“Hey, are you sure this dungeon is D-ranked? It feels waaay too easy for me! No way anyone experienced a bit could die in here even alone, much less a B-ranked party!”
“Well, even if it isn’t the good dungeon, we’ll get paid, so you know...”
“I feel like you’re convinced this is the one though...”
“But you’ll have to admit it’s weird right? I mean, no way a simple door can increase the difficulty that much right?”
“... At least in theory...”1The difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference, but in practice there is ;)
Inside a brightly lit zigzagging tunnel with multiple junctions, a group of four people were walking, a sword in their hand. However, as they were about to cross a junction, they heard a hoarse sound likely coming from a dried throat.
“Oh, here is the next group... Why do they keep revealing their position though? Like, seriously?”
“Well, that makes the job easy for us though, so I’m not gonna complain!”
They said as they readied their weapon. As if waiting for that, a small group of humanoid creatures ran from their left. As soon as those humanoids saw the adventurers, they jumped – literally – on them. However being ready, the four managed to kill them very rapidly.
“And once again, no trouble. ...What’s with that face Tris? Are you hurt somewhere?”
“No, but... Everyone, be very careful.”
“Huh? Why is that? There was no problem defeating them though?”
The big man with a sword (Tris) had a very uneasy face.
“Yeah, well... When they attacked us, I deliberately made a ‘mistake’ that should have made my strike miss the one jumping on me, and made it look like it would be an accident, but... the thing got caught by it instead.”
“Wait, so you’re saying that they are actually really making it easier for us? That makes no sense! Unless...”
“Unless the dungeon ordered them so, so we have a false sense of security!” the last woman, who had yet to say anything since the group entered the dungeon, exclaimed. “So that’s what I’ve been feeling since that first encounter!”
An obvious discomfort reigned for a bit in the group, before someone interrupted it.
“Well, it’ll be of no use thinking about it for too long, so how about we continue?”
“... Fine, but refresh the buffs then first.”
“Oh, well, OK. Stand here for a bit then.”
“SùdretEntspiSifditkii Drognaa Tygtwak, Drognneiaa chmEeat-Hygepsin-Hygertan.”
“There, all good now. Here we go then!” ‘Though that was useless, the effect of my magic pretty much never disappear...’
“Still I don’t feel that much difference between before and now...”
“Well apparently I can’t give you a stronger effect or you would become fixated on your ideas that are ‘always right’ for you and not change your mind, since that would be a change the spell makes you resist...”
“Huh, so it is indeed your unusual magic that makes it so! Knew it you were useless!”
“Uh, well, yeah, but, uh... If you know enough of that language you can do anything you want!”
“But you don’t! And nobody does! It’s just a legend anyways! Mph!”
“Really Finn, you should use one of those magic that’s widespread, it’s widespread for a reason you know!”
“... Stop it... I’m not useless...”
And with that, the group continued to fight one another while continuing to move forward (even though Finn looked a bit depressed). At some point however, the healer and mage of the group, Finn, stopped at the sight of a door blending with the wall. The other three continued forward a bit but, noticing a bit too late Finn stopped, they too stopped. Looking back, they saw with a bit of surprise Finn half a step inside the door. They blanked a moment, during which Finn continued to walk in. Just before closing the door, he said, looking back to them, looking sad:
“Well, guess what, it really was the dungeon... Please tell the guild if I don’t come back that even those that are ready to die actually die... ...Jiro, Daler, Tris... it was fun being with you. Please survive at all cost.”
“Wait wait wait, what are you doing Finn!”
“Yeah, come back here! We’ll fight that dungeon together! Hey Finn!”
“Hey I knew you were going to do something stupid! Come back here! If you don’t you’ll really be useless! HEY! FINN!”
But as they tried to reach Finn to pull him out of the door, he slammed it shut with more force than he was supposed to have, and at the same time the door started to disappear. By the time they reached the old location of it, only a solid stone wall was here.
And at the same time the three stopped moving...
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0: No one Votes: 0 0.0%
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1: Finn and that’s it Votes: 0 0.0%
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3: The three and that’s it Votes: 1 100.0%
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4: The four and that’s it Votes: 0 0.0%
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A lot: Literally everyone else on the planet Votes: 0 0.0%
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1: That random who’s walking toward the dungeon Votes: 0 0.0%
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10: The group of ten random farmers peacefully walking on the opposite side of the planet Votes: 0 0.0%
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~30,000: The ones in the city in front of the dungeon Votes: 0 0.0%
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A combination of the above/something else, develop in the comments Votes: 0 0.0%
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