The answer was three.

  Each version of the fight was the same. Penelope walked through the barrier and cast . The moment that the three Demonic Centipedes got close enough for her to hit, she blasted each one with a , then recast .

  The Demonic Crows always waited until she was almost in range of the Shadow Buffer before they attacked. The first attempt, Penelope had to sidestep a dead crow, which diverted her focus from the Demon and earned her a stun.

  The second attempt, she was already moving but missed the Shadow Demon with the first and got hit.

  The third attempt, she tried something different. Penelope pushed the to the edge of her control before she started advancing. One of the crows was able to suicide into two of the balls, but that left her with three main ones, which was more than enough to kill the Demon once she chased it into the corner.

  DING!

  Experience +12

  Penelope picked up the yellow robe and scanned it with her menu. After she looted the potions and harvested the .

  “Dawson equipment.” She shook her head. Penelope tucked the gear under her arm as she walked back to collect her shield.

  “Poison is based on your recovery stat.” Jeru shook his head. “Which means two of the guys need Recovery gear since Dawson isn’t learning any other debuffing skills.”

  “Seriously?” Penelope shook her head. “So he’s got a poison ability, and then what? More poison?”

  “The system gives out skills on level-ups based on how a person uses the skills. Since Dawson likes to poison things, all of his skills lean into that; he gets poison affinity spells and spells that increase poison damage.” Jeru smirked. “Which, I guess, would use the Aura.”

  “Doesn’t more Aura mean a wider area?”

  Jeru snorted. “If you were the Tank, would you want someone throwing poison over a wide area that you were standing in?”

  “Don’t stand in green stuff.” Penelope quoted a variation of one of the MMO gamer rules.

  “Exactly!” Jeru floated beside her. “Anyway. 3B will be easy. The Shadow Warrior has a War Hammer, so you can take it out before it gets close. Three crows, two bugs, easy fight.”

  Penelope walked up to the barrier between 3A and 3B. She set the folded robe down, then walked into the square.

  The monsters charged at her. She shook her head.

  “Light Torrent! Light Torrent!”

  One hit each minion, and the remaining three hit the Demon.

  DING!

  Experience +12

  You are now Level Ten

  Stats increased: Power +1, Magic +1

  You have learned: Expert Light Affinity

  It would take longer for her to walk to the loot pile than the fight lasted.

  Before she walked over, Penelope turned around and picked up the robe for Dawson and her shield.

  “I got a passive this time?”

  “About that…” Jeru flashed her a Cheshire smile. “Check your menu.”

  “Why is there a dash for how much experience I need to level?” Penelope closed the menu. “And why did I get Power?”

  Jeru motioned at the shield that she had slung on her back. “You’ve been lugging around that thing and relying on it more than anything else to get you through the fights. You need more Power to use it better.” The smile spread across his face again. “And you can’t gain any more experience because there’s nothing strong enough here to level you.” He shook his head. “You won’t gain any more experience until you go to the second floor.”

  “But we still have three-quarters of this floor to clear!”

  “And you did it by yourself.” Jeru snorted. “Which is why you’re at max level and they’re almost level four. Speaking of…”

  Clap. Clap. Clap.

  Ula was clapping as she walked towards Penelope. Marlow was following behind the grandmother. There was nothing but awe on the older man’s face as he looked over at Penelope.

  “Sweetie, you made that look like you’ve done it a hundred times.” Ula chuckled. “Were you some kind of Elf in a past life?”

  Penelope smiled. “No, I guess I played too many FPS games.” She motioned towards the loot pile. “You can have the belt. I can’t use them, and all I want are the potions.”

  The older woman nodded, and Marlow hurried over to the pile of items. He picked up the sling of potions and the belt, then hurried over to Ula and gave both items to her.

  “This is a pretty nice item.” The Hispanic woman looked at the younger woman as she held out the sling of potions. “Are you sure you can’t use it?”

  “A point of Power would help you lug that shield around better.” Jeru chimed in. “Though you’ll get one that’s better for you in a while.”

  “I’m sure.” Penelope took the potions and put them in the appropriate pockets. She smiled as she looked at the two older people. “Can I help you?”

  “You look like you’re going to keep going at this, and we’re not doing anything.” Ula smiled. “I thought I’d see if you would mind if we tagged along with you.”

  Penelope bit her cheek as she thought about their offer.

  “I mean, it doesn’t look like you need our help, but I do hate sitting around doing nothing.” The older woman’s smile somehow spread wider. “Would that be okay?”

  “Sure.” Penelope sighed. “I guess it’s time I partied up.”

  “Really?” Jeru choked somehow while in her mind. “I thought you’d hold out a lot longer.”

  “Great!” Ula turned east. “Do you want to finish the 3s, or start on the 4s?”

  “I think I’m going to start over.”

  The tan woman turned around. “What?”

  “Jeru.” Penelope sat down.

  “What are you—?”

  Blinding light burned away Ula’s question.

  Penelope blinked as she started back over in the square. She allowed herself a second to orient herself, then started moving through the crowd towards the Dungeon.

  “Are you sure about this? That was a pretty good run.”

  Penelope shook her head. I can’t keep doing runs I know I’m not going to keep. You’re right; that was a good run, but I was going to restart anyway because I want to find a way to get all eight of us out of the first floor alive. I can’t do that if I’m starting with half the party dead.”

  Right, but you know the experience is going to be off. You’ll split what you’ve been keeping for yourself. Jeru sighed. Also, you’re going to have to work with the team, and that means sharing items. Whoever you join is going to already have a Caster on their team.

  Penelope marched through the portal and ran over to 1D. She dropped her peanuts and soda on the safe side of the barrier.

  “I can clear the first two before Oakley’s team gets here.” She stepped through the barrier, took a deep breath, and shouted out her most basic spell, , seven times, targeting three of the ants and the leader.

  DING!

  Experience +30

  Experience +30

  Experience +30

  Experience +72

  You are now Level Two

  Stats increased: Speed +1, Magic +1

  You have learned: Light Arc

  Three casts of her newest spell was all it took to finish off the other two monsters.

  DING!

  Experience +24

  Experience +24

  You are now Level Three

  Stats increased: Speed +1, Magic +1

  You have learned: Light Ball

  New Class Unlocked!

  Caster -> Greenhorn

  New Passive Unlocked!

  Doublecast

  Penelope snatched up the potion sling as she ran for 1C.

  “I just need to point them at 2D.” She was back to fourteen mana. The ants still took two spells to kill, but the caterpillars only took one. Penelope had three casts, then she’d have to take the potion. Penelope pulled the lid off the Mana Potion as she charged through the barrier. She fired two at the closest Demonic Ant and one at the closest Ceiling Creeper.

  DING!

  Experience +24

  Experience +24

  Penelope downed the metallic liquid as she ran to avoid the air spells. She’d taken down an ant and a caterpillar, then turned her attention to the remaining ants. They each took two spells to kill, so she fired a pair of at each one.

  DING!

  Experience +24

  Experience +24

  “Four shots in the boss…” Penelope muttered as she fired four at the Shadow Caster.

  DING!

  Experience +60

  You are now Level Four

  Stats increased: Recovery +1, Magic +1

  You have learned: Light Bolt

  Penelope looked up at the last monster in the square. A single was all it took to drop it from the ceiling.

  DING!

  Experience +18

  Loot had to wait because Oakley’s group had just entered the Dungeon. Penelope turned around and ran as fast as she could through 1D to head them off.

  “WAIT!”

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