-Excerpt from the tome, A study of dungeons, by Victor the Dread, Arch-Magi of the College of Heros-

  Dungeons serve a fundamental purpose in our ecosystem. Though they are incredibly dangerous, more so the older they are, the destruction of one is a high crime in all civilized societies except for under extreme circumstances. Dungeons cleanse the naturally Stagnant mana that bubbles up from the underneath, without Dungeons to purify this Stagnant mana, the entire world would be consumed by the Miasma. Life as we know it would end. This is why the core room of any Dungeon is strictly off limits to anyone not specifically authorized to be there by the Highest Authority!

  Yes, the Dungeon itself counts as such an Authority.

  A very angry yowl echoed off the snow and through the trees, "Damnit Hunter! If you step on my tail again I swear to all that is holy ill let it rot off next time you need me to fix it!"

  A diminutive feline wearing a crimson red robe held his orange furred tail with soft padded paws, ears splayed angrily to the side as he glared hatred up at a tall, bulky looking lizardman who wore simple leathers, carrying what seemed to be half an armory worth of weaponry.

  "Sorry kitty." The lizardman mumbled as he grasped his spear with both hands, looking suitably chastised by the bipedal housecat, "Did not mean it." He mumbled as he reached out to give the feline some ear scratches as way of apology.

  Afterall, it NEVER turned out well to piss off your Healer. Not especially when said Healer can ALSO roast your scales in four different ways.

  The third member of their group giggled, a lovely fae female in a martial uniform with not a single weapon on them. A shaved head, and hands wrapped by cloth. "Hunter, how is a ranger so clumsy?" She asked with a smile, hiding her mouth behind her hand.

  "Not clumsy..." Hunter said with embarrassment, "Not used to smaller companions." He said, allowing the fact that it was his own fault and not blaming the feline, "Small things run when Hunter nearby... Not Jorin... Jorin brave." He said with a bit of a smile, proud at his companion for such a Trait.

  He then looked up and pulled his woolen shawl higher around his scaled head, "Don't like cold... wizard said new Dungeon close... there." He said as he pointed to a ruined structure built in to the side of a cliff.

  The fae monk tilted her head a little bit as she listened to something no one else could hear, "Alright. You guys remember the rules? Don't let your guard down. It may be a new Dungeon, but that just means we don't know what it can do." She said.

  The feline picked up, "Yea, we know... a spiked pitfall kills just as easily if it's made of rotten wood or mythril and Dragonbones." They stepped inside the Dungeon entrance before shaking off the snow and going through several preparations.

  "Dungeon entrance safe zone..." Hunter remarked, "No Traps. No foes." He nodded, "Good always." He lowered his hood and packed it away in to his pack. The temperature difference between outside and even the entrance here was significant.

  Jorin, the feline Red Mage brushed off his robes and put his hand on the hilt of a blade at his hip before closing his eyes and sniffing the air a few times, "Mana levels feel high. I'd guess this Dungeon has been eating well." He said and his ears perked up a little bit, "Surprisingly. Area outside is mostly mana dead. Probably spawned on a wellspring or something. Lucky rock." He said with a nod, "What do you think Elise?" He asked the monk.

  "Hmm... oh? There's infernal influence here. Bet the temple was dedicated to some Dark God or something before it fell to ruin. That's definitely unusual. Most dungeons don't get access to that sort of thing until they get to be about fifty levels. No way this place is more than five. Not with how new it is, even that would be stretching my estimate."

  The feline shook his head, "Nah, mana levels say at least fifteen. I know it's only been about... what, a month? Which is absolutely absurd growth for a Dungeon but if it lucked out on its spawn, it's not impossible."

  "Are we all set to head in to the Dungeon proper?" Asked Elise as she checked over her few pouches to ensure she had everything she needed.

  Aside from some basic supplies, they each carried one quick revive. Any competent adventurer should have one. It was the difference between life and death in many cases. Especially when lacking a potent white mage. The Quick Revive could save your life if used within five minutes of your untimely death.

  After five minutes though, even proper revive magic was not a garuntee, with chances dwindling fast depending on the quality of the body. Only a Necromancer had even a chance of bringing someone even partially back after longer than a week and even then... if they could find the soul.

  The rest of the party was likewise doing final checks before all three gave a nod to show they were ready.

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  Jorin made a few casts of protection on the three of them, giving them both enhanced magical and physical defenses.

  A Red made may not have acess to the truly devastating magic of a Black mage, nor the high levels of protection and healing that a White Mage did, but where they lacked in raw power, they made up in spades with the pure versatility of their kit. Capable with swords, moderate healing, protection and several different moderate elemental attacks, all with a chance of inflicting status ailments depending on the element. And then one cannot forget their innate Twincast ability. Able to cast two spells at the same time for no extra cost, with all that in their arsenal, a quality Red Mage was truly a battlefield terror.

  Mix that with a Ranger, who's natural talents led towards all sorts of useful survival skills, crossing Stealth, and range with half a rogues kit, then put on tip of that a monk.

  The monk, a pure bruiser with the agility of an acrobat and capability to use their fists to such a degree that even a plate armored foe could not ignore them.

  With a party like this, they felt like they had all their bases covered and were ready for anything.

  At a signal from Jorin, Hunter stepped forward first, checking the first hallway and quickly discovering the trip wire before reporting about it and checking around it before disabling it.

  "Entangling wire, not trigger. Safe to disable." He explained as he stepped past only for Jorin to cry out as the floor just past the trip wire fell away under Hunters foot.

  A windblast knocked Hunter forward over the pit before he fell. Jorin was taking no chances about that being a death pit.

  Hunter fell flat on his face, though safely on the opposite side. He rolled over on to his back without a sound, but raised his hand with a clawed thumb up to show he was okay. His jaw worked a little bit but with no sound coming out he drew a line over his throat to signal he can't speak.

  "Damn... well, being silenced for a bit is better than... ew... that." The monk stepped forward to check the pit. It was dark and deep even beyond her dark visions ability to see, "Looks more like crumbling infrastructure than an intentional trap, though it could be either." She said with a shrug, "With the Dungeon being so new, it probably hasn't been able to reinforce the structure properly yet."

  Both remaining party members hopped over the pit to join the lizardman as he stood up. The ranger was having a hard time catching his breath, what with the wind having been knocked out of him, both from the blast to his back, and landing hard on his chest.

  "Heal." Jorin called as his magic spread to Hunter, "Not a great start." He mumbled.

  He should have listened to his instincts and turned back, but he was confident this was just a fluke.

  Several hours later, four hallways, seven rooms, and nothing but a few traps had been in their way, that fed their confidence but... now.

  Jorin was looking at his two companions on the ground, the Red Mage was trembling in fear, back against the wall as he watched the five minute timer slowly tick down on his two best friends as he slowly looked up in to the burning red eyes in front of him.

  Mew.... why... is there... an Arch-Demon here? he couldn't help but notice an ugly red hat between the demons horns, and then he knew nothing at all.

  Jorin woke up and the first thing he saw was a red slime eating Hunter! He yowled loudly and launched himself at his friend, fumbling desperately for his Quick Revive ashe used his claws to tear away the slime.

  Where is it?! I know I had it! But no matter what he did, he couldn't find his Quick Revive. The Mage began to cry as he desperately tore at the slime before he felt weak. Hunters timer was gone.

  He cried pitifully as he felt the slime coating his paws and then a hand was on his back. He lashed out, only to be... hugged...by arms that were familiar.

  The fae monk Elise was hugging him, "It's okay, I don't know why but... that slime used our Quick Revives on us." She patted his back as he started to hiccup.

  "It... wh-*hic*what?" Asked the distraught feline as he suddenly felt Hunters chest rising and falling, and the slime was backing off... climbing up in to a clawed, wicked looking hand.

  Jorin looked up in to the burning red eyes of... a trickster demon. Not an Arch.

  He meowed as he sawthe slime climb up the demons arm and settle between it's horns. The status window called the Demon Smiley.

  "We.... are alive?" He asked, looking around at the room, "But... we were beaten... we're... supposed to be Dungeon food." He mumbled.

  The demon actually spoke up this time, "Little Red teaches Master." The demon said, giving a happy pat to the little slime, "Little red showed Master... win fight, and eat... big mana, but no more. Win fight and let go... less mana... but come back... more mana... and again... more mana." The demon said as if this was the most diabolical Cunning plan that could ever have been devised.

  "Big invaders... lots and lots of mana... Smiley let big ones go... big ones come back, try again, feed Master more!" The trickster demon cackled as it pointed at the three Adventurers.

  Elise put Jorin back down on his own two paws, standig up to face the lesser demon Smiley, "Tell your Master, we thank you for sparing our lives." She said, giving a formal bow, "We will put it in the report to our leaders... a benevolent Dungeon is a blessing upon the land." She kissed her fingers as she stood up. Now that she got a good look at him, Smiley looked like someone described to a demon what a human child looked like. The proportions were... all wrong but he definitely had a childishness to him.

  "Yesyes! Master is wonderful!" Smiley giggled, firmly believing in the way only a denizen can, that their Dungeon is the greatest thing upon the face of the world.

  Elise had to admit, it was unique. She had never seen a Dungeon invest so heavily in one single monster so early in it's development. This Smiley was powerful enough to be a tenth floor guardian, and he was on the first floor!

  She looked over at Jorin and Hunter, only tobpolitely avert her gaze as she noticed the two hugging tightly. They bickered often, and Jorin seemed to be perpetually mad at Hunter but... the two were quite close. Definitely an odd pair those two, but she loved them just the same, in her own way. So she didn't mind.

  She did a self assessment and catalagued her injuries. The Qiick Revive stabilized her and her comrades, but they would need to rest and heal up properly. Even healing magic and potions only did so much. Nothing quite replaced the proper healing of a solid rest and warm food.

  "Smiley, may I ask you to direct us out of the Dungeon? We are tired and wounded... and your Masters domain is... larger than expected." She said. Indeed the place was almost a natural labyrinth.

  The demon giggled and flapped his wings, "Yesyes, Smiley show guests out... come back with more mana!" The little demon seemed so genuinely excited, "Come back and play more!" He practically screeched with happiness.

  By now Jorin was 'helping Hunter to his feet, and they all followed the excitable demon out. At this point they had no choice but to trust in the goodwill of Smiley and the Dungeon.

  They had been as good as dead, and their lives were deliberately spared.

  Old man is going to eat his beard when I tell him about this place. She thought to herself, A demon Scion, a wild slime, a Benevolent Dungeon... and Smiley is downright friendly! What kind of madhouse is this place going to become?!