DC

  My safe zone floor, filled with coal, was a huge success. I mean there's already a little town forming. They don't really seem to have a government, people just started putting up huts, and living there. The whole place appeared to be controlled by four major mining companies, and they were constantly squabbling with each other, except for one of the mines, which never engaged in any sort of combat. The other three would sometimes engage in full gang wars. I mean, not the miners, but each mine had guards to keep the miners mining, and the guards just ran up there, and absolutely slaughtered them.

  The crazy thing is, the one mine no one messed with was the biggest mine, and it had no guards. The guards probably just like a challenge so they can get stronger. Maybe I should add monsters into the mines, so the guards have to fight them off. I giggle maliciously.

  I quickly notice an old lady being escorted by a team of adventurers into the depths of the seventh floor, which I find very curious.

  She quickly waddles her way into the mineshaft, specifically the mineshaft with no guards, and she speaks with the foreman. From what I could tell she was reducing the pay, and she was hiring more workers.

  I giggle at that news which is just perfect. Then, all of a sudden, I notice something. Those same guards, who were just previously fighting each other over their mines, are rushing in this direction, towards the mine.

  Gertrude

  I sigh, and wipe the dust from my wrinkled brow. These mines weren't very large in size as the coal replenished every day, so as long as they were big enough for every miner, to mine at the same time. But they were very hot, all the different workers, banging away at the walls, generating sweat, and heat in an enclosed space.

  The whole place stinks to high hell too.

  “You’re reducing pay?”

  I nod feigning sadness. “We are simply running out of money. Dont, worry though, you are still making double what the other mine workers are making, and working less hours.” I pressure the young man.

  He sighs. “Yes, it is the truth.”

  I chuckle. “Don't worry, with the town popping up down here, they'll even have a place to spend their money, and in comparison to the other mine workers who make up the majority of the population down here, they will be rich!”

  A man rolls by, covered in soot, and coal, pushing a heavy cart up a pair of tracks running out of the mineshaft.

  “How, have you been getting the coal outta here anyway?” I ask, to distract him.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  He nods, “Oh, Milo gave us a budget for that too, we just pay adventurers passing through, really it's super cheap, just a copper per load, and they carry it all up. Most of the ones, who are going all the way into the dungeon, can carry 150 pounds or so, per load.”

  I frown. “What's the budget for that?”

  He nods, and responds, “Oh, a uh silver a day.” he stutters.

  I sigh. “I see. We are going to need to work on a better method for that. How do the other mines get it out?”

  He shrugs. “They pay someone. Usually an ex-adventurer who has a family so they want a job that doesn't require them to fight monsters above their level. Probably more efficient than our way to. I suggest we switch to that.”

  I nod, in agreement. “Yes, it sounds more efficient, he could probably move 9-12 tons a day won't he?”

  He nods in agreement. “Yes, but a silver a day is nothing to scoff at.”

  I sigh, and wave my hand. “Yes, yes, but a necessary cost I do believe.”

  He shrugs, and I begin to think to myself. The cost of living above ground is beginning to rise, due to the lack of space, the whole city being built into a tiny little valley between mountains. If we could artificially lower the cost of housing down here, in the dungeon, and raise the cost above ground, we could encourage more people to move down here. Especially poor people, who don't have the money to live above there. Those poor people need jobs, well look at that, we just so happen to be looking for workers in a coal mine.

  I chuckle maliciously. “How much does it cost to buy, or rent a house down here?”

  He looks at me. “Well, nobody owns the land really, so we just started putting up houses. No cost for land, and if you want to buy a house, it's really just whatever emotional value the owner has.”

  I nod. “I see. If someone owned all the land down here, how much money would you spend to buy a plot of land so you could build a house, or grow some food, and stuff.”

  He gives me a suspicious side eye before responding. “Whatever I had to.”

  I nod with a smile, and open my mouth to speak again but with a loud boom I am interrupted. I look up, and dust fills the air, clouding my vision.

  “What is happening!” I cry out, and grab a wooden post.

  “I don’t know!” The foreman yells.

  The miners rush upwards, and begin yelling. “What the fuck!”

  “I don't want to die!”

  Gertrude runs upwards, and breaks free from the suffocating confines of the mineshaft.

  With a boom her guards are pushed back, as a group of men, and women surround, and attack relentlessly. A ball of liquid so cold, it freezes on contact with anyone slams against one of her guards, a young man, fighting from the back lines with bursts of flame.

  He is immediately coated in a layer of ice, and collapses to the ground, stiff as a statue.

  Another young woman at the front of the party swings a shortsword back, and fourth before in rapid bursts attacks, using her small buckler as just as much of a weapon as her sword.

  But, in doing so, she leaves herself open, and an arrow slips in between her ribs.

  Her guards collapse, and the few survivors surrender, gather their friends, and sprint off.

  “Ah, let's look at you old lady.” A young man with black teeth, and blacker eyes steps forward, his dagger sways lazily between his fingers.