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 that felt like so we built 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.

"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.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"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.

!Combatants Defeated!

Colossal White Jaycat

x1

1.8E16

-Experience Gained

1.8E16 Points

Arena Bonuses

Floor 11 Cleared

1.024E12

-Experience Gained

1.8001024E16

+Multipliers Applied+ No Armor x1.1 No Weapon x1.1 Unoccupied Squad Positions x16 Overwhelming Victory x10 Do a Little Better x1.5 -Total Experience Gained 5.2274973696E18 Points

That was two things I hadn't been expecting. Apparently, the growth orb even affected experienced gained in combat. I had left it on just for the added training benefits of the fight, not that there had been any of those. Then the fact that Mel had ended the battle before it had really kicked off was something else altogether.

"Sorry, wasn't sure I still had it. Next time I won't do it all myself," Mel said as the door opened.

"That's a bit of an understatement. We barely even registered what happened out here before it was over," Pryte replied.

"It is an honor to see Melhelm of Halberd back in the Arena, sir," Floor Master said.

"Yeah, enough of that, didn't like it before, and sure as hell ain't gonna start now. 'Sides, that monster wouldn't have stood a chance against any of us. Save yer damn awe for when I really do something impressive." Mel's color had shifted pink as he spoke.

I kept Beta and Gamma secure in my System storage, knowing both of them would be unhappy about how quickly the fight had ended. Though Mel did have a point, based on the experience, I imagined that fight would have paled to what we had fought on the floor before. Still, the addition of Mel was a welcome one.

"Mel, just how powerful are you?" I asked. He couldn't have been on Sanquar's level, but I thought he was certainly above us at the moment. Then again, with my new orb additions, who knew?

"Don't really know the answer. It's been a long time since I had this level of exposure ta a cloud tree. Didn't think I had a lot of time left in me when we first met Dave, but now, well, now a lot has changed, and I'm gonna make it all worth it," Mel replied, his color shifting back to green.

"I'm honestly not sure what to say. What the hell even was that thing?" Laura asked.

"A White Jaycat, whatever that is," I answered, not that I really knew the answer. It had looked like someone had somehow turned a dragon into a fluffy white cat.

"I have no idea why that was the creature that made me realize how real this all was, and not the many odd companions you've gained, but it did do it. Nothing is ever going to be the same again, is it, Dave?" Laura asked, her face a mask of calm.

"Nope, but once you get used to it, there is a bit of fun behind it all." I gave her a half smile as I said this. "Now come on, it gets even stranger once we leave this room, and we've got some giants to find."

The Core Symbiosis Initiates are an illegal order within the Spiral. Officially, Spiral representatives claim to have wiped them out, but considering how little is known about their membership, that seems an impossible claim to prove. They are, or were, a group of people who allowed dungeon cores to bond with their own soul-core reaction. This supposedly granted them much higher powers, but the cost seems incredibly high. Can you truly trust a dungeon core not to turn on you?

Orders, Both Secret and Public of the Spiral by Qquauqq

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.