Magical Engineering

The rest of the night was spent trying to conserve my mana while Gamma was determined to master the air elemental orb. I finally had to put a stop to it so I could get some sleep and actually let my core recharge. While Gamma was disappointed, they understood that the next day was Arena day. Which both they and Beta were looking forward to, and that meant begrudgingly accepting calling it a night.

Before I could do that, though, I needed to remove the dungeon from my possession again. This was something I was going to need to solve in a more permanent fashion, as I wasn’t big on being forced to do this every time I left the world, especially when you considered how often it was likely I’d need to spend time in the Arena. The good news was that Alpha was willing to stay behind this time, as I didn’t want to force it on Corey again. Even better was that both Travelers were willing to work with them to make sure the dungeon was controlled, and with that safely out of the way, it was time for bed.

I was woken up the next morning by loud knocking on my door, interspersed by someone calling my name. As my brain fully woke up, I finally processed who the voice belonged to. Why was Alex beating on my door so early?

“Dad, wake up. They got the gate working, and Mom is here. Pryte wants you out here now!” she yelled louder this time.

“Ugh, alright, I heard you. I’m coming,” I said as I hopped out of bed, threw on some of the rapidly dwindling clothing I had left, and dashed out of the room. My thoughts were oddly stuck on where I could even get new clothing these days. That was before I noticed the number of people already at work. Were there normally this many people about so early?

The gate had been constructed outside, near the building that housed the Traveler’s Gate. We would likely move it in the future, but at the time, it seemed the most convenient place, as we didn’t want a direct connection to any of our current buildings. And that was where I found Pryte greeting Laura and a handful of other people coming in behind her.

“Nice of you to join us, Dave,” she said as I joined Pryte near the group.

“Sorry, needed my beauty sleep. I assume these are the various engineers?” I replied, forcing a smile. Judging by the sun, it was later than I realized. That explained all the people. Had yesterday taken more out of me than I thought?

“Yeah, this should be everyone you need. I think we’ve got enough materials for the trade, too,” Connie said, sauntering up to us. “How long ‘til the next floor anyway?”

“We’ve got about an hour until Rorge is here to pick us up. Quarilyn, could you take these people to Ivan? He can start the explanation of everything we will need while we’re gone. Laura, why don’t you join us for a late breakfast before we head out?” Pryte ordered.

“I suppose,” Laura replied, shaking her head slightly as she followed us back to the dining hall.

Both Alex and John hugged her when she walked through the door. Unlike last time, Alex seemed less annoyed with her mother. I was glad for that. Hopefully, the start of the restored communications network had allowed them to talk more. That thought, coupled with the reality that this would be the most time I had spent with Laura since I moved to Alaska, left me with very mixed feelings about the future.

“So what can I expect during all of this? This may have become commonplace for all of you, but try to remember I’ve never left the planet, let alone negotiated with another species,” Laura said, as she took a seat next to Alex.

“You will sit in the waiting room, along with me, while we wait for the floor to be completed. Once that’s done, we will attempt to go find the giants. Hopefully, they will be at the same bar we found them last time,” Pryte answered.

“And the giants themselves? What are they like exactly?” She asked as she pulled out her cellphone and started typing away on it.

The rest of breakfast was spent with Pryte giving every detail he could think of about the Golden Mountain Hammerfists and the giants that made up the faction. I had no idea how much of it would be useful, but at the same time, I fully recognized her abilities in diplomacy. I had seen Laura talk many a professor into a higher grade, and she hadn’t found herself working for the United States government by accident. She was incredibly good at what she did, and I hoped that would make the difference in what we needed to do here.

Interestingly, as we filed out for the porter, none of the humans, Laura included, seemed taken aback at the sight of Rabyn. I wasn’t sure if it was because of how differently he tended to dress from the other Orcs, or if they just assumed that if he was with us, that meant he was an ally. I didn’t want to question it, in case it dispelled any illusion that he just wasn’t an Orc. At the moment, it was best to leave his species unsaid.

With Grant and Yorela’s addition, the squad was slowly climbing to fifteen. At this rate, we might be fielding a full unit before the fiftieth floor. Hell, maybe someday we could even have a second squad.

“Everyone ready?” Rorge asked. He was standing near the gazebo. It felt like we had built it so long ago.

“Yep, thanks, Rorge,” Pryte replied, giving the large man a nod.

The homestead around us vanished, instantly replaced by the familiar waiting room we had claimed as our own. Laura handled the transition better than Grant, who looked ready to vomit. But within moments, he seemed to steady himself.

“Ah, glad to see you all back. It’s also good to see that your squad has grown. I was always worried about you with so many empty spots. Still, I hope you find another four, but I think for today, you should be just fine,” Floor Master said, as they led us toward the already open door. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs Novᴇl_Fire(.)net

“Wait, four? Wouldn’t that mean we had eleven? That’s not right.” I turned to ask Floor Master about the extra, and spotted Mel having entered the darkened hall with us, just before the door closed.

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“Took ya long enough ta notice. Figured it was ‘bout time I stopped expecting y’all to risk yer lives without me,” the cloud man replied, a giant smile plastered across his face.

“Well, this should be quite interesting. When did you manage to get yourself registered, Melhelm?” Elody asked.

“Ah, told Pryte ta add me when he added the other two, but wanted it ta be a surprise, and the look on Dave’s face has made it entirely worth it,” he replied, the smile still there.

The blackness vanished before anyone could question him further. We were suddenly all falling through the air, as a large white cat with wings swooped toward us. It screeched and opened its mouth wide as it approached. And then the fight was over. Mel had produced a single halberd and somehow launched it like a spear through the creature’s form before it could reach us. The room area faded back to black as the experience notification popped into view.

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