Worthy Core Chapter 422: Falling Apart

" - Despite the odds against them, the Challengers and soldiers who choose to defend this dungeon and their holands continue to exact a bloody cost on the Domain army. Even when facing off against Masters and even Supre-tier opponents, many of you continue to volunteer and fight. But the Domain are not the only ones who bear a cost to pay." Alizz hates her speech even as she recites it. If nothing else she's given a speech much like this one too many tis over the past few weeks, standing up in the Worthy Inn and telling people what they already know. However, as Administrator of the local Challengers branch it's her duty to provide at least so recognition to the sacrifices made to keep them going this long.

So, she begins the list. "Tonight we rember those who fell fighting for their friends and family. Bank Rawroot, Vanguard Charger, leader of the Miserables. His companion, Slinz, Solar Arcanist. Upol Picktooth, Shadow Sniper, mber of the Underteam. 'Green' Gisella, Woodlands Ranger..." The list goes on, featuring all of the Challengers who died in the fighting for Floor Six earlier today. It had taken so ti to confirm all of the casualties, both due to the confused outco of the arena fight and due to the ti it took for the ambush squad to make their way back into the dungeon. It was lucky it had only taken them a few hours, but the elentals had apparently been busy mapping out the dungeon tunnels over the years and making more of their own besides, and a guide was able to bring them back to Floor Ten without too much trouble.

It will take a lot longer for Alizz to accept the losses suffered today. After the harsh battles on Floor Four and the occasional skirmish casualty here and there, it was all becoming...too much. Far too much. Fortunately, as the speech ends and Alizz leaves the inn's tiny stage she has a target for her frustrations.

She passes Kelsey on her way down the hall, and the kobold assistant can see the look in her eyes. "Good speech, Al - hey, hold up. What's - you ain't gonna do sothing stupid, are you?"

The man follows after her on his much shorter legs, and Alizz doesn't slow down for him as she navigates through Floor Five. "You know better than that, Kelsey. I'd like to think that I'm always very calculated in all of my actions."

"Okay, yeah, but thinking that you might be calculating this only makes worry more. Where are we going?"

The drider doesn't answer, instead making her way through a shortcut portal and down another hallway. As Kelsey pops through behind her, he recognizes her target and groans. "Ugggh, c'mon, let's have ourselves a drink or two, maybe do this in the morning - Alizz!"

"This will be quick, Kelsey. I just have a few things to say." Eyes forward, Alizz pushes through a door and finds herself in the Worthy 'war council' chambers. Sincere and Pizola sit around a table, although from their interrupted conversation Alizz knows they're not the only ones present. "Is Xenia here? Well, of course she is. But is she paying attention?"

The two guardians share a glance before Sincere rises to greet her. "She is, Administrator. She's still reserving her avatar ti, but if I can help you with anything..."

"I just...I just need to be heard." Alizz takes position on the far end of the table, and steadies herself before speaking up again.

"You shouldn't have sent the Miserables into that fight."

Sincere glances at the empty spot next to him, but responds quickly enough that Alizz is sure he's answering on his own behalf. "The Miserables volunteered for the mission. You know this, Administrator. They've been engaging in fights on our behalf long before this invasion, even."

"But not against gods-damned Supres!" Gritting her teeth, Alizz vents her frustrations before she can lose her nerve. "You bet everything on that damned curse of theirs balancing out more than two whole tiers of Challenger rank! Of course they would have abilities on hand to negate that sort of advantage! That's - that's the whole reason we use the Challenger rank system in the first place, with all of the leveling requirents and the damned paperwork! Because soone who straps on Supre-tier equipnt is not a Supre themselves! No matter how easily their blade can cut or how hot their fire can burn, there's no substitute for actual skill! That's why Kelsey and I slowed down their rank credit before they ca to you!"

This ti it's Kelsey who tries to cool Alizz down, stepping out from behind her. "Alizz, c'mon. We saw the plan, and it wasn't a bad one! If things got too hot, there'd be that illusionist and a bunch of monsters there to cover for them while they escaped! No one could've predicted...whatever the fuck it was that tore a whole chunk out of the side of the dungeon like that. No one's got spells like that!"

"We may not have known exactly how things might go wrong, but the odds...I'm sorry, but I think that going forward I might have to step in and forbid anyone below Master-tier from taking part in any more battles. Unless you think their deaths were worth it?"

She stares at the empty portion of the room, wondering if Xenia might have an answer for her. To her surprise, she does - one voiced by Pizola. "The Supres have given up, girl. Administrator Alizz, I an."

Alizz blinks at the declaration. "What? The - you an the Scarlet Eagles are - "

"No, not them!" Pizola harrumphs, and despite the topic she even has a bit of a smirk. "The Domain Supres. They're refusing to budge any further! Holing up on Floor Four!"

Both of the Association staff find themselves bewildered by that revelation, and Kelsey says as much. "But...ain't they winnin'? They blew through our best defenses on Floor Four, and now they've taken Floor Six...or what's left of it, anyways. That hole'll probably fix itself up at midnight, then they could be at Floor Seven by tomorrow!"

The many-limbed woman cackles at his confusion. "Five! They lost five of their 'experts' taking that floor - and yes, fighting the Miserables. You know how long it takes to beco a Supre? Hells, who am I talking to, of course you do. Decades! Sotis a century! There's one thing Supre-tier Challengers hate, and it's dying! You don't get that far if you ain't the best in the world at not doing it!"

Sincere continues the explanation. "Obviously, those in the employ of the Domain were willing to accept so losses, given the nature of the fight. But these aren't typical soldiers. I imagine many of them are more along the lines of rcenaries, if anything, fighting for glory and gold."

Pizola finishes the thought. "And you can't spend gold if you're dead."

Alizz isn't entirely sure what to make of the news. "So...we've won? Well, no, obviously not I suppose. They'll...they'll find more soldiers eventually, but...for now, at least?"

The core guardian nods. "A temporary reprieve. They'll need so ti to reinforce, co up with new plans, perhaps soothe disturbed and fragile egos. But that's ti we can use. Ti that the war outside might go against them, ti that..." He eyes the empty space before turning vague. "...other plans of our own can be put into action."

The administrator doesn't feel entirely relieved by that, for so reason. "What sort of plans? Like the one the Miserables signed on for?"

Pizola snorts, her good mood fading. "Plans you'll be let in on when the ti is right, girl. But to answer your other question more directly - yes." Alizz furrows her brow, and the floor boss continues. "Their deaths were worth it. Two of ours for two of theirs and a delay in their attacks? If it ca down to it, we'd make that trade again. It's war, after all."

Seeing the lack of doubt in Pizola's expression, Alizz suddenly feels so of her own. "...Challengers aren't ant to be soldiers. They may die, yes, but they Challenge for self-improvent, to prove themselves to their gods. Not to...kill each other for control of a bit of territory."

Sincere leaves his seat and makes his way over to the administrator, placing a hand upon her shoulder. "And we don't require them to be. You know as well as us that there's Challengers sheltering here who have no interest in fighting the Domain. Which we accept! It's no burden for us to feed and shelter a few more people. But those who are willing to fight...we will need them. And although it pains to say it, it is likely more will fall before this is all said and done."

Alizz sighs, knowing that as protective as she may feel of her charges, she can't exactly ask the dungeon not to defend itself. "I suppose you're probably right. I just hope there's still a Grassbrook branch of the Association left for to be an administrator of by ti this is all said and done..."

Conflicts within the ranks of the 'Wild Things' raid group aside, the next day saw the Domain being quite active on Floor Six - at least with its more mundane soldiers and mages. The floor did indeed repair itself from the damage done at midnight, but Taly remained absent from the dungeon, and a prepared force was able to ensure that the floor remained within Domain hands. After that though the soldiers didn't move into Floor Seven, but instead - upward.

Now in control of both sides of the thin stone barrier separating Floor One and the mountain's abyss, the Domain's mages intentionally broke the floor open before reshaping it. The distance from there to the ledges of Floor Six is far too much for them to have set up walkways, or even ladders, but systems of ropes were set up to allow for easy transport of supplies and sli soldiers. Flying demons and other mages with flight-based spells were further used to provide for the ferrying of other troops, allowing for Floor Six to be directly resupplied without the need to traverse multiple other still-hostile dungeon floors to get there.

It also allowed for so of those on Floor Six to easily leave and take a break - including Pretty Thing and his squad, who get to spend a not-that-luxurious day in the Lucky Bastard to recoup and recover. The following day though it's back to work, and for Pretty Thing that ans paying a visit to the Grassbrook Challenger's Association headquarters.

The man steps inside the building to find a number of Domain agents and soldiers working at various tables and counters, but a succubus quickly points the Sensationalist up the stairs. Up there he finds Enigmatic Emissary Cerise Darktouched, sitting at the chair Ruckus had once claid as his own. The look on her face is a tired one, but Cerise still manages to greet the legendary demon with a smile.

"Pretty, I'm glad you arrived - we have a lot to talk about. Can I have soone bring so tea up for you?"

Pretty shakes a hand before taking a seat opposite the diplomat. "Just had breakfast, thank you. Although you could answer a question for - were you not basing yourself out of the inn on our previous visit? I was under the impression that setting up shop here would have...repercussions with the wider Association."

Cerise scoffs, a rather unladylike gesture - showing the incubus just how worn down she is. "Yes, well, on further reflection their 'temporary administrator' sched and got dozens of our soldiers killed, so I feel they have little ground to stand on. Besides, there's a limit to how much longer I could continue to do business on sticky tables and around the sll of cheap food and booze."

"Oh? Personally, I've often done my best work on sticky tables." Pretty smiles briefly, but even for him it doesn't last long. "So. You've heard of our troubles? We reported to Commander Gerlosius of course, I assu you're still in the loop."

Cerise nods. "I was put in charge of helping to manage so of the...'specialists' who were less formally associated with the military, so so of them brought their concerns to . With those who've fallen in battle we stand poised to lose enough more to desertion to ruin the entire raid expedition plan."

The incubus chuckles. "After taking only two floors. I suppose you must feel better then with your record of three, eh? You've done better than I."

The Emissary quickly shakes her head. "You've handled fights far tougher than those under my command did. But it's irrelevant who did better or worse, really - what matters is the challenge still left ahead of us."

"Four floors. At least. Wouldn't put it beyond the dungeon to pull every trick it has available to dig out more floors while we're bleeding above. We could be losing ground and not even know it!"

The succubus points to a pile of shuffled papers. "I've been examining our records and assignnts, but there's no changing it - we don't have another two dozen Masters and Supres to spare for this. Not until the rest of the war is virtually over, anyways. Which could be years..."

Pretty glances outside the window, not liking the sour mood of the eting. "And, I assu, nor can we spare the hundreds of standard troops it might require to clear out the rest of the dungeon via brute force. Particularly given the dungeon will fight more desperately the deeper we get. So! Where does that leave us, then?"

Cerise taps her nails against the hard wood of the desk before her. "I've received word. We'll be...taking a desperate move of our own, but one that's possible thanks to your capture of Floor Six. With safe access to that void within the mountain, the option exists for...shortcuts. There's old tunnels and passageways all through the deeper levels of that mountain. Many of which brush up extrely closely to Worthy Dungeon's deeper floors. Perhaps even its core chamber."

The Sensationalist furrows his brow at the suggestion. "Desperate indeed! The dungeon may not have eyes down there, but they'll see us making our way down. So the proposal is to, what - wander around so dark tunnels with no idea of where we're going, until so of those Challengers or soldiers ambush us? To break through random walls that may or may not have monsters and traps on the other side? Who ca up with this plan?"

This ti Cerise does smile a bit at the man's question. "We'll have a guide for this. The only guide there may be in the world, although it will take them so ti to sort out the frontlines and make their way here. Days at least, maybe a few weeks. But they're also the one who ca up with this plan."

Pretty sits up a little straighter as he realizes her point. "You an..."

The Emissary nods. "The Dragonlord will be returning to Grassbrook. And then we'll be finishing this."