Wearing the backpack, I nod towards Navi to indicate I am ready. Then, with a slight sense of nausea when my body suddenly realizes that it's been moved from over a great distance without doing anything itself to facilitate that process.
We're at an old teleportation formation that seems to be outside the urban area I'm used to. Not many people are around but the few I do see are all quite strong.
"This is a teleportation formation near our branch location. The branch is the one Clink heads and it's called survival camp. So obviously it's located out in the sticks and the main path leading there has been turned into a death trap.
"Since Clink will be in charge of this team building exercise, she chose the location where we would enter from. You can go ahead and get yourself registered and teleported. I've got to go get the members who are not part of survival camp."
Navi pats my shoulder before disappearing. I sigh and make my way to the registration booth. Every teleportation station handles things a little differently but all stations that can teleport you into a dungeon need to register you so they know who doesn't come back.
It also doubles as a preventative measure to stop weak adventurers from entering a dungeon they can't handle by themselves. I shouldn't have any trouble since Clink is a monster, I mean this in regard to power not state of being, and can probably clear most dungeons by herself.
My guess proves right as the clerk inside the registration booth completely disregards any information regarding my level and class.
He just checks my identity, looks stressed when he pulls up the leader of my team and issues onward to get teleported into the dungeon.
I get teleported into a cold and damp cave. This brings back memories. Going through a check at a teleportation formation, entering a damp cave and getting murdered by Edward. Bad times, bad times.
But now I'm stronger, death resistant and joined by colleagues who don't see me as an expendable. Good times, good times.
"You must be Guy. Glad to see that you are early. Tardiness often leads to ambushes having been set before you get to the agreed location."
A deep, clearly male voice scares the living day lights out of me as it comes from directly behind me. I whirl around and distance myself.
Behind me is a large man clad in a silvery white set of metal armor. But that set of armor is weird, almost like it's moving and not solid. Almost instinctively, I use instructor's assessment at full force to peek into the armor's secrets.
Status Clink Lv.127 animated growing mercury armor of demonic possession
Mp 10+626+4387
Strength 9+626+50
Constitution 9+626+50
Speed 9+626+200
Magic ability 9+626+337
Skills:
universal humanoid language, universal monster language, dungeon map, living armor, growing mercury liquid body, rebirth from a single drop of growing mercury, great weapons master, survivalist
demonic possession lv.4; instant acting lethal mercury poison lv.6; assisted necromancy lv.8; superior nightmare magic lv.2;(…)
I hurriedly stop using my skill but I've already seen the juicy bits. Clink is that set of armor! And she's a living armor!
But who is the large lad inside her? That sounded wrong but my instructor's assessment skill quickly makes things clear.
Status Werner Grand (undead) Lv.308 knight of strength
Mp 10+307
Strength 10+768
Constitution 10+461
Speed 10+307
Magic ability 0+307
Skills:
Blessing of strength
Sword mastery lv. 3; armor movement lv. 9; shield mastery lv.1;(…)
Wow, this guy is… was really strong. Like scary strong. But now he's an undead… and Clink has assisted necromancy as well as demonic possession… did she raise this Werner Grand from the dead, had him wear her and then she possessed him?
"Navi tells me you were able to see through my arrangements. Impressive, not many realize my real identity. Since you did so well, I'll permit you one question regarding my situation."
"What's the difference between necromancy and assisted necromancy?"
"Hmm, interesting question. I don't have have the necromancy skill so I can only speak from inferences I gained through battling necromancers. Necromancy is a broad skill that allows a necromancer to do a multitude of things but in return he needs to pay a price to create a growth type undead. Assisted necromancy is easier to master and can create a growth type undead with no additional costs. However, it can't make more than one undead at a time, the undead is deeply connected to the skill user and the undead needs to be supplied with mana every so often to maintain its state.
"It works out for me since I just need one undead and I never leave his side. And pouring some of my mp into him from time to time is worth the combat power he provides."
Navi, what's a growth type undead?
I see.
Clink seems to have lost interest in me as she greets the two figures who have teleported in behind me. One is a young woman can't have entered dungeons for long before she met her doom while the other one is a middle aged man who looks meticulously groomed.
The young woman is wearing loose clothes and her hands are wrapped in bandages like a boxer…