Dungeon Chapter 4 (Patreon)

Everyone continued to gather and I was feeling like an outsider as dozens of women stared at me.

It really wasn’t full of malice, but it was clear that I didn’t belong.

I tried to make conversation with Charlotte but she was a quiet girl.

The Haylon representative that had recruited Charlotte entered the room and shot an angry glare at Crimson who ignored it.

“Hello everyone, I am Headmistress Marlow. You have the honor of joining this year’s class at Haylon. We’ll be transporting you there shortly and there are staff there ready to assist you in getting a dorm for your stuff.” Her eyes shifted to me with a frown as if I had just created trouble for her.

“There will be a mandatory opening ceremony in two hours. Do not be late, if you don’t make it, don’t bother showing up for classes.” There was a sharpness to her tone that made all of us sit up a little more straight.

We were all excited, but it was a reminder that this was serious. “Now, if you’ll follow me.”

I had wondered how we were going to get there, but Marlow put her hand in the air and magic sparkled around her hand as a small hole opened up before her hand and tore open reality to a different place. It expanded over about five seconds before it solidified.

Spells like that were the domain of high level mages. They were the most common caster class, but don’t let that fool you into thinking they were weak.

Mages were among some of the highest damage dealers out there.

“Alright everyone. Single file.” The headmistress stood straight after such a big spell and she caught my attention. “Ken, you’ll come with me.”

Charlotte looked to me. “She doesn’t like you much.”

“No. I think she does not.” I sighed.

“Best of luck. Bun-bun and I are rooting for you.” She waited only a moment to get up and follow the rest of the girls that were excitedly hurrying through the portal.

Crimson and a few of the others that looked like they were upperclassmen waited patiently on the side.

Soon all of the girls were through.

“Come.” The headmistress barked at me seeing me still seated. “Are you not excited to learn at the Haylon Academy?”

“No thrilled. I thought I was waiting for you.” I felt like she was putting in lose-lose situations.

Yet at the same time I was in no position to fight back.

She led the way through the portal and I followed quickly behind her and then the rest of the Halyon people seemed to come after me as if there was some unspoken rule that new students went first.

I stepped through and the temperature changed drastically with that one step. It was a little less humid, but several degrees warmer.

Arrayed in front of me was a line of upperclassmen arrayed to help the new girls get situated.

No one had stepped up. Instead everyone had taken a few steps out of the portal and then stopped to gawk at the academy.

I’d seen pictures before, but seeing it in person was incredible.

The Academy was a sprawling campus. It had been updated to more modern architecture, everything was glass and steel with sleek curved edges, the whole campus bustling with activity as students walked around in the school uniform, yet each was different.

Most of them wore the school jacket, but the rest of their outfits had a particular flare.

I realized it was mostly an expression of their class. After all… it was what defined an adventurer.

Bringing me back to my own situation.

“I see you are done gawking. Surprised you paid more attention to the buildings than the girls.” The headmistress waited behind me and jerked her head to the side. “Unfortunately they didn’t plan for a man this year.”

Her motions caught the attention of several of the upperclassmen and several started to point, and a few even shouted.

“Already causing trouble.” Marlow said. “We are going to my office.”

I hurried to follow her as she headed for a central building.

Sliding doors opened for us and as people looked up to see the Headmistress, they also noticed me and there was a ripple in my wake of women gossiping.

She took the stairs to the second floor and ushered me into a room with a frown. “You are going to disturb my campus.”

All I could do was shrug. The room had a set of double doors on the other end, cracked open to reveal an office. While this room had some couches and chairs that looked rarely used.

I wanted to be here, because it was my only option, yet she clearly didn’t want me here. “Why let me come if you hate it so much?” I asked.

Rather than answer my question, she sat on the couch and asked me one in turn. “How strong do you think Crimson is?”

“Well, the strongest DPS that’s diving the dungeons. She’s gone to the fifty seventh floor.” I rattled off what I knew.

Marlow hummed and drummed her fingers on the arm of the couch.

I decided not to stand like a child about to be scolded and made myself comfortable in one of the chairs that was so plush it looked like it had never been used.

“Crimson is so strong, that I can’t fathom her strength. I was disappointed that her stats didn’t show up at the stadium. Maybe then I could at least get a value for it. But you need to understand what Crimson wants, Crimson gets. She wanted you.” Marlow leaned forward and steepled her fingers. “Which brings us to the current slew of problems you bring.”

So Crimson terrified even the headmistress. Her words from earlier that people would attack her through me or that the headmistress would try to expel me came back into focus.

But I was going to come out of this as a fantastic adventurer.

“I’m happy to work with you on whatever troubles my gender brings for you.” It took everything I had not to roll my eyes. “Above everything else I’m here to learn to be an adventurer, that Crimson took an interest in me only makes me more excited to learn.”

“The first issue is lodging. The dorms are where we house all students, but that won’t do for you. The staff houses would be another option, but we are full up. Don’t think about living with Crimson, none of us want that.” She cut me off before I even thought about it.

“We do occasionally get visitors and have temporary residents for them on campus.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I can allow you to live there. However, we have critically important guests coming this year. This is not public knowledge but we will be hosting an ambassadorial delegation from an elven world. They have a daughter that will be attending the academy.”

“Oh.” What else was I supposed to say to that? I knew there were other worlds that we could reach through the dungeon and we were able to reach more as we descended deeper into the dungeons.

The elves had an organization that spanned multiple worlds, they were among the most powerful of the races humanity had met since entering the dungeon.

“I will do my best not to interfere.”

“The visitor center is large enough that if you work hard you will only interact with them in passing. Do your best not to damage the relations between humans and elves.” Marlow rubbed at her forehead as if I was causing her a headache.

“Now onto the next issue. Your presence is going to disturb the campus. I will announce that you are here due to Crimson, we’ll come up with something. But you are to never set foot in the dormitories. They are completely off limits to you.”

I nodded vigorously even as my grandfather’s words about stealth training passed through my head. Though the headmistress was far above my level, it was probably a poor idea to try and sneak anything past her at present.

“Crimson wants you here, I do not. So as long as you remain in good standing with the school, I won’t be able to lift a finger, but should you fail. There will be no hesitation. You’ll be removed from my academy.” She snapped her finger to highlight the immediacy in which it would happen. “Understand?”

“Yes, mam.”

“Don’t ‘mam’ me. I don’t look that old. Headmistress will do just fine. Now, I have to go clean up this headache. Head outside and to the left, you can’t miss the visitor’s center it is right by the dungeon entrance. Then across the way from both of those is the main hall, your entrance ceremony will be held there in…” She checked her CID like a watch. “An hour and a half. Hurry up, I’ll follow through on my threat to expel anyone who isn’t in there before the doors close.”

With that she seemed done with me and I wanted to get out of there.

I hurried out and retraced our entrance to the building and headed out the front doors.

The whole way I could feel dozens of people staring at me.

Many of them were likely trying to understand just who the heck I was.

Out the doors I took a left and the staring didn’t stop, if anything it felt like there was a crowd growing behind me.

I checked over my shoulder and sure enough a few girls were stalking me.

They didn’t look friendly, in fact the girl up front looked like she was going to kick my ass. She had that look of a woman who got into too much trouble with her bright red hair.

“Hey you. Come here.” She shouted.

I turned back around and hurried to get to the visitors center. There was no time to get tangled up in whatever mess this was.

“Don’t turn your back on me!” Her voice grew in volume like she was rushing at me.

I dodged, holding tight to my bag as she appeared where I had just been, swinging a club. That’s when I noticed the badge on her arm. She was part of the security council.

“Not bad. But I think you are in the wrong place, buster. As part of the security council I’m going to detain you.” She spun the night stick in her hand ready to come at me again.

That’s when I realized the level of opposition I was going to face here.

Just being a man had already brought the security council to me, worse yet, she seemed to be some sort of fighter, if I had to guess she had used charge to close the distance just now.

The way she held herself she had at least a year of experience here meaning she was likely several levels above me.

But if she detained me, I was likely going to miss the entrance ceremony before we got everything sorted out.

I wasn’t so hopeful that I thought the Headmistress wouldn’t just use that opportunity to boot me to the curb.

“I’m a new student. Please, I just want to go to my room.”

The campus security had two more girls catch up with her as she bent over in laughter. “I don’t know if you think I’m stupid or what. But there’s no way that you are a Haylon student.”

“I swear I am, I have to go to the entrance ceremony. Don’t make this more difficult than it has to be.” I took several steps backwards.

She laughed again. “Bull shit. Besides, don’t think because you dodged my charge that you can take me.” She pointed the nightstick in my direct.

I drew the magic blade from my inventory. “If you must, I will fight.”

“Don’t think so highly of yourself.” She came at me again while her two compatriots hung back.

Her nightstick blurred through the air and I knew she had me beat in stats.

But stats weren’t everything.

I blocked her attack my arms straining as I took the blow head on.

Her body glowed with a skill and the power of her strike doubled as she lifted me up into the air, tossing me high. “Learn that level is everything.”

While I was air born she glowed again as she shot forward charging me again.

Twisting my body  midair I regained my position and slashed down with all of my weight to meet her charge head on with an attack of my own.

My sword bit into the nightstick which was nothing but a piece of rubber and wood before sheering it off, slicing right through it and my blade continuing towards her face.

We both shared a sudden look of horror as we miscalculated.

I had thought her weapon would be something magical from the dungeon that would hold up to my blade.

There was the screech of a rabbit as an enlarged Bun-bun tackled the security council  to the ground and spared both of us the accident that had almost happened.

“Go!” Charlotte shouted before bending over panting. “I knew you’d get into trouble. Go, before she gets up.”

I was still in shock from nearly cutting the woman’s face, but my body reacted on it’s own as I turned and ran. I needed to scrap going to the visitors center and head straight for the entrance ceremony.

Belatedly I shouted over my shoulder. “Thank you Charlotte!”

The angry security council was recovering from Bun-bun’s attack and kicking up a storm behind me as she threatened Charlotte.

If I had stuck around it would have caused more trouble for nothing.

I just had to trust that Charlotte knew what she was doing. After all, her family was a little famous and she had sisters here. She would probably get out of any trouble much faster than I would.

So, I ran past dozens of women in school uniforms casting me odd glances but no one was the same as the security team and tried to stop me.

The dungeon entrance was obvious.

A huge monolithic structure, far older than everything else here yet well maintained.

Students decked out in gear were gathering before the entrance, likely forming up parties before entering.

So I turned left immediately rushing into the large building across from it and following a series of signs to an auditorium.

Only once inside did I pause to catch my breath.

“Why are you not wearing your uniform, and why do you have a weapon out?” Crimson turned to take me in.

I was panting from the run and struggled to speak for a moment.

“Let me guess. Security?” She had a knowing smirk.

“How’d you know?” I said still gulping down air.

“I used to be in the Security Council. Feels about right. You show up, you spread via gossip and they track you down to teach you a lesson before you cause any real trouble.” Crimson had an oddly nastalgic smile on her face.

“You were Security Council?” I asked.

“Yes and quite good at it. I practiced the whip a lot at this place.” She looked around. “Either way, so you were accosted by security and you still are holding a weapon in the middle of campus and not wearing a uniform. Want to fix that?”

I frowned and dismissed the weapon back to my inventory with each before pulling out one of the uniform jackets and swung it over my shoulders wearing it over my other clothes. It was a soft fabric and had a cowl to it that made it feel sort of like a hoodie. “Better?”

“Much. I’ll walk you to your place after. Where did the headmistress put you?” Crimson asked as she walked me towards the seats.

Only then did I realize that she’d been waiting for me.

“The visitor center, but with a lot of warning to not mess with elves that are coming.”

Crimson nodded. “The envoys. They want me to train their daughter. That’s why I am teaching this year.”

“It’s that important?” I asked suddenly surprised that she’d stop dungeon diving for this.

“Yes it is. But you should use the opportunity. The elves have their own version of the CID, maybe it could help you learn more about your class.” Crimson pulled at her own CID that was a much slimmer looking model. “Come on. My class is the center section.”

“Crimson.” He hated to ask something of her after all she had already done. “Charlotte helped me avoid the security council. If I go back out to help her, it is only going to cause more problems, can you help her not be late for this?”

The adventurer blinked at me several times. “You see your own weakness already and ask someone who is capable to help. This is an invaluable skill for the dungeon. Just to prove that to you, sit relax. Charlotte won’t have a problem.”

I turned to watch her stroll out of the auditorium and then turned back around to see everyone staring at me. Though, this time, I felt like it wasn’t because I was a boy. But because I talked so casually with Crimson.

Side note - Charlotte is changing to green hair. She's too docile for red. Still in the running for best girl though. I decided to spoil myself and work with a character artist to make some of the girls here before I get too far. Will share as I get them. I got a druid, warlock and shield bearing warrior as part of the group with Ken. Who should be the 5th? If you like someone else's suggestion give it a heart. Honestly, I'm pretty up in the air for the 5th.