32
Milo sat on the floor. Back to the wall. Legs up. Wrists resting across his knees. The sweat had long since dried down the side of his face. His back. His neck.
The dungeon was the Desert Rats, and had involved infiltrating a hive of dog-sized rats and slaying their queen.
It sounded simple, but the real test was in navigation as students needed to find their way through a labyrinth of tunnels which formed a honeycomb-like structure deep beneath the desert.
The traditional tactic involved a lot of chalk, twine, and patience.
Milo relied on Tania’s spatial memory and the upgrades he’d put into her which let her detect living creatures within 10 meters. He still wasn’t entirely sure how the upgrade worked.
Fed had explained it worked by sending out soundwaves which bounced back to help her build a picture of everything around her. The workshop explained bats do something similar.
The only real challenge they had was the tunnels were too small for Selma to use her favorite sword. She was forced to use smaller axes, daggers, and her fists.
The frustration had built until they stepped into the queen’s lair which was a large cavern. Large enough for her to pull the sword from over her shoulder and let out a yell; “At last! I’m free!”
Then without waiting, she’d charged the queen.
And the fifteen massive guards which protected her.
Now, back in the Dungeon Hall, Milo waited. Selma stood with her hands on her hips, talking to Belt. He was telling her about how fun it was being an electromancer. His specialty was using a heavy mace while snatching enemies and sending bolts of lightning tearing into the bodies.
Which then leapt onto their friends.
Selma nodded along enthusiastically. She liked the sound of electricity.
Tania squatted beside Milo, her eyes on the curtain.
Waiting.
Until Fergus finally crawled out, leaning heavily on their new mage, Fulka. The small woman lifted her gaze and saw Tania.
The two exchanged a scowl.
Fergus caught sight of Milo and grimaced, then muttered something under his breath. Fulka nodded.
Then she stuck her tongue out at Milo.
“Come closer,” Tania called. “I’ll rip it outta your mouth and wipe my-”
“That’s enough,” Milo said, putting a hand on her arm.
“Hmph.”
Jin limped out of the curtain behind them. He looked like he’d been through a grinder. He almost had as much blood on him as Selma, only his was his own.
“I’m putting in a formal complaint,” Fergus hissed. He clutched his side, which had been torn open. “The teachers are helping you cheat.”
“Mister Paddstone,” Master Finklestern frowned at him, overhearing. “That’s a very serious accusation. I’d be careful with that sort of talk if I were you.”
“Of course you’d say that,” Fergus spat. He jabbed a finger in Milo’s direction. “But how else do you explain it? He’s first out every time! And my toenail has more magic than he does! It makes no sense.”
“Miss Tazzlefoot is rated a level nine,” Master Finklestern reminded him. “The difference between yourself and her is significant enough to explain-”
“It explains nothing! Who here has even seen her cast a single spell? I haven’t.”
“I haven’t seen you neither,” Tania shot back. “You said you’re better than Milo, but I ain’t see ya do more than flap your gums.”
“Maybe we should duel, then!” Fergus coughed up blood and spat it out. “You and me!”
Master Haddrow stepped out of the shadows. “I feel I must remind you both that duelling is against the law.” He showed a dry smile. “Too much property damage.”
“The dungeons are designed to test your skills,” Master Barrowclough said before Fergus could speak. The birdlike man was rarely monitoring the Dungeon Hall. He rubbed at his bald head. “If anyone were deficient, they wouldn’t survive.”
“That’s the point of the dungeons,” Master Finklestern affirmed grimly.
“If you were right, Fergus, that Milo isn’t capable, then the lad will suffer in the next ones.
They only get harder from here on. What you’ve seen are just the basics.
While it’s amusing to see Milo and his team return so dramatically every time, I expect things will become more challenging for them soon. ”
Fergus let out a snarl. “If you’re not helping him, then he’s hiding something!”
The teachers glanced at Milo before Master Haddrow gave an unbothered shrug. “So what if he is?”
“What?” Fergus looked from the stealth teacher to the others. “You don’t even care? What he’s doing isn’t possible!”
Master Barrowclough coughed into his hand.
“All mages serve the Mage Court, Fergus.” He waved a hand encompassing them all.
“I have always said making this a team challenge creates unnecessary rivalry. What does it matter if he has a trick to get through dungeons better than you? All of us have tricks we keep to ourselves.”
“I don’t,” Master Haddrow said with a wide gleaming grin that called attention to his lie. “I’m just a poor level three with barely any skill to make it from one end of the room to the other. Woe is me, surrounded by geniuses.”
“My father-”
“Your father cleared the Lich King’s Lair, Mister Paddstone,” Master Barrowclough said, his piercing gaze sharp as he stared Fergus down. “Alone. Without a single team member. And no one asked what trick he used to do it.”
“That’s different!”
“How so?”
“Because he didn’t cheat!”
“Not knowing how someone did something isn’t a sign of cheating,” Master Haddrow said, pulling a coin out of the air. “It’s just a sign that you don’t know the trick.”
“You’re all in on it,” Fergus growled, limping away in frustration. “You’re all cheating!”
Milo watched the trio go. Jin hadn’t said anything. The big man looked tired. Too tired to even shoot them a scowl.
And Fulka had her hands full trying to keep Fergus on his feet.
She did shoot a dark look in Milo’s direction, though. He responded by lifting a hand and giving her a wave which startled her enough that she spun away from him while blowing her lips.
“Crazy kid,” Tania muttered.
“I wonder why she even joined them,” Cerena said. “She seemed nice when I first met her. I wanted to ask her to join our team, but we’d already asked Jassie.”
Jassie, still flat on her back, lifted her arm as her name was mentioned. “Nice to hear I was first choice at least.” She didn’t look at Milo. “I gotta ask, though. How do you do it?”
Milo felt at least a dozen eyes turn to him.
And more ears tuned to their conversation.
Even some of the teachers.
He shrugged. “Always the same way,” he said, surprised at how easily lies spilled from his mouth.
“We read the strategies that worked. Then try to use what’s quickest. We figure if we go too slow, it just uses too many resources.
It’s not easy. But it’s also why we don’t go to all the classes.
We spend a lot of the time practicing our teamwork. ”
“Hmm.” Master Barrowclough gave him a thoughtful look.
“It’s not a bad idea. Although you should attend more classes, Mister Mooney.
And your team. Soon, the dungeons will be more complex and racing through them won’t be so simple.
You will need to adjust your strategy or I fear you will meet a wretched end. ”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” Milo said, injecting a little sincerity.
How could he tell them that he watched most of their classes anyway on the screens in his workshop?
“You didn’t have a rifle this time?” Cerena asked.
“Not yet,” Milo said. “I’m having one modified.”
“Modified?”
“Yeah.” He showed a tight smile. “I picked up some ceramics from Spragg’s crystal shop and have been testing them to see what they can do. I think they can really boost the power output while also decreasing the load time.”
“Everything you just said sounds like a quick way to have it explode in your hands,” Master Haddrow put in as another battered group emerged from the curtain behind him.
Tania shot to her feet, looking down at Milo, fully aware that he was close enough so when he lifted his gaze, he got an eyeful of her underwear under her short robes. Smirking, she stuck a hand out. “Time to get squeaky clean, Milo.”
He took her hand with a sigh and let her drag him up.
“Yeah,” he said. “I could use a hot bath.”
“Me too!” Selma called, turning with a clatter as the dozen or so weapons on her belt struggled for dominance. “I want to bath!”
“You need it, sister,” Tania said. “You’re all covered in yuck.”
“So are you.”
“Yeah, so?” Tania hooked her arm through Milo’s and lifted her chin.
Selma possessively took his other arm. “Well, then we both need to bath. Milo, will you bath with me?”
“But I called dibs!”
“I called dibs, too!”
Belt shook his head. “I’m with Fergus.” He sighed. “I really wanna know Milo’s trick.”
“Really?” Cerena shot him a raised eyebrow and a tight-lipped smile.
“Uh, no. I guess not. Not really, no.”