Mike and Adrian made it back to the campsite. Everyone was sitting at cut logs around the campfire. By the looks of the nearest tree, Axel has made makeshift seats with his double-handed sword. It was a crude job, but the part where the party was sitting was cut clean, no splinters in sight.

“Nice place you have here.” Adrian commented as he sat on one of the free trunks.

“Was your experimentation useful?” Aby asked at Adrian. She was tapping at her staff, which was laying on her thighs.

“Yeah!” Mike responded to her once he sat. “I got a new skill!”

“Oh, that’s lovely, isn’t it?” Aby told.

“What about me?” Kayle asked while looking at Adrian. “Will we do an outing like him?” She said leaning her head towards Mike.

“I believe not,” Adrian explained. “Mike could easily kill a mantis, you cannot. I don’t want to offend you.” Adrian added that after a brief delay.

“No offense taken.” Kayle responded. She knew Adrian’s words had sense.

Adrian continued talking. “Even then, your weapon is a staff. If you don’t know, the only ways of hurting someone, let alone kill, with a staff is either having a lot of brute force-“ Adrian took a not subtle at all sight at Axel. “-or have mastery with the weapon. And to be honest, you have neither of those.”

“Then when I will obtain new [Skill]?” She asked concerned.

“What are you even asking?” Adrian said with a smile. “That’s today.”

The party was reunited around the unlit bonfire, sat in uneven and raw logs. Everyone had read at least once the description from the quest and Aby used the time when Adrian and Mike left to explain the details that the guild officer told them. It was time to organize the attack to the lair.

“So,” Adrian started. “Did you plan something while we were out?”

“Yes,” Aby responded. “According to the locating that the officer gave us the lair isn’t far.“ Adrian then remembered that he didn’t ask for directions when he picked up the quest. Thankfully, Aby asked the female officer while he was looking at the quest board. “The first step of the plan is to execute all the mantises that roam around the place. The idea is that Dale and Mike snipe them while I and Kayle have the auras active. Neither you nor Axel should intervene so those two can have a class faster.”

Adrian nodded after hearing Aby’s explanation. She clearly gave it some thinking. “What about after that?”

“It will depend on Mike and Dale’s classes,” Aby responded with a less defined plan. “We have some contingencies prepared, though. Adrian, you shall enter the lair once external monsters are taking care of. Nothing fancy, just scouting, count the numbers, don’t get killed. If there are more insects than we had estimated, we will run without thinking twice.”

Adrian looked at the eyes of Aby. She had a spark of intellect, of seriousness. It seemed his fear to insects had disappeared, at least for this moment. “I think that’s okay. But,” Adrian came with a but. “Have you thought why the decrease in male mantises’ deaths is happening?”

Adrian's doubt was justified, and the siblings nodded to his question. Kayle was the one who talked. “We think there’s a male leader that has appeared among the lair.”

“Are you thinking what am I thinking?” Adrian asked her.

“A boss.” She responded with seriousness and Adrian nodded.

“Wait, I’m lost.” Axel said after hearing her. It looked like this was argued only between the siblings.

“A boss.” Dale reiterated his sister’s words. “A stronger enemy, normally with different patterns and design.”

“A bigger guy?” Axel asked.

Dale sighed. “Yes, a bigger guy with bigger hits.”

“Hey, technically he isn't wrong,” Adrian added. “And not everyone has played videogames.”

“Should we go over what we got?” Mike suggested to the group.

“Right,” Adrian said. “We got three auras if we count my spell, three [Tarot] cards with one of them being useless in combat, and three people that can insta-kill a mantis. Huh, that’s a lot of threes.”

“Oh fuck,” Dale said as he put his hands on his head. “Yo, we got a new [Tarot] card and we didn’t revise the adjacency bonus of the cards.”

Adrian wanted to say something but then closed his mouth as he totally forgot about that. “Spit, what are your new effects?”

“My chance of fearing the enemies after killing one is increased.” Axel said after reading the invisible Record window.

“Do you remember my bonus when I am outnumbered? The one that lowers enemy accuracy?” Dale asked rhetorically to the party as he did not give time to answer. “Now even if they hit me, I have a chance to avoid the damage.”

“How does that even work?” Aby asked him and he just shrugged his shoulders. “Doesn’t matter. Huh, that’s neat.” Aby said after reading her upgraded [Tarot] card. “I no longer need to sleep; I can just meditate. This does not affect my health, mentally or physically, and also counts toward my [Status Points] gains while meditating.”

“Ah yes, why level up and kill monsters while you can sleep to became stronger.” Adrian joked when he knew Aby’s [Title]. He was jealous, truth be told. Sleeping and getting smarter sound like the best of both worlds but combined in a single activity.

“It’s ironic,” Mike commented. “That the card that means loneliness becomes stronger when more [Tarot] users are around. I think The Hermit should be one of the only, if not the only, card that is stronger when there are not [Tarot] cards around.

“Which could be the others?” Dale asked him.

“The Moon or The World,” Mike responded. “But I am no Tarot expert. I am just talking about my own personal thoughts on the matter.”

“I think we got derailed out of the conversation.” Aby said towards the group.

“You are right.” Adrian talked. “Are we ready to do this?”

Everyone was ready and they nodded their heads in affirmation. Adrian then stood up.

“Then let’s do this!”

And then the first experience of dungeon delving on Mundompio by the earthlings would set a start.