Being cautious, I had the drone check out the reward chest before I opened it. Just like in some video games, it turned out the chest couldn’t be opened by anyone but the person it was assigned to, so my drone’s efforts were wasted. As I touched the lid, a system prompt appeared.
You have successfully completed your first run in the Grotto of the Shunned Emperor. Additional experience has been awarded for this run, though future runs will be made with diminishing experience rewards.
You have been awarded 8 Experience.
You have received the following dungeon rewards.
- Gold, 8.
- Summoning Figurine, 2.
- Potion, 2.
- Shortsword.
It turned out that even “enhanced” the experience wasn’t all that great compared to most of my summoned being adventures. I must have been leveling up quite a bit faster than a normal adventurer would. Of course, I had no control over when I was summoned, and an adventurer could pick and choose where they wanted to go, and how they wanted to gain experience.
With several dungeons being literally in the backyard of the academy, even the reduced rewards for each run were going to add up quickly. Even better, there wasn’t much inside the dungeon that was a threat to me. I’d have to try the others that I was allowed to enter solo, since this one would give reduced experience with each run.
As for the rest of the loot, I added the coins to my pack, and then pulled the two figurines out to examine. System information filled in the details as I looked at the pair of skeletal warrior figurines.
Summoning Figurines.
- Skeletal orc warrior. Tier 1, Rank 5.
- Skeletal orc battle caster. Tier 1, Rank 7.
Given the tier and rank of the dungeon, the pair of figurines weren’t bad. It would help flesh out the limited supply I was working with. That reminded me of how many I had left back home. I could only hope that Agent Lopez had distributed them to wherever they would do the most good.
Next up were the two potions. One was a minor potion of health and the other was a minor rejuvenation potion that would restore a small amount of both health and mana. I still had better potions in my pack, so these I’d see about handing these off to Clancy. He was my best bet at getting a good price on them.
The last reward item, the shortsword was quite a bit nicer than my other rewards. I couldn’t help but think that the dungeon had done me a solid since I’d agreed to a defensive contract with it. Inspecting the weapon, I didn’t need the system prompt to tell me it was something special.
The hilt of the blade was normal enough, simple steel and a soft leather-wrapped grip. When I drew it from the leather scabbard, I was greeted with a narrow, slightly curved blade with a chisel tip that seemed to be made entirely of bone. A quick check showed that despite it being bone, the blade was as strong as steel, and razor sharp to boot.
Shunned Emperor’s Legacy.
This shortsword was crafted from the femur of the Shunned Emperor. Enchanted to self-repair, the blade also confers an aura bonus of +1 to Strength, Constitution, and Presence for the wielder and all allies in a 25-foot radius. The bonus to Strength, Constitution, and Presence remains in effect even while sheathed, as long as the weapon remains belted to the wielder.
Each successful hit with this weapon has a chance to leave behind a bone shard in the wound. These shards are active for 5 seconds and attempt to worm their way deeper into the target’s body, causing the wound to bleed. The damage dealt by the shards is translated into healing for the wielder.
The sword was a straight upgrade to my gladius. Not only would it provide my nearby minions with a stat boost, but I’d also benefit from the boost as well, unlike the gladius. In addition, if I hit a foe, the sword would help me to heal up any damage I was taking.
I already had some skill with shortswords, so it wouldn’t require me to learn anything new, or waste coin on a training scroll or whatever I’d have to buy to instantly learn a new weapon skill. Trading out the gladius for the Shunned Emperor’s Legacy, I could feel a slight tingle as the enhancement aura activated. With only two minions to command, I should be able to keep them within the enhancement radius for most fights.
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The gladius fit easily enough in my enchanted pack, but I did make a mental note to have Clancy look for some other magical storage device for me. If I could find a ring or something like that, it would be less cumbersome than dragging a large backpack around. For now, especially on a dungeon delve, the pack was sufficient.
After gathering my rewards, I pulled up a quick peek at where I stood. I was now only four points away from tier three, rank one. Maybe one more delve would push me over the line. Normally, a single rank up wasn’t too exciting, but I had no idea how often my class abilities would upgrade, or when I’d unlock something new.
Rico Kline, Contracted Summoner.
Tier 3, Rank 0.
Experience/experience needed for next rank: 46/50.
To my delight, once I collected my rewards, a portal opened near where the boss had fallen. I wouldn’t have to walk all the way back to the entrance. Before I stepped through, I thanked the dungeon core once more. There was no mention of a portal back to the entrance in the guild pamphlet, so I chalked it up to the dungeon showing its appreciation for the contract.
I appeared with my minions back inside the guild’s access point. The guards gave me a quick once over before waving me on. As I left for the main room of the guild outpost, I could see an attendant leading a group of four adventurers toward the dungeon entrance. They must have been the next in the queue for the dungeon, and at least I didn’t get any nasty looks this time.
“You completed that run rather quickly,” the clerk said as I approached the counter.
“Yeah, my class was a good counter to most of the dungeon, and it didn’t cause me any problems,” I explained.
“Well, we appreciate a quick run, it lets those behind you start earlier, and if we’re lucky, maybe we can get an extra party through the dungeon today. Did you need anything else from us?” the guild clerk asked.
“No, I just wanted to confirm that my guild fees were automatically taken from the dungeon rewards,” I replied.
“Sure did, the system deals with all that, so you don’t have to worry about it. Really, the only thing we ask you to do after a run is check out here at the counter so we know it’s clear for the next party. We also appreciate it if anything unusual occurs inside the dungeon that you inform us of it. There’s no need for someone to lose their life just because a dungeon is trying to pull a fast one,” the clerk said.
“Everything was pretty much as the guidebook explained,” I said. There was no need, in my opinion, to mention my interaction with the core, as that was a result of my previous dungeon core experience, and my class, not something unusual the dungeon was trying to pull.
“Do you want to get on the list for another run? I have a few slots open later in the week for academy faculty,” the clerk said.
“I do want another run, but I’ll need to check my schedule at the academy before I commit to anything,” I explained.
“Understood, you can come here directly to sign up, but you can also use the guild hall in town, which is probably a bit more convenient,” the clerk said.
“Thanks again for everything,” I said before heading out.
On the large front porch were a handful of adventurers waiting for their run. They appeared nervous and excited, and with the limited experience I’d received from the dungeon, I wondered how many delves they had under their belts to make it to a high enough tier and rank to take on the dungeon.
Given that they had a full party, I supposed that they could all be as low as tier one, rank five. I’d like to try out a higher ranked dungeon, but I had to temper my desire for a challenge with my personal safety. The guild seemed to think a higher tier dungeon was too much for me, but I really felt my class, minions, and experience, made me more powerful than just my tier and rank would suggest.
The trip back to the academy was a pleasant but uneventful one. Being this close to the town and having armed adventurers traveling through constantly probably made for a rather safe stretch of road. It was late afternoon when I finally made it back to the academy tower. It was a little too early for dinner, so I decided to check in with Melody.
She was back in her classroom, going over a few large textbooks and writing notes on a long scroll. The room wasn’t all that different from a college classroom. There were desks for up to forty students, and an old-fashioned chalk board at the front of the room. The instructor’s desk was larger, and several filing cabinets lined the walls, along with bookcases full of texts on summoning. I anticipated being able to pour through the texts during my off time, and when I wasn’t going to be on a dungeon delve.
“Hey Rico, I take it things went well at the guild?” Melody asked. She was standing on the shoulder of her female warrior minion, and I was actually starting to get used to her creepy spider body.
“Yeah, I finished my first delve and wanted to check in and see if you needed anything,” I said.
“I’m about to wrap up for the day, but I could use your help tomorrow morning. The new first year students are still arriving, and I have to give an orientation tour to one of the groups. I figured you could provide moral support and maybe even get to know your way around better since we’re doing a full tour of the grounds,” Melody said.
“That sounds good, I’m here to help in any way I can,” I replied.
“Perfect, there’s also one other thing. You see, before each semester officially begins, the faculty has a little tournament, and the Summoner Studies department is no different. Do you think your minions are up for a little competition?” Melody asked.
“A chance to test my minions up against the other faculty’s minions, count me in,” I said excitedly. I was going to get a firsthand look at how experienced summoners and their minions operated.