I was anxious to get moving. Everyone else had stayed up late around the fire, recounting their moments of glory from yesterday's dungeon crawl. But I chose the oblivion of the game's sleep system. Yes, I was just avoiding my problems instead of dealing with them, but these strangers in our group made me nervous enough before they'd all seen me naked. Now whenever anyone looked at me, even my old friends, I nearly had a panic attack. So, shutting it all out for eight hours seemed like a fine, if temporary, solution. But it also meant, I'd been awake about two hours before any of them stirred.

I would have gone for a walk, but we were all worried about what would happen if we stepped outside the tower. Jonathan had confirmed that in the previous incarnation of Feronia, leaving an area (and a building could be considered an area) would reset it, restoring all the monsters. As successful as we'd been, no one wanted to face that Roc again anytime soon.

Today we were tackling what lay beneath the tower. Aaron had gone through the steel trapdoor to scouted it out, and at the bottom of the stairs there was a brick-walled tunnel about six feet wide. It was probably built to escape a siege. While they was done there, Aaron encountered a giant rat and killed it. This wasn't exactly an enticing development, but we'd learned things could be far worse.

We all lined up to head down the stairs with Aaron and Jonathan in the lead. We'd need to rely on Aaron's light spell for this explorations since none of us had lamps or torches, and Jonathan had become our go to tank with her overpowered Vigor and high Life Force.

I found myself behind Rick, and he offered to give me his spot. I could only blush and shake my head at his misplaced gallantry. It had burned in my brain how he had expressed his interest in me. How he'd been standing right over me when I turned visible, every inch of my body exposed to his eyes. And it didn't help any I was horny as all-get-up. I hadn't felt like this since I was a teenager. Almost everyone was sending tingles through my belly and groin when I looked at them. I couldn't help but notice every little detail of my fellow party members' sexuality. The way Aaron's nipples showed through their thin dress. The curve of Mack's hips and the way her tail caressed her smooth thighs as she walked. Heck, even Jonathan drew my eye, with the way her chain-mail clung to her breasts, and the way it folded in at the crease of her ass. Then, there was Rick and his bare torso with its expanse of smooth, tanned skin stretched tight over toned muscles.

I could feel the humidity rise off my body as he offered again. Only this time he spoke, and I realized he wan't being gentlemanly after all. "Please," he said. "You should be up front. You're spells are a lot stronger than mine."

I blushed even harder and stepped up behind Mack just as she started down.

For the first stretch, it was all giant rats and more giant rats. We cut through them pretty efficiently. After some of the things we'd faced they seemed more of an annoyance than anything and only caused a problem at some points because of their sheer numbers. They had almost no loot, but we came across some bodies of their other victims with some minor loot drops. It was all coins and gems with only a few potions as usable items.

Then, we reached a chamber that was filled with spiders like the ones in the tower.

It didn't feel nearly as much of an epic battle as it had yesterday. The moment we saw the webs we were prepared for them. We weren't bottle-necked and there was no need for stealth. We made quick work of them with Jonathan slaughtering four out of the fourteen herself. We got a few minor wounds but no one got bit.

We found a lot of bodies in the webs. Most of them had the generic tower-guard look that we'd gotten used to, but there also seemed to be a party of adventures who got overwhelmed after the reset. It was actually kind of eerie seeing their strung up corpses. They almost mirrored out own part with a Felinoid Duelist, a wood sprite mage, and a Elenian cleric. Although the last resembled Rick more than me. 

The only items the guards had was a tier 2 helmet with a +3 Defense bonus, a +2 Mace, and a Belt of Life +2. Jonathan upgraded her helmet and took the Belt of Life, since it was a big heavy thing with metal plates riveted to it that conflicted with most of our restrictions.

Once again, the dead players had the better treasure. Mack took the boots from the duelist. They were knee-high with crisscrossing laces from the ankles to the top, and they gave her a stamina bonus. Rick upgraded his Shillelagh with the one the cleric had carried. And Aaron snagged a better fighting dagger from the mage, while Ellie took their necklace that gave a spell casting bonus. The adventurers also had two lanterns that we were glad to have.

 We left the spiders behind and continued through the tunnel that let out on the other side of the room. Another horde of rats awaited us. I started playing around with my new Vine spell. The strangulation they caused was pretty effective against these low level foes. Although, pretty gruesome since it took some time for them to die, and they squealed and gagged the entire time.

Eventually, we reached a second chamber. It was squarish and about the same size as the one were we found the spiders, except where the tunnel should have continued, a cave-in had sealed it, making the place a dead-end. Without the webbing covering everything, it was clear that at one time these had been used as points to stage a defense in case of a rout, so some soldiers could hold off the enemy while others escaped. Weapons racks lined one wall and wooden barricades were stacked against another. The racks were empty, the barricades barely holding together after so much time had passed. 

"So, now what?" Mack asked. "Do we just turn back."

"It doesn't make any sense," Rick said. "Shouldn't it be more like the tower with a boss fight and system notice telling us we cleared it?"

Aaron said, "You're right. There should be more. Maybe we can move those stones and get through."

The strongest members of the party got to work on the wall of rubble, but it soon became obvious it was futile.

Then, Ellie yelled, "Hey, I think I found something."

In one of the corners, hidden by the shadows stood a metal box. It was open on the sides with cogs and gears showing through. On top was a lever, small enough it was almost a switch. The craftsmanship was so fine, that it gave the impression that tiny hands must have built it.

We gathered around and tried to figure out what it might be for.

"Maybe it opens a secret door."

"Maybe its a trap."

Aaron, being the smallest of us, got down on all fours to examined it. They said, "There's a hole in stone floor behind it with wires or cables coming up and running into the box."

I said, "It's definitely a trap."

Josh said, "What does it do?" And then, he hit the lever.

No one had a chance to yell at him before the ground beneath us gave way. The darkness of a pit swallowed us up as we plunged into it. I don't know how Rick had the wherewithal to cast his group shield spell, but it may have been the only thing that kept some of us from dying when we hit the bottom. I wouldn't call the landing soft, but it felt more like a six-foot drop against stone than a thirty-foot drop.

Aaron cast Starlight. We were in a rough stone chamber about fifty-feet in diameter. There was a dank fetid stink to it like old basements and rotting food. Bones were scattered about. And a very large troll was not at all pleased to see us. Or maybe he was very pleased that his dinner had arrived. Either way, he grabbed a club that resembled a stalagmite and came racing toward us. 

The creature was at least three times taller than Rick, meaning I didn't even come up to his waist, and Aaron didn't even reach his knees.

You may have noticed I called the monster "He." That's because its maleness was very much on display. It wore no clothes of any kind, and a flaccid penis longer than my leg dangling around as he lumbered toward us. It made things all the more alarming.

I'm sure things like this didn't happen in the original version of Feronia.

It stopped up short and swung his club in a wide sweep, sending members of our party scurrying. I tried casting an Electric Charge, but his reach was so long, I wasn't even in range. I might have been able to set up a vine and hope he got close enough to it, but he was far too big for it to be effective. The troll wasn't as stupid as you would expect or hope for either. He kept his club between us and him, rendering all of our attacks useless. Except for Aaron, but once their three throwing knives were lodged into its thigh, they were in the same place as the rest of us.

Ellie cast her Will-o'-the-wisp spell, and the troll went for it, turning his back to us. But as soon as Mack and Jonathan got a hits in, its focus returned to us. It was only a miracle that the club didn't squash someone like a bug. When it crashed against the floor, splinters of stone shot up like shrapnel. It chased as and we ran like mice before a cat. If we didn't find more ways to get close to it without getting clubbed, this battle was doomed.

And then I knew what I had to do. 

When the group dodged right, I went left, running outside of the circle of light. I slipped on my Ring of Invisibility and cast off my robe and dropped my staff. Then, I went after the troll.

I might not have been able to catch it, but there were only so many places to go in a round room, so eventually it came to me. As it passed, I reached out and touched it's leg, zapping it with both hands. The monster faltered and skittered to a halt, leaning all his weight on the other foot.

The others wasted no time. Ellie cast her spell that made creatures clumsy, and the troll lost its balance and fell over on its ass. The others rushed in and stabbed, slashed, and bludgeoned it. But it was soon swatting at them with its hand. It drove them back, but they also started focusing their attacks on the hand. Jonathan even managed to hack off a finger, which made the monster howl and bolt up on its feet with renewed strength. But before it could take a step, I gave it another double-handed Electrical Charge. I'd advanced it to level 3, and I could tell it was doing serious damage. It whirled toward me, and searched the ground confused when it didn't find anything.

The others ran in for a quick strike before retreating.

This became our pattern for a while. Me electrocuting, and the others getting a few hits in while it was distracted. I began using only one spell each time, to maximize the opportunities I gave my party to attack. And when my Mystic Points was depleted, I drank my Superior Potion of Mysticism and restored them. When he seemed to start getting used to the pattern, Ellie used one of her spells to mix things up and keep the creature off-balance.

I had three spells left in me, when the ring's power gave out. And I was naked. Again!

But there was no time to worry about it. I was already rushing in at the monster, close enough to touch it. I got the hit in. But this time when it turned, it saw me. I was too close for him to use the club, but his backhand sent my flying. I hit the floor and slid, scrapping great swaths of my skin. It stalked toward me, raising its club. The others rushed it, giving this attack everything they had. 

Driven mad with pain and rage and too many target to know what to hit, the massive troll waived. I lunged at it and poured my last two Electrical Charges into its foot. The monster toppled. Everyone struck it, and ...

I also received a message I'd leveled up. My level bonus gave me the chance to raise a skill of my choice. And I quickly added it to Floramancy. Storm might be my go to, but I was accumulating enough points to it with use. Level 2 of Floramancy meant my vine could be used on creatures as big as a grizzly bear, and this fight had taught me the benefit of having more than just one trick up my sleeve.

"How the fuck was that not a boss?" Mack asked.

"Probably because we landed in a higher tier dungeon," Aaron pointed out, glaring at Josh.

I said, "Just great! And how the hell do we get out of here." I hadn't seen any passages leading out of it on any of my circuits around the room. I looked around again, more for show since the room was too dark to see all of its dark corners. We'd have to make a more thorough search.

"Can we climb back up?" Rick asked peering at the ceiling.

"Not much chance of that without a rope," I said, stepping next to him. "Also, I think I heard the floor snap back in place after we fell."

He just looked at me with an expression of surprise.

Aaron came up and whispered, "You might want to put your clothes back on now."