"I got to zero a lil while ago. We good to keep going? Want to think first? Twelve more people, no more conveyor belts last I checked."

"Twelve people in cages-not-conveyor-belts, can do." Deep breath. "Let's go."

Back to work. He scans the place. He continues updating the map with Haru's vision as a guide. One new victim shows up as they're clearing it.

There's a core sitting in a large open room, and a boss monster, that Haru runs across when there are 3 victims left. It's basically a giant version of the dive-bombing birds except it also crackles with electricity.

Does it have obvious vital spots he can snipe before he tries to get the guy?

There's the eyes, the wing joints, and a big red glowy heart. All identical to the ones on the little guys, just tougher looking.

Big scary ammo and he lines up a shot at the heart. Blam.

KRAAAAKBZZZZTHOOOOM

CRUNCH

Haru scoops up the core and puts it in his bag, and grabs the guy.

She recorded the scene on shaky phone-cam and thinks this is AWESOME.

"Hey, that's pretty cool and you should put it online, I'll link it on my blog."

"Wasn't much of a fight but fair fights are for suckers! I definitely will!"

"Fair fights are absolutely for suckers when it comes to dungeons. Sorry about the wait."

"No worries, we have like, a policy, I get time and a half for being off shift 'cause of dungeons."

She pauses and reaches down towards a shiny brass feather.

"Take it, they're not gonna let the place live long enough for us to get everything out anyway. But there's a few more people left so let's hoof it, okay?"

"Right." She nabs it and jogs after him.

He covers her escape and hands the core off to the crew holding the portal and goes for the last victims.

The very last victim, the one who was grabbed recently, is diabetic and is having a bit of a, non-life-threatening, issue with that. But then everyone's out.

They cover diabetics in dungeoneering training courses, does this person need a piece of candy?

"Sure, let's just get out of here ASAP. I'm sure you don't wanna be here any more than me, kid. When I was your age this dungeon nonsense wasn't messing with folks and we could retire in peace you know."

Here's a candy and they can head out. "What was it like when they started popping up?"

"Bedlam in the big city. Absolute bedlam. Panic and running around... And then a whole lot of nothing much different for me seeing as I was doing trades work, plumbing, up in Sudbury, and people still needed their toilets unclogged, hah! We got maybe one or two a year. They sent the mounties in, you know. Brave lads. Deserve the pomp, they do..."

He will go on like this for the duration of the fairly spry walk to the exit.

What a pleasant fellow.

And now time to haul dead clockworks out of the dungeon to be harvested. He'll need help with the boss monster.

The monsters are sufficiently lethal that they don't really want to send in harvesting parties unescorted, but they can haul in trolleys and clear out as many of them as possible. It, uh, turns out the ones near the entrance they shot and sent out right when it opened have an initial analysis. Esoteric properties if any are undiscovered, but they appear to be largely composed of expensive rare earth metals. Especially the red cores. Just FYI.

(Can Teddy have a hug while this is explained, please. He still doesn't want to go deep in a dungeon because he's a worthless coward, though.)