Redo: Grimoire System in the Apocalypse

The group continued taking out small patrols on their way to the quarry's edge. Geth had stopped warning them of the incoming dangers and had them fend for themselves.

After a few surprises in the beginning, the team quickly became used to scouting ahead through the woods and boulders.

The trees began to thin out as they walked, and more boulders took their place. Hiding became easier for the group as they slunk in and out of the shadows of the packed rocks.

After a half-hour of walking through the rocks slaughtering Goblin patrols, they finally made it to the edge of the quarry.

"This is huge!"

A vast crater spanned the distance before them. Pathways spiraled down into its depths, where Goblins could be seen working with pickaxes and carts.

The place looked like a small, open Dungeon. Small groups of Goblins were working in many open crevices, pulling out stones, ore, and the occasional gem.

Down in the center of the pit, a Sub-Boss was cracking its whip and making screeching noises toward the others. Many smaller Goblins tried to avoid its attention while continuing with their work.

Geth observed their Levels from afar. The Sub-Boss was only Level 35, while the rest of the Goblins ranged between 15-30.

In total, there were around two hundred fifty of the creatures. Each group of ten had a Level 30 Hobgoblin making sure the nine Goblins followed the Sub-Boss' orders.

It looked like something that would be seen in a western movie.

"You think you guys can take them?"

Geth directed his question toward Chad, one of the shield wielders.

Chad looked around the crater, taking note of the three entrances and the distance between the parties of Goblins. 

He looked back toward his team. Most of them had Leveled a few times during their travels over.

Three had gained their first Classes, while the other seven were within a Level or two.

"I think that we can manage fine if the first few attacks are successful. If we plan properly, everyone will have a Class long before we reach the leader."

Geth nodded and pulled out all of his health potions, passing them around to the men. He also gave his last few Mana potions to the one magic-user in the group.

"I won't be healing you unless the situation becomes desperate. Make sure to use these sparingly."

They had found out earlier that if Geth intervened at all, even by buffing them, the experience they received would plummet. It seemed that he couldn't power Level others unless the mobs were close to or above his own Level.

The men huddled up. Chad informed them of what he thought would be the best action.

Geth listened but didn't join in the conversation. He was busy looking at the Goblins below.

'Larz, what constitutes as a stone?'

There hadn't been any specifics on how large a rock needed to be to act as "One stone."

'There are a few types of stone. If you are looking at the quarry, the lower half should be a hard stone, while the upper half should be clay.

Use the tools in the quarry to carve out a block of stone three feet in width, height, and length. This will act as one stone.

In the future, the clay can be formed into bricks which are needed for specific structures. But that's a lesson for another time.'

Geth looked at the primitive tools that the Goblins were using. They were free... but to meet the requirements the city needed with them would be a hassle.

"Gotta start somewhere," Geth muttered.

'One other thing,' Larz sent him another message. 'You'll notice that there is a small obelisk in the center of the quarry, similar to that of the Tower.' 

Geth looked down into the pit and noticed a small pentagonal shape behind the Sub-Boss. It was no larger than three feet tall.

'I see it.'

'That stone controls the quarry. You will find the different types of mines that you had unlocked in your previous Dungeons in its memory.

They will work similar to the city's blueprints, and the mine itself has blueprints as well. These blueprints include tools, structures, and even defenses.'

Geth was a bit surprised that the quarry would be so elaborate. He had some more questions, but they would have to wait.

The party he'd brought with him had begun to move.

"Are you sure they'll be okay?" Sindri asked.

"They'll be fine."

Zolis dangled her legs off the side of the ridge and watched. Filthy sat atop a nearby boulder, seemingly looking through his Grimoire.

The party met the first group of enemies. The one that they had chosen to start with was working on one side of a sharp bend. 

Chad's party crept into the small tunnel, using the walls to help silence the battle. The other Goblins wouldn't see or hear the action.

It was a bit out of range of Geth's senses, so he had to sit tight and hope that they came out okay. He didn't get his answer until around seven minutes had passed.

The group came out of the crevice with Chad in the lead. He swiftly led them to the next fissure, which only took the group five minutes to leave.

There would be one or two new Level 25's out of the bunch with each successful clear. Geth could see that the battles were becoming easier as they continued downward.

"Brings back some memories, doesn't it?" Zolis asked.

Geth looked over at her and glanced back at Filthy. They didn't have such a numerical advantage in their first Dungeon.

"It certainly does. Let's just hope they fare well with the Sub-Boss."

As he watched the group, he thought about making Chad the next Hulk. There was still a lack of well-put-together parties in Valhalla.

'I'll have to find a group willing to work the mine, a group to freight the materials back and forth, and another group to protect those doing the work.'

His head began to hurt at the thought of all the work needing to be done.