Mash laid on the top of a traveler’s wagon. He had always wanted to do it as a kid, but his parents had refused the few times they had used one. Now that there was little chance for danger, no one would stop him from engaging in the vanity. The king had apparently given everyone small presents and had even tried to send Mash something too. The items weren’t tailored to their powers and were instead meant for convenience. The king probably felt guilty for kicking them out of the city. Between the four of them, they received a magical version of several items. This wagon could grow and shrink so that it could fit into a storage space. Similarly, Mash had cooking equipment that did the same, which included a much larger heating instrument.

Luke received a water skin that would produce its own water. Ever filling items were not exactly rare, as simple water crystals could do the same with some mana. However, this item could absorb mana from the air, and would also have a passive purification effect. Not very useful for Luke but was helpful for Mash and Jill. Jill currently had it with her since she was the only one without the ability to deal with poisons. Despite losing her healing skills, Red was immune to most poisons and diseases now.

Red had been given a family emblem and title. That essentially meant that the king was making her separation from her house official in giving her a title. Plus, they all received the king’s emblems, which they could show when entering any city under his rule. It would just help them get through any trouble that arose, though with their strength, Mash didn’t think it was very useful.

“How much further Mash?”

Mash heard Jill’s voice from the front of the wagon, and he let out a small sigh. She had asked this question several times already and it got old quickly. Still, he pulled out the map his brother had given him, checking their location. Currently, they were heading to a dungeon that was meant for their levels. It was only a few hours away now. They had left the capital two days ago, choosing to avoid the dungeon that was closer to the city. The dungeon they were currently heading for was in the middle of nowhere, which suited Mash just fine.

“It’s still another hour or so.”

Mash answered Jill without any sass, as she had been the one to operate the wagon the whole time. Luke didn’t know how to operate it, and while Mash and Red could probably manage, the creatures were frightened by the both of them. The wagon was led by a bull-like monster, which was named Bax, that was known for its endurance and speed. A more normal horse or bull wouldn’t be worth using at this point. They could just move faster on foot, so only using a mount like this had any benefit. That did mean that all the work was pushed onto Jill though, and so Mash was willing to accommodate her insistent questioning. It was also the reason Mash continued to ride outside. This way he could keep her company while she maintained their course.

“Finally, some real excitement.”

Jill spoke, her voice tinted with boredom. Mash didn’t blame her. The group had gotten into fights almost every day, though none of the monsters had proven a threat. Jill especially had an easy time, though Mash didn’t have many hopes that the dungeon would alleviate her boredom. Mash still wasn’t certain she could be hit unless she chose to.

“For us maybe, but I don’t think you will get much excitement unless you’re fighting something twice your level. “

Mash could hear Jill grunt in response, obviously dissatisfied with the answer. His next few words came out automatically, not really trying to cheer her up.

“I don’t know what you’re expecting. You realize that if a monster can hit even you, it probably means it can do worse to the rest of us.”

Mash put his map away, leaning over the edge of the carriage so that he could see her reaction. She must have heard him moving because she was shooting him a glare as he did so.

“Well, if you guys weren’t so weak then maybe we could actually do something fun.”

Mash winced despite the sarcasm in her words. She meant it like a joke, but she wasn’t entirely wrong either. Even after all their advancements, they still thought that Jill was the strongest by a somewhat wide margin. Sure, she didn’t have the same power as the rest of them, but her defenses were simply too impressive. Red was pretty close when it came to defensive abilities, but her skills relied heavily on her mana. Jill’s ability to teleport for free meant she could actually recover mana while fighting most enemies.

They spent the rest of the trip, talking idly about what they wanted from their next advancement. Level 100 was a big moment for anyone, and they talked excitedly about what they might receive. Jill wanted something powerful, as she was more than capable in defense. Mash, on the other hand, didn’t actually know what he wanted. More power was an obvious answer, but he didn’t know if he needed anything new for that. Honestly, one of the biggest things he wanted to get was the ability to fly freely again. Maybe another upgrade on hunt that would give him unlimited energy for things like flight.

As they got close to the final few minutes of the journey, Red and Luke left the wagon and came to sit beside Jill. Well, Luke sat beside Jill while Red sat on the top as Mash did. If either of them got closer to Bax then he would start becoming unruly. Their conversation died down, as they broke through the final bit of trees. The path they were on cut through a forest, and while the trees provided good cover for them, they also hid them in perpetual shadows. It wasn’t dark like night, but the leaves were thick enough that they couldn’t see what was far in front of them until they broke through the trees.

The forest had a few monsters, but nothing of worth. This dungeon however was something that Mash was very interested in. It had some time distortion so that a day within the dungeon would be a week outside. The dungeon itself loomed over the forest and it was the biggest dungeon entrance that he had seen. It was built into the side of the mountain and resembled a large cave. The mountain itself was made of black stone, and the entrance to the dungeon was taller than the surrounding trees. It looked like a cave, but he could tell that it wasn’t.

As he jumped of the wagon, he heard the others doing the same. Jill then began the process of shrinking the carriage. It kept shrinking until it could fit into the palm of her hand, and she gingerly placed it into her storage space. She then tapped the mount twice, and it dissolved into smoke. There was a magical tattoo on the beast, and when she activated it, the creature would be summoned back to the stable where they received him.

They would have to walk after the dungeon but could get another beast at a town or city afterward. They talked a little bit but ultimately decided that Jill should enter first. Ever since the labyrinth, Mash had been banned from entering dungeons first, as it seemed more likely to cause problems.

The dungeon they were entering was known for its rules and length. It usually took people a month to finish, and that was within the dungeon. Apparently, there was a decent number of puzzles inside. The dungeon was a recreated scenario, and it would require some long-term goals to be completed. There would be some monsters, but most people did the dungeon for the rewards. It was known to give good items and there were rumors that it had even given some people skills. Mash had heard that was possible but thought it only happened for the highest-level dungeons.

One of the reasons the group had picked this dungeon, was that everyone wanted something that would be a bit slower. The past few weeks had been fairly fast, and Mash and Red had almost died in the last fight. A dungeon-like this would give them some progress but would also be a good opportunity to find some rest. Furthermore, they could grow a bit more. If they stayed in here for a month then Mash would be 15 by the time they got out. The dungeon was famous for a scenario that took place at a luxurious beach or castle, where adventurers could relax. Plus, none of the known scenarios were particularly dangerous, and with their abilities, there shouldn’t be any major problems. The most difficult thing would probably be a mystery or a puzzle that they would need to solve.

The other big reason they picked this dungeon, was because they believed it to be one of the artificial ones. After checking the information on known dungeons, they had made a list of the ones they thought were natural, and ones that were artificial. The artificial ones actually tended to be a bit safer, and he knew that he would feel less bad about killing something artificial. This dungeon seemed like the life inside would be fake, especially considering how scripted the dungeon sounded.

As they stepped into the dungeon they were swallowed by darkness. Mash opened his eyes and could see that there was a chest in front of him and nothing else. The room he was in was completely black, except for the single chest. He wasn’t surprised as he had heard about this already. Walking over to the chest, he raised the lid and saw a set of clothes inside. It was a set of grey overalls and a white shirt. He put his own clothes within his storage space before changing into the new clothing. There was also a hammer inside as well as a toolbox, and a quick scan of it showed him that there were nails and other building materials inside. After grabbing the items, he took another step forward, and the darkness dissolved around him.

Red was sitting on a brown wooden fence, though it only reached up to her waist. Mash wondered what the fence was there for, but his eyes were drawn towards the rest of the surroundings. They were in an open field, and he saw endless amounts of farmland surrounding him. In the distance, he could make out the shape of buildings, though he wasn’t able to see any details. Most of the plants that were growing were completely foreign to him, and he didn’t see any workers either.

Looking back towards Red, he saw that she was wearing a dress of some kind. It looked kind of strange, with how it was a mix of black and white. There was even what looked to be an apron designed as part of the dress. It had a long skirt that reached her ankles. It was a very conservative style.

Jill and Luke entered at roughly the same time. Luke was wearing a white robe that ran to the ground. It actually scraped against the ground as he moved. He had an amulet hanging from his neck too, though Mash didn’t recognize the symbol. It was two lines that intersected one another. Though the intersection wasn’t at the center and the lines weren’t equal in size. Instead, the horizontal line was half the length of the vertical one, and it intersected the vertical line closer to the bottom. It was a strange ornament.

Jill, on the other hand, wore a strange patchwork cloak. Each patch seemed to be a different color. She wore a dress underneath too, though hers was entirely blue. The skirt similarly reached her ankles, though there was a slit that ran to her knees. Furthermore, the dress stopped at her shoulders and didn’t have any sleaves at all. It looked strange as the collar of her dress reached the midpoint of her neck. However, Mash thought that the dress would be popular if the design was used back home. She was also carrying a long wooden case that was marked elaborately with a silvery metal. It looked like metal vines were coating the wood. With everyone done with the initial portion of the dungeon, it was finally time to figure out what they needed to do.