Chương 151: New Assignment

The next day Damion woke up and started his exercises like he normally did. As he ran, he focused on recalling the information he read the night before from his textbooks. Since there was no class, he spent the afternoon practicing his magic. A number of students came and watched him for short periods of time. Damion wondered if they were just curious about the new student that could take on eight other students at once or if they just heard there was a weirdo by the elite dorms that would cast magic all day long.

When classes resumed the next day, Damion found himself the recipient of odd glances and stares in all of his classes except Magical Theory with Mage Teft, but of course that was only because it was just him and Elicia in the class. Several weeks went by like this and while Damion felt a bit ostracized, he was used to it and did not really mind. At least that was the case before Mage Teft gave him a new assignment to pass her class.

"Your next assignment for my class will be me assessing you, and whatever team you put together, in a dungeon."

"I'm curious, how will you assess me? I mean, you are A Rank, you won't be able to enter any dungeon I am qualified to go in." Damion asked.

"True. I can however enter labyrinths. I suppose it is more of a labyrinth run, but we will be just doing a C Rank floor."

"I'll get to go into a labyrinth?"

"Isn't that what I just said? You will need to put together your own team. The only thing I can help you with is the securing your right of entry. Which I have already done for this weekend at the standard rate for adventurers."

"The standard rate?" Damion questioned, he not sure what Mage Teft meant, by standard rate.

"The dungeons you have done in the past were at special rates, because of my influence or as rewards for you discovering or aiding in the discovery of the dungeon. The standard rate of entry, is the owner of the dungeon, or in this case labyrinth, takes a 20 percent cut of everything found in the dungeon. While 50 percent goes to your guild or order, leaving 30 percent for you and your team to split."

"But I'm not in a guild or order."

"The school is securing your slot for entry into the labyrinth and as a student at Silver Spire Magic Academy they will be taking their share." Damion was not thrilled at the prospect of losing 70 percent of his earnings in the labyrinth to the city and school, but he did have to admit he was excited to be able to go into a labyrinth.

"You will be able to enter the dungeon after your last class this week and remain until midnight before classes start next week. Your goal will be to clear the tenth floor, which is the first C Rank floor. If you manage to clear that floor, you may push forward if you like, but keep in mind that each floor will become more difficult with the fifteenth floor being the first B Rank floor."

"I'll make sure not to bite off more than I can chew," Damion said as his mind raced on how to best put together a team for the dungeon.

"How many people am I allowed to have on my team?" If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"That is up to you, most teams consist of five to ten people." Damion thought about the team compositions he had been in previously. There were two affinities he knew he wanted to get to join, Spatial and Holy. Both were almost a requirement for any dungeon run, the problem was, Damion did not know any students that had either.

"Do I have to recruit students? Or am I allowed to invite other people?" Mage Teft raised an eyebrow at Damion's question. She had arranged this exercise to force Damion to get to know his fellow students. He was too isolated, practicing alone every day. His dedication to growing stronger was good, but with the loss of his family, Mage Teft was worried for his mental health since he was so cut off.

"You may recruit whomever you would like, but keep in mind, whatever expenses occur because of your members, you will be responsible for." Damion understood Mage Teft's point. If he recruited Arica to be their Spatial affinity member, she would have to travel to Argentum. The cost of her travel would likely be quite high, unless her master was able to open a portal and send her all the way here, but then she would be faced with the expense of traveling back.

Given the logistics, Damion decided to see if he could recruit the members he needed from the student body, he might even make a few friends that way. Later that day Damion posted his recruitment on the school's mission board. He was recruiting members for a labyrinth run.

Damion kept the numbers he was recruiting vague, as he was hoping for a wide variety of candidates, only specifying he wanted a Spatial affinity and a Light or Holy affinity for sure and that anyone else interested in applying to join could meet him during the lunch hour. The results of his recruitment however, left a lot to be desired. During lunch the following day Damion was disappointed to find only three people approach him to join his team, Yuri Martes, Geoffrey Thorn and Thomas Sorin.

"Do you three honestly think I would pick any of you to go on this run with me?" Damion asked Mage Sorin.

"I think you won't have any luck recruiting anyone worth recruiting if you don't take us. I've made sure of that," Mage Sorin replied with a smirk.

"I think I'll be quite fine on my own," Damion answered flatly. After his encounter with Mage Sorin and his two cronies, Damion left and headed to his dormitory. There he placed a call to Arica to find out if she would be willing to join him for a labyrinth run.

"Damion? It is so good to hear from you. Are you enjoying Silver Spire?" Arica asked quickly when she answered her communication tablet.

"I'm doing quite well. I have an opportunity to go into the Argentum labyrinth and was wondering if you would be able to join my team?"

"A labyrinth run! Wow I would love to. When do I need to be in Argentum?"

"I'm allowed to enter anytime after my last class at the end of the week. We then have all weekend to clear the first C Rank floor."

"C Rank?" Arica repeated feeling a bit shocked.

"Don't tell me you have already reached C Rank!"

"Yeah, I have."

"That is amazing. You grow so fast. At this rate you might just be a B Rank before you graduate from Silver Spire."

"Well, B Rank is a long way off. Do you know any healers that might be able to join us?"

"You need a healer too? Are you not making any friends at Silver Spire? Because I can recommend a few, but it is usually best to find people close to you to do dungeons with. Much easier to form a regular group that way."

"Just some noble pricks trying to keep me isolated is all. Don't worry. I'll work out a healer and the rest of the team."

"Great. I'll see you at the end of the week." Damion disconnected from Arica and wondered how he was going to fill out the rest of the party if Mage Sorin was threatening anyone who might be worth recruiting. For now, he sent a request to update his mission post to just asking for a healer and combat oriented team members. Maybe indicating he had found a Spatial affinity team member would inspire people to join or at least keep Mage Sorin busy trying to figure out who Damion recruited.