[NR] Maybe We're Not Ready - Chapter 473 (Patreon)

Jason raises his eyebrow, “The traps are more serious than you expected? Sure, it took a quarter of my health, but that is sort of my role right now. I’m the tank.”

Courtney sighs, “That might be the problem. Most information I had gathered pointed towards the traps doing more in the range of a tenth of a person's health, but that was likely tanks much better equipped for the role. After all, this is a place people use to break through their bottleneck.

“By this point most people would have fully changed out their gear at least once. So, the tanks would have proper armor effects and here you are jumping around with a couple of pieces of beginner gear still equipped. Nevermind the fact that you aren’t a defensive tank or a meatwall, but rather more of a dodge tank.”

Rosha laughed, “Not much good being a dodge tank when the traps don’t give you time to dodge.”

Jason nodded, “Maybe next time I’ll be ready, but I certainly messed up this time. I guess crude traps meant a little more than just basic things like snares and pitfalls. They meant the actual material used as well.”

Courtney shrugs, “Yet another thing people decided to leave out of their reports. Though that one I understand. Rogues get all kinds of special skills to handle this stuff and generally the material used doesn’t matter.”

Rosha frowns, “That doesn’t explain why they wouldn’t comment on it for people who might not have a rogue with them.”

Jason shakes his head, “That is exactly the problem. We don’t have a rogue with us. Why would they help us if we don’t have a rogue with us? I’m certain there are local guilds dealing in that kind of thing that want card carrying rogues to always have a slot in a party.”

Courtney sighs, “He isn't wrong. It is always safer to assume their reports are lacking details like this since a ‘true rogue’ won’t need the information. That honestly wouldn't be so bad if they didn’t also throw their weight around to prevent other people from publishing such details as well. Anyway, do either of you have a way to handle this? Preferably a way that doesn't involve tanking the damage?"

Rosha shrugs, "While I do have some training from my time with Peter, it wasn't enough to get any skills for it. Now, if these were standard issue tripwires or pressure plates, I could handle it. Hell, if they were actual predatory plants I would be able to spot it. This? Just using a vine for a trip wire? I'm a good bit out of my depth."

Courtney nods, "We'll invest in getting you a few rogue skills after this. As a bit of a ranger sort you're close enough to not have any problems with it. Now Jason, how about you?"

Jason half shrugs, "You've already shot down my plan of 'trigger the traps and see what happens'. Hmm, obviously we could just chop any plants that stray into the path, but I really don't see that as a long term solution.

"Either the dungeon starts throwing area of effect traps at us or the floor ends up absolutely covered in the things. That, and I assume there are pitfalls?"

Courtney nods, "Pitfalls are a thing along with your guessed at AoE traps in the form of poison gas."

Jason shakes his head, "We might just need to retreat and get Rosha that training early. There should be someone in town that can handle it, what with the dungeon being here and all."

Courtney sighed, "We did come in here a little too cocky, didn't we?"

Rosha laughs, "Did you both expect breaking through a bottleneck like this to be easy? Like, I'm not exactly too up on the game, but even I can understand that getting to 25 is a big deal. Most regular people don't."

Jason rolls his eyes, "If I wanted to be a crafter I would have qualified to breakthrough even before I capped out."

Rosha shakes her head, "I've seen your little garden. Maybe you don't think much of it, but you're growing Herbs with a capital H! Most farmers can't even manage that after they hit 25, let alone before.

"You need some really specialized knowledge to do that kind of thing and keep them in a garden. Sure, none of what you're growing is too special, but they all require you to keep track of the power in the soil and so on. Stuff regular farmers don't even have to know about. Then you have to know all the stuff farmers do as well.

"So of course you were ready ahead of time. I'm willing to bet if you keep that garden of yours going you would have been ready for the next bottleneck as well. I don't know where you got the skills and knowledge to grow them, but you clearly don't respect what you've done enough. You could go to any large Herb farm and get a job and live the rest of your life in luxury."

Courtney rolls her eyes, "Maybe not quite that extreme. Many forces have methods of developing their own farmers. It isn't like they are willing to ignore such an important resource.

"Anyway, none of us are normal. You and me are a part of a large power and Jason here has his own convoluted nonsense going on. We should be more than enough to beat this place."

Rosha, "We are capable of beating this place. Just not easily. Besides, even people like us tend to go into their first dungeon with a full group of six. Not because they can't handle things, but because this is too early to develop enough skills alone.

"I'm sure if given enough time Jason is going to end up with all the skills he would need to solo this place. For now though? I'm certainly in favor of getting out of here and getting some more training. If anything, Jason needs a few more skills and to finish replacing his equipment."

Jason nods, "I'm with her on this. I don't mind dying, but if I have to, I want it to be for something more important than our egos."