[NR] A Cave Of Chest-High Walls - Chapter 454 (Patreon)

With Jason’s caution, the group enters the dungeon safely. Once in though, they do take a second to look around. Not much to see here at the entrance, just the classic gray stone landscape you’d expect from some sort of space rock. Though Courtney assures the other it gets wilder further in.

While overall space still isn’t some thriving place despite literal magic, you apparently can find it and this dungeon features some of the more basic flora. The start is just barren because it is of the more delicate types, which don’t do well when exposed directly to cosmic radiation without a good distance of stone to take cover behind. Though of course it won’t be exactly like what you’d find as the system has had to do some refits to make up for the fact the dungeon now has an atmosphere and a planet’s worth of gravity to deal with.

Anyway, without something exciting to look at, the group moves forward. Rosha takes the lead to scout out the monsters with Jason next to her and a couple steps behind, while Courtney follows close behind Rosha. The formation does leave Courtney a little open to attacks from behind, but Jason is close enough to play defense as needed.

As Rosha clambers over a chest high rock wall, the first encounter comes into view. On the other side of the wall, there is a small flat section followed by a relatively steep ramp down while the ceiling stays the same. This sudden change in floor height resulted in a blind spot allowing for a small gathering of five tardigroids to be hidden from the group.

Since this is the first time seeing them, Jason makes sure to get a good idea of what they’ll be facing, except there seems to be only one commonality between the five. They all have a normal looking tardigrade head. Well, normal if you increase the size to that of a human head, but that is all it has in common with anything humanoid. The rest of their bodies are where it gets a little wild.

Two are somewhat centaury, with four legs and two arms, though their grabbers don’t really change and their bodies are more rhino-like than horse-like. Another is literally just an enormous tardigrade which actually makes it the biggest creature of the bunch. The fourth is standing on the front and back legs, while the middle set seems to have been placed on top of its body.

The fifth one though is the most uncanny. The thing looks just like a human except for a very shrunken second pair of arms sticking out of the armpits of the main pair. Oh, and the fact it looks like a ken doll. This includes a very plasticy looking skin.

Then all five of them turn to look at the group, as clambering over a chest-high wall isn’t exactly the quietest thing to do if you didn’t set out to be quiet in the first place.

*KaThunk* Arrow to the face. Rosha was the first over and so first ready to attack and her opening shot took the fifth one out right away. As the other two engage the monsters and she draws another arrows, Rosha can’t help but ask, “Aren’t they a little easy?”

Courtney laughs as she jumps onto the back of the big one and sinks her claws in, “Enjoy it while you can. This dungeon’s difficulty ramps up exponentially. We’re on the handle part of the hockey stick graph right now.”

Rosha fires off another arrow, “But wouldn’t that mean we have a good bit of time where it will be easy? Why would I have to enjoy it now when I can enjoy it at a much slower pace over the next few floors?”

Courtney’s claws hit something important and the monster falls over. As it does so, she jumps off and lands without a sound. “These early floors will be quick. Jason over there has already finished his two and you’ve handled two as well. This dungeon as a whole goes through about level 15 to 25 with the boss weighing in at about 30 as a final challenge.”

Jason steps back from the two dead monsters and turns towards the others, “But isn’t there an arena fight on the fifth floor? Wouldn’t that cause a bit of a jump in difficulty?”

Courtney shrugs, “The difficulty is smooth until the eighth floor, not the levels. The tardigroids will advance in level the further in we get. However, the fifth floor will drop the levels a bit so it can throw more at us over five waves. In theory, since it is basically non-stop fights it could be seen as harder. However, since the floor is literally just one large arena and it gives you time in-between fights, if it gets too tough you can leave.”

As she finishes talking, the five tardigroids vanish, leaving behind mostly coins, with only the big one Courtney killed dropping a section of hide.

Jason smiles, “If anything I would say a fight like that is easier if you can also leave during the wave. Also, are the waves times or does it only start the next once you’ve cleared the last?”

Courtney puts the piece of hide away, “I’ve got to say, dungeon drops are the best. Could we have gotten more skinning the thing? Yes, but then we would have to worry about killing it without damaging the hide. Anyway, as far as the arena waves, the answer is that it is kinda the second one.

“The dungeon will only start the timer till the next wave shows up once you’ve finished the current wave. However, it is clever enough to start the timer when you’ve finished the fight, not the monsters. So, no crippling the last monster and resting as long as you want.”

Rosha laughs, “I can just imagine a really powerful person on that floor having the timer for the next wave starting the second he enters.”

Courtney shrugs, “While it sounds funny, that is what happens. If you’re judged strong enough that the current monsters fighting you are no threat at all, the timer for the next wave starts. One player even managed to get all five waves to be spawned at once. Though that was mostly because he had minmaxxed his armor so they couldn’t hurt him instead of actual strength.”