The walk back to the dungeon was brisk; the four made it back much faster than they had originally. They moved through the vast opening, past the mosaic wheel with the symbols, and back to the cavern where they had fought and died.
Crystalline chunks lay everywhere, the remnants of the long-fought battle. No spiders could be seen, at least for the moment.
"They must have gone back to wherever they came from. We should pick up as many of these chunks as we can before we stir up the nest again, " Argent peered down the tunnel ahead of them as he talked.
"Not to mention if this place is some sort of dungeon, the spiders' numbers could go back to what they were at any point. We still do not know how this place works." Ryn remarked.
"Then let's do this quickly so we can get to the fun part faster."
Each of them went around filling their bags with the chunks of 'ore'. When they were finished, they stood in front of the tunnel.
Ward tried to look down it, but as it twisted and turned, there wasn't much he could see. "So, how do you guys want to do this?"
"I say we stick to what we know, let's wake 'em all up and go again, but with all the power we've gained from last time." Argent grinned.
The other three turned their heads to look at him, thinking he was crazy at first. Then they just smiled and nodded.
Ferric started moving into position to get ready for the next wave. "It really is the best way, isn't it. We just make some noise, shake the cave a little, and they come to us."
Ryn took a few steps back. "We won't have to make much noise. Let me handle it."
She planted her right foot forward, shutting her eyes and focusing as waves of vibrations spread out through the cavern, all originating from her. She was pushing her element into the ground beneath her, and it was listening.
"I hope you all are ready, cause here they come. I can feel them even more now."
What happened next was the same as the first time. The wave came heavy and fast. This time, when it hit Ward, he was only pushed back a foot or two, not nearly as much as before.
Ferric had started to command his element through his chains, making them uncoil and fly out, swinging them as they smashed into the creatures. Then they would recoil and wrap around his arms again on their own, so he could smash and punch like before.
Ryn had run out of the arrows she bought somewhere in the middle of this fight. From then on, each time she pulled back on her bowstring, a whole earthen arrow formed. She was no longer just coating the arrows in earth; she was forming and shaping them completely.
Argent was perfecting his shadow blinking. Faster, sharper, more refined. His light was not far behind, though; each time he swung his dagger, light arced on its own and shot forward, cutting and searing anything it flew through.
Still, they got overrun. Only to wake in the temple yet again.
Argent turned to the other three, with the same grin on his face..."Again?"
The four continued, time after time. Fighting, growing, dying, and returning. Touching the statue each time they woke up in the temple:
[Power: Calculating]
[Previous Score: 57]
[Natural Gains: 21]
[New Total: 78]...
[Death Count: 3] ...
[Death Count: 4]....
[Death Count: 5] ...
[Death Count: 6] ...
Each time they died and returned, they gained power from their battles. This growth was lessening with each death; they could only achieve so much from fighting the same monsters, but the combat experience was invaluable.
***
"How many days has it been since Argent and the others went to the dungeon?" Veryn asked as he spooned stew into his mouth.
"Four days now, I think, they really are going hard at it, must be having fun." Said Rime as he lounged, warming his feet on the fire.
Mugwort waved a hand. "Oh, they're right where they're supposed to be. Dungeon's the closest thing this world has to a gym, if the weights tried to attack and occasionally ate you. Four days in, they're probably smiling about it too. That's when it really gets worrying."
Veyra was a few steps back from the fire, swinging her shortswords around, practicing. "You know if the whole outskirts weren't talking about seeing them constantly running from the temple back to the dungeon, I would have been worried."
Cinder crossed her arms and sighed, "They even got a nickname out of it. I want a nickname. We can't let them get ahead of us; we should start heading out to the field twice a day at least. We need to make sure we show them we can put in the work too."
***
Argent, Ryn, Ward, and Ferric somehow looked different standing in the cavern now. The dungeon wasn't the scariest looking thing here now; each hummed with an imposing aura.
"This is it, right? This time they die, and we don't." Ward cracked his neck.
Argent recalled the last time they touched the statue.
[Summary]
[Name: Argent]
[Death Count: 9]
[Element Power: 83]
[Physical Power: 147]
[Merits: 121]
He takes off his hoodie and throws it over to a corner. The mark of the giants had spread a bit more across his chest, and new patterns had emerged. Growing in power as he has, just as Thranir told him it would. The shadow and light pulsing within it were both more saturated now, pulsing strongly as he readied for the fight ahead.
"This is definitely it, last time I think there were only ten or so left."
Glowing could be seen under the clothes of the other three, each pulsing with the color of their element.
"We have grown so much since that first time here," Ferric said as he readied for the fight ahead. "Plus, I've been the last one to die two more times than Ward, and that's really what matters."
"Wait, you don't know the rules of this world when it comes to the person who dies last the most?" Ward said as he held back a laugh.
"Wait, there's a rule for that? What is it?"
"Yeah, when everyone gets back, they have to pay for food and drinks at the tavern."
The four all laughed, even though they had died more times than anyone should in a short period of time, they still laughed.
Argent rolled his shoulders, shadows gathering at his feet. "Alright. Let's do this."