Azure: Gunner

Dungeoneer is possibly the rarest Class known to man. It is exceptionally fucking valuable as long as demand exceeds supply, but nearly worthless otherwise. Basically, a Dungeoneer is a Tamer for dungeons.

They can bond with a stable dungeon much like a Tamer bonds with a pet. Once bonded, the Dungeoneer’s Skills allow them some measure of control over their pet dungeon. It can be made more predictable, more oriented towards certain types of monsters or resources, and ultimately much more profitable.

Getting this Class almost assures someone of a safe, luxurious, and obscenely well-paying job. The Families need one for every stable dungeon they manage, and most try very hard to keep a spare or two around just in case they get their greedy little hands on another precious portal.

The downsides, however, are rarely discussed. The most fundamental is that dungeons don’t fucking move. They can’t be moved, though many have tried. And getting too far away from their dungeon is like separating a Tamer from their pet. Both parties typically suffer from severe anxiety and mood swings.

You can medicate your Dungeoneer with booze, drugs, Spells, or sex to alleviate their symptoms. Their dungeon, however, will quickly start to resemble a baby throwing a tantrum. This will kill profitability as fast as that kid murdered their parents’ sleep schedule. Yes, I’m anthropomorphising here, but you get the idea. The dungeon will get fucking unpredictable, scientifically speaking.

- Delver’s Guild Handbook, Section 10.3 – “Basics of Dungeon Management”

I had so many questions, but one was clearly the most important.

“What opportunity?” I asked before anyone else could jump in.

“That will remain confidential until I determine if it is more than a possibility. The only reason I am explaining this much is that my instructions would not make sense otherwise. You are free to tell your teams – over the Comms only, as with all sensitive information. Are we clear?”

I twisted in my seat to look up at Jayce. The cyborg had a thoughtful expression on their split face.

“What instructions are those, Head Instructor?” they asked carefully.

“The dungeon is currently full of mana and at its peak Level – 8. Squad Excel will initially conduct a full clear of the dungeon, which should bring it down to roughly Level 5. Recruit Leyla, I strongly recommend you consider bringing in a heavy hitter for the first run. There are a number of Tier 1 guards in Backhorn who could accompany you.”

The Ice Mage frowned. That would reduce the Essence her Squad could earn, but also make the attempt much safer. After a moment, she nodded in agreement.

“Good, we’ll arrange it this afternoon and you’ll go in tomorrow. Depending on the dungeon’s Level after your run, you’ll likely go back in within a few days for a partial clear. Once the dungeon’s Level is suitable for Azure’s team, we’ll be sending in her team exclusively.”

My eyes widened at that. It sounded like we’d be getting multiple dungeon runs in a short period of time, which would hugely accelerate our Leveling. At least, for our Class Level. Our Skill Levels could easily fall behind, so whenever we weren’t in the dungeon we’d have to push extra hard in training.

“I have no desire to explain this ‘preferential’ treatment of Squad Hard Limit to anyone until and unless necessary. It will eventually come out, of course, but until then I can do without the headache that the parents of the trainees will give me. Recruit Azure, I trust Trainee Hammersmith can keep his mouth shut.”

I nodded in response, and she continued.

“Good. Squad Excel, please stay behind and we’ll arrange for a Tier 1 to join you for tomorrow. Squad Hard Limit, you’ll find Instructor Wolf is impatient to begin your intensive dungeon preparation. Dismissed!”

My mind whirled as I left Thompson’s office to find Wolf standing outside. I noticed right away that he was standing on two prosthetic legs and I gasped.

“Wolf! What happened? Was it the matriarch?” I asked, pointing at his new leg.

He grimaced and nodded.

“I’m sorry! Are you OK now?” I asked, giving him a big hug, which he shrugged off uncomfortably.

“I’m fine Az, no need for theatrics. Let’s get the team together and we can get started.”

Once we had the whole group together we followed Wolf to one of the smaller classrooms. The class building had only minor damage, probably because no one had been in it when the monsters attacked. Wolf put his hands on his hips and looked at us seriously.

“Let’s get straight to business. Normally, you’d have extensive preparation before your first dungeon run, but Thompson’s got some scheme in mind that requires you to get in there ASAP. So, I’m going to give you an overview now and then it’s training time.

“The first thing you need to know is that I can’t tell you exactly what the dungeon is going to be like. It’s different every time.”

That immediately got everyone’s attention. Zaire was the quickest to speak up.

“Instructor Wolf, I believed that stable dungeons were quite similar from run to run,” the Earth Mage noted.

“Stable dungeons are nearly always bonded to a Dungeoneer, much like a Tamer-type Class bonds with a monster,” Wolf reminded us. “The Dungeoneer can influence their dungeon in many ways. Most stable dungeons value consistency because they are run like businesses – their owners want to get a steady supply of valuable goods out. They also don’t want to deal with potentially losing employees to unexpected dangers.

“However, that same stability makes a dungeon impractical for training. Every dungeon you enter in the wild will be a mystery until you’re inside. Why would we train you on something that’s the same every time? No, what we want is inconsistency, so that each run is as different as possible.”

He paused, looking around as we all processed what he was saying.

“We talk about using this dungeon for training, and that is literally true. Unfortunately, that makes some people take it lightly. It is also literally true that it will still fucking kill you if you don’t take it seriously! Will you die permanently? It’s unlikely, but it does happen. The protections put in place by our Dungeoneer mean that if you die inside, your body will be teleported out.

“That means a Healer can revive you. HOWEVER!” he barked suddenly, and I jumped slightly. “There is only one Healer here now. If you lose more than one person, well, you’re fucked! Normally we have four Healers available, but these are special circumstances. You will not fuck around in there! Are we clear?”

“Yes sir!” H’ruk growled as the rest of us nodded along.

“Good,” Wolf replied. The Ranger smiled grimly and rubbed his new mechanical leg. “I can assure you firsthand, dying is not something you want to experience.”

We’d known that Wolf had been badly injured in the attack, but finding out that he’d actually died added fuel to the fire of my motivation. He pushed the team hard throughout the next few days, and I drove myself even harder.

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With a Tier 1 guard added to their team, Squad Excel made it through the first dungeon run without any deaths. A couple of them picked up Levels, and they were a smiling, exhausted group at dinner that night. After we’d eaten and rested a bit, I led the Squad in a sprint, making sure to spend almost every point of mana. I even spammed Quick Step to make sure I was utilizing my stamina as well.

Despite the sense of urgency, we had to wait almost a week for our first chance to enter the dungeon. The veterans went in again three days after their first run, and that dropped it down to barely above Level 3. Then we had to wait for the dungeon to accumulate more mana, to make sure we didn’t accidentally drop it down too low. That would permanently close the dungeon, so it couldn’t be risked.

The good news was that I was finally able to break through to Level 5 in Variable Load. As I’d hoped, it unlocked a new type of ammunition for me. Eagerly, I Inspected my bandolier to see the changes.