Jude immediately demanded a turn with maximum strength in the next fight.

“That’s not how this team works,” Brandt cut him off. He turned back to Daniel. “Are you sure? It’s not just a false notification?”

“We don’t get notifications from his buffs, you know that.” Daniel gestured at Orrin with a give-me motion. “I checked my status and my strength is up by fifty-five.”

“I know Orrin can increase our stats, but fifty-five is more points than most people will get in their entire lives...more than most top adventurers have in any one stat. Only monsters and Orcs have that much strength.”

Orrin listened to Brandt’s disbelief as he put his hand into his cloak pocket and pulled the handle of Gerty to the surface. The weight wouldn’t hit him until it was all the way out, but he’d already learned his lesson. Gerty was Heavy with a capital H. He just wasn’t strong enough to pick up Daniel’s sword. He held the cloak out with Gertrude sticking halfway out.

Daniel smiled and pulled the massive sword out the rest of the way. With his last attempt, he’d still struggled with the weight. Now, Daniel hefted his sword like it was a cosplay prop. He twirled it in one hand and changed it to his other. He spun and let the tip drag along the ice wall, creating a shallow scratch. Daniel kept playing with his giant sword, as Madi scooted closer to Orrin.

“You realize that spell could change everything. You can use [Inverse] and your strength buff to make the floor ten boss so weak we don’t have to even fight him.”

Orrin felt odd being the center of attention. Jude was laughing as Daniel tried to roll the sword over his back and dropped the massive sword. Brandt was staring at him again.

Brandt turned to Jude. “Can you imagine what he could do against a Fogbinder? They are mostly Intelligence based. If he dropped the stat by fifty-fucking-five, even a child could take it out.”

“Should we head back to Dey?” Jude approached, leaving Daniel to his swordplay. “We could probably get back before too much fighting starts. Faster if the kid would [Teleport] a few times.”

Brandt was lost in thought for only a moment. “No. Lord Catanzano gave us our orders.” He looked sheepishly at Madi. “We stay for a week or until the tenth floor and then turn back.”

“What if we beat the tenth floor?” Daniel came up from behind and asked. “Couldn’t we just keep going? How great would that be for Dey? The whole town is down and we come back after defeating the entire dungeon.”

Jude’s eyes lit up but Brandt was already shaking his head again. “Nice try...again. But the troll is more than capable of taking us all out. Even if Orrin can drop his strength, its one of those monsters that is just beastly.”

“What if I dropped its dexterity and strength?” Orrin asked.

“You could try, but it also has a cartload of health and regenerates. I’ve only gotten past it twice and once cost two lives. I’m all for showing you the level of monster you are itching to fight, but then we are going to retreat to the safe room and get out.”

“Could we try a few different strategies out before leaving? We can just pop in and out until we find-“

“Once you re-enter a safe room you left, you appear outside the dungeon,” Brandt injected. “You get one chance, and honestly, you three will wait by the door.”

Madi and Daniel grumbled a bit but let the issue drop for now.

Daniel had hacked up the ground enough ‘practicing’ that Brandt had no problem starting a fire with the fish remains. Something about the magic in the monsters let it burn brightly for them. Daniel and Orrin took first watch. Brandt was trusting them more.

“You’re totally going to fight the troll, aren’t you?” Orrin asked. He created an ice sword and turned it over the fire. It didn’t melt at all.

“Of course.” Daniel chuckled. “With an extra dose of strength from you.”

“Yeah. Making you all stronger. The only thing I’m actually good for around here.”

Daniel reached over and flicked Orrin between the eyes.

“Ouch. What the hell was that for?”

Daniel put a finger up in front of Orrin’s face. “Listen. We wouldn’t have survived this long without you. You led us around the entire first floor without one battle. You saved Madi’s life. You got us across the river and even killed some monsters. Why are you being so down on yourself?”

Listening to Daniel put it like that, Orrin sounded pretty badass. However...

“You all can fight. Madi can cast actual offensive spells. I have to use [Lightstrike] to do one damage point. Sure, I can boost you guys, but is it really helpful in a fight? You didn’t really need my boosts against the newts. I was able to take out a carp once we got them out of water. Brandt has taken down the troll before with a normal group. What if we get into more fights and you guys realize you don’t actually need my spells?”

Daniel laughed. “You idiot.” He wiped his eyes. “You haven’t used strength or dexterity boosts on yourself in a fight have you? You make the fights easier. You don’t need to do damage, except to get the experience.”

“But if I don’t contribute, then how wil-“

“Do you remember when we were at Finn’s house playing that fighter game he liked so much?” Daniel spoke over him.

“Yeah. But what does that-“

“And his little brother wanted a turn?"

Orrin just nodded.

“Do you remember how you felt playing against him?”

“He was like four. He didn’t even know what buttons to push and I just jumped around him. It was one-sided.”

Daniel bobbed his head as Orrin spoke. “Exactly. That’s what it feels like to fight with my dexterity and strength increased by you.”

“The newts wouldn’t have been hard to kill. Annoying, yes. But Jude said most parties make it through to the second floor without major problems. But they have to rest to recover health. That’s more time wasted, more time that they have to dig into their supplies to survive. We didn’t have to do that because of you and your wards.”

Daniel leaned back from the fire. “Same with the third floor. It’s a slow going process. Jude thought we’d make it halfway in one day and have to camp out on the far shore.”

Orrin was quiet as the fish bones in the fire popped.

“You think you don’t contribute? Orrin. We have a chance to defeat this entire dungeon because of you. Now stop moping and hand me some more of that bread. I’m hungry.”

Orrin handed over a loaf and stared at the floor. He moved his foot to gather some of the ice bits that Daniel had made when he dug out the fire pit.

The fire didn’t melt the broken shards of ice that littered the ground. The dark blue ice glittered with the reflection of the fire. It reminded him of a night sky, filled with bright stars.

“On a brighter note, what spells are you buying?”

Orrin smiled. “I’m going back and forth. Part of me wants to upgrade dex and will. I was also thinking of just getting the second level [Utility Ward] but that’s ten points.”

“Which one makes me stronger?”

Orrin threw another piece of bread at Daniel. He caught it and ate it. “Don’t waste food.”

“I guess [Utility Ward] would help the group more right now.”

Daniel put a fist out for Orrin to bump. “That’s right, get me stronger.”

Orrin rolled his eyes. He spent the 10 AP.

[Utility Ward] Level 2: maximum possible Level 2 Strength, Dexterity, Will, and Intelligence increase on yourself and your party within 100 feet. 200 MP. -10 AP.

Orrin woke when Madi gently shook him.

“Time to get up,” she whispered gently. “Floor four awaits.”

Orrin groaned and rolled over. Everybody else was up and getting dressed.

“Thanks,” he mumbled and started pulling on his armor. Then he yelled over to Brandt. “Do we have time for me to get some wards up on everybody? If we could wait a bit, I could also do a [Utility Ward], but I don’t want to go into a fight without a full mana pool.”

Brandt nodded. “We’ll take a long breakfast and start when Orrin gives the okay.”

Orrin used [Utility Ward] first to get the boost to his own Intelligence. The cheaper everything cost, the better.

His Intelligence went up by 30 points. All of his stats went up by 30 points.

Will is definitely my favorite stat, he thought.

At 41 Intelligence, his spells would cost only 69 percent the normal cost. He chuckled at his math.

Get it together.

He cast [Ice Ward] on everybody for only 14 MP. Five [Wards] cost another 70 MP. The [Utility Ward] had cost 198 MP.

MP: 97/380

Wait four and a half hours or pop a mana potion and wait three hours...

“Hey Brandt, four hours too long?”

Brandt and Jude were staring at their status screens, mouths open.

“Kid. Take all the time you need.”

Four hours later, Brandt and Jude were sweating slightly. They had spent the time having an impromptu training lesson with Daniel, using their boosted stats in an attempt to get used to the increased speed and strength.

Madi had just chatted with Orrin. He’d tried to explain the calculations he’d figured out for his stats and what they did to different spells. She’d eaten it up. Most mage classes didn’t share much information, unless they were part of a sect or cabal. Orrin’s mana was still not full, but it was close enough.

Brandt wiped the sweat off his head and walked over to the door. “Today, we work as a team in monster fights. We already have some experience in that, but remember that Madi and Orrin will call the shots. If they say jump, we jump. Protect each other this time. We need more practice working in tandem.”

“We’ve both been through the next floor,” Jude spoke. “And what we can agree on is that nothing is ever the same. I’ve never seen the same monster twice, nor has anything I’ve seen matched up with Brandt’s fights. It might be one big guy or a bunch of tiny beasties. Stay on your toes.”

Everybody nodded and with that, the party entered the fourth floor.

Just as advertised, Orrin thought. A long hallway full of doors. It looks like a Scooby-Doo episode.

The hall was still covered with ice, but a faint carpet runner went down the middle just under the frozen water. A door was situated every ten feet or so at alternating intervals as far as they could see.

Daniel could see the furthest and reported, “I don’t see an end.”

“The end appears after three doors are opened and the rooms cleared.” Brandt said and unstrapped his sword. “There’s no difference between the doors. Might as well pick any one of them.”

“Wait, please.” Orrin said. “I’m going to check [Map].”

That was a bust. Orrin’s [Map] showed nothing. No red dots behind the door and no end to the hallway a mile out.

“Shit. Nothing.”

“Can’t win them all,” Daniel said and slapped his back. He was holding Gerty on his shoulder. The increased strength gave him just enough to carry his sword around freely. He still moved a bit slower than with his shortsword but promised he’d drop the big sword if needed.

“So which door?” Madi asked.

Daniel shrugged. “Just point one out. Jude and I will rush in.”

Orrin shook his head and walked forward a bit. “If it doesn’t matter, let’s just do the first three. Why waste the stamina?”

Everyone agreed and Brandt put his hand on the door handle of the first door.

“Let’s do this.” Daniel hyped himself up. Jude was holding his hammer over his head, ready to run in.

Brandt opened the door and the party surged inside.