[Dungeon of Stories] 47 – Expedition into Invictus Part 1

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Name: Jack Bright

Race: Human (Possessed)

Class: Arcanist

Level: 122

EXP: 13%

Health: 770/770 (37.5 per hour)

Mana 2,770/2,770 (416.5 per hour)

Stamina: 175/175 (30 Per Hour)

[Physical Stats]

Strength: 30

Agility: 50

Endurance: 30

Vitality: 30

Perception: 100

Reaction: 100

[Mental Stats] 

Intelligence: 232

Wisdom: 132

Willpower: 54

Resistance: 25 

Control: 200

Focus: 50

Class Skills: [Potent Mana Bolt Lvl 92], [Focused Mana Sense Lvl 53], [Armament Lvl 24], [Mage Armor Lvl 19], [Meditation Lvl 68]

General Skills: [Sprint Lvl 73], [Heavy Blow Lvl 29]

Racial Skills: [Adaptable]

Resistances: [Heat Resistance Lvl 49], [Cold Resistance Lvl 31], [Pain Tolerance Lvl 63]

Perks: [Enhanced Mana Capacity], [Enhanced Vitality], [Enhanced Stamina], [Mana Core], [Basic Examine]

Level Up Rewards: +10 HP, +25 MP, +5 Free Stat Points, +4 Wisdom, +3 Intelligence, +3 Control Per Level

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Distracted by his status, Bright didn't hear the voice of Jay behind him, as his eyes glanced over the massive changes his status had undergone since they first arrived in their new home.

He was essentially a superhuman now, a one-man army with the strength of three men and the improved attributes that far surpassed what Humans should have been capable of. Some of the stats provided tangible benefits, while others didn't offer any notable perks or advantages, such as Focus and Resistance. Bright believed that Focus was relatively straightforward in what it did; it increased his focus. Resistance, on the other hand, Bright hadn't noticed any effect from the stat.

That's when a hand shook his shoulder, trying to get his attention.

"Bright? You there?" The man asked, noticing his distraction,

"Yeah...yeah, just examining my status," Bright waved the screen away before looking to the man that spoke.

[Male Human - Level 97]

"The others are waiting on you, you ready?" The man, Issac, asked, Bright’s basic examination perk giving him a small amount of information when he looked upon him. 

Looking up from the bench he was sitting on, he looked to the people who were currently chatting and standing around in the middle of the room of the Ranger Station.

As Clair had recommended, both Bright and Jay would go in completely opposite directions for their expeditions, so while Jay headed north, Bright headed south.

Standing up, Bright looked to the iron saber in his 

[Iron Sword - Poor Quality]

Vastly superior to his last weapon, the newly made sword by the town’s first blacksmiths would do well to saving Bright crucial mana he could use for whatever dangers they encountered in the city. 

Then he [Examined] his clothes.

[Raptor-Hide Hooded Robes - Average Quality]

[Raptor-Hide Gloves - Excellent Quality]

[Raptor-Hide Boots - Excellent Quality]

[Raptor-Hide Belt - Average Quality]

[Raptor-Hide Satchel - Average Quality]

In his satchel, Bright had various potions, medicinal herbs, and a spare dagger in case of emergency.

Tightening the satchel to his belt, he spoke aloud, “Alright, everyone, gather around and discuss the plan.”

As he examined the others, a plan formed in his mind.

“Alright, so, here’s the plan. We don’t know what we’ll encounter, so Warriors, you’ll take the front, followed by the Hunters and Mages. I’ll stay in the middle and help where it’s needed. Jason, I want you to protect our flank. Our goal is this, let’s venture as far in as possible for a week, deviating from the path of what we find any maps or note worthy things that need to be investigated, this is just a scouting mission, propel, I don’t want any heroics on our expedition, got it?” Bright called out his orders, focusing on Jason, an aspiring warrior.

While they headed out, Jay and his team were doing the same, his party’s composition focusing more on combat as most of his party were aspiring warriors or Guards, with him acting as the Vanguard for any possible trouble they'd encounter. Jay, while the highest-level 'User' in the town, wasn't the strongest, or at least, he wasn't until a particular requirement was fulfilled. Once he was protecting someone, one of his core class skills would activate, and he'd receive a tremendous buff that doubled his stats for a time, but usually left him exhausted afterward as the Perk cost him a lot of stamina to use.

Although with practice, Jay was learning how to deal with the strain and lessen the drawback at the cost of the perk's power.

With the two expeditions venturing forth into the city and out of their comfy park, another expedition was also being formed on the other side of a portal.

Gathered around the portal, around two dozen veteran mercenaries, all hired by Mr. House, were given the rundown along with enough equipment and supplies to last the expedition a week inside.

"You all know the risks, you all know what I shall reward you with for what you bring back, do not fail me," Mr. House warned through the Securitron as the mercenaries walked to the portal and vanished into motes of dust.

Once through the portal and appearing on the other side, the twenty-four men split up into four groups of six. 

...

Seemingly appearing in a small square, the mercenaries immediately went on guard.

The city they found themselves in was foreign and far stranger than anything they had ever seen before, even including New Vegas itself, which resembled an even more advanced version of a pre-war city. Already, they could see signs of overgrowth on the buildings, through the streets, and even through the cars around them.

Each group of mercenaries had a hacker, a lock breaker, scouts, a medic, and even a mapper who'd map the route they took and document their findings.

Right by the portal was a strange-looking structure that resembled a light post, though it had a small console attached to it, not that the mercenaries noticed as they started venturing into the city around them, finding themselves in what looked like a residential district with apartments surrounding them, and for such a large looking city, there was a disturbing lack of skeletons for its apparent time since it was abandoned or attacked, if the cars were any indicator as many were slammed into other vehicles, street lamps, buildings, and even flipped over.

As the groups traveled in different directions, they didn't even notice the figure that was watching them from high above on the roof of the nearby buildings.

...

As Kohl watched the humans start their expeditions, he continued his work on the Wasteland that would surround the Ruins of Invicitus, taking the time to start designing the monsters that would inhabit the wasteland, monsters both familiar and new as Kohl wanted to make the Wasteland a dangerous place for any that would seek to travel through it in search of riches, scarp, or what Kohl decided to call 'Mini-Dungeons' in the future.