As they reformed outside the dungeon entrance, Aiden saw the others standing there in solemn silence.
That silence did not last long.
It quickly became confusion when they noticed Thalia holding the ornate jewelry box, and the fact that both she and Aiden were breathing hard like they had just been chased by something very motivated.
"I acquired the second item in the dungeon," Thalia said, holding up the box as if she had just won a footrace and was now showing off the prize. "That way, we have at least completed sixty-six percent of the dungeon."
"You could have warned me!" Aiden yelled.
His stomach was practically in his throat from the sudden mad dash at the end. Behind him, there was a sound like stone rubbing against stone.
Aiden turned.
The dungeon entrance was shaking.
More specifically, the ladder inside was rattling like something was scrambling up it in a hurry.
Jax and Selene immediately jumped forward, putting themselves between the trapdoor and everyone else. Liora and Kaelen raised their weapons, both still pale from what had happened inside.
For a moment, everyone waited.
Then the trapdoor entrance burst into sparks and dissipated.
A System notification appeared in front of them.
You have cleared the majority of the dungeon:
Crypt of the 23rd Brigade
+10,000 XP
You have acquired the first of the dungeon items.
+5,000 XP
Your party has defeated Zombie Soldier x4.
Party member Kaelen: +4,000 XP
Party Leader Jax: +2,000 XP
Party member Selene: +2,000 XP
Party member Liora: +1,000 XP
Temp party member Thalia: +1,000 XP
Party member Aiden: +1,000 XP
You have acquired the second of the dungeon items.
+5,000 XP
Party member Kaelen has survived from the brink of death.
+3,000 XP
Party member Liora has survived from the brink of death.
+3,000 XP
Party member Aiden has saved Party member Kaelen and Party member Liora from the brink of death with the assistance of Temp party member Thalia.
Aiden: +8,000 XP
Thalia: +2,000 XP
CONGRATULATIONS
Dungeon Progress: 66%
MVP: Aiden - Saved two party members' lives.
SMVP: Jax - Most damage done.
A smaller window appeared in front of the dungeon results.
Level up 6 -> 8
HP 20 -> 24
MP 64 -> 69
Dexterity 13 -> 16
Wisdom 15 -> 18
Aiden was still angry.
He was angry at Jax for nearly getting them all killed by pushing the raid too far.
He was angry at Thalia for stealing the item and forcing them into a mad dash for the exit without warning anyone.
However, the level up did help his mood.
A little.
Very little.
But enough that he no longer felt like yelling at the nearest tree.
They walked back to camp in silence.
When they returned, they placed the two bodies in the back of the trailer and began packing up camp. Normally, this was the kind of moment where Jax would be chipper, loud, and somehow get everyone else moving through sheer force of personality.
Not this time.
Aiden's words from inside the dungeon seemed to be weighing on him. Jax's eyes barely left the ground the entire time they walked back, packed up, and loaded everything into the vehicle.
Once everyone was inside, Jax spoke.
His voice was a surprise in the heavy silence.
"I'm sorry, guys. I messed up."
Everyone turned to look at him.
They waited.
Jax took a centering breath and looked up at them. When he spoke, his voice stumbled over itself.
"I-I thought we could do it. When we fought the Blood Trent, that was more than we should have been able to handle, and we won. We're stronger now, so I thought this should have been easier. I thought if we just planned like before, and set everything up, then it would work. We could do everything."
His ears lowered.
"But I got caught up in the moment, and I could have gotten someone killed. So… I'm sorry."
The group looked between one another.
After a moment, Kaelen chuckled softly to himself.
"Well, to be fair, we were in an almost perfect situation to contract adventurer's high."
Aiden started the vehicle and began their search for the farm.
"What's adventurer's high?"
"It's basically where a party does something that most groups would fail at, then assumes that is their new standard," Liora said, lacing her fingers behind her head. "It gets a lot of parties killed."
"Indeed," Thalia said in her usual even tone. "A Blood Trent, even a young one like the one you fought, is generally assigned to mid-range Porcelain adventurers. Your achievement while plateless was above average for such a fight. It is part of the reason I wished to be included as a member of your group."
She paused.
"Though until now, I was unaware of the term adventurer's high."
Jax's ears perked up slightly.
"Sooooo… you all are not mad anymore?"
"Oh no," Liora said, flicking him on the nose. "Still pissed at you. But the fact that you recognize the mistake is what we need."
"Well, that and he gets laundry duty for a week," Aiden said, raising one hand. "All in favor?"
Jax looked around in horror as every other hand rose alongside Aiden's.
They drove for around fifteen minutes before they found what looked like a herd of cows grazing in a fenced wooden area.
From a distance, they seemed relatively normal.
Once they got closer, Aiden noticed that many of them had strange rainbow-colored gems growing from specific parts of their bodies.
That was concerning.
Slightly more concerning were the strange machines placed at the corners of the fences.
They stood on simple tripods, each one topped with a barrel-like device that slowly panned back and forth.
As they approached, Aiden brought the vehicle to a stop.
He was unsure what the devices were, but Thalia directed his attention to a nearby sign.
It was a simple wooden board with a painted message. A large brass bell hung below it with a string attached.
Welcome to the Oxhouse Ranch.
Before you approach, please be advised:
If you have not been cleared by the owner, the turrets will shoot at you.
To make your presence known and avoid being shot, please ring the bell three times.
I will be with you shortly.
Sirius Oxhouse
Aiden took a moment to look back at Sirius's body in the trailer.
Then he parked the vehicle and stepped out.
The others joined him as Selene turned to Jax and Aiden.
"T-then will it be you two who tell the family?"
Aiden turned, a bit surprised.
Liora nodded.
"You two are the founders of this party. It makes sense."
Aiden understood the logic.
He hated the logic.
But he understood it.
He turned to Jax.
Jax quietly nodded.
Together, the two stepped forward.
Aiden grabbed the string and rang the bell three times.
Part of him expected an instant reaction.
Another part of him knew it would take time for someone to walk over.
The waiting was worse.
The anticipation of what they had to do burned a hole in Aiden's stomach like acid.
After a minute, he saw a woman running down the road toward them.
She wore a green apron over brown pants and a white shirt. Her freckled face was flushed from running, and her bright ginger hair was tied into two braids that bounced against her shoulders as she rushed to the gate.
"D-did you find them?" she asked, trying to catch her breath.
"Are you Ms. Oxhouse?"
The woman saw his expression.
The color drained from her face.
She nodded.
Aiden slowly shook his head.
Behind him, Selene carried the bodies forward and placed them down gently.
The woman broke.
Her cries were raw and guttural as she fell to her knees and looked over the faces of her dead loved ones.
Aiden turned slightly away, his throat tight.
The others moved closer, trying to comfort her as best they could.
All except Thalia.
Thalia was staring down the road the woman had run from.
Her expression had gone cold.
Sharp.
Angry.
Aiden followed her gaze and saw four people walking toward them.
"I see you have finally shown up," one of them called.
The woman on the far left was human. She wore a cyan dress, its sides cut open to allow free movement for her legs. Her light-colored hair was tied into a braid over her right shoulder. A shortbow was strung across her back, and a quiver rested at her side.
Beside her was another woman, a halfblood beastkin who seemed to have ape traits. A large mane of curly brown hair sat atop her head, and twin curved swords were crossed over her back. The leather bracers on her arms looked custom made.
On the far right stood a man whose face could potentially rival Kaelen's.
It was delicate, framed by long, bright red hair. A small flute hung from a string around his neck. His shirt was open in a deep V down to his belt, where it was tucked in. He was not overly muscular, but he was attractively fit in a way that looked very intentional.
Those three wore Porcelain Plates, like Aiden's group.
The fourth person wore a black plate with a reflective surface.
He wore a purple suit that should have made him look miserable in the heat, but he seemed completely undisturbed. Messy purple hair framed his face, and there was a gleam in his eyes that made Aiden's skin crawl.
He seemed to be the one who had spoken.
"Do you know them?" Aiden asked, looking down at Thalia but keeping his voice quiet as to not disturb the grieving woman.
She was already preparing her strings.
Without looking away from the approaching group, Thalia answered.
This time, her voice carried a low growl.
"They were the ones who scammed me."