When negotiations were finally completed, Jen agreed to provide Director Tobin with the location of the dungeon so his guild could purchase the land rights from the System Shop. The land and rights were cheaper than Hot Streak dungeon because it was in an area that had no previous ownership. In Exchange, Director Tobin agreed that Team Kelly could stay in the Arc Guild’s guest quarters for two months. At that time they were to be transferred to Slot City for teleportation to the Second Deck. Additionally, Team Kelly would be allowed to participate in the first-ever raid on Hydra Dungeon, but they would get last choice on loot drops.

Director Tobin said, “To be allowed to participate in the dungeon raid, all of you will have to enter a gambling oath to keep our skills and techniques confidential. We never dungeon dive with non-guild members, and HQ’s approval of this part of the deal requires a gambling oath.”

Jen wanted to shout for joy, but only replied, “Of course, and I assume a similar gambling oath will be entered into regarding our participation, skills, and techniques.”

After the terms were finalized and as Jen explained everything to Tamako and Sam, Tamako was confused and asked, “why did you want us to jump with the guild instead of Deck Jumping in the wild like we previously discussed?”

Jen explained, “I agree, and I’m not sure this will turn out to be that valuable for us, but there is a little part of me that is worried that the animal transport technique we used coming from Earth, may not work on the rainbow teleportation between decks. Additionally, and not nearly as important, I want to see the Arc Guild’s best fighters in action.”

Tamako nodded as Sam Shrugged and asked, “So what now?”

“We are going to leave for the dungeon in a week, and in the meantime, we are scheduled for training with the raid team Tobin is putting together. I’m guessing Tobin wants to make sure we know enough to stay out of their way.”

Director Tobin put together three five-person teams of his best adventurers for scouting the Dungeon’s location and defenses. He was the raid leader, with Jen, Tamako, and Sam in support. He didn’t like having them along, but Jen had insisted it as part of the deal.

Jen was surprised to learn that the four weakest guild members on the raid team were planning on jumping to the Second Deck, but instead chose to give up their deck-jump slots to Team Kelly for the chance to go on the raid and get first pick of the loot. They ranged from level 13 to level 16, while the rest of the raid group ranged from level 20 to 28.

“Assuming none of them knew how to forge their levels.” Jen thought.

Tamako explained, “At a certain level, a guild member needs to decide to Deck jump or stay and grow stronger in the first Deck. If you Deck Jump, you go back to the very bottom of the pack in your guild, and not many like going from being rich and powerful to being a broke newbie again. However, if you jump, you can eventually increase your power and skill to a much greater skill than those on the First Deck.”

Jen replied, “I just didn’t think our true skills would be so much higher than the guild members that planned on deck jumping.”

Tamako warned, “remember, on the second Deck, they would have the elite members of their guild to protect them, and we will only have each other.”

Jen nodded her head, “good point.”

After the first day of training, Director Tobin and the rest of the raid group realized that Team Kelly was more than competent to accompany the guild on the dungeon raid.

Sam wanted to get a look at all the enchantments on the raid groups equipment, and offered, “Would anyone like me to repair their enchanted gear and maybe add a few comfort enchantments?”

All but one of the raid group, politely declined, but one of the ‘tanks’, Stone Wall Lucky, took Sam up on his offer, “Master Sam, my enchanted breast plate hasn’t been working properly since a recent battle in the Dice mines with some orcs. If you can do anything about, it would be greatly appreciated.”

“No promises, but I’ll do my best.”

Sam was grinning as he quickly fixed the damaged rune and then copied the breastplates’ enchantments for elemental defense into his enchantment app.

The major problem with most of the combat-oriented enchantments he copied was the massive amount of mana they used. This resulted in the enchantment only working for a very short amount of time before the wearer had to spend hours recharging the enchantment with mana.

Sam was sincere in his offer to the raid members and Lucky. He wanted to try some “comfort” enchantments he had thought of while they were traveling to Rolling Dice.

Sam was also truthful with Tamako when he said he was only really good with interdimensional space pockets and enchantments. He loved Jen, but she had no appreciation for his explanation of his enchantments, and liked to annoy him by simply calling his work ‘ring magic’.

Sam designed and carved some ‘cooling’ and ‘heating’ enchantments on the armor. They required almost no mana to use, because all they did was absorb cool air into a space pocket when it was too cold outside, and then release that same cold air onto the wearer of the armor when it was hot outside. The ‘heating’ enchantment did the same thing. It would absorb hot air when it was hot outside, and release that hot air on to the wearer of the armor when it was cold. With both runes carved all over the armor, depending on the weather and the usage, it would cool or heat the user as needed. Sam’s enchantments didn’t need the massive amounts of mana necessary to actually create cold or hot air.

Last, Sam placed an enchantment on the weapons and armor that would absorb sweat or blood, keeping the sweat and blood from getting in the eyes, or causing weapons to get slick in the hand. Sam hoped the enchantment would also absorb any liquid poison or acid that landed on the gear, keeping both the armor and the wearer a little safer.

A little part of Sam made him go all out on Lucky’s ‘comfort’ enchantments to make all the other guild members jealous after they refused his assistance.

Stone Wall Lucky looked at Sam with disbelief and amazement after Sam finished explaining how the enchantments ‘functioned’. However, Sam left out how the enchantments actually worked.

Lucky said, “Master Sam, these upgrades are far better than any loot I expected to recover in the dungeon. I’ve never heard of enchantments like these before. I…I…can’t afford to pay you for these.”

Sam was tired from working all night, but laughed, “All I ask is that you tell me how well they work. You should be happy the rest of the raid team didn’t need repairs, or I would not have had the time or mana to create these on all your weapons and armor. I am nearly out of mana as it is, and will need to spend the rest of the week building it back up before the raid.”

“Indeed, I’m very lucky!

Sam laughed at the bad pun, and said, “Please remember that under our oath, no one outside the raid group should ever learn that I created these enchantments for you.”

Stone Wall laughed with joy, “Thank you! After the dungeon raid, the beer is on me, and I only hope I can repay your generosity someday!”

Sam wasn’t really out of mana, but he didn’t want to spend the rest of the week making those same enchantments again. He already knew he was going to be spending several nights placing them on Jen’s, Tamako’s, and his own gear.

Sam secretly enjoyed seeing the rest of the raid group sick with envy when they learned about the enchantments placed on Stone Wall’s armor and weapons.

Director Tobin had primarily been negotiating with Jen, but when he inspected Sam’s enchantments, he finally realized the value Director Devon had placed on Master Sam’s enchantment skill.

After they left for the dungeon raid and were nearing the mountains, Jen pointed out the hidden slot canyon to Director Tobin, and said, “We will need to travel single file through there. It will open up on the other side. We will then be able to spread out, and you will see the entrance to the dungeon.

Tobin thought, “How in the Decks did they ever find this place?” As he looked to his three squad leaders, seeing the same question mirrored in their eyes.”

Jen groaned inwardly as she compared the gambling-quest Sam auto-forwarded her to the one she received.

The Greater the Risk, the Greater the Reward!

==

Gambling Quest: Kill the Hydra

==

Requirements: Kill the Hydra within 30 minutes

Select your Fortune:

A. Accept reward of 5 ability points plus euphoria for every ability point gambled, maximum bet of 3.

B. Accept reward of one bottle of 100% imbued mana ink for every ability point gambled, maximum bet of 3.

C. Decline Quest and continue to be pathetic!

==

Sam accepted “B” gambling 3 ability points.

Jen looked over and gave Sam the stink eye for gambling, but she also knew he had been trying to find some real mana ink to analyze and practice with. The shop was selling one bottle of 60% mana imbued ink for 100 gold, which was way more than they were able to spend right now on ink. Jen’s and Tamako’s Gambling-Quests were useless to them.

The Greater the Risk, the Greater the Reward!

==

Gambling Quest: Kill the Hydra

==

Requirements: Kill the Hydra within 30 minutes

Select your Fortune:

A. Accept reward of 5 ability points plus euphoria for every ability point gambled, maximum bet of 3.

B. Accept reward of 2 ability points plus euphoria for every ability point gambled, maximum bet of 3, but time to kill extended to 60 minutes.

C. Decline Quest and continue to be pathetic!

==

They both selected “C” declining their gambling quests.

Jen, Tamako, and Sam had talked about the Hydra since their last encounter. Jen knew that the Hydra from Greek mythology had nine heads instead of only 3, and according to legend, if a head were cut off, two would grow back in its place. The Greek legend, Hercules, had to cut off each head and cauterize the severed neck before two more would grow back in its place.

Jen only said to Director Tobin that she believed they needed to burn the next stumps after taking their heads. Based on her advice, Director Tobin had split the raid group into three teams. Each team had a man or woman ready to cauterize the neck with an elemental fire weapon. They were also prepared with torches, but they were a last resort tool.

Jen noticed that each of their team members were cross-trained with multiple melee weapons, and bows or crossbows. The teams were made up of two members that were tank oriented, two focused on dealing damage, and one spellsword that could fight and do some minor magic and minor healing.

The plan went off flawlessly with the Hydra’s acid head and scent head. All three teams approached at once overwhelming the hydra, cutting off the heads and cauterizing them. Jen, Sam, and Tamako were impressed with the speed, strength, and skill in which the raid team struck. Jen could see how tense Sam was because he wanted that mana-imbued ink so badly.

Unfortunately, the cauterizing of the fire breathing head didn’t work, and two fire breathing heads grew back. Upon seeing this, Director Tobin ordered everyone to retreat and hold. Sam called out to Director Tobin, the raid leader, “Just a suggestion - take only one of the heads, while I try to kill the stump with a blast of water since it’s a fire head?”

Director Tobin asked, “Can you cast a spell with enough water?”

Sam shrugged his shoulders and replied, “If it’s not enough water, then water will not work.”

Tobin nodded agreement, and ordered the raid teams forward again, but Sam joined the team that was ordered to sever the head. As they moved forward, and the head was severed, Sam opened his water ring for only a couple of seconds. Sam had filled the ring from a fast-moving river, and the water flowed out of his ring like a firehose blast. The water covered the hydra’s neck and the force of the water almost knocked it to the ground.

The teams retreated, and after a moment, cheered when the neck didn’t grow two more heads back. Within seconds, Tobin called out for an attack on the remaining head.

Sam was grinning as he received a system message asking where he would like his mana ink stored. He selected one of his rings and gave Jen and Tamako a wink as he forwarded the message to Jen.

Director Tobin did not realize that Sam was using his water ring to drench the Hydra. He was wondering, “What is the size of his mana pool to cast water spells with such power. I thought he was a Master enchanter, not a Master mage!”

Tobin then picked up the loot drop from the Hydra. The loot was to be divided after the raid was over. Tobin knew that with such a large raid team, the difficulty of the dungeon would impact the quality of the loot drops, but damn that was just the entrance beast. “Scout the entrance and let’s move in” he ordered.

Almost a day later, Director Tobin looked at the Nine-headed monstrosity in front of him with dismay. He was thinking about their raid through the dungeon and estimating their chances with the final boss, “The hydras have just kept getting bigger. Seven raid members are out of the fight, but thankfully alive, and if not for Master Sam’s healing ability, three of them would surely have died. Ms. Jen’s perception must be at an unknown level. She was able to spot almost every trap and warn us in advance. Tamako stepped in as a tank after the third raid member went down, and her skill and strength matched that of any of the other tanks, even with her short height. Only a couple of the hydras had fire-resistant necks, but the acid spitters had caused the most problems. Much of our armor and gear has been damaged by the acid, but to their credit, my team and guildmates have killed over 20 hydras in the last day. The quality of the loot drops have already made the trip a financial success for everyone!” but Director Tobin just shook his head at the sight of the Hydra Boss. It not only had nine heads, but it was also two stories tall. He was thinking he would need a raid team with twice as many fighters to come back and kill the boss.

Sam could see the decision on Director Tobin’s face, but he was also looking at the gambling-quest he just received.

The Greater the Risk, the Greater the Reward!

==

Gambling Quest: Kill the Hydra Boss!

==

Requirements: Kill the Hydra Boss within 60 minutes

Select your Fortune:

A. Accept reward of 10 ability points plus euphoria for every ability point gambled, maximum bet of 3.

B. Accept reward of mana shield technique scroll for gambling 15 ability points.

C. Decline Quest and probably die like a loser!

==

Sam wanted a mana shield almost more than anything. A plan started to form in his mind, “If I hit every one of its heads with a full-on lightning strike, it would probably stun them long enough for the raid team to sever and cauterize all the heads, and I could drench any fire heads with my water ring, but… Stupid is as stupid does.” Sam cried a little inside as he selected “C” declining the quest, and followed Tobin’s orders to start heading out of the dungeon.