Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 65: Tier 5 Dungeon (2)

Jess and her companions were introduced to the men already in the dungeon, and they quickly hit it off. Being isolated from the rest of society takes its toll.

Not everyone enjoyed their own company or preferred being alone. The knights and mages shared their experience in the dungeon, their ups and downs as well as their hopes for the upcoming raid.

"With you guys here, I pray we conclude with this dungeon and return home. I miss my family..." One of the mages said, their demeanour downtrodden.

"We will see this through to the end." Elyndra said in a determined voice. "I can’t imagine being locked in here for months."

Jess turned to look at the elf calmly, her mind going towards a certain someone.

’It’s been over a month since he went inside that sealed dungeon.’ She thought. ’By now...’

Jess didn’t dare complete that thought. Common sense said there was no way for him to survive alone for weeks. But her heart wished otherwise.

She may have met him and didn’t know him well, but she liked him nonetheless—at least she realized that not long ago.

"Everyone!" A loud voice echoed through the camp, drawing the attention of everyone. "Come to the assembly point."

"Come on," One of the knights stood up, the others following his cue. "Our briefing for what’s to come is ready."

The various groups all stood up and headed to the gathering points, near the centre of the camp. There, they noticed one of the high-ranking knights standing in the centre.

Once everyone gathered around him, Kennedy looked at everyone with a calm and serious gaze, sizing up the new addition.

"Good evening, everyone." He greeted. "My name is Kenedy and our plans forward are ready."

Knights, soldiers, mages and adventurers alike focused on Kennedy, waiting for him to continue.

"We hope to conclude this ask in the next three days, max. We the reinforcements, our strength has more than doubled." He looked towards the adventurers and gave a curt nod. "However, this is where things will be changing for most of us.

"We will continue the subjugation tomorrow at first light and will be splitting up into two teams." He allowed his words to settle in. "The first and main team will comprise of an elite few put together to reach the heart of the dungeon while the second team will handle the monsters on the floors below."

Everyone nodded at his words, already familiar with the plan. Kennedy nodded satisfaction, seeing as no one raised any concerns about their roles.

"Good." He nodded. "The first team already knows themselves. From here, I want you to get ready. Get your dinner for the evening and proceed to rest as much as you can, you need it.

"You’re dismissed." Kennedy gave one last nod at the group before retreating to the commanding tent.

The adventurers noticed how a group of knights and mages split up from the rest, heading straight to another part of the camp. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

’That must be the members of the first team.’ Jess thought, echoing what everyone else did. ’This should go smoothly... Hopefully.’

......

Next day.

The members of the first team were dressed and ready, looking awfully different from the rest of the squads and totalled a little over fifty.

They were dressed in outfits enchanted to blend with their surroundings, had masks on their faces and were equipped with weapons designed for speed and agility.

Among them was Commander Grid who would be personally leading that team. No words were shared as everyone knew what their roles were.

In the second team was Captain Reeder and his second-in-command, Kennedy. They would be taking over the second team to draw the monsters’ aggro.

The camp was cleaned very early in the ’morning’, leaving very little trace of activities around. The larger second group was further separated into smaller teams just like how they arrived.

Jess was still paired up with Crusher and a few new additions from the group initially in the dungeon. Everyone was prepared and ready to go.

"Alright people, we’re heading out first." Captain Reeder said, turning around to face the path leading to the gateway. "Let’s go."

Walking past the first team, Captain Reeder nodded at Commander Grid who returned the gesture.

"Good luck." Commander Grid said.

"You too, sir."

Sometime later, the second team made it to the gateway, prompting the captain to stop and turn around.

"Take off your winter coats." He instructed.

They already knew the kind of terrain they would be seeing on the next floor: a lot of heat and a partial desert filled with rocky hills and some vegetation.

The monsters on that floor mostly crawled through the loose sand, sneaking up on unsuspecting prey.

Fortunately for them, the sneaking part was the least of their problems as the monsters were in bloodthirsty mode. They cared more about tearing their targets into pieces than about sneaking up on them.

"You’re up." Captain Reeder turned to the first squad, gesturing for them to enter.

"Yes, sir." The knights nodded and swiftly dashed into the gateway, disappearing in an instant.

"Go," He turned to the second squad, giving the same instruction.

One by one, each and every squad entered the gateway, leaving the captain and Kennedy behind. With a last glance in the distance where the first team was approaching, Captain Reeder turned around and plunged into the gateway.

"No matter what happens or what you see..." Commander Grid said moments after they appeared at the gateway. "Stay on the mission. Ours is of great importance. Should we fail, it will expose our companions and the adventurers to an even greater danger."

He surveyed the determined eyes of his men, nodding in satisfaction.

"Failure is not an option." He added. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" The men gave a collective response.

Without saying anything else, the men activated their enchanted gear, blending seamlessly with the surroundings, appearing almost invisible.

The gear more than just camouflaged them; it masked their smell and tracks, ensuring they didn’t attract any monsters to themselves.

Once ready, Commander Grid plunged into the gateway first, quickly followed by his men. While not completely ignorant, they prayed they weren’t walking into a trap.

After all, the demons at their borders were also acting strangely. Who know...