The Manaverse

Outside The Crypts - City Dungeon

Granite City

Jut couldn't believe it had already been five days since the Lock Down of the Safe Zone started. Past that, it had already been almost two weeks since the collapse of their way of life. So much had happened. At the same time, nothing had happened. Not compared to the material production of mankind prior to the fall.

Now that crafters were a thing, that was beginning to change.

The most significant and obvious change was the cooking Skills people used. They helped conserve the Safe Zone's supplies while increasing the quality and quantity of the food at the same time. Something they all learned very quickly was a Stone Ranker consumed more food than a Normal Ranked person did. It wasn't much more, but it was noticeable overall. However, the cooking Skills' conservation did outpace the population's increasing hunger.

This made the Safe Zone call all people with the Cooking skill in to assist, nearly dragging Crimson out of her Penthouse. They even went as far as to offer people Profession Skill Orbs if they signed on to help out during the Lock Down.

This "generosity" made some of the more hesitant civilians cross the line and absorb the mysterious Skill Orbs. Much like how Derrick had dived into the changes the System offered after Jut had spoken with him, many people did a complete one eighty, becoming invested in everything the System had to offer. A few people who had cursed the System's arrival even became zealous advocates, trying to force skills upon everyone they could.

Jut avoided a group of the pushy zealots on his was to the Dungeon. They had a group of people cornered just outside of the Town Hall, vigorously pushing a handful of the first sized orbs into their hands.

He skirted the group quickly. They kept asking him to help them convince people to take on Skills, which was well out of range of what Jut was comfortable with. It was one thing to pass out some to people who he knew and those who wanted them. Forcing it on someone was something else entirely.

As Jut waited for the other Radiant Crusaders to gather in front of the Dungeon for their preregistered run, Jut felt something else new around him. More Stone Ranked people were around than before. A lot more. Enough so that he had to look carefully to see any Normal Ranked people. If he had to put a number on it, he had seen well over a thousand since walking into City Hall. It gave him a little bit of hope that they might survive after the Lock Down ended.

Jut viewed his party menu, grinning to see it full for once. He had sent out the blanket invites first thing that morning. It was on this page he noticed the two buffs the group already had. One was from his aura. The other was a healing aura. He examined the two buffs to see their information.

Name: Mana Restoration

Type: Aura Buff

Effect: You and your Party Members who are within range regain Mana 10% faster out of combat and 2% faster during combat.

Name: Health Restoration

Type: Aura Buff

Effect: You and your Party Members who are within range regain Health 5% faster out of combat and 1% faster during combat.

Jut looked at Isabelle who was standing right next to him. Her robe was long, flowing and white. Her platinum blonde hair was braided into a single tail down to her waist and she looked a little anxious. He was about to ask about the buff, but she spoke first when she noticed his gaze was on her.

"Are you sure we can do this? None of us have even cleared the Dungeon alone yet. Even if we don't actually die, it wasn't really that fun to experience."

He gave her a warm smile. "I'm pretty sure we will do better in a group than on our own. Past that, all of us have fought together in one way or another so we should mesh well. Don't worry. At least you won't have to heal us after the run, right?"

Isabelle gave him a weak smile back. "I guess that's true."

"Is this healing aura buff yours?" Jut asked, pointing to the party window which Isabelle couldn't see.

She nodded, her nervousness fading a bit. "Oh, yes. I have a handful of Skills I don't have equipped that are very helpful. I got that one from one of the Orbs you gave me, actually. It sucks that we can't use them easily in combat when they aren't equipped though."

"You know as well as I do that we will have a better opportunity to use those skills in combat in a Party setting. It's like using an emergency potion in Prime. We'll work it out." Jut reassured her.

"If this is what playing that game of yours was like, maybe I should have checked it out. You're both still major nerds though." Brick said as he arrived. He already had his new chain mail armor on that he had made himself. He still wore brown leather gloves, but his chest, legs and arms were shrouded in small, Stone metal rings.

Diggy, Isabelle, and Joy had passed all of their Stone Ore to Jut and Brick. In fact, they had all divvied up their resources to those who could best use them. Diggy got all the animal hides, Isabelle and Joy got the herbs and plants that suited their needs, and they stored anything else they couldn't use. Brick was keeping all the Monster meat in his inventory to give to Crimson after their run.

Because the two smiths had an influx of materials to use, they had worked through the night and partly into the morning to be ready for this late evening run.

Diggy and Joy both arrived at the exact same time, coming from different directions.

Diggy was wearing a chain mail set similar to Brick's, his coif visible and his horns poking through the top.

Joy was wearing form-fitting leather, just like Jut. Hers, however, was all the same shade of brown, showing Jut she really hadn't looted anything new from her solo-run. He was going to make sure that changed this time. While he respected that she had hard time looting the Human Monsters, it was a poor excuse to avoid getting new gear.

"Yo, Jut. My man." Diggy said and they launched into their lengthy handshake.

Both Isabelle and Joy were watching. While Isabelle had a small smile, remembering her and her sister doing something very similar for years, Joy looked a little annoyed and sad.

Joy turned to Isabelle. "Hey girl. I made you something. You said you wanted to be an ice witch, right?"

Jut and Diggy finished their handshake and turned to watch. Brick nudged them both.

"See, Nerds," Brick said. "At least I am not alone." He looked at Joy.

"Speak for yourself, Normie. " Joy said in a teasing yet challenging way as she pulled out a white witch's hat. It was the stereo-typical wide-brimmed, pointed hat that was associated with witches. However, it was more graceful and elegant. It was like it was made by a talented cosplayer. "I took inspiration from the eighth season of Prime's Expansions. I hope you like it. It only registers as a Normal rank item though."

Jut and Diggy each gently elbowed Brick who looked betrayed.

Isabelle smiled widely, her earlier nervousness gone completely. A skull cap appeared on Isabelle's head, her hair changing to be confined within it. She yanked it off and carefully situated the witch's hat on top of her hair.

"I love it!" Isabelle said happily. She put a finishing touch to fixing the hat before pulling Joy into a hug. "Thank you so much. Oooh. I have gifts too."

Isabelle let go of Joy and pulled a few bottles from her inventory pouch on her hip. They were green, red, and blue, making what each one was pretty easy to distinguish.

"Potions, guys. Here take two of each." Isabelle said merrily as she handed out the potions all around.

Jut examined the hat on her head and each of the potions in turn.

Item: Cloth Hat

Type: Armor

Slot: Head

Damage Resistance: Low. Physical, slashing and blunt damage.

Rank: Normal

Durability: 100%

Rarity: Common

Quality: Average

Description: A Normal Ranked Hat made from Normal rank fabric. Provides some protection from Normal Rank physical damage.

Creator: Joy Armstrong

Item: Heath Potion

Type: Potion

Rank: Normal

Rarity: Common

Quality: Average

Description: Normal Ranked Health Potion. Consume or place on injuries to restore 50% max HP and heal the body. This effect is halved for each rank you are above this potion's rank. Will initiate a 1 hour Health Potion Cool Down upon use. Will reduce the effectiveness of all healing effects by 10% for 24 hours or until sleeping for 4 or more hours.

Creator: Isabelle Wynters

Item: Stamina Potion

Type: Potion

Rank: Normal

Rarity: Common

Quality: Average

Description: Normal Ranked Stamina Potion. Consume to restore 50% max Stamina. This effect is halved for each rank you are above this potion's rank. Will initiate a 1 hour Stamina Potion Cool Down upon use. Will limit total Stamina by 3% for 24 hours or until sleeping for 4 or more hours.

Creator: Isabelle Wynters

Item: Mana Potion

Type: Potion

Rank: Normal

Rarity: Common

Quality: Average

Description: Normal Ranked Mana Potion. Consume to restore 50% max Mana. This effect is halved for each rank you are above this potions rank. Will initiate a 1 hour Mana Potion Cool down upon use. Will limit total Mana by 3% for 24 hours or until sleeping for 4 or more hours.

Creator: Isabelle Wynters

Jut let out a low whistle. "Harsh negative effects, but these are amazing." He smiled widely at Isabelle. "Thanks a bunch." He slid his bottles into his inventory right away.

Jut did have daggers made for everyone. He was almost too intimidated to pass them out after seeing the potions, but he did.

"I also brought gifts. They are all I could make at first and they are my first weapons. Not as awesome as a potion that can save your life, but maybe keep them as a back up."

Everyone took one of the Normal ranked Stone daggers. While they all acted grateful, Jut wasn't even really that impressed himself. But, he was confident he get better in time and be able to give everyone an upgrade eventually.

As Jut was taking on the sword path, he had focused on making himself a new weapon first. After making six daggers from seven Stone ingots, the first being a failed piece that didn't even register as a dagger, he had learned the Short Sword Recipe. Jut proceeded to make four swords, learning the Long Sword Recipe. This seemed to be a trend.

Brick had reported that making the chain mail coif a few times had led to him learning the chain mail leggings recipe which lead to the chest piece.

The group was all chatting, ready to go into the dungeon. Jut spoke up.

"Okay, team. Let's go!"

"Kyle. Is that you?" A familiar voice spoke up, making Jut halt.

Jut turned to see someone who was the object of one his quests. Dan, his and Diggy's old boss was standing on the edge of his team. The man felt like he was still Normal rank. The man felt like he was still Normal rank. Where had he been? Jut had asked around everywhere for the guy.

"One sec, everyone. I need to chat for a second with Dan. Check us in and I'll make it quick." Jut said, the group moving on. Diggy lingered with Jut. Jut turned to Dan. "Dan. Just the man I wanted to see. I've been looking to speak to you since the Wave. How have you been?" Jut stuck his hand out to shake Dan's.

Dan smiled and shook Jut's hand firmly. "Good. I'm Good. I thought that was you. And Mr. Digsby as well. I'm so glad you both survived the Wave. So many people have told me to find you, said you were asking about me and I heard you would be running the dungeon today. I figured I would try to catch you before you went in. What's up?"

Diggy shook Dan's hand too.

"Listen, Dan. I was hoping we could speak... privately sometime soon. I'd ask if you wanted to get dinner and catch up, but I have a scheduled dungeon run and we don't want to lose out slot." Jut threw in right away. They really would lose their spot if they were late.

"That's alright. I have a patrol soon anyway. Much nicer now that we're locked in. A little boring, actually, but I figure it will be good practice for after the Lock Down ends. How about lunch tomorrow?" Dan said with an understanding smile.

They shook hands a final time and Jut smiled back. "Sounds good. I'll meet you at the food court, let's say eleven thirty."

With a brief wave, they parted ways. Jut and Diggy jogged over and joined their team in entering the dungeon.

A man in a suit, with brown hair that was greying at his temples, leaned against the railing of third floor of the City Hall. He was looking down towards the City Dungeon's entrance. One of the people assigned to patrolling the Safe Zone along the North side of the barrier was talking to a Hunter. He watched the hunting team gather and the employee grabbed the red-haired man's attention.

"Wasn't he the survivor of the failed mission?" Matthew Todd asked another associate who was standing nearby.

The woman, also in a suite, watched the man for a moment as the hunter and the Minotaur walked away from him. Her leather chest piece, hidden under her jacket, winked into view for only a moment.

"Yes, sir. That's him."

Todd's eyes narrow as he straightened up. He brushed off his already immaculate suit coat and pulled at his sleeves to ensure they were even.

"Let's make sure his association with that mission remains in house, shall we? Tonight."

The woman bowed to him. "Consider it done, sir."

She, and three other people nearby who looked like civilians, disappeared as their Stealth Skills were engaged.

His privacy squad was excellent in what they did. He was confident the remnants of Project Reduction would quietly vanish, just like his squad just had. Todd turned and walked away, leaving for an appointment with Mr. Slatewell that he couldn't be late for.