. If I leave tonight and make good time I could make it to Centrilliam in just under 3 days and be back with help in around 5.”

“Will you leave me some knights to protect the entrance at least? Having seen the inside they should prove trustworthy not to delve inside out of greed.”

Raising a hand I said “I volunteer to remain here. I can finish my report on the dungeon tonight while you rest. You’ll make better time on a full nights rest.”

“Much appreciated Valentia.”

“Of course captain.”

We both stood to go make our preparations but Simmons stopped Eli by grabbing his shoulder.

“You don’t need to rush back for my sake Eli. I know you’d rather console the families personally. Take some time off to- “

Cutting him off Eli said over his back while walking out the door “Oh no! I’ll be back! I’ve got some rabbits to exterminate.” Turning with the first genuine smile since reaching town he finished “Besides, you couldn’t run a future dungeon town if your life depended on it Lightweight.”

With a light chuckle and nod to me he pretended to slam the door in annoyance.

‘What children...’ I thought as I hurried after the captain, already wording the report in my mind.