DAY 595

"Administrator! This is completely unfair!"

Alizz looks up with a rather annoyed expression as the doors to her office slam open, interrupting the meeting she was having with her associates, Kelsey and Ruckus. "What - having to make an appointment before barging into my office? It seems entirely fair to me."

To their credit, three of the four people storming into the room at least look somewhat abashed about it. An angry human male takes the lead while a pair of much shorter half-elves follow, and a young drider woman carefully steps inside after them. Quickly recognizing the group, Kelsey chuckles.

"Well, if it ain't the Miserables. Found something new to be miserable about, kids?"

"Yes!" The team's Vanguard, Bank, points a finger at the Association officials. "We were just talking to the receptionist downstairs about our last delve into Worthy Dungeon, and she told us we're not getting any more Challenger credit for it on our records! We're not making up our reports, we earned that credit!"

Alizz quickly recognizes the issue, having been the one to issue the order in the first place, but the drider makes a point of not rushing to respond. Instead the woman carefully adjusts her glasses, opens a drawer in her desk, and begins rifling through papers. She takes a particularly long time about it, while the Challengers begin to grow increasingly uncomfortable in the silence. Perhaps unable to stand the quiet much longer, the drider Slinz peers at Ruckus.

"Ah...if you don't mind me asking...are you an imp?"

The rogue almost falls out of his seat in surprise. "Wait, you know about imps?"

"Well of course! We met one on the road just this year! ...Although I'm still not entirely sure where it is your people hail from."

"It's, uh, a long ways away. Also a national secret. My boss here has informed me not to give away the secrets of the Imp Nation to the general public."

Alizz rolls her eyes. "It's not that secret, but it's also irrelevant given we have other business to attend to." Alizz pulls out a set of files and spreads them across her desk, one for each member of the party. Reading them over, she begins with their names and ranks.

"Bank Rawroot, level twenty-five Vanguard Charger. Slinz, level twenty-five Solar Arcanist. Nalaff Greengrass, level twenty-five Thunder Priest. Nalaney Greengrass, level twenty-five Backstabber Rogue."

Nalaff, the brother of the Greengrass twins, clears his throat. "Uh, yeah, that's us alright. If the paperwork's in order, what's the issue then?"

Without directly answering him, Alizz continues reading. "When you first entered the records of the local branch, your levels were twelve, eleven, twelve, and twelve." Her eyes look up to scan each of them. "That was less than two years ago. You acquired your Expert ranks less than one year ago."

Bank shrugs. "I've never heard of a rule against acquiring rank credit too quickly. What, do we need to slow down? Challenge less often?"

"It's not when you're acquiring your rank credit but where. Approximately ninety-eight percent of your Challenger rank credit, according to our local records, has been earned in Worthy Dungeon. I know that you're aware that we give diminishing returns for clearing the same dungeon floors repeatedly, as you've been on a reduced credit system for some time now."

The statement actually causes Nalaney to grin. "Yeah! We've been earning a fraction of normal credit and we've still cleared half our Expert rank in less than a year! So what, you want to drop us down from half to a quarter?"

The Association's kobold snorts. "Kid, we've done that. The past two months you lot have been bringing in ten percent of a normal Worthy Dungeon floor clear. You ain't noticed?"

The party leader shifts uneasily. "...I thought perhaps I'd misremembered how much we were getting before. But zero? We have to get something for our efforts!"

"Efforts, you say." Alizz pushes the files aside and clasps her hands. "Look, Vanguard Rawroot. We're all entirely aware of the curse of misfortune placed upon your party, and of how it interacts with Worthy Dungeon's...peculiarities. In fact, I have personally heard stories from several of the dungeon's floor guardians about your 'practically miraculous' adventures in the dungeon, and how hard it is for them to even touch you. I'm also aware that you've never pushed past Floor Six."

Slinz's brow furrows. "Well yeah, we're not crazy! Floors Seven and up are rated for parties with at least one or two Masters in them! We're not gonna push our luck that far."

Kelsey sighs. "Except risk is what Challenging is all about, girl. You four are pushing my buddy Tafyaf for his record on 'most floors cleared' for the dungeon, and you know every pebble of the first four floors by now, I'm sure. You know every fight, you don't trigger Challenge Modes, you don't mix with other parties to change your team composition - you've basically turned this into a day at the office! And for the record, the Association's got nothing against that. Taffy ain't earning shit for Challenger credit from the dungeon at this point either."

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Nalaff's expression is one of clear confusion. "Then what's the motivation to keep clearing the dungeon?" The question makes Kelsey frown.

"...Okay, I'm both annoyed and impressed that you have to ask. You have been earning a good haul of dungeon loot, yeah?"

"...Yeah?"

"So a lot of Challengers out there would be thrilled to have that! A couple of cleared floors brings in what a farming peasant makes in what, a month? And you've been clearing an average of..." He leans over to examine Alizz's files. "Six floors a week? And you've been in town for the past half a year, give or take a few breaks? Unless you kids have a gambling problem I don't know about - and with your luck, you'd have to be crazy - you lot oughtta be scraping into the upper-middle class by now!"

Nalaney gives a slightly uncomfortable grin. "Ah...to be honest, most of us come from merchant families. They didn't really support the whole Challenger thing so we did have a lean year or two there, but I guess now that you mention it, we mostly just feel like we've been getting back to our old standards of living lately I suppose."

Alizz gives the woman an analyzing look. "So if you're not Challenging for the money, would you say that you're actually going for the Paragon path? I'll admit that while it is the stated purpose of our Association, supporting Challengers on their road to gaining the favor of the gods, statistically less than ten percent of those at Expert rank or higher still have that ambition. For most, it's simply a high-risk, high-reward career. Hopefully one with an early retirement involving wealth rather than permanent injury or death."

There's a chuckle from Kelsey. "That ambition's a lot more common with Initiates, but most of them get those dreams beat out of them pretty damn quickly. If they survive."

The party shares a look, as if they hadn't actually seriously considered it before themselves. Bank gives a hesitant response. "Well...I wouldn't be opposed. But personally I'd be satisfied with just achieving Supreme rank one day. For the recognition, at the least." There's some nods from the rest of the group, indicating that their thoughts are along similar lines. It makes Alizz sigh, however.

"Well, it's not much of a difference either way. Look, there's a reason that the Supreme tier of Challengers is so prestigious, and it's not because Supreme-tier Challengers have completed the requisite number of hours in the training yard. It's because it's taken for granted that Challengers at that level have accomplishments under their belts, and impressive ones at that. And trust me, no one is going to be impressed if they find out you got to Supreme rank by clearing five floors of the same dungeon a thousand times. It's already ceased to be an accomplishment for you."

Slinz swallows hard. "So...are you saying we can't clear Worthy Dungeon anymore? There's no options there?"

"You could attempt to clear additional floors. You could split up and work with other parties, indicating that you have flexibility in your roles - although your credit would still be much reduced." Alizz raises an eyebrow at her fellow drider. "Or you could get that curse on you dispelled so that you're at least working at a normal difficulty level. That would allow you a few more ranks. Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't had it done already. You can surely afford it. And I know it causes you difficulties outside the dungeon - I've read the reports on you needing a handicap during your last class training."

There's no immediate response from the group, and so Bank takes it on himself to speak for the others. "...I can see we have a few things to consider. Thank you for your advice, Administrator, and, ah...sorry for interrupting your meeting. We'll, ah...let you get back to it." The party sheepishly makes their exit and closes the door behind them, and Alizz releases a deep sigh.

"Children. Honestly, I was hesitant to give them approval for training to the Expert tier to begin with. If anything, I should've stopped giving them credit for floors in Worthy Dungeon two or three levels ago."

Ruckus raises a hand. "Just so I'm clear, why are those four so attached to the place?"

His coworker Kelsey explains. "You know about the dungeon's 'reversed luck', right? Well that party's been cursed with bad luck, which means that in the dungeon they've got good luck. Really good luck. It's probably been letting them fight at at least ten levels above their actual skills."

"Huh." Ruckus thinks to himself for a moment before asking a followup. "Hey, you don't need me for the rest of this meeting, right? Just thought of something I oughtta take care of."

Alizz raises an eyebrow at him. "Well, I was just updating you on the going-ons of the Domain branch of the Association for your convenience. Some people like to stay in the loop. If you have...urgent business however, I suppose you're free to go."

"Thanks, boss! Cya tomorrow!"

The Miserables have barely taken their seats at a table at the Lucky Bastard, glum looks on their faces, when a fifth chair pulls itself up and is soon filled by a scrambling imp. "Hey! Mind if I sit here?"

The twins share a confused look, and Nalaney answers. "Well, no...if you have business with us, which I assume you do. Sorry, I know you're on the Association inspection team, but I don't actually know your name."

"Ruckus! Ruckus Dullspoon! And I'll have you know that not only am I on the inspection team, but that I have a very unique role in the Association."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

Ruckus puffs out his chest. "Well, as it happens for a time I actually lived in Worthy Dungeon. As a mortal employee! You might even say that the dungeon spirit and I have a special, tightly-knit bond."

Bank stares at the man. "We might say that, might we?"

"You might! And I might have a solution that's a win-win for everybody! A way for you to help out the dungeon, get paid, and get the new 'challenges' you need to continue earning Association rank credit!"

That does get more of the Vanguard's attention. "Okay, I'm listening. What sort of solution might that be? And would the dungeon go along with whatever it is?"

"True, I haven't run it past them just yet. But I just know they're gonna love it - and so are you! So, here's what I had in mind..."

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