Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Dungeon 3 Invitation Card Activation
The daily routine of fishing for treasure chests was nothing special, but the joy of a good haul was as great as ever.
Faye Yardley was actually preoccupied with the evening’s Dungeon run, so she was inevitably a bit absent-minded while fishing for treasure chests. Even so, it didn’t seem to affect her luck.
It was as if she was guaranteed a catch every time she cast her line.
Around noon, she even took a break to show Gavin Donovan how her practice was going.
As 6 p.m. approached, Faye Yardley found herself growing more and more nervous.
The anxiety seemed completely beyond her control. She kept telling herself not to be scared or nervous, but she couldn’t suppress it in the slightest.
"Master Donovan, do you have any good methods for calming someone down quickly?"
Gavin Donovan said, "Boss, why don’t you try reciting the Heart Clarity Spell?"
"Can I do that?"
"Give it a try."
Faye Yardley slowly recited the full text of the Heart Clarity Spell that Gavin Donovan had sent her, reading it word for word. As she did, she could feel herself calming down.
After reciting the Spell five times while looking at the text, Faye Yardley finally managed to calm down completely.
’I need to eat something first, then get all my preparations in order.’
She didn’t even have the heart to open the chests she had fished up today.
’It’s not even six-thirty. Maybe I should open a couple, just in case there’s something useful for the Dungeon inside.’
With that thought, she took out the only two Iron Treasure Boxes she had and muttered a small prayer to the system.
[Obtained: Frozen Arrow x10, Protective Jacket x2, Women’s Combat Boots x1, Energy Drink x1]
Talent: Double Good Luck triggered. All rewards from this opening have been tripled.
[Obtained: Finger Tiger x1, wood x50, slingshot x1, copper x20, iron block x30]
Talent triggered... All rewards doubled.
’Thank you, System! These are just what I needed for the trip.’
She took out one of the protective jackets and put it on. It automatically adjusted to fit her perfectly.
She swapped into the women’s combat boots and did a small jump. They were lighter and more comfortable than her regular boots.
The Finger Tiger, slingshot, Frozen Arrows, energy drink, and the remaining protective jackets went into her backpack. Everything else went into her storage.
Then, she took out the weapons she already owned: a Basic Iron Axe, a Basic Long Blade, an Intermediate Long Spear, a High Level Fish Spear, a Sharp Dagger, a Longbow, and Blast Arrows.
After a moment of thought, she put the Longbow, Blast Arrows, and the Sharp Dagger into her backpack. She then sent an Intermediate Long Spear, a Basic Long Blade, and one of the protective jackets to Gavin Donovan.
She also packed the Physical Potions, Energy Potions, Bandages, Hemostatic Pills, Blood Replenishing Agents, and Antidotes from her storage.
Finally, she packed some food, water, and rope.
All this took up a surprising 20 slots in her backpack, leaving her with only 10 to spare.
BEEP BEEP BEEP~
Zachary Pierce: "Yardley, are you ready? Check and see what the maximum party size is."
Faye Yardley: "I’m ready. Just a second. Are your people ready?"
"They’re ready."
Faye Yardley then checked if Gavin Donovan was ready, telling him she was about to activate the Dungeon.
He confirmed he was.
Faye Yardley took out Card No. 3. She stared at it for a long moment, took a deep breath, and said, "Use card."
[Dungeon 3 Invitation Card allows for a multiplayer team. Current party: 1/5. Do you wish to form a team? If yes, please invite members within three minutes. Otherwise, the Dungeon will begin in solo mode.]
Faye Yardley let out a long sigh of relief and selected: "Form team."
[You may add members from your friends list. Invitations must be accepted to finalize the party.]
She quickly sent invitations to Zachary Pierce and Gavin Donovan.
Then she messaged Zachary Pierce. "Mr. Pierce, it’s a five-person limit, and I have to invite everyone within three minutes. Send me the other two people’s info, quick! They have to accept the invites in time, too."
"Finn Ford. [Personal Profile]; Caleb Colby. [Personal Profile]."
Without another word, Faye Yardley added them both as friends, sent the Dungeon invitations, and also sent over a set of protective jackets.
They quickly accepted her friend requests and the invitations.
[System Alert: Dungeon 3 Invitation Card (5/5) members confirmed. Launching sequence initiated. Ten-second countdown will now begin: 10, 9... 2, 1.]
The moment the countdown ended, the scene before Faye Yardley’s eyes changed completely. A pungent, rotten stench instantly assaulted her senses.
Zachary Pierce first did a quick headcount. All five of them had appeared inside a dilapidated building. They were in an empty, dust-filled room stained with dried blood.
Zachary Pierce said, "Ford, go scout the immediate area. Yardley, are you alright?"
Gavin Donovan, spear in hand, had already moved to protectively stand by Faye Yardley’s side.
Faye Yardley quickly said, "Wait, you guys should change into these protective jackets first."
As she spoke, she took three more jackets from her backpack and handed them to Zachary Pierce.
Finn Ford and Caleb Colby exchanged a glance, then said sincerely, "Thanks... Yardley."
This wasn’t the time for pleasantries, so all three men quickly put them on.
The three had just finished changing when they heard roars echoing in the distance, growing closer. There was no need for Finn Ford to scout.
Gavin Donovan’s expression changed. "A lot of zombies are heading this way."
"Zombies?! How do you know?" Caleb Colby glanced at Gavin Donovan. ’This kid looks like he’s barely an adult.’
Faced with skepticism, Gavin Donovan simply said, "The air is thick with the stench of death. What else could the walking dead be but zombies?"
Caleb Colby retorted, "Or they could be the infected ’zombies’ you see in movies."
"Stop arguing." Zachary Pierce rushed to the doorway and peered into the distance. A dense, endless, and chaotic horde of humanoid monsters was heading their way. He then did a quick scan of their surroundings.
They were on the top floor of a five-story building on the outskirts of a city. A large corner of the building was missing; the room next to theirs was less than half of its original size.
"I’m going to check the other rooms in this building," Zachary Pierce announced, heading out the door toward the intact half of the floor.
Finn Ford glanced at Caleb Colby, then ran after him.
When Faye Yardley tried to follow, Caleb Colby held out an arm to stop her. "Yardley, wait. You can go out after Pierce confirms it’s safe."
The words had barely left his mouth when the sounds of a struggle erupted from the next room.
Gavin Donovan immediately said, "Go help them. I’ll stay and protect the boss."
Caleb Colby shook his head. "No need. Pierce and Finn Ford can handle it. If they can’t, they’ll ask for help."
Despite his words, he still moved to the doorway, leaning against the frame to peek out cautiously.
Faye Yardley followed him, only to hear someone shout, "Careful!"
Then she saw it: a shriveled, dark-skinned zombie with the top half of its head sheared off was climbing in through the broken window.
The instant Gavin Donovan shouted his warning, he was already charging forward, spear raised, and thrust it viciously toward the zombie’s eye socket!
GURGLE!
It was Faye Yardley’s first time seeing such an agile zombie. She drew her long blade, gripping it tightly, and pressed her back against the wall in a defensive stance...
