《Dungeons Are Bad Business》
Chapter 1: Bandits?!
A divot ¨C no, more of a gaping chasm, if his senses were to be believed ¨C in the road snapped Vee back to consciousness and as he rubbed the itchiness of sleep out of his eyes, he stared out the carriage window.
More fields. Rows upon rows of spiky green and purple grass that he didn¡¯t recognize, and not a mountain, tree, or river in sight. Vee sighed. So much for an exhilarating series of vistas that will leave your heart aflutter, as the carriage company had advertised. Heck, he¡¯d long since given up on anything remotely resembling a vista. At this point he¡¯d be thrilled to see a largeish hill, so long as it broke up the monotony of the farmland. As he wiped the bits of dried spittle away from the side of his mouth, he wondered how much longer the trip would last.
He clutched his stomach. It felt like he was going to be sick. He hated carriages, and cursed their inventor as the pitted road sent him bouncing up and down like the bucking bronco he¡¯d seen at the county fair as a boy.
There was really nothing out here at all. When he¡¯d seen the posters at the last rest stop that joked: ¡°End of the world: 90 miles, Oar¡¯s Crest 100 miles¡± he¡¯d laughed, but now he was starting to think that maybe they¡¯d been more serious than he¡¯d given them credit for. When had that been? Yesterday? Maybe the day before? No, it had to be yesterday. His head felt screwy courtesy of the nausea, but he was pretty sure that he hadn¡¯t slept for an entire day.
The sun was fat on the horizon, and the sky was draped in the rich orange and yellow hues of late evening. If Vee¡¯s count of what day it was ended up being right, he¡¯d have to endure another full day or so before they made it to Oar¡¯s Crest. He didn¡¯t relish the thought.
Technically, there were other forms of transportation that were both faster and more comfortable than the carriage, but they were all powered by magic. Magic meant money, and that was the one thing Vee really didn''t have much of just then. That was most of the problem, actually.
His best friend, Alforde, was still asleep next to him. The armorsoul ¨C a hulking animated suit of armor ¨C didn¡¯t seem bothered in the slightest by the way that the carriage jostled up and down. Still, despite how heavy of a sleeper Alforde was, he snapped awake as soon as Vee tapped his pauldron. A pair of yellow eyes appeared in the shadows of his otherwise empty helmet, which swiveled towards Vee. Vee shook his head. Even after all these years as friends, the way Alforde moved sometimes was still unsettling as heck.
¡°What is it, Vee? Have we arrived?¡±
¡°Not yet, buddy, but I was wondering if I could get my medicine bag out? My stomach feels like a pretzel being twisted into knots.¡±
Alforde nodded ¨C or rather, his helmet slid forward a few inches and then back into its original position ¨C and opened the door in his chest plate to reveal their shared inventory. Since he was a ghost of sorts and had no real body to speak of, the entire interior of his armor was basically free real estate, and so that¡¯s where Vee kept almost all of his travel supplies.
It was maybe a little weird to root around inside of your best friend¡¯s chest trying to reach a small bag somewhere between the stomach and hips, but if any of the other passengers had opinions on the matter, they were thankfully pretty quiet about it. Vee wasn¡¯t much in the mood to deal with the judgement of strangers just then.
He found the braided strap that he recognized as belonging to his medicine bag and carefully finagled it up to the open space. It was an old blue bag, worn and tattered from many years of use, but it worked fine and Vee put it on his lap to better rifle through it.
It was filled with vials and bottles, potions and elixirs. There were also small packets of powders and a few tubes of capsules. Most of these were the tools of Vee¡¯s trade, but there were also medicines and curatives, and it was one of these that he reached for.
He uncorked the small flask filled with blue liquid and swigged down about a quarter of it, grimacing at the taste. Why did medicines always have to taste so awful? Would it kill one of the enchanters or alchemists to add a decent flavoring once in a while? Maybe strawberries or blueberries or something? Surely the extra few fleurs it¡¯d cost to do so wouldn¡¯t matter much in the grand scheme of things, right?
Shuddering as he swallowed, Vee tossed the flask back into the bag and then chucked it back into his friend¡¯s chest and closed his eyes while he waited for the magic¡¯s¡magic¡to work.
Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take long, and when Vee opened his eyes once again a few minutes later he was feeling better. Alas, there was no magic to make time move faster or improve the view, but he didn¡¯t feel as if he was going to soon get reacquainted with lunch anymore and that was good enough for now.
Alforde had his hefty gauntlets folded on his lap. His helmet was turned slightly to the side and his eyes were fixed on the horizon.
Vee pushed a strand of blue hair out of his eyes and then leaned back against the chair with his hands behind his head.
The familiar sensation of a status update touched his mind.
[You have unlocked the Weary Traveler class! Would you like to take it?]
Weary Traveler? That didn¡¯t sound good at all. What sort of skills would such a class even earn? [Saddle sore]? [Strong Bladder]? No, [Weary Traveler] was not going to become his secondary class any time soon. Or ever, really. Classes were like anything else: there were good ones and bad ones, and it was important to know the difference. That was why despite the fact that he was constantly assailed with opportunities to pick up random crap as his secondary class, he always resisted.
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While there wasn¡¯t any sort of hard rule that prevented someone from collecting as many classes as they wanted to, most people only picked up a few. Famously, there was a lunatic who, cursed to perpetual adolescence, had been wandering the world for more than twenty years trying to get them all. As a boy, Vee had almost religiously followed the exploits of the wanderer and his ever-changing roster of companions, but after the first two-hundred and fifty classes or so he¡¯d stopped caring. He couldn¡¯t even remember the guy¡¯s name anymore.
He¡¯d never had any such aspirations of his own. While most graduates of the Academy had at least three classes, Vee didn¡¯t even have a secondary class. He was content to be nothing more than a [Ghost Maestro]. Conversing with souls and spirits and helping to shape them into productive forms was fulfilling work, but unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t particularly well-paying. After graduating, he¡¯d wafted from one job to another like a plume of smoke, and ultimately had run through his father¡¯s patience as none stuck and his savings account dwindled away to nothing.
Ultimately, he''d sort of given up on finding a good job. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to do anything, it was that he didn¡¯t know what he wanted to do and as soon as he started one thing he¡¯d get distracted by the shiny appeal of something else. One idea gave way to another, one job promised a foothold into the door of the next, and Vee bounced between them all with ever-increasing cynicism.
That aimlessness was why he was on this stupid carriage. About a week ago, he¡¯d been kicked out of his family''s estate and given no more than enough fleurs to book the cheapest cross-country carriage ride offered at the station and a stern ¡°Make your own way, son¡± directive from his dad.
It could have been worse. He could have been forced to go by himself, but as soon as he¡¯d told Alforde about the situation in an attempt to say goodbye the armorsoul had dropped the load of stones he¡¯d been carrying as part of his construction job, told his boss that he quit and declared that he was going wherever Vee went.
That had been great, and the first few days of traveling together had been fun in their own way, but Vee had to think about the future. Namely, what his own was supposed to be.
Indeed, he felt a nice little brood coming on when the carriage jerked to a halt and he almost face-planted the seat in front of his own.
¡°What the heck was that?¡± he said as he stood up. The other passengers on the carriage ¨C a pair of salamander grandparents, their granddaughter and a haughty looking kitrekin who¡¯d been cleaning her face, fuzzy ears, and paws almost constantly for the entire trip ¨C all shrugged. They didn¡¯t know what it was either.
¡°Maybe it¡¯s bandits,¡± Alforde said as he stood up behind Vee. ¡°I¡¯ve read all these news stories about bandits attacking carriages! They¡¯re great! Swords, magic, murder! The works! Oh, how exciting!¡±
Vee glared at him. ¡°Those aren¡¯t news stories, you goon. Those are the penny dreadfuls. Besides, why would bandits be out here? Do you think that there¡¯s an especially valuable crop of corn coming in that they want to get their hands on? There¡¯s nothing out here for them to steal! It''s not like we have any money.¡±
¡°But that¡¯s what makes it such a great plan though,¡± Alforde insisted. ¡°No one would expect there to be bandits out here, so they have the element of surprise!¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°That''s not how it works. Don¡¯t be dumb. I¡¯m sure we just hit a nasty pothole or some other mundane thing. I¡¯m going to go out and see what the problem is.¡±
¡°Wait,¡± said Alforde as he threw open the door on his chest once again. His right arm detached from his shoulder, leaving nothing but a tether of gray-blue smoke keeping them connected. The arm floated inside the cavity and rooted around for a moment, and then drew out Vee¡¯s collapsible walking stick. ¡°You should take this with you! Just in case there really are bandits.¡±
Vee groaned, but he took the walking stick all the same. It was heavy and would work as a nice club if push came to shove. There was no harm in being prepared, after all.
¡°I¡¯ll come with you too,¡± Alforde said as he reattached his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone! I¡¯m good in a fight! I¡¯ll protect the carriage from the bandits.¡±
Vee looked at the other passengers, and saw that the little salamander was staring up at them with eyes as wide as a full moon. She was trembling and looked terrified. Vee smacked Alforde¡¯s side.
¡°Stop talking about bandits,¡± Vee hissed. ¡°Look how bad you scared that little salamander?¡±
Alforde looked thoroughly chastised. Well, as thoroughly chastised as an almost seven-foot tall suit of armor with glowing yellow eyes can look.
Turning towards the little salamander, Vee put on his best smile. It was the same one he¡¯d put every day while working for the city back home as a mail carrier. He thought it was pretty good, as far as smiles went. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about a thing,¡± Vee said. ¡°There aren¡¯t any bandits. I¡¯m sure that we¡¯ve just stopped for a moment, but I¡¯m going to talk to the driver and see if she needs any help getting us going. There¡¯s no need to be afraid, all right?¡±
The little salamander still looked scared, but she nodded, and her grandfather put a scaly hand on her shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze. He met Vee¡¯s eyes and gave him a solemn nod. ¡°Thank¡¯ee much, mister. My granddaughter just has a vivid imagination, and all that talk of bandits got her scared.¡±
¡°So does my friend,¡± Vee said with a laugh. ¡°He¡¯s always reading those adventure books and thinks that he¡¯s going to end up in one any day now.¡±
That got a chuckle from everyone in the room, except for Alforde.
¡°It never hurts to be prepared!¡± The armorsoul insisted. ¡°What if there really are bandits?!¡±
¡°There aren¡¯t. I promise.¡± Vee said as he pushed open the carriage door and bounced down the two steps to the ground. The earth was muddy and damp, but Vee didn¡¯t immediately see any ruts or fallen trees in the road that would have been cause for the carriage to stop.
Instead, he saw the thin blade of a sword pointed at his throat.
Alforde, who¡¯d jumped down next to him, pointed at the blade and the hulking, scarred man holding it. ¡°See? I told you! Bandits!¡±
Inside the carriage, the little salamander screamed.
[You have unlocked the Confidently Incorrect Know-It-All Class. Would you like to accept?]
Vee fought back the urge to swear and dismissed the notification.
Vee and Alforde¡¯s Stat Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 13
Secondary Class: None
Might: 6
Wit: 18
Faith: 10
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 9
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), level 7
Might: 12
Wit: 10
Faith: 20
Chapter 2: An Expensive Compromise
A second bandit approached. He was younger and significantly less scarred than the first, but there was a keen family resemblance in his dark hair and slate-colored eyes that was hard to miss. He looked to be around Vee¡¯s age and was visibly trembling as he lifted his own blade and pointed it at Vee and Alforde.
¡°Go ahead, Nen,¡± said the first bandit, in a surprisingly gentle and encouraging tone. ¡°Yeh can do it, lad.¡±
The boy bandit gulped and tightened his grip on his sword. ¡°Y-your money and your l-life!¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow, but it was Alforde who raised a gauntleted hand and spoke up. ¡°Far be it from me to tell you about your business, mister bandit, but isn¡¯t the threat supposed to be ¡®Your money OR your life?¡¯ I¡¯ve seen it quite a few times in books and such, and I¡¯m almost certain that¡¯s what they say.¡±
Nen¡¯s face fell and he lowered his weapon before repeatedly smacking himself in the forehead. ¡°I messed it up again! Stupid, stupid, stupid! See, Da? I told you I can¡¯t do this!¡±
The older bandit shook his head and kept his sword pointed right at Vee as he looked at his son. ¡°Yeh¡¯re doing fine, son. Yeh just need to relax a little bit. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here out here practicin¡¯. Here, go ahead, give it another try. These guys won¡¯t try nothin¡¯, right?¡±
This last sentence was directed to Vee, and with it came a prod with the sword that was almost polite.
¡°Of course not,¡± Vee said as he forced himself to smile like this was someone counting out an endless stream of change at the market instead of a criminal encounter. ¡°Go ahead and try as many times as you need.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± said Nen as he lifted his weapon once more. Clearing his throat and closing his eyes, the young bandit took a moment to collect himself, and then opened his eyes and hollered ¡°Alright scumbags, it''s like this! Your money OR your life!¡±
The older bandit took one hand off his sword to flash his son a thumbs up.
Vee wasn¡¯t totally sure about that whole being called a scumbag thing, but let the matter slide as there was still a sharp sword pointed at him. He explained that he kept his moneybag inside his friend¡¯s chest and needed to retrieve to be given some space in order to extract it.
¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing,¡± Nen¡¯s father said, raising a wary eyebrow. ¡°Sounds like yer tryin¡¯ to buy yerself some time to get a weapon or somethin¡¯ like that. I don¡¯t like it.¡±
Alforde pried the door on his chestplate open and pointed inside. ¡°Would it ease your concerns if you took a look for yourself? I can describe Vee¡¯s moneybag to you if you¡¯d prefer to remove it instead of having him do it. Giving the hostage the ability to move freely is unwise, I agree. For all you know we could be strong adventurers in disguise, waiting for our chance to free ourselves from this situation and put you in such a poor state that you beg for the justice of the law!¡±
Nen tilted his head to the side. ¡°You¡¯re kind of wordy for an armorsoul, aren¡¯t you? Most of the ones back at the academy used to¡ª¡±
¡°Not another word, Nen,¡± coached his dad. ¡°Rule of the trade. No idle conversations. Remember?¡±
¡°Sorry, Da.¡±
¡°There¡¯s just one thing about the money,¡± Vee said quietly.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
But before Vee could answer, there was a mighty crash and the carriage driver hopped down from her seat. She was a middle aged woman with dark skin and curly hair, and she wore bright silver armor. It was on fire. So was her long, rune-covered sword. Her eyes glowed the same color as the flames, and she seemed less like a person than some sort of vengeful being descended from the heavens to punish evildoers.
The older bandit swore. ¡°Cris, weren¡¯t you supposed to make sure that the driver was asleep?¡±
Another boy, this one younger than Nen poked his head out from behind a tree and sheepishly scratched his ear. He wore a simple robe and carried a gnarled staff. A [Spellcaster] of some sort, then, though it was basically impossible to tell exactly what type. Putting people to sleep was a pretty low level skill for [Spellcasters] to have, after all. His smile was crooked and three silver hoops hung from each of his ears. ¡°Sorry ¡®bout that, Da. I got her with my [Sleepytime] skill, but I guess her resistances were too high for it to work for long.¡±
The carriage driver pointed her fiery sword at the old bandit. ¡°Lower your weapons, gentlemen, or I, Maryanne Deispulle, [Holy Paladin] in the employ of Sacre¡¯s Carriage Company, shall engage you in battle!¡±
There was a tense moment as the paladin studied the bandits and vice versa, and then the older bandit threw back his head and laughed.
¡°Maryanne? Gawain¡¯s balls, I didn¡¯t recognize yeh through all that fire. That [Righteous Zeal] is pretty blindin¡¯.¡±
The paladin stood still for a few seconds, and then she laughed too. Her flames faded and her eyes returned to normal. She sheathed her sword and pulled her cape back around her armor so that it looked like a cloak once again, the way it had when Vee and Alforde had first boarded the carriage.
¡°Bert Hallstrum, is that really you? What are you doing here, you old scallywag?¡±
¡°Reckon yeh can see that for yerself,¡± Bert said with another laugh. ¡°I¡¯m out here showin¡¯ me boys the ropes of the family business. Nen¡¯s got a strong arm, but his nerves are keepin¡¯ him from going and working down on the southern trade routes. The crews down there are all run real tight, and they don¡¯t take kindly to mistakes, so he needs to sharpen up a bit before headin¡¯ down there. Cris is looking to take over the band when I retire, so I figured the three of us would come out here and pillage a nice easy carriage.¡±
Maryanne shook her head. ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t let you steal from my passengers. You know that Sacre takes any losses incurred as a result of bandit claims out of my paycheck?¡±
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¡°Always how it goes, innit? But, it sounds to me like we¡¯re at an impasse, eh? My boys need the experience that comes with robbing a carriage proper, and yeh need to protect yer customers or its skin right off yer neb. Probably going to be messy business, I reckon. Real messy.¡±
Everyone was quiet and the jovial spirit that had filled the air a few moments ago was gone once again, replaced by a boiling teakettle¡¯s tension. Now it was Vee¡¯s turn to speak up. He held up a hand.
¡°Excuse me. I think I might have a solution to this situation that we can all agree with. Fighting here isn¡¯t going to be particularly beneficial to any of us, and there¡¯s a young salamander aboard the carriage who would probably be frightened if you all started throwing down.¡±
Bert gave him a wolfish grin. ¡°That¡¯s the intent, innit?¡±
When Vee didn¡¯t return his grin, he shook his head and grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s the problem with this generation. They¡¯re all pacifists. You¡¯ve got a plan though, huh? Well, let¡¯s hear it, then.¡±
Vee gestured to Alforde and fished his moneybag out of the armorsoul¡¯s chest. He opened it up and showed the bandits the small collection of silver fleurs inside. In all honesty, he didn¡¯t really have a plan for how to diffuse the situation, but he was hoping that he could buy himself enough time to think of one. That had always been his strong suit: thinking.
¡°As you can see, I¡¯m not particularly wealthy, but this would be a decent little haul, right?¡±
Bert gestured to Nen, who stepped forward and counted it quickly. ¡°Twenty six silver fleurs, Da.¡±
¡°Aye, that¡¯s a reasonable day¡¯s work,¡± the older bandit said as he folded his arms across his chest expectantly.
Well, here it was, the moment of truth. Vee felt a flash of inspiration ¨C or perhaps it was desperation ¨C , but had no idea if it would work. Nothing to do but try though, right?
¡°Is this enough to hire you to protect the carriage until we get the rest of the way to Oar¡¯s Crest?¡± Vee asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure that given your line of work you know all about the recent rise in bandit attacks on carraiges.¡± He punctuated this point with a big wink, and Bert winked back to show that he understood.
¡°If you agree, you¡¯ll get what you want, and since you¡¯re not technically stealing from carriage passengers, Maryanne won¡¯t have to pay Sacre. It¡¯s a win-win!¡±
Bert stroked his chin, deep in thought. He looked over at Maryanne. ¡°Well, there have been some rumors about a real nasty [Bandit Lord] around these parts. I guess we could make that work and lend you a hand. There¡¯s always another carriage next week for the boys to practice on. That alright with yeh, Maryanne? What do yeh say?¡±
The paladin nodded. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, this is no different than if he¡¯d gambled all his money away at a rest stop. Sacre doesn¡¯t hold me responsible for that, so I don¡¯t have any objections.¡±
And with that, the matter was basically settled. Vee handed over his money bag, which contained his every last fleur, and Nen removed the coins, pocketed them, and gave the empty bag back.
Vee took it and felt that familiar tickling sensation in his skull once again.
[You have unlocked the Poor Negotiator Class! Would you like to take it?]
Naturally, Vee rejected such an obviously bad class, and whatever the powers were that governed classes and such things offered a compensatory +1 to his Faith instead, which he was glad to see. Compensation points were pretty rare, but for most people they were a nice way of making one feel better about not taking an offered class. For Vee though, they were just a little bonus for doing the thing he was going to do anyways.
Claiming that she was eager to get moving once again ¨C being late also apparently incurred a penalty to her paycheck ¨C Maryanne clambered back up to the top of the carriage. She moved surprisingly quickly, given how heavy her armor must have been, and Vee marveled at her strength. She was joined up there by Cris. Vee heard the young bandit ask about how she¡¯d resisted his sleep spell and then the two of them were too hard to hear. Nen and Bert dusted themselves off and climbed inside the carriage to ride along with the rest of the passengers until they reached Oar¡¯s Crest.
Alforde hung back a moment and grabbed Vee¡¯s arm. ¡°Are you sure that was wise? That was the rest of your money, wasn¡¯t it? How are we going to pay for food and lodging once we get to Oar¡¯s Crest?¡±
Vee shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any better options in the moment, did you? I¡¯m pretty sure Maryanne would have wiped the floor with those three, but there¡¯s always the chance that she wouldn¡¯t and I didn¡¯t feel like risking it. This way, we have no money, but we¡¯re all safe, which is what¡¯s really important. As for food and lodging in Oar¡¯s Crest, we¡¯ll figure it out once we get there. I¡¯m sure there are some construction crews who¡¯d be happy to hire you, and I can find a job too. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±
¡°I sure hope so,¡± Alforde said as he adjusted his helmet and returned to the carriage. Vee followed after him, and winked at the little salamander girl as he walked by. She grinned back.
¡°See? I told you there was nothing to worry about.¡±
Her grandfather gave Bert and Nen a significant glance and looked back at Vee. ¡°All taken care of?¡±
¡°Yup. They wanted to warn us that there have been some bandits on the roads recently,¡± Vee lied. ¡°So they offered to ride along with us until we get to Oar¡¯s Crest to make sure that nothing bad happens.¡±
¡°That¡¯s great!¡± the little salamander said. She waved happily at Nen, who blushed and returned the gesture. She bowed at Vee and Alforde. ¡°Thank you both so much!¡±
¡°We didn¡¯t really do much,¡± Vee said, feeling his own cheeks redden.
Bert snorted and sauntered to the back of the carriage, where he reclined next to the window. He put his hands behind his head, licked his lips and fell asleep almost instantly. That must have been a skill, Vee thought. But let¡¯s see how well it works once we¡¯re moving again. This road is more treacherous than you are, bandit.
A few minutes later, the carriage clunked back to life and they resumed their bouncing trek towards Oar¡¯s Crest.
Vee sat back down next to Alforde and glared at Bert. He was ready for the moment when the man snapped back to consciousness, but it didn¡¯t come. Further proof that life was unfair.
[You have unlocked the Spiteful Observer Class. Would you like to take it?]
Vee shook his head and the prompt faded. No compensation skill point this time.
Nen was sitting in front of him, and the young bandit turned around and produced a grubby deck of cards. Now that Vee didn¡¯t have to worry about having a sword pointed at him, he felt that there was something familiar about the boy¡¯s appearance. Actually, now that he thought about it, Nen had mentioned the academy. Perhaps they¡¯d both been students there.
¡°Care to play a game?¡± Nen asked. ¡°It¡¯ll help pass the time. We¡¯re probably a day or so from Oar¡¯s Crest.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± said Vee, the kernel of another idea popping in his skull. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be willing to make a wager on it? Maybe give me a chance to win my money back?¡±
The other boy grinned. ¡°What have you got to wager?¡±
Vee popped open Alforde¡¯s chest and drew out his medicine bag once more. The armorsoul glared at him, and Vee made a mental note to not fiddle around inside his inventory for at least the next few hours. He opened it up and showed the contents to the young bandit, who whistled at the sight of the bottles and liquids.
¡°Some of those are worth a heavy purse,¡± Nen said. ¡°But if you¡¯re willing to risk ¡®em, I¡¯m happy to let you.¡±
And so, the two played as the carriage bounced them up and down the road leading to Oar¡¯s Crest.
Alforde and Vee¡¯s Stat Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 13
Secondary Class: None
Might: 6
Wit: 18
Faith: 11 (+1)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 9
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), level 7
Might: 12
Wit: 10
Faith: 20
Chapter 3: Welcome to Oars Crest
Long before Vee was born, Oar¡¯s Crest had been the place to be. Nestled just beneath the lofty peaks of the Emberberry mountains, it had grown rapidly as a place for [Smiths] of all kinds to come together and hone their skills. Thanks to the abundance of easily mined frostnickel ¨C a metal naturally enchanted with the powers of ice and stronger than steel ¨C and bountiful harvests of emberberries, which are small berries that give the eater the power to breathe fire for a short period of time and can be used to make an extremely potent liquor ¨C the city grew rapidly through trade and commerce. For decades, Oar¡¯s Crest weapons and armor were said to be the finest in the world, and armies from all around the continent paid whatever price the [Smiths] demanded to have them in their armories.
Naturally this economic prosperity led to wealth for private individuals, and like countless others throughout history who found their ambitions met with sufficient resources to pursue them, they vied for power with one another. However, instead of the bloodshed wrought by the simple bands of mercenaries, private armies, cunning assassins and whacko cults that marked the contests typical of Lucen, Taggert, and other great cities throughout the world, the citizens of Oar¡¯s Crest battled each other for power and prestige through patronage. The gods had blessed them, they said, and so they wanted to share their wealth with others.
And so the newly created [Moguls] and [Tycoons] hired [Artists], [Musicians], [Playwrights], [Chefs], and all sorts of other classes to create beautiful things for the city to enjoy. The citizens, who knew a bargain when they saw one, rewarded the most valuable contributors with political capital.
Before long, Oar¡¯s Crest was not just a hub of trade activity, but also a cultural center with some of the continent¡¯s best food, fashion, music, and art. The average citizen was almost as wealthy as nobility were elsewhere, and the populace was, for the most part, happy. They worked hard and were paid well for their labor, and the city was a vibrant beacon of life, energy, and prosperity. Vast vineyards of emberberries were planted on the mountain slopes, and the city¡¯s border was surrounded by fertile fields of fruits and vegetables. Agricultural exports almost rivaled forged goods in terms of raw value.
It was peaceful too. The rare [Bandit Warlord] or [Raider] that tried to cause trouble was quickly defeated and subdued by the city''s well-trained and well-provisioned force of [Holy Paladins] and [Bastions].
But, everything changed when trade with the far southern continent, Zalumna, opened up. Previously, trade between continents was virtually impossible due to a massive iceberg that was impassable for both ships and caravans, but the rampage of an angry [Summoner] and her quasi-divine [Phoenix] familiar over the death of her lover melted said iceberg and opened a short ocean path.
Virtually overnight, the world became much smaller and the [Smiths] and [Merchants] of Oar¡¯s Crest found themselves competing against products from all around the world, as [Shipping Magnates], [Naval Merchants], and [Traders] of all stripes eagerly hunted for quality products and better prices to offer to their countrymen.
For a few years, this change didn''t bother the craftsmen or citizens of Oar¡¯s Crest all that much. The products from Zalumna were almost entirely made of aquapenny, a slightly water-enchanted metal that was inferior to frostnickel in both strength and flexibility. It was cheap crap, suitable for toys and trinkets and nothing more. They laughed and slapped each other on the back as the first handfuls of their clients told them that the new material was good enough for most of their needs and so cheap that they¡¯d be fools not to make the switch. They¡¯ll come crawling back to us and then we¡¯ll charge them double they told one another as one client going elsewhere became two, and then four, and so on.
Blinded by their arrogance and softened from years at the apex of the economic world, the elite of Oar''s Crest failed to see how wrong they were. The aquapenny products were good enough for almost everything, and the factories and forges of Zalumna improved rapidly thanks to all the new business. Eventually, the quality of the things they made was such that they almost rivaled products made of frostnickel.
That was when the laughter stopped and the claws of panic took hold of the city. What were they going to do?
At first, the expert craftsmen tried to compete fairly. They looked for places in their workflows where they could make improvements and tried to cut their costs. Their plan was simple: if they could save money on production they could pass those savings on to their customers and preserve their ever-shrinking sources of income. Alas, their efforts yielded naught. They had already optimized their practices and cutting costs led to an unacceptable level of quality loss. Unable to pay their bills, businesses started closing left and right, and the people who¡¯d once so happily worked in them decided to seek their futures elsewhere.
Those who¡¯d spent so much of their money on buying influence and power put both to use, passing all sorts of laws and policies to try and protect the remaining domestic industries. They added tariffs on foreign goods, offered subsidies to preferred makers, and bought unsold inventories with gusto. None of it mattered though, and as their efforts failed to staunch the bleeding caused by this new trade, the city slowly succumbed to economic reality. When the last remnants of fortunes built over decades were spent, the final forges went cold, the last factories fell silent, and the emberberries were left unchecked until they choked out almost all other plant life on the mountains and surrounding plains. Looking for better opportunities elsewhere, the [Farmers], [Orchardists], [Vintners] and [Growers] who¡¯d harvested them and kept their wild growth at bay had all left too. Without these capable people in charge, the city''s agricultural output shriveled and died over the next decades, victims of drought and poor crop management, and the last viable sector of business in the city vanished as well.
Over the course of the next eighty years or so, Oar¡¯s Crest became a shell of itself. Most of the buildings were abandoned and left empty. They became places where monsters and fiends took up residence. Those few people of all races who hadn¡¯t left got to know each other well and collectively scrabbled for survival. The underbelly that had always lurked in the shadows of the city ¨C paid for by extortion, substance abuse, and other crimes ¨C came to the surface and existed openly. Sickly sweet memories of better yesterdays stood in the way of any hope for brighter tomorrows.
It was this husk of a city that the carriage arrived in, safely, the next day.
Vee stepped out onto the platform and stretched. He wrinkled his nose at the faint stench of mold and mildew that filled the air, and looked disapprovingly at the unkempt grooms that shuffled forward in their dirty garb to see to the horses.
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Alforde followed him, and the armorsoul¡¯s eyes were inscrutable as he looked around. The salamander family and the preening kitrekin all disembarked as well. The little salamander girl ran up to Vee and gave him a big hug he didn¡¯t really think he deserved, but he returned it all the same and waved farewell to her as she walked off the platform hand in hand with her grandmother.
Maryanne climbed down from her perch, with Cris right behind her. She raised her arms to the ceiling and yawned.
¡°I can¡¯t believe we made it on time,¡± the paladin said. ¡°Now I won¡¯t have to pay Sacre for being late.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Bert said as he exited the carriage. He¡¯d slept almost the entire time and his wolfish smile had returned. ¡°That old slug has plenty of fleurs, he don¡¯t need yers. I always said that yeh should join up with me and the lads. We could use someone like yeh in the crews.¡±
Maryanne shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t do that and you know it. I¡¯d lose my powers.¡±
The bandit snorted. ¡°Yet you work for Sacre.¡±
¡°As a carriage driver. It¡¯s honest work, unlike robbery.¡±
Bert swore and launched into a tirade about how banditry was honest enough in its own way and Vee wondered if he should, like, go somewhere else. Unfortunately, as it was, he was standing between them and had heard enough of his parents¡¯ arguments over the years to know that things were about to get messy. He just hoped that no one was about to start throwing things. He wasn''t particularly good at dodging.
[You have unlocked the Uncomfortable Witness class. Would you like to take it?]
Vee frowned. If his memory was correct ¨C which was a decent bet but not certain by any means ¨C he¡¯d been offered that class once before, and had refused it then just as he did now. He hadn¡¯t known that classes could be offered twice, and wasn¡¯t sure he liked it. Part of him had hoped that he was slowly working his way towards a more peaceful life with every trash class he rejected.
Nen tapped Vee on the shoulder and gestured to the far end of the platform. ¡°Come on, they¡¯re going to be impossible to talk to for the next twenty minutes or so. We might as well leave them to it.¡±
Vee followed the young bandit, and looked back at Maryanne and Bert who were both starting to get animated as they argued. ¡°Do they do that often?¡±
¡°All the time,¡± Nen said. ¡°Back before I was born Da was a [Squire] along with Maryanne, but then he met my ma and decided that the life of a [Holy Paladin] wasn¡¯t for him. After some...uh...time with my ma, he lost his powers and turned to banditry to pay the bills, but he likes to keep in touch with his old comrades. It''s good for him. Plus, he won''t say this but I''m pretty sure that he likes arguing with Maryanne, because unlike ma she lets him win sometimes.¡±
Nen and Cris led Vee and Alforde outside into the crisp afternoon air. It was cloudy and gray, and Vee could smell ghosts in the air. It was hard to explain the scent of ectoplasm, but Vee always thought of it as a combination of coconut and lye soap, and that was usually close enough when he explained it to people.
[Congratulations! Traveling somewhere new has given you and all spirits bound to you the ability to earn points in Adventurousness. Adventurousness +2!]
Vee stopped walking and marveled at the popup for a moment. A new stat?! That¡¯d never happened to him before.
When it came to stats, everyone started with the same three: Might, Wit, and Faith. These three were the self-explanatory building blocks of life, the starting points from which all others were created. New stats were earned through life experiences, but no matter what Vee had tried, he¡¯d never managed to acquire any for himself. It seemed beyond strange that one would pop up now, after nothing more than a carriage ride to a new place. He hadn''t really done anything to deserve it. Was traveling really such an important part of life?
Or, perhaps there was something more here than met the eye at first glance. Fortunately, Vee was excellent when it came to looking beneath the surface of things. He closed his eyes. ¡°[Second Sight]¡±
When he reopened them, the world was filled with luminous green shapes, courtesy of his skill. These were ghosts, of course, but they were only the normal kind, and not terribly interesting. For the most part, they were the leftover spirits of insects and small animals and would dissipate on their own in a few hours or a day or two at most. They weren''t the kind of ghosts that Vee could really do anything with.
The [Ghost Maestro] couldn¡¯t help but be a little disappointed. He¡¯d been hoping to see blue and purple shapes. Those were the big ghosts ¨C usually born from memories and emotions ¨C that he could really shape to his will. Admittedly, he didn¡¯t really know what he''d do with the big ghosts even if he found them, but that was a problem for future Vee to figure out the answer to.
He kept his skill active, in case anything interesting was waiting for him just down the road and followed Nen and Cris down the dirty street. Everything about the city was filthy. Bits of garbage pressed up against the sidewalks and the broken windows were two or three times as common as the unbroken.
There were a few people here and there, and they all had the hard gazes of those who knew what it was like to live without. Looking into their accusing gazes, Vee felt more than a little self-conscious about his neatly pressed black pants, cream-colored shirt and tailored blue jacket. He felt like he stood out a mile away as someone who didn''t belong. Were the people here the type to take exception to an outsider and cause trouble?
Thankfully, Alforde clunked along behind him, and Vee felt a little safer knowing that his friend had his back. He didn¡¯t know what all to expect in town, but was confident in the armorsoul¡¯s ability to handle things if they got messy. Having grown up pampered and moneyed, Vee wasn¡¯t much good when it came to ''talking to others through his fists'' as some boys called it, but Alforde took to fighting like a fish to water, as did all of his kind. Despite his big and bulky frame, the armorsoul was quick and slippery, and his instinctive kinetic awareness helped him end up on top of all the schoolyard brawls that they''d been in as kids.
¡°Say, you two hungry at all?¡± Nen asked. ¡°I feel like it¡¯d be impolite of me not to offer to buy you guys a meal. Since you''re new in town and all.¡± He smiled and jangled his pocket. It was full of the fleurs that had been Vee¡¯s, as well as almost all of the potions, elixirs, and other contents of Vee¡¯s bag. The [Ghost Maestro] scowled. Nen might not have been a great bandit, but he was an eerily good gambler. They¡¯d played probably close to a hundred hands of cards before Vee had to call it quits, and Nen had won all but maybe seven of them. The result was that in addition to needing to find money for day to day expenses, Vee now also had to scrounge up extra income to replace his lost supplies. He didn¡¯t even know where to begin doing so. Luckily, that too was another problem for future Vee to solve.
Right now, all he could think of was his rumbling stomach. It''d been a while since he''d last eaten. He said as much, and the bandit brothers led the way to a small diner called The Grinning Pig.
[You have unlocked the Stomach Thinker class, would you like to take it?]
Vee sighed, and dismissed the notification as he stepped through the open door in front of him.
Vee and Alforde¡¯s Stat Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 13
Secondary Class: None
Might: 6
Wit: 18
Faith: 11
Adventurousness: 2 (+2)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 9
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), level 7
Might: 12
Wit: 10
Faith: 20
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 0
Chapter 4: A Meal, a Cat, a Core, a Hat
The diner was small and cramped, and the d¨¦cor was dated. But the floors and tables were clean. Thankfully.
Vee and Alforde sat down across from Nen and Cris, and a towering kitrekin brought over a pair of wrinkled and stained menus. Everything on it looked like typical diner fare: greasy potatoes, roasted meat, pasta, soups, and sandwiches. Pretty much everything came with plenty of gravy. That was explicitly mentioned on the menus, for reasons Vee wasn''t sure he wanted to know.
¡°Welcome in, lads,¡± the kitrekin said in a booming voice. He had orange fur and was missing the whiskers on the left side of his mouth. He was also missing one of his lower teeth, and so he looked silly when he smiled at Nen and Cris.
¡°Been a while since I last seen you two, eh? What sort of trouble has your old man had you getting involved with?¡±
The bandits shrugged. ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary,¡± they chorused.
¡°Well, that¡¯s good. Ordinary trouble is good trouble, that¡¯s what I always say. Tell him Big Simon says hi when you next see him, eh? And who might you two be?¡±
Vee and Alforde introduced themselves, and the kitrekin bowed. Despite his big frame, he moved gracefully. ¡°Huh. Not many new faces in town these days. Well, welcome to Oar¡¯s Crest. My name is Simon. Nice to meet you. Since it''s your first time in, I¡¯ll give you all a few minutes to look over the menu.¡±
He returned shortly after and took their orders, and while Vee was a sandwich man through and through, he decided to venture out of his comfort zone and get the soup instead. Hopefully it didn''t come with gravy.
[Adventurousness +1]
Vee raised his eyebrows at the alert. Really? He¡¯d gotten another skill point just for ordering something different? That seemed a little¡too easy. Back at the academy, he¡¯d spent weeks, if not months grinding away to boost his stats, and since coming here he¡¯d gotten two stat ups in as many days. That wasn''t even including the fact that he¡¯d unlocked an entirely new type of stat.
Vee¡¯s [Second Sight] was still active, and he looked around the restaurant. Back behind the kitchen was a streak of blue that looked promising, but Vee had no way to get back there just then to examine it more closely, so he didn''t pay it much attention. Other than that though, the diner was full of the same green ghosts that had been elsewhere in the city. Disappointing.
The food took less than a minute to arrive, thanks to the cook¡¯s [Fast Reheat] skill. Simon seemed quite proud of this, but Vee wasn¡¯t thrilled with the fact that the food hadn¡¯t been cooked fresh. At least it tasted okay. His soup was spicy and he detected tomatoes and oregano among the flavors present, but couldn''t identify any of the others.
[You have unlocked the Average Taster class, would you like to take it?]
Vee waved the prompt away and ate another spoonful of soup.
The rest of the meal was filled with small talk, and Simon came back once more to collect the two silver fleurs that Nen offered as payment once everyone was done. The kitrekin shook hands with Alforde and bowed to Vee.
¡°I don¡¯t know how long you two are planning to stay in our humble city, but whenever you get hungry, please consider coming by again. The kitchen never closes, there¡¯s always someone here, and as I¡¯m sure you noticed, our prices are extremely affordable.¡±
Vee thanked him and followed the bandits out of the Grinning Pig but after a moment¡¯s chitchat the boys turned to him and said that it was time for them to go home.
¡°Da used his [Call Home] skill while we were eating,¡± Nen explained. ¡°He only does that when he doesn¡¯t feel like tracking us down himself, so he¡¯s probably still sore about his argument with Maryanne. Do you two have a place to stay for the night?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°Well, uh, we planned to find a hotel or something once we arrived, but the money we had budgeted for the fee somehow ended up in your pocket, as did most of the things I could pawn to get more. We''ll probably have no choice but to sleep on the streets.¡±
[You have unlocked the Passive Aggressive Communicator class, would you like to take it?]
No. Just like always.
Nen tightened up, but his brother clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Come on, bro. Give them a coin or two for the night. We¡¯re not the kind of people who refuse to offer a helping hand to those in need, are we?¡±
Nen grunted, but did as his brother suggested. He tossed Vee a fleur and pointed down the road that ran south. ¡°If you follow this road, you¡¯ll eventually come to Sculla¡¯s boarding house. It¡¯s a big gray building without any broken windows. You¡¯ll probably see an ogre sitting on the steps with a pipe. That¡¯s Sculla. She¡¯s a bit rough around the edges but she¡¯ll let you stay in one of her rooms for cheap.¡±
¡°So long as you¡¯re willing to work,¡± Cris said, and Nen nodded.
¡°That¡¯s true. Sculla expects boarders to pull their weight when it comes to chores, but she¡¯s honest and the rooms are clean.¡±
Vee breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the bandits for their help. He and Alforde were still basically screwed, unless this Sculla person was willing to let them stay for a while without any extra money, but facing the future with a full belly and a dry place to sleep for the night made it feel like things weren¡¯t quite so bad.
¡°Oh, and there¡¯s one other thing I forgot,¡± Nen said. ¡°Make sure that you don¡¯t go too far south. Here in Northtown, things are pretty safe, but the rest of the city is real dangerous. Lots of fiends and monsters living in the old buildings and all, and some of them eat people. Best to be safe and stay far away.¡±
Vee waited for a sign that the young bandit was joking, but Nen¡¯s face looked like it had been carved from stone. ¡°How will we know if we¡¯ve gone too far south?¡±
¡°Big gate,¡± Cris said with a grin as he turned to leave. ¡°Two [Bastions] stationed in front of it, and it says ¡®Warning: Unsafe areas ahead. Citizens not allowed¡¯ on top. Pretty hard to miss, to be honest.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good to know!¡± Alforde said, completely earnestly. ¡°We¡¯ll have to make sure that we don¡¯t go through it by accident.¡±
Cris and Nen just looked at him. For an uncomfortably long time.
¡°Well, be seeing you two then,¡± said Nen. The brothers walked past the Grinning Pig, turned the corner and vanished into the gloom. A shadow darted from one tree to the next, but Vee didn''t pay it any mind.
It was starting to get late, and the sky was turning violet as the sun set behind the mountains. The air was starting to get cold and Vee rubbed his thin arms in an attempt to ward off the oncoming chill.
¡°We should get going. I''ll be able to see my breath soon,¡± he told Alforde, and the armorsoul nodded. They walked down the street and there wasn¡¯t a person in sight. A few stray dogs sniffed their way towards Vee, but when he shook his head and held up his empty hands, they backed away and returned to their pitiful forage.
Vee was starting to see bigger ghosts now, mostly centered around the small houses and piecemeal yards that they passed from time to time. Here, sitting on an abandoned tire-swing was the ghost of a happy family. There, next to a weathered bench with one broken armrest was a ghost of young love.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Alforde couldn¡¯t see these spirits, but he could see the blue gleam near the pupils in his friend¡¯s eyes and knew what it meant.
¡°Lots of heavy hitters here, huh?¡±
Vee nodded, and wiped his eyes to deactivate the skill because it was starting to hurt. Being a [Ghost Maestro] meant that he could feel the emotions of the spirits he saw and interacted with. Their triumphs and sorrows were like his own, and in a place like this, there were precious few triumphs to be found. Such an imbalance was heavy on his heart.
As Vee started to sink into a spiral of self-doubt and useless dithering about decisions already made, there was a noise from a nearby alley and a yellow glow filled the air.
The friends stopped and stared at it, and both took a step back as the glow congealed into an unmistakably monstrous hand which gestured for them to walk into the alley.
[You have been given a quest: Investigate the definitely not dangerous glow in the alley. Would you like to accept?]
¡°No way,¡± said Vee, but as he started to dismiss it a warning popped up and stayed his hand.
[There is no reward without risk. If you refuse this quest you¡¯ll lose your Adventurousness stat, as will all spirits bound to you].
Now, Vee didn¡¯t really know what the Adventurousness stat did, but he knew that he wanted to keep it. Extra stat categories were basically always good, and this was the first one he''d ever gotten.
¡°What do you think, Alforde? Should we ¨C¡±
But before he could finish the question, Alforde was already walking into the alley. Vee sighed. Well, even though he didn¡¯t have much of his equipment ¨C and the things he had were all technically still inside Alforde¡¯s chest so he didn''t really have access to them ¨C he was still a [Ghost Maestro]. Handling a wayward spirit shouldn¡¯t be too bad.
Even if it was strong enough to give itself a physical form.
He accepted the quest and heard the soft chime of it starting in the back of his mind. He focused on the sensation and the quest window popped up in front of him.
[Quest: Investigate the definitely not dangerous glow in the alley.]
[Dangers: ???]
[Reward for completion: Maintain Adventurousness skill]
[Description: Go into the alley and see what the deal is with the yellow spirit. It¡¯s probably not dangerous.]
The quest writing was¡unusually frank. Back in the academy, where assignments had also been given as quests, the descriptions had been these horribly verbose monstrosities filled with superfluous words and lore. Things like ¡°In order to become better acquainted with the way in which spirits communicate and express their desires, you must endeavor to speak with them, as Aesperion, the Saint of Bells, once did. Consult four (4) minor spirits around the university and summarize your conversations. Two scrolls in length, due by Saint¡¯s Day.¡±
Shaking his head, Vee followed Alforde into the alley, and though he knew they wouldn¡¯t do him much good if it came down to violence, he balled his hands into fists and held them ready at his sides.
Thankfully though, the alley didn¡¯t appear to be the location of a well-laid trap, as one might expect in a situation such as this. No angry gangs of youthful miscreants leapt out of the windows or came rushing out of the doors with robbery in their eyes and murder in their hearts. It was just an alley, filled with grime and mud and rotting garbage.
In the center of it though, was a good-sized yellow crystal that one didn''t have to be a genius to recognize as the source of the light. It pulsed with an even cadence, casting its yellow glow onto the brick walls on either side of the path.
As Vee and Alforde stood there and watched it do its thing ¨C like, what exactly is one supposed to do with a glowing rock? Pick it up? Kick it? Run away? ¨C the glow once again formed itself into a body which sat down on the rock and looked up expectantly at Vee.
It was a small thing, vaguely humanoid with ears that were giant compared to its size and limbs that looked like they had more joints than normal. It brought its knees up and wrapped its arms around them.
¡°Reckon it wants to talk,¡± said Alforde.
Like the brothers had done before, Vee just looked at him for a few seconds. Then, shaking his head he knelt down so that he was looking into the spirit¡¯s eyes and touched his left hand to his lips.
[Commune With Spirits]
Just like always, using the skill caused Vee to feel a pinch at the back of his throat, and he had to swallow a few times before he felt normal once again.
¡°Hi. I¡¯m Vee Vails. Nice to meet you. What can we do for you?¡± he asked.
The spirit opened its mouth ¨C revealing several teeth that looked surprisingly sharp for being made out of energy ¨C and smiled.
¡°Well now, it''s been a while since I last spoke to a fellow gentleman. Or¡anyone, for that matter. Pleased to meet you, Vee. My name¡¯s Reginald, and I¡¯d be mighty pleased if you could find me a vessel.¡±
Vee looked down. ¡°You mean, beyond this rock?¡±
The spirit leapt up with all the indignity and swagger it could muster. ¡°It¡¯s a core, thank you very much. Not just a rock. I am a [Core Spirit], I''ll have you know.¡±
¡°My apologies,¡± Vee said with all the sincerity he could muster. [Core Spirits] tended to be on the fussy side, and they were powerful enough that it was worth taking steps to avoid pissing them off. Unless you liked having your body perforated by fragments of core when their tantrums caused them to self-destruct. ¡°I might be able to help you. What sort of vessel would you like?¡±
Reginald stood still and thought for a moment, and then pointed to a dumpster a few feet further into the alley. ¡°About a week ago, there was a hat that got thrown away in that dumpster. It looked comfortable, and very stylish. I think I¡¯d like to possess it.¡±
Growing tired of squatting, Vee sat down on the ground and crossed his legs in front of himself. He folded his arms across his chest. Technically speaking, this was totally in his wheelhouse. Moving a spirit from one vessel to another was child¡¯s play for any [Ghost Maestro] over level 5 thanks to the [Zipper Fingers] skill, and he was level 13! Even better, Reginald already knew what vessel he wanted to be transferred into, which removed a lot of the potential headaches from the process. Vessel-inhabiting spirits were notoriously picky and indecisive, and it wasn''t uncommon for hapless [Ghost Maestros] to lose days or even weeks helping them find the "perfect" vessel.
Still, Vee couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit apprehensive. There was something¡off about the spirit, not to mention the circumstances themselves, but other than a general suspicion, he couldn¡¯t identify anything specific to be worried about. If he¡¯d been level 15, he could have used [Detect Falsehood] to see if there was something Reginald wasn¡¯t being totally honest about, but alas.
A popup let him know that his time to ponder before making a decision had run out.
[The Core Spirit, Reginald, has asked for you to help him possess a hat. For some reason. Do you accept?]
What was the worst that could happen? Helping spirits was more than half the reason he became a [Ghost Maestro] in the first place, after all.
Vee nodded and the popup faded away.
[Adventurousness +1]
Turning to Alforde, Vee pointed at the dumpster. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a hat in there that the spirit wants to possess. Could you grab it out for me?¡±
Alforde waddled to the dumpster, tossed it open and started rooting around in the muck and slime. That type of stuff didn¡¯t bother him. He was made out of metal and had no nose to speak of, after all. After about a minute, the armorsoul straightened up and held up his quarry as if it were a treasure.
It was a crooked blue top hat with a wide brim thoroughly covered in half-eaten bits of food and other debris.
Reginald looked at and scowled. ¡°Erm, it wasn¡¯t that dirty when it was thrown away. Maybe I should reconsider¡¡±
Vee scooped up the core and Reginald¡¯s body vanished back into the rock. He knew how this "reconsidering" was going to play out if he didn¡¯t nip it in the bud right now. ¡°Don''t be silly, good spirit. That hat is a perfectly good vessel. My friend and I will go ahead and get it cleaned up and then we¡¯ll transfer you over. How¡¯s that sound?¡±
The core glowed in Vee¡¯s hand for a few moments before Reginald¡¯s voice filled his senses once again.
¡°I suppose that will suffice.¡±
Vee let Alforde carry the hat, but he took the core and the two friends left the alley. They fell into conversation as they resumed their trek to the ogre''s boarding house. As such, they completely failed to notice the girl skulking in the shadows behind them. Their obliviousness didn¡¯t surprise her though, because she¡¯d been following them since they left the Grinning Pig and they hadn¡¯t even thrown a cursory glance backwards since being left on their own. She shook her head, and the tip of her [Pumpkin Witch]¡¯s hat flapped back and forth.
Tourists. If she¡¯d been the type of follower that meant to take their belongings ¨C sadly all too common in Oar¡¯s Crest ¨C they would have been easy prey.
But she wasn¡¯t. She was an adventurer in training, and she decided that it was no longer worth trying to grind out points for her stealth skill by following these two. There just wasn¡¯t any challenge in it.
Adjusting her hat so that the pumpkin ornament that adorned the brim was back where it belonged, the girl shook her head, kicked a small rock down the street with one heavy boot, and faded into the night.
Stat Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 13
Secondary Class: None
Might: 6
Wit: 18
Faith: 11
Adventurousness: 4 (+2)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 9
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), level 7
Might: 12
Wit: 10
Faith: 20
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3 (+3)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 26
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 17
Greed: 15
[OTHER STATS BLOCKED AND HIDDEN BY ORDER OF JACQUES MALUW VII]
Chapter 5: Overthinker
Sculla was a big, surly ogre with a single horn protruding from her forehead and shoulders that were every bit as wide as Alforde¡¯s. Her hair was gray and she wore it so long that it almost looked like she was wearing a cape. Her bottom fangs were yellow and one was jagged, as if it had long since been broken.
She sniffed once as Vee and Alforde approached, and then took a great drag from her pipe. ¡°You two aren¡¯t from around here, are you?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°We just arrived today, but two boys named Nen and Cris told us that we could stay here for a reasonable rate.¡±
The ogre raised her eyebrow. ¡°Nen and Cris Hallstrum?¡±
¡°The very same. We met them on the road during our trip here.¡±
This got a mighty laugh from the ogre, and her hefty shoulders rocked up and down with each hah and heh. ¡°Well, in that case, I¡¯m half surprised that you¡¯re here then. Old Bert Hallstrum isn¡¯t known as a paragon of mercy, and I reckon his boys aren¡¯t much different. But if they told you to come here then you must be decent folk. Rate¡¯s pretty simple. It¡¯ll be a fleur a night for you, boyo, and another half fleur for your golem.¡±
¡°I am not a golem,¡± Alforde hissed. ¡°I am an armorsoul!¡±
Sculla took another drag from her pipe and let the smoke trickle out into the twilight sky. ¡°Golem, armorsoul, what¡¯s the difference? You all look alike so far as my eyes can tell. Doesn¡¯t matter anyway. Price is the same either way.¡±
Vee took out the money that Nen had given him and handed it over. The silver coins looked no bigger than pebbles in the ogre¡¯s meaty hand, and she grunted as she threw them both up into the air and swallowed them.
¡°Storing the money this way makes it easier to make sure no one nicks my coins when I¡¯m not looking,¡± she said by way of explanation when she noticed Vee¡¯s horrified expression.
¡°Room 570 is yours. It¡¯s up a few flights of stairs and then it¡¯ll be on your right.¡±
[You have unlocked the Horrified Boarding House Guest class, would you like to take it?]
Vee found the class so fitting to his sentiment just then that he momentarily considered taking it. Originally, he¡¯d planned to ask for change, but that was definitely off the table now. As always, he dismissed the notification, but for the first time in a long time, he almost regretted it.
Sculla reached into her shirt pocket and drew out a small key attached to a dented brass charm. She lobbed it to Vee, who fumbled it instead of catching it and had to bend down to pick it up.
¡°Huh. Before you two go up to your room and get settled for the night, there¡¯s something I need brought over from across the street there,¡± the ogre said. She pointed at a pair of boxes that were haphazardly stacked on the other side of the road. ¡°Stupid delivery carriage always drops their boxes on the wrong side. Those are filled with the groceries for tomorrow. Would you two go and grab them for me? I¡¯m afraid that my knee is acting up today.¡±
Vee was a little irritated by the request. He was tempted to refuse, to ask her why they should be the ones to go and bring the boxes in when she looked plenty able to go and do it herself, but Alforde shook his head and stopped him from doing so. That was when Vee remembered what Nen and Cris had told him about Sculla liking boarders who helped out. He wasn¡¯t totally sold on the idea that ¡°pulling one¡¯s weight¡± meant ¡°carrying out menial tasks for the landlord without compensation¡±, but this was their only place to stay for the moment, and it wouldn¡¯t do to get off on the wrong foot. Thanks to Sculla¡¯s¡unique¡method for keeping the coins, they technically had a credit for another night¡¯s stay, and Vee wasn¡¯t keen on throwing that money away.
He followed Alforde across the street and got to moving the boxes.
Well, got to trying to move the boxes. See, there was a small problem. Alforde hefted one box up off the ground as if it was a pillow filled with feathers, but no matter how he strained and pulled Vee couldn¡¯t even get his own off the ground. Even getting it to slide more than an inch or two was close to impossible. After the third or fourth fruitless shove session, Vee stood up and shook his head in defeat. Curse his bookish nature and lack of might!
Thankfully, Alforde was a good sport and was more than used to having to pick up the slack when it came to completing physical work with Vee around. After taking his box across the street, he returned without a word of complaint and picked up the second one. Eager to look like he was helping, Vee made a great show of holding onto the bottom of the box and pulling up on it as hard as he could.
When they put it down in front of Sculla, Vee flexed his arms and grinned at his friend.
¡°Whew, that was a tough one, wasn¡¯t it pal?¡±
¡°Not really. The second box was much lighter than the first,¡± said Alforde. Vee let his head sag forward and resolved to have a chat with the armorsoul about the importance of strategic lying some time soon.
Sculla laughed and knocked on the ground with her free hand.
¡°You¡¯re more brains than brawn, huh?¡±
It was a harmless barb in the grand scheme of things, but Vee was embarrassed and frustrated and so this time, his temper got the better of him. He angrily gestured at his skinny frame and then made a wide, frustrated gesture. ¡°What incredible powers of observation you possess! What gave me away, huh? Don¡¯t I look every part the raging [Berserker] or [Heavyweight Brawler]?¡±
He cut himself off as his rational mind fought back his emotional one, but far from offending the ogre Sculla seemed happier than ever. ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry, boyo. You¡¯ll have plenty of opportunity to improve that physique of yours if you stay here. There¡¯s always manual labor that needs to be done.¡±
She scooped up both boxes as if they weighed nothing and slowly rose to her feet. Just standing, she looked healthy as could be, but when she started walking it was clear that one of her legs was acting up. She limped a few steps and then looked over her shoulder. ¡°Good to meet you two. Breakfast will be served from six to eight tomorrow morning, and you¡¯re welcome to come and have some if you like.¡±
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When the ogre was gone, Vee and Alforde traipsed up the narrow staircases until they got to their floor. Each staircase had around twenty steps or so, and though five flights really isn¡¯t that many, Vee was pretty out of breath at the top.
The room itself was nice and big, which was a surprise. It was sparsely decorated, with a large bed in the center, a small square table beside it, and a small window that looked out towards the mountains. The air smelled ¨C and tasted ¨C like cleaning supplies, but that was better than rotting garbage. Alforde opened the window and a healthy breeze cleared the air pretty quick.
As he settled himself in the corner where he¡¯d sleep standing up, Alforde opened the door on his chest and got to work removing all of their stuff, detaching both of his arms from his shoulders and sending them in one at a time to grab the various bags and loose ends that Vee had insisted on bringing along.
¡°I¡¯m going to go ahead and go to sleep,¡± he said after piling everything up. Then he stood at attention with his hands tucked tightly to his sides and his eyes disappeared into the empty darkness of his helmet almost instantly.
Vee sighed. Not for the first time, he wished that he had his friend¡¯s ability to fall asleep anywhere without any issues. Alforde never struggled with a mind that kept racing for hours after it was time to sleep, the way that he did.
He was tired, but knew that if he laid down now and tried to sleep no good would come of it, so he picked up the nasty top hat that Reginald wanted to possess, took it to the sink, and got to trying to wash it. To say that it was an unpleasant experience was an understatement. Most of the gunk from the dumpster was caked on, and things that had probably once been gooey had hardened so much that they might as well have been stone. Vee soaked the hat and scrubbed it as best he could, but after a lifetime of having servants handle all of his laundry, he was woefully inept. When he finally gave up almost twenty minutes later, the hat looked more or less the same as it had before, but it was now wet.
Vee drew Reginald¡¯s core out of his pocket and set it on the table. The spirit¡¯s form clambered out of the stone¡¯s side and sat down atop it.
¡°Hat doesn¡¯t look much better,¡± Reginald said. ¡°I thought you were going to make it nice? This looks like you yanked it from a dog¡¯s mouth.¡±
¡°I know. Be patient. I¡¯ll make it look great, but you¡¯ll probably have to wait until tomorrow. I¡¯m pretty tired.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Reginald said with a tiny shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve been in this core for as long as I can remember, another few hours won¡¯t hurt. Look at that view!¡±
He pointed out the window and Vee looked to see a few handfuls of lights dotting the horizon. They were like balls of fireflies here and there, tiny orange and yellow globes against the inky darkness of the night sky.
¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Vee said. He¡¯d never seen such a big city. His own hometown, Bardis, was considered a pretty large city, and it would have filled less than half of the sprawl he saw before him. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it was such a big place. No one ever talks about it much.¡±
¡°That¡¯s because this city has died and been forgotten. Time was, when I was young, that the whole skyline would have been full of lights, and we would have heard music all night long.¡±
Looking out at the decrepit buildings, Vee had a hard time believing that. ¡°What happened here?¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you look for yourself? Really look, that is, not just stare at it.¡±
Vee walked to the window and leaned outside. He closed his eyes and activated his [Second Sight] ability once more. When he reopened them, he flinched back from all the vibrant colors of ghosts that hovered over the city. The city¡¯s neat grids and impeccably laid out streets turned into a patchwork quilt of lost loves, hopes for new beginnings, and desires to leave something behind for those who came after. It was melancholy and hurt Vee to look at, but there was also something exciting about it.
¡°See all that ectoplasm, young [Ghost Maestro]? I bet you could really make something special with that.¡±
Vee thought the same. In all honesty, he was surprised that the city wasn¡¯t crawling with his peers already. Naturally occurring ectoplasm was like gold for [Ghost Maestros]. Normally you had to make it with [Convert to Ectoplasm], which was time consuming and more than a little dangerous.
He wouldn¡¯t have to do that here, but that still begged the question: What could he do with it here? His talents were in taking ectoplasm and forming small minions with it, which he could then direct to handle small tasks. Bringing in mail and groceries, opening doors on command, that sort of thing. That might be somewhat useful, given the state of decay in the city, but from his efforts back home, such work wasn¡¯t particularly lucrative.
And lucrative was what mattered, ultimately. After all, he¡¯d been kicked out with the expectation that he¡¯d make something of himself, and somehow, commanding a tiny army of trash collectors didn¡¯t seem like what his parents had in mind. He ran through his options. He hadn¡¯t earned his [Ghost Artificer] class, which would have let him turn the goo into useful machines, nor had he earned the [Ghost Smith] class, which would have given him the skills to forge ectoplasm into weapons and armor that were as powerful as they were physics-defying.
But even if he could do either of those things, they wouldn¡¯t be useful either. There was no market for weapons here, unless the fiends were worse than they seemed to be, and machines that could ¨C
[You have unlocked the Overthinker class, would you like to take it?]
Vee smiled, and dismissed the offer, but it reminded him of something that his father had once told him. A person who thinks all the time has nothing to think about except thoughts. There¡¯s nothing wrong with thinking in moderation, but at some point, son, you need to stop thinking and start doing. Otherwise, you¡¯ll live in a world of illusions instead of reality.
It had bothered him at the time, but it made more sense now. Without meaning to, he¡¯d fallen into the same trap he¡¯d fallen into dozens of times. He was doing the same thing he always did, thinking about why he couldn¡¯t do something instead of why he could.
That was going to change. ¡°New city, new me.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the spirit, lad.¡±
He looked over at the [Core Sprit], and wondered once again what the spirit saw that he didn¡¯t. He was too tired to figure it out, and so he crossed the room to the bed, flopped down, and closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, he resolved, he would stop thinking and would start doing.
Right after he visited a [Tailor] or a [Laundress], if any could be found, to get the hat clean. THEN he would start doing.
A strange twinge filled his chest.
[Congratulations! Your desire to better yourself has given you the ability to earn points in Ambition! Ambition +3]
Stat Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 13
Secondary Class: None
Might: 6
Wit: 18
Faith: 11
Adventurousness: 4
Ambition: 3 (+3)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 9
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), level 7
Might: 13 (+1)
Wit: 10
Faith: 20
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 26
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 18 (+1)
Greed: 15
[OTHER STATS BLOCKED AND HIDDEN BY ORDER OF JACQUES MALUW VII]
Chapter 6: The Market
The next morning, Vee woke up to a beam of sunlight hitting his face. As one inevitably does on the first full day in a new city. He sat up, looked around, and noticed that Alforde was gone. Normally, that wouldn¡¯t have been cause for concern, but Vee had a bad feeling about it all the same.
He turned to look at Reginald¡¯s core, which he¡¯d put on the table after waking up in the middle of the night, and the stone was gone too. Just like that, the bad feeling went from a vague uneasiness to a full-throated panic. Where had those two gone?
Vee¡¯s mind raced with possibilities. They quickly went from the routine and mundane, like the two of them had gone to get coffee and would be back soon, to the horrifically fantastical, like they¡¯d both been eaten by a monster of some kind. But, thankfully, Vee hadn¡¯t ever heard of any monsters that chose to eat suits of armor and rocks by choice. Now, that wasn¡¯t to say that such a creature didn¡¯t exist; the world was a big place after all and he really hadn¡¯t explored much of it at all, but he figured that such a creature would be notorious enough to make it into a few monster manuals. The monster manuals, published by famed [Monsterologist] Epscot Roosgerald, had been some of Vee¡¯s favorite books as a child, and he¡¯d read every single one at least fifty times.
He sat up, stretched, and decided to go look for his friend and the core once he went to the bathroom and showered. No longer so tired from the journey, he could smell the stench of the road on his skin and it wasn¡¯t pleasant.
The bathroom was neat, but cramped, and though the water coming from the shower spout didn¡¯t have much pressure behind it, it was warm. Vee quickly cleaned himself, and then opened his suitcase and drew out another set of clothes. Today, he put on a pair of comfortable brown trousers that were ever so slightly on the worn side and an orange shirt that had three buttons near the neck. It clashed horribly with his blue coat, but he didn¡¯t care. He liked the way everything fit.
Going down the stairs was much easier than going up, though when he passed another boarder ¨C a short, squat salamander covered in scales like an alligator ¨C Vee had to press himself into the wall to let the other person go by. The stairs were just that narrow.
When he pushed the door at the ground floor open, he smiled. It was a beautiful day out, and there wasn¡¯t a cloud in the sky. A few robins trilled cheery tunes from the branches of the thick trees on both sides of the street. Vee was still concerned about where Alforde and Reginald had gotten off to, but he found it virtually impossible to stay scared with the sunlight hitting his face and warming his skin.
He traipsed down to the front of the boarding house, where once again, Sculla was perched on the stairs with her pipe lit. She looked up at him as he approached.
¡°You¡¯re finally awake, eh? Your friend has been working all morning. He said that you two don¡¯t have any more coin, so we struck a deal. I had him run some boxes down to the market for me and help out my sister, and in exchange I¡¯ll let you two stay for free tonight.¡±
Well, that did plenty to allay Vee¡¯s concerns, though he felt more than a twinge of guilt for that fact that Alforde was already taking care of things while he¡¯d slept. ¡°I¡¯d like to go and help out,¡± he said. ¡°Can you give me directions to the market?¡±
¡°O¡¯course I can. I¡¯ve lived here my entire life,¡± Sculla snorted. She was quiet after that, and Vee waited for an uncomfortably long time before he realized that she was just being pedantic.
¡°Fine. Would you give me directions to the market?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± said the ogre with a small, triumphant smile. She pointed at the same street he¡¯d originally followed to find her boarding house. ¡°Three blocks south, and then turn east on 35th street. You¡¯ll see the market about a block or two after that.¡±
Vee thanked her and made his way down the street. There were more people out this morning, and Vee saw that not all of them were as hardened as the people he¡¯d seen the night before. They still looked poor and put upon, but there were plenty of smiles to be seen. In fact, the city seemed like a different place, almost. The buildings were still decayed and worn down, but in the sunlight Vee could see their gothic fa?ades, and he marveled at how clear the features of the gargoyles still were in some places. Once upon a time, they must have been beautiful.
His stomach grumbled and he winced at not having money to buy something to eat. Maybe he could scrounge something up at the market.
Though he didn¡¯t turn on his [Second Sight], he could feel a slight stickiness in the air. Most people probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed it because it was so subtle, but he knew it was ectoplasm. Reaching up, he pinched his thumb and index finger together to activate his [Shape Ectoplasm] skill and plucked a string of the energy out of the sky. He rolled it into a ball. The texture was a little like saltwater taffy, but there was a springiness to it too. As he squeezed it and shaped it, the ball started to become ever more visible, as the ethereal goo hardened into something more tangible. It bounced off the ground like rubber and Vee dribbled it as he walked. A little girl in a frilly blue dress pointed at it and smiled, and Vee met her eyes, winked, and lobbed the ball of ectoplasm to her.
She caught it with a clap and threw it on the ground as hard as she could. It skyrocketed fifteen feet or so off the ground, and the little girl laughed as she threw it once again. Her mother, a haggard looking woman with short strawberry blond hair bowed to Vee and reached into her purse to draw out payment, but Vee waved his hand and kept walking. Another grumble of his stomach reminded him that he could have really used the money, but making the ball had only taken a few seconds and he didn¡¯t feel right taking payment for so little work.
[You have unlocked the Children¡¯s Toy Maker class, would you like to take it?]
Vee frowned and dismissed the notification. That was another repeated offer. He¡¯d had a chance to take the class a year before, when he¡¯d animated a small wooden horse so that it would rock back and forth when someone sat on it. Being a toy maker wouldn¡¯t be the worst profession in the world, but the flicker of ambition in his chest told him that he needed to do something bigger.
He still didn¡¯t know what exactly that was, though.
He pondered what he could do as he stepped into the market, which was big and open. It looked like it had been built for a much more crowded city, with space enough for at least a hundred stalls, and probably enough for almost double that if they were all cramped together. As it was, there were only eight stalls, and each of them had probably fifty feet of open space all around them.
A salamander was making candy in the first stall Vee passed. His scales were ruby red and he had spikes running down his back. His claws moved with expertise gained after a lifetime of molding hot sugar into tasty treats, and he gently blew fire onto the metal table to keep it warm as he worked.
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The next stall sold clothing, and the one after that was an apothecary. Vee made a mental note to return to it once he had some fleurs, to replenish the supplies he¡¯d lost gambling with Nen.
He didn¡¯t get to see what the others were selling, because he saw Alforde standing next to a fountain, totally enthralled by the statue in the center. The statue depicted a towering man wearing a fancy suit of armor and a cape that almost reached his feet. He wore no helmet, and had the grim, serious face of a man who probably never laughed. Maybe that was due to the fact that he was depicted as frowning. In his right hand, he held the shaft of a massive hammer, and his left fist was clenched in a display of triumph.
Vee walked up to his friend and tapped his side since he couldn¡¯t reach the armorsoul¡¯s shoulder.
Alforde¡¯s helmet spun to the left and his eyes widened when he saw Vee. ¡°Hey,¡± he said.
¡°What¡¯s this guy¡¯s deal?¡± Vee asked. He looked down at the placard on the side of the fountain and read: Ser Hallheim Pielbrayne, Champion Founder of Oar¡¯s Crest. The rest of the placard was too covered by oxidation to read.
Alforde pointed to the hammer. ¡°I want one of those.¡±
Through the bond they shared, Vee heard a low chime and when he pulled up Alforde¡¯s stat sheet in his mind¡¯s eye, he saw to his surprise that his friend had taken a third class. [Aspirational ¨C Hammer Afficionado]. Aspirational classes were those that you sought out for yourself, and then if you managed to fulfill the requirements to unlock them, they became yours. Until then, it remained on your stat sheet but offered no skills or stats to go with it.
¡°Why?¡± Vee asked.
¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Alforde answered. ¡°I just do.¡±
The armorsoul was quiet for a moment, and then reached down and opened the door on his chest. One detached arm floated inside and came back out with a small pouch. Vee heard the telltale clink of money and opened it up. Inside were a handful of bronze fleurs. He also handed him a small, wrapped potato bun that Vee happily devoured.
¡°Sculla¡¯s sister gave me enough that we should be able to survive for the next few days. I asked about construction work, but she said that there¡¯s barely any work being done in the city these days. It looks like it¡¯s going to be odd jobs for us for a while until we get our feet underneath us.¡±
Vee looked down at the bag in his hand and was tempted to throw it into the fountain. It was true that Alforde¡¯s labor had earned them a few more days of not needing to worry about where they¡¯d sleep each night, but Vee almost resented it. His ambition from the night before was like a candle held outside an open window on a rainy night. It died instantly. The question of what to do with the ectoplasm retreated to the back of his thoughts, where it seemed primed to sit forever, collecting dust with his collection of other ideas and purposes that he¡¯d thought up over the years.
Gritting his teeth, Vee shook his head and resolved that this time, he was going to follow through on something. He just needed to decide what that thing was.
¡°This is a good start,¡± he said, ¡°but we¡¯ll need to find something more permanent pretty quick just for our own peace of mind.¡±
An older man sitting on the bench next to him reading a newspaper coughed and pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. He was bald and had a thick gray mustache. ¡°Excuse me, boys, but I couldn¡¯t help but overhear your conversation. You¡¯re new in town, right?¡±
Vee nodded and the man pointed off towards the far side of the market. ¡°If you¡¯re really strapped for cash, you can always go to the Adventurers Guild. It¡¯s down at the end of that road. Big red building, you can¡¯t miss it. They¡¯re always hiring folks for things. Lots of municipal work, mostly. The city¡¯s coffers are basically empty since the council squanders every fleur they get on wasteful crap that doesn¡¯t help anybody, so it¡¯s the adventurers guild that has to pick up the slack. I¡¯m sure that you two would be able to find some good paying work. You look tough. Well, the armor guy does, anyway.¡±
Alforde¡¯s chest was still open, and Reginald¡¯s spirit body crawled out. If the man was surprised to see a spirit crawling out of a hollow suit of armor, he didn¡¯t show it.
¡°Going to the adventurer¡¯s guild is a great idea! You boys seem like just the type to be successful adventurers.¡±
Vee looked at the spirit, and then at the man. There was no obvious red flag that he could see, but it prickled his consciousness all the same.
[You have unlocked Suspicious Companion class, would you like to take it?]
Vee shook his head, but resolved to keep a wary eye on Reginald from then on.
[Wit +1]
Another compensation point, eh? Well, that was pretty nice. Putting his hands in his pockets, he started walking across the wide market square. The day was still young, and perhaps they could find some reasonable work at the adventurer¡¯s guild.
As they walked, they saw a massive gate made of scrap metal and lumber. Two people clad in armor that look like Maryanne¡¯s stood guard in front of it, though their faces were obscured by fancy helmets. They carried ornate spears, and Vee wondered if they¡¯d answer him if he went over and tried to talk to them.
Behind the gate were empty streets and buildings that looked like they were on the verge of falling down at any moment. It was hard to see through the gaps in the scrap gate though, so Vee couldn¡¯t make out much more than that.
¡°That must be the barrier out of Northtown,¡± Alforde said. ¡°It¡¯s funny. I don¡¯t see the sign that Cris mentioned. Do you think that they took it down?¡±
Vee looked, and he didn¡¯t see any big sign warning people to stay away either. That was weird. Cris had sounded so dismissive when he¡¯d said it that Vee genuinely expected it to be there. Weird.
They continued on for another block or two, and then Vee saw the massive red building that had to be the adventurer¡¯s guild. It took up almost its entire block, and there were multiple entrances and exits. Each were marked by statues of mighty beasts. Vee and Alforde stopped in front of a chimera statue, and Vee took a deep breath.
¡°Let¡¯s go find some work, eh?¡±
¡°Maybe they¡¯ll give me a hammer!¡± said Alforde.
Vee grinned at his friend and went to open the door.
Only to stop at the sight of the prettiest girl he¡¯d ever seen in his life.
She was slightly shorter than he was ¨C which was pretty impressive given his¡limited¡stature ¨C and was dressed in an orange and black striped shirt and billowing skirt over striped pants. She wore boots that looked and sounded heavy, and there was a tiny pumpkin emblem resting on the brim of her hat.
Over her shoulder was slung a heavy gray mail bag. Vee recognized it from his own short stint working as a mail carrier back home. She was carrying an unfurled scroll, and was mumbling to herself as she read its contents.
¡°Reward: 40 silver fleurs. That¡¯s really not much, for clearing two blocks, but it¡¯ll have to do I guess.¡±
Her blue eyes widened at the sight of Vee and Alforde, and the [Ghost Maestro] felt his heartbeat speed up at the same time.
¡°Excuse me,¡± she said as she hurried past.
¡°Hey,¡± he managed to mumble as she walked by. His brain caught up a second later and he turned around. That wasn¡¯t the right thing to say. ¡°I¡¯m Vee!¡± he called after her. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±
She turned back and though she looked a little confused, as they hadn¡¯t really met per se, she smiled back at him. ¡°I¡¯m Luna,¡± she said. Then, without another word she returned her attention to her scroll and left. Vee watched her go.
Alforde gave him a playful tap on the shoulder. ¡°Come on, Vee. Let¡¯s go look for some real work.¡±
Vee shook his head, feeling like his eyes were stuck in place, and then hurried to regain his composure. He led Alforde into the adventurer¡¯s guild, and the door closed with a heavy thunk behind them.
Stat Sheets
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 13
Secondary Class: None
Might: 6
Wit: 19 (+1)
Faith: 11
Adventurousness: 4
Ambition: 3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 9
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), level 7
Tertiary Class (Aspirational): Hammer Afficionado (Self)
Might: 13
Wit: 10
Faith: 20
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 26
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 18
Greed: 15
Deceptiveness: 37 (-1)
[OTHER STATS BLOCKED AND HIDDEN BY OR------]
Chapter 7: Paperwork and Fate
Like all of Oar¡¯s Crest, the adventurer¡¯s guild had seen better days. The carpets were stained and splotchy, and Vee could see the thick layers of dust atop the windowsills as they walked up to the lone receptionist. He was a big, puffy man with a receding hairline and dull eyes.
¡°Guild cards, please.¡±
The man¡¯s voice had that flat, soulless tone that one might expect when dealing with city employees. He hunched at his desk and the only real sign of life that Vee could see was a slim, bright green fountain pen next to seven almost completely full bottles of ink in each color of the rainbow and one bottle of black ink that was basically empty. As a fountain pen enthusiast himself, Vee knew that pain pretty well.
¡°Uh¡we¡¯re not members of the guild. We¡¯re new in town and looking for work.¡±
Vee squinted at the tag on the man¡¯s shirt. It was stained though and so he couldn¡¯t make out the name.
The receptionist looked up at him, and a flicker of emotion passed through the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not? Well, I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t offer any work to those who aren¡¯t members of the guild.¡±
¡°But in the town square a man told us that you were always hiring folks to work.¡±
¡°We are, but I¡¯m sorry, the jobs are only for guild members.¡±
Vee tapped his foot, but Alforde stepped forward.
¡°That¡¯s fine. How do we join, then?¡± Alforde asked. He politely folded his hands in front of his hips and slightly inclined his head.
The receptionist reached down and drew out a stack of papers as thick as Vee¡¯s forearm. ¡°You¡¯ll need to fill all of these out, and then pay the licensing fee of fifty silver fleurs. Processing will take approximately two to four weeks, depending on how many other applicants are in the system.¡±
¡°We haven¡¯t got that kind of ¨C¡± Vee started to say, but Alforde held up his hand and silenced his friend.
¡°Thank you,¡± the armorsoul said. ¡°We¡¯ll go ahead and fill these out now. Do you perhaps have a pen we can use?¡±
The receptionist handed over a cheap pen and Alforde took it and the papers over to one of the aged benches in the center of the room. Dutifully, he began to fill the forms out.
¡°What are you wasting your time with that for?¡± Vee asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that guy? The licensing fee is fifty silver fleurs! That¡¯s almost what my father gave me when he kicked me out! We¡¯re scrounging for every fleur we can get. How are we supposed to find that kind of money? And two to four weeks for processing? We don¡¯t have that kind of time!¡±
Alforde shrugged, his pauldrons making a squeaking noise as he did so. ¡°Perhaps we can file the paperwork now and pay the fee in installments, or set up a plan to take it out of our earnings until we¡¯ve covered the balance in full. Things like that get done all the time in construction.¡±
Vee crossed his arms over his chest and snorted, but didn¡¯t really have a decent retort. So, he went and looked at the job board instead. It was typical fare. Rodent removal from the city sewer, package delivery, fiend hunting, that type of stuff.
The rewards offered were¡pretty terrible on the whole. Most of them paid less than five silver fleurs, and all of them were under ten. However, Vee noticed that the board was almost completely empty, so it was possible that all of the higher paying jobs had already been taken. After all, Luna ¨C Vee felt his cheeks flush just at thinking her name ¨C had gotten something worth forty silver fleurs. But even that wouldn¡¯t be enough to pay the fee for getting into the guild.
Dejected, Vee sat down next to the job board and looked around. Alforde was scribbling intently, but the armorsoul had never been known to be a particularly fast reader or writer, so they¡¯d probably be here for a while. Vee needed something to do to pass the time.
On the other side of the room, Vee saw a table with the scattered remnants of a newspaper on it. He got up, walked over, and picked it up.
Normally, Vee was not the type to believe in fate. He¡¯d been raised in a strong secular household, and believed that what most people thought of as divine intervention was simply coincidence and various biases mingling together. However, as he read the headlines of each section, trying to pick one to read first, he felt as if the circumstances of the world had been specially arranged for him just then.
The first headline, in big bold typeface, was: CITY COUNCIL DECLARES FUND FOR CITY REVITALIZATION, and skimming the first paragraph gave Vee the gist that the government was trying to solve the city¡¯s economic woes by offering a big pot of money to whoever could somehow find a way to bring some sort of industry back to Oar¡¯s Crest. Interesting, but on its own nothing special.
However, when read in combination with the second headline, Vee saw a path forward as if it had been written in neon typeface thirty feet tall. Atop the Sports section, it read: DAUNTIER DUNGEON DEFEATS CELEBRITY ADVENTURER! OWNERS COLLECT 1 MILLION GOLD FLEUR PRIZE!
Next to it was the third headline, which was actually just the name of the section: EASY LIVING.
Like grains of sand hit by lightning, Vee¡¯s mind ¨C or perhaps Fate, because after all, he couldn¡¯t be sure that it didn¡¯t exist ¨C fused the three headlines together into the glass of an idea. Why didn¡¯t he open a dungeon? The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea.
There was so much ectoplasm around that he could make a near limitless supply of minions, and there was plenty of room to build. It seemed like almost three quarters of the city had been abandoned, and if he had to knock down a few buildings here and there to build things to suit his needs, he was pretty sure that nobody would mind all that much.
Dealing with the fiends and monsters that apparently lived in the ¡°abandoned¡± parts of town was a different problem, but one that Vee could leave to his favorite problem solver: Future Vee, who¡¯d never steered him wrong, except for all those times he¡¯d turned into ¡°Present Vee¡± and kicked whatever can he faced further down the road.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Yes, this was the play. Vee could feel it in the marrow of his bones, which was more than a little unsettling.
[Ambition + 2]
[Adventurousness +4]
[You have unlocked the Aspirational Class Dungeon Master, would you like to take it?]
Vee hesitated, and looked at the popup for a long while, and then reached up and accepted it. He heard the clunk in his head that marked his decision to take a new class and saw Alforde¡¯s eyes snap to him. The armorsoul put down his pen.
Vee put down the paper, and walked back over to the receptionist. The man had the ¡°Fun and Games¡± section of a newspaper in front of him and was carefully scanning the word jumble.
¡°Excuse me,¡± Vee said, and the man snapped back to attention and hastened to hide the paper. ¡°What does one have to do in order to open a dungeon?¡±
The clerk¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°You want to open a dungeon? Here?¡±
¡°Is that a problem?¡±
¡°No, no, not at all. It¡¯s just that we¡¯ve never had a real request for someone to start a dungeon here. The council has tried to entice citizens to take up the task, especially since celebrity adventuring became such a big deal a few years back, but no one wants to deal with the fiends or work with ectoplasm. You are aware that you¡¯ll have to deal with ectoplasm, right?¡±
Vee smiled and pulled the second ectoplasm sphere he¡¯d made on the way over out of his pocket. ¡°I¡¯m a [Ghost Maestro]," he said. ¡°Ectoplasm is the tool of the trade.¡±
The receptionist smiled and, after rifling around inside his file cabinet for a few minutes, handed Vee a single form. ¡°Excellent. Please fill this out.¡±
Vee took it and looked over at the stack that Alforde was still nowhere near getting through. He felt that, maybe, there was simply too much paper to become an adventurer, if opening a dungeon only required a single form.
Perhaps there was a different catch.
¡°What does it cost to file this?¡±
¡°Nothing,¡± the receptionist said. ¡°There was a program put in place a few years back by the council that waives the administrative fees for ¡®activities deemed beneficial to the city¡¯s future¡¯ and opening a dungeon counts.¡±
Vee couldn¡¯t help but notice now that the man had perked up considerably. ¡°Do you have any ideas for the theme of your dungeon?¡± he asked, more than a hint of excitement in his voice.
Vee hadn¡¯t, but it probably wouldn¡¯t do well to say so. He wanted to look the part, after all. So he winked and held a finger to his lips, as if it were a secret instead. Taking the form, he walked over to Alforde and took the pen.
¡°This is a pretty big deal,¡± Alforde said quietly as Vee filled in his own name in the field marked ¡®Name of Dungeon Master: ¡¯. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want a second class. Are you sure about this, Vee?¡±
Vee nodded and looked down at the next item on the list. ¡®Name of Dungeon Champion, also sometimes called a Boss: ¡¯. He tapped it and looked meaningfully at Alforde. ¡°I¡¯m positive. You want to be the dungeon champion, bud?¡±
¡°Do I get a hammer?¡±
¡°If that¡¯s what you want, sure.¡±
Alforde took the pen and signed his own name in the space provided. The rest of the fields were of a more technical nature, and Vee filled them out as best he could, making things up as he went. Type of hazards? Minions mostly, but also some traps. Ascending or descending nature? Both. Treasures offered? Arcane or enchanted artifacts, money. Estimated income? Depends on market conditions. He was particularly pleased at the professional ambiguity of that last response.
When he was done, he took the completed form up to the counter and handed it to the receptionist, who read it in less than thirty seconds before putting it into a machine.
¡°Stand over there, please,¡± the receptionist said, indicating a square of tape on the floor next to where Vee was standing. He did so, and there was a flash of light as a camera took his picture. A few seconds and a series of loud beeps later, the machine spat out a card and Vee took it. He grimaced at the picture of himself. How had the camera made him look so terrible? His eyes were sunken as if he were drunk, or on drugs!
The receptionist had Alforde stand in the same spot, but had to adjust the camera to account for Alforde¡¯s greater height. Unlike his friend though, the armorsoul was thrilled with his own visage on the second card that popped out of the machine.
¡°Look, Vee! I look tough, don¡¯t I?¡±
Sure enough, when Vee looked at it, his friend did indeed look imposing and powerful, just the way you¡¯d expect a dungeon champion to look.
¡°Do we need to do anything else?¡± Vee asked, and the receptionist shook his head.
¡°Not right now, but once you pick a site and begin building, please let us know so that we can give you the appropriate permits. Here, take this with you. You might find it useful in your efforts.¡±
He handed Vee a large scroll that a quick peek revealed to be a map of the city, and also a small bag filled with twenty golden fleurs. Vee almost dropped it, because it was so much money.
¡°What¡¯s the money for?¡±
¡°It¡¯s part of the city revitalization fund,¡± the receptionist said. ¡°Consider this a small investment on behalf of the city council to help you as you take the next steps in building your dungeon. Good luck, Master Vails."
¡°Thanks.¡±
Vee put the pouch in his pocket, and multiple popups appeared at once.
[You are now officially recognized as a [Dungeon Master]. The requirements to permanently obtain your aspirational class have been fulfilled. You are now a [Dungeon Master, Level 1]
[You can now earn points in Plotting! Plotting + 2]
[You can now earn points in Charisma! Charisma + 2]
[You can now earn points in Devious Mind! Devious Mind + 2]
[You can now earn points in Leadership! Leadership + 2]
[New skills unlocked! You can check them in your soul¡¯s mirror!]
The soul¡¯s mirror was a fancy way of saying the mind¡¯s eye, but Vee decided that he¡¯d do so once he got back to Sculla¡¯s. He wanted to be able to really read them over and think about their implications. For now, his mind was racing with ideas and schemes, courtesy of his new Plotting skill. Feeling excited, he left the guild with his champion behind him, leaving the partially filled out stack of papers to become adventurers on the table.
These were picked up by the receptionist. But instead of throwing them away or shredding them, as one might expect, he stashed the papers in a small black bag and hid it under his desk.
¡°Sacre will want to hear about this,¡± he muttered to himself as he resumed his word jumble.
Stat Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 13
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 1
Might: 6
Wit: 19
Faith: 11
Adventurousness: 8 (+4)
Ambition: 5 (+2)
Plotting: 2 (+2)
Charisma: 2 (+2)
Devious Mind: 2 (+2)
Leadership: 2 (+2)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 9
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), level 7
Tertiary Class (Aspirational): Hammer Afficionado (Self)
Additional Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), level 1
Might: 18 (+5)
Wit: 10
Faith: 23 (+3)
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 26
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 18
Greed: 15
Deceptiveness: 37
[O%HE$ #TATS BL!C*+D AND H&DD@N BY _R------]
Chapter 8: Westown Bestown
Back in their room at Sculla¡¯s, Vee unfurled the scroll and laid it on the table. As he¡¯d seen inside the adventurer¡¯s guild, it was a map of the city, but it was enchanted so that the user could see more information than the simple layout of streets and landmarks. With a flick of his fingers, the map transformed to show all of the waterways, another flick let him see the topography of the land, and a third let him see the city in miniature as if he was a bird flying overhead. It was a powerful relic, and useful, and Vee knew that he¡¯d need to spend plenty of time with the map to figure out how to best set his dungeon up for success.
But first, there were other tasks that needed to be taken care of. He wanted to investigate his new class and check out the skills he¡¯d earned from it, but before that, there was still the matter of cleaning the hat to attend to. It was still nasty and gross, and Vee had been raised to see one task through before starting another.
But, skills! Seeking out a cleaner would take time, and sounded both menial and boring.
¡°Hey, Alforde,¡± he said as he saw the obvious solution. ¡°Go find a [Laundress] or something and get that hat cleaned up.¡±
Alforde, who had a broom handle in his grip and was pretending it was a hammer, looked like he wanted to protest, but one of his [Right Hand Man] skills, [Pick Up The Slack], activated and he nodded. ¡°Fine.¡±
To sweeten the deal, Vee drew out a golden fleur from the pouch the receptionist had given him and tossed it to the armorsoul. ¡°There¡¯s a weapon shop over here,¡± he said, pointing to a building on the map that had a pair of crossed swords floating over it. ¡°See if they have a hammer, and if they do, go ahead and buy it for yourself. That¡¯s the condition to fully activate your [Hammer Afficionado] class, right?¡±
Alforde nodded and brightened considerably. ¡°It is! Yay! But, are you sure about giving me so much money? A golden fleur is a lot, and we only have twenty!¡±
It was, but Vee knew that in order to be an effective [Dungeon Champion], Alforde was going to need good equipment. Plus, the longer he was left alone to think, the better plan he¡¯d be able to come up with for the dungeon. Things he would have never considered before were swirling around his mind, and he wanted to ponder each of them in turn.
With the money and hat in hand, Alforde left the small room and Vee closed his eyes. His soul¡¯s mirror appeared, and he focused on his new class so that he could get a better idea of what it was all about.
[Dungeon Master, Level 1]
Dungeon Masters are the driving force of every dungeon. They dictate the thematic direction, design the layout, manage all the minions, and handle all financial and legal considerations to keep things running smoothly. Dungeon Masters need to be capable of wearing many hats, or able to find good employees whose heads fit the ones they can¡¯t.
Skills:
[Found Dungeon] (Consumable, 1 Use Remaining): Establish your dungeon by marking a physical location for it to manifest.
[Big Picture] (Passive): To be successful, Dungeon Masters need to be able to keep things in perspective, and as such, tend to be better at thinking about macro concerns than micromanaging. Stop sweating the small stuff.
[Budgeting] (Passive): Money is the lifeblood of any dungeon. As such, your knack for numbers, finance and all things quantitative have all been enhanced.
[(Budgeting Sub Skill)] Excellent Spreadsheet: Summon an ethereal spreadsheet familiar to record anything you need kept track of. Great to have at tax time!
[(Budgeting Sub Skill)] Bargain Hunter: Use your inherent understanding of markets and prices to find the best deals on raw materials.
[Would You Kindly?]: Impose your will on a minion or construct. Great for repetitive orders and tasks.
[Inspire Loyalty]: Give a rousing speech that entices your followers to do their best.
[Detect Lies]: Investigate if someone is telling the truth or not.
[Recycle Materials]: Convert broken structures you own into their basic components.
Vee blinked. That was it? There were surely other [Dungeon Master] skills that he could eventually learn, but not until he leveled up the class, and who knew how much or how long that would take.
He hated to say it¡but he wasn¡¯t particularly excited about any of it. The most useful skills he¡¯d gotten was the ability to summon a sentient spreadsheet and break structures he owned into their component parts. He didn¡¯t own any structures yet, so the skill was basically useless. Eventually though, it¡¯d probably be pretty useful.
Well, he might as well see what the spreadsheet looked like.
¡°[Excellent Spreadsheet]!¡±
There was a pop and a small, folded piece of paper appeared in the air next to him. He touched it and it unfurled to show him a familiar series of rows and columns that he¡¯d seen often enough in his father¡¯s financial journals. Unlike those though, this one was empty.
¡°Um, hello? Do you talk?¡±
Instantly, a pair of bulbous eyes appeared atop the folded paper, with two ethereal paperclips for eyebrows. Despite the fact that it didn¡¯t have a mouth, it spoke with a squeaky voice all the same.
¡°Hello, Master! My name is Cecil, and I live to serve! What do you need done? Have sheets to balance? Income to state? Flows of coin to keep track of? Just say the words, using proper formatting of course, and I¡¯ll be happy to take care of whatever you need.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Vee said, and spent the next few minutes labeling a few of Cecil¡¯s pages for the things his [Big Picture] skill told him that he¡¯d need to keep track of as he moved forward: Building Materials, Treasures, Minion Counts, Trap Inventory, Non-Minion Employee Payrolls, and Total Funds. All the sheets were blank for now but funds, which had ¡°19 Gold Fleurs¡± in the top left cell, but that¡¯d change soon enough. Once he really got things rolling he was sure that all the pages would be filling and emptying on a near-constant basis.
When he was done with Cecil, he dismissed the spreadsheet and put his head in his hands. Perhaps it was just because his ambition stat was fairly low, but he could already feel his motivation flagging a little bit. There was just so much to keep track of, so many things to focus on.
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It was then that Reginald, who¡¯d been peacefully inside his core the entire time since coming back from the adventurer¡¯s guild crawled out in his spirit form and tapped Vee on the shoulder.
¡°You¡¯re looking a little overwhelmed, kid. You know what you need? A [Majordomo].¡±
¡°A what?¡±
¡°A [Majordomo]. You got [Big Picture], right? That means that you¡¯re necessarily kind of crappy when it comes to the little details. A majordomo is someone who can handle all of those for you so that you can focus on other things. Now, normally, that¡¯d be the perfect job for a [Right Hand Man] like your armorsoul friend, but he¡¯s going to have his gauntlets full being a [Dungeon Champion]. That¡¯s a heavy job, and I don¡¯t think he¡¯s up to doing both.¡±
Vee prickled, and he raised his gaze to meet the spirit¡¯s. ¡°And let me guess, you¡¯re volunteering yourself for the job? You know, Reginald, I¡¯m starting to think that there¡¯ve been an awful lot of coincidences in my life lately. It¡¯s almost like your thumb has been on the scale with all this stuff, so to speak. What exactly do you want from me?¡±
The spirit balked. ¡°I am volunteering, but if you think that I¡¯ve got any ulterior motives, you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯ve been stuck inside my core for decades, and now you¡¯ve got this cool dungeon thing going on. I want to be involved, I want to be part of it. Let me help you! I¡¯ve got a great head for details.¡±
Vee activated his [Detect Lies] skill, but either he was too low leveled to see through Reginald¡¯s deception or the spirit was telling the truth. He was uneasy about having to trust the spirit, but some part of his new intuition told him that Reginald had made a fine point and that he¡¯d do well to offload some of the more intricate details of his new profession. No man is an island and all that.
¡°Fine. You can be my [Majordomo], but if you betray me, I¡¯ll make you regret it.¡±
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, a popup appeared in front of his face.
[Congratulations, by delegating you have advanced to Dungeon Master, Level 2!]
[Your budgeting skills have gotten more powerful!]
[Your distrust of Reginald has improved your stats!]
[Wit +1]
[Plotting +1]
[Devious Mind +1]
Vee dismissed it, and the spirit seemed satisfied with his new job.
¡°Well, I suppose we should start planning the best place to build our little dungeon,¡± Vee said. ¡°Everything else comes after that.¡±
Reginald nodded and perched himself on Vee¡¯s shoulder like a cat. He didn¡¯t purr, thankfully.
Vee stood over the map and changed its view so that he was once again looking down at the entire city. It was neatly divided into four sections. Northtown, where he was staying, was marked by a series of guilds and other financial service offerings if the symbols floating over various buildings meant what he thought they did.
The western quadrant of the city, nearest to the mountains, was filled with remnants of forges and factories. Most of the buildings looked like they were on the verge of falling over, but there was a single tower next to a large, empty lot that immediately caught Vee¡¯s eye. A promising spot, but he¡¯d be foolish if he didn¡¯t at least consider the other parts of Oar¡¯s Crest.
With a twist of his hand, he rotated the map so that Southtown was right underneath him, and touched the symbols he didn¡¯t recognize to see what sort of places they¡¯d once been. Restaurants, theaters, stages, and art galleries were the most common types of buildings, with residential housing close behind.
¡°Southtown is no good,¡± Vee said, and Reginald agreed with him. It was too cramped and too crowded to be a good location for a dungeon. Thanks to his new class, he knew that he¡¯d need space to build and expand as the dungeon grew bigger and more powerful.
Wait, what? Powerful? That was a weird thought to have. Vee shook it away and spun the map once more so that he could see Eastown.
If open space was the only metric he was considering, Eastown would have been the best dungeon site hands down. It was basically nothing but open space: ancient farms and orchards that had long since been abandoned and left to grow wild. Vee was tempted to pick one for the dungeon site, but the thought of clearing away so many overgrown fields and forests was daunting as could be, and Vee had a feeling it ultimately wouldn¡¯t be worth it. The ground was hilly and there were plenty of creeks running every which way, which would make building whatever structures he required more difficult than it needed to be. Not to mention, prohibitively expensive.
Westown it was then. He spent the next hour and a half examining every street and building, looking for a lot that would serve his purposes better than the tower and the adjacent empty lot. Nothing stood out, and so Vee decided to trust his gut and go see who owned the rights to that property and how much they wanted for it. He didn¡¯t have a ton of money, but he was willing to spend almost all of it to secure the lot, because like any good real estate venture, the most important thing to consider for a dungeon was location, location, location.
The best place to find what he needed was surely the bank, which was apparently located down by the market. Vee stood up, adjusted his jacket, and opened the door into Alforde, who¡¯d just come back from the laundress and weapon shop.
The top hat still looked raggedy, but it was clean now and would be the perfect vessel for Reginald. Vee took it from Alforde and turned to the spirit on his shoulder.
¡°Last chance for you to keep your original vessel. Are you sure you want to move?¡±
Reginald nodded and so Vee activated his [Zipper Fingers] skill. His hands glowed orange with power, and he neatly severed Reginald¡¯s connection to the core as easily as if he were unzipping a jacket. There was a spot of resistance, as if the zipper were stuck, but Vee overwhelmed it without any issues. Reaching into the ethereal, he found a suitable spot to anchor the spirit to the hat and zipped Reginald in.
Almost immediately, two eyes appeared in the hat¡¯s side and a jagged mouth tore itself open as the hat¡¯s hue shifted to match Vee¡¯s coat.
¡°Now, that¡¯s much better,¡± Reginald-the-hat said. ¡°This is so much more comfortable than that dreaded rock. Finally, I''m free.¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow. ¡°I thought it was a core? As I recall, you were quite insistent on that point when we first met.¡±
¡°Yes, yes, of course!¡± Reginald said a little too quickly as he blinked his new eyes and practiced making all manner of sounds with his new mouth. ¡°Just caught up in the spirit of the moment.¡±
¡°Hey, Vee, look what I got!¡± Alforde said as he held up a gleaming Warhammer. Its head was a slightly blueish gray color, and there was a platinum inlaid flower on its front and back faces. A little bit of a chill floated off its head, and Vee shivered. The shaft was made of well-polished dark wood, and looked sturdy enough to actually be used. Definitely better than an old broom handle.
¡°Wonderful,¡± Vee said. ¡°Did that let you get your class?¡±
Alforde nodded. ¡°It did! I¡¯m going to start practicing with Hammy right away!¡±
Hammy? Vee shook his head. Sometimes, Alforde was something else.
¡°Glad to hear it. While you were gone, I found the perfect spot for the dungeon,¡± Vee said. ¡°I¡¯m off to the bank to see about buying the property. Do you want to come with me?¡±
¡°Sure thing,¡± Alforde said. ¡°So long as I can bring Hammy.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of stopping you,¡± Vee said wearily.
¡°I¡¯ll come too,¡± Reginald said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be stuck here alone.¡±
Not wanting to go to the bank and ask about a matter of business with his hat literally in his hands, Vee picked up the top hat and put it on his head. It fit perfectly.
Stat Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 13
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 2
Might: 6
Wit: 20 (+1)
Faith: 11
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 5
Plotting: 3 (+1)
Charisma: 2
Devious Mind: 3 (+1)
Leadership: 2
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 9
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), level 8
Tertiary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 1
Additional Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), level 1
Might: 18
Wit: 10
Faith: 23
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 26
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 1
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 19 (+1)
Greed: 16 (+1)
Deceptiveness: 37
[%$#_&$# --- CORE SEAL CORRUPTION/MANIPULATION DETECTED! ALERTING MALUW ESTATE FOR IMMEDIATE REPAIR!]
Chapter 9: [Honest Businessman]
The bank ultimately turned out to be a bust. The [Investment Director], a young man with long red hair and a tailored suit named Johann had listened to Vee¡¯s pitch, nodded into steepled fingers and asked questions as if he were genuinely interested, and then denied Vee¡¯s request for a loan.
¡°Banking is a business of relationships,¡± he¡¯d said. ¡°There¡¯s an old saying: ¡®It¡¯s important to know well those who are trying to get into your purse¡¯, and simply put, Master Vales, I don¡¯t know you.¡±
Vee kicked a rock as he walked down the street and grumbled at how little it rolled.
¡°What are we going to do now?¡± Alforde asked. He was following a few steps behind Vee and stopped every now and then to practice a hammer swing or two. Each one created a gust of cold air, and Vee shivered as he walked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted as he put his hands into his pockets. His estimate for the basic costs of setting up the dungeon was roughly three thousand golden fleurs. The nineteen he had left from the council¡¯s ¡°investment¡± now seemed laughable in comparison. He was frustrated as could be. Even after taking a new class and settling on a venture, he was basically in the same place as he started, except that now instead of just making enough money to survive, he had to find a way to get more money than he¡¯d ever had in his life. No big deal.
The only bright spot about his trip to the bank was finding out that the building and lot he¡¯d picked for the dungeon belonged to the city and they considered it abandoned. So long as he was willing to brave the fiends and ghosts ¨C seriously, why was everyone so afraid of ghosts? ¨C it was his for the taking, and totally free to boot.
Still, Vee¡¯s foul mood lasted for the next two days. He stayed in his bed and stared up at the ceiling, trying to think of things that he could cut from the dungeon¡¯s cost, but was pretty sure that he was already as lean as could be. Even when hardened and shaped, ectoplasm didn¡¯t make for a great building material, and Vee couldn¡¯t conjure wood, stone or metal out of thin air.
¡°I¡might have an idea for a place we can get some money,¡± Reginald said on the third day, after Vee snapped at Alforde for knocking down a chair with one of his more vigorous practice swings.
Vee sat up and glared at him. His eyes were red due to the fact that he was barely sleeping, and his temper was short. ¡°Oh do you now? Of course. And what might that be?¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s not really a place. It¡¯s a person.¡±
Vee twirled his index finger. Get on with it.
The spirit in the hat gulped ¨C which didn¡¯t sound the way one might expect it to, on account of being made of fabric and not really having a throat ¨C and then said: ¡°Sacre.¡±
¡°Sacre? Where have I heard that name before?¡±
¡°Back at the station,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Bert and Maryanne were arguing about the fact that she works for him. He seems like quite the unsavory character, if the way they were talking about him was any indication.¡±
¡°So he¡¯s like a [Mob Boss] or something?¡± Vee asked.
There was another gulp from the hat. It sounded a little bit like a leaking balloon. ¡°He¡¯s an [Honest Businessman].¡±
¡°Same thing.¡±
No one spoke for a few seconds, and then Vee shook his head and stood up. ¡°Fine. We don¡¯t have any better options, so let¡¯s go talk to Sacre.¡±
His eyes narrowed. ¡°And it¡¯s totally a coincidence that you know about Sacre though, huh Reginald?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been around for decades,¡± the hat said defensively. ¡°He¡¯s the biggest crim¡ªalternative lender in the city. It¡¯s impossible not to know him.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure. Definitely nothing at all suspicious about this. Nope, not at all.¡±
Vee looked around, waiting for the popup to inevitably appear and offer him a new, likely useless class. To his surprise, his vision remained clear of all screens. Now that he thought about it, he hadn¡¯t had any new class offerings since he¡¯d become a [Dungeon Master].
He wasn''t sure how to feel about that revelation. For years, he¡¯d been fending off two or three offerings a day, and now there were none. It was weird. He kind of missed them.
[Devious Mind +1]
Well, another stat up was good. At some point, if this pace continued, perhaps he¡¯d start getting some perks from his new stats.
Usually, perks came on the sevens. Occasionally though, you came across a weird one that gave its rewards on the fives or tens. He suspected that Adventurousness was one of the latter, because with a current score of eight he should have already received his first perk from it. But, alas, nothing.
¡°I don¡¯t suppose you just happen to know where we can go and find Sacre, huh?¡±
Now Reginald was starting to get defensive. ¡°I don''t know why you''re so suspicious. It¡¯s just like I said: I¡¯m old. I¡¯ve only ever lived in Oar¡¯s Crest, and Sacre has been handling business here for almost the last twenty years. He can be found near the border of Eastown, where he owns a restaurant. That¡¯s where he does most of his business. The place is called Angelino¡¯s.¡±
Vee put on his coat, and plunked Reginald down onto his head. ¡°I¡¯d expect nothing else. Come on, Alforde. Let¡¯s go.¡±
Alforde made to follow, but Reginald coughed and twisted ever so slightly atop Vee¡¯s head. ¡°You¡probably want to leave Hammy behind,¡± he said. ¡°Sacre has some employees who might, uh, not like it if you try and enter armed like that. Could lead to a misunderstanding if you catch my drift.¡±
Alforde protested, but ultimately agreed to leave his hammer behind. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you back something nice,¡± he said to the weapon as they left.
Angelino¡¯s was a surprisingly dumpy building next to the fence that marked the boundary of Northtown and Eastown. The door was covered by a red and white checkered awning, and two menacing men dressed in ill-fitting suits loitered outside. The first of these stopped Vee as he approached.
¡°Gots to check ya for weapons ¡®fore ya go in there.¡±
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Vee stopped and held up his arms so that the mustachioed man could use his [Pat Down] skill. ¡°Seems like kind of a strange procedure for a legitimate restaurant, but sure.¡±
¡°Take it easy, big guy,¡± Reginald said, and the thug¡¯s beady eyes went wide. He nodded at his companion.
¡°Tony, did that hat just talk?¡±
The second man, who was as thin as the first was thick, nodded. ¡°Reckon so. Reckon so indeed.¡±
¡°Ya think it¡¯s a weapon?¡±
This was apparently a question on the level of ¡°What is the purpose of man?¡± for the two doormen, as they squinted and shrugged at each other in an ever-more-complicated sequence. Ultimately, one or the other or both arrived at the conclusion ¡°probably not¡± and they let Vee, Alforde, and Reginald through.
Inside were even more goons, and a few patrons who looked like they¡¯d rather be anywhere else. A tall, buxom woman in an outfit that left little the imagination walked up to them with a pair of menus in her hands.
¡°Hello, gentlemen. Let me take you to an open table.¡±
¡°We¡¯re here to see Sacre,¡± Vee said, ignoring the collective gasp from the rest of the joint at the casual mention of the man¡¯s name. ¡°Got a business deal to talk about with him. He¡¯s here, isn¡¯t he?¡±
¡°What are you doing?¡± Alforde hisspered as a pair of men came to stand between them and the door. These were both dressed in slightly better fitting suits, but still looked more than a little comical due to the fact that they were wearing fedoras cocked to the side. There are precious few people who can pull off a fedora without looking foolish, and these two were not amongst their number.
Vee winked at his best friend. ¡°Trust me on this one, bud. My dad used to deal with a guy like this all the time back home. You''ve just gotta project confidence, and not sound like you''re scared.¡±
The woman apprehensively looked over her bare shoulder to the table in the corner of the room. Naturally, it was dark and surrounded by a thick cloud of cigar smoke, so the occupants were obscured from view. Knowing that mysterious smoke screens tended to only work the one way, Vee held up his hand to make the universal gesture for money so that Sacre could see he meant business.
Vee didn¡¯t see or hear any signal, but apparently it got made all the same, and the woman¡¯s smile returned as she turned back around. ¡°If you¡¯ll just follow me, please.¡±
They did so and were greeted by three more gangsters just in front of the table. They were all dressed in suits that looked like they¡¯d actually been tailored for their bodies, and so Vee surmised that they must be high ranking indeed. Each of them checked Vee.
The first used [Check for Weapons], which was a stronger version of [Pat Down]. The second used [Check Intent] and the third used [Scare Silly], which didn¡¯t work on Vee thanks to the passive fear-immunity granted to him by his [Ghost Maestro] skill, [Stiff Spine].
The entire process was repeated for Alforde, and once the armorsoul''s trembling from the third test subsided, the friends were invited to sit down.
It was hard to see the man across the table, who Vee had to assume was Sacre, but he was definitely fat as could be. He took up almost the entire side of the table by himself, and Vee remembered that Bert had called the man a slug. It seemed particularly fitting now.
¡°You¡¯ve got balls, kid. I¡¯ll give you that. Not many men would come in here and talk like that. What can I do for you?¡± the man said as he let out a big mouthful of cigar smoke. Vee scrunched his nose at the spicy stench, but he didn¡¯t blink or cough. First impressions were important, but so were second impressions, and third and fourth and so on. When dealing with a man like Sacre, keeping your composure was king and so Vee did his best to keep his face neutral.
¡°I¡¯m guessing you already know who I am,¡± he said, ¡°so I¡¯ll go ahead and get right to the point. I¡¯d like you to loan me some money.¡±
¡°What makes you think that I can help? I¡¯m just a humble [Tomato Farmer], an [Honest Businessman].¡±
Vee couldn¡¯t see it from the restaurant, but he was pretty sure that Sacre¡¯s ¡°tomato farm¡± was a field of plants with guards every twenty or thirty feet. Just to make sure that no one tried to steal the tomatoes, probably.
¡°Come on now,¡± Vee said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think I have a pretty good idea of the type of businesses you¡¯re involved with.¡±
¡°Oh? And what might you think those are?¡±
Vee noted the threat in the man¡¯s voice and smiled. ¡°You run a carriage company. It was one of your drivers who brought me into town. Given what I paid for the trip, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re rolling in fleurs.¡±
That earned him a laugh, and Vee relaxed a little bit.
¡°I like your style, kid. And you¡¯re right, I do have my fingers in a lot of pies. How much money would you say you¡¯re looking for?¡±
¡°Three thousand gold fleurs ought to cover my costs.¡±
Sacre rubbed his forehead, and let out another mouthful of smoke. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money, Mister [Dungeon Master]. Now I see why the bank turned you down. I could give you the money, but then I¡¯d be taking on a lot of risk. What am I supposed to do if you go ahead and run out of town on me, huh?¡±
Vee shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you have your ways of tracking people down,¡± he said. ¡°But I won¡¯t run out on you. I¡¯m a man of my word.¡±
Sacre laughed again. Vee felt Reginald shift atop his head. It was a strange shift, as if the hat was making a face that Vee couldn''t see.
¡°A man of your word? How old are you? Twenty?"
"Twenty four."
Sacre flicked his hand dismissively. "Bah. You''re still just a kid. Look, it''s easy for anyone to say that but I''ve known a lot of people who ran with money that wasn''t theirs and lived just long enough to regret it. Normally, I¡¯d tell you that the bank had the right of it and say no to your request, but I¡¯m a generous man in a generous mood. I''ve heard about your venture, and I think that what you¡¯re trying to do is good for the city. What¡¯s good for the city is good for me, so I¡¯ll help you out. I''ve always said Oar''s Crest has been rotting for too long. Too long indeed. Here take this.¡±
He took the rose pin off his lapel and slid it across the table to Vee. ¡°Show this to any business in Northtown, and they¡¯ll give you whatever you need. No money upfront. Once you get your dungeon built and the fleurs are coming in, we can discuss the amount you owe and the terms of repayment. How¡¯s that sound?¡±
Too good to be true, Vee was sure, but his [Detect Lies] skill showed nothing out of the ordinary. It was probably too low leveled to do anything useful. He made a mental note to play cards with Alforde later so that he could make it stronger by reading the armorsoul¡¯s horrendous bluffs.
Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and Vee had thought about his situation enough to know that he had no other options. Taking the money from a mafioso would simply transmute one problem into another, but forward progress was forward progress. He took the pin and bowed to Sacre, then said his goodbyes, got up and left.
[It''s important to stay cool under pressure. You can now earn points in Guts! Guts +3]
When the young [Dungeon Master] was gone, one of Sacre¡¯s lieutenants sat down across from him and held out his hands. His name was Christopher, but only the boss called him that. Everyone else called him Walnut.
¡°You sure about this, boss? You¡¯ve always said that dungeons are bad businesses, so why are you helping the kid out?¡±
Sacre grinned, and even through the haze of cigar smoke, his jagged teeth were perfectly visible. ¡°That''s right. They are, Christopher. They are. But bad loans for people like that [Dungeon Master] are good business for us. Either we get paid on time, or we go collect what we''re owed. You know what I mean?¡±
Then Sacre laughed, and everyone else in the restaurant who was interested in going home with all their limbs still properly attached laughed too.
Stat Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 13
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 2
Might: 6
Wit: 20
Faith: 11
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 5
Plotting: 3
Charisma: 2
Devious Mind: 4 (+1)
Leadership: 2
Guts: 3 (+3)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 9
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), level 8
Tertiary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 1
Additional Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), level 1
Might: 18
Wit: 10
Faith: 23
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 26
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 1
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 19
Greed: 16
Deceptiveness: 36 (-1)
[ERROR! ERROR! ERROR!]
Chapter 10: Luna Redhenny (Interlude)
The fiend lunged for her and Luna ducked beneath its fiery claws to run it through with her lance. The weapon, which normally served as her hat ¨C thanks to the [Disguise True Purpose] skill from her [Tailor] class ¨C pulsed with orange light as Luna channeled raw pumpkin magic into it and spread a web of vines into the monster¡¯s smokelike body. The vines were hungry, and in less time than it took her racing heart to beat ten times, the fiend had been devoured, leaving a small loot pumpkin on the floor behind it. There were a handful of those on the ground already, and once the room was completely cleared of the monsters, Luna was going to go and harvest them. The rewards for pumpkins of this size weren¡¯t terribly impressive, probably no more than a few tin fleurs, but maybe she¡¯d luck out and get a small gemstone or two.
Even if the loot sucked, it wasn¡¯t like she was going to turn her nose up at anything to make the job more lucrative. The guild was only paying her forty fleurs for clearing two blocks worth of fiends!
¡°Luna! A little help over here!¡±
The [Pumpkin Witch] turned around and saw her friend Hanako Maluw dueling two fiends. The thin girl danced and ducked beneath the claws that sought her flesh and used her tessen ¨C war fans ¨C to fight back. Snapping the weapons open and closed let her vary her strikes between flourishing cuts and bludgeoning blows, but none of them seemed to slow the fiends down. Her dodges seemed slower than they had been at the start of the day too, and Luna feared that the girl¡¯s endurance was flagging. For the most part, fiends were a pretty low level enemy, but they could still be deadly.
¡°Be right there!¡± she shouted as she lowered her lance, took aim at the fiend nearest her friend and directed her floating mount forward. The point of her weapon found the gap in the monster¡¯s defenses, and another burst of vines was every bit as effective as the last set had been.
With only one enemy to focus on, Hanako seemed to catch her second ¨C or maybe fourth or fifth ¨C wind. She leapt into the air and flicked open both tessen. They started to glow.
¡°[Storm of Steel]!¡±
Her body seemed to phase into air, and for the next few seconds, Luna could see and hear nothing but the flash and sound of the frostnickel weapons slicing the monster¡¯s body into tiny pieces.
Hanako reappeared once the skill was done and fell onto her knees as she gasped for breath. Luna looked around the room to make sure that all of the fiends were in fact dealt with, then dismissed her mount ¨C a hollow, floating pumpkin that was just big enough for her to sit inside ¨C and used [Disguise True Purpose] to transform it back into her purse. She used the skill once more on her lance and put her hat back on, adjusting it so that the small pumpkin ornament was on its proper side. Reaching up, she brushed her dark bangs out of her eyes so that she could see.
A small scroll appeared on the floor, and Luna snatched it up. It was the proof she¡¯d turn into the guild to show that she¡¯d actually done what they¡¯d hired her to do.
[Quest Complete! You have cleared two blocks of Southtown of fiends on behalf of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild!]
[Might + 2]
[Adventurousness + 1]
[Guts +1]
[Your Guts is now 28. Your [Shrug off Wounds] ability is now [Ignore Injury]!
Luna was covered in sweat, her shoulders ached, and she just wanted to lay down and sleep, but she needed to get Hanako back to Northtown before anyone discovered that she was gone. Hanako¡¯s father was a serious man who had no love for adventurers. He would be furious if he ever found out that his eldest daughter had secretly started accompanying Luna on adventuring jobs.
She hurried over to her friend and helped her clamber to her feet. The girls were both covered in dirt and dust, but Hanako¡¯s delicate dress patterned with flower petals looked much worse for wear than did Luna¡¯s thick shirt and heavy overalls.
¡°Next time we do this I¡¯ll have you borrow some of my clothes first,¡± Luna said as she winced at a sliced bit of fabric in her friend¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this dress is ruined.¡±
Hanako grinned and shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have like a million of these things in my closet. I¡¯ll just throw this one away and change into a fresh one when I get home.¡±
Luna had long since gotten used to her friend throwing away things that cost as much as her entire wardrobe as if they were worthless, so she didn¡¯t say anything and just nodded. If I had that kind of money I could ¨C she thought before she stopped herself. There was nothing pleasant at the end of that road and she knew it.
Hanako flourished her hands and her tessen vanished back up into their holsters hidden by her sleeves. She wiped her forehead, smearing some of the thick white makeup that she always wore on her face. It was already pretty messed up though from the fighting, so the smear was barely noticeable.
¡°Thanks for helping me out back there,¡± she said as she drew out a small mirror from one of her pockets and got to fixing her appearance with the makeup she always carried. ¡°I don¡¯t know why my normal blows stopped working on the fiends. They were effective this morning.¡±
¡°Probably just fatigue,¡± Luna said. ¡°It takes some power to land a hit on fiends, since they¡¯re not really corporeal.¡±
¡°Must have been that, yeah. I¡¯m more tired than I¡¯ve ever been in my life. But I leveled up! I¡¯m a Level 6 [Petal Dancer] now!¡±
¡°Hey, that¡¯s great!¡± Luna said with a big grin. ¡°You¡¯re really climbing quick! A couple months ago you were only level 2.¡±
¡°That¡¯s only because you keep carrying me on jobs,¡± Hanako said. ¡°There¡¯s no way I could do any of this on my own.¡±
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡°That¡¯s not true at all,¡± Luna said. ¡°You took down almost as many of those fiends as I did!¡±
That wasn¡¯t even close to being remotely true, but Luna was a firm believer that a little white lie once in a while never hurt anybody and she could see that it made her friend feel better.
Once she was sure that Hanako would stay on her feet without any help, Luna lifted her arm away and hurried to pick up the loot pumpkins. She used a burst of pumpkin magic to open them up, and they disappeared one by one, leaving their loot behind. This room hadn¡¯t been particularly profitable, dropping only three tin fleurs and a few potion reagents that she didn¡¯t know how to use.
Luna sighed. Piddly rewards were better than no rewards, she supposed.
The pair exited the building and started walking back towards the gate to Northtown. They didn¡¯t fear being attacked by fiends along the way since they were within the two blocks they¡¯d just cleared, and it was daytime. Fiends really only roamed the streets at night.
Luna pounded on the gate once they reached it, and a small window opened in the center. Kyler, the [City Guard] on duty, looked out at them and lifted his visor so that they could see his smile. Hanako blushed and hid her face behind one of her tessen.
¡°Good to see you two make it out of there alive. Any serious injuries?¡±
Luna shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re both fine, but we¡¯re exhausted. I¡¯ve got to get Hanako home pretty quick though, so open the gate, eh?¡±
There was a loud groan of metal and wood as the young man acceded to her request and Luna breathed a healthy sigh of relief once they were inside and the gate slammed shut behind them. Another mission done, another success.
She and Hanako weaved through the streets and alleys until they got back to Hanako¡¯s house ¨C a massive mansion that had been built over a hundred years ago and meticulously maintained by the Maluw family ever since. They snuck through the hole in the back hedge that they used to come and go from adventuring jobs, Hanako climbed the tree that led to her window and slipped inside with none of the servants being any the wiser. Or, if they were, they all had the common decency to pretend that they weren¡¯t.
Hanako vanished for a few minutes and returned to the window looking as if she¡¯d spent the day doing nothing a young lady shouldn¡¯t. She¡¯d changed to a green dress, and her makeup was impeccable. Luna gave her a thumbs up and pantomimed that she¡¯d see her friend again soon, and then it was back through the hedge and over to the adventurer¡¯s guild so that she could turn in her quest.
She handed over her scrolls and collected her reward, and then it was almost time to go home. She wanted to take a hot bath and eat something tasty. Towards that latter goal, she stopped at the market on her way and bought a bag of caramel apple candy from Joleimna, the salamander [Candy Man] and a hot roast beef sandwich with crinkly fries from Anastasia, the kitrekin [Short Order Cook] who always smiled at her and gave her a few extra fries.
There was just one other place Luna had to stop before she could go home. The clinic.
She walked into the building and her skin started crawling. Not for the first time, she mused on the fact that she didn¡¯t mind the filth found in the dens of fiends at all, but the super sanitized atmosphere of the clinic bothered her so much.
The [Receptionist], a woman younger than Luna with auburn hair looked up as the [Pumpkin Witch] approached the desk. ¡°Oh, Miss Redhenny , it¡¯s a pleasure to see you. Do you require treatment? Or have you come to make a payment?¡±
¡°Make a payment.¡± Luna answered as she handed over almost the entire purse she¡¯d gotten from the adventurer¡¯s guild. She¡¯d taken four of the silver fleurs for herself which would have to cover groceries until her next paycheck from the post office came in at the end of the month. It¡¯d be tight, but she could make it work.
The [Receptionist] took the money into the office behind her. When she came out again, she gave Luna a receipt, and the [Pumpkin Witch] sagged as she saw the remaining balance it listed. Still though, she smiled, thanked the woman and bid her a good rest of the day.
Later that afternoon, Luna walked through the door of her tiny house and hung her hat on the rack.
¡°Ma, I¡¯m home. I brought you some of that caramel apple candy you like.¡±
She walked into the living room, where her mother was reading a book in the same chair she¡¯d left her in that morning. Her mom¡¯s skin was sallow, and she looked tired, but she smiled at Luna as the girl opened the bag of candy and handed her a piece.
¡°You get this from Joleimna?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
Her mom grinned as the candy¡¯s hard outer shell melted away and revealed the soft filling inside. ¡°He makes the best candy in the city. You know, back when your father and I were first dating, he used to sell these strawberry lavender candies that were to ¨C¡°
She was interrupted by a fierce bout of coughing and held a threadbare rag to her lips. She tried to hide it when she pulled it away from her mouth, but Luna had already seen the pink splotches and tears filled the girl¡¯s eyes.
[Hope -1]
¡°I think I¡¯m tired, darling,¡± Luna¡¯s mom said as she folded the rag and put it away. ¡°I want to take a little nap. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and get cleaned up? You look like you had a long day.¡±
Luna wiped her eyes dry and nodded. ¡°Holler if you need anything, okay?¡±
¡°Of course, sweetie. Thanks for the candy. It¡¯s delicious. I¡¯ll have the rest later.¡±
Luna went to the bathroom and started the water. She sank into the tub once it was filled, and relished the way the hot water soothed her aching muscles and washed the scum from her skin. But, despite how nice it would have been to stay in the tub until the water turned frigid, there were other things to be done before going to bed that night. Things like training. Her stealth skill was still too low to really be much use, so she¡¯d go to the seedier parts of town and practice following people in an attempt to raise it higher so that she could take on some of the more dangerous and lucrative jobs from the guild. If only the two guys from the other night hadn¡¯t been such poor marks!
She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. There was no point in dwelling on the past. Tomorrow it was back to business. Wake up, make her mail deliveries, and then go get another job from the guild. Probably clearing more fiends. Hanako¡¯s dad was getting back from a business trip tomorrow morning, which meant that Luna¡¯s friend probably wouldn¡¯t be able to come along for a few days. That was a good and a bad thing, since it meant that Luna could pretty safely take on more dangerous jobs without having to worry about her friend¡¯s safety, but she¡¯d have to do them by herself.
Ugh. Sometimes it felt like her life was a never ending list of¡ª
¡°[Sunny Disposition]!¡± she said as she opened her eyes. The skill filled her mind with warm, happy thoughts and held the negativity at bay. For now.
She leaned her head back against the wall and prayed. It was simple prayer, and one that she¡¯d made many times before.
¡°Please, just give me a chance to make things right.¡±
That was all she¡¯d ever wanted. A chance.
Stat Sheets:
Luna Redhenny:
Primary Class: Pumpkin Witch (Sarah Redhenny), Level 26
Secondary Class: Tailor (Sarah Redhenny), Level 14
Might: 30 (+2)
Wit: 27
Faith: 19
Loyalty: 33
Adventurousness: 28 (+1)
Guts: 28 (+1)
Hope: 20 (-1) [WARNING: FURTHER LOSSES OF HOPE WILL CAUSE YOUR [SUNNY DISPOSITION] SKILL TO BECOME INACTIVE]
Stealth: 6
Charisma: 22
Hanako Maluw:
Primary Class: ????
Secondary Class: ????
Tertiary Class (Hidden): Petal Dancer (Madame Li¡¯s Guide to Martial Arts), Level 6 (+1)
Might: 8
Wit: 15
Faith: 7
Agility: 13
Adventurousness: 9
Guts: 7
Deceptiveness: 4
Chapter 11: Crestheart Is Born
Vee and Alforde stood at the gate that led to Westown, with two carts full of building materials behind them. It wasn¡¯t enough to build the entire dungeon ¨C not even close, to be quite honest, but a good start and today was just the first of what would probably be half a dozen or so trips out to the site. He¡¯d hired Nen and Cris to drive them, and the bandits in training looked more than a little nervous about the prospect of going into the fiend controlled part of the city.
The guard, a salamander woman with armor specially fitted for her thin frame and long tail, was dumbfounded that anyone wanted to go through the gate.
¡°But there are fiends!¡± She said, for what must have been at least the fourth time. ¡°And ghosts!¡±
Vee rolled his eyes. ¡°So I¡¯ve heard. Please, just open the gate and I promise that we¡¯ll return before sunset.¡± He held up the pass that he¡¯d gotten from the adventurer¡¯s guild. ¡°See? We¡¯ve gone through the appropriate channels and everything.¡±
There was a bit of grumbling, but the salamander guard knew her business and that business included the ironclad rule that passes from the guild were as good as council law. She waved to her partner and with a great heaving turn of the crank next to the guard station, the heavy gate slowly opened up. Vee led his little band through it and they made for the dungeon¡¯s location.
Fiends were not something that Vee had much experience with, and despite the assurances from Reginald, Nen, and Cris that the monsters didn¡¯t roam the streets during the day, Vee kept casting his eyes back and forth as they walked down the street, expecting an ambush at any moment.
[Devious Mind +1]
None came though, and a little while later they stood in front of the dark looking tower and empty lot where Vee was going to build his dungeon.
The first thing he did, naturally, was to make sure that empty lot was devoid of any lone roses. It was, thankfully, and Vee breathed a sigh of relief at dodging the lifelong quest of any lunatic bands of pseudo-immortal [Gunslingers] who may be passing through. Dealing with a band of those guys was known to be a momentous pain in the butt.
He directed Nen and Cris to start unloading the carriages into the lot, and then turned his attention to the tower¡¯s door. This was going to be the challenging part, because while the fiends apparently kept to themselves during the day, he was putting himself right into their territory, and it was totally reasonable to assume that they wouldn¡¯t take kindly to such an invasion.
Vee was prepared for that though, as he¡¯d spent the last several days scouring the books in the Oar¡¯s Crest Library for every scrap of information on fiends he could find. He¡¯d learned enough, or at least he hoped so. Fiends were fast and dangerous, and hurting them with melee weapons required a near constant channeling of energy that was tougher to maintain than it first seemed. Their shapes weren¡¯t fixed, nor were their sizes, but all fiends had fangs and claws, and they were imbued with some sort of fire magic that gave any wounds they inflicted a chance to spontaneously ignite.
Had Vee been an adventurer, he would have been in for a very difficult clearing job, but he had come across a fact that made the fiends substantially less dangerous for him.
They were spirits.
And that meant that he could make them do his bidding.
Reaching up to the sky, Vee stretched his fingers as far as they would reach and activated [Ghost Baton].
There was a squelching sound in the air as Vee drew ectoplasm from the sky and formed it into a rod. When it came to conducting ghosts, you could use bone, wood, or metal, but like attracts like and ectoplasm worked best. The only downside was that the batons tended not to last all that long. Most of Vee¡¯s only tended to stick around for a few hours, and then they started to melt away.
What that meant was that every baton was a little different. In almost no time at all he was holding a thin black stick connected to a handle adorned with golden flowers. It was pretty, in a way, but it wasn¡¯t the nicest one he¡¯d ever made. Oh well. It was temporary. Lifting the baton, Vee closed his eyes, held up both hands, and activated [Form Orchestra].
[Form Orchestra] was the skill that made his class what it was. It had been discovered by accident long ago, when a research-inclined necromancer wondered why he always felt the presence of his long-dead wife when he played his violin. With time and research, he discovered that ¡°music¡± (defined very loosely as a series of telepathic orders tied to repetitive sounds) was the key to getting ghosts to do one¡¯s bidding.
The size of a [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s orchestra was dependent on the number of sounds they could telepathically command, and at Level 13, Vee could only manage three. La-la, na-na, and doot-doot. Not legitimate song lyrics, but perfectly acceptable for controlling ghosts.
Vee stepped into the first floor of the tower and as expected, a fiend lunged for him.
¡°La-la! First section!¡± He cried as he pointed his baton at it, sending his will into the fiend¡¯s consciousness, and establishing himself as the spirit¡¯s master. The fiend became docile almost instantly. Behind Vee, Alforde lowered his hammer and looked both relieved and disappointed at the fact that he wouldn¡¯t have to fight.
The pair slowly made their way up to the top of the tower, with Vee adding each fiend they came across into his orchestra. Each sound could bind a maximum of seven spirits, and so Vee could only control twenty one ghosts at any given time. If they encountered more than that, he¡¯d have no choice but to use his [Banish] skill on them and turn them into little puddles on the floor.
He hoped that wouldn¡¯t be necessary. He had plans for the fiends. Specifically, they were going to be the laborers that built his dungeon. Though they weren¡¯t particularly strong or skilled outside of fighting, as spirits they didn¡¯t need to eat or sleep, and they worked cheap. It was much easier to come up with repetitive noises and refined ectoplasm instead of fleurs, even with Sacre¡¯s ¡°assistance¡±.
Clearing the building took the better part of two hours, and to his chagrin Vee ended up using [Banish] a handful of times. He would have had to use it more, but Alforde managed to take a few of the monsters out with his enthusiastic, albeit clumsy, hammerwork. Vee supposed that all the armorsoul¡¯s practice was paying off.
Vee¡¯s orchestra was full, and he could feel the twenty one spirits inside his mind, messily arranged into three sections. Vee considered them for a few minutes, and then began the process of changing their groupings so that each sound was filled with fiends of roughly similar shapes and sizes. Sorting wasn¡¯t a perfect science by any means, but Vee figured that having them in more specialized groups would make it easier to give them directions as time went on. Ghosts tended to like structure and order. He mentally designated the La-las, filled with short and scrawny fiends, as the Light Section, the tall and broad fiends following the Na-na command became the Medium Section, and the hilariously fat fiends in the Doot-doots became the Heavy Section.
The fiends, for their part, took to their new groups about as well as they¡¯d taken to their old ones. Being able to rename orchestra sections was a blessing, and Vee said a silent prayer of thanks to the [Ghost Maestro] who¡¯d discovered that it was possible. He always felt a little silly giving orders with la-las, na-nas, and doot doots.
[Upkeep due! Your Orchestra requires refined ectoplasm to be sustained!]
Vee frowned. He hadn¡¯t expected upkeep to come due so quickly, and hadn¡¯t prepped any refined ectoplasm as a result. Normally, upkeep wasn¡¯t a huge deal. Most spirits didn¡¯t really want or need much, and could last almost an entire week or more just off the initial burst of ectoplasm they were given as their joining bonus when they became part of an orchestra. Even the more powerful ones would work for a few days before they started requiring more ectoplasm.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Fiends weren¡¯t so forgiving. As he examined the status of each section and the orchestra as a whole he saw that he¡¯d have to pay upkeep every day and a half or so. That was going to be unpleasant. It wasn¡¯t that ectoplasm was in short supply or anything, it was that refining so much took time, and was a fairly involved process which made it difficult to do anything else.
It was well worth doing though. Refining ectoplasm and keeping the orchestra paid well would give him plenty of experience for his [Ghost Maestro] class. He was ashamed to admit it, but for how long it¡¯d been since he¡¯d earned the class from the Academy, his level was hilariously low. Hopefully the upkeep costs would go down a little bit as he leveled up, or would be due a little less often.
Activating [Commune with Spirits], Vee asked if his new followers would be willing to wait a day or so for their first payment in exchange for extra ectoplasm. The sections conferred with one another, and then agreed. For an extra fifteen percent.
Vee wiped his forehead. It was going to be a late night. But that was Future Vee¡¯s problem. Right now, he had jobs for each section that needed to be done. The heavy section was sent down to the empty lot, to help unload the carts and stack the building materials nicely so that the construction crew would have an easy time when they arrived. Vee made sure to impress upon the stocky monsters that Nen and Cris were friends and NOT to be attacked under any circumstances. He hoped that the boys would remember the plan and not panic when they saw the fiends coming towards them.
The medium section was assigned to go out into Westown and look for other materials that might be useful for building. Vee had access to Sacre¡¯s money now, but he was smart enough to know that the best course of action would be to use as little of it as possible. Eventually, he¡¯d be expected to pay it back.
The light section was assigned the task of cleaning each of the rooms in the tower, scrubbing the walls and floors, and getting rid of all the cobwebs on the ceiling. They grumbled in Vee¡¯s mind, as cleaning wasn¡¯t really in a fiend¡¯s normal routine ¨C they liked the cobwebs! ¨C but for an extra five percent ectoplasm, they were willing to do what needed to be done.
[Congratulations! By creating your orchestra and negotiating with each section, you have advanced to Ghost Maestro, level 14!]
[Your Ghost Baton skill is now more powerful! Your Ghost Baton is now permanent!]
[Your Commune with Spirits skill is now Befriend Spirits]
[Your Second Sight ability is now Third Sight!]
[Your Refine Ectoplasm skill is now more powerful! You can now refine ectoplasm faster!]
[Wit +2]
[Faith +1]
Well, that was a welcome level up, but he wished that he wasn¡¯t stuck with his current baton. He twirled the thin stick in his hand, and noted that it felt much more solid. The perpetual sliminess that marked it as an ectoplasm creation was gone. It felt a little bit like glass.
Hopefully the speed increase on his ectoplasm refinement was noticeable and not something like what had once taken an hour would now only take fifty-eight minutes.
As he looked out the window of the tower¡¯s upmost room, he saw the city once again and thought to himself that with a little time and a lot of work, maybe he and Alforde could move out of Sculla¡¯s boarding house and live here instead. The mountains looked close enough to reach out and touch.
The sections of the orchestra filed out of the room and set about their tasks. Vee took off his hat and nodded at Alforde. Reginald blinked up at him, and his fabric mouth curled into a grin.
¡°Well, now that that¡¯s done it¡¯s time to make this official, boss.¡±
Alforde looked unusually solemn as he held Hammy vertically and struck a pose that looked a little bit like a salute. Vee grinned as he reached into his pocket and drew out Reginald¡¯s old core. The rock seemed smaller in his palm than it had once been, but it was still warm with energy. He looked down at his hat.
¡°You¡¯re sure that this will work?¡±
Reginald twitched his brim. ¡°Almost all of the power I left in that thing is there for the taking. It should be fine for what you need.¡±
Vee held the core up and closed his eyes. No point in dilly dallying now.
¡°[Found Dungeon]!¡±
[Warning! This skill is consumable; once its used, you will no longer have access to it. Do you wish to continue?]
Vee selected yes, and there was a rumble like thunder in the room as a strange machine Vee had never seen before in his life materialized on the ground in front of him.
It was a cube, but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t. The machine¡¯s shape seemed to flicker and shift every few seconds, and Vee didn¡¯t trust his eyes as he continued staring at it. Tubes and gauges covered every inch of the machine¡¯s outside, and when Vee looked at a few of them, he saw that their markings were symbols he didn¡¯t understand. There was an open slot at the top that was the perfect size for the core in his hand, and so he did the sensible thing and put the rock into the machine. What could go wrong?
Clunk. Clunk. Brrrr! Yellow light filled the room and parts of the machine began to whirl and spin. It growled like a bear and shook like crazy, and a tiny voice in the back of Vee¡¯s mind warned him to stand back in case the machine blew apart. Though, if he was being honest, an extra bit of distance probably wasn¡¯t going to do him much, if any, good.
When the machine finally stopped, Vee, Alforde, and Reginald all watched it warily for a moment, waiting for what would happen next.
Their answer came when a small, tinny voice spoke up.
¡°Hello! I am the Dungeon Heart 3530, it is nice to meet you! You can call me Dheart! Please tell me the name of your dungeon and then I can set its boundaries. Once set, this name cannot be changed.¡±
Vee looked at Reginald. ¡°Got any ideas?¡±
But instead of the hat, it was the machine that answered him.
¡°Got any ideas? Is that your desired dungeon name?¡±
¡°No!¡± Vee said quickly.
¡°Understood. Please tell me the name of your dungeon and then I can set its boundaries. Once set, the name cannot be changed.¡±
Vee gestured to the door and picked up Reginald as he and Alforde stepped out of the room to discuss.
¡°Anyone got any ideas?¡± Vee whispered, hoping that Dheart couldn¡¯t hear.
¡°Isn¡¯t that your job?¡± Alforde asked.
¡°I¡¯m not good with names,¡± Vee said. ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t have [Big Picture], I¡¯ve always had a hard time coming up with good names for things. It¡¯s always the last thing I think about, and then when the time comes I¡¯ve never got anything good.¡±
The three companions stood in silence until they heard Dheart¡¯s tinny voice. ¡°If no name is entered in the next three minutes, I will simply assign the dungeon a name from my internal name generator. The most likely selection is currently ¡°The Barrows Of Death, Despair, and Shredded Cheese.¡±
Alforde tilted his helmet to the side as if to say ¡°Not bad¡± and Vee glared at him and swore.
¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting the dungeon get called that,¡± the [Dungeon Master] hissed. ¡°We¡¯d be laughingstocks!¡±
He glared at Reginald. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the type of thing my [Majordomo] should be handling?¡±
The hat shrugged again, and Dheart helpfully told them that they were down to two and a half minutes to come up with a name, though now the most likely selection was ¡®The Catacombs of the Thunder Spirit Emperor With A Side Salad¡¯.
Vee closed his eyes, wracked his brain, and tried to come up with something. What was in a name anyways? Something something rose, something something sweet. Heck, the dungeon¡¯s name didn¡¯t even have to be good. It just had to not be whatever Dheart was going to go with.
He came up with an idea. It wasn¡¯t great, but it¡¯d do.
With one minute left, Vee went back into the room and stood in front of Dheart.
¡°Crestheart.¡±
¡°Crestheart? Is that your desired dungeon name?¡±
Vee said yes, and a popup appeared in front of him.
[Congratulations, you are now the Dungeon Master of Crestheart, a level 1 dungeon located in the city of Oar¡¯s Crest!]
[You have advanced to Dungeon Master, level 3]
[Leadership + 3]
Stat Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 14 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 3 (+1)
Might: 6
Wit: 22 (+2)
Faith: 12 (+1)
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 5
Plotting: 3
Charisma: 2
Devious Mind: 5 (+1)
Leadership: 5 (+3)
Guts: 3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 9
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), level 8
Tertiary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 2 (+1)
Additional Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), level 1
Might: 19 (+1)
Wit: 10
Faith: 23
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 26
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 1
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 20 (+1)
Greed: 16
Deceptiveness: 36
[ERROR! ERROR! ERROR!]
Chapter 12: This Sounds Like A Problem For Future Vee!
Dheart¡burped?...and a small drawer in the machine opened toward Vee. Inside was a book as thick as the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s leg. It was bound with leather and adorned with gold. Next to it was a gold chain as thick as Vee¡¯s fingers connected to a gaudy skeleton key.
¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked as he lifted the book out of the drawer and read the title. The Complete Dungeon Master¡¯s Handbook. As he opened the cover, a piece of paper fell out and Vee bent down to pick up.
¡°A welcome from the Union of Dungeon Masters, of which you are now a member,¡± said Dheart.¡±Dues are twenty five gold fleurs per annum.¡±
¡°Dues are what?! I didn¡¯t want to join any stupid union! Can¡¯t I send this junk back and get out of paying?¡±
Dheart made a whirling noise and some of its tubes rattled. ¡°Only if you want to be an unsanctioned dungeon. I¡¯ll remind you that as a result of current treaties between the nations of the continent, unsanctioned [Dungeon Masters] are considered criminals and subject to being imprisoned or killed by adventurers. Would you like to be an unsanctioned [Dungeon Master] at this time?¡±
¡°No! I¡¯ll pay the stupid dues, even if it is extortion.¡±
He muttered that last bit, but Dheart didn¡¯t seem to notice.
¡°Excellent. You are free to wear the chain and key or not, but it is your responsibility to make sure that it is not lost or stolen. Requests for duplicates will be denied except under highly specific circumstances as described in Section 7, Page 113, Paragraph 9 of the Union Bylaws.¡±
Vee grimaced at the chain. Not only did he have to pay a stupidly high sum of money, he also had to protect this idiotic thing? He wondered what sort of person would like such a ludicrously opulent piece of jewelry, but decided that if he hid it with the collar of his jacket, it wouldn¡¯t be too bad. Slipping it on, he winced at the weight and shook his head. Hopefully he¡¯d get used to it in time.
He looked at the piece of paper in his hand. It said basically the same things that Dheart just had, but was signed with a flourished signature he couldn¡¯t read and included an invitation to a forum for other [Dungeon Masters]. Vee had never been much on the ¡°communities¡± that were formed via crystal ball, but made a mental note to look into it all the same. Perhaps there¡¯d be people he could bounce ideas off with as the dungeon grew. Getting advice wasn¡¯t a bad thing, right?
Vee smiled. Before coming to Oar¡¯s Crest, he would have never dreamed of doing such a thing, but if he was going to be a different, better person, that meant getting outside of his comfort zone.
¡°Dungeon Master, would you like to set the geographical boundaries of Crestheart?¡±
¡°Call me Vee,¡± he said. ¡°Dungeon Master is too formal. And sure, that sounds good.¡±
Dheart projected an image of the city that looked a lot like the enchanted map Vee had been given by the adventurer¡¯s guild. It was already looking over the tower and the empty lot, and so Vee didn¡¯t have to move it at all to start drawing his boundaries. He marked the tower as his headquarters and the image on the map turned purple, and then connected four lines into a square around the empty lot, watched the area turn orange and then confirmed that the boundaries were correct.
¡°As a reminder, the boundaries of your dungeon can be changed at any time,¡± Dheart said.
¡°Is there anything else I have to do now?¡± Vee asked as he looked out at the skyline. It was still afternoon, but Vee wanted to be back in town well before sunset. He¡¯d promised Nen and Cris, after all, as well as the little salamander gate guard.
Dheart confirmed that there were no other pressing demands just then, and so with a gesture to Alforde, Vee pulled Reginald¡¯s brim so that the hat was sitting properly and made his way down the staircases back to the ground. The light section of his orchestra was hard at work and most of the rooms were looking cleaner already. Seeing them upside down on the ceilings was a bit unsettling, but nothing he couldn¡¯t stomach.
The tower was bigger than he¡¯d really paid attention to on the way up. Thirteen stories, in fact. Wasn¡¯t that supposed to be unlucky? Vee decided not to think about it. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he¡¯d use all the space for, but he had a few ideas kicking around the back of his mind and there was plenty of time to figure it out.
Naturally, Vee was out of breath by the time he reached the ground. Eventually, he promised himself, he¡¯d get a lift installed in the tower. He was done with stairs.
Thankfully, both carts had been unloaded, and Nen and Cris were sitting on them, looking dirty but unharmed. The heavy section fiends were loitering around the piles of building materials, and they looked at Vee with an expression he didn¡¯t recognize. A check of their status revealed that they were bored. He¡¯d never heard of bored spirits before, but he assigned them to go out into Westown and look for materials along with the orchestra¡¯s medium section. Their rotund bodies loped off into the alleys and deserted streets, and Vee turned to the two bandits.
¡°You guys ready to head back?¡±
Nen and Cris seemed all too happy to do so, and Vee and Reginald each hitched a ride. Travelling back took barely any time at all since the carts were so light and Vee hopped down to go bang on the gate until a little slit in it opened and a different guard than the one from earlier peered out at him.
¡°Watchu want, huh?¡±
Vee scowled at the man and held up his pass. ¡°I¡¯m the [Dungeon Master] who came out of this gate earlier today. My assistants and I would like to come back into the city.¡±
The guard cocked his head to the side. ¡°Don¡¯t got no record here of any [Dungeon Master] going out into Westown. How¡¯s I¡¯m ¡®sposed to know yer not a fiend, huh?¡±
Vee pointed to his pale cheeks and all-too-human features. Then he waved his hand at his companions. ¡°Do any of us look like fiends?¡±
The guard pointed to Alforde. ¡°That one there does, reckon. He¡¯s a big fella.¡±
Vee turned and though he thought the guard was being ridiculous, he did have to admit that from a distance, Alforde did look like a fiend. Kind of. It must have been the horns on the armorsoul¡¯s helmet. Come to think of it, had they always been that long and jagged? He¡¯d always thought of them as short, stubbly things that weren¡¯t useful for anything but show, but now they looked like they¡¯d be plenty useful in a fight.
As he looked at his friend, Vee noticed that other things about Alforde looked different too. His pauldrons were wider, and came to more of a sharp point instead of a gentle curve at the ends. His chest seemed a bit broader, and his gauntlets looked like they were heavier and more armored than Vee remembered.
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Vee had heard that some classes changed their bearer so that they¡fit better, but Vee wasn¡¯t sure if [Dungeon Champion] was one of them. If it was, there was no telling how different Alforde would look as time went on. He imagined his friend standing over ten feet tall, covered in [Hellfire] and barking like a dog. He hoped that wouldn¡¯t happen.
¡°That¡¯s my best friend and [Dungeon Champion],¡± he told the guard. ¡°We¡¯re staying at Sculla¡¯s boarding house, and the other two with us are Nen and Cris Hallstrum.¡±
Sculla¡¯s name didn¡¯t do anything for his cause, but the name Hallstrum got the guard¡¯s attention.
¡°Oi, you two!¡± he called. ¡°What¡¯s the biggest fish yer old man ever caught?¡±
Nen looked up and grinned. ¡°He tells everyone that he caught a fifty pound pike once, but the biggest fish any honest man¡¯s ever seen him yank out of the river was a little four pound bass.¡±
That got the guard to laugh, and Vee heard the cranking noise of the wheel as the door opened. ¡°That¡¯s Bert Hallstrum for yeh,¡± he said. ¡°Man¡¯s a heckuva bandit but a piss poor fisherman. Tell him I says hi, huh?¡±
He turned back to Vee. ¡°Sorry about givin¡¯ ya a hard time, Mister. Fiends can be tricksy sometimes. They¡¯re smarter than we gives them credit for, huh?¡±
Vee shrugged it off and told the man that he¡¯d be bringing loads of materials out to the dungeon every day for the next week or so, and asked what he could do so that he didn¡¯t have to worry about getting locked out at night. As it turned out, there was a list he could sign out on. He wished he¡¯d known that before going out today, but such was life.
Nen and Cris dropped them off at Sculla¡¯s and Vee opened the book that he¡¯d gotten from the union. Alforde practiced his hammer strikes in the corner of the room, and Reginald babbled in Vee¡¯s ear about ideas for the dungeon. Most of them involved tributes to Reginald, and Vee dismissed them all.
Construction of the dungeon itself took about a week, and went pretty smoothly overall. Vee wasn¡¯t much involved in the day to day work, leaving the details to Reginald and Alforde, as well as Giorgio, the antlered [Foreman] who¡¯d been the only construction worker willing to take the job. If it hadn¡¯t been for Vee¡¯s orchestra of fiends, the dungeon would have never been finished. Though, at the same time, if it hadn¡¯t been for the fiends all around Westown, they might have just been able to hire a crew of [Construction Workers] instead. Six in one hand, half a dozen in the other, as Vee¡¯s mom always used to say.
Vee spent his days during the build refining ectoplasm, which he formed into cubes and stacked in a second room at Sculla¡¯s after it became obvious that he was going to fill his own room so much that he would have no space to sleep. Without knowing how much time and energy it¡¯d take to run the dungeon each day, Vee wanted to make sure that his stockpile was as big as possible.
Each of his orchestra sections wanted a different type of refined ectoplasm. The light section wanted yellow ectoplasm, which would be good for boosting speed. The medium section requested orange ectoplasm, which was good for boosting endurance, and the heavies wanted green ectoplasm to boost their strength. Once again, Vee was unused to spirits that so clearly articulated their desires. Most spirits were content with any refined ectoplasm they could get their incorporeal hands on.
What other surprises did the orchestra have in store for him?
As expected, the job leveled up his [Ghost Maestro] class. Level 15 gave him access to the [Detect Falsehood] skill, which was a better version of [Detect Lies], as it also covered misdirection and intentional omission. He planned to use it on Reginald at the first opportunity. No matter how much the core-turned-hat made a big show of loyalty, often with loud pronouncements at Alforde¡¯s expense, Vee was still pretty sure that something there was amiss.
Constantly refining ectoplasm was tiring, and Vee took to taking frequent breaks. During these, Vee delved deeper into the book the union had given him. It was dense and boring, the way instruction manuals generally are, but there were some good ideas inside that Vee was glad to learn.
For example, he learned about different types of rooms that were successful in dungeons, different strategies for placing minions, trap management, and other things that would definitely be useful.
Despite these specifics, the author ¨C a seasoned [Dungeon Master] who ran a small outfit out of Quartz Canyon far to the north ¨C made it clear that managing a dungeon was more of an art than a science and repeatedly stressed that experimentation was critical for success. No two dungeons were the same, and it was the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s job to find the perfect balance.
Vee closed the book when he finished.
[You have learned tips and tricks for managing a dungeon successfully! You are now a Dungeon Master, Level 4]
[Wit + 1]
[Plotting +1]
[Devious Mind +1]
Vee leaned back on his bed and put his hands behind his head. What sort of dungeon did he want Crestheart to be? Centering it around ghosts made the most sense, at least for now, since they were plentiful and cheap to maintain.
However, as minions, ghosts were surprisingly inefficient. See, every minion in a dungeon had a chance to drop small gemstones called shards of chaos when defeated. Adventurers collected these gemstones as they moved through the dungeon, and if they succeeded in defeating the [Dungeon Champion], they could exchange their gems for rewards and prizes, like the shards were tickets in an arcade.
The [Dungeon Master] would then take the shards of chaos and use them to improve the dungeon by increasing the capacity of rooms to hold more monsters or traps, or even by buying new floors entirely. Beyond that, shards of chaos were necessary for hiring higher tier monsters, and buying more potent traps. According to his book, shards of chaos were just as valuable as fleurs.
Therein lay the problem. He didn¡¯t think he could get enough shards with ghosts as his primary minions. Most of the level one minions ¨C creeps, lesser elementals, slimes, beastkin, gnome statues and insects ¨C had between a three percent chance and five percent chance to drop a shard of chaos when defeated. In comparison, ghosts only had a quarter percent chance to drop one when they were beaten. This was supposed to be offset by the fact that ghosts were so cheap compared to the other level one minions that you could hire almost a dozen of them for every one of another kind, but Vee wasn¡¯t convinced. He didn¡¯t feel like getting out a piece of paper and doing the math, but the expected values just didn¡¯t seem to add up properly.
That, in combination with the fact that level one ghosts didn¡¯t do much damage and were easy to defeat, meant using them as his primary type of minions seemed like a bad idea. He¡¯d be left with a weaker, easier dungeon than otherwise, and it would take him longer than he wanted to earn the necessary currency to improve it. The last thing he wanted to do was get a reputation for being a newbie dungeon. His book was adamant that newbie dungeons didn¡¯t make money in the long term.
Vee closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Thinking so much was giving him a headache. Proper dungeon management was a fiddly seesaw. On the one side was current cost and current power, which any smart [Dungeon Master] would want to optimize. He did. However, on the other hand, those things had to be balanced around how fun and exciting the dungeon was for adventurers to try and beat and how much any given adventurer¡¯s run helped the dungeon get stronger in the future.
He groaned.
Rolling over onto his side, Vee decided that he¡¯d talk to Reginald and Alforde when they got back and see if they could help him make a better decision. Future Vee could figure it out later. For now, all he wanted to do was sleep.
Stat sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 15 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 4 (+1)
Might: 6
Wit: 23 (+1)
Faith: 12
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 5
Plotting: 4(+1)
Charisma: 2
Devious Mind: 6(+1)
Leadership: 5
Guts: 3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 7 (-2)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 7 (-1)
Tertiary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 4 (+2)
Additional Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 3 (+2)
Might: 19
Wit: 10
Faith: 23
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 28 (+2)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 4(+3)
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 21 (+1)
Greed: 16
Deceptiveness: 36
[ERROR! ERROR! ERROR!]
Chapter 13: Stained Glass Snail
Vee tugged at his collar and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. He was deep in the bowels of the adventurer¡¯s guild, and for some reason the people in charge of the thermostat were the type to think that anything cooler than a hot summer¡¯s day was unacceptable.
The woman across the table was apparently used to the heat, because she didn¡¯t seem distressed in the slightest. She looked at him over her glasses and smiled before tapping the papers in front of her to straighten them all out, and then set the papers aside. Leaning forward, she folded her fingers together.
¡°Well, Mister Vales, it seems that all of your paperwork is in order. Crestheart dungeon will open to members of our guild next week, and we will start issuing permits for our members to travel through the Westown gate on a regular basis. On behalf of the adventurer¡¯s guild of Oar¡¯s Crest, I¡¯d like to wish you nothing but the best of luck in your venture. This city has been stuck in the doldrums and shadows of the past for too long.¡±
Vee felt his cheeks warm, and he didn¡¯t really know what to say, so he did the small, tilted nod that he¡¯d seen his father do dozens of times. In all honesty, he was simply glad that the discussions were over.
Getting the guild to agree to issue permits through the Westown gate had been more challenging than he¡¯d originally anticipated. The guild¡¯s [Lawyer] had been concerned about threats to adventurers traveling to and from Crestheart, and so Vee had been forced to assist in the construction of barriers along a set path to discourage anyone from wandering into the more dangerous alleys and buildings. Thankfully his agreement hadn¡¯t required purchasing any more materials. Vee already owed Sacre almost three and a half thousand gold fleurs for materials, and that number was only going to increase as he finalized the order for the first batch of rewards.
After shaking the guildswoman¡¯s hand, Vee got up and left. In what was perhaps a peculiar twist of fate, the hallways beneath the guild were every bit as labyrinthian as anything he¡¯d seen in his handbook. He got lost twice, and had to retrace his steps until he managed to escape. Perhaps it¡¯d be a good idea to ask the guild master for a map or a blueprint so that he could steal some of the layout ideas to use in the dungeon.
To Vee¡¯s surprise, there were a handful of adventurers in the lobby. Humans, salamanders, kitrekin, elkin, and others all mingled amongst the drab d¨¦cor. Most of them carried swords. They were talking to each other, but a low whisper raced through them all as he walked by. Some of their voices carried enough for Vee to hear them.
¡°That¡¯s him!¡±
¡°That¡¯s the new [Dungeon Master]!¡±
¡°He looks too young to know what he¡¯s doing.¡±
¡°What the heck kind of hat is he wearing?¡±
Vee slowed down and made to stop, but Reginald¡¯s brim tightened around his skull.
¡°Keep walking,¡± the spirit hissed. ¡°It¡¯s imperative that you look the part of competent [Dungeon Master]! These adventurers are sizing you up, sure as you breathe, boyo. Make them wonder what you¡¯ve got cooked up for them, and don¡¯t give them any cause to think that you¡¯re incompetent.¡±
The truth of the matter was that he still wasn¡¯t entirely sure that he wasn¡¯t incompetent, but he squared his shoulders and tried to make himself look as impressive as he could.
[You never get a second chance to make a first impression. You can now earn points in Intimidating Presence!]
[Intimidating Presence +1]
[You can now use the Mean Mug skill. You can check it in your soul¡¯s mirror!]
Vee did just that as he ascended the steps back out into the open air of Oar¡¯s Crest.
[Mean Mug]: Contort your face into a terrifying visage, striking fear into the hearts of all who gaze upon you.
That sounded kind of fun. Vee tried it as he walked down the street, but it didn¡¯t seem like it was all that scary. One old kitrekin with blue fur actually laughed at him when he saw Vee¡¯s face.
¡°Might be a good idea to try and find ways to raise that intimidating presence score,¡± Reginald said as the kitrekin¡¯s laughter faded into the distance. ¡°Or actually, maybe we should just get you a scary mask to wear.¡±
¡°How¡¯d you know I unlocked intimidating presence?¡±
¡°I¡¯m your hat,¡± Reginald said as if that was a sufficient answer.
Vee took the hat off and glared into Reginald¡¯s unblinking eyes. ¡°And? Does being my hat mean that you get to read my thoughts?¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m a magic hat,¡± Reginald said. To his credit, he seemed to pick up on Vee¡¯s frustration ¨C no [Mean Mug] required! ¨C because he hurried to add ¡°but I only hear your stat changes and level ups. Your thoughts are safe inside that skull of yours. Even if I could read your mind, I wouldn¡¯t dream of mentioning it. Like, for example, if you had a tendency to dwell on the appearance of a certain mail carrier, I would have no¡ª¡±
Vee crushed the hat in his hands so that it was almost completely flat and Reginald shut up. Probably due to the fact that it was indeed a magic hat, it sprang back to basically normal as soon as he released the pressure. He jammed it back on his head. Serves you right, he thought as hard as he could.
The streets of Oar¡¯s Crest were as dirty and dingy as they¡¯d ever been, but now that Vee was used to the filth, he could see that they¡¯d been beautiful once upon a time. Sidewalks were made of multicolored bricks arranged in a herringbone pattern, with occasional breaks of small squares that listed the name of the street and pointed out each direction. He was heading east. That was kind of nifty to know.
Really, it really wouldn¡¯t take much to make the streets nice again, Vee mused as he headed towards Longarm¡¯s Lane. That was where most of the craftsmen of the city kept their workshops. A few dedicated street sweepers and garbage collectors would do the trick. Why didn¡¯t the council take care of such matters? Or if not them, why didn¡¯t the adventurer¡¯s guild take up the cause?
His destination was Thien¡¯s Fine Jewelry, a small shop just past the market. Feeling like a treat was in order, he stopped and bought a bag of green apple candy from Joleimna¡¯s stall. The salamander was rolling out a log of pink and white candy that said ¡°It¡¯s good to smile¡± on each piece. Vee would have liked to stay and watch Joleimna work ¨Cseeing the hot sugar get rolled into a thin tube and cut into small pieces was as mesmerizing as any magic Vee had ever heard of¨Cbut alas, he had to hurry, because Thien closed her shop at sunset.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
A bell tinkled as Vee stepped inside the [Goldsmith]¡¯s workshop. The showroom was empty except for the small bespelled cases designed to prevent theft, and the peal of hammering echoed off the walls. Walking up to the counter, Vee held his hands to his mouth and called out to Thien.
¡°Hey, Thien? Are you back there? It¡¯s Vee Vales.¡±
The shop fell quiet as the hammering stopped and Thien came out to the front. She was medium height and lanky, with short black hair, pierced ears, and tattoos all over her arms.
¡°Good to see you, short stack,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Here to inspect your pieces? Got the prototype right here,¡±
She held up a pendant that was engraved with an icon of Reginald grinning. Vee hadn¡¯t totally been sold on using the hat as the insignia for Crestheart, but Alforde thought it looked cool and Vee hadn¡¯t had any better ideas. Darn [Big Picture]!
¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± he said after a thorough examination. ¡°How much is it going to cost me for each one?¡±
She told him, and he did his best to keep his face neutral, though he felt like he needed to sit down. His [Budgeting] skill was screaming in his head that spending so much on pendants was the height of stupidity, but Thien had done a good job and there were benefits to blowing people¡¯s expectations out of the water on launch. If adventurers thought that Crestheart gave really good rewards, they¡¯d be willing to run it more often, and establishing a reliable customer base to generate consistent income was worth a hefty investment now.
Still though, Vee couldn¡¯t help but cringe at how much money he already owed Sacre. Since he was only planning to charge adventurers ten silver fleurs per floor, it was going to take a lot of people coming through in order to pay back the [Honest Businessman]¡¯s loan.
He''d have to find alternative revenue sources. Maybe merchandise? Would people be willing to buy Crestheart gear? Hats and shirts and such? Watches and fountain pens, perhaps? Interesting to think about, but not necessarily what he should be focused on just then. Shaking his head, he returned his attention to the task at hand.
¡°Do you want to go ahead with the full order? I could have everything ready the day before you¡¯re set to launch.¡±
Looking up, Vee noticed that the [Goldsmith]¡¯s face was drawn just a little too tight. She¡¯s nervous that I won¡¯t want to go forward. How often does she get big orders like this anyway? Maybe I can get a better deal if I act like I¡¯m having second thoughts.
[Plotting +1]
¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m just not sure,¡± Vee said, putting on his best unimpressed voice. ¡°This has a nice styling, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s quite what I¡¯m looking for. This is Crestheart¡¯s debut to the world you know, and I want something that really has a lot of oomph. Something that tells the world ¡®We¡¯ve arrived!¡¯ You know?¡±
Thien folded her arms across her chest and set her jaw. ¡°I think this says that just fine. You don¡¯t want to look like you¡¯re trying too hard either, you know? When it comes to jewelry, sometimes less is more.¡±
They went back and forth like this for the next few minutes, haggling about various embellishments and adornments to make the pendants look nicer without adding too much to the cost. Ultimately, Vee managed to get three percent knocked off the final price, which his [Budgeting] inner voice heralded as a big win. His budget was still strained, but that was the name of the game when it came to doing business. Dig yourself into a deep hole to get things rolling and then make it up after that.
Hopefully.
¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and get the rest made right away,¡± Thien said. ¡°Where should I deliver them once they¡¯re done? The adventurer¡¯s guild? Sculla¡¯s boarding house?¡±
Vee thought for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about delivery. Alforde and I will come pick them up the morning before we open.¡±
Thien raised her eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea? There are a lot of sketchy people in this city who would be happy to collect free jewelry. I know Alforde looks tough, but¡don¡¯t take this the wrong way Vee, but you look like an easy mark.¡±
¡°And you don¡¯t?¡±
The [Goldsmith] flashed him a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been in business for almost six years now. People know who I pay my protection money to. They wouldn¡¯t dare get mixed up with them.¡±
¡°What? Protection money?¡±
She pointed to her front window and Vee saw that there was a stained-glass insignia in the top corner. It was a small thing, blue and green glass surrounding an orange and red horned snail. He looked back at her and shrugged. The symbol didn¡¯t mean anything to him.
¡°If you don¡¯t know, enjoy your ignorance while it lasts,¡± Thien said. ¡°Just don¡¯t be surprised when someone comes down and offers you a friendly warning about the dangers of doing business in Oar¡¯s Crest without acquiring dedicated protection services.¡±
Vee wanted to know more, but decided not to press the matter now.
[You have been given a quest! Learn about the stained glass windows in the city and find out who¡¯s collecting protection money from the merchants. Do you accept?]
Well, that settled that then. Vee accepted.
[Quest: Investigate the stained glass symbols.]
[Dangers: Getting involved in something you¡¯re better staying out of.]
[Reward for completion: A better understanding of the city, and +3 to Guts!]
[Description: Without attracting the wrong type of attention, look into who is responsible for the stained glass symbols in the window of Thien¡¯s Fine Jewelry.]
Vee thanked Thien for her time and turned to leave, but as he was walking out the door, he bumped into a middle-aged man with a tufty brown beard and thick glasses who¡¯d just entered the store.
¡°Excuse me,¡± Vee said. ¡°My mistake.¡±
He noticed the quality of the man¡¯s long brown coat. It was pristinely pressed and cut in the latest style. The buttons were made of gold and adorned with small pieces of crystal. Whoever this guy was, he had money.
Thankfully, the stranger didn¡¯t seem angry or upset that Vee had bumped into him. Instead, he was staring at Reginald with a quizzical expression.
¡°Not a problem,¡± the man said absent-mindedly. He lifted his hand, as if he was about to say something else, but Thien hurried out to greet him properly. She grabbed his hands and gave them a fierce shake.
¡°Oh, Mister Maluw! Welcome back! When did you return from your trip?¡±
¡°Just a few days ago,¡± Maluw said. He looked at Vee. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that I recognize you, young man. What¡¯s your name?¡±
Vee introduced himself and the man made an ah-ha noise at the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s name. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re the young man who¡¯s got the whole city abuzz. I¡¯m quite looking forward to seeing your dungeon in action.¡±
Vee¡¯s grinned sheepishly.
¡°Oh, where are my manners,¡± said the man as his eyes drifted back to Reginald. ¡°I¡¯m Jacques Maluw the Tenth. I¡¯m an [Enchanter].¡±
¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± Vee said, wondering what sort of stuffy family would carry a name down for so many generations that someone would be the tenth of their name. They were probably the type of people to use no fewer than like, six forks.
Without missing a beat, the man continued, ¡°Perhaps we can find something to work on together in the future. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll probably want some enchanted rewards for your dungeon as it grows, right? Enchanted artifacts are always a hit. Take my card."
Vee agreed, and Maluw pressed a card into his hand. It was every bit as elaborate and ornate as his coat. Promising to seek the man out once the time was right, Vee bowed and left the store.
If he¡¯d turned around, he would have seen Maluw watching him with a dangerous, steely gaze.
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 15
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 4
Might: 6
Wit: 23
Faith: 12
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 5
Plotting: 5 (+1)
Charisma: 2
Devious Mind: 6
Leadership: 5
Guts: 3
Intimidating Presence: 1 (+1)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 7
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 7
Tertiary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 6 (+2)
Additional Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 2
Might: 19
Wit: 10
Faith: 23
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 29 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 21
Greed: 16
Deceptiveness: 35 (-1)
[ERROR! ERROR! ERROR! RESENDING REQUEST FOR SEAL REPLACEMENT!]
Chapter 14: Alfordes New Skills
By the time Vee returned to Sculla¡¯s, the sun was setting and the sky had taken on a pleasantly warm hue of orange and red. As if to prove that looks are not to be trusted though, the air was frigid, and Vee pulled his collar close in an attempt to keep his cheeks and ears warm. Otherwise, they¡¯d start to ache.
Reginald¡¯s brim offered a bit of protection against the chill, but the hat was definitely more style than substance, and Vee resolved to invest in a headband or something similar as the seasons grew colder.
He heard the familiar sound of clanking armor coming from the alley behind the boarding house. Alforde must have been practicing his hammer work. He¡¯d done that constantly as of late. Tucking his hands even further into his pockets and wishing that he had a heatstone ¨C another thing to buy at the next opportunity ¨C Vee decided to go and watch.
The armorsoul was indeed training. He swung and swept Hammy as he leapt and lunged up and down the alley, in a battle to the death with an enemy only he could see.
¡°Take that, and that! And that too!¡± Alforde cried as he thrust his hammer like a spear and then turned it into a nasty upwards sweep that would violently transform the teeth of any poor soul hit by it into paste.
Apparently, Alforde¡¯s foe didn¡¯t have teeth though, as the [Dungeon Champion] danced back, bobbing and weaving like he was dodging a vicious counter-attack. ¡°You may think that this dungeon is yours for the taking, but you¡¯ll have to get through me first!¡±
¡°FOR THE LOVE OF PARADISO, SHUT UP!¡±
The yelling came from an open window on the second floor of the boarding house. A scrawny man wearing glasses poked his head out of the window and all but shook his fist at Alforde. ¡°Look, I¡¯m trying to be patient here, but you¡¯ve been doing this for the past hour, and I can¡¯t hear my vision sphere. Larsene Canis III is challenging the Crypts of Lorimar tonight, and I paid twenty-five bronze fleurs to watch the run! I want to hear the announcer, not your idiotic chatter.¡±
Alforde stopped and straightened up, looking at the man sheepishly. ¡°Sorry about that, Mister Watson. I¡¯m just about done for the night anyways.¡±
The scrawny man muttered something Vee couldn¡¯t hear and then slammed his window closed. Vee wasn¡¯t sure why he hadn¡¯t just done that in the first place, but who was he to judge?
Alforde waited a moment, and then settled into a crouch. ¡°I¡¯ll confess, your skills are better than I initially gave you credit for, but you¡¯re no match for my ultimate attack!¡±
He was doing his best to keep his voice down, but as he spoke, Alforde¡¯s voice grew louder and louder until he finally shouted, ¡°[Cyclone Smash]!¡±
That was what always happened when the armorsoul got excited.
Grabbing his hammer at the bottom of the handle with both hands, Alforde started spinning. He went faster and faster until he was a blur of shimmering steel that moved slowly down the alley. It wasn¡¯t the most practical attack, Vee thought, but it was visually impressive.
About halfway down the alley, Alforde stopped spinning and slammed his hammer down into the ground. It shattered some of the sidewalk.
The window flew open once again and Mr. Watson stared out with wild eyes. He also held a small switchblade in his hand, though Vee couldn¡¯t imagine such a weapon being much use against Alforde. After all, he was literally made out of armor.
Mr. Watson seemed to realize the same thing as Alforde looked up at him and held up Hammy so that the weapon¡¯s gleaming head was only a few feet from the man¡¯s face. The angry boarder slowly put the knife down.
¡°Are you like, mental or something?¡±
¡°Sorry! That¡¯s it for the night. I promise!¡±
Another grunt, another slam of the window, and then Alforde seemed to notice Vee for the first time.
¡°Hey! Did you see my new moves?¡±
Vee nodded. ¡°They look great!¡±
¡°I just unlocked [Cyclone Smash] at level 8. I¡¯m hoping that I unlock [Unstoppable Charge] at level 10. Then I¡¯ll just be like Ser Hallheim Pielbrayne! If I keep practicing, I should be able to reach level 10 by the time we open.¡±
¡°And the talking?¡±
¡°It¡¯s one of my [Dungeon Champion] skills. It¡¯s called [Condescending Banter] and it¡¯s supposed to intimidate my enemies so that they¡¯re not as good at fighting back. Hopefully I can scare off some of the first adventurers that make it to my arena. The best battles are the ones you never have to fight! I read that in a book once. Or, at least, I think I did. What did you think?¡±
¡°I think you need a bit more practice. You sounded too respectful.¡±
¡°You think so?¡±
¡°Yeah. I think that if you¡¯re trying to intimidate people, you should say stuff like ¡®Was that supposed to hurt?¡¯ or ¡®I almost felt that¡¯. You know, confident things.¡±
¡°Oh, I see! Maybe I could tell them that it¡¯ll be another year before they¡¯re on my level. That¡¯s a pretty common thing people say in books!¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°You probably want to up the number of years there. Try twenty, or better yet, a hundred.¡±
¡°But most of them won¡¯t be alive in a hundred years. Even twenty years would mean the functional end of an adventuring career for most people. Aren¡¯t you aware that the average adventurer only stays in the guild for a couple years?¡±
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
¡°I think that¡¯s kind of the point,¡± Vee said with a shrug. His stomach rumbled and he popped one of the caramel apple candies he¡¯d bought earlier into his mouth. It was sweet and tasty, for all that it temporarily glued his teeth together. ¡°You want to go for a walk?¡±
Alforde nodded, his helmet scraping along his chestplate, and Vee was now pretty sure that his friend¡¯s appearance was slowly changing as a result of his [Dungeon Champion] class. Instead of an almost perfect sphere, Alforde¡¯s torso looked more like a cube. His horns were definitely longer now, and there was a slight texture on his pauldrons that reminded Vee of those horrible popcorn ceilings he¡¯d seen in friend¡¯s houses growing up.
They walked to the front of the boarding house and spoke to Sculla, who was perched on the steps with her pipe, as always.
¡°There are a few boxes coming later that need to be brought in tonight,¡± the ogre said. ¡°Would you two be willing to grab them when you get back?¡±
Vee started to protest but Alforde interrupted him and said that they¡¯d be happy to. The ogre grinned over a puff of smoke and waved at them as they walked inside.
¡°Something on your mind, Vee?¡± Alforde asked. ¡°You have that look you get when there¡¯s something important you want to talk about. Your brows get all furrowed and look like you¡¯ve just smelled something nasty.¡±
Vee was about to mention the stained glass images on the window of Thien¡¯s shop and what that meant for Oar¡¯s Crest, but he stopped himself just in time. He wanted to hear his friend¡¯s thoughts on the matter, but not quite yet. There was something he had to do first.
It was hard to think about something while most definitely not thinking about it at the same time. Ever since Reginald had made that little crack about the Luna-shaped places Vee¡¯s mind had a tendency to wander, he¡¯d been trying to think of a way to obfuscate his inner monologue. Of course, doing that was also difficult, and so he hadn¡¯t made much progress. Or any at all, really.
At its core, the germ of the idea in the base of his brain was simple. He couldn¡¯t say why, but he had a feeling that the stained glass snail and Reginald were connected somehow.
¡°Wait here a second,¡± Vee said as he started the slog up the stairs. ¡°I¡¯m just going to drop something off and then I¡¯ll be right back down.¡±
Alforde looked at him strangely, but did as requested.
After fumbling with the key to his lock, Vee opened the door and tossed Reginald into the room.
¡°What¡¯s the big idea?¡± the hat protested as he hit the ground. ¡°I thought we were going for a walk?¡±
¡°Alforde and I are, but you¡¯re staying here,¡± Vee said. ¡°[Would You Kindly] update Cecil so that his sheets properly account for the cost of the dungeon rewards? [Excellent Spreadsheet].¡±
Reginald gave him a sour look, which was quite impressive given that his eyes were virtually the same size and shape as they always were. ¡°But that sounds boring!¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s details. Isn¡¯t that supposed to be your specialty, [Majordomo]?¡±
The spirit hat had no retort to that, and so Vee left him with the talking spreadsheet and bounded back down the stairs with a huge grin. Sucker.
[Leadership +1]
[Devious Mind +1]
[Your Devious Mind Skill is now 7! You have unlocked Hide Intent!]
Vee checked the skill in his soul¡¯s mirror.
[Hide Intent]: Skillfully conceal your true motives for a single statement.
Well, that was something at least. A nice skill to dovetail with his [Detect Lies] and [Detect Falsehood]. Depending on how long it took to use successively, perhaps it¡¯d be useful to keeping some of his thoughts from Reginald. Something to experiment with, to be sure.
Alforde looked confused to see Vee without Reginald on, but didn¡¯t say anything about it. The pair left Sculla¡¯s and Vee followed his feet to a small residential street down the way. The houses here were small and dingy, but fairly well maintained, all things considered. They were almost all painted in pastel yellows, blues and greens, but one pink house stood out from the rest.
It was this one Vee sat down in front of and gestured for his friend to do the same.
The armorsoul landed heavily. Maybe he still needed more work on his gracefulness.
[Upkeep due! Your Orchestra requires refined ectoplasm to be sustained!]
Vee sighed as he gestured for Alforde to wait and closed his eyes. He focused on each section of the orchestra. Thanks to Dheart, distributing the refined ectoplasm to the fiends across such a distance wasn¡¯t a problem, and Vee could feel satisfaction coming through the bond that linked him to his orchestra. He¡¯d have to come up with additional tasks for them once the dungeon opened.
The tower was so clean he could eat off the floor, and the construction had been finished for days. The medium section had continued collecting more usable materials from around the rest of Westown, but Vee didn¡¯t know where to store all of them. For now, they were simply stacked around the back of the dungeon, and Vee was trying to find a place to put them before Crestheart opened. Having the dungeon surrounded by trash wouldn¡¯t make a particularly good first impression.
Originally, he¡¯d planned to use the orchestra as minions inside Crestheart, but he¡¯d become so intrigued by the way that they seemed to be developing more than he expected that he didn¡¯t want to see them destroyed by a bunch of adventurers. Plus, he¡¯d invested a good chunk of refined ectoplasm into preserving their service, and didn¡¯t feel much like throwing it all away.
Problems for another day. Increasingly, Vee felt more and more like this was his new normal. He didn¡¯t have time to actually sit down and think about things and come up with good solutions or really make a plan, he had to perpetually live in the moment and wing it as things happened. It wasn¡¯t entirely a bad thing, but Vee really didn¡¯t know how to feel about it. New town, new me. I guess.
¡°So, what¡¯d you want to talk about?¡± Alforde asked once Vee opened his eyes. ¡°Oh hey, did I tell you that I found a cool book at the library?¡±
Vee leaned back, feeling the pine needles and bits of gravel digging into his palms. His plan to tell his friend about his thoughts regarding the stained glass snail and Reginald melted away as Alforde broke down each chapter of his most recent reading experience. Eventually, Vee simply decided not to bring it up at all that night. Since coming to Oar¡¯s Crest, he and Alforde hadn¡¯t really had any time to just hang out the way they used to back home, and once Crestheart opened, he couldn¡¯t be sure when they¡¯d next have the opportunity to do so.
After all, a break once in a while never hurt anybody. Maybe the old me wasn¡¯t all bad afterall.
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 15
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 4
Might: 6
Wit: 23
Faith: 12
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 5
Plotting: 5
Charisma: 2
Devious Mind: 7(+1)
Leadership: 6 (+1)
Guts: 3
Intimidating Presence: 1
Alforde Armorsoul:
(REALIGNMENT) Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 8 (+2)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 7
(REALIGNMENT) Tertiary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 6 (-1)
Additional Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 3 (+1)
Might: 20 (+1)
Wit: 10
Faith: 23
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 29
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 21
Greed: 16
Deceptiveness: 35
[ERROR! ERROR! ERROR!]
Chapter 15: Opening Day (Part 1)
Before Vee knew it, the rest of the week passed in a blur and it was Opening Day. After a night spent tossing and turning in his bed while worrying about a million things that he couldn¡¯t control ¨C Were the moons waxing or waning? What if it rains? ¨C the cold gray morning peeked through his window and the time for thinking was over, replaced by the time for doing.
Vee sat up and rubbed his eyes. He was tired, but he¡¯d shake it off after getting some food into his stomach.
One small problem with that plan. His appetite was less than non-existent. He forced himself to spread some peanut butter and drizzle some honey on a piece of bread, but lacked the willpower to force down even a small bite. He left it on the table.
Alforde was nervous too, if his pacing back and forth across the room meant anything. The armorsoul fidgeted with his limbs the way a person might fiddle with a ring, twisting them back and forth and occasionally removing them from their sockets. He tapped Hammy against the floor as he walked, muttering to himself. It sounded like he was still working on his banter.
Only Reginald was in a good mood. The hat was perched atop the table where Vee had left him the night before and was grinning from ear-to-ear. Proverbially, of course, as he had no ears on account of being a hat.
¡°Gooooood morning!¡± Reginald sang. ¡°Today¡¯s the day! Let¡¯s hurry up and head to the dungeon, so that we can do one final review before the adventurers start showing up. If there¡¯s one thing I know, it¡¯s that once things get rolling for the day we won¡¯t have time to fix any little problems that may crop up.¡±
That sounded fine to Vee, so he brushed his teeth, shaved off the few piddly hairs on his chin, and got dressed. For today¡¯s event, he¡¯d gone to a [Tailor] and spent a handful of gold fleurs on a nice outfit. His pants were dark gray, and were pressed so that they had a crease running down each leg, and his shirt was black with ruffled sleeves and a gold pattern embroidered down the front. It was the most expensive shirt and pair of pants he¡¯d ever bought in his life.
Naturally, he wore his normal coat, but the [Tailor] had used one of her skills on it so that it had tails that reached his knees like a tuxedo jacket instead of stopping just past his waist. The lining had been changed too; it now bore a star pattern instead of being a flat color, and the coat¡¯s ebony buttons had been replaced with gold ones.
It was all very fancy, which made the contrast between the outfit and Reginald¡¯s dingy appearance all the more noticeable. Vee had taken the hat to every [Laundress] that he could find, but none of them had a skill strong enough to remove the base layer of dirt and stain that plagued the top hat. One of them had politely suggested buying a new hat, but Reginald would entertain no ideas of the sort and Vee didn¡¯t bring it up again.
Other than a handful of people wandering the streets, the city wasn¡¯t really awake yet as Vee and Alforde headed to the Westown gate. As they walked, they took in the bevy of decorations that the council had put up to celebrate Crestheart¡¯s opening. It was a stunning display, and a little offensive.
Ribbons of silver and blue adorned the lantern posts up and down each street, and signs proclaiming that a new day had come to Oar¡¯s Crest had been plastered on at least one building per block.
The streets, naturally, were still filled with trash and other debris. It seemed that while the council had money for big pronouncements of how excited they were to welcome the future, they didn¡¯t quite have the resources to clean up the present. Unfortunate, really.
¡°Vee, look at this!¡±
Vee turned and saw Alforde holding up a newspaper. On it was a picture of a bald man with owlish features. The headline read ¡°Council excited by opportunities created by new dungeon!¡±
Cursing under his breath, Vee snatched the paper from his friend¡¯s hands and read the article, which was mostly an interview. It was an infuriating read, filled with platitudes from some idiotic council member named Michael Seidon - whose picture it must have been on the front page - and plenty of prattling self-congratulations about how the council¡¯s revitalization fund had inspired ¡°The young [Dungeon Master]¡± ¨C not once did the article refer to Vee by name! ¨C to go ahead and start Crestheart.
¡°I can¡¯t believe they didn¡¯t interview you,¡± Alforde said. ¡°You went down to the newspaper office and everything.¡±
Vee didn¡¯t answer though, because he was reading the last question of the interview and almost foaming at the mouth.
Well, thanks for your time, Mr. Seidon. Do you have any final words for the people of Oar¡¯s Crest?
Yes. The council wishes to thank the community for their support as we undertook the steps to bring this dungeon to life. We¡¯re proud of the work that¡¯s been done and we¡¯ll be sure and work even harder to improve Crestheart in the future.
That was it! We? We?! There was no ¡°We¡±, there was just Vee! Okay, that wasn¡¯t technically true; there was Alforde and Reginald and Dheart and a bunch of other people ¨C suppliers from the union and such ¨C too, but the council certainly had nothing to pat themselves on the back about. He hadn¡¯t even met any of those crusty old jerks yet, and he¡¯d even gone to their headquarters in an attempt to do so. Twice!
If there was one thing Vee hated it was stolen valor, and it seemed the city was full of it as the council tried to make it seem like his dungeon and his hard work had been the result of their policies. Okay, yes, technically it¡¯d been seeing the announcement of the fund that had helped give him the idea in the first place, and the extra gold fleurs had helped get the ball rolling, but was that really enough to justify taking so much of the credit and more importantly all of the page space in the paper?
Not in Vee¡¯s eyes. Not even close. Snarling, Vee ripped the newspaper in half and threw the pieces on the ground. He spat on them too, for good measure, but then collected himself and stomped towards the gate.
¡°I will remember this,¡± he growled to himself.
A woman with her arms full of bread dressed in [Baker]¡¯s garb shied away from him as Vee passed. He glowered at an old man sitting at a table in front of a small caf¨¦ who was reading out bits of the interview to his wife, and the man spilled his coffee when Vee shouted at him to shut up.
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[Intimidating Presence +1]
That brought Vee a temporary reprieve from his anger. He hadn¡¯t even been using [Mean Mug]!
Like a ray of sunshine to Vee¡¯s storm cloud, Alforde apologized on his friend¡¯s behalf to both the baker and the old couple once the [Dungeon Master] was out of earshot. The armorsoul knew that his friend¡¯s temper sometimes got the better of him and had long since made it a habit to smooth things over before they became bigger problems down the line. Though, to be honest, Alforde was pretty upset too. He quite enjoyed doing the paper¡¯s daily crossword, but resolved to avoid purchasing a single copy for the next week as an act of protest. No, that wasn¡¯t enough. The next month!
But what was he going to do in the mornings now after his hammer practice?
Sometimes, it wasn¡¯t much fun being a [Right Hand Man].
Instead of the usual two guards minding the gate, there were no fewer than eight today. Their armor gleamed despite the gloom of the sky and their weapons all looked pristinely polished.
¡°Good morning, Mister Vales!¡± cried the little salamander guard that had been so concerned about the fiends and ghosts not that long ago. Her name was Wureini.
Vee greeted her and forced himself to smile as the gate swung open ¨C without its usual creaking and squealing ¨C and Vee and Alforde walked down to Crestheart Tower.
They climbed the stairs to the top floor and were greeted by Dheart, who was happily humming away. Vee walked up and tapped the top of the machine.
¡°Hey, Dheart. Would you mind pulling up the dungeon¡¯s floor plan again? I want to do some last minute reviewing before the open.¡±
¡°Still can¡¯t decide what to do with those fire elementals, huh?¡±
Vee nodded as an image of the dungeon appeared in the air in front of him. It was made of gray-blue light and Vee could flick and twist the image to swap between a top down perspective and a detailed three dimensional view of each room.
¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that I¡¯m going to keep them on the second floor, but I just want to check the flow of the first floor again for good measure.¡±
¡°You¡¯re overthinking this,¡± Alforde sang as he stood beside Vee. He¡¯d polished Hammy the night before and had the weapon slung over his shoulder. ¡°The hallways of flame are a cool idea.¡±
As a level one dungeon, Crestheart had three floors, each represented by a cube of light roughly two feet wide on each side. If Vee wanted to add more ¨C and he did! - he¡¯d have to invest shards of chaos in order to strengthen Dheart enough to sustain them. Unfortunately, being able to do so was a long way away. The first floor addition would cost two hundred and fifty shards, and Dheart claimed that each one after that would cost even more. Vee needed to see how many shards he got from the opening, but he suspected that getting enough for a floor expansion would take weeks, if not months to acquire. So it went.
He''d decided to go ahead and use ghosts as Crestheart¡¯s primary minions. It was probably not going to be a permanent decision, but for now the cost savings offered by having such cheap access to ectoplasm was too much to ignore.
Since his level one ghosts were frail, raggedy things that needed to be in melee range to do any damage and fell apart when hit by anything stronger than a stiff breeze, he¡¯d decided to splurge a bit and bought a complement of level one lesser fire elementals from the union¡¯s supplier to fill out the dungeon as well. The tiny, cherublike creatures fought from range by spitting small embers at their opponents.
The initial plan had been to use the elementals as a ranged unit to support the melee groupings of ghosts, but the elementals weren¡¯t great when it came to aiming and the ghosts were not the slightest bit fireproof. After watching a full dozen of his ghosts get turned to ash by their ¡°allies¡± during Alforde¡¯s test of the first two floors, Vee gave up on the idea for the time being. Eventually, he¡¯d be able to prevent this type of problem by giving his ghosts fire resistance, but [Modify Elemental Resistances] was a level 20 [Ghost Maestro] skill, and so Vee had a long way to go before he could protect his minions from each other.
The workaround had been for Vee to keep the ghosts mostly on the dungeon¡¯s first floor, which had been divided into six rooms, and put the elementals on the second floor, which was a long pair of hallways filled with traps. The elementals would harry the adventurers as they moved towards the third and final floor, which was Alforde¡¯s arena.
Since the armorsoul was pretty much immune to fire damage, Vee had thrown a good chunk of the elementals down into his arena as well. They could hang out in the corners and constantly spit embers at any adventurers lucky enough to make it down to the boss. Hopefully there weren¡¯t too many of them.
Well, it wasn¡¯t the greatest floor plan ever devised, but Vee hoped that it would be good enough for a successful launch.
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Vee said as he dismissed the dungeon images. ¡°I¡¯m overthinking this. Even if I did have a great idea for how to better allocate the minions, I don¡¯t have enough time to make the necessary changes. All we can do now is to sit back and wait for the opening ceremony to start. How long do we have until then, Dheart?¡±
¡°One hour, twenty two minutes, eighteen seconds. Seventeen seconds. Sixteen --¡±
¡°I get it, thanks.¡± Vee sat down on the floor in his makeshift office and took a stack of notecards out of his pocket. He¡¯d written a little speech the night before and planned to read it during the ceremony. Since he had nothing else to do just then, he figured he might as well practice.
However, before he could finish even the first few cards, a loud knock thundered on the door.
¡°Excuse me? Young [Dungeon Master], are you inside?¡±
Vee looked at Alforde, who shrugged. He looked at Dheart, who was, for once, mercifully silent. The knock was repeated, and so Vee stood up and walked to the door.
When he opened it, he saw a bald man with owlish features, who bowed to him with borderline excessive formality. Behind the man was a pair of burly men wearing suits that were at least one size too small. [Bodygaurds], most likely.
¡°Pardon the intrusion, young [Dungeon Master],¡± the man said. His voice made it clear that he thought quite highly of himself and that he didn¡¯t really feel like he needed Vee¡¯s pardon. ¡°I apologize for disturbing you. You probably don¡¯t recognize me, but my name is Michael Seidon, and I¡¯m a humble member of the Oar¡¯s Crest Council. Do you have a few minutes? There are some things I¡¯d like to discuss with you before the opening ceremony.¡±
Vee was as still as the dead for a moment, and then his mouth widened into a feral, terrifying smile. ¡°Why of course, Mister Seidon,¡± he said with a sickly sweet tone that only Alforde would have recognized as a huge red flag. ¡°Please do come in. Alforde, open the window, would you, friend? I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯s quite stuffy in here.¡±
[Plotting +1]
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 15
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 5 (+1)
Might: 6
Wit: 23
Faith: 12
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 5
Plotting: 6 (+1)
Charisma: 2
Devious Mind: 7
Leadership: 6
Guts: 3
Intimidating Presence: 2 (+1)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 10 (+2)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 8 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 5 (-1)
Additional Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 4(+1)
Might: 22 (+2)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24 (+1)
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 29
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 21
Greed: 16
Deceptiveness: 35
[ERR#$! Sk%^$ E_-*# ___-!]
Chapter 16: Opening Day (Part 2)
Councilman Seidon walked into the room with his [Bodyguards] behind him. Vee stayed by the door for a minute, and then shut it behind them. Well, actually, it was more like he slammed it shut behind them. Alarmed by the sound ¨C anyone with half a brain knows that with one particular exception, having a door slam shut behind you is not a good thing - Seidon whirled around as Vee pinched his thumb and index finger together. The tower was as full of ectoplasm as anywhere else in Oar¡¯s Crest, and Vee¡¯s hands were like a potter¡¯s as he used [Shape Ectoplasm] to create a thick rope, which he animated and wrapped around the [Bodyguards] before they had a chance to react. Had either of them been by themselves, it wouldn''t have held them - there are few things in creation more powerful than a lone [Bodyguard] - but since there were a pair of them, they were unable to free themselves, no matter how they struggled. Additional ectoplasm ropes ensured that they wouldn¡¯t break free any time soon, and Vee grinned at Alforde.
¡°Grab him.¡±
¡°Vee¡¡± his friend groaned. ¡°This is like, a really bad idea, you know. They¡¯re setting up the stage outside for the ceremony. He¡¯s a member of the council!¡±
Vee shrugged. He was still grinning like an idiot and there was a manic gleam in his eye that Alforde knew all too well. ¡°I just want to talk. [Would You Kindly] grab him, Alforde?¡±
¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Seidon demanded as the armorsoul¡¯s gauntlets closed around his arms. ¡°I demand that you release me at once.¡±
¡°Sorry, can¡¯t do that,¡± Alforde said quietly. He lowered his voice until it was barely more than a whisper. ¡°Try not to panic, okay? You¡¯re not going to be hurt, Vee just has a flair for pageantry when he¡¯s angry, that¡¯s all.¡±
Vee walked to the window with his hands clasped behind his back. ¡°It¡¯s a lovely day for Crestheart¡¯s opening, isn¡¯t it councilman?¡±
He waited for a second and then gave Alforde a significant glance. The armorsoul didn¡¯t move. Vee looked at Seidon, then at the open window, and then at Seidon once more. When Alforde still didn¡¯t move, he jerked his head towards the sky and raised his eyebrows multiple times.
Alforde got the idea. He hefted Seidon into the air ¨C thanks to the armorsoul¡¯s strength, the councilman¡¯s weight was no heavier than the weight of a small animal would be to a person¨C and hung him out the window by his ankles.
¡°We¡¯re going to have to work on that,¡± Vee muttered to his friend as he formed a ball of ectoplasm. The [Dungeon Master] started tossing it a few inches into the air and then let it fall into his palm. It made a little noise each time he caught it. Plip. Plip. Plip. He wished that he had an apple to take dramatic bites of as he talked ¨C preferably one of those lovely crisp granny smiths and not those horrendously mushy red abominations that were as delicious as they were orange ¨C but Fate had delivered the object of his earlier wrath into his hands ¨C metaphorically speaking, as the councilman was literally in Alforde¡¯s hands ¨C and Vee was not the kind to ask for more in such a situation. The ball would have to do. Plip. Plip. Plip. ¡°Got a good grip, bud?¡±
¡°Yes, of course,¡± Alforde said. He gave Seidon a small shake to reassure him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister Seidon, I¡¯m not going to drop you!¡±
The gesture seemed to have the opposite effect of what was intended, as the dangling man cursed like a [Sailor] and slapped his hand on the tower¡¯s side.
¡°Gawain¡¯s balls! You¡¯re insane!¡± Seidon screamed as he wiggled in Alforde¡¯s grip. He tilted his head to look at the ground below. ¡°Someone, down there! Help! The [Dungeon Master] is a madman!¡±
Vee leaned out the window and saw that there were in fact almost twenty people looking up in slack-jawed horror. One pointed up at him and was saying something he couldn¡¯t really hear. He waved, and cupped his hands to his mouth.
¡°Indeed, I am a mad man, but I promise you I¡¯m not crazy!¡± he called down. ¡°The good councilman will not be harmed. Unless he wriggles himself free of my good friend¡¯s grip, that is.¡±
He put one foot on the windowsill and leaned forward so that he looked like that painting of a general crossing a frigid river with his ragtag band of soldiers. A smaller, angrier version.
¡°Mister Seidon, have you read today¡¯s paper?¡±
Plip. Plip. Plip.
The sound that Seidon made might have been an answer, but it sounded mostly like a whimper mixed with a little bit of a fart.
¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no. That¡¯s fine though, because I imagine that you¡¯re fully aware of the contents of the front page article, since you were the one interviewed. Were you not?¡±
Again, Seidon made a noise that could have been easily mistaken for the mews of a small animal. Like a cat scratching at your door at midnight, for example.
¡°You see,¡± Vee said, ¡°I happened to read that article this morning on my way to the gate, and I must say that I was disappointed by it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what this is about?¡± Seidon cried, his fear giving way to anger. ¡°You¡¯re hanging me out a bloody window because you¡¯re upset about a newspaper article?¡±
Vee leaned out further so that he could look into the man¡¯s eyes. He wasn¡¯t grinning anymore. Plip. Plip. Plip. ¡°Is there something wrong with that? I¡¯m upset because my name didn¡¯t appear in said article at all. Not even once. Neither did my [Dungeon Champion]¡¯s. But that¡¯s not all! Oh no, not in the slightest. Councilman Seidon, I¡¯m upset because you, and by extension, the council, had the audacity to claim the lion¡¯s share of the credit for what is indisputably the result of my hard work. Well, me and my associates, that is. It wasn¡¯t all me. But it most certainly wasn¡¯t at all you.¡±
As the last word left his lips Vee dropped the ball and Seidon had no choice but to watch it fall allllllll the way down to the ground, where the power keeping it together failed and it shattered into far too many pieces to count.
¡°I agree,¡± the councilman said quickly. ¡°You know, I tried to tell the [Reporter] that we should really be interviewing you for the paper, but you know how newspapers are. All those deadlines and things. Very tricky business. Very tricky indeed.¡±
Vee¡¯s grin was back. ¡°Well, surely a man in your position could make arrangements for, say, a follow up article, or a correction of sorts. Nothing fancy, just a clarification that Crestheart has only one person in charge, and that person is me, Vee Vales. Need me to spell it for you?¡±
¡°I think I could do that,¡± Seidon said. ¡°But for the love of Piper, please pull me up.¡±
Vee nodded to Alforde and the armorsoul brought the councilman back inside as easily as someone brings a spoon to their mouth. Seidon was pale and sweaty, and his eyes were rimmed red as if he¡¯d been crying.
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[You have unlocked the Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far Class, would you like to take it?]
Vee smiled, but this time it wasn¡¯t manic. He reached up to the popup and his finger headed towards the dismissal icon, but at the last second he changed his mind and took the class. Once again, he had an inexplicable feeling that it would end up being useful at some point in the future.
[You can now use the [Escalate] skill!]
[Charisma +1]
[Intimidating Presence +1]
[Devious Mind +1]
[Guts +1]
Vee marveled at the amount of stats he¡¯d just gotten. Could he have racked up a ton of points by taking all of those joke classes he¡¯d been offered before? Or, had he simply high-rolled a decent one? It was impossible to know, impossible to say, and so it wasn¡¯t worth thinking about further.
Seidon was spluttering and vowing that Vee would be brought to justice or something. The [Dungeon Master] let him rant. He had the measure of the man now. With a bow and an apology that such behavior was necessary, he slowly removed the ropes from the man¡¯s [Bodyguards] after reminding them that he was a [Ghost Maestro] surrounded by a virtually infinite amount of ectoplasm to work with, if they had any ideas about retaliation or any such nonsense. The men seemed to take their temporary captivity in stride, and soon enough they were doing what they did best: standing around and flexing their muscles as if nothing had happened.
¡°Glad we understand each other,¡± Vee said as he wiped a bit of dust off his sleeve from where he¡¯d been leaning against the side of the window. It seemed that he¡¯d have to have tell the light section of his orchestra to be more diligent when it came to keeping the tower clean. ¡°Now, didn¡¯t you mention that you needed to talk to me about something?¡±
Way down on the ground, Walnut looked up at the window with a grin and shook his head. The kid was crazy, or he had brass balls. Walnut wasn¡¯t smart enough to know the difference, but he did know that Sacre would want to hear the details as quickly as possible.
He set down the box that he¡¯d been carrying over to where the stage was being assembled and took off his hat. He¡¯d been tasked with watching the opening ceremony, but he was pretty sure that nothing was going to compare to seeing one of the members of the council hanging out a window by his ankles. People would be talking about that one for years.
The [Left Hand Man] raised his arms above his head and stretched his shoulders until the tightness in each went away. Manual labor hadn¡¯t ever really been his thing. Punching people in the face was easier, more fun, and definitely paid better than lugging heavy things back and forth.
Tucking his hands into his pockets, Walnut activated his [Slink Away] skill and vanished from sight. He hurried back to the gate and snuck in when it opened to bring out the next batch of stage materials. Only when he was back in familiar territory and sure that nobody was around did he take his hands out of his pockets and rematerialize to the world.
Walnut whistled a jaunty tune as he slinked down the streets towards Angelino¡¯s. It had turned out to be a pretty decent day, all things considered.
As he walked, he thought. Vee Vales. Heck of a last name, that. Come to think of it, Walnut thought it sounded a little familiar. Wasn¡¯t there a pretty high level [Tycoon] out in Bardis named Vales?
A group of [Heralds] commenced the opening ceremony with a tune that Vee felt could have been half as long. Apparently it was the city¡¯s anthem, all but forgotten outside of festivals and special events.
When they finished, the crowd of about two hundred people fell silent and waited until Seidon appeared behind the podium. Based on the way that the crowd¡¯s dull roar instantly reappeared as the councilman straightened his tie, the news of his ¡°conversation¡± with Vee had already spread.
¡°Good people of Oar¡¯s Crest, I thank you all for coming,¡± Seidon said in a calm and collected manner. ¡°On behalf of the council, I¡¯d like to welcome you all to the opening ceremony of Crestheart, our city¡¯s first dungeon. For too long, our fair city has lived in the shadow of its past, but now ¨C¡±
He stopped as he saw Vee twirling his index finger out of the corner of his eye. Clearing his throat, he recovered quickly and pointed towards the [Dungeon Master]. ¡°But now the man who will help lead Oar¡¯s Crest into the future will tell you about what his dungeon means for us all. It¡¯s my great pleasure to introduce to all of you the founder and [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart! Vee Vales, everyone!¡±
He hurried away from the podium as if it had turned to lava and vanished into the shadows of the dungeon¡¯s tower. It took the crowd a moment to understand what was happening. Most of them had heard Seidon speak plenty of times, and they knew that the councilman could be real long in the tooth.
The other reason that they didn¡¯t immediately see Vee was that the podium had been raised so that it properly fit Seidon¡¯s height. Vee was a good deal shorter than the councilman, and had to stand on his tiptoes to see over the top. That was hardly dignified, so Vee hurried to drop the podium as quickly as he could.
¡°[Inspire Loyalty],¡± Vee whispered as he pulled out his notecards and set them down in front of himself. He didn¡¯t know if the skill would do anything; the people in the crowd weren¡¯t his followers, but he figured that it couldn¡¯t hurt.
¡°Hello,¡± he said into the magnifying crystal atop the podium. ¡°I¡¯m Vee Vales and it¡¯s a pleasure to meet all of you. As you just heard, I¡¯m the founder and [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart, and today is the opening day. Quite exciting!¡±
He might as well have been talking to a wall. The crowd gave no response.
Well, this wasn¡¯t going well. Public speaking was not, strictly speaking, one of the things Vee considered himself particularly good at. He could already see plenty of eyes glazing over in the crowd. He took a deep breath. Like any good [Best Man] in the heat of the moment, he decided to abandon the speech he¡¯d so carefully crafted and ¡°speak from the heart.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t grow up in Oar¡¯s Crest,¡± he said. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ve barely lived here long enough to consistently find my way to the market without getting lost. So, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m really the one to talk about leading this city into the future or whatever. That feels pretentious to me.¡±
He fell quiet for a moment and then shook his head. ¡°However, what I do know is that today is a chance. A chance for brave adventurers to show us¡no¡to show the world that they have what it takes to conquer their fears and conquer a dungeon. A chance for me to show all of you that I¡¯m serious about making Crestheart the best dungeon it can be.¡±
A bird flew over the podium, and left a splatter of white goo on Vee¡¯s notecards. He looked up at the sky. Message received.
¡°Now, I have no delusions of grandeur,¡± Vee said as he raised his palms toward the crowd. ¡°Crestheart is small, and to be completely honest, it¡¯s not going to be much of a challenge for some of the stronger adventurers here. We¡¯re too new, too inexperienced, and too poor to offer more than a place to showcase your skills.¡±
He leaned forward and grinned.
¡°But that won¡¯t be the case forever. Mark my words. Crestheart will grow, and grow, and grow until it¡¯s the peer of any dungeon on the continent. Now, enough of all this talking. All you adventurers here today, go ahead and show me what you¡¯ve got!¡±
Vee straightened up and waited for the applause to start, growing increasingly horrified as the crowd remained silent. Finally, an old elkin with silver fur and tiny antlers clapped politely and the crowd followed suit.
Feeling dejected, Vee walked back to the side of the stage where Alforde was waiting. His friend clapped him on the shoulder.
¡°I think that was a very nice speech,¡± the armorsoul said.
¡°We¡¯re going to have to work on that,¡± muttered Reginald.
The [Heralds] started playing again, and a few fireworks went off as Crestheart opened for business.
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 15
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 5
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far, Level 1
Might: 6
Wit: 23
Faith: 12
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 5
Plotting: 6
Charisma: 3 (+1)
Devious Mind: 8 (+1)
Leadership: 6
Guts: 4 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 3 (+1)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 10
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 8
Tertiary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 5
Additional Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 4
Might: 22
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 29
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 21
Greed: 16
Deceptiveness: 35
[$%^*#(---Testing---#$%#^--Test@#$%%]
Chapter 17: Opening Day (Part 3)
Vee reached down to the chair next to where he was sitting and pulled out a bottle of water. He took a sip and felt the liquid flowing down his throat and into his chest. After wiping his mouth, he turned to Reginald and asked, ¡°How many more adventurers are there?¡±
The hat looked down at the stack of papers on the desk next to him. It was the applications for each adventurer that had paid the full entry fee to run Crestheart that day. It was still thick, but substantially thinner than it had been when Vee had first come back to the top of the tower and settled in for the runs. ¡°Hmm, maybe four or five? It¡¯s kind of hard to tell.¡±
¡°If that¡¯s all that¡¯s left then I can handle that,¡± Vee said as he took another sip of water. His throat ached, and he was looking forward to spending the rest of the day in silence. Part of his responsibilities as [Dungeon Master] included a fair bit of voice acting at multiple points throughout the dungeon, and doing so was taking its toll on him. Given that Vee had only two voices that he could reliably imitate ¨C Alforde with a cold and female Alforde with a cold ¨C his performance probably wasn¡¯t too great. He had to hope that the rest of the dungeon challenges were keeping the adventurers from noticing.
Thank Piper he had decided against including the logic puzzle that he¡¯d been considering. It would have required him to read the entire setup, the clues, and respond to guesses. Reginald had been right that it would have been way too much reading.
In addition to the voice acting, he also had to manage the doors and traps during each run. This mostly required Vee to press buttons on Dheart and wasn¡¯t too strenuous.
Together, his efforts had earned him another level of [Dungeon Master].
He was pleased with how the runs had been going so far. He¡¯d lost count of how many adventurers had tried to clear Crestheart ¨C it was definitely close to thirty, if not more than that ¨C and so far, only six had managed to reach Alforde. Of those, only one ¨C a short and fat kitrekin [Martial Artist] with blue fur ¨C had managed to knock Alforde out of the champion¡¯s ring four times to claim the dungeon¡¯s final prize. He was impressed by his friend¡¯s speed, strength, and stamina.
It was a little weird that so few had reached the third floor. Apparently, the hallways of flame had worked wonders when modified by the dungeon¡¯s [Disorientation] aura, and the lesser elementals of flame had paid for themselves probably twice over.
Honestly, Vee still had a tough time believing that so many of the adventurers were so defenseless against fire damage. If he¡¯d been an adventurer, fire damage would have been the first thing he would have protected himself against. Or, at least, one of the first things.
Oh well. Their losses were his gain. He hadn¡¯t crunched the numbers, but it was looking like today was going to end up being very profitable. Much better than expected, to be honest.
¡°Who¡¯s up next?¡±
Reginald shuffled a little bit and looked at the top sheet on the pile of remaining adventurer applications. ¡°Name is Pierre St. Drod. He¡¯s a [Balloonbarian].¡±
¡°A what?¡±
¡°A [Balloonbarian]. It¡¯s a hybrid class. Mixture of [Clown] and [Barbarian], I think.¡±
Vee had never heard of such a class before. Hybrids? Sure, he¡¯d met a few people at the academy who¡¯d had hybrid classes, but never one so silly sounding as [Balloonbarian]. ¡°How does that happen?¡±
Reginald did his little shrug. ¡°Has something to do with parents both wanting their kid to take their classes. If the kid can¡¯t pick one or likes both for different reasons for a long enough period of time, they kind of merge together and you get a hybrid class that takes some skills from both.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Vee said. ¡°I know how hybrid classes are made. I meant ¨C no, never mind, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±
Taking Pierre¡¯s application from the stack with a shrug, Vee looked at it for himself, since he wasn¡¯t entirely sure that Reginald wasn¡¯t just screwing with him. Sure enough though, [Balloonbarian] was written right there in big, bold, silly letters. It was time to see how he did.
Staring at the glowing blue sphere in front of him that displayed each room of the dungeon as the adventurer passed through them, Vee held out his hand and said, ¡°Alright, Dheart. Let¡¯s go ahead and send him in.¡±
Pierre wanted his hands to stop shaking. No matter how he clenched and squeezed his fingers though, they still trembled. He looked around at the last few adventurers standing in line to challenge Crestheart, and wondered if any of them were suffering from nerves as badly as he was. It didn¡¯t look like it. They all loitered around in various states of boredom, with arms crossed over their chests or sitting on the ground and looking at the festival.
The delicious scent of roasted meat permeated the air, and the barricaded street leading from Northtown to Crestheart sounded like one heck of a party. For a few moments, Pierre thought about forgetting the thirty five fleurs he¡¯d paid to run the dungeon and leaving the line to go hang out in the celebrating crowd. He could [Juggle] and [Clown Around] instead of fighting ghosts in the depths of Crestheart.
¡°Can¡¯t think like that,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°Can¡¯t let your nerves get the best of you, Pierre.¡±
His stomach twisted itself into knots and Pierre fought back the sudden urge to vomit. That¡¯s normal, nothing to worry about. Just nerves. After all, he¡¯d only been an adventurer for two months, and this was his first attempt at running a dungeon.
He tried to psych himself up. Crestheart wasn¡¯t terribly impressive, he told himself. Ceremony and speech by the [Dungeon Master] aside, from where he was standing, Crestheart didn¡¯t look¡particularly great. Unlike the pictures of the great dungeons of the continent that he¡¯d seen in Adventurers Monthly Magazine every four to six weeks as a child ¨C the publishers had a different definition of ¡°monthly¡± than most people ¨C Crestheart looked an awful lot like a hastily constructed warehouse. There weren¡¯t any towering statues of horrors in front of the door, nor any gold plated stairs that hinted at great wealth hidden inside. There wasn¡¯t even any music playing to help set the mood.
Rationally, Pierre knew that this meant the [Dungeon Master] ¨C and probably the [Dungeon Champion] too ¨C were as green as he was, but knowing that in his head was different than knowing it in his gut, as his mom used to say. He couldn¡¯t shake his unease.
Since he was up next to go in and start his run, he hastened to get ready. For some light stretching, he activated [Clown Around]. One handstand, two cartwheels, and three somersaults later and he felt a bit better. He took off his shirt, poured some oil on his shoulders, chest, and back, and then activated [Oversized Pockets]. From inside his right pocket, he took out his big shoes, rainbow wig, and red rubber nose. He put them on quickly and then drew his tube from his left pocket and a handful of offense and defense balloons. He inflated one of the impact balloons and fitted it to the end of his tube to activate [Balloon Mace]. There, now he was ready.
As he¡¯d hoped, the act of putting on his gear and readying his weapon had substantially calmed his nerves.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Pierre stared at the door to Crestheart. It was big and heavy, and it had a pair of bulging eyes that never blinked.
With a creak, it swung open and a crackling voice that sounded a little bit like a child imitating an adult came out of the bushy mustache just above the knob. ¡°Pierre St. Drod, enter the dungeon, if you dare!¡±
Raising his weapon, Pierre walked through the door and it creaked shut behind him.
¡°I¡¯m telling you,¡± Reginald said once Vee deactivated the magnifying crystal. ¡°You¡¯re saying that wrong. It¡¯s ¡®dare¡¯, not ¡®daaaaare¡¯. It¡¯s supposed to be a challenge, not a groan!¡±
¡°It¡¯s spookier my way,¡± Vee countered. ¡°Crestheart is a ghost dungeon, and I want adventurers to be creeped out when they go inside.¡±
¡°We have [Aura of Fear] for that,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Don¡¯t ruin the mood.¡±
Vee huffed. ¡°I need to watch the first room so that I can unlock the door if he clears it. We can talk about this later.¡±
It was pretty dark inside Crestheart, but a few flickering blue torches on the walls gave Pierre enough light to see where he was going.
The first room of the first floor was a big square space, and as soon as he reached the center, a trio of ghosts phased through the wall and flew towards him with their hands out. Pierre cartwheeled away from their first strike and dispatched them easily enough with his mace, but he hit the third one wrong and his balloon popped. He¡¯d probably overfilled it a little bit.
Cursing, Pierre snatched another impact balloon from the wad in his free hand and hurried to inflate it. He¡¯d just finished attaching it when another trio attacked from behind, and this time he wasn¡¯t fast enough to dodge the first minion¡¯s attack. Three claws sank into his shoulder and drew blood before he jumped to safety and smashed the ghost to smithereens.
The adventurer checked his wound with a smile. It didn¡¯t hurt much, but it would boost his rage multiplier. He¡¯d wanted to make sure and take some damage before making it to the champion¡¯s arena so that his [Barbarian Strength] would be good and primed. This was the best kind of wound to take.
There was a loud clunk and a quartet of ghosts surged toward him. This time though, they weren¡¯t all the same. One of them looked like it was two ghosts stitched together ¨C poorly ¨C so that it was heavier and tankier than its peers. Pierre didn¡¯t need [Clown Around] to dodge the slow attacks, but he still leapt into the air to get behind it so that he could deliver a mighty blow with his [Balloon Mace]. Always be clowning, just like his dad taught him. The impact balloon popped on the ghost¡¯s back, but seemed to do no real damage.
Two of the other ghosts got their claws into him and left him another handful of scratches. More pain. More rage. This was fine. Another impact balloon dispatched the trio of normal ghosts, but popped immediately against the tank once again.
Time for a change in tactics, then. Drawing out a pierce balloon, Pierre reactivated [Balloon Mace] and drove the spiky sphere into the ghost¡¯s face. This time his attack worked, and the monster vanished. It left behind a small purplish gray stone ¨C a shard of chaos ¨C and Pierre scooped it up and tossed it into his back pocket.
There was a loud groan and the red light above the only door he could see in the room turned blue. It hissed and opened, and Pierre went through it. He¡¯d cleared a room! His heart was racing and his shoulder ached, but that was fine. One room down, five to go on the first floor.
The second room was similar to the first, except that instead of coming at him in small teams, the ghosts constantly streamed towards him from all corners of the room. He cleared it without taking any more injuries and then it was onto the third room.
The third room looked like a library of sorts, with shelves of books all around. There were sheets of paper on the ground too, but they were all blank. Not a real library, then. Pierre walked forward slowly and carefully, expecting an attack at any moment, but none came. In the center of the room was a bubbling fountain with a statue of an angelic child in the center. Okay, that was a little weird.
He couldn¡¯t tell if it was because of the light or something, but the water didn¡¯t look right. It looked, greasy, somehow.
A voice came out of the statue¡¯s mouth.
¡°Ahem. Adventurer, do you daa ¨C shoot, wrong line. Stop it, Reginald, don¡¯t give me that look. Yes, I know its on. Shush! Adventurer, are you weary from your trials? This water can soothe many ailments.¡±
Pierre raised his eyebrow and looked down at the murky green liquid. Then he returned gaze to the statue and shook his head. The water looked like it¡¯d soothe something alright; a deathwish. ¡°No thanks,¡± he said.
However, once he passed the statue and started heading towards the door, the voice in the statue cried out ¡°You have angered the spirits by refusing their gift! Now you will SUFFER!...Okay, how was that? Crap, forgot to turn this ¨C¡±
At once, books started floating up off the shelves and spinning towards the [Balloonbarian]. Now, he¡¯d been struck by a lot of different things in his life, but these books hit different. Their corners were like daggers, their spines felt like hammers and there were too many for Pierre to dodge properly. One hit him in the face and knocked his nose off ¨C his clown nose, that is ¨C and it took him almost two minutes to find where the darned thing had rolled off to. Jamming it back on his face where it belonged, Pierre pushed the door open and walked into the fourth room just as another book left a nasty gash across the middle of his back.
More ghosts, though this time fighting them was made harder by a series of spring traps that sent spikes out of the walls and ground depending on where one stepped. Pierre almost landed on one particularly nasty looking spear, and thanked his lucky stars that he hadn¡¯t. Even his shoes wouldn¡¯t have been able to prevent him from being seriously injured.
There¡¯d been two of the tank ghosts in the fourth room, and the fight had been much harder than the one¡¯s in the first two rooms. Pierre was breathing hard and sweating profusely ¨C helped in no small part by the fact that it was quite warm inside Crestheart ¨C but his rage multiplier was pretty high and his [Barbarian Strength] was almost maxed out. Once that happened, his blows would be approximately twice as strong as they were normally, which would be a big help when it came to knocking the [Dungeon Champion] out of the ring. He just had to get there first.
The fifth room was one of those ¡°walls start closing in on you¡± traps, and [Clown Around] let him quickly dispatch the quartet of tank ghosts and pick up the door key before he was in any real danger.
The sixth room was the first floor¡¯s loot room, and after kicking the treasure chest a few times to make sure that it wasn¡¯t a mimic, Pierre opened it up and saw that it contained a few small crystals. Each one was marked with a value, and Pierre was holding twenty silver fleurs worth of prizes. Pretty good, all things considered. He had two more floors to make back his entrance fee, and he didn¡¯t know how much he¡¯d get paid for the shard of chaos he¡¯d picked up earlier.
He smiled. So far, the dungeon hadn¡¯t been too bad. After taking a few moments to rest and catch his breath, Pierre descended down the stairs to the second floor.
¡°What do you think?¡± Reginald asked. ¡°Care to make a wager on it?¡±
Vee looked down at the ridiculous looking adventurer. He¡¯d been surprised by the way the [Balloonbarian] had handled the rooms of the dungeon. Of all the adventurers to clear the first floor, Pierre had been the lowest level by a good bit. ¡°He¡¯s better than I thought he¡¯d be, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to beat Alforde. It might be close, though. Let¡¯s see how he does on the second floor, and then we can bet.¡±
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 15
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 6 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far, Level 1
Might: 6
Wit: 23
Faith: 12
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 5
Plotting: 6
Charisma: 3
Devious Mind: 8
Leadership: 6
Guts: 4
Intimidating Presence: 3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 10
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 8
Tertiary Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 5
Additional Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 4
Might: 22
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Endurance: 6 (+6)
Intimidating Presence: 5 (+5)
Heart of a Champion: 1 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 29
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 21
Greed: 17 (+1)
Deceptiveness: 35
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BONUS: Pierre Character Sheet
Pierre St. Drod
Primary Class: Balloonbarian, Level 6
Secondary Class: Cook, Level 5
Might: 11
Wit: 10
Faith: 2
Adventurousness: 8
Guts: 9
Silliness: 5
Chapter 18: Opening Day (Part 4)
The stairs leading down to Crestheart¡¯s second floor were strangely cold. The ghostly lanterns changed colors; instead of blue they were now a sickly green.
Pierre stepped onto the tiles of the second floor and looked around. He was standing in a hallway with two paths ahead. There were no hints or clues or signs for which one was better than the other. Just a pair of shadows that were nigh indistinguishable from one another. Left or right? Crestheart wasn¡¯t too big, so it probably didn¡¯t really matter all that much, but Pierre still gave it a good thought. If Crestheart was mazelike, he could simply put a hand on the wall and follow it until he reached the end, though he really didn¡¯t think that the dungeon was big enough for that to really be an issue.
Thanks to his break in the treasure room and the time it took him to go down the stairs, Pierre¡¯s rage multiplier was pretty drained. The [Balloonbarian] felt this as a gentle tingling on the back of his neck and shoulders, and he hoped to find something to stop himself from losing all his rage, or he¡¯d be weaker than normal for the champion battle.
Time to get moving. He muttered a prayer and headed down the right path.
To his surprise, the lighting improved as he walked, until he could clearly see the floor in front of him. There was probably a reason for that. Pierre looked down at the floor very carefully and noticed a small tile that didn¡¯t look like the others. It was the wrong shade of gray, and because Pierre was desperate for a rage multiplier, he reached out with his giant shoe and stepped on it. What was the worst that could happen?
As expected, the tile sank under his weight and the walls groaned as compartments that had previously been hidden appeared. Platforms swung out and little red and orange balls of flame danced out. They warbled and chirped and started spitting embers at him. Pierre danced back as one landed in his rainbow wig and a flame started to spread. Throwing the wig on the ground as fast as he could, the [Balloonbarian] stomped out the fire, lest he lose a piece of [Clown] equipment that was required to use [Clown Around].
He sighed once the fire was extinguished. One of the toughest things about his class was the need to carefully balance his equipment. Like many classes, both [Clown] and [Barbarian] had restrictions on skill usage related to the types and amount of equipment worn. [Barbarian] strongly disliked protective equipment, and had a serious antipathy for shirts of any kind. Wearing one would completely prevent rage multiplication, rendering its most powerful skills next to useless.
On the other hand, [Clown] skills were gated behind having enough pieces of gear that were sufficiently silly. The minimum number of unique pieces of equipment necessary to activate most of its skills was four. In Pierre¡¯s case, these were {Silly Shoes}, {Puffy Pants}, {Rainbow Wig}, and {Big Red Nose}. Heck, he was only able to get away with {Big Red Nose} because his [Barbarian] class seemed to consider it war paint, which was a totally fine thing to wear. Losing any one of them would render him an overly armored barbarian without a real weapon, as he wouldn¡¯t be able to activate [Balloon Mace] either and would have to fight with his fists. Pierre hated fighting with his fists.
It was a fine line to walk, and Pierre made a mental note to start carrying spare wigs and noses inside his [Oversized Pockets] for times like this. He didn¡¯t know why the idea hadn¡¯t ever occurred to him before.
But for now, he had to focus and find a way through the hall without losing his wig. The air in front of him was like a blizzard, only full of small fireballs instead of snowflakes. No matter how he watched, there weren¡¯t any consistent gaps that he could dodge through.
Shoot. There was nothing for it but to turn back and try the other hallway. Hopefully it¡¯d be easier.
[Wit +1]
He traipsed back to the crossroads and this time took the left path. The light remained poor as he walked, and Pierre breathed a mental sigh of relief.
That meant he felt one hundred different types of foolish when he stepped on a pressure plate on the floor and another shooting gallery opened. However, this time it was even worse because a handful of snake ropes fell down from the ceiling and bound Pierre¡¯s arms and legs together so that he was virtually incapable of moving.
He let out a [Barbarian¡¯s Roar] as the embers pelted him so that his sense of pain was numbed. Thanks to the fact that his rage multiplier was super maxed out now, he was strong enough to break free of the ropes and managed to get back while salvaging his wig. Thank goodness.
Once he was safe, he reached into his pocket. Pierre drew out three long balloons. Inflating one, he glared at the lesser fire elementals ¨C who were still happily spitting away ¨C and began to twist the balloon into knots.
¡°[Balloon animal]!¡±
Vee rested his chin on his hands and watched as the [Balloonbarian] threw his balloon animals at the elementals and then ran past them while the little monsters were distracted by the bright colors. Fire elementals weren¡¯t great about focusing on a single target.
¡°He¡¯s pretty good,¡± Vee said, ¡°But I still don¡¯t think he has a chance against Alforde. I¡¯ll take your bet.¡±
Reginald¡¯s fabric face split into an ugly smile. ¡°Alright, when I win, you have to take me to the casino outside of town and let me play cards for an entire night.¡±
Vee looked over at the hat and raised an eyebrow. ¡°What the heck? You want to go play cards? Fine. If you win, I¡¯ll take you to the casino and let you gamble for a night.¡±
¡°Shake on it?¡±
Vee¡¯s eyebrow was already as high as it could go. ¡°And how exactly do you propose we do that?¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± Reginald said wistfully. ¡°Forgot for a second.¡±
Covered in a crisscrossed web of burns ¨C but with enough of his wig left to use [Clown Around] and his other skills ¨C Pierre descended the steps to the dungeon¡¯s third and final floor. He was exhausted and in pain, but he was grinning as he walked into the wide open room of that [Dungeon Champion]¡¯s arena. Dungeon running was fun. He¡¯d never experienced such a rush before. He liked this. It was much better than slaving away in front of a stove, that was for sure.
The arena itself was a big disk suspended a few feet in the air above a floatation rune. The ground of the chamber was blue and looked squishy.
In the center was a towering suit of armor holding onto a hammer. That must be the [Dungeon Champion]. Pierre drew out and inflated a piercing balloon, and fixed it to the end of his tube. His experience with the tanky ghosts from earlier had given him a greater appreciation for proper damage typing, and pierce was the way to go against armored enemies.
Pierre expected the [Dungeon Champion] to attack him as soon as he stepped onto the platform, but the steely giant didn¡¯t so much as move. Was it sleeping? Pierre looked around the room. Maybe there was some sort of switch he had to pull or button he had to press to get things started, and then he saw the bridge on the other side of the arena that led to a big, jewel-encrusted treasure chest. He headed towards it. Surely opening it and taking out the treasure would start the boss battle, right?
When he was halfway across the second bridge, the air crackled and the same voice he¡¯d been hearing for his entire run filled the room. This time, it was free of any attempts to disguise itself.
¡°Um, excuse me, would you mind not doing that? Please turn around and return to the arena. You¡¯re only supposed to be on this bridge if you win..¡±
Pierre stopped and looked up. He wasn¡¯t sure where exactly the voice was coming from, but looking at the ceiling made as much sense as anything else.
¡°You the [Dungeon Master]?¡±
A pause. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡±
¡°Your voice acting needs a lot of work.¡±
Pierre heard a snickering sound that was a bit too felty for its own good and the [Dungeon Master] coughed. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not the first adventurer today that¡¯s said that. Thanks for the feedback. Anyways, I wanted to congratulate you on reaching this part of the dungeon and tell you that you should probably cover your ears.¡±
Pierre did so, tucking his tube under his armpit. As soon as the [Balloonbarian] did so, the room shook at the sound of the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s voice.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
¡°ALFORDE! WAKE THE HECK UP! HOW DARE YOU FALL ASLEEP, YOU STUPID [CLUNKER]! THERE¡¯S AN ADVENTURER IN YOUR ARENA!¡±
Pierre winced and saw that the [Dungeon Champion] had snapped to life.
¡°Sorry, Vee! It¡¯s just that it¡¯s been so long since anyone made it down here that I didn¡¯t know what else to do.¡±
The suit of armor spun around and his orange eyes grew extra wide. ¡°Oh goodness, I¡¯m sorry that I missed your entrance. I memorized this whole speech and everything. It took forever, and now it¡¯s all ruined.¡±
Pierre walked back into the center of the ring. ¡°I mean, if you wanted to, you could go ahead and say it now.¡±
The [Dungeon Champion] shook his head as he studied Pierre. ¡°The vibe wouldn¡¯t be right. Sorry again. Anyways, I¡¯m Alforde Armorsoul. Why don¡¯t we go ahead and get started?¡±
Flipping his hammer over so that it could stand on its head, the [Dungeon Champion] reached up with his right hand and twisted his left arm off. However, instead of falling as Pierre expected it to, it floated down on a tether of grayish smoke to Alforde¡¯s chest, where after some prying, it opened a door and went inside.
¡°I was worried about stepping on them during the battles,¡± Alforde said by way of explanation. ¡°Hang on just a second.¡±
He pulled out a small green pill and tossed it to Pierre. The [Balloonbarian] caught it and held it close to his eye. It was marked with the letters SSB.
¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked.
¡°Sky¡¯s Shield Barrier. It¡¯s the union¡¯s officially sanctioned magical protection for champion battles. So long as you take it in a dungeon it makes you almost invincible for eight minutes after you swallow it. Super useful against smash attacks. Is this your first time fighting a [Dungeon Champion]?¡±
Pierre said that it was and Alforde perked up. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll explain the rules! When you¡¯re ready, go ahead and swallow your SSB, and then we try to knock each other off this platform onto the ground below. Each one is worth a point, and first to four wins. If your SSB times out before one of us has won, whoever¡¯s got more points wins. Ties go to you. Make sense?¡±
¡°Why does the fight have to end once the SSB wears off. Couldn¡¯t I just take another one?¡±
Alforde stared at him for a moment and then shook his helmet, and Pierre winced at the scraping metallic sound it made. ¡°You¡¯re a human right? Let¡¯s just say that taking two SSBs so close together would lead to¡problems. Stomach problems. Big stomach problems. Please don¡¯t make me say any more than that. Now, are you ready to start?¡±
Pierre nodded and lowered himself into a crouch with his weapon ready as he popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed. He shivered. All of his limbs and his torso suddenly felt¡gummy. Like he was made of rubber. It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling by any means, and he adjusted to it pretty quickly.
Alforde was already barreling towards him with his hammer up and ready to swing. Pierre activated [Clown Around] and tried to cartwheel away, but he was a hair too slow and the [Dungeon Champion] hit him in the back. To say that it knocked the wind out of the [Balloonbarian]¡¯s body was an understatement. Even with the magic of the SSB, Pierre felt as if he¡¯d never breathe again.
The adventurer¡¯s body hit the ground and rolled about halfway across the arena. Pierre bounced back to his feet just as Alforde charged him again. This time, he managed to leap up over the [Dungeon Champion] and land a hefty blow against his foe¡¯s armored back. The pierce balloon popped and sent its sharp fragments into the gaps of Alforde¡¯s armor, but seemed to have no effect.
Alforde spun faster than he had any right to and caught Pierre in the chest with another hammer blow. This time Pierre sailed past the edge of the stage and fell to the ground. A horn blew in the sky above him and the ground threw him back onto the platform. It was springy indeed.
Pierre landed hard and took a few seconds to catch his breath.
¡°First point to Alforde,¡± the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s voice said. ¡°Remember, your timer is still ticking!¡±
Pierre charged his foe with a [Barbarian¡¯s Roar]. His rage was molten lava: it burned in his blood and he was powerful. Nothing could stop him; there weren¡¯t any who could stand in his way. Crush. SMASH! This was the reason he¡¯d endured all the injuries earlier! He was going to¡ª
Alforde¡¯s hammer smashed into his ribs and Pierre suddenly found himself spinning through the air. He¡¯d missed a few seconds because he wasn¡¯t entirely sure how he hadn¡¯t seen the strike coming. Growling, he slapped the ground and leapt back to his feet.
¡°Is this all that you have?¡± Alforde asked as he peppered Pierre with a series of pulsing blows. No matter how Pierre tried to block or dodge, the hammer always found its mark and he was knocked out of the stage for a second time. ¡°I must admit that I¡¯m disappointed.¡±
Pierre took a deep breath and inflated a shield balloon as the horn sounded. It was hard to see through the red haze of his vision. Time was ticking away, yes, but rushing headlong into his enemy¡¯s waiting hammer had cost him half of his knockouts already. He needed time to look for a weakness in his foe¡¯s technique. Everyone had a blind spot.
His shield balloon managed to block the next hammer blow and with the help of [Clown Around], Pierre dodged the flurry.
Retreating to the edge of the arena, Pierre saw his chance. Alforde was bigger, heavier, and stronger than he was, so brawling was out. However, the armorsoul¡¯s fighting style of dashing forward and attacking with big heavy smashes meant that it was hard for the [Dungeon Champion] to change directions once he got moving. With just a nudge in the right direction, Pierre could knock him out of the arena with ease.
The [Dungeon Champion] lunged forward and Pierre crouched beneath the hammer that was aimed at his head. He took a tiny step to the side and then swung his [Balloon Mace] into his enemy¡¯s back as hard as he could. He didn¡¯t need to do damage, he simply had to move Alforde a few inches off the platform. His muscles bulged as he put all of his strength into the hit.
It worked! Alforde lost his balance and fell to the ground.
¡°The score is now two to one in favor of Alforde,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said. ¡°Approximately three minutes remain!¡±
I can do this, Pierre thought as he cartwheeled away from another flurry of blows. He went to the edge again and inflated another shield balloon. Patience, patience. Let him come to me.
He didn¡¯t have to wait long, because Alforde didn¡¯t seem to understand the fact that the format of the battle meant he was in the lead and didn¡¯t have to do anything in order to win by time out. Pierre dimly realized this as the armorsoul¡¯s hammer whirled towards his head once again. Pretending that it was nothing more than a limbo pole, Pierre bent backwards and let the strike pass over him.
[Guts +1]
Another small step, another swing with all his strength, and another point as he sent the armorsoul to the ground for the second time.
This time, though, when Alforde landed back on the platform, his armor started glowing red and his eyes changed color to match. The armorsoul looked down at himself.
¡°That¡¯s weird. I thought Heart of a Champion would only activate when I was down to my last stock. Oh well.¡±
¡°One minute left!¡±
Pierre took a step back. The [Dungeon Champion] looked¡bigger now, and meaner too. Reaching down to grip his weapon at the base with both hands, Alforde started spinning. Faster and faster he went, until he was nothing but a blur of reddish steel.
How am I supposed to deal with that?
He didn¡¯t get a chance to figure out the answer, as there was a yell that didn¡¯t belong to him, and the hammer flew out of Alforde¡¯s hands. It whizzed through the air and struck Pierre squarely in the chest. The [Balloonbarian] went flying. He crashed into the ground and stayed there instead of being bounced back to the stage.
¡°And that¡¯s time! With a score of three knockdowns to two, Alforde is victorious!¡±
Pierre punched the ground as hard as he could. That was a mistake, as his SSB had worn off and shooting pain lanced all up and down his arm. He hoped he hadn¡¯t broken any bones.
Glaring up at the platform, he saw a large gauntlet hanging over the side, reaching towards him.
¡°Good fight!¡± Alforde said as he hoisted Pierre back up. ¡°That was one of the better ones I¡¯ve had today.¡±
Pierre was filled with a mix of emotions. Rage for losing, and elation for having made it so far. He¡¯d even been complimented by the [Dungeon Champion]! He looked at the treasure chest, and wondered what was inside. How he¡¯d been looking forward to opening it and taking the prize for himself!
He spat on the ground and shook his head. Running the dungeon had been more fun than he¡¯d hoped. The colors of the world seemed gray and dead, and he knew in the depths of his bones that the only way he could see them vibrantly ever again was if he kept challenging dungeons.
I¡¯ll get stronger and try again. He told himself. Realizing that Alforde was holding out a hand to shake, the [Balloonbarian] returned the gesture and made a silent vow.
I¡¯m not going to lose ever again.
[You have gotten stronger by challenging Crestheart! You are now a [Balloonbarian], level 7!]
[Might +2]
¡°Looks like no cards for you,¡± Vee said as Alforde directed the adventurer to the staircase that would take him back outside. ¡°And since I won, do you remember what your side of the bargain was?¡±
Reginald glared at him but his mouth stayed shut.
¡°Perfect,¡± said Vee as he reclined in his chair to wait for the next adventurer in perfect, blessed silence.
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 15
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 6
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far, Level 1
Might: 6
Wit: 23
Faith: 12
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 5
Plotting: 6
Charisma: 3
Devious Mind: 8
Leadership: 6
Guts: 4
Intimidating Presence: 3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 12 (+2)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 8
(REALIGNMENT) Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 7 (+3)
(REALIGNMENT) Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 4 (-1)
Might: 26 (+4)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Endurance: 8 (+2)
Intimidating Presence: 7 (+2)
Heart of a Champion: 2 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 29
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 22 (+1)
Greed: 18 (+1)
Deceptiveness: 35
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
BONUS: PIerre''s Character Sheet
Pierre St. Drod
Primary Class: Balloonbarian, Level 7 (+1)
Secondary Class: Cook, Level 5
Might: 13 (+2)
Wit: 11 (+1)
Faith: 2
Adventurousness: 8
Guts: 10 (+1)
Silliness: 5
Chapter 19: Opening Day (Part 5)
As the last adventurer for the day exited the dungeon, Vee slumped against his chair and closed his eyes. His throat felt like he¡¯d been gargling razorblades, and he had a headache from the near constant focus controlling the dungeon had required. Unlocking doors, activating the magnifying crystals and following his scripts, and resetting the hallway traps were all surprisingly time consuming. Eventually, he¡¯d have to find ways to automate as much of the boring stuff as possible. Or hire someone else to handle those things for him.
He rubbed his temples and opened his eyes. Next to him, Reginald flailed and squirmed as much as he could, as if staying silent was causing him pain. Could a hat spirit feel pain? Would it be insensitive to ask? More food for thought, but Vee was full just then.
Reaching across the desk, Vee touched the magnifying crystal linked to the boss arena.
¡°That¡¯s it for the day, Alforde. Go ahead and come on up to the office. We have to go through the day¡¯s earnings and stuff.¡±
¡°Sure thing, Vee, I¡¯ll be right up.¡±
Vee tried to shake the exhaustion away by standing up and doing a few jumping jacks. They didn¡¯t do much. His eyelids still felt as if they were made of lead. How am I going to keep doing this day after day? We just opened and I¡¯m already exhausted.
He pressed a button on Dheart¡¯s side and a portal opened in the center of the room. From here, he could access Crestheart¡¯s vault.
Walking into the small room felt a little bit like walking into a closet, but Dheart assured him that the space would grow as the need for it increased. The more money and treasure they accumulated, the bigger their vault would be. Two small chests sat on the floor inside. Vee bent down and tried to pick up the larger of the two, but it was too heavy for him and so he had no choice but to wait for Alforde to come and lift it for him.
¡°Put it on the table there,¡± Vee directed as he reached down to pick up the second chest. It was light enough for him to carry with ease, which was not a good thing.
Frowning, he opened the first chest and stared at the small pile of silver fleurs inside. Thirty-one adventurers had challenged Crestheart, and twenty of them had paid the extra fifteen fleurs in order to challenge Alforde. Vee did some math. Twenty times thirty five was¡seven hundred silver fleurs. And then, another eleven had paid twenty apiece, which was two hundred twenty. All told, they¡¯d earned nine hundred twenty silver fleurs today, or nine gold fleurs and some change.
But, that wasn¡¯t the entire picture. They¡¯d also had to pay out approximately two hundred and seventy silver fleurs in adventurer rewards, which meant their one day take home was only six hundred fifty silver fleurs, exactly six and a half gold fleurs.
It was simultaneously incredible and horrendous. On the one hand, this was the most money Vee had ever earned in a day in his life, but on the other he was in debt to Sacre for thousands of gold fleurs. At this rate, paying back the debt was going to take more years than Vee wanted to count.
And it had been a good dungeon session. Alforde had only lost one match, so they¡¯d only had to pay out a single full reward. If his best friend had a bad day and started losing every few matches, they¡¯d bleed out fleurs faster than they could ever hope to make them. He really had to start thinking about other ways to bring in some coins. Or find a way to get the dungeon to grow. A few more floors and the numbers would improve dramatically.
¡°[Excellent Spreadsheet].¡±
Cecil appeared and started chattering. ¡°What is it, Master? Do you have some numbers that you need to enter? I¡¯m here to help!¡±
Vee told him to record the total for the day, and Reginald bounced on the table, blinking like crazy.
¡°I think he wants to say something,¡± Alforde said. ¡°What is it, Reginald?¡±
The hat was apparently a spirit of his word though, and so he didn¡¯t answer the armorsoul. He simply stared at Vee with a piteously forlorn expression until the [Dungeon Master] decided told him to go ahead.
Reginald only said a single word: ¡°Taxes.¡±
Vee cursed. How could he have forgotten about taxes? The plague as certain as death, his father had called him, and now as he looked at his pile of money which was sure to get smaller in the days to come.
¡°What¡¯s the tax rate here?¡± Vee asked.
¡°Two percent of gross income,¡± came the hat¡¯s reply.
Vee swore again, and told Cecil to update his records to show that the day¡¯s earnings were only six-hundred thirty one silver fleurs because nineteen needed to be set aside for taxes. How often do those need to be paid? I¡¯ll ask Reginald tomorrow.
Cecil made a noise and updated his ledgers, using double entry bookkeeping for each account to properly reflect the new balances. Vee couldn¡¯t bear to see how far in the red they were, so he didn¡¯t look at the balance, and dismissed the spreadsheet once the data had been entered.
He looked over at Alforde. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±
The armorsoul shrugged and leaned Hammy up against the wall. ¡°I¡¯m not as tired as I thought I¡¯d be. That dungeon buff is really something. To be honest, it was pretty boring. I didn¡¯t have to fight nearly as often as I¡¯d expected, and I spent most of the day waiting around for someone to show up. Do you think we could make the dungeon a bit easier so I get to fight more often?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°Sorry, bud, but that¡¯s a no. In order to have any chance of making any money, we want you to fight as little as possible. We want to minimize our need to pay out rewards as much as we can.¡±
¡°But fighting is fun!¡± Alforde protested. He lifted his hands into the air. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ll go crazy if I have to stay down in that little room every day. There¡¯s nothing to do! Can I at least bring a book with me tomorrow?¡±
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Vee said as he turned to the second small treasure chest. He didn¡¯t think that having his [Dungeon Champion] reading a book as an adventure came looking for a fight would make for a particularly intimidating impression, but he also didn¡¯t want Alforde to be so bored.
The second chest held the shards of chaos that had been redeemed by adventurers in exchange for fleurs or other prizes. There were only four inside. Letting out a soft moan, Vee slumped into his chair and let his head fall into his hands. He fought back the burning in his eyes and collected himself. How could there only be so few? He¡¯d been hoping for at least ten. With such a small number, he wouldn¡¯t be able to really upgrade Crestheart at all.
Well, that wasn¡¯t quite true. He could buy some better minions, at the very least. There were a decent number of tier one monsters that only required a single shard of chaos to recruit. He¡¯d have another look at the minion catalogue tomorrow and consider his options. The lesser fire elementals had been great, but Vee had felt that the fights on the first floor had been a bit bland and uninspired. Spicing up the rooms with some more variety could only improve the dungeon experience.
That was work for tomorrow. He just wanted to bask in the glory of today for a bit first. The day had undeniably been a success, but Vee felt like he was climbing a mountain and had only reached the first plateau. Who could say how long it¡¯d take to reach the peak? There were so many little things to keep straight and take care of. However, every time Vee tried to collect his thoughts he found that they wriggled free and tried to escape. Stupid [Big Picture]! That¡¯s what I have Reginald for, he told himself. He can help me manage all the little things, so I can focus on the big stuff.
He wanted nothing more than his bed back at Sculla¡¯s boarding house. The prospect of sleep sounded divine, though it was only a temporary respite before tomorrow, when he¡¯d have to come do this all again. At least he could be reasonably certain that the number of adventurers coming to Crestheart tomorrow would be a lot less than the number that had come today.
Down on the street, the day¡¯s festivities were basically done. There were a few lingering adventurers and spectators ¨C including Pierre the [Balloonbarian], who was juggling five small balls for a pair of pretty girls ¨C but almost everyone else had heeded the council¡¯s order to leave Westown well before sunset due to the threat of the fiends.
After paying upkeep once again, Vee directed his orchestra to spread out around the city and prevent any unfriendly fiends from harassing any of the lingering celebrants.
As he walked in the shadows of the barriers that kept the street relatively fiend free, Vee¡¯s mind turned to placating or driving out the rest of the fiends in Westown. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild offered bounties for clearing them from buildings, but based on the fact that the gates hadn¡¯t moved in ten years, Vee couldn¡¯t help but think that their efforts weren¡¯t yielding much in the way of results. Maybe there was a way that he could ¨C no, this wasn¡¯t his job and he had too much on his plate as it was.
Or was it? Technically speaking, the fiends were making his business environment worse than it would have been otherwise, so he sort of had a vested interest in making sure that it was safe for people to get to and from his dungeon. Yes, when he put it that way, he almost felt that he had an obligation to figure out a way to solve the problem of the fiends in Westown. He silently apologized to Future Vee, who would no doubt curse him for planting these seeds of thought, but as the gate swung closed behind him and Alforde, he packed down the proverbial soil and gave them plenty of water.
[Ambition +1]
¡°Crestheart is the talk of the town,¡± said Wureini, the little salamander gate guard. ¡°Congratulations, Mister Vee! And you too, Mister Alforde! I heard that you¡¯re quite the fighter!¡±
The armorsoul held his hand up to his head and chuckled. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that, but I¡¯m doing my best!¡±
¡°If you keep it up,¡± the guard said, ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll be as famous as Darlene Curlytail one day!¡±
Vee and Alforde looked at each other, both hoping that the other had heard of whoever that was. Neither of them had, and Wureini saw that reflected in their blank expressions. ¡°She¡¯s the best!¡±
That tidbit ¨C while interesting ¨C didn¡¯t really do anything to help Vee and Alforde gain any idea of who this Curlytail was.
¡°Is she¡a [Dungeon Champion]?¡± Vee asked.
Wureini rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, duh. She¡¯s the [Dungeon Champion] of The Emerald Delves. You know, the big dungeon in Adlez?¡±
Adlez was a sprawling city far to the north, famous for its spice and silk trade. Vee had been there once as a child on one of his father¡¯s business trips, but he¡¯d been so little at the time that he didn¡¯t remember much about it. He recalled that it was hot there, and that he¡¯d met a nice woman who¡¯d given him some sort of sweet blue fruit that he quite enjoyed. Hardly a crystal clear recollection.
The Emerald Delves, huh? Back home, Vee had never really paid much attention to the world of dungeons and adventurers, but now he wanted to take a look at this dungeon for himself. Visiting was, of course, out of the question. He was sure that a carriage ride all the way to Adlez ¨C past the cold, rainy mountains of Hethock Heights ¨C was far more expensive than he could afford.
If only there were some way he could just go over the mountains. Alas. He¡¯d have to settle for requesting a brochure from the union or finding old vision sphere recordings of famous runs.
Vee and Alforde walked along the dingy streets of Northtown on their way back to Sculla¡¯s. When they got back to their room. Vee considered going and taking a hot shower, but he was simply too tired and the whole thing sounded like too much work. Instead, he spread out on his bed and closed his eyes. Sleep took him almost instantly.
He was woken up a few minutes ¨C or maybe a few hours? ¨C later by someone pounding on the door. He snapped awake and looked at Alforde. The armorsoul was already up and ready, with Hammy in his hands and his orange eyes narrowed. Ready to fight.
Alforde walked to the door. ¡°Who is it and what do you want?¡± he called in a loud, authoritative tone.
A voice that Vee recognized despite having only heard it once answered. ¡°Mister Vales, are you in there? There¡¯s an urgent matter I must speak with you about. Please, open the door!¡±
Vee nodded to Alforde, who did as the voice requested. Standing there in the hallway, looking haggard and drained but still sufficiently dressed to attend a high society social function, was none other than Jacques Maluw X.
The [Enchanter] raised his hand and a sphere of light appeared in his palm.
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 15
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 6
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 1
Might: 6
Wit: 23
Faith: 12
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 6 (+1)
Plotting: 6
Charisma: 3
Devious Mind: 8
Leadership: 6
Guts: 4
Intimidating Presence: 3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 12
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 8
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 7
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 26
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Endurance: 8
Intimidating Presence: 7
Heart of a Champion: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 29
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 2
Ambition: 22
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 34 (-1)
E$@$: $%
P*&^%$#g: *@7
[-------------------------]
Chapter 20: Joleimna Duhn (Interlude)
It was still dark when Joleimna woke up. He carefully extracted himself from the warmth of his wife¡¯s body, and moved slowly through the darkened bedroom to avoid making any noise that would wake her up. Moving quietly was not a skill that came naturally to salamanders, with their tails and claws that almost seemed to have a mind of their own, but he¡¯d had plenty of years to practice and managed just fine.
As he slowly closed the door behind him, Joleimna smiled. Seven hundred thirty five. That was how many days it¡¯d been since he last woke his beautiful wife from her slumber as he bumbled away and got ready for work.
He tiptoed through the hall of his small house so as to not wake his children either, but was not quiet enough to keep from waking Grumble, the family cat. The pudgy orange animal wound itself between Joleimna¡¯s legs and rubbed up against his right shin, purring in the hopes of getting an early treat.
Today, like every day, Joleimna couldn¡¯t resist the fuzzball¡¯s charms. Opening a small bag of chicken flavored treats, he pulled out a few and set them on the ground, then bent down to pet Grumble¡¯s head while the cat scarfed them down. He wiped the tiny pool of spittle from the floor and received a lick for his efforts. Then, it was time to get ready.
He kept his sugar and flavorings in a small shed outside his house, and Joleimna was relieved as he always was that the small lock he¡¯d put on it hadn¡¯t been broken the night before. Even though he hadn¡¯t been robbed ever since moving his family to this neighborhood six years ago, he still expected to wake up one morning and find that his supplies had been pilfered. Still, even if that happened, it was better to have the shed broken into than his home.
Whispering a prayer of thanks to Sereinov, the salamander Goddess of small blessings, Joleimna strapped his bags of sugar to his back and grabbed his flavorings from their shelf and started trudging towards the market.
A few of his more¡unsavory neighbors were lingering in the dark spaces along the path, but they knew Joleima and he was in no danger from them.
Pin, an older elkin who always carried a small, cracked vision sphere, looked at Joleimna with his milky gray eyes and nodded. ¡°Crows be coming, best be making soup.¡±
Joleimna nodded solemnly and walked past as quickly as he could with his heavy load. Pin was always saying strange things like that, and Joleimna had long since given up on trying to understand what the poor elkin meant.
¡°Any spare fleurs?¡± asked a man with shaggy hair. Joleimna didn¡¯t have a name for him, but he shrugged when Joleimna shook his head. ¡°Me neither.¡±
One of the few streetlamps that lit the sidewalk along his route was flickering and went out as he passed beneath it. Hopefully that wasn¡¯t an omen of bad things to come. Joleimna curled his fingers in the sign for protection and quickened his pace, ignoring the protest coming from his knees, hips, and back. He disliked the cold morning air and yearned for the warmth of his worktable.
To chase away the chill, he reached down to his pocket and pulled out the small flask he kept in a loop on his belt. It was filled with emberberry wine, and Joleimna took a small swallow as he walked. The liquid burned his mouth and throat, which was exactly what the salamander wanted. He¡¯d have another small sip as he began work, but no more than that. He¡¯d seen too many people ¨C many of them his friends ¨C lose their ability to think and work for want of the drink, and he refused to join their number. He had a wife and kids to feed!
Henley and Margot - two of the handful of [City Guards] who kept the market reasonably safe at night ¨C waved at Joleimna as he entered his stall and put down his bags. A moment¡¯s pause here, to rest his aching back and rub some life back into his limbs.
¡°It¡¯s supposed to be a bit cloudy today,¡± Henley said as he walked over to chat with the salamander. ¡°But it¡¯s not supposed to rain. Or at least, that¡¯s what the [Weatherman] told me when I saw him last night.¡±
Joleimna smirked. ¡°He also told you there wasn¡¯t supposed to be any snow last Saulsday too, and look how that worked out for us.¡±
The [City Guard] and the [Candyman] both chuckled at the memory of over two feet of snow falling in less than a day.* What a Saulsday that had been!
Henley stayed for a few more minutes of small talk, and then returned to his post as some of the other merchants began filing into the market square. Joleimna looked up at the large clock in the center and saw that he had roughly an hour before he could expect the first few customers of the day.
Taking another sip from his flask, the salamander let the warmth from the liquor fill his body and then put his hands onto his worktable. ¡°[Fire Breath],¡± he said. When he¡¯d been a young salamander with more fire in his belly than he knew what to do with, he¡¯d shouted the skill name at the top of his lungs and delighted in the way everyone else in the market jumped as he roasted the surface of his table with great gouts of flame.
These days, he would have been mortified at such a garish display, and mentally scolded his younger self for being such a silly fool.
His turned his head slowly from left to right, making sure that his flames evenly warmed the table''s surface. There were [Alchemist] crystals underneath the top that would store most of the heat, and with a few extra applications of fire as the day went on, they would give him a perfect surface for rolling and shaping his sugar. Warm enough to keep the sugar soft, not so hot as to have any chance of burning it.
Which, speaking of sugar, he needed to get his first batch melting, or it wouldn¡¯t be ready in time. Picking up his heavy ladle, he filled it with sugar and turned his stove onto its lowest heat. He smiled as it slowly started to melt, transforming from crystals of white powder to an amber gold slurry.
He hadn¡¯t always wanted to be a [Candy Man]. No, in fact, when young Joleimna came to Oar¡¯s Crest almost thirty years ago, barely bigger than a nymph, he¡¯d wanted to be a [Glassblower]. Coming from a small town, he¡¯d only ever heard rumors of the great city of Oar¡¯s Crest, where the finest artisans in the world worked and lived. He¡¯d scrimped and saved until he could afford the journey, and then came looking for a workshop to apprentice at.
Imagine his surprise when he¡¯d learned that the city hadn¡¯t been prosperous for decades at that point and that there wasn¡¯t a single [Glass Master] left in the city. How he¡¯d cried! But then, when wandering the virtually deserted streets wondering what he was going to do ¨C he didn¡¯t have any money for the return trip, having expected to find employment at a glass shop ¨C he¡¯d seen an old gray salamander sitting on a small bench in front of a tiny flame. In the salamander¡¯s mouth was a long stick and at the end, a ball of what Joleimna had thought in his naivete was a bit of glass. He¡¯d run over and watched, his eyes as big as the moon. As it turned out, the material wasn¡¯t glass, but sugar, and the salamander was bending and twisting it into animal shapes. He¡¯d given Joleimna one of a fish for free, and that had been it.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Joleimna had fallen on his knees right there and then, begging the old [Candy Man] to take him as an apprentice. It wasn¡¯t glass, but it inspired the same sense of wonder, and that was good enough. Thankfully, the old salamander had long lamented that none of his children wanted to learn his craft, and had prayed daily for someone to pass his experiences down to. Naturally, he¡¯d been more than happy to teach Joleimna everything he knew, and Joleimna had happily spent the next decade learning the trade of making treats.
The sugar was melted now, and Joleimna stopped his reminiscing to lift the ladle from the flame and tipped it onto the worktable after putting down the four thin rods of metal that would keep it from spreading too much. Reaching into his bags of flavoring powder, Joleimna drew out a handful of red, green, and white. These were all dumped on different parts of the sugar and Joleimna pointed a long claw at them in turn.
¡°[Mix Well].¡±
The powders swirled around in circles until they were fully combined with the sugar, and he looked at the spots of color to see if the colors looked okay or if he needed to add more powder. The green wasn¡¯t quite the vibrant shade that he liked, so he added another sprinkling and used the skill again. Once he was satisfied, he flavored the sugar with squirts of syrup and let it cool just enough so that he could cut it into distinct pieces with his claws.
From there, it was folding and folding followed by more folding and occasional folding. The sugar was warm and pliable in his hands, and he lost track of time as he activated [Kneading Rhythm]. That was technically a [Baker] skill, it worked just fine for making candy too. Joleimna had learned it from one of the bakers in the old tradesman¡¯s guild, back before it closed down.
Once the sugar was ready to go, Joleimna rolled the colors into a log and began the pulling and cutting process that would turn it into bite size pieces of candy. This was always his favorite part of the process, the part that required the most care and artistry. If his seams were sloppy, the final product wouldn¡¯t have the nice shape that Joleimna took so much pride in, and if he took too long to pull the candy into the long rods that he¡¯d eventually cut into individual pieces, the texture would be wrong.
He was so immersed in his work that he didn¡¯t even notice the big orange kitrekin standing in front of his stall until he¡¯d cut the last of his caramel apple candy into pieces and started putting them in bags. When he did, he bowed his head ever so slightly and reached down for his money bag.
¡°That time of the week already, is it Simon?¡±
The burly kitrekin nodded and grinned so that Joleimna could see his missing tooth. ¡°Aye, it¡¯s that time again, old friend.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not your friend.¡±
¡°Sure you are,¡± Big Simon said. ¡°You¡¯re a decent, honest fellow who always has his protection money ready on time. Speaking of protection money, actually, there¡¯s been some spots of trouble lately with a few of Sacre¡¯s boys acting up, so the Don regrets to inform you that the price of keeping this place safe has gone up.¡±
The [Candy Man] scowled. ¡°How much? He just raised prices not two months ago. I¡¯m not made out of money, you know! I¡¯ve got a family to feed!¡±
A shrug. ¡°We¡¯ve all got hardships, friend. Ten silvers a week.¡±
Joleimna almost dropped the bag of candy he was wrapping up.
¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Simon said. ¡°I just come to collect it, it¡¯s not me setting the rates.¡±
Joleimna sighed and handed the kitrekin a small pile of coins. He hated having to pay protection money, but he was a realist. If he wasn¡¯t paying the don, he¡¯d be paying Sacre, and while the score between them was close, the kitrekin crime boss was the lesser of the two evils.
Well, three evils technically, but no one had seen or heard a peep from the third in many years and so it was just Sacre and the don carving up Oar¡¯s Crest between them.
Simon jangled the coins in his hand. ¡°[Stack it up]. Hmm. Well, it looks like it¡¯s all here. Pleasure doing business with you, Joleimna. See you next week.¡±
The kitrekin went to leave, but turned around at the last second and grabbed a bag of caramel apple candy from the front of Joleimna¡¯s stall.
¡°My little girl loves these,¡± he said by way of explanation as he held up a paw and walked away into the morning gloom.
¡°Yes, of course, enjoy,¡± Joleimna said, even though the [Enforcer] was already well out of earshot.
He finished bagging up the rest of the caramel apple candies and repeated the entire making process for his strawberry lavender, raspberry lemonade, and orange cream flavors. Unfortunately, the work didn¡¯t relax him the way it usually did, as his mind was locked on his new costs. So, on a bit of a whim, he decided to do some sugar sculpting.
It''d been a while since he¡¯d last done any, and his claws were a bit clumsy as he balled up some of the hot sugar on the end of the long wooden stick he held between his teeth. His first attempt, a fish, didn¡¯t look quite right, but the act of pinching and pulling the shapes together helped Joleimna work out some of his frustration. His second attempt was better, and by the third his hands had remembered their full skill. He set that sculpture, a dragoon with wings outstretched and its jaw open as if roaring, down on the front of the stall. Someone would pay handsomely for such a treat; dragoons were always popular. They were smaller than dragons -- or at least they were supposed to be, and the latter were virtually extinct around the continent so it was impossible to check -- and somewhat popular as pets for various [Tamers] in the northern cities. Joleimna had seen some once in a traveling circus, and the details had burned themselves into his memory.
The ugly fish wasn¡¯t fit to try and sell, but instead of throwing it away, he ate it himself, enjoying the sweet butterscotch flavor. A sweet mistake, that was.
People were starting to file into the market now. Mostly it was the tradesmen ¨C the [Chefs] and [Cooks] who were coming to get fresh ingredients for the day, but there were a few regular shoppers too.
The first of this latter group for the morning was a kitrekin mother with a young son in tow. She bought a bag of the strawberry lavender candies and Joleimna smiled at the way the child¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the dragoon.
¡°Is that dragoon made of candy too?¡± the boy asked.
¡°It sure is. Do you like it?¡±
The boy nodded enthusiastically. Joleimna picked it up and handed it to him.
¡°Oh no, we couldn¡¯t possibly afford ¨C¡° his mother started to say, but the salamander waved her protest away.
¡°Please, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s the job of a [Candy Man] to make the world taste good, after all. It¡¯s a gift.¡±
After all, it was simply some sugar and some flavoring and a bit of time. It wasn¡¯t like the dragoon was anything fancy. He was sad to see the chance at some easy fleurs go, but Joleimna never doubted his gut on things like that, and felt that the boy would truly enjoy the sculpture. That made it plenty worthwhile, so long as the salamander was concerned.
[Generosity +1]
At his mother¡¯s prodding, the young kitrekin bowed his head and thanked Joleimna for the gift, but then he reached up and scratched his ear with a paw.
¡°Mister, what¡¯s that picture for? Is it candy too?¡±
¡°Picture? What do you mean?¡±
¡°There¡¯s a little square on the corner of your sign, it looks like a paw.¡±
¡°Oh, that,¡± said Joleimna. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, little one. It¡¯s just a mark of the trade.¡±
¡°But you¡¯re a salamander, why do you have a picture of a kitrekin¡¯s ¨C¡±
¡°Nathan, that¡¯s enough,¡± his mother said in a firm voice that brooked no further discussion. Maybe she knew what the image meant too.
¡°But mooom,¡± the little kitrekin whined as he was dragged away by the paw. The dragoon bobbed up and down as the kitrekin made it zoom through the sky before taking a big bite of its wing, and Joleimna was still smiling as the next set of customers found their way to his stall.
Everything is going to be okay, the salamander thought as he counted coins and handed out bags of candy. The rest of the day passed without incident, and when the sun started to set, he cleaned up his worktable, packed up his sugar and flavorings, and made his way home. His wife was waiting for him with a hot bowl of soup, and a purring Grumble settled itself in Joleimna¡¯s lap when he sat down on the couch to watch his children play in front of the fireplace.
Life was good. Another small prayer of thanks to Sereinov.
Tomorrow, Joleimna would wake up and do it all over again, and that suited him just fine.
*To the [Weatherman]¡¯s credit, the snowfall that day was the responsibility of a rogue [Snowmancer] who¡¯d robbed the bank and was trying to escape with her haul. Had that not happened, it would have been sunny and warm, perfect weather for Saulsday.
Joleimna Character Sheet:
Joleimna Duhn
Primary Class: Candy Man (Horeisus Sugartooth), Level 44
Secondary Class: Entrepreneur (Self), Level 36
Tertiary Class (Aspirational): Glass Blower (Self)
Might: 40
Wit: 32
Faith: 50
Generosity: 60 (+1)
Honesty: 65
Ambition: 31
Budgeting: 53
Chapter 21: Reginald The Evil Spirit?
Maluw stormed into the room and headed for Reginald. He looked like he was expecting a fight. The sphere of light in his hand crackled and sent sparks in every direction, and you didn¡¯t have to be a [Psychic] or a [Fortune Teller] to see what the man intended. He held the orb like an [Exorcist] might hold up a holy symbol inside a den of monsters. Though it wasn¡¯t raining, he was veritably drenched, and beads of water flowed from the strands of hair plastered to his forehead before running down his face. Looking closer, Vee saw that it was in fact not water, but oil. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was better or worse.
Hopping up, Vee stepped in front of the mad [Enchanter] and held up his hands to block his path. ¡°Whoa, Mister Maluw, let¡¯s take it easy and make sure that nobody does anything they¡¯ll soon regret.¡±
Looking around the man¡¯s side, Vee met Alforde¡¯s eyes and wiggled his eyebrows for all he was worth. If this guy doesn¡¯t calm down, knock him out, okay?
As he did not have eyebrows, Alforde could not return the gesture directly, but the armorsoul¡¯s head slid down a fraction of an inch and his forge-colored eyes seemed to glow ever brighter.
¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us what brings you here?¡± Vee said. ¡°I think that¡¯d be a good place to start.¡±
Maluw thrust his empty hand over Vee¡¯s arm and pointed at Reginald as if calling out a thief in a crowded bazaar. ¡°The spirit inside that hat is evil, and dangerous! He broke free of my family¡¯s seal and if he¡¯s allowed to roam as he pleases, the city will fall in a matter of weeks!¡±
The [Enchanter] tried to push by Vee, but the little [Dungeon Master] dug his feet into the ground as best he could and managed to stay in approximately the same place.
¡°Step aside, Mister Vales,¡± Maluw snarled. ¡°You do not know the danger that you put yourself and our city in by keeping company with such a vile creature! He needs to be resealed or destroyed!¡±
¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t let you do that,¡± Vee said. ¡°Reginald¡¯s a pain in the butt sometimes and he doesn¡¯t know when to shut up, but he¡¯s my [Majordomo] and what sort of boss would I be if I let my underlings get destroyed in front of me? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to go through me, and all that.¡±
[Leadership +1]
Maluw¡¯s eyes glinted and he seemed to glow a little bit. The sphere grew bigger in his hand. ¡°Then I¡¯ll do just that. You truly believe that you can stop me?¡±
¡°Well, not by myself. I¡¯m not really the uh, physical confrontation type. But I¡¯ve got a guy for that! Alforde, a little help here!¡±
With precision that bordered on delicate, Alforde reached up and thumped Maluw on the back of the head. The [Enchanter] stopped in his tracks and fell to the ground like the proverbial puppet with its strings cut. Vee hurried to craft some ectoplasm ropes like he had for Seidon¡¯s [Bodyguards], and wrapped them around Maluw as quick as he could.
Turning to Reginald, Vee folded his arms across his chest.
¡°Well, we probably have a few minutes before he wakes up. Anything you¡¯d care to share with us? Perhaps a reason why a wealthy man I¡¯ve met only once is here in the middle of the night claiming that you¡¯re evil and dangerous? That¡¯d be a good place to start, I think.¡±
Reginald shimmied back and forth a little bit. ¡°It¡¯s all a big misunderstanding,¡± the hat spirit said.
Vee waited, and when Reginald didn¡¯t continue, he scooped the hat up so that he could look right into his [Majordomo]¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯re going to say? I¡¯m going to need a few more of the details on that one, friend. Oh, and while I¡¯m at it. [Detect Lie], [Detect Falsehood].¡±
Maluw gave a grunt and opened his eyes. Displaying an impressive abdominal strength, he rolled over and sat up despite not being able to move his arms. ¡°Stupid [Defend Against Spirits]. I always thought that skill took away an unacceptably high amount of physical resistance.¡± He flexed his arms, and to Vee¡¯s horror, broke the ectoplasm ropes as if they were nothing. ¡°But I guess it has its uses.¡±
He seemed much saner as he took to his feet once more and reconjured his sphere of light. This time though, he was sufficiently wary of Alforde and refrained from making his way towards Vee¡¯s hat.
¡°Reginald claims that this is all a big misunderstanding,¡± Vee said.
¡°Hah, of course he would,¡± Maluw said. ¡°You cannot believe a word he says!¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know who or what to believe because neither of you will tell me what this is all about.¡±
No one said anything for a moment, and then Maluw and Reginald both spoke at the same time.
¡°He¡¯s a body snatching evil spirit.¡±
¡°Every member of his family has a screw loose.¡±
¡°Okay, now we¡¯re getting somewhere,¡± said Vee. ¡°A body snatching spirit, you say? Please, do tell.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t believe that! I only¡ª¡± Reginald said, but Vee held up a finger and silenced him.
¡°Mister Maluw? If you¡¯d be so kind.¡±
Maluw had a bit of that manic gleam back in his eyes, but it seemed more tempered now and less wild. He wiped away a fat bead of oil that was dripping down his cheek and then cleared his throat.
¡°Mister Vales, I assume that you don¡¯t know much about my family. We have been [Enchanters] in Oar¡¯s Crest for generations, empowering items to make them more powerful or giving them unique properties. It¡¯s good work, and we¡¯re good at it. Despite the rest of the city¡¯s hardships, the House of Maluw has always done well for itself.¡±
¡°But none of you would dream to lift a finger to help anyone else,¡± Reginald muttered. Vee glared at him and he shut up once more.
Maluw had clearly heard the barb, but didn¡¯t respond to it. Instead, he continued as if he hadn¡¯t stopped speaking. ¡°However, that is not the only service that we provide the people of this city. Our other calling is more grim and can be extremely dangerous.¡±
¡°And that calling is, what, exactly?¡±
¡°We protect the city from [Vampires], [Werebeasts], and evil spirits,¡± Maluw said. ¡°That spirit, Reginald as you call him, was sealed in a core by my great-grandfather after possessing a high-ranking member of the city council. Now, it seems that he¡¯s broken free, and it is my duty as the head of House Maluw to see him sealed once again or destroyed.¡±
Vee turned to Reginald. ¡°You possessed a city council member?¡±
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°It¡¯s not what you think! I was only trying to help the city.¡±
Vee closed his eyes and checked his skills. Neither [Detect Lie] nor [Detect Falsehood] showed any indication that Reginald wasn¡¯t being honest. That was¡a little unexpected, to tell the truth.
¡°Go on,¡± he said.
¡°I¡¯ve been around a long, long time,¡± Reginald said. ¡°My first master summoned me to this world around¡two hundred and ten years ago. Give or take. I was here when Oar¡¯s Crest was a beacon of industry and culture for the rest of the continent, and I hated seeing it all fall to squalor and disrepair. For decades, I could do nothing but watch various councils form and claim that they were going to rebuild the economy, or help the people, only for none of them to ever come close to accomplishing what they promised. They simply lined their own pockets, oftentimes with the help and explicit approval of the remaining noble houses. Including yours, Maluw.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± Maluw said, but there was something in his tone that didn¡¯t seem totally sure.
¡°It¡¯s Gawain¡¯s own truth. The things I could tell you about your ancestors would make your hair stand on end. But that¡¯s not why you¡¯re here. You¡¯re here because eventually I got fed up with watching my city die and decided to do something about it. I don¡¯t deny that I possessed a council member, but I won¡¯t apologize for it either. I simply did as I thought I had to do. The experience was unpleasant, and though I doubt you¡¯ll believe me, I have no intention of ever possessing another body. I¡¯m satisfied with my current status and position. Being a hat suits me. If it¡¯ll make you feel better, you can come to Crestheart and repair the seal yourself, but I¡¯m not going back into that core.¡±
For the first time, Maluw looked shaken. He stared at his sphere of light, and then back at Reginald. He muttered something to himself that Vee couldn¡¯t hear. When he finally looked back at Vee, he shook his head and the sphere in his hand dissipated.
¡°I have a hard time believing it, but he¡¯s telling the truth,¡± the [Enchanter] said. ¡°I don¡¯t sense any evil coming from him, either. Perhaps I¡¯ve been a little hasty. But beware, spirit, I¡¯m keeping my eyes on you.¡±
¡°I¡¯d expect nothing less,¡± Reginald said, with a hint of his usual flippant tone. ¡°But it¡¯s unnecessary. Working for this guy is fun. I want to see how he develops Crestheart.¡±
With a stiff bow and an apology, Maluw promised to visit Crestheart in the near future and repair the damage to the core¡¯s seal. He assured Vee that doing so wouldn¡¯t affect the core¡¯s ability to power the dungeon, and then left. Once he was gone, Vee put Reginald back down on the table. Alforde walked over and sat down too. Everyone was quiet for a second.
¡°So, you promise that you¡¯re not trying to steal my body?¡± Vee said. He was relieved that Reginald hadn¡¯t turned out to be the monster Maluw had claimed, but his own thoughts and doubts about Reginald¡¯s motivations weren¡¯t totally settled either. He too would keep a closer eye on his [Majordomo].
¡°It wouldn¡¯t do me any good to do that,¡± Reginald said. ¡°The whole reason I took the council member¡¯s body was that I thought I knew how to revive the city better than they did. Obviously, I didn¡¯t. After being sealed, I offered my services to some others too, but their plans didn¡¯t come to fruition either. Like me, they could only see Oar¡¯s Crest for what it had once been. They didn¡¯t have any vision for the future. That¡¯s why I threw my lot in with you, boss.¡±
¡°Because you think I have some grand plan for the future?¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Reginald said with a chuckle. ¡°But you¡¯re not shackled to the past either. You see things differently than other people do.¡±
¡°That¡¯s thanks to [Big Picture],¡± Vee said.
Reginald quivered. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter why you do it, it just matters that you do. I promise that I¡¯m not trying to take your body. I can¡¯t even use [Possession] anymore. Too many decades inside that rock.¡±
Once again, [Detect Lie] and [Detect Falsehood] showed nothing amiss.
¡°I¡¯ll take your word on it,¡± Vee said, ¡°but if you make me mad enough, I¡¯ll go running to Maluw as fast as my feet can carry me.¡±
He was smiling as he said it though and so Reginald and Alforde laughed. Vee looked at the clock. It was just after two in the morning, and while he was revved up and awake thanks to the adrenaline coursing through his body, he knew that he needed to rest before the next day¡¯s return to the dungeon. After bidding his friends a good night, Vee climbed back into his bed and tried to go back to sleep.
It took a little while, but he succeeded eventually.
The next morning, Vee woke up to the sound of Alforde¡¯s morning practice out in the alley below. Well, technically, he woke up to the sound of Mr. Watson¡¯s angry screaming about Alforde¡¯s training regimen. Vee resolved to buy the man a nice basket of bread or something as a means of apology. Picking up his handbook, Vee went downstairs and collected his [Dungeon Champion].
¡°I¡¯m not going to lose a single match today,¡± Alforde said as they started walking. ¡°I¡¯m feeling great!¡±
Vee didn¡¯t respond. He was keenly aware of Reginald¡¯s weight on his head as he looked at the buildings on the way to the Westown gate. Reginald had been here back when the city was prosperous? What must it be like to look at places you once knew and see how far they¡¯d fallen?
¡°It¡¯s not particularly fun,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to listen in like that. Go ahead and muse in peace.¡±
Vee was about to ask for more details ¨C if the hat was reading his thoughts, he might as well have a conversation and learn something interesting ¨C but was stopped by his need to pay his orchestra¡¯s upkeep. Grimacing, he instructed Dheart to dispense the required cubes of ectoplasm. He checked his stores. He hadn¡¯t refined any yesterday with all of the opening day events, and while his stash was big enough that he could go for a week or more without making more, he didn¡¯t want to be find himself a victim of circumstances that led to losing his orchestra. The fiends were growing more interesting by the day. I¡¯ll refine some cubes as soon as I get up to the office. There should be enough time for a batch or two before the first adventurer for the day arrives.
Once they were through the gate and heading towards Crestheart, Vee felt like he was kicking pieces of trash out of his way every few steps. The celebrations yesterday had generated plenty of their own debris, and none of the vendors or attendees had thought to clean up after themselves. Some of the gunk was wet and it all smelled terrible.
¡°This street is disgusting!¡± Vee said, fed up. ¡°I can¡¯t take all this trash anymore. Adventurers aren¡¯t going to come to our dungeon if they have to walk through a garbage dump to get there. We¡¯re going to clean this street up until you can eat off it.¡±
But when? There was still so much work to do after running the dungeon each day, Vee didn¡¯t know how he¡¯d find the time. Plus, though he hated to admit it, he wasn¡¯t particularly fond of the idea of going out and doing the work himself.
¡°Why not have the orchestra do it?¡± Reginald said. ¡°They¡¯d be great at getting rid of the trash. They don¡¯t get tired, they don¡¯t sleep, and I¡¯m pretty sure they don¡¯t have a sense of smell or the ability to get grossed out.¡±
Vee grinned. ¡°Now that¡¯s a good idea.¡± He closed his eyes and started giving each section of the orchestra new orders.
¡°One thing though,¡± Reginald said. ¡°You should probably direct them to only clean at night. Even with the uniforms you gave them, most people will probably be able to tell that they¡¯re fiends, and we don¡¯t want any misunderstandings.¡±
Opening his eyes, Vee nodded. ¡°Fair point. I¡¯ll tell the fiends to wait until after sunset to start cleaning the streets.¡±
[Ambition +1]
[Congratulations! By resolving to clean up your street, you and all spirits bound to you can now earn points in Citizenship! Citizenship +3]
¡°Well, now that¡¯s something, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°It sure is,¡± Reginald said. Vee couldn¡¯t see it, but he was pretty sure the hat was grinning.
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 15
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 6
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 1
Might: 6
Wit: 23
Faith: 12
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 7 (+1)
Plotting: 6
Charisma: 3
Devious Mind: 8
Leadership: 7 (+1)
Guts: 4
Intimidating Presence: 3
Citizenship: 3 (+3)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 13 (+1)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 8
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 7
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 26
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Endurance: 8
Intimidating Presence: 7
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 29
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 3 (+1)
Ambition: 23 (+1)
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 32 (-2)
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1 (+1)
Chapter 22: Cresthearts Second Day And A Fiend Named Do
There was still a bit of time before the day¡¯s first adventurer ¨C an elkin [Pyromancer] ¨C arrived, and so Vee set Reginald down on the desk next to him and opened up his handbook. He flipped through the pages to the minion section and settled the book so that Reginald could see the entries too.
¡°I¡¯m not going to make any changes today,¡± Vee said. ¡°But depending on how the next few days go, I was thinking about ordering some different tier one minions so that we get more shards of chaos. That¡¯ll cost us more in the short term since we¡¯ll have to pay out for each one, but once we can add a floor to Crestheart, we¡¯ll be able to make more per adventurer. What do you think?¡±
Reginald looked down at the illustrations on the page in front of him. Tier one minions weren¡¯t terribly interesting, but like Vee, he¡¯d been surprised by the efficacy of the lesser fire elementals and wanted to experiment with other options. ¡°We should go for something thematic. How about gnome statues? Those are pretty spooky.¡±
Vee flipped to the page that showed the carved stone statues. He started to read from the page. ¡°Approximately knee high, gnome statues appear in unexpected places and strike fear into the hearts of their targets with their unsettling laughter and uncanny grins. Their offensive power is limited to the small stone daggers they carry, but they¡¯re reasonably durable for their cost and are difficult to destroy. Hmm. That doesn¡¯t sound too bad. I could add some ectoplasm paths to some of the rooms for them to run along and pop up in even more places.¡±
¡°How much do they cost?¡±
Vee traced his finger down the page and frowned. ¡°Twenty gold fleurs and two shards of chaos a batch. That¡¯s¡more than I want to spend. Let¡¯s look at something else.¡±
¡°What about slimes?¡±
Vee blanched when he turned to the proper page. ¡°Slimes are amorphous blobs that vary in size. Strong against physical damage, they are weak against magic. Slimes are slow and easy to avoid, but they can be quite dangerous if they manage to get an adventurer in their clutches. It looks like slimes are considered the mini bosses of tier one minions, so they¡¯re even more expensive. Thirty gold fleurs and three shards of chaos. I think that¡¯s too much.¡±
¡°Not so fast,¡± Reginald said. He¡¯d read the page too and saw something Vee had missed. ¡°Slimes can be modified more than the other minions, and they have the highest chance to drop shards of chaos out of all the tier one options. If you want to invest so that Crestheart can grow faster, that¡¯s the best option, in my opinion.¡±
Vee reached up and brushed a strand of hair from his eyes. Before he could answer, he looked down at the image coming from the dungeon¡¯s first floor, and saw that the elkin [Pyromancer] had arrived and was ready to start her run.
¡°We¡¯ll talk more about this after we close up for the day.¡±
Reginald trembled. ¡°Mind if I do the voice work today? I¡¯m better suited to it than you are.¡±
Vee scowled, but after yesterday, he wasn¡¯t sure that he wanted to read all of the scripts again and try to pitch his voice around. He pushed the magnifying crystal towards the hat.
¡°Can you turn it on and off by yourself?¡±
A small yellow spirit arm crawled out of Reginald¡¯s right eye. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡no, not quite. I can¡¯t reach as far in this body, yet.¡±
Vee pinched his thumb and index finger together. ¡°[Shape Ectoplasm].¡± He pulled and poked the energy into a long, thin rod.
¡°Here you go. That should help you reach, right?¡±
Reginald took the rod and found that he could now easily reach the magnifying crystal so that he could turn it on and off by himself. A second yellow hand appeared from the hat¡¯s left eye and gave the [Dungeon Master] a thumbs up.
¡°Now, what¡¯s this lady¡¯s name again?¡± Reginald said as he studied the page in front of him. ¡°Ah there it is. Casys Perran, enter the dungeon if you dare!¡±
Vee sat next to Reginald and worked the doors. It was much easier than trying to manage the scripts and everything else that running the dungeon required. He even had enough time to [Refine Ectoplasm]. Running the energy through his hands, he carefully shaped it into cubes and gave them to Dheart to be distributed to the orchestra as needed.
Casys, the elkin adventurer, was making her way through the first floor. She¡¯d struggled with the initial rooms, but braved the mystery water and had been rewarded with a temporary boost to her stamina. That had been one of the neater purchases from the union supply store: enchanted water that could provide slight, temporary benefits or downsides. Making it look gross with ectoplasm had been Vee¡¯s idea. The elkin was only the third adventurer to take the drink so far.
¡°Think she¡¯s making it to Alforde?¡± Reginald asked, in an excited tone that Vee now recognized as the precursor to offering a wager.
¡°I think so,¡± Vee answered. Reginald¡¯s harrumph told the [Dungeon Master] that the hat had been hoping for a different answer.
With the spirit¡¯s desire to gamble temporarily frustrated, Vee opened the door that would let the adventurer go down to the second floor. The elkin walked forward warily, and like pretty much every other person who challenged the dungeon, stepped on one of the traps that activated the ranks of lesser fire elementals.
However, unlike most of the adventurers who¡¯d had no choice but to get hit by a multitude of the flames, the elkin simply raised her staff and started absorbing each of the embers as they flew towards her.
¡°You should deactivate the traps,¡± Reginald said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that a [Pyromancer] like her is going to find a great way to turn those embers into a problem for Alforde.¡±
Vee did so, pressing a button on Dheart¡¯s side that pulled back the rows of fire elementals and stopped the barrage. Casys whirled her staff a few times and continued forward. The gem on the end of the weapon glowed like a piece of hot iron fresh from the forge.
Vee activated the magnifying crystal that led to the boss chamber. ¡°Alforde, you there?¡±
¡°Sure am, Vee. What¡¯s up?¡±
¡°The adventurer heading towards you is a [Pyromancer]. She absorbed a bunch of the embers from the lesser fire elementals on the second floor, so expect plenty of firepower when she gets down to you.¡±
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
To Vee¡¯s surprise, Alforde chuckled.
¡°That¡¯s a good one!¡±
Normally, Vee would have groaned at the pun, which he most certainly hadn¡¯t intended to make. However, his brain was buzzing and he was focused on the fact that an entire floor had been rendered basically harmless due to the fact that the only real danger present was a single element.
¡°We¡¯ve got to diversify the minions,¡± he told Reginald. The hat nodded in his way, and his felty mouth curled into a grin.
¡°A slime or two would have probably stopped her in her tracks. She¡¯s not particularly nimble.¡±
Unfortunately for Casys, even her great gouts of blue and red flame weren¡¯t enough to prevent Alforde from swiftly knocking her out of the champion¡¯s ring four times in quick succession. The elkin didn¡¯t seem surprised by the result, standing up and smoothing her robe before shaking Alforde¡¯s gauntlet and heading up the stairs that would take her back up to the ground.
¡°Good job, buddy,¡± Vee said once the door to the arena closed once more. ¡°That was an impressive win. You didn¡¯t even get knocked out once!¡±
¡°She said that she wasn¡¯t really interested in fighting,¡± Alforde answered. ¡°Apparently she¡¯s from the union and just wanted to see how the dungeon was. She thought it was a little simplistic, but she had fun. You¡¯ll probably get a chance to talk to her eventually. She said she¡¯d like to share some feedback with you.¡±
Vee could guess what she wanted to talk about. Even a regular adventurer ¨C heck, even a random person on the street ¨C could have probably seen the downside of having an entire floor be dedicated to a single element. It seemed like such an obvious weakness now.
The [Dungeon Master] looked at the door, waiting for a knock that never came. Eventually, it was time for the day¡¯s second run, and Vee returned his attention to controlling the doors and refining more ectoplasm.
The second adventurer was a burly man with brown skin and curly hair who had a comically large sword slung over his shoulders. Vee rolled his eyes as the man sauntered into the dungeon¡¯s first room. He didn¡¯t know why so many adventurers bothered with such foolish weapons. There¡¯d been a handful of challengers the day before who¡¯d all been equipped similarly, and more than half of them hadn¡¯t even managed to swing their impractical blades a single time before getting bowled over by the ghosts. Maybe some unethical [Smith] had offered a discount while promising instant fame.
This one was no different. As soon as the ghosts charged him, he cried like a child and dropped his sword before activating his escape rope. Vee mentally thanked him for the easy money.
There were only sixteen adventurers today, and after Casys, only two more made it to Alforde. Neither of them beat him either, and it was still afternoon when they closed for the day.
Alforde came up to the office and they counted out the day¡¯s spoils. They¡¯d made three hundred and eighty fleurs after accounting for the day¡¯s expenses, and were left with three hundred and sixty eight after setting some aside for taxes as well. Luckily, not many of the lesser fire elementals had been destroyed yet, which meant that there was still some time before Vee would have to order another batch. That was going to cost another ten gold fleurs, and the [Dungeon Master] was glad to have some more time before needing to pay it.
Unfortunately, only one adventurer had gotten a shard of chaos, and Vee wistfully stared at it as he closed the treasure chests and returned them to the dungeon¡¯s vault. Dheart hummed happily and Vee gave the¡engine?...nexus?...heart?...an affectionate pat before leaving.
All of the adventurers had cleared out, and Vee didn¡¯t see anyone else nearby. He summoned his full orchestra and told them about his desire that they start cleaning up the trash.
After he finished, one of the fiends from the heavy section stepped forward, moving slightly awkwardly in its tight green uniform. It bowed. Or at least, that¡¯s what Vee assumed it was trying to do. It simply bobbed its head and shrugged its shoulders.
¡°Master, what we do with trash once cleaned up?¡±
Vee was so shocked that the fiend had spoken to him that he didn¡¯t know how to respond for a second. Sure, the fiends had communicated with him before, but that had been through their bond of servitude, and had been pretty simple: Want ectoplasm. Understood. Task Complete. Things like that. A fiend forming a full sentence that could be heard by a regular human¡¯s ears ¨C even if it wasn''t grammatically perfect ¨C was unheard of.
¡°Uh¡uh¡why don¡¯t you just stack it up in a pile down one of the alleys. I¡¯ll finagle some way to remove it from the area once that¡¯s done.¡±
¡°Will do.¡±
Vee watched the fiend walk away, and then held up his hand. ¡°Wait a moment.¡±
The fiend stopped and turned around. Vee stared into the creature¡¯s eyes, and instead of the empty void he¡¯d first seen when he and Alforde had gone up to clear out the tower, he saw the first glimmers of intelligence.
¡°Yes, Master?¡±
This was genuinely huge! He needed to draft a letter to the Academy right away! Fiends were thought to be nothing more than a collection of antagonistic thoughts and feelings. For them to develop sentience as the result of being bound in an orchestra was astounding.
¡°Do you, by chance, have a name?¡±
The fiend stood still for a moment, as if pondering the question. Finally, it met Vee¡¯s eyes once again.
¡°Section call me Do.¡±
¡°Do? What kind of name is that?¡± crowed Reginald. Despite the fact that as a spirit himself, he should have known just how big of a deal it really was that the fiends were talking and had taken names, the [Majordomo] didn¡¯t seem to think it out of the ordinary. Maybe it¡¯d been too long since he himself had developed a personality.
¡°Do is not only section member with name. Also Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, and Ti. Other questions?¡±
Vee shook his head. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing, but he¡¯d need time to process all of it. ¡°Go ahead and get to your work, Do. I¡¯ll speak with you more another time.¡±
[Thanks to your bond, your orchestra members have started to develop personalities. You are now a Ghost Maestro, level 18!]
[Wit + 3]
[Faith + 3]
A voice Vee didn¡¯t recognize interrupted the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s thoughts.
¡°A talking fiend? Now that is interesting. Mister Vales, you seem to be anything other than the bland [Dungeon Master] your dungeon would suggest.¡±
Vee turned and found himself uncomfortably close to Casys Perran, the elkin adventurer. Where had she come from?
¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± she said. ¡°Since I assume that you already know my name, I¡¯ll spare you the bother of introducing myself. Would you mind terribly if I walked with you back to the gate? I have some feedback about Crestheart that I¡¯d like to share with you. Of course, if you¡¯re not interested, that¡¯s fine as well. The union gives [Dungeon Masters] quite a bit of freedom in how they run their operations.¡±
Too many things were happening at once. Vee shook his head and then caught himself and nodded instead. ¡°Of course, Miss Perran. I¡¯d love to hear your thoughts.¡±
With Alforde behind them and the fiends already busy at work in the street, Vee and Casys started heading back to the gate.
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 18 (+3)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 6
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 1
Might: 6
Wit: 26 (+3)
Faith: 15 (+3)
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 7
Plotting: 6
Charisma: 3
Devious Mind: 9 (+1)
Leadership: 7
Guts: 4
Intimidating Presence: 3
Citizenship: 3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 14 (+1)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 8
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 8 (+1)
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 27 (+1)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Endurance: 8
Intimidating Presence: 7
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 29
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 24
Faith: 3
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 32
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Do (Heavy):
Primary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: ???
Wit: ???
Faith: ???
Citizenship (Bound - Vee Vales): 1
Chapter 23: What Can You Do With A Fog Machine?
Casys walked with her left hand behind her back and her staff held tight in her right hand. Her fur was brown and there were white spots around her eyes and on her neck. She wore a sleeveless green and gold robe that almost touched the ground, and a cream colored tunic underneath it.
At first, she walked much faster than Vee could hope to match ¨C her stride was almost twice as long as his own ¨C but she noticed pretty quickly and slowed her pace to match the little [Dungeon Master].
¡°I enjoyed my run of your dungeon,¡± she said once she was moving in sync with Vee. ¡°It¡¯s not often that I get time to actually go and run dungeons for myself. Most of the dungeons in the continent are too highly leveled for me to have much of a chance of making it far at all, let alone to the [Dungeon Champion]¡¯s arena.¡±
Vee wasn¡¯t entirely sure if that was meant to be a compliment or an insult, and decided that the truth was probably a bit of both. ¡°Is that part of your job with the union then? Studying dungeons?¡±
The elkin thought for a moment and then nodded. ¡°I suppose you could say that. Technically, though, I¡¯m a [Dungeon Analyst]. My job is to study the ways that [Dungeon Masters] like you design their dungeons and evaluate what works and what doesn¡¯t.¡±
Vee kicked another bit of trash out of his path and scowled at it. It was probably going to take the orchestra a month or more to actually get the street to look nice, if not even longer. He looked up at Casys. ¡°And you think Crestheart is bland, huh?¡±
She shrugged. ¡°I think that it¡¯s rough around the edges. The first floor is trying too hard to be dangerous. The fights are repetitive and suffer from a lack of variety.¡±
¡°Yeah, I was thinking about that too. I was actually just talking about ordering some new batches of minions to help break up the monotony a little bit.¡±
¡°That¡¯d help, but it wouldn¡¯t solve all the problems,¡± Casys said. ¡°Even with different minions, trying to have a series of escalating fights in each room is tedious. The most successful dungeons have a natural ebb and flow between the fights in each room. They build an ambience with puzzles and traps and treasure rooms. Right now, adventurers going through Crestheart are just going to assume that it¡¯s a minion gauntlet all the way down. Now that could work. There are plenty of dungeons out there that make it clear that every foot of progress needs to be fought for, but your thematics are all wrong for that sort of experience. Plus, I can see that you¡¯re trying to save some fleurs, and if you keep throwing minions at adventurers the way you are now you¡¯re going to end up spending way too much on replacements.¡±
They paused for a moment and Vee knocked on the gate. While it creaked and groaned, Vee rummaged around his pockets looking for something to take notes with. Casys had made some good points and he didn¡¯t want to forget them. Unfortunately, his pockets were empty but for a bit of lint and his handbook, and making paper and ink out of ectoplasm wasn¡¯t a skill he¡¯d ever thought to learn. He wasn¡¯t even sure it was possible. It would probably be some sort of bizzarro approximation of both.
¡°In other words,¡± Alforde said as the gate clanged shut behind them. ¡°You¡¯re saying that less is more?¡±
¡°That¡¯s one way to think of it,¡± Casys said. ¡°But not quite. I¡¯m saying that you need to build your dungeon with purpose, and not just blindly add more things for the sake of adding more things. It¡¯s natural for [Dungeon Masters] to think that the best way to make a dungeon harder is to add ever more difficult rooms, but easy rooms can serve a purpose too. For example, they can lull adventurers into a false sense of security, and then when you serve them a harder room afterwards, they¡¯re not ready for it. Build for the entire dungeon, not just a single room, or even a single floor.¡±
Vee hadn¡¯t thought about it like that before, but the idea seemed logical enough. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the fact that Crestheart is so short make that more difficult though? With only two floors, we don¡¯t really have a lot of rooms to work with. It¡¯s hard to create much of a coherent experience with the space we have.¡±
A good number of people were out on the street, and a few of them pointed at Vee and Alforde as they walked by.
¡°Hey there, [Dungeon Master]!¡±
¡°Looking good, [Dungeon Champion!]¡±
¡°Keep it up! Go Crestheart!¡±
Smiling, Vee did his best to return the waves and respond to the greetings that were shouted his way. He was a bit embarrassed that they¡¯d recognized him, but the attention felt good, nonetheless.
[Charisma +1???]
Something in the ethereal shifted, and Vee stopped walking as the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. Casys was still talking, but her voice quieted to an incoherent drone in Vee¡¯s ear as he closed his eyes.
¡°[Third Sight].¡±
Unlike [Second Sight], [Third Sight] didn¡¯t fill Vee¡¯s visions with the colors and shapes of spirits that already existed. Instead, it caused the world to shift and wiggle with the outlines of spirits and ghosts that were yet to be made. Recognizing such figures was tricky work, and Vee wasn¡¯t a high enough level [Ghost Maestro] to truly understand what he was seeing, but he knew enough to be wary. They were lined and coiled and reaching towards him with a gravity that he was unused to. With his skill active, he felt a weight like nothing he¡¯d ever felt before settling itself around his shoulders. It took all of his strength to keep his feet. Something tells me that this is only going to get heavier as time goes on.
¡°Are you all right?¡± Casys asked as she grabbed Vee¡¯s shoulder. Her grip was surprisingly strong, and she gave the [Ghost Maestro] a little shake that distracted Vee so much his skill deactivated. ¡°You look like you just saw a ghost.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t be. He¡¯s used to that,¡± said Alforde.
While that was technically true, he wasn¡¯t used to seeing a ghost like this one, if that was truly what it was. However, hearing his friend¡¯s voice helped Vee shake off the lingering sense of unease that clung to his skin like a wet pair of pants. ¡°I don¡¯t know why everyone thinks seeing ghosts is such a bad thing,¡± he grumbled as he tried to sort his thoughts. ¡°Most ghosts are harmless. It¡¯s people you have to worry about.¡±
He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. It¡¯d been a strange day. First the revelation about the orchestra, and now this unknown spirit forming in the city. Plus, there was still the matter of ordering new minions for Crestheart. He took a deep breath and looked up at Casys. She¡¯d taken her hand from his shoulder but still watched him with a wary gaze.
¡°Master Vales?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said through clenched teeth. ¡°Just too many thoughts bouncing around. I¡¯m sorry that I was distracted. Please, go on.¡±
The elkin [Pyromancer] reached into her robe and drew out a pair of scrolls. ¡°I have some meetings elsewhere that require my attention before sunset, but I took the liberty of writing down my thoughts for you to review at your leisure. I¡¯ll also give you my card. Should you have questions about my comments, please feel free to contact me via the method listed there. The union is committed to providing its [Dungeon Masters] with all the advice and intellectual resources they need to be successful.¡±
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
¡°Thanks,¡± Vee said as he carefully tucked the scrolls into his jacket. With a bow, Casys bid them farewell and walked down a side street before disappearing into an otherwise unremarkable building.
Vee tapped Reginald¡¯s brim. ¡°What do you think?¡±
¡°I think that she gave us some really good things to think about, but I¡¯m not sure how much we can really fix and improve until Crestheart¡¯s a bit bigger. Let¡¯s take a look at the scrolls once we get back to Sculla¡¯s.¡±
Vee¡¯s stomach rumbled loud enough for Alforde to hear it, so the friends decided to go to the Grinning Pig and get a bite to eat.
The restaurant was busy, and they had to wait a few minutes to be seated. While they did so, Vee looked up at the window and saw a small stained glass image in the top corner. Reminded of the snail in Thien¡¯s shop, he looked more closely at it and saw that the image was of a kitrekin¡¯s paw. He wondered what that meant.
Big Simon came over with a smile and clapped Alforde on the pauldron. The armorsoul¡¯s body rang out and the kitrekin laughed as he led them to a small table in the corner.
¡°Soup today is corn chowder,¡± Simon said. ¡°We just made a fresh pot, so it¡¯s good and hot. Or would you like something else?¡±
Vee picked up his menu and looked at it. ¡°I think I need a minute,¡± he said after paring down his options to the roasted chicken or the pasta bake. ¡°But I¡¯ll take a glass of emberberry wine if you¡¯ve got it.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Simon said with a slight bob of his head. ¡°I¡¯ll go get that right away.¡±
Vee put Reginald down on the table and opened the scrolls Casys had given him. They were covered in most of the same things she¡¯d told him earlier, albeit in a more formal and wordy manner. He let Reginald read them. Odds were that if he¡¯d missed anything, the spirit would notice it and point it out to Vee.
After making their orders ¨C Vee ended up flipping a coin to decide that he¡¯d have the pasta bake ¨C Vee put his handbook down on the table next to the scrolls and opened it up to the section on traps and puzzles. They weren¡¯t something he¡¯d really given much thought to when he¡¯d first been setting up Crestheart ¨C he¡¯d simply thrown some in at the last minute at Reginald¡¯s suggestion ¨C but now he looked at the pages with keen interest. The pressure plates had worked wonders in the hallways of flame after all.
Taking a sip of his wine, Vee smiled. It was sweet and spicy, and made his entire body feel warm.
Tier one traps were all fairly simple. The first heading in the handbook was for false floors, which were great for dropping adventurers down to a deeper level of the dungeon that they¡¯d be unprepared for. Unfortunately, given how small Crestheart was, doing such a thing probably didn¡¯t make much sense. A variation on this idea were the wall panels that Crestheart used for the elementals. Other sizes and options than the ones Vee already had were listed, and Vee stared at the floor and ceiling versions for a moment before turning the page and moving on.
The second type of tier one traps were different variations of pressure plates and hidden switches that were to be installed in the floor. These could be used to rig up spikes to shoot out of the floor, ceiling or wall, or drop nets on unsuspecting victims. Crestheart already had a few of these, and Vee didn¡¯t think adding more would really do much, so he read on.
Other arcane traps were the focus of the next section. Gates made out of lightning, false doors that fell onto the person trying to open them. That sort of thing. None of them really seemed to fit Vee¡¯s vision for the dungeon, and so he flipped to the next section.
It was labeled ¡°Ambience and Thematic Devices¡±, and was filled with machines that offered ways to create a given mood. Things to create rain, or sweltering heat, or¡fog?
Now, that was kind of interesting. Most people here in Oar¡¯s Crest associated ghosts and spirits with the classical ideas of vengeful dead or haunting monstrosities. That was clear from the way they all seemed to jump and jitter whenever anybody mentioned them. Why not buy a fog machine or two and help build that mood a little bit more? Filling the entrance and the first few rooms of dungeon with fog, not to mention the halls would surely¡ª wait, no that¡¯d be too much. I¡¯m trying to find a way to increase the variety of experiences the dungeon offers, he told himself. Not just replace one singular design decision with another. Some fog would be good, but too much would detract from the experience he was trying to create. Whatever that was, exactly.
¡°What can we do with fog?¡± Vee asked aloud. ¡°Other than being creepy, what does it do for us?¡±
¡°It could obscure minions and traps,¡± Reginald said.
¡°I could use it to make a dramatic entrance before each champion¡¯s fight,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Imagine! An adventurer walks into the arena, and then the lights go out. Fog covers the platform, and then I rise out of the center with Hammy held over my head! Now you face the champion of Crestheart! Hyah!¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not a [Performer], you¡¯re a [Dungeon Champion]. I don¡¯t think such a spectacle is a good idea.¡±
¡°What¡¯s that matter?¡± Reginald said. ¡°An exciting entrance is a great way to really build up the energy for spectators. Eventually, if we start offering broadcasts of the dungeon runs, we¡¯re going to want something more exciting than him just standing on the platform like a guy who¡¯s lost and looking for directions. The crowd will want a spectacle.¡±
¡°We¡¯re a long way away from that,¡± Vee said. ¡°For now, we just need to focus on making the dungeon better so that it grows. I don¡¯t think spending money on a more exciting entrance for Alforde really makes much sense right now. Instead, I like that idea about obscuring minions and traps. Let¡¯s think about that a little bit more.¡±
Simon came and brought the food, and for some reason, Vee focused on the way the kitrekin¡¯s fingers held the plates in place. It gave Vee an idea. Alforde thanked Simon for the food and the kitrekin wished them happy eating.
Vee rubbed his chin and took another big sip of his wine. The glass was almost empty and there was a pleasant rumbling in the back of his skull. The room seemed to be rocking back and forth a little bit too.
¡°What if I rigged up some ghost hands and put them on the floor or the ceiling in one room? We could hide them with the fog, and then they grab adventurers walking by.¡±
[Plotting +1]
¡°Oh, I like that,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Then while they¡¯re stuck, we can have a slime creep up on them and get them. Since the ghost hands will prevent them from escaping, it should be harder for them to avoid the slime¡¯s attack.¡±
Vee grinned like an idiot and drained the rest of his glass. Now that was a good idea. Who cared how much the slimes cost? Combining them with the hands was a surefire way to scare off plenty of adventurers, and that meant it was basically free fleurs. Vee liked free fleurs.
Knowing that the sparks of inspiration he was currently feeling had a nasty habit of fading into the ranks of the forgotten once sobering up, Vee asked another kitrekin waitress passing by for a pen. Then, with just a touch of difficulty, he started scribbling ideas down on a napkin. His pasta bake sat untouched beside him as he worked, and by the time he, Alforde and Reginald had finished their brainstorming, it was fairly cold. Vee didn¡¯t mind though, because it still tasted good and now that the burst of creativity had faded, he was hungrier than ever. He wondered if it was the wine.
They¡¯d talked so much that the Grinning Pig was virtually empty, but the bells on the door chimed and Vee looked over to see who had come in.
Standing there, with her purse and hat, was none other than Luna. Vee thought his heart might burst out of his chest as Simon walked over to her and led her to a table on the other side of the room. He rubbed his cheeks as hard as he could. They felt as if they¡¯d been set on fire.
¡°Boy howdy, you do not hold your booze well, do you?¡± Reginald said. ¡°Gawain¡¯s balls!¡±
Character Sheets
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 18
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 6
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 1
Might: 6
Wit: 22* (Temporary Status: Tipsy)
Faith: 15
Adventurousness: 8
Ambition: 7
Plotting: 7 (+1)
Charisma: 4 (+1???)
Devious Mind: 9
Leadership: 7
Guts: 4
Intimidating Presence: 3
Citizenship: 3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 14
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 8
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 8
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 27
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6 (+1)
Endurance: 8
Intimidating Presence: 7
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 29
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 25 (+1)
Faith: 3
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 32
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Chapter 24: Vees Got Game (Or Not)
Vee had no idea what to do. Did he go over and say hi? Was that weird? Or would it be weirder if he just got up and left without saying anything? Probably weirder to say something, right? There were so many rules about the proper protocol in situations like this.
Maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was the fact that he really had no idea how to talk to girls. During his time at the academy, he¡¯d spent most of his time with his books and scrolls, and had only gone to a few parties. Even then, he¡¯d always gone home alone.
¡°Relax,¡± Reginald told him. ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to explode. Just take a few deep breaths. You''ll be fine."
"He''s right," Alforde said. ¡°She¡¯s all the way on the other side of the restaurant, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it. Let¡¯s go ahead and pay and then we¡¯ll just go. Okay?¡±
Vee rocked back and forth in his chair. To his absolute, abject horror, when he looked up and tried to sneak a covert glance at Luna, he saw that she was staring at him. There was eye contact! Eye contact!
She waved! The horror! The sweet, aching horror!
Vee¡¯s mouth went dry, and he almost knocked over his empty wine glass as he tried to stand up. Now he had to go talk to her, right? Or at least, go say hi. Right?!
Feeling like his legs were made out of water, Vee picked up Reginald, put the top hat back on, and steeled himself to walk over to her table and say hello.
He was going to do to this, he was going to be brave and go say hi. It was just one word, after all. Hi. He¡¯d said it a million times and never run into trouble. How hard could it be? He was going to ¨C
He was outside, having marched straight to the door as if his feet had a mind of their own. His hand had turned traitor as he did so, reaching up in a half completed wave ¨C really just a wiggling of his fingers ¨C as he inclined his head towards Luna on his way out.
Maybe next time.
[Adventurousness ¨C 1]
[Guts ¨C 1]
[Charisma -2]
Yeah, okay. Fair enough. Looking through the window, Vee saw that Simon had brought Luna her food, as well as a bag that looked like a to-go order. He wondered who she was bringing food to. A relative? Something to eat later? A significant other? Oh please, not that!
It wasn¡¯t important. It was extremely important! Shaking his head and growling at himself to get it together, Vee stuffed his hands into his pockets and slouched as he stalked back to Sculla¡¯s. Alforde knew his friend well enough to recognize that posture. It meant that Vee didn¡¯t want to talk, but Reginald apparently couldn¡¯t read the mood ¨C or didn¡¯t care to try ¨C and so he spent the entire trek mocking Vee.
¡°She was right there! She waved at you! And what did you do? You did the wave-nod and scurried out as fast as your feet could carry you! That¡¯s like, the ultimate loser move! Could you blow it any harder if you were trying? She smiled at you!¡±
¡°Shut up,¡± Vee hissed as Reginald cackled all the way up the stairs to their room. When Reginald didn¡¯t, Vee tossed him into the bathroom and closed the door.
¡°Hey, that¡¯s not cool! It was just jokes,¡± Reginald protested as Vee flopped down on his bed and laced his fingers behind his head. The hat kept calling and begging to be freed until he finally realized that Vee wasn¡¯t going to open the door anytime soon and fell quiet.
Alforde set Hammy next to the wall and sat down at the table. Vee looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.
Alforde shrugged. He knew what the look meant. ¡°What¡¯s done is done, right? You can¡¯t go back and change things now, so there¡¯s no point in worrying about it. Besides, don¡¯t you have other things to do tonight? You said something earlier about a letter.¡±
¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right. No point in beating myself up about it anymore. I should write a letter to the academy about the changes in the orchestra. Having a fiend take a name is a pretty big deal.¡±
Vee rolled over and reached down to the small chest next to his bed where he kept his writing materials. Scooping out a notepad and one of his favorite fountain pens ¨C the one with the red cap, no actually the one with the blue cap better suited his mood just then ¨C Vee began to work on his letter to the academy. He thought about his old teachers, wondering which would be the most interested in his discovery. There were three that seemed like good bets: old Magister Rortenferry, who¡¯d taught him [Shape Ectoplasm], Magister Wing, who knew the history of [Ghost Maestros] like the back of her hand, and Magister Satin, who¡¯d been interested in the dynamics of orchestras. None of them were a perfect fit, and so Vee wrote three copies of the same letter. It¡¯d been a while since he¡¯d written so much and by the time he was done, his left hand was cramped and aching.
He put the letters on the table and told Alforde to remind him to mail them tomorrow, and then it was time to fill out the order form for the slimes and the fog machines. He¡¯d make the purchase via Dheart in the morning, and summoned Cecil to update the dungeon¡¯s finances in order to reflect the purchases. Then, it was time to sleep. Maybe it was a parting gift from the emberberry wine, but Vee was out almost as soon as he closed his eyes.
The next morning, Vee was woken up by Reginald howling about how he wanted out of the bathroom. Vee got up and freed him, not feeling the least bit guilty about having left the hat there all night. Served Reginald right. After a quick bagel for breakfast, the trio headed for the post office.
It was a big brick building next to the carriage station. A statue of a woman riding a horse with a bag of letters slung over her shoulder was out front, but like the other statues Vee had seen in Oar¡¯s Crest, it was in need of a good cleaning. He couldn¡¯t make out even a single word on the plaque for all the gunk covering it.
The door was surprisingly heavy, and Alforde had to lean on it to get it to open up. Vee smoothed his coat and walked up to the [Receptionist]. ¡°How much does it cost to send a couple letters to Bardis?¡±
¡°Bronze fleur apiece. Pretty lucky timing, I¡¯ve got to say. Our long distance carrier is leaving this afternoon and it¡¯ll be another week before we send another batch to Bardis.¡±
Vee paid the fee and turned to leave as the door swung open again.
¡°Okay Horace, I¡¯m done for the day so I¡¯m going to turn in my bag and get out of here. I¡¯ve got to go clear a few blocks in Eastown for the guild.¡±
Luna walked into the post office. Her heavy boots clunked against the floor and she carried the burly mail bag on the opposite side as her purse.
Vee really didn¡¯t believe in fate, but he was starting to have doubts. He kicked his toe into the ground but this time he was determined to at least say hello.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
She looked at him and grinned and Reginald tightened his brim around Vee¡¯s head. Whatever you do, do NOT do the wave nod, the hat said into Vee¡¯s thoughts.
She returned his wave. ¡°Fancy running into you here,¡± she said. ¡°How¡¯ve you been, Vee?¡±
She remembers my name, Vee thought as he used all of his strength not to start babbling. She remembers my name!
¡°Good. I¡¯ve been good,¡± he said, perhaps a bit mechanically. ¡°How about you?¡±
¡°Busy,¡± she said as she took off the mailbag and tossed it into a bin on the far side of the room. Vee wasn¡¯t entirely sure he¡¯d have been able to make such a throw. ¡°With the new dungeon opening up in town, there¡¯s been a lot more letters coming in and out of the city these past few days. I thought that it¡¯d slow down now that the dungeon¡¯s good and open, but the amount of letters has only gotten worse. It¡¯s making it tough for me to keep up with my second job.¡±
¡°Oh? You have a second job? Doing what?¡±
Luna tapped her hat. ¡°I complete a bunch of bounties for the adventurer¡¯s guild. That¡¯s where I¡¯m off to right now, actually.¡±
Vee looked up at the ceiling and squinted. Was that a sign? Was there some [Divine Being] up there having a laugh at his expense?
Alforde took a step forward and filled the silence. He really was a good [Right Hand Man]. ¡°You¡¯re an adventurer? That¡¯s pretty cool! Are you planning to run the dungeon anytime soon? Maybe have a fight with the mighty [Dungeon Champion]? You know, he¡¯s won almost every match he¡¯s had!¡±
Luna shook her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to. Doing jobs for the guild pays better. But maybe someday! I¡¯d love to be a high ranked adventurer who travels around challenging all the dungeons on the continent. But for now, I just need as many fleurs as I can get.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t we all,¡± said Alforde. Luna laughed and Vee wished he¡¯d said it. He glowered a little bit at Alforde. Maybe there was a such thing as being too good of a [Right Hand Man].
¡°That was better,¡± Reginald said once Luna was gone. ¡°You sounded like someone was squeezing the air out of your lungs, but you had a conversation. I¡¯d call that a win, for now.¡±
The trio left and headed to Westown. Vee replayed every bit of the conversation in his mind until he¡¯d picked out the dozen ways he could have handled things better. That was how he¡¯d always been. Useless in the moment and then full of things he could have done better once everything was said and done.
Well, that wasn¡¯t how he was always going to be. Filled with nothing but the determination of a man who¡¯s settled on a course of action but hasn¡¯t yet taken any tangible steps towards accomplishing whatever goal he¡¯s set for himself, Vee stomped up the stairs to the top of his tower and fed his order form into Dheart.
¡°Your delivery of one batch of slimes and two fog machines will take approximately three weeks. Would you like to expedite the process for an additional five gold fleurs?¡±
Vee looked at Reginald. ¡°I think we can get by as we are for now, right?¡±
¡°How much faster will the stuff get here if we pay?¡± Reginald asked. ¡°Not much point in paying a few gold fleurs extra if it¡¯s only going to cut our delivery time down to two and a half weeks instead of three.¡±
Dheart made a few popping noises. ¡°With expedited delivery, your order will arrive in approximately eight days.¡±
¡°You should do it,¡± Reginald said. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty big improvement, and frankly, I think Crestheart needs a little spicing up. There¡¯s a lot of stuff Casys suggested we could start putting to use right away.¡±
And so, though Vee grumbled, he held his money bag up to the dungeon heart and scooped in the required fleurs. They made a clinking sound as they slid down into Dheart¡¯s depths, and then there was a flash of blue light as they were teleported to the union. Vee had to admit, having Dheart around definitely streamlined the ordering process and made his life a lot easier.
The first adventurer for the day wasn¡¯t scheduled to arrive for another hour or so, and that meant Vee had some time to work on designing his ghost hands and refine some more ectoplasm for the orchestra.
He sat down on the ground with his legs crossed and scooped some ectoplasm out of the air. He¡¯d never tried to make a hand before, and found himself getting tangled up, so to speak, with trying to make sure that the fingers were properly spaced and functional. Most of his attempts failed to form a working fist, or if they did, their fingers shattered at the first hint of pressure.
It was harder than he thought to actually keep the ectoplasm pliable and easy to work there in the office. He found himself wishing that he had a dedicated space for shaping and crafting ectoplasm. Someplace with plenty of tables and tools. Like a lab, or a workshop.
Well, why didn¡¯t he make one? He could already hear Future Vee¡¯s grumbling, but he didn¡¯t care. Tough luck, bucko. After all, the tower was huge and he was only using the single room at the top as his office. Why not start building all sorts of ancillary service rooms for Crestheart inside? He had thirteen stories to work with! Imagine the possibilities!
Ultimately, even without proper tools and resources, he managed to make a decent glove out of ectoplasm that could flex without shattering. From there he was able to animate it so that it¡¯d grab and pull of its own accord. That was progress, but more work was definitely needed. The glove was wispy and frail, and it didn¡¯t have much in the way of grip strength.
Some of that was fixed with just practice, as he got better at forming the ectoplasm, but the rest would require design improvements. How he wished he had a workbench that could hold it for him while he worked!
[Congratulations! You are now a Dungeon Master, Level 7!]
[You can now use the Walking Walls skill!]
[Devious Mind + 1]
[Plotting + 1]
[Congratulations! You are now a Ghost Maestro, Level 19!]
[Your Shape Ectoplasm skill is now more powerful!]
[Your Refine Ectoplasm is now more powerful! You can now passively refine a small amount of ectoplasm each day.]
Vee blinked in surprise. That sounded pretty useful. Closing his eyes to open his soul¡¯s mirror, he investigated the specifics of his new prowess.
[Refine Ectoplasm]: Condense ectoplasm into a potent, crystalized form. Ectoplasm can be refined in different ways, which creates different effects if consumed by a spirit. Human ectoplasm consumption is not recommended.
(Passive): Refine ectoplasm while you sleep at a rate of one cube every three hours.
Vee opened his eyes. As it turned out, his new ability wasn¡¯t really all that great. Free refined ectoplasm was free refined ectoplasm and all, but at such a low rate, it wouldn¡¯t make much difference for his daily routine. Hopefully it¡¯d increase as he kept leveling up.
Reginald let him know that the first adventurer for the day was outside, and so Vee put his ghost hand prototype on the ground and went over to his station manning the doors. Reginald had done such a good job on the voices yesterday that Vee was going to let him do it again today. Taking out another piece of paper and unscrewing the lid on his daily carry fountain pen, Vee began to sketch.
At the top, because it made the doodles seem more formal, he stuck his tongue between his lips and titled the image ¡°Vee¡¯s Lab!¡±. He drew a few desks and some of the basic [Ghost Maestro] shop equipment that he¡¯d had access to back at the academy, and then drew a makeshift ghost hand on the table.
Closing his eyes once more, Vee gave the medium section of his orchestra an order. Instead of cleaning the trash on the street tonight, go and start collecting workshop materials. Usable pieces of wood and scrap metal, that sort of thing. Store them behind the tower.
Reginald invited the first adventurer of the day into the dungeon and Vee was momentarily distracted as the [Swordsman] carved his way through the first room. The hat turned to him and grinned.
¡°Think he¡¯ll make it to Alforde?¡±
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 19 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 7 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 1
Might: 6
Wit: 26
Faith: 15
Adventurousness: 7 (-1)
Ambition: 7
Plotting: 8 (+1)
Charisma: 2 (-2)
Devious Mind: 10 (+1)
Leadership: 7
Guts: 3 (-1)
Intimidating Presence: 3
Citizenship: 3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 14
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 9 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 8
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 27
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 8
Intimidating Presence: 7
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 30 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 25
Faith: 3
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 32
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Chapter 25: A Day Off, A Night Standing Guard
With one* exception, Crestheart¡¯s first week as a proper dungeon came to a close without any major issues. As expected, the flow of adventurers had slowed down, with most days seeing less than ten runs attempted. Alforde had only been bested two more times ¨C once by a fiendishly quick [Rogue] that he hadn¡¯t been able to hit and once by a hulking ogre [Berserker] who didn¡¯t budge an inch even after being hit by the armorsoul¡¯s [Cyclone Smash] ¨C which meant that on paper, the dungeon was doing pretty well. Positive fleur flow! For now.
That didn¡¯t really mean much though. Eventually, Sacre would start calling in his debts, but Vee hadn¡¯t heard from or seen the man or any of his various underlings yet. It wasn¡¯t like he was going to go seek them out, either. Alforde had heard some rumors from the local [Bookseller] that there was some tension between Sacre and a figure known only as ¡°The Don¡±, and Vee figured that staying as far away as humanly possible from gangland rumbles was a good course of action. He quite liked having all of his body parts, thank you very much.
It was Friarsday afternoon, and Vee, Alforde and Reginald were busy closing down the dungeon. Tomorrow was a day of rest in Oar¡¯s Crest, and so no adventurers were scheduled to come and challenge the dungeon.
That was fine by Vee. He had a pile of wood and scrap metal to sort through. Though he definitely didn¡¯t have the skills required to build lab equipment for himself, he was hoping that at least some of the materials his orchestra had brought were suitable to be used. He didn¡¯t need the equipment to be fancy, just functional. Putting it together was going to require the skills of a [Carpenter], but he¡¯d worry about finding one later.
With Alforde¡¯s help, Vee managed to sift through roughly half the pile, and he found a few promising pieces. He directed his fiends to discard the rest into the same heap as the rest of the trash from the street, and asked Alforde to carry the good stuff up to the floor right beneath the office. That was where he¡¯d eventually make his lab. What he was going to do with the other eleven floors was still a mystery.
Speaking of the trash on the street, there was still a long way to go, but a week¡¯s worth of the orchestra¡¯s attention was already noticeable. Now instead of a feeling akin to trudging through snow, walking to and from the dungeon was something like walking in mud. Sticky and slow going, but doable. However, that progress came with a price, because the discard pile was pretty close to the barriers next to Crestheart. It didn¡¯t smell too bad, yet, but Vee was sure that once the warmer months of the year started coming around it would have to be dealt with. The rotting stench of garbage wasn¡¯t exactly in line with the spirit of dungeon challenges.
Reginald had suggested using some of the lesser fire elementals to incinerate the stuff, but Vee wasn¡¯t sure that¡¯d smell much better and he was pretty sure that burning things would require a permit or something from the council. He¡¯d have to look into that, though the prospect of dealing with that jerk Seidon again wasn¡¯t the least bit appealing. There still hadn¡¯t been any sort of second newspaper article that properly credited Vee as the driving force behind Crestheart, but the council had taken down all of their ridiculous banners and decorations so it balanced out. Sort of.
¡°Some people will say anything when you¡¯re holding them out a window,¡± Vee muttered.
When he and Alforde got back into town, Vee was craving something sweet, so they went and got a bag of orange cream candy from Joleimna. The salamander grinned at them as he refused Vee¡¯s fleurs and let him take the candy for free.
¡°It¡¯s the least I can do. I¡¯m making great money with those sugar hats,¡± the [Candy Man] said. ¡°There have been a couple days where I haven¡¯t been able to keep up with the demand for them. Business is better than it¡¯s been in years!¡±
He gave Vee one as a sample ¨C apparently today wasn¡¯t one of those days where they¡¯d sold out - and it was pretty good. Not too lemony, with just the perfect amount of crunch. He thanked Joleimna and followed Alforde to go sit down next to the statue of Pielbrayne and eat his other candy. As he did so, he watched the people scurrying around the market. They bustled from vendor to vendor to get last minute goods and supplies for tomorrow¡¯s holiday, but frequently stopped and chatted with one another. Vee couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Back home in Bardis, talking to someone besides the shopkeeper while you were out and about simply wasn¡¯t done. Everyone was busy and nobody cared what you had to say anyways. The Bardis freeze, visitors called it.
Vee smiled. He quite liked the change.
Alforde opened the compartment on his chest and drew out a book. It was, according to the back flap, ¡°A Harrowing Tale of Murder and Intrigue¡±. Vee let his friend read while continuing to look around the market. It was chaotic and busy, but there was a peace and a melancholy too that was refreshing in its own way.
They sat there until the sun had long since set and the air started to chill. Then, they stood up and went back to Sculla¡¯s, where they were required to carry half a dozen boxes of supplies down into the basement. Vee managed to carry one box all the way down by himself, which was pleasantly surprising.
[Might +1]
[Your strength grows! You can now do more physical work before getting tired.]
The boost didn¡¯t seem to count for much though, as Vee was pretty sure he couldn¡¯t carry another box more than a few inches at most. Like always, Alforde took care of the rest.
Vee walked up the stairs by himself, pausing only to chat briefly with Mr. Watson, who invited him and Alforde to come over and watch a celebrity dungeon run on his vision sphere sometime. That never would have happened back home either.
¡°What do you mean the gate can¡¯t be opened today?¡± Vee asked after the [City Guard] on duty refused to let him and Alforde go to Crestheart.
¡°Sorry, sir. Since it¡¯s a holiday today, we¡¯re not allowed to open the gates except in the event of an emergency. Council¡¯s orders.¡±
Vee was tempted to tell the man exactly what he thought about the council¡¯s orders, but managed to keep his cool. It wasn¡¯t the guard¡¯s fault that the gate had to stay closed today, after all.
Losing a day¡¯s worth of work time on his lab was frustrating, but it wasn¡¯t the end of the world. Heck, it might even be a good thing to have the day off. How long had it been since he¡¯d last wasted hours sitting around and doing nothing? Since he couldn¡¯t immediately remember it, it must have been weeks. Honestly though, he didn¡¯t even know what he was going to do with this gift of free time. If they went back to Sculla¡¯s, he could keep working on his ghost hands. His current prototype had three fingers and a thumb, and managed a grip about as strong as a firm handshake.
The table wasn¡¯t a perfect working surface, but it was much better than the floor of the office in the tower. Without having to worry about keeping the dungeon doors running smoothly, he¡¯d really be able to focus.
But spending the day cooped up with ectoplasm didn¡¯t feel quite right, either. The more Vee thought about it, the more he wanted to just relax.
¡°Let¡¯s take a walk,¡± Alforde suggested when Vee floated the options by him. ¡°We can go look around at the city a bit more. There¡¯s still so much of it that we haven¡¯t ever seen.¡±
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
That was true. Other than the places they frequented, most of Northtown might as well have been nothing more than a figment of Vee¡¯s imagination. They¡¯d seen maybe ten percent of the place, at most.
And so, the two friends spent a few hours wandering aimlessly through the city. Since it was a day of rest, the city was even more of a ghost town than usual, with all but a few shops closed and hardly anyone out on the street.
As they walked around the east side of Northtown, Vee noticed a stained glass image that had slipped down the window of a dark, abandoned shop that looked like it had once sold tobacco and other smoking accessories. Instead of a snail or a kitrekin¡¯s paw ¨C like he¡¯d seen in Thien¡¯s or the Grinning Pig ¨C the dusty green and red glass formed the petals and stem of a flower Vee didn¡¯t recognize except to know that it wasn¡¯t a rose. A lily, maybe? Vee walked up to the window and pressed his face up to the glass. Something pushed back against him. The pressure was so slight at first that had he not been a [Ghost Maestro] and especially sensitive to the ethereal he might not have noticed it, but once he was aware of it he couldn¡¯t focus on anything else. When he stepped back, it eased and eventually faded. That¡¯s weird. It doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s anything special inside. Just some old counters and shelves.
Vee looked at the neighboring businesses. They both bore the snail symbol in the upper corner of their windows, just like Thien¡¯s shop. In fact, every other shop on the block did too. What was special about this old smoke shop? Why didn¡¯t it have a snail in the window? What exactly did the snail even mean?
Thien had mentioned protection money. But who was it paid to?
¡°Sacre,¡± said Reginald, having clearly listened in on Vee¡¯s thoughts once again. ¡°The snail is Sacre¡¯s sign.¡±
¡°What¡¯s this flower mean, then?¡±
Reginald refused to answer.
[Quest Update: You have made the first connection into the secret of who collects protection money in Oar¡¯s Crest.]
[Citizenship +1]
[Devious Mind +1]
They wandered on, and as they approached the southern part of Northtown, the stained glass snails were increasingly replaced by the kitrekin paw until none of the former remained. If the snails represented Sacre, then these paws had to be the symbol for ¡°The Don¡±. A kitrekin [Crime Lord] or something, no doubt.
The buildings in this part of town looked less shabby and better taken care of. Their paint wasn¡¯t completely weathered and peeling, and their windows were covered in grime. It wasn¡¯t a huge difference, but Vee got a sense that the people who lived and worked in these places cared about them. At least a little bit.
Vee enjoyed walking as much as the next guy, but it¡¯d been hours and feet ached. His back was starting to hurt too. He stopped and stretched.
¡°I think I¡¯m good on exploring for the day,¡± he said to Alforde. ¡°We can check out more places another time. Let¡¯s go ahead and go back.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine with me. I can keep reading my book. I¡¯m almost finished with it! The killer has just started monologuing, which means that it¡¯s almost time for the main character¡¯s love interest to swoop down from the chandelier and save the day.¡±
¡°How do you know what¡¯s going to happen?¡±
¡°It¡¯s pretty formulaic, but I¡¯m having fun with it.¡±
As Alforde explained the ways that the book adhered to every one of his expectations, the friends made their way back to the market. No restaurants were open except for the Grinning Pig, and so Vee and Alforde stopped there for an early dinner. Vee skipped the emberberry wine this time.
They were the only people in the place, other than Big Simon, who bantered and joked with Reginald ¨C who¡¯d been eerily silent all day after mentioning Sacre ¨C like they were old friends.
When they returned to the boarding house once more, Sculla was sitting where she always was, lit pipe in hand. A stack of smallish boxes was waiting next to the stoop.
Vee groaned. ¡°And where do you want these? What the heck do you even need all these boxes for anyhow?¡±
The ogre took a long drag from her pipe and blew the smoke out towards Vee. ¡°What I do with my boxes is none of your business, after you take them where I want them taken. But, for once, these aren¡¯t mine. They¡¯re yours. Got delivered right after you left this morning. By a [Griffon Carrier], too. Must be something fancy.¡±
Boxes? For him? What could they possibly ¨C oh it must be the slimes! But they were supposed to be delivered to Crestheart, just like the lesser elementals had been. Why were they ¨C Oh, right. The gate had been closed so they wouldn¡¯t have been able to deliver the slimes to the dungeon. But couldn¡¯t the griffon just fly over the gate? The carrier was probably afraid of the fiends.
Vee cursed.
Well, tomorrow he could go see if Nen or Cris was around and willing to help take the boxes over.
Vee looked over one the crates and saw the familiar insignia of the union, which confirmed his speculation. He pried off the lid from one of the boxes and found himself looking at a mass of tiny, writhing slimes. Each was so small that it easily fit in the palm of Vee¡¯s hand.
They were kind of cute. In a squishy, monstrous sort of way. Gently, Vee put the slime back where it belonged and noticed a small envelope on the underside of the lid. He freed it from its binding and saw that it was a manual for proper slime care.
These slimes are young and will grow over time. The first sentence on the paper inside the envelope read. It then went on to list the best foods and habitats, and at the end had a line that filled Vee with existential dread.
In the event of an unplanned amalgamation, please have your [Dungeon Caretaker] contact the guild immediately.
An unplanned amalgamation? He could almost visualize what that might look like, and it wasn¡¯t good.
[Devious Mind +1]
Worse though, he didn¡¯t have a [Dungeon Caretaker], and there was no way he could afford to hire one. For now, he¡¯d have to muddle through taking care of his new minions as best he could. Sigh. More problems for another time.
When he started to go up the stairs though, Sculla stopped him. ¡°You don¡¯t want to leave those out here, trust me. Things get stolen if they¡¯re left out in the street for too long, and I¡¯m pretty sure that if a bunch of slimes get down into the sewers and start breeding out of control, the council will hold you liable.¡±
¡°Well, what should I do with them then?¡± Vee asked. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can get anyone to come take them to the dungeon tonight. Can we put them downstairs for now?¡±
¡°No room downstairs, I¡¯ve got some things down there that I don¡¯t want disturbed.¡±
¡°But we don¡¯t have anywhere else,¡± Vee said.
¡°Looks like you¡¯re going to have to stand guard duty then,¡± the ogre said with a wicked smile. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you some coffee. You¡¯re going to need it.¡±
And so, Vee and Alforde spent the entire night shivering and standing beside their boxes of slimes. Alforde practiced his hammer work, swinging Hammy around in giant circles. Vee kept his hands in his pockets, glaring at anybody and everybody who walked past.
Thankfully, no one tried to steal the boxes.
*Due to being distracted by his thoughts regarding the ghost hand prototypes, Vee forgot to unlock the door to the second room of the dungeon during an [Ironfist]¡¯s run, and the adventurer decided to punch through the wall to advance. Luckily, it was the last run of the day and the heavy section of Vee¡¯s orchestra was able to repair the damage before the next day¡¯s first challenger. He¡¯d gotten to use his [Recycle Materials] skill for the first time and it had worked quite well, though it left him with a splitting headache for the rest of the day, so he wasn¡¯t keen to use it again any time soon.
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 19
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 7
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 1
Might: 7 (+1)
Wit: 26
Faith: 15
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 7
Plotting: 8
Charisma: 2
Devious Mind: 12 (+2)
Leadership: 7
Guts: 3
Intimidating Presence: 3
Citizenship: 4 (+1)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 14
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 9
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 8
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 28 (+1)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 8
Intimidating Presence: 7
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Vigilance: 1 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 30
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 25
Faith: 3
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 32
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Chapter 26: Can You Unplug A Ghost And Plug It Back In Again?
Vee shivered in his chair. He¡¯d gulped down three cups of piping hot coffee and taken a hot shower, but neither had helped him chase away the chill that had settled into his bones. He hated trying to function on no sleep. Part of his brain protested his every movement, begging him to go lay down, while another screamed at him at the top of its metaphorical lungs that he needed to get up and RUN RIGHT NOW.
He and Alforde had lugged the slimes down to Crestheart as soon as the gate opened for the day. It had been horrendous work, but the boxes were lighter than they looked, and Vee had carried two the entire way by himself.* It¡¯d given him another point of might, and he was happy to take every single one he could get.
Closing his eyes felt divine. Everything else faded, and started slipping away¡
¡°Vee, wake up. Open your eyes, Vee. Don¡¯t fall asleep on me now, Vee. We¡¯ve got a problem in room two, Vee. Vee!¡±
Caught in that mostly asleep but barely awake state where he was aware that he was in his office ¨C and simultaneously running through an empty field he¡¯d played in as a child with his brother ¨C Vee was dimly aware of the hat¡¯s voice, but he ignored it. For now, all he cared about was chasing after his brother, who¡¯d just appeared in front of his eyes. Vee looked down at his knobby knees, and saw that he was wearing his favorite pair of shorts. They had flames on both legs! He ran as fast as he could.
¡°Emory! I¡¯m going to get you!¡±
Vee¡¯s brother, four years Vee¡¯s senior and with their mother¡¯s golden hair, laughed and sprinted away far quicker than Vee could have ever hoped to match. It didn¡¯t matter though, Vee laughed and kept following.
Though, as he did so, Vee was sure that someone kept calling his name. Make up, Vee. Take up, Vee. Vee! No matter where he looked though, he couldn¡¯t see anybody else in the field. Oh well. Still not really important.
Emory seemed to get bored of running away and turned around. Wheezing a little bit, Vee ran up and slapped his brother¡¯s arm. He was grinning as wide as he could.
¡°See? I got you!¡±
Emory¡¯s face, which had been blurry up until now came into clear focus and Vee shrank back at the terrible rage painting his brother¡¯s features. Pushing Vee away, Emory said, ¡°There¡¯s a problem in room two, you sleeping idiot! Wake up!¡±
Vee¡¯s eyes snapped open and he lurched forward. Disoriented, he twisted his head back and forth and realized where he was. That was a weird dream. Reginald was glaring at him, his mouth hanging wide open and his brow ¨C for lack of better term ¨C furrowed. ¡°Gawain¡¯s balls, boss! I¡¯ve been trying to wake you up for the last ten minutes!¡±
Cursing, Vee pinched himself to chase away the last vestiges of sleep and looked down at the glowing blue image keeping track of the dungeon run. He didn¡¯t see any problems. The adventurer was standing in the center of the room and the ghosts were¡stuck in the corners? Okay, that was a little weird, but it didn¡¯t really constitute a problem.
¡°Why doesn¡¯t she just go over the corners of the room and destroy the ghosts?¡±
¡°That¡¯s the issue,¡± said Reginald. ¡°Keep watching. You¡¯ll see.¡±
Sure enough, the adventurer stayed right where she was. In fact, she didn¡¯t really seem to be moving at all. The [Dungeon Master] squinted, but the image of the room was fairly fuzzy and he couldn¡¯t really see fine details particularly well.
¡°Dheart, any way you can, like, get me a better view of the adventurer?¡±
The dungeon heart made a few belching noises and wriggled a little bit, but sure enough, the image slowly zoomed in. With this improved perspective, Vee could see that the woman¡¯s body had a grayish pallor with glassy bands of black and white running across her arms and neck. Her eyes looked as if they¡¯d been frozen open.
¡°She doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s breathing, boss.¡±
Vee sucked in a breath. His [Majordomo] was right. Neither the adventurer¡¯s chest nor stomach were moving, but as Vee watched her with mounting horror, he noticed that there was a small crack on her shoulder. He exhaled slowly, feeling a flicker of hope that he wasn¡¯t about to have to deal with his first dungeon death. There was never a good time for such a thing to happen, but today would be especially bad, given his fatigue.
¡°What¡¯s her class again? She looks like she¡¯s turned to stone. Maybe she¡¯s using some sort of skill.¡±
Reginald looked over her papers. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s a [Conjurer]. Level 12. No affinity listed.¡±
Rubbing his temples, Vee tried to remember what he could about [Conjurer] skills. As one of the basic classes for magic users, he¡¯d studied them a little bit back at the academy, before his acceptance to the [Ghost Maestro] program.
It¡¯d been too long though since he¡¯d last looked at the expected growth chart, so he couldn¡¯t remember all of the abilities that a [Conjurer] could learn. He was pretty sure [Petrify] was a level 20 skill, and even if the adventurer had known it, only an idiot would target themselves with such an ability, right? He didn¡¯t think the adventurer was an idiot, but he¡¯d long since grown cynical enough to not rule it out entirely.
Spinning on the table, Reginald peered over at Dheart. ¡°Dheart, can you check the adventurer¡¯s status?¡±
The dungeon heart¡¯s chipper voice responded immediately. ¡°Of course, [Majordomo]. Based on the colors and patterns of the stone¡¯s grain, I believe that the adventurer is using [Onyx Bide], a subskill of [Statue Form]. [Onyx Bide] is a defensive ability, where the user encases themselves in stone which absorbs a percentage of damage taken. Eventually, once a threshold tied to the skill¡¯s level is reached, the stone barrier shatters outwards, dealing area of effect damage to all enemies nearby, increasing with the amount of damage received before breaking. And do not worry about her safety. Though it does not look like it, she is still breathing.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s good,¡± Reginald said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I see the issue now. She¡¯s softlocked!¡±
Vee looked over and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Softlocked?¡±
¡°Stuck. Stalemated. Most guard skills tend to work like counter attacks. They remain active until their conditions for ending are met. Usually, that means getting hit. Normally, this isn¡¯t a problem in a dungeon because dungeons are full of monsters that are constantly attacking you, but the ghosts in the room aren¡¯t working properly. So long as they don¡¯t attack her, she¡¯ll stay trapped in her skill and won¡¯t be able to get free.¡±
Vee nodded. Okay, that was a solvable problem. ¡°Let¡¯s go hit her, then. I¡¯ll call over the heavy section of my orchestra and they¡¯ll have her out in no time.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s such a good idea,¡± Reginald said. ¡°We don¡¯t know how powerful the counterattack will be. Depending on how highly leveled her skill is, the counterattack may be strong enough to destroy your fiend. You don¡¯t want to risk a member of your orchestra, do you?¡±
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That was true. Vee had invested far too much refined ectoplasm into his orchestra to go and throw parts of it away carelessly. He¡¯d redirect the minions in the room instead, so he drew out his ghost baton and hurried down the stairs.
He didn¡¯t feel like going in through the front door, so he decided to test his newest skill instead. Reaching up, Vee put his hand on the first room¡¯s outside wall and closed his eyes. ¡°[Walking Walls].¡±
Energy flowed through the wall and it separated from the rest of the building. Tiny feet sprouted underneath it, and like he was conducting a spirit, Vee directed the wall to take a few steps sideways. Once he was finished with his errand, he¡¯d go back out the same way, so he kept the skill active, though he could already feel the pressure of using it building behind his eyes.
Since it had already been cleared for this run, the first room didn¡¯t spawn any ghosts, and Vee was able to walk through the door without a problem. Holding his baton aloft, he stepped into the second room and pointed at the nearest ghost.
¡°[Would You Kindly] attack the adventurer in the center of the room?¡±
He sensed the minion acknowledge the order, but it didn¡¯t stop bumping into the wall. Vee tried again, and once again it didn¡¯t work. Something was wrong with the ghosts, clearly, but Vee didn¡¯t have the mental processing power to diagnose it just then. He was still cold as heck and wanted nothing more than to sleep. But first, he had to free this adventurer from her own stupid skill. Something, something, do it yourself.
Pinching his thumb and forefinger together, Vee activated [Shape Ectoplasm] and started rolling the energy into a ball. It grew and he added more and more, until he was holding a sphere almost as big as his head. Another bit of effort hardened it so that it was like a stone itself, but much lighter. ¡°Hey! [Conjurer]! I don¡¯t know if you can hear me in there, but I¡¯m the [Dungeon Master] and I¡¯m going to get you out, okay?¡±
A muffled series of short sounds came from inside the stone adventurer. Probably just the adventurer expressing gratitude. Definitely not cursing him out or anything.
Okay, it was show time. He could do this. Moving back to the door so that he could dodge behind it once the shell was broken, Vee took careful aim and lobbed the ball at the adventurer. He missed by about four feet.
Cursing, he scurried over and picked up the ball once again. His second throw hit and sent a series of cracks through the stone shell, but didn¡¯t break it, and so Vee retrieved his ball once again and made a third throw. There was an explosion and shards of stone went in every direction. Staring at one the size of his fist embedded in the wall next to the door, Vee was glad he¡¯d thought ahead and taken cover.
The adventurer roared, a combination of triumph and primal rage, and stormed over to where Vee was standing. She was a little bit taller than he was ¨C not that that was saying much ¨C, with a slim figure and long brown hair. Her eyes were almost glowing with fury, and she crossed her arms across her chest. She loomed over him as best she could.
¡°What kind of dungeon are you running here? I was trapped in that skill for Piper knows how long, since your stupid ghosts suddenly became pacifists. What¡¯s the big idea? Is this some sort of trap room?¡±
That was interesting. Vee hadn¡¯t thought about having a room where there were monsters to fight but they deliberately didn¡¯t attack the adventurer. He could see it having a sort of hide and seek atmosphere. That also made him think that there were a bunch of different room types he hadn¡¯t ever thought about before. With time, he could even mix them into ¨C
[Plotting +1]
¡°Well? Aren¡¯t you going to say anything, you blue-haired shrimp?¡±
He shelved the thoughts for later. Right now, he needed to do damage control.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, that definitely wasn¡¯t supposed to happen,¡± Vee said in his best placating voice. ¡°If you¡¯d like to complete your run you¡¯re free to do so, but if not I¡¯d be happy to escort you outside and refund your entry fee in full.¡±
¡°Take me outside. I¡¯m never coming back to this stupid dungeon, and I¡¯m going to tell all my friends not to come either. You¡¯re an awful [Dungeon Master].¡±
Vee winced ¨C was that really necessary? ¨C but let the insult pass without response. He¡¯d heard it often enough from his father: When a customer is pissed off at you, all you can do is apologize and get out of the situation as quickly as possible. Don¡¯t bandy words with them because even if they¡¯re wrong, they¡¯re right.
¡°This way, please,¡± he said as he led her over to the opening in the wall. Once they were both through, Vee directed the wall to return to its original position and deactivated [Walking Walls]. His head felt better right away, but the adventurer was still glaring at him. If only he had a skill for that.
¡°If you¡¯ll just come up to the office with me I¡¯ll go ahead and get your fleurs.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do no such thing,¡± the woman snapped. She had her hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯m staying right here, where I know that I won¡¯t have to worry about getting trapped or hurt.¡±
Rolling his eyes, Vee went and got her refund. ¡°Maybe the fiends will strike during the day,¡± he muttered under his breath.
After an hour of troubleshooting, Vee had to admit that he didn¡¯t know what was causing the ghosts to not attack. There was nothing wrong with their spawn points, or with the orders for the room that he could see, but no matter what he did, they simply walked to the corners of the room and stayed there, bumping into the walls.
[You have been given a quest: Figure out why the ghosts in the second room of Crestheart have stopped working properly. Would you like to accept it?]
Seeing as he needed the ghosts to work for the dungeon to function properly, Vee accepted the quest without hesitation.
[Quest: Figure out why the ghosts in the second room of Crestheart have stopped working properly.]
[Dangers]: None
[Reward for completion: Three Shards of Chaos]
Three shards of chaos?! Hot diggity dog, that was incredible! Or, maybe not incredible, but pretty good all the same.
For now though, he had to go talk to the adventurers. In the grand scheme of things, having one room not working was far from an emergency that required him to close down for the day, but giving adventurers a free room to clear didn¡¯t seem like a winning plan either.
He went out to the front of the dungeon, fully aware of how messy his hair and coat were, not to mention his bloodshot eyes. He¡¯d been down on his knees crawling around and was a little out of breath, so he waited a little bit before speaking.
¡°We¡¯re having a minor technical difficulty in the dungeon,¡± he said. ¡°A room on the first floor is malfunctioning. As such, I¡¯m going to have to ask you all to reschedule your runs for another time after we figure out the problem and get it fixed.¡±
A hubbub of protests broke out.
¡°What do you mean, reschedule? I¡¯ve been waiting all day for my run!¡±
¡°You¡¯re going to give us our money back, right?¡±
¡°I knew this dungeon was crap!¡±
Vee almost had to shout to be heard over the din, but he eventually managed to get the angry adventurers to calm down.
¡°You will all receive full refunds, of course. Additionally, the next time you come to Crestheart, you¡¯ll receive a twenty-five percent discount on your floor fees.¡±
That seemed to placate everyone, and Vee spent the next few minutes recording the names of each adventurer so that they could receive their discount. Once they dispersed, Vee shook himself out, and went back into Crestheart to resume work on diagnosing the problem.
It¡¯d already been too long of a day, and it looked like it was only getting longer.
*Over two trips, with plenty of breaks of course.
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 19
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 7
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 1
Might: 8 (+1)
Wit: 26
Faith: 15
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 7
Plotting: 9 (+1)
Charisma: 2
Devious Mind: 12
Leadership: 7
Guts: 3
Intimidating Presence: 3
Citizenship: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 14
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 9
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 8
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 28
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 8
Intimidating Presence: 7
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Vigilance: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 31 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 5 (+1)
Might: 1
Wit: 25
Faith: 3
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 31 (-1)
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Chapter 27: Donuts Make Everything Better
After hours of fruitless searching the next morning, Vee was no closer to figuring out the reason why the ghosts were malfunctioning. Worse, some of the other rooms started breaking too. The animated books in the library room, for example, started attacking as soon as the statue started speaking for the first time, and the tank ghosts in the final two rooms of the first floor began ripping each other apart instead of aiming for the adventurer. So much for his pet theory that his being so tired had caused the minions to start acting up.
The challengers were having a great time on their runs, because the first floor being much easier meant that the rest of the dungeon was too. Getting through the second floor was less painful when you hadn¡¯t had to really fight your way there, and Alforde wasn¡¯t nearly as effective against enemies that still had plenty of stamina left when they made it to his arena.
Vee clenched his teeth as he watched his friend¡¯s sixth straight bout that day. The big salamander [Shaman] clapped his hands together and summoned a totem out of the ground near the edge of the platform. The totem¡¯s eyes flashed yellow and Alforde slid to a stop a few feet away from the adventurer. As if drugged, the armorsoul turned and attacked the totem with all of his might. Just like the last three times this had happened, the [Dungeon Champion] smashed the totem into smithereens, only for his real foe to leap forward and kick him off the edge of the platform, claiming victory.
Vee swore and slammed both fists down on his desk. That was Alforde¡¯s third straight loss and as the triumphant [Shaman] walked down the little path to collect his prize, Vee decided to go ahead and close the dungeon again.
¡°I tried to warn you earlier,¡± Reginald said as Vee stood up to go refund the remaining adventurers and apologize once again. When he saw the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s murderous expression though, he didn¡¯t say anything further.
Furious and frustrated, Vee didn¡¯t offer any discounts on future runs and told the adventurers to get lost, more or less. After tossing them their coins, Vee watched them leave with his arms folded across his chest.
[Intimidating Presence +1]
By the time Vee made it back up to his office ¨C how he hated those stairs! ¨C Alforde was already sitting on the floor with his head almost on his chest and his arms resting on his knees. Looking up at the sound of Vee¡¯s footsteps, Alforde¡¯s eyes dimmed a little bit and he returned to his sulk. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Vee,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me today. The adventurers are all just a little bit too fast or a little bit too strong.¡±
Seeing his friend look so downcast quenched most of the flames of Vee¡¯s temper. He walked over and sat down next to Alforde, clapping his [Right Hand Man] on the pauldron. It was covered in small, sharp spikes now and Vee drew his hand back right away with a wince. He looked at his palm. No wound. That was good. Gotta be more careful about those. ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up about it. It¡¯s not your fault, it¡¯s mine. The dungeon isn¡¯t working properly, and I haven¡¯t been able to fix it.¡±
¡°But I let you down! It¡¯s my job to make sure that adventurers that make it through the rest of the dungeon don¡¯t get the treasure and I failed. What sort of [Dungeon Champion] loses three fights in a row?¡±
He¡¯s doing this because he thinks I¡¯m mad at him. Vee felt the rest of his frustration fizzle away and stood back up. But how can I show him I¡¯m not without it seeming like I¡¯m patronizing him?
Like many things, making people feel better wasn¡¯t Vee¡¯s strong suit, but he was going to try his best. ¡°You didn¡¯t let me down, buddy. You fought well today, but you came up a little short. It happens. I promise you, I¡¯ll get things working again and then you¡¯ll be back to your winning ways before you know it.¡±
Alforde didn¡¯t say anything, but he relaxed a little bit. His armor creaked and groaned as he stood back up, and after another few minutes of pacing back and forth, he seemed more like himself.
[Leadership +1]
With one issue taken care of, Vee turned his attention back to his bigger problem: the malfunctioning dungeon.
¡°Dheart, can you analyze the room orders again? I want to see if there¡¯s some sort of corruption or something like that affecting them that I missed earlier.¡±
While Dheart worked analyzing the lists of commands in each room for any traces of things that would cause them to stop working, Vee deactivated all of the dungeon minions, traps, and doors, put Reginald on and went down into Crestheart. The first room hadn¡¯t had any problems yet, but Vee still got down on his hands and knees to check the spawn points by hand. Crawling across the dented, cracked floor ¨C the adventurers had done more damage to the place than Vee had realized ¨C he spoke the invocation that would cause the spawn points to appear.
Like most things that actually made the dungeon function properly, the spawn points were small sigils painted on the ground in a special ink that was invisible most of the time and wouldn¡¯t get rubbed away if a bunch of people walked on it. It was still susceptible to being damaged by skills, but everyday wear and tear wasn¡¯t supposed to cause any degradation. Vee had drawn them himself, and he didn¡¯t find any issues in the first room. That was good, but it was also expected, so Vee stood up and went to the next room, where the problems had first started.
Here too, the spawn points were intact and seemed exactly as they should be. There was a tiny bit of ectoplasm dust around them, but that shouldn¡¯t have caused any issues and Vee cleaned it up right away. The rest of the room checks were no different, and so Vee returned to the first room with one avenue of inquiry exhausted. He did another sweep, this time with [Third Sight] active. Maybe some sort of new spirit ¨C a collector? An alpha ghost*? ¨C was forming in the dungeon and distracting Vee¡¯s minions from their orders. That¡¯d be annoying, but Vee had a way of dealing with such a problem: [Banish]. He scanned every nook and cranny of every room, but found no signs of any attempted usurpation. Just cracks in the walls and a few dimpled bits of floor. Another idea that didn¡¯t pan out.
¡°What do you think, Reginald?¡± Vee asked.
Reginald was quiet for a moment and then tightened his brim a little bit. ¡°With all this ectoplasm and the sheer amount of emotionally charged people passing through these rooms, I thought we were going to find a competing ghost or spirit for sure. I don¡¯t have any other ideas of what it could be though, so why don¡¯t we go check back in with Dheart? Maybe there¡¯s a problem with the room orders after all.¡±
Vee nodded. He was disappointed that he hadn¡¯t found anything. Even though he¡¯d already done this multiple times, he¡¯d truly hoped that this time things would be different.
¡°Seems like as good a plan as any.¡±
But alas, since this was apparently just one of those days where the universe was saying ¡°Screw You!¡± over and over, Dheart had no leads. All of the orders were exactly the same as they were when they¡¯d been written, and there was nothing that indicated any of them had been tampered with. Vee didn¡¯t know how such a thing could have even happened in the first place ¨C the orders were stored inside of Dheart ¨C but that was that.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
¡°Master, might I recommend reaching out to the union? They have several [Dungeon Support Representatives] that specialize in diagnosing and repairing dungeon defects. I am¡ninety-five percent confident that one of them could help you resolve this issue.¡±
¡°For a hefty fee, I¡¯m sure,¡± Vee grumbled, remembering the ultimate takeaway of every diagnostic customer support experience he¡¯d ever had: a much lighter wallet.
¡°Not at all,¡± Dheart said, perpetually chipper. ¡°There won¡¯t be any cost for diagnostics or repairs. One of the benefits of being a union member is free support in situations like this. Would you like me to put in the request?¡±
Well, well, well. Look at that! Union dues being used for member benefits, what a concept! ¡°That¡¯s fine then,¡± Vee said. ¡°How long will it take for them to arrive?¡±
Dheart hummed and beeped, and when it next spoke, its voice was replaced by¡.smooth jazz?? Or, that¡¯s what Vee thought it was. The quality of the sound wasn¡¯t great and he didn¡¯t know a ton about music.
¡°Thank you so much for contacting the Union of Dungeon Masters,¡± a woman¡¯s voice said. She didn¡¯t sound particularly sincere. ¡°Your request is important to us. At this time, all of our available [Representatives] are assisting other [Dungeon Masters]. Remain connected if you¡¯re fine waiting, or try again later.¡±
Vee shook his head and the music stopped. ¡°Do not fear, I will try again later,¡± the dungeon heart said. ¡°The line is active all the time, so I¡¯m sure there will be an opening eventually. Leave it to me, Master.¡±
¡°Thought I told you to call me Vee,¡± Vee said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. With Vee too upset to go and work on his lab, the friends had nothing to do and returned to Sculla¡¯s.
Two days of staying closed later, Vee and Alforde were out walking when Vee caught sight of the newspaper and dropped his half-eaten donut. He grabbed a copy from the stack and yanked it open, cursing as he read the article and his various frustrations bubbled out of control.
¡°Boy, someone at the newspaper really doesn¡¯t like you,¡± Reginald said as Vee crumpled up the paper and threw it on the ground. ¡°And look! They spelled your name wrong too!¡±
¡°I swear, I¡¯m going to burn that newspaper office down to the ground!¡± Vee growled.
[Congratulations, by getting so worked up about a newspaper article, you are now a Guy-who-takes-things-WAY-too-far, Level 2!]
[Your Escalate skill is now more powerful!]
Some people were nearby and giving him funny looks, but Vee didn¡¯t care. He looked down wistfully at his dropped donut. He reached towards it, as if contemplating picking it up off the ground.
¡°He¡¯s not being serious,¡± Alforde hurried to tell them. ¡°It¡¯s been a rough few days.¡±
¡°Bet it has been,¡± one the bystanders ¨C a salamander who looked to be about Vee¡¯s age. ¡°Being such an incompetent [Dungeon Master] has to be taxing!¡±
Vee¡¯s mouth moved but no words came out, and his hands clenched into fists over and over again. Eventually he made a noise that sounded a little bit like ¡®gluhwhu¡¯, but that was it.
Reginald, naturally, told the salamander where to go and how to get there, and the salamander snarled forward, raising his claws to fight.
¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s go! Bring it on! Let¡¯s see what you got, tailbreath!¡±
The salamander drew closer and Reginald suddenly seemed to realize that he was simply a hat atop the head of a person who really, really sucked at fighting, because the spirit squealed, shook, and cried: ¡°Deal with him Alforde, deal with him!¡±
Glaring back at the hat, Alforde stepped between Vee and the salamander. For a moment he seemed to grow taller, and his happy orange eyes turned hellfire red. The armorsoul shifted Hammy so that he was holding it with both hands and stood still. His intimidating presence crackled through the air like lightning, and the salamander stopped dead in his tracks. He backed up.
¡°This is stupid. What sort of insult even is tailbreath, anyways,¡± the salamander muttered as he stalked away. Alforde remained where he was for a moment, and then stood back up and glowered at Vee¡¯s hat.
¡°Do you ever think before opening that felty mouth of yours? That could have been really bad.¡±
¡°Yeah, for the salamander. Did you see his arms? You would have broken him like a twig! Would have served him right too!¡±
Alforde shook his head. Vee was still just standing there, his eyes a little glassy. Alforde looked down at the newspaper and picked it up. It couldn¡¯t be that bad, right?
DUNGEON IN DISARRAY! ADVENTURERS FURIOUS!
Mysterious lights near Eastown gate!
The second headline seemed like it might have been interesting, but Alforde only looked at the first article since it was probably the one that had Vee all bent out of shape.
Oar¡¯s Crest ¨C
Nobody knows for certain when Crestheart will reopen. Since Monksday, adventurers haven¡¯t been able to challenge the city¡¯s dungeon due to the fact that the ghostly minions are malfunctioning. [Dungeon Master] Vee Vails has been unable to fix the issue, and members of the Oar¡¯s Crest adventurer¡¯s guild are starting to wonder if the young man is even capable of his position.
¡°I just think he¡¯s not doing a very good job,¡± says Amantha Rues, a [Conjurer] who was trapped in the dungeon for almost half an hour due to a failure in one Crestheart¡¯s rooms.
Council member Michael Seidon also worries for Crestheart¡¯s future. ¡°We cannot have a dungeon that isn¡¯t safe and open to adventurers. My staff is working with Mister Vails to get to the bottom of the problem as quickly as possible.¡±
Alforde didn¡¯t bother reading the rest. He folded up the newspaper and took it to the nearest trash can, which was overflowing with other garbage. ¡°Looks like another month without any crosswords,¡± he said sadly as he carefully balanced the paper atop a discarded bag. At this rate, he¡¯d lose his touch for them.
Knowing that his friend wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere soon, Alforde went back into the bakery and bought Vee another donut.
¡°It¡¯s going to be okay,¡± he said as he pressed the chocolate-and-sprinkles-covered pastry into Vee¡¯s hands. ¡°The [Dungeon Support Representative] will be here tomorrow, and he¡¯ll figure out the problem right away. Cheer up, alright? This might even be a blessing in disguise.¡±
At the smell of sugar, Vee seemed to snap back to reality. He shook his head and took a big bite of the donut. He smiled.
¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s going to be fine. This is just growing pains. We¡¯ll get this fixed and reopen. Let¡¯s go ahead and go back to Sculla¡¯s. I might as well spend the rest of the day working on the ghost hands. I think I¡¯ve figured out how to make them a bit more durable. Maybe if I¡¯m lucky I can have a few sets made before the next adventurer attempts.¡±
¡°We should use that [Walking Walls] skill of yours too,¡± Reginald said. ¡°It¡¯ll be a while before the slimes grow big enough for us to use them the way we originally wanted to, but we can still make some tweaks to Crestheart before then. What if we made a spinning room?¡±
And so, their spirits lifted, the friends resumed their walk, brainstorming even more ideas to improve the dungeon.
*Or Piper forbid, a sigma ghost!
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 19
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 7
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 2 (+1)
Might: 8
Wit: 26
Faith: 15
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 7
Plotting: 9
Charisma: 2
Devious Mind: 12
Leadership: 8 (+1)
Guts: 3
Intimidating Presence: 4 (+1)
Citizenship: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 14
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 8
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 5 (+1)
Might: 28 (-1)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 9 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 8 (+1)
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Vigilance: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 32 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 25
Faith: 3
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 31
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Chapter 28: [Dungeon Maintainer]
The [Dungeon Service Representative] was a short, stubby man with a bushy beard and eyebrows as thick as the wrench he inexplicably carried. He was dressed in gray overalls and a dark blue shirt that had ¡®Ron¡¯ stitched over the top left pocket. Every few seconds, he leaned out the window of the office and spat, leaving a brownish puddle on the ground below. Vee wrinkled his nose, but it could have been worse; the man could have been spitting on his floor.
After a particularly throaty bit of spitting, the man shook his head and looked at Vee.
¡°Soden yer da [Dungeon Master], eh? Pretty young, aintcha? Ken yeh tell me abowt the prawblem yer havin¡¯?¡±
The man¡¯s accent was¡something. Combined with the fact that he spoke so fast every few sentences seemed to blend together into one single super sentence, Vee was tempted to ask if it¡¯d be possible for them to communicate exclusively through writing. He didn¡¯t think that¡¯d go over well though, so he just explained the issue with the minions as he led the man down to Crestheart to take a look.
Just like Vee had, Ron got down on his hands and knees and looked around the dungeon. He tapped his wrench against the ground every few inches. ¡°[Diagnose],¡± he said as he put his ear up against the wall. Then he nodded as if answering a question posed by a voice Vee couldn¡¯t hear and jotted something down on a notebook he produced from his pockets.
Going from room to room, the man examined every inch of Crestheart¡¯s floors, walls, and ¨C thanks to the skill [Topsy Turvy] ¨C the ceilings. The examination took almost two hours, and Vee was just starting to get antsy when the man stood up, smacked his hands together a few times and shook his head.
¡°Don¡¯t ain¡¯t got nothin¡¯ to werrybout, Mista Vales. Jus¡¯ a leedlebit too much weahnteah. Dontchu godda [Dungeon Maintainer] to keep the place maintained?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I needed one. What exactly is the issue?¡±
The string of syllables that came out of the man¡¯s mouth was completely unintelligible. Vee¡¯s widened his eyes, clenched his teeth and slowly shook his head back and forth. The man seemed a little miffed, slowed down.
¡°Gimme a sec. Mmm¡[Get The Point Across]. Let¡¯s see. Is that better?¡±
¡°Uh, I think so?¡±
¡°Alright, perfect. My apologies, Mister Vales. I know that the frequency of my voice can make it a little hard for people to understand me sometimes.¡±
That¡¯s not the problem at all! The problem is that you talk a million miles an hour and drop half your words into the ethereal. Gawain¡¯s balls!
¡°What I was saying earlier is that you don¡¯t have anything you need to worry about. Your problem is that the walls and floors of Crestheart are all pretty beat up. I know you¡¯re a new [Dungeon Master], but you¡¯ve really got to make sure and maintain the condition of the rooms, else your minions will have a really tough time following their orders. I¡¯ve gone ahead and drawn up a list of issues that need work, but if you don¡¯t have a [Dungeon Maintainer], I can go ahead and do the work for you. It¡¯ll just be two-hundred gold fleurs.¡±
Vee¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°Say what? I thought it was supposed to be free!¡±
¡°Diagnostics are free, but if I¡¯ve got to get my crew out here, that¡¯s going to cost you. If you had a [Dungeon Maintainer] or a group of workers who could do what needs to be done, it wouldn¡¯t cost you anything.¡±
Well, now, that changed things. Vee had just the group in mind. ¡°One of the sections of my orchestra can probably do the work, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to read the list. How much would it cost for you to walk them through everything?¡±
The man thought for a moment, rubbing his fingers through his bushy beard and tapping his wrench against his knee. ¡°I¡¯m not really supposed to lead other crews because it¡¯s against union rules, but I think I could make an exception just this once. How about twenty gold fleurs and I¡¯ll walk your crew through it.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that a little steep for nothing more than a consulting gig?¡± Reginald asked. ¡°You¡¯re just going to tell a bunch of fiends to patch up the holes and stuff, aren¡¯t you?¡±
The man took a step back. ¡°Fiends?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed,¡± said Vee. ¡°Like I said, they¡¯re part of my orchestra. I¡¯m a [Ghost Maestro] so they¡¯ll do what I tell them. You won¡¯t be in any danger. Would you consider taking only ten fleurs instead?¡±
¡°A [Ghost Maestro], huh? Well, that explains a lot of the d¨¦cor around here. Fifteen gold fleurs is my best price, take it or leave it.
Vee¡¯s [Bargain Hunter] kicked in, filling him with confidence that this truly was the cheapest he was going to get. ¡°Deal. I¡¯ll go ahead and summon my orchestra members now.¡±
Closing his eyes and drawing out his ghost baton, Vee took hold of the bond to the heavy section and called them to his position. They were close by, so it only took them a few minutes to arrive, and Vee got to take a good look at them for the first time in a while. When he¡¯d originally formed the heavy section, all of the fiends had been roughly the same size and shape. But now, some differences were starting to distinguish the members from each other. Do was still approximately the same, but Re was tall and lanky, Mi had huge arms, Fa was squarish, So walked on all fours, La was slim and wiry, and Ti was almost as small as the members of the light section.
¡°What you want, Master?¡± Do said once the fiends were standing in an approximately neat line. ¡°Have job for us?¡±
Vee took a deep breath. Foresee any issues I¡¯m going to cause for myself down the line that you want to warn me about, Reginald? I know you¡¯re listening to my thoughts so you know what I intend to do.
¡°It¡¯s your call, boss. You¡¯re the [Dungeon Master].¡±
¡°Fat lot of help you are,¡± Vee muttered. What he was about to attempt was something he¡¯d only done once before, during a lesson at the academy: [Bequeath Class]. [Bequeath Class] was a skill generally intended for high level spirits. [Ghost Maestros] who¡¯d worked with a spirit for years would use it to empower their assistants to better suit their own needs. He hadn¡¯t had control of the heavies for long, but he needed a [Dungeon Maintainer] and Do was the best choice.
He remembered the basic theory of how the skill worked ¨C or at least he thought he did ¨C but this was serious [Ghost Maestro] stuff, and his stomach fluttered as he looked at the fiends. He drew a few symbols in the air with his baton ¨C more to steady his nerves than to do anything important ¡ª channeled his will into it and braced himself for the pressure that was going to come.
First, he had to think of the need to be addressed. Repair the dungeon and build it further as it grows. A chime sounded in Vee¡¯s skull.
Second was the name of the class to be given. [Dungeon Maintainer]. A second chime, this one more ominous than the first.
Third and last was the acceptance of responsibility for what the spirit did with the class. I, Vee Vales, will ensure that this class isn¡¯t used improperly.
The third chime echoed in Vee¡¯s skull, and he took a step back as the weight of his resolution settled in his heart. [Bequeath Class] was not a skill to be used lightly. If the fiend did something horrible with the skills it learned as a result of Vee¡¯s gift, the [Ghost Maestro] would be held responsible by whatever power guided classes and people. He¡¯d heard stories about the prices some had been forced to pay when their spirits went awry, and they weren¡¯t pleasant.
¡°Do, I declare you the [Dungeon Maintainer] of Crestheart, and designate the rest of your section as [Junior Maintainer]. [Bequeath Class]!¡±
The resistance kicked into effect right away.
As a child, Vee had once gone to the ocean with his family. He was¡eight or nine at the time. He¡¯d been out running and playing on the beach looking for seashells when a big wave caught him by surprise and knocked him down. Another wave followed it and pulled Vee away from the shore. Caught up in the swell, Vee had almost been dragged out to sea. No matter how he¡¯d struggled or flailed, he hadn¡¯t been able to stop himself and it had only been his mother¡¯s rapid charge into the tide that had saved him.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
He still had nightmares about it from time to time.
That same feeling of powerlessness in the face of overwhelming force was what enveloped him now. Energy crashed into him from all directions, while his own reserves of power were ripped from his body by seven sets of ethereal hands. Surrounded by a golden glow, Vee doubled over. He felt like he was being squeezed so hard his insides were going to turn to mush, but he was determined to stay on his feet. If he fell, he didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d ever be able to stand up again. The golden light poured off of him until it covered Do and the rest of the heavy section. Heat built up under Vee¡¯s skin and after what felt like an eternity to Vee, popped and faded away. He sagged and reached over to steady himself against the wall.
¡°Did it work?¡± Reginald asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Vee said, panting and wiping tears from the corner of his eyes. He sure hoped it had, because there was no way he was going to try that again. If the skill hadn¡¯t worked, he¡¯d just take out an ad or something.
[Congratulations! You have successfully bequeathed the [Dungeon Maintainer] and [Junior Maintainer] classes to your orchestra members! You are now a [Ghost Maestro] level 21!]
[You can now better identify spirits, ghosts, and other ethereal entities!]
[Your ability to passively refine ectoplasm has increased!]
[Wit +2]
[Faith +1]
[You are now a [Dungeon Master] level 8!]
[Leadership +1]
[Charisma +1]
Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Vee looked over at his fiends and saw that Do was trembling and staring at its hands.
¡°Master, what is [Repair]?¡±
The [Dungeon Service Representative] answered: ¡°It¡¯s one of the most important skills you¡¯re going to have. Here, I¡¯ll walk you through your new abilities. I got my start as a [Junior Maintainer].¡±
And then, with careful precision, the man went over his list of fixes with Do and started explaining all of the work that needed to be done. To Vee¡¯s surprise, two of the new caretakers left the dungeon and started bringing in heaps of broken wood, stone and metal. For the next several hours, they patched up the cracks in the walls and floor, using their [Repair] skill to mend the cracks, dents, and other damage.
Vee tasted bile in the back of his throat and he was lightheaded, but he stayed and watched the fiends work until Ron told him that there wasn¡¯t much else they could do for the day.
¡°The fillings we made need to cure overnight,¡± he explained. ¡°And that crew of yours is pretty green, but they¡¯ll be quite competent in hardly any time at all. I would suggest eventually moving away from solid walls and floors to a tile system though.¡±
¡°A tile system?¡±
The [Dungeon Service Representative] shrugged. ¡°You build your walls and floors out of tiles, and then you swap them in and out of service as they need maintenance. It¡¯s a bit of a pain since you¡¯ll have to redraw your spawn points if you replace their tiles, but it¡¯ll prevent anything like this from happening again. All of the biggest dungeons on the continent use the tile system.¡±
Huh. That seemed like a pretty good idea. Vee had seen something about tiles and hexes in his handbook, but he¡¯d been so focused on getting Crestheart built and open that he hadn¡¯t cared to really read it. Now he felt like a fool for not doing so. Whatever it cost to set up had to be less than what he¡¯d lost from having to shut down the dungeon and whatever intangible losses the bad publicity caused. Plus, the tiles would be great for installing the ghost hands as soon as they were ready.
Vee thanked him and dismissed the heavy section of the orchestra once he left. Do hung around for a moment, and then bowed once the rest were gone.
¡°Thank you, Master. Will not forget this honor. Will work hard.¡±
¡°I know you will,¡± Vee said. He hadn¡¯t yet heard back from any of his professors about the fiends'' gain of sentience. What would they say if they heard that he¡¯d given them classes? Maybe he¡¯d write them another letter.
Feeling exhaustion flow through every fiber of his body, Vee left Crestheart and went outside.
Alforde was waiting in front of the tower, practicing his hammer work as always. He was focused and moved quickly, battling foes only he could see. There was an urgency in his movements that Vee hadn¡¯t seen before, and the air hummed with the force of his blows.
¡°Oi! Alforde! A little help here?¡± Reginald called as Vee wobbled back and forth. ¡°Boss is pretty drained.¡±
Alforde stopped what he was doing and hurried over to catch Vee before the [Dungeon Master] collapsed.
¡°I don¡¯t know if I can make it back to Sculla¡¯s,¡± Vee said.
And so, Alforde carried his friend back to the boarding house. The armorsoul¡¯s heart was light. Though it might take a few days, Crestheart was going to reopen.
And when it did, it was going to be an entirely new experience.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 21 (+2)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 8 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 2
Might: 8
Wit: 28 (+2)
Faith: 16 (+1)
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 7
Plotting: 9
Charisma: 3 (+1)
Devious Mind: 12
Leadership: 9 (+1)
Guts: 3
Intimidating Presence: 4
Citizenship: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 14
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 8
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 5
Might: 28
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 9
Intimidating Presence: 8
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Vigilance: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 32
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 25
Faith: 4 (+1)
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 31 (-1)
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
BONUS: Heavy Section Character Sheets:
Do (Heavy):
Primary Class: Dungeon Maintainer (Vee Vales), Level 1
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 10
Wit: 2
Faith: 2
Citizenship (Bound - Vee Vales): 1
Re (Heavy):
Primary Class: Junior Maintainer (Vee Vales), Level 1
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 5
Wit: 1
Faith: 1
Citizenship (Bound - Vee Vales): 1
Mi (Heavy):
Primary Class: Junior Maintainer (Vee Vales), Level 1
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 5
Wit: 1
Faith: 1
Citizenship (Bound - Vee Vales): 1
Fa (Heavy):
Primary Class: Junior Maintainer (Vee Vales), Level 1
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 5
Wit: 1
Faith: 1
Citizenship (Bound - Vee Vales): 1
So (Heavy):
Primary Class: Junior Maintainer (Vee Vales), Level 1
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 5
Wit: 1
Faith: 1
Citizenship (Bound - Vee Vales): 1
La (Heavy):
Primary Class: Junior Maintainer (Vee Vales), Level 1
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 5
Wit: 1
Faith: 1
Citizenship (Bound - Vee Vales): 1
Ti (Heavy):
Primary Class: Junior Maintainer (Vee Vales), Level 1
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 5
Wit: 1
Faith: 1
Citizenship (Bound - Vee Vales): 1
Chapter 29: Crestheart Reopens
The sun was shining, and Wheeler was feeling good. He adjusted his red-and-black pinstripe shirt, fixed his cuffs so that his hands were completely visible, gave his blonde mustache a twirl and grinned as the short [Dungeon Master] climbed the steps in front of Crestheart.
¡°Adventurers, welcome back!¡± The [Dungeon Master] cried. His voice was thin and a bit on the reedy side, and Wheeler almost burst out laughing at the sound. This guy? A [Dungeon Master]? If people believed that, Wheeler himself should start going around and calling himself a [King]. It was just as believable.
The kid locked eyes with Wheeler, and for moment the hair on the back of the [Cardsharp]¡¯s neck stood on end. He was good at reading people. Had to be, in his line of work. There was no greater joy than looking into someone¡¯s eyes and getting their complete measure before they ever had a chance to say a word.
Something clouded the boy¡¯s hazel eyes. There was a spark in them that was a little bit like madness, but not quite. Wheeler had dealt with his fair share of madness, had seen men and women at the tables lose their minds when Lady Luck didn¡¯t flip the dice or turn the cards their way. That wasn¡¯t what he saw in the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s gaze. But it was close. It flickered and faded, and Wheeler wondered if he¡¯d ever seen it at all.
¡°I most sincerely apologize once again for our recent troubles,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said, ¡°but we¡¯ve fixed the problem and are ready for you to challenge these dungeon halls! Step forward and show your skill and bravery! Oh, also, leave your entrance fees in that chest next to the door. Remember, the floor fee is ten silver fleurs, and the boss floor costs fifteen. Thirty five silver fleurs lets you challenge the entirety of Crestheart! Good luck, and bold adventuring!¡±
With his speech done, the little blue-haired punk bowed. He¡¯d probably meant to look stylish and mysterious, but he went just a little too low and his stupid top hat fell onto the ground. Wheeler guffawed with a few of the other adventurers. What an idiot! What a shrimp!
Now, Wheeler was absolutely a betting man, but even if he hadn¡¯t been, he would have bet every last fleur that he had that this was going to be the easiest dungeon run of his life. He was strong and talented, but that wasn¡¯t always enough when it came to running dungeons. The only thing you could trust was cold, hard, information. As such, he¡¯d paid for an edge.
He was not a man for gods or religion*, but there was a universal truth that he believed in with all of his heart: Never ¨C ever! ¨C play a fair game.
Crumpled in his pocket was his secret weapon: an unofficial, unauthorized guide to Crestheart. The guild technically frowned on this sort of thing, but Wheeler hadn¡¯t ever heard of anyone ever getting busted for making, selling, or buying one and they existed for almost every dungeon on the continent. So far as he was concerned, that meant that it was totally on the up and up. Nothing wrong with using his resources, right?
Wheeler had gotten his guide from one of the adventurers who¡¯d cleared the dungeon, and it had cost him eight silver fleurs. Not a bad price, considering that it was going to help him make roughly a hundred or so. He¡¯d read the thing dozens of times, memorizing the notes about each room, the minions they contained, and the traps that he¡¯d be facing. To be honest, he¡¯d been a little disappointed by the quality of the dungeon. Only two real floors, and nothing but ghosts and lesser fire elementals between them? How could such a crappy place even be considered a dungeon?
He clambered to the top of the steps and let his coins jingle down into the treasure chest. Easiest fleurs of my life. Adventuring and running dungeons wasn¡¯t something he did full-time, but it was a nice side hustle when he couldn¡¯t take the smoky rooms of card dens anymore, and this dungeon was rumored to be soft as could be. All the factors had lined up perfectly to entice Wheeler to go ahead and make a run. He¡¯d walk in, make a clean sixty or seventy silvers and take a week off. Get away from The Don¡¯s boys and Sacre¡¯s crew for a little while. That was all he needed. A break.
The guide mentioned a talking door, but there was no sound as the entrance swung open and Wheeler walked inside. Probably just didn¡¯t have anyone doing the voices. Rookies!
Reaching into the pocket of his vest, Wheeler took out his deck of cards and drew one off the top. Holding it between his index and middle finger, the [Cardsharp] prepared himself to throw it at the first worthless ghost to appear as he walked down the long hallway leading to the first room.
It was cold inside the dungeon, and Wheeler shivered. The door slammed shut behind him, and fog hissed up from the ground. It was cold and wet, and something about the way it clung to his skin caused Wheeler¡¯s heart to start racing. Just some atmospheric crap. Don¡¯t lose focus.
Spitting on the ground, Wheeler gripped his card tighter and continued forward.
When he made it about halfway down the hall, the torches that lined the walls all went out at once and Wheeler was standing alone in the dark.
¡°What the?¡±
The darkness didn¡¯t last long, because the torches sparked back to life, but this time instead of the normal, comforting amber gold of every fire he¡¯d ever seen, these flames were purple. The entire hallway was bathed in sickly, almost skeletal light, and Wheeler found that his breath was coming a little faster than he liked.
Another step forward, another flash of the lights. So that¡¯s how it was going to be, huh? Fine. He¡¯d dealt with strobe effects before and they didn¡¯t bother him much.
However, flashing lights weren¡¯t the only threat of the hallway.
Behind him, something inhuman started laughing ¨C really it as more of a rabid cackle ¨C and then the hallway was filled with the echo of running footsteps. Fast, heavy footsteps.
¡°YOU HAVE MADE A GRAVE MISTAKE, ADVENTURER!¡±
The voice was right behind him! But how? Spinning, Wheeler found himself face to face with a towering figure draped in a black robe that obscured its face. It had glowing red eyes of hellfire though and that was enough to tell the adventurer everything he needed to know. With a shout and a leap backwards, Wheeler flicked his wrist and threw his first card. It whizzed through the air and buried itself in the ground, having passed right through the monster¡¯s body.
More inhuman laughter.
¡°A GRAVE MISTAKE INDEED! WELCOME TO CRESTHEART! THE DOOR IS LOCKED, AND THE ONLY WAY OUT IS FORWARD. GOOD LUCK!¡±
With that, the monster vanished into the ceiling, and Wheeler was forced to contend with something he hadn¡¯t felt in years.
Fear.
*Other than Lady Luck
¡°Okay, fine,¡± Vee said as he watched the man stumble forward with another card primed and ready to throw. ¡°I¡¯ll admit it. You¡¯re much better on the voices than I am.¡±
¡°Than you could ever be,¡± Reginald said with a grin. ¡°Say it properly.¡±
Vee sighed. There were worse things than having to deal with Reginald when the hat knew he was right, but he couldn¡¯t think of any just then. ¡°You¡¯re much better on the voices than I could ever be. There, you happy?¡±
¡°You have no idea, I¡¯m just getting warmed up,¡± Reginald said as he reached his yellow spirit arm over to the magnifying crystal. ¡°Just you wait and see. Do you see his bald spot?¡±
Wheeler made it through the first hallway and found himself in a small room that was barely bigger than a closet. The size seemed wrong, but that wasn¡¯t a big deal. Guides were always kind of off since they were made from memory. When I reach the center, there are supposed to be a few packs of ghosts that will attack me. Easy enough.
He walked to the center of the room and waited. No ghosts. Looking up and down, he didn¡¯t see anything that would indicate that any were coming either. That was¡weird. Normally the guides weren¡¯t off that much.
At the far end of the room was a pedestal, and on it were two glowing orbs. One was red, and the other was blue. Wheeler walked over to it and reached for the red orb, but stopped as a gout of flame came out of the pedestal, leaving a ghastly face above its embers.
¡°Red or Blue? The choice is yours. Who knows what lies behind these halls and doors? Both paths will have dangers, that much is true, but the blue path has treasures too. It is said that quick is the path of red, but those who follow it may even lose their head. Whatever shall you do?¡±
What the heck kind of choice was that? One had treasure, the other didn¡¯t. Without even a second thought, Wheeler grabbed the blue orb and slammed it into the space in the pedestal¡¯s center. Blue lines of energy flowed out and down the pedestal¡¯s sides into the ground. Once they disappeared, the walls started to groan, sliding and shifting like a deck of cards being shuffled. The torches changed color once again, the purple replaced by icy blue and there was a hiss as even more fog poured up from the ground.
Wheeler took a step forward and slipped, falling straight on his back. When he tried to stand, he found that alternating tiles of the floor had been coated in a thin layer of ice.
¡°This was definitely not in the guide,¡± he muttered as he zigged and zagged his way into the next room. ¡°There¡¯s not supposed to be anything other than an ever changing number of ghosts. One room with some flying books, but no one mentioned tiles of ice or talking embers.¡±
Reginald held out his yellow hand and wiggled his fingers expectantly. Vee handed him a cube of highly refined ectoplasm and the spirit popped it into his mouth, smacking lips that didn¡¯t exist. Originally intended as a thank you gift for Do and the rest of the heavy section for all their hard work on getting Crestheart ready for runs, it was the most potent ectoplasm Vee could refine, and Reginald coughed as he swallowed it. Or absorbed it, or whatever it was that spirits did to consume and digest ectoplasm. He¡¯d barely passed his class on spirit anatomy.
¡°Told you,¡± The [Majordomo] said. ¡°Guys like that are obsessed with treasure. Easiest bet of my life.¡±
Wheeler fought his first group of enemies as soon as he entered the next room. They were ghosts, just as claimed in the flyer, but they all carried lesser fire elementals in their mouths that shot embers directly at him. He hadn¡¯t been expecting that, since the notes were clear that the elementals weren¡¯t supposed to appear until the second floor, and suffered several burns before he dispatched his foes with his razor sharp cards.
He took the paper out of his paper and tore it up. ¡°Think you¡¯re going to scam me?¡± he snarled. ¡°Once I get out of here I¡¯m going to make you pay!¡±
The pieces of paper scattered as he looked at the three shadowy cells in front of him. There was only a single torch in each one, but their poor light was enough for him to see that all of them had a treasure chest inside.
However, he wouldn¡¯t be able to plunder all three; there was a sign above them that said CHOOSE WISELY. The implication was clear: once he looted one, the other two cells would close and be inaccessible. Stingy [Dungeon Master].
It wasn¡¯t like he had any clues to use to help him pick the best one either. So far as he could tell, it was just pick a chest at random and hope for the best. Choose wisely his butt.
Stupid problems required stupid solutions.¡°Eenie, meenie, miny, mo,¡± Wheeler said as he pointed at each cell in turn and worked his way through the rest of the children¡¯s rhyme. When he finished, he was pointing at the middle cell, so that¡¯s the one he picked.
He walked in and opened the treasure chest. Inside was a lovely pendant made out of gold, and the [Cardsharp] whistled through his teeth as he hung it around his neck. It had to be worth a good chunk of silver fleurs.
To his surprise, the door of his cell clanged shut, and the ceiling shifted. There was a plop on the ground next to him, and a hiss filled the air. Soon there were more plops and more hissing to go with them, and Wheeler felt something settle itself on his leg. It was hot and he kicked his leg like crazy, trying to dislodge whatever it was. However, the creature slowly clambered up past his knee to his thigh, and then to his waist and chest, leaving an angry trail of burns as it did so. More started to make the same journey, and no matter how he stomped or cut the little monsters, nothing seemed to deter them.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
If this went on, he¡¯d be burned alive and that was very much not a fate he wanted for himself. He had to get out of the cell. Now.
Yowling, Wheeler reached into his vest, drew out one of his special cards ¨C unlike the normal gray of his deck, these had a blue back and crackled with energy - and hurled it through the gaps in the cell door as he focused on himself. ¡°[Shuffle Swap]!¡±
The skill activated, and Wheeler was teleported out of the cell next to his card, which burned away as all of its stored power had been used. That was fine. He could always make more special cards later.
Wheeler looked at his side, and saw the tiny slime that was the cause of his pain. Or, one of the causes of his pain, as there were at least two others on him as well. Using another card from his deck like a dough scraper, he peeled the minion off his flesh and flung it back into the cell to join its kin. The other two followed it, and then Wheeler continued deeper into the dungeon¡¯s depths, cursing his bad luck.
Up ahead was another hallway, and at its end was a long set of stairs that had to lead to the second floor. The [Cardsharp] warily made his way to it, fighting off the few ghosts that popped out of the walls and clawed him as he did so. They ripped into his shoulders and his back, and while the wounds were far from serious, they were annoying and painful.
¡°[Scattershot]!¡± Wheeler yelled as he threw three cards at once, grinning savagely as they sliced through the feeble bodies of the ghosts and turned them into dust. Step. Dodge. Throw. Step. Dodge. Throw. Step. Dodge. Throw. So long as he kept focused on the chessboard-like pattern of icy and not icy in order to keep his balance, there wasn¡¯t much to think about.
The rhythm carried him down the stairs and to the next door. ¡°Just one more floor and then the boss battle,¡± Wheeler said, trying to reassure himself. The lights and the fog and the chill was getting to him. Doubts were starting to creep into his mind. I¡¯m doing well, all things considered. I¡¯ve taken some hits, but so far there hasn¡¯t been anything too challenging. If anything really scary pops up, I have my secret weapon.
Not the dungeon guide, which he¡¯d originally thought of as his secret weapon when he entered but had since thrown away. My real secret weapon.
Okay, admittedly, maybe calling so many things a secret weapon wasn¡¯t really the best plan. Fine. I have my secret skill. There, much better.
Whistling a jaunty tune, Wheeler opened the door and entered the second floor. Where he promptly fell on the ground thanks to the fact that the ice-covered tiles were misaligned and out of sequence.
Then, the whispers started.
¡°Alright,¡± Vee said as he settled into his big chair and put his hands up to his controls. ¡°He¡¯s not looking so good, but let¡¯s see if we can soften him up some more before he gets to Alforde. I¡¯d love him to get an easy win on his first fight back. Really boost his confidence, you know?¡±
Reginald, who was busy activating and deactivating a dozen magnification crystals to properly throw his voice around as he menacingly whispered ever more specific threats to the adventurer didn¡¯t respond.
¡°I¡¯ma getchu,¡± Reginald hissed with a bit of the [Dungeon Service Representative]¡¯s twang. ¡°You chose¡poorly. I¡¯m going to rip that mustache off your face hair by hair. You don¡¯t need it, anyways. Who even has a mustache anymore? It¡¯s not like it stops anyone from noticing that your hairline is gone. Gooooone.¡±
The hat seemed to be having a good time. Vee watched as the man got up and started limping forward. Good. Minor injuries meant easy boss battles. But, Vee wasn¡¯t going to let up on the pressure. Oh no. Not at all.
With a grin of his own, Vee reached down and punched the button labeled ¡°Big Ghost¡±. Then, it was time for another bit of [Walking Walls].
Clasping a hand to the back of his head, cards momentarily forgotten, Wheeler watched the walls of the dungeon shift once more. They slid and groaned until there was nothing but a long, narrow hallway. At the end was a wide open room.
More fog came up from the ground and when it cleared, a hulking frame was standing in the center of the room. It wore a ragged robe and carried a terrifying scythe.
It was also facing away from him, and Wheeler saw that at the end of the room was the door that had to lead to the boss battle. So long as he snuck past this big baddie he could avoid having to fight before throwing down with the boss.
A whisper tickled his ear. ¡°Hey, got a minute? Let¡¯s see what this handy hourglass says! Well, look at that, all the sand is almost gone!¡±
And then, horror! A hand grabbed Wheeler¡¯s shoulder, another grabbed each of his legs, and every second that passed added more and more until he had no chance of moving. He looked down, and saw that the hands were coming out of the walls and floor.
What the hell kind of place is this? He thought as the hands pulled him down to the ground. As if alerted to the sound of Wheeler¡¯s whimpering, the big ghost turned around and raised his scythe.
¡°Remember that bit of the poem earlier about maybe losing your head on the red path?¡± the whisper voice asked. ¡°Turns out the same could have been about the blue path too. Bad luck, huh?¡±
A warmth covered the [Cardsharp]¡¯s thigh, but it had nothing to do with the burns from the slimes earlier.
¡°Alforde, get ready! We¡¯re going to go ahead and bring him down to you, okay?¡±
¡°Understood. I¡¯m ready to fight.¡±
Vee leaned back and watched as the hidden panel he¡¯d ordered the heavy section to build into the floor flipped over and pressed the button that would release the ghost hands. The adventurer fell down to Alforde¡¯s arena, and there was a clinking sound as the man¡¯s necklace fell off and landed on the edge of the platform.
The [Dungeon Master] leaned back and laced his fingers behind his head. His job for the run was done. Now it was up to Alforde. He wasn¡¯t worried in the slightest.
He gave Reginald a thumbs up. ¡°Good job with those whispers. I think you really got into his head.¡±
¡°Sure did. So what are you thinking here? Four to two, four to three?¡±
Vee looked down and saw the man scrabbling to his feet. He looked unsteady and he kept glancing up, as if he expected the hulking scythe bearing ghost from up above to drop down on him any second. Little did he know that the monstrosity had been nothing but an ectoplasm puppet. Oh well. No one ever said that dungeons were a fair contest.
Well, okay, the union did and so did a bunch of the celebrity [Dungeon Masters], but Vee hadn¡¯t.
He¡¯d lost almost two weeks¡¯ worth of income, and he was hellbent on earning it all back.
¡°Four to zero. No way this guy knocks Alforde off the platform even once.¡±
Wheeler had two twisted ankles and a knee that felt like it was moving in ways it wasn¡¯t supposed to. Being dropped from the ceiling like that had been the most dangerous part of the dungeon so far, strictly speaking. If things went bad, someone could really get hurt with a hazard like that. Why had he wanted to do this again? From where he was standing now, dealing with the criminals was a walk in the park compared to running dungeons.
The [Dungeon Champion] stood in the center of the platform, holding his hammer with one hand and looking rested and relaxed.
¡°Welcome to my arena,¡± he said. ¡°You must be pretty impressive if you¡¯ve made it here. The treasure that you seek is right behind me, but I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯re going to have to defeat me if you want to get it. The rules are simple. Have you fought a [Dungeon Champion] before?¡±
¡°I have,¡± Wheeler said, and the armorsoul sagged in relief.
¡°Great. I hate explaining everything about the SSB. Here you go. I¡¯m Alforde, nice to meet you. We can start whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±
He tossed the small pill through the air and Wheeler caught it, wincing at the wave of pain that traveled across his burns as he did so. Popping it into his mouth, the [Cardsharp] shuddered at the alien sensation and then fanned out his cards. With a growl he threw them all at the [Dungeon Champion] as hard as he could.
¡°[Fifty-Two Pickup!]¡±
There weren¡¯t fifty two of them, but no one ever counted, and the number didn¡¯t really matter. As they flew toward his foe, Wheeler¡¯s cards started spinning until they all formed small tornadoes. A single one of them was strong enough to lift a grown man off his feet if he didn¡¯t expect it, so there had to be more than enough to push the [Dungeon Champion] off the edge of the platform.
Alforde spun his hammer once and slammed the head down into the platform before the first tornados reached him. ¡°[Give No Ground].¡± His armor flashed gold.
The first tornados reached him but they stopped dead upon contact with Alforde¡¯s armor. Wheeler was stunned. He hadn¡¯t been expecting to win the bout off just that skill, but no movement at all? Not even a single stock?
He was in trouble, then. The cutting edge of his cards wasn¡¯t going to do much against an armored foe. They were delicate tools for delicate work, and this type of battle wasn¡¯t where they excelled.
It¡¯d have to be brute force then. Wheeler knew that he didn¡¯t have the raw strength to push Alforde by himself, but that was fine. He didn¡¯t need to do much more than throw a card.
Reaching into his vest, Wheeler drew out the rest of his special cards. He¡¯d have to find - or make - some way to get a hand on Alforde, then throw the card out of the ring and use [Shuffle Swap] to teleport the [Dungeon Champion] out of the ring. Normally, this wouldn¡¯t be a problem. He didn¡¯t think that the armorsoul could be particularly fast, given his size and the fact that he carried such a heavy weapon. However, injured like he was, Wheeler would have to use his secret skill to give himself more time to reach Alforde without being attacked. He closed his eyes.
¡°[Three-Card Monty!]¡±
Two of his special cards left his hand and floated in the air. They grew until they were as tall as he was, and then settled on the ground next to him. Wheeler himself felt his body flattening as he temporarily transformed into a card. Then the two blank cards sandwiched him and rose up into the air. There was some crackling and a flash, and when the light faded, there were three Wheelers standing on the platform.
Well, not really three Wheelers. More like one Wheeler and two convincing clones that were half as strong as he was. They all had their own decks, and any one of them could use [Shuffle Swap]. One hand on the champion and that was a stock gone.
¡°Time to play a game,¡± three voices chanted in unison. ¡°Can you guess which one of me is the real one?¡±
Alforde pointed at the leftmost Wheeler. ¡°Is it that one? The left?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a rhetorical question,¡± the [Cardsharps] cried as they charged. Thanks to the powers of the SSB, they didn¡¯t really feel the pain of their injuries, but they were definitely moving slower than they normally would have been. Using the secret skill had been the right decision.
Despite the advantage conferred by their numbers, none of them managed to touch Alforde. Somehow, the [Dungeon Champion] always managed to sidestep them at the last second. His hammer thrummed through the air as he deterred further aggression and the Wheeler clones only just barely managed to avoid getting splattered by the blows. The SSB only protected the real one.
For the moment, they were at an impasse. Standing a safe distance away from one another, the foes watched each other. Alforde seemed to be lost in thought.
¡°This is unfortunate,¡± he finally said. ¡°I was hoping that my first opponent today would be a bit more of a challenge, but I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯re too slow for me. Even with your clones, there¡¯s no doubt about how this fight will end. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to go ahead and start knocking you out of the arena now, okay?¡±
He didn¡¯t give the Wheelers a chance to answer, because, like, what was there to be said?
¡°[Unstoppable Charge]!¡±
The next thing Wheeler knew he was alone once more as the armorsoul blurred past him over and over, obliterating both of his clones with powerful blows of his hammer.
That took the fight right out of him. He didn¡¯t want to do this anymore. Falling to his knees, Wheeler dropped his cards and held up his hands in surrender.
¡°I yield, ¡° he said. So much for easy money.
To his surprise, Alforde slid to a stop right away and walked over to him with gauntlet extended. The [Dungeon Champion] helped the [Cardsharp] to his feet.
¡°No shame in that. Well fought. Just over there is a staircase that will take you back to the street outside. Do you need any help climbing back up? No? Okay, well, thanks for challenging Crestheart! I hope to see you again some time for a rematch!¡±
Wheeler walked out of the dungeon and back into the sunlight of the street. He stumbled down to where the other adventurers were waiting to start their run, and saw their horrified expressions as they saw his face and clothes.
¡°If any of you bought the guide for this place, throw it away,¡± he said as he stumbled past. ¡°What¡¯s inside is nothing like what it was supposed to be.¡±
Picking up a broken piece of wood from the pile of garbage near the dungeon to use like a walking stick, the [Cardsharp] started limping back to town. He was headed to the adventurer¡¯s guild.
If there was one other thing he believed in, it was this: never be afraid to ask for a refund. Just then, eight silver fleurs sounded pretty good.
At least the day hadn¡¯t been a total waste. He put his free hand up to his chest. True, he hadn¡¯t gotten the final treasure, but he had looted the¡ª
His fingers found nothing but tatters of his shirt. The necklace was gone! Those stupid ghost hands!
Alforde pondered the pendant in his hand. How had it gotten down to the arena?
¡°Vee?¡± He called to the ceiling. ¡°What should I do with this necklace? I think it belonged to that last guy. Should we return it to him?¡±
¡°No can do. Union and guild rules are clear on this. Adventurers forfeit their rights to any loot they leave in the dungeon after their run. Tough luck for him, but good luck for us! Talk about a sweet payday! Pure profit! Nice job getting him to surrender, by the way! You were awesome. That [Unstoppable Charge] skill is pretty sweet.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± the armorsoul said as he opened the door in his chest and put the pendant inside for safe keeping. He felt good about the fight too. Hopefully the next adventurer would be a bit more of a challenge.
Main Cast Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 21
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 8
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 2
Might: 8
Wit: 28
Faith: 16
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 7
Plotting: 10 (+1)
Charisma: 3
Devious Mind: 12
Leadership: 9
Guts: 3
Intimidating Presence: 4
Citizenship: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 16 (+2)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 9 (+1)
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 5
Might: 28
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 9
Intimidating Presence: 8
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Vigilance: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 32
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 5
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 1 (+1)
Might: 1
Wit: 26 (+1)
Faith: 3
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 32
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
BONUS: Wheeler''s Character Sheet
Wheeler Josey
Primary Class: Cardsharp (Self), Level 22
Secondary Class: Gambler (Self), Level 18
Might: 23
Wit: 17
Faith: 1
Deceptiveness: 19
Greed: 25
Devious Mind: 5
Chater 30: Kai Ginficus (Interlude)
Clambering up the vine of the sickly emberberry vine, Kai found himself face to face with a squirrel nearly as big as he was. Given that the bonsai treant was just a hair over ten inches tall, this wasn¡¯t particularly impressive, but Kai wasn¡¯t in the least bit frightened as he stared into the critter¡¯s big, dark eyes. He¡¯d always been good with animals.
¡°Any issues further up?¡± he asked.
The squirrel chittered. Bad air up higher. Not particularly helpful information, but confirmation that he was at least heading in the right direction. That was good to know.
¡°Happy travels, little friend,¡± Kai said as he walked past the squirrel and underneath the sickly yellow emberberries hanging from the next vine up. By this time of year, they should have been orange, or at least pink. He scowled up at their dry, shriveled appearance, and quickened his pace. If he didn¡¯t stop the rot, the entire vine would fall ill and there¡¯d be no choice but to destroy it. The elders wouldn¡¯t like that, and they¡¯d hold him responsible.
There were a few things that could cause disease in vines, but Kai was almost positive it was his longstanding arch-nemesis: spore weevils. There were a few of the telltale holes here and there on the leaves, but the squirrel¡¯s mention of bad air was all he needed to know. True to their name, spore weevils released spores into the air that formed a blueish mold on top of the vines which made them easier to eat and digest.
As he climbed higher, Kai started seeing traces of the mold here and there. A patch of blue fuzz with bite marks in it eliminated the last of his doubts. Soon enough he was avoiding the mold with every step. He unslung his bark buckler and readied his blade leaf as the gunk became thicker and started showing signs of having fruited. He was getting close to the nest now.
Activating [Put Down Roots], Kai tethered himself to the vine with a thick tendril attached to his back and clambered up over a pile of mold that was as high as his chest. This was a precaution learned from harsh experience: When he¡¯d been a new [Grove Caretaker], he¡¯d once been knocked down from the canopy by a group of spore weevils, and it had taken almost an hour to climb back up a second time.
Doing that today was not in his plans. There were other vines that needed tending.
Behind the wall of mold, as expected, was a scurrying mound of spore weevils. Sensing the treant¡¯s intent, they filled the air with their garbled language and skittered towards him. Instead of jumping down right away and throwing himself into battle, Kai resisted the call of his sap, opening his mouth instead.
He spat a few seeds down to the vine below and closed his eyes.
¡°[Sprout Guardians]!¡±
Shoots of green magic flowed out of Kai and down the mold, racing along the vine and into the seeds. The seeds glowed for a moment and then were replaced by thin, leafy bodies. [Sprout guardians] were about seven inches tall and had a pair of blade leaves on the ends of the branches instead of hands. They weren¡¯t the most durable fighters, but they were perfect backup for Kai and would help make short work of the weevils.
Now it was time to give in to his impulses and let loose. Jumping down to the vine, Kai stepped in front of his sprouts and raised his buckler as the first weevil crashed into him. Kneeling so that he kept his footing, Kai made two neat cuts with his blade leaf and the lifeless halves of the bug collapsed in front of him. The next three weevils were cut down by his guardians, and Kai slowly moved forward. His sap sang with joy as he sliced and stabbed the bugs. Now this was work well worth doing! Stab, slice, slice! Duck, block, cut!
What a glorious sensation, to fight with his own limbs!
For all of their numbers, the bugs didn¡¯t really put up much of a fight. They were still a young colony, and hadn¡¯t had time to start developing the armored hulks that were normally a pain in the branches to fight.
With the battle finished, Kai let the life trickle out of his sprouts. It all trickled back into the vine and dispersed along its length. The sprouts turned brown in a matter of seconds and they fell to the floor of the orchard below, where they¡¯d help nourish the life yet to come. Kai brought his arms together, rushing through the prayer of thanks that the skill required in order to be used.
Though he knew he was supposed to feel otherwise, Kai couldn¡¯t help but be a bit morose as he carefully cut away the remnants of the mold from the vine and used his [Revitailize] skill to start mending the damage that¡¯d been done by the insects. He knew how important it was to heal the vine¡¯s sickness so that it could prosper for years to come, but the work was so boring! Why couldn¡¯t he just focus on fighting and let another [Grove Caretaker] handle the healing?
He ran his limbs over each spot where the vine had been damaged by the nest. He breathed green life back into it inch by inch, and felt the energy running up and down the vine. Wherever there¡¯d been bits of mold, the power would burn the fungus away and in a few days, the vine would be back to its healthy self once more.
Vine tending was slow work, and when he was finally finished, Kai noticed a small yellow blossom had sprouted on his shoulder. An interesting trophy for a job well done, he supposed.
Kai stood up and felt his legs tremble. He¡¯d used more power than he thought, but that was fine. The other vines that needed tending were all low enough that he could do whatever work needed to be done in his barkbody. His own powers weren¡¯t going to be necessary.
[Quest Complete! You have successfully found the source of the vine¡¯s sickness and restored it to health!]
[Might +1]
[Green Spirit +1]
[Your Revitalize skill is now more powerful!]
He¡¯d have to atone for the increase in might, but the elders would be pleased by the boost to his Green Spirit. Balance in all things, it seemed.
Climbing back down to the ground was much faster than going up had been. Wrapping a tendril around the vine, the bonsai treant simply rappelled down to where he¡¯d left his barkbody and clambered back inside the pit.
Barkbodies were the most powerful tool offered to [Grove Caretakers]. They were all around four feet tall and carved from the finest logs of wizardwood the [Grove Masters] could find. Kai¡¯s was entirely black but for the stars of blue bark that gave the wood its name. He hadn¡¯t adorned his barkbody with paints or dyes, the way some other [Barkbody Pilots] did. It just didn¡¯t seem right.
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Thick green springvines secured its arms and legs to its torso, and attached to the barkbody¡¯s back was an acorn mallet. During the harvest season, a basket could be tethered to the branches there instead to help carry emberberries back to the grove, but since it was the heart of tending season the elders ordered weapons to be carried there instead. If Kai had his druthers, he would have never taken the mallet off.
Kai settled into the smooth, sanded nook that had been carved specifically for him and sent his vines into the barkbody¡¯s limbs. He closed his eyes. ¡°[Shift Consciousness].¡±
It felt a little bit like pushing the pulp of an emberberry through the strainer to extract the last bit of juice from inside. No matter how many times he did it, Kai still found the sensation unpleasant. When his consciousness settled, he was looking at the world through the crystalized sap eyes of the barkbody instead of his own. It took him a moment to get his bearings and reorient himself to his new perspective, but Kai had long since grown used to the bizarre sensation and moved the tool almost as well as he used his own limbs as he headed deeper into the orchard.
The other vines in his care were much healthier than the first he¡¯d visited. They had a few darkish spots, but Kai didn¡¯t feel anything impeding their life forces, and so he returned to the grove without needing to fight again. He was a bit disappointed. The best days of tending were the ones where he had to fight at every vine, the song of battle loud in his sap.
He used [Shift Consciousness] once again and climbed up and out of his barkbody once he¡¯d stood it in its proper nook. A few of his comrades had already returned for the day, but most were still out tending their vines. Maybe they¡¯d gotten into some fun fights!
Not that I¡¯d ever get to hear about them, Kai thought sullenly. The elders thought his enjoyment of battle was ¡°unbecoming a treant,¡± and told him that his sap ran too sour. If they¡¯d had their way, Kai wouldn¡¯t have even been allowed to be a [Grove Caretaker], let alone have access to one of the grove¡¯s precious barkbodies. Thankfully, the [Oracle] had expressly ordered them to give him one. He still didn¡¯t know why.
Tolkin, Kai¡¯s branch brother, was waiting for him next to the pond with some dried emberberries and a bowl of water. ¡°You look dry,¡± Tolkin said as he pushed the bowl towards Kai. ¡°And that blossom on your shoulder tells me how you spent your day. Drink up.¡±
¡°There was an infestation of Spore Weevils on one of my vines,¡± Kai said defensively as he dipped his arm into the bowl and let his roots pull up some of the water inside. Sweet relief flooded through his body. Tolkin had been right. He had been dry. ¡°You should have seen me. I cut them all down and healed the vine. It was glorious.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t let the elders hear you talk like that,¡± Tolkin warned. ¡°You know how they feel about fighting.¡±
The pair of bonsai treants recited the old wisdom simultaneously: ¡°Fighting is an evil thing. Only do it when necessary to protect your own life or the life of a vine. Do not take pleasure in ending a single life.¡±
Kai shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how they expect us to adhere to that. It¡¯s just a bunch of stupid old idealism. Back when we weren¡¯t the only caretakers of these orchards, it might have made sense, but now there are fiends and insects and all sorts of other monsters that will destroy the vines if we don¡¯t protect them. What will we do if we lose the emberberries?¡±
Tolkin shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s why we have the barkbodies and have you and the others go out to protect them. No one disagrees that we need to guard the vines, Kai. It¡¯s that you seem to enjoy fighting more than healing that makes the elders nervous. It makes me nervous too, to be honest.¡±
Kai glared at his branch brother. ¡°Another lecture, is it? I swear, Tolkin, sometimes you sound just like Elder Palmatum. Now if you could bend and twist your branches and make them lose their color you¡¯d be a perfect¡ª¡±
He stopped as Tolkin gave him a horrified glance that could only mean one thing: Elder Palmatum was behind him. Kai turned and found himself staring up at branches full of perpetually red leaves.
It was said that Elder Palmatum was one of the oldest bonsai treants in the world. He was over two and a half feet tall ¨C which made his ability to sneak around noiselessly all the more impressive ¨C and his bark was weathered and scarred from decades as a [Grove Caretaker].
Kai thought him a hypocrite.
¡°Welcome¡back¡to¡the¡grove¡Kai. Please¡finish¡what¡you¡were¡saying. It¡sounded¡interesting.¡±
Kai bowed as was required when dealing with an elder and held out his arms. ¡°I was finished, elder.¡±
¡°It¡did¡not¡seem¡that¡way. Oh¡well¡Come¡with ¡me. Lots¡to¡discuss¡with¡the¡other¡elders.¡±
Hanging his head, Kai followed the Palmatum¡¯s slow steps towards the clearing in the grove where the elders met and discussed the important issues of the day. Kai had been to the clearing several times before, though almost always for disciplinary reasons. This was probably another such visit. He didn¡¯t even know what he¡¯d allegedly done this time. Did they already know that he¡¯d fought and killed spore weevils today? Had the birds told them?
He¡¯d find out soon enough. There were six treants in the elder council, and the other five were already waiting as Kai stepped into the center of the grove. He could feel their eyes on him and shrank a bit beneath the power of their stares.
Elder Palmatum settled into his place in the circle and let out a long, slow breath. Thankfully, it was one of the other elders, Serissa, who spoke up. Kai didn¡¯t think he could bear to endure an entire admonishment from elder Palmatum.
¡°Sapling Ginficus, are you well? You wear a pleasing bud on your shoulder, so I assume that your skills were needed during your tending today?¡±
Kai nodded. ¡°An infestation of spore weevils was killing one of my vines. I removed the infestation, though I regretfully had to kill the insects to do so. I healed the vine afterwards, and this blossom sprouted when I was done. I hope that it stays on my shoulder for a long time to come.¡±
¡°You do not sound remorseful about the fact that you had to kill,¡± Elder Serissa said. ¡°Like I have told this council before, your sap runs too sour¡ª¡±
¡°Oh sweet syrup, not this again,¡± interrupted Elder Picea. ¡°If I have to hear another word about this young one¡¯s sap I shall lose my mind and take permanent root! Be done with it, Serissa. We did not bring Kai here to scold him today.¡±
Elder Serissa glared over at Elder Picea, but did not press the issue. She simply glowered at Kai for a moment and then shook her branches.
¡°I dislike how hasty this must be,¡± Elder Serissa said. ¡°But the times demand it. There has been a change in the city, Sapling Ginficus. We have heard from the birds that there is a young man in Oar¡¯s Crest who has opened a dungeon. The [Oracle] has instructed us to have you go and meet with him on our behalf. We have a letter we¡¯d like you to deliver to him as well. The [Oracle] wrote it with her own sap, on one of her own leaves. Once he reads it, you are to deliver his response if there is one. I must admit that I dislike sending you by yourself, but the [Oracle] insists and I follow her wisdom.¡±
¡°We all follow her wisdom,¡± echoed the rest of the elders. Even Elder Palmatum did so, though he was still on ¡®follow¡¯ by the time the others had finished.
Kai had to consciously close his mouth. A letter from the [Oracle]? Written in her own sap and on one of her leaves? That had only happened one other time in Kai¡¯s life!
¡°I will do as I¡¯m ordered,¡± Kai said, doing his best to conceal the song of excitement humming in his sap. ¡°I¡¯ll leave right away.¡±
¡°You are to wait until morning,¡± Elder Serissa said. ¡°The [Oracle]¡¯s sap has yet to dry. When you go, you are to take your barkbody. According to the birds, the city is not as safe as it once was, and we do not want you to come to harm. Go now and rest, Kai Ginficus. If the [Oracle]¡¯s visions are correct, you will have an arduous journey.¡±
Kai nodded and bowed to the elders, then hurried out of the clearing as fast as his legs would carry him. He returned to the pond and saw that Tolkin was still sitting in the same place. He told his branch brother about his mission, and the two spent the next several hours recounting every story they¡¯d ever heard about the city.
From here in the grove, Kai could see out across the vast expanse of abandoned farms, vineyards and orchards that humans called ¡®Eastown¡¯. On the other end of it was the mass of walls and buildings that Kai had dreamed of visiting since he¡¯d been a seedling.
Oar¡¯s Crest! For the first time in decades, a bonsai treant was going to cross through the city¡¯s gate, and it was going to be him! What a fortunate twist of fate!
Kai''s Character Sheet:
Kai Ginficus
Primary Class: Grove Caretaker (Pachi Palmatum), Level 15
Secondary Class: Barkbody Pilot (Pachi Palmatum), Level 11
Might: 6 (+1)
Wit: 6
Faith: 11
Green Spirit: 22 (+1)
Adventurousness: 2
Guts: 6
Chapter 31: Pick Your Perk!
Vee leaned forward in his chair and watched the last adventurer of the day ¨C a salamander [Magic Fencer] ¨C finally dispatch the last ghost on the first floor of Crestheart¡¯s red path. He¡¯d been surprised to see how much she¡¯d struggled with each of the battles so far. She seemed like a competent fighter, but her rapier wasn¡¯t suited to battling multiple foes at once, and apparently neither was she. Her primary skill, [Icicle Stab], was quick and deadly, but it was single target and the cooldown between uses seemed fairly high.
She stood up straight, stretching her arms, back, neck and tail. Vee had seen other adventurers doing similar things, and it almost always meant that they were just about out of energy. He hoped that would be the case here too.
After checking for traps on the stairs, the salamander got down to the second floor. She deciphered the clue in the second room and was the first adventurer to solve the riddle that led to hidden treasure ¨C a small silver bauble from Thien¡¯s shop ¨C but visibly flagged when she saw saw the first group of fire-elemental-carrying ghosts toward her. Without even a shred of hesitation, she activated her escape rope and gave up on her run. She was gasping for breath, and once Vee restored the torches to normal, he could see that she looked hollow. Her eyes were sunken, and her cheeks were pale, even by salamander standards.
Vee grinned. Adventurers quitting early was the best possible outcome for each run. Reaching down to his desk, Vee pressed the button that deactivated all of the dungeon threats and unlocked all of the doors. He activated his magnifying crystal.
¡°If you turn around and go back up the stairs to the first floor, you¡¯ll see some glowing green crystals on the ceiling that will lead you to the exit. Thanks for running Crestheart today, and we hope to see you again soon!¡±
With that done, Vee also activated the magnifying crystal to Alforde¡¯s arena, letting his friend know that the day¡¯s attempts were over, and he could go ahead and come back up to the office.
As soon as the [Spell Fencer] left the dungeon, Do and the rest of the maintenance crew went to work, filling in the cracks in the walls and replacing all the tiles that had been damaged. They didn¡¯t speak to each other, but somehow they all seemed to know what needed to be done. Working in pairs for the most part, the fiends were still a little slow at handling their new tasks, but they took to them with an enthusiasm that spoke well of their potential to become experts of their craft. Fascinating. He¡¯d have to mention these changes in his next letter to the academy, though he had yet to receive a response to his first one. That was fine. He had the feeling that the more time that passed between letters the more interesting the end product would eventually be.
Alforde was singing old songs as he came up the stairs and into the office. He hadn¡¯t lost a single match that day, and his eyes were bright and cheerful as he walked over to the desk to help Vee with the day¡¯s counting.
The [Dungeon Master] had already summoned Cecil and was updating Crestheart¡¯s ledger. ¡°Fourteen adventurers, with twelve paying to challenge Alforde.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± the spreadsheet said. ¡°After accounting for taxes and expenses from rewards and minion replacement, we earned four hundred and one silver fleurs today. Next up is shards of chaos. How many did we add?¡±
Vee held up three fingers, and a little redundantly, Cecil confirmed that they now had three shards of chaos in total. They¡¯d spent every shard of chaos they¡¯d earned up to that point on improving the dungeon ¨C the slimes, fog machines, and other new additions all required shards of chaos in addition to fleurs ¨C but Vee had a good feeling about their situation. Their investments were sure to pay dividends. He knew that they were still every bit as far away from adding another floor to the dungeon as they¡¯d ever been, but this newest batch of changes meant that the rate at which they earned shards of chaos should be much higher. Hopefully they¡¯d get there soon.
¡°Not a bad take, huh?¡± Vee said as he watched Alforde carry the money and shards into the dungeon vault.
¡°Might not look so good when Do comes up and tells us about how much repairs are going to cost us for the day,¡± Reginald said. ¡°That kitrekin [Earthshaker] did a number on the first floor of the blue path with that [Seismic Wave] skill. I thought he was going to bring the whole building down on himself, and maybe the tower with it.¡±
¡°Yeah, that would not have been good,¡± said Vee as he made himself a little ball of ectoplasm to play with while he waited for Alforde to return. ¡°Eventually, we¡¯ll have to do something to reinforce the structure to handle area of effect skills better. A few fleurs now might save us a lot of fleurs later.¡±
¡°Since you¡¯re amenable to spending money right now, we should order more of the slimes too,¡± Reginald said. ¡°We lost four today, and will probably lose more as the week goes on. I think they added a nice bit of challenge to the dungeon. Didn¡¯t you think so?¡±
Vee agreed. The slimes had definitely done a number on the adventurers ¨C especially the ones that he¡¯d fed some of the lesser fire elementals to. They were still smaller than he would have liked, which meant that he needed to risk more of them per trap, but hopefully the survivors would grow as they got older, and he could start dropping down to only having one or two per trap instead of five or six.
The spirit of spending was upon Vee. To add more variety and keep expanding the dungeon¡¯s options, the [Dungeon Master] also ordered a batch of lesser ice and electric elementals as well as the second batch of slimes. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d use them by themselves ¨C combining the lesser fire elementals with the ghosts had worked wonders ¨C but they¡¯d definitely add some zing wherever they ended up.
Now that he¡¯d gotten a taste of tinkering with his minions to give them different properties, an entirely new world of possibilities opened itself up to him. For example, he¡¯d had an idea ¨C and made a few sketches so that he wouldn¡¯t forget it later ¨C for a series of turrets. Elementals could be placed inside the turrets and then Vee could simply point them whatever direction he wanted and watch them do their thing. There¡¯d be basically no risk of friendly fire, and beyond just dealing damage, Vee could use the turrets to steer adventurers into traps or other places they weren¡¯t prepared for.
Technically, managing such devices would be another thing for him to do during runs, but that was fine. Ever since giving over the announcer duties to Reginald full time, he¡¯d felt a little bored watching the adventurers make their way through the dungeon, and was eager for more things to do.
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
After all, Vee definitely didn¡¯t want to be one of those [Dungeon Masters] he¡¯d seen on Mr. Watson¡¯s vision sphere. They¡¯d been a bunch of surly old folks, sitting in a chair and doing nothing more than glaring as the adventurers made their runs and clapping politely whenever the adventurers overcame one of their challenges.
Doing his job like that didn¡¯t appeal to Vee in the slightest. Talk about boring!
When Dheart finished processing Vee¡¯s order, a popup appeared in front of Vee and the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s eyes grew wide when he read it.
[Congratulations, Crestheart is now a Level 2 dungeon!]
[Your dungeon auras are now more powerful!]
[+1% Bonus chance for minions to drop shards of chaos when defeated!)
[You may now choose one of the following perks to make your dungeon more powerful!]
[Option 1: Customizable Golem]
This powerful minion can serve as an effective mini-boss. With six possible slots for equipment, it can be modified to suit the theme and aesthetics of any dungeon. So long as the golem is kept inside the dungeon, it will be supported by [Self-Repair]. Thanks to its leveling core, the golem will continue to improve and develop as it gains experience inside the dungeon. Selecting this option will increase your dungeon¡¯s chance for being offered other golem perks at higher levels.
[Option 2: Cloudy Mirror]
Poured by apprentice [Mirror Smiths], this device can create a duplicate of any dungeon minion. Usable once per run, this mirror is best used on powerful minions or [Dungeon Champions]. Continuous use will improve the mirror¡¯s power. Selecting this option will increase your dungeon¡¯s chance for being offered other artifact perks at higher levels.
[Option 3: General Dungeon Improvement]
All minions will receive basic elemental resistances, deal slightly more damage, and be slightly more durable. Selecting this option will also give your dungeon an allowance of three shards of chaos per week and increase its chances for being offered other dungeon improvement perks at higher levels.
Vee looked at the options and scratched his head. ¡°I can see all of these being useful. What do you guys think?¡±
Alforde and Reginald read over the popup for themselves.
¡°I¡¯m not crazy about the golem,¡± Reginald said. ¡°It seems like it¡¯d start as a generic [Fighter] class. We¡¯d have to buy equipment for it in order for it to be able to do much of anything, and that¡¯s sure to be expensive. Most of those golems are massive. Then, once we got it outfitted, we¡¯d have to make sure it doesn¡¯t seem too much like Alforde. We don¡¯t want a golem overshadowing our [Dungeon Champion].¡±
¡°That¡¯s true, but depending on how we equip it and level it up, we can use it to take some of the strain off Alforde,¡± Vee said. ¡°Like if we made it a ranged fighter or something. Covering Alforde¡¯s weaknesses and hedging a little bit might be useful to have once Crestheart grows some more. Right now, we¡¯re dealing with mostly low level adventurers who only have one set of equipment and rely on a single class, but there are adventurers out there who basically turn into different people by changing their setup and gearing themselves to supplement their secondary or tertiary class instead of their primary one. I think it¡¯d be good to have a second big threat to deal with those adventurers.¡±
¡°I like the mirror more,¡± said Alforde. ¡°Imagine, adventurers battle their way down to my arena and then right before we start fighting I activate the mirror and now they¡¯re facing two [Dungeon Champions] instead of one. Dodging two hammers is harder than just dodging one. That¡¯ll give me an edge against those shifty adventurers you were talking about and doesn¡¯t require a stupid golem.¡±
Sadly, if either Vee or Reginald noted the armorsoul¡¯s sour tone, they didn¡¯t mention it.
¡°Meh,¡± said Reginald as he read over the descriptions once more and rocked from side to side. ¡°Says here that the mirror was made by apprentices. You know how apprentices are. They¡¯re worthless, or as close to it as they can be. That means the copy of the monster the mirror makes probably isn¡¯t too powerful. Besides, do you really want to share the spotlight with a clone? Makes it a bit less impressive if you¡¯re winning fights two-on-one, you know?¡±
Alforde reached up to his helmet and thought for a moment. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good point, but I still want the mirror. Even if I wasn¡¯t opposed to having a stupid golem trying to steal my spotlight, having a second pair of hands or a second hammer would give me some really great new options. I could maybe even learn a [Combination Attack] or two! How awesome would that be?¡±
Alforde started to launch into his list of favorite [Combination Attacks], but Vee held up a hand to stop him before he really got going. He didn¡¯t want to be stuck hearing about the glories of the [X-Strike], [Y-Slice] and [Z-Slash] for the millionth time.
¡°What do you guys think about the third option?¡± Vee asked. ¡°The general dungeon improvements one? It seemed good on first glance, but now that I¡¯m thinking about it a bit more it seems like it¡¯s the weakest of the three by far.¡±
¡°Hard to be sure, but that¡¯s probably the case,¡± said Reginald. ¡°I doubt the minion buffs would be noticeable because all of our minions are only tier ones. If they were stronger, higher tier minions, the bonuses would probably be more meaningful. A few percent stronger goes a long way when you have a bigger base value, right? Sort of the opposite problem for the shards of chaos, though. They¡¯d definitely be nice right now, but if we grow the way we want to they won¡¯t be much use. That perk has to be the worst option of the three. The opportunity cost is just too high.¡±
Vee scratched his head and looked over at Dheart. ¡°Is there a time limit on this? Do I have to pick the perk now, or can I think about it and make my decision later?¡±
Dheart hummed for a moment and then said in its chirping voice: ¡°You can take as long as you want. However, once you choose, you will be unable to change your selection, so consider the options carefully before picking your perk.¡±
¡°Of course that¡¯s how it works,¡± Vee grumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on it for a couple days, then.¡±
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 21
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 8
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 2
Might: 8
Wit: 28
Faith: 16
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 8 (+1)
Plotting: 10 (+1)
Charisma: 3
Devious Mind: 12
Leadership: 9
Guts: 3
Intimidating Presence: 4
Citizenship: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17 (+1)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10 (+1)
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 5
Might: 29 (+1)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 9
Intimidating Presence: 8
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Vigilance: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 33 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 6 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 2 (+1)
Might: 1
Wit: 27 (+1)
Faith: 3
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 32
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 1
Chapter 32: Unplanned Exploration of Westown
While Vee, Reginald and Alforde debated the strengths and weaknesses of the perks they¡¯d been offered to improve Crestheart, trouble was brewing elsewhere in Oar¡¯s Crest.
Normally, Sacre and Don Curlytail ¨C the bosses of the two biggest gangs in the city ¨C had a tacit agreement to give each other plenty of space and avoid serious conflict. Oar¡¯s Crest was plenty big enough for the two of them, and fighting one another would only get in the way of what was really important: squeezing as many fleurs out of the regular citizens as possible.
However, in recent months, the normal alley scuffles and midnight brawls between the members of the gangs had gotten more serious and a good deal nastier. The [Healers] and [Doctors] had their hands full treating broken limbs, serious cuts and other injuries as they became more common. Most nights saw businesses that were all paid up protection-money-wise get robbed, and fragments of their shattered windows adding to the litter on the streets. As the conflict grew more heated, people started whispering that fearful word: war.
No one could remember the last time such a thing had happened, but breathless rumors and panicked prayers raced throughout all of Northtown just the same. Before long, the streets were empty well before dark as people took care to avoid getting caught up in something rough and ending up as collateral damage.
The council was powerless to stop things from escalating further. Like everyone else in the city, all they could do was keep their collective heads down and hope that tensions would start cooling the way that they always did.
They might have, too, if Christopher ¡®Walnut¡¯ Ryding ¨C Sacre¡¯s [Left Hand Man] ¨C hadn¡¯t gone missing one foggy morning while out on a little job.
¡°We might as well close up for the day,¡± Vee said as he looked down at the street outside the dungeon and saw that no adventurers had bothered coming to make their run attempts. He couldn¡¯t blame them for staying away: the city was dangerous, and most people were doing the smart thing and letting the gangsters brawl it out uninterrupted. Even adventurers weren¡¯t foolhardy enough to go wading through a gangland rumble just for the chance to make a few fleurs by challenging a dungeon.
With no business to attend to, Vee and Alforde decided to go and look around Westown a little bit. Ironically*, the abandoned forges and workshops near Crestheart were currently some of the safest places to be in the city, as the fiendish inhabitants had mostly moved out of the area thanks to pressure from the medium section of Vee¡¯s orchestra. The [Ghost Maestro] didn¡¯t recall having given them any orders to do so, and chalked the development up to the same sort of gain of sentience that had affected the heavy section. The medium section hadn¡¯t yet taken names though, so it seemed like the process wasn¡¯t quite complete. Vee resolved to keep a closer eye on them and the light section as well, and continued to give them all as much refined ectoplasm as they wanted.
One freshly cleared building was right behind Crestheart, and Vee, Alforde and Reginald decided to start their exploration there. After Alforde went inside with Hammy and confirmed that it was free of fiends, Vee walked through the door and was stunned to see how well-preserved the interior was.
The first room looked like it had been a show room of sorts in happier times. There were shelves on the walls and plenty of open space for people to wander around and browse. A few dusty mannequins lay on their sides, too, and Vee directed members of the medium section to pick them up and take them to his lab. With a bit of fiddling, he¡¯d be able to animate them and turn them into something useful. They were too frail to make good combat minions, but Vee had another idea for how they might be to serve Crestheart: selling consumables to adventurers inside the dungeon. Counting coins and exchanging them for goods on a predetermined list wasn¡¯t too complex, and Vee was confident that he could muddle through it with the help of books that were easily obtained from the local library. If the mobsters don¡¯t burn it down with all their fighting.
The trio made their way down a short, narrow hallway and found themselves in what was unmistakably a forge. There were four big workbenches, and at the end of each of them was a fireplace big enough for Vee to stand comfortably. There weren¡¯t any tools to be seen, but there were plenty of racks and other things where tools would have been kept.
¡°What do you think they used to make here?¡± Vee asked as he hopped back down to the ground and brushed dust from the sides of his coat.
¡°Weapons and armor, probably,¡± said Reginald. ¡°Most of the shops here were used for that kind of thing.¡±
Vee looked around and smiled. ¡°Reckon we can use any of this stuff or sell it? The benches look like they¡¯re good quality, and we might be able to get a decent amount of fleurs for them.¡±
Alforde reached down beneath the nearest workbench and tried to lift it, but it was fastened to the ground and despite the armorsoul¡¯s great strength it didn¡¯t budge. ¡°I¡don¡¯t think I can break it free. Can you use [Recycle Materials] on it? We could use the parts for your lab if nothing else.¡±
Holding out his hand and wiggling his fingers, Vee tried to get the skill to work but found that it refused to activate no matter how many times he attempted it.
¡°I don¡¯t control the building,¡± Vee said.
¡°Sure you do,¡± said Reginald. ¡°It¡¯s not like anyone else is out here cleaning buildings up. You remember what the bank said. If you can get rid of the fiends and ghosts, it¡¯s yours.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t do anything though,¡± Vee said. ¡°It was the medium section that got this all cleared.¡±
¡°But they¡¯re your orchestra. Surely that counts for something?¡±
¡°If I gave them the order directly, maybe. But I didn¡¯t, so as it stands right now I think the building belongs to them. [Recycle Materials] is pretty picky as far as what it¡¯ll let me break down. I¡¯ll talk to my fiends about transferring ownership of the building to me and then I¡¯ll try again.¡±
Calling the medium section over, Vee tried to explain what he wanted them to do. However, they didn¡¯t seem to understand and after several fruitless attempts, Vee gave up for the moment. He¡¯d work it out later.
A search of the building¡¯s storerooms revealed that there weren¡¯t any undisturbed piles of material to harvest either. Darn.
*Or not, depending on which definition of irony one prefers.
Stolen novel; please report.
From the abandoned workshop, Vee and Alforde explored a handful of other buildings that were close by. None of them turned up anything particularly promising. One looked like it had once been home to an [Apothecary] or [Potion Seller] at some point. It was full of barrels.
¡°Alforde, can you open one of these up for me?¡±
The armorsoul, who''d been standing nearby and looking up at the ceiling as if he''d heard something, did just that. With a twist, Alforde opened the barrel as easily as a person might open a jar of jelly. He looked inside.
¡°It¡¯s filled with some kind of powder,¡± he said as he stepped out of the way so that Vee could take a look for himself.
Vee stared down at the substance inside the barrels. It was gray and ashy now, but there were different hues that gave him the impression that there had once been plenty of colors.
¡°I think these were flowers, or herbs or something,¡± he said as he reached down into the barrel and scooped out a handful. However, the desiccated remains were so fragile that they disintegrated as soon as a breeze blew through the room. Vee shook his head and knocked the last fragments off his hands.
¡°Worthless,¡± he said.
The next building looked like it had been a [Carpenter]¡¯s workshop, given the scratches, dents and saw marks on the workbenches inside. There were a few bent pieces of wood here and there too, but Vee didn¡¯t see an immediate use for them and so left them alone.
Vee turned around and looked at one of the fiends from the medium section, who¡¯d followed him into each building and made a point of staying no further than a few feet away from Vee as the [Ghost Maestro] walked around and explored. It was a little obnoxious, to be honest. After all, it wasn¡¯t like the fiend¡¯s kin were going to leap out of the shadows and attack or anything. And even if one did, Alforde was right here with Hammy ready to swing.
¡°Do you have a name?¡± Vee asked. ¡°What prompted your section to start clearing these buildings out?¡±
No response. Unlike the heavies, the medium section fiends still seemed¡well, fiendish. They were docile and followed orders, but if he hadn¡¯t been standing in a building that they¡¯d apparently cleared out, Vee would have never imagined that such a feat was even possible in the first place.
¡°Why don¡¯t you see if Do can talk to it?¡± Reginald asked. ¡°It¡¯s better than waiting around for the mediums to start talking properly, right?¡±
Vee took out his ghost baton and summoned his [Dungeon Maintainer].
Do appeared quickly and chattered with the medium section fiend once Vee explained what he wanted to know. However, while the language barrier had been successfully overcome, the ideas underpinning Vee¡¯s questions were still beyond the medium fiend¡¯s burgeoning intelligence. According to the [Dungeon Maintainer], the only thing remotely resembling an answer to why the buildings had been cleared was ¡°Rash on¡±, which¡didn¡¯t really make any sense at all.
That was fine. Vee could wait for the refined ectoplasm to slowly work its magic. It wasn¡¯t like there was any pressing need to start using these buildings for Crestheart¡¯s benefit or anything. Especially not right now while Sacre and the Don were duking it out.
Still though, Vee found himself excited by the prospect of converting all these abandoned buildings into something useful. Perhaps he could entice some of the city¡¯s merchants to set up shop nearby, and increase the amount of foot traffic near Crestheart. More foot traffic meant more buzz and awareness about the dungeon, and he might even be able to sell some merchandise like Joleimna¡¯s sugary replicas of Reginald. He was technically entitled to a cut of those profits, right?
Maybe with enough time, he could even get the barriers pushed back a little bit and let people come and go from Westown as they pleased instead of having to return to Northtown after sunset.
[Ambition +1]
Walking back to the tower, Vee was pleased to see that the light section¡¯s efforts to remove the trash from the street were coming along wonderfully. There wasn¡¯t a speck of garbage anywhere around the dungeon, other than the pile in the back where it was all collected. Even that was slowly shrinking, thanks to the fact that the slimes would eat anything and Vee was so eager for them to grow that he fed them no fewer than five times a day. The sidewalks themselves were still stained and grimy, but that was a solvable problem as well. Seeing the changes brought a smile to Vee¡¯s face. It felt good, knowing that he¡¯d been responsible for making a tiny part of his new home a bit more beautiful.
[Citizenship +1]
The sun set and Vee, Alforde and Reginald returned to the office to tuck in for the night. Vee stationed his entire orchestra around the tower, with orders to alert him if any wild fiends tried to do something like attack the building.
¡°I think I¡¯m going to join them,¡± Alforde said. The armorsoul slung Hammy over his broad, spiky pauldrons and went down the stairs. ¡°It might be kind of fun to see how much stronger I¡¯ve gotten if any fiends do decide to attack.¡±
¡°Be careful,¡± Vee called as his friend clunked down the stairs.
¡°I will,¡± Alforde called back. ¡°If anything, you should be worried for their sake, not mine.¡±
Vee put Reginald down on the desk and ran his hands through his hair as he looked out at the city skyline. From here, it didn¡¯t even look like anything was wrong. He almost wondered if they should have returned to Sculla¡¯s boarding house that night. Maybe the conflict between the gangs had already burned itself out.
He hoped so, anyways.
Never one to turn down a good opportunity to lose himself in brooding thoughts, Vee wondered how the people he knew in town were doing. They didn¡¯t have the luxury of a dungeon and a tower to go hide out in, and Vee kicked the wall, suddenly ashamed and frustrated that he hadn¡¯t offered shelter to more people.
¡°Something on your mind, boss? You look pretty sour,¡± Reginald said.
Vee shook his head and left the hat on the table as he went down the stairs and into his lab. Sleep was as far away as could be and he wanted something to distract him from his inner monologue which was none too favorable towards himself.
The medium section had stacked the mannequins on the far side of the room, and Vee dragged the smallest one over to his makeshift workbench. It was rickety and had nothing on the ones he¡¯d seen earlier that day, but it did its job as Vee began to weave ribbons of ectoplasm into the mannequin¡¯s joints so that it could move. He''d handle the actual animation process another time, but for now it felt good to bend, twist and wrap the ethereal goo into the proper shapes.
¡°It¡¯s been too long since I did this seriously,¡± Vee muttered to himself as the pieces intended for the mannequin¡¯s knees broke and faded away due to a clumsy twist.
Eventually though, he got all the joints fitted and tested his handiwork. When he was satisfied that the future shopkeeper would do what he wanted it to, Vee moved on and repeated the process for the second and then the third mannequin after that. Focused as he was on his craft, Vee worked throughout the night and didn¡¯t stop until the first pink rays of sunrise appeared over the horizon.
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 21
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 8
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 2
Might: 8
Wit: 28
Faith: 16
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 9 (+1)
Plotting: 10
Charisma: 3
Devious Mind: 12
Leadership: 9
Guts: 3
Intimidating Presence: 4
Citizenship: 5 (+1)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 5
Might: 29
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 9
Intimidating Presence: 8
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2 (+1)
Vigilance: 2 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 33
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 6
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 3
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 31 (-1)
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2 (+1)
Chapter 33: A Figure In Silver Robes
Though he¡¯d told Vee that he was going to stand guard with the orchestra in case any wild fiends attacked, Alforde had other plans in mind. After descending the thirteen floors of the tower and stepping out into the night, Alforde nodded at the members of Vee¡¯s orchestra and kept going.
Earlier that day, when they¡¯d been exploring, Alforde had thought that he¡¯d heard something. It was a strange thing, a quiet voice that seemed both scratchy and soft at the same time. It reminded him a little bit of Reginald. He¡¯d first heard it in the abandoned forge, but had dismissed it as a trick of the wind. However, when the same thing happened in each subsequent building, Alforde had no choice but to think that it wasn¡¯t just a breeze blowing through a window or something.
He¡¯d tried to make out the words it was saying, but hadn¡¯t been able to. Asking Vee for help hadn¡¯t really been an option either. The bond he shared with the [Ghost Maestro] meant that he always had a decent idea of his friend¡¯s emotions, and the last thing Alforde had wanted to do was add to the knot of stress and worry rattling around Vee¡¯s skull. Even now, Alforde could feel his friend¡¯s anger and frustration so keenly that it might as well have been his own.
The experience had shaken him, and he wanted to see if he could find the source of the voice for himself. So, stumbling through the dark, he retraced the path he and Vee had taken earlier. Alforde lingered in each shop for a few minutes and waited for the sound to echo around inside his helmet. When none came, Alforde slumped forward and decided to wander around for a little while before returning to the tower.
He didn¡¯t know what to do, but was still restless enough that he felt he had to do something, and so he followed his feet, trusting that they¡¯d lead him to wherever he was meant to be. He was a little bit superstitious that way. Vee might rail against the idea of Fate, but Alforde wholeheartedly believed that sometimes the world nudged you in the direction of its own choosing, and gave you a good shove if you weren¡¯t getting there fast enough.
His boots led him to the gate, and for a long time he just stood in front of it, looking up at the top and listening to the sounds of the city. The normal rhythms of nightlife that he¡¯d grown quite fond of ¨C steps and laughter and yelling and music ¨C had been interrupted by the discordant sounds of shouts and violence and Alforde didn¡¯t like it one bit.
Stupid mafia. He¡¯d read plenty of books about organized crime over the years and he¡¯d always enjoyed them. Heck, their code of honor and loyalty to one another had inspired his own ideals about what it meant to be a [Right Hand Man]. Even though the books always ¨C always ¨C ended with betrayal and death, Alforde did his best to ignore that fact and focused on the early parts of the stories where everyone talked about rules and family and all those things that really resonated with him instead.
He couldn¡¯t imagine any of those things being talked about just then. He¡¯d read books about senseless violence too, and what he heard in the city that night seemed far more like that than it did the well-mannered, well-dressed crime epics that he remembered.
A burning filled his chest as his restlessness turned into rashness. In that moment, listening to the shriek of skills and rage that filled the air, Alforde decided that he was going to Do Something About It. What exactly that was, he had no idea. That was fine. Vee made it up as he went all the time, and things seemed to work out okay for him, right?
He paused for a moment. Was this urge to act truly his own? Or was it a reflection of the feelings Vee was having just then? Normally it was pretty easy for the armorsoul to keep his thoughts separate from his friend¡¯s, but just then he could feel his carefully cultivated mental barriers collapsing and couldn¡¯t discern the gaps between the threads.
It didn¡¯t matter if it was his own idea or not. He was going. Raising a gauntlet, Alforde knocked on the gate three times and waited. No response. The little slit didn¡¯t open, and no [City Guards] asked him to identify himself. That was fine, they were probably too busy to pay attention to what was beyond the gate, what with the constant fighting in the city and all.
However, that also meant that his plan had hit a rather significant snag. He couldn¡¯t get into the city, which was not fine. He looked at the patchwork construction of the gate, and saw that there were several big pieces of metal and wood jutting out far enough that he could clamber up them to the top. Maybe. If he was lucky.
Reaching out and taking hold of one big bit of wood, Alforde pulled himself up off the ground a little bit. The gate creaked a little, but his new perch was sturdy as could be as Alforde stood up on it. Confident that he wasn¡¯t about to go tumbling to the ground, the armorsoul slowly climbed up higher and higher. However, when he was near the top, he was stopped by a voice. It was the same scratchy voice that he¡¯d heard in the shops!
¡°Do not cross this gate until tomorrow morning. Or better yet, afternoon. Your desire to try and fix things speaks well of you, but you still lack the strength to accomplish what you wish. To be a champion is to be patient. Return to your friend, to your post. The conflict inside the city is already winding down. This is nothing more than its death-rattle, and tomorrow you will see that life is almost back to normal.¡±
Alforde turned left and right and saw nothing, but then looked up and saw a silvery figure standing atop the gate. It was draped in a long flowing robe, and the armorsoul couldn¡¯t see its features. Hanging from its belt was a long, wicked sword that Alforde feared for reasons he couldn¡¯t articulate.
¡°Who are you?¡±
The figure laughed and then bounded away and vanished into the night. As the last tendrils of its silver robe disappeared into the shadows, Alforde heard a whisper in his thoughts. ¡°An echo. A memory. A friend, perhaps. We will meet again. See that you look upon yourself and grow stronger before then. [Be at Ease].¡±
Standing there, Alforde felt as if he¡¯d been thrown into a pool of frigid water. All of the emotions that had burned so bright only moments ago were gone, leaving nothing behind but their ashes.
Even if he hadn¡¯t been best friends with a [Ghost Maestro] for years, the armorsoul would have known that he¡¯d just been visited by something that was definitely not mortal. Now, unlike Vee, Alforde wasn¡¯t much for brooding on possibilities, and so he simply took the advice he¡¯d been given and climbed back down to the ground. Thankfully, getting down was easier than going up had been.
When his boots touched the street, Alforde felt¡oddly hollow. Well, emotionally hollow, anyways. Due to the fact that he was simply a spirit possessing a suit of armor, he was always physically hollow (unless Vee was using him as a suitcase of sorts).
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Spinning Hammy back and forth in his gauntlets, Alforde returned to the tower, where he stood guard with the orchestra until sunlight. No fiends came, and he had plenty of time to ruminate on the being¡¯s words.
See that you look upon yourself and grow stronger before then. What could that mean?
Then it hit him like a hammer.
The mirror!
[Vigilance +1]
[Endurance +1]
Vee wasn¡¯t sure when he¡¯d fallen asleep or how long he¡¯d been out, but the sun was high in the sky when Alforde shook him awake.
¡°Hey bud, wake up.¡±
Blinking his eyes, Vee looked around wildly until his mind caught up and he remembered the events of the night before. In front of him was the third mannequin, its limbs and joints all reinforced with ectoplasm so that it was ready to be animated. He checked over his handiwork, and other than a few small twists of ectoplasm that weren¡¯t as tight as they should have been, he was pleased to see that he¡¯d done a pretty decent job. The mannequin would need a costume, but he¡¯d have vendors to sell consumables real soon.
¡°What time is it?¡±
¡°Just after noon,¡± said Alforde. He tapped his boot on the ground and shifted a little bit. It was a gesture Vee had seen many times throughout the years, and it meant that his friend had something big on his mind.
¡°What is it, Alforde?¡±
¡°Um..it¡¯s just¡I mean¡well, uh¡Have you decided on which perk to take for Crestheart yet?¡±
Vee drummed his fingers on the desk. ¡°I¡¯m leaning towards taking the golem. Having the¡ª¡±
Alforde slapped his gauntlets on the desk.
¡°Take the mirror. Vee, please. You know I rarely ask for anything. Do me this favor, would you?¡±
There was an intensity in Alforde¡¯s voice that surprised Vee. Normally, Alforde was the type to make a suggestion a few times and then adapt as need be if things didn¡¯t go his way. For him to suddenly be so insistent was peculiar. Vee pried a little bit, and Alforde explained his encounter with the robed figure and his belief that the last bit of the being¡¯s advice referred to the mirror.
Vee was intrigued. ¡°What sort of creature do you think it was?¡±
Alforde shrugged. ¡°Some sort of spirit or ghost, I think, but I really can¡¯t say for sure. That¡¯s definitely more of your area of expertise than mine. The voice kind of reminded me of Reginald, though.¡±
Rubbing his temples, Vee thought about all the things it could have been. It didn¡¯t sound like a fiend, but there were dozens of ghosts and spirits that it could have been. Ugh. Another thing to think about and pay attention to.
Vee¡¯s [Big Picture] kicked in and he felt his urge to dwell on the details dwindling away. He didn¡¯t have the energy for it just then. Besides, whatever this thing was, it had revealed itself to Alforde and would probably do so again. He could simply put it out of his mind until then. That made sense, right?
Deciding that it did, Vee clapped his hands together and stood up.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s go tell Dheart that we¡¯re taking the Cloudy Mirror,¡± Vee said.
[Congratulations, you are now a Dungeon Master Level 9!]
[Your Budgeting skill is now more powerful.]
[Your Excellent Spreadsheet skill has learned new functions!]
[Leadership +1]
Reginald didn¡¯t seem to mind that they¡¯d chosen the mirror over the golem. Having been deprived of company other than Dheart for an excruciating handful of hours, the hat sat on the table where Vee had left him the night before and chattered their ears off about all the things he¡¯d thought about during the night. Without exception, they were meaningless drivel, and Vee twirled his finger over and over until the spirit got the point and finally shut up.
However, his silence was short-lived. When Alforde explained his encounter with the robed figure atop the gate, Reginald made a hissing sound and spluttered. It wasn¡¯t possible for a hat to pale, but one would have been forgiven for thinking that Reginald turned a slightly grayer shade of blue for just a moment.
Alforde leaned forward. ¡°What¡¯s with that reaction? Do you know something about the robed figure?¡±
Before Reginald could answer, Vee turned his head to the side and muttered, ¡°[Detect Falsehood], [Detect Lie].¡±
¡°It¡¯s an old rumor,¡± the hat finally said. ¡°A long time ago, there was a series of mysterious thefts that plagued the city. Some people who¡¯d been robbed described seeing a robed figure fleeing their homes and offices, carrying a sword that scared them from giving chase. No one ever caught the thief, and after the robberies stopped people just figured that the culprit moved on.¡±
Vee frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to justify such a reaction though. Is that really all you know about it?¡±
Reginald met his gaze. ¡°Sure is, boss.¡±
A sound like a teakettle whistling pierced Vee¡¯s thoughts. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was [Detect Falsehood] or [Detect Lie], but something wasn¡¯t adding up about the hat¡¯s story.
¡°Are you positive?¡±
Reginald seemed to notice the change in Vee¡¯s tone, because he shifted around a bit and said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s a few other things but I didn¡¯t think they were too important. In the years since the thief vanished, people would occasionally see a silver figure on the rooftops where the old thief had once struck. They thought it was a copycat or something at first, but there weren¡¯t any other robberies or crimes, so most folks just figured it was a trick of some kind. Other people insisted that it was the ghost of this old folk hero that used to protect a [Wizard] around these parts. I don¡¯t know anything else. When Maluw sealed me in that core everything went wonky. There might have been something about the people who saw the figure all dying a short time later too, but I can¡¯t say for sure. My memories are full of jumbled old crap like that.¡±
The shriek in Vee¡¯s thoughts quieted and he decided to let the matter drop. He noted that Reginald seemed relieved, and filed that information away for later. When the mysterious figure appeared next, maybe there¡¯d be a way to ensure that Reginald was around so that he could see if there was anything else there that his skill hadn¡¯t sussed out.
In the meantime, he had a perk to take, and did so with Dheart¡¯s help.
¡°Your Cloudy Mirror will arrive in approximately three days,¡± the dungeon heart said. ¡°Would you prefer for it to be delivered here or to the boarding house where you normally stay?¡±
¡°Here,¡± said Vee. ¡°We don¡¯t know when we¡¯re going to be able to get back into the city, since it¡¯s impossible to tell when this mess between Sacre and the Don will get cleaned up.¡±
Dheart gurgled and beeped a few more times and then that was that. The perk had been decided.
For the next few hours, they stayed inside the office and talked to one another, until a knock at the door startled them and got their attention.
¡°Mail delivery!¡±
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 21
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 9 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 2
Might: 8
Wit: 28
Faith: 16
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 10
Charisma: 3
Devious Mind: 12
Leadership: 10 (+1)
Guts: 3
Intimidating Presence: 4
Citizenship: 5
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 5
Might: 29
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 10 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 8
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Vigilance: 3 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 33
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 6
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 3
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 31
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 34: Terms Of Repayment
Vee sat as straight as he could at the table inside Angelino¡¯s smoky dining room and forced himself to keep staring into Sacre¡¯s eyes. He could feel the weight of the [Honest Businessman]¡¯s intimidating presence, but was determined to not give in to his instincts and look away. He wished he had a few more points of guts. That would have really helped mitigate the pressure.
It might have been easier to bear if Sacre had been glaring or something, but despite the fact that he¡¯d just come through a rumble with his biggest rival, Sacre looked as calm as he had when Vee had first met him. He was even smiling a little bit!
There was an old saying Vee had often heard about his father: It¡¯s like he¡¯s got ice in his veins. That didn¡¯t apply to Sacre. He must have been made out of ice to be sitting there so calmly.
Sacre held up a cigar and one of the goons standing next to the table leaned over and snapped his fingers, lighting it with a small burst of flame that appeared above his thumb. Sacre took a moment to make sure that the cigar was burning properly, and then let out a long puff of smoke.
¡°Well, let¡¯s get down to it, eh? You know why you¡¯re here, right?¡±
Of course. Vee had known exactly what the deal was as soon as he¡¯d opened the envelope in the tower¡¯s office and a menu for Angelino¡¯s had tumbled out with a sketch of the rose lapel pin doodled on the back. There was really only one thing that could mean. Let¡¯s talk about the money you owe me.
Say this for mafia guys: they¡¯re good at making their point without having to use words. Probably kill at charades too.* Maybe there¡¯s a skill that they all have or something.
After cursing his bad luck, Vee had racked his brain to try and come up with as many ideas as he could for earning some more fleurs. As it was, the dungeon was paying its own expenses pretty well, but they really didn¡¯t have enough to pay back the principal of the loan, let alone the interest, which was sure to be significant. Vee had known that he¡¯d need to start figuring that out eventually, but he¡¯d been so caught up with other things that running Crestheart required that it had gotten stuck in that part of his brain that Future Vee was responsible for handling.
Well, the future was now, and Vee wasn¡¯t remotely prepared for it. Still, he had no choice but to nod solemnly and hope that he¡¯d find the right words as he went.
He looked over to his left and saw Walnut sitting at the table beside them. Sacre¡¯s [Left Hand Man] looked rough. His face was covered in cuts and bruises and one of his eyes was swollen shut. Still, the city had breathed a collective sigh of relief when he¡¯d turned up alive outside Angelino¡¯s. Just as Walnut¡¯s disappearance had caused the violence in the first place, his return led to an almost immediate cessation of hostilities.
Walnut met Vee¡¯s gaze and the [Dungeon Master] didn¡¯t blink. After a few seconds, the [Left Hand Man] looked away and muttered something under his breath.
[Intimidating Presence +1]
¡°Show me your books,¡± Sacre said with a gesture.
¡°[Excellent Spreadsheet],¡± Vee said, and Cecil appeared in front of him, floating just above the table. Sacre snapped his fingers, and the spreadsheet crossed the table until it was in front of him. He took another drag of his cigar before flipping through each of Cecil¡¯s sheets, his eyes slowly roving across the rows and columns.
Now and then, the [Honest Businessman] would pause and he¡¯d soundlessly move his lips as he calculated some figure or ratio before nodding to himself and moving on. Each time this happened, Vee felt an overwhelming urge to jump in and start talking, but he resisted it and kept his mouth closed. Better to be thought the fool than to open one¡¯s mouth and remove all doubt.
When Sacre finished his review, he pushed Cecil back towards Vee and the [Dungeon Master] dismissed the spreadsheet with a wave.
¡°I thought you said that you only needed three thousand gold fleurs when you came to me before,¡± Sacre said. ¡°But unless my eyes deceive me, you¡¯re in the hole for more than four thousand. More than forty-three hundred, in fact. Those weren¡¯t the terms we agreed to.¡±
Vee gulped. Costs had run a little higher than he¡¯d expected, especially with the need to redesign the dungeon so soon after opening. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s a lot of money,¡± he said, ¡°But if I remember correctly, you were mostly afraid that I was going to take the money and run. The fact that I invested more than we originally discussed shows that I¡¯m serious about making the dungeon work, right?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Reginald said, ¡°it¡¯s not like he¡¯s spending money on fancy dinners and lots of booze or anything like¨C¡±
Sacre held up a hand and a wave of animosity so strong it forced Reginald to be silent erupted from his palm. Vee almost bit his tongue when his own jaw slammed shut. He glowered at the hat, which was sitting on the table next to Vee and took another puff of his cigar.
¡°Did I ask you what he¡¯s spending it on? No, I didn¡¯t. Let your boss do his own talking or I¡¯ve got a pair of scissors with your name on them. Got it? [Don¡¯t Say Another Word].¡±
Reginald frowned but didn¡¯t protest any further, and Vee was left to his own words once again.
¡°Crestheart is earning fleurs but we¡¯re still too small to really turn a significant profit. We need just a bit more time and then we can start paying you back.¡±
Sacre shook his head.
¡°Don¡¯t give me any of that garbage. You¡¯re not too small. You¡¯re just crap at running a business. You¡¯re too green, kid. Your floor prices are too low, your treasures and rewards for clearing are too high. You¡¯re not marketing at all, and you¡¯ve only got the one stream of revenue. I could go on and on. But none of that matters, see? What matters is that you¡¯re in the hole for over four thousand gold fleurs and I want to start seeing some payments. [Get The Picture]?¡±
Vee nodded as the skill gave him a crystal clear understanding.
¡°This is how this is going to go,¡± Sacre said in a silky tone that brooked no argument. ¡°I like you well enough, kid. Walnut told me about how you had your armored friend there hold that prick Seidon out the window of your office a little bit. That¡¯s a mark in your favor. I like your dungeon too, it¡¯s good for the city. So, I¡¯m going to be generous. Don¡¯t make me regret it. We¡¯re going to start your payments at a minimum of five gold fleurs a week. Every week, that minimum is going to go up by another five gold fleurs until the entire principal is paid back. With me so far?¡±
Another nod, as Vee started crunching numbers in his head to try and find out how long it¡¯d take to pay back the loan at that rate.
¡°Good,¡± said Sacre. ¡°Because then, once the principal is paid off, you¡¯re going to pay me interest. Deal¡¯s the same. The payment keeps going up by five gold fleurs each week.¡±
¡°And how long do I have to do that?¡± Vee asked.
¡°Two weeks for every month it takes you to pay off the principal. If you want to pay extra to get it done with sooner, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±
Vee was tempted to resummon Cecil and plug all the numbers into the appropriate places to figure out how long and how expensive that would end up being, but didn¡¯t. He¡¯d do it later.+
Sacre smiled as he flicked the ashes from his cigar into a nearby ashtray. There was no mirth in it. ¡°Oh, one other thing, kid. If you miss one payment, the rate for the week starts going up by ten instead of five. Miss two payments and you¡¯re going to have a hard time walking. Miss three payments and¡you¡¯re smart, right? [Get The Picture]?¡±
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¡°I do,¡± Vee said, as the image of himself being thrown out the window of his tower formed in his mind.
¡°We¡¯re done for now, then. Since I know that the recent unpleasantness caused things to slow down for you, I¡¯ll wait till next week to have Christopher come by and collect the first payment. Go on ahead and get out of here.¡±
And with that, Vee stood up, picked up Reginald and nodded to Alforde. The three of them left Angelino¡¯s and headed back to Sculla¡¯s.
¡°We are so screwed,¡± Vee said as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.
For once, neither Alforde nor Reginald offered any arguments to the contrary.
*Figuratively or literally, could really go either way.
+ Since the debt is currently 4391 gold fleurs, the repayment plan works out to 9121 gold fleurs to be repaid over approximately 65 weeks, assuming Vee doesn¡¯t miss a payment. ¡°What does the scanner say?¡±, etc.
Somehow, despite the fact that every building near Sculla¡¯s had had its windows smashed and doors broken in half, the boarding house itself was completely untouched. The ogre smiled at Vee when he asked how she¡¯d been spared and flicked her pipe dismissively. Some embers smoldered on the ground for a moment before being extinguished. There was mischief in her eyes.
¡°Got lucky, I suppose.¡±
Vee suspected that her ¡°luck¡± had more to do with the boxes she was always having them carry into the basement than anything else, but let the matter drop. There were too many other issues to worry about just then. He followed Alforde up to their room and flopped down on the bed. Tossing Reginald onto the table, Vee summoned Cecil, got out a notebook and one of his fountain pens and got to writing.
¡°Alright, how do we make these payments? The good news is that we can cover the first few with what we already earn, but we¡¯re going to fall behind pretty quick if we don¡¯t start bringing in some more money.¡±
¡°We could raise the floor price a little bit,¡± Reginald suggested. ¡°Like Sacre said, we¡¯re probably not charging enough. If we bump the fee up to fifteen silvers for each of the main floors and twenty for Alforde¡¯s, that¡¯d be a huge boost to our revenues.¡±
¡°Fifteen silvers for a normal floor? Won¡¯t such a steep increase stop people from coming though?¡± Vee asked. ¡°I could see going to twelve or thirteen, maybe, but I think fifteen is too much. We don¡¯t want to scare the adventurers away. Then we¡¯d be worse off than before.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think adventurer demand is particularly elastic*,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Most of them are trying to get as much experience as possible, and fifteen silver fleurs really isn¡¯t that much for a floor¡¯s worth of fighting and puzzle solving. If the dungeon hadn¡¯t been updated, you might have a point, but with all the improvements we¡¯ve made a price increase is more than justified. Especially if we keep buying better monsters.¡±
Vee summoned Cecil and used the spreadsheet¡¯s functions to calculate how much Reginald¡¯s proposed increase would boost revenues. Up until the recent closures, they¡¯d averaged around fourteen adventurers a day, with almost all of them choosing to challenge Alforde for the additional fee. If that challenge rate stayed the same, increasing the floor costs would raise their weekly revenue to almost fifty gold fleurs a week. That¡¯d help get them through the first couple months of repayment, but it was far from solving all their problems. If only it didn¡¯t cost so much to add another floor to the dungeon! If Crestheart was five or six floors deep, they could really make some money!
¡°Is there any easy way we could get more adventurers to come to the dungeon?¡± Vee asked. ¡°If we could boost the amount of challengers to like twenty a day or something that¡¯d be huge.¡±
¡°We could try to take out an ad in the paper,¡± Alforde suggested. ¡°But I guess that¡¯d cost money too and since none of us really know how to write good ads, we¡¯d probably just be throwing our fleurs away.¡±
Vee drummed his fingers on the table and chewed on the cap of his pen as he thought. He wrote down ''Ads? Look into hiring [Copywriter] for campaign help.''
He was feeling a bit better. Now that there were some tangible ideas to start pursuing, the task of repaying the loan didn¡¯t seem as daunting as it originally had. It was still somewhat terrifying ¨C especially given the rapid nature of missed payment escalations ¨C but so long as they were smart about their next moves, everything would be okay. At least, Vee hoped so. We can get through this, and then we¡¯ll never borrow another tin fleur from the mafia ever again.
Vee¡¯s thoughts turned to his idea to animate the mannequins and have them work as shopkeepers. He¡¯d been planning to wait a while before really jumping headlong into the tedium of drawing up orders and testing transactions, but with this new pressure, he really couldn¡¯t afford to wait.
First though, he needed an inventory of things for them to sell. Standing up, Vee threw his coat back on and tossed Reginald onto his head.
¡°Where are you going?¡± asked Alforde. ¡°It¡¯s already pretty dark out. What if there¡¯s still some angry gangsters out and about?¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. That¡¯s what you¡¯re here for. Besides, there are plenty of regular folks out on the streets trying to get things cleaned up. I bet most places are still open. Let¡¯s go look for an [Alchemist] or [Apothecary] who¡¯s willing to work cheap,¡± Vee said. ¡°Either of you know where we can find one? I want to see about getting some low-level potions made.¡±
¡°There¡¯s an [Apothecary] over by the market, I think,¡± said Alforde. ¡°I¡¯ve never been in, but the place always had a customer or two whenever I went into the bookstore.¡±
¡°Perfect. We¡¯ll start there then.¡±
*See Author''s Note at the end of the chapter
Unfortunately, along with most of the block that it was on, the apothecary that Alforde was thinking of had been almost completely destroyed in the battle between Sacre and the Don. The windows were all smashed and the interior was a wreck. There was a big person-shaped hole in one wall too, and bits of flowers, powders and other ingredients covered the floor.
Vee cursed. ¡°So much for that, I guess. We¡¯re not going to get any potions here. We¡¯ll have to go find another shop.¡±
Reginald turned to a middle aged woman who was sweeping out the storefront next to the ruined apothecary. "Excuse me, ma¡¯am. Do you have a moment?¡±
The woman looked up and wiped the sweat from her brow. ¡°What is it? I¡¯m a little busy here, if you can¡¯t see.¡±
¡°Do you happen to know anything about the [Apothecary] who runs this shop?¡±
¡°You mean Juniper? She was no [Apothecary]. Just a [Herbalist] who could make a few tinctures, teas, and tisanes. Poor dear. She¡¯d only opened her shop up less than a year ago too. What do you want with her?¡±
¡°We were hoping to have her brew us a few potions,¡± Vee said as he introduced himself and explained what they were looking for.
¡°Minor buffs and restoratives? Well, that doesn¡¯t sound too complex. Juniper could do that for you, I¡¯m sure,¡± the woman said. ¡°She used to make this wonderful tisane for my husband. It was made with vimcherries and spearmint, I think. After he drank it, it was like we were twenty again and¨Coh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±
Vee¡¯s eyes had grown wide, and despite the near total darkness, his cheeks were visibly red. There were some things you just didn¡¯t talk to strangers about.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he forced himself to say. ¡°Do you happen to know where she is?¡±
The woman smiled and waggled a finger. ¡°Sure do. I can tell you where to find her. For a small fee of course.¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid that we don¡¯t really have a lot of extra fleurs right now,¡± Vee said, but the woman chuckled and held out her broom.
¡°No coin required, Mister Vales. You don¡¯t look like much, but I¡¯d be willing to bet that your friend here can move some serious rubble without much effort. I¡¯ve been at this for two days now. My lower back is killing me. Help me and I¡¯ll help you, eh?¡±
Vee nodded at Alforde and without a word of complaint the armorsoul stepped forward and bowed a bit as he took the broom from the woman¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to lend you a hand, madam.¡±
For the next two hours, Vee sat on a broken piece of stone and watched Alforde scoop away shovelful after shovelful. When the woman decided that he¡¯d helped enough, she pulled a scrap of paper out of her pocket and scribbled down an address. Since it was so late, the trio decided that they¡¯d wait until the next morning to go pay the [Herbalist] a visit.
Vee grinned. He¡¯d had an idea.
[Plotting +1]
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 21
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 9
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 2
Might: 8
Wit: 28
Faith: 16
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 11 (+1)
Charisma: 3
Devious Mind: 12
Leadership: 10
Guts: 3
Intimidating Presence: 5 (+1)
Citizenship: 5
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 4 (-1)
Might: 29
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 10
Intimidating Presence: 8
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3 (+1)
Vigilance: 3
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 33
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 6
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 3
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 31
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 35: [Flower Child]
The address the woman had provided led the trio to a small, dilapidated neighborhood near the border of Southtown, where the city was a bit less urban. There were actual yards and small gardens, though most of them had clearly been neglected for years and were little more than weedy patches of moss and dirt.
However, one property had definitely taken advantage of the space offered. With all the flowers, shrubs, vines, and bushes, it was hard for Vee to see the house amidst all the greenery, let alone confirm the address. Still, Vee was confident that he¡¯d found the right place as he opened the ivy-covered gate and made his way up the small walkway that led to the door.
Inside, Vee could hear the unmistakable sound of someone smashing things and swearing about it.
¡°This should be fun,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Seems like a real swell lady, eh?¡±
¡°Shut up,¡± Vee said. ¡°Don¡¯t you go making things any harder than they need to be.¡±
¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about me, boss. I¡¯ll be as quiet as a church mouse.¡±
Alforde giggled. ¡°Somehow I doubt that.¡±
Reaching up, Vee knocked on the door.
¡°Who the ¨C *hic* -- whaddya want? I¡¯m busy in here!¡±
As if to punctuate her point, the sound of breaking glass rang out and Vee winced. Maybe this wasn¡¯t such a good idea. It wasn¡¯t like they were obligated to talk to this lady, right? After all, there was nothing stopping them from going and finding someone else to make the potions, was there? Vee took a step back as he contemplated turning around and leaving, but something in his gut told him that this was the place to be. He decided to trust his instincts, though a little voice in the back of his skull was screaming for him to flee.
[Guts +1]
¡°Um, Miss Juniper? Hi, my name is Vee Vales and I¡¯m the [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart, the newish dungeon in town. I¡¯m here with my [Dungeon Champion] Alforde and my [Majordomo] Reginald. We were hoping to see about having you brew some potions for us?¡±
¡°Oh reeeeaally? Some potions, *hic* you say? Well let¡¯s just bloody see ¡®bout that!¡±
It took a little longer than it should have for Juniper ¨C hopefully it was Juniper and Vee hadn¡¯t gone to the wrong house or something ¨C to come down the hall and open the door. Her trip was punctuated by a few more screams of rage and slams against the wall.
Juniper was a small slip of a girl, a hair shorter than Vee with long dark hair and thick, circular glasses that made her eyes seem a bit too big for her face. Dressed in a sleeveless gray-green tank top and pair of tightish purple pants, she was pale, and both of her arms were covered in an intricate web of black and purple floral tattoos. Most of the flowers outside were purple too. Vee sensed a theme.
In her right hand was a mostly empty bottle of mead, and in her left was a small knife that she held up to wave in Vee¡¯s face. ¡°Right then. Whas that you were sayin¡¯ ¡®bout potions?¡±
Judging from the dark bags under her eyes, Vee got the feeling that it¡¯d had been a while since she¡¯d last slept, and thanks to the strong stench of mead that filled his nose as soon as she opened the door as well as her glassy gaze, he had a good idea of the reason why.
¡°Lemme tell you *hic* something ¡®bout potions,¡± Juniper said as she waggled the knife a little bit more. ¡°I paid my bloody protection money every week for a year. A *hic* whole year! And then guess what happens? The same pricks I¡¯ve been paying go and smash my shop up because they didn¡¯t see the bloody snail on the *hic* window. Whaddya have to say ¡®bout that, eh?¡±
¡°Uh, well, that doesn¡¯t have anything to do with potions,¡± Reginald said, proving that when the chips were down and he¡¯d given his word to keep quiet, he was totally incapable of doing so.
Wary of the knife, Vee thought an angry rebuke to Reginald and tried to divert the conversation. ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly unpleasant, but if you¡¯re interested in getting back to work, we¡¯re in need of ¨C¡°
¡°An¡¯ how¡¯s I¡¯m ¡®sposed to do bloody anything with no space to work?¡±
While she waited for him to answer, Juniper took a long pull from her bottle of mead, shuddering after she swallowed.
¡°If you¡¯d just put the knife down, we can talk about this better,¡± Alforde said gently. Juniper looked up at the armorsoul and after glaring at him for a minute, slowly lowered her shiv and waved for them to follow her.
¡°Better to talk inside,¡± she said as she led them past a mass of shattered plates and glasses. ¡°One of my neighbors has a thing about noise.¡±
Vee looked around and saw that the interior of Juniper¡¯s house was just as filled with plants and flowers as the outside. Interestingly, despite the copious amount of debris strewn everywhere, none of the potted vegetation was damaged in the slightest.
¡°Give me a *hic* minute to sober up,¡± Juniper said as she directed them to a neat square table in the center of her cozy kitchen. Vee sat down and took Reginald off so that he could keep an eye on the hat. I¡¯m watching you he mouthed with a glare. Reginald winked.
The [Herbalist] swayed her way to a cabinet filled with jars. She threw it open with abandon, drained the rest of her mead with a great swig, and started pulling down jars chock full of petals. These she set on the countertop before turning on her stove, filling a kettle with water and setting it to boil. Then, once it was ready, Juniper filled a mug with the dried flowers and poured the steaming water over them.
¡°[Infuse Sobriety],¡± she slurred, and the water started turning orange. ¡°¡¯S gonna be a few minutes,¡± Juniper said, ¡°but if we¡¯re *hic* goin¡¯ to talk business I should sober up a bit.¡±
Vee pointed to the cup. ¡°Does that really cure drunkenness? Surely such a skill would be invaluable? You could sell it for¡ª¡±
Juniper laughed. ¡°Only works for people with the [Flower Child] class, I¡¯m afraid. Otherwise I woulda made my fortune and skipped out of this bloody *hic* city a long time ago.¡±
Sure enough, when she downed the drink a few minutes later and sat down across the table from Vee, her eyes were clear, and she seemed like an entirely different person.
¡°Now, what¡¯s this you wanted to talk to me about?¡±
And so Vee explained what he wanted her to make. It wasn¡¯t anything particularly fancy, just a few minor potions that would help adventurers recover from some of their wounds, restore some of their energy, and other things like that. Little things that could be sold for a few fleurs every run.
¡°Sure, that¡¯s all easy enough,¡± Juniper said. ¡°But like I said earlier, all my equipment got smashed up. It wouldn¡¯t be impossible to replace my gear since it mostly just pots, kettles, and stuff like that but the bigger problem is that I don¡¯t have anywhere to actually brew and make things.¡±
¡°What about doing it here?¡± Vee asked.
¡°Definitely not,¡± Juniper said. ¡°One of my neighbors is insane about smells.¡±
¡°Heck of a neighbor,¡± muttered Reginald.
¡°Sorry, as much as I¡¯d like to I don¡¯t think I can help you.¡±
Vee shrugged. He¡¯d figured that Juniper would say something like that, and his plan wasn¡¯t deterred in the slightest.
¡°Are you planning to return to your old workshop, then? Perhaps we could help you clean it up? I¡¯m sure with Alforde¡¯s help you¡¯d be back in business in no time.¡±
¡°No way,¡± Juniper said. ¡°The rent was nice, but the protection money was brutal, and at the end of the day, it wasn¡¯t even effective. I love what I do, er, what I did, but I think I¡¯m just going to go back to working for my sister. She¡¯s the [Tailor] who has space in the big market. Cutting cloth isn¡¯t my favorite thing to do in the world, but the money isn¡¯t too bad.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly one option,¡± Vee said, swapping to his best salesman voice. It sounded a little bit like Alforde with something stuck in his throat. ¡°But I¡¯ve got an alternative if you¡¯re interested.¡±
Juniper raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, really?¡±
¡°Sure do. There¡¯s an abandoned shop near Crestheart that would be perfect for you. If you¡¯re interested, we¡¯ll help you move in and get set up.¡±
The [Herbalist]¡¯s eyes grew wide, which had an even greater effect than normal due to her glasses. ¡°Out past the gate to Westown? Are you crazy?! There are fiends out there! And ghosts!¡±
Vee¡¯s palms went to his face faster than you could say ¡°Again?¡±. He groaned and started shaking his head. ¡°What is wrong with the people in this city,¡± he mumbled.
Sensing the rant that was barreling towards them all, Alforde recognized this as his cue and stepped in.
¡°Miss Juniper, I assure you that the threat from fiends and ghosts beyond the gate is grossly overstated. We haven¡¯t had any issues, and Vee will arrange protection for your shop after sunset to ensure that none of your materials or equipment get damaged overnight. Our little strip of Westown is perfectly safe.¡±
Juniper leaned back and folded her arms across her chest. ¡°And what would that ¡®protection¡¯ cost me? Seventy silver fleurs a week? Eighty? A hundred? Look, I¡¯m really not interested in swapping from one extortionist to another.¡±
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Vee got his head back in the game and looked up. ¡°No, nothing like that at all. No protection money at all. As for rent, just show me a receipt of what you used to pay at your old spot and I¡¯ll match it. The only thing I¡¯ll ask is that for the next year you make us as many potions as we need free of charge. After that, we¡¯ll pay you wholesale prices for them.¡±
¡°How many potions are you talking about?¡± Juniper asked. ¡°That sounds nice, but if I have to brew hundreds of potions a week, I¡¯m still basically paying protection money.¡±
Vee shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t really say for sure. It depends on how popular they are. I was thinking we could start with ten a day or so. We can adjust from there. If the number starts increasing too much, we¡¯ll figure something out. How¡¯s that sound?¡±
¡°Just to make sure, when you say potions you mean individual sizes right? Like doses? You only want ten doses a day?¡±
¡°Yeah, to start. We¡¯re not sure how well they¡¯re going to sell yet.¡±
Juniper smiled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not bad at all. That¡¯s only half a cauldron or so.¡±
¡°Great,¡± Vee said, fully aware of wheels turning in Juniper¡¯s head. It was fine if she thought that she was getting the better of him. All he really cared about right now was getting her into the space and brewing potions for Crestheart. Better to not push too hard though.
¡°I¡¯m not really into high pressure tactics, so go ahead and take your time to think about it. Come see the space if you want to. I¡¯d be happy to show you around. If you still want to go work for your sister after taking a look at it, that¡¯s fine too. We¡¯ll find someone else. Thanks for your time.¡±
Juniper met Vee¡¯s gaze and she grinned. ¡°Sure thing. I¡¯ll go ahead and think about it.¡±
Vee inclined his head a little bit as he stood up and picked up Reginald.
[Charisma +1]
With Alforde behind him and Reginald in his hands, Vee left the [Herbalist]¡¯s house and headed back into the city.
¡°She¡¯s in,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Hundred percent.¡±
¡°Hopefully,¡± said Vee.
Making their way to Crestheart, Vee went up to his lab and started the process of animating the mannequins. Adventurers were scheduled to resume their runs tomorrow morning and Vee wanted the shopkeepers ready to go as quickly as possible. Setting the first one ¨C which he called Lumpy ¨C in the center of his workspace, Vee crouched down and surrounded it with a circle of shaped ectoplasm. Then he cursed and did it a second time, because he¡¯d screwed up the thickness of the ectoplasm and saw that his first efforts wouldn¡¯t work. If the ectoplasm was too thin, it¡¯d break under the force of what was to come.
Once the circle was in place and to his satisfaction, Vee closed his eyes and collected his thoughts. This was going to be something. Sigilmancy was far from his favorite type of [Ghost Maestro] work.
¡°[Vivify Minion: Base]!¡± he cried.
A sickly green light covered his hands and Vee walked around the circle, drawing shapes on the ground that would give his mannequin shopkeepers the illusion of life. First came the winding glyphs of Bu, which was the cornerstone of all big ectoplasm workings. There were four of these equally spaced inside the circle ¨C one on each cardinal point ¨C and they¡¯d serve as the anchors to keep everything that came after them in place. After those came the square, bracketed glyphs of Gu, which would give the mannequin the ability to retain orders. There were four of these as well. After those came An and Mo, which would let the mannequins move their arms and heads, respectively. Since they¡¯d always be sitting, he didn¡¯t have to worry about the squiggly Un sigils which would have allowed them to move their legs.
Sweat beaded Vee¡¯s neck and forehead as he finished the last base sigil, and he sighed. He wasn¡¯t even into the hard stuff yet! Clearly, he didn¡¯t do this type of thing often enough. Closing his eyes once more, he activated [Vivify Minion: Orders] and continued his drawing. This time, the light that covered his hands was yellow. The orders to be followed by his mannequin were written in a series of pictograms, and it was this step of the process where Vee could have used a reference book from the library. It would have been nice to make sure that he was using the correct images for each thing he wanted. But he¡¯d felt it was important to try and muddle way through on his own.
Thankfully, his needs were simple. He only had to draw two pictograms. The first was a bag, and he hoped it meant inventory. There were several bag pictograms of varying shapes and sizes, with a bevy of meanings that were all slightly different. Thankfully, they were close enough that even if he wasn¡¯t perfect, the mannequin wouldn¡¯t have major issues.
After that, he drew the fleur su cha, the flower that gave fleurs their name. It was a simple flower with four leaves that all curled to the right. Vee frowned. He hoped that he¡¯d done a decent job on the proportions. Just like bags, there were dozens of floral pictograms that could be used in sigilmancy. However, unlike bags, floral pictograms had meanings that varied from ¡®money¡¯ to ¡®water the plants¡¯ to ¡®kill this person and bury them¡¯. Vee definitely didn¡¯t want to mix those up.
The two pictograms were linked to each other with a pair of arrows that indicated an exchange of one for the other. Thankfully, the arrows were simple and impossible to screw up.
Vee repeated the pair of pictograms and corresponding arrows a few more times so that there was one set inside each of his Gu sigils. Had he been a higher level [Ghost Maestro] ¨C say, Level 35 of so ¨C he could have added more pictograms that would have given the minion a unique voice and some degree of personality. Alas, those were both well beyond his current skillset. Something to revisit in the future, he supposed.
Vee¡¯s head was starting to ache something fierce, and he took a short break to catch his breath and collect his thoughts. The next set of markings would complete the vivification process, and were far more delicate than the ones he¡¯d drawn already. Due to the fact that they required a greater degree of precision, he¡¯d have to use his [Ghost Baton] instead of his fingers. Taking a deep breath, Vee summoned his baton and activated [Vivify Minion: Finalize]. The baton was bathed in blue light.
Terrified that he was going to screw something up, Vee got on his hands and knees and started drawing the intricate loops, arcs, triangles and dots that would complete the minion¡¯s ability to follow the orders it¡¯d been given and carry out his commands. The markings had to be balanced between all parts of the circle, but also couldn¡¯t just be a repeating pattern. Sigilmancy was picky that way.
Vee had always hated having to count the shapes as he drew them, just as he hated having to keep track of where he hadn¡¯t drawn a triangle or a circle in a while. However, by pausing every few shapes and checking his work, he did his best.
The process took the better part of two hours, and Vee was both nauseous and drenched in sweat by the time he finished. But there was still more to do. Now he had to do his first tests to make sure that he hadn¡¯t screwed anything up until this point.
Clapping his hands together, Vee activated the energy within the circle and watched as the mannequin¡¯s eyes filled with crimson light. Shoot. He¡¯d made a mistake somewhere; the light was supposed to be green. Pulling his hands apart deactivated the circle and Vee double checked his symbol balance. Sure enough, he¡¯d miscounted the number of triangles on the circle¡¯s northern side and had to add three more somehow.
¡°Stupid sigilmancy,¡± Vee muttered as he crouched back down to fix the error. He scanned his work again, marking the count of each shape on a piece of paper beside him. Luckily, it looked like he¡¯d only made the one mistake, and when he activated the circle again, the soon-to-be-shopkeeper looked up at him with eyes so green they could have been carved from jade.
That was encouraging! Vee was too worn out to go ahead and test the rest of the orders by going through a practice exchange, but he¡¯d do that later in the afternoon after a nice long break.
Using his coat as a makeshift towel, Vee slumped to the ground and pressed his face into his knees. He was shaking as if he¡¯d just run a long distance, and it took him a few minutes to start breathing normally once again. Despite how crappy he felt physically, a fierce sense of pride welled up in Vee¡¯s chest. Even if he ended up needing to go back and redo a bunch of sigilmancy, he¡¯d done the entire vivification on his own without reference. That was pretty great, he thought.
[Congratulations, you are now a Ghost Maestro, Level 22!]
[Your Vivify Minion skills are now more powerful!]
[Your Ghost Baton skill is now more powerful!]
[Faith + 1]
When Vee, Alforde and Reginald made their way to the gate the next morning, they were surprised to see Juniper waiting for them. She was wearing a yellow dress and holding a large plant that Vee himself would have had a heck of a time carrying.
¡°Good morning,¡± she said in a cheerful voice. ¡°I thought about it a lot last night and I¡¯ve made my decision. So long as the place isn¡¯t a total dump I¡¯ll take you up on your offer.¡±
¡°Told you,¡± Reginald said smugly.
Vee wasn¡¯t going to press the matter further. He grinned as he shook the [Herbalist]¡¯s hand to seal the deal and directed Alforde to carry her plant to her new location. The armorsoul did so without complaint, joking that it was much lighter than the things Vee usually ordered him to carry.
The gate opened and as they all walked through it, Juniper made a noise.
¡°Its¡.so clean!¡± she said, looking from left to right up and down the street. ¡°There¡¯s no trash anywhere! I can¡¯t remember the last time I saw a clean street in Oar¡¯s Crest.¡±
Vee laughed. ¡°Yeah, some of my helpers have been working on clearing it out. It¡¯s coming along, but we¡¯re not quite done yet. The next step is to figure out a way to get rid of the grime on the sidewalks and stuff.¡±
¡°I might be able to help with that,¡± Juniper said. ¡°Cracklethorn sap is great for scrubbing and cleaning.¡±
As they walked and Juniper explained the multitude of benefits offered by various plants and herbs, Vee felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. Something big was moving in the ethereal. Not wanting to interrupt Juniper, he turned his head to the side and activated [Third Sight] to get a better look.
The movement belonged to the mysterious new spirit that he¡¯d first noticed with Casys. The shape of its body was still too murky to pin down perfectly, but it was drawing strength from Juniper just as it had been from the townspeople. With the intuition gained from his most recent levels of [Ghost Maestro], Vee could tell that it was an Expectation, but he still didn¡¯t know what kind.
With a maw that didn¡¯t look entirely friendly, the spirit reached for Vee, and he once again deactivated the skill before insulating himself from any sort of ectoplasmic attack. None came, but Vee was still unsettled as he opened the door to the Juniper¡¯s new building.
The [Herbalist] walked in and looked around. She was grinning ear to ear as she ran her hands along the shelves and looked inside the old barrels. She had Alforde set her plant down on one shelf, and then changed her mind and had him move it to the other side of the room.
¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± she said. ¡°Laurel loves it here!¡±
Vee looked at the plant, which must have been Laurel and frowned. It didn¡¯t seem any different than it had a moment ago. Must have been another skill of the [Flower Child] class.
Before he could think about it much further though, a popup appeared in front of Vee¡¯s face and distracted him.
[Failed to receive quest! Reason: Citizenship too low (Requires 20 points)].
Now what could that be about?
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 22 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 9
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 2
Might: 8
Wit: 28
Faith: 17 (+1)
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 11
Charisma: 4 (+1)
Devious Mind: 12
Leadership: 10
Guts: 4 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 5
Citizenship: 5
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 29
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 10
Intimidating Presence: 8
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 3
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 34 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 6
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 3
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 31
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
BONUS: Juniper''s Character Sheet
Juniper Digby
Primary Class: Flower Child (Self), Level 33
Secondary Class: Herbalist (Esmerelda Ogg), Level 28
Tertiary Class: Tailor (Willow Digby), Level 11
Might: 11
Wit: 30
Faith: 14
Ambition: 8
Citizenship: 4
Charisma: 12
Endurance: 9
Green Thumb: 14
Chapter 36: Hammer Meets Spear
It took Vee a few more hours of testing, tweaking, and rebalancing his shapes to make it so that the mannequins could properly perform their tasks. By the time he was finished, Vee was shaking uncontrollably and drenched with sweat. He felt wrung out, and there was a bitter taste in his mouth that no amount of water could purge.
Dark shapes danced on the corners of Vee¡¯s vision; he hadn¡¯t quite pushed himself too far, but he¡¯d gotten dangerously close. Like anything, working with ectoplasm had its dangers. Thankfully, nothing was wrong with him that a good night¡¯s sleep wouldn¡¯t fix right up.
Outside the tower, Juniper was sprinkling the sidewalk with a white powder that must have been cracklethorn sap. It bubbled and fizzed for a few seconds after making contact, and when the [Herbalist] swept her broom over the spots, the grime came right off.
¡°It looks like you know your stuff,¡± Vee said weakly as he watched her clean a few more squares of the sidewalk. He tried to stand up straight and found that his back wouldn¡¯t cooperate. With the help of the wall, he finally managed it.
Juniper looked up at him and her features widened in shock. ¡°Mister Vales, you look terrible! What did you do? Hang on, don¡¯t move. Let me brew something up for you. It¡¯ll only take a little bit¡±
True to her word, she came back less than three minutes later with a steaming mug of tea that was bitter as could be. However, under Juniper¡¯s baleful glare, Vee drained every last drop and felt much better. He thanked her and followed her to her shop to see how her move-in was going.
She¡¯d apparently wasted no time because the place was already looking pretty. Potted flowers and plants had been carefully stacked on the shelves, and packets of dried petals were arranged neatly on the counter.
¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get much foot traffic for a while,¡± Juniper said, ¡°So for now I¡¯m focusing on products that are easy to pack up and carry to the market. It might be a bit weird for a couple weeks, but a few extra trips to and from the market isn¡¯t a big deal.¡±
She then went over all the products she was planning to sell with unbridled enthusiasm, and Vee did his best to listen carefully. There were a bunch of names that he didn¡¯t recognize so he mostly just nodded and grunted ¡°uh-huh¡± or ¡°wow, yeah that makes a lot of sense¡± now and then. Juniper didn¡¯t seem to notice, let alone mind.
Two days later, Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] installed the mannequin shopkeepers. Vee threw a weathered black blanket over each of the new minions so that they looked like they fit the dungeon at least a little bit. He frowned; he¡¯d have to order them some better costumes eventually, but these would do for now. He reached up and pulled on Reginald¡¯s brim.
¡°What do you think we should charge for the potions?¡±
¡°Two silvers apiece for the first floor shop, four for the second, and seven for the third.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have them all be the same price?¡±
¡°Nope,¡± the hat said in a slightly bored tone. ¡°Here¡¯s why. On the first floor, we want it to be as easy as possible for adventurers to buy potions. Anything higher than a few silvers and most of them won¡¯t be interested. What we¡¯re hoping for is that our challengers will impulse buy a few and start getting overconfident. We want them thinking they don¡¯t need to be careful because they¡¯ve got potions to cover any mistakes. Then, naturally, they start making mistakes.¡±
¡°And that makes them use the potions up?¡±
¡°Of course, but that¡¯s not all. It also makes them feel like it was a good idea to buy potions in the first place. People who think doing something once was a good idea are more likely to do it again. But even more than that, we want to take advantage of the fact that most adventurers are sunk cost suckers.¡±
¡°What does that mean?¡±
Reginald sighed. ¡°Most adventurers ¨C heck, most people ¨C tend to get too focused on the money they¡¯ve already spent and make bad decisions as a result. They don¡¯t want their money to go to waste, so they¡¯re willing to keep spending to make it worthwhile. However, in a lot of cases, they¡¯re not going to be good enough to beat Alforde no matter what, so the extra money they spend doesn¡¯t do them any good and we collect a bunch of easy fleurs.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a little heartless, don¡¯t you think?¡±
¡°We¡¯re a business, boss, not a charity. If you want to have any chance of paying Sacre back on time you¡¯ve gotta start looking for more ways to squeeze fleurs out of each run. This is a good one.¡±
Privately, Vee didn¡¯t like it, but he couldn¡¯t argue with his [Majordomo]¡¯s logic. With a bit of tinkering, Vee set the mannequin¡¯s prices and gave them a test to make sure that they handled the exchanges properly. When he was satisfied, he activated [Shape Ectoplasm] and hurriedly put together a small, squiggly sign. In Vee¡¯s cramped, messy handwriting, the sign said: It Pays to Be Prudent. Fastening it over the mannequin¡¯s head with a bit more ectoplasm, Vee sent a bit of his energy into it as well. When he was done, the words glowed in the dungeon¡¯s gloom.
The [Dungeon Master] admired his handiwork. It never hurt to see if people were impressionable, after all. He made another pair of signs and gave them to Do. ¡°Put one over each of the other mannequins, will you?¡±
Do nodded and left.
¡°[Excellent Spreadsheet],¡± Vee said as he brushed some of the ectoplasmic dust off his fingers. ¡°Cecil, will you go ahead and make a new sheet for keeping track of how many potions are purchased on each floor?¡±
The spreadsheet chirped and flashed silver as it created another sheet to do as Vee asked.
Vee left the dungeon and stood near the waiting area in front of the entrance. The adventurers were due to arrive soon, and he didn¡¯t feel like making the trek up to the office twice. It was a fairly frosty morning and a bit too cold for his tastes, but Vee simply rubbed his arms to ward off the chill. As he stood there, he found himself wishing that his coat was a little thicker. Maybe he¡¯d visit the [Tailor] soon and see if she could add an extra liner or something so that the upcoming winter months weren¡¯t too unpleasant.
Vee stared out at the adventurers gathered in front of Crestheart. He¡¯d counted them ¨C twice ¨C and there were exactly twenty five people standing ready to challenge the dungeon. Their expressions ranged from excited to bored.
¡°Bit of housekeeping before we go ahead and get the morning¡¯s runs started. To reflect the improvements we¡¯ve made to Crestheart recently, we¡¯ve decided to increase the price per floor.¡±
The [Dungeon Master] paused and waited for the outcry about the increase, but just as Reginald had said, none of them seemed to care. He decided to push his luck a little bit.
¡°From now on, regular floors will cost sixteen silver fleurs, and if you want to challenge the [Dungeon Champion] Alforde, it¡¯ll cost twenty-one silvers.¡±
Again, no one so much as blinked at the increase in price and Vee wondered if he could have bumped up to twenty silver fleurs per floor and thirty for Alforde¡¯s. Maybe. He resolved to raise prices again somewhere down the line. Maybe after adding the next floor. The higher fees would definitely make it easier for him to make his payments to Sacre.
Vee was pleasantly surprised to see that every single one of the adventurers who¡¯d come wanted to challenge Alforde. It was going to be a good day. Grumbling about the fact that he still needed to come up with a way to bypass the stairs, Vee trudged up to the office and set Reginald down in his spot next to all the magnifying crystals.
¡°Nice bit of squeeze getting that extra fleur per floor beyond what we planned,¡± Reginald said. ¡°That¡¯s another seventy five silvers for us today.¡±
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¡°Yeah. You made a good point earlier. We need every fleur we can get. Anyway, who¡¯s up first for the day?¡±
[Congratulations, you are now a Dungeon Master, Level 10!]
[Plotting +1]
[Devious Mind +1]
[Your Budgeting skill is now more powerful!]
Reginald looked over the stack of papers Vee had collected from the adventurers and read the name on top. ¡°Name is Alton Shylop. He¡¯s a [Spear Afficionado], level 18. Shouldn¡¯t be too much of a challenge for Alforde.¡±
Vee stared into the blue orb that appeared in front of him and watched the adventurer lower his weapon into a guard position as he entered Crestheart¡¯s first floor. The dark-skinned man wore shining silver armor and a flowing red scarf. He walked over to the mannequin shopkeeper and looked at the sign above its head. For several moments, he seemed lost in thought and then reached into his pocket and drew out a pair of silver fleurs. Tossing them onto the table, the man pointed at the small red glowing bottles on the table¡¯s left side. Vee¡¯s newest minion slowly twisted its head towards the adventurer¡¯s finger, and then reached out at a snail¡¯s pace and picked the potion up in its thin fingers. The mannequin shuddered as it lifted the potion, like the weight of the bottle was too heavy for its ectoplasm-reinforced arm. For a single, creaking moment, Vee waited for the sound of breaking glass, but it never came.
He resolved to enhance the strength of the mannequin after the day¡¯s runs anyways.
After that, Vee settled into his normal routine of activating [Walking Walls] and the rest of the dungeon¡¯s environmental hazards. The [Spear Afficionado] deftly maneuvered his way through the ghosts and lesser elementals that tried to stop him. With every challenge that Crestheart threw at him, Alton flourished his spear with practiced expertise and quickly overcame it. Even the ceiling full of slimes failed to do any real damage, as the adventurer noticed the panel opening above his head and leapt out of the way before the burning slimes could land on him. He hovered in the air for a long moment before slowly drifting to the ground, and Vee wondered if he had an accessory with [Feather Fall] equipped.
With a wide sweep, the [Spear Afficionado] dispatched a pair of ghosts and thumped his chest in victory as he threw open the door to the second floor.
¡°Well I¡¯ll be¡I think that¡¯s the fastest clear of the first floor that we¡¯ve ever had,¡± Reginald said.
The hat probably hadn¡¯t meant for his comment to be anything other than an idle attempt at conversation, but it sparked an idea in Vee¡¯s mind. Up until now, he hadn¡¯t really ever considered keeping track of adventurer or dungeon stats. The only things that he¡¯d really cared about were the number of adventurers who made their challenges on a given day and how much he had to pay out as a result. But now that he thought about it, there was a wealth of information at his fingertips, so to speak, that would make running the dungeon easier and more profitable. By separating the adventurers into different types ¨C ranged, melee, and magic to start ¨C Vee could get an idea of where different adventures excelled and where they struggled. It¡¯d take a while, but eventually Vee would be able to use the data to check his hunches and ideas. Maybe he¡¯d even be able to start tailoring the dungeon to counter each adventurer¡¯s individual strengths. He shook his head. That was going to have to wait for a while.
Resummoning Cecil, Vee instructed the spreadsheet to transfer the sheet for tracking potions sales to a separate book along with all of the adventurer and dungeon stats. It wouldn¡¯t do to mingle the financials with day-to-day operations information. After the day¡¯s runs were done, he¡¯d sit down with Reginald and Alforde and come up with a list of stats to start keeping track of.
For now, the [Spear Afficionado] had blazed through the second floor and was on his way to Alforde. The only thing he had left was the gauntlet room, where he¡¯d fight a dozen or so ghosts and slimes while the lesser elementals attacked from the walls.
Better warn Alforde. Reaching down, Vee activated the magnification crystal and contacted his [Dungeon Champion]. ¡°Hey bud, just a heads up. You¡¯ve got a pretty strong adventurer coming your way, so be ready for a tough fight.¡±
Vee couldn¡¯t help but notice how excited the armorsoul sounded when he replied.
¡°Good! I won¡¯t let you down, Vee. Hey, is it okay if I use the mirror?¡±
Crestheart¡¯s first perk, the cloudy mirror, had arrived that morning and been installed on the wall of Alforde¡¯s arena.
¡°Of course. That¡¯s the whole reason we got it, was so that you could use it. Do whatever you have to do to win.¡±
¡°Understood. Oh, I can hear the footsteps getting closer now, gotta go!¡±
The armorsoul¡¯s voice faded to nothing and Vee leaned back to watch the battle. He looked over at Reginald.
¡°I¡¯m thinking this guy takes three stocks, but Alforde still wins.¡±
The hat was quiet for a moment and then quivered. ¡°I don¡¯t think Alforde loses more than two. Same deal as always? If I win, I want you to take me to the casino for a night and let me play some cards.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so dead set on gambling,¡± Vee said with a grin. ¡°With all the times we¡¯ve wagered, I can count the number of times you¡¯ve won on one hand and still have plenty of fingers left. I¡¯m running out of things to win over here.¡±
Reginald looked over at him and scowled. ¡°Just you wait and see, boss. My time is coming. It¡¯s impossible to lose forever. Every good gambler knows that.¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know that anyone would ever call you a good gambler, Reginald.¡±
¡°Just you wait and see.¡±
Alforde shifted Hammy back and forth and bounced around a little bit. Since he didn¡¯t have muscles that needed to be warmed up, per se, the movements didn¡¯t really do anything, but they helped him focus his mind.
The footsteps outside stopped and the door to Alforde¡¯s arena opened with a slow creak. The armored adventurer walked inside and Alforde¡¯s [Champion¡¯s Sight] skill let him see that the man was a [Spear Afficionado]. A fellow enthusiast of the martial arts!
He was tall and broad, and other than a few dents here and there on his armor, was almost completely unharmed from his dungeon challenge. A single wicked gash covered his cheek. The adventurer paused and nodded his head to Alforde on the far side of the bridge before drawing out a bottle of red potion. He drained it in a single sip and Alforde watched the skin patch itself together before his eyes. It seemed that Juniper made potent stuff, though the wound had been so minor, it was hard to be sure.
Alforde didn¡¯t say anything until the adventurer crossed the bridge and was standing in front of him. He was dimly aware of the fact that his intimidating presence didn¡¯t seem to phase his foe in the slightest. Interesting indeed.
¡°Hello, my name is Alton,¡± the adventurer called. ¡°You must be the [Dungeon Champion] I¡¯ve heard so much about. I¡¯m excited for our match, but I hope that you¡¯re more challenging than your dungeon was. I must admit to being a bit disappointed by how easy it was to get here.¡±
Alforde bristled and slung Hammy over one shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m Alforde,¡± he said. ¡°I take it that this isn¡¯t your first dungeon run?¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Alton said. ¡°This is my fourth dungeon challenge, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll soon be my fourth win. I¡¯ll take the SSB now, please.¡±
Alforde opened the panel on his chest, collected the small pill and tossed it across the arena. The challenger caught it and went to put it into his mouth, but Alforde held up a gauntlet.
¡°One moment, please. I apologize, but there¡¯s something I need to do first.¡±
When the adventurer grunted his assent, Alforde looked across the arena into the smoky depths of the mirror. It was a big, silvery thing with a bone white frame and a skull decoration on top. Large rubies had been set in the skull¡¯s eyes, and they glittered with unnatural light. Inside the mirror, the armorsoul could feel something moving back and forth as if it were pacing.
A voice popped into his thoughts.
Reckon you need my help then?
Alforde nodded.
Mist poured forth from the mirror and settled itself on the arena behind the adventurer. Shifting and condensing, it formed itself into a clone of Alforde. Nearly every detail was perfect. The armorsoul felt another bond forming in his mind. Just like the one he shared with Vee, he could sense the clone¡¯s presence and its thoughts, though there wasn¡¯t much there. It was simply a shell for now, but in time Alforde got the sense that he¡¯d be able to communicate with it, to direct it as he wanted.
You¡¯re too peaceful, the voice hissed into his thoughts.
The clone hoisted its hammer into position. Let¡¯s change that.
Feeling as if he might have bitten off a bit more than he could chew, Alforde nodded to the adventurer.
¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready, then. Let¡¯s have a good match.¡±
The adventurer popped the SSB into his mouth and smiled.
It was time to fight.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 21
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 2
Might: 8
Wit: 28
Faith: 17
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 12 (+1)
Charisma: 4
Devious Mind: 13 (+1)
Leadership: 10
Guts: 4
Intimidating Presence: 5
Citizenship: 5
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3 (-1) **WARNING: FURTHER LOSSES OF LEVEL WILL CAUSE THIS CLASS TO BE LOST**
Might: 29
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 10
Intimidating Presence: 8
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 3
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 34
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 7 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 3
Ambition: 23
Greed: 18
Deceptiveness: 31
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 37: Alfordes Reflection And A Delivered Letter
The adventurer lunged forward, his spearpoint aimed straight at Alforde¡¯s helmet. Even though he¡¯d been expecting something similar, the armorsoul was stunned by how fast his opponent moved. Alton became a blur and the air screamed as the weapon passed through the space where Alforde had been standing less than a breath ago.
Taking two steps forward, Alforde brought up his hammer and counterattacked, swinging for all he was worth. His hammer found nothing but air and Alforde¡¯s legs buckled beneath the force of a second blow he hadn¡¯t seen coming.
Falling to his knee, Alforde felt his temper flare and the voice in his helmet chuckled. Good. Now let¡¯s see if you have some fire in you or not.
A flurry of blows rained across his back and pauldrons, but Alforde ignored them. They¡¯d make it easier for him to be launched off stage, but they weren¡¯t a threat on their own.
He could feel his enemy dancing around him, and the [Dungeon Champion] tried to find some quirk in the man¡¯s steps that would tell him where to strike next. The pattern was too random, he couldn¡¯t find one.
Another set of footsteps ¨C these belonging to his clone ¨C moved across the arena and Alforde felt the change in the air as his doppelganger launched a strike of his own. The adventurer parried, but he had to stay still for a second in order to do so, and that was when Alforde attacked.
¡°Try a taste of this! You¡¯re no match for me!¡±
Hammy clipped Alton¡¯s leg and the adventurer got sent tumbling. He landed hard on the platform and rolled a few feet but was grinning when he bounced back up with no real harm done.
¡°That wasn¡¯t bad,¡± the adventurer said as he whirled his spear into ready position once more. ¡°But I¡¯m ready for your clone now.¡±
The adventurer and the [Dungeon Champion] traded a few more blows, and as they skidded away from one another, Alton dropped into a crouch. ¡°[Leapstrike]!¡±
He leapt into the air and his spear started to glow. After floating there for a second, the [Spear Afficionado] crashed back down into the arena like a lightning bolt. Alforde was dumbfounded as he stared at the spear piercing the ground in front of him; the man¡¯s attack had missed! What a blunder! He lifted Hammy above his helmet and swung hard.
Only to find himself flipping through the air a second later. It took his brain a few seconds to catch up with what had just happened. The adventurer had used his weapon like a pole vaulter and delivered a mighty jump kick to the armorsoul¡¯s chest before Alforde¡¯s strike could land. Impressive.
Alforde hit the ground outside the arena hard and bounced back up. His temper was really burning now, and he let loose an aggressive flurry of blows as soon as he landed. Laughing, the adventurer dodged each of them and had plenty of time to sidestep the clumsy thrust aimed at his back by Alforde¡¯s clone.
You¡¯ve lost your composure, the voice said. Use your skills! I can¡¯t help you if you don¡¯t!
¡°Shut up. I don¡¯t need your help,¡± Alforde growled as he thrust and swung, growing ever more frustrated as his attacks failed to connect. It was one thing to have an internal monologue ¨C Alforde often talked himself up during his matches ¨C but he was annoyed at the voice in his thoughts. Who cared about composure? Would keeping his cool help his strikes find their marks? Doubtful. Was staying calm the secret to moving fast enough to keep up with this enemy? Probably not. He didn¡¯t have time for that, he just had to keep swinging!
The armorsoul went flying as another well-aimed strike from his foe¡¯s spear found its mark. He hadn¡¯t even seen it coming.
How did this keep happening? He¡¯d practiced and practiced ¨C Piper knew how many hours he¡¯d spent swinging his hammer ¨C but in moments like these, it felt like he¡¯d made exactly zero progress. He still felt every bit as slow and clunky as ever.
He hit the arena and rolled a few feet before he was able to regain control of his momentum. Before he could regain his footing though, the challenger surged forward and flipped Alforde over the edge with another sweeping blow.
When Alforde bounced back up onto the platform, he was like a popped balloon. All the fight had left him and he let his helmet slide forward. What was even the point of fighting back? He was no match for this adventurer, and he knew it.
So that¡¯s all you¡¯ve got then? The voice in his head whispered. It was filled with contempt and loathing. You fall behind a little bit and then you just give up, huh? I¡¯m not terribly surprised but I¡¯m disappointed all the same. You have a long way to go.
Alforde didn¡¯t really have time to respond, as his foe was charging him once again.
¡°[Give No Ground]!¡± Alforde cried, his instincts taking over. The golden light enveloped his armor as he squatted and absorbed the entirety of the blow.
Finally! That¡¯s better. The voice had a note of triumph in it, now. Let me see¡[Give No Quarter]!
Behind the adventurer, Alforde saw his clone ¨C Shadowforde? ¨C start glowing as well. However, instead of gold, the aura around the armorsoul¡¯s doppelganger was crimson red and when he ran towards Alton, his every step was a merciless drumbeat that sent fear shivering through Alforde¡¯s entire consciousness.
The [Spear Afficionado] blanched for the first time, losing his cocky smile. His eyes grew widened and he cried out as Shadowforde¡¯s hammer slammed into his back and sent him flying.
Alforde only had a moment, but that was all he needed. Once again, his instincts took over and he aimed for the spot where his enemy¡¯s body would be in a few seconds.
¡°[Unstoppable Charge]!¡±
The [Dungeon Champion] slid across the platform at a speed he could have never hoped to run and his pauldron caught the adventurer¡¯s body and sent him over the edge. Alforde let out a whoop. He¡¯d scored his first point!
Almost half the time for the fight had expired, but Alforde felt his first flickers of hope. It would be an uphill climb, but he could make this comeback.
[Might +1 ¨C Deferred due to [Fair Fight]]
I like that skill. I think I have an idea for if this guy tries that [Leapstrike] attack again.
Vee jumped up out of his chair and pumped his fist in the air. ¡°Nice hit!¡± he yelled, not caring about the fact that it was just him, Reginald, and Dheart inside the office. In fact, it was probably better that nobody else was around.
¡°It¡¯s interesting,¡± Reginald said. ¡°I was expecting his Heart of a Champion to kick in, but it¡¯s still inactive. I guess his Reflection is enough for now.¡±
¡°But if it had access to skills like that one it just used, why has it been holding back until now?¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t holding back. It didn¡¯t have the skill until Alforde used [Give No Ground]. Reflections don¡¯t possess any skills of their own. All they can do is wait for the person they¡¯re copying to use a skill and then they do their best to imitate it. Though as you saw, it¡¯s not a perfect process.¡±
¡°That¡¯s still pretty useful,¡± Vee said. ¡°It was an offensive ability instead of a defensive one.¡±
Vee looked down and watched as the adventurer tried the same floating strike that he¡¯d found success with earlier, but once again Alforde¡¯s clone had the answer. It leapt into the air right away and grabbed the [Spear Afficionado] around the waist. They both crashed to the ground and Alforde was waiting once again with a big swing of his hammer that evened the fight¡¯s score.
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Now they were starting to get into a rhythm. Every time the adventurer tried to build momentum for one of his powerful attacks, Alforde or his clone was ready for it. Working as a team, they harried him with strikes ¨C or in the clone¡¯s case, grapples ¨C and negated the man¡¯s speed advantage.
By the end of the fight, an outside spectator would have been forgiven for thinking that the dungeon was some sort of underground belltower for all the ringing. The twin hammers found their marks again and again, and with less than twenty seconds remaining of the allotted eight minutes, Alforde emerged victorious. His Reflection disappeared as he bid farewell to the adventurer, who seemed to be a bit cross about losing.
Vee let out a sigh of relief and a celebratory curse. ¡°That was pretty close,¡± he said as he wiped his bangs out of his eyes. He frowned at how long his hair was getting. When was the last time he¡¯d gotten a haircut? Too long. As soon as he had some free time, he¡¯d go find a [Stylist]. There was bound to be a bunch in the city, somewhere. Maybe he could ask Juniper. She¡¯d probably know.
Next to him, Reginald was making a soft puttering sound. It grew louder and louder until Vee realized that it was laughter and when he looked over at the hat, he saw that Reginald¡¯s felty mouth was split wide open in a grin.
¡°I won!¡± the spirit said. ¡°I told you, boss. My time has come! You should know better than to tempt fate! The adventurer only took two stocks! Now you¡¯ve gotta take me to the casino.¡±
Well wasn¡¯t that something? Vee sighed. ¡°Fine. Now, where exactly is this casino? And whose money are you going to gamble with? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re drowning in fleurs over here, so I can¡¯t loan you any.¡±
¡°It¡¯s just outside of town,¡± Reginald said. ¡°No more than an hour or so by carriage. And you don¡¯t need to worry about money. I¡¯ve got my own little arrangement over there.¡±
Vee folded his arms across his chest.
[Devious Mind +1]
[You can now use Get The Picture!]
¡°And does this little arrangement involve me being harassed about paying off your debts or anything? I¡¯m really not in the mood to get shaken down again.¡±
¡°No, no, not at all.¡±
When Reginald saw Vee¡¯s frown, he wiggled his brim. ¡°My goodness, relax! It¡¯s like you think I¡¯m a criminal or something. It¡¯s not a big deal. I just want to play a couple games of Horses, that¡¯s all. A few hours gambling. Is that too much to ask?¡±
¡°What if I say yes? I¡¯m not going to lie; I¡¯m tempted to say yes.¡±
¡°Then I say too bad, those were the terms of our bet and you lost. We can go tomorrow night. Templesday is when the casino runs all their best games. Ooh, I can hear the sweet sound of gambling already. The clink of chips, the swish of cards, the fake laughter of men and women hoping to find an easy mark. There¡¯s nothing like it. Nothing at all.¡±
Vee turned his attention back to the dungeon, where the second adventurer was getting ready to enter.
¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later,¡± he said. ¡°For now, it¡¯s back to work. We¡¯ve got twenty-four more of those for today.¡±
Reginald¡¯s yellow spirit arm snapped up in an overwrought salute. ¡°As you say, boss.¡±
Then, in a quiet voice, Reginald started singing to himself. ¡°Stack the deck and deal the cards, my lovely Lady Luck. If you¡¯re sweet to me then I¡¯ll be sweet to you when we go off to¡ªWelcome to Crestheart, Adventurer. Enter if you DARE!¡±
The day¡¯s runs came to a close. Ultimately, only two other adventurers made it to Alforde. One took a single stock before being overwhelmed by the aggression of the armorsoul and his Reflection. The other, an elkin [Vicegrip] came close a number of times, but failed to score any points.
As far as Vee was concerned, it¡¯d been quite a lucrative day. From just the runs themselves they¡¯d pocketed almost twelve hundred silver fleurs after taxes, minor reward costs, and other general dungeon expenses, but more importantly, they¡¯d gotten eight shards of chaos. The extra one percent drop chance that the dungeon had from leveling up was really paying off. Well, that and the slimes. Maybe that next floor wasn¡¯t quite as far away as Vee had feared.
Though, if he was being honest, he was probably going to use these shards of chaos to replenish his minion supplies and maybe even invest into a few tier-two monsters. He¡¯d had his eye on some of the union¡¯s skeleton offerings. He¡¯d never had much interest in bone creatures ¨C he¡¯d decided against pursuing a minor in [Bone Architecture] during his time as a student, despite pressures from the Dean of Necromancy and Undead Studies ¨C but he couldn¡¯t deny that they were a good value. Skeletons were relatively cheap, fit Crestheart¡¯s theme, and could be customized into one of three common specialties: Knight, Archer, and Mage. With a bit of ectoplasm, he could really make some unique stuff. Plus, skeletons had an eight percent chance of dropping shards of chaos when defeated. That was low for a tier-two minion, but still much better than what he was working with now.
However, as good as those things were, the best part about skeletons was that they all had an innate [Lesser Rebuild] skill. What that meant was that every time a skeleton was destroyed, it had a fifteen percent chance of rebuilding itself once the run was complete. That was basically a discount on the purchase price!
He tempered his enthusiasm. It was easy to get caught up in the spirit of spending. Improvements were good, but like anything else, there was a sweet spot, and it was easy to overdo it. No matter what, he had to stay focused on repaying Sacre on time.
Reaching down, Vee activated the magnifying crystal that led to Alforde¡¯s arena. ¡°Hey, on your way up, will you collect the fleurs from the shopkeepers?¡±
¡°Sure thing, Vee.¡±
While he waited for the armorsoul to come back up to the office, Vee scribbled himself a note to ask Juniper for way more potions from now on. He¡¯d totally underestimated their popularity; they¡¯d been sold out since the seventh adventurer of the day. They needed twenty or thirty per shopkeeper. Even if he ended up having to pay some portion of the materials cost, the margin on the sales was high enough that it was well worth doing.
After updating Cecil¡¯s sheets, Vee directed Alforde to put the fleurs and the shards of chaos into the dungeon¡¯s vault. With the day now done, the [Dungeon Master] slowly made his way down the stairs. Sunset was close, but there was a bit of light left in the sky, and Vee wanted to go talk to his newest neighbor about his increased potion request.
The [Herbalist] wasn¡¯t in her shop and there was a frilly sign that said CLOSED hanging from the door, but Vee left a note and was confident that she¡¯d see it the next morning. The orchestra hadn¡¯t yet reported any instances of fiend attacks during the night and he didn¡¯t think that today would be any exception.
A voice behind him made him jump. Alforde¡¯s armor groaned as he brought Hammy up into a ready position.
¡°Ah-ha! I¡¯ve finally found you!¡±
Vee turned around and saw a¡tree?¡person? staring at him. The figure was short and squat, made of black wood with stars of blue bark on its arms and legs. It had big amber eyes that didn¡¯t blink, and a wily mouth that reminded him of Reginald that also seemed fixed in place. Whatever it was, it looked the worse for wear, with a series of cracks and chips along its face and body.
¡°Um, who are you?¡± Vee asked.
¡°I¡¯m Kai Ginficus, and I have a message for you, Mister Vales. You are Mister Vales, right? This is your dungeon?¡±
Satisfied that the treant wasn¡¯t some sort of assailant intent on hurting his friend, Alforde relaxed and let Hammy rest on the ground once more.
¡°That¡¯s me. What sort of message do you have?¡±
There was a creak as a hatch atop the treant¡¯s head opened up, and Vee watched with alarm as a second, smaller treant hopped up and out. His body was greenish-brown, and he had a yellow flower blossom on one shoulder. Clutched in his grasp was a thick blue leaf and Vee could see something sparkling on it.
¡°It¡¯s from the [Oracle] of my grove. I¡¯ve been traveling for days, trying to get it to you. When you¡¯re finished, I¡¯m to take your reply back to my people.¡±
Vee took the leaf and looked at it. The message was written in some kind of sap, but he could still make out the letters. It looked fairly long though, so he turned to the treant and smiled.
¡°We were going to go and get a bite to eat. Would you like to join us?¡±
The treant clapped his miniscule hands together, which caused the leaves attached to his top branches to quiver and shake. ¡°And see more of this glorious city? I¡¯d love to!¡±
And thus, Vee, Reginald, Alforde, and Kai left Westown and headed to the Grinning Pig. It was as good a place to talk business as any.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 21
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 2
Might: 8
Wit: 28
Faith: 17
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 12
Charisma: 4
Devious Mind: 14 (+1)
Leadership: 10
Guts: 4
Intimidating Presence: 5
Citizenship: 5
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 30 (+1)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 11 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 8
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 3
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 34
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 7
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 3 (+1)
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 3
Ambition: 24 (+1)
Greed: 20 (+2)
Deceptiveness: 31
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 38: Message From The [Oracle]
Vee shoveled food into his mouth as fast as he could. In the center of their table at the Grinning Pig was the letter, folded up and guarded by Kai. The little treant held a surprisingly sharp leaf in his hand that he poked into Vee¡¯s hand each time the [Dungeon Master] tried to grab it and start reading while he ate.
¡°My [Oracle]¡¯s words are not to be sullied by crumbs or bits of sauce,¡± he¡¯d crossly explained the first time. ¡°Wait until after you¡¯ve finished eating and can devote your full attention to what she¡¯s written.¡±
Big Simon came over to their table and refilled Kai¡¯s thimble with more emberberry wine. The kitrekin had clearly been beat up in the violence between Sacre and the Don, with one of his arms splinted and one of his ears missing a large chunk. Still, he laughed and joked like nothing was different than usual, and seemed to have a blast watching Kai turn progressively darker and darker with each ¡°cup¡± of wine.
¡°Think that¡¯s probably your last one, little guy. Don¡¯t want you throwing up all over my table.¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Kai insisted as he swayed a bit on his feet and landed hard. ¡°Your puny alcohols aren¡¯t nearly as strong as some of the fermented berries on the vines! Watch!¡±
The treant downed the thimble in a few quick sips as Simon roared with laughter. That was the third time such an exchange had happened. Vee waited for Kai¡¯s bark to grow a half shade darker and slowly pushed his own hand forward, creeping towards the letter with careful indifference. Don¡¯t mind me, just tapping my fingers on the table, nothing to see here, no sir.
He was stopped by the tip of the pointy leaf once again before he¡¯d even gotten close. Vee grinned sheepishly at the bonsai¡¯s glare of death, and Reginald and Alforde both chuckled.
After taking his last bite of baked chicken, pasta, and roasted peppers, Vee pushed his plate aside and gave Kai a significant look. ¡°There, can I read the letter now?¡±
Kai¡¯s eyes narrowed, but after a moment he relented and let his leaf blade fall to the table.
Vee triumphantly seized the letter, his curiosity burning in his chest. He¡¯d only read a few words of it before, after all. The leaf itself felt like paper, but when Vee unfolded it and looked at the message once more, he saw that the sap the message was written in was not much at all like ink. It was crystalized, raised, and textured so that he feared breaking a piece off if he handled the leaf with too much force. It also sparkled with green and silver light, and smelled a bit like honeydew melon. The handwriting itself was elegant and practiced. Each letter was connected to the next by a series of thin lines that looked a bit like roots, and there were a few spots here and there that looked like leaves. It must have taken forever to add such flourishes.
¡°That¡¯s the [Oracles]¡¯s own sap, and one of her own leaves too,¡± Kai said. ¡°Very rare, very special. You¡¯re a lucky human, Mister Vales.¡±
Vee squinted and felt more than a little uncomfortable. If his instincts about treant anatomy were anywhere close to correct, the idea of a letter written in one¡¯s own sap was more than a little disturbing. Couldn¡¯t the treants just use ink?
¡°Touch the words as you read them,¡± Kai instructed. ¡°It¡¯ll make more sense that way.¡±
Vee lifted his left hand over the letter but found himself hesitating. It¡¯s just sap, it¡¯s just sap. It¡¯s not blood, it¡¯s sap. Like you used to get on your fingers as a kid. It¡¯s not a big deal, Vee. Get it together.
Gently, he lowered his index finger onto the first word and suddenly he found himself in a small, dark room barely as big as the booth in the Grinning Pig. Sitting across from him was a gnarled, weathered treant who looked at him with golden eyes and a smile that vaguely reminded him of his grandmother.
¡±Hello, blue [Dungeon Master],¡± the treant said. ¡°I apologize for addressing you as such, but while the stars above have shown me many things about you, they have not seen fit to tell me your name.¡±
¡°It¡¯s Vee.¡±
However, the [Oracle] ¨C for who else could this treant possibly be? ¨C didn¡¯t seem to hear him and continued on as if Vee hadn¡¯t said anything. Her voice was soft and warm, and it caused a powerful nostalgia to blossom in Vee¡¯s chest. Listening to her he felt like a child once more, laying on a patch of sun-drenched grass in the meadow near his home where he¡¯d often played with his brother. He turned his head, half expecting to see Emory next to him. After all, he was hallucinating. But his brother was not there, and Vee¡¯s attention returned to the treant.
¡°My own given name is long since forgotten, but you may call me [Oracle], as does the rest of my grove. I wish that I could meet you in person, but alas I fear that such a thing is impossible.¡±
¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Vee asked. Again, no response. He became aware of the fact that his hand was firmly anchored to the space in front of his body, and that it moved on its own with every word the treant spoke.
¡°There are two reasons that I¡¯m writing you this letter,¡± said the [Oracle]. ¡°The first of these is to congratulate you on the founding of your dungeon. For far too long, the city of Oar¡¯s Crest has lived as if trapped in a perpetual winter. Its neighborhoods and businesses are little more than thin, bare branches. My hope is that your dungeon represents the coming of a new spring, of new life and new growth. The people of Oar¡¯s Crest deserve to live through a new chapter of their city¡¯s story instead of the droll epilogue of one long since written.
¡°However, with that hope comes a warning. Do not delve too deep into the earth to expand your dungeon. There are things sleeping there that are better left undisturbed unless you wish to carry an even heavier burden than the one that you have doubtless already started feeling. Do you believe in Fate, young man? Echoes of the past muddle the present and cloud the future, but they are not set in stone. I wish that I could better explain, but by telling you even this much, I have already altered the course of events set to happen. The stars are glaring at me if you can believe it. I will not risk anything further by saying more. Beware going too deep!
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°Enough of such talk. The second reason that I¡¯m writing this letter to you is to ask that you find a way to take my messenger, Kai Ginficus, into your service. I have foreseen that you will need as many friends and allies as you can get, and believe that Kai will be immensely helpful. He is a kind and noble [Grove Caretaker], and is strong in the ways that matter. His sap is too sour for our way of life though, and I feel that he¡¯ll be much happier in town. Should you decide to accept my request, tell him to send a message by berry. He will know what that means.
¡°Bright sun and fresh water, young man.¡±
With the last word, the image faded, and Vee was back in the Grinning Pig.
[Guts +1]
[Faith +1]
He looked up and saw that his companions were all staring at him. Alforde looked concerned, but Kai and Reginald both simply looked interested.
¡°That was¡something,¡± Vee said.
¡°What was in the letter?¡± Reginald asked. Vee glanced down at it and saw that the words he¡¯d just heard were all written there. He wondered what sort of skill the [Oracle] possessed that allowed her to send such a message. Was it something innate to the treants?
He turned the leaf towards the hat. ¡°You can read it for yourself. I would warn you not to touch the sap, but that¡¯s not something I think you need to worry about.¡±
Reginald was quiet as his eyes moved back and forth, and when he was finished he gave a thready sigh.
¡°Stargazers,¡± he muttered. ¡°Always too cryptic for their own good.¡±
¡°It would have been nice if she¡¯d warned us about exactly how deep we can go with Crestheart,¡± Vee said. ¡°I don¡¯t really relish the prospect of trying to build the dungeon upwards.¡±
¡°We don¡¯t have to worry for at least ten floors,¡± Reginald said.
Vee looked at him with a raised, expectant eyebrow.
¡°More old rumors,¡± the hat explained.
Alforde leaned in and read the letter as well. He shook his helmet. ¡°I have read many books that deal with sleeping things better left undisturbed. They always get woken up and it¡¯s always a nightmare. We should be careful.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Reginald said. His yellow spirit arms came out of his eyes and folded themselves across the middle of his hat. ¡°Like I said, we¡¯re not in any danger until at least ten floors, which is probably a long way away at our current rate of growth. Once we get to that point, we¡¯ll hire a [Surveyor] or [Treasure Hunter] or something to come and take a look around. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±
Vee paused, but let the matter drop. He felt something brush the back of his skull, but paid it no mind.
Turning to Kai, Vee pointed to the bottom section of the letter. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what you¡¯d want to do, but if you¡¯d like to work for Crestheart in some capacity, I¡¯d be happy to have you. I¡¯ll take as much help as I can get.¡±
The treant was quiet for a moment, and then a red blossom appeared on his free shoulder. ¡°I¡¯d like to stay,¡± he said. ¡°This city is incredible. There are so many people, so many smells and beautiful plants that I don¡¯t get to see out in the vineyards and orchards. But I should return my barkbody to the grove.¡±
¡°Barkbody?¡±
Kai pointed to the other side of the table, where his outer shell was sitting next to Alforde as if it were a restaurant patron. ¡°The barkbodies are some of my grove¡¯s most potent tools. They protect us [Grove Caretakers] when we tend to the vines, and I would not feel right keeping it for myself. Do you know where the aviary in town is?¡±
Vee didn¡¯t, but Big Simon did and gave them excellent directions once they paid their bill. Heading out into the frigid evening, the companions made their way down the narrow streets until they came to the tall building near the carriage station. The reek of bird droppings was heavy in the air, and only grew worse as they climbed.
On the roof of the building was an old, hunched man with no more than five long strands of greasy silver hair atop his skull. There were also a dozen cages filled with birds of all shapes and sizes.
¡°Look to be sending a message?¡± the man asked in a tired, wheezy voice. ¡°Gonna be five bronze fleurs for town, and one silver for anything outside it.¡±
Knowing that Kai didn¡¯t have any money of his own ¨C why would a treant carry coins? ¨C Vee reached into his pocket and drew out a silver fleur. He tossed it to the man and let Kai pick out his messenger. The bonsai treant walked back and forth in front of the cages, hooting and chirping with each bird in turn until he settled himself in front of a fat, sleepy pigeon that looked bored of life.
¡°This is the one,¡± Kai said. Vee had his doubts, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He simply blew into his hands in an attempt to keep them warm and rocked back and forth on his feet.
Kai clapped his hands together and closed his eyes. After a moment he glowed with green energy and a small yellow berry dropped from the branches above his head. Kai caught it and examined it closely, and when he was satisfied that it met whatever criteria he was checking it for, he passed it through the bars to the bird, who took it into its beak but did not swallow it.
The old man opened the cage, and the bird took flight, heading towards the abandoned vineyards, orchards and other farmland that made up Eastown. ¡°It¡¯ll probably be a day or so until it returns,¡± the [Birdkeeper] said. ¡°Come back tomorrow or the day after and I¡¯ll have the message for yeh.¡±
Thanking the man, Vee and his companions returned to the ground and made their way towards Sculla¡¯s boarding house. Kai was back in his barkbody and yammering about the finer points of distinction between hammers and mallets. Reginald was quiet, surprisingly.
Vee reached up and rubbed his right shoulder. It was stiff. He looked up at the stars and watched them twinkle for a moment. Replaying the words of the letter in his thoughts, the [Dungeon Master] let his mind wander.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 21
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 2
Might: 8
Wit: 28
Faith: 18 (+1)
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 12
Charisma: 4
Devious Mind: 14
Leadership: 10
Guts: 5 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 5
Citizenship: 5
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 30
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Endurance: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 3
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 34
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 7
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 3
Ambition: 24
Greed: 20
Deceptiveness: 32 (+1)
E$@$: $%
[-------------------------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Kai''s Character Sheet:
Kai Ginficus
Primary Class: Grove Caretaker (Pachi Palmatum), Level 15
Secondary Class: Barkbody Pilot (Pachi Palmatum), Level 11
Might: 8
Wit: 6
Faith: 11
Green Spirit: 22
Adventurousness: 4
Guts: 7
Bonus Content: Cresthearts Snapshot
ISSUED BY ORDER OF THE ADVENTURER''S GUILD (OAR''S CREST BRANCH)
53782 Gilded Lane
Oar''s Crest
Oar''s Crest Dungeon Snapshot:
CRESTHEART
Quick Facts At A Glance:
Dungeon Level
Number Of Floors
Normal Floor Cost (Silver)
Champion Floor Cost (Silver)
Expected Successful Payout (Silver)
Theme
1 2
3
10 16
15 21
60 - 120
Ghosts
Recommended Primary Class Level For Clearing Floors: 7* 13*
Recommended Primary Class Level For Defeating Champion: 10* 20*
Contains Ancillary Treasures/Rewards: Yes
Expected Hazards: Minions, Traps
Contains Puzzles?: Yes
Branching Paths: No YES
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
*Please note, that due to a variety of factors (Dungeon Auras, Class Advantages/Disadvantages, etc), Recommended Levels are only suggested as general guidelines. Specific results may vary.
Dungeon Information:
Summary:
Crestheart is a standard room-based dungeon with a ghost theme and multiple floors. Adventurers must clear each room in order to progress. Rooms are typically filled with minions that must be defeated, or traps that must be navigated. Upon reaching the [Dungeon Champion] Arena, Adventurers will battle the [Dungeon Champion] in a standard (SSB-protected) ring-out contest (Four (4) Stocks, Eight (8) minutes).
Dungeon Active Aura* List:
*Please consult your Guild Handbook For Successful Dungeon Challenges for complete details on each of these auras.
[Champion Regeneration] (Level 1) 2
The [Dungeon Champion] will not experience fatigue at a normal rate.
[Stacking Damage] (Level 1) 2
During [Dungeon Champion] battles, damage taken by both combatants will make it easier for them to be knocked off the stage.
[Disorientation] (Level 1) 2
Adventurers will find that their sense of direction is not reliable.
[Aura Of Fear] (Level 1) 2
Adventurers will be more prone to the effects of fear-based status ailments and will find that they are scared more easily than normal.
Champion Summary:
Name: Alforde Armorsoul
Primary Class: [Hammer Afficionado], Level 10+
Type: Melee
Weapon: Hammer
Reward Information:
Contains Intermediate Treasures?: Yes
[Dungeon Master] buys Shards Of Chaos?: Yes
Full Clear Reward Type: Jewelry (Estimated value: 60 - 120 Silver)
Bonus Content: The [Dungeon Champion] Of The Emerald Delve
Though her challenge wasn¡¯t for another four hours, Darlene Curlytail woke up and rolled out of her feather-soft bed. A wave of pain washed through her senses, and she groaned. Her hips, shoulders, and knees were all stiff and aching, but she didn¡¯t yet have the energy to stand and limber up.
Her body was turning traitor. How long had it been since it hadn¡¯t hurt to do something as simple as waking up and getting out of bed? She couldn¡¯t remember, but knew that such a time must have existed.
Hunched over her knees, Darlene sat on the edge of her bed for a few minutes, trying to will the pain away. It didn¡¯t work.
A creak across the room caught her attention as her husband opened the door to their sprawling bedroom and smiled at her. He was dressed in loose, comfortable clothing and looked as if he¡¯d been awake for a long time already. It didn¡¯t matter to Darlene that the tips of his ears were now gray instead of brown and that he was a little softer around the middle than he used to be, he was still the most handsome kitrekin she¡¯d ever seen.
Like him, she was getting older, and while her muscles were as well-defined as ever, her fur was both thinner and coarser than it had been just a year ago.
Might be time to start thinking about retirement.
That¡¯d have to wait for another time. Today she was still [Dungeon Champion]. Today she had to focus on emerging victorious from Wormwood Fairy Arena. There¡¯d be plenty of time for introspection later.
In her husband¡¯s paws was a glass filled with bubbling orange liquid, and he handed it to her as he sat down beside her and started rubbing her back. ¡°Good morning, my love,¡± he said as his paws relieved some of the stiffness from Darlene¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±
¡°Mhhmm,¡± Darlene said as she took the first sip of her traditional pre-match concoction ¨C a mixture of might, stamina, and energy potions ¨C and shuddered. The citrus flavors all blended together in a cloying mess that coated her mouth and throat and made her want to throw up. But still, she forced herself to finish the entire thing and handed the empty glass back to her husband.
¡°I¡¯m going to the hot room,¡± she said as she forced herself to stand up.
That too was part of their routine, for her husband smiled and gave her a quick kiss. ¡°Good luck today. I love you. If Magni and Serah finish their book reports, we¡¯ll all come watch you, okay?¡±
Darlene grunted to show that she¡¯d heard, and then it was off to the hot room. It was a big, pentagon-shaped space that was filled with a constant stream of balmy air. The stone tiles were all pleasantly hot to the touch, and Darlene settled herself in front of one of the air jets to take a little nap while the potion worked its magic. Before falling asleep though, she rolled around a little bit, grooming herself while basking in the glorious heat.
Her muscles were already feeling a little better, and she dozed off for the next hour or so.
When she woke again, she was relaxed and comfortable. Sitting up and stretching didn¡¯t hurt, and straight from the hot room she went to her private workout room to move her body and get herself ready for the challenge.
She didn¡¯t do anything particularly strenuous, just spent a few minutes on her flywheel machine and did some light calisthenics. All she wanted was to shake the rest of the sleep away and get herself ready to perform.
Then it was time for breakfast ¨C cold fish fillets and a heaping plate of eggs with plenty of ketchup ¨C and after that, another short nap.
With her preparations all done, Darlene walked through the hall of her mansion and checked in on her kids.
¡°Good morning, mama!¡± Magni said as she gave him a big hug. ¡°Good luck today!¡±
¡°Can we get ice cream tonight if you win?¡± Serah asked. She was smaller than her brother, and liked sweets perhaps a tad too much.
¡°You¡¯ll have to ask your father,¡± Darlene said with a smile. ¡°Now listen to me, you two. I want you both to get your book reports done this afternoon. They¡¯re due tomorrow, for goodness sake!¡±
Like magic, both kids protested at the same time, and Darlene gave them both one more hug. She kissed her husband again, and then it was off to the dungeon.
The inside of Darlene¡¯s armory was filled with all sorts of weapons, armors, and other accessories. They¡¯d all been her kit at one time or another. Horace, her boss and the [Dungeon Master] of The Emerald Delves liked to change the dungeon up every few years. He said it was good for business if people didn¡¯t get too used to a single style. He¡¯d even gone so far as to abandon the experience that had given the dungeon its name. He¡¯d traded the mining theme ¨C with carts and broken rails and all manner of extra chances at treasure and replaced it with a sprawling mountain climbing course that culminated in a race to the top of a floating inverted pyramid against Darlene.
Shaking her head, Darlene pulled on her heavy, [True Grip]-enchanted {Gloves} and fastened her {Utility Belt} around her hips. While not having to worry about armor and weapons was a nice part of the current dungeon theme, she was bored with the frantic sprint to the top of the pyramid and all of the stupid gimmicks that went along with it. She longed for the days of simple, honest battles between herself and the adventurers, when she could just let her instincts take over and didn¡¯t have to think so much.
When she was ready, Darlene left her armory and made her way to the champion¡¯s entrance of Wormwood Fairy Arena where she¡¯d wait until it was time for the challenge to start. How she hated the arena¡¯s new name! For the last decade, the dungeon¡¯s biggest sponsor had been Valkyrie Sun, an old and respected bank. But a few months ago, they¡¯d suddenly dropped their dungeon sponsorship and Wormwood Fairy, the discount absinthe brewer, had gotten the naming rights to the arena. What a disgrace.
A pair of [Dungeon Sport Reporters] made their way towards her. They were both tall, thin and tan. In fact, they could have been twins, except for the fact that one dyed her hair blonde while the other left her natural brown hair alone.
¡°Champion Curlytail, do you have a moment to talk about the upcoming match?¡± the fake-blonde asked. She was giving Darlene a [Radiant Smile], but through decades of exposure to such skills, the kitrekin champion was unaffected. Still, Horace was clear about these things. She had to at least make a show of participating in the pageantry. It was what the people wanted, after all, and it was good for the dungeon¡¯s bottom line. Come to think of it, it was good for her own pocketbook too. After all, nobody wanted to buy plush figurines of a [Dungeon Champion] without any personality.
¡°Of course,¡± she said with a small bow and a faked grin. ¡°What is it that you would like to know?¡±
This time it was the second woman who asked a question. ¡°How did you prepare for this challenge? As you know, the adventurer, Lucian Hallowse, is one of the Top 30 Adventurers To Watch, according to the [Analysts] at Dungeon Sports News.¡±
Without missing a beat, the first [Reporter] jumped in. ¡°He¡¯s great. Just a young kid, really looking to prove himself out there. Are you concerned about how you¡¯re going to deal with him?¡±
Darlene sighed. She¡¯d long since stopped caring about the specifics of any adventurer. Regardless of what their paperwork said, they were all the same. Still, she knew that she couldn¡¯t say that, and so with a flick of her tail that she hoped the [Reporters] would mistake for excitement and nerves instead of irritation, she said, ¡°My training program is pretty comprehensive, so I mostly stuck to that. I think my strength and experience are going to help me get a lead and win today, but I¡¯m not taking Mister Hallowse lightly. I¡¯m expecting a tough match.¡±
As one, the [Reporters] grinned at her and nodded. ¡°A tough match indeed. Thanks, Champion Curlytail, best of luck out there today.¡±
Grateful that the interview hadn¡¯t taken too long, Darlene nodded and walked away. Though her entrance to the arena was mostly soundproof, she could feel the vibrations from the crowd rumbling down through the walls and ceiling. Her tail puffed up a little bit, but she took a deep breath and forced it to return to its normal size. It¡¯s just a match, like one of the thousands I¡¯ve done before. There¡¯s no need to be nervous.
She bounced around a little bit to get her blood moving once more, and waited for the small yellow light in front of her door to turn green.
When it finally did, it was time for her to go out and get to work.
The first thing that Darlene heard as she walked out into the sunlight was the roar of the crowd and the elongated stretch of her last name by the [Announcer]. ¡°CUUUUUUUUURLYTAAAAAAILL!!¡±
She reached up with both paws and waved, then leapt into the air and did a single flip. When she¡¯d been younger, she¡¯d gone for two or three arial twists, but these days, one was plenty.
Looking out at the arena, Darlene felt a pinch of sadness. She remembered the first time she¡¯d seen it: a great inverted pyramid floating in the air, crackling with energy and with more moving pieces than a baby¡¯s activity table. The sections that required climbing were intermixed with large, flat platforms for both contestants to rest and show their fighting skills against various dungeon minions and [Mini Bosses]. Over twenty portals and vents ¨C the best that fleurs could buy ¨C were located around the arena¡¯s walls. They were there to help competitors regain lost time if they were knocked off the pyramid by minions or traps. Or by their opponent.
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Also flying around were the dungeon¡¯s lone concession to the safety measures imposed by the union. Forty [Cloud Dancers] floated back and forth through the sky, ready to catch either competitor and prevent a minor spectacle from turning into a major public relations headache.
There¡¯d once been a magic to the arena that was long gone now. Looking at the pyramid, she saw that she¡¯d drawn the proverbial short straw and had to ascend what was called the Heartsbane Path, a treacherous series of upper-body-strength testing rings. She¡¯d practiced traversing it enough times now to not be worried about losing her grip, but it was tedious and time consuming and would let her opponent get ahead early. Oh well, that was probably what Horace wanted anyways. He liked it when the crowd thought the adventurer was going to win big only for her to stage a rousing comeback in the last moments.
Darlene looked across the wide gulf of the arena, trying to spot her opponent. There he was, near entrance three. He wore a blue tunic and carried a large, spiky mace. What was his name again? Lucius? Langston? Doesn¡¯t matter.
¡°Good people of Adlez and those watching all around the continent, I hope you¡¯re ready for an exciting show, because today¡¯s challenge here in Wormwood Fairy Arena is going to be ELECTRIC. Our challenger has purchased the activation of [Static Field]!¡±
Darlene swore as the crowd erupted into cheers and jeers and a faint blue light covered the entirety of the pyramid. [Static Field] was an aura that made your hands and feet go a bit numb while you remained in contact with the pyramid, and it meant that her trek along Heartsbane Path was going to be even more unpleasant than usual. She glared at the adventurer though she knew he couldn¡¯t see it. Darlene had a simple rule for being a [Dungeon Champion]: if they make your life hard, you make theirs hell.
The [Announcer] finished his introductions, and started the match by activating a large horn crystal that rocked the entire arena. Darlene sprinted forward and jumped into the vent at the end of her platform, which sent her flying through the air towards the pyramid. As she landed, she lost sight of her enemy, but that was fine. She¡¯d get updates on his position from the [Announcer]¡¯s commentary and could focus on making her way up to the first of the pyramid¡¯s footpaths.
She was grateful for her gloves as her paws wrapped around the first of the many rings that she¡¯d have to swing between in order to climb. They dulled the shock of [Static Field] a little bit, and she hurried through the first dozen sets as fast as she could. As she moved, she felt the pyramid slowly start rotating. All the better to let the spectators see you and the challenger both, Horace had explained when he¡¯d first shown it to her. She still hated it.
¡°And they¡¯re both off to a quick start,¡± the [Announcer] cried. ¡°Adventurer Lucian Hollowse is climbing the forest of ropes like he was born there! And look, he¡¯s dispatched two, no wait, three silken spiders! That mace is deadly, folks! That¡¯s quite the accomplishment! Have you seen the fangs on those things? I haven¡¯t seen any fangs that even come close ¨C other than the ones on my ex-wife! Ha! Meanwhile, our [Dungeon Champion] is steadily making her way through Heartsbane Path. I cannot believe how well she¡¯s handling both the challenge of the climb and the extra challenge of [Static Field]! It¡¯s not slowing her down at all! Now, that¡¯s what it means to be a professional, folks!¡±
Darlene spat as she made it to the first of three checkpoints that would let her rest her paws for a moment. She stretched and caught her breath, bouncing up and down to avoid letting the aura do a number on her footpaws and then blazed through the second section of rings. However, on the third section, she missed her catch and tumbled through the air. She simply hadn¡¯t been able to find a grip.
One of the [Cloud Dancers] zoomed through the air and caught her. He flashed his companions a thumbs up and carried her to the nearest portal vent.
¡°Bit of bad luck, there, eh Darlene?¡±
The [Dungeon Champion] didn¡¯t respond.
¡°And that¡¯s an uncharacteristic mistake from our [Dungeon Champion]! Maybe the [Static Field] took a greater toll on her than we originally thought. Meanwhile, our adventurer has taken his first key and is making his way to the next one. Remember folks, this is a race! Each contestant needs to collect three keys from the pyramid and then reach the top. Once they¡¯re up there, the first one to use their keys to open the treasure chest will be declared the winner. Can Darlene make it up there in time?¡±
Hissing, Darlene leapt free from the [Cloud Dancer]¡¯s grip and into the portal vent. She was back in the air once more, though this time due to the pyramid¡¯s rotation she was going to land on the Staircase of Pain instead of having to deal with Heartsbane Path again. This section, despite its name, was one of the easiest first sections on the entire pyramid, and Darlene was grateful for her luck. She knew that she¡¯d need every bit of help she could get to catch up.
Well, her own strength would help too. Darlene sprinted up the steps, ignoring the fact that her breath was catching in her chest. The few minions that popped up to try and stop her met swift ends, and she was only down half a section or so when she collected her own first key. The adventurer had gotten trapped by a pair of tier-six minions.
From there, the dungeon challenge settled into a rhythm, as both Darlene and the challenger collected their second keys and made their way to the pyramid¡¯s third section before the final sprint to the treasure chest. Through a twist of fate, both of them had ended up on opposite platforms, which meant that they¡¯d both have to face one of the dungeon¡¯s [Mini Bosses].
As Darlene ran towards the rope ladder that would eventually take her to the top of the pyramid, Old Seth fell from the sky and landed heavily in front of her. Old Seth was a heavily jeweled golem wearing exquisite plate mail. In order to defeat it, one had to remove enough pieces of its armor so that it deactivated, which would open the hidden compartment on its head and allow the contestant to remove the key socketed away inside.
Darlene grinned and leapt onto the golem¡¯s shoulder. Her instincts were kicking in now. She¡¯d stopped hearing the [Announcer]¡¯s voice as soon as he¡¯d called that both her and the challenger had reached their platforms around the same time. She¡¯d caught up from her earlier mistake and was now in a position where she had the advantage. She¡¯d fought all of the dungeon¡¯s [Mini Bosses] more times than she could count, and was certain to be faster at deactivating it than an adventurer doing it for the first time.
Once I make it to the top of the pyramid, I¡¯ll wait a minute or two to see if I can¡¯t give the adventurer a taste of his own medicine. We¡¯ll see how much he likes falling.
However, as she ripped the first piece of armor free from the golem¡¯s body, two golden beams of light appeared on the platform behind her and left Serpent Knights in their place. Darlene snarled as they moved towards her.
In addition to activating (or deactivating) a given aura, those who made it to Wormwood Fairy Arena could also pay a hefty chunk of fleurs to send high-tier minions to slow down the [Dungeon Champion]. Serpent Knights were some of these. Armed with wicked spears and heavy shields, they were both tier-ten minions, which would have made them more than capable of serving as the [Dungeon Champion] for plenty of dungeons around the continent.
Such strength didn¡¯t come cheap: each Serpent Knight cost the adventurer a full thousand gold fleurs.
Her competitor really wanted to win. Or he had a bunch of money to blow. Didn¡¯t matter to Darlene either way.
With a snarl, Darlene tore the second piece of armor off Old Seth and threw it at the nearest Serpent Knight. The creature was strong and fast, but failed to dodge the jeweled plate and was pinned to the ground by it. Darlene bolted over and slew it with a single [Furious Swipe].
The second Serpent Knight thrust its spear at her, but Darlene jumped over it with ease and dispatched it with a [Backbreaking Hug]. The minion crumpled, and Darlene returned her attention to Old Seth, who swung at her with the same tired movements she¡¯d dealt with hundreds of times before. She finished ripping the golem¡¯s armor off and retrieved the key from the golem¡¯s head before the [Mini Boss] even hit the ground.
Thanks to the benefits of [Champion Regeneration], Darlene wasn¡¯t feeling particularly tired, though she was dimly aware that she¡¯d be bedridden for at least the next couple days. Luckily she only had to face a challenger once every couple weeks, which would give her plenty of time to rest and recover. Maybe she really did need to start thinking about an exit timetable.
Zipping up the ladder, Darlene saw to her horror that the adventurer was already on the top of the pyramid and sprinting towards the treasure chest. Falling to all fours, Darlene chased him and tackled him to the ground before he could insert his second key. They rolled around, grappling with each other for control. Darlene¡¯s claws ripped through the adventurer¡¯s armor, and the man¡¯s spiked mace left dozens of deep wounds in her back and shoulders. But as strong as he was, down here on the ground Darlene was in her element. Bloody though their struggle was, it was short-lived.
Springing back up to her feet, Darlene scooped up the adventurer like she was carrying a bundle of laundry. She ignored his weakening struggles as she walked to the edge of the pyramid, slowly growing aware once more of the crowd and [Announcer]¡¯s voice.
¡°This is for activating the [Static Field],¡± she muttered. ¡°That hurt.¡±
With no other ceremony, she threw the man over the edge and watched him fall. Before he¡¯d traveled any real distance, one of the [Cloud Dancers] zipped through the air and caught him as if he weighed nothing. Giving a thumbs up to indicate that the adventurer was safe, the [Cloud Dancer] carried Lucian towards the nearest entrance, where a team of [Healers] and [Medics] were already assembling to see to his wounds.
That was that, then. Triumphantly raising her paws in the air, Darlene sauntered over to where the keys had all been dropped and picked up her set. She bounded up the steps and ripped the adventurer¡¯s first key out of the treasure chest. After making a great show of looking at it closely, Darlene threw the key off the pyramid and used her own set to open the chest and formally win the challenge. There was another explosion and the air was filled with glowing pieces of confetti.
Darlene looked across at the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s box and bowed to Horace when he gave her a small nod and a smile. She could almost hear his smooth voice in her skull.
Good job, Darlene. Another victory seized from the jaws of defeat. You truly are something special, yes you are.
The [Announcer]¡¯s voice echoed in her ears. ¡°And that¡¯s it, folks! Once again, our [Dungeon Champion] has won the contest! What a race! What a wonderful exhibition of strength and talent! Let¡¯s all give it up for our challenger today, Lucian Hallowse. That¡¯s a young man with a bright future, mark my words!¡±
The crowd roared its approval once more and the sky shook, but it was like a whisper in comparison to the air-shattering howl they gave when the [Announcer] told them to cheer for Darlene.
Smiling, the kitrekin champion looked out at the sea of faces and felt their adulation fill every inch of her body. This was what it was all about. Nothing could compare to the feeling of being celebrated by thousands of people all at once. Nothing. Her husband, her children, they all faded to gray in her mind as she stood there and soaked up every bit of praise.
Basking in the glory of her victory, Darlene let out a primal roar and leapt into the air to flip once more. This time, she did three complete twists before landing.
All thoughts of retirement were pushed completely out of her mind.
Darlene''s Character Sheet:
Darlene Character Sheet:
Primary Class: Dungeon Champion (Adlez), Level 53
Secondary Class: Brawler (Self), Level 47
Might: 165
Wit: 124
Faith: 77
Intimidating Presence: 70
Guts: 62
Endurance: 84
Agility: 100
Charisma: 93
Stealth: 91
Heart of a Champion: 44
Vigilance: 30
Ambition: 65
Nurturing: 40
Chapter 39: Casino Misadventure
After the next day¡¯s runs drew to a close, it was time for Vee to make good on his bet and take Reginald to the casino outside of town. It had been another good day for Crestheart. There had been eighteen adventurers, and none of them had beaten Alforde. As such, the dungeon had another nine-hundred and four silver fleurs packed away in its vault and the armorsoul had a bit more spring in his step than usual as the trio made their way to the carriage station. If one measured by days, he¡¯d had longer winning streaks, but when counting by the number of adventurers faced this was Alforde¡¯s longest string of victories since Crestheart opened. How much longer it lasted was anyone¡¯s guess, though the addition of ¡®Shadowforde¡¯ had really boosted the [Dungeon Champion]¡¯s potency in his matches.
The station was just as grimy and dirty as it had been when Vee had first arrived in Crestheart. That felt like a lifetime ago, though it had only been a few weeks. Stepping around big piles of garbage, Vee looked around. There were a few carriages loading and unloading the meager trade goods that supported the local economy, but compared to the size of the city, their number wasn''t particularly impressive. Vee wondered why. The roads to the city weren''t that bad, were they? Surely it shouldn''t have been too hard to import and export goods, right?
He was distracted from the thought by boisterous voices nearby. In addition to the glassy-eyed grooms who saw to the animals by pushing bits of hay into their feeding troughs, a few unsavory-looking people were also loitering around the station. Some of them stared at Vee and his friends with steel-hard gazes. You don¡¯t belong here, their hollow eyes and sunken cheeks seemed to say.
¡°What are you looking at?¡± Reginald called as they made their way to the carriage that would take them out to the casino. It was smaller than the one that had brought Vee and Alforde to Oar¡¯s Crest, and the green paint on the sides was chipped and faded. The stench of body odor was strong inside and the seats weren¡¯t comfortable at all.
¡°Why is this carriage so crappy compared to the one we came in on?¡± Vee said as he winced against the backboard and failed to open the window.
¡°Different company owns it I think,¡± Alforde answered. ¡°Not Sacre¡¯s. I didn¡¯t recognize the name on the side.¡±
There were a few other people sitting in the carriage already, and none of them looked happy to be there. Most seemed to be in various stages of self-loathing. Vee shuddered as a swirl of emotions in the ethereal reached his skin. As tempting as it was, he resisted his natural curiosity and refrained from activating any of his sight skills to get a better look at the cause. He felt bad for admitting it, but he had no desire to see the ghosts and spirits that lingered near their shoulders just then. Being so close to the ghosts of good things squandered ¨C which is what he guessed they were - was particularly painful.
Reginald insisted that the trip to the casino was short, but it still took the carriage almost two hours to get there. Vee could barely walk after they disembarked, and resolved to start carrying a pillow or something inside Alforde¡¯s armor for future carriage trips.
The casino was a big, dingy boat anchored off the bank of a dirty river. It slowly bobbed up and down with the current, and Vee couldn¡¯t help but notice the massive kitrekin [Bouncers] standing outside. Unlike Sacre¡¯s goons, they made no attempt to look like anything other than thugs, dressed in tight tank tops and raggedy trousers. Both of them wore a cutlass on their hips, and Vee half expected to see one walk out of the casino entrance with an eyepatch.
Up on the ship¡¯s deck, a group of surprisingly well-dressed musicians played a variety of shanties while a handful of people danced nearby.
¡°Hang on just a second,¡± one of the guards said as he put a hand on Alforde¡¯s chest to stop the armorsoul from climbing the ramp that led inside. He pointed at Hammy. ¡°Customers aren¡¯t allowed to bring weapons inside.¡±
He directed Alforde to another [Bouncer] on the far side of the ship who had a pile of weapons behind him. ¡°Take your hammer over there and they¡¯ll give you a tag for it. You can claim it once you¡¯re finished inside.¡±
With a sigh, Alforde did as they asked, leaving Hammy atop the pile of weapons with a thin blue ribbon around its handle.
¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can,¡± Alforde said to his weapon with a sniffle. He clutched the small card in his gauntlets like it was made of solid gold.
Vee shook his head as he opened the door.
¡°Well, let¡¯s go piss away a bunch of fleurs we don¡¯t have,¡± he muttered as he followed Alforde inside.
¡°Don¡¯t count your losses before they happen,¡± said Reginald.
Vee wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d been expecting the interior of the casino to look like, but what he saw before his eyes definitely wasn¡¯t it. The wooden planks of the floor were painted purple, and there were paintings on all of the walls. Mostly nature scenes, but a few bowls of fruit here and there too. Beneath each table was a large and gaudy red and white rug. Somehow, they really tied the room together.
The staff was made up entirely of kitrekins, and they were all dressed in a similar manner to the ones standing guard outside. From dealers to servers and everyone in between, they were all armed. Most carried cutlasses, but a few had rapiers and they all looked like they knew how to use them. Admittedly, Vee hadn¡¯t really spent much time in casinos, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling that it was a little weird for there to be so many weapons. It didn¡¯t really seem¡conducive to the jovial gambling atmosphere they were probably trying to cultivate. He certainly didn¡¯t feel inclined to start dumping fleurs on the table.
Alforde left them soon after. The armorsoul had little patience for cards, and instead sat himself down in front of a slot machine. At Reginald¡¯s request, Vee plopped down at a table where the game being played was Horses.
Horses was an old, slow game that combined cards and coins in an escalating auction. Vee had learned the rules as a child, but he didn¡¯t like the game much and knew that he wasn¡¯t very good at it. If he was playing for his own gain, he would have simply put the minimum bet on the table each round until he lucked into a good draw.
Unfortunately, Reginald was calling the shots, such as they were. The hat was probably the worst player Vee had ever seen. He was little more than a novice, but like many people who have only scratched the surface of a given subject, was convinced that he was a master.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing, boss, I¡¯ve got a system,¡± Reginald assured Vee as the first round of cards went out around the table. ¡°Just do as I say, and we¡¯ll walk out of here wealthy!¡±
As it turned out, Reginald¡¯s ¡®system¡¯ relied on making a bizarre series of bets in a practice that he called ¡®hedging¡¯. However, instead of balancing risks against one another in a way that minimized downsides, the hat simply threw money at everything on the table and hoped for a lucky outcome. Naturally, as the losses started stacking up, the spirit refused to believe that his strategy sucked and insisted on simply doubling his bets over and over each time. Eventually, he explained, he¡¯d win a hand and make back all of his losses, plus doubling his original stake.
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¡°That may not be such a good idea,¡± Vee said after the fourth such double up. ¡°You¡¯re running pretty far in the red. If your luck doesn¡¯t turn soon you¡¯ll be out of fleurs.¡±
Reginald tightened his brim so much that Vee almost cried out, and the [Dungeon Master] left the hat to his business. Less than five minutes later, Reginald¡¯s bankroll was gone, and Vee found himself back at the cage, trying to get another marker so that the hat could keep playing.
The kitrekin inside wasn¡¯t terribly interested in Reginald¡¯s long-winded explanations of the various things that apparently caused ¡°a one-in-a-million streak of bad luck which your establishment may or may not be culpable for¡±, but when the hat mentioned that he was a ¡°dear and personal friend of the Little Miss,¡± the entire room fell silent.
Vee had no idea who that was, but one didn¡¯t need to be a genius to realize that it was probably someone pretty important. The gang of angry kittrekins surrounding him was a dead giveaway.
Turning around, Vee found that one of them had somehow managed to get right behind him without him hearing a sound. He smiled sheepishly in an attempt to diffuse the situation, but the kittrekin didn¡¯t reply in kind. In fact, he cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders in the universal language that meant I¡¯m going to break your face.
Vee kept smiling.
[Guts +1]
¡°I¡probably shouldn¡¯t have said that part out loud,¡± Reginald said. ¡°I forgot that people aren¡¯t really supposed to mention her. Little help here, boss?¡±
¡°What do you think I¡¯m going to do? Gawain¡¯s balls, Reginald! Now¡¯s a heck of a time to remember something like that, don¡¯t you think?¡± snapped Vee. He took a step back and found that it too was blocked by another angry [Pirate]. If ¨C when ¨C they got out of this situation, he was going to have a nice, long talk with Reginald. He wanted to know exactly who this ¡°Little Miss¡± was and why mentioning her caused such a response. And he wanted to make it clear that if Reginald kept saying dumb stuff that got Vee into trouble, the hat would find himself perched atop a rack inside one of Sculla¡¯s closets for the rest of Vee¡¯s days.
¡°Come on, everyone,¡± said the hat atop Vee¡¯s head. Only it wasn¡¯t Reginald¡¯s scratchy voice. It was rich and smooth, like high-quality chocolate and Vee had never heard it before. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all go ahead and [[Calm Down]]. There¡¯s no need for this sort of acrimony, is there?¡±
The air grew thick for a moment and Vee¡¯s vision turned slightly pink for no longer than a heartbeat. Warmth filled his limbs, and he felt a little drowsy. What did you just do, Reginald?
No answer. With a mental sigh, Vee added another topic to his upcoming chat with the [Majordomo].
Everyone was still for a moment, and it started looking a little bit like whatever Reginald had just done hadn¡¯t worked. The kittrekins still had murder in their eyes.
But then, sure enough, a noise started coming from the slot machines. Call it Salvation-ex-Slot-Machina. Chimes, bells and horns all filled the air, but they weren¡¯t alone. There was also the unmistakable jingle jangle of coins hitting the floor. That sound was the loudest of all.
Vee snapped his head to the side to get a better look. So did all the kittrekins, including the one who¡¯d been a few seconds away from socking Vee.
Standing there in the center of the slot machine area with one gauntlet up by his helmet, was Alforde. The armorsoul looked confused. He was surrounded by gold fleurs that came up to his ankles.
¡°I¡I think I won,¡± he said, as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.
Looking up at the board above the machines, Vee saw that the top prize for the slots was twenty-five hundred gold fleurs. Twenty-five hundred gold fleurs?! TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED GOLD FLEURS?!
Talk about luck! That was more than half their debt to Sacre! With all that money, they¡¯d be done paying back the loan so fast that the interest would be barely anything. He didn¡¯t have to worry nearly so much about finding other ways for Crestheart to make money! Vee felt as if his cheeks might split open because he was grinning so wide, and he leapt into the air with joy. His kneecaps were safe! Praise be to Piper! Alforde had won ¨C
Ten silver fleurs.
The armorsoul reached down and picked up his smattering of silver from the sea of gold. He held his winnings up and showed them to Vee, rubbing the coins together in his fingers.
¡°Look, isn¡¯t it lucky? I got three of the little wheel things!¡±
The world seemed to stop. Vee found that he was having a hard time breathing. A tiny salamander woman with poorly dyed blue scales emerged from behind the machine next to Alforde¡¯s, and she stumbled over the piles of gold. Her gold. Naturally, Alforde caught her before she could fall and helped her regain her balance.
Vee, on the other hand, fell to his knees unassisted. There were no words to describe how he felt. Every disappointment he¡¯d ever had in his life - and there''d been plenty! - paled in comparison to this moment. His fears and worries came rushing back, growing even stronger in his gut for their brief absence. The [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bitter as the little salamander wobbled forward and was congratulated by the kittrekins. She was laughing and there were sparkling tears of joy in her eyes.
Watching her, Vee wondered ¨C as he sometimes did ¨C if the world just¡enjoyed having a laugh at his expense. This was one of the times he was pretty sure that it did. Stupid world!
Vee felt a shift in the ethereal as a new ghost formed on his shoulder. Like the ones back in the carriage, he didn¡¯t want to look at it. He was pretty sure that it was the remnant of his hopes, and he [Banished] it right away.
That made him feel a little better.
Everyone in the casino came over to celebrate the salmander¡¯s win ¨C and maybe score some free drinks in a fit of euphoric spending ¨C and the kittrekins surrounding Vee were momentarily distracted by the flood of people. Wiggling his eyebrows at Alforde like a madman, Vee slipped away from his soon-to-be captors and scurried out of the casino.
Thankfully, all the practice Alforde had recently gotten in reading his best friend¡¯s eyebrows paid off and the armorsoul got the message. Once they were outside, Alforde hurried over and retrieved Hammy from the pile of weapons, and clutched it to his chestplate.
¡°Oh I missed you so much,¡± Alforde said. It had been less than an hour. Vee shook his head again.
They all heard a creak in the mud nearby and saw that the carriage that was hopefully headed back to Oar¡¯s Crest was pulling away. Since they had no idea when the next one would arrive and had no desire to wait around and spend more time around the kittrekins, the three friends ran for all they were worth to catch it before it got too far down the path.
It took them good deal of shouting ¨C including a promise by Vee to give the driver three gold fleurs as a tip ¨C to get the carriage to stop, but they succeeded in escaping from the riverside casino and made it back to town safely.
Vee looked at the trashy carriage station of Oar¡¯s Crest and felt like a [Sailor] touching ground for the first time after a long voyage.
¡°I swear to Gawain, I¡¯m never going back to that place,¡± Vee mumbled.
[Adventurousness -1]
Taking off Reginald, Vee looked into the hat¡¯s eyes.
¡°Now, you and I are going to have a little chat,¡± he said. ¡°Why don¡¯t we start with the exact identity of The Little Miss, eh?¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 21
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 2
Might: 8
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6 (-1)
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 12
Charisma: 4
Devious Mind: 14
Leadership: 10
Guts: 6 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 5
Citizenship: 5
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 30
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7 (+1)
Endurance: 11
Intimidating Presence: 7 (-1)
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 3
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??? (-???)
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 35 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 7
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 5 (+2)
Ambition: 24
Greed: 21 (+1)
Deceptiveness: 32
F%^*#@: ~
[-+--*-------%-%-----#--#-]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 40: Break Your Limits, Luna! (Interlude)
Luna sat down on a rock and let the team¡¯s [Medic] tend to her wounded arm. The gnarled woman dabbed some disinfecting paste into the cut and wrapped a few bandages around it. Unlike a [Healer], she couldn¡¯t truly repair the injury, but specialized in alleviating pain and preventing injuries from getting worse.
¡°[Disinfect], [Soothe Pain].¡±
A flash of blue light surrounded Luna¡¯s arm, but the [Pumpkin Witch] didn¡¯t feel any different. Her [Ignore Injury] skill meant that she hadn¡¯t even felt the monster¡¯s teeth sinking into her arm in the last scuffle ¨C nor any pain now ¨C but she appreciated the [Medic]¡¯s concern.
Luna looked down at her lance. The weapon was covered in grime and goo, and she¡¯d have to really clean it off before letting it anywhere near her head once she transformed it back into her hat.
Her mount was still on its side about ten feet away from where Luna sat, and it didn¡¯t look like it was going to start floating again anytime soon. Luna sighed. She¡¯d have to turn it into a shield for the remainder of the job, and then see if Hanako ¨C or one of her friend¡¯s many tutors ¨C could fix it for her once she got back to the city. That¡¯s fine, Luna thought. Nothing wrong with fighting on my own two feet.
Not that there was much fighting to do at the moment. The team had cleared this particular cave and the other members of her party were putting the last wounded blightbrutes to the sword¡or knife¡or spell, as it were. The splotchy yellow and green monsters grunted and screamed as they died, and Luna put her hands on her knees to stop from trembling.
This was nothing at all like dealing with fiends. Fiends were just spirits, so when she slew them they vanished in a puff of smoke and that was that. They didn¡¯t have death cries, didn¡¯t leave bodies laying behind that would be harvested for trophies to present to the guild as proof of job completion.
She shook her head. None of that mattered. A job was a job, and this one paid well. Three hundred silver fleurs for each party member! That¡¯s what mattered. Eye on the prize, Luna.
However, she didn¡¯t feel as if she¡¯d really done enough to justify her share yet. In the three caves that they¡¯d cleared so far, Luna had only dispatched two of the so-called ¡°littles¡±. The hunchback, greasy monsters were almost as tall as she was, and just as strong. Every other member of the party ¨C with the exception of Glorin who stayed back to treat any injuries as they happened ¨C had all killed a half dozen of the monsters or more.
Despite her nerves about being seen as not pulling her weight, she was grateful for the opportunity to rest and took it gladly.
I just need a chance to do something useful. Until then, I¡¯ll just keep doing my best.
The [Medic], who¡¯d been watching her intently, pressed a small birdseed and dried fruit cookie into Luna¡¯s hand. ¡°Eat this, you look like you¡¯re hungry. Are you holding up okay?¡± the woman asked.
Luna shrugged and took a bite of the cookie. It was good. A little sweet, thanks to the honey that held it all together, but not overly so.
¡°I¡¯m doing fine, I guess. This job is a lot more frantic than I was expecting it to be. Up until today, the only fighting jobs I¡¯ve ever done for the guild have been clearing fiends out of old buildings in town. I¡¯ve never been on a cave mission before.¡±
The [Medic], whose name was Glorin, nodded and dabbed a few other cuts and scrapes on Luna¡¯s arms with her paste. ¡°Well, you¡¯re doing fine so far. The first few times you go out with a party are pretty overwhelming. Especially if you¡¯re used to working by yourself. Keeping track of everyone and everything is a skill just like anything else. You¡¯ll get the hang of it eventually. Just keep your head up, do what we tell you to, and you¡¯ll make it out okay. We¡¯re almost done, anyways. Boss thinks there¡¯s only one more cave infestation. Probably less than ten blightbrutes total.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Luna said. ¡°Do you think I have time to replenish my [Pumpkin Magic] before we go on? I think I have enough for one more cave if it¡¯s like these last few, but it¡¯d be nice to not have to worry about running out if things get serious.¡±
¡°Should be fine,¡± Glorin said. ¡°But I¡¯ll go talk to Kali and make sure.¡±
Kali, the team boss, was a tall and sturdy woman with short brown hair and lots of piercings. She was a [Hunter] who wore a simple green tunic and carried a pair of long knives. At that particular moment, one of them was buried to the hilt in the stomach of a blightbrute that hadn¡¯t had the good sense to die in the team¡¯s first attack. Glorin walked over to her and the two talked quietly.
Glorin looked up and over at Luna. ¡°How long do you think your skill will take?¡±
Luna reached into her pocket and drew out the small pouch of seeds she always carried. ¡°Hmm¡maybe ten minutes or so?¡±
The medic burst out laughing as Kali yanked her knife free of the monster¡¯s guts. The boss nodded at Luna. ¡°If that¡¯s all, no problem. We could all use a breather. Do what you¡¯ve got to do.¡±
Walking over to her fallen mount, Luna sat down in the dirt and pressed a pair of seeds into the earth. ¡°[Pumpkin Magic: Recharge],¡± she said, and her senses were filled with the scent of cinnamon and cloves as she drew power from the ground.
Closing her eyes, Luna felt her wells of power slowly refilling, and once they were done she simply sat still for a few minutes more. Eventually, the vines that had sprouted to wrap themselves around her arms withered of their own accord and crumbled into dust. With that, the spell was complete.
Luna wasn¡¯t totally recharged ¨C she had less than half the pumpkin magic she¡¯d started the day with ¨C but she had enough power to handle another cave.
As she stood up, Luna saw that the other four members of the team were all watching her. For the most part, their expressions were uneasy, but Glorin was smiling.
¡°You know that you glow when you do that, right?¡±
Nodding, Luna brushed the dirt off the sides and back of her skirt as she fought back the lump in her throat. Though she¡¯d never seen herself recharging ¨C the skill required her eyes to be closed, after all ¨C she¡¯d seen her mother make night look bright as day, back before she¡¯d gotten sick. She was so beautiful back then, so full of life. Clenching her teeth, Luna banished the memories of happier times to where they normally dwelled and forced herself to smile. Stay focused on the job. Just one more cave to clear.
She reached down to her mount and checked it. Yup, it was totally and truly broken, as she¡¯d thought. Pressing her fingers into the side, Luna said, ¡°[Pumpkin Magic: Transform]!¡±
The mount was covered by more orange light and when it faded there was a nice sturdy pumpkin shield in its place. Luna strapped it to her right arm ¨C the one that was wounded ¨C and tested her range of motion. Thankfully, the injury didn¡¯t give her any trouble.
¡°Thanks for waiting, I¡¯m ready to go now,¡± she said to her companions.
In addition to Kali and Glorin, there were two other members of the party. Emmett was a pudgy [Frostmancer] with short blond hair and Harry was another [Hunter]. He was pale as could be, stick-thin, and carried a dirk longer than his forearm. Despite their differences in appearance though, the two of them were quiet, stoic men. Other than the names of their skills, Luna hadn¡¯t yet heard them say a word.
Filing into a line, the team snuck into the path that led to the next cave and paused as Kali slipped inside to take a look around. The [Hunter]¡¯s [Wraithwalk] skill didn¡¯t turn her invisible, but she was very easy to miss while it was active. Almost completely silent too.
Luna didn¡¯t dare to do anything but breathe. Here, just like the rest of the job, she¡¯d had to do her best to follow Harry¡¯s footsteps exactly because her boots weren¡¯t exactly suited to stealth and the team didn¡¯t want her alerting the blightbrutes to the team¡¯s presence. If the monsters woke up before they were already in a hopeless position, the team would be in for a rough battle.
¡°Looks like there¡¯s six littles and two bigs inside,¡± Kali said when she returned. She didn¡¯t sound happy about it. Luna didn¡¯t blame her. The job posting had explicitly stated that the only monsters in the caves were regular blightbrutes, the so-called littles. They weren¡¯t much of a problem on their own or in the groups they tended to keep, but chieftains, the so-called bigs, were a different story.
Standing the better part of fourteen feet tall and almost just as wide, bigs were hulking, scaled monstrosities that could chew rocks and spit the shards like watermelon seeds. Thanks to their broad, spiky arms, they were devilishly hard to get close to without risking serious injury, and they were deceptively nimble for their size.
A knot of fear balled itself up in Luna¡¯s stomach. She didn¡¯t know if she was ready to face such foes.
Kali shook her head and fiddled with her septum ring.
¡°I¡¯ve got a plan though. Lucky for us, both of the bigs are asleep right now. We¡¯re going to try and make that a permanent thing before dealing with the littles. Nice and simple now, eh? Harry, you and I are going to try and quietly assassinate the bigs without waking them up. Luna, hang back out here, but be ready to charge in and start making a scene if things go haywire, okay? Emmett, if things go wrong, start casting like crazy and try do as much damage as you can. Glorin, be ready with [Stretchers] and [Splints]. Better safe than sorry.¡±
The mage grunted that he understood and readied his staff. The purple crystal on the end started glowing.
The [Medic] reached into her satchel and drew out several tiny sticks. Her face hardened.
Kali met Luna¡¯s eyes and the [Pumpkin Witch] nodded, tightening her fingers around the grip of her lance.
The hunter grinned and twirled her knives. ¡°If everything goes according to plan and Shay doesn¡¯t decide to leave us any little surprises, we¡¯ll be done in no time.¡±
Guess I won¡¯t get my chance after all.
The plan made sense, but Luna still didn¡¯t like it. She¡¯d been hired to tank, and felt that it was her job to lead the charge, even though she knew that doing so would be peak stupidity. What good was a tank that stayed back, safely away from danger?
None.
However, Luna had to admit that she wasn¡¯t particularly well-suited to tanking. Unlike adventurers who had classes designed for it, she didn¡¯t have any skills that would force monsters to focus on her instead of her teammates. She didn¡¯t have [Taunt], [Provoke], nor [Cover]. All she could do was yell and scream and hope that the noise drew the attention of their enemies.
So far, the results of her tactics had been mixed, and if she was going to keep on taking tank jobs ¨C the pay was certainly good enough to consider it ¨C it might be worth going to the guild on one of her few days off and trying to unlock a class better suited to it.
Kali took a deep breath.
¡°Alright, on the count of three, okay? One¡two¡THREE!¡±
Side by side, she and Harry slunk into the cave with their weapons raised.
Luna leaned back against the wall of the passage and waited. For the next few minutes, everything was as quiet as it should have been, but then there was a loud roar, a scream that could only be Kali, and the unmistakable sound of something hitting a wall.
Harry¡¯s gritty voice followed soon after. ¡°Glorin! Kali¡¯s down! Pumpkin Girl, get in here! NOW! Emmett, do your thing! It went bad!¡±
Rime covered the walls and ceiling as Emmett¡¯s staff summoned icicles from every surface. No longer caring about making noise, Luna sprinted forward, her boots crunching against cave stones.
Once inside, Luna saw what must have happened. Though the [Hunters] had managed to successfully dispatch one of the bigs, the second one had woken in time to fight back.
The littles were stirring too, their hideous faces twisted in cruel grins. Luna looked past them, at Kali¡¯s body. From the way her limbs and head were twisted, it didn¡¯t look like she¡¯d be getting up anytime soon. Tears filled Luna¡¯s eyes and she hurried to wipe them away.
Harry had been knocked down as well, but he staggered to his feet and looked over at Glorin.
¡°She¡¯s hurt real bad. The big threw her like she didn¡¯t weigh a thing. Gawain¡¯s balls, Glorin. I think¡I think she even might be¡ª¡±
He didn¡¯t get to finish, because the surviving big planted a scaly fist into his stomach and he too went flying.
¡°Harry!¡± cried Glorin.
¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± the [Hunter] groaned as he rolled over and sat up. His dirk was gone, but like any good outdoorsman, he carried more knives than he could ever possibly use at once and reached down to his boot to retrieve one.
The big was standing between Luna and Kali, and so were the littles. Staring at the injured woman broke something in Luna¡¯s mind. This was real, this was dangerous, and if she wasn¡¯t careful or strong enough, she¡¯d join her leader.
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Now, Luna had always ¡°known¡± that adventuring was dangerous - there was an entire hallway in the guild office filled with memorials and tributes for fallen members and Luna had read almost all of them - but seeing names and dates on a piece of paper was different than seeing someone you¡¯d just spent the last few hours with lying on the ground like a discarded toy.
She felt like a fool for taking this job. If the team had a real tank, maybe this wouldn¡¯t have happened. They could have gone with a different strategy, one that wouldn¡¯t have put Kali in so much danger.
In that moment, there was one thing that was crystal clear to Luna ¨C though one pesky part of her brain refused to accept it ¨C this was her fault. It wasn¡¯t rational, but that didn¡¯t matter just then.
[Warning: [Sunny Disposition] deactivated!]
[Might -5]
[Wit -3]
[Faith -3]
[Guts -5]
But if that was the case, maybe she could fix it. Stabbing her lance into the ground, she cast, sending a wave of vines at the big and tried to bind it.
The creature laughed ¨C a harsh, guttural sound ¨C and broke free.
¡°Grok hum! Tesh¡¯ga grok hum!¡±
Raising her shield, Luna ran forward and stabbed at the creature with her lance. The blightbrute blocked and brushed her away, the way an adult might brush away a dog getting a little too enthusiastic about playtime.
Channeling her pumpkin magic into her weapon, Luna tried everything she could. None of her attacks worked and the monster¡¯s good humor seemed to be fading. It looked bored, and Luna got the feeling that a bored big might just kill her instead of keeping up this charade of a fight.
Luna¡¯s limbs were heavy and her wells of power were as dry as her lips ¨C one of which had just split.
[Caution advised: You are approaching your limit!]
[Skills may be unpredictable or fail to work properly!]
The [Pumpkin Witch] ignored the warnings, dismissing them with a growl. It wouldn¡¯t be right to say that Luna was seeing red; the haze that obscured her vision was more of a pinkish orange. A pair of the littles were coming toward her, and the stench of their breath made her want to vomit.
Raising her lance, Luna took a step forward and thrust the point into the nearest blightbrute¡¯s chest. The little wasn¡¯t fast enough or strong enough to avoid the blow, and the weapon sank into its flesh with a meaty thud. The monster let out a cry and crumpled to the ground. If she¡¯d had the saliva to do so, Luna would have spat on it. As it was, she simply stepped on the little¡¯s shoulder to get enough leverage to free her weapon and turned her attention to the second blightbrute.
She needn¡¯t have bothered. An icicle sprouted from its forehead, and it too fell to the ground.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about the littles,¡± Emmett yelled from across the room. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them. Deal with the big so that Glorin can get to Kali! You¡¯re the only one of us who can withstand its attacks!¡±
More shards of ice filled the air and harassed the remaining littles. A few bounced off the big¡¯s body, failing to even pierce its scales.
Wondering if she was about to find out the answer to whether or not there was an afterlife, Luna trusted Emmett to do his job and charged the big. As she approached, she stared into its horrible red and yellow eyes.
The monster looked calm and relaxed. It didn¡¯t care that its companions were dead. That was part of what made it a monster. Like an old friend, it smiled at Luna.
Despite the lingering chill in the air from Emmett¡¯s spells, Luna was warm and getting warmer. She didn¡¯t feel so tired anymore either. The haze in her vision was growing more intense too, but Luna could still see what she needed to.
She smiled back and attacked once again.
This time, when the big took a swing at her, Luna caught it on her shield. As it turned out, that was a stupid thing to do. She might have been feeling stronger, but she wasn¡¯t actually stronger, and the force of the blow sent her sprawling.
Hopping back up, she channeled more magic into her limbs and tried to stab the big, but her weapon was batted aside, and like Harry had been earlier, she was struck in the gut by the monster¡¯s fist.
It knocked all the wind out of her and Luna couldn¡¯t breathe for a little while. Eventually, adrenaline and pumpkin magic helped her start filling her lungs again, but it took a lot more effort to stand back up than it had before. The light surrounding her body was starting to get unpleasantly hot, but she grit her teeth, ignored it, and attacked once more. It was barely a strike. More like begging with her lance, really.
The big retaliated and Luna found herself on the ground yet again, but this time she¡¯d rolled enough to where she could see Kali¡¯s body near the monster''s legs. The [Hunter]¡¯s limbs were twisted and askew, but sure enough, Kali was breathing. The rise and fall of her chest was so slow and slight that Luna wasn¡¯t entirely sure she wasn¡¯t just imagining it at first. After handful of breaths though, there was no room for doubt.
¡°Kali¡¯s alive!¡± Luna cried, relief surging through her body. Tears of joy streamed down her cheeks.
[Notice: [Sunny Disposition] reactivated!]
[Might +5]
[Wit +3]
[Faith +3]
[Guts +5]
¡°I could have told you that,¡± Glorin yelled. She was still at the cave entrance, her little sticks in her grasp. Her face was drawn tight with worry. And with anger.
¡°Come on, girl, I can¡¯t get Kali out of there and make sure she stays alive if you can¡¯t deal with the big,¡± Glorin called. ¡°If killing it is too hard, just give me something to work with! Half a minute or so where I won¡¯t have to worry about it taking a swing at me. That¡¯s all I need. What¡¯s that energy around you for, anyways? Do something with it!¡±
Luna¡¯s old prayer echoed in her mind. Please, just give me a chance to make things right.
Well, just like she¡¯d asked for, here was her chance.
Was she strong enough to take it?
While Luna was lost in her thoughts ¨C usually a bad place to be, even when there wasn¡¯t a giant monster trying to kill you ¨CEmmett shot a [Lesser Icebolt] at the big in an attempt to give the [Pumpkin Witch] an opportunity to strike. However, unlike its companions, the big blighbrute¡¯s hide was simply too thick for the projectile to pierce its flesh and shattered into tiny, harmless pieces.
Harry had caught his second wind of sorts, and tried to get close enough to stab the monster¡¯s legs, but he couldn¡¯t get into range of the big¡¯s windmilling arms without risking death and danced away to sink his knife into another little nearby.
¡°I won¡¯t know if I don¡¯t try,¡± Luna murmured. Her mind cleared. She had no space for idle thoughts. No space for doubts. The only thing that she felt was determination. It¡¯s time to earn my reward. I¡¯m going to kill that big.
Her body wasn¡¯t so sure. Her legs didn¡¯t want to move, her lance was the heaviest thing she¡¯d ever held, and her shield like a stack of bricks strapped to her arm. Worse, her wells were desert dry.
[Warning! You are at your limit! Further uses of skills may cause irreparable damage to your wells!]
¡°Fun fact about limits,¡± Luna growled as she forced herself to stand and willed her arm to raise her shield. Her lance shook and trembled, but she managed to get it pointing in the right direction. ¡°They¡¯re meant to be broken.¡±*
Luna was hurting now. Bad. The power of [Ignore Injury] had long since been overwhelmed and it felt like every inch of Luna¡¯s body was begging for her to simply take the warning to heart and give up. She could run with Emmett, Harry and Glorin. They could escape, even though it meant they''d have to leave Kali behind.
That wasn''t ever going to be a serious option.
Luna knew what she was risking. She knew all about what happened if a [Pumpkin Witch] pushed things too far and broke her wells. She was reminded of it every morning and every night, saw the results each time she looked into her mother¡¯s glassy eyes, and lived under the weight of bills to pay for treatments that didn¡¯t work and would probably never work.
She knew, and didn¡¯t give a damn.
There was a job to be done and Luna Redhenny was not the type of person who shirked her responsibilities.
An image formed in her mind¡¯s eye. It was nothing more than a shape, nothing more than an idea, but as anyone who knows how the world works will tell you: sometimes there¡¯s nothing more powerful than an idea.
Nodding to her teammates, Luna grinned and lifted her lance towards the big in a defiant challenge. ¡°Leave everything to me, you three. I¡¯ll buy you all the time you need because I¡¯m going to kill this thing.¡±
The big laughed once again.
¡°Grok hum!¡±
Luna opened her mouth and used a skill she¡¯d never had before. She didn¡¯t know where the words came from, but there was no time to dwell on little things like that. The skill was a twenty foot tall bonfire burning in her mind, begging to be used.
¡°}|GREATER PUMPKIN MAGIC: CATAPHRACT|{!¡±
As soon as she said it, the energy coursing around Luna turned matte and started to transform.
Of course, like all good girls who invoked magical transformations to defeat evil monsters, Luna was lifted into the air. Basked in the glow of pure pumpkin magic, she slowly spun around, and her wounds were healed. The energy of her spell filled the cave with the scent of vanilla, cloves and cinnamon. Her adventuring outfit ¨C which was more or less what she wore on a day-to-day basis ¨C was replaced by a set of scale armor. Each piece was forged of glowing, chromatic pumpkins. A helmet that looked like the pumpkins carved around the harvest holidays was the last piece to appear, and once it settled itself on Luna¡¯s head, a pair of wings sprouted from her shoulders.**
Her weapons transformed too. First, Luna¡¯s shield freed itself from her arm and flew into the air. Its shape changed from a circle into a triangle as it combined with her lance. The result was a winged spear with a citrine gem fixed near the point, and it fit the [Cataphract]¡¯s hands perfectly.
Luna looked down at her glorious new appearance. She felt incredible. Her body was light and full of energy. She could do anything.
But not for long, it seemed. In the corner of Luna¡¯s vision, there was an orange gauge that was slowly draining away. She swung her spear a few times and noticed that in addition to leaving tiny orange-gold motes of pumpkin magic in the air, all of her strikes took tiny slivers of energy away from the gauge.
Getting hit would probably drain the gauge too, but Luna wasn¡¯t interested in finding out.
She didn¡¯t have to worry about her footing anymore. Thanks to her wings, her feet were still about six inches off the ground.
Pointing her spear at the blightbrute¡¯s heart, Luna began to focus her energy into the weapon. It was the same channeling she¡¯d always done, but on a much greater scale, and a heck of a lot faster.
As the weapon began to thrum with power, Luna noticed that the energy in her gauge was slowly turning transparent. Must be an indicator of how much power the attack is going to use. She watched the projected energy expenditure reach the gauge¡¯s halfway point, and then the three-quarters mark shortly after. No point in holding anything back, I guess. She let it fill to full, and the gauge flashed red.
Luna¡¯s wings flapped of their own accord, pulling her higher up into the air. She looked down and saw that loot pumpkins were sprouting out of the ground like mad near where she¡¯d been floating. That was interesting. A mental note: come back later and harvest those. Might be some nifty stuff inside.
Now, the real question: how did she go about killing this thing? She might have been a [Cataphract] for the moment, but in her heart Luna was and always would be a [Witch].
She¡¯d attack like a witch.
Sitting on her spear like it was a broomstick, Luna leaned forward and took hold of the weapon¡¯s wings. She started spinning like a drill, sending hundreds ¨C no, thousands ¨C of tiny pumpkin motes into the air. Time, as measured by her heartbeat, slowed waaay down, and she could only see a blurry outline of the blightbrute¡¯s soon-to-be-dead face.
Grok hum this, you prick.
Once again, a name burned in Luna¡¯s brain and all she had to do was open her mouth to give it shape.
¡°[Stroke of Midnight]!¡±
Her words trailed off into a scream, and like a bolt of orange-gold lightning, Luna blasted forward.
The world went dark.
[Congratulations, you are now a Pumpkin Witch, Level 30!]
[Might +3]
[Faith +1]
[Adventurousness +2]
[Guts +3]
[You have successfully broken your limits! You can now use Greater Pumpkin Magic: Cataphract to temporarily change classes in times of dire need!]
(Be careful what you wish for. There is no going back.)
*This is not, strictly, true.
**Of all the objects in the universe, few things are more thematically coherent than a magical transformation.
Luna woke up outside, and while it was still light out, the sun was starting to set on the horizon.
¡°What happened?¡± she murmured. She tried to sit up and look around, but found that she was simply too tired to move.
Harry grinned down at her.
¡°Finally awake, eh? Hey, Glorin! Luna¡¯s up!¡±
The [Medic]''s face appeared above Luna and loomed there for a moment. At first her eyes were tight with worry, but she relaxed when she saw that the only thing afflicting Luna was fatigue. She glared at Harry and Emmett and nodded. The men did as well.
¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before,¡± Glorin said quietly. ¡°You were like something out of the old stories.¡±
Luna had other things on her mind.
¡°Is Kali okay? Did I get the blightbrute?¡±
Guiding a second stretcher next to Luna¡¯s, Emmett laughed. Kali was lying on it, looking much better than she had back in the cave.
¡°Boss is still out, but she¡¯ll make it," he said. "With her injuries though, she probably won¡¯t be going out on any jobs for a while. That¡¯s fine by me. I could use the rest.¡±
Harry chimed in. ¡°As for the big, yeah, you got it. But more than that, I don¡¯t think the guild is going to need to worry about another blightbrute infestation in those caves ever again, either. I¡¯m not sure if I should thank you or curse you out for getting rid of one of our steadiest jobs. We''ll probably have to do something boring like delivering packages now.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°Here,¡± said Glorin as she shot the man another baleful look. ¡°I¡¯ll show you. Just a second, let me help you sit up.¡±
Leaning against the [Medic] for support, Luna looked down the road at the direction they¡¯d come from. She gasped. Like a giant had put its fist through it, there was a huge hole in the side of the mountain where the caves had once been, and shattered pieces of stone were scattered all around the road. Some of them were as large as a person.
¡°I did that?¡±
¡°Well, I can assure you that it wasn¡¯t any of us,¡± Glorin said. ¡°You don¡¯t remember? Gawain¡¯s balls, you must have gone deep.¡± She helped the [Pumpkin Witch] lay back down and her hardened voice changed. It was almost motherly. ¡°Listen to me, Luna. You¡¯re wasted on jobs like these. With a power like that, you should go out into the world, you know? Go find yourself a real adventuring party. Make a name for yourself. You could be something special¡hell, you could be a [Hero]!¡±
Luna laughed and winced at the ache it sent through her abs and shoulders ¡°Yeah, right. Me? A [Hero]?¡±
¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± the [Medic] said. ¡°You¡¯ll see for yourself soon enough.¡±
She continued, but Luna¡¯s head started feeling fuzzy, and though she tried not to, she fell asleep.
¡°Luna, is that you?¡± her mother called as Luna opened the door and trudged inside.
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me, ma. I¡¯m home.¡±
After taking Kali to the clinic so she could be treated by professionals, the team brought Luna home. By then, the [Pumpkin Witch] had recovered enough that she could stand on her own, though she moved like a slug travelling through molasses down the hallway and into the living room.
Luna slumped against her mother¡¯s chair and wrapped her arms around the woman¡¯s shoulders as she closed her eyes and relished the fact that she¡¯d made it home safely. Her mom looked up.
¡°Are you okay, dear? I had a terrible feeling that something bad happened to you. You were gone for so long. I was expecting you back after lunch, you know.¡±
¡°Sorry about that. My guild job took a little longer than I expected it to, but I¡¯m fine. Just a bit tired.¡±
¡°Well, you don¡¯t sound fine to me, young lady. Come over here so I can actually see you and let me take a good look at you.¡±
Luna recognized the tone in her mother¡¯s voice, so she didn¡¯t bother trying to argue. She was too tired anyways.
Sitting on the ground, Luna looked up at her mom and smiled. ¡°See, ma? I¡¯m fine, just like I said.¡±
The color drained from her mother¡¯s face..
¡°Luna¡¡± she said. ¡°Your eyes¡¡±
¡°What about my eyes? They¡¯re fine.¡±
But her mother was sobbing now and wouldn¡¯t say anything more, so Luna had to stand back up ¨C no small feat ¨C and go take a look at herself in the hallway mirror. Her eyes didn¡¯t feel any different. Her vision was fine, too. What was the big ¨C
She squealed at her reflection.
Instead of a pupil, the center of each of her eyes had been replaced by a tiny, glowing, golden pumpkin.
Luna''s Character Sheet:
Luna Redhenny:
Primary Class: Pumpkin Witch (Sarah Redhenny), Level 30 (+3)
Secondary Class: Tailor (Sarah Redhenny), Level 14
Might: 36 (+3)
Wit: 27
Faith: 22 (+1)
Loyalty: 34
Adventurousness: 33 (+2)
Guts: 33 (+3)
Hope: 22
Stealth: 7
Charisma: 24 +1
Chapter 41: Another Source Of Revenue
Vee took a sip of his coffee and leaned forward in his chair. He reached over to the small lamp on the table and fiddled with it until its light was squarely centered on Reginald. The [Dungeon Master] glared at his [Majordomo].
¡°Okay,¡± Vee said. ¡°We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You choose.¡±
Reginald sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve already said that. Like an hour ago.¡±
Vee folded his arms across his chest. ¡°It was fifteen minutes ago! Besides, if you just cracked under the pressure like you¡¯re supposed to, I wouldn¡¯t have to keep trying to come up with intimidating things to say.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not going to change my mind, boss. I¡¯m not going to tell you about The Little Miss. You really, really, should drop it. We got out of the casino without any problems, and I apologized. That should be good enough.¡±
Vee shook his head. They were both just repeating themselves at this point. For the last couple days, they¡¯d gone round and round about the enigmatic figure and he had nothing to show for his efforts. He¡¯d even tried locking Reginald in the bathroom again, but this time the hat had borne the burden much better, and remained defiantly silent.
Alforde rested Hammy against the wall and looked over at the interrogation. He shook his helmet once, then detached an arm and floated it across the room to turn the lamp off.
¡°We¡¯re out of time for this today, you two. We¡¯ve got to go to the bank and exchange the silvers for golds before heading to Crestheart. Come on.¡±
Vee hung his head. Alforde was right. He¡¯d have to accept defeat for now¡while he thought up a better way to put the squeeze on Reginald.
Alforde picked up the bulging bag of silver fleurs intended for the bank and the trio went out for the day. It was raining and a little gloomy, and the familiar streets felt strangely unsafe. Vee looked over his shoulder every few steps, vaguely anxious. The cause was a mystery. Maybe he hadn¡¯t slept enough the night before.
Or maybe it was the clanking bag of silver that attracted wolfish glances from almost every street urchin they passed.
Impossible to say, really.
He wasn¡¯t particularly worried until a trio of scruffy men wearing baggy clothes fell into step behind them. As they turned down corners and crossed street after street, Vee kept hoping that the trio would stop following them, but alas. Instead, the men got closer and closer until they were within arm¡¯s reach.
One casually put a hand on Vee¡¯s shoulder and stopped the little [Dungeon Master] in his tracks.
¡°Just a second, eh friend?¡±
Vee turned and saw that the man was grinning at him. It wasn¡¯t a friendly grin though. Not in the slightest.
¡°What do you scumbags want?¡± Reginald asked. If the man was surprised to be addressed by a hat, he didn¡¯t show it.
¡°We couldn¡¯t help but notice that your friend there has to carry that big hammer and that bag of jingle-jangles too. Why don¡¯t we lighten your load by taking the bag off your hands, huh?¡±
He casually opened his jacket and revealed a long knife tucked into his belt. ¡°Savvy?¡±
¡°Robbers, eh? Leave us alone,¡± Alforde said, taking a step forward. The armorsoul set the bag on the ground next to his feet. He hefted Hammy into his gauntlets and bent his legs a little bit, like he was getting ready for a fight in the champion¡¯s arena. Somehow, he seemed bigger and taller, and a lot less friendly.
¡°Wasn¡¯t talking to you, tin can. I¡¯m talking to your friend here, the little [Dungeon Master]. Surely you wouldn¡¯t want him to get hurt, right?¡±
Looking back at Vee, the man tilted his head to the side and moved his hand closer to the handle of his knife.
¡°If you know what¡¯s smart, you¡¯ll do as we ask, shrimp. We¡¯re trying to help you make the best of a bad situation, savvy?¡±
Vee found that the threat didn¡¯t scare him as much as it should have. The whole thing, from the prolonged pursuit to the idiotic use of the word ¡®savvy¡¯ multiple times pissed him off and stiffened his spine.
Guess I should [Escalate] things, huh?
He grinned up the would-be thief, filled with manic confidence that wasn¡¯t his own.
¡°That¡¯s kind of you. Thanks for the offer, friend, but we¡¯ll pass. Let me help you make the best of a bad situation. If you and your cronies turn around right now and leave us alone, we¡¯ll pretend this never happened. However, if you persist in thinking that you¡¯re going to threaten me into giving you our money, you¡¯ll find that you¡¯ll never again enjoy the experience of eating solid food. [Get The Picture]?¡±
Using the skill was nothing like he expected it to be. His perception of the world shifted so that everything around him looked like it¡¯d been lifted from a children¡¯s drawing. The colors were garish and didn¡¯t ¡°stay inside the lines¡±, and all the proportions were wrong.
Alforde was a big blobby mass holding a stick with a circle at the end and the men were little more than stick figures. He himself was a tiny blue and pink scribble, with a rectangular atop his head that was twice his size.
Vee couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. Sacre¡¯s version had been much more intimidating.
Still, it¡¯d get his point across. Like he was a child playing with action figures, Vee picked up the Alforde image and one of the thieves and acted out a savage, albeit unrealistic beating.
¡°Bam! Bam! Take that! Argh, my teeth! They¡¯re shattered!¡±
He emphasized the hammer slamming into the man¡¯s face a few more times for good measure, and then left the first figure on the pastel-colored street while he repeated the process for each of the man¡¯s associates. Each beating was accompanied by several more teeth-related injuries.
When he was done, he deactivated the skill and blinked as his senses returned to normal.
¡°See what I mean?¡±
The would-be-thief looked at him, and then at Alforde and then at Hammy for a long, long time. Apparently he lost his nerve, because he let his coat fall closed again, nodded uncomfortably, and backed away slowly.
¡°Right. Sorry about that, we¡¯ll be going now.¡±
Grinning, Vee planted his hands on his hips and watched them go. He turned to Alforde and gave the armorsoul a big thumbs up.
¡°Good stuff, buddy!¡±
[Intimidating Presence +1]
[Congratulations, you are now a Guy-who-takes-things-WAY-too-far, Level 3!]
And with that, they went to the bank and exchanged their silver for gold fleurs without any more issues.
Walnut came up the stairs and into the office just before the day¡¯s first adventurer was scheduled to start her run. He was still battered and bruised, but he looked much better than he had back at Angelino¡¯s.
¡°Good morning, Mister Vales. How¡¯s business?¡±
Stolen story; please report.
Vee wasn¡¯t much interested in small talk. He picked up the pouch of gold fleurs and tossed it to the gangster. Walnut caught it and opened it up to count the coins inside.
¡°Just making the minimum this week, eh? Hope that¡¯s not out of necessity.¡±
After talking it over, the trio had decided to only pay Sacre¡¯s minimums for a few weeks while their current fleur flow was more than enough to cover the repayment costs. They¡¯d stock away the extra for the next few after those while they worked to boost Crestheart¡¯s profit margins and find other streams of revenue like the potions. Then, once they were earning enough fleurs every week, they¡¯d start making lump sum payments to finish paying down the principal. If everything went to plan, they¡¯d finish early and not need to pay so much interest.
Walnut was looking at Vee expectantly. The [Dungeon Master] shrugged and fiddled with some of his controls so that they¡¯d be ready for the day¡¯s first run.
¡°The five golds that you¡¯re entitled to this week are all there. Next week you¡¯ll get ten. Now, unless you¡¯ve got something else to discuss, go ahead and get out of here. I¡¯ve got a dungeon to operate.¡±
Walnut smiled and inclined his head ever so slightly. ¡°Sure hope so, kiddo. Business always has its ups and downs though, you know? Best stay sharp. The boss has taken a shine to you. Understand? Don¡¯t go messing it up. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be coming back around, and I won¡¯t be so friendly, yeah?¡±
Vee met the man¡¯s gaze and forced himself not to look away. Eventually, the gangster was satisfied that he¡¯d made his point and turned around. He waved as he headed back towards the stairs.
¡°Be seeing you, Mister Vales.¡±
The door slammed shut and Vee looked over at Reginald. The hat was watching him and gave an approving flick of his brim before activating the magnifying crystals and welcoming the first adventurer into the dungeon.
Vee summoned Cecil and had the spreadsheet start taking note of how long it took her to clear the floor. He was pleased to see that she bought a pair of potions, too. Juniper had given them ninety potions for the day, and Vee crossed his fingers that they¡¯d sell out, though with only seventeen adventurers scheduled for runs, they might not. Vee would have to check with the [Herbalist] and see how the efficacy of her mixtures waned over time. If leftovers worked fine, he might be able to reduce the next day¡¯s batch.
The first run didn¡¯t last long, and neither did the second or the third. Easy money and half a dozen potions sold. At Reginald¡¯s suggestion, Vee summoned Do and directed him to take three potions from the second and third floors and bring them up so that the first mannequin was fully restocked.
¡°Make ¡®em think that the people who failed before them wouldn¡¯t have if they¡¯d just bought potions,¡± Reginald explained.
Vee updated Cecil¡¯s sheets with the day¡¯s potion sales, and settled down to watch the fourth adventurer¡¯s run.
The elkin was an [Battle Chef], and he carried a massive cleaver, skillet, and pair of tongs. He strode into the dungeon and bypassed the shopkeeper entirely, rushing straight to the action. Guess he didn¡¯t care why the people who¡¯d gone before him hadn¡¯t won. Oh well, he¡¯d learn soon enough.
When he met his first ghosts, the adventurer dispatched them easily with his cleaver, but instead of disappearing like they were supposed to, the pieces of the minions remained floating in the air. The [Battle Chef] collected them all, tossed them into his skillet and kindled a flame beneath the pan. He stirred them around with his tongs, and small conjurations that all looked like food started filling the air. Foodlings? Snacksters? Yummies? Foodlings probably made the most sense.
Whatever they were called, there wasn¡¯t any correlation between what went in and what came out. Some pieces of ghost turned into sausages and meat pies, others turned into loaves of bread. A few looked burnt, and it took Vee a while to realize that they were supposed to be steaks. There were some cakes and other pastry ones too, though they were far less common than the savory dishes. All of them glowed with red-orange light. Probably some sort of heat or fire attribute.
Additionally, they were creepy as heck. All of them had a pair of jiggly eyes and a mouth that looked like it was made out of wax or something.
Vee closed his eyes and reached into the ethereal. He couldn¡¯t interfere with the creations from where he was, but he wanted to see how they were constructed. He¡¯d never heard of shaping ectoplasm like that before. Surprisingly though, while the adventurer was easy enough to find, Vee couldn¡¯t sense any of the foodlings. Nor could he detect any trace of his own ghosts. Whatever skill the [Battle Chef] had used, it had totally transformed the ectoplasm into a different substance entirely. Interesting.
Vee wondered if there was any way he could talk to the adventurer later and get the details of the skill. It¡¯d be tough though, since there were still other runs to get through and most who attempted to beat the dungeon left right after losing against Alforde. Maybe he could try to come up with some sort of ¡°Consolation Caf¨¦¡± or something, where they could go and linger after their attempts and (hopefully) spend a few fleurs on refreshments. Cookies, coffee, merchandise, that sort of crap.
He added the idea to his little notebook. Another thing to think about later.
Once the elkin was finished ¡°cooking¡±, he reached down and took a piece of paper out of his pocket. He studied it for a moment, running his finger along the sheet from time to time and then pointing at various other parts of the room.
"What¡¯s he doing?¡± Vee asked. ¡°That¡¯s not our snapshot, is it?¡±
Reginald watched the adventurer check the sheet again and quivered on the table. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it. It looks like its more than one page. Son of a ¨C I think that¡¯s a dungeon guide!¡±
Though it was impossible to be sure, it certainly seemed likely. The [Battle Chef] was infallible. He dodged every pitfall, was ready for every trap. Whenever he had to fight, his foodlings would distract the dungeon minions and he¡¯d work his way through each pack, adding more and more of the creepy, hopefully-not-edible aberrations each time.
He paused now and again as he progressed, checking his papers each time he did so. Despite the auras affecting him and the shifting walls, he never lost his way or seemed to get scared of the surprises along the red path.
¡°This isn¡¯t good,¡± Reginald said. ¡°If this guy¡¯s got a guide it¡¯s a safe bet that a bunch of other challengers do too. How do you want to handle this, boss?¡±
Vee drummed his fingers on the desk while he thought. He could try to make the guides worthless by changing the dungeon constantly, but that sounded like a lot of work and might not even be that effective. While he could break the layout up and make the paths different, he couldn¡¯t really change the room shapes or pack composition all that easily. Even if they had to stumble around a little bit, knowing what each room held in store for them would be a huge disadvantage for Crestheart.
So that was out, and that meant that he¡¯d have to try to nip the problem in the bud a different way. The first thing that popped into Vee¡¯s mind was finding out where the [Battle Chef] had gotten his guide from and go try to convince the seller to stop doing so.
However, that wasn¡¯t a sure thing, either. If the seller refused, things could end up getting messy. If only there was ¨C
Vee had an idea. He grinned.
[Plotting +1]
[Devious Mind +1]
¡°Boss? Should we disqualify him? If we just let adventurers have an information advantage, we¡¯re going to end up paying through the nose when Alforde gets stretched too thin by adventurers who aren¡¯t properly worn out.¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°Nah, we¡¯ll let him keep going. He technically hasn¡¯t broken any of our rules. Besides, I have a plan that I want his cooperation for. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be willing to help us if we disqualify him now.¡±
Reaching down, Vee activated the magnifying crystal that was connected to the champion¡¯s arena.
¡°Hey buddy, when you¡¯re finished thrashing the adventurer heading your way, tell him that I want to talk to him. Okay? Make it clear that if he tries to leave he¡¯s going to be in a world of trouble. Got it?¡±
¡°Sure thing, Vee, but why?¡±
¡°Reginald and I are pretty sure he¡¯s got a dungeon guide. He hasn¡¯t taken any damage or struggled at all. It¡¯s like he knows everything we¡¯re going to throw at him before he gets there. If that¡¯s the case, I want to find out where he got it from.¡±
Alforde was quiet for a moment. Vee could hear him shifting his helmet back and forth, the way he always did when he was upset. Alforde was a firm believer in fair play. ¡°I see.¡±
¡°Feel free to let him have it, eh?¡±
The armorsoul¡¯s voice was colder than usual.
¡°Will do, Vee. Shadowforde, come on out! Let¡¯s give this guy a piece of our minds.¡±
Vee turned to Reginald. The hat was watching him intently.
¡°Care to let me in on what you¡¯re thinking, boss?¡± Vee¡¯s [Majordomo] asked.
¡°Well, I have a strong feeling that we¡¯ve just found a fresh revenue stream. The only question is what it¡¯s going to look like and how much we¡¯re going to make from it.¡±
He left it at that, and watched the [Battle Chef] open the doors to Alforde¡¯s arena.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 21
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 3 (+1)
Might: 8
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13 (+1)
Charisma: 4
Devious Mind: 15 (+1)
Leadership: 10
Guts: 6
Intimidating Presence: 6 (+1)
Citizenship: 5
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 30
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Endurance: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8 (+1)
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 3
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 35
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 7
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 6 (+1)
Ambition: 24
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 32
F%^*#@: ~
[-+--*-------%-%-----#--#-]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 42: The Official Guide Of Crestheart
Back in Crestheart¡¯s office, Vee looked at the guide in his hands. The elkin [Battle Chef] had been in a surly mood after a quick and vigorous thrashing courtesy of Alforde, and had only been too happy to give Vee his guide.
¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m ever coming back to this dungeon,¡± he¡¯d said. So much for repeat business.
The guide was five pages long, and Vee opened it. The penmanship was neat and elegant, the paper was smooth and silky, and the level of detail contained inside was genuinely surprising. There were plenty of diagrams that showed how rooms were arranged, and descriptions of the monsters one should expect in each one. Both the blue and the red path were covered, and the entirety of the final page was dedicated to Alforde. Strengths, weaknesses, special attacks, everything. It even had a note about the Reflection, though it only offered sparse details.
According to the adventurer, the man who¡¯d made and sold the guide was a toad-looking man named Torres, and he tended to hawk his wares on the southside of the adventurer¡¯s guild. Once Alforde finished up with the day¡¯s last challenger, they¡¯d tally up their earnings and then head over.
With a wild spin attack, Alforde knocked the last adventurer off the platform and with that, the day¡¯s runs were done. The armorsoul escorted the [Leadfoot] out and then came up to the office to help count the day¡¯s revenue.
Of the seventeen adventurers who¡¯d gone through Crestheart that day, fifteen had paid to try and challenge Alforde. Thankfully, despite four battles, the armorsoul¡¯s winning streak was still intact.
As far as Vee was concerned, the potion sales had been pretty good that day too. Seventy-six of ninety was a solid number, and in all, Crestheart had earned almost a thousand silver fleurs after accounting for taxes and expenses. They¡¯d gotten four shards of chaos too.
Not a bad day, all things considered.
Once Alforde put the money in the vault, Vee let him look at the guide. The armorsoul¡¯s gauntlets dwarfed the paper, and Vee noticed for the first time that there were bands of black around his friend¡¯s knuckles. He wondered what they were? Calluses? No, that didn¡¯t make any sense at all. Armor didn¡¯t grow callused. If anything, it was corrosion.
However, when the [Dungeon Master] pointed it out, Alforde simply shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about it, and you shouldn¡¯t be either. It¡¯s just armorsoul stuff.¡±
Vee had been about to suggest that it might have had more to do with [Dungeon Champion] stuff than armorsoul stuff, but he didn¡¯t press the issue. Alforde had acknowledged that he was aware of the problem, and that was that.
Instead, they turned their attention to the matter of the dungeon guide. Vee had contacted Casys, the union [Dungeon Analyst] who¡¯d given him her card and asked about the union¡¯s policies regarding dungeon guides. To his surprise and chagrin, she¡¯d told him that the union had no official position, and that the matter of how best to handle guides was solely the domain of a [Dungeon Master]. She¡¯d also told him that in all likelihood, there were multiple guides to Crestheart floating around, and there probably always would be. With the guild¡¯s help, he might be able to reduce the number, but it was far from a sure thing.
The news had been like a blow to the chest at first, but Vee was coming to terms with it. His plan was still intact. Mostly.
¡°Well, let¡¯s go see if we can find this Torres guy,¡± Vee said once Alforde handed the guide back. ¡°Hopefully he¡¯ll be trying to sell some guides for tomorrow.¡±
¡°What are we going to do if he¡¯s there, boss?¡± Reginald asked. ¡°Shake him down?¡±
Vee laughed at that. Even if it would have been effective, he doubted that he had it in him to shake someone down. He wasn¡¯t like Sacre, or even his father, who wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to threaten the man to get exactly what he wanted. But maybe that¡¯s my problem, a voice inside Vee¡¯s mind said. Maybe if I was, we¡¯d be better off.
He shook his head to clear the thought away, and put Reginald on. ¡°Nothing like that. I just want to talk to him. Let¡¯s go.
The hat seemed disappointed, but didn¡¯t complain.
Luck was on their side. When Vee peeked around the corner of the adventurer¡¯s guild, he saw that there was in fact a jowly, rotund man loitering against the back wall. He had a thin black mustache and was dressed in a long, gray trench coat. He also wore a fedora, so Vee disliked him immediately.
¡°Excuse me, is your name Torres? I¡¯d like to speak with you,¡± Vee said as he stepped out from his hiding spot and started walking towards the guide seller.
The man took one look at Vee and his eyes grew wide. Perhaps he recognized the [Dungeon Master].
Or, more likely, he recognized Reginald. In addition to being the face of Crestheart, there weren¡¯t a ton of hats in Oar¡¯s Crest that could snarl and curse you out.
Turning as fast as his doughy body could, the guide seller fled Reginald¡¯s colorful tirade and tried to escape into a nearby alley. His attempt was unsuccessful; Vee had anticipated this, and Torres found Alforde waiting for him there.
The armorsoul waved politely and rested Hammy¡¯s handle on the ground.
¡°Hi there, how¡¯s it going? My friends and I want to have a word with you about those guides you¡¯re selling.¡±
Vee caught up and walked into the alley with his hands tucked into his pockets. He pursed his lips and squinted his eyes a little bit, clearly trying to look intimidating. The effect didn¡¯t really come across; he just looked like he needed glasses.
¡°Why are you bothering me?¡± the man asked. He had a bit of an accent Vee couldn¡¯t quite place. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the only guide seller in town. Most of my competitors sell far more copies than I do, too.¡±
¡°So we¡¯ve heard,¡± said Vee. He couldn¡¯t entirely keep the bitterness out of his voice. He reached into his pocket and drew out the guide he¡¯d taken from the [Battle Chef]. ¡°But they¡¯re not as good as yours. You did make this one, right?¡±
The man¡¯s eyes lit up as he took it. ¡°Yes, of course. I only use Lowoe River paper. It¡¯s been discontinued, but I have a hefty stack of it that should last me for many more years. Do you see these perfect folds that keep the pages together? It takes me almost ten minutes to bind a single guide. Did you know that?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t. That¡¯s very interesting,¡± Vee said, though he privately wondered why anyone would say such a thing with so much pride.
¡°Nobody appreciates how hard I work on these,¡± Torres said. He was starting to talk faster now and Vee had to really try to keep up with his words.
¡°I struggle and suffer for my art, but people don¡¯t want quality. They want cheap guides, prepared by adventurers who¡¯ve been batted around by your friend here, and I¡¯m left with stacks upon stacks of beauty. Nobody appreciates my genius.¡±
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Vee waited until he was quite sure that the man had finished his thought. In his experience, artistic people ¨C which Torres clearly was ¨C tended to react negatively when interrupted, especially if they were in the middle of their spiel.
¡°It¡¯s an impressive product, that¡¯s for sure,¡± he said once he was sure that it was safe. ¡°Your dedication is impressive. Mind answering a question for me though?¡±
The man scowled at him. ¡°Are you trying to steal my secrets?¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Vee hurried to say. He¡¯d have to tread carefully. The rapport he¡¯d built with Torres until now was as thin as a sheet of paper ¨C the cheap stuff that he used, not the thick sheafs of the man¡¯s guide ¨C and he didn¡¯t want to risk tearing it in half. ¡°I just wanted to know how you get your information. My memory isn¡¯t perfect, but I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve never seen you inside Crestheart. How do you make your guides so accurate?¡±
Torres waved a hand and made a soft feh sound, as if the question wasn¡¯t worth answering. ¡°I conduct interviews, of course. Then, once I¡¯ve talked to enough people, I check my notes and assemble the aggregate information from them all. I have no need to ever set foot in your pathetic venue, little [Dungeon Master].¡±
Vee cocked his eyebrow. He was irked by the man¡¯s emphasis on ¡®little¡¯ ¨C they were almost the same height, after all! ¨C but the patronizing grin on Torres¡¯ face really pissed him off. He¡¯d seen that same smile too many times in his life. It was pleasant disdain, polite dismissal, and Vee could almost hear his father¡¯s voice saying ¡°Run along and play now, kiddo. The adults are talking.¡±
Frustration that had built itself over years boiled over in Vee¡¯s skull. Maybe I should be more like Sacre, he thought, as he clenched his fist tight in his pocket. He briefly fantasized about striking the man, but shook his head and the desire was gone. He didn¡¯t know where it¡¯d come from. I don¡¯t think I need to go that far, actually. Some change might be good, but not that far.
For a moment longer, the anger lingered, and Vee considered abandoning his plan. He didn¡¯t like Torres. Not one bit. Sometimes you just met people that rubbed you the wrong way and this was definitely one of those times.
But did that matter, though? Was it a requirement that he like someone in order to do business with them? Before coming to Oar¡¯s Crest, Vee would have said yes in a heartbeat, would have been willing to miss a good opportunity to stand on principle, but now he wasn¡¯t so sure.
He wanted Crestheart to succeed. Wanted to see it keep growing, and wanted to keep his kneecaps intact so that he could remain at the helm. In order to do that, his gut told him that he needed Torres, no matter how personally unpleasant the man was.
[Leadership +1]
Vee wrestled with this revelation for a few moments more, and then shook his head. ¡°I have a proposal for you, Mister Torres. How much do you sell your guides for?¡±
¡°Twenty-five silver fleurs,¡± Torres said. ¡°And let me assure you, with such high quality materials, that¡¯s a steal.¡±
¡°And how many do you sell a week?¡±
¡°Six or seven.¡±
Vee smiled. That was what he¡¯d hoped to hear. ¡°That must be tough to live on, given the quality of care you put into your work. Do you do anything else?¡±
¡°I¡¯m a [Stationer]. One of the finest in Oar¡¯s Crest.¡±
That made sense. Now that he was closer to Torres, Vee smelled the distinct scent of ink and glue.
¡°Well, Mister Torres, how would you like to sell a lot more copies of your guide?¡±
Now the man looked interested, and the little smirk he¡¯d had before was replaced by a greedy grin. ¡°You¡¯re not going to try and shut me down? I must admit¡I was expecting¡never mind. What did you have in mind?¡±
¡°If we¡¯re going to be up against guides anyways, Crestheart might as well have an official product we can sell too. I¡¯d like that to be yours. If you accept, you¡¯ll just keep doing what you¡¯re doing, but instead of lurking around here like a criminal, you¡¯ll be able to sell your wares right in front of the dungeon. We get between fifteen and twenty adventurers per day right now, but hope that¡¯ll increase as we keep growing. We¡¯ll even go to the guild and talk about formalizing a penalty for those caught buying or selling unofficial guides. It won¡¯t solve the problem, but it¡¯ll reduce your competition a little bit. All we ask in exchange is seven silvers per guide sold. Not a bad deal, huh?
The man balked a little bit, but Vee could see the wheels turning. ¡°That¡¯s too much,¡± Torres said. ¡°Three silvers per copy.¡±
¡°No chance,¡± Vee said, enjoying the dickering a little bit. ¡°The minimum we¡¯re willing to take is five. Anything less than that and we might as well go make the same offer to one of your competitors. If we end up selling a suboptimal guide, I¡¯m not going to lose any sleep over it. Would you rather be the one profiting or the one being cracked down on? It¡¯s your call.¡±
Vee shrugged and shut his mouth. He wanted to keep talking, to keep trying to seal the deal, but something told him that continuing to push would hurt his cause more than help it. Patience was going to be key now.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was probably no more than thirty seconds or so, Torres nodded and held out a plump hand. ¡°We have a deal, Mister Vales. Five silver fleurs a copy.¡±
Vee shook the man¡¯s hand with a grin on his face.
[Charisma +1]
Later that night, back at Sculla¡¯s, Vee was fast asleep. Alforde was standing against the wall, resting in his strange way, and Reginald was left with nothing to distract him from his thoughts.
The [Core----- Spirit] looked out at the night sky, and admired the way the twin silver moons gleamed in the darkness, but they did nothing to soothe the unpleasant tickle that consumed his entire consciousness. It was an old feeling, a nemesis that he¡¯d believed long-since vanquished.
Guilt.
Today, he¡¯d used [Suggest Thought] on Vee. It¡¯d been easy.
Far too easy.
He hadn¡¯t wanted to, had promised himself that he wouldn¡¯t, but when he saw the opportunity, he¡¯d reacted without hesitation. Reaching into Vee¡¯s thoughts, Reginald had grabbed a promising thread ¨C Maybe I should be more like Sacre ¨C and pulled it to the top.
It¡¯s not my fault, he thought. The fact of the matter is that the boy¡¯s mind is filled with insecurities and half-formed plans the way a raging river is filled with water. He¡¯s got a million thoughts like that one at any given time! I did him a favor! If I didn¡¯t intervene, he¡¯d never grow.
And it wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t tried other tactics! He¡¯d constantly thrown Vee into tricky situations in an attempt to make the lad realize that he couldn¡¯t do what needed to be done if he remained the person that he¡¯d been before arriving in Oar¡¯s Crest, but so far none of his efforts had yielded much in the way of results. No matter what he tried, Vee simply plodded forward at a pace that envied glaciers.
That settled it! Enough of trying to do things the right way! If Vee wasn¡¯t going to budge¡wasn¡¯t going to change¡then he¡¯d just have to step in and take ¨C
Reginald stopped himself. No. He¡¯d been down this path before, and he refused to do so again. In his mind¡¯s eye, he saw two smiling faces. One, a young kitrekin with brown fur and a curled tail. The other, a young man who¡¯d just wanted to protect his family and friends. His most recent failures. Decades ago, now, but still as fresh as if they¡¯d happened yesterday.
The hat bit back a bitter laugh to keep from waking his companions.
Master, is this what you meant when you told me that fighting against my nature was futile? Will I always struggle like this? Can¡¯t I change?
He hadn¡¯t been expecting a response ¨C his master was long since dead, forgotten to the world as nothing more than a figure in a children¡¯s tale ¨C but he still felt a twinge of pain when one didn¡¯t come.
Sitting there in the darkness, Reginald was left to ponder his faulty moral compass by himself.
He didn¡¯t particularly like it.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 21
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 3
Might: 8
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 5 (+1)
Devious Mind: 15
Leadership: 11 (+1)
Guts: 6
Intimidating Presence: 6
Citizenship: 5
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 30
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Endurance: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 4 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 36 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 7
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 6
Ambition: 24
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 32
Manipulat#$%@: &8
F%^*#@: ~
[*#&$#*#&$--#@$--]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 43: The Escaping Skeletons!
There was a big box in the center of the room, and it rocked back and forth of its own volition. Each time it did so, it rattled like a cup of dice.
A batch of skeletons had been delivered, and as Vee warily watched the box vibrate on the floor next to Alforde and Kai, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure that he wanted to open it.
It was all the packet¡¯s fault.
See, there¡¯d been a small packet of papers attached to the top of the box. It was an owner¡¯s guide to keeping skeletons, and Vee had eagerly removed it from its packaging and started to read, excited by the prospect of improving Crestheart by adding a new type of minion.
However, on the first page, there¡¯d been the following disclaimer:
Warning! Skeletons have an inclination towards mischief! They¡¯re strong and nimble, and can cause significant destruction and mayhem in a deceptively short amount of time.
¡°Well, what are we going to do,¡± Alforde asked. ¡°Just leave the box here like this?¡±
Vee rubbed his chin. He turned to Kai.
¡°You can talk to creatures, right? I don¡¯t suppose you speak skeleton, do you?¡±
Kai reached up and flicked one of his upper branches. His leaves rustled a little bit.
¡°I¡¯m afraid not. My [Naturetongue] only works on living creatures.¡±
Well, that was a bit of a bummer, but not the end of the world.
Vee took a deep breath. He wished that he could ask Reginald what to do, but the hat had asked to be left back in the office while everyone else settled the skeletons. The spirit had been acting strangely for the past few days, and Vee wondered what was on his [Majordomo]¡¯s mind. Every time he¡¯d tried to ask though, Reginald had just gone silent, and Vee still didn¡¯t have a good way of making him talk. He hoped that whatever was causing the problem would resolve itself soon. Life without the hat¡¯s constant yammering was simply too quiet.
Looking at the box again, Vee decided that his curiosity outweighed his caution. He wanted to see the new minions for himself. He walked over, reached down to the latch on top, and flicked the lid open.
There were two sections inside. The first took up roughly a third of the box and was filled with bundles of bones that were presumably the skeleton bodies. The rest of the box was filled with the skulls. These were apparently responsible for all the movement, as they chattered and wobbled of their own accord.
Now, in a perfect world, he could have simply removed the bodies and the heads from the box and left them as they were without any issues. However, the packet had also made it clear that the skill used to keep the skeletons animated would stop working in a week or so if the minions weren¡¯t reassembled. If that happened, he¡¯d be out the entire cost of the shipment, as he lacked the ability to reanimate them himself.
Vee sighed.
He pulled out one package of bones and a single skull and put them both on the ground. He waited for a minute or so, hoping that the pieces would like, magically combine or something. Naturally, that didn¡¯t happen. Vee opened the packet and flipped through its pages until he got to the section he was looking for. It was labeled Skelt Const.
Looking down at it, Vee saw a series of competently-illustrated but unclear images that showed a person ¨C or at least, he thought it was a person, the blobby limbs and weirdly elongated nose made it hard to be sure ¨C putting pieces together. Then, after what looked like a lot of skipped steps, there was a picture of the person putting the skull atop the body¡¯s torso. The last illustration on the page, inexplicably, showed the person and the skeleton¡dancing? Fighting? It was impossible to tell. Hopefully it wasn¡¯t important.
¡°Hey, uh, can you two give me a hand with this?¡± Vee asked. Alforde and Kai ambled over and retrieved their own skeletons, which they put down beside Vee¡¯s. ¡°Do these instructions make sense to either of you?¡±
Unwrapping their skeleton bones, the trio started trying to assemble their minions. Even though it¡¯d been simplified to be easier for non [Bone Architects], the process was slow going and quite confusing. Unlike ectoplasm, bones were solid and unforgiving. Snapping them together required a lot of strength, and more than once Vee got a fingertip pinched between pieces.
Worse, the torsos were perfectly rectangular, which meant that the arms and legs could realistically socket into either end without apparent issue. However, incorrectly placing the limbs led to their range of motion being virtually non-existent. No matter how Vee looked at the sockets, he couldn¡¯t see any differences that explained the disparity. Talk about poor design!
After fifteen minutes or so of fruitless cursing, the trio finally found success thanks to Kai. Back inside his barkbody, the bonsai treant managed to get his skeleton assembled in a manner that was approximately correct, and let Vee attach the minion¡¯s head to its body.
With Kai¡¯s help, Alforde and Vee assembled their own skeletons a few minutes later, and then it was time to activate them.
Kneeling down, Vee touched each of the skulls in turn and did his best to say the invocation on the last page of the packet. He wasn¡¯t familiar with the base language, but thankfully it seemed pretty forgiving, since all three skeletons rattled and shook to life.
They sat up and looked at each other, their jaws chattering up and down in an imitation of laughter. One bounded to its feet and the other two followed. Without warning, one reached a bony arm back and socked Vee square in the face. As the [Dungeon Master] cried out and fell to the floor with a hand clutched to his jaw, all three skeletons bolted towards the door, clattering as they fled.
True to the packet¡¯s word, the skeletons were quick, and they were free before Alforde or Kai could move to capture them.
Swearing and promising punishment as he sat back up, Vee checked his mouth and was relieved that none of his teeth had been knocked loose. There wasn¡¯t any blood either, but he was still mad as heck.
[You have been given a quest: Capture those skeletons! Would you like to accept it?]
¡°You bet!¡± Vee hollered as he stood up and followed Alforde and Kai who were already in pursuit.
[Quest: Capture those skeletons!]
[Dangers: Fiends lurking in Westown!]
[Rewards: +1 Might, reclamation of your property!]
[Description: Chase the escaped skeletons and capture them. It¡¯s probably your fault that they escaped in the first place.]
Vee disagreed but there was no point in arguing. Scowling, the [Dungeon Master] ran down the stairs to the ground floor and saw Kai sprinting away in one direction and Alforde trotting off in another.
Juniper was outside her shop, with a big watering can in her hands. She looked at Vee, extremely confused.
¡°Which way did the third skeleton go?¡± he asked. The [Herbalist] pointed to the alley to Vee¡¯s right. Nodding at her, Vee ran off after his quarry.
Kai sensed pockets of green energy all around him as he guided his barkbody after the fleeing skeleton. He chased it down one alley, and then another, surprised at the minion¡¯s ability to duck and weave into narrow spaces that would have been almost impossible for anyone bigger than him to traverse. Running in the city was totally different than running back in the grove had been, but Kai liked it. The sound of his footsteps had a nice snappy rhythm, and the thrill of the chase was strong in his sap. This was why the [Oracle] had sent him to the city! What a blessing!
Once he was in range of [Vine Anchor], Kai raised his right arm and took aim.
Activating the skill caused the panel on the barkbody¡¯s palm to spring open with a loud clunking noise, and a thick tendril with a hook seed on the end shot towards the skeleton. Kai watched its path, but he was confident in his aim, and in this narrow alley there wasn¡¯t really space for the minion to dodge.
The hook seed found its mark and the vine went taut. Kai slid to a stop and pulled, and the skeleton lost its balance and fell to the ground. Fighting back the urge to yell ¡°Yee-haw!¡± ¨C where had that come from? ¨C Kai retracted the [Vine Anchor] and pulled the minion towards him. It struggled to break free, but modern hook seeds had been carefully bred to remain attached to much larger creatures, and there was no hope of the little skeleton breaking free.
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Still, Kai wasn¡¯t taking any chances. Once he had the skeleton in his hands, he bound the minion¡¯s limbs with other vines and slung it over his barkbody¡¯s shoulder. It wasn¡¯t terribly heavy.
He considered turning around and heading back to the tower straight away, but there was a lovely patch of wildflowers at the end of the alley, and he wanted to go take a look at them.
Kneeling down, Kai took his free hand and carefully examined the stems and petals of each blossom. They were all surprisingly healthy, but Kai infused a bit of his [Green Spirit] all the same. It never hurt to bolster plants against the future.
The flowers drank the energy up and then returned some of their own. Their essence was sweet and fragrant, and Kai imagined a future in which the alley was filled with more of these lovelies.
Heck, while he was at it, why not imagine a future in which all of these buildings were covered in ivy and blossoms year round? It could be a garden paradise! Instead of cold, dead stone, Westown could be filled with life and color and beautiful green energies! Wouldn¡¯t that be a perfect place to live?
Kai thought so. With enough time, he could make it happen too. His duties for the dungeon weren¡¯t too much to keep him away, yet. Reaching up to a small crack on the wall in front of him, Kai channeled some energy and set a few plants growing.
[You have been given a quest: Make Westown beautiful. Would you like to accept it?]
Kai took a step back and considered the popup. He¡¯d only seen it a few times in his life, but the [Oracle] had been clear in her answer to his berry message: If you get the chance to put down new roots, take it.
[You can now earn points in Citizenship! Citizenship +2]
[Quest Assistance! Congratulations! You have unlocked the Verdant Builder class! Would you like to take it?]
Kai hit yes right away, and happiness filled his bark. He accepted the new class and felt himself shaking with power.
[Green Spirit + 5]
[Your vine and seed skills are now more powerful!]
[You can now use the Verdant Enclosure skill!]
His sap brimming with excitement, Kai turned around and sprinted back to Crestheart as quickly as his barkbody legs could carry him. The skeleton remained on his shoulder, almost completely forgotten.
He wanted to test out his new skill!
As he chased the skeleton, Alforde wished that he¡¯d grabbed Hammy. If he¡¯d had his trusty weapon, he could have used [Unstoppable Charge] and caught up with the minion almost instantly. As it was, he had to pursue the little jerk with his own two feet. Though the eventual outcome was never truly in doubt, it was definitely going to take more time than it should have.
After running through an empty lot, the skeleton reached a pile of debris and scrambled up. Once it reached the top, it jumped through a broken window and into the building nearby.
Groaning, Alforde circled around until he found the door and smashed it open with a good old fashioned pauldron slam. He paused and listened for a moment until he heard the distinct clattering of bonesteps up above him and started looking for stairs.
However, his progress was halted by a bevy of fiends that stepped out of the rooms on either side of the hall. Having gotten so used to Vee¡¯s orchestra, Alforde wasn¡¯t used to the pure malice and hatred that the monsters exuded, but he wasn¡¯t intimidated in the slightest. The fact that he didn¡¯t have Hammy wasn¡¯t a problem; Alforde simply raised his gauntlets and got to the good work of smashing them all to smithereens.
[Might +1]
As he sidestepped each clumsy blow directed at him, he thought about when he¡¯d helped Vee clear out the tower before opening Crestheart. It felt like a lifetime ago. He¡¯d managed to defeat a few fiends back then, but it¡¯d been hard work and he¡¯d secretly been relieved when Vee had stepped in and done most of the heavy lifting with his [Ghost Maestro] skills.
Today, he felt confident that with enough time, he could clear all of Westown singlehandedly.
There were only a few fiends left, but they were the biggest and meanest ones of the group. One, which had six arms and a gaping maw full of wicked teeth, leapt for him with its claws raised and ready to strike.
Alforde could have dodged the attack easily, but he wanted to see how much damage it would do, so he stayed in place and let it land.
He didn¡¯t feel anything, and the fiend bounced away. Alforde disposed of it with a swift right hook. The rest of the fiends were dealt with in a similar fashion, and the armorsoul climbed the stairs in time to see his target trying to jump out another window. This time though, its bony fist couldn¡¯t break the window, and Alforde closed the distance and scooped the minion up to end the chase.
¡°You were surprisingly speedy, but you¡¯re a million years too early to compete with me,¡± Alforde said.
[Wit +1]
Holding the skeleton tight, Alforde headed back to Crestheart.
It wasn¡¯t quite as bad as climbing stairs, but Vee didn¡¯t particularly enjoy running. His legs burned and his lungs never quite seemed to fill with enough air.
He kept losing sight of his skeleton as it was just a little too fast for him to keep up with, but thankfully they were in a part of Westown where there weren¡¯t a ton of branching paths. In fact, it was mostly open, and it reminded Vee of the market area in Northtown a little bit. Turning the corner, he willed his legs to keep pumping against the ground and put on a burst of speed.
[Might +1]
A few steps later, he had to be honest with himself and slowed back down to a walk. There was only so much the mind could do when the body wasn¡¯t willing.
[Might -1]
Vee scowled at the sky but shrugged the change ¨C or lack thereof ¨C away. He wasn¡¯t going to catch his target by himself. That was fine. He had other options. Gasping for breath, Vee took out his [Ghost Baton] and reached through his bond to the Medium Section of his orchestra. Once he had their attention, he ordered them to apprehend the skeleton.
He felt them abandon what they were doing and come to his aid, converging on his location from every direction. Vee raised his arms and locked his fingers behind his head. So far as he was concerned, the matter was settled. All he had to do now was wait. The fiends would take care of it.
That was just fine, because while his heartbeat wasn¡¯t still pounding in his ears like a drum, it was still plenty loud. However, as he caught his breath, Vee heard the sound of flowing water. He followed it to a canal a few streets over.
The brackish water flowing along the bottom of the channel was only a few inches deep, but it was moving quickly. Vee wondered where it was coming from, but he was far more intrigued by the possibilities the area offered. If he directed the Light Section of his orchestra to come and start cleaning the canal and the path around it, he might be able to eventually turn it into a little daytime destination for people in town with vendors and restaurants and things like that.
Admittedly, that was like, a long time away. For now, he had to stay focused on improving Crestheart.
Through his bond with the Medium Section, Vee felt the skeleton get captured and directed his minions to take the wayward pest back to the tower.
Still, he didn¡¯t totally want to abandon this new, shiny endeavor. As he made his way back, Vee reached out to the Light Section and ordered them to start cleaning the place up. It had probably been a pretty nice area, once upon a time, and there was no reason it couldn¡¯t be again.
[Citizenship +1]
[Failed to receive quest! Reason: Citizenship too low (Requires 20 points)]
Vee dismissed the popup with an irritated sigh. He¡¯d been enjoying life without constant alerts, and the prospect of having to see this particular notification every time he got a point of citizenship didn¡¯t make him want to go get more in a hurry.
Quite the opposite in fact.
Back at the tower, Vee sealed the windows and the doors with multiple layers of ectoplasm to keep the skeletons from escaping once again. If anyone wanted in or out, they¡¯d have to pass through one layer, make sure no skeletons were with them, close it up, and then go through the second layer. Tedious, but a good safety measure to take, given the circumstances.
[Quest Complete! You have successfully recaptured the skeletons!]
[Might +1 You have reclaimed your property, but now what?]
¡°We¡¯re going to have to figure out a better solution for where to keep them,¡± Vee muttered. His solution, while effective, certainly wasn¡¯t something he wanted to keep up for any prolonged period of time.
¡°I might be able to help with that,¡± Kai said. The bonsai treant explained his new class and skill, which allowed him to use a variety of warding mosses, mushrooms, ferns, and hedges to create a boundary that monsters couldn¡¯t pass through. The way he described it, it sounded a bit like making a menagerie, and Vee was intrigued. He agreed right away.
[Leadership +1]
¡°There¡¯s another empty lot a few streets over if you want to build it there,¡± Alforde said. ¡°It¡¯s not as big as the one we built Crestheart on, but it should be fine. I can show you where it is so you can get started right away.¡±
Vee wondered what time it was. The dungeon was scheduled to open pretty soon, but so long as Alforde was back before the day¡¯s first run, there wasn¡¯t anything to worry about. ¡°I can send the Medium Section along with you too,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯re not as good at building as the [Dungeon Maintainers], but they¡¯ll make sure no other fiends bother you so you can work in peace. How long do you think it¡¯ll take to finish up, Kai?¡±
The treant thought for a moment. ¡°Four or five days should be enough for a basic pen. Most warding plants are pretty quick to grow, and I¡¯ll see if Juniper wants to help, too. Her powers will really help speed things up.¡±
Vee grinned. ¡°Sounds like a plan. Make sure you¡¯re back before we open, Alforde. I¡¯ll stay here and assemble a few more of the skeletons in the meantime.¡±
The [Dungeon Champion] gave him a thumbs up and followed Kai down the stairs.
Taking a deep breath and praying that he wasn¡¯t about to let all three of the skeletons out once more, Vee opened the first layer of ectoplasm and went inside.
Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 21
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 3
Might: 9 (+1)
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 5
Devious Mind: 15
Leadership: 12 (+1)
Guts: 6
Intimidating Presence: 6
Citizenship: 6 (+1)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 31 (+1)
Wit: 11 (+1)
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Endurance: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 4
Kai Ginficus:
Primary Class: Grove Caretaker (Pachi Palmatum), Level 15
Secondary Class: Barkbody Pilot (Pachi Palmatum), Level 12 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Verdant Builder(Self), Level 1 (+1)
Might: 8
Wit: 6
Faith: 11
Green Spirit: 27 (+5)
Adventurousness: 5
Guts: 7
Citizenship: 2 (+2)
Chapter 44: The Bigger They Are...
Vee managed to assemble another two skeletons before Alforde returned and it was time for him to go up to the office to start running the dungeon for the day. He¡¯d gotten the hang of the process and might have been able to put a few more together, but had instead decided to equip the ones he had instead. He wanted to see if their appearance changed once they were turned into Knights, Archers, or Mages.
In the bottom of the box, there was a bundle of shoddy weapons. They were all made out of cheap materials, and none looked particularly intimidating. The swords for the skeleton knights were little more than thin metal rods with one end clumsily hammered to something resembling an edge, the staffs for the mages were plain old sticks, and the arrows for the archers looked like they should have had plungers on the end. Not particularly terrifying, but they¡¯d do for now. Eventually, though, Vee would have to find a [Smith] to make some proper gear for his minions.
Thankfully, equipping the skeletons was much easier than assembling them had been. He simply took his weapon of choice and handed it to the skeleton he wanted to transform. After they were equipped for about a minute or so, their eyes glowed blue and their bodies changed ever so slightly. Knights got a bit taller and bulkier, while mages shrank, and archers remained the same height but exchanged some torso height for leg length. Vee took out his notebook and sketched some basic ideas for ectoplasm cloaks or armor that he could adorn them with before they started active service in the dungeon. When he could afford it, he¡¯d go to a [Tailor] and order some basic uniforms, but right now every fleur counted. Ectoplasm outfits wouldn¡¯t win any fashion contests or set trends, but they were functional enough.
Vee smiled. There¡¯d been a time, not that long ago, when he would have kicked himself for being willing to accept anything less than the best. Growing up under his parents¡¯ roof, he¡¯d never had any reason to spare any expense. It wasn¡¯t until he made it to the academy that he¡¯d had to start learning how to count his fleurs, and the need to budget had only gotten stronger since.
Interestingly, the skeletons seemed to calm down a bit once they¡¯d been given equipment. The knight paced back and forth as if on patrol, its little sword swishing through the air. The mage sat down and looked like it was meditating, and the archer simply stood in place. With proper floor orders, he could probably make them do whatever he wanted them to do, but if he could leverage their innate behavior, he¡¯d save himself some work. Another thing to think about as he chose which type to prioritize for Crestheart.
But figuring out what blend of skeleton types he wanted and how they¡¯d slot into the dungeon¡¯s rooms was a problem for Future Vee. For now, he had to get back up to the office and manage the day¡¯s runs.
After making sure that none of the little bony jerks followed him through the first ectoplasm door, Vee sealed the room again and headed upstairs.
Reginald was still brooding on the table, but the spirit had set up his magnifying crystals and seemed ready to get to work.
¡°Who¡¯s up first?¡± Vee asked.
Reginald passed over a sheet of paper.
¡°Norog Stonegief. He¡¯s an ogre [Wrestler].¡±
Vee took the paper with a grunt. Other than Sculla, he hadn¡¯t seen many ogres in Oar¡¯s Crest.
¡°This might be trouble for Alforde,¡± he said. ¡°Ogres can be pretty nasty fighters.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not the only problem though. Take a look at where¡¯s he¡¯s from.¡±
Vee looked down at the application. For the first time, the field labeled ¡®Licensing Office¡¯ wasn¡¯t filled with the loopy Oar¡¯s Crest signature. Instead, it looked like Norog had come all the way from New Sally, a city to the far east.
Next to it, Vee saw Norog¡¯s level. His stomach sank. The [Wrestler] was level 28. That made him the highest level adventurer Crestheart had ever seen.
¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± Vee asked. ¡°We¡¯re way too low to be much of a challenge for him.¡±
Reginald rustled his brim. ¡°Some adventurers just enjoy racking up easy wins, I guess.¡±
Vee¡¯s heart started pounding in his chest. This was bad. Real bad.
¡°Any way we can just forfeit the run and pay him the full reward?¡±
¡°Sure, if you don¡¯t object to a bunch of other mid-tier adventurers coming to town and cleaning us out once the word gets out. Adventurers love an easy payday.¡±
The hat continued, ignoring Vee¡¯s expression. ¡°This is what having a dungeon is, boss. There¡¯s an unspoken contract between adventurers and dungeon owners. They come challenge us, and we have to hope that our layouts, minions, traps or [Dungeon Champion] can stop them. That¡¯s the deal. If you¡¯re not willing to adhere to that, you might as well shut this place down and go beg Sacre for mercy on your repayments, because you¡¯ll have no business being a [Dungeon Master].¡±
Vee clenched his jaw and bristled, but when he looked into the hat¡¯s eyes he saw that Reginald was only speaking the truth. Running a hand through his hair, Vee sat down and grabbed the magnifying crystal that led to the champion¡¯s arena. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said as he activated it and got ahold of Alforde.
¡°What is it, Vee?¡±
¡°I just wanted to tell you to be extra careful today, buddy. This first adventurer looks to be pretty dangerous, so keep your wits about you, okay?¡±
¡°I will. Don¡¯t worry, Vee. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±
Vee nodded and deactivated the crystal. He slumped back in his chair.
¡°I sure hope so,¡± he muttered.
Alforde watched as the doors to his arena opened. He¡¯d already summoned Shadowforde and despite the tone in Vee¡¯s voice as he¡¯d delivered his warning, the armorsoul was feeling pretty good. He was on a winning streak, and fighting the fiends earlier during his pursuit of the skeleton meant that he was already warmed up. Hammy seemed to sing in his gauntlets. They were both ready for battle. Let¡¯s get another win!
The adventurer walked in and Alforde saw that it was an ogre. A big ogre. His gray-gold skin seemed too small for his muscles, and was covered in speckles that made it look like granite. Like most full-grown ogres, his horn was almost a foot long and his fangs were so long that they looked like tusks.
Alforde tilted his helmet back so that he could see into the adventurer¡¯s eyes, and the armorsoul found himself staring into twin pools of black with a tiny red sun in the center.
¡°You are [Dungeon Champion]?¡± the ogre asked. There was a rumble of disbelief in his voice, and his accent was thick.
Alforde nodded. ¡°Indeed. What¡¯s your name?¡±
¡°Am Norog Stonegief. Are positive that you are [Dungeon Champion]? Look too puny to put up good fight.¡±
Alforde opened his chest and retrieved the SSB. He tossed it to the adventurer, but the ogre swatted it out of the air and made no move to pick it up once it landed. ¡°Don¡¯t need magic. Won¡¯t get hurt in fight. [Dungeon Champion] too small. You take though. Will need.¡±
Alforde bristled and put his own pill away. If the adventurer wasn¡¯t going to use an SSB, he wouldn¡¯t either. He didn''t need magical protection! After all, look how he''d handled those fiends earlier! They hadn''t even scratched him! He was unstoppable!
A tiny voice in the back of his helmet tried to say something, but the [Dungeon Champion] squashed the thought before it could fully form.
Aiming Hammy at the adventurer, Alforde settled into his ready stance. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you¡¯re feeling once we get started. Don''t come crying to me when you lose!¡±
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
The ogre laughed and started walking forwards. Splaying his fingers, he lifted his arms so that he looked like a toddler who wanted to be picked up.
Alforde decided he didn¡¯t feel like waiting. He ran forward and thrust Hammy into Norog¡¯s stomach. The weapon bounced away without doing any damage.
¡°Heh, that¡¯s it? Norog expecting more, to be honest.¡±
Alforde readied another swing, but stopped when he heard a voice inside his helmet. It was the same one that he¡¯d heard near the gate, the one that belonged to the mysterious figure in silver robes.
To be a champion is to know when you¡¯re outmatched. You¡¯re not yet strong enough to defeat this foe. You should surrender.
¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± Alforde grunted as his second blow bounced off Norog¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I did that last time you told me to, but that was different. Winning this fight is my responsibility.¡±
Two more attacks ended the same way as the first, and when Alforde tried a third ¨C a crushing strike to the head - Norog caught Hammy and yanked the weapon right out of Alforde¡¯s grasp.
Shadowforde lunged forward but his efforts were similarly ineffective against the adventurer and the Reflection was sent flying by a strong shove and vanished.
¡°Annoying little things,¡± the ogre said as he started to bend the weapon. ¡°Like flies, your attacks. Don¡¯t like them. Break now.¡±
With a grunt, Norog took Hammy¡¯s head in one hand and the end of its handle in the other and started bending it. The frostnickel cried as it became bowed, and eventually it could bend no further and broke under the strain.
Norog grinned as he threw the pieces of Alforde¡¯s precious weapon off the stage ¡°Better. Now you fight with own hands.¡±
Rage unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt before coursing through his body, Alforde threw himself at his enemy and started swinging his gauntlets into the ogre¡¯s body as hard as he could. This was nothing like dealing with the fiends. Instead of the cool, calm, and collected strikes, Alforde was flailing and trying to cause as much pain as possible. He didn¡¯t care where his blows landed. Head? Great. Stomach? Perfect. Arms? Fine.
¡°I¡¯m going to make you pay for that!¡±
Norog didn¡¯t fight back, he simply absorbed the punches and then after a little while, started laughing.
¡°Ta, is as I thought. [Dungeon Champion] is too puny! Time to show what real strength is.¡±
Alforde¡¯s next haymaker was stopped in mid-air by one of the ogre¡¯s massive hands. The adventurer started squeezing, and Alforde panicked. He¡¯d never felt such pressure. With his free hand he grabbed Norog¡¯s fingers and tried to pry them open, but he might as well have been trying to fold a mountain in half.
Norog squeezed harder and harder until a single crack appeared in the space between Alforde¡¯s palm and index finger. It spread rapidly, becoming a web of fractures that persisted for no longer than a few seconds before Alforde¡¯s entire gauntlet shattered into pieces.
¡°See? Little metalman, you are too weak to be [Dungeon Champion].¡±
The armorsoul howled.
Vee was already halfway down the stairs when it happened. He¡¯d left the office as soon as the ogre had taken Alforde¡¯s hammer. He¡¯d seen where things were headed, and he didn¡¯t like it. Damn you Reginald. I knew I should have had him forfeit this one.
When the blistering wave of panic and pain surged through his bond with Alforde, burning tears started rolling down Vee¡¯s cheeks. He redoubled his efforts, leaping down three stairs at a time. It was still too slow. Vee tried to skip six by jumping to the landing below, but he lost his balance and landed hard on the ground. For a moment, he was distracted by his own pain, and when Vee scrambled back up he tasted blood in his mouth from where he¡¯d bitten his lip. It didn¡¯t feel like he¡¯d hurt himself anywhere else, but Vee knew that didn¡¯t mean much. So much adrenaline was rushing through his body just then that he probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed if someone stabbed him.
He shoved the door open and ran to Crestheart¡¯s entrance. One of the adventurers waiting for his own run to start looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
¡°Everything okay, [Dungeon Master]? You look pretty upset. Your lip¡¯s bleeding something fierce too.¡±
Vee didn¡¯t bother answering as he slammed his hands into the dungeon¡¯s front door. ¡°Clear the way!¡±
Once he was inside, Vee took out his [Ghost Baton] and pointed it at the end of the hallway. ¡°[Walking Walls]!¡±
The walls groaned, but shifted so that Vee had a straight shot to the stairs leading to the second floor. Commanding every minion to follow him as he passed by, Vee ran for the champion¡¯s arena.
Before he got there, another wave of pain blasted through the bond he shared with Alforde, and it hurt so bad that Vee almost fell to his knees. He couldn¡¯t see it, but he knew that his best friend¡¯s left forearm had just met the same fate as his gauntlet.
The door to the champion¡¯s arena was just ahead, but Vee didn¡¯t think he could open it by himself. Instead, he saw with relief that Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] had heard his call and were nearby. He ordered them to open it for him instead. As it did so, Vee activated every single [Ghost Maestro] skill he could think of and started grabbing as much ectoplasm out of the air as he could. Thank Gawain that there was so much of it around.
Red and blue and green and yellow bits of light swirled around the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s body until they turned black and formed orbs around Vee¡¯s hands and face.
[You are now a Ghost Maestro, Level 22!]
[Your Shape Ectoplasm is now more powerful!]
Stepping into the arena, Vee raised his [Ghost Baton] and pointed it at the ogre¡¯s back.
¡°Stop the fight! By order of the [Dungeon Master]!¡±
The adventurer turned to look at him, and when he did so Vee could see Alforde behind the ogre¡¯s hulking frame. The armorsoul¡¯s helmet was slumped forward and his eyes were dim. His smoke drifted up into the air and dissipated.
With a grin, Norog shook his head.
¡°Rules are clear. Fight lasts eight minutes. Time not up yet.¡±
He started squeezing Alforde¡¯s bicep harder and to Vee¡¯s horror, the [Dungeon Master] realized that he didn¡¯t feel any pain coming through the bond. The sound of cracking metal filled the air.
¡°I make the rules here and I said stop the fight!¡±
He [Shaped Ectoplasm] like his life depended on it, turning the energy into bindings and shackles that he directed at the ogre. They clenched and tightened around Norog¡¯s limbs, but the adventurer didn¡¯t seem to notice or care. The cracking metal got louder.
Vee directed his attention to every minion inside Crestheart. ¡°[Would You Kindly] free Alforde from that stupid ogre¡¯s grip! Hurry!¡±
Dozens of ghosts whizzed down the hall and attacked the adventurer. They wrapped their limbs around the Norog and pulled, but they were too weak, and nothing changed. Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] added their strength too, but they also failed to make any real difference other than prompting Norog to knock them away.
Panicking, Vee made more shapes of ectoplasm and slammed them into the ogre¡¯s head and back. Boxes, balls, pyramids, anything he could think of. The air was filled with projectiles, but they all bounced right off Norog¡¯s body.
Vee was out of ideas, so he simply ran forward and started pounding on the ogre¡¯s back with his fists.
¡°Let. My. Friend. Go! Please! I¡¯m begging you! You¡¯ve already won!¡±
Vee kept at it, hardening the ectoplasm around his hands as it shattered against the adventurer¡¯s stonelike skin, but he wasn¡¯t delusional enough to think it would make a difference. He just didn¡¯t know what else to do.
To his surprise, Norog eased his grip enough that the sound of Alforde breaking stopped. Vee¡¯s efforts were apparently worth a moment¡¯s reprieve.
¡°Friend, you say?¡±
Before Vee could answer, Reginald¡¯s voice filled the room.
¡°And that¡¯s time! In accordance with dungeon run rules, this match is now over! I repeat, this match is now over! Norog Stonegief is victorious!¡±
The ogre glared up at the ceiling, but he let Alforde go and stood up. The armorsoul clattered to the ground and lay there, unmoving.
Turning to Vee, the ogre shook his head and walked over to the treasure chest at the far end of the arena. He kicked it open and took out the prize inside. Looking at the chain dangling from his hand, Norog shook his head and spat on the ground before leaving.
¡°Ta. Should have charged double. Weak dungeon. Not worth time. Friend not worthy [Dungeon Champion].¡±
Vee hurried to Alforde¡¯s side. His friend¡¯s left arm was a mangled mass of metal.
¡°Buddy? Are you okay? Alforde?!¡±
The armorsoul¡¯s eyes flickered and brightened a little bit. He tried to sit up, but toppled to the side when he tried to balance himself with a gauntlet that wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Vee?¡±
Vee helped his friend up. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry I lost.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Vee said as he looked at the ceiling. ¡°Reginald, can you hear me? Go ahead and cancel the rest of the day¡¯s runs. We¡¯ve got to get Alforde repaired right away.¡±
[Congratulations, you are now a Dungeon Master, Level 11!]
[Leadership +1]
¡°Will do, boss.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 22 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 3
Might: 8
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 5
Devious Mind: 15
Leadership: 12 (+1)
Guts: 6
Intimidating Presence: 6
Citizenship: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 24 (-6)
Wit: 10
Faith: 22 (-2)
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Endurance: 11
Intimidating Presence: 7 (-1)
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 36
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 7
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 7 (+1)
Ambition: 24
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 32
Manipulat#$%@: &8
F%^*#@: ~
[*#&$#*#&$--#@$--]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 45: The Further They Push You Forward
Sweating and out of breath, Vee helped his friend into the office and tumbled to the floor. He gasped, doing his best to catch his breath. The adrenaline that had been surging through his body was fading now, and with its absence came his own sensations of pain. His knees felt as if they¡¯d been sanded, and when he tried bending his right wrist back, he almost cried. Making a trip to a [Healer] jumped up several spots on his to-do list.
[Might +1]
Well, that was something, at least. More of a tin lining than anything, but heck, Vee would take it. Sitting up, he looked over at Alforde. The armorsoul was sitting next to Dheart and looked tired, but he gave Vee a reassuring thumbs up with his intact gauntlet.
¡°Stop looking at me like I¡¯m about to die,¡± Alforde said with a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m not made out of glass, Vee. I¡¯ll be fine. My arm doesn¡¯t even really hurt anymore.¡±
Sure enough, the black smoke coming out of Alforde¡¯s stump had slowed to a trickle and looked like it would soon stop completely.
¡°How bad is the injury?¡± Reginald asked.
¡°Other than the obvious, I can¡¯t say for sure,¡± Alforde said. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell how severe the cracking to my upper arm is just by looking at it. I think I¡¯m going to need to use [Armorsoul Diagnostics].¡±
¡°How long do you think you¡¯ll be out?¡± Vee asked. [Armorsoul Diagnostics] was a special skill that sent an armorsoul into a trance-like state while they assessed the extent of their injuries. Vee hadn¡¯t ever seen Alforde use it, but he¡¯d read in the histories of the Old Mad King ¨C who¡¯d been the first to summon and bind armorsouls to do his bidding over five hundred years ago¨C that the diagnostic process could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
¡°It shouldn¡¯t be too long,¡± Alforde said. ¡°The damage is serious but it¡¯s pretty localized. I don¡¯t have to worry about examining like my legs or anything like that. Hopefully I¡¯ll be done in a couple hours.¡±
¡°Take as long as you need,¡± Vee said. ¡°In the meantime, Reginald and I will discuss what to do about the dungeon.¡±
Alforde nodded, and his eyes vanished into his helmet as he activated his skill. His body slumped a little bit, and every now and then a strange wheezing sound fluttered out of his wounded arm.
Vee looked up at Reginald and saw that the hat was staring at him. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, boss? It looks like you¡¯ve got a bone to pick.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want anything like this to ever happen again,¡± Vee said. As he talked, he found that his words started coming faster and he clenched his fists. ¡°I knew that Norog was bad news, and I wanted Alforde to forfeit, but you talked me out of it.¡±
¡°No, I explained why forfeiting was a bad idea and you agreed with me,¡± Reginald said. He spoke slowly, with the tone of a parent explaining something to a child for the thousandth time.
¡°Same difference,¡± Vee said. ¡°I would have kept the fight from happening if you hadn¡¯t warned me off it.¡±
Reginald¡¯s gaze darkened into a glare and his voice changed once again. The next time he spoke, he sounded much older.
¡°Are you seriously trying to blame this on me? Gawain¡¯s balls, Vee, you¡¯re such a child! Allow me to explain how the world works. My job as your [Majordomo] is to tell you about things that you might have missed or not considered properly, and that¡¯s what I did. Your job as [Dungeon Master] is to take what I say into account and overrule me if necessary if its what¡¯s best for Crestheart. If you¡¯re serious about preventing something like this from happening again, you¡¯re going to have to get more comfortable with doing that. A leader who doesn¡¯t take responsibility is no leader at all.¡±
An angry retort jumped to the tip of Vee¡¯s tongue, but he bit it back. Reginald was right. He should have overruled him and made Alforde forfeit the fight. Or, barring that, he should have prevented the battle from starting once he saw that neither combatant had taken the SSB. As crappy as it felt to admit it, both of those were things he could have done and the consequences for failing to do either rested solely with him.
He wrestled with that realization, trying to find a way to ignore it the way he¡¯d ignored dozens ¨C if not hundreds ¨C of similar thoughts over the years, but came up short. Maybe that was a good thing.
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he finally said, and that was that.
[Guts +1]
For once, Reginald didn¡¯t start crowing or gloat at all. He simple twitched his brim and changed the subject to how the dungeon was going to operate while Alforde recovered.
¡°We can just run as a two-floor dungeon for a while,¡± Vee said. ¡°Unless there¡¯s an easy modification we can make to the champion¡¯s arena to turn it into some sort of trap or puzzle room.¡±
¡°Well, if that¡¯s an option I could challenge adventurers to a trivia battle down there. I know all sorts of random crap!¡± Reginald said. His voice had returned to normal, and Vee had to smile at the silliness of his suggestion.
¡°I don¡¯t think many adventurers would go for that,¡± said Vee.
¡°Probably not, boss, but it¡¯s an idea, right?¡±
When Alforde woke up a few hours later, he announced that the damage to his arm was bad enough that it¡¯d take almost two months for him to heal on his own. That was more time than they were willing to lose ¨C even without the looming specter of repaying Sacre ¨C so the trio decided to head to the armor and weapon shop where Alforde had originally bought Hammy and see if they¡¯d be willing to sell Alforde a replacement forearm and gauntlet.
The shop was small and cramped, but Vee couldn¡¯t help but like it as he followed his friend inside. The sound of hammering was coming from the back of the room, but it wasn¡¯t loud enough to be distracting. If anything, it was oddly satisfying. Clink, clink, clink!
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Things were stacked tightly together, but they were well organized: swords and shields were on the left wall, polearms and other weapons were on the right, and full suits of armor were neatly arranged near the back.
A tall man with brown skin and silver hair looked up from the counter and smiled at the sight of Alforde.
¡°Mister Alforde! It¡¯s lovely to see you again! How¡¯s that hammer treating ¨C¡°
He stopped when he saw the armorsoul¡¯s injury. ¡°You¡¯re going to want Glenda,¡± he said. Turning his head to the back of the shop, he cupped his hands around his mouth. ¡°Honey, there¡¯s a customer here for you!¡±
¡°Just a second!¡±
A few minutes later, the sound of hammering stopped, and a woman dressed in sooty clothes came out front. She was slightly darker than her husband, and her muscular shoulders and arms were covered with geometric tattoos.
After Alforde showed her his wounded arm, she directed the armorsoul to sit down on a small stool near the counter, and went back the forge to retrieve a magnifying glass.
¡°Well, now, it¡¯s been almost nine years since I last worked on one of your kind,¡± she said as she started her examination. However, it soon became obvious that the years hadn¡¯t caused her skills to get rusty in the slightest. Like a bee traveling between flowers during a nectar flow, she gracefully moved from one spot after another. Occasionally, she touched some part of Alforde¡¯s arm, rubbing her thumb and index finger across the metal, or jotted down notes in a small pad beside her.
Though Vee had no idea how, the examination took almost twenty minutes. Alforde¡¯s arm wasn¡¯t that big!
¡°I can see why you want a replacement,¡± Glenda said. ¡°But in my professional opinion you¡¯re better off going all the way up to the pauldron. Some of the cracks run up that far anyways. Damage like this doesn¡¯t just happen randomly. What exactly were you doing?¡±
Alforde explained his battle with Norog, and both Glenda and her husband ¨C whose name was Jared ¨C swore and spat at the end.
¡°What a vile creature,¡± Glenda said as she shook her head. ¡°May he have a thousand years of bad luck! So, what do you think? Full arm replacement?¡±
¡°Hmm. That¡¯d be nice,¡± Alforde said slowly with a look at Vee. ¡°But that¡¯s probably more fleurs than we¡ª¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about the cost,¡± Vee interrupted. He met Glenda¡¯s eyes and nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll pay whatever it takes to get him fixed up.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± she said as she stood back up. ¡°Do you have any ideas about what you want? I know it¡¯s not the way you would have probably liked to do it, but this is a perfect chance to get an upgrade if there¡¯s one you¡¯ve had your eye on.¡±
Alforde looked at Vee again. The [Dungeon Master] waved his hand.
¡°Well,¡± Alforde said. ¡°I was thinking that I¡¯d like to maybe try some frostnickel¡¡±
Leaving Alforde, Glenda and Jared to work out the details of the armorsoul¡¯s new arm ¨C his tolerance for matters of metal was woefully sparse ¨C Vee decided to go to the adventurer¡¯s guild. His knees were burning with every step as his scraped skin rubbed against his pantlegs, but he grit his teeth and moved on. The [Armorer]¡¯s curse had given him an idea.
After taking a number and waiting to be seen, Vee walked up to the [Receptionist] and put his hands on the counter.
¡°How can I help you?¡±
Vee leaned forward. ¡°Is there a way to file a complaint against an adventurer?¡±
It quickly became apparent that the [Receptionist] couldn¡¯t answer Vee¡¯s question, but she referred the [Dungeon Master] to a higher ranking employee who could.
This man, a thin and spindly fellow wearing a white shirt with red sleeves, listened to Vee¡¯s tale with a serious expression ¨C and the added benefit of [Detect Lie] and [Detect Falsehood] ¨C before sighing heavily at the end. He reached up and rubbed the bridge of his thin nose, and Vee couldn¡¯t help but notice a few prominent hairs sticking out of the left nostril.
¡°That is extremely disappointing,¡± he said. ¡°Refusing to adhere to the rules of a champion battle is a serious offense, as is intentionally causing such harm to a [Dungeon Champion]. I want to assure you that the guild takes this type of thing extremely seriously. It might be a day or two, but I promise you that we¡¯re not going to just let this pass.¡±
¡°What are you going to do?¡±
¡°As much as we can. Since we¡¯re not his home office, our options are slightly limited, but Norog Stonegief won¡¯t be allowed to take any jobs from our board for the next year. I¡¯m sure the other branches in the area will agree to do the same. I¡¯ll also write a letter to the branch at New Sally right away and ask that they sanction him officially.¡±
¡°What does that mean?¡±
¡°Should they choose to do so, an official sanction would prevent the adventurer from completing any formal dungeon runs for a period of three years.¡±
Vee whistled through his teeth. A year of no adventurer work in the area and possibly three years of not being allowed to enter official dungeons seemed like a good place to start, but he heard the caveat in the man¡¯s words. Should they choose to do so.
¡°Is that unlikely to be the case?¡± he asked.
The man shook his head and steepled his fingers. ¡°Sadly, the guild branch in New Sally has been¡disorganized lately. There are rumors of staff discontent and managerial incompetence. Sadly, I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any truth to them, but I will admit that there¡¯s a non-zero chance that they¡¯ll ignore our request.¡±
Drumming his fingers on the desk, Vee nodded. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, I might have to consider other options then.¡±
This earned him a pair of raised eyebrows. ¡°Other¡options, sir? Surely you aren¡¯t thinking of doing anything¡rash, are you?¡±
¡°Rash? Certainly not,¡± Vee said as his mind started racing a mile a minute. ¡°Whatever gave you that idea?¡±
The man¡¯s voice turned to nothing but garble as Vee sank into his thoughts. He was going to make Norog pay, even if it took years. Nobody hurts my friend like that.
He politely waited for the droning voice to pause, and then held up his hands.
¡°If the guild branch in New Sally won¡¯t take action in this matter where it¡¯s obvious that an adventurer has violated the rules, then I¡¯ll have no choice but to take matters into my own hands,¡± Vee said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing rash about that, is there?¡±
When the man couldn¡¯t answer, Vee thanked him for his time and left.
As he walked back towards the armor shop, Vee started to come up with a plan.
[Plotting +1]
[Congratulations, you are now a Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far Level 4!]
¡°Hardly,¡± Vee said. ¡°If anything, I have the opposite problem.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 22
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 4 (+1)
Might: 9 (+1)
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 14 (+1)
Charisma: 5
Devious Mind: 15
Leadership: 12
Guts: 7 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 6
Citizenship: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 24
Wit: 10
Faith: 23 (+1)
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Endurance: 11
Intimidating Presence: 7
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 36
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 7
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 8 (+1)
Ambition: 24
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 30 (-2)
Manipulat#$%@: &8
F%^*#@: ~
[*#&$#*#&$--#@$--]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 46: Vee Balances The Books
Whistling to pass the time, Vee leaned back against the twisted trunk of the tree that marked the entrance to Pisser¡¯s Alley and waited. Now, Pisser¡¯s Alley wasn¡¯t its real name ¨C the street sign said Bloom¡¯s Way ¨C but nicknames had a way of capturing the truth of a place more than the idle fancies of a city planner, and everyone called it Pisser¡¯s Alley instead. The reason for the nickname was obvious; the narrow and winding street was ¡°out back¡± for no fewer than four taverns, and the drunken patrons who stumbled outside in the wee hours of the morning weren¡¯t exactly known for having strong bladders or caring much about where they relieved themselves. Surprisingly, it didn¡¯t smell as bad as Vee expected.
Reaching up with his right thumb and index finger, Vee used [Shape Ectoplasm] and pulled energy out of the air. A small globe formed in his palm. That wasn¡¯t what was supposed to happen. Shoot. I must have drawn the energy in too fast.
Frowning, Vee pressed his hands together and squeezed the globe until it broke apart. The ectoplasm felt gritty, like wet sand, and Vee brushed his palms clean before letting the energy dissipate back into the air around him. Wiping his brow, Vee took a deep breath and shook his head.
¡°Come on, Vee,¡± the [Ghost Maestro] muttered to himself as he closed his eyes and pinched his fingers together once more. ¡°This isn¡¯t hard. You can do this. You¡¯ve already done it a bunch of times. Focus up.¡±
As he drew the energy towards himself this time, Vee made sure to only allow a trickle of power into the air above his palm. He shaped the ectoplasm into strands finer than hair and wove them into knots. As they collected and congealed, the air started changing color.
At first, Vee wasn¡¯t even sure that he saw the pinkish hue, but after a few more minutes, it looked like red wine was swirling above his fingers. Vee grinned. It certainly looked like he¡¯d made miasma, but he wanted to be absolutely sure. Leaning forward, Vee took a tiny sniff and immediately recoiled. The ectoplasm-thickened air didn¡¯t smell bad, but the miasma was highly noxious, and he got lightheaded pretty quickly.
Reeling, Vee lost his focus and the miasma dissipated away. That was fine. He¡¯d just repeat the process until he got what he wanted. It wasn¡¯t as if he was in any rush. After all, sunset was still a little while away and he needed it to be dark before putting his plan into action.
Crestheart had closed early that day since the overwhelming majority of adventurers weren¡¯t interested in trying a run if they couldn¡¯t fight against Alforde at the end. It didn¡¯t seem to matter to them that, statistically speaking at least, barely any of them would even reach the [Dungeon Champion], let alone have a chance of beating him. Adventurers were weird, man, but then, who was he to judge? He was lurking next to a tree!
At least he had a good reason for doing so. With Alforde going to Glenda¡¯s to resume his fitting and Reginald still acting cagey, Vee had been free to spend the day as he saw fit. He¡¯d gone into town, made a beeline for The Grinning Pig, and started asking questions.
Well, really, it was just two questions: Was Norog Stonegief still in town? Where could he be found?
Courtesy of Big Simon, Vee got word that the ogre was in fact still hanging out around Oar¡¯s Crest. Apparently, Norog had taken to spending his evenings in the taverns around Pisser¡¯s Alley and challenging people to drinking contests. The tavern masters didn¡¯t much care for his loud and boisterous manner, nor his penchant for roughing up their businesses, but the adventurer¡¯s pockets were heavy enough with coin to keep him from getting kicked out. Not to mention, there probably weren¡¯t more than a handful of people in the city that could actually force him to leave.
Closing his eyes, Vee practiced summoning miasma some more. Each time, he did it a little faster and felt it getting a little easier too. It shouldn¡¯t be too much longer before ¨C
[Congratulations, you can now use the Summon Miasma skill!]
There it was. He¡¯d been willing to go through with his plan even if he hadn¡¯t gotten a skill to make summoning the miasma easier, but he breathed a sigh of relief all the same. Things would certainly be easier if he didn¡¯t have to constantly focus on controlling the flow of ectoplasm to maintain the flow of toxicity. Instead of balancing it by hand, he could simply increase or decrease his effort on the skill.
With his tactic set, Vee tried to relax. All he had to do now was wait for darkness.
It was an hour or so after sunset when Vee finally spotted his quarry. The door to one of the taverns slammed open, and a hulking figure stepped outside. The horned silhouette was impossible to mistake. Norog. The ogre was swaying like a tree in the middle of a windstorm as he made his way further down the alley to add his contribution to the street¡¯s namesake, and that was when Vee made his move.
[Guts +1]
There were a few other patrons taking advantage of the alley, but none of them paid much attention to Vee as he scurried past them.
He stopped a few feet behind the ogre and waited for the adventurer to hunch forward. When he did so, Vee opened his palms and activated his new skill.
Since it was so dark, it was kind of hard to see the air changing, but Norog¡¯s cough was a good hint that [Summon Miasma] was working properly. Until the noxious mist was fully formed, it¡¯d be no worse for the ogre than sitting too close to a campfire burning green wood. The adventurer lifted a hand and waved it in front of his face, dispersing some of the toxic fumes into other parts of the alley. Thankfully there weren¡¯t any drunks near enough to be caught in the skill. Vee added more power to his miasma and waited, until the ogre eventually stumbled and fell to his knees.
¡°[Mean Mug],¡± Vee muttered as he scowled at the others in the alley. ¡°What are you all looking at? Go back inside and don¡¯t breathe a word about this to anyone if you know what¡¯s good for you.¡±
They stared at him for a moment and Vee silently prayed to Gawain. He breathed a sigh of relief when they finally did so.
[Intimidating Presence +1]
[Your Mean Mug skill is now more powerful! Most people now see you as someone to keep from crossing!]
[Not exactly the most subtle approach though.]
[Devious Mind -2]
That¡¯s great, because if anyone recognizes me and start telling stories, I¡¯m going to be in a lot of trouble. Like a lifetime in prison¡¯s worth.
The [Ghost Maestro] couldn¡¯t afford to focus on that now though. He had to direct his attention to the delicate balancing act of the miasma¡¯s strength. If it was too weak, he¡¯d be in danger of likely-lethal retaliation from Norog, but if the skill was too strong he¡¯d be a murderer before the hour was up. Two equally undesirable outcomes.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
¡°Gluh¡.coward¡¡± Norog groaned as he tried to breathe through the soupy poison.
Vee knelt down a safe distance away and met the ogre¡¯s furious glare. He shrugged.
¡°You call it cowardice, I call it caution. For what it¡¯s worth, I suggest not trying to talk too much. Every time you do so, you¡¯re making the damage to your lungs worse. Is any insult worth another week of not being able to breathe right? I didn¡¯t think so. Just blink when I tell you to, okay?¡±
Stubborn as an ox, Norog tried to roll towards him with his massive hand open. His intent was obvious: he was going to grab the little [Dungeon Master]. There was murder in his beady eyes, and Vee wasn¡¯t interested in experiencing an encore of the ogre¡¯s strength. He scooted back immediately and sent more power into his skill, but it turned out that his worries were misplaced. Before the ogre moved more than a few inches, the strength and coordination sapping effects of the miasma stopped him in place.
¡°Take it easy now,¡± Vee said as his stomach rolled. The ogre¡¯s movement had brought the miasma a little too close for comfort there, and the [Ghost Maestro] felt a little bit like he was floating in water. He blinked a few times and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. ¡°We¡¯re just going to have a little chat. I¡¯ll start with the basics. Do you recognize me?¡±
¡°Ta. Vales¡look like¡¡±
Vee waggled his finger and strengthened the miasma a little bit. ¡°I¡¯m serious about not talking. For your own good, just blink. I¡¯m glad you know who I am. That means I can get right to the point and save both of us some time. Your lungs would thank you if they could talk.¡±
Your lungs would thank you if they could talk? What kind of stupid line was that? Stick to the script, Vee.
Unfortunately, he¡¯d forgotten the words he¡¯d spent so much time carefully preparing. Vee¡¯s smile faded and he tilted his head to the side while raising an eyebrow. Improv it was, then.
¡°You see, Norog, the reason this is happening to you is pretty simple. You crossed the line in your fight with my friend, and I¡¯m here to balance the books. Understand? Blink twice for yes.¡±
Feeling drained but satisfied, Vee trudged up the boarding house stairs and opened the door to his room. Alforde and Reginald were waiting for him inside, and Vee held up his prize: a purse filled with gold fleurs. He¡¯d taken it from Norog, leaving a letter in its place that simply said, ¡°Now we¡¯re close to even.¡±
He hadn¡¯t counted how many coins were inside yet ¨C he wasn¡¯t trying to get robbed ¨C but when he upended the bag on the table, he saw that it was a decent amount. Probably somewhere in the neighborhood of thirty or forty gold fleurs.
¡°Where¡¯d you get all that?¡± Alforde breathed, and Vee recounted his tale with a smile.
He told his friends the full, unedited truth of his encounter with the ogre¡except for a few minor tweaks, of course. The most significant of these teeny-tiny changes was that he left out the part where he¡¯d accidently put too much power into his miasma and knocked Norog unconscious right after his ¡°balance the books¡± line.
One change necessitated another, though, and Vee stretched the truth just a little bit more as he continued. Instead of cursing and making sure that the adventurer was still breathing, which is what had happened in reality, the Vee in the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s version of events ¨C Recollection Vee? ¨C waxed poetic about the nature of righteousness and sportsmanship before explaining that the all the gold in Norog¡¯s possession would make reasonable amends for Alforde¡¯s repairs.
He could see that neither the armorsoul nor the spirit in the hat totally believed him, but they didn¡¯t call him out on it either. It was hard to argue with gold.
Leaning forward, Vee picked up a coin and examined it. ¡°This is a good chunk of change,¡± he said. ¡°We should put it to good use. Alforde, how do you like your new arm? Would you be interested in a full-body upgrade? There should be more than enough here for that and then some. We can even buy you a sweet new hammer too and still have a bunch left.¡±
Alforde lifted his all-new left arm. Color wise, it was somewhere between blue and gray, and when he swung his gauntlet around, a whisper of a chill lingered in the air afterwards. Bigger and sleeker than his old arm had been, the armorsoul¡¯s new body part was covered in a series of interlocking plates and adorned with small spikes along the side that Alforde could deploy and retract as he desired. He demonstrated this feature several times.
¡°Isn¡¯t that cool?! Anyways, it¡¯s going to take me a while to fully assimilate this thing, but a full upgrade to frostnickel would be great. It¡¯s a lot lighter and stronger than my current body.¡±
Armorsoul anatomy was definitely a little bit strange.
¡°We can go talk to Glenda about it tomorrow,¡± Vee said. ¡°The way I see it, you¡¯re probably going to be out of commission for a few weeks at the very least. We might as well make sure that you¡¯re really something special when you do come back.¡±
¡°Can I have a cape too? That¡¯d be pretty special!¡±
Vee shook his head, but he was smiling. He was glad that his friend was still so enthusiastic about being Crestheart¡¯s champion. Secretly, Vee had worried that his friend wouldn¡¯t want to return to his duties once he recovered.
¡°A cape? Seriously? I was thinking something more along the lines of a new hammer, but if you have your heart set on a cape, we can do that too.¡±
Alforde¡¯s eyes lit up and he clapped his gauntlets together. The frostnickel made a ringing sound, while the old metal simply clanked.
¡°Yay! It¡¯s going to be so cool! Imagine this: an adventurer walks into my arena to challenge me and I¡¯m in the center of the ring, cloaked in shadows. Well, technically, my cape. But the cape looks like shadows. Anyways. The adventurer will slow as they approach, wondering what sort of trial awaits them. Then, when they get close enough, I¡¯ll dramatically take off my cape and throw it to the side! Then I¡¯ll pose! Maybe I¡¯ll turn sideways and point at them while staring at them condescendingly over my right pauldron or something.¡±
Alforde stood up and showed them what he meant. Vee cocked his head to the side.
¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that the pose of that bizarre comic book character you like with the silly belts and the random chain on his jacket? The one with the stupid hat that doesn¡¯t cover all of his hair. You can¡¯t just copy that!¡±
¡°But it¡¯s so cool!¡±
¡°That¡¯s because it has to be,¡± Vee said. ¡°The guy has the personality of cardboard. Coolness is all he has going for him.¡±
The friends argued back and forth about the value of so-called protagonists who had their friends do all their fighting for them. For a little while, nothing else mattered.
Later, once Alforde had gone to rest, Reginald watched Vee. The [Dungeon Master] sat at the table and slowly twirled a green and gold fountain pen between his fingers. Reginald recognized Vee¡¯s brooding behavior and decided to try and start a conversation.
¡°What¡¯s on your mind, boss?¡±
¡°Norog¡¯s money,¡± Vee said. ¡°It¡¯s been bugging me since I poured it out on the table. Where did he get so many gold fleurs? He only won like a hundred and sixty silvers from our dungeon, and if he had this kind of money, why would he waste his time coming to Crestheart in the first place?¡±
Reginald forced his mouth to remain neutral. Good. He¡¯s learning. It¡¯s not the way I would have chosen for it to happen, but I¡¯m glad to see it all the same. I guess this path is worth my effort for a little while longer.
¡°That is indeed troubling,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the possibilities. What do you suspect?¡±
He let Vee talk, and piped up when he had a question or noticed a flaw in the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s logic.
[Congratulations, you are now a Majordomo Level 8!]
[Faith +1]
[Ambition +1]
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 22
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 4
Might: 9
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 5
Devious Mind: 13 (-2)
Leadership: 12
Guts: 8 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 7 (+1)
Citizenship: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 25 (+1)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24 (+1)
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Endurance: 11
Intimidating Presence: 7
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 36
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 8 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 9 (+1)
Ambition: 25 (+1)
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 30
Manipulat#$%@: &8
F%^*#@: ~
[*#&$#*#&$--#@$--]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 47: Alfordes New Look And Vees New Ring
With the sound of hammer blows loud in his helmet, Alforde looked down at his new gauntlets and squeezed his fingers into fists. He did this several times, displeased by the sound. Something didn¡¯t feel right. No matter how he tried to pinpoint the issue though, he could find no defects to blame for his discomfort. The palm pieces didn¡¯t scrape against each other, and the knuckle joints were well-lubricated, but they just felt wrong.
Or, well, wrong wasn¡¯t the right word. Weird was probably more accurate, but still not perfect. It was strange, the way words could come so close to capturing what exactly he was feeling but never quite get there. Alforde shook his new helmet and inwardly cringed. That felt¡not right either.
¡°You look great,¡± Glenda said from behind him. He turned and saw that the [Armorer] was beaming with pride. Looking at himself in the mirror, Alforde couldn¡¯t blame her for it.
His new frostnickel body was incredible. He was roughly three inches taller than he¡¯d been before, and where his old armor had been rotund and bulbous, his new frame was angular and sleek. This was visible in his arms and legs, but was most noticeable in his torso, which was distinctly tapered. The armorsoul quite liked the way that the light reflected off the interlocking plates of his chest and back. He looked like one of the [Divine Knights] from the tapestries! Minus the wings, obviously¡but a cape would fix that! Maybe¡but even if it didn¡¯t perfectly complete the look, it¡¯d still be sweet! Heck yeah, upgrades!
However, despite how much he liked it, Alforde had to accept the reality that his new body would take some time to get used to. He just didn¡¯t feel quite like himself.
That was mostly because of the stat and skill penalties.
[Change is good¡but also bad!]
[Might -10]
[NOTICE: This loss is temporary. Train yourself and adapt to your new form to recover your stats.]
[Warning, because you no longer meet the requirements to use them, the following skills are unavailable:]
[Cyclone Smash]
[Unstoppable Charge]
[Give No Ground]
[But not all is lost.]
[Intimidating Presence +2]
Alforde groaned. Knowing that the penalties were temporary took some of the sting out of it, but it was going to take a lot of work before he was capable of doing his job properly again. And it wasn¡¯t like he had months or years to dilly-dally around with it either; Vee was still on the clock for repaying Sacre. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting Vee fall behind on his payments because of me.
He flexed his entire body, moving his smoke around in the armor¡¯s joints and plates, trying to will himself to think of it as normal. It¡¯d been¡.ten years, seven months, twenty-two days, six hours and fourteen minutes since he¡¯d last changed his full set. Or had it been ten years, seven months, twenty-three days, six hours and fifteen minutes? Whatever. Close enough.
He looked back at his old armor, laying on the floor of Glenda¡¯s shop. It was a strange experience, to be looking at the thing you still thought of as your body while standing inside your new one. He kept expecting to blink and be back inside his old armor.
Alforde shook his helmet. That feeling would be the first to pass, so there was no point in dwelling on it. He idly wondered how other armorsouls handled the experience. Like most things, it was probably tempered by how often one changed form. There were some who liked to swap their bodies every year or two in a constant attempt to remain at the forefront of armor design and efficiency.
However, Alforde had spent his formative years around the other armorsouls at the Vales manor, and they¡¯d all been traditionalists. Most of them kept their bodies for decades, and Elukaiser ¨C the family¡¯s oldest and most powerful armorsoul ¨C had been in hers for over a century.
Thinking about Elukaiser made Alforde briefly miss his life back in Bardis. Things had been so simple back then, when his only worry was watching how the old [Vales Vanguard] carried herself and trying to emulate it as best he could. Though he hadn¡¯t cared for her ruthless dedication to rules, he¡¯d admired her dedication to Vee¡¯s father and the way she always seemed to know what the old man was thinking. I¡¯m still a long way away from that. Vee is more¡mercurial than his father. He¡¯s got too much of his mother in him.
But that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. If Vee had taken more after Hawthorne, he wouldn¡¯t have tried to stop Norog in the dungeon. Thanks to his¡unique relationship with pain, his fight with the ogre was more than a little fuzzy, but he definitely remembered his best friend''s tear-streaked face as he¡¯d flailed against the adventurer¡¯s back.
Enough brooding. That was Vee¡¯s thing! Taking a step back away from the mirror, Alforde bounced up and down. He was so light! It felt like his boots were wreathed in clouds, and it took almost no effort for his smoke to move his arms. He did a bit of shadowboxing to get a feel for the way his gauntlets and pauldrons stretched on each blow, and then gave Glenda a thumbs-up.
¡°This is really amazing. I don¡¯t know how I can ever thank you.¡±
The [Armorer] laughed as she massaged her left shoulder. ¡°The gold fleurs you gave me do a pretty good job. Hey, Jared! How¡¯s the hammer coming along?¡±
When her husband didn¡¯t answer, Glenda held up a single finger and went to the back. The hammer grew quiet and Alforde heard Glenda chuckle. When she came back out, she held up her hands in a what-can-you-expect pose and shook her head.
¡°Sorry, but he says it¡¯s going to be another day or so. That modification you asked for turned out to be trickier than he thought, but he promises that he¡¯s on the right track.¡±
¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not a problem at all,¡± said Alforde. ¡°I¡¯ll come by and pick it up tomorrow then.¡±
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
The armorsoul looked back at the forge, and wondered if there was any way he could inconspicuously make his way over there and sneak a peek at the weapon as it was made. No, he couldn¡¯t do that; looking at a weapon while it was being forged was bad luck for anyone but the one making it. There were tons of books about that very thing!
Bowing to Glenda and thanking her once more, Alforde left the armor and weapon shop and started heading for The Grinning Pig, where he¡¯d agreed to meet Vee and Reginald.
He passed a young man on the street, or rather, he would have passed a young man on the street if said individual hadn¡¯t scurried to the other side of the road. That hadn¡¯t ever happened before.
Vee steepled his hands as he sat down at the table. ¡°We¡¯ve got to come up with a way to get adventurers in the door while you recover,¡± he said. ¡°Otherwise, we¡¯ll burn through our surplus too fast and not be able to keep up with the repayment. Any ideas?¡±
The trio bounced a few things back and forth, but nothing really stuck. The problem was that apparently most adventurers came to Crestheart for a chance at testing their skills against a strong opponent without the risk of serious injury or death. They weren¡¯t as interested in the floors or the puzzles or traps. It seemed like a peculiar mentality.
¡°In some ways, that¡¯s probably a good sign,¡± Reginald said. ¡°That means we can go ahead and change the floors up as often as we want, since we know people won¡¯t really mind.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true, though it¡¯s a lot more work for us,¡± said Vee. ¡°I was planning to make some tweaks once we got the skeletons all equipped and ready to go, but we might as well start thinking about what those look like now. I don¡¯t know where to start though.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s make a list,¡± Reginald said. ¡°We¡¯ll go over our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and then once we have them all written down, we can come up with a plan to make tangible improvements.¡±
Before they could start though, they were interrupted by Big Simon, who¡¯d brought Vee¡¯s potato and bacon soup topped with garlic bread croutons. The [Dungeon Master] tucked in, and the burly kitrekin admired Alforde¡¯s new look.
¡°Those pauldrons are so cool! I love the spikes on your arms too. You¡¯re going to strike fear into the hearts of every adventurer who walks in the dungeon doors. I¡¯m glad to see you bouncing back so quickly.¡±
He clapped Alforde on the arm, but recoiled immediately with a yelp. He frantically licked his paw. ¡°Man, the air around you is cold now! Guess that frostnickel is more potent than I gave it credit for, huh?¡±
Alforde shook his helmet. ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t notice anything. Vee? Do you feel any difference?¡±
Vee, however, was staring at his soup spoon with furrowed eyebrows. Ignoring his friend¡¯s question, he lifted the spoon right up to his eye and squinted at it. With a wrinkled nose, he held the utensil out to the kitrekin.
¡°Is this what I think it is?¡±
Big Simon looked at the spoon and tried to pretend not to be bothered, but he couldn¡¯t totally keep himself from letting out a small hiss. ¡°What do you think it is?¡± he asked.
¡°A bug of some sort. That¡¯s a wing and a pair of legs, right?¡±
Simon looked at it. ¡°Could be a strange piece of pepper,¡± he said, but his heart wasn¡¯t in it and after a moment¡¯s hopeful glance at the [Dungeon Master], the kitrekin offered to bring out a replacement meal.
The friends resumed their SWOT Analysis* of Crestheart, but stopped again for Vee¡¯s replacement bowl of soup. However, this one too had insects in it, and Vee declared his appetite officially lost for the night.
¡°I¡¯m truly sorry about this,¡± Big Simon said. ¡°There¡¯s been a massive influx in vermin and pests lately. All the restaurants in town are struggling to keep their kitchens clean. We do better with the rodents than most,¡± ¨C here the kitrekin puffed out his chest a little bit ¨C ¡°but we can¡¯t do anything about the insects. Let me give you a full refund, and the next time you guys come in you¡¯ll eat for free, okay?¡±
*See Author¡¯s Note for more details on what this is!
After reassuring Big Simon that they¡¯d be back soon, the trio packed up their notes and left the diner. Continuing to bounce ideas off of each other, they made their way back to Sculla¡¯s.
Before they could go up to their room though, the ogre stopped them and pointed across the street at the trio of boxes stacked beneath the tree.
¡°Take those down to the usual spot,¡± she said as she blew a wide smoke ring and sent a trio of smaller rings through it. If she noticed or cared about Alforde¡¯s change in appearance, she didn¡¯t say anything.
Vee stood near the steps while he waited for Alforde to go and take the boxes down to the strange nook at the bottom of the boarding house where Sculla kept all of her mysterious packages. He smiled at her and tucked his hands into his pockets, rocking back and forth on his tiptoes to ward off the evening¡¯s chill.
Alforde bent down to the first box and tried to pick it up. He struggled a little bit ¨C that was unusual ¨C but managed to lift it to his chest. Wobbling back and forth, the armorsoul disappeared into the darkness.
¡°It¡¯s going to take some time before he¡¯s back to normal,¡± Sculla said. It took Vee a moment to realize that she was talking about Alforde. ¡°He¡¯s having a tough time with the change. I can see it in the way he moves.¡±
¡°I know, but he can take as long as he needs,¡± Vee said as Alforde came back up and struggled with the second box more than the first. ¡°I¡¯ll make things work until then.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± said Sculla. She took another long drag from her pipe and leaned back. ¡°I was worried that you¡¯d force him back to his duties before he was ready for them.¡±
¡°What makes you think I would do that?¡± Vee asked.
Sculla shrugged. ¡°Nothing in particular. It¡¯s just that some people don¡¯t think of armorsouls as anything more than¡ª¡±
¡°I¡¯m not one of them. Alforde¡¯s my best friend.¡±
Sculla blew another set of smoke rings. This time she made two big ones and sent a half dozen small ones through them both. ¡°Didn¡¯t say you were. You¡¯re a good person Vee, and that¡¯s important. Now go ahead and run along. We both know you¡¯re not going to be much use for picking up that last box.¡±
Vee laughed and started to head in. Before he could make it too far though, Sculla spoke up again.
¡°Oh hey, before you go, take this.¡±
He turned and the ogre tossed him a small silver ring.
¡°Make sure you wear that whenever you¡¯re not in your room, okay?¡±
¡°Why? What¡¯s it for?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s just say that it¡¯s my way of looking out for you and hope you don¡¯t have to find out, okay?¡±
Vee wanted to ask more questions, but the ogre gave him a look that he knew well. She was finished talking for the night.
When he slid the ring onto his finger, Vee felt like he was sitting in front of a roaring fire. He bowed his head to the ogre and thanked her for the gift, and then made his way back up to his room.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 22
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 4
Might: 9
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 5
Devious Mind: 13 (-2)
Leadership: 12
Guts: 8
Intimidating Presence: 7
Citizenship: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 17
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 15 (-10) (TEMPORARY)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Endurance: 11
Intimidating Presence: 9 (+2)
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 36
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 8
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 9
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 30
Manipulat#$%@: &8
F%^*#@: ~
[*#&$#*#&$--#@$--]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 48: Distraction, An Old Nemesis
Vee was starting to get worried. He looked down at the paltry gathering of adventurers who were looking to challenge Crestheart that day. There were only five. If this dearth continued, they¡¯d run out of money to keep up with Sacre¡¯s repayments in a little over a month. Vee drummed his fingers on the desk. There has to be some way that we can get adventurers back in the door.
This wasn¡¯t a problem he¡¯d had to deal with before, so Vee wasn¡¯t exactly sure how to go about solving it. Ever since Crestheart opened, the number of adventurers coming to challenge it each morning was fairly stable. Some days were better, others were worse, but like the ocean tides coming in and out each day, business had stayed approximately the same. Until now, Vee hadn¡¯t really even considered that demand might not be stable, and had dedicated almost all of his mental energies to increasing the marginal revenue earned per adventurer instead of seriously trying to increase the number of adventurers passing through the dungeon. That had been a mistake.
It¡¯d been na?ve to not think about handling a slowdown before, and Vee now realized that he¡¯d simply been lucky in not having to deal with this until now. Such was the way of the world; sometimes luck and naivete held hands like old lovers.
Vee shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. Pretty soon he¡¯d need a hairband just to be able to see. Each passing day made going and getting that haircut more and more necessary, but the [Dungeon Master] just didn¡¯t know where to find the time. There was so much to do.
Taking his notebook out of the pocket of his jacket, Vee looked at the list of ways to improve Crestheart he¡¯d come up with alongside Reginald and Alforde the night before. The lines between ideas bled together for many of the entries, but there were a few common themes that had emerged as part of the SWOT analysis and Vee hoped that focusing on them would yield both short and long-term benefits.
Unfortunately, the list wasn¡¯t well organized. They¡¯d kind of just blurted things out as they came to mind and Vee hadn¡¯t gotten around to sorting the information properly yet. As such, the first thing written down was improving the thematics of the dungeon.
Right now, Crestheart was loosely ghost themed, but only by nature of some fog, some color changing lights, and a heavy skew towards ghosts as minions. Vee had yet to really dig into the idea and make the dungeon feel properly ghastly. The addition of the skeletons would be a good first step, but it wasn¡¯t enough on its own.
A question filled Vee¡¯s mind: how exactly was he supposed to go about cranking up the ghost factor?
Pondering that led to another question: what exactly was a ghost? During his time at the academy ¨C and regularly after graduating ¨C Vee had wrestled with that very question. There were the obvious things: ectoplasm, moving spirits, strange ethereal creatures with no fitting name other than ¡®ghost¡¯, but was that really it? What about mementos? Wasn¡¯t a physical reminder of something that no longer existed a ghost of sorts? If that was the case, then most of the city was a ghost, wasn¡¯t it?
Vee smiled and stopped himself from following that line of thought any further. He recognized the siren¡¯s song of indulging the theoretical, and wasn¡¯t going to fall prey to its sweet melody today. Back in Bardis, he would have happily spent the day pondering the nuances and implications. Gawain¡¯s balls, he couldn¡¯t even count the number of hours he¡¯d wasted on these types of wonderings, but he was determined to avoid adding any more time to that counter today.
But is it really procrastination if it leads to tangible improvement for Crestheart? Okay, maybe he¡¯d indulge his intellectual whim just a bit.
Even if the abandoned buildings all around the city weren¡¯t proper ghosts, there was no reason he couldn¡¯t incorporate some of the legacy of Oar¡¯s Crest into the dungeon, was there?
Sitting there, Vee had an idea. He would add a ghostly forge that burned with blue fire to the dungeon. Along with it would be a series of orbs that needed to be retrieved from various rooms. When thrown into the fire, these orbs would be collected and the keys for future rooms would be spit out. Adventurers would have to go back and forth from this hub to the other parts of the dungeon to collect the proper keys in order to keep advancing or collect intermediate treasures. Depending on the traps and hazards along the way, this would make it substantially harder for an adventurer to reach Alforde.
It was a good idea and Vee liked it. He¡¯d get the ball rolling on it, and then he¡¯d get focused on coming up with a way to bring more adventurers into the dungeon.
Closing his eyes, Vee summoned Do to the office. He didn¡¯t have to wait long, since the [Dungeon Maintainer] appeared almost instantly.
¡°You wanted something, Master?¡±
Vee studied the fiend. Was he thinner than he¡¯d been before? It was hard to be sure, but Do definitely seemed to take up less space than he did the last time Vee had seen him. His features were different too: blockier and more human. He made a mental note to jot this possible change down in his little journal about the orchestra¡¯s transformation. If he ever heard back from someone at the academy, he wanted to have good notes about what exactly had happened, so he could ¨C
Focus, Vee! No more distractions!
Squeezing his hands together in an attempt to force himself to buckle down on the task at hand, Vee smiled at Do.
¡°Would you and a few other members of your section go into the old, abandoned forge near Juniper¡¯s shop and remove one of the furnaces? I want it brought to Crestheart and ready to be installed in the coming days.¡±
The [Dungeon Maintainer] bowed. ¡°Of course, Master. We will be honored to do as you ask. Is there anything else you require?¡±
¡°Thank you, but that¡¯s all for now,¡± said Vee, feeling oddly formal and a little uncomfortable about it.
Do bowed once more and left. Vee turned his attention back to the list and was just about to really focus when Reginald distracted him.
¡°Hey boss, can you come change the dungeon path? This guy wants blue.¡±
Putting down his pen, Vee walked over to his usual seat next to the hat and activated [Walking Walls] to change the dungeon so the [Monk] would be on the blue path. This was another dungeon feature that needed modification. The paths were nifty, but they needed to be tweaked and updated. Right now, they were too similar. Walk forward, fight monsters, get varying amounts of rewards for doing so. Repeat.
He¡¯d have to come up with ways to distinguish them from each other. Later, that is. Later!
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
After he was done moving the walls into their proper place, Vee returned to his notebook. As he picked up his pen once again, he marveled at how much easier it was to use [Walking Walls]. When he¡¯d first used the skill, he¡¯d gotten nauseous after moving a single wall no more than a few inches, but now he could shift the sixteen walls necessary for changing paths multiple times in a day without really noticing. He smiled. It felt good to have such a tangible reminder of his progress. In a few more months, he might even be able to¡ª
Argh! Vee clapped his hands to his forehead and cursed his brain¡¯s apparent plot to distract him to no end. He was trying to focus! His kneecaps were depending on him coming up with a way to bring in more fleurs!
Slamming his hands on the desk, Vee pushed himself up and looked over at Reginald. ¡°I¡¯m going to go talk to Torres,¡± he said.
The hat, who was busy bantering with the adventurer, held up a single yellow spirit thumb, and Vee left the office. He clambered down the stairs ¨C how he despised them! ¨C and went outside to see the [Stationer] leaning against the wall with a huge stack of unsold dungeon guides next to him. The man had his arms folded across his chest and looked downright dour.
Vee was grateful that Reginald hadn¡¯t come along. He could just hear the hat¡¯s snarky ¡°How¡¯s business?¡± in his mind¡¯s ear, and it wouldn¡¯t do any good to antagonize Torres just then. The [Dungeon Master] needed a favor. Or well, maybe not a favor precisely, but a business transaction that would probably look an awful lot like a favor to an untrained eye.
¡°Good afternoon, Mister Torres.¡±
Torres looked at him and nodded curtly. Vee forced himself to keep smiling. ¡°So, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed that things around here have been a little slow lately, huh?¡±
While perhaps not quite as poor of an opener as ¡°How¡¯s business?¡±, the are-you-actually-an-idiot look that the [Stationer] gave him in reply felt like a punch to the stomach. A well-deserved punch to the stomach.
¡°Indeed,¡± said Torres after the moment passed. ¡°My only consolation is that while I haven¡¯t sold a single guide this week, I can rest assured that my competitors probably haven¡¯t either. There¡¯s no need, with so few adventurers coming to Crestheart. Do you have any ideas for how to turn the ship around?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to talk to you about,¡± Vee said. ¡°Would you be willing to make some flyers for us? We¡¯re planning on running a promotion in the next week or so to try and get people in the door. Twenty five silver fleurs to run both floors and a prize for the adventurer who does it the fastest.¡±
¡°That might be effective. How many flyers are you looking to have made?¡±
¡°Five hundred or so for starters. We¡¯re going to put them up around town and have the guild send a few out to other branches nearby.¡±
Torres whistled and twirled his mustache.
¡°Five hundred? That¡¯s a good bit of work. Probably a day or two at the very least. How much are you willing to pay?¡±
¡°Today? A bronze fleur per three flyers. At the end of the month, I¡¯m good for a bronze fleur per flyer.¡±
Torres shook his head. ¡°Far too low. I can¡¯t do it any cheaper than a bronze per flyer today. My poor, shrunken stomach can¡¯t be filled with promises of future payment, you understand.¡±
Vee looked at the man¡¯s ample gut and furrowed his brow. He was willing to bet that the number of meals Torres missed was miniscule, if it even existed at all. Still, he played along with the negotiation. Finally, after offering a lump sum of two silver fleurs as a sign of good faith to get things started, Vee managed to get Torres to agree to make the flyers and the majority of his payment later for them. It was a small win, but Vee was proud of himself for getting it all the same.
He wondered if he could set up other dungeon purchases so they worked the same way.
[Ah, credit. Congratulations, you are now a Dungeon Master Level 12!]
[Charisma +1]
Alforde¡¯s eyes grew wide as Jared brought the gleaming hammer out from back behind the forge. It was¡perfect.
Forged entirely of frostnickel, the weapon seemed to sing as he wrapped his gauntlets around the braided handle. It was heavier than he was expecting ¨C or maybe it just seemed that way due to his reduced Might. Hopefully once he got his points back it wouldn¡¯t be so bad. He hoisted it up and slid into his ready stance.
The [Dungeon Champion] spun the hammer a few times and took a couple practice swings to get a feel for its balance. Despite his weakness, the weapon moved precisely as he wanted it to, and Alforde was excited to get back to the alley behind Sculla¡¯s boarding house so that he could properly practice. You and I are going to do great things together, Slammy.
[Congratulations, you are now a Hammer Afficionado Level 18!]
[Endurance +1]
[You can now use Combination Attack]
¡°Did you manage to get the modification working?¡± Alforde asked.
Jared nodded. ¡°Sure did. You just reach down to that knob on the bottom and give it a good twist. All the mechanical parts work just fine, but you¡¯ll need to visit an [Enchanter] to finish the job. I don¡¯t keep enchanted crystals around the shop.¡±
¡°No problem, that¡¯s what I expected,¡± Alforde said as he grabbed the knob at the end of Slammy¡¯s handle and rotated it until it made a satisfying clunk and stopped moving further. Slammy¡¯s head opened up like a book, leaving a small gap in the center. On one side of the gap was a narrow groove, which was the perfect size for socketing a decently-sized crystal.
There were still four gold fleurs of Norog¡¯s money left, which should more than cover the armorsoul¡¯s enchantment needs. He knew that he wanted some sort of projectile or area-of-effect crystal, but wasn¡¯t positive of the specific one just yet. He¡¯d talk to Vee about it later, and see what his budget would allow.
For now, Alforde had other plans. Thanking Jared once again for giving him such a splendid weapon, the [Dungeon Champion] left the shop and hurried to Sculla¡¯s. Once he was positive that Mister Watson¡¯s window was closed, the armorsoul began to practice his strikes and swings in earnest.
His new body was stiffer than he would have liked, and he moved slower than he was used to, but Alforde knew that in time he¡¯d be back to his old form. Better, in fact. He could feel the potential in this new armor, and it filled him with excitement.
And determination, naturally.
[You¡¯ve regained some of your old skills. Might +2]
Falling into a rhythm, the rest of the afternoon passed in a flurry of hammer blows.
When he finally stopped himself ¨C mostly out of fear of losing his grip on Slammy due to his fatigue ¨C Alforde noticed the large swarm of insects buzzing through the air. Though he wasn¡¯t personally bothered by them, he wondered how the other residents of Oar¡¯s Crest were handling the infestation.
More importantly, he wondered where it was coming from. Maybe it¡¯s the season? I don¡¯t remember ever seeing swarms like this back in Bardis.
His curiosity didn¡¯t last long. Whatever the deal with the bugs was, it wasn¡¯t his problem. Resting Slammy on his pauldrons, Alforde returned to their room to wait for Vee.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 22
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 12 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 4
Might: 9
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 6 (+1)
Devious Mind: 13
Leadership: 12
Guts: 8
Intimidating Presence: 7
Citizenship: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 18 (+1)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 10
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 17 (+2)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Endurance: 12 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 9
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 36
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 8
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 4 (+1)
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 9
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 30
Manipulat#$%@: &8
F%^*#@: ~
[*#&$#*#&$--#@$--]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 49: A Citywide Infestation
Alforde woke before sunrise and headed outside, doing his best to stay quiet as he crept across the room to keep from waking Vee. He stopped when his right knee made a loud squealing noise and looked over at his friend. The [Dungeon Master] simply rolled over and Alforde thanked his lucky stars. There were times he thought his friend would have happily slept through a dragon attack, though with any luck Alforde wouldn¡¯t ever get the chance to find out. There hadn¡¯t been a dragon attack on the continent in over forty years, thanks to the Treaty of Mcdaefus Moon.
With Slammy in his gauntlets, Alforde hurried down the stairs of the boarding house and stepped outside into they alley. And a cloud of insects. The bugs were everywhere, in a cloud so thick it might as well have been fog. Alforde shook his helmet and ignored them as best he could as he settled into his practice. However, the air felt too thick as he jabbed and swung Slammy, and Alforde turned his attention to how his armor moved instead of his technique. Closing his eyes, the [Dungeon Champion] focused on the way his limbs felt, searching for plates that weren¡¯t moving properly. Loose spots that should have been tight, tight spots that should have been loose, that sort of thing. Whenever he found one, Alforde shifted his smoke until it was fixed, and then resumed his search for others.
The joints beneath his pauldrons were consistently too tight, but that was to be expected. Tuning a new suit of armor was a process that took time, and Alforde really didn¡¯t have much experience with it. By remaining diligent, Alforde slowly made progress, and by the time the sun crested the horizon, he was feeling much better.
[Might +1]
[Skill reactivated: Cyclone Smash]
Alforde used the skill, reveling in the joy of the movement, and after slowing to a stop, decided that he¡¯d done enough practicing for now.
Walking around to the front of the boarding house, Alforde saw that the bugs were just as bad in the street as they¡¯d been in the alley. He wasn¡¯t sure why he¡¯d thought there¡¯d been a chance that they wouldn¡¯t be ¨C the alley was where most of the area¡¯s trash tended to pile up, but the distance between the two wasn¡¯t far enough to really matter ¨C but he was sad to see the critters all the same.
However, despite the clouds of insects everywhere, there was one area that stood out for being bug free: the staircase where Sculla was sitting and smoking her pipe. Alforde wondered if there was something about the smoke that deterred the pests from bothering her, or if there was some sort of other reason, but it¡¯d be impolite to ask and so he stayed quiet as he walked over.
¡°You¡¯re up pretty early,¡± the ogre said with a smile.
¡°I wanted to get some practice in before Vee woke up. Is this sort of insect infestation common here in Oar¡¯s Crest? I¡¯ve never seen anything like it before. Vee probably won¡¯t want to go to Crestheart today.¡±
Sculla shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s definitely not normal. The city council has directed all the [City Guards] to investigate the cause, and the adventurer¡¯s guild has put out bounties for anyone who can find and eliminate the source. Hopefully they can clear it up soon. Having to stare at all these tiny monsters is getting annoying.¡±
The ogre put her pipe back in her mouth and returned to wordlessly gazing across the street. Alforde got the message: the conversation was over. He bid Sculla a good day and went back up to the room. This time though, as the armorsoul tried to return to his corner so that he could read until Vee woke up, he accidentally caught his foot on the cabinets and the clunking noise woke his friend. The [Dungeon Master] glared at Alforde across the room.
Alforde held up a gauntlet in apology, and Vee muttered something under his breath ¨C Alforde could only make out the word ¡°clunker¡± ¨C before rolling over and falling back asleep.
When Vee woke up properly for the day, he rubbed his eyes and looked out the window. The sky was almost black with bugs, and for a moment he thought that he was trapped in some sort of nightmare. Snapping his eyes open as hard as he could ¨C his tried and true method for waking up from nightmares ¨C didn¡¯t work though, even after Vee tried it multiple times. Well, that¡¯s probably not good.
Alforde was sitting down in his little corner of the room, flipping through the final few pages of a book. Once he turned the last page, the armorsoul closed the book, gently set it aside, and then went and retrieved the tattered journal that he¡¯d had since Vee was a boy. Inside was a list of every book Alforde had read ¨C or at least, most of them because sometimes he forgot to write one down ¨C and Vee watched his friend studiously jot down his thoughts.
Yawning, Vee got up and walked over to the window. He looked up and down the street, frowning at the sight of the bugs everywhere. As he watched them buzzing all around, Vee felt the stir of an ancient human instinct.
¡°Let¡¯s go to the market and see what people are saying,¡± said Vee after taking a shower, brushing his teeth, and putting on fresh clothes for the day. The desire to rubberneck was strong, but not strong enough to ignore personal hygiene.
Setting Reginald atop his head, Vee and Alforde left the room and headed down to the market.
As expected, others had felt the same primal instinct as Vee, and were all gathered in the square despite the bugs making it unpleasant to stand still for more than a few seconds at any given time.
Vee swatted at his face and hands as he watched the people chat for a few minutes before deciding to walk over to the nearest circle of people ¨C five older men with thick beards and a propensity for cursing ¨C to hear the latest news.
¡°I¡¯m telling you, if those damned fools on the council think that a few lousy adventurers going down into the sewers are going to fix this, then they¡¯re as dumb as rocks,¡± said one man with closely cropped white hair and a tattoo of a dagger on his forearm.
¡°Course they is. Thas why they¡¯re in government, innit? Adventurers is nice, but they ain¡¯t no real peacekeeping force. Iz just like I wuz sayin¡¯ th¡¯other day. We needs the [City Guards] to form up a proper bat-tal-yun to go clean the sewers out.¡±
A third man, who hadn¡¯t yet spoken so far as Vee could tell, turned to the [Dungeon Master] and raised his eyebrow. ¡°Help ya with somethin¡¯, son?¡±
Vee shrank back a little bit beneath the baleful glares of the older men, but forced himself to smile. ¡°Sorry, I was just hoping to find out what was going on.¡±
The tattooed man snorted. ¡°What are you, an idiot? Don¡¯t you see the frickin¡¯ bugs everywhere?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Vee said quickly. ¡°I meant more along the lines of what was being done about them.¡±
The men were quiet for a moment, but like all good groups of older guys pissed off about something, they relished the chance to rehash the same five or six points over and over again and over the next fifteen minutes Vee got the whole story.*
It wasn¡¯t anything particularly novel: No one knew where the bugs came from, but there were a few reasonable guesses. Most people suspected that some sort of monster had taken up residence in the sewers, though one man insisted that the bugs ¨C and the rats ¨C were the vengeance of a wizard who lived over in the mountains. The particular transgression that prompted such revenge was never mentioned, and Vee didn¡¯t want to tempt fate by asking. Thanking the men for their time, Vee left one circle and headed to another.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
The second circle was full of kitrekins and elkin, and they basically corroborated all of the first circle¡¯s story, except the part about the vengeful mountain wizard. Vee breathed a sigh of relief. He¡¯d basically taken that as a lunatic rambling along, but it was impossible to be sure. Weirder things had happened, after all.
In addition to confirming what Vee knew, the second circle also added that the adventurers were being sent into the sewer in teams of three a few blocks away. Curious as to what an adventuring job looked like in real life, Vee and Alforde headed over there to see one firsthand.
As they approached the sewer, the bugs got worse. After swallowing three or four, Vee covered his nose and mouth with his jacket, making himself look like a vampire in a play written for children.
The adventurers were standing around in little groups, talking to one another and brandishing their weapons. Most of them looked scared or angry, and while scanning the crowd, Vee saw a familiar face.
Luna was a short distance from the entrance to the sewers, bobbing up and down in the air inside some sort of floating pumpkin-shaped contraption. In her hands was a striped spear that looked suspiciously like her hat. Only lance-y-er. Her hair was lighter than Vee remembered, and was accented with streaks of orange and gold. Even through the haze of the bugs, she was beautiful.
I¡¯m not going to run away this time. Taking a deep breath, Vee forced himself to start walking over. Luna turned to him and smiled, and had it not been for a sudden gauntlet on the back courtesy of Alforde, Vee would have turned around right then and there.
¡°Come on, lets at least go and say hi,¡± Alforde said. Vee tried to push himself backwards, but Alforde¡¯s gauntlet didn¡¯t budge.
Luna waved at him, and surprisingly, Vee found his steps growing more confident as he drew closer. Careful to keep from nodding, Vee waved back. No wave-nod today.
Standing next to Luna was a girl that looked oddly familiar, though Vee was pretty sure that he hadn¡¯t met her before. She was wearing a simple gray shirt with trousers that looked a little too big for her ¨C though they probably would have fit Luna just fine ¨C and her jet black hair was bundled in a tight bun that rested atop her head. She wore tall boots that almost reached her knees and carried two small sticks in her hands that she nervously fiddled with. She smelled like bitter flowers, and something in the perfume must have been unpleasant to the bugs, because they didn¡¯t bother landing on her.
¡°Vee! Alforde! It¡¯s good to see you guys,¡± Luna said once the [Dungeon Master] and [Dungeon Champion] were close enough for talking. ¡°These bugs are something else, huh?¡±
¡°Sure are,¡± Vee said. He paused and swatted at one on his upper arm. It was a perfect moment for a bit of self-coaching. You can do this, Vee. It¡¯s just talking!
¡°So, uh, are you here to try and find the cause of the infestation?¡± Smooth as a hot knife through butter.
Luna nodded, and when she looked at him, Vee noticed that there were tiny golden pumpkins in the center of her pupils. For a few seconds, their gazes remained locked. Luna looked away first with a small smile on her face.
¡°We¡¯re here to collect the bounty. I¡¯m pretty confident that it¡¯s a blightbeast of some kind,¡± the [Pumpkin Witch] said as she swatted at a fly landing on her cheek. ¡°It smells like one, anyways.¡±
¡°Do¡do blightbeasts have a distinct scent?¡± the girl next to Luna asked. ¡°I don¡¯t smell anything.¡±
She looked genuinely disappointed, and Vee briefly considered telling her to lay off the perfume, but wisely elected to keep his mouth shut. He felt Reginald¡¯s brim tighten around his skull, but it only lasted for a second.
Luna shrugged. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about not noticing it, Hanako. I didn¡¯t smell anything near blightbeasts either until after I¡until after I went out and hunted some blightbrutes a while back.¡±
The [Pumpkin Witch] was prevented from saying anything else by a loud yelling voice.
¡°TWENTY-SEVEN! TEAM NUMBER TWENTY-SEVEN, YOU¡¯RE UP!¡±
Luna looked at a piece of paper in her hand. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s us!¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s go Hanako! Take care of yourselves, Vee, Alforde! Hopefully we¡¯ll get rid of these little jerks soon!¡±
Vee bid them farewell and watched them walk over to the squat man next to the sewer entrance. Luna held up her piece of paper and the man bent down to squint at it. Then he pointed at Luna and Hanako and shook his head before holding up three fingers. Luna held up her hands, but the man shook his head once again and the [Pumpkin Witch] put her hands on her hips. Her spear floated in the air on its own.
Alforde tapped Vee¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We should go see what¡¯s going on,¡± the armorsoul said.
Vee nodded and they made their way over to where Luna was arguing with the man.
¡°Why does it matter that we don¡¯t have three people? I¡¯m more than strong enough to handle anything that¡¯s down there. It¡¯s just a blightbeast. I could handle it by myself!¡±
¡°Rules are rules, Luna. I know you¡¯re strong, but the guild¡¯s policy is that sewer teams need to be three or more. If something happened to you two down there and it came out that I was the one who let you in without a third team member, it¡¯d be my butt in the fire. I¡¯m not trying to make an enemy of the Maluw family. And yes, girl, before you act all surprised, I know exactly who you are. You look just like your dad. Does he know you¡¯re out here? Didn¡¯t think so. If you¡¯re going to try and take adventuring jobs incognito, you should really buy a mask or something.¡±
Luna clasped her hands in front of her face and pleaded. ¡°Isn¡¯t there any way you can bend the rules? The bounty is really, really good!¡±
¡°Not a chance. No third party member, no entrance.¡±
Luna cursed and turned around. Vee had an idea. He reached up and rapped his knuckles on Alforde¡¯s side.
¡°Join up with her.¡±
The armorsoul looked down at him. ¡°What?¡±
¡°I said, go and join up with her. I¡¯d do it myself, but you know how I am when it comes to fighting. Besides, this will be a chance for you to get some practice with your new body.¡±
Alforde was quiet for a moment, then nodded and stepped forward.
[Leadership +1]
¡°Excuse me,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Would you be willing to let them enter if I joined their party?¡±
The man looked up at the armorsoul and rubbed his chin. ¡°You¡¯re the [Dungeon Champion], aren¡¯t you? Technically I¡¯m not supposed to let in anybody who isn¡¯t a member of the guild, but I figure you can probably handle yourself. If you want to be their third, it¡¯s fine by me.¡±
Luna grinned at Alforde and grabbed her lance out of the air. ¡°Thanks so much! Are you really sure that you want to come with us though? It¡¯s not going to be much fun.¡±
¡°It¡¯s going to stink,¡± Hanako muttered.
Alforde shrugged and gripped Slammy with both hands. ¡°Smells don¡¯t much bother me, and if we get into any fights it¡¯ll be a good chance for me to get more used to my new armor. I¡¯m happy to come along. But you shouldn¡¯t just thank me. It was Vee¡¯s idea.¡±
Luna looked at Vee and grinned at him. Vee felt his cheeks growing warm, and was grateful for the bit of jacket covering his face.
¡°Are you going to come along too?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I¡¯d only slow you three down and give you all something else to worry about. Fighting really isn¡¯t my strong suit.¡±
The [Pumpkin Witch] looked disappointed once again, and a strange bravery filled Vee¡¯s body.
¡°But I¡¯ll wait here until you get back!¡± he blurted out. ¡°We can go out for a drink afterwards or something. My treat.¡±
A second that felt like it lasted for an eternity passed, and Vee¡¯s heart threatened to beat out of his chest.
Hanako scowled at him. ¡°I¡¯m not old enough to drink,¡± she said. ¡°And we¡¯ll smell once we get back. We¡¯re going into a sewer, not a rose garden.¡±
Luna gently shoved the younger girl.
¡°Quiet you. This is what adventuring is. Sometimes you get dirty. And a drink, huh? I¡¯d like that. We¡¯ll see you in a little while, Vee.¡±
She really was very pretty, and Vee was glad that he didn¡¯t need to say anything else. He didn¡¯t trust himself with words just then.
As the newly-formed party entered the sewer, Alforde looked back and gave the [Dungeon Master] a thumbs up.
Vee beamed.
[Guts +1]
*Or at least, a profanity-laced gist.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 22
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 4
Might: 9
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 6
Devious Mind: 13
Leadership: 13 (+1)
Guts: 9 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 7
Citizenship: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 18
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 18 (+1)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Endurance: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 35 (-1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 8
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 9
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 30
Manipulat#$%@: &8
F%^*#@: ~
[*#&$#*#&$--#@$--]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 50: Pierre, The [Rising Star] (Interlude)
Pierre paced back and forth in his small dressing room. Now and then, he cartwheeled or somersaulted to help burn off some of his nerves, but the calming effects of [Clown Around] didn¡¯t really last for long. Shaking out his arms, Pierre sat back down on the leather couch against the wall of the room and tried to relax with a series of deep breaths. Those didn¡¯t help much either.
The door to the room opened, and Ira Revlis, his [Agent] walked ¨C no, strutted ¨C in. Though he wasn¡¯t particularly tall, Ira was imposing. He was dressed in a snappy blue suit that was tailored to his body and a little on the tight side to emphasize his muscles. The [Agent] had a broad, tan face that he kept clean shaven and short brown hair. He wore a gaudy silver watch that sparkled with sapphires around the bezel and a glimmering ring on each finger of his hands. Even by the ostentatious standards of Colmere ¨C where things that cost no more than a single bronze fleur back home, like a loaf of bread, were considered cheap at four silver fleurs ¨C Ira was a man whose entire appearance screamed wealth.
Trailing behind Ira was his assistant, Doyle, a short and slightly overweight man with spiky black hair, light brown skin, and Zalumnian features. He gave Pierre a friendly wave as Ira clapped his hands and rubbed them together.
¡°Alright, alright, alright! Pierre, it¡¯s three minutes to showtime. How are you feeling? Powerful? Funny?¡±
Pierre shrugged. ¡°Uh, actually, I¡¯m a little nervous about going out on stage in front of all those people.¡±
Ira smirked and pointed at Pierre ¨C hey, look at you cracking jokes! ¨C but the man¡¯s good humor faded when Pierre¡¯s face didn¡¯t change.
¡°Holy hells, you¡¯re not joking. You actually have stage fright? C¡¯mon, Pierre!¡±
Ira affected great distress, holding his hands up in front of his face and shaking them. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me! You know how many favors I had to call in and strings I had to pull to get you on this show? Lots! You¡¯re not going to blow this now, are you?¡±
Pierre shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, Ira, but I¡¯ve never done anything like perform on a game show before. It¡¯s scary. Are you sure I have to do this?¡±
Turning to his assistant, Ira held up an entreating hand. ¡°Doyle, you went to a good school, right? Have you ever heard of a [Clown] who¡¯s got stage fright?¡±
¡°Well, technically, Pierre isn¡¯t a [Clown] so that wouldn¡¯t really apply¡¡± Doyle said but Ira groaned loudly and made a shooing motion. His expression hardened.
¡°I didn¡¯t frickin¡¯ think so. Watch yourself, Doyle. You keep talking like that and it¡¯ll be another fourteen months before you can even start dreaming about getting your own desk, you hear me?¡±
The assistant fell quiet, and Ira turned back to Pierre with another smile. When he spoke again, his voice was thick with the honey-sweet tone of [Talk Up]. ¡°Look, Pierre there¡¯s nothing to be worried about. This is just a little game show. It¡¯s like I told you before: making it as a celebrity adventurer requires that you play the game and get yourself out there. Make people talk about you. Get some publicity. You do a good job out there today and doors will start opening up. Mark my words. Besides, you¡¯ll be fine out there. You¡¯re a smart guy, you can answer a few simple trivia questions, can¡¯t you? Just take a few deep breaths and relax, okay? You¡¯re a [Rising Star], you¡¯ve got this.¡±
Pierre shrugged once again and pointed down to the {Polka Dot Tie} hanging from his neck. It was a new ¨C and thankfully temporary ¨C addition to his ensemble of {Silly Shoes}, {Puffy Pants}, {Rainbow Wig}, and {Big Red Nose}. It was also the only article of clothing on his torso. Pierre didn¡¯t like wearing it; it made him feel like one of those chipmunk dancers that he saw hanging out in front of some of the clubs around town.
¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? Do you want a different pattern or something?¡± Ira asked. He reached up and started loosening his own silken tie, but Pierre held up his hand and the [Agent] stopped.
¡°I don¡¯t want to wear a tie at all. It¡¯s too many pieces of equipment, I can¡¯t use my [Barbarian] skills with it on.¡±
Another psssh from Ira. ¡°And what¡¯s the problem with that? Do you think you¡¯re going to need to chokeslam the host in the middle of the show or something? C¡¯mon, Pierre, don¡¯t look at me like that, I¡¯m just busting your balls a little bit! The tie is funny, it¡¯s memorable! It¡¯s staying on. Actually, we should probably oil you up before you go on. Hurry up and take the tie off. But don¡¯t get too hopeful, you¡¯re going to be putting it right back on again afterwards.¡±
Pierre did so and Ira slathered him with oil so that the [Balloonbarian]¡¯s chest and arms glistened. Once Pierre put his abhorrent tie back on, Ira checked it, making sure that the knot looked good before peering down at his watch and gesturing towards the door.
¡°Alright, alright, alright! It¡¯s show time, baby! Let¡¯s get out there and introduce you to the world! And don¡¯t worry, I made a deal with the [Director], so you¡¯re going to get your chance to shine. At least one question will be coming your way.¡±
Doyle looked back at him and winked. Pierre assumed that the man meant it to be a comforting gesture, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel like someone being led down a dark alley by someone they¡¯d just met.
Thankful that he hadn¡¯t eaten anything since breakfast, Pierre prayed silently as he followed his [Agent] down the long hallway towards the stage. Please don¡¯t let me embarrass myself out there.
Pierre wasn¡¯t terribly familiar with the bevy of game shows that existed, and so he¡¯d never heard of Tick Down Trivia, but he wasn¡¯t terribly worried about not knowing how to play. The name seemed pretty self-explanatory: answer a question before time ran out.
As if to emphasize this mechanic further, there was a giant clock-golem next to the stage. It was painted red and gold, with a single comically small arm that it used to hit the bell at its top now and then.
The [Director] gave them all a demonstration of what to expect when the time to answer a question ran out. He probably didn¡¯t need to have bothered. It didn¡¯t exactly take a genius to understand what ¡°AND THAT¡¯S TIME, LEMON-LIME!¡± meant. The reason the clock addressed someone called lemon-lime was a mystery. Maybe it was the host¡¯s name or something.
Pierre winced at the rest of the clock-golem¡¯s shrieks. Something in its tone reminded him of the wail of his grandmother¡¯s old demonic tea kettle* back home.
He looked around at the rest of the [Rising Stars] in attendance. For the most part, they were what you might expect for something like this: [Actors], [Actresses], [Models], and [Comedians]. He was the only adventurer. And the only person not wearing a shirt. And¡somehow¡the only person besides the host wearing a tie.
Now, Pierre was no stranger to standing out for looking silly, but for the first time in his life, he found himself wondering if there was a such thing as too silly.
The [Director] took a step forward and raised his hands. Everyone got quiet.
¡°Alright folks, good to see you all. Here¡¯s how this is going to work. When the show starts, I want you all to look at that big crystal I¡¯ll be riding on, okay? Smile and wave and make it look like you¡¯re having a great time. [Clown] guy, can you do a little magic trick or something when I give you the signal?¡±
Pierre cast a nervous glance over at Ira, but his [Agent] was busy jamming his finger into the face of somebody Pierre hadn¡¯t ever seen before and wasn¡¯t really paying attention. Doyle, on the other hand, gave him another big thumbs up.
¡°Uh, sure. What kind of trick would you like me to do? I can do a card trick or¡ª¡±
¡°No card tricks,¡± the [Director] interrupted. ¡°We compete against The Dealer¡¯s Edge in this time slot.¡±
Pierre wasn¡¯t sure what that was or why that meant he couldn¡¯t do a card trick, but he just nodded. Reaching into his [Oversized Pockets] and pulled out a balloon. ¡°Can I make a [Balloon Animal]?¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± said the [Director]. ¡°Keep it simple though. You¡¯re only going to have a few seconds of crystal focus.¡±
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
From there, time started passing faster. Maybe it was some sort of skill belonging to the clock-golem. Pierre was ushered to his seat ¨C sandwiched between two gorgeous [Models] ¨C and the rules of the game were explained. As expected, it was pretty simple. Contestants would come up on stage, and the host would ask them a series of increasingly difficult questions, which had to be answered before time ran out. Should a question prove too tough for the contestant to answer on their own, the host would convince them to ask one of the [Rising Stars] for help. Pierre thought about Ira¡¯s promise that he¡¯d get to answer one, and wondered how the host would manage to pull that off.
¡°Remember, the audience likes it when the contestant gets a tough question right,¡± the director said. ¡°But, if that doesn¡¯t work out, they like to laugh. If you get called on and you know the answer, be quick about giving it, but if you don¡¯t, go ahead and say something that will lighten the mood. I¡¯ll give you a signal if you¡¯re taking too long. Please make sure you adhere to it. This isn¡¯t an award show.¡±
Gawain, Piper, anyone else who might be listening --¨C there were over a dozen minor gods and goddesses, and Pierre didn¡¯t think he had time to name them all just then ¨C please let me know the answer to any question I might get asked. I don¡¯t want to have to make banter! It¡¯s not clownlike.
The rest of the explanation passed in a blur, but just before the show was supposed to start, Pierre was moved to a different seat. His {Silly Shoes} were too big, and they made the [Comedian] beneath him look as if he had giant red ears. At the advice of his [Agent], the little bald man objected, and Pierre was hurried to the bottom row. Once there, a pair of haggard looking assistants scurried over to tamp down his wig a little bit so that it didn¡¯t look too wild.
¡°You¡¯re going to have to be a bit livelier than you might have been planning,¡± the [Director] told him. ¡°Every time the crystals focus on the [Rising Star] section now, you¡¯re going to be right in the middle of the frame. Can you handle it?"
Pierre wasn¡¯t sure that he could, but Ira caught his eye and pumped his fist in triumph. Perfect, the [Agent] mouthed. Pierre got the distinct feeling that the comedian¡¯s objections hadn¡¯t been completely spontaneous.
The [Director] looked at his watch. He walked over to his display crystal and knelt down atop it. ¡°Alright people, it¡¯s almost show time. Get your game faces on!¡±
A few seconds later, bright and cheery music started coming out of the walls and the lights dimmed ever so slightly. An [Announcer] sitting somewhere Pierre couldn¡¯t see started talking.
¡°Friends all around the continent, it¡¯s tiiiiiiime for TICK DOWN TRIVIIAAAAA.¡±
A chorus of voices joined the announcers for each word of the show¡¯s name, and at the director¡¯s signal, Pierre waved and clapped and cheered with the rest of [Rising Stars]. His nerves were still there, but they weren¡¯t so bad anymore, and when the [Director] pointed at him, he twisted a balloon into the shape of a butterfly and let it flap a few times in front of his face before popping it and making a funny face as if he hadn¡¯t expected such a thing to happen. The [Director]¡¯s [Laugh Track] skill sent an echo of laughter throughout the room, and Pierre heard the announcer say his name.
¡°Pierre St. Drod, a promising young adventurer alllllll the way from Oar¡¯s Crest!¡±
He waved.
[Silliness +1]
[Charisma +1]
The rest of the show sped by, and Pierre was exhausted when the [Director]¡¯s crystal dimmed and sank back to the ground.
¡°And that¡¯s a wrap,¡± the [Director] said. As if by magic, everything stopped. The music fell silent, the lights came back up to full strength, the host ¨C a tiny man wearing a pink pinstripe suit and shining sunglasses ¨C stopped smiling, and all the [Rising Stars] grew still. The [Balloonbarian] breathed a sigh of relief. It¡¯d gone well, all things considered. He¡¯d been called on not just once, but twice. Thankfully, he¡¯d known the correct answer to the questions both times, and had even managed to crack a couple jokes along the way. Keeping up the energy to goof off between breaks been tougher than he¡¯d expected, but Ira¡¯s grin told him that he¡¯d done a good job.
[Congratulations, you are now a Rising Star, Level 3!]
The [Agent] pulled Pierre into a one-armed hug once most of the [Rising Stars] dispersed. ¡°Look at you! All those nerves before the show and you blew it out of the water. It¡¯s just like I told you when we first met, kiddo. You¡¯re destined for big things. My [Killer Taste] hasn¡¯t ever let me down. Let¡¯s go grab a bite to eat. My treat. Just¡put on a shirt before we go.¡±
Down the street from the studio was a big, fancy steakhouse. The salamander [Chefs] scurried back and forth around a large flame, and Pierre ate a steak that was the size of his head. It was seasoned perfectly, and charred just enough to have a lovely crust. His dinner came with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus that were drenched with honey. Everything was delicious.
He leaned back in his chair once he finished and smiled up at the ceiling. I could get used to this.
*Which hadn¡¯t been much use as a kettle unless one was desperate for a way to make water spicy.
A few weeks passed, and Pierre focused on his now daily routine: training with Sylrok. The big man was a [Personal Adventuring Trainer] who worked exclusively with Ira¡¯s clients. There were many benefits of being represented by Ira, but so far, Pierre felt that having access to Sylrok was by far the biggest.
Sylrok ¨C or Syl, as everyone called him ¨C was a mountain of a man. He¡¯d been a continental gold-circuit adventurer in his youth, destined for greatness, but had been forced to retire following irreparable damage to his left knee, courtesy of some monstrous archer out in the Terralid flats. After a stint as a Colmere [City Guard], Syl turned to training adventurers, and quickly gained a reputation for delivering incredible results.
Pierre panted and mopped a bit of sweat from his brow. He adjusted his {Rainbow Wig} and made sure that his {Big Red Nose} was securely in place. Having to work out in his full equipment was unpleasant, but it was necessary to be able to use his skills.
Syl¡¯s workouts were harder than anything else he¡¯d ever done, but there was no denying that they were making a huge difference. It hadn¡¯t been that long since he¡¯d left Oar¡¯s Crest, but he was already far stronger than he¡¯d been when he arrived in Colmere. His muscles were bigger and better defined too, and his skills were substantially more powerful.
He was easily strong enough to make it as a bronze-circuit adventurer. It was just a matter of proving himself capable over and over until the group that made the lists noticed him and invited him to join.
¡°One more set, Pierre. Just give me one more set,¡± Syl said. ¡°Make sure you jump nice and high now. We want your [Piercing Rain] to have that nice narrow angle, okay? If it¡¯s too wide it won¡¯t be much use for single target damage.¡±
Leaning forwards, Syl clapped his hands together. ¡°You can do this, you¡¯re a beast! Lemme see some of that [Balloonbarian] energy! Let¡¯s go!¡±
Taking a deep breath, Pierre activated [Piercing Rain] and leapt into the air. Tucking his knees up to his chest, he rapidly inflated three pierce balloons and popped them, sending rubber shrapnel at the targets a half dozen feet away. They hit and sank in.
Landing softly on the ground, Pierre bounced up and down on the balls of his feet three times and then used [Piercing Rain] again. He repeated this process until he¡¯d done ten repetitions in all, and the [Personal Adventuring Trainer] clapped him on the back. His lungs felt like they were on fire.
[Acrobatics +1]
¡°Let¡¯s go ahead and call it there for today. Good work, Pierre. Good work. Make sure you stretch well before you leave. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. We¡¯ll just be doing a normal strength day, so you can come in regular clothes, alright?¡±
Pierre nodded and sank down to the floor. After such a hard workout, sitting down and leaning into a stretch felt almost divine. He closed his eyes and counted to ten for each position.
Before he could finish, he heard a familiar voice behind him.
¡°Pierre! Pierre, my boy! Take a look at this.¡±
Dressed in a gray suit with a striped tie, Ira strutted towards him with huge swings of his arms and percussive steps, like a [Showbiz Mogul] or something. He was grinning wide and in his hand was a folded sheet of golden paper.
¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that game show appearance would pay off?¡± Ira said as he held up the paper. ¡°The snowball is starting to roll, my friend. Look what was delivered to my office today.¡±
He handed Pierre the letter and the [Balloonbarian] eagerly opened it.
The font was impeccably written, and Pierre¡¯s heart started racing as he read what it said.
Mr. Revlis,
It is our great honor to invite your client, Pierre St. Drod, to participate in the upcoming Colmere dungeon sport season as a probationary member of the bronze-circuit. His name has been added to our lists, and we look forward to seeing him compete against the rest of the field.
Gawain¡¯s blessings upon you both.
Beneath the body of the letter were the signatures of the members of the adventurer¡¯s circuit leadership who¡¯d approved his invitation.
His [Agent] was beaming. ¡°What¡¯d I tell you kid? [Killer Taste] never steers me wrong. Season starts in three months, so you better work extra hard to prepare.¡±
¡°I will. But what does probationary member mean?¡±
¡°Most adventurers in the circuit are in the mid-twenties for their primary class. You¡¯re still pretty far away from that, but the powers that be are willing to give you a chance because you¡¯ve got a buzz and a good [Agent] who¡¯s been talking you up at every opportunity by telling them that when it comes to dungeon sports levels don¡¯t always indicate success and the audience loves an underdog story.¡±
Ira might have been stretching the truth of his involvement a little bit, but Pierre knew the underlying sentiment was correct. Without an agent, getting noticed by the circuit-makers would have taken years, if it ever happened at all. He certainly wouldn¡¯t have been given a shot until he was a much higher level.
Three months, huh?
Though he¡¯d just finished a workout, Pierre nodded his head and resolved to go for a long run later that afternoon. He¡¯d run through his [Balloon Mace] drills too.
He wasn¡¯t going to squander this opportunity. Ira had given him a big leg up, but he''d climb the rest of the way on his own.
Pierre''s Character Sheet:
Pierre St. Drod
Primary Class: Balloonbarian (Self), Level 14
Secondary Class: Rising Star (Ira Revlis), Level 3 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Cook (Montblanc St. Drod), Level 1
Might: 22
Wit: 14
Faith: 4
Adventurousness: 11
Guts: 15
Silliness: 9 (+1)
Charisma: 11 (+1)
Stealth: 1
Deceptiveness: 4
Acrobatics: 13 (+1)
Chapter 51: In The Sewers
Time was a funny thing. Alforde instinctively knew that they¡¯d only been combing the sewers for two hours and ten minutes, but it felt like it¡¯d been far longer than that.
The sewers of Oar¡¯s Crest were strangely luxurious. Two pathways flanked the channel, and though they were only wide enough for Alforde to follow after Luna and Hanako in a single file line, they beat the stuffing out of having to walk through the¡sludge. Hanako seemed particularly happy about this development.
In addition to the pathways, there were a multitude of decorations along the walls and on the ceiling. These weren¡¯t the simple scrawled profanities of vandals either, they were careful sculptures and mosaics made by skilled [Masons] and [Artists]. It was peculiar, Alforde thought, for a city to have spent so much money on beautifying a place that people shouldn¡¯t ever see.
Naturally, the sewers stank. No amount of stonework could hide that.
Alforde didn¡¯t particularly mind the stench. As an armorsoul, he didn¡¯t have any natural inclination or aversion to individual scents, but had learned what was generally considered ¡®good¡¯ and ¡®bad¡¯ from Vee. However, during moments like this, he could simply ignore what he¡¯d been taught and accept a smell as it existed.
Hanako on the other hand, complained often and loudly about how gross the sewers were. Alforde had no natural defense against her shrill voice and started getting annoyed. The girl¡¯s wailing was so irritating that Luna eventually tore the cuff off her own sleeve, rent it into pieces, and handed them to the girl so that she could plug her nose.
That quieted the girl down. For a little while, anyways.
Without the distraction of the smell, Hanako was then free to blather about all other manner of things, much to Alforde¡¯s chagrin. Her topics were varied: boys, fashion, the specifics of enchanting various objects, how stupid her tutors were, gossip from the upper echelons of society, food, and so on. Somehow, she managed to flow from one subject to another, often stopping herself mid-tirade with a ¡°Actually, that reminds me of ¨C¡° and abandoning one subject for another. It was almost impressive. Perhaps coming down here with them like this was a mistake.
Alforde shook his helmet. He was here because Vee asked him to be, and while that would have been enough on its own, he also knew that there was a good chance he¡¯d be able to get some of his lost stats back. He missed his inactive skills!
Though, given that they had yet to see any monsters of any kind ¨C unless one counted insects as monsters ¨C maybe he was overestimating the value of this trip. Can¡¯t get any stats back if there¡¯s no fighting, after all.
Crouched in her pumpkin cart with her lance held at the ready, Luna floated over the walkway. She was vigilant as she advanced, stopping here and there to follow an interesting sound, or peering down a darkened passageway to make sure that there weren¡¯t any monsters waiting to ambush them. Alforde wasn¡¯t sure if the glowing pumpkins in her pupils provided her with superior vision, but he wouldn¡¯t have doubted it for a second.
He wondered what had happened. Beyond the obvious physical changes, there was something different about the [Pumpkin Witch]. Alforde¡¯s ability to sense auras and such was honestly pretty poor for an armorsoul ¨C Vee had always been the one to pick up on that sort of stuff back in Bardis ¨C but even his dull senses were tickled by the shell of energy that circled Luna at all times. Did the monsters pick up on it too? Maybe that was why, despite the universal truth of city sewers being infested with monsters, they hadn¡¯t yet been bothered or attacked.
Alforde had no way of knowing, but he couldn¡¯t even be sure that such a deterrent would be a good thing. After all, didn¡¯t they want to get into fights?
He meditated on it as he walked. Being left alone was¡probably a good thing? Hmm¡he decided he could feel good about it maybe being a good thing, and left it there for the moment. It wouldn¡¯t do to get distracted now. They could still get attacked at any moment!
¡Or¡could they?
Rolling his pauldrons and making sure that they were properly loose, Alforde followed Luna and Hanako deeper and deeper into the sewers. The bugs seemed slightly denser as they trudged forward, and Alforde took that as a sign that they were getting closer to the source.
Tightening his gauntlets around Slammy¡¯s handle, Alforde prepared himself for anything.
Even if it stopped them from having to deal with random encounters, Luna¡¯s aura ¨C if that was the case ¨C wouldn¡¯t scare off the source of the bugs if they found it, right?
He hoped not.
Or¡did he hope so?
Argh!
Vee paced back and forth in front of the sewer entrance. As he did so, he fiddled with the ring Sculla gave him. It was thin and engraved with some sort of lettering he couldn¡¯t make out*, and somehow it was now perfectly sized to his finger. When he¡¯d gotten it, it¡¯d definitely been a few sizes too big and perpetually at risk of falling off, but now it was pleasantly snug. It was warm to the touch, and reminded Vee of Sculla, giving him a distinct mental sensation of smoke and fire. Strange that those were the things he associated with her.
He stopped and took a deep breath. He was most definitely Not Worrying, which ¨C he had to admit ¨C looked uncannily similar to worrying. Or at least, that was the impression he got from the multitude of people who came up to him and told him to stop worrying.
Another one of these, an older man with a thin crown of white hair surrounding his mostly bald head walked up to the [Dungeon Master] with a knowing smile on his face. ¡°Worry not, young man. Your friends will be fine.¡±
¡°I know, they can all take care of themselves,¡± Vee said with a slight nod.
The two got to talking, and when Vee mentioned that he was the [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart, the old man¡¯s face lit up.
¡°Is the [Dungeon Champion] nearby?¡±
Vee told him that Alforde was actually in the sewers, and the man¡¯s face split into a wide grin. ¡°Of course, he is. You¡¯re not the type of [Dungeon Master] to let the city suffer a minute longer than necessary. Thank you so much! I have to go tell people that we¡¯ll be free of these damnable bugs soon. Have a good day!¡±
Before Vee could correct him and tell him that his enthusiasm was unfounded, the man bowed and scurried away. Well, that¡¯s a new one.
As the day wore on, other people came over to thank Vee. Word spread pretty quick, apparently. They didn¡¯t seem to hear him when he said that he hadn¡¯t had any sort of great civic motivation for sending Alforde in, and Vee found all the attention pretty embarrassing. Though positive, it felt uncomfortably close to being blamed for something he hadn¡¯t done.
¡°The people of Oar¡¯s Crest thank you for your diligence. We will remember your leadership in this trying time,¡± one woman said, and at that point Vee didn¡¯t believe it could get any worse. His ears couldn¡¯t get any redder!
Then a notification appeared in front of Vee¡¯s eyes.
[Citizenship +2]
[Failed to receive quest! Reason: Citizenship too low (requires 20 points)]
Vee stared at the popup for a long time after the woman left. There had to be some sort of mistake. He¡¯d only wanted to make Luna happy and give Alforde a shot to recover some more of his lost stats. Though nice, helping the city hadn¡¯t really occurred to him. It certainly hadn¡¯t been part of his motivation.
He waited for a moment, sure that he¡¯d lose the stats at the admission, but no other popups appeared. Vee frowned. Maybe it has something to do with Citizenship. I¡¯ll take a look at it.
The definition of the stat in his soul¡¯s mirror was vague: (Special Skill) Understand the rights, duties and obligations for citizens and be of service to others. Leave things better than you find them. Not terribly helpful, as far as descriptions went, but it was probably the ¡®be of service to others¡¯ part that had caused him to earn the points.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
It still didn¡¯t feel right, but such was life. Vee was distracted from pondering it further by another shift in the ethereal. When he activated [Third Sight], he saw that the mysterious new spirit he¡¯d seen a few times before was ever more visible. The Expectation was long and sleek, like a snake. Or a firecracker dragon. Its eyes were big, and there were shapes near them that implied sharp teeth. The spirit moved towards Vee, coiling a small part of itself around his shoulders. The [Ghost Maestro] staggered beneath its weight and stared into the spirit¡¯s eyes.
What are you?
The spirit answered in a thundering voice.
¡°I DO NOT KNOW. BUT I KNOW THAT YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO ME.¡±
Vee clasped his hands to his ears. The gesture was mostly symbolic; the spirit was speaking into his thoughts, not his ears. The weight around his shoulders grew even heavier, and Vee could bear it no longer. His legs were shaking, and it was only a matter of seconds before they gave out.
He deactivated [Third Sight] and breathed a sigh of relief as the weight eased and his legs stopped trembling. Once the distance between his body and the ethereal was back to normal, he straightened once again and shook his head to clear his vision. Exhaustion filled his limbs, and Vee found himself swaying where he stood. He didn¡¯t understand. Contact with a spirit usually wasn¡¯t that draining. Whatever this thing is, it¡¯s big. I¡¯d better be careful before getting close to it again.
Reginald spoke up. ¡°You don¡¯t look too good, boss. Why don¡¯t you sit down for a few minutes?¡±
It was a wonderful idea, but it wouldn¡¯t have felt right to simply sit down in the center of the street where he was. Instead, Vee walked over to a nearby alley and slumped down next to the wall. His vision swam as he did so, and he barely noticed the bugs buzzing around him.
He looked up at the sky. He was so tired. Maybe I should rest my eyes. Yeah. Just until Alforde and Luna get back.
Vee drifted to sleep.
*Hopefully it didn¡¯t say anything about like, binding other rings in darkness.
Luna slowed to a stop and held up her lance.
¡°I think it¡¯s close,¡± she said. ¡°The smell is getting stronger.¡±
¡°Do you want me to go in first?¡± Alforde asked. He didn¡¯t smell anything new. Stepping past Hanako, Alforde readied Slammy, but the [Pumpkin Witch] shook her head.
¡°I¡¯ll lead the way. You come in after me and make sure that Hanako stays safe, alright?¡±
Alforde nodded. He could do that.
Luna went around the corner. ¡°Yup, it¡¯s blightbeasts alright,¡± she called. Something snarled and Alforde hurried to follow her.
He got a good look at the monsters for himself. It was a group of blightrats. They were large and mangy, covered in blue and yellow pustules that were raised several inches above their matted fur. Their teeth were wide and jagged, and when they snarled, some of their pustules popped and spewed out clouds of insects.
¡°Must be a pretty nasty infestation,¡± Luna said as she readied her lance. ¡°We should clear these ones out and then go back up to the surface to tell the guild so they can come up with a plan for clearing out the rest. Blightbeasts tend to make nests.¡±
Before she could say anything else though, the monsters charged. Alforde lifted Slammy up and heard Hanako flick her tessen open behind him. Luna sidestepped one of the creatures and skewered it on her lance. Another one leapt across the channel and made a beeline for Hanako. Armorsoul instincts kicked in. Protect the girl. Stepping into the blightrat¡¯s path, Alforde hoisted Hamm-no, Slammy ¨C and took aim.
¡°[Combination Attack]!¡±
Three lightning fast blows snapped out and the armorsoul dispatched the creature. For a moment, it lay there twitching and he felt a twinge of conscience.
It didn¡¯t last long though, as more and more of the vile creatures threw themselves at the trio. Luna transformed into whirling death, and Alforde made himself a shield. He blocked every attack that was meant for Hanako, and swung his hammer as hard as he could. Each time he was hit, his new armor rattled, but it held fast, and he didn¡¯t take any serious injuries. That was a relief. He hadn¡¯t ever truly doubted that he¡¯d be fine, but having the confirmation of real fight experience was reassuring.
Luna darted around the sewer, slaying monsters with furious efficiency and Hanako proved herself to be more than an annoying brat that needed to be defended. She danced around the monsters, neatly bisecting several of them with elegant swings of her metallic fans. Not wanting to be outdone, Alforde increased his efforts and fell into the chaotic rhythm of battle. His thoughts faded to nothing and remained that way until Luna stopped moving and called out that there weren¡¯t any monsters left nearby. Then the world slowly returned to normal.
[Might +2]
[Skill reactivated: Unstoppable Charge]
Alforde rocked Slammy back and forth. The hammer was definitely lighter, and Alforde was happy to have another skill back.
¡°What do we do now?¡± he asked. He looked over at Hanako and saw that she was breathing hard and looked pale. ¡°Head back straight away?¡±
Luna didn¡¯t answer as she seemed to notice her friend¡¯s appearance for the first time, because she clambered off her mount and walked over to give the girl a comforting pat on the shoulder.
¡°You did good, Hanako. Are you okay? Did the beasts injure you anywhere? Blightbeast wounds can be pretty nasty if left untreated.¡±
Hanako sniffed and wiped her brow. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Alforde protected me.¡±
Luna turned and smiled at the armorsoul. ¡°Thanks for looking out for her.¡±
¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m glad I was able to keep her safe.¡±
¡°You¡¯re good to have in a fight,¡± Luna said. ¡°I¡¯d better get these guys packed up so we can show them to the guild.¡±
Reaching into her pocket, the [Pumpkin Witch] took out a tiny seed. She set it on the ground and whispered something that Alforde couldn¡¯t hear. Orange gold light pulsed around her hand, and after a moment, a large pumpkin appeared in the seed¡¯s place. Spearing a few of the blightrats onto her lance, Luna opened the pumpkin like it was a jar and deposited the monsters inside before resealing it.
¡°That should be enough to prove our point,¡± she said. ¡°Can you give me a hand here, Hanako? The pumpkin is heavier than I thought it would be.¡±
¡°I can carry it,¡± Alforde said as he started moving forward, but Luna waved her hand dismissively.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Hanako is an [Enchantress], she can make this thing float without much effort. Or at least, she should be able to, with all the tutors and lessons her dad has given her.¡±
Hanako made a noise and scowled at Luna as she walked over to the pumpkin. With the help of a small knife, the girl carved runes into its side. She kept it up for a few minutes and then touched each symbol in turn before closing her eyes.
¡°[Minor Enchantment: Flight].¡±
The symbols glowed and the pumpkin wobbled up into the air. If the way it quivered was any indication, the enchantment wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was plenty suitable for their needs just then.
¡°Good job, thanks,¡± said Luna as she climbed back inside her cart. ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead and go back the same way we came. Less chances of nasty surprises that way. I marked our path, so it shouldn¡¯t take too long.¡±
The [Pumpkin Witch] left, pushing the floating pumpkin in front of her as she went. Hanako scurried after her.
Alforde stayed back for a moment and looked at the carnage of the battle. As he stared at the bodies of the blightbeasts, he knew one thing for certain: he could never be an adventurer like Luna. She didn¡¯t seem bothered at all by the slaughter. Though he knew that the blightbeasts were monsters and that the city was better with them dead ¨C and would be better still once the rest of them were purged from the sewers ¨C killing didn¡¯t sit right with him. Another defect, eh Elukaiser?
Alforde dismissed the thought. Surely it wasn¡¯t a bad thing that he didn¡¯t feel the thrill of victory the way he did after a battle in Crestheart¡¯s arena, was it? No, it wasn¡¯t.
Shaking his helmet, Alforde acknowledged his remorse and turned around. Remaining vigilant, the armorsoul followed the girls out of the sewer. Just like most trips, returning felt shorter than going in the first place.
It was dark outside when Alforde ascended back up the steps that led to the outside world. The fresh air felt good on his armor, and he was happy to let his sense of smell return to what he was used to.
Luna went to talk to the man from the guild and Hanako followed her like a shadow. Alforde looked around for Vee, but his friend was nowhere to be found. Strange.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 22
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 4
Might: 9
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 6
Devious Mind: 13
Leadership: 13
Guts: 9
Intimidating Presence: 7
Citizenship: 8 (+2)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 18
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 20 (+2)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Endurance: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 35
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 8
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 9
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 30
Manipulat#$%@: &8
F%^*#@: ~
[*#&$#*#&$--#@$--]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Luna and Hanako Character Sheets:
Luna Redhenny:
Primary Class: Pumpkin Witch (Sarah Redhenny), Level 30
Secondary Class: Tailor (Sarah Redhenny), Level 13
Might: 38 (+2)
Wit: 27
Faith: 22
Loyalty: 34
Adventurousness: 34
Guts: 37 (+1)
Hope: 22
Stealth: 7
Charisma: 24
Hanako Maluw:
Primary Class: Enchantress (Jacques Maluw X), Level 12
Secondary Class: Young Mistress (Jacques Maluw X), Level 11
Tertiary Class (Hidden): Petal Dancer (Madam Li¡¯s Guide to Martial Arts), Level 10
Might: 11
Wit: 15
Faith: 7
Agility: 14
Adventurousness: 11 (+1)
Guts: 8 (+1)
Deceptiveness: 4
Chapter 52: It Was (Fractionally) A Dream
Reginald looked up at the sky and squinted. It was hard to see the moons properly through all the clouds of bugs, but he was pretty sure that they were in the proper position for his skill to work. If they weren¡¯t, it was probably close enough. Celestial dreamscaping was more of an art than a science.
Speaking of art, hopefully he wasn¡¯t about to ruin his canvas right when it¡¯d finally started coming together. He¡¯d been planning to do this later, but Vee¡¯s encounter with the Expectation had been as illuminating as it¡¯d been worrying. The spirit¡¯s contact had sapped the [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s Sp¡ªinner strength so severely that it had barely taken a nudge for Reginald to send him to sleep.
That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. The boy simply wasn¡¯t strong enough yet to bear the weight, and that meant Reginald was forced to act earlier than he would have liked. He hated having to put his proverbial thumb on the scales so much, but this was a problem that wasn¡¯t going to get better on its own. Quite the opposite, in fact.
If he¡¯d still had a body, Reginald would have taken a deep breath. Since he did not, he simply tightened his brim and closed his eyes. Well master, this isn¡¯t what I wanted, but here goes nothing, eh?
¡°[Gone But Not Forgotten].¡±
Reginald reached down into Vee¡¯s thought stream and plucked out the boy¡¯s awareness. Ignoring the pain that wracked through his entire awareness ¨Ccourtesy of Maluw¡¯s seal ¨C the [Core Spirit] sent Vee into the misty depths of memory.
Vee followed the dirt road through the forest. The leaves around him dripped with water, but the road was firm beneath his feet. Thank Gawain for that. Vee hated traipsing through the mud. Especially when he was naked.
Naked?! That was¡not what was supposed to happen. Was it? He looked around. Nobody else was around, so probably not.
Vee scratched his head. Talk about a lucky break, his closet was right behind the next tree! He walked over to it ¨C extremely careful to avoid the prickly thistles to his right ¨C and dressed himself in his regular [Dungeon Master]¡¯s outfit. It was clean and comfortable, but the jacket was a bit too big. Just a quick tug on the shoulders and¡..there, it fit better now.
He looked at himself in the thistles-turned-mirror. Something was missing. Spinning in slow circles, Vee tried to figure out what it was. His hair was the length he liked to keep it, his cheeks were as rosy as ever, and everything else looked normal too.
Oh, right! He wasn¡¯t wearing his hat! How could he have forgotten it?
Strange, it wasn¡¯t anywhere to be found. Shrugging, Vee left the closet and continued on his way.
The forest came to a clearing, and Vee could see a valley down below. On the other side were some mountains that looked familiar, but they looked like an artist had spilled buckets of red and orange paint on them. Emberberries.
Vee rubbed his chin. How had he known that? Before he could really ponder it though, the sound of music came from further down the road and Vee hurried to check it out.
He saw a small fire and three figures around it. One was dancing, while the other two sat on a log nearby and watched.
The first of the sitters was a massive, barrel-chested man dressed in a silver robe. With his shaved head, fleshy nose, and thick brow, he looked like some sort of [Warrior Monk]. Instead of a belt, he wore a thick, braided rope around his waist. Hanging from it was a long sword that shimmered with energy.
Whatever familiarity he¡¯d developed with the weapon looked hard won; the man¡¯s face was crisscrossed with thin white scars and there were plenty of old wounds on his arms and chest. However, he didn¡¯t seem particularly intimidating. That was probably because he was laughing and clapping with a huge smile on his face.
¡°Ta. Faster! Dance faster, my friend!¡±
The dancer obliged, kicking his legs up into the air and laughing as he did so. He was a young man about Vee¡¯s age, with straw-colored hair and eyes that seemed too green to be human.
As Vee crept closer, he tried to get a look at the third figure, but couldn¡¯t make out much. They were wearing a dark robe that obscured all their features but their eyes, which glowed with yellow energy. Vee had seen eyes like that before, but where?
A stick snapped beneath his foot. Vee cursed under his breath. He hadn¡¯t been paying attention to where he was walking.
The dancer stopped mid kick and looked straight at him.
¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here, who are you?¡±
The world around Vee faded to mist.
Gone was the forest, and in its place was a wide stone room that looked like it was part of a castle. Vee looked around. There were shelves here, but they were all empty save for a thick layer of dust.
The blond man was standing across from him with his arms folded across his chest. The [Warrior Monk] and strange robed figure were gone.
¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± the man said, his tone growing angrier. ¡°Who are you? Did you come from one of the locked rooms? How did you open the door?¡±
Locked rooms? What? Vee stared down at his hands. How did I get here? Though it probably shouldn¡¯t have taken him so long to do so, Vee became lucid. He was definitely dreaming ¨C how else had his closet miraculously appeared behind a tree? ¨C but this was the most vivid dream he¡¯d ever had.
The air smelled like coffee, for goodness¡¯ sake! You weren¡¯t supposed to be able to smell things in dreams! Or at least, that¡¯s what he¡¯d heard and always believed. Maybe that wasn¡¯t the case.
He shook his head and introduced himself. When he was finished, he asked the man who he was, and the stranger laughed.
¡°I wish I knew that myself,¡± he said. ¡°You may call me Ildor. That¡¯s what my companions call me in some of my favorite memories. I¡¯m quite certain that I¡¯ve never left this manor, but I have memories of other places. Are they truly mine? Beyond that, I know many things and can use powerful skills, but lack any classes or stats. Such a thing shouldn¡¯t be possible, yet I swear upon Gwalchmei¡¯s shoulders that it¡¯s the truth. I¡¯ve been going from room to room and searching for clues, but most of the doors here are locked.¡±
Vee frowned. That was¡definitely not what he was expecting. He didn¡¯t really know how to respond.
Thankfully, Ildor saved him the trouble.
¡°If you didn¡¯t come from one of the locked rooms, that must mean that you¡¯re not from inside the manor. I¡¯ve checked every unlocked room enough times to be sure of that. In that case, would you mind if I [Soulread] you? It¡¯ll save us both some time.¡±
He held up his hand and his palm turned blue. Some of Vee¡¯s apprehension must have shown on his face because the man laughed once more.
¡°Worry not, young Vee! I give you my word that this won¡¯t hurt you at all.¡±
Vee pondered that statement for a moment. If he couldn¡¯t trust Ildor, he certainly couldn¡¯t trust the man¡¯s word. That was like¡pretty obvious, right? But at the same time, what choice did he have? He didn¡¯t much feel like recounting his entire life experience just then. It¡¯d take too long.
Hoping that he wasn¡¯t making a huge mistake, Vee nodded and Ildor walked forward and lightly pressed his palm against the [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s head.
The contact only lasted a second, and Vee didn¡¯t even feel anything before Ildor drew his hand away. The man frowned for a moment as a series of images zipped across his eyes, but smiled when they faded.
¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s calling himself Reginald, of all things.¡±
Vee perked up. ¡°You know Reginald?¡±
¡°Indeed, though by a different name. Thank you Vee, I think I see the outline of what¡¯s happened a bit better now. It¡¯s truly illuminating. There¡¯s much to be done.¡±
Ildor fell silent and Vee waited for him to explain what was truly illuminating. Unfortunately, Ildor was apparently one of those ¡®intentionally mysterious¡¯ types, because he didn¡¯t expand on that any further. Instead, he simply said, ¡®Follow me,¡¯ and led Vee out of the room.
The hallway was long and twisted. By the end of it, Vee was walking on what had started out as the ceiling. He hadn¡¯t even noticed. More dream weirdness.
Along the way, they passed several doors. They were all marked with a pair of black intersecting lines.
¡°Locked,¡± Ildor said by way of explanation, though Vee hadn¡¯t even asked. ¡°Come along now and be quick about it. I cannot do what I need to without my tools, and our mutual friend is probably waiting impatiently for you to wake back up.¡±
Ildor pushed open a door, and Vee followed him into a wide open room filled with stairs leading in every direction. It looked like one of those impossible paintings.
¡°Now let¡¯s see,¡± the man said as he tapped his foot. ¡°Which way was it again?¡±
Reginald¡¯s eyes snapped open as he heard the heavy footsteps approaching Vee. Between them came ragged gasps of breath, and when the hat looked up, he found himself staring up into the furious eyes of an ogre he¡¯d seen exactly once before. Shit.
Piper was having a bit of a giggle it seemed. The cycle of vengeance and all that.
The [Core Spirit] cast a surly glare up to the heavens. Really? This has to happen now?! You couldn¡¯t have waited until like, tomorrow sometime?! A pox upon you, you old cow!
A bird flying by overhead defecated, and the glop of white goo landed near Reginald¡¯s right eye. The animal made a noise that sounded all-too-much like ¡®Bite Me¡¯.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Fair enough.
The hat returned his attention to the ogre. Norog was cracking his knuckles and grinning.
¡°Ha! Rumors were true! Have found you, little [Dungeon Master]! You caught Norog with pants down, attacked like coward. Norog is here to¡one second¡Norog must catch breath¡.okay¡Norog is here to¡what was it you said? Ta! Norog here to cook the books.¡±
Pulling back a massive hand, Norog readied a punch that would certainly end Vee¡¯s life.
Reginald had to act fast.
¡°That¡¯s not what he said!¡± he cried. ¡°If you¡¯re going for poetic vengeance, you have to at least get the line right!¡±
The ogre paused and gave Reginald a confused look.
¡°Hat talks too? Perhaps Norog not as sober as thought.¡±
The ogre coughed. It was a horrid hacking sound, and he clutched his chest a little bit when he did so. Despite the terror bearing down on him, Reginald couldn¡¯t help but be a little impressed with Vee. Whatever you did to this guy, boss, it was pretty good.
He seized the moment. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that Vee said he was there to balance the books. Not cook the books. That means something else.¡±
Norog stopped coughing and looked at him. ¡°Are you sure, little hat?¡±
¡°Positive,¡± said Reginald as he sent pulses of energy into Vee in an attempt to wake him up. There wasn¡¯t much use in buying time if Vee stayed sleeping. The eventual outcome would be the same.
¡°He told us all about it and he was very clear that he said ¡®balance the books¡¯. He was particularly proud of that line. Not one of the greatest, in my opinion, but you know, his Wit¡¯s not what it should be.¡±
The ogre pondered this for a moment and then shrugged.
¡°Balance? Cook? What is difference? Who cares? Norog here to smash [Dungeon Master] face, not play word games.¡±
Reginald winced as Norog narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath. Doing so was clearly painful, as the air rattled in the ogre¡¯s chest.
Reginald sent as much energy as he could muster into Vee. Come on, boss! Wake up!
Vee shifted but remained asleep. One of his hands flopped to the ground, and Reginald saw that there was a band of red light around Vee¡¯s index finger. What was that?
¡°Ah, here it is,¡± Ildor said as he opened what felt like the hundredth identical door in a row. Inside was a small cot and a bevy of strange tools that Vee didn¡¯t recognize.
He followed the mysterious man and sat down on the floor when the whole manor shook. He kept his balance by putting his hands on the floor, but winced at a sudden flare of heat at the base of his right index finger. He pressed again and the pain was gone. Weird.
¡°What was that?¡±
Ildor looked around and shrugged. ¡°How am I supposed to know? Felt like a big surge of panicked energy to me, but my senses aren¡¯t what they used to be. Or rather they are, but they¡¯re not what I remember them being, even though the memories technically aren¡¯t mine.¡±
Vee shook his head. He¡¯d already gotten tired of Ildor¡¯s fixation on his (non)existence. The man bent down and picked up a small rod of brass with a jewel socketed into the tip. He poked it at Vee.
¡°Now, can you tell me what drained your Spirit so badly?¡±
¡°Spirit? Do you mean like my immortal spirit?¡±
Ildor looked at him like he¡¯d just asked to borrow a pair of shorts during a typhoon.
¡°No, I mean your Spirit. You know, the fourth pillar of life? Might, Wit, Passion, Spirit. Yours is almost nonexistent.¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that. As far as I know, people only have Might, Wit, and Faith when they¡¯re born. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone having Spirit before. Or Passion, for that matter.¡±
Ildor jabbed Vee in the ribs with the rod and his eyes grew wide with horror. ¡°By Pippa¡¯s knees! You¡¯re serious! But, you¡¯re one of those¡what was it called again? Ah, yes, a [Ghost Maestro]! How can you be one of those with no Spirit?¡±
Vee grinned. ¡°I mostly work with ghosts.¡±
Ildor¡¯s features grew harsh for a moment, but then he shook his head and laughed at the joke.
¡°Well, I think I know why our mutual friend sent you to me. You¡¯re being overwhelmed by the influence of a spirit, correct? Shaking legs, an unbearable weight, that sort of thing? Many [Wizards] in my memories suffered similar symptoms when they spent too long trying to reach through the fires. There¡¯s a trick that can help. Let me teach it to you.¡±
Vee¡¯s finger burned again, and he looked down at it. There was a faint pink line right by his knuckle now, and it grew hotter and brighter with every second he stared at it.
Another rumble shook the manor. This one was far stronger than the first had been, and Vee almost woke up right there. He fought to stay asleep. He didn¡¯t want to go back to the insect-ridden alley near the sewer just yet!
Ildor gestured to the light around Vee¡¯s finger.
¡°We should hurry.¡±
Tapping Vee¡¯s forehead with the rod, Ildor closed his eyes.
¡°[Teach Skill: Spirit Shield]¡±
Awareness surged through Vee¡¯s body, and he saw himself encased in a faint blue crystal, surrounded by spirits. No matter how they tried to touch him, they were repelled by the energy. That would be mighty useful!
[You can now use the Spirit Shield skill!]
The walls shook again, and the manor started turning to mist before Vee¡¯s eyes. His finger was screaming hot.
¡°There¡¯s not much time left,¡± Ildor said. ¡°Let me give you these as well. [Pippa¡¯s Blessing]!¡±
[Might +10]
[Wit +15]
[Passion +20¡.Unknown Stat¡converting]
[Conversion Complete!]
Might + 7]
[Wit + 8]
[Spirit +25¡Unknown Stat¡converting]
[Conversion Complete!]
[Faith + 20]
[Wit +5]
[Congratulations, you can now use the--]
The manor faded to nothing. As Ildor vanished, Vee could see the man grinning as he said something.
¡°¡ue K¡¡±
Vee couldn¡¯t make it out, but then his ears popped, and he heard the next bit just fine.
¡°You should probably focus more on merchandise. That¡¯s where the easy money is.¡±
Everyone¡¯s an expert.
Vee squirmed but didn¡¯t wake, and Norog had apparently talked enough. With a roar, he swung his massive fist toward Vee, and Reginald felt as if the world had completely slowed down.
There was nothing he could do now. He closed his eyes.
It was all over¡
¡Except that it wasn¡¯t.
There was a loud smack, and Norog let out a grunt that was both dazed and confused. Reginald opened his eyes, daring to look once more. The adventurer¡¯s arm was caught firmly in the grip of another ogre¡¯s hand.
As far as Reginald knew, there was only one other ogre in Oar¡¯s Crest. That meant ¨C he looked up and saw Sculla standing next to them. The old ogre was scowling, and there was a light in her eyes that the hat hadn¡¯t ever seen before. Instinctively, Reginald shied away from the thrum of power in the air around her. He¡¯d always had his¡suspicions about Sculla ¨C what was she doing with all those boxes, anyways? ¨C but this basically confirmed the worst of them.
Or, maybe it was the best of them, seeing as she¡¯d just saved Vee¡¯s life.
He¡¯d figure it out later.
The ogre¡¯s pipe glowed with arcane embers, and she seemed far bigger than normal.
Norog squealed. When he spoke next, it was in the guttural tongue of the ogres.
Reginald activated [Many Tongues, One Language] so that he could understand.
¡°¡ªhonored Yazadiyan! My most sincere apologies!¡±
Sculla didn¡¯t release the brute¡¯s hand. ¡°Those aren¡¯t good enough. Your murderous intent reeks, and I can hear your bloodlust over the wailing of these damn bugs. You were going to kill the boy.¡±
¡°He embarrassed me and injured me. I can¡¯t breathe well enough to work! I must take my revenge, or be seen as weak!¡±
Sculla shook her head, tightening her grip just enough to make Norog¡¯s eyes fill with tears. ¡°You are weak. This ¡®revenge¡¯ wouldn¡¯t change that. Besides, your injuries are your own fault. Doubly so. You brought them upon yourself by damaging Vee¡¯s thrukdak.¡±
Norog made to speak but Sculla shook her head and the air cracked. So did one of the walls nearby. Norog shut his mouth. Maybe he was smarter than he looked.
¡°I know why you did it, but that changes nothing. Has the Stonegief family fallen so far that you needed such a paltry sum of money? Surely the tribes would have helped you if you needed the coin, if only to keep you from dirtying your name in such a manner. Why did you not go to them? Perhaps you¡¯ve done something to offend them too? Bah, foolish child! You might as well be made from rock!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t see how attacking me in an alley is justified,¡± Norog said. He sounded more than a little pouty.
Sculla growled. ¡°What did you think he was going to do? Look at him! See how thin his arms are? He is not a warrior! He is weaker than a baby! You gave him no choice but to take his vengeance in the only way he could. The fact that you let your love of drink make you an easy target for such an attack is no one¡¯s fault but your own. Hear me now, Norog son of Zanlek, son of Krusg, I am #%#$%#$, and declare this matter finished. Do you doubt my name?¡±
Reginald squinted. He hadn¡¯t actually caught Sculla¡¯s name ¨C though he imagined it might have been something like Deus or Machina ¨C her voice had crackled in a strange way when she said it. It¡¯d been quite some time since he¡¯d last used this skill. Maybe it¡¯d gotten weaker from neglect.
Norog held out his hands in a pleading gesture. ¡°But I still have a quarrel!¡±
¡°Then go find a [Lawyer] and sue. Get someone to [Serve Papers].¡±
Norog¡¯s eyes grew impossibly wide, and he started trembling. Fury mixed with disgust.
¡°You¡you would have me seek legal recourse? You shame me, Yazadiyan!¡±
Sculla nodded and grinned. It wasn¡¯t a friendly gesture. Another wall cracked. Reginald hoped the building wouldn¡¯t collapse. That just wouldn¡¯t be fair.
¡°As I intended. Do not bother this child again, Norog. The ring he wears is a boon from me, and I will know if you ever try such wickedness again. You will not find me so merciful if we meet like this for a second time. Now go and get out of here before I change my mind.¡±
Like a child caught trying to steal sugar cubes by stuffing them into a pocket, Norog turned around and shuffled out of the alley. Reginald couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of pity for the ogre. It didn¡¯t last long.
Vee mumbled something and started to stir.
Sculla looked over at the hat. She spoke once more, this time in the common tongue. ¡°Spirit, did you hear all of that?¡±
Reginald thought about lying. It¡¯d be a perfect lie, would it not? He could simply feign ignorance and then he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about having a whatever Sculla was mad at him. You couldn¡¯t put a price on peace of mind like that!
But no, that wouldn¡¯t be right.
He scrunched himself forward. ¡°Not quite all of it, but enough to understand that Vee should probably be paying you a lot more in rent.¡±
[Deceptiveness -1]
The ogre laughed and shook her head. ¡°Probably, but I won¡¯t ask him to. In fact, I would prefer that your friend not know about this at all. He¡¯s still asleep. Will you refrain from saying anything?¡±
¡°I will.¡±
Sculla took a long drag from her pipe and her gaze burned into Reginald¡¯s awareness. Then she nodded. Turning around, she walked through the nearest wall and disappeared. No fair.
Reginald had some serious thinking to do.
Vee woke up a few minutes later. He was grinning ear to ear as he stood up and stretched, swatting a few bugs out of his face as he did so.
He bent down and picked up a small rock that was laying next to his feet.
¡°Reginald, watch this!¡±
Grunting, Vee threw the rock down the alley as hard as he could. It landed less than ten feet away and skidded to a stop.
¡°Am I supposed to be impressed or feel pity?¡±
Vee looked down at his hands. Something wasn¡¯t right.
Closing his eyes, Vee checked his Soul¡¯s Mirror and made a gurgling noise.
His stats were all the same!
It was all a dream!
Clapping his hands together, Vee said, ¡°[Spirit Shield].¡±
A faint blue crystal surrounded him, just as he¡¯d seen with Ildor.
Okay, so maybe not all of it was a dream.
A popup appeared in front of him.
[Transfer Incomplete!]
Well, that was just great! He looked up at the sky. Would it kill you two to give me a lucky break once in a while!
A bird flying through the sky above him defecated, and the blob of white goo landed next to Vee¡¯s right foot.
The [Dungeon Master] grinned.
Fair enough.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 22
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 4
Might: 9
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 6
Devious Mind: 13
Leadership: 13
Guts: 9
Intimidating Presence: 7
Citizenship: 8
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 18
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 20
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Endurance: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~H@#!$d o% ^h@ B&#e K#$@ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, L$#@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 35
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 8
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 9
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 29 (-1)
Manipulativeness$@: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 41
[*--__#4%_--------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Chapter 53: Cresthearts First Intern
As one might expect, none of the restaurants Vee, Luna, Hanako, and Alforde tried to go to were willing to serve them. Even Big Simon gave them an apologetic smile and waved them away with a request to return another time.
Though disappointed, Vee totally understood. The reek of the sewer was pretty bad, and Hanako was starting to fall behind as they walked from place to place, so Alforde suggested that they meet up the next morning for breakfast instead. As they waded through the bugs on the way back to Hanako¡¯s house, the girl and the armorsoul struck up a conversation about enchanted crystals.
Alforde explained that he was looking to socket one into his new hammer, and Hanako asked what he had in mind.
¡°Well, I don¡¯t have a particularly strong preference, so I¡¯m open to suggestions,¡± Alforde said.
The girl clapped her hands together.
¡°Ooh, let me help! Are you looking for a spell that¡¯s thematically complementary or are you looking for skill coverage? I think you¡¯d do well with a projectile attack, but then again an area-of-effect skill might really suit you too. Since you¡¯re all frostnickel though, you might want something ice themed. Maybe an [Icewall] or something?¡±
Alforde thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure. What do you think Vee?¡±
Vee was surprised by the sudden change in the girl¡¯s tone to something that was so focused. So far, Hanako¡¯s whining had been the perfectly ordinary sort: almost question-like complaints about her hair, or that she was tired, or cold, or had to pee. She reminded him all too much of the girls he¡¯d grown up with, and to be honest, he¡¯d thought her pretty annoying. Seeing such a different side of her was nice.
¡°I like the thematic angle, but I think you should try a couple of different options,¡± he said.
¡°If you¡¯d like, I can bring a couple crystals with me tomorrow,¡± Hanako said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I can only make D-Rank crystals right now, but they should be good enough to give you an idea of what you want. Then we can ask my dad for an S-rank version.¡±
Vee doubted that they¡¯d be able to afford an S-rank crystal any time soon, but it was a nice thought, and so he didn¡¯t press the matter any further.
The rest of the walk was spent discussing the specifics of what Hanako was going to bring, and they ultimately settled on a collection of six enchanted crystals. [Fireball], [Frostvent], [Icewall], [Boltsphere], [Aquastream] and [Pearlshot]. The fact that she could make so many different kinds was rather impressive.
Alforde seemed quite excited as they dropped Hanako off at her sprawling mansion. The armorsoul was practically bouncing up and down as Luna also said farewell and the boys were left to return to Sculla¡¯s.
The ogre was sitting on her stoop with her pipe in hand, and Vee felt Reginald¡¯s brim tighten around his head for a moment before the spirit relaxed. He wondered what that was all about.
She looked up at them and nodded. ¡°Got some boxes down the street for you to take downstairs before you go on up.¡±
Alforde set Slammy down with a nod and went to go start hauling boxes.
¡°You should go help, Vee¡± Reginald said.
Vee tried to protest, but the hat was oddly insistent. ¡°Find a small one and get to carrying. It¡¯s not fair to make Alforde do all the work. He was down in the sewers all day.¡±
Grumbling, Vee went and did as his [Majordomo] suggested. He managed to find one that was just light enough for him to carry all the way back to the boarding house.
Sculla didn¡¯t say anything more to them as they lugged the boxes past. She simply nodded and kept smoking. Vee shook his head as he headed up to the room.
Not even a thanks? Some people just didn¡¯t know how to be grateful.
The next morning, Vee and Alforde went to the market to meet the girls. Reginald stayed behind, claiming that he didn¡¯t want to have to go through another day of being swarmed by bugs.
There were a few more people out and about. Though still annoying, the pests weren¡¯t as bad as they¡¯d been the day before, thanks to the efforts of the adventurers and the [City Guards] who¡¯d been leading raid after raid into the sewers all night in an attempt to eradicate the blightbeast nest and the adventurers wandering the city and toasting swarms with a variety of skills. The whole city smelled a bit like a campfire, which was actually a pleasant improvement compared to the usual stench of filth and garbage.
Bug carcasses littered the ground, and as Vee crunched over them, he idly wondered how long it¡¯d take for the city to get around to cleaning them up. Based on what he¡¯d seen so far in Oar¡¯s Crest, he wasn¡¯t terribly optimistic about it happening anytime soon.
But maybe he could help with that?
It was still too risky to try and bring the fiends into town, but he didn¡¯t think people would react so negatively to slimes. With a bit of ectoplasm, he could rig up harnesses and let the little monsters go to town on the bugs. They were always hungry, and it would probably do them some good to have something in their diet beyond the debris brought in from around Westown.
He¡¯d get started on that as soon as breakfast was done. If the gate was open, of course.
The girls arrived a few minutes later, and Hanako held up a small black box. ¡°I brought the crystals we talked about and a few others that didn¡¯t take too long to make. There¡¯s nothing that says you have to pick one crystal and stick with it forever, so you might want to have a few different ones and swap them as you need between fights.¡±
She handed the box to Alforde and the armorsoul thanked her profusely. His eyes gleamed as he opened it up and picked up a blue crystal rimmed with white.
¡°What¡¯s this one?¡± he asked.
¡°That¡¯s [Frostvent]. It¡¯s an area of effect spell,¡± Hanako said. ¡°It blows freezing air a few feet, and if a target remains inside it for too long, they¡¯ll be temporarily frozen in place. How long that takes depends on how big the target is, how much they¡¯re moving and a bunch of other stuff. You should try it out for yourself, but I think that¡¯d be a good one for you to use at least some of the time.¡±
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Alforde looked torn for a moment, clearly wanting to test the crystals but not wanting to keep everyone from breakfast on his account.
Alforde had earned a bit of playtime, and Vee wasn¡¯t that hungry, so he stood up and gave his friend a thumbs up. ¡°Go ahead and try a few of them out now, buddy. Joleimna is setting up over there and I could go for some candy right about now. Do you want to join me, Luna?¡±
[Guts +1]
The [Pumpkin Witch] smiled at him and nodded. ¡°Sure, that sounds like a lot more fun than watching crystals get tested. You gotta be careful though, guys. If Hanako gets on a tangent she¡¯s interested in, you won¡¯t hear about anything else for weeks.¡±
Alforde chuckled as the younger girl glared at Luna. ¡°Would you be willing to show me how to properly socket the crystal? I¡¯m afraid I haven¡¯t don¡¯t it before.¡±
With Hanako distracted, Vee and Luna walked over to Joleimna¡¯s. The [Candy Man] only had a few bags of candy at his stall and wasn¡¯t trying to make any more with all the bugs around. The salamander complained about the insect infestation, but shrugged his shoulders in a what-can-you-do sort of way and happily sold them two bags of caramel apple candies. Vee paid for both.
¡°Thanks, this is my favorite flavor,¡± Luna said as they walked away from the stall.
¡°Really? It¡¯s mine too,¡± Vee said. ¡°I like the orange cream ones too though.¡±
¡°Those are good, too,¡± said Luna. ¡°But they¡¯re nothing on those blueberry lemonade hats he sells.¡±
Vee chuckled and from there they talked about other little things. It wasn¡¯t the most groundbreaking conversation Vee¡¯d ever had, but it was nice, and he was proud of himself for not like, choking in the middle of it or stumbling over his words too much. Baby steps, he told himself.
While they chatted, Vee and Luna watched Alforde test the crystals. The first one Hanako helped him socket was [Frost Vent]. To Vee¡¯s eye, it seemed a bit underwhelming. The cloud of frosty vapor wasn¡¯t very big. To its credit, it did freeze the bugs pretty quickly. Alforde seemed to like it quite a bit.
[Fireball] was exactly what anybody with a brain would expect when they heard the name, and the scattered projectiles of [Pearl Shot] looked like they might be marginally useful in arena fights while being completely useless against the bugs.
Alforde was about to socket [Boltsphere] ¨C if the yellow crystal was any indication ¨C but Luna¡¯s stomach rumbled and that was it. Vee walked back to his friend and suggested that the armorsoul try the rest of the crystals later. With a slight nod of his helmet, Alforde agreed, and the group set off to find a good restaurant for breakfast. At Hanako¡¯s suggestion, they stopped in front of a small restaurant called Mystique.
As soon as they walked in, Vee took one look at the ¡°art¡± on the walls and knew it was going to be one of those fancy restaurants. The kind with tiny portions, egregiously high prices, and an inexplicable affinity for serving everything on square plates or in cones of twisted iron. He¡¯d been to enough such places back in Bardis to recognize the vibe.
The food was just okay. Vee¡¯s creamed eggs on toast and hashbrowns didn¡¯t taste like much, but it was bug free and that counted for plenty. Hanako ordered herself two jelly-filled somethings and devoured them noisily, and Luna ordered a plate of eggs and sausage.
When they were finished, Vee went up to pay the check and grimaced at how expensive it was. He resolved not to come back here anytime soon. The Grinning Pig had better food for barely more than half the cost.
Luna smiled at him after they left the restaurant and Vee relented. That alone was worth the price of the check and then some.
¡°I¡¯m going to go and see if I can join up with one of the other adventuring parties going into the sewers,¡± she said as she stopped at the intersection. ¡°Thanks for the candy and breakfast. I had fun. Next time it¡¯ll be my treat.¡±
He grinned and nodded. ¡°Sounds good,¡± he said, hoping that wasn¡¯t too lame of a way to respond. It was hard to think when his brain was blasting RED ALERT SHE SAID NEXT TIME on repeat.
The [Pumpkin Witch] waved and walked away. Vee watched her go with a stupid grin on his face.
Hanako bowed to them both.
¡°I should also be returning home,¡± she said. ¡°My tutors will be expecting me for my afternoon lessons.¡±
¡°When should I return the crystals?¡± Alforde asked.
Hanako waved dismissively.
¡°You can keep them,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯re not hard to make, and it was good practice for me. My dad¡¯s always pestering me to spend more time at the bench. He says its our family legacy and that I need to take it more seriously. I always tell him that if I had something interesting to practice for I¡¯d be more diligent, but he never listens. Anyways, if you find one you really like, come visit me and I¡¯ll see if I can get my dad to make you a higher rank version. He¡¯s a really talented [Enchanter].¡±
¡°Sure, we¡¯ll be sure to do that,¡± Vee said.
Hanako stayed where she was, and though Vee was definitely no master of reading body language, it was pretty obvious that there was something else on her mind.
¡°I just had an idea. Do you think you need any crystals for the dungeon?¡±
Vee thought for a moment. ¡°It¡¯d be good to have them for traps and things like that, but I¡¯m afraid that money is pretty tight right now, so I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t afford any.¡±
Hanaka shifted nervously back and forth on her feet. ¡°Well, I could make you some for free. We have more crystals than we know what to do with at my house. Tons of [Miners], [Crystal Farmers], and [Gem Traders] send my dad samples of their wares. He never uses any of them, and my mom is going crazy with all the crystals in the basement.¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow. He wasn¡¯t going to say no to free enchanted crystals ¨C the union prices for those were crazy high ¨C but something wasn¡¯t adding up.
¡°And what¡¯s in it for you?¡±
¡°You make me a dungeon intern and give me a place to enchant crystals three or four afternoons a week,¡± Hanako said.
¡°That¡¯s all?¡±
The girl nodded.
¡°Yup, that¡¯s it.¡±
Vee looked over at Alforde. The armorsoul shrugged, and as Vee didn¡¯t have a good reason to refuse more help around Crestheart, he held out his hand and Hanako shook it.
¡°Deal,¡± he said. ¡°Welcome to the team, Hanako.¡±
She grinned at him.
¡°Thanks, boss.¡±
[Congratulations! You have successfully gained the help of five people. Hidden quest ¡®Recruit others to your cause (Oar¡¯s Crest)¡¯ complete!]
[Quest Reward: You are now a Dungeon Master, Level 14!]
[Your underlings will now earn more experience from their dungeon tasks!]
[Leadership +1]
[You can now use the Boost Drops skill!]
[Citizenship +2]
[Failed to receive quest! Reason: Citizenship too low! (Requires 20 points)]
Vee closed his eyes and checked the skill.
[Boost Drops]: Three times per day, double the chances of all passive monster skills for the duration of a run. Affects shards of chaos.
Huh. Go figure. That actually sounded pretty useful.
Now he just had to get adventurers back into the dungeon.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 22
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14 (+2)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 4 \
Might: 9
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 6
Devious Mind: 13
Leadership: 14 (+1)
Guts: 10 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 7
Citizenship: 10 (+2)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 18
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 20
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Endurance: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Heart of a Champion: 2
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4 (+1)
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~H@#!$d o% ^h@ B&#e K#$@ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, L$#@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 35
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 8
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 9
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 29
Manipulativeness$@: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 41
[*--__#4%_--------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2
Bonus Content: The [Wyrmblood] [Coinductor]
Gavin Galtsbane slammed his fist against the wall of his dressing room, sending six golden fleurs spinning into the air where they stayed. The rest of the pile that he kept on the counter to amuse himself with before bouts scattered, but they basically remained where they were.
The [Dungeon Champion] looked at the coins for a moment and sneered. Not even the sparkle of gold in the air could soothe his temper just then. He snapped his fingers and the floating fleurs zipped over to his left hand, forming a neat stack atop his palm. Another snap and they zipped across the room to join their fellows on the counter. A third snap made the pile presentable once more.
Simple tricks, for a [Coinductor] like him.
However, simple as they were, using his skills required him to move his injured body. He winced. His back, shoulders, and arms were still partially transformed and covered in glittering ruby scales. Eggs and flame, his back hurt. That human filth got me worse than I thought he did.
Stripping off his dirty outfit and turning around, Gavin stared at his reflection in the mirror. Both of his wing joints ¨C shoulder blades in this human body ¨C bore serious wounds courtesy of Larsene Canis III, the [Starfire Swordsman] he¡¯d faced that evening. How Gavin hated him! He was nothing, a mere human! Yet he¡¯d had the audacity to smirk as he drew his {Sword of Silver Stars} free of Gavin¡¯s wings. The physical wound would heal ¨C or to be more precise, would be healed ¨C but the injury to Gavin¡¯s pride might never go away.
The memory of the adventurer¡¯s smug expression burned in Gavin¡¯s mind. Should they meet again, Gavin would make it a point to show Canis how slow and telegraphed his signature attack was. He could have dodged it easily, would have dodged it easily, but alas. Next time, he¡¯d dodge it. Next time, he¡¯d rip the adventurer¡¯s arms off and show the world the real difference between their strength.
Not good; his [Draconic Temper] was flaring up. Instead of fading like they were supposed to, the scales on his biceps and forearms were getting more pronounced. Closing his eyes, Gavin tried to master his emotions. Scarlet rage swirled through his body, and no matter how he tried, he couldn¡¯t get it to abate. A real dragon would have already accepted the outcome as necessary to protect the hoard, he told himself. But then, I¡¯m not a real dragon, am I?
The thought was sobering, and Gavin felt his rage slowly bleeding away. Finally, he calmed down enough that he finished transforming back into a human and sat in his luxurious chair until he was sure that he had his temper under control. Shaking his head, Gavin rang the bell to alert the [Healers] that he was ready for their ministrations. Dressed in their strange green robes and bizarre goggles, the fat man and skinny woman hurried into the dressing room and examined his back.
¡°It looks pretty bad,¡± the fat man said as he poked and prodded the muscle around the wound. ¡°I thought he¡¯d cut your wings right off, Gavin.¡±
The skinny woman opened up one of the many jars she carried on her belt ¨C like she was a [Bottler], or something! ¨C and spread a vile blue paste atop the wounds. The sludge congealed and Gavin¡¯s eyes filled with tears as it stitched muscle and flesh back together. Once the wounds were covered to her satisfaction, the skinny woman handed Gavin a multitude of vile concoctions that made him want to vomit.
¡°That¡¯s how you know they¡¯re good for healing,¡± she said when Gavin complained.
The [Dungeon Champion] rolled his eyes and fiddled with a gold fleur until they left. The touch of gold against his skin was soothing. He flipped the coin from finger to finger and called more from across the room to join along. Sending them spinning through the air brought him a small measure of joy, and he would have been perfectly content to sit there naked for hours, the air around him rippling with heat and dancing coins.
Unfortunately, his peaceful respite wasn¡¯t meant to last, as a resounding knock on his door reminded him that he still had other [Dungeon Champion] duties to perform. As if he hadn¡¯t already done enough that night to entertain the filthy masses.
¡°Press conference is in five, Champ. Make sure you¡¯re dressed this time.¡±
Gavin growled. You forget to put on clothes one time and the dimwit in charge of knocking on your door still thought it was worth mentioning two years later. Directing his coins to stack themselves neatly on the ground next to his chair, Gavin stood up and looked over at his post-fight outfit.
It was his favorite suit: an ivory jacket with crimson and pink roses up and down the sleeves, matching pants, and a black shirt to go with it. He winced as he slid the shirt over his back, but once he buttoned it up halfway and popped the collar, Gavin was distracted from the pain by how well it framed his chest muscles. He flexed, and grinned at the way the fabric looked like it was on the verge of bursting. Tucking the shirt in, he put on his pants and cufflinks. Shaped like dragons in flight, the cufflinks were made out of gold and adorned with diamonds. Gavin loved the way they sparkled.
Putting the jacket on was easier than the shirt had been, and Gavin had to grin as he looked at himself in the mirror. Looking good, Galtsbane. Looking gooooood.
As he walked down the long hallway to the press room, he felt a familiar, aching desire. He wanted to go and gamble. His throat burned for some booze, and his desire to throw some dice was almost nauseating. How he longed for the embrace of Lady Luck! Maybe after the press conference he¡¯d slip down to Jerah¡¯s and ¨C
No, that was how he¡¯d gotten into this mess in the first place. He was going to stay away from the betting houses for at least the next few months. Give himself some time to clear the weakness out of his system. Yeah, that was a fine plan, and the [Wyrmblood] grinned at his own resolve.
He¡¯d have to find some other distractions in the meantime, but he didn¡¯t mind. Pleasant companionship was always easy to find with muscles like his.
¡°Tough battle out there tonight,¡± a woman¡¯s voice behind him said. Gavin spun towards it. Curse these pathetic human ears! How he hated the dullness of human senses.
The speaker was a tall, blond woman with ice blue eyes. She was dressed in the stodgy brown uniform of the Dungeon Sport Commisioner¡¯s office, and Gavin¡¯s heartbeat quickened in his chest. Why was this woman here? Did she suspect something?¡±
No, there was no way that could be the case. His performance that evening had been flawless! Every last detail was impeccable. His attacks that just barely missed their mark, his dodges that were just a hair too slow, his inability to dodge Canis¡¯ final strike. Gavin was a master, and they were all perfect!
This must be some routine matter, then.
Bowing his head, Gavin flashed the woman his most powerful [Seductive Smile]. ¡°Indeed, it was a difficult battle, and I regret coming up short. Might I ask what brings such a beautiful woman to see me, Miss¡?¡±
¡°You can call me Agent Hailake.¡±
Gavin puffed out his chest a little bit ¨C not so much as to be obvious, but enough that she¡¯d have no choice but to marvel at his majestic pecs ¨C but the woman¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. She was like granite.
Another blow to his pride! What a cursed night this truly was! But fine, if she wasn¡¯t amenable to his charm or susceptible to flattery, he¡¯d simply have to shift tactics once more.
¡°And how might I assist you, Agent Hailake?¡±
¡°I was curious about your battle with Canis, and was hoping you could answer a few questions for me.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m about to go have my press conference, so surely if there¡¯s something you want to know you could wait until then to see if I answer there. I¡¯d rather not repeat¨C¡°
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The woman held up a hand and Gavin¡¯s voice died in his throat.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you use your [Molten Rain] when Canis rolled into the southwestern portion of the arena?¡±
Gavin¡¯s heart started pounding even faster. She suspected him! His acting must not have been as ironclad as he thought!
Somehow, the [Dungeon Champion] managed to keep his expression even. He shrugged and did his best to affect the most honest expression he could. He hoped it¡¯d be enough.
¡°My other fire attacks weren¡¯t working, so I sought to win the fight by closing the distance and overwhelming Canis in melee combat. I didn¡¯t even really consider using [Molten Rain], to be honest. The heat of combat and all that.¡±
The agent cocked her head to the side. It was true that Gavin¡¯s fire attacks hadn¡¯t done much to Canis. The adventurer had some sort of skill that rendered them virtually useless.
¡°But according to the [Dungeon Champion Analysts] in our office, you¡¯ve used it in almost three quarters of your matches in that position. Even if it didn¡¯t win the fight for you by itself, wouldn¡¯t it have allowed you to get a better position to win in melee? Surely it would have been better than putting yourself in range of [Meteor Slice], right?¡±
Gavin shrugged again. ¡°Every fight is different, madam. They¡¯re chaotic. The difficulties faced by actual combatants are hard to measure with the tools your associates use, so courses of action that might seem obvious to them are not always so clear in the heat of battle. Have you ever fought in a Champion¡¯s bout?¡±
The agent shook her head and Gavin thought that he might have succeeded in steering the conversation away, but this woman wasn¡¯t to be deterred! Letting the inquiry into his choice of attacks fade away, she pulled a small notebook out of her pocket and opened it up.
¡°Next question, Mister Galtsbane. Are you aware that you were the obvious favorite for tonight¡¯s bout? Jerah¡¯s had you at twelve-to-one, and they were the closest to even odds in the city.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that, I don¡¯t have anything to do with the betting houses,¡± Gavin said quickly. Too quickly if the way Hailake¡¯s eyebrows snapped up meant anything.
¡°Oh really? That¡¯s odd. I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re a regular at Jerah¡¯s. Lots of people have seen you there playing Horses and Fool¡¯s Wheel. Are you saying they¡¯re lying?¡±
¡°No, of course not,¡± Gavin snapped. ¡°Forgive me, I misspoke. I enjoy card and dice games, but I don¡¯t pay attention to their dungeon sports betting operations. Are you insinuating something? If not, I really must be going to my press conference. I¡¯d rather not add to my shame at tonight¡¯s loss by also incurring a fine for tardiness.¡±
After glaring at him for a moment, she shook her head.
¡°My apologies, Mister Galtsbane. I was simply curious, as I¡¯m a big fan and hate seeing you lose. My apologies for taking your time.¡±
With a slight bow, the woman turned and walked back down the hall, leaving Gavin alone with his thoughts before he headed into the press conference. Hailake definitely suspected him, but it seemed that she didn¡¯t yet have solid evidence to make her case. He¡¯d have to arrange for her to meet some manner of unfortunate accident. Or would that attract too much attention and possibly interest one of her associates? He¡¯d have to think about it once he finished up here.
Such a matter was delicate, and best handled with careful consideration. It wouldn¡¯t do to simply take the first course of action that presented itself to him.
Taking a deep breath, Gavin opened the door to the conference room and strutted inside.
He was met with the familiar flashes of image crystals, but was used to them and so didn¡¯t shy away from their brightness.
His seat wasn¡¯t nearly so luxurious as the one in his dressing room, but Gavin made sure to put on a big smile that was slightly abashed as they peppered him with questions. They were the same boring questions they always asked ¨C What were you thinking about before tonight¡¯s bout? Were you surprised by Canis¡¯ aggression? ¨C but he made sure to graciously answer each one to the best of his ability.
The words of his [Dungeon Master], Clairdelun Debussy, echoed in his thoughts. I don¡¯t pay you to fight, Galtsbane. I pay you to look pretty and give the press what they want.
Making sure that his back remained perfectly straight, Gavin was the pinnacle of gracious in defeat. He was personable and pleasant, cracking jokes and bantering with the [Reporters]. He hated every second of it, but they¡¯d never know.
Finally, the tide of questions slowed to a trickle, and then stopped completely. Gavin thanked the reporters for their time and left.
He was still not free of his duties as [Dungeon Champion]. Win or lose, so long as he was physically capable of doing so, a big part of his job was to go out and greet some of the spectators crowded outside the dungeon. On nights when he won, this wasn¡¯t such a bad thing. He never minded being heaped with praise, but on nights like tonight where he¡¯d lost, the crowd was an entirely different animal.
Instead of compliments and cheers, Gavin was met with boos and curses as soon as he stepped outside.
¡°You bum! You¡¯re worthless!¡±
¡°My grandmother could have fought better out there tonight, and she¡¯s been dead for twenty years!¡±
¡°If the [Dungeon Master] keeps you around, she¡¯s lost her mind!¡±
For a moment, Gavin had to wrestle with his instincts. Men and women ¨C though mostly men -- who¡¯d never so much as been in a fistfight bombarded him with opinions of what he should or shouldn¡¯t have done, and it took all of Gavin¡¯s self-control to not transform then and there to give them an opportunity to put their theories to the test.
That¡¯d probably be bad for publicity, with all the blood and all.
He drew out a coin and let the soothing touch of gold calm his temper, and then decided to take a different approach with the detractors. He held up his hands and the crowd fell quiet.
¡°Thank you all for your support,¡± he said. He took a deep breath and let [Alluring Speech] fill his voice. Love me.
¡°I¡¯m sorry that I disappointed you all tonight, but I promise that I¡¯ll be back better and stronger for my next bout! Thank you all for your passion and excitement, I hope you¡¯ll continue supporting me in the future!¡±
He smiled at the crowd, whose mood transformed right before his eyes. Humans were such pathetic creatures. Just a bit of suggestion and a few sentences, and the fury of the crowd turned on a fleur and was replaced by cheering that bordered on the fanatic.
In accordance with his desire, they were cheering his name, and Gavin made his way up through the crowd, giving handshakes and signing autographs. It was tedious work, but Gavin grit his teeth and did it. He wanted to make sure that he stayed in Clairdelun¡¯s good graces, should Agent Hailake start stirring up trouble. The [Dungeon Master] had a surprising amount of pull with the local law enforcement agencies, and could probably quash any unpleasant inquiries before they got out of hand.
A child came up to him with a grotesquely-proportioned plushie that was supposed to be his draconic form, and Gavin forced himself to smile. He hated the things, but they sold well.
¡°Mister Galtsbane, would you be willing to sign this for me?¡± the boy asked as he held up his toy and a pen.
¡°Of course, little friend,¡± he said as he knelt down and flourished ¡°his¡± stomach with a signature. ¡°Did you enjoy the battle?¡±
¡°It was awesome, but I was sad that you lost!¡±
¡°I was too,¡± Gavin said. ¡°But that¡¯s how champion bouts go sometime. I¡¯ll win the next one!¡±
¡°Of course, you will,¡± the kid said with youthful certainty. ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡±
Gavin handed back the pen and the plush and saw that the kid¡¯s eyes were veritably glowing with joy. He stood back up and made eye contact with the boy¡¯s mother. She stood behind her son and her eyes were sparkling too, though the way they lingered on his chest muscles indicated a slightly different reason.
Ah, what the hell. A job was a job. The [Dungeon Champion] winked at her. She flushed and turned away, but Gavin knew that she¡¯d be talking ¨Cand thinking ¨Cabout that wink for years.
Returning to the crowd, Gavin finished his lap of interaction and turned to head back towards the dungeon.
As he did so, an unassuming man bumped into him. Gavin went to shove him away, but the man leaned forward and whispered in his ear as he slipped a small bag into Gavin¡¯s front pocket.
¡°Forecast for the next week is sunny, but there¡¯s a chance of sudden hailstorms. Office is keeping an eye out for a suitable umbrella.¡±
Before Gavin could answer, the man was gone.
His duties finally done; Gavin scurried back to his penthouse as fast as his human legs could carry him. The entire trip, he was terrified of being stopped on street and searched. How had the man been so foolish, making the drop like that in the middle of the crowd? Did he want Gavin to be caught? The [Shadows] of the clan were supposed to be the pinnacle of discretion!
Fuming, Gavin closed all the blinds and locked his door. Eighteen latches fell into place. Then, and only then, did the [Dungeon Champion] feel safe enough to remove the bag from his pocket and investigate its contents.
Six orichalcum fleurs fell into his palm, and the [Wyrmblood] grinned. Payment for a job well done. He didn¡¯t much care for the coins themselves, they were ugly things that didn¡¯t sparkle at all, but they were worth a lot of gold fleurs. It¡¯d be a long time before he could exchange them ¨C he had no idea how long it¡¯d take the clans to find a proper ¡°umbrella¡± to deal with Agent Hailake ¨C but that was fine. He could wait.
Clutching his fingers around the coins, Gavin looked up at the ceiling. He didn¡¯t ever want to take another dive like this one, but he¡¯d protected his hoard and added to it, and that was all that mattered.
Gavin Galtsbane Character sheet:
Gavin Galtsbane:
+BLESSING OF THE WYRM+
Primary Class: Wyrmblood (Freimia The Victorious), Level +60+
Secondary Class: Coinductor (Self), Level +60+
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Alavakio), Level +60+
Might: +225+
Wit: +100+
Faith: +25+
Greed: +350+
Pride: +200+
Agility: +150+
Endurance: +200+
Intimidating Presence: +150+
Heart of a Champion: +100+
Guts: +200+
Vigilance: +100+
Deceptiveness: +75+
Charisma: +125+
Stealth: +25+
Ambition: +200+
Chapter 54: A Cleaning Scheme And A New Way To Fight
Getting Hanako set up in the tower was quite the ordeal. Apparently, in order to convince her father that she was actually working at Crestheart as an intern, the girl needed an entire enchantment workshop set up. By itself, that wasn¡¯t a huge deal. There was plenty of space in the tower, but the process of moving Hanako¡¯s supplies and equipment from her house all the way to Westown was a nightmare. There was so much stuff: hammers, chisels, drills, pliers, books, scrolls, desks, and all sorts of other bizarre trinkets that Vee wasn¡¯t familiar with. Had he known the size of the job when he started, he would have hired a cart and taken care of it in a single trip, but he foolishly trusted Hanako¡¯s assurance that there were ¡®just a few more things that shouldn¡¯t take more than another trip or so¡¯ until he was too far in to justify the cost of paying for the cart.
Ultimately, it took eight trips for Vee and Alforde to help the girl bring all of her implements to the tower. By the end of the last one, Vee wanted to recant his decision to take the girl on as an intern.
It wasn¡¯t all bad, though. He¡¯d gotten another point of Might for his troubles, and he had to admit that he liked the way her workshop looked. It was neat and professional, and made the tower feel a lot less empty. It was still a far cry from a proper headquarters, but progress was progress.
Her wide desk was in the center of the main room on the tower¡¯s fifth floor and there were other benches and tables set up to accommodate specific tools.
She¡¯d asked the [Dungeon Maintainers] for some additional bookshelves to store the remainder of her reference materials, and the fiends had happily complied. Vee was glad to see their continued improvement when it came to matters of building and construction.
They were all on the far side of the room, safely out of the way of any debris made by the enchantment process. All of them were packed with books and scrolls to the point of bursting. Vee had suggested an additional shelf or two, but Hanako refused.
¡°I have a system,¡± she¡¯d explained.
¡°Do you really need all these books?¡± Vee asked as he took one tome down from the shelf and read the title. The Complete Guide to Basic Enchanting, Volume XIII, Fire. He counted the rest of the books that had the same design on their spines. There were twenty-four still on the shelf. And that was only for basic enchanting?
Maybe they¡¯d gotten off easier than he¡¯d thought when it came to moving Hanako¡¯s stuff over. Gawain¡¯s balls!
Hanako shrugged as she set her tools on her desk and arranged the complex array of mirrors, magnifying lenses, and light crystals that would let her properly see her work. ¡°My dad says that I won¡¯t need them as much as I get better, but I¡¯ve seen him go and consult the old books when he¡¯s working on a difficult project, so who knows. Some of the details between different types of enchantments look pretty similar.¡±
Vee cracked open the book and looked for himself. The shapes and forms on the page reminded him a little bit of his own sigilmancy, but were far more elaborate and sophisticated. He saw what Hanako meant about things looking similar, too. One page that he studied had eight different ways to bestow fiery properties to an item, but no matter how long Vee stared at them, he couldn¡¯t see any differences between the variants.
¡°What are you talking about? The line thicknesses are totally different!¡± Hanako said when he mentioned it. ¡°You¡¯re really not one for details, are you?¡±
¡°Not in the slightest,¡± said Vee. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m a [Ghost Maestro] and not an [Enchanter]. There¡¯s a lot more wiggle room with ectoplasm.¡±
Hanako rolled her eyes, and Vee grinned. The [Enchantress] returned her attention to getting her tools in place while Vee browsed her bookshelves for a few more minutes. When he¡¯d grown bored of reading the titles and looking at the covers, he turned and walked to the door.
¡°Once you¡¯re finished getting set up, go up to the top of the tower. My notebook is on the table up there, and underneath it is a list of the crystals I¡¯d like you to get started on, okay?¡±
The [Enchantress] nodded.
¡°Where will you be?¡±
¡°I have a little project of my own that I¡¯m going to be working on. I¡¯ll probably be in the city by the time you get done.¡±
With a wave, Vee left Hanako to her business and headed up to his lab. Along the way, he stopped in on the slimes and grabbed one of the smallest ones.
There were fleurs to be made.
Alforde focused on the mirror in front of him, and Shadowforde slowly appeared. He hadn¡¯t summoned the Reflection since his battle with Norog, and it was more than a little strange to be looking at his old body once again.
Thankfully, it didn¡¯t last. With a swirl and a shift, Shadowforde changed his form so that he properly mirrored Alforde¡¯s frostnickel body. His reflected Hammy became a reflected Slammy. Alforde felt a twinge of regret at the change ¨C he still missed his old hammer ¨C but he didn¡¯t let himself linger on it for long.
This shape is better than your old one. It¡¯s easier to maneuver, for all that it reminds me of a glacier.
Alforde nodded. The ¡°sound¡± of the Reflection¡¯s presence inside his helmet was different than it¡¯d been before. It was smoother and a little cold, but the [Dungeon Champion] didn¡¯t mind. He briefly wondered if that was how his own voice sounded to the rest of the world. No wonder Vee always laughed at his attempts to banter!
Have you noticed any specific weaknesses?
¡°The plates around my pauldrons still get tighter than I¡¯d like them to, but I¡¯m working on that. Hopefully it¡¯ll be resolved soon.¡±
The Reflection tested its pauldrons and nodded.
I see what you mean. Perhaps there¡¯s a misalignment somewhere?
Alforde shrugged. He¡¯d asked Glenda the same thing, and she¡¯d insisted that the armor was perfect. He trusted her judgement. It was just a matter of tweaking things on his end until they worked properly.
¡°I¡¯ll start adding some oil at night and see if that helps.¡±
A wise plan. Now, I take it you¡¯re here to practice?
Indeed, that¡¯s why the armorsoul was down in the arena. Though he was strong enough to handle most of the adventurers he¡¯d fought before his injury, he wanted to regain the rest of his stats as quickly as possible so that the dungeon could fully reopen. Simply going through the motions of being [Dungeon Champion] was unacceptable. He wanted to ¨C no, he needed to excel in his duties.
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Vee was counting on him, and Alforde wouldn¡¯t let his friend down.
Raising Slammy, Alforde settled into his battle stance, squatting a bit and tightening his gauntlets. He emptied his thoughts and focused on the spar at hand. This was not a real fight, he reminded himself. There wouldn¡¯t be any killing, and he wouldn¡¯t get injured.
He shook away the unpleasant memory of his gauntlet shattering in Norog¡¯s grip. It did him no good to keep dwelling on the matter.
The arena is familiar, the arena is comfortable. This is where I¡¯m at my best. I belong here. This is my arena, and I¡¯m going to make sure the whole world knows it!
Shadowforde shook his helmet as he looked at the way Alforde stood.
That stance is clumsy. It¡¯s not suited to your new form. Before, you were nothing but a tenacious buffoon. You cannot afford to be that anymore. Allow me to show you a more elegant way to fight. Something worthy of your new body.
The Reflection shifted so that his hammer was pointed down at the ground and he turned so that he wasn¡¯t facing Alforde directly. Instead, Alforde found himself staring at the Reflection¡¯s right pauldron.
Come at me.
Alforde charged forward and swung Slammy, but Shadowforde ducked beneath the blow and brought his weapon up in a wide swing that struck the armorsoul¡¯s side. The [Dungeon Champion] went flying and landed hard.
Shadowforde straightened back up.
When you charge like that you present too large of a target, and so you make yourself easy to hit. This is the first thing we¡¯ll remedy.
Alforde got back up to his feet and nodded. He was excited now. This is exactly what he¡¯d wanted.
Shadowforde twisted once more.
Try and copy the way I¡¯m standing. This stance will make it easier for you to reposition during fights, and you¡¯ll be better able to lead with your pauldrons. You have more weapons than just your hammer, you must learn to use them.
With the Reflection correcting his form between hits, Alforde lost himself in the rhythm of the battle. This time though, his heart was light, and he was eager to throw himself into each clash.
Vee glared down at the slime in front of him. The blobby monstrosity had so far resisted all of his attempts to properly harness it, but the [Ghost Maestro] was determined to make something work. During his trips back and forth to the tower delivering Hanako¡¯s materials, he¡¯d seen that just as expected, the city was content to leave the dead bug carcasses alone until the elements got rid of them. Walking around Oar¡¯s Crest hadn¡¯t ever been particularly pleasant, what with the garbage and all, but the crunching and popping of tiny insect bodies was truly terrible. That¡¯d given him an idea. Well, actually, it¡¯d simply crystallized an idea he¡¯d already had, but the effect was the same.
¡°This is for your own benefit, you know,¡± Vee told the minion. ¡°The least you could do is help me keep you safe.¡±
If the people of Oar¡¯s Crest saw a slime wandering around on its own, they might think another calamity was upon them and overreact. If the slime was leashed though, there wouldn¡¯t be any issues.
The slime didn¡¯t have eyes, so Vee didn¡¯t know if it was looking at him or not, but he sensed a cold indifference all the same.
Pinching his thumb and index finger together, Vee activated [Shape Ectoplasm] once again and started fashioning a leash. He folded the energy into layers and stretched it like a long noodle. He¡¯d given up on finding a way to wrap such an object around the slime¡¯s amorphous body, but with a bit of luck, he thought he might be able to attach it to the creature¡¯s core.
Plunging his hands into the slime to do so was unpleasant, to say the least. A slime wasn¡¯t anything like ectoplasm. It was cold and gooey, and it tingled against his skin. Vee mentally kicked himself for not taking off his jacket before getting started, but there was no way he was going to pull his arms out now and do the whole thing again. He¡¯d just get the coat cleaned when he had some more free time.
Vee wrapped the leash around the slime¡¯s core and tied it into a makeshift knot. He gave it a little pull and smiled when it stayed in place. It might not hold if the minion started moving quickly, but that wasn¡¯t really a concern. It was a slime, for Gawain¡¯s sake! Other than the metallic varieties, they weren¡¯t exactly known for their speed.
After freeing his arms and wiping the slime off as best he could, Vee watched the leash. If the slime digested it too quickly, he¡¯d have to add more layers of ectoplasm to his next attempt.
Twenty minutes later though, the leash still looked perfect. Vee figured it¡¯d be fine for his purposes, and made a backup just in case his first one started melting as he went to work. Ectoplasm could be funny, sometimes.
[Congratulations, you are now a Ghost Maestro, Level 23!]
Vee dismissed the notification. It had been a good bit of work.
If things went well, he¡¯d make some more leashes and rope the rest of his associates into helping with the slime-assisted cleaning, but for now he wanted to go and test the market by himself.
Well, not totally by himself.
[Devious Mind +1]
Reginald glared up at Vee as the [Dungeon Master] explained his idea.
¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d ask me to do such a demeaning thing,¡± the spirit said. ¡°I have my dignity, you know!¡±
Vee shrugged and picked the hat up.
¡°You don¡¯t really have much of a choice. You know how slow business has been,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to do your fair share to help bring in a few fleurs until we properly reopen?¡±
With his hat cursing him out, Vee climbed down the steps of the tower and headed back to the city.
¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I hate you,¡± Reginald said as Vee walked in through the gate and headed towards the nearest row of shops. The [Dungeon Master] was holding him upside down by the brim, and waving the hat at everyone he passed by.
¡°Come on,¡± Vee said. ¡°Let me see how good of a salesman you are.¡±
Reginald grumbled, but he opened his mouth all the same and started calling out to the people looking at the leashed slime.
¡°Come one, come all, get your bugs cleaned up by a slime from Crestheart! Just three silver fleurs! That¡¯s right, just three silver fleurs and your bugs will be taken care of! You¡¯ll be amazed at what this little guy can do! The slime¡¯s impressive too! Come on folks, don¡¯t be shy! Who¡¯s going to be the first?¡±
It didn¡¯t take long before someone decided that getting rid of the hassle of sweeping up bugs was worth a few coins. A middle aged man with a hefty gut and a thinning hair line ran into his store and scurried back out with his fleurs held high. He waved them at Vee.
¡°Hey, slime guy! Over here! I¡¯ll pay! My back is killing me from all this sweeping!¡±
Vee smiled as he led the slime over to where the man was standing. The little minion was gurgling happily as it sucked up all the bugs it slid over. Clearly it liked this new source of food.
Hopefully it wouldn¡¯t get full too soon. Vee hadn¡¯t totally thought that part of the plan through.
Only one way to find out!
At Vee¡¯s bidding, the man dropped his coins into Reginald, and the slime was given (almost) free reign of the sidewalk in front of the store. In less than five minutes, there weren¡¯t any traces of bug left.
Vee thanked the man for his business and continued on his way as Reginald called out to other potential customers.
Word spread quickly, and before even an hour had passed, Vee was being swarmed by people who didn¡¯t feel like sweeping anymore.
There was only one problem.
With each trio of fleurs they collected, Reginald grew heavier and heavier. Before long, Vee couldn¡¯t hold up the hat anymore, and had to tie the slime¡¯s leash around his wrist so that he could use both arms.
As far as problems went, it wasn¡¯t a bad one to have.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 23 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 4
Might: 10 (+1)
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 6
Devious Mind: 14 (+1)
Leadership: 14
Guts: 10
Intimidating Presence: 7
Citizenship: 9
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 18
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 23 (+3)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Endurance: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Heart of a Champion: 3 (+1)
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~H#r*$d o% ^he B&#e K#$@ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, L$#@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 36 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 8
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 9
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 29
Manipulativeness: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Chapter 55: More Cleaning
Encouraged by the success of his test, Vee returned to Crestheart Tower the next morning to wrangle up a few more slimes so that he could expand the operation.
Unfortunately, there was a finite amount of room for growth that he could provide on his own, so he had to try and get a bit creative.
Vee¡¯s first attempt was to make himself a series of ghost arms that would attach to an ectoplasm harness around his shoulders and chest. It¡didn¡¯t work. In addition to looking horrifying ¨C like a cross between a blown out umbrella and some kind of hellish spider ¨C the ghost arms simply weren¡¯t strong enough to hold the slimes in place.
Chasing down slimes that escaped and were causing havoc in the city wasn¡¯t part of his plans for the day. With a sigh, Vee dispersed the ectoplasm back into the air and reconsidered his options.
His second effort, also focused on ectoplasm, was to impress a few of Crestheart¡¯s ghosts into service. He was already leaning into the ¡®Cleaning brought to you by the minions of Crestheart¡¯ angle pretty hard with the slimes, so why not go all the way?
Sadly, the ghosts weren¡¯t quite smart enough to properly do as he requested, and he didn¡¯t have the orchestra space to give them proper orders.
Speaking of the orchestra, he would have been happy to assign Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] to the task, but dared not distract them from their work to prepare Crestheart for reopening. Beyond that, he was still a bit nervous about bringing fiends inside the gate. The [Dungeon Maintainers] were developed enough that he was starting to believe that they''d probably be fine so long as he was there to supervise and prevent people from panicking at the sight of ¡®monsters¡¯, but he couldn''t say the same for the Light and Medium sections yet.
Alas, he¡¯d have to see about crossing that proverbial bridge some other time.
Kai and Alforde couldn¡¯t help either. They were both busy with their own projects ¨C Kai with the menagerie, and Alforde with his sparring ¨C and so Vee found himself trying to recruit Juniper and Torres to his cause.
The [Stationer] refused flat out, as Vee expected.
¡°I do not deal with¡slimes,¡± he said with a twirl of his mustache and a haughty little glare. ¡°I deal in paper and ink, Mister Vales. Speaking of, I have prepared your flyers as requested. I¡¯ll be expecting my payment at the end of the month as we agreed.¡±
He reached down to the ground and picked up a thick stack of papers, which he handed to the [Dungeon Master]. Vee took them and winced. Right, the flyers. Vee had kind of forgotten about those, what with the bugs and all. Whatever, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just put them up while I¡¯m out crunching bugs. Kill two birds with one stone.
He looked at Juniper and grinned at her, hoping that the [Herbalist] would be willing to come along and help out.
She put her hands on her hips. ¡°I want half of what I make,¡± she said.
Vee shook his head. ¡°No chance. That¡¯s way too much,¡± he said. ¡°I made the leashes, and unless you want to get your arms covered in slime, it¡¯ll be me attaching them too. All you have to do is walk down the streets and take money from people. The slimes will do all the hard work. How about a quarter?¡±
Juniper tilted her head to the side.
¡°Meet in the middle? Bit more than a third?¡±
Vee sighed. Better to have two thirds of something than a hundred percent of nothing.
¡°Fine, it¡¯s a deal.¡±
He leashed up another pair of slimes for her, and they walked to the gate together, making small talk along the way.
¡°I¡¯ll head towards Southtown and you go to Eastown, okay?¡± Vee asked as the gate slid open and they headed in. ¡°The price for cleaning is five silver fleurs per storefront unless no one bites in the first hour, then drop it to four and see if you can drum up some business.¡±
In all honesty, after seeing yesterday¡¯s demand for himself Vee doubted getting business would be an issue, even at the higher price of five silver per storefront. It seemed that once again, his initial price had been far too low. If today¡¯s demand was still as high as yesterday¡¯s, he¡¯d raise the price to seven silvers the next time he brought the slimes out. There were definitely enough bugs to justify it.
He needed all the fleurs he could get. Based on his math ¨C which he¡¯d had Cecil confirm multiple times ¨C the dungeon¡¯s coffers would only cover the next three weeks of Sacre¡¯s repayment and then he¡¯d be in big trouble.
Surprisingly, he wasn¡¯t as nervous about that as he probably should have been. There were plenty of ways to make money, and he¡¯d make it work, somehow.
¡°But what am I supposed to do with the fleurs?¡± Juniper asked. ¡°Do you want me to just hold on to them? Are you crazy? I¡¯ll be mugged!¡±
Right. That was a bit of a problem. He hadn¡¯t had any issues yesterday, but he remembered the failed mugging when they¡¯d gone to exchange the silvers for gold fleurs before their first payment to Sacre all too well.
¡°Why don¡¯t you make a ledger and collect later?¡± Reginald suggested. ¡°Take some paper and write down the names and address of each person who hires you. Make sure they sign it so that they can¡¯t try and conveniently forget to pay us later. Then, once we¡¯re all done, we can go around and actually pick up the fleurs after Alforde is done with his sparring for the day.¡±
Vee paused and scratched his head. That was definitely a better idea than what he¡¯d been thinking of doing, which was making a haphazard lockbox out of ectoplasm. The ledger was simple and would be effective. Why hadn¡¯t he thought of it? Weird.
¡°Let¡¯s do that, yeah,¡± he said as he tore a few pages out of his notebook and handed them to Juniper. ¡°Meet back here in a few hours?¡±
The [Herbalist] nodded and left. Something burned in Vee¡¯s mind, and he hurried to call out to her before she got too far away to hear him.
¡°Juniper! Make sure that you tell them the slimes come from Crestheart, okay!¡±
That part was really important, though Vee couldn¡¯t quite say why.
[It¡¯s important to be aware of one¡¯s image.]
[You can now earn points in Public Relations.]
[Public Relations +2]
Reginald asked what he¡¯d just gotten, and his brim tightened when Vee told him.
¡°Yikes. That one¡¯s a bit of a double-edged sword,¡± he said.
The actual act of having his slimy duet clean the street was surprisingly pleasant. He just walked down street after street while Reginald called out to people. When he got hired, he stood in a single place and let the slimes eat to their core¡¯s content. Once the storefront was cleaned up, he bade the shopkeeper farewell and went on his way. Business was good, and the slimes eagerly devoured all the bugs. The ledger system worked great, and based on how quickly his notebook was filling up, Vee found himself wishing that he¡¯d given Juniper more paper. Along the way, he slapped his flyers onto empty walls and windows, advertising Crestheart¡¯s special event all over the city. Hopefully they¡¯d generate some interest.
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As morning turned to afternoon, Vee decided to sit down and take a bit of a break. After tying the slimes to a tree so that they couldn¡¯t get into any mischief, he bought himself a snack from the small pretzel shop nearby ¨C well, actually he got it for free as a way of saying thanks for cleaning up the shop earlier ¨Cand took a bite. It was wonderful. Hot, fresh, perfectly salted and with just a hint of rosemary to really elevate the flavor.
A happy sigh escaped his lips.
One of his slimes turned and Vee got the distinct impression that it was looking at him. Or at least, looking at his pretzel. Vee ripped off a chunk and tossed it on the ground.
The slime blarbled with joy as it squelched over and devoured the morsel.
While he finished the pretzel, Vee looked back at the road he¡¯d already cleared. The contrast between the nice, clean sidewalk and the insect infested streets was rather striking. I really need to get Alforde and Kai to come help too. There¡¯s just too much ground for me and Juniper to cover on our own. Actually, maybe I could let other people rent slimes from me for the day. Fifty silver fleurs ¨C or maybe sixty or seventy!
It was definitely worth thinking about, but if he rented out the slimes and something bad happened while he wasn¡¯t around, he was sure that he¡¯d somehow be found liable. He wasn¡¯t interested in seeking out additional headaches to deal with.
He sat for a few minutes longer, momentarily content with the world. Seeing how much progress he¡¯d made left him with a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was good to be able to point at something nice and say ¡°I did that.¡±
[Citizenship +1]
[Failed to receive quest! Reason: Citizenship too low (Requires 20 points!)]
¡°Yeah, yeah, I know,¡± Vee growled at the notification as he dismissed it. ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡±
Recharged and ready to go again, Vee stood up and got back to work. In addition to gaining another point of Charisma from talking to all the shopkeepers, he got another point of Citizenship later in the afternoon.
Vee tapped on Reginald¡¯s brim as they finished clearing the sidewalk in front of a soap and candle shop and the overweight, middled aged owner handed Vee a small candle in thanks.
¡°Do you think I could somehow scrape my way up to twenty points simply by cleaning up the city?¡±
¡°Might be worth a try,¡± the hat said. ¡°But hey, boss? Before worrying about that, doesn¡¯t it seem like the slimes are getting bigger?¡±
Vee stared down at his minions. Were they? The one he¡¯d just brought along today looked to be about the same size as it¡¯d been when he¡¯d left the dungeon¡ but the one from yesterday ¨C the one he¡¯d fed the pretzel to ¨C was in fact a little larger. It also seemed to have a strange bump on its upper back. Reaching over, the [Dungeon Master] prodded the lump and found that it was noticeably harder than the rest of the slime¡¯s body. That was good¡probably. For a moment he¡¯d feared that slimes were more like slugs than he¡¯d thought and that the salt from the pretzel was dissolving it.
Why was it growing now, though? Was it connected to feeding the monster a more varied diet? It had to be, right? It was too much of a coincidence, after weeks of eating garbage failed to produce any meaningful growth. He¡¯d have to go look at a monster manual to be sure, but he made a mental note to get some plants and other things from Kai and Juniper and see how the monsters did with them.
Bigger slimes meant bigger profits¡for some reason. Vee shook his head. He was confident in that assertion, but had no idea why. My thoughts are weirdly fuzzy, today. Not enough sleep last night, I guess.
Though, he didn¡¯t really feel tired. Odd. Shrugging, Vee walked down to the next shop keeper and smiled as Reginald called out to her.
¡°Want to be able to walk in and out of your place without splatting bugs?¡± the hat asked. ¡°The [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart is here with some of his dungeon minions to help you out! Just five silvers! Better help than you¡¯re getting from the council, eh?¡±
The woman laughed, and happily signed the ledger.
¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got anything that could help with the rats? They¡¯re easier to deal with than the bugs, but there¡¯s still altogether too many of them wriggling around.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have anything on me right now, but I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± Vee said.
Rat problem, huh? What could he do to deal with that?
He let his mind wander while the slimes got to work. He noticed that the bump on the slime¡¯s back was starting to change. It looked like it was getting a few points and ridges.
Vee¡¯s slimes kept on growing as the day went on, and by late afternoon Vee had a hard time getting them to do as he wanted when they pulled against their leashes. The worst of it was when they tried to get to a kittrekin butcher¡¯s steaks and Vee had use literally all of his strength to yank them away. The big tabby, wearing a dirty apron and holding a large cleaver, growled and shook his paw at Vee as the [Dungeon Master] dragged the minions further down the street.
¡°Watch where you¡¯re leading those monsters!¡±
¡°Will do, sorry about that,¡± Vee hollered back as he put up the last of his flyers for the day. His arms were aching from guiding the slimes so much, and he decided that he¡¯d done enough for the day. He¡¯d go back to the gate where he was supposed to meet Juniper a bit early.
The [Herbalist] was already waiting there for him. ¡°My arms got tired,¡± she said by way of explanation. However, to Vee¡¯s surprise, her slimes were exactly the same size as they¡¯d been when they¡¯d started that morning. Compared to Vee¡¯s, they looked tiny.
That was peculiar. Since they¡¯d been eating the bugs too, shouldn¡¯t they have been growing as well? Was the pretzel the key ingredient?! No, that couldn¡¯t be right. He¡¯d only fed it to one of his slimes, and the other had also grown, if not quite as much.
There was a mystery to be solved here, but Vee knew that he¡¯d need the help of a monster manual to get to the bottom of it, so there was no point in wracking his brain just then.
He collected Juniper¡¯s ledger and the pair went back to Crestheart. The slimes seemed sad to be led away from their tasty meal, and warbled pitifully as they slid towards the tower.
Vee activated [Excellent Spreadsheet] and had Cecil record the amount of money they¡¯d earned from the day¡¯s efforts. Collectively, he and Juniper had cleaned up fifty-six storefronts - with him cleaning thirty one and Juniper cleaning twenty-five, which meant that they¡¯d earned two hundred eighty silver fleurs. Not a ton of money, but certainly nothing to sneeze at. Per their agreement, Juniper was entitled to forty-eight of them, which definitely put a damper in the day¡¯s profits, but Vee was still pleased with the overall amount.
Realistically, though, if he was looking to maximize his fleurs from this venture, it¡¯d make sense to go and pay a [Lawyer] to draft up a liability waiver and start renting out the slimes instead of handling the cleaning himself.
That was a task for tomorrow at the earliest though. Bidding Juniper farewell and promising to bring her the money as soon as they¡¯d collected it, Vee took the slimes back up to their room in the tower and locked them back inside. Before he could close the door on them though, he noticed that the bump on the one¡¯s back had transformed further.
Now it looked vaguely like a crown.
Rubbing his eyes, Vee decided to go and visit Kai. There was still an hour or so before sunset, and he didn¡¯t want to bother Alforde during the armorsoul¡¯s sparring. Instead, he¡¯d go and see how the menagerie was coming along.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 23
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 4
Might: 10
Wit: 28
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 7 (+1)
Devious Mind: 14
Leadership: 14
Guts: 10
Intimidating Presence: 7
Citizenship: 11 (+2)
Public Relations: 2 (+2)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 19 (+1)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 10
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 2 (-1)
Might: 25 (+2)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8 (+1)
Endurance: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5 (+1)
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~H@#r$d o% ^he B&#e K#$@ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, L$#@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 36
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 8
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 9
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 29
Manipulativeness: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 41
^^^^^^^^^^^
[*--__#4%_--------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3 (+1)
Chapter 56: The Menagerie Takes Shape
Vee stared at the growing menagerie in awe. So dramatic was the transformation of the rocky, abandoned lot that the [Dungeon Master] wasn¡¯t entirely sure that he could trust his eyes. Somehow, in the span of only a few days, Kai had managed to cover the ground with tall, verdant grass and the perimeter of warding hedges were already up to Vee¡¯s waist.
What¡¯s more, there were tiny patches of grass and yellow flowers popping up out of the ground along the street leading away from the menagerie. Vee was fairly certain those hadn¡¯t been there when Kai started working, and he briefly wondered what it meant.
¡°What do you think?¡± the bonsai treant asked, hopping up out of his barkbody and folding his tiny arms across his chest. Kai smiled, a fiercely proud gleam in his eyes.
¡°I¡¯m at a loss for words¡it¡¯s incredible,¡± Vee said. ¡°I was only expecting there to be a few scraggly shrubs, and maybe a little bit of grass. Certainly nothing like this. You¡¯ve really done something incredible, Kai. Thank you.¡±
He reached down and gave Kai a handshake, though it was more of a fingershake due to the difference in their sizes.
¡°Will this keep the skeletons and slimes in check?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Kai said, puffing out his upper branches. ¡°I¡¯m going to grow a special enclosure for the slimes once the basics are done. Go ahead and test the strength of the warding hedges for yourself!¡±
Vee did so, reaching down to the jade colored leaves with his right hand. He didn¡¯t feel anything unusual until his fingers were about an inch away from the hedge and something like a pane of glass stopped him from moving any further. Grunting, Vee pushed against the barrier and managed to brush his fingers against the springy hedge. It felt¡oddly smooth but deeply uncomfortable, and Vee felt much better after snatching back his hand.
He looked over at Kai, who nodded.
¡°Pretty tough, huh? Once the hedges are fully grown, you probably won¡¯t be able to touch them anymore. The skeletons will be trapped in here!¡±
Kai let loose a giggle that was just a hint on the maniacal side, and looked slightly embarrassed when he noticed Vee¡¯s raised eyebrow.
¡°Sorry, I got a little carried away there.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Vee said. ¡°What are those little things at the base of the hedges?¡±
¡°Warding mushrooms. They¡¯re great for protecting the base of the hedges from pests that can otherwise get through the barriers.¡±
¡°Are there many things that can do that?¡±
Kai rustled his top branches. ¡°Some snakes and a few types of spiders. Every kind of warding plant is ineffective against certain things. That¡¯s why all [Grove Caretakers] grow the hedges, mushrooms, and ferns together. They all support each other and make for a powerful barrier that¡¯s not easy for anything to get through. I¡¯m going to wait a little while on the ferns though until the mushrooms are better established. Right now, they¡¯re still a touch vulnerable.¡±
Vee knelt down to look at the warding mushrooms for himself. Admittedly he didn¡¯t have much of an eye for these things, but they didn¡¯t seem terribly vulnerable to him. Warding mushrooms were small, squarish things, with a fuzzy golden patch atop their white caps that looked vaguely like a shield. Nothing stopped him from reaching towards them, but when his finger brushed a slender stem, the entire world seemed to be made of rippling water. Vee recoiled as the hedge bobbed up and down as if being carried by an invisible wave and his vision turned shades of purple, pink, and green. Phantom music filled his ears, a slow and haunting tune that made him tremble and sweat.
[Guts +1]
[Wit -2]
Kai bounced over to him and lightly punched Vee on the shoulder. There was a flash of green light and the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s vision returned to normal. He was on his back looking up at the sky. Kai appeared in the corner of his eye and loomed over him, glaring down with a stern expression.
¡°Did I tell you to touch those? No! They¡¯re not safe for humans! You could have died!¡±
You¡¯re telling me. Vee rubbed his eyes and licked his lips. His mouth was oddly dry, and he wished that he¡¯d brought some water with him.
¡°Sure seems like there¡¯s a lot of anti-human measures in those wards of yours,¡± he said thickly. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with that?¡±
¡°Too many of your kind don¡¯t know how to temper their greed,¡± Kai said. ¡°Long ago, before I sprouted, humans used to come to the grove and steal its bounty for themselves. They didn¡¯t care if their harvesting hurt the plants, all they were concerned with was getting as much stuff as they wanted. As such, the elders of my grove devised these wards to protect nature¡¯s bounty so that it could be enjoyed for years to come.¡±
Vee sat up and shook his head. He still didn¡¯t feel totally back to normal. ¡°Stupid people, huh?¡±
Kai nodded. ¡°Thankfully you don¡¯t really seem like one. I doubt the [Oracle] would have wanted me to join you if you were.¡±
He reached down to the ground and pressed his arms into the grass. There was another flash of green light, and a tiny blue blossom popped up out of the ground. The bonsai treant picked it and handed it to Vee.
¡°Here, eat this. It¡¯ll help you feel better if you¡¯re still suffering from the mushroom¡¯s ward.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°We call it fairy petal in the grove, but I imagine you know it by a different name.¡±
Vee squinted at the flower. ¡°Nope, I¡¯ve never seen anything like it before. Juniper would probably know though."
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
With a shrug, Vee tore off one of the petals and popped it into his mouth. It tasted like vanilla ice cream, and he eagerly devoured the rest. It did in fact make him feel better, and also soothed his dry mouth.
After thanking Kai, Vee turned his attention elsewhere in the menagerie. Standing near the back were two tall creatures made mostly out of grass. They were thin and their arms were comprised solely of leaves that looked an awful lot like swords. Vee pointed at them.
¡°What the heck are those things?¡±
¡°Oh, those are my [Sprout Guardians],¡± Kai said. ¡°Normally they¡¯re a lot smaller, but since I¡¯ve kept them summoned this long they¡¯ve grown a lot bigger than usual. They¡¯ve been helping me trim the hedges as they grow.¡±
Vee liked how fierce they looked. He imagined having some of them in the dungeon and smiled. ¡°How long does it take for them to grow? How many can you have active at once?¡±
¡°Those took a few days with constant infusions of green energy. I can only have two tethered to me at once, and if I separated myself from them, they¡¯d probably wither away too quickly to be of much use inside Crestheart. They¡¯re plants, you know?¡±
Vee thought for a moment. If all the [Sprout Guardians] needed to keep from withering was a connection to a source of green energy, then maybe¡
¡°Could you bind them to a storage crystal?¡±
When Kai gave him a confused look, Vee explained the newest addition to Crestheart¡¯s team and the treant looked at the [Sprout Guardians] for a long while before shaking his top branches in discomfort.
¡°I don¡¯t know how it works for other elements, but I don¡¯t think green energy should be contained within a crystal. The idea makes me uncomfortable.¡±
¡°But, why? What¡¯s wrong with ¨C¡°
Reginald¡¯s brim tightened around Vee¡¯s head. ¡°Green energy doesn¡¯t like being bound, boss. Unlike fire, water, or wind, green energy is alive. It wants to move, it wants to grow, and bad things happen if you try to seal it in something as rigid as a crystal. Trust me on this one, drop it.¡±
Kai beamed up at Reginald, and Vee didn¡¯t mention the matter further, though his curiosity was still gnawing at him. He¡¯d talk to Juniper and Hanako later and see what they thought. Come to think of it though, he couldn¡¯t recall ever seeing any green energy enchantments. Bizarre.
The bonsai treant was giving him a peculiar look, so Vee decided to change the subject. Looking over at the corners of the menagerie, the [Dungeon Master] noticed a large pile of clippings. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with those?¡±
¡°Just some bits of warding hedge and mushrooms,¡± Kai said as he turned to see what Vee was pointing at. ¡°Leftovers from pruning. I¡¯m probably going to spread it around the base of the hedges when I go to start growing the ferns. Why do you ask?¡±
¡°Do they still work as wards?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± said Kai. ¡°But probably not for long. They¡¯ll deter stuff for¡maybe a week or so.¡±
¡°And how often do you need to prune?¡±
¡°Every day!¡±
¡°Is it safe for me to touch them?¡±
¡°Sure. The wards are weak enough that you shouldn¡¯t have any issues. They really lose their potency pretty quick once they¡¯re out of the ground.¡±
Vee walked over and picked up a handful. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t suffer any adverse effects from handling them. Grinning, his thoughts turned to the city. There were still plenty of bugs buzzing around, and that one shopkeeper had mentioned the rodent problem too. Even if the wards in the clippings weren¡¯t perfect, there was definitely a product here. A niche that he could fill! An opportunity for another stream of revenue.
Vermin-repelling potpourri.
If he could get Juniper to add some other oils and petals to help people think it smelled nice, something in the back of Vee¡¯s mind whispered to him that he¡¯d have a real winner on his hands.
He explained his idea, and asked Kai to deliver all the cutoffs he had to the tower, if it wouldn¡¯t hurt the menagerie hedges too much. He didn¡¯t want to be seen as taking away something the hedges needed to grow.
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Kai said. ¡°I¡¯ll bring them over tonight once I finish up here.¡±
After saying goodbye, Vee returned to Crestheart with a spring in his step.
They sky was turning black as Vee approached the tower, and he hoped that he wasn¡¯t too late to get back through the gate.
Alforde was waiting for him outside, and the armorsoul clearly had the same thought. The friends ran back to the city as quickly as Vee could, and though the [Dungeon Master] was panting by the time they reached the gate, being let back into the city proper was well worth his efforts.
It¡¯d been a good day, all things considered, and as they made their way back to Sculla¡¯s, Vee and Alforde had a pleasant conversation. Vee explained the slime cleaning venture and told the armorsoul about his plans to make and sell potpourri, and Alforde reported that Shadowforde was an excellent teacher.
¡°I still don¡¯t have [Give No Ground] back, but I learned [Pauldron Smash] instead! It¡¯s a really great skill, and I can use it offensively and defensively. Plus, I¡¯ve almost got all my Might back too!¡±
¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Vee said, glad to see how happy his friend looked. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re going to be ready to start fighting adventurers again soon, then?¡±
¡°Definitely,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Shadowforde says that he¡¯s got some other things to show me, but I should be able to resume my duties in a few more days.¡±
A few more days, huh? Well, that was fine, since it didn¡¯t make any sense to try and reopen before the special event.
Vee sighed.
He still had to do some planning for that too. I¡¯m really sorry about this, Future Vee. I¡¯ve left you a bit of a mess.
Once they were back in their room at the boarding house, Vee dug around his pile of books from the library until he found his monster manual. It was a few years out of date, but in his experience, that didn¡¯t really matter much. The field of Monsterology didn¡¯t generally change all that much, and like textbooks of higher education, the publishers recycled ninety percent of the content or more from one edition to the next. They simply changed the diagrams a little bit, added a few extra blurbs, and continued charging full price for information that was decades old. The underlying facts he was interested in hadn¡¯t changed.
Flipping the time-weathered pages, Vee turned to the section on slimes and started to read. He wanted to get a better idea of what exactly he¡¯d stumbled into.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 23
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 4
Might: 10
Wit: 26 (-2)
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 9
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 7
Devious Mind: 14
Leadership: 14
Guts: 11 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 7
Citizenship: 11
Public Relations: 2
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 19
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11 (+1)
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 26 (+1)
Wit: 10
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 13 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 9
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~H@r%$@ &% T*$ B&#e !#$g (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, L$#@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 36
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 8
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 10 (+1)
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 29
Manipulativeness: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 41
^^^^^^^^^^^
[*--__#4%_--------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Bonus Content: Slimes (Epscot Roosgeralds Monster Manual Excerpt)
Epscot Roosgerald''s Big Book of Monsters 56-57
SLIMES
(Also known as blobbies)
Rarity: Common
Threat Level (S.A.M.): 1
Epscot¡¯s Overview:
What is there to say about slimes? On the surface, they seem like simple creatures. The prevailing wisdom of the matter is this: they eat, they grow, and if they¡¯re lucky they eat some more. Not terribly interesting, if I say so myself.
However, this view of slimes is shortsighted and foolish. In my decades as a [Monsterologist], I have seen enough of these wonderful creatures to know that there¡¯s more to these transformers than first meets the eye.
I myself saw a slime for the first time when I was nine years old. My friends and I were pretending to be members of Embermane¡¯s Legions ¨C Lest you judge me harshly, dear readers, let me remind you that this was decades before the Bloodfire March, before the continent discovered what a monster Embermane truly was ¨C and a small blue slime approached the clearing where we dueled with sticks and pebbles.
We were young and foolish, cruel in the way that only small children can be, and we immediately changed our game. I led the charge, pretending that the slime was a fierce dragon that my friends and I needed to kill. Our blows were enthusiastic, but completely ineffective. You see, slimes are incredibly resilient against physical attacks. Impact damage does virtually nothing to them unless you manage to destroy their core, and the wounds created by pierce damage are rapidly healed thanks to the slime¡¯s innate regenerative properties. Magic is effective, but we lacked any semblance of it at that age (and thanks to a lifetime of research, I still can¡¯t cast a single spell skill.)
Though we failed to kill the poor, curious slime that day, we chased it away and thought ourselves mighty warriors. Ah, to be young once more!
As I grew older and dedicated myself to my work, other monsters caught my eye. I didn¡¯t pay much attention to slimes for the majority of my career. I spent years studying kelpies, living statues, pig-shamblers, elementals of all kinds, various offspring of draconic heritage, bladed bugs, griffons, crabships, and too many others to list here. However, as I entered the twilight of my professional endeavors, I found myself curious about the mysteries of the slimes that are still unsolved.
- What are the specific triggers for growth? Some slimes eat thousands of tons of food without growing at all, while others will quintuple in size after eating a single tree¡¯s worth of apples.
- How do slimes decide between different transformation options? Is it tied to what they eat, or is there a deeper set of rules than we can understand?
- What is the origin of their remarkable capacity to heal themselves? Could it be distilled and turned into a potent curative that would alleviate the burdens placed upon our [Healers]?
I¡¯ll admit, this last point is the one I was most interested in as I began my research in earnest, as it has the greatest potential for human benefit.
Burning with an urge to learn that I hadn¡¯t felt in years, I traversed the continent, trying to see as many types of slimes as I could. You see, due to their ability to consume and digest almost anything, there are an almost infinite number of variants, and I would need more lifetimes than the one I¡¯ve been given to catalogue even a respectable amount of them.
However, in my travels, I¡¯ve learned these things, and my sincere hope is that future generations of [Monsterologists] will follow in my humble footsteps and broaden our understanding of these magnificent creatures. I apologize in advance if some of this information is vague or generic. I also apologize for the fact that my studies are primarily focused on slimes in the wild. Those in captivity exhibit different behaviors than their counterparts, and some of the things I mention in the following pages are likely not accurate for cultivated slimes.
But enough apologizing, there are only so many pages available to me within this volume, and I have other monsters to catalogue as well.
Origin and social structure:
I do not know the origin of the first slimes, and I suspect that until someone develops a class or skill that can sail across the vast sea of time with ease, no one else will discover it. Thankfully, it is not important for us to know. Leave such matters to the [Priests], [Theologians], and [Philosophers] of the world. Suffice to say, they¡¯ve likely been around as long as we have, if not longer.
Wild slimes do not form societies like some monsters do, but they tend to congregate in groups that we [Monsterologists] collectively refer to as ¡°oozes¡±. Don¡¯t blame me for such an unimaginative name, dear readers. I was not consulted on the matter. Captive slimes tend to be lumped together in ¡°herds¡±, which is a term I¡¯m not fond of.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Oozes tend to gather in places with large quantities and varieties of food. Though slimes will eat anything, they have a preference for organic material. Plants, insects, things of that nature. As a result, they tend to gather around mountains, forests, riverbanks¡you get the picture. So long as there are lots of tiny living creatures for them to devour alongside a healthy amount of vegetation, they¡¯ll be content and will thrive.
However, there are some oozes, such as the large one living in the depths of Dulo¡¯s Peak, that don¡¯t conform to this idea by living in a cramped cavern with nothing to eat but precious metals. It is my personal belief that there are other reasons for that, and I will not discuss that ooze further here.*
Slimes are generally peaceful, though I¡¯d agree with those who say that there¡¯s functionally no difference between something trying to eat you maliciously or simply because you¡¯re nearby. For what it¡¯s worth, I was only chased away from a handful of oozes during my research. If you see an ooze out in the wild, don¡¯t be afraid to get a bit closer and take a good look at the slimes for yourself!**
There are two ways that slimes increase their numbers. The first of these is by splitting themselves into multiple parts. Technically, a slime can do this by choice, but it¡¯s much more commonly a response to being attacked and suffering irreparable core damage. Much like starfish, a single piece of a slime¡¯s core can regenerate itself, forming an entirely new slime. Sadly, this miraculous trait is taken advantage of by unscrupulous farmers and corporate interests, who shatter the cores of their slimes in an attempt to rapidly increase the size of their herds.
Though I find the practice offensive and distasteful, I cannot argue with its efficacy, as privately-owned slime herds have increased substantially in size since the practice was taken up in earnest.
However, I maintain that it¡¯s far more ethical to allow an ooze to grow naturally as the result of a Royal Slime¡¯s efforts.
Royal Slimes are six to eight feet tall on average once fully grown, and they¡¯re easily identified by a large protrusion on their back that looks like a crown. These crowns vary in appearance, but I don¡¯t believe there are any differences in effect.
Older specimens will grow a ¡°cape¡± as well. This cape is a membrane that trails behind them and helps collect every scrap of food they leave behind as they move. Royal Slimes are active, but not particularly nimble. They¡¯re clumsy eaters and since they tend to travel around an ooze more than other slimes do, it¡¯s likely that they¡¯d starve themselves without their cape.
Royal Slimes reproduce asexually, and their offspring are called ¡°simple slimes¡±, ¡°basic slimes¡±, or ¡°plain slimes¡±, depending on which part of the continent you¡¯re in. My own preference is ¡®plain slimes¡¯, so that¡¯s the term I¡¯ll be using.
I won¡¯t pretend to fully understand the underlying rules that govern which slimes transform into Royal Slimes; they seem to change depending on the ooze location. In some places, the specimens that eat the fastest transform first, while the opposite is true elsewhere. [Slime Ranchers] I¡¯ve spoken with say that it¡¯s random, and I¡¯m not sure that I have enough information to reliably disagree. However, my gut instinct says that few things in this world are truly random, and there must be some sort of catalyst we don¡¯t fully understand.
Many [Slime Ranchers] report having upwards of a dozen or more Royal Slimes within their herds. In contrast, during all of my travels, I never saw more than three Royal Slimes in a single ooze. Should one be killed (by a natural predator or disaster, dear readers!), another plain slime rapidly transformed to take its place. However, no matter how large the ooze grew or how many slimes it contained, there were never more than three. I believe that this discrepancy is the key to understanding what causes this all-important transformation.
Unlike plain slimes, whose coloration is largely defined by what they generally eat, Royal Slimes tend to be a shade of blue, red, or purple. The darker their coloration, the older the Royal Slime. The oldest slime I¡¯ve personally seen was almost black. It looked like it was made out of tar!
Variations:
In addition to Royal Slimes, there are three major categories that most slimes I¡¯ve seen fall into.
Armored Slimes: By consuming masses of durable objects (rock, wood, metal), these slimes tend to be bigger than the rest of their respective oozes, and their outer bodies are covered by the material in question. Armored slimes tend to be more aggressive than their counterparts, and seem to serve a protective role within an ooze.
Refining Slimes: These slimes look like snakes, and they consume a single food source (usually a plant) to the exclusion of all else. Over time, they break this food source down into a liquid that they leave in pools for reasons we don¡¯t know. Throughout history, these reserves were known as ¡°Sobs¡± among [Monsterologists]. Certain types of refining slimes (such as those who consume gold or silver), might be partially responsible for the ¡°replenishing mines¡± phenomenon.
Elemental Slimes: One of the most fascinating types of slimes and extremely common. If fed enough of an elemental, a slime will transform and become an elemental themselves. In nature, these creatures function almost like enchanted storage crystals, albeit poor ones. Had it not been for a lava slime that I came across in the Mountains of Vash, I might have perished from the cold.
Please note, this is far from an exhaustive list. There are plenty of variants, such as the acidic slimes one can find in the bayous of Lons, that don¡¯t fit into these categories neatly.
Epscot¡¯s Closing Thoughts:
Dear readers, [Monsterologists] of tomorrow, I implore you to continue learning about these creatures! Seek them out and study them in their natural habitats! Go outside, get dirty, and push the boundaries of our knowledge ever further!
There are so many things we don¡¯t know about slimes. I know it can be daunting to set out on a research adventure without knowing what you¡¯re looking for, so here¡¯s a list of some things I¡¯d like to know. Maybe they''ll help spark your own curiosity.
- Do slimes form emotional attachments with each other?
- Can slimes form bonds with people?
- Can a slime develop magic or skills on its own?
- Are there hidden dynamics to their society than we can''t easily see?
Remember, those who seek to understand the world enjoy it best! Should you find an answer to one of my questions, please let me know!
- E.R.
*If you¡¯re interested in a more thorough analysis of that ooze, dear readers, I suggest you find a copy of my colleague Dernest Lemingsay¡¯s book, Silver Caverns, also published by Wingheart Books. It¡¯s a wonderfully comprehensive guide!
**The publisher does not recommend or condone this action and is not responsible for any injuries or mishaps that occur as a result of taking Mr. Roosgerald¡¯s advice.
Chapter 57: Crestheart Day Part 1
Vee looked down at his list and crossed off another name. No, he hadn¡¯t been hired to ¡°take care of¡± the people on it by a shadowy group with a name that sounded like something out of one of Alforde¡¯s books. He was trying to do something much more challenging: get them to agree to come and help out with his upcoming special event: Crestheart Day.
Vee sighed as he headed to his next destination.
¡°Don¡¯t take it so hard, boss,¡± Reginald said. ¡°It¡¯s not like she said no because she just doesn¡¯t like you. This whole thing is pretty short notice.¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Vee said as he checked the street signs to make sure that he was heading the right way. ¡°It just sucks because she seemed really interested? She asked all these questions, said it sounded great, and then just shrugged and said she couldn¡¯t participate because she¡¯s already busy with other orders. Like, I don¡¯t mind if someone isn¡¯t interested, but why waste my time, you know?¡±
¡°Some people just don¡¯t think about that kind of stuff,¡± the hat answered. ¡°Chin up, though. We¡¯ve got a lot of names left on that list of yours. Even if we only get a few of them to sign on, we¡¯ll have plenty of vendors. Besides, Joleimna agreed and he¡¯s probably the most important one.¡±
That was true. The salamander [Candy Man] had agreed to set up his stall next to the dungeon and make some special batches of his hat candies. That alone would probably bring plenty of people to Crestheart Day, but Vee still couldn¡¯t help but be a bit nervous all the same.
¡°It¡¯s going to be fine, boss.¡±
Vee sincerely hoped his [Majordomo] was right.
He hadn¡¯t given himself much time for all the planning and preparation that needed to be done, and he was rather worried that he¡¯d bitten off more than he could chew with this venture. He¡¯d originally envisioned Crestheart Day as nothing more than a gimmick to try and attract adventurers to the dungeon. A little race across the dungeon¡¯s pair of open floors. A way for the adventurers to have some fun and compete against each other a little bit for nothing more than bragging rights.
When that was all it¡¯d been, success meant clawing back some of the income lost due to Alforde¡¯s absence and testing out his ideas for collecting stats about the various adventurers. However, as is often the case when it comes to small, simple things, the plan changed as ambition overwhelmed pragmatism.
Now, a simple dungeon race wasn¡¯t enough. He needed a street fair. Vee wasn¡¯t entirely sure why he felt so strongly about this, but when he¡¯d mentioned it to Alforde and Reginald, they¡¯d both been enthusiastic about the prospect and that had bolstered his own peculiar instinct.
Unfortunately, Alforde hadn¡¯t been able to come along and help recruit vendors, as his practice with Shadowforde was apparently close to a skill breakthrough of some sort. Based on the excitement in his friend''s eyes, Vee suspected it was a new hammer technique. Thus, Vee had no company but Reginald as he walked up and down the streets of Northtown trying to convince shopkeepers and citizens alike in spending the upcoming Saintsday in Westown. It wasn¡¯t terrible, by any means, but the hat¡¯s voice was grating in large doses, and Vee could already tell that he¡¯d have a headache by the end of the day.
At least the weather was nice. It was a cool, clear day, and Vee looked up at the sky. A few birds floated past overhead, and there were a couple chubby clouds on the horizon. The [Dungeon Master]¡¯s thoughts drifted as he walked.
He had fond memories of street fairs back in Bardis. As soon as the spring chased away the last hints of winter, the people of the city collectively crowded into the streets to eat fried food, drink alcoholic beverages, and buy all manner of knickknacks that they didn¡¯t need but liked the look of. During his childhood, Vee loved exploring the stalls with his brother and Alforde, snacking on sweets until they got sick.
Even better were the times when his mother convinced his father that work could wait, and they¡¯d go to the Central Bazaar ¨C the weekly street market ¨C as a family. His father would scowl and grumble about how expensive everything was as they walked by, but he always bought the boys more toys than they could carry.
Those had been good times. Vee missed them.
Wiping something out of his eye, Vee entered the next place on his list. It was a small, bright [Soapmaker]¡¯s shop. Smells of honeysuckle, lilac, and apple pie filled Vee¡¯s nostrils. The owner was a stout woman with gray hair and small rectangular spectacles. She was dressed in a very sensible green sweater and reading a magazine about gardening. The shelves behind her were filled with simple, yet beautiful bars of soap.
¡°Hello, can I help you?¡± she asked as Vee approached the counter.
Smiling as wide as he could, Vee launched into his pitch.
¡°I¡¯d like to invite you to participate in the first annual Crestheart Day! It¡¯s a street fair that¡¯s going to be taking place over in Westown this upcoming Saintsday. We have plenty of space for vendors, and there will be several food stalls to enjoy. Having a product related to Crestheart isn''t mandatory, but is certainly appreciated.¡±
The woman put down her magazine and pushed up her glasses.
¡°A street fair? That sounds like a lot of fun. Gawain knows we could all use a bit of a celebration after these last few awful weeks. What are the vendor fees?¡±
Reginald answered the question smoothly, as he''d been expecting it.
¡°Since this is our first event, we¡¯re offering a discount. Vendor fees are only forty silver fleurs for the day. That''s a price you''re not going to beat easily!¡±
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
After the hat''s voice faded came the hard part. Vee did his best to watch the woman¡¯s face closely without looking like that''s what he was doing. He wanted to see how she¡¯d handle the price. Some of the shopkeepers seemed happy and accepted right away ¨C making him think that he¡¯d underpriced himself yet again ¨C but others winced and asked if there was any way they could pay a little less.
Though he''d worried that he was making a mistake, Vee hadn¡¯t given anyone a break on the price of vendor fees. Instead, he¡¯d offered those struggling to come up with the money other non-monetary benefits and agreed to work out payment plans with those who absolutely couldn¡¯t come up with forty silver fleurs up front under any circumstances.
After considering the offer for a few moments, the woman nodded and agreed to join the list of vendors. She signed the form Vee handed her, which stated that he¡¯d be back that coming Friarsday to collect the fee. Additionally, as they discussed the details, she took Vee up on his offer to help move her goods over to Westown for an additional fifteen silver fleurs.
[Charisma +1]
As they discussed the specifics, Vee summoned Cecil to update the amount of space left in the transportation cart. If all his math worked out ¨C and nothing took up more room than it was supposed to ¨C he had a little less than a third of the cart¡¯s capacity left to work with after adding the woman¡¯s four boxes of soap. Seeing as he still had a dozen names left on his list to visit, the odds were good that he¡¯d run out of cargo room before talking to all his potential vendors.
That left him with the somewhat challenging decision of whether or not he should incur the additional fixed cost of hiring a second cart if he ended up needing more space but wasn¡¯t able to fill it entirely. Based on his calculations, renting a cart for anything less than half a load was a waste of money. However, that loss would be offset by some amount of positive publicity and reputation he¡¯d earn by offering help to all his vendors. Would that be enough? Vee had no idea, but he shook his head and left the matter alone for the moment. He didn¡¯t even know how many more vendors he¡¯d be getting, let alone how many of them would want or need help carting their goods to Westown on Saintsday. There wasn¡¯t much of a point in worrying about something that had yet to pass.
Thanking the woman for her willingness to participate in Crestheart Day, Vee left the soap store and started walking towards the next place on his list. Along the way, he kept an eye out for the flyers he and Juniper had put up while cleaning up with the slimes. He was pleasantly surprised to see that most of them were still intact, and that they hadn¡¯t all been vandalized.
Vee walked into a bakery at the end of the street. The [Baker] at the counter was a thin, bald man with extra thick eyebrows. He was covered in flour, but he grinned at Vee all the same.
¡°Hey there, [Dungeon Master]! What brings you by?¡±
Vee made his pitch again, inwardly pleased at how much better it went each time he made it. He already had a two other bakers lined up, but the people he talked to all claimed that this guy had the best doughnuts in the city.
The man agreed to join the ranks of vendors, but wasn¡¯t interested in the additional transportation help.
¡°Fifteen silver fleurs for a couple baskets of bread? No thanks, I¡¯ll carry them over myself, or I¡¯ll have my boys help me. They need some toughening up as it is.¡±
Vee grinned as he said he understood, and had the man sign his form. Another forty fleurs in the coffers!
[Public Relations +1]
Before leaving, Vee decided to buy some treats for the slimes. He was curious to see if he could get any others to transform into Royal Slimes by feeding them baked goods. Perhaps that was the secret catalyst Roosgerald had mentioned!
Since it was so late in the day, the shelves were all basically empty, and the pastries and loaves of bread that were left didn¡¯t look particularly appetizing. As Vee wasn¡¯t going to be the one eating them, he didn¡¯t particularly care. Happy to be making something for the remnants of the day¡¯s stock instead of having to throw everything away, the [Baker] gave Vee a hefty discount.
The rest of the afternoon passed with Vee trudging from one shop to the next, crossing names off his list as he went. It was tiring, thirsty work. As the number of remaining names grew smaller and smaller, Vee fended off his urge to simply abandon the rest and call it a day. He had plenty of vendors, and more would be sure to try and sneak in once the event started, hoping to hawk their wares without paying the vendors fee. It was an iron rule of street fairs: there was always someone with a trench coat on the side of the road offering you goods of questionable provenance that certainly wasn¡¯t affiliated with the organizers.
Regardless of how tempting it was to skive off most of the names on his list, there was one that he had to visit. It was the name he¡¯d been dreading, and the one that he honestly probably should have visited first: City Council (Gate/Gathering Permit).
Crossing three streets and almost ten blocks, Vee stopped in front of the massive building where city business was conducted. It was far nicer than the rest of the buildings around it, adorned with stained glass murals and surrounded by statues that were in far better repair than the rest of those in the cities.
Vee couldn¡¯t help but notice the conspicuous lack of bug carcasses around the building, either.
He really didn¡¯t like the council, but he¡¯d keep his feelings to himself as best he could.
He reached up and tugged on Reginald¡¯s brim.
¡°I sure hope you¡¯re right about that whole forgiveness and permission thing,¡± Vee said.
Taking a deep breath, Vee opened the door to the council office and stepped inside.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 23
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 4
Might: 10
Wit: 26
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 11
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 8 (+1)
Devious Mind: 14
Leadership: 14
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 7
Citizenship: 11
Public Relations: 3 (+1)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 19
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 28 (+2)
Wit: 11 (+1)
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 13
Intimidating Presence: 9
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~H@r%$@ &% T*$ B&#e !#$g (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, L$#@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 37 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 9 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 27
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 29
Manipulativeness: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 41
^^^^^^^^^^^
[*--__#4%_--------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Chapter 58: Crestheart Day Part 2
The interior of the council office was even more luxurious than the outside. Beautiful black marble covered the floor ¨C and looked like it¡¯d just been polished ¨C and there were even more statues and pieces of art inside. Looking at some of the plaques hanging beneath a few pieces, Vee read a few of the names and biographies of the creators. Interestingly, he didn¡¯t see a single artist from Oar¡¯s Crest represented.
¡°Kind of a strange oversight,¡± he said as he walked past the last of the pieces on display. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there be some local pieces? Surely there¡¯s someone in Oar¡¯s Crest with artistic talent.¡±
¡°Of course there are,¡± Reginald said with more than a little disdain in his voice. ¡°The council just doesn¡¯t care to go and find them. Nothing ever changes. They don¡¯t care about anything that matters.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a bit extreme, isn¡¯t it? Sure, the council isn¡¯t great, but there¡¯s no way they¡¯re that bad.¡±
Reginald muttered something Vee didn¡¯t quite hear.
He looked up and tried to find the proper department for his permit. There were signs everywhere¡but they weren¡¯t terribly helpful. Was his request related to City Interior? City Exterior? Civic matters? Why wasn¡¯t there simply a ¡°permits and requests¡± office like there was back in Bardis?
¡°Any ideas?¡± he asked Reginald.
¡°Your guess is as good as mine,¡± the hat answered. ¡°Got a coin? Might as well let Lady Luck decide, eh? Heads you go to interior, tails you go to Exterior.¡±
Vee rummaged around in his pocket and pulled out a bronze fleur. ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± he said as he flipped the coin into the air and watched it spin.
Heads. Exterior it was then.
The City Exterior department was a small gray room with eight chairs arranged in two rows a few feet away from three large desks. A blue salamander worked at the first desk, a calico kittrekin at the second, and the third was empty. Vee was immediately uneasy. He didn¡¯t like the room; it smelled too clean, and it was strangely soulless. Even without activating any of his [Ghost Maestro] skills, he could feel the lack of ectoplasm in the air. It wasn¡¯t right, and Vee shuddered. He¡¯d forgotten what ectoplasm-free spaces felt like.
Since there was nobody else in the room, he headed for the salamander [Clerk] since she was the closest, only to be met with a baleful glare when he drew close to her desk.
¡°Excuse me, do you have a number?¡±
Vee stopped in his tracks.
¡°A number? For what? There¡¯s nobody else in here!¡±
The salamander pointed back at a box Vee hadn¡¯t noticed before, which had a tiny scrap of paper sticking out of the slot.
¡°I¡¯d be happy to assist you, but you need to take a number first and wait to be called. That¡¯s the proper procedure.¡±
¡°Are you serious?¡±
¡°Absolutely,¡± the salamander said with a haughty expression as she returned to her paperwork.
Vee cursed under his breath and walked over to the box. He grabbed his slip of paper with more force than was probably necessary and made a dramatic show of sitting down to wait until he was called. When the salamander didn¡¯t look up at him right away, he faked a cough and then cleared his throat.
Nothing. His antics garnered no response. He might as well have been yelling at a wall. How long are they going to make me wait?
Finally, after literally five minutes, a buzzer rang on the kittrekin¡¯s desk, and she looked up at Vee, giving him a big, fake smile.
¡°Number eighteen? I can help you now.¡±
Fighting the urge to face palm, Vee walked to her desk and sat down.
¡°How can I help you?¡± the [Clerk] asked, obviously returning her attention to the documents in front of her.
¡°I was hoping to get a permit to open the Westown gate this coming Saturday,¡± Vee said. ¡°My dungeon, Crestheart, is hosting a special celebration. It¡¯s a street fair that we¡¯re hoping will raise¡ª¡±
¡°Wait, you¡¯re looking for a gate permit?¡±
The kittrekin was staring at him now with a vaguely concerned expression, and Vee nodded slowly.
¡°I am. Is¡there a problem with that?¡±
The kittrekin sighed like a mother whose child just tracked mud inside and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t handle gate permits here; you¡¯ll need to go to the City Interior office instead.¡±
Okay, that sucked but it made some sense. He thanked the [Clerk] and got up to leave. ¡°Would you mind telling me where that is?¡±
¡°Sure thing,¡± the kittrekin said. ¡°Just go out this door and over to the staircase. It¡¯s up on the third floor.¡±
Vee thanked her and went on his way.
Following the [Clerk]¡¯s directions and the bevy of signs, Vee found himself in front of a staircase so steep that ¡®ladder¡¯ was almost the more appropriate term.
¡°Why did it have to be stairs?¡± Vee grumbled. Cursing to Reginald, Vee dragged himself up to the third floor, his bag of bread bouncing around with every step.
¡°I¡¯m amazed you¡¯re still so bad at climbing them,¡± Reginald jeered. ¡°You get all that practice at the boarding house and tower, and look at you, still huffing and puffing like that!¡±
¡°It¡¯d be easier¡to climb¡if I wasn¡¯t¡.wearing a stupid hat,¡± Vee mumbled.
¡°I doubt it. I¡¯m light as a feather. Hush now, don¡¯t waste your air trying to stutter into a witty comeback,¡± the hat said. ¡°With how hard you¡¯re breathing it sounds like you¡¯ll need every last bit you can get to reach the top.¡±
Vee paused at the top for a while so as to catch his breath, then followed even more signs ¨C why were there so many? ¨C until he reached the appropriate door. Along the way, he looked inside the other rooms he passed, and saw that they were mostly empty. They were too small to be proper departments. Maybe they were private offices, or meeting rooms. Clearly, they didn¡¯t get much use, if all the dust he saw inside was any indication.
What a uniquely terrible layout for a building. It¡¯d make way more sense to have all the departments on the same floor, wouldn¡¯t it?
The City Interior office was laid out exactly like the City Exterior office. Instead of gray, the walls and d¨¦cor were brown. However, it was much smaller than the one downstairs, with only four seats for visitors and a single [Clerk]. He was a slight, bookish man, whose disheveled clothes didn¡¯t properly fit him.
Vee took off his jacket. For some reason, the room¡¯s heaters ran constantly, despite the fact that it already felt hot enough inside to fry an egg on the floor.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
This wasn¡¯t made any better by the fact that there were nine other people waiting to be seen and at least one of them hadn¡¯t bathed in a few days.
Dutifully taking his number, Vee stood in line for the better part of an hour, until he was finally close enough to take a seat in one of the chairs. It was hard as a rock. Every time the next person was called, he moved up to the next chair, grimacing at how warm they always were when he sat down. Ugh.
Two more people came into the office while he was waiting. One snarled at the line and left, but the other shrugged and stood near the door. The [Dungeon Master] shook his head. Why was there only one [Clerk] in this office? The City Exterior office had three desks! Surely it¡¯d make more sense to swap the Exterior and Interior offices, right? Why didn¡¯t the council do so?
Because they don¡¯t care.
Vee pondered this, furious at how poorly his tax fleurs were spent, and wondering when the next elections were. If they weren¡¯t for a while, maybe he¡¯d make a run himself! People seemed to like him well enough!
[Quest received: Join the city co¡ª]
Before the quest could finish being given, Vee¡¯s number was called, and the [Dungeon Master] pushed the matter to the absolute back of his mind, never to be thought of again.
[Scratch that.]
Vee scurried to the [Clerk]¡¯s desk, praying that he¡¯d soon be free to get the heck out of the council office. The lack of ectoplasm was really starting to make him feel unwell. His hands were trembling, and he was sweating in a way that had nothing to do with the oppressive heat. Wanting to make a good impression, Vee forced himself to smile as he sat down. From where he was, Vee could see that the [Clerk] looked exhausted, with dark rings under his eyes that made him look like a raccoon. Poor guy.
While the discussion started well, Vee¡¯s last shreds of hope for a swift permit filing process died when the man shook his head and set his pen down on his desk. Closing his eyes, the [Clerk] rubbed his temples as if suffering a tension headache.
Giving Vee a look that said this isn¡¯t much fun for me either, the man held up his hands.
¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this, Mister Vales, but I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t help you get your permit. Though the gates are part of our official responsibilities, what you¡¯re asking for is an Exterior Exemption Permit, since your event would require the gate to remain open for longer than two hours. Such a matter is a security concern, and those are handled through the Exterior office.¡±
Reginald piped up.
¡°Gawain¡¯s balls, you¡¯ve got to be fu¡ª¡±
To the [Clerk]¡¯s credit, he handled being cursed out by a talking top hat quite well. As a mark of his professionalism, he hurried to reassure Vee, adding, ¡°The City Exterior office isn¡¯t far. It¡¯s right down the stairs you came up to get here, and will be the third door on your right once you reach the ground floor. The girls who work down there are great, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll get you set up right away. For what it¡¯s worth, I think a street fair sounds like a great idea. I¡¯ll definitely bring my family by if the weather isn¡¯t too bad.¡±
Vee simply leaned back in his chair. He looked dazed. It wasn''t an interior matter after all? But they¡¯d sent him up here when he¡¯d asked¡and¡and¡
¡°Is there anything else I can help you with,¡± the [Clerk] asked, clearly hoping that Vee would get up to leave so that he could help the next person.
Vee blinked several times, as if just waking up, and nodded. A manic gleam filled in his eyes, and the [Clerk] recoiled at the sight.
¡°Why yes, there sure is something you can do for me,¡± Vee said as he pointed at the man¡¯s pad of paper. ¡°I¡¯d like you to write the proper name of the permit for me, so that there aren¡¯t any further misunderstandings.¡±
When Vee returned to the still-basically-empty interior office, he threw open the doors and stomped inside like a long-lost king returned to his throne.
¡°I need an Exterior Exemption Permit,¡± he hollered as he held up a handwritten note that he¡¯d¡procured from the [Clerk] upstairs and waggled it up and down. At Vee¡¯s assertive request, the man had even signed it, so that the third time would in fact be the charm in getting the paperwork filed properly.
Naturally, the kittrekin [Clerk] who¡¯d helped Vee earlier was on break, so he ended up back exactly where he¡¯d started. Though the [Dungeon Master] was grinning, he wasn¡¯t in the least bit happy, and his expression was just feral enough to deter the salamander [Clerk] from telling him to take another number as he bounced up to her desk.
¡°You know, it¡¯s funny,¡± the salamander [Clerk] said as she gave Vee a stack of forms and helped him fill them out. ¡°When you were talking to Clara earlier, I was wondering if you were looking for an Exterior exemption permit, since you mentioned it¡¯d be an all-day event¡boy that would have saved you some time, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Vee hissed through clenched teeth. ¡°It really would have.¡±
The salamander snorted.
¡°My apologies. Go ahead and sign your name above field G8, Mister Vales.¡±
Somehow, Vee didn¡¯t think that she was being sincere.
When he made it back to Crestheart Tower, Vee went up to drop off the treats. The Royal Slime, Pretzel, squiggled over to him and looked up at the bag expectantly. Already, the monster¡¯s coloration was changing, with the clear goo of the rest of Vee¡¯s ooze starting to take on a reddish hue.
Vee hoisted the bag up a little bit to get it away from the probing minion. ¡°Now listen, you. There¡¯s plenty of stuff in here, but you have to share it with the others, okay?¡±
Pretzel gurgled, and though it didn¡¯t sound much different than any other noise the slime made, Vee got a distinctly sad impression from it.
¡°I¡¯ll let you have yours first,¡± Vee said. Reaching into the bag, he drew out a double baked croissant and a doughnut with powdered sugar on it. Setting them down, he watched Pretzel crawl over the pastries and gobble them both up. The snacks were visible for a moment, and then vanished from sight. Not sure what else to do, Vee awkwardly tapped the slime¡¯s crown and Pretzel preened like a cat.
¡°Good slime,¡± Vee said as he tossed the rest of the pastries and bread into the room and watched the ooze converge where they all landed. The happy noises of slimes enjoying sweets filled the air, and Vee happily watched them for a few minutes until the remnants of his foul mood vanished.
Back in the comforting climate of the tower, Vee didn¡¯t mind climbing up the rest of the way to his office. Having all the ectoplasm around definitely made it easier for him to move around.
When he walked over to his desk, Vee saw that there was a lumpy bag over where he sat during the dungeon runs.
¡°Must be the crystals I asked Hanako to make,¡± Vee said to himself as he picked it up. Indeed, when he opened it, Vee saw that the girl had done exactly as he¡¯d asked. There were red, blue, and yellow crystals packed inside. Storage crystals, perfect for tile traps.
Smiling, Vee took one out and examined it closely.
It was definitely on the amateurish side. The engravings were just a touch sloppy, as if Hanako had gotten bored during the project and stopped trying her best. Oh well. It¡¯d still work fine.
The engravings weren¡¯t the only subpar element. Red energy swirled around the crystal¡¯s depths like it was supposed to, but it was spotty and uneven. Vee gently squeezed, and the crystal flared with heat. He dropped it before it could scorch his hands, and the light inside dimmed as it hit the table. A slight charred smell filled the air.
After waiting a bit to make sure it wasn¡¯t still too hot to handle, Vee gingerly reached down and poked the crystal with his index finger. It was cold to the touch. When he squeezed it again, nothing happened. However, when he looked at the crystal again, he noticed a small crack running through the glyph that had hit the table.
Whoops. Looks like he¡¯d dropped it too hard. Lesson learned.
He checked the rest of the bag. As he¡¯d suspected, the quality improved as he got to the crystals on the bottom. However, Hanako definitely struggled with fire and lightning engravings. They were both poorly made when compared to the ice crystals.
Vee looked down at his map of the newest version of Crestheart. With Reginald¡¯s help, he marked the tiles where the new traps would likely have the best effect, and waited for Alforde to finish training with Shadowforde for the day so that they could go back to Sculla¡¯s.
He¡¯d had a long day, and there was still plenty of work to do tomorrow.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 23
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5 (+1)
Might: 10
Wit: 26
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 11
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 8
Devious Mind: 14
Leadership: 14
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8 (+1)
Citizenship: 11
Public Relations: 3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 19
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 28
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 14 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 9
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~#e&a$@ &f (*e B&#e !#$g (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, L$#@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 37
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 9
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 4
Might: 1
Wit: 28 (+1)
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 29
Manipulativeness: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 41
^^^^^^^^^^^
[*--__#4%_--------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Chapter 59: Crestheart Day Part 3
Torres looked through the open door to Crestheart with trepidation, squinting into the darkness and twirling his mustache non-stop as he turned to Vee.
¡°You¡¯re¡quite certain that it¡¯s safe inside? No monsters are going to pop out of the walls and attack or anything, right?¡±
¡°I¡¯m positive it¡¯s safe,¡± Vee said as he rolled his eyes. They¡¯d been having variations of this conversation all morning and frankly, the [Dungeon Master] was getting a little tired of it. There was only so much reassurance he could give, and if the [Stationer] still wasn¡¯t comfortable, that was his business. Vee just wished the man would make up his mind one way or the other; there were still plenty of other tasks he had to see to before the day ended. Like checking in with Juniper and Hanako to make sure that their remaining contributions to Crestheart Day were coming along okay.
¡°I triple checked the room orders and everything is deactivated. There¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± Vee said. ¡°Now, are we going in or not?¡±
Torres looked like he was experiencing an acute bout of intestinal distress, but he nodded all the same and clutched his pen tight.
Vee led the man down the entrance hallway to the main hub room on the first floor. The hub room was a large heptagon with the furnace the [Dungeon Maintainers] had appropriated from the old forge in the center and a door on each of the room¡¯s six remaining sides. The hallway entrance, of course, had no such door.
Five were identical; gray and brown sheets of wood and ectoplasm marked by a symbol that meant ¡®Challenge¡¯ according to Vee¡¯s guide on sigilmancy. The [Dungeon Master] walked forward and demonstrated how it worked. When a door¡¯s symbol was touched, it swung up to the ceiling, giving the adventurer access to the room behind it. All five doors were beneath a circular socket filled with a color-changing crystal. Hanako had been quite proud of herself when she¡¯d delivered them to Vee¡¯s office earlier that day.
The sixth door was far more elaborate and ornate than the rest. It was completely covered in ectoplasm so that it looked like it was made of metal instead of wood, and there were three color-changing crystal sockets above it. Its sigil said ¡®Progress¡¯.
¡°Alright, it¡¯s certainly thematic, but how does this all work?¡± Torres asked as he uncapped his pen and drew a simple sketch of the room on his pad of paper.
¡°It¡¯ll be easier to understand if I just show you,¡± Vee said. ¡°Don¡¯t panic now. The rooms are still inert so there¡¯s no danger, but it¡¯s going to get dark.¡±
With a clap of Vee¡¯s hands, the room¡¯s lights dimmed. Once it was almost completely dark, the socketed crystals above each door flickered to life. The ones above the ¡®Challenge¡¯ rooms were all different colors, but the three above the ¡®Progress¡¯ room were all white.
¡°Each of these rooms contains an orb key that corresponds with the color of the crystal above the door,¡± said Vee. ¡°By touching the sigil on the door, an adventurer can access any room of their choice. If they manage to enter and overcome the challenge inside, they¡¯ll be rewarded with that room¡¯s orb key. In order to get to the second floor of the dungeon, they¡¯ll need to collect three different keys.¡±
The [Dungeon Master] walked to the door on the far left of the room and touched his hand to the sigil. Unlike before when the door just swung upwards as soon as Vee hand pressed against it, this time the sigil glowed, and Reginald¡¯s voice boomed throughout the room.
¡°You have selected the room of Might. Inside are waves of minions you must overcome. Do you wish to enter the room?¡±
¡°Just open the door,¡± Vee said as he looked up at the ceiling. ¡°You can practice your [Announcer] skills later.¡±
¡°Killjoy.¡±
The door slid upwards as it was supposed to, and Vee disappeared into the gloom. When he returned, he held a red sphere about as big as an apple in his hand.
He handed the orb key to Torres, who was surprised by its weight and examined it closely.
¡°A pleasant size,¡± the [Stationer] said as he gave it back to Vee and scribbled down more notes. ¡°How does the unlocking process work, specifically? I want to include it in my guide.¡±
Vee snapped his fingers and the furnace in the center of the room roared to life. The ghastly blue flames seemed to be giggling as they writhed around in the air, and Torres took a step back, as if afraid that a fiery demon was going to take shape before his eyes and try to drag him down to the underworld. Vee watched him with raised eyebrows.
¡°Once an adventurer obtains an orb, they turn it in like this,¡± Vee said as he dropped the red sphere into the furnace. The flames turned red for a moment, and after they returned to normal, the [Dungeon Master] pointed to the socketed crystals above the ¡®Progress¡¯ door. Sure enough, the leftmost one had also turned red.
¡°From there, the adventurer will pick another room to clear and repeat the process until they have the three keys necessary to advance, or they¡¯re unable to continue their run.¡±
¡°Is there any reason for an adventurer to collect more than just the three orbs? Do they get anything special for grabbing all five?¡±
Vee nodded.
¡°Each room has its own chance for treasure and experience, and we¡¯re running multiple race categories with different prizes. The adventurer who gets all five orbs the fastest, or gets the most orbs if no one manages to get them all will get a prize, just like whoever beats the dungeon first with just three. Depending on which rooms are popular, we might also offer some smaller prizes for specific combinations of underchallenged colors. I haven¡¯t totally made up my mind on that part yet, though. It depends on how expensive the prizes are going to end up being. I told Thien to keep the costs down, but we¡¯ll see if she does.¡±
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
¡°And what exactly are the different challenges?¡±
Vee explained them one by one, and Torres took careful notes. In addition to the room of Might, there was also the room of Wit, Faith, Dueling, and Bravery. The room of Wit contained a puzzle that needed to be solved, with penalty fights for incorrect guesses. Faith¡¯s room tested an adventurer¡¯s sensory abilities, while the room of Dueling pitted them against Shadowforde in an individual bout. Lastly, the room of Bravery was filled with traps, and would be completely dark at all times.
¡°Huh, that¡¯s not half bad,¡± Torres said when Vee finished his explanation. ¡°You know, I always thought that your designs were pretty generic and boring when I was making my guides, but these are a big improvement. You¡¯ve got some traps, a nice puzzle, and the monster packs you¡¯re using are more interesting than the ones you¡¯ve had in the past. It¡¯s still not great, to be sure, but you¡¯re definitely improving when it comes to making a more interesting dungeon."
Vee squinted, unsure of whether or not he should be offended by the casual criticism or pleased at the compliment, backhanded though it might be. He decided on the latter, as he was starting to see that Torres was probably just one of those people who didn¡¯t think through their words before speaking. There wasn¡¯t anything to be gained by getting upset about it.
¡°Thanks,¡± he said. ¡°Here, follow me, I¡¯ll show you the second floor and then you can get to work on your guides.¡±
Vee led the [Stationer] down the stairs and they stopped on the edge of a ledge. The second floor was now a large obstacle course, filled with staircases and ¡°floating¡± platforms ¨C courtesy of some nifty tricks of the light and a good bit of ectoplasm ¨C as well as large spaces that looked like they¡¯d be perfect for brawling and narrow paths that were likely going to be home to more traps.
At the far end of the room was a pedestal with a large golden sphere on it.
¡°It¡¯s pretty simple on the whole,¡± Vee said. ¡°Adventurers have to get across the room and touch the sphere while overcoming our attempts to stop them from doing so. However, one of the cool things about this floor is that it incorporates elements from all the challenge rooms of the first floor. If an adventurer only did the bare minimum to get down here, they might be in for a few unpleasant surprises when they come across something they didn¡¯t see before. Beyond that though, this floor is going to be a great test for an idea I¡¯ve had lately. If it goes well, I¡¯ll be keeping it around once we properly reopen.¡±
¡°A new idea? And what might that be?¡± Torres asked.
¡°Well, I¡¯ve been wanting to take a more active role in the dungeon runs beyond just moving the walls around and opening the doors, so there are a few elements on this floor that I¡¯m going to have more control of than necessary. For example, do you see those platforms over there?¡±
He pointed over to the right side of the room, where two ¡°floating¡± platforms were lined up end to end.
¡°The one that¡¯s closest to us will be moving horizontally,¡± Vee said. ¡°The one farther away will be moving vertically. In order to progress, an adventurer will need to get from the first to the second without falling down, since there will be fire elemental slimes all along the ground. I¡¯m setting something up that will let me adjust the speed of both platforms during runs. There¡¯s going to be some minions attacking the adventurer while they¡¯re trying to go from one to the other, so I¡¯ll be modifying the speed based on how good of a fighter they are. Worse fighters will have a slower platform that¡¯s easier to cross, while better fighters will have less time to aim their jumps to get across safely. Now, you might be thinking that it¡¯d be better to just make the platforms move fast all the time, but Reginald insists that having them go slow sometimes will make more for an interesting story if the adventurer has to stay put for a while and fight off the monsters while they wait to get across.¡±
Torres frantically scribbled as much of that down as he could, his pen slashing across the paper like a sword, and Vee was impressed by the man¡¯s dedication to his craft.
¡°Is such interference by a [Dungeon Master] allowed during a run?¡±
¡°Yup. I ran it by the union yesterday, and they said that it¡¯s totally okay so long as my actions are reasonable and consistent. Apparently a bunch of the eastern [Dungeon Masters] do it. To comply with the union rules, there are three speeds for each of the platforms and they differ from one another, so with just mixing and matching, there¡¯s a bunch of different combinations available for me to use. There are going to be a few other elements on this floor that I can control, but I think the runs will be more fun if your guide isn¡¯t perfect. This is a fun, laid-back event. I don¡¯t think the adventurers will mind too much.¡±
¡°But then how will I justify my prices?¡±
¡°Charge less for these guides. We won¡¯t take our cut for the duration of the event. I know things haven¡¯t been great for you either, lately. Once we reopen though, it¡¯s back to business as usual.¡±
Torres bowed.
¡°That¡¯s most generous of you, Mister Vales. I truly appreciate it.¡±
Vee shrugged.
When they were finished reviewing the rest of the second floor, Vee led the [Stationer] back out of the dungeon and watched as Torres ran off to go and get to work on his guides after an elaborate and flowery farewell.
Time was running out. Luckily, the city approved Vee¡¯s permit request, and the street fair was in two days. Not much time left to finish the last few things that needed to be done.
However, by all accounts, it was going to be quite the event. According to the initial estimates from the adventurer¡¯s guild, over fifty adventurers had already signed up for the dungeon race, and they insisted that more would do so before the deadline passed. A bunch of Vee¡¯s vendors reported that their customers were excited and many were making special plans to spend the day in Westown.
If Vee played his cards right ¨C and nothing went wrong ¨C Crestheart Day was going to make the dungeon a lot of money. Fingers and toes crossed!
Shaking his head, Vee turned and headed over to Juniper¡¯s shop. He couldn¡¯t stop for the day just yet, there was still so much left to do.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 24 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 15 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 10
Wit: 26
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 11
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 8
Devious Mind: 15 (+1)
Leadership: 14
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 12 (+1)
Public Relations: 3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 19
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 29 (+1)
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 15 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 10 (+1)
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% T*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, L$#@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 37
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 9
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 5 (+1)
Might: 1
Wit: 29 (+1)
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 29
Manipulativeness: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 42 (+1)
^^^^^^^^^^^
[*--__#4%_--------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 3
Chapter 60: Holly S. (Interlude)
A frigid gust of air blasted through the bars of Holly¡¯s cell, causing her to shiver. With a grin, Holly closed her eyes and embraced the cold¡¯s caress, greeting the promise of snow to come like an old friend. Carefully, she stripped the power out of the wind and squeezed it into her wells. Sadly, it wasn¡¯t much. A sprinkling of salt instead of a full meal, but it¡¯d have to do.
Holly was breaking out of jail tonight, and she needed all the power she could get as fast as she could get it.
There were fifteen minutes until the guards next came by on their rounds. She wouldn¡¯t be here when they passed her cell.
Opening her eyes, Holly looked down at the twin black bangles wrapped around her wrists. They were hushcuffs, a relic of anti-magic from a bygone era that kept her from using most of her powers. However, they were not the pristine and powerful deterrent to magical wrongdoing that they¡¯d once been. Time ¨C and dozens of law-opposed spellcasters straining against them ¨C had worn the hushcuffs down. The metal was dull and covered in scratches; the hypocritical runes decrying magic along the sides almost completely faded.
Though she hated the metal bands and everything that they represented, Holly was begrudgingly grateful to them. By preventing her from making real contact with her wells for the past year and a half, they¡¯d forced the [Snowmancer] to improve both her focus and control. Now, instead of having to hold an entire flurry of power to even feel it, she could comfortably discern the unique shape of a single flake of [Snow Magic]. Once she was free and regained her lost stats ¨C incarceration hadn¡¯t been kind to her ¨C she¡¯d definitely be more powerful than ever before.
She smiled. Once she recovered, she¡¯d never have to worry about that stupid salamander [Lawman] ever again. The way he¡¯d brushed away her [Pebble-filled Snowball] and blocked her signature weapon¡¯s attacks still made her tremble with rage. One day, she¡¯d have her revenge!
But first, escape.
Standing on her tiptoes, Holly reached up to the bars of her cell and let the cold air blow over her hands. Lucretia guide me.
Focusing, Holly reached for her wells, gritting her teeth at the itching pain that shot up and down her wrists as the hushcuffs began to glow. The first time she¡¯d felt their binding power, she¡¯d cried out and hadn¡¯t even thought about trying to get to her wells for weeks afterwards. Now though, the pain was simply something she needed to push through. Compared to the pain of breaking her limits, this was nothing.
The hushcuffs turned red. There was no going back now. Dimwitted and lazy as they were, even the guards wouldn¡¯t fail to notice the blazing light when they came by. They¡¯d check the bangles, see that they were damaged, and replace them with a newer set. All hopes of escape would be lost.
Holly wasn¡¯t going to let that happen.
For almost two full minutes, the [Snowmancer] endured the agony of the bangles trying to suppress her magic, but just as she started to fear that she¡¯d underestimated the bindings, she felt their pressure slacken and breathed a sigh of relief. A tear rolled down her cheek, but Holly ignored it as she squeezed hard enough to brush her consciousness against her wells. From there, she teased out a dusting of her power.
It was barely anything, a smattering of [Flake Frost] that was weaker than her first forays into [Snow Magic] had been as a child, but it was enough. The frost settled on the bangles and grew thicker as Holly fed it all the power she managed to take from the wind. Eventually, there was enough for Holly to form a proper [Chilletto].
Time was precious, but the [Snowmancer] stayed as she was for another few minutes, continuing to pour energy into the dagger.
When she could afford to wait no longer, Holly brought her hands back down from the window and pressed the frosty point of the knife against the bangle on her right wrist. Praying once again to Lucretia*, Holly slammed her wrists and the weapon¡¯s handle into the wall.
Nothing happened, and the sound of the impact was so loud that Holly was certain packs of guards were sprinting to her cell at that very moment, but she drew back her arms and swung again. This time, the noise was louder, and a tiny ¨Ctiny! ¨C crack appeared in the hushcuff around the [Chilletto]¡¯s tip. Emboldened by her success, Holly repeated this process over and over until she¡¯d freed her right hand.
From there, freeing the left was simple, and before much more time passed, the manacles were in pieces at her feet.
[Stat regained! Might +2]
[You are still suffering from the Imprisoned status. Your stats are lower than they should be.]
Holly let out a wild laugh as snowy strength poured into her veins. Though they were diminished from her time in captivity, the remnants of her wells were bursting with power. She let some of the [Snow Magic] sooth her aching wrists, and then turned her attention to the bars that stood between her and freedom. How much time was there left until the next patrol? She¡¯d been so focused on breaking the hushcuffs, she¡¯d lost track.
Well, the amount of time left didn¡¯t really change the plan at all, it just meant she had to do it a little faster. Clutching her hands together as if in prayer, Holly summoned a [Snow Crab] and set the creature¡¯s mighty claws to work on the door to her cell.
The metal didn¡¯t last long, and as it clanged to the ground, Holly hurried down the hall. She had to get as far away as she could before the next patrol came by.
*Goddess of Thieves, Criminals, and [Tax Collectors]
There was only one guard at the desk, an old gray kittrekin with thinning fur and an ample stomach. He was napping, with his paws behind his head and his feet up on the desk.
However, when Holly tried to sneak past him, he snapped to attention and Holly readied another [Chilletto], lifting the blade to chest level. She¡¯d hoped to escape without bloodshed, but if it was necessary¡
The [City Guard]¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the weapon in her hand, and he held up his empty paws to show that he wasn¡¯t a threat. Even better, he kept his mouth shut.
Holly raised an eyebrow.
¡°Aren¡¯t you going to raise the alarm?¡±
The kittrekin vehemently shook his head. ¡°What do you think I am? Stupid? I can see those snowflakes in your eyes, girl. I know better than to try and stop you. I won¡¯t give you any trouble. Gawain¡¯s balls, I¡¯m only three months away from retirement, and I¡¯ve got grandkids I want to spend time with! No desires for a hero¡¯s death here! As far as I¡¯m concerned, I didn¡¯t see nothing! Please don¡¯t hurt me!¡±
Holly twirled the knife, wrestling with her thoughts for a moment. She knew that the guard was a loose end, and thanks to a childhood spent eavesdropping on her father while he conducted business, she knew exactly what she was supposed to do with loose ends. If her old man had been in her shoes, the guard would have been dead before he even got to mention his grandkids.
But Holly wasn¡¯t her dad, and her hand fell to her side. The [Chilletto] vanished, and the guard breathed a sigh of relief. With a nod, Holly ran down the next hallway and through the door that led outside.
The prison was a lonely building atop a steep hill. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t have been an issue for Holly to sprint down it to freedom, but her body wasn¡¯t cooperating. She¡¯d underestimated the severity of her imprisoned status, failing to realize exactly how much fitness she¡¯d lost. It hurt to breath, and her back was covered in sweat.
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She¡¯d have to get down another way.
¡°[Snow Magic: Snow Form]!¡±
Holly¡¯s body transformed into three stacked balls of snow ¨C the trademark skill of her class ¨C and though it took more effort than she would have liked to admit, Holly forced herself to roll down the hill to the street of the city below. Once she was on flat ground again, she deactivated the skill and returned to normal.
Doing her best to avoid looking suspicious, Holly walked down the street as if returning home after a night out with friends, and only jumped a little bit when the sound of the prison alarm rang out through the night.
Her escape had taken longer than she¡¯d thought. Looking around, Holly was thankful there weren¡¯t any [City Guards], [Bastions], or [Holy Paladins] chasing after her. In fact, there wasn¡¯t anybody around at all. Just how late was it?
The streets of Oar¡¯s Crest were eerily quiet, and Holly threaded her way through the narrow alleys towards Eastown. If she could make it to Angelino¡¯s ¨C her dad¡¯s place ¨C she¡¯d be safe. There was no way he¡¯d turn her over to the city authorities.
Even if he hadn¡¯t lifted a finger to try and break her out of prison. Probably too busy with his rotating trio of mistresses to care about his only daughter.
The thought stung and Holly dismissed it, choosing to focus on avoiding detection instead. There¡¯d be plenty of time to be angry at her dad later.
As she walked, a strange awareness increasingly tugged at her mind. It was completely alien, but oddly comforting at the same time. Like a toasty fire on a cold fall day, it was warm and inviting. Her wells called out to it, and Holly felt herself pulled towards it.
Before she got far though, she heard the sound of yelling behind her.
¡°She couldn¡¯t have gotten far!¡±
¡°Hurry up, she has to be around here somewhere!¡±
The guards!
Holly sprinted down the alley and [Breeze Stepped] her way up to the top of a nearby building. She waited until the pack of guards went by, then leapt to the next rooftop over and continued moving towards Eastown.
Once she was sure that there weren¡¯t any guards nearby, Holly returned to the ground. Staying on the roofs too long was how she¡¯d been captured in the first place, and the [Snowmancer] wasn¡¯t the kind to repeat a mistake more than once.
Safety was close, and Holly sprinted for all she was worth towards the dingy restaurant where her dad did almost all his business. However, since she was so focused on her escape, she failed to properly pay attention to her surroundings. She ran smack dab into another person as she tried to cross the street half a dozen blocks from Angelino¡¯s. The bizarre sensation that¡¯d filled her skull became omnipresent, and then vanished completely.
Holly and the stranger both tumbled to the ground, and in the amber glow of the city streetlights, the [Snowmancer] got a good look at the other person. She was a short girl with curly hair that was a mixture of brown, orange, and gold. Her clothes were peculiar: an orange and black shirt, a billowing skirt over striped tights, and a pair of boots that looked like they were held together with nails. On the ground next to her was a long, crooked hat with an extremely sharp point. The girl¡¯s bag ¨C which inexplicably had a pumpkin design on it ¨C had definitely seen better days. Not that Holly had much room to talk about fashion just then: her own outfit wasn¡¯t much to look at.
¡°Oh my goodness, I¡¯m so sorry about that,¡± Holly said as she scrambled to her feet and held out her hand to help the other girl up. She didn¡¯t know why she was being so considerate. She didn¡¯t have time to waste!
As if to underscore the point, a second alarm rang out from the prison, and Holly knew that she couldn¡¯t afford any delays. Still, her feet remained planted on the ground. ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking where I was going. It¡¯s totally my fault. Are you okay?¡±
The other girl took Holly¡¯s hand, her palm surprisingly calloused. The stranger¡¯s grip was extremely strong, and Holly had to brace her legs as hard as she could to avoid being pulled down to the ground as the pumpkin girl stood up.
[Stat regained! Might +1]
[Stat regained! Charisma +1]
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± the stranger said as she dusted off her skirt and picked up her hat. ¡°I¡¯m sturdier than I look. My name is Luna, what¡¯s yours¡ª¡±
Holly¡¯s stomach sank as the stranger¡¯s eyes met her own; now she understood the presence she¡¯d felt.
Shimmering silver snowflakes stared into glowing gold pumpkins, and both girls felt as if they were looking into a mirror.
Luna¡¯s expression hardened and her smiled faded. ¡°Hey, actually, answer something else for me instead. Why are you in such a rush at this time of night? It wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with those alarms from the prison, would it?¡±
Holly sucked in a sharp breath and the air around her grew cold. So, this is what it came to. She couldn¡¯t sense much aura from the pumpkin-eyed girl. It must not have been long since she¡¯d broken her limits. A baby, as these things went.
That was lucky, since Holly wasn¡¯t at full strength, and the [Snowmancer] doubted that she¡¯d be able to overcome an experienced Witch just then.
She¡¯d end this in a single strike. Throwing open her wells, Holly called forth as much power as she could handle. The air was filled with the scent of grass and pine needles¡the scents of freshly fallen snow. Blue and white energy covered her body, and Holly¡¯s feet levitated off the ground as her wings appeared.
They were smaller than they should have been, and thinner too, but they¡¯d be enough.
¡°[Snowflurry]!¡± Holly cried.
Her signature weapon, a whip sword made of wind-threaded snowflakes, appeared in her hand. Taking a deep breath, Holly readied herself to use it.
¡°I¡¯m not going back to prison. Get out of the way and you won¡¯t get hurt,¡± she said.
Luna shook her head slowly, as if sad. She set her jaw and her hat straightened into a lance. Her bag grew thin and flat, forming a shield, and gold motes appeared in the air around her body.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t have chosen this,¡± Luna said softly. ¡°Not here, not now. The people who live on this street are nice, and the coffee shop down the block has great bagels. But, if you insist on fighting¡¡±
Orange energy surrounded Luna. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla filled the air, chasing away all traces of freshly fallen snow.
When Holly opened her eyes she didn¡¯t know where she was. The ceiling above her was dusty and covered with cobwebs, but it wasn¡¯t the top of her cell like she¡¯d been expecting.
She sat up and winced. Apparently not the afterlife, either. Her right shoulder ached horribly, and when she looked down at it, she saw that it¡¯d been bandaged up. A dim memory of a spear ¨C no, a lance ¨C piercing it flickered through her mind.
Her memories of the fight were¡fuzzy, and dominated by flashes of orange and gold light that sent shivers down Holly¡¯s spine.
¡°That girl is a monster,¡± she muttered to herself as she tried to get up. ¡°If only I¡¯d been at full strength, then things might have been different.¡±
The words were hollow though, and she knew it. Even if she¡¯d been twice as strong as she¡¯d been before being captured and imprisoned, she doubted the outcome of her bout with Luna would have been any different.
There was always a bigger fish.
Her entire body felt like a single giant bruise, but Holly managed to clamber up to her feet and stagger over to the door. She paused there for a moment, catching her breath.
The handle was loose and squealed loudly as it twisted, and Holly winced at the noise. Doing her best to tiptoe, she started walking down the hall. When she got to the end, Holly found herself standing in a modest kitchen.
Luna was sitting at the table in the center, drinking from a mug of steaming tea and nibbling on a cookie.
¡°Good morning,¡± Luna sang. She smiled without a hint of animosity. It was like the previous night hadn¡¯t even happened. ¡°How are you feeling? Would you like to join me for some tea and cookies? They¡¯re peanut butter and chocolate chip.¡±
Holly blinked several times, salivating at the prospect of sweets. Prison food had been every bit as yucky as the rumors would have one believe.
Still, she was wary of a trap.
¡°Where are the guards? Are they on their way?¡±
Luna shook her head and took another sip of tea. ¡°I haven¡¯t told them about you yet. I won¡¯t either, so long as you don¡¯t go and start making trouble.¡±
¡°Why not? It¡¯s against the law to aid a criminal.¡±
Luna shrugged. ¡°Sometimes the law is wrong. My dad always taught me that the best way to get to know someone is with your fists. Based on last night, I think I have a pretty good understanding of who you are. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a bad person. You¡¯re not evil. You seemed so sad as we fought. I want to know why you broke out of prison.¡±
¡°And if I don¡¯t want to tell you?¡±
¡°Then I¡¯ll figure my impression of you was mistaken, and I¡¯ll take you to the guards. What¡¯s your name, anyway?¡±
¡°Holly. Holly Sacre. As for why I broke out, it¡¯s a long story.¡±
Putting down her mug, Luna handed Holly a cookie and pointed up at the clock on the wall. If she was surprised to hear Holly¡¯s last name, she didn¡¯t show any signs of it.
¡°Today¡¯s my day off, so I¡¯ve got plenty of time,¡± Luna said. ¡°The cookie might not be great. I¡¯m not very good at baking. Do you like mint tea? Or would you prefer black currant? I thought I had some lemon, but I guess I drank the last of it a while ago.¡±
¡°Mint¡¯s fine,¡± Holly said. She took a small bite of the cookie. It wasn¡¯t bad, just a bit burnt.
As the sunshine flickered through the windows of the small, modest kitchen, Holly told Luna her story.
By the end of the afternoon, the two were as close as old friends.
Holly''s Character Sheet:
Holly Sacre
~~Imprisoned~~
Primary Class: Snowmancer(Self), Level 26
Secondary Class: Good Girl (Neve Sacre), Level 18
Might: 16 (+3)
Wit: 30
Faith: 7
Loyalty: 11
Adventurousness: 26
Guts: 40
Stealth: 17
Charisma: 9 (+1)
Greed: 25
Ambition: 28
Pride: 26
Manipulativeness: 6
Chapter 61: Crestheart Day Part 4
It was Crestheart Day! Finally, after what felt like forever, the day of the street fair and dungeon clearing race had arrived.
Vee smiled as he stood up and watched the sun rise over the horizon. The moons still hung in the sky, and for a few minutes he got to see all three celestial bodies in the sky at the same time. He loved the way the silver moons were framed by the orange and pink of the new day, and the sight temporarily distracted him from the ache in his lower back.
He¡¯d been up for hours, helping set up the last of the vendors for the day, and his stomach growled.
Reginald tightened his brim around Vee¡¯s head. ¡°You should probably eat something, boss. The last thing we need is for you to faint during the event.¡±
The hat made a good point, so Vee meandered around the stalls looking for one with something ready. Finally, he found one, and asked if he could have a snack. With a chuckle, the proprietor ¨C one of the three [Bakers] who¡¯d agreed to sell their wares during Crestheart Day ¨C handed Vee a freshly baked scone with emberberry jam inside and crackled brown sugar on top. Taking a bite, Vee savored the combination of sweet and spicy flavors that mingled with the buttery warmth of the scone itself.
He finished it in two more bites and got a second scone before returning to his task. There were still a handful of crates to unload, and Alforde was busy lugging two over to the far end of the street. Given his limited Might, Vee couldn¡¯t move much by himself, but he¡¯d recruited his entire orchestra to come and help out, and making sure that the members of the Light and Medium sections took their loads to the correct stalls required all of his attention.
Not to mention managing all of the nervous vendors, who were terrified of being within striking distance of the fiends. Thankfully, Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] did a good job of assuaging their fears and concerns with their calm speech and helpful demeanors. Hopefully the vendors would help spread the word that not all the fiends were bad, so that Vee could bring them into Northtown at some point.
A pair of fiends from the Light Section brought a large box over to him, and Vee consulted his list so that he could tell them where to take it.
¡°Let¡¯s see. That¡¯s box¡.one thirteen, so it¡¯s the uh¡soap. Yeah, it¡¯s the soap. It goes to the blue and green tent about halfway down the street. Space fourteen, okay?¡±
The fiends nodded but didn¡¯t say anything in response. Vee was still uncertain as to why the Medium and Light sections were developing so much more slowly than the heavy section had. If any of his professors ever answered his letter, maybe he could ask them. Otherwise, he¡¯d just have to experiment with a bunch of things and see if anything stuck.
Problems for another time.
The next box was filled with children¡¯s toys, courtesy of the local [Toy Maker]. Such was his curiosity that Vee had half a mind to open it up and take a look inside. Apparently, the man had crafted a special Alforde action figure in honor of the event, and Vee wanted to see what they looked like. He hoped they sold well; if they proved popular he¡¯d see about having some more made.
A handful of hours passed in the blink of an eye, and then it was time for the day¡¯s festivities to begin. At Reginald¡¯s suggestion, Vee asked the [City Guards] to close the gate once more so that they could open it to symbolically show the beginning of the event. People were already starting to gather outside, and Vee nervously tugged at his jacket collar.
Reginald snickered. ¡°Got your notecards, boss? It¡¯s almost showtime.¡±
Vee didn¡¯t like public speaking, but he dutifully drew out his notecards all the same and smiled at the crowd once the gate opened. I can do this, he thought.
¡°Good people of Crestheart,¡± he almost shouted. ¡°Er, I mean, of Oar¡¯s Crest, I bid you all a good morning!¡±
A few people who thought he¡¯d intended the mistake as a joke laughed, and Vee relaxed a little bit. Seeing the excitement on their faces, he decided that the rest of his speech wasn¡¯t necessary and that sometimes, less was more.
Reaching up, he grabbed Reginald¡¯s brim and whipped it off with a flourish. Doing his best to bow in a whimsical manner, he extended his free hand towards the dungeon.
¡°Please enjoy the street fair, courtesy of all of us at Crestheart dungeon. Good folks, welcome to Crestheart Day!¡±
There was a combination of cheers and laughs, and Vee shook hands with various passerby as the people surged into Westown.
[Charisma +1]
[Guts +1]
The [Dungeon Master] stayed where he was for a few more minutes, watching people young and old bumble between shops and vendors, buying food and trinkets, and generally having a good time. Their smiles filled Vee with pride. It was great to see his hard work pay off, but he already had ideas for how he¡¯d make the event bigger and better next year. Hopefully he¡¯d have more of Westown cleared out by then.
[Citizenship +2]
[Failed to receive quest! Reason: Citizenship too low (Requires 20 points)]
¡°Still working on it,¡± Vee muttered.
A gentle breeze blew a strand of hair into Vee¡¯s face, and he brushed it away absentmindedly as he ambled back to Crestheart. There was still half an hour or so before the day¡¯s dungeon runs started, so Vee decided to enjoy the street fair a bit for himself. He didn¡¯t know where Alforde had gone, but was sure that he¡¯d see his friend eventually. Glenda and Jared had agreed to come and participate, so the armorsoul was probably there admiring hammers or something.
Like he always did at street fairs back in Bardis, Vee followed his nose to the first thing that made his mouth water. Today, it was a grill run by three salamanders that sold various types of fried noodles. There wasn¡¯t much of a line yet as it was too early for noodles for most of the fair¡¯s patrons, but Vee got himself a heaping plate. Coated in spicy peanut sauce, they were some of the best noodles he¡¯d ever had.
¡°Where do you guys normally work out of?¡± he asked between bites. The shortest salamander of the three gave him directions, and Vee promised that he¡¯d be visiting again real soon.
He munched and crunched his way over to a [Baker]¡¯s stall, bought a chocolate cream puff to help soothe his mouth, and then stopped to watch an older [Clown] perform some basic acrobatics and card tricks to amuse a group of children.
While Vee explored, plenty of people came up to him. They thanked him for organizing the event, or asked him if they could possibly borrow some of his slimes to clean up their storefronts. A few had requests for things to include for next year, and Vee did his best to commit them all to memory. Strangely though, a good number of people clapped Vee on the shoulder and simply told him to keep on doing what he was doing.
¡°We¡¯re all rooting for you,¡± one man said.
The encouragement was strange, but nice at the same time, and Vee was smiling wide and feeling good when he got back to Crestheart.
So long as nothing catastrophic happened, the day would go down as a huge success.
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Was he tempting fate by thinking that? Probably.
Looking up at the sky, Vee muttered a litany of prayers to both Gawain and Piper, asking for their divine forbearance. Surely just one day of good fortune wasn¡¯t too much to ask, was it?
He really hoped not.
The group of adventurers milling around outside the dungeon seemed to be in good spirits. They were making bets on the outcome of the day¡¯s runs, with various fair fare on the line as the rewards.
Wiping a bit of peanut sauce off his chin, Vee gave the adventurers a wave and headed up to the office. Even the stairs couldn¡¯t get him down as he sat down at his desk and readied himself for the first run of the day.
He set Reginald down in front of his station and pulled over the first sheet of paper. The day¡¯s first adventurer was a young [Brawler]. He was clearly inexperienced, given that his outfit looked freshly bought and he was veritably shaking with nerves. Vee had no idea how he¡¯d gotten to be the first person into the dungeon that day.
Vee¡¯d been planning to use his [Boost Drops] skill right away, but seeing how green the first runner was, the [Dungeon Master] decided to save his charges until more competent adventurers appeared. No point in wasting a charge on someone who¡¯d quit right away.
¡°It¡¯s pretty nice to have challengers again,¡± Reginald said after he introduced the dungeon¡¯s rules to the poor kid and watched as the adventurer headed for the room of bravery, where he¡¯d almost surely have his run ended.
¡°Yeah, it really is,¡± Vee said. Just as expected, the adventurer failed to dodge any of the traps that burst forth from the floor and ceiling and abandoned his attempt right away.
The second adventurer, though, looked substantially more formidable. Wearing the crimson armor that marked her as a [Sister of the Plate] ¨C an acolyte of Piper ¨C she stood tall in the center of the hub room and bounced back and forth on her feet as if she were a [Boxer]. Her bird companion flittered around the room a few times before landing on the top of the woman¡¯s helmet and chirping out a challenge.
¡°This looks like a much better use of a charge. [Boost Drops],¡± Vee said.
A tingling sensation spready across his eyes, as if he¡¯d used one of his [Ghost Maestro] skills, but nothing looked different. No ghosts or spirits appeared in his sight. He wondered if the skill had even activated properly. Only time would tell.
¡°Well, let¡¯s hope she goes for Might and Dueling,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d love to get some extra shards of chaos.¡±
Reginald raised his ghostly hands up towards the ceiling, and put on his best [Announcer] voice.
¡°Welcome to Crestheart, adventurer! As you probably know from the guide I saw you come in with, you only need to clear three of the five rooms inside to advance to the second floor. However, if you want to clear all of them, there¡¯s a separate prize for that. The choice is yours, and the timer will begin as soon as you leave that spot on the floor.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t need any prizes, I¡¯m just here for a spot of fun,¡± the [Sister of the Plate] called up. ¡°But I¡¯ll clear these five rooms all the same! I have my pride; I used to be an adventurer!¡±
¡°Perfect,¡± Reginald called down. ¡°Go ahead and start whenever you¡¯re ready, but keep in mind that we¡¯ve got a lot of other adventurers to get through today so don¡¯t take too long! Remember, press the symbol on the door to challenge the room.¡±
Astrid nodded up at the ceiling and slammed the visor on her helmet shut. With her armor fully sealed, [Blessing of Fortitude] activated and she felt her body grow light with the help of the skill¡¯s power. Reaching up with a gauntleted hand, she tapped her companion ¨C Berryfeather ¨C on the side and gave the bird an affectionate push.
¡°It¡¯s probably too dangerous for you inside the rooms,¡± she said. ¡°Amuse yourself in here until I finish, okay?¡±
Berryfeather squawked, and his scratchy voice filled her thoughts. Of course. Have fun!
Smiling, Astrid looked at the rooms all around. What order did she want to clear them in?
No reason to be fancy. She¡¯d simply go from left to right.
That meant starting with the room of Might, which suited her fine. According to the guide she¡¯d purchased ¨C a lovely thing that was clearly made by a dedicated professional and was an absolute steal at twelve silver fleurs ¨C the room of Might contained a series of battles against ghosts and skeletons. Some adventurers might struggle at such a fight, but Astrid would be fine. She was quite confident in her martial capabilities.
When she pressed her fist against the symbol on the door, the [Announcer]¡¯s voice filled the room again.
¡°You have selected the room of Might. Inside are waves of enemies you must overcome. Do you wish to continue?¡±
¡°I do.¡±
The door groaned and swung up to the ceiling and Astrid walked inside.
Immediately, a trio of skeletons appeared in front of her. They were dressed like knights; armed with tiny swords and shields that looked like they couldn¡¯t be much use in real combat. However, the minions were quick and worked together surprisingly well as a team. They all struck her from different angles at once, so she had a difficult time blocking all of their attacks.
Years as a priestess had dulled her instincts, and she was aware of the fact that her footwork wasn¡¯t as crisp as it should have been as she danced in and out of their sword range. Still, she wasn¡¯t completely a house bird yet, and she dodged and blocked the blows for the most part. Whenever she got the chance, Astrid peppered the skeletons with her [One-Two Punch]. Despite their apparent frailty, they bounced back up from each hit and Astrid started putting more force into each of her attacks.
Before she could defeat them though, a wave of ghosts mobbed her from all sides, and the skeletons faded into the pack of ectoplasmic monsters. Their swords still flashed out at her from all angles, but the ghosts obscured Astrid¡¯s vision enough to prevent her from destroying them. She ripped through the ghosts instead, but it seemed that no matter how many she destroyed, another was waiting to take its place.
Slowly, the [Sister of the Plate] whittled down the number of ghosts, only for a second trio of skeletons to appear at the far end of the room. They were archers, carrying frail bows. Janky arrows whizzed through the air and clattered off of Astrid¡¯s armor. More of a distraction than a real threat, then, though they¡¯d probably be quite dangerous for someone without Astrid¡¯s level of protection.
One of the knight skeletons appeared again, and Astrid landed a [Haymaker] on its jaw. The skeleton¡¯s head went flying into the wall and the charms that animated the bones was broken. Green flames engulfed the rest of its body and it vanished. The other two knights were still hiding among the mass of ghosts and the archers still constantly launched arrows at her.
A third trio of skeletons appeared. They were all armed with knobby sticks. Spellcasters of some kind, then.
The spellcaster skeletons hurled low-level jinxes at her, and when the purple orbs of magic crashed into her armor, they hurt. She¡¯d deal with them first, and then clear out the remaining monsters.
Sweeping away the ghosts, the [Sister of the Plate] marched across the room. As she continued dodging the hexes, she noticed that one of the three spellcasting ghosts had a glowing purple diamond on its skull. A Mark, of some kind.
Wincing as a pair of hexes found their mark in her right thigh, Astrid grabbed the marked skeleton and ripped it in half. The green flames burned again, and two shards of chaos appeared on the floor.
Now that she was close enough to grab the spellcasters and the archers, Astrid tore through the rest of the skeletons in short order. However, instead of burning away like the rest, one of the defeated skeletons simply fell into a pile and didn¡¯t respond to any further attacks.
Bending down, Astrid picked up the two shards of chaos and went to retrieve the orb key from its pedestal near the wall.
¡°An excellent display of Might,¡± the [Announcer] said in a gruff voice.
Astrid smiled inside her helmet. That¡¯d been fun. A bit too easy ¨C other than the spellcaster skeletons ¨C but a nice little workout all the same.
Returning to the hub room, Astrid dropped the red sphere into the furnace and watched the flames change color. The first socket above the door turned red.
The [Sister of the Plate] collected herself.
One room down, four to go.
Astrid headed for the Room of Wit.
Main character sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 24
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 15
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 10
Wit: 26
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 11
Plotting: 13
Charisma: 9 (+1)
Devious Mind: 15
Leadership: 14
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 14 (+2)
Public Relations: 4 (+1)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 19
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 30 (+1)
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 10
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6 (+1)
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% T*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, L$#@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 37
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 9
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 29
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28 (-1)
Manipulativeness: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 43 (+1)
^^^^^^^^^^^
[*--__#4%_--------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4 (+1)
Chapter 62: Crestheart Day, Part 5
Feeling rather cheated, Astrid stomped out of the room of ¡°Wit¡± with the orb key clutched inside her fist.
"What sort of self-respecting [Dungeon Master] calls that a puzzle?¡± she hollered up to the ceiling as she tossed the orb in the fire and watched as the flames changed color.
The challenge took place in a room much smaller than the room of Might. She¡¯d been wary of a sneak attack, but no monsters appeared, and she¡¯d been able to devote her full attention to the meager mental challenge Crestheart offered.
First, Astrid had been required to stick her hands into a box that she couldn¡¯t see through and assemble a key from a scattered collection of small pieces with nothing but a picture of the finished product as her guide. Working with her hands without being able to see had been amusing at first, but the novelty quickly wore off.
The key she¡¯d made unlocked a second box, which contained a small piece of transparent material Astrid wasn¡¯t familiar with. Admittedly, this part of the challenge had stumped her a little bit at first. What was she supposed to do with this strange object?
However, she quickly realized that she was supposed to hold the sheet beneath the various beams of colored light shining down from the ceiling. When she did so, fragments of a poem appeared on the ground.
Each snippet of verse contained a number ¨C poorly disguised by referencing animals playing in a field ¨C and from there it was just a simple matter of solving an arithmetic problem and spinning a series of dials on the lockbox until they matched her answer.
She¡¯d been given three chances, but had only needed one.
The entire room had been tedious, but wasn¡¯t difficult. Certainly not ¡°Wit¡± worthy.
Astrid headed for the room of Faith, hoping that the challenge inside would be more difficult.
The room of Faith was almost completely dark, and Astrid¡¯s anger faded. Her mouth went dry right away and her heart started racing. Ice cold sweat trickled down her neck and back. She took a deep breath. It¡¯d been a while since she¡¯d last felt an [Aura of Fear], even if it was a weak version. It took some getting used to.
Before her was a large pit, and the bottom was filled with slimes. Given that they were as red as a cooked lobster and occasionally released gouts of smoke, Astrid surmised that they¡¯d been fed plenty of fire elementals.
The distance across was too far for her to jump ¨C though other adventurers with [Leap] or [Glide] skills wouldn¡¯t have had any issues ¨C but Astrid wasn¡¯t worried. She¡¯d seen challenges like this before. Another generic trap, she thought.
Slowly making her way around the side of the pit, Astrid tested the space just beyond the lip with her foot. Eventually, her boot hit something solid, and she grinned. Just as she¡¯d suspected.
There was a bridge that spanned the pit, and given that it was virtually invisible through the glow of the slimes, she guessed that it was made of the same transparent material she¡¯d used in the room of Wit. Hopefully it was sturdy enough to hold her weight.
Sliding her feet forward so as to keep them touching the solid material at all times, the [Sister of the Plate] crossed the bridge without issue and retrieved her third orb key. However, as soon as she lifted the sphere up from its pedestal and turned around, a pair of pulleys screeched above her head. There was a clunk, and then the room fell silent but for the warbling of the slimes.
Astrid returned to the base of the bridge to head back across the pit but stopped when her foot found nothing but empty air. The bridge was gone. Nor had any others been put down in its place. Astrid checked twice to be sure.
¡°Now that¡¯s interesting,¡± the priestess said as she struggled against the waves of terror crashing around inside her skull. The [Aura of Fear] was getting stronger with every second, and if she stayed inside the room of Faith much longer, she¡¯d be overwhelmed by it.
For the span of ten heartbeats ¨C which really wasn¡¯t very long at all given the speed at which it raced ¨CAstrid considered abandoning her challenge then and there. She¡¯d only entered the dungeon race to have a bit of fun; it wasn¡¯t like she was actually interested in winning the top prize.
She gazed down into the pit and winced at the slimes down below. If she failed to make it across the gap and landed on top of them, she¡¯d be in for a good deal of pain. Even her armor had limits.
Well¡there had to be a reason it was called the room of Faith, right? After all, when faced with a seemingly impossible pit to cross ¨C whether figuratively or literally ¨C what course of action was there but to blindly leap forward and hope for the best? That¡¯s the entire point of Faith!
Murmuring a prayer to her patron deity, Astrid crouched down and jumped forward as far as she could go. Only once she was in the air did she realize that she hadn¡¯t looked around for a rope or something else she could use to get across before jumping. A truly devious [Dungeon Master] would have included something like that.
Thankfully, it seemed that Crestheart¡¯s [Dungeon Master] was not particularly devious. About halfway into her fall, Astrid landed on something solid.
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It was a thick layer of the transparent material, and the [Sister of the Plate] breathed a healthy sigh of relief as she returned to the hub. Once she was away from the [Aura of Fear], she felt much better.
¡°That was pretty good,¡± she shouted up as she headed to the next challenge.
Vee grinned as the priestess entered the room of Dueling and fought a spirited bout with Shadowforde. Initially, the Reflection¡¯s moves were crisp and powerful, and he landed several mighty blows. Unfortunately, without Alforde there to provide constant inspiration, Shadowforde couldn¡¯t maintain his aggression, and Astrid¡¯s powerful punches slowly overwhelmed him.
Her body heaving, Astrid limped across the room and claimed the fourth orb key.
The fifth room was much easier for her, and she finished it in less than a minute. Unlike the adventurer before her, the room of Bravery¡¯s traps couldn¡¯t pierce her armor and she was totally unimpeded as she made her way down the miniature hallway.
As the [Sister of the Plate] entered the second floor with her bird companion resting on her shoulder, Vee readied his controls. Thanks to the way that they¡¯d set up the room, he could see the minions at his disposal before he activated each pack. Like the archer in the room of Might, there were a few ghosts and skeletons marked with the strange purple diamond, and Vee wanted to make sure that they got defeated.
To control the elements of the room, he¡¯d asked Hanako to rig up a series of crystals that he could control with a complex array of knobs and switches. Due to the limited notice he¡¯d given his intern to design and build it, the resulting device was on the janky side of acceptable. Should he like interfering in dungeon runs directly, he¡¯d have to ask her to make him a better one.
The first knob Vee turned sent a ¡°floating¡± platform over towards Astrid. The adventurer waited patiently for it to arrive, and then stepped up to head back across the chasm.
¡°What do you think?¡± Vee asked Reginald.
¡°She seemed to have a tough time with the spellcasters,¡± his [Majordomo] answered. ¡°Why don¡¯t you activate that pack first?¡±
Reaching down, Vee pressed a button and opened the sliding doors that would release the second floor minions.
The spellcasters popped out, their jaws chattering with peculiar skeletal laughter. Raising their staves, they filled the air with their jinxes, sending bolts of purple air at the adventurer. Most of them missed thanks to Astrid¡¯s efforts to dodge, but a few found their mark and the [Sister of the Plate] stumbled.
When she made it to the combat platform, Vee let the room¡¯s own floor orders take over once again and watched Astrid fight for any signs of weakness. She seemed to be favoring her right side a little bit, so maybe one of the jinxes did more harm than he¡¯d originally thought. Her bird had taken to the sky during the trip across the chasm, and it was squawking like mad as it flew around the room.
Vee reached for another switch that would activate a second pack of spellcasters, but Reginald reached over with a yellow spirit arm and prevented him from doing so.
¡°Her bird is worried. He keeps telling her that she¡¯s almost done and that she only has a bit further to go. Why don¡¯t you ease up a little bit, eh boss? This is a fun event; we¡¯re not really trying to prevent adventurers from clearing the course. We want her to put up a good time, not give in at the finish line.¡±
Reginald had a good point, so Vee took his hand away from the controls and let the room orders do their thing naturally. Astrid boxed her way through the rest of the course, and when she hit the button at the end that stopped her timer, the [Sister of the Plate] raised both of her fists into the air.
The [Core Spirit] announced the result of the run and the time to the crowd ¨C he¡¯d been making regular, albeit vague, updates throughout ¨C and the people outside the dungeon cheered like crazy.
There was something intoxicating about the sound, and Vee wanted to hear more of it.
[Congratulations, you are now a Dungeon Master, Level 16!]
[Plotting +1]
Vee got up from his desk and looked out the window. More and more people were streaming into Westown, and though he couldn¡¯t really make out their faces too well from all the way up here, they seemed to be enjoying themselves.
He looked around until he saw Alforde ¨C who was in fact hanging out around Glenda and Jared ¨C and then a flicker of movement away from the rest of the festivities caught his eye.
Three people in their late teens to early twenties were climbing up the wall that separated the street fair from the rest of Westown. When one of them disappeared over the side, Vee swore loudly.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 24
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 10
Wit: 26
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 11
Plotting: 14 (+1)
Charisma: 9
Devious Mind: 15
Leadership: 14
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 14
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 19
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 30
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11 (+1)
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 37
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 9
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 29
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 43
[*--__#4%_--------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Bonus: Astrid''s Character Sheet
Sister Astrid
Primary Class: Sister of the Plate (Temple of Piper, Oar''s Crest), Level 18
Secondary Class: Boxer (Adventurer''s Guild, Oar''s Crest), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Birdwatcher (Self), Level 9
Might: 15
Wit: 34
Faith:40
Adventurousness: 12
Endurance: 11
Kindness: 22
Guts: 17
Loyalty: 23
Generosity: 25
Heart for Serving Others: 5
Chapter 63: Crestheart Day, Part 6
Though Alforde had yet to truly go out and explore the majority of the street fair, he was already having a blast. The smell of food and the sound of music didn¡¯t do much for him, but he¡¯d found something else to pay attention to. Parking himself in front of Glenda and Jared¡¯s stall, the armorsoul would have been happy to spend the entire day watching the [Armorers] show off their craft. Adventurers brought their weapons and armor over for repairs or modifications, and the couple handled their requests with the ease of long practice and a surprising flair for showmanship.
Alforde happily watched them hammer the dents out of breastplates and helmets, put new edges on all manner of bladed weapons, replace broken spikes on maces, and all sorts of other things that he hadn¡¯t really ever seen before.
Their craftsmanship was magical, and Alforde loved the way their hammers sang as they worked. It was a completely different set of sounds and rhythms compared to the noises Slammy made during training or that Hammy had made during dungeon fights. There was a gentleness and joy to the smithing that Alforde quite liked, and he briefly wondered if there was any way he could replicate such a sound for himself.
[Congratulations, you are now a Hammer Afficionado level 20!]
[Might +1]
[You have been given a quest: Explore additional hammer techniques. Would you like to accept?]
Alforde paused for a moment before accepting. It¡¯d been a while since he¡¯d been given a quest, but he saw no reason to refuse.
[Quest received: Explore additional hammer techniques.]
[Dangers: None]
[Rewards for completion: [????] ]
[Description: There are many ways to swing a hammer. Talk to Glenda and Jared and see if you can learn more about how to shape and build instead of smash and destroy.]
The armorsoul didn¡¯t exactly know when he¡¯d find time to do such a thing, but resolved to ask the [Armorers] for lessons as soon as they finished their current task.
However, before he got the chance to do so, a small blonde girl of eleven or twelve tugged on his gauntlet and recoiled at the chill.
He looked down at her. There were a handful of other children nearby, and all of them looked at him with a combination of awe and abject terror. With great effort, Alforde suppressed his Intimidating Presence as much as he could, and was pleased when he saw the children all visibly relax.
¡°Yes? Can I help you with something?¡±
She smiled and held up a small figurine. ¡°Is this you?¡±
Alforde looked down at the toy in her hands. It was mostly made out of wood and about six inches tall. Though the proportions and colors weren¡¯t perfect, the armorsoul recognized his old body and nodded.
The girl spun around and stuck her tongue out at a freckly, ginger boy in her group. ¡°See? I told you it was him!¡±
The boy scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°He still don¡¯t look right.¡±
Alforde chuckled, and explained the reason for his change in appearance. The children listened with rapt attention, and when he was finished talking, one of the smallest children in the group turned to his neighbor and boldly declared, ¡°I¡¯m going to be an armorsoul one day, you know.¡±
The children peppered Alforde with a bunch of questions ¨C some of them completely nonsensical ¨C and the [Dungeon Champion] did his best to answer them while Jared and Glenda hammered away.
Finally, the kids grew bored and went to return to their wandering. Right before they left though, the blonde girl walked back up to Alforde and took a small wooden base out of her bag. The words Crestheart Champion ¨C Alforde Armorsoul had been burned into the side. With a shy look, she handed it to Alforde.
¡°Would you sign this for me? Pretty please?¡±
It was the first time in a long time that he¡¯d been asked for his signature, and Alforde was keenly aware of the fact that this was a new frontier to explore as a [Dungeon Champion]. Should he just sign normally, or should he invent a ¡°stage name¡± signature explicitly for dungeon purposes?
He signed normally and handed the base back. No reason to complicate things.
¡°Good luck in your battles,¡± she squeaked as she ran to join her friends.
Alforde didn¡¯t have a heart, per se, but he definitely felt warm and fuzzy on the inside as he watched the group of kids fade back into the crowd. He had fans¡of a sort. That was pretty cool!
Standing back up, Alforde returned his attention to the [Armorers], but was distracted by a wave of panic and anger thrumming through his bond with Vee.
He turned towards the tower and saw a flash of blue hair as his friend left the window and started sprinting down the stairs.
Something bad had happened. Alforde hurried towards the tower, but before he got there, he saw a trio of well-dressed people and a gaggle of [Bodyguards] head towards the door.
Luna adjusted her mail bag and made her way down the street. By her count she still had¡.six things left to deliver before being done for the day. She smiled as she thought about her plans for after work. Since the guild¡¯s smalljobs board was closed in honor of Crestheart Day, there was nothing else for her to do once she finished her deliveries. Originally, she¡¯d planned to go visit the street fair in the hopes of ¡°accidentally¡± bumping into Vee.
However, as she smiled at the thought of a chance encounter, a big drop of rain landed on the brim of her hat and splattered to the ground. It was followed by others and soon enough, it was pouring. Luna was grateful she¡¯d decided to wear a coat that day, even though the weather had been gorgeous when she¡¯d left the house that morning. Sometimes lucky.
Though she wanted to see Vee, she wasn¡¯t sure if she really wanted to spend a bunch of time out in the rain to do so. There¡¯d be other chances to spend time with the bashful [Dungeon Master], and she couldn¡¯t afford to catch a cold.
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Maybe she¡¯d just go home and curl up next to the fire with a nice cup of tea, instead. Yeah, that sounded like a better way to spend the day.
But still, she wasn¡¯t sure. As she mulled over her options, the rain grew more intense. The moment the last letter for the day was out of her hands, Luna felt a twinge between her shoulder blades. It pulled her attention towards Westown, and the [Pumpkin Witch] stopped in her tracks. Her eyes tickled, and her pumpkin magic started pulsing inside her palms. Luna clenched her hands and relaxed them a few times, but the sensation remained. It was like an itch that she couldn¡¯t scratch, no matter how hard she tried.
A tingle?! Now?!
Luna groaned. She knew that she needed a better name for the peculiar flashes of intuition that she¡¯d been having ever since breaking her limits, but didn¡¯t feel like spending her time thinking of one. What¡¯s in a name, after all?
The first time she¡¯d felt the tingle, she¡¯d thought it was simply a side effect of the limit-breaking process. A price that had to be paid in exchange for the increase in power that she¡¯d earned. However, when she¡¯d decided to follow the tingle¡¯s pull one day on a whim, she¡¯d found herself helping an old man carry flowers home to his wife. She¡¯d followed another one, and ended up climbing a tree to rescue and return a long lost cat. From then on, she¡¯d happily followed the tingles wherever they¡¯d taken her, helping people with a variety of little things. It¡¯d been fun.
However, little things slowly gave way to bigger things, and soon she¡¯d found herself chasing down a purse snatcher and stopping a mugging in progress. Those were less fun, but Luna liked doing them anyways. At the very least, they were good experience.
Most recently, a painful tingle had led her to the intersection where she¡¯d bumped into and fought Holly after the [Snowmancer] escaped from prison.
She wondered what sort of thing was calling to her now.
Picking up her pace, Luna headed towards Westown. She winced as the tingle grew worse and worse with every step. Though she never knew for certain how long she had to get where she needed to be, she suspected that the intensity of the tingle was an indicator of how long she had left before missing her chance to save the day. While far from perfect, she was fairly certain of one thing as her heavy boots pounded against the sidewalk.
She was running out of time.
Grabbing her purse, Luna activated its cart mode and jumped inside.
With a speed that was as impressive as it was brazen, the remaining pair of teenagers - one of whom had a beard - scrambled up the wall like spiders and followed their friend to the other side. Though he was furious, Vee had to admit that the feat was pretty impressive. There was no way he would have been able to do such a thing.
That didn¡¯t change the fact that Vee was pissed. Should anything bad happen to them, Vee knew that it¡¯d be his head on the proverbial chopping block for failing to anticipate their lark into the abandoned section of the city. His public relations stat would plummet, and he¡¯d have a heck of a time recovering. The last thing he needed right now was another setback. Sacre probably wouldn¡¯t be particularly understanding if push came to shove.
Closing his eyes, Vee reached out to his orchestra and described the wall climbers to the fiends. ¡°Find them and make sure that they¡¯re safe,¡± he ordered. ¡°I¡¯ll be along with Alforde as soon as I can to bring them back to the right side of the wall.¡±
A clipped response came from the medium section¡¯s representative, ¡°Will.¡±
Vee turned and confirmed with Reginald that the [Core Spirit] could handle the dungeon runs until he got back, then headed down the stairs as fast as his legs would carry him.
Stupid teenagers, Vee thought with a snarl once he got down to the ground. Things had been going so well, and now he had to scramble and find them before they got themselves into trouble and ruined Vee¡¯s event.
Stepping outside, Vee started to head towards the [Armorers] to get Alforde, but was stopped by a silky voice.
¡°Mister Vales, the man of the day! Just who we were looking for!¡±
Vee turned and saw Michael Seidon ¨C the councilman he¡¯d had Alforde hang out the window on Crestheart¡¯s opening day ¨C walking towards him. He was dressed in a snappy pinstripe blue suit and was surrounded by a half dozen [Bodyguards]. They all held up umbrellas to keep the rain away from the councilman¡¯s outfit.
Alongside him were two people who had to also be council members. One was an older black woman with gray hair and a pair of wireframe glasses, while the other was a tall brown man with a pointy beard. They were holding hands and were dressed well, though not quite as ostentatiously as Seidon.
¡°Councilman,¡± Vee said as he forced himself to grin. ¡°What a pleasure to see you. How may I be of assistance?¡±
Seidon pointed to his companions. ¡°My colleagues here were hoping that you¡¯d be willing to let us observe a few of the runs from your office. I¡¯m afraid that none of us on the council are terribly familiar with how dungeon sports work from the administrative side. Would you mind if we accompanied you when you returned to your duties?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid that there¡¯s another matter that requires my attention at the moment, so I won¡¯t be returning the office for a little while. However, you¡¯re welcome to go up and watch the runs. My [Majordomo], Reginald, is up there and I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be happy to explain things to you. Just so you know, he¡¯s a [Core Spirit] in a top hat. Please don¡¯t be alarmed when you see him.¡±
Seidon¡¯s smile grew even wider, and there was a gleam in his eyes that Vee didn¡¯t like. ¡°Oh goodness, how disappointing! We were rather looking forward to your commentary and insights. Best of luck in dealing with your other task. I do sincerely hope it¡¯s not some sort of emergency. It¡¯d be such a shame if something happened to spoil this lovely day.¡±
Vee met the man¡¯s eyes and bit his tongue as Seidon¡¯s smirk filled him with rage. He knows, which means he probably had something to do with it.
[Devious Mind +1]
¡°I appreciate your concern, but there¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± Vee said. He forced himself to remain pleasant, even though he wanted to leap forward and sock the man in the face. ¡°Please enjoy the remainder of the event.¡±
Seidon turned to his companions. ¡°Well, we won¡¯t have the [Dungeon Master] with us, but should we go on up anyways?¡±
His companions both nodded, and once all the proper goodbyes were said, the council members and their [Bodyguards] entered the tower.
Shaking his head, Vee walked down the road as quickly as he could and was relieved to see Alforde heading towards him.
¡°We have to go into the abandoned part of the city,¡± he said as he explained the situation. The armorsoul nodded, and the two of them hurried to the back of Crestheart tower, passing under the signs that said Crestheart Employees Only and heading out to pursue the idiots.
Main Character Sheets
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 24
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 10
Wit: 26
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 11
Plotting: 14
Charisma: 9
Devious Mind: 16 (+1)
Leadership: 14
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 14
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20 (+1)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 31 (+1)
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 37
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 9
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 29
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 43
[*--__#4%_--------]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Chapter 64: Crestheart Day, Part 7
Jogging to keep pace with Alforde, Vee looked around the decrepit streets and abandoned buildings that made up the deserted section of Westown. The rain was falling harder now, and Vee found himself missing Reginald. The hat¡¯s brim would have offered some welcome protection from the pesky droplets.
Alforde glanced back at Vee and slowed down when he saw how his friend was struggling. Vee stopped to catch his breath and closed his eyes, checking in with his orchestra.
¡°Any sign of them?¡± Alforde asked.
Vee opened his eyes and shook his head. ¡°Not yet, I¡¯m afraid. They couldn¡¯t have gotten too far though, especially with all this crap on the streets.¡±
He kicked a bit of rubble out of the way to illustrate his point.
¡°I don¡¯t know that blindly running around is going to be productive,¡± Alforde said. ¡°We should probably just try and find an open spot somewhere nearby and wait until the orchestra finds them.¡±
Vee agreed, and the two waded through the debris until they found themselves in what looked a little bit like the market square over in Northown. There were a few broken statues here and there, and plenty of rusted old stalls.
¡°I bet this place used to be nice,¡± Vee said as he walked around. There was a big fountain in the center of the square that was cracked and overgrown, Tiny white flowers bloomed along the side.
With Alforde¡¯s help, Vee made his way atop a pile of trash and looked around in every direction. He didn¡¯t see any movement, but that wasn¡¯t really saying much.
He cursed some more as he shivered at the chill of the rain. The orchestra still hadn¡¯t found anything, and Vee was starting to have the first flickers of nagging doubt that they¡¯d be able to find the teenagers at all. Deserted Westown was simply too big.
His mood soured further, and he impatiently tapped his foot while he waited. Alforde paced around the square and made a few short forays down the various alleys nearby, but the minutes ticked by without any updates.
Just before Vee was about to give up on waiting for an update and resume his search on foot ¨C unproductive as it might be ¨C a blur of orange light whizzed by. A few glittering motes shaped like pumpkins floated to the ground like snowflakes in its wake, and Vee almost lost his balance as he slid down the garbage pile to chase after it. Alforde joined him and they ran further into the abandoned remnants of Westown.
Within a few steps, Vee had once again fallen behind, but his mind was elsewhere.
What¡¯s Luna doing here?
Reginald watched the adventurer walk back and forth inside the hub room and wanted to scream. It¡¯d been three minutes since he¡¯d returned from collecting his first orb key, and the [Hunter] still hadn¡¯t made up his mind about which room to challenge next!
He reached out to activate the magnifying crystal to tell the guy to get on with it but stopped himself. It was true that there were plenty of other adventurers waiting to make their runs, but it wouldn¡¯t be sporting to rush the poor guy.
[!@#@$@%@ ^^^@]
[Patience +1]
Finally, the [Hunter] took a step towards to room of Wit, and Reginald asked him if he was sure in his decision before pulling up the door. Once the adventurer went inside, the [Core Spirit] was free to let his mind wander a little bit.
He probed his seal. It was still there and intact, but clearly something wasn¡¯t quite right with it. Another stat had re-emerged. What could that mean?
Before he got to ponder the question properly, his break was cut short by a series of clunking footsteps outside the door. The hat turned to look as the door slowly opened.
¡°Back so soon, boss? I thought you were going to track down those ¨C¡°
He slammed his mouth shut and hoped he hadn¡¯t said too much, because instead of Vee, it was Seidon who walked in. With him were two other well-dressed types and a gaggle of [Bodyguards]. The burly, suited men all scanned the room for any potential threats and grunted that the room was safe.
The councilman grinned and gestured for his companions to follow him over towards the desk, while the [Bodyguards] took up positions around the room. Reginald noted that two of them went right to the window and made sure it was firmly closed before standing in front of it with their arms folded across their chests. Clearly they weren¡¯t interested in any sort of repeat of the last time the councilman had come to visit.
Reginald made eye contact with Seidon and scowled. He didn¡¯t know why the councilman was back now but he was pretty sure it couldn¡¯t be anything good.
¡°What an unpleasant surprise it is to see you,¡± the hat said curtly. ¡°My insincere apologies, but the boss isn¡¯t here right now. If you want to leave him a note or something, I¡¯ll be happy to pass it along when he gets back.¡±
Seidon chuckled and shook his head with mock indignation.
¡°What a hostile greeting! I must say that I¡¯m disappointed to have such a cold reception from a member of Mister Vales¡¯ staff. I expected better. However, dear [Majordomo], let me assure you that we¡¯re not so rude as to barge into your office without an invitation. My colleagues and I spoke with your boss earlier and asked if we could watch a few of the day¡¯s runs and he agreed.¡±
Reginald¡¯s dislike of the councilman grew even stronger. Seidon¡¯s grin was far too nice to be genuine. What¡¯s your game? He wondered.
A flicker of movement down in the dungeon drew the hat¡¯s attention. The [Hunter] had completed his second trial and was walking out of the room of Wit. He held up his fist in triumph and threw the blue orb into the fire.
¡°You have completed two of the necessary challenges to move on, but one still remains. Choose wisely,¡± Reginald called through the magnifying crystal. Once he deactivated it, he added, ¡°And this time try not to take so freaking long.¡±
He looked back at the council members. ¡°Well, if Vee said it¡¯s okay for you to be here who am I to argue? Is there anything in particular about the dungeon that you¡¯re curious about?¡±
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The woman, dressed in a long gray coat with a striped dress beneath it, took a step forward and smiled. ¡°The doors and the fire. How do you make all of that work?¡±
Reginald returned her grin. Her enthusiasm for the dungeon was at least partially genuine. He explained the mechanisms of the dungeon to her and described the way they were linked through the tiles to his controls. When she asked a question about how Crestheart¡¯s layout was determined, he pointed her towards Vee¡¯s notebook, which was sitting nearby. Having gone through it before himself, Reginald knew that there wasn¡¯t anything secret or incriminating inside ¨C other than a few crappy doodles of a girl wearing a witch hat that he assumed was supposed to be Luna ¨C so it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if she took a look.
The councilwoman examined Vee¡¯s drawings of the dungeon¡¯s traps carefully, flipping the pages back and forth and mumbling to herself as she tried to decipher Vee¡¯s chicken scratch handwriting.
Reginald snuck a glance over at everyone else in the room. The third council member ¨Cwho bore the glassy expression of a man dragged along to satisfy one of his wife¡¯s curiosities ¨C was looking at Dheart but hadn¡¯t said anything yet. Reginald decided to let him be.
Seidon, on the other hand, kept turning his head to look out the window. Reginald wondered if the man knew where Vee had gone. Hopefully his boss hadn¡¯t been stupid enough to mention the missing youths.
The orb of light that showed the dungeon run flashed red and Reginald pressed the button that deactivated the remaining floor orders in effect. The [Hunter] had abandoned his run shortly after entering the room of Dueling. Shadowforde¡¯s attacks were simply too much for him to overcome. Taking down the adventurer¡¯s final time, Reginald gave Do and the other [Dungeon Maintainers] the signal to reset the dungeon for the next run.
¡°Excuse me, but wouldn¡¯t it be easier to have all of that automated with crystals?¡± the woman asked. ¡°Surely it¡¯s slower to have it done by staff members.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Reginald said. ¡°But money¡¯s a bit tight right now so we¡¯re making do with what we have. The [Dungeon Maintainers] do a great job, and by doing it like this they can replace damaged pieces of the dungeon before they break. I know the boss wants to eventually upgrade Crestheart so that more of the layouts are handled by crystal automation, but we¡¯re nowhere near that right now. Vee is doing his best to balance a bunch of different things.¡±
Seidon snorted, and Reginald paused his preparations for the next run.
¡°You got something to say, mister?¡±
Seidon shook his head, but Reginald pressed the matter further.
¡°Are you sure? Do you need a tissue, then? A snort like that means one or the other, usually.¡±
The councilman didn¡¯t answer. He simply resumed his vigil of looking out the window.
Should have had Alforde ¡°drop¡± him the last time he came up, boss. Cursing the boy¡¯s soft heartedness, Reginald got back to work as the next adventurer entered the dungeon. He explained the rules again ¨C maybe it¡¯d be a good idea to procure a recording crystal so that he didn¡¯t have to repeat himself so often ¨C and glared at the councilman when he was done.
[Loyalty +1]
Luna urged more magic into her cart as she dodged around the various obstacles in her path. The tingle pulled her forward, and then left, and then right, and then left again and she found herself zooming towards a tall stone building that looked like it was on the verge of falling over.
Scratch that. As she drew closer she saw that there was a big hole in the back that had already done so. A string of fiends ¨C twelve or thirteen in total ¨C headed towards the rubble with murder in their eyes.
¡°Get back, you monsters!¡± a voice from inside yelled. A few pieces of debris flew out and bounced off the nearest fiend¡¯s chitinous chest.
Whoever was inside wasn¡¯t much of a fighter, and Luna thanked whoever was out there that she¡¯d made it in time.
Yanking off her hat, Luna felt her lance settle into her hands. The weapon was becoming ever more comfortable in her grip. Once she was in range to strike, the [Pumpkin Witch] squared up and slammed the weapon into the nearest monster, relishing the way the fiend burst into tiny wisps of smoke at the blow.
Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief as the monsters lunged for her and she dispatched them one by one. She¡¯d been nervous about being thrown into a battle against something even more dangerous than Holly had been. Compared to the battle with the [Snowmancer], this was downright relaxing!
She was a blur of orange and gold justice, slashing and stabbing in all directions as she scattered her foes. The last of the fiends fell to Luna¡¯s attacks, and she took a moment to make sure that no more were approaching. Dropping a few seeds from the pouch in her pocket onto the ground, she said, ¡°[Pumpkin Magic: Trace].¡±
Tiny tendrils of golden energy rushed out of the seeds, and paltry pumpkins made of light grew along its length. They were like bells, ready to ring out a warning if anything drew too close. Luna focused on each of them in turn, looking around for any threats nearby.
Without the benefit of the tingle, her senses for such things weren¡¯t particularly strong, but she didn¡¯t notice anything she found worrisome. There were a few sources of energy skittering away from some of the nearby buildings, but Luna didn¡¯t think they were a cause for concern. Still, she idly wondered what they were.
[~?????~]
There it was again. The strange notification that popped up after every tingle. Luna shook her head and it vanished.
Transforming her lance back into a hat, Luna turned to look at the people she¡¯d rescued. Soaked and shivering from the rain, they were all a few years younger than she was. One of them ¨C a guy with mangy black hair and a beard that desperately needed to be combed ¨C was laying on the ground with his lower body trapped beneath a pile of collapsed rubble. Thankfully, he seemed to be mostly okay. He was still conscious and wasn¡¯t screaming his lungs out, so any injuries he had probably weren¡¯t too serious.
Luna knelt down next to other two people and helped them clear away the shattered bits of brick, stone, and glass that covered their friend . She moved quickly but carefully, making sure that she didn¡¯t make a bad situation worse by grabbing a piece that was holding up others. Eventually, they reached the section of broken wall that pinned him to the ground and with a grunt, Luna pulled it out of the way.
The unkempt man she¡¯d freed thanked her profusely as he tried to climb to his feet. He winced as he did so. ¡°My ankle is pretty messed up,¡± he said with a groan. He looked at Luna. ¡°Can you fix it?¡±
She shook her head. Healing others was well beyond her capabilities.
However, she could ¨C and would ¨C make sure that he got help. As she went to offer the man a hand and help him into her cart, her pumpkin alerts waggled at the approach of one¡.no¡two figures. They weren¡¯t really a threat, as neither had murderous intent, but one was fairly formidable and so she stood back up to take a look just in case it was an elaborate ruse.
When she saw who it was though, she smiled and relaxed.
The first figure, the one who seemed strong, was Alforde. The armorsoul¡¯s eyes were bright and alert as he ran towards her, and his hammer was already in his hands.
The second figure, lagging way behind, was Vee.
Luna brushed her bangs out of her eyes.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 24
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 10
Wit: 26
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 11
Plotting: 14
Charisma: 9
Devious Mind: 16
Leadership: 14
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 14
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 31
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 37
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 9
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 29
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 44 (+1)
Patience: 12 (+1)
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Bonus Content: The [Folded Fencer]
The sound of an explosion rocked the hallway and Dart jumped back at the sound. He snapped his hand up to grab hold of his cavalier hat so that it didn¡¯t fly off his head and watched as a door about halfway down the hall opened up. A great gout of black smoke billowed out, and a pair of slightly singed [Alchemists] followed it.
One of them, a brunette woman with smoldering hair and streaks of ash all over her face, wheezed and turned to her companion.
¡°Make sure that the rest of the team is made aware that reagents fourteen and ninety-two have such an explosive reaction when the third roll of [Random Factors] goes awry,¡± she said before a fit of coughing kept her from being able to say any more.
Dart met the other woman¡¯s eyes and fell forward in a sweeping bow as they passed.
¡°Mesdames, seeing what terrible shape you two are in, I humbly ¨C¡°
¡°We don¡¯t need your help, weirdo,¡± said the second [Alchemist] with a sneer. Dart stood back up, confused. He noticed the way she scowled at his {Cuirass} and {Foldover Boots}, and gave her a sheepish grin.
¡°I think there¡¯s been a misunderstanding,¡± Dart said. ¡°I was simply going to ask you for directions. I¡¯m an applicant for the [Dungeon Champion] position, but I¡¯m afraid I cannot find the interview chamber. I¡¯m worried that I¡¯ll be late if I don¡¯t get there soon and miss my interview.¡±
This caused the second [Alchemist] to stop, and her cheeks reddened slightly with embarrassment.
¡°Wait, you¡¯re not trying to hit on us?¡±
Dart shook his head. ¡°That is correct. While I¡¯m sure you both are lovely¡in your own special ways¡neither of you are particularly pleasant to look at right now. Besides, my heart is cheerfully pledged to another. If you could simply tell me which way it is to the interview room, I would be truly grateful and leave you to your business.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not going to offer us any assistance? Can¡¯t you see we¡¯re injured?¡±
Dart thought about how long he¡¯d already been wandering around Sapphirica¡¯s hallways and shook his head once more. ¡°Under different circumstances I wouldn¡¯t allow anything to stop me from doing so, but sadly I¡¯m rather in a hurry.¡±
The first [Alchemist] moaned and opened her eyes. With another cough, she pointed down the hallway. ¡°Take a left up ahead and then continue until you see a painting of a shipwreck. Turn right there and follow that hallway until you see three masks filled with crystal roses. The interview room is right next to them, and you should see the other applicants.¡±
Dart bowed again and left the [Alchemists] to their business. Whatever they¡¯d gotten into was rather nasty, by the look of it. Hopefully I¡¯ll have better luck than they did.
He quickened his pace as he followed the directions, and sure enough, he soon saw three other applicants waiting next to some chairs that looked rather uncomfortable.
The first of his competitors was a big, burly elkin with madness in his eyes and an impossibly large mace that glowed green with a brand of some kind. He leaned against the wall with his muscular arms crossed over his chest and gave Dart an almost non-existent nod of acknowledgement when their eyes met. Dart looked away as the elkin¡¯s Intimidating Presence tried to overwhelm him.
He wasn¡¯t interested in a contest of wills in the hallway, thank you very much.
In a true testament to the ¡°quality¡± of the chairs, the second competitor Dart saw was a lithe blue salamander. Based on her ornate rod and the fact that she was nuzzling a small wind tiger, she must have been a [Summoner]. She didn¡¯t look up as Dart walked by.
The third competitor was a molten skinned infernimp, a winged being with a long whiplike tail that she kept coiled around her legs as she floated back and forth in the air. She glared at Dart, and he returned her hostility with an earnest grin. No harm in being friendly.
He figured he didn¡¯t need to ask if it was the first interview for each of them. Based on how nervous they all seemed to be, Dart surmised that all of them were new to process of becoming a [Dungeon Champion]. Though it didn¡¯t mean much, he felt a surge of confidence.
His own fourteen rejections had prepared him well for this moment; his own nerves were virtually non-existent. Every advantage mattered.
Since he knew that he¡¯d be waiting for a while before it was his turn to be interviewed, he decided to make the most of his time and went through his footwork drills. After all, he knew that he was not a naturally talented fighter, and so he¡¯d long since adopted the practice of spending his every waking minute improving himself.
His boots tapped an even rhythm against the ground as he lunged back and forth, sidestepping invisible blows. For the sake of his appearance, Dart refrained from truly pushing himself to go as quickly as he could, but there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead all the same by the time his name was called.
Taking a deep breath, Dart hurried to wipe it away as he walked into the interview room where he was greeted by the [Dungeon Master] and retiring [Dungeon Champion].
The [Dungeon Master], whose name was Hary, greeted him with a firm handshake. ¡°Go ahead and sit down, young man. There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony here.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Dart said earnestly.
Cassius, the [Dungeon Champion] also reached out with his hand. However, when Dart took it, a probing surge of energy filled his body and it took all of his willpower to resist. When he chased the invading energy out with his own inner strength, Cassius chuckled.
¡°You¡¯re stronger than you look,¡± he said.
¡°I try my best,¡± said Dart.
He handed over his full application and Hary studied it for a moment.
¡°What an interesting name. You¡¯re D¡¯artag¡ª¡±
¡°You can just call me Dart. That¡¯s what I prefer to go by.¡±
Hary paused and Dart grinned at him.
¡°Dart, huh? Well, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. Do you know why we¡¯re interviewing?¡±
Dart nodded and pointed to Cassius.
¡°You¡¯re retiring soon, right?¡±
The [Dungeon Champion] smiled and stretched. He¡¯d been in Sapphirica for almost twenty years and while he was still a formidable fighter, he¡¯d seen the writing on the wall. Fights that he should have easily won were ending up as close calls and he was losing more and more bouts that he wouldn¡¯t have only a few years ago.
¡°We¡¯re looking for somebody who¡¯s willing to spend the next couple years learning and growing stronger under my tutelage,¡± Cassius said. ¡°Then, once ready, we¡¯ll start having the new [Dungeon Champion] fight a few of my bouts each week, which will increase slowly over time until I¡¯m able to go out in a blaze of glory with one final fight against a well-known adventurer. Does that sound like something you¡¯d be interested in?¡±
¡°It does,¡± said Dart.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s get started then. First question: why do you want to be the [Dungeon Champion] of Sapphirica?¡±
Stolen story; please report.
¡°For the money,¡± Dart answered without pause. After so many failed interviews, he was slightly tempted to make up some lie about how he wanted to test himself and improve his skills, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it.
¡°That¡¯s¡an unusually frank response,¡± Cassius said. Hary nodded.
¡°I¡¯m engaged to be married,¡± said Dart as he folded his hands and rested them on the table. ¡°We need the money for the wedding.¡±
¡°Well, I can appreciate an honest man,¡± Hary said. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your experience. You¡¯ve worked as [Dungeon Champion] before, haven¡¯t you?¡±
¡°I have. I was the [Dungeon Champion] of Bouldersoul for just over a year.¡±
Cassius frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of that dungeon,¡± he said. ¡°Where is it?¡±
¡°It was a small dungeon over in Yalven,¡± Dart said. ¡°Heist themed, but it couldn¡¯t compete with the other dungeons in the area, so it went out of business after only a few years of operation.¡±
¡°And how many bouts did you fight while you were its champion?¡±
¡°Just over four thousand. I won almost sixty-four percent of them.¡±
Hary frowned at that. To be honest, the low sixties was an unacceptably low win rate for a [Dungeon Champion] to have, and as the men¡¯s expressions changed to that polite indifference Dart had seen before, he knew that he¡¯d just failed another interview.
A moment of panic. Should he try and salvage things with an explanation? He was torn between his belief that his record and resume should speak for itself and the desire to make clear that he¡¯d grown and developed substantially since his time as Bouldersoul¡¯s [Dungeon Champion].
He¡¯d sought out and earned another class, abandoning the Might-based [Bulwark] and studiously pursing the Wit-focused skills and techniques as a [Folded Fencer] at his own expense. He¡¯d endured grueling training, and spent almost every free moment he had getting stronger.
But would they care? If anything, his low level in [Folded Fencer] would probably be seen as another downside.
Indeed, Hary finished scanning Dart¡¯s resume and went to put it into one of the two piles by his side. They were virtually identical, but Dart was positive that the one his resume was headed towards was the one meant to be thrown away and not considered any further.
Fifteen rejections.
Though he¡¯d thought himself numb to the sensation of not being good enough, nausea spread throughout Dart¡¯s stomach. Why weren¡¯t any of them willing to ask him about the qualitative parts of the job before writing him off? Every story he¡¯d ever heard about [Dungeon Masters] was about their tenacity, their drive, their will to win. Nobody ¨C okay, not many people ¨C ever mentioned their stats or their levels or anything like that. Why were those the only things interviewers ever cared about?
Hary smiled and his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. Dart recognized this gesture too; the [Dungeon Master] had decided that the interview was over, but out of a desire to not be seen as rude, he was going to drag it out with meaningless questions and chatter for a little while longer.
¡°So, did you grow up Yalven?¡± Hary asked.
Dart nodded, but he wasn¡¯t willing to let the interview die that easily. ¡°Look, I know that I don¡¯t seem like a great candidate on paper,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯m strong, and I know I¡¯d do a good job as the [Dungeon Champion] here. I¡¯m willing to learn and I¡¯ll work harder than anybody else.¡±
The room was quiet for a moment, and Dart did what he could to control his breathing. Already, his mind was racing with plans for his next steps. Once he was formally rejected from Sapphirica, he¡¯d pack up his meager belongings and leave town. He¡¯d heard rumors about another [Dungeon Champion] position opening up north, and he¡¯d work as a caravan guard or something while he traveled toward it.
He didn¡¯t want to do that though and it must have shown on his face.
Cassius leaned forward and his eyes flickered with a bit of blue light.
¡°Unfortunately, hard work doesn¡¯t mean much if there¡¯s not enough talent behind it,¡± the [Dungeon Champion] said gently. ¡°You have the right attitude, kid, but your numbers just aren¡¯t there. We¡¯d be irresponsible if we took you on to succeed me.¡±
¡°It¡¯d be foolish,¡± Hary agreed. ¡°Thanks for coming by, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯re a good fit for each other.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you even want to see what I can do?¡±
¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±
Dart sucked in a sharp breath and felt a familiar sickly sweet warmth spread throughout his chest. He stood up quickly and held out his hand. It was trembling, but Dart didn¡¯t care.
¡°Give me a chance to prove myself,¡± he said. ¡°Fight me right now and let me show you that I¡¯d be a good successor. The measure of a [Dungeon Champion] isn¡¯t their level, or their stats. It¡¯s what they can do in a fight, right?¡±
Cassius folded his arms across his chest and grinned, but Hary shook his head.
¡°Listen, young man. Your bravery is commendable, but I really don¡¯t think ¨C¡°
Cassius held up a hand and the [Dungeon Master] fell quiet. The [Dungeon Champion] flexed and his fists began to glow. Water from the pitcher on the center of the table swirled around them and the [Dungeon Champion]¡¯s eyes were veritably glowing.
¡°There¡¯s no harm in letting him try, is there, Hary?¡±
¡°I guess not, he¡¯s the last one for the day,¡± the [Dungeon Master] grumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that I won¡¯t miss this headstrong streak of yours once your retired, though.¡±
¡°Sure you will,¡± Cassius said as he walked around the desk to stand on the same side as Dart. He held out his hands and a rod of swirling water formed between them.
¡°Now, Dart, I won¡¯t make you any promises,¡± Cassius said as he met the [Folding Fencer]¡¯s eyes. ¡°But if you can land a solid blow on me, you¡¯ll have spoken well for yourself.¡±
¡°Have any of the other candidates managed to do that?¡±
¡°None of them felt the need to try.¡±
Dart grinned and activated his skill. Pieces of paper ¨C led by his resume ¨C whistled through the air as they folded themselves into the shape of a blade. Dart took his weapon and settled into his stance. This wasn¡¯t going to be an easy fight. He wasn¡¯t strong enough to clash with Cassius at all, and his foe¡¯s staff meant that he had to overcome a significant range disadvantage. However, he¡¯d drilled his footwork relentlessly in recent weeks, and knew that he could find an opening if he properly controlled his spacing.
Taking a step forward, Dart probed his opponent¡¯s guard with a quick thrust, but Cassius blocked it with ease and snapped the staff of water towards him faster than he expected. The [Dungeon Master]¡¯s weapon found its mark ¨C Dart¡¯s shoulder ¨C and the [Folded Fencer] was knocked back several steps.
He¡¯s not expecting much from me, and that¡¯s fine. Gritting his teeth, Dart launched himself at Cassius as fast as he could, stabbing as quickly as his arm could move. However, no matter which angle he attacked from, the other man simply seemed to shift out of the way just before the blade landed.
Cassius slipped his staff over Dart¡¯s blade and jammed it into the young man¡¯s stomach, knocking the wind out of the [Folded Fencer]. Dart fell to his knees, and Cassius took a step back. His eyes were filled with pity.
¡°You¡¯re no match for me,¡± he said. ¡°No matter how you try, you won¡¯t be able to land a blow against me while I¡¯m using [Be Water]. Will you gracefully accept defeat?¡±
Dart shook his head and forced himself back to his feet. His Heart of a Champion was kicking in, and the pain wasn¡¯t nearly so bad anymore. His body continued growing warmer, and he snatched a few sheets of paper from the pouch he wore around his waist. If Cassius thought he¡¯d give up without trying every trick at his disposal, the other man was dead wrong.
If winning up close wasn¡¯t going to happen on its own, he¡¯d create pressure from afar and forcefully create an opening.
¡°[Cutting Confetti]!¡± he cried as he threw the pieces of paper at Cassius. They split apart into smaller chunks that were each as sharp as a razor blade and peppered the [Dungeon Champion], slicing his arms and chest.
Lunging forward, Dart tried to take advantage of the distraction, but the older man was seemingly unfazed by his wounds and thrust his staff toward Dart¡¯s head. The [Dungeon Champion] was clearly bored with the bout and wanted to end it in a single blow.
Dart wanted to laugh. That was the best outcome possible. It¡¯s time to see that you¡¯re not the only one with a cool dodging skill.
¡°[Flatten]!¡± he yelled as the weapon snapped toward him. His entire body compressed until Dart himself was no thicker than a sheet of paper. Since he was so flat, the strike missed him by several inches. Before his opponent could react, Dart¡well, darted in so that he was well past Cassius¡¯s guard. With an almost casual flick of his wrist, he brought his blade up to rest against the [Dungeon Champion]¡¯s neck.
Cassius went to pull back his staff but stopped as the paper blade of Dart¡¯s weapon nicked his skin and drew a thin line of blood.
¡°Looks like I win, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Dart said. ¡°I reckon that counts as a bit more than a blow, huh?¡±
Turning to Hary, Dart glared.
¡°What sort of fit do you think I am now?¡±
To his surprise, Hary laughed, and Cassius joined in soon after.
¡°You know what? I think we can make something out of you,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said. ¡°That [Flatten] trick of yours won¡¯t work more than a few times in an actual dungeon bout, but I expect you and Cassius can come up with some other strategies in the meantime.¡±
Dart raised an eyebrow, not daring to hope that his ear¡¯s weren¡¯t playing a trick on him.
¡°You really mean that? You¡¯re going to hire me?¡±
Hary nodded and held out his hand. ¡°You can beat Cassius. That¡¯s good enough for me. Give me back your resume, will you? I¡¯ve got to turn it in to the union as part of the succession hiring process.¡±
Cassius held out a hand and Dart shook it. There wasn¡¯t any test of internal strength this time.
¡°Pleasure to have you aboard,¡± he said.
Dart hadn¡¯t ever been happier.
Taking out another sheet of paper and a pen, Dart wrote a letter to his beloved right then and there.
My love,
We can get married this summer.
Dart''s Character Sheet:
Dart Matisse
Primary Class: Folded Fencer (Aporthos Dutonne), Level 27
Secondary Class: Dungeon Champion (Bouldersoul), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Bulwark (Ymanie Lana), Level 1
Might: 50
Wit: 65
Faith: 57
Guts: 36
Endurance: 39
Control: 21
Heart of a Champion: 22
Ambition: 30
Agility: 31
Dexterity: 40
Determination: 50
Charisma: 18
Intimidating Presence: 22
Chapter 65: Crestheart Day Part 8
The rain was more of a drizzle now, and Vee ran his hand through his soaking hair to get it out of his eyes. It¡¯d taken him a few minutes after arriving at the partially collapsed building to catch his breath, but now that he¡¯d done so he was faced with the unpleasant task of addressing the trespassers.
They looked at him with sheepish expressions, their eyes downcast and their faces resolved to accept whatever judgment he meted out.
But what should he do? What should he say?
Frankly, Vee knew that this was absolutely not his area of expertise. He was used to lectures, but wasn¡¯t familiar with being on the delivering side.
As he wrestled with his options, there was a shift in the ethereal that caused the hairs on the back of his neck to prickle. Vee recognized the feeling well. It was the Expectation. Even without activating [Third Sight], he could sense its presence. The spirit was growing ever more corporeal as it wound its way through the air around Vee¡¯s body, but for some reason it didn¡¯t decide to try and make contact with him.
Vee took a deep breath and the feeling receded, though it was still there.
Then he heard the spirit¡¯s burning voice.
(Who do you wish to be?)
Energy radiated forth and a notification popped up in front of the [Dungeon Master]. Instead of the typical white color he was used to though, this one was blue as blue could be.
(You stand at a crossroad of two paths that lead to the same destination. However, depending on which way you decide to go, the journey will be quite different.)
(Consider your choice carefully, for once you start traveling down a path it only gets easier to keep following it.)
(Option one: React with anger. Let them have what they have earned.)
(Reward: Intimidating Presence +2, Ambition +1)
(Option two: React with compassion. Instruct them so that they can make better decisions in the future.)
(Reward: Citizenship +2, Leadership +1)
Vee pondered the strange notification for some time. In addition to not looking right, it didn¡¯t feel right either. His body seemed to be strangely heavy, and when he tried to look over at Alforde, Vee found that his head and neck wouldn¡¯t obey his commands. The only thing he could do was interact with the notification.
So that¡¯s what he did.
One the one hand, the cathartic allure of cursing the teenagers out and berating them for making such a foolish decision was strong. They could have gotten hurt, or worse! Didn¡¯t they know how stupid they¡¯d been? They deserved to know how stupid they¡¯d been! Right?!
However, at the same time, what would making them feel worse truly accomplish? Thanks to Luna, they hadn¡¯t been hurt by the fiends, and with Vee, Alforde and Luna to escort them back to the street fair, nothing bad was going to happen.
Talk about having your illusions shattered, Vee thought as he stared at his options once more. It really wasn¡¯t much fun to be the one giving the lecture either.
(Well?)
No point in going over the same rationale more than once. Vee reached out and selected the second option.
He might as well get closer to unlocking that quest, whatever it was.
(Very well.)
(Citizenship +2)
(Leadership +1)
And with that, the Expectation vanished once again, though this time as it shifted away Vee got the impression that its form had slightly changed once again.
Interestingly, the ¡°failed to receive quest¡± notification failed to pop up. Vee waited for it for a moment, and then decided that if it hadn¡¯t appeared already, it wasn¡¯t going to anytime soon. He hoped he hadn¡¯t missed his window of opportunity to gain it. Quests could be funny like that.
A matter for another time. Standing up a little straighter, Vee met each young adult¡¯s eyes in turn.
¡°You three are luckier than you know,¡± he said. ¡°Had it not been for Luna here, you might have met a grisly fate. Do any of you have combat classes?¡±
They all shook their heads.
¡°Then why did you climb over the wall?¡± he asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared of the fiends and ghosts in the abandoned part of the city?¡±
¡°We were told that it¡¯d be safe since the fiends don¡¯t really cause much trouble during the day. We were going to be back well before nightfall. We swear!¡±
Luna cocked her head to the side a little bit.
¡°Told? By who?¡±
The one in the middle who¡¯d been injured ran his hand through his beard. He looked at his companions with a questioning expression and they both nodded.
¡°Uh¡well, you see¡as we were heading towards the gate this morning we were stopped by a man in a mask. He offered us a deal. Five gold fleurs apiece if we crossed the wall and stayed out in the abandoned part of the city for a few hours.¡±
The trip back to Crestheart was thankfully mundane. Luna led the way, with the injured guy riding in her cart behind her. His two friends were behind them, and Vee and Alforde brought up the rear.
¡°Do you really think it was Seidon?¡± Alforde asked.
Just a little while ago, Vee would have been happy to bet all the fleurs in the world that the councilman was responsible, but now he wasn¡¯t so sure.
¡°Has to be,¡± Vee said as he kicked a piece of brick out of his way. Nothing else made any semblance of sense, unless the councilman was just a shifty guy who said shifty things and his words had been nothing but an extremely unfortunate coincidence.
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Somehow, Vee didn¡¯t think that was the case, but still.
See, after Vee had exclaimed, ¡°A-ha, and that man was Seidon, right?¡±, the teenagers looked at each other with blank expressions and shook their heads.
¡°He was too tall to be Seidon,¡± the bearded one said.
¡°Too fat, too,¡± said one of his companions.
Vee hadn¡¯t believed their denial, so he¡¯d activated [Detect Lies] and [Detect Falsehoods] and had asked them again. However, both skills verified that the youths were telling the truth. Since he doubted that any of them had the ability to fool his skills, he was truly confused.
As they drew closer to the dungeon, the sounds of the street fair gradually grew louder and louder. The rain had almost completely stopped now, and Vee was grateful that there weren¡¯t a dozen [City Guards] waiting to fine or arrest him as they emerged. Small blessings.
The people attending the street fair were all too engrossed in the stalls or performers ¨C including the bevy of unsanctioned ones that¡¯d popped up throughout the day ¨C to even pay attention as the group once they walked around to the front of the dungeon.
Luna helped the bearded man out of her cart and his friends hurried over to support him.
¡°We really can¡¯t thank you enough,¡± one of them said as he looked at Vee.
With a grin, Vee held up his hand and rubbed his thumb against his index and middle fingers. ¡°Are you sure about that? You said the masked guy paid up front, right? How about a little monetary token of appreciation, eh?¡±
The teens grumbled, but they all eventually reached into their pockets and drew out their five gold fleurs. As they went to hand them to Vee, Alforde coughed ¨C politely of course ¨C and the [Dungeon Master] glared up at his friend. The armorsoul coughed a bit more insistently, and Vee rolled his eyes.
¡°Fine,¡± he muttered. With a scowl, Vee pointed at Luna.
¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who saved you. She was.¡±
The [Pumpkin Witch] grinned as she pocketed the money. The teens left, hopefully never to be heard from again, and Vee¡¯s heart started beating a little faster as he made eye contact with Luna.
¡°Do you want to walk around a little bit?¡± she asked. ¡°With those golds I¡¯ve got more money than I know what to do with and it¡¯s burning a hole in my pocket. Help me spend some?¡±
Vee¡¯s stomach did a flip as he looked up at Crestheart tower. Judging by the number of adventurers still outside, there were plenty of runs to be finished, and the [Dungeon Master] felt bad for abandoning Reginald.
¡°I¡really should get back to work,¡± he said slowly.
Alforde coughed twice. One of them was particularly insistent, and even Vee couldn¡¯t miss the hint.
¡°But I suppose I could spare an hour or two,¡± he added. ¡°Reginald knows what he¡¯s doing, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s got everything under control.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go check in on him,¡± Alforde said. The armorsoul nodded to Luna, gave Vee a subtle, yet significant glance, and headed up the stairs to go check on the top hat.
Vee¡¯s stomach rumbled.
¡°Are you hungry, by chance?¡±
Luna grinned at him and something twisted inside Vee¡¯s chest.
¡°You bet I am! Let¡¯s go find something tasty!¡±
¡°Do you like noodles? There¡¯s some really tasty ones over that way.¡±
As he walked side by side with Luna, Vee couldn¡¯t help but smile. I can do this.
There was another tiny shift in the ethereal, but Vee¡¯s mind was so focused on other things just then that he paid it no mind at all.
Alforde could hear Reginald¡¯s voice from two floors away, and the hat seemed to be engaged in a long-winded story as the [Dungeon Champion] opened the door.
¡°And then I said to him that we needed to make sure that we had a way for the slimes to be visible even without any light in the room. That¡¯s why we went with the ones that¡¯d eaten the lesser fire elements. Can you believe that Vee wanted the whole room to be completely dark? He¡¯s ¨Cwait, hang on just a second. Ahem. You have selected the room of Faith. Inside is a challenge that seems impossible at first glance. Are you sure that you want to continue? Anyways, as I was saying, it¡¯s critical that adventurers are given information that creates the proper ambiance and mood that we want them to have. The aura skills are nice, but realistically, if we can get the runners into their own heads, half our job is done already. That¡¯s really all there is to it. Now, what was the other thing you asked? Something about the orb keys?¡±
The woman behind the hat nodded with great interest, and the armorsoul took stock of the other people in the room. Seidon was lounging up against the wall, surrounded by four of his [Bodyguards]. He looked bored and a little irritated, drumming his fingers against his forearm.
Next to Dheart was a man Alforde hadn¡¯t seen before, and judging from his resigned, glassy expression, Alforde surmised that Reginald¡¯s penchant for long-winded ramblings had claimed another victim. Poor guy.
The armorsoul suppressed a snicker as Reginald turned to look at him.
¡°Oh, hey Alforde,¡± the hat said. ¡°You and Vee back from your thing? How¡¯d it go?¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Things good here?¡±
¡°They¡¯re great,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Lorelai here has been asking wonderful questions. You know, she really knows a lot of stuff about dungeons. I think Vee could learn a lot from her. Is he coming up behind you? There¡¯s no time like the present.¡±
Alforde shook his helmet. He didn¡¯t want to come out and say that Vee was with Luna. If Seidon was their enemy, he didn¡¯t want to be responsible for feeding the man that particular bit of information. He¡¯d read enough books to know what happened when the bad guy knew too much about his enemy¡¯s personal life.
At the same time, he knew that if he said anything too vague, Reginald would pester him about it until he got the whole story.
It¡¯d have to be code then.
¡°Nope. Vee had another issue crop up that he had to take care of. You know how easy it is to have your schedule get squashed when you¡¯re a [Dungeon Master]. Whether by the light of the sun, or the glow of the moon, there¡¯s always something to do. He¡¯ll be back as soon as he can.¡±
He hoped the hat would get what he meant from his inflections, but for a moment it didn¡¯t look that way. The [Majordomo] simply stared at the [Dungeon Champion] as if the latter were an idiot, but then his felty mouth spread into a wide smile as he put the clues together and he laughed.
¡°I see, I see. That¡¯s¡gourd, I mean, good.¡±
Thankful that his ploy had worked, Alforde watched the rest of the run in progress with everyone else in the room without saying anything else. When it was finished, Seidon announced that they¡¯d taken up enough time and had to be going. Something about preparing the notes for the next council meeting. The man next to Dheart looked like he was about to cry from joy, but the woman, Lorelai, looked heartbroken.
¡°Come back anytime,¡± Reginald told her. ¡°It¡¯s nice to have someone to talk to who can actually understand what I¡¯m getting at.¡±
She laughed and walked over to give the man by Dheart a kiss on the cheek.
¡°Thanks for coming along,¡± she said to him.
The man mumbled something Alforde couldn¡¯t hear.
As Seidon walked by, Alforde gave the councilman a stiff nod.
¡°Good to see you again,¡± he said.
Seidon grunted.
¡°Not particularly.¡±
Without another word, the councilman led his group back down the stairs to the street. Alforde watched them all walk away.
When he turned back around, Reginald had turned around so that he was looking straight at him. The hat was still grinning and there was a mischievous wrinkle by his eyes.
¡°Alright, we¡¯ve got a few minutes until the next run begins. Give me all the details. Who asked who? It was Luna, right?¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 24
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 10
Wit: 26
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 11
Plotting: 14
Charisma: 9
Devious Mind: 16
Leadership: 15 (+1)
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 16 (+2)
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 31
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39 (+2)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 10 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6 (+1)
Might: 1
Wit: 29
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 29 (+1)
Manipulativeness: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 44
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Chapter 66: Back In Business
Vee and Alforde walked through the gate and headed for Crestheart Tower. It was a cloudy morning and rather cool, but the first snow of the year had yet to fall. Vee didn¡¯t have terribly high hopes for how the city handled winter, so he hoped it would be a mild one.
Alforde had a new spring in his step, courtesy of the gray and black cape that hung from his pauldrons. Vee thought the thing looked ridiculous, but Alforde clearly loved it, having spent over an hour that morning on practicing his ¡°dramatic removal¡± technique, so he kept his mouth shut and his thoughts to himself. That¡¯s what it meant to be a friend, sometimes.
He looked down at the street and was pleased that the Light section of the orchestra had once again worked their magic. The trash and debris left behind from Crestheart Day were virtually all gone. It wasn¡¯t as clean as it normally was, but Vee was sure that with another night or two of his fiends¡¯ attention, it¡¯d be beautiful again real soon.
The street fair had been a resounding success, but it¡¯d left behind quite the mess. Next year, Vee was going to double or triple the number of trash cans around the area so that the fiends didn¡¯t have to work so hard. He¡¯d felt bad watching them cart discarded plates and bits of parchment paper. Vee wasn¡¯t sure if the fiends had developed enough to truly understand the concept of a ¡°bonus¡± yet, but he¡¯d given them twice the amount of refined ectoplasm that they needed anyways to thank them for their efforts. They¡¯d certainly earned it, and based on how quickly they¡¯d consumed the entire payment, it appeared to be appreciated.
Turning to his friend, the [Dungeon Master] smiled and rapped his knuckles against the armorsoul¡¯s upper arm to get Alforde¡¯s attention. A chill surged through his fingers and ran up his entire arm before he managed to jerk his hand away with a grimace.
¡°Gawain¡¯s balls, that new armor of yours is cold,¡± he said when Alforde looked down at him with a quizzical expression. ¡°Was it always like that?¡±
¡°Hmm? Is it really that cold? I haven¡¯t noticed anything like that.¡±
Vee blew on his hand and stuck it under his other armpit to try and chase away the chill as he nodded. ¡°I thought frostnickel was only supposed to have a minor ice enchantment on it. That was definitely colder than minor should be.¡±
Alforde looked down at his armor and shrugged. It wasn¡¯t like there were icicles or anything popping out of the plates. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Hanako about it the next time I see her,¡± he said. ¡°Is your hand okay?¡±
¡°I think so,¡± Vee answered as he examined his fingertips. They were a little red, but didn¡¯t hurt or anything.
They stopped in front of the tower and bid each other farewell and good luck, but in light of the newfound chill of Alforde¡¯s armor, the friends forewent their typical ritual of a fist bump. Instead, Vee simply held up his hand and Alforde did the same with his gauntlet.
¡°Good luck today, buddy. I¡¯ll try and make sure that whoever gets to you is nice and worn down,¡± Vee said.
Alforde chuckled as he entered the dungeon and headed down to his arena. Do and the other [Dungeon Maintainers] had returned Crestheart to what it¡¯d been before the race layout for the most part, but Vee kept a few of the elements he¡¯d liked from Crestheart Day too.
He¡¯d added his controllable traps to the dungeon¡¯s main hallway and installed a small chasm on the second floor that required riding on a moving platform while enduring a barrage of lesser flame elemental attacks.
Beyond that, he¡¯d added a few moveable tiles behind the walls. When he pressed the appropriate button, the tiles rotated so that the orientation of the pack would change. This was done so that Vee could send any minions Marked by [Boost Drops] to be fought ¨C and hopefully destroyed ¨C first by the adventurers, maximizing the value gained from the skill.
The installation of the rotating tiles had taken Do¡¯s crew more time than it should have, and so unfortunately, they hadn¡¯t been able to put in the rest of the dungeon improvements Vee and Reginald decided on after watching all the races. Notably missing were the ladders and rope swing elements that Vee wanted on the first floor, but that was fine. They¡¯d be added in throughout the week as the [Dungeon Maintainers] had time to do so.
Once he made it up to the office, Vee examined every inch of his control setup, making sure that nothing was out of place.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Reginald asked.
¡°Making sure that Seidon didn¡¯t sabotage anything while I was gone yesterday,¡± Vee said as he flicked a switch back and forth and frowned when a door that was supposed to open stayed shut. He closed his eyes and alerted Do to the problem, which turned out to be a simple connection issue on the fiend¡¯s part and was quickly fixed. Still, he was glad that he¡¯d taken the time to check before the day¡¯s runs started.
[Devious Mind +1]
Vee sighed and turned his thoughts to other matters. There were still a lot of upgrades he wanted to work into the new control setup ¨C traps he wanted to add controls for, platforms that he could move, etc. ¨C but for the moment his priority was collecting the two hundred and fifty shards of chaos necessary to add a fourth floor to Crestheart. Everything else could wait.
After all, the lack of business while Alforde was injured meant that finding ways to boost the marginal revenue per adventurer was going to be critical if they were going to keep their repayment schedule.
Thankfully, Vee had a few options available to help with that. There were still a few of Juniper¡¯s burn salves from race day, and Vee was going to see if adventurers were willing to buy them from the mannequin shopkeepers to soothe burns they got from the lesser elementals or the elemental slimes. Since they were a more niche product, Reginald suggested selling them for three silver fleurs apiece. If they ended up being popular, Vee was going to try and expand the inventories of the mannequin shopkeepers with other specific curatives once he had minions in the dungeon that could consistently apply the relevant status effects.
Right now, he didn¡¯t have a ton of options, so he was happy to start with just the burn salves. However, he¡¯d had his eye on a series of miniature gargoyles in the union handbook that were capable of applying [Minor Petrification] to targets they stared at for a while, and the [Dungeon Master] was interested in purchasing a batch to test out.
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A second potential source of additional revenue didn¡¯t directly rely on the dungeon. While he¡¯d been out walking around with Luna ¨C had that been a date? Vee wasn¡¯t sure, though just thinking about it now made him smile ¨C he¡¯d bumped into a boy and his sister who¡¯d seen Vee and Juniper cleaning up the bugs with the slimes. Since they were aspiring entrepreneurs, they were interested in starting their own little business to do the same thing. They talked about getting rid of the trash and crap around their neighborhood, and had asked if they could rent a few of Vee¡¯s slimes to do so.
He''d have to crunch some numbers first and make sure that he was covered liability-wise in case something happened while the slimes were out, but since he¡¯d had a similar idea himself, he saw no reason to refuse their request.
It didn¡¯t matter that they probably wouldn¡¯t make much money, either. Vee didn¡¯t need all the slimes he had as it was ¨C and Pretzel was going to be creating more soon, if the things he¡¯d read about Royal Slimes were correct ¨C so it wasn¡¯t like renting them out was going to really cost him much at all. The only thing he¡¯d really have to go out of his way to provide were the ectoplasm leashes, and since he¡¯d add their cost to the rental fee, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem.
He wished Reginald luck as the first adventurer walked up to the door and opened his guide handbook to browse the other monsters available for purchase. For the first time, he noticed a bit of fine print on the bottom of one page.
Contact Union office for weekly discounted monster list.
How hadn¡¯t he seen that before?
Vee turned to Dheart.
¡°Oy, can you get me the weekly discounted monster list?¡±
The dungeon heart thrummed a few times, and then replied cheerfully.
¡°Of course, Master. I¡¯ll have it to you in a few moments.¡±
Vee leaned back in his chair. If there was one thing he loved, it was a good discount.
Alforde paced back and forth inside his arena, stopping now and then to take a bit of a practice swing with Slammy. Though it felt like it had been weeks since his last real fight in here, it really hadn¡¯t been that long, and the armorsoul was perplexed at the vague sense of unease that lingered around his chest.
Closing his eyes, the [Dungeon Champion] imagined himself up against another adventurer and began to go through his warmup routine. He lunged, retreated, and utilized all of the little jabs and swings he¡¯d worked on with Shadowforde¡¯s help, making sure that all of his plates were nice and loose as he did so.
The armor was finally starting to feel right, as was the new style of fighting he¡¯d been learning to go with it.
¡°You¡¯re still not moving fast enough,¡± Shadowforde¡¯s voice said as Alforde finished his last movements. The armorsoul opened his eyes and looked at his Reflection. ¡°Remember, move into position and then strike. Don¡¯t give your opponent a chance to dodge if they let you get close. You¡¯re like a glacier, advancing slowly until there¡¯s nowhere for your enemy to run.¡±
Alforde nodded and the pair went through a second series of warmups, with Shadowforde acting as an enemy to test the armorsoul¡¯s footwork and spacing.
Since he¡¯d been training with the Reflection so much, Alforde was comfortable with all the moves and tactics his counterpart liked to use, but he gave the bout his full attention and moved as quickly as he could all the same.
By the time Vee called down that the first run for the day had started, Alforde felt ready to fight, and he opened the box of enchanted crystals he¡¯d gotten from Hanako to select his first skill crystal of the day.
To be completely honest, he¡¯d somewhat neglected his practice with the gifts Hanako had given him. Learning how to use so many different skills was going to take time, and Alforde had decided that his efforts were better spent focused on regaining his melee proficiency. He¡¯d won almost all of his bouts with nothing but his hammer and his tenacity, after all. The skill crystals were simply a bonus to help out if he met a particularly troublesome opponent.
¡°Any ideas on which one I should start with?¡±
Shadowforde was quiet for a moment and then pointed to [Frostvent]. ¡°Why don¡¯t we try a few fights with that one, and then if you¡¯re not feeling it we can swap over of a different one.¡±
A nice, simple area of effect skill. Alforde couldn¡¯t argue with that. Though it was far from the most powerful crystal he had access to, [Frostvent] was surprisingly easy to use and complemented the armorsoul¡¯s existing fighting style of getting close and dealing damage. The chilly air would slow adventurers down and make it easier for the [Dungeon Champion] to land a truly heavy blow.
¡°I¡¯ll call you when I need you,¡± Alforde said, and Shadowforde nodded as he returned to the mirror. With a twist of his gauntlets, the [Dungeon Champion] opened up his weapon and socketed [Frostvent]. He gave the skill a few tests to make sure that it was properly seated, and then made his way over to the edge of his arena to wait for his first opponent.
He shook his head and tapped his boot on the ground. One thing that hadn¡¯t changed in his absence was the fact that he hated having to wait.
Vee watched the sturdy mace-wielding [Marauder] walk into Crestheart and activated [Boost Drops]. The man was muscular and looked like he knew how to use his weapon, so Vee didn¡¯t fear wasting a charge of the precious resource.
¡°[Excellent Spreadsheet].¡±
Cecil appeared next to Vee, and the [Dungeon Master] opened the sheet he was going to use to track the efficacy of the skill. He¡¯d used the skill twice the day before, and the results had differed, so he suspected that there was a degree of randomness to how many minions it affected.
¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± he said as he pored over all his minions. ¡°It looks like there are¡three slimes, one skeleton, and five ghosts who got Marked. Would you jot that down, Cecil?¡±
The spreadsheet acknowledged the entry, and Vee turned his attention to making sure that minions with purple triangles on them were sent into the adventurer¡¯s way first. He flipped a pair of switches and fiddled with a few knobs to make sure they were positioned properly and let things go from there.
Thankfully, the [Marauder] made quick work of them, collecting three shards of chaos for his efforts and Vee leaned back. His next opportunity to directly affect the run wasn¡¯t for a little while, so he might as well relax a little bit beforehand.
It was good to be back in business.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 24
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 10
Wit: 26
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 11
Plotting: 14
Charisma: 9
Devious Mind: 17 (+1)
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 16
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 2
Might: 31
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Vigilance: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 10
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 29
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 29
Manipulativeness: 34
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 44
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Chapter 67: Discounted Minions
Reginald chortled when an adventurer who¡¯d decided to skip riding the platform across the chasm and jump across instead failed to make it to the other side. The [Rogue]¡¯s cries of surrender filled the room as he landed atop the elemental slimes at the bottom, and Vee deactivated the dungeon so that he could be rescued.
¡°Any interest in buying some burn salve?¡± Reginald called down as Fa and La extracted him from the pit. ¡°It¡¯s only a few silver fleurs and I guarantee that it¡¯ll help save your love life! Trust me, you¡¯re better off without that awful mustache! Shave the rest of it off.¡±
The man cursed at the ceiling as he was helped out of the dungeon, and the [Dungeon Maintainers] got to work getting the dungeon ready for the next run. Re and Mi checked the tiles for any signs of damage, while So and Ti swept away the remnants of the minions that¡¯d been destroyed. Do supervised all of them, pointing to places they needed to address before the next adventurer entered Crestheart.
¡°I¡¯ll bet you he buys some salves,¡± Reginald said with a grin. ¡°[Rogues] tend to be pretty vain.¡±
Vee grunted but didn¡¯t respond, so the hat turned and saw that the [Dungeon Master] had returned his attention to the paper in front of him.
The discount monster list was long enough to take up several sheets of paper, and Vee had already skimmed through it. Sadly, the gargoyles he¡¯d had his eye on weren¡¯t listed at all, and Vee resigned himself to having to pay full price for them down the line.
However, he¡¯d been surprised to see that basically all of the minions he¡¯d previously ordered for Crestheart were on sale. He could save some fleurs when it came time to restock!
More interesting than that though was the fact that the union offered several types of minions that he hadn¡¯t seen in his manual. Perhaps it was out of date?
For example, in addition to the box of knights, archers, and mage skeletons that he¡¯d already bought, there was a collection of spear, shield, and flagbearer skeletons as well. Vee ordered a box. Doubling the number of skeleton types in the dungeon seemed like a good idea.
There was also a ¡°deluxe¡± box that contained all six skeleton variants plus a bonus rider type, but it was far too expensive for him to think about buying. Heck, a box of riders by themselves cost two gold fleurs!
He continued flipping through the discount list, passing on the clearance batch of slimes, since he had Pretzel. Admittedly, the slime offerings from the union¡¯s partnered [Breeders] and [Ranchers] were rather interesting. Some of the armored slimes for sale were completely covered in their plating of choice, while others only had a few pieces sticking out of their goo. Seeing as the prices between the two types were similar, Vee had to wonder what factors determined a slime¡¯s ¨C or any minion¡¯s, really ¨C value in the market. Was it size? Strength? Chance of dropping a shard of chaos on death?
The next pages were filled with a variety of so-called ¡°special deals¡± ¨C better known as minions that nobody wanted to buy and were going for prices so low that the word ¡°sale¡± no longer applied ¨C and here is where Vee really started hunting for deals.
There were all kinds of bizarre monsters listed inside. Golems designed to look like pieces of toast, spiders made out of silk, a frankly distressing number of snakes and snails, and more than a few statues whose shapes bordered on obscene.
¡°Those don¡¯t fit the aesthetic of Crestheart,¡± Reginald said as the hat looked over at a pair of defective steambreathers. The tiny lizards had no more than a drop of dragon¡¯s blood in them, and they¡¯d been a popular pet for the rich and famous before Vee was born. Every now and then they had a kind of strange resurgence, but the hat was right. They didn¡¯t fit the dungeon¡¯s theme.
¡°But look!¡± Vee said as he pointed to the sheet. ¡°Eighty percent off these two, ninety percent off those three! These deals can¡¯t be beat! It says so right here! Okay, fifteen percent really isn¡¯t that much of a discount, and neither is twenty percent, but still! These minions are on sale! Talk about making our fleurs go further! I¡¯ll be losing money if I don¡¯t buy them!¡±
Reginald quivered and closed his eyes. ¡°Mindlessly buying things because they¡¯re on sale doesn¡¯t help the way you think it does. Just think about it a little bit. Where are we going to keep everything if you buy all the minions on that list you¡¯ve been making over there?¡±
¡°The menagerie.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not nearly big enough,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Right now, Kai is probably going to have his branches full with keeping the slimes, skeletons and elementals in check. We¡¯re lucky the ghosts are as compact as they are, otherwise, they¡¯d be in there too. Now, in a few more months, we can maybe accommodate a couple more minion varieties, but let¡¯s not go and give the little treant more work than he can handle.¡±
¡°Then we¡¯ll make the menagerie bigger,¡± Vee said, feeling an impulsive and impatient tickle starting to form in the back of his skull. ¡°Nobody cares about the buildings over there, so why don¡¯t we knock them down and expand Kai¡¯s operation? I¡¯ll get the Medium section on it right away.¡±
¡°Before you do that you should really talk to Kai about it,¡± Reginald said before being distracted by having to repeat a series of instructions he¡¯d given to the next adventurer. ¡°It¡¯s not fair to him, otherwise.¡±
Vee drummed his fingers against the desk. He was oddly frustrated with Reginald. The desire to spend was strong in his heart and demanded to be satisfied.
Eventually, reason won out and the urge settled down. There will be other sales, he told himself, but he still felt as if he¡¯d been deprived of dessert after dinner and sulked for the rest of the day¡¯s runs.
¡°On the whole, I think that went really well,¡± Alforde said once he put the last box of fleurs into the dungeon¡¯s safe. ¡°[Frostvent] was much more effective than I¡¯d been expecting it to be, but I still need to get used to using it. I¡¯m pretty sure it would have saved me in that [Bouncer] match, but I didn¡¯t even think about trying to activate it. What¡¯d you think, Vee? How¡¯d we do today?¡±
Summoning Cecil, Vee checked the day¡¯s results. Twenty-two adventurers had challenged the dungeon, and every single one of them had been interested in challenging Alforde. Two had squeaked out wins against the armorsoul, so after accounting for taxes, minion replacement fees, prize payouts, and the extra rewards for the shards of chaos ¨C [Boost Drops] definitely worked ¨C they¡¯d only been able to sock away eight hundred and fifty silver fleurs. There was still plenty of week left to keep earning, but in order to improve the dungeon¡¯s profitability, Vee knew that he had to find a way to cut costs.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Reducing the minion replacement cost that wasn¡¯t tied to his Marked monsters seemed like the best place to start. The math didn¡¯t lie: he was simply throwing away fleurs by tossing so many monsters at the adventurers.
Doing that meant including more tests of physical prowess like the obstacle course that he¡¯d used in the race version of Crestheart, but it also meant incorporating more traps and puzzles¡
¡the latter of which meant poetry.
He¡¯d never been particularly gifted when it came to the singsong style of writing that people loved to get really into over-analyzing, but he knew that he¡¯d need to muddle through for the dungeon¡¯s sake. After all, in order to be a proper dungeon puzzle, the clues for solving it had to obscured in verses that were as simple to see through in retrospect as they were annoying.
One day, he¡¯d simply hire a [Poet] or a [Bard] or even just a witty [Writer] to handle that job for him, but for now he had no choice but to roll up his sleeves and try to come up with couplets and quatrains and rhyme schemes and all that other crap he¡¯d never been terribly interested in.
[Congratulations, you are now a Dungeon Master, Level 17]
[Your Walking Walls skill is now more powerful!]
[Plotting +1]
[Charisma +1]
¡°Mmm, yeah¡everything looks fine,¡± Vee said as he scratched out his first attempt.
Golden as a summer¡¯s evening, your eyes make my heart sing.
Dungeon poetry, Vee. Not love poetry! Wait¡love poetry?! More like like poetry! Regardless, this is not the time!
[Wit ¨C 1]
Vee mentally kicked himself. Shaking his head and running his hands through his hair, the [Dungeon Master] stood up and paced back and forth. Maybe Torres or Juniper could help him pen a few verses? They both had careers that were, albeit loosely, connected to poetry. Or at least, they were closer to it than any of his were.
Or, maybe he could get Hanako to help out? She was a proper teenager growing up in a rich family, so there had to be some good old fashioned misplaced angst in there somewhere, right?
Vee looked out at the city below. The empty buildings and decrepit streets seemed to writhe for a moment in his vision, but when Vee blinked everything was fine. He blinked a few more times and everything stayed fine. Hopefully he wasn¡¯t catching a cold or anything. Falling ill just then would be extremely inconvenient.
He hurried to look around for a piece of wood to knock on, and had to settle for the door, as it was the closest.
With the day¡¯s business done, the trio made their way back to Sculla¡¯s, chatting with the [City Guard] stationed at the gate for a little bit as night fell. He congratulated them on a successful Crestheart Day, and expressed some hope that eventually the gate to Westown could simply remain open.
¡°That¡¯s the goal,¡± Vee said as they bid the man farewell. ¡°Talk to the rest of your peers about it!¡±
They stopped in at the Grinning Pig for a bite to eat, and Vee found that the stares and whispers he noticed directed his way didn¡¯t bother him as he munched on his mashed potatoes and pork chop dinner. In a way, it was kind of nice to be the center of attention¡so long as the attention stayed nice. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine different circumstances where it wasn¡¯t so fun.
However, there was one thing about it that he still didn¡¯t like.
¡°Really need to get that haircut,¡± he muttered. Tomorrow, after the day¡¯s runs are done.
Sculla was in her normal spot on the stairs when the trio made it back to the boarding house. She was smoking her pipe like usual, but instead of pointing down the street and telling them that there were boxes that needed to be picked up, the ogre simply grunted at them as they approached.
¡°New boarder,¡± she said by way of explanation when Vee asked her about it. ¡°Bit of an oddball, just like you three.¡±
Pleased at the prospect of someone else having to do irritating manual labor, Vee ignored the gibe and veritably skipped up the steps. With a big grin on his face, the [Dungeon Master] threw open the door to the boarding house and took a step inside.
Right in front of him was¡another door.
It was just standing there. Right in the middle of the room. It was made out of dark red wood with a small square window at the top and a handle that looked a little bit like the point of a spear. The [Dungeon Master] squinted at it, unsure of what exactly he was supposed to expect but ready for anything.
Minutes ticked by and nothing happened, but when Vee tried to walk around it, the door shimmied across the floor and continued to block his path.
¡°Hey, what¡¯s the big idea?¡± Reginald asked after the third or fourth time this happened. ¡°You looking for trouble, door?¡±
The door didn¡¯t answer, but a fat yellow salamander poked his head out from behind it and grinned.
¡°Well, what did you think? Pretty inconvenient, right?¡±
There was something unsettling about the salamander¡¯s grin, and Vee instinctively took a step back so that Alforde was slightly in front of him. The armorsoul didn¡¯t seem overly concerned by the stranger¡¯s appearance though, and Slammy remained in place, comfortably resting atop Alforde¡¯s pauldrons.
¡°Right?¡±
¡°Uh, I guess so,¡± Vee said. ¡°Is inconvenient what you were going for?¡±
Leaving the door behind, the salamander scurried forward and extended a scaly hand to Vee.
¡°You¡¯re Vales, right? Blue? Right? Vee Vales? You¡¯re the [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart, yeah?¡±
Vee nodded as he shook the salamander¡¯s hand. When thirty seconds passed and the stranger didn¡¯t release his grip, Reginald growled, and the salamander leapt back.
¡°Whoa! You¡¯re the mascot hat! Reginald! Cool! I¡¯m Zeiken, it¡¯s nice to meet you!¡±
As if suddenly realizing that he was out in the open away from the comforting safety of his door, Zeiken looked back and forth with an expression of abject terror and bolted back to hide behind it once again.
¡°Well, that¡¯s a heck of a way to greet someone. See you around, weirdo,¡± Reginald muttered as Vee once again tried to step around the door.
Zeiken kept blocking his way.
¡°Is there, uh, something I can help you with?¡± Vee asked.
Cautiously, Zeiken poked his snout out and nodded.
¡°Any chance you¡¯re hiring? I could really use a job.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 24
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 10
Wit: 25 (-1)
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 11
Plotting: 15 (+1)
Charisma: 10 (+1)
Devious Mind: 17
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 16
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 1 (-1) WARNING: FURTHER LOSS OF LEVELS WILL LEAD TO LOSING THIS CLASS
Might: 31
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Vigilance: 5 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 11 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 29
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28 (-1)
Manipulativeness: 35 (+1)
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 44
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Chapter 68: Ectoplasm Experiments
Over the next few days, Zeiken continued to follow the trio around, pestering Vee for a job. No matter how many times the [Dungeon Master] explained that he didn¡¯t have the extra fleurs just then ¨C and wouldn¡¯t have any soon ¨C the salamander refused to leave him alone. He swung out of alleys, creaked up behind Vee, slammed through crowds, and opened every conversation with an irritating preference for door themed puns.
¡°I think I have a handle on the issue now,¡± he said as he walked alongside the trio while they made their way back to Sculla¡¯s one evening. He¡¯d been waiting for them right inside the gate, which had caused Vee to curse his consistent and easily-predictable schedule. ¡°You don¡¯t have enough reach outside Oar¡¯s Crest. The overwhelming majority of your business still hinges on the local adventurer economy that¡¯s present here, and let¡¯s face it, this place isn¡¯t exactly an ocean of talent. At this rate, you¡¯re going to be able to grow a beard before Crestheart really takes off. Aren¡¯t you tired of scrimping and saving and not really getting anywhere for your efforts?¡±
Vee scowled, and his hand instinctively and defensively reached up to the soft skin of his chin. The fact that he couldn¡¯t grow a beard was quite a sore spot for him, and he secretly nursed the hope that he¡¯d be able to do so before he turned thirty. At this rate though, it wasn¡¯t looking good.
Before he could offer up a suitably scathing reply, the salamander gave him another one of his unsettling grins and bowed his head.
¡°No offense meant, Mister Vales. I just think that I could help with that stuff, you know. All you have to do is say the word.¡±
He raised his eyebrow. ¡°And what word might that be? What exactly do you want to do for us? You know that I can¡¯t afford to pay you, so I don¡¯t understand why you continue to offer your services, whatever they might be.¡±
Zeiken shrugged, but his eyes were sparkling. He¡¯d never been asked what exactly he wanted to do for the dungeon before, so clearly his persistence was paying off.
¡°Let me be your [Dungeon Liaison],¡± Zeiken said.
¡°My what?¡±
¡°A [Dungeon Liaison]. You know, someone who travels the continent and talks to people on your behalf. Someone who builds relationships with other [Dungeon Masters] and adventuring guilds that lead to lucrative future ventures. Someone who can [Open Doors]. Trust me, when it comes to that, I¡¯m your guy.¡±
For emphasis, the salamander lifted his door up and shook it around a little bit.
Vee didn¡¯t know what to say. He¡¯d been expecting the salamander to want some sort of glorified minion position inside Crestheart. Maybe even something like a [Mini-Boss]. But this? This was equal parts interesting and confusing.
¡°What¡¯s in it for you?¡±
Zeiken laughed. It was a bright, musical sound that reminded Vee of warm nights and oddly¡ pineapple juice.
¡°The satisfaction of a job well done, and hopefully plenty of fleurs once Crestheart is big enough to support my having them.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a really long way away,¡± Vee said. He¡¯d already explained the debt to Zeiken ¨C multiple times in fact ¨C but the salamander simply shook his head and hid behind his door.
¡°Maybe not as long as you think,¡± he said quietly. ¡°If I have anything to do with it.¡±
¡°He¡¯s crazy,¡± insisted Reginald, once the trio was back in their room at Sculla¡¯s and safely away from the salamander. ¡°You can see it in his eyes. Even if you don¡¯t, I do. Classic crazy gleam and everything. Gawain¡¯s balls, he carries around a door! And hides behind it! What other evidence of insanity to you need?¡±
Vee couldn¡¯t argue with that. There were a lot of questions when it came to Zeiken and not many answers. Where had he come from, what did he really want, and why had he shown up now? The [Dungeon Master] had no idea.
Heck, Vee would have been happy if he¡¯d simply been able to figure out the salamander¡¯s class! Zeiken was surprisingly cagey about it, which the [Dungeon Master] found more than a little odd. He¡¯d met people who were embarrassed or ashamed of their classes throughout his life, but they¡¯d never hidden it the way Zeiken did. That¡¯s not normal.
Doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s nefarious though.
Maybe it was just a salamander thing. Vee knew that there were some salamander clans around the continent who still didn¡¯t trust other races, largely keeping to themselves. But if that was the case, it was even weirder that the fat, yellow salamander had come and asked for a job so aggressively.
Before he could contemplate the matter further, Vee was distracted by the daily upkeep request from his orchestra. The amount of refined ectoplasm required by two of his three sections had mostly plateaued, but the Medium Section continued to require ever increasing amounts. Vee wasn¡¯t sure why, either. It wasn¡¯t like they were really developing into anything particularly special. They could all hold a conversation now ¨C mostly ¨C but still lagged far behind Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] in terms of intellect. Similarly, they hadn¡¯t undergone the physical transformations that many members of the Light Section had, and were largely the same as they¡¯d been when Vee had first added them to his orchestra.
Still, though the thought of disbanding the section had crossed his mind, Vee was curious to see what they¡¯d eventually become and could still afford to be patient. As such, he doled out the necessary refined ectoplasm and took a few minutes to make more. Drawing slow, even breaths, Vee activated [Refine Ectoplasm], pulling the energy out of the air in the room and shaping it. A gentle tickle in his palms guided him as he squeezed and shaped the ectoplasm into the compact cubes preferred by his fiends.
His daily use of [Refine Ectoplasm] had brought him some small degree of mastery, and it now only took Vee a few seconds to make a couple cubes. When he¡¯d started feeding the orchestra, doing that would have taken two or three minutes, if not more. The [Ghost Maestro] smirked as he put together a couple dozen cubes and returned his attention to Reginald and Alforde. They¡¯d apparently finished their conversation about Zeiken and were quiet as they waited for his decision.
Vee already knew that he¡¯d take the salamader¡¯s offer. Building publicity and relationships with other [Dungeon Masters] would only lead to good things, he was sure of that. The only thing that concerned him was Zeiken¡¯s lack of familiarity with how Crestheart did things.
Stolen novel; please report.
¡°The next time we see Zeiken, I¡¯m going to invite him to the tower so that he can get a better understanding of how our dungeon functions.¡± Vee said. ¡°We¡¯ll get to know him a little bit better and hear about where he plans to go first. If his idea doesn¡¯t make sense or he still seems crazy, we¡¯ll re-evaluate then. Any problems with that?¡±
Reginald shifted a little bit, but didn¡¯t complain, and Alforde simply shrugged his pauldrons as he opened his current book ¨C a historical romance novel about a prince and a daring [Laundress] who was suspiciously good at martial arts ¨C and looked down at the pages.
Figuring the matter settled for the moment, Vee lay down on his bed and went to sleep. His dreams were strange, filled with a journey across a mountain range that always seemed to have just one more peak.
Surprisingly, Zeiken was nowhere to be seen the next morning.
Vee kept looking over his shoulder as he walked alongside Alforde, expecting the salamander to appear out of nowhere as he constantly did, but they made it all the way to the tower without any issues.
When he got up to the office, Dheart let the [Dungeon Master] know that he had a message waiting for him from the union.
Walking over to the dungeon heart, Vee picked up the letter and unfolded it. It was printed in a nice, professional manner and bore the union¡¯s insignia on the upper right corner.
Dear [Dungeon Master] Vales, it started. We¡¯d like to thank you once again for your recent purchase.
Vee groaned. There¡¯d definitely been some sort of problem. He read on to see what it was.
We regret to inform you that, due to an unexpected surge in bandit activities along the major roadways throughout the continent, it appears that your order will be delayed or might not arrive as expected. We know that this isn¡¯t great news. [Dungeon Masters] like you all around the continent depend on our services to keep your businesses and we take our responsibilities seriously. We¡¯re working closely with our partners in law enforcement around the continent to try and resolve the bandits issue.
If your order is more than two weeks late, please contact us and we will do everything that we can to remedy the situation.
Our most sincere apologies, and we look forward to continuing work with you further in the future.
With a huff, Vee dropped the letter onto the table and summoned Cecil.
¡°How can I be of service, Master?¡±
¡°I¡¯d like to see the minion inventory, please.¡±
¡°As you wish.¡±
The spreadsheet flipped to the appropriate sheet and Vee scowled as he looked at his ever dwindling reserves of skeletons, ghosts, and lesser elementals. He had only a quarter of his skeletons left ¨C for some reason, [Boost Drops] tended to Mark them over the other minions in the dungeon and the small chance they had on reviving themselves between runs hadn¡¯t really done much to stem the tide of losses ¨C a third of his ghosts, and about half of his lesser elementals. He wasn¡¯t in dire straits yet as far as keeping the dungeon filled, but it was definitely going to be tight if the delivery was waylaid.
More poetry practice was definitely in the cards, but in the meantime, Vee had a different idea.
[Ambition +1]
He checked the time. There was a bit of time left before the day¡¯s first run, so Vee went down to his lab and instructed Do to bring up a regular ghost from one of the packs.
While he waited, Vee let his mind wander, the way he often did when he wanted to be creative. Trying to make the world flow by, his dad had called it.
Maybe the shipping problems were a sign that it was time for him to start experimenting with his own ghastly creations for Crestheart. He couldn¡¯t do anything about the skeletons or elementals, but he was a [Ghost Maestro] and should be able to ease the burden on the minion count a little bit by modifying some of his existing ghosts into stronger variants.
The [Dungeon Maintainer] brought up the small gray minion, and Vee studied it after the fiend left. He¡¯d made a few simple modifications to some of the ghosts since opening the dungeon ¨C giving them slightly more elemental resistances, for example ¨C and making them, for a lack of better word, more of what they already were. However, he had yet to really dive in and try his hand at shaping a ghost into something completely different.
He pinched his thumb and forefinger together and activated [Shape Ectoplasm]. Grabbing a spare pair of experimental ghost hands that he¡¯d been tinkering with a few days before, Vee tried to attach them to the ghost, but found that they wouldn¡¯t stay in place and fell off after he let them go.
Consulting the manual on ghost anatomy that he¡¯d borrowed from the library during his last visit, Vee looked at potential causes. There were a series of elaborate diagrams that caught his eye, and the [Ghost Maestro] followed them as he poked and prodded around the ghost. Sure enough, one of the ethereal hooks wasn¡¯t shaped properly, and Vee straightened it out before trying again.
As it often did, working so closely with ectoplasm reminded Vee of why he¡¯d become a [Ghost Maestro] in the first place. Twisting strands of yellow energy into a lattice was deeply satisfying, and fusing the ghost hands to said lattice before attaching them to the ghost¡¯s body was a lot of fun. Vee emptied his mind and let his hands guide him. He didn¡¯t exactly know where he was going with his design ¨C was he making a multi-armed horror? A better brawling ghost? Something quick and nimble that would drop down from the ceiling and try and knock adventurers down to the ground? ¨C but that sense of uncertain adventure was the point. If he wasn¡¯t thinking too hard, he might accidentally stumble into something really special, and if not, he''d gotten some more ideas for later.
Just like Rortenferry, one of his professors back in the Academy, had always said, ectoplasm was an almost infinite canvas for exploring the world.
[Congratulations, you are now a Ghost Maestro Level 25!]
[Wit +1]
[Your Shape Ectoplasm skill is now more powerful!]
[Your ability to control your orchestra grows stronger!]
Whistling to himself, Vee lost himself to his tinkering and was sad when Reginald¡¯s voice filled the room.
¡°Better come on up to the office, boss. Day¡¯s runs are about to begin. The first adventurer is walking in now.¡±
Ordering the ghost to remain where it was in the lab and not get into any trouble, Vee dusted the ectoplasmic dust off his fingers and headed back up to the office.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 25 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 10
Wit: 26 (+1)
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 12 (+1)
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 10
Devious Mind: 17
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 16
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 1
Might: 31
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 29
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 35
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 44
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Chapter 69: A Nice Green Glimmer
Shifting his consciousness back to his own branches, Kai climbed up out of his barkbody and slid down a vine tendril to the ground. He wandered over to the bottom of his warding hedges and examined the growth of the mushrooms underneath. They were still growing well, but after a thorough inspection, Kai decided to infuse them with additional Green Spirit all the same. His energy wove its way through the grass and into the mushroom stalks, diffusing through their caps and renewing their power.
[Congratulations, you are now a Grove Caretaker Level 17!]
[Green Spirit +1]
Poking a few tendrils down into the dirt, Kai took stock of the soil¡¯s condition. It was coming along nicely. The nutrient replenishment that would have taken months or years under normal decomposition was being accelerated quite a bit by his efforts, but it¡¯d still be some time before the menagerie could truly sustain itself like a proper Grove. Until then, he¡¯d have to continue making regular deposits of green energy to keep the process moving.
His sap sang with warmth as he headed back to his barkbody, but he was stopped in his tracks at the sound of bony jaws chattering nearby. Kai turned toward the sound and saw a trio of skeletons trying to turn themselves into a ladder ¨C or, really, a tower ¨C to allow another one of their fellows to escape. A knight skeleton stood on another¡¯s shoulders, while an archer tried to hoist a mage up high enough so that the fourth skeleton could leap over the hedge. Frail as they were, their balance was imperfect, and when the knight on the bottom shifted, the whole venture collapsed. The skeletal chattering increased in speed and intensity, and Kai once again tried to discern its secret. He was convinced that the skeletons were communicating with one another. How else would they be able to behave in such a coordinated manner? The treant paid close attention to the clacks and clicks, hoping to hear some difference in tone or duration, but all the chittering sounds were the same to his senses. Foiled once again, the treant returned to his work with a sigh. He was determined to figure out the trick so that he could anticipate the skeletal mischief before it started, but today wasn¡¯t going to be the day.
Returning to his barkbody and using [Shift Consciousness] so that he saw through the construct¡¯s eyes once more, Kai stalked over to the skeletons and gently used his mallet to discourage another tower attempt. The minions skulked away, and the treant watched them for a while longer to make sure that they weren¡¯t immediately launching into another escape attempt.
¡°They¡¯ll probably try the tower again in another hour or so,¡± the treant muttered to himself. The skeletons were certainly living up to their reputation as troublemakers, and Kai spent more time than he liked corralling them and preventing them from getting out into the deserted parts of the city.
Thankfully, the slimes and elementals weren¡¯t nearly so difficult to keep track of. The elementals simply wandered around inside their pen ¨C made from stones the medium section of Vee¡¯s orchestra had helped him drag into place ¨C and the slimes did nothing but eat all day. Honestly, Kai felt a bit of gratitude for the fact that the skeletons kept him busy.
The Royal Slime, Pretzel, had produced two small slimelets so far, and the treant was sure that more were on the way. Pretzel kept its offspring close, guiding them to small flowers and bugs around the menagerie that they could eat without having to compete against their fellows. Kai found the behavior fascinating, and he wondered how long it would be before the slimelets were kicked out of the proverbial nest.
Beyond that, it looked like another slime in the menagerie might have been getting ready to transform into an armored slime. For reasons Kai didn¡¯t understand, it¡¯d taken to only eating bits of wood and tree bark, which lingered in its gooey body instead of being broken down and dissolved.
Things were good right now. Eventually, Kai knew that he¡¯d have to expand the menagerie to accommodate all of the other minions Vee wanted to start buying for the dungeon, but today, it was a perfectly sized bit of paradise. He eyed the far side of the menagerie, deciding that when the time came for the enclosure to get bigger, he¡¯d start over there.
For now, his rounds were done, and that meant Kai had a bit of time to go out and get to work on his other project. The verdant construction.
Leaving the menagerie, Kai walked through the nearby alley and checked on his little plantings. Juniper had helped him pick flowers and shrubs that didn¡¯t need much to survive, and the treant was hoping that they¡¯d flourish. Given enough time, they¡¯d eventually serve as the base for the rest of his aspirations that were part of his [Verdant Builder] class, but for now he was just aiming for a foundation to get through the winter so that he could start in earnest come spring.
He examined a daffodil that had been struggling to gain its footing, giving it a trickle of Green Spirit to bolster its strength.
¡°Hang in there, little friend,¡± Kai whispered. The daffodil sent an affectionate feeling through its petals into Kai¡¯s senses, and the treant smiled. It was a tough and determined little thing.
¡°You know, this place will look really nice once you get the hyacinths planted near the wall,¡± a voice behind him said.
Spinning around and reaching for his mallet, Kai found himself looking at a door. He relaxed right away. He¡¯d heard about the strange salamander from Vee.
¡°You must be Zeiken. How did you know I wanted to plant some hyacinths here?¡±
A fat yellow salamander head poked out from behind the door and gave Kai a wide grin.
¡°I have my ways.¡±
A heavy breeze blew through the air, rustling Kai¡¯s branches. He¡¯d never felt it before, but it was still familiar. In the same way that a lemon tastes different than a lime or an orange yet is immediately recognizable as citrus, Kai felt like he was hearing the voice of the [Oracle] back home.
¡°Are you some sort of [Psychic] or something?¡±
The salamander stepped out the rest of the way from behind his door and bowed. ¡°That¡¯s correct. I¡¯m a [Doortune Teller], actually. I¡¯m surprised you picked up on it so quickly, though I suppose I probably shouldn¡¯t have been. You might be much smaller than your cousins across the continent, but you treants are a perceptive lot.¡±
A [Doortune Teller], eh? Kai hadn¡¯t ever heard of the class before, but that was true of many things in the world.
¡°What¡¯s that do? What brings you here?¡±
Zeiken shrugged and looked up at the sky. ¡°I¡¯m afraid my class isn¡¯t particularly interesting. I don¡¯t have much control over it. Sometimes I have dreams. Really vivid dreams that lead me to interesting places or people. I [Open Doors] for them, or [Close Doors] that might cause them trouble.¡±
¡°And Oar¡¯s Crest is one of those places?¡±
The salamander shrugged once more. ¡°Of course. There¡¯s all sorts of gripping things around here, though some are more interesting than others. I¡¯ve offered my services to Vee as his [Dungeon Liaison], which will keep me from getting bored for years to come. When he accepts, you and I will be working together, so I figured I¡¯d come and formally introduce myself. If possible, I¡¯d like to be friends.¡±
Zeiken extended a scaly hand, and Kai [Shifted Consciousness] again before clambering out of the barkbody to take it with his branch. He wasn¡¯t totally sure that he trusted the salamander, but he didn¡¯t sense anything evil about Zeiken, so he saw no harm in being friendly.
¡°Well, I¡¯d better be going,¡± Zeiken said as he stood back up. ¡°I have lots of other things to see and do before I go talk to Vee. You should probably get to the rest of your rounds though, especially the flowers three blocks over that way.¡±
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With his feet plodding across the ground, the salamander gestured west before grabbing the handle of his door. He swung it open, then stepped through it and pulled it shut it behind him. Kai blinked and when he opened his eyes, both the door and the salamander were gone.
¡°That was¡something,¡± Kai said as he shook his branches and returned to the barkbody. He wasn¡¯t generally the type to dwell on things when there was work to be done, so he put the encounter out of his mind and got back to it. He was starting to feel a bit tired though; using [Shift Consciousness] so frequently in a short period of time really sapped his strength, but he still had more than enough to finish the rest of his rounds before returning to the menagerie. He consulted the sun and shadows. There was still a good chunk of time before the skeletons tried to escape once more.
Kai walked west, as suggested by the [Doortune Teller], and made his way down the alleys around the menagerie. He carefully examined the flowers blossoming in each, and was satisfied by their progress. They were coming along just fine too. When spring came around, he¡¯d have plenty of patches that remembered growing things to work with, and progress would come easy during the warmer months.
As he approached the last alley he had time to check, Kai heard a bizarre wailing sound and hurried towards it with his mallet drawn.
He¡¯d been expecting some sort of monster ¨C maybe even a blightbeast! ¨C but instead, Kai found a fiend on its knees next to a small trio of dandelions. The creature was shaking. He recognized it as a member of Vee¡¯s Medium Section, and he saw that it was fiddling with one of the flowers, which had been crushed.
When the fiend heard the sound of the barkbody approaching, it stood up and took a few rapid steps back.
¡°Wanted touch. Pretty flowers. Was accident. Am sorry,¡±
Kai looked down at the dandelions, and while he was sad to see that they¡¯d been destroyed, it wasn¡¯t the end of the world. Dandelions were weeds after all, and he was sure more would pop up around his verdant construction as time went on.
Still, the fiend watched him warily as Kai knelt down and used one of his skills to speed the plant¡¯s trip back to the soil. The color faded from the dandelion¡¯s petals, and it turned to dust soon after.
¡°Was accident. Am sorry. Accident,¡± the fiend repeated, sounding more than a little worried.
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Kai said as he put his mallet away. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you or anything.¡±
When the fiend met his eyes, Kai saw a flicker of green light that got his attention. He¡¯d seen a similar light in Juniper¡¯s eyes, and while this one was much weaker, he was still quite intrigued.
¡°Do you like flowers and stuff?¡± he asked.
The fiend stood still for some time, but then nodded quickly. It was almost like it was ashamed.
¡°No grow. Only break,¡± it said. ¡°Want change.¡±
Kai shifted the weight of his barkbody and fell into thought. He could sympathize with the fiend¡¯s plight.
¡°Well, if you¡¯d like to learn more about flowers, like how to take care of them and stuff, I¡¯d be happy to teach you a few things. I could always use another pair of hands around the menagerie.¡±
For a moment, he wondered if the fiend understood him. Vee¡¯d mentioned more than once that the medium section seemed to be delayed compared to the other sections of his orchestra, but eventually, the fiend nodded. He could sense the creature¡¯s gratitude and his sap warmed.
¡°Would like. Ask Master.¡±
Kai nodded and held out his hand.
¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll say yes. I¡¯m Kai. What¡¯s your name?¡±
¡°Name?¡±
¡°You know, what you¡¯re called?¡±
Another pause. Then, softly.
¡°Don¡¯t have.¡±
The green light flickered again in the creature¡¯s eyes, and Kai turned his attention to the crushed flowers on the ground.
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll call you Dandelion. How¡¯s that sound?¡±
¡°Like much.¡±
Kai grinned inside the barkbody and gestured for the fiend to follow him back to the menagerie.
¡°Before we get started though, come with me. We have to thwart a clumsy escape attempt.¡±
[Congratulations! You are now a Verdant Builder, Level 4!]
[Faith +1]
[Citizenship +1]
Vee leaned forward in his chair and pressed the slider that controlled the floating platform¡¯s speed as far as it would go. There was an almost imperceptible hum in the air, and the [Dungeon Master] grinned as the adventurer currently riding said platform almost lost his balance.
Rubbing his chin, Vee watched the man ward off an attack by a pair of ghosts that drifted through the walls with his dagger. One of the minions managed to strike a blow right before dissipating into smoke and Vee cocked his head to the side. For all his martial skill, the [Wanderer] didn¡¯t seem particularly athletic.
¡°How good do you think his dodging skills are?¡± Vee asked.
¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Reginald answered. ¡°Give him the darts.¡±
When the adventurer jumped free of the platform, Vee twisted another knob on his console, causing four panels on the walls to slide open as the [Wanderer] landed on the ground. There was a loud hiss ¨C union rules for dart traps required at least a quarter second¡¯s worth of audible noise as a warning cue before any projectiles were fired ¨C and then a volley of darts shot from one side of the hall to the other.
The man leapt forward, dodging almost all of the threats. However, one dart struck him in the calf and the adventurer fell face-first onto the floor. When he got up, he held up his hands.
¡°I¡¯m done,¡± he called out. ¡°I give up, I quit!¡±
¡°Understood,¡± said Reginald into his magnifying crystal as Vee deactivated the rest of the dungeon¡¯s traps so that the man could leave safely. ¡°Your run is now concluded. Please follow the associate to the nearest dungeon exit. We look forward to seeing you challenge us again.¡±
Turning to Vee, Reginald grinned. ¡°Nice read, boss. You¡¯re starting to get the hang of this, eh?¡±
Vee brushed his bangs out of his eyes. ¡°A little bit, maybe. I¡¯m still basically just guessing and activating traps at random.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll get better,¡± Reginald said. ¡°As you get more experience watching adventurers, you¡¯ll start picking up on their tells, and once the dungeon can actually support it, you¡¯ll be able to target your interference more and more.¡±
Vee nodded. His eventual hope was that he¡¯d be able to take a lot of the pressure off Alforde by preventing challengers from even reaching the armorsoul in the first place. That was a lofty dream and one that he likely wouldn¡¯t be able to accomplish for a long time ¨C if ever at all ¨C but it was something to work towards all the same.
There came a knock at the door, and before Vee could get up to answer it, Zeiken came inside. The salamander was grinning and twisted his door so that he could get it into the office as well. He was sporting a nasty scratch across his face, but the wound didn¡¯t seem to bother him in the slightest as he smiled at Vee.
¡°Have you locked in your decision about whether or not you¡¯re going to let me be your [Dungeon Liaison]?¡± he asked.
¡°What happened to your face?¡± Vee asked, horrified at the sight.
¡°Minor disagreement with a kitrekin,¡± Zeiken said. ¡°I told him something he didn¡¯t want to hear so he hit me. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m a fast healer. Don¡¯t worry about me, eh? Are you going to let me help you build your business or not?¡±
Vee looked over at Reginald, and the hat wobbled a little bit.
¡°It¡¯s your call, boss,¡± Reginald said quietly.
Vee met the salamander¡¯s eyes and slowly nodded.
¡°I¡¯m not in any position to refuse help like you¡¯re offering,¡± Vee said. ¡°So long as we¡¯re crystal clear on the fact that I can¡¯t pay you right now and don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to do so.¡±
¡°Excellent,¡± Zeiken said as he clapped his hands together. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem at all. Let me show you what I can do before you start worrying about things like payment and stuff. Heck, I almost feel like I should be the one paying you. I¡¯m getting in on the ground floor!¡±
Leaving his door in the center of the room, the salamander plopped down on the ground next to where Vee sat and looked over at the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s console.
He smiled in his unsettling way. Vee had a hard time ignoring the angry claw marks, but did his best not to stare.
¡°When does the next run start?¡±
Main Character Sheets (UNCHANGED FROM LAST CHAPTER):
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 25
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 10
Wit: 26
Faith: 18
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 12
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 10
Devious Mind: 17
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 16
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 11
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 1
Might: 31
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
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Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 29
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 35
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 44
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Bonus: Kai''s Character Sheet:
Kai Ginficus:
Primary Class: Grove Caretaker (Pachi Palmatum), Level 17 (+1)
Secondary Class: Barkbody Pilot (Pachi Palmatum), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Verdant Builder(Self), Level 4 (+1)
Might: 9
Wit: 6
Faith: 13 (+1)
Green Spirit: 30 (+1)
Adventurousness: 5
Guts: 9
Citizenship: 5 (+1)
Bonus Content: Expanded Character Sheets And Classes Worldbuilding
Vee Vales:Primary Class: [Ghost Maestro] (Level 25):
Ghost Maestros deal in ghosts, spirits, ectoplasm, and other ethereal vapors. They can enhance their bodies to see, touch, and speak to things that regular people can¡¯t, and are capable of binding spirits into their service in an organization known as an Orchestra. Beyond simply interacting with spirits and ghosts, those with this class are capable of manipulating the energy those entities produce as well.
Unlike all manners of [Necromancers], Ghost Maestros do not need or use dead or discarded bones or bodies in their work.
Generally speaking, Ghost Maestros tend to specialize in spirit handling OR ectoplasm shaping, and can start pursuing advanced classes in whichever field they prefer starting at level 30.
Popular Class Upgrades (Spirit Handling Focus):
[Ghost General] ¨C Gathers and commands a large host of ghosts and spirits.
[Ghost Wizard] ¨C Focused on subjugating extremely powerful singular spirits.
Popular Class Upgrades (Ectoplasm Shaping):
[Ghost Artificer] ¨C Uses ectoplasm as the fuel for a variety of machines and structures
[Ghost Smith] ¨C Uses ectoplasm to create physically impossible weapons and armor
Class skills Vee has used thus far:
[Second Sight] ¨C (Active) Allows a ghost maestro to look into the ethereal and see ghosts and spirits that are lingering around. Depending on the type, these beings will appear in different colors.
[Third Sight] ¨C (Active) Similar to Second Sight, Third Sight allows a ghost maestro to look into the ethereal to see the spirits and ghosts that have yet to be made. Additionally, this skill brings the user closer to the ethereal, which makes it easier for them to touch and be touched by spirits and ghosts. Usage can be dangerous.
[Commune With Sprits] ¨C (Active/Passive). Allows a ghost maestro to speak with spirits and ghost. Becomes passive for spirits lower in level than the user.
[Shape Ectoplasm] ¨C (Active) Reach into the ethereal and make ectoplasm tactile. Can be used to form the energy into any shape desired by the Ghost Maestro.
[Zipper Fingers] ¨C (Active) Sever and create bonds between spirits and other objects as if zipping or unzipping a jacket.
[Stiff Spine] ¨C (Passive) Chance to resist frightening or intimidation effects from other skills.
[Detect Falsehood] ¨C (Active) Allows a user to determine if a statement is deliberately misleading, whether directly or via omission. A truthfinding skill of medium power, it can be tricked or deceived.
[Ghost Baton] ¨C (Active/Passive) Summon a baton of ectoplasm. Batons provide greater control and power for other skills, and are necessary to use [Form Orchestra], [Banish], and other higher level Spirit Handling abilities. Becomes permanent at Level 14.
[Form Orchestra] ¨C (Active) Bind a spirit into service by giving it orders alongside a simple, repetitive sound. A group of seven spirits bound to the same sound is called a ¡°Section¡±, and the number of sections available to a ghost maestro is dependent on level and focus.
[Banish] ¨C (Active) Unmake a spirit
[Refine Ectoplasm] ¨C (Active) Condense ectoplasm into a potent, crystalized form. Ectoplasm can be refined in different ways, which creates different effects if consumed by a spirit. Human ectoplasm consumption is not recommended. (Passive): Refine ectoplasm while you sleep. Rate Varies by level.
[Modify Elemental Resistances] ¨C (Active) Give a ghost or spirit increased or decreased resistance to a chosen element.
[Bequeath Class] ¨C (Active) Give a class to a ghost or spirit. Generally used for single, high level spirits by Ghost Maestros focused on spirit handling.
[Summon Miasma] ¨C (Active) Condense ectoplasm in such a way to form a noxious vapor. Prolonged exposure can lead to serious injury or death.
[Spirit Shield] ¨C (Active) Insulates the user from undesired spiritual contact. Useful during usage of skills such as [Third Sight].
[Vivify Minion: Base] ¨C (Active) Establish ground rules for a spirit to come into being.
[Vivify Minion: Orders] - (Active) Specify the code of conduct for the spirit. This is generally the biggest and most complex portion of a sigilmancy venture.
[Vivify Minion: Finalize] ¨C (Active) Lock all existing orders into place and create a spirit that adheres to the rules as written through the sigilmancy process.
Secondary Class: [Dungeon Master] (Level 17):
The entity in charge of the dungeon, [Dungeon Masters] are responsible for making sure that everything runs smoothly. Generally speaking, [Dungeon Masters] gain skills related to budgeting, management, public relations, and dungeon manipulation. However, like many classes, [Dungeon Masters] also gain skills that are related to their other classes at higher levels.
Class skills Vee has used thus far:
[Found Dungeon] - (Active/Consumable) Establish the user¡¯s dungeon by marking a physical location for it to manifest.
[Big Picture] - (Passive) increases the user¡¯s ability to see and understand the macro elements of their life while losing some of their ability to anticipate or handle smaller details.
[Budgeting] - (Passive) Money is the lifeblood of any dungeon. As such, enhances the user¡¯s knack for numbers, finance and all things quantitative.
[(Budgeting Sub Skill)] Excellent Spreadsheet ¨C (Active) Summon an ethereal spreadsheet familiar to record anything you need kept track of. Great to have at tax time!
[(Budgeting Sub Skill)] Bargain Hunter - (Active) User¡¯s inherent understanding of markets and prices finds the best deals on raw materials.
[Would You Kindly?] ¨C (Active) Impose user¡¯s will on a minion or construct. Great for repetitive orders and tasks.
[Inspire Loyalty] ¨C (Active) Give a rousing speech that entices user''s followers to do their best.
[Detect Lies] ¨C (Active) Investigate if someone is telling the truth or not. A weak truthfinding skill that¡¯s relatively easy to fool or deceive.
[Recycle Materials] ¨C (Active) Convert broken structures owned by the user into their basic components.
[Mean Mug]¨C (Active) Scowl in a manner that intimidates those around the user.
[Hide Intent] ¨C (Active) Mask the true meaning of one statement or thought. Useful for moments when it¡¯s important to lie.
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[Walking Walls] ¨C (Active) Move the walls of a dungeon into new places without having to deconstruct or rebuild them.
[Boost Drops] ¨C (Active) Mark minions within a dungeon to double the chances of receiving all rewards possible for minion destruction. Affects Shards of Chaos.
Tertiary Class: [Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far] (Level 5):
This class is the epitome of the idea ¡°Whatever you do to me I¡¯m going to pay you back ten times over.¡± Increases a holder¡¯s bravery, temper, and willingness to seek revenge for any perceived slight. Skills earned through this class are primarily focused on communicating with others (usually under adverse circumstances).
Class Skills Vee has used thus far:
[Escalate] ¨C (Active) This skill makes it clear that things are about to Get Serious. Causes the target to feel fear, apprehension, and panic.
[Get The Picture] ¨C(Active) User creates an image of an imagined scenario within the target¡¯s mind. Useful for threats, but also can be utilized productively to better facilitate communication between the user and target.
Alforde Armorsoul:Primary Class: [Hammer Afficionado] (Level 20):
Lover of all things that have to do with hammers. Can identify different types of hammers and is capable in using them for craft or combat. Skills gained tend to match whatever type of hammer is most commonly {Equipped} by the holder.
Level-Based Class Upgrades:
[Hammer Specialist] ¨C Transforms at Level 30, provides additional skills related to the holder¡¯s primary hammer.
[Hammer Expert] ¨C Transforms at Level 50, provides additional skills related to the holder¡¯s primary hammer.
Class Skills Alforde has used thus far:
[Cyclone Smash] ¨C (Active) A hard-hitting spin attack.
[Unstoppable Charge] ¨C (Active) User slides forward across the ground, and is resistant to crowd control effects for the duration. However, the user is also unable to stop themselves or change direction until they make contact with something they cannot pass through or hit their target.
[Give No Ground] - (Active) User anchors themselves to the ground and becomes resistant to displacement effects. Also allows the usage of skills that require the ¡°Grounded¡± status.
[Combination Attack] - (Active) A simple three-piece sequence of attacks that incorporates a light, medium, and heavy swing of the user¡¯s hammer.
Secondary Class: [Right-hand Man] (Level 12):
Through a bond with another (Designated as the Leader), holders of this class are awarded with a variety of buffs, skills, and obligations to do everything in their power to assist their Leader in whatever endeavors said entity chooses. This is the opposite class as the [Left Hand Man].
Class skills Alforde has used thus far:
[Pick Up The Slack] ¨C (Passive) Complete a task for the Leader, even if its inconvenient or irritating.
Tertiary Class: [Dungeon Champion] (Level 11):
The hero/boss/final challenge of a given dungeon, [Dungeon Champions] are fierce fighters and strong competitors. Skills learned by holders of this class are related to their individual anatomy, skills, and other classes. However, [Heart Of A Champion], is learned by all holders of the class.
Class Skills Alforde has used thus far:
[Condescending Banter] ¨C (Passive) Insults the target, and can cause a variety of emotional statuses for both the user and the target. Common statuses include: ¡°Anger¡±, ¡°Boldness¡±, ¡°Shame¡±, and ¡°Disbelief¡±.
[Pauldron Smash] - (Active) User takes a rapid step forward, leading with their pauldron and dealing impact damage (subject to {Equipment}) to the target.
[Heart Of A Champion] ¨C (Uncontrollable Active) User becomes empowered, gaining temporary levels in their primary class equal to the score of their stat of the same name.
Additional Class: [Clunker] (Level 1):
A bit of a joke class. [Clunkers] are big, bulky, and noisy. This one is going away soon.
Class Skills Alforde has used thus far:
None
Reginald:Primary Class: [Core Spirit] (Level ???):
A spirit bound to a core, filling it with the energy they collect as they exist. Generally not taken by sentient beings, this class is typically used by [Enchanters] and other [Artificers] to power arcane constructs. This is not Reginald¡¯s true primary class, but is what appears due to the binding placed upon him by Jacques Maluw VII. The binding has some strange impacts on his skills and makes him a bit of an anomaly, as far as these things typically go.
¡°Class¡± skills Reginald has used thus far:
[[Calm Down]] ¨C (Active) Forcibly dissipates anger, excitement, lust, fear, and any other distracting emotion. Mellows everyone within its radius out. Requires levels of the user¡¯s primary class in order to function.
[Suggest Thought] ¨C (Active) Reach into the thoughts of another person and pull ideas or sentiments into the forefront of their mind so that they act in a manner desired by the user. Considered an ¡°evil¡± skill and while not strictly outlawed, incredibly frowned upon.
[Gone But Not Forgotten] ¨C (Active) Allows the user to send another into their memory palace with varying degrees of control.
[Many Tongues, One Language] ¨C (Active) Allows the user to understand and comprehend almost any spoken language.
[-$~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e K&$$] (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Anything I say about this is going to be spoilers, so I¡¯ll just pretend that one of my three cats walked across the keyboard here and I didn¡¯t erase it. Stay tuned for future chapters (like¡way in the future chapters) for more about the specifics of this class.
*Whistles*
Class skills Reginald has used thus far:
None¡
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Secondary Class: [Loudmouth], Level 39
This class is capable of weaponizing speech. Usually provoking an incessant need to chatter about pointless things, [Loudmouths] tend to not be particularly popular. Unlike other classes, [Loudmouth] doesn¡¯t provide any specific skills, but instead gives the holder a habit of running their mouth at the worst possible time, making bets and wagers that they have no intent of following through on, and getting themselves into trouble.
Class skills Reginald has used thus far:
None
Tertiary Class: [Majordomo], Level 11:
This is an advising class, and the holder is subservient to someone else. It''s a [Majordomo]''s job to make sure that the entity they advise makes good decisions, anticipates problems and solves them before they become too big to handle.
Class skills Reginald has used thus far:
None
Additional Class: [Announcer], Level 6:
This class gives the holder the ability to increase the volume of their voice, and provides a tendency to over-explain situations that they find themselves in. Higher level [Announcers] can manipulate the thoughts and emotions of a crowd listening to them speak.
Class skills Reginald has used thus far:
None
Other Notes on Classes:
As mentioned in comments, Classes are partially a reflection of how someone sees themselves and is seen by the world around them. Classes tend to evolve and change throughout a person¡¯s life, depending on their interests, relationships, and circumstances. The fact that two or more people share a class does not necessarily mean that they will have the same skills or proficiencies (even if they¡¯re the same level!)
Classes that are more common will tend to have a more rigid ¡°tree¡± of the order in which certain skills are learned (and the general range of levels where that occurs). Cataloguing these numbers is part of the responsibilities of DABBworld¡¯s academics, though there are other hobbyists who do the same thing.
Levels tend to be gained fastest when a person accomplishes something that puts them outside their comfort zone as it relates to their class, but can also be earned for refining and mastering their skills.
Much like how a class shapes a holder, a holder can shape a class. As a holder approaches the levels of 50 and 60 (the philosophically debated threshold for ¡°Mastery¡±), it becomes more difficult to gain new levels, due to the small number of novel experiences remaining in the field. In order to overcome this plateau, a holder must seek out and create new experiences that utilize their skills and continue to grow more powerful. Over time, these discoveries bleed into the class itself, and other holders will learn them naturally.
[Heart Of A Champion] is an artificial skill originally derived from the otherwise unique ability of Witches to break their limits. It was designed by enterprising researchers associated with the Union, who were impressed/terrified of Witches during the Moonlight Jade Coven¡¯s Rebellion and sought a way to equalize any future battlefields. Over time, the original intent has been forgotten and it¡¯s simply seen as a status symbol for those who compete in Dungeon Sports. There are other [Heart] skills with similar powers, and other ¡°artificial¡± skills.
Class evolutions reset the accompanying level to 1, but seeing what level the previous class was when it evolved isn¡¯t difficult or a secret.
Chapter 70: Artem Rortenferry (Interlude)
Artem Rortenferry sat down at the desk in his study, lit the cigar held between his teeth, and poured himself a large glass of whiskey. He took a sip and savored the flavor of the barrel-aged spirit, letting it rest on the floor of his mouth for a moment while he closed his eyes and reached into the ethereal with his mind.
The frost-fire sensation that he associated with doing so flooded his body, and Artem ¨C known to the students of Locksmagister University as [Professor] Rortenferry ¨C took a long, slow breath as he invited the whiskey to [Take Form].
A tendril of amber smoke escaped through his nose and started congealing into a shape before his eyes. The whiskey was soft and velvety, with notes of vanilla and chocolate that warmed the professor¡¯s throat and brought a smile to his face. Its form ¨C a curly haired cherub with a bright smile ¨C reflected this, and Artem watched it flutter around his desk for a moment.
Not bad at all, but Artem was a curious man, and so he reached down and dipped his index finger into the small bowl of water he kept on his desk. Letting no more than two drops fall into his glass, the [Ghost Maestro] swirled his drink around a little bit to open the whiskey up and took another sip. This time, when he invited the spirit beneath his tongue to [Take Form], he was pleasantly surprised by the difference. This time, the liquid didn¡¯t turn into a cherub at all, but became a small corgi instead that flopped onto its back and gave him a look that begged for a belly rub. Artem obliged.
It''d been a long, stressful day, so Artem felt no shame at the prospect of nursing his drink and relaxing for a few minutes before getting back to his work. He looked out through the window of his study and smiled at the way the twin moons shined in the night sky. His books would wait until he was finished, and he¡¯d given his colleagues enough of his attention that day already. For the next ten minutes, the only person his time belonged to was himself. What a glorious feeling, to be his own man, even if it was temporary.
Without a proper anchor, the whiskey cherub faded back into the ethereal rather quickly, but the corgi would remain for as long as there was some of the alcohol left in Artem¡¯s glass.
¡°I¡¯ll leave a few sips in the bottom, little friend,¡± he said as he took a puff of his cigar. It¡¯d be good to have the company while he answered his letters. The whiskey corgi barked once with joy, and Artem scratched the spirit beneath its chin, which prompted another round of belly pets.
Like an ancient and powerful nemesis, Artem¡¯s correspondence loomed in front of him. It¡¯d been weeks since he¡¯d last had time to check his mail, and the precariously stacked pile of letters was on the verge of toppling over. Letting that happen was something Artem wasn¡¯t willing to do, as there¡¯d be a chance that he¡¯d answer the letters in the wrong order if it did, and that was a sin worse than almost all others. It was fine to make someone wait months for a response, but not if someone else only had to wait a week. Tonight he¡¯d get through all of them.
But not quite yet. Closing his eyes once more, Artem tried to make this respite last. Without causing himself any more stress, he did what he could to increase the speed of his thoughts. Calmly, as if meditating, he recited the basic principles of ectoplasmic control as well as the thirteen tenets of ethical spirit bonds.
When he snuck a look at the ancient clock across the room, he was pleased to see that only a few seconds had passed. Take that, Paltier. According to his peer over in the Department of Emerald Magic, who studied time ¨C or was it Time? ¨C extensively, the effect Artem chased now existed only in his head. However, the gregarious woman offered the caveat that Time was a strange and capricious thing so she couldn¡¯t truly rule out the possibility that the speed of one¡¯s thoughts actually affected the passage of time in the world around them. There were weirder things out there, and until there was definitive proof that showed it to be impossible, Artem would continue to believe that by thinking fast he could make time go slow.
Sadly, like all perfect moments, Artem¡¯s break eventually came to an end, and he had no choice but to return to work. With a sigh, he opened the drawer beneath his desk and took out the obsidian letter opener that he¡¯d gotten from the adventurer¡¯s guild as a young man. Unlike almost everything else from that time in his life, the letter opener was still around. And it worked well.
Mindlessly, mechanically, he slit the envelopes open one by one, snorting and tossing the particularly boring or irritating ones into the fire he¡¯d stoked upon first entering his study. Requests for speaking gigs, offers for textbook collaborations, things like that. He¡¯d seen them all before and he was sure that he¡¯d see them all again ¨Cespecially the chance to write a few chapters for the most recent edition of Modern E-theory-al Practices: A Guide, which he might have been interested in if not for the horrid name ¨C so he wasn¡¯t worried about missing anything too important.
Gawain¡¯s balls, what a waste of time this is!
As if sensing his frustration, the whiskey corgi growled and yipped a few times, and Artem smiled down at it. The bonds between a [Ghost Maestro] and minor spirits like this were always fascinating. Despite their frailty and short life, they were surprisingly powerful.
Picking up the next letter, the [Professor] saw that it was written in a loopy, poor hand that he vaguely recognized. A student, then. Or, more likely, a former student; he doubted that any of the ninnies who stared at him with blank expressions that would put a fish to shame had the desire to write him a letter.
A flicker of intrigue lodged itself in Artem¡¯s chest, and he adjusted his collar and bow tie before tearing the letter the open with his fingers. Unexpected things required unexpected responses, after all.
Dear Professor Rortenferry, the letter began. My name is Vee Vales, and I was one of your students a few years ago. I¡¯m writing to you from the city of Oar¡¯s Crest.
Vales, eh?
Reaching into the pocket of his vest, Artem drew out a small clay ocarina and blew a few notes. Solis, his hazy sphere of a [Memory Assistant], appeared before him.
¡°How may I be of assistance? What is it you¡¯d like to recall, Master?¡±
Artem held up the letter. ¡°A former student. Name is Vee Vales.¡±
Solis expanded, becoming a gaseous cloud before settling around Artem¡¯s head. The sensation was a lot like stepping into a hot shower, jarring at first but almost immediately pleasant.
¡°As you wish. [Memory Stream].¡±
Artem¡¯s vision turned gray as the spirit¡¯s skill showed him his own recollection of young Vales. The [Ghost Maestro] had been storing his memories inside Solis for many years, having started the practice during his final days of being a [Bard]. At first, he¡¯d simply wanted to lock away the memories that haunted his dreams, but as he¡¯d become a more powerful [Ghost Maestro] and a respected [Professor] at the University, he¡¯d taken to using the ghost inside the ocarina as storage for the theories and remembrances he didn¡¯t need on a regular basis, lest they fade into the ethereal themselves.
The first memory he regained was the sight of a short and scrawny boy who had the distinctive blue hair and bright eyes of his father and elder brother ¨C an influential donor and alumnus, respectively ¨C but none of their fiery presence. From there, the [Memory Stream] flickered and sped up, centering on the moments that Solis deemed necessary for helping bring his master up to speed on his interactions with Vee Vales.
They were generally disappointing. A [Soul Reading] that revealed Vee to be a second son who¡¯d accepted that he¡¯d never be first in his father¡¯s eyes and no longer saw any point in trying. An unexpected talent for [Shape Ectoplasm] that could have been nurtured into true mastery, if Vee had ever bothered to apply himself. A steady stream of late papers, poor attendance to classes, and a stubborn unwillingness to develop control over more than the University¡¯s minimum of three Orchestra sections.
Artem shook his head as the stream continued. He saw himself sitting in his office with the boy on the other side of his desk. They were discussing Vee¡¯s essay on ways to shape ectoplasm to improve urban infrastructure, which hadn¡¯t been great, but had had some interesting ideas. Artem heard himself say: If that¡¯s the amount of effort you want to put in, so be it. The boy hadn¡¯t replied, but had instead simply shrugged and left the office, walking out of the building beside his armorsoul friend. Once again, frustration filled Artem¡¯s thoughts, but then the memories moved on and his ire faded.
The next memory, which was apparently the last, began to play.
Dressed in his graduate¡¯s cap and gown ¨C both of which were slightly too big for him ¨CVee walked across the stage to accept his diploma. He looked a little angry, defiant, even, and unlike every other one of the twenty-three graduates that year, not a single member of the faculty stood to congratulate him personally as he passed by. Including Artem. The [Professor] felt a twinge of shame for that, but he shook his head and gestured for the [Memory Stream] to end. You got out exactly what you put in, boy. Nothing.
His peers in the faculty had agreed with him. We didn¡¯t even know the kid, they¡¯d said. He attended maybe one class in five, and barely squeaked through most of his classes.
Most nights, that would have been all the time Artem was willing to give the letter. He was a busy man, after all, he didn¡¯t have time for those who squandered their gifts. Especially not those who¡¯d been given such a strong start in life. However, the mention of Oar¡¯s Crest caught his eye ¨C what was such a wealthy person doing in such a poor city? ¨C and on a whim, he decided that his curiosity was sufficient to read the rest. Besides, it wasn¡¯t particularly long.
I hope that this letter finds you well. I¡¯m writing to you today because I¡¯ve recently discovered a strange property in some local spirits that I¡¯ve never seen before. My hope is that you¡¯ll be able to help me understand what I¡¯ve found and suggest appropriate steps forward for me to take.
The spirits in question are fiends. Now, I remember what you and the rest of the professors at the Academy say about them: that they¡¯re twisted monstrosities of anger and hatred, unfit for anything but to be [Banished] and returned to the ethereal, but I implore you to reconsider that position. You see, there are many fiends here in Oar¡¯s Crest, and I have recruited three sections of them into my Orchestra.
Rortenferry snorted. Fiends in an Orchestra! The very idea was as preposterous as it was wasteful. Sure, they were simple spirits that were easy to subjugate and command, but they were worthless scraps of ectoplasm and other energies. Fiends were frail, mindless things, incapable of becoming Named and a waste of Orchestra space. Especially for a [Ghost Maestro] like Vales, who¡¯d graduated with the ability to only control three Orchestra sections; the minimum required by the University. He didn¡¯t have space to waste.
Still, he read on.
I have been paying their upkeep with refined ectoplasm, and recently one of them approached me and asked me a question. I was shocked at his grasp of spoken language. Though it was lilting and simple, his meaning was clear. I didn¡¯t think such a thing was possible. However, that¡¯s not all. When I asked, he told me that he was called Do, and that the entirety of his section had also taken Names.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
I¡¯m not sure what prompted such a wonderful thing, and that¡¯s what I¡¯m hoping you can help me with. There are a multitude of factors that could be partially responsible, but I know that I¡¯m out of my depth when it comes to figuring them out. My gut instinct is that the primary cause is something in Oar¡¯s Crest itself, but I have no idea what that could be. There¡¯s more ectoplasm here than I¡¯ve ever seen before. The city is steeped in ghosts and spirits of all kinds, and for some reason, they refuse to dissipate the way they should. It¡¯s as if the entire city itself is a ghost.
I know that you¡¯re extremely busy, as the first term begins next week in earnest, but if you could find the time to write me back, I would be truly grateful. My current plan is to continue feeding them refined ectoplasm, but if you have any better ideas for helping them develop or resources covering similar events, I¡¯d appreciate hearing them.
Sincerely,
At the bottom of the letter was the boy¡¯s big, loopy signature and return address, and Artem closed it with a frown. He took another sip of whiskey and held it in his mouth, his thoughts slowly considering the implications of what he¡¯d just read. Fiends taking Names on their own? Such a thing shouldn¡¯t be possible! Even being surrounded by an infinite amount of ectoplasm didn¡¯t change the way that spirits developed, that simply wasn¡¯t how things worked. Feeding fiends refined ectoplasm could make them stronger, or faster, or deadlier, sure, but gaining enough sentience to take a Name? No chance. Indeed, there must be something about Oar¡¯s Crest other than ectoplasm at play, but for all his efforts, Artem couldn¡¯t think of what that might be.
It was a matter that demanded investigation, but was it worth the time? He doubted that Vales was lying ¨C what would he stand to gain by sending a joke letter? ¨C but he was still wary all the same.
Putting his half-smoked cigar down on the tray, Artem closed his eyes and reached through his bond to Duvian, the Leader of his Orchestra. Bring me my cello, please.
A bit of music would help him think.
Moments later, the door to Artem¡¯s study opened and the towering spirit [Seneschal] entered with the [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s cello in her delicate hands. Duvian was one of the first ethereal beings Artem had ever bound to his service, and over the almost forty years she¡¯d been a member of his Orchestra, she¡¯d gone from a small, simple [List Spirit] who excelled at making and following her namesake to an elegant lady draped in a shimmering indigo cloak of ectoplasm who managed every aspect of his life. It¡¯d taken hundreds of hours of diligent study and countless complex rituals, but Artem was confident that his [Seneschal] was one of the finest spirits currently in existence. She was certainly more impressive than any bound to the rest of the faculty, and her tireless efforts and broad expertise made sure that he didn¡¯t get overwhelmed by the drudgery of academia.
¡°I thought you were going to be answering your correspondence,¡± Duvian said with a wry smile as she handed the ectoplasm-made instrument over. Reaching into her cloak, she drew out a stack of lesson plans. ¡°But if you¡¯ve got time to play, you¡¯ve got time to go over these before ¨Cwhat¡¯s that look for? Did something catch your eye in this pile of junk?¡±
Artem summoned his [Ghost Baton] ¨C which took the shape of a bow at the [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s intent ¨C and played a few low notes. He nodded at the letter, which the whiskey corgi was rolling back and forth over. Duvian put down the lesson plans and brushed the small spirit out of the way as she picked the letter up. The [Seneschal] read while Artem played the first movement of one of his favorite sonatas. His fingers flew up and down the neck as he closed his eyes as he bowed the strings. Before he knew it, half an hour had passed, and Duvian was glaring at him, knowing better than to interrupt but irritated at the wasted time all the same.
¡°It¡¯s an intriguing letter,¡± she said. ¡°Do you plan to write a response?¡±
The [Professor] shook his head. He¡¯d made up his mind during the sonata¡¯s third movement. ¡°I¡¯d like to go and see what he¡¯s talking about for myself,¡± he said. ¡°When do I have space in my schedule to visit Oar¡¯s Crest?¡±
Duvian tutted and shook her head. ¡°Not for the next two weeks at the very minimum. Exams are coming up and you have to administer and grade them. Your colleagues would be furious if you pulled a Satin and abandoned them right now to go look at some fiends in the middle of nowhere. Unless you actually enjoy teaching Intro to Ectoplasm, I¡¯d recommend staying here until the work is done.¡±
Artem chuckled. Satin, his colleague, had abruptly left the University just before finals last year, claiming a desperate family emergency. A few weeks later, word got out that he¡¯d simply gone on a beach vacation with his longtime girlfriend, and the pissed off faculty had voted to make him teach all of the introductory classes for the next three years as punishment. Like many of his peers, Artem despised teaching the basics of his craft, and had no interest in upsetting such a wonderful arrangement.
¡°You raise a good point,¡± he said. ¡°I suppose it won¡¯t hurt to wait until after exams are finished and graded to go. What¡¯s a few more weeks? If anything, the fiends in question will even more interesting.¡±
¡°Unless they¡¯ve been [Banished].¡±
¡°Indeed. Unless that happens. See that my schedule gets cleared, will you Duvian?¡±
The spirit nodded and left the room. Setting his cello aside ¨C it was enchanted with [Perfect Balance], so there was no risk of it falling over ¨C Artem returned to his correspondence. He opened another letter and grunted, throwing it into the fire. It was a request to [Banish] an evil spirit that¡¯d been terrorizing a small town out on the northern steppes, and he always refused such requests. Once upon a time he might have taken the job ¨C as an adventurer, along with his friends ¨C but that was such a long time ago that it might as well have been a different life.
Or at least, a different man. Artem Rortenferry the [Bard] had died with his companions, and Artem Rortenferry the [Ghost Maestro] had no taste for danger.
He poured himself another measure of whiskey, drank almost all of it, and slowly worked his way through the rest of the pile. When he finished, he grabbed his cello once more and resumed his playing. The request had stirred a bevy of unpleasant memories, and his thoughts weren¡¯t on the music or on his fingers ¨C which had once been clumsy on the instrument¡¯s neck, unable to forget the shapes they¡¯d made on the neck of his lute ¨C Nor were they on the work he still had to do before going to sleep. Instead, Artem¡¯s mind slowly and methodically crossed the mountains of his knowledge, searching for a reason why fiends might be able to take a Name.
One piece melded into another, and Artem pushed the rest of the world out of his mind while he played. However, once he felt that he¡¯d reached a dead end for the night, Artem opened his eyes. He was shocked to see light coming through the window of his small study. The sky was gray, and he saw the sun rising on the horizon.
He swore and stood up, wincing at the stiffness in his legs and back. He¡¯d played all night! Reaching though his bond with Duvian, Artem snarled: What exactly do I have you for?
The spirit sighed. You seemed troubled, so I didn¡¯t want to disturb you. I took care of the other things you were supposed to get done, so don¡¯t worry.
Artem thanked his [Seneschal] and winced as his knee ached and protested when he tried to take a few steps. He really wasn¡¯t getting any younger. Shaking his head, Artem rolled his shoulders and flexed his hands back and forth as fatigue he hadn¡¯t previously noticed made its presence known. He looked down at his whiskey glass and saw that the little corgi was curled around it, sleeping peacefully.
¡°Thanks for keeping me company, little friend,¡± he said, reaching down and picking both spirit and glass up. His normal practice was to let the spirits of his drinks return to the ethereal, but he¡¯d taken a liking to the little critter. If it was willing, there was plenty of space in his Orchestra for it.
¡°Would you like to stay?¡±
The whiskey corgi opened its eyes and blinked at him. It yawned and let out a little sound. Yes, I think so.
Assigning the spirit to his zuzuzu section, Artem drained the rest of his glass and grimaced. His fatigue was turning into giddiness, and he hoped that the whiskey would help prevent it from getting out of control. As an extra precaution, he took his ocarina out of his vest pocket once more and blew through a hurried [Bolero of Vigor]. It wasn¡¯t his best work by any means, but it was refreshing enough to get him through the day.
Picking up the lesson plans Duvian had brought the night before, Artem flipped through them as he made his way back to his quarters, where he showered and changed his clothes. After gulping down a slightly overripe banana and a slightly burnt piece of toast, it was time to head to the lecture hall for his first class of the day.
Along the way, Artem ducked and dodged beneath a near-constant stream of ghosts that trickled through the corridors. Ghosts of good grades and whirlwind romances streamed by, and the [Ghost Maestro] shook his head to clear his vision. I must be more tired than I thought if I¡¯m slipping into Sights. I should get some coffee after my first class.
Today was Friarsday, which meant that he had to attend the weekly faculty meeting after the day¡¯s classes were done. Artem hated the way the meetings droned on and accomplished nothing, but attendance was mandatory and so he¡¯d have to endure a few more hours without sleep than normal. He sighed.
The lecture hall was a big room that was always cold ¨C no matter how many cinder spirits the [Janitors] summoned in the fireplaces ¨C and Artem climbed up onto the stage to stand behind his lectern until it was time for class to start.
Five minutes later, the great bells tolled, and his fifteen Intermediate Conductorship students slowly trickled into the room. Based on the dark rings under Berton¡¯s and Mario¡¯s eyes, the faint scent of vodka lingering around Kelly, and the way Pasha seemed to sway ever so slightly as she walked to her seat, Artem deduced that he wasn¡¯t the only person in the room who hadn¡¯t slept the night before. He wouldn¡¯t say anything, but he was pleased to see that they¡¯d decided to come to class all the same. It was important to him that students took their educations seriously.
¡°Good morning,¡± he said. ¡°Today we¡¯re going to begin our study of protecting yourself against spirits who might be able to reach through the ethereal on their own. You can read more about the specifics in chapter fourteen of your textbook, but for now we¡¯ll start with a new skill. It¡¯s called [Spirit Shield]. Please take out your preferred writing instruments, we¡¯ll cover the theory first before we get into the practical components of the skill.¡±
Like always, there was a groan as his class did as requested, and Artem turned around to begin drawing the proper diagrams on the chalkboard behind him. As he wrote, he heard the staccato scratching of quills following along and looked back.
A thin, ropey spirit had started taking shape above his class. It was an Expectation of future learning, and though it wasn¡¯t the most potent of its kind Artem had ever seen, it was a pleasant sight all the same.
Falling into the rote recitation that defined most of Artem¡¯s teaching career, the rest of the lesson and the ones after it passed quickly. The coffee was cheap, thin swill, but it did the job and the [Ghost Maestro] [Professor] managed to stay awake for the rest of the day. The faculty meeting was as awful as expected, but he left early, when his colleagues decided for the third time to ¡°vote on whether or not it was okay to vote¡± on the matter at hand. His patience for such worthless usage of time was running thin, and he hummed a soothing serenade to keep from screaming as he walked back to his room.
His foul mood faded when he saw that Duvian was waiting for him outside. The spirit bowed and handed him a pair of tickets.
¡°I have done as you requested, Master,¡± the [Seneschal] said. ¡°Your schedule at the end of the month is clear and I¡¯ve chartered a griffon-carriage to Oar¡¯s Crest. I would have chartered a wind-horse carriage instead, but there¡¯s some manner of trouble with bandits on the road. Would you like me to prepare anything special for the trip?¡±
Artem waved his hand dismissively. ¡°We¡¯ll go over it tomorrow, Duvian. Right now, I¡¯m worried I¡¯m going to fall asleep on my feet. Thank you for taking care of it so quickly. I appreciate it.¡±
¡°I live to serve, Master.¡±
His spirit nodded, and Artem stumbled into his room. Unlike his study, his sleeping quarters were a mess, and the bone-tired [Ghost Maestro] barely managed to keep his balance as he shuffled towards his bed.
Though every inch of his body begged him to lay down and sleep, there was one ritual that Artem couldn¡¯t skip.
In the corner of his room was a small shrine. A broken sword lay atop the bottom level, and a broken pair of arrows rested on the level above it. On the top was a crystal picture that¡¯d been taken by the guild. It showed three young men standing shoulder to shoulder with wide smiles on their faces. On the left, a [Spellsword] carried a glowing blade, and on the right a [Ranger] held up a fish that¡¯d been speared by an arrow. The man in the middle was Artem, carrying a lute with a small ghost floating above his shoulder. Duvian was much smaller, then.
As he had every day for the past thirty-eight years, Artem closed his eyes and clasped his hands together.
¡°Nim¡Wally¡Piper¡¯s blessings upon you both. Wherever you are, I wish you both well. Keep a spot for me at the fire.¡±
Then, humming a [Requiem of Dreamless Sleep], Artem closed his eyes and fell onto his bed. He was asleep as soon as he hit the pillow.
Artem''s Character Sheet:
Artem Rortenferry:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (New Sally First University), Level 56
Secondary Class: Professor (Locksmagister University), Level 48
Tertiary Class: Bard (Self), Level 17
Might: 36
Wit: 279
Faith: 196
Adventurousness: 6
Guts: 68
Vigilance: 40
Empathy: 71
Inquisitiveness: 154
Droning Voice: 29
Charisma: 50
Ambition: 82
Dexterity: 100
Hope: 18
Budgeting: 9
Generosity: 37
Memory: 116
Chapter 71: First Snow Of The Season
The day¡¯s runs finished, and Vee found himself sitting across the table from Zeiken while Reginald and Alforde helped him put away the day¡¯s earnings.
Though the pile of fleurs wasn¡¯t as big as Vee would have liked ¨C only twenty-one adventurers had challenged the dungeon that day ¨C the day¡¯s shards of chaos take was great. One of the skeletons Marked by [Boost Drops] had left three behind when an adventurer blasted its bones apart with a miniature tornado, and after adding the thirteen from the day¡¯s runs, the dungeon now had seventy-eight in total. [Boost Drops] was really paying off in a big way, and better yet, Vee hadn¡¯t felt as¡empty as he had casting it for the third time today as he had the day before. He hoped that eventually he¡¯d be able to use the skill a fourth time each day. It didn¡¯t seem too different from [Walking Walls], after all, but only time would tell if his ability to control it increased with extra usage.
Once the money was put away, Vee turned to the salamander.
¡°Thanks for waiting. Now, let¡¯s talk about what you want to do for Crestheart.¡±
Zeiken nodded and reached over to his door. ¡°It¡¯ll be easier if I show you. Hang on just a second.¡±
He opened it and looked around, as if he could see something beyond it that Vee could not.
The [Dungeon Master] blinked and tried to silently activate [Third Sight], but he¡¯d never been great at using his sight skills without invoking them by name, and couldn¡¯t manage it. As such, when Zeiken reached through the door to grab something, it looked as if his arm simply disappeared into thin air.
¡°Ah, here it is,¡± Zeiken said as he drew out a thick folder and dropped it on the desk. He opened it up and turned it around so that Vee could see the contents of the materials inside.
On top of the stack of papers was a well-used map. It was faded and battered, covered in a series of strange red and green squiggles. Most of the red markings were on cities and roads Vee knew well ¨C both Oar¡¯s Crest and Bardis were surrounded by big red circles ¨C but the green lines and shapes were all out in the wilderness where only truly horrific monsters and crazy people lived. Vee was curious about the markings, but Zeiken didn¡¯t give him a chance to ask any questions. Instead, the salamander ran his claw along the road to the southeast of Oar¡¯s Crest, passing by Amespool, Yew¡¯s Rise, and Old Narluc before stopping at Shontsdale.
¡°If you make me your [Dungeon Liaison], this is where I¡¯ll go first,¡± Zeiken explained. ¡°All of these cities have young, growing dungeons that haven¡¯t yet joined any official circuits. Like Crestheart, they don¡¯t have enough floors yet to meet the minimum standard set by the union, but that won¡¯t last forever. There are rumors that a couple of the [Dungeon Masters] in these towns have been meeting for the past few months. I want to go and talk to them, put some lines out into the water and see if anything bites, you know? If they¡¯re planning something big, I¡¯ll try and get them to include Crestheart in it. I take it you haven¡¯t really reached out to any of your peers, right?¡±
Vee nodded sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to find time to write them a letter, but there¡¯s just been so much to do that I haven¡¯t gotten around to it yet.¡±
Zeiken flashed another one of his unsettling grins. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to. I ended up arriving here in Oar¡¯s Crest a lot earlier than I¡¯d originally planned, so you¡¯ve still got a long way to go. However, that¡¯s proof that you need my help. It¡¯s clear to me that you¡¯re doing your best here with the dungeon, and I think it¡¯s running well. However, if you¡¯re going to find any measure of long-term success, you¡¯ll have to find ways to expand. With your current earnings coming from such a small number of adventurers, there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll be able to keep up with your repayments if you don¡¯t reach new markets fast.¡±
Though Vee found the salamander¡¯s tone a bit too blunt, he couldn¡¯t deny the logic of the argument Zeiken was making. The numbers didn¡¯t lie: even with the combined earnings of Crestheart and all of his other ventures, Vee knew that he had maybe six or seven weeks until he was unable to keep up with Sacre¡¯s schedule.
¡°Well?¡± asked Zeiken. ¡°What do you say?¡±
What did he stand to lose? Zeiken wasn¡¯t even asking for any money up front, and the seriousness with which he''d explained his idea was a mark in his favor. Vee couldn¡¯t explain why, but he felt confident that the salamander wasn¡¯t angling to screw him over or betray him, and a nagging pressure in the back of his skull urged him to accept the offer.
Vee looked at Reginald ¨C who didn¡¯t have a ton of options available for expressions of resigned acceptance but did his best all the same ¨Cand at Alforde, who gave him a thumbs up. The [Dungeon Master] sighed and decided to accept.
¡°Fine. The job is yours.¡±
[Faith +1]
Zeiken¡¯s grin widened, and his eyes twinkled as he stood back up. He bowed low and stayed like that for some time, and when he straightened once more, he picked up his door.
¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°You have unlocked a brighter future, Vee. I¡¯ll gather my supplies and leave right away.¡±
Once the salamander was gone and his footsteps had faded from the stairwell, Reginald looked up at Vee and sighed.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°I¡¯m telling you, he might be serious about helping out, but he¡¯s crazy,¡± the hat said.
As the trio headed back into town, it started to snow. Vee grinned up at the fat, fluffy flakes falling from the sky. Though snow always meant trouble back in Bardis ¨C the city was full of steep hills and people who might as well have turned into [Idiots] as soon as a thin layer of dust touched the ground ¨C Vee loved the stuff. He had many fond memories of building snow knights with his brother and having fierce snowball fights with the other kids in his neighborhood, even if he didn¡¯t much care for the cold that came with the flurries.
Pulling his hands into his sleeves and blowing on them, Vee led his friends to The Grinning Pig and ordered a hot bowl of soup.
Not many people were in there that night, and so Big Simon came over to chat as the food was served. The burly kitrekin hissed a little bit at the sight of snow outside.
¡°Hate that stuff,¡± he growled as he pulled over a chair from a nearby table and sat down. ¡°Winter is the worst season of the year by far.¡±
¡°Does Oar¡¯s Crest usually get a lot of snow?¡± Alforde asked.
Big Simon shrugged. ¡°Some years we get a coupla feet, other years we get barely anything. Luckily the roads are all pretty big, and most of the city is flat. We don¡¯t have as rough a time of it as some places do, but it¡¯s never fun. Just the thought of snow makes me shiver.¡±
Turning around, Big Simon clasped his paws to his mouth and hollered back to the kitchen. ¡°Oy! Atlas, toss a few more logs on the fire, would you? It¡¯s getting cold out here!¡±
The [Cook] did so, and soon the room was so warm that Vee had to take off his coat. He shoveled spoon after spoon of his soup ¨C a rich red broth with bits of crumbled meat, onions, and cabbage ¨C into his mouth while Big Simon told them stories about the worst winters he¡¯d ever seen in Oar¡¯s Crest. Some of them were actually pretty horrifying, and Vee hoped that this year wouldn¡¯t be that bad. When he finished a harrowing tale of a friend who¡¯d lost his tail to frostbite, the kitrekin stood up, returned his chair to the table he¡¯d borrowed it from, and bid them a good evening.
When Vee finished his meal, he dug a few bronze fleurs out of his pocket and dropped them on the table before putting his jacket back on. Reginald wasn¡¯t a proper snow hat, but his brim would keep the snow out of Vee¡¯s hair on the walk back to Sculla¡¯s, and that was as much as the [Dungeon Master] could hope for.
Outside, the snow had slowed down a little bit and didn¡¯t look like it was going to stick. Or at least, that was what Reginald declared as they made their way to the boarding house.
Sculla was in her regular spot on the stairs, and if the snow bothered her, the ogre gave no sign of showing it. She grunted at them as they passed and sent a smoke ring into the air. Once again, there were no boxes to be moved, and the trio went up to their room.
Sitting on his bed, Vee¡¯s thoughts turned to the ghost he¡¯d worked on in the lab. He couldn¡¯t say that inspiration had struck him, but he felt as if it¡¯d be a waste to not work on the designs now that he had a bit of time. Grabbing his notebook, Vee started to sketch. Even though he couldn¡¯t truly render any of his ideas perfectly, he could get the gist of them down so that he had something to work from once he got back into the lab.
Drawing big shapes and scribbling over them, Vee started to come up with a concept for a better version of the tank ghost he¡¯d tried to make when the dungeon first opened. Other than Alforde and his Reflection, Crestheart didn¡¯t have any powerful single threat monsters that dueled against adventurers. Instead, the dungeon relied on swarming packs of weaker minions to wear down and eventually overwhelm challengers. It was a good approach, but Vee wanted to give himself more options. Especially since he suspected that the snow would only add to the delivery woes of his next shipment from the union. Once again, there was that nagging pressure in the back of his skull. It had to be a skill. Maybe [Big Picture]?
The sigilmancy required for a minion to be a proficient duelist was well beyond what he could accomplish, even with his additional [Ghost Maestro] levels. However, he believed that his skills had improved enough that he felt confident in his ability to stack multiple sheets of ectoplasm over the ghost¡¯s body without causing other weaknesses, such as a lack of mobility. They¡¯d form an armored layer that would let it tank plenty of hits from challenging adventurers. It¡¯d be a different way of wearing them out.
[Congratulations, you are now a Ghost Maestro, Level 26]
[Devious Mind +1]
As he sketched and refined his designs, Vee eventually found himself drawing fewer arms. Instead of spooky and impressive, having more than four arms on a ghost simply made it look like a big spider, and that wasn¡¯t what the [Dungeon Master] was going for at all. After all, if he wanted spiders, he could buy spiders. He wanted something that unequivocally said ghost. It seemed like four arms was the limit for that particular goal.
When he looked out his window as he prepared for bed, the snow had stopped but a dusting remained on the buildings. Through a gap in the clouds, the twin moons glowed with silver light, and Vee shook his head as he put his notebook down on the floor.
Laying down, Vee laced his fingers behind his head and closed his eyes.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 26 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 10
Wit: 26
Faith: 19 (+1)
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 12
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 10
Devious Mind: 18 (+1)
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 16
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 12 (+1)
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 1
Might: 32 (+1)
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 30 (+1)
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 35
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 44
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Chapter 72: [Find Flaws](Ghost)
Vee reached into the ethereal and grabbed a handful of ectoplasm. He couldn¡¯t say why, but for some reason it felt more like clay than it usually did in his hands, and he struggled to shape it. His goal was to stretch it into thin sheets, which he¡¯d layer on top of one another to make his new ghost ¨C which he¡¯d taken to calling a sponge ¨C but for some reason, it kept clumping in his fingers. As he tried to massage the clump, it broke apart, and Vee threw the pieces to the ground with a frustrated curse.
Closing his eyes, the [Ghost Maestro] took a few deep breaths and tried to consider the problem. What was he doing wrong? Was he working too quickly? Grabbing too much ectoplasm? Trying to stretch it too far?
It could be any or all of those things, but it might also be none of them. Ectoplasm was wonderfully fluid and easy to shape, but it was also not a typical material. It responded to the person shaping it much more directly than something like wood and metal might. Those who specialized in crafting those materials might talk about them ¡°having a mind of their own¡±, but none of them could compare to ectoplasm. The ghostly energy could ¨C and often did ¨C fight back against a shape it didn¡¯t want to take, or misbehaved if the [Ghost Maestro] working on it was out of their depth.
Vee suspected that the cause of his problems was that last one. He¡¯d made plenty of little ghosts and things like that before, but they¡¯d been simple things. He¡¯d never made an entirely different type of ghost before like he was doing now. It was daunting, and more than a little frustrating. Fairly often, he felt like someone trying to paint an elaborate chapel fresco after only learning how to draw squares and circles.
His design concept, which he¡¯d been so pleased with as he made it, taunted him. It was far beyond his reach. In fact, as he stared at the gnarled monstrosity of green and blue layers lumped together, he didn¡¯t see much resemblance to the intimidating colossus he¡¯d envisioned at all. Instead, there was just a blobby mess.
Well, there was no shame in starting over, right? No matter how many times it took, he could simply dispel the ectoplasm he¡¯d gathered, collect more from the air around himself and try again. Collecting and dispelling ectoplasm was an easy task these days.
Without another thought, Vee did just that, and carefully got to collecting enough ectoplasm for his first layer once more. Pulling on it gently, he stretched the energy enough to fit it over the ghost¡¯s small frame and pressed it into place. Once the whole thing was complete, he¡¯d fuse it properly, but since he expected to be starting from scratch at least two or three more times, he¡¯d wait until the design was closer to done to complete that particular step. Again, ectoplasm was flexible.
Another few layers went on without issue, but after that the same blobby shapes started to appear on the ghost¡¯s shoulders, and Vee decided to stop and start over once again.
¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just finish the whole thing first and then see what you want to fix?¡± Reginald asked as Vee swore and made himself a small ectoplasm plate to break. Naturally, he didn¡¯t have any problems with that particular bit of ectoplasmic shaping.
¡°If you keep starting over like this, aren¡¯t you just going to keep on running into the same issue? You¡¯ll never make any progress.¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°If I can just get the start right, I know the rest will come together,¡± he said, asserting a falsehood that¡¯d tripped up many of his peers in a variety of fields throughout history. Had Vee been a [Philosopher], he would have placed the blame for this unproductive belief squarely at the feet of the [Bards] and [Poets] who glamorized the beginnings of a given journey, but decided to conveniently skip over the drudgery of the middle bits before reaching the crescendo of the ending. Alas.
Instead, he simply clung to his fool¡¯s wisdom with both hands and stripped away the ectoplasmic layers once more. This time, Vee tried to build up a better shoulder structure first, but that also looked weird as he added more layers. Throwing up his hands in frustration, Vee released all of his ectoplasm and put his hands on his hips.
He looked at Reginald, who was grinning at him. ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± he growled.
The hat chuckled. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it, boss.¡±
True to his word, the hat stayed quiet for the next few minutes, while Vee slowly collected more ectoplasm. One benefit of his multiple restarts was that he discovered that green worked better for his current purposes, and so he focused on it over the rest of the colors swirling around the room.
While he gathered the energy, he took a few more deep breaths to settle himself. I can do this. I just need to focus. One piece at a time. Focus!
[Congratulations, you are now a Ghost Maestro, Level 27!]
[You can now use Find Flaws (Ghosts)!]
[Find Flaws (Ghosts): (Active) Inspect a ghost or spirit to get an understanding of any issues present. Grows stronger with use and experience. Only affects ghosts, spirits, and other ethereal beings.]
[Wit +1]
Vee activated the new skill, which felt a little bit like he imagined putting on a monocle would: there was a slight pinching sensation all around the outer parts of his eye and the world grew a little sharper.
Turning his sight to the ghost, Vee looked for obvious defects that were frustrating his progress. Two thin white symbols appeared on the minion¡¯s frame, and Vee focused his attention on the one near its chest. It was bigger than the other one, and slightly brighter, so Vee figured it was the more pressing concern.
Underlying frame improperly sized.
Hmm, well, that was interesting. What was the other issue?
The second symbol was on the ghost¡¯s shoulders, and when Vee looked at it, the message detailing the flaw appeared in the air as it had before.
Incorrect order of ectoplasmic application.
That was also a good thing to know, but now Vee was forced to choose between which of the two problems to focus on first. He decided that it¡¯d make more sense to focus on expanding the ghost¡¯s frame, since it was a more straightforward type of problem. Once the minion was bigger, he¡¯d start worrying about the proper application order for his ectoplasm layers.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Putting his hands through the ghost¡¯s body felt a little bit like shoving them into a sandbox ¨C the ghost¡¯s base ectoplasm wasn¡¯t particularly high quality ¨C but Vee eventually found the ropes of energy that bound the minion together. He winced a little bit at the poor craftsmanship. It wouldn¡¯t take much of his strength at all to pull them apart. No wonder they made such weak threats inside the dungeon.
His [Ghost Maestro] professors back at the Academy had insisted that proper ectoplasm bindings should feel like a nice puzzle with interlocking pieces, but this ghost ¨C and probably the rest of the ones in the dungeon ¨C had clearly been haphazardly slapped together in the name of quantity over quality.
Which, of course, made perfect sense. These were tier one minions, and probably the least valuable of them. It¡¯d be foolish to agonize over their construction, but Vee felt a bit sad about it all the same.
¡°Ghosts don¡¯t have to be cheap,¡± he muttered as he pulled the shoulders free of the torso bindings and moved them further apart. I¡¯m going to learn something from this, he thought to himself as he added his own bindings and reattached the shoulders.
Vee repeated the process for the lower part of the ghost¡¯s torso, and was feeling quite accomplished when Reginald informed him that it was almost time for the day¡¯s runs to start. He examined his handiwork. The ghost was definitely a bit bigger now, but the ectoplasm covering its frame was thin and looked oddly stretched.
¡°What do you think?¡± he asked.
¡°I think it looks entirely too frail to be something that takes a lot of hits,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Maybe you should start from scratch instead. If you¡¯re going to have to reinforce and rebuild the whole thing anyways, you might as well give yourself the best start possible.¡±
¡°Good point.¡±
Sadly, though he would have been quite content to simply stay down in the lab and do so, Vee knew that he had other business to attend to. Dusting the last bits of ectoplasm off his hands, the [Ghost Maestro] reminded the minion to stay out of trouble. Picking Reginald up and putting the hat on, Vee headed up to the office.
Sacre¡¯s man, Walnut, was waiting outside the door with his arms folded across his chest and a sour frown on his face. He was dressed in fancy clothes beneath a leather jacket and had his hair slicked back. Inexplicably, he was also wearing a pair of those stupid fingerless gloves that people seemed to think look good for some reason.
¡°Where you been, Blue? I¡¯ve been waiting half an hour already.¡± he asked as Vee walked up. Walnut smiled, but there was something feral in it, and his eyes glittered with an unspoken threat. Vee shrugged. If Walnut tried anything, he¡¯d be surrounded by miasma so quick that he wouldn¡¯t even have time to blink.
¡°Did you forget what day it was?¡±
Vee had, in fact, forgotten that it was collection day. In some ways, it felt as if it¡¯d been months since he¡¯d last dealt with the man, though he¡¯d seen him only a week before for the dungeon¡¯s third repayment. Still, he couldn¡¯t say that, so he simply walked past Walnut into the office and summoned the vault. Tossing Reginald on the table, the [Dungeon Master] knelt down and flicked open the chest where he kept the gold fleurs. In the meantime, Reginald welcomed the day¡¯s first challenger and got to work.
When he finished counting out the twenty Sacre was due that day, he turned around and saw Walnut looking around the office.
¡°Really ought to think about decorating this place a little bit,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s freakin¡¯ depressing in here. Empty walls, boring desks. Weird eldritch heart thing. You don¡¯t have much of a sense of style, do you? Or is it that you¡¯re not sure you¡¯re going to be around here for long?¡±
¡°Ignore that last bit, but he¡¯s got a point about the decorations, you know,¡± Reginald said. ¡°The place is a little bare. I bet Hanako could help make it look nice.¡±
¡°Hanako?¡± Walnut asked, suddenly interested. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be Hanako Maluw by any chance, would it?¡±
¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Reginald asked and the man held up his hands.
¡°Didn¡¯t mean nothing by it,¡± Walnut said. ¡°Just curiosity. It¡¯s not every day that you hear about the heir of old man Jacques Maluw spending time in a dump like this, that¡¯s all.¡±
Vee glared at Reginald ¨C to which the hat silently mouthed ¡°my bad¡± ¨C and handed the money to Walnut. The gangster took the coins, counted them, and then stuck one in his pocket.
¡°Looks like you¡¯re missing one,¡± he said plainly.
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Vee asked. ¡°It¡¯s all there.¡±
Walnut cocked his head to the side and smiled once again as he raised an eyebrow. ¡°I think you¡¯re missing one,¡± he repeated. ¡°My time isn¡¯t free, understand? Next time you¡¯re late to showing up, I¡¯ll come looking for you, and I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll like that too much. I¡¯m a busy man, Blue.¡±
Vee felt the gangster¡¯s Intimidating Presence fill the air, and though his own stat wasn¡¯t enough to meet it equally, his [Stiffen Spine] activated and the malicious effect flowed over him like water. He didn¡¯t look away from Walnut, but instead reached into his pocket and pulled out a trio of silver fleurs.
¡°Count it again and you¡¯ll see it¡¯s all there,¡± he said as he tossed the coins to Walnut.
The man snorted, but he snatched the coins out of the air all the same and looked at them.
¡°Be seeing you next week, Blue. Be sure that you¡¯re here on time, eh?¡±
Vee watched the man leave, and then sat down at his desk. The first run had started, and the [Dungeon Master] didn¡¯t have time to dwell on his debt as he activated [Boost Drops].
As the [Axeman] headed past the shopkeeper without purchasing anything, Vee consulted the locations of his Marked minions. They were all skeletons on the second floor, which meant that Vee didn¡¯t have to worry about changing the positions for any of the packs on the first floor.
Reaching over to his console, Vee pressed a trap button and watched as his dungeon¡¯s fog machine activated and filled the hallway with eerie blue vapors.
Once he was sure that the adventurer wasn¡¯t able to see properly, Vee pressed a second button and activated the wall of ghost hands that would grab the adventurer and hold him in place. The man cursed and Vee pulled another lever. This activated the pack of slimes set to drop from the ceiling, and they fell onto the adventurer¡¯s head.
As the sounds of battle rang out, Vee smiled. He was free to let his mind wander for a little while now, and his thoughts turned to his new ghost.
He was going to start over once the day¡¯s runs were done.
After all, if something was worth doing, it was worth trying to do it right.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 27 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 10
Wit: 27 (+1)
Faith: 19
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 12
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 10
Devious Mind: 18
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 16
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 12
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 1
Might: 32
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 30
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 35
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 43 (-1)
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Chapter 73: Goodbye, [Clunker]!
Alforde took two steps back as his opponent charged forward, raising Slammy to meet his opponent¡¯s blow with one of his own. There was a terrible ringing that filled the air as the hammer¡¯s head crashed into the adventurer¡¯s shield, and Alforde lost his chance at a nice counterstrike when the force of the impact sent him sliding backwards toward the edge of the stage.
He activated [Give No Ground] to stop himself from tumbling over ¨C he¡¯d already been knocked off twice and had no desire to put himself on his last stock ¨C and watched his foe gather strength for another attack.
The armorsoul met the [Knight]¡¯s eyes, and was surprised to see how much anger glittered inside them. He¡¯d never seen such hatred before during one of these bouts, and he wanted to ask what he¡¯d done to deserve such a vicious expression. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t get the chance as the man rushed him over and over again, delivering such heavy blows that it took all of the [Dungeon Champion]¡¯s strength to meet them.
Squaring himself up, Alforde threw a [Combination Attack] at the [Knight], only to have it blocked by the man¡¯s shield. Still, his assault was ferocious enough to relieve some of the pressure he was under and take a few steps back towards the center of the stage.
If there was one thing that he¡¯d learned from all of his fights, it was that keeping control of the center was the most important thing he could do. The [Knight] clearly knew that too, and for the next frantic minute, both combatants vied for this valuable position with a flurry of strikes, feints, parries, and counters that rang out like peals of thunder as frostnickel met cindersteel.
They were closely matched, and ended up in approximately the same place on opposite sides of the arena following their clash, which left Alforde to consider how he¡¯d next approach. The burden of attacking was firmly on his shoulders, as the score was tied at two stocks apiece. If the remaining three minutes or so left on the clock expired without him being firmly in the lead, the [Knight] would win.
I¡¯m not going to let that happen.
Lowering himself into a crouch, the armorsoul considered his options. He took a step forward and the [Knight] took a step sideways. Every movement that the armorsoul made was met by an equal one from the adventurer, and Alforde saw that the man was grinning savagely behind his shield. His eyes still burned like a bonfire, and Alforde felt his own temper rising at the sight. Who did this challenger think he was?
Though a small voice in the back of his helmet urged him to meet anger with anger and charge, the [Dungeon Champion] forced himself to stay calm, cool, and collected. He¡¯d already learned that lesson in this fight, having lost his first stock of the match to an overzealous [Unstoppable Charge] that the [Knight] had deftly sidestepped. Against a different opponent, Alforde might have simply activated [Cyclone Smash] and used it to advance, but the adventurer had his own [Cyclone] skill, and the two abilities canceled each other out.
A different tactic, then. Settling into his slightly crouched stance, Alforde decided that he¡¯d poke his opponent a bit at range with his socketed gem ¨C [Frost Shot] ¨C and see if he could leverage the long-distance pressure into an opportunity to retake the lead.
Plip! Plink! Clink! Clank!
The tiny shards of ice shattered against the [Knight]¡¯s shield, and the man bellowed as he hunkered down, covering as much of his body as he could.
¡°You think that¡¯s going to do anything? You idiot!¡±
Alforde sighed.
¡°I¡¯ve decided that I don¡¯t like you very much,¡± he said quietly as he strode forward. Holding Slammy, he peppered the [Knight]¡¯s shields with continuous bursts of [Frost Shot], making sure to aim at a slightly different place each time so that his enemy would have to keep moving his shield to block them all. Boasts aside, the projectile pressure hindered the man¡¯s ability to reposition on the stage, if only by a little bit, and Alforde recognized that for the opportunity to close the distance that it was.
¡°You coward!¡± the man yelled as another shard of ice bounced off his shield. ¡°Fight me for real! Hammer to sword! Hand to hand!¡±
Alforde ignored the insult and continued his [Frost Shot] barrage. He¡¯d closed half the distance already and had no intention of giving up a good thing. His goal was victory, not glory.
Once he got close to proper melee range, Alforde twisted Slammy¡¯s grip so that the head returned to its normal shape. It wouldn¡¯t do to shatter one of his crystals in battle if he could help it. Though it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal for Hanako to make more, Alforde preferred not to waste things if he could help it. Besides, Vee had her working hard on making new trap crystals for the dungeon and the armorsoul didn¡¯t want to add to her workload. She was just an intern, after all.
¡°Here¡¯s that real fight you wanted. Hammer to shield and everything,¡± Alforde said as he squared up for a big horizontal sweeping blow and struck. When he felt Slammy¡¯s head make contact with the man¡¯s shield, he let his anger feed strength to the attack, and with a roar that would have put a lion to shame, the [Dungeon Champion] sent the [Knight] flying towards the edge of the stage.
However, by itself, the blow wasn¡¯t enough to take the lead. In order to prevent the man from landing and recovering, Alforde sprinted forward and readied himself for another attack. Like he¡¯d practiced dozens of times with Shadowforde since getting his new armor, he brought Slammy up for a blow that was reminiscent of splitting wood. Though it wasn¡¯t a real skill, Alforde felt that same tickle of satisfaction he associated with one across his pauldrons as his chopping stroke caught the man in the air. Completely incapable of countering or mitigating the force of the blow, the [Knight] whizzed through the air and slammed into the ground.
Alforde walked to the edge of the stage and looked down at his foe.
The glare he faced now made the ones before it look like cheerful grins.
¡°That wasn¡¯t sporting!¡±
The [Dungeon Champion] shrugged.
¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t like you very much.¡±
The [Knight] swore as he bounced back up to the stage, but though it wouldn¡¯t be official for another forty-five seconds, the battle was over. Alforde activated [Give No Ground] once more and blocked the man¡¯s retaliatory strikes. Whenever his enemy drew too close, Alforde used [Pauldron Smash] to force him back.
When Reginald finally declared the end of the match, Alforde took a step back and lowered Slammy. He offered his gauntlet to the opponent.
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¡°Good fight! That was a fun¡ª¡±
He stopped as the [Knight] slapped his gauntlet away and spat on the stage. ¡°You got lucky today, but I¡¯ll be back,¡± the man growled. ¡°You¡¯re nothing special. I know that now.¡±
Alforde didn¡¯t know what to say as he watched the man leave, but felt that he¡¯d made a mistake by not answering. There was a peculiar sensation in the center of his breastplate that he couldn¡¯t put it into words, either.
It felt a little like infuriation mixed with loneliness.
***
No other adventurers made it to the champion¡¯s arena that day, and that was probably a good thing. As Alforde headed up the stairs, his thoughts returned to the [Knight] over and over again. Not even his newly gained point in Might or level in [Dungeon Champion] was enough to keep his attention for long.
Why had the man disliked him so much? What was the root of all that anger? Was it just a bias against armorsouls? Alforde didn¡¯t think so. Such a thing wasn¡¯t exactly common anymore, though it wasn¡¯t completely unheard of.
Instead, Alforde found himself replaying the adventurer¡¯s last comment in his mind. You¡¯re nothing special.
Was that true? If it was, did it matter? Alforde didn¡¯t know, and he tried to push the matter from his thoughts. Dwelling on things he couldn¡¯t understand was a great way to waste his time.
Alas, the [Knight]¡¯s disdain stuck with him more than he would have liked to admit.
As he reached the floor of the towers where the slimes and skeletons had once been kept ¨C Kai had been visiting the tower regularly and taking them to the menagerie in small groups and the floor was now empty ¨C Alforde sensed something behind him.
He turned around and saw nothing, but the sensation of being watched remained as he finished climbing the stairs. When he neared the top, he thought he saw a glimmer of silver out of the corner of his eye, but naturally it wasn¡¯t there when he twisted his helmet to get a better look.
Opening the door to the office, Alforde stepped inside and greeted his friends. Vee and Reginald were already counting up the day¡¯s earnings.
¡°Good work today,¡± Vee said as he separated a pile of fleurs from the rest. He dumped them into a bag and tied it off. ¡°We¡¯ll take these to the bank later and exchange them for gold fleurs, okay?¡±
Alforde nodded and put the rest of the coins not destined for the bank in the dungeon¡¯s vault. The space was still mostly empty, but Alforde was confident that it¡¯d fill in time.
Once the day¡¯s shards of chaos were counted and added to the dungeon¡¯s slowly growing collection ¨C there were almost a hundred of them now ¨C Vee picked up his notebook and looked at Alforde.
¡°Do you mind if I go work in my lab for a couple hours before heading back?¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± said Alforde as he headed to the wall where he kept a few books. ¡°I¡¯ll read until you¡¯re finished.¡±
Once his friend was gone, Alforde sat down on the floor and picked up his book on castle defense. It was a strange and rather boring tome, but the armorsoul enjoyed dipping into more serious texts from time to time, instead of the campy fluff that he generally read. Reading as much as he did, he found that sometimes he needed different reading experiences to keep from growing jaded.
However, as he pored over a page about the best ways to make a wall difficult to scale ¨C the answer, according to this author, was apparently lots of boiling oil ¨C he saw another flicker of silver outside the office window. Getting up, he walked over and looked around. The snow from the day before had mostly melted, leaving nothing but a few bits of gray slush here and there on the sides of the road.
Down at the base of the tower, Alforde saw the towering figure in silver robes that he¡¯d seen before. Well, it was good to know that he wasn¡¯t going crazy, at least. In the light of day, he could make out its features much more clearly than he¡¯d been able to before. Part of him wished that wasn¡¯t the case.
The spirit was horrifying, with no eyes and a wide mouth that was filled with entirely too many teeth. However, despite the creature¡¯s appearance, Alforde felt no fear at the sight. There wasn¡¯t any malice emanating up from it ¨C other than the wicked sword hanging from its hip, which still sent a wave of unease rolling through the armorsoul¡¯s body ¨C and it had said that it was a friend.
Ignoring the fact that it didn¡¯t have eyes, the spirit looked up at him and beckoned.
Alforde straightened up. He recalled the last thing the spirit had told him the last time they¡¯d met.
See that you look upon yourself and grow stronger.
The armorsoul wondered if he¡¯d done enough. The [Knight] hadn¡¯t seemed to think so. You¡¯re nothing special.
¡°We¡¯ll see about that, won¡¯t we?¡± Alforde muttered.
Telling Reginald where he was going, Alforde made his way down the stairs of the tower, wincing at the sound of Vee¡¯s cursing as he passed his friend¡¯s laboratory along the way. It was followed by a sound that was awfully close to breaking glass.
Outside, the spirit stood tall in the center of the road and smiled at Alforde. It was an unsettling expression; the spirit¡¯s maw was wider than should have been possible. Standing almost nine feet tall, it was dressed like a [Warrior Monk], though Alforde didn¡¯t recognize the sect. That wasn¡¯t surprising; there were more martial sects on the continent than leaves on trees. Heavy strands of beads that reminded the armorsoul of flame maple hung around its neck, and it wore a thick rope as a belt. Standing so close to the spirit, Alforde could see that it was covered in tiny, crisscrossing white lines that looked all too much like scars.
¡°It¡¯s good to see you again,¡± Alforde said. ¡°I think I¡¯ve done some of what you said. I¡¯m definitely stronger than I was before.¡±
¡°Ta,¡± the spirit answered. ¡°But you still have a long way to go, little champion. Yours is a lonely road, and you¡¯ve only taken the first few steps until now. If you¡¯re so inclined, I can help you take the next ones. I was just like you once, and to be a champion is to be the torch that lights the way for others to follow. Will you accept my help?¡±
The spirit held out its hand, and Alforde considered the offer for a moment.
¡°I have my duties to attend to here,¡± he said cautiously.
The spirit laughed. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t dream of taking you from them. The choice is yours, armorsoul. Let me guide you to greatness, or struggle on your own.¡±
Alforde was ultimately a practical being. The way he saw the world, there was no inherent value in struggling for the sake of struggling, so he decided to take the spirit¡¯s hand and see what it could teach him.
¡°Ah, I see,¡± the spirit said as its fingers closed around Alforde¡¯s gauntlet. ¡°Here¡¯s the first step.¡±
An icy sensation spread up through Alforde¡¯s arm and into his pauldrons, then surged through the rest of his armor. It wasn¡¯t painful or unpleasant; if anything, it felt quite refreshing.
[Class lost! You are no longer a Clunker!]
The spirit grinned at him once more. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ll become.¡±
The world shimmered and before he knew it, Alforde found himself standing in a wide open space.
The spirit was a few feet away from him, and it drew its sword.
¡°Show me what you can do, young champion!¡±
Alforde readied Slammy, and charged.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 27
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 10
Wit: 27
Faith: 19
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 12
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 10
Devious Mind: 18
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 16
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 13 (+1)
Additional Class: Clunker (Vee Vales), Level 1 Class Removed
Might: 33 (+1)
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 3
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 30
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 35
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 43
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Chapter 74: Expansion and Replacement
Gingerly, Vee reached into the ghost¡¯s body and tried to shimmy the ectoplasm frame a bit further apart. As he pulled, the construct groaned and shuddered a little bit, and Vee slowed his efforts. He¡¯d spent the last twenty minutes on this attempt, and he didn¡¯t want to¡
Snap!
¡break it.
¡°Gawain¡¯s balls!¡±
Vee watched the two halves of the minion fall to the floor and sighed. He [Banished] the minion so that it could return to the ethereal, and sat down on the floor to ponder his options. Trying to modify a ghost from the dungeon was definitely going to be more trouble than it was worth, which left him no choice but to try and make the sponge by himself.
Drawing out his [Ghost Baton], Vee knelt down on the ground and drew a large circle on the ground.
¡°[Vivify Minion: Base],¡± Vee said, covering his hands in green light as he scribbled inside the circle, drafting his minion¡¯s basic rules of existence. Thankfully, since it was a simple and straightforward ghost, there wasn¡¯t much required for this step. He anchored the working with eight instances of Bu, gave it the capacity to follow orders with Gu, added two instances of An so that it could move all four of its planned arms, and stuck out his tongue as he squiggled out an approximation of the Un symbol. He didn¡¯t expect the sponge to need to move its head, but he thought it might end up having legs, so he wanted to give himself something to work with if it ended up being necessary.
Unlike when he¡¯d turned the mannequins into shopkeepers, he couldn¡¯t go straight to using [Vivify Minions: Orders]. Since the sponge had no body to speak of yet, making one was his next task. The [Ghost Maestro] wanted to do things properly, so he decided to use refined ectoplasm for his base instead of simply collecting ectoplasm from the air as he had been doing previously.
He refined five green cubes and set four of them on the table. There were all sorts of basic structures that one could employ for making a new ghost or spirit, but Vee was only marginally familiar with one: a nexus in the center connected to four smaller anchor points. It¡¯d have to do.
Pressing and pulling the cube he¡¯d chosen to start with, Vee molded the ectoplasm into a sphere ¨C that was a bit lopsided, to be honest ¨C and set it in the center of his circle. With his baton, the [Ghost Mastro] connected the sigils to the nexus, watching them all glow in turn as they were linked to the spirit yet to be.
He rolled out a few rods of blue ectoplasm, and snapped the other four anchors to his nexus before binding all of them to one another and looking at the resulting frame. It was a bit of a pinched squarish thing, but it was fine. All the symbols in his circle were still lit, and that was what really mattered. After all, once the ghost was covered in sheets of ectoplasm and had arms and everything, people wouldn¡¯t notice that its body was a little askew.
Now that he had his frame built, it was time to consider the proper application of ectoplasmic layers. Vee decided to start with red ectoplasm, as it was comparatively abundant in the lab and was slightly easier to stretch now that he had the trick of it.
Dropping the sheet of ectoplasm onto his ghost¡¯s frame, Vee carefully made sure that it was in the proper position, and then added a second layer. He repeated this four more times until the sponge had six layers in all, and then made his first pair of ectoplasmic arms and hands. He twisted the energy into ropes before knotting them together. Once those steps were done, Vee attached them to large sheets of hardened ectoplasm which would serve as the ghost¡¯s primary method of defending itself against adventurer attacks. Forming a ball socket out of more blue ectoplasm, Vee attached the arms to the new minion¡¯s body and gave them an experimental shake, smiling when they moved as he expected them to.
When he paused for a moment, Vee was quickly consumed by a ravenous hunger. For all that it was going well, his work was definitely catching up with him.
¡°I think I¡¯ve got a bit more in me,¡± he said to himself as he started work on another set of socket joints. These were for the ghost¡¯s second pair of arms, and Vee attached them to the frame in the same way that he¡¯d attached the first. They locked into place and the [Ghost Maestro] grinned. The sponge was coming together! It really needed a better name, though.
[Congratulations, you are now a Ghost Maestro Level 28!]
[Class Threshold Level Reached!]
[Orchestra size expanded! Fourth section unlocked!]
[Your ability to shape ectoplasm is now more powerful!]
[Your ability to refine ectoplasm is now more powerful!]
[You have earned a Mantle! You can now gain benefits from your orchestra members!]
[Light Section Bonus: Might +1]
[Medium Section Bonus: Faith +1]
[Heavy Section Bonus: Wit +2]
[Additional Section Bonus Available!]
Lifting his hands to his face, Vee saw that they were trembling slightly. Though he wanted to press on and see what else he could do now thanks to his new levels, he recognized that his body needed rest and regretfully decided to call it a day. Taking one last look at his sigils, Vee made sure that there were no leaks or cracks in his bindings that would cause his hard work to dissipate overnight.
With his stomach¡¯s rumbling almost a section of his orchestra by itself, Vee left his lab and returned to the office.
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As Alforde drew close to the spirit, his surroundings transformed. Instead of a wide open space, the armorsoul found himself inside a room covered in white and slate blue tiles, with a pair of red lines bisecting the floor and ceiling. The spirit was still standing in front of him with its huge grin and unsettling sword raised, and Alforde pulled Slammy back for a strong, sweeping blow.
His grip was good, and his aim was true, but at the last possible second ¨C no, far less than a second ¨C the spirit became a blur and Alforde missed.
¡°That was a good strike,¡± the spirit said, and when Alforde turned around, it was somehow on the other side of the room. ¡°Let me see another one.¡±
Alforde shook his helmet. ¡°Why? What is it that you want to see?¡±
The spirit raised its sword once more. ¡°To be a champion is to be known by all. I want to take your measure for myself, Little Champion. Again.¡±
Locking his knees, Alforde pointed himself at the spirit and activated [Unstoppable Charge]. He shot forward, but before he¡¯d even made it halfway across the room, the spirit was gone again, and Alforde slammed into the wall. It didn¡¯t really hurt, but the armorsoul felt himself growing frustrated as he picked himself up off the ground and looked around for his opponent.
A gentle laugh filled the room as the spirit reappeared in the center.
¡°I see. You are not one to hold back. That¡¯s good. To be a champion is to always give your best.¡±
It vanished again.
¡°Where¡¯d you go?¡± Alforde cried, raising Slammy and looking around.
¡°Naturally, I¡¯m right behind you,¡± came a voice above Alforde¡¯s left pauldron as the pommel of the spirit¡¯s sword tapped the armorsoul on the back. It was a gentle thing, without any anger or malice behind it, yet the -[HaM#er Af/ic0nado]- found himself flying through the air before landing hard and rolling several feet away.
He hurried to his feet, raising his weapon to block a blow that never came. Instead, the spirit simply nodded at him and lifted his sword once more.
¡°Again.¡±
And so, Alforde lost track of time, launching himself at the spirit again and again, but no matter what he tried, he could not land a single strike. The [Warrior Monk] dodged every one of his attacks, and each time it retaliated ¨C lazily, as if bored by the effort required to do so ¨Cthe armorsoul went flying across the room. When Alforde hit the wall and bounced off for the tenth time, he stopped counting.
Tap.
Eleven.
Tap.
Twelve.
Tap.
Thirteen.
Or at least, he tried to.
While they traded blows, the spirit talked to him, giving him axioms and lessons about what it meant to be a champion. The [D*n$eoN Ch4mp+0n] did what he could to listen, but his helmet was ringing from all the collisions against the wall and so he might not have heard them all properly.
¡°To be a champion is to emerge from failure stronger than before.¡± Tap. Crash!
¡°To be a champion is to adapt to whatever stands in your way.¡± Tap. Clang!
¡°To be a champion is to be willing to pay a higher price for success than all others.¡± Tap. Crash!
¡°To be a champion is to [Grow]!¡±
For the first time during their bout, the spirit hit Alforde with the blade of its sword. It didn¡¯t cut or hurt the armorsoul, but the strike sent a chill through the armorsoul¡¯s body.
As he got up and tightened his grip on Slammy, Alforde noticed that there was a thin layer of frost on his gauntlets. The same was true of his boots.
¡°Again!¡±
Alforde raised his hammer and felt a tingle across his back. The shadow of an image flickered through his thoughts, though it came and went too fast for him to see it clearly. He slammed the weapon down, and saw that Slammy¡¯s head left a ring of verglas on the tiles it struck.
¡°Ta, you are getting closer. Again!¡±
Another tap. Crash!
Alforde felt cold all over now, and his armor was heavier than it normally was. Every plate that he could see was covered in a thin layer of sapphire ice, and when he pushed himself up from the ground, he felt something settle on his back.
He turned his helmet, and saw a shimmering blue cape of frost hanging from his pauldrons. The squeal that came out of the armorsoul¡¯s helmet wasn¡¯t the most champion-like noise he¡¯d ever made, but Alforde didn¡¯t care. A permanent cape!
The spirit appeared in front of him, its grin gone.
¡°To be a champion is to be larger than life. Ever present and unfathomable, a force of nature that is impossible to match. Once more, please.¡±
This time though, the spirit only tapped Alforde¡¯s helmet, and the armorsoul was driven to his knees. Using Slammy for support, Alforde pushed up from the ground, but his strength failed him, and he fell forward before he could swing again.
¡°Excellent. I see now what sort of person you are, Little Champion. You pass.¡±
Sitting down beside him, the spirit lightly tapped Alforde on the back. The cold inside Alforde¡¯s armor vanished, and was replaced by a thrum of power unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt before.
¡°Take what¡¯s yours, armorsoul. It¡¯ll help you find your way.¡±
[Heart of A Champion +3]
[Well, well, well¡aren¡¯t you cool now?]
[Congratulations, you are now a Glaciernaut, Level 1!]
[You can now use Tundra Crash!]
[Might +2]
The room faded and Alforde found himself back in the middle of the street outside Crestheart tower. Through the bond he shared with Vee, the armorsoul sensed his friend¡¯s surprise and excitement about his new class, and when he looked up at the tower, he saw the blinds swaying, as if someone who¡¯d been looking out the window had sprinted away from them.
¡°We will meet again,¡± the spirit¡¯s scratchy voice said, though Alforde couldn¡¯t see it anywhere. ¡°Be well, Little Champion.¡±
¡°Wait,¡± Alforde cried. ¡°I don¡¯t even know your name!¡±
The spirit laughed.
¡°You can call me Sacha.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 11 (+1)
Wit: 29 (+2)
Faith: 20 (+1)
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 12
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 10
Devious Mind: 18
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 16
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 13
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 1 (+1)
Might: 35 (+2)
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 6 (+3)
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 30
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 35
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 43
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Chapter 75: Boosting [Boost Drops]
After returning to the office and seeing that Alforde was nowhere to be found, Vee went to the window and looked down at the street below for any sign of his friend. Thankfully, not enough time for him to panic passed before a ball of swirling light appeared in the center of the sidewalk and Alforde popped back into sight.
With it came the chime in the back of his mind that indicated his friend had accepted another class, and Vee could sense Alforde¡¯s excitement through their bond. Leaping away from the window, he hurried down the stairs to go and see what it was for himself.
Vee scurried out of the tower and saw Alforde standing in the center of the road. The armorsoul¡¯s body was covered in a thin sheet of glittering sapphire ice, and icicles of varying sizes jutted out of his helmet, pauldrons, and gauntlets. A miniature blizzard given the form of a cape ¨C full of swirling snowflakes, fog, and bits of ice ¨C hung down his back, almost reaching the ground. His eyes were twin blue stars, though they were every bit as friendly as they¡¯d ever been. As far as Vee was concerned, his friend looked ¨C there really was no better word for it ¨C cool.
Unfortunately, this went beyond mere appearance though. When Vee stopped a few feet away from his [Dungeon Champion], he shivered at the chill that hung in the air.
Rubbing his arms, Vee said, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s any way to like, turn that off, is there? If not, we¡¯re going to have to talk to Sculla about getting you your own room.¡±
Alforde looked down at his body, as if noticing the icicles for the first time. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not sure. Let me check.¡±
Closing his eyes, the armorsoul rocked back and forth where he stood. Slowly, the layer of frost covering his armor receded, growing smaller and dimmer until it was completely gone. Sadly, the cape disappeared as well, and Alforde shook his helmet once he reopened his eyes.
¡°Darn! I liked the way that looked! Is the temperature better now, though?¡±
The air was still cool, but Vee didn¡¯t feel as if he¡¯d been plunged into an ice bath anymore, which was probably all that he could hope for. He nodded.
¡°Hopefully that doesn¡¯t get harder to do as you level up,¡± Vee said.
¡°Indeed,¡± Alforde replied. ¡°That would be¡unfortunate.¡±
¡°Do you feel any different?¡±
Alforde shrugged. ¡°Not really. Should I?¡±
Vee thought for a moment. Classes that were so closely tied to an element tended to shape their holders toward that element over time, even if only a little bit. He wondered what might happen to his friend as he developed his new class, and grew slightly worried at the thought of changes that could be associated with glaciers.
We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, I¡¯m just going to be excited for him.
Smiling, Vee and Alforde headed back up to the office to retrieve Reginald before heading back to Sculla¡¯s for the night.
It¡¯d been quite the day.
The next morning, Vee decided to go to the dungeon a little early and resume work on the sponge. He wanted to test his own growth and see if the work was any easier.
Hovering above Vee¡¯s sigils, the ghost was rather still, but the [Ghost Maestro] didn¡¯t see any signs of cracks or leakage in his ectoplasmic bindings. That was good. Though he¡¯d been careful and checked his work before leaving yesterday, he¡¯d expected to find tiny issues today. That was simply the nature of important projects; it was almost impossible to catch everything before declaring it done.
Indeed, that was the case with the sponge too. While examining the bindings between the first pair of arms and the rest of the ghost, Vee noticed two gaps that he¡¯d failed to catch before. Further inspection revealed that the problem stemmed from the balance of the arms themselves, and he hurried to rectify the situation.
¡°[Shape Ectoplasm]!¡±
His fingers grew warm, and he found that it was easier to collect the power than he was used to. Interesting. Pulling the arms into a better shape took a few minutes, but his hands knew what needed to be done and the work was pleasant. Eventually, the gaps vanished, and the arms sat flush against the rest of the ghost¡¯s body.
After fixing that, Vee attached the second pair of arms to the ghost and gave all four limbs a test to make sure that they could move properly. Ideally, the sponge would fight like a [Knight], defending itself with one set of hands and attacking with the other. He¡¯d have to wrangle up some more elaborate sigilmancy for that to work, but for now he was content for his creation to simply have the proper range of motion.
When he was satisfied, he resumed work on the ghost¡¯s appearance. Unfortunately, his improvement in the technical aspects of ghost design didn¡¯t carry over to the artistic side, and a little later Vee was frustrated by his inability to successfully translate the image in his head to the minion in front of him. No matter how he tried to sculpt or shape the ectoplasm, the ghost¡¯s body remained hopelessly blocky, and he was discouraged when it came time to head up to the office to start the day¡¯s runs.
Reginald turned toward him as he huffed his way to his station.
¡°You look like you just swallowed a lemon, boss. What¡¯s wrong?¡±
Taking his seat, Vee explained his design woes, and Reginald chuckled. ¡°I see. It sounds like you¡¯re on the wrong side of a make-buy decision to me. By all means though, keep on tinkering with it, but I suspect that in the short term it makes more sense to just purchase other types of ghosts from the union.¡±
Vee frowned, but his [Majordomo] had a good point. Even if he somehow managed to put together a solid sponge design, the design and building process was taking too long to really consider adding them to the dungeon in greater quantities anytime soon. Especially since, like most forms of manufacturing, it¡¯d require more consistency than he felt capable of producing.
However, he didn¡¯t want to abandon his progress, either. Working on the sponge had helped him refine his powers, and he suspected that further experiments would yield similar, if lesser, results. Maybe there was a way he could tweak the design a little bit too in order to find a way to really lean into the blockiness of the ghost¡¯s body instead of trying to fight it.
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Tucking the thought away for later, Vee turned his attention to the first adventurer of the day and tried to decide if it was worth using one of his charges of [Boost Drops]. He didn¡¯t think so; the adventurer was hunched and scrawny, and for some reason was carrying only a small stick that looked like it¡¯d been picked up at random near some trees.
¡°What¡¯s her class?¡± Vee asked, and Reginald passed over the day¡¯s applications. The [Dungeon Master] looked down at it and grunted.
¡°A [Staff Afficionado], huh? That¡¯s not terribly exciting. I¡¯ll let this one go.¡±
His instincts proved right. Despite a valiant effort, the adventurer succumbed to the continuous volleys of the skeleton mages in the third room, and Reginald called down words of encouragement once Vee deactivated the minions so she could leave safely.
¡°Good try! Improve your skills a little bit and come back again!¡±
With a smile and a wave to the ceiling, the adventurer left the dungeon and Vee pressed the button to reset everything for the next challenger.
A fat man carrying a flowerpot opened Crestheart¡¯s door. According to his paperwork, he was a [Dandy Lion Tamer]. While he looked as if he might collapse from just the effort of walking down the hallway, something told Vee that he definitely wanted to use a charge of [Boost Drops] here. He trusted his instincts and activated the skill, checking the position of his Marked minions. Two skeletons and a slime, all on the second floor.
¡°Darn, that sucks,¡± Vee said as he scowled at the adventurer, who was already out of breath. ¡°It looks like I wasted a charge.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that,¡± Reginald replied. ¡°Sure, he¡¯s a tub of lard, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to struggle getting down to the second floor. Just you wait and see.¡±
To Vee¡¯s surprise, the hat didn¡¯t offer a wager on it, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood for gambling just then, so he didn¡¯t miss it.
Sure enough, when the first pack of monsters attacked the adventurer, the corpulent man planted his feet on the ground and slapped the bottom of his flowerpot a few times. Three green and yellow streaks erupted into the air and transformed into stubbly lions with big manes and tiny top hats. The man pointed at the monsters heading for him and his trio of guardians promptly ¨C and suavely ¨C tore the skeletons and ghosts to shreds.
¡°See what I mean?¡± Reginald asked.
Vee grinned and reached over to his console. ¡°Yeah, talk about a fast one. The minions didn¡¯t even get close! How¡¯d you know he¡¯d do so well?¡±
The hat swiveled toward him and flashed a felty smile. ¡°I have my ways,¡± he said in an overly dramatic attempt at sounding mysterious. Vee¡¯s ability to follow up on that was interrupted by Reginald¡¯s need to perform his [Announcer] duties.
Watching the man continue forward, Vee worked his knobs and dials to the best of his ability. His goal was different than it normally was. Instead of trying to stop the adventurer from making further progress, he wanted to accommodate the adventurer¡¯s poor physique and make sure that he got down to the second floor. To accomplish this, Vee turned all of the moving platforms down to their lowest speed and made sure to throw as many minions at the man as possible. Like a particularly murderous [Drummer Boy], the adventurer pa rum pum pum pum¡¯d his flowerpot through the first floor and made his way down to the second with ease.
Here, Vee had a tougher time carrying him, as Crestheart¡¯s second floor required a greater degree of athleticism than the first. Still, he persevered, managing to successfully put all of his Marked minion¡¯s in the man¡¯s path.
When the adventurer pushed open the door to Alforde¡¯s arena, Vee leaned back and laced his fingers behind his head.
¡°I think I¡¯ve earned a bit of a break,¡± he said.
¡°Nice bit of work there, boss,¡± Reginald answered.
Despite their combat prowess, the dandy lions met their match against Alforde. His frosty cape billowing behind him, the armorsoul smashed his way through the first quartet the adventurer summoned, and then pointed his hammer at the adventurer. Vee couldn¡¯t hear what his friend said, but the man nodded and surrendered shortly after without summoning anymore of his protectors.
As he left the dungeon, the adventurer turned in six shards of chaos, and Vee made sure that Reginald invited him to come and challenge the dungeon again. Even with [Boost Drops], that was a heck of a high roll, and the [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t be sure that it was all luck.
The rest of the day¡¯s runs progressed smoothly, and when Vee used [Boost Drops] for the third time, he didn¡¯t feel the sensation of emptiness that he normally did. On the next run, he decided to try and use the skill again.
Pressure and pain racked Vee¡¯s skull, but a silvery Mark appeared on one of the ghosts on the first floor. The [Dungeon Master] slumped forward, dry heaving, but he grinned like a fool all the same. He was getting used to the pain of pushing his skills too far, and after a long moment, he felt more like himself again, though he was quite hungry.
Note to self. Start bringing snacks.
Alas, the Marked ghost didn¡¯t drop anything special when it was destroyed by the next adventurer, but Vee resolved to continue testing this fourth charge in the days to come. Hopefully it¡¯d get easier as he did so; a proper fourth usage of [Boost Drops] would accelerate Crestheart¡¯s trip to another floor by a lot.
The day¡¯s runs drew to an end, and Vee was distracted from counting up the earnings by Hanako, who walked into the office with a pair of giant red crystals in her hands.
¡°I was experimenting with sequenced engravings last night and got a little carried away,¡± she said as she saw Vee¡¯s raised eyebrow and handed them over.
Taking the crystals, Vee grunted at their weight. ¡°What are they supposed to do?¡±
¡°Well, I started with a simple [Fireball] engraving, but then I added some of the [Cyclone] glyphs so now they¡¯re kind of¡poor versions of [Twisting Flame], I guess. Maybe you could stick them in a hallway somewhere? Anyways, what would you like me to work on today?¡±
Vee put the new crystals down on the table and rubbed his chin. To be honest, he wasn¡¯t really sure what sort of work he could set Hanako to. It was tough coming up with projects for his intern.
¡°Let me check with Do,¡± he said as he closed his eyes and requested the [Dungeon Maintainer] to come up to the office.
The fiend arrived a few minutes later.
¡°How can I be of assistance, Master?¡±
Vee pointed to Hanako. ¡°She¡¯s looking for things to do. Will you and your crew check the trap crystals and see if any of them need to be repaired or replaced?¡±
Do bowed and left to do as requested. Vee looked outside and frowned.
It was starting to snow again.
Main Character Sheets (UNCHANGED FROM LAST CHAPTER)
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 11
Wit: 29
Faith: 20
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 12
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 10
Devious Mind: 18
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 16
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 13
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 1
Might: 35
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 6
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 6
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 30
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 35
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 43
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 4
Chapter 76: Proactive Street Cleaning
Do returned twenty minutes later with a bag full of crystals that were chipped, cracking, or otherwise in need of repair. Along with it, the fiend also carried a list showing the locations each one had come from. Vee studied it with Hanako, silently impressed at the quality of the fiend¡¯s penmanship. He wasn¡¯t sure when or how his [Dungeon Maintainer] practiced, but he was himself more than a little jealous of the perfect size and spacing of the letters in front of him, and resolved to gift Do with some proper paper and maybe a nice fountain pen or two in the near future. Such nice writing deserved the proper materials with which to really shine.
Hanako rubbed her chin, hemming and hawing as she jotted down notes of her own about the repairs.
¡°This shouldn¡¯t take too long to fix,¡± she said once they were done. ¡°Most of the crystals just need a bit more etching or another polish. I¡¯ll get started right away and should have them ready in a couple days.¡±
¡°Hang on,¡± Vee said as she went to get up. ¡°It¡¯s mostly only the fire crystals that need to be repaired, right? Why don¡¯t we just replace them with ice traps instead?¡±
He was thinking about the dungeon¡¯s theme. Now that Alforde had gotten an ice-based class, he felt as if he should start tailoring Crestheart to his [Dungeon Champion] a little bit more than he had been. Ghosts and ice went together well, didn¡¯t they? It was certainly more cohesive than the random mishmash of elements he was currently using, and if he ever wanted to be a proper dungeon, he¡¯d need to start making decisions about how to shift over that way eventually. Might as well start now.
Of course, doing that would take time and might not be as easy as simply willing it to be done. The biggest obstacles would be swapping the fire elementals out for ice elementals, and replacing the fire slimes in the pit traps with ice slimes. Once he had some ice slimes, that was.
Mental note: talk to Kai about feeding some of the slimes in the menagerie ice crystals or elementals to see if they start turning into ice slimes.
¡°Are you sure?¡± Hanako asked as she scooped up the bag of fire crystals and folded up her list. ¡°What should I do with these then?
Vee shrugged.
¡°Keep them down in your workshop for now. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find a use for them sooner or later. For now, I¡¯d like you to focus on making simple, slippery frost tiles, okay?¡± he said. ¡°If the adventurers challenging Crestheart have a tough time keeping their footing as they travel from one room to another, we might luck out and get some free injuries that we don¡¯t have to pay for with minions.¡±
[Devious Mind +1]
Hanako shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s true, I guess. Okay, I¡¯ll start making the replacements, but just so you know, ice crystals take a little longer than fire crystals. The enchantments need to solidify.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± said Vee. ¡°We¡¯re not really in any sort of rush.¡±
After his intern left, Vee returned his attention to counting up the day¡¯s shards of chaos. [Boost Drops] was really speeding up the rate at which they were coming in, with the dungeon acquiring seventeen after the day¡¯s runs. The total was now a hundred and fifteen, which was drawing quite close to the two hundred and fifty needed to add another floor to the dungeon. Unfortunately, he¡¯d have to spend a few to replace the minions lost in all the runs, but he was going to hold off on doing that until he got the last shipment he¡¯d ordered. There was no point in spending his precious shards of chaos on minions that might takes weeks or more to arrive. Stupid bandits disrupting commerce!
While he worked, Vee couldn¡¯t help but notice the great fat snowflakes falling from from the sky. If the ink wash blue sky was any indication, this time around the snow was going to stick for sure.
That sent Vee¡¯s mind wandering. If the experience with the bugs had taught Vee anything, it was that the streets of Oar¡¯s Crest would be a nightmare if there ended up being a lot of snow. He decided to be proactive about making sure that it would stay easy for adventurers to reach the dungeon, so he reached through his bond to Do again.
¡°Sorry for bugging you again so soon,¡± Vee said. ¡°[Would You Kindly] bring me up a trio of the fire slimes from the pit room?¡±
¡°Of course, Master. I¡¯ll have them right up.¡±
While he waited, Vee shaped some ectoplasm into leashes as Alforde walked up the stairs. Once again, the armorsoul was covered in a sheen of ice that he banished as he entered the office and sat down next to Vee.
¡°Doing something with the slimes again?¡±
Vee nodded and gestured out at the snow, explaining his plan.
¡°Are you going to use them to clear the city streets beyond the gate too?¡± Alforde asked. ¡°I think people would really appreciate it.¡±
Vee hadn¡¯t really thought that far, but now that he did so, why not take the slimes into the city once again? He doubted the council had any sort of plan to help make sure that people were able to go about their daily lives as much as possible if the snow got to be too bad, so why shouldn¡¯t he step up and fill the gaps?
In times like this, the people of Oar¡¯s Crest deserve better than to be left fending for themselves.
Something that sounded like shutting a window just a tad too hard echoed in the back of his skull, but other than a brief flicker of recognition, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.
[Indeed.]
[Citizenship +2]
[Failed to receive quest! Reason: Citizenship too low (Requires 20 points!)]
¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m getting there,¡± Vee said as he dismissed the notification with a loud sigh. Talk about another popup he wouldn¡¯t miss seeing. He just had to find some way to get another two points and he¡¯d finally figure out what the quest itself actually was. The suspense was killing him.
A little later, Do returned to the office with the slimes in hand, and Vee gave them a careful examination. They were still pretty small, overall, but their bodies glowed with red energy and occasionally sent bits of steam into the air. Vee didn¡¯t much like the thought of trying to stick his hands into them to fasten their leashes in place, so he had Alforde do it.
The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The armorsoul¡¯s gauntlets hissed as the frostnickel made contact with the slimes, but neither his friend nor his minions showed any sign of being in pain. However, the [Dungeon Master] noticed that the slimes had grown slightly dimmer. Their powers dulled when exposed to cold things, it seemed.
That realization threatened to throw a wrench into Vee¡¯s plans, but not such a big one that it couldn¡¯t be dealt with. After thanking Do, Vee put Reginald on and told Alforde to follow him down to Hanako¡¯s workshop.
It turned out that they needed the fire crystals once again.
***
Hanako was focused on the blue crystal secured in the third hand on her desk. Looking at it through a jeweler¡¯s loupe, the girl carefully drew a sharp pattern on its top face before rotating it forty-five degrees and drawing another one on the next face. She worked with a steady, practiced cadence, occasionally sticking her tongue out a little bit when she needed to draw a tricky line.
She noticed them when she turned the crystal for the second time, and carefully set her brush down before stretching her neck and shoulders.
¡°What¡¯s up, guys?¡±
Vee smiled and pointed at the bag of fire crystals on the ground next to her desk. ¡°Mind if we take those with us? It¡¯s snowing pretty bad out there, and we¡¯re going to try and use some fire slimes from the dungeon to melt the snow and keep the streets clean. But, touching cold stuff cools them down, so we¡¯re going to feed the crystals to them so they stay hot.¡±
Hanako shrugged and kicked the bag across the floor. ¡°Fine by me. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to [Disenchanting] them all by hand. If you¡¯re going to be feeding them to the slimes though, want me to give you some more, though? I have loads of chips and scraps saved and nothing to do with them.¡±
¡°You do? That¡¯d be great, actually. I¡¯d be happy to take them,¡± Vee said.
Hanako got up and walked over to a drawer on the far side of the room. When she opened it, Vee saw a veritable trove of crystal slivers that all glimmered with red energy. There were other drawers next to it. Were they all filled with cutoffs and scraps?
The girl scooped up a few handfuls and poured them into another bag, which she handed to Vee.
¡°I don¡¯t know anything about slime metabolism, but I¡¯m guessing these probably won¡¯t be as strong as a full crystal. However, I¡¯d be willing to bet that they¡¯re digested a lot faster. Mind if I check?¡±
¡°Go ahead.¡±
Kneeling down, Hanako picked up a few splinters and dropped them into her palm, which she held out to the slimes. Like hungry cats smelling scraps of chicken, they all moved toward her, and the girl put the crystals down before the minions¡¯ fiery bodies made contact with her bare skin.
Sure enough, the slimes looked a bit brighter as soon as they gobbled down the shards, and Vee thanked Hanako before giving Alforde the bags to carry down the rest of the stairs.
¡°If the weather starts looking too bad, you can go ahead and leave early,¡± Vee called back to Hanako as they left. ¡°We have enough functional traps for tomorrow¡¯s runs.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± said Hanako. ¡°I¡¯ll probably leave after I finish this one then. I want to ask my dad for some tips about making sure that ice is slippery enough.¡±
***
Outside, Vee, shivered like mad as the icy wind cut into his cheeks and ears. It was beyond time for him to get a scarf. Or a warmer hat to wear underneath Reginald.
¡°It¡¯s really not that bad out here,¡± Alforde said with a shrug when Vee complained about getting hit by another chilly breeze. ¡°I barely feel the cold at all.¡±
The slimes blarbled and trembled at the ends of their leashes. They clearly didn¡¯t agree with the armorsoul¡¯s assessment. Before long, their color faded to a pinkish gray and Vee suspected that he¡¯d be out of crystals in no time at all if he tried to feed his way through the snowstorm.
Instead, he had to protect them from being battered by the snow. Pinching his thumb and forefinger together, Vee activated [Shape Ectoplasm]. All his work on the sponge was paying dividends. Grabbing great handfuls of the energy in the air around him, Vee bent it into three boxes of hardened ectoplasm. Attaching them to the leashes of his slimes, Vee gave each of his minions a little movable shelter that protected them from the chill. Once he was sure that his efforts weren¡¯t going to be immediately overcome, he fed them some crystal scraps to renew their energies.
The boxes worked well, and the hissing sound of snow melting beneath the slimes was music to Vee¡¯s ears as they slowly headed toward the gate, leaving a strip of clear, dry ground in their wake. The snow would cover it again before too long, but that was fine. This was simply a first test. Once the snow stopped falling, it¡¯d only take another lap to clear the street properly. Additionally, depending on how many crystals it took to keep the slimes going in the cold, he¡¯d probably have to try and find another source of fuel for their inner fire if the minions were going to clear the city streets.
¡°What do you guys think?¡± Vee asked as they reached the patchwork gate and looked around. ¡°Pretty nifty, right?¡±
¡°The slimes do an admirable job of melting the snow, but if you¡¯re serious about clearing the main streets of Oar¡¯s Crest, you¡¯re going to need a lot more slimes and people to handle them,¡± Reginald said. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can do it with just these three and you two.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± said Alforde. ¡°That took longer than I thought it would.¡±
¡°Agreed, but where can we get more people?¡± Vee asked. ¡°Sadly, I think this is going to be too big of a job for us to rely on our usual crowd.¡±
Reginald shifted atop Vee¡¯s head and though the [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t see it, he got the distinct impression that the hat was smiling.
¡°Well, if you¡¯re looking for a bigger group, we could always place a request at the adventurer¡¯s guild.¡±
¡°I¡¯d rather not,¡± said Vee. ¡°We don¡¯t really have the fleurs to pay a reward.¡±
¡°We might not have to,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Or at least, we might not have to pay in fleurs. We can offer discounted runs of the dungeon to those adventurers who offer to help out, and I¡¯m sure that just like with the bugs, we¡¯d get plenty of money from other business owners and citizens for cleaning up.¡±
Another soft clunk sounded in Vee¡¯s skull, and he looked up at the sky. The snow looked like stars, and Vee thought it was beautiful.
¡°We¡¯ll do that then,¡± he said. ¡°Tomorrow before the dungeon opens we¡¯ll go to the adventurer¡¯s guild and put up a job.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 11
Wit: 29
Faith: 20
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 12
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 10
Devious Mind: 19 (+1)
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 8
Citizenship: 18 (+2)
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 13
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 2 (+1)
Might: 35
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 6
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7 (+1)
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 12 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 30
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 35
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 44 (+1)
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5 (+1)
Chapter 77: A Knock Outside the Window
Wiping snow from his hair and the sleeves of his jacket, Vee pushed open the doors of the adventurer¡¯s guild and saw that it was almost completely empty. A few old timers hung out at the tables, enjoying the guild¡¯s complimentary coffee, and chatting with one another as they played cards.
One of them, a man with a red nose and gray mustache, looked at Vee and nodded solemnly. ¡°[Dungeon Master],¡± he said. ¡°Here about the snow?¡±
The man¡¯s companions all looked up too, and Vee found himself meeting all of their gazes in turn. Though he felt a twinge of his old embarrassment at being the object of such serious expressions, something stiffened in his spine and he didn¡¯t blink. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled a little bit, but it wasn¡¯t quite a true shift in the ethereal.
¡°Yeah, we¡¯re going to see if we can work something out with the guilds using our dungeon¡¯s slimes to keep the city¡¯s roads clear,¡± Vee said.
¡°Glad to hear it,¡± said the man. ¡°We were just talking about what a nightmare the streets were going to be. The last time it snowed like this, the council didn¡¯t do anything and people were stuck in their homes for days.¡±
¡°Bunch of useless pricks on the council,¡± one of his companions said. ¡°They never do anything. What do our tax fleurs even go toward anyways?¡±
That earned a round of grumbling agreement from the rest of the men, and Vee wondered if he was supposed to say something. Should he agree with them? Something told him that he should, but it was at odds with another impulse to stay quiet. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to make a decision; the moment passed.
Vee bid them all a good rest of their day before making his way over to the lone [Receptionist] and asking about setting up a job.
The process was surprisingly streamlined, and to Vee¡¯s great joy, there was barely any paperwork to go along with it. Crestheart would provide ten fire slimes to the guild and instruct the adventurers how to handle them, and then the guild members would take care of the rest. Simple, really. However, the [Receptionist] frowned when Vee mentioned that he hadn¡¯t brought any fleurs to pay the job filing fee or the reward.
¡°We generally don¡¯t allow jobs to be posted without paying the fee,¡± explained the [Receptionist]. ¡°After all, how exactly is the guild supposed to earn anything from ¡®a discount on future dungeon runs¡¯?¡±
¡°Take a donation wagon with you,¡± said Reginald. ¡°Tell the citizens what you¡¯re doing and why, and see if any of them want to chip in a few fleurs as a way of saying thanks.¡±
¡°And we¡¯d be the sole recipient of all funds acquired in such a manner?¡± the [Receptionist] asked.
¡°Only until the listing fee is paid. After that we¡¯ll be taking half,¡± Reginald said.
¡°What if the job listing fee doesn¡¯t get paid in full? Would you be willing to cover the remainder? Are you willing to make a personal guarantee that the adventurers will get their reward?¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Vee interrupted, surprised at the venom in his voice. ¡°I¡¯ve already offered plenty, and while I¡¯m amenable to splitting the income, I won¡¯t be paying you for the privilege of making sure that the city functions properly.¡±
The man¡¯s eyes widened, but Vee held his gaze and lifted his chin. He was angry ¨C well, more irritated in all truthfulness ¨C at the way the man balked at doing something which would so obviously help, and not interested in carrying the conversation any further.
[Intimidating Presence +1]
¡°I understand. Well, uh, here you go,¡± said the [Receptionist], lifting up a piece of paper with the details of the job and passing it under the window so that Vee could sign it. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to get it posted right away. When will you have the slimes ready for delivery?¡±
Vee took the sheet and signed it with flourish. ¡°We¡¯ll have them all over early tomorrow morning,¡± he said. ¡°We have dungeon runs scheduled that we¡¯ll need to be back in Westown for.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± the [Receptionist] said. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that whoever is on duty tomorrow is here early.¡±
Ten slimes wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to transport. He¡¯d probably have to enlist Kai¡¯s help to make sure they could handle them all in one trip, but that wasn¡¯t a big deal. The bonsai treant loved going into the city proper, and would probably be happy for the chance to do so.
Vee passed the paper back under the window and looked over at the posting board. There were probably forty or fifty color-coordinated jobs scattered around on it. He wondered what the different shades meant. Were the colors based on the level of difficulty and danger? Approximate reward value? He couldn¡¯t read the details from here, but when the man posted his job, the [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t help but notice that the paper was a light green color that stood out for the fact that it was the only one of its kind up there.
That pissed him off, and he swore that he¡¯d be back with other jobs as soon as he could afford to pay for them.
[Citizenship +1]
[Failed to receive quest! Reason: Citizenship too low (Requires 20 points!)]
With Alforde behind him, the [Dungeon Master] left the adventurer¡¯s guild and headed back into the snowy streets of the city.
The next morning, Vee frowned as he left the boarding house and found himself almost up to his knees in snow. Up above his head, the sky was clear, but that didn¡¯t mean much. There was the whole day ahead for more snow clouds to roll on in.
Sitting on her stoop ¨C which was somehow completely clear and perfectly dry ¨C Sculla smiled at Vee and laughed when the [Dungeon Master] lost his balance and faceplanted into the white powder. If she was cold in her sleeveless vest and thin pants, she showed no sign of it.
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¡°Should let the big guy go first,¡± the ogre said, taking a long drag of her pipe. ¡°He seems like he¡¯s better suited to it.¡±
Cursing under his breath, Vee did as she suggested, turning back to wave goodbye to the ogre as he followed Alforde to the gate. Sculla waved back.
¡°Don¡¯t dawdle on the way back,¡± she called after them. ¡°Getting lots of boxes in this afternoon that¡¯ll need to be moved.¡±
¡°Of course you are,¡± Vee grumbled, tucking his hands into his pockets to try and keep them warm.
As he¡¯d expected, the roads were virtually impassable, with drifts of snow that reached up to Vee¡¯s shoulders and above. Even Alforde, covered in frost of his own, had to slow down here and there to push through a particularly stubborn snowbank so that they could reach the gate.
Thankfully, the road to Crestheart itself was far more manageable, thanks to their efforts with the slimes the night before. Vee only tripped once.
Kai was waiting for them outside the tower, basking in a patch of sun atop his barkbody like some sort of leafy cat. The blooms on his shoulders were bigger and more vibrant than Vee had ever seen, and the bonsai treant was grinning and waved cheerily as they approached.
¡°Finally! I¡¯ve been waiting here for hours!¡±
Vee smiled. The treant¡¯s timeline wasn¡¯t quite correct, but it wasn¡¯t a big enough deal to bother correcting. He¡¯d asked Kai to come to the tower no more than an hour beforehand, reaching through his bond with the member of the medium section now known as Dandelion to do so.
The way the fiend had taken to assisting in the menagerie was interesting, and Vee wondered if the rest of the medium section might find similar enjoyment of other tasks. For some reason, they simply weren¡¯t like the heavy or light sections, and weren¡¯t interested in becoming a collective entity.
Perhaps he could convince Torres or Hanako to accept fiendish assistance, and expand the support corps of the dungeon over time.
Shaking his head, Vee dismissed the thought. That was an issue for Future Vee. Right now, he needed to focus on delivering the slimes to the adventurer¡¯s guild and getting back to Crestheart before the first runs of the day.
Pinching his thumb and index finger together, Vee used [Shape Ectoplasm] to make a handful of leashes that he had Alforde attach to each fire slime¡¯s core. The armorsoul had learned from his previous experience, and the job went much faster. After that, Vee put together an ectoplasm box for each of them to protect them from any snow that might fall that day. The [Ghost Maestro] chatted with Kai while he worked.
¡°So, how are things going in the menagerie?¡± he asked.
¡°They¡¯re great,¡± said Kai. ¡°Dandelion has been really helpful, and I think I¡¯ve got a nice pen set up for Pretzel. There should be some more slimes soon.¡±
¡°And the skeletons?¡±
¡°Still coming up with novel ways to try and escape, but the warding plants are keeping them penned in.¡±
Vee nodded.
¡°Good to hear.¡±
Once the slimes were ready to go, Vee divvied them up and headed back to town. Knowing his own strength all too well, Vee only took two, and Kai took the same amount. That left six for Alforde to wrestle with, but the armorsoul didn¡¯t seem to mind. He kept looking back at his cape and giggling.
The ground around them hissed as the slimes melted the snow beneath their feet. It was a strange sensation, and Vee kept a wary eye on their colors as they walked. For now, things seemed to be fine ¨C all the slimes were still bright red and glurbling happily ¨C but eventually he knew that they¡¯d need to be fed some crystals. Admittedly, this was one part of his plan that he didn¡¯t feel particularly great about; the bag of crystals was filled and heavy, but would there be enough ¡°fuel¡± to keep the slimes in peak shape? He doubted it. Whoever ended up handling the slimes would probably have to take breaks every few hours to let the critters ¡°recharge¡± next to a roaring flame unless they had access to some sort of [Fire Magic] of their own. Oh well, that wasn¡¯t his problem.
Luckily, the lack of falling snow seemed to really slow down the rate at which the slime¡¯s energy depleted; they were still a healthy shade of red by the time the trio made it to the guild. In their wake was a wide path of cleared sidewalk, which the citizens out and about had already noticed and thanked them for.
Walking up to the [Receptionist]¡¯s desk, Vee completed the paperwork to let the guild take control of the slimes and gave the woman a simple explanation of proper slime handling procedure. Basically, it boiled down to ¡®hold on to the leash no matter what and make sure the slime doesn¡¯t get too pale¡¯. Pretty simple stuff, really.
Once that was done, it was time to hurry back to the dungeon for the start of the day¡¯s runs.
A handful of adventurers were waiting outside Crestheart, and they nodded to Vee as the [Dungeon Master] made his way inside. He was pleased to see that so many had showed up ¨C his quick count was fifteen ¨C and hoped that a few more would trickle in as the day went on.
Setting Reginald down in the office, Vee took his seat and waited for first adventurer to enter. It was a big elkin [Fighter] bearing twin swords, so Vee wasted no time in expending a charge of [Boost Drops]. The adventurer looked like the type to really take his time destroying all the minions. Two skeleton mages and a pair of ghosts on the second floor were Marked, and Vee fiddled with his dials and knobs until they were all as he wanted, then gave the go ahead for the run to start.
The [Dungeon Master] was impatient as he watched the adventurer slowly walk into the first room. This run wasn¡¯t particularly important. Instead, Vee¡¯s attention was fixated on the run after he¡¯d used all of his charges of [Boost Drops], though he couldn¡¯t be sure when that would be.
He¡¯d already decided that he was going to try and push for another use of the skill today, with the goal of ¡°marking¡± two minions on the final cast. It was impossible to know when he¡¯d finally unlock a fourth true cast of the skill, but Vee was determined to keep pressing forward a little bit at a time until he got there.
Just as the adventurer finished the first floor, there came a knocking sound that almost caused Vee to fall out of his chair.
After all, it came from outside the window.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 11
Wit: 29
Faith: 20
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 12
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 10
Devious Mind: 19
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 9 (+1)
Citizenship: 19 (+1)
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 13
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 2
Might: 35
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 6
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 12
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 30
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 35
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 44
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Chapter 78: Tundra Crash
Vee scrambled to his feet, hurrying across the room to look outside. However, there was nothing beyond his window but empty sky. Now, that was what was supposed to happen, given that it was all the way up on the thirteenth floor, so he dismissed the knocking as a figment of his imagination and turned back around. However, before he¡¯d made it even halfway back to his desk, more knocks came from the window and he spun around. This time, he saw the flicker of a dark shape swinging to the left of the window.
Needless to say, that wasn¡¯t supposed to be there.
Throwing the window open, Vee stuck his head outside and looked over to see a figure hanging from the tower from a shimmering silver rope. Or maybe not a rope. It looked like a whip, actually, but one made of snowflakes. Vee shrugged. Certainly, this was unusual, but he¡¯d seen weirder things since coming to Oar¡¯s Crest.
The figure swung back and Vee saw that it was a woman. He¡¯d never been great at discerning ages, but if he had to guess he would have pegged her for being a couple years older than he was. Her hair was blue ¨C though a darker shade than his own ¨C and when their eyes met as she passed by, the [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t help but see that there were glowing silver snowflakes in the center of her pupils.
Another Witch, then. Vee shivered, but that probably had more to do with the snow than any sort of ominous realization.
Kicking her feet against the side of the tower, the woman stopped her momentum and looked up at Vee. She held out her right hand.
¡°Help me up, short stuff?¡±
Vee frowned at the name, but assisted her into the tower all the same, closing the window behind her. She clapped her hands and all the snow on her hair and clothing flew into the air. It swirled around for a moment, a blizzard in miniature, before turning into a small snowman that perched on her shoulder like a [Pirate]¡¯s parrot.
¡°My name¡¯s Holly,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Vee Vales.¡±
Well, that saved them both the drudgery of having to introduce themselves properly, though the [Dungeon Master] was a little uncomfortable that she already knew who he was. Nodding, Vee said, ¡°You know¡we have stairs that you could have taken up here. If you¡¯d fallen from that height, it wouldn¡¯t have been pretty.¡±
Holly laughed. The sound whispered with promises of fresh snow underfoot and flurries in the air. Vee shook his head. Witches.
¡°Winter is upon us, which means my powers will soon be at their peak for the year,¡± she said. ¡°If I¡¯d fallen, I simply would have used [Snow Form] before I hit the ground. It wouldn¡¯t have been a problem. Besides, I can¡¯t stand climbing stairs.¡±
Me neither, Vee thought, but I don¡¯t go climbing up the sides of buildings to get away from them.
That prompted another thought: maybe he should. With the help of Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainer]¡¯s crew, it should be possible to rig up some sort of lift outside the window out of ectoplasm, and then he¡¯d never have to climb up all those stairs again! He could just ride up and down without issue.
The [Dungeon Master] smiled at the thought before tucking it away. Again. Later.
¡°Well, what brings you here?¡±
Holly returned his grin with a wolfish one of her own, and Vee recognized it immediately. She smiles like Sacre. Tucking his hands behind his back, Vee readied himself to use [Summon Miasma] if it proved necessary, but the Snow Witch held up her hands.
¡°There was this salamander that visited me a few days ago. His name was Zeiken, and he carried a door. Pretty weird, right? Anyways, he told me to come and visit you once it started snowing properly, since you¡¯d be trying to keep the city streets clear. I¡¯m a [Snowmancer], and I¡¯d like to help.¡±
Unbidden, thoughts of improvements to Crestheart filled Vee¡¯s mind. If she wanted to help with keeping the streets clear, could he get Holly to help him improve the dungeon too? Build a collection of angry snowmen? Summon giant snowballs that rolled down hallways? Stack piles of snow that fell from the ceiling and buried adventurers? All of those sounded interesting.
They¡¯d have to wait for a little while, though. For now, he¡¯d keep the conversation focused on taking care of the city. Once that situation was completely under control, he¡¯d ask if she was interested in helping with the dungeon. The long march of progress never stopped.
[Ambition +1]
¡°That¡¯s a generous offer,¡± Vee said. ¡°I¡¯m happy for all the help I can get. Why don¡¯t we sit down over there and we can discuss how you¡¯d like to contribute?¡±
She joined him in front of the console and waited for a moment while Vee pressed the buttons and turned the dials necessary to send his Marked minions into the adventurer. The skeleton mages hurled their jinxes, but the [Axe Afficionado] shrugged them off and hacked the minions into pieces with contemptuous ease.
Vee frowned, twisting a knob to his right that would speed up the upcoming floating platform. The adventurer was a big and burly type, who he doubted was used to quick feats of athleticism. Let¡¯s see how you do with that.
¡°There¡¯s just one thing I want to know before we get started,¡± Vee said as he turned to Holly. ¡°What is it that you get out of this? Zeiken is definitely a strange one, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯d come here to offer your assistance just because he came and told you to do so. If it¡¯s money you¡¯re after, you¡¯re out of luck. I don¡¯t really have any spare fleurs lying around these days.¡±
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Holly shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just him,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s uh¡a friend of mine who asked me to come and lend a hand after Zeiken left. She said that you¡¯re a really good guy and deserved some help.¡±
As she spoke, Vee thought he smelled vanilla, cinnamon, and cloves in the air. He smiled.
Alforde walked back and forth across the floor of his arena, watching frost appear and vanish with his every step. He danced a little jig, and sure enough, it left a short-lived pattern of rime behind in his wake.
Nifty!
When he twirled around, his cape seemed to linger where it¡¯d been for a moment before following, which was¡actually kind of annoying? It felt like something was holding him in place, and the armorsoul wondered if there was a way he could make it stop doing that.
Otherwise, he¡¯d have to dismiss the cape before battles, and that¡¯d be lame!
He was equal parts excited and apprehensive about the day¡¯s contests. On the one hand, he was looking forward to testing out his new skill, [Tundra Crash], but on the other he was nervous that he might screw something up.
Still, before any of that was worth worrying about, an adventurer had to make it all the way down to the arena first. With all of Vee¡¯s new ways to manipulate the dungeon, that happening wasn¡¯t a sure thing by any means.
Time ticked by extremely slowly. Well, at least, it seemed like it did. There was no clock down here in the arena, so Alforde couldn¡¯t be sure. To amuse himself, the armorsoul practiced his stances, swinging Slammy and marveling at the faint trail of frost each stroke left behind.
He was just about to summon Shadowforde for a sparring bout when Vee¡¯s voice crackled into the chamber.
¡°Got a [Shelled Mage] coming your way, buddy. Not much for offense, as you might guess, but so far nothing we¡¯ve thrown at her has even scratched her defenses. It¡¯s all going to come down to you.¡±
Alforde perked up a bit at that. It was unusual for anyone to reach him unscathed, and the prospect of a battle against such a foe was exciting. He¡¯d really get to test himself, and see what his new skill was capable of.
Resting Slammy on the ground, Alforde spun and pointed at the door. His cape fluttered behind him and he knew ¨C knew! ¨C that he looked awesome. The adventurer was going to be so intimidated!
Actually, come to think of it, was that really what he wanted? If she was distracted by his presence, wouldn¡¯t that hinder her ability to fight?
Sadly, the armorsoul didn¡¯t have time to really ponder both possibilities. The woman threw open the doors a moment later and stepped into the arena, and he had to do his best to look powerful and intimidating.
At first, he didn¡¯t think that there was anything particularly interesting about her appearance. She was a stout woman with brown hair. However, there was a giant green turtle shell on her back that looked like it was fused to her body. In her hands was a sturdy wooden club,
¡°Hello,¡± she said with a small bow. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to our bout, [Dungeon Champion].¡±
¡°You¡¯re a¡you¡¯re, uh¡me too,¡± said Alforde, a little embarrassed by his inability to come up with a fitting pre-fight line. He¡¯d have to work on that with Reginald after the day¡¯s runs were done. What good was such a cool pose without a suitable line to go alongside it?
After all the pre-fight formalities were taken care of, Alforde settled into his stance and waited. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± he said.
The woman smiled and raised her staff into the air.
¡°[Spinning Shell]!¡± she cried.
Like a turtle, she retreated into her shell and it, naturally, lifted off the ground. Once in the air, she started spinning rapidly, and shot toward the armorsoul as soon she touched back down.
¡°[Give No Ground]!¡± Alforde hollered as the shell crashed into his legs. His skill was tested, but it held and the [Shelled Mage] spun away. Alforde advanced slowly, raising Slammy to ready a mighty strike. When his foe approached once again, the armorsoul swung as hard as he could and sent the adventurer right off the edge of the stage.
One stock down, three to go.
The adventurer bounced back up, and started spinning even faster. This time, Alforde wasn¡¯t quick enough to bat her away with his hammer, and went flying when she hit him since he hadn¡¯t had time to activate [Give No Ground] again.
Even stocks it was, then.
Wary, Alforde watched the adventurer slide back and forth. She went all the way to the edge of the stage before whizzing back, and the [Dungoen Champion] had an idea. Raising Slammy above his head, Alforde felt swirling frost form around the weapon. At the same time, he felt a strange tingle between his pauldrons. With a grunt, he slammed the hammer into the stage.
¡°[Tundra Crash]!¡±
Ice appeared around his hammer and started creeping forward, and when the adventurer reached it, Alforde saw that his skill had done what he¡¯d wanted. She lost control of her momentum and went careening off the side of the stage. He was back in the lead, without even having to land a blow that time.
The battle continued, with the [Dungeon Champion] and the [Shelled Mage] trading blows and knocking each other back and forth. Alforde used every trick at his disposal, frustrated by the way she met all of his attacks with the same skill. He disliked those who relied so heavily on a single tactic during battle. It wasn¡¯t against the rules, but at the same time, Alforde didn¡¯t feel like it was particularly fair. It just felt wrong, and the armorsoul had half a mind to pause the fight and complain.
Of course, that wasn¡¯t really an option, so Alforde had no choice but to keep doing his best to overcome the adventurer.
However, when he finally managed to knock her off the platform for the fourth and final time, he couldn¡¯t help but make a little noise of triumph.
Still, he was a professional as she returned to the stage. Shaking her hand, the [Dungeon Champion] directed her to the exit and resumed waiting for his next challenger.
Sadly, no more managed to make it down to the arena that day.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 11
Wit: 29
Faith: 20
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 13 (+1)
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 10
Devious Mind: 19
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 19
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 13
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 2
Might: 35
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 6
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 12
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 30
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 35
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 44
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Chapter 79: The Quest
Vee frowned as he examined the ghost in front of him. It¡¯d been a week since he¡¯d last had time to come down here and work on the sponge, and to his great displeasure, he found that his problems hadn¡¯t magically vanished, as he¡¯d hoped they might.
Instead, he was faced with the same glaring issue as before: no matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t get the body¡¯s shape right, and for all his efforts it still looked like a box. A lumpy box, like squeezed clay in some places, but still. He cursed.
To be sure, it was frustrating to look at a project with so much invested into it and know in the base of your stomach that it wasn¡¯t panning out, but it was a feeling Vee knew well. He¡¯d lost count of the number of things he¡¯d tried his hand at with nothing to show for it over the years, and like anything else, failure became easier to swallow with more experience.
However, unlike before, when he¡¯d simply washed his hands of his efforts and set his sights on new, greener pastures ¨C swearing that this time he wouldn¡¯t make the mistakes that had led him to his abandonment ¨C the [Ghost Maestro] was determined to salvage something from what he¡¯d learned. He summoned a cage of ectoplasm and packed the sponge inside, vowing to return to it once his ability to shape ectoplasm was better. In its place, he had a simple design for a new ghost that should be easier to make. Heck, what passed for the sponge was already there, he just didn¡¯t feel like going through the fuss of removing the arms.
Instead, Vee pinched his thumb and index finger together and started making a new ghost. This time, he leaned into its cubical nature, reinforcing the corners so that they¡¯d be sturdy. He made the ghost bigger than the sponge had been, relying on the measurements he¡¯d gotten from Do to ensure that it wouldn¡¯t be bigger than the hallways it would inhabit.
During his talks with Holly, which had quickly progressed beyond her terms for helping manage the snow of the city streets ¨C a strange thing, those, as the [Snowmancer] insisted on only plying her craft under cover of darkness where there were no prying eyes ¨C Vee had learned that his dreams of a massive snowball rolling down the hallways to almost flatten adventurers was impractical. Too much melt, apparently.
That was fine, he would achieve the same result with ectoplasm.
This new ghost, which Vee thought of as a ¨C darn, he¡¯d have to spend some time thinking of a proper name ¨C came together quickly. Hard not to, when its shape was simply a big blue cube. Staring at it, Vee felt something was missing. It didn¡¯t feel particularly¡ghostly¡
So, Vee added eyes and a mouth. They were both simple shapes that didn¡¯t truly function, but they were there for aesthetics, and Vee thought they served that purpose just fine. He did give the ghost the ability to make a single noise: a loud OORUH. He would have preferred something better, but the working required him to provide the inspiration for the noise and his abilities in that department were¡rather limited.
Folding the ghost up ¨C he¡¯d learned a lot about collapsible structures from his experiments with the sponge ¨C Vee took the new ghost down to the dungeon and unpacked it in a hallway. Hanako had done as he¡¯d requested, replacing the fire traps with sliding ice tiles, and it took almost no effort to write up floor orders that sent the ghost whizzing down the hall as soon as someone entered. It slammed into the far end, then slowly drew back toward its origin point. Vee obscured it with a thin sheet of ectoplasm ¨C more of a curtain, really, that would lift into the ceiling after the door leading to the hallway closed ¨C and tested it a few more times. When he was satisfied with its speed, he moved on to the next step of incorporating it into the dungeon: creating spaces to hide.
After all, it wouldn¡¯t be sporting if there was no way to dodge the ghost, even if the impact wouldn¡¯t be lethal. As such, Vee used [Walking Walls] to create a trio of alcoves along the sides of the hallway that adventurers could duck into as the ghost slid by. While they were mostly there for dodging, the addition of a few trick doors and mimics down the line would also mean that they could also serve as effective honeypots.
[Devious Mind +1]
He made a mental note to order some mimics once the dungeon¡¯s financial situation allowed for it. A hundred gold fleurs apiece? Who had that kind of money?
Hopefully him, someday.
Vee wanted to make a few more of the new¡ghosts to use in other rooms and hallways, but for now his work was done. He returned to the office after his materials were in their rightful places and the trio returned to the boarding house.
It was snowing again as they made their way along freshly cleared roads. The piles of snow on either side of the street had been turned into a hodgepodge of faceless figures, and Vee was pleased to see a couple towering creations that were passable imitations of Alforde amongst their number. The sculptors had gotten the armorsoul¡¯s proportions wrong ¨C his pauldrons weren¡¯t that big ¨C but it was the thought that counted.
One of the Snowfordes, only a block away from the boarding house, was paired with a short, stumpy snow figure that made Reginald cackle when it came into view.
¡°I think that¡¯s supposed to be you after someone asks you a question, Boss,¡± the hat said with glee. ¡°See? It has your blank expression!¡±
Vee flicked the hat¡¯s brim, and stomped through the snow to get a better look at his snowy form. ¡°He¡± was wearing a long cape thing, and a blobby cylinder that could have been a top hat if you really, really squinted was atop his head. The [Dungeon Master] swore loudly when he realized that the snowman was taller than he was, and kicked it apart with gusto.
¡°That wasn¡¯t very nice of you,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Whoever made that snowman probably just couldn¡¯t believe that you¡¯re so short either!¡±
Vee took the hat off and looked into Reginald¡¯s glowing eyes. A wicked smile appeared on the [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s face.
¡°Guess who has no thumbs and will be spending the night under a series of boxes in the closet?¡±
The hat shut up.
Sculla was outside the boarding house, like always, but she held up her hand when the trio tried to walk past.
¡°Got a few minutes, Vales? I¡¯d like to have a word with you.¡±
Vee and Alforde slowed to a stop, but Sculla gestured for the armorsoul to leave. ¡°Just Vee. Take the hat with you too.¡±
Reginald scowled at the ogre, but her face remained impassive as she took a slow draw of her pipe. Alforde and Vee exchanged a glance, and Vee¡¯s friend nodded, taking Reginald up to their room.
Sculla patted the step beneath her own.
¡°Go ahead and sit down,¡± she said, and Vee did as requested.
Despite the snow, the stairs were warm, somehow, and Vee had a peculiar knot in the pit of his stomach as he looked up at the ogre. This would be no ordinary conversation about the weather, he suspected.
However, that was indeed where it started.
¡°Using the slimes to manage the snow was a good idea,¡± Sculla said as she shook some of the ashes out of her pipe onto the sidewalk below. They vanished almost instantly. ¡°It¡¯ll make the coming winter a lot less unpleasant.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the hope,¡± Vee said.
¡°But I do find myself wondering, what about next year?¡±
Vee met the ogre¡¯s eyes, and felt as if he was staring into an infinite expanse. Sculla watched him serenely, taking small puffs from her pipe and blowing out equally small smoke rings. They smelled sweet, and a little spicy as they hovered around the stairs. After a moment¡¯s wait, she raised an eyebrow.
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¡°Well?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Vee said quietly. ¡°I¡haven¡¯t really thought that far ahead yet.¡±
Sculla snorted. ¡°I suspected as much,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re not really the carefully laid plans type.¡±
Normally, Vee would have thought that an insult, but the tone of her voice suggested more of a gentle chide and he let the comment pass.
¡°The problem, though,¡± Sculla said, growing more serious, ¡°is that you¡¯re building a reputation for yourself here in Oar¡¯s Crest that can¡¯t be half-assed. You¡¯re not just Vee Vales, disinherited son of a wealthy family, anymore. You¡¯re not even just the [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart, new novelty attraction, either. You¡¯re more. You¡¯re Vee Vales, the man who organizes festivals and volunteers his minions to make sure that the streets of the city stay clear. Those are good things, and we¡¯re better off for them, but will they be here next year? In five years? In ten? What sort of future do you envision for yourself? {Tell Me}, Vee, what it is that you want to do here in Oar¡¯s Crest?¡±
Vee¡¯s father had asked a similar series of questions the night he¡¯d kicked Vee out. The young man could still see his father¡¯s blazing eyes as they argued, could still taste the bitter anger on his tongue as he¡¯d packed his belongings into a small bag and left the estate to go find Alforde. He swallowed hard, and shook his head as his thoughts raced.
¡°I want to keep running Crestheart,¡± Vee said. ¡°I know I¡¯m not fantastic at it and that I have a lot left to learn about being a good [Dungeon Master], but I enjoy the challenge and seeing the dungeon grow makes me happy. I want to keep watching Alforde get stronger and come up with new ways of challenging adventurers. I really want to pay Sacre¡¯s loan back. ¡±
He found that his thoughts grew clearer as he spoke. Ideas that had been nothing more than formless vapor in the darkest recesses of his mind crystalized, turning into beacons pulling him forward. Words filled his throat, burning to escape with every smoke-scented breath.
Sculla regarded him carefully. There was something terrifying about her gaze.
¡°Is that all you want? {Tell Me}, do you care for nothing beyond your dungeon?¡±
¡°No, of course that¡¯s not all I want. I want to¡I want to¡I don¡¯t know. This whole city is like a ghost, and it breaks my heart. The people who live here deserve better. I want to help them; I want to fix things. I want to turn Crestheart into something that¡Gawain¡¯s balls, I don¡¯t know! What do you want me to say?¡±
His throat was tight and his eyes tingled, but Vee set his jaw and stared defiantly at the ogre. She took another long draw from her pipe, and when she exhaled the [Dungeon Master] found that the strange urge to speak had faded.
¡°That¡¯s enough, for now. You want to bring about a change, huh? You¡¯re not the first drelemah, you know.¡±
¡°Not the first what?¡±
Sculla¡¯s expression darkened. Now her smoke had a bitter smell, though she hadn¡¯t replaced the leaf. Vee shrank back a little bit.
¡°Drelemah. An ogre word of no great importance. You¡¯re not the first person to come to this city and think that they could fix it. I have seen more young, idealistic fools come here than I can count, all of them hoping to make a name for themselves. They¡¯d heard the stories of our glory and wanted to reclaim some of that. Some claimed they could do it through strength of arms, others through politics. Though their methods differed, the results never changed. You can see them for yourself.¡±
She pointed at the broken windows and abandoned buildings all around them.
¡°Though we might hope otherwise, Oar¡¯s Crest can never return to what it once was.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±
Sculla seemed to grow taller. Her horns curled and her fangs became wicked. The muscles of her arms swelled and her skin changed until it was the same color as the embers in her pipe. When she next spoke, her voice made the stairs tremble.
¡°DO YOU BELIEVE ¨C TRULY BELIEVE ¨C THAT YOU CAN SUCCEED WHERE ALL THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU COULD NOT? {TELL ME}, ARE YOU THAT ARROGANT, VEE VALES?¡±
¡°No,¡± said Vee, refusing to back away from her gaze. [Stiffen Spine] kicked in, though a bead of sweat rolled down Vee¡¯s forehead. It¡¯s just like facing down a ghost, he thought to himself. A big, fiery, ogre-shaped ghost.
Surprisingly, the thought wasn¡¯t as reassuring as he¡¯d hoped it would be.
¡°I¡¯m not. I don¡¯t. It¡¯s¡you¡¯re probably right, Sculla. Oar¡¯s Crest can¡¯t go back to what it once was. But that¡¯s no reason it can¡¯t be something just as good, if a little different.¡±
¡°AND YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN? WITH CRESTHEART?¡±
¡°I want to try. That¡¯s what matters, right?¡±
Like a popped balloon, Sculla seemed to deflate. The colors swirling around her faded, and she returned to her normal form. The transformation had been so quick that Vee briefly wondered if he¡¯d simply imagined it.
¡°If only that were the case,¡± the ogre said, her voice quiet now. ¡°I once believed that to be true. But still, I think your heart is in the right place and that counts for something. I apologize for my temper. When you¡¯ve lived as long as I have, you find that your patience isn¡¯t always what it used to be.¡±
¡°And uh, how long exactly is that?¡±
¡°A long time. Since this city was nothing more than a clearing in the shadow of the mountains. However, that¡¯s a tale for another time. I must warn you though, boy. What you want to do isn¡¯t as easy as picking a minion to sit in your dungeon. There are those in this city who like things the way they are, and they won¡¯t be happy if you start getting in their way. Will you accept that risk for the betterment of Oar¡¯s Crest?¡±
¡°I will.¡±
Looking up at the sky, Sculla nodded, and a white-hot surge of awareness filled Vee¡¯s mind.
[Citizenship +1]
[Quest Received: Through Crestheart, rebuild Oar¡¯s Crest!]
[Dangers: Animosity from existing powers within the city, injury, death]
[Rewards for completion: {Azure Crest}, |???? ????|]
[Description: Lead the way to a prosperous future for Oar¡¯s Crest, chasing away the shadows of the past.]
With the notification came an ethereal sensation that was less a shift and more a punch in the face. Vee blinked and activated [Third Sight], finding himself face to face with the Expectation.
It was fully formed now, a snake-dragon twenty feet long from head to tail, covered in shimmering blue scales of every shade imaginable. Occasionally, words flickered across them, but most of them were gone too quickly for Vee to read properly.
The ones he did all shared a common theme: Opportunity. Joy. Prosperity. Hope.
Vee clenched his teeth and swallowed. Reaching into his pocket, he drew out his [Ghost Baton] and pointed it at the Expectation. There was an opening in his orchestra that needed to be filled, and if there was a better candidate for it than a giant spirit dragon, Vee was hard pressed to know what it might be.
He cast his thoughts around, trying to settle on a suitable sound to bind it to. When he decided on one, he smiled.
¡°Hey-hey! Fourth Section!¡±
His will entered the Expectation and there was a brief struggle before the snake-dragon acquiesced. His fourth section was filled, now. Vee frowned. Such a thing wasn¡¯t unheard of, but was strange all the same.
The Expectation floated toward him and coiled itself around his shoulders like a cat looking for a place to sleep. The weight that came along with it was still heavy, but not nearly as burdensome as it¡¯d once been. Vee took a deep breath and let himself acclimate to the sensation, and after a few moments it joined the list of things he could push to the back of his mind.
[Additional Section Bonus Earned!]
[Hey-Hey Section Bonus: Charisma +1]
Vee ran his hand through his hair. Eventually, he¡¯d come up with a better name for that section, but it would do for now.
Sculla reached out and clapped him on the shoulder, sending Vee sprawling down the stairs. Spiritual strength was one thing, but Vee¡¯s Might was still far too low to withstand such physical force, though the ogre had been careful to use barely any of her own.
¡°I¡¯m rooting for you, boy.¡±
Vee groaned and sat up, grimacing as he rubbed his shoulder, which had taken one of the stairs at an awkward angle. He glared down at them.
Truly, stairs were a blight upon existence.
He looked up at the ogre and nodded solemnly.
¡°I¡¯ll try not to let you down.¡±
The ogre nodded and a breeze blew the last tendrils of her smoke away. Climbing to his feet, Vee bowed ever so slightly, and headed up to his room.
He was going to have a long talk with Alforde and Reginald.
From somewhere far away, Vee thought he heard the sound of trumpets.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 11
Wit: 29
Faith: 20
Adventurousness: 6
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 11 (+1)
Devious Mind: 20 (+1)
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20 (+1)
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 20
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 13
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 2
Might: 35
Wit: 11
Faith: 24
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Heart of a Champion: 6
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 12
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 30
Faith: 10
Ambition: 25
Greed: 21
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 35
F^#$#$%@#
Loyalty: 44
Patience: 12
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 5
Chapter 80: Dungeons Of The Future (End of volume 1)
Hendon Trisdale drummed his fingers on the granite desk and looked at the large clock on the far side of the room. It was almost noon, which meant that it¡¯d been a little less than three hours since the meeting was supposed to start.
Needless to say, he was not particularly pleased about that fact. It was a beautiful day out and he would have much preferred to spend the afternoon beneath the sun instead of sitting in this darkened room.
At least the wine was good. Deina Sohrik, the blue salamander [Dungeon Master] from Amespool was a [Wine Afficionado] of no small skill, and she¡¯d brought several of her finest bottles to the negotiation in the spirit of ¡°productive discourse.¡± Hendon refilled his glass and took a sip. Sadly, his palate wasn¡¯t sufficiently developed to detect the ¡°subtle notes of stone fruit, lavender, and chocolate¡± that the salamander insisted were there; it just tasted like red wine to him.
His stomach rumbled, and Hendon wished that there were something to eat. Unfortunately, the table was empty; snacks were supposed to have been brought by Amity Sureclaw, the [Woodsmith] they were all waiting on. In all of his thirty four years, Hendon hadn¡¯t ever met a person he disliked so thoroughly prior to meeting.
He took a deep breath to calm himself. It was nothing but a hunch, but Hendon suspected that the kitrekin was late on purpose. She wanted them all uncomfortable, and he refused to give her the satisfaction.
Another forty minutes passed before the door squeaked open and a broad kitrekin stepped into the room. Behind her stood a trio of golems. They were limber, timber things, made of interlocking plates of light and dark wood.
Instead of pulling out a chair and sitting down like the rest of the [Dungeon Masters], Amity clapped her paws together instead.
¡°[Furniture Form: Chair],¡± she said. Making a series of bizarre clanking and clacking sounds, the golems did so, their limbs extending and retracting as they combined together into a large chair. It looked like a throne. Hendon suspected that was intentional too. As he stared at the piece of chimeric furniture, Hendon was reminded of the [Mighty Hero] tales he enjoyed as a child, which centered around groups of color-coordinated teenagers battling an ever-changing roster of [Villains] in a series of complex amalgamation golems. He¡¯d liked those stories, even if they¡¯d mostly been designed to sell toys.
Heck, maybe the reason he¡¯d liked them so much was that they were naked in their ambition to sell figurines.
Even as a child, Hendon had been said to have fleurs in his eyes.
The [Woodsmith] smacked her forehead.
¡°Oh my goodness,¡± she said in a voice far too contrite to be sincere. ¡°I totally forgot about the snacks, I¡¯m so sorry, everyone!¡±
Hendon raised an eyebrow. Definitely all on purpose, then. He opened his mouth to tell her to cut the crap, but was prevented from doing so by Deina.
¡°It¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯ll arrange for some refreshments to be brought up from the kitchen,¡± she said, the lilt in her voice betraying a birthplace other than Amespool, where she now resided. ¡°Once I return, we¡¯ll begin our meeting. There¡¯s lots to discuss.¡±
The hooded elkin in the corner of the room, whose name Hendon hadn¡¯t quite managed to catch when he¡¯d mumbled it after coming in, nodded and folded his hands together. It was no surprise Hendon hadn¡¯t caught his name; the elkin was from Old Narluc, that den of madness and barely-functional [Cultists]. Watching the way the hooded figure seemed to tremble in his seat, Hendon wasn¡¯t entirely sure that the [Dungeon Master] was any different than the rest of his festering fellows. After all, his eyes glowed with a crimson light and his shadow looked to be doing¡a little jig against the wall.
Definitely mad, then.
Anyway, that wasn¡¯t unexpected. Swallowing hard, Hendon steeled himself to ignore the weirdness. He wasn¡¯t here to make friends; he was here to make a deal.
***
To Hendon¡¯s displeasure, all talks of business were forced to wait until after the meal ¨C a three course eating experience was not a snack, no matter what Deina said ¨C and the cleanup that followed it. The Shontsdale [Dungeon Master] found his patience was thin, but he had no choice but to force himself to smile and wait for Deina and Amity to finish their conversation about ducks. Yes, ducks.
He wanted to scream.
Finally, the pair reached the end of their discussion regarding the ¡°deep and fascinating¡± nuances of creatures whose primary contribution to existence was quacking loudly and waddling in front of carriages at perfectly inopportune times, and it was finally time to start talking dungeons.
Praise be to Gawain and Piper both for their blessings.
Deina leaned forward and folded her claws together. Flicking out her tongue, the salamander drew herself up to her full sitting height and leaned forward.
¡°Welcome to what I hope is the first meeting of many, my fellow [Dungeon Masters]. As you all know, we¡¯re here to discuss starting a little venture in our corner of the continent. Before we begin though, I think it¡¯d be beneficial for us all to formally introduce ourselves. I¡¯ll start. I¡¯m Deina Sohrik, and I¡¯m responsible for running The Lilypad Labyrinth, a level five dungeon in Amespool. Since the lakes around our city is its lifeblood, my dungeon embraces that theme. The adventurers that challenge its four floors must manage the water levels of each one, while battling local monsters. My [Dungeon Champion] is named Imelia, and she¡¯s a level thirty-three [Lady Of The Lake]. Champion battles are a bout of single combat that ends when one fighter surrenders or is unable to battle any further. On average, we face about a hundred and eighty adventurers per week. Amity, would you introduce your dungeon next?¡±
The kitrekin coughed and clapped her paws together. One of her chair¡¯s armrests opened, and the [Woodsmith] drew out a blueprint, which she laid on the table.
From the outside, the structure it depicted looked like a large chest, with staircases on both sides.
¡°Amity Sureclaw. My dungeon is known as The Puzzle Box,¡± she said with a wry smile that caused her whiskers to quiver. ¡°Level four. It¡¯s three floors, though the sizes change with the seasons. As a [Woodsmith], I specialize in creating amalgamation golems that combine together into powerful forms.¡±
Looking at her chair, Hendon wondered if there were other shapes the three golems she¡¯d come in with could take. Could they make a carriage? Or perhaps they had combat forms in addition to furniture? He couldn¡¯t tell.
¡°In addition to golems,¡± Amity continued, ¡°I also fill the dungeon with a lot of traps and other threats. I don¡¯t have a [Dungeon Champion], but instead we use a twelve-piece golem that we can equip with different equipment for each bout. The battle itself takes place in a large arena we call the toy box. It¡¯s filled with springs, screws, and other devices. Since our work is so easily broken and time-consuming to make, my staff and I focus on serving a more luxurious adventuring niche. As such, we only see about thirty-five to forty adventurers per week.¡±
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¡°Thanks Amity,¡± Deina said. ¡°Orij, would you like to go next?¡±
The elkin grunted as he stood and removed his hood. His antlers were painted the same crimson color as the glow in his eyes, and he seemed unusually tall and thin. When he spoke, it sounded like an old bell ringing in the dark of night. Hendon shook his head. What the heck did that even mean? It was nonsense, wasn¡¯t it?
Still, that was the image that burned itself into his mind as he listened to the elkin, and to deny it would have been to engage in a most terrible folly.
Hendon rubbed his temples and wished he had a mug of strong tea.
¡°You may call me Orij Everdark,¡± the elkin droned. ¡°My dungeon hsshshhshshs¡± ¨C try as he might, Hendon couldn¡¯t quite make out the name ¨C ¡°is in the midst of building its fourth floor, though that matters little for the challenge inside. I¡¯m proud to say that it¡¯s level six. Filled with mirrors and gates of fog, the dungeon is focused on testing an adventurers bravery. To that effect, we overlap a variety of auras, but [Aura of Terror], [Aura of Insanity], and [Aura of Disorientation] are the most potent ones we wield. Beyond their influence, we rely on a collection of re-summonable [Mini-Bosses]. My [Dungeon Champion] is named Lwayne, a level twenty-four [Dreamdancer]. The bouts are pseudo-hallucinatory in nature, as Lwayne pits his Faith against those adventurers who would emerge triumphant. Like Amity, we target a specific adventurer niche. Our focus is mostly on those practitioners who seek the arcane truths of the hidden world. As such, we serve about fifteen adventurers a week.¡±
Pulling his hood back up, Orij returned to his seat. Hendon fought to keep his face neutral. Both Orij and Amity were smaller than he¡¯d expected, but they both seemed to be doing pretty well. They must have stupidly high margins, he thought. If nothing else comes of this meeting, it¡¯ll be nice to see how they¡¯re able to charge such high prices
With a gesture, Deina indicated that it was Hendon¡¯s turn to introduce himself.
¡°Hi there,¡± he said, his words sticking together just a little bit courtesy of the wine. ¡°I¡¯m Hendon Trisdale and I¡¯m the [Dungeon Master] of Sunglass Castle, a level five dungeon in Shontsdale. My town is mostly known for agriculture, but I¡¯m hoping to change that. The castle will be getting its fifth floor in another three or four months, and it¡¯s a well-rounded experience with a little bit of everything. My [Dungeon Champion] is a level 31 [Prismatic Paladin] named Bartholomew, who battles foes in classic ring-out match. We see about two hundred adventurers a week.¡±
As he fell silent, the four [Dungeon Masters] all studied each other. Deina introduced the real topic for the day¡¯s meeting: coming together to form a dungeon development committee. Not to be confused with a dungeon circuit, of course.
See, the union had extremely strict rules about starting a new dungeon circuit. The rulebook on the matter was thick enough to stop an arrow shot by a [Deadeye]. That wasn¡¯t hyperbole either, Hendon had tested it himself.
Heck, joining a circuit ¨C even as an auxiliary member ¨C was darn near impossible. Under the guise of ¡°fairness¡±, the union fat cats required applying dungeons to be at least level nine, have five floors, and have been operating for three years.
However, there was an old loophole that people didn¡¯t dare talk about much, lest they cause it to vanish by doing so. Dungeon development committees. These ¡°informal¡± partnerships were circuits in all but name. On paper, they were simply a cooperative venture between dungeons too small to join a circuit in which they helped each other grow. The intent was that by collaborating on elements like floor costs, prize payouts, and marketing campaigns, new and upcoming dungeons would improve together, creating a pool of talent for circuits to draw from whenever they needed or desired new blood.
In practice, that wasn¡¯t what happened. It was rare for circuits to bring entirely new dungeons into their ranks. Instead, most of them preferred to simply shuffle between a collection of dungeons they¡¯d worked with for decades. This was especially true of the biggest circuits, the so-called ¡°Diamond Tours¡±, most of whom were still comprised of the dungeons they¡¯d been founded with.
Hendon knew it wasn¡¯t fair, but he¡¯d long since been disavowed of the notion that life was supposed to be, so it didn¡¯t bother him. Much.
Denia said something about ¡°merchandising agreements¡±, and Hendon realized that he hadn¡¯t been paying particularly close attention to the conversation at hand. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to focus.
There were details to be ironed out, and Hendon Trisdale was a man who made his living in those tiny spaces.
***
Over the next hour, the four [Dungeon Masters] agreed on a standardized fee structure ¨C with the disparate clientele they served, hoping to achieve a universal price that wouldn¡¯t beggar at least half of them was never going to happen ¨C as well as other logistical concerns. They would share trap designs and layout advice, cooperate on merchandise manufacturing and sale, and contribute equally to marketing and prize pools. However, there was one matter that they couldn¡¯t settle, no matter how much they bickered back and forth.
Nobody wanted to be the first dungeon.
It was a well known fact in dungeon circuits ¨C sorry, development committees ¨C that the majority of the prestige belonged to the final dungeon. Naturally, the inverse was also believed to be true, that the first dungeon challenged was somehow lesser than the rest. Certainly, it made sense; more people believed in saving their best for last instead of starting strong.
However, someone needed to be willing to take the plunge and be the first stop. Large, established circuits handled the issue by making the order randomly, or giving each dungeon each spot in the lineup over a period of several years. Neither of those were really options here, as the four of them had no basis for trust between them or an expectation of working together for years to come.
They argued and argued, their tempers flaring. Finally, Hendon could take no more and stood up. Though he hated to admit it, this had been a waste of time. None of them were willing to budge.
Not even Hendon himself.
Before he could open his mouth, there was a squeaking sound in the back of the room. Four heads turned, and they all saw a yellow salamander walking through a door that definitely hadn¡¯t been there when the meeting started.
The newcomer was covered in dirt and had a few jagged wounds on his shoulder that looked like teeth marks, but he was smiling and bowed low to all of them in turn.
¡°It¡¯s not too late, is it?¡± the salamander asked. ¡°My name is Zeiken and I¡¯ve come all the way from Oar¡¯s Crest to speak with you four.¡±
He smiled.
¡°Dungeons of the future, I bring an offer that you may find of interest.¡±
Character Sheets:
Hendon Trisdale
Primary Class: Deadeye (Derrick Trisdale), Level 35
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Shontsdale), Level 20
Tertiary Class: Accountant (Shontsdale Academy), Level 16
Might: 33
Wit: 41
Faith: 38
Ambition: 29
Diligence: 27
Plotting: 8
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 13
Leadership: 25
Intimidating Presence: 6
Guts: 11
Loyalty: 28
Citizenship: 25
Deina Sohrik
Primary Class: Dungeon Master (Amespool), Level 31
Secondary Class: Wine Afficionado (Sapphire Grotto), Level 27
Additional Class: Merchant (Leitin Bahm), Level 22
Might: 24
Wit: 40
Faith: 13
Ambition: 30
Charisma: 19
Devious Mind: 10
Taste: 43
Silver Tongue: 38
Leadership: 26
Citizenship: 30
Amity Sureclaw
Primary Class: Woodsmith (Oakstaff University), Level 33
Secondary Class: Golemist (Self), Level 27
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Master (Yew¡¯s Rise), Level 25
Might: 39
Wit: 28
Faith: 7
Plotting: 39
Devious Mind: 45
Charisma: 22
Leadership: 11
Craftsmanship: 48
Citizenship: 14
Orij Everdark
Primary Class: hshshshshshshs (hshshshshs), Level hshs
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Old Narluc), Level 39
Tertiary Class: hshshshshshshshshshshs (hshshshshshs), Level hshs
Additional Class: Baker (Self), Level 18
Might: 9
Wit: 50
Faith: 61
Plotting: 47
Leadership: 40
Devious Mind: 50
Madness: hshshshs
Devotion: 32
Manipulativeness: 42
Deceptiveness: 51
Patience: 36
Citizenship: 3
Volume 2 Chapter 1: Bandits!
The city of Oar¡¯s Crest slept beneath a fresh blanket of snow. Without any clouds in the sky and the sun little more than a sliver of orange over the horizon, it promised to be a clear, albeit cold day.
Since it was so early in the morning, there were barely any people out and about as Vee Vales, his best friend Alforde Armorsoul ¨C an animated suit of armor almost eight feet tall ¨C and his talking blue top hat, Reginald, made their way across the snowy streets to the dilapidated and piecemeal gate of scrap metal that separated Westown from Northtown.
Today, like always, the gate was guarded by a pair of [City Guards]. One of them ¨C a salamander named Wureini ¨C smiled at Vee as he asked for them to open the gate, while the other ¨C a ginger kitrekin with big ears and scraggly whiskers ¨C simply frowned at the trio and waved them through.
Crestheart Tower, a building thirteen stories tall, loomed in the middle of a mostly cleared street. It was old, having been built during the better days of Oar¡¯s Crest, and like many of the other buildings nearby, was a constant reminder of what had once been. And what would be again if Vee had anything to say about it.
He¡¯d not given much thought to his quest to rebuild the city for the last few days, having arrived at the conclusion with Alforde and Reginald that the best course of action for the time being was to keep on doing what they were already working on: building the dungeon and finding ways to improve the daily lives of the citizens when the opportunities presented themselves.
Next to the tower was the key to that plan: Crestheart proper. It was a shoddy warehouse that looked like it¡¯d been hastily constructed by a group of people who barely knew what they were doing, which of course was exactly the case. However, despite its humble appearance, it was in fact a dungeon, and Vee was its master.
¡°Well,¡± Vee said with a smile. ¡°Today¡¯s the day, huh?¡±
¡°Sure is, boss,¡± Reginald said with a motion that Vee recognized as his [Majordomo] cracking a grin of his own.
¡°Yeah! It¡¯s expansion day! Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go,¡± cried Alforde as he threw open the door to the tower. The trio made their way all the way up to the office at the very top of an accursedly large number of steps and set down their belongings.
There, in the center of the room, was Dheart, the slightly eldritch-looking purple and orange dungeon heart that provided power to Crestheart¡¯s doors, floors, and minions, in addition to serving as the liaison between Vee and the Union of [Dungeon Masters].
It was that latter purpose for which Vee was interested in Dheart that morning. After two weeks of aggressive practice of his [Boost Drops] skill ¨C which had finally culminated in a proper fourth cast the previous friarsday ¨C and months of casual earning before that, Vee had finally accrued the two hundred and fifty shards of chaos necessary to add another floor to the dungeon.
The dungeon heart whirred to life before Vee could reach down and touch it, and Dheart¡¯s stilted voice filled the office.
¡°Good morning, Master. How may I be of assistance?¡±
¡°Good morning, Dheart. Open the vault, please.¡±
There was a groaning sound as the walls on the far side of the room shifted and shimmered for a moment before revealing a small door. Inside it was a space that Vee didn¡¯t want to think about too hard, because he wasn¡¯t entirely sure how pocket dimensions worked. With Alforde¡¯s help*, the [Dungeon Master] brought out two small chests. He opened the first, which was filled with glimmering stones.
Shards of chaos didn¡¯t look particularly chaotic, to be honest. They were all roughly the same size and shape. However, the mirror-coated stones vibrated ever so slightly in Vee¡¯s palm, and the force of their vibration increased as he brought them over to Dheart.
¡°How exactly does this work?¡± Vee asked.
¡°Question unclear. How exactly does what work?¡± Dheart answered.
Vee sighed. The dungeon heart could be a real pain in the rear sometimes.
¡°How do we use these shards of chaos to add a floor to Crestheart?¡±
The dungeon heart rumbled and spluttered for a few moments, and then a drawer that didn¡¯t look at all like a gaping maw ¨C no sir, why would you even think such a thing? ¨C popped open on its side.
¡°In a controlled manner, pour the shards of chaos into the newly opened drawer and I will take care of the rest,¡± Dheart said.
Feeling a little bit like he was a kid again putting fleurs into those stupid coin games that darkened the corner of almost every game parlor of his childhood, Vee reached into the box and scooped out a handful of shards. He slowly poured them into the drawer until they were all gone.
It was a little unsettling, Vee thought, the way that the engine burped after the last shard was swallowed. Shaking his head, Vee returned the now-empty chest to the vault and waited with Alforde and Reginald while Dheart trembled and shook.
The trio was silent for the next fifteen minutes while the dungeon heart did whatever it was doing, and were all more than a little relieved when Dheart made a noise that sounded satisfied and spoke up once more.
¡°Calibrating new energy reserves,¡± it said in its strangely staccato voice, ¡°preparing fourth floor for addition. Estimated time until completion: seventy-two hours. Warning: normal dungeon functions will be unavailable until the new floor is complete. Are you sure that you would like to proceed?¡±
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Vee grimaced and looked down at the other chest he¡¯d taken out of the vault. Opening it, he looked down at the pile of fleurs stacked inside and shook his head. Losing three days of business was never anywhere close to ideal, but it was especially painful today, when he was due to make his next payment to Sacre. Still, it wasn¡¯t like this was a real decision to make. Adding another floor to the dungeon was too important to even consider not doing.
¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°Go ahead and get started, Dheart. I¡¯ll make sure all the runs that were scheduled for today get cancelled and rescheduled for after the floor is done and ready.¡±
¡°You should make sure that Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] are on hand as well,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Just in case anything pops up that needs their attention as the floor expansion happens.¡±
¡°Good call,¡± said Vee. Though he wasn¡¯t sure what sort of problems could arise ¨C the union¡¯s handbook had been surprisingly short on details regarding dungeon expansions beyond a summary of what to expect ¨C it didn¡¯t hurt to make sure he was as ready for them as he could be.
Closing his eyes, the [Ghost Maestro] reached through his bonds to get in touch with the fiends that made up the heavy section of his orchestra. They were the [Dungeon Maintainers], responsible for making sure that Crestheart stayed in good repair, and handling all of the construction details that needed to be taken care of. With every week that passed, they grew more competent and confident, and Vee sometimes found it hard to remember that only a few short months ago they¡¯d been little more than raging spirits made of hatred and violence like the rest of their kind.
Still have to deal with the implications of that, he thought as Do acknowledged the order.
¡°Well, we¡¯ll leave you to it, then,¡± Vee said to Dheart. The dungeon heart chirped and got to work on expanding, making all manner of horrible sounds that sent shivers down Vee¡¯s spine. In order to distract himself, lest he focus on it to the expense of all else, Vee got to writing a letter that would apologize to the adventurers soon to be coming that the day¡¯s runs were canceled due to dungeon maintenance.
After that was finished, he found himself pacing back and forth in the office. He had to wait until Walnut came to collect the week¡¯s fleurs, but what was he going to do with his time after that?
As it turned out, the answer to that question for the next few hours was: wait for Walnut to actually show up. Vee paced back and forth in the office, staring out at the snowy afternoon until finally, he caught the sight of a figure dressed in a long black jacket sauntering towards the tower.
Walnut walked into the office a few minutes later, rubbing his hands together and smiling in a way that reminded Vee of a scary book he¡¯d once read.
¡°Another week, another collection, eh Shortstack?¡±
Vee nodded and did everything he could to keep his expression neutral. He hated the nickname, but knew from previous experience with bullies that letting them see that they were getting to you was an easy way to ensure that they never left you alone. What¡¯d he care what Walnut thought, anyways?
His ploy seemed to work after a minute or so, though that might have had more than a little to do with the fact that Walnut was obviously uneasy at the sight and sound of Dheart¡¯s¡whatever it was doing. The gangster warily eyed the dungeon heart and tightened his gloves no fewer than three times. Vee filed that particular tick away for later.
¡°You, uh, got something goin¡¯ on?¡± he asked, nodding at the dungeon heart.
Vee shrugged and turned around. He had to admit, Walnut¡¯s dedication to trying to make small talk each week ¨C even though Vee hadn¡¯t yet indulged him beyond common courtesy ¨C was impressive.
¡°Money¡¯s all there,¡± Vee said, pointing at the pile of thirty-five gold fleurs on the table.
Walnut walked over, cast another suspicious glance at Dheart, and then picked the coins up to count them. He flipped each fleur over his fingers once, and then like a [Stage Magician] made them all vanish into the front pocket of his coat, despite the fact that such a thing shouldn¡¯t have been possible.
¡°Pleasure as always, Shortstack. See you next week,¡± he said as he pocketed the last coin.
Vee grunted as the door slammed shut.
*Also known as ¡°Standing still and watching Alforde do all the work¡±
The more Vee thought about it, the more of a blessing it was that Dheart¡¯s new addition was going to take three days. After all, the dungeon was starting to run out of minions. Well, not all minions ¨C there was a steady influx of slimes, thanks to Pretzel and technically, Vee could cobble together low level ghosts if it came down to it ¨C but the elementals and skeletons were both almost completely depleted. He¡¯d been having to remix his packs every couple runs to get the ever dwindling creatures into something that vaguely resembled a threat.
Despite letters from the union assuring him that the ¡°frustrating bandit problem which has inhibited our ability to make deliveries as we¡¯re used to will soon be dealt with¡±, there was no sign of relief for any non-food trade goods around the continent. Heck, if anything, the problem seemed to be getting worse.
According to the daily newspapers, which Vee had taken to reading, the leader of the criminals, a man known as the ¡°Cowled Thrush¡±, was apparently too canny to be trapped and too powerful to defeat in normal combat. Even with the major guilds and parties of the continent working together, he remained elusive, seemingly capable of vanishing into thin air.
Under different circumstances, Vee might have thought that was amusing, but with his replacement minions delayed, he had started taking a rather dim view of the bandits.
Mostly because the lack of replacements to stock the dungeon meant that he had to try his hand at other means of delaying adventurers, and that meant trying to come up with poems and riddles.
Neither of those were his forte.
With a heavy sigh, Vee picked up his fountain pen, stuck his tongue between his teeth, and started covering the page in angrily crossed out snippets of verse.
Curse those bandits!
Main Character Stat Sheets (Initial Values for Volume 2)
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 11
Wit: 31
Faith: 20
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 20
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 36
Wit: 11
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 16
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 7
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 10
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 35
%#$@%@@
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 10
[#@$%%^*!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 2: Expansion
Vee stared down into the depths of the scrying crystal on the table in front of him and cursed. Grabbing the dials on the object¡¯s base, the [Dungeon Master] fiddled and fumbled with it a little bit, trying to make the smoke inside the gem vanish so that he could contact the union of [Dungeon Masters]. Normally, he could simply use Dheart to get in touch with them, but at the moment¡getting close to Dheart ¨C let alone messing with it ¨C didn¡¯t seem like a very good idea.
For a moment he thought he¡¯d managed to get the crystal to work, because the smoke seemed to grow thin, but then it returned with a vengeance and Vee felt like he was looking straight into a campfire. He swore again. How he hated scrying crystals! They were so inconsistent! The only people who could consistently make them work were [Seers], [Mystics], and inexplicably, [Swindlers].
Maybe there was something to think about, there.
¡°Gah! I think it¡¯s broken,¡± he said petulantly as he quit fiddling with the knobs and threw his hands up in frustration. ¡°Did you hear me? Your crystal is broken, Hanako.¡±
Next to him, Hanako Maluw ¨C his intern and the dungeon¡¯s de facto [Enchantress] ¨C rolled her eyes as she looked up from her engraving manual and stared at him. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. The crystal works fine. I just used it a few days ago. You just have to tune it properly. How are you having such a hard time? I thought you said you¡¯ve used a scrying crystal before.¡±
¡°I have, but it¡¯s been a while,¡± Vee admitted. ¡°The ones we had back home are way less temperamental. They were, uh, Strussmen¡¯s, I think. Only had one dial.¡±
¡°Uh-huh. I bet. Strussmen¡¯s are the most expensive crystals on the continent, Vee. You wouldn¡¯t be here if you even knew anyone who could afford those. Ugh, you¡¯re helpless. Move out of the way, I¡¯ll tune it for you,¡± Hanako said as she leaned forward. With expert precision, the teenager adjusted the knobs quickly, causing the smoke inside the scrying crystal to vanish completely. As the last tendrils faded away, she looked over at Vee with a smug smile. ¡°See? I told you! It works fine. If you know what you¡¯re doing, that is.¡±
Scowling, Vee made a mental note to find some menial chore to give Hanako later as she returned to her studies. Checking the reference at the back of the guidebook he¡¯d gotten when he first opened Crestheart, he carefully input the public scrying address for the Union of [Dungeon Masters] into the crystal¡¯s panel. From there, he waded through the labyrinthian assembly of menus and underlings that prevented him from talking to someone who could tell him how long Dheart was going to be vomiting purple spiders into the dungeon¡¯s walls and floors.
So far, that particularly horrifying process had been happening for more than a day, and the dungeon heart showed no signs of slowing down. If anything, there were more spiders coming out with each burp. They moved without rhyme or reason, dancing a few inches in one direction before stiffening and diving into the floor, contact with solid surfaces apparently optional.
¡°No, no, dungeon heart help! No, no, no, YES!¡± Vee said as he reached what was hopefully the final menu.
¡°Does your question relate to normal dungeon operation, dungeon expansion, or dungeon reclassification?¡±
¡°Dungeon expansion!¡±
The crystal grew dim¡and then stayed that way. After a few minutes, the union¡¯s symbol flickered in the heart of the crystal before a popping sound reached Vee¡¯s ears and the connection was cut off.
¡°You¡¯ve got to be freaking kidding me!¡± Vee yelled as he angrily stamped the public scrying address into the crystal once more and waded through the entire mess for the second time. Thankfully, experience was indeed the best teacher, and he managed to get through it much faster.
A salamander man with bright eyes and green scales appeared in the heart of the crystal.
¡°Union of [Dungeon Masters] dungeon expansion troubleshooting department, my name is Uzeino, how may I help you?¡±
¡°Uh, hi there,¡± Vee said. ¡°I have a question about the dungeon expansion process that I was hoping you could answer for me.¡±
The salamander smiled. ¡°Of course. First time getting a dungeon expanded?¡±
Vee nodded.
¡°Makes sense. You have the look of a first-timer. But have no fear, the union takes matters like this one seriously and I¡¯m happy to help. What¡¯s your issue?¡±
Vee explained the situation and the man chuckled when he finished.
¡°I know they¡¯re creepy looking, but those are just [Expansion Crawlers],¡± he said. ¡°Totally normal. Well, relatively speaking anyway. They¡¯re an old precaution all dungeon hearts use to ensure that the ground for the next floor is safe for building. How long has it been since your dungeon heart started the dungeon expansion process?¡±
¡°It¡¯s been a little more than a day so far. But, just to reiterate: there¡¯s no chance this is anything to worry about?¡±
¡°Nah, not at all. Once they finish their investigation, the crawlers will send out a signal and the dungeon heart will start using [Excavation Crawlers] to clear out the space in accordance with your specifications. If you didn¡¯t give any, it¡¯ll just be a big empty rectangular room. Now, just a heads up so you¡¯re ready for when it happens, [Excavation Crawlers] will be a little bigger, and they should be bright green.¡±
Vee fought to keep himself from shivering. He didn¡¯t much like spiders of any kind, and these were even creepier than normal.
¡°To be honest,¡± the salamander said, ¡°you¡¯re coming out pretty nicely. I¡¯ve heard of some dungeons where the heart kept using [Expansion Crawlers] for two or three weeks, but those were in uh¡densely¡packed¡places. I doubt you have anything like that to worry about where you are! However, if your dungeon heart hasn¡¯t swapped to [Excavation Crawlers] in another day or so, though, go ahead and contact us again. I¡¯m not expecting that to happen, but we¡¯ll take another look, run some diagnostics, and do a few other things to make sure everything is running normally, alright?¡±
¡°Sure thing,¡± Vee said, relieved. ¡°Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.¡±
¡°Of course. The union is always happy to be of service to its members. You have a good day now.¡±
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Cutting the connection through the scrying crystal, Vee stared at Dheart and shuddered as the sea of purple spiders kept right on pouring into the floor.
[Faith +1]
Gawain¡¯s balls! The next time the dungeon expanded, he was going to make sure that he was good and far away for the entire thing.
With nothing to do in Crestheart proper until Dheart finished the process of clearing the space for the new floor, Vee and Reginald decided to go visit Kai. Alforde, naturally, offered to help the [Dungeon Maintainers] with the expansion as necessary. His cape of snow and ice swished and swirled as he descended down the ladder to the fourth floor.
The streets leading to the menagerie weren¡¯t particularly clear, but Vee managed to make it all the way over without tripping. Slowly but surely, he was getting better at walking through the snow, even with Reginald yattering in his ear the whole way.
Kai was just inside the warding hedges that kept all the minions safely inside with his helper, Dandelion. The fiend ¨C a member of Vee¡¯s Medium Section ¨C was carrying a box filled with tiny slimes. Looking a bit like gelatinous eggs, they wiggled and wobbled inside the box. They didn¡¯t have any colors yet; they were still too young.
Vee held up his hand and called out, and the bonsai treant looked up with sparkling eyes at the sound. He pointed his small, branchlike arms at the box Dandelion was holding and said, ¡°Vee! Look! Pretzel made more slimes! Another batch of four! Isn¡¯t that great?¡±
The [Dungeon Master] nodded. His royal slime was the sole bright spot in an otherwise dark sky when it came to Crestheart¡¯s dwindling minion count. It was making more slimes every few days, and while not all of them survived ¨Csimple slimes were apparently more than a little cannibalistic in their first few days of life, though thankfully that behavior seemed to vanish after about a week or so ¨C the herd was growing steadily. They weren¡¯t quite to the point where they¡¯d be able to sustain their own slime needs without outside purchases ¨C such independence would probably require at least one more royal slime ¨C but that day drew ever closer.
Unfortunately, the situation wasn¡¯t as hopeful when it came to the skeletons. Vee looked around the menagerie, and saw only a single trio wandering around with their jaws clattering for reasons entirely unrelated to all the snow on the ground. He grit his teeth. The rest of their pitiful stocks were already inside the dungeon, where they¡¯d probably all be destroyed within the next two or three days of business once the expansion was finished.
Another week of operations and he¡¯d have nothing but empty rooms for adventurers to walk through. Maybe he should convert the dungeon into a museum or something.
[You have unlocked the Pessimistic Estimator class! Would you like to take it?]
Shaking his head, Vee dismissed the notification and glared up at the sky. The class suggestions had been cropping up a bit more again lately, though thankfully not nearly to the extent that they¡¯d bothered him before coming to Oar¡¯s Crest. Still, having any when he¡¯d gotten quite used to being free from their presence was a little irritating.
He forced himself to focus on something else. ¡°How are the slime experiments coming along, Kai?¡±
Sitting atop his barkbody, the treant shrugged. His near empty top branches shook as he did so. ¡°Not a lot of progress so far, sadly. Here, let me show you what we¡¯ve got.¡±
Vee followed the bonsai treant and his fiendish assistant over to the collection of hedge pens of varying sizes where they were testing different diet and other activity mixes on birthed slimes in an attempt to spawn another royal slime. Sadly, none of the quivering specimens in the pens seemed any different than normal. Vee didn¡¯t see any bumps or growths that might eventually turn into crowns, and while slimes were far from the most expressive creatures on the continent, there weren¡¯t any other signs that they were starting to transform, either.
¡°Maybe we should try a little ectoplasm too,¡± Reginald suggested. ¡°Pretzel started changing while it was connected to one of your leashes, right boss?¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Vee said, activating [Refine Ectoplasm]. Pulling the energy out of the air and forming it into a neat, orange cube didn¡¯t take long, so Vee made a handful and set them down next to one of the hedge-enclosed pens.
¡°Try one every other day to start, and then increase it as you see fit,¡± he said. ¡°If it seems to be having an effect, let me know and I¡¯ll give you more. I¡¯ve got tons of it that I don¡¯t need back at the boarding house.¡±
He¡¯d been making extra for the last two weeks, after adding the Expectation to his orchestra. However, the dragon-like spirit had yet to want any for upkeep, or ask for upkeep of any kind for that matter. It seemed content to simply sit on his shoulders, a weight that he was getting ever more used to bearing.
Vee wasn¡¯t sure what it was waiting for, but with every day that passed without learning what the spirit wanted, his anxiety about the matter grew. The longer it took to call in a payment, the heftier that payment was likely going to be.
He hoped he¡¯d be able to accommodate its request.
After spending some more time with Kai and looking at the rest of the pens and environments ¨C which really did look good, despite all the snow ¨C Vee returned to Crestheart. He descended through the existing floors and clambered down the ladder leading to the new space. The [Excavation Crawlers] were already making good progress. The room was wide and empty, about half the size of Crestheart¡¯s other floors. Green ropes cascaded down from the ceiling along the walls.
Do walked up with a smile on its face.
¡°Hello, Master. It¡¯s excellent to see you. Have you come to check on the progress of the expansion?¡±
Vee nodded.
¡°Wonderful. I expect that we should be ready for dungeon design and decoration by the middle of tomorrow. Mister Alforde has been most helpful with the connection process.¡±
The armorsoul was over in the corner, bent down and tying one of the green ropes into a node of the same color that was poking out of the floor. Alforde seemed familiar with the work, and he waved at Vee as the [Dungeon Master] walked around.
¡°What do you think, Vee?¡±
Vee smiled and nodded.
¡°It looks good. Once you guys get everything connected, are you going to start bringing down the stuff from the arena?¡±
¡°That¡¯s the plan! How¡¯s the design plan coming along?¡±
Vee shrugged. He hadn¡¯t totally figured out the details for the new floor yet. In his defense, the entire dungeon probably needed another redesign to accommodate all the extra rooms it was going to have. It was hard to explain, but Vee was starting to sort of sense a flow to each floor and the dungeon as a whole, and he wanted to make sure everything worked together right.
Taking his notebook out of his pocket, Vee sat down in the dirt and started sketching.
This, at least, was a lot easier to do than writing poetry.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 11
Wit: 31
Faith: 21 (+1)
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 20
Leadership: 15
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 37 (+1)
Wit: 11
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 17 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 7
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 10
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27 (-1)
Manipulativeness: 35
%#$@%@@
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 10
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 3: A Door And A Window
While the [Excavation Crawlers] worked on clearing out the rest of Crestheart¡¯s fourth floor, Vee worked on redesigning the dungeon with Alforde and Reginald. The trio sat around the table in the office, combing through the thicket of Vee¡¯s haphazardly filled notebooks, trying to glean useful dungeon insights from the scribbled mess inside their pages. Some of the notes, like a complex arrangement of trap tiles that would force adventurers to basically play a game of hopscotch to get across safely, were great. Or at least serviceable. Others, however, were clearly half-baked and impossible to understand now that the moment of fevered inspiration that had spawned them had passed. Frost Fish ¨C BIG and G H O S T W A L K were some of these.
Still, Vee and his companions waded through them all one by one, discussing potential combinations and trying to come up with a cohesive flow for the dungeon.
¡°Alright, first floor,¡± Vee said. ¡°Most of the adventurers who come to Crestheart don¡¯t make it past the first floor, so I think we should include as many elements there as we can. Let the adventurers who won¡¯t make it to the lower levels get a taste of everything we offer, you know? That way they¡¯re excited to come back when they get a little stronger.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± said Reginald. ¡°Retention and repeat business are going to be crucial now that we¡¯re somewhat established.¡± The hat¡¯s expression was serious, and for once, he wasn¡¯t filling every spare moment with idle chatter. Vee wondered if hats could get sick. ¡°The only problem with a little sampler floor right now is that we don¡¯t have enough minions for proper packs. How are we going to handle that?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll have to be trap and puzzle heavy until we get our next minion shipment, whenever that may be,¡± Vee said. ¡°Use some of the crystals from Hanako to make the walls and floors dangerous, do more with the slimes, and utilize the skeletons and elementals sparingly until it¡¯s easier to replace them. In the meantime, I¡¯ll try to whip up a couple hundred low level ghosts to fill the ranks a bit too. It won¡¯t be perfect, but it¡¯s the best we can do.¡±
Reginald shook on the table, and Vee looked over at Alforde.
¡°What do you think, Alforde? Do you have any ideas?¡±
The armorsoul shifted in his seat, looking up from a diagram of wall-mounted ghost arms punching a stick figure before shaking his helmet.
¡°Sitting around and planning isn¡¯t my forte,¡± he said, ¡°but I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be enough. I think we¡¯ll need to hide the fact that we¡¯re running low on minions. After all, it¡¯ll be weird if adventurers are just running through empty rooms without any challenges.¡±
¡°Hide the shortage? How do you propose we do that?¡±
¡°We could use the fog machine,¡± said Alforde. ¡°You know, fill the rooms with hazy clouds and tighten up the walls a little bit so that it¡¯s harder for adventurers to maneuver. That way, the minions they do face seem like comparatively bigger threats. It¡¯s tougher to fight in a closed room than it is in a big open space.¡±
Vee hadn¡¯t really considered that before, but it was a good idea. A little sleight of hand, so to speak, to disguise the fact that they were hopelessly light on actual threats. Picking up his pen, Vee began to sketch out a rough concept for a constricted first floor with input from Reginald and Alforde. His pen flew across the page as he added extra walls to his drawings, turning each room into a micro maze that would need to be navigated.
¡°This gives us more space for traps too,¡± he said as he filled in a room with walls that would descend from the ceiling in a pseudo-random pattern.
It didn¡¯t really matter that his drawings were messy, Do and the [Dungeon Maintainers] were quickly becoming experts at deciphering the intent of his scribbles and delivering something that exceeded his expectations.
In fact, it was almost as if they could sense the image in his mind¡¯s eye as clearly as he could, building what they found in the deep, dark recesses of his thoughts.
To be honest, it was a little unsettling.
With the idea for the first floor roughed out, Vee and his friends moved onto the second floor. The overall plan for it was simple enough: design another obstacle course utilizing ramps that could vary in height, platforms that moved back and forth, traps with different methods of activation, and other elements Vee could control from up in the office. Instead of fighting minions, adventurers would simply have to endure ranged attacks from the handful of skeleton mages they had left ¨C who would all be protected from counterattack by a series of walls and other barriers Vee had to have built ¨C while collecting a trio of orb keys from places around the room and bringing them to the forge in the center. It was a simple but effective design, taking the best parts of the race dungeon and the iterations on it since and putting them to use once again.
¡°It¡¯s still too sparse,¡± Alforde said. ¡°We should add some baubles or little treasures too. I¡¯m telling you; adventurers aren¡¯t going to be happy if they just walk through a couple empty near-empty hallways and leave without anything to show for it. Let¡¯s go talk to Thien and get some stuff.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a little light, but I don¡¯t think adventurers will mind.¡± Reginald said. ¡°If we give away too much treasure, the extra revenue from adding the floor won¡¯t make any difference, since we¡¯ll be paying it all out as rewards.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the margin on zero adventurers? I¡¯m telling you: if the dungeon isn¡¯t stocked, it won¡¯t matter how much ¨C¡°
Hearing the way his friend¡¯s voice was rising, Vee decided to interrupt before the conversation devolved into an argument. ¡°It¡¯s a fine line for sure,¡± he interjected, giving Alforde a pointed look.
The armorsoul drummed his fingers on the table, but nodded and fell silent.
¡°I¡¯ll go visit Thien tonight,¡± Vee said. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been to her shop, and I like the idea of adding a few trinkets here and there. It¡¯ll add a little flavor to the dungeon.¡±
Dheart continued to hum away while they bounced around ideas for the third floor. Unlike the physical construction of the new floor, progress on the design was slow. Vee was pretty sure that he wanted to lean into puzzles for it, but they were surprisingly hard to come up with when starting with nothing.
Reginald and Alforde kept bickering. The hat was needlessly vicious, and Alforde was sulky. After another hour in which they accomplished little, the armorsoul stood up.
¡°I¡¯m not cut out for this,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to do some hammer practice with Slammy.¡±
The tone in his voice was clearly not happy, and so leaving Reginald on the table, Vee followed his [Dungeon Champion] out to the stairs.
¡°You okay, buddy?¡± he asked once the door shut. ¡°You, uh, seemed a little snippy in there. What¡¯s up?¡±
The armorsoul shook his helmet. ¡°I feel¡antsy,¡± he admitted. ¡°Cooped up. I want to get back to business, you know? I¡¯m bored. I¡¯m itching for a fight. Being idle like this doesn¡¯t suit me.¡±
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¡°I know it doesn¡¯t,¡± Vee said. His friend had never been one to sit around doing nothing all day. ¡°We¡¯ll reopen as soon as we can. Do¡¯s crew should have the new floor built pretty quick, and then you¡¯ll be right back in the swing of things.¡±
Alforde¡¯s eyes sparkled at the pun, and his foul mood seemed to pass. In fact, he chuckled as he headed down the stairs. ¡°If it¡¯s dark when you finish up at Thien¡¯s, I¡¯ll meet you back at the boarding house, okay?¡± he called up.
¡°Sure thing! See you later!¡± Vee called before he turned around and went back into the office.
Reginald looked reserved as Vee picked him up.
¡°Is the big guy okay?¡± he asked as the [Dungeon Master] put him on. ¡°He didn¡¯t seem like himself.¡±
¡°Alforde just needs to fight a couple adventurers and he¡¯ll be right as rain.¡±
The hat¡¯s brim tightened around Vee¡¯s head.
¡°I¡see,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Look, I wasn¡¯t trying to start anything, but you know that we can¡¯t just go filling every room with treasure.¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Vee said. ¡°But we do need to make sure that people have a reason to come to Crestheart. Let¡¯s go talk to Thien and see what she can do,¡± said Vee, putting on his jacket and heading down the tower steps.
Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] buzzed around the dungeon like bees around flowers in early spring. The fiends brought in materials from all around abandoned Westown, having been able to collect them thanks to Vee¡¯s [Recycle Materials] skill.
The [Dungeon Master] passed them with a wave as the sun sank lower and lower in the sky. He stopped and turned around as Do passed.
¡°How much longer until you¡¯re done?¡±
Do paused for a moment, deep in thought. ¡°I think that we can have everything finished in another three days, Master. Or we could cut a few corners and be done a little faster if time is of the essence. Would you like us to do that?¡±
Vee frowned at the thought of Alforde having to keep waiting, not to mention the lost fleurs from another three days of no business, but shook his head. Things that were worth doing were worth doing right.
¡°Take all the time you need,¡± he said. ¡°I want everything to be as good as you can make it.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± Do said with a deep bow. Vee nodded to him and the fiend got back to work. Through their bond, the [Ghost Maestro] felt a flicker of something ¨C satisfaction? ¨C and he smiled.
[Leadership +1]
Vee headed back into the city and made his way over to the [Goldsmith]¡¯s shop. The alleys and side streets weren¡¯t as clear from snow as the main roads, and his progress was slow. Especially since he kept looking at the windows of the buildings along his route. His eyes were drawn to the various stained glass squares in each shop¡¯s corner that indicated which of the two underworld powers ¨C Sacre or the enigmatic Don ¨C they paid protection money to. It was fascinating, a map of the city that no one would ever bother writing down, since the borders were fluid and tended to change.
Seemingly oblivious to the cold, a man sat outside his shop carving a piece of wood. It was Brice Gilbert, the [Toy Maker] who¡¯d set up a stall for Crestheart Day. He was a wiry man with dark hair and a thick beard, and he carefully shaved splinters away from the chunk of wood in his hands to reveal the form of an elkin. Or at least, Vee thought it was an elkin. It seemed to have antlers, at the very least.
There was a small table beside him, and a bevy of unpainted figures adorned it. Clearly, Brice had been hard at work for some time, if those were all his creations for the day. The figures themselves were small, expressive things, in action-packed poses: kitrekin [Warriors] swinging swords almost as big as their bodies, salamander [Mages] raising staves and wands to cast devasting spells, and human [Archers] taking aim at enemies only they could see. In a way, they looked like game pieces.
Brice raised his head as Vee stopped to stare and smiled. ¡°Ah, young Vales,¡± he said in his booming voice. ¡°A good afternoon to you indeed. What brings you by? Planning another event? Perhaps a city-wide snowball fight?¡±
The [Toy Maker] laughed at that, though Vee wasn¡¯t entirely sure why. Shaking his head, Vee explained that he was heading to Thien¡¯s shop to order some new rewards for the dungeon, and Brice¡¯s good humor faded almost instantly.
¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll have much luck,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s been getting tough to get materials these last few weeks.¡±
¡°You seem to be doing just fine,¡± Reginald said. Brice shrugged, not in the least bit bothered by talking to a top hat.
¡°It¡¯s not exactly hard to get a hand on some wood locally,¡± he said gesturing a stump on the other side of the street. ¡°Haven¡¯t been able to get much else though, so it¡¯s all wood figurines until this bandit nonsense gets cleared up. Thien¡¯s had a much worse time than I have. Getting any gold is darn near impossible. I take it things haven¡¯t been great for you, either?¡±
Vee shook his head and explained his minion troubles.
The [Toy Maker] nodded and rubbed his chin. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s rough. It¡¯s weird though, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°What is?¡±
¡°The way nobody can catch this guy. It doesn¡¯t make any sense. I¡¯ve been around long enough to have seen a good number of bandits in my time, and none of them were like this. Usually they don¡¯t bother people too much, and are just kind of a small annoyance. Every once in a while, one will get delusions of grandeur and stir up some trouble like what we¡¯ve been dealing with for a few days until some mid-level adventurers go kick their teeth in. Not this guy, though. Now, if you ask me, I think there¡¯s something else afoot. It doesn¡¯t make sense otherwise. Anyways, enough of that. My wife is always telling me I¡¯m conspiratorially minded.¡±
¡°I¡see?¡± Vee said, unsure of how to respond.
Brice didn¡¯t seem to notice.
¡°Since you¡¯re already here, how about a spot of shop talk?¡±
¡°Shop talk? What¡¯s on your mind?¡±
Brice gestured at the figures on the table. ¡°You reckon you could have your [Dungeon Champion] swing by sometime? His figure was right popular during the street fair and I¡¯d love to make some more that show off his new armor.¡±
Vee thought it over for a moment. What was the harm in that? It wasn¡¯t like there¡¯d be any adventurers for Alforde to fight for the next few days, and posing for a model might actually lift the armorsoul¡¯s spirits.
¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± he said slowly, ¡°but what¡¯s in it for us?¡±
The man¡¯s eyes narrowed and gleamed. ¡°Straight to bartering, huh? How about five percent of sales?¡±
Reginald tightened his brim around Vee¡¯s head and hissed before the [Dungeon Master] could respond. ¡°Five percent?! That¡¯s not nearly enough!¡±
Brice looked up at Reginald and shrugged. ¡°Oh yeah? How much is fair, then?¡±
¡°Twenty five percent.¡±
The [Toy Maker] smiled and put down his knife to hold out his hand.
¡°Sounds like there¡¯s a deal to be had at fifteen, huh?¡±
¡°We have final say on the design and pose of the figure before you start selling them?¡±
¡°Of course, of course,¡± Brice said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it being any other way.¡±
Vee shook the man¡¯s hand to seal the deal. A tingling sensation filled his skull, though he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what it meant. He returned the man¡¯s smile.
¡°We¡¯ll be by tomorrow,¡± he said, waving goodbye to Brice.
¡°Be seeing you,¡± the [Toy Maker] replied.
Making his way to Thien¡¯s shop, Vee was disappointed to see that the lights were all off and there was a sign hanging from the door. In big, bold letters, it said, CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO MATERIAL SHORTAGE.
Well, that wasn¡¯t good. Scowling, Vee tucked his hands in his pockets and headed back toward Crestheart. He¡¯d have to ask around and find out where Thien stayed when she wasn¡¯t at the shop.
At least the trip hadn¡¯t been a total bust. Maybe there was some truth to that old saying about a door and a window after all.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 11
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 20
Leadership: 16 (+1)
Guts: 11
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 4
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 37
Wit: 12 (+1)
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 17
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 7
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 5
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 14 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 10
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 35
%#$@%@@
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 10
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 4: Open Call
There was a spring in Alforde¡¯s step as he followed Vee over to the [Toy Maker]¡¯s workshop. As the [Dungeon Master] had expected, the prospect of modeling for a figurine had indeed lifted his friend¡¯s spirits. Vee was thankful for that; it¡¯d be another two days before Crestheart could reopen, which meant that it¡¯d be at least that long before there was another champion battle. Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] had made good progress on building the platforms and pathways for the new floor, but it was a big job and there were only seven of them.
Once Crestheart reopened, Vee considered even letting the first couple adventurers through the dungeon without much interference, just so Alforde could get into a couple fights. Was it worth trading the potential financial hit for Alforde¡¯s peace of mind? Definitely. Probably. Maybe?
He¡¯d figure it out later.
Brice¡¯s shop was a fairly large room, with workbenches of varying sizes and height loosely organized in the corners. Racks of tools hung from the walls, and Vee hadn¡¯t ever seen so many clamps in all his life. He mentioned that to the [Toy Maker], and the man just laughed.
¡°You can never have enough clamps,¡± he said. ¡°Back when I was just a [Woodworker], I was always running out on big projects, so I made a habit of collecting as many as I could. I don¡¯t need them as much anymore since most of the things I make these days are small, but I like to keep them around just in case. You never know when you¡¯re going to need to make a table, or a bookshelf, or something zany.¡±
Picking up a pad of paper and piece of charcoal, Brice pointed to the far side of the room.
¡°Well, thanks for coming by, you guys. Would you mind going and standing over there, [Dungeon Champion]? It¡¯ll be easier for me to draw you.¡±
¡°Of course! And you can call me Alforde,¡± the armorsoul said brightly as he walked over and started posing. Though he had no muscles to speak of, Alforde flexed, twisting his arms and gauntlets in the poses of all his favorite comic characters. Most of them looked pretty silly. Even his well-practiced pointing stance didn¡¯t look quite right.
Brice was sitting on a stool behind a small easel. Taking up his charcoal, he made quick, loose lines on his paper. At first, he simply seemed interested in capturing the general size and shape of Alforde¡¯s body, working quickly without really caring about the quality of his lines. It was all about the gesture and the energy, both of which Alforde had in ample supply.
¡°Alright,¡± Brice said. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got the basics down. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and get into a combat pose? Maybe something like how you greet adventurers who challenge you in the dungeon? I think that¡¯d be really cool.¡±
With an all too serious nod of his helmet, Alforde lifted Slammy and tilted his body so that his right pauldron was facing them both. The mood in the room changed instantly, with the walls seeming to shrink around him and his cape of frost and snow glowing with its own light.
Though Vee knew it was irrational, he clenched his fingers into fists and trembled in his seat all the same. Alforde¡¯s Intimidating Presence didn¡¯t last long, but it was potent.
Brice seemed unfazed.
¡°That¡¯s not bad,¡± he said as he sketched a few more lines. ¡°Let¡¯s see the other side too for good measure, and then we¡¯ll have you hold a few swing angles to try and get some more action poses.¡±
For the next hour, Vee amused himself by watching Brice draw and joining Reginald in calling out different poses for Alforde to try. As the armorsoul shifted from one stance to another, Brice added other sketches to his paper. Instead of simple gestures, the [Toy Maker] was now drawing each part of Alforde¡¯s armor in greater detail and jotting down notes about different elements. During a break, Brice picked up a tape measure. After noting the size of the armorsoul¡¯s pauldrons, helmet, gauntlets, and boots, he converted the numbers on his pad to a ratio. Then, mumbling something to himself that Vee couldn¡¯t hear, he started sketching again. This time, he barely looked at Alforde, instead trying to find a way of abstracting the relationships between the armorsoul¡¯s body parts into a single cohesive image.
As interesting as watching Brice work was, Vee found his attention drifting. Well, it was more like it got pulled away. There were tasks of his own that needed doing, and they weren¡¯t going to get finished with him just sitting here. He needed to try and find Thien as well as start making the low level ghosts that would help the dungeon feel full.
However, he was loath to leave; Alforde looked to be having fun, and Vee couldn¡¯t help but remember all the times his friend had sat and watched him experiment with [Shape Ectoplasm] back in Bardis. Wasn¡¯t it only fair for him to return the gesture?
Like the flames of a candle tipped over on a stack of paper, the urge to leave grew rapidly, but so did Vee¡¯s reluctance to doing so. His warring desires clashed briefly, before his resolve tightened down and he planted himself even more firmly in his chair. He would stay. He could afford to wait for however long it took for them to be finished here, and then he¡¯d go take care of his errands.
The decision made him feel better. A pressure in the back of his skull he hadn¡¯t really been aware of eased and then vanished, leaving nothing but an aching memory.
Not too long after that, Brice announced that he¡¯d gotten what he needed, and the trio bid the [Toy Maker] a fond farewell before heading back out into the snowy streets. They¡¯d return in a week or so to see how the figure¡¯s progress was coming along.
¡°So, where are we off to now, Boss?¡±
Vee¡¯s stomach rumbled. ¡°Let¡¯s go get some lunch. After I eat, we¡¯ll look around for Thien before heading back to the dungeon.¡±
Alforde was positively chuffed as they headed toward The Grinning Pig. He stopped and repeated a couple of his favorite poses from the day¡¯s session, asking Vee and Reginald if they thought he should incorporate them into his dungeon bouts. Even when they told him that he probably shouldn¡¯t, the armorsoul simply chuckled and vowed to bring them around to the idea.
¡°The sweep-flex is great, you¡¯ll see,¡± he said.
As they drew close to the restaurant, Vee noticed a man putting up posters every few feet. He slowed down to read one.
It said:
(OPEN CALL)
ATTENTION ADVENTURERS!
Looking for fame? Glory? Wealth? Interested in helping your community?
Join the Continental Coalition!
Help track down and capture the bandits plaguing our lands!
A variety of positions are available!
Those interested should inquire at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild!*
*Due to the danger of active combat, applicants must be Level 18 or higher in Adventuring Class
Reginald let out a low whistle.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°The bigwigs must be getting nervous, if they¡¯re sending out an open call to help deal with the bandits,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯ve only been what, a dozen of those since Embermane¡¯s Legions were destroyed?¡±
¡°Eleven, actually,¡± said Alforde. ¡°The last one was for that crazy woman who thought she was on the verge of earning a Title. You know, the one who built that living tower atop the remnants of an old dragon¡¯s hoard and started [Transmuting] people into gold to ¡®rebuild¡¯ it?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Reginald said. His voice sounded thin. ¡°Mezzica and her Garden of Golden Rebirth. She thought she¡¯d become the |Gold Queen| by statuefying enough people.¡±
¡°I read they¡¯re still melting some of those poor souls down,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Apparently nobody can break the transmutation. Pretty scary. One book said she would have succeeded too, if it hadn¡¯t been for that meddling quartet of [Heroes] and their talking wolf companion. Shoot. I can¡¯t remember their name. They¡¯re the ones who had that garishly painted carriage they rode everywhere.¡±
¡°If the guild is willing to go so far as an open call, maybe there¡¯s something to what Brice was saying about it not being a regular bandit,¡± Vee said.
¡°Yeah. It¡¯s starting to look that way,¡± Reginald said darkly.
Feeling somber, they continued to The Grinning Pig and sat down at an empty table. Big Simon, definitely not his normal smiling self, brought over a menu with almost half the dishes crossed out. Apparently he was having problems getting ingredients too.
Thankfully, the dish Vee wanted to order ¨C chicken soup with a side of fresh-baked honey biscuits ¨C was still available, and the burly kitrekin brought it out a few minutes later.
¡°It¡¯s a pain to get certain types of meat and vegetables, but we¡¯ll be fine,¡± Big Simon said when Vee asked him how things were going. ¡°Councilman Seidon came by and assured us that the city¡¯s larders are well stocked. Some of my¡associates¡have also learned that the bandits occasionally let wagons with nothing but food pass without issue¡after making sure nothing else is hiding inside and taking some of it for themselves, of course. We¡¯ll probably all get tired of rice and biscuits, but the city won¡¯t starve.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Vee said. ¡°Did you see the posters announcing the open call from the guild? You know anyone taking part?¡±
Big Simon nodded. ¡°A couple of the young guys from the Southtown crew have signed up and there¡¯s a handful more that will probably join them, but I doubt they¡¯ll see much action. There¡¯s no way the leader is anywhere near us, and the guild is constraining adventurers so that they don¡¯t get too far from their respective cities. Something about a [Tracking] skill of some kind, I think. At most, our adventurers will come across some low level underlings and get into a scrap or two that might see the roads to Amespool or Yew¡¯s Rise ease up a little bit. It¡¯ll be the famous [Heroes] that bring this nonsense to an end, though, you mark my words. Anyways, I¡¯ve got other customers to serve. Enjoy your food, Vee.¡±
Tucking in, the [Dungeon Master] savored the hearty broth before nibbling on a piece of his biscuit. He smiled as the warmth permeated his entire body, and chatted with Reginald and Alforde until his spoon scraped the bowl nearly clean.
After lunch, the trio left The Grinning Pig and headed out to find Thien. It was snowing again, and the afternoon had turned rather cold. Grateful for the warm food in his stomach, Vee pulled up his collar and stuffed his hands into his pockets as the cold air stung his nostrils.
They made their way down to the market, figuring that it¡¯d be a good place to ask around and see if anyone knew where the [Goldsmith] tended to hang out when she wasn¡¯t at her shop.
Nobody that they talked to did, but Vee bought a bag of caramel apple candy from Joleimna the salamander[Candy Man], and enjoyed the slightly sour taste as they continued their search.
Up and down the streets and blocks they went, exchanging greetings with most of the people that they passed. Each time they did so, Vee felt the Expectation shift ever so slightly around his shoulders, and the [Ghost Maestro] did his best to stand up straight as he waved, shook hands and swapped jokes with the people of his city. He still wasn¡¯t sure what exactly the spirit wanted him to do, but figured that he¡¯d blindly stumble forward as best he could until he saw a clear path to rebuilding Oar¡¯s Crest.
[Public Relations +1]
At the corner of Ninth and Main, Vee saw a familiar figure standing on the sidewalk and took a deep breath. There, dressed in a thick coat in addition to her big hat and heavy boots, was Luna. Her gold-streaked hair hung down her back, and the gleaming pumpkins in her pupils sparkled through the snow.
The [Pumpkin Witch] had her mailbag slung over her shoulder, though it looked nearly empty and she was staring at the open call poster on the wall with a serious expression. However, when she heard the heavy sound of Alforde¡¯s footsteps, she looked up and smiled. Vee¡¯s eyes met hers and there was a moment, but it was fleeting as they both hurried to turn away, their cheeks no longer bothered by the cold.
¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Vee tried to ask casually as they slowed to stop and talk to his crush. He looked over at the poster. ¡°Are you thinking about joining the open call to hunt down the bandits?¡±
Luna nodded. ¡°I think so. I¡¯ll have to have someone cover my mail route while I¡¯m gone, but it feels like the right thing to do. Every time I read a story about the problems caused by the bandits it makes me so mad! What right do they have to do any of this? It¡¯s wrong!¡±
She was getting more and more animated as she spoke, her hands waving with her every word.
¡°Yeah, I agree,¡± Vee said as his stomach sank. ¡°They definitely need to be stopped. Just¡stay safe out there, Luna. They may only be bandits, but they¡¯re dangerous. A bunch of high level adventurers have been hurt trying to capture them.¡±
The [Pumpkin Witch] nodded. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be careful, and I¡¯ll drag Holly along too. She¡¯ll think hunting bandits down is fun.¡±
An awkward silence descended on them both, and Luna broke it first.
¡°I¡¯ve got to go return my mailbag for the day. It was nice to see you, Vee!¡±
The young man watched her walk away and felt Reginald get uncomfortably tight around his skull. He looked over at Alforde, who jerked his helmet to the side in a way that needed no further explanation. Chances don¡¯t grow on trees, they both seemed to be saying. Or maybe that was just his own internal monologue. It was hard to tell the difference between them sometimes.
Taking a deep breath, Vee called out, ¡°Hey, Luna! Hang on a second!¡±
She turned back ¨C a little too quickly, all things considered ¨C and raised an eyebrow.
¡°Let¡¯s¡uh¡would you¡er¡I mean, would you like a piece of candy?¡±
[Charisma¡never mind]
Feeling just a tiny bit foolish, Vee held out the bag, wishing that he could simply cut his traitor cheeks ¨C which were both bright red ¨C off his face.
Reginald snickered.
¡°Sure,¡± Luna said, shooting a glare at the hat. She walked back over and grabbed one of the small, rolled pieces of green and gold sugar.
¡°Caramel apple? Yum! This is my favorite flavor!¡± she said as she popped it into her mouth. ¡°Thanks!¡±
¡°Is it? It¡¯s mine too! And uh¡h-how about we get lunch¡or coffee¡or something when you get back too, okay?¡±
[Better]
[Guts + 1]
She grinned and Vee¡¯s heart skipped a beat.
¡°I¡¯d like that! I¡¯ll come visit Crestheart once this is all taken care of.¡±
Vee nodded. Waving, the [Pumpkin Witch] vanished around the corner and Vee decided that even if he didn¡¯t find Thien, the day was a success.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 11
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 15
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 20
Leadership: 16
Guts: 12 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5 (+1)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 37
Wit: 12
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 17
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 7
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 5
Vanity: 2 (+2)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 10
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 35
%#$@%@@
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 9 (-1)
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 5: The Lobby
Vee¡¯s fingers ached as he pulled the strand of ectoplasm in his hand tight before connecting it to the frame of the ghost he was working on. This would be the ninety-fifth ¨C or was it ninety-sixth? ¨C lesser ghost that he¡¯d made that day and the strain of his continued skill usage was starting to take its toll. A voice in the back of his skull, which was growing louder and more insistent with every passing moment, told him that he¡¯d overestimated his abilities. You won¡¯t reach your goal of finishing two hundred ghosts by the end of the day, it said. You¡¯ll be lucky to make it to a hundred with the way you¡¯re going. Why not just give in and stop now? Your hands will thank you, and your head won¡¯t be long behind them.
Indeed, just then Vee felt another set of aching twinges in his forehead. Closing his eyes, the [Ghost Maestro] savored the sensation of soothing relief spreading across his senses, then shook his head and resumed his work. Too many times throughout his life had he given in to that siren¡¯s voice, tempting him with rest and a mute acceptance that projects could be done later when he¡¯d given his word to the contrary.
Two hundred ghosts, he¡¯d said, and the [Ghost Maestro] refused to stop working until he reached that number or passed out. Every minute he spent wallowing about how much there was left to do was time not spent getting it done.
Growling to himself, Vee pulled and twisted until the pieces of the ghost tightened enough for him to call them functional, and he set the minion to the side. Unsurprisingly, it lacked the careful craftsmanship of his earlier efforts, and looking at the group of ghosts on the floor of his workshop, Vee couldn¡¯t see anything but flaws in his work. Unlike the ghosts he¡¯d bought from the union, his own creations were not uniform, consistent things. The joints are spotty and the sizing is inconsistent. Not that any of that will probably matter tomorrow.
After all, adventurers weren¡¯t going to be stopping to compare the distance between the ghost¡¯s shoulders and its head in the middle of their runs, they were going to be destroying them as fast as possible or running away. Some degree of spottiness was to be expected, but did that make it okay for him to accept such obvious problems? If only he¡¯d tried harder from the beginning¡perhaps if he started over he could ¨C
Perfection is the eternal foe of good, he reminded himself sternly, dismissing the thought of starting over as the folly that it was. Though the words felt as thin as they always did, Vee repeated them over and over again until he¡¯d convinced himself of their value and the urge to cast everything to the side in favor of a blank canvas dissipated.
Taking a deep breath, Vee collected his willpower once more and picked up a cube of refined ectoplasm from the bench next to where he stood. It did no good to dwell on the fact that more than half of the cubes he¡¯d allocated for the work were still there, so Vee didn¡¯t. Instead, he simply squashed the energy between his palms and got to crafting. The ectoplasm was a bit like saltwater taffy, easy to twist and pull but prone to getting stringy and brittle if it ¡°dried¡± in one shape too long. Forming the ectoplasm into a square that would serve as the basis for a cube, the [Ghost Maestro] found himself pitying his poor fellows who worked with the union. They must get so bored, he thought, doing this type of work every day.
Once the torso for his current creation was roughed out, Vee reached down to the small bag on the other side of his desk and picked out a tiny crystal shard. It was more of a crystal crumb, really. A couple dozen of the dungeon¡¯s tiles had been damaged by the renovation process ¨C thanks [Excavation Crawlers]! ¨C and according to Hanako, repairing such low level crystals really wasn¡¯t worth the time and effort of doing so. Instead, it was easier to simply make replacements for the ones that¡¯d been damaged and discard the scraps, but Vee had seized them for his own work.
Feeding them to the slimes aside, he¡¯d been sure he could find some other use for them, and had decided to experiment with the low-level ghosts he was working on. He really wanted the dungeon to have a stronger frost theme because of Alforde¡¯s [Glaciernaut] class, and so set about trying to make lesser frost ghosts.
By socketing the sliver of crystal near the ghost¡¯s core with a clever bit of sigilmancy that he¡¯d found in chapter two of an old book from the city library, he could give the creature a small measure of elemental physicality. In this case, his ghosts were slightly cold to the touch, like a refrigerator, and their strikes should feel like getting hit with a cold breeze. Hopefully. The effect wouldn¡¯t be as potent as if he¡¯d used a full skill crystal for it, but hopefully his efforts would make his ghosts a little more useful than they might be otherwise. In a way, the process was like a poor man¡¯s [Enchant], but only useful for ghosts and other spirits.
If everything worked the way he hoped it would, there were things he could do with such a technique down the line.
[Plotting +1]
Shaking his head, Vee stopped his thoughts from traveling any further down that alluring rabbit hole. He needed to focus on the now ¨C or at least the somewhat-immediate future ¨C and that meant cranking out ghosts as quickly as his aching hands and pounding skull would let him. If it came down to it, he might even need to stop socketing the crystal slivers at all, since the process was somewhat time consuming.
Down below, the [Dungeon Master] heard the sounds of rumbling construction and smiled as he resumed his work. Despite his physical discomfort, his soul was light. Crestheart was reopening tomorrow, and it¡¯d have more than just a new floor to boast about.
In the bright, cold light of the next morning, the resumption of normal business happened with little fanfare, despite the fact that it probably deserved some. A crowd of adventurers lingered inside the tower¡¯s bottom floor, gathering around leaning tables and sitting in somewhat precariously balanced chairs made of old Westown scraps as they sipped on herbal tea and snacked on homemade petal biscuits. The mood was serious and the talking kept to a minimum, but there were a few adventurers here and there who simply couldn¡¯t help themselves and filled the air with idle chatter. Most of it, apparently, surrounded the bandits.
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Vee expected plenty more of that in the days and weeks to come. Thanks to the efforts of Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers], the tower¡¯s lobby had been upgraded to the Lobby ¨C a temporary name, while Vee and Reginald thought of a better one ¨C and while it wasn¡¯t quite the full service consolation caf¨¦ Vee envisioned having eventually, it was a place where adventurers could come in out of the snow and enjoy some snacks or camaraderie before entering the dungeon.
It''d take some time to fill the empty shelves on the walls and expand the menu beyond its meager fare, but that was fine with Vee. The bandits, of course, threw something of a wrench into his timetables for both those things, but with the open call having been made by the adventurer¡¯s guild, he suspected they were a problem that¡¯d be resolved sooner rather than later.
The pink tea and brightly colored biscuits currently for sale were cheap to make, due to the fact that virtually all of their ingredients came directly from Juniper¡¯s shop or home garden. The [Herbalist], who normally made potions for the dungeon to sell in addition to running her own business, had thrown together both with gusto when Vee had brought up the idea of opening the Lobby with the dungeon¡¯s new floor. Wintertime was a slow season for her, she¡¯d said, and she was excited about the prospect of tapping new markets of her own, since adventurers weren¡¯t her typical clientele outside of funeral processions.
For the time being, the overwhelming majority of the fleurs brought in by the Lobby would go right back out again to pay for the materials used and Juniper¡¯s time, but by the end of winter the Lobby would be an important contributor to Crestheart¡¯s business and connect to the grandiose plans cooked up surrounding Kai¡¯s ¡°Verdant Construction¡±.
Or at least, the [Dungeon Master] hoped things would work out that way.
In addition to regular refreshments, the tattooed and bespectacled [Herbalist] was working on creating a potion with longer lasting effects that could be imbibed long before starting a run. Once she worked out the final kinks ¨C Vee doubted any adventurers were interested in projectile vomiting ten minutes after consumption ¨C they¡¯d go up for sale.
Letting his challengers ¡°pre-potion¡± made Vee somewhat apprehensive, as depending on the potency, he might have to modify the dangers of the dungeon to make sure that he wasn¡¯t trading expensive dungeon rewards for a few extra fleurs at the door. However, Reginald assured him that the plan was a good one in principal and Alforde ¨C in a fit of bravado ¨C insisted that he would defeat every adventurer who came through Crestheart ¡°even if they drank a cauldron full of Juniper¡¯s potions¡±. As such, Vee was inclined to encourage the [Herbalist] in her experiments and looked forward to seeing what she created, though he couldn¡¯t quite eliminate all of his concerns.
Once back in his office, Vee looked over the day¡¯s applications as he got ready for the first run to start. Most of the adventurers who¡¯d come were low-level ¨C the highest he saw was a level 14 [Squire] ¨C but there were 29 of them in total and they¡¯d all paid for the chance to battle Alforde. He recognized plenty as having tried the dungeon before, but generic names and faces bled together in his mind and he couldn¡¯t exactly recall how their runs went.
That might have had something to do with the fact that he hadn¡¯t slept, though. True to his word, he¡¯d stayed up all night making ghosts, and though his hands were too tender to properly hold the cup of tea in front of him and his head felt as if it would split at any moment, he¡¯d finished his task. Two hundred lesser frost ghosts had been taken into the bowels of the dungeon to be used as pack fodder. He prayed that it¡¯d be enough to get them through the day.
The first adventurer was a young girl carrying a pair of twin clubs who Vee had never seen before. According to her application, she was a level 10 [Fighter], and Vee thought she looked no older than sixteen or so. However, despite her youth and lack of experience, she stood straight and charged into the dungeon as soon as the door opened with her clubs raised high. Even the auras didn¡¯t deter her.
Vee didn¡¯t bother to activate [Boost Drops]. For one, his head hurt too much to do so just then, and for two he didn¡¯t think that she¡¯d make it far enough to be justified. He had four uses of the skill each day, and it was important to make them all count.
Despite the girl¡¯s enthusiasm, it was rare for an adventurer to do well on their first foray into a dungeon, and the [Fighter] proved to be no exception. Though she fought valiantly against the first pack of ghosts that attacked her, she quickly succumbed to their chilly grasp and gave up before clearing a single room. Her chin raised in defiance, she stomped out of the dungeon.
Up next was a man with prematurely graying hair and a gut that made it clear he enjoyed his beers and fried food. According to his application, he was only a level 9 [Brawler] ¨C his primary class was [Laborer], in which he was level 22 ¨C but he went into Crestheart with the same frantic energy as the [Fighter] before him. With no weapons but his fists, the man punched his way through two rooms before collapsing in a heap and asking for retrieval.
It was only when he saw the third adventurer for the day that Vee braced himself to endure the worsening headache and activated [Boost Drops] for the first time. The Salamander entering the dungeon carried a polearm that had a blade on each side, and wore the brightly painted chain link armor of a [Scaledancer]. He cleared the first floor with ease, chopping Vee¡¯s ghosts into ectoplasm scraps with a series of movements that were as dazzling as they were deadly, and bounded down the stairs to the new obstacle course.
Rubbing his hands together, Vee willed himself to stay awake and activated the first of his levers to spring the traps waiting down below.
It really hadn¡¯t been that long, but Gawain and Piper above, he¡¯d missed this.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12 (+1)
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 16 (+1)
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 20
Leadership: 16
Guts: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 37
Wit: 12
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 17
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 7
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 5
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 10
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 35
%#$@%@@
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
**************
Volume 2 Chapter 6: Sparring
Alforde paced back and forth in his arena, his gauntlets tight around Slammy¡¯s handle as he tried to summon an adventurer with nothing more than the power of his will. Sadly, he didn¡¯t possess skills that would let such a thing happen, which meant that he had no choice but to wait until someone made it to him on their own merits.
Time, as it frequently did while Alforde waited between bouts, slowed to a crawl. Normally, the armorsoul didn¡¯t mind the slowness all that much, but today he felt flickers of irritation between his plates. He was eager ¨C no, that wasn¡¯t right, he was impatient ¨C to test his strength, to compare his skills to those of others, to fight. It¡¯d been far too long.
This agitation was a rather new feeling, as was the sense of his cape dragging along behind him as he moved. He paused and looked down at it, appreciating the way that it ended just below his knees. That wasn¡¯t always the case. For reasons that he was still unsure of, the cape¡¯s length changed throughout the day, though thankfully it generally stayed between his waist and boots. Tripping over it wouldn¡¯t have been very cool. Sometimes, when he focused on the swirling snow and ice, the armorsoul thought he felt a sensation reminiscent of his connection to his limbs, but it was a fleeting thing he had yet to truly master or explore more with his full focus.
Eventually, perhaps, he¡¯d be able to control the cape the way he did his body. The purpose of such an ability wasn¡¯t yet clear to the [Dungeon Champion], but it was intriguing all the same. Could he use it as a shield? As a slide for attacks? As another limb to wrap around his foes? All of those things had value; he¡¯d have to talk it over with Shadowforde at some point.
Speaking of Shadowforde, his mirror glinted across the arena, and Alforde thought he saw his Reflection pacing back and forth in the twisting smoke of his own realm. Was he impatient for a battle too? The armorsoul thought about calling out to his doppelganger and asking, but was stopped by the telltale squeak that marked the approach of an adventurer coming down the stairs.
Finally! Alforde was pleased that the sound had somehow survived the dungeon¡¯s remodel. He¡¯d expected it to vanish when Do and the other [Dungeon Maintainers] rebuilt the staircase, but somehow they hadn¡¯t managed to do so. After hours of tinkering and two full material replacements, they¡¯d simply given up on getting rid of the sound and declared that the squeak was an intended part of the staircase design. A creative usage of the term ¡°design¡±, Alforde thought, but he didn¡¯t mind it at all.
His thirst for battle was so great that he almost lunged forward as soon as he heard the doors creak and crack open, but he managed to restrain himself. Instead, he focused his will inward and struck his favorite pose. Pauldrons back, head tilted to the side, and pointing at the door.
Like an old friend in a time of need, his Intimidating Presence was there immediately, filling the room with the certainty that Alforde was powerful and not to be trifled with. Some of that came from the armorsoul¡¯s beliefs in his own strength, but the dungeon added to its power and bolstered Alforde¡¯s stat slightly beyond what it should have been capable of otherwise.
A few seconds passed, but the door didn¡¯t open further. Alforde started feeling a little silly. Patience was a virtue, he reminded himself. Especially for a [Dungeon Champion]. He¡¯d hold his pose until the adventurer appeared.
Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t much longer before the doors opened the rest of the way and a darkened figure took a few wary steps into the arena.
¡°Welcome, adventurer,¡± Alforde crowed. ¡°You¡¯ve done well, to make it this far!¡±
To complete the dramatic effect he was going for, he rocked back and forth as discretely as he could manage, hoping that the frosty gloom of the arena would both hide his motion and help his cape flap back and forth. Sadly, it did not, so the armorsoul resolved to ask Hanako for a couple wind skill crystals that Do could install on the tiles behind him.
Appearance was important, after all.
The adventurer was a tall and lanky green salamander, carrying a double-edged polearm and walking with a bounce that marked him as a capable fighter. Alforde noted the careful way his foe-to-be looked around the arena, and was pleased to see the flicker of trepidation on the creature¡¯s face as it settled on Shadowforde¡¯s mirror.
Alforde¡¯s Intimidating Presence faded ¨C he needed to find a way to project its boosted form for longer durations of time ¨C and he shifted from his greeting pose into his battle stance with Slammy resting on his pauldrons. After rushing through his welcoming spiel, he tossed the salamander the SSB ¨C the tiny magic pill that would prevent him from getting hurt during the battle ¨C and readied himself for combat.
¡°We¡¯ll begin as soon as you take that,¡± the [Dungeon Champion] said. ¡°Let¡¯s have a good fight, okay?¡±
The salamander nodded and popped the pill with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± he hissed as he leapt forward and raised his weapon.
Watching him hurtle through the air, Alforde judged that the attack didn¡¯t warrant using [Give No Ground]. There wasn¡¯t enough force behind it. Instead, he blocked the blade with Slammy¡¯s handle and pushed. The adventurer flew back, flipping through the air and landing gracefully on the far side of the arena before sprinting forward for another attack.
Their weapons met once more, and Alforde leaned into each blow of the furious exchange that followed. Without a doubt, he was bigger and stronger than his foe, so this type of slugfest suited him perfectly, but he was surprised when the salamander simply refused to back off. He was tenacious, and surprisingly tricky to deal with. No matter how many times Alforde batted away the adventurer¡¯s blows, he failed to land any of his own. The polearm was always in his way, and the salamander somehow managed to keep turning Slammy aside.
For the next two minutes, neither of them managed to score a point, and Alforde¡¯s enthusiasm for battle was tinted by a blossoming sense of frustration.
Taking a step back, Alforde looked over at Shadowforde¡¯s mirror and nodded. The room went cold and wobbled as the Reflection stepped out and took up his place behind the adventurer. Shadowforde had a taste for the dramatic too. Alforde idly wondered if that was natural or if it was an echo of his own personality. Mirror lore wasn¡¯t really his strong suit.
The salamander changed color. His scales were now bright yellow, and he seemed¡thinner, somehow. Faster, but weaker. Frowning, the salamander danced back toward Shadowforde and attacked the Reflection. His polearm flickered and flashed faster than they had before, but his blows had clearly lost their oomph. Shadowforde managed to block each one with ease, and Alforde was able to approach from behind without issue. With the salamander¡¯s attention firmly on his doppelganger, Alforde landed a solid blow on the salamander¡¯s side that earned him his first point. Virtually unfazed, the adventurer hopped back to the stage and the battle resumed. He shook his head and his scales once again flickered, but they remained yellow. The salamander said something under his breath Alforde couldn¡¯t hear and charged again.
Unfortunately, Alforde was disappointed by the rest of the fight. While the salamander¡¯s aggression remained as potent as it¡¯d been at the start of the battle, the threat posed by his blows wasn¡¯t. It took barely any effort for the armorsoul to break his opponent¡¯s guard, and the [Dungeon Champion] saw that the adventurer was running out of energy. The salamander struggled bravely, but he was ultimately overwhelmed and went flying off the stage three more times in rapid succession. He looked mad when he came back up.
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¡°That was a good fight,¡± Alforde said politely as he held out his gauntlet. Good sportsmanship was an important part of his duties, and he¡¯d not neglect it for any match, even if it¡¯d been underwhelming. Still, the armorsoul hoped that the rest of the day¡¯s fights would be more entertaining.
The salamander took a deep breath and looked nervous, as if wrestling with a difficult decision.
¡°I tried my best,¡± he finally said as he took Alforde¡¯s gauntlet. ¡°If it¡¯s not too much to ask, would you, uh, mind telling me what I did wrong?¡±
Alforde tilted his helmet. Most of the time, adventurers simply returned his gesture and left or vowed vengeance before stomping off. Seeking feedback so soon after a loss was rare. So rare in fact that the [Dungeon Champion] wasn¡¯t even sure how to answer. The battle had mostly been settled by the strength disparity between them, which meant that there really wasn¡¯t much to be said in terms of what had been done ¡°wrong¡±.
However, he couldn¡¯t quietly shrug and ignore the question. That wouldn¡¯t be right. Instead, he asked, ¡°Why did your scales change color after my Reflection joined the fight? You were doing better before that happened.¡±
¡°I know. It wasn¡¯t intentional. One of my class skills is [Scalestance], which has three forms I can use,¡± the salamander answered. ¡°I¡¯ll spare you the details, but basically, I get a bonus to some of my stats and my coloring determines which stat gets boosted. It¡¯s powerful, but I can¡¯t really control when it triggers, so sometimes I stance dance without meaning to. That¡¯s what happened during our fight. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t go back either.¡±
Alforde nodded. ¡°I see. Well, that¡¯s probably the first thing you should work on then,¡± he said. ¡°Your movements are fine, and you¡¯re a competent fighter, but if you¡¯re not able to ensure that you can do what you want during combat you¡¯ll always be at a disadvantage. Consistency is the key to power.¡±
That last bit wasn¡¯t technically true, as Alforde knew that there were all sorts of [Chaos] classes that thrived despite having skills with wildly disparate outcomes for every use, but he figured that a bit of generalization never hurt anybody.
Or at least, usually didn¡¯t hurt anybody.
The salamander nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep working on it, then. Thank you! I got two points of Might for this run, so I¡¯ll definitely be back soon!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll look forward to seeing how you improve,¡± Alforde said as he pointed toward the door leading back to street. ¡°The way out is over there. Good luck with your training!¡±
Once the adventurer was gone, the [Dungeon Champion] resumed his pacing. Hopefully the next battles would be better.
As the day wore on, Vee heard cheers and shouting drifting up into the office from the street below. When he got a free moment ¨C shortly after a level 7 [Spellsword] abandoned his run due to being frozen in place by one of Hanako¡¯s [Frost Vent] traps ¨C he stood up and walked over to the window to take a look and see what all the commotion was.
Down on the street, a circle of adventurers had formed around a pair of their peers who were fighting. For a moment, Vee¡¯s heartbeat quickened at the prospect of having to go and try and calm brawling adventurers. He wasn¡¯t exactly the type who could stop others in their tracks with nothing more than a loud shout. He supposed he could use [Summon Miasma] to put the combatants to sleep, but that would open a big old can of worms that he really didn¡¯t want to have to deal with.
Thankfully, after a brief exchange of punches and kicks, the fighters stopped where they stood and a couple of the spectators entered the ¡°ring¡±. They prodded elbows up and shoulders down, nudged feet forward and adjusted hips back, then nodded at the fighters who tried various swings from these corrected stances.
Vee breathed a sigh of relief. The adventurers weren¡¯t actually fighting, they were training. He picked up Reginald and brought the top hat over so that his [Majordomo] could look too.
¡°Looks like they¡¯re going at it pretty hard,¡± Reginald said as a new pair of adventurers walked to the center of the circle. Vee grunted in agreement.
With a shout from someone on the side, one of these new fighters ¨C a [Spellcaster] who¡¯d made it to the second floor of Crestheart ¨C fired a blazing orb at her sparring partner. The thin, shimmering shield that the target tried to use to protect himself failed ¨C as it had in the dungeon ¨C and he went flying when the spell crashed into his body. Almost as soon as he hit the ground though, he was surrounded by other adventurers. One hurried to tip half a bottle of Juniper¡¯s healing potion into the injured man¡¯s mouth. After a few moments, he was helped back to his feet and resumed his bout, this time trying to add a second shield behind the first.
¡°They must want to join the Open Call,¡± Reginald said as the poor adventurer went flying once more. When he got up for the second time, he was visibly weakened and returned to the circle as another set of adventurers took their turn to spar.
¡°They¡¯re all pretty far below the threshold,¡± Vee said. ¡°It¡¯s a nice thought, but there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll level enough to join up.¡±
¡°Unless it takes months for the bandits to be caught,¡± Reginald said darkly. ¡°Some of the high achievers might manage to level up enough by then.¡±
¡°You think there¡¯s a chance of that happening?¡±
The hat wriggled once in Vee¡¯s hands. It was the closest thing to a shrug he was capable of. ¡°A couple weeks ago I wouldn¡¯t have imagined it possible that the bandits would still be active now. What do we know?¡±
¡°Fair point,¡± Vee said, his own mood blackening as he watched the adventurers continue sparring.
Before he could truly start brooding, Do sent up word that the dungeon was ready for the next run, so Vee returned to his seat and adjusted his dials. The day continued, and a handful of adventurers reached Alforde all to be defeated in spectacular fashion. The armorsoul sagged a bit when Vee called down that they were done for the day, but he marched up the stairs all the same.
After counting up the day¡¯s take and storing the fleurs and the shards of chaos in the vault, the [Dungeon Master] and his companions went downstairs.
The adventurers were still on the street, and many shivered from the cold while others struggled to stand, but all their eyes burned with determination.
¡°Let¡¯s go again,¡± one [Swordsman] said, though he was sporting several nasty bruises on his face and looked to have lost a tooth sometime in the not too distant past. There was a muffled cheer as the circle sent another pair of fighters into the center.
Vee looked at Alforde. He knew his friend well enough to know that the armorsoul was itching to join the sparring. Giving Alforde a nudge, Vee gestured to the circle.
¡°Go ahead and help them out,¡± he said. ¡°Just make sure you¡¯re back through the gate before sunset,¡± he said.
Alforde nodded enthusiastically before going to the nearest adventurer and asking if he could help out. The man laughed, and Alforde went and stood in the center of the circle.
¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go,¡± he cried. ¡°I¡¯ll take you on two or three or four at a time! Come on, let¡¯s fight!¡±
The adventurers cheered again and Alforde was soon in the thick of a friendly match against a trio of eager enemies. He seemed happy, though he only blocked and dodged the attacks that came his way.
Waving, Vee and Reginald returned to the boarding house.
Main Character Sheets (UNCHANGED FROM LAST CHAPTER)
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 16
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 20
Leadership: 16
Guts: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 37
Wit: 12
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 17
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 7
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 5
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 10
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 35
%#$@%@@
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
**************
Volume 2 Chapter 7: Thoughts Under The Moonlight
Bending down, Kai finagled the slime¡¯s pen gate to the proper position and waited for his apprentice Dandelion to do the same. The fiend was still slow, but it was careful and methodical as it tied the strands of leafrope to the gate and the warding hedges surrounding it. The bonsai treant felt a tickle of pleasure as he watched Dandelion work; it was good to see how much progress it¡¯d made in a relatively short time. If this kept up, it¡¯d be able to handle a good chunk of Kai¡¯s own duties once winter ended, which would allow the [MeG&0ve Caretaker] to turn his attention to his dream project: the Verdant Construction of Westown.
Kai shook his branches. There it was again. The strange flickering of his class that suggested it might be changing. The bonsai treant couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad as he pondered the implications of such a thing. On the one branch, it meant that his place truly was here, but on the other it meant ¨C
¡°Kai take look?¡± Dandelion asked, breaking Kai out of his ponderings. The fiend¡¯s speech remained stilted and it was occasionally hard to understand sentences that were longer than a few words, but there too Dandelion was improving. Every day it was a little clearer, a little smoother, a little bit harder to recognize as a spirit of rage and hatred given physical shape. The slow and steady progress was like a plant in a lot of ways, which Kai appreciated.
Taking a look at Dandelion¡¯s handiwork, Kai couldn¡¯t help but smile. Indeed, the knots that would keep the fiend¡¯s side of the gate firmly anchored in position were well tied and unlikely to come apart when the slime it was designed to hold grew larger and tried to break free. Pulling on them from a few different angles, Kai gave his apprentice the go-ahead to move on to the next gate but didn¡¯t follow right away. There¡¯d been some tightness in his barkbody¡¯s right shoulder that shouldn¡¯t have been there; a catch just before it fully extended. He tested it again to make sure, and yep, there was definitely a slight pause.
Kai sighed. Crap. He¡¯d have to pull the whole thing apart later and make sure everything was lubricated and aligned properly. While he was at it, the little voice in his roots told him that it probably wouldn¡¯t hurt to take a look at the entirety of the barkbody, either. It¡¯d been¡too long since he¡¯d last given it a once-over.
The pair worked their way through the rest of the slime pens until the sun went down.
Kai backed away from his last series of knots and waved over at Dandelion.
¡°I think that¡¯s all we¡¯re going to be able to get done for today. Good job! All your sides were as strong as they needed to be. Tomorrow I¡¯ll have you handle the warding check before we do the rest, okay?¡±
Dandelion nodded, the tiny flicker of its [Green Spirit] glimmering for a moment, and headed back to their shelter. Its gait was exactly the same as it¡¯d been when they¡¯d started work that morning.
[Mentoring +1]
Kai couldn¡¯t help but be a little jealous. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if the fiend got tired ¨C the one time he¡¯d tried to ask he¡¯d quickly realized that for all its improvement Dandelion¡¯s command of language still had a long way to go ¨C but he knew that his own strength was fading, courtesy of the Snowsapped status cutting his Green Spirit in half.
Thanks, winter.
It was irritating, but the points would come back once the weather warmed up. Still, until they did, the bonsai treant had to endure the protests of his body against his mind, which he didn¡¯t particularly like.
Traipsing along in the snowy wake of his apprentice, Kai returned to his shelter and used [Shift Consciousness] to exit his barkbody. The contstruct remained standing as Dandelion kindled a tiny fire and set itself down in front of the crackling flames. Naturally, Kai had a somewhat¡adversarial relationship with fire, but he wasn¡¯t above admitting that the warmth it provided was somewhat pleasant on cold winter nights. So long as it was enjoyed from a safe distance, of course.
After a few minutes of quiet eating ¨C Kai snacked on emberberries while Dandelion nibbled on cubes of refined ectoplasm ¨C the pair went about their separate tasks. If there was one thing Kai hated, it was being idle. Whether by example or nature, his apprentice seemed to be the same way.
Taking out the yellowed and dogeared book on plants and flowers they¡¯d borrowed from Juniper, Dandelion began its study for the night while Kai clambered to his barkbody¡¯s shoulder and pulled away the plate that would let him get to the shoulder joint. Summoning a twig and leafblade, the bonsai treant poked and prodded the inner mechanism, checking each piece for problems. He frowned when he found that one of the pins had snapped off and was stuck between two of the shoulder¡¯s overlapping plates. Well, that explained the tightness. Using his leafblade, Kai cut the pin away bit by bit until he could dislodge the rest without having to worry about damaging the plates. Once the extraction was done, the bonsai treant crawled down to the maintenance hatch on the barkbody¡¯s back and popped it open. For a moment, he sat there, enjoying the rich and heady cedar scent that reminded him of the grove before grabbing a replacement pin and climbing back to the shoulder to make the repair.
As he set the pin and used some of his own sap to tighten it into place, Kai¡¯s mind followed the path created by the scent of cedars to the previous winters of his life.
Back in the grove, the dark and snowy months were supposed to be a time of quiet contemplation and personal reflection. The elders gathered the saplings to their sides to share the tales of the years long since passed, answer questions, and provide guidance for the year to come.
Kai had hated it. Sitting around for hours ¨C or worse, days ¨C listening to Elder Palmatum drone on about the thickness of emberberry vines decades earlier set his sap to sticking and he¡¯d taken every chance he could get to go and work on the barkbodies. There, at least, he could actually do something.
The pin was slightly uneven, so it didn¡¯t quite settle right at first. With the ease of long practice, Kai twisted it back and forth until he was convinced it wouldn¡¯t interfere with his daily tasks, then moved on to checking the rest of the barkbody for cracks or other issues. Crawling around the construct¡¯s chest, Kai inspected all of the wrappings and panels, making sure that they were properly tight and easy to move. There weren¡¯t any other saplings here to do a second pass for him, so the [Barkbody Pilot] was sure to be extra careful.
His inspection took a few hours, and there were some other small problems to fix, but eventually Kai¡¯s sap sang its exhaustion and he decided to call it a night. Dandelion was still studying its books next to the fire, and Kai knew that the fiend would be in the exact same place the next morning.
Outside, the moons were shining brightly. Settling himself down to sleep in their silver light, Kai closed his eyes and contentedly let his mind wander the land of dreams. Tomorrow there¡¯d be more work to do in the menagerie and he wanted to be well rested for it. After all, they were going to increase the amount of ectoplasm they fed the test slimes.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Who knew what that would bring?
Vee woke in the middle of the night, his eyes snapping open. It hadn¡¯t been a bad dream that roused him from his slumber, yet he sat up and took a few deep breaths all the same.
As he sat in the mostly dark room, the [Dungeon Master] noticed a slight¡pressure in the back of his skull. No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. It was more like the feeling of having a popcorn kernel stuck in the back of his throat, only it was in his head and was distinctly V-shaped. While it wasn¡¯t painful or anything, it was annoying, and Vee didn¡¯t know how to go about getting rid of it.
That is, until he saw Reginald forlornly staring out the window from the table, illuminated by the pale silver light of the twin moons in the clear sky. Whether from something connected to his [Dungeon Master] class ¨C a proc of [Big Picture], perhaps? ¨C or just general common sense, Vee was sure that his hat had Something To Talk About, so he got up out of bed and shuffled across the floor to sit down beside his [Majordomo].
Reginald¡¯s felty mouth was drawn tight, but his expression softened slightly as he turned toward Vee.
¡°The moons are really pretty tonight, aren¡¯t they?¡±
Vee looked out and shrugged.
¡°I guess so, sure.¡±
Small talk? Must really be something pretty important then.
They were quiet for a few moments, just sitting there in companionable silence and looking up at the sky as a few glistening snowflakes fluttered down to the ground.
Vee rocked back and forth, feeling the chill of the room and growing impatient. Part of him wanted to simply ask what his hat was thinking about, but he also had the sense that he¡¯d be better off if he simply waited for Reginald to open up and start talking. Some things were fine to force, but he didn¡¯t think this was one of them.
He just hoped his [Majordomo] wouldn¡¯t make him wait too long. Vee did want to get back to sleep, after all. Tomorrow promised to be another busy day at the dungeon, especially since Alforde had informed him that most of the adventurers he¡¯d sparred with were planning to come back. Apparently they were rather serious about power leveling and trying to join the open call. Vee wasn¡¯t sure how likely such a thing was to happen, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain about the extra business. Fleurs were fleurs.
¡°I¡¯ve been feeling nostalgic these past couple weeks,¡± Reginald finally said. He was speaking quietly, but Vee had no trouble hearing each word in the quiet room. ¡°When Ildor first brought me and Sacha here, there was a bandit problem too. The city ¨C er, it wasn¡¯t really a city then, just a few people here and there scattered throughout the forest around the mountains ¨C was constantly getting raided, and one of the first things Ildor had us do was go out and hunt them down. No one else was willing to do it, see?¡±
He paused, letting his mouth curl into a small smile.
¡°Well, Sacha hunted most of them down while Ildor handled the really strong ones. I was¡mostly just along for the trip. Our task was grim, and often messy, but we took pride in it. We were making people safe, and that was worth dirtying our hands. Or so we thought, at first.
¡°As the months wore on and the seasons changed, Ildor noticed that Sacha seemed to be relishing the battles more and more. He¡¯d gotten a new class after a particularly difficult fight; I think that¡¯s where it started. He became kind of erratic. Started attacking trees for no reason, hunted bandits by himself, that kind of stuff. It was a gradual thing, but over time, he changed.
¡°Caught up in the thrill of working toward a higher purpose, I didn¡¯t think much of it. Heck, I figured that was just how he was, but I¡¯ve been sifting through my memories these last couple days and now I¡¯m not so sure anymore. See, I found one memory that really stood out to me.¡±
¡°What was it?¡±
¡°Ildor and I were waiting for Sacha to make us dinner, but he refused. He said he wasn¡¯t hungry, that he didn¡¯t feel like cooking, and that he was itching for a fight. At that point, it¡¯d been a few days since our last bandit scrap, and he¡¯d been complaining about feeling cooped up before we settled in for the night. Any of that sound familiar?¡±
Vee looked over at the corner of the room, where Alforde was sleeping next to Slammy. Moonlight illuminated half of his helmet and one of his pauldrons, but the rest of his armor was bathed in darkness. Vee shivered, aware once more of the branching pressure at the back of his skull. Now it hurt a little bit.
¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you, Boss. I¡¯m worried about the big guy,¡± Reginald said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that all this with the dungeon is going too fast for him. I think Alforde¡¯s throwing himself into his new class too hard and that history is going to echo, you know? It¡¯s like we¡¯re so focused on the day to day of Crestheart that we¡¯re missing something really important.
¡°Now, don¡¯t bother asking me what you should do. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know, Boss. I¡¯ve been thinking about it all night, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve got nothing. Ildor handled Sacha by dueling him and knocking some sense back into him, but I don¡¯t think that approach would work for you. You¡¯re not exactly, uh, combat ready, you know? You¡¯re going to have to walk a different path.¡±
Vee frowned, leaning forward and resting his hands on his chin. Alforde had been a little, uh, snippy lately, but had it really been that bad?
Yeah, I guess it kind of has been. But what do I do about it?
[You have received a quest: Intervene with Alforde. Would you like to accept?]
Vee did so immediately and the full quest notification popped up in front of his eyes.
[Quest: Intervene with Alforde]
[Dangers: ???]
[Reward for completion: Leadership +1, Guts +1, [Dungeon Master Skill: ???]]
[Description: Reginald has informed you of his worry regarding Alforde. Figure out if his new class is affecting his personality and decide if it¡¯s acceptable. If not, find a way to mitigate the harm.]
¡°Thanks for letting me know,¡± Vee said as the pressure in his skull faded. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±
Reginald moved ever so slightly, and seemed less morose as he did so.
¡°I know you will, Boss. But it¡¯s late, so try to get some sleep, eh? I think we¡¯ve got thirty-two adventurers scheduled for tomorrow. Going to be a busy one.¡±
Wasn¡¯t that the truth? Yawning, Vee made his way back to bed. His head sank into the pillow and the blankets were comfortably heavy.
Sadly, sleep didn¡¯t return.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 16
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 20
Leadership: 16
Guts: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 37
Wit: 12
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 17
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 7
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 5
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 11 (+1)
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 35
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
**************
Bonus: Kai''s Character Sheet
Kai Ginficus:
Primary Class: G&0ve Caretaker (PaVechi PalmValatum), Level 17
Secondary Class: Barkbody Pilot (Pachi Palmatum), Level 15
Tertiary Class: Verdant Builder(Self), Level 7
Might: 10
Wit: 6
Faith: 13
Green Spirit (Snowsapped): 16 (Normally 31)
Adventurousness: 6
Guts: 9
Citizenship: 5
Mentoring: 4 (+1)
Patience: 2
Volume 2 Chapter 8: Pick Your Perk (Redux)
Adventurers were waiting outside the gate to Westown when Vee arrived the next morning with Alforde and Reginald. They carried practice weapons and extra supplies, and several of them were already discussing tactics and techniques. Clearly, their impromptu sparring club hadn¡¯t been a one-time thing.
Vee wasn¡¯t sure what to think as he looked at their faces and bright eyes. On the one hand, it was good that they were so enthusiastic, and it probably spoke well to the future of the guild branch in Oar¡¯s Crest ¨C not to mention Crestheart¡¯s long term demand prospects ¨C but on the other it was really inconvenient for him that they were probably going to ask Alforde to join them again and that the armorsoul would likely do so. How was the [Dungeon Master] supposed to talk to his friend if the armorsoul was batting low leveled adventurers around all evening?
He looked over at Alforde. His [Right Hand Man] was waving back to the adventurers and chatting as they told him about their new skills and ideas, but in addition to the flexing of his gauntlets around Slammy¡¯s handle, Vee could hear an¡impatience in his friend¡¯s responses.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Vee shook his head and tried to will away his headache. Even two cups of coffee hadn¡¯t taken the edge off, and he shivered from more than just the cold.
Maybe it was for the best that Alforde would probably be sparring after the dungeon runs today. Despite all his concern, Vee still wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he wanted to say, or how he even wanted to broach the subject in the first place. ¡®Hey, do you think your class is messing with your personality?¡¯ didn¡¯t really feel like the best way to bring it up.
He¡¯d never been good with stuff like this, but he vowed that he¡¯d figure it out.
The gate slowly creaked open and Vee waved to the [City Guards] as they made their way down the long stretch of road leading to Crestheart. His Light Section was still keeping it clear, as well as clearing out the buildings behind the walls on either side of the street. Eventually, Vee would have the Medium Section go through those and make sure they were safe, then he¡¯d make a request to the council for the walls to be moved back. Eventually, he wanted the gate to be able to stay open all day and night. Having longer workable hours would be a good thing once the weather started getting nice again.
At Crestheart, Vee took Reginald up to the office while Alforde stayed down on the street to work with a few of the adventurers before the day¡¯s runs started. Vee heard his friend¡¯s laughter as he trudged up the stairs.
Reginald summoned his strange arms of yellow energy and read over the adventurer applications for the day. Vee heard his [Majordomo] muttering, and when he listened carefully he realized that Reginald was trying to come up with jokes and nicknames for the runners.
Shaking his head, Vee reached through his bond with Do, and made sure that all of the dungeon traps and platforms were good to go before turning to the rest of his own morning duties. Normally the entire process of calibrating the knobs and dials on his board only took a few minutes, but because the [Dungeon Master] was so tired it took almost half an hour.
¡°Probably best if you go to sleep early tonight,¡± Reginald said as Vee gave the signal for the door to open for the first run to start. ¡°Unless you and the big guy are having a heart to heart. Wait, does he even have a heart? I thought it was all smoke in there?¡±
Vee yawned but didn¡¯t reply. Reginald waited for a moment, clearly wanting Vee to tell him what he¡¯d decide to do, but after Vee faked a second yawn, the hat got the hint and got busy with his [Announcer] duties.
¡°Welcome to Crestheart, Adventurer! Enter the dungeon, if you think you¡¯re strong enough!¡±
A level 12 [Mace Afficionado] was up first. He was a big guy ¨C more fat than muscular ¨C but he¡¯d done a good job punching through minions the day before, so Vee went ahead and used a charge of [Boost Drops], even though doing so somehow made his headache worse.
The room was spinning a little bit when he finished. Vee took a deep breath, unsure as to how he was going to make it through the day while using his skills.
Maybe he¡¯d nap after using up his charges of [Boost Drops] and let the dungeon do its thing? That sounded really nice, actually.
Behind him, Dheart made a strange noise and Vee looked over, blinking several times to make sure that what he was seeing wasn¡¯t just his tired eyes playing a trick on him. The dungeon heart was flickering with white light and shaking more than normal. Vee slid his chair back a few feet.
¡°Uh, Dheart? You okay?¡±
A rumbling answered him and then the dungeon heart¡¯s staccato voice filled the room. ¡°Yes, Master. All systems are working within normal activity ranges. According to my calculations, Crestheart is on the verge of leveling up again. It¡¯s been getting closer ever since we added the most recent floor. I expect that it will do so following the day¡¯s runs.¡±
That was something, Vee thought as he slid his chair back to its normal position. He flipped a switch to activate the moving platforms in the next room and watched them for a moment to make sure that they were moving along their paths properly. Sometimes they needed a minor adjustment during the day¡¯s first run. Once he¡¯d confirmed that they were working right, the [Dungeon Master] sat back to watch the adventurer¡¯s attempt.
Surprisingly, the [Mace Afficionado] had yet to swing his weapon a single time. Instead, the chubby adventurer relied on a guard skill he hadn¡¯t had the day before that Reginald identified as [Mace Shell]. It surrounded his body with a shimmering orb that looked like a mace¡¯s head with spikes and everything. Like a [Thorns] or [Reflect] spell, it returned damage taken to the source regardless of distance, which meant that it was devastatingly effective against Vee¡¯s remaining skeleton archers and mages, as their ability to take cover didn¡¯t have any effect on their own attacks.
The [Dungeon Master] watched as the pulsing waves of translucent gray light caused his last couple bony underlings to shatter and crumble into dust. He sucked in a deep breath.
¡°Come on, come on,¡± he said quietly. ¡°[Lesser Rebuild], let¡¯s go! Fifteen percent, one time?¡±
The piles of bone didn¡¯t rebuild themselves and Vee cursed.
¡°Never lucky,¡± he growled, pressing a button to send spikes at the adventurer from the sides of the room a lot harder than he probably needed to. ¡°Now this room is basically undefended.¡±
¡°We can try and fill it with some slimes and ghosts,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Or maybe install a bunch of ghost hands? We could rig them up to throw projectiles and give them ice balls or something. You¡¯ve been talking about doing that forever, so it¡¯d probably be good to finally get around to it.¡±
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
¡°That¡¯s an option,¡± said Vee. He had definitely mentioned that idea before, yet it was still undone. It¡¯d probably be a good idea to tying up that particular loose end. But then, he had a thought!
If he was going to go through all work to make sure that they could properly throw snowballs, why not attach it to something bigger? This was a great time to experiment! It was just like restaurants adding mushroom dishes to their menus when the price of meat went up!
He could hear the voice on the crystals now,
Struggling to gain experience in the dungeon due to the lack of expendable minions?
Try our new offering, the mini boss, today!
[Devious Mind +1]
[Plotting +1]
Vee¡¯s notebook was filled with sketches of circles, cylinders and cones by the time the last adventurer finished for the day and three different small scale models made of ectoplasm sat on his desk. His headache was almost gone, thanks to the fact that he¡¯d been so excited about the potential for his new project, though he was sure a different type of one would take root once it came time for him to actually start working on the full size creation: a giant snowman he was calling Mister Chills.
It''d be Crestheart¡¯s first mini boss, and though there was still some work to do on designing a fight that wouldn¡¯t be likely to end with the destruction of his efforts, Vee was looking forward to the prospect. He was fully aware of the fact that his creation would probably be a haphazard, slapdash thing, but that was fine for a first effort.
Sucking at something is the first step to maybe sort of not being terrible at it, Vee thought.
Alforde brought up the day¡¯s payments and helped Vee count the fleurs as he always did, and the [Dungeon Master] noted that his friend seemed a little less on edge. He¡¯d had eleven battles that day, thanks to the fact that there were hardly any minions to slow the adventurers down. Most of them were over quick, but a clever level 13 [Grave Digger] almost squeaked out an upset thanks to her unsettling ability to burrow into the ground for a brief period of time and pop up somewhere else.
Vee put the last fleurs into the appropriate chest and summoned Cecil to make note of the day¡¯s total.
¡°Let¡¯s see, today we ended up having thirty-six adventurers run through the dungeon who paid for all the floors, so that¡¯s¡almost twenty-five hundred silvers. Then after deducting taxes and estimated minion replacement fees, we¡¯re adding¡roughly twenty one hundred silvers to the coffers.¡±
That was good. The new floor was definitely boosting the dungeon¡¯s earning power, but the shards of chaos situation wasn¡¯t good at all. Due to the minion shortage, they¡¯d only earned three that day, even with all of Vee¡¯s uses of [Boost Drops]. You couldn¡¯t boost something that didn¡¯t exist.
To get the next floor would cost two hundred and sixty, so it¡¯d be a while until they could expand again and Vee couldn¡¯t help but worry that they¡¯d have a tough time keeping up with their repayments as the weeks wore on and the fees scaled up.
He cursed the bandits once more for preventing him from getting minions.
Like he didn¡¯t have enough other things to deal with.
¡°What are these? They look so cool,¡± Alforde said as he clapped his gauntlets together and picked up the first snowman prototype. It was a brawler type, with huge shoulder and an angry expression.
Vee smiled. Alforde was acting like himself again, and the [Dungeon Master] wondered if his [Majordomo]¡¯s assessment of the [Dungeon Champion]¡¯s mental state had been incorrect. Maybe it¡¯d just been a bad few days?
He couldn¡¯t tell. That was what was so frustrating about class lore. It was murky and hard to be sure of anything, unless you yourself had a class dedicated to it like [Class Scholar]. Vee did not, so he simply resolved to keep a close eye on his friend in the days and weeks to come and act as necessary.
¡°There¡¯s just one thing I think they¡¯re missing,¡± Alforde said, oblivious to Vee¡¯s internal quagmire.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
The [Dungeon Champion] chuckled. ¡°Some flair. You know, some style. No matter which of these archetypes you pick, make sure you give it some big gloves, or better yet, a cape! Everything is better with capes!¡±
For emphasis, he flourished his own and spun around, sending a chill through the air.
¡°Capes are overrated. I think a top hat would look better,¡± Reginald said with a laugh, and the trio spent a few minutes cheerfully bickering about different aesthetics for the mini boss while Alforde loaded the fleurs into the vault.
As soon as they were done, a popup appeared before Vee¡¯s eyes. Just as Dheart predicted, Crestheart had once again leveled up.
[Congratulations, Crestheart is now a level 3 dungeon!]
[You can now activate an additional dungeon aura! All other dungeon auras can be made more powerful by using shards of chaos. See your dungeon heart for details!]
[+1% chance for minion skills to activate!]
[You may now choose one of the following perks to make your dungeon more powerful!]
[OPTION 1: Crystal Cache (2500 count)]
Utilizing traps or other dungeon devices that require crystals? This collection of 2500 C-Rank crystal bases can be enchanted to serve whatever purpose you need. Also comes with a set of Lindlestock engraving tools. Selecting this option will increase your chances of being offered other cache perks at higher levels.
[OPTION 2: Portal Gates (4 Pack)]
This set of four gates can be used to teleport objects across spaces in the dungeon. Perfect for creating secret nooks and crannies for your adventurers to find, or for kicking off an existential crisis at the question of if the person who enters the portal is the same one who comes out! Even we don¡¯t know the answer! Portal gates must always be connected in orange and blue pairs. Selecting this option will increase your chances of being offered other dungeon device perks at higher levels.
[OPTION 3: {Mana Battery Talisman}]
A piece of equipment that can be worn by anyone capable of magic, this talisman boosts the spellcasting endurance of its wearer so long as they¡¯re inside the dungeon, allowing a greater number of spell skills to be used. Selecting this option will increase your chances of being offered other dungeon equipment perks at higher levels.
[Please note, all perk deliveries are subject to delivery conditions, and may not arrive for some time after being selected.]
Vee frowned. He showed the notification to Reginald and Alforde.
¡°What do you guys think?¡±
Alforde shrugged but Reginald snorted.
¡°They all suck, Boss. Any way we can reroll them?¡±
Now that was an interesting question.*
*The answer is no. For now.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 17 (+1)
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 21 (+1)
Leadership: 16
Guts: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 37
Wit: 12
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 17
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 8 (+1)
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 5
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 7 (+1)
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 11
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 35
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
**************
Volume 2 Chapter 9: Laughing Arrows Part 1 (Luna and Holly Interlude)
A branch above Luna¡¯s head snapped, covering the [Pumpkin Witch] in snow. Shivering, Luna reached up and brushed it away as she continued trudging toward the adventurer¡¯s camp. She turned to her companion, Holly, and scowled.
¡°Didn¡¯t feel like stopping that one, either, huh?¡±
The [Snowmancer] chuckled and shook her head. ¡°Figured you¡¯d dodge it,¡± she said with a mischievous smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d gotten so slow.¡±
¡°Not all of us are literally in their element,¡± Luna grumbled as she leapt over a large snow drift and almost lost her balance. Holly raised an eyebrow, but didn¡¯t razz her any further as they approached the wide clearing where their camp was hidden.
Had Luna not known for a fact that the camp was right in front of her, she would have never suspected it. It¡¯d been hidden from conscious awareness by [Orb of Obscurement], a skill that belonged to their party leader, Serena. A level 35 [Crescent Shield Scout] covered in hard-won scars, Serena was only a handful of years older than Luna and Holly, but she was a much more experienced adventurer and a little scary to be around as a result.
Luna¡¯s heavy boots passed through the invisible barrier of the orb and her skin crawled as she pushed herself toward the camp. Thankfully the discomfort passed quickly, and she smiled as she smelled the hearty stew bubbling away on the cauldron by the fire. Her stomach rumbled and she realized that she hadn¡¯t really eaten anything since breakfast. Two bags of trail mix and a handful of granola bars didn¡¯t count.
Serena was studying her maps as the witches made a beeline for the logs close to the flames, grabbing a cup of mulled cider apiece as they sat down. The blonde woman didn¡¯t look happy; her brow was furrowed and her mouth drawn tight as she tapped the map with her pen.
¡°Betcha Gus has been whining again,¡± Holly whispered as Luna set down her hat-turned-lance and bag-turned-shield. ¡°He thinks we¡¯re wasting our time.¡±
The [Snowmancer]¡¯s own weapon, a whip sword made out of snowflakes, melted away, to be summoned back into existence as soon as the witch needed it. Taking off her gloves and staring at her chafed hands, Luna couldn¡¯t help but be a little envious.
¡°Probably,¡± the [Pumpkin Witch] said as she took a joyous sip of cider. She relished the warmth of the liquid as much as the bright spices that made her feel like it was fall again. It was a little thing, but she felt her strength returning ever so slightly as she drank the rest of the cup. She hadn¡¯t expected the drain of being out in the snow and was suffering for it. Her wells were ¡°full¡±, but they were brittle, like they were being squeezed by the cold. Trying to draw power through them was painful, and even meditating hadn¡¯t really helped alleviate the problem.
Luna took another sip and let out a contented sigh. Spiced things, warm things¡those were going to be the key to keeping up her strength as she endured this job. And make no mistake, Luna was going to endure it.
Still, she wished she had cookies. Cookies made everything better.
As if scripted, Holly sighed and opened her bag. Reaching inside, the [Snowmancer] pulled out a crinkled package filled with sugar cookies that looked a little worse for wear and held them out. She looked a little surly to be doing so, but that was only to be expected.
¡°Here, take one, you sugar fiend. Seriously, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do with you.¡±
The [Pumpkin Witch] grinned as she took the offered treat. For all her grumbling, Holly had settled into her [Surly Sidekick] class pretty well. Thanks to her passive [One Step Ahead] skill, she always seemed to know what Luna wanted or needed, which was a real blessing most of the time. However, it wasn¡¯t always a good thing, and Luna had started taking extra care to make sure that Holly was nowhere nearby when she let her mind wander back home, lest she open herself up to Holly¡¯s merciless teasing.
¡°Thanks,¡± Luna sighed as she bit into a second cookie. It was buttery and sweet, and her wells relaxed a little bit more. How many would it take to get back to feeling normal? Probably more than they had.
¡°Where¡¯d you get these from? I know you didn¡¯t bake them yourself, you crook. They¡¯re too good for that.¡±
Holly frogged her in the arm but smiled as she did it. ¡°Got ¡®em from Mary¡¯s. They¡¯re not bad, eh?¡±
Luna nodded as she grabbed a couple more for the rest of the evening before returning the bag. After another long sip of cider, she leaned toward the fire. When she closed her eyes, she felt the tug of Oar¡¯s Crest in the back of her mind as her skin warmed. The city was far away ¨C Gus¡¯ [Footsteps of Giants] skill had let their party cross a distance in two days that would have normally taken almost ten ¨C but thanks to [Right Place, Right Time], Luna still saw the penciled whispers of the problems she would have been solving if she¡¯d been there. What she¡¯d once called the twinges had gotten stronger as she¡¯d followed them, and now when she was in town she found herself sensing a giant red arrow at all times that led her wherever she needed to be.
If only that worked out here, she thought bitterly. Then I could find these stupid bandits and go home.
The mood had definitely soured in the adventurer¡¯s camp as the days wore on and they found no signs of their targets. Serena¡¯s [Moon Map] had shown movement in the area, but the optimism had faded as none of the party¡¯s short-range tracking skills ¨C like Gus¡¯ [Find Quarry] or Kemda¡¯s [Track Down] ¨C had procced even once.
Luna hoped that the other parties around the continent were faring better than they were. Hopefully someone would capture the leader soon, so life could go back to normal.
Finishing her cider, Luna stood up and made her way to her bedroll, where she took off her outer layer of armor before laying down. In addition to a {Watch} that had been [Synchronized] to the rest of the watches in the party, the guild had made sure that every adventurer in the open call had full armor. Though she¡¯d explained that she technically had her own armor if the situation required it, Serena had insisted on Luna taking a chain mail doublet and cuisse. The [Pumpkin Witch]¡¯s boots, sturdy and heavy as they were, had been deemed acceptable for the job. Which had been good, as Luna wouldn¡¯t have been willing to part with them.
Crawling under her covers, Luna looked up at the stars. The aching fatigue of the hunt settled into her bones, and before long she was asleep.
Luna was shaken awake in the middle of the night by a worried Serena, who was dressed in full regalia and looking worried.
¡°Kemda and Brayson were supposed to be back an hour ago,¡± she said as Luna sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes. ¡°Something must have happened, so we¡¯re going to going to go look for them. Be quick about getting your gear on; you and Sacre are coming with me and Gus. There might be fighting, and you two are supposed to be good in a scrap.¡±
[You have been given a quest: Find Kemda and Brayson! Would you like to accept?]
Hurrying to her feet, Luna accepted the quest and armored up as quick as she could. The mail was cold and made her shiver, but she ignored it. On the other side of the camp, Luna saw Holly doing the same, though the [Snowmancer]¡¯s preparations simply required her to stand in the center of a [Snowflurry] and wait for her armor to form. Once again, Luna felt a flicker of jealousy.
[Quest: Find Kemda and Brayson!]
[Dangers: Whatever happened to them might happen to you too¡and your presence might be noticed by those you¡¯re hunting. If they¡¯re around, that is.]
[Reward for completion: Adventurousness +1, Loyalty +1]
[Description: Your fellow adventurers, Kemda and Brayson, were supposed to return to camp once they finished their patrol. They¡¯re still not back, which is never a good thing. Go find them.]
Picking up her weapons, Luna hurried to join her companions, and they headed out into the night.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
¡°Keep your eyes peeled for any sign of enemies or our companions,¡± Serena said as they made their way down the winding path leading away from camp. ¡°Stay as quiet as you can, but don¡¯t hesitate to scream for help if you get into trouble, okay?¡±
The night was clear and cold, and the twin moons loomed even larger in the sky than they normally did. Luna¡¯s limbs felt a little sluggish. The four adventures headed out along the winding path that led deeper into the woods. They stopped when they reached a frozen creek and Serena turned to look over at Gus.
¡°Anything?¡±
The [Huntsman] shook his head and spat into the snow. He was a gruff, grizzled man with short red hair and tattoos of swords and arrows on his exposed shoulders and biceps. Luna didn¡¯t particularly like him, but she knew that he was a skilled tracker and good man at heart.
¡°Ain¡¯t nothin¡¯ around here,¡± he grunted as he knelt down to touch the ground near where he¡¯d spat. The flicker of light surrounding his hands meant that this too was a skill, though Luna hadn¡¯t yet heard him say its name. ¡°No people, no critters. Nothing. Even using something from their bedrolls doesn¡¯t cause anything to show up. It¡¯s like they vanished into thin air or something.¡±
Serena swore before turning back to the creek. ¡°They¡¯re not just lost, then. Crap. We¡¯ll keep looking. Come on, and keep your weapons ready. I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about all this.¡±
The quartet hurried on; their pace quickened by worry. For all that they willed it to be otherwise, the forest was the same as ever. There were no suspicious rocks, no trees leaning the wrong way, nor any other signs that they could follow to find their companions. Gus reported that his skill stayed quiet, and Serena looked increasingly frustrated as the search wore on.
One hour turned into two, and Luna¡¯s adrenaline-fueled endurance flagged. Her cheeks and ears were so cold they hurt, and it was taking more and more effort to keep lifting her feet up for each step. Maybe the boots hadn¡¯t been such a good decision after all. Gus was having a tough time too, and Serena called for a stop just before midnight.
¡°Let¡¯s take a few minutes and catch our breath,¡± the [Crescent Shield Scout] said as she twisted open her canteen and took a swig.
The weary adventurers were all too happy to do so, though Gus scowled as he crouched down to look Serena in the eye.
¡°We¡¯re not going to find anything out here,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s too dark, Serena. There are too many nooks and crannies we can¡¯t see properly, and we¡¯re all slowing down. We should go back to camp and wait ¡®till it¡¯s light to start searching again.¡±
Serena shook her head. ¡°Two of our party members are missing. Possibly injured. And you want to just stop looking for them and go back to camp?¡±
Gus spat into the snow once more. ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to stop looking for them, it¡¯s that I think it¡¯s our best course of action. Keeping [Follow Trail] active has my head starting to hurt, Serena. I¡¯m going to have a tough time keeping up pretty soon, let alone pull my weight if we get into a fight. We¡¯re not going to help our companions by stumbling into danger so weak that even a couple kids playing [Villains] and [Heroes] could beat us up.¡±
Serena scowled but didn¡¯t immediately rule out his idea. Instead, she looked at Luna and Holly and asked, ¡°How are you two holding up? Think you can keep going?¡±
¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Holly said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m tired but not unreasonably so. Besides, I can always draw extra strength from the snow if I need to.¡±
¡°And what about you, Luna?¡±
The [Pumpkin Witch] met the other woman¡¯s eyes. She wanted to shrug, to say that she was fine and that she was ready to resume their search, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Her arms trembled under the strain of holding her gear, and her legs begged for relief. Sadly, Luna didn¡¯t think that a couple sips from a canteen and a few minutes of rest were going to make everything better. She tried to draw power from her wells and found them closed to her, so she shook her head.
[Might -1]
¡°I can press on if need be, but I¡¯m definitely not in fighting shape. I could really use some rest,¡± she admitted. Piper¡¯s eyes, it¡¯d been difficult to say that! ¡°Finding Kemda and Brayson is important, but we¡¯re not really making any progress. So, I agree with Gus; we should go back to camp and take everyone else out tomorrow to continue the search.¡±
Serena looked at her for a long moment and Luna saw the judgement in the other woman¡¯s eyes.
¡°Fine. I don¡¯t like it but if you two don¡¯t think you can hack it in a battle, we¡¯re putting ourselves in unnecessary danger. We¡¯ll return to camp for the night and start again in the morning,¡± Serena said as she put away her canteen and stood up.
¡°I hope we¡¯re not making a terrible mistake.¡±
Luna bit her lip. ¡°I hope so too,¡± she said quietly. Setting down her shield for a moment, the weary [Pumpkin Witch] stretched her arms and shoulders before starting the trek back to camp.
They took a slightly different route, for though Serena had agreed to go back to camp, she was intent on squeezing out every bit of value from their search as she could. Luna¡¯s limbs ached and she soon fell behind her companions, though she made sure to keep them in sight.
After crossing another frozen stream, Luna felt her attention pull toward a thicket of trees that was on her right. It was faint, but the sensation had the shape of [Right Place, Right Time] to it, and over the months since breaking her limits, Luna had learned to trust her instincts.
Changing her course, the [Pumpkin Witch] slogged through freshly-fallen snow and examined the trees. At first, nothing stood out to her, but then she noticed a tiny string of silver thread wrapped near the base of the tree closest to where she stood. Kneeling down, Luna ran her finger along the string, and found a miniscule silver bell attached to the other side. The metal was warm and jingled merrily, and the chill faded from Luna¡¯s skin. Laughter filled the air.
¡°Luna! What¡¯s happening?¡±
Holly¡¯s voice pierced the air, and Luna ¨C who was suddenly feeling very strange ¨C looked up. Her friend was running toward her, but something wasn¡¯t right. The whole world had gone fuzzy, and though Holly yelled something else, Luna didn¡¯t hear it at all.
The world turned silver.
When awareness returned, Luna found herself standing in a clearing surrounded a thick ring of oak trees. Neither night nor day, the sky was colorless and filled with stars in the shape of trees. A haunting tune filled the air, sung by a bird whose voice she didn¡¯t recognize.
There was no snow on the ground and it was warm? so Luna examined her wells. The [Pumpkin Witch] teared up at the fact that they no longer felt brittle. Relief flowed through her, even though her source of power was rather depleted. Sinking to her knees, Luna closed her eyes and meditated as best she could. Her magic was far away but came quickly, filling her parched wells. How long she stayed like that she didn¡¯t know, though the bird had long since stopped singing by the time she was done.
¡°As pleasant as it would be, I can¡¯t stay here forever,¡± Luna said. She inclined her head toward the trees in a sign of respect. ¡°Thank you for letting me meditate.¡±
Standing up and tightening her fingers around her lance and shield ¨C her hands didn¡¯t ache anymore ¨C the [Girl-Who-Saves-The-Day] shivered as she took a tentative step forward. It was not her first along the ancient and well-trod path belonging to those who carry light into darkness, nor would it be her last, but it was decidedly the next, and the [Pumpkin Witch] knew it.
The first arrow ¨C tipped with a head that laughed as it flew through the air ¨C hit her shield before she took another, and the force of the blow was such that Luna was sent stumbling backwards.
Two more projectiles came from opposite directions, and Luna danced back as she blocked one and dodged the other. Her shoulder ached from the force of the blow she¡¯d stopped.
¡°You¡¯re not bad,¡± a deep voice said. Muscular and dressed in a green tunic that was embroidered with leaves of silver thread, a man carrying a longbow appeared in the trees to Luna¡¯s left. He had a pointy brown beard and silver eyes that didn¡¯t look entirely human.
¡°I really thought that third one would get you. Most of your kind don¡¯t see it coming. But then, I guess your eyes aren¡¯t quite like theirs, huh?¡±
He was smiling, and Luna spun around as another laughing arrow whistled toward her from the opposite side of the clearing. She caught it on her shield and stumbled back once more. Each blow she blocked was more difficult than the last, which was not exactly a good sign of things to come.
Her heartrate quickened, and Luna¡¯s limbs lightened with every passing moment.
¡°Not bad at all, Witch,¡± the man said. ¡°Do you have any other tricks, by chance? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve grown quite bored here in this quiet corner of the continent. Some entertainment would be greatly appreciated. If you would be so kind?¡±
Another arrow chuckled toward her and Luna blocked it. The head of the weapon pierced her shield, and she found herself staring at the most bizarre-looking face she¡¯d ever seen. Somehow, facial features had been stretched over the arrowhead, and the terrifying visage grinned up at her as it quivered below her forearm.
¡°That was close,¡± it giggled. ¡°Just a bit higher and I would have had you!¡±
Luna didn¡¯t answer. Raising her lance, she shattered the arrow¡¯s shaft, silencing the disturbing thing as its splintered halves hit the ground. The dirt sizzled around the arrowhead; it¡¯d been poisoned with something nasty.
Turning to the man and meeting his gaze, Luna raised her weapon.
¡°Didn¡¯t realize we were playing horseshoes,¡± she said. Taking a deep breath, Luna reached into her wells and pulled out as much power as she could handle. Show yourself, she thought.
There was a tinkling sound and a second bow ¨C this one without anyone holding it ¨C floated into the clearing behind her.
Luna bared her teeth in a savage smile.
¡°A trick? That¡¯s not my way, but I¡¯ve got something you¡¯ll think is a treat. [Greater Pumpkin Magic: Cataphract]!¡±
Light filled the clearing.
Luna and Holly''s Character Sheets:
Luna Redhenny:
Primary Class: Pumpkin Witch (Sarah Redhenny), Level 32
Secondary Class: Tailor (Sarah Redhenny), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Girl-Who-Saves-The-Day (Citizens of Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 5
Might: 38 (-1)
Wit: 27
Faith: 25
Loyalty: 34
Adventurousness: 33
Guts: 34
Hope: 22
Stealth: 8
Charisma: 25
Inspiring Presence: 6
Leadership: 4
Holly Sacre:
Primary Class: Snowmancer(Self), Level 29
Secondary Class: Good Girl (Neve Sacre), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Surly Sidekick (Luna Redhenny), Level 5
Might: 33
Wit: 31
Faith: 9
Loyalty: 12
Adventurousness: 31
Guts: 44
Stealth: 19
Charisma: 10
Greed: 28
Ambition: 29
Pride: 31
Manipulativeness: 4
Reflected Glory: 6
Volume 2 Chapter 10: Laughing Arrows Part 2 (Luna and Holly Interlude)
As the spell grew stronger, Luna was lifted off her feet to transform. She rotated in the air, smiling at the scent of vanilla, cloves, and cinnamon as she was bathed in magical light. Her uncomfortable, guild-given mail vanished, replaced by interlocking chromatic pumpkin scales that rippled with energy. Vambraces ¨C engraved with vines and even more pumpkins ¨C covered her forearms, and her shoulders were protected by a pair of buckled pauldrons. Her boots were left surprisingly unchanged, though their color shifted to match the rest of her [Pumpkin Cataphract]¡¯s armor, taking on a orange-gold hue. The final piece of armor was a helmet that looked like a carved pumpkin, and when it locked into place, a pair of wings sprouted from Luna¡¯s shoulder blades.
When her own transformation finished, her weapons fused together. Shield and lance became a winged spear with a glowing citrine near the tip, and the [Pumpkin Cataphract] gave it a spin as she floated down to the ground surrounded by motes of gold energy.
The sky was filled with the scents of fall¡and arrows. Her opponent had no manners; having shot more than a dozen projectiles at her while she was spinning in the air. Thankfully, the power surrounding her was so much that they all burned to ash before coming close to Luna, but already the magic was dissipating and its protection wouldn¡¯t last forever.
Raising her weapon, Luna pointed it at the bandit as she met his eye.
¡°In the name of the ¨C no, wait, that¡¯s not right ¨C Uh, you have made a grave mistake, bandit! I will put an end to your evil!¡±
She felt her cheeks warm a little bit once the words were out of her mouth. Okay, so she needed to work on that a little bit. She¡¯d talk to Holly and Hanako about it later and see what they thought. So long as I get out of this alive.
Smirking, the bandit raised his bow once more and took aim. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that now, shall we?¡±
He released the string with a twang, and the arrow whistled toward her. She swatted it away with her spear, but it continued laughing and taunting her as it landed on the ground.
¡°Pumpkin magic? In winter? Bless your heart.¡±
Another cut ¨C this time with her spear¡¯s blade ¨C and the arrow fell silent, only for the sky to be filled with even more. Luna dodged and deflected them all, her reflexes and awareness both enhanced by the magic coursing through her veins.
Speaking of magic, Luna knew that she was on a timer. In the corner of her eye, she could see the gauge of orange light telling her how much longer she had left before her transformation ended. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem to be depleting as quickly as it had the first time she¡¯d seen it ¨C all that experience earned back home wasn¡¯t going to waste ¨C but she was still eager to end the battle as quickly as she could. There was no way of knowing how many other bandits there would be through the trees, and Luna didn¡¯t much fancy the prospect of fighting them without the benefits of being a [Pumpkin Cataphract].
To that end, Luna launched herself toward the grinning bandit, letting out a yell as she readied her spear. The man didn¡¯t look concerned in the slightest as he shot another pair of arrows at her. Luna cut them away as she had all the others, but this time, it wasn¡¯t enough. When the splinters hit the ground, they didn¡¯t stay there. Instead, a skill whose use she hadn¡¯t heard caused them all to fly back up into the air. After a second of hovering, they all launched themselves at Luna once again.
The [Pumpkin Cataphract] dodged most of them, but lost momentum doing so. Each time they struck her armor, a sliver of Luna¡¯s magic disappeared. Her foe took one step back and winked at her before disappearing into thin air as she drew close.
He reappeared a second later, having somehow moved halfway across the clearing.
¡°You¡¯re going to have to do better than that, love,¡± he said as he nocked another arrow. ¡°Especially after that light show earlier. Come on now, pick it up a little bit!¡±
Burning more magic, Luna increased her speed even further. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t land a blow on the bearded man no matter how she tried. He was always just a hair¡¯s breadth away from her spear tip, and vanished into the trees as soon as she tried to follow up. It was infuriating, especially since the floating bow on the other side of the grove continued harassing her with a constant stream of laughing arrows.
Luna gnashed her teeth as the sky was darkened once again. Even with her increased strength and speed, there was no way for her to dodge or block everything. While she didn¡¯t think these arrows would puncture her armor, the loss of magic from so many blows would be devastating. If only she¡¯d still had her shield!
The gem on her spear flickered, and instincts Luna didn¡¯t recognize urged her to slam the weapon¡¯s shaft into the ground. The shape of a spell formed in her mind, and Luna poured a good chunk of her magic into it as the arrows got close.
¡°[Protective Patch]!¡±
Vines erupted from the ground, followed quickly by pumpkins that would have won the grand prize at any county fair on the continent. The arrows thudded into them instead of Luna and she breathed a sigh of relief as she released the spell. It¡¯d taken more magic than she¡¯d wanted to spend, but she was pretty sure she¡¯d still come out ahead. She looked around, but the bandit was nowhere to be seen. She felt a flicker of frustration and decided to attack the unmanned bow instead.
As she zoomed across the clearing, the bandit hopped down from a nearby tree. He fired another arrow, striking Luna in the bicep, but the arrow skidded off her mail and the [Pumpkin Cataphract]¡¯s [Ignore Injury] kicked in so she didn¡¯t feel any pain from the impact. Raising her spear, Luna swung hard at the bow. Interestingly, her target was filled with magic that resisted the blow, and Luna¡¯s arms shook as she tried to cut it in half. The struggle burned her magic rapidly, so Luna opened her mind to instinct once more and repositioned, taking a step to the side so that she could slice through the bowstring instead of the weapon¡¯s upper limb. It snapped and the bow let out a shrill scream before falling to the ground.
¡°You won¡¯t be so lucky, next time! Your taste in boots is terrible!¡±
Surprisingly, the bandit stopped moving as soon as the bow hit the ground. He flickered for a moment like a light crystal on the verge of bursting, then vanished completely. Panting, Luna was left alone in the clearing wondering what the heck she¡¯d just fought. She kept her spear ready, expecting more arrows to fly through the trees at any moment, but none came and her magic gauge continued ticking down. Enough thinking, it was time to move along.
Bending down, the [Pumpkin Cataphract] picked up the bow and felt something stir inside, though it was faint and hard to detect.
[Might +1]
¡°I¡¯ll bring you along with me and see if anyone knows what you are once I get out of here,¡± Luna said to it as she floated through the trees in what she hoped was the right direction.
With her gauge little more than a third full, Luna came to what was unmistakably the bandit¡¯s camp and looked around with disdain. Serena would have never allowed such a clutter. Tents were haphazardly scattered around and surrounded by broken boxes and bags of stolen goods. Trinkets and treasures were stacked in small piles, and rage burned bright in Luna¡¯s chest.
¡°None of this belongs to you,¡± she hissed as more motes appeared in the air around her. Though she still felt light and powerful, there was an undeniable drag on her consciousness that promised to soon grow worse. Shaking her head, she floated deeper into the camp.
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A few men and women in desperate need of a bath noticed her ¨C even through the fog of drink, the [Pumpkin Cataphract] was a difficult sight to miss ¨C and cried out in alarm. They scrabbled for their weapons, but Luna was faster. Moving with speed born of anger, she dropped the bow to the ground and darted between them, knocking them all unconscious with the a burst of magic delivered through the butt of her spear before they could really fight back.
Her boots scraped the ground, so Luna checked her gauge. It was nearly empty, so with a heavy heart she dispelled [Pumpkin Cataphract] and returned to normal. It was scary to know that she¡¯d have to face down any other bandits still in the camp without the benefits of [Pumpkin Cataphract], but she didn¡¯t want to risk falling unconscious by running out of magic either, as she had after clearing the blight brute¡¯s den.
As it was, she still might pass out. The world looked like it was spinning. Leaning on her lance for support, Luna looked around. Luckily, she didn¡¯t see any other bandits, which was a good sign. It felt like her limbs had been tied to lead weights as she dragged herself through the camp, so fighting would probably be pretty rough. It was far too dangerous to try and meditate, either.
¡°Piper bless, let the rest of them not be around,¡± she muttered as she made her way toward a pair of boxes rocking on the ground. One of the corners had been smashed off, and a bony arm popped out as Luna drew close. Squealing at the sudden sight of undead, Luna lifted her lance and struck the thing, snapping the bones in half and watching the skeletal hand flop on the ground. A chuckle filled the air and Luna spun toward it, chiding herself for not noticing that anyone was nearby.
It belonged to an older man with wrinkled dark skin and bright gray hair. Judging by his torn and dirty clothing, he was a prisoner. A pair of shackles looped around his wrists, and though they looked perfectly normal at first glance, Luna felt a deep and earnest revulsion toward them. She took a step back and forced herself to relax her shoulders.
¡°The skeletons in that box aren¡¯t going to hurt you,¡± the man said. ¡°Neither am I for that matter, for I¡¯ve been bound and poorly fed these past few weeks. Pray, Witch, would you free me?¡±
Luna lifted her lance but stayed her hand. After her battle with the green cloaked bandit and bow, she was wary of believing that things were as they first appeared.
¡°It¡¯s neither of those things I¡¯m worried about. How do I know that you¡¯re really a prisoner?¡±
The man held up his cuffs and gave them a rattle. ¡°Do you think I would have put on hushcuffs if I was here of my own volition?¡±
Luna¡¯s wells flared at the name, and it took the [Pumpkin Witch] several deep breaths to calm them. Her magic burned in her veins, urging her to get away from the hushcuffs, but Luna willed away the fear and took a step toward the man. As her father taught her, courage was not the lack of fear, it was the willingness to continue moving forward despite it.
She felt the echo of the step in her mind, yet another along the well-tread path.
¡°Will those things hurt me?¡± she asked as she pointed the weapon at the cuffs.
¡°They shouldn¡¯t if you hit them with a mundane weapon and not your lance,¡± the man replied. ¡°They sap magic pretty quickly, so grab something from the bandits you dispatched earlier and use that instead.¡±
Luna did as he said, picking up a mace from the ground nearby and gesturing for the man to place his hands on a stump nearby. It took several clanging blows, but she managed to break the cuffs. The prisoner yanked his arms free. Luna¡¯s wells shuddered as the pieces of cuff hit the ground.
Neither of them spoke right away. The man looked as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders as he closed his eyes and smiled. A moment later, a towering figure in an indigo gown appeared behind him. It was a ghost in the shape of a woman, though her features were marred and unsightly.
¡°Master, I have been worried about you,¡± she said as she bowed low. ¡°I do not remember the last time we were parted for so long. I regret to report that my form and my capabilities have both been damaged by your time in captivity.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Duvian,¡± the man said as he took the ghost¡¯s hands in his own. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to cause you so much trouble. Once we get to Oar¡¯s Crest, I¡¯ll make sure that you¡¯re fully repaired.¡±
Though her thoughts fizzed around the edges, Luna perked up at the sound of her city¡¯s name.
¡°Did you¡did you say that you¡¯re going to Oar¡¯s Crest? Might I ask¡might I ask why?¡±
The man turned to her. ¡°Personal curiosity. I¡¯m a [Professor] at Locksmagister University, you see, and an old student of mine recently reached out. Apparently he managed to recruit a collection of fiends ¨C my dear, you¡¯re swaying on your feet. Are you alright?¡±
She was not. Her exertions were catching up to her all at once; her magic felt thin and brittle. Her wells were shaking, and she didn¡¯t quite have the strength to drive her lance into the ground to use as support. The point skidded away harmlessly and tapped the remnants of the hushcuffs.
[The road is long and you have far to go, but you are now a Girl-Who-Saves-The-Day Level 7! Congratulations!]
[Inspiring Presence +1]
[Guts +1]
[You can now use Motivational Speech!]
Everything went blurry, and Luna heard snippets of the man¡¯s voice.
¡°It must have been ¨C hush cuffs ¨C terrible way to repay ¨C Duvian catch ¨C¡°
Thwump
Opening her eyes, Luna found herself looking up at Holly. The blue-haired [Snowmancer] turned her head and cupped her hands to her mouth.
¡°She¡¯s awake! Bring me some cider, would you?¡±
Groaning, Luna sat up and found the rest of the cookies pressed into her hands. She still felt weak, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as it¡¯d been after the first time she¡¯d used [Pumpkin Cataphract]. Maybe one day she wouldn¡¯t even pass out afterwards.
¡°Eat the rest of these,¡± Holly said. Before Luna even got the chance to ask what happened, she added, ¡°You overdid it again. Your wells are almost empty and we found you on the ground in the middle of the bandit¡¯s camp. Let me tell you, had it not been for that ghost being willing to carry you, we would have left you there. You¡¯re not as light as you think you are, you know.¡±
Luna chewed the two cookies in her mouth and raised an eyebrow. Her [Surly Sidekick] laughed.
¡°Alright, that¡¯s not true. Look, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay, Luna. We were all really worried about you. When you disappeared into that tree, we didn¡¯t know what happened and I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t come back.¡±
The [Pumpkin Witch] took a sip of cider to wash down the cookies and sighed.
¡°I don¡¯t even know what happened. How¡¯d you find me?¡±
¡°The bell was some kind of portal. As for how I found you, I just followed [In The Nick Of Time]. It¡¯s not as good as [Right Place Right Time], but it let me sense your general direction. Artem said you¡¯d been passed out for almost an hour by the time we reached you. Thankfully the rest of the bandits were still out cold, so we were able to tie them up without any issues. You must have done a number on them, huh?¡±
Luna felt her cheeks warm as she remembered the rage and fury she¡¯d felt seeing their camp and their stolen goods.
¡°I was in [Pumpkin Cataphract],¡± she said. ¡°Who¡¯s Artem?¡±
¡°That¡¯s me,¡± a man¡¯s voice said. Luna looked up and saw the prisoner she¡¯d freed bringing over another cup of cider. The indigo-clad ghost trailed right behind him, carrying the bow Luna had picked up. Twice, the man turned his head and looked warily at the bandits who¡¯d been bound on the far side of the adventurer¡¯s camp. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we weren¡¯t properly introduced earlier,¡± he said. ¡°My name is Artem Rortenferry. And you are?¡±
¡°Luna Redhenny.¡±
¡°A good name, for a witch,¡± Artem said with a smile as he sat down. ¡°The pleasure is mine, Miss Redhenny. Thank you again for freeing me.¡±
He held up the bow and gave her a lopsided grin. ¡°I know you¡¯ve just woken up and it¡¯s terribly impolite of me to ask, but would you mind answering a few questions for me about your fight with this weaponsoul?¡±
¡°Weaponsoul? Is that like an armorsoul?¡±
Artem looked surprised and started muttering about ¡°differences in function, form, personality, and other critical factors¡±, but the ghost next to him nodded.
¡°You may think of them as different branches of the same tree,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain to someone who doesn¡¯t know any armorsouls, but weaponsouls tend to be more single-minded in their pursuits. Other than that and the differences in their forms, they are rather similar.¡±
Luna blinked. ¡°I know an armorsoul,¡± she said thickly.
That shook Rortenferry out of his muttering and the man raised an eyebrow.
¡°What¡¯s its name?¡±
¡°Alforde.¡±
He smiled.
¡°Well, well, well, isn¡¯t that something? It appears that you and I share a pair of acquaintances, Miss Redhenny. Do you, by chance, know Vee Vales?¡±
Holly cackled.
¡°Not as well as she¡¯d like to!¡±
Luna and Holly''s Character sheets:
Luna Redhenny:
Primary Class: Pumpkin Witch (Sarah Redhenny), Level 32
Secondary Class: Tailor (Sarah Redhenny), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Girl-Who-Saves-The-Day (Citizens of Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 7 (+2)
Might: 39 (+1)
Wit: 27
Faith: 25
Loyalty: 34
Adventurousness: 33
Guts: 35 (+1)
Hope: 22
Stealth: 8
Charisma: 25
Inspiring Presence: 7 (+1)
Leadership: 4
Holly Sacre:
Primary Class: Snowmancer(Self), Level 29
Secondary Class: Good Girl (Neve Sacre), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Surly Sidekick (Luna Redhenny), Level 7 (+2)
Might: 33
Wit: 31
Faith: 10 (+1)
Loyalty: 12
Adventurousness: 31
Guts: 44
Stealth: 19
Charisma: 10
Greed: 28
Ambition: 29
Pride: 31
Manipulativeness: 4
Reflected Glory: 6
Volume 2 Chapter 11: Snowball Fight
A snowball arced through the air and splattered against the wall a few feet away from where Vee stood. Crouching down, the [Ghost Maestro] turned his own snowball thrower ¨C also known as a ghost arm ¨C in the direction the attack had come from. That¡¯d been Hanako¡¯s last snowball, so now she had to change her position. Trying to be as small of a target as possible, she sprinted out from behind the shoddily constructed snow wall and headed to another one nearby. Vee smiled between panting breaths as he took aim. When his intern was firmly in the middle of his crosshairs, he yanked the makeshift ectoplasm lever he¡¯d attached to the contraption¡¯s side. The thunk that followed was still a little too loud for his tastes and he winced, but ultimately that wasn¡¯t a big deal in the grand scheme of things. His own snowball whizzed across the alley, and though Hanako ducked when she saw it coming, she was a little too slow to dodge it completely. The frosty projectile hit her right in the shoulder.
¡°And that¡¯s game,¡± Reginald called out. ¡°With a score of five to two, Vee is the winner! That makes what¡four in a row?¡±
Hanako stamped her foot and swore. ¡°I want a rematch!¡±
Vee winced. Of course she did. As it turned out, Hanako was extremely competitive and absolutely hated losing.
¡°That one doesn¡¯t count! You cheated, Vee! I swear, I had you lined up in my crosshairs perfectly like¡ten times, but my snowballs kept missing! These ghost arms suck!¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s sort of to be expected. In fact, you might even say that¡¯s why we¡¯re doing this in the first place,¡± Vee said with a sigh and a shrug. They¡¯d been at playing for just over an hour and a half, and he was getting tired of all the running and diving their game required. ¡°We¡¯re calibrating the throwers so that they¡¯ll work properly when we add them to¡ª¡±
He was cut off by a snowball hitting him right in the face.
¡°Why¡¯d it work that time then, huh? See, it¡¯s like I said! You¡¯re cheating! You¡¯re doing some sort of¡some sort of [Ghost Maestro] trickery!¡±
As if to emphasize her point, Hanako wiggled and waggled the fingers on her free hand nefariously. Vee smiled at the poor imitation of [Shape Ectoplasm], but held up his arms to protect his face all the same. That afternoon, he¡¯d learned that his intern was quick when it came to packing snowballs and that facefuls of snow were no fun.
¡°Seriously, I¡¯m not doing anything like that,¡± he insisted. ¡°I don¡¯t know why your thrower isn¡¯t working right. There¡¯s¡at least six different things that it could be. Let me take a look at it and we¡¯ll go again afterwards, okay?¡±
She held her ghost arm up and gestured at his. ¡°Trade.¡±
Vee did so, then gave his new weapon a quick once over. Sure enough, the crosshair was a little loose, so Vee tightened it up with a bit of ectoplasm and gave it a whirl. His shot seemed to go basically where he wanted it to, so he nodded to Hanako and they both went to their respective starting points
The rules of the game were pretty simple. There were six snow walls in the alley, and each had ten snowballs stacked behind them. Contestants weren¡¯t allowed to make more, so once a wall¡¯s supply was exhausted, they had to run from one wall to the next. Between matches, members of the light section hurried to pack more snowballs and stacked them up in the proper position. The first person to hit the other with five snowballs won.
To be honest, their game was a pretty inefficient way to get the ghost arms ready for use, but Vee didn¡¯t feel much like doing the tests by himself in his lab. There was something to be said for breaking up a monotonous task with something fun, and the matches certainly met that particular criteria.
¡°Are you both ready?¡± Reginald asked. He was grinning, and though he¡¯d complained loudly and bitterly about not being able to join in the games himself, he was obviously happy to serve as the [Announcer] for yet another venture. Reginald always loved to hear himself talk.
Vee nodded and the match started. Hanako darted and jumped like a rabbit fleeing an eagle. She moved like a woman possessed, and despite Vee¡¯s best efforts, he lost the round five to four. He was relieved, to be honest. Though his hands had grown clumsy with the cold, his legs and lungs were burning.
¡°I won! I won!¡± Hanako said, doing a little jig. She stopped and looked at Vee, her gaze suddenly suspicious. ¡°You were trying that time, right?¡±
¡°Of course I was,¡± Vee hurried to say. The last thing he wanted just then was for Hanako to think he¡¯d intentionally thrown the match. ¡°Hey, Alforde, why don¡¯t you play a few? I need a break.¡±
The armorsoul looked up from his book ¨C The Complete History of [Crochet Knights] ¨C and nodded.
¡°Let me finish this chapter real quick first.¡±
As Alforde got up and Vee sat down next to Reginald, the [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t help but smile. All in all, it¡¯d turned out to be a perfectly acceptable day.
It certainly hadn¡¯t started out that way. Walnut had swaggered by in the morning to collect Sacre¡¯s due: forty gold fleurs. As always, making the payment was deeply unpleasant. Sporting a black eye ¨C which he said he¡¯d gotten courtesy of those ¡°furry pricks down in Southtown¡± ¨C the gangster had clearly been in a foul mood. He¡¯d snatched the coins and tucked them into his pocket as he always did, but gave Vee an extra unfriendly slap on the back before leaving.
Since it still ached, Vee was pretty sure it was going to bruise. He was tempted to let the man have a taste of some miasma the next collection day, but ultimately decided against it, as he knew it was a bad idea. Escalating violence against a gangster was most definitely not the play. Still, he was tired of Walnut¡¯s attitude and wanted to do something about it. He¡¯d come up with something.
Adding to that, the day¡¯s runs hadn¡¯t been terribly interesting either. Crestheart was virtually devoid of minions ¨C only a few slimes remained and they were too small to be much of a threat¨C and most of the adventurers had already faced Vee¡¯s traps plenty of times, so there weren¡¯t many opportunities to trip them up. That meant that the minutes had no choice but to stretch into hours, and Vee had discovered a new level of boredom as he sat as his desk pressing buttons in vain. He''d been doing that for days, and was growing tired of it.
The challengers made it down to Alforde almost without fail, but luckily they still weren¡¯t much of a match for the [Dungeon Champion]. Even with the boosts they¡¯d earned from their nightly power-leveling, Alforde made quick work of every fight and sent them packing. Thankfully, the armorsoul seemed to be of the opinion that quantity had a quality all its own, so he hadn¡¯t complained at all when he brought up the day¡¯s earnings like he had the day before.
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After the last run, the trio left the dungeon and found Juniper waiting for them on the bottom floor of the tower. The [Herbalist] had a cold, as her red nose and scratchy voice made obvious, and she said that she wouldn¡¯t be making potions or helping out with the Lobby until she got better.
Vee didn¡¯t have a problem with that, but it was yet another inconvenience. Admittedly, the potions hadn¡¯t really been selling since there weren¡¯t any threats that made them necessary, but the snacks and drinks at the Lobby had been selling like crazy and Vee¡¯d been hoping to start collecting a percentage of the earnings from an expanded menu.
As the [Herbalist] left, Torres had appeared too. Storming up and twirling his mustache, the [Stationer] complained bitterly about the fact that he hadn¡¯t sold a guide in days. He¡¯d demanded compensation, somehow believing that his woes were Vee¡¯s fault, and the [Dungeon Master] had had a heck of a time convincing him otherwise.
Doesn¡¯t he read the paper? Isn¡¯t that his thing? It¡¯s not like I can do anything about the fact that my minions haven¡¯t been delivered or that the adventurers have all memorized the current layout, Vee thought angrily as he watched Alforde get hit by a snowball. The armorsoul returned two shots of his own, but neither hit Hanako, who still had entirely too much energy. Stupid Torres. That relationship was starting to taste sour, and Vee wondered if he could come up with a way to break it gracefully.
Ugh, there were too many things to think about and not enough things Vee could do to fix any of them. It was galling.
Hanako jumped over her wall and tagged Alforde once more to win the match. Alforde shook his helmet, clearly disappointed.
¡°Go ahead and swap out your throwers, guys,¡± Vee said. ¡°Both of those are probably good enough for now.¡±
He¡¯d rigged up ten throwers in total, and six of them were already calibrated. It took another three matches, but Alforde and Hanako finished the last of the games they needed just as the sky started turning purple. It was almost sunset, so they had no choice but to leave the throwers in the alley and hurry to the gate.
¡°That was a lot of fun,¡± Hanako said as she walked beside Vee. ¡°I think there are a bunch of people in town who¡¯d like it too. Why don¡¯t you open it up for everyone over the next few days? Charge a couple bronze fleurs or something, but give folks a chance to come and play with the ghost arms. Goodness knows they probably could use the distraction. Everyone¡¯s so down. They¡¯re all fixated on the stupid bandits.¡±
Vee thought it over. ¡°I like that idea quite a bit, but we¡¯ll have to find another place to set it up before we let people come play. I¡¯ll have the fiends look around for somewhere suitable.¡±
Once they were through the gate, the group called it a night. Hanako headed home, promising to return to the dungeon in two days with some new experimental trap crystals, and Vee led the way to the Grinning Pig with Alforde and Reginald. He was starving.
It wasn¡¯t particularly busy, so Vee barely had to wait a few minutes for his dinner of spiced rice and biscuits. As Big Simon had predicted, Vee was starting to get a little tired of both, but while he wasn¡¯t enthusiastic about it, the [Dungeon Master] forced himself to eat every bite and thanked the kitrekin for the meal.
[Public Relations +1]
With Vee¡¯s stomach full, the trio got to discussing Crestheart¡¯s next perk. Since there was bound to be a delay on receiving it no matter which one they picked ¨C curse those bandits! ¨C there was no point in hurrying the decision.
¡°The portal gates make the most sense right now,¡± Vee said. ¡°We can use them for some fun traps, like an infinite fall, and at some point in the future they can help us extend the dungeon too.¡±
¡°How would we do that?¡± asked Alforde.
¡°We¡¯d have to go back to using different paths,¡± Vee said. ¡°But basically, we could refill rooms adventurers have already cleared, then let them pay a few extra fleurs to go back through them again. It makes their runs denser and more efficient, and boosts marginal revenue for us too. It¡¯d probably go over better than another regular price increase.¡±
¡°That would really drive up our minion replacement costs, though,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Which wouldn¡¯t be a huge deal if we had plenty to spare, but isn¡¯t in the cards right now.¡±
¡°That¡¯s one problem, but it would make each run last longer too,¡± said Alforde. ¡°It already takes most of the day to get through the adventurers we have. Think about how much worse that¡¯ll get if challengers can redo parts of the dungeon, too!¡±
¡°We¡¯d probably have to start living at the dungeon,¡± Reginald said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d mind that, but you probably wouldn¡¯t be much of a fan, eh Boss?¡±
Vee shook his head.
¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like much fun,¡± he said. He rubbed his chin and drummed his fingers on the table. ¡°Maybe we could offset the increase in run length with staggered starts? You know, have the next adventurer begin their run as soon as the person before them reaches the third floor or champion¡¯s arena? That might not be too bad.¡±
¡°Could be tricky to implement. We definitely don¡¯t want challengers running into each other,¡± Reginald said. ¡°It¡¯s not terrible in theory though. Anyways, dungeon perks. You¡¯re still dead set against taking the pendant?¡±
Vee shrugged. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t necessarily say that, but I¡¯m wary of selecting something that we don¡¯t have any immediate uses for. Same idea goes for the crystals. Hanako says that her dad has boxes and boxes of samples that he¡¯s fine with us using, so we¡¯re not going to run out for at least a few months.¡±
¡°But think about the secondary effects,¡± Reginald said. ¡°The later perk chances. I bet there¡¯s a couple cache perks that are really valuable, or a piece of dungeon equipment that might be super useful. I don¡¯t know that we get enough out of the portals to give up all that potential, you know?¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t that go for dungeon devices too?¡±
Reginald twisted his brim. ¡°Not really. We can rig up plenty of useful devices ourselves,¡± he said. ¡°I think about it like this: the portals have a higher value floor, but a lower value ceiling. We don¡¯t really need the extra value right now, but as the repayments get higher and higher in a few more months, we might need every last bit of help we can get.¡±
Vee hadn¡¯t really thought about it like that, and he had to admit that it was an interesting angle to consider. Before he got the chance to respond though, the restaurant door swung open and a blast of frigid air filled the restaurant.
Three suited figures walked inside.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 17
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 21
Leadership: 16
Guts: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6 (+1)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 38 (+1)
Wit: 12
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 17
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 8
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 5
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 7
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 11
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 35
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
**************
Bonus: Hanako''s Character Sheet:
Hanako Maluw:
Primary Class: ????
Secondary Class: Enchantress (Jacques Maluw X), Level 15
Tertiary Class (Hidden): Petal Dancer (Madame Li¡¯s Guide to Martial Arts), Level 8
Might: 10
Wit: 16
Faith: 7
Agility: 14
Adventurousness: 10
Guts: 8
Deceptiveness: 6
Control: 13
Loyalty: 8
Focus: 9
Endurance: 3
Volume 2 Chapter 12: More Than One Snowman
At the sight of the three flat-faced kitrekins, Reginald cursed quietly and met Vee¡¯s inquisitive eyebrow with a frown.
¡°I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± he muttered, and the [Dungeon Master] nodded.
The newcomers seemed to fill the room, and as Vee stared at them, he felt the discomforting click of [Stiffen Spine] activating. Across the table, he noticed that Alforde sat up straighter too and looked ready to flare his own Intimidating Presence. The armorsoul¡¯s gauntlets settled around Slammy¡¯s handle, and there was a challenging question in his eyes as he rolled his pauldrons.
Vee shook his head and flicker of disappointment trickled through his and Alforde¡¯s bond. Still, the [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t help but be relieved when it vanished almost as quick as it came without becoming anything more than that.
A second wave of Intimidating Presence filled the room with a third behind it, and each one was stronger than the last. Even [Stiffen Spine] couldn¡¯t protect against them all, so Vee clenched his teeth and tried to will away his unease. I¡¯m not in danger, he scolded himself. Relax. Unfortunately, his Faith in his own assessment wasn¡¯t strong enough, so he couldn¡¯t quite manage full relaxation. Instead, he simply felt vaguely uncomfortable, like he was sitting at a table with a couple in the middle of an argument. It¡¯d have to do for now.
The kitrekins were all different colors ¨C the shortest one had white fur, the biggest of the three had gray fur that looked like ash, and the one between had brown fur the color of milk chocolate ¨C but they each had a distinctive maple-leaf shaped marking around their left eyes and a similarity in their features that made Vee think they were related.
It was obvious that they were gangsters; they were dressed in gaudy pinstripe suits that were a few sizes too small and wearing enough jewelry between the three of them to start their own store should the mood take them.
With a smile that showed entirely too much fang, the gray kitrekin stepped forward and lifted his paws to his mouth. Light caught the multitude of jewel-encrusted rings that adorned his fingers, and the heavy gold bracelets around his wrists clinked as well.
¡°Oy, Big Bro, you back there? Come out, we¡¯ve gotta talk!¡±
Carrying a pair of plates, Big Simon stumbled out of the kitchen. His eyes were wide with surprise¨C or perhaps fear, or even a combination of both ¨C but after a moment he collected himself, stretching to his full height. He set down the plates on the table beside him and returned a grin that showed his own chipped fangs. His whiskers flared and twitched as he rubbed his paws on the towel tucked into his belt. Vee shivered as another wave of Intimidating Presence filled the room.
¡°Atlas? Smore? Aris?! What are you three doing out here?¡±
¡°We just wanted to see our big bro,¡± the white kitrekin drawled as he leaned forward and flashed his own savage grin at a woman nearby. ¡°And see what kind of people can stand to eat your cooking. How are you doing, darling? Stomach still intact?¡±
The woman, a pale purple salamander, squealed and spilled her drink as she muttered something Vee couldn¡¯t quite hear. It almost sounded like an apology.
Snorting, the white kitrekin turned his attention back to Big Simon and held up his arms.
¡°What? Is it a crime to ask someone a question? Are we causing you trouble by being here? Huh?!¡±
¡°Knock it off, Aris,¡± the brown kitrekin said as he clapped a paw on his companion¡¯s shoulder and pulled the white kitrekin away from the table. Unlike the other two, who had raspy voices, the brown kitrekin¡¯s was warm and full, but Vee¡¯s knuckles reflexively tightened at the sound. There was something¡deeply menacing¡about the way he spoke.
¡°Remember why we¡¯re here,¡± the brown kitrekin hissed.
Aris looked around the restaurant and shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re no fun, Smore. Why should I care about any of these people? Who are they to me? Look at ¡®em. They¡¯re all wimps.¡±
Alforde started to move once more, and Vee shook his head vehemently. Irritation surged through the bond, but Vee met it with his own and the armorsoul backed down. Reginald gave Vee a look and the [Dungeon Master] shrugged.
With a single, smooth movement, Atlas the gray kitrekin reached up and flicked Aris¡¯ white ear. The aggressive kitrekin yelped and glared, but stepped back and sullenly started grooming his paws.
Atlas turned and faced the diners, who were mostly watching the unfolding proceedings with abject terror in their wide eyes.
¡°I¡¯m sorry about this inconvenience folks,¡± Atlas said, ¡°but I¡¯m afraid that my brothers and I are here about a family matter, so you¡¯re all going to have to leave. In exchange for the interruption, I¡¯ll be covering your bills for the evening. Get the door for them, will you Aris? Smore, you can go ahead and sit down. Over there near the back, I think.¡±
The white and brown kitrekin moved as directed, but none of the patrons left their tables.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Atlas¡¯ polite fa?ade vanished and his eye started twitching.
¡°Did I stutter? Scram, all of you,¡± he growled.
It was like a spell had been broken. Tripping over themselves, everyone inside the Grinning Pig scurried to get up and out the door as quickly as they could.
¡°Let¡¯s not stick around,¡± muttered Reginald. ¡°Come on, be quick about it.¡±
Vee and Alforde joined the crowd heading for the door. The white kitrekin leered at them as they passed, and he grinned when he saw Alforde¡¯s defiant stare. The armorsoul shifted his grip on Slammy, and the two sized each other up.
Aris grinned and rolled his shoulders.
¡°Some other time, eh?¡±
Alforde shrugged and said, ¡°Maybe.¡±
Outside, it was snowing and there was a stiff breeze, so Vee hurried back to the boarding house as quickly as his tired legs would carry him. Once they were a block or so away from the Grinning Pig, Vee tapped on Reginald¡¯s brim.
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¡°Alright, start talking. Who were those three kitrekins? Why were you so dismayed to see them?¡±
¡°That was Atlas, Aris, and Smore Whiskerkins. They¡¯re the Don¡¯s problem solvers.¡±
¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡±
¡°It means they¡¯re high level [Enforcers]¡± Reginald said. ¡°When the Don finds something he wants, or if things get messy, he calls those three up and they take care of it for him. They¡¯re as ruthless as they are dangerous.¡±
Well, that didn¡¯t sound good.
¡°What do you think they wanted with Big Simon? You think he¡¯ll be okay?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what they were after,¡± said Reginald. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t be too worried about Big Simon. Didn¡¯t you feel that surge of Intimidating Presence when he looked at them? You know, he used to be a pretty high level [Enforcer] himself.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Where do you think he got all those scars? Making soup? Even though he¡¯s mostly retired these days, I wouldn¡¯t be eager to bet against him if things get hairy. He was a heck of a fighter, back in the day.¡±
Still, Vee felt a mixture of unease and irritation as he climbed the steps of the boarding house and opened the door to his room. It pissed him off that the kitrekins had simply waltzed into the restaurant and kicked everyone out. That wasn¡¯t right! But more than that, he was afraid of what they¡¯d been after. If Reginald¡¯s description of the three [Enforcers] was correct ¨C and Vee had no reason to doubt that it was ¨C then the Don was after something. But what could it be?
Worse, Vee had a gut feeling that Sacre was bound to be interested in it too, which could only mean that tension between the gangs was going to start escalating again soon. Or maybe it already had; hadn¡¯t Walnut said he¡¯d gotten his blackeye from the kitrekins? Okay, fine, he hadn¡¯t said the word kitrekins specifically, but what other ¡°furry freaks¡± lived down in Southtown? Somehow, Vee doubted that like, yetis lived there or something.
Though, to be completely honest, it¡¯d actually be pretty cool if they did. He¡¯d always wanted to see a yeti!
The room was warm and Vee¡¯s exhaustion hit him all at once as he stepped inside. Though his thoughts about why the gangs were choosing to cause trouble now of all times continued flickering back and forth, his body demanded sleep.
He was out almost as soon as he hit the mattress.
Vee woke up later than usual the next morning and his legs made it quite clear that they disapproved of his play the day before. He really had to start making more effort to get regular exercise. Future Vee, diligent chap that he was, would have to see to that.
Slugging down coffee, the [Dungeon Master] trailed after Alforde on the way to the dungeon with Reginald perched atop his head.
When they got to the tower, Vee summoned the light and medium sections of his orchestra and ordered all of them but Dandelion ¨C who¡¯d brought slimes from the menagerie and had other duties there to return to ¨C to go out and start looking for a bigger and better place for the snowball fights. Vee wanted something big and open, so that they could accommodate more than two people at once. Eight seemed like a good number, but maybe twelve would be better. Then they could offer team snowball fights, or some other rulesets. Maybe even a battle royale! That¡¯d be fun.
Once his orchestra was gone, Vee summoned Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] and assigned them to making better walls for the game. Poorly packed piles of snow had been fine for just him and Hanako, but Vee wanted more than that if they were going to let random people form the city come and play.
The fiends flipped him a snappy salute ¨C where had they learned that? ¨C and went to work. They grabbed discarded bits of debris from around the dungeon and started shaping them, whistling merrily as they did so.
That left Vee with nothing else to do but handle the drudgery of the day¡¯s runs. Even with the new supply of slimes and his slapdash ghosts, there weren¡¯t enough minions to properly stock the dungeon, and the adventurers quickly took notice. After the first eleven runners, the rest of the thirty adventurers who¡¯d come that day canceled their runs, coming up into the tower to tell Vee that the dungeon needed to be more of a challenge and asking for refunds.
It sucked to hear, but Vee couldn¡¯t really blame them. It was reasonable for them to not want to spend their money when they wouldn¡¯t get much experience out of going through the dungeon, and the prospect of fighting Alforde lost a good deal of its shimmer when the armorsoul was likely going to spar with them anyways.
He grit his teeth and promised to return the money after it was all collected for the day.
When the last one left, Reginald turned to Vee and said, ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve got to hurry up with that mini boss.¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Vee grumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll work on it today.¡±
An unexpected upside of the dungeon being empty so early was that it meant that Vee had plenty of time to work on his projects, and he fully intended to use it. After putting the day¡¯s scant earnings into the vault and telling Alforde to deliver the rest back to the sparring adventurers outside, Vee headed down to his lab with Reginald in tow.
He was going to make himself a mini boss.
The work went quickly, with Vee grabbing great globs of ectoplasm out of the air and rolling it into giant spheres. They were heavy, but not so much that Vee himself couldn¡¯t lift them and put them into place. Attaching the snowball throwing arms was a little trickier, but the [Ghost Maestro] had learned more than he¡¯d realized during his work with the first versions of the sponge ghosts.
In less than two hours, Vee had a full-sized prototype. It could throw snowballs with both arms, and he¡¯d worked out rudimentary sigilmancy that should let it turn to follow a target in its eyes.
Appearance-wise, the ghost looked pretty simple, so Vee got to work on making adornments. He¡¯d been practicing his ectoplasm shapes a bit here and there, and had gotten better at making circles and stars. Picking the right shapes was still a little tricky, but he was getting better and after another half hour or so he had a basic outfit that suited his needs. It looked like the snowmen he''d made as a child ¨C hat, scarf, etc. ¨C except Vee made the minion¡¯s face as angry as he could. It was all in the eyebrows.
¡°What do you think?¡± Vee asked as he smoothed the last few sheets of ectoplasm on the ghost¡¯s hat.
Reginald rocked back and forth on the desk. ¡°Looks good, Boss. How are you feeling? That was a lot of power you just used, there.¡±
Vee held out his arms. To be honest, he felt fine. His limbs weren¡¯t trembling and though his forehead was a little damp, he wasn¡¯t particularly sweaty either.
¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°I think I¡¯m getting the hang of this.¡±
Reginald smirked at him.
¡°That¡¯s just what I was hoping to hear,¡± his [Majordomo] said. ¡°Because I think it¡¯d be a good idea if you made two or three more. These things are going to get demolished.¡±
Vee hung his head.
¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± he said.
Taking a deep breath, Vee started gathering more ectoplasm.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 17
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 21
Leadership: 16
Guts: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 38
Wit: 12
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 17
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 8
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 5
Vanity: 3 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39 (- 1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 7
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 11
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 35
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 10 (+1)
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
**************
Volume 2 Chapter 13: Recovered Minions
Vee ducked as Mr. Chills ¨C his giant snowman ghost ¨C jerkily swung down from the ceiling on a band of ectoplasm and landed hard in the center of the room. The floor beneath the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s feet rippled, and it took Vee a second to be sure of his balance. With his eye on the mini boss, the [Ghost Maestro] pretended to be an adventurer in the middle of a run, jogging to the other side of the room. As he moved, he braced his right hand against his left forearm so that he¡¯d be ready to raise the ectoplasm shield strapped there at the first sign of a thrown snowball. The light section had packed ice into the spheres, and after having one cheek get cut during the day¡¯s first test, Vee had no appetite for any further injuries.
When the projectile didn¡¯t come toward him until he¡¯d already touched the wall, Vee sighed and started walking toward the ghost with his shield raised. Snowballs shattered against the ectoplasm, sending slush in all directions as Vee winced at impacts. Even though the ghost arms were only working at thirty percent of their normal strength, the [Dungeon Master] was already starting to get sore.
¡°[Would You Kindly] stop your attack,¡± he called. Mr. Chills slowed his assault, and after thirty seconds no more snowballs hit Vee¡¯s shield. That was slower than Vee would have liked for it to be. I¡¯ll have to make another adjustment to the stopping orders, he thought. That delay is unacceptable. I don¡¯t want adventurers getting pelted if they forfeit their run in here.
He turned his attention to the bigger problem: that there was such a long delay for the ghost¡¯s target acquisition. With how long it took for the snowman to start throwing, faster adventurers would probably be able to disarm it before it even got its first attack off. What could the problem be? He¡¯d checked the sigils more times than he could count, and had found nothing amiss. The same went for the dungeon¡¯s floor orders, which were all set to have the ghost attack as soon as it landed inside the room.
Still, for good measure, Vee checked his sigilmancy yet again from top to bottom, going through each step of the process as if going through the process for the first time. He paused often, looking for any sign of inconsistencies or hang ups with his sigil logic that could potentially be the cause of the problem. When he didn¡¯t find anything, Vee cursed and gestured for Do to hoist the ghost back up to the ceiling. ¡°We¡¯ll test it again,¡± he said. ¡°I want to time how long it takes to start throwing and see if it¡¯s a consistent delay.¡±
The [Dungeon Maintainer] pulled on the ectoplasm rope and Mr. Chills swung back into the sky, vanishing into the artificial gloom Vee had spent the morning making. The locking system clicked into place and the room was ready for the next test.
They repeated the experiments, but frustratingly, the delay wasn¡¯t consistent. Oh, it was always there, but it lasted for different lengths of time each experiment. The shortest pause was only five seconds, but the longest was more than twenty.
Exasperated, Vee tugged on his hair and pulled out his notebook to study his sigils again. Had he misplaced some of the orders, perhaps? Was he looking past a redundancy somewhere? The [Ghost Maestro] didn¡¯t know what else it could possibly be.
¡°Um, Master? If I may be so bold, I think I have an idea for what¡¯s causing the problem,¡± Do said quietly as Vee returned to his starting side of the room.
Now that was interesting. Vee cocked his head to the side, looked at the fiend, and said, ¡°Oh yeah? What is it?¡±
¡°Well, I noticed that Mr. Chills is hitting the ground rather hard,¡± Do said. ¡°Is it possible that it¡¯s being stunned by the impact and that¡¯s why it¡¯s not activating right away?¡±
Vee swore loudly and closed his eyes. Of course it was something obvious like that! He hadn¡¯t given any thought to status resistances! How had he missed that?!
He¡¯d been too focused on optimizing his sigils for proper targeting behavior and different attack patterns, he decided. Caught up in the euphoria of quick work [Shaping Ectoplasm], he¡¯d neglected to consider the entire ghost. Not for the first time in his life, Vee swore to himself that bothering with sigilmancy was more trouble than it was worth! There were simply too many things to keep track of. It was stupid!
Vee squared his shoulders. No, that wasn¡¯t true. Sigilmancy was tedious and finnicky, but it was going to be increasingly necessary as Crestheart grew. During his regular ponderings about the dungeon¡¯s future, Vee found himself thinking more and more that he¡¯d have to take a more hands-on approach to crafting minions, which meant more time at his workbench drawing sigils.
This was a learning opportunity, Vee decided. It was true that he¡¯d screwed up, but ultimately the mistake wasn¡¯t too bad. He wasn¡¯t going to beat himself up about it.
That didn¡¯t mean he was going to let it slide easily, though.
¡°From now on, I¡¯m following a list of things to include on dungeon ghosts,¡± Vee said. ¡°I¡¯ll do it like they showed us back in school. Bullet points and everything, and I¡¯m not touching a scrap of ectoplasm until I¡¯ve got it all planned out. No more freewheeling for me.¡±
Do looked vaguely concerned.
¡°Are you, um, talking to me, Master?¡±
Vee shook his head and the fiend visibly relaxed. He went back to holding the rope steady, ready for the next test to begin.
Vee returned his focus to the matter at hand. For now, what he needed was a quick and dirty fix to get the ghost to the point where it could be used in dungeon runs. Crestheart was going to be in trouble real soon if he didn¡¯t get it figured out.
Citing the lack of minions, only three adventurers had signed up for the next day¡¯s runs, and having such low turnout was a vibrantly unwelcome dent in his buffer of funds for staying on top of his repayment schedule.
Pacing back and forth, Vee decided that the best course of action was to simply make an ectoplasm pad for the ghost to land on. If it was thick enough, it should absorb enough of the minion¡¯s impact to prevent Mr. Chills ¨C and all of his doppelgangers Vee didn¡¯t feel like naming ¨C from getting stunned.
His other option, trying to give the snowman status resistance, was not really viable. Sigils had a tendency to get entangled with one another ¨C sigil dependency ¨C which meant that any attempt to make changes typically caused the ghost to suffer bizarre malfunctions that took forever to track down and figure out. There were groups that claimed to be interested in helping [Ghost Maestros] solve their sigilmancy problems, but every time Vee had tried to interact with them, he''d found nothing but people arguing about definitions, focused on optimizations irrelevant to the request, or telling the asker that they¡¯d worded their question wrong.
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It''d soured him on the whole idea.
Promising himself that he¡¯d rework the sigils from start to finish before the next batch of mini bosses got made, Vee pinched his thumb and forefinger together and used [Shape Ectoplasm] to weave a large, springy pad.
Do installed it in the center of the room, and on their next test, Mr. Chills bounced a few inches into the air but started throwing snowballs right away.
Vee grinned. It was far from perfect, but it would work.
[Perfect is the enemy of good.]
[Congratulations! You are now a Ghost Maestro, Level 29!]
[Wit +1]
[Your ability to shape ectoplasm is now more powerful!]
***
As soon as the gate clanged closed behind them, Vee saw that there was a commotion of some kind in town. The [City Guards] were out in force, patrolling the streets in their shining silver armor, and they all had their weapons ready. However, despite their apparent vigilance, the atmosphere in the streets was calm, which was a relief. Whatever was happening, it wasn¡¯t a crisis. Yet.
Walking over to a tall elkin who was guarding the nearest corner, Vee asked what was going on.
¡°Some of the adventurers from the open call have returned,¡± the [City Guard] explained. ¡°They brought back a handful of prisoners and a bunch of damaged goods too. The council asked us to make sure that nobody in town gets any funny ideas about taking things that don¡¯t belong to them while the guild sorts everything out.¡±
Returned goods?
¡°What all did they bring back?¡±
The guard shrugged. ¡°Heck if I know, Mister Vales. I¡¯m just a strong sword arm. The guild and the council are doing the sorting over in the market square if you want to go and take a look at the boxes for yourself.¡±
Thanking the elkin, the trio hurried to the market as quickly as they could through the crowd. Whenever they got stuck in a knot of passerby who didn¡¯t want to move, Alforde cleared the way for them with words and ¨C if that didn¡¯t work ¨C gentle nudges from his chilly pauldrons.
Just as the elkin said, there were dozens of boxes stacked in the center of the market. The vendors who normally ran their businesses there had all packed up for the night, but a few were taking advantage of the crowd to do a little more business.
Joleimna, for example, was threading his way through the crowd, selling individual candies and small bags to anyone who wanted some. Unable to resist the sweet treats, Vee bought some lemon lime sugar hats and popped one into his mouth. He devoured the whole bag in no time at all, savoring the juxtaposition of sweet and sour flavors.
Vee looked at the pile. [Clerks] from the guild and the council office examined each box in turn, probably making notes about what was inside or who it belonged to.
The [City Guards] were fanned out in a wide perimeter around the boxes, and they politely but firmly stopped Vee and his companions from getting any closer. So, Vee had no choice but to stand on his tiptoes and try to see if any of the boxes belonged to him from a distance.
He smiled when he saw a trio of battered, bouncing boxes over on the far side of the square. They were wrapped in blankets and fastened tight with ropes, as if the people handling them had been afraid of whatever was inside escaping. No one would have taken him up on it, but Vee was willing to bet a tidy sum of fleurs that it was his skeletons.
They weren¡¯t the only familiar boxes though. Vee saw a couple here and there that he was pretty sure contained elementals and ghosts. That was great.
It took another two chilly hours before the inventory was done and the [City Guards] started allowing a trickle of citizens through to try and claim their recovered goods. [Shopkeepers] and [Merchants] walked up to the [Clerks], described what they¡¯d been expecting, and then were led to boxes that they had to drag away. It was slow, and Vee feared that it¡¯d be morning before he was allowed to see how many minions had been recovered. He didn¡¯t want to go another night without sleeping.
Luckily he was spared a further wait; one of the guild¡¯s [Clerks], who¡¯d seen Crestheart¡¯s name printed on one of the skeleton boxes came up and said that the guild wanted the monsters taken away as quickly as possible.
¡°Those things are a menace,¡± she said as she gave Vee a stack of forms to sign. ¡°One broke free on the way back and it took the adventurers two hours to chase it down.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why we use them,¡± Vee said with a bright smile as he looked down at the papers. They all said virtually the same thing: that he¡¯d come to reclaim his property, that he accepted the fact that the goods may have been damaged as part of the recovery process, and that he¡¯d fork over ten gold fleurs to show his gratitude for the ¡°heroic efforts¡± of the adventurers.
That last stipulation rankled Vee, but he agreed to pay it without complaint. After all, without minions, he¡¯d lose more than ten gold fleurs in just the next day.
All told, there were twelve boxes that belonged to Crestheart: three big boxes of skeletons ¨C including two boxes of skeleton lancers ¨C four boxes of elementals, and five boxes of low level ghosts. His slimes had been lost, but since Pretzel was producing plenty in the menagerie, that was as good as it could get, loss-wise.
¡°And how will you be transporting these back to the dungeon?¡± the [Clerk] asked.
¡°We¡¯ll have to hire a carriage,¡± Vee said. ¡°We¡¯ll go see if there are any available.¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid that there aren¡¯t any,¡± a voice behind Vee said.
The [Dungeon Master] spun around and found himself looking at Michael Seidon. The councilman smiled mirthlessly.
¡°You see, the adventurer¡¯s guild has requested additional carriages to help transport the remaining goods recovered from the bandit camp to other cities nearby. Naturally, the council has agreed. As such, every carriage in the city is currently spoken for. However, we¡¯ve allocated a few for our own goods, and would be happy to deliver your minions to Crestheart.¡±
¡°And what would that cost?¡±
Seidon shrugged.
¡°Nothing much. Just a small fee of one gold fleur for each of the big boxes, and¡let¡¯s say twenty silver for each of the smaller ones.¡±
¡°That¡¯s almost another five gold fleurs!¡± Vee cried. ¡°Are you crazy?¡±
The councilman smiled. ¡°Not in the slightest. You are, of course, welcome to carry your boxes allll the way back to the gate and beyond by yourselves. The choice is yours, Mister Vales.¡±
Reginald¡¯s brim tightened around Vee¡¯s head.
¡°We should do it, Boss,¡± he said. ¡°It sucks, but we¡¯ll be back in business tomorrow. Proper business, you know?¡±
¡°I know,¡± Vee said.
Though he hated it, Vee signed the paper Seidon handed him and agreed to pay the delivery fee.
The things he did for his dungeon.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 32 (+1)
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 17
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 21
Leadership: 16
Guts: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 38
Wit: 12
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 18 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 8
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 5
Vanity: 4 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 7
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 11
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 35
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 10
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
$@%^#$: @#@$*
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
**************
Volume 2 Chapter 14: Minion Examination/[Front And Back]
14.
Rattling and clattering, the skeleton lancer charged forward on its bony pony and struck the ectoplasm on the wall with its lance. The weapon, a small and jagged red spear that looked like something a child might make out of sticks, sank into the blue-green goo and quivered. However, the blow did not pierce the boundary, and Kai was able to lasso the minion with a well-aimed root. Vee waited for the bonsai treant¡¯s barkbody to wrestle the skeleton to the ground and then asked, ¡°Well, what do you think? Can we keep them in the menagerie until we need them in the dungeon?¡±
Kai got up and gestured to Dandelion, who hurried over and took hold of the root so that the lancer wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. The eyes of the barkbody went dim and Kai himself popped out of the top. He looked a little tired, with his branches mostly bare and the flowers on his shoulders faded, but his jade green eyes burned with excitement and energy the way they always did.
¡°I think it¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯ll have to pump some extra Green Spirit into the warding hedges to make sure that they¡¯re tall enough so the lancers can¡¯t ladder themselves up with their ponies and jump over, but that shouldn¡¯t be a big deal with Dandelion¡¯s help.¡±
The fiend swelled with pride, and Vee noticed the tiny glimmer of green in its eyes was more vibrant than it¡¯d been when he¡¯d seen it a few days before. It was still a good deal duller than Kai¡¯s, but was definitely heading in that direction.
¡°Alright, that¡¯s good to hear¡± Vee said, tucking the stack of warning labels that¡¯d come with the skeletons away into his coat. Though he¡¯d only skimmed the first few sheets, he¡¯d noticed the word ¡°Warbands¡± printed more than once¡which was a little worrying. ¡°I was afraid that we¡¯d have to lock them all in here and make the most of it until springtime. Now, let¡¯s check out the elementals.¡±
He walked over to a blue wood box and looked down at the label. It said: Minor Frost Elementals, and had a big W logo on the side. Vee squinted at it and tapped Reginald¡¯s brim.
¡°I¡¯ve never seen this logo before. Also, didn¡¯t we order lesser ice elementals?¡±
¡°Frost elementals are close enough,¡± his [Majordomo] said. ¡°As for the logo, it¡¯s probably just a different supplier or something. Maybe these were cheaper for the union to get or something.¡±
Vee opened the box and took out the invoice slip. It too said Lesser Ice Elementals, but beneath it there was a handwritten line that said, ¡°Product unavailable, closest substitution made ¨C D.W.¡±
Well, there went that question. The minor frost elementals were cuboid things as big as both of Vee¡¯s hands clasped together, with squeaky voices and disproportionately large blue eyes. They squealed like pigs as they slid back and forth in the makeshift pen of ectoplasm Vee slapped together for them, spitting tiny ice cubes now and then.
They seemed a little underwhelming for dungeon minions, but Vee figured he could make them work.
Honestly, since they were actually kind of cute, he¡¯d simply put them to work in the Lobby if they didn¡¯t work out in Crestheart.
He looked at the bonsai treant. ¡°How do they look?¡±
Kai laughed, and his upper branches quivered. ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. Or they should be so long as the slimes don¡¯t get to them too early. We¡¯ve got a big pen ready for them, so I¡¯ll go ahead and take however many you don¡¯t want for the dungeon right away back to the menagerie once we¡¯re done here.¡±
Vee grinned. ¡°Thanks Kai. You know, you¡¯re doing a great job over there. I really appreciate all of your hard work. I¡¯m sure it can¡¯t be easy to keep things growing when you¡¯re Snowsapped. ¡±
Now it was the bonsai treant¡¯s turn to puff with pride ¨C quite the sight, given all the bark ¨C and Vee grinned at the fact that Dandelion¡¯s earlier gesture had been an almost exact replica of Kai¡¯s. He made a mental note to add the mimicry to his list of observations regarding the fiends later; it was an interesting divergence from the rest of both the medium section and the other sections of his orchestra.
¡°It wasn¡¯t much,¡± Kai said as he clambered back into his barkbody. The wooden construct¡¯s eyes started glowing once more, and the [Menaovei Caretaker] got back to work wrangling the lancers.
Vee¡¯s focus returned to his task, examining the rest of the delivered minions and deciding on the best way to allocate them in the dungeon. His ultimate goal was to get Crestheart back to normal in terms of minion count per run, but secondarily he wanted to preserve his supply for as long as possible.
It was going to be a delicate balancing act. By his count, Vee had only gotten about sixty percent of the minions he¡¯d ordered. Worse, some of them were damaged ¨C including one of his skeleton lancers that¡¯d had an arm destroyed with some sort of polearm ¨C so he¡¯d taken Reginald¡¯s advice and ordered more right away. He¡¯d even paid for expedited shipping, hoping to take advantage of the lull in bandit activity provided by the open call¡¯s recent activities. Doing so had almost doubled the price of his order, but after seeing how quickly adventurers lost interest in Crestheart without minions to fight, the [Dungeon Master] was more than willing to pay it. An old favorite saying of his father¡¯s echoed in his thoughts: ¡°You can¡¯t put a price on resilience.¡±
The [Dungeon Master] smiled bitterly at the rest of the recollections that came along with the first, then shook his head and resumed his work.
Alforde, Kai, and Dandelion had assembled roughly half of the skeleton lancers, and they were already getting into mischief. Riding around with their jaws chattering, the minions swung their lances at anything that got close. Their tendency to congregate in pairs and trios ¨C the warning¡¯s usage of the word ¡®Warbands¡¯ seemed ever more apt ¨C made them natural pack candidates, and so Vee decided to take a closer look at the supplied specs and suggestions.
Unlike the skeletons he was familiar with, these lancers couldn¡¯t change forms depending on how they were equipped, but they could use a greater number of skills. There was [Charge], [Piercing Stab], [Trampling Blow], [Pursue], [Warcry], and [Rebuild].
That last skill was the most interesting of the entire lot, as far as Vee was concerned. It worked just like [Lesser Rebuild], giving the lancer a chance of coming back after being destroyed, but had a twenty-five percent chance of activating instead of fifteen.
In theory, that should mean that his supply of lancers wouldn¡¯t run out too fast, but it was far from a sure thing and he was still going to be cautious about how he used them.
Especially since he only had a hundred and eighty.
Vee clapped his hands and Cecil floated over. The [Ghost Maestro] had summoned the [Excellent Spreadsheet] earlier to help keep track of the minion inventory, and looked at the results. All told, he¡¯d received a maximum of 180 Skeleton Lancers, 300 Skeletons, 500 Minor Frost Elementals, and 2000 Lesser Ghosts. Those numbers would probably decrease by the end of the day; Vee didn¡¯t have all the damaged ones properly accounted for yet.
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He just had to make them last. His own slime and ghost supplies ¨C not to mention Mr. Chills ¨C would work to supplement Crestheart¡¯s numbers, and if all went well, the dungeon would be back to ¡°normal¡± the next day.
Assigning Reginald and Do to the task of installing the newly created packs, Vee stood up and headed toward the door. He still had another task to complete before heading back to the boarding house. He had to track down Torres and see about getting some flyers made for both the snowball fight and the dungeon restock. He had a nagging instinct that it was important to soothe the [Stationer]¡¯s wounded ego and do what he could to help the man bounce back from the dearth of guide sales.
A loud snapping sound came from the other side of the room and drew Vee¡¯s attention. The [Dungeon Master] looked back and saw Dandelion wrestling with the one-armed lancer. The fiend was winning, probably, but the skeleton was fighting back with a surprising amount of determination. It was plucky.
Maybe there was something to build on there? He didn¡¯t know much about how skeletons worked, as proper necromancy wasn¡¯t really his wheelhouse, but Vee thought he might be able to do something to bolster the minion¡¯s natural qualities.
Leaping through the air and making a shrill noise that could only be [War Cry], a second lancer hit Dandelion with its pony. Kai¡¯s apprentice fell away, but thankfully looked unhurt as both minions darted away. They were subdued by Alforde, who grabbed them both in a big bear hug and ignored the blows of their bony fists.
Vee rubbed his chin. So the lancers had an instinct for hit and run tactics, huh?
That gave him an idea.
[Plotting +1]
Basking in the radiant warmth of his sanctuary, which some lesser souls might call his office, uncultured swine that they were, Torres carefully laid out his finest writing instruments and smoothest papers. Ambrosial purpose stirring in his breast, the [Stationer] ran his hand over each of the textured pens and savored the sensation. He paused for a moment ¨C nay, for a heartbeat ¨C as he closed his eyes. Would the muse, poetic inspiration that She was, appear before him now and bestow upon one of his pens Her divine blessing? If only he would be so lucky.
Torres waited in perfect silence¡save for his breathing and the incessant scratching of that damnable dog ¨C capricious canine companion! ¨C at his door, savoring each and every anticipation-tinged heartbeat the way a freshly planted olive tree savors at least six hours of uninterrupted sunlight every day.
Alas! Oh, alas indeed! She was silent! The muse, fickle temptress that She was, had abandoned him! And he! The greatest of Her followers! What a travesty upon his gentle existence!
Opening his eyes, Torres reached up to twirl his mustache, angrily staring at the ceiling as he did so. With a voice that trembled from pure, unadulterated emotion, he wailed, ¡°Oh why, oh why have you for-for-FORCHOO!¡±
A dust bunny, or perhaps a bit of pet dander ¨C curse that mangy dog and all of his descendants! ¨C had gone up his nose and caused him to sneeze! After a repeat performance as boisterous as it was heartfelt, Torres was a new man. Or at least, a different one.
That wasn¡¯t just hot air, either. The sneeze had caused [Front And Back] to activate, temporarily freeing Torres from Heart Of An Artist, the stat which he loved and hated in equal measure. Still, there was no time for dwelling on his blessed curse; he had to be quick with his work, for he never knew how long these periods of clear thought would last. Without any fanfare, he hurried to grab a pen, paper, and ink that would work for the jobs he¡¯d gotten from Vales that afternoon. He just had to make some flyers, so any of his tools would do the job just fine, if he was being honest. The blue-haired punk wouldn¡¯t know good writing if it punched him in the face!
Gawain¡¯s balls, that felt good to think!
Normally, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to freely do so. Instead, he would have to agonize over his every word and every thought, spinning tortuous turns of phrase that genuinely hurt his soul ¨C no, he wouldn¡¯t compare the act to a slice of cheese being grated, stupid brain! ¨C before making a decision that ultimately mattered very little.
Such was his life.
The [Stationer] frowned as he found his turns of phrase growing longer, and his thoughts started stretching like fully-cooked spaghetti noodles. Oh no, was [Front and Back] starting to activate once more?! But he hadn¡¯t sneezed! He wasn¡¯t ready to flip back yet! Please! Just a little longer!
His nose, filthy traitor that it was, twitched. Torres had to hurry. Throwing open his ink chest with desperate energy, the mustachioed man grabbed the first bottle he saw ¨C a lovely midnight blue, with an angel¡¯s kiss of shimmer and a luscious sheen that sang beneath proper light ¨C and dunked an empty pen into it. Gritting his teeth, the [Stationer] yanked a piece of paper ¨C Rediya ¨C over and started writing as fast as he could.
Do you want to get stronger? Test your skills against the best Crestheart has to offer! New minions, new challenges, and a new Mini Boss encounter! Can YOU defeat the terrifying Mr. Chills? Come find out!
It would serve its purpose. Copy was easier to write when he was like this, and he¡¯d make the most of it. Honestly, Torres had no desire to spend the rest of his evening coming up with flowery snippets of verse that he¡¯d struggle to fit together before finally accepting that they weren¡¯t going to suffice. He had other plans that were much more ¨C
His dog scratched at the door again, and Torres sneezed. He cursed as the world took on a familiar lilac hue, and within seconds was clutched tight in the thrall of Heart Of An Artist once more.
Alas, such a short period of sweet relief, a small glass of cold lemonade on a scorching hot day! A thimble of water on a desert journey! A¡a¡a not enough time!
Wincing, Torres stood up and opened the door, letting Milly the now-happy pup bound inside. The tiny brown furball ran up to Torres with his sausage-like tail whipping back and forth and licked the man¡¯s hand. The [Stationer] frowned and took a big sniff of air, but no sneezes were forthcoming.
He considered the dog for a long moment. Conventional wisdom claimed that these creatures might be man¡¯s best friend, but this particular specimen ¨C who¡¯d eaten his own waste more times than Torres could count! ¨C was more like the longwinded uncle at the family reunion who insisted on telling the same three stories every year than a true companion: deeply grating and barely tolerable.
Okay, maybe that was a little harsh. Torres had to admit that the pup was cute and generally agreeable. With a small smile, the [Stationer] leaned down to scratch beneath the critter¡¯s chin. A joyous melody of bright barks filled the office, and as the fluffy furball hopped up to settle in his lap, Torres decided that he could spare a few minutes away from his noble, exhaustive duties that normally demanded so much of his time and attention.
The flyers weren¡¯t going anywhere.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 32
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 18 (+1)
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 21
Leadership: 16
Guts: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 38
Wit: 12
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 18
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 8
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6 (+1)
Vanity: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 7
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 11
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 35
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 10
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
%^(@#!! @#$@!@#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
**************
Bonus: Torres Character Sheet
Alubardan Torres:
Primary Class: Stationer (Self), Level 38
Secondary Class: Sneak (Dahlia Samuels), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Merchant (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Might: 22
Wit: 75*
Faith: 31
Penmanship: 51
Greed: 17
Ambition: 42
Smooth-Talking: 37
Mustache-Twirling: 29
Budgeting: 26
Stealth: 33
Hustle and Grind: 14
Heart Of An Artist: 60
*(Modified by [Inflated Sense Of Self Worth])
Volume 2 Chapter 15: Portal Gates/Alisannes Run
Dheart¡¯s voice filled the office.
¡°You have selected the Portal Gates perk, Master. Are you sure that this is the one that you would like?¡±
Vee nodded and confirmed his selection, and Dheart rumbled as it connected to the union and made the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s choice a matter of record.
¡°Excellent,¡± the dungeon heart said. ¡°Your portals will be delivered in five to seven days, subject to road conditions. Would you like to retain your preference for it to be delivered here at the dungeon instead of at the boarding house?¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine.¡±
Reginald gave Vee a grin and wiggled his brim.
¡°So, Boss, tell me about this plan you have for the skeletons along with the portals. What kind of fight are you going to make with them?¡±
¡°It¡¯s based on an old book I read. I don¡¯t remember the name anymore, but it was about a young [Hero] who was trying to collect six sacred medallions so that he could unlock the power of the [Sages] to defeat a [Dark Lord]. In one temple, filled with trees and Green Spirit, the [Hero] fought what he thought was the [Dark Lord], only for it to be revealed as a clone as he struck the final blow.¡±
¡°Okay, but that doesn¡¯t tell me anything about the fight. What¡¯s that got to do with the portals?¡±
Vee grinned. ¡°You¡¯ll just have to wait and see.¡±
With the perk selected, the [Dungeon Master] made his way down to the dungeon to check in on Do and make sure that all the packs of minions were installed properly. The stocky fiend and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] didn¡¯t technically need sleep, but they had a tendency to start making small errors once they¡¯d been working for prolonged periods of time without pause, so Vee wanted to make sure that wasn¡¯t happening here.
Thankfully, Vee was pleased to see that every pack was arranged exactly as he wanted. If he ended up needing to make changes to accommodate [Boost Drops], he could always do so with [Walking Walls] or some of the buttons on his console. He headed down to the second floor, where the new room for the Mr. Chills fight had been built and took a long look around. Crystal-powered traps lined the walls and floor, and the two halves of the ectoplasm key that adventurers would need to deactivate the big ghost were locked in chests and surrounded by even more.
Vee also checked the illusory walls, grooves in the floor, and vents that would let the minor frost elementals into the room when he wanted to reveal them. A few quick tests showed everything to be in working order, and the young man felt excitement rising in his chest. The mini boss fight was going to be his most hands on dungeon experience yet, and he was looking forward to it.
Returning to the office ¨C and cursing the stairs along the way ¨C Vee sat down at his console and waited for the day¡¯s runs to begin. He looked down at the application on the top of his pile and smiled.
It was Alisanne Henret, because of course it was. The sixteen year old [Fighter] with two clubs had become a Crestheart staple, challenging the dungeon every day even when it hadn¡¯t had minions, and joining in the adventurer¡¯s sparring group afterwards. Her hard work had paid dividends; she¡¯d gone from level 10 to level 13, gained a handful of new skills, and had earned an aspirational class ¨C [Dauntless Delver] ¨C as well. During her runs, she was aggressive and assertive, so Vee didn¡¯t hesitate to activate [Boost Drops] as she walked to the door. He¡¯d get full value for the charge without a doubt.
Honestly, that knowledge was an unexpected benefit of having such regular challengers; he¡¯d gotten a much better idea of who liked to destroy minions and who liked to skip them, which meant that his efficiency with [Boost Drops] had gotten much better. Every time he used the skill, he got nearly full value from it, which meant that Crestheart¡¯s shards of chaos supply would grow steadily. It would be a while before they had enough for another floor of the dungeon, but they would make regular progress toward that goal.
So long as they had minions, that was.
¡°You know, I have a feeling that it¡¯s going to be a good day,¡± Vee said. He¡¯d barely felt the drain from using the skill, and was looking forward to continuing his attempt to add additional casts later that afternoon.
Reginald smirked, his felty mouth turning up at the corners as he reached for his magnifying crystal with his arms of yellow energy.
¡°I think so too, Boss. Let¡¯s get to it, eh? Welcome to Crestheart, Adventurer! Enter if you dare!¡±
Vee pressed the big black button on his console, and heard the front door¡¯s steady groan as it slid open.
Alisanne leapt through the door with her clubs raised as soon as she could fit through the gap. A Marked slime flew through the air toward her, and she batted it away with her left weapon while blocking a hex thrown her way by a skeleton mage with her right. The spell made her arm tingle, but she was quick to shake it off.
She chased down the slime and thrust her club into it. Finding the core with a single blow was a skill she hadn¡¯t yet mastered, but she wiggled her club around until she found it and then drove her other weapon through the monster¡¯s gooey exterior, feeling the satisfying snap as the core broke into pieces. Alisanne waded through the puddle of remains and reached down to grab the small grayish-purple shard of chaos it left behind. A hex hit her in the side and she winced, sucking in a sharp breath, but [Push Through The Pain] procced and she stood back up.
Pointing her clubs at the skeleton mage, Alisanne bared her teeth and squared her shoulders. ¡°Is that all you got? You¡¯re not going to stop me with those little spells!¡±
She shivered as the words left her mouth, and felt the shape of her aspirational class grow more tangible inside her soul¡¯s mirror. More progress, yay!
She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what the specific requirements to unlock [Dauntless Delver] for real were, but she¡¯d heard more than once that ¡°fake it until you make it¡± was a good way of getting through aspirational class purgatory. Clenching her jaw, the [Fighter] waded her way through each room on the first floor, [Smashing] every minion she came across into pieces, and picking up another nine shards of chaos.
In a big oval room with burning blue torches, a trio of ghosts surrounded her. They grabbed her with their chilly claws, and Alisanne swept them all away with a sequence of short, fast strikes that she¡¯d learned from Gerard, another one of the [Fighters] she¡¯d been sparring with each day.
[Congratulations, you are now a Level 14 Fighter!]
[Might +1]
[Endurance +1]
[You can now use Furious Strikes!]
Alisanne grinned and wiped away the sweat that ran down the back of her neck. She hurried down to the dungeon¡¯s second floor and found herself in front of a big door marked with a hand-painted skull.
¡±Prepare yourself,¡± the [Announcer]¡¯s voice above her called. ¡°For you enter the lair of a mighty foe. Are you strong enough to conquer it?¡±
As she stood there, Alisanne felt the effects of the dungeon¡¯s auras ramping up enough to start affecting her senses. Her heartbeat quickened and her breathing grew shallow, and it took a conscious effort for the [Fighter] to steady herself. I¡¯ll defeat whatever is in there, she told herself, and briefly holstered her clubs before reaching up and pushing the door open with both hands. It was heavy, so the adventurer had to put all her strength into the effort, but eventually the door creaked open and Alisanne redrew her weapons before walking into a pitch black room.
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It was freezing cold inside, and the [Fighter] shivered. Behind her, the door slammed shut and a series of blue runes lit up around the floor. She could see the dim outlines of the wall, and another large door on the far side of the room. When she took a step forward, the ground beneath her shifted, and twin pillars of hissing ice erupted from small notches around in all directions. Two grew and spread until they covered the doors, and Alisanne readied her clubs. There¡¯d be no leaving the room until she won or gave up.
A swinging noise above her head got her attention, and the [Fighter] saw a massive shape speeding toward the ground. It landed hard, and looked at her with eyes that glowed like blue hellfire. In the poor light, Alisanne could only see that it looked like a snowman wearing a top hat, and barely had time to react as it started throwing snowballs at her. She jumped to the right as one whistled past and winced when it shattered against one of the pillars. Apparently, snowballs wasn¡¯t the correct term. These were solid ice balls, which promised plenty of pain if they found their mark.
Alisanne dove behind a pillar and took a deep breath as another salvo of projectiles shattered against it. How was she going to beat this thing? Approaching would be difficult, unless she could leapfrog her way from pillar to pillar and get close enough to strike a blow. Even then, though, she didn¡¯t know what the creature¡¯s weakness was. Stay calm, cool and collected, she thought. Dungeons are designed to be beaten, so there has to be something around here I can use.
The [Fighter] looked around and saw a funny looking rune on the floor to her right. It was a different shade of blue than the rest, and key-shaped, so Alisanne reasoned that was where she had to go. According to some of the other adventurers, Crestheart was pretty good in terms of visual clarity for clues.
She made a break for it, only to have her path blocked by a [Cage of Ice] that fell from the ceiling. A vent opened beneath her feet and started spraying frosty air upwards, and Alisanne knew from experience that if she stayed put her boots would be frozen in place. She had to break out as fast as possible.
¡°[Furious Strikes]!¡±
Rage filled her as the skill activated, and her weapons felt light as feathers as they struck the bars. Despite putting all her strength into it, each one was so thick that it took three blows or more to break, but eventually Alisanne freed herself.
Naturally, she immediately discovered that the snowman had slid across the room and was now right in front of her. This close she could see that it wore some sort of harness with a keyhole around its torso, but that was all she noticed before its heavy arms swung back and chucked another pair of iceballs right at her.
She didn¡¯t have time to dodge, and the projectiles hurt something fierce when they struck her in the chest and stomach. Crying out as she went flying, Alisanne stayed on the ground for a moment and let the pain wash over her. She looked up at the snowman, which was slowly spinning to face her once more. Its eyes flashed, and it¡¯s arms pulled back for another throw. Snarling, Alisanne leapt back to her feet and hugged one arm to her stomach as she ran to the safety of the nearest pillar.
The snowman¡¯s arms snapped forward, and even more ice balls filled the air. Clunking sounds came from the walls around her as panels opened up, and small cubes tumbled out of the gaps. What was this, now? She couldn¡¯t see the new threat very well in the gloom, but whatever they were, they slid around on the floor. The air was filled with tiny pings as they spat little projectiles in all directions, and Alisanne found to her dismay that they were sharp little things when one hit her in the leg.
Struggling to keep her balance, Alisanne fought her way toward the second odd rune in the room, swinging her clubs with reckless abandon and shattering the little minions into tiny pieces along the way. The mini boss continued harassing her with projectiles, and two more found their mark on the [Fighter]¡¯s shoulder and back. She¡¯d definitely have bruises tomorrow.
However, she wasn¡¯t going to let any of that stop her, and she dodged a series of other traps ¨C [Icicle Spikes], [Freeze Grips], and [Snowflake Sawblades] ¨C until she stood in front of a small chest made of ectoplasm. She¡¯d come to recognize the slick, slightly squishy feeling of the material, and she readied her club as she opened the chest. Better safe than sorry.
It wasn¡¯t a mimic or trapped in any way though, and Alisanne breathed a sigh of relief. There was a key inside the box, or at least, half of one, and the adventurer didn¡¯t know whether or not she should laugh or cry as she pondered the challenge in getting the other half.
The snowman jetted around the room, and another noise got Alisanne¡¯s attention.
Like a large dog, the wall nearest her was growling ominously. Ducking beneath another ice ball intended for her face, the adventurer grabbed the key half and jumped aside just as a big square ghost rocketed past. If she¡¯d stayed in place, she would have been run over, and that would have sucked.
¡°OORUH,¡± this new ghost said as it slammed into the far wall. Then, with almost comical slowness, it started sliding back in the direction it¡¯d come from, vanishing into the wall as if it¡¯d never been there.
Alisanne grinned as she ducked beneath another projectile. ¡°You¡¯re not going to beat me!¡± she cried as she charged across the room.
The ghost didn¡¯t answer. Which was probably for the best, all things considered.
Vee frowned and flicked a switch on his control panel. His model of the room¡¯s tiles lit up, and he pressed each one in the line he thought the adventurer was going to take as she ran across the room. Through his crystal, he saw the floor rapidly freeze over, and smirked when Alisanne lost her balance and tumbled. Her fall bought Mr. Chills another hit, but the girl was resilient and got up once again. Limping, she somehow managed to retrieve the other half of the key and put them both together. Now all she had left to do was figure out how to get it into the keyhole on Mr. Chills¡¯ chest.
He was genuinely impressed by her moxie as she charged the ghost, and wondered if he should dial back the pressure a little bit as another snowball sent her flying once again. He didn¡¯t really want Alisanne to give up here.
After all, there were three more Marked minions on the lower floors that he wanted her to destroy.
He was distracted from his thinking by a knock at the office door, and the [Dungeon Master] called out to ask who it was.
A voice he hadn¡¯t heard in years answered him, though Vee still recognized the gravelly tone almost instantly.
¡°Mr. Vales? Are you in there? It¡¯s Artem Rortenferry.¡±
Vee hurried to his feet and ran to open the door. ¡°Professor? What are you ¨C wait, did you get my letter?¡±
The [Professor] was standing outside, dressed in a well-worn gray suit and wearing a thick set of spectacles. He was older and more wrinkled than Vee remembered, but there was no mistaking his sharp features and commanding presence. A tall spirit dressed in an indigo gown ¨C Du¡Duvian, if Vee¡¯s memory was right ¨C stood behind him, but they weren¡¯t the only ones out in the hall.
Vee¡¯s cheeks flushed.
Next to the professor, carrying a strange bow, was Luna. She looked tired and there was a bandage around her upper arm, but she returned his smile and gave him a little wave when their eyes met.
Holly was there too, but Vee barely noticed the [Snowmancer]. She muttered something unflattering and put her hands on her hips as she shifted her weight back and forth..
Rortenferry looked at Vee and Luna for a moment, then coughed pointedly.
¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Mister Vales, may we come in?¡±
Vee nodded, but when he opened his mouth to say yes, he found that his voice was hiding somewhere he couldn¡¯t find it.
Reginald piped up from inside.
¡°Be quick about it, eh? The workday just started; you know? We¡¯re busy in here! Boss, she got the other half of the key! If you want to use the [Snow Cyclone], you¡¯re going to have to be quick about it.¡±
Rortenferry raised an eyebrow as he took a step inside.
¡°A [Core Spirit] bound to a top hat? Most interesting, Mister Vales. I believe we¡¯ll have loads to talk about.¡±
Holly gave Vee a friendly jab to the shoulder as she walked by.
¡°Make sure you ask her how she¡¯s doing,¡± the blue haired Witch said quietly. ¡°And I need to talk to you later. Privately, okay?¡±
Well, if that wasn¡¯t ominous.
Vee nodded, and followed the group back into the office.
Main Character Sheets (UNCHANGED FROM LAST CHAPTER)
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 32
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 21
Leadership: 16
Guts: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 38
Wit: 12
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 18
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 8
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 7
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 11
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 35
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 10
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
%^(@#!! @#$@!@#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 16: Up To Something In Westown
Inside, Artem gestured to Luna and Holly. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind that I asked Misses Redhenny and Sacre to accompany me here today. Since being detained by the bandits, I¡¯ve gotten a bit skittish about going around by myself. These two young women have been a great help in that regard.¡±
Vee smiled sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s fine, there¡¯s plenty of room in here. I¡¯d offer you all seats, actually, but I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have any other chairs in here,¡± he said. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±
Rortenferry tutted and waved his hand. ¡°Such a shortcoming is easily remedied. [Shape Ectoplasm]!¡±
The [Professor] pinched his thumb and index finger together, and pulled more ectoplasm out of the air in a few seconds than Vee could have in fifteen minutes. The energy flowed around his fingers as the wizened man wove ribbons of red, blue, and green energy into chairs with almost contemptuous ease. Vee marveled at the way his old teacher¡¯s arms swept back and forth in the air from one direction to the other without stopping so that not a bit of energy or effort was wasted.
He wondered if he could do that, and resolved to give it a try as soon as there wasn¡¯t anyone else around to watch him fail.
In barely any time at all, six perfect chairs rested on the ground around the office, and Rortenferry dusted off his hands. He smiled at the awed expression on Vee¡¯s face.
¡°When you¡¯ve made as many of those as I have, you¡¯ll find the work goes quickly,¡± he said kindly. ¡°In time, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be just as quick.¡±
Reginald snorted. ¡°Showoff.¡±
Vee¡¯s [Majodomo] turned back to his magnifying crystal and put on his [Announcer] voice once more. ¡°Congratulations, Adventurer! You have bested Mr. Chills! Take a few moments to collect yourself, and then [Keep Going] deeper into the dungeon! There are other challengers waiting, you know!¡±
Rortenferry walked over and took a long look at Reginald. The old man¡¯s eyes shimmered, as if covered by ectoplasmic lenses, and the hair on the back of Vee¡¯s neck went up at the strength of the ethereal current swirling around his former teacher.
It¡¯d been a long time since he¡¯d last been around other [Ghost Maestros], and Vee found the sensation to be a strange combination of camaraderie and competitiveness.
¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me for just a moment,¡± Vee said as he sat back down and pulled himself to his console. ¡°There are a few matters I still have to attend to for this run.¡±
He flicked a series of switches, and turned two or three knobs to activate the next set of traps, watching Alisanne pummel a skeleton knight to pieces with her clubs. The minion¡¯s skull landed face up and there was a telltale gleam in its eyes that indicated [Lesser Rebuild] had procced. Vee jotted down a note with its location so that Do could collect the skeleton after the run for reassembly, and pulled a lever that dropped a series of domino walls in the next hallway so that the adventurer had to sprint to the next door.
¡°Of course, of course, take your time,¡± Rortenferry said as he continued staring at Reginald. ¡°Spirit, how did you come to be sealed in this hat? I can see power swirling around you, but it¡¯s constrained in a peculiar way. An [Enchanter]¡¯s work, perhaps?¡±
¡°That¡¯s a long, personal story,¡± Reginald said stiffly. ¡°And my name is Reginald. See that you remember it, old man, if you¡¯re going to be asking me questions.¡±
Duvian, the indigo-clad spirit, hissed and opened her mouth to protest the hat¡¯s snippymanner, but Rortenferry held up a hand and she stayed silent. ¡°My apologies, Reginald. My curiosity has been known to get the better of me. Would you mind telling me your story? Have you been in this form for very long? Is your memory and personality complete, or do you have gaps in your recollections? Sealed spirits are something of a rarity, these days.¡±
Reginald grunted and held up one of his yellow hands. ¡°We can talk later, if I end up feeling like it,¡± he said. Rortenferry nodded and returned to his seat, where he took out a well-used notebook and began to scribble away.
Down in the dungeon, Alisanne was making steady progress. Though she looked tired and had a handful of wounds from her fight against Mr. Chills, she pressed on with dogged determination and made it down through the third floor without issue. There, she leapt and climbed across all the challenges Vee threw at her, familiar with the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s favorite tactics and tendencies for manipulating the dungeon obstacles.
When she reached Alforde¡¯s arena, Vee warned his friend of her impending approach and pushed himself away from the console.
¡°We¡¯ve got some time to talk now,¡± he said. ¡°The adventurer has to battle Alforde, and then Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] will need a few minutes to reset the dungeon before the next run.¡±
Holly grinned and leaned forward. ¡°That actually looks kinda fun,¡± she said, pointing to the crystal image of Alisanne ducking beneath a swing of Alforde¡¯s hammer. ¡°You guys think I could give it a shot sometime?¡±
¡°Do you have an adventuring license and seventy silver fleurs?¡± Reginald asked. ¡°If so, sure. Otherwise, no shot¡±
Holly looked at Vee, who shrugged.
The [Snowmancer] stuck out her tongue and slouched back in her chair. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t any fun,¡± she mumbled.
Rortenferry put down his pen. ¡°Do? [Dungeon Maintainers]? You have other employees, Mister Vales? I thought this was a much smaller operation than it appears to be. However, I simply must know. Where are your fiends?¡±
¡°Oh, those are the fiends,¡± Vee answered. ¡°They¡¯re members of my orchestra that I used [Bequeath Class] on so that they could help keep Crestheart running optimally. We¡¯d be in a heap of trouble without them.¡±
The other [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You managed to successfully use [Bequeath Class] on fiends? As in, more than one? And it stuck?¡±
Vee shrugged. ¡°Yes¡? Is there something wrong with that?¡±
¡°Technically, no, but practically I¡¯m not sure,¡± Rortenferry said slowly as he stroked his chin. He looked like he was deep in thought. ¡°I guess I should say that it¡¯s mostly just surprising. I would not expect fiends to able of accepting a bequeathed class, let alone keeping it for a prolonged period of time. Would you object to me examining them later?¡±
¡°Of course not,¡± Vee said. ¡°Getting your opinion was the whole reason I wrote you that letter in the first place! I also have a collection of notes about them that I¡¯ve been keeping, and you¡¯re welcome to peruse them as well, if you¡¯d like.¡±
¡°Excellent,¡± Rortenferry said. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be immensely helpful as I investigate and look for potential causes of this intriguing phenomenon.¡±
Their conversation was interrupted by a beep on Vee¡¯s console, which indicated that Crestheart was ready for the day¡¯s next run. With a rueful smile, Vee returned to his work as Reginald greeted the adventurer and the process started all over again. Once again, Vee recognized the adventurer. His name was Alex Bobrowsk, a level 11 [Spearman] with a tendency of fleeing instead of fighting.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
As such, Vee didn¡¯t bother using a charge of [Boost Drops], and found himself not having much to do ¨Cand irritated about it ¨C as the man ran from almost every single minion he came across. He was slippery, too, and few of the traps were successful at slowing him down.
At some point, Vee knew that he¡¯d need to add more static threats to Crestheart ¨C like his still-experimental elemental cannons ¨C to use against adventurers who chose not to engage with the dungeon¡¯s minions. Traps alone didn¡¯t cut it.
Thankfully, such pacifistic runners weren¡¯t terribly common, as most adventurers wanted to defeat as many minions as possible, but it was still annoying when one cropped up.
Vee spent the rest of the day talking to Rortenferry and the girls between runs. His old teacher was keenly interested in the fiends and the city, asking questions about ectoplasmic density, purity, and other technical details that Vee frankly didn¡¯t know.
He dimly remembered pages upon pages dedicated to the subjects in his textbooks, but other than a few random attributes ¨C ectoplasmic density is inversely proportional to spiritual drag, for example ¨C he couldn¡¯t recall anything else about them. He certainly hadn¡¯t brought his ectoplasometer with him to Oar¡¯s Crest and taken samples of the energy through all fourteen tests necessary for proper classification. Heck, the [Ghost Maestro] didn¡¯t even own an ectoplasometer anymore, having sold it right after graduation and finding no need for it since.
When he mentioned this to Rortenferry, the academic wrinkled his nose and jotted something down in his notebook. Vee snuck a look during the next break, and though he couldn¡¯t make out everything written on the page, he was sure that he saw the words Remains undisciplined and unserious about proper techniques.
Vee felt something that reminded him of being punched in the stomach.
[You are now a Ghost Maestro, Level 28!]
[Wit -1]
Well, that sucked, but Vee didn¡¯t let it bother him overmuch. There might have been a time where he really cared about such a setback, but he was riding high from making Luna laugh throughout the afternoon. Though it didn¡¯t come with any associated stats or levels, he figured he was coming out ahead.
Back in the dungeon, most of the adventurers who reached Mr. Chills were losing in short order, though a few managed to succeed like Alisanne, by refusing to give up in the face of the ghost¡¯s pressure.
A couple daring souls even managed to defeat the ghost snowman in direct combat by decapitating it, sending the minion¡¯s head and top hat skittering across the floor. Vee made a mental note to give it a better piece of armor the next day; it was kind of cool to see the ghost get beaten, but he didn¡¯t want to risk it breaking any more than he had to.
He also considered giving the next model a deactivation switch just beneath its hat or something, so that adventurers could still prove their martial mettle without having a chance of destroying the ghost for good.
When the last run finally came to a close, Vee stood up and stretched. He fought back a yawn, only to see that Holly and Luna had both fallen asleep at some point, their heads resting on the table in the center of the room.
Vee winced as his skull ached ever so slightly; a result of his efforts to get another charge of [Boost Drops]. Fortunately, the pain was familiar and easily managed, but Vee was looking forward to the rest of the evening off.
Rortenferry had long since put down his notebook, and was passing the time by playing with a small corgi-shaped ghost made out of¡whiskey? Vee strained his eyes, positive that he saw something alcoholic in the ghost¡¯s nature, but not entirely sure of what it was. His ability to identify ghosts and spirits was not as good as it should have been.
His professor looked up and tapped the tiny ghost on the nose. It obediently stopped moving, its tail wagging back and forth.
¡°Are you finished for the day, then, Mister Vales?¡±
¡°Alforde is going to bring up the money and we¡¯re going to count it, but after that, yes, we¡¯re done here for the day. And if it¡¯s all the same to you, would you mind calling me Vee? Mister Vales makes me feel a little bit like I¡¯ve been called to your office to talk about a bad grade on an essay, and it¡¯s making me uncomfortable.¡±
¡°Of course, of course, Mister¡Vee. You know, this dungeon business is quite interesting. I¡¯ve never paid much attention to Dungeon Sports, but seeing all the moving parts is an impressive endeavor.¡±
¡°Uh, thanks,¡± Vee said.
The old man smiled and there was a twinkle in his eyes. ¡°Now, tell me, what does running this place have to do with that Expectation coiled around your shoulders?¡±
Vee stiffened as the spirit wrapped itself tighter around his body. ¡°I¡¯m going to try and make things better here with Crestheart, and ¨C wait, you can see it?¡±
His [Professor] sniffed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be much of a [Ghost Maestro] if I could not, would I? That¡¯s an intriguing purpose. Hmm, now that you mention it I can see that it was formed from the unspoken hopes and dreams of the people living in this city, but its still quite intangible. Why haven¡¯t you properly [Manifested] it yet? I would think that a draconic-type spirit would be of great help, would it not?¡±
The young man¡¯s face flushed.
¡°Well, uh, I haven¡¯t exactly...I¡uh¡you see¡¡± his voice got quiet. ¡°I¡can¡¯t use [Manifest].¡±
Rortenferry smiled, thinking the admission a joke, and then his face fell as he realized Vee was serious.
¡°My boy,¡± he said in a small voice. ¡°How did you ever graduate from the Academy? I¡¯ll have to amend my hypotheses regarding the unique properties of your orchestra. After all, it¡¯s entirely possible that your¡unorthodox approach to our noble craft led to some sort of unexpected interaction between you and the fiends that¡¯s impossible to predict. Now, let¡¯s have a look at your orchestra, shall we?¡±
¡°Perhaps not today,¡± said another voice. Duvian, Rortenferry¡¯s [Seneschal], had stood up and the [Ghost Maestro] turned toward her. Neither of them spoke further, but Vee felt the ripples in the ethereal that could only be a conversation between the two of them. He waited politely for them to finish.
¡°Ahem,¡± Rortenferry finally said, looking somewhat irritated. ¡°My [Seneschal] makes the fine point that it¡¯s been quite some time since we¡¯ve seen each other, and that it would be more appropriate for us to wait until tomorrow to continue our business. Shall we resume our discussion tomorrow morning?¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Vee said. His stomach was rumbling, and he was relieved that he could go and find himself something to eat instead of spending the evening watching Rortenferry examine the fiends. He suspected that the other [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s tests would be¡rigorous.
¡°I must beg one additional favor,¡± Rortenferry said as Duvian woke the Witches and the group readied themselves to leave the office. He pointed to the bow in Luna¡¯s hands and took it when she offered it to him. ¡°Might I keep this weaponsoul in your lab? I¡¯m afraid that my room in the city lacks the proper safeguards for storing a dangerous spirit, and I¡¯d feel more comfortable with it here.¡±
The [Dungeon Master] winced. Truthfully, chances were good that his lab also lacked the proper safeguards for storing a dangerous spirit. Still, he gave his blessing and Alforde led the [Professor], Duvian, and Luna downstairs.
Vee was about to follow them when Holly grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. Oh right, she¡¯d wanted to talk about something.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked.
¡°My dad is up to something,¡± she said. ¡°Something big and serious. I¡I think it has something to do with Westown.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28 (-1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31 (-1)
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 13
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 21
Leadership: 16
Guts: 12
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 39 (+1)
Wit: 12
Faith: 25
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 19 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 8
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8 (+1)
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 11
Ambition: 26
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 35
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 45
Patience: 10
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
%^(@#!! @#$@!@#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 17: Guts +1
Vee¡¯s throat was dry as a desert as he stared at the blue-haired witch. The snowflakes in Holly¡¯s eyes shimmered and shifted between silver and white, and there were no signs of humor anywhere to be found in her features. Though he wished otherwise, it seemed that Sacre¡¯s daughter was dead serious about her warning.
¡°How do you know that?¡± Vee croaked. ¡°What is he after?¡±
Holly shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know many of the details,¡± she said. ¡°I just heard my dad yelling at Walnut about it right before I headed out to join the open call. He was louder than he¡¯s been in years, which means that he was pissed. He said something about not caring how many locks there were, and not wanting that mangy prick to get any more of a head start than he already had.¡±
¡°Mangy prick?¡±
¡°Curlytail.¡± When she saw his blank expression, Holly rolled her eyes and shook her head. ¡°The Don? You know? My dad¡¯s rival?¡±
Vee cursed as the pieces snapped into place. That was the reason that the three kitrekin [Enforcers] had shown up at the Grinning Pig the other night.
¡°But what could they want out here in Westown? It¡¯s just abandoned old forges and empty buildings, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re after, but my dad doesn¡¯t get angry like that if it¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Holly answered. ¡°He prides himself on staying cool under most circumstances. The last thing I heard him say was that he wanted constant patrols and presence in the area until someone ¨C I didn¡¯t catch the name ¨C was finished cracking the locks they already had. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything you can do about it, but I figured that you should know all the same.¡±
Vee scratched his head as he thought it over. Locks? What sort of locks were out there in Westown that needed to be cracked? Surely if there was a building or something else like that Sacre wanted into, it¡¯d be faster and easier to just break down the doors or go through a broken window. Right?
¡°Did you hear anything else?¡± he asked.
Holly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. I heard another one of his guys coming down the hall and didn¡¯t want to be caught eavesdropping. My dad takes a very dim view of that, even for family members.¡±
Vee couldn¡¯t fault her for that, so he thanked her for the information and they went down the stairs together to catch up with everyone else and see if the office had proven suitable for storing the weaponsoul.
As he clambered down the stairs, Vee¡¯s mind started racing. He thought about the plots from old books he¡¯d read where mysterious [Cultists] gathered in abandoned spaces, dedicating their life energy to summoning eldritch beings. Gawain¡¯s balls, he really hoped that there wasn¡¯t a group of black-robed lunatics hiding out in Westown, working on summoning something that would eat everyone¡¯s faces off, including their own.
That was the problem with [Cultists], he thought, they never seemed to understand that their malevolent deity hated them just as much as it did everyone else.
Inside Vee¡¯s lab, Reginald was giving Rortenferry and Duvian the grand tour, pointing out all of Vee¡¯s experiments and telling the guests how they¡¯d been used in the dungeon.
¡°That started out as a tank ghost that Vee wanted to call the Sponge. Terrible name, right? I tried to tell him that he needed to call it something else, but he can be stubborn sometimes, and dug in his heels on the matter. Anyway, he ended up not using it. Oh, hey, let¡¯s go over there so you can get a better look at the prototype ghost arms. Some of those are fun.¡±
Rortenferry studied each of Vee¡¯s workings with a serious gaze. He ran his finger along the ectoplasm curves and angles, checking their joints for cracks and tapping intermittently along their length to seek out thick or thin patches of energy. To Vee¡¯s surprise and pleasure, his old [Professor] looked impressed for the most part, and gave him a small smile when he turned and saw that Vee and Holly had joined them in the lab.
¡°What do you think?¡± Vee asked.
¡°Well, it¡¯s a little messy and unorganized,¡± Rortenferry said as Vee walked over to Duvian and reclaimed Reginald from her spindly arms. The hat flashed him a crooked grin and Vee shook his head before he put Reginald back on.
¡°However, I can¡¯t honestly say that my own lab isn¡¯t a proper mess too,¡± Rortenferry laughed. ¡°I¡¯m pleased with how sturdy your constructs are. These ghost arms are well-built. You must¡¯ve spent a good bit of time using [Shape Ectoplasm] these past few years to have such consistent control.¡±
Vee felt his cheeks warm at the compliment, not least because he saw that Luna was smiling at him too.
¡°It¡¯s probably my most used skill,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said.
¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that,¡± Rortenferry said. ¡°It¡¯s one of the pillars of our class, after all. However, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that there¡¯s plenty of room to improve your security measures and some of your other assemblies. A couple of the gaps in your glyphs are¡concerning to say the least. Something unpleasant could possibly worm its way through if you start throwing around a lot of power in here. As a way of saying thanks for allowing me to store the weaponsoul here, I¡¯d be happy to give you some remedial lessons on proper workshop setup and precautions.¡±
Vee¡¯s first instinct was to snap back at the mention of remedial lessons, but reason won out and he kept his mouth shut. He didn¡¯t need the little tickle in the back of his mind to remind himself that the reality of his situation was that he¡¯d knowingly skipped some corners in getting his lab set up, and that the fact that he hadn¡¯t had any issues yet was mostly luck.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
It would be good to go through his glyphs with an expert and make sure everything was setup the way it was supposed to be, Vee told himself. And then, maybe he could even ask for more help than that! Vee was certain Rortenferry could help him set up the necessary devices to make it easier to crank out low level ghosts. Or even higher level ghosts! His old [Professor] was a wellspring of knowledge and experience!
If he played his cards right ¨C or just avoided burning the bridge to soothe his scratched pride ¨C there was a good chance of Crestheart coming out ahead when this was all said and done.
¡°That¡¯s very kind of you to offer,¡± Vee said. ¡°I¡¯d be pleased to take you up on it.¡±
Rortenferry clapped and turned to the far corner. ¡°Excellent, lad, excellent! We¡¯ll get started ¨C ¡°
¡°Tomorrow,¡± Duvian interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s late, Artem. Mister Vales is probably tired from his day¡¯s work, and you need to be getting some rest as well. I can sense your exhaustion, even if you¡¯d rather try to ignore it.¡±
The [Professor] pouted, which Vee thought was kind of funny. Rortenferry and his ghost companion were silent for a moment as they stared at one another ¨C doubtlessly arguing through their bond, but eventually the other [Ghost Maestro] hung his head and the spirit looked vindicated.
¡°Indeed, my [Seneschal] once again makes a fine point,¡± Rortenferry said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow, after I examine your fiends.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Vee said, and the group left the lab, heading down to the street. As they walked back toward the gate, Vee found his gaze lingering on the buildings and alleys all around him. There was something out there that Sacre and the Don wanted, but he didn¡¯t know what it was. Admittedly, he didn¡¯t have much to go off of, just that there was a lock or multiple locks involved.
That¡didn¡¯t really narrow it down much, and as Vee trudged along, he realized that he didn¡¯t really know¡well, anything about how the gangsters functioned. Oh, make no mistake, he¡¯d pieced together a few things here and there ¨C like the fact that they both collected protection money from merchants around the city and Sacre offered unfair loans ¨C but he lacked any real insight into the bigger picture. How did the two criminals interact with each other? What industries were they focused on? Organized crime was almost always about money, so how did Sacre and the Don make theirs?
Normally, his ignorance on the subject wouldn¡¯t have bothered him. He wasn¡¯t particularly interested in the underworld ¨C his focus generally aimed squarely at the ethereal ¨C but he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling in his guts that this was a gap in his knowledge that he desperately needed to correct. After all, while Sacre and the Don had been content to nip at each other¡¯s throats and generally leave the rest of the city alone for a long time, the [Dungeon Master] had a sneaking suspicion that wouldn¡¯t always be the case.
Worse, the tickle in the back of his mind gave him reason to think that he might find himself a target in their sights at some point down the line.
Now that wasn¡¯t exactly a fun thought.
Vee looked up at the sky. The night was clear but for a few thin clouds, and the moons were shining with bright silver light. It wasn¡¯t very cold either; Vee could barely see his breath. The stars were out and Vee came to a decision then and there.
He was going to expand his knowledge, and he knew just how to do it.
¡°Hey, Reginald?¡±
¡°What¡¯s up, Boss?¡±
¡°When we get back to the boarding house, there¡¯s something I want your help with, okay? I need to pick your brain about a few things.¡±
¡°What sort of things?¡±
¡°City stuff. Gangster stuff.¡±
¡°Sure thing,¡± the hat said, sounding ever so slightly pleased. He was stopped from responding further by Holly, who was gesturing at him and Alforde. The [Snowmancer] looked at Vee, then pointedly at Luna, then even more pointedly back to Vee again.
Reginald¡¯s eyes widened, and his mouth curled into a broad grin as he understood exactly what the blue-haired witch was getting at.
¡°Hey, Boss? That actually reminds me of something,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Rortenferry wanted to talk to me and the big guy about something down in the lab, earlier but we got distracted. Would you mind if we went over and did that now? I don¡¯t want to leave it until tomorrow.¡±
Vee had turned attention back up to the stars, and said, ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine,¡± absentmindedly. ¡°Go ahead and do what you need to. I¡¯ll just hang out by the gate until you¡¯re done.¡±
Taking off the hat, Vee handed Reginald to Alforde and the pair walked over to join Rortenferry, Holly, and Duvian.
The gate creaked open, and the group stopped just beyond it. Caught up in his thoughts as he was ¨C what was he going to do if the gangs started causing problems near Crestheart? ¨C Vee didn¡¯t see everyone but him and Luna slowly slide into the shadows.
Indeed, it was something of a shock when he realized that he was all alone with the [Pumpkin Witch], though Vee was then quick to realize that he¡¯d been set up. He glared over at his friends and old teacher, but Reginald simply cackled and winked, and Alforde looked amused as they all headed off together into the night.
¡°Those guys are something else,¡± Vee muttered as he looked at Luna. The [Pumpkin Witch] giggled, and Vee¡¯s heart started to race.
She really was extremely pretty, especially since the pumpkins in her eyes reflected the light of the moons.
¡°It¡¯s not just them. Holly is a piece of work too,¡± she said.
They were both quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say next.
Clearing his throat, Vee asked, ¡°Um, is your arm okay? Does it hurt or anything?¡±
Luna shook her head. ¡°The wound wasn¡¯t too bad to begin with, and we had a good [Medic] in our party who had it mostly taken care of by the time we got back. However, he said that I¡¯d be better off if I waited a few more days before removing the bandages.¡±
¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡± Vee said. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re okay. It would have been very not good if you¡¯d gotten seriously hurt.¡±
He winced inwardly. Gawain¡¯s bald head, that sounded stupid out loud. Vee¡¯s cheeks flushed, and he hurried to come up with an excuse that would let him exit the situation with some measure of dignity intact.
However, just as he settled on one ¨C Well, I¡¯m afraid that my knees are aching something fierce from the cold, so I¡¯m going to have to go ahead and leave now, but it was great to see you ¨C Vee had a thought. Well, not so much a thought as a sudden realization that this might well be one of those crossroads in life that self-help types were always ranting about. It had all the classic signs of being one; namely that Vee thought it was.
Later in his life, the [Dungeon Master] would occasionally think back to this moment fondly. During his more pensive moods, he¡¯d wonder if he¡¯d been under the influence of a skill of some sort, just a cog in the machine of something much bigger than he was, or if what happened next had been nothing more than the moons and stars simply working their magic on him the way they had countless other young people since the dawn of time.
Regardless of the ultimate cause, there beneath the open sky and surrounded by piles of snow, Vee stood up straighter and looked into Luna¡¯s eyes.
¡°Would you like to go out some time?¡± His voice wavered once, but didn¡¯t crack or break as the words spilled out. ¡°On a date, I mean. We could get coffee, or dinner, or even just take a walk or something?¡±
[Guts +1]
Luna returned his smile and Vee felt as if his feet might lift off the ground.
¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d like that a lot.¡±
Side by side, the [Ghost Maestro] and [Pumpkin Witch] continued making small talk as they followed their friends into the darkness.
Volume 2 Chapter 18: Shoot For The Stars
Vee was nearly skipping as he made his way back to the boarding house by himself. He¡¯d spent almost half an hour walking around with Luna before the cold had been too much for them both to bear, and they¡¯d remorsefully parted ways after making plans to get together for their date in just over a week. They would have scheduled it to happen sooner, but Luna¡¯s time away with the open call meant that she had things to take care of at both work and home.
He whistled an old love song that¡¯d been popular when he was a kid, still unable to believe his luck. He¡¯d asked Luna out and she¡¯d said yes! It was so great that Vee pinched himself to make sure that this wonderful night wasn¡¯t actually a dream. He¡¯d had that one more than once, and would have been heartbroken if this had been another rendition. Thankfully, the stinging pain in his forearm assured him that he was indeed awake, and Vee started singing in earnest as he turned the last corner before the boarding house.
¡°Warm nights and red roses forever and ever, my dear.¡±
His heart had slowed back down so that it was no longer pounding in his chest like a [Blacksmith] forging a blessed weapon for a boy king to slay a [Demon Lord], but his cheeks were still red as cherries as he bounded up the steps. He stopped to smile and chat with Sculla, who was perched on her stoop as she always was, smoking something that created green smoke. The smell was strange, reminiscent of cinnamon but without the bitter tang at the end. Vee thought he¡¯d smelled it once or twice before, but he couldn¡¯t exactly remember where.
¡°How are you doing this wonderful, no, incredible evening?¡± Vee asked.
Sculla raised an eyebrow and took a long drag from her pipe. ¡°Fine, I reckon. What¡¯s got into you, kiddo? You¡¯re grinning like a [Mad Clown].¡±
Vee told her what had happened, but the ogre didn¡¯t seem to share his enthusiasm.
¡°Relationships are like meals and vacations,¡± she said with a shrug when she noticed Vee¡¯s wounded expression. ¡°They¡¯re important to the people having them, but boring as hell to those who aren¡¯t. Unless they have nothing else going on in their own lives, I suppose. Regardless, congratulations, Vee. Good for you on asking her out. I wish you two nothing but the best.¡±
There was a faraway sound to her voice that made Vee pause, but the ogre said nothing more. When Vee turned to leave, Sculla held up her hand and took another pull from her pipe. ¡°Just remember¡good and bad are two sides of the same coin. Wax and wane. Life has a way of balancing things out.¡±
Vee stopped in his tracks. ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡±
The ogre shrugged again. ¡°Nothing in particular, but it never hurts to be mindful, does it?¡±
Though he was rather unsettled by the ogre¡¯s cryptic statement, the [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t argue with the idea of being mindful. Eager to share his news with his friends, Vee hurried up to his room to tell his friends about everything that¡¯d happened and thank them for going along with Holly¡¯s plan to ditch him with Luna in the first place.
Reginald and Alforde were both genuinely excited at the news ¨C Take that, Sculla! Vee thought smugly ¨C and they congratulated him on finally taking the plunge. Then, as the moment passed, Alforde took his manual on martial arts stances to his corner and started practicing his forms. Reginald turned to Vee.
¡°So, what exactly was it that you wanted to talk to me about, Boss?¡±
The hat¡¯s question brought Vee back down to the ground, dulling his euphoria. He explained what he¡¯d heard from Holly, and then leaned forward and looked into the hat¡¯s eyes.
¡°I want to know as much about them as you can tell me,¡± Vee said. ¡°Help me understand what they¡¯re after.¡±
Reginald rocked back and forth on the table. ¡°I can definitely do that for you, Boss, but why do you care? Westown is so big that even if they¡¯re doing something out there, we¡¯ll probably never notice it. What do you want to do with this information?¡±
Vee felt the Expectation stir on his shoulders and looked into the hat¡¯s eyes. ¡°One of the dangers from my quest to rebuild Oar¡¯s Crest was animosity from the existing powers within the city,¡± Vee said. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure that it meant Sacre and the don, but I wouldn¡¯t bet against it either. It might not be for a while, but I think there¡¯s eventually going to be a conflict between us. I want to be ready for when that happens.¡±
¡°What exactly do you think you¡¯re going to do when that time comes?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know right now,¡± Vee admitted, ¡°but does it matter? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll figure it out. For now, I just want to know how their organizations work. We can handle the rest as it happens.¡±
Reginald looked over at the mess of small objects on the countertop across the room and jerked toward them. ¡°Got it. Grab some of those, will you? I think you¡¯ll benefit from having some props to help visualize things as I explain them.¡±
Vee did so, and arranged the trinkets as the hat directed. He was ultimately left with a mess of bottle caps, cans, pens, utensils, and a saltshaker arranged in a complex web around the table, which Reginald assured him was only a poor imitation of the various networks and relationships between the gangs and members of the city.
¡°We¡¯ll start with Sacre since you¡¯re already somewhat familiar with him,¡± Reginald said as he used one of his yellow arms to point at the saltshaker. ¡°His family has been around for decades, but the man himself has only been on top of the ladder for the last thirty years or so. Their numbers fluctuate, but I¡¯d guess that he doesn¡¯t have more than sixty or seventy direct underlings at any given time.
¡°In the old days, the Sacre family used to make most of their money through loan sharking, extortion of local merchants, and the drug trade, but these days the balance is more evenly split between those activities and their legitimate businesses. Sacre owns a chunk of almost everything in Eastown from shops to restaurants to residential buildings, and he gets a cut of every fleur that passes through them. Beyond that, he owns one of the city banks as well as its biggest carriage company. He¡¯s in charge of the city¡¯s Merchant Guild too, and that position pays him a monthly stipend as well. All in all, he¡¯s got his fingers in a lot of pies and is always looking for more.¡±
Vee whistled through his teeth and moved the pieces around as Reginald directed to show the connections. ¡°I can see that,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said. ¡°What about the don, then? How do the kitrekins make their money?¡±
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¡°I¡¯m not as sure about that,¡± Reginald said as he gestured to the can of tuna on the opposite side of the table. ¡°The don is cagey, and suspicious of outsiders. I tried getting close to him a few times, but I wasn¡¯t ever able to get deep enough into the organization that I could collect concrete information. Here¡¯s what I do know, though. Size-wise, I¡¯d say that the kitrekins are simultaneously bigger and smaller than Sacre¡¯s family. Smaller in that they probably only have thirty or forty regulars, but bigger in that they employ a large pool of associates to handle almost all of their day to day jobs. The don likes to hire young and eager kitrekins for small tasks, then never contact them again. It¡¯s like a rite of passage in their community.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t that increase the chances of someone betraying them or screwing things up, though?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I thought at first, but so far as I know, it¡¯s the way all the kitrekin crime families do things around the continent. The Little Miss, their real leader ¨C if she even exists ¨C is said to have started the practice as a way of keeping the road to success wide open within the organization. Keeping a steady churn of applicants moving through its parts is a crucial part of that strategy. Now, I know that the kitrekins make some of their money from extortion and real estate like Sacre does, but the bigger chunk of their funding comes from gambling and smuggling goods up and down the continent. They also have ties to the council, if Michael Seidon¡¯s regular trips to the don¡¯s villa are any indication, so they probably also skim fleurs off the top of public works contracts or other things of that nature. Like I said though, I¡¯m not sure of the specifics.¡±
Vee took a moment to digest what he¡¯d just heard, and then asked, ¡°What do you mean if the Little Miss even exists? You mentioned her when we were at the casino a while back. You said you were a close friend of hers!¡±
¡°Nah, I¡¯ve never met her. I was just lying to see how you¡¯d handle the situation when it all went sideways,¡± Reginald said. ¡°You failed, by the way. But that¡¯s not important right now. The reason I say if the Little Miss even exists is that nobody has ever seen her. Well, I guess some kitrekins probably have, but they¡¯re not talking and nobody else has. She¡¯s real reclusive, and clearly rather paranoid. I¡¯ve heard that she was once an [Opera Singer] in a big city, but I¡¯ve never found any proof of that. Personally, I believe that it¡¯s a fake name for a council of some sort. Like a group of well-connected kitrekins that govern the various gangs around the continent, but I don¡¯t have any proof of that either. So who knows? What¡¯s important for you to know is that the don tends to stick to Southtown, and is probably well-connected with the council. He might make that a problem if you start poking your nose into his business.¡±
Looking at the table, Vee rubbed his chin and studied the web of relationships and tributaries. The more he looked at the crisscrossed mess, the angrier he became. Sacre and the don didn¡¯t use their holdings for the good of the city; they were just parasites growing fat on the backs of others. That thought pissed Vee off, and the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s hands curled into fists. Though he knew it was a crazy idea that would take years to happen if not longer, he vowed then and there to find some way of freeing the city from the clutches of the gangs squeezing it dry.
To his surprise, the Expectation stirred then, reaching up to nuzzle his cheek and purring like a cat. Vee looked into the snake-dragon¡¯s eyes, and saw the fiery purpose there. He was slightly intimidated by the weight of its gaze burning into his own.
The spirit opened its mouth and spoke, it¡¯s voice low and silky.
¡°You¡¯re sssetting a lofty, dangerousss goal, but it¡¯s one worth pursssuing. Do you truly promissse to do what you have sssaid?¡±
¡°I do,¡± he said.
With a smile that looked more than a little sinister, the Expectation tightened around Vee¡¯s shoulders and returned to its sleeping position.
¡°Excellent. I ssshall be watching you, and if you prove true, I ssshall reward you,¡± it murmured as it closed its eyes once more. Vee looked down and saw that the word freedom and safety lingered on its scales.
[Ambition +1]
[Congratulations, you can now use Shoot For The Stars]
Unfamiliar with the name, Vee closed his eyes and consulted his soul¡¯s mirror to read his new skill description.
[Shoot For The Stars] ¨C (Passive) This skill allows the user to verbalize ambitious dreams and goals that have a chance of inflicting the Devoted, Loyal, or Staunch Supporters status on those who hear them, whether the goal is attainable or not.
Well, that could prove rather useful, Vee thought, though it also seemed¡a little manipulative? A lot manipulative? Just how strong were those statuses? And how long did they last?
He was conflicted about whether or not he liked his new power, but would have to wait until later to consider the implications more fully.
For now, he turned his attention back to his [Majordomo].
¡°How do we figure out what Sacre and the don are after in Westown?¡±
The hat thought for a moment.
¡°Well, the easiest way to do that would be to follow the people who go in somehow, but if they got caught it would not be good. I suppose we could use the fiends for that, actually.¡± Reginald said. ¡°None of the members of the medium section have any proper scouting skills, but they know the city well and can move through it quickly and silently. If we have them keep an eye out, maybe we¡¯ll get some information about what the gangs are up to.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Vee said. ¡°but I¡¯m nervous about losing one of them if they get caught. They¡¯re my responsibility.¡±
¡°So it goes, Boss.¡±
¡°Maybe we should wait until after Rortenferry has examined them all and figured out why they¡¯re developing the way they are.¡±
Reginald frowned. ¡°You could do that, though I think you might be waiting a while. Old Rortenferry seems like a good guy, but he¡¯s kind of scattered. So long as something is right in front of him he¡¯s great about paying attention to it, but he seems easily distracted. If you¡¯re serious about knowing what¡¯s going on in Westown, I think you¡¯re just going to have to take the risk and send one of the fiends.¡±
Vee and Reginald continued discussing the matter further into the night, until Vee¡¯s eyes could stay open no longer, but ultimately Vee agreed with his [Majordomo]. Flopping onto his bed, Vee fell asleep in a warm mixture of contentment and purpose.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14 (+1)
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 21
Leadership: 16
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 19
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 8
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 11
Ambition: 27 (+1)
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 36
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 10
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
%^(@#!! @#$@!@#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 19: Tick Tock Indeed
The next morning, Vee rolled out of bed with a headache that made him feel as if he¡¯d heavily drank the night before. He was slow to get up and dress, and found that even coffee¡¯s magic couldn¡¯t really help him shake away the fatigue.
Alforde was nowhere to be seen, so Vee picked up Reginald, put on his coat, and made his way downstairs.
Sure enough, the armorsoul was in the alley already, swirling Slammy in a complex pattern and lunging around as if in combat. His boots slipped and slid along the snowy ground, but Alforde¡¯s balance never seemed to waver as he darted back and forth, battling foes that only he could see. He practiced with an aggression Vee hadn¡¯t seen before, as if he were trying to destroy the very air around his hammer, and the [Dungeon Master] was unsettled by the cruel light in his friend¡¯s eyes.
¡°He¡¯s pushing himself really hard,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Sacha was like that too, when things started getting bad. It was like he thought he¡¯d burn up or something if he wasn¡¯t training, so that¡¯s all he did. Just swung his sword from dawn until dusk, even when we asked him to come hang out with us. The only things he cared about was training and fighting. I think Alforde¡¯s getting worse, boss.¡±
Vee nodded his agreement, and was extremely grateful that Alforde readily joined them when they said it was time to head to Crestheart. Maybe he wasn¡¯t so far gone as Reginald seemed to think. On the whole, Alforde seemed relatively normal, but Vee¡¯s bond to the armorsoul was surprisingly murky, so he couldn¡¯t really be sure.
Rortenferry and Duvian were waiting for them outside the gate, and after a few minutes of small talk outside the dungeon, the older [Ghost Maestro] rubbed his hands together.
¡°Alright, this is the moment I¡¯ve been waiting for,¡± he said excitedly. ¡°Let¡¯s have a look at these fiends, shall we?¡±
Vee was happy to oblige, as his inner intellectual was eager to learn the truth of the fiends¡¯ development.
Closing his eyes and summoning his orchestra, Vee ordered them to gather outside Crestheart so that Rortenferry could properly examine them all. His minions stood in a single file line that was organized by their sections, and while Vee noticed that most of them were stoic, a few ¨C like Do, Dandelion, and one from the light section ¨C looked to be experiencing some trepidation as the [Professor] walked back and forth and looked them all over.
With a bulging bag of tools slung over his shoulder and a manic glint in his eye, Rortenferry jabbered to Duvian or himself as he gazed into each fiend¡¯s eyes. He checked their limbs and torsos with a small measuring tape, and used a series of skills that caused the spirits to be wreathed in light of varying colors. One by one, he went up and down the line, pausing now and then to check the calibration of his tools or compare his measured values against the reference tables in one of the handful of thick leatherbound books he¡¯d brought with him. He didn¡¯t say what exactly he was looking for, but he looked more excited than Vee ever recalled seeing him back at the academy. There, Rortenferry had been a world-weary old man with a tendency to blather on about some point of theory, and Vee¡¯d had better things to do than pay attention.
The young [Ghost Maestro] found himself wishing he¡¯d paid more attention though, as he didn¡¯t recognize more than half the things Rortenferry did. He¡¯d have to swallow his pride and ask eventually. It seemed like useful stuff to know.
Adventurers showed up while the examination was taking place, but they all kept a safe distance. [Ghost Maestro] work wasn¡¯t quite as dangerous to passerby as that of some classes, but nasty things could and did happen to people who got too close to certain skills. Managing the fallout of such an event was a headache Vee didn¡¯t want to deal with if he didn¡¯t have to, so he was grateful for each person who took an extra wide path around to the Lobby.
Finally, after using a skill that caused the fiends to all lose their color for a few moments, Rortenferry drew back and wiped the thin bead of sweat from his brow.
Vee looked at him hopefully. ¡°Well? Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡±
Rortenferry shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Truthfully, there¡¯s not much I¡¯m even comfortable speculating about right now. At first glance, they don¡¯t look like anything other than regular fiends. Their bodies are made up of anger, hatred, and all the other nasty emotions people put out into the world, which isn¡¯t surprising given the rest of the city. Oar¡¯s Crest is horrific in that regard. There¡¯s so much pain and suffering around these old buildings, which I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed. However, with all that said, I¡¯ve noticed some evidence that points to the presence of something inside your orchestra that I can¡¯t put my finger on. I think it might be a seed of some sort, but I¡¯ll need more testing to confirm it.¡±
¡°You mean you don¡¯t even have any theories?¡±
Accepting a small silver flask from Duvian, Rortenferry took a sip and cleared his throat. Shaking his head, he took another and wiped his lips dry. At the sight of Vee¡¯s dismayed expression, he grinned and clapped the young man on the shoulder.
¡°Don¡¯t look so glum, lad. Did you truly expect me to have an answer after a single examination? I¡¯m flattered, but our world is not so easily measured and understood as that! Mysteries like this one take time and experimentation to unravel, and I plan to dedicate plenty of both to this one. Take heart, boy, this is work well worth doing!
¡°Now, Duvian has reminded me that it¡¯s almost time for your dungeon to open, so if you¡¯d leave me a couple members of your orchestra to look at while you work, I¡¯ll leave you to it. We can go through your lab another time. I suspect that my studies here won¡¯t be finished any time soon, and took the liberty of sending a message to that effect to my comrades back at the Academy. We¡¯ll have plenty of time to go through your glyphs, okay?¡±
Vee returned the [Professor]¡¯s smile, but he thought about what Reginald had said the night before and wondered if the [Professor] would end up following through on his word.
Still, the old man was right about it almost being time to open, so leaving half of the light section, Vee headed to Crestheart.
Thanks to the flyers he¡¯d had Torres make and word of the fight against Mr. Chills, adventurer interest in the dungeon was higher than it¡¯d been in weeks: Forty two people had signed up to make runs.
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Bracing himself for a long, draining day, Vee climbed up to the office, set Reginald down on the desk near the magnification crystal, and checked all of his traps. He moved a few platforms back and forth, activated a couple spike launchers, and slammed down three hallway partitions with the push of a button. Everything was in good working order, so he gave his [Majordomo] the signal to get things started and leaned back in his chair as the first adventurer walked in.
The adventurer crept down the hallway, his glowing staff held up like a torch. Its pale yellow light chased away the shadows that would have otherwise lingered on the walls and floor, but the man¡¯s eyes swept back and forth all the same as he continued forward. He¡¯d been taken surprise by a pack of ghosts coming through the wall in an earlier room, and it was obvious that he was taking no further chances.
With his tongue between his teeth, Vee counted the adventurer¡¯s steps as he watched the man get closer to the hidden pitfall in the center of the hall. The [Dungeon Master] lifted his hand to the lever that would open it up and send the adventurer spiraling into the mass of waiting slimes, knowing that pulling it too soon would be just as ineffective as pulling it too late. Proper trap activation was an artform, and while he still had tons to learn, Vee''s instincts for it were growing sharper by the day.
Three, two, one, go!
Yanking the lever, Vee watched as the floor split open and the adventurer fell. However, just before the man hit the ground, the [Spellcaster] used [Levitation] ¨C or something similar ¨C and stopped himself from falling into the gooey maws of the ice slimes waiting below. Cursing, Vee watched the man float over to the ladder on the side of the pit and climb back out, but the [Dungeon Master] collected himself and hit his next trap.
Shards of ice shot out of the walls and hit the [Spellcaster] from both sides. Dropping his staff, the man stumbled to the ground and lay there a moment. Vee readied himself to activate another trap on the next tiles, but it didn¡¯t end up being necessary. Raising his arms, the adventurer abandoned his run and was directed to the nearest exit.
Vee smiled. Once again, the inclusion of a second trap immediately after the first had paid dividends. Most adventurers had a weird mental block about the possibility of a second trap so close to the first, and lowered their guard after dodging or overcoming one of the dungeon¡¯s obstacles. He¡¯d gotten a lot of value out of exploiting that tendency.
[Congratulations, you are now a Dungeon Master Level 18!]
[Devious Mind +1]
While Do and the rest of the fiends got to work resetting all the traps and rooms so that they¡¯d be ready for the next run, Vee looked outside at the fading sunlight and stretched his neck and shoulders. Rortenferry was still hard at work, looking at each fiend in turn with a look of intense concentration.
Vee shook his head and rolled his shoulders. Working the console for so many hours in a row was surprisingly tough on his body; he¡¯d have to make a more concentrated effort to get up and move around throughout the day, lest he give himself long term issues.
¡°How many runs do we have left?¡± Vee asked.
Reginald consulted the thin stack of applications in front of him and counted them. ¡°Looks like four. You¡¯re wincing, Boss. You going to be okay?¡±
Vee nodded, stretching his fingers and wrists to relieve the tightness building in his forearms. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Let¡¯s hurry up and get the next run going.¡±
Reginald fluttered his brim and started talking with his [Announcer]¡¯s voice. Vee heard the dungeon groan as the door opened, and the next challenger entered.
It was a younger kid, maybe seventeen or so, and according to her application she was an [Acrobat]. Given that she¡¯d decked herself out in a brown cloak that was too long for her, put on dark lipstick, and was carrying a comically large, curved dagger, Vee suspected that she was aiming to become a [Rogue]. She crouch-ran into the dungeon, slicing through the slimes he sent her way with the opening catapult, and [Flipped] her way past the barrage from the skeleton mages, using her knife to decapitate the lone skeleton knight assigned to the room. With agility doubtlessly born of long and arduous practice, she darted over to the skeleton mage and disarmed it ¨C both literally and figuratively.
¡°I wish I had another charge of [Boost Drops],¡± Vee muttered. He¡¯d already tried to use the skill an extra time today, and while the splitting headache he¡¯d gotten for his troubles wasn¡¯t as bad as it could have been, he wasn¡¯t eager to make another attempt just then.
Instead, he contented himself with activating traps as the girl blazed through the dungeon. He leaned forward with anticipation as she entered the arena with Mr. Chills, and smiled as the big ghost filled the air with cold projectiles. He¡¯d had the half of his light section of his orchestra not currently being examined make a blend of snowballs and ice balls to keep the adventurers on their toes since the projectiles moved differently, but the [Acrobat] dodged both with almost contemptuous ease. Even his room traps didn¡¯t slow her down, and she grabbed both pieces of the key before deactivating the mini boss without getting hit.
¡°I think that was the best mini boss battle we¡¯ve had yet,¡± Reginald said. ¡°You might want to tell the big guy to get ready. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to have any problems with the third floor.¡±
¡°Good call,¡± Vee said. He reached over and activated the magnifying crystal that put him in touch with Alforde. ¡°You¡¯ve got a fast one headed your way, buddy!¡±
A surge of savage joy flooded through their bond, so strong that Vee recoiled from it.
¡°Finally! I was starting to worry that I wouldn¡¯t get to battle anyone today!¡±
Vee pursed his lips and shifted in his seat, uncomfortable by the snappy edge in the armorsoul¡¯s tone.
¡°You fought two adventurers this morning,¡± he said.
¡°Yeah, well, they didn¡¯t count,¡± the armorsoul replied. ¡°They barely even fought back!¡±
¡°Ah¡¡± Vee said quietly as he deactivated the magnifying crystal. He looked over at Reginald and saw that his [Majordomo] was frowning.
¡°Tick, tock, Boss,¡± the hat said.
Vee nodded and drummed his fingers on the desk.
Tick tock indeed.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 22 (+1)
Leadership: 16
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 19
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 8
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 11
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 36
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9 (-1)
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
%^(@#!! @#$@!@#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 20: Wureini Rufh (Interlude)
Wureini the salamander woke before dawn and leapt out of bed, eagerly anticipating the day ahead. Or at least, that¡¯s what she told herself she would do the next morning as her backup-backup-backup alarm went off for the final time twenty minutes before her shift and she groggily rose to her feet. Throwing on the same clothes she¡¯d worn yesterday, the [City Guard] grabbed a piece of toast and sprinted out of her apartment, taking the steps two at a time. She made it halfway down the block before she realized that she¡¯d grabbed the wrong bag, and though time was short, there was no way that she was going to spend the next ten hours in that miserable little shack without her tools.
Cursing her soft, fluffy bed and warm, snuggly blankets for the trouble they put her through each morning, Wureini turned around and activated [Pursuit] to zoom back up the block so she could swap out her bag. Using the skill while out of uniform was technically against the rules, but nobody else who lived on her street was awake yet and so there wasn¡¯t any risk of getting caught.
There was, however, a risk of being late to work, and Wureini didn¡¯t need any more demerits. If she got another one she¡¯d have her pay docked for a month, and she was saving up to buy some new paints!
Thankfully, she lived close to the barracks, and it only took a few minutes to get there, her clawed feet slapping against the snow. Waving a frantic hello to the living gargoyle who guarded the door, Wureini bolted down the hallway and took the first left that led her into the armory. It was empty, as the [City Guard] knew from experience that it would be. The rest of her comrades on duty that morning had long since gotten into their gear and headed out to their shifts.
Throwing open her locker ¨C which she¡¯d left unlocked and ever so slightly ajar the night before just in case ¨C the salamander grabbed her armor and made a dash for the next door.
Her shift started in six minutes.
The streets blurred as Wureini activated [Pursuit] in short, controlled bursts between putting on pieces of armor. Armoring up while running was easier than it sounded¡because Wureini had lots of practice. This wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d dueled the devil of punctuality, and if she was being honest, it probably wouldn¡¯t be the last.
She was out of breath and sweating by the time she made it to the guardhouse next to the Westown gate, but more importantly, she looked like a respectable ¨C albeit slightly ruffled ¨C [City Guard].
Twisting her last bracer into place, Wureini checked the time and smiled.
There was still a whole twenty-six seconds before her shift started.
¡°Easiest morning of my life,¡± she crowed as she gave the official knock on the gatehouse door and waited for her senior partner to open it up for her.
¡°That¡¯s not the right sequence,¡± came a brassy voice from inside and Wureini groaned, looking up at the sky. Staring at the sleek gray clouds, the salamander wondered how in the world she¡¯d gotten so unlucky as to be paired with Jean that morning. The man was like a black hole for fun and happiness, sucking both out of every room he set foot in as if it were a passive skill.
Heck. Maybe it was. She didn¡¯t know what other classes he had. It was probably something like [Least-Fun-Guy-In-The-Room] or something. Had Taziel ¨C her bestie in the corps who had a tiny gambling problem ¨C been there, Wureini would have put money on it.
Flailing her claws, Wureini silently pleaded with the heavens, asking once again for a sign to show her what she¡¯d done to deserve such a cruel fate. Spending ten hours on duty with a man who kept a pocket-sized copy of all [City Guard] regulations on his person, even when he wasn¡¯t working, had to be a form of torture!
The heavens, of course, were silent on the matter, and Wureini vowed to spend her next days off engaged in whatever manner of debauchery she deemed most fitting at the time.
¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± she muttered to the sky.
¡°Who goes there?¡± Jean¡¯s voice called. ¡°Why are you using [City Guard] knock codes? Are you a criminal? An imposter! Prepare yourself!¡±
The door whipped open and Wureini took a lazy step back as Jean¡¯s impeccably polished blade came swishing out toward her.
To the lunatic¡¯s credit, he stopped as soon as he saw that she wasn¡¯t some sort of criminal, though he scowled as he returned the weapon to its sheath.
¡°Sorry about using the wrong knock, Jean. I forgot to check the codeboard this morning,¡± Wureini said. It wasn¡¯t really a lie; she had forgotten, but only because she¡¯d been in such a rush.
Her partner glared at her and shook his head as he turned around. ¡°It¡¯s Blue Robin Blackberry this morning,¡± he said as he slammed the door shut in her face. There was an unmistakable click as he relocked the door, and Wureini put her hands on her hips.
¡°Are you actually serious right now?! Jean, it¡¯s me! Open the stupid door and let me in.¡±
¡°Article 229, Paragraph 17, Sentence 4 of [City Guard] regulations is clear that a guardhouse door is not to be opened to anyone other than a [City Guard] who has given the appropriate day¡¯s coded knock. City security depends on stringent safeguards and controls!¡±
Wureini hissed, wishing that her ability to breath fire was more potent than the tiny spray of sparks she could muster after drinking a flagon of emberberry wine. If she¡¯d been a salamander like her brother or her cousins, she would have melted the stupid door open, just to see the shock on the stickler¡¯s face, and screw the consequences.
Ugh. There was no point in arguing about it, either. Instead, she did the stupid coded knock ¨C one short bop, two quick raps, another bop and finishing with two rapid beats, all corresponding with the syllables of the day¡¯s code phrase ¨C and gave Jean a scowl of her own as she stomped inside.
She grabbed her favorite spear from the weapons locker and put it on her chair, then sat down in front of the day¡¯s timesheet and wrote down her name and when she¡¯d started her shift.
Wureini Rufh ¨C Six AM.
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Jean coughed pointedly and Wureini looked over. He pointed up to the clock on the wall, which said 6:03 and nodded back to the timesheet.
¡°I was here and ready to work,¡± Wureini hissed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t let me in!¡±
¡°Just acting in accordance with regulations,¡± Jean said. ¡°Article 310, Paragraph 9, Sentence 2 states without ambiguity that any guard attempting to manipulate their time sheet so that they¡¯re paid for work they did not do is subject to having a week¡¯s worth of wages garnished and ten strokes of the lash.¡±
¡°No it doesn¡¯t,¡± Wureini growled as she erased her time and ¡°corrected¡± it. ¡°You¡¯re making that up.¡±
Jean looked scandalized before reaching into his armor and pulling out a wrinkled stack of faded papers. It was his pocket edition of the regulations, and it was well-used.
¡°See for yourself,¡± he said smugly, and Wureini took the nasty thing and did so. Sure enough, the rule was exactly as he¡¯d said. Flipping him off, Wureini gave back the booklet. His eyebrows furrowed at the obscene gesture, but Wureini knew for a fact that there was no rule anywhere in the regulations about [City Guards] giving the bird to one another. That was because in the distant, distant past, one of the founders of the Oar¡¯s Crest guard ¨Ca [Headstrong Vigilante] named Harry Southstone ¨C had been rather fond of the gesture, and refused to work for any group that tried to ban it.
Jean furrowed his brow, but let the matter pass, and Wureini settled in for a long, boring day. It could be worse, she told herself. Manning the Westown gate as a [City Guard] wasn¡¯t particularly fun, but it wasn¡¯t hard either, and it was better than any of the other jobs she¡¯d ever had. The pay was certainly better. Honestly, she earned a pretty respectable salary, considering the amount of proper guard work she actually had to do. Unlike most places in the city, the fear of the fiends and ghosts just beyond the gate kept most of the usual riffraff far away, and other than the Crestheart regulars, few people ever wanted to pass through. It wasn¡¯t like the Eastown gate, where all sorts of ¡°would-be emberberry pickers¡± and other degenerates tried to pass through at all hours of the day and night.
It was nice and quiet here, and though being a [City Guard] meant sitting or standing for long hours in her shining armor, it also meant that Wureini usually had plenty of time to work on her real passion: Art.
She didn¡¯t dare get out her supplies now, though. Jean was watching her like a hawk, despite the fact that according to regulations, guards were supposed to remain alert and ready for trouble at any times, scanning the area around the guardhouse and making sure that nothing was out of order at the gate.
Feeling a little petty, the salamander was tempted to say something, but decided not to. There was probably a caveat or addendum in there that he¡¯d quote back at her and she¡¯d be worse off than she already was.
No, she¡¯d simply wait until her lunch break to take out her paper and charcoal stubs and continue working on her still life portraits. In the meantime, she¡¯d practice using [Keen Eye For Detail] and [See The Beauty In Everything].
With her spear resting beside her, the [Artist] looked at the buildings across the street and drank in all the nuances of their design. With her claw, she traced the shape of the rose windows and bell tower on the table, pretending that she was putting them to paper the way she often did during her shifts with semi-sane partners.
At six fifteen, Wureini got up and did her first patrol walk of the morning, pacing back and forth outside the gate four times with her spear held at the ready. Jean went the opposite direction, and when she was sure his back was turned, Wureini stopped in place to yawn and stretch her tail. It felt like she¡¯d slept funny, or maybe put her armor on wrong. Good thing she had that massage booked in a couple weeks. It¡¯d been far too long since she¡¯d last treated herself to something nice.
The minute hand went around the clock slower than a dead snail in the winter, but Wureini managed to stay sane until her break and all but tore into her bag of art supplies as soon as she finished jotting down her entry on the time sheet.
She needed to create, to let her mind stretch and find both beauty and freedom as her body was doubly trapped in armor and the guardhouse. But when she picked up her charcoal, she found that she actually didn¡¯t know what to draw. The urge to work was there, but the inspiration for what to capture was not. The trees and buildings she normally practiced with all looked drab to her eye, and so she found herself actually looking over at Jean. He was standing in the center of the guardhouse with his arms folded over his chest, and the salamander realized that there was a certain¡nobility in his features that was actually kind of nice.
She decided to draw him.
Her first attempt at the line of action wasn¡¯t right. It was too stiff, too straight. Frowning, Wureini erased it and tried again. This time she was happy with the way it looked, so she started hanging the torso, hips and limbs along it. Slowly, steadily, she roughed out Jean¡¯s proportions and then added more lines for his armor and features. Though she¡¯d originally wanted the picture to be lifelike, Wureini found herself adding stylized lines as she drew. That was how she¡¯d first learned to draw ¨C by copying the romance comics she¡¯d been fond of as a girl ¨C and it was the style she was most comfortable with.
She squared Jean¡¯s jaw and tightened his eyes, capturing the essence of the man¡¯s steely gaze as he did his duty.
The proportions were¡not great, if you wanted to get technical, but Wureini didn¡¯t care. The image felt more real like this¡somehow. Scribbles and all.
After looking at it for a few seconds more, Wureini decided that she rather liked it.
[Control +1]
[Good Taste +1]
Wureini blinked twice at the notification, and was slow to dismiss it, almost feeling like her eyes had played a trick on her. It¡¯d been almost a month since her last stat up, and she¡¯d broken her drought drawing Jean of all people?
Truly, the world was unfair.
Her break came to an end, but before Wureini could hide the picture away, her partner peeked over her shoulder and saw it.
¡°Could I take a closer look at that?¡±
Wureini braced herself for the chiding that was sure to follow as she nodded and handed over the paper. She felt a familiar twinge of embarrassment as Jean¡¯s eyes ¨C far less noble in reality than they were on her paper ¨C studied her work.
She didn¡¯t know how long he looked at it. It could have been a few seconds, or it could have been half an hour. Finally, he put it down and smiled at her.
¡°This is really good,¡± he said finally. ¡°I think my mother would like it a lot. Her birthday is coming up and I don¡¯t know what to give her as a gift. Would you be willing to sell this picture to me? I¡¯ll give you ten silver fleurs for it.¡±
Wureini couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Though she¡¯d been working for over a year on her pictures, she had yet to make a single sale. Even the old gallery on Pine Street, which took pretty much everything had turned her down.
¡°But there are rules against guards selling goods to one another. Something about preventing bribery¡right?¡±
Jean shook his head.
¡°Article 53, Paragraph 6, sentence 2 is only related to goods confiscated from criminals during the execution of normal duty. This doesn¡¯t count.¡±
The salamander grinned and nodded.
¡°In that case, you can go ahead and keep the picture for free. I hope your mom likes it.¡±
Careful not to smudge the charcoal, Jean put the picture by the rest of his belongings, and the two [City Guards] spent the rest of their shift talking like normal people.
It was actually rather nice.
Bonus: Wureini''s Character Sheet
Wureini Rufh:
Primary Class: City Guard (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Secondary Class: Artist (Self), Level 16
Tertiary Class: Maid (Self), Level 14
Additional Class: Seamstress (Self), Level 9
Additional Class: Dish Washer (Horus Benedish), Level 4
Additional Class: Laundress (Horus Benedish), Level 2
Additional Class: Cook (Horus Benedish), Level 1
Might: 26
Wit: 16
Faith: 19
Loyalty: 11
Punctuality: 3
Bravery: 5
Diligence: 6
Endurance: 25
Good Taste: 38
Ambition: 14
Control: 17
Volume 2 Chapter 21: Break
An adventurer was coming, an adventurer was coming! Alforde was so excited he could sing! He gave Slammy a few practice swings to loosen up his plates and pauldrons in anticipation of the upcoming battle and paced back and forth. Every second seemed like an eternity!
Why couldn¡¯t the stupid adventurer show up already? It¡¯d been¡almost four hours since his last bout, and the [Glaciernaut] was ready for another. The last two fights had been small, boring things over almost as quickly as they¡¯d begun. Desperately, he hoped that this approaching adventurer would prove to be more of a challenge. After all, he, the shining [Dungeon Champion] of Crestheart deserved no less! By the strength of his arm, the dungeon would be defended against all comers!
The world seemed to shimmer, and Alforde saw himself standing in a grand arena of gold and diamonds surrounded by hordes of screaming fans as he readied himself to battle against a mighty challenger. He basked in the glory of their adoration, returning rapturous waves with a confident shake of his gauntlet as they chanted his name.
¡°I am Alforde Armorsoul, the unstoppable [Glaciernaut]!¡± he cried as he let his imagination carry him away even further. The tide of excitement rose in his cuirass. ¡°Gaze upon me and tremble!¡±
His voice echoed off the wood and stone of the arena around him, and the armorsoul snapped back to the moment. He turned left and right, feeling slightly disoriented and a little foolish. He gave his helmet a shake. Though he¡¯d always been prone to letting his imagination run wild, his daydreams had never been so realistic. They seemed to come on more often when he was caught up in the eagerness of battle, which was like a hunger growing stronger every day.
A part of him wondered if it was wrong that he¡¯d come to enjoy fighting so much, as if he wasn¡¯t being true to himself, but it was small and difficult to give weight to. After all, wasn¡¯t it his duty to fight? Armorsouls were created for battle, built to be the unflinching infantry in the wars of the distant and almost forgotten past. Wasn¡¯t he being absolutely true to himself by reveling in that task? Shouldn¡¯t he feel fulfilled by giving his all to help Vee make Crestheart the best dungeon it could be?
Of course he should! He was the [Dungeon Champion]! The last line of defense! Vee was counting on him, and Alforde wasn¡¯t going to let his best friend down!
Still, he couldn¡¯t quite shake the fact that with every fresh bout of imagination, he was teetering on the edge of something he didn¡¯t want any part of. Unsure of what else to do, the armorsoul tightened his grip around his hammer at the thought.
He was distracted from his short period of melancholy by the telltale squeak of the stairs outside and the creak of the door as it slid open.
A thin girl wearing a long robe walked in and raised her dagger in salute. It was Minerva, who Alforde recognized from his regular sparring with the adventurers. He felt his excitement wane a little bit at the prospect of facing her, for while the girl was quick and nimble, she didn¡¯t have much in the way of attack power. She typically won her fights by wearing her opponents down until they could fight no more.
You¡¯ll find that such a tactic won¡¯t work on me, the armorsoul thought. I am tireless!
After explaining the rules and giving the [Acrobat] her SSB, Alforde readied his hammer and attacked. Once, he¡¯d been content to let the adventurer strike the first blow, but his impatience at having waited so long got the better of him.
Minerva ducked beneath his strike and jumped to his left, her knife bouncing off his armor harmlessly.
Alforde swung again and the girl dodged once more, rolling so that she was now behind him and continuing her useless attacks. Fury tightened Alforde¡¯s gauntlets. Why was she not fighting him properly? Seething, the [Dungeon Champion] launched a vicious [Combo Attack].
None of his blows found their mark, and the [Acrobat] jumped up into the air. She spun around twice, clutching her knife to her chest as she did so, and landed behind Alforde once again.
¡°You¡¯re slower than I thought,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Getting lazy down here?¡±
Alforde growled and went to charge her, but his legs didn¡¯t move properly and he fell to the ground. The armorsoul tried to stand back up, but something was wrapped tight around his lower body, and he didn¡¯t know what it was. A probing touch revealed that it was some sort of string, though it was sturdy enough that he couldn¡¯t break it with his gauntlets no matter how he pulled.
After a few moments of fruitless flailing, the armorsoul looked up at the adventurer. ¡°Untie me! Fight me for real!¡±
The girl¡¯s smile widened and she shook her head. ¡°Sorry, but if I did that, I would lose without question,¡± she said. "That''s why I saved up enough to buy this {Enchanted Binding}."
¡°A trick! This won¡¯t be your victory!¡±
¡°Sure it will,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Ties go to the adventurers, don¡¯t they? Since beating you in a normal battle is off the table, all I have to do is keep from getting knocked off this platform for the next six and a half minutes and the prize is mine. Experience towards attaining [Rogue], too.¡±
She sat down and balanced her knife on her index finger. Alforde struggled, growing frantic, but nothing he did loosened the rope at all. If anything, it seemed to get tighter.
¡°Shadowforde,¡± he cried. ¡°Attack!¡±
The Reflection appeared, but the girl dispatched it handily before returning to her rest.
Fury unlike anything Alforde had ever felt blossomed in the armorsoul¡¯s chest, as he strained and pulled in a vain attempt to break free. His Might simply didn''t matter; the rope didn¡¯t so much as budge. Eventually, Reginald called the match in the [Acrobat]¡¯s favor. Only then did Minerva give the word to slacken the rope, letting Alforde go.
¡°I did it!¡± she said, clapping her hands as her mouth split into a wise smile. ¡°I won!¡±
Watching Minerva¡¯s celebration, Alforde seethed, and he turned away from her as she walked over to retrieve her reward from the chest in the back of the arena.
His gauntlets tightened around Slammy¡¯s handle.
It hadn¡¯t been a proper bout. The girl did not deserve her victory.
[Jealousy is not becoming for one in your position.]
[Heart of a Champion ¨C 2]
Alforde snorted.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
What did he care for such petty judgments?
Vee crunched through the thin layer of snow on the path back to Westown, keeping his eyes on Alforde¡¯s back. Even if the pulsing rage hadn¡¯t been a constant stream through his bond to the armorsoul, Vee would have known that his friend was upset. He¡¯d barely said a word as they counted up the day¡¯s earnings ¨C twenty two hundred and seventy three silver fleurs, after paying taxes and minion replacement fees ¨C and had declined to acknowledge the adventurers outside the tower. He¡¯d looked especially venomous at the sight of Minerva showing off her new necklace.
Vee had a bad feeling about the situation, and told Rortenferry that they¡¯d have to discuss the fiends further another time. It wasn¡¯t like Alforde to be such a sore loser, and making sure his friend was okay was Vee¡¯s top priority.
¡°I¡¯ve got to say something to him,¡± Vee muttered to Reginald as he stumbled in a pile of snow. ¡°He¡¯s like an armored storm cloud up there.¡±
¡°It¡¯s only going to get worse if you don¡¯t,¡± Reginald agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any room left for doubt anymore, Boss. Something¡¯s messing with the big guy¡¯s head.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Vee said. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what it is or how to fix it.¡±
¡°No time like the present to figure it out, right?¡±
That was true, so Vee lengthened his stride and got in front of Alforde. His [Right Hand Man] glared down at him, and Vee folded his arms across his chest.
Alforde stopped walking, but his posture was standoffish and their bond shook with irritation. Resting Slammy on the ground, Alforde spoke, his voice clipped and curt.
¡°What?! What do you want, Vee?¡±
¡°Honestly? I want to know why you¡¯re being such a bi¡ª¡± Vee started to say, but he stopped himself before he finished the last word and escalated the situation. He wasn¡¯t looking to start a fight. This anger isn¡¯t truly mine, he told himself sternly, willing ¡°his¡± temper away with a couple slow, deep breaths.
Shaking his head, Vee said, ¡°I¡¯m worried about you, buddy.¡±
¡°There¡¯s nothing to be worried about. I¡¯m fine.¡±
Alforde took a step to the left to walk around the blue-haired [Ghost Maestro], but Vee reached up and grabbed the armorsoul¡¯s gauntlet. The air grew even chillier and frost formed around Vee¡¯s fingers.
¡°I disagree,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said, forcing his voice to remain calm and steady as the chill spread into his arm and shoulder. ¡°Just hear me out, okay?¡±
¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡± Alforde snapped. ¡°Are you going to make me stand here and listen to you?¡±
Vee squared his shoulders and met his friend¡¯s gaze without flinching. A heavy silence settled between them and even Reginald didn¡¯t say anything to break it. The truth of the matter was that as a member of the Vales family and a [Ghost Maestro], Vee could force Alforde to listen to him. Easily. However, that was a line Vee wasn¡¯t willing to cross, and they both knew it.
Taking such an action would sever their friendship, breaking their bond beyond repair and turning them into nothing but Master and Servant for the rest of their days. Vee hadn¡¯t spent his entire life rejecting such authority to step headlong into it now, so he shook his head and pulled his hand free from Alforde¡¯s gauntlet. The frost tugged at his skin but didn¡¯t wound him, and his teeth chattered from the oppressive cold surrounding them both.
Vee decided to change tack. Tucking his hands into his pockets and taking a step back, Vee smiled up at the armorsoul and said, ¡°Do you remember when I was seventeen and thinking about running away from home? With that girl, Glysaela?¡±
Alforde chuckled, the sound as welcome as a freak rainstorm in the middle of a drought. Though the tension between the friends remained, it was a lesser thing, like an afterimage following a peek at the sun.
¡°I remember you trying to become a willing hostage because a pretty girl smiled at you and asked,¡± Alforde replied.
Reginald spluttered and flapped his brim.
¡°You did what, Boss?!¡±
Vee waved a hand dismissively.
¡°He left out a few crucial details and critical bits of context, but that¡¯s a story for another time. We¡¯re not talking about me. Or, I mean, I guess we are, but just to make a point. Look, Alforde, the reason I brought that up was because I think I¡¯m in the same place you were back then. Remember how you tackled me to keep me from climbing out my window? Well, just like how I didn¡¯t see what a big mistake I was about to make, I don¡¯t think you realize how different you¡¯ve been acting these last couple weeks.¡±
He paused to let Alforde say something, but the armorsoul stayed quiet, so the [Ghost Maestro] continued on.
¡°You¡¯re always talking about fighting, your every free minute is spent sparring or practicing your hammerwork, and you¡¯ve even started earning points in Vanity. Doesn¡¯t that seem a little off to you? Hell, you¡¯re even on the verge of having overdue library books! I don¡¯t think that¡¯s ever happened before.¡±
¡°It has, but only once,¡± Alforde said quietly. ¡°It was back when I let you borrow my copy of ¨C¡°
¡°Like I said, never happened before,¡± Vee said quickly, but he was grinning a little bit and Alforde was more relaxed as well. He was making progress; he could feel it.
¡°Anyways, you get what I¡¯m saying right? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with you, if it¡¯s the new armor, or the new class, or the phases of the moons, but it¡¯s not you. You shouldn¡¯t be so upset just because you lost a single fight.¡±
And just like that, Alforde stiffened and was clearly furious once again.
¡°What she did was wrong!¡±
Vee shook his head.
¡°How?! There¡¯s no rule anywhere that says adventurers have to slug it out with you and defeat you with overwhelming Might! The rules are to see who gets knocked off the stage first, and if neither of you manage that then we give the tie to the challenger. If an adventurer wanted to run around the arena for the entire eight minutes and you couldn¡¯t catch them, they¡¯d win too! You were beaten fair and square, Alforde, now let it go and stop sulking.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t a fair fight,¡± Alforde insisted, and at the obstinate burst of emotion that traveled through their bond, Vee felt a flash of burning anger that was his own.
¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t,¡± Vee cried, gesturing. ¡°I threw so many minions at her before she reached you that I lost count! Don¡¯t even get me started on all the traps and platforms she had to dodge and clamber over, or the brand new mini boss she had to beat, either. I do that to every adventurer you face! Have you forgotten what business we¡¯re in? I¡¯ll give you a hint: it¡¯s not the fair fights industry!¡±
¡°Take it easy, Boss,¡± Reginald said sternly. ¡°You¡¯ve made your point.¡±
Vee opened his mouth like he was going to ignore his [Majordomo], but thought better of it and refrained from saying anything further.
Alforde shifted back and forth, as if internally debating how to respond. Finally, he nodded.
¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± the armorsoul said stiffly, stepping to the right and walking past Vee.
The [Dungeon Master] regretted losing his temper, knowing better than to push the matter any further for the time being.
[Leadership -1]
Brooding in silence, the [Dungeon Master] kicked a few tufts of snow, replaying the conversation in his mind and thinking about all the ways he could have handled it better. There was a term for that, thinking of the perfect thing to say after the moment passed, but he couldn¡¯t remember what it was just then. Surely it¡¯d come to him later.
With his hands still in his pockets, Vee trudged back to the gate.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 15 (-1)
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11 (-1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 3
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 19
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 6 (-2)
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 11
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 36
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
%^(@#!! @#$@!@#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 22: Burnout?
Vee and Alforde barely spoke when they returned to the boarding house, and when he saw that the armorsoul had left for the dungeon before he¡¯d woken up the next day, Vee realized that things were Bad.
He thought of Sculla¡¯s warning that hadn¡¯t been a warning, and wondered if this was what she¡¯d been trying to warn him about. Had she foreseen his fight with Alforde somehow? Maybe it had something to do with that strange tobacco she¡¯d been smoking. Vee made a mental note to ask her about it.
After a quick breakfast and cup of coffee that both tasted like ash in his mouth, the [Dungeon Master] made his way to Crestheart with Reginald. The hat, sensing Vee¡¯s somber mood, didn¡¯t talk much. Vee was grateful for that.
Wureini, the salamander [City Guard] Vee and Alforde talked to sometimes was on duty that morning, and she fixed Vee with a wide smile as he approached.
¡°It looks like it¡¯s going to be a good day for you guys,¡± she asked. Vee raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°We¡¯ve already had to open the gate three other times this morning,¡± Wureini said. ¡°A group of kitrekin adventurers was waiting here to go through at sunlight, and another group of humans arrived shortly after that. Then Alforde came by, though I was surprised to see that he was by himself. He didn¡¯t really say much.¡±
Vee ignored the hidden question and the salamander frowned.
¡°Are you sure that the other groups were adventurers?¡± Reginald asked. ¡°It¡¯s unusual for them to come by so early.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true. I guess I¡¯m not sure they were adventurers,¡± said the [City Guard], shaking her head and tail. ¡°But they were all equipped like they were getting ready to run the dungeon, so who else would they be?¡±
Goons and gangsters, Vee thought, but he didn¡¯t say so out loud.
¡°Did they mention anything interesting?¡± Reginald asked.
¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Taziel,¡± Wureini asked. ¡°He was closer to them than I was."
Taziel was an older man Vee had seen a couple times but never talked to. He had salt and pepper hair, thick eyebrows, and a fleshy nose that looked like it¡¯d been broken more than once. His armor was clean, but it didn¡¯t sparkle like Wureini¡¯s did, and the leather grip of the sword slung across his back was worn and faded from use. He was a hard man, and merely grunted noncommittally when Vee asked about the strange groups going through the gate. Vee thanked him anyways.
¡°Have a good one,¡± the man said as he turned the big wheel that opened the junk and scrap metal gate. Vee thanked him and walked through.
¡°If those weren¡¯t the Don¡¯s crew and some of Sacre¡¯s guys, I¡¯ll eat my hat,¡± Vee murmured as the gate clanged shut.
¡°I¡¯ll level with you, Boss. I¡¯d really rather that you didn¡¯t do that,¡± Reginald answered. ¡°But I agree with you. They¡¯re definitely looking for something. What are you going to do? Are you going to send out the fiends?¡±
Vee was. Closing his eyes and reaching through his bond -- ignoring the one that linked him to Alforde, which was taut and dark ¨C Vee tugged on his connections to his medium section. The fiends were eager and excited as they listened to his orders.
¡°There¡¯s a group of humans and a group of kitrekins somewhere out in Westown,¡± Vee ordered. ¡°Find them and watch them for a while. Stay out of sight and out of danger, but I want to know what they¡¯re up to out here.¡±
His underlings wasted no time in doing as he commanded. Splitting up, they went out into Westown, little more than shadows in the alleys. Vee wished them luck, and turned his attention back to the Dungeon.
He legs were as heavy as his thoughts as he climbed the stairs up to his office, but a quick check confirmed that Alforde was already down in his arena. Vee bit his lip. If his friend was going to attend to his duties without complaint, Vee would do the same.
[To stay the course despite hardship is noble indeed.]
[You can now earn points in Determination.]
[Determination +1]
***
Absentmindedly, Vee pressed a button on his console and watched as the [Snow Saw] sprang up out of the floor. Unfortunately, he¡¯d been too slow once again and the adventurer ¨C a level 15 [Air Mage] ¨C simply turned around and looked confused as the place where he¡¯d been standing some time before was filled with sharp spinning snowflakes that likely would have been an impediment to his run if he¡¯d been there when they appeared.
Cursing, Vee slammed the button to proc the next traps, but he was too early this time, and the man wearing the crooked hat and threadbare robe had plenty of time to simply stop where he was and wait for the [Icicle Spikes] to retract back into the walls.
Vee shook his head. The day was not going well. He¡¯d been missing his timings all morning. As much as he hated to admit it, he simply wasn¡¯t in the right headspace to work properly. Not wanting to continue throwing good effort after bad, he flipped the switch on his console that set the traps to activate on their own when triggered and stood up. Reginald gave him a strange look, but was too caught up in his own job to say anything as Vee started pacing back and forth.
Though it¡¯d already been a few hours since he¡¯d sent out his fiends, his bonds to the members of the medium section were almost completely inert. There hadn¡¯t been any flickers of emotion, nor any hard-to-understand messages coming his way. They simply hadn¡¯t found anything yet.
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He couldn¡¯t help but feel a keen twinge of disappointment. Despite knowing that Westown was a gigantic sprawl of abandoned buildings and overgrown alleys, he¡¯d really hoped that the fiends would have turned up something by now. They were devilishly quick and capable of moving across the city faster than people, most likely on account of not needing to battle their fellows as they did so.
Vee shook his head and did his best to remain calm. He trusted his minions. They¡¯d turn up something eventually.
Looking back at the dungeon run, Vee saw that the adventurer had reached the mini boss room and was battling Mr. Chills. The giant snowman was filling the air with snowballs, but as that was the adventurer¡¯s domain they weren¡¯t amounting to much. The man simply waved his wand and the projectiles blew to the sides of the room shattering harmlessly against the walls. Without the pressure from the ghost¡¯s attacks, the [Air Mage] simply walked from one side of the room to another and collected both halves of the deactivating key without issue. The auto-timed traps weren¡¯t enough to deter him, and Vee found himself thinking that the mini-boss needed an upgrade.
I should give it another type of attack, Vee thought as he sat back down at his console. Maybe some sort of proper melee attack, or a ground based projectile of some sort. Heck, even if it bowled a snowball instead of throwing it that¡¯d be an improvement for cases like these.
He reached over to the console proper, thinking about retaking control of the traps, but ultimately decided against it. He was still too antsy, too distracted, and for the moment he was content to simply watch the runs and decide if and when to use [Boost Drops].
Having deactivated Mr. Chills, the [Air Mage] continued to the third floor, making easy work of the floating platforms and pitfalls there. However, his success made him cocky, and he stopped paying attention to his surroundings once he entered the final string of battle rooms. As a result, he fell prey to a skeleton ambush. A pair of knights got ahold of him and kept him from fleeing while three lancers swept back and forth and battered him with their spears. He forfeited his run then and there, and Vee slouched in his chair as the dungeon was reset. The rest of the day was going to be a long, slow slog. Vee could feel it in his toes.
Before he could truly despair thou, a glimmer of something flitted through one of his bonds and the [Ghost Maestro] sat up as if struck by lightning. A fiend over near the center of Westown had found something!
Saw kitrekins near old drain grate, the minion explained. Short time later, gone.
Vee instructed the fiend to look around some more and see if they were still nearby, but when it checked back in a half hour later, there was no further sign of the kitrekins.
Vee rubbed his chin, deep in thought. The gangsters must have gone through the grate.
So whatever they were after, it was in the labyrinth of the sewers, eh? Interesting. He couldn¡¯t imagine what was possibly down there, but it was a good lead all the same.
Curiosity urged him to send the fiend in after them to see what it could find, but Vee resisted the temptation. There were other ways to find out what they were after without risking a fiend, and Vee was going to try those first.
***
The rest of the day and the next two passed in a dull slog of monotonous repetition. Vee alternated between periods of managing the traps and leaving them alone, watching scores of adventurers battle their way through Crestheart¡¯s floors. The experience was a rather mixed bag.
On the one hand, there were so many challengers that the fleurs were rolling in, which was great, but on the other hand, the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t in it and he found himself impossibly eager for each day¡¯s runs to end.
The joy and excitement that he normally found by tinkering with different trap timings or minion pack positioning was nowhere to be found, and Vee briefly wondered if he was starting to experience the adverse status effect Burnout. A semi-permanent sense of malaise was how it started, he thought.
Or maybe not, as his stats were all where they were supposed to be and none of his skills failed when he tried to use them. If anything, they were working too well. Though he was still a good ways from being able to use [Boost Drops] an extra time every day, he was able to use [Walking Walls] without any straining. Still, Vee was wary about that not being the case forever, so he took frequent breaks from manning the console to walk around. He even went outside a handful of times and got some fresh air, but none of his trips did much to help his mood for long.
This wasn¡¯t sustainable. Even his discussions with Rortenferry failed to improve the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s mood for long, since the [Professor] had yet to truly crack any of the underlying principles affecting Vee¡¯s unusual orchestra.
Vee took some bitter solace from the fact that he wasn¡¯t alone in his struggles, either; Alforde was struggling too. Due to the fact that Vee¡¯s work with the traps and minions was substantially less potent than it normally was at weakening adventurers, a good chunk of Crestheart¡¯s challengers made it down to Alforde¡¯s arena where they¡¯d battle the [Dungeon Champion].
Thanks to the sheer difference in level and experience between them, the armorsoul was still winning nearly all of his bouts, but many of them were closer than it should have been.
Vee watched his friend miss attacks that should have been easy to hit, or fail to dodge a skill he had to have seen coming. At first, he¡¯d wondered if Alforde was intentionally holding back in an attempt to make the fights fairer, but as the number of times Allforde had to claw his way back from two or even three stocks down steadily increased, Vee didn¡¯t think that could possibly be the case.
The [Dungeon Master] was trying to think of the best way to approach Alforde and start to repair their friendship at the end of the day¡¯s runs when Dheart chimed and got his attention.
¡°Master, it is my pleasure to report that the Union has authorized me to tell you that Crestheart¡¯s next perk will be arriving tomorrow.¡±
Vee acknowledged the message, and when he looked back at the champion¡¯s arena, he saw that Alforde had already left the dungeon.
Tomorrow, he told himself. Tomorrow he would start making things right.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 15
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Determination: 1 (+1)
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 4 (+1)
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 19
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 5 ( -1)
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38 (-1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 11
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 36
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9
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Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 23: What In Gawains Name?
A great shadowy figure swooped down from the sky. For a single, perfectly crystalized moment, Vee recalled every tale he¡¯d heard as a boy of dragons snatching up helpless soldiers and devouring them like honey-roasted peanuts.
¡°Gurk,¡± he said. Or something that sounded like that.
Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t a dragon or any other sort of terrible monster bent on his immediate destruction. Instead, it was a [Griffin Carrier] from the Union, delivering Crestheart¡¯s next perk. Vee felt a little foolish at his momentary terror ¨C Dheart had even told him that the perk was poised to be delivered that day ¨C but he hadn¡¯t been expecting the courier to be a griffon.
The rider was dressed in a thick gray overcoat, with a hat that covered her ears and her eyes hidden by a pair of black goggles that gave her a vaguely insectoid appearance.
¡°You¡¯re Vee Vales, right? Gots a package here for ya from the Union of Dungeon Masters. Sign here, please.¡±
Handing him a clipboard and pen, the woman hopped down and started tending to her mount. It was an older griffon, with streaks of gold and silver here and there among its brown feathers. The beast¡¯s eyes were sunken and heavy, and it was panting hard from the effort of its trip.
¡°Easy, now,¡± the woman said as she nuzzled its beak. ¡°That¡¯s a good boy, Vermes. You did good. [Take A Rest], okay?¡±
The griffon purred beneath her hands as she rubbed it down and closed its eyes. As the light faded, it sank to its stomach and closed its eyes.
¡°That¡¯s a pretty nifty skill,¡± Vee said as he handed back the paper. ¡°Is he actually asleep?¡±
¡°Sort of,¡± the woman said as she opened up the saddlebags and took out a pair of small boxes. ¡°It¡¯s more like a hypnosis than true sleep, but it helps him get through these cold days.¡±
Vee took the boxes and thanked the [Griffin Carrier] for delivering them. Leaving her to care for her exhausted mount, the [Dungeon Master] took the boxes up to the office and opened them up.
The first thing that Vee noticed was the amount of packaging present. Thick gray sheets of dried mycelium lined all sides of the box, and there were plenty of cubes and smaller pieces as well. By the time Vee took it all out and threw it on the floor, he was left with a pair of silver discs the size of his palm. They were covered in swirling shapes and symbols that seemed to flicker and shift the longer he looked at them. His eyes were exhausted when he finally looked away and blinked, and Vee turned his attention to the small packet of instructions that¡¯d come with it. The words were all gibberish, but the pictures were nice and easy to follow. Both were adorned with small gold bezels, and when Vee turned the first to the position in the directions, the disc in question came to life with a sound like windchimes.
Tearing a hole in the air a few feet above the ground, the portal grew and stretched until it was almost as tall as Vee. It smelled like ozone.
¡°It¡¯s bigger than I thought it would be,¡± Vee said to Reginald, surprised to hear that his voice was suddenly echoing in a way that it hadn¡¯t been before activating the portal.
¡°Same here,¡± the hat answered. ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead and activate the second one too, since I think they need to pair to each other in order to work properly.
The second portal was exactly like the first, except that it was orange instead of blue. After being activated for a few minutes, the smell dissipated and the portals stopped swirling.
¡°Should we give it a test?¡± Reginald asked.
Vee looked around for Alforde, sure that his friend would have something to toss in. Oh, right. Alforde wasn¡¯t there. Frowning, Vee wrote ¡®test¡¯ on a sheet of notebook paper and crumpled it up. He lobbed it into the blue portal and it came right back out through the orange one.
¡°Seems good,¡± Vee said.
After unpacking and testing the other set of portals, Vee summoned Do and gave him the plans for how he wanted the portals installed. The [Dungeon Maintainer] looked at them for a moment, studying the shapes and nodding.
¡°Think we can do this, Master,¡± the big fiend said as it tucked the plans away and picked up the portal devices. ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡±
Vee shook his head, and the fiend bowed before leaving the room. Heading to his console, the [Dungeon Master] used [Walking Walls] to rearrange the room where the new encounter would take place, forming it into a hexagon.
Do was extra careful with the portals in its arms as it made its way down to the room where the new encounter was to be installed. The fiend moved neither quickly nor slowly, reaching out to its fellow section members as it passed through the darkened halls of the dungeon and informing them that there was another job to be done.
The master would like us to install these new devices. Attend.
Re, Mi, and Fa were pleased by the news and hurried over right away, but So, La, and Ti were all displeased by the prospect of being pulled away from their other duties. They meandered in the halls as they procrastinated on their way over, and Do frowned.
The head of the [Dungeon Maintainers] frowned at their poor attitudes, chiding them as soon as they were all assembled.
When our master orders something, it is our job to do it quickly and to the best of our ability, the fiend said as it looked into each of its comrade¡¯s eyes. So, La, and Ti were good workers, but they¡¯d grown increasingly temperamental in recent weeks, for reasons Do could not comprehend. But that was fine, it wasn¡¯t the fiend¡¯s job to understand the mental intricacies of its crew, it was to maintain Crestheart, and to that end, it put down the portals down on the floor.
What are the master¡¯s wishes? The fiends chorused.
Do swelled with pride. It was an honor to be the one tasked with bringing the word of the master to the rest of its section, and it took the obligation seriously. After all, it still remembered the frothing mess of anger and fury that had been the entirety of its existence not that long ago and had no desire to return to such a state.
We are to install these portals behind wall tiles that the master will decorate to look like paintings. My [Sense Weight] indicates that [Adhesive Touch] will be insufficient to hold them in place by itself, so use additional fasteners as well.
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The tiles themselves are to be squares, approximately three-and-a-half feet long on all sides. Once the portals are secured in position, they are to be mounted on walls one, two, five and six. Any questions?
[Clear Communication +1]
None of its crew had anything to ask, so the fiends got to work. Do took a portal and began to work on a tile by itself, but the rest were taken care of by a pair of fiends apiece. In abstract, the work was simple, but that meant that it was a great opportunity to focus on quality and make sure that every aspect of the project was executed perfectly.
Reaching down to its toolbelt, Do retrieved a small knife. Fashioned from a blackened scrap of wood and thin sliver of metal, it¡¯d been the first tool that Do had made upon earning its class. The knife was worn and well used, but though it felt rickety sometimes while cutting, Do refused to swap it out for another creation so long as it didn¡¯t hinder the fiend¡¯s work.
Its reason for keeping the tool was¡strange, but also fitting. The knife had been made in a flourishing sense of honor, purpose, and gratitude, and Do was reminded of all of those things every time it used the tool to cut something. Though the [Dungeon Maintainer]¡¯s mind continued to expand with every month it spent in the master¡¯s service, fed by the delicious and nurturing ectoplasm, the fiend didn¡¯t want to risk ever losing the memory of that moment of perfect clarity.
Not until it had to, anyways. After all, the fiend was certain that there would eventually come a day where the tool broke beyond its capacity for repair and it would be forced to discard the precious thing.
Today was not that day, though, thankfully.
Using [Measure Twice], Do sketched the outline of the new tile into blank material. Once that was done, Do carefully checked all of the corner angles to ensure that they were truly perpendicular to each other before lowering the knife and started to cut.
The fiends finished their task after a few hours, and through their bond, Do asked Vee to come and take a look. Grabbing Reginald, Vee made his way down to the dungeon¡¯s third floor. In anticipation of the new fight, he¡¯d gone ahead and rearranged the entire floor¡¯s layout, shrinking the obstacle course down by nearly half to build the new branching path and room where the fight would take place.
This was done for two reasons. First, Vee had quite liked the branching paths present in one of Crestheart¡¯s earlier incarnations, and he wanted to bring back that element of choice. Splitting the burden of runs onto different elements would help his limited minion stocks last longer, and eventually he could tailor different paths to better handle different types of adventurers.
The second reason for the mini redesign, though, was that Juniper had told him several of the adventurers coming to the Lobby after their runs had complained about the length of the obstacle course. Though he was wary of changing something that worked for most people to accommodate the noisy few, Vee himself had thought that the third floor had been somewhat lacking in many regards and was willing to test a different approach. Dungeon design was an iterative process, so if this change ended up not working out, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to make further tweaks as necessary.
Do was waiting for Vee by itself when the [Dungeon Master] walked into the new room and looked around. Four conspicuous tiles had been attached to the walls, and now it was up to Vee to decorate them.
Using [Shape Ectoplasm], Vee made a series of big, simple shapes that looked vaguely like flowers and attached them to the tiles. From a distance, they sort of looked like oil on canvas, and that would suffice for now. Eventually though, he¡¯d look around for old portraits to use, or hire an [Artist] to make some.
With the tiles decorated, it was time to test the encounter itself. The [Dungeon Maintainers] had already brought up a handful of the skeleton lancers and gotten them ready, though the trigger had yet to be connected to the dungeon¡¯s console.
Do flipped the switch it carried for such purposes, and the room was filled with the sound of the portals opening. Vee frowned. It was a little too loud for the ambience he was looking for, but they could fix that with more insulation.
The tile depicting a five-petaled flower rippled, and the first of the skeleton lancers rode into the room. It hit the ground and charged with its weapon raised. Realizing that Alforde wasn¡¯t around to keep the minion from finding its mark, Vee dove to the ground and rolled, looking at it go by as the skeleton vanished into one of the other ¡°paintings¡±. During a normal run, Vee would then move the walls and paintings to send the paired lancer out from a different direction. However, for now, he simply had Do test the other set of portals and called it good.
Thanking the fiend for its hard work and promising a bonus of refined ectoplasm later, Vee returned to his lab. There was a bit of time before the day¡¯s runs started, and he wanted to distract himself before trying to get through another day.
Rortenferry was waiting for him inside, a frown on his face and his wrinkled hands folded in his lap.
¡°Lad, we¡¯ve got to chat,¡± he said. ¡°Your inner turmoil is causing havoc on my experiments, and I won¡¯t have it any longer. What in Gawain¡¯s name is wrong with you?¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 15
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Determination: 1
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 4
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 19
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 5
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 4
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 11
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 28
Manipulativeness: 36
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
%^(@#!! @#$@!@#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Bonus: Do and other [Dungeon Maintainers] Stat Sheets
Do
Primary Class: Dungeon Maintainer (Vee Vales), Level 12
Secondary Class: Laborer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Might: 18
Wit: 5
Faith: 5
Endurance: 10
Duty: 8
Leadership: 7
Citizenship (Bound - Vee Vales): 1
Clear Communication: 8 (+1)
Other Dungeon Maintainers (Average. Different members may be a point or two different on Might/Endurance, but they''re generally uniform outside of that)
Primary Class: Dungeon Maintainer (Vee Vales), Level 6
Secondary Class: Laborer (Vee Vales), Level 3
Might: 12
Wit: 3
Faith: 2
Endurance: 6
Citizenship (Bound - Vee Vales): 1
Volume 2 Chapter 24:
When Vee had been five or six years old, he¡¯d cooked up a scheme to steal sugar cubes from the family kitchen. Knowing that they were tucked away on a shelf where his little hands couldn¡¯t reach, Vee had recruited Alforde, one of the family¡¯s armorsouls, to assist him in the endeavor. It took some whining and wheedling, but eventually he¡¯d convinced the quiet and bookish armorsoul to take part in his plan. It¡¯d been his threat to cry that finally succeeded.
The newly-minted partners waited until after the last of the [Cooks] and [Maids] went out to take their afternoon break before beginning their dinner preparations, and then Vee led Alforde inside and pointed to his target.
¡°Lift me up there,¡± he¡¯d said with all the confidence of a young child getting into mischief.
Alford had balked, but ultimately obliged when Vee threatened to cry once again. Setting the young boy up on his right pauldron, the armorsoul reached forward and opened the cabinet. Dry goods and spices filled the shelves, but Vee only had eyes for the glass jar on the far right shelf. With a grin as wide as a door, young Vee had shoveled sugar cubes into the small sack he¡¯d brought along, stuffing even more into his pockets and the fold of his shirt when the sack got full.
Alforde pointed out that such a large number of missing sugar cubes would most certainly be noticed by the staff ¨C probably before the end of the day, in all likelihood ¨C but Vee insisted it would be fine. Truthfully, he hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead and simply wanted as many delicious treats as he could get his hands on.
The plan worked flawlessly, until Vee¡¯s mother, who hadn¡¯t grown up with servants and never truly got used to having them, snuck into the kitchen to brew herself a cup of tea. At first, she¡¯d been shocked at the sight of her precariously perched youngest son stuffing a pair of sugar cubes into his mouth as he reached for more, but her surprise was short lived.
¡±VEE VALES, YOU GET DOWN FROM THERE THIS INSTANT,¡± she¡¯d shrieked as she bolted across the room, grabbing him to make sure that he didn¡¯t fall. ¡°WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE DOING, YOUNG MAN?!¡±
That¡¯d been the worst spanking Vee ever got, and as the [Dungeon Master] stared at Rortenferry¡¯s furious expression, he felt an uncanny sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. The older man was mad.
The [Professor] folded his arms across his chest.
¡°Are you even aware of what you¡¯ve been sending out into the ethereal?¡± When Vee shook his head, the [Professor] steepled his hands and closed his eyes.
¡°Of course you aren¡¯t,¡± he said with a defeated sigh. ¡°Allow me to show you, then.¡±
A vermilion tide of fear, frustration, and loneliness crashed through the ethereal, snapping and snarling like a wounded pig-shambler as it filled every corner of the room. Its spiritual weight was so great that Vee was forced back a few steps until he could properly collect himself and brace his will against it.
Though the demonstration didn¡¯t last for long, Vee found himself more than a little embarrassed when the energy finally dissipated.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I had no idea,¡± he said. ¡°That must have been extremely distracting.¡±
Rortenferry shrugged, and his temper seemed to wane a bit. ¡°It is what it is, lad,¡± he said. ¡°Most [Ghost Maestros] tend to be unaware of their impact on the ethereal. It¡¯s reasonable for you to be the same way. However, I do find myself growing weary of having to recalibrate my tools twice a day or more because of your inner turmoil. So tell me, what exactly is it that has you all bothered, my boy? Perhaps this old man can be of some assistance in fixing it.¡±
And so, Vee told him what¡¯d happened. His voice was shaky and halting as he went through Reginald¡¯s first warnings about Alforde and the changes to his friend¡¯s behavior. He finished with the description of his fight with the armorsoul outside the city gate, and found that there was a tiny lump in his throat at the recollection of losing his temper at the end. He swallowed hard, and it went away. Mostly.
Thankfully, Rortenferry was a good listener, never interrupting, and he gave Vee a fatherly clap on the shoulder when the [Dungeon Master] finished his tale.
¡°You have my sympathies,¡± Rortenferry said softly. ¡°For however much they¡¯re worth. You two have been bonded for most of your life, right?¡±
¡°Since I was five or six,¡± Vee said, thinking once again about the aftermath of stolen sugar cubes and his mother¡¯s stern disapproval.
¡°Well, in that case, I¡¯d suggest trying to make up sooner than later,¡± Rortenferry said. ¡°So long as you approach him honestly and respectfully, I¡¯d be surprised if you didn¡¯t make some degree of progress toward repairing your relationship. After all, a wound like the one you¡¯ve described is easy enough to fix, provided that it¡¯s not given time to rot and fester.¡±
¡°Yeah, I was planning to go and try talking to him after today¡¯s runs,¡± Vee said. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±
Rortenferry¡¯s lips curled, but the expression wasn¡¯t really something that was suitable to be called a smile. A bittersweet acknowledgement was more fitting, perhaps.
¡°That¡¯s the tricky part, isn¡¯t it?¡± he said softly. ¡°Truly, finding the best words at any given time is a skill few people have. However, I¡¯ve always believed that for things like this, the simple act of trying is enough to make up for any deficiencies in execution. Say whatever you can, Vee. It will probably be enough. Best of luck, lad.¡±
The other [Ghost Maestro] left as Reginald¡¯s voice echoed out from somewhere in the dungeon. The hat announced that the day¡¯s runs were starting, and Vee sat down at his desk. He had no interest in handling the traps or using [Boost Drops] that day, wanting only to distract himself until the adventurers were all finished.
His isolation was surprisingly cathartic, as he poked at some ectoplasm that he¡¯d left stretched out on one of his desks. Originally, he¡¯d intended for it to be a piece of armor for Mr. Chills, but he found that it was stiff and brittle. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why. However, instead of being supple and bending in his hands when he applied pressure to its sides, the piece of ectoplasm snapped.
This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Honestly, it was kind of a satisfying sensation, and Vee broke the sheet into even smaller pieces, not caring how they cracked as he did so. Taking the broken pieces, Vee stacked them atop one another until they formed a tiny tower. He stared at it for a moment, trying to imagine a use for it in the dungeon. Ultimately he came up short. The ectoplasm was interesting, but it was far too brittle for any practical purposes. He set the creation aside. Maybe it¡¯d find a use elsewhere. One never knew with such things.
The hours ticked by, and Vee did his best to avoid paying attention to Reginald¡¯s announcements as the adventurers completed their runs. Instead, he tinkered with some of the other experiments in his lab, forcing himself to make a few dozen lesser ghosts to replace the ones that¡¯d been destroyed by the adventurers. He gave them minor elemental resistances, and also worked on incorporating another type of attack into their sigilmancy orders. The ghosts were crude, but they¡¯d be more of a threat than the ones he bought from the union and good for filling out packs with some more variety. Plus, the practice was good for his ambition for improving Mr. Chills, so it came with an added bonus.
Though he still felt vaguely nauseous when Reginald¡¯s voice echoed through the lab and announced the day¡¯s final run, Vee forced himself to get up and head down to the dungeon. It was time to talk to Alforde.
Standing outside Crestheart, Vee heard Reginald¡¯s jibes and banter as the adventurer made her way through the rooms and halls. Despite his nerves, Vee couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at a few of the hat¡¯s barbs while he waited.
¡°And that¡¯s it!¡± Reginald cried. ¡°Mr. Chills has defeated another adventurer! Excellent effort out there! Come on back when you¡¯ve gotten a little stronger!¡±
A little bit later, the hat¡¯s voice came out through the speaker near the door.
¡°Alright, Boss. It¡¯s all clear in there. Good luck with the big guy, and try not to lose your temper this time.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Vee said. ¡°Thanks.¡±
Taking a deep breath, Vee opened the door and walked inside.
Though he¡¯d seen the debris that followed runs many times from up in the tower, he was still shocked at the sight as he walked through Crestheart. Truly, being up so close was an entirely different experience. The walls were a mess, and there were bits of bone, slime and ectoplasm all over the floor. Beyond that, there were fractured pieces of frost elementals and patches of wet ground from where various traps had melted, too. Vee¡¯s shoes crunched and squished as he made his way down to the champion¡¯s arena, and the [Dungeon Master] felt a fresh appreciation for his [Dungeon Maintainers] with every step. They really outdid themselves, keeping Crestheart so neat between runs.
The door to the arena seemed even bigger and more forbidding than it normally did, and Vee took a deep breath as he pushed it open. Or, well, tried to push it open. At first, it really didn¡¯t want to budge, but Vee dug in and pressed harder until it moved, happy that he didn¡¯t have to resort to using [Walking Walls] in order to get through. That would have just been embarrassing.
Alforde was sitting cross-legged on the floor on the far side of the room. His helmet was tilted up and he was staring at the ceiling, with Slammy a few feet away on the platform. At the sound of the door creaking open, he jumped to his feet and snatched up his weapon, only to stop and look mildly disappointed ¨C and somewhat relieved ¨C when he saw that it wasn¡¯t a challenger.
¡°What are you doing down here, Vee?¡±
¡°Hi to you, too,¡± Vee said as he strode into the room. Tucking his hands into his pockets and willing himself to stay in control of his temper no matter what his friend said, the [Dungeon Master] walked across the thin bridge leading to the platform in the center and looked up at Alforde.
On the way down to the arena, Vee had thought up a bunch of ways to start the conversation, but of course not a single one of them was to be found in the moment, so he simply said, ¡°I think we should talk.¡±
Alforde shrugged and lifted Slammy to his pauldrons. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s talk.¡±
Well, that wasn¡¯t much help in getting the conversation ball rolling, but it wasn¡¯t outright hostility either. Vee decided that he¡¯d take it.
¡°I¡¯m not going to mince words. These last few days have sucked,¡± Vee said. ¡°Big time.¡±
¡°Yeah, they have,¡± Alforde agreed. The armorsoul seemed to relax a little bit, his pauldrons sinking, and Vee felt the tension in his own shoulders ease ever so slightly.
So far, the ultra-direct approach was working, somewhat, so Vee saw no reason to abandon it.
¡°Have you thought about what I said the other day?¡± Vee asked. ¡°I probably could have phrased it better, but I stand by the points I made.¡±
After a moment, Alforde nodded.
¡°I have,¡± the armorsoul said. ¡°but I¡¯m not sure what I think, yet. I¡¯ve been looking back on the past few weeks, and there have definitely been some moments that seem unusual in retrospect. However, I don¡¯t know if unusual is inherently bad. My instincts have gotten sharper, and in many ways I¡¯m a better [Dungeon Champion] for it, but there have also been moments where I didn¡¯t entirely feel in control of my thoughts or behavior. My situation is...complicated, and I¡¯ll continue to consider it in the days to come."
His voice softened. "While I¡¯m not sure I completely agree with you yet, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re dead wrong anymore, either. I know that you meant well when you brought it up.¡±
Vee ran a hand through his hair. Alforde¡¯s statement wasn¡¯t the absolute forgiveness he''d secretly hoped for - or even much forgiveness at all - but it was something. A step in the right direction at the very least. The bond between the [Ghost Maestro] and his [Right Hand Man] flickered to life for a moment, but faded soon after, and Vee decided that there was nothing to gain from pushing the matter any further. Alforde would carefully consider the situation, as he did. Eventually, he''d come to a decision on his own.
¡°Well, when you want to talk about what you¡¯ve decided, let me know, okay?¡± Vee said.
Alforde¡¯s eyes brightened and his helmet slid forward a tiny bit.
¡°I will, Vee. Thanks.¡±
[Leadership +1]
With the conversation over, the pair left the arena and brought the day¡¯s earnings up to the office. Vee counted the coins mechanically, adding the nearly seventeen hundred silver fleurs of profit to the vault. Tomorrow was collection day, and Vee was starting to feel a little nervous about the speed at which the fee was increasing.
He hoped that the dungeon would be able to keep up.
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 16 (+1)
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Determination: 1
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 4
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 19
Intimidating Presence: 12 (-1)
Heart of a Champion: 5
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 3 (-1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 12 (+1)
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27 (-1)
Manipulativeness: 36
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
%^(@#!! @#$@!@#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 25: Improving
The sound of whistling outside the office announced Walnut¡¯s arrival, and as the door opened, Vee saw that the man seemed to be in a better mood than he¡¯d been the week before. His black eye was still there, but it¡¯d faded and was now little more than a few darkish splotches on the gangster¡¯s otherwise pale face.
He grinned at Vee and pointed to the stack of forty-five gold fleurs on the desk to Vee¡¯s left.
¡°They¡¯re usually on the other side of the table,¡± Walnut said. ¡°Something on your mind, Short Stack?¡±
Vee felt his hackles rise at the insult, but mastered his temper and returned a smile of his own that was more than a little wolfish.
¡°Actually, there is,¡± he said. Though he¡¯d briefly contemplated dancing around his ultimate point, he decided to just get right down to it. ¡°I want to know what your boss is after in Westown.¡±
If his question surprised Walnut, the man gave no sign of it, for neither his eyes nor his smile changed in the slightest as he leaned down to pluck the top fleur off the stack. ¡°Where¡¯d you hear that from?¡±
Vee shrugged. ¡°Here and there, you know how it is.¡±
He was wary of accidentally saying too much and giving Holly away as his source. Though the [Snowmancer] could definitely take care of herself, Vee didn¡¯t want to be responsible for causing her trouble.
Walnut¡¯s eyes narrowed and his voice became hard. ¡°Listen close. There ain¡¯t nothin¡¯ out here that the boss would be worried about or after, dig? It¡¯s just a lot of dilapidated old buildings and fiends out there, and we¡¯ve got other fish to fry.¡±
A smooth lie so well told that it was nearly believable, but Vee knew it for what it was and shook his head as he put his hand over the remainder of the fleurs.
¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why is the don after it too? There¡¯ve been some kitrekins and some of your guys sniffing around out there, and somehow I don¡¯t think they¡¯re working for the guild to clear out buildings. You¡¯re both after something. What is it?¡±
Walnut¡¯s fingers tightened into fists and his lips curled into a snarl.
¡°You got crap for brains, Short Stack? Like I said, there ain¡¯t nothin¡¯ out here that the boss would be worried about or after. I¡¯m only going to say this once. If you like that face of yours, you¡¯ll remember what I said.¡±
¡°Or what?¡± came another voice, and both Vee and Walnut turned to look at it.
Alforde was standing in the door, gauntlets wrapped around Slammy¡¯s handle. The armorsoul seemed relaxed, but his eyes glittered dangerously, and his frosty cape swished back and forth to a breeze that only it seemed to be affected by.
¡°He¡¯ll remember it or what?¡± Alforde asked again as he took a step forward into the office and lifted Slammy up to his pauldrons. He still looked relaxed, but how much longer would that last?
The tension in the room grew thick as Vee¡¯s [Right Hand Man] and Sacre¡¯s [Left Hand Man] sized each other up, but it escalated no further. Cold, iron purpose ¨C a familiar sense of duty ¨C flickered through Vee¡¯s bond with Alforde, and the [Dungeon Master] found himself relieved. There was a tinge of desire for battle there, but it was definitely tempered and less all-consuming than it¡¯d been before.
Walnut scooped up the rest of the coins and tucked them into his pocket. He straightened up and glared at Vee before leaving, prompting the [Dungeon Master] to call after him.
¡°Good to see you as always, Walnut. I look forward to our chat next week!¡±
The gangster didn¡¯t reply as he crossed the room to leave, his attention was firmly on Alforde. The armorsoul didn¡¯t immediately move out of the way to let him through, instead bending down so that his eyes were level with the gangster¡¯s. Alforde said something that Vee couldn¡¯t hear, and the man responded in kind as he pushed past to head back down to the street.
As the sound of the man¡¯s boots faded into silence, Vee stood up and looked at Alforde.
¡°Thanks,¡± he said. ¡°That might have gotten a little nasty otherwise.¡±
Alforde inclined his helmet. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m going to head down to the arena, alright? I¡¯ll see you after the day¡¯s runs are finished.¡±
Vee pursed his lips and nodded awkwardly. Things weren¡¯t back to normal between him and Alforde by any means, but they were definitely improving.
The door closed and Reginald¡¯s spirit arms popped out to take hold of his magnifying crystal.
¡°You ready to get things started, Boss?¡±
Vee turned his attention to the console. For the first time in days, he felt an itch in his fingers as he contemplated the knobs and dials before him. He was eager to see the lancer room in action and was excited to test his skills against the adventurers that challenged Crestheart.
It was nice.
***
Unfortunately, a few hours passed before Vee got to see the dungeon¡¯s new room in action. Most of the adventurers who managed to make it to the third floor were so focused on reaching Alforde that they weren¡¯t interested in trying to clear an optional path, heading straight to the obstacle course instead.
Though it was frustrating, Vee couldn¡¯t exactly blame them for their decision. He hadn¡¯t procured rewards for the lancer room yet ¨C he made a mental note to really get serious about finding Thien once the dungeon closed for the day ¨C but all the same, he was disappointed that it got skipped so easily.
Vee rubbed his chin. He¡¯d have to find a way to sweeten the pot a little bit until the room was properly enticing. Maybe he could let the adventurers who cleared it have a few free potions to help their chances against Alforde? The lost income wouldn¡¯t be terribly noticeable, and the challenge should be high enough that a decent chunk of people who took the challenge would fail and be forced to give up their attempts. Something to think about, at the very least.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Or, he had another thought too. Maybe he should steer away from making it optional in the first place? He couldn¡¯t rule out that Crestheart was just too small to really get much value from offering optional challenges at this point, and that trying to shoehorn the extra fight into the current run simply didn¡¯t fit for now. It was a cool room idea, and he wanted to keep it, but he couldn¡¯t shake the fact that the dungeon would be better off if it was mandatory instead? However, would doing that encroach on the design space occupied by the Mr. Chills fight?
Design space? Vee found himself pondering the concept. It wasn¡¯t a term he could remember hearing before, and it sounded like something bearded charlatans would talk about preserving in the midst of an unpopular decision, but he considered it all the same. What was the best mix of challenges for the dungeon? How should he sprinkle them throughout Crestheart¡¯s floors? In his mind¡¯s eye, he considered Crestheart, looking at the ebbs and flows of difficulty between rooms and the halls that connected them. Like a splinter in the bottom of his shoe, the lancer room stuck out. It was a glaring break in an otherwise streamlined experience, and Vee grimaced as he bounced around other ideas and possibilities for how to best incorporate it into the future of the dungeon.
How did other [Dungeon Masters] handle things like this? What were the metrics they looked at? Were there concrete things he could consult to make better decisions, or was it all just some sort of instinctive feel? Trial and error had done alright by him so far, but Vee couldn¡¯t help but feel that his approach to designing the dungeon was missing something important and he wished that he could talk to someone about it.
He''d reach out to the union, see what other resources they had available, and maybe also write some letters to other [Dungeon Masters]. Zeiken had said there were some not too far away, right? They could be like, pen pals or something.
Vee¡¯s musing were cut short by Reginald, who pointed out that the current runner was actually choosing to tackle the lancer room. Vee looked through his crystal at the sight.
Rawlin Feverpoint, level 13 [Swordsman]. So far, his performance in the dungeon hadn¡¯t been particularly impressive. Despite his class, he was surprisingly bad at melee combat, and he struggled to dodge any of the traps that Vee sent his way. Still, he was plucky and determined, which were both marks in his favor.
It also helped that he seemed to have some sort of restorative skill, which let him shrug off the worst injuries he obtained during his run.
Vee activated [Walking Walls] as soon as Rawlin entered the lancer¡¯s room. Like horses on a carosel, the walls began moving up and down as they slowly rotated in a circle. To get things started, Vee pressed the button that would activate the first skeleton, and leaned back to watch the battle play out.
Rawlin braced himself as the walls groaned and came to life. Drawing a deep breath, he looked around at the decorations on the walls ¨C poorly crafted attempts at paintings, if he had to guess ¨C and waited for something to happen. He had no way of knowing what the challenge would be, but he was sure that the images were sure to be involved somehow. The rest of the room was too bare for it to be anything else. Honestly, Rawlin was a little disappointed at the barebones decorations and wondered if he might have been better off skipping the room as most of his peers did. He¡¯d thought to extract some extra value from his run by taking the optional path, given that [Refresh Body] allowed him to shrug off wounds most of his peers could not, but he was starting to think that his time would have been better spent sparring outside.
He heard something hiss behind him, and turned around just in time to see a mounted skeleton riding toward him. It raised a thin, red lance as it approached, and Rawlin wasn¡¯t quite fast enough to get out of the way as it zoomed by. A flash of pain; his right side had been hit. Bellowing, the adventurer fell to his knees.
Closing his eyes, Rawlin activated [Refresh Body] and felt the warm, healing light of the skill bathe his injury. Its potency was almost depleted, he¡¯d used it too many times in rapid succession and it would be diminished until after the next time he slept, but it was enough to take the edge off as he got back to his feet.
The skeleton had vanished into the image of a small, red flower, and Rawlin braced his body toward it, readying a [Counterattack] for when it came back out.
However, to his surprise it was the ¡°painting¡± on his right that opened next, and a different skeleton came out. Unlike the first minion, which had been only bones, this one was armored with black plates and it swung a blunted weapon.
Rawlin batted the blow aimed at his head to the side, and launched a [Sure Stab] at the creature¡¯s mount. His blade bounced off the armor, and Rawlin watched as it disappeared into the far side of the room.
They fell into a rhythm, with the pair of skeletons alternating as they charged from the sides of the room and after the fourth cycle, Rawlin caught the trick of it. There was a slight shimmering around the corners of the paintings as the skeletons rode out, and by paying attention for it, the [Swordsman] could accurately predict where the foes would next come from.
But still, that alone wasn¡¯t enough for him to successfully clear the room. He had to stop the skeletons somehow, find some way to negate their threat so that he could continue on.
Crouching, the [Swordsman] waited until the next pass, then leapt up and swung at the approaching lancer as hard as he could. Blade struck bone and the minion was unseated by the blow. Separated from its mount, the skeleton was like a worse version of the knights earlier in the dungeon, and Rawlin dispatched it with ease. He waited for its partner to appear, and defeated it with the same tactic.
[Might +1]
[Congratulations, you can now use Leap Strike!]
As the second skeleton fell apart, Rawlin caught his breath and used [Refresh Body] once more. Its heat was like a lukewarm tap, and his ribs and shoulder still ached from where he¡¯d been struck during the bout.
Steeling himself, Rawlin crossed the room and headed deeper into the dungeon. He didn¡¯t think that he¡¯d be able to do much against Alforde, but he was going to try.
Main Character Sheets(Unchanged from last chapter)
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 16
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Determination: 1
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 4
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 19
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 5
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 3
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 12
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 36
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
%^(@#!! @#$@!@#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 26:
Juniper sighed as she stared at the snow falling outside. She breathed on the window and doodled circles in the condensation before wiping it clean with her sleeve. Ugh. Winter was by far her least favorite season; it was cold, gray, and boring as could be.
Normally, she had no choice around this time of year but to drag out her crochet hooks and knitting needles and get to work on yet another too-stiff scarf or square-shaped tea coaster ¨C even though she had enough of both to last for at least three lifetimes ¨C but not this year. No, this winter she had something much better to do, thanks to Vee: run the Lobby. Making drinks and serving them to weary adventurers hadn¡¯t sounded like the most fun thing in the world when the [Dungeon Master] had first brought it up, but Juniper had readily agreed. Even if it wasn¡¯t great, it certainly beat the heck out of the alternative. Thankfully, as the days passed, Juniper found herself appreciating the rhythm of the work more and more, and she genuinely enjoyed each day in the spacious caf¨¦. The routine carved a place for itself in her thoughts, and though she knew she¡¯d be too busy with the flower shop to keep helping out once spring came back ¡®round, she increasingly found the thought of staying away until next winter more unpalatable than it had any right to be.
Maybe she could squeeze out a shift or two each week? With some schedule juggling it should be possible, especially if Kai and Dandelion followed through on their offer to help with her flower tending. As the old saying went, many hands ¨C or branches ¨C make light work. She¡¯d have to talk to Vee about setting up a limited schedule, but she was pretty sure he wouldn¡¯t mind in the slightest and would be happy to accommodate her needs. After all, the [Dungeon Master] was flexible and pretty easy to work with as a result. Even if he was a bit of an airhead about details sometimes.
The small ceramic bell she¡¯d carefully tied above the door tinkled, and a battle-beaten elkin with a big sword strapped across his back limped inside. She smiled at him ¨C Rawlin had become something of a regular ¨C and waited for him to carefully peruse the menu as he always did before asking him what he wanted to drink. That day, like so many others, he ordered a mug of cranberry-cr¨¨me tea, and the two chatted a bit more before he went and found a table.
¡°How¡¯d your run go?¡± Juniper asked. ¡°You look a little battered, but not too bad.¡±
The elkin pressed his lips together and shook his head. ¡°I have a skill that helps with injury,¡± he said quietly. ¡°The run went okay, I guess. I managed to make it down to Alforde, but the [Dungeon Champion] mopped the floor with me. I didn¡¯t even take a single stock.¡±
Juniper gave him a sympathetic pat on the arm. ¡°Well, it¡¯s pretty impressive that you made it down there in the first place,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s gotta feel pretty good, right?¡±
¡°I guess. My parents keep telling me that I¡¯ll get used to the sword with time and practice, but it still feels as strange to me as it did the first time I picked it up.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t you change weapons? Maybe you¡¯d do better with something else instead? A polearm, maybe? Your height and build reminds me of some of the other [Spear Afficionados] I¡¯ve seen around. Why don¡¯t you ask them to teach you a few things and see how you like them?¡±
The elkin shrugged. ¡°My parents would never forgive me if I gave up my class and tried to do something else. Every first son in my family has been a [Swordsman] for the past five generations, and I don¡¯t want to be the one who breaks that tradition.¡±
Juniper smiled sympathetically. ¡°I see. That definitely makes it tougher.¡±
She felt bad for the elkin, but didn¡¯t know what else to say. Rawlin also seemed to sense that the conversation was over, because he put down a couple bronze fleurs, thanked her, and headed off to the side of the lobby to brood while he waited for his drink.
Turning to the shelf of jars ¨C all of which she¡¯d brought from her house ¨C Juniper went from left to right until she found the one marked cranberry-cr¨¨me. It was pretty light when she picked it up; she¡¯d have to add it to the list of flavors that needed blending. At this point though, there were more flavors that needed blending than flavors that didn¡¯t. She hoped she had enough tea leaves to go around.
As Juniper heated the water for Rawlin¡¯s drink, another pair of adventurers walked in. These two didn¡¯t look like they¡¯d run the dungeon yet ¨C their armor was too neat and their faces too clean ¨C and they ordered some biscuits and tea of their own. They tossed their money onto the counter and walked off, and the [Herbalist] got to work on their drinks too.
Before long, the place was filled with more adventurers and Juniper flitted between tables delivering biscuits, tea, and potions to each table. She traded jokes and stories with the customers, hearing tales of bravery and cowardice in equal measures as the adventurers talked about their runs. A few groups had their heads bent over guides, which they used to great effect for planning their next attempts or discussing some element of the dungeon in greater detail. There were plenty of complaints about Mr. Chills, and a couple about something to do with skeleton lancers.
Like always, Juniper jotted down a few of the most¡passionate complaints once she returned to the serving bar; Vee liked hearing how adventurers felt about the dungeon and she was sure he¡¯d be interested in what people thought of his newest additions.
The gossip wasn¡¯t entirely about the dungeon though. Here and there, Juniper picked up little things about the town and the continent. A kitrekin insisted that the bandits were on the verge of being taken care of, though his salamander companion pointed out that most of the southern and eastern parts of the continent were still totally ensnared with criminal activity and the adventurer¡¯s guild had made virtually no progress in clearing them out.
A human, elkin, and salamander sat in the corner of the lobby, sipping on glasses of mead and whispering conspiratorially. Typically, Juniper wouldn¡¯t have even paid them any extra attention, as there were a lot of adventurers who seemed to fancy themselves on some sort of secret quest at any given time, but as she cleared a table nearby, she overheard a bit of their conversation thanks to her recently learned skill, [Eavesdrop].
¡°¡ªsign on his door said, ¡®Closed until further notice due to a material shortage¡¯, but he wasn¡¯t at home either, and Sharon hasn¡¯t seen him in days. You guys, I¡¯m starting to get worried; this isn¡¯t like him.¡±
Well that sounded ominous, but it wasn¡¯t really her business, so Juniper shook her head and the skill deactivated. Straightening up, Juniper took the garbage back to the counter and deposited it into the bulging bag of trash. A member of Vee¡¯s light section would come by later and pick it up.
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As she wiped the counter, Juniper thought about what she¡¯d just heard. Something about the message on the door sounded oddly familiar, but she couldn¡¯t quite place what it was. Still, she was pretty sure that she¡¯d heard it somewhere before, and resolved to mention it to Vee the next time she saw the [Dungeon Master]. Hopefully he¡¯d recognize it.
Vee watched as the [Inked Priestess] clapped her hands together and caused one of her tattoos to come to life. The black, swirling creature looked like a snake, and it stretched across the floating platforms in the center of the room to serve as a makeshift bridge. She sauntered across it, summoning another inky construct to defend her as a skeleton mage lobbed hexes at her from behind its protective wall and skeleton archers filled the air with arrows. Her second construct, a small, spidery thing, scurried back and forth on the platform, splattering and reforming as it was struck with projectiles. It returned fire with bolts of dark energy, and they trapped Vee¡¯s skeletons in shimmering webs that made them easy prey for the woman¡¯s snake.
With the skeletons dealt with, the adventurer prepared herself for the next obstacle, which was the long, hanging rope that led up to the course¡¯s second tier. She climbed slowly, her thin arms apparently not suited to carrying her own weight, but she made steady progress all the way up to the top. There, she set her summons against a collection of slimes and ghosts while Vee peppered her with [Frost Shots] and other traps. The tattoos on her neck and shoulders writhed and wriggled as the creatures they depicted leapt forth to defend their master and defeat Crestheart¡¯s minions, and Vee¡¯s attention was fully focused on his knobs and dials. Push, twist, pull, twist, flip, flip, flip, push.
She ended up making it down to Alforde, where she managed to take a single stock from the armorsoul before the [Dungeon Champion] knocked her off the stage for the fourth time. Smiling, she climbed back up and shook the armorsoul¡¯s gauntlet before leaving the dungeon, and Vee made small talk with Reginald as the [Dungeon Maintainers] reset the rooms.
The next adventurer in Crestheart was a level 12 [Alchemist] who never made it past the first floor, so Vee didn¡¯t bother trying to get another use of [Boost Drops]. He¡¯d been slacking on his efforts for the past few days, and he was definitely feeling the strain from his previous attempts. Instead, he contented himself by watching the poor kid try and fail to escape from the pair of cages that fell from the ceiling in one of the dungeon¡¯s first rooms. He shook his head. Even though the [Alchemist] had been thwarted by this very hazard twice before, he was still unprepared for the loud clang that announced their drop. The gangly boy failed to dodge in time, and was stuck inside the cage. Soon after, he was surrounded by frost elementals and Vee¡¯s first crop of frost slimes. The blue-gray minions wrapped around his arms and legs, trying to drag him to the ground.
However, instead of giving up his run, as Vee expected him to do, the adventurer reached down to his belt and drew out a glowing, yellow vial. With a loud, pained cry, he smashed it against the bars. The liquid that came out looked rather syrupy, and it created gouts of steam wherever it touched the slimes and elementals. For a moment, nothing more seemed to happen, and then all of the minions melted into small blue puddles. The [Alchemist] stood back up, and seemed to relish stomping on their cores. Grinning, he reached down to his belt and pulled out another yellow vial, which he used to melt through the bars and continue his run.
From there, he used a cacophony of skills that Vee hadn¡¯t ever seen before. To be completely honest¡they were basically just a series of different colored explosions. However, as any mustache-twirling madman will tell you, there aren¡¯t many problems that can¡¯t be solved with copious amounts of explosions, and the first floor of Crestheart was no exception.
Wincing at the amount of collateral damage to the dungeon ¨C wall and ground tiles exploded into pieces as the [Alchemist] [Mix, Swirl, Mix]¡¯d his way down to the second floor¨C Vee pulled back on the traps and tried to let the [Alchemist] through without much resistance. The day¡¯s repair costs were already going to be astronomical, and he didn¡¯t want to make them any worse.
¡°You know, Boss, we should really add a dungeon damage fee agreement to the run application,¡± Reginald said as the two of them watched the carnage unfold below.
¡°Yeah, that seems like a good idea right about now,¡± Vee said.
¡°Shame we won¡¯t be able to get any of the money back from this guy, huh?¡±
The [Dungeon Master] nodded. His handbook from the union had been very clear that attempting to claw back money from adventurers after their runs for things that weren¡¯t in the original application was ¨C to put it lightly ¨Cfrowned upon.
Thankfully, the adventurer¡¯s probably-unintended-reign-of-terror was stopped cold by Mr. Chills. As it turned out, the [Alchemist] had used up all of his biggest explosions during his trek to the giant ghost, and the mini boss was able to out-projectile the skinny kid with ease. Three big ice balls struck the adventurer in the chest, and the boy fell to the ground crying. Mr. Chills slid over and readied a large, jagged ice ball, and the [Alchemist] abandoned his run.
Vee let out a long sigh of relief. He assigned Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] to assess and repair the damage, and had Reginald make an announcement that the next runs would be delayed for a bit while things were repaired.
He really hoped there wouldn¡¯t be any more adventurers like that for the rest of the day.
Main Character Sheets (Still unchanged from last chapter):
Main Character Sheets (Still unchanged from last chapter)
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 16
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 9
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Determination: 1
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 4
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 19
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 5
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 3
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 32
Faith: 12
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 36
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
%^(@#!! @#$@!@#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Bonus: Juniper''s Character Sheet:
Juniper Digby
Primary Class: Flower Child (Self), Level 34
Secondary Class: Herbalist (Esmerelda Ogg), Level 30
Tertiary Class: Tailor (Willow Digby), Level 12
Additional Class: Hostess (Self), Level 6
Might: 11
Wit: 31
Faith: 14
Ambition: 9
Citizenship: 5
Charisma: 12
Endurance: 9
Green Thumb: 15
Patience: 2
Personability: 5
Volume 2 Chapter 27:
[Heroes] Missing After Battle With Bandit Leader, Adventurer¡¯s Guild Says
According to officials speaking on the condition of anonymity, three [Heroes] are missing following their bout against the so-called |Bandit King| last Saintsday, prompting a desperate search to find them. Helga Halfshield ([Shieldzerker], Level 61), Davian Shatterfist ([Unholy Monk], Level 57), and Teriel Thundersong ([Bomb Bard], Level 53) were all long term members of the heroic band ¡®The Spirited Seven¡¯. Led by Magnus Apollo ([Poultry Paladin], Level 67), the band rose to prominence eight years ago when they ended the hostage situation at the Baron¡¯s Bank in New Sally through a combination of fried chicken explosives and good old-fashioned brawling.
Alongside a second party of adventurers led by Leon Softbarrows ([Mooncromancer], Level 65), the Spirited Seven were chosen to assault the mysterious silver castle discovered by adventurers almost two weeks ago in an attempt to end the plague of bandit activity causing havoc around the continent.
The fighting was unusually fierce, sources say, as the adventurers were faced with foes who were substantially stronger than their scouted levels would suggest. Rumors of bandits having been given Commissions or weapons and armor from different cities around the continent remain under investigation, and the guild has made no further comment on the matter.
Though the initial assaults seemed promising, the battle quickly spiraled out of control due to the activation of an unidentified artifact (the adventurer¡¯s guild denies that any such artifacts were recovered from the castle, as has been reported previously).
Accounts from other witnesses claim that the adventurers were in danger of being defeated completely, which forced Apollo to use his signature skill, [Judgment: Extra Crispy]. While it¡¯s been confirmed that none of the missing [Heroes] were victims of friendly fire, there¡¯s been no trace of them since, and it¡¯s feared that they¡¯ve been taken hostage by the fleeing bandits. A worryingly high number of adventurers have gone missing in recent weeks as the open call continues to clear out pockets of bandit resistance.
See Missing, Page A6
Vee felt his stomach sink as he took his last sip of morning coffee and put the newspaper down. He didn¡¯t dare read any further, lest he spend the rest of the day worrying about things that he had no control over or ability to influence. That was the problem with the papers; they forced him to be aware of things he couldn¡¯t fix or really do anything about, which was as infuriating as it was scary.
The [Dungeon Master] shook his head and stood up. He had work to do, and sitting around wallowing about the news wouldn¡¯t help him get it done. Like almost everyone else around the continent, all he could do was put his faith in the adventurers and hope that things turned out okay.
Alforde was standing by the door, and Vee hurried to put on his coat and join his friend on the way to the dungeon. They still weren¡¯t talking much on their walks to and from Crestheart, but Vee took the fact that they weren¡¯t going by themselves anymore as a good sign.
It was surprisingly warm and light outside the boarding house, and the trio gave their regards to Sculla as they headed toward the Westown gate. The ogre returned their greetings with a sagely puff of her pipe, and told them that there¡¯d be boxes to carry in when they got back for the night. Yippee. Another thing to look forward to.
Reginald tightened his brim as they made their way down the street.
¡°So, what¡¯d you decide to do, Boss? You going to have Do and the [Dungeon Maintainers] rip out the lancer room?¡±
Sadly, though Vee had considered the matter carefully, he didn¡¯t see any other options for it, so he nodded. The lancer room had been in the dungeon for three days, but fewer than twenty adventurers of the almost eighty who¡¯d run Crestheart had bothered with it. One in four was not a high enough rate to justify continued presence: it was taking precious space that would have probably been better used for the bigger obstacle course. However, Vee was determined to try and come up with a different way to utilize the teleporters. A puzzle that required the careful manipulation of timed switches might be nice, but he¡¯d have to really sit down and think through all the details before he started implementing it. That¡¯d been the ultimate problem with the lancer room; he hadn¡¯t considered all the angles.
¡°I told Do to start removing it this morning after I woke up, so it should be done by the time we¡¯re supposed to open.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Reginald said. As if sensing Vee¡¯s disappointment that the room hadn¡¯t worked out, he added, ¡°I know you like those skeleton lancers, but I think they¡¯ll be better off elsewhere in the dungeon. Like that long hallway about a quarter of the way into the second floor. All it¡¯s got right now are a couple [Snow Blade] traps, which aren¡¯t really much of a threat on their own.¡±
¡°Eh. Maybe. I kind of like that hallway,¡± Vee said. ¡°I don¡¯t think that every room should be packed to the brim with hazards and challenges. A bit of downtime doesn¡¯t hurt anything.¡±
Reginald made a sniffing sound, and the conversation died down until they reached Crestheart. Wishing Alforde luck for any battles he¡¯d have that day, Vee went up to the office and waited for the runs to begin.
Next to a console was a small scrap of paper, and Vee recognized the handwriting as belonging to Rortenferry¡¯s [Seneschal], Duvian.
Mister Vales, it said in perfectly spaced script. My master humbly requests a meeting with you tomorrow evening, if your schedule and duties allow it. He believes that he¡¯s found a clue as to the cause of your orchestra¡¯s peculiarity and would like to test his findings. If this works for you, please hang a strip of ectoplasm out of your tower window before the end of business.
Vee frowned. He¡¯d planned to spend the evening as he had the last two, searching the city for any sign or word of Thien. Juniper had told him she¡¯d overheard people talking about someone else who¡¯d gone missing and had the same message on their door that Thien did. The [Dungeon Master] was concerned that something bad had befallen the [Gold Smith]. An odd sensation ¨C not unlike an itching around his teeth ¨C made him think it was somehow connected to Sacre¡¯s Westown enterprise, but he didn¡¯t have any proof of such a thing, and kept those thoughts to himself.
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After talking it over with Reginald, Vee decided to go ahead and meet with Rortenferry instead of going out to keep looking. Truth be told, all his fruitless searching had been somewhat depressing, and he was eager to find out what his old [Professor] had learned.
Using [Shape Ectoplasm], Vee did as Rortenferry¡¯s letter requested and hung a long, thin strip of ectoplasm out the tower window.
With that done, he turned his attention to the dungeon. Do and the fiends had come through once again, and there were no signs anywhere of the abandoned lancer room. Turning his head, Vee said, ¡°Dheart, would you do me a favor?¡±
¡°What is it, Master?¡±
¡°Go ahead and distribute an additional two upkeep payments to all of the [Dungeon Maintainers], would you? They¡¯ve had a busy few days and I want to reward them for a job well done.¡±
[Leadership +1]
¡°As you wish.¡±
The dungeon heart whirred and made some gurgling noises, then announced that the task was complete. Vee thanked it, though he wasn¡¯t entirely sure he needed to. Oh well. Nobody had ever died from saying thank you.*
None of the first few adventurers for the day warranted a use of [Boost Drops], as they were all inexperienced and low level adventurers who had yet to clear the first floor. Vee didn¡¯t even bother using most of the traps at his disposal, as the smattering of minions they encountered were enough to end their runs early.
Leaning back in his chair, Vee waited for a better challenger to appear.
About an hour later, he saw one.
*Except for Weiss the Cotton Tongue, an ancient [Explorer] who was one of the first people from the continent to make the harrowing journey across the seventeen seas and reach Zalumna. He spent eight months with a rich and powerful family while his ship was rebuilt, but eventually declared that he had to return home. When he tried to thank his hosts for their wondrous hospitality, he mispronounced a few of the words, transforming his expression of heartfelt gratitude into a horrific obscenity. While the specifics of what he said have been lost to time, the fact that he was murdered on the spot has not.
Alforde sat on the floor of his arena, probing his thoughts and waiting for the [Druid] Vee had warned him of to come down the stairs. Slammy was on the ground next to him, and while Alforde yearned to pick up his hammer and feel its familiar weight, the armorsoul refrained. He¡¯d found that he was most prone to¡ having his thoughts run away from him when he held the weapon, and so decided to keep from doing so as much as he could.
To be a champion is to be someone others can rely on, but not someone that exists only for a single purpose, a deep voice said in his helmet, and Alforde murmured in assent. He¡¯d been regularly hearing Sacha¡¯s voice again since his chat with Vee, and the [Dungeon Champion] did his best to internalize the sayings.
They were tricky things to deal with, simplistic on the surface but with more significance the more he pondered them. Though the rebuke to his recent fixations was obvious, Alforde couldn¡¯t help but think that there was another lesson hiding in the generalizations, but he had no idea what it might be.
Hearing the telltale squeak of the stairs, the [Dungeon Champion] opened his eyes. Picking up his hammer, Alforde stood up as the adventurer entered the arena, and inclined his helmet ever so slightly.
The adventurer was a tall, shirtless man, wearing a hood depicting some animal Alforde didn¡¯t recognize. It looked vaguely like a bear, but for some reason was covered in feathers instead of fur. He carried no weapons, but instead settled into a crouch and started to glow red. Alforde shifted into his own stance and gave the [Druid] the pre-fight spiel. When he was finished and the man agreed, Alforde tossed over an SSB and waited for the battle to begin.
Letting out a roar, the [Druid] [Transformed]. His body swelled and surged until he was as big as any bear Alforde had ever seen, and was completely covered in silver feathers. With a roar that made the room shake, he threw himself forward and Alforde met his charge with a sweeping strike of his own. The weight of the clash made Alforde¡¯s pauldrons tremble, and it took a great force of will for the [Dungeon Champion] to push the [Druid] back.
Alforde felt the first flickers of manic energy filling his gauntlets as the battle continued. Like dancers in the middle of a complex routine, the [Dungeon Champion] and [Druid] asked question and answered them, their [Combo Attacks] and [Vicious Swipes] replacing steps and tempo. Alforde was knocked off stage by a vicious punch that followed a clever feint, and as he bounced off the floor below, he wanted to do nothing more than let himself run wild upon landing.
Instead, he refused to let the mania overwhelm his senses and forced himself to remain calm and measured once his boots hit the stage. He summoned Shadowforde, forcing the [Druid] to battle on another front while he probed the manbearbird¡¯s defenses with well-timed probes from Slammy. Neither the distraction nor the testing provided him with much of an advantage, but Alforde remained patient. An opportunity to catch up would present itself, and when it did he¡¯d be ready.
His chance came almost halfway through the bout, when the [Druid] overcommitted to a [Maul] and Shadowforde managed to land a solid blow on the adventurer¡¯s back. Alforde took a small step to the side, raised his hammer, and yelled, ¡°[Tundra Crash]!¡± as he brought his hammer down as hard as he could.
Ice exploded from where his hammer struck the stage, and its shockwave knocked the [Druid] even further off balance. Alforde evened the score with a well-timed [Pauldron Smash], and the brawl continued to grow more intense. Both the challenger and the champion were sent flying off stage two more times in quick succession. If Alforde could have smiled, he would have as he slowly circled the arena and waited for his foe¡¯s next move. Being so close to evenly matched was a real treat, and like a man savoring a hot meal after a hard day¡¯s work, Alforde didn¡¯t want to miss a single moment.
As the last seconds ticked away, their strongest blows yet rang out across the arena. Reginald announced that the fight was over as they faded to silence, and Alforde slowed to a stop.
¡°With the scores tied, the adventurer is victorious! Go ahead and collect your prize! We hope to see you challenge Crestheart again soon!¡±
The armorsoul let his helmet fall forward and waited for the surge of rage he knew was coming. However, after a few seconds, he realized that it still hadn¡¯t manifested, and that he only felt a grudging respect for his foe. It¡¯d been a good fight; there was no shame in losing it.
To be a champion is to know when you¡¯ve been outmatched and to remain graceful in both victory and defeat.
¡°I know,¡± Alforde murmured as he looked into the [Druid]¡¯s eyes. The man had transformed back and was panting.
The [Dungeon Champion] walked forward and held out his gauntlet for the man to shake.
¡°That was a good fight,¡± he said. ¡°I look forward to another battle someday.¡±
With a grin, the [Druid] took his hand and nodded.
¡°Of course. I¡¯ll definitely be back!¡±
Alforde pointed to the treasure chest on the far end of the arena and the man went to collect his prize. The armorsoul focused on the rest of the day ahead.
There were bound to be other fights, and his duty to the dungeon was not yet complete.
[Heart Of A Champion +1 ¨C Deferred Due To [Fair Fight]!]
Volume 2 Chapter 28:
Vee picked up a silver fleur and sighed as he dropped it into the storage chest. It made a small plink as it landed, and the [Dungeon Master] shook his head as he updated Cecil and dismissed the [Excellent Spreadsheet]. It hadn¡¯t been a bad day for Crestheart, all things considered, but it hadn¡¯t been a particularly good one, either. There were two stacks of paper on the desk in front of him where there should only be one; several adventurers simply hadn¡¯t shown up for their runs, which meant that he had to classify their entrance fees as unearned revenue to either be refunded or used at a later date. It wasn¡¯t a huge issue, since Cecil took care of it all for him, but it was still something of a pain.
¡°What do we do if adventurers keep skipping their runs?¡± he asked Reginald as Alforde picked up the box of fleurs and headed for the dungeon¡¯s vault. The hat frowned.
¡°I don¡¯t think we need to really worry about that,¡± his [Majordomo] said. ¡°It was snowing pretty hard out there today, so it makes sense that a bunch of these small-timers would stay home and keep warm. Plus, with the open call making such good progress against the bandits over the last couple days I bet a bunch of the glory-chasers have lost all their motivation. They¡¯ll coast toward a lifetime of mediocrity, telling themselves that they would have been somebody if only they¡¯d been a little faster.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Boss. If it somehow keeps happening, we¡¯ll just add a non-refundable booking fee to each application. Something like five or six silver fleurs. If an adventurer shows up and does their run, the fee will count toward their remaining balance so they won¡¯t see any increase in total cost for challenging the dungeon, but we¡¯ll still get something from the people who don¡¯t bother coming by.¡±
Vee nodded. That seemed like a reasonable approach to the situation, and as far as he was concerned the matter was handled for the moment. Which was great, because there was another issue he had to take care of that probably didn¡¯t have such a neat solution: Crestheart was running dangerously low on prizes.
Alforde had reported the shortage as he¡¯d brought up the day¡¯s earnings, and Vee had been turning it over in his mind ever since. In total, the dungeon had only eight pendants left, and they might not last until Vee managed to get his hands on some replacements. The [Dungeon Master] wanted Thien to make them, as he liked her work quite a bit, but seeing as the [Goldsmith] was nowhere to be found, he had no choice but to ask someone else.
Unfortunately, Vee didn¡¯t have any idea of who that was going to be. His knowledge of the other crafters in Oar¡¯s Crest was sorely lacking. He¡¯d have to go and start asking around once he finished talking to Rortenferry.
Which, speaking of, it was almost time for that meeting. Vee stood up and pulled on his jacket.
¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to head down to the lab,¡± he said as Alforde walked back through the vault¡¯s portal and it disappeared behind him. ¡°Are you two going to stay up here or head back?¡±
Alforde walked over to where Slammy was resting against the wall and sat down next to his hammer. ¡°I¡¯m going to read here for a bit,¡± the armorsoul said. ¡°The light is better here than it is back in the boarding house.¡±
¡°I¡¯m staying here too,¡± Reginald said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to listen to you two dither on about ghosts and spirits. Or worse, have to answer any more of the old guy¡¯s questions. He¡¯s persistent!¡±
¡°That he is,¡± Vee said with a grin. ¡°Alright, sounds like a plan. I¡¯ll be back up here as soon as I¡¯m done down there, and we¡¯ll head back together, okay?¡±
¡°Okay, Boss.¡±
¡°Sure thing, Vee.¡±
Vee hurried down the stairs and opened the door to his lab. Something crunched beneath his feet as he stepped inside. A closer look revealed that it was a cracked and broken piece of solidified ectoplasm, a leftover from one of his experiments. Vee scanned the rest of the floor, and saw that there were lots of similar bits here and there. Though he wasn¡¯t exactly a bear for cleanliness, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little embarrassed at the sight of how dirty the lab was.
Walking back and forth, the [Ghost Maestro] hurried to try and clean up as best he could. He picked up half-built traps and stuffed them into one of his closets, stacked broken cages up against the wall, and organized his current experimental ghosts by size on the far side of the room.
Naturally, Vee didn¡¯t own anything like a broom, so in a panic he reached out to Do and asked the [Dungeon Maintainer] to bring up a couple slimes to let loose.
They were burgeoning frost slimes, almost the size of his torso. They made a soft sucking sound with their every movement; it was obvious that they were hungry. Do set them down and let them loose, and all Vee had to do after that was stay out of their way.
Due to their enthusiasm, cleaning the lab didn¡¯t take them very long. However, wrangling the gelatinous creatures away from Vee¡¯s experiments whenever they decided that they were interested in trying some more active ectoplasm was a task Vee didn¡¯t particularly enjoy. The bigger of the two wrapped itself around the newest test arm for upgrading Mr. Chills, and Vee snapped his fingers hard before it started to dissolve the ectoplasm.
¡°[Would You Kindly] knock that off? Hey!¡±
The slime ignored him, and Vee grit his teeth. A pressure built in his ears, and when Vee spoke and snapped again, he felt a shiver of energy flicker through the room.
¡°[Do As I Command]! Stop it!¡±
The slime went still, and Vee felt his knees go weak. He leaned on the nearby table for support.
[Sometimes a firmer hand is necessary.]
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[You can now use [Do As I Command].
[You are now a Dungeon Master, level 19!]
[Intimidating Presence +1]
Do gave him an uneasy look, and Vee smiled.
¡°Are you alright, Master?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Vee said as he straightened back up. ¡°Thanks for bringing these up, Do. They¡¯ve been incredibly helpful.¡±
The slimes bounced back quickly from Vee¡¯s order, blurbling happily as they scooted along the much-cleaner floor, and Do scooped them up in his broad arms to take them both back down into the dungeon when three polite knocks announced Rortenferry¡¯s arrival.
The older [Ghost Maestro] looked tired, with a swaying, unsteady gait and dark bags beneath his eyes. However, his eyes sparkled and he wore a wide grin as he triumphantly lifted his right hand and showed Vee the tiny seed pinched between his thumb and forefinger.
¡°This is it!¡± he said dramatically as the [Dungeon Master] leaned forward to try and get a better look. ¡°The key to your orchestra!¡±
It certainly didn¡¯t look terribly impressive at first ¨C or even second ¨C glance, so Vee activated [Third Sight]. He braced himself for the swirling mass of color that such an important object was sure to have and saw¡nothing.
He even blinked a few times and there was no change.
¡°Uh, Professor, are you sure about that?¡± Vee asked sheepishly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like anything special to me.¡±
¡°Of course it doesn¡¯t,¡± Rortenferry snapped. ¡°But I assure you that it¡¯s going to prove critical in understanding why your fiends have managed to grow so much.¡±
He sniffed at Vee¡¯s unchanged expression. ¡°Most certainly, this is an ectoplasmic seed of some sort, but I can¡¯t discern the specific type yet due to its small size. Purpose would make the most sense, but Obligation or Habit can¡¯t be ruled out either. What¡¯s most interesting about this seed is that I¡¯m not even sure if all the fiends here in Oar¡¯s Crest share the same type. Though this is the only one I¡¯ve been able to harvest without it breaking, I¡¯ve seen fragments of others that looked different.¡±
Vee rubbed his chin. There were a lot of kinds of ectoplasmic seeds ¨C which were essentially crystalized emotions, feelings, or reasons that prompted ghosts or spirits to remain in the living world instead of dissipating into the ether ¨C but Purpose, Obligation, and Habit wouldn¡¯t have been particularly high on his list for the fiends to possess. He would have suspected Vengeance or Spite, given the way fiends were created, but if Rortenferry said otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t argue.
¡°I didn¡¯t even know that fiends could have ectoplasmic seeds,¡± Vee admitted.
¡°They¡¯re not supposed to, which makes this even stranger and more interesting,¡± Rortenferry replied. ¡°Technically speaking, fiends are Embodiments, which means that these seeds shouldn¡¯t exist.¡±
Unlike other types of ghosts ¨C like Shades, which were the leftovers of specific entities, or Expectations, which were the collective idea of a group of people ¨C Embodiments were simply manifestations of a lone emotion. As such, they lacked proper anchoring elements, so individual entities tended to fade back into the ethereal soon after forming.
As he carried the implications of that reality through to their conclusion, Vee felt dumber and dumber by the second. Unlike what one would expect from such creatures, the fiends in Oar¡¯s Crest continued to exist until they were destroyed. Heck, the adventurers guild had a permanent bounty on clearing buildings that they occupied!
Was there really enough anger, envy and hatred coming from the people of the city to sustain the large fiend population through what would have had to be hundreds ¨C no, thousands ¨C of despawns and respawns?
Vee didn¡¯t think so. He had too many positive experiences with the citizens to even consider that such a thing was possible. Oar¡¯s Crest had its problems, sure, but it wasn¡¯t filled to the gills with anger and hatred. Or at least, he didn¡¯t think it was. Maybe there were things he hadn¡¯t noticed, but he couldn¡¯t see a way for them to be big enough to keep the abandoned city filled with fiends.
He said as much, and Rortenferry shrugged as he tucked the seed back into his pocket.
¡°That¡¯s what my gut says too,¡± the older [Ghost Maestro] said. ¡°Which brings me to my current hypothesis.¡±
¡°And that would be?¡±
Rortenferry smiled and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m hesitant to even say it aloud, as I have to admit that it sounds rather farfetched.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not going to laugh at you, Professor. I trust your judgment and expertise.¡±
His old teacher¡¯s eyes sparkled, and he playfully said, ¡°As reassuring as your vote of confidence is, Mister Vales, I¡¯m not sure my colleagues would be so accepting of my thoughts on the matter. It¡¯s truly unique. Now, I won¡¯t keep you in suspense a moment longer; I¡¯m not convinced that the spirits in the abandoned parts of this city ¨C let alone the members of your orchestra ¨C are truly fiends.¡±
Vee¡¯s eyebrows seemed to move of their own accord, and the [Dungeon Master] didn¡¯t know how to respond. His orchestra wasn¡¯t filled with true fiends? What the heck did that mean? What was Rortenferry talking about?
¡°Don¡¯t give me that look,¡± the [Professor] said. ¡°I know it sounds insane, but that¡¯s truly the best conclusion I¡¯ve come to. During my experiments and research, I carefully considered other possibilities for your orchestra¡¯s peculiarities, and no other theories come close to this one. You remember the great words of Ignatius Doyle regarding the elimination of the impossible, do you not?¡±
Vee nodded. His [Professor] had been a superfan of the famous [Detective], and several of his quotes had lined the walls of Rortenferry¡¯s classroom. Vee had read them all dozens of times when he should have been paying attention to the lecture of the day.
¡°But Professor,¡± Vee said. ¡°If they¡¯re not fiends, then what are they?¡±
Rortenferry shrugged.
¡°That, my boy, is a question I don¡¯t have an answer for.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 19 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 12
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 17
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 10 (+1)
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Determination: 1
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 4
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 19
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 6
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2 (-1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 12
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 36
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
#$@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 29:
As soon as Rortenferry left, Vee slowly made his way back up the stairs to the office, his mind churning with every step. How could his fiends not be fiends? What else could they be? He didn¡¯t know, and the fact that his old teacher didn¡¯t either was as strange as it was interesting. Biting his lip, Vee tried to think of other times he¡¯d heard of such a thing, but nothing really came to mind.
Alforde and Reginald were still inside when the [Dungeon Master] pushed open the door and stepped inside. The armorsoul looked up from his book, which had far fewer pages left to read than it did when Vee left, and Reginald shifted on the desk. The hat cocked an eye.
¡°Everything okay, Boss? You look kind of¡lost. What¡¯d Rortenferry want to talk to you about?¡±
Vee gave them both the abridged version, and while Alforde simply shrugged at the possibility of mistaken spiritual identity, Reginald seemed far more interested.
¡°Must be pretty obscure if the old guy doesn¡¯t know what they are,¡± the hat said as Vee picked him up and put him on to leave. ¡°He seems to have a good handle on just about everything spirit-related.¡±
¡°Yeah, it seems that way,¡± Vee said. ¡°He mentioned wanting to do some more experiments, so hopefully he¡¯ll figure something else out soon. We should probably head back though, it¡¯s getting late.¡±
Carefully marking his page, Alforde stood up, closing his eyes ever so slightly as he picked up Slammy and followed the [Dungeon Master] out the door.
It was a cool night, and the blue-gray clouds up above their heads hinted at further snowfall. Vee frowned up at the sky as they walked. He was growing tired of winter, and was eager for spring to come.
After stopping and grabbing dinner ¨C which was a slightly bland and overcooked meat pie served with potatoes on the side ¨C Vee and his friends returned to the boarding house. There was a large stack of boxes waiting for them across the street, and Sculla gave the trio a significant glance as she smoked her pipe from the stairs.
¡°You¡¯re back later than usual,¡± she said. ¡°There were more boxes out here earlier, but a few of the other boarders took some in already. Now, before you get hauling, I want you to know that these aren¡¯t going downstairs like they normally do.¡±
¡°Where are we taking them instead?¡± Alforde asked.
¡°There¡¯s a big open room down the hall on the first floor, which is going to eventually be remodeled into a proper recreation room once spring comes around. These are all going there.¡±
Vee lifted an eyebrow.
¡°Remodeling?¡±
Sculla smiled as she took a drag from her pipe, and the Expectation tightened around Vee¡¯s shoulders as the ogre¡¯s eyes met his.
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a long time coming,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to fix up some of the common spaces around here for a while, but it always got pushed back when other things came. Now seems like as good a time as any to start tackling old projects, since I have a feeling that there¡¯s going to be more people coming through in a few months.¡±
She smiled, and Vee felt the air get slightly warmer as her pipe flared in the night. Despite that, he shivered.
¡°Now go ahead and get to it,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all are tired and have an early morning tomorrow.¡±
Grumbling, Vee followed Alforde to the first set of boxes and picked up the lightest one that he could find. To his surprise, lifting it didn¡¯t hurt his fingers and arms the way it usually did. He smiled slightly. Maybe he was finally getting a bit stronger.
Setting Slammy down next to Sculla and getting the ogre¡¯s assurance that she¡¯d make sure nothing happened to the hammer, Alforde picked up a stack of boxes and headed inside. Gritting his teeth, Vee followed him.
A few of their fellow boarders were lounging around the hallway, and Vee exchanged pleasant greetings with them as they walked by, though his breath was starting to grow ragged from the effort carrying the box took. Still, he refused to set his burden down and take a break.
¡°Well don¡¯t they all seem happy? I wonder how many boxes they had to carry in,¡± Reginald muttered as they walked into the big, empty room Sculla had directed them to.
¡°Why are you complaining?¡± Vee grunted. ¡°It¡¯s not like you ever have to do any of the work.¡±
Reginald was quiet for a moment, pondering, and then said in a perfectly serious voice, ¡°That¡¯s not really important here, Boss. I¡¯m just concerned about the fairness of the situation here.¡±
¡°She lets us stay for cheap,¡± Vee said. ¡°That¡¯s the important part.¡±
¡°If you say so.¡±
Vee rolled his eyes as he put down his first box and watched Alforde do the same. The armorsoul didn¡¯t seem to even notice the weight of his boxes, let alone be inconvenienced by it, and Vee straightened up to look around at the room and catch his breath.
It was bigger than he¡¯d expected, and as he looked at the high ceiling and blank walls, Vee was reminded of all the times he¡¯d been stuffed into his suit as a kid and dragged along to some function or another for his father¡¯s business. Unlike his brother Emory, who¡¯d taken to socializing like a duck takes to water, Vee had spent each banquet in abject fear of spilling something on his jacket and struggling to pay attention to the long-winded blathering of his fellow guests. Even the other kids had been dull.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
The [Dungeon Master] shuddered and forced himself to think of something else. Following Alforde back out to the street, Vee picked up another box ¨C this one actually slightly heavier than the last had been ¨C and helped carry it inside.
[Might +1]
***
As expected, it snowed overnight, and Vee¡¯s feet were wet and cold by the time he reached the Westown gate the next morning. To his surprise, Brice Gilbert the [Toy Maker] was waiting for him there. The man was smiling and carrying a large box in his hands, with another two on his back.
¡°Good morning,¡± he said with a wide smile as the trio approached. ¡°I finished up some of the prototypes for the Alforde figurine, and was wondering if you had some time this morning to take a look at them?¡±
Alforde perked up and clapped his gauntlets together. ¡°Of course! Right, Vee?¡±
Vee nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine. We have some time before Crestheart opens up for the day.¡±
The man fell into step with them as they headed toward the dungeon, and Vee smiled at how nice and clean the street was. His light section had done an excellent job of clearing away the fresh snow and pressing it into piles on the side of the road so that it wouldn¡¯t bother anyone. If only the guild had kept up on using the slimes in the city, he thought sourly.
Making their way up to the office, Brice opened his first box. He reached inside and pulled out a figurine of Alforde that was about eight inches tall. Simply carved, it showed Alforde standing with his hammer lifted into the air. A couple variations on the same idea ¨C with the angles and pose modified ever so slightly followed it ¨C and then it was on to the second box. In these versions, Alforde stood at attention with Slammy resting on the ground. The third box contained smaller figures ¨C about four inches tall ¨C that depicted Alforde in various poses, from winding up a mighty swing to bracing against an invisible impact. Carefully, the [Toy Maker] arranged them all on the table and looked up.
¡°What do you guys think?¡±
Vee and Alforde walked around and examined the figures carefully. They were well-made, and though they all looked similar at first glance, Vee noticed subtle differences between them as he studied each of them further.
¡°Will the final product be able to change its pose?¡± Vee asked. ¡°Maybe swap around between two or three?¡±
Brice shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s possible, but it¡¯ll require a lot more work. Sturdier joints¡better built limbs¡the works. I can do all that stuff, but ultimately it¡¯ll mean a more expensive product, and to be honest I¡¯m not sure there¡¯s a market for it around here. Most of the people who come into my shop are just looking for something for their kids to play with for a few days until they get bored or break the thing. They don¡¯t exactly have a bunch of spare money to throw around on something fancy.¡±
Vee rubbed his chin, and Alforde spoke up.
¡°I¡¯ve seen some bigger figurines advertised in magazines and stuff. Some of them are super expensive, but they have near unlimited movement!¡±
Brice nodded. ¡°Most of those are limited edition figures commissioned by the adventurer¡¯s guild. Generally they¡¯re just for outstanding [Heroes], but a few of the bigger dungeons on the continent make some for their [Dungeon Champions] too. It¡¯s a niche market for sure, but maybe we can consider something in that vein once Crestheart gets bigger. With the tools and materials I have access to right now, small figures with a fixed pose is probably going to be the best I can do.¡±
The word materials gave Vee an idea. Telling Brice to hang on for a second, the [Dungeon Master] scurried down to his lab and grabbed the thin sheets of ectoplasm he¡¯d made but hadn¡¯t found a use for yet. Bringing the stack of them back up to the office, Vee handed them to the [Toy Maker] and grinned.
¡°Any chance you can do something with these?¡±
Brice frowned and picked up a single sheet to feel its weight. He poked it, prodded it, and gave the entire thing a gentle flex to see how it handled various amounts of stress. When he finished looking at it, the [Toy Maker] set the sheet down on the table and reached into his pocket. He drew out a small knife, cut a sliver from the corner, then subjected the shard to the same tests he¡¯d given the entire sheet. It didn¡¯t bend nearly as much.
¡°Hmm¡this is interesting,¡± he said finally. ¡°It seems a little unruly on its own, but there¡¯s certainly potential here. Let me experiment with it a bit and get back to you, okay? Now, which of these poses do you like the most?¡±
Vee looked over at Alforde, who was hovering next to the pair of figurines that depicted him mid-swing. The [Dungeon Master] smiled and said, ¡°I think those ones over there are the best of the bunch.¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡±
¡°They have the most energy,¡± Alforde said.
¡°Good enough for me,¡± said Brice.
The [Toy Maker] marked the figures in question with a small strip of red thread and carefully put the rest of them back in their respective boxes. When he was finished, he bowed his head ever so slightly.
¡°Thanks for the input. I¡¯ll start finalizing the details for these two and get back to you in another week or so. If you like them then, I¡¯ll go ahead and start actual production.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Vee said. ¡°We¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡±
He shook Brice¡¯s hand and the [Toy Maker] left the dungeon. Vee turned to Alforde.
¡°What do you think?¡±
The armorsoul beamed, his eyes twinkling like stars.
¡°They¡¯re so cool! I can¡¯t wait to see the finished version.¡±
Vee chuckled. ¡°Yeah, same here. Did you ever expect to see action figures of yourself?¡±
Alforde laughed too and shook his helmet. ¡°Not even close.¡±
They both fell quiet. After a moment, Alforde said, ¡°Well, I should be getting down to the dungeon for the day¡¯s runs. I¡¯ll see you later, Vee.¡±
Vee nodded, and the [Dungeon Champion] headed down to his arena. Vee sat down at his console and checked his knobs and dials. Another day at Crestheart was about to being.
Outside, the sun peeked through the clouds.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 19
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13 (+1)
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 12
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 17
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Determination: 1
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 4
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 20 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 6
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 12
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 36
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 8 (-1)
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
#$@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 30: Zeiken (Interlude)
Zeiken stared up at the stars from his room¡¯s balcony and took a sip of his tea. It was still warm, and the faint taste of blue lotus warmed the salamander¡¯s heart. The air was cool and crisp against his scales, but the [Doortune Teller] didn¡¯t mind. He had a blanket wrapped around his torso that kept away the worst of the chill. In the meantime, he searched for signs of snow in the sky above and found none. That was good. Zeiken hated the stuff.
He leaned against the railing next to his door and winced, feeling a bit of tightness in his injured shoulder. There were still some marks there from the houndbear¡¯s teeth, but Zeiken didn¡¯t think they¡¯d scar. His trip to Amespool had been¡eventful¡to say the least, but it didn¡¯t do any good to dwell on it now. As the old saying went, all¡¯s well that ends well.
Only, had this trip ended well? So far as Zeiken could tell, it was still somewhat up in the air. A lot was hinging on how the coming weeks played out.
The creaking sound of carriage wheels coming from the street below prompted Zeiken to look down, and the salamander whistled as Hendon Trisdale and Deina Sohrik came out to inspect them. They¡¯d done little else but count boxes and make lists for the past few days, and Zeiken had to admit that seeing their dedication to the dungeon development committee ¨C which was simply a dungeon circuit hiding behind a different name ¨C was impressive.
The other two [Dungeon Masters] involved with the venture here in Amespool were nowhere near as dedicated to their duties. Amity, the [Woodsmith] from Yew¡¯s Rise, spent all her time tinkering with some sort of golem contraption that looked like it was trying to defy physics.
As for Orij¡well, Zeiken hadn¡¯t even seen the elkin since that first meeting he¡¯d arrived in the middle of. The [Doortune Teller] suspected that the hshshshshshshshshshshs ¨C Knobs and hinges, how Zeiken hated that sound! ¨C was locked in a room somewhere smoking himself silly in an attempt to communicate with yet another nameless horror.
Shaking his head, Zeiken closed his eyes and took another sip of his tea. Things were not progressing the way they were supposed to, but he could handle that. He¡¯d long since made his peace with the fact that there was always a healthy degree of ambiguity for those who listened at the doors of fate, as he did. Instead, his problem was that there were constant issues and obstacles ¨C such as the near total shutdown of commerce thanks to the bandits ¨C that he should have foreseen but simply did not.
He blamed his dreams. Of late they¡¯d been fuzzy, intermittent things, filled with non-sequiturs and other nonsense that had no place in his subconscious. With all the muddle, it was nearly impossible for the [Doortune Teller] to get a proper handle on things.
Swallowing the last of his tea, the salamander picked up his door, went back inside, and opened his dream journal. As he often did during periods of uncertainty, he read the last few weeks of his entries. Perhaps he¡¯d misinterpreted something or there was a pattern to the images he hadn¡¯t noticed before. Sadly, no issues jumped out at him.
Zeiken¡¯s eyes grew heavy as he read ¨C thanks to the small infusion of dream grass extract he¡¯d added to his tea ¨C and eventually he put down his journal and lay back, giving in to his body¡¯s increasingly aggressive requests for sleep.
Darkness took him quickly, and Zeiken did not dream.
***
A knock at his door woke Zeiken the next morning, and the salamander opened it up to find Hendon and Deina standing outside his room. The [Dungeon Masters] looked tired, but they both inclined their heads respectfully as the salamander picked up his door and stepped out to greet them properly by opening it toward each of them.
¡°We have a planning meeting scheduled for this morning,¡± Hendon said. ¡°Downstairs in the Auburn Room. We would appreciate it if you¡¯d be willing to attend on behalf of Crestheart. We¡¯ll be going over the posters for the [Dungeon Champions].¡±
Zeiken blinked twice. He¡¯d known this meeting was coming, but his dreams had implied it wouldn¡¯t be happening for another few days. Another inaccuracy.
Keeping his face neutral, Zeiken nodded. ¡°Of course, I will be there as quickly as I can. Thank you for letting me know.¡±
He watched the [Dungeon Masters] leave before scurrying back into his room to get dressed and ready. After scouring his scales with hot water, he rubbed them with rose-scented oil and delicately sharpened his claws. After he finished his routine, the salamander bolted down a late breakfast ¨C three hardboiled eggs and a clump of noodles ¨C then stepped in front of his mirror.
Following his arrival, Deina had gifted him several lovely outfits. Ever the magnanimous host, she¡¯d refused to accept payment for them, which was probably a good thing for Zeiken¡¯s ever-thinning wallet. After all, the clothes were far nicer than anything he¡¯d ever owned before them. After comparing two to each other ¨C appearances were important during times like these ¨C Zeiken put on a green one that was embroidered with gold thread. He checked his tail, patted down his scales one last time, and decided he was presentable. Leaving his room, he headed down to the Auburn Room through the impeccably clean hallways, nodding to the various [Maids] and [Servants] along the way.
Through the windows here and there, Zeiken saw the streets of the city around him. They were all filled with people and carriages, bustling back and forth like ants in a hive as the citizens went about their lives.
Amespool was nice, Zeiken thought. Not as nice as it would be one day, but still a sharp improvement over Oar¡¯s Crest. The salamander shook his head as he climbed down a flight of narrow stairs. Sometimes it was difficult to live in the present when you¡¯d seen so many glimpses of a better future.
Setting his door down next to the one for the Auburn Room, Zeiken knocked and was invited inside. All four [Dungeon Masters] were already inside, and Zeiken made his apologies for taking so long as he sat down on the far end of the circular stone table. There were several stacks of paper in the center, and Hendon started the meeting once Zeiken finished getting settled.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°I know that we¡¯ve all been frustrated by the delays on launching our venture, but I believe that our wait will be finished soon,¡± he said in a booming voice that echoed around the room. ¡°I have it on good authority that the adventurers will soon capture this alleged |Bandit King|, and the roads are sure to be clear soon after.¡±
¡°Empty talk and wishful thinking,¡± Orij intoned, his low voice lingering on each syllable just a hair too long. His crimson eyes glittered with menace as he pulled back his hood and looked at his peers in turn. ¡°They were supposed to capture him weeks ago, were they not? And yet, despite their efforts, he remains free. Perhaps we should shelve this project of ours for the time being and return to it once the threat is actually handled and the roads are truly safe for commerce once more.¡±
Deina shook her head and reached for a stack of papers. ¡°No chance. We¡¯d lose too much of our investment if we tried to stop things now. Our vendors have started work, and our advertisements are set to start airing in the coming days. We¡¯re too far along to consider stopping now.¡±
Orij shook his head. ¡°I am not suggesting a complete stop. I simply think that it would be wiser to hold off on further investments for the moment.¡±
Amity¡¯s whiskers were splayed as she reached over and grabbed her own stack of papers. Tapping them loudly on the desk to make it obvious that she wanted everyone¡¯s attention, she looked over at Orij and growled, ¡°Further investments? I reckon that I have yet to see you put anything forward, elkin. All you¡¯ve done is drink wine and harp on irrelevant dribble.¡±
Zeiken winced at the vitriol in her voice, and shivered when Orij made the room go cold. To say that the two [Dungeon Masters] didn¡¯t get along would be underselling it by a good bit. Amity was a creature of rationality, measurements and figures. She believed that anything could be taken apart and put back together. In contrast, Orij was a creature of mystery and superstition. Their incompatible worldviews seemed to be held too strongly to allow for coexistence sometimes, and for the span of several heartbeats the salamander feared that the door to the best future he''d seen would slam shut.
He¡¯d often seen such things happen, but it never got any easier, and Zeiken tightened his claws under the table as he tried to figure out what to do next. Should he say something to try and diffuse the situation? Or would his intervention prove to be the catalyst for the outcome he so feared? Meddling in moments like these was a fraught thing.
Thankfully, Hendon saved him from having to make the difficult decision. With confidence that had to be the product of a skill, the [Dungeon Master] of Sunglass Castle spoke up and defused the situation.
¡°Every road has its bumps,¡± he said. ¡°And I won¡¯t deny that there have already been plenty in this venture. I¡¯m sure there will be others as we continue forward, but I believe that our efforts and sacrifices will be well worth it. Think of the wealth we all stand to gain by working together, and compare that to the minor inconvenience of these growing pains. Now, we could sit here all day arguing about the little details, but I believe our time would be better spent on productive discussion. Does that [Sound Good]?¡±
Even as sensitive as he was to such things, Zeiken barely noticed the nudge on his thoughts that made Hendon¡¯s words seem perfectly reasonable. He smiled and watched the other [Dungeon Masters] while waiting for the feeling to pass, and saw a slight glassiness in their eyes that indicated that it¡¯d worked. Orij relaxed and Amity mewed as she reached up to clean her face with her paws. Deina tapped one of her claws on the tabletop and nodded.
¡°I think that sounds lovely, Hendon. You¡¯re right, we can argue later. Let¡¯s move on to the matter at hand, which is what we¡¯ve gotten done over the past few days.¡±
From there, it was all business. Taking charge once more, Hendon walked them through each sheet, going over the numbers and figures presented in painstaking detail. With his [Excellent Spreadsheet] Collum at his side, Hendon explained the various assumptions he¡¯d made for a wide range of situations. He had estimates for advertising costs and returns, models for merchandising strategies, promotional campaign plans, and more. Whenever more complex numbers came up, he walked over to the large chalkboard against the room¡¯s far wall and showed each step of his calculations.
It was an impressive display of business acumen, with every last possibility Zeiken could imagine addressed and comprehensively planned for. Vee could learn a lot from him, the salamander thought as Hendon extolled the virtue of [Dungeon Champion]-themed meals at local restaurants within each city. He¡¯s always got an angle.
Finally, the discussion started winding down, and the last order of business was to go over the selection of promotional posters they¡¯d commissioned from one of the more famous [Artists] within Amespool. Each one depicted one of the dungeon champions from the circuit-that-was-not-a-circuit, and Zeiken looked at them in turn along with everyone else.
The first depicted Imelia, the [Lady Of The Lake] [Dungeon Champion] from The Lilypad Labyrinth. She was a tall, blond woman with a sensuous smile. Half of her body was covered in emerald scales, and her sculpted trident shimmered with magical light of the same color. She looked playful, but also dangerous, and Zeiken was sure that any adventurer underestimating her did so at their own peril.
Next was Lwayne, the [Dreamdancer] from hshshshshsh. Like Orij, Lwayne was an elkin wearing a dark robe, though his eyes were silvery white instead of crimson. A necklace of orange and purple beads hung from his neck, and instead of a proper background, he was backed by something that looked like fog. It seemed to have eyes, and Zeiken shuddered as they seemed to meet his own.
The third poster showed a massive golem with purple and red crystals coming out of its shoulders. One of its hands had been exchanged for an axe, and the other had three gemstone claws. Its eyes glowed with ruby light, and the golem was surrounded by wooden planks and crystal cannons. Beneath the golem but above the name of the dungeon were the words Unity. Precision. Perfection. Zeiken rolled his eyes. None of the other posters had little catchphrases like that.
Fourth was an image of a burly man with red hair and a thick beard. Bartholomew, the [Prismatic Paladin] from Sunglass Castle. His armor was like a mirror, and the salamander could see the entire spectrum of colors in the blade of his sword and face of his shield. He looked grave and resolute, the perfect image of bravery and dignity that all [Paladins] seemed to aspire to.
Finally, Zeiken turned his eyes to the fifth and final poster. There, he saw a black, blobby image that looked vaguely like the silhouette of an armorsoul carrying a hammer. The lack of any real details was Zeiken¡¯s fault, as he¡¯d forgotten to bring a reference image of Alforde for the [Artist] to use in the picture. At least Crestheart was spelled right.
On the bottom of each poster was a beautiful, flowing script.
Zeiken felt doors slamming open as he read what it said.
From Oar¡¯s Crest to Yew¡¯s Rise, Amespool, Old Narluc and Shontsdale, you are invited to come and witness The Dungeons Of The Future!
The words seemed to move.
Zeiken shivered once more.
Zeiken''s Character Sheet:
Zeiken
Primary Class: Doortune Teller (Corridor Perpetuous) Level ???
[---------------------------LOCKED----------------------------------------]
Volume 2 Chapter 31: The Date
Vee nervously paced back and forth beneath the amber glow of the streetlight. He jammed his hands into his pockets, yanked them back out almost immediately, and then awkwardly held them behind his back as he looked up and down the street for any sign of Luna.
He didn¡¯t see her, which was great, because having his hands behind his back looked stupid. Maybe he should lean back against the streetlight? Folding his arms across his chest was too combative, like he was trying to look tough, so he laced his fingers behind his head and looked up at the stars instead. That was probably cool, right?
Or at least, it would have been if the sky hadn¡¯t been cloudy. As it was, he found himself simply staring at a thick layer of gray-blue clouds. Not exactly the most interesting pose, but it¡¯d work.
Now came the next question: how long did he stay like this? Was he going to commit to this short, blue-haired statue fa?ade until Luna showed up? What if she was really late? The [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s neck was already starting to cramp a little bit, and after another few seconds of trying to look cool, Vee decided to give up the pose and go back to fiddling with his hands.
Pockets, he decided.
At least until Luna showed up.
Ugh.
Needless to say, Vee was nervous. He hadn¡¯t been on many dates before, and his heart was racing faster and faster with every minute he spent waiting. The collar of his shirt felt tight, and his vest ¨C hastily purchased from a local [Tailor] the day before ¨C seemed to pull in weird ways. His neck and ears should have been cold, as he¡¯d left Reginald back at Sculla¡¯s, but the flush of near-perpetual embarrassment kept them nice and toasty. Had it been snowing, it still would have been even money bet that Vee wouldn¡¯t have noticed it.
A few minutes later, Luna came down the lane. Her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, and her pointy hat tilted at an angle. The pumpkin pin on the brim glittered beneath the streetlights. Like Vee, she¡¯d clearly gotten new clothes for the occasion, though she wore her usual heavy boots. Those must have been something to do with being a witch.
¡°Sorry if I¡¯m late,¡± she said as she walked up, and Vee saw that there was a small cut in the sleeve of her dark coat. It was bleeding. ¡°I got caught up in something silly.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Are you alright?¡±
When she saw Vee looking at her arm, Luna looked down and seemed to notice the wound for the first time.
¡°Oh crap,¡± she said. ¡°I just bought this shirt, too! Hang on just a second, okay?¡±
Reaching into her bag, the [Pumpkin Witch] drew out a small needle and thread and held it up to her sleeve.
¡°[Fix Tear],¡± she said, and the needle jumped to do as commanded. Soon enough, the rip was mended and basically invisible, though Vee worried about the injury itself.
¡°Do you need a [Healer] or anything?¡±
Luna shook her head. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a scratch and I don¡¯t even feel it. Are you ready to go?¡±
Vee nodded, and as they headed down the street a slight breeze carried the smell of her perfume to his nose. Cinnamon, vanilla, and cloves, like always, but with a new floral scent that Vee didn¡¯t recognize.
¡°You smell nice,¡± Vee said, trying to keep from stuttering as they headed down to the small caf¨¦ near the market. ¡°Uh, your perfume, I mean.¡±
Luna smiled up at him, the pumpkins in her eyes sparkling like the stars obscured by the clouds.
¡°Thanks,¡± she said. ¡°Your vest looks nice.¡±
In sweetly awkward silence, the pair made their way past the closing shops and bustling people getting ready to end their day. They both tried to get a conversation started, only for it to peter out in short order. Still, some small talk was good and Vee found his nerves settling down as they approached the caf¨¦. It helped that Luna knew almost everyone they passed, and she exchanged greetings with all of them in turn. The older men and women flashed Vee knowing smiles, and though the [Dungeon Master] felt as if his cheeks might spontaneously combust, he did his best to return the expression each time.
Thanks to the continued efforts of the adventurer¡¯s guild, commerce around the continent was slowly returning to normal. Most of the restaurants in Oar¡¯s Crest were serving some version of their regular menus, and the caf¨¦ was no exception. Though half their signs were still covered in paper, there were plenty of tasty treats available.
Vee ordered a cup of coffee and an emberberry scone alongside some eggs and hashbrowns, while Luna got a stack of pancakes, plate of bacon, and three different muffins.
¡°Do you want anything to drink?¡± the woman behind the counter asked.
Luna thought for a moment, looking at the menu.
¡°I¡¯ll take a chamomile tea,¡± she said.
The woman nodded and totaled up the bill. Vee put a handful of fleurs down on the counter and said he didn¡¯t need any change.
¡°Everything will be out in a few minutes,¡± the woman said. ¡°Go ahead and sit down wherever you¡¯d like.¡±
Vee and Luna found a table on the far side of the caf¨¦, next to a large black and white picture of two celebrities Vee only half-recognized. An [Actor] and [Actress] if he wasn¡¯t mistaken.
Since they were the only people in the place, their food came a few minutes later, and Vee barely had a moment¡¯s hesitation about dribbling food down his chin before he tucked in and started eating. Tons of things had gone wrong in the dungeon that day, and Vee had spent so much time fixing them that he¡¯d completely forgotten about lunch. Even with all his effort, there was still more work to be done, too. All three copies of Mr. Chills needed repairs, almost half of the [Icicle Spike] traps needed to have their timings adjusted, and some of the elementals weren¡¯t ¨C
No, this is not a time to think about Crestheart, Vee told himself sternly as he realized that the conversation had virtually stalled. Focus on the now, Vee. You can deal with all that tomorrow.
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He looked over at Luna, who was quietly devouring a thick piece of bacon and half a pancake. He said, ¡°So, how¡¯s work going? You still playing catch up from joining the open call?¡±
The [Pumpkin Witch] nodded. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been much mail coming in because of the bandits so it¡¯s not as bad as it could be, but I¡¯m having a bit of a hard time getting it all delivered because I keep getting ¨C¡°
She paused, her head snapping toward the window and her lips curling into a frown. The pumpkins in her pupils glittered, and when Vee tried to follow her gaze, he didn¡¯t see anything outside worth mentioning. It was just a few people walking past the caf¨¦.
¡°Everything okay?¡± he asked.
Luna stayed as she was for a second, then turned back and nodded. ¡°Should be fine, yeah. Holly can take care of it. Sorry, what was I saying?¡±
Vee grinned. ¡°Believe it or not, you were actually talking about how frequently you get distracted.¡±
His date giggled and shook her head. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a bit of a pain, really. Anyways, how about you? Things going alright with the dungeon?¡±
¡°I guess so. There¡¯s lot of little things to stay on top of, but for the most part its fine. There¡¯s been lots of interest thanks to the bandits and all. Business is good.¡±
From there, they worked their way through a series of easy topics of conversation ¨C other food places, favorite books and stories ¨C but eventually they got to their childhoods.
¡°Did you grow up here?¡± Vee asked.
Luna¡¯s face tightened just a bit, and she picked at her last muffin.
¡°Yeah,¡± she finally said. ¡°My parents used to run a small clothing shop in town. My da took care of getting the materials and stuff, but my ma made all the clothes. It¡¯s not really much to talk about, I¡¯m afraid.¡±
Vee got the hint and changed the subject. He told her about growing up in Bardis, as well as some of the things he and Alforde had done as kids. Hearing about some of Vee¡¯s most impressive youthful mishaps ¨C the biggest of which was an accidentally explosive attempt at baking ¨C cheered Luna right back up and the [Dungeon Master] mentally congratulated himself on a job well done. Once they finished their food and thanked the owner, Vee and Luna headed out into the night.
It¡¯d gotten colder, but Luna waved her hands and somehow created a little bubble of warmth around them that kept the worst of the chill at bay. They walked and talked until they reached an empty park. There was an open pair of swings, so Vee and Luna went and sat down next to each other.
Vee couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d used a swing, but it wasn¡¯t the type of thing a person really forgot how to do, and soon enough they were both whipping back and forth. It was fun.
When the time finally came for them to say their goodbyes, Vee met Luna¡¯s eyes and smiled.
¡°I had a lot of fun,¡± he said.
¡°So did I.¡±
¡°Would you like to do this again sometime?¡±
The clouds had cleared and the moons were shining bright. In their silver light, Luna¡¯s cheeks flushed ever so slightly.
¡°Definitely,¡± she said quietly. ¡°That¡¯d be ¨C that¡¯d be really nice.¡±
Silence fell between them, and there was no doubt in Vee¡¯s mind as they stared at one another that it was The Moment. But did he have the guts to go for it? Maybe?
Let¡¯s not kid ourselves, of course he didn¡¯t. But still! He thought about it! That had to count for something, right?
Apparently so, as he didn¡¯t lose any Guts or Charisma.
Luna¡¯s eyes flashed gold and she turned to look down the nearest alley.
¡°I¡¯m super sorry, but I have to go,¡± she said hurriedly.
Lurching forward, she gave Vee a quick hug. Panic filled the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s mind, but he returned the gesture and let Luna go. Her face red as could be, Luna sprinted away. As she ran, gold and orange light surrounded her body. After a bright flash that left Vee blinking, the [Pumpkin Witch]¡¯s bag and hat transformed into a floating cart and lance respectively.
Luna looked back as she hopped into the cart and winked back at Vee.
¡°Next time is my treat, okay? See you around, Vee!¡±
The [Ghost Maestro] waved goodbye, watching Luna until she disappeared around the corner. A smile as wide as a barn door curled its way across his face. Whistling, he tucked his hands into his pockets and started heading back to Sculla¡¯s.
Up above his head, a tiny butterfly that looked like it was made of wispy pink smoke fluttered through the sky. It followed the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s every step.
***
Luna¡¯s lance pierced one of the tall, slender creatures attacking Holly and the [Pumpkin Witch] sent a burst of her magic into the weapon. A red flash and explosion of shadowy fragments followed soon after, and Luna helped her [Surly Sidekick] to her feet. Holly was a little battered, but she cleaned her face off with a handful of snow and seemed fine after a moment¡¯s rest.
¡°Sorry, I thought you had it under control,¡± Luna said. ¡°What happened?¡±
¡°Everything was going fine until he showed up,¡± Holly answered as she pointed to the roof of the nearest building. ¡°He kept summoning more goons from up there.¡±
¡°Did you get a good look at him?¡±
¡°Not really,¡± Holly spat. ¡°He was wearing a mask and cloaked himself with shadows the entire time. I think he might be a kitrekin though.¡±
¡°What makes you say that?¡±
The blue-haired girl shrugged. ¡°Something in the way he slumped his shoulders seemed really kitrekin-ish to me. I didn¡¯t see a tail or pointy ears though, so I can¡¯t be sure.¡±
Luna cursed under her breath and looked around the alley for any clues that might help them figure out the masked man¡¯s identity. He¡¯d cropped up a few days after she¡¯d gotten back from the open call, and [Right Place, Right Time] kept sending her his way. She had no idea what he was after or why he was summoning shadow creatures, but she was determined to find out.
Kneeling down, the [Pumpkin Witch] scoured the alley but found nothing useful. The red arrow in her mind¡¯s eye that led her here faded away, and once it was completely gone Luna activated [Disguise True Purpose] to turn her lance and bag back into their mundane forms.
What a pain.
Standing back up, Luna looked over at at Holly. Her friend was grinning as she lounged on the snow like a [Model]. Much like Luna¡¯s own [Pumpkin Magic: Recharge], Holly had a skill for refilling her magic from the snow around her. Blue light pulsed around the [Snowmancer], and her wounds seemed to fade. Raising her right hand, Holly twirled her index finger.
¡°Well? How was your date? Tell me everything!¡±
Rolling her eyes, Luna turned to leave. Something small landed on the brim of her hat. Luna took the hat off, and saw the tiny pink butterfly resting next to the pumpkin pin. Having bounded to her feet to follow along, Holly saw it too and cackled.
¡°Girl,¡± she growled, ¡°you¡¯d best start dishing quick.¡±
Shaking her head but secretly pleased, Luna did just that as they left the alley.
Vee''s Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 28
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 19
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 13 (+1)
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 17
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Determination: 1
<3**Infatuation**<3
Bonus: Luna and Holly''s Character Sheets
Luna Redhenny:
Primary Class: Pumpkin Witch (Sarah Redhenny), Level 33
Secondary Class: Tailor (Sarah Redhenny), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Girl-Who-Saves-The-Day (Citizens of Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 8
Might: 40
Wit: 27
Faith: 25
Loyalty: 34
Adventurousness: 33
Guts: 36 (+1)
Hope: 23 (+1)
Stealth: 7 (-1)
Charisma: 25
Inspiring Presence: 8
Leadership: 5
<3**Infatuation**<3
Holly Sacre:
Primary Class: Snowmancer(Self), Level 29
Secondary Class: Good Girl (Neve Sacre), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Surly Sidekick (Luna Redhenny), Level 8
Might: 33
Wit: 31
Faith: 10
Loyalty: 12
Adventurousness: 31
Guts: 44
Stealth: 19
Charisma: 10
Greed: 28
Ambition: 30
Pride: 30 (-1)
Manipulativeness: 4
Reflected Glory: 7
Volume 2 Chapter 32:
Hand in hand, they walked off into the sunset and lived happily ever after.
THE END.
Sighing contentedly, Alforde closed the book and set it down on the pile to his right. There were a half dozen other books there, precariously balanced and seemingly on the verge of falling, but the armorsoul knew they wouldn¡¯t take a tumble. Turning to his side, Alforde looked at the stack of remaining reads and picked up another one.
It was the first book in a series about a young woman working as a [Muse], and Alforde hoped that it would be interesting. After all, he¡¯d grabbed the rest of the books too, and would have hated the waste of doing so if the first book ended up not being worth his time. Though, to be fair, he probably would have read them all anyway. The night was still young, and the [Dungeon Champion] really wanted to catch up on his reading. It helped keep him feeling normal. Heck, just then he would have been willing to give The Castle of the |Gray Mistress| another shot, even if he¡¯d never managed to make it past the first introduction of the [Scrubbers].
Sixteenth time was the charm, right?
Probably not.
The armorsoul flexed his pauldrons as he opened the book on his lap. To Alforde¡¯s surprise, he was genuinely having a good time while Vee was out on his date with Luna. Truthfully, the [Dungeon Champion] had forgotten the simple joy of sitting back and letting himself get engrossed in a book over the past few weeks, and he relished the ¡°new¡± sensation of flipping page after page of someone else¡¯s adventure. Reading was peaceful. It was totally different from practicing with his hammer or fighting in the dungeon. He was starting to understand that all three were necessary. They were like puzzle pieces in that regard.
Naturally, this line of thought prompted another sting of shame. It was an increasingly common occurrence, as Alforde wrestled with the fact that he¡¯d let himself get so dragged into fighting that he¡¯d totally ignored his favorite hobby.
Alforde let the sticky negativity flow through his plates. To be a champion was to accept the bad with the good. He believed that. Truly. However, he was also cognizant of the point where it stopped being productive, and shook his helmet to chase the last dregs away when he reached that point.
Yes, he¡¯d made some mistakes, and was working on accepting the fact that he¡¯d been heading down a bad path, but there was nothing to be gained by beating himself up about it. As much as he might like to, Alforde knew that he couldn¡¯t change the past. Dwelling on regrets would get him nowhere.
Instead, he¡¯d just have to do his best to keep from making the problem worse. Right now, that meant reading. So long as he didn¡¯t overcorrect and trade one bad habit for another, he¡¯d be fine. Echoes of Sacha¡¯s voice echoed throughout his helmet.
Everything in moderation. To be a champion is to be perfectly balanced.
Repeating the words over and over again, Alforde worked his way through the first couple chapters of his book.
It was just okay. Decent side characters and pacing, but the main character was a bit too dumb for his tastes. Oh well.
Across the room, Reginald was clearly having a horrible night. The hat was bitterly resentful of the fact that Vee had left him behind. He¡¯d whined and complained non-stop for the first hour or so that Vee had been gone, but had now taken to simply sulking on the table and flashing a forlorn grimace in Alforde¡¯s direction every few minutes.
Alforde felt bad each time he noticed it, and wondered if he should provide a running commentary for how things seemed to be going based on the emotions he gleaned through his bond with Vee. Most of the surging impulses were nervous energy, but there were occasional flares of elation too. Ultimately, Alforde decided against sharing anything. If Vee wanted to tell them how things went when he got back, that was his business. Alforde smiled to himself as he thought up a new little Sacha-ism of his own.
To be a champion is to not be a gossip.
He wondered if his mentor would like it, and resolved to bring it up the next time they spoke.
His book got a little weird. After an exciting battle with a series of [Gryphon Knights] taking on a four-headed dragon, the narrative was awkwardly sidetracked by a half-baked romantic subplot. Alforde was tempted to write a polite, but firm letter of complain to the [Author]. Perhaps he¡¯d do so in the morning.
As the clock approached midnight, a new and totally bizarre sensation surged through his bond with Vee. It was a warm, fuzzy feeling, and Alforde couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as the distinctly pink emotion flooded his senses.
¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Reginald snapped. ¡°Some bit of subtle word play in your book?¡±
The hat¡¯s eyes were scrunched tight and his felty mouth curled into a grimace. He looked desperate for information.
Despite his previous certainty about what was and was not his business to share, Alforde¡¯s willpower wasn¡¯t enough to resist the hat¡¯s pathetic expression. Shaking his helmet conspiratorially and lowering his voice, Alforde said, ¡°Nah, it¡¯s Vee. I think he just got Infatuated.¡±
Instead of being excited, as Alforde had expected, Reginald let out a howl that would have put a wolf to shame and thrashed his brim on the table.
¡°It¡¯s not fair,¡± he moaned. ¡°Can you imagine how awkward that date must have been, with Boss stumbling all over his words and Luna looking like a ripe tomato? Why didn¡¯t he bring me along? I would have had so much fun! You know, you could have taken me out to follow them, Big Guy. We could have made it work!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Alforde said icily, and the temperature in the room dropped ever so slightly. The new skill ¨C which hadn¡¯t fully formed yet but definitely had [Chill] somewhere in the name ¨C was one that Alforde wasn¡¯t sure he liked all that much, but he could feel in his boots that it¡¯d be useful one day.
¡°Spying is wrong,¡± the armorsoul said matter-of-factly, feeling his hackles rising ever so slightly. ¡°Vee and Luna deserve their privacy."
[Right Hand Man +1]
Reginald cocked an eye and looked slightly less morose.
¡°Is that so, huh? Interesting.¡±
And with that, the hat fell silent once more, staring up at the cloudy sky as he often did and pondering things that only he knew about. Alforde felt his temper ebb, and returned his attention to his book, though he found himself wondering if Reginald had been simply trying to get a rise out of him. The hat had been doing that with increasing frequency of late, and the armorsoul wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about it. On the one gauntlet it was annoying and tedious to deal with, but on the other, Alforde found that he appreciated Reginald¡¯s concern. He suspected that the hat had been the first one to notice that things had been teetering on the edge of¡not good, and was grateful for the oversight.
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Not that he¡¯d ever say so. Reginald could be unbearably smug even when he didn¡¯t have a good reason, and Alforde wasn¡¯t going to hand him a great one.
Anyway, the pair remained as they were after that until Vee finally came back, humming a happy song and smiling like a man who¡¯d had just a touch too much to drink.
¡°What a wonderful night,¡± Vee sighed as he poured himself a glass of water and sat down on his bed. A tiny pink butterfly flew in and landed on his shoulder, though Vee didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°A wonderful night indeed. How have you two been?¡±
Alforde barely had time to answer before Reginald launched into a long and bitter tirade about the ¡°really rather terrible injustice¡± of having been forced to stay at the boarding house during Vee¡¯s date. The armorsoul watched his best friend raise his eyebrows and shook his helmet and returned to his book as Vee tried to console his [Majordomo].
The conversation went deep into the night, and Alforde finally decided that he should try and go to sleep before the next day¡¯s runs. Carefully marking his page, the armorsoul got up, deliberately walked past Slammy without touching it on his way to his corner, and settled down to rest. As he drifted off into a dream, he heard a familiar voice echoing inside his helmet once more.
To be a champion is to ¨C
***
Vee¡¯s knees ached as he crawled around the floor of his lab to fix the third and final Mr. Chills. This one had a broken base, which caused it to get stuck at extremely awkward moments during fights. Prying away the outermost part of ectoplasm wasn¡¯t too hard ¨C he simply used [Shape Ectoplasm] to pull it all into a small sphere ¨C but attaching a new piece was a huge pain. Eventually, Vee resorted to hanging a pair of ectoplasmic ropes from the ceiling and hoisting the big ghost up into the air. It worked really well, and he wished that he¡¯d thought of it sooner.
He blamed his lack of foresight on the fact that he was rushing to get everything done in time so that Crestheart could finally open up for the day. He¡¯d stayed up too late talking to Reginald, and slept through his alarm as a result. Everything else had spiraled out of control from there.
¡°Boss, the adventurers out there are starting to get impatient,¡± Reginald called down from the office, and Vee glared up at the ceiling. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for perfection!¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± the [Dungeon Master] growled as he slapped the last few touches onto Mr. Chills Number Three and asked Do to come get the ghost. ¡°Hopefully they¡¯ll all hold up until after the day¡¯s runs so I can give them a proper repair.¡±
With his makeshift attempt to keep things working finished, Vee headed up to the office and sat down at his desk. He hadn¡¯t had time to fix the traps that had broken down the day before, and he marked which tools were unavailable to him for the day¡¯s first run. It was about a third of them, which was not great.
A man draped in an impossibly red cape strode up to the entrance and raised his hands. His garment wrapped itself around his body, and it was business as usual as he entered the dungeon.
Vee looked down at the application in front of Reginald. The adventurer¡¯s name was Tyler Lusiden, and he was a level 21 [Sanguine Gentleman]. Like a bat, he flew through Crestheart¡¯s first hallway and early rooms, rapidly dismantling skeletons and ghosts with a large set of crimson claws that seemed rather like liquid. Once he was safely through to the second floor though, he landed hard and gasped for breath. Clearly, he¡¯d exhausted himself through his efforts. Without feeling a single shred of remorse, Vee waited until he was sure that the man¡¯s guard was completely down, then jammed the nearest button to open up the hallway¡¯s walls. Without precise tools, he¡¯d have to make do with blunt force.
A tide of elementals and ghosts poured into the hallway, and the [Sanguine Gentleman] was quickly overwhelmed.
¡°Better luck next time!¡± Reginald called out. ¡°We hope to see you again real soon, adventurer! As a head¡¯s up, you¡¯ll find the nearest exit down the hall to your right. Hurry up now, we¡¯re already running behind today.¡±
The [Dungeon Master] smiled as the man left and Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] reset the first floor for the next run. He looked down through the viewing crystal at the next runner ¨C a young man carrying a thin sword ¨C and knew that despite the boy¡¯s appearance, he was a prime candidate for [Boost Drops].
Vee closed his eyes and used the skill, paying careful attention to which minions got marked as a result. He shuffled his packs as necessary and waited for the run to begin. With the sensation of a key slotting perfectly into place, Vee felt a new skill solidify in the base of his skull. A notification appeared in the air before his eyes, and the [Dungeon Master] smiled as he leveled up.
[Congratulations! You are now a level 19 Dungeon Master!]
[Boost Drops charges + 1]
[Your Walking Walls skill is now more powerful!]
[You are now better at assessing dungeon challengers!]
Well, that was nice, Vee thought. More shards of chaos were always a good thing. While he wasn¡¯t yet sure what he¡¯d do with a stronger version of [Walking Walls] ¨C he¡¯d have to do some testing to figure how it differed from the old version ¨C he immediately got a better sense of why this second adventurer had been a good decision for [Boost Drops], thanks to his new assessment abilities.
There was something combative in the way the boy stood. It hinted at a burning desire to prove himself worthy, and there was a weight to the adventurer¡¯s posture that reminded Vee all too much of the proverbial chip on the shoulder. The eagerness in his steps, and the fury in each flick of his sword flashed like lightning, and it wasn¡¯t long before Vee felt as if he¡¯d been staring straight at the sun.
Though he was no stranger to having his vision modified by skills, Vee found himself overwhelmed. Closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths, the [Dungeon Master] waited for the radiance to fade. In the comforting blackness of his soul¡¯s mirror, he looked for a way to turn off this new sensitivity. Sadly, there didn¡¯t seem to be one, which meant that he had no choice but to wait for his brain to properly catch up and get used to the new sights.
Standing up, Vee made his way to the window and looked down at the gaggle of adventurers outside to test the potency of this new blessing-slash-curse. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem to work outside Crestheart proper, as the gaggle of waiting challengers looked no different than they should have.
I can work with it if it¡¯s only active for people in the dungeon, Vee thought.
¡°You okay, Boss?¡±
Vee turned around and saw his [Majordomo] staring at him with a worried expression.
¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± Vee said as he gave his eyes another rub for good measure. When he gazed into the viewing crystal once more, he noted that the flashes of light were somewhat weaker than they¡¯d been before. Hopefully that meant he was already starting to adapt.
Otherwise he was going to need to start keeping an ice pack handy to cover his eyes with between runs, and that didn¡¯t sound like fun at all.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 19 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 13
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 17
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6
Determination: 1
<3**Infatuation**<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 12 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 4
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 20
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 6
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 12
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37 (+1)
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 8
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 33
Vee heard rather than saw Alforde kick the day¡¯s last challenger off the stage for the fourth time, and he risked opening his eyes. The level 23 [Trident Afficionado] landed hard on the ground below, and to the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s great relief the flickers of golden light surrounding her body were nowhere to be seen. It¡¯d been two days since Vee had gotten his new pseudo-skill, and he wasn¡¯t really getting better at handling it. The shimmers and shines made him nauseous, and knowing so much about a person just by looking at them took its toll on Vee in other ways. His limbs were weak and shaky, and his shirt was soaked with sweat.
Letting himself slump back against his chair, Vee looked up at the ceiling and said, ¡°You know what, Reginald? I don¡¯t know about this new sight thing. It actually sucks really hard. It¡¯s genuinely so much worse than [Second Sight] or even [Third Sight] for that matter. I want it gone.¡±
He heard the hat shuffling on the desk next to him, but was too tired to look over at his [Majordomo].
¡°You¡¯ll adapt to it eventually, Boss. It¡¯s just going to take a few days. Today was better than yesterday, right? You only dry heaved twice!¡±
Vee groaned. ¡°That¡¯s hardly an improvement worth writing home about.¡±
¡°But it is an improvement. Just wait until tomorrow! You might not even throw up at all!¡±
He closed his eyes once more, knowing that it was pointless to argue with Reginald when the hat was determined to be annoyingly optimistic. He sighed as cool relief filled the back of his eyelids, letting it wash over his thoughts and wishing that it would never go away. He stayed like that until Alforde came up with the day¡¯s earnings, then summoned Cecil to help with the count. The [Excellent Spreadsheet] floated over to the chest and started recording quantities.
Since Vee had been so messed up with his new sight all day, he hadn¡¯t dared use [Boost Drops]. Unfortunately, that meant they¡¯d only gotten two shards of chaos from all the day¡¯s runs, which wasn¡¯t great. However, it wasn¡¯t all bad news. Twenty-six adventurers had tried the full dungeon, and another ten did the first three floors. They¡¯d made a bunch of fleurs. Of course, the high traffic also meant that a lot of Crestheart¡¯s minions had been destroyed ¨C including almost half of his preciously scarce skeleton lancers ¨C so Vee needed to hurry up and order more minions soon.
Truthfully, the dungeon was starting to approach the size where he¡¯d need to make regularly recurring orders, but Vee didn¡¯t feel up to getting that all figured out just then. All he wanted to do was sit in his chair and exist until his head stopped feeling as if someone had dropped a piano on it.
Reginald and Alforde finished counting up the last of the day¡¯s fleurs, and Alforde carried them into the dungeon¡¯s vault. As the entrance winked out of existence, the armorsoul returned to Vee¡¯s chair and helped the [Dungeon Master] to his feet.
¡°Let¡¯s go see Juniper,¡± Alforde said as he dragged Vee toward the stairs. ¡°You look awful and I bet she can whip something up to help you feel better.¡±
Vee mumbled something in response, but it wasn¡¯t really coherent. Taking that as agreement, Alforde basically carried his friend down to the Lobby.
A handful of adventurers were still inside, snacking on cakes, cookies, and various teas as they discussed their runs and brainstormed strategies for their next attempts to defeat Crestheart. Heavily highlighted guides were scattered here and there, and every head turned to look at Vee and Alforde as they walked inside.
Vee met their gazes with bleary eyes and dimly realized that they all looked gravely concerned. Do I really look that bad?
[Public Relations -1]
Crap. Have to be more careful about my image, the [Dungeon Master] thought as Alforde helped him into a chair and Juniper came over.
¡°Vee! What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°He got a new pseudo-skill yesterday and it¡¯s really taking a toll on him,¡± Reginald said.
¡°Can you make a tonic or a potion for him?¡± Alforde asked.
Juniper nodded. ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve got plenty of fresh herbs and flowers to work with. What hurts?¡±
¡°It started with my eyes, but now it¡¯s my everything,¡± Vee mumbled.
¡°Got it. Let me see what I can whip up, okay?¡±
The menu at the lobby had returned to its original size and was apparently going to be expanding even further soon. Though the |Bandit Lord| remained free, the members of the Open Call had managed to restore the majority of trade and commerce throughout the continent, and shipments were coming into Oar¡¯s Crest much more often. Two large boxes intended for Juniper had been waiting at the gate to Westown that morning, and apparently more would be arriving in the coming days.
Juniper hurried back to the counter and started grabbing bottles and jars. They were all filled to the brim, and she twisted them open in turn. Pulling pinches out of some and grabbing heaps of others, the [Herbalist] mixed up a potion. Once her ingredients were together, she put her hands on the glass and yellow light surrounded it, filling the air with a new scent. It wasn¡¯t particularly pleasant though. The distinct reek of boiled carrots mixed its way through the lobby, and Vee nearly threw up when its source was gently put down in front of him.
¡°Drink this. I know it smells horrid, but it¡¯ll make you feel better,¡± the [Herbalist] said. Vee eyed it skeptically, but ultimately did as instructed, wincing at the first sip. Sadly, the flavor wasn¡¯t any better than the smell. In addition to the aforementioned boiled carrots, it tasted like white pepper, mint jelly, and fresh lime. All the flavors battled for supremacy in Vee¡¯s mouth, and it took nearly all of the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s formidable willpower to finish the rest of the concoction.
He put down the empty glass and waited. At first, nothing felt any different, and Vee¡¯s temper prickled, but then a warm tingle filled the tips of his fingers and toes. Like he was meditating back in the academy, the sensation blossomed across the rest of his body. The pounding in his skull grew weaker and weaker until it vanished completely, and when Vee opened his eyes again, he saw that his vision had cleared.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
He marveled at the new decorations around the room ¨C another boon of resumed trade ¨C and straightened up as his energy returned.
Juniper grinned and cocked her head to the side.
¡°That was amazing,¡± Vee said. ¡°What¡¯d you make me?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a new healing tisane I¡¯ve been experimenting with,¡± she said. ¡°Helps with mental fatigue. It¡¯s a mix of gummy-carrot powder and a few rare herbs from New Sally that I¡¯ve been waiting to get for weeks."
Vee winced. Gummy carrots were, as their name implied, carrots with a distinctly gelatinous texture. They came from the northern parts of the continent, and were popular with health-conscious people. Allegedly, they were fantastic for eyesight, but after having been forced to eat them on a regular basis as a kid by his mother and father, Vee hadn¡¯t touched one in years. He didn¡¯t plan on touching another for at least that long.
He asked for and a received a glass of water, and found that he was strong enough to stand up on his own an hour or so later. The lobby was nearly empty by then, but as he was wary of losing more Public Relations, he still did his best to keep from swaying as he walked out. Thanking Juniper and bidding her good night, Vee headed back toward the city¡¯s gate.
Navigating the snow was a bit tricky, and more than once Alforde¡¯s gauntlet prevented Vee from falling. Side by side they made their way back to the boarding house.
Vee wanted nothing more than to fall into bed and go straight to sleep, but Alforde made the little hemming sound he often did when he wanted to talk about something, so Vee waved his hand and said, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±
The armorsoul rocked back and forth, then said, ¡°I was wondering if we could start taking a day or two off each week. I think that having a regular break would help me with, you know.¡±
As he said those last words, the armorsoul gestured across the room to where he¡¯d stored Slammy. Vee looked at the hammer and over at his friend as he considered the request. Losing a day¡¯s earnings would hurt their ability to keep up with their repayments to Sacre ¨C the amount by which Crestheart outpaced the weekly increases was shrinking each week and would soon vanish entirely if he didn¡¯t come up with another way to boost revenue once again ¨C but this was a request from his best friend. Was there really anything to even think about here?
Reginald looked over at him with a frown, and Vee wondered if the hat wanted to veto the suggestion. He waited for his [Majordomo] to speak up, but Reginald stayed quiet.
The effects of Juniper¡¯s tisane were starting to wear off, and the pounding that was quickly returning to Vee¡¯s skull tempted him to push the decision off until the morning, but a nagging sensation in the back of his thoughts told him that it wasn¡¯t a good idea to do that. Things between him and Alforde were improving, but they were still delicate. There were other ways to make money, but not many ways to show his friend how much he valued his wellbeing.
With that perspective, the decision basically made itself. Vee nodded and said, ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll start taking one day every week off. Two is probably more than we can afford though right now. How does starting next Saintsday sound? We can announce it to the adventurers in the coming days so that nobody can complain about us just springing it on them.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Alforde said with a nod. ¡°I think one day will really help me a lot. Now, I won¡¯t keep you up any longer, Vee. You look like you need some rest.¡±
Vee laughed and sat down on his bed. He lay back and closed his eyes.
¡°That was well-handled, Boss,¡± Reginald said quietly as Alforde sat down across the room to read a book before bed. ¡°I think the big guy is really coming around.¡±
Vee murmured agreement, but was too tired to respond properly. Instead, he thought about how nice it would be to have a day each week off. The more he thought about it, the more he liked. It¡¯d be nice to have dedicated time to experiment with more ghosts and traps, let Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] really look over all the dungeon¡¯s tiles, and take care of all the other things he regularly put off because he was so busy with Crestheart each day.
Tomorrow he¡¯d start thinking of ways to offset the lost revenue.
For now, all he cared about was sleep.
The next afternoon, Hanako barged into the dungeon¡¯s office and held up a large blue crystal. It was covered in complex etchings, and pulsed with steady white light. There were no cracks or stress marks in its various facets, which was a pleasant surprise.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Reginald asked.
The [Enchantress] beamed and set the crystal down on the table. Clearly proud of herself, she said, ¡°I managed to make a C-Rank crystal last night! My dad taught me a new skill for holding my tools while I draw my etchings, and this was the result! I think I can replicate it, too! Isn¡¯t that awesome?¡±
Vee¡¯s eyes ached ¨C though Reginald had been right and he was doing better today compared to the day¡¯s before ¨C but he got up and went to take a closer look at the crystal all the same. Encouragement was important, after all.
¡°Wow, it¡¯s really nice, Hanako. What skill is it?¡±
¡°[Frost Bind].¡±
¡°What¡¯s that do?¡±
Hanako shrugged. ¡°Nothing special, sadly. It¡¯s a skill normally used by [Ice Sculptors] when they¡¯re working on big pieces, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll really have much use here. But still, it¡¯s C-Rank! I think I can make more, too, so I¡¯m going to try and update some of the dungeon¡¯s traps today! Wish me luck, okay?¡±
Vee smiled at his intern¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do fine though. If possible, can you try and make C-Rank versions of [Icicle Spear] and [Snowball Mine] first? We need to replace a bunch of those throughout the dungeon anyways and getting an upgraded version would be great.¡±
Hanako threw a snappy salute as she headed down to her workshop. ¡°Can do, Vee! I¡¯ll bring them up later!¡±
The [Dungeon Master] took out his notebook as she left and flipped to the section where he came up with room concepts. He didn¡¯t know how powerful C-Rank versions of all the traps would be, but he was excited to find out.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 19
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 18
Charisma: 13
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 17
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5 (-1)
Determination: 1
<3**Infatuation**<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 13 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 4
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 20
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 6
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 12
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9 (+1)
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 34: Glett Haverhen and Kyrie Laroux (Interlude)
Kyrie poked her head through the door and whistled. The shrill screech drowned out all other sounds in the newsroom, though given that there was only one other person working inside at the time ¨C Glett Haverhen, a level 36 [Field Reporter] who was furiously scribbling at his desk ¨C it wasn¡¯t as impressive a feat as it might otherwise have been.
Still, Glett looked up with a sour glare and waited for her to say something. When she didn¡¯t, he sighed and ran a resigned hand through his thinning salt-and-pepper hair.
¡°Don¡¯t you have anything better to do than waste my time?¡± he asked. ¡°I have a deadline in four hours and I can¡¯t figure out how to write the last bit of my article.¡±
¡°Boss wants to see you,¡± Kyrie said with a shrug. ¡°Told me to bring you to her office.¡±
Glett grumbled and cursed, but he put down his pen all the same and got up. The boss wasn¡¯t the type to waste his time with idle summons, so if she wanted to see him in her office it had to be important.
He just hoped it wouldn¡¯t take too long. He hated missing deadlines.
Walking out into the hallway, Glett saw that Kyrie was dressed in her field armor instead of her usual tunic and tights. A shining silver breastplate covered her chest, and her legs were protected by a thick, plated skirt. She carried a gleaming saber in her right gauntlet, and had a heavy satchel slung over her shoulder. It was poorly packed.
¡°Where are you off to?¡± Glett asked.
¡°Not sure yet, boss just told me to get ready for a trip.¡±
Well, that was a little ominous.
They made their way down the hall, and Glett managed to keep from looking at the various plaques and awards that adorned the walls. His name was on several of them ¨C the ones labeled Excellence In Reporting ¨C but being reminded of what he¡¯d once been was still too painful for him to bear, so Glett kept his eyes on the ground a few feet behind Kyrie. Just the floor and the windows, he told himself. There¡¯s nothing else there.
The boss was at her desk rifling through a stack of reports and drafts almost as tall as she was. Her eyes whipped back and forth across each page thanks to [Extreme Speed Reading] and she held up a finger as they walked in.
¡°Just a second,¡± she said as she picked up a pen and started marking the page on the desk in front of her. Even though there were plenty of [Editors] in the office whose entire job was to provide feedback and notes on submitted stories, the boss was a firm believer in hands-on leadership and made sure to review every single piece the magazine put out.
Glett and Kyrie sat down as the boss finished covering the sheet of paper in red ink. She was a fair but firm critic, and always took as long as she needed to convey the entirety of her thoughts. Sometimes that meant that the original writer got back a list of corrections that was longer than their original piece, but that was just how it went at Continental News Monthly. The feedback was always good and made the piece better, so Glett hadn¡¯t ever minded getting it.
The boss looked at them both and then met Glett¡¯s eye.
¡°You¡¯re working on that [Balloonbarian] biopic right?¡±
Glett nodded. ¡°I¡¯m almost done with it; I just can¡¯t get the last bit to work properly. I should be able to turn it in before the deadline though.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Turn in what you have and I¡¯ll have Charlotte finish it up.¡±
Glett clenched his toes and did his best to keep his face neutral. Having a story taken away was one of the worst things that could happen to a [Journalist]¡ªno, he reminded himself, he was just a [Field Reporter] these days ¨C but he couldn¡¯t afford to burn this bridge by losing his temper.
Instead, in a strained voice, he asked, ¡°Why?¡±
The boss met his gaze and Glett looked away when he could no longer bear the weight of the Drive that burned within her pupils. He¡¯d seen plenty of scary things over the twenty-seven years of his career, yet the manic light in the boss¡¯ eyes remained the most intimidating.
¡°I [Have A Hunch] about dungeon sports I¡¯d like you two to look into,¡± she said. "Let me explain."
As she spoke, a translucent notification appeared in front of Glett, and the [Field Reporter]¡¯s eyes went wide as he took in all the details.
A scoop!
¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± he blurted out when the boss finished. She smiled.
¡°Give me an hour and I¡¯ll have all my stuff ready!¡±
***
As far as Glett was concerned, the roads were an old friend, and his heart sang at the reunion. He¡¯d spent years ¨C the best years of his life, if he was being honest ¨C traveling across the continent, chasing down leads and stories in his search for Truth. The past eighteen months of deskwork back at the office since losing his [Journalist] class and the exclusive skills it provided had been awful, but it wasn¡¯t until he¡¯d slept on the hard ground beneath a frigid night sky and eaten cold food that Glett realized how much he truly missed [Covering A Beat]. There was nothing else like it in all the world.
¡°You¡¯re looking melancholy again,¡± Kyrie said as the [Field Reporter] warmed his hands by their fire. The small blaze did little to ward off the chill of early morning, but the [Refined Swordswoman] wouldn¡¯t allow anything bigger. The bandits were mostly dealt with ¨C what a story that must have been! ¨C but there were still a few ragtag groups of copycats here and there trying to grab whatever crumbs of stolen wealth that they could.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Glett said as he started heating up some water for coffee. ¡°I don¡¯t know what sort of dungeon sport scoop could even be out here. As far as I know, there aren¡¯t any high level dungeon ventures nearby. They¡¯re all too new or hobby projects or something. The fact that the boss sent us out this way doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±
¡°Are you doubting the boss¡¯ hunch?¡±
Glett shook his head. ¡°No, of course not. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know where to start looking for a lead.¡±
¡°Well, according to the map, we¡¯re getting closer to Old Narluc, maybe there will be something there.¡±
Glett doubted it, but he grunted noncommittally and the conversation died out soon after. The wind whistled through the trees as they packed up their belongings and continued on their trek, their progress sped up thanks to Kyrie¡¯s [Forced March] and Glett¡¯s [Follow The Lead]. They barely spoke to each other as the miles flowed past, and Glett did his best to ignore the various aches and pains in his limbs that made their presence known. Though his mind and his spirit were reinvigorated by the job he¡¯d been assigned, his body wasn¡¯t what it had once been. Carrying his meager luggage was surprisingly difficult, and he nearly fell to the ground when Kyrie announced that they were going to stop and take a break.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that you were struggling to keep up?¡± she asked as she helped Glett sit down on a stump and handed him a purple potion from her bag. ¡°I would have stopped earlier if I¡¯d known.¡±
So as to not have to answer and admit that he hadn¡¯t wanted to be seen as being weak, Glett took a large swig of the potion and winced as the bitter wakeberry infusion numbed his aching muscles. He felt better almost right away, but knew that he¡¯d be better off if they didn¡¯t resume their rapid pace again before he slept.
As if she could read his thoughts, Kyrie announced that they¡¯d be staying put until morning, and that she¡¯d go ahead and take first watch. Far too tired to argue, Glett eased himself down to the ground and closed his eyes.
[Sleep Easy] activated right away.
***
It took them two more days to reach Old Narluc. Glett¡¯s feet were more blister than not as the city came into view, and they¡¯d had to pause frequently for Kyrie to use [Minor Healing] on him. They¡¯d also been slowed down by an attack from a trio of Shadowfang Wolves, which hadn¡¯t been as dangerous as it should have been.
Her blade burning with refined light, Kyrie had dispatched the monsters with ease.
Old Narluc was a city carved into the side of a mountain, with a sprawling system of cave dwellings that reminded Glett of honeycomb. The air was thick and dusty, and now and then the [Field Reporter] thought he heard whispering coming from behind him. However, every time he turned around there was nobody to be seen, and Glett yearned for his lost ability to [Ignore Distractions].
The people of the city ¨C most of whom wore dirty brown cloaks with hoods that obscured their features ¨C wandered as if in a daze, and after a few virtually worthless attempts to draw them into conversation, an old woman with milky-gray eyes pointed to an ominous stone tower off in the distance.
¡°Should thou wish to learn about dungeon sports, ye would be wise to hshshshshshshsh.¡±
For some reason, no matter how many times Glett asked the woman to repeat it, he couldn¡¯t understand the name of the place she was directing him to. It was as if the knowledge was too vast for his mind to comprehend, so it simply blurred the edges into something he could tolerate.
However, he did gather that whatever it was called, it was a dungeon, and that apparently the [Dungeon Master] had only recently returned from some sort of trip to discuss a venture. While he no longer had [I¡¯ve Got A Hunch], years of experience and common sense told Glett that hshshshshshsh was the place to visit.
Kyrie kept her gauntlet on her blade as they made their way along the winding streets that seemed to writhe beneath their feet.
¡°I do not like this place,¡± she said as a dozen eyeballs on the building next to them blinked three times. ¡°There is something foul in the air.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a fan of it either,¡± Glett said as they passed what could only be called ¨C if the screaming was any indication ¨C an enthusiastic ritual in a nearby clearing.
The screaming abruptly stopped. Glett shook his head.
[Cultists].
The whispering in the air grew more insistent as they approached hshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshs, and Glett found that his perception of the dungeon¡¯s name grew longer at the same time. The building itself was unremarkable, yet it filled the [Field Reporter] with a deep sense of dread that shook him to his very core.
An elkin with crimson eyes waited for them outside. He too wore a robe, but there was something regal in his bearing that made it clear he wasn¡¯t a regular civilian. His face was stretched into a painful grimace, as if he struggled under an invisible burden, but he lifted his hands toward them all the same as they drew close. Glett fought down the urge to recoil from the gesture.
¡°Greetings,¡± the elkin said in a dark, booming voice. ¡°You may call me Orij. Have you come to challenge my dungeon?¡±
Glett shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m a [Field Reporter] with Continental News Monthly. I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions, if that¡¯s possible.¡±
The elkin looked past him at Kyrie and repeated his question as if he hadn¡¯t heard Glett¡¯s response. Only when the [Refined Swordswoman] also made clear that she was with the magazine did the strange figure return his attention to Glett.
¡°A question regarding the world beyond the walls of this one? Or perhaps you seek answers to something more¡mundane.¡±
The whispering in the air fell quiet, and Glett sensed that it was the result of something the elkin did. He nodded gratefully at the lack of pressure in his thoughts and said, ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m here for the mundane. What can you tell me about the dungeons in this region?¡±
Two hours of cryptic mumbling later, the elkin finally handed over a crinkled piece of parchment with brownish-red writing on it. He didn¡¯t dare look at it until the sprawling mess of Old Narluc was behind him, but when he did he felt an old triumphant rush.
Beneath the words ¡°Dungeon Development Committee¡± were the names of four cities and notes about each of them. Glett read just the names for now. The letters were starting to wriggle and he wanted to fold the parchment up as soon as he could.
Shontsdale.
Yew¡¯s Rise.
Amespool.
Oar¡¯s Crest.
The last name on the list sent a jolt down Glett¡¯s spine, startling him. It took a moment, but he recognized it as a proc.
Grinning, the [Field Reporter] urged his Road-Weary body to press on in pursuit of this new lead.
Bonus Character Sheets:
Glett Haverhen
Primary Class: Field Reporter (Danica Molytree), Level 41
Secondary Class: Workaholic (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Thrill Seeker (Self), Level 36
Additional Class: Heavy-Drinker (Self), Level 20
**ROAD-WEARY**
Might: 18
Wit: 44
Faith: 3
Honesty: 50
Integrity: 50
Endurance: 13
Focus: 29
Regret: 17
Adventurousness: 32
Greed: 14
Manipulativeness: 50
Guts: 41
Kyrie Laroux
Primary Class: Refined Swordswoman (Airutra Noblisse), Level 44
Secondary Class: Bodyguard (Danica Molytree), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Field Reporter (Danica Molytree), Level 28
Might: 51
Wit: 36
Faith: 12
Honesty: 34
Bravery: 40
Endurance: 48
Devious Mind: 22
Adventurousness: 31
Patience: 30
Guts: 45
Planning: 29
Packing: 4
Volume 2 Chapter 35:
Mewling like a kitten, a tiny blue-green slime floated across the office like a miniscule balloon. It bobbed up and down as it did so, and when it bumped into the far wall and stopped, it squealed until Kai gently nudged it and turned it around.
¡°It¡¯s a shame they don¡¯t stay this cute,¡± the bonsai treant said as he watched the little slime waft back across the room. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, Vee?¡±
The [Dungeon Master] tore his affectionate gaze away from the little slime just in time to see one of the other specimens ¨C which was substantially larger and mean looking ¨C diving toward his head. He ducked beneath it and batted the minion away, smirking at the thwacking sound of the impact.
¡°For sure,¡± Vee said as he deflected another attack from the angry slime. ¡°But I think the bigger ones are better suited to our purposes here at Crestheart. How old did you think they were, again?¡±
Kai thought for a moment, then called Dandelion over for further clarification.
Looking slightly uncomfortable, Dandelion turned its head to the ground and said, ¡°The first slimes started changing about eight days ago after we gave them some of the red refined ectoplasm, and the little one only got its splotches the day before yesterday.¡±
Vee blinked. Dandelion¡¯s speech had improved significantly since he¡¯d last heard it speakk. Heck, it was easier to understand than Do, now, though it had taken on a hint of Kai¡¯s slightly grassy lisp. Uncapping his pen, the [Ghost Maestro] made a note to bring both of those things up with Rortenferry the next time he spoke to his old [Professor], then returned his attention to the matter at hand.
He took his [Ghost Baton] out of his pocket and prodded the littlest slime as it drifted by. It wasn¡¯t as squishy the way a slime should have been, but it didn¡¯t feel like proper ectoplasm either. He tried to look at it with [Third Sight] too, but the multi-colored flickering that he saw inside its little body was too erratic to be of much observational use.
¡°It¡¯s always something new,¡± Vee muttered under his breath as he started collecting notes on the new creatures. No doubt Rortenferry would want all of these details in addition to seeing the new slimes for himself.
When he finished, Vee looked over at Kai. ¡°So how many of these ecto slimes did you say there are back in the menagerie?¡±
¡°In addition to these three there are six or seven that have been acting strange for the past few days and might be on the verge of transforming. We¡¯re feeding them with the same red ectoplasm, but our supply of it is almost out. I was kind of hoping you could make us some more? I brought a cube for you to look at too.¡±
Reaching into one of the many compartments on his barkbody, Kai drew out a tiny cube of scarlet ectoplasm and handed it to Vee. The [Ghost Maestro] examined it closely, but he saw nothing unusual to indicate that it¡¯d be capable of causing the slimes to morph after consuming it. Why did this batch cause such a strange effect when the rest hadn¡¯t?
¡°I¡¯ll see what I can come up with,¡± he said as he set the cube aside on his desk. ¡°On the off chance that I can¡¯t replicate this ectoplasm though, is there any other way we can get more ecto slimes? How have your attempts to split the ice slimes been going?¡±
Kai wriggled his branches and looked away. ¡°No successes yet. There¡¯s a trick to breaking the core into clean pieces that I haven¡¯t figured out yet, though my [Creature Sense] has improved enough to where I think I¡¯ll get it soon.¡±
¡°Any other updates on the menagerie¡¯s slime population?¡±
¡°One of the specimens that Dandelion has been working with a lot is starting to show some signs of becoming a Royal Slime as well, so if nothing else, there should be a lot more slimes available to the dungeon soon.¡±
¡°Glad to hear it,¡± Vee said as he snapped Reginald away from the big ecto slime¡¯s hungry attentions. The hat snarled at the minion, and the creature growled back. Reginald looked up at Vee.
¡°Keep that thing away from me, Boss, or I¡¯ll teach it a lesson it won¡¯t forget.¡±
Vee couldn¡¯t help but smirk at the hat¡¯s bravado. ¡°And how exactly would you do that?¡±
Reginald summoned his yellow spirit hands and balled them into fists. Like a kid getting into their first schoolyard boxing match, he waved them back and forth awkwardly, and Vee shook his head.
¡°I¡¯d hate to have to have Hanako repair my board, so I¡¯ll see what I can do. Kai? Can you give us a hand, here?¡±
The bonsai treant clambered back into his barkbody, and after a moment the construct¡¯s eyes blazed back to life. He stomped forward and a pair of vines shot out of his forearm. They wrapped around the belligerent ecto slime and formed a net of sorts, though that alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to hold the minion for long. Dandelion got close enough to carefully lace some bits of warding fern around the vines, its hands moving with the deft skill of frequent practice. Once the last bit of fern was attached, the slime shrank and calmed down. Kai repeated the process for the other large slime floating around, then set them both down on the floor. The little slime was deemed cute enough to avoid being netted for the moment.
Vee stared at the little minions, and wondered how he could use the larger specimens in Crestheart. By themselves, they weren¡¯t particularly impressive, and the [Dungeon Master] didn¡¯t want to add minions to the dungeon if they weren¡¯t going to accomplish anything. Sure, in the best scenario, they were annoying, but that wasn¡¯t enough to justify their inclusion. Not to mention, their numbers were too limited to justify using them as pure fodder. That might change once Kai managed to stabilize a population in the menagerie, but for now they weren¡¯t a terribly attractive prospect.
Unless¡Vee had a thought.
[Plotting +1]
Closing his eyes, the [Ghost Maestro] focused on his bond to Do and said, ¡°What trap crystals do you have lying around down there?¡±
The [Dungeon Maintainer]¡¯s deep voice came back through the bond. He rattled off a series of traps including [Snowsplosion], [Icicle Spears], [Frost Shot], and others. Vee considered the possibilities for a moment, then asked Do to bring up all of the traps that shot projectiles.
He looked over at the nearest viewing crystal. Down in the dungeon below, a level 27 [Sword Dancer] was descending toward the champion¡¯s arena to battle Alforde.
***
Alforde heard the telltale squeak of the stairs outside his arena and stood up. After carefully marking his page and depositing his book behind the chest he guarded, the [Dungeon Champion] picked up Slammy and closed his eyes. He focused his thoughts as Sacha had taught him, and then said, ¡°While I may be about to fight, I am more than just a combatant.¡±
His emotions swirled inside his plates, coiling themselves together as he opened his eyes. Lifting his helmet and squaring his pauldrons, Alforde summoned his cape and furiously whispered, ¡°I am the [Dungeon Champion] of Crestheart!¡±
The words felt a little thin in the air, but he didn¡¯t have time to reflect on it because the doors swung open and a woman stepped inside. She brushed bits of ice and snow from her arms and shoulders and adjusted her black hair as she stepped onto the platform. Her outfit was simple but vibrantly colored and she carried a thin silver rapier in her right hand. Floating in the air behind her were three additional blades of a similar size, but that wasn¡¯t all Alforde noticed about her. There was something else too. An invisible ring, or aura perhaps, that surrounded the adventurer. It felt like steel to his senses, and Alforde tightened his gauntlets around Slammy¡¯s handle.
The woman bowed, and Alforde responded with a curt nod. He still went back and forth on what was the best way to greet a challenger, but responding to courtesy with some of his own couldn¡¯t be a bad thing. He introduced the rules and handed over the SSB, only for the adventurer to refrain from taking it right away.
¡°I understand that you have a Reflection,¡± the adventurer said. ¡°I would like to ask you to summon it now, if possible.¡±
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°And why should I do that?¡±
She shrugged, and Alforde felt the invisible ring of steel get bigger. It covered half the stage. ¡°I believe that you¡¯ll need all the help you can get. If what I¡¯ve heard is remotely correct, my level is noticeably higher than yours.¡±
Alforde flexed his plates and braced his legs, but decided to do as she asked and summoned Shadowforde. His Reflection took a position behind the adventurer and nodded, and the armorsoul swallowed a bitter frustration. He did not like being dismissed so easily. He couldn¡¯t let it get to him, though. For all he knew, the woman¡¯s request was simply a tactic to knock him off his balance, and he refused to let it affect his focus.
To be a champion is to be unshakeable.
With a patronizing smile, the woman popped the SSB and the battle began. Alforde advanced cautiously, readying himself for the woman¡¯s first attack, but it never came. Instead, he found it harder to walk after a few steps as the woman¡¯s invisible ring buffeted his legs. The armorsoul stopped, trying to understand what exactly he was up against.
Since approaching was off the table, Alforde decided to probe the adventurer¡¯s skills with a ranged attack. Twisting Slammy¡¯s handle and opening the weapon¡¯s head to reveal the [Frost Shot] crystal inside, Alforde fired three frigid projectiles at the woman. They were all cut down by her floating swords, and the woman tutted as she took a step forward.
¡°Is that it? Really?¡±
More pressure assaulted Alforde from all around, and his armor echoed as if it was being struck by dozens of swords at once. It was distracting as could be, but the [Dungeon Champion] managed to get his hammer up in time to block her first proper strike. The force of the impact was staggering, and he slid back a few feet. Once he pushed the woman¡¯s sword away, Alforde retaliated with an aggressive [Combo Attack].
Or at least, it should have been an aggressive [Combo Attack]. Instead, thanks to the relentless pounding from the woman¡¯s aura, Slammy moved slowly and sluggishly through the air.
With the gleam of a cat about to pounce on a mouse in her eye, the adventurer ducked past Alforde¡¯s guard and jumped into the air. Spinning around once, she kicked him squarely in the chest.
And to think, Alforde had thought the sword blow was strong! How wrong he¡¯d been! Alforde tumbled helmet over boots off the stage and fell. He was still trying to process how she¡¯d moved so quickly as he hit the ground and bounced back up.
It just didn¡¯t make any sense. How much higher of a level was she?
Despair filled his cuirass and vanished just as fast. He wasn¡¯t going to think about that right now, he was going to do his best to win the match.
Tilting his helmet and adjusting his left pauldron, Alforde gave Shadowforde the signal for an all-out attack and threw himself forward. He swept and jabbed, trying to land a blow of his own. None came close to landing. His Reflection¡¯s fluid strikes were similarly rebuffed, and the adventurer [Stabbed] him with enough force to send him sliding once more. He didn¡¯t get knocked off the stage this time, but it was an easy thing for the woman to finish the job with another armor-rattling kick.
It''d been less than two minutes and Alforde had already lost half of his stocks.
¡°Want to call it here?¡± the woman asked. She looked a little bored.
¡°I won¡¯t give up that easily,¡± Alforde growled as he returned to the stage once more. If he could just hit her, he could take a stock back. She was stronger than he was, but Alforde was confident in his own Might.
Crouching, Alforde tried an [Unstoppable Charge].
Unfortunately, he was slowed by the aura once again, and the challenger stepped aside with contemptuous ease. Shadowforde tried to hit her from the side, but an almost lazy flick of the adventurer¡¯s rapier dispatched the Reflection. Another kick took Alforde¡¯s third stock, and the woman peered over the side of the stage.
¡°Honestly, I was hoping for more of a challenge,¡± the [Sword Dancer] said once Alforde returned once again. Her smile was gone now, having been replaced by a disappointed frown. ¡°I¡¯m shocked. Several of my fellow adventurers on the Open Call said that you were a worthy foe, but you¡¯re overwhelmed by my basic Domain? Disappointing. The rest of the dungeon wasn¡¯t bad, but I think I¡¯m ready to be done with this now. [Steel Calligraphy].¡±
Her floating swords rotated so that they were pointing at Alforde. Alforde didn¡¯t flinch. He was outmatched, but that wasn¡¯t an excuse to give up. He wanted to be a champion who fought until the very end.
Heart Of A Champion activated, and a familiar red glow spread across his armor. The armorsoul¡¯s vision went red too, and just before all four of his enemy¡¯s blades struck his chest, he activated [Give No Ground]. Red mixed with gold as the [Dungeon Champion] did his best to endure.
True to its name, the skill kept him in place, but it wouldn¡¯t last. A curving slice knocked Slammy out of his gauntlets, but Alforde didn¡¯t dare try and retrieve his trusty weapon. Once [Give No Ground] wore off, the match would end.
Couldn¡¯t he get a single stock? Was this truly the level of difference between them? The woman¡¯s aura, her Domain, pressed on him, and Alforde had no way to resist it. That was what he needed! A Domain of his own, one that could slow and inhibit the woman¡¯s attacks the way hers impeded him.
The adventurer drew back and readied her blades once more. The pressure of her Domain increased even further, and Alforde felt as if he were surrounded by a dozen swordsmen all furiously slicing away at him. The gold light of [Give No Ground] around Alforde¡¯s armor flickered and started growing dim, its duration almost at an end.
¡°Not yet,¡± Alforde said, willing the skill to last just a fraction longer. ¡°Just another couple seconds.¡±
The woman gave him her most condescending smile yet. Shaking her head, she said, ¡°And what good would that do? Waste both of our time? I¡¯d rather that you didn¡¯t, actually. You¡¯re weak, [Dungeon Champion].¡±
Alforde¡¯s Heart Of A Champion blazed and the red light covering his armor grew brighter.
¡°Maybe that¡¯s true,¡± he said. ¡°But I won¡¯t always be. I¡¯ll show you!¡±
He¡¯d felt a skill bouncing around his helmet recently, and that was what he sought now. Please. Just one stock. That¡¯s all I need.
An image of a glacier surrounded by screaming winds filled his mind¡¯s eye.
That was what he needed. A winter storm. A Domain. A [Chilling Tempest].
The skill activated as Alforde realized its true nature, and the temperature in the room dropped rapidly. Alforde¡¯s cape left his pauldrons and dispersed, sending jagged blades and bits of ice whirling through the air. They struck the adventurer as they moved out to form a circle that contained the entire arena, and the adventurer stopped in her tracks.
Maybe she was surprised by the sudden flash of power, or maybe the sudden chill genuinely took her breath away, but for a single glorious moment she was seemingly frozen in place.
Alforde knew that he only had a moment with which to act. He could feel his control of the skill slipping already, so he did the only thing he could think of.
¡°[Unstoppable Charge]!¡±
To be a champion was to fight until the bitter end, and while he was most certainly going to lose this match, he found that he didn¡¯t care.
He was absolutely going to have the last word.
Crashing into the adventurer, Alforde ignored the furious blows of the woman¡¯s blades as he wrapped his arms around her body. They both rocketed toward the far side of the stage. As she realized what Alforde meant to do, the [Sword Dancer] tried to break free, but for all her struggling, there was no escape.
As his momentum carried them both over the edge of the stage, the [Dungeon Champion] added his voice to the roar of his storm.
¡°I am the [Glaciernaut] of Crestheart!¡±
They both landed hard and Reginald¡¯s voice announced the end of the bout. As he rolled over and looked up at the ceiling, Alforde was at peace.
He¡¯d gotten a stock.
[Congratulations, you are now a Glaciernaut Level 5! ¨C Deferred due to [Fair Fight]!]
[Heart of a Champion + 2 ¨C Deferred due to [Fair Fight]
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 19
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 31
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 19 (+1)
Charisma: 13
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 17
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5
Determination: 1
<3**Infatuation**<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 13
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 5 (+1)
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 20
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 8 (+2)
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 13 (+1)
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 8 (-1)
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Bonus: Kai and Dandelion Character Sheets
Kai Ginficus:
Primary Class: Menagerie Caretaker (Vee Vales), Level 17
Secondary Class: Barkbody Pilot (Pachi Palmatum), Level 15
Tertiary Class: Verdant Builder(Self), Level 7
Might: 12
Wit: 6
Faith: 13
Green Spirit (Snowsapped): 16 (Normally 31)
Adventurousness: 6
Guts: 10
Citizenship: 5
Mentoring: 6
Patience: 3
Dandelion
Primary Class: Menagerie Caretaker¡¯s Apprentice (Kai Ginficus), Level 11
Secondary Class: Gardener (Kai Ginficus), Level 4
Might: 9
Wit: 9
Faith: 7
Endurance: 9
Green Spirit: 5
Bashfulness: 6
Citizenship (Bound - Vee Vales): 1
Volume 2 Chapter 36:
With no company but the sound of his own footsteps and the seeds of brooding thoughts swirling around his head, Vee walked through the doors of Crestheart. The day¡¯s runs were over and all the minions and traps had all been disabled, but the [Dungeon Master] still warily looked from side to side ¨C as well as up and down ¨C as he made his way through the first floor. It never hurt to be careful.
Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] had been through already to repair the various damages the rooms had taken that day, but Vee noticed an uncomfortable amount of dirt and stains on the walls and floors. Reaching through his bond to the Light Section of his orchestra, Vee requested a pair of cleaners to come and scrub the dungeon down. For good measure, he used [Would You Kindly] to ensure that it was done daily from then on.
When he reached Mr. Chills¡¯ room, Vee stopped walking. He couldn¡¯t explain why he picked that room specifically to do so ¨C or even why his [Dungeon Master] instincts had nagged him all day about the need to come into the dungeon like this and take a look around in the first place ¨C but he hoped that he¡¯d eventually spot whatever it was that he subconsciously sought.
Through the poor light of the flickering blue torches on the front and back walls, his eyes were ultimately drawn to the center of the room itself, where his ghastly construct normally waited for adventurers. It wasn¡¯t there now, of course, having been taken back into storage by Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] earlier, but Vee could still feel something of its presence in the air.
Activating [Third Sight], the [Ghost Maestro] watched the swirling ectoplasm until he sifted through the cacophony. Once he could make out individual shapes, he followed a handful of thready ghosts making their way around the room. When they approached him, the [Ghost Maestro] reached out to them all in turn and invited them to approach. They shimmered in his hands like fireflies as he inquired about their natures.
Hope. Fear. Frustration. Triumph. Anger. Pain. Acceptance. Surprise. Fun.
A fitting assortment of emotions, Vee thought as he watched the spirits vanish one by one back into the ethereal, only to have another variant of the same idea appear a moment later. Fitting indeed. He looked around again. The room seemed like a good approximation of Crestheart itself: filled with possibilities, but in need of clearer vision.
¡°There¡¯s too much going on and at the same time not enough,¡± Vee said quietly to the empty room as he pondered the question that was blossoming in his skull. ¡°I¡¯ve got to start making some hard decisions. Crestheart, what exactly do I want you to be?¡±
The dungeon didn¡¯t answer him, which was to be expected, but Vee felt his dark ponderings growing more insistent as he considered his own curiosity.
It was a simple question on its face, but the more Vee thought about it, the less clear his vision became. He¡¯d been reading about other dungeons during his spare time, and he¡¯d come to realize that he¡¯d been wrong about dungeon sports as a kid. Not all dungeons were the same. It wasn¡¯t even close.
There were dungeons that did their best to stay modern, changing from top to bottom as spectator tastes and preferences made certain traps, minions and stylings obsolete or undesirable. These adherents to the so-called ¡°dungeon meta¡± were many, and most of them were much bigger than Crestheart. However, they didn¡¯t tend to stay popular for long, swinging between boom and bust each time their [Dungeon Master] had to navigate the ever shifting tide of consumer preferences.
On the other hand, the most famous dungeons on the continent were carefully curated experiences that somehow remained timeless. Built on long-lasting reputations sometimes centuries in the making, their unchanging nature was part of their appeal. Unfortunately, Vee didn¡¯t have that long to build a brand identity, and from what he¡¯d gathered, the [Dungeon Lords] of those hallowed places were rather cliquey.
He''d dealt with enough people like that to last a dozen lifetimes, and had no desire to go and try and ingratiate himself with more now.
A good number of dungeons served as tourist attractions for their home cities, focusing their themes on local industries, or taking inspiration from famous community members. Speculative or ¡°Creative¡± dungeons offered possible visions of the future or echoes of the past, allowing [Futurists] or [History Buffs] to explore the worlds of their respective imaginations.
Even beyond those variations, though, there were yet other ways dungeons differentiated themselves from the rest of their competitors. Some focused on catering to new, low leveled adventurers, while others dealt only in high stakes celebrity dungeon runs that attracted viewing audiences from around the continent in daring and dangerous bouts where the adventurers genuinely risked life and limb for glory.
So far, Crestheart had been kind of an amalgamation of some of those things. Sort of like a slime, it was currently an amorphous blob loosely defined by its usage of ghosts and ¨C to a lesser, more recent extent ¨C ice traps and minions. But was that all Vee ever wanted it to be?
No, it wasn¡¯t.
He thought about how much he¡¯d enjoyed watching all the low level adventurers get stronger as the result of their efforts in the dungeon. It¡¯d been immensely satisfying to see those grinding in attempt to join the open call ¨C like Alisanne the teenage [Fighter] ¨C make rapid progress, and when the challengers earned new levels, classes or skills as the result of their descents into Crestheart, Vee had basked in their reflected glory.
He''d also enjoyed the thrill and challenge of finding ways to defeat those who plumbed Crestheart¡¯s depths. Testing his wits against the adventurer¡¯s strength provided an endless amount of fascinating puzzles to solve, and Vee wanted to do more of that.
However, as it was, Crestheart didn¡¯t really excel at either of those. Instead, it straddled the middle of both worlds, and as the only dungeon in Oar¡¯s Crest, Vee believed that his creation needed to have a clearer purpose. He needed it to do more, to be more, and his thoughts grew darker still.
As he walked along the narrow hallway where the sliding ghost and some of the skeleton lancers harried runners, Vee let his mind drift over to his quest to help rebuild Oar¡¯s Crest, and the Expectation around his shoulders stirred. For a moment, the [Dungeon Master] was tempted to ask the snake dragon for its opinion regarding what he should do, but it passed quickly. Asking now would defeat the entire purpose of this trip. He was in charge here; he needed to be the one making the decisions.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
His job as a [Dungeon Master] was to have a vision, and work to make it a reality. It was just hard to do properly, as there were a million different ideas and half-baked thoughts swirling around the young man¡¯s skull. How was he supposed to sort through them? How was he supposed to pick what to focus on? What criteria did he use? How did he measure success?
It started feeling like too much, and Vee sucked in a sharp breath. During times like these, Vee¡¯s father had often told him that it was important to keep from letting himself get overwhelmed by possibilities. Focus on the non-negotiables first, Tyrion Vales had oft-repeated. Everything else can wait until those are handled.
Like the disappointment he¡¯d always been, Vee had a hard time following the advice, but he tried yet again.
His non-negotiable was simple: he had to pay Sacre back. Tomorrow was collection day, and though he didn¡¯t feel like summoning Cecil to check the exact figures, Vee instinctively knew that the gap between how much the dungeon made and how much he needed to pay was nearly gone. Unless he found another source of revenue soon, he¡¯d be eating into his reserves in another week or two and out of money in a few more months.
That wasn¡¯t where he wanted to be, so that was priority number one. No doubts there.
After the loan was paid back though? Much harder to say. He wanted Crestheart to be great, but couldn¡¯t decide what that meant in his heart. How about building Crestheart into something that could serve as an economic catalyst for the rest of Oar¡¯s Crest? The Expectation liked that, but Vee pushed that goal aside too. It was too nebulous, too rife with ambiguity. So much so that it was nearly meaningless to say.
Tapping his boot against the nearest wall ¨C how he wished he had a desk to drum his fingers against! ¨C Vee mulled things over a little more and settled on ¡°Improving Crestheart¡±.
Still a bit too platitude-y, but more concrete and surprisingly actionable.
While Vee believed that he needed to improve the dungeon¡¯s minion diversity by expanding the menagerie and ordering new minions from the union, both of which he¡¯d do as soon as he could, he figured the easiest thing to work on first would actually be to tighten Crestheart¡¯s thematic cohesion so that each run of the dungeon told a ¡°story¡±.
That story was a simple one. He had three exploratory levels to work with, so he¡¯d split his minions and traps into three different themes. Ghosts and slimes on the first floor, skeletons and elementals on the second, and then ice traps and new minions on the third? Where did Mr. Chills fit into that? Vee frowned. Not a bad start, but more thought was needed.
Once he¡¯d settled on a course to improvement, whatever that ended up being, Vee needed to find ways to attract as many people from around the continent as possible. Building a long term enterprise that could serve as the basis for other economic developments wouldn¡¯t work if his market was just the people in and around Oar¡¯s Crest.
Hopefully Zeiken was making progress in that regard.
There were still far too many ideas for Vee to wade through in detail, but his spirit felt lighter. Or maybe that was just indigestion. He¡¯d had some beans with his lunch.
Just one step at a time, Vee thought as he trudged deeper into the dungeon. Forward progress is all that matters.
It didn¡¯t take much effort to find things that could be improved as he made his way to third floor. There were rooms that could have their layouts optimized, hallways that went on just a hair too long, and repetitive challenges that should be combined into more extreme versions of themselves. Like reading written words aloud as opposed to staring at them silently, Vee found that dungeon planning was an entirely different beast while walking through it instead of simply looking down at a sheet of paper or through his viewing crystal. Rooms flowed differently than he¡¯d imagined, and sometimes he found that layouts he¡¯d believed to be rather interesting were actually clunky in practice.
Taking out his tiny notebook and one of his favorite pens, Vee took note of all the things he wanted to change. By the time Vee walked into Alforde¡¯s arena, it was a pretty long list. Here too, there were things that had outlived their purpose, but Vee needed to talk to Alforde first before making changes. This was his friend¡¯s space, and the armorsoul should have some say in what happened to it. However, that didn¡¯t stop Vee from brainstorming about what he might suggest. Like for example, the simple ring was effective, but Vee couldn¡¯t help but imagine it¡¯d be cooler if there were a few other supplementary platforms or hazards as well. Giving each battle a story of its own that wasn¡¯t pre-determined sounded like a good thing to do. Didn¡¯t it?
Floating platforms, minion hazards, using the teleporters to allow for more interesting movement options? A giant ectoplasm construct ¨C tree shaped, maybe? ¨C filled with the strongest wind skill crystals Hanako could make? The arena was a canvas, and Vee imagined himself a [Painter].
Well, maybe Future Vee would be, actually. He was kind of out ideas after that.
The last thing he checked was the treasure chest, and to his chagrin he saw that there was only a single reward pendant left.
Crap. He¡¯d let himself get distracted by other things, as he had all too often before, and forgotten to seek out additional rewards for the dungeon.
Alright. New first priority for improving Crestheart: Find Thien. Barring that, acquire some other equivalent rewards to offer those who defeated the dungeon.
Tucking his hands into his pockets, Vee headed back up to the office. As he made his way back up the stairs, a notification appeared before his eyes and brought a smile to his face.
[Congratulations, you are now a Dungeon Master Level 20!]
[Wit +1]
[You can now use the Dungeon Loadouts Skill!]
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 20 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 32 (+1)
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 13
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 17
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5
Determination: 1
<3**Infatuation**<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 21
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 13
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 5
Might: 39
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 20
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 8
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 13
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 8
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 37:
During an unscheduled pause in the day¡¯s dungeon runs due to a cracked floor courtesy of an overenthusiastic [Earth Mage], Vee made his way downstairs and held up his hands. The adventurers waiting outside fell quiet as they looked over, and the [Dungeon Master] smiled as he reached down into his pocket and drew out a handful of silver fleurs.
¡°I¡¯ve got a job for anyone willing to take it,¡± he announced as he counted out three coins and showed them around. Everyone fell silent.
Vee grinned.
¡°Will someone go down to the Grinning Pig to grab me a beef sandwich and some fried potatoes? I¡¯m starving.¡±
As if to accentuate his point, his stomach rumbled loudly enough for everyone to hear, and there were more than a few chuckles as the adventurers ¨C who¡¯d clearly been expecting something more suited to their martial talents ¨C mostly went back to what they¡¯d been doing before he¡¯d come down. However, a younger adventurer dressed in ill-fitting armor who¡¯d been hanging out near the back of the crowd came over and held out his hand.
¡°I¡¯ll do it, Mister Vales,¡± he said. He couldn¡¯t have been older than fifteen or so, with straggly blond hair that hung down in front of his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to be running the dungeon today anyways.¡±
The boy looked so forlorn and depressed that Vee couldn¡¯t help but ask what he¡¯d meant.
Sneaking a furtive look back at the other adventurers ¨C who, now that Vee took a closer look at them, did seem a touch older than he was used to seeing ¨C the boy shrugged and took the coins.
¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can,¡± he said sourly as he turned and left. One of the older adventurers, a man wearing an orange cape and carrying a knotted staff, gave the boy a patronizing clap on the shoulder as he stepped aside to let the boy through, and Vee furrowed his brow. What was that about?
A pair of other adventurers looked at each other and nodded, and the [Dungeon Master] stood where he was for a moment longer to see if any other unusual things happened. When none did, he brushed a lock of hair from his eyes and went back upstairs to the office with a heavy sigh. Clearly, there was something sketchy happening with the adventurers ¨C and he was willing to bet money that orange cape and the others were involved ¨C but so long as Crestheart stayed busy, Vee didn¡¯t have the energy or resources to dedicate to figuring it out just then. He had bigger, more immediate problems to solve, like finding Thien or acquiring alternative dungeon rewards in the event that she stayed missing.
Still, he got Reginald¡¯s attention as he sat back down at his desk and said, ¡°Have you noticed anything weird about the adventurers lately?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
Vee explained what¡¯d happened, and the hat looked at the adventuring paperwork on the desk in front of him.
¡°Well, now that you mention it, nobody under level sixteen signed up for runs today. In fact, most of the applicants are in the low twenties.¡±
¡°What about yesterday?¡±
Reginald¡¯s yellow arm reached over to the file cabinet on the other side of the room and opened a drawer. He took out a stack of papers and pulled them over, examining them too.
¡°Nope, no low-levels yesterday either. What do you think is going on?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted. ¡°But something seems screwy. I¡¯ll go talk to the guild about it on Saintsday, though, since Crestheart will be closed that day and I¡¯ll have the time to get to the bottom of whatever it is.¡±
With the matter settled for the moment ¨C as unpalatable as not taking action was ¨C Vee took out his notebook and started sketching while he waited for Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] to finish their maintenance.
He doodled a few squares, doing his best to ignore his rumbling stomach. His hunger was his own fault, as he¡¯d stayed up late thinking about how to best improve Crestheart¡¯s ¡°story¡± and had overslept as a result. In his rush to make it to the dungeon in time that morning, he¡¯d neglected to eat anything, and now he was paying for it.
Pre-made lunches, that¡¯s the key, Vee thought as he finessed the squares into something resembling a maze. But then, there were only so many sandwiches he could force himself to eat. Of all the meals, lunch was by far the hardest to plan for.
Add it to the list.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead, wary of the slight ache beginning to form in the back of his skull. Ignoring it, Vee returned his attention to his current dungeon planning problem, which was finding a better way to utilize the teleporters. The current frontrunner was a miniature labyrinth.
Vee¡¯s general idea was to use [Walking Walls] to make the maze longer or shorter, and have teleporters in the dead-ends to send adventures back to the beginning when they took a wrong turn.
However, during his brainstorming sessions, Vee had also been intrigued by the possibility of sending adventurers into small, thematic rooms, and forcing them to do battle with special packs of minions. Especially if he could find some way to improve the targeting of [Boost Drops]. Then he could even have fully boosted rooms to make sure that he maximized the skills value.
Ideally, he¡¯d also manage to tie the rooms to clues for getting through the maze, but Vee wasn¡¯t sure that he could accomplish such a feat. The [Dungeon Master] hated to admit it, but his attempts at coming up with verses for the dungeon were not going well.
Not for the first time in his life, Vee mused that he hated poetry. All the rhyming and rhythming and metaphors and similes were huge pains in the butt.
At this point, he might honestly be better off putting up signs around town and asking if any random passerby wanted to try their hand at penning a few lines. Their attempts would probably be just as good as his own.
The alternative, he shuddered, would be to use prose instead of verse. That was probably a crime somewhere.
Eventually, a knock on the door announced the adventurer¡¯s return with Vee¡¯s lunch, and after failing to get more information out of the poor kid about the situation with the older adventurers, the [Dungeon Master] let him go back to the street and eagerly started eating his food.
His sandwich was big and greasy, and Vee didn¡¯t bother to wipe his chin when the spicy orange sauce slathering the beef dribbled down. He was too hungry to care about such things.
That is, until Luna came into the office.
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Making a sound like a choking lavawhale at the sight of the [Pumpkin Witch], Vee frantically cleaned his face and wiped his greasy fingers on his jacket.
Though her clothing was the same as it always was, there was something different about her that day. A sparkle in her eyes, perhaps, or maybe a tinge of pink on her cheeks. Vee couldn¡¯t entirely figure out what it was, though, mostly on account of trying to dislodge the bit of fried potato that¡¯d stubbornly gotten stuck in the back of his throat.
¡°Are you okay?¡± Luna asked with wide eyes as she ran over and gave Vee a couple hearty slaps on the back that felt like they could have knocked him across the room. ¡°Do you need some water or something?¡±
Having totally given up on looking anything even remotely resembling cool, Vee nodded and gratefully accepted her offered water bottle. The cold water got rid of the problem, and Vee sighed with relief. His throat was raw and felt more than a little scratchy, but he managed to squeak out a thanks all the same.
Then his voice totally abandoned him, as he¡¯d realized the potential implications of drinking from Luna¡¯s water bottle.
Judging by her unchanged expression, Luna apparently did not.
Once he¡¯d calmed himself back down, Vee asked, ¡°What brings you by, Luna?¡±
The [Pumpkin Witch] reached into her mailbag and drew out a thick letter. ¡°This arrived yesterday, and since I wanted to see you anyways, I asked if I could deliver it today. Here you go.¡±
Mentally repeating wanted to see you anyways over and over again, Vee took the letter and looked at the return information on the envelope. While there was no address listed, the name ¡®Zeiken¡¯ had been cleanly printed in the top left corner, and there were a couple little drawings of doors here and there that told the [Dungeon Master] all he needed to know. It was an update from his salamander associate.
Clasping her hands behind her back, Luna¡¯s cheeks reddened ever so slightly and she said, ¡°And um, I couldn¡¯t help but see the sign outside that said you guys are going to start taking Saintsdays off starting next week. Would you¡maybe want to hang out with me that day?¡±
Feeling his own face grow warm, Vee nodded. ¡°Of course. That¡¯d be really fun. What do you want to do?¡±
Luna shrugged. ¡°I figured we could just go for a walk or something. Get something to eat? I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not big on detailed plans.¡±
¡°That¡¯d be a lot of fun,¡± Vee said. ¡°Does noon sound okay?¡±
¡°Sure. Meet in the market square?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a date.¡±
Flashing a smile that made Vee¡¯s week, Luna waved goodbye to Reginald and left the office. The hat whistled quietly as the door closed, and Vee gave his [Majordomo] a warning glare.
¡°Don¡¯t start, Reginald.¡±
¡°I take no pleasure in pointing this out, Boss¡but uh, Saintsday? Weren¡¯t you just saying that you needed to go to the guild and settle this adventurer business?¡±
Vee stared blankly at the hat for a second in something akin to abject horror. How could he have forgotten so quickly? Crap.
But still, he didn¡¯t want to miss a date with Luna.
¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± Vee said, whispering a silent prayer that it¡¯d all work out somehow. ¡°The guild opens early, so I¡¯ll just have to go and talk to them to get things figured out before my date.¡±
¡°You know, it¡¯s probably beyond time for you to get a planner,¡± Reginald said. ¡°I bet you can probably have Cecil help you out with that.¡±
That was almost certainly true. While Vee had long suspected that his [Excellent Spreadsheet] was capable of far more than he¡¯d ever utilized, the [Dungeon Master] didn¡¯t feel like trying to figure it out just then. Did he activate the skill and ask if it had a calendar function? Maybe. Was there perhaps an esoteric user manual somewhere he could find instead? Probably, though it was doubtful the Oar¡¯s Crest library would have such a tome.
He''d have to figure it out another time. Though his to-do list was rapidly approaching ¡°lose sleep about¡± status, Vee turned his attention to Zeiken¡¯s letter. Tearing open the envelope, the [Dungeon Master] looked down at the folded piece of paper inside.
¡°What¡¯s in there, Boss?¡±
Not wanting to have to go over it twice, Vee read the letter out loud.
¡°Mister Vales, I¡¯m pleased to report that your faith in me has been rewarded. I¡¯ve managed to negotiate a space for Crestheart in an upcoming dungeon development committee formed by the [Dungeon Masters] of Amespool, Old Narluc, Yew¡¯s Rest, and Shontsdale. Don¡¯t worry about the long title; it is a dungeon circuit in all but name. In order to secure this spot, however, I had to agree that Crestheart would be the first dungeon challenged, which is widely considered to be something of an insult. I implore you, Mister Vales, don¡¯t listen to those who would say that, and instead, do everything you can to improve your dungeon before the first adventurers start arriving. Being a part of something like this is big. This is a chance for you to reach new markets and expand Crestheart¡¯s customer base as we discussed. Your success hinges upon your ability to offer a compelling experience. Faithfully, Zeiken.¡±
Vee put down the letter and looked at Reginald. The hat was frowning, and then said, ¡°Well, he wasn¡¯t lying about getting our name out there I suppose. That was faster than I expected. He¡¯s right, too. Even if we¡¯re just going to get rolled over by a bunch of high level adventurers, this is a big opportunity for us. How long do we have before it starts?¡±
Vee scanned the letter again, not seeing a date. However, as he set the letter down he noticed another small piece of paper in the envelope and took it out. It was a flyer depicting a shadowy figure holding a hammer ¨C was that supposed to be Alforde? ¨C and had CRESTHEART ¨C OAR¡¯S CREST at the bottom. Beneath both of those was a starting date six weeks away.
Swearing, Vee gulped down the rest of his lunch and grabbed his notebook. He scribbled even more furiously than before.
Today had turned out to just be one of those days where he couldn¡¯t catch a break. Distracted and feeling more than a little overwhelmed, Vee left Crestheart¡¯s traps alone for the most part, and spent the rest of the runs sketching out different concepts that he hoped would make a good impression on the dungeon development committee. As he scribbled, sketched, and scratched out ideas in rapid succession, the [Dungeon Master] fought back the urge to announce an early closure.
Every run felt like it lasted forever, and Vee snarled each time an adventurer made it down to Alforde. Thankfully, the armorsoul was in perfect form, and ended every bout quickly, but Vee was still impatient as could be for the day to end.
Finally, as the last adventurer left the dungeon, Vee activated his magnification crystal and called down to his friend.
¡°Alforde, don¡¯t bother bringing the earnings upstairs today, just pull them into the dungeon and I¡¯ll have my orchestra bring them up later. We can do the count tomorrow. Tonight, we¡¯re going to go and find Thien, okay?¡±
Alforde¡¯s voice echoed back through the crystal.
¡°Got it, Vee. I¡¯ll meet you outside.¡±
Vee bit his lip. There was too much to do and never enough time to do it, but by Gawain¡¯s beard, he was going to try and get as much done as he could.
[Determination +1]
He picked up Reginald and looked into the hat¡¯s eyes.
¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know anyone who might have a knack for finding things, or people, would you?¡±
The hat¡¯s felty mouth curled into a smile.
¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask, Boss.¡±
Frowning, Vee put the hat on and headed down to the street.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 20
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 32
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 13
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 17
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5
Determination: 2 (+1)
<3**Infatuation**<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 22 (+1)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 13
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 5
Might: 40 (+1)
Wit: 12
Faith: 26
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 20
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 8
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14 (+1)
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 8
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 38:
Reginald¡¯s connection lived in one of the shadiest neighborhoods in the city, where plants, lawn decorations, and ¨C surprisingly often ¨C doors had an odd tendency of going missing during the night. This might have been a problem, but luckily, the objects that vanished had an uncanny tendency of showing up as part of the local [Door To Door Salesman]¡¯s ¡°basket of stuff to buy¡± a day or two later so it all worked out just fine.
As Vee listened to the hat¡¯s ¡°directions¡± ¨C which were mostly wrong turns followed by sudden remembrances of the right alley to walk down ¨C he couldn¡¯t help but feel that he was being watched. Certainly, every time he looked around he saw nothing, but he couldn¡¯t shake the lingering feeling that someone was staring at him all the same.
[Second Sight] and [Third Sight] failed to detect anything, and Vee wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him. Such things had been known to happen before, after all.
However, though the mysterious observer¡¯s presence grew stronger and stronger as they carried on, it vanished entirely as soon as Reginald announced that they¡¯d reached their destination.
Vee looked at the house. It was a small, slanted thing in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint. Vee tapped Reginald¡¯s brim.
¡°Are you sure this is the right place? It doesn¡¯t look like much.¡±
¡°Yup. This is old Luc¡¯s place alright. Go on up and knock.¡±
When Vee stepped onto the deck, though, the boards groaned and jiggled beneath his feet like a bowl of jelly. If he¡¯d been even five pounds heavier, he would have fallen right through.
¡°I¡think I¡¯ll wait for you right here,¡± Alforde said drily.
¡°Good plan. Think this guy will recognize you, Reginald? You said it¡¯s been a few years since you last saw him, right? Remember, you were just a talking rock back then.¡±
¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Reginald said in haughty voice. ¡°I¡¯m more than just my appearance, you know. People always remember me for my personality.¡±
That was probably true, but wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. As such, Vee was ready for the dagger that burst from the door almost as soon as he knocked. He jumped back, wincing at the sound the deck made, and held up his hands to show that he wasn¡¯t looking for trouble.
¡°I thought you said this guy was an old friend of yours,¡± the [Ghost Maestro] hissed as the dagger stabbed again. ¡°Seems like an odd way to greet a pal, doesn¡¯t it? Unless, of course, this is the part where you¡¯re going to remember that you owe him money or something?¡±
¡°Of course not!¡± Reginald said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that! I¡¯m shocked that you would accuse me of such a thing.¡±
¡°Well, then why¡¯s he trying to skewer me?¡±
¡°Luc is maybe a touch paranoid. It¡¯s a class thing. He¡¯s been a [Snoop] for a long time, and it gets to him sometimes. Makes him think people are out to get him.¡±
Vee yanked the hat off his head and glared into his [Majordomo]¡¯s eyes. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think that was worth mentioning? Really?¡±
Reginald¡¯s mouth went slack. ¡°My bad, okay? Geez. It¡¯s not like you got hurt or anything. Turn me around to talk to him and I¡¯ll settle this in a heartbeat, Boss.¡±
Vee did so, and Reginald cleared his nonexistent throat. In an extra-friendly voice, Vee¡¯s [Majordomo] called, ¡°Hey, Luc, it¡¯s your old friend, Reginald! Remember me? We used to play horses together out at the kitrekin casino a few years back. Why don¡¯t you put that knife down so we can catch up, eh? It¡¯s been a few years!¡±
A small, bird-looking man with thick glasses and a weak chin peeked out from the gloom. His gray eyes were narrow with suspicion, and he still had his dagger raised and ready as he stared at Reginald.
¡°I don¡¯t recognize ¨C wait, Bad Bluff Regi? Is that really you? Last time we were together, you were just a talking rock!¡±
Feeling much safer now that he was closer to Alforde, who¡¯d unslung Slammy and looked ready to leap into action, Vee grinned as he felt Reginald stiffen.
¡°Told you so,¡± the [Dungeon Master] muttered.
¡°Shut up, Vee. Of course it¡¯s me,¡± the hat said. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell by my voice?¡±
Luc lowered his dagger ever so slightly, but his face stayed grim. ¡°Voices are easy to fake. Prove that it¡¯s really you. Tell me something only the real Regi would know.¡±
The hat hemmed and hawed for a moment, then straightened up and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got one. Remember that time we lost our entire bankroll in less than an hour because you wouldn¡¯t believe that the [Cardsharp] at our table had [Soulread]? Even though I said we should stop, you just kept right on betting.¡±
Luc¡¯s face changed immediately, going from wary apprehension to irritation in a heartbeat.
¡°That¡¯s not what happened at all! You were the one who kept insisting that our luck was bound to turn. What¡¯d you say again? Oh, right! We lost fifteen straight, we¡¯re due a big win!¡±
¡°I still think that¡¯s true!¡± Reginald said. ¡°What are the odds of us losing sixteen in a row? It gets less and less likely each time!¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡not how probability works,¡± Alforde interjected helpfully, and Reginald shot the armorsoul a nasty glare.
¡°It¡¯s how Reginaldian probability works,¡± the hat said. He turned back to Luc. ¡°And we would have won on that next hand too, if you hadn¡¯t gotten cold feet.¡±
¡°We were out of money!¡±
¡°Minor detail,¡± the [Core Spirit] scoffed. ¡°So whaddya think, Luc? Believe it¡¯s me yet?¡±
The man shrugged and lowered his dagger. ¡°I guess. I can¡¯t think of anyone else I know who has such a tenuous grasp on reality. So what brings you by, Regi?¡±
¡°We¡¯re looking for somebody in the city. A [Gold Smith] named Thien. Been trying to track her down for a few weeks and haven¡¯t found anything. It¡¯s almost like she¡¯s just up and disappeared. Any chance you know something?¡±
Luc twisted his head back and forth suspiciously, as if expecting someone to leap out of the shadows and accost them at any moment. When he next spoke, his voice was a conspiratorial whisper. ¡°Maybe I do, maybe I don¡¯t. Come inside where it¡¯s safe, and we¡¯ll talk. You come in too, Vales.¡±
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Though Vee hadn¡¯t really believed there to be any other option, as Reginald wasn¡¯t exactly the type to get up and go in on his own, but he caught Alforde¡¯s eye all the same and mouthed, This guy seems like something else. Be ready to bail me out if it goes bad, okay?
The armorsoul nodded and flexed his pauldrons. ¡°I¡¯ll be out here if you need me. Just give me a holler, okay?¡±
A wave of calm flowed through the friends¡¯ bond, and Vee felt much better. Plopping Reginald back onto his head, Vee followed Luc inside.
The [Snoop]¡¯s house was almost scarily clean, and Luc gestured for Vee to sit down on a big, comfy couch. It looked like it¡¯d just been dusted, and though the striped pattern was probably older than Vee, there wasn¡¯t a single stain on it.
¡°Sorry about earlier,¡± Luc said. ¡°Lots of troublemakers around here. Just the other week I had to buy my doormat back for six silver fleurs! Can you believe that? I tell you, it¡¯s insane. Care for a cup of coffee, Vales? A hot drink does a man good on a cold night like tonight.¡±
Vee looked over at Reginald, who flashed him a felty grin. Taking that as a hint to say yes, Vee accepted the offer and was surprised to find that despite everything else about him, Luc made a mean cup of coffee. It tasted like hazelnuts and vanilla, along with the perfect amount of cinnamon. He took another hearty sip, and set the mug down on the table.
With the social stuff out of the way, Luc got right down to business. He walked over to the far side of the room and picked up a big folder. ¡°What¡¯d you say the [Gold Smith]¡¯s name was?¡±
¡°Thien.¡±
¡°Thien¡Thien. Oh, right here. Let me just see what I¡¯ve got.¡±
Vee couldn¡¯t help but sneak a peek at the man¡¯s binder, but to his eyes the pages were all blank. Indeed, it looked like Luc was simply staring at a stack of empty sheets of paper. Oddly, the [Snoop] studied them all arduously, but smiled when he noticed Vee¡¯s confused expression.
¡°I write all my notes with [Invisible Ink]. It¡¯s a useful skill for someone in my line of work.¡±
¡°I can imagine. You got anything on our girl?¡±
¡°Well, I can tell you that she¡¯s not the only artisan to go missing lately. So far as I know, there have been a handful of similar disappearances these past few weeks.¡±
Vee frowned. He dimly remembered Juniper mentioning overhearing something along those lines, but this was the first time he¡¯d heard of more people having gone missing.
¡°That¡¯s not especially helpful to us. What else have you got?¡± asked Reginald. ¡°Come on, Luc. I know you¡¯ve got [Eyes and Ears] everywhere. You have to know more than that.¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Luc sighed. ¡°Or at least, not for free. We¡¯re old friends, Regi, but a man¡¯s gotta eat.¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow. ¡°How much are you looking for?¡±
¡°Two gold fleurs.¡±
The [Dungeon Master] whistled as he shook his head. His [Bargain Hunter] had procced, and he was certain the asking price was way too high.
¡°You must like expensive food, Mister Luc. Try again.¡±
Luc met his gaze and said, ¡°Excuse me? Good information doesn¡¯t come cheap, Vales.¡±
Vee didn¡¯t blink, but instead leaned forward. The Expectation tightened around his shoulders as he reached into his pocket and drew out a handful of coins. ¡°True as that might be, there are bound to be other sources of information. We¡¯re here now, and surely you¡¯d rather get something for your efforts than nothing, right? How does¡let¡¯s see here¡nine silvers sound?¡±
The [Snoop]¡¯s eyes glittered. ¡°Awful. I have my pride and reputation, you know.¡±
Vee shrugged and put the money back before steepling his fingers. He¡¯d seen his father handle situations like this before, and decided to try bravado. ¡°That¡¯s my best price. If you¡¯re not interested, I¡¯ll go elsewhere. I¡¯m sure Reginald has plenty of other old acquaintances with their ear to the ground. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±
¡°Sure is, Boss.¡±
Vee picked up his hat and stood up. ¡°Well, I guess that settles that then. Sorry for wasting your time, Mister Luc. Have a nice rest of your evening.¡±
Before he¡¯d even made it three steps though, Luc sighed and held out his hand.
¡°Fine. I¡¯ll tell you. But only because Regi¡¯s an old friend of mine. Hand over the coins and I¡¯ll fill you in on what I know.¡±
Vee bit his tongue to keep from smiling.
[Charisma +1]
[You can now earn points in Persuasiveness. Persuasiveness +1!]
Sitting back down, Vee handed over the coins and gestured for the [Snoop] to go ahead.
¡°Let¡¯s hear it, then.¡±
Closing his binder, Luc nodded and pocketed the coins.
¡°Alright, the biggest thing that connects these disappearances together is that the missing people are all good at working metal,¡± Luc said. ¡°Specifically, they have a knack for fine detail work.¡±
¡°How do you know that?¡±
¡°Well, in addition to your [Gold Smith], the other missing people are two [Locksmiths], a [Jeweler], and a [Silver Smith].¡±
Now that was interesting. Vee hadn¡¯t been expecting such a clear connection, but hey, he¡¯d take it. People who were familiar with metalwork and locks, huh? The implications of that were pretty clear.
¡°Did they have anything else in common? Where were they last seen?¡±
¡°With the exception of your girl Thien, the rest of them work near the gate to Eastown, and most of them were seen somewhere around there.¡±
Reginald¡¯s mouth curled into a tight frown, and Vee knew that his [Majordomo] was thinking the same thing he was.
¡°Near Eastown gate, huh? Any chance they were close to Angelino¡¯s?¡±
Sometime later, Vee and Reginald walked out of Luc¡¯s house and back out into the cold. The [Dungeon Master] shivered and waved for his friend to follow them. Seeing the steely glint in Vee¡¯s eyes and getting a bad feeling about it, Alforde asked, ¡°Well? What¡¯d you guys figure out?
When Vee answered, the armorsoul couldn¡¯t help but notice the edge in his voice.
¡°We¡¯re going to go talk to Sacre. I think that Thien and a couple other people have been roped into whatever he¡¯s up to out in Westown. Since I¡¯ve been curious about that anyways, I figured we might as well kill two birds with one stone by going and asking a few simple questions.¡±
¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea, Vee?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
There was no room to argue. Inwardly, Alforde grimaced and flexed his gauntlets before shifting Slammy to his other pauldron and shaking his helmet.
Crudbuckets. Vee was in one of those moods.
¡°Got it. I¡¯ve got your back no matter what.¡±
[Congratulations, you are now a Right Hand Man Level 14!]
[Might +1]
[Faith +1]
¡°Good. Now come on, it¡¯s cold out here.¡±
Reginald turned around with a curious expression, and Alforde shrugged. The last time he¡¯d seen the manic glint blazing in his friends eyes, Vee had marched into Tyrion¡¯s study full of blood and vinegar, and the shouting match that followed was why the friends were in Oar¡¯s Crest in the first place.
Hoping that that the night air would cool Vee¡¯s temper as they walked so as to avoid a rhyme of history, Alforde fell into step behind his friend.
His own eyes weren¡¯t particularly sharp when it came to such things, but as they walked, the [Right Hand Man] couldn¡¯t help but notice a faint snake-like shape tightening itself around Vee¡¯s shoulders.
He shivered.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 20
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 32
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 14 (+1)
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 17
Guts: 13
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 1 (+1)
<3**Infatuation**<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 22
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 5
Might: 41 (+1)
Wit: 12
Faith: 27 (+1)
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 20
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 8
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 8
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
DABB V2 Ch. 39
There was a strange, sickly sweetness to Vee¡¯s thoughts as he stomped through the snow toward Angelino¡¯s. it felt a little bit like he¡¯d drank too much coffee, or eaten too many sweets, and the [Ghost Maestro] briefly wondered if what he was about to do was truly wise. Certainly, he wanted answers and he trusted his instinct that Sacre was the person to get them from, but there was a question of tactics that Vee wondered if he should spend more time considering before heading inside. After all, if things went bad, he wasn¡¯t exactly a mighty [Hero] capable of righting wrongs with nothing but his fists.
Slowing to a stop, Vee looked at the dingy, worn-down door of the restaurant and pondered his next move. A trio of burly men in pin-striped suits loomed outside the door, and one of them looked over at Vee as he considered what to do next. Even compared to the brutes beside him, he was square and bulky, with a mean expression that reminded Vee of a hungry dog.
Boots clanking, Alforde stopped beside him and looked down. The armorsoul¡¯s blue eyes were slightly harder to read than his old ones had been, but Vee could still see that his friend was worried.
¡°You okay?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m going to do once I go in there,¡± Vee admitted, and his [Right Hand Man] visibly relaxed.
¡°That¡might not be such a bad thing,¡± Alforde said quietly. ¡°We can stay here for a while and make a plan first.¡±
That was true. However, if there was one thing Vee knew, it was that much like a reservation, making a plan wasn¡¯t the hard part; it was the ¡°sticking to it¡± part that was truly challenging. How many times in his life had he sat down and had serious conversations about what he wanted to do and walked away energized to go after it¡only to find himself in the same place a few weeks ¨C or months or years ¨C later?
Too many times.
But still, self-improvement was like that old saying about the longest of marches, and while the thought of making yet another plan was matched against another old saying about the definition of insanity, Vee decided that having a gameplan before going into Angelino¡¯s wasn¡¯t a bad idea. At the very least, having one meant that he¡¯d have something to laugh about after things went belly up. Provided that nothing catastrophic happened, of course.
A gust of cold wind chilled his skin, and Vee looked up at the sky with a skeptical expression.
[You have unlocked the Guy-Who-Repeatedly-Tempts-Fate class! Would you like to take it?]
Vee snorted as he dismissed the notification. Taking off his hat and letting the wind tousle his hair, Vee looked at his companions and said, ¡°Alright, how are we going to do this?¡±
***
Reginald couldn¡¯t help but worry as the [Bodyguards] outside Angelino¡¯s used [Pat Down] on Vee. Not because he worried about them finding any sort of weapons or anything like that, but because of the way the guards acted as they did it. Their eyes snapped back and forth, and their mouths were drawn tight as they checked Vee¡¯s pockets. It was like they were nervous about something.
Looking closer, Reginald noticed that all three of their pinstripe suits were freshly cleaned and pressed. That was strange. Had it just been one of the stocky men, he wouldn¡¯t have cared, but all three meant that there¡¯d been an order for everyone to look nice. Otherwise meatheads like this wouldn¡¯t have coordinated their cleaning.
As he had a tough time imagining why Sacre would care about such a thing, Reginald figured that something was up inside the restaurant, and whispered a warning to Vee as the [Dungeon Master] walked inside.
¡°Be careful, boss. Think twice before you say anything, yeah?¡±
¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry, I know the plan.¡±
The [Core Spirit] wanted to say that wasn¡¯t the problem, but was distracted by the way the world went a little blurry. He looked around and saw the source right away: a raven-haired woman in an emerald dress walking toward them with a trio of menus in her arms. She flashed a [Charming Smile] ¨C no, it was too bright for that; it had to be a [Radiant Smile] ¨C as she gestured to the dark hallway beyond.
¡°Good evening. Table for three?¡±
An alluring scent filled the air, and Reginald closed his eyes. None of that now. Reaching into the depths of his thoughts, Reginald worked his consciousness around Maluw¡¯s lock. It was always a bit of a tricky thing, but eventually the hat found the skill he was looking for.
[[Negate]].
[??? - ???]
The powerful skill activated and the world went back to normal. Vee jerked as if he¡¯d been abruptly awakened, and Reginald smirked with satisfaction as he paid the price of power with levels. That was just how it went. A worthwhile sacrifice, the diminished [Core Spirit] thought. Levels could be earned again ¨C By Gawain he knew that for a fact! ¨C but Vee needed to keep his cool now, and having wonky thoughts wasn¡¯t the way for him to do that.
¡°Sorry, I¡¯m actually here to talk to Sacre,¡± Vee said calmly. ¡°My name is Vee Vales, and we do some business together.¡±
¡°I see,¡± the woman said, trying to use [Radiant Smile] once again. Unfortunately for her, [[Negate]]¡¯s effect tended to linger for some time, and so her skill failed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Mister Sacre is busy this evening with an important meeting so that won¡¯t be possible. Can you come back another time?¡±
¡°No, I need to speak with Sacre tonight,¡± Vee replied. ¡°I¡¯m fine waiting as long as necessary.¡±
Without giving the woman a chance to respond, Vee walked over to the small bench on the far side of the room and sat down. They¡¯d anticipated the early stonewall and so far Vee had stuck to the plan. Reginald let his smile widen as Alforde walked over and took up his position as silent sentinel next to the [Dungeon Master]. The armorsoul¡¯s cape of frost and snow manifested behind him, and the room got a little chilly.
Looking every bit the part, they waited.
***
Alforde shifted back and forth, wishing that he had a book to read as one hour became two. Several suited goons came in and out of the restaurant, looking increasingly frustrated as the night wore on, and the armorsoul wondered what they were all so concerned about. Whatever it was, it certainly didn¡¯t seem fun!
He tried to peer into the darkness, hoping to get a better idea of what was happening back there, but couldn¡¯t properly see anything. Darn! If only he could actually go and look, but he had to stay where he was and look intimidating. Stupid plan.
Sometime later, there was a loud thunk, and the muffled sound of yelling filled the restaurant. The woman in the emerald dress looked concerned for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. Unfortunately, the yelling intensified even further, and the [Hostess] veritably jumped into the air when a door slammed open somewhere in the hazy sea of cigar smoke behind her.
¡°I¡¯ve had enough of your double talk, Sacre! Clearly, my coming here was a waste of time for us both. We¡¯ll see who gets through that damn golden door first, huh?¡±
A group of kitrekins appeared a few seconds later, bedecked in flamboyant suits and draped in expensive jewelry as they stomped down the hallway. Alforde recognized some of them ¨C Big Simon was among their number, as were Atlas, Aris, and Smore Whiskerkins ¨C but the one in the center was a kitrekin he¡¯d never seen before.
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The unknown kitrekin was impossibly fat, with bright beady eyes that glittered like emeralds. He wore so much jewelry that his companions might as well have not been wearing any, and the buttons of his suit were on the verge of giving out. Still, his most prominent feature by far was his tail, which was almost as thick as Alforde¡¯s arm. It curled at the end and hugged the kitrekin¡¯s back, and any doubt Alforde might have had about the kitrekin¡¯s identity vanished then and there.
It was Don Curlytail himself.
The [Dungeon Champion] felt his own realization mirrored through his bond with Vee. His friend sat up a little straighter as the corpulent gangster turned toward them and flashed his fangs in a surprisingly friendly smile.
¡°Evening,¡± he said in a silky voice. ¡°You¡¯re Vales, right?¡±
Vee nodded. ¡°That¡¯s me. How¡¯d you know?¡±
¡°Not a lot of blue-haired fellows with armorsoul companions in the city, ¡± the kitrekin replied, holding out a singly hefty paw. ¡°My name¡¯s Curlytail. I¡¯ve heard good things about you from my friend Simon here. We should talk some time. I think there¡¯s some things we can help each other with.¡±
Vee took the don¡¯s hand and gave it a shake. Alforde worried at the sight of another manic glint in his friend¡¯s eyes.
Thankfully, Vee handled it well.
¡°I¡¯d be happy to do that,¡± he said with a smile of his own. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s lots we can talk about.¡±
Alforde also saw a faint glimmer of blue around the [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s shoulders, and he wondered if the snake-dragon was whispering in his friend¡¯s ear. He vaguely understood the basic idea of what the Expectation expected from Vee, but seeing the spirit manifest before his eyes was still more than a little unsettling. However, Vee said it was fine and in all matters of the ethereal Alforde had long since learned to trust Vee¡¯s judgement. He¡¯d do so here, too.
[Faith +1]
¡°Excellent. Until then,¡± Curlytail purred as he turned back to his posse. He nodded, and the kitrekins left the restaurant. Before going through the door, though Aris looked back at Alforde and flashed his fangs. There was an unspoken challenge there, and the armorsoul tilted his helmet in acknowledgement.
Some other time, yet again.
Was Aris the first member of a future rogue¡¯s gallery? Or was he simply a rival? Either way, Alforde was gleeful at the prospect. He¡¯d read so many stories about those things, and they always sounded so cool!
His cape billowing behind him, Alforde imagined dramatic music playing in the background.
***
¡°What do you think the don and his cronies were doing here?¡± Vee asked as they were finally led toward the back. They¡¯d all lost track of the hours that¡¯d passed since arriving, and their stomachs rumbled as they followed the woman in the emerald dress. Maybe they should have gotten food first after all.
¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± Reginald answered. ¡°Him and Sacre aren¡¯t friends by any means, but now and then they can work together when something big happens. Like, there was a really bad tornado here about fifteen years ago, and the two of them suspended hostilities and helped repair the damage.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good of them, but I heard something about a golden door,¡± Alforde said. ¡°It sounded like they were both trying to get it open. Anything like that ring a bell for you, Reginald?¡±
The hat¡¯s brim tightened around Vee¡¯s head. ¡°I¡yes¡no¡I don¡¯t think know,¡± the hat admitted. ¡°A golden door sounds vaguely familiar, but when I try to recall the specifics, everything goes fuzzy. My recollection isn¡¯t what it should be; Maluw¡¯s seal is interfering with my memories.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Vee said. ¡°At the very least, I think that gives us a good idea of where Thien might be now. We can assume the door is out in Westown somewhere, so even if this meeting is a bust, I can have my fiends start looking more seriously.¡±
The trio fell quiet as they stepped into a room filled with hazy, purplish smoke. Sacre was hunched over his table, lighting a cigar. Other than the furious furrow in his upper brow, he looked totally calm, and he even smiled lazily as he gestured for Vee to sit down across from him.
¡°Been a while, kid,¡± he said. ¡°What brings you by? Didn¡¯t you just pay Walnut earlier today for this week? Hopefully you¡¯re not here trying to renegotiate your terms, huh?¡±
He laughed, but there was no mirth in it. Vee met his gaze, enduring the weight of the [Honest Businessman]¡¯s Intimidating Presence. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that. I¡¯m here because I¡¯m hoping you can help me find someone. Her name is Thien.¡±
Sacre blinked twice in surprise but recovered quickly, raising an eyebrow as he leaned back. ¡°Looking for someone? Why come here, then? You think I¡¯m a freakin¡¯ [Private Eye] or something? Sorry, kid. You¡¯re going to have to go somewhere else. The [City Guard], maybe.¡±
The [Dungeon Master] shook his head. ¡°For almost anyone else, that¡¯s exactly what I''d do. However, it¡¯s different for Thien. I¡¯m here because I think you¡¯re the reason she¡¯s missing. Or at the very least, you know where she is.¡±
¡°And what makes you think that?¡±
Vee leaned forward and steepled his hands. ¡°Call it a hunch. In addition to the person I¡¯m looking for, there are other metal workers that have all gone missing. Most of them worked near here.¡±
¡°So what? So do plenty of other people. That¡¯s not much of a reason to suggest I know anything about this, kid.¡±
Vee braced himself as the weight of the Intimidating Presence got even heavier. The Expectation lifted its head and nuzzled his ear, and Vee pressed on with a grim smile. They¡¯d expected this too, and he¡¯d been careful to lay the trap that would hopefully give him the upper hand.
[Guts +1]
¡°By itself, sure. But when you add the fact that you and the don seem to be racing to open some sort of golden door, it starts making a bit more sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡±
Sacre took a long drag from his cigar before exhaling slowly. ¡°Maybe? What¡¯s this all to you, anyway? What do you need this [Gold Smith] for?¡±
Vee¡¯s smile widened.
¡°¡°Ah, but that¡¯s the thing. I never mentioned that she was a [Gold Smith]. Kind of a weird thing for you to know if you have no idea who she is, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Sacre fell quiet and Vee pressed his advantage.
¡°Crestheart is out of rewards for victorious adventurers and I want her to make more. Now that we¡¯ve dispensed with the act about you not knowing her, why don¡¯t you tell me where she is?¡±
¡°Make rewards? That¡¯s it?¡±
Vee shrugged. ¡°For now.¡±
The [Honest Businessman] tapped the ashes off his cigar and thought for a moment. ¡°Fine. What¡¯s it matter, anyways. She¡¯s finishing up a job for me right now, but if you go visit her shop in two days she should be there. Now scram.¡±
Reginald¡¯s brim tightened, and Vee decided that he¡¯d gotten enough. Nodding, he stood back up and gestured for Alforde to follow.
When he reached the door, though, Sacred called out, ¡°It¡¯s a dangerous road you¡¯re walking, kid. If you keep following that thing on your shoulders you¡¯re going to find yourself without many friends. The city can be dangerous for a guy with no friends, you know.¡±
Alforde turned around and glowered at the [Honest Businessman]. ¡°Not so long as I¡¯m here.¡±
Chuckling, Sacre shook his head. ¡°Hope you don¡¯t have to find out, Frosty.¡±
Without another word, the trio went back outside ¨C with Alforde pausing briefly to reclaim Slammy from the goons¡¯ custody, which seemed especially important given the not-so-thinly veiled threat ¨C and the armorsoul fell into step next to his friend on high alert.
¡°You don¡¯t have anything to worry about for now,¡± Reginald said. ¡°But if you¡¯re going to keep butting heads with Sacre it might be a good idea to start taking some precautions when we¡¯re out and about. What are we going to do about Thien, Boss?¡±
¡°Yeah. I know. We¡¯ll visit her shop in a couple days, but until she can make us some replacement prizes, we¡¯ll need to come up with an alternative to use in the meantime,¡± Vee said. ¡°Anyone got any ideas?¡±
The three bounced ideas off each other as they headed back toward Sculla¡¯s. Vee was too hungry to think straight, but unfortunately, since it was so late, they couldn¡¯t come up with anything.
¡°We¡¯ll come up with something in the morning,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said as he wearily climbed the steps to his room. ¡°We always do.¡±
He pondered the implications of the night¡¯s visit as he collapsed onto his bed. Somehow, he had a feeling that this was only the opening number in a much longer dance.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 20
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 32
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 14
Devious Mind: 22
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 1
<3**Infatuation**<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 22
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 5
Might: 41
Wit: 12
Faith: 28 (+1)
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 20
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 8
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??? (-???)
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 8
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 40: Thien Ludan (Interlude)
A droplet of frigid water dripped from the ceiling and landed on Thien¡¯s cheek. The [Goldsmith] winced and fought back a shiver, but didn¡¯t dare stop her careful manipulation of the runic lock she held between her hands. Carefully, she counted how many times she spun each of its three dials, frequently referencing the sheet of paper she¡¯d pasted to the wall before attempting the break. One turn of the left, two counter turns of the middle, four turns of the right. Two counter turns of the left, five turns in the middle, and three turns on the right. That was all followed by seven turns of the left dial, one turn in the middle, and then none on the right.
Thien handled pressure well, but when another droplet of water trickled down from her forehead, she wasn¡¯t sure that it¡¯d come from above. Making a mistake now would be dreadful; this was the ninth lock of twelve, and if she messed up trying to unlock it, the mysterious skill keeping the golden door closed would nullify the last day of work for her and her companions.
Now, by itself, that wouldn¡¯t be such a big deal; Thien and the rest of the workers that¡¯d been ¡°recruited¡± by Sacre had all watched their efforts go up in a proverbial ball of smoke more than once since starting to try and unlock the door. However, what made this attempt so important was the simple fact that the large counter above the door ¨C which had started at 99 and decreased by one each time they failed ¨C was now down to three. While nobody knew what might happen if it hit zero, Sacre¡¯s men had been quite clear that failure would have ¡°consequences¡±. Thien didn¡¯t want to be the one responsible for throwing away such a promising attempt.
She was nearly finished with her work, and consulted her sheet once more to make sure she knew what she was doing next. Sucking in a deep breath, she spun the middle dial four times and waited. Time stopped and the moment stretched into an eternity, but then she heard what she¡¯d taken to thinking of as the most beautiful sound in the world: the soft click of the lock opening.
¡°Thank you, Piper,¡± Thien said, sagging in relief as she drew her hands away from the freshly opened lock. Luckily, after the fifth, there weren¡¯t any time limits between locks, so Thien and the others could now take as long of a break as they wanted to before attempting the tenth.
Turning around, she looked over at her companions. Like her, they were worn down and filthy; they¡¯d all had better months. Though she¡¯d sufficiently gotten used to the¡earthy scent of the underground tunnels to no longer notice the stench, the [Goldsmith] increasingly found herself dreaming about climbing into a hot bath and not coming out for at least a day. The buckets of lukewarm water that Sacre provided as ¡°showers¡± weren¡¯t particularly comforting.
She ran a hand through her oily hair and frowned. Scratch that. Make it two days. She just had to get out of here first.
After accepting the slew of congratulations from her fellows, Thien walked over to the meager tent that served as their makeshift kitchen. Her stomach rumbled, as if angry that it¡¯d been ignored since breakfast. Tough break, stomach. Grabbing herself a snack, Thien did her best to think about something other than germs as she bit into a biscuit as dry as sand. She chased it down with a sip of weak, cold coffee, and while neither were pleasant, the [Goldsmith] didn¡¯t care.
Three locks remained.
For reasons none of the workers understood, the golden door was basically impervious to physical force. Sacre''s goons had failed to batter it down, and even their most powerful skills hadn''t managed to force it open. It couldn''t be cut, or melted, or frozen, or manipulated in any other way. The only way inside was to open each lock in succession, a delicate task that was impossible for the men who made their livings with their clenched fists.
Thien felt her dread recede as she took a sip of water. Thank Piper, the door¡¯s later locks weren¡¯t necessarily harder to open than the earlier ones had been. Certainly, the tenth ¨C a small pyramid made of movable parts that needed to be transformed into a cube within eighteen moves ¨C was devious and tricky, but the trick to it was simple and the group managed to open it with ease.
The eleventh lock was similar, and Thien made short work of it thanks to her [Rapid Reforge] skill. Before coming down here, she never would have thought that a skill best suited to changing the size of rings, bracelets, and earrings would be useful for making a pick grow and shrink in time with a maniac¡¯s lock, but it was.
However, her dread came roaring back soon after it disappeared because the group was now facing the door¡¯s final challenge: the twelfth lock. They¡¯d reached it four times before, and while they¡¯d gotten closer to finishing it with each attempt, a small voice in the back of Thien¡¯s mind whispered that the reason they kept failing was the door shouldn''t ever be opened in the first place.
Some things are better left undisturbed, she thought. That notion had been increasingly common as the days and weeks wore on, bolstered by the fact that she had no idea what Sacre even wanted down here in the first place. There were tunnels beneath Westown, sure, but so what? They¡¯d always been there, remnants of¡something. An old market, maybe? Something to do with shipping? Thien couldn¡¯t remember. But still, those aside, what could possibly interest him behind this door?
Her stomach rumbled once more and distracted her from her brooding thoughts. None of her companions seemed particularly eager to attempt the last lock just then, which was a blessing. She wasn¡¯t either.
Instead, she sat down on the mucky floor with everyone else, lounging around and making small talk while they waited for their ¡°protectors¡± to bring dinner. Years of working in customer service meant that the [Goldsmith] instinctively paid attention and participated in the conversation, but her heart really wasn¡¯t in it. She was tired of this dreadful monotony. With every passing hour, her desire to return to her workshop, to her home, to her life grew stronger and stronger.
Once they¡¯d eaten and it was socially acceptable for her to do so, Thien got up and walked over to the door to get another look at the final lock. It was huge, and depicted a horrifying monster¡¯s face made of silver and a strange crimson metal she didn¡¯t recognize. The beast had four eyes, three horns, and more teeth than the [Goldsmith] could count without focusing hard.
Their previous failures had taught the group that proper manipulation of all the pieces would reveal a keyhole in the creature¡¯s mouth, which would then need to be opened with a freshly forged key. Thien¡¯s fingers tingled at the thought of making one ¨C By Piper she longed for more familiar work! ¨C but that¡¯d come later. For now, she focused her attention on the creature¡¯s face and took to counting how many pieces they needed to manipulate. Like all the other locks, the twelfth was different each time they reached it. Thien begrudgingly felt some respect for the door¡¯s maker as she went from one tooth to another; the skill keeping the door locked was beyond anything she¡¯d ever seen before.
¡°It¡¯s a heck of a thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±
The sound of the man¡¯s voice startled the [Goldsmith], and she looked over her shoulder to see Ranald walking toward her. The [Locksmith] was as thin as his tools, with a sharp chin and hard eyes that seemed to pierce the gloom surrounding them. He¡¯d been the first person ¡°recruited¡± after Sacre¡¯s goons found the door during their exploration of the tunnels underneath Westown, and if the time away from the surface bothered him, he showed no signs of it. Ranald was friendly, serious, and, Thien admitted, quite good looking.
Looking back at the monstrous visage, she nodded. ¡°It¡¯s pretty incredible that it¡¯s still active like this. I thought skills that lingered after the user¡¯s death were just something in history books.¡±
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Ranald chuckled as he walked up to the mask. ¡°Same here. But, maybe the user¡¯s not dead, huh? Maybe they¡¯re still out there, keeping this thing shut. Geez, wouldn¡¯t that be something? Do you think they¡¯ll be mad when we open it?¡±
¡°I sure hope not.¡±
He grinned, and Thien smiled back at him as they both fell quiet. Admittedly, down in the darkness wasn¡¯t exactly the most fertile place for romance to blossom, but maaaaybe once all this was done and the two of them were back in the world above they could get a drink or something. See where things went. Thien preferred that approach, where nobody had any real expectations, or got hurt if things didn¡¯t work out. It was simple, and for all that the ornate designs of her work said otherwise, Thien liked simple.
¡°I count fifty three teeth,¡± she said to break the silence, which had stretched for just a moment too long. ¡°How about you?¡±
The [Locksmith] looked disappointed for a moment, as if sad that she¡¯d gone back to business so quickly, but he regained his composure and scanned the face for himself. Ranald tapped each tooth gently with his index finger as he went, though he was careful to not accidentally start the puzzle by pressing too hard.
¡°That¡¯s what I got too. Hey, Kenna, what do you think the formula for this thing is again?¡±
Kenna was a short woman with dark hair and violet eyes. While she¡¯d declined to tell them what her real class was, she claimed to have a ¡°professional interest¡± in locks.
Unlike the rest of them, Kenna hadn¡¯t been ¡°recruited¡± to help unlock the door; Sacre had hired her after the first week or so of failed attempts. That, paired with her almost feline grace was enough for Thien to doubt that the other woman had ever earned an honest fleur in her life.
Still, Kenna was the reason that they had gotten as far with the door as they had. The woman had an uncanny knack for seeing through the tangled web of logic and psychosis that governed some of the locks.
Taking out a small notebook, Kenna flipped to the back and read from her notes. ¡°Lock twelve. Multiply the teeth by the horns, divide by the eyes, and then we have to do something to unlock the keyhole. I¡¯m still trying to figure out where we went wrong last time.¡±
¡°I think it was the ears,¡± Ranald said. ¡°We should try pulling both at once instead of one at a time.¡±
Kenna frowned as she studied the face, then nodded. ¡°Seems reasonable. I¡¯m going to go ahead and count the teeth, then we¡¯ll go ahead and start, okay? Thien, would you mind getting your stuff set up again? We¡¯re going to need a key once we get to the end.¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
Meeting Ranald¡¯s eyes and lingering perhaps a hair longer than was strictly necessary, Thien walked over to her makeshift workbench and drew out another tiny bar of metal from the supply Sacre had given her. It was cheap stuff, but this wasn¡¯t an heirloom piece. It just needed to be functional, and the supplies were perfectly adequate for that.
She added some fuel to Furneace ¨C her [Friendly Forge] ¨C and waited for the small blue creature to perk back up. Once her little familiar¡¯s mouth was good and hot, Thien gave Kenna the go-ahead.
Cracking her knuckles, Kenna walked forward and got to work.
Time slowed to a crawl as Kenna twisted teeth, angled horns, and even closed one of the face¡¯s eyes. No one else ¨C including Sacre¡¯s guards ¨C dared even breathe when she pulled both ears at once before pressing the creature¡¯s tongue. The lock was silent for a few seconds, but eventually there was a low groaning sound as the keyhole appeared in the center of the creature¡¯s mouth.
Another surge of relief. They¡¯d reached the ¨C hopefully ¨C final step.
Thien, Ranald, and one of the other [Locksmiths] stepped forward at Kenna¡¯s request. Their job was to use their skills to try and discern the proper shape for the key. It wasn¡¯t exactly her specialty, but Thien extended her hand toward the lock, closed her eyes, and said, ¡°[Visualize Design].¡±
[Visualize Design] was a simple skill that Thien used often, mostly for interpreting the whirlwind orders of clients who couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain what they wanted, but were snippy if it wasn¡¯t exactly what they had in mind when they came to pick up their piece and pay. As she focused on the keyhole, the [Goldsmith]¡¯s mind was filled with a hazy gray shape.
With every moment that passed, the key grew clearer. It was long and slender; she was sure of that much. It seemed to be two-sided, but she wasn¡¯t sure if the sides were opposite of each other, or on adjacent faces. The number of teeth was somewhat ambiguous, but Thien figured it was at least six.
When her skill deactivated, she frowned. Frankly, that wasn¡¯t enough to really go on.
Thankfully, Ranald and the other [Locksmith] seemed to be having a better time of it. Their skill ¨C [Understand Lock] ¨C was much better suited to this type of task, and after a brief period of conferring together, they produced a quick sketch of what they thought the key might look like.
Kenna scanned it, clearly using a skill of her own, and nodded. ¡°Looks good to me. Go ahead and get to work, Thien.¡±
The [Goldsmith] did so, heating her metal inside Furneace and bending it with her tongs. She grunted as the metal resisted her hammer, then put it back to warm further.
She didn¡¯t know how long she worked on the key ¨C time went funny when she was focused on a piece of metal ¨C but eventually she found herself looking down at a small golden object that looked vaguely like a pipe.
Mopping the sweat from her brow, Thien handed the key to Kenna and sat down oddly exhausted.
¡°I think this will work,¡± Kenna said as she held the key up to the light to get a better look. ¡°Good stuff.¡±
The creature¡¯s face seemed even more ominous than it had before as Kenna gingerly inserted the key into its mouth and turned it. Thien¡¯s eyes flickered up to the display above the door. Any second now, her worst fear would come to pass: the three on the display would become two.
Thankfully, that didn¡¯t happen.
Groaning like a man woken from a deep sleep, the door opened ever so slightly, and like everyone else who¡¯d been pressed into service, Thien let out a whoop of joy. Along with Ranald and Kenna, she helped pull the door open, unwilling to believe that she wasn¡¯t somehow dreaming.
They¡¯d gotten through! But what was behind such a well-protected door?
Thien peeked into the darkness. It¡looked like¡a factory? Maybe? There were odd contraptions here and there, and big glowing bottles on a line of long shelves that went further than she could see. Many of them had horrifying labels - men with wings, women with extra arms, kitrekins and salamanders bathed in flames or made entirely out of rock - and sadly, Sacre¡¯s goons rushed forward and blocked the door before she could step inside to get a better look. One of the men summoned a large rock out of thin air and set it down next to the door so that it couldn¡¯t close again while his comrades shoved the workers away.
¡°Back it up, back it up. Everything in here now belongs to Mister Sacre,¡± one of the men said. ¡°He thanks you for your assistance in this matter. Collect your belongings, as we¡¯ll be escorting you back to the surface immediately. Of course, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll all be smart enough to keep from mentioning anything you saw down here to anyone, right?¡±
The threat in his words was too obvious to ignore, so they all nodded. De-summoning Furneace, Thien scooped her tools into the single bag she¡¯d been allowed to bring and followed the rest of the workers back towards the surface. Ranald walked beside her, and somehow their hands found each other as they stepped out into the moonlight.
Far away from Westown, on the steps of her boarding house, Sculla looked up at the twin moons. A tiny ember floated through the air, landing in the bowl of her pipe as she took a long, slow draw. Little as it was, the ogre relished the sensation of reclaiming some of her power.
Tipping her ashes out onto the snow beneath her feet, Sculla looked back at the wing of the boarding house in the middle of being renovated. It was still a mess, but she had no doubt that another thirty six rooms would be ready to go in a few more weeks. There wouldn¡¯t be any time to waste after it was done, though. There were other wings, and other buildings that needed to be fixed up too.
A need for more space was rapidly approaching, and the [[#$%( #$*%&]] had to make sure she kept up with it.
Despite the snowflake that landed on her cheek, the air was surprisingly warm.
Sculla knew that it was still far away, but the end of winter ¨C in more ways than one ¨C was on the horizon at last.
Taking another draw from her pipe, the ogre started humming. The hymn had been old long before she was born, but it remained the prettiest song she¡¯d ever heard.
Bonus: Thien¡¯s Character SheetThien Ludan
Primary Class: Goldsmith (Yuliet Rasten), Level 34
Secondary Class: Jeweler (Yuliet Rasten), Level 31
Tertiary Class: Metalworker (Melissa Ludan), Level 28
Additional Class: Aesthetic Afficionado (Self), Level 24
Additional Class: Amateur Lockbreaker (Kenna McClure), Level 1
Might: 40
Wit: 41
Faith: 50
Ambition: 14
Taste: 29
Flair-For-The-Dramatic: 20
Negotiation: 36
Steady Hands: 43
Keen Eye: 29
Kinetic Intelligence: 16
Budgeting: 15
Creativity: 25
Volume 2 Chapter 41:
Knowing that Thien would be back in her shop in two days was great for easing Vee¡¯s worries but awful for helping him figure out what he was going to do about Crestheart¡¯s rewards in the meantime. Similarly, a good night¡¯s rest meant that Vee felt refreshed, but sadly, the [Dungeon Master] hadn¡¯t had any subconscious-assisted epiphanies.
As such, Vee was trying to solve the problem by not thinking about it, instead turning his attention to the small scale model of another room idea for Crestheart. He¡¯d been thinking about miniaturizing his ideas for a while, as he¡¯d found that bringing his sketches to life wasn¡¯t always as easy as he hoped it was. Giving Do something that would fill the space in a similar way to what he envisioned would doubtlessly help make the [Dungeon Maintainer]¡¯s job significantly easier.
Beyond that though, making a model meant he could also ¡°test¡± his creations, which should make it easier for him to foresee and fix any problems that might crop up once it came time for actual installation. He wasn¡¯t sure that he would have caught anything amiss with his original design for the portal room, but having that extra lever available couldn¡¯t be a bad thing.
The current diorama Vee was working on was a new addition for the obstacle course portion of the dungeon. His idea was simple, but he was confident in it since, like almost all of his best ideas, he¡¯d stolen it from somebody else. It was a large spinning disc with a big rod that would knock adventurers down to the ground below. He¡¯d gotten the idea from a circus he¡¯d visited as a child with his brother, and he figured that the adventurers would enjoy his version too.
Making the wheel was simple enough; all it needed was a few minutes and a single use of [Shape Ectoplasm] to get pulled into the proper shape. The arm was similarly simple. He just pulled some ectoplasm into a rod and rolled it on the desk until it was smooth. Getting the parts together was a little trickier ¨C Vee had to actually think about the way the arm attached to the pillar in the center, and ended up making a simple locking pin to do so ¨C but soon enough the [Ghost Maestro] was looking down at a small replica of what he imagined the wheel to look like.
Scaling it up to ¡°real size¡± would be a challenge, as he¡¯d probably need some different materials for it than just ectoplasm, but Vee decided that figuring out the details was a problem for his future self. Content, the [Dungeon Master] carried on with his work until he was interrupted by a tight, stringy voice coming from across the lab.
¡°Whatchya workin¡¯ on, Blue?¡±
Vee looked up, startled, and saw a man in a green tunic embroidered with silver leaves. He was tall and well-built, and there was laughter in his eyes as he lounged against the far wall.
That didn¡¯t stop Vee from activating [Summon Miasma] and filling the room with some of the noxious gas as fast as he could. He held his breath and directed the miasma toward the stranger, but to his horrified surprise, the man didn¡¯t even flinch when it reached his nostrils.
¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not going to work on me,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°What you see isn¡¯t really what I am.¡±
What did that mean? Vee looked behind the man and saw the bow that Rortenferry had brought along on his first visit. Realization hit Vee like a bag of bricks, and he [Banished] the miasma as quickly as he¡¯d summoned it, leaving a tiny puddle of goo on the floor that started evaporating immediately. He let out his breath and shook his head, feeling a little embarrassed.
¡°You¡¯re the weaponsoul,¡± he said sheepishly. ¡°But how did you activate your disguise through the barrier? I thought you were trapped.¡±
¡°I am trapped,¡± the man said with a sneering frown. ¡°My [Projection: Archer] ¨C this form you see before you ¨C can¡¯t physically interact with the world unless it¡¯s holding me. So, even though I can use it to converse with you or wander around this laboratory of yours, I can¡¯t free myself from this wretched prison. Trust me, I¡¯ve tried.¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh really? That¡¯s really something.¡±
The projection snorted, and an awkward silence descended on the lab, so Vee said, ¡°Well, what do you want?¡±
¡°Who says I want anything? Is it a crime to talk to somebody?¡±
Vee shifted in his seat. ¡°Not usually. However, if you¡¯ve been capable of talking all this time and haven¡¯t done so yet, you must have a reason for striking up this particular conversation. What is it? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m busy here.¡±
The bow¡¯s projection smiled patronizingly, like a pompous teacher dealing with a rowdy student, and Vee felt a flicker of irritation that he pushed down right away. Luna had mentioned that the bow had tried to rile her up before their fight, and Vee wasn¡¯t going to fall for such a trick. He was going to stay cool, calm, and collected.
¡°Actually, it¡¯s that busyness that interests me, Blue. What exactly are you working on?¡±
Vee explained his project, and the projection looked suitably impressed, tilting his head to the side and widening his eyes. The longer he looked at it, the surer the [Ghost Maestro] became that this weaponspirit must be old. Having such a strong command of human posture and expression didn¡¯t come quickly. It was time to see how well it¡¯d socialized during that time.
¡°Since I answered your question, it¡¯s only fair that you now answer one of mine,¡± Vee said. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±
The projection shrugged. ¡°Depends on who¡¯s got me. Never met a weaponsoul before? We take the names our masters give us, and we don¡¯t complain about it.¡±
¡°Well, what¡¯d the bandits call you?¡±
¡°Nock.¡±
¡°Nock?! That¡¯s an awful name.¡±
With a shrug, the man stood up and walked over to the table where Vee sat. ¡°Like I said, weaponsouls don¡¯t complain, but between you and me, I agree. It¡¯s probably one of the worst names I¡¯ve ever had. And trust me, I¡¯ve had plenty.¡±
¡°Well, if not Nock, what do you want me to call you?¡±
The projection shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not how this back and forth thing works, Blue. Besides, it¡¯s pretty rude to ask someone¡¯s name and not introduce yourself too.¡±
That was a fair point, so Vee told the bow his name and volunteered a little bit more information about Crestheart to keep the conversation moving.
The bow sounded impressed. ¡°A [Dungeon Master] out in Oar¡¯s Crest, huh? Now that¡¯s not what I was expecting. Since you look kind of shifty and mess around with ghosts and spirits, I figured you were some sort of [Mad Scientist], or [Inquisitor], or something like that. I¡¯ve decided that since I don¡¯t technically have a new master yet, you can go ahead and keep calling me Nock for now. Maybe it¡¯s not as bad a name as I thought it was. Anyways, for my next question, I want you to tell me about your [Dungeon Champion]. What¡¯s their deal? Looking for a backup or an understudy, by chance?¡±
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Vee smirked. ¡°The thought has indeed come up, but I¡¯m not sure we¡¯re taking applications at this time.¡±
***
Vee talked to Nock until it was time for him to get up to the office and prepare for the first runs of the day. It¡¯d been an interesting, albeit mundane conversation, and he¡¯d left with a promise to return soon for another chat. The weaponsoul seemed lonely, though Vee was definitely wary of the possibility it was just an act hiding nefarious intent. When he visited the bow again, Vee was going to bring Reginald along. After all, the hat was much better at sniffing out malice than he was.
Under his arm, Vee carried his miniature diorama. Distracted from his work by his conversation with Nock, he hadn¡¯t finished it yet, and didn¡¯t want to lose the thread of his thoughts by coming back another time. The zone for creation was really more like a narrow window, and Vee didn¡¯t want to risk it slamming shut before he was done.
When he got up to the office, he carefully set the disc down on the desk and got Reginald¡¯s attention.
¡°I was thinking about adding this to the third floor somewhere,¡± Vee said, giving the wheel a spin so that the hat could see it move. A moment later, he spun the arm too. ¡°What do you think?¡±
Reginald watched a few rotations, then said, ¡°I like the concept, though I think two separate arms with one on the top and the other on the bottom with a gap in the middle would be better than just the big one that you have here. The arms could spin opposite ways, you know?¡±
Vee looked down at the disc and rubbed his chin. It was a good suggestion. Two arms would definitely keep adventurers on their toes better than one. He rigged up another arm real quick, and while it wasn¡¯t balanced, it¡¯d work for demonstrating the general idea.
Yeah, he liked that quite a bit. Two arms was definitely the way to go. Watching the model gave him some ideas for other things he could add too, like space for ghost arms to pop out and push adventurers off or little slits to activate [Icy Mist] crystals through. The [Dungeon Master] smiled; he had a good feeling about what he was affectionately calling ¡°the wheel¡±. There¡¯d been a bunch of other fun activities at those old circuses that he could riff on too. Like spinning logs in water, dunk tanks, and all sorts of options he could adapt to Crestheart with a bit of time and ingenuity.
For now though, it was time to buckle down and get to work running the dungeon, as the day¡¯s first adventurer ¨C a Level 18 [Elemental Fencer] ¨C walked into Crestheart. Oddly, instead of the blade Vee expected to see, the man carried a pair of metal poles over his shoulder. When the first ghosts threw themselves at him, he slammed the poles into the ground and shouted. A fence of flames manifested in the air before him and the ghosts were burned to a crisp as soon as they tried to pass through. Then, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, the man dismissed his fence, picked up his poles, and continued on.
Vee blinked several times to make sure that his eyes weren¡¯t playing some sort of elaborate joke on him, then looked down at the man¡¯s application on the off chance that he simply hadn¡¯t read it properly the first time. Nope, it very clearly said ¡°[Elemental Fencer]¡± right there in black ink.
¡°Uh¡isn¡¯t he supposed to have a sword of some sort?¡± the [Dungeon Master] asked as another fiery barrier turned a trio of frost elementals into puddles and steam. ¡°I could have sworn we had an [Elemental Fencer] a while back and she definitely had a sword.¡±
¡°Probably, but he seems to be doing just fine without one.¡±
¡°But how can he be an [Elemental Fencer] if he¡¯s not a swordsman?¡±
¡°Sometimes people just misunderstand what words mean.¡±
Watching the adventurer¡¡°fence¡± his way through the dungeon, Vee was reminded of an old quote from Jakz Worldbreaker, a famous [Gladiator Grandmaster] who¡¯d put down his trademark lantern mace to teach fitness in his later years: Anything can be a REAL weapon if the will to kill is strong enough.
Truer words might never have been spoken, Vee thought as the adventurer down in Crestheart created a pen around a group of slimes. Slowly, the pen grew smaller and smaller until the slimes had nowhere to go and where crushed.
Seeing his minions destroyed so cruelly bothered Vee, so reaching down, the [Dungeon Master] twisted one of the dials on his desk, and activated an [Ice Cage] trap.
[Devious Mind +1]
Reciprocation felt oddly satisfying, he thought, and Vee found it kind of fun to watch the man fail to break through the bars. Pressing another button, Vee activated an [Ice Vent] trap and soon the man¡¯s frantic swings of his fenceposts slowed until he admitted defeat.
Freeing the [Elemental Fencer] with a press of the room reset button, Vee disabled the rest of his traps and waited for the next adventurer to enter the dungeon. Much like building his diorama, the [Dungeon Master] found his mind going comfortably blank as he did so, and he nudged his thoughts back to the rewards for successful adventurers.
A kernel of an idea was there waiting for him. What if, instead of material goods and rewards, Crestheart offered intangible experiences of some sort?
Now that was an idea, but Vee still needed to come up with the specifics, and he was still empty in that regard. Hopefully he¡¯d come up with something soon.
Rubbing his chin, the [Dungeon Master] looked down at the day¡¯s next challenger. Bo Dandy, a level 16 [Lumberjack]. Since he recognized the man¡¯s name, Vee went ahead and activated [Boost Drops] too. As he remembered, the bearded adventurer had a bit of a temper and liked to fight every last minion in each room.
It took a moment to shuffle the skeletons and ghosts around to ensure that the marked minions would be destroyed first, but Vee didn¡¯t mind. His hands whizzed and flew across the dials; he was getting faster and faster at manipulating the dungeon. Heck, he didn¡¯t even really need to consult the labels above his dials and knobs anymore, and when he wanted to activate a specific trap or hazard, he instinctively knew where to reach.
Eventually, the dungeon would grow again and he¡¯d have to relearn things, but for now, Vee truly felt like he was in command of Crestheart.
There was a knock at the door, and when Vee said to come on in, Brice Gilbert the [Toymaker] walked inside.
He was carrying two statues of Alforde. The first was a lovely wooden piece that Vee could see had been carefully constructed, but the second one was truly what caught his eye.
¡°Got a minute? I''ve got some stuff I want you to see,¡± Brice said with a grin as he lifted both of them up.
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 20
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 32
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 14
Devious Mind: 23 (+1)
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 1
<3**Infatuation**<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 22
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 5
Might: 41
Wit: 12
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 20
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 8
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 8
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 42:
Vee gestured for Brice to sit down beside him and took a look at the pair of figurines. The wooden one that he¡¯d originally commissioned was well-made and impressively detailed. It was about ten inches tall, and painted to make Alforde look like he was covered in frost. With the exception of one leg, all of the armorsoul¡¯s limbs and head were movable, and the tiny Slammy could be removed from the figure with ease. Vee spent a few moments playing with the figure, changing its pose and testing the toy¡¯s durability. He wasn¡¯t disappointed, and commended Brice on a job well done.
The [Toymaker] smiled at the compliment, but shook his head and pointed to the other figurine as soon as Vee put the wooden one down. ¡°Thanks, but to be honest I''m not terribly interested in that piece anymore. Instead, I really want you to take a look at this other one here. I¡¯m really excited about it.¡±
Vee looked at the second figure. It was much smaller than the wooden one, standing no more than two or three inches tall. It depicted Alforde in the middle of a mighty hammer swing, with a stylized cape flowing behind him. Despite its small size, the details were surprisingly intricate, though the figure didn¡¯t look capable of movement.
Truthfully, the [Dungeon Master] didn¡¯t understand why Brice was so excited for him to see it. What was so special about this thing? Frowning, Vee picked the figure up and brought it closer to his eye. It was pleasantly heavy, and felt good in his hand. More than that though, Vee recognized the material immediately; it was made out of ectoplasm.
¡°I used those sheets you gave me,¡± Brice said when Vee looked up. ¡°They were brittle, but surprisingly easy to cut for how well they hold detail.¡±
Vee turned it around a few times, surprised at how nice it looked. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it painted?¡±
Brice grinned, a manic glint coming to his eye. ¡°That¡¯s part of the fun, I think. We could make a bunch of these, sell them to people, and let them paint them themselves. I might be getting a little carried away here, but I was thinking we could make a bunch for Crestheart. You know, have Alforde, Mister Chills, some of the other minions, and maybe even some adventurers too. People could build their own dungeon encounters!¡°
At the sound of the word Adventurers, a tingle raced down Vee¡¯s spine, and he found himself grinning as well. This was it! He¡¯d found something to offer adventurers who managed to defeat Alforde before they got Thien to make more rewards. They could be immortalized in miniature form!
More than that though, depending on how fast Brice could make new figures, they could also offer the miniatures to visitors who came to Oar¡¯s Crest as part of the upcoming not-a-dungeon-circuit. New sources of revenue were always welcome.
A world of new possibilities fueled by miniature dungeons expanded before him, and Vee knew that he had something big on his hands. It just needed a name. Something punchy and iconic.
He thought about a couple options. Dungeon minis? Not bad, but not particularly exciting. If possible, he wanted to work in the fact that it was made out of ectoplasm too. Dungeon ectoplasm figurines? Dungeon ectoplasm models? Hmm, neither of those were particularly good; they were too long. However, they did give Vee an idea. What if he combined some of the words? Dunpla!
Yeah, he liked the sound of that, but he wanted it tied to his dungeon. Crestheart Dunpla, then.
¡°Well, what do you think?¡± Brice asked, looking somewhat wary. Vee reached up and feathered his hair, feeling a little guilty for staying silent for so long.
¡°I love it,¡± Vee said. ¡°How fast can you make more?¡±
The [Toymaker]¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°How fast can you get me more of that thin ectoplasm? Or actually, can you make me a couple different sizes? Like a thin, medium, and thick? There are some things that would work better if I had access to different varieties of material.¡±
Vee rubbed his chin. Technically, the ectoplasm was pretty easy to make, he just had to flatten some of his refined ectoplasm. By itself, that didn¡¯t take particularly long, but finding the time to do it when he had so many other things that needed his attention was something of a problem.
However, it was possible that he could outsource the work to one of his fiends. Most of the members of his medium section still lacked proper tasks, and according to Kai, Dandelion was doing great helping out with the menagerie. Could another fiend do something similar here? It was worth a shot at least.
He looked over at Brice. ¡°You don¡¯t have any issues with fiends, do you?¡±
The [Toymaker] shrugged. ¡°Not unless they¡¯re trying to eat me or something like that.¡±
Vee closed his eyes and reached through his bond to his medium section. ¡°Well, you won¡¯t need to worry about that. Now, let¡¯s start talking specifics.¡±
Ultimately, Vee and Brice came to an agreement for a set of additional figurines for the [Toymaker] to produce with a fiend¡¯s help. Vee would have to find a way to sneak his minion into the city proper without it being discovered and make a device to help flatten the ectoplasm more quickly, which were both things he thought Rortenferry could help him with. He jotted down a note to bring it up the next time he talked to his old teacher, and got back to hammering out the details.
For the dungeon itself, Brice agreed to make a couple different ghosts, a frost elemental, and the basic trio of skeletons regularly found inside Crestheart. Beyond that, he¡¯d make a figure of Mister Chills, a couple simple room sets, and eight different adventurer figures to be determined later.
Vee had wanted more variety in case Alforde had a bad string of fights and was less popular than he should have been, but Brice resisted.
¡°Look, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to make a bunch, but I have the rest of my business to think about. As exciting as this project is, I have other products that pay my bills,¡± he explained. ¡°However, if these get popular I¡¯d be happy to make more in the future.¡±
That was good enough, Vee decided, so he didn¡¯t press the issue any further. Instead, he turned his attention to the question of where the figures would be displayed and sold, as he wanted to have some available in the Lobby while he worked on expanding it to more people than just adventurers. Brice of course wanted to keep them exclusive to his own shop, so that he could control pricing and make sure that they were handled properly. Back and forth they negotiated, until they came to a decent compromise and shook hands to seal the deal. Some of their plans would have to wait until spring came around, but others would be starting in the coming weeks in anticipation of the not-circuit.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
"Pleasure doing business with you," Brice said as he got up to leave.
"Same," Vee answered. "I''m excited to see what else you come up with up."
Reginald got Vee¡¯s attention and the [Dungeon Master] looked over at the nearest viewing crystal. Down below in the dungeon, a kitrekin [Fighter] was heading toward Alforde¡¯s arena.
Vee reached down and activated the magnification crystal that would let him talk to his friend.
¡°Hey buddy, you¡¯re about to have some company. If you could make sure you win this fight and any others you have today too, that¡¯d be great. I have some new rewards lined up, but I want to make sure they¡¯re properly announced before we start giving them out. Do your best, okay?¡±
Alforde¡¯s reply was bright and full of energy.
¡°Got it! I won¡¯t let you down, Vee!¡±
Alforde lifted Slammy onto his pauldron as a burly ginger kitrekin stepped into his arena. The adventurer held up his paws, extended his claws, and licked his whiskers with a smile.
¡°Heya, Champ. How¡¯s it going? You ready to throw down?¡±
Alforde nodded, and tossed over the SSB. The kitrekin scarfed it down and took a step forward. Alforde settled his thoughts. The old urge to throw himself into combat was there like a bad habit, whispering into his helmet, but while Alforde wanted to win, the armorsoul refused to listen to its superficial urging. Instead, he steeled himself for a contest and turned his attention to his foe.
The kitrekin swaggered forward and raised his paws into a crude imitation of a [Boxer¡¯s] stance. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you handle this! [Double Swipe]!¡±
Dancing away from the adventurer¡¯s paws, Alforde brought Slammy around in a quick counterattack and sent his foe sliding across the stage. He fought back the urge to pursue, waiting instead for the kitrekin¡¯s [Flipping Jump Kick], which he brushed away with a [Pauldron Smash]. Walking in a slow circle, Alforde waited until the kitrekin drew close again, then activated [Combo Attack]. Slammy whizzed through the air, peppering the [Fighter] with three quick blows. The force of his last thrust was enough to send the kitrekin over the edge and Alforde picked up his first point.
He still had three more to go though, and the armorsoul refrained from letting his thoughts run away from him as his opponent came back on stage.
¡°That was a nifty attack,¡± the kitrekin growled. ¡°But now I¡¯m angry.¡±
As the words left his mouth, the ktirekin¡¯s face changed, growing sharper and more brutal. His claws lengthened, and his steps got faster and faster. He leapt toward Alforde again, and this time the armorsoul wasn¡¯t quite quick enough to get out of the way. The pair collapsed to the stage, and the adventurer¡¯s claws raked and scratched Alforde¡¯s plates. The blows weren¡¯t particularly damaging at first, but they got stronger as time went on, and at the end of the sequence the [Fighter] rolled Alforde over to the edge of the stage. With a grunt and a mighty kick, the kitrekin evened the score.
Alforde bounced back up and resumed his steady circling. He felt his cape flapping back and forth, and tried to summon his Domain, but his [Chilling Tempest] refused to form. It was a finnicky skill, and he had yet to master it, but the armorsoul didn¡¯t panic. Instead, he activated [Unstoppable Charge] and went sliding across the stage. When the kitrekin dodged, Alforde used Slammy¡¯s shaft to redirect himself and swung back around. This time, he was too quick for the adventurer to dodge, and the armorsoul was back in the lead after mightily crashing into the kitrekin¡¯s side.
Once again, he tried to summon his Domain, and once again the skill refused to activate. It was close though, and Alforde knew that if he gave it his full attention he¡¯d manage to bring the wintry storm to life. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t do so just then, as the fight intensified further. The adventurer¡¯s fur caught fire, and when he struck Alforde with an open palmed [Vengeful Swat], the armorsoul went flying.
The [Dungeon Champion] tumbled through the air and landed hard on the ground below the stage, though like always he bounced right back up again. Looking over at the adventurer, Alforde saw that the kitrekin was now almost completely covered in roaring orange flames.
Reginald¡¯s voice echoed through the room. ¡°Two minutes remain, fighters.¡±
Alforde lifted Slammy and pointed it at the adventurer. He twisted the handle and opened up the hammer¡¯s head, activating his socketed crystal and buffeting the kitrekin in a hail of¡well, hail. At first, the icy projectiles caused the adventurer to stagger, but after a few moments the flames on his fur grew larger and the air was filled with hissing as Alforde¡¯s projectiles melted on contact.
¡°Trying to keep me away, huh? Why? Are you scared of me, Champ?¡± the kitrekin said with a grin. ¡°Good, because I¡¯m just getting started. [Blaze Clones]!¡±
The flames on the adventurer¡¯s fur turned gold, and a pair of fiery doppelgangers appeared on either side of the [Fighter]¡¯s body. As one, they marched toward Alforde, raising their paws to strike.
Focusing on his cape, Alforde imagined it dissipating into [Chilling Tempest], and this time the skill activated. Frigid wind filled the arena, and a thin layer of frost expanded out from the armorsoul¡¯s boots. Once the entire arena was covered, the armorsoul summoned Shadowforde and met his opponent in a clash of hammer and claws.
The fighting was fierce, but the [Dungeon Champion]¡¯s domain stymied the effects of the kitrekin¡¯s skill, and after a furious exchange, time ran out and Alforde was declared the victor. Pride surged through the armorsoul¡¯s breastplate as he held out his gauntlet, shook the kitrekin¡¯s paw, and waited for his next bout. He¡¯d kept his emotions in check and fought well.
His domain faded slowly, and Alforde was sad to see it go. He dismissed Shadowforde with a polite nod and watched the ice on the floor of his platform melt. Was there a way he could keep [Chilling Tempest] ready without it being visible?
There was only one way to find out. The [Dungeon Champion] turned his thoughts to his cape once more.
I can do this, Alforde thought to himself. I know I can. I¡¯m not going to stop trying until I can summon [Chilling Tempest] on command.
[Heart Of A Champion +1¨C Deferred due to [Fair Fight]]
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales (Unchanged)
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 20
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 32
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 14
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 1
<3**Infatuation**<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 22
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 5
Might: 41
Wit: 12
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 20
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 9 (+1)
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 8
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 43:
After Brice left and Alforde emerged triumphant in his bout against the kitrekin adventurer, Vee reset the dungeon and let his mind wander. Leaning back in his chair, Vee laced his fingers behind his head and closed his eyes, basking in the rays of warm sunlight coming through the window.
It was so pleasant that Vee found himself starting to nod off, though a cry from Reginald woke him up before he could truly fall asleep.
¡°Boss! Wake up! There¡¯s some weird little creatures crawling around the window! Hey!¡±
Through bleary eyes, Vee looked out and saw that his [Majordomo] was indeed telling the truth. Small spherical brown creatures were swarming the lower corners, and it looked like a few were trying to wedge themselves through the crack. Vee hadn¡¯t ever seen anything like them before, though that wasn¡¯t particularly surprising. After all, while he¡¯d read all of Epscot Roosgerald¡¯s Monster Manuals more times than he could count, he wasn¡¯t exactly a trained [Monsterologist].
¡°Do you know what they are?¡± he asked Reginald, picking the hat up and carrying him to the window so they could both get a closer look. The [Core Spirit] studied them for a moment, then flapped his brim.
¡°Afraid not, Vee. They¡kind of look like mud though, don¡¯t they?¡±
The [Dungeon Master] bent forward and squinted for a moment before he saw what his hat meant. Indeed, the tiny creatures did look like mud, which prompted Vee to activate [Third Sight].
Interestingly, they weren¡¯t spirits or ghosts, which meant that they were probably summons of some sort. While that was nice to know, it still didn¡¯t explain why they were swarming his window.
The [Dungeon Master] found that he was curious about the little creatures. They didn¡¯t look dangerous in any way, so he carefully pulled opened the window and the ¨C globlins, he decided ¨C scurried inside. There were more of them than he¡¯d originally thought. A lot more. He closed the window almost as quickly as he¡¯d opened it, but by then a veritable horde was inside and skittering around. Vee stomped on one as it crawled across his floor and it popped, sending a tiny wisp of smoke up into the air. Any lingering doubts that they were summons of some sort vanished. But what did they want?
Pinching his thumb and index finger together, Vee activated [Shape Ectoplasm] and slapped together a makeshift box. He made himself a little paddle too, and used it like a broom to sweep the critters inside. A few tried to escape away, but Vee was faster than they were and shoved them into the box. He accidently stomped on a few more as he chased down the stragglers, and Vee wrinkled his nose at the smell of smoke in the air.
Making another sheet of ectoplasm, Vee sealed the box shut and set it on the ground, where it started shaking almost immediately. The rumbles turned into pounding, and soon enough every side of the box was straining against itself.
¡°Boss, step back!¡±
The urgency in Reginald¡¯s voice prompted Vee to do so without question, which was good because the box veritably exploded a few seconds later. Shards of ectoplasm went flying in every direction, and Vee ducked beneath a large chunk that bounced off the wall behind his head.
Down on the floor in the place of the globlin swarm, there was a small and angry golem with four arms and a mean scowl. It looked back and forth around the room, grunting and flexing. It looked around the room, its beady eyes seeking something.
¡°Any ideas, Reginald?¡±
¡°Summons aren¡¯t exactly my specialty. Can¡¯t you get rid of it?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s not a ghost or a spirit, but I¡¯ll give it a try all the same,¡± Vee said as he held out his palm. A familiar warmth spread across his palm. ¡°[Banish]!¡±
Sure enough, though, the skill failed to do anything. The energy in his palm fizzled and faded to nothing while the golem started walking around the room. Vee tried to catch it with a rope of ectoplasm, but he was no [Wrangler] and his throws missed by a wide margin.
Unsure of what else to do, Vee resorted to the tried-and-true method of handling any problem: picking up a chair and readying himself to use it as a bludgeon. Alas, the chair was distressingly heavy, so after a few seconds of warily watching the little golem snarl as it picked up speed and wincing at the thought of his poor fingers, Vee set it back down and decided it was time for plan B.
Now, normally in situations like these, Alforde was plan B ¨C as well as plan every other letter Vee could think of ¨C but the armorsoul was down in the dungeon and couldn¡¯t get to the office fast enough. In his best friend¡¯s place, Vee closed his eyes and summoned his orchestra.
Unknown creature in tower office. Attend me, quickly.
The nearest fiends, the [Dungeon Maintainers], ceased their work at once and hurried into the room as fast as their legs would carry them.
¡°Fan out and surround it,¡± Vee commanded. ¡°Don¡¯t let it out of this room, okay?¡±
Wordlessly, the [Dungeon Maintainers] did as ordered, seemingly transformed by the situation. Their claws, which were usually well hidden and difficult to see, were readily bared, and their eyes glittered with violence. Having grown used to their regular appearance, Vee couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback by the savagery his minions displayed. A small part of him that¡¯d never been fond of violence almost felt bad for the strange golem.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
As the orchestra advanced to capture the golem, its behavior changed. Instead of a casual walk, it started running as fast as it could. It darted over to Dheart, climbed over it, and leapt down to the floor. After a moment¡¯s pause, it made a break for the door, its feet slapping on the ground. One of the [Dungeon Maintainers], Mi, squatted down and tried to grab it as it passed, but the little mud monster slipped out of the fiend¡¯s grasp at the last second with a little squeak that sounded like a laugh. Fa and So came close too, but they also failed to apprehend the golem when they crashed into each other and fell down.
Ultimately, it was Do who finally stepped forward and scooped the creature up with a steady swoop. Wailing, the golem strained against the fiend¡¯s grip for a moment, then let out a piercing shriek and crumbled into dust. The stink of smoke filled the air.
Vee shook his head. Apparently, the summoner had decided to end the skill.
Do and the rest of the fiends in the room looked around to make sure that none of the little creatures yet remained. When that was done, they also checked the window, which was also summon-free.
Do bowed. ¡°Master, are you okay?¡±
The [Ghost Maestro] nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks. It didn¡¯t try to attack me or anything like that. I appreciate you all coming so quickly.¡±
A lilting chorus of fiendish voices filled the room in response.
¡°Of course master!¡±
¡°Happy to serve!¡±
¡°So long as you¡¯re safe!¡±
¡°Always.¡±
¡°Work boring anyways.¡±
¡°Bonus ectoplasm?¡±
Vee looked over at the last two speakers. Their expressions were blank, and their faces hadn¡¯t yet developed enough for him to tell if they were being serious or if they were trying to make a joke. He maintained eye contact with each of them in turn, but neither gave any indication one way or the other.
However, given the way Do¡¯s entire body tensed, Vee suspected they were being serious. So a few members of the orchestra were showing signs of boredom with their tasks, huh? That was interesting for a couple different reasons, and Vee made a mental note to discuss that development with Rortenferry at some point. Surely his old [Professor] would be interested in such a thing.
He walked over to Dheart and dispensed a round of refined ectoplasm, which he passed out to his [Dungeon Maintainers]. The fiends ate in relative silence, though La ¨C the one who¡¯d asked for the bonus in the first place ¨C gave a quiet and contented sigh at the end of its portion.
Do bowed once again. ¡°Master, do you require anything else at this time? If not, should we return to work?¡±
Vee nodded, but as the fiends turned to leave, he remembered his little diorama. It was still sitting on the table with its arm spinning, and the [Dungeon Master] decided that he might as well save himself the hassle of summoning the fiends later. Since they were already here, he might as well tell them about the new room idea so that they could start thinking about the best way to build it.
¡°Actually, hang on for a second,¡± Vee said. His orchestra stopped and turned back around. ¡°Before you get back to work, there¡¯s something I want to show you guys and get your thoughts on. You see that wheel on the desk over there?¡±
The fiends were excited about the spinning wheel, and offered plenty of constructive feedback. Do determined that it¡¯d take them a few days to gather all the materials necessary for the new room, especially since they needed Vee to use [Salvage Materials] to get some of the pieces. That was more than fine by Vee. He¡¯d been thinking about salvaging some of the nearby buildings anyways, as once winter ended he wanted to start expanding the opportunities for other businesses to set up shop near Crestheart. Beyond that though, Vee really wanted to come up with the best way to fill his new room with traps, minions, and other interesting elements. He didn¡¯t want another portal room situation.
The upcoming not-circuit loomed large in the back of his mind too, and the [Dungeon Master] was determined not to let Crestheart look bad in front of such a large audience.
Feeling determined, Vee tried to turn his attention back to the day¡¯s runs but found that he couldn¡¯t focus. His mind was running in too many different directions, not least of which was the strange golem from earlier. Where had it come from? What had it been after? Who was responsible for its appearance? He didn¡¯t know, and wasn¡¯t exactly sure how he¡¯d find out either, but it ticked him off.
He looked around the office, trying to figure out what could have attracted it in the first place. Truthfully, the place was pretty sparse. Vee hadn¡¯t yet made decorating anything close to a priority, so the walls were bare and the tables and chairs strictly utilitarian. There weren¡¯t any rare artifacts to be found or treasure to steal, so it really didn¡¯t make any sense.
Rubbing his temples, Vee set the dungeon¡¯s traps to work on their own and closed his eyes. The sunlight still felt nice as could be, and before long, the [Dungeon Master] had fallen asleep.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 20
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 32
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 14
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 1
<3**Infatuation**<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 22
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 5
Might: 41
Wit: 12
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 20
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 9
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 8
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 44
Thanks to the efforts of Vee¡¯s medium section, the buildings in Crestheart¡¯s immediate vicinity were entirely devoid of their fellows. In those places, not a single fiend could be found lurking behind the doors or climbing on the walls and waiting to strike. However, Vee couldn¡¯t help but feel a little wary as he walked into a large, empty warehouse to break down some of the materials inside. Alforde and Reginald were both back at Crestheart, as were the members of his orchestra. The [Ghost Maestro] wasn¡¯t particularly worried about his safety, but he knew for certain that there¡¯d be other ghosts and spirits lingering around that he might have to deal with. Their presence in the ethereal was like a chill in the air.
After a particularly potent nudge, Vee activated [Third Sight] and saw his temporary companions clearly. They were, it looked like, men and women who¡¯d once worked in the building. He tasted their triumphs and joys, experienced their fears and frustrations as if they were his own, and watched dread take hold of them as their business slowly withered and died. Their futile attempts to improve and their frustration and their inability to stave off their fate was palpable, and by the time Vee deactivated the skill, the corners of his eyes were wet.
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Vee whispered. ¡°Be at peace.¡±
The ghosts looked at him, and their expressions begged him for relief he could not give. Instead, all he could do was gently urge them to fade into the ethereal. Some did, but others did not, and Vee didn¡¯t have the time or energy to force the issue.
Shaking his head, Vee looked around for the section of wall that his fiends had identified as having the materials they needed for their upcoming project. He managed to find it without much trouble, as it was right there in the center of the room. Lifting his arms, Vee focused on the area in question and activated [Salvage Materials]. The world went blue and white, and Vee got to work.
Pulling buildings apart ¨C or sections of them, really ¨C was still something that Vee wasn¡¯t particularly used to. Manipulating the materials was an odd, jittery experience. Thankfully, Do had assured him that the wall in question wasn¡¯t load-bearing, so at least he didn¡¯t have to worry about the place coming down on his head. Still, it took a good bit of mental wrangling to pry the pieces apart one by one, and Vee was panting and drenched in sweat by the time he managed to get everything separated.
He looked down at his handiwork. On the ground at his feet were several perfect planks of wood, and a few other piles of miscellaneous materials. There were some scraps and splinters too, broken bits of the wall that hadn¡¯t been salvageable and weren¡¯t good for anything but disposal. Like anything else that turned one thing into another, [Salvage Materials] wasn¡¯t perfect in its conversion and some loss was inescapable. That said, Vee suspected he could improve the skill¡¯s effectiveness with more practice.
Checking off the first building on his list that he¡¯d made earlier, Vee went outside and crossed the street. He stepped into another abandoned shop next to Juniper¡¯s flower shop, where he was slated to find a trio of old benches to salvage. He located them in the back of the building¡¯s smallest room, but couldn¡¯t bring himself to salvage such pretty things. His fiends, it turned out, were fantastic at finding objects constructed of a given material, but weren¡¯t nearly as good at figuring out what was junk and what was worth keeping. The benches in question were truly lovely; they were made of sturdy dark wood, and had elaborately carved legs and backs that spoke well of the skill possessed by the [Carpenters] who wrought them. Their appearance reminded Vee of the past, with a commitment to quality rarely seen in modern pieces, so Vee decided that his orchestra could find their materials elsewhere. He wanted to preserve these. Closing his eyes, the [Dungeon Master] ordered his medium section to come and collect the benches after they finished their daily tasks. When the fiends asked what they should do with them, Vee told them to bring them to the Lobby so that Juniper could decide if she wanted to use them. If not, they¡¯d look mighty fine right outside Crestheart too.
Satisfied with himself, Vee continued following his list, salvaging various materials from old and abandoned buildings and taking increasingly frequent breaks when the strain of his skill exhausted him. His eyes ached and the jump between the world¡¯s real colors and those he saw when his skill was active become increasingly jarring, but his efforts were well rewarded as he finished. When he sat down on an old countertop to catch his breath, a popup appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations, you are now a Dungeon Master Level 21!]
[Wit +1]
[Your Salvage Materials skill is now more powerful!]
[You can now use the Minion Surge skill!]
¡°Always how it goes,¡± Vee muttered as he closed his eyes to check his soul¡¯s mirror. ¡°Would have been great to have had a stronger [Salvage Materials] skill a little while ago.¡±
What exactly did his new skill do?
[Minion Surge] was like [Boost Drops] in that its usage was limited ¨C with only one charge per day ¨C and empowered the dungeon. However, that¡¯s where the similarities ended. Instead of increasing the shards of chaos dropped by defeated minions, [Minion Surge] temporarily increased the strength, speed, and durability of the dungeon¡¯s denizens in a single room, making them less likely to be defeated in the first place. It didn¡¯t affect [Dungeon Champions], [Mini Bosses], or other ¡°special¡± minions, either. Vee wasn¡¯t entirely sure what that latter group consisted of, but he figured it wasn¡¯t important enough to worry about just then. He was sure he¡¯d figure it out later.
Sadly, as was often the case with new skills, the description of [Minion Surge] wasn¡¯t terribly specific. It didn¡¯t tell Vee how much it enhanced his minions, so he¡¯d have to experiment with it and see. Unfortunately, with only one charge per day, it¡¯d take him some time to get a decent handle on its potential. That was less than ideal.
Still, Vee was excited as could be when he left the last building, and hurried to go tell Alforde and Reginald about this new development.
***
¡°Seems kind of crappy to me,¡± Reginald said as Vee explained his new skill. ¡°[Boost Drops] incentivizes you to throw away the dungeon¡¯s monsters, but [Minion Surge] makes them harder to destroy. Not much synergy there.¡±
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°I doubt you¡¯ll be using them in the same run,¡± Alforde said thoughtfully as he folded his arms across his breastplate. ¡°Especially since [Minion Surge] only has the one charge per day.¡±
Vee drummed his fingers on the desk. ¡°Yeah. Honestly, I¡¯m not even sure where I¡¯d want to use it in the first place,¡± he said. ¡°Since it¡¯s a room-based buff, it¡¯d make sense to try and affect as many minions as possible with it. I don¡¯t think any of the current rooms have enough minion density for it to be terribly useful."
His [Majordomo] hummed for a moment. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll probably be able to use it more often with some practice, though it¡¯s anyone¡¯s guess how long that¡¯ll take. In the meantime, maybe we should order some new minions to take advantage of it? Get some bigger threats? It¡¯ll cost us some coin, but if we have a handful of higher tier minions, we can set up a last stand type of room on the third floor somewhere and strengthen them further with [Minion Surge]. Most runs won¡¯t need it, since the adventurers are usually softened up pretty good before they get to Alforde, but it¡¯ll be good to have on hand if we need an emergency boost if we ever start offering higher stakes runs.¡±
That wasn¡¯t an awful idea, though Vee suspected that any adventurer who was subjected to such a room might have a less-than-favorable opinion on the matter once they learned that other adventurers hadn¡¯t had to face the same thing. Could such a room run afoul of the union¡¯s fairness regulations? He¡¯d have to look into it, which meant that he¡¯d probably have to reach out to the union directly for clarification. After all, the union¡¯s rules had a tendency to make the Bardis tax code look like a child¡¯s picture book.
Alforde shifted awkwardly, and he gingerly raised one of his gauntlets. ¡°Um, Vee? I have a question about something other than your new skill.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s, uh¡¡± Alforde tilted his helmet back and forth. ¡°While you were out salvaging materials, Reginald mentioned that the weapon soul down in the lab asked about joining up with the dungeon. Are you going to let it?¡±
Vee heard the unspoken question in his friend¡¯s words, and hurried to nip any sort of bad feelings in the bud before they managed to take root. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet, but if I do, it¡¯ll definitely be in a limited role. I don¡¯t know what Nock wants in exchange for working for us, and I need to talk to Rortenferry before I decide anything. I¡¯m not going to risk letting a powerful fighter go free. That¡¯s a headache we don¡¯t need. Beyond that though, I¡¯m not interested in any sort of understudy [Dungeon Champion] or anything like that. Okay?¡±
Alforde visibly relaxed and nodded. Vee felt the surge of relief through their bond and gently shook his head. The armorsoul was strange sometimes.
Vee raised an eyebrow at Reginald, who was sitting on the office desk. The hat flashed a sheepish grin, and Vee promised himself that he¡¯d have to have another talk with his hat about the costs of stirring the pot unnecessarily.
¡°I agree that we don¡¯t need an understudy [Dungeon Champion], but I think the bow could be a decent [Mini Boss] or something,¡± Reginald suggested. ¡°Heck, we could maybe even use it in the [Minion Surge] room we were just discussing. Or even just as a bonus room fight for some sort of additional prize.¡±
Vee shrugged as he considered the idea. On the one hand, having an optional challenge was fun and interesting. Adventurers would definitely appreciate getting some extra experience, but on the other hand, that was what they¡¯d tried with the portal room and it hadn¡¯t been particularly popular. Adding more rewards for those who completed the room would get more interest, but the [Dungeon Master] wasn¡¯t keen on the idea of increasing his costs without corresponding growth in revenue. He¡¯d come to believe that extra consumer value bonuses were most effective at taking market share, not generating profit, so he wasn¡¯t sure that sweetening the deal was such a good thing just then. If ¨C and that was a big if ¨C he decided to let Nock help out, he¡¯d have to find something else for the weapon spirit to do.
He had something of an idea. Maybe he could have Nock serve as a sort of ¡°recruitable¡± ally for adventurers. For a nominal fee, adventurers could battle the weapon spirit, and if they were victorious, Nock would help them in their fight against Alforde.
Of course, the armorsoul would have to test himself against the bow, but it was an interesting thought all the same.
After putting away the last of the day¡¯s earnings, the trio started heading back toward the gate. It¡¯d been a long day, and Vee was tired. He¡¯d probably used [Salvage Materials] too much, and was sure that he¡¯d pay for it in the morning, but truth be told Vee was pleased with how well it¡¯d worked. He¡¯d have to make a point of going out into the abandoned section of Westown more often and breaking down some of the old junk. Doing so would certainly boost his endurance for the skill, and also free up more space so that new businesses could come in. Vee¡¯s dream of a revitalized Westown couldn¡¯t just rest on the shoulders of Crestheart, the Lobby, and Juniper¡¯s shop.
However, in order for that dream to manifest, he¡¯d have to come up with some way to convince the council to let the gate to Westown stay open. Which, let¡¯s be real, was going to be a pain in the butt. At a minimum, Vee figured that he¡¯d have to clear out more and more sections of the abandoned area, and then build additional walls between it and the area around Crestheart. He couldn¡¯t risk any fiends causing trouble by attacking non-adventurers or getting out in the city.
The [Dungeon Master] groaned as his mind went through task after task. Talk about a big job. Vee wasn¡¯t sure he was ready to tackle it quite yet. One thing at a time, he told himself. Even though there were always more things that needed to be done.
Man, I really need an [Assistant].
Tucking his hands into his pockets, Vee tromped through the snow toward the gate, so caught up in his own thoughts and his conversation with his friends that he didn¡¯t notice the tiny brown creature hopping along in the shadows behind him. It grabbed ahold of Crestheart¡¯s wall and slowly started climbing.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 33 (+1)
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 14
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 5
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 1
<3**Infatuation**<3
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 22
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 5
Might: 41
Wit: 12
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 20
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 9
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald :
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 38 (+1)
$#&*!@!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 8
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 45:
The next three days passed in a pleasant flash, as if the world was trying to bring some semblance of consistency to Vee¡¯s perception of time. The [Dungeon Master] busied himself around the dungeon, testing various trap configurations for the new wheel room and collecting additional bits of material for his orchestra as the fiends required them. Hanako had delivered plenty of C-Rank crystals, and Vee was pleasantly surprised by their improvement in potency and responsiveness compared to the lower ranked versions. Though he¡¯d had nothing to do with it, really, Vee couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of the work his intern was doing. Hanako was definitely getting better and better.
She¡¯d also made some stronger versions of the crystals Alforde socketed into Slammy, and the armorsoul put them to good use in his dungeon bouts. The challengers who made it down to him were battered and blasted with a barrage of [Icicle Shots], [Spiked Snowballs], and [Frost Orbs]. Vee was pretty sure he hadn¡¯t seen at least two of those before, but there was no doubting their efficacy.
Under such ranged pressure, which most of the adventurers who¡¯d made it that far into Crestheart hadn¡¯t ever seen before, nearly all of Alforde¡¯s opponents failed to take a single stock and the dungeon didn¡¯t end up having to pay out any for any losses.
Feeling good about the state of the dungeon and looking forward to the spinning wheel being properly completed so that he could actually test it at scale, Vee counted up the day¡¯s fleurs on Friarsday evening with Alforde and Reginald and helped his friend carry the earnings into Crestheart¡¯s vault. They¡¯d made plenty of coin, but not all that many shards of chaos. Their shortfall of the latter was partially due to some bad luck ¨C barely any monsters had organically dropped the shards on their demise ¨C and partially due to Vee¡¯s uses of [Boost Drops] being suboptimal. He wasn¡¯t particularly worried about that though; like anything else, collecting dungeon loot came with ebbs and flows.
It was a skill like any other, and the earnings would all balance out in time.
As the next day was Saintsday and their official day off from working, Vee took an extra look around the dungeon to make sure that he wasn¡¯t forgetting anything he¡¯d want back at the boarding house before heading out. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how much free time he¡¯d have the next day, as he was going to be on his date with Luna, but he picked up the union¡¯s monster manual all the same. At a minimum, he could keep looking at the list of purchasable monsters, as he still wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to add. Sadly, neither Alforde nor Reginald had been much help. Reginald wanted to order some sort of octopode berserker that was most definitely not in their price range, while Alforde insisted on ¡°something that can fly¡± and refused to actually look at the pages when Vee tried to get his input.
The [Dungeon Master] was starting to suspect they were working together to force him to make the decision and really own it. They¡¯d been doing that type of thing more and more lately, though never as obviously as with this particular minion selection. Try as he might though, Vee couldn¡¯t bring himself to actually be upset about their antics, as he knew that the ultimately the task of selecting the dungeon¡¯s threats was his responsibility. It was just a touch inconvenient.
Outside the dungeon, the air was cool but not cold, and a few droplets of water fell from the roofs as Vee and Alforde made their way back to the gate. Reginald chattered the entire way, as was his habit, but Vee found himself tuning the hat out as they sloshed through the slightly wet snow.
Indeed, his thoughts were a jumbled mess centered around a single question:
What was he going to talk about on his date?
***
After some trouble falling asleep, Vee woke on Saintsday morning at the same time he always did. Though he wasn¡¯t entirely refreshed, he was slightly optimistic. It was going to be a good day. Surely there was some value in deciding that before it got off to a proper start, right?
As he and Luna had agreed to meet before noon, Vee had plenty of time to get ready and he decided to use it to the fullest.
He bathed and spent more time than usual picking out his outfit and fixing his hair. Though he still didn¡¯t have a ton of clothes here in Oar¡¯s Crest ¨C nor did he have the funds or inclination to go out and buy more ¨C Vee settled on a nice gray pair of pants and vest that he wore over a patterned white shirt. The clothes paired nicely with his coat, and while he wouldn¡¯t be mistaken for a [Model], he didn¡¯t look like a slob, either.
Reginald made a sound that was suspiciously similar to a whistle when Vee walked out of the bathroom and Alforde gave his friend a big thumbs up.
¡°Looking sharp, Boss! Are we going to get Luna a present or anything?¡±
Vee smiled, a mischievous glint in his eye.
¡°We?¡±
The hat¡¯s face twisted in horror. ¡°Y-You¡¯re not bringing me along? How could you not?! You left me here before your last date and I was so bored.¡±
Vee didn¡¯t say anything, and Reginald¡¯s became increasingly strangled.
¡°Come on, Boss! I get leaving the big guy here, he¡¯s boring, but I¡¯m your trusted advisor! Let me help you!¡±
Vee snorted and shook his head. ¡°Not a chance.¡±
Reginald wheedled and whined after that, until Vee got irritated and shut the hat away in his closet. He looked at Alforde, who was reading a book in his corner.
¡°You going to stay here too or are you going somewhere?¡±
The armorsoul paused his reading and thought for a moment, rolling his pauldrons and rocking his helmet back and forth. As he had no muscles to stretch, the gesture was largely meaningless, but over the years Alforde had adopted it and other human mannerisms, and Vee waited for him to finish.
¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I was thinking about going to the library and getting some more books, or maybe visiting Glenda and Jared. I got a quest sometime back that I think they might be able to help me with.¡±
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Vee nodded and looked over at the closet. ¡°Mind taking Reginald with you? I¡¯d feel bad if he was stuck in there by himself for a few hours.¡±
The armorsoul¡¯s eyes glittered as he straightened up. ¡°We¡¯ll see. Maybe I¡¯m too boring for him to tag along with.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t meant that!¡± Reginald cried from the closet. ¡°You¡¯re the most interesting armorsoul I¡¯ve ever met, Alforde! It¡¯d be great to get to spend some time together, you know?¡±
Alforde shook his helmet and closed his book. ¡±You know he¡¯s going to pester me to follow after you, right? What do I do if he starts demanding we stalk you guys?¡±
With a shrug, Vee headed toward the door. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have legs, Alforde. Ignore him. If he gets really annoying, stuff him away somewhere and let him listen to his own echo. You hear that, Reginald?¡±
Reginald yelled something back, but it wasn¡¯t particularly flattering and Vee responded in kind. With that all taken care of, Vee left the boarding house.
***
Tucking his hands into his pockets, Vee headed to the market. Truthfully, Reginald¡¯s idea about getting Luna a present was a good one, though the [Ghost Maestro] didn¡¯t really know what to get her. He knew that there weren¡¯t many flowers in bloom this time of year, and he certainly wasn¡¯t going to get her jewelry. Still, he¡¯d have to find something.
To his pleasant surprise, he wasn¡¯t nearly as nervous about this time around as he had been before their last date. Sure, his throat still felt a little scratchy and he swore his palms were sweatier than usual, but the feeling of his skin being too tight for his body was nowhere to be found and his heart didn¡¯t feel like it was auditioning for a job as a [Blacksmith].
Small victories.
He smiled at the people he passed by, and stopped when an older man walking with the help of a cane called out his name.
¡°Hi there, can I help you with something?¡± Vee asked as the man hobbled over.
A crooked grin answered him and the man held out his hand.
¡°Cornelius Boll. Pleasure to meet you, [Dungeon Master]. And not as much, I was just hoping to talk to you a bit about your dungeon.¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow, unsure of how to respond, but thankfully Cornelius continued talking without pause.
¡°See, I¡¯m a dungeon sports enthusiast. Beyond enthusiast, really. More of a fanatic. Ever since I was a kid I¡¯ve loved watching and reading about the contests between adventurers and [Dungeon Masters] like yourself. Even went and visited some of the bigger circuits back before my hips turned traitor. I watched Mathius the [Stridebreaker] take on the Seven [Spitting Sailors]! Can you believe that?¡±
Having never really been much interested in dungeon sports before founding Crestheart, Vee had no idea who any of those people were, but the reverence with which the man said their names told him that they were probably pretty famous. He made a mental note to do some digging into dungeon sport history at some point. At a minimum, there were probably good ideas that¡¯d been forgotten and misplaced throughout the years.
Wanting to be polite, though, Vee nodded and said, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s incredible. I bet that was quite the sight.¡±
That may have been a mistake, as Cornelius¡¯ eyes twinkled and he grew more animate, launching into a full description of every match he¡¯d ever seen and dungeon he¡¯d ever visited.
Forget the books, Vee thought as he listened to an almost blow-for-blow retelling of a bout between Samper and Agas ¨C more people he¡¯d never heard of ¨C I should just talk to this guy. He can tell me everything I want to know about dungeon sports and more. Wait what was that?
Between Cornelius¡¯ flapping hand gestures, Vee had noticed a small flickering movement on the wall of a building across the street. However, it was gone now and no matter how he looked he didn¡¯t see anything there. Blinking several times, Vee returned his attention to the conversation just in time to hear about another group of adventurers and [Dungeon Champions] from the distant past.
It was interesting, in a dusty kind of way, and while Vee actually found himself wishing that he had more time to stay and chat, he was also eager to gracefully exit the conversation. It¡¯d been several minutes already. Despite still having plenty of time to make it to his date, getting Luna a present would be cutting it close if he didn¡¯t wrap things up soon.
He coughed into his arm and looked around, and thankfully Cornelius fell quiet mid-anecdote.
¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Vee said. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I have another appointment I must be getting to.¡±
¡°Oh, of course, silly of me not to realize,¡± Cornelius said, visibly deflating. ¡°Forgive an old man his rambling. My wife always tells me I go on too much.¡±
The Expectation tightened around Vee¡¯s shoulder and the [Dungeon Master] decided to proceed carefully with what he said next.
¡°No need to apologize,¡± he said kindly. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to talk to you again about dungeon sports another time. Perhaps next Saintsday? Crestheart is closed then.¡±
Cornelius brightened up once more and gave Vee another firm handshake.
¡°That¡¯d be great. I usually hang out at the Fiddler¡¯s on Saintsday morning. Some of us older guys from the Cockatrices club go there to play board games and drink coffee.¡±
Vee nodded. The Cockatrices were an old fraternal organization that his grandfather had once been a member of. He wasn¡¯t surprised that there was a chapter in Oar¡¯s Crest; their so-called ¡°nests¡± were pretty much everywhere, though he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what they did. The chapter back in Bardis, for example, had mostly just put on potlucks and organized vacations to wine country. He¡¯d heard that others did more community oriented things though, and Vee kicked himself for not seeking them out earlier. Maybe they could be a resource for helping with civic stuff once spring came around.
If only Reginald were around. I could tell him to remember for me. He wished he had a pen, that he might jot down a note on his hand, but alas he did not. Fiddlers, next Saintsday, Cornelius Boll. Dungeon sports history and stuff.
¡°I¡¯ll see you then,¡± Vee promised. ¡°It was good talking to you. Have a good rest of your day, Cornelius.¡±
¡°You too, young Vales. I¡¯ll look forward to our chat. Let¡¯s hope Crestheart starts getting some real challengers soon, eh?¡±
Vee grinned and waved as he headed down the street.
[Public Relations +1]
Huh. Go figure.
Whistling something that probably passed for a tune if your definition was wide enough, Vee continued down to the market.
Main Character Sheets:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 33
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 14
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 6 (+1)
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 1
<3**Infatuation**<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 22
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 5
Might: 41
Wit: 12
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Endurance: 20
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 9
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald :
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 38
$#&*!@!!: !!! (+ !)
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 8
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 46:
While the air was stilly chilly enough to sting Vee¡¯s cheeks, there were plenty of sunny patches in the market where the [Dungeon Master] could comfortably linger. He reveled in the warmth of one such spot for a few moments, blowing into his cold hands and looking around for a stall that wasn¡¯t so busy he¡¯d be able to make a purchase before sunset.
Seeing the market so busy and bustling was a surprise for Vee, as his typical experience with Oar¡¯s Crest proper was during the early morning or later evening hours, when most of the respectable types were either asleep or finished with their business for the day. He¡¯d almost forgotten that it was a big city, and seeing so much activity was strangely unsettling.
Undoubtedly, the pleasant weather played a part too, and the babbling sounds of laughter and haggling were like music in their own small way. When he took a short glance with [Third Sight], Vee saw that the ethereal was filled with small spirits of excitement freshly formed, and the [Ghost Maestro] couldn¡¯t help but smile as he watched them bouncing up and down like springtime bunnies before dissipating away.
When he was feeling almost ¨C but not quite ¨C too warm, Vee stood up from the square of ground he¡¯d claimed as his own and started looking for Luna¡¯s present in earnest. The crowd of shoppers moved with their own rhythm, and without Alforde¡¯s comforting bulk to forge a path, Vee was left with no tools but his own scrawny frame and bony elbows. Neither were particularly useful when it came to pushing and shoving, though, so Vee had no choice but to follow the invisible hand of the market to his ultimate destination: Joleimna¡¯s candy stall.
The salamander was as busy as anyone else, but he moved with the unhurried speed of an expert, and the line shrank almost as quickly as it grew. Vee took his place behind a matronly woman and her small child. The child looked up at Vee and stuck his tongue out before being admonished by his mother.
¡°That¡¯s not polite, dearest.¡±
Thankfully, she didn¡¯t see Vee¡¯s reply in kind.
Trading cheeky expressions with the boy ¨C who had to be no older than five or six ¨C turned out to be a good way to pass the time as Vee shuffled forward every few seconds. Eventually, he was close enough to properly evaluate the [Candy Man]¡¯s wares. What would Luna like? So far as he could tell, Joleimna didn¡¯t make a bad candy, but surely there were some flavors that were better than others, right?
If only there was a bag of caramel apple, that was his and Luna¡¯s favorite¡.
¡Wait! There was! Over there on the corner of the table, tucked under a bevy of rose and pear rings. Vee grinned, but his joy was short-lived. What if one of the other patrons bought it before he could? That¡¯d be the worst.
Well, okay, not the worst, but still kind of irritating. If that happened, maybe he¡¯d buy a bag of those rose and pear rings, actually. They looked pretty good too.
A few minutes later, the boy and his mother walked away with a nifty little rock candy golem on a stick and a few bags of a purple candy that Vee had yet to try. Plum or grape flavored, probably. The boy waved to Vee with a genuine grin on his face, and Vee waved back.
[Public Relations +1]
¡°Mister Vales, what would you like today?¡±
Joleimna¡¯s voice sounded a little thinner than usual, as if he¡¯d recently been sick. Certainly, he looked a little scraggly and tired, but that might have just been because he¡¯d been so busy all day. Vee pointed to the caramel apple candies, and was surprised to receive a small bag filled with a multitude of colored sugar hats as well when he handed over the necessary fleurs.
¡°I¡¯ve been experimenting with more flavors,¡± the salamander said in response to Vee¡¯s unasked question. ¡°They¡¯ve been quite popular lately, so I wanted you to try some.¡±
Vee pulled a yellow sugar hat out of the bag and popped it into his mouth. It was tangy and sweet; lemon curd and vanilla if he had to guess. ¡°That¡¯s delicious, Joleimna. Thanks. You know, these would be great to have in the Lobby.¡±
The salamander¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Lobby?¡±
Aware that there were other people in line behind him, Vee stepped to the side and let the next man make his order before he explained what the Lobby was.
¡°If you¡¯re interested, maybe we could work out some sort of deal to have you supply us with some of these sugar hats so we can sell them there too. Or any of your candies, really. I¡¯m sure the adventurers would gobble them up.¡±
Joleimna bagged up another order ¨C this time wrapping emberberry jellies with licorice straws ¨C and scratched his chin with a long claw. ¡°Hmm, providing additional products may be difficult, but having another place to sell my wares is definitely interesting to think about. Come back another time and we can discuss it further.¡±
Since Vee wasn¡¯t really all that interested in Crestheart business that day, he nodded and took his leave. He¡¯d come back next Saintsday at the earliest, after his promised conversation with Cornelius. With his gift in hand and his nerves under control, Vee headed across the market to the large tree where he¡¯d agreed to meet Luna.
Naturally, his stomach twinged when he saw that she was already there waiting for him. She was wearing a pretty blue dress in addition to her normal boots and hat, and looked absolutely beautiful.
As Vee approached, he noticed a tiny pink butterfly fluttering around her head. Then, to his surprise, a second pink butterfly flapped in front of his eyes and headed toward Luna¡¯s. He felt his cheeks grow warm.
The [Pumpkin Witch] turned her head toward him, and her smile was bright enough to challenge the sun above their heads. ¡°Hey, Vee!¡±
¡°Hi, Luna. It¡¯s good to see you,¡± Vee said, hoping that the cracks in his voice weren¡¯t as noticeable to her ears as they were to his own. ¡°I uh¡I brought you something.¡±
[Charisma +1]
He held up the candy and handed it over. Luna took it, and the pumpkins in her eyes glittered as she chuckled. Before Vee could try and play it cool by saying that it wasn¡¯t much or any other such nonsense, Luna threw her arms around him and gave him a big hug.
¡°Aw, thanks,¡± she said quietly in his ear. ¡°You¡¯re so sweet, you know that?¡±
¡°So are you.¡±
When they broke apart, they were both blushing and grinning like idiots, and their respective butterflies flew side-by-side in a steady rhythm.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Alforde set down his book and looked over at the closet. Reginald had given up on banging away and howling about how unfair life was, but the armorsoul was certain that the hat would be back at it right away as soon as he opened the door.
Did he really want to spend the day listening to the [Core Spirit]¡¯s jabbering?
Not really.
Though, at the same time¡maybe?
He looked down at the pile of books at his feet. There were still several that he had yet to read, but the [Dungeon Champion] couldn¡¯t help but feel that he wanted to actually to get out and do something. It was a lovely day outside, and the weather was too nice to be cooped up with stories. Even if he had recently discovered a fun [Private Investigator] series that actually scratched the ¡°hard-boiled¡± itch.
Still, it was the perfect day for the armorsoul to go and see about finishing that quest he¡¯d gotten to explore other hammer techniques, and so Alforde decided to do just that.
No time like the present, right?
[Adventurousness +1]
Getting up, the [Hammer Afficionado] decided that he didn¡¯t really mind Reginald tagging along all that much, and that it wouldn¡¯t be fair to leave the hat in the closet all day.
However, he found himself wondering if he¡¯d made the right decision as soon as the closet door swung open.
¡°Finally, you find some mercy in those shining plates of yours! I was dying in there!¡±
¡°That¡¯s not particularly likely,¡± Alforde said drily as he picked the hat up. ¡°Nothing in there is remotely threatening.¡±
¡°It was just a figure of speech, big guy. Now, have you finally come to your senses and decided to follow after Vee and Luna? I want to watch the awkwardness! I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to be delicious!¡±
Alforde shook his helmet. ¡°We¡¯re not going to do that. I¡¯m going to visit Glenda and Jared, and see if they can help me with a quest I have. You¡¯re welcome to come along, but if you¡¯re going to nag me about Vee and Luna the entire time I¡¯ll leave you here. It¡¯s your choice.¡±
Reginald¡¯s felty eyes and mouth tightened, as if the hat were deep in thought, then after a moment that seemed to stretch on just a touch too long, the hat said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll come with you. Anything is better than being stuck in here all day.¡±
Alforde nodded and set the hat down on his pauldron. It wasn¡¯t quite as fitting of a perch as Vee¡¯s head, but the armorsoul wasn¡¯t going to wear the hat atop his helmet, and didn¡¯t much feel like carrying Reginald in his gauntlets the entire time.
Slammy was over in the corner, but Alforde didn¡¯t pick the weapon up either as he headed out the door. He was looking for new perspectives and ideas, and didn¡¯t want his thoughts polluted by his regular routine and habit. His steps were surprisingly light without the weapon, and he cheerfully waved at Sculla as he headed toward Glenda and Jared¡¯s shop. The ogre waved back as she filled her pipe.
As they typically did, people on the street looked up at Alforde with a mixture of awe and distrust as he passed by. A few of the older people waved at him awkwardly. Though he¡¯d long since gotten used to the attention ¨C most people didn¡¯t see armorsouls all that often, and the stories about them in books tended to be on the violent side ¨C Reginald clearly found the attention unsettling.
¡°Gawain¡¯s balls, what are they all looking at? Hey! You there with the big chin! What are you staring at, huh? Is there something stuck to his back?¡±
The man stammered something Alforde couldn¡¯t hear over the din of the crowd, but the armorsoul reached up and patted the hat¡¯s brim.
¡°Leave it alone, Reginald. They don¡¯t bother me.¡±
[Endurance +1]
[You can now use the Bide Time skill!]
¡°Hmph,¡± Reginald snorted, but he was quiet after that and let further gazes pass without comment. Alforde closed his eyes and checked his soul¡¯s mirror, seeing that [Bide Time] was an active meditation skill that boosted focus and provided a temporary buff called Superfocus upon completion.
That sounded rather useful; he¡¯d have to experiment with it later.
When they reached the smithy, Alforde politely knocked on the door and waited for Glenda to come and let him in.
The [Armorer] called back to her husband as she gave Alforde a hug. ¡°Jared! Alforde is here! Come out and say hi! Now, what brings you by? Did you break another hammer?¡±
Alforde chuckled as he set Reginald down on the nearest table. He was careful to position Vee¡¯s [Majordomo] so that the hat could see out the window and watch the traffic passing by as a courtesy, but his charity was wasted as Reginald turned around right away.
¡°I¡¯m actually here because I was wondering if you two could help me with a quest,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Sorry about not given you any notice, but see, I was hoping to learn more about how to use hammers that aren¡¯t like Slammy. Am I interrupting anything?¡±
¡°Nah,¡± Glenda said. ¡°We¡¯re in a bit of a lull right now work-wise. Go on.¡±
¡°Well, I was wondering if maybe¡if maybe there are other things I can do with a hammer than just hit stuff.¡±
Glenda¡¯s eyes crinkled as she grinned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say it, but hammers are pretty much only good for hitting stuff. However, I know that¡¯s not what you mean. There¡¯s more to hammers than just trying to knock adventurers off the stage in your arena. Here, come with me and I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m talking about.¡±
Excited at the prospect of learning new things, Alforde followed Glenda over to a small anvil and took the tiny hammer with the strangely bulbous handle she offered him.
¡°This is a chasing hammer.¡±
Alforde rotated it back and forth. ¡°It¡¯s so light! What¡¯s it for?¡±
¡°Of course it¡¯s light,¡± Glenda said. ¡°We use it for our engraving work. If it was too heavy, we¡¯d get tired and finishing anything fancy would take forever. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for, but do you want to give it a try?¡±
¡°Of course I do!¡±
¡°Alright then, let me grab a practice plate for you.¡± Glenda set down a small piece of copper and handed Alforde a tiny chisel-looking thing. ¡°Here¡¯s a graver. Put the point into the metal and tap the back a few times with the hammer. It¡¯ll be finnicky at first, but I think you¡¯ll find it fun.¡±
Sure enough, Alforde enjoyed the engraving process. His lines were shaky messes, but the steady plinking taps of the chasing hammer were surprisingly calming to listen to. After he scratched up the entire practice plate, a notification popped up before his eyes.
[You have made progress in your quest, but there¡¯s still more to learn! Keep going to get your reward!]
Looking at Glenda, Alforde handed back the chasing hammer and the graver. He said, ¡°That was really fun. My quest isn¡¯t quite done though. Do you have anything else I can try?¡±
Glenda laughed again and gestured around the shop. ¡°Are you kidding me? We have all kinds of hammers here. Come on, I¡¯ll show you how to use them.¡±
Listening to the [Armorer]¡¯s diligent instruction, Alforde spent the afternoon pleasantly tapping away and soaking up as much knowledge as he could.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 33
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15 (+1)
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 7 (+1)
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 1
<3**Infatuation**<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 22
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 5
Might: 41
Wit: 12
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9 (+1)
Endurance: 21 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 9
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 2
Reginald :
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 38
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 15
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37 (-1)
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9 (+1)
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 47
Luna turned her face skyward with a smile and closed her eyes as the couple walked through a patch of sun between buildings. ¡°The weather is changing; beautiful spring will be here soon.¡±
Vee slowed to a stop and looked up too, though his appreciation for the beauty was marred by the fact that a clump of snow fell from an awning to his right and landed on his shoulder with a slushy splat as he did so. ¡°Can¡¯t happen fast enough,¡± he grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m done with the cold.¡±
Giggling at the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s misfortune, Luna reached over and helped Vee brush the snow off his coat. A second clump fell and would have landed on her hat, but the [Pumpkin Witch] deftly stepped aside and it splattered harmlessly on the ground.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought you liked spring all that much,¡± Vee said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a fall girl?¡±
¡°Fall¡¯s nice, but spring reminds me of happy times with my parents and my sister, so it¡¯s my favorite season. Back before¡well, everything, the four of us would spend most of our free time in the garden. We had lots of flowers, and my sister and I would just stand there and smell them while my ma and da did all the hard work.¡±
Smiling from ear to ear, as if remembering pleasant days long since past, Luna asked, ¡°What¡¯s your favorite season, Vee?¡±
The [Dungeon Master] ran a hand through his hair. ¡°I¡¯m¡not sure. It¡¯s definitely not spring, though.¡±
Luna¡¯s questioning eyebrows prompted the young man to keep going.
¡°You see, springtime is when my father¡¯s work really starts picking up. He¡¯s a busy man, and so most years he had to travel for weeks at a time or longer to go and take stock of all his ventures. They were never up to his standards, either, and when he came home afterwards he¡¯d be irritable and frustrated. He¡¯d yell and scream in his office, arguing with his [Managers] and [Underlings] about prices and schedules constantly. He worked figures during mealtimes, and had a terrible temper with anyone who interrupted his work. Except my mother and brother, I suppose.¡±
He fell quiet, dwelling on the unpleasant memories, and was grateful when Luna changed the subject.
¡°I see. Well, anyways, you¡¯re going to love this place we¡¯re going to. It¡¯s really nice and cozy, and they have delicious drinks too! Come on, it¡¯s this way!¡±
She nodded toward a quiet side street, and the couple turned at its corner. They passed an old woman who stopped and watched them walk with a big grin on her face.
¡°You two are so cute together,¡± she called after them. ¡°Your butterflies are beautiful! A happy day to you both!¡±
Vee felt his own cheeks redden as he turned to wave in response, though he was glad to see that Luna¡¯s face was pinker than usual too. Their butterflies seemed to glow for a moment as the golden pumpkins in the [Pumpkin Witch]¡¯s eyes sparkled, and the scents of vanilla and cinnamon filled the air.
When they stopped in front of The ¨C Vee couldn¡¯t make out the next word, as it was half faded and drawn in a script that probably only looked good when writing its own name ¨C Cup, he opened the door for Luna and followed her inside.
The [Pumpkin Witch] had not been lying when she¡¯d said the place was ¡°cozy¡±, so long as she meant ¡°unbearably warm and cramped as could be.¡± Vee, who was far from big, had to turn sideways in order to reach the counter, where a purple and gray salamander was reading a book. She glared at them as they approached.
Still, the place smelled nice, and some of the drinks on the menu looked interesting. Beyond that, Luna was smiling, so Vee decided to make the most of it. He ordered a spiced pear tea, and Luna got a drink that contained enough extra flavor additions to pass for something out of a [Mad Alchemist]¡¯s recipe book.
After paying for both drinks, Vee sat down across from Luna at a table near the window, and the pair enjoyed the rest of their date in meandering conversation while their butterflies perched on the nearest windowsill.
***
When a smiling Vee returned to the boarding house later that afternoon, he found a pair of strangers waiting for him on the steps next to Sculla. The first was a man with thinning gray hair, and the other was a fierce young woman who looked like a [Bodyguard] or [Protector].
Sculla grunted and nodded at Vee.
¡°That¡¯s him. Vee Vales.¡±
¡°I see,¡± the man said, standing up with a smile. ¡°I thought he¡¯d be taller.¡±
Vee felt his good mood melting like the snow on the ground, but took the man¡¯s outstretched hand and shook it when it was offered. Stay polite, he grimly reminded himself.
¡°Name¡¯s Glett Haverhen,¡± the stranger said in a dusty voice. ¡°And this is my associate, Kyrie Laroux. We¡¯re with Continental News Monthly, and working on a piece about dungeon sports. As I understand it, you¡¯re the only [Dungeon Master] in Oar¡¯s Crest. Is that correct?¡±
¡°It is.¡±
¡°Perfect! Then you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to be involved with the upcoming dungeon development committee. Would you be willing to answer a few of our questions about that venture, Mister Vales? I think that it¡¯s going to be quite the spectacle despite its humble size.¡±
Vee was growing more wary by the second. The man¡¯s face was open and inviting, but Vee had heard his father rail about the dangers of interviews ¨C They¡¯ll twist your words into the worst shape possible to sell a few extra papers! ¨C more times than he could count. Or magazine, in this case. However, despite his concern, Vee also got the sense that talking to these people was the right thing to do. As such, he nodded and gestured for them to follow him upstairs.
Reginald and Alforde were waiting inside, with the armorsoul twirling Slammy around and the hat staring out the window. As soon as Vee opened the door, Alforde turned to him with excited eyes and all-but-shouted, ¡°Vee! I finished my quest and got some new skills today! Wait until you see¡ª¡±
He trailed off at the sight of Glett and Kyrie, who¡¯d stopped in front of the door, then stiffened and bowed to each in turn.
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¡°Greetings, I am Alforde,¡± he said formally as Vee invited the newcomers inside. They introduced themselves in turn and sat down at the small table in the center of the room.
The [Dungeon Master] smiled at his friends. ¡°I¡¯m excited to see your new skills later, Alforde. Before then though, these people would like to ask us a couple questions about the upcoming dungeon development committee.¡±
Reginald perked up. ¡°You two are press?¡±
Glett nodded, and if he was surprised by a talking hat his face showed no signs of it. His companion didn¡¯t have his rock-solid expression though, and her wide eyes made it obvious that her experience with sentient pieces of clothing was limited, if it existed at all.
The pair considered Alforde once again.
¡°I assume that you¡¯re the same Alforde as the [Dungeon Champion] of ¨C what was the name again? Oh that¡¯s right, Crestheart.¡±
Alforde inclined his helmet, and Glett grinned. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you two, and wonderfully convenient to be able to talk to you both at once. As for the hat, I must admit that I¡¯m at a loss.¡±
Reginald introduced himself, adding a few credentials to his title that Vee had never heard of before that very moment. The [Dungeon Master] raised an eyebrow at his [Majordomo], and was rewarded with a wide felty grin and a mischievous wink.
¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to take up too much of your time,¡± Glett said. ¡°I¡¯ll start right away.¡±
From somewhere in the recesses of his jacket, Glett produced a pen and pad and set them on the table. He looked down at them both, closed his eyes, and said, ¡°[Transcribe Interview].¡±
The pen started floating above the page, and Glett calibrated it by stating the date, time and location of the interview. Vee wasn¡¯t thrilled with the way the man described the room as a ¡°Bare and utilitarian square space, devoid of warmth or other human emotions but for a messy sprawl of books in the corner.¡±
It wouldn¡¯t hurt to get some decorations, I suppose.
¡°Alright, we¡¯ll start with you Mister Vales. My first question is: how long have you been a [Dungeon Master]? Did you have any experience prior to starting your venture here in Oar¡¯s Crest? As an [Apprentice Dungeon Master] or a [Dungeon Assistant], perhaps?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any prior experience with dungeon sports before starting Crestheart, actually. I¡¯ve only been a [Dungeon Master] for a handful of months, though some days it feels like it¡¯s been much longer.¡±
Glett tilted his head to the side and frowned. ¡°I see. That¡¯s quite interesting. If I may ask, what exactly made you want to become a [Dungeon Master] if you didn¡¯t have any previous exposure to dungeon sports?¡±
Vee shrugged, already worried that agreeing to this conversation hadn¡¯t been as good of an idea as he¡¯d first thought. ¡°It was just something to do, I suppose.¡±
Kyrie snorted in her seat, and Reginald piped up. ¡°Crestheart¡¯s history isn¡¯t really pertinent here, is it?. You said that you wanted to talk about the development committee, did you not? Let¡¯s focus on that, please. I¡¯m sure your piece doesn¡¯t have room for a full discussion of each dungeon in the committee.¡±
Glett¡¯s lips tightened. ¡°Fine. How do you feel about the fact that Crestheart is the committee¡¯s first location? Most fans believe that the first dungeon in a circuit is the worst, and often don¡¯t pay attention to it on principle.¡±
¡°We don¡¯t see it as a bad thing at all. If anything, we¡¯re excited to go first,¡± Vee said, choosing his words carefully. ¡°We¡¯re looking forward to the chance to test our dungeon against a new batch of adventurers and see how we stack up. As for viewership or fan engagement, those are always appreciated, but my associates and I are focused on providing the best experience that we can for our challengers. We¡¯ve been working on a series of new rooms, traps, minion arrangements, and other elements to ensure that Crestheart is as challenging as it can be.¡±
[Persuasiveness +1]
¡°Oh? Will you be doing a complete redesign for the event, or just some targeted modifications?¡±
¡°The details are still being figured out,¡± Reginald interjected smoothly before Vee could accidentally commit to something he didn¡¯t want to. The [Dungeon Master] was grateful for the assist.
¡°Thankfully, the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s vision is clear, and we¡¯re going to really have something special when the runs begin.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Glett grunted. He scowled at Reginald before turning to Alforde.
¡°My next question is for you, [Dungeon Champion]. According to the local branch of the adventurer¡¯s guild, not many of those who you face are above Level 20 in their primary classes. In fact, most are in the 15-18 range, actually. I understand that many of your new challengers will be in the mid-twenties, and some might even be higher than level 30. How do you think you¡¯re going to compare to them when it comes time to fight?¡±
Alforde¡¯s voice was steady and calm. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Levels in champion bouts aren¡¯t everything. As I¡¯m sure you already know, there are a variety of tactics and techniques that can affect the outcome more than a simple number. That said, I¡¯m going to do everything I can before the start date to raise my own levels so that I¡¯m better able to perform my duties.¡±
¡°Is there anything you can reveal about your training that our readers may be interested in?¡±
The armorsoul thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Challengers should expect to battle inside a Domain.¡±
¡°We¡¯re also considering some modifications to the champion arena itself,¡± Reginald added. ¡°Battles will be unique, and there will likely be new environmental hazards that adventurers will have to overcome in addition to our champion¡¯s formidable combat prowess.¡±
From there, they discussed other things related to the dungeon. Vee did his best to answer all the questions, but Reginald had to step in more than once to answer more completely or deflect the question to a different topic. When the interview finally came to an end, Glett and Kyrie thanked them for their time and left.
Reginald gave Vee a wry look.
¡°You sure talked the place up quite a bit, Boss.¡±
Vee nodded as he got out his own pen and paper. ¡°Indeed. I suppose that means I should get to work on making sure it lives up to the hype, huh?¡±
Reginald¡¯s mouth split into a wide grin. ¡°My thoughts exactly. But there¡¯s something else you need to do first."
"What¡¯s that?¡±
¡°Tells us all about your date with Luna, of course!¡±
Vee groaned as Alforde sat down at the table, also demanding the details.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 33
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 7
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 2 (+1)
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 24 (+2)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 5
Might: 41
Wit: 12
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 21
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 9
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 1 (-1) WARNING: Further losses will remove this stat and all associated skills!
Reginald :
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 16 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 48:
It¡¯d been a rather slow day at the dungeon. There¡¯d only been a handful of runners, and their attempts had finished early, so Vee decided to go and check on Thien to see if the new dungeon rewards were finally ready while Alforde sparred with Holly down in his arena. He was grateful for the opportunity to get out into the city once again while it was still light out, and relished the ever so slightly warm air as spring continued inching closer.
When he opened the door to Thien¡¯s shop, Vee expected to hear a bell, but he wasn¡¯t ready for the cacophony of chimes, chirps, and squeals that greeted his ears as he stepped inside. The [Gold Smith] poked her head out from the back, eyes wide, and visibly relaxed when she saw who it was. There was a suspicious thud as she came out, wiping her hands on her oddly clean apron. Her guilty expression told Vee what he hadn¡¯t wanted to ask; he wasn¡¯t going to be leaving with his rewards.
Indeed, he could see half formed pieces on a table in the back, a motley collection of clasps and stones that had yet to be assembled and polished.
¡°Thien,¡± he said, ¡°you¡¯re still not finished?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said quietly as she came up to the counter. ¡°I meant to have them done yesterday, but then I got distracted and things just¡didn¡¯t work out the way I wanted them to.¡±
Vee took a careful look at Thien¡¯s face, relieved that she seemed to be doing better than she had been the last time he¡¯d seen her. Her eyes weren¡¯t bloodshot messes anymore, and her hands weren¡¯t trembling. Those were both good things, but the fact remained that despite his up-front payment she had yet to finish his order. It was now a week and a half overdue, and while the [Dungeon Master] didn¡¯t want to be rude or unkind, he needed to get some proper rewards for the dungeon.
Alforde had been overperforming lately, thanks in no small part to his powerful-but-stubbornly-inconsistent Domain and his diligent sparring sessions with Holly, but the fact remained that Vee had already been forced to awkwardly award victorious adventurers vouchers for future runs and discount coupons for the Lobby.
Beyond being bad for business, neither of those were the type of thing to generate positive word-of-mouth among the out-of-town adventurers who¡¯d soon be coming for the dungeon development committee. If anything, they¡¯d hurt Crestheart¡¯s future ability to attract new contenders in the months and years to come.
¡°I get it but, you know, you¡¯re really putting me in a bind here,¡± he told her.
¡°Like I said, I¡¯m sorry. I promise I¡¯ll have them done soon. All the pieces are prepped, I just have to [Solder] them together and the [Polish] them until they shine. It won¡¯t take any time at all.¡±
Vee carefully considered how to best respond. He wanted to ask why they weren¡¯t ready then, if the remaining work was so insignificant, but he held his tongue. Reginald¡¯s brim was tight around his forehead, and the [Dungeon Master] knew that he had to be mindful of his words. He decided to approach the subject from a different direction, looking around the shop for things that might be interfering with the [Gold Smith]¡¯s work. He noted the small piles of dust and metal shavings in the corners of the work that hadn¡¯t ever been there before, and the layer of gunk on all Thien¡¯s display cases.
¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that you¡¯re confident you¡¯ll have them done soon, because I really need them. Look, Thien¡I don¡¯t know exactly how to ask this, and I¡¯m sorry if this comes across harshly, but¡are you okay? You seem jumpier than usual, and the place is kind of a wreck.¡±
The [Gold Smith] sighed and shook her head after a moment.
¡°Maybe? Sort of? There¡¯s just a lot going on right now. I don¡¯t know; I thought I was fine after I got back from¡you know, but every time I try to focus and work, things just seem to get away from me. My thoughts start racing and before I know it, hours have passed without me getting anything done.¡±
Now that sounded familiar.
¡°Do you think a change of scenery would help?¡± Vee asked. ¡°Maybe having a different set of walls around and a different desk to work at and a new routine would make it easier for you to get back into your groove?¡±
¡°Maybe.¡±
[Plotting +1]
¡°I think I can help you then,¡± Vee said. ¡°Come with me.¡±
There was a flicker of hope in Thien¡¯s eyes when she met Vee¡¯s gaze. ¡°Okay. What exactly did you have in mind?¡±
What Vee had in mind was the large, freshly cleared ¨C and thanks to the members of his light section, freshly cleaned ¨C workshop next to Juniper¡¯s flower store. With the rapidly approaching dungeon circuit, Vee really wanted to expand the amount of offerings in what he was starting to loosely think of as ¡°Crestheart Square¡±, and he¡¯d decided to paint two walls with one big splatter. He¡¯d directed his fiends to begin readying buildings, but hadn¡¯t yet started diligently recruiting people to bring their businesses over or start new ones yet.
Hopefully Thien would mark the beginning of that effort. He¡¯d have to get serious about it in the days and weeks to come if he wanted any chance of making the place look good in time.
He turned to the [Gold Smith] and flashed a nervous smile. ¡°Well, what do you think?¡±
Thien stared at the empty storefront Vee¡¯d pointed out, then looked over at the area around the dungeon and tower and grimaced.
¡°It¡¯s¡it¡¯s not particularly pretty,¡± she finally said. ¡°Feels kind of soulless, you know?¡±
There was no arguing with that. While the streets were clear and the buildings were free of broken windows and missing doors, they were almost completely bare. The decorations ¨C faded ribbons tied around lamp posts, mostly ¨C that lined the paths in Oar¡¯s Crest proper were nonexistent. Similarly, there weren¡¯t any flowerpots, or statues, or other pieces of art like those favored by shopkeepers and private citizens throughout the city.
¡°Yeah, we¡¯re working on that,¡± Vee said. He¡¯d had a couple chats with Kai about the bonsai treant¡¯s so-called ¡°Verdant Construction¡±, which would hopefully prettify the area around the dungeon and inspire traffic beyond adventurers looking to run the dungeon. His [Menagerie Caretaker] was slated to begin work on that as soon as the last of the snow melted and his powers were back to normal.
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°I swear, Thien, this place is going to look gorgeous in a few months!¡± Reginald chirped. Vee felt his hat shifting, which could only mean that the [Core Spirit] had broken out his most mischievous grin. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind the occasional fiend attack or two!¡±
With a grunt, Vee batted Reginald¡¯s brim. ¡°Shut up. You know that not everyone gets your sense of humor.¡±
¡°Sorry boss.¡±
Seeing the expression on Thien¡¯s face, Vee hurried to calm the [Gold Smith].
¡°Don¡¯t listen to Reginald. There hasn¡¯t been a single fiend attack since we¡¯ve opened, unless you count those kids that snuck over the wall during the street fair, and we don¡¯t. My orchestra is clearing all the buildings around the dungeon, and at this pace, the entirety of the abandoned section of the city will be cleared in a couple of years. There won¡¯t be a fiend to be seen.¡±
¡°But how?¡± Thien snapped. ¡°The adventurer¡¯s guild has been doing stuff like that for years, and the fiends always come back. Why do you think you¡¯re going to be able to keep them clear?¡±
Vee shrugged. ¡°None of the buildings my orchestra clears ever have fiends come back. I don¡¯t know why that¡¯s the case, just that it is.¡±
She didn¡¯t look convinced with her arms folded across her chest, but Vee didn¡¯t know what else to say. Even Rortenferry hadn¡¯t been able to pin down the reason for his orchestra¡¯s success at keeping the fiends away for good, though the [Professor] believed that it had something to do with the orchestra ¡°owning¡± the buildings they cleared.
¡°So? You in?¡±
¡°I¡¯m still not sure,¡± Thien said quietly. ¡°It¡¯d be nice to have a new space, but I¡¯m not convinced I want to leave my current shop. I¡¯ve been there for a long time.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to give it up completely,¡± Vee said quickly. ¡°Just come work here for a couple weeks and see if it helps you feel better. Why not give it a shot, huh? You have nothing to lose, right?¡±
Thien bit her lip, weighing her options and mulling things over. Though she wasn¡¯t inside Crestheart, Vee felt as if he had a flicker of his new sight when she closed her eyes and sighed.
She was in.
[Persuasiveness +1]
¡°Well, I suppose it couldn¡¯t hurt,¡± she said finally. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to help me carry some of my tools over and get a new work bench, I¡¯ll set up a micro studio here.¡±
The Expectation on Vee¡¯s shoulders purred like a kitten in front of a cozy fireplace, and the [Ghost Maestro] grinned. ¡°Deal. Now, if you¡¯ll wait here for just a second, we¡¯ll go ahead and get started.¡±
Reaching through his bond to Do, Vee summoned the [Dungeon Maintainer], who appeared from the depths of the dungeon promptly with a collection of materials under one arm and a belt of tools ¨C self-made, if their crude shapes were any sign ¨C around his waist. He bowed.
¡°How may I assist you, Master?¡±
Vee pointed to Thien. ¡°She needs a new workbench for fine metal work. Please get the appropriate measurements for it and anything else she wants and start working on them all as soon as possible.¡±
¡°Of course. Madam, please tell me what you need.¡±
Leaving Do with Thien and telling them both to come and get him when they were finished, Vee tucked his hands into his pockets and started making his way back to his lab. There was work up there that he needed to do.
The lab was a chaotic mess, with bits of ectoplasm scattered on the floor and half-finished ghosts hanging from the new series of hooks and lines suspended from the ceiling. Vee was in the process of streamlining his desks and production processes so that he¡¯d be able to keep up with the demand for new ghosts once the circuit started up, though he was starting to suspect that he¡¯d need to knock down a wall or two and expand the lab to get extra space and maybe train a medium section fiend to work as an assistant too. He was already feeling like he was rapidly approaching his limit for personal efficiency.
Weaving his way around the debris, the [Ghost Maestro] tried to decide what to tackle first. Bending down in front of a pile of red refined ectoplasm cubes, he decided to prepare the stock of sheets that Brice would need for his first run of the dunpla figures. It was the easiest and fastest, requiring only his newly built flattening machine. He¡¯d originally wanted one of his fiends to do it, but Rortenferry hadn¡¯t been optimistic about the prospect of sneaking one of his orchestra members into the city proper and had convinced him that the machine was a better option for the time being. However, Vee still wanted to find a way to get a member of his medium section into Brice¡¯s workshop. Maybe he could get a permit, or something.
Anyways, that was a problem for Future Vee, and Present Vee pushed the matter from his mind. Getting all the cubes moved over to the new workstation took him a few trips, but Vee didn¡¯t mind. Neither was he bothered by the ache in his forearms and as he set the last ones down. The discomfort was physical proof of a job well done.
He sat down on his roughly hewn stool and grabbed a red cube from the top of the pile. Carefully, he set it down on the plate of perfectly smooth ectoplasm and grabbed the perfectly shaped handle. Rortenferry had made the machine, and the craftsmanship was lovely. It was buttery smooth to use, and flattening the cube required no more strength than opening a door.
Lift the lever, place the cube, pull the lever, remove the flattened sheet. Repeat.
Before he¡¯d made it a third of the way through his stack, Vee lost himself in the steady rhythm of his work. Time slipped away too, until Reginald painfully tightened his brim and got the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s attention.
¡°Boss, I just heard Alforde clomping up the steps, which means it¡¯s almost time for our evening strategy session. Come on, let¡¯s go up to the office, I¡¯m bored as can be down here.¡±
Vee took a good look at his handiwork. Three stacks of thin ectoplasm sheets stood next to his machine, and there weren¡¯t many cubes left to flatten.
That was good, but Vee still felt as if he was running out of time as he got up and made his way to the door. He cast a wary eye over toward the corner of the room where Nock was imprisoned, and resigned himself to come down and talk to the weaponsoul again tomorrow.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 33
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 20 (+1)
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 7
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 3 (+1)
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 24
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 14
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 5
Might: 41
Wit: 12
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 21
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 9
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 1
Reginald :
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 16
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 49:
When Vee opened the door to his office, he expected to see Alforde playing with the miniature version of Crestheart the way he usually did during their planning sessions. Vee¡¯s [Right Hand Man] was a huge fan of directing the tiny ectoplasmic figurine to the champion¡¯s arena and then playing out a battle scene with the model representing himself that would put any of the fights in the [Martial Arts Landscaping Master] novels to shame. Truth be told, Vee was getting a little tired of having to rebuild the arena model so often after Alforde destroyed it with ¡°a hammer blow unlike anything ever seen before!¡±
However, instead of shattering walls and turning the floor into ectoplasm-gravel, the armorsoul was instead crouching in the corner of the room with his gauntlets in front of his helmet and a look of intense focus.
¡°Come on, come on, come on,¡± Alforde muttered as his cape of snow and ice whipped back and forth behind him. ¡°[Chilling Tempest]! [Chilling TEMPEST]! [Chill-ing Temp-est]!¡±
The [Ghost Maestro] watched as a tiny flurry appeared above his friend¡¯s fingers for a split second before vanishing into nothing. Alforde growled and squeezed his gauntlets into fists before trying again. This time, the flurry was joined by a small rotating snowflake and lasted a bit longer, but didn¡¯t stick around either.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Vee asked, and Alforde¡¯s helmet spun almost entirely around. He must have been so focused that he hadn¡¯t heard Vee come into the room or sensed them through their bond.
¡°I¡¯m trying to summon a smaller version of my Domain,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Holly suggested it as a way for me to improve my control and be able to use the skill more consistently.¡±
Vee raised a skeptical eyebrow. ¡°Holly?¡±
Alforde got up and nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Yeah. I asked her to help me level up some before the circuit starts. Since she knows a lot about snow and ice and stuff, I figured she¡¯d be the best person to help me improve my skills.¡±
¡°I see. And how¡¯s that going?¡±
¡°It¡¯s great!¡± Alforde beamed. ¡°She can do all kinds of amazing things with her magic, and after our fights today I leveled up in [Hammer Afficionado], [Dungeon Champion], and [Glaciernaut]! Isn¡¯t that great?¡±
Reginald let out a low whistle. ¡°That¡¯s pretty impressive.¡±
¡°I know, right? Now, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll keep leveling up that quick as we train more, since I¡¯ll get used to her tricks as we go on, but I¡¯m hoping to get a few more levels. I doubt I¡¯ll be able to reach level 30 in [Hammer Afficionado] and turn it into [Hammer Specialist] before things kick off, but I¡¯m going to do my best!¡±
Vee smiled at his friend¡¯s enthusiasm, and was also secretly relieved at the fact that Alforde¡¯s goals weren¡¯t tinged with that hint of manic desperation that he¡¯d had before. It seemed that the armorsoul had found a healthier way to stay focused while training.
He¡¯d keep an eye on his friend though, to make sure he wasn¡¯t slipping back into bad habits.
¡°Well, if you want to keep practicing your Domain, that¡¯s fine with me,¡± Vee said. ¡°But Reginald and I are going to keep working on the new dungeon design. We¡¯d love to have your help!¡±
Alforde pondered his corner for a moment, then shrugged his pauldrons. ¡°I¡¯ve probably done enough practice for today. Holly said that trying to strain beyond my limits could damage my wells.¡±
¡°But you¡¯re not a [Witch],¡± Reginald said. ¡°You don¡¯t have wells to damage¡ or limits to strain against.¡±
Alforde shrugged again. ¡°It¡¯s the underlying idea that counts, I think. There¡¯s a time and a place to stop for the day, you know? Anyways, if you¡¯re going to test your [Dungeon Layouts], Vee, can I play the adventurers?¡±
Vee shut his eyes and smiled.
¡°Sure, bud. Just try not to destroy the arena again, okay? I don¡¯t feel like remaking it right now.¡±
Though Vee hadn¡¯t wanted to remodel the entire dungeon again for the circuit, his discussions with Reginald and Alforde had convinced him it was necessary. The current version of Crestheart was fine for their normal clientele, but they needed to go big for this circuit. They¡¯d have way more eyes on them than they were used to, and making a good impression was going to be key for attracting new challengers long term.
With that said, he was starting to wonder if redesigning Crestheart from top-to-bottom every few months was going to become the third certainty in his life.
Hopefully not.
He wished he had more floors to work with, as some of his most interesting ideas required five or six to properly execute, but alas, they were nowhere close to having enough shards of chaos to expand the dungeon further. As such, they had to come up with creative ways to use their space, which was where [Dungeon Loadouts] came into play.
The skill felt like a stronger version of [Walking Walls], as it allowed him to reshape the dungeon rapidly by storing different versions of room layouts that could be swapped with ease. The changes could be significant too, including even trap placements and minion allocations, and they could be used more than once in a single run. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t ¡°reset¡± progress to create the illusion of a longer dungeon than actually existed and he could only store three different layouts, but Vee was confident they¡¯d be enough to give him a decent chance of victory on every run.
Well, most runs anyways.
Alforde picked up the tiny ectoplasmic figurine that represented an adventurer ¨C which was really just a cube and sphere of ectoplasm smashed together ¨C and slammed it into the first room.
¡°Let¡¯s say that I¡¯m a¡.[Sacred Brawler],¡± Alforde declared. ¡°I fight with {Gloves}¡no, wait, I fight with {Black Fire Disruption Gloves}, and I¡¯m level 26. Apologies, but my Burning Spirit and Pure Heart won¡¯t be conquered by this dungeon! Hi-yah!¡±
Reginald sighed as Alforde slammed his figure into a pyramid that represented a pack of three skeleton knights and a handful of ghosts, sending the latter piece of ectoplasm flying. ¡°You really don¡¯t need to make up a character each time, you know. We can simulate in the abstract too.¡±
¡°But it¡¯s more fun that way! And it helps Vee think about the types of things he¡¯ll need to adjust for different kinds of adventurers!¡±
That was true. While Vee was getting much better at seeing what motivated various adventurers and figuring out what type of people they were, he still had a long way to go when it came to tailoring the experience to counter them properly. He suspected that inability would only be worse with adventurers he¡¯d never seen before, especially if they were higher levels than he was used to dealing with. Having some semblance of a gameplan for different types would probably help quite a bit. He decided to play along.
¡°You¡¯ll have a tougher time reaching the ancient treasure in the depths of this abandoned laboratory than that, adventurer!¡±
Alforde chuckled as he moved his character into the second room, where he was forced to contend with a bevy of floor and ceiling traps.
Following Reginald¡¯s advice, Vee had decided to use the first half of the first floor to really dial in the dungeon¡¯s hazards, testing adventures with as many different threats as they could muster so that they could change the later floors to exploit any weaknesses they found.
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Following that first trap room was a long hallway filled with fake doors and every aura Vee could cram into it. Of course, Alforde insisted that his adventurer couldn¡¯t be held back or affected by ¡°such paltry distractions¡± and tapped his piece into the first floor arena, where a stack of ectoplasm spheres representing Mister Chills was waiting.
Part of Vee felt bad for having the big ghost revealed and battled so early in this iteration of the dungeon, but it was part of the new story and he had bigger things planned for the lower floors anyways. In addition to his new location, Mister Chills was going to be getting a slight makeover too so that he looked more like a [Mad Alchemist]¡¯s half-finished guardian construct instead of a big snowman. He just had to finish making the thickened plates of ectoplasm that would protect the ghost from more attacks.
The arena was getting an upgrade too, with the teleporters being added so that Vee could send in additional minions ¨C probably the skeleton lancers, though he hadn¡¯t yet ruled out ordering some statue sentries ¨C if the challenger seemed to be having too easy of a time against the miniboss alone. Beyond that, Vee was adding some permanent pillars that could be moved to shrink or expand the combat area and more tracks so that Mister Chills didn¡¯t have such predictable movement patterns. He could have asked Rortenferry about improving the ghost¡¯s legs so that it didn¡¯t need the tracks at all, but his old [Professor] was busy with his experiments and other things that would benefit Vee, so the [Dungeon Master] hadn¡¯t pushed the issue.
Alforde let his adventurer fall to Mister Chills, which was a reasonable outcome given that most of the challengers who reached the ghost in the current iteration of Crestheart failed to defeat him. However, the armorsoul was undeterred by his first attempt¡¯s failure; he took his figure back to the entrance ¨C probably to go off and have a convenient and suspiciously effective training montage ¨C and announced that he was now a [Combat Archaeologist].
This time, instead of smashing his way through the first couple rooms, Alforde claimed his adventurer created a series of implausible counter-traps with his whip and made it down to the second floor without issues.
¡°Which loadout are you going to use?¡± Reginald asked.
Vee rubbed his chin as he thought. He¡¯d been planning to use what he called the ¡°Gauntlet¡± mode for Alforde¡¯s first character, which would have just peppered the [Sacred Brawler] with monsters until he ran him out of stamina. However, the [Combat Archaeologist] was a craftier foe. For adventurers like this, Vee felt that his best course of action was to use the ¡°Maze¡± layout.
This was a long, labyrinthian arrangement of small rooms with tight walls that would allow his elementals and ghosts hands to harry an adventurer¡¯s every step. He didn¡¯t have space for big packs of monsters, but that was fine. He didn¡¯t need them here. After all, this was where he was planning to use Nock, if the weaponsoul agreed to his terms and started helping out. The bow would summon his avatar and ¡°hunt¡± the adventurer through this version of the floor, attacking from the shadows at every turn. Based on the fact that he¡¯d managed to go toe to toe with Luna for a while, the weaponsoul was probably more than capable of handling a good number of the adventurers who challenged Crestheart.
Vee just had to figure out the bindings and contracts that would prevent Nock from rampaging or going rogue.
Thankfully that was one of the things Rortenferry was working on.
¡°I turn around as your miniboss appears¡ª¡± Alforde seemed to spit the word, his voice dripping with derision, ¡°and activate [Discover Bones] to summon a construct that protects me from his attack. Then while its distracted, I flee down to the third floor and laugh at your puny attempts to stop me.¡±
Vee scowled at having his threat basically ignored, but he couldn¡¯t deny that was how runs went from time to time. There were some adventurers who chose to go around nearly every obstacle they faced instead of through them, and he had to have plans for them too.
The third floor was still a work in progress though, so Vee turned to Reginald and said, ¡°What do you think? In a case like this one, should we start them with the moving platforms room?¡±
His [Majordomo]¡¯s felty mouth curled into a tight frown as Reginald considered the options. ¡°Maybe. I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s the best starting room though.¡±
While the moving platforms room ¨C which contained a deep pit filled with ice slimes and all sorts of nasty ice traps like [Icicle Spear] and [Frost Saw] ¨C was good, there were other rooms they could start with too. According to the new story of Crestheart, the third floor was a lab of sorts, filled with half-finished experiments that had been broken or damaged by the unceasing march of time. Beyond that, there were going to be lots of small bonus rooms that would ¨C hopefully ¨C be filled with treasures ripe for the taking. Naturally, such a bounty wouldn¡¯t be free. Vee¡¯d ordered a pack of bone hounds from the union to fill the treasure rooms, and he trusted that their size and strength as tier three minions would be sufficient to protect these extra goodies.
Especially once he augmented them with some of his ghost slimes and skeleton mages.
However, shipping from the union was apparently still something of a crapshoot, so Vee wasn¡¯t certain they¡¯d arrive in time for the circuit¡¯s start.
Reginald perked up.
¡°If they come through the Maze, I think we should start them in the lake on this floor, boss. Then have the wheel right afterwards like we discussed the other day.¡±
The Lake was a big, round room, filled with water chilled by ice traps and floating chunks of ectoplasm that served as platforms and followed the currents. He¡¯d cover them with slimes and elementals of course, but the lake wasn¡¯t really designed to end runs on its own. Instead, the intent was to splash adventurers and get them soaked so that they¡¯d be cold and sluggish when they made it to the big spinning wheel in the next room. Of course, Vee still needed to tweak that hazard too. It was a problem for another time.
Alforde¡¯s figure leapt from platform to platform, only falling into the water once. Vee made a mental note to explore the possibility of making like, ghost fish or something to attack those unlucky enough to lose their balance too.
It was fine if the lake got a bit more dangerous.
His mind racing and filled with possibilities, Vee played along with his friend until ¡°the adventurer¡± reached the champion¡¯s arena, and then Alforde looked up expectantly and held out his gauntlet.
¡°I will, of course, require my own figure.¡±
Rolling his eyes, Vee picked up the small prototype Alforde he¡¯d gotten from Brice and handed it over. Alforde immediately went to work.
¡°You have done well to discover my master¡¯s secret sanctum, adventurer,¡± he said in an exaggeratedly deep voice as he waggled his figure around. ¡°But you shall not obtain his final treasure!¡±
His voice changed, becoming nasally and high-pitched. ¡°Of course I will, fool!¡±
¡°I will not allow it! Prepare yourself!¡±
From experience, Vee knew that the ensuing ¡°battle¡± would take at least five minutes as ¡°Alforde¡± and the ¡°Adventurer¡± both revealed new skills and escalating secret techniques in their attempt to defeat one another, so he activated [Excellent Spreadsheet] and started crunching numbers.
He flipped through Cecil¡¯s sheets, frowning at the estimated costs per run that he¡¯d modeled and accounted for. This version of Crestheart was using a lot more minions than previous iterations, and included some seriously expensive options like the bone hounds ¨C ten gold fleurs per pack ¨C and the possible statue sentries. There were plenty of little bonus treasures planned too, which ranged from ten to thirty silvers apiece, according to Vee¡¯s [Budgeting]-enhanced instincts.
As such, Vee was worried that runs would alternate between being mildly profitable and huge losses, depending on the type of adventurers and how successful they were. He didn¡¯t like operating on such a razor¡¯s edge, but still felt like this was the right thing to do.
Looking out the window, Vee saw Do bow once again to Thien and head toward the tower. They must have finished their planning.
Vee closed his eyes and silently prayed. I hope I¡¯m not biting off more than I can chew.
Main Character Sheets:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 33
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 7
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 3
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 25 (+1)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 15 (+1)
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 6 (+1)
Might: 43 (+2)
Wit: 13 (+1)
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 21
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 9
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 1
Reginald :
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 16
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 50A: Kai and Dandelion (Interlude)
With a bellow and a yell, Kai and Dandelion charged the swaying tower of skeletons resting against the warding hedge of the menagerie. A skeleton lancer, who seemed to be in charge of the entire operation, tried to intercept them, but Kai deftly maneuvered his barkbody beneath its bony lance and continued on. Dandelion wasn¡¯t quite quick enough to dodge the backswing, and the fiend went tumbling as the skeleton knight¡¯s spear hit it squarely in the chest.
¡°Keep going,¡± Dandelion yelled as it got back to its feet, apparently uninjured, and swung a haymaker at the mounted minion. ¡°Got to make sure they don¡¯t get out!¡±
Kai knew that, but it wasn¡¯t particularly helpful to hear, and he scowled as he pushed his barkbody to even greater speed. The construct¡¯s feet slapped across the ground, and with a mighty leap Kai crashed into the skeletons. He knocked the tower down and landed hard on the ground, listening carefully for the sound of something snapping ¨C his barkbody had been getting knocked around too much lately ¨C and was relieved when none of his indicators went red. He had enough to do today as it was.
Pulling on his control vines, Kai stood his barkbody back up and raised its fists. The skeletons looked like they were itching for a fight, and the bonsai treant¡¯s sap urged him to oblige. Spring was in the air now, and Kai could feel his Green Spirit getting stronger by the day.
They needed to learn that their attempts to escape were doomed to failure, he decided, so he¡¯d knock some sense into the troublemakers before getting to the rest of his work.
A skeleton knight advanced, its sword and shield raised and ready, but it was too slow to be a proper threat. Kai danced out of range by the time it swung, then darted inside its guard and landed a quick jab on the skeleton¡¯s chattering jaw. It fell backwards, rattling on the grass, and the [Menagerie Caretaker] dealt with some of its friends the same way. He bobbed and weaved until he was surrounded by a collection of fallen skeletons. Of course, he hadn¡¯t hit them hard enough to cause any real damage, but it should deter them from causing any more trouble that day.
Dandelion successfully unseated the skeleton lancer and commandeered its horse and weapon, riding the clackety creature over to help its master subdue the rest of the minions. The fiend was grinning as it swung and swept the lance, and the two companions fought back to back until the mob of skeletons decided that they¡¯d had enough and stopped attacking them.
Kai watched them skulk away and sighed with relief. While that¡¯d been a fun little distraction, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste time with more skeleton shenanigans.
He used [Shift Consciousness] to exit his barkbody, and received a collection of notifications as he emerged from the top.
[Congratulations, you are now a Level 17 Barkbody Pilot!]
[Might +1]
[You can now use the Perfect Spacing skill!]
The bonsai treant grinned. [Perfect Spacing], huh? Now that sounded pretty nifty! He had half a mind to call the skeletons back over so that he could properly test it, but he didn¡¯t. His sap was sweetening now that his thirst for battle had been slaked.
¡°You should give the lancer back its horse,¡± he told Dandelion. ¡°The poor thing looks totally lost without it.¡±
That was true; the lancer in question was just¡standing there, as dejected and pitiable as it was possible for a skeleton to be.
The fiend hurried to obey, stabbing the lance into the ground and sliding down from the mount. The bone horse returned to its owner and the skeleton hopped back on, looking as if everything was right in the world once more.
¡°They¡¯re getting better,¡± Dandelion said as it sagged down to the ground to rest. ¡°Thought they were going to escape there.¡±
¡°Same here,¡± muttered Kai as he looked up at the graying leaves atop his warding hedge. Winter had gone on too long; the power inside his barrier was slowly starting to bleed away, which emboldened the minions into thinking they had a chance to get out.
He¡¯d have to give it another infusion of Green Spirit sooner rather than later. If he had any to spare after finishing his rounds he¡¯d do it that evening. Maybe Dandelion could help.
A trio of absolutely gigantic ghost slimes floated past, their shimmering bodies inflating and deflating as if they were breathing. For reasons he still didn¡¯t understand, their diet ¨C which was almost entirely refined ectoplasm now ¨C made it so that they regularly changed size. That morning, for example, those three had all been no bigger than Kai was. He watched them bob up and down like apples in a bucket of water until they bounced off the warding hedges, then gestured for Dandelion to follow him in the opposite direction.
¡°Come on, let¡¯s go check on the frost slimes.¡±
The frost slime enclosure was a shallow pit on the far end of the menagerie, surrounded by a fence of cheap wood and broken bits of stone that Vee¡¯s orchestra had collected at Kai¡¯s request. It wasn¡¯t the prettiest thing in the world, but it was effective at corralling the ever-increasing number of frost slimes that were held inside, and Kai was grateful for it.
That didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t going to fix it up and make it prettier as soon as he could, of course. Once spring arrived properly, look out! His plans were as big an ancient oak was wide, he just needed the last bits of snow to finally melt and the weather to be a bit warmer so that he could put them into action.
He stared down at the ooze and squinted. There were¡more frost slimes than there¡¯d been that morning, even though Pretzel hadn¡¯t given birth to any that day.
That meant they had to be splitting.
Right now, that wasn¡¯t too big of a deal, as the dungeon needed more minions than it had and the menagerie had plenty of room. However, if the trend continued long enough, they wouldn¡¯t have enough space for anything but slimes, and Kai knew that Vee didn¡¯t want Crestheart to just be a slime dungeon. He¡¯d have to talk to the [Dungeon Master] about it and see if he could get him to increase the amount of frost slimes the dungeon threw at adventurers each run to make sure that didn¡¯t happen.
Now of course, it¡¯d be just as bad if Crestheart used too many slimes, so Kai and Vee would have to work out the ¨C what had the elders back in the grove called it? Oh, right! ¨C the maximum sustainable yield of the ooze.
Stolen story; please report.
Kai groaned as he tried to recall the various calculations that went into such a thing, because the first thing he thought of was that he needed to start taking notes about how fast the slimes were reproducing.
He hated taking notes; he¡¯d always hated taking notes. During the long winters back in the grove, he¡¯d made every duty trade he could to get out of having to work as a scribe for the elders during their meetings. It¡¯d been so boring that the few times he¡¯d been forced to it had caused him to nearly rip out his leaves in frustration.
Still, it was his job to manage the menagerie, and Vee needed to know how the slime population was changing. Kai believed in doing his job. He reached up and plucked a leaf from his upper branches, then readied some sap and started writing.
Population of frost slimes increasing. Needs observation. As soon as possible.
There. That was probably good enough for starters. He¡¯d have Dandelion actually count the frost slimes ¨C telling himself that it¡¯d be good for the fiend to get some more practice with its numbers and figures so that he didn¡¯t have to face the reality that he just didn¡¯t want to do it himself ¨C and once they had a few periods of growth data to pull from, he¡¯d start actually crunching numbers.
But enough slimes! Kai was eager to go check on his other project. He jogged through the slush to reach his makeshift shed and looked up at all the potted plants resting on the shelves. A warm sensation of pleasant excitement radiated toward him, and Kai couldn¡¯t wait to meet all his new friends when they started to bloom. Just a few more weeks until they started arriving, and then he could get to work moving them to their new homes. It was going to take a couple years of good, hard work, but Kai was certain that he¡¯d eventually transform ¡°abandoned¡± Westown into something beautiful.
Humming happily, Kai climbed up to inspect each individual pot. He poked and prodded, making sure that roots and stems were where they should be. Since there were so many plants and he still had more work to do, the treant only spent a few moments looking at each one, though he did spare some extra time for the roses, which were every bit as fussy and attention-demanding as they always were.
They¡¯d be worth it in the end; Juniper had given him some lovely varieties that were sure to make his Verdant Construction as pretty as it could be. There were big red ones, and small orange ones, and tall yellow ones, and short blue ones, and fat purple ones, and¡truthfully, too many to even count.
Sadly, a few of his other new flowers didn¡¯t seem to be thriving the way they were supposed to be, so Kai and Dandelion infused them with some more Green Spirit. Though he felt a little drained thanks to still being Snowsapped, Kai carefully pressed some health watchers into the soil of the plants that he felt needed them most. The tiny parasitic seeds would let him know if the Green Spirit failed to take effect on the intended recipients.
In such a case, he¡¯d have to come back for a more direct intervention, though he hoped that wouldn¡¯t be necessary.
In the back of the shed was a large worm box and a few compost bins. After convincing Vee that there was a marked difference between soil and dirt, Do and the other [Dungeon Maintainers] had built the vessels for Kai, and the treant had plans to get several more. Juniper was giving him her food scraps from the Lobby, but Kai needed more organic matter to break down. After all, trying to grow a garden without healthy soil was like trying to pilot a barkbody without [Shift Consciousness].
Impossible.
But that was a problem for another time. Leaving the shed, Kai and Dandelion made their way over to the elementals pen. Along their route, they passed the large empty enclosures that would soon hold the dungeon¡¯s new bone hounds once they arrived. Kai still wanted to beef up the wall a little bit so that they couldn¡¯t jump over or dig under too easily. He was starting to believe that all skeletal creatures were troublemakers, and combining that with the natural mischief dogs tended to get into seemed like a worrisome proposition. He just hoped that he¡¯d be able to get it done before they arrived.
¡°Well, how are we looking?¡± Kai asked at the gate to elementals pen. He liked letting Dandelion handle this check on his own; the elders back home had always taught him that good leaders let their underlings take responsibility for a project or two of their own.
¡°Fire elementals are good but think the frost elementals are stuck together again,¡± Dandelion said as it walked up to the fence and peered over. It pointed down. ¡°Big clump there isn¡¯t moving.¡±
Kai shook his branches in frustration. ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s the third time this week! Impossible!¡±
¡°See for yourself.¡±
Dandelion bent down and picked Kai up so that the bonsai treant could see that, yes indeed, the frost elementals had frozen to one another.
¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Kai said. ¡°Why does this keep happening?¡±
¡°Unsure, master. Apologies.¡±
Kai had explained the concept of a rhetorical question to his apprentice more than once, but the fiend still struggled to identify them from time to time. He didn¡¯t bother doing so again.
¡°What do you propose we do to get them separated?¡±
¡°Maybe use fire elementals to loosen them, then go break them apart?¡±
¡°Good idea,¡± Kai said. ¡°You go ahead and get started on that while I go get my barkbody, and then once we¡¯re done separating them we¡¯ll build some dividers or something afterwards too so that this doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±
Dandelion nodded. ¡°Understood, master.¡±
It climbed up over the fence to get to work while Kai headed back to where he¡¯d left his barkbody. He didn¡¯t mind the wasted time at all; if anything it was good that he wouldn¡¯t have to be around the fire elementals while they were spitting their sparks. He¡¯d gotten better at keeping his cool around fire, but it was still something he wanted to be away from as much as possible.
Once he was back inside his wooden construct, Kai made his way over to the scrapwood pile and started looking for pieces that would serve as suitable deterrents to future frost elemental amalgamations. The dividers didn¡¯t need to be too thick, but Kai wanted them to be straight and sturdy. He picked up a few here and there and started making a new pile, only to drop everything when he heard a familiar clattering sound near the warding hedges behind him.
¡°Dandelion!¡± he yelled as he realized what was happening. ¡°Forget the elementals for now! The skeletons are trying to escape again!¡±
Picking up one of his wood pieces to use as a cudgel ¨C how he missed his barkbody mallet! ¨C Kai sprinted over in the direction of the sound and saw the skeletons arranging a crude ladder made of bones and sticks. Now how had they built that?
A few seconds later he had it, thanks to [Assess Situation], one of his newest ¨C and most useful ¨C [Menagerie Caretaker] skills. They¡¯d used their weapons, scraps they¡¯d scrounged up here and there¡and one of the lancer¡¯s horses, if Kai¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t playing a nasty trick on him. The treant swore.
¡°You stupid skeletons need to learn your lessons!¡± he cried. ¡°You. Are. Not. Going. To. Escape!¡±
He charged in, hoping that the skeletons could put the horse back together again once he foiled their efforts; he didn¡¯t think he and Dandelion would be able to do it on their own, and skeleton lancers weren¡¯t cheap!
Far behind the scrum, a lone skeleton lancer stood by itself. Its horse was currently the rungs of the makeshift ladder, but it didn¡¯t seem to mind. A scrap of faded cloth was wrapped around its shoulders, flapping in the breeze.
Kai''s and Dandelion''s Character Sheets:
Kai Ginficus:
Primary Class: Menagerie Caretaker (Vee Vales), Level 19
Secondary Class: Barkbody Pilot (Pachi Palmatum), Level 16
Tertiary Class: Verdant Builder(Self), Level 8
Might: 15 (+1)
Wit: 6
Faith: 14
Green Spirit (Snowsapped): 24 (Normally 34)
Adventurousness: 11
Guts: 11
Citizenship: 5
Mentoring: 8
Patience: 6
Dandelion
Primary Class: Menagerie Caretaker¡¯s Apprentice (Kai Ginficus), Level 13
Secondary Class: Gardener (Kai Ginficus), Level 6
Might: 12 (+2)
Wit: 10
Faith: 8
Endurance: 10 (+1)
Green Spirit: 6
Bashfulness: 4
Citizenship (Bound - Vee Vales): 1
Volume 2 Chapter 50B: Walnut
Bobby, one of the old hands in the crew and a decent enough guy ¨C if you could look past the near-constant belching ¨C grimaced as he downed the last of the potion and let the bottle drop from his fingers. It shattered against the floor with a hiss of steam, and one of the new guys scurried over with a broom to sweep the shards into a large {Loot Bag} before they melted through the floor.
With a grunt, Bobby shook his head and coughed into his hand. ¡°That stuff tastes awful, boss. My tongue feels like I just licked up a mud puddle.¡±
Sacre¡¯s brow furrowed and his free hand tightened into a fist as he took his cigar from his mouth and glared at Bobby.
¡°Did I ask you how it tasted, moron? Do you think I care if it tastes like dog crap?¡±
¡°No, boss.¡±
¡°Exactly. What¡¯s important is if you feel any different.¡±
¡°Not really. Everything seems ¨C wait, actually, my stomach is kind of starting to hurt!¡±
With a huge burp, the big man tumbled to his knees. His entire body shuddered, and then he was retching like crazy. His eyes turned purple, and his skin started turning gray. Bobby looked up, panicking.
¡°Boss, it¡¯s not right! Help me!¡±
¡°It must have been contaminated,¡± Taglion shouted as Bobby sprouted two ¨C no, three ¨C new sets of arms. ¡°Quick lads, silver knives! Be quick about it!¡±
Walnut looked down at the weapon in his hand. It gleamed with terrible purpose, and he choked down his revulsion at the thought of turning it against someone he considered a friend. Well, as close to a friend as anyone could really be in this line of work.
¡°Sorry, buddy,¡± Walnut said as he readied the weapon.
The monster that had once been Bobby screamed as his comrades surrounded him and put their blades to work.
Sacre glowered at Taglion as his former underling¡¯s body turned to ash and blew away. The boss'' voice was utterly devoid of emotion.
¡°Now we gotta sweep the floor. Make sure that doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±
Christopher ¡®Walnut¡¯ Ryder¡¯s eyes snapped just as the sun peeked through his dirty blinds. His breath was coming in short, rapid bursts, and his forehead was caked in sweat. Another nightmare. Well, actually, it was the same nightmare, just repeated.
Groaning, he rolled over and checked his clock, seeing that it was, once again, just after five in the morning. Gawain¡¯s balls, he was glad for that. The routine was reassuring.
Wiping his face, he reached for a smoke and sat up, fiddling with the box and telling himself that he was fine as he shook his head and brought the slender white stick to his lips.
¡°Don¡¯t even know why I was worried,¡± he muttered as he let a tendril of smoke float up toward the ceiling. ¡°Thanks to [Early To Rise], I couldn¡¯t sleep in if I wanted to.¡±
At the sound of his voice, Brietta made a little noise and rolled over next to him, her bare shoulders and upper back visible above the mess that was their blankets. She smiled up at him with sleepy eyes and brushed a curly lock of black hair back behind her ear.
¡°You say somethin¡¯, Chris?¡±
She was the only one who still called him Chris. He smiled; that was one of his favorite things about Brietta. She still remembered the kid he¡¯d been before he¡¯d gotten mixed up in all this crap. Leaning down to kiss her on the forehead, he said, ¡°Nah, just thinking out loud. Don¡¯t worry about it, babe. Go back to sleep. It¡¯s still early, but I¡¯ve got to go to work.¡±
¡°You should take a day off once in a while,¡± Brietta said. She wiped a bit of makeup away from her eyes and reached up to rub his arm. ¡°The old man¡¯s got you working too hard lately. We never get to spend any time together anymore.¡±
She purred and pulled herself closer to him. ¡°Take the day off, huh? We could waste it together.¡±
Christopher snorted and twisted away. ¡°I¡¯d love to Brie, you know I would, but things are busy right now. That fat cat across town has got us all jumping when he says the word, and the boss says I need to work even harder to make sure that things don¡¯t get too hot out there. I can¡¯t afford to take the day off.¡±
His longtime-girlfriend¡¯s face tightened, and with a huff she pulled the covers up until they nearly reached her chin. Her glare was piercing.
¡°Come on, baby,¡± Christopher said. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡±
¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Some heat came into her voice. ¡°Things are always busy, Chris. If it¡¯s not one thing with the cat, it¡¯s another thing with someone else.¡±
Christopher couldn¡¯t argue with that, though he was starting to get irritated that she was picking a fight with him today of all days. She knew what he did for a living, knew that things were fluid, and that he wasn¡¯t in charge of his circumstances.
She didn¡¯t know what he needed to do this morning, but Christopher wasn¡¯t going to tell her. It was probably for the best that she didn¡¯t know, if things went bad.
¡°Look, I¡¯ll talk to the boss later and see if I can get a break next week or something, eh?¡±
¡°Might as well be next year,¡± Brietta said in a clipped voice.
¡°Come on, Brie. Don¡¯t be like that.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be like what? I¡¯m not being like anything!¡±
¡°Yes you are.
¡°Forget you, Chris,¡± she said with a huff. ¡°Go to work.¡±
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Walnut watched her roll away and snuffed his smoke. ¡°Fine, forget you too, Brie.¡±
Kicking himself free of the last of his blankets, the gangster stumbled over to the bathroom. When he looked into the mirror, he thought for a moment that he was maybe still trapped in a nightmare. When had his cheeks gotten so hollow? How long had he had those bags beneath his eyes? Was that cut near his lip new, or had it been there for a while without him noticing it? It didn¡¯t have scab, but it wasn¡¯t sore to the touch.
He looked like crap. He felt like crap, too. Not for the first time, he wished he could reach through the mirror and give the man looking back at him a good punch. Or vice versa. He glared at his angry, bitter reflection and frowned.
¡°How¡¯d you ever let your life get like this, huh stupid?¡±
Spitting into the sink, Walnut ran the water for a few seconds before splashing himself in the face. The chilly water did nothing to shake off his bad thoughts. It never did, when he got like this.
A careful glance over his shoulder revealed that Brie was still facing away from him, so Walnut carefully reached down to the straight razor haphazardly teetering on the edge of the sink and nicked his finger on the blade. He waited until the crimson droplet it produced was almost as big as a sunflower seed, then pressed it into the blood lock drawer hidden on the side of the medicine cabinet.
The blood lock drawer was an old, cruel thing. Walntu didn¡¯t like it. It was a relic of a different time, when skills and classes hadn¡¯t been quite as simple and clean* as they were now. Power came at a cost back then, which hadn¡¯t really changed if you thought about it, but it wasn¡¯t quite so explicit these days. That was probably why the boss liked stuff from back then so much. He was obsessed with relics and artifacts from the era, and he passed them out to all his best men to use as safes, since most people wouldn¡¯t know how to open or use them.
With a groan that almost sounded like a person¡¯s voice, the drawer slid open, and Walnut drew out the small glowing bottle sitting inside. His fingers trembled as he let the drawer shut and brought the bottle to his chest.
The old brown glass felt oily, and he was extra careful as he spun the bottle so that he could see the faded label. The name had been long since lost to time, but the image was still mostly visible. It depicted a man looking into his own reflection, and Taglion¡¯s ¨C Sacre¡¯s In-house [Appraiser] ¨C [Careful Assessment] had determined that like most of the bottles they¡¯d pulled out of the old madman¡¯s workshop, it possessed some sort of ¡°instant class¡± power. Of course, what class that would be was a total crapshoot, as was whether or not it¡¯d come without any nasty side effects.
Like turning into a giant monster and needing to be put down.
Walnut tried to not think about Bobby¡¯s last moments, but he failed pretty miserably. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure that he trusted the [Appraiser]¡¯s new safeguards. He wasn¡¯t drinking anything.
¡°Come on Walnut¡don¡¯t be a wuss. This is the life you signed up for,¡± he muttered as he pulled on a fresh shirt and pair of pants. He tucked the bottle into his pocket.
¡°It¡¯s too late now to try and do something different. Hands like you¡¯ve got ain¡¯t never getting clean.¡±
That cold reality steadied him, like it always did, and after wolfing down a bite of bread and grabbing a swig from the near-empty bottle of booze in the kitchen, Walnut put on his leather jacket and headed out into the street. The little bottle felt like a brick in his pocket as he squeezed through the jagged hole in the fence next to his place. Moving quickly, Walnut headed toward the old abandoned park where he¡¯d gotten into his first fight. The benches were rotten, the swings were broken, and the pipe dome was covered in rust. Other than a couple of the usual bums who weren¡¯t ever any trouble and plenty of trash, it was empty. Just like always.
His neighborhood hadn¡¯t been lost to the fiends, but boy howdy it sure felt like it could have been sometimes.
Walnut shooed the derelicts away, threatening violence if they didn¡¯t skedaddle.
Once they were all gone, The [Enforcer] took out the bottle and gave it a long, hard stare.
Sacre¡¯s face filled his thoughts. Drink the thing before you come in tomorrow, Christopher. I need you to show the others that what happened with Bobby was a onetime thing, you understand me?
But what if Taglion is wrong and it happens to me too, boss?
It won¡¯t. You¡¯re stronger than that belching idiot ever was. You think I¡¯d let you risk yourself if I wasn¡¯t sure that you¡¯d be okay? We need some more muscle, Christopher, and you¡¯re going to get it. Now, promise that you¡¯ll [Do As I Say].
He¡¯d given his word; because of course he had. He¡¯d been powerless to refuse, as the boss¡¯ skill had kicked in at the same time [Sure Thing, Boss] did. But now, as he stood there by himself in the slush, he wondered if he really had to.
For the first time since starting to work for Sacre fifteen years ago, he was thinking that it might be time to go back home, grab Brie, and get the heck out of town. The bandits were mostly gone now so the roads should be safe, and he had enough money squirreled away that they could travel without having to worry for a while. Sacre wouldn¡¯t bother chasing them forever.
Could he just drop the bottle on the ground and pretend it was an accident?
It was tempting. Really.
But deep down Walnut knew he couldn¡¯t do it. The boss was like a father to him, and Walnut was nothing if not a loyal henchman. He was Sacre¡¯s [Left Hand Man], after all! Kicking his imagined defiance down the stairs of his mind and grabbing a bat to shut it up permanently, Walnut uncorked the bottle and gave it a swirl.
The liquid inside was thick, and it reminded Walnut of old milk. Still, he¡¯d made his choice and put the bottle to his lips. Tilting his head back, Walnut drank it all down.
Truthfully, it didn¡¯t taste awful. Kind of like cashews, actually.
A ticking tingle spread across his limbs and torso. It was weird but not painful, though after a few seconds Walnut was thrown to his knees by what felt like a dozen pairs of invisible hands. They examined his soul¡¯s mirror, patting and proding like they were looking for weapons or something, and when they finally finished, a voice started booming inside his skull.
[BEHOLD! You have been evaluated and you have been given new strength!]
[You are now a Walnut Wrecker, Level 1]
[Ruthless Desire + 3¡unknown stat¡converting.]
[Conversion Complete!]
[Brutality + 2]
[Might +1]
[Constitution + 4¡unknown stat¡converting.]
[Conversion Complete!]
[Toughness +2]
[Endurance + 2]
[You can now use Shelled Skin!]
[You can now use Cracking Hug!]
Walnut didn¡¯t get up until the voice faded completely. His left arm and leg felt a little funny as he straightened back up, and when he looked down he saw that his skin had been entirely replaced by a ridged brown shell. He could still move his fingers, but they felt like he was wearing a heavy glove.
He made a fist and punched the nearest wall as hard as he could. It didn¡¯t hurt at all, though tiny cracks spread up his arm. When he removed his hand, he saw that he¡¯d left a crater of sorts almost six inches deep, and a grim smile spread across Walnut¡¯s features.
The second test was wrapping his arms around one of the old benches and activating [Cracking Hug]. Wood splintered and broke into pieces in his grip.
This new class could be useful, Walnut decided, if he could just figure out how to control [Shelled Skin]. That shouldn¡¯t be a problem.
Whistling, Walnut headed for Angelino¡¯s. Once he was done with work for the day, he¡¯d get Brie some flowers.
*Singing voice IS THE WAY THAT YOU¡¯RE MAKING ME FEEL, TONIGHT! IT¡¯S HARD TO LET IT GO!
Christopher ¡®Walnut¡¯ Ryder
Primary Class: Left Hand Man (Angelino Sacre), Level 33
Secondary Class: Brute (Angelino Sacre), Level 29
Tertiary Class: Enforcer (Angelino Sacre), Level 28
Additional Class: Walnut Wrecker (%#$%^&#), Level 1 (+1)
Might: 53 (+1)
Wit: 18
Faith: 12
Ambition: 41
Loyalty: 50
Endurance: 36 (+2)
Toughness: 44 (+2)
Intimidating Presence: 29
Patience: 13
Citizenship: 2
Deceptiveness: 20
Charisma: 6
Devious Mind: 26
Brutality: 43 (+2)
Greed: 44
Regret: 36
Volume 2 Chapter 51
A flurry of icicles and snowflakes as sharp as razors flew through the air, harrying Alforde as he moved across the main platform of the champion¡¯s arena. The armorsoul did his best to ignore them, keeping his eyes on the floating snowflake platforms far above his helmet. Holly leapt from one to another, the muted colors of her training outfit ¨C a sleeveless gray shirt and dark slacks ¨C making it hard for the [Dungeon Champion] to keep track of her movements in the gloom of the arena.
The [Snowmancer] activated her [Fresh Powder], and Alforde was temporarily blinded as the room went white. When his vision returned there was another layer of snow on the ground, and Holly was nowhere to be seen.
Before he even had a chance to start looking, something hit Alforde hard in the back and he went flying. He hit the stage and rolled, then got up as quickly as he could and readied himself for the next attack.
¡°[Give No Ground]!¡±
The familiar gold light surrounded his body just as the blue-haired [Witch] crashed into him with her gauntlet forged of ice. The impact of the blow was great, but Alforde¡¯s skill kept him in place and Holly¡¯s construct shattered.
She danced back and raised her hands. The snowflakes in her eyes flashed, and another gauntlet replaced the one that¡¯d just broken. Having grown tired of easily defeating Alforde with her whip-sword of snow and ice, she¡¯d taken to using improvised weapons of her own creation. Then, when even that had been overwhelming for the [Dungeon Champion], she¡¯d taken to handicapping herself further by restricting the ways in which she could use those hand-made weapons. For this bout, she was only using her left hand.
And still, she was up three stocks to one.
No matter how Alforde tried, he couldn¡¯t keep up with her. She was faster than he was, and somehow stronger too. She fought the way snow fell, favoring attacks from above until she could overwhelm him on an equal plane, and there was a viciousness to her blows that Alforde wasn¡¯t used to facing. It was like she was trying to kill him with every strike, even though he knew she wasn¡¯t.
The armorsoul launched his fastest [Combination Attack] in retaliation, but Holly dodged it with a laugh and sent him sprawling with a cascade of icicles that erupted from the ground.
¡°You¡¯re not going to be able to beat me like that,¡± she teased as she leapt into the air. ¡°If you want to stop losing, you¡¯re going to have to summon your Domain! Stop letting me control the flow of the fight!¡±
Using the new ectoplasm platforms Vee had just installed as steppingstones to return to her floating snowflakes, Holly resumed her hit and run tactics. Alforde quickly lost sight of her as more frigid precipitation filled the arena, and he tightened his gauntlets around Slammy¡¯s handle.
¡°What are you waiting for, Alforde?¡± Holly¡¯s voice echoed from every direction. ¡°Summon it!¡±
¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± he hollered back as snowballs splattered on his pauldrons. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying this entire fight! You keep breaking my concentration!¡±
The [Snowmancer]¡¯s laughter filled the air, cold and utterly devoid of mercy. ¡°Do you think the adventurers who come challenge Crestheart will just stand back and let you fumble around until you get your skill to activate? Of course not!¡±
She appeared right in front of him, her body melting out of the snow.
¡°When you asked me for help leveling up, you said that you wanted to make sure that you could do whatever Vee needed you to do as his champion. You said you wanted to put on a good show for the circuit so that any [Dungeon Scouts] watching it would bring their prospects to Crestheart. You said you wanted to win every fight that you got into. Do you think you can do that if you can¡¯t call your Domain at a moment¡¯s notice?¡±
Alforde jabbed at her, but Slammy¡¯s handle found naught but a [Snow Dummy] that she¡¯d somehow left behind. He still hadn¡¯t figured out how she kept doing that.
A snowball as big as his torso flew toward him, but when Alforde tried to bring his hammer up to block it he found that his arms refused to move. His pauldrons were frozen solid, covered in a thick sheet of blue ice.
That was another one of Holly¡¯s favorite tricks.
The snowball sent him flying, and Alforde knew that he was going to go over the edge if he didn¡¯t stop it. Right on cue, Heart of a Champion activated, and Alforde¡¯s plates were filled with a surging strength that felt limitless. He strained to move his pauldrons and was heartened by the sight of tiny cracks spreading across the ice, but breaking free would take too long at that speed. Flexing harder than he ever had before in his life ¨C like he was participating in one of those allegedly natural [Bodybuilder] contests ¨C Alforde shattered the ice and hooked the lip of the platform with his hammer to keep himself from falling.
He swung back and forth while his thoughts caught up with his instincts, and he tried to activate his Domain once more. He imagined a tiny snowflake doing as he wanted, then built up to a small breeze and a few errant icicles.
¡°[Chilling Tempest].¡±
The little Domain formed, but it wasn¡¯t anything to write home about. Holly¡¯s magic infused all the snow and ice in the arena, and wrestling even a few flakes away from Her control was a challenge, as his Domain¡¯s claim to them was weaker than hers. But he persevered, and slowly started to take part of the storm for himself.
He bolstered his return to the stage with a gust of cold wind, and settled back into his fighting stance. Holly¡¯s magic battered his will, demanding that the armorsoul give back what was rightfully hers, but Alforde shook his helmet and dug in his heels.
¡°You¡¯re not taking it back,¡± he growled. ¡°My Domain might be nothing more than a bastardized version of [Witch] magic, but this is my arena. I won¡¯t be usurped here!¡±
He hadn¡¯t needed to say all that, but sometimes it just felt good to be a little over-the-top.
His Domain howled as Holly increased the strength of her pull, and for a moment Alforde¡¯s will matched the [Snowmancer]¡¯s. Despite his determination, though, the effort quickly became too much to sustain for long, and the [Chilling Tempest] broke and vanished.
The armorsoul stumbled back as his skill faded, and Holly ended the bout with another punch that seemed to come out of nowhere.
Alforde resisted a surge of fury and frustration as he hit the ground. He closed his eyes until the last fragments of it passed. He¡¯d lost, and that sucked, but he couldn¡¯t deny that he¡¯d made progress!
It was the fifth bout in a row he¡¯d taken a stock, he¡¯d even matched Holly¡¯s will for a few seconds!
[Congratulations! You are now a Glaciernaut, Level 7!]
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
[Might +1]
[Congratulations! You are now a Dungeon Champion, Level 16!]
[Endurance +1]
[Heart Of A Champion +1]
[Your Chilling Tempest is now more reliable!]
The [Witch]¡¯s mood mirrored Alforde¡¯s own as she floated down to the ground on a feather made of snow. She was grinning, and the snowflakes in her eyes were sparkling like diamonds.
¡°That was a lot better,¡± she said as she held out her hand. ¡°You were able to summon [Chilling Tempest] despite my pressure, which you couldn¡¯t do even yesterday. With some more practice and another couple levels you might even be able to overwhelm my will entirely.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t stop until I can!¡±
Holly chuckled. ¡°I know. Let¡¯s go ahead and call it here for today, though. I¡¯m getting hungry and I¡¯m sure Vee is ready to start heading back into town.¡±
Alforde nodded. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s fine with me.¡±
Flipping the hidden switch on the bottom of the platform base to deactivate the arena¡¯s new platforms and hazards, Alforde picked up Slammy and hurried to follow Holly up the stairs.
Vee held up one of Hanako¡¯s newest [Icicle Spear] crystals and squinted at it with a frown. The [Enchantress] insisted that her freshly learned faceting technique was a major improvement over her old one, but the [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t see how. He even grabbed one of the old ones sitting on his desk ¨C Hanako had brought both when she¡¯d burst into the office with a gigantic smile on her face ¨C and looked at them side by side, but there was nothing there that really differentiated them.
He resolved to offer a vague but positive statement -- something like ¡°Yeah, it looks great, good job,¡± -- when he next saw Hanako, and hoped that she wouldn¡¯t start asking him for his opinion on various differences between the two.
The telltale sound of Alforde¡¯s boots coming up the stairs announced his friend¡¯s arrival, though it was Holly who came through the door first. She looked smug and triumphant, while Alforde¡¯s helmet was slumped forward.
¡°How was the sparring today?¡± Vee asked though he already knew the answer.
¡°We finished eighteen ¨C no wait, nineteen ¨C bouts,¡± Holly said.
¡±That¡¯s quite a few. How many stocks did Alforde take?¡±
After the first few days of his friend¡¯s battling with the [Witch], Vee had stopped asking how many matches his friend had won. Instead, he simply hoped that his [Dungeon Champion] had managed to take at least a double-digit number.
¡°Nine, but seven of them came in the last five matches.¡±
Vee gave his friend a thumbs-up and the armorsoul brightened just a bit.
Reginald let out a low whistle. ¡°You¡¯re definitely getting better, big guy, but that¡¯s still brutal. I¡¯ll tell you, Holly, we¡¯re lucky as can be that most of the adventurers who come through here can¡¯t hold a candle to you. We¡¯d be out of business in a week if they could.¡±
She shrugged as she pulled a large sandwich out of the bag she¡¯d stashed under a desk before starting her sparring session with Alforde and took a big bite. ¡°I¡¯m kind of a special case,¡± she said while chewing. ¡°His Domain¡¯s claim to ice and snow is weaker ¨C than my magic¡¯s, and I¡¯ve been getting plenty of practice with real fighting for a while now.¡±
Near-inhaling the rest, she pulled out some pretzels and held one out to Vee. He shook his head, remembering the one time he¡¯d tried them; they were so salty they made him feel like he¡¯d been forced to drink seawater for a week straight.
¡°All this flashy stuff you guys do in the dungeon is nothing compared to brawling a dozen mud golems in an alley somewhere,¡± Holly said as she snapped two into her mouth.
¡°Mud golems?¡± Reginald asked, his eyes growing wide.
Holly nodded and took a sip of her water. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯ve been popping up for the last few weeks but only started causing real trouble recently by breaking into stores and stuff. Didn¡¯t you guys have some here, too?¡±
¡°We had one, though it was made out of a bunch of little ones,¡± Vee said, thinking back to the strange creatures that¡¯d come in through the window and ran around the office. He¡¯d almost forgotten about them. Holly finished the rest of her pretzels and started wolfing down some dried emberberries. The speed at which she ate was, frankly, inhuman, and Vee once again wondered if she had a skill that made it possible.
¡°Do you know where they¡¯re coming from?¡± Vee asked.
¡°Sort of. Luna and I know it¡¯s a kitrekin summoning and controlling them, but he¡¯s tricky and we haven¡¯t been able to catch him so we don¡¯t really know much else about him. Up until about a week ago, he seemed content with just a little mischief here and there, but now he¡¯s started breaking into places and hurting people. It¡¯s driving my dad crazy.¡±
Vee had a hard time imagining Sacre caring about random people or chaos around the city, so the fact that he was interested in the golems at all ¨C let alone upset about their presence ¨C was surprising.
His confusion must have shown on his face, because Holly popped the last of her berries into her mouth, burped a tiny flame, and explained, ¡°It¡¯s his rivalry with the don. The balance of power between them is always precarious, and my dad finally thought he¡¯d found something to swing it into his favor permanently. And no, before you ask, I don¡¯t know what it is.¡±
¡°What? I don¡¯t get it, Vee said. ¡°What does that have to do with the [Summoner]? Is it just because it¡¯s a kitrekin or something? Isn¡¯t that a little ¨C¡±
¡°It¡¯s a kitrekin that we¡¯re pretty sure came from out of town,¡± Holly interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s the important bit. Out of town. See, when the roads were all messed up by the bandits, my dad and the don both started using some of the old tunnels for their business because they could skip most of the major roads where the bandits were congregating. They fought sometimes, and a few of my dad¡¯s guys put a pretty good hurt on the don¡¯s cronies. They even took one of their shipments.¡±
¡°I¡¯m guessing that the [Summoner] appeared after that?¡± Reginald asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± Holly said. ¡°Within days.¡±
Vee looked over at Reginald, who was frowning. He turned toward Holly and said, ¡°So¡your dad¡¯s worried that the don¡¯s powerful friends outside Oar¡¯s Crest didn¡¯t like having their operation messed with?¡±
¡°Pretty much. He¡¯s worried that they¡¯re going to send more heavy hitters to throw their weight around and shake things up around here.¡±
¡°Which means that what was supposed to be his master stroke might only be enough to barely avoid being ruined,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Yikes, that¡¯s a tough spot to be in.¡±
The group fell silent, except for Holly, who¡¯d resumed eating and was chewing her way through a cookie with orange frosting.
This all sounded like a problem Vee didn¡¯t need to be dealing with just then. Leaning forward, Vee put his hand on his chin and got to thinking.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 33
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 7
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 3
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 25
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16 (+1)
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 7 (+1)
Might: 44 (+1)
Wit: 13
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 22 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 10 (+1)
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 1
Reginald :
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 39
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 16
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 37
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Bonus: Holly''s Character Sheet
Holly Sacre
Primary Class: Snowmancer(Self), Level 30
Secondary Class: Good Girl (Neve Sacre), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Surly Sidekick (Luna Redhenny), Level 11
Might: 38
Wit: 33
Faith: 12
Loyalty: 15
Adventurousness: 32
Guts: 46
Stealth: 22
Charisma: 11
Greed: 29
Ambition: 30
Pride: 28
Manipulativeness: 3
Reflected Glory: 8
Volume 2 Chapter 52:
With his yellow spirit hands steepled in front of his brim, Reginald faced Nock¡¯s projection with a stern expression. For once, his mouth was completely straight, and his eyes gave the impression of being drawn tight in thought. In a voice that was clearly trying far too hard to be serious, Reginald said, ¡°And if you¡¯re hired, how do you intend to bolster the dungeon¡¯s performance?¡±
Sitting a few feet away, Vee couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. Reginald had already asked that question three other times, though admittedly he used a different set of words each time. Clearly, his [Majordomo] was just enjoying the opportunity to hear his own voice.
Nock¡¯s projection leaned back so that he could rest his feet on the table and yawned. ¡°Per my last answer, I don¡¯t care about the dungeon¡¯s performance. I¡¯m just bored and tired of being trapped in this cage. If you let me free and give me some fleurs, I¡¯ll do almost anything you ask me to.¡±
¡°I see, I see. Let me just jot that down here¡.Does not seem to be a self-starter¡likely a low performer too¡great. Okay, next question: What sort of salary were you hoping to get?¡±
Nock¡¯s projection rolled his shoulders. ¡°Freedom is more than enough to start, but I was making four golds a month working for the bandits.¡±
Vee nearly dropped the ectoplasmic tool he was holding for Rortenferry, who was on his back attaching the last few panels to the underside of the device he was currently working on. The [Dungeon Master] turned to the weaponsoul and stared like a turkey watching a rainstorm.
¡°Did I hear that right? You were making four golds every month?¡±
¡°Sure was, but that¡¯s only because I was out here where there¡¯s not much business. Some of the guys over on the other side of the continent were making two or three platinums a week.¡±
Boy it sure was a good thing that Vee was sitting, because if he hadn¡¯t been he probably would have fallen down right then and there. That was serious money! Those old scolds who¡¯d always told him that crime didn¡¯t pay clearly hadn¡¯t ever looked at high end banditry.
Of course, the rates were probably pushed up quite a bit by just how dangerous it was to be a bandit holding commerce for the entire continent hostage, but those were the kind of details Vee wasn¡¯t interested in just then. Like most people who heard about big money being made in something they weren¡¯t expecting, he wasn¡¯t thinking about the costs or risks associated with getting it at all. In his brain, it was all profit.
If he¡¯d only been born bigger and stronger! Okay, not really, but still, the proverbial grass on the other side sure looked pretty green just then.
Reginald made a little hem-hem sound, as if frustrated that Vee had the temerity to interrupt his precious interview. He gave the [Dungeon Master] a Significant Look, and in an irritatingly proper voice, said, ¡°If I might be allowed to continue.¡±
Vee flipped his hat an obscene hand gesture, and Nock laughed. Reginald carried on as if he hadn¡¯t noticed. This time, he asked that most-loved of all interview questions.
¡°What¡¯s your biggest weakness?¡±
Nock laughed again. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious! Gawain¡¯s gut, what a hoot you are!¡±
Rortenferry¡¯s hand emerged from the gloom surrounding the floating sphere of ectoplasmic constructs and his fingers wiggled.
¡°I¡¯ll take that medium night claw now, please.¡±
Startled by the sound of his old [Professor]¡¯s voice, Vee fumbled with the tool for a moment and then handed it over.
¡°Thanks,¡± grunted Rortenferry, his hand disappearing once again. A strange hissing filled the air, punctuated by clicks and clacks of the older [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s tool as he twisted something into place. The device-in-progress bobbed up and down, and a string of yellow lights appeared on one side. Vee counted them carefully before they disappeared and waited for the next set, which were blue and green. He counted these too, and relayed the numbers to Rortenferry when they all faded away for good.
¡°Thirteen yellow, seven blue and twenty three green.¡±
¡°Excellent. That means the arrays are coming together the way they¡¯re supposed to. Now, there should be a¡yes, there it is. I need the greed grips next. It¡¯s the¡no, stay still¡the big one with the orange handle.¡±
The tool in question was as long as Vee¡¯s forearm, and its hand at the end was open and grasping. Like all ectoplasmic vice grips, this one was imbued with the power of its name. No matter how much it held or twisted, it continuously sought more. Vee picked it up, wincing as the echo of its desires flooded his senses and gently pushing them away. He was more than happy to hand the tool over, reminded why he¡¯d never been interested in pursuing [Ghost Artificer] back at school. It didn¡¯t matter what the [Class Researchers] and [Philosophers] said; close contact with tools like that on a regular basis couldn¡¯t be good for you, long term.
A few minutes later, Rortenferry pushed his project higher up into the air and sat up. His face was red and he was breathing ever so slightly harder than usual.
¡°Not as young as I used to be,¡± he said with a small smile as he saw Vee¡¯s worried expression. Crawling over to the tool packet, Rortenferry returned the greed grips and the night claw to their proper places before wiping his hands with a big fluffy towel.
¡°Makes my skin crawl each time,¡± he muttered as he let the towel hit the floor. Standing up, he turned to Vee and gestured for the [Dungeon Master] to rise as well. ¡°Come on, help me get this downstairs and I¡¯ll show you how it all comes together with the rest of the pieces we have down there. That way, you can put it back together if something breaks in a few months.
Vee nodded, though he doubted he¡¯d be able to do such a thing. Ectoplasmic constructs like Rortenferry was making ¨C where some parts relied on others in complex ways akin to other machines ¨C had always been beyond his ken, and the problem had only gotten worse since he¡¯d become a [Dungeon Master]. He blamed [Big Picture].
Stolen story; please report.
Still, he helped his old [Professor] guide the orb down to the floor below, listening dutifully as Rortenferry droned on about arrays of exchanging power, ectoplasmic crucibles, portal stones, and dozens of other small workings that combined their forces like a series of steel-plated animal spirits to form a greater whole. In this case, the greater whole was a ghost printer. Also called a ghost press, due to the average person¡¯s all-too-common confusion between the act of doing something and the tool for doing so.
Thankfully, while its innards were complex, the process of attaching it to the other parts waiting in the new workshop was simple enough. Vee and Rortenferry tightened ectoplasmic clamps, sealed ectoplasmic locks, and activated sigils to make sure that the orb didn¡¯t rattle or move when the device was activated.
When it was all together and Vee got a good look at it, he couldn¡¯t help but think of an octopus. The orb Rortenferry had just finished looked like a head, and the sprawling other pieces looked like tentacles.
¡°Let¡¯s go ahead and give it a test to make sure that it¡¯s working properly,¡± Rortenferry said, handing Vee a small token imprinted with blue ectoplasm. ¡°Here, you do the honors.¡±
Vee inserted the token and waited for light near the device¡¯s handle to turn on. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how the printer ¡±absorbed¡± the token, as Rortenferry¡¯s explanation had gone right over his head, but he could wait the five or six seconds it took for the printer to be ready.
Wrapping his fingers around the handle, Vee pulled and the printer made a little thunking sound. Some of its parts whirled while others wiggled, and after a moment a trio of basic ghosts burped into existence. They floated forward aimlessly, before Rortenferry pressed a button on another machine that sealed them away in a different token, which made them easier to store.
¡°What do you think, eh? Beats the heck out of doing it all by hand! Once you get the hang of it, I bet you can produce a month¡¯s worth of ghosts in a couple hours.¡± Rortenferry said. ¡°It¡¯s still pretty simple, but you have a basic workshop now that can hopefully help you keep Crestheart stocked and ready to go with ghostly minions. Once you start making decent designs, you should be well-equipped for success.¡±
¡°My designs are fine!¡± Vee insisted, but Rortenferry shook his head.
¡°No they¡¯re not. They¡¯re trite, boring, and inherently flawed.¡±
Vee started to protest further, feeling his temper rising in his throat, but Rortenferry held up his hand. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to admit it, you know that I¡¯m telling you the truth,¡± he said. ¡°Furthermore, you should know that I¡¯m not trying to bring you down by telling you this.¡±
¡°What are you trying to do, then?¡±
¡°I¡¯m trying to teach you an important lesson that many [Ghost Maestros] go years without learning.¡±
Vee folded his arms across his chest and got his temper under control.
¡°Fine, what is it?¡±
¡°That like many young [Ghost Maestros], you frequently design ghosts that fall into the trap of seeking balance at the expense of effectiveness. You try to fix with micro adjustments what should be handled with macro planning. Allow me to show you what I mean.¡±
Raising his hands, Rortenferry pulled a bunch of ectoplasm out of the air and started shaping it. He twisted and stretched it, forming a long, spindly creature with four separate limbs. Then, with the ease of long practice, he [Vivified] it and the ghost started crawling on the ground.
It moved in an unnatural manner, like a spider, and Vee instinctively took a step back as it crawled toward him. Rortenferry stopped it before it got close and ordered it to turn around. When it stopped for the second time, the older [Ghost Maestro] snapped his fingers and the ghost disappeared, leaving a tiny puddle of ectoplasm on the ground in its wake.
¡°definitely not the best ghost ever made, nor is it going to succeed in every situation you throw it into, but crawling ghosts can be extremely effective in some circumstances. Now, in all the time that I¡¯ve been here, I¡¯ve yet to see you even consider making a serious attempt to design a ghost like that one,¡± Rortenferry said.
¡°All your ghosts are vaguely humanoid, which means that you¡¯re ignoring a massive pool of inspiration that you should be drawing from. Where are your lizard ghosts, your spider ghosts, your bird ghosts? What about exploding ghosts? Status effecting ghosts? Weaponized elemental resistance ghosts? Localized aura carriers? Loot-holders? They¡¯re nowhere to be found!
¡°My ghosts work fine for what I need,¡± Vee said defensively, tightening his jaw. However, even as he said it, he felt a blossom of new possibilities filling his mind. Why had he been so rigid in his belief that his minions ¨C especially his ghosts ¨C were static? He¡¯d spent plenty of time fiddling with various traps and rooms for the dungeon, hadn¡¯t he? The same principles there applied here too: there had to be plenty of different things he could do to improve his ghosts; ways he could tailor his minions to stop adventurers.
But his old hesitation reared its ugly head and stifled his creative impulse.. Your shaping skills and sigilmancy sucks. You¡¯ll just fail. There are better things you should be spending your time on. You can worry about making new ghost designs later.
¡°I can¡¯t make anything like that,¡± Vee said. ¡°There¡¯s too many other things going on right now.¡±
The comment faded into silence before Rortenferry shook his head and walked toward the stairs. He clapped Vee on the shoulder as he passed, his voice was quiet as he spoke. ¡°I know this isn¡¯t your only job, but if making the same couple ghosts over and over is the level of effort you want to put in on something so important to your future, Vee, that¡¯s your call. If you change your mind, let me know.¡±
He left without another word, and Vee stayed down in the darkened room for a long time, thinking hard.
What did he have to lose?
¡°It costs nothing to try,¡± Vee said, and a notification popped up in front of his eyes.
[You have received a quest: Design New Ghosts! Would you like to accept it?]
Vee hit yes.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 33
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 7
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 3
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 25
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 7
Might: 44
Wit: 13
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 22
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 10
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 1
Reginald :
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 16
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 22
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 38 (+1)
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 53:
The rest of the quest appeared before Vee¡¯s eyes.
[Quest: Design New Ghosts]
[Dangers: Mental strain, feelings of ineptitude, wounded pride]
[Reward for completion: Wit +2, Ghost Maestro +1, [???]]
[Description: Work with Rortenferry to design new ghosts for Crestheart. Come up with three synergistic models for full rewards.]
Frowning, Vee dismissed the notification and tried to think about some new types of ghosts. It was true that he had other things going on just then that were probably more important ways to spend his time, but for some reason he really didn¡¯t want to lose the chance of getting a new skill.
That was a strange sensation, as he¡¯d never really been one to care about levels and stats like he was supposed to. Most of the kids he¡¯d grown up around had been unbearable in that regard, agonizing about their levels and doing everything they could to make sure that the numbers went up as much as possible. Vee hadn¡¯t ever seen the point. Life was life, even if it did sometimes come with quantitative measurements that judged you for how well you lived it.
This was different though. It was like a prickling in his neck that warned him not to take this quest lightly, and Vee decided to trust his instinct.
There was said to be a sense of intuition that guided people sometimes, urging them to take actions they wouldn¡¯t have otherwise or pointing their attention to something that usually didn¡¯t interest them. Bad things tended to happen when they were ignored.
Now, many [Scholars] and [Theologians] said the nudge was the work of the gods and goddesses ¨C Gawain was said to enjoy taking a more active role in the lives of his subjects, sometimes ¨C but Vee wasn¡¯t sure it needed to be anything so grand as that. Sometimes people just did things for the heck of it.
Regardless, spending just a few minutes brainstorming surely wouldn¡¯t hurt, right? The day¡¯s runs were done and Alforde was down in his arena practicing with Holly again. His best friend claimed to be on the cusp of some sort of major breakthrough with his Domain. Vee was excited to see what it was.
Actually, now that he thought about it, why didn¡¯t he get to work on the new ghosts then and there? Truthfully, there really wasn¡¯t anything that Vee needed to be doing just then.
Vee sat down on the ground, took out his notebook, and started to draw. His pen moved in slow, meditative strokes, but the mess of circles and squares didn¡¯t turn into anything interesting. Not for the first time in his life, Vee set down his pen in frustration and looked up at the ceiling. This is how it always went. Coming up with new ghost designs was hard!
He fought back the temptation to steal the ideas Rortenferry had given him, even if they did seem great at first look; somehow he felt that the quest wouldn¡¯t take too kindly to blatant plagiarizing.
However, that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t take some ¨C ahem, creative ¨C inspiration from them, and Vee decided to try and start thinking about how his new creations would synergize together.
What exactly did a ghost ¨C or any dungeon minion for that matter ¨C need to do in combat? Attack the adventurer, sure, but there were shades of nuance beyond being ranged and melee that Vee started trying to think about. Angles of attack, movement and attack speed, and probably a bunch more that weren¡¯t coming to mind just then. He decided to focus on just those three for starters. Rortenferry had mentioned macro versus micro designs and making his ghosts more specialized. How could Vee spread those duties across multiple ghosts?
For different angles of attack, Vee thought about Rortenferry¡¯s crawler ghost. He¡¯d have to use a different shape, but something that threatened an adventurer¡¯s footing ¨C like a snake, or a spider ¨Cwould be extremely useful in a room where challengers were expected to jump across platforms or balance in precarious situations. Halls, too.
Similarly, ghosts that harried from above could be put to use in cramped rooms or narrow hallways. There had to be a reason that the old legends of great [Heroes] wrote scathingly about birds, right?
For movement speed, he could probably make something that¡¯d move quickly, though he wasn¡¯t sure of what. His first thought was something like a cat or a dog, but the [Dungeon Master] wasn¡¯t sure that he wanted to commit so hard to animal shapes. If everything looked natural, what was the point of them being ghosts in the first place?
Vee needed to find some new inspiration, so he emptied his mind and let his thoughts meander. He kept going back to Alforde. Armored creations, maybe? Body parts, perhaps?
Ever so slowly, his sketches started changing, and Vee grinned as a thread of similarities started taking form.
When he felt the frail thread of flowing creativity snap, Vee went back upstairs and looked for Rortenferry. While he had an idea of how to proceed on his new designs, he wanted his old teacher¡¯s advice about the specifics for some of the sigilmancy and structures that he¡¯d need for bringing them to¡well, not life, but the ghostly approximation.
Alas, Rortenferry was nowhere to be seen in the workshop, though a scowling Reginald informed him that the other [Ghost Maestro] had only left a few minutes before.
¡°You basically just missed him. If you hurry you should be able to catch up with him no problem,¡± Reginald said as he turned back to Nock. ¡°My most sincere apologies for the additional interruption. Let me assure you that things aren¡¯t usually so chaotic around here. Here at Crestheart, we pride ourselves on smooth sailing.¡±
Vee didn¡¯t know what that could possibly mean, but he didn¡¯t have the energy to spare trying to figure it out either. Instead, he hurried back down the stairs, cursing his bad luck that he hadn¡¯t heard Rortenferry passing by on his way out.
Sure enough though, when he got back down to the street, he saw the old man a few blocks away, heading toward the gate.
¡°Wait! [Professor]! Wait just a moment!¡±
Of course, Rortenferry was too far away to really hear him, so Vee had no choice but jog and catch up. That wasn¡¯t as bad as it could have been; the air was surprisingly warm and nearly all the snow had melted on the sidewalks heading back to Oar¡¯s Crest proper.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
As he drew closer, Vee tried calling out again and this time Rortenferry heard him. He stopped and turned around, a little twinkle of laughter in his eyes as he looked at Vee.
¡°Hmm? What¡¯s going on, lad? Decided to think about what I said? Maybe even decided to actually listen to me for a change?¡±
Vee nodded. ¡°I did. Even got a quest for making some new ghosts. Actually, that¡¯s the reason I came to try and talk to you. See, I have some concepts I¡¯d like to make and I was hoping that you could, uh¡that you could¡ª¡±
His tongue felt like it turned to wood, and Vee clenched his fingers into a fist. Why was it always so hard to actually ask for help? Whenever he decided to do so, it seemed like the simplest thing in the world, but as soon as the moment came he felt like a giant was squeezing his stomach.
I¡¯ve got to be better than this. I don¡¯t have time to waste on stupid crap!
The Expectation tightened reassuringly around his shoulders, giving Vee the last boost he needed to make the words come out. He straightened up and said, ¡°I was hoping that you could help me with the sigilmancy and assembly for some of things I¡¯ve come up with. I¡¯m not entirely sure how they¡¯ll work. Here, let me show you what I mean.¡±
He handed over his notebook and Rortenferry studied it for a moment. He murmured a few things as he traced Vee¡¯s lines, then nodded and handed the notebook back. ¡°Of course, Vee. These look reasonable enough and I¡¯d be happy to help. However, I¡¯m afraid that it must wait until tomorrow. Assembling those devices really took a lot out of me.¡±
His face was haggard, and his eyes were sunken, which made Vee feel a little bad.
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow, [Professor].¡±
Rortenferry waved and turned back around just as Vee remembered Nock. ¡°Wait! I forgot to ask earlier: Do you think it¡¯s safe if we go ahead and free that captive weaponsoul to work in the dungeon?¡±
Rortenferry shrugged. ¡°It should be fine. The spirit seems rather mercenary, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll try to escape or anything like that. In the interest of prudence, though, I¡¯ve gone ahead and prepared some binding wraps and sealing bands that you can attach to him to nip any mischief in the bud. Do you know how to attach those properly?¡±
Vee shifted back and forth, fighting back his urge to ruffle his hair. ¡°Sort of?¡±
The other [Ghost Maestro] rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine, fine. We can go over that tomorrow, too. Have a good evening, Vee.¡±
The [Dungeon Master] watched Rortenferry walk to the gate, then headed back to the dungeon to check in on Reginald and Nock. To his surprise, he wasn¡¯t as tired from his chase and climbing the stairs as he¡¯d expected to be, and wondered if he¡¯d somehow gotten a sneaky point of Might that he just hadn¡¯t noticed.
A quick check of his soul¡¯s mirror revealed that hadn¡¯t been the case, but Vee got the sense that he probably wasn¡¯t too far away from getting one if he kept on doing a bunch of physical stuff. He glanced down the stairs. Just then, he probably had time to do another couple trips and up and down for good measure.
Forget that. It¡¯d be a cold day in a real hot place before he voluntarily went up and down the stairs more than once.
Shaking his head, Vee opened the door to the office and sat down next to Reginald and Nock. The weaponspirit¡¯s projection looked as bored as could be, and Vee couldn¡¯t blame him. Reginald was droning on and on, his current topic ¡°Core Values¡± ¨C those lofty platitudes that were easily found in promotional materials around the continent yet virtually nonexistent in most workplaces ¨C and Vee decided that the time had come to step in and put an end to things.
He held up his hand and Reginald fell quiet.
¡°Rortenferry says he¡¯s good, so you can stop the interview, Reginald. I¡¯ll take over from here.¡±
The hat looked affronted, but Vee shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here.¡±
His [Majordomo] shut up.
Nock¡¯s projection turned to Vee and raised an eyebrow. ¡°You going to grill me too, blue?¡±
¡°Nothing like that,¡± Vee said. ¡°I¡¯m simply here to discuss the terms of your future employment.¡±
As it turned out, Nock was surprisingly easy to bargain with. While he¡¯d definitely wanted fleurs ¨C though his desire for coin seemed bizarre to Vee ¨C he was most interested in freedom. To that point, he¡¯d been willing to trade nearly anything to get it. Even the low salary and limitations Vee imposed were accepted without much pushback.
Once the circuit started, Nock was to haunt the second floor of the dungeon, attacking adventurers and doing his best to wear them down without trying to kill them. That last bit was especially important.
In exchange, he¡¯d get to roam the dungeon freely after each day¡¯s runs were finished until Vee, Alforde, and Reginald returned to the boarding house. If his behavior was good for a few months, Vee agreed to put up sufficient bindings around the dungeon and let the weaponsoul have his run of the place until the start of business the next day. After that, they¡¯d discuss further arrangements.
It was a fine arrangement, and Vee thought it well worth twenty silver fleurs a week.
[There are deals, and then there are deals. This is almost certainly the latter. Your recent efforts are paying off. You can now earn points in Bargaining!]
[Bargaining +1]
[You can now use Don¡¯t Give Me Any Of That]
He wasn¡¯t the only one pleased by the deal, apparently.
Vee checked the new skill in his soul¡¯s mirror. At first glance, [Don¡¯t Give Me Any Of That] didn¡¯t seem particularly impressive. Basically, it intimidated the target into foregoing any attempts at unfair offers. Vee wasn¡¯t sure how that worked, but he resolved to try and put it into practice later with Reginald.
More interesting was the fact that the new skill was linked to his Intimidating Presence and [Guy-Who-Takes-Things-Way-Too-Far] class; the higher both of those were, the more powerful the skill would be.
After Nock¡¯s projection vanished, Vee picked Reginald up and waited for Alforde to return. The armorsoul arrived a few minutes later, and with light spirits, the trio headed back to the boarding house.
The circuit was one day closer to starting.
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 33
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 7
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 3
Bargaining: 1 (+1)
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 25
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 7
Might: 45 (+1)
Wit: 13
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 23 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11 (+1)
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 1
Reginald :
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 16
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23 (+1)
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 38
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
Irritability: 20 (+1)
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 54:
Vee and Rortenferry went over his new ghost designs during the next day¡¯s runs. It was a little tricky to coordinate details and discuss different ectoplasmic applications between bouts of flipping switches and activating [Boost Drops] as adventurers cascaded through Crestheart, but they managed. Admittedly their progress was slow, and Vee had to ask his old teacher to repeat what he¡¯d just said on more than one occasion, but he learned better than he ever had back at the academy.
Rortenferry had copied his original sketches onto fresh paper with a wave of his hand and a muttered skill that sounded vaguely like [Reduce Tedium]. Then he¡¯d gotten a pen out and started marking his version up, covering them with symbols and images that would be used in the vivification process.
When he was done, he passed them over to Vee for the [Dungeon Master] to look at as soon as he got a break. It was going to be a few minutes, as the Level 18 [Cinder Ballerina] was proving a tricky foe to overcome. Each time his traps came close to hampering her movements, she twirled around or leapt into the air, trailing fire from her body and leaving naught but clouds of steam in her wake.
This wasn¡¯t the first time than an adventurer with some fire skills had done something like that to his traps, but Vee still found it eminently irritating. Perhaps he¡¯d specialized the dungeon¡¯s traps too much; theme be damned, having such a large part of his arsenal rendered useless by a single elemental weakness wasn¡¯t the type of thing he could afford moving forward. There were sure to be pyro-attuned adventurers as part of the circuit, after all.
He made a mental note to talk to Hanako soon about developing some backup trap variants that wouldn¡¯t be weak to fire. Possibly with stone or metal? Maybe even frostnickel? That¡¯d be a good tie into the city¡¯s legacy.
The Expectation purred around his shoulders. It certainly approved of the idea.
Rortenferry leaned over on his arm, lazily watching the [Cinder Ballerina] with an amused expression. ¡°Bet you wish you could drop some of these new living gauntlets on her right about now, huh?¡±
He gestured down to the first new ghost Vee¡¯d come up with. Inspired by Alforde and his already-existing ghost arms, Vee¡¯d thought to make some disembodied gauntlet ghosts that would hang from ceilings and catch adventurers in a powerful hug. However, judging by the way his old [Professor] had diligently crossed out his scribbled Use old ghost arms as base note, Vee suspected that the process was going to be rather more complex than he¡¯d originally hoped.
That was probably for the best, all things considered. This was as good a time as any for him to shore up his foundations with sigilmancy.
He looked over at Rortenferry. ¡°So, seeing as my idea to repurpose my ghost arms isn¡¯t going to work, how do you suppose I should go about making the gauntlets?¡±
Rortenferry snapped his fingers and stacks of red and blue ectoplasm cylinders appeared on the desk in front of him. ¡°Here, it¡¯ll work better if I show you.¡±
Vee looked down at the run in progress and saw that the adventurer was drawing close to Alforde¡¯s arena. There wasn¡¯t much else he could do for this one, so he told his friend to expect company soon and turned his attention back to Rortenferry.
The older [Ghost Maestro] took out his [Ghost Baton] and drew a circle in the air. The basic circle used for vivification appeared, and Rortenferry sketched in the familiar symbols for bringing a ghost into existence.
A miniature version of Vee¡¯s basic ghost appeared in the air, slowly rotating around and around.
¡°[Expand Sigilmancy],¡± Rortenferry said. Discs of light appeared in the air next to the little ghost, each covered in the symbols Vee had used in the ghost¡¯s creation.
¡°From looking at your current designs, I¡¯ve noticed a few troublesome patterns with your sigilmancy,¡± Rortenferry said, pointing to the sigils on the base layer. ¡°It seems that while your work is functional, it¡¯s often redundant and self-impeding. Here is how you can make it better.¡±
He changed some sigils and removed others, streamlining the rules and ideas that governed the ghost¡¯s construction. Vee didn¡¯t recognize nearly a quarter of the sigils his old [Professor] used, as they were far more complex than the ones he normally used himself. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll admit that it takes more work to set things up this way, but watch how much easier it is to make big changes.¡±
With a poke of his [Ghost Baton], Rortenferry changed a pair of sigils to yet more that Vee didn¡¯t recognize, and the ghost nearly doubled in size. More than that, it seemed to be made out of ectoplasmic plates instead of a single smooth sheet, and Rortenferry¡¯s grin made it clear that it was this property he was interested in.
¡°By using High-Gu instead of just regular Gu, you can make your ghosts bulkier and split them into different sections. This is where we¡¯ll start with your gauntlet ghosts. Let¡¯s see how you can handle it.¡±
Vee drew out his own [Ghost Baton] and started drawing. His own linework was nowhere near as steady as Rortenferry¡¯s, but eventually he managed a passable High-Gu.
¡°Do you have a copy of Basic Sigils and Their Advanced Variants for the Modern [Ghost Maestro]?¡± Rortenferry asked.
Vee shook his head. He¡¯d sold that book along with all of his others after graduation. If he recalled right, he¡¯d only gotten fifteen percent of the list price back, which was actually on the higher end for textbook resales. His trip to the Oar¡¯s Crest library had only turned up an older tome that hadn¡¯t had any of the more advanced sigils.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°I¡¯ll have to remedy that,¡± Rortenferry said. ¡°I¡¯m sure I have a few extra copies somewhere in my office back at the academy. I¡¯ll send them along with some other remedial materials once I get back there next week.¡±
The casual-ness with which he¡¯d announced his departure shocked Vee, who looked at his old teacher in horror.
¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Rortenferry said with a kind smile. ¡°As interesting as your fiends are, I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t stay here forever, lad. My colleagues have been, ahem, insistent that it¡¯s past my time to return, and I agree with them. Duty calls, and all that. Rest assured, I¡¯m going to continue my investigations back in my own laboratory, and I promise that I¡¯ll get to the bottom of the mystery of your orchestra.¡±
That made sense, but it didn¡¯t soften the blow at all. Vee had gotten used to having Rortenferry around to answer his questions and provide guidance, even though his old teacher¡¯s presence often filled him with feelings of serious incompetence.
Reginald coughed, and Vee looked over. The hat jerked his brim toward the viewing crystal, where Alforde was in the midst of battling the [Cinder Ballerina].
¡°Sorry to interrupt, but I figured you¡¯d be interested in seeing this, boss.¡±
At first, Alforde had thought the [Cinder Ballerina] wouldn¡¯t be much of a threat. Her fire attacks had bounced harmlessly off his armor, and she was no match for him in terms of strength. Certainly, she moved quickly, but Alforde was able to keep up well enough to pressure her out of just attacking from range.
However, no matter how far he knocked her off stage, she fluffed her skirt, spun around, and floated back without issue. It simply wasn¡¯t fair.
She¡¯d managed to take a stock with a series of powerful kicks ended by the hardest hip bump Alforde had ever heard of, and Alforde was scrambling to even the score.
He could feel his domain coalescing in the air around him, but the skill still refused to activate each time he tried to do so. Alforde was getting frustrated. Had all his practice with Holly been for nothing? He¡¯d thought that he was getting better at summoning his domain, but in the heat of actual battle it still felt too far away to grab in his gauntlets.
The adventurer landed another heavy kick, and Alforde felt his temper starting to rise. He launched a vicious [Combo Attack] of his own and watched his foe go flying as Slammy struck true. Once again, though, the woman fluffed her skirt and started floating back.
Alforde was going to put a stop to that particular maneuver. Focusing as hard as he could, he said, ¡°[Chilling Tempest]!¡±
The domain activated, and his cape vanished as the arena was filled with howling, frigid winds. Alforde could sense every bit of ice and snow individually, and he slammed chunks of ice together until they formed a large makeshift pillar. Controlling his new creation with the winds was a slightly trickier proposition, but the [Dungeon Champion] managed to move it over so that it hovered above the adventurer¡¯s path back to the stage. When she got close enough, he slammed the pillar down, and the [Cinder Ballerina] cried out in pain as she was struck and slammed hard into the ground.
¡°And that¡¯s a point for the [Dungeon Champion]!¡± Reginald announced. ¡°The match is now tied!¡±
Vee whistled softly through his teeth as he watched the blue-white chunk of ice smash into the adventurer¡¯s body.
¡°That¡¯s a new one,¡± he said.
¡°Sure is,¡± Reginald said after he muted his magnifying crystal.
The bout continued, and though Alforde couldn¡¯t keep his domain summoned consistently, he managed to activate it twice more and prevented his opponent from floating back to the stage like she kept trying with the new pillar. He moved slower after each use, but managed to keep the lead as the timer ran out due to a clever use of [Give No Ground].
¡°If the big guy can do that more often he¡¯ll be a real tough nut to crack,¡± Reginald said. ¡°It looks like he¡¯s starting to get the hang of controlling his domain.¡±
With the match finished, Vee returned his attention to the traps and Rortenferry, doing his best to absorb all the information his old [Professor] was giving him.
Together, they finished the prototype of the gauntlet ghosts, the running ghost legs ¨C which could be used as a fast attacker or an elemental resistance tank depending on which version of the Bu sigil Vee used in its construction ¨C and the ghostly hydra.
This third minion was particularly challenging, as Vee¡¯s original concept had relied on a series of sigil combinations that didn¡¯t actually work together the way he thought they did. Rortenferry corrected them, and when they experimented with cutting one of the miniature ghost¡¯s heads off, two more sprang into existence as Vee had hoped.
When the ghosts were done, Vee felt the familiar ding in his skull that indicated he¡¯d completed his quest, and a notification appeared before him.
[Quest Complete!]
[Congratulations, you are now a Ghost Maestro Level 30!]
[Wit +2]
[You can now use Ectoplasmic Surge!]
Vee thanked Rortenferry for his help and closed his eyes to check his new skill in his soul¡¯s mirror. He read the entry carefully.
[Ectoplasmic Surge] (Active) ¨C Empower your ghosts by rapidly consuming refined ectoplasm. Additional power is dependent on quality and quantity of ectoplasm used, as well as speed at which it¡¯s consumed.
The [Dungeon Master] rubbed his chin. Now that sounded like something to experiment with.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 13
Wit: 35 (+2)
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 20
Public Relations: 7
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 3
Bargaining: 1
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 25
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 7
Might: 45
Wit: 13
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 23
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 1
Reginald :
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 16
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 38
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
Irritability: 20
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 7
Volume 2 Chapter 55
Vee was excited to put his new skill to use in the dungeon, but before he could, he needed to figure out how it actually worked. Descriptions in his soul¡¯s mirror tended to be too vague by half, obscuring the actual methods and costs of the things they described. For example, how much refined ectoplasm did [Ectoplasmic Surge] need? Where exactly did it come from? Would he have to set up a repository near the ghosts he wanted to use it on, or could he arrange things to draw from one centralized depot?
These questions were all woefully unanswered by the base skill description, so Vee had no choice but to test it himself. He drummed his fingers on the desk while the day¡¯s runners made their way through Crestheart, flipping switches and pressing buttons as necessary, his heart not really in his work.
However, the very instant that business was finished for the day, Vee slammed his hand into one of the buttons on Dheart¡¯s side and watched as several cubes of ectoplasm tumbled out. There was plenty of refined ectoplasm to experiment with; the orchestra¡¯s upkeep costs had stabilized over the past few months while his ability to refine ectoplasm kept getting better and better. His massive stockpile was actually on the verge of overwhelming Dheart¡¯s capacity to hold it, so his new skill couldn¡¯t have come at a better time.
Alforde was waiting for Holly to arrive, and Reginald said he wasn¡¯t interested in watching a skill test, so Vee would be on his own as he worked to figure out his new skill.
Still mindful of the fact that he was on the verge of getting another point of Might, Vee scooped up as many cubes of ectoplasm as he could reasonably manage and then added a few more. His forearms started aching almost immediately as he walked down to his lab and unceremoniously dropped the ectoplasm onto his worktable, but Vee found that the burn didn¡¯t bother him as much as it normally did.
He grabbed one of the basic ghosts that could be found anywhere in Crestheart -- at least, until his new variants became common ¨C and focused on it. Then he held up his hands, spread his fingers, and uncertainly tried to activate the skill.
One of the cubes on the table melted away almost immediately, and a red sheen covered the ghost¡¯s entire body. Vee didn¡¯t sense that anything was different at first, but when he commanded it to move across the lab it darted forward, nearly twice as fast as it normally was. Short as it was, the trip melted two more cubes of Vee¡¯s ectoplasm though, so he ended the skill and rubbed his chin while he thought about how to continue experimenting.
A few more tests were illuminating. Each time he activated [Ectoplasmic Surge], one of his cubes was immediately used up for every ghost that was affected. Another was consumed every three to five seconds per ghost after that.
Vee frowned as he did some light mental math. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t be using it in Crestheart as much as he¡¯d originally thought; the skill was significantly more expensive than he¡¯d imagined. However, the skill description had mentioned that ectoplasmic quality was a factor in how fast it was used up, so maybe he could make it more efficient if he improved the quality of his ectoplasm.
Grabbing one of the cubes, Vee tried to use [Refine Ectoplasm] on it, but found that the skill had no effect. He¡¯d have to do something to the ghostly energy first before he could improve it any further.
While ectoplasm was neither liquid nor metal, some of the principles that went into refining those materials could be applied to ectoplasm as well. Namely washing and heating. Vee hadn¡¯t ever really bothered with it before because it¡¯d seemed like a waste of time, but he figured that now was as good a time as any to approach the fundamentals of his craft with an open mind. After some thought, the [Ghost Maestro] decided to try heating the ectoplasm first, as he had easy access to some of Hanako¡¯s fire trap crystals and didn¡¯t feel like getting his hands wet.
Forging a rough pair of ectoplasmic tongs to help hold the ectoplasm cubes over the flame, Vee activated the [Wall of Fire] trap and grabbed one of his cubes. Like he was toasting a marshmallow, he held the tongs away from his body and waited for the ectoplasm to start melting. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what he was looking for, and his first experiment went up in a crackling plume of smoke. His second attempt went better though, and once it was runny, he tried his skill on it again. This time, he found that he could compress it into a slightly smaller cube than it¡¯d been before, though not by much. Once it cooled, Vee studied the cube carefully; it was a darker red, like a ripe cherry, but otherwise seemed the same.
Vee repeated the process a few times more, and ended up with a small tower of twice-refined cubes. There was probably a way that he could measure the differences in refinement between cubes properly, but just to prove to himself that his efforts had actually done something, Vee closed his eyes and summoned Do.
The [Dungeon Maintainer] appeared a few minutes later, and Vee tossed over one of his creations. ¡°Tell me how this compares to what you usually get.¡±
Never one to question a direct order, Do consumed the ectoplasm slowly, sighing with contentment when finished.
¡°It¡¯s much better than normal, master. Sweeter. More complex flavor.¡±
That still didn¡¯t answer the ¡®how much¡¯ question, but Vee would take that as a starting point for now, and moved to discuss the dungeon renovation progress with his minion instead. He might as well; he¡¯d already summoned the fiend and would have felt bad just dismissing him.
The new rooms and traps were being roughed out and prototyped in an empty warehouse instead of the dungeon proper, so that business could continue without pause until it came time to get everything installed and ready for the circuit. Do said they were coming along well.
In fact, the plans to get the area around the dungeon ready for business were all progressing smoothly. Hopefully that wasn¡¯t an ill omen.
Thien had moved into her new workshop and was steadily working on dungeon rewards. The pendants were bigger and more ornate than the original versions had been, and Vee hoped that they were good enough for the adventurers who¡¯d be coming to Oar¡¯s Crest for the circuit.
After their brief conversation, Vee let Do return to work, giving his fiend the rest of his twice-refineds as a gift for the other [Dungeon Maintainers].
Once he was alone again, he returned to the office and grabbed more refined ectoplasm cubes to refine once again. Now that he knew improvement was possible, he had to keep making batches like this by hand until his internalized knowledge of the process bled over into his [Refine Ectoplasm] skill. At some point, the skill alone would bring cubes to this level of refinement naturally. How long that process would take though, was an absolute mystery. Could be another batch, could be a thousand more. Skill growth was something of a crapshoot.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Setting the cubes down, Vee stretched out his arms. That batch hadn¡¯t been as challenging as the one before it for some reason. After a few shakes, he actually felt like he could go get more ectoplasm without any issue. Even the stairs weren¡¯t too much of a pain today!
[Might +1!]
Well, that probably explained it.
With all the work Vee¡¯d been doing on what he thought of as the backend of Crestheart, the [Dungeon Master] was excited for his weekly day off. Alforde had woken up extra early so that he could read some of his books before his day¡¯s training marathon with Holly, claiming that the dedicated reading time helped him balance his urge to fight. The armorsoul had become increasingly mindful of things like that, and Vee sensed nothing concerning through their bond, which was a relief.
In contrast to his friend, Vee took it much easier that Saintsday morning, sleeping in until his aching stomach forced him up and out of bed. He dimly remembered as he brushed his teeth and dressed that he was due to meet Cornelius ¨C the old man who knew things about dungeon sports ¨C before noon, so he picked up his pace quite a bit and hurried down the boarding house steps with barely more than a wave to Sculla.
He didn¡¯t want to be late.
As he scurried down the street, Vee thought it nice to be going somewhere other than the dungeon. He couldn¡¯t remember if he¡¯d felt the same way during his last day off, but his sense of the idea was familiar, so he probably had.
It was chilly, but not unbearably so, and the streets were gray and wet with slush. Water ran down from gutters and rooftop eaves, splattering against the ground. In the biggest empty patches, Vee once again saw filth and garbage everywhere, and he grimaced. The thick layer of snow that¡¯d covered nearly everything for the past few months ¨C though in truth the winter had felt as if it¡¯d lasted more than a year ¨C had made it easy to forget the way the city usually looked.
The Expectation tightened around his shoulders, and Vee felt a pang of guilt that he hadn¡¯t really given his bigger quest much thought lately. Part of that was due to the fact that he truly believed the best way to make progress on it was to improve and develop Crestheart, but the other part of it was that the task of fixing a city like Oar¡¯s Crest was extremely daunting. There was so many things that needed to be done, and plenty of them were well beyond his knowledge or abilities. He was no [City Manager]!
Still, he recognized a prime opportunity for killing two birds with one stone when he saw one. He didn¡¯t want the adventurers coming for the circuit to think badly of Crestheart because the city was ugly, and cleaning up the streets would undoubtedly help him progress with his quest. Reaching up to Reginald¡¯s brim, Vee asked his [Majordomo] a question.
¡°How long do you think it would take to get these streets cleaned up?¡±
¡°Are you one of those weirdos who thinks ¡®never¡¯ is a number, boss? If so, that¡¯s my answer.¡±
¡°I¡¯m serious, Reginald. Like, say we got the light section of my orchestra in here and let them loose. How long do you think it¡¯d take them to clean things up around here?¡±
¡°Hard to say,¡± the hat answered after a moment. ¡°They¡¯re good at what they do, but unlike the street leading to Crestheart, the city proper never sleeps. No matter what time they tried to do things, they¡¯d be getting in somebody¡¯s way. That¡¯d slow them down plenty, not to mention all the agonizing and screaming about fiends in the city! They¡¯d be attacked or threatened constantly.¡±
¡°Assume all that stuff gets taken care of and mitigated,¡± Vee said, kicking a bit of slush aside. It was purely theoretical, as he had no real idea how to prevent any of the problems Reginald was mentioning, but all he was looking for just then was another starting point. ¡°How long?¡±
¡°Six to nine months minimum.¡±
¡°And if we bolstered their efforts with the slimes?¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t change much, I don¡¯t think. Maybe four or five months under literally perfect conditions. Not to mention, this is all assuming that your fiends aren¡¯t doing anything else while they clean. Including keeping the street in front of the dungeon clean. Any sort of real implementation is going to take a lot longer than we think.¡±
Vee frowned. That was a good point. ¡°What if we got adventurers to pitch in too by offering bounties for cleaned blocks at the guild?¡±
Reginald tightened his brim. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have money for that, boss. Most adventurers get into the business because they don¡¯t want to get their hands dirty with anything but monster guts. Since you¡¯re really hung up on this right now, I suppose we could maybe swing a few payments here and there, but Crestheart isn¡¯t big or lucrative enough for you to go blowing fleurs on philanthropy.¡±
True, though Vee scowled at the thought. If he didn¡¯t have to worry about paying Sacre back, the dungeon would have more than enough free fleur flow to divert some to city improvements, but sadly that wasn¡¯t the case just then, with the looming specter of ever-larger repayments hanging over his head.
¡°Gawain¡¯s Balls I hate being in debt!¡± Vee muttered.
Regardless, the [Dungeon Master] was convinced that he needed to do something. Nobody else in the city ¨C including the council, whose job it was to handle things like this ¨C seemed interested in taking care of the streets, which meant that for better or worse it fell to him.
Something warm filled his spirit. This is my city.
Besides, it was in his best interest to make sure that Oar¡¯s Crest made a good impression when the circuit came. Impressed customers were repeat customers, after all.
The Expectation purred, and reached up to nuzzle his cheek. Vee scratched his chin.
[Citizenship +1]
¡°Well, maybe we can start by cleaning a portion of the city. You know, show people what¡¯s possible. Then we could use that success to get extra help from the council and citizenry and start working on the rest.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not a bad thought boss. We going to blow this old guy off and go try and get on the agenda for the next council meeting?¡±
The thought was tempting, but Vee shook his head and turned toward the caf¨¦ where he was supposed to meet Cornelius. He needed the old man¡¯s advice too, and it wouldn¡¯t do to be rude by skipping out on something he¡¯d agreed to. Do as you say you¡¯re going to do and all that. It¡¯d been one of his father¡¯s favorite sayings, and Vee couldn¡¯t help but smile as it floated through his thoughts.
¡°No. We¡¯ll have plenty of time to go to the council office afterwards,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re doing anything else today.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 14 (+1)
Wit: 35
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21 (+1)
Public Relations: 7
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 3
Bargaining: 1
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 26 (+1)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 8 (+1)
Might: 47 (+2)
Wit: 13
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 24 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 1
Reginald :
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 16
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 14
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 38
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
Irritability: 21 (+1)
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8 (+1)
Volume 2 Chapter 56
Cornelius and a handful of other old men sat at a table inside the diner. They were talking and laughing loudly as Vee entered, good-natured bellyaching about the ills of modern life. Such was the way of old men everywhere, the [Dungeon Master] thought. He¡¯d seen plenty of similar circles back in Bardis, though they¡¯d been much richer, not to mention better dressed.
The diner itself was clean and well-maintained, but the d¨¦cor was dated and it smelled a little funny. Like lemon-water, Vee thought, his nose twitching and itching. An old, faded painting of a married couple ¨C the owners, maybe? ¨C sitting at a table with glasses of wine in their hands and giant smiles on their faces hung behind the counter, and there were several crusty pies with slices missing rotating around in cylindrical cases. Before coming to Oar¡¯s Crest, Vee would have turned his nose up at such things, but he was coming to appreciate the hominess of the display.
The old dungeon sports enthusiast waved Vee over and introduced him to the group. ¡°This here is the [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart, fellas. Go ahead and say hi!¡±
They did so, and Vee returned their smiles as he sat down beside them and ordered a small coffee. The weary [Waitress] called him ¡®hon¡¯ as she put the drink down a few minutes later, and told him to holler if he wanted anything else.
Given the stale bitterness of the coffee, Vee suspected he wasn¡¯t going to be ordering anything else, but he thanked her as warmly as he could and resigned himself to finishing the cup. It wouldn¡¯t do to waste it. He hid his frown behind another sip, taking some consolation from the fact that at three bronze fleurs it¡¯d at least been cheap.
Cornelius scraped up the last few greasy potato bits from his plate with his spoon and popped them into his mouth. He closed his eyes and sighed in contentment, then turned his attention to Vee.
¡°So, what do you want to hear about first?¡± Cornelius asked as he leaned forward with the excited grin of a person with a hobby and a captive audience. Vee thought it looked a little wolfish, honestly.
¡°I¡¯m fine with wherever you want to start,¡± the [Dungeon Master] answered, slugging down another sip of coffee. He fought to keep his face neutral as he swallowed, but he couldn¡¯t quite hide the body-wide shudder that happened a moment later. ¡°I¡¯d love to learn as much about the history of dungeon sports as I can. It¡¯s like that old saying, right? The lessons of the past provide protection against would-be pitfalls of the future and all that.¡±
That¡probably wasn¡¯t exactly how the saying went, but Vee figured it was close enough. It said what he¡¯d wanted to, and that was what really mattered.
Cornelius smiled and rubbed his chin. ¡°Let us begin with some of the first dungeons I ever visited. I was but a boy, then, my front teeth missing, and my father took us all to go and visit Thamus, the so-called Treetower Dungeon. It was the biggest tree I¡¯d ever seen, and the viewing crystals we had to watch the runs barely showed us anything. The enchantments weren¡¯t as efficient, in those days. Just some grainy, blurry images here and there. Nothing at all like the high quality stuff we have today.¡±
¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth!¡± Another man said. Vee hadn¡¯t got his name. ¡°Why, I watched this [Cabaret Dancer] performance the other day, and when she ¨C¡°
A third man punched the second, silencing him before he finished his sure-to-be ribald anecdote.
Vee took another sip of his coffee and resisted the urge to drum his fingers on the table. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure where Cornelius was going with this bit about viewing crystals, but he decided that he didn¡¯t mind the wandering trip to get there. The old man¡¯s voice was pleasant to listen to.
[Good things come to those who wait. You can now earn points in Patience!]
[Patience +1]
Nearly two hours later, Vee finally pried himself away from the group and left the diner. His head was spinning with names, places, and classes that he¡¯d never heard of before ¨C and doubted that he would again ¨C and he was thoroughly coffee¡¯d out. It¡¯d left a¡unique¡aftertaste, and he had a sneaking suspicion that his stomach would be making its displeasure known later.
¡°Thanks for behaving yourself in there,¡± he said to his hat as he crossed the street.
¡°You¡¯re welcome. It was harder than I thought it would be. Geez, those old guys could really go on and on,¡± Reginald said. ¡°I hate to say it, but that was a pretty colossal waste of time, boss. You didn¡¯t learn anything useful.¡±
¡°I disagree,¡± Vee said as he tucked his hands into his pockets and turned down the next street toward the council building. ¡°We didn¡¯t get a step-by-step list of things that we need to have implemented yesterday in order to be successful, but there were lessons and things that stood out that we can draw from.¡±
¡°Like what?¡±
Vee rubbed his chin, trying to think about the best way to frame the thought slowly coming together in his mind. He knew what he wanted to say, but it was the how that was giving him trouble. Wasn¡¯t that always how it went?
¡°Most of the stories weren¡¯t really about the dungeons or the [Dungeon Champions],¡± he said finally. ¡°They were about the people telling them. The dungeon stuff was all background.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. We don¡¯t care about impressing a new boss or making bets with friends, do we? Weren¡¯t we hoping to get some ideas about things we could use to make Crestheart better?¡±
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°No,¡± Vee said. ¡°You¡¯re missing the point. The dungeons in those stories were a gathering point, a place where people came together to share in something bigger than themselves. They could all root for their [Dungeon Champion], their hometown heroes. They visited with their parents and grandparents, brought dates and spent time there with friends as young adults, and then took their kids and grandkids. The dungeons were a community center.¡±
Reginald was quiet for a moment as Vee headed back toward the city council office. ¡°Fine. But we¡¯re already working on expanding the ancillaries around Crestheart, and Kai will be working on that verdant construction this spring too. How does this new revelation help us, exactly?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure yet,¡± Vee admitted. Things were still swirling around in his skull. ¡°I can vaguely see the end point, but I¡¯m not sure how we get there from where we are. It¡¯s one thing to say that a [Dungeon Champion] should be a hometown hero, but another thing entirely to turn Alforde into one. I¡¯ll have to think about it some more.¡±
Reginald was quiet the rest of the way, and Vee was extra mindful of his temper as he navigated the labyrinth of bureaucracy to try and get a spot in the upcoming council meeting. Naturally, it required filing forms in triplicate, and Vee bit back a scathing retort when the [Clerk] at the counter wished him a nice day. It wasn¡¯t her fault that the process was so needlessly complex and convoluted. Instead, he smiled and said, ¡°Thanks, you too!¡±
[Public Relations +1]
Alforde brought his hammer up and slammed it down for what felt like the hundredth time, though in reality it was only the fortieth or fiftieth. As he swung, he tried to focus on his pauldrons and gauntlets, optimizing the movements to the best of his ability. A little tighter in the pauldrons, a little looser in the gauntlets. Slammy¡¯s head rang out against the stage and the weapon bounced back up, and Alforde grunted as he strained to get the hammer back under control.
He paused before his next rep. Though Alforde had no muscles, he was tired; trying to perfect the attack was draining. However, the [Dungeon Champion] knew it wasn¡¯t yet time to stop. His domain work was coming along and progressing nicely ¨C he could consistently summon it now, even if it didn¡¯t last long ¨Cbut he couldn¡¯t shake the lingering sense that his skills were lacking. Even when he managed to avoid the worst of Holly¡¯s trickery, she was beyond his ability to defeat.
Alforde didn¡¯t know who was coming to participate in the circuit, but he couldn¡¯t shake his image of them from his mind. That was part of the problem, as he didn¡¯t think that they were lightning-breathing demigods in truth, but every ounce of his intuition screamed at him to prepare as if they were.
Another rep, and then another. Each time he went through the familiar motions, there were little hitches, delays and mistakes that bothered him. Alforde felt his frustrations bubbling up, but instead of letting them boil over he hammered them with his will into a renewed sense of purpose and tried again. It was normal to struggle from time to time, and he¡¯d been making so much progress lately that it was only natural for him to stumble. With time and perseverance, he¡¯d fine-tune this attack until he got it to work the way he wanted it to every time. It was just like a piece of metal in need of proper shaping, he¡¯d get it right eventually.
[Endurance +1]
He''d gotten so caught up in his inner thoughts that he hadn¡¯t noticed the shift in his balance. He¡¯d leaned forward ever so slightly, and when he brought Slammy down this time it landed with more force than he was expecting.
Another dozen swings later, Alforde got another point of Might and decided that he could probably go ahead and stop for the day. As he stood up and shook his plates to make sure that none of them were overly tight or constricted in ways they shouldn¡¯t be, the door to his arena opened and Zeiken the salamander walked in.
He looked tired; the bags under his eyes were larger than Alforde remembered, and his door scraped the stairs as he carried it down.
¡°[Dungeon Champion], it¡¯s good to see you again,¡± Zeiken said. His voice was a little flat, but the emotion it carried was genuine, and Alforde tilted his helmet in acknowledgement. ¡°How goes your training? Getting a handle on a new technique?¡±
Alforde shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a work in progress, but I¡¯ll get there eventually. How was your trip?¡±
¡°Extremely productive, I must say. There will be more to do once the furor of the development committee is finished, but for now I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what¡¯s opening up here in Oar¡¯s Crest. Specifically, right now I¡¯m looking for Vee. There¡¯s a meeting with the other [Dungeon Masters] approaching, and I''d like to help him lock down our priorities and our position before then. Would you happen to know where he is?¡±
¡°He went out to discuss some dungeon sports history with someone in town,¡± Alforde said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure when he¡¯ll be back.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Zeiken said. ¡°In that case, do you mind if I wait down here with you until he returns? I¡¯d like to observe your training.¡±
¡°Erm, well normally I¡¯d say yes, but I¡¯m actually finished for the day,¡± Alforde said, feeling a little embarrassed. Should he do a few more reps since Zeiken was here?
It probably couldn¡¯t hurt, right?
¡°Please don¡¯t mind me,¡± the salamander said as he sat down on the platform. ¡°Pretend I¡¯m not even here, okay?¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 14
Wit: 35
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8 (+1)
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 3
Bargaining: 1
Patience: 1
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 26
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 8
Might: 48 (+1)
Wit: 13
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 25 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 1
Reginald :
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 16
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 15 (+1)
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 38
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 8 (-1)
Irritability: 21
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 57
¡°Just a little bit more to the left¡a little bit more¡okay, that looks good.¡±`
Vee took a deep breath and a sip of water as Zeiken finished fumbling with the far-viewing crystal on the desk in front of him and flashed him a claw-up. The sun was shining outside, and the office was warm, but the [Dungeon Master] was still wearing his heaviest coat. The [Doortune Teller] insisted that it made him look more professional, and Vee knew that he¡¯d need every advantage he could get for the upcoming meeting with his peers.
The water tasted nice, but his mouth still felt dry, so Vee took another couple sips and tried to calm down. Truthfully, he wasn¡¯t as nervous as he expected to be: Zeiken had talked him through the entire thing a dozen times or more, so he wasn¡¯t worried about forgetting something important.
He resisted the urge to run his fingers through his hair, and instead settled for drumming them against the desk. It was probably beyond time for him to try and pick up some different fidgeting habits. Yet another mental note. The filing cabinet in his head was probably near to bursting with all of them. Alas, there was never enough time for him to just sit back and attend to all the things that needed doing. Something else always took priority.
¡°I should make a chunk of time for that type of thing each Saintsday morning,¡± Vee muttered as the far-viewing crystal started to glow. ¡°Chip away at it a little bit at a time.¡±
¡°Focus up, boss,¡± Reginald said from his perch on the table next to Vee¡¯s water. ¡°You¡¯re crossing your eyes like you do when you¡¯re thinking about something too complicated for you, and I don¡¯t want you looking stupid when the other [Dungeon Masters] can see you.¡±
Vee glared over at his hat. ¡°I do not cross my eyes when I¡¯m thinking hard.¡±
¡°How would you know? Always have a mirror handy? Ask the big guy the next time you see him. He¡¯ll tell you the truth.¡± `
¡°This is not a productive discussion, so it should stop.¡± Zeiken interrupted. ¡°Plenty of important things hinge on our ability to present ourselves well during this meeting, and I don¡¯t want the [Dungeon Master] distracted by worrying about whether or not his eyes are crossed.¡±
Reginald growled softly, but was cut off from replying by a quartet of tiny blue-green projections emanating out from the far-viewing crystal. Each one belonged to another [Dungeon Master], though they only captured the person¡¯s shoulders and heads. Or at least they were supposed to. One of Vee¡¯s peers had apparently misaligned the crystal so that it was focused on their chest and armpits. The misalignment wasn¡¯t as bad as it could have been ¨C Vee had heard horror stories about far-viewing crystal mishaps ¨C but the crackling shuffle as the poor soul tried to correct the issue did wonders for his confidence. He was an equal here.
Have to make sure I remember that.
Zeiken bowed and picked Reginald up before taking him out of the room. Vee steadied himself, feeling [Stiffen Spine] activating as he endeavored to sit up straight and look proper.
The salamander¡¯s voice crackled and filled the room. ¡°Hendon, your crystal isn¡¯t properly aligned.¡±
Vee looked down at the sheet of paper on his side. Zeiken had written it up the night before, and it had some information about all of Vee¡¯s fellow [Dungeon Masters]. The salamander was Deina Sohrik, and she was from Amespool. Her dungeon was¡the Lilypad Labyrinth! According to Zeiken, she was kind of the de facto leader of the dungeon development committee, and she was the one who generally controlled most of the discussions and negotiations. Vee did his best to surreptitiously skim the other notes he had for her. Nothing too useful; she was a skilled, forceful talker ¨C not quite an [Orator], but close ¨C and had excellent taste in wine. That made sense, given that she was a [Wine Afficionado]. She was crafty and persistent, but Zeiken thought she might have a weakness for gifts and favors.
Vee wasn¡¯t entirely sure why he needed to know such a thing ¨C they were friendly associates, right? ¨C but the yellow salamander had insisted it was important. ¡±Always keep an eye on a handle you can twist if need be,¡± the [Doortune Teller] had said.
As such, Vee had been instructed to offer her a bottle of vintage emberberry wine, if he could find a good window to do so. Zeiken had written down gift ideas for the other [Dungeon Masters] too, but Vee remembered Deina¡¯s the best.
¡°Oh crap, sorry about that. One second,¡± a man¡¯s voice said, and a few seconds later another human¡¯s face replaced the torso projection. Hendon Trisdale, from Sunglass Castle in Shontsdale. He was smiling sheepishly, dressed in a fancy suit with an expensive cloak wrapped around his shoulders. His handsome features were sharp, and one of his eyes looked to be a different color than the rest, though Vee couldn¡¯t say what either of them were due to the way they looked through the far-viewing crystal.
Something felt unnatural in the man¡¯s demeanor, Vee decided. The smile was too practiced to be real, and the notes Zeiken had provided didn¡¯t suggest that Hendon would be the type of man to make such a mistake with his crystal. Was it as careless as it seemed? Or was there something else at play?
[A bit of healthy suspicion can be good from time to time.]
[Devious Mind +1]
Resolving to pay extra careful attention to everything Hendon said, Vee looked over at the other [Dungeon Masters]. The kitrekin with heavy eyes who was resting her head on her paw was Amity Sureclaw, the [Woodsmith] from Yew¡¯s Rise. Apparently she was intelligent but short-tempered. She didn¡¯t much like meetings, and was often late.
The final [Dungeon Master] was Orij Everdark, an enigmatic elkin from Old Narluc. Allegedly. Vee couldn¡¯t really see much of anything beneath the fellow¡¯s heavy robe, and Zeiken¡¯s notes were incredibly sparse. Heck, his salamander associate hadn¡¯t even been able to figure out what the elkin¡¯s primary class was!
Vee¡¯s clenched his fist to keep from shivering as he felt all four gazes settle on him. Of all the [Dungeon Masters] involved in the dungeon development committee, he was the only one who hadn¡¯t been personally involved in any of the previous meetings or discussions. That wouldn¡¯t be a problem, so long as he didn¡¯t say something stupid.
¡°Mister Vales, it¡¯s a pleasure to finally get the chance to speak to you,¡± Deina said. ¡°A shame that it¡¯s not in person, but that¡¯s just how life works sometimes.¡±
She was smiling, and Vee did his best to return her greeting with grace and dignity. ¡°Indeed, the pleasure is all mine, Madam Sohrik. I¡¯m grateful for the opportunity to speak with all of you, and I¡¯m looking forward to working together.¡±
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
The words felt a little stiff as they came off his tongue. Instinctively, he was doing his best to emulate his father¡¯s demeanor ¨C cribbed together from half-remembered times he¡¯d watched Tyrion work through the crack in his father¡¯s office door ¨C and it just didn¡¯t feel quite right.
I¡¯m no [Tycoon]. It doesn¡¯t do me any good to try and pretend to be one.
Still, the act of talking was therapeutic in its own way, and Vee felt himself relaxing as he continued. More introductions followed the first, and Vee was pleased to find that his first impressions matched Zeiken¡¯s notes almost perfectly.
When that was finished, the sound of shuffling paper announced that it was time to begin properly. As expected, Deina took the lead.
¡°Our first order of business today is our response to an inquiry I received a few days ago. An [Agent] representing a semi-retired celebrity adventurer named Richter Arnis has asked if we¡¯d be interested in hiring his client to be our Storymaker.¡±
Vee hadn¡¯t ever heard the term before, but he didn¡¯t want to reveal his lack of knowledge by asking what it meant. It seemed like a simple enough word though, so he figured he could safely put it together as the conversation continued.
¡°It might be wise to invest in a good storymaker,¡± Hendon said calmly. ¡°But I want to know more about him first. Who is he? What are his levels? Most importantly, how much is he charging?¡±
More shuffling paper. ¡°Fifteen years ago, he was a level 45 [Treasure Hunter] and a level 44 [Whip Master]. Made a name for himself on the B and C dungeon circuits by extracting every bit of loot present in any dungeon he entered. Secret rooms, bonus guardians, nothing could slow him down or stop him. Had a flair for dramatic duels with [Dungeon Champions] too. Some real stunning upsets here and there. However, he was also something of a [Party Animal], and spent more money than he earned on all manner of illicit goods and substances. As such, he supplemented his dungeon sports career with a bit of¡let¡¯s call it unsanctioned archeology, and during a trip to the lair of a [Dancing Necromancer] he was cursed with Permanent Level Decay and Permanent Random Level Display. These days, his level fluctuates between level 12 and level 36 in both of his primary classes. His [Agent] asked for three hundred gold fleurs in exchange for his storymaker services. We would, of course, be splitting that equally between ourselves if we agreed to hire him.¡±
Nobody said anything right away, and Vee tightened his fingers around the armrest of his chair as his [Budgeting] skill triggered and told him to be wary of the number. Sixty gold fleurs was simultaneously not too bad a price but far too much to pay. He thought it over for a moment longer. There was no question that he had the money, but such an expenditure would be another deep cut into his reserves for paying Sacre back, and Vee wasn¡¯t really willing to part with so much coin without a better understanding of what a storymaker actually did. His assumptions based on the name alone wouldn¡¯t be particularly useful here, so Vee swallowed hard and decided to ask for more clarification the best way he could think of.
¡°Three hundred gold fleurs? Is that really a fair price for him? I must admit some degree of ignorance regarding the storymaker market, but that seems like an extravagant sum.¡±
¡°Richter has plenty of connections in the media. Several [Reporters] are friendly to him, and they¡¯re sure to pick up news about our venture if we hire him. He¡¯s provided a similar service for several other dungeon development committees, and so far as I can see it¡¯s been a positive experience for them.¡±
¡°Seems like a waste of money to me,¡± Orij said. His voice was raspy, and seemed to echo ever so slightly on some syllables. ¡°We do not need a storymaker, and his skills as a [Treasure Hunter] won¡¯t do him any good in my dungeon. We are not interested in martial conflicts the same way the rest of you are. My vote is that we do not accept his proposal.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± Amity growled. ¡°Why spend money on a fabricated storymaker when we can trust that someone challenging our dungeons naturally will provide the same level of exposure and interest that this Richter might. Besides, even if his levels are random and decaying, he¡¯s too high for most of your [Dungeon Champions]. My golem is approximately a level 30, depending on how you measure, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be wise for us to actively recruit adventurers well beyond our ability to contend with.¡±
Deina frowned. ¡°I think you two are underestimating the value a dedicated storymaker can provide. Having one would allow us to, let¡¯s say, tailor the first impressions our dungeons give to the wider world.¡±
Vee furrowed his brow. ¡°Are you suggesting that he¡¯ll throw fights against our [Dungeon Champions]?¡±
The suggestion brought to mind something from a few months back, where there¡¯d been allegations of match fixing in some of the bouts involving upcoming celebrity adventurer Canis III. The investigation, like so many of its kind, had failed to uncover any conclusive evidence, but Vee knew that the guild and regulators were extra wary of so-called ¡°unsporting¡± runs.
¡°Nothing of the sort,¡± Deina hurried to say. ¡°He¡¯s simply an experienced adventurer with plenty of [Dungeon Champion] fights under his belt, so he knows how to get the best spectacle of his bouts. Of course he¡¯d be trying his best to win and we¡¯d be doing our best to stop him, but there are a lot of moving parts in the background for something like this and we could use all the help we can get.¡±
Orij looked primed to say something more, but Hendon held up his hand and said smoothly, ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the next order of business. We can return to this matter at the end of the meeting, once we¡¯ve discussed some other things and have settled some other details.¡±
¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea,¡± Deina said quickly. Too quickly, Vee thought. Maybe he was just being suspicious for no reason ¨C Zeiken had said that Deina and Hendon were often in agreement on matters even when it didn¡¯t necessarily make sense for them to be ¨C but he definitely got the impression that the salamander had discretely signaled the other [Dungeon Master] to change the subject. His suspicions about Hendon surged back to the forefront of his mind, made even stronger by the way Deina was added to their number.
He had no idea why, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was a tourist watching someone put a coin underneath one of three cups on a table and telling him to watch it while they shuffled it around.
Vee leaned forward. He was determined that no matter what twists and turns came from here, he wouldn¡¯t miss any little tricks with the metaphorical cups before his eyes.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 14
Wit: 35
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24 (+1)
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 3
Bargaining: 1
Patience: 1
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul (UNCHANGED FROM LAST CHAPTER):
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 26
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 8
Might: 48
Wit: 13
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 25
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 1
Reginald (UNCHANGED FROM LAST CHAPTER):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 16
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 15
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 38
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 8
Irritability: 21
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 58
Reginald watched Zeiken open and close his door over and over while he waited for Vee to finish up inside. The salamander would gaze at the dark wood carefully, as if evaluating some great decision, then cautiously open his door, step through, and bring it to a close behind him. Each time, he was careful not to close it too hard, lest it slam.
Then a few seconds later, the entire process repeated, with only the occasional muttering to break up the monotony. Reginald found it incredibly irritating; each squeak of the hinges or handle pierced the air and demanded his attention, but it served as an ample distraction from his frustration at being forced to sit outside. He was no dog or cat, to be locked away in the back of the house during dinner with guests! He was Vee¡¯s [Majordomo]! That meant his place was by Vee¡¯s side, making sure that the boy didn¡¯t say or do anything too stupid. Of all the people Reginald had assisted through the decades, young Vales was probably the least polished.
That wasn¡¯t entirely Vee¡¯s fault though; [Big Picture] was a powerful, albeit subtle skill, and when added to the lad¡¯s natural¡personality, the deck was summarily stacked against him.
Though, if Reginald were being honest with himself, he had to admit that his boss was getting better when it came to avoiding his worst personality foibles, such as freezing up when under stress or letting his temper get the better of his judgment following the slightest provocation. It wasn¡¯t much in the grand scheme of things ¨C and make no mistake, Vee still had a long way to go ¨C but at least Reginald didn¡¯t have to worry that they were going the wrong direction anymore.
Small victories and little accomplishments. He snorted for good measure.
Zeiken turned and looked over at the sound, and Reginald didn¡¯t balk from the salamander¡¯s baleful gaze. He still wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the [Doortune Teller], who¡¯d arrived out of nowhere, inserted himself into the dungeon¡¯s business without any prior warning, and then left to go sell the idea of Crestheart to people almost as quickly as he¡¯d appeared. That entire chain of events had been abrupt, even by Reginald¡¯s rather generous standards.
Now, the [Core Spirit] didn¡¯t suspect anything nefarious about Zeiken ¨C he was certain that there was no risk of a sudden betrayal or an unexpected knife through Vee¡¯s ribs followed by a triumphant ¡®Vengeance is mine¡¯ shouted for the gods themselves to hear¡which was something of a relief, given the people Reginald had dealt with for decades ¨C but he would have felt more comfortable with the entire situation if he could have used [Hide No Secrets] on the salamander to get a better idea of who he was and what he was after.
Unfortunately, every time he tried to do so, something big and powerful blocked his gaze. It was like a door getting slammed shut in his face. Of course, normally Reginald could get through such an inhibitor, picking the metaphorical lock that blocked his progress, but his normal efforts were all rebuffed. The lock wasn¡¯t malicious or aggressive, but it was absolute.
Well, relatively speaking, of course. Reginald was confident that he could break through it if he absolutely needed to ¨C and he hadn¡¯t yet ruled it out ¨C but he hadn¡¯t yet decided that he was ready to pay the price such an act would have demanded. Power capable of bending the pillars of the world came at a price, and the [Majordomo] wasn¡¯t sure it was worth it to pay up just yet. After all, his leveling had gotten slow and sluggish in recent years; he¡¯d spent too long in the same place, doing the same types of things with the same types of people.
He thought about the murderous tendencies of his previous partner, remembered a flashing knife in a moonlit alley, and shuddered. Okay, maybe not quite the same type of people, but close enough that the System didn¡¯t see fit to reward him with growth the way it had so long ago when he¡¯d been a bright eyed and bushy-tailed [Herald oF ThE $%^& #(@%] --------
--(Unsanctioned reminiscence detected! Activating containment measures!)--
The seal binding him triggered, sending a psychic tightness throughout Reginald¡¯s felty body. His memories grew sticky, for a lack of better term, and his thoughts fuzzed around the words he¡¯d been trying to form. Only when he stopped did the containment measure deactivate and let him regain proper possession of his thoughts.
Reginald glared up at the sky. Surely my restraint is worth a few points here and there?
[No.]
The voice hit him like a hammer, and Reginald¡¯s glare intensified even further.
Didn¡¯t the system see how hard he was trying? Didn¡¯t his efforts to avoid inserting himself into situations in the ways that came most naturally to him mean anything?
Heck, if he¡¯d wanted to, he could have seized Vee¡¯s mind completely within the first few hours of knowing the boy! Barring that, he could have done the same thing two ¨C no, three! ¨C dozen times since then, and nobody would have ever been the wiser.
[Not being bad isn¡¯t the same as being good.]
The [Core Spirit] sighed. Stingy prick.
Feeling his mood darken, Reginald determinedly turned his attention elsewhere, so that he wouldn¡¯t be at risk of succumbing to old temptations. Being a better person ¨C or spirit ¨C required conscious effort, and he was determined to succeed in his attempt.
There¡¯s too much riding on this to fail.
An hour passed; each minute agonizingly slow while Reginald did his best to eavesdrop through the door. He couldn¡¯t quite make out what Vee was saying, but it sounded vaguely numeric. Maybe targets and prices for various goods? He kept trying to listen, but eventually gave up when he started getting frustrated at his inability to understand clearly.
[Irritability +1]
Instead, he decided to strike up a conversation with Zeiken.
¡°So, how do you see this all shaking out?¡± he asked.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The salamander looked over at him once more, raising an eye and swishing his tail back and forth, as some salamanders were prone to doing when they didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°All what?¡±
¡°The dungeon development committee, mostly. But I¡¯ll take your thoughts on Crestheart too, if you¡¯ve got any you¡¯re willing to offer me.¡±
Zeiken stepped through his door once more, deep in thought. He closed it, opened it back up again, and returned to the side where he¡¯d come from. He scowled and scratched his chin with a claw, then shrugged and said, ¡°Hmm, it appears that we¡¯ve got some time, yet. The meeting will go on for at least another twenty or thirty minutes, depending on the way the knob turns.¡±
Gawain¡¯s balls, all those door puns were obnoxious! Surely the salamander had to grow weary of talking like that, right? Nobody in their right mind ¨C and probably a good number of people not in their right mind ¨C could do that forever without driving themselves to drink.
How Reginald missed the taste of good, strong drink!
Zeiken sat down on the floor, crossing his legs and smacking the ground twice with his tail. He smiled, and Reginald didn¡¯t like that he couldn¡¯t get a read on what the [Doortune Teller] was thinking.
¡°Let us talk, then, you and I. Surely we have many things we can learn from one another.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Reginald said curtly. He¡¯d decided that he didn¡¯t like the look on the salamander¡¯s face, and a fey mood was making its presence known. Not for the first time, he wondered if he was starting to pick up some of Vee¡¯s impulsiveness. ¡°I¡¯m quite keen on hearing what you have to say, but first, there¡¯s something I need to do.¡±
Reaching into a part of himself that he''d long since wished forgotten, Reginald took hold of the old, dusty power that had once governed his every waking moment. Like a former lover, it caressed him, begging him to return to the way things used to be. He kept his will steeled, and activated his skill.
¡°[[Hide No Secrets]].¡±
The presence was there again, and Reginald still couldn¡¯t see anything, so the [C0r3 Sp!rIt] fed his skill more and more of his levels. They flowed like water, and he lost count of how many left him , but he didn''t really care.
[Levels Lost! You are now a Core Spirit Level ???!]
Dismissing the notification, Reginald poured more and more of his power into the skill, strengthening his will until a tiny little crack appeared in the power stopping him from seeing Zeiken¡¯s level. He pushed his efforts into that space, until he carved out a tiny space and got to actually see some of the salamander¡¯s sheet. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was enough that the hat had a better idea of who he was dealing with.
For the second time since meeting Vee, Reginald felt completely overwhelmed, and was only spared from a rather uncomfortable conversation by the fact that all the lights in the hallway dimmed at once.
Crap. He¡¯d used too many of his levels.
He swore.
Vee¡¯s back ached, and his brain felt like a rag drawn out of a bucket of water and squeezed dry. It was surprisingly hard work, keeping up a respectable fa?ade during a long discussion like this, and he was quickly learning that his endurance for such things was nearly as bad as it was for climbing stairs.
Hopefully, getting more practice with it would help him get better at it.
There¡¯d been so many things to go over ¨C vendor allotments, merchandise agreements, pricing requirements, accommodation vouchers, media access, and more ¨C and the [Ghost Maestro] couldn¡¯t help but feel that he¡¯d missed out on at least half of what they¡¯d said. Thankfully, he¡¯d taken some notes and Deina had promised to send a more complete summary of the meeting via gryphon post in the coming days, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about failing to take care of a necessary task.
Still, the instant Deina and Hendon finally said that they were finished for the day and thanked everyone for their time, the blue-haired [Dungeon Master] nearly melted into his seat with relief. He wearily reached up and deactivated the far-viewing crystal as soon as he could, then took a few moments to enjoy the silence of his office and collect his thoughts. There was so much that needed to be done, and ever-less time in which to do it. The thought of failure was prominent and more than a little nerve wracking, but Vee couldn¡¯t help but also feel excited at the prospect of being involved in something so big. He was eager to see how Crestheart performed.
He didn¡¯t know what the other dungeons were like, had never seen them for himself and Zeiken¡¯s notes weren¡¯t particularly detailed, but there was a blossoming sensation in his chest that urged him to prove that Crestheart was better than the others.
[Now get out there and show them what you¡¯ve got!]
[You can now earn points in Competitive Spirit!]
[Competitive Spirit +1!]
Vee smiled as he got up to go check on Reginald and Zeiken. Before he¡¯d made it more than a few steps though, the lights flickered and dimmed, and he heard Reginald cursing outside. At the same time, Do and the other [Dungeon Maintainers] all flooded their bonds with abject terror and panic. There was a problem in the dungeon.
This was not what he needed to be dealing with right now. Throwing open the door, Vee looked down at his [Majordomo], whose felty guilt was obvious, and folded his arms across his chest.
¡°What did you do?¡±
¡°I can explain everything, boss,¡± Reginald hurried to say. ¡°It¡¯s just a big misunderstanding! I promise!¡±
Somehow, Vee doubted that was actually the case.
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 14
Wit: 35
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 17
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 3
Bargaining: 1
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1 (+1)
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 26
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 8
Might: 48
Wit: 13
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 25
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ?? (-??)
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 16
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 15
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 38
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 8
Irritability: 22 (+1)
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Bonus: Zeiken''s (Partial) Character Sheet:
Primary Class: Doortune Teller (Corridor Perpetuous) Level 71
Secondary Class: World Traveler (Self), Level 63
Tertiary Class: Exiled Chieftain (|Vermillion Matriarch|), Level 61
Additional Class: Cook (Uther Roldrox), Level 55
Additional Class: Charismatic Conquerer (Maleirizzia Suohn), Level 53
Additional Class: Methodical Maverick (Self), Level 50
Might: 140
Wit: 186
Faith: 225
[---- ----- Locked ---- --------- ---- -----------]
Volume 2 Chapter 59
Folding his arms across his chest, Vee glared down at Reginald and said, ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve got thirty seconds. Explain this misunderstanding.¡±
Reginald grinned, his felty mouth curling into a wide smile that reminded the [Dungeon Master] of a door-to-door salesman. ¡°Well, you see, boss, I was getting information, it took a little bit more out of me than I expected it to.¡±
Vee expected to hear the shrill noises he associated with [Detect Lie] or [Detect Falsehood], but his head was remarkably silent. The hat was telling the truth, it seemed. Wanting more context and information, Vee twirled his finger around in a slow circle, but Reginald didn¡¯t get a chance to go on, as Zeiken raised a hand and interrupted.
¡°He was delving into my sheet. I hadn¡¯t thought such a thing was possible, but apparently your [Majordomo] possesses a way to convert his own levels into fuel for his skills, which means that he¡¯s far more than he appears to be.¡±
¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Reginald grumbled. ¡°You should see this guy¡¯s levels, boss. They¡¯re crazy high.¡±
¡°My levels aren¡¯t important right now,¡± the salamander said icily, cutting off Vee¡¯s line of inquiry before the [Dungeon Master] could even start to pursue it. ¡°Instead, I suggest that we focus on understanding and resolving the current issue. We¡¯re going to have a difficult time dealing with adventurers if we can¡¯t even keep the lights on and the dungeon working properly.¡±
As if to punctuate his point, the lights above their head went out completely, and the tower fell eerily silent. All the hums and groans that Vee had gotten used to were gone, and the [Ghost Maestro] felt more than a little out of place with their absence. The silence was nearly too much, and he picked Reginald up intending to give his [Majordomo] a rather large chunk of his mind.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry, I can fix this,¡± Reginald said, talking so fast that the words all seemed to blend together. ¡°I just need a little bit of time to get a handle on things.¡±
¡°What does that mean?¡±
¡°It means that he¡¯s trying to figure out how to get his levels back as fast as he can,¡± Zeiken said. ¡°I assume that his [Core Spirit] has been providing the energy for Crestheart?¡±
Vee nodded out of habit, then realized that the salamander probably couldn¡¯t see the gesture on account of it being so dark. ¡°Yeah. He said he¡¯d stored plenty and made more every day so it wouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±
¡°And that was true!¡± Reginald insisted as Vee put the hat back on. ¡°Had I not just burned¡.I don¡¯t know¡too many levels, we wouldn¡¯t have had any issues!¡±
¡°Then you should have controlled your curiosity,¡± Vee said. ¡°Now we have to scramble and figure out a way to either get your levels back or find some sort of workaround so that Crestheart can function normally. But before we get to work on either of those things, we¡¯re going to go take stock of the rest of the tower and the dungeon itself to see what the situation is.¡±
Reginald tightened his brim. ¡°Understood, boss. Where to first?¡±
Vee thought for a moment, weighing potential hazards and downsides of losing power in each part of the tower and dungeon. ¡°The lab, I think. I want to make sure that my safeguards are still in place, since I don¡¯t want to have to try and deal with Nock if he got out. Zeiken, are you planning to stay here?¡±
The salamander shook his head and stood up, picking up his door and walking toward the stairs. ¡°I¡¯ll come along with you as well, if you don¡¯t mind the company. We can discuss the meeting as we go, if you¡¯d like.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Vee said. Resting a hand on the wall to help him keep his balance, Vee followed the salamander up the stairs to his lab.
Before he opened the door to his lab, Vee drew his [Ghost Baton] out of his pocket and readied himself for trouble. He didn¡¯t want to use [Banish] on Nock unless it was absolutely necessary, but the weaponsoul had been strong enough that Luna had struggled to bring him down, and the [Ghost Maestro] wasn¡¯t going to take any chances.
Thankfully, the lab wasn¡¯t in as bad of shape as he¡¯d thought it would be. A few of his ghosts were roaming around aimlessly, but they weren¡¯t any danger to Vee. He¡¯d rig up an ectoplasmic cage for them and tell them to wait as soon as he made sure that Nock ¨C
¡°Was wondering if you¡¯d come by, Blue.¡±
Vee turned and saw Nock¡¯s grinning projection reclining against his workbench. The figure held the bow in his hands, and Vee tightened his grip on his [Ghost Baton]. He bit back his impulse to immediately [Banish] the weaponspirit, and feigned a confidence he didn¡¯t actually feel.
¡°Are we going to have trouble, Nock?¡±
The projection shook its head. ¡°Not from me, Blue. Had this happened before we came to an agreement, I might have considered getting out of here, but I¡¯m in the business of following through on my contracts.¡±
¡°Good thing!¡± Reginald crowed. ¡°Otherwise the boss would have [Banished] you so fast your string would have snapped.¡±
Nock¡¯s projection laughed. ¡°Is that what that little wand he¡¯s carrying supposed to do?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a baton,¡± Vee protested, and Nock laughed even louder. His projection slapped its knee and shook its head, then reached up like it was brushing a tear from its eye.
¡°Beware! The mighty [Dungeon Master] and his fearsome baton! Ruuuuun! Sorry, Blue, but when you¡¯ve faced [Magiknights], [Time Priestesses], [Unrestrained Accountants], and [Embermane Exiles] in the same battle, you see things a little differently.¡±
¡°You know what [Banish] does, right? It¡¯s not a mere get out of my sight,¡± Vee said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s a cease to exist in this plane.¡±
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Nock¡¯s projection looked at him and shrugged. ¡°Still faced worse.¡±
[Intimidating Presence -1]
Vee decided not to push the matter any further. Since neither of his truth-detecting skills had done anything, he figured he could tentatively trust the weaponspirit for now and assume that there wouldn¡¯t be any trouble coming from the lab for now.
Activating [Shape Ectoplasm], Vee built a simple box to store the other wandering ghosts in and left. He¡¯d come back later and tidy up once things were back to normal, but for now he wanted to go check the rest of the tower before heading over to the dungeon.
They went up to the office proper and checked on Dheart. The dungeon heart informed them that things were indeed not working properly, and asked them if they wanted to report an issue to the union. Vee declined, though he asked Dheart to get ahold of a list of supplemental cores for sale. He had no idea what such things cost, but had a sinking suspicion that it¡¯d be more than he wanted to pay just then.
That was how it went with costs, Vee thought to himself with a frown. They ambushed you when you were least expecting it; things would be going along nicely, and then every Gawain-forsaken shoe would drop all at once and you¡¯d be broke in an instant. Eventually, he¡¯d have enough of a backup fund to handle these things as they came up, but right now he was definitely feeling a bit of a financial crunch.
Ultimately, Deina and Hendon had talked the others into hiring the storymaker for the dungeon circuit. They¡¯d said that the cost would pay for itself in no time at all, since apparently Richter Arnis was also something of and popular [Food Critic] and [Travel Guide] who had enough of a following that cities containing dungeons he recommended tended to see double-digit revenue increases in the months following his runs. However, like people who claimed that spending money in a given irresponsible manner was a write-off, they hadn¡¯t really gone into the specifics of how the extra city revenue helped the [Dungeon Masters] make their money back.
Maybe he was supposed to go lean on the people who owned the restaurants and accommodations and try to collect some of their extra earnings? That wasn¡¯t something he was particularly interested in; it reminded him too much of Sacre.
And his father, for that matter.
Chewing his lip, Vee pushed the matter from his mind and led his companions down to the dungeon.
Do and the other [Dungeon Maintainers] were waiting for Vee when he walked into Crestheart and saw the extent of the issues. Doors and the hidden compartments they¡¯d set up for minion ambushes were all stuck wide open, every torch and light source spluttered, the floor orders faded in and out of existence, and none of the floating platforms were movable.
¡°Is the entire place like this?¡± Vee asked as Do led him down to the second floor. ¡°I¡¯m guessing none of the special rooms are working either?¡±
¡°If anything it¡¯s worse,¡± Do said. ¡°We think the first floor is roughly half-powered, and it goes down by about half again with each deeper level.¡±
Vee swore, and Reginald was conspicuously silent.
¡°Any chance you can shuffle things around to make the power we have go any further?¡± Vee asked.
¡°Hard to say. We are not experts in such things, but I promise that we will do our best, Master.¡±
¡°That¡¯s all I can ask,¡± Vee said with a smile. ¡°Thanks Do, I know you guys are going to do your best.¡±
The fiend stood a little straighter, as did the other members of the [Dungeon Maintainers].
[Leadership +1]
I guess you win some, you lose some, Vee thought with a smile as he dismissed the notification.
When Alforde, Vee, and Reginald made their way back to the boarding house for the night ¨C Alforde was in the lead because he was eager to get back to the book he was currently reading, a thrilling adventure novel about an apprentice [Alchemist] who went around hunting monsters ¨C Vee took Reginald off and set the hat on the table.
He sat down across from his [Majordomo] and folded his hands on his lap. ¡°How fast can you get those levels back, and how can I help you do it?¡±
Reginald hemmed and hawed for a moment, but then said, ¡°After the dungeon closes each day, you should take my core out of Dheart and use it to power something else. The experience of powering things is the fastest method of increasing my [Core Spirit] levels that we can really try and do here. If we¡¯re diligent and lucky, we can probably gain a level or two each week like that.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not fast enough,¡± Vee said. ¡°What other methods are there for recovering your levels that we can¡¯t do here? What would we have to do to get them?¡±
¡°We¡¯d have to leave the city and go exploring. There are¡well, I guess you could think of them as reservoirs of power here and there in the mountains outside the city. If you bring my core to them, we could probably harvest some of the excess power located there and use that to boost my level a little bit.¡±
¡°And would there be any sort of guardian or other group who might take offense at us trying to do that?¡± Vee asked.
Reginald flapped his brim against the table. ¡°Not sure. There didn¡¯t use to be, but it¡¯s been nearly a century since I last visited. For all I know, the reservoirs might not even be there anymore.¡±
¡°Are there any visual indicators we could use to check? Glowing lights in the rock? Balls of energy floating out of the ground, those sorts of things?¡±
¡°Any adventurer with [Find Hidden Treasure] could probably locate them without much trouble, but its not the sort of thing that a regular person could just see on their own. I suppose we could always put up a bounty and see if anyone takes it?¡±
Vee groaned. A bounty would be another expense, but surely it was worth paying for the information if it meant getting Reginald¡¯s levels back so the dungeon could function properly.
He just hated the thought of spending more fleurs. After all, another collection day was rapidly approaching.
Main Character Sheets:Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 5
Might: 14
Wit: 35
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 18 (+1)
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 9 (-1)
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 3
Bargaining: 1
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 26
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 9 (+1)
Might: 48
Wit: 13
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 26 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 6
Vanity: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 16
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 15
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 38
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 8
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 16 (+1)
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 60: Don "Chub" Curlytail (Interlude)
Pressing his paws to his ears, Don ¡°Chub¡± Curlytail paced back and forth in his fishroom, lamenting the fact that not even here ¨C his most private sanctum ¨C was safe from the shrieking coming up from the bottom floor of the mansion. It was Friarsday, which meant that his youngest son, Niko, was having his violin lessons. Tightening the belt of his white bathrobe ¨C which was made from the finest imported bunnybear fur available, mind you ¨C the kitrekin [Crime Lord] smiled. It was kind of a funny realization, in a frustrating way. Shrug off an attack from [Battle Mages] in the upper thirties to low forties? Sure, not a problem. The fishroom was more than sufficient for such a task.
Provide a measure of peace from the musical monstrosities of a thirteen-year-old kitrekin with no sense of tone or tempo? Look elsewhere.
Sadly, ¡°elsewhere¡± had long since been exhausted; at least, as far as rooms in the mansion went. He¡¯d have to leave if he wanted to escape the noise, and that wasn¡¯t exactly an option just then.
But still, what noise it was! He¡¯d heard less wailing from people being tortured!
¡°At least it¡¯s only twice a week,¡± the don muttered to himself as he gazed into the depths of the aquariums all around the room in an attempt to distract himself from the din with their beauty. And to think, Wessa had wanted three!
He spent the next few minutes appreciating his fish, purring ever so slightly. Filled with species from around the continent ¨C including a few ¡°protected¡± entities that had been, ahem, brought to him from the Rose Coral Reef deep in the Greatwest Ocean ¨C the fishroom was a place of beauty. It was where he came to brood and plot, relieved from the burdens of his responsibilities.
It was where he could imagine himself to be young and hungry once again.
He found that as he got older and his attention was demanded by more and more things, it became increasingly important to consciously put himself in that headspace, lest he grow fat and content and lose his grip on the territory put in his care by the Little Miss. His own predecessor had fallen prey to that particular trap, and Chub¡¯s claws had been a mercy compared to what the [Matriarch] would have done to him when she¡¯d learned of failures.
Some of his fellows, Chub knew, would rankle at an arrangement like the one he had with the Little Miss, but the former kitrekin [Enforcer] hadn''t forgotten the fact that he owed his [Matriarch] everything. If it hadn¡¯t been for her, he would likely still be a [Fishmonger] in the harbor district of New Sally. While Oar¡¯s Crest wasn¡¯t a particularly nice place to live, he had easy access to almost anything he could want.
However, with his life of privilege came unpleasant responsibilities, and it was one of those that had the don wishing for some peace and quiet so that he could think properly. Tension between him and Sacre was rising once again, as it often did, and for the first time in decades, Chub feared that he¡¯d pushed things too far. He feared that he¡¯d made a mistake.
The power in Oar¡¯s Crest was a delicate thing, perpetually balanced on a knife¡¯s edge, with neither Chub nor his rival able to get a real upper hand. When the bandits had been causing trouble, Chub had seen an opportunity, and just like he¡¯d done when he¡¯d been a younger kitrekin, he¡¯d reached out with both paws to take it.
He¡¯d thought to strike a dominant blow, calling in assistance from outside the city with the help of the tunnels beneath Oar¡¯s Crest to hide their arrival. A few had come, and they¡¯d started building up a substantial advantage in the never-ending struggle between the competing factions. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t properly accounted for Sacre¡¯s craftiness, nor his ruthlessness ¨C testing such things on his own men! ¨C and now things were starting to spiral out of control.
The quartet of new augmented henchmen that Sacre was throwing around ¨C led by that crazy jerk, Walnut, who was extra terrifying now that he could cover his entire body in a shell that Big Simon could barely crack ¨C were threatening to not just undo all the progress he¡¯d made, they were on the verge of pushing the kitrekins back out of territory they¡¯d held for years. Chub was in danger of losing good businesses that paid steady protection money and offered plenty of nifty little perks that his boys liked to take advantage of.
In simple terms, they were places that he couldn¡¯t afford to lose.
Fortune had turned against him, and if nothing changed, the wheel of Fate would continue rolling forward until he was crushed underneath it entirely.
A discordant trio of notes distracted Chub from his thoughts and he roared, slamming his paw into the armrest of his chair. No matter how he tried, he couldn¡¯t get the threads of his discordant ideas to congeal properly. They kept scattering away from him, turning to wisps of smoke and light each time he tried to collect them.
More ¡°notes¡±, more distraction. The don seethed, blaming the violin for all his problems.
Okay, that wasn¡¯t fair. Not really, anyways. It¡¯d been weeks and his well of creativity was coming up dry. Not even the horrid squealing of his son¡¯s attempt to play ¡°The Little Stars That Shine¡± could claim sole responsibility for his inability to come up with a proper plan.
Chub stood up and traced one of his claws along the side of the nearest fish tank, smirking at the way the blue-green Mottled Deifish inside followed his movements. If only his life was so simple.
Though, in a way, he supposed it was. Or at least, there were more similarities between his fish and his own position than was comfortable to think about.
The sound of knocking on the door broke Chub out of his melancholy, and Wessa, his third wife opened the door. She was thirty-one ¨C only a handful of years older than his eldest daughter, Monicait ¨C and she beamed at him as she nearly sashayed across the room.
¡°I think he¡¯s getting better, don¡¯t you?¡± she said, rubbing Chub¡¯s shoulders as young Niko completely missed the final note of the song.
Don Curlytail shook his head and looked up to give Wessa a kiss. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± he laughed. ¡°Frankly it¡¯s a miracle that these tanks don¡¯t shatter at the sound of his playing. It might be time to find a different [Tutor], or encourage him to take up boxing instead.¡±
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¡°It won¡¯t be like this for much longer,¡± Wessa said. ¡°He should be able to earn [Student Violinist] in another month or two, and then he¡¯ll be much better.¡±
Chub groaned. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can survive listening to this for another month. I think those scales are giving me heart palpitations.¡±
His wife playfully punched his arm. ¡°You¡¯re terrible. He¡¯s not that bad. Regardless, our son¡¯s musical future isn¡¯t why I came up here. You have a visitor downstairs in the study.¡±
Chub¡¯s whiskers twitched.
¡°Who is it?¡±
¡°Michael Seidon. He says it¡¯s important.¡±
***
After taking off his bathrobe and putting on something more presentable ¨C a suit of red velvet, custom made by the finest [Tailors] in New Sally ¨C the don made his way down to where the councilman was waiting. He forced himself to smile as he opened the door and stepped inside. Truthfully, he didn¡¯t particularly like Michael Seidon, but there was no denying that the man was instrumental in keeping the peace with Sacre. Given the situation, Chub figured that he could afford to at least hear the councilman out.
Seidon was lounging in one of the sprawling armchairs in the center of the room, and he politely nodded as Chub walked by.
¡°Pleasure to see you, Curlytail.¡±
¡°Councilman,¡± Chub said magnanimously as he opened the crystal cabinet on the side of the room and drew out a bottle of Hollatang¡¯s Finest Whiskey. ¡°Would you care for a drink? If you¡¯re looking for something besides Hollatang¡¯s, I¡¯ve just got a bottle of Emperor¡¯s Mead in and would love to have someone to share it with.¡±
The man shook his head and waved away the bottle. ¡°Not today.¡±
Chub kept his face neutral, but deep down he was surprised. Things must have been serious if they slaked Seidon¡¯s willingness to indulge in a drink. After all, Seidon had never been a man to deny a craving. It was one of his defining features.
Pouring himself a glass of the orange-amber liquid, the don sat down on the other side of his desk and folded his paws together.
¡°I see,¡± he said gravely. ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you go ahead and tell me what it is that brings you here today? I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you for another month, at least.¡±
Seidon crossed one leg over the other and leaned forward, looking rather solemn, and then said, ¡°You and Sacre are both escalating things beyond my tolerance to look past, though I¡¯m here because you¡¯re the one who started it this time around by bringing outsiders into the city. I¡¯ll be frank. Stop this nonsense at once.¡±
Chub leaned back, surprised by the councilman¡¯s boldness and direct manner of speaking. Normally, Seidon was the type who spoke in circles around matters, preferring euphemisms and indirect references to straight talk. It was refreshing, but also irritating. He had no desire to send his newest associates away; if anything he needed more of them to counteract Sacre¡¯s augmented henchmen. The Don took a sip of his drink and smiled.
¡°And how would you propose that I do that?¡±
Seidon snorted. ¡°The how of the matter is not my problem. That¡¯s for you and Sacre to figure out. I¡¯m simply letting you know that if you two can¡¯t keep innocent people out of your little power struggle, I¡¯ll take my leash off the [City Guards]. You and I both know that their¡let¡¯s call it adversarial presence would be bad for business.¡±
He paused for a moment, then said, ¡°Perhaps you two can get together and hash out some new rules of engagement. A way to minimize collateral damage and keep regular citizens safe. Both of you have expressed a desire to do that wherever possible. Hopefully those weren¡¯t just words. Now of course, I¡¯d be happy to moderate such a discussion, as well as provide a guarantee of safety for you both, should you decide to pursue that route.¡±
Chub repressed the snarl that was trying to crawl across his lips and forced himself to stay calm. Requesting such a thing from his rival would be no different than admitting that he was losing, and he was not yet willing to admit defeat. He finished the rest of his drink and glared over at the councilman.
¡°I recognize that expression all too well. I¡¯ll go ahead and take my leave so you can think about things,¡± Seidon said. ¡°However, I expect this matter to be moving towards a swift resolution in the next week at most.¡±
Getting up, the councilman left, and Chub managed to keep his cool until he heard Wessa wishing the man farewell and closing the door after he left. Then the kitrekin [Crime Lord] tossed his glass across the room and watched it shatter with savage satisfaction.
He had a week to think of something. A week to figure out how to shift the balance of power so that he was no longer losing ground to Sacre.
A popup appeared before his eyes, and though Chub was embarrassed to realize it, he was surprised by its presence. Like most people, he¡¯d seen fewer and fewer notifications as he¡¯d gotten older ¨C as one¡¯s life settled comfortably in the grooves it¡¯d made, there were fewer and fewer chances for it to grow and develop ¨C and it¡¯d been more than a year since he¡¯d last seen a popup before his eyes.
[You have been given a quest: Reverse your fortunes within the city within the next week. Would you like to accept?]
He did so, reaching a trembling claw up to the blinking icon as slowly as he could so that he could savor the experience of having a notification for just a little longer. There¡¯d been a time he¡¯d been impatient to get rid of them as quickly as he could, but he knew now that he¡¯d been a fool to do so.
[Quest: Reverse your fortunes within the city. Time limit: one week.]
[Dangers: Further loss of territory, subordinate injury or death, bodily harm, loss of position.]
[Reward for completion: Territory reclamation or expansion, enemy injury or death, increased future organizational revenue.]
[Description: Find a way of reversing the decline of your organization¡¯s influence and power within Oar¡¯s Crest before Councilman Seidon steps in.]
Don Curlytail reached up and stroked his chin, purring at the pleasant sensation in his fur. The recent conflicts with Sacre¡¯s augmented henchmen had gone poorly because his boys had been evenly matched in terms of numbers. He needed to find a way to pull his rival¡¯s attention in more directions than the man could reasonably handle. Make him spend time, money, and manpower on things that weren¡¯t the don¡¯s territory.
That was how he could buy himself some breathing room and figure out a more permanent solution to the augmented henchmen.
An idea struck him, and Chub smiled his wickedest smile. Reaching down and opening the hidden drawer under his desk, the [Crime Lord] drew out a small pendant and pressed his claw against it.
¡°Roller, come up to my office. I¡¯ve got a job for you and those little mud golems of yours. Your days of petty theft and minor mischief are over.¡±
The kitrekin¡¯s greasy voice crackled as it came through the crystal.
¡°Purrrrfect, boss. I¡¯ve been waiting for my chance to do such a thing.¡±
Don "Chub" Curlytail''s Character Sheet:
Don ¡°Chub¡± Curlytail
Primary Class: Crime Lord, (Little Miss), Level 45
Secondary Class: Boxer, (Wicker¡¯s Gym), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Ruthless Leader (Self), Level 40
Additional Class: Footpad (Smoky Whitesock), Level 26
Additional Class: Loving Husband (Wessa Curlytail), Level 16
Additional Class: Thief (Smoky Whitesock), Level 15
Additional Class: Back Alley Brawler (Smoky Whitesock), Level 10
Additional Class: Fishmonger (New Sally Dock Deliveries), Level 3
Additional Class: Starry-Eyed-Youth-With-Something-To-Prove (Self,), Level 1
Might: 90
Wit: 110
Faith: 37
Ambition: 89
Greed: 102
Ruthlessness: 76
Charisma: 80
Devious Mind: 60
Manipulativeness: 59
Plotting: 65
Endurance: 33* (reduced by Elderly)
Patience: 44
Pride: 70
Loyalty: 81
Deceptiveness: 53
Leadership: 74
Citizenship: 2
Volume 2 Chapter 61:
Vee, Alforde, and Reginald walked into the first floor of the adventurer¡¯s guild and were surprised to see that despite the early hour it was full of people. Adventurers milled about in partial suits of armor and traveling clothes, swapping stories as they sipped steaming cups of coffee and munched on biscuits and crackers. Even having seen something similar back in the Lobby, Vee thought it was more than a little strange to see so many people idling away their time instead of doing anything productive. Didn¡¯t any of these people have anywhere else to be? Surely the guild had quests to undertake, right? There were bound to be monsters to track down and slay, or carriages to escort from one place to another.
Still, the presence of so many potential early bird customers got Vee thinking. Was there some way he could tap into this properly? New offerings at the lobby, perhaps? A reward program that combined food, drinks, and dungeon runs?
It was something to think about, and Vee resolved to go and talk to Juniper about the possibilities later. He was hoping to expand Crestheart¡¯s non-dungeon influence as spring got properly underway, but for now he returned his attention to the task that¡¯d brought him to the guild in the first place: putting up a bounty for someone to go see if there were any reservoirs that Reginald could use to recover his lost levels in the mountains outside of town.
There was a lengthy line leading to the counter Vee needed, but one of the [Clerks] on duty recognized him and waved him over to a different one so that he could cut most of the crowd. A few adventurers grumbled and gave him dirty looks as he did so, but none of them pushed the matter any further than that. The [Dungeon Master] thanked the woman profusely as soon as he stopped in front of her window, because waiting for his rightful turn would have likely meant that he would have been late to open the dungeon up for the day¡¯s runs.
¡°You¡¯re welcome, Master Vales. It¡¯s the least I could do for another professional within the trade,¡± the woman said with a warm and friendly smile. ¡°How can I assist you today?¡±
Vee reached up and tapped Reginald¡¯s brim, letting the hat explain the needs of the quest. While his [Majordomo] talked, Vee contented himself by looking around and seeing more of how the guild operated.
The [Clerk]¡¯s face fell as Reginald briefly described the reservoirs he was interested in, and when he¡¯d finished his explanation she slowly shook her head.
¡°I¡¯m not sure any of our members would be able to spot something like that. We don¡¯t really tend to get many treasure hunting jobs around here, you see..¡±
¡°But surely at least a few of the adventurers here have [Find Treasure],¡± Reginald said. ¡°It¡¯s such a common skill!¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t say that I know of any,¡± the woman said with a small shrug and a sheepish smile. She drew out a small black journal and opened it up, scanning each line with her index finger.
¡°I¡¯m afraid that I don¡¯t see any on our asset roster¡but it¡¯s entirely possible that some members have the skill and just haven¡¯t updated their forms the way they¡¯re supposed to.¡±
¡°Does that sort of thing happen often?¡± Alforde asked.
The [Clerk] nodded. ¡°Sadly, yes. Improperly finished forms are a lot more common than you might think.¡±
¡°I have a hard time believing that [Find Treasure] would be so rare around here,¡± Reginald said. ¡°A few years ago it was one of the first skills most adventurers learned.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not anymore. [Find Treasure] is a skill that tends to be favored by adventurers with what we designate support classes. Think [Rogues], [Scouts], and [Archaeologists]. Sadly, we don¡¯t really have many of those here in Oar¡¯s Crest anymore, though I can¡¯t speak as to whether or not there¡¯s any singular reason why that is. Classes are like clothes: styles and trends come and go.¡±
¡°But we¡¯ve seen a few [Rogues] come through Crestheart,¡± Vee said. ¡°Are you sure they don¡¯t have the skill?¡±
The [Clerk] shrugged again. ¡°They very well could, I just wouldn¡¯t know about it. See, our handful of support class members are all the worst in terms of filling out their paperwork. Gawain¡¯s beard! We could have someone capable of looting the Vault of the [Astral King] without any assistance and we¡¯d have no idea! It¡¯s an absolute crapshoot.¡±
Alforde chuckled at that ¨C the vault of the [Astral King] was one of the few so-called unbreakable safes that actually lived up to its reputation ¨C and the [Clerk] smiled before she continued.
¡°Currently in Oar¡¯s Crest, our members are heavily skewed toward combat classes. We probably have too many [Fighters] and [Brawlers] to be honest, but there¡¯s also a good number of [Knights] and [Mage] variants thrown in as well. As you can probably guess, those classes tend to get so focused on their newest damage skills and levels that they don¡¯t think about things like hunting for treasure. In a couple more years though, we might well have another crop of support class types. Like I said, tastes change.¡±
¡°We understand,¡± Vee said. ¡°But be that as it may, would it be okay if we go ahead and put up our request anyway? Maybe someone will be able to clear it. One of those [Rogues] you were talking about.¡±
¡°Oh, of course. Of course! I didn¡¯t meant to try and discourage you,¡± the woman said. ¡°The fee for posting an exploration or recovery job like this one will be ten silver fleurs.¡±
Vee handed the money over, thinking that he was really looking forward to the end of the day¡¯s runs where he¡¯d have some money coming in instead of just flowing out.
Thanking her for her time ¨C and again for letting them skip the long line ¨C the trio made their way over to the job board.
¡°One last thing!¡±
Vee turned back to the [Clerk].
¡°Make sure you put your job request on the right side of the board, okay?¡±
Vee hadn¡¯t ever really stopped and looked at the job board properly during his time in Oar¡¯s Crest, as each time he¡¯d come to it he¡¯d had other things to do that¡¯d been more pressing and deserving of his attention, but this morning there was something that caught his eye and gave him pause. He hadn¡¯t thought anything of the fact that the [Clerk] had directed him to post his job on the right side of the board, but seeing the fact that left side was completely barren of any jobs was a little odd. What was the point of separating the jobs if they were all going to be on one side?
A quick scan didn¡¯t really clarify the situation, either. There were combat oriented jobs and exploration jobs, as well as other tasks that Vee wasn¡¯t entirely sure that an adventurer was the best choice to handle. ¡°Help me settle my father¡¯s estate, please!¡± was one of these, and so Vee found himself with even less of an idea of what was supposed to be accomplished by dividing the board in two.
When he brought that up and mentioned how strange it was, Alforde pointed to the top of the board, where there was a pair of handwritten signs.
Vee read the one on the left side: JOBS SUITABLE FOR ADVENTURERS LOWER THAN LEVEL 20. The one on the right was, of course, the same but for adventurers higher than level 20.
¡°That makes even less sense,¡± Vee said. ¡°Most of these jobs don¡¯t really seem terribly dangerous or difficult at first glance. Like this one: Collect and deliver groceries to my elderly mother. Why would someone need to be higher than level 20 for that?¡±
¡°They¡¯re not getting done, either,¡± Reginald said, tugging toward a scrap of paper by the bottom right corner. ¡°That one over there has been up for nearly a month already. Higher level adventurers aren¡¯t exactly known for their willingness to do busywork. This is kind of like what we saw over at Crestheart after the open call finished, eh boss?¡±
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Vee nodded, remembering the way that the lower level adventurers who¡¯d been trying to power level to join the open call had been forced out of being able to do dungeon runs once the other adventurers returned. He hadn¡¯t really thought much of it at the time ¨C or rather, his attention had been pulled in other directions and he¡¯d kind of forgotten about the entire thing, to be quite honest ¨C but now he was wondering if this was a consistent issue in the city and how long it¡¯d been going on.
¡°Why doesn¡¯t the guild step up and put a stop to this?¡± he asked. ¡°Without a strong pipeline of up and coming adventurers, the guild is just hindering its long term prospects and making itself weaker for the future. How do the people in charge not see that? Surely they have to be cognizant of the fact that prosperous futures require solid foundational presents¡right?¡±
¡°You¡¯d think so,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Let¡¯s worry about it another time though, eh boss?¡±
Vee shook his head. He couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around why the guild would let such a thing happen, and like a scab that wasn¡¯t quite ready to come off on its own, the mystery demanded his attention and invited him to pick and pick.
There had to be some other element that he was missing, Vee decided, though Gawain and Piper alone knew if he could figure out what it was.
He needed more information.
A heavyset adventurer walked past, clearly looking to replenish his coffee cup ¨C despite the fact that it was nearly three quarters full ¨C and Vee held up a hand to stop him in place.
¡°Uh¡can I help you?¡± The man asked, looking a little confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t the [Clerk] tell you where to hang up your job posting?¡±
¡°I¡¯m curious about this arrangement,¡± Vee said with a nod toward the division on the board. ¡°Has it been going on long? Who was responsible for setting it up?¡±
¡°The what? I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t really know what you mean.¡± The adventurer looked a little uncomfortable and turned his head side to side, clearly trying to catch the eye of someone else who could help him escape the situation.
Vee followed his gaze and found a quartet of adventurers wearing dark clothes staring at him. They were scowling and muttering to each other.
It wasn¡¯t really much to go on, but the [Dungeon Master] took their presence as a good enough sign that things here in the guild were as rotten as knife-pierced apple left to sit in the sun for a week straight. Stepping forward, he glared into the nearby adventurer¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±
Despite the fact that Vee was a good six or seven inches shorter than the adventurer, the other man quailed beneath the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s baleful gaze, though he shot a panicked look over at the quartet as well.
Keeping his voice perfectly level, Vee reached up and grabbed the adventurer¡¯s shirt.
¡°My patience isn¡¯t infinite, you know. Answer me!¡±
[Congratulations! You are now a Guy-Who-Takes-Things-Way-Too-Far Level 6!]
[Intimidating Presence +1]
¡°I don¡¯t¡ª I really don¡¯t know,¡± the adventurer stammered, stepping back and freeing himself of Vee¡¯s grip. Once he had some space his voice took on a more combative tone. ¡°I¡¯m just a mid-level so I don¡¯t go around poking my nose into stuff like this. Besides, what¡¯s it matter to you, anyway? You¡¯re not a member, so guild business isn¡¯t any of your concern.¡±
Technically true, for all that Vee didn¡¯t care just then. The Expectation around his shoulders urged him to keep going, to press harder, but there was something else there that gave Vee cause for pause. It was an anger that didn¡¯t feel like it belonged to him.
Mindful that his actions might not truly be in alignment with his own desires, the [Dungeon Master] bit back the retort that came to his lips right away, took a deep breath, and forced himself to count to four before he answered.
¡°It doesn¡¯t need to directly affect me in order for me to have an opinion on it. This arrangement is short-sighted at best and absolutely moronic at worst. Plenty of the jobs over here on the right side of the board could be done by lower level adventurers.¡±
The adventurer shrugged. ¡°Could be, sure. Like I said, Blue, I don¡¯t know all the details. If you have issues, take them up with the [Guild Master] or something.¡±
Reginald tightened his brim around Vee¡¯s head, and the [Ghost Maestro] let the man go. The adventurer scurried away, looking back over his shoulder every few steps as if afraid that Vee would come after him, though of course that was a foolish fear.
If Vee had been interested in doing so, he would have sent Alforde to chase the adventurer down.
The quartet got up from their seats and went to the adventurer, smiling and clapping him on the back as if he were their collective long-lost brother.
A few seconds of silence passed, and then Reginald said, ¡°Look boss, I can tell that you¡¯ve got one of your wild hairs right now, but you have to listen to me on this one, okay? This isn¡¯t an issue we can deal with right now. The circuit is coming up and we have to do everything we can to make sure that everything goes well for it. That means we have to focus on getting Crestheart working properly again by restoring my [Core Spirit] levels. Back burner this one for now, okay?¡±
The Expectation around Vee¡¯s shoulders bristled, but the [Dungeon Master] ignored it. He knew that his [Majordomo] had a point and that this wasn¡¯t what he needed to be focused on. For all that he wished he had infinite time and energy, he didn¡¯t have spare mental capacity to dig up the root of the problem and rip it from the proverbial ground, but he promised himself that he¡¯d get around to it as soon as he could.
This was the type of thing that kept Oar¡¯s Crest languishing, and he was going to put a stop to it. Somehow.
¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right,¡± Vee said with a growl. ¡°We¡¯ll look into it later.¡±
Before he could change his mind, Vee slapped the small paper with their job details onto the right side of the board as he¡¯d been directed to and turned to leave. Had it been a task that a lower-level could have handled safely, he would have absolutely thrown it onto the left side of the board and let the consequences follow as they might, but he¡¯d heard stories here and there about the monsters that supposedly lived in the mountains ¨C yetis, mostly ¨C and didn¡¯t want to put anyone in danger.
Aware of the quartet of nasty glares following his every step, Vee gestured for Alforde to follow him out. Sensing Vee¡¯s mood, Alforde obliged with a bit of dramatic flair, giving Slammy a good spin before resting the hammer on his right pauldron.
Feeling frustrated, Vee headed over to Crestheart to start the day¡¯s runs.
The trio made it through the gate to Westown without further issue, but as they approached the tower, Vee saw traces of mud smeared across the ground as well as some of the walls of the empty buildings on the street before it. They were so conspicuous that the [Ghost Maestro] wondered how his Light Section had failed to notice them and clean them up as part of their daily sweep. His fiends had never failed in such an obvious way before.
Before he could truly ponder it though, a shrill sound coming from one of the upper floors of the tower got his attention. Alforde and Vee tensed at the sound.
¡°What is that?¡± Vee asked.
¡°No idea,¡± Alforde answered. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard anything like it before. Reginald?¡±
¡°I¡¯m stumped too. It sounds¡vaguely like words, though I can¡¯t make them out.¡±
They quickened their pace and stopped in front of the tower door.
Grabbing Slammy and wrapping his gauntleted fingers around the hammer¡¯s handle, Alforde took two big steps so that he was in front of Vee and looked up at the top of the tower.
¡°I¡¯ll go up first and you follow after me, okay? Get your [Ghost Baton] out, okay? You might need to use [Banish] or something in a hurry.¡±
¡°Be ready to use [Summon Miasma] too,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Could be anything up there.¡±
Nodding, Vee followed his friend up toward the office. The smears of mud were increasingly plentiful as they climbed, which had to be a bad sign. Walking slowly and cautiously, Vee and Alforde listened as hard as they could for any hint of movement inside the tower that wasn¡¯t coming from their own feet.
Nothing but the strange wailing filled their ears.
When they reached the eighth floor, Vee realized what the noise was.
It was Dheart.
The [Dungeon Master]¡¯s stomach sank as he managed to make out the screching words clearly.
¡°Unsanctioned vault entry! Unsanctioned vault entry! Unsanctioned vault entry!¡±
Swearing, Vee broke into a run.
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6 (+1)
Might: 14
Wit: 35
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 18
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10 (+1)
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 2
Persuasiveness: 3
Bargaining: 1
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 26
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 14
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 9
Might: 48
Wit: 13
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 26
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 7 (+1)
Vanity: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 17 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 15
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 38
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9 (+1)
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 16
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 62:
The office was in surprisingly decent condition when Vee and Alforde reached it. Other than a dozen or so muddy footprints and a bit of broken glass on the floor next to the window, it seemed relatively undisturbed. The chairs weren¡¯t knocked over and the console for running the dungeon hadn¡¯t been touched. Had it not been for Dheart¡¯s incessant wailing and the fact that the vault was still partially open, Vee wouldn¡¯t have really known that anything was amiss.
There was a letter on the desk, presumably left by the thief, and Vee picked it up to read it.
In a surprisingly tidy hand, it said, ¡°Nothing personal.¡±
Vee¡¯s mouth went dry as he set down the letter, walked over to the vault, and peeked through the gap to take a look inside. Other than a few scattered fleurs and bits of mud, it was empty inside, which confirmed the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s worst fears. Losing the shards of chaos wasn¡¯t too big of a deal, as Crestheart would naturally regain them as it operated without much issue, but the stolen fleurs hurt a lot. First there¡¯d been all the costs that the dungeon had racked up recently ¨C the new minions, the storymaker contribution and the bounty for the quest to get Reginald¡¯s levels back among them ¨C but there was also the need to keep paying Sacre back.
¡°How are we going to make our next payment?¡± Vee said as he stared at the bare floor, because, of course, tomorrow was collection day. The [Dungeon Master] felt sick to his stomach, dreading the sight of Walnut¡¯s inevitably smug expression when Vee said that he didn¡¯t have the money.
¡°Unsanctioned vault entry! Unsanctioned vault entry! Unsanctioned vault entry!¡±
Vee turned to face Dheart, frowning. That needed to stop right away. The [Dungeon Master]¡¯s racing mind told him quite clearly that he needed to be able to hear himself think if he was going to figure out a way to navigate this crappy situation.
Speaking with as much authority as he could, Vee said, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Dheart. I understand the situation, so stop with the screeching.¡±
The dungeon heart fell silent, acknowledging Vee¡¯s order, and the [Dungeon Master] set down his [Majordomo] on the table so that he could run his fingers through his hair and get his thoughts properly ordered.
Reginald looked up at him. ¡°What¡¯s the plan, boss?¡±
Vee mulled it over for a moment, then said, ¡°For the moment, we have no choice but to accept the fact that the stolen fleurs are gone forever. We lack the resources to track them down and recover them, so there¡¯s no point in thinking about methods for doing so. Instead, we need to come up with some short term funding solutions that will let us cobble together enough fleurs to keep Sacre off our back so that we can keep Crestheart running as best we can. Once those are taken care of, we think about ways to make sure that we have enough fleurs to pay the rest of our obligations. To be completely honest, I¡¯m not entirely sure how we do that right now, but I¡¯m percolating. I¡¯m not going to let this take us down.¡±
[Determination +1]
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Next question. Do we open the dungeon today?¡±
Vee looked over at Alforde, who was inside the vault picking up the scattered silver fleurs and stacking them in his gauntlet. ¡°I think we do, yeah. What do you say, Alforde?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve got no problems with that,¡± his friend answered as he squatted down to scoop up another coin. ¡°But I have an idea for helping us get some money too. Want to hear it?¡±
¡°Of course. What are you thinking?¡±
Alforde stood back up and turned around, his bright blue eyes flickering like a brazier. ¡°We should tell the adventurers what happened. Explain that we were robbed and ask for help. Maybe some of them would be willing to chip in a few extra fleurs here and there to help us meet our funding needs for the time being. We could even offer some type of bonus to anyone who donates.¡±
¡°Bonuses?¡±
¡°Yeah, like, uh, one on ones with me, or a detailed analysis of their strengths and weaknesses as we perceive them. I¡¯m sure a lot of the mid-level regulars would love to get their hands on something like that.¡±
Vee smiled. It was a good idea, and his [Budgeting] skill was already starting to rough out appropriate prices for such things. The private bouts with Alforde were worth at least twenty silver fleurs on their own, and the adventurer assessments could probably fetch nearly that much as well.
Would that be enough, though? They needed to come up with sixty five gold fleurs, and Vee doubted that enough adventurers would chip in to help bridge that gap. What else could they do to raise more emergency funds?
What about offering bundled packages of future run vouchers for a discount? If someone wanted to buy, say, ten future runs, they could do so and receive a twenty or thirty percent discount. Vee¡¯s skull itched. Hmm. Maybe the numbers needed a bit more tweaking.
He checked the time and saw that the day¡¯s runs were slated to begin soon. Frowning, Vee snapped his fingers and activated [Excellent Spreadsheet]. Cecil appeared in the air by Vee¡¯s right hand. ¡°How may I be of assistance, Master?¡±
Vee directed his spreadsheet to work on figuring out the appropriate discount rate for future dungeon runs, trusting that Cecil would be able to do so better than he would be able to just then. The spreadsheet hummed as Vee headed down to the dungeon to get ready for the day¡¯s runs. As much as he would have liked to just focus on everything else, there were a few last practical considerations he had to see to.
Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] were waiting just inside the entrance to Crestheart. They¡¯d put on the brightly colored ectoplasmic vests that Vee had made for them the night before, and the [Dungeon Master] had to suppress a chuckle at how silly all of his minions looked. Still, he hoped that they would keep his [Dungeon Maintainers] safe as they manually worked portions of the dungeon that Reginald¡¯s core was currently unable to power.
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°Are you all sure you¡¯re comfortable with this?¡± Vee asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to brief the adventurers that you¡¯ll be in the dungeon today so none of them should attack you directly, but there¡¯s a chance that you¡¯ll be caught up in area-of-effect skills and injured.¡±
¡°We do not fear such things,¡± Do said. ¡°It is your will that we assist with the dungeon, and we will do our duty.¡±
Vee looked at the rest of his medium section, trying to see if any of their faces betrayed a different feeling, but nearly all of their expressions were inscrutable. He waited for a moment to give any who might choose to do so an opportunity to speak up, but none of them did.
¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to go ahead and get going for the day then,¡± Vee said. ¡°Should any of you change your minds about your willingness to participate in the mechanical workings of the dungeon today, let me know and I¡¯ll shuffle things around so you don¡¯t have to. No need to feel guilty about it either; I value all of you more than the doors and walls that you¡¯ll be handling.¡±
[Leadership +1]
Taking a deep breath, Vee checked Cecil¡¯s calculations and assessments before he headed outside. It was sunny and slightly warm as Vee climbed the steps in front of the dungeon so that he could address the crowd of adventurers.
He held up his hands and waited for their conversation to slowly quiet down before he spoke.
¡°Good morning, adventurers! As always, thank you so much for choosing to come and challenge Crestheart, we appreciate your business! However, as you have might have gathered by my presence here today, there are a few things we need to take care of before we start the day¡¯s runs.¡±
There was a murmur of discontent at that, and Vee saw that several of the adventurers were looking at him with wary expressions. Doing his best to keep his expression neutral, Vee continued.
¡°First of all, there¡¯s been a technical problem with the dungeon¡¯s core, and as a result, some of the features you¡¯re familiar with are currently disabled. While we¡¯ve preserved most room functionality, our doors and walls aren¡¯t working properly. We have a temporary solution for this, but it¡¯s going to require you all to be a bit more careful than normal during your runs. Allow me to explain.¡±
He held up another one of his ectoplasmic vests and made sure that everyone could see it. ¡°If you see a fiend wearing one of these in the dungeon, you are not to attack or injure them in any way. They are my direct underlings and they¡¯re going to be the ones making sure that you all can go from one room to the next. Whether intentional or not, any adventurers who violate this condition will have their run for the day immediately ended and be banned from Crestheart for a period of time commensurate to the damage done to my minions. Needless to say, killing any of my fiends will result in a permanent ban from the dungeon, not to mention incur other penalties. I thank you all in advance for your understanding and cooperation.¡±
A few of the adventurers bristled at that, and Vee heard more than a few muttering about how limiting their attacks to avoid hitting the orchestra members was unfair, but Vee didn¡¯t give them any time to build up a protest. He pressed on instead.
¡°Beyond that, there¡¯s another matter I have to bring to your attention. I regret to inform you that someone broke into Crestheart last night and raided the vault. As a direct result, we¡¯re currently short on funds to continue our normal operations, and so I¡¯m asking you all for help. It pains me to do this, but if you get value from Crestheart, I ask that you consider donating some amount of fleurs to help us through this rough patch. While I can¡¯t go into details about all of our expenses, we need to raise roughly a hundred gold fleurs as quickly as possible. Obviously, direct donations are accepted and appreciated, but if you¡¯re interested in getting something back for your money, we will also be selling discounted packs of future runs by the end of the day.¡±
¡°How many runs? What sort of discount?¡± a voice shouted.
Vee summoned Cecil once more just to make sure that he had all the numbers right. ¡°We are offering packs of three, five, ten, and twenty or more future runs. The discount starts at five percent and goes all the way up to thirty percent. If you¡¯re interested, come up to the office after you finish up inside the dungeon and we¡¯ll work out the details.¡±
¡°There are also other products you can buy,¡± Reginald added. ¡°Including one on one training bouts with Alforde and performance assessments with Vee and myself. The prices for those are still being figured out, but we¡¯ll have those settled by the end of business today as well. Tell any other adventurers you might know who didn¡¯t happen to sign up for runs today, alright? There¡¯s no limit on any of these deals except time. We need the money today, so don¡¯t miss out! This is an incredible opportunity!¡±
Relieved at the interested expressions on several of the adventurer¡¯s faces, Vee climbed down the steps and headed back up to the office.
It was going to be a long day.
Looking up at the sky, Vee took a deep breath and said, ¡°This is a start, but today would be a great time for something big to go my way.¡±
To his surprise, his quiet plea was answered with a resounding ding in the back of his skull. The Expectation around his shoulders coiled tighter, and a shiver traveled from the top of Vee¡¯s head to the bottom of his feet. It carried a crackling energy the [Ghost Maestro] wasn¡¯t familiar with, feeling sickly sweet as well as oddly¡old.
It vanished almost as quickly as it came, leaving the [Dungeon Master] with naught but a lingering sense of peculiarity and hearing the faint echo of rattling laughter.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 21
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 14
Wit: 35
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 14
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 19 (+1)
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 3 (+1)
Persuasiveness: 3
Bargaining: 1
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 26
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 15 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 9
Might: 48
Wit: 14 (+1)
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 26
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 7
Vanity: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 18 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 8
Might: 1
Wit: 33
Faith: 15
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 39 (+1)
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17 (+1)
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 63:
Two hours ¨C and nine complete runs with a tenth about halfway through ¨C had passed, and Vee was back to feeling more like himself. The last traces of strangeness were gone, and he pushed the event from his thoughts. There were too many other things for him to focus on, like properly managing the dungeon without the benefit of Reginald powering everything. He thought he was getting the hang of it. Things took a little longer, since he had to reach through his bonds to his orchestra and manually order one of his fiends to open doors, activate packs of monsters, and direct power to the floor orders that told them what to do once an adventurer entered a given room. It was a clunky process that frustrated both the [Dungeon Master] and ¨C judging by their venomous tirades ¨C plenty of adventurers. Still, business continued largely as normal, and when he stopped to think about it, Vee realized that he was enjoying the slower pace of administration.
It was certainly less convenient than his control panel and his symphony of switches, dials, knobs, and buttons, but it was more tactile as well, and Vee found himself wondering if there was anyway to take the fun parts of this and socket it into his normal routine once Crestheart was back to its full operational capacity. He¡¯d gotten another level of [Dungeon Master] out of it too, which was nice.
¡°Hey boss, you going to activate the skeleton mages in the next room instead of the skeleton archers? I don¡¯t think that this [Pebble Pusher] can really handle magic attacks all that well.¡±
Vee looked down through the viewing crystal. ¡°What makes you say that?¡±
So far as he could tell, the swirling mass of small stones ¨C [Gravel Armor], according to the adventurer ¨C looked like it¡¯d be just as effective against magical attacks as it was against ranged attacks.
Reginald extended one yellow finger and pointed at the stones themselves. ¡°See how they¡¯re grey and are covered in tiny circles instead of proper grain?¡±
¡°Sure. So what?¡±
¡°Those look like dust rocks to me, which have absolutely zero magic resistance. I bet they¡¯ll turn to powder if the mages hit them with a hex or two. Go ahead and swap out the minions for me, eh?¡±
Vee rubbed his chin as he thought about it. It didn¡¯t really matter which pack of minions he ended up using, he decided.
¡°Let me go ahead and get ahold of Mi,¡± he said.
¡°Be quick about it,¡± Reginald answered. ¡°I think you have ninety seconds at most before he¡¯s through these ghosts and moving on.¡±
Closing his eyes, Vee reached through his bonds and got Mi¡¯s attention. Like most of the members of the orchestra, Mi was rather agitated. Frustration, fear, and funnily enough, boredom swirled around the fiend¡¯s consciousness, and Vee couldn¡¯t help but smirk as he passed along the change in directions. ¡°Open the red door for this run, please, and not the blue one as you¡¯ve been doing.¡±
¡°Understood, master.¡±
The fiend bent down and turned the makeshift ectoplasm knob at its feet. With a heavy clunk, the doors leading into the room changed, the light blue door replaced by a dark red one. Vee breathed a silent sigh of relief: he hadn¡¯t been sure that the mechanism he¡¯d rigged up to help the orchestra members manage the dungeon was going to work after the first few runs. Thankfully, it seemed that the time he¡¯d spent watching Rortenferry build various machines had paid off.
After telling Mi that it was doing a fine job and he was pleased with its performance, Vee returned his attention to the office and flashed Reginald a thumb¡¯s-up.
¡°Just in time,¡± the hat said. ¡°He¡¯s nearly done with the last ghost.¡±
Sure enough, the adventurer was peppering the final ghost in the room with sharp little pieces of rocks from his armor, and the minion¡¯s ectoplasmic covering was torn to pieces by the volley. When it gave one last agonized wail and split into fragments, it also dropped a shard of chaos, and the adventurer paused to pick it up before heading into the next room.
Just as Reginald had thought, the adventurer¡¯s armor exploded into fine dust as soon as the skeleton mages hit it with their hexes. However, it wasn¡¯t until a hissing ball of purple magic struck the adventurer¡¯s right arm that the man realized his protection was gone. He tried to reactivate the skill, but each time the tiny collection of stones appeared around his body they were dissipated by a flurry of hexes and other spells from the skeleton mages.
Dropping to his knees, the [Pebble Pusher] slammed his hands into the ground and shouted something Vee couldn¡¯t make out. A mound of stones popped out of the ground, and the adventurer ducked behind it so that he could refresh his armor, though he was visibly shaking and two or three shades paler than he¡¯d been when his run had first started.
Big orange and yellow stones appeared in the air around the man, but before they could form a proper armor, the adventurer lost his focus and they fell to the ground and shattered.
He held up his hands, ending his run, though a few more hexes from the mages found their mark before Vee managed to get Mi to stop them properly.
¡°And that¡¯s just how it goes sometimes,¡± Reginald called down through his magnifying crystal ¨C which he¡¯d absolutely refused to let Vee divert power from when the [Dungeon Master] had tried ¨C ¡°Go ahead and develop your other defensive skills a bit more before you come back, eh?¡±
Stone-faced, the adventurer didn¡¯t respond as he left Crestheart, and Reginald turned to look at Vee with a wry grin. ¡°Not the most talented quarry we¡¯ve ever had, was he?¡±
Vee rolled his eyes, and Reginald¡¯s laugh filled the office.
***
Throughout the day, a small, albeit steady stream of adventurers came into the office and asked to buy some of the products the dungeon was selling to help cover their fleur crunch.
For the most part, there was a clear pattern to what sorts of adventurers preferred specific items. The higher level adventurers were mostly interested in the discounted runs ¨C with the majority picking up five or ten run packages ¨C while the lower level adventurers tended to ask about the one on one bouts with Alforde or individual reviews of their strengths and weaknesses.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Vee made a list of all the purchases, feeling his nerves calm ever so slightly as they made their way closer and closer to the amount of fleurs they needed to make the next week¡¯s payment. It was going to be tight, but he felt a familiar flicker of hope that they¡¯d reach the threshold before the end of business.
Another adventurer came in, and when Vee looked over, he saw that it was Alisanne Henret, the twin club wielding [Fighter] who¡¯d just reached level 14. She was grinning as she hoisted up a small but bulging bag of fleurs, and she dropped them at Vee¡¯s feet as soon as she was close enough to do so.
¡°I¡¯ll take two duels with Alforde, a review of my strengths and weaknesses after both, and as many discounted runs as I can afford with the rest,¡± she said.
Vee picked up the bag and opened it up to count the coins inside. They¡¯d settled on ten silvers for a personalized review, and twenty one for the battle with Alforde. This latter cost was the same as the normal price for challenging the [Dungeon Champion] in the first place.
Vee set the fleurs that were already spent aside and tapped the rest as he did the math on how many runs Alisanne could afford.
¡°It looks like you¡¯re a little short for a three run pack,¡± he said, hurrying to continue as the girl¡¯s face fell. ¡°However, it¡¯s only by a few fleurs, and on account of the fact that you¡¯re one of our best customers and bought other things, I¡¯ll go ahead and give you the bundle anyway.¡±
Alisanne perked up and her mouth curled into a crooked smile. ¡°Really? Thanks so much, Mister Vales!¡±
Vee used Cecil to record all of the girl¡¯s purchases. ¡°Before you go, Alisanne, would you mind answering a question for me?¡±
¡°Sure!¡±
Vee leaned back in his chair and said, ¡°Okay, you don¡¯t have to answer this if you don¡¯t want to, but is there a reason you¡¯re so gung-ho for all these runs? Most of your comrades aren¡¯t nearly so eager.¡±
¡°I know, they¡¯re all slackers!¡± Alisanne said with a shrug. ¡°And hmm, that¡¯s a hard question to answer, really. There¡¯s no like, burning reason that I want to try so hard, I don¡¯t think. It¡¯s not like I have any younger siblings to support or a lifelong dream to climb the ranks of the adventurer¡¯s ladder, but I like challenging the dungeon and being an adventurer.¡±
¡°That¡¯s it?¡±
¡°Sort of? I don¡¯t know. Maybe not?¡± she fell quiet. ¡°The first time I came here I had a really good time. I didn¡¯t have to worry about anything but the monsters in front of me and I felt like I could really just¡be myself. That was nice, you know? After that, sparring with the other low-levels during the open call was a lot of fun too. It was nice to be involved in a group of like-minded people and getting stronger together. I learned so much from some of the older adventurers, and they were all really nice. Like, some of the best people I¡¯ve ever met. I tried to get some of them to come and buy some runs or duels since the high levels are being jerks about letting us sign up for things, but most of them don¡¯t have a ton of spare money on hand and ¨C¡°
Vee held up a hand and Alisanne trailed off mid-sentence. ¡°What was that bit about the high levels?¡±
The [Fighter] folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s this group of adventurers who¡¯ve decided that the city needs better representatives for things like the open call and stuff. Basically they¡¯re monopolizing as many of the guild¡¯s events and training stuff as they can and telling us low levels that we need to train ourselves up without relying on proper classes and things. They¡¯ve always been around, but I guess they¡¯ve been getting a lot worse lately than they used to be, so it¡¯s been tough for us low levels to practice and level up.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Vee said, rubbing his chin. ¡°That does sound like quite the problem.¡±
¡°Boss, remember what we talked about,¡± Reginald called over, casting a wary eye toward Alisanne. ¡°We definitely don¡¯t have the spare resources to get involved with that right now. We¡¯ve got to get our bills paid and take care of everything else.¡±
Vee frowned. He knew that Reginald was right, but he still wanted to try and come up with something to help the low leveled adventurers. He resolved to think about a bigger solution, thanked Alisanne for her business, and returned to his duties when the adventurer left.
Down in the dungeon, a spindly boy with unruly curls was holding a skeleton lancer at bay with a green [Forcefield]. Vee couldn¡¯t remember which specific version of the skill that color corresponded to, but it seemed quite effective as the adventurer pushed the minion back and then filled the air with projectiles of the same color. They knocked into the lancer and sent it scattering, prompting Vee to activate [Walking Walls] to reveal the hidden room inside. The adventurer walked inside and collected the potion waiting behind the false wall, and then resumed his run.
Vee looked over at the clock as the caster headed down to Alforde¡¯s arena. There was a little bit more than half the day remaining. According to the list in front of him, there were another eleven adventurers scheduled to challenge the dungeon. Hopefully that¡¯d be enough.
Activating the magnifying crystal that went down to Alforde¡¯s arena, Vee told his friend what to expect. Lacing his fingers behind his head, the [Dungeon Master] watched the fight play out once the adventurer arrived.
It wasn¡¯t much of a bout, unfortunately.
Alforde¡¯s training with Holly had paid dividends, and it didn¡¯t look like a single one of the armorsoul¡¯s movements were wasted or inefficient as he handily defeated the curly haired challenger.
The adventurer got up and shook Alforde¡¯s gauntlet. The former foes said something Vee couldn¡¯t hear, but when their conversation finished the adventurer looked up at the magnifying crystal and nodded.
A few minutes later, the door to the office opened once again, and the freshly-defeated caster stormed inside.
He wanted to buy duels against Alforde too.
Main Character SheetsVee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 22 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6 (
Might: 14
Wit: 35
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15 (+1)
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 3
Persuasiveness: 3
Bargaining: 1
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul (UNCHANGED):
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 26
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 15
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 16
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 9
Might: 48
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 26
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 7
Vanity: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 18
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 9 (+1)
Might: 1
Wit: 34 (+1)
Faith: 15
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 39
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 64
The day¡¯s last run came to a close, with the level 20 [Bespectacled Boxer] losing his bout against Alforde in spectacular fashion. Vee felt no small sense of satisfaction as the man ¨C whose primary skill was a reverse taunt of sorts called [You Wouldn¡¯t Hit A Man In Glasses], which caused Alforde to hesitate for a few seconds and was incredibly annoying to hear over and over and over again ¨C went flying after Alforde landed a heavy [Combination Attack].
¡°Good riddance,¡± muttered Reginald. ¡°What an obnoxious fight that was.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Vee said as he turned to look out the broken window. He¡¯d given it a temporary ectoplasm patch, but the green sheet was unseemly and he¡¯d have to figure out how to get it properly replaced somewhere down the line. Of course, that wouldn¡¯t be happening anytime soon, though, as there was no money for any such thing.
It was late afternoon, and some grayish clouds were rolling in from the west and obscuring the sun, which had been shining brightly all day. The [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t help but feel that that the notion of a sunny day being replaced by clouds was oddly prophetic, and a gnawing anxiety established itself in his stomach. He drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair and summoned Cecil.
The [Excellent Spreadsheet] appeared before him. ¡°How may I be of assistance, master?¡±
¡°Can you give me a sum of the day¡¯s earnings? Subtotal each portion first in silvers, and then give me the grand total. Convert to gold fleurs, please.¡±
Cecil hummed for a moment. ¡°Revenue from dungeon operations, including floor costs, potion sales and an estimated income from sales of dungeon guides equals one thousand eight hundred and two silver fleurs. Removing taxes, minion replacement costs, and other miscellaneous expenses leaves us with one thousand four hundred and fifty silver fleurs. Sales of discounted dungeon runs, duels with Alforde, strength-and-weakness assessments, and donations of general support contributed another five thousand two hundred and seventy seven silver fleurs. All together, we earned slightly more than sixty seven gold fleurs with some silvers left over.¡±
Vee breathed a sigh of relief. They¡¯d made enough to cover the next payment to Sacre, though he strongly suspected that the groundswell of additional support to the new products that they¡¯d gotten wouldn¡¯t be repeatable. There¡¯d probably be a few stragglers coming in over the next few days, but for the most part the resource that was the surge of support from the city¡¯s adventurers had been exhausted. He''d have to come up with other ways to bridge the gap and keep up with his repayments in the weeks to come.
But that was a problem for tomorrow. For now, Vee had to figure out a way to make sure that the day¡¯s earnings were secured properly.
Once Alforde brought up the fleurs from the dungeon runs as well as the day¡¯s shards of chaos earnings, Vee opened the dungeon¡¯s vault, forced down the lump in his throat at the sight of its emptiness and carefully set the coins down on the floor. He didn¡¯t think that the thief would return for a second round of stealing, but the [Dungeon Master] was taking no chances.
Turning to Dheart, Vee said, ¡°Direct whatever power is necessary to ensuring vault security. Depower the dungeon entirely if you need to make that happen, okay?¡±
Dheart hummed, and lines of blue and white energy spread across its sides. ¡°Understood. Reallocating power so that all vault safety measures are active and functional.¡±
The vault sealed itself shut, and Vee tightened his fingers into a fist, wondering if the security measures were going to be enough.
After a few moments of brooding, he decided that it was better to do a bit extra and feel silly for it than to have another break-in. There was that old saying about criminals and the scene of the crime, right?
¡°I¡¯m going to have some ghosts set up in here as guards,¡± Vee said. Reaching through his bonds, he directed Do and the other [Dungeon Maintainers] to bring up a few packs. Had he been interested in maximizing minion strength, he would have incorporated some skeletons and slimes too, but he¡¯d had enough chats with Kai about their menagerie shenanigans. He didn¡¯t want them wrecking the place while he was gone.
It took almost half an hour for the [Dungeon Maintainers] to bring up the ghosts and another twenty minutes for Vee to rig up a simplified alarm bond system that would alert him right away if someone came into the office once he activated it.
¡°Hate to say it, boss, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll really help us anything if the thief comes back,¡± Reginald said as Vee finished getting the last of the ghosts connected. ¡°Assuming we could even get through the gate, which isn¡¯t terribly likely, we¡¯d get here too late to stop anything from happening. Beyond that, I don¡¯t think the ghosts are going to be much of a deterrent for anyone who''s half-capable.¡±
That was true, but there was a glint in the hat¡¯s eye that suggested he had something else in mind. Sighing, Vee gestured for his [Majordomo] to go on.
¡°We could go down and talk to Nock. He¡¯s a pretty strong fighter, and we could amend his contract so that he protects the office for the next few days. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d welcome the chance to move around a bit more freely.¡±
¡°But can we trust him not to leave?¡± Alforde asked. ¡°He seems amenable to helping out in Crestheart, but that¡¯s a very different thing than giving him free reign of the tower and the ability to head out into the city if he so chooses. That¡¯s kind of risky, isn¡¯t? it¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure Vee can work something out with him to ensure that doesn¡¯t happen,¡± Reginald said. ¡°He¡¯s a spirit, so can¡¯t you just do something like putting him into your orchestra?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. My orchestra is full, unless I want to dismiss one of my fiends, which I¡¯m not doing. Besides, Nock is a strong enough spirit that he¡¯d have to be willing to join in the first place. I couldn¡¯t force him.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why I said like,¡± Reginald huffed. ¡°I know how your class works, boss. The old guy yattered about it plenty.¡±
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
Rortenferry¡¯s voice cut through the room. ¡°Old guy?! I take it that you¡¯re talking about me?¡±
Vee¡¯s head snapped toward the sound; his old [Professor] had come in so quietly the [Dungeon Master] hadn¡¯t noticed. Judging by the smile on Rortenferry¡¯s face, it was obvious that he was quite proud of that fact as well.
¡°I came to let you know that I¡¯m leaving. It took me a bit longer than I would have liked to get all my things together and arrange my travel preparations, but the time to say farewell for now has come,¡± Rortenferry said as he stepped forward and held out his hand. ¡°It¡¯s been quite the interesting trip.¡±
Vee shook Rortenferry¡¯s hand, and was surprised to find that the old man¡¯s grip didn¡¯t feel as tight as it first had when he¡¯d come to the city. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it. I¡¯ll be excited to see the results of your research.¡±
¡°Not nearly so excited as I¡¯ll be to conduct it,¡± Rortenferry said. ¡°A most fascinating problem indeed. There¡¯s one last thing I¡¯d like to give you before I go.¡±
He reached into his jacket and drew out a large golden envelope, which he handed over. ¡°Included in this are some of my preliminary thoughts, as well as a few simple minion concepts I roughed out. Should you find them interesting, I¡¯ve also included a list of instructions for you to use in making them. I think they might be beneficial for your operations here. There are also a few other little things for you to read when you have some time.¡±
The envelope was deceptively heavy, and Vee carefully set it down on the desk. There was a different kind of lump in his throat just then, but he forced himself to talk through it. ¡°Thanks, Professor Rortenferry. Thanks for everything."
His old teacher smiled. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, lad. Take care of yourself, Vee. You¡¯ve got good instincts, for all that they weren¡¯t well suited to the classroom. Should you find yourself having any questions, you¡¯re always free to write me. I¡¯ve left my address in the envelope along with the easiest way to reach me.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be sure to do that.¡±
Alforde shook Rortenferry¡¯s hand as well before bowing to the older [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s partner spirit, and then Rortenferry turned to leave.
Just before he did, however, he turned back and said, ¡°Be extra careful with that Expectation lad. Those are powerful spirits that can propel a man to greater heights than he might have ever imagined, but can also be an anchor dragging you down.¡±
¡°Got it,¡± Vee said. The Expectation around his shoulders tightened, as if angry, but it passed a moment later and faded from Vee¡¯s awareness the way it always did.
Once Rortenferry¡¯s footsteps vanished down the stairwell, Vee returned his attention to the minions and made sure that everything was perfect while he thought about whether or not to accept Nock¡¯s help.
Ultimately he decided against it for the night. Like Alforde, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure that he could trust the weaponspirit not to leave the dungeon if he got out of the lab. It wasn¡¯t like Vee could afford to pay the bow anything to keep him tied to guard duty just then ¨C heck, even fulfilling the original terms of their contract was going to be difficult.
¡°If it¡¯s not one thing, it¡¯s another,¡± Vee muttered.
After putting everything away and getting the office locked up, Vee and his friends headed back to the boarding house.
The next morning, Walnut visited the dungeon right on schedule. He was gaunt, the bags under his eyes were darker than they¡¯d been in some time, and even his thin little smile couldn¡¯t entirely hide his fatigue.
¡°Morning, short stack,¡± the gangster said as he walked into the office. ¡°It¡¯s a nice morning out there, isn¡¯t it? Perfect day for collecting some coins.¡±
He paused when he saw the bits of glass on the ground that Vee hadn¡¯t bothered to clean up in the flurry of activity the day before, and his eyes darted up to the broken window. ¡°What happened here? Throw a temper tantrum because your pet tin can lost a close fight?¡±
¡°Hardly,¡± answered Vee, folding his arms across his chest and bristling at Walnut¡¯s tone. ¡°We were robbed by those mud golems that have been causing trouble all over town.¡±
¡°You what?!¡± Walnut¡¯s eyes widened and his mouth went tight. ¡°Are you sure it was the mud golems?¡±
¡°As certain as it¡¯s possible to be. There were muddy footprints everywhere.¡±
¡°That mangy prick again! When I get my hands on him I¡¯m going to snap him into pieces!¡±
Reginald cocked an eye. ¡°What do you mean, again? Has there been some other trouble?¡±
Walnut hesitated for a moment, as if deciding whether or not he was allowed to say more, but then he shrugged and said, ¡°A bunch of our places have been robbed or damaged recently while none of the shops belonging to our competitors have been touched.¡±
Reginald frowned. ¡°Have you noticed that discrepancy before?¡±
Walnut nodded. ¡°We did, but the volume was never enough for us to be sure. Over the past week or so, though, there¡¯s been a lot more golem activity, and almost all of it has been at our expense.¡±
¡°Then¡is there any chance we were hit because of our relationship with you guys?¡± Vee asked.
¡°I suppose that it¡¯s not impossible for the two to be connected,¡± Walnut said as he held out his hand. ¡°But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here. It¡¯s pay day, little guy. Let me see those gold fleurs, eh?¡±
Frowning, Vee pointed to the chest on the ground. The gangster didn¡¯t have to know that they represented nearly every fleur in his possession. ¡°They¡¯re right there. But Walnut, if we keep getting caught up in some sort of crossfire between you and the don there¡¯s going to be some problems. I don¡¯t want anything to do with your city-wide pissing match.¡±
The gangster picked up the money with a grin. ¡°Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it, short stack?¡±
Vee didn¡¯t answer, and Walnut left with a snort.
However, the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s thoughts continued racing for the rest of the day.
What was he going to do about it?
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales (Unchanged from last chapter)
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 22
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 14
Wit: 35
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 3
Persuasiveness: 3
Bargaining: 1
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3***Infatuation***<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 27 (+1) [Deferred Due to [Fair Fight]]
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 15
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17 (+1) [Deferred Due to [Fair Fight]]
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 9
Might: 49 (+1)
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 27(+1)
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 7
Vanity: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 18
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 10 (+1)
Might: 1
Wit: 34
Faith: 15
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 39
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 65
Sadly, despite all his thinking, no neat solutions for Vee¡¯s problems manifested. The only thing he could come up with ¨C which kept coming back over and over, like the refrain of an obnoxious song ¨C was to somehow gain enough power and influence that he could push back against the don and Sacre both when their trouble came onto his doorstep. Forcefully if necessary.
Alas, truth be told, that wasn¡¯t really a solution; Vee doubted he was capable of doing such a thing. He knew himself well enough to know that he lacked the will necessary to follow such a path, not to mention the incredible financial resources. One didn¡¯t simply walk into becoming a crime lord.
Speaking of finances, the [Dungeon Master] knew that his own were somewhere between ¡°completely hopeless¡± and ¡°rather dire¡±, which was not a great place to be. He¡¯d spent a good bit of the afternoon between runs trying to come up with other ways to collect fleurs before the next payment date, but had also come up empty.
It wasn¡¯t a good day for thinking, it seemed, and Vee was disappointed and frustrated with himself as Alforde helped him put away their meager earnings. It was his job to come up with ideas during times like these, and his mind was irritatingly blank. No clever schemes whispered in his ear, nor did any devious plots. Emptiness was his only mental companion, and the [Ghost Maestro] resented its presence.
[Devious Mind -1]
[Plotting -1]
¡°Figures,¡± Vee muttered. ¡°Go ahead and kick me while I¡¯m down, eh?¡±
He waited, expecting further stat losses, but none came. Alforde clapped a gauntlet on his shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so down, Vee. Everything is going to be okay.¡±
¡°Yeah, boss, the big guy is right. Things aren¡¯t so great right now, but we¡¯ve got a few days to work and come up with some extra fleurs. An opportunity will present itself!¡±
Vee wished that he could borrow some of his friends¡¯ optimism, it would have been nice right then. Alas, he couldn¡¯t, and he remained in a dark and surly mood all the way back to the boarding house.
Sculla was out on her stoop with her pipe, like normal, but when the ogre fixed her gaze on Vee, the [Dungeon Master] felt something similar to what he felt from the Expectation. There was a heaviness he wasn¡¯t expecting, and he nearly stumbled when she blew a smoke ring and said to him, ¡°You look like you have something on your mind, kid. Want to talk about it? I¡¯ve been known to lend a listening ear here and there.¡±
Reginald tightened his brim around Vee¡¯s forehead, but the hat remained silent as Vee considered the offer. There wasn¡¯t really much to think about, Vee decided. What was the harm in talking things out? Perhaps the ogre would have a different perspective than his friends, or would say something to jog his own thoughts in a productive direction. Taking off Reginald and handing the hat to Alforde, Vee sat down next to Sculla and took a deep breath as he looked back at his friends.
¡°I¡¯ll meet you guys back upstairs, okay?¡±
Alforde¡¯s eyes flashed, and the armorsoul inclined his helmet forward. ¡°Of course, Vee. Take your time.¡±
Alforde and Reginald disappeared inside, leaving Vee out on the stoop with Sculla.
The ogre didn¡¯t say anything, and after a few seconds of awkward silence, Vee said, ¡°Well, uh, now what?¡±
¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±
Vee thought it over, choosing his words slowly as he spoke.
¡°It¡¯s just¡a bunch of stuff has happened lately, and it kind of feels like I¡¯m in over my head. There are so many things demanding my attention that no matter how I try, things fall through the cracks.¡±
¡°And you¡¯re sure that everything going on needs your direct supervision and intervention? There¡¯s nothing you can delegate?¡±
Vee looked up to see that Sculla was giving him a sidelong look as she inhaled from her pipe.
The silence returned between them, but it was pensive instead of awkward.
¡°I guess there¡¯s probably something that I can delegate, but I¡¯m not really sure what it would be,¡° Vee finally said. ¡°Everything with Crestheart seems so important lately that I feel guilty if I¡¯m not the one taking care of them. I¡¯m in charge, so it¡¯s my job to make sure that things are handled properly.¡±
¡°A lot of leaders feel that way,¡± Sculla said. ¡°As non-sensical as it is. Surely you understand that you¡¯re only one person? There¡¯s simply no way that you could handle everything on your own. The best leaders are the ones who trust their underlings to help them carry parts of the burden. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and [Tell Me] about what you¡¯ve been dealing with, eh?¡±
Nodding, Vee launched into the details while the ogre listened. He discussed the issues with the circuit, his fears that the city wouldn¡¯t make a good impression on the out-of-town adventurers, the need to get Reginald¡¯s levels back so that the dungeon worked properly, and the fact that the dungeon had been robbed. He talked and talked, enjoying the catharsis that came from venting all his fears and frustrations.
By the time he¡¯d finished, the moons were out and the air was starting to get quite chilly.
Tapping her ashes out onto the ground, Sculla said something in a language that Vee didn¡¯t understand and drew a circle with her pipe. As she moved, the air grew warmer and warmer until Vee¡¯s ears stopped stinging, and the ogre flashed him a small smile as she refilled her pipe.
¡°Dungeons aren¡¯t really my specialty, but if you¡¯d allow me, there¡¯s something I think I can help you with,¡± she said. ¡°You mentioned that if you were able to get your fiends into the city they could start cleaning up the streets before this circuit of yours starts, right?¡±
Vee nodded. ¡°I have to go and plead my case to the Council though, and I¡¯m not sure that they¡¯ll listen to me.¡±
¡°Allow me to go and plead on your behalf. It¡¯s been many years and I don¡¯t mean to brag, but there was a time that everyone on that council waited with bated breath for my opinion on matters. I¡¯m sure that I still have enough Influence to get them to let your fiends into the city to help clean the streets. I strongly suspect I could even get them to agree to pay you for the service, which should help alleviate your recent money troubles as well.¡±
¡°That¡¯d be great,¡± Vee said. ¡°But what would you want in exchange?¡±
¡°For the moment, nothing. I¡¯m offering this to you free of charge or any future obligation, simply because I wish to assist you. What do you say?¡±
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Vee¡¯s first instinct was to say yes right away, but there was something about the change in the way the ogre spoke that made him pause. Reginald had hinted that there was more to Sculla than first met the eye, and so Vee was careful with his words so as not to offend her as he replied.
¡°I¡¯d definitely appreciate the help if you did that, but I must admit that I¡¯m curious as to why you¡¯re so willing to help without getting anything in return. That type of generosity is somewhat strange to me.¡±
Sculla laughed. ¡°When you¡¯ve lived as long as I have, you find that carrying the burdens of favors and debts gets harder and harder. Life is much easier, not to mention more pleasant, when you give what you can to others without reservation or expectation of reciprocation.¡±
She took another deep draw from her pipe. ¡°Now, with that said, should you make a habit of asking me for help with things like this, there will be a cost. As much as I don¡¯t like them, there are Rules that even I must follow.¡±
The heaviness that accompanied the word Rules sent a shiver down the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s spine.
¡°Well, thank you for listening and for the offer of help, Sculla. I¡¯ll try and think about how I can delegate.¡±
¡°You¡¯re welcome. I know it seems difficult right now, but you¡¯ll get the hang of it with time. [Don¡¯t Worry]. Everything is going to be fine. [Have A Good Night], Vee.¡±
Bidding Sculla the same, Vee stood up and headed back to his room. As he climbed the steps ¨C cursing them with each one ¨C he felt his mind clearing. So much so, in fact, that by the time he reached his room, he no longer felt the need to talk to Reginald about the ogre, and neither of his friends brought it up either. Instead, they laughed and talked about the book Alforde was reading ¨C See Me Rolling, the twentieth volume of The Hasty and Hateful, a series about high stakes carriage racing ¨C before calling it an early night and going to sleep.
The next morning, Luna was waiting outside the boarding house with two other adventurers. Her lance was slung over her shoulder, and she was carrying a heavy bag too. Her boots had been freshly polished, and her hair was tied back in a long ponytail.
One of her companions was a small and shifty girl with closely cropped blonde hair and a pair of daggers on her hips. A [Rogue] of some kind, if Vee¡¯s instincts were right. She refused to look up from a spot on the ground, and fiddled with a coin that she danced across her knuckles. Vee fought back the urge to check his pockets.
The third woman was the tallest of the group. Her red armor marked her as a [Sister of the Plate], but she carried a staff that reminded Vee of the old [Healers] he¡¯d seen back in the academy. She was carrying a basket too, but Vee couldn¡¯t see what was in it.
Luna grinned at the sight of Vee ¨C who¡¯d darted behind Alforde as soon as he¡¯d noticed her and was trying to use the reflection from the armorsoul¡¯s cuirass as a de facto mirror to fix his messy hair ¨C and waved as she walked over. Her companions stayed where they were.
¡°Good morning, good morning! How are you guys today?¡±
¡°We¡¯re doing fine,¡± Alforde answered, reaching back with a gauntlet and pulling Vee forward. The [Dungeon Master] flashed a sheepish smile and stood up as straight as he could muster.
¡°It¡¯s good to see you,¡± he said. ¡°What brings you all by?¡±
¡°We¡¯re here to ask some questions about your job posting actually.¡±
Vee blinked, not following just yet. ¡°Job posting?¡±
¡°The trip into the mountains to find these reservoirs,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Do any of you have the ability to find hidden things? You with the daggers, maybe? You have the look of a [Treasure Hunter]. Maybe not as a primary class, but somewhere in there.¡±
The [Rogue]-looking woman shook her head. ¡°My name is Janice. I¡¯m a [Backstabber], actually, so I¡¯m really not good at finding hidden things. Most of my skills are centered around critical strikes and inflicting the Bleeding status effect, actually.¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that¡going to be a particularly useful set of skills for this job?¡±
The [Backstabber] shrugged. ¡°It¡¯ll be helpful if we run into a yeti. They¡¯re pretty nasty customers otherwise.¡±
¡°There aren¡¯t yetis in those mountains anymore,¡± Reginald said. ¡°If there were, some would have come down to the city at some point in the last several decades.¡±
¡°They¡¯re definitely still up there,¡± the [Backstabber] insisted. She glared at Reginald, shifting her weight and crossing her arms across her chest. ¡°Plenty of adventurers have seen them and come back the worse for it, regardless of what some hat thinks.¡±
Reginald started to build up to some sort of nasty insult, but Alforde stopped him.
¡°Wow, yetis! I¡¯ve read a lot of books about yetis! Is it true that they¡¯re almost ten feet tall? Or that they¡¯re covered in [Snow Armor]? Please tell me everything you know about them!¡±
The animosity building in the air faded away, and Vee was silently grateful for his friend¡¯s genuine enthusiasm. He took the opportunity to regain control of the conversation. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to cast aspersions on your party here, but if Janice doesn¡¯t have the ability to find hidden things, how are you going to track down the reservoirs?¡±
¡°That¡¯s where I come in,¡± the [Sister Of The Plate] said with a wide smile. Her armor clanked as she walked forward, and she opened her basket as she did so. ¡°My name is Calico, and I¡¯ve recently discovered something of a gift with thread. I have a skill called [Sympathetic Bond] that lets me follow connections between two things. If there¡¯s one between you, Master Hat, and these reservoirs, I¡¯ll be able to find them. Would you allow me to [Pluck] one of your strings so I can try?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Reginald said gleefully. ¡°You have my full permission!¡±
Calico snipped a tiny bit of fabric away from Reginald¡¯s brim with a pair of engraved scissors, and then closed her eyes as she held it up. A sparkling red light surrounded her entire body, and when it faded and she opened her eyes, there was a glimmer there that reminded the [Dungeon Master] ever so slightly of Luna¡¯s.
The [Sister Of The Plate] confirmed that there was something in the piece of fabric connected to the mountains, and the trio of adventurers went to leave. Before they walked away though, Vee caught up with Luna and said, ¡°Be safe out there. Let me know when you get back and we¡¯ll go out to eat or something, okay?¡±
Luna giggled. ¡°I will. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re always such a sweetheart, Vee. I really like that about you.¡±
Then, quick as a flash, the [Pumpkin Witch] darted forward and gave the [Dungeon Master] a quick peck on the cheek. Everything seemed to smell of cinnamon and vanilla, and Vee¡¯s cheek burned like nothing else as she stepped back.
He tried to say something witty, but his mind had once again gone blank and all he could do was take solace in the fact that Luna was nearly the same shade as Calico¡¯s armor. Looking equal parts embarrassed and pleased, Luna scurried away before Vee could restart his brain. She looked back before she left, a hopeful gleam in her eyes, and Vee gave her the biggest smile and wave that he could muster.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 22
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 14
Wit: 35
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19 (-1)
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 23 (-1)
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 3
Persuasiveness: 3
Bargaining: 1
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged from last chapter):
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 27
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 15
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 17
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 9
Might: 48
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 26
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 7
Vanity: 1
Reginald (Unchanged From Last Chapter):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 18
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 9
Might: 1
Wit: 35 (+1)
Faith: 15
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 39
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 66
A small cube ¨C roughly six inches on each side ¨C waited for Vee and Reginald back in the office. It was made of bronze, and there were a bevy of enchanting symbols on each face. Some were connected to crystals by way of long, straight lines that formed complex patterns, while others were hinged and looked like they could move. Beneath the cube was a note written by Hanako.
It said:
Vee,
You mentioned before that you were looking for things that Reginald could power in order to get his [Core Spirit] levels back, and I thought this might help. It¡¯s a testing cube my dad uses for some of his work. All you have to do is put Reginald¡¯s core in and let him push his energy around. Successfully doing so will light up the crystal or activate the moving parts on each face.
(Also: don¡¯t worry about me having taken it. I asked him if it was okay before I brought it over here. He has like a million of them and won¡¯t miss this one in the slightest. Still, please make sure that you don¡¯t like drop it on the floor or something. It¡¯s surprisingly delicate and I don¡¯t think I can fix it if it gets broken).
Also, I¡¯ve gone ahead and improved the efficiency of some of the trap crystals I¡¯ve been working on. You might be able to activate a few more of them than you have been for the past few days.
Also also, I won¡¯t be able to make it to the dungeon for the next week or two. My mom is making me practice my dancing for this big art gala happening in Bardis. That¡¯s where you¡¯re from, right? Anyways, I guess they just got some famous painting that¡¯s worth an absolute ton of fleurs and there¡¯s a big party to show it off. I¡¯m going to have to learn like three new dances!
Anyways, I¡¯ll see you when I get back!
-Hanako!
The [Dungeon Master] put down the letter and picked up the box with both hands. It was heavier than he thought it would be, and he was careful not to drop it as he rotated it around to get a better look.
¡°Well? Is this going to help?¡±
Reginald looked at it for a few seconds, his yellow spirit hands probing the sides slowly. He worked his way along the different designs, his felty mouth curling into a frown as he made his way along. ¡°Maybe? Technically I wouldn¡¯t really be powering it, so it might not want to work properly, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to try. After we finish the day¡¯s runs let¡¯s go ahead and give it a shot.¡±
Vee nodded and set the cube back down on the table. He walked over to his console and activated his viewing crystal. It crackled to life, summoning a blueish image of the line outside the dungeon. There were a decent number of adventurers out there, but Vee didn¡¯t see many familiar faces. He wondered if that was the high levels acting up or mere coincidence; it was pretty much impossible for him to tell.
He turned his attention back to his console. More than half of his dials, knobs, and switches were inactive, which bothered him in a way that he couldn¡¯t properly articulate. Idly, he flicked a few back and forth, missing the way that they responded to his touch when they were fully powered.
¡°You ready for this all to get going, boss?¡±
The [Dungeon Master] nodded, and his [Announcer] started the day¡¯s business.
¡°Welcome to Crestheart, adventurers! Enter the dungeon and test your mettle!¡±
An adventurer walked down the long hallway that was normally home to all sorts of nasty little traps with his bladed shovel raised. Unfortunately, providing power to that section of the dungeon wasn¡¯t really an option just then, so Vee refrained from twisting the dial to his right that would have dropped the [Gruesome Gravedigger] right into a nice little pit of slimes, even though his instincts told him that it would work perfectly. He could see that for all the man dealt with holes and pits in his day to day duties, he was deeply afraid of what lay below the earth.
Instead, Vee had to content himself by opening the man up to a volley from the skeleton archers and mages made possible by a judicious use of [Walking Walls]. The adventurer failed to block more than a few projectiles and surrendered soon after. The [Dungeon Master] smiled inwardly at how much easier the skill was to use now; he¡¯d shifted Crestheart¡¯s walls multiple times each run the day before and had been barely winded afterwards. He returned the walls to where they were supposed to be while he waited for the next runner to come into the dungeon.
It was a level 21 [Stridebreaker] that Vee had seen once or twice. The salamander carried a large mace that was equipped with a chain, which she swung around herself every minute or so. It seemed to provide some degree of self-buffs, or maybe a slight passive healing? Vee wasn¡¯t sure. He knew from experience though that the adventurer would probably make it down to Alforde without issue. Normally she struggled with some of the obstacle course type rooms, but most of those had been deactivated and were virtually empty now.
For better or worse, the run was basically decided, unless the adventurer screwed something up or made an uncharacteristic mistake. Vee didn¡¯t think either of those likely, so instead he trusted in his [Dungeon Champion] and let his mind wander to other issues.
There were twenty one days until the circuit started, and with each one that passed, Vee felt the tiny knot of worry in his stomach growing bigger and bigger. He didn¡¯t feel ready for it in the slightest, but had no choice but to do the best he could. This wasn¡¯t like the banquets his father had often tried dragging him to as a kid, where he could simply fake a stomachache and get out of going. He couldn¡¯t hide away like he had in school, either, pretending that he was busy with other things or that he wasn¡¯t really interested or invested. He was responsible for the dungeon and all it represented, including all of its potential.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
He had to make a good showing, but how could he when his resources were so limited and time was so short?
The expectation shifted, and its movement gave Vee an idea. He couldn¡¯t change his circumstances, but he could manage the way other people interpreted them.
Drawing his fountain pen from the upper pocket of his coat, Vee started to sketch.
He was interrupted about an hour later when Thien came up into the office. Clutched in her hands was a case filled with the trinkets she¡¯d made for the circuit. While she¡¯d only had access to the brief description Vee had provided her with, she¡¯d made a lovely collection of pendants.
They were silver and designed to look like Reginald, with an outline of small blue gemstones around the outside. Slightly larger gemstones were socketed where the eyes were supposed to be, and they changed colors from red to blue depending on the angle of the light. The words Dungeon Victor ¨C Crestheart, Oar¡¯s Crest had been carefully engraved on the back, as well as an image of a hammer that didn¡¯t really look all that much like Slammy but was impressive all the same. Their chains were simple, but surprisingly stylish and elegant. Vee was surprised by how heavy they were.
¡°What do you think of them?¡± Thien asked, looking slightly nervous.
¡°They¡¯re incredible,¡± Vee said. ¡°I never expected them to look so good.¡±
¡°So then you like them?¡±
¡°Love them,¡± Vee said. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid that our financial situation here isn¡¯t great right now. We were robbed a couple days ago, and pretty much all of our money is gone.¡±
He carefully set the pendant back down in Thien¡¯s case, then said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t pay you for these right now. Could we work out some sort of other arrangement? Perhaps we can set up a line of credit?¡±
¡°Maybe. I have a lot of materials tied up in those, and my own financial situation isn¡¯t incredible right now. Could you pay any portion of it now?¡±
Vee opened the vault and showed Thien his measly collection of fleurs. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much every bit of money I have right now.¡±
¡°Wow. You really weren¡¯t kidding about being broke. The mud golems?¡±
Vee nodded, and Thien let out a low whistle. ¡°Bunch of places in town got hit pretty bad, but most of them weren¡¯t foolish enough to keep all their money in a single place.¡±
¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m going to go and set up a proper bank account in the city in the next few days. It was just one of those things I meant to get around to but never actually did. Getting back to our business, though, would you be willing to extend me some credit if I go ahead and offer you¡let¡¯s say six months of no rent on your new space in Westown?¡±
¡°Make it twelve and get me the money within ninety days and you have a deal.¡±
¡°Nine months and a hundred and twenty days on the fleurs,¡± Vee countered. ¡°That¡¯s more than fair, especially with all the extra foot traffic you stand to get this spring.¡±
He held out his hand and Thien took it. Vee tried to keep his relief from showing too obviously on his face.
[Persuasiveness +1]
[Bargaining +1]
Once the day¡¯s runs were finished, Vee and Reginald decided to go ahead and test Hanako¡¯s gift. After ensuring that Dheart could maintain some of its functionality for up to an hour ¨C the most important of course being the protections for the vault ¨C Vee carefully withdrew Reginald¡¯s core and inserted it into the cube through a gap that appeared in the top as the stone drew close. That was a nifty bit of enchanting, Vee thought.
Reginald cursed and swore for a few minutes, complaining that all of his power felt like it was being ¡°unfairly constrained¡±, but eventually the smallest crystal on the top face lit up and the hat let out a whoop of triumph. The rest of the faces lit and opened in succession, and after roughly forty five minutes, Reginald triumphantly announced that he¡¯d regained one of his [Core Spirit] levels. There were still a lot to go, but it was encouraging progress all the same.
¡°We¡¯ll keep doing this after the runs are finished every day and see how many of your levels we can get back,¡± Vee said. ¡°But for now, let¡¯s go ahead and put the core back into Dheart so that it can keep things running properly overnight.¡±
He withdrew the core from the cube and carefully inserted it back into the dungeon heart. He waited for a few minutes to make sure that everything was as it should be, and then headed back toward the boarding house with Alforde.
The street leading to the gate was freshly cleaned, but courtesy of Kai and Dandelion there were several small planter boxes that hadn¡¯t been there that morning every few feet along both sides. They were filled with tiny seedlings. According to Kai, the flowers inside would start blooming in the coming days, and Vee was excited to see what types of flowers his [Menagerie Caretaker] had scrounged up.
As they walked, Vee let his thoughts wander. Once he got back to the boarding house, he¡¯d get to work on his newest ghost.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 22
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 14
Wit: 35
Faith: 21
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 3
Persuasiveness: 4 (+1)
Bargaining: 2 (+1)
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 28 (+1)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 15
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18 (+1) (Deferred Due to [Fair Fight]!)
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 9
Might: 49 (+1)
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 27 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 7
Vanity: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ?? (+1)
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 18
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 9
Might: 1
Wit: 35
Faith: 16 (+1)
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 39
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 67
Standing next to Alforde, Vee craned his neck back as his fiends climbed up to the top of the dungeon with the third piece of his newest ghost and got to work carefully installing it. Standing nearly as tall as Crestheart itself at its full height, it was by far the biggest ghost that Vee had ever patched together. Even with all the ectoplasmic binding practice he¡¯d gotten with Rortenferry, the [Dungeon Master] doubted that the ghost would survive more than a few activations.
That was fine, too. While the experience of making big ghosts was definitely something Vee was interested in pursuing more down the road, for the moment all he needed this one to do was make a statement.
Do got into position and gestured for the other fiends to do the same. Once they were all ready, the [Dungeon Maintainer] made a sound and the fiends hoisted the ghost into place. They bustled back and forth to make sure that everything had been installed the way it¡¯d been designed, and when they were done, Do gave Vee a thumbs up.
¡°You think they got everything where it¡¯s supposed to be?¡± Reginald asked. ¡°A few of them didn¡¯t really seem like they totally understood the diagrams.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Vee said. ¡°Worse comes to worst, we¡¯ll see if we can get Hanako to rig up a bunch of little crystals to use as a distraction if it breaks before the first circuit adventurers come through.¡±
¡°No we can¡¯t,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Hanako is gone, remember? She had to go to that gala over in Bardis.¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± Vee said. ¡°That makes that, uh, not possible I guess. Well, we¡¯ll figure something out if it comes up, but I don¡¯t think we need to worry about it for now.¡±
The trio waited for the fiends to come back down, covering their eyes as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky. It warmed Vee¡¯s skin, and the [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t help but smile. He was in a good mood, and was looking forward to the morning¡¯s runs.
However, before he could go up into the tower and get started for the day, he had a few other errands to run. Kai had come to visit when the [Dungeon Maintainers] first got started, and he¡¯d asked Vee to come and take a look at the space he¡¯d started roughing out to expand the menagerie and take a look at something he said was ¡®slightly worrisome¡¯.
Juniper had come by too, her arms filled with bouquets of flowers, and she¡¯d mentioned that she¡¯d recently come up with a new recipe that she wanted him to try before she started serving in the Lobby. Vee had promised to do so as soon as the ghost was installed, and since it was closer than the menagerie, that was where he went first.
While it hadn¡¯t been long since Vee¡¯s last visit, he felt as if he were stepping into an entirely different place. Juniper had been hard at work redecorating; the tables and chairs were freshly stained ¨C and in some cases looked like they¡¯d been entirely remade ¨C and there were new pieces of art on the walls. For the most part they were simple paintings of flowers, but there were a few charcoal drawings of people too.
¡°It looks great in here,¡± Vee said. ¡°Where¡¯d you get all this stuff?¡±
¡°Asked around. I have a lot of [Woodworker] and [Artist] friends, and they generally have a bunch of odds and ends laying around. I asked them if they¡¯d be willing to let us use the stuff here, and they agreed on the condition that we put a price sticker on them in case some visitor wants to buy them. It¡¯s a long shot, but maybe someone who comes through will want a nice piece of art for their place¡or a new table or something.¡±
Vee thought that last hypothetical was rather unlikely, but he loved the idea all the same. In addition to serving snacks and drinks, selling guides to the dungeon, and providing a place for adventurers to discuss their runs, the lobby could also serve as a place to showcase local artists and craftsmen, providing additional economic opportunities to the community.
Now he just had to find someone who made stuffed animals or other nice little consolation prizes, and he¡¯d be set.
Juniper handed him a muffin. ¡°This is what I was telling you about,¡± she said. ¡°Gingerbread maple muffins. Try it and see what you think.¡±
Even though the muffin looked tasty, Vee was still somewhat skeptical. He¡¯d never been a big fan of gingerbread, which he felt was far too strong of a flavor, but after a tentative sniff failed to reveal any glaring issues, he raised it to his mouth. If Juniper said they were good, they couldn¡¯t be that bad, right?
[Faith +1]
Vee took a tiny bite, and it was delicious! The muffin was warm and inviting, with the perfect amount of sweetness and just a hint of spice flavor. Vee gobbled down the rest in short order, then asked Juniper if she had any more.
Laughing, the [Herbalist] reached down and grabbed a plate filled with the muffins and gave Vee another one.
¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and take that as a sign of approval,¡± she said as she put them back down.
¡°How much are you going to charge for them?¡± Vee asked, speaking slowly around a mouthful of muffin.
¡°I¡¯m thinking like seven bronze fleurs,¡± Juniper said. ¡°I¡¯m trying to standardize the prices across all of the products here as much as possible, but it¡¯s a work in progress. One of my friends just got his [Baker] class, and he¡¯s been helping me figure out how much all this stuff should cost.¡±
She paused, as if thinking, then said, ¡°And actually, it might be a good idea for you to talk to him too. With spring kicking off, I¡¯m not going to have as much time to help out around here as I do now, especially since I¡¯m helping Kai with his Verdant Construction thing. My friend ¨C his name is Micah ¨C would be awesome at keeping things all stocked up."
¡°I can¡¯t afford to pay anyone right now,¡± Vee said. ¡°Things are even tighter than they usually are, fleur-wise.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine!¡± Juniper said quickly. Perhaps a touch too quickly, Vee thought. ¡°He¡¯s actually still kind of getting his footing, in terms of being a [Baker] and all, so he¡¯d be willing to work here for free. As long as he gets to keep most of the profits from the baked goods, anyways.¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I feel about that, Juniper. That sounds nice in theory, but I don¡¯t know anything about this guy. You said he just got his class, right? How do I even know that he can bake?¡±
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Junipers¡¯ eyes sparkled. ¡°Well, your tastebuds should tell you. See, I actually lied earlier. I didn¡¯t bake these muffins, he did. Pretty good, right?¡±
Reginald let out a loud guffaw. ¡°A classic misdirection. Good stuff, good stuff! You can hardly reject this guy now, right boss?¡±
The [Herbalist] smiled and she raised the plate of muffins one more time. ¡°Sorry, Vee. Take a third one as consolation?¡±
Vee smiled back. ¡°If everything he makes is this good, I¡¯d love to talk to him. And I¡¯m not really upset about the trick either, though I¡¯d rather that you don¡¯t do it again.¡±
¡°Micah is a really good friend of mine, I wanted to give him the best chance possible,¡± Juniper said. ¡°We¡¯ve known each other since we were kids, and he¡¯s finally getting around to doing all the stuff he¡¯s wanted to do his whole life. Is it okay if I bring him by tomorrow?¡±
¡°Make it the day after,¡± Vee said. ¡°I have some other things to do tomorrow.¡±
Juniper nodded, and after another short look around the lobby to make sure that everything was in order and as it should be, Vee headed off to the menagerie.
¡°It¡¯s a bit of a mess right now, but in another couple weeks we¡¯ll have things looking really nice,¡± Kai said as he led Vee, Alforde, and Reginald over to the space he¡¯d been clearing out with Dandelion¡¯s help.
The bonsai treant¡¯s branches were covered in tiny white and blue flowers, and his eyes glowed with vibrant green energy. Instead of his barkbody, he rode atop Dandelion¡¯s shoulder, and Vee noticed that the fiend¡¯s eyes were a mirror of Kai¡¯s. There was a tiny branch with a equally small pink blossom off to the side of Dandelion¡¯s wrist, and with the way it was set Vee couldn¡¯t quite tell if it had been placed there or if it was growing on its own. It was an interesting thing to think about, but Vee had too many mysteries on his plate just then and not enough time or energy to dig down into all of them.
At the very least, he¡¯d mention it in his next letter to Rortenferry and hope that his [Professor] could make some sense out of it.
¡°Alright, tell me what I¡¯m looking at,¡± Vee said. The empty lot had been scraped down to dirt, and a series of awkward boards were strewn about. Various cuttings and saplings in homemade pots and planter boxes were loosely grouped together, and there were also two big holes in the middle of the ground.
¡°This is going to be a dedicated skeleton space,¡± Kai said. ¡°They¡¯ve been getting craftier with their escape attempts, and so we¡¯re going to make this a fortress that they can¡¯t get out of.¡±
¡°I¡¯m surprised to hear that,¡± Alforde said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be able to get past the warding hedges and stuff.¡±
¡°Shouldn¡¯t have been able to,¡± Dandelion said. It¡¯s voice was still rough and scratchy, but there was a brightness as well that Vee hadn¡¯t ever heard before. ¡°There¡¯s a leader, though.¡±
¡°A leader?¡±
Kai nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the reason I asked you to come out here, actually. One of the skeleton lancers has gotten a bit bigger than the others, and its acting differently too."
"Like a royal slime situation?" Vee asked, feeling a slight thrum of excitement.
Kai shook his branches, and Vee¡¯s hopes for easy skeleton replacements were dashed.
¡°Not quite. It¡¯s not showing any signs of splitting away or creating more little skeletons, at the very least. It just seems to be getting bigger, stronger, and more calculating. You want to go and take a look at it?¡±
Vee nodded, and he followed Kai over to take a look at this new skeleton variant, which was sitting in a small pen like it was waiting for something. Sure enough, its bones were thicker and darker than the other lancers riding around the menagerie, and its cape was somehow grander than the others. Its lance was slightly different too, longer and heavier looking than the weapons of its fellows, and its eyes burned with a malevolent purple light.
¡°I see. That¡¯s¡not supposed to be possible. Is it causing any trouble beyond just the escape attempts?¡± Vee asked. ¡°Like is it threatening either of you two or anything like that?¡±
Kai shook his head. ¡°Not yet, but who knows when that might change, you know? I¡¯m pretty sure we could beat it up if it tried to force its way out, but I¡¯d feel a lot better if you could get some more information about it and see if we¡¯re going to be finding ourselves up against an even stronger skeleton in the next few weeks. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know much about how they work.¡±
¡°Neither do I,¡± Vee said. ¡°I didn¡¯t do very well in my Introduction to Ethical Necromancy back in school, and that was all I ever learned about skeletons. I¡¯ll dig around and see if I can find the receipt for those lancers. I think I remember seeing that they offered assistance somewhere. I¡¯ll write a letter to their [Necromancers], and ask them if they know what might be going on.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Dandelion said. ¡°Dealing with skeletons is distracting from other menagerie and verdant construction tasks.¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow, and the fiend seemed to shrink beneath his gaze. ¡°No disrespect intended, master. Just saying.¡±
¡°It¡¯s apparently a day for things I¡¯m not expecting,¡± Vee said. ¡°No offense taken, Dandelion.¡±
They wandered around the rest of the menagerie for a little while, and there were definitely some encouraging signs. There were plenty of slimes in the pens, and a handful of them had the distinctive coloration of the ones that¡¯d been eating the ectoplasm. They weren¡¯t quite floating yet, but when asked Kai said that they probably would be in the next couple of days.
¡°It¡¯s almost opening time,¡± Alforde said quietly as Vee looked into a pen to see his elementals bouncing against one another. ¡°We should probably head back to the dungeon.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Vee said, bidding his [Menagerie Caretaker] and his fiend farewell.
The trio headed back to Crestheart, and as soon as Vee got up into the office, he dug through his stacks of papers and found the receipt for the skeletons while Reginald activated his magnification crystal and got to work on his [Announcer] duties for the day.
Picking up his pen, the [Dungeon Master] started to write.
To whom it may concern,
My name is Vee Vales, and I¡¯m the [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart, a dungeon located in Oar¡¯s Crest. I¡¯m writing today because I¡¯m having a bit of an issue with one of your skeletons, and am hoping that you might be able to assist me in troubleshooting the issue¡
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 14
Wit: 35
Faith: 22 (+1)
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 3
Persuasiveness: 4
Bargaining: 2
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 28
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 15
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 9
Might: 49
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 27
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 8 (+1)
Vanity: 1
Reginald (Unchanged From Last Chapter):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 18
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 9
Might: 1
Wit: 35
Faith: 16
Ambition: 27
Greed: 23
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 39
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 68
¡I think that you¡¯ll agree that a close reading of your product listing doesn¡¯t mention any sort of growth or development in the manner I¡¯ve described. As such, I would greatly appreciate one of your [Necromancers] coming out to personally examine the subject in question as soon as possible to make sure that there¡¯s nothing serious amiss.
Thank you,
Vee Vales
[Dungeon Master] of Crestheart, Oar¡¯s Crest
Setting down his pen, Vee read over his letter one more time to make sure that his handwriting was as good as it could be and that he¡¯d spelled everything right. He might not have looked as closely if it¡¯d just been a personal letter, but he was firmly of the mind that business communication required more than a modicum of professionalism and effort, and wanted to make sure that the letter was as good as he could make it.
The language was a touch more¡forceful than he might have otherwise written, Vee thought, but after another read-through, the [Dungeon Master] decided that he didn¡¯t mind the tone. It didn¡¯t hurt to be assertive, he thought, so long as he was polite about it. The issue was somewhat serious, and he didn¡¯t want to be brushed aside or ignored.
Folding the letter up, Vee set it aside to take to the post office after the day¡¯s runs and turned his attention to the viewing crystal next to Reginald. The first adventurer of the day ¨C a level 21 [Combat Puppeteer] ¨C was just walking into the dungeon. At first glance, it was actually somewhat difficult to tell the adventurer apart from the puppet because they were the same height and moved with the same wooden gait. Only the occasional direction of string movement finally gave it away as the pair headed into the dungeon¡¯s starting room.
¡°Never seen that before,¡± Vee said. ¡°Puppet that looks like the puppeteer. Kinda weird, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°[Puppeteers] are always weirdos,¡± Reginald answered as Vee activated the first flurry of ghosts to try and impede the adventurer¡¯s progress. The six minions were destroyed in a moment by a flourish of silver strings that sliced them into pieces of smoking ectoplasm. The [Combat Puppeteer] cackled, and gave his marionette a high five.
Reginald gave Vee a significant look.
¡°Like I said. Always. Weirdos.¡±
They were silent for a moment as one of the [Dungeon Maintainers] opened the door to the next room, then Reginald said, ¡°Hey, boss, I know things have been hectic, but do you have any ideas on how we¡¯re going to make enough fleurs to cover our next payment to Sacre? It¡¯s still a few days away, but it¡¯s definitely coming up and I don¡¯t want to be blindsided.¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°Part of me is hoping that we can just make up the money on dungeon entries and continued offers of advance runs, training fights, and skill reviews, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be enough. Why do you ask? Do you have an idea?¡±
¡°Of course I do, boss! I was thinking we could always indulge in that time-honored method of getting money quick without regard for the future consequences. You know, you, me, and the big guy could just waltz right into the local liquor store and ¡ª¡±
¡°Reginald, we¡¯re not going to rob a liquor store,¡± Vee interrupted, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring down at his [Majordomo].
His hat looked up at him incredulously, his eyes wide with exaggerated indignation. ¡°Robbery? Why, I would never suggest something like that, boss!¡±
Vee didn¡¯t budge, raising a skeptical eyebrow instead, and Reginald relented with a felty grin.
¡°Okay, fine. Maybe I¡¯d recommend a bit of petty larceny ¨C or even grand ¨C if the circumstances were truly dire, but that wasn¡¯t what I had in mind. I promise.¡±
¡°Well, what were you thinking, then?¡±
¡°I was going to suggest that we acquire a bit of liquid courage and then head over to the bank. Our need for fleurs is higher right now than it is in the future, right?¡±
¡°Not really,¡± Vee said. ¡°If anything, we need more fleurs in the future than we do now.¡±
¡°Sure, sure, technically that''s true, but a fleur today is worth more than a fleur in a few months. Time value of money* and all that.¡±
¡°I suppose.¡±
¡°Well, in that case, I propose that we get the people at the bank to give us a short term loan, or better yet get them to help us sell some short term bonds. We¡¯ve already tapped the resource that is the adventurers of the city, but why not offer up some options of support to other businesses and citizens of Oar¡¯s Crest?¡±
¡°The bank didn¡¯t seem terribly enthusiastic about the prospect of working with us when we went there back when we were starting up.¡±
¡°That¡¯s because they didn¡¯t know you! I¡¯m sure that those old well-dressed [Robbers] would be willing to work with you now that Crestheart has been around for a while, and if we¡¯re lucky we might even be able to get enough to pay Sacre entirely. Heck, even if we can¡¯t, we can get enough fleurs to keep us afloat for a little bit while we rebuild our finances and expand the dungeon this spring. The fundamentals of the business are solid, we¡¯re just in a bit of a cash crunch right now. Think of it like a [Combination Attack]! We ask for a loan, and if they say no, we get them to help us sell some bonds. It¡¯s a win-win!¡±
Vee rubbed his chin as he thought it over, watching the [Combat Puppeteer] take down Mister Chills as he did so. The miniboss wasn¡¯t quite up to his normal performance on account of the dungeon¡¯s lack of power, but Vee was still surprised to see the ghost falter so quickly.
On the one hand, getting deeper into debt wasn¡¯t exactly desirable, but if he could shift his debt away from Sacre and replace it with a basket of other people ¨C who probably wouldn¡¯t break his kneecaps if he couldn¡¯t pay ¨C that had to be a net positive, right?
¡°I¡¯ll think about it some more,¡± he said. ¡°The bond idea is certainly interesting, though I¡¯m not sure that we have enough time to actually sell them before the money is due. There¡¯s bound to be a lot of¡formal ¡stuff¡that goes into that. We¡¯d probably be better off if we could just get another loan.¡±
He drummed his fingers on the desk, and Reginald didn¡¯t push the matter any further.
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Down in the dungeon, the [Combat Puppeteer] had gotten distracted by one of the marionette shopkeepers and failed to notice the trio of skeleton lancers slowly closing in on him until it was too late. His run came to an end, and Vee leaned back in his chair to look outside while Reginald and the [Dungeon Maintainers] got Crestheart ready for the next challenger.
It was sunny, and virtually all of the snow around the dungeon was melted now, with only a few tiny swathes of slush here and there.
He hadn¡¯t noticed them before, but there were a few new planter boxes along the street too. They were still empty, but that was sure to change soon as Kai and Dandelion filled them up. Vee couldn¡¯t wait to see what the bonsai treant and his fiend had in mind for them either. Fresh flowers sounded lovely.
Spring couldn¡¯t come soon enough.
After all the runs for the day were finished and the expenses taken into account, they ended up making just over nine hundred silver fleurs. It wasn¡¯t a bad day by any means, but some quick mental math confirmed to Vee that it wouldn¡¯t be quite enough to make the next week¡¯s payment to Sacre if that pace continued. However, all things considered, they¡¯d be pretty close to the amount they needed, so maybe there was something Vee could do that wasn¡¯t quite as extreme as selling bonds or taking out another loan.
Vee resolved to brainstorm money making ideas as he made his way back to the boarding house with Alforde and Reginald, though his thoughts were somewhat distracted due to Alforde¡¯s bragging about his control over his Domain against the three adventurers who¡¯d managed to make it down to him that day.
¡°¡ª she thought she was going to overwhelm me with that [Triple Hex] of hers, but then I raised my gauntlet and BLAM! Domain Time! She wasn¡¯t nearly so smug after getting clocked with a few big pieces of ice, either! I sure hope these out of towners are a bit of a challenge, Vee! I¡¯m starting to worry that I¡¯m getting too strong!¡±
The [Dungeon Master] smiled at his friend¡¯s bravado as the gate closed behind him, but made sure to temper the armorsoul¡¯s mirth lest it blossom into something nasty again. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re going to be plenty strong, pal. You¡¯re going to have to work harder than you¡¯ve ever worked before if you want to keep up with them.¡±
Alforde flexed, then flashed Vee a big thumbs up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will!¡±
Laughing and joking, the trio headed to the post office to send off Vee¡¯s letter to the [Necromancers].
*See author''s note for definition
There was a note on Vee¡¯s door the next morning, and the [Dungeon Master] read it through bleary eyes. Thankfully, it was written in a large, careful hand. One corner of the paper had been burned away, which Vee took as a signature of sorts when he saw that there was no name at the end.
It said:
Emergency council meeting has been called for tonight to address the recent spate of crime across the city. I will be attending, and will also make the request for your fiends as discussed. Get them ready to work. There¡¯s lots for them to do.
Smiling, Vee folded up the note and tucked it into his pocket, his mind racing as he considered the new tasks that¡¯d just been added to his already too-full plate. His first priority was to get his light section some uniforms that would keep the citizens of Oar¡¯s Crests from panicking and attacking them on sight, then he needed to gather some extra tools, and come up with a way of transporting the trash out of the city. It wouldn¡¯t need to go far, just out into Westown, where he could handle it at his leisure.
He could handle the second and third tasks by himself without much issue, but getting nice uniforms was beyond his skills. He doubted that sheets of ectoplasm would work the way they did for the mannequin shopkeepers inside the dungeon. Regular citizens going about their daily business were harder to impress than adventurers keeping an eye out for an attack.
Had Luna been in town, he would have asked her for help. She¡¯d mentioned that she was a [Tailor] during one of their dates, though she didn¡¯t often use the skills or practice much anymore. Alas, she was off in the mountains with the adventuring party, looking for ways to help Reginald regain his lost [Core Spirit] levels.
He¡¯d have to find a different source for the uniforms.
Like always, the street outside the boarding house was nearly empty as Vee, Alforde, and Reginald stepped outside. However, unlike usual, Sculla was nowhere to be found, and Vee found the ogre¡¯s absence far more jarring than he¡¯d expected it to be.
His sense of unease grew as they got closer to the market square. The amount of garbage on the streets was the same as it ever was, but there were far more broken windows than normal, and a few businesses looked like they¡¯d closed their doors for good. Trash cans were crumpled and broken, as were signs and tables. It looked like there¡¯d been fighting nearly everywhere, and the few people they passed watched them with keen wariness. One older woman even hugged her purse to her chest, as if Vee was going to leap forward and try to wrest it from her grasp.
¡°Totally irrational. This must be what Sculla was talking about,¡± Vee muttered as he stepped over a shattered bit of stained glass. He nudged the pieces roughly back into place and saw that it¡¯d been a snail at one time. A few minutes later he passed a stained glass kitrekin¡¯s paw that¡¯d been snapped in half.
Sacre and the don were a blight on the city, their antics frustrating and tiresome.
I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to do it, but someday I¡¯m going to put a permanent stop to this nonsense. Vee thought. Wreaking havoc in the city every few months is ridiculous.
The Expectation coiled itself tighter around his shoulders, and a chill raced up and down his spine.
[Determination +1]
The trio entered the market square, finding it empty but for a few shopkeepers and the stationed [City Guards]. Vee exchanged waves with Joleimna, who was shaping molten sugar into a large bipedal figure. The [Ghost Maestro] wondered what it would be when it was finished, lamenting the fact that he couldn¡¯t wait around to watch the [Candyman].
The woman who ran the clothing stall hadn¡¯t yet arrived, but after checking his watch, Vee decided that he didn¡¯t have time to wait for her, either. There was simply too much to be done at Crestheart. Instead, he left a note next to where she normally set up shop telling her that he was interested in speaking with her about some uniforms, and that he¡¯d return again after the day¡¯s business was done.
Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Vee gestured for Alforde to follow him and turned to head back to the dungeon. He walked fast. There was a little less than an hour before the dungeon was set to open, and Vee intended to use that time well.
He was going to make some ghosts.
Main Character SheetsVee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 14
Wit: 35
Faith: 22
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 23
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4 (+1)
Persuasiveness: 4
Bargaining: 2
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 29 (+1)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 15
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 9
Might: 50 (+1)
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 28 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 11
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 8
Vanity: 2 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 18
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 9
Might: 1
Wit: 36 (+1)
Faith: 16
Ambition: 27
Greed: 24 (+1)
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 39
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 69
Though he knew that he still had lots to learn about the best way to use the machines Rortenferry had left him, Vee was genuinely blown away by how much easier they made his work. Obtaining standardized sections of ectoplasm with nothing more than a few turns of a crank or spins of a dial was refreshing and more than a little mind blowing, and the [Ghost Maestro] grinned as he worked, falling into a steady rhythm that made the task blaze by.
Forty minutes later, Vee decided to take a break, though he was pleased with both the quality and quantity of his work. He¡¯d managed to create nearly three dozen ghosts in the time it would have taken him to make maybe ten by hand.
Once he¡¯d caught his breath a bit and felt recovered ¨C using the machines was physically demanding, even if simple ¨C Vee resumed his work, picking up cubes of refined ectoplasm, flattening them out, and then running them over a series of rollers that added fasteners to all the joints. Sweat dripped down his brow and his shirt stuck to his chest, but the [Ghost Maestro] pressed on until he¡¯d finished another forty. He was tired now, and that tiny voice in his head was telling him that he¡¯d done plenty for the day and could simply go ahead and stop.
Vee checked his watch. There were only five minutes left until the day¡¯s runs were scheduled to start, which encouraged the voice in his head to insist even more loudly that he should call it a day and head upstairs.
However, Vee stayed where he was. He¡¯d originally set a goal of making a hundred ghosts that day ¨C they were sure to be short-lived once the out of town adventurers came to town ¨C and he wanted to see it through, even if it took longer than he¡¯d originally planned. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed another stack of ectoplasm cubes and got back to work. His arms and shoulders burned, but not so much that Vee needed to stop.
He would finish the job, even if that darn voice in his head refused to shut up. All he had to do was stay the course and make steady progress.
[Faith +1]
Slowly, steadily, Vee worked until he finished another ten ghosts, took a short break, and then did so again. His upper body felt like it was on fire now ¨C he¡¯d never been one for manual labor ¨C but he refused to heed the siren¡¯s call of stopping early and pressed on.
When he finished, he slumped back in his chair, relief coursing through his body. He¡¯d done it. Over a hundred ghosts in a day. That was a new record.
[Might +1]
Well, that was nice too. With shaking arms, the [Ghost Maestro] pressed himself up to standing, picked up his previously discarded jacket, and headed up to the office. Hopefully making ghosts like that would get easier if he kept it up, like his old [Fitness Tutors] had always said.
Only time would tell.
To his surprise, it was already over, the [Candlestick Swordswoman] having succumbed to the slimes in the second room.
The next runner was a level 26 [Paint Summoner], who fought with a paintbrush as large as a sword. Each stroke of the brush sent splatters of paint in every direction, from which tiny creatures emerged to attack the dungeon minions.
One in particular caught Vee¡¯s eye. It was shaped like a squid, and instead of attacking directly, it served as a support for the rest of its allies by leaving a trail of bright paint in its wake that they could suck up and use. Could he make a ghost do something similar?
Taking out his notebook, Vee began to sketch. He envisioned his new creation as a small goblin of other similar creatures, carrying additional ectoplasm to his ghosts while they fought. However, he¡¯d have to figure out a way to modify the ectoplasm into something that the ghosts could use right away, and that was a problem that would require some thinking. Though, now that the idea was in his head, he vaguely remembered skimming past something along those lines in the texts Rortenferry had left for him. He¡¯d have to take a closer look once he got back to the boarding house.
For now, he simply focused on his sketch, adding tiny arms and legs to an oblong body. He drew back to look at it, then added a small bag to the ghost¡¯s back. At worst, he could fill the basket with exploding crystals of some sort and turn the ghost into a sacrifice. That would probably work, though he¡¯d have to come up with a way to make the ghost move faster than the others so that it could get in range to detonate. Or come up with a way to shield it to achieve a similar result.
That was probably easier, actually.
Grinning, Vee started sketching another ghost. He started with a basket of sorts, and then turned it into a treasure chest. Mimics were a time tested classic in dungeon sports, hearkening back to the days of real dungeons where [Mad Wizards] and [Powerthirsty Necromancers] would fill their lairs with monsters disguised as treasure chests. He could do something like that too.
The ghost started taking shape: big, boxy, and hollow underneath. Vee added a bunch of small, spidery legs to its underside as well. It was only natural that smart adventurers would shy away from opening such an obvious bait ¨C especially once the word got out about the exploding ghosts hidden inside ¨C so he wanted to make sure that the chests had the ability to force an adventurer to engage with them. He¡¯d make it so that they¡¯d chase after adventurers who didn¡¯t try to open them up.
[Devious Mind +1]
Fast runs were apparently the theme of the day, with all but three of Crestheart¡¯s first fifteen challengers failing to clear the dungeon¡¯s first floor.
¡°It¡¯s kind of weird, isn¡¯t it?¡± Vee asked as a level 21 [Dagger Aficionado] lost his footing in a duel with a skeleton knight and ended his run soon after. ¡°He should have been able to beat those skeletons, right?¡±
Reginald hummed. ¡°Normally I¡¯d say yes, but the knights are definitely stronger than normal. They¡¯re craftier than normal, and seem to be better with their weapons too.¡±
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¡°Great,¡± Vee muttered. ¡°Even more things for the [Necromancer] to look into. I¡¯m pretty sure low level minions like this aren¡¯t supposed to have the capacity for development.¡±
¡°Neither are fiends, boss.¡±
The Expectation tightened around Vee¡¯s shoulders, and the [Dungeon Master] fell quiet, unsure how to respond. He thought back to the mysterious chime he¡¯d heard when he¡¯d asked for something to go his way* and wondered if his plea had actually done something after all.
It was definitely something to think about.
After closing up the dungeon for the day ¨C and adding another seven gold fleurs to the vault ¨C Vee, Alforde and Reginald returned to the market square and visited the [Tailor]¡¯s stall once again.
The owner, a tall woman with brown hair and thick glasses, was with a customer, so Vee took the opportunity to browse a little bit once he was sure that the woman knew he¡¯d arrived. Most of the outfits for sale were the kind of thing that Vee would have called ¡°Unique¡± if he¡¯d tried to describe them and remain polite while doing so ¨C they were all covered in laces, frills, and odd patterns ¨C but they were reasonably well made.
When the [Tailor] finished with her business, she walked over to Vee and held out her hand. She was a good six inches or so taller than Vee, with dark hair, blue eyes, and something strangely familiar about her smile.
¡°I¡¯m Natasha Digby. It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you properly, Mister Vales.¡±
Digby, huh? Wait, there was something familiar about that name¡
¡°Gawain¡¯s balls,¡± Vee blurted out. ¡°You¡¯re Juniper¡¯s sister, right?¡±
Natasha nodded, hiding a giggle with her right hand. ¡°I¡¯m surprised it took you so long to realize it, Vee. Everyone¡¯s always telling us that we look like twins.¡±
Vee didn¡¯t really see it, but he also saw no reason to mention that fact. Instead, he said, ¡°Working with Juniper has been great. She¡¯s been a real help with some of the projects we¡¯ve got underway.¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± Natasha said. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, she¡¯s said that she enjoys working with you too. Now that we¡¯ve handled the pleasantries, why don¡¯t you tell me what you wanted my help with? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not really one for small talk with people who aren¡¯t looking to buy dresses.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a wonder you ever sell any of these at all,¡± Reginald said darkly as he tightened his brim around Vee¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ve seen nicer tablecloths.¡±
Vee flicked the hat¡¯s brim, hard, then smiled and said, ¡°Ignore him. He¡¯s just trying to stir the pot.¡±
But Natasha leaned over and jammed her index finger into Reginald¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that my designs are fresh, original, and highly desirable. Apologize. Now.¡±
She seemed to grow bigger in that moment ¨C the effect of Intimidating Presence, maybe? ¨C and even though her ire wasn¡¯t directed at him, Vee was grateful when [Stiffen Spine] activated, keeping him from squirming.
Reginald hemmed and hawed, not answering, until Vee threatened him with an extended stay in the closet and he suddenly regained the ability to speak properly.
¡°You¡¯re right, that wasn¡¯t nice of me. I¡¯m sorry, Natasha.¡±
Vee looked at the [Tailor]¡¯s face, trying to see if his hat had once again made his life harder than it needed to be. Thankfully, she seemed to relax after Reginald¡¯s apology, and Vee felt comfortable asking her about what she might charge to make his fiends some uniforms without trying to improve the situation further.
After a few moment¡¯s thought, Natasha rubbed her chin and said, ¡°With the timeline you¡¯re looking for, I think the minimum I could do it for would be thirty five silver fleurs.¡±
Vee grit his teeth. That wasn¡¯t an insurmountable sum by any means, but it was still more than he really wanted to spend, so he decided to try offering Natasha a deal. While he didn¡¯t have many fleurs, he did have plenty of open space in the dungeon and the lobby that he could use to barter.
¡°Instead of fleurs, how about being paid in additional sales space?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯d be willing to offer you some prime real estate in the refreshment area outside the dungeon, and it gets plenty of foot traffic. Plus, we¡¯re looking to expand our non-adventurer offerings, and I expect to get a lot more people in this spring and summer.¡±
Natasha shook her head with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s tempting, but I¡¯ll pass. Fabric isn¡¯t free, and neither is my time. I¡¯ll take the fleurs. Up front, please.¡±
Vee sighed. Now it was his turn to shake his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have that much on me right now. Can I pay you when I pick up the uniforms instead?¡±
¡°I suppose that¡¯ll do. It¡¯s not like I have to worry about you leaving town without paying me. Give me the measurements, and I¡¯ll get started on them tonight. They should all be done by Saintsday at the latest. I¡¯ll tell me sister to let you know if they get done earlier.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Vee said, shaking Natasha¡¯s hand. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you.¡±
¡°Same to you.¡±
With another item on his seemingly endless to-do list checked off, Vee and his friends headed off to get dinner before heading back to the boarding house for the night.
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15 (+1)
Wit: 35
Faith: 23 (+1)
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24 (+1)
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 4
Bargaining: 2
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 29
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 15
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10 (+1)
Might: 51 (+1)
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 28
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 12 (+1)
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 8
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 18
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 9
Might: 1
Wit: 36
Faith: 16
Ambition: 27
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 39
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46 (-1)
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Bonus: Crestheart''s Debt Update
Last week a reader asked if I could include an update on Crestheart''s debt situation, so here it is!
Starting Debt: 4391 Gold Fleurs
Total Fleurs Repaid: 455
Current Debt Balance: 3936
Next Payment Amount: 70
Volume 2 Chapter 70: Luna, Calico, and Janice (Interlude)
While spring was coming to Oar¡¯s Crest, the mountains felt like were still deep in the throes of winter. Heavy snow drifts made walking hard, slow work, and spires of ice lined the path as Luna, Janice, and Calico climbed towards the fourth set of caves that¡¯d been marked on their map. The three women shivered as they trudged forward, but their spirits were high too.
¡°This is so exciting,¡± Calico said as she picked herself up from a fall. Her heavy armor made her progress even slower and more arduous than the others, but the [Sister of the Plate] had yet to complain even once. ¡°It¡¯s like something out of the stories the older sisters used to tell us before bedtime.¡±
¡°It¡¯s too cold,¡± Janice muttered. The [Backstabber] was dressed the lightest of all of them ¨C with little more than a thick black fur cloak draped over her shoulders ¨C due to the fact that her class skills wouldn¡¯t work if she was Overencumbered.
Calico shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. Besides, being cold is way better than being stuck in the abbey all the time.¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t like it there you could always leave,¡± Janice replied, stopping to take a sip of water. ¡°It¡¯s not like the sisterhood mandates lifelong service, right?¡±
¡°They don¡¯t, but it¡¯s the only home I¡¯ve ever known,¡± Calico said. ¡°I was left on the abbey doorstep as a baby, and through Piper¡¯s light I¡¯ve had a good life. Even with all my¡recent developments.¡±
Luna gave the other girl a sympathetic smile and patted her on the pauldron. The metal was cold to the touch, but the [Pumpkin Witch]¡¯s warm magic helped mitigate the chill. ¡°Being a [Witch] isn¡¯t a bad thing, Calico. You just need some time to get used to the idea.¡±
¡°Some of the other sisters said the same thing,¡± the burgeoning [Stitch Witch] said. ¡°They told me that [Witches] used to be a big part of the sisterhood, that is, until Indigo Mary went bad and killed some [King] whose name I don''t remember. But some of the others said that it was all magic that went bad, and that [Witches] were simply biding their time until they could get ready for another try at taking over.¡±
She trailed off, giving Luna a significant look, and Luna shuddered before shaking her head. The Coven Wars had been a dark time, one of many throughout the continent¡¯s long history, and like all such things it¡¯d left scars in the minds of the people. Most folks didn¡¯t care about [Witches] one way or the other, but there were still plenty who remembered the stories of boiling cauldrons full of [Crusaders] and [Paladins] and magical powers that defied the rules of the System. Her mother had warned her that there were those who still saw [Witches] as evil, though thankfully she¡¯d been lucky enough to avoid ever encountering them in Oar''s Crest.
¡°If there¡¯s a conspiracy of [Witches] out there that wants to do that, I don¡¯t know about them,¡± the [Pumpkin Witch] said. ¡°Most of the ones I¡¯ve met have just wanted to help their communities and their fellow citizens. They¡¯re regular people, like me and you.¡±
[Inspiring Presence +1]
Calico nodded, seemingly reassured for the moment. Luna pitied the poor girl. Being raised in an abbey meant that the [Sister of the Plate] was extremely knowledgeable about some things ¨C Piper¡¯s doctrine of combat tactics and military strategy, mostly ¨C but woefully ignorant about others. Especially her magic, which she seemed to revel in and abhor in equal measure.
¡°The caves are getting close now,¡± Luna said. ¡°We¡¯ll rest up there for a while and let you use your [Sympathetic Bond] skill to try and track down one of those reservoirs. Any signs of yetis, Janice?¡±
The [Backstabber] pointed at the spires of ice. ¡°Who do you think made those? They¡¯re not natural, I¡¯ll tell you that much.¡±
Through the falling snow, Luna couldn¡¯t really see anything on the spires that suggested they hadn¡¯t formed naturally. Certainly, they were oddly uniform, but all sorts of strangeness abounded across the continent. Heck, there¡¯d been a few decades before she was born where ghostly lanterns had hovered over the Oar¡¯s Crest market every Midsummer, and nobody had ever managed to explain where they¡¯d come from. They¡¯d stopped on their own, but some of the older residents still mentioned missing them each year when they failed to manifest.
The cave was dark and warm, and Janice hurried to build them a fire. The crackling flames were appreciated, but far from enough to be comfortable. Luna was tired of being cold, as they¡¯d been in the mountains for days and she decided to help warm up the place a little bit. Closing her eyes, Luna reached into her wells and grabbed a tiny fingerful of magic. It would be just enough to do what she wanted: chase the chill from their fingers and cheeks, and Luna released it into the world with a smile.
[Stealth -1]
¡°Now what¡¯d you go and do that for?¡± Janice hissed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that yetis have an incredible sense of smell? If there are any around, you¡¯re going to be leading them right to us!¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Luna said as she reached into her bag and drew out one of her snack bags. She fished out a bit of jerky and popped it into her mouth, offering her companions pieces as well. Calico ¨C never one to turn down something to eat, Luna had noticed ¨C snatched two, but Janice shook her head.
¡°I¡¯m going to go and use [Heartbeat Seeker],¡± the [Backstabber] said. ¡°Make sure that nothing is coming to find out why this cave reeks like an autumn coffee festival.¡±
Drawing her dagger and flipping from hand to hand, Janice disappeared into the darkness of the cave behind them.
¡°Sheesh, what¡¯s she so sour about?¡± Calico asked, grabbing another piece of jerky and taking an eager bite. ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal, is it?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think so, but in her defense I probably should have asked before using some magic.¡±
¡°Well, I appreciate the warmth,¡± Calico said. ¡°Piper knows this little fire isn¡¯t going to do much to help us out.¡±
Luna smiled, and tucked her snacks away. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and try your skill now, Calico?¡±
The [Sister of the Plate] reddened, then reached into her own satchel and grabbed the small pouch she¡¯d used to store the thread taken from Reginald. Pinching it between her index finger and thumb, she closed her eyes and said, ¡°[Sympathetic Bond].¡±
Strands ¨C or maybe threads, actually ¨C of crimson magic blossomed from her fingertips and formed a ball around her hands. They burned with an intensity that reminded Luna of the rising sun, then faded almost as quickly as they¡¯d arrived. The air took on a slightly smoky smell, and Luna recoiled from it instantly, both physically and magically.
¡°Are you okay?¡± Calico asked when she saw the [Pumpkin Witch]¡¯s expression. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±
¡°No, no, you¡¯re fine,¡± Luna answered, wiping a tear from her eye and bolstering herself with a bit more power from her wells. ¡°I¡¯m just not used to your magic is all.¡±
¡°Then why didn¡¯t it bother me when you used yours?¡±
¡°My magic is more attached to me than yours is to you,¡± Luna answered. ¡°The longer you practice, and the more powerful you become¡± ¨C especially if you break your limits ¨C ¡°the more risk you have of adverse reactions when exposed to other types of [Witches]. With time and training though, it won¡¯t bother you as much. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be as bad the next time you use the skill. Did you sense any sort of connection?¡±
Calico looked dubious at Luna¡¯s explanation, and shook her head. ¡°I thought there might have been a twinge of something there for a second, but it didn¡¯t last long. Should I try again?¡±
Luna shook her head. ¡°Your wells are still really shallow, so let¡¯s not waste your magic. We¡¯ll go ahead and explore a bit more, then have you use your skill again later.¡±
¡°But this is the fourth time I¡¯ve tried, and we haven¡¯t found anything yet! Aren¡¯t you getting worried that we missed one of the reservoirs already and I¡¯m just too weak to have noticed?¡±
¡°Not at all. Nobody finds what they¡¯re looking for on the first try outside of the old legends,¡± Luna said with a warm smile. ¡°We¡¯re not that lucky, but we¡¯ll be persistent and keep going until we track one down!¡±
The [Sister of the Plate] leaned back, satisfied with that response, and returned Reginald¡¯s thread to its pouch. The two made small talk for a few minutes, discussing their lives and hobbies until Janice came sprinting out of the darkness with her dagger raised and her eyes wide.
¡°We¡¯ve got trouble!¡± she cried. ¡°Big footsteps are heading this way!¡±
Luna faced the darkness, her lance and shield ready for anything as she waited for something to emerge. A small pumpkin patch rested around her boots, filled to bursting with her magic and ready to be drawn from if necessary.
Behind her, Calico squared herself up and adopted the position of any [Sister of the Plate] going into combat, with her heavy gauntlets raised in front of her body and an [Ethereal Shield] floating in the air in front of them. She had yet to manifest any of her [Witch] skills for combat, so she stayed true to the training she''d received from the abbey.
Janice was in the back, closest to the cave entrance, with her second dagger drawn. Every muscle on her slender frame was tensed; she was ready to spring into combat at a moment¡¯s notice.
No matter how Luna tried, she couldn¡¯t hear anything approaching. Janice¡¯s skill had suggested that the interloper ¨C whatever it was ¨C would be arriving soon, but so far there was no sign of anyone other than the three women inside the cave.
Still, Luna stayed vigilant, and when she finally heard a distant sound ¨C boom, boom, tap, tap, boom, boom, tap, tap ¨C she turned to her companions and hissed, ¡°Ready yourselves, they¡¯re almost here.¡±
What sort of monster was waiting for them in the caves? Luna had heard all sorts of stories from the [Mountain Wardens] ¨C the [Ranger]-like group of hardscrabble men and women who prevented kids from Oar¡¯s Crest from wandering around the mountains ¨C about vicious beasts and horrifying monsters. It was only a warding spell cast by a long forgotten [Wizard], they said, who kept the creatures at bay and away from the cities.
Like Janice, Luna had heard the stories of yetis too. Terrifying monstrosities of fur and muscles, if the stories were to be believed, capable of ripping through stone and steel like paper as well as controlling ice and snow with near supernatural dexterity.
Though she was confident in her strength, Luna didn¡¯t relish the idea of fighting such an opponent. But she would, if it came down to it.
The sounds grew louder and louder, and Luna swallowed hard as she saw something in the darkness move. Whatever was coming had almost arrived.
Yet as ready as she thought she was, the [Pumpkin Witch] was totally unprepared for what came walking out of the darkness.
It was a young girl, no more than ten or eleven years old, wearing a heavy coat and carrying a mallet that looked to be entirely too heavy for her. Her long, braided, brown hair poked out from beneath her hood, and her eyes were impossibly blue.
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¡°Hi, I¡¯m May,¡± the girl said cheerily, her voice squeaking with each word. ¡°Are you a [Witch] by chance, lady? Wuffle said that he smelled coven magic.¡±
Janice hissed, Calico squealed, and Luna kept her weapon ready as she nodded. ¡°I am. It¡¯s nice to meet you, May. Now who is Wuffle?¡±
A loud, gurgling sound answered her, and the biggest creature Luna had ever seen emerged from the gloom. It stood probably close to fifteen feet tall, and looked to be almost as wide. Its fur was a riot of blue and purple swatches, and two tiny yellow horns protruded from its skull. With arms that nearly reached the floor, it moved on all fours like a gorilla, its every step sending an echo throughout the entirety of the cave. Its eyes were blue ¨C the same shade as May¡¯s, interestingly enough ¨C and they seemed to sparkle as the creature bent down so that it could look into Luna¡¯s.
The [Pumpkin Witch] took a deep breath but held her ground. She dug into her wells, readying herself to start throwing magic around if it came down to it.
¡°See?! I told you,¡± Janice said, her voice dripping with venom. ¡°That¡¯s a yeti or I¡¯m a fishkin! You shouldn¡¯t have used that magic.¡±
Not taking her attention off the yeti, Luna said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later, okay?¡±
Janice muttered something about an itch, but she spoke so quietly that Luna didn¡¯t hear it all.
¡°This is Wuffle,¡± May said pointing to the yeti. ¡°He¡¯s my friend! He said that [Witches] were really nice, but it¡¯s been over a hundred years since any visited the mountains. He¡¯d like me to ask you if you¡¯re here in accordance with the ancient rites. Are you?¡±
That gave Luna a moment¡¯s pause. She had no idea what the yeti was talking about. Should she say yes? Were the ancient rites a good thing or a bad one?
No, in all things, Luna believed strongly in telling the truth. Let the cards fall where they may, she decided.
Shaking her head, she said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t even know what those are. I¡¯m a self-taught [Witch] for the most part, and not a member of any coven or circle. My companions and I are adventurers, and we¡¯re here looking for a reservoir of some kind. I¡¯m afraid that I don¡¯t know what it looks like, though.¡±
May turned to the yeti and made a series of strange grumbling sounds that all seemed the same to Luna¡¯s ear. The yeti hummed for a moment, then replied in kind.
¡°He says that sounds difficult. If you¡¯d be willing to follow us, though, we might be able to help you find what you¡¯re looking for. The yetis have lived down here for a long time.¡±
Though she was unsure whether the invitation was genuine or simply polite coercion, Luna¡¯s gut told her to accept and follow the yeti and girl into the dark. If it turned into a cat dirt sandwich¡well, that¡¯s what her magic was for. It burned in her veins, reassuring her of her own strength.
¡°What do you two think?¡± she asked her companions. ¡°Should we go along with them?¡±
Calico nodded, and after a moment Janice did too.
Looking into Wuffle¡¯s eye, Luna made a small bow. ¡°We thank you for your hospitality,¡± she said, putting as much gravitas into her voice as she could. ¡°Please lead the way.¡±
After what felt like an eternity stumbling through the dark maze of caverns that stretched on and on, Luna, Janice, and Calico emerged in a room that was surprisingly well-lit. Glowing crystals hung from the walls in neat rows, emitting soft amber light that was warm and inviting.
They were on a walkway of sorts, overlooking a wide basin filled with spherical stone buildings. An old, abandoned city, Luna realized as she looked down. She hadn¡¯t ever been one to be fascinated by stories of old civilizations, hadn¡¯t ever felt the [Archaeologist]¡¯s call to go and explore, yet looking down at this ancient marvel was enough to take her breath away.
Bright spots moved back and forth down below, and after a moment Luna realized that they were other yetis. Going from having expected to never see any yetis ¨C indeed, the [Pumpkin Witch] had thought them a myth or long-since extinct ¨C to not being able to count all of them on both hands and feet was something of a shock too, and Luna stopped walking near the edge to simply take it all in.
Janice and Calico seemed stunned too, with the [Sister of the Plate] looking around and asking, ¡°Girls, did either of you know that any of this was here?¡±
The [Backstabber] shook her head, and Luna did the same.
¡°I never imagined such a thing could be down here,¡± Calico whispered. ¡°How has this stayed a secret for so long?¡±
Luna was curious about that too, and turned to May to ask. She doubted that the girl would have any answers, being as young as she was, but to her surprise, May perked right up.
¡°It¡¯s magic!¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Luna asked. ¡°What sort of magic?¡±
Wuffle rumbled something, and May¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°He says to follow him, and he¡¯ll show you what he means.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not interested in any magic,¡± Janice said. She shifted her weight and folded her arms across her chest. ¡°You two can go look at it if you want, but I¡¯m going to stay right here.¡±
Leaving the [Backstabber] behind, Luna and Calico made their way down a series of stone stairs that led into another smaller cavern. A yellow gray yeti with four curved horns watched them warily as they walked by, until Wuffle looked over and grunted something that caused it to relax.
At the end of the cavern was a weathered blue door that looked positively ancient. The longer Luna stared at it, the more she noticed flickering runes that popped in and out of existence around the handle and hinges. It was magic, to be sure, but not of any kind that she recognized. Instead of being tied to a thing, or an idea, the way it was for [Witches], it was pure arcane energy. Full of mystery and wonder, yes, but also a strange sense of danger that gave the [Pumpkin Witch] pause.
Wuffle opened the door, and Luna and Calico walked inside. The floor was covered in a series of interconnected shapes ¨C mostly circles and triangles, with a few other odds and ends included as well. It kind of reminded her of Vee¡¯s lab, though the [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s doodlings were far less impressive.
¡°Who made this?¡± she asked, amazed at the sight.
May pointed to the far wall. ¡°The [King] did, of course! He was the best!¡±
Luna turned and looked where the girl was pointing, and saw a mural that depicted three figures. The first was a tall and muscular man, bald and mustachioed. He carried a long, curved sword, and had a wide grin on his face. The second was a short and sturdy man wearing a long blue cloak and pointed hat. He carried a long, crooked staff with a gemstone on the end, and his expression was one of calm sagacity. He must have been the [King].
The third figure was something of a mystery. It had an odd, crooked body that was cloaked in a dark robe. A single golden arm emerged from the right side, and while its face was obscured a pair of fiery eyes had been painted in painstaking detail. They looked like they went to the end of the world.
Luna shuddered at the sight and turned away after a moment.
Wuffle pointed to the circles and said something, and May translated. ¡°He said that this is the reason nobody in Oar¡¯s Crest knows that we¡¯re out here.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°A rune of amnesia, scribed by King Ildor¡¯s own hand. It makes it so that if unless you have a talisman from the village or magic of your own, you¡¯ll forget about this place within five minutes of leaving it.¡±
Calico frowned. ¡°Why would he do such a thing?¡±
May looked around, as if uncertain, then whispered, ¡°Because of the buried beast.¡±
¡°The what?¡±
But the little girl would say no more, and neither did the yeti. The buried beast, huh? Luna filed that name away for later. After some more time with the rune, Wuffle led the [Witches] back to where they¡¯d left Janice.
The [Backstabber] was tapping her foot impatiently when they arrived, and she twirled her finger for Luna and Calico to hurry up when they tried to explain what they¡¯d seen.
¡°Does it really matter that you saw a picture of some long dead people and a bunch of shapes on the floor? Do neither of you remember what we¡¯re supposed to be doing here?¡±
Luna bit her lip. She hadn¡¯t forgotten, really, but it would be lying if the [Pumpkin Witch] had been particularly concerned about the reservoir with so much other stuff to take in and absorb.
She turned to May. ¡°Do you think Wuffle or any of the other yetis might be able to help us find what we¡¯re looking for?¡±
The little girl shrugged. ¡°Maybe? It¡¯s tough to say without knowing what it looks like.¡±
Fair enough. Luna turned to Calico and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and try your [Sympathetic Bond] again?
The [Sister of the Plate] nodded, and fetched her little pouch. She used her skill just like she had in the cave, but this time Luna didn¡¯t recoil from it. She¡¯d mentally prepared herself, drawing from her wells to insulate her perception.
Almost immediately, Calico¡¯s eyes snapped open and her grin grew wide before she pointed down the hall. ¡°There¡¯s a connection and it¡¯s really close! It¡¯s just down that way!¡±
Luna, through May, relayed this information to Wuffle, and the yeti seemed to perk up, if such a thing was even possible. Eagerly, he led them down a different stone corridor than he had when taking them to the rune room, and they found themselves inside a vault of sorts.
In the center of this new room was a wide pool, filled with a strange swirling liquid. It didn¡¯t feel explicitly magical, but Luna was still wary as Wuffle walked over and dunked one of his massive arms right into it. He rooted around for a moment, looking like a person trying to fetch something from behind a couch, then pulled up a handful of the strange liquid.
The yeti rumbled a question.
¡°He wants to know if this is what your friend¡¯s skill was connecting to.¡±
Luna gave Calico a nod, and the [Sister of the Plate] used [Sympathetic Bond] again. Her face paled and she started sweating with effort, and Luna felt a twinge of regret. The poor girl¡¯s wells were probably near empty.
¡°Try dunking the bit of thread into that,¡± Luna suggested. ¡°See if it does anything.¡±
Calico stepped forward and did so, a burst of azure confirming that the two were connected.
¡°Well, that answers that,¡± Janice said. ¡°The reservoirs are here. Now let¡¯s get back to town and collect our reward.¡±
Wuffle grunted, and May said, ¡°He says that if this is for who he thinks it is, you¡¯ll be better off bottling some of the liquid up and bringing it back. The [King]¡¯s old companion is welcome to some of his old power, but he¡¯s no longer welcome in these halls.¡±
Luna bowed to the yeti and thanked him for his consideration. Another thing to file away for later, she decided.
The women waited for a few minutes, while Wuffle went to collect a vessel capable of holding the strange liquid. He returned with four crystalline flasks, each of which were filled to the brim and stoppered before being handed over. They were surprisingly heavy.
¡°There¡¯s just one last thing we have to do before you can go,¡± May said. ¡°You and the girl in the red armor have to take the vow.¡±
¡°What sort of vow might that be?¡±
A scratchy voice answered them. ¡°A promise of silence. Those who have magical powers have to make a promise that they¡¯ll keep this place a secret. There are riches here that those outside would covet, but we guard great dangers too. An old threat sleeps deep in the earth, and even if it''s already dead it¡¯s sure to have left an echo capable of causing great misery. We dare not take the risk.¡±
¡°And what about me?¡± Janice asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have any magic. Do I get out of the vow?¡±
The speaker, who was an old and gnarled yeti with purple fur, shook its head. ¡°You do not need to worry about anything, young one. Soon after you leave this place you will forget it.¡±
Janice snorted. ¡°No way. I remember everything.¡±
The yeti smiled. ¡°Do you two [Witches] accept this requirement?¡±
Luna nodded, and Calico did the same.
¡°Excellent,¡± the yeti said. ¡°I will now begin the ritual.¡±
The three adventurers slowly made their way down the mountain. The air was cold and it was still snowing, but their spirits were high as they waded through snow drifts nearly as tall as they were.
¡°I can¡¯t believe we found the reservoir in a cave,¡± Janice said. ¡°Talk about a bit of luck, eh? I wish we could have found a yeti though, I would have loved to tell some of the guys back at the guild that they¡¯re still around.¡±
Luna nodded, giving Calico a significant glance. ¡°That would have been cool, I guess.¡±
Just as the old yeti had said, within a few minutes of leaving the hidden city Janice¡¯s eyes had glazed over for a moment and she¡¯d gone completely stiff. When she¡¯d snapped out of her pseudo-trance, she had no recollection of the yetis or anything else that they¡¯d seen, and instead believed that they¡¯d found the reservoir in an abandoned cave that¡¯d been marked on their map.
Luna wasn¡¯t about to go and try to stir anything up for the [Backstabber], either. Keeping secrets was a time-honored [Witch] tradition, and a small part of her felt like she¡¯d just taken another crucial step into the sorority of her predecessors.
[Congratulations, you are now a Level 37 Pumpkin Witch!]
[Might +1]
[Your wells have gotten deeper!]
The [Pumpkin Witch] smiled. It was nice, being a torch bearer of sorts, though now she had a lot of questions that would be difficult to answer. She wondered if there was a way she could get some alone time with Reginald.
Before she could really ruminate on that and try to come up with a plan, a scarlet arrow -- the result of [Right Place, Right Time] -- appeared in her mind¡¯s eye.
There was trouble in the city.
¡°Come on girls, hurry up!¡± she called!
Character Sheets:
Luna Redhenny:
Primary Class: Pumpkin Witch (Sarah Redhenny), Level 37 (+1)
Secondary Class: Tailor (Sarah Redhenny), Level 11
Tertiary Class: Girl-Who-Saves-The-Day (Citizens of Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 9
Might: 47 (+1)
Wit: 31
Faith: 27
Loyalty: 35
Adventurousness: 38
Guts: 40
Hope: 224
Stealth: 9 (-1)
Charisma: 27
Inspiring Presence: 9 (+1)
Leadership: 6
Determination: 4
<3**Infatuation**<3
Janice Daggerhand
Primary Class:Backstabber (), Level 24
Secondary Class: Hunter (self), Level 20
Tertiary Class: Dancer (Oar¡¯s Crest Dance and Ballet Studio), Level 6
Additional Class: Antimagic Advocate (#*%#&!# $#), Level 1 (+1)
Might: 31
Wit: 30
Faith: 17
Stealth: 40
Impatience: 28 (+1)
Cunning: 22
Adventurousness: 38
Guts: 39
Intimidating Presence: 7
Magical Anathema: 1 (+1)
Calico Murphy
Primary Class: Sister of the Plate (Piper¡¯s Abbey, Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 19
Secondary Class: Stitch Witch (Self), Level 4
MIght: 35
Wit: 20
Faith: 38 (-1)
Guts: 22
Righteous Duty: 30
Adventurousness: 14
Diligence: 10
Respectfulness: 18
Ambition: 9
Determination: 13
Volume 2 Chapter 71:
Pausing occasionally to stop and take a sip of his drink ¨C which had once been steaming and was now barely lukewarm ¨C Vee filled out what felt like an endless stream of paperwork in the lobby while he waited for Micah to arrive. Sculla had been successful in her lobbying; the council agreed to allow Vee¡¯s fiends into the city to help clean up the streets so long as the [Ghost Maestro] took personal responsibility for their behavior. If they attacked any passerby or destroyed any property, it would be on Vee¡¯s head.
Of course, Vee wasn¡¯t really worried about that in the slightest. His fiends were well behaved ¨C and getting better with every day ¨C but he was concerned that the citizens of Oar¡¯s Crest might not see them that way. The people were deeply suspicious of ghosts and fiends, and were inclined to call the [City Guards] on them or attack if they possessed sufficient skills themselves.
To combat this, Vee had already left a note for Torres asking the [Stationer] to make some posters and flyers advertising the new cleaning service to hopefully start getting people used to the idea. He hoped that would be enough.
Once he was done here, he was also planning to go try and find the twins who¡¯d helped with the slime snow control project a few weeks back and see if they were interested in a repeat performance for garbage and debris. The light section of his orchestra were good at what they did, and worked faster than any living people could have, but there was so much to do before the circuit started. Nothing could clean it all up in time.
It was a simple fact of life that the [Dungeon Master] would have to widen his proverbial net.
But first, he needed to interview Micah. Vee drummed his fingers on the table. Where was Juniper¡¯s friend?
¡°Gotta say this doesn¡¯t bode well, boss,¡± Reginald said. ¡°[Bakers] need to be real early birds. If this guy can¡¯t show up on time to talk to you, how¡¯s he going to make it work for coming down here to the lobby each day?¡±
¡°I know, but we¡¯ll go ahead and give him the benefit of the doubt here,¡± Vee answered. ¡°Life happens.¡±
Still, he looked at the clock and frowned at the fact that Micah was already ten minutes late. Reginald was right that it didn¡¯t look good on its surface.
Juniper was hard at work behind the counter, and Vee got up to get another drink.
¡°Do you have any idea where your friend is?¡± he asked. ¡°I hate to be pushy, but there are lots of other things I have to do today.¡±
¡°He should be here any minute,¡± the [Herbalist] replied. ¡°I talked to him yesterday, and he was really excited to meet you. Give him a few more minutes?¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Vee said. Technically he had plenty of paperwork that still needed to be filled out, so it didn¡¯t cost him anything to wait a bit longer. If the [Baker] didn¡¯t show up by the time he finished though¡well hopefully it wouldn¡¯t come to that.
Taking his new drink, Vee returned to his table and picked up his pen once more. He grabbed the next document and started reading, growling at the fact that it was asking for information he¡¯d already provided a dozen times.
Goodness gracious, government paperwork was so repetitive!
Micah finally showed up when the stack of paperwork in front of Vee was down to roughly a quarter of its original size. He was a short, stocky man, with cropped black hair and a thin goatee. In his arms were three foil covered trays, which Vee supposed were the reason he¡¯d been so late.
The [Baker] looked around the lobby, his expression uncertain, but then he caught Juniper¡¯s eye and the [Herbalist] jerked her head back toward Vee¡¯s table. Once Micah saw Reginald, he hurried over and put the trays down a safe distance from Vee¡¯s papers.
¡°My goodness, I¡¯m so sorry for being late,¡± he said. ¡°I wanted to make sure that these were all perfect, and for some reason the hammers just wouldn¡¯t firm up.¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hammers?¡±
Micah grinned and pulled the first sheet of foil off one of the trays, revealing small white cookies that looked like Reginald.
¡°Crap, wrong tray,¡± the [Baker] said quickly, yanking the foil off both the other trays at once. The second one contained what looked like little frosted ghosts, but the third one was filled with multicolored hammer-shaped cookies.
¡°Go ahead and try one,¡± Micah said. ¡°I think you¡¯ll like it!¡±
Vee did so, picking up a cookie and taking a small nibble from the hammer¡¯s head. It was lemon and vanilla flavored. The handle was chocolate mint, and Vee gobbled down the whole thing in hardly any time at all.
¡°That¡¯s delicious,¡± he said as he wiped the last crumbs from his chin and looked at the rest. ¡°Are they all flavored like that?¡±
Micah shook his head. ¡°The hats are cinnamon raisin, while the ghosts are all just simple vanilla cookies with different flavored frosting. One of the things I was thinking was that it¡¯d be nice if you sold things related to the dungeon here in the lobby, so I worked really hard on making a couple different options for you to try.¡±
Vee sampled a ghost with red frosting. It was raspberry and thyme flavored, which he hadn¡¯t really ever tried before but found quite good. A smaller bite of the cinnamon raisin was similarly pleasant, and Vee held out his hand for Micah to shake. ¡°These are all fantastic.¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad you like them,¡± the [Baker] said. ¡°I¡¯m still pretty new to baking, but I¡¯ve got loads of ideas for things to make. I love coming up with new creations and seeing them come to life. If you decide to let me take over things here in the lobby, I¡¯d work really hard to make sure everything is delicious.¡±
Vee nodded, unsure of how to respond. By Gawain, how he hated this type of thing. What was he supposed to say? There was no doubt that Micah could bake, but could he handle the rest of the things that the lobby needed? Would he run out of ingredients, or show up late, or do any other things that would cause Vee future headaches?
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
On the other hand, Juniper vouched for him, and that meant a lot. The [Dungeon Master] doubted that the [Herbalist] would be willing to stick her neck out to recommend Micah if he was a flake, though friendship occasionally caused people to do such things.
Eating another frosted ghost cookie, Vee decided that some things were worth a bit of risk. He¡¯d go ahead and give Micah a chance.
[Faith +1]
¡°Let¡¯s talk about the details,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said. ¡°What exactly did you have in mind?¡±
Sealing the deal with a handshake, Vee got up to leave the lobby. It was almost time for the dungeon to open up for the day, and he wanted to make a few ghosts before the adventurers started getting in. He doubted that he¡¯d be able to make another hundred ghosts, but that was fine. So long as he made positive progress every day he¡¯d consider it a success. Small things added up and all that.
However, Brice Gilbert was waiting outside the dungeon with a big box in his arms. He waved when he saw Vee approaching.
¡°Hey there!¡± the [Toymaker] called. ¡°I¡¯ve finished up the first prototypes of the dunpla figures we discussed. I think they¡¯re ready to start full production, but wanted you to take a look at them first. Do you have a few minutes?¡±
Vee nodded, though he lamented the fact that reviewing the dunpla figures would seriously cut into his ghost making time, if it didn¡¯t eat it up entirely. Still, the dunpla figures were important, and he supposed that he could always go down to the workshop after the day¡¯s runs were finished and crank out some ghosts.
Once they were up in the office, Brice opened up the box and took out the Alforde figurine. The ectoplasm had turned gray, and the little armorsoul was posed to look like he was challenging an adventurer, with his right arm pointing forward and a miniature hammer resting atop his left pauldron..
¡°I¡¯ve done some tests, and there¡¯s a good number of paints that work on them,¡± Brice said. ¡°Though some colors definitely take better than others. I have yet to find a decent yellow, for example. Each one I tried needed four or five coats to look halfway decent. In contrast, most greens and blues looked pretty good after a single coat.¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing that there¡¯s not a lot of yellow in Crestheart,¡± Vee said. He picked the figure up and examined it. The pieces of armor were all carefully carved and surprisingly detailed. Alforde¡¯s plates had been copied faithfully, though the little figurine didn¡¯t move the way Vee had originally hoped.
He poked through the rest of Brice¡¯s box, examining ghosts, skeletons, and even a couple different variations of slimes. All of them were impressive, as were the miniature platforms and trap toys that Brice had rigged up.
¡°For launch, I was thinking we¡¯d offer three different sets,¡± Brice said. ¡°The first would be a basic monster pack. Three ghosts, a skeleton, a slime, and maybe one or two traps. Just enough to let people get a taste of what dunpla is all about. Then, we¡¯d offer a ¡®First Floor¡¯ set or something as our middle tier. It¡¯d include a few more monsters, a few more traps, and maybe a couple of platforms too. I¡¯m planning to make some treasure chests too, but I haven¡¯t gotten around to it yet.¡±
He reached into the box and drew out the rest of the options he¡¯d brought. There were even more minions ¨C differently posed ghosts, skeletons, and slimes, with a few other original creations like evil-looking snowmen ¨C and more traps. Beyond that, there were a few basic adventurer models. A [Fighter] with a mace and shield, a [Mage] with a staff and flowing robe, and a crouching [Rogue] with twin daggers.
¡°Finally, our flagship product will be ¡®Crestheart Complete¡¯. It¡¯ll have enough minions, trap pieces, and other elements to form a full dungeon model. It might not be a totally accurate dungeon model, but that''s neither here nor there. Additionally, it¡¯ll come with Alforde and all three adventurer figures, though we¡¯ll of course sell those separately as well. Here, I¡¯ve made some box designs as well for you to take a look at.¡±
He pulled out three sheets of paper, and each was adorned with a series of images that showed what he¡¯d just described. Vee thought they were fine, albeit a little plain, but he wasn¡¯t much of an artist and kept his mouth shut on the matter.
Beneath them, on a fourth sheet of unadorned paper, Brice had included all of his tentative prices for each set. The basic monster pack would cost one silver fleur, the single floor would cost five, and Crestheart Complete was going to be at least twenty. The adventurers were going to be sold for twenty five bronze fleurs apiece, or sixty for the set of three, while Alforde cost seventy five bronze fleurs all by himself.
¡°What if they don¡¯t sell?¡± Vee asked. ¡°How much slack do we have in the pricing?¡±
¡°A fair bit, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have to worry about that,¡± the [Toymaker] said. ¡°I¡¯ve shown them to a few of my regular customers, and they¡¯ve all loved them. There¡¯s even been some talk of people organizing them into games of their own once they go up for sale. They¡¯ll have to make up some rules, but with how creative that bunch is I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be a problem.¡±
His expression changed. ¡°That actually brings me to my next question. Would you be willing to sell me more of that ectoplasm so I can make some other models unrelated to Crestheart? I had some other ideas I want to try bringing to life.¡±
¡°How much are you looking to buy, and what are you hoping to pay for it?¡± Vee asked. Getting some extra money would be great, especially with the next collection day rapidly approaching.
And so, the two men haggled and negotiated, ultimately coming to terms of a thousand sheets of refined ectoplasm a month for five silver fleurs, with the option of doubling the order at the same price per thousand sheets if it proved necessary. Should the demand somehow spiral out of control, Vee agreed to renegotiate the price to be cheaper per sheet of refined ectoplasm, though he and Brice agreed that such a thing wasn''t particularly likely to happen.
Still, it never hurt to hope and plan for the best.
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 35
Faith: 24 (+1)
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 4
Bargaining: 2
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (UNCHANGED FROM LAST CHAPTER):
Primary Class: Hammer Afficionado (Self), Level 29
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 15
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 51
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 28
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 12
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 8
Vanity: 2
Reginald (UNCHANGED FROM LAST CHAPTER):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 18
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 9
Might: 1
Wit: 36
Faith: 16
Ambition: 27
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 39
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 72
With Slammy resting comfortably on his pauldron, Alforde opened the door to Crestheart and walked inside. It was dark and gloomy; none of the crystal torches hanging from the walls were glowing, and the runes of Vee¡¯s floor orders slithering across the tiles didn¡¯t provide much in the way of proper light. That wasn¡¯t a big deal to Alforde, since the armorsoul could sense his arena down in the dungeon¡¯s depths, and he navigated through the labyrinth of rooms and hallways with ease.
Mentally, he prepared himself for the day ahead. In accordance with a self-help book he¡¯d read long ago but no longer remembered the name of, he made a mental list of the things he wanted to accomplish.
The first of these was that Alforde wanted to extend the duration of his domain. Thanks to all his practice, he could summon it consistently now, but keeping the [Chilling Tempest] active for long was nearly impossible if it was much bigger than fifteen feet. With his current reserves and control, he could only manage to shroud his entire arena for ninety seconds at most, and his movements were sluggish and weak for several minutes after.
Unfortunately, domains were something of a rare topic in most literature, which meant that Alforde hadn¡¯t had much luck finding other information about them in any books. He¡¯d talked to Holly about it, but the way she accessed her powers was different enough than his own that the [Snowmancer]¡¯s advice wasn¡¯t terribly helpful. If he wanted to keep improving, he¡¯d have to find his own way. That was fine, but also tedious, so Alforde continued holding onto hope that he¡¯d stumble across something more formalized in a book somewhere.
Alforde¡¯s second goal for the day was to improve his footwork. He¡¯d gotten sloppy lately, he felt, and a few of his challengers had managed to shove him into uncomfortable situations where he¡¯d been forced to rely on [Give No Ground]. The skill was darned useful, but Alforde didn¡¯t want to rely on it more than he had to, lest he open himself up to tactics that took advantage of the cooldown period.
Before he could settle on his third goal for the day, a shifting sound to his right drew Alforde¡¯s attention and the armorsoul¡¯s helmet whipped toward it. Fa, one of Vee¡¯s [Dungeon Maintainers] had come out of the hallway and was walking toward him.
¡°[Dungeon Champion], Do requests assistance. Please follow.¡±
There was still some time until the day¡¯s runs started, and so Alforde didn¡¯t miss a beat. Nodding, he said, ¡°I¡¯m happy to help as I can. Please lead the way.¡±
He followed Fa out of the dungeon and out to an abandoned lot where Do and some of the other fiends were hard at work. They¡¯d scrounged up big wooden beams from somewhere out in Westown, and were fastening them together with a combination of thick ropes and bits of refined ectoplasm.
They formed a large lattice, and there were still plenty of ropes and beams to be attached.
¡°What are you all making?¡± Alforde asked, taking in all the pieces. He was impressed by the breadth and complexity of the structure.
¡°This is going to be a training course for low level adventurers,¡± Do said. The fiend¡¯s speech was still slow and slightly stilted, but it was forming complete sentences regularly. ¡°We heard Master Vee talking about needing to come up with something to help them develop their skills, but he¡¯s been busy lately so we started production on this. It¡¯s coming along well, but we need your help to get it properly installed.¡±
Now that was surprising, Alforde thought. Do and the other fiends were taking initiative on their own. He¡¯d have to tell Vee as soon as possible.
Beyond that, the armorsoul found it strange that this was what the fiends decided to do. Vee talked about¡well, a lot of things, frankly ¨C his ability to bounce between subjects depending on his fancy was simultaneously his greatest strength and weakness ¨C but for some reason, the plight of the low level adventurers had resonated with the orchestra.
He¡¯d have to mull that over another time.
¡°I see. How can I be of assistance?¡± Alforde asked.
Do pointed to a series of holes across the lot. ¡°We were hoping you could hammer some of the posts down into place. We can get them in without any problems, but it¡¯d probably be better if you gave them a few strong hits to make sure that they don¡¯t move before we bind them and seal them in place.¡±
Alforde nodded. ¡°Of course, that won¡¯t be a problem. Which one should I hit first?¡±
The [Dungeon Maintainer] led the armorsoul over to the first set of beams, which were already buried and ready for striking. The fiend pointed down, to a band of yellow paint a foot above the ground.
¡°Drive it in until that¡¯s no longer visible,¡± Do said. ¡°That should be enough to lock it into place.¡¯
Hoisting Slammy up, Alforde did as he was instructed. It took a few blows to move the first one into place, but the [Dungeon Champion] got the sense of how much it moved with each strike and the second one went a lot faster.
After each set of blows, Do would grab the post in question and give it a good pull, trying to move it. When it failed to do so, it nodded in satisfaction and led Alforde to the next set.
The work was simple, but satisfying, and Alforde felt his plates loosening up the way they did after a good warmup. Being able to simply focus on moving his hammer as efficiently as possible was nice. Instead of having to worry about fighting, he could just relax and put all of his attention into his swing, making sure that his blows were as long and smooth as possible.
Progress was quick, but there was lots to be done and Alforde fell into the rhythm. Now and then he looked back, amused at the fact that a quartet of [Dungeon Maintainers] all trailed behind him. Each time he moved on, they started connecting other pieces to the ones he¡¯d just driven into place, and there was a semblance of a catwalk appearing in his wake. They were fast, diligent, and almost completley silent. Alforde wondered how they all seemed to know exactly what to do, as he saw no drawings nor any lists of instructions. It was like they could all see the final piece in their minds.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
That was definitely another thing to mention to Vee, he decided.
He brought Slammy up overhead to strike another post, feeling a serene satisfaction when he brought it down again. He was using his weapon to build, like he¡¯d learned from Glenda and Jared.
A moment later, a notification appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations! You are now a Level 30 Hammer Afficionado!]
[Class upgrade requirements met! Evaluating primary type.]
Alforde tensed his plates as power spread through his pauldrons and down into his gauntlets.
[Congratulations! Your Hammer Afficionado class is now Hammer Specialist (Combat Emphasis)!]
[Consolidating and recalibrating levels!]
[You are now a level 5 Hammer Specialist!]]
[Your hammer skills are now more powerful!]
[Might +3]
[Endurance +1]
[You can now use the Echo Strike skill!]
[You can now use the Hammertime skill!]
The armorsoul pumped his left arm with joy and closed his eyes to examine his new abilities in his soul¡¯s mirror.
[Echo Strike ¨C (Active) User empowers their hammer for the next (1) melee attack, creating a temporary afterimage that can also hit opponents. Blows from this afterimage have a 20% chance of inflicting the Stunned or Dazed status effects!]
[Hammertime ¨C (Active: Requires a target to be affected by Stunned, Dazed, or other similar status effect). User refreshes and extends the duration of a target¡¯s active debuff and gains bonus impact damage against them until it expires.]
¡°Are you okay?¡± Do asked. Alforde nodded eagerly.
¡°I¡¯m fine. Do you need my help with anything else? If not, there are other things I need to attend to before the day¡¯s challenges start.¡±
The fiend looked over the construction site and shook its head. ¡°No, I think we¡¯re all set for now. We¡¯re needed in the dungeon as well, so we¡¯ll have to go ahead and stop here. Appreciation, [Dungeon Champion].¡±
Alforde bid the fiends farewell and left, barely able to contain his excitement as he scurried back to the dungeon. Boy oh boy, a new class ¨C or at least, a new name for an old one ¨C and some new skills to go experiment with!
He couldn¡¯t wait to use [Hammertime]!
Once Brice left, Vee turned and looked across the dungeon. The fiends were slowly filing in, taking their positions and waiting for the day¡¯s runs to begin. Alforde was doing¡something down in his arena. Vee had felt a class change and a surge of elation through their bond earlier, but the [Dungeon Master] didn¡¯t have any specifics beyond that.
What was his friend doing?
Well, it mostly looked like he was just taking the biggest swings he could imagine with his hammer and waiting for something to happen afterwards, although now and then Vee thought he saw a shimmer of blue light following the weapon¡¯s trail.
He squinted into the viewing crystal, but Alforde stopped his practice and summoned Shadowforde. The pair sparred a bit, but Vee had seen that plenty of times and he turned his attention elsewhere.
The first adventurer was about to head in, and recognizing the elkin [Earth Mage], Vee went ahead and activated [Boost Drops]. He hunted down all the affected minions, moved them into position, and sat back while the run got underway. Things were going to get crazier and crazier over the next few weeks, so the [Dungeon Master] would happily take any chance he could get to kick back and relax.
Reginald adjusted his magnifying crystal and leaned close. ¡°Alright, adventurer. Are ye prepared for the horrors that wait inside Crestheart? Steel thy heart, for you¡¯re about to face a mighty dungeon!¡±
When his [Announcer] silenced his crystal, Vee looked over and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Seriously? Ye and thy? Where¡¯d that come from?¡±
The hat shrugged his yellow spirit arms. ¡°Dunno. Just felt right. I¡¯m trying to decide how I want to address the out-of-towners who come for the circuit. Why do you care? Not a fan?¡±
¡°Not especially. It¡¯s a little weird,¡± Vee said. ¡°Feels¡ancient, you know? I think your normal way of addressing adventurers is fine.¡±
¡°Sure, but fine is boring,¡± Reginald said. ¡°We need something special. Something pithy!¡±
Vee grunted noncommittally. He could have probably argued the point, but it wasn¡¯t important and there were better uses of his time.
The elkin below blasted through the first room of the dungeon, sending large [Gravel Missiles] into the ghosts and wall. She paused to pick up the shard of chaos that dropped from one of Vee¡¯s marked minions, and headed into the next room.
This one would take her a while, if history was any indication. Vee decided to take care of another task on his list. He needed to start prepping his fiends for their new task.
Closing his eyes, the [Ghost Maestro] reached through his bond to all the members of his light section and got their attention.
¡°Attend me later this afternoon, there is a matter we must discuss.¡±
They all replied affirmatively, and Vee opened his eyes just in time to see the elkin narrowly dodge a skeleton lancer¡¯s piercing strike.
¡°You¡¯re going to have to do better than that if you want to reach the boss,¡± Reginald cried. ¡°Friends, I daresay that we¡¯re going to have ourselves a short run!¡±
Before Vee could say anything else, Reginald deactivated his magnifying crystal and looked over. ¡°Just practicing for when we have a crowd, boss.¡±
Vee groaned. Right. He needed to talk to Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers]. There was an abandoned lot near the dungeon that would work perfectly for setting up some spectator stands.
Add another thing to the list, he thought.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales (UNCHANGED FROM LAST CHAPTER)
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 35
Faith: 24
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 4
Bargaining: 2
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5 (UPGRADE AND LEVEL CONSOLIDATION)
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 15
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 54 (+3)
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 12
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 8
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 18
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 10 (+1)
Might: 1
Wit: 36
Faith: 16
Ambition: 27
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 39
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 73
As they¡¯d been instructed, the members of Vee¡¯s light section arrived as the day¡¯s runs finished and formed a mostly straight line right outside the dungeon. Of all Vee¡¯s fiends, they were the strangest, with their forms having changed to be better suited to their frequent cleaning tasks. One¡¯s hands had flattened into the shape of dustpans, and it had sprouted a third arm ending in something like a broom too.
Another had gained the ability to stretch its limbs, and had inexorably taken to wearing an old bit of dirty red cloth that hung from its scrawny frame like a vest.
A third was hunched over and carried a tub of water on its back. Vee couldn¡¯t see if the tub was scavenged from Westown or if it¡¯d grown naturally. Nor was he sure how the fiend managed to keep its water clean.
The rest of the changes amongst his minions weren¡¯t so drastic. Longer fingers, mostly, and even thinner frames. Staring at their strange, elongated bodies, the [Ghost Maestro] hoped that the uniforms he¡¯d ordered for them would fit.
If not, he¡¯d have to do some ¡°creative¡± adjustments which, truthfully, wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world.
¡°I have a new assignment for you all,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve done such a fantastic job cleaning up the street from the gate to the dungeon that we¡¯ve obtained permission for you to go into the city proper and help clean up the streets there too.¡±
The fiends stiffened at that announcement. Of all the rules for their existence, few were probably as deeply set as the taboo against trying to go into the city.
¡°Afraid,¡± one said.
Vee nodded. ¡°I know it¡¯s scary, but you¡¯re all going to be fine. The council has given you their permission, and the [City Guards] will be instructed to make sure that nobody bothers you. Beyond that, we¡¯re going to get you all some name tags and badges so that regular citizens won¡¯t be concerned by your appearance and do anything rash. To do that, though, I¡¯m going to need your names.¡±
He pointed at the nearest fiend ¨C the one with dustpan hands ¨C and said, ¡°Let¡¯s start with you. What do you call yourself?¡±
The fiend paused for a moment, looked at its companions, and then turned back to Vee and said, ¡°Sweep.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡oddly fitting,¡± Vee said, writing the name down. ¡°Do the rest of you have similarly functional names?¡±
Sure enough, they did. The remaining fiends in the section were named Scrape, Scrub, Shuffle, Scour, Swab, and Sluice. All of their names matched their bodies, which Vee appreciated.
With the name tag matter handled for the moment ¨C he¡¯d get Torres to make the final versions that they¡¯d actually wear before they entered the city for the first time ¨C Vee pulled out a map of the city and gestured for his minions to get into a circle around him so that they could see.
¡°Everything will need to get taken care of eventually, but for now I¡¯d like you to really focus on these areas,¡± Vee said, pointing at the blocks between the carriage station, the main market square, and the gate to Westown. ¡°A lot of out-of-town adventurers are going to be visiting the city soon, and I want you all to make it look as nice as possible.¡±
Scrub, who seemed to be the leader of this section, if the way it stood a little taller than all the others was any indication, nodded and bowed. ¡°Understood. Will do, Master. Concern. Is big job. Much bigger than current duties.¡±
Vee got up and handed it the map. He clapped the fiend¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to be reaching out to some other acquaintances and trying to get them to help you too. Regardless, you have my full confidence and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do a great job. Please let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do to assist you.¡±
¡°Tools,¡± said Sluice, raising a spindly arm. ¡°Require new ones.¡±
Looking over at the fiend, Vee nodded. ¡°Perfect. What exactly do you need?¡±
With a list in his hand and a promise to deliver the fiends their new tools as quickly as possible, Vee went back into the dungeon to fetch Alforde and Reginald. It¡¯d been a decent day, earnings wise, with the adventurers collecting eighteen shards of chaos and adding another eight hundred and twenty silver fleurs to the dungeon¡¯s coffers.
After activating the new vault protections and making sure that they all worked, the [Dungeon Master] and his friends headed back to the city proper. Vee was hungry and eager for dinner, but there were other matters he had to attend to first.
While he¡¯d reached an agreement with Brice regarding the dunpla figures, the [Toymaker] had insisted that packaging wasn¡¯t his specialty or concern, leaving it for Vee to handle. As such, the [Dungeon Master] was going to go give Torres a visit, since he had to see about the name tags anyway.
Feeling a little overwhelmed, Vee reached up and gave Reginald¡¯s brim a flick.
¡°You know, for a guy with a [Majordomo], I sure seem to be responsible for a lot of footwork these days. When are you going to figure out a way to actually help me with those details you¡¯re supposed to be taking care of.¡±
HIs hat chuckled. ¡°I¡¯d love to help, boss, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not particularly mobile like this. Hats aren¡¯t exactly known for their speed. If you can figure out a way to help me get around, I¡¯m all ears. Well, not literally on account of all this fabric, but you know what I mean.¡±
Vee rubbed his chin as the gate swung open and they headed off toward Torres¡¯ place. He wasn¡¯t sure why he hadn¡¯t thought of it before ¨C inspiration was funny like that sometimes ¨C but technically, it wouldn¡¯t be that far of a stretch for him to put together a ghost that Reginald could ride on and control.
A notification appeared before Vee¡¯s eyes.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
[You have been given a quest: Make a mount for Reginald! Do you wish to accept it?]
The [Ghost Maestro] clicked yes, and the rest of the quest popped up as well.
[Quest: Make a mount for Reginald!]
[Dangers: Mischief around the city, anxiety about said mischief]
[Rewards: More free time, Ghost Maestro +1]
[Description: Using your skills, design a ghost that Reginald can use to get around on his own!]
After dismissing the notification, Vee grinned and hurried to increase his pace. There were still lots of things to do ¨C and increasingly, a sensation of not enough hours in the day for all of them ¨C but there was a kind of brutal joy in being so busy too. The [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t say that it was ¡°fun¡± to have such a long to-do list, but there was a brutal satisfaction in writing down tasks and then later checking them off.
A memory of his father talking about ¡°the thrill of getting things done¡± floated through Vee¡¯s thoughts, and he wondered if that was the same thing as what he was only starting to experience. If so, he thought he might understand his old man a little bit better, which was unfamiliar and vaguely uncomfortable..
For the first time in¡well, a long time, Vee let his mind wander back to life in Bardis. There were things he missed about the city, but on the whole he believed himself better here in Oar¡¯s Crest.
¡°I really should write them a letter,¡± Vee said quietly as they turned down the street. ¡°It¡¯s more than overdue, I think.¡±
And it wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t wanted to write one before, but each time he¡¯d taken pen and paper with the intent of doing so ¨C like now ¨C he hadn¡¯t known what to say.
I¡¯ll figure it out once the circuit starts and I get a bit more breathing room, Vee decided as they knocked on Torres¡¯ door. He just needed a bit of time to really sit down and figure out what he wanted to say.
The [Stationer] emerged scowling, his eyes dark and his mustache frightfully unkempt.
¡°Whatever brings you to my door this time of night, Vales?¡± he hissed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m working?! My guides are little more than worthless stacks of paper due to your negligence, and I¡¯m forced to use precious ink and paper trying to create new ones that are suitable for your current offering.¡±
¡°Nice to see you too,¡± Reginald said. ¡°We¡¯ve been good, thanks for asking.¡±
Torres glared at the hat. ¡°I won¡¯t dignify that with a response.¡±
¡°Technically I think you just did,¡± Alforde said earnestly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t especially relevant, but I¡¯m pretty sure it still counts.¡±
Nobody said anything for a moment after that, then Vee shook his head and got down to business. ¡°There are a few things I¡¯d like your help with,¡± he said. ¡°Could we possibly come in to discuss them? I think you¡¯ll find them well-suited to your skills, and I would, of course, be willing to pay up front..¡±
Torres continued to glare, but his face softened at the mention of money, and he begrudgingly admitted them into his home.
[Persuasiveness +1]
It took some persistence on Vee¡¯s part ¨C and a handful of silver fleurs with the promise of more to come in the near future ¨C but Torres eventually agreed to make the name tags and design the packaging for the dunpla figures. There was only one problem: Torres said he needed to see a figure for himself though, so he could ¡°assess the spirit which moves throughout their diminutive forms.¡±
Whatever that meant.
So, Vee promised to bring some by the next day, and bid the [Stationer] a good night. As he reached the street, his stomach made its displeasure known, and Vee decided that it was time to go grab something to eat. Craving something warm, comforting, and overly greasy, the [Dungeon Master] and his friends started walking toward the Grinning Pig.
When they got closer to the diner, Vee saw something small and shadowy moving along the wall in the nearby alley. He paused and squinted at it before he recognized what it was. He¡¯d seen squat, stubby limbs like those before.
¡°Mud golem!¡± he cried, pointing. ¡°Alforde, get it!¡±
He needn¡¯t have bothered with that last bit, because the armorsoul was already moving, Charging forward at a speed that was definitely unsettling, given the armorsoul¡¯s size, the freshly minted [Hammer Specialist] zipped into the alley and tried to grab the golem. However, as quick as Alforde was, the golem was faster. It climbed up higher than Alforde could reach, and a tall figure emerged from the shadows on the roof. Vee couldn¡¯t make out his features, on account of the fact that it was dark ¨C and the stranger was wearing a mask ¨C but he still got the impression that the man was grinning.
¡°Piper¡¯s weapon rack,¡± he said, using a surprisingly polite version of the counterpart to the common curse that invoked Gawain. ¡°What is it with all the vigilante types in this city? There are those wanna be [City Guards] and now a genuine armorsoul? What next?¡±
A ball of orange and golden light answered him, and the man slapped his hands to his face.
¡°Of course, how could I have forgotten the ever irritating [Witches]? My goodness, I¡¯m starting to think they they really don¡¯t like me. I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t entertain you all myself, but I believe my friends will be excellent hosts.¡±
He clapped his hands together and said, ¡°[Golem Gang]!¡±
A half-dozen burly mud golems crawled out of the ground. They were bigger and meaner looking than the others of their kind that Vee had seen, and they advanced toward Alforde.
The armorsoul raised his hammer and watched them warily, settling into his fighting stance. The air grew cold, and after a moment Vee could see his breath.
Up on the roof, the [Golemancer] dodged another orb of magic intended for his head, took a bow and vanished into thin air.
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 29
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 35
Faith: 24
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5 (+1)
Bargaining: 2
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 16 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 54
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 13 (+1)
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 8
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 10
Might: 1
Wit: 36
Faith: 16
Ambition: 28 (+1)
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 40 (+1)
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Ch 74
Vee took a step back as one of the golems turned to look at him, and nervously gestured toward Alforde.
¡°A little help here?¡±
The armorsoul didn¡¯t reply, choosing instead to lunge forward and bring Slammy down on the offending golem¡¯s head, turning it into little more than a splatter of dirt on the ground and walls.
¡°Stay behind me,¡± Alforde commanded as he closed the distance to Vee and spun around to face the rest of the golems. ¡°I don¡¯t think these guys are very tough, but you never know if they have any surprises up their sleeves.¡±
As he had several times throughout his life, Vee nodded and fell back, content to let Alforde handle the situation without his interference. He wasn¡¯t frightened at all as he was confident in his friend¡¯s strength, but his heart was still beating a little faster than it probably should have been.
One of the golems reached down and moved its hands like it was making a snowball, and a large ball of mud appeared out of thin air. It lobbed the projectile at Alforde when it stood back up, making a mess near the armorsoul¡¯s boot when it struck and splattered everywhere. After a second, the mud hardened into something like an insect¡¯s carapace, and Alforde snapped a piece off with a tap from Slammy¡¯s handle.
¡°Keep an eye out for those,¡± Reginald said. ¡°If they hit your joints you¡¯re going to have a heck of a time moving.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Alforde said. ¡°But they¡¯re not the only ones who can impede movement. [Chilling Tempest]!¡±
A swirling vortex of frigid wind, snowflakes, and icicles emerged from the armosoul¡¯s back, turning into a cape that slapped back and forth in its own breeze. A tide of ice expanded from beneath Alforde¡¯s boots, heading toward the golems with surprising speed.
Three more [Mudballs] whizzed through the air, but they were stopped by floating chunks of ice as big as Vee¡¯s head that popped into existence. Alforde swung his gauntlet forward, and the ice chunks followed, slamming into the golems and causing them to double over.
Dropping his hammer toward the ground, Alforde leaned forward and activated [Unstoppable Charge]. He veritably flew across the ice, catching one golem with his pauldron and another with Slammy. They both shattered into pieces against the wall, but Alforde was moving once again before they even hit the ground.
One golem aimed a punch at Alforde, but the armorsoul ducked beneath it with ease and dispatched it with a swift and vicious [Combo Attack]. He dealt with the other golems in a similar manner, and dismissed his domain with a wave.
Vee¡¯s teeth stopped chattering as the air warmed back up. ¡°That was pretty impressive,¡± he said. ¡°I guess all that practice you¡¯ve been doing has paid off, huh?¡±
Alforde shrugged. ¡°Those golems weren¡¯t much of a challenge. I could probably have handled two or three times that amount without issue.¡±
A gurgling sound behind the armorsoul stopped him from saying anything else. Inexplicably, the bits of broken mud golem were wriggling toward each other, and when they collided they fused together. Within seconds, a bigger and meaner looking mud golem stood behind them, flexing its four arms and glaring.
It sucked in some air and let out a loud roar, prompting Alforde to raise Slammy once again.
¡°You¡¯re an annoying one, eh?¡± the armorsoul said as he stepped forward. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. Each time you get up, I¡¯ll knock you right back down again!¡±
The golem walked forward, balling its fists and raising its arms like a [Boxer]. Alforde met it with a few steps of his own, and the two clashed in the alley.
Alforde¡¯s swings were met with blows of equal strength, but the golem couldn¡¯t overwhelm the armorsoul with its flurry of attacks.
Vee drew out his [Ghost Baton] and pointed it at the creature. Were golems spirits by chance? Alas, it didn¡¯t seem to be; his attempt to [Banish] the creature failed.
¡°You have to bind it!¡± a familiar voice cried from up on the rooftop. Vee looked up and saw Holly. The [Snowmancer] stood atop a jagged chunk of ice, the snowflakes in her eyes glowing.
¡°Those golems will just keep getting bigger and bigger each time you break it,¡± she said. ¡°In order to get rid of it for good, you have to bind it so that it can¡¯t move and slowly crush it down to nothing.¡±
¡°Can you lend us a hand with that?¡± Reginald called. ¡°It seems that you know what you¡¯re doing a bit more than we do.¡±
Holly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m going after the summoner, but Luna should be by in a few minutes. She¡¯ll take care of the golem if it¡¯s still around when she arrives.¡±
With a little wave, the [Snowmancer] disappeared into the night, leaving Alforde, Vee, and Reginald to deal with the big golem.
The armorsoul turned back to Vee. ¡°Can you do something with ectoplasm, maybe? A cage or something would be really helpful.¡±
Vee nodded as his friend intercepted a series of punches and retaliated with some sweeping strikes of his own. Pinching his index finger and thumb together, Vee activated [Shape Ectoplasm] and started pulling power into a large cube. The cage didn¡¯t have to be fancy, or look nice, it just had to be secure. As such, it was fast work, and before long Vee had assembled a big cage that was just a hair taller than the golem.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°I think that should do it,¡± the [Dungeon Master] called. ¡°Can you get it in there, Alforde?¡±
The armorsoul, in the middle of a clash against the golem with neither combatant yielding an inch, grunted his response. Twisting his plates, Alforde drove the golem back a step, buying himself enough time to thrust Slammy into the golem¡¯s stomach. With quick, aggressive strokes, Alforde bullied the creature into Vee¡¯s cage, and then the [Ghost Maestro] sealed it with a snap of his fingers.
HIs captive writhed against the ectoplasm, but Vee reinforced it with more and the golems¡¯ efforts were all for naught.
Vee breathed a sigh of relief. Now all he had to do was shrink the cage to get rid of the golem for good. He focused on the corners of the cage and squeezed his hands together. Each time he pressed, the corners moved closer to each other, though it was surprisingly difficult and Vee had to stop and catch his breath more than once. He persevered through it though, focusing on his fundamentals of ectoplasmic manipulation and exerting the full force of his will to accomplish his goal.
[Congratulations! You are now a level 30 Ghost Maestro!]
[Class milestone reached!]
[If desired, you can now select a class upgrade you¡¯d like to pursue from your Soul¡¯s Mirror!]
[Wit +1]
[Faith +1]
[Your ability to passively refine ectoplasm has improved!]
[Your ability to shape ectoplasm is now stronger!]
[You can now use the Exploratory Advanced Ectoplasmic Refining skill!]
[You can now use the Exploratory Contest of Will skill!]
[You can now use the Exploratory Ectoplasmic Molding skill!]
[You can now use the Exploratory Summoning Banner skill!]
Closing his eyes, Vee briefly examined his new skills. They were all related to the so-called ¡°big four¡± class upgrades: [Ghost General], [Ghost Smith], [Ghost Wizard], and [Ghost Artificer]. Their Exploratory tag meant that while he could freely use them until he made an upgrade decision, he¡¯d lose access to the ones he didn¡¯t choose when his class changed. If he decided to remain a [Ghost Maestro] ¨C which was a viable, if not often chosen option ¨C he¡¯d be able to use all four forever, but wouldn¡¯t ever gain access to the higher level skills offered by the upgrade classes.
He''d have to give that matter some thought later. When he¡¯d first set his sights on becoming a [Ghost Maestro] back in Bardis, he hadn¡¯t been interested in any of the class upgrades. They¡¯d been less pure, he¡¯d thought, and he¡¯d had no desire to explore their powers. Now though, he was in a different place in life, and his needs were different too. While he still didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever need the higher level skills offered by becoming a [Ghost General] or a [Ghost Wizard], the boons to Crestheart that he could bring about by becoming a [Ghost Smith] or [Ghost Artificer] were definitely worth considering.
For now though, he stayed focused on the matter at hand.
Thankfully, Luna did indeed arrive a few minutes later, just like Holly said she would. She was riding in her floating pumpkin, holding her lance and grinning. Her eyes were glowing too, though they sparkled for a different reason when she saw Vee.
¡°Hey! We found that thing you were looking for,¡± she called down. ¡°One of my companions has it, and we¡¯ll bring it to the dungeon tomorrow, okay?¡±
Vee nodded. ¡°Are you going after the summoner too?¡±
¡°Yeah, he¡¯s been running amok for long enough,¡± the [Pumpkin Witch] said. ¡°He¡¯s not going to get away this time! Though, actually, it¡¯d be great if you two wanted to help us out with all the golems he¡¯s sure to be summoning. Think you guys can do that?¡±
¡°We¡¯d be happy to help,¡± Alforde said with a bow, and Vee gave Luna a little smile and a thumbs-up.
¡°You can count on us,¡± he said.
Luna¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Thanks. You guys are the best. See you in a bit!¡±
Raising her lance, Luna flew off in the same direction Holly went, leaving a trail of orange and gold motes in her wake.
Vee¡¯s stomach rumbled, and the [Dungeon Master] gave it a sad little pat.
¡°Sorry, it¡¯s going to be a bit longer before dinner.¡±
Gritting his teeth, Vee returned his attention to the caged golem, squeezing the ectoplasm smaller and smaller until it comfortably fit in the palm of his hand.
¡°I don¡¯t know if I can make it any smaller than that,¡± Vee said, huffing for breath. ¡°We¡¯ll leave it like this and bring it with us for now, and then see if the [Witchers] can get rid of it for good for us.¡±
¡°We could always use it in the dungeon too,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Break off bits as we need them, let adventurers smash it up, collect the pieces, and crush the golem down when it starts getting too big and unruly.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a thought,¡± Vee said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯d work, though. I don¡¯t know much about summoned golems, but a decent number of summoned companions fade out of existence when the skill user stops feeding them power, and it wouldn¡¯t be unusual for them to do the same.¡±
¡°True, but it doesn¡¯t cost us anything to keep the possibility in mind,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving once you¡¯ve caught your breath, boss. I¡¯ve got a feeling it¡¯s going to be a long night.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 36 (+1)
Faith: 25 (+1)
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 21
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 2
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 17 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 55 (+1)
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 13
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 9 (+1)
Vanity: 2
Reginald (Unchanged from Last Chapter):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 10
Might: 1
Wit: 36
Faith: 16
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 40
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 75
A mud golem on all fours ran down an alley with Alforde hot on its heels. Vee ¨C and by extension, Reginald ¨C were a good distance behind, a fact that the [Dungeon Master] blamed on his burning legs.
There was a wall at the far end of the alley, but unlike some of the mud golems they¡¯d chased so far that night, this one didn¡¯t try and climb it to escape. Instead, it turned around and made a sound that was probably supposed to be a growl, but came across more as a series of blurbles.
Alforde didn¡¯t slow down, slamming himself into the golem with all his strength and bringing Slammy up into its stomach. ¡°Vee, cage!¡±
Panting for breath and cursing his thighs, Vee skidded to a stop and raised his hands. Thankfully, he¡¯d gotten plenty of practice with making the cages that night ¨C he¡¯d long since lost track of how many golems they¡¯d caught - so he was able to whip one together fairly quickly.
Alforde maneuvered the golem inside so Vee could seal it away, and the gate closed with a loud thud. The [Ghost Maestro] decided to take a few moments to catch his breath before shrinking the cage down, partly because he was tired and also partly because his pockets were filled to bursting and he wasn¡¯t sure where he¡¯d be able to fit the newest golem. Should they not deactivate the way Vee expected them too, he¡¯d definitely be able to throw a bunch into the dungeon for the next few weeks and get some value out of them, though he¡¯d have to make sure that they couldn¡¯t escape or violate their floor orders.
He chuckled quietly as he sat down and leaned back against the nearest wall. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m thinking about the dungeon right now.¡±
His stomach rumbled loudly.
¡°Beats whining about how hungry you are,¡± Reginald answered. ¡°That said, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s past midnight now, so we can probably go ahead and call it if you want. The fact that there are still so many golems out and about means that Luna and Holly haven¡¯t been able to catch the [Golemancer] yet. I¡¯m not sure how worth it is for us to stay out hunting any longer.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t mind going after a few more,¡± Alforde said. ¡°We¡¯re getting better at catching them and each one we snag means that there¡¯s less chances for property damage.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Vee said, sighing. He stood back up and knocked the dust off his coat. ¡°We¡¯ll stay out for a little bit longer and then head back to the boarding house. Let me get this one shrunk down and then we¡¯ll go look for more, okay?¡±
[Citizenship +1]
His friend nodded, and started knocking off some of the mud that had built up on Slammy¡¯s head.
Wincing at the headache forming behind his eyes and the pressure in the ridge of his nose, Vee grit his teeth and focused his attention on the ectoplasmic cage. It shrank slowly, though when it got down to its smallest size, the [Ghost Maestro] felt something dribbling down to his lip.
¡°I think my nose is bleeding,¡± he said, reaching up and pinching it as he leaned slightly forward. Thankfully it wasn¡¯t too bad, and stopped on its own after a minute or so.
¡°Maybe we should call it for the night,¡± Alforde said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were as worn out as you are, Vee.¡±
Vee wiped his nose clean and coughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t either. But yeah, that sounds like a good idea to me.¡±
Moving slowly, the trio headed back toward roads they knew better ¨C their pursuit of the golems had taken them deep into Northtown, to places they hadn¡¯t really explored before ¨C and the [Dungeon Master] marveled at just how different it looked from anywhere else in the city. The buildings were adorned with big wooden beams, and small statues he didn¡¯t recognize sat in front of each store. Strange signs were everywhere, advertising all sorts of products including a fancy coffee shop, a jewelry store, and various consultants. The streets were surprisingly clean, other than the bits of broken glass that were the fault of the golems.
The nestled pocket vibe actually reminded Vee a little bit of a nice Bardis neighborhood, and the flicker of nostalgia warmed him as they headed back to the main streets. He looked up at the names as they passed, committing them to memory as a place to visit with Luna sometime.
His pleasant thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice, and when the trio turned a corner they found themselves face to face with Sacre and some of his goons.
As surprising as it was to see the [Honest Businessman] outside of Angeliinos, the sight of the woman clinging to Sacre¡¯s arm was even more shocking to Vee and his companions. With dark, curly hair and features that looked like they¡¯d been sculpted by a [Master Mason], she was, in a word, beautiful.
¡°What are you three doing all the way out here?¡± Sacre growled as his goons stepped forward. They all carried weapons ¨C clubs and daggers, mostly, though one had a glaive that shimmered in the moonlight.
Sensing the threat in the man¡¯s voice, Vee hurriedly reached into his pocket and drew out one of the golem cages. He held it up and rotated it so that the gangster could see the little creature inside. ¡°Hunting mud golems. We¡¯ve caught a bunch around this area, but I¡¯m tired so we¡¯re calling it a night. What are you doing here?¡±
¡°We don¡¯t have to answer you,¡± one of the goons said, lifting his weapon, but Sacre raised a hand and the man fell silent.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
¡°Relena lives around here,¡± Sacre said, and Vee could infer the rest from there.
Tucking the golem back into his pocket, Vee pressed one arm to his stomach and another to his back. Though it¡¯d been years since his parents had forced him and his brother into etiquette lessons, the motion of a [Courtier]''s slow and polite bow came naturally to him.
¡°In that case you can both rest easy. This area is clear.¡±
Sacre¡¯s face looked like it¡¯d been carved from stone, but the woman¡¯s expression brightened right away. Getting up on her tiptoes, she gave Sacre a quick peck on the cheek and said, ¡°Oh baby, you¡¯re so sweet! Coming with me yourself even though you already had things under control! The fact that you¡¯re so considerate makes me ¨C¡±
She whispered something else that Vee couldn¡¯t ¨C and likely wasn¡¯t supposed to ¨C hear, and the gangster chuckled as she pulled away.
¡°Good work, you three,¡± the [Honest Businessman] said, coughing into his hand. His goons relaxed and took a step back.
Reginald tightened his brim around Vee¡¯s head.
¡°So you¡¯re happy with our work, then?¡± Reginald asked. ¡°In that case, does that mean you¡¯re going to give us the reward you promised us?¡±
One of Sacre¡¯s eyebrows went almost to the top of his skull. ¡°Reward?¡±
¡°Yeah! We got rid of the golems like we said we would. You¡¯re going to hold up your end of the bargain too and have Walnut skip visiting us for the next two weeks, right?¡±
A vein bulged on the side of Sacre¡¯s head, and his eyes narrowed. Had he been alone ¨C or just with his underlings ¨C he probably would have replied in a different, more violent way. With Relena there looking up at him and his mind occupied by other things, though, the [Honest Businessman] had no choice but to grunt and say, ¡°Right. Two weeks with no visits from Walnut.¡±
¡°Or anyone else,¡± Reginald said hurriedly. ¡°Two weeks with no collections of any kind.¡±
¡°Fine.¡±
Sensing that the conversation had come to its natural conclusion and that staying any longer would risk the fragile illusion Vee and his companions were clinging to, the [Dungeon Master] gestured for Alforde to follow him and walked away.
When they were a safe distance away and there was no chance of Sacre and his goons overhearing them, Vee took Reginald off and turned the hat around to look into his [Majordomo]¡¯s eyes.
¡°What was that?!¡±
Reginald grinned. ¡°No need to thank me. You¡¯re welcome, boss. I saw the opportunity and went for it. Since he had Relena with him, I figured that he wouldn¡¯t be able to say no, and now we have a bit more breathing room to scrounge up the next payment.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think he''ll let us get away without any retaliation though,¡± Alforde said. ¡°We should keep the tally ticking and be prepared to make a bigger payment than normal.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good thought,¡± Vee said. ¡°Worst case scenario, Walnut expects three week¡¯s worth when we see him next. Nice spot of thinking, Reginald. Well done.¡±
The hat¡¯s grin grew wider and the trio returned to the boarding house without any further issues. Vee slapped together a few cold sandwiches and wolfed them down, then collapsed in his bed and went to sleep.
Luna and her party were waiting outside the boarding house the next morning, and while the [Pumpkin Witch] looked tired, she looked happy too when Vee and his companions came downstairs and headed toward them.
¡°Any luck with the [Golemancer]?¡± Vee asked.
Luna shook her head. ¡°He slipped away somehow, but Holly thinks she got a good enough look at him that she can go and start looking for him elsewhere around the city. She¡¯s really annoyed that we haven¡¯t caught him yet, so I think she¡¯s going to try really hard to track him down.¡±
¡°Poor guy,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Holly is really scary when she¡¯s mad.¡±
Luna chuckled and nodded. ¡°She sure is. Anyway, the reason we¡¯re here is that in accordance with the job you posted in the adventuring guild, we ventured out into the mountains. I¡¯m pleased to report that we were successful.¡±
¡°You found one?¡± Reginald sounded surprised. ¡°Did you¡uh¡come across anything else while you were out there?¡±
Luna turned to her companions and nodded, and Calico, the [Sister of the Plate] reached into her satchel and drew out two bottles filled with a bizarre liquid. ¡°We figured that you might have some difficulty getting there yourself, so we harvested this and brought it back.¡±
Vee took the bottles, surprised by their weight.
¡°I know you¡¯re probably busy this morning,¡± Luna said. ¡°But is there any way Calico and I could talk to Reginald for a few minutes? We had some questions about this reservoir that we were hoping he could help us clear up.¡±
Vee took the hat off and raised an eyebrow, but his hat¡¯s loopy expression betrayed nothing out of the ordinary.
¡°I suppose I don¡¯t see anything wrong with that,¡± he said, handing Reginald over to Luna.
¡°Thanks, we¡¯ll be quick!¡± Calico said. The women took Reginald and walked down a nearby alley, and Vee found himself left alone with the [Backstabber]. Janice, if he remembered right.
¡°So was it a good job?¡± he asked, trying to strike up a conversation, but gave up the attempt when the woman fixed him with a frigid glare.
Guess I¡¯ll just wait for them to finish up then, Vee thought, tucking his hands into his pockets.
He fought back the urge to whistle, grateful for the ray of sun peeking down through the clouds.
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 36
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 22 (+1)
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 2
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (UNCHANGED FROM LAST CHAPTER):
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 55
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 13
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 9
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
--~%@(%$@ &% (*$ #&#e !i$$ (#$%#$%#$@!)~--, #$v@& ????
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 10
Might: 1
Wit: 37 (+1)
Faith: 16
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 41 (+1)
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 76
Reginald did his best to feign bemusement as Luna carried him into the alley and set him down atop a dumpster.
¡°Whatever could you want to talk to me about?¡± he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral. It was a losing ¨C if not already lost ¨C battle, but the [Core Spirit] didn¡¯t mind if they figured him out. Heck, he even appreciated the glares the [Witches] gave him as he curled his mouth into a tiny smile.
It got harder and harder to find ways to amuse himself as he got older, so he always tried to take advantage of the little things when they cropped up.
¡°Did you know?¡± Luna asked, folding her arms across her chest. The pumpkins in her eyes sparkled, though Reginald couldn¡¯t be certain of the underlying emotion responsible.
He had to choose his words carefully now. While he was rather confident that he knew what the [Pumpkin Witch] was referring to, he didn¡¯t want to risk giving anything away that he shouldn¡¯t. It didn¡¯t do to answer one question but invite a dozen more.
¡°Did I know what?¡± he asked, letting his smile widen.
The other [Witch], the [Sister of the Plate] stepped forward and leaned down to look right into Reginald¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did you know about the¡the¡the¡drat! I can¡¯t say it!¡±
Well, that answered one of his questions, Reginald thought. If the [Witches] were bound by the vow of silence, then the yeti village was still around and Ildor¡¯s magic yet held. Those were both good things, he decided.
¡°We came across a¡across a¡shoot, I see what you mean Calico,¡± Luna said. She frowned, thinking for a moment, then said, ¡°The place where we found your reservoir. We had some questions about it.¡±
¡°And where exactly would that be?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be difficult,¡± Calico said. ¡°I can see from your expression that you clearly know what we¡¯re talking about. Why not just admit it? Do you enjoy causing us trouble?¡±
¡°That¡¯s just how he is,¡± Luna said. ¡°Vee is always complaining about it. Reginald enjoys causing trouble, so I think we can just safely assume he knows what we¡¯re going to ask about and carry on from there. I don¡¯t want to be here all day. I still have to get to the post office and tell my supervisor I¡¯m back, and then do my route.¡±
Reginald whistled, which was no small feat for an entity lacking lips, teeth, or a tongue. ¡°You¡¯re still going to work today? I figured you¡¯d be taking it easy on account of just getting back, not to mention your chase of the [Golemancer] last night. How¡¯d that go, by the way? I¡¯m surprised he escaped from you and Holly.¡±
¡°He¡¯s trickier than we thought,¡± Luna said. ¡°Has a skill that lets him teleport between mud puddles, which we hadn¡¯t seen before. But don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get him eventually. Wait. Don¡¯t try to change the subject, Reginald. Calico and I want to know why you set up that job, knowing what was out there.¡±
¡°The same reason anyone offers an adventuring job,¡± Reginald said. ¡°I needed something and didn¡¯t have the ability to get it myself. The fact that you two ended up being in the party that took it was a happy coincidence, I assure you. I haven¡¯t been to the mountains myself for nearly half a millenia. I certainly didn¡¯t expect you to find the yeti village, but it¡¯s not a bad thing that you did. After all, as members of the city¡¯s coven-to-be, its existence is something you two should be aware of. Especially you, Luna.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
A stray plume of smoke floated down the alley, and Reginald twisted himself back and forth. His smile faltered just a touch. It seemed that they weren¡¯t as alone as the [Witches] thought they were.
¡°It¡¯s somewhat difficult to explain. Every month, the moons wax and wane, right? From new to full and back again. People are the same. Ideas are the same. Cities are the same, for all that they look different and sometimes take different names. The new replaces the old, becomes old itself, is forgotten or abandoned, and then becomes new again at some distant point in the future. This is just that, but taking place on a different scale.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean,¡± Luna said.
¡°You will in time. See, long before this city was called Oar¡¯s Crest, it had a coven of [Witches],¡± Reginald said, speaking slowly. ¡°Every city did in those days. Before any kid with a sword could summon flames or ice or lightning like they can today, it was wizards and witches who ventured out and brought light to darkness. No classes, no skills, no stats. Just magic.
¡°The coven protected people from things that existed outside the natural order. They gave advice, treated illnesses, helped with births, held hands for deaths, and did a thousand other little things that matter more than anyone might imagine. They were a force for good, even if they occasionally had to deal with one of their number who lost their way and fell to evil.
¡°But, as I¡¯m sure you know, they were also jealous of their place in the world. They tried to stand against the tide of progress, rebelled against the gods, and were eventually crushed in the horrific nightmare of fiery meteors, poison gasses, and butcher¡¯s fields that we now glibly call the ¡®Coven Wars¡¯. Something easy to write down and forget about. Of course, magic itself couldn¡¯t be eradicated, but Gwalchmei and Pippa and some of their peers managed to create a workaround so that magic could be a part of their precious System. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was good enough. In the years after, with people taking so eagerly to classes, levels, and life under the System, the need for a coven vanished, and they all but disappeared.¡±
Another plume of smoke floated by, this one tinged with just a touch of danger. Watch yourself, it seemed to say.
Stolen novel; please report.
Message received, Reginald thought, looking back towards the boarding house. ¡°Now, I¡¯m not saying that there¡¯s any danger of the System going away or failing, but things that are old are indeed becoming new again. Perhaps it¡¯s time for our city to have a coven again, eh? You already have three members, unless I¡¯m mistaken.¡±
Something hot touched the back of Reginald¡¯s brim, and the hat yelped. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s all I can say on the matter for now, ladies. My hands are tied. Well, metaphorically speaking anyways.¡±
Neither [Witch] spoke for a moment, and the hat could see the gears in Luna¡¯s mind twirling.
However, it was Calico who spoke first. ¡°That¡¯s all well and good, but what¡¯s the buried beast? We heard about that too. If cycles are starting to repeat themselves, is that something we need to worry about?¡±
¡°No,¡± Reginald said. ¡°The buried beast is dead and gone, sealed away by a [Wizard] without peer. It¡¯ll be another thousand years before its ghost even stirs.¡±
[Loyalty +1]
[Faith +1]
[Expository Prowess +1]
Well, unless Vee does something monumentally stupid, Reginald thought to himself as he fell silent. But that was the type of thing it was better not to say.
¡°Is there anything else you wanted to know? If not, we should probably head back. I bet Vee is losing his mind.¡±
¡°I have one last question before we go,¡± Luna said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s about the coven wars. Were you¡were you there?¡±
The last traces of Reginald¡¯s smile vanished.
Nothing more needed to be said after that.
Vee paced back and forth while he waited for Luna and Calico to bring Reginald back. They¡¯d been talking for nearly fifteen minutes now, and he was itching to get to the dungeon and start the day¡¯s work. They¡¯d been lucky enough to earn a bit of a reprieve from paying Sacre back, but Vee couldn¡¯t afford to slow down. The circuit drew nearer by the day, and the [Dungeon Master] was starting to feel a touch of dread regarding his prospects for having everything ready in time.
He coughed, glaring over at Sculla who was steadily puffing away on her pipe. The ogre didn¡¯t notice, or maybe she just didn¡¯t care if she did.
Vee tried to focus. On the day¡¯s agenda was tracking down the twins who¡¯d helped with the slimes during the first snowfalls of winter to see if they¡¯d be interested in working with his light section to clean up the streets before the circuit started.
That¡¯d have to wait until after the day¡¯s runs, though. Vee had somehow misplaced the card they¡¯d given him with their address, and he hoped to find it somewhere in his office. If not, he¡¯d have to go try and find them, which didn¡¯t sound like much fun at all.
After that, he had to pay Brice a visit and see if he could grab a couple of the dunpla figures to bring back to Torres, but the [Toymaker] wasn¡¯t in his shop until well after the dungeon runs were underway, so that would have to wait until evening as well.
What could he get done before heading to Crestheart?
¡Not really much of anything, as it turned out.
Kicking a small pebble with his right foot, Vee scowled down the alley and waited for Luna, Calico, and Reginald to reappear. What in Gawain¡¯s name could they be yapping about?
He looked over at Janice, ultimately deciding against trying again to start a conversation. She was visibly seething, twirling her daggers in her hands. Vee idly wondered why she hadn¡¯t accompanied Luna and Calico to go chat with Reginald. She seemed rather mercenary; maybe she just didn¡¯t care now that the job was finished. A respectable mindset, if a bit difficult to be around.
He turned to Alforde, but the armorsoul was fixated on Slammy and trying to dislodge a tiny sliver of dried mud from the weapon¡¯s head. No help for Vee¡¯s boredom to be found there.
Fine. He¡¯d just sit there with his thoughts until he got Reginald back.
It wouldn¡¯t be too much longer, right?
Shifting in place, Vee lifted up the bottles he¡¯d gotten and took a good look inside. The liquid was somewhere between black and blue, though occasionally he caught sight of silver flecks that seemed to vanish if he tried to look at them too long.
The bottles glowed like a bonfire when he tried to use [Third Sight] on them, and Vee quickly deactivated the skill. He swore, closing his eyes and rubbing them. Only after the afterimage was gone did he open his eyes once more.
Finally, Luna emerged from the alley with Reginald in her hand and Calico behind her.
Smiling, she handed the hat back and said, ¡°Thanks, Vee. We got everything we needed. Now if you just give us the money for the job, we¡¯ll be going.¡±
¡°Oh, right. I forgot about that,¡± Vee said sheepishly. ¡°Can I get it to you later?¡±
Luna looked at Calico and Janice, who both nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just don¡¯t wait too long, okay. The guild has a rule that after three days of non-payment, adventurers are supposed to start charging interest.¡±
Vee did not need another accruing debt in his life, so he promised to have the payment to Luna by the end of the day.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s head to Crestheart,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said. ¡°While we walk, you can tell me how this reservoir works, okay?¡±
¡°Sure thing boss,¡± Reginald said. ¡°It¡¯s really easy, I promise.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales (Unchanged from last chapter):
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 36
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 22
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 2
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged from last chapter):
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 55
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 13
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 9
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 10
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17 (+1)
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 41
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 9
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23 (+1)
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 77
Vee crouched down in front of Dheart, scowling at the mess of buttons, switches, and dials that adorned the dungeon heart¡¯s top and sides. He¡¯d once had a manual that detailed all of them, but, like most people with a new purchase, Past Vee had set it aside without even so much as a cursory read through, and then promptly discarded it. Now he was left with a series of things he¡¯d never used, let alone understood, and as the scratched, singed, and lightly bleeding skin on his arms and right cheek could attest to, some of them were dangerous.
The [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t fathom why in Gawain¡¯s name the dungeon heart had been built with traps that attacked anyone who pressed its buttons, but that was a matter for another time. For now, he had to do his best to find the button that would let him pour the agua magia into Dheart so that it could be absorbed by Reginald¡¯s core, while also minimizing his injuries.
¡°I¡¯m telling you, boss, it¡¯s the big yellow one on top there,¡± his hat said, gesturing with one of his tiny spirit arms. ¡°Trust me.¡±
¡°But there¡¯s no way for you to know that for sure,¡± Vee insisted. Sure, the button his [Majordomo] was pointing at looked safe, but so had Reginald¡¯s first three suggestions, and all of them had turned out bad. He winced, looking ¡°And if it¡¯s another steam vent or set of shadow claws, you¡¯re not the one who¡¯s going to suffer the consequences.¡±
¡°But you can¡¯t just sit here staring at them forever either,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Eventually you¡¯re going to have to pick one, right?¡±
That was true, but Vee didn¡¯t bother answering. He looked at the buttons carefully, wishing that they had markings or icons that would give him a hint as to their purpose. Nothing stood out, and so with a resigned sigh, he moved as far away from the button as he could, turned his body to the side, and pressed the button.
There was a clunk, and a panel opened on Dheart¡¯s side. Through the chute that was now visible, the [Dungeon Master] could see the familiar glow of Reginald¡¯s core. The [Core Spirit] made a gleeful sound that promised plenty of future bragging, and Vee scowled.
¡°You were bound to get lucky eventually,¡± he said quickly to head off any imminent crowing. ¡°Now how much of this stuff should I go ahead and pour in?¡±
¡°Just a little bit to start. It¡¯s been a long time since my core has had access to anything so potent, and the absorption process is going to be slow. Aqua magia evaporates quickly in open air, and we don¡¯t want to waste even a drop.¡±
Vee nodded. ¡°And you¡¯re sure that this won¡¯t cause anything bad to happen?¡±
¡°Of course I¡¯m sure. Now get pouring, boss!¡±
Still feeling somewhat apprehensive, Vee opened the bottle and held it over the chute. He tipped it forward just enough to let a small trickle of the shimmering liquid escape, then drew the vial away and closed it once again at Reginald¡¯s command.
The aqua magia bubbled and frothed when it made contact with Reginald¡¯s core, but Vee didn¡¯t get to see much beyond that as Dheart¡¯s chamber sealed itself shut.
¡°I¡¯ll let you know when to add more,¡± Reginald said as Vee stood up and walked over to his console. ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead and get the dungeon ready for the day¡¯s first runs, eh?¡±
Vee nodded and sat down. For the next few minutes, he checked his handful of traps, making sure that they were ready to go, and reorganized a few of his monster packs. The skeletons had caused some trouble the day before, attacking their allies as ferociously as their enemies, so he separated them out into their own tiny chambers to make sure that they didn¡¯t get into any mischief before or during runs.
When he was satisfied that things would work the way they were supposed to, he gave his [Majordomo] the signal to go ahead and leaned back.
He hoped that the aqua magia would help Reginald regain his levels quickly; he missed the full array of traps, platforms, and other dungeon elements that he normally had, and yearned for their return. If that could happen before the circuit was scheduled to start, all the better, but he¡¯d make do if it didn¡¯t.
The day¡¯s first adventurer stepped inside, brandishing her wand like a sword and looking like she was ready to swing it at a moment¡¯s notice. Vee hadn¡¯t ever seen her inside the dungeon before, and when he looked down at her application, he saw that in addition to being a level 33 [Kinetic Blaster], her so-called ¡®home branch¡¯ of the adventurer¡¯s guild was in Old Narluc. Their strange icon ¨C which looked like an octopus wrapping its tentacles around a ship or something ¨C made him uneasy, and he thought he heard the faintest hint of a whisper after a few seconds of staring at it.
Curiosity prompted him to look through the rest of the challenge applications, and he saw that in addition to Old Narluc, there were also challengers from Shontsdale, Amespool, and Yew¡¯s Rise. All of them were over level 30 in their primary class, which meant that they shouldn¡¯t have any problems making it down to Alforde, especially since Crestheart wasn¡¯t currently at full strength.
He pointed down to the papers, and got Reginald¡¯s attention. ¡°What do you make of this?¡±
The hat looked over the applications carefully, his mouth curling into a frown. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, boss. They¡¯re probably just sending adventurers to scout us out in order to get an idea of how hard the dungeon is before the circuit starts.¡±
Vee¡¯s Devious Mind ¨C or perhaps just some good old fashioned paranoia ¨C prompted him to ask, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s any chance they¡¯re here for nefarious purposes? Sabotaging us or something?¡±
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
¡°I suppose it¡¯s technically possible, but isn¡¯t very likely,¡± Reginald answered. ¡°They don¡¯t really stand to gain anything by causing trouble. After all, we¡¯re the first dungeon in the circuit. If we end up looking like a joke, most of the fairweather dungeon sport watchers who might be interested in the circuit will write the whole thing off as a bunch of amateurs. It¡¯d make more sense for them to add some extra surprises we can¡¯t account for to give us a better chance of stopping challengers if anything.¡±
He paused, then ruffled his brim. ¡°With that said though, we should probably keep a close eye on them all the same, eh?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Vee said, leaning forward in his chair and watching the viewing crystal intently. ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±
The [Kinetic Blaster] sent blue-white tendrils of energy toward the first set of ghosts that assailed her, turning them into scraps of ectoplasm almost instantly. She was quick, precise, and completely methodical in her approach as she swept from one room to the next; this definitely wasn¡¯t her first dungeon. Her gait revealed no obvious weaknesses, just dutiful determination, and Vee drummed his fingers against the armrest of his chair as he tried to think of something that would cause her trouble during her run.
He scowled when she dodged every monster attack with ease, using the open space in each room to control the engagement from start to finish. Were the rooms simply too big? It was an aspect of dungeon building he hadn¡¯t given much thought to before, but maybe that¡¯d been a mistake.
Other competent adventurers had come through Crestheart before, but they were rare enough that Vee still felt like he was seeing one for the first time, and he was still too inexperienced as a [Dungeon Master] to have a standard plan of action for challengers who were too strong.
Was this what all the adventurers with the circuit would be like? Vee hoped not, or he¡¯d need to rethink his minions and traps again before it started. While the limited offering worked decently against the people who came to Crestheart on a regular basis, the [Dungeon Master] was worried that all the challengers would simply blow their way through them like the [Kinetic Blaster] was doing now. Juggling the available power would be a pain, but hopefully Reginald would be able to regain enough levels to let him turn some of the bigger traps back on.
HIs apprehension grew when she made it to Mister Chills and defeated the ghost snowman with no more than a few flicks of her wand.
She traversed the third floor with ease, leaping over the gaps and pitfalls that were still active like a toddler jumping over a mud puddle, and veritably strutted down the steps to Alforde¡¯s arena before Vee got the chance to warn his friend of an impending challenge.
Alforde straightened up and hoisted Slammy onto his pauldron when the doors opened up and a woman carrying a wand walked inside. He flexed his plates, making sure that everything was moving as it was supposed to, and greeted his approaching challenger.
¡°I assume you know the rules regarding champion bouts?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± the woman snapped. ¡°I¡¯ve challenged twenty different [Dungeon Champions], and bested sixteen of them!¡±
¡°Good,¡± Alforde said, tossing her the ssb and waiting for her to take it. ¡°I¡¯ve been itching for a decent challenge. Show me what you¡¯ve got. [Chilling Tempest]!¡±
Ice and howling winds filled the arena, and the battle began. The adventurer leapt forward, the tip of her wand glowing, and Alforde activated [Unstoppable Charge] to meet it.
The challenger went flying, and Alforde felt a twinge of disappointment.
Maybe he hadn¡¯t needed the domain after all. He¡¯d have to be more judicious in the future.
¡°Well, that¡¯s one less thing to worry about,¡± Vee sighed as Alforde knocked the woman out of the stage for the fourth time in less than two minutes. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we have Alforde.¡±
Back on the earlier floors, the [Dungeon Maintainers] were hard at work resetting their rooms and getting Crestheart ready for the next run. Though it wasn¡¯t technically proper, Vee decided to go ahead and test his newest hypothesis, tweaking the dungeon a little bit by shrinking the rooms with the help of [Walking Walls].
¡°What are you doing, boss?¡±
¡°Seeing if this boosts the combat effectiveness of our minions,¡± Vee answered. An unintended side effect of his efforts was quickly becoming apparent, though: there was a glut of empty and unused space toward the end of each floor, and Vee hurried to think of something he could use to fill the space. Dropping a bunch of minions inside and turning them into brawl rooms was definitely an option, but it was an unsatisfying one. Vee wanted to do something better, but he¡¯d have to test a few options for what might be best after the day¡¯s challenges were done.
Vee conveyed his wishes to the [Dungeon Maintainers], telling them to start bringing up slimes, elementals, and ghosts to fill the new rooms. This reset had already taken longer than it should have, and he was eager to get the next run going.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales (Unchanged from last chapter):
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 36
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 22
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 2
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 55
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 12
Heart of a Champion: 14 (+1) [Deferred due to [Fair Fight]]
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 9
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ?? (+2)
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Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11 (+1)
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 41
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 10 (+1)
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 78
During the rest of the day¡¯s runs, Vee¡¯s experiment with smaller rooms seemed to be slightly more effective, though they didn¡¯t change the outcome for any of the out of town adventurers. Whether due to their level or the fact that they were simply more experienced than most of Crestheart¡¯s usual customers, the scouting challengers all made it down to Alforde without issue. However, none of them managed to defeat the armorsoul, which Vee took as an encouraging sign of the actual circuit itself.
He noticed that Alforde was somewhat sloppy in his bouts immediately following those in which he used his domain, as if the effort of summoning it was exhausting. As a result, Vee breathed a secret sigh of relief when his friend said that he¡¯d refrain from using [Chilling Tempest] unless the adventurer was proving troublesome.
¡°It¡¯ll be like a final phase,¡± Alforde exclaimed as he carried up the day¡¯s earnings. ¡°The adventurer will think that they¡¯ve gotten through the worst of the fight, and then bam out comes the icicles and the wind! Hey, Vee! Do you think we could get some musical crystals installed down in my arena? I think some mood music would be really great for that, don¡¯t you? Maybe something orchestral? Or ¨C I know! ¨C we could get an [Opera Singer] to really bellow out some high notes. You know, some real oooh-ahhh-AHHHHHHH stuff.¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow as Alforde raised his gauntlets to the sky and shook them in an attempt to demonstrate what he thought an opera singer might look like in the throes of such a musical performance. Privately, the [Dungeon Master] doubted that there¡¯d be any need for such flailing, but he was far from an expert on opera, so who was he to judge?
¡°¡We definitely don¡¯t have the fleurs for that sort of thing right now buddy. Maybe someday down the line, though.¡±
Alforde¡¯s helmet fell forward.
¡°Fine,¡± he said in a quiet, defeated voice. ¡°I just thought it would be cool.¡±
¡°It would be,¡± Vee hurried to say. ¡°It¡¯s just, uh, additional ambiance isn¡¯t really our primary concern right now, you know? Let¡¯s go ahead and count the day¡¯s earnings, and then we have to go and run some errands before heading back to the boarding house.¡±
They counted up the coins ¨C six hundred and eighty fleurs in total and taxes and other relevant fees ¨C and the shards of chaos, then put them in the vault and sealed it shut.
Vee looked over at Reginald. ¡°How goes the aqua magia absorption? Think your core is ready for more?¡±
The hat twisted his brim and smiled. ¡°Probably.¡±
Vee reached into his pocket and drew out the vial. Despite the fact that he¡¯d already poured some into Dheart, it still felt nearly as heavy as it¡¯d been when he¡¯d first received them from Luna. ¡°Same amount you think?¡±
¡°Yeah, that makes the most sense.¡±
Vee added the liquid, closed the panel on Dheart, and straightened up. ¡°Alright, now that that¡¯s done, we¡¯re off to Brice¡¯s place to pick up some dunpla figures.¡±
It¡¯d taken some searching, but he¡¯d managed to find the card with the twins¡¯ address tucked away in one of his many notebooks.
He drew the card out of his pocket and read the tight, clear handwriting.
Cooper and Tracy Kartine.
4427 Emberberry Lane, Apartment M38
He wasn¡¯t sure where Emberberry Lane was, but that was okay. He¡¯d ask Brice, or if that failed, Torres, and if that failed, random people around the city. Someone was sure to know and be able to point him in the right direction.
A short while later, Vee left Brice¡¯s shop with an armful of dunpla figures. The [Toymaker] had given him an Alforde figure, three different ghosts ¨C which didn¡¯t look entirely like the ones found in Crestheart, but were still easy to identify ¨C a skeleton knight, and a treasure chest. They were surprisingly heavy, and Vee clutched them to his chest as he went to deliver them to Torres.
The [Stationer] glared at them all in turn once Vee handed them over. He twisted and turned them around, examining every part, then set them down and sniffed loudly.
¡°These are boring. Gray. Lifeless. How can I design something beautiful for something so far from it?¡±
Vee refrained from rolled his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re supposed to be gray so that people can paint them however they want to.¡±
[Patience +1]
Torres sniffed again, a scowl darkening his face. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see the point of such nonsense, but I¡¯ll go ahead and makes some boxes all the same. They should be ready in three or four days, okay?¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Vee said. ¡°Go ahead and bring them to the dungeon when you have something for me to see, okay?¡±
Leaving the [Stationer]¡¯s house, Vee turned down a nearby side street. Torres had pointed him in the right direction to find the Kartine siblings, and in a rare stroke of luck, Emberberry Lane was actually pretty close.
Plenty of people were out and about, the warming weather encouraging them to start the prep work for all that spring entailed. Vee noticed several little flower beds looked like they¡¯d been freshly weeded, and there were other signs of cleaning too. It was nice, seeing the little changes in the neighborhoods. He could only hope that there were still more to come. Nothing could compare to the first days of spring after a long winter, and what a long winter it¡¯d been!
The twins lived in a rundown apartment complex of blue and gray buildings. Everything looked like it needed a fresh coat of paint, except for the sandwich sign out front that promised ¡°Big, clean rooms!¡±
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It was the type of thing that became more unlikely because attention had been brought to it, the same way someone repeatedly telling you how honest they were was often a good sign that you were dealing with a liar. Vee walked past the sign and started looking for the M building.
The complex was surprisingly big and sprawling, and none of the lettering made sense. The O building was between the R and B building, for example. Vee found the M building after fifteen minutes of searching, which was a rather long time to be walking around an apartment complex.
A pair of menacing salamanders stood in front of a door marked ¡°[Alchemist]¡±, their arms folded across their chests and their eyes following Vee¡¯s every move as he walked by. A terrible smell unlike anything he¡¯d ever come across before wafted into Vee¡¯s senses, causing him to wince. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes, and he was glad to have the [Alchemist]¡¯s ¡°shop¡± behind them.
¡°Heck of a place,¡± Reginald said as Vee spotted the M building. It was next to a lot filled with overflowing dumpsters. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll find someone advertising their services as a [Personal Disposal Specialist] too?¡±
¡°Shut up,¡± Vee said, quickening his pace and climbing up the stairs to the third floor with Alforde right behind him. He found the apartment they were looking for and knocked on the door.
Nobody answered at first, so Vee knocked again. Someone came to the door, and a growling voice said, ¡°Who are ya and whaddya want?¡±
¡°My name is Vee Vales, and I¡¯m the [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart. I¡¯m looking for Cooper and Tracy. They helped me out with some work a few months ago, and I was hoping to get their help again.¡±
¡°Hey, kids! Get out here! Got a weirdo in a blue coat here looking for you,¡± the voice hollered.
It was silent for a minute or two, then a series of clicks and clunks came from the door and it opened up halfway. Cooper and Tracy were standing behind it, curious expressions on their faces.
¡°Mister Vales? What do you want?¡± Tracy asked. She was slender and a bit shorter than her brother ¨C though still a few inches taller than Vee, a fact that irked the [Dungeon Master] more than he cared to admit ¨C with shoulder length blonde hair. Her and Cooper both were dressed in rough, homespun clothing, but their eyes glinted with the same determination.
Vee liked the twins. They¡¯d come to help with the slimes because they were Driven to earn enough money to move their family out of Oar¡¯s Crest. Their dad ¨C presumably the owner of the growly voice who¡¯d first opened the door ¨C had been injured in a job site accident of some kind and had taken to drinking his pain away, and their mother barely earned enough to keep them fed.
Vee smiled. ¡°Well, I actually came here with a job offer for you two. There¡¯s a dungeon circuit coming to Oar¡¯s Crest in a few more weeks, and I¡¯m trying to make sure that the city looks as nice as it can before the adventurers and media start arriving. It¡¯s the same type of thing you did with the slimes back at the beginning of winter, but this time you¡¯ll be having them eat trash and debris along the streets instead of melting snow. Would you two be willing to help again?¡±
Cooper folded his arms across his chest. ¡°How much are you paying?¡±
Vee shrugged. ¡°Same rate as last time? Fourteen bronze fleurs per hour.¡±
Alas, the boy shook his head. ¡°Wrangling those slimes was a pain,¡± he said, looking at Tracy. ¡°They wanted to get into everything.¡±
¡°Add another five and you¡¯ve got a deal,¡± Tracy said. Cooper closed his eyes, and his sister coughed before saying, ¡°Actually, make that six.¡±
¡°Twenty bronze an hour and we¡¯re in,¡± Cooper confirmed. ¡°We won¡¯t do it for a single fleur less.¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s too much. I could maybe go up to sixteen bronze an hour, but that¡¯s the limit of my budget, I¡¯m afraid.¡±
¡°Nineteen.¡±
¡°Sixteen, and you can also take the slimes around to other places in the city and offer to clean them for a fee once you¡¯re done with the areas I assign you each day. You can keep everything you make from those jobs, if you get any.¡±
Both twins¡¯ eyes flashed at that, and Vee felt compelled to add a quick caveat. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to expect that you handle my work first and to the best of your abilities before you go off soliciting other customers. What do you say?¡±
Cooper and Tracy stared at each other, and Vee wondered if they had some sort of [Twin Speak] skill that let them communicate telepathically. That type of thing was far more common in identical twins than fraternal ones, but their frequent silent stares at one another and uncanny knack to be on the same wavelength didn¡¯t leave many other explanations open.
Finally, they both held out their hands at the same time and said, ¡°Deal.¡±
Vee got a notification when they shook.
[Bargaining +1]
[You can now use the Marginal Persuasion skill!]
Vee closed his eyes, performing a quick check of his soul¡¯s mirror.
[Marginal Persuasion - (Active): Once every twenty-four hours, gain +2 Charisma and +1 Bargaining for a duration of three minutes (can be extended with a greater amount of Bargaining).]
That wasn¡¯t bad at all, Vee decided. He¡¯d have to be mindful about the best times to use it, but getting a little boost to his ability to convince others was most certainly going to be helpful in the future.
¡°Come by the dungeon tomorrow afternoon and we¡¯ll get you both your slimes, okay?¡±
The twins nodded, and Vee turned to leave.
With his two biggest tasks for the day taken care of, the [Dungeon Master] decided to go ahead and take the rest of the evening off.
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 30
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 36
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 19
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 22
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3 (+1)
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 55
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 13 (+1)
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Vigilance: 9
Vanity: 2
Reginald (Unchanged from last chapter):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
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Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 41
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 10
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 8
Volume 2 Chapter 79
The next two days passed without incident, with Vee adding another fourteen golden fleurs to his still-depleted dungeon coffers. Micah was making himself comfortable in the lobby, and the snippets of conversation he heard from the adventurers had given him confidence that he¡¯d made a good decision.
Reginald continued absorbing the aqua magia, but the liquid was surprisingly dense and the levels in the bottles weren¡¯t depleting the way the [Dungeon Master] expected them to. At least the [Core Spirit] was slowly regaining his levels, bringing with them slight increases to Crestheart¡¯s functionality. There was still a ways to go before the dungeon was back to ¡°normal¡±, but Vee would take every additional trap, moving platform, or other manipulable element that he could get.
One of his tasks for the day, in fact, was figuring out what to bring back first. During most runs, Vee found himself missing the [Frost Vent] traps the most, so he was tempted to select those, but most adventurers struggled with the ones that used [Sloping Ice] more.
However, before he could get to that, Vee had to go and collect the uniforms for his light section from Natasha the [Tailor]. The fleurs in his pocket felt like they were made of lead as he walked toward the market, but the temporary reprieve from paying Sacre back meant that he didn¡¯t need to panic about the expenditure.
Still, he knew all too well how fast the two weeks would fly by, and was determined to firm up his financials as much as possible before then. Especially since the twins were going to start costing him money too. Not much, thankfully, but more fleurs going out the door was always something to be mindful of.
He still had some reservations about Reginald¡¯s idea to go and sell debt to the public, but there was more research and thinking he needed to do before making a final decision on that option. Vee knew that he could postpone those things by getting more fleurs into the dungeon, but it weighed on him all the same.
Shaking his head, Vee pushed the thoughts from his mind. There¡¯d be time to settle those things later. Hopefully.
Natasha was hanging a few dresses on racks beneath a canvas awning when Vee, Alforde, and Reginald arrived. The dresses were nice; earth tones decorated with flower patterns that celebrated the coming spring.
Vee¡¯s cheeks warmed as he imagined Luna wearing one. She¡¯d probably look rather pretty.
¡°You have good timing,¡± Natasha said as she pointed to a large box on the ground. ¡°I just finished your uniforms up this morning. Do you want to take a look at them?¡±
Vee nodded, following the [Tailor] over to the box in question.
They were thick, bulky things, reminiscent of the sacks used to carry agricultural goods. While they were hardly the most attractive things in the world, there was no doubt in Vee¡¯s mind that they were well made and would stand up to the rigors of street cleaning without issue.
¡°Everything look good?¡± Natasha asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± Vee said, reaching into his pocket to grab the fleurs. He handed them over, and watched Natasha count them.
¡°Pleasure doing business with you,¡± the [Tailor] said with a smile.
¡°Same to you,¡± Vee said. ¡°Hey, Alforde, mind picking these up? Let¡¯s get them over to the dungeon!¡±
The armorsoul crouched down and grabbed the box, picking it up with ease. Before the trio left, Natasha held up a hand and said, ¡°If that space you mentioned is still available, I might be interested in checking it out at some point. Juniper said you have some big plans for Westown over the next few months.¡±
Vee grinned. ¡°We sure do. Come visit sometime and I¡¯d be happy to talk.¡±
Bidding the [Tailor] farewell, the [Dungeon Master] and his companions headed over to Crestheart.
Getting the fiends into their uniforms was surprisingly tricky, but Vee managed ¨C thanks to no small amount of help from Alforde, who pulled a stuck sleeve into its proper position on more than one occasion ¨C and the [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t help but grin when they finished.
¡°You all look great. In fact, I¡¯d go so far as to say that you all look like proper [Janitors] now,¡± he said, feeling a reverberation in the air as the word left his mouth.
An impulse took him then, and the [Dungeon Master] decided to go ahead and formalize the thought as best he could. It¡¯d been some time since he¡¯d used [Bequeath Class], but if it¡¯d been fitting to use for Do and the other [Dungeon Maintainers], it was proper to use it here as well.
He started to use the skill.
First, a need to be addressed. Clean the streets near Crestheart, and those of Oar¡¯s Crest as well. Bring beauty back to this city.
The Expectation around his shoulders tightened. Flashes of blue flickered through his mind¡¯s eye.
Second, the name of the class to be given. [Dungeon Janitors]? No, that¡¯s too small. This one can¡¯t just be for Crestheart. It has to be bigger¡big enough for the city as well.
The Expectation nuzzled his ear. "[Custodian]."
That''s better. [Oar¡¯s Crest Custodian].
A pair of chimes rang through Vee¡¯s skull, ominous but also exciting.
Lastly, [Bequeath Class] required Vee to make a vow of his own responsibility, and after taking a deep breath, he did so.
"I, Vee Vales, [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart, will ensure that this class isn¡¯t used improperly. Its bearers will work for the betterment of the dungeon and the city we share."
A series of pings flowed like water through his bond to each of them, telling the [Ghost Maestro] that the light section had all received their new class. They also gained a point of Might, Wit, and Faith to go along with it.
[Leadership +1]
[Congratulations, you are now a level 31 Ghost Maestro!]
Another chime echoed in Vee¡¯s skull, louder and brighter than the others.
[Congratulations! You have reached a milestone in your quest, ¡®Through Crestheart, rebuild Oar¡¯s Crest¡¯!]
[Faith +1]
[Citizenship +1 ¨C As a quest reward, this will be shared across all existent bonds]
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
The [Ghost Maestro] felt a surge of pride as his fiends all stood a little straighter and their eyes grew brighter. They were developing into something greater than simple spirits, and Vee was ¨C at least a little bit ¨C responsible for it. That felt good¡and a little scary. Every [Ghost Maestro] knew that they changed alongside their orchestras, and the new purpose belonging to the [Oar¡¯s Crest Custodians] was Vee''s as well.
¡°Something wrong, boss?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Vee said, clenching his hands into fists. He''d rise to this. He would.
A few seconds later, his breath returned to normal.
He turned to the fiends and held up his hands. ¡°We¡¯ll go over your new tasks and routes in more detail tonight, but I think the earliest you¡¯ll get into the city is tomorrow. For now, just focus on your normal tasks, okay?¡±
The fiends grunted, and Vee dismissed them with another wave. Alforde waved his gauntlet to say goodbye, then headed into the dungeon¡¯s depths to prepare himself for the day ahead, leaving Vee alone on the sidewalk with Reginald.
¡°Come on, boss, there¡¯s still lots of work to be done today,¡± the hat said encouragingly. ¡°Let¡¯s get up to the office, huh?¡±
Vee nodded. ¡°Yeah, but first I¡¯m going to go and grab myself a snack. [Bequeath Class] takes a lot out of me.¡±
Curious to test Micah¡¯s goods for himself, Vee walked into the lobby and relished the welcoming smells of baking bread and freshly brewed coffee. Walking up to the counter, Vee grinned over at Micah and pointed to the nearest tray of cookies. ¡°What are those ones with the little bits of red in them?¡±
¡°Chocolate cherry,¡± the [Baker] said with an equally large smile. ¡°Would you like to try one?¡±
¡°Absolutely, and throw in one from over there too ¨C the ones with green frosting look good.¡±
¡°And a lemon mint, got it. Anything else?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°Not right now. How much do I owe you?¡±
Micah laughed and returned to the nearest oven, where a loaf of bread looked like it was just about ready to remove. ¡°Nothing, Mister Vales. You own the place.¡±
Vee thought about that for a moment. Technically speaking, that was true. Still, he grabbed a few errant bronze fleurs from his pocket and dropped them into an empty jar.
¡°As a tip,¡± he said, taking a bite of the chocolate cherry cookie.
It was absolutely delicious.
With one cookie eaten and the second one tucked away for later, Vee sat down in his chair and started adjusting dials. On the way up the stairs, he¡¯d decided to go ahead and re-activate the [Ice Slope] traps, deciding that his personal preference for [Frost Vent] didn¡¯t justify the weaker dungeon performance they brought.
Eventually he¡¯d get his precious traps back in their entirety ¨C which, speaking of, it was time for the day¡¯s first infusion of aqua magia ¨C but for the time being he wanted to make Crestheart the most challenging dungeon he could.
Before the day¡¯s first run started, he looked through the list of adventurer applications, seeing if the scouts from the other circuit participants had decided to return. None of them had. That was strange. Did they think that they¡¯d seen all they needed to in a single run?
He smiled. If so, he was going to do his best to give them all a proper surprise once the actual circuit started.
Next to him, Reginald went through his dungeon opening spiel like he did every morning, extolling the Crestheart¡¯s virtues and questioning the valor of its challengers. Vee tuned the hat out, like he usually did, and let his attention drift out the nearby window. He had a few minutes before he actually needed to buckle down and start handling adventurers.
An interesting sight caught his eye: down on the street below, Kai and Dandelion were pulling a makeshift wagon. It was covered in planter boxes that were starting to show the first signs of proper blooming.
The bonsai treant¡¯s barkboy held up one hand, and the wagon came to a stop. Kai and Dandelion sorted through the boxes, selecting a half dozen or so filled with small flowers and pulling them down to the ground. While Vee didn¡¯t recognize what kind they were ¨C he couldn¡¯t see the shape of the petals from up in his tower ¨C there was no mistaking their colors. They were all blue, silver, and gold.
Kai and Dandelion got to work getting them into the ground, with the [Menagerie Caretaker] digging with his barkbody¡¯s arms and the fiend using a strange shovel unlike anything Vee had ever seen before. The [Dungeon Master] was surprised by how quickly they worked ¨C his few recollections of playtime in the family garden weren¡¯t particularly pleasant ¨C and found himself wondering where they were headed next when it came time for them to leave.
Perhaps he¡¯d go take a walk around on his next day off to see how Kai¡¯s ¡°Verdant Construction¡± was coming along.
He had a gut feeling that it would be an important part of the city¡¯s next steps, especially if he wanted to try and attract other merchants to Westown as well.
Someone knocked on the door to the office, and Vee got up to answer it.
To his surprise, it was Michael Seidon. He was by himself.
¡°Have a moment to chat?¡± the council member asked.
Vee nodded, though he remained wary. ¡°Come on in. To what do I owe this particular honor?¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 31 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 36
Faith: 26 (+1)
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 20 (+1)
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 23 (+1)
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 56 (+1)
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9 (+1)
Vigilance: 9
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ?? (+5)
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 41
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 10
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9 (+1)
BONUS: Vee''s Light Section Sheets:
Bonus Oar¡¯s Crest Custodian Sheets:Sweep
Primary Class: Oar¡¯s Crest Custodian (Vee Vales), Level 1 (+1)
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 9 (+1)
Wit: 6 (+1)
Faith: 10 (+1)
Diligence: 4
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2 (+1)
Scrub
Primary Class: Oar¡¯s Crest Custodian (Vee Vales), Level 1 (+1)
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 9 (+1)
Wit: 6 (+1)
Faith: 10 (+1)
Diligence: 4
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2 (+1)
Shuffle
Primary Class: Oar¡¯s Crest Custodian (Vee Vales), Level 1 (+1)
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 9 (+1)
Wit: 6 (+1)
Faith: 10 (+1)
Diligence: 4
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2 (+1)
Scour
Primary Class: Oar¡¯s Crest Custodian (Vee Vales), Level 1 (+1)
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 9 (+1)
Wit: 6 (+1)
Faith: 10 (+1)
Diligence: 4
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2 (+1)
Swab
Primary Class: Oar¡¯s Crest Custodian (Vee Vales), Level 1 (+1)
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 9 (+1)
Wit: 6 (+1)
Faith: 10 (+1)
Diligence: 4
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2 (+1)
Sluice
Primary Class: Oar¡¯s Crest Custodian (Vee Vales), Level 1 (+1)
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 9 (+1)
Wit: 6 (+1)
Faith: 10 (+1)
Diligence: 4
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2 (+1)
Scrape
Primary Class: Oar¡¯s Crest Custodian (Vee Vales), Level 1 (+1)
Secondary Class: None (Vee Vales)
Might: 9 (+1)
Wit: 6 (+1)
Faith: 10 (+1)
Diligence: 4
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 2 (+1)
Volume 2 Chapter 80: Winslow Halburg (Interlude)
The warehouse bell chimed, and Winslow sighed, setting down his small brush and the femur he was using it on. It was the third time this week that he¡¯d drawn the short straw for warehouse attendant duty, and he was tired of having his work interrupted to go down and listen to the yattering [Caravan Guards] while inspecting each bone delivery.
¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming,¡± he grumbled as the bell rang again three times in quick succession. ¡°Hold your horses.¡±
He hurried out across the workshop floor, heading for the staircase that would take him down to the gate controls, nodding to his coworkers as he passed them by.
Except for Yorick. Winslow couldn¡¯t stand Yorick. He was convinced that Yorick was somehow cheating in the straw draws each morning, because despite the fact that there were only seven of them in the workshop at any time ¨C six [Journeyman Necromancers] and Mort, the [Senior Necromancer] responsible for managing them ¨C it¡¯d been two hundred and seventeen days since Yorick had been forced to handle warehouse duty. Those were the kind of odds that begged investigation, but Mort refused to do so.
¡°Come back with proof,¡± the [Senior Necromancer] had told him when he¡¯d brought it up. Winslow wasn¡¯t sure what sort of proof he¡¯d ever be able to produce, but he was determined to find some, no matter how long it took.
His mood as sour as a lemon, Winslow made his way down to the warehouse and opened the heavy doors as the bells rang a half-dozen times more. Carriages rolled in, and a [Caravan Guard] hopped down.
¡°Took you long enough,¡± he said, walking over toward Winslow with a clipboard in his hand. ¡°I just need a signature on this form here, and then my guys will go ahead and start unloading.¡±
Winslow nodded, taking the proffered form and giving it a quick read.
It was a load of feral thornboar bones harvested from the vast tracts of farmland near Delsorry. Typically known for hunting in packs between thirty and fifty, the creatures were a menace for rural [Farmers] and [Ranchers]. Adventurer guilds around the continent had perpetual hunting contracts for the beasts, and their bones were among the most commonly sold to [Necromancers] for their work.
All the information looked like it was in order, but the workshop had a strict policy requiring visual inspection before accepting any bone deliveries, so Winslow pulled the tarp off the nearest carriage and started an examination.
He picked through the bones, testing their weight and hardness to make sure that they were genuine. When he was satisfied that they were all what they were supposed to be, he signed the form and handed it back to the [Caravan Guard] so that they could start unloading.
Then he had to wait for the [Warehouse Workers] to come pack the bones into their storage containers, and that took nearly two hours. He hated having to supervise such things, but making sure that the bones were sealed in so-called ¡°quiet¡± containers that would shield them from any stray skills coming from the workshop was another part of his job. It was a big part of why he hated warehouse duty.
As it turned out though, today was one of the rare days when a [Necromancer]¡¯s skills were actually necessary. Two of the boxes had damaged seals, and he repaired them, then bolstered their protection with a quick use of [Stir Not], which further dampened the efficacy of necromancy skills.
He¡¯d once thought such precautions unnecessary, but the energy of unlife built up a residue. Given time to amalgamate unchecked, it could produce some truly nightmarish horrors, as the complete destruction of Rugin¡¯s ¨C a competitor¡¯s workshop ¨C to a Twisted Bonehemoth a few years prior could attest. Even now, Winslow¡¯s skin crawled at the memory of the beast, which had been forty feet tall and covered in half-functional arms and hands. He¡¯d been haunted by the sight of its blazing purple eyes and madness-inducing laughter for months afterwards. Even now, he still woke up sometimes with his heart racing, afraid that he was going to be put in the cage of blood and bones that¡¯d hung from the bonehemoth¡¯s chest.
Taking a deep breath, he finished his work and directed the [Warehouse Workers] to store the bones in the first bay of the warehouse. Thornboar bones were easy to slot into any project, so they were sure to be put to use sooner than later.
With that matter settled, Winslow returned to his workbench. Before resuming his work, though, he took a few minutes and rubbed a fresh coat of holy herbs over his hands. The green, white, and golden paste dried almost instantly, and Winslow¡¯s skin tingled slightly as he picked his brush back up.
A big part of a [Necromancer]¡¯s daily work, at least in all the workshops he¡¯d been with, was cleaning bones so that they¡¯d be easier to assemble and work with later. Bits of remaining tissue ¨C commonly referred to just as meat, regardless of what they actually were ¨C hindered the bindings that connected bones to their new cores, which made the construct likely to break during use. It was important, albeit tedious work.
For the purposes of his current task, Winslow only needed to work through three increasingly fine brushes. He was halfway done with his second one, and he dutifully went around the length of the femur, making small circles to remove as much meat as he could.
Blowing off the debris he¡¯d loosened, like a [Carpenter] might with sawdust, Winslow examined the femur carefully before deciding that he could go ahead and grab the last brush in his sequence.
He repeated the brushing process that he had with the other two brushes, and when the femur was done it was time for Winslow to start the assembly and animation process.
Like always, bright music played throughout the workshop. Mordecai Karth ¨C the [Master Necromancer] who owned the shop ¨C had something of a complex regarding the dark, dour, and frequently evil stereotypes commonly associated with his class. As such, he wore nothing but vibrant floral shirts and insisted that the workshop be ¡°bustling with life at all times¡±. The music made it hard to work sometimes, as several [Necromancer] skills required a Solemn or Somber Mindset. Thankfully, Mordecai had also gone ahead and developed [Memento Mori], a short-duration buff skill that allowed a [Necromancer] to attain such statuses at will.
Winslow went ahead and used [Memento Mori] by drawing a small placard out from beneath his desk and reading it. It was a woodblock print depicting a skull, and underneath its grin, the words ¡°You will die!¡± were written in a bold, blocky type.
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Winslow stared at it for a few moments, until the world darkened the way like it was supposed to ¨C indicating that the status effect had taken hold properly ¨C and then turned to his tools.
The list of pieces he needed to get done for the day was next to them. Five distinct skeletons models, ranging in difficulty from beginner to advanced. It would have been more efficient to simply focus on one each day, but necromancy wasn¡¯t like other manufacturing processes. Lacking the¡spark of inspiration normally found in those who followed the path of unlife, rote repetition tended to gum up the bones, so to speak, weakening the bindings and lowering the quality of the final result. The only way to avert that risk was for a [Necromancer] to bounce around between projects, relearning the subtle nuances of each model with each creation.
Additionally, it was best practice to go through the workload at random as well, so Winslow grabbed his dice and rolled it. Three. That meant he¡¯d be starting with¡ a bone seeker.
Bone seekers were advanced skeletons, lithe creations that specialized in ranged combat. They could use most bows, but were particularly effective with bonemerangs. Mid-level dungeons liked to use them quite a bit, but their niche was somewhat limited.
Winslow tried to think about how long it¡¯d been since he¡¯d last made a bone seeker. It¡¯d been a while; he specialized in melee and mounted models.
Maybe two months or so? Back near the start of winter, he thought. That was more than enough time to forget the arrangement of the core patterns, so Winslow grabbed his reference manual and flipped through the pages until he came across the section for the bone seeker.
¡°Doesn¡¯t look too bad,¡± he said to himself as he jotted down some notes on a sheet of paper and unlocked his bucket of core pieces. He sifted through the mess, digging around until he found the collection of pieces he was looking for, then got to assembling them.
Skeletal core construction was a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle. The pieces, which had all been harvested from various creatures around the continent, wanted to snap together, and when they were done they formed a small, hollow sphere.
Grabbing his box of reagents, Winslow turned to the core recipe sheet. Six graveberries, one strand of eerie bindweed, fourteen petals of widow¡¯s borage, two slitherkin scales, and one truetiger fang.
Counting each element three times to ensure that he had the amount right, he added everything to his large pestle and started grinding them into a thick purplish paste. It was hard work, and Winslow was breathing hard by the time he was finished, but his job was still not done. Using a small scraper, the [Necromancer] jammed every last bit of paste that he could into the empty core, satisfied only when it started to glow of its own volition. When that happened, he closed the sphere with its final piece, and brought his hands together.
¡°[From Life, Unlife],¡± he said, and a mote of light the same color as the core came out of his chest. It merged with his creation, providing the energy the skeleton would need to function once its body was assembled, though the process was slow and would take a few minutes to be finished.
In the meantime, he¡¯d start assembling the bone seeker¡¯s body. Picking up the small bones that would form the skeleton¡¯s torso, he fastened them together until they formed a cube of sorts that he could attach the rest to. By the time he was done, the core was approaching its maximum strength, so he went ahead and socketed it into place as well, then reached for the bits that would become the shoulders and arms.
However, before he could attach them, though, someone knocked on the outside of his station and got Winslow¡¯s attention. He turned to see Yorick ¨C that cheating jerk! ¨C and Lorelai, another one of his co-workers looking in at him.
¡°Boss wants us up in his office,¡± Yorick said. ¡°Go ahead and use a [Pausing Seal] on that seeker. I think it¡¯s going to be a while.¡±
Nodding, Winslow turned around to do as suggested. He drew a circle around the skeleton-to-be¡¯s body with holy herbs, then brought his hands together and activated the skill. For the next twenty four hours, his creation would remain in stasis, and he could resume his work at any time without quality degradations.
Standing up, Winslow followed his coworkers toward the stairs that led to the boss¡¯ office. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s not Mort that¡¯s asking after us? What does Mordecai want to talk to us about?¡±
¡°No idea,¡± Lorelai said. ¡°He just came down and told me and Yorick to get everyone else and head up to see him.
After collecting the rest of the working [Necromancers], they all made their way up to the boss¡¯ office. Like his outfits, Mordecai kept the place bright, with plenty of little inspirational signs all over the walls. One depicting a bee carrying a scythe said ¡®Beelieve in yourself!¡¯, while another one that showed two kitrekins standing next to a grave marker said ¡®Live well, laugh often, and love much¡¯.
They were¡in a word, strange, but it wasn¡¯t Winslow¡¯s place to judge his boss.
The [Master Necromancer] himself leaned back in a big chair, his sandaled feet up on his desk and a cup of steaming coffee in his hands.
¡°Good to see you,¡± Mordecai said as he straightened up and walked over to give each of them a handshake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disrupt your day, but there¡¯s a matter that we must attend to! One of you is going to be going on a road trip! Isn¡¯t that exciting? Think about it! The open road, relatively free from bandit activity, adventure, and of course, the chance for experiences you¡¯ll cherish for a lifetime! Who doesn¡¯t think that sounds great?¡±
¡°Where are we supposed to be going?¡± Lorelai asked.
Mordecai reached into his pocket and drew out a letter. He examined it, his eyes traveling up and down the paper, then said, ¡°Looks like¡Oar¡¯s Crest. One of our customers, a¡Vee Vales¡ is reporting an evolutionary event in some of the skeletons he ordered from us. He¡¯s asking us to come investigate and advise. Since our records indicate that his skeletons came from one of you seven, it¡¯ll also be one of you that goes and takes care of whatever the problem is. I think that¡¯s plenty fair, eh?¡±
¡°Oar¡¯s Crest?¡± Yorick asked incredulously. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know that craphole had a dungeon!¡±
¡°It¡¯s relatively new,¡± Mordecai said. ¡°We¡¯ve only got a few orders from MIster Vales, and they¡¯ve all been for basic skeletons, but his registration with the union indicates that his dungeon is ghost themed so there¡¯s a good chance we¡¯ll get more if it grows and develops. As such, I¡¯m making the executive decision to build a good relationship with him now, especially since he seems to be rather assertive. Whoever gets selected will receive overtime pay, as well as a traveling stipend of ten silver fleurs per day. Any volunteers?¡±
Winslow didn¡¯t say anything. He wasn¡¯t terribly interested in going to Oar¡¯s Crest ¨C or travel at all, for that matter ¨C and didn¡¯t need the extra money the way Lorelai or some of the others might.
But alas, none of his coworkers spoke up to take the job, and Winslow recognized the glint in his boss¡¯ eye that followed the prolonged silence.
¡°If nobody volunteers, then we¡¯ll have to select a happy victim!¡± the [Master Necromancer] said, holding out a balled fist. Seven small straws poked out, and Winslow groaned at the sight of Yorick¡¯s triumphant glare.
The [Journeyman Necromancers] took their turns pulling straws, and Winslow found himself staring at the tiny embodiment of his crappy luck a few moments later.
¡°Excellent,¡± Mordecai said. ¡°Go ahead and finish your bone seeker, then pack your bags. You can go ahead and leave tomorrow morning.¡±
A notification appeared before Winslow¡¯s eyes.
[You have been given a quest: Investigate the Skeletons in Oar¡¯s Crest! Would you like to accept?]
Sighing, Winslow reached up and hit yes. The notification vanished.
Winslow''s Character Sheet:
Winslow Halburg:
Primary Class: Journeyman Necromancer (Mordecai Karth), Level 32
Secondary Class: Scholar (Atkintall¡¯s University, Morality and Philosophy Department), Level 26
Tertiary Class: Janitor (Atkintall¡¯s University Custodial Department), Level 20
Additional Class: Bereaved Grandson (William Halburg), Level 18
Might: 19
Wit: 46
Faith: 40
Diligence: 36
Ambition: 21
Melancholy Perspective: 30
Patience: 35
Attention To Detail: 17
Pride: 9
Dubious Morality: 22
Steady Hands: 24
Bonus Content: Your First Class (A Pamphlet Sent to Parents and Children In Dabbworld)
YOUR FIRST CLASS!
A Primer For Parents and Children
Has your child started seeing stars? Or asked what the tiny blue, gold, white, or green specks in the air are? If so, that means that they¡¯ve started System Integration and will soon be capable of earning their first [Primary Class]!
While most children will begin this process between the ages of two and four years old, every kid is different and it¡¯s perfectly normal for that to happen a little later. However, if your child is over the age of nine and still not a class holder, consult your [Doctor], [Priest], or other System Professional about manual integration options.
In this pamphlet, we¡¯ll cover some of the most common tactics and techniques for tailoring your child¡¯s first class, and for answering some of their many questions about the new world that they find themselves in. Like what does it mean to attain a class? Or how does a class impact daily life?
Maybe you have questions too, like how to tailor your child¡¯s first class or how to help them find resources they need to improve their leveling.
Ready to learn about classes? Great, let¡¯s [Dive] in!
CLASSES ARE:
Fundamentally, classes are a way of fitting into the world. They¡¯re a combination of the way that a person views themselves and is viewed by others. Over time, our classes can shape our attitudes, beliefs, and in some cases even things like our physical appearance! That might seem scary to think about at first, but it¡¯s important to remember that classes are a lot like clothes in some ways. If you find yourself not liking a class, you can get rid of it and get a different one! No matter how old you get or how long you¡¯ve had a class, YOU are always in control of who you are.
Classes are fun! As you level them up, they let you learn cool, exciting, and powerful skills that let you make all sorts of stuff, move in ways you might have never imagined, or do a whole list of other things that we don¡¯t have space for here. Classes let you dive deeper into the mysteries and subjects that most interest you! Isn¡¯t that cool?
Want to learn more? Great! But, before we go on, we need to cover one of the most important parts of the System: Leveling.
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LEVELING:
Levels are a numeric representation of your class mastery. As you practice your skills and do the things that define your class, you¡¯ll level up! Levels are like candy: having more is better! Usually, levels give you more stats too, which can help you in all sorts of ways.
How do you level? While each class is unique, there are a few general concepts to keep in mind that will keep you growing:
Mix it up: Doing new things, or doing old things in new ways, is a great way to level up fast!
Practice diligently: Be mindful of how your body moves and the things you think about when you use your skill. Trying to do more with your skills is a great way to expand your horizons and earn more levels.
Study primers, manuals, and other class-specific texts: Almost every class in the world has had other holders before you. Many of them wrote down their insights and experiences, providing a great source of knowledge that you can draw from in your own journey. Many of these texts are available in Libraries across the continent. Like always, if you have a question or need to find something specific, ask a [Librarian]! They''re great sources of knowledge!
Get individual help: There are all sorts of [Coaches], [Therapists], [Teachers], [Mentors] and other professionals that can provide advice if you have class-specific questions. They can be expensive, but the specific help they offer can be well worth it for breaking through the plateaus that naturally form while leveling.
However, it¡¯s important to stress that levels and stats aren¡¯t the only thing worth worrying about. It¡¯s entirely possible to live a happy and fulfilling life without attaining particularly high levels in any class, and attempts to maximize levels can lead to all sorts of negative emotions, especially since leveling speed slows at higher levels. Trying to push past 60 in any given class can be difficult, and is often limited to a few outstanding class holders.
When in doubt, just relax and chill out!
GOOD STARTER CLASSES FOR CHILDREN:
Helping your little one get their first class is a moment of joy for most parents. However, it can sometimes be daunting to pick a good one that will translate well to a happy childhood, so here¡¯s a list of useful and practical classes for children that have stood the test of time.
For specific class details and instructions on attaining any of these classes, please consult our additional pamphlets.
[(Parent¡¯s) Garden Helper]
[(Parent¡¯s) Kitchen Helper]
[(Parent¡¯s) Cleaning Helper]
(Note: any [(Parent¡¯s) Helper] class will upgrade to [Little Big Helper] at level 3, which can be an exciting opportunity to discuss class upgrades and specializations with your child).
[Super Player]
[Super Runner]
[Super Singer]
[Super Dancer]
(Note: [Super] Classes tend to disappear of their own accord after a year or two of holding, but they¡¯re lightweight and fun until then).
[Pet Lover]
[Big Imaginer]
[Silly Bug]
[Curious Chatterer]
Bonus Content: The House Of Maluw (Excerpt from Two Sides of the Same Coin: [Heroes] and [Villains])
Like many families, the House of Maluw has humble roots. However, their tree also contains some of the greatest heroes and villains in the history of Oar¡¯s Crest.
Originally, the Maluws made their money as merchants, and they built a vast trading network for spices, fabrics, and dyes. Their bravery, or possibly recklessness in the face of adverse weather, meant that they made more trips each year than the rest of the competitors, and earned a substantial advantage as a result. However, after losing three caravans in a single summer to vicious bandit attacks, the eighth head of the family, Remi Maluw, decided to expand into other markets. Specifically, he used the knowledge gleaned from his experience to become an (Appraiser), offering his services to the adventurers who wandered the lands in those days in search of riches and glory.
For many years, this venture was wildly successful, as records indicate that House Maluw profited and expanded even further during this period. According to recollections from citizens alive during the time, Remi integrated the family in local politics, building a reputation as a strong advocate for business interests within the city and a charming (Rainmaker) who didn¡¯t know how to take no for an answer. Further records indicate that at some point Remi stopped leading caravans completely, citing an unknown injury that made travel difficult. The family hired outsiders and business continued largely as it had before.
Remi¡¯s interest in the arcane and mysterious grew with every artifact that he encountered, and as the years went on he started passing down his knowledge to his son, Jacques. Ever a diligent and dutiful father, Remi taught Jacques how to properly wield a chain mace in addition to the differences between enchanted and bespelled items.
By all accounts, young Jacques excelled at both, managing to singlehandedly slay a blight troll at the age of thirteen when it attacked the caravan he was accompanying as well as making several lucrative purchases that added the equivalent of thousands of fleurs to his family¡¯s coffers when they were sold on the open market a few years later.
Thanks to his high Passion* and Determination stats, Remi rapidly gained levels as an (Appraiser). No item was too obscure for him to look at, nor was any functionality too deeply hidden to escape his understanding. Or at least, that was what everyone believed.
As Remi¡¯s fame grew, increasingly exotic objects found their way to Oar¡¯s Crest. One such item was a small vial that looked as if it was designed to hold perfume. Covered in mother-of-pearl, it was delivered by a (Warlock) with a lopsided grin who claimed he¡¯d looted it from a freshly born dungeon. Like always, Remi agreed to take a look at it, but his first examination ruled out the need for any others. There was nothing magical about the vial at all; it was simply a small trinket. It is believed that the (Appraiser) set it aside in his workshop while he (Assessed) the rest of the pieces in the (Warlock)¡¯s haul.
No one knows why he didn¡¯t simply dispose of the vial. The most likely explanation is that he simply forgot about it due to the high number of other artifacts demanding his attention at the time, while other thinkers claimed that there was some amount of Malignant Awareness that buttressed the vial against what could have been perceived as ¡°harm¡±, but the remaining records are far from sufficient to be sure of either explanation.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
However, we do know that keeping the vial around was a grave mistake.
Despite its benign appearance, the vial was a phylactery that contained the life force of Karlem, a powerful lich. Over the months that followed the (Warlock)¡¯s visit, evil seeped into Remi through the air, whispering into his mind and corrupting him.
Recovered records ¨C mostly journals and third-hand retellings of old stories ¨C claim that the Maluw patriarch became paranoid, short-tempered, and vicious as the darkness contaminated and destroyed his soul. Before a year had passed, the only thing left of Remi was a withered husk that seemed to straddle the line between life and unlife. Wreathed in evil magic, ¡°Remi¡± started building a tower of bones in the center of the city, killing every adventurer who tried to stop him with spells as powerful as they were horrifying.
Word of the terrifying situation spread quickly, and it ultimately reached Jacques Maluw, who¡¯d taken to the road to see the world for himself as well as earn extra money working as a (Bodyguard). The twenty-two year old was disturbed by the stories of his father¡¯s eldritch transformation, especially because they matched the troubling rumors he¡¯d heard for months.
Apparently, a man with a crooked smile** had been spreading curses around the continent, and Jacques feared the worst. Abandoning his contract, Jacques returned home as quickly as his horse could carry him, and what he found was more heinous than he¡¯d ever imagined. However, he did not despair.
An excerpt from his lone surviving journal explains the situation:
¡®The gruesome tower sat in the center of the city. Built of blood and sun bleached bones, it was an abomination so awful that I vomited as soon as I saw it and several times after in quick succession. Staring at it gave me a headache, and whispers seemed to fill the air if I stood still for too long. A crimson liquid, like bloody tears, flowed down its side, and black goo covered the ground. I knew that such evil would only spread further if it was left alone, so I swore then and there that I¡¯d destroy it by my own hands and set things right. A Maluw always sees the job through.¡¯
Aided by a local ogre who refused to tell him her name, Jacques stormed the tower, destroying undead minions with his chain mace and a variety of other enchanted weapons he¡¯d collected during his travels. Sadly, the specifics of these pieces of {Equipment} have been lost to time, but empty bottles retrieved from the Maluw family archives suggest Holy-attuned elixers and potions.
The battle between Jacques and the lich wearing his father¡¯s body was something like one of brawls a reader might find in the more flowery versions of Gwalchmei¡¯s legend. It¡¯s said to have lasted for an entire day and an entire night, culminating in a swirling pillar of blue flames that appears to have been one of the first documented human uses of (Azure Judgment).
Unfortunately, the blaze destroyed the majority of the city as well as its intended target, leaving nothing but a crater in the earth. For the next decade, Maluw solicited funds from others and poured almost his entire fortune into burying the remains of the tower and rebuilding the city anew.
Though members of the Maluw family vehemently deny it, there are rumors that they continue to take an interest in standing against evil beings of all kinds. Fathers pass their knowledge down to their sons, mothers pass their learning down to their daughters, and each patriarch or matriarch uses their skills as [Alchemists] or [Enchanters] to ensure that Oar¡¯s Crest and the surrounding cities never falls prey to such a dark fate ever again.
*One of the primary stats prior to the Moonfall, associated with the goddess Pippa.
**Believed to be Bartholomew Dupree, the (Servant of the Nethergrasp) slain by Auron Tidemaker during the Battle of the Black Dragon. Further details about him are available in other texts.
Bonus Content: Vees Present Day
The first time Vee Vales woke up on Present Day, it was dark outside, and he smiled as he rolled over into a more comfortable position and went back to sleep. After all, he¡¯d set his alarm for fifth morning bell, and there was no point in getting up too early.
However, the second time Vee woke up on Present Day, bright rays of sunshine were peeking in through his window ¨C it was, in fact, one such beam that¡¯d woken him up in the first place ¨C and Vee sat up in a panic. He hadn¡¯t heard his alarm go off, but the fact that it was already so bright out meant that it was indeed later than fifth morning bell.
Throwing open his blinds, Vee looked out at the city below. Bardis was covered in snow, its streets perfectly white, and icicles hung from the windows of every other building that he could see. It was festive and peaceful, yet the youngest Vales son¡¯s mouth fell open in abject horror.
What time was it?
He looked over at his bedside table to check his clock, only to realize that the clock wasn¡¯t there at all.
¡°Looking for this?¡±
Vee¡¯s head snapped over to the foot of his bed, where his older brother, Emory, was sitting and tossing Vee¡¯s clock up and down like a ball. Emory was grinning, and with a strangled cry Vee ran over and attacked with as much fury as his eight-year-old body could muster.
¡°I thought you were going to wake up earlier than me this year? Didn¡¯t you bet me half your candy that you¡¯d be up first? I got a look at them when I came upstairs, and let me tell you, little brother, they look awfully full!¡±
¡°You cheated, Em! You stole my clock! You¡¯re a no good dirty rotten cheater.¡±
Emory laughed, taking his brother¡¯s blows in stride for a moment before grabbing Vee in a tight one-armed hug. ¡°Hardly. You¡¯ve got to expect stuff like this, little brother. Leaving your belongings unprotected is basically inviting them to get stolen. Besides, even if you¡¯d had your alarm you wouldn¡¯t have been up before me. Father had me up at fourth bell to look over some of the inventory that came in overnight.¡±
Vee stopped struggling. ¡°He did? Why didn¡¯t he wake me up too?¡±
¡°You¡¯re still too little,¡± Emory said. ¡°He only started having me look at them with him last year, so I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll get woken up extra early in another couple years.¡±
Vee started to pout, but was distracted by Emory pulling him toward the door.
¡°Come on, breakfast is just about ready, and after we eat you can go through your candy sock. Since I¡¯m such a nice big brother, I¡¯ll let you pick the candy you¡¯re going to give me.¡±
The Vales household was always well-kept, but on Present Day morning it was a sight to behold. Red and green tapestries hung from the walls, all the gold and silver decorations had been freshly polished, and the air was filled with the warm scent of roasted chestnuts and other spices. Several of the family armorsouls wandered the long hallways, sweeping up even the smallest specks of dust, and they all bowed to Vee and Emory as the boys passed.
¡°Good morning, young masters,¡± they all said.
Vee waved back, and Emory gave them all a solemn nod.
The family dining room was decorated in the same way as the house, and the large table in the center was filled with all manner of delicious food. There were trays of eggs, fried potatoes, and various bits of meat, platters of fruit shaped to look like flowers, and enough cookies, pastries, and tarts to open a bakery. Had it just been the four of them, Vee would have thought the display excessive, but since it was Present Day ¨C like all holidays as well as the last Saintsday of every month ¨C the [Servants] would be joining them too. Since the Vales family was served by a small army, there¡¯d be enough for leftovers but not much more than that.
His parents were already sitting at the table, and while Vee¡¯s mother, Emma, waved her sons over so that she could give them both a strong hug and enough kisses to make both boys blush and brush her off, Vee¡¯s father was focused on the sheet of paper in his hands. It might be Present Day, but business didn¡¯t stop, and Tyrion Vales barely acknowledged his sons with a grunt as they sat down.
A bell rang a few seconds later, and the [Servants] filed into the room soon after. After receiving their annual bonus envelope from Tyrion and Emma, the [Servants] took their places at the table and joined in the morning¡¯s feast. Conversation and the sounds of utensils filled the air, and Vee let his eyes lead his stomach as he piled his plate high with fried potatoes, slices of thick bacon, and eggs scrambled with red spices and topped with green stuff. Like any good eight year old, Vee normally didn¡¯t like green stuff on his food, but the eggs were so yummy that he didn¡¯t really mind it in this case.
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Vee ate quietly and quickly, nodding his head and responding politely whenever anyone tried to strike up conversation. Next to him, Emory was having an animated conversation with Jules, the [Head Butler], about some painting in the family study.
Not for the first time, Vee wished that he had his older brother¡¯s ability for conversation.
His mother reached over and idly stroked his hair, and Vee snuggled against her once he was finished eating.
¡°Okay, are you about ready for your presents?¡± she asked.
¡°Yeah!¡± Vee said. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡±
Smiling, Emma reached over and put her hand atop Tyrion¡¯s. ¡°Come on dear, let¡¯s go watch the boys open their presents. Your reports will be waiting for you when you get back.¡±
Vee¡¯s father grunted. ¡°Of course, darling. Just one last document.¡±
¡°Now,¡± Emma said with a laugh. ¡°You know as well as I do that if I agree to let you fiddle with your papers we¡¯ll be here till nightfall. A few minutes without work will do you some good.¡±
Sighing, Tyrion set down his report and stood up. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right, my love. Come on, lads, let¡¯s go see what you got for Present Day!¡±
Inside the Vales family room, there was a pile of presents that was taller than Vee was. However, in the center of the room, there were two boxes that caught Vee¡¯s attention and held it without letting go. They were made of a nice, dark wood, and covered in marquetry patterns of flowers and birds. One had ¡®Emory¡¯ on its side, the other had ¡®Vee¡¯.
¡°I¡¯d suggest saving those for last,¡± Tyrion said with a smile as Vee went over to open the special box up to see what was inside. ¡°Go ahead and open your other presents first.¡±
Vee did as his father said, and for the next hour he and Emory opened up all manner of incredible toys, exotic candies, and nifty little trinkets. Most of them were from his parents, but a few were from his aunts and uncles or some of Tyrion¡¯s business associates. This latter group was scrutinized by Tyrion himself, and Vee was sure that his father was mentally judging the presents.
Finally, the time came to open the special box, and there were five small elixirs inside.
¡°What are these?¡± Emory asked, picking up a bottle and examining it. ¡°This one says [Acrobat].¡±
¡°Those are Zalumnian Class Testers,¡± Tyrion said with a smile. ¡°Drinking one lets you become the labeled classholder for a few hours.¡±
Vee looked down at his own bottles. Like Emory, he too had [Acrobat], but that was where the similarities ended. Instead of [Panflute Summoner], [Ghost Maestro], [Wrestler], and [Carpenter], Vee¡¯s own bottles contained [Shadow Dancer], [Wind Caster], [Explorer], and [Cook].
There was also a small booklet that contained brief descriptions of each class, and Vee read the entries for [Shadow Dancer] and [Wind Caster], since they seemed the most interesting.
[Shadow Dancer] - Use the power of shadows to weave in and out of existence.
Skills gained: [Shadowstep], [Two Step], [Basic Rhythm]
[Wind Caster] - Use the power of wind for fun and profit!
Skills gained: [Gale Flick], [Trade Winds], [Gust]
Vee rubbed his chin. Hmm, that didn¡¯t really explain much, did it.
Emory had already drank his [Panflute Summoner] vial and was trilling away on the spectral silver instrument that¡¯d appeared in the air before him. Sure enough, a stream of butterflies poured out.
Which one did Vee want to try first? Truthfully, none of the options seemed all that great, but Vee picked up [Shadow Dancer] all the same, as it seemed the most interesting of the options he had available.
However, before he opened it up, he looked over at Emory¡¯s box. For some reason, [Ghost Maestro] caught his eye. He thought back to what Emory had said earlier that morning and smiled.
Moving as deftly as he could, Vee swapped the [Shadow Dancer] vial for the [Ghost Maestro] one and popped the cork out. The liquid was cool and slightly sour as he drank it down, and Vee shivered as a false system notification appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations! You have been given temporary access to the Ghost Maestro class!]
[You can temporarily use the skill Shape Ectoplasm!]
[You can temporarily use the skill Second Sight!]
[You can temporarily use the skill Ghost Baton!]
[Time remaining: five hours, fifty nine minutes]
Vee didn¡¯t know what any of those skills were or what they did, so he closed his eyes and consulted his soul¡¯s mirror to check. What the heck was ectoplasm?
Thankfully, [Second Sight] allowed him to see the strange, wispy energy that floated in the air like cobwebs. There wasn¡¯t much of it in the mansion, but he gathered up enough to make a small, uneven ball and bounced it on the floor a few times.
It wasn¡¯t as impressive as the myriad of followers that now surrounded Emory, but Vee thought he¡¯d have fun with his temporary class for the next few hours.
Volume 2 Chapter 81
Vee led Seidon into the office and pointed to the chairs next to the table in the center of the room. ¡°Go ahead and sit wherever you¡¯d like,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t offer you any coffee or tea; I don¡¯t generally entertain visitors up here.¡±
The councilman shrugged as he walked over and took a seat. Vee noted with a small measure of satisfaction that Seidon sat as from the window as he could.
¡°It¡¯s fine, Mister Vales. I wouldn¡¯t expect you to offer such hospitality, though most of your peers in the city would have both rapidly available for a council member¡¯s visit.¡±
¡°Most of my peers probably like you more than I do,¡± Vee said frostily. ¡°Though given the state of the city, I don¡¯t exactly understand why.¡±
Seidon smiled. ¡°You¡¯re as abrasive as ever, Mister Vales. Other than a bit of misguided credit-taking, what has the council ever done to you?¡±
Vee shrugged, unsure of where to start. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve been injured or inconvenienced by the council myself. It¡¯s more that I see nothing but signs of your incompetence and disdain for the city every time I walk down its streets.¡±
Heat rose through his throat and settled in his cheeks. ¡°Windows are broken on a daily basis, garbage is left to fester until it rots away. Organized crime operates in plain view of everyone, and frequent robberies and assaults are largely ignored and accepted as a fact of life. Meanwhile, [City Guards] are stationed all around the wall day and night to protect against a ridiculous fear of ghosts and spirits. People pay their taxes, only to watch their fleurs get spent on worthless vanity projects that don¡¯t help them at all, while the services they rightfully expect from the council are constantly cut back if not stopped outright.¡±
He stopped, trying to hold back the flood of anger that¡¯d suddenly filled his senses. Where had such a strong feeling come from? Certainly he wasn¡¯t a fan of the council, but he didn¡¯t loathe them either. It was like the words hadn''t even been his own.
The Expectation on Vee''s shoulders shifted, and the [Dungeon Master] looked down at the snake dragon. Had that line of thought come from the Expectation?
Before Vee could ponder the matter further, Seidon frowned and said, ¡°Interesting. I didn¡¯t realize you had such a heart for the common citizen, given your upbringing. Regardless of your opinion on the matter, Mister Vales, I can assure you that the council is doing everything we can to make Oar¡¯s Crest a better city for everyone who lives here. We¡¯ve taken steps to promote growth, like establishing the program that helped you start your dungeon here. However, we face constraints that you as a member of the general public are unaware of.¡±
¡°Such as?¡±
The councilman shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not at liberty to discuss them here. Now, with those, let¡¯s call them pleasantries, out of the way, I¡¯ll go ahead and get to the reason for my visit here today. It¡¯s come to the council¡¯s attention that you¡¯re intending to expand the scope of business activity here in Westown. As such, we have some safety and revenue concerns that we¡¯d like you to address.¡±
Seidon reached into his pocket and drew out an envelope. ¡°You¡¯ll find our questions on this letter, as well as an invitation for you to attend an upcoming council meeting in order to answer them.¡±
Vee took the letter, a sense of dread settling in his stomach. The paper felt like it weighed a hundred pounds, and he set it on the table before turning his attention back to Seidon.
¡°My plans aren¡¯t quite settled yet. There are still many things that I have yet to figure out. Am I obligated to attend this meeting?¡±
¡°It would be in your best interest,¡± Seidon said.
¡°Let me rephrase, then. Will there be any consequences to me or my business if I choose not to come and talk to the council?¡±
¡°Not at this time,¡± the councilman answered. ¡°Though of course we¡¯d remember your absence and add it to the list of things to be considered should any of your other ventures or activities require our approval. I¡¯ll remind you, Mister Vales, that while the council has allowed you a fair amount of freedom in how you choose to run your dungeon, we¡¯re not interested in another entity trying to subvert our authority.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not trying to do anything of the sort,¡± Vee insisted. ¡°I¡¯m simply trying to improve my business. Everything that I¡¯ve done so far has been in pursuit of that goal.¡±
¡°So you deny the claim that you¡¯re looking to expand Westown¡¯s business offerings?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. With the coming spring, I am indeed looking to increase the amount of non-dungeon activities near Crestheart, though I haven¡¯t made any formal plans or pitches yet. There are currently three other businesses operating out here besides my dungeon, but they ¨C as well as any other business owners who decide to set up shop here come springtime ¨C would still be paying tax revenue and be subject to all the laws and rules they currently follow.¡±
Seidon leaned forward, bringing his hands together to rest on the table. ¡°That¡¯s reassuring to hear, Mister Vales. However, taxation and regulation aren¡¯t the only questions we have for you. We¡¯re also concerned about the safety of our citizens. Your dungeon was originally permitted to operate here beyond the wall because the only people expected to be visiting it are adventurers who can protect themselves if the need arises. The refreshment center across the street falls under a similar category. However, the [Florist] and the [Gold Smith] operating here as well don¡¯t have any such protections, and might be the victims of violence. Now, I¡¯m afraid that I must be going, there are other matters I must attend to this morning. You¡¯ll find the details of our requests in that letter.¡±
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
He stood up and bowed his head politely. ¡°Thank you for your time, Mister Vales. I Iook forward to hearing from you soon, and I¡¯m sure the rest of the council does too. Our goal is to cooperate with you as much as possible for the betterment of our city.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure it is,¡± Reginald muttered. He glared at Seidon and looked like he had more to say, but Vee shook his head and the hat fell silent.
The [Dungeon Master] and councilman shook hands, and Seidon left soon after. Once the councilman was gone and his footsteps no longer audible, Vee¡¯s [Majordomo] made his opinion known.
¡°I don¡¯t trust that guy, boss. Michael Seidon has been on the council for almost two decades, and in that time not much has changed around here for the better. He¡¯s got ties to all sorts of shady stuff too.¡±
Vee sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t trust him either, but I can¡¯t exactly refuse to work with the council.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Because that¡¯s nonsense,¡± Vee said. ¡°We can discuss it in more detail later. Right now, there¡¯s work to be done here in Crestheart. Once Alforde brings the money up for the day, we¡¯ll go ahead and read the letter. After that we¡¯ll decide what we¡¯re going to do, okay?¡±
Reginald scowled, but didn¡¯t press the matter any further.
Before long, Vee had no choice but to push the meeting with Seidon out of his mind. There was simply too much to do in the dungeon. Forty adventurers had signed up to challenge Crestheart, and while he wasn¡¯t entirely sure if that was the record for single day runs, it was certainly in the top two or three.
That meant everything needed to be faster than normal, so Vee promised several bonus servings of refined ectoplasm to his [Dungeon Maintainers] to encourage them to be quicker about resetting the dungeon between runs.
¡°We¡¯re still going to be here way too late, boss,¡± Reginald said as the day¡¯s sixth run ended. ¡°These adventurers aren¡¯t giving up quick enough. Is there anything else you can do?¡±
Vee rubbed his chin. He still didn¡¯t have access to as many traps and platforms as he¡¯d like, but he could try shuffling the monster packs around a bit more. It might also be worth trying to use [Ectoplasmic Surge] here and there, if he thought the ghosts would be able to quickly overwhelm the challenger while under its effects.
However, even with his almost comical supply of spare refined ectoplasm ¨C his passive refinement rate had continued improving, thanks in part to his additional levels of [Ghost Maestro] ¨C he doubted he could keep the skill running for long. He¡¯d have to pick his spots carefully, and try to make the most of each use.
The next adventurer was a level 35 [Beast Tamer] who walked through the door with his giant blackfire tortoise companion. They both looked eager for battle. Remembering the man¡¯s last two runs, when he¡¯d fully cleared each floor, Vee hurried to activate [Boost Drops].
Once the skill was active and a chunk of the minion packs were marked and ready to attack, Vee focused on the way the man moved. No weaknesses were immediately apparent; the [Beast Tamer] was confident in his strength, but not arrogant. He moved quickly, but wasn¡¯t in a rush, and he was respectful in regards to the potential threats he¡¯d soon face.
Vee drummed his fingers on the desk. This wasn¡¯t exactly the best candidate for an [Ectoplasmic Surge], but he wanted to go ahead and try using it all the same.
He waited until the [Beast Tamer] walked into one of the newly shrunken rooms and the first packs of ghosts emerged from the walls to attack, then activated the skill. Keenly aware that each ghost affected would use up an entire cube of refined ectoplasm immediately and another one every few seconds after that, he was almost relieved when the [Beast Tamer] dispatched his minions with a few quick palm strikes.
¡°Looks like one or two scored a lucky blow,¡± Reginald said, and Vee looked closer to try and get a better idea of what his [Majordomo] was talking about.
Sure enough, he saw a tiny little scratch mark on the man¡¯s shoulder. He hadn¡¯t seen the ghost land the blow in the melee, but seeing as the [Beast Tamer] hadn¡¯t ever suffered an injury in the dungeon before outside of his bouts with Alforde, Vee decided that the [Ectoplasmic Surge] had been a success.
However, he wasn¡¯t silly enough to try using it again against the [Beast Tamer]. Instead, he¡¯d let the man work his way through the dungeon at his own pace. Even full clearing, the adventurer would be done in no more than fifteen minutes or so.
Vee ended up using three more charges of [Ectoplasmic Surge] throughout the day, and was extremely pleased with the results each time. Two of his later attempts had ended the adventurer¡¯s run immediately ,and the third had injured its target enough that the elkin woman hadn¡¯t been able to deal with Mister Chills. He¡¯d burned a good bit of refined ectoplasm though ¨C nearly four hundred cubes, according to Dheart¡¯s summary ¨C so it was definitely still something to be used sparingly.
His other efforts were less successful, as he struggled to find a consistent way to end runs early. However, he continued to feel more and more confident that his skill at manipulating the dungeon was improving.
If only he could get Crestheart to where he wanted it!
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales (Unchanged from last chapter)
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 31
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 36
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 24
Leadership: 20
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 1
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged from last chapter):
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 56
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 13
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 9
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ?? (+1)
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 41
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 10
Irritability: 22
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 82
Vee pulled out the council¡¯s letter and set it down on the table. ¡°I guess we should probably go ahead and read this thing, huh?¡±
Reginald scoffed. ¡°I doubt it¡¯s going to be much different than what Seidon said, boss. They¡¯re going to compliment you for Crestheart¡¯s recent growth, tell you that they¡¯re excited about the upcoming circuit, and then mention that they have concerns and ask you to address them.¡±
Vee opened the letter and started reading. Sure enough, the first couple paragraphs were virtually exactly what Reginald had predicted, though they framed their interest as questions instead of concerns.
¡°They also want to know where our assessment of risks for civilians entering Westown is,¡± Vee said as he read through the rest of the letter. ¡°Or to commission one if we haven¡¯t already done so. Beyond that, we¡¯re also supposed to provide an estimate of revenues, potential tax liabilities, and a bunch of other things I have no idea about as a part of a development project proposal. How are we supposed to come up with all that? Oh wait, never mind. It says a little bit further down that there¡¯s an [Assessor] we can hire to handle all of that for us if we don¡¯t have the capacity to do it ourselves. The fee is pretty steep, though: it¡¯s fifteen gold fleurs just to start.¡±
¡°And I¡¯m sure almost all of that would find its way right back to the pockets of the council before the ink is even dry,¡± Reginald said darkly. ¡°It sounds like a load of crap to me, boss.¡±
¡°Even so, it¡¯s not like we can ignore this letter or decline to get them the proposal, right?¡± Alforde asked.
¡°Not outright,¡± Reginald said. ¡°But we can stall for a while by saying that we¡¯re unsure of our plans and considering our options. Any assessment we produce is going to depend on what we¡¯re actually looking to do, so we should play that up as much as possible.¡±
¡°Do you think it¡¯d be a good idea for us to tell Kai to hold off on his verdant construction thing in the meantime then?¡± Vee asked.
¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strictly necessary either. I doubt most members of the council will ever venture out to Westown at all, let alone come comb around to see what Kai is up to. So long as we don¡¯t go around aggressively recruiting people to set up shops out here, we should be fine for a while as we are. My vote is that we just keep on doing what we have been, and only comply as much as is strictly necessary. It¡¯s better to ask for forgiveness than permission, you know?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s wise. It¡¯s probably not smart to try and subvert the council as a first resort,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Instead, we should go talk to this [Assessor] and try to get a feel for what we¡¯re looking at cost-wise for compliance. Maybe it¡¯ll end up being surprisingly affordable. At the very least, we should refrain from taking any action for now and consider our options until we get that invitation to the council meeting. Surely no harm can come from that, right?¡±
Vee nodded. ¡°That seems like a reasonable idea. Do you object, Reginald?¡±
The hat flapped his brim. ¡°Not enough to raise a stink about it. I¡¯ll just say that I don¡¯t believe the council is going to be our friends. They¡¯re too entrenched, and too corrupt. If you want to finish that quest of yours, boss, I suspect that you¡¯re going to have to drag them along kicking and screaming behind you. If you keep that in mind, there¡¯s nothing wrong with waiting and seeing how the situation develops as long as it doesn¡¯t force us into doing what they want.¡±
Vee flashed his hat a thumb¡¯s up. ¡°Understood. Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t let inaction get the better of us.¡±
[Patience +1]
¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± Reginald said.
With the matter settled for the time being, Vee went downstairs to work on replenishing some of the day¡¯s ghost losses; a downside of such eager adventurers was that nearly all of his packs had been completely obliterated.
It took a few minutes for the [Ghost Maestro] to get everything ready. He¡¯d found it easier to make steady progress when he had his materials near to hand when he started. As he started feeding a thin sheet of ectoplasm into the first machine, he wondered how many days of dungeon runs he could currently sustain if he stopped what he was doing and didn¡¯t make any more ghosts.
He had no idea¡which was probably suboptimal. To remedy the situation, he summoned Cecil, his [Excellent Spreadsheet].
¡°How may I be of assistance, master?¡±
¡°Can you give me a count of all the minions currently available to the dungeon?¡±
Cecil hummed for a moment, then said, ¡°I could, but it¡¯s been several weeks since my internal counts were updated. It is unlikely that my information is accurate, especially since I don¡¯t have an up-to-date connection with the menagerie.¡±
Vee swore. He¡¯d meant to make sure that the spreadsheet had ways of updating itself so that its info would always be current, but he¡¯d been distracted by other things and had failed to do so.
Well, maybe Reginald could take some of the blame too, as this was the type of thing he was supposed to handle as Vee¡¯s [Majordomo], but the hat would surely just deflect, saying that the reason he hadn¡¯t done anything was that he lacked mobility.
Speaking of that, Vee needed to get serious about working on the ghosthetic to allow Reginald to travel around. He¡¯d been putting that off for far too long as well.
¡°I¡¯ll start on that once I finish up this batch of ghosts and do a quick count of the dungeon¡¯s available minions,¡± Vee decided. ¡°Cecil, can you calculate some averages for how many minions we lose each day?¡±
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
¡°What time frame do you want me to consider, master?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s start with the last three or four weeks and see how it looks. I think that¡¯s going to be more useful given the amount of adventurers we¡¯re seeing on a daily basis, and should be closer to the type of demand we¡¯ll see with the circuit.¡±
¡°Understood. Give me a few minutes, master.¡±
That was fine by Vee, who had plenty of work to occupy him in the meantime. While he thought about the dungeon and the issues it currently faced, he fed sheets of ectoplasm into the machines, pulled them free, and fit them together to make the basic ghosts that were common in Crestheart. The routine allowed his mind to wander, and he found himself dwelling on the idea between quality and quantity. Since it was still unlikely that Reginald would manage to get all his [Core Spirit] levels back before the start of the circuit, maybe he could help bridge the gap between his expectations and his current reality with some better minions?
He put that question aside for a moment, returning his attention to the assembly job at hand. He popped a trio of ghosts together and made sure that they were all fit properly, grinning at how much faster the job was now compared to what it¡¯d been when he¡¯d first been starting out as a [Ghost Maestro]. When he¡¯d been naught but a fresh graduate from the academy, he¡¯d struggled to put together even a single ghost. His ability to manipulate ectoplasm and use sigilmancy had both been laughably bad ¨C though he never would have admitted such a thing.
In the years after that, he¡¯d improved, albeit slowly, but it hadn¡¯t even that long ago that the idea of making a dozen ghosts in a day was something he¡¯d only been able to aspire to. Now he could do that in less than an hour, and was getting faster by the day.
If he kept improving, would he someday be able to make a thousand or more ghosts in a day?
Maybe with some more machines and a few extra helpers, he thought with a small smile. That kind of speed was still a long, long way away, and he wasn¡¯t even sure it was something he wanted to achieve. If the ghosts he bought from the union were any indication, mass production came with its own downsides.
¡°How are we looking, Cecil?¡±
The [Excellent Spreadsheet] hummed again, mumbling something about errors and names that Vee didn¡¯t understand. Finally, it stopped and said, ¡°During an average day, we lose 306 ghosts, 18 slimes, 23 elementals, and an undefined number of skeletons.¡±
¡°What do you mean by undefined?¡±
¡°Unlike the other minions we have, master, skeletons possess a passive skill that occasionally prevents them from being killed when they¡¯re defeated. Beyond that, for some reason my records indicate that no skeletons have actually been destroyed for the past four days.¡±
Well, Vee had been a [Dungeon Master] long enough to realize that sounded like a problem in the making. He knew for a fact that several skeletons had been defeated by each adventurer coming through the dungeon, and sincerely doubted that a twenty-five percent proc chance would have somehow kept all of his skeletons intact for multiple days in a row.
¡°It¡¯s always something,¡± Vee muttered. He¡¯d have to go and give Kai a head¡¯s up to increase the skeleton security in the menagerie even more until he heard back from the [Necromancers]. Hopefully they¡¯d respond sooner rather than later.
Cecil hummed again. ¡°Is there any further way I can be of assistance, master?¡±
¡°Yeah. Using those numbers you just gave me, go ahead and create an estimate of how many days we can sustain current dungeon activities with our minion reserves. Don¡¯t worry about the fact that your numbers aren¡¯t current. Just set up the measure, and then I¡¯ll make sure that you get better information. Okay?¡±
¡°Understood, master. I estimate that we have four days¡¯ worth of ghosts, seven days of slimes, twelve days of elementals, and an indeterminate amount of days of skeletons.¡±
Vee thanked the [Excellent Spreadsheet] and dismissed it. By far, the biggest drain on the dungeon¡¯s minion count were the ghosts, which was only to be expected given how common they were inside Crestheart.
Frowning, the [Dungeon Master] decided to go ahead and push Reginald¡¯s ghosthetic back until after another batch of ghosts. He wanted the hat to be able to start carrying his weight properly, but not as much as he wanted to have at least a seven days¡¯ supply of all the dungeon¡¯s minions.
Running out of minions would be terrible right now, especially since the dungeon didn¡¯t have full access to its traps to help bolster its experience.
Once again though, Vee wondered if this was a sign that it was perhaps time to reconsider the dungeon¡¯s minion mix. He didn¡¯t have any complaints about the current packs, but if he developed some stronger ghosts, perhaps he could provide a similar level of challenge while reducing the amount of ghosts he needed to replace.
He mulled it over and kept cranking out new ghosts until Alforde came down to get him a little while later.
As soon as he saw his friend, Vee¡¯s face lit up. He¡¯d completely forgotten about the gauntlet ghosts he¡¯d designed with Rortenferry!
[Devious Mind +1]
¡°I think I just had a great idea!¡± he said. ¡°Or¡remembered a great idea I had a while ago. Give me a second, Alforde. I want your opinion on something.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 31
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 36
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 25 (+1)
Leadership: 20
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 2 (+1)
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 56
Wit: 14
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 14 (+1)
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 9
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ?? (+1)
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 41
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 10
Irritability: 23 (+1)
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 83
Back at the boarding house, Vee found the notes he¡¯d made with Rortenferry and set them on the table. He¡¯d added to them in the days after initially making them, but had completely neglected to actually start the process of designing their sigils or making them a reality.
He shook his head. There were always too many things to do, and he didn¡¯t have nearly enough time or brainpower to make sure that nothing fell through the cracks.
Getting up and grabbing Reginald, Vee said, ¡°Alright, before we do anything else tonight, you¡¯re going to help me come up with a reasonable ghosthetic for you to use. It¡¯s past time for you to actually start handling your [Majordomo] duties.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine with me, boss. You think I want to just ride around on top of your head for the rest of your life? Let¡¯s get down to it! First off, I want to be at least as tall as the big guy!¡±
¡°Not happening,¡± said Vee. ¡°And beyond that, you¡¯re going to swear some oaths to me that you¡¯re not going to use this thing for any troublemaking. It¡¯s just to help you in your official duties. Got it?¡±
¡°Of course, of course. I¡¯d never dream of getting into trouble,¡± Reginald said in a tone of voice that made it quite obvious he had in fact dreamed of doing just that. ¡°I¡¯ll swear whatever oaths you want, boss. Can I at least be taller than you? I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to handle looking up at everything all the time.¡±
¡°Just for that, I¡¯m going to make you a foot shorter than I am,¡± Vee growled. ¡°And see how well you like looking up at everything from there.¡±
Reginald groaned. ¡°Oh come on, boss. I was just messing around with you. I¡¯m going to be bipedal, right?¡±
Now that was something. Vee hadn¡¯t actually considered the prospect of making Reginald anything other than bipedal, but now that the idea had lodged itself in his brain, he couldn¡¯t help but consider the possibilities.
Maybe he could make the ghosthetic dog shaped? There were three points immediately in its favor: it was kind of a cute mental image, it added a nice silhouette to their trio, and probably most importantly, it would probably help serve as a safeguard against any sort of oath-lawyering Reginald was sure to get up to.
That last one alone gave Vee a good reason to consider the possibility, though his enthusiasm about dog-ginald was tempered by the fact that his [Majordomo] needed hands to handle his duties in the dungeon. Other than the particularly famous terrier with a penchant for simplifying classic works of literature, dogs weren¡¯t exactly known for their fine motor skills.
Although¡since Vee was going to be making a ghost dog, there was no rule against giving it another pair of arms and hands. It¡¯d be a little ¨C or maybe a lot ¨C creepier than just a regular dog body, but that was also something that could be worked through.
¡°Boss? You okay? You¡¯re looking kind of vacant over there.¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Vee said. ¡°I was just lost in my thoughts for a second.¡±
¡°Why do I get the feeling that those thoughts aren¡¯t going to end well for me?¡± Reginald asked.
Vee smiled, making up his mind then and there. ¡°You know what? I think you¡¯ll do well as a ghost dog.¡±
Reginald swore.
Despite Reginald¡¯s protests and pleading, Vee started gathering ectoplasm for the ghosthetic and constructing the basic sigilmancy outline such a thing would require. Mindful of his discussions with Rortenferry, Vee opted into the higher level glyphs wherever possible, since he wanted the ghost to be durable.
He also wanted to test his new Exploratory skills ¨C or at least the two related to making ghosts, [Advanced Ectoplasm Refining] and [Mold Ectoplasm] ¨C so he closed his eyes and consulted his soul¡¯s mirror.
[Advanced Ectoplasm Refining] required Vee to move a cube of ectoplasm through a series of floating wireframe shapes in the air. There were six in total ¨C a square, a diamond, a circle, a cross, a star, and and moon ¨C and each time the [Ghost Maestro] moved his cube through them, he found himself having to use nearly all his strength. By the time he was done, the ectoplasm cube was barely a third of its original size, but it was far denser and glistened like a gemstone.
Panting, Vee wiped the sweat from his forehead and set the ectoplasm down.
¡°I¡¯m going to have to revise my plan of using that for the entire ghosthetic,¡± he said. ¡°Unless it gets way easier with practice or the effort remains the same regardless of initial ectoplasm size.¡±
Too tired to try [Mold Ectoplasm] just then, Vee started making ectoplasm rods that would eventually serve as the basis of the ghosthetic¡¯s body. He didn¡¯t have a super strong idea of what they would look like though, so he simply stretched and pulled the ectoplasm into rough shapes and sizes. There ended up being ten in all, though Vee suspected he¡¯d end up needing to make more before the project was complete.
With those done, he returned to his sigilmancy outline, giving his glyphs a double and triple check to make sure that he had everything right before he started actually drawing them for real. Unfortunately, though he felt like he was in the groove and wanted to keep working, Vee lacked the energy to go ahead and start the construction process that night. Making a note of what he needed to do next, the [Ghost Maestro] put down his tools and headed to bed for the night.
He looked up at the ceiling before falling asleep, feeling content and accomplished with what he¡¯d done that day.
Shortly before sunrise the next morning, Vee¡¯s eyes snapped open. To his surprise, he didn¡¯t feel the least bit tired, and even more interestingly, an image of a hound¡¯s form had formed inside his mind. All the little details he normally only discovered through trial and error were obvious, and the [Ghost Maestro] knew better these days than to waste a bout of inspiration.
Eager to chase the muse, Vee got out of bed as quietly as he could and tiptoed over to where he¡¯d left the pieces of the ghosthetic. Before he actually started working though, he looked over at Alforde ¨C who was sleeping next to an open book ¨C and Reginald ¨C who was ostensibly resting on the windowsill ¨C and decided that he would be better off working in the hall. Since it was so early, it was unlikely anyone else would come and bother him, and he didn''t want to wake his friends.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
It took a few trips to get everything outside,but Vee managed. With his planned sigils in front of him, he made a circle of ectoplasm on the floor.
¡°[Vivify Minion: Base],¡± he said quietly.
Green light covered his hands, and Vee made his way around his circle, filling in the sigils that would be necessary for Reginald¡¯s ghosthetic. First, as always, was Bu, equally spaced around the circle¡¯s cardinal points. Then, he added the curly brackets of high Gu to give the ghost the ability to follow orders and be more durable. Once he was sure that they were properly drawn, Vee added the squiggly sigils of An, Mo, and Un, which would allow the ghost to move its arms, head, and legs. Once again, he was impressed by how much better he¡¯d gotten at this since working in Crestheart regularly. The work went fast and the [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s sigils were smooth.
He paused when he finished for a few moments, admiring his work and catching his breath, and filled in the rest of the symbols with his [Ghost Baton] that would allow the ghosthetic to do everything Vee imagined it might need to after activating [Vivify Minion: Finalize]. His control had improved enough that he had plenty of space left to go back and add more or change some symbols if it ended up necessary; another mark of his improvements.
With the base established, Vee got busy on the actual assembly of the ghosthetic, snapping legs together and adding other bits of ectoplasm as necessary, making sure that each piece was the best he could make it. When the frame was finished, Vee wiped his brow and started adding sheets of ectoplasm to cover it, taking extra care to hide the seams between each sheet and make the ghosthetic¡¯s body look like a solid piece. ¡°Cleaning the lines,¡± as it was called, was definitely not one of Vee¡¯s strong suits, since ghosts intended for Crestheart weren¡¯t exactly judged on their aesthetics. Still, he did what he could, and was proud of the resulting appearance.
When he decided that he could do nothing further, Vee clapped his hands together and activated the energy inside the circle. The dog¡¯s eyes glowed a perfect green, and Vee grinned as wide as could be.
[Congratuatlions! You are now a level 32 Ghost Maestro!]
[Your ability to shape ectoplasm is now more powerful!]
[Reminder: You have advancement opportunities for this class.]
[Wit +1]
He dismissed the notifications with a wave of his hand ¨C he¡¯d think about advancement later -- and went back inside his room. That was right when Alforde started to stir. The armorsoul tilted his helmet and looked bemused. ¡°Vee? What¡¯s wrong? Is there something going on outside?¡±
Reginald stirred too, his eyes popping open as Vee all but ran over and picked him up.
¡°Both of you, come with me! There¡¯s something I want you two to see.¡±
Alforde followed the [Ghost Maestro] out to the hall, and Reginald had no choice but to be carried.
The ghosthetic was a big dog with little resemblance to any particular breed, reaching the top of Vee¡¯s chest. It had thick legs, a long tail, and a pair of burly arms that were connected to its shoulders. Its head was simple, with only basic eyes and a mouth, since Vee had figured that his [Majordomo] would be able to provide both of those things on a regular basis.
On the top of the dog¡¯s head was a plane of refined red ectoplasm, and this was where Vee set Reginald.
¡°Well, what do you think?¡± The [Ghost Maestro] asked.
¡°It¡¯s¡not at all what I wanted, but I suppose it¡¯ll do,¡± Reginald said with a big grin. ¡°How do I make it move?¡±
¡°You¡¯re sitting on a binding that should let you control the ghost telepathically. Go ahead and give it a try.¡±
Nothing happened for a moment, but then the ghosthetic slowly started to move. Its gait was awkward and uneven ¨C mostly due to Reginald¡¯s unfamiliarity with how to make it do as he wanted ¨C but it managed to make it down to the end of the hall and then back again. With every step, it got a little smoother, and Vee was confident that by the end of the day his [Majordomo] would have it down pat.
Reginald stopped in front of Vee, and slowly extended one of the ghost¡¯s arms.
¡°Thanks boss, this is really nice.¡±
Vee took the offered hand, but quickly snatched Reginald up off the top of the ghost and stared into the [Core Spirit]¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, but before you do anything else, you¡¯re going to swear those oaths to me. First, on your status as my [Majordomo], promise me that you won¡¯t use this body for anything bad. That means not hurting anybody, damaging anything, stealing, or causing anything else that I would consider trouble through direct action, inaction, suggestion, or lack thereof.¡±
It probably wasn¡¯t the tightest oath ever made, but Vee didn¡¯t mind. If Reginald tried to get crafty, he was confident that he could bring the hat back in line.
Still, Vee was reassured when the hat flapped his brim and said, ¡°I promise.¡±
¡°Next, promise me that you¡¯ll use this ghost to help Crestheart in every way that you can. You¡¯ll start talking to suppliers, help handle the menagerie, serve as a messenger when I need you to, and do everything else that a [Majordomo] is supposed to.¡±
¡°Sure thing, boss. I promise.¡±
¡°Lastly, promise me that you¡¯ll accept any future amendments to these oaths should I deem them necessary.¡±
Reginald¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°That¡¯s quite the oath to ask of me, is it not? Should I agree, I¡¯m opening myself up to being nothing more than your puppet. Must you insist on such a thing?¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a little heavy, Vee,¡± Alforde said. ¡°If Reginald agreed to that, there¡¯s nothing that would stop you from changing the oaths he¡¯s already accepted and making him do something terrible.¡±
Vee hadn¡¯t considered that, though like most oversights it seemed painfully obvious in retrospect. ¡°No, I retract that proposed oath, though I reserve the right to request additional oaths in the future. Is that alright?¡±
Reginald smiled. ¡°Yeah boss, that¡¯s fine. You just missed one thing though.¡±
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
¡°What are we going to name this thing?¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 37 (+1)
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 25
Leadership: 20
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 56
Wit: 15 (+1)
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 14
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 9
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42 (+1)
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 10
Irritability: 23
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
[#&%%%@%!#@__--#%]
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 84
The ghosthetic ¨C which had earned the moniker Dogginald after some back and forth between the trio ¨C was surprisingly adept at climbing stairs, and Vee mentally kicked himself for not making the ghost bigger. If he could ride on its back, his frequent nemesis would have been vanquished for good.
Alas.
The trio ¨C or perhaps they were a quartet now ¨C walked into the boarding house lobby and saw that there were a handful of well-dressed newcomers that none of them recognized loitering around. They had the look of adventurers: athletically built, defiant gazes, and a penchant for carrying weapons everywhere they went. One blond man, for example, stood up and slung his impractically sized sword up onto his shoulder just to get a drink of water.
Vee shook his head.
Another one of them, a woman wielding a trumpet ¨C or perhaps a bugle or cornet ¨C that had spikes on one end and a long flat strip of metal on the other, looked over at Vee and gestured to her companions.
¡°Reckon that¡¯s them,¡± she said in a fittingly brassy voice. ¡°Ogre out front said he¡¯s a blue-obsessed shrimp who wears a coat that''s almost the same color as his hair and walks around with an armorsoul. Probably not many of those around here.¡±
The group got up and walked over to Vee, who, like any reasonable person, felt a touch of trepidation at the prospect of being approached by several heavily armed individuals. It was tempered slightly by his temper, which was running a little hot on account of being called a ¡®blue-obsessed shrimp¡¯.
¡°Can I help you folks with something?¡± he said, perhaps a little sharper than he would have under more normal circumstances.
Takes-sword-to-get-water stepped forward and said, ¡°You¡¯re the [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart, right? We¡¯re the Earlybirds, an [Bellwether] adventuring party who specializes in completing dungeons and sharing our experiences with them. We have thousands of fans across the continent.¡±
He stopped there, as if waiting for Vee to respond in some way, so Vee nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s¡nice?¡±
Thankfully, that acknowledgement was all that was required, because the man resumed his monologue right after.
¡°A few of our members are going to be competing in the upcoming circuit and we were wondering if we could maybe do a few quiet runs before things get started.¡±
Reginald frowned. ¡°Why are you asking us? The dungeon is open for regular business. Go to the adventurer¡¯s guild and schedule yourselves some runs.¡±
A different woman wearing plate armor stepped forward. ¡°See, we were hoping to maybe do them off the record, before or after normal business hours. That¡¯s why they¡¯re called quiet runs. We have this sponsor, Final Unicorn, that hooks us up with gear¡± ¨C she paused, turning to the side to show Vee¡¯s group the blue unicorn logo on the back of her breastplate ¨C ¡°and they get angry with us if we don¡¯t put on a good show.¡±
¡°That seems somewhat unreasonable of them,¡± Vee said.
The woman shrugged. ¡°For better or worse a lot of die hard [Dungeon Sport Fans] blame equipment before adventurers. Anyways, by getting familiar with a dungeon before it officially starts, we can make sure that we don¡¯t embarrass our sponsor.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know¡that doesn¡¯t sound particularly fair,¡± Alforde said. ¡°We sell guides to Crestheart, and you can just buy those to get an idea of what you¡¯re going to be facing.¡±
¡°Even the best guides have gaps in their coverage,¡± another one of the adventurers said. ¡°Nothing compares to the experience of actually going through a dungeon and running it, you know?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not comfortable with this,¡± Vee said. ¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°But this is standard practice!¡± Swordguy said, looking agitated. ¡°Dozens of dungeons are willing to give [Bellwethers] early access! If it¡¯s a question of compensation, we¡¯d be willing to pay double your usual floor fee.¡±
Now that was tempting ¨C their reprieve from making their weekly payments wasn¡¯t going to last forever ¨Cbut Vee still didn¡¯t think it would be right to let the adventurers come in under special circumstances. Besides, he didn¡¯t want to have to go to the dungeon earlier than normal or stay late.
He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can allow this.¡±
¡°What about triple fees? Quadruple? Please, we really need this!¡±
Vee felt a little bit like a man who¡¯s recently sworn himself to a dedicated morning exercise regimen contemplating another hour and a half of sleep when his alarm clock goes off. He looked over at Reginald and Alforde for any sort of signal, but his friends weren¡¯t much help. Alforde¡¯s bright blue eyes were inscrutable, and Reginald¡¯s position on the matter was obvious.
A tiny voice in the back of Vee¡¯s mind piped up in his ongoing consideration, with a simple question that carried far greater weight than it should have.
What¡¯s the harm?
On the one hand, it wouldn¡¯t be terribly sportsmanlike to let some adventurers into the dungeon early and off the record. On the other hand, triple floor fees from all six [Bellwether] adventurers would really help bolster their coffers.
He didn¡¯t doubt that other dungeons allowed so-called quiet runs¨C neither [Detect Falsehood] nor [Detect Lie] had proceed when the man had mentioned that fact ¨C so why should he resist?
Did he have a greater obligation to the circuit, or to his own dungeon? He¡¯d barely even spoken with the other [Dungeon Masters]! Surely he had a responsibility to take care of Crestheart first.
But was that right?
The [Dungeon Master] pondered that question for what felt like a long time, but was actually probably only half a minute or so.
After weighing the pros and cons of each option as best he could, Vee made a decision.
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He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the right one. That¡¯s the nature of leadership, he told himself as he nodded and looked back at the adventurers.
¡°This is my only offer. Triple floor fees, no champion battles, and no more than two runs for each of you,¡± Vee said. ¡°Oh, and of course, no refunds. Take it or leave it.¡±
The words were barely out of his mouth when Swordguy grabbed his hand and gave it a firm shake.
¡°Done. What time works best for you?¡±
¡°Probably early,¡± Vee said. ¡°Come to the Westown gate tomorrow morning before we open, and I¡¯ll let one or two of you do a run depending on how long you take.¡±
[The path forward isn¡¯t always clear, and sometimes difficult decisions must be made after carefully weighing the available options.]
[You can now earn points in Pragmatism!]
[Pragmatism +1]
[Leadership +1]
Vee dismissed the notification and left, with Alforde and Reginald behind him.
Do and the other [Dungeon Maintainers] were waiting outside the dungeon when Vee arrived, looking extremely excited.
¡°Master, we have some things to show you,¡± the big fiend said. ¡°Would you come with us?¡±
Since there was still some time before the day¡¯s first runs were supposed to start, the [Dungeon Master] nodded and followed his orchestra members down the street. He noticed that several of the buildings looked emptier than they had when he¡¯d last seen them, as if the fiends had been clearing them out.
Tons of little yellow and blue flowers were starting to bloom on either side of the street, and more than a few walls sported new ivy coverings that Vee was sure hadn¡¯t been there before. Even though the street was as quiet as it¡¯d ever been before, the [Dungeoin Master] couldn¡¯t help but feel that it was more alive.
The Expectation tightened contentedly around his shoulders, and Vee was smiling when the fiends stopped in front of a big empty lot. Or, rather, what had once been a big, empty lot.
Now in its place was a series of obstacles that looked like some of the dungeon¡¯s major rooms. There were platforms and catwalks, pits to jump over, and several wooden contraptions that were covered in short sticks.
¡°What is this?¡± Vee asked.
¡°Some time ago you mentioned that low level adventurers needed a place to practice,¡± Do said, its speech almost perfectly clear. ¡°Loyal servants that we are, we have gone ahead and built one here by using some of the same ideas we use in Crestheart. The experience won¡¯t be the same, but it should be useful for the lower level adventurers in the city to practice on. What do you think, master? Do you approve?¡±
Vee walked inside, running his hand over the individual pieces and marveling at how well they¡¯d all been constructed.
He turned back to the fiends and beamed.
¡°I do. This is incredible,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be wonderful once we get it up and running. Thank you all so much.¡±
¡°We live to serve,¡± Do said, bowing.
As cool as the training grounds were though, Vee wasn¡¯t sure how to best utilize them just then. He didn¡¯t have anyone to staff it, and was wary of the council¡¯s oversight if he decided to try and start operating it anytime soon.
Reginald seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because he trotted Dogginald over to Vee and said, ¡°Probably have to keep it quiet until after the circuit starts, boss.¡±
Vee nodded, though he hated the thought of leaving such an awesome place to gather dust.
¡°There are some logistical matters I have to figure out before we can start letting adventurers in,¡± he told Do, ¡°but I am extremely grateful to you [Dungeon Maintainers] for your efforts. You¡¯ll all receive a large bonus in the coming days. Now, in the meantime, I¡¯m reminded of another matter that I¡¯d like your assistance with. In addition to a place for low level adventurers to train, I¡¯d also like us to eventually offer a place for spectator¡¯s to come and watch dungeon runs while they¡¯re in progress. An arena of sorts. Could you and your crew make that happen before the circuit starts?¡±
Do bowed again. ¡°Of course, master. I know just the place, and we will get to work on it right away.¡±
Feeling rather accomplished already, Vee and his companions returned to the dungeon and started getting things ready for the day.
After pouring in the day¡¯s dose of aqua magia, Vee turned to Reginald and said, ¡°How¡¯s the [Core Spirit] level restoration going?¡±
¡°Making steady progress,¡± the hat said. ¡°I think there¡¯ll be enough power in my core to let you bring some more of the dungeon¡¯s traps online after today.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Vee said, sitting down at his desk and making sure that everything was primed for the day¡¯s first challenger. He¡¯d probably go ahead and reactivate the [Frost Vent] crystals, since he¡¯d been torn between those and the [Ice Slope] traps.
Vee took out his notebook and waited for the day¡¯s first challenger. Working on the ghosthetic had given him the confidence to go ahead and try his hand at some of the designs he¡¯d worked up with Rortenferry, as well as a few others that he¡¯d had since.
By the time he jotted down a few notes for the orders that his new creations would require, an [Axe Enthusiast] had cleared the first two rooms of Crestheart.
Adjusting his dials, Vee waited until the man stepped onto the proper tile, then went ahead and activated an [Ice Slope]. The floor collapsed, sending the adventurer down into a small nest filled with slimes. His run ended soon after.
¡°Ouch, that¡¯s gotta hurt,¡± Reginald crowed through his magnifying crystal. ¡°Do try again though sometime in the future!¡±
The hat turned and looked over at Vee, giving the [Dungeon Master] a big smile.
¡°It¡¯s going to be a good day, boss.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Vee said as he responded in kind. ¡°I get that feeling too.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 37
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 25
Leadership: 21 (+1)
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1 (+1)
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 56
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 14
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 10 (+1)
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 10
Irritability: 23
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 85
Just like they¡¯d agreed, two [Bellwether] adventurers were waiting outside the gate to Westown the next morning. One of them was Carries-Sword-To-Get-Water, and the other was a smoke-wreathed salamander woman with black and white striped scales and a beret that marked her as some sort of [Mime]. She looked rather bored; her arms were folded across her chest and she was leaning disdainfully against a non-existent wall.
They walked over to Vee and his companions, and Swordguy drew out a large, jingling sack. He presented it to Vee and said, ¡°Here¡¯s the payment we agreed to. Two quiet runs for each member of our party. Hopefully it¡¯s okay that we¡¯re doing it all at once?¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Vee said, handing the bag to Alforde, who took it wordlessly. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and count it once we¡¯re at the dungeon.¡±
¡°I¡¯d expect nothing less,¡± the man said. ¡°My name is Neil, by the way. I didn¡¯t get a chance to properly introduce myself yesterday. This is Ceilynn.¡±
¡°The pleasure is mine,¡± Vee said, nodding toward the [Mime]. She sniffed exaggeratedly and dramatically turned her face away.
¡°Don¡¯t mind her,¡± Neil said. ¡°Her class requires her to be in character for at least an hour before her best skills work. It can make shoots a real pain sometimes, I¡¯ll tell you what.¡±
Vee blinked. ¡°Shoots? Like what a [Model] does? Sorry, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not particularly familiar with [Bellwethers]. What exactly do you guys do?¡±
¡°I figured as much,¡± Neil said. He looked over at Ceilynn, and the salamander produced a beaten and rolled up magazine from ¨C if her actions were any indication ¨C an invisible treasure chest on the ground by her feet. ¡°Here, this is our most recent issue. It¡¯ll help you understand what we¡¯re all about.¡±
Feeling a touch of trepidation, Vee took the magazine and looked at its cover. It was called Summit Gazing, and the cover depicted Neil and the other [Bellwethers] in a series of serious poses.
The [Dungeon Master] flipped through the pages as the gate opened and the group headed toward Crestheart. It seemed rather vapid on the whole, filled with articles and anecdotes about various dungeon exploits written by the adventurers themselves. There were also food recipes, workout routines, and lots of ads. Most of this latter category was gear and clothing, though the actual content in question tended to be provocative images of the adventurers wearing little beyond the product they were supposed to be selling.
His cheeks warmer than they should have been on a pleasant early spring day, Vee cleared his throat and handed it back, saying, ¡°I think I get it a bit better now. How¡¯d you guys get into this anyway?¡±
Neil said. ¡°Well, we¡¯re all from Glasswater Index, except for Fran, who just joined our party last year. There¡¯s a lot of [Agents] and [Talent Scouts] out there, and they¡¯re always looking for new up-and-coming [Bellwethers]. We all joined the agency separately, but the upper management eventually put us together to make our party, since all of us were interested in dungeon clearing content.¡±
¡°What does that mean, exactly?¡±
¡°Basically we travel around the continent recording our experiences and providing inspiration to our fans while raising awareness for our sponsors and helping their marketing efforts.¡±
¡°That sounds like a pretty mercenary existence,¡± Reginald said. ¡°You all enjoy living out a suitcase?¡±
Neil shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a lot of fun¡when business is good. We get to see all kinds of incredible places, meet lots of people, and challenge dungeons for free.¡±
On a hunch, Vee looked over at the adventurer with [Third Sight] active and saw a little ghost sitting on Neil¡¯s shoulder. It was small, and carried a looking glass that it used to gaze at the road behind the adventurer. It was as classic a memberwell ¨C a ghost that only ever looked backwards ¨C as Vee had ever seen.
¡°And how about now, when business isn¡¯t so good? Is it still fun?¡±
Neil met Vee¡¯s eyes.¡°You¡¯re pretty sharp, Mister Vales. How¡¯d you know that we were in a bit of a rut?¡±
Vee thought about mentioning the ghost but decided against it. Too many people got weird if they knew that ghosts were hanging out on them.
¡°Just a lucky guess,¡± he said instead. ¡°What sort of rut are you talking about?¡±
Neil was quiet for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s¡kind of hard to explain I guess. See, our party initially made a name for itself by completing dungeons without getting hit and by winning a couple races here and there. That was back when quirky dungeon challenges were really trendy, so we ended up getting added to the Top Parties To Watch list for a few months. Even though we only ended up making it about halfway up the chart, we were still thrilled. Hundreds of parties get formed and never come close to reaching that, even if they put in the same work we did.¡±
He paused for a moment as they passed a member of Vee¡¯s light section ¨C Scour ¨C carrying a bucket of water into a nearby alley. Then, with a shake of his head, he continued.
¡°Things went pretty well after that. Parties like us make money by selling magazine subscriptions, and our reach slowly but steadily kept growing. None of us were going to be able to retire early, but things were good. Then suddenly about a year ago the growth slowed down really hard. Maybe we¡¯ve lost our mojo, or our Competitive Spirit isn¡¯t high enough, or maybe the market changed, but we started losing subscriptions left and right. We¡¯re down to about a third of what we had at our peak.¡±
¡°Ouch,¡± Reginald said. ¡°That¡¯s quite a steep fall. What sort of things are your competitors doing that you¡¯re not?¡±
¡°Mostly fad diet and fast leveling tips,¡± Neil answered. ¡°The more impractical the better it seems. Lots of Rerolling as a Seemingly Worthless Class, too.¡±
¡°And you guys can¡¯t do that type of stuff?¡±
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¡°We¡¯re dipping our toe in, but that¡¯s not what we¡¯re about. It¡¯s not our brand. The agency is wary of alienating the subscribers we have left by trying to appeal to the current trend, so they¡¯re being really careful about what they let us try.¡±
¡°That sounds pretty rough,¡± Vee said. ¡°I had no idea adventuring was so cutthroat. What are you guys going to do if it keeps spiraling?¡±
¡°What do you think? We¡¯ll disband the party and go our separate ways,¡± Neil said. Next to him, Ceilynn nodded, her face deadly serious. ¡°The agency has been great so far, but they have a business to run and can¡¯t keep burning fleurs for fun. Some of us have kids too; we can¡¯t ride this ship to the bottom of the ocean.¡±
¡°Well, if it means anything, I hope you guys figure something out,¡± Vee said.
¡°Same here, Mister Vales. Thanks.¡±
They reached the dungeon, and Vee directed Neil and Ceilynn to wait out in front while he went up and got things ready. The adventurers handed over two pieces of paper ¨C their informal applications ¨C so that Vee could at least see their classes and levels.
¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and let you know when you can come in,¡± Reginald said as the trio went upstairs.
Since Alforde wasn¡¯t going to be battling the adventurers, he came upstairs too, and when they were well out of earshot, the armorsoul stopped and said, ¡°I feel bad for them.¡±
Vee looked back and shrugged. ¡°So do I, but it¡¯s not like we can do anything for them.¡±
¡°They¡¯ve got to figure things out for themselves,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Same as we do.¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Alforde said quietly.
The trio continued up to the office, and after pouring some aqua magia into Dheart and adjusting his controls, Vee settled himself on his chair and let his thoughts wander.
Neil went in first, with his sword held in front of him and a bright blue light emanating from his eyes. According to his sheet, his primary class was [Heavy-handed Swordsman], and he was level 36.
At such a high level, Vee wasn¡¯t even sure that Neil needed dungeon practice. Still, he did his best to thwart the [Bellwether]¡¯s run, activating traps and minion packs to the best of his ability. His efforts came to naught, though, since Neil just danced around Crestheart¡¯s minions and chopped them into pieces with broad sweeps of his blade. He was fast, and looked like he hit hard, and Vee couldn¡¯t help but notice how intently Alforde watched the run.
¡°You think you can take him?¡±
The [Dungeon Champion] nodded slowly. ¡°He¡¯s strong, but he doesn¡¯t look too fast. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll win a battle of brute force.¡±
¡°Well, we¡¯re definitely going to find out when this happens for real,¡± Vee said when Neil finished his run a few minutes later. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of our rooms are going to stop him.¡±
After they reset the dungeon, Reginald gave Ceilynn permission to start her run, and she was even more impressive than Neil had been. For all of her apparent timidity, the level 34 [Courtyard Mime] was absolutely ruthless, blocking attacks of all sorts with an invisible wall, swinging over gaps with the help of an invisible rope hanging down from the ceiling, and crushing minions with comically large swings of an similarly-impossible-to-see weapon.
The only thing she struggled with was Mister Chills, who managed to slam into her twice as it moved along its tracks. Since they weren¡¯t enough to stop her, she defeated the mini boss soon after and finished the rest of the dungeon.
With their runs completed, the [Bellwethers] came up to the office, their expressions grim and unpleasant.
¡°Mister Vales,¡± Neil said, ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for a swindler! That was way too easy! We paid you good fleurs for our runs, and it offends me that you¡¯d sandbag them! I demand a refund.¡±
Well, that wasn¡¯t good. Vee shook his head and held up his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Sandbag the runs? We did no such thing.¡±
Neil and Ceilynn looked at each other, then the salamander opened her mouth and spoke in a soft, velvety voice. ¡°Do you mean to suggest that that¡¯s the best your dungeon has to offer?¡±
¡°Well, not quite,¡± Vee said. ¡°We¡¯ve had some issues with our power supply of late, so some of our traps aren¡¯t active, but we¡¯re working to remedy them as quickly as possible. With the exception of our [Dungeon Champion], that was the same experience any other adventurer coming for the circuit will get to have.¡±
¡°That¡¯s going to be a big problem then,¡± Neil said. ¡°Ceilynn and I are probably the best adventurers in our party, but I don¡¯t think any of them will find it difficult to beat Crestheart. The same is probably true for the other adventurers coming to participate in the circuit. They¡¯ll all get through your dungeon just as fast as we did.¡±
¡°Not if I have anything to say about,¡± Alforde said, standing up straighter and flexing his pauldrons.
Ceilynn bowed her head. ¡°We don¡¯t mean any disrespect, [Dungeon Champion], but even if you can beat some or all of us individually, can you do so in rapid succession? If so, you¡¯d be quite the talent. Alas, I doubt that¡¯s the case.¡±
Frustrated because he knew the words rang true, Vee drummed his fingers on his desk until there was a lull in the conversation. Then, he looked over at Neil and said, ¡°Do you think that your party could, perhaps, give us some tips to improve things before the circuit starts? Surely you all stand to look better if our dungeon performs well against the rest of the field.¡±
The adventurer nodded. ¡°Indeed. We won¡¯t stand out the way we¡¯re hoping to if Crestheart is conquered by almost every challenger. Unfortunately, there isn¡¯t much time before the circuit starts, but we will help you to the best of our ability.¡±
Vee got up and thanked the adventurers, shaking their hands and trying to turn his thoughts to what needed to be improved.
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged From Last Chapter):
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 37
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 25
Leadership: 21
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 56
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 14
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 10
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 10
Irritability: 23
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 86
Since the [Bellwethers] had gone through Crestheart so fast, Vee decided to go ahead and allow the rest of their party to do their first dungeon run before the start of business the next day. Sure enough, exactly as Neil predicted, none of them struggled with Crestheart at all. They effortlessly crushed Vee¡¯s ghosts, beat back all his skeletons, circumvented the slimes and elementals without breaking a sweat, and failed to fall for any of the dungeon¡¯s traps.
It was as humbling as it was infuriating, and the [Dungeon Master] felt sick to his stomach during each and every run. How could Crestheart be this far behind the curve in terms of the challenge it offered? Most regular adventures didn¡¯t even make it down to Alforde! Surely the adventurers here in Oar¡¯s Crest weren¡¯t that weak, were they?
The proof that they were was right before his eyes though, and Vee couldn¡¯t deny it. He glanced over at Reginald, interpreting the hat¡¯s surly silence to mean that his [Majordomo] had come to a similar revelation.
Alforde clapped a comforting gauntlet on Vee¡¯s shoulders. ¡°There wasn¡¯t any way we could know the dungeon would do so poorly,¡± the armorsoul said quietly. ¡°We¡¯ve done fine here in town, even against higher level adventurers.¡±
¡°But why is there such a big difference?¡± Vee wondered aloud, looking down as the final [Bellwether] adventurer ¨C A level 33 [Tree-dweller] kitrekin named Veruca ¨C tore through a pack of slimes and finished her run. ¡°How have we done so well against the Oar¡¯s Crest adventurers only to be so bad against these out of towners? I don¡¯t get it.¡±
¡°Maybe it¡¯s the ghosts,¡± Reginald murmured. ¡°You¡¯ve seen how people in Oar¡¯s Crest are about ghosts, boss. Kids who grow up here are constantly told all sorts of horror stories about the vengeful spirits beyond the walls, and some of that is bound to get deep into their minds. What if they subconsciously freeze up against our minions? That might explain why it¡¯s so much easier for you to hit them with traps and stuff.¡±
Vee frowned and leaned forward, steepling his fingers in front of his face. That was certainly a plausible explanation, but the [Dungeon Master] almost thought it too neat. Plenty of the adventurers who came through the dungeon looked like they were scared of ghosts, but that didn¡¯t mean much by itself. Gawain¡¯s balls; they were scared of every minion that they encountered!
He leaned back in his chair and gave the matter further thought. Inexperience could also be a factor that helped explain the performance of the Oar¡¯s Crest adventurers ¨C or maybe he should start calling them Oar¡¯s Crestventurers?
[Wit +1]
After the day¡¯s actual runs were finished, Vee invited all seven the members of the [Bellwether] party up to his office so that they could discuss their experiences with Crestheart and start offering him ideas about how to improve the dungeon.
He was in a sour mood as they filed in; only a single challenger had managed to make it down to Alforde that day, underscoring the difference between his regular customers and the type of customer he¡¯d be getting once the circuit started.
The [Bellwethers] made themselves comfortable around the office. Neil and Ceilynn sat down at the table across from Vee, while the rest sat on the floor or leaned against the walls. A couple of them drew out small recording crystals and snapped images of themselves, or looked around the office to take in their surroundings.
Curious, Vee went ahead and activated [Third Sight] to see if any of them had ghosts on their shoulders like Neil did. Sure enough, he saw another two membralls ¨C one on Veruca and another on the shoulder of the elkin [Trickster] ¨C but the really interesting thing he noticed was the collection of tiny bug-like ghosts surrounding most of the [Bellwethers]. He recognized them, but it took the [Ghost Maestro] a few seconds to remember their name.
Vanibites, a somewhat malicious ¨C depending on your point of view ¨C spirit that gnawed on their hosts, giving them an incredible hunger for fame and fortune. Most of the time, it was relatively easy to control, but if an infestation got bad enough it was common for those suffering its effects to get hurt ¨C or in rare, unfortunate cases, killed ¨C in an attempt to make a name for themselves. Generally only found on high level [Actors], [Actresses], [Musicians], [Singers], and [Politicians], it was rather unusual to see so many ¡°in the wild.¡± As such, the [Ghost Maestro] surmised that their presence wasn¡¯t entirely coincidental.
¡°Alright,¡± Neil said as he got out some papers and set them down on the table. ¡°We¡¯ve got a few things that we can go over with you that we think will help Crestheart out quite a bit, but before we get to them, we need to discuss what you¡¯re going to pay us for our help.¡±
¡°Pay? I didn¡¯t realize you were charging me,¡± Vee said. ¡°I thought this was going to be something that helped us both.¡±
¡°It is, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s going to be free,¡± Neil said. ¡°That¡¯s not how business works.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Vee said. ¡°What¡¯s your price?¡±
¡°If you want to pay up front, it¡¯s going to be fifteen gold fleurs. Alternatively, we can take installments of three gold fleurs a month for six months or one percent of revenue until we reach twenty four. Your call.¡±
Vee grimaced. Paying more fleurs in the long run wasn¡¯t desirable by any means, but more time meant more flexibility, and he valued that pretty highly. Besides, he simply didn¡¯t have enough of an emergency fund to feel comfortable parting with fifteen gold fleurs just then. HIs reprieve from paying Sacre back wasn¡¯t going to last forever, and he needed to sock away as much money as he could before that happened.
¡°Give me some time to think about it?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Neil said. ¡°We¡¯re not so boorish as to demand payment to start. You¡¯re a scion of the Vales family so we know you¡¯re good for it.¡±
Vee tightened his jaw and shook his head. ¡°My financial agreements and obligations are solely my own. My family and I¡are not close right now.¡±
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¡°Sounds like there¡¯s a story there,¡± Neil said with a knowing smile, but Vee simply shook his head.
¡°It¡¯s not relevant to our discussion.¡±
¡°I see. Well, I can recognize an anthill to avoid kicking when I see it, so I¡¯ll refrain from pressing further and move on. Let¡¯s go ahead and get into offering you our feedback. Ceilynn, would you like to start us off?¡±
The salamander nodded and leaned forward. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that Crestheart is a labor of love for you, and it has a certain charm as a result. We think it''s a strength of your dungeon that you didn¡¯t simply grab random layouts from Yeller¡¯s and mash them together.¡±
¡°Yeller¡¯s?¡± Vee asked.
¡°Yeller¡¯s is a union-sponsored dungeon designer, who puts out a series of resource books for dungeon designs. They¡¯re filled with minion positioning tips, trap suggestions, and things like that. Normally, [Dungeon Masters] who are looking to make some quick fleurs by buying distressed dungeons and flipping them around will grab one, pick some generic hazards, and call it a day. Once you¡¯ve gone through a Yeller¡¯s dungeon, you¡¯ve kind of gone through them all.
¡°Though, with that said, there¡¯s some merit to such an approach too. Yeller¡¯s work isn¡¯t terribly inspired, but it¡¯s solid, and there¡¯s a lot of things about floor flow that you could learn from reading through a manual or two of his. The union sells them, though they¡¯re typically on the pricier side.¡±
Vee mentally crossed that idea off his list of things to do. Maybe someday he¡¯d have some free fleurs again, but for now he needed to save as much as he could.
¡°Crestheart¡¯s biggest problem is that your rooms are all too singular in their purpose,¡± Ceilynn said. ¡°Most of them have a single gimmick, like mobs of minions, or traps, or some sort of platforming element. In the few rooms that have more than one threat, the secondary one is usually extremely simple and easily dismissed.
¡°Beyond that, your minion offerings are almost comically limited in their variety, and are without fail extremely low level. That mini boss you have has some interesting elements, but it¡¯s a single star in an otherwise empty sky.¡±
Ceilynn finished her assessment of Crestheart, the rest of which followed similar lines of thought, and Vee decided that he needed to start taking notes. Grabbing a notebook, he jotted things down as the rest of the [Bellwethers] gave their feedback. Some of the adventurers focused on thematic concerns ¨C ¡°Why exactly are there so many ghosts? What is the [Dungeon Champion] protecting?¡± ¨C while others focused on missing types of threats ¨C ¡°Lacking proper puzzles means that adventurers can simply devote all their focus to combat without any risk of downsides¡± ¨C and at least two mentioned the lack of viable bonus challenges.
Vee wrote as quickly as his hand would let him, but he still felt like there were lots of things that were slipping by. The [Bellwethers] all spoke so quickly that he couldn¡¯t keep up. It was like his first days back at the academy, when he¡¯d been so focused on taking notes that he¡¯d failed to absorb any of what was being said, and the [Dungeon Master] knew that he¡¯d have to go back over them later and actually try to read them carefully.
Every now and again, Vee found himself anchoring onto a word or idea that he thought sounded interesting or cool, and he jotted down additional notes as frequently as he could. Creatures frozen in blocks of ice were one such example, as were ghost hands socketed with frost crystals to give them a chilling effect. Vee felt more than a little foolish for never really thinking of that latter one before.
Finally, after ninety minutes or so, the adventurers finished giving their feedback and got up to leave. Vee thanked them, and walked them all to the door. Neil turned back as his party started heading down to the street and said, ¡°Would you like to go walk through the dungeon with me tomorrow morning before your runs start? It might be easier to visualize some of the things we mentioned today if we can actually point to floors and walls and stuff.¡±
¡°That¡¯d be really helpful,¡± Vee said, though he warily added, ¡°but what will it cost me?¡±
¡°Nothing,¡± Neil said with a smile. ¡°The easier it is for you to implement our feedback, the faster you can redesign Crestheart. Consider it part of our fee, eh?¡±
Vee nodded, and the adventurer left with a friendly wave.
Turning to his friends, Vee held up his hands and said, ¡°Well? What did you guys think?¡±
¡°They had a lot of good suggestions,¡± Alforde said. ¡°I¡¯m sure the dungeon would be much better off if we implemented them.¡±
¡°While true, I¡¯m not sure where we¡¯d get the money for everything they brought up,¡± Reginald said quickly. ¡°Tier three and four minions aren¡¯t cheap, and that was their biggest complaint by far.¡±
¡°We might be able to fudge things a bit if I go ahead and make some stronger ghosts,¡± Vee said, ¡°but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s going to be enough by itself.¡±
¡°Then we¡¯ll have to think about better puzzles and improving room flow too,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Which has technically been on our to-do list for a long, long time.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Vee said, nodding. He thought back to his frankly dreadful poetry attempts and shuddered. He had a bad feeling that he was going to have to take another stab at it.
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character Sheets Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 38 (+1)
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 25
Leadership: 21
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 17
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 56
Wit: 15
Faith: 29 (+1)
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 14
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 10
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 11 (+1)
Irritability: 23
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 87
Neil tapped the wall of an otherwise boring room on Crestheart''s first floor and said, ¡°This right here is a perfect place to have an offering site like I was telling you about. Make a little statue or some other type of trinket, and give adventurers the choice to take it or not. Have it be something clunky, so that they¡¯re off balance if they take it. Then you offer an extra reward for carrying it all the way down to the champion room even if they don¡¯t win the battle. Let their greed do your work for you.¡±
¡°Would any adventurers actually take that deal?¡± Vee asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Most of the people who come through here are doing so to level up; they¡¯re not particularly interested in the monetary reward of winning.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not going to be the case for the adventures coming with the circuit,¡± Neil said. ¡°Money is the only thing those guys care about.¡±
He paused for a second, and his face darkened, but he carried on and said, ¡±Grinding dungeon clears for a living isn¡¯t glamorous for most people, but it can pay the bills if you¡¯re frugal and skilled enough.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true for almost anything,¡± Vee said.
Neil shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just saying. You might find yourself dealing with a much different crowd than you¡¯re used to, and you should do what you can to be ready for it.¡±
The group walked deeper into the dungeon and stopped inside a wide open room that normally served as one of the dungeon¡¯s swarm challenges. Neil pointed to the mostly bare floor and said, ¡°The traps that you have in here aren¡¯t in spots where they¡¯re likely to be valuable. One of the things a good [Dungeon Master] does is anticipate the way adventurers will be inclined to go through a room to clear it. Then they stuff traps and hazards in the places that are the most natural for an adventurer to go and boom, they get tons of trap value. As it is now, it¡¯s a miracle that you manage to get anything done at all with how sparse terrain elements are in here.¡±
Vee looked around, agreeing with the [Bellwether]¡¯s assessment. The room was basically empty, so there was no way to predict where an adventurer would go after the minions appeared.
¡°I never really thought about that before,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said. ¡°What would you suggest to fix that?¡±
¡°Make part of the room impassable,¡± Neil answered. ¡°Or, barring that, make some of it extremely inconvenient to move around in. Normally I¡¯d say get some faux magma or some quicksand, but since you kind of have an ice motif going on you should probably go ahead and just add some good old fashioned slippery tiles. If you introduce them early like this, you can have some interesting slider puzzles throughout the dungeon too.¡±
Slider puzzles were apparently dungeon hazards that utilized specially enchanted ice tiles. Since they only allowed movement in a single direction, adventurers were forced to travel in a straight line until they hit a wall, block, or other stopping element. From there, they could pick a new direction and repeat the process until they got to their final destination.
¡°Trust me, sliders are a great place to hide minions like your slimes and elementals,¡± Neil said. ¡°Put them in a hole along certain paths and watch them end runs. Sliders and other puzzles like them are great at icing out adventurers ¨C no pun intended ¨C by forcing them to solve different problems than they¡¯re used to. You¡¯d be surprised at how many adventurers absolutely suck at using logic. Let¡¯s keep going, eh?¡±
The rest of the walkthrough took the better part of an hour, and Vee was surprised by the depth of Neil¡¯s suggestions. The adventurer had tips for every room, every hallway, and ideas for how to improve nearly every fight inside the dungeon.
¡°Mister Chills is probably the most interesting part of current Crestheart,¡± Neil said when they reached the mini boss¡¯s arena. ¡°But he needs some more oomph. Now, you mentioned that you have some teleporters laying around?¡±
Vee nodded.
¡°Perfect. I¡¯d suggest that you go ahead and add them into this room, then do some tricks with the lights to serve as a tell and use the teleporters to send Mister Chills behind your challengers when they least expect it. Give him some good close range attacks, and you¡¯ve got yourself a real fearsome mini boss.¡±
¡°It¡¯s pretty impressive that you¡¯ve got so many suggestions for the dungeon having only personally run it once,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Ever thinking about working in a dungeon if the adventuring thing doesn¡¯t work out?¡±
Neil shrugged. ¡°Not much, but I suppose it¡¯s an option. There are a couple dungeons back home that I could try and get involved with. It¡¯s really not that impressive though. You just start to get a sense for these things when you¡¯ve run as many dungeons as I have. Seeing the possibilities becomes something of a second nature.¡±
¡°Well, if you ever do decide to get involved in the dungeon side of dungeon sports, we could probably find something for you to do here,¡± Reginald said. ¡°You¡¯d be a big help! Right boss?¡±
Vee smiled. ¡°Right. This has been super helpful so far.¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re getting some value out of it, but I¡¯ll pass,¡± Neil said with a polite laugh. ¡°No offense, but Oar¡¯s Crest is, uh, not exactly my kind of town.¡±
¡°Give it a few months or years,¡± Reginald said with a wide smile. ¡°We¡¯re going to turn this place into one of the biggest and best cities in the continent.¡±
He looked over at Vee, and the [Dungeon Master] gave him a thumbs up, feeling the now familiar shift of the Expectation on his shoulders.
When they left the dungeon, it took Vee and Neil a few seconds of blinking to readjust to the weather outside. The sun was out and it was pleasantly warm, with nary a cloud in the sky.
Vee reached out and shook Neil¡¯s hand. ¡°Thanks again for all the advice,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to implement as much of it as I can.¡±
¡°Of course, I was happy to help. My party and I will let you go ahead and get some renovations done before we do the rest of our quiet runs, okay?¡±
Vee agreed, and after a bit more small talk, Neil went to rejoin his party, and Vee was left with Alforde and Reginald.
¡°That¡was a lot to take in,¡± he said once the adventurer was out of hearing range. ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel that we¡¯ve been doing everything wrong this entire time.¡±
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°Nah, it¡¯s not that bad boss,¡± Reginald said. ¡°We¡¯re just not optimized to beat competitive adventurers, which makes sense because we haven¡¯t really faced many before now. So long as we incorporate the feedback we¡¯ve gotten and do what we can to make Crestheart better, we¡¯ll be doing the right thing.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± Alforde said. ¡°The good news for us is that there are a lot of relatively easy things to fix, so we can dive right in. What do you want to start with first, Vee?¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± Vee said slowly. ¡°Give me a second to think about it.¡±
Minions, traps, layouts, puzzles. There were so many places to start that Vee found the prospect overwhelming. What would be the easiest, or the best? He had both his notes and the inspiration buzzing around his skull clamoring for his attention.
He felt like a [Painter] staring at a canvas covered in old, dry paint that had all blended together and turned brown. He needed a fresh start; free from the decisions he¡¯d made before. However, he knew all too well that such an approach wasn¡¯t without its own risks. How many times had he been in this situation before, when he¡¯d ¡°restarted¡± a project that wasn¡¯t finished to make it better, only to lose motivation and never touch it again? Too many to count. Was this going to be the same thing?
Vee shook his head; he couldn¡¯t afford to let that happen here. Too many things ¨C not least his kneecaps ¨C were counting on him.
Once again since coming to Oar¡¯s Crest, the [Dungeon Master] found the resolve that had so often been missing when he needed it back in Bardis and made the hard decision to start fresh. Tomorrow was Saintsday, so the dungeon would be closed. Vee thought that was as fitting a sign as any. He could wake up early and come to Crestheart, then pretend to be one of those [Home Restoration Professionals] who spent their time painting everything white and calling it ¡°Farmhouse¡± from dawn to dusk.
Admittedly, he didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d ever really want to do such a thing, but it was an option available to him all the same.
More seriously, he¡¯d be able to knock together a rough construction for the new Crestheart and get some more feedback from Neil and the other [Bellwethers] before the circuit started.
It was going to be a lot of work, but the prospect was exciting too.
Snapping his fingers, Vee reached through the bonds to his orchestra and got Do¡¯s attention.
¡°Attend me, please,¡± he ordered.
A heartbeat later he felt the fiend¡¯s affirmative reply.
¡°Master, I¡¯m not sure I understand,¡± the [Dungeon Maintainer] said. ¡°You want us to rip apart the dungeon?¡±
¡°I want you to take all the minions back to the menagerie and store them with Kai. Reginald should have gotten there and told him to prepare space, so you shouldn¡¯t have any issues with that. Once that¡¯s done, I want you to uninstall all the traps, pick up all the tiles, and put them in the tower where they¡¯re easy to find. Take out the platforms and walkways too once that¡¯s finished. Starting from the first room on the first floor, I want the dungeon completely emptied out. Does that make more sense?¡±
The fiend nodded. ¡°It does¡but may I ask why you want us to do this? Are you displeased with our work?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s the dungeon I¡¯m displeased with, but the fault is mine and mine alone. You¡¯ve done everything I¡¯ve asked you to, but my requests leave much to be desired. We¡¯re going to work on fixing that now though, so please keep working hard.¡±
¡°I understand, master.¡±
[Leadership +1]
Vee watched Do and the other fiends shuffle away, then turned to look over at Alforde. ¡°Think you can give them a hand, buddy? I¡¯m sure they¡¯d appreciate it.¡±
¡°Of course, but are you sure that you¡¯re not going to need me?¡±
¡°I should be fine for a while, at the very least. For now I¡¯m just going to be working on conceptual things.¡±
¡°Got it. Just give me a shout if you change your mind.¡±
Alforde hurried off to join the fiends, and Vee pulled out his notebook. One of the things Neil had said in passing ¨C ¡°Dungeons are built from the bottom up.¡± ¨C stood out in his mind, so he started brainstorming a better story for Crestheart in the hopes that it would help guide his designs.
He consulted his notes, resting his finger on the question a couple of the [Bellwethers] had asked: ¡°Why are there so many ghosts?¡±
That was a good place to start, Vee thought. Especially since it¡¯d probably be pretty easy to tie to Alforde.
After a couple minutes of pondering, Vee clapped his hands together and started writing. What if Crestheart was the long lost lab of an ancient [Ghost Maestro]? That might be kind of interesting, though it would probably be understood better if it was a [Necromancer] instead of a [Ghost Maestro].
Shaking his head, Vee scribbled down some rough notes. He wasn''t sure if he''d end up putting all -- or really, any of them -- to use, but it was good to have his thoughts organized:
Alforde is the [Necromancer]¡¯s final assistant, tasked with the solemn duty of protecting his lost master¡¯s treasures?
It¡¯ll probably be impossible to get Alforde to go with that
Solution: bribery? Books?
Champion battle thematics probably more important for spectators than challengers
Alternative: Make Crestheart a dark laboratory buried deep within the earth and filled with the broken remnants of its former master.
Use workrooms, supply closets, testing sites, and other things like what I use on a regular basis as inspiration for room layouts? Are those interesting enough, though? Will people get excited about clearing out a broom closet?
Is it right for a dungeon to be something mundane turned into something more? Or should it strive for grandiosity at the outset?
Vee rubbed his chin, underlining that last thought and tapping his pen against the page. While he¡¯d never much cared about dungeons before opening one up, he¡¯d always thought of them as existing on a spectrum between climbing a tower and slaying a dragon for the right to marry some disgruntled member of a royal family and a boring slog through a sentient murder cave that was home to a snarky pixie for reasons unknown.
This new version of Crestheart didn¡¯t really match either of those extremes, but maybe that was okay?
Without a clear answer, Vee shook his head and turned his attention to things that were easier to contemplate.
Like traps, and monster packs.
[Devious Mind +1]
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 38
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 26 (+1)
Leadership: 22 (+1)
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 56
Wit: 15
Faith: 29
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 14
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 10
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46 (-1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 23
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 88
Despite his enthusiasm, Vee knew that it was nearly time to go to sleep. His eyes were heavy and starting to burn, and he was vaguely nauseous too. It was nearly two in the morning, and he¡¯d been up talking dungeon design with Alforde and Reginald since getting back to the boarding house at five the night before.
The table was covered in stacks of paper and tiny little ectoplasmic models that Vee had whipped together, the latter serving to fill in the gaps left by Vee¡¯s explanations of his ideas when his attempts at using [Get The Picture] failed to help his friends understand his intent.
The [Dungeon Master] rubbed his watery eyes and thought about getting another cup of coffee, but his stomach rolled over in protest. That meant it probably wasn¡¯t a good idea. He shivered as bone deep chills spread up and down his limbs, then yawned and told his friends that he should probably be heading to sleep soon.
¡°Bed sounds like a great idea, boss. I think we¡¯ve got all the stuff we need anyway,¡± Reginald said, gesturing to the biggest pile of papers, which held their finalized plan. ¡°Tomorrow we can go ahead and start actually bringing it to life.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± Alforde said, leaning back and shifting his plates in a mimicry of a full-body stretch. ¡°We¡¯ve taken all the advice we got from the [Bellwethers], and the dungeon is going to be a lot better as a result. You should get some rest, Vee.¡±
Nodding, Vee stood up and stumbled over to his bed. He was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
The next morning, Vee found himself wishing that he had a skill or class that let him absorb coffee through his skin. His limbs feeling unnaturally heavy, he showered and dressed, then headed down to Crestheart with Alforde and Reginald.
A grumbling [City Guard] opened the gate for the trio, muttering something about having his crossword session interrupted, and Reginald called out something nasty in reply as the gate closed behind them.
Vee stared at the lobby longingly as they headed inside the dungeon, sad that it¡¯d be closed all day. Though he¡¯d eaten breakfast before leaving the boarding house, his stomach ¨C which was really starting to become a major player in his decision-making process ¨C made it abundantly clear that it wouldn¡¯t have minded a cookie or three to help get through the day.
Maybe he¡¯d go back into the city proper for lunch, depending on how the work went.
Looking at his friends, Vee said, ¡°Alright guys, are you ready? Any last questions before we get started for the day?¡±
Alforde shook his helmet. ¡°I¡¯m good Vee. I¡¯ll go and start packing up that ectoplasm that you asked for, and then go find Do and the other [Dungeon Maintainers] while you move the walls out of the way.¡±
Reginald said, ¡°And I¡¯ll go talk to Kai about growing some decorative shrubbery and some warding hedges.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t forget the ghost slimes for when you come back either,¡± Vee said.
His [Majordomo] grinned. ¡°How could I? Don¡¯t worry boss, I¡¯ll get those first.¡±
Nodding, Vee watched his friends go their separate ways, then took a deep breath and pushed open the door to Crestheart.
Without its minions, tiles, decorations, or anything else, it didn¡¯t look at all like he expected to ¨C which was, of course, intended, but still jarring ¨C and it took the [Dungeon Master] a moment to get used to the sight of the big empty rooms.
Knowing that the job wouldn¡¯t be done until he did it, Vee gathered his will and activated [Walking Walls] so that he could clear each floor properly. It was surprisingly difficult to do, and Vee felt a bit like a person who can run a few laps around a track without issue being tasked with running two or three miles straight. He pushed on until the floor was clear, then wiped the sweat from his brow and headed downstairs to repeat the process on the second and third floors.
By the time he finished, he was gasping for breath and his shirt stuck to his back uncomfortably. He sat down to rest a little bit and ate one of his snacks to regain his energy. While he waited, he drew out his plans and looked them over, curious to see if his few hours of sleep had done anything to change his thoughts or plans.
It hadn¡¯t, which was probably a good thing, and when Vee¡¯s legs no longer felt wobbly, he stood up and headed back to the first floor. He understood where Neil was coming from with that whole ¡°Dungeons are built from the bottom¡± thing, but he couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it in practice and had decided to work his way down from the top instead.
The first floor was going to be a set up floor of sorts, introducing an optional quest to carry a small idol of some kind throughout the dungeon. Using a piece of chalk, Vee marked off a quarter of the floor¡¯s space, which would serve as what the [Bellwethers] called the staging area. It wouldn¡¯t have many minions, just a few ghost slimes floating around here and there, but would have all the triggers for [Aura of Fear], so adventurers would be under its influence before they plumbed deeper into Crestheart¡¯s depths.
After that, he chalked out the rest of the floor, mixing small rooms with hallways, big rooms, and dead ends. He jotted down notes about minions, traps, and physical layout elements, checking off entries on his list of necessary resources as he did so.
He was nearly done when Alforde returned, carrying two large boxes of refined ectoplasm cubes under his arms. The armorsoul set them down and started unloading each piece.
Stolen novel; please report.
¡°How¡¯s it going, Vee?¡±
The [Dungeon Master] shrugged and smiled. ¡°I think it¡¯s coming along nicely. I¡¯m about to head downstairs to do the next floor. Want to come with?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±
The second floor was going to be where most adventurers gave up their runs, if everything went according to kei¡plan. It was going to start with a long and narrow hallway filled with elementals and skeleton mages, as well as light, hidden pillars in the walls and floor that were going to be painted with the bright neon orange that the union designated for official ¡°instant kill¡± traps and pop out when adventurers stepped on or walked in front of them.
Vee still couldn¡¯t believe such things were allowed, but the [Bellwethers] assured him that instant kill threats ¨C typically disguised as spike pits, pools of lava, or garbage mashers on detention levels ¨C were extremely common in other dungeons around the continent. Vee had checked his union rulebook, and sure enough, in a section he¡¯d barely skimmed before, there was a whole list of rules and regulations for implementing instant kills in a dungeon. Since it had less than five floors, Crestheart could only have one instant kill room, and Vee intended to make the most of it.
He¡¯d originally planned to have Nock start his harrying here, but felt that the weaponsoul would be wasted in such a task. Instead, he¡¯d have the mercenary positioned to begin attacking right after adventurers navigated the hall, so that they¡¯d be lulled into a false sense of security and would be expecting a brief respite from dodging.
Chatting with Alforde about thematics, special effects, and traps, Vee chalked in a couple more room layouts, and then marked off roughly a quarter of the second floor for the Mister Chills fight. He had some thoughts for ways to make the fight more interesting ¨C though he wasn¡¯t sure he could implement them properly until Reginald finished getting the rest of his [Core Spirit] levels back ¨C and he wanted to have as much space as he needed.
With that done, the friends went down to the third floor and started laying out rooms for that too. The [Bellwethers] had recommended making the third floor the densest in terms of combat and physically demanding platforming, so Vee intended to make a simple path that led straight to a big room with his spinning disc platform in the center. Getting across the disc would be difficult and dangerous, since in addition to the heavy, swinging arm, Vee was also going to load the disc up with traps and have lots of minions waiting below to harry unfortunate challengers who got knocked off.
However, if challengers didn¡¯t want to deal with that, Vee was going to give them a way out. They could choose to instead fight through a gauntlet of small rooms that were going to be filled with some new ghosts, and maybe also some higher tier minions if Vee decided to bite the sling-stone and buy them.
After writing down the last notes on the floor, Vee and Alforde headed down to Alforde¡¯s arena. Vee didn¡¯t think this needed much work other than some thematic tweaks ¨C half-broken vaults on the floor, debris on the walls, etc ¨C but Alforde raised a gauntlet and said, ¡°Do you think we could add a couple permanent floating platforms? Maybe some that move back and forth relative to the main platform?¡±
Vee scratched his head. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°I think it¡¯d be exciting, and would expand the edge guarding elements to my bouts,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Plus the drama of trying to get back to the main stage after getting knocked off by grabbing onto the supplementary platform would be thrilling for spectators, especially if it¡¯s not consistent.¡±
¡°A floating platform would take a lot of power I¡¯m not sure we have right now, but we can definitely add it to the list of things to add once Reginald has all his [Core Spirit] levels back.¡±
¡°Can we at least add some of those movable pillars to the regular stage?¡± Alforde asked, clapping his gauntlets together and tilting his helmet to the side. ¡°I think it¡¯d be a lot more interesting if the battlefield itself was an obstacle we both had to overcome.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll see. For now, I think your arena is good enough to be functional, so I want to focus my efforts elsewhere.¡±
¡°That¡¯s reasonable,¡± Alforde said quietly. Recognizing his friend¡¯s dejected posture, Vee clapped the armorsoul on the back.
¡°With that said though, we¡¯ll definitely be adding some extra lights and stuff down here so that you can have a better entrance before battles. We¡¯ll have the SSBs and the rules of the bout on a statue or something right by the door to walk in, so you can just focus on striking fear into their hearts, okay?¡±
That cheered the [Dungeon Champion] right up. ¡°I can use that new pose I¡¯ve been practicing,¡± he said, standing up straight and letting Slammy rest on his left pauldron while pointing forward with his right gauntlet. ¡°What do you think, Vee?¡±
¡°It¡¯s very impressive,¡± Vee said with a smile. ¡°Now come on. We¡¯ve got all the easy stuff out of the way, and it¡¯s time for us to actually start building. I¡¯m going to need your help making the decorations and getting them installed.¡±
¡°You can count on me!¡±
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged from last chapter):
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 38
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 15
Devious Mind: 26
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 56
Wit: 15
Faith: 29
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 29
Intimidating Presence: 14
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 10
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 23
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 89
Vee was shaken awake early the next morning by a concerned-looking Micah, who¡¯d found the [Dungeon Master] asleep at one of the lobby¡¯s outdoor tables.
¡°Are you okay?¡± The [Baker] asked. ¡°The [City Guards] said you didn¡¯t come back through the gate last night. I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but you look terrible, Mister Vales.¡±
Vee mumbled a string of syllables no human could possibly be expected to understand, but the last bit rhymed with ¡°free¡±, and Micah was smart enough to figure out what Vee wanted. Unlocking the lobby, Micah helped drag Vee inside and led the [Dungeon Master] to a table.
¡°Hang out here for a second and I¡¯ll whip something up for you,¡± Micah said. ¡°My cooking isn¡¯t nearly as good as my baking, but I can at least make a decent scrambled egg.¡±
Vee swayed at the table, his skin looking even paler than usual under the bright lights of the lobby, but he dug into the plate of food when Micah delivered it and seemed to revive a bit after finishing it.
¡°Thanks,¡± Vee said as he pushed the dirty plate away and nodded affirmatively when Micah held up the pot of fresh coffee. He took a big sip and said, ¡°I feel much better now.¡±
Seeing Micah¡¯s questioning expression, Vee continued, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. I spent all day yesterday redesigning the dungeon and then rewriting all the floor orders so that the minions would actually do what I wanted them to . Alforde and Reginald are still hard at work putting the last few touches on a couple rooms, but I¡¯m pretty much tapped out. I¡¯m probably going to nap through all of the day¡¯s runs.¡±
¡°That seems like a good idea,¡± Micah said, filling Vee¡¯s cup back up and returning the pot to where it belonged. ¡°You could probably pass for a ghost inside the dungeon right now.¡±
Vee flashed an exhausted smile. ¡°You¡¯re probably right about that. Do you have anything super sugary by chance? I think the coffee is going to need all the help it can get.¡±
Micah nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got some jam-filled cookies from yesterday. Would you prefer emberberry, peach, or spiced orange?¡±
¡°Give me one of each,¡± Vee said. ¡°All of those sound good.¡±
Almost an hour later, Vee returned to Crestheart feeling slightly more human. To his surprise, Torres was waiting out front, furiously twirling his mustache and scowling. Vee groaned inwardly. He really didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with the [Stationer] that morning. However, he knew all too well that he had to put on a good face, so he forced himself to smile and said, ¡°Good morning, Torres. How can I help you on this fine day?¡±
¡°Originally, my heart¡¯s simple desire was to show you the boxes I made for those dunpla figurines you brought me,¡± Torres said, somehow managing to make the word sound like a curse, ¡°but alas, I was dismayed to realize that you¡¯ve once again redesigned the dungeon and rendered my guides worthless. As I¡¯ve said in the past, I¡¯d appreciate a heads up about such things before they happen so that I can make the necessary amendments to my offerings.¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Vee said. ¡°It slipped my mind. Would you like to do a walkthrough to see what¡¯s new? We¡¯ve still got some time before we go ahead and open, and while we do that I can take a look at the boxes you¡¯ve made. How¡¯s that sound?¡±
Torres sniffed loudly, but didn¡¯t protest, and he followed Vee into the dungeon.
Even with all the work done by Vee and his friends, the dungeon still wasn¡¯t fully operational. Without the rest of Reginald¡¯s [Core Spirit] levels, several elements were still missing their power, but Vee still managed to take Torres through it without issue.
¡°So you¡¯re offering two separate options for trinkets ?¡± the [Stationer] asked, jotting things down on a gaudy notepad.
¡°We are,¡± Vee said. ¡°The first is going to be a small, thin statue of ectoplasm that will allow an adventurer to claim double rewards if they manage to defeat Alforde. Since it¡¯s not going to be heavy, most adventurers shouldn¡¯t have any issues carrying it around and maneuvering it as necessary. The second will be much larger, and it¡¯s going to be socketed with a scaling [Sap Energy] trap gem that will almost certainly impede the physical strength of anyone who decides to take it. However, an adventurer who successfully clears the dungeon with it in their possession will receive five times the normal reward.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Torres muttered. ¡°And will this statue be affected by any sort of [Storage] skills or artifacts? I could see a {Bag of Holding} becoming extremely valuable in such a circumstance.¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°Nope. Both statues will be socketed with [Status Preservation] gems as well, which will trigger if anyone tries to move them into pocket space and cause the statue to be destroyed.¡±
¡°That¡¯s quite an impressive defense mechanism,¡± Torres said. ¡°Would it be possible to see that in action?¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Vee said with an apologetic smile. ¡°We don¡¯t have either type of crystal in our possession at this time, but we¡¯ve ordered them from the union and they should be arriving in the coming days.¡±
They walked into a small, hexagonal room, and Vee pointed to three of the walls, which were a slightly lighter color than the rest. ¡°This is going to be a gauntlet room, where our skeleton knights, archers, and mages are going to attack in waves from these walls here. By default, there will be four waves of monsters, but depending on where an adventurer walks there may be more.¡±
¡°Can you elaborate a bit further on that?¡± Torres asked, his pen scratching away.
¡°Sure. Do you see those darker blue bricks on the floor?¡±
He pointed down at the ground, where there were occasional quartets of navy-colored bricks arranged in simple circles. ¡°All four of those are pressure sensitive, and putting any substantial weight down on them will trigger additional enemy attacks. We¡¯ll be experimenting with a few different varieties in the days to come, but will eventually have a fixed arrangement. Beyond that, there''s another surprise in this room, but we''re still negotiating out a few details with the relevant party, so please forgive me for not showing it to you now.¡±
A few rooms later, Vee stopped at the entrance to a narrow hallway and held up his right hand. Torres slowed to a halt a few steps after him, and Vee demonstrated the sequence of chain-mounted ectoplasmic spheres that swung violently back and forth.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
¡°We call these the wrecking balls, ¡° the [Dungeon Master] said, ¡°and adventurers will need to be quick and decisive to get through safely. They might not be as heavy as they look, but I can assure you that you wouldn¡¯t enjoy letting one hit you.¡±
¡°Is their pattern consistent?¡±
¡°Yes and no,¡± Vee answered. ¡°There are seven possible timing patterns, but the one used in any given run will be randomly determined at the start.¡±
¡°Would it be possible for me to see the timings so that I can include them in my guide?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Vee said with a smile. ¡°Remind me when we finish up and I¡¯ll be happy to give you a copy of our list.¡±
The [Stationer] nodded and followed the [Dungeon Master] deeper into Crestheart.
¡°I don¡¯t think that hazard is fair,¡± Torres grumbled, standing up with a wince as he looked back at the archway made out of ghost arms that had thrown him around for nearly thirty seconds straight.
¡°This is an optional area,¡± Vee said, pointing to the series of honeycomb-shaped chambers that were all going to eventually be filled with tier three and four minions.
¡°There¡¯s going to be a poetic warning at the door leading to the arch that will inform challengers to fear the creeping hands of forgotten servants.¡±
¡°My point remains,¡± Torres said, dusting himself off. ¡°Being forewarned doesn¡¯t excuse absurd spikes in difficulty.¡±
Vee grinned. ¡°I believe we differ on that point, sir.¡±
[Charisma +1]
He pointed to the center of the room, where one of the mannequin merchants sat on a rug covered in various goods. Next to its legs was a crudely painted sign ¨C little more than a cracked piece of wood, truth be told ¨C that said Buy or Else.
¡°This will be the cheapest merchant in the dungeon, offering wares for half the price of the other two. However, if an adventurer looks at the goods but decides not to buy anything, a trapdoor will send them into a hidden room where they¡¯ll have to fight some new ghosts.¡±
¡°Without going down to the next floor? How does that work?¡±
¡°Let me show you. Take a few steps over to your left, please. Thank you, that¡¯s perfect.¡±
Kneeling down to the side of the shopkeeper, Vee lifted up a brick and pressed a button concealed within the floor. A panel right in front of the shopkeeper ¨C where Torres had been standing ¨C slid open, and the glowing blue light of a teleporter filled the room with an eerie hue.
Vee grinned as he pressed the button again and the floor returned to normal. ¡°We actually have another couple sets of teleporters ordered,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s another couple places in the dungeon where they¡¯d come in handy, but those aren¡¯t quite ready yet. Let¡¯s carry on, shall we?¡±
From there, Vee escorted Torres through the rest of the second floor, pointing out trap activation points, timed doors connected to pressure plates that required adventurers to move pieces of rooms to keep them in position, larger-than-normal torches that served as switches for otherwise locked doors or revealed hidden walls, and various other dungeon elements that were new to Crestheart. He also detailed Nock¡¯s duties, since the weaponsoul had yet to be given the freedom to run around the dungeon like he was supposed to.
However, when they reached the wide, slope-filled room where Vee said adventurers would face off against Mister Chills, the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s expression grew solemn.
¡°Would it be possible for you to refrain from including the specifics of the mini boss battle?¡± Vee asked. ¡°It¡¯s something I¡¯m really proud of, but I don¡¯t want people to walk in with a perfect idea of what to expect. You can tell them about all the things that used to happen in the fights since that¡¯s all been kept, but there are some new attacks and patterns that I think will catch some of our adventurers by surprise.¡±
Torres tugged his mustache, deep in thought. Finally, he huffed out, ¡°I suppose I can deign to describe it in generalized terms since you¡¯ve asked so politely.¡±
¡°Much appreciated,¡± Vee said. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you the third floor.¡±
Due to the dense nature of the third floor, it took Vee nearly as long to show it to Torres as the other two floors had together. While he couldn¡¯t demonstrate the various physical tasks that would be expected of adventurers himself ¨C they would have been beyond him even if he hadn¡¯t been bone-achingly tired ¨C he pointed them all out.
He also drew attention to the large, simply decorated treasure chests that adorned the third floor¡¯s rooms and hallways. ¡°Those are going to be more ornate in a few more days,¡± he said. ¡°And one of them is going to be a special mimic ghost that will attack when it¡¯s opened up. Depending on how well it does, we might incorporate more mimics into the dungeon as well in the future.¡±
¡°A question, Mister Vales. Pray tell, what incentive is there for adventurers to open the treasure chests in the first place?¡±
¡°We¡¯re still figuring that out,¡± Vee said. ¡°But the plan is some combination of faceted crystals, simple pieces of jewelry, and coupons to other businesses within Oar¡¯s Crest.¡±
¡°Such as?¡±
¡°Sorry, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s also still undecided,¡± Vee said. ¡°Though I¡¯m hopeful we can at least come to an arrangement with the [Armor Smiths] who designed Alforde¡¯s current armor and weapon. I¡¯m sure there will be others as well.¡±
Finally, they came to Alforde¡¯s arena, and Torres whistled at the sight of the new decorations that adorned the room. He looked up and saw Shadowforde¡¯s mirror hanging above the stage.
¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re going to give me details about that either,¡± the [Stationer] said grumpily.
Vee clapped him on the back.
¡°I¡¯m afraid not. But still, this is pretty impressive, huh?¡±
Torres bowed his head. ¡°Indeed, Mister Vales. I think this finally looks like a proper dungeon.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± said Vee. ¡°But only time will tell if that¡¯s the case or not. Here, this way. The exit is just up some stairs hidden behind that curtain. It¡¯s nearly time for the day¡¯s runs to begin. Now let¡¯s go ahead and take a proper look at these boxes you¡¯ve rigged up, eh? I must say, at first glance they look rather lovely.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 38
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 16 (+1)
Devious Mind: 27 (+1) (Occurred between previous chapter and this one)
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 10
Might: 58 (+2)
Wit: 15
Faith: 29
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 30 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 14
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 10
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ?? (+2)
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 24 (+1)
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 90: Tracy and Cooper Kartine (Interlude)
Tracy looked over at the clock next to her desk and scowled. It was almost ten, which meant that she was running out of time to finish up her stupid math assignment before heading out with Cooper to get started on the cleaning work for Mister Vales. She didn¡¯t love the prospect of going out into the night and watching the slimes eat garbage, but the pay was good and that was all that mattered.
Pressing her tongue against the back of her front teeth, she glared down at the sheet of math problems she¡¯d been working on for the last two hours and tried to will the symbols into making sense.
It didn¡¯t work.
When she was younger, she¡¯d actually liked math quite a bit, but then her teachers had started screwing with the numbers. They replaced some with letters, shrank others and moved them up or down, added a bunch of weird squiggly symbols, and expected her to carry out a quasi-alchemical process of algebra that relied on obtuse abuse of the ability to creatively "multiply by one".
She still managed decent grades, but found herself dreading her math homework every night. Increasingly, Tracy found herself not caring if she missed a few points here and there, especially since homework was only fifteen percent of her total grade and there were so many other things she needed to do.
A few futile scribbles later, Tracy decided to leave the stupid problem blank and take the hit. She was pretty sure she¡¯d done the rest of the worksheet right, so it shouldn¡¯t be too big of a deal.
There¡¯d be another batch of extra credit at the end of the semester too, so she could always make it up then if need be.
(Are you ready to go yet? I¡¯ve been waiting for like twenty minutes)
Cooper¡¯s telepathic voice ¨C courtesy of [Twinergy], a skill they shared ¨C bloomed across her thoughts, tinged with irritation.
Nodding even though her brother wasn¡¯t in the room and couldn¡¯t see, Tracy activated the skill and thought back, (One sec. Let me get some warmer clothes on.)
(Be quick about it. We¡¯re just holding the slimes. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s going to be any boys out there for you to try and impress or anything.)
Thinking back a biting retort, Tracy got to her feet and hurried to her closet. It was chaotically filled, stuffed to the brim with all sorts of things she never wore but couldn¡¯t bear to part with, but she found what she was looking for almost instantly.
Her old thick sweatshirt, heavy coat, two pairs of gloves, and a spare pair of pants she¡¯d gotten from her aunt that looked terrible but were surprisingly warm. It was almost spring, but the nights were still pretty freaking cold.
(Come on¡I have to get up early tomorrow. Old man Datum is the only guy who¡¯s given me work for the past month and I don¡¯t want to jeopardize that.)
¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming,¡± Tracy muttered, hurrying over to the door and giving the New Sally poster pinned to it a long look before opening it up.
¡°Sixteen bronze fleurs an hour,¡± she whispered, psyching herself up for the hours of labor ahead. ¡°That¡¯s better than I¡¯d get anywhere else.¡±
Cooper was standing outside, his face pulled tight in a scowl. He was dressed much as she was, but he was also wearing the lumpy, garish hat she¡¯d knitted him for his birthday the year before. It was a small thing, but it made Tracy happy all the same.
¡°Lead the way,¡± she said with a smile and an exaggerated bow.
¡°Keep it quiet though,¡± Cooper said as he turned and started walking down the hall. ¡°Da is already asleep on the couch and Ma is in their room. She didn¡¯t heat up any of the leftovers for dinner, so I¡¯m guessing she had a rough day and went straight to sleep.¡±
Tracy nodded, following her brother out into their living room which was lit by the faint crackling silver glow of their crappy old viewing crystal. She paused for a second, looking over at da, who was asleep on the couch with a blanket haphazardly thrown over his pajama¡¯d legs. There was a mostly-empty jar resting on the table next to his head, and even from where she stood Tracy could smell the acrid stench of liquor wafting out of it.
¡°Sleep easy, da,¡± she whispered as he shifted and muttered something she couldn¡¯t hear well enough to understand, clenching her teeth hard to ward off the now-familiar burning in her chest as she tiptoed over to the back deck where they¡¯d stored the slimes they¡¯d gotten from Mister Vales.
Cooper was kneeling down in front of their cage, a pair of ectoplasmic leashes on the ground next to his right knee. The slimes blurbled softly, though they seemed to cheer up quite a bit once Cooper shook them out.
¡°Hope you little monsters are hungry,¡± Cooper said as he picked his slime up and cradled it in his arms like a newborn. ¡°The faster you all eat the quicker we can get home.¡±
Tracy squatted down next to her brother and scooped up her own slime before it could spoil its appetite on the collection of debris littering their deck. The creature was warm and squishy to the touch, though she had to keep shifting it around to make sure that her gloved hand didn¡¯t sink too far into the creature¡¯s gelatinous body. Mister Vales had assured her that the slime wasn¡¯t big enough to cause her any real issues, but over the winter she¡¯d learned the hard way that the slime¡¯s digestive juices got progressively stronger as they approached its core.
She¡¯d lost three separate pairs of gloves before she¡¯d gotten the hang of what Cooper called ¡®slime juggling¡¯, which kept the creature moving in a sort of rolling motion.
They went back through the living room, stepping over the mess of ma¡¯s purse right by the front door ¨C she must have been exhausted ¨C and into the night.
¡°Where are we meeting the fiends?¡± Tracy asked.
¡°Over by the westown gate,¡± her brother answered, setting down his slime and hooking it up to its leash.
¡°Is Mister Vales going to be there?¡±
¡°No, but his [Majordomo] will be. Apparently he¡¯s going to be supervising the fiends.¡±
¡°The hat? How¡¯s he going to do that?¡±
Her brother shrugged. ¡°Dunno. That¡¯s just what Mister Vales told me when we picked up the slimes. Maybe one of the fiends will be wearing it or something.¡±
Tracy hooked her slime to its leash and followed her brother down the steps to the streets. Thankfully there weren¡¯t any sketchy customers loitering outside the ¡°[Alchemist]¡¯s¡±, and the rest of the complex was surprisingly quiet too. That was a relief.
Keeping a firm hand on the slime¡¯s leash to prevent any nibbling before they got to the job site, Tracy walked next to Cooper, and they made their way toward Westown. As they walked, she had no choice but to stare at the dull and ugly buildings that lined both sides of the street. Oar¡¯s Crest was a dark, dingy, and awful city. She hated it with every fiber of her being.
That¡¯s why we¡¯re out here in the middle of the night, she thought bitterly. So we can leave.
The answer to the question of how Reginald was going to supervise the task was answered as soon as they saw him: the hat was riding atop a large, grotesque dog creature that for some reason had a pair of arms hanging from its shoulders.
Cackling wildly at the twins¡¯ expression, Reginald urged the nightmarish creature forward and said, ¡°Good evening, you two. I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re on time. There¡¯s a lot of trash to get rid of and not a lot of days to do it. Meet your coworkers!¡±
The dog turned around, and one of the arms went up to point at a group of oddly shaped creatures in dark uniforms. They were all vaguely humanoid, but their limbs were the wrong size, shape, or quantity.
¡°This is the Light Section of Vee¡¯s orchestra,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Cooper and Tracy, meet Sweep, Scrape, Scrub, Shuffle, Scour, Swab, and Sluice. They¡¯re not great at talking, but they understand speech pretty well. And before you ask, yes they¡¯re fiends, and no they¡¯re not going to hurt you. Vee¡¯s influence will make sure that¡¯s not going to be an issue. Okay?¡±
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¡°Okay,¡± Cooper said. He looked over at Tracy.
(Make sure he brought the money, sis.)
She held out her hand. ¡°Since it¡¯s a school night, we can only do three hours. So that¡¯ll be forty-eight bronze fleurs before we get started.¡±
Reginald grinned and snapped the dog¡¯s left hand. One of the fiends ¨C whose four hands were evenly divided between claws and buckets ¨C walked forward and raised an arm. There was a tiny box inside one of its buckets, and Cooper lifted it out with a bemused expression.
¡°I didn¡¯t feel like filling a bag with bronze fleurs,¡± Reginald explained. ¡°So I just grabbed a silver instead. Consider the spares a tip.¡±
(That¡¯s fine by me,) Cooper thought. (Add it to the savings pot or give it to ma to help with groceries?)
(Give it to ma, I think. The pantry is pretty empty and she was saying something about work being late on wages this week. I¡¯d love to add it to the pot, but I also don¡¯t want to eat nothing but rice for the next few days.)
(Same. Want to go see if we can drum up some other business after school tomorrow?)
(Yeah, I like that idea. A couple of the [Shopkeepers] over on Springtree Lane said they¡¯d pay us to clear their sidewalks. Let¡¯s start there.)
Her brother nodded, and tucked the coin into his pocket to keep it safe. ¡°Thanks. Alright, we¡¯re ready whenever you guys are.¡±
Reginald turned to the fiends, and said, ¡°You lot know your business better than I do. Do your thing, Sweep.¡±
The broom-handed fiend stepped forward, its glowing green eyes meeting Tracy¡¯s brown ones.
¡°Happy working together,¡± it said in a soft, scratchy voice. ¡°We clear street. Slimes follow. Repeat. Please.¡±
Tracy nodded, and pulled on her slime¡¯s leash.
Sweep turned to its fellows, and made a low humming sound that was vaguely reminiscent of a beehive. Making a similar sound in return, its fellows formed a single file line. Then, one by one, they started heading down the street, their arms a whirlwind of motion as they cleaned. Large pieces of trash, broken glass, and other debris were knocked left and right by Shuffle while smaller ones were turned into nice neat piles by Sweep. Scrape and Scrub peeled grime off the street, looking like a person peeling an orange, and Scour, Swab, and Sluice brought up the rear, washing the entire area thoroughly.
They made various noises while they worked, and Tracy idly wondered if that was how the creatures activated their skills. Wait. Could they even have skills? She scratched her head. She was pretty sure fiends didn¡¯t have classes ¨C she vaguely remembered learning that during one of the many boring safety lectures back in school ¨C but that didn¡¯t necessarily mean that skills were off the table. Plenty of creatures around the continent could use skills without having a class.
Her musings were interrupted by more thoughtspeak from Cooper.
(I¡¯ll take the right side of the street, okay? You take the left.)
Tracy nodded, guiding her slime over to the freshly created piles of debris and letting it eat as it pleased. Watching the slimes wasn¡¯t exactly a pleasant experience, but it was interesting, and she fell into the familiar rhythm of pulling it to where she wanted it to go next. It wasn¡¯t physically demanding work, nor did it take all of her concentration; Tracy had certainly had worse jobs that paid less.
However, it was slow ¨C a lot slower than the fiends, who stopped at the end of the street and looked back rather awkwardly when they finished ¨C and so Reginald told the light section to go ahead and move on.
¡°The slimes will follow after you in a bit,¡± he said, dismissively waving one of the dog¡¯s arms. The fiends bowed, made their strange humming sounds, and disappeared around the corner.
He walked past Cooper and Tracy. ¡°You two catch up when you can. I¡¯ll be at the end of the street so that I can keep an eye on the fiends while they work. Should I have Vee get you guys some more slimes, by the way? We have plenty of them and it¡¯d definitely make this whole process faster. Plus, with the help of just a couple little hats, you could probably set up a nifty slime wrangling operation for yourselves. You know, have an actual business instead of just jumping from job to job. It wouldn¡¯t be glamorous, but it would be yours. Plenty of money to be made in cleaning up things other people won¡¯t touch, if you¡¯re interested in that type of thing.¡±
Tracy caught Cooper¡¯s eye. She didn¡¯t need thoughtspeak for him to understand her question.
(I¡¯m not opposed to the idea, I just don¡¯t know where we¡¯d store the slimes. We might be able to get another two onto the deck, but that¡¯d be pushing it. We certainly couldn¡¯t get a herd of slimes in there. We¡¯d need like a big abandoned building or something.)
Cooper¡¯s shoulders stiffened, and Tracy knew that he¡¯d just had the same idea that¡¯d flickered through her own thoughts. There were plenty of abandoned buildings out in Westown. Surely at least one of them could be used to hold slimes, right?
Haltingly, Tracy asked Reginald if such an arrangement would be possible, and found herself slightly unsettled by the hat¡¯s knowing grin as he told her that it was.
¡°We have just the place for you,¡± he said. ¡°Come by the dungeon in a few days if you¡¯re interested and we¡¯ll get you all set up. Make sure you try the hat on beforehand, though.¡±
With the conversation finished for the moment, Tracy and Cooper continued their work until three hours had passed, then they bid the fiends and the [Majordomo] a goodnight and returned to their apartment. They wrangled the slimes back into their cages ¨C a substantially more difficult task than getting them out on account of how much larger they¡¯d gotten ¨C and then bid each other a good night through thoughtspeak.
Returning to her room, Tracy took off her coat and sat down on her bed. She yawned. It was nearly two in the morning, and she had to get up in a few hours for school. After packing up her math homework so that she wouldn¡¯t forget it in a sleep-deprived rush the next morning, Tracy looked once more at the poster of New Sally.
As she had every night for the past three years ¨C and fairly often before that as well ¨C she closed her eyes and imagined herself wandering those beautiful streets with her family. Their lives would be so much better if they could just get out of Oar¡¯s Crest.
She clenched her hand into a fist. She and Cooper just had to stay the course and keep saving as much money as they could. According to their math, they needed twenty gold fleurs to fund their dream of moving to New Sally ¨C where Cooper would start his [Architect] training and she could find a bank or other financial entity to work for, but Tracy wanted to have a little more than that. She¡¯d learned all too well that bad things could happen unexpectedly.
Despite the late hour, she wasn¡¯t actually all that tired, and her thoughts turned to what Reginald had said about expanding the slime cleaning operation.
It wouldn¡¯t be glamorous, but it would be yours. Plenty of money to be made in cleaning up things other people won¡¯t touch, if you¡¯re interested in that type of thing.
She was. Gawain and Piper dancing in the moonlight, she was.
But did she want to tie herself down to Oar¡¯s Crest by getting involved in something like a slime cleaning operation?
Delicately, she reached out to Cooper with thoughtspeak and found that her brother was also still awake, and seemed to be pondering the same thing she was. They discussed it for a few minutes, then Cooper thoughtsaid, (I think we should take the hat up on his offer, sis. At least for a few months. Winter might be behind us, but we could start saving up for next year at the very least.)
(That¡¯s how I feel about it too. I¡¯m just afraid.)
(Of what? That we¡¯ll get stuck here if we start something more permanent?)
(Yeah.)
(Don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s not going to happen,) Cooper assured her. (If anything, the whole dungeon thing is going to go busto and we¡¯ll be back to asking the usual suspects for odd jobs before the end of summer.)
(You really think so? People seem really excited about the dungeon.)
(Eh. People get really excited about all sorts of stupid stuff that doesn¡¯t matter. Go to sleep, Trace. It¡¯s late.)
(Okay. Good night, Cooper.)
(Good night.)
Tracy found out the reason for Reginald¡¯s insistence the next day, when she and Cooper dug through their parents¡¯ closet and found a pair of matching hats. Ma and Da had worn them for some sort of party years and years ago, and as soon as Tracy put hers on she got a notification.
[You have unlocked the Slime Wrangler class! Would you like to take it?]
(Did you get that too?) she thought-asked Cooper.
Her brother nodded. (Think we should take it?)
(No reason not to, right? It¡¯s bound to help us with our work for Mister Vales.)
(Yeah. Alright, I¡¯m taking it.)
Reaching up, Tracy accepted the class.
[Congratulations, you are now a Slime Wrangler Level 1!]
[Might +3]
[You can now use the Settle Down Slimes skill!]
[You can now use the Oli¡¯s Rallying Point skill!]
[You can now use the Makeshift Pen skill!]
[You can now use the Early to Rise skill!]
[You can now use the Eye For Quality skill!]
A sense of tranquility spread through Tracy¡¯s body.
¡°Let¡¯s go talk to Mister Vales,¡± she said.
Tracy and Cooper¡¯s Character Sheets:Tracy Kartine:
Primary Class: Dutiful Student (Oar¡¯s Crest High School), Level 10
Secondary Class: Streetwise Citizen (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 3
Tertiary Class: Younger Twin (Cooper Kartine), Level 2
Additional Class: Slime Wrangler (Reginald), Level 1
Might: 7 (+3)
Wit: 8
Faith: 2
Frugality: 6
Filial Duty: 9
Driven: 7
Ambition: 10
Charisma: 5
Citizenship: 1
Cooper Kartine:
Primary Class: Lifelong Learner (Self), Level 10
Secondary Class (Aspirational); Architect (Self), Level 3
Tertiary Class: Older Twin (Tracy Kartine), Level 2
Tertiary Class: Slime Wrangler (Reginald), Level 1
Might: 10 (+3)
Wit: 7
Faith: 1
Frugality: 3
Filial Duty: 5
Driven: 7
Ambition: 9
Charisma: 4
Citizenship: 1
Bonus-ception: Reginald¡¯s Character Sheet:Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 19
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 43 (+1)
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 12 (+1)
Irritability: 24
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 91:
The dunpla boxes were covered in a pattern of gray and blue squares ¨C reminiscent of frostnickel, Vee thought ¨C and hand-drawn icicles covered each corner. In the center of the front face was a silver top hat, which bore the words ¡®Crestheart Collection, First Edition¡¯ in wide black letters.
It was far nicer than the concepts Brice had shown him; these boxes looked elaborate and professional. Though he hadn¡¯t had much of a direct hand in their creation, Vee couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of pride and excitement as he set the Alforde box ¨C which had a little hammer icon under the top hat that had [Dungeon Champion] written on it ¨C down on his desk.
¡°I love them,¡± he said, fighting back the urge to yawn. He would have elaborated further to bolster Torres¡¯ ego, but his eyes felt like lead weights and he desperately needed sleep. ¡°Talk to Brice Gilbert about how many he needs, then he¡¯ll figure out how much we need to add to the price of each figure to cover your costs. Depending on how these sell, this might end up being a decent recurring product for you.¡±
The [Stationer] exhaled hard. It wasn¡¯t quite a snort, but it was close enough that Vee raised an eyebrow. ¡°I am not interested in recurring products, Mister Vales. My heart¡burns with artistic fire, and I devote my time and energy to works worthy of my efforts.¡±
Under less sleep-deprived circumstances, Vee might have argued the point. He was still tempted to, in fact. Where was the line between ¡®products¡¯ and ¡®works¡¯? How could such a thing be measured?
He started to raise one such question, but ultimately decided against it. He didn¡¯t have the energy to get into the game of hair-splitting that so often masqueraded as discussion.
[Wit +1]
Instead, he bowed his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to keep that in mind, Mister Torres. Thank you again for making such lovely packages for the dunpla figurines. I¡¯m truly grateful for them. Please excuse me, the day¡¯s runs are about to begin and I must attend to my duties. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll be looking to talk to some of the adventurers challenging the dungeon today to see how their experiences are with the new design, but it would be extremely helpful to me if you visited Mister Gilbert sooner rather than later to discuss the matter of your box pricing.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± Torres said, standing up. ¡°I¡¯ll go visit him right now. I¡¯ve got enough notes from our walkthrough today to start work on my guides. I''ll talk to adventurers in a few days, once they¡¯ve had a better chance to see what the new and improved Crestheart has to offer. A good day to you, Mister Vales.¡±
¡°The same to you,¡± Vee said. He forced himself to sit upright until the door shut tightly behind the [Stationer], then gratefully sank back in his seat and closed his eyes.
His thoughts were spinning, and though he knew that the chair wasn¡¯t remotely comfortable, his exhausted body thought it was the loveliest place in all the world.
Soon after, the [Dungeon Master] was asleep, and dreaming.
¡°Hey, wake up boss,¡± Reginald said, using one of Dogginald¡¯s arms to shake Vee¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve been out all day, and it¡¯s almost time to go back to the boarding house for the night. Before that, though, the Kartine siblings are here to talk to you.¡±
Vee leaned forward with a groan, blinking several times and groggily trying to get his bearings. He was stiff and achy, but surprisingly alert, and he found that he wasn¡¯t nearly as tired.
Sure enough, when he looked out the window he saw the sun was already heading back down toward the horizon. While he wasn¡¯t skilled enough to put a specific hour to the amount of light available, he guessed it was three or four in the afternoon.
¡°I can¡¯t believe you let me sleep so long,¡± he said, looking over at Reginald. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to see any of the runs.¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t miss much,¡± his [Majordomo] replied. ¡°None of the adventurers made it past the second floor. The new layout and threat combinations worked wonders, and Mister Chills absolutely overwhelmed the handful of people who even made it that far.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Vee said, rubbing his eyes and standing up to stretch. ¡°How did the reactions seem when they left the dungeon? Were people mad about the changes or did they seem okay?¡±
¡°A few people looked mad as they left, but for the most part people seemed pretty excited. I think a lot of the adventurers in town, especially the lower level ones, want to get stronger, and so they¡¯re happy for a harder challenge that will push them to grow. Whether or not it¡¯ll do better against the [Bellwethers] remains to be seen, but I¡¯m optimistic.¡±
¡°I am too,¡± Vee said. He sat down at his desk and looked through one of the viewing crystals that was focused on the street below. A few adventurers lingered here and there, idly swapping stories and play-sparring with one another. He saw Alisanne Henret ¨C the enthusiastic [Fighter] with two clubs ¨C working with a lanky boy who carried a broom on his back like a sword. She was practicing a stabbing attack of some sort, though Vee wasn¡¯t sure it¡¯d be practical for her given her weapons. Still, she looked like she was having fun, and the boy seemed to be enjoying himself as well.
Before he got too comfortable though, Reginald said, ¡°The Kartine siblings are waiting for you downstairs, and before you head down you should go ahead and give me a dose of aqua magia. You forgot to give me one before you fell asleep.¡±
¡°Crap, thanks for the reminder,¡± Vee said, grabbing the bottle and pouring some of the precious liquid into Dheart. ¡°What do the Kartine siblings want? They did their first cleaning last night, right? Did that go okay?¡±
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¡°It went fine,¡± Reginald said. ¡°No issues getting the fiends into the city thanks to those documents we got from Sculla, and there wasn¡¯t anybody out and about so we didn¡¯t run into any issues there either. I think Tracy and Cooper are going to ask you for some more slimes and maybe a place to store them.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like you''re speculating,¡± Vee said.
His hat grinned. ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job as your [Majordomo], boss. Helping put people into places where they can make our lives easier is my sworn duty. With the power of Dogginald, I can ¨C¡±
Vee held up a hand. ¡°Enough. I get the gist. How many slimes do you want to give them? Have you gone and talked to Kai yet?¡±
¡°Three more for each of them for now, and of course I¡¯ve talked to Kai about it. He¡¯s thrilled.¡±
¡°He is?¡±
¡°He was actually sad we¡¯re not going to be taking more, because apparently Pretzel has been reproducing like crazy lately. He wanted me to ask if we could start using more slimes in the dungeon too.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not opposed to that, but I don¡¯t know where they¡¯d fit,¡± Vee said.
¡°Maybe we could have Mister Chills throw them instead of snowballs?¡± Reginald suggested.
¡°Maybe,¡± Vee said. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. Let¡¯s go talk to the twins, shall we?¡±
Vee headed for the door, picking up Reginald and putting the hat on as he walked.
¡°Any issues or breakages, by the way? Did all the rooms work alright?¡±
¡°A few of the floor orders failed to trigger properly,¡± Reginald said as they descended the stairs. ¡°I made notes about them and we can go take a look once we finish talking to the Kartines.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Vee said. ¡°Good work today, Reginald.¡±
The hat¡¯s brim tightened around his head as they reached the last landing before the door outside. ¡°Of course, boss.¡±
The Kartine twins were over by the lobby, wearing silly-looking hats and earnest expressions. They diligently laid out their request, which Vee found funny because he¡¯d already mentally committed to giving them more slimes.
A place to store them, though, was somewhat more challenging. It wasn¡¯t that space was an issue ¨C there were half a dozen buildings within sight of the lobby that would have worked just fine ¨C but Vee was wary about how such an expansion of commercial activities within Westown might be viewed by the council. He wasn¡¯t trying to accelerate his inevitable clash with them by any means, but didn¡¯t want to deny the twins a place to store their extra slimes.
¡°Have you two managed to get any other customers yet?¡± he asked, mulling the problem over. So long as he didn¡¯t go around loudly advertising the fact that he¡¯d set the twins up in Westown it shouldn¡¯t be an issue. Right?
Cooper smiled. ¡°A few. We only went to a few places before heading over here though, so we¡¯re hoping to get more in the days to come. Is there a time limit on how long we can borrow the slimes?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°Not really. Obviously we¡¯re just focusing on getting the city looking decent before our circuit-thing starts, but even once that¡¯s done there¡¯s a need for the streets to be clean. You two could keep the slimes forever, as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡±
¡°We¡¯re not planning to be here long term,¡± Tracy said quickly, her voice so full of venom that Vee half expected to see some fangs or a forked tongue inside her mouth. She seemed to realize how forceful she¡¯d sounded, because she coughed into her hand and quickly added, ¡°But we¡¯re glad that you¡¯re not expecting the slimes back anytime soon. The extra mouths will make our work go a lot faster.¡±
Filing a mental note that there was something else going on there, Vee nodded and asked if the twins wanted to come take a look at the different places they could store the slimes. The twins assented, and the [Dungeon Master] led them to a couple empty storefronts near the lobby.
They spent the next half hour walking through the options, and Tracy and Cooper ultimately settled on one that was relatively empty but for a collection of old rusty storage bins tucked into one corner.
¡°Those look gross,¡± Vee said as Cooper went to open one up and take a look inside. ¡°Be careful you don¡¯t cut yourself, eh? Here, actually, just leave those alone and I¡¯ll have my [Dungeon Maintainers] make you some new ones. I don¡¯t want you two messing with those if you don¡¯t need to. One second.¡±
Lifting up his arms, he focused on the bins and activated [Salvage Materials], which left him with a pile of small metal bars that were a good bit shorter than the bins had been and a pile of rusty bits that were unusable. Closing his eyes, he reached through his bond to Do and gave the fiend his orders.
¡°Now let¡¯s get you some more slimes,¡± he said.
¡°About that,¡± Cooper said. ¡°Would it be possible for us to pick them out ourselves? My sister and I recently got the [Slime Wrangler] class, and we have a skill that will help us find the best ones.¡±
Vee shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have any problems with that. So long as you don¡¯t pick any of the floating ghost slimes, the entire herd is yours for the picking. Follow me, and I¡¯ll take you to the menagerie.¡±
With the twins behind him, the [Dungeon Master] headed deeper into Westown, making his way past dozens of freshly blooming flowers over to Kai¡¯s domain. The air was warm and the smell of pollen faint in the air, and Vee¡¯s mood improved with his every step.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 39 (+1)
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 16
Devious Mind: 27
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 10
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 4
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11 (+1)
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 29
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 30
Intimidating Presence: 14
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 10
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 20 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 24
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 92
As they drew closer to the menagerie, Vee noticed a peculiar rattling in the air. It was low and gutteral, filled with macabre and discomforting energy. Tapping Reginald¡¯s brim, the [Dungeon Master] said, ¡°Hey, do you hear that?¡±
¡°Hear what, boss? It¡¯s as quiet as can be out here.¡±
Thinking that his hat was simply engaging in a bit of good old fashioned prankery, Vee turned to the twins and repeated his question, only to watch their expressions change from amused to bemused as they answered the same way Reginald had.
¡°I know you haven¡¯t had much sleep the past few days, but if you¡¯re hearing things maybe we should get you checked out by somebody,¡± Reginald said quietly.
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Vee said acidly. He stuck his finger into his ear and twisted it around a bit, but the sound was still there when he pulled it back out. If anything it was louder now that he¡¯d extracted some ear wax.
¡°You really don¡¯t hear anything?¡± he asked as the warding hedges came into sight.
¡°Not a thing,¡± Reginald said seriously.
Well, that probably wasn¡¯t good. Vee activated [Third Sight] and looked around, but he saw no strange spirits. The ethereal was, however, disturbed. Parts of it pulled and stretched like they were being sucked into a vortex, but the [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t identify the source and deactivated his skill. He¡¯d take another look once they got into the menagerie proper.
Kai and Dandelion were hard at work trimming a bit of warding hedge when the group arrived, and the bonsai treant looked over with a big smile! ¡°Hey, Vee! What brings you here this afternoon?¡±
¡°These two are helping with the city cleaning and need more slimes to do it,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said, pointing back toward Tracy and Cooper. ¡°Think you can open the pens so they can go pick out a couple?¡±
¡°Sure thing,¡± Kai said, adjusting the position of the hedge he was holding so Dandelion could cut it properly. ¡°Just one second, okay?¡±
They waited until the fiend finished snipping the hedge, then Kai stood up and walked over to the large pen in the center of the menagerie. He fiddled with the heavy branch that served as a lock, and popped the gate open.
¡°Do you need any help?¡± he asked Tracy and Cooper after they thanked him and walked inside.
¡°No, we have a skill that will let us find the best ones for our purposes,¡± Tracy said. ¡°But thanks for the offer, mister.¡±
She tipped her hat, and Kai closed the gate behind them.
¡°Just holler when you¡¯re ready to come back out again,¡± the treant said. ¡°Dandelion and I will be nearby.¡±
With that matter settled, Kai and Dandelion returned to their work, and Vee went to go take a look around and investigate the peculiar rattling, which was sending shivers down his skin.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, it grew stronger and stronger as he approached the skeleton pen, and Vee breathed a sigh that was equal parts relief and concern when he saw what was happening inside.
The big lancer, with even more trinkets in its cape and perhaps a slight tinge to its bones, was sitting on the ground surrounded by a half circle of rank and file skeletons. Now and then it lifted its weapon ¨C which was also adorned with oddities like arrowheads, dented helmets, and what looked like a broken wand ¨C into the air and all the skeletons cheered.
Interestingly, the Expectation around Vee¡¯s shoulders stirred at the sound, and when Vee activated [Third Sight] once again, he saw an unsettling collection of hair-like threads surrounding the evolving skeleton. He didn¡¯t know what it meant specifically, but was a million percent positive about the general takeaway: the skeleton situation was moving into massive-problem territory.
¡°Really hope that [Necromancer] arrives sooner than later,¡± he muttered. ¡°Otherwise I might have to nip this in the bud by telling Alforde to increase our minion shrinkage.¡±
The lancer turned and met Vee¡¯s gaze, the violet orbs of its eyes burning like a brazier. Vee didn¡¯t sense any sort of hostility or malice from the creature, which was good, but neither did he sense anything good either. The skeleton was a void, though Vee could feel energy from the ethereal trickling into its bleached skull.
Interestingly, the longer Vee stood there watching, the faster the flow seemed to go. The other skeletons turned to face the [Ghost Maestro] as well, the chaotic rhythm of their jaws opening and closing adding a nice contrast to the persistent rattle in Vee¡¯s own skull.
Finally, Vee decided that he couldn¡¯t stand the noise anymore and said, ¡°[Do As I Command]. Knock that off, now.¡±
[Intimidating Presence +1]
The skill activated, leaving Vee feeling like he¡¯d been socked in the stomach, but to his great relief the pen went silent. The big lancer turned its skull sideways, almost like it was confused, but then stopped itself and returned to its previous position. A few seconds later, the rest of the skeletons got up and wandered away in pairs or trios, punching at each other and getting into bits of mischief like they always did.
¡°I¡¯m going to have Kai add some more wardgrowths around this pen,¡± Vee said. ¡°That lancer is progressing more than I¡¯m comfortable with.¡±
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¡°It certainly does seem strange,¡± the [Core Spirit] said. ¡°Getting some more protection around the pen is a good idea, boss.¡±
Feeling vaguely mollified, Vee went and took a look at the pen where the elementals were kept. He smiled at the way they built tiny pyramids by stacking themselves atop one another, and chuckled each time one wriggled itself free and caused the whole thing to collapse.
¡°Now that¡¯s something we can use in the dungeon,¡± Vee said. ¡°I think some collapsing walls of pillars would be really effective.¡±
¡°It¡¯s definitely something we can look at when it comes time to add another floor,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Come on, this is boring. Let¡¯s go see how the twins are doing.¡±
Judging slimes was apparently quite the long and involved process, because neither Tracy nor Cooper had selected even a single one by the time Vee returned. The [Dungeon Master] watched them pick up the slimes one by one, give them a good stretch and squish, then set them down on the ground with varying degrees of disappointment.
After telling Kai about the skeletons and getting the treant¡¯s word that there¡¯d be another layer of wardgrowths around the pen by the end of the day, Vee sat down next to a pile of soil, a few planter boxes, and a scattering of seeds to watch. His patience was like a stack of logs in a burning fireplace as the search for suitable slimes went on.
And on.
And on.
Cursing under his breath, Vee tapped Reginald¡¯s brim and said, ¡°Next time something like this comes up, I¡¯m leaving it entirely to you.¡±
When he finally got back to the dungeon, Vee bid the twins a slightly less polite farewell than he would have under different circumstances and headed into Crestheart.
¡°How many rooms didn¡¯t work right?¡± he asked as the door closed behind him.
¡°Nineteen,¡± Reginald answered. ¡°First one is the fourth room on this floor.¡±
Nodding, Vee made his way to the room in question and started the laborious process of examining the tiles. Thankfully, the floor orders were largely concentrated in just a few tiles per room, so Vee didn¡¯t have to do anything ridiculous like inspect every single one of them individually. That would have taken forever.
Instead, he knelt down on the cold floor, wincing at the way it dug into his knees, drew out his [Ghost Baton], and freed the tile from its neighbors so that he could get a proper look at it.
Like Sigilmancy, floor orders were made by combining symbols together to form strings or chains that moved in a linear fashion. There were all sorts of little syntactical elements, and Vee had to run his finger over each and every symbol to make sure that he wasn¡¯t unconsciously missing an error.
Convinced that the first tile wasn¡¯t the problem, Vee moved to the second tile and repeated the process. Luckily, he spotted the problem right away: he¡¯d forgotten to put the second instance of the closing symbol on the bottom of the tile.
¡°Really wish there was a way to automate fixes like that,¡± the [Dungeon Master] muttered as he returned the fixed tile to its proper place. Tapping the first tile once again, Vee went ahead and tested the room to make sure that it was fixed and working properly.
When he was satisfied, he sat back on his hands and said, ¡°You know, if I¡¯d just done that when I first wrote the stupid orders this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Reginald said. ¡°But we were rushing to get everything done since you were pretty sleep-deprived by then but somehow in a groove.¡±
Truth be told, Vee barely remembered the details of that night. Much like being drunk, being overly tired had a nasty way of screwing with his memories. Still, he silently vowed to himself that from then on, he¡¯d make sure to do the jobs he needed to properly the first time, so that this type of thing didn¡¯t happen again.
[Determination +1]
¡°Alright, let¡¯s keep moving. Where to next?¡± he asked.
Reginald hummed for a second. ¡°Room after the next one. The ghost hands didn¡¯t properly activate when adventurers walked over their trigger.¡±
¡°Got it. Let¡¯s go take a look.¡±
Slowly but surely Vee made his way through the rest of the nonfunctional rooms inside Crestheart. For the most part, the needed fixes were simple and easy to take care of, but now and then the [Dungeon Master] stumbled across a tile that was virtually incomprehensible. Rather than spend several minutes trying to ascertain what his sleep-deprived mind had tried to do, Vee found it far more expedient to simply wipe the tile clean and start again, even if it was frustrating to do so.
Finally, he finished and tested the last room that needed to be repaired, and headed up to the office where Alforde was waiting. The armorsoul was deeply engrossed in a book ¨C Vee couldn¡¯t see the cover, but the back flap was covered in nonsense about swords and kingdoms ¨C and didn¡¯t notice Vee until the [Dungeon Master] went over and rapped his knuckles loudly on the table.
¡°Oh, you¡¯re back,¡± Alforde said, carefully marking his page and standing up. ¡°Are we all done here for the day?¡±
¡°I think so,¡± Vee said. ¡°We¡¯ll have Neil or one of the other [Bellwethers] test the new layout tomorrow to see what they think.¡±
¡°Excellent,¡± Alforde said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see how they fare!¡±
¡°Same here,¡± Vee said, and the trio left the dungeon and headed back to town.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 39
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 15
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 16
Devious Mind: 27
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11 (+1)
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 5 (+1)
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 29
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 31 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 14
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 10
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??? (+1)
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 41
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 20
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 24
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 93:
Vee rocked back and forth on his hands and gazed through the viewing crystal on his desk. Down below in the dungeon, Neil battled a trio of skeleton knights in the so-called ¡®Jack-in-the-floors¡¯ room. It earned its name from the fact that the tiles themselves slid in and out of view, creating gaps and makeshift pits that could cause an adventurer to lose their balance. But that wasn¡¯t all! In addition to the tripping hazard created by the shifting floor, there were also monsters hidden in random places around the room, ready to pop up and join the fight with the help of a well-timed [Ectoplasmic Surge].
There was no denying the fact that the gimmick worked. In a fair fight, Vee was certain that the [Heavy Handed Swordsman] would have dispatched the skeletons in an instant, even if he¡¯d faced two or three times the number of minions. However, with his footing uncertain and constantly shifting, the adventurer struggled to avoid the clumsy thrusts of the skeleton knights. If Vee had stronger minions to put in the room, he suspected that Neil would have been overwhelmed the same way most adventurers from Oar¡¯s Crest had been. The lancers would have been perfect for such a task, but they were vulnerable to the floor as well and sadly ended up being little more than easy targets.
Vee¡¯s plans to introduce a new type of ghost specifically designed for the room ¨C with the ability to stick to walls or the ceiling ¨C were still progressing, albeit slowly. His improved skill with sigilmancy was useful, but he still struggled coming up with the proper sequences of orders to create things like jumping and grappling.
He¡¯d figure it out in time, though; he just had to stick with it and keep improving until he could whip up any sort of ghost he needed in a moment like Rortenferry had been able to.
[Ambition +1]
Neil ducked beneath a knight¡¯s stabbing attack, and brought his sword around in a surprisingly quick strike. The impact sent the creature ¨C and, weirdly ¨C the adventurer into the air, where he defied physics to perform a fancy series of sword blows that were all accompanied by firework-like explosions.
When the sequence ended, the poor skeleton knight shattered, its bones flying all across the room. To Vee¡¯s surprise, the nearest knight immediately dropped its weapon and hurried over to collect its fallen comrade¡¯s skull. It cradled the skull like a precious treasure as Neil bounded over and struck it down, falling strategically so that its own skull landed next to the first one.
The third skeleton kept its weapon, but charged recklessly at Neil and was swiftly hacked to pieces. However, it too fell in a way that its skull rolled over to its fellows. A purplish tendril of light flickered between the skulls a few times, and then a tiny white halo - representing a proc of [Lesser Rebuild] ¨C appeared above each skull in turn.
¡°That¡¯s another full revive,¡± Reginald said, his voice making it obvious that the [Core Spirit] was impressed. ¡°I wonder how they¡¯re managing to do that. [Lesser Rebuild] is only a fifteen percent chance to proc. Still, it¡¯s definitely making our lives easier, eh? We haven¡¯t had to replace a single skeleton lately.¡±
That was true, and certainly welcome from an expense management perspective, but Vee couldn¡¯t help but think it was rather unsettling too.
He rubbed his chin, thinking it over. The skeletons had gone out of their way to make sure that their skulls were together. Was that some sort of tactic for improving the odds of a [Lesser Rebuild] proc? He couldn¡¯t imagine such a thing was likely, but he didn¡¯t exactly have much else to go on.
Another thing to ask the [Necromancer] about when they arrived.
He looked back down to watch Neil¡¯s run, and saw the adventurer spinning through a mob of ghosts and elementals in a tightly packed hallway. There were supposed to be traps activating too, but Reginald still hadn¡¯t regained enough levels to properly power them. Even without the full experience though, Vee thought the hallway did what it was supposed to quite well. The [Heavy Handed Swordsman] couldn¡¯t advance without taking some hits, and Vee grinned as a ghost managed to land a good blow that drove the adventurer back a few steps.
¡°Well, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to be doing a no-hit run anytime soon,¡± Vee said, leaning back with smug satisfaction.
Twenty-five minutes later, Neil came up to the office. He wasn¡¯t drenched in sweat, but there was a sheen on his forehead and his breath was slightly ragged. He was grinning, and he held out his hand to Vee as soon as he walked into the room.
¡°That¡¯s a much better layout,¡± he said after an expletive-ridden greeting. ¡°I felt like I was in a real silver-tier dungeon. Now I really think you were sandbagging those first runs you had us do.¡±
Vee laughed and hurried to shake his head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t. Promise. We were only able to make so many improvements because of the feedback we got from you and the rest of your party. We would have been in a lot of trouble with it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± Neil said. ¡°But you have to give yourself some credit too, Vee. Most [Dungeon Masters] we come across are so full of themselves that they wouldn¡¯t ever dream of asking lowly adventurers like us for advice, let alone taking it into account so quickly. I¡¯ll tell the rest of my party that the changes are worth running again, and the rest of them will probably do their second quiet run in the coming days. Is that alright with you?¡±
Vee said that it was, and a few minutes of pleasant conversation later, Neil went ahead and left.
Since the dungeon was already ready for the day¡¯s runs, Vee found that he had a smattering of free time before he was needed back in the office. After grabbing a snack from the lobby, Vee headed to his workshop and started cranking out more ghosts. He pulled on the levers and twisted the knobs of the various machines, smiling at the steady stream of ghosts filling his workshop. He had the rhythm of the work now, and since he was still feeling good when he finished his second batch of ten, he decided to go ahead and give [Mold Ectoplasm] a try.
Grabbing a few cubes of refined ectoplasm and a few cubes of super refined ectoplasm, Vee sat down on his chair and activated the exploratory skill. A small bolt of orangish lightning shot out of his finger and faded almost instantly.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Hmm. It wasn¡¯t as intuitive as [Advanced Ectoplasmic Refining]. Darn. He¡¯d have to actually check the skill description in his soul¡¯s mirror. Closing his eyes, Vee did so.
[Exploratory Mold Ectoplasm] - (Active) Send a bolt of will at ectoplasm to convert it into liquid. Usage of shaping vessel recommended.
Frowning, Vee looked around the workshop for a cup or something else that could serve as a vessel. He found a small box, put one of the ectoplasm cubes into it, and tried the skill again. The ectoplasm turned to liquid for a moment, and when Vee picked up the box and gave it an experimental swirl he found that it splashed back and forth. Not particularly fast, mind you, but still.
Putting the rest of the ectoplasm into the box, Vee went ahead and used the skill again and again until it was all liquified. It was surprisingly draining, and Vee felt a slight tinge of nausea when he finally set the box down. Unsure of how long it would take for the ectoplasm to firm back up into something solid, the [Dungeon Master] set the box down on the floor a safe distance away from all of his machines ¨C he dared not court disaster by setting it atop one of the machines, as had been his first instinct ¨C and tidied up a few things before heading back to the office.
The best way to use [Mold Ectoplasm] wasn¡¯t immediately clear to the [Ghost Maestro], but he was sure that he¡¯d think of something given enough time. Maybe something with the dunpla figures? He¡¯d have to bring it up with Brice and see what the [Toy Maker] thought.
¡°I think I can power a few more traps,¡± Reginald said when Vee walked in. ¡°I just got another level, and feel like I have some energy that can be put to use.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Vee said, sitting down at his console and looking over at the various switches that were all fixed in the ¡®off¡¯ position. ¡°That¡¯s good. What do you recommend we try first?¡±
¡°Go ahead and try the [Ice Wall] in the fifth room on the third floor. If that works, that¡¯s my choice, since it¡¯ll make the shooting gallery in that room a lot more potent. As it is right now, adventurers are able to just run across the platforms and reach the deactivation button.¡±
Vee squinted at the labels he¡¯d hastily affixed to the console, thinking that it would probably be a good idea to make them a little clearer, and flipped the switch in question. It glowed for a second, but didn¡¯t stay lit, and the [Dungeon Master] deactivated it.
¡°Crud. I guess I don¡¯t have as much energy as I thought,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try the sloping platform trap in the room right before the stairs to the second floor.¡±
That one worked, so Vee reactivated the trap in question ¨C which spun all the platforms so that they were vertical ¨C and pulled the day¡¯s adventurer forms over to get a better look. Plenty of familiar faces, but also a few newcomers he didn¡¯t recognize.
Marking four applications for prospective uses of [Boost Drops], Vee leaned back in his chair and waited.
He checked in on Alforde, who was rehearsing some sort of tag team attack with Shadowforde down in his arena. Frowning, Vee activated the crystal that would let him talk to his friend and said, ¡°Adventurers are coming in buddy, time to get serious, eh?¡±
The armorsoul stopped mid-swing and held his gauntlet up toward the ceiling. ¡°Understood, Vee. Thanks!¡±
Alforde dismissed his Reflection, then walked over to his new harness and slowly strapped himself inside. He didn¡¯t touch the winch that would pull him up to the ceiling for a more dramatic entrance, but made sure that everything was ready to go in case it ended up being necessary.
Vee still wasn¡¯t sold on the whole idea, but Alforde had begged for a cooler way to start a fight than just kind of awkwardly standing at the far side of his platform, and the drop plan was easier and cheaper to implement than the breakable tomb of ice that¡¯d been the armorsoul¡¯s first suggestion.
With the harness fastened, Alforde sat down, set Slammy down beside him, and took out his book. He started reading, and Vee¡¯s attention was pulled back to the dungeon, where a cheeky [Ranger] was using [Daggerang] to great effect.
¡°I wonder if anyone will make it down to Alforde today,¡± Vee said, pulling a lever that sent a rain of elementals into the room with the adventurer, neutering her preferred skill.
¡°Hopefully,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Otherwise he¡¯s going to start getting crabby. If he didn¡¯t have those one on ones after we close up for the day, I think he¡¯d already be complaining that the dungeon is too hard and he doesn¡¯t have enough to do.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Vee said with a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±
The [Ranger] was overwhelmed by a charging skeleton lancer, and ended her run before reaching the second floor. Twirling his pen in his fingers, Vee reset the dungeon, and the rest of the day passed with pleasant busy-ness.
Later that night, when they got back to the boarding house, they saw a strange man lurking outside. He was pale, and dressed in an inexplicably loud suit ¨C it was covered in tropical fruits, skulls, and butterflies. Long black hair framed his face, and his eyes burned with a strange, sickly intensity.
¡°Are you Vee Vales?¡± the man said, hurrying over.
¡°I am,¡± the [Dungeon Master] said. ¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°Winslow Halburg. I¡¯m a [Necromancer]. I¡¯m here to take a look at your skeletons.¡±
¡°Oh thank goodness,¡± Reginald said. ¡°You¡¯re just in time, creepster.¡±
¡°Ignore the hat,¡± Vee said, tweaking his hat¡¯s brim and putting on an aggressively friendly smile. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±
Winslow looked at Reginald and cocked an eyebrow. He shook Vee¡¯s hand somewhat awkwardly, and then followed the trio inside at Alforde¡¯s invitation.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 39
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16 (+1)
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 16
Devious Mind: 27
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 5
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28 (-1)
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 31
Intimidating Presence: 14
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11 (+1)
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??? (+1)
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 42 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 20
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 11
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 24
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 94:
While he hadn¡¯t been an academic standout in any field, really, Vee had been spectacularly bad at necromancy. He¡¯d been uncomfortable with every part of the bone-cleaning process, didn¡¯t like the core assembly process, and hated the way every single necromancy lab at the academy smelled. To the [Ghost Maestro], necromancy was a slow, dirty practice taught by people who looked far too much like their subject matter, and was an art filled with ominous threats and vagaries about dangerous buildups of unlife.
His solo projects had been weak and flimsy things that came apart constantly, and he¡¯d totally bombed his final. Instead of creating a skeleton that tap-danced with a cane, as was assigned, he cobbled together an awkward pile of bones that did nothing but jiggle. Vee¡¯s necromancy [Professor], a woman whose name he didn¡¯t recall, had said that she¡¯d never seen anything like it before.
She hadn¡¯t meant it as a compliment.
That was why Vee had only completed the mandatory necromancy course that was a part of his degree¡¯s ¡°Other Undead¡± focus. He¡¯d never felt more grateful for the truth in the old adage that C¡¯s get degrees than he was after ¡°finishing¡± that class.
Still, despite his own antipathy for the subject, he appreciated passion when he saw it, and Winslow was full of it, albeit in a rather taciturn way.
The [Necromancer]¡¯s eyes whipped up and down as he walked back and forth in front of the long single file line of skeletons he¡¯d arranged in their menagerie pen. He mumbled rapidly to himself as he did so, but his voice was so quiet that Vee didn¡¯t even bother trying to understand what the other man was saying.
Frequently, Winslow would stop in front of a skeleton and give it a closer examination, running his finger along a stretch of bone or poking and prodding around its eyes or jaw. Sometimes he had a tool to assist him, but for the most part he just used his fingers. Vee couldn¡¯t help but notice that the [Necromancer] didn¡¯t wear gloves.
After each examination, Winslow frowned, and he furtively glared over at Vee more often than not as he pulled away to resume his pacing.
¡°I¡¯m surprised they¡¯re all staying still,¡± Reginald said as the [Necromancer] drew out yet another small silver tool ¨C ornately decorated calipers, Vee thought ¨C and used it to check the spacing between a skeleton mage¡¯s ribs. ¡°I thought they would have all run for it by now.¡±
It was a little odd. The skeletons all stood [Soldier] straight, their skulls tilted slightly skyward and their limbs supremely still. They didn¡¯t rattle, or try to wrestle Winslow down to the ground, or do anything else that they normally did. Even the big lancer stayed put, letting the [Necromancer] examine it without causing any issues, though its purple eyes seemed to burn ever brighter than before. Thankfully, the strange rattle that had filled the air the day before was nowhere to be heard.
With his preliminary examination finished, Winslow moved on to other less direct tests. Reaching into the small bag that he¡¯d brought along, the [Necromancer] drew out a small vial filled with red powder. He uncorked it and tossed a few handfuls into the air, frowning at the way the particles dispersed.
After that, he pulled out a small terrarium filled with worms and waved it around each skeleton¡¯s skull. Vee couldn¡¯t imagine what sort of thing he was checking with such an action, but he knew all too well that the practice of one¡¯s class could look bizarre to an untrained eye.
¡°Excuse me,¡± Vee called, getting the [Necromancer]¡¯s attention. ¡°Do you have an estimate for how long your examination is going to take?¡±
The [Necromancer] shook his head. ¡°Probably another hour or two at the very least. There¡¯s something peculiar here that I don¡¯t recognize, and I want to make sure that I give it a good once over before I tell you about it and start looking for ways to fix it permanently.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Vee said. That presented something of a problem. He¡¯d planned to stay at the menagerie while the [Necromancer] worked, but he hadn¡¯t expected the examination to take so long. He didn¡¯t have an hour, let alone two; some of the other [Bellwethers] were coming to the dungeon to do their second quiet runs.
Feeling rather awkward, Vee explained the situation and told Winslow how to make his way back through the abandoned section of Westown to find the dungeon once more.
¡°You need not worry about me,¡± the [Necromancer] said with a deeply unsettling smile. ¡°I¡¯m more than capable of protecting myself in a place like this.¡±
To prove his point, he gestured to his belt where there were six small black spheres. He took one and tapped the skull in the center, causing it to swell and fill his hand.
Tossing the ball up and down a few times, Winslow said, ¡°These are my best creations. Any single one of them will keep any of the fiends wandering around these buildings at bay.¡±
Vee nodded, and Winslow shrank the ball and returned it to his belt. Bidding the [Necromancer] farewell, Vee and Reginald headed back to the dungeon.
Much like Neil, the trio of [Bellwethers] struggled against the new threats and dangers inside Crestheart. They were penned in and harried by the dungeon¡¯s traps, struggled to defeat Vee¡¯s packs of minions, and took several minutes to solve the puzzles that the [Dungeon Master] had hastily thrown together.
While all three of them managed to make it down to Alforde¡¯s arena, they were scraped, shivering, and surly after doing so. Glaring at the dungeon, and one another, they put their heads together after finishing their quiet runs and sat outside for several minutes. Vee was sure that they were comparing notes and experiences, and wondered how the rest of their party would adapt the next day.
He didn¡¯t get to ponder the question for long, as the regular runs started up soon after that and the [Dungeon Master] was busy activating traps and platforms.
Once again, the day was a resounding success. Out of the first twelve challengers, only a single adventurer ¨C an elkin [Brawler] ¨C cleared the dungeon and got to fight Alforde. However, since she was so spent from the floors above it wasn¡¯t much of a match; the [Dungeon Champion] took all four of her stocks in under a minute.
Before the thirteenth adventurer could start their run though, Winslow came into the office. He was scowling, and had a strange clock-looking device tucked under his arm.
¡°Find anything useful?¡± Vee asked as the [Necromancer] set the tool down on the table and gestured for Vee to approach.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
¡°Put your hand in there,¡± he said, gesturing to an opening on the device¡¯s side.
Vee hesitated. The gap in question was the mouth of a silver skull that had some nasty teeth. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Need to check something from your side of things,¡± Winslow explained. ¡°There are a few little anomalies on the skeletons, but nothing that would suggest what you¡¯re seeing.¡±
He tapped the side of the tool. ¡°Come on. Daylight¡¯s wasting.¡±
Vee glanced over at Reginald, who twitched his brim in an approximation of a shrug, and with that vote of confidence, Vee went ahead and stuck his hand into the strange device.
The teeth pricked his skin, but even when the mouth closed it wasn¡¯t particularly painful. The machine made a low whirring sound, and gears and pins and all sorts of other things spun and popped and snapped. The [Dungeon Master]¡¯s heart sped up a little bit, and he eagerly jerked his hand free when the mouth finally popped open again a minute or so later.
With a groan not unlike some of Dheart¡¯s, the machine rumbled and ejected a small strip of paper. Winslow tore it free, looked at it closely, and frowned once again.
¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± he muttered. ¡°What¡¯s your primary class again?¡±
¡°[Ghost Maestro].¡±
¡°And you¡¯re sure you don¡¯t have any weird family classes that might supersede that? No |Royalty| in your family tree anywhere?¡±
¡°Not that I know of,¡± Vee said. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty sure that your skeletons are currently under the influence of a |Call| skill, but I¡¯ve only ever heard of |Royals| being able to use those. We certainly don¡¯t have anyone in the shop who can use them, and your bonsai treant associate definitely doesn¡¯t have any, so by process of elimination I suspect that you¡¯re responsible.¡±
Vee ran a hand through his hair. ¡°But¡but I don¡¯t even know what a |Call| skill is. ¡±
¡°Essentially, |Call| skills are buffs that are far more potent than others. They compel people, things, and in some cases, places to change or grow. The most famous ones are |Call For Aid| and |Call To Arms|, but there are a bunch of others out there too like |Call For Submissions| and |Call To Order|. I don¡¯t know exactly which one your skeletons are under, but I¡¯m positive it¡¯s the root of your problem. |Calls| do all sorts of wacky things.¡±
¡°Can you fix it or get rid of it?¡±
The [Necromancer] shook his head. ¡°I can go ahead and repair the technical errors in some of your skeletons if you¡¯d like, but I suspect you don¡¯t actually want me to. Your skeletons are basically immortal so long as you keep them in packs of three or more.¡±
¡°How¡¯s that?¡±
Winslow snorted. ¡°Whoever made them screwed up, which means it was probably Yorick. Your skeletons all have a proximity allowance that we typically only use on higher level skeletons. Maybe he was trying to use up some old parts or something and didn¡¯t properly clean the bones. Regardless, what¡¯s happening is that each time a skeleton¡¯s core tries to activate [Lesser Rebuild], it does so for each skeleton in proximity instead of just itself. The same is true for the next skeleton, and every skeleton after that. So, with three skeletons, you¡¯re getting nine shots at a fifteen percent proc chance for [Lesser Rebuild]. Normally, that¡¯d cause a few extra activations here and there, but it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. However, what¡¯s really unique about your minions is that the |Call| kicks in if all the rolls miss and overrides our core¡¯s built-in safeguards. Then the rolls happen again and again until [Lesser Rebuild] procs for each skeleton in proximity. You¡¯re sure you¡¯re not actually a [Gravelord] or anything like that? That''d explain things nicely.¡±
¡°Of course I¡¯m sure,¡± Vee said, rubbing his chin. The proximity element definitely explained why his skeletons had all been so eager to get close to one another after Neil defeated them, but he couldn¡¯t imagine which |Call| it was, let alone how it¡¯d gotten into place to begin with.
The Expectation around his shoulders shifted and its burning voice entered Vee¡¯s thoughts.
(In days long past, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for people in this city to heed a |Call To Serve|.)
Vee jerked back at the sensation, which he¡¯d only experienced a handful of times before, and though the snake dragon said nothing further, the sequence of events snapped into place. He still had questions, but he at least had an inkling of what¡¯d happened. He¡¯d have to try to talk to the Expectation about it later.
Winslow noticed Vee¡¯s mannerisms, and a lazy smile played across his face. ¡°I also examined the lancer that your letter mentioned. It¡¯s definitely developing in a way that¡¯s unusual, but I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s because there was a crack in its core and there was a leak of congealing unlife. I went ahead and fixed it, and I¡¯m almost certain that it¡¯s just going to be a skeleton shaman in a few more months. Its paraphernalia is different from what we would typically use in the shop, but I¡¯m confident it¡¯ll work the same as a normal kit would. I¡¯ll go ahead and give you some literature on what to expect, but I think that¡¯s all sorted unless it gets affected by another |Call| or interacts with some of your [Ghost Maestro] skills in which case you''d be responsible for the situation. Of course, we''d be happy to lend our expertise for a nominal fee if you request it.¡±
They paused for a moment, as Reginald had launched into a fiery tirade of insults intended for the adventurer down in the dungeon. When the [Announcer] finished, Winslow blinked slowly and shook his head.
¡°Heck of a place you¡¯ve got here, Mister Vales. Did you want me to go ahead and fix the [Lesser Rebuild] problem? Technically I¡¯m supposed to make sure it works the way its supposed to, since infinite revives means you won¡¯t need to buy any more of our skeletons for a while, but I figure a [Dungeon Master] like you could use the extra minions, eh?¡±
Vee smiled. ¡°Yeah, if it¡¯s not hurting anything or going to cause any major issues, I¡¯d appreciate it if you left it alone. Thanks, Winslow.¡±
¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± the [Necromancer] said. ¡°It¡¯s really not a big deal. Is it safe for me to think that our business is now concluded?¡±
¡°I think so,¡± Vee said. ¡°I don¡¯t know of anything else I¡¯d want you to handle.¡±
¡°Excellent. In that case I have this statement I¡¯m supposed to read to you. It¡¯s part of our ¡®Commitment to Undead Excellence¡¯ and my boss will give me a hard time if I don¡¯t. It¡¯s got a recitation skill trigger on it.¡±
He cleared his throat and took a small card out of his coat pocket while Vee leaned back and folded his hands in his lap. ¡°Okay, here we go...We thank you for your purchase, and hope that your expectations have been exceeded by our Triple-Award-Winning Service¡¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales (Unchanged From Last Chapter)
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 39
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 16
Devious Mind: 27
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 5
Persuasiveness: 5
Bargaining: 3
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged From Last Chapter):
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 31
Intimidating Presence: 14
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 42
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 20
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 12 (+1)
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 24
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 95:
Back at the boarding house and getting ready to head for bed for the night, Vee glared into the mirror. He wasn¡¯t angry at his own features, though, he was scowling at the Expectation curled around his shoulders. The snake dragon slept peacefully, completely oblivious to the world, which was in fact the problem.
Nothing Vee had tried ¨C including poking, prodding, and a furious use of [Do As I Command] ¨C prompted the spirit to stir or converse with him, and the [Ghost Maestro] was fed up.
He wanted to ask the Expectation for more details about the |Call|; he suspected it¡¯d been triggered after he asked for something to go his way, but had it used the skill? If not, had he?
¡°Come on, say something,¡± Vee said, prodding the Expectation¡¯s scales with his index finger. The spirit didn¡¯t stir, but it felt ever so slightly more solid than it normally did, and Vee wondered if it was changing too. Expectations were like that. Since they were made out of a collective will or desire, their physical forms could shift over time, though Vee wasn¡¯t sure if solidification alone counted. From the few snippets of things he¡¯d managed to find in some of the books Rortenferry had left for him, Expectation transformations tended to be a lot more dramatic when they happened.
Naturally, the snake dragon didn¡¯t so much as budge, and Vee decided to give up for the moment. He¡¯d keep trying intermittently in the days to come, but getting to the bottom of the |Call| situation wasn¡¯t Vee¡¯s top priority by any means. He¡¯d gotten confirmation that the skeleton issue wasn¡¯t going to morph into a major problem, which was good enough for the moment. Certainly, the possibilities offered by a skeleton shaman were interesting, but Vee would have to investigate them later as well.
For now, there were other things that he needed to focus on. Vee ticked them off on his fingers: getting Reginald¡¯s levels back, directing his [Dungeon Maintainers] to finish the dungeon¡¯s spectator area, getting viewing crystals to allow spectators to actually watch runs in progress, making sure that the light section of his orchestra and the Kartine twins made progress on cleaning up the city proper, designing and producing new ghosts, and¡probably a bunch of other things that he was forgetting about.
At least Reginald could help with the burden now, Vee thought as he sat down on his bed. The hat was atop Dogginald, getting ready to head out for the night to supervise the fiends and the twins in their cleaning. That was one less thing Vee had to worry about directly.
¡°I¡¯ll see you in the morning boss,¡± Reginald said, using one of the ghosthetic¡¯s arms to wave as he left the room.
Alforde sat down on the floor next to Vee¡¯s bed and looked up. His blue eyes shimmered with concern as he said, ¡°You okay, Vee? You¡¯re looking a little stressed.¡±
¡°There¡¯s just so much to do,¡± Vee said. ¡°I keep thinking that I¡¯m forgetting something important, but can¡¯t for the life of me remember what it might be.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what it means to forget,¡± Alforde said with a small chuckle. ¡°But I thought you made a bunch of lists to help remember everything. Aren¡¯t those helping?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t been great about keeping them updated,¡± Vee admitted. He meant to, but more often than not the little details simply slipped away from him. That might have been due to [Big Picture], but Vee was hesitant to write off a personal failing that could be corrected with intent and effort as simply the quirk of a skill. That was a slippery slope that all too often led to Stagnation and a bevy of other irritating status effects.
Taking a deep breath, Vee closed his eyes and shook his head to clear his thoughts. Right now he needed to sleep. Tomorrow he¡¯d resume tackling his to-do list.
Vee woke up the next morning with a sense of panicked purpose. There were only five days until the circuit started, and he was going to have to burn the candle at both ends to get as much done as he could before then.
Yawning, Vee pushed himself out of bed and looked over at Reginald. ¡°How¡¯d things go last night?¡± he asked as he got up and got dressed for the day.
¡°Pretty well,¡± the hat said. ¡°Those extra slimes were a big help in eating through all the crud, and the fiends seem to get more efficient by the day. They¡¯re through four streets now, and I expect they¡¯ll be able to do another two or three tonight.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Vee said, consulting the map. Based on the number of streets remaining, it¡¯d be a bit tight for the fiends to complete their full cleanup before the circuit started, but Vee should be alright to go ahead and start setting up decorations for the area.
Right, decorations! That was one of the things he¡¯d forgotten about. He wanted to talk to Torres to see if the [Stationer] had anything that could be easily used or converted, but it¡¯d have to wait until after the day¡¯s dungeon runs.
Alternatively, he could try to cobble something together himself, but thinking back to his arts and crafts projects back in primary school nixed that idea pretty quickly; Vee hadn¡¯t exactly been a [Scissors And Glue Afficionado].
In addition to the decorations, there was another task that Vee remembered he had to take care of: he had to go talk to the [Merchants] and [Shopkeepers] around the city and let them know to prepare for an influx in business. He¡¯d meant to do that sooner, but things had gotten out of hand and he¡¯d been preoccupied with other things. At least some of those shops were already open, so he could go in early and get the ball rolling for a few places before heading to the dungeon for the day. Vee looked at the clock. It was already six-fifteen, which meant that there was no time to waste. Throwing on his coat, Vee and his friends hurried out into the city.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
The streets that Vee¡¯s light section had cleared the night before looked like they belonged in a different city. They were free of debris, easy to navigate, and several shades brighter than the others nearby. While there weren¡¯t many people out and about yet to appreciate the difference, the looks of wondrous amazement on the few faces Vee saw caused the [Dungeon Master] to smile.
¡°I¡¯ve never seen it looking so nice out here,¡± one man said to another as the trio passed by. ¡°I wonder if any other streets are going to get cleaned up too.¡±
Vee coughed politely and joined the conversation when the men looked his way. ¡°That¡¯s the eventual plan. Right now the priority is to clean up the streets around the Westown gate since they¡¯ll be the most visible for the upcoming dungeon sports circuit coming to town, but eventually my crews will start expanding beyond this area and taking care of the rest of the city.¡±
One of the men raised an eyebrow. ¡°Your crews? And who might you be?¡±
Reginald¡¯s brim stiffened. ¡°This is Vee Vales, [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart.¡±
A flicker of recognition passed over the faces of both men at the name of the dungeon, and they thanked Vee for his efforts.
¡°You might want to think about running for a council seat in the next election, young man,¡± one of the men said as he turned away to resume his normal business. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve got a heart for civic matters, and we¡¯ll all be better off if you get these streets taken care of.¡±
¡°That guy¡¯s got a point,¡± Reginald said as Vee walked toward a small shop that had its door open. ¡°You could probably do a lot of good if you managed to get a seat on the council.¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°Could probably get a lot of new headaches too. Never say never, but that¡¯s definitely not something I¡¯m interested in thinking about right now.¡±
¡°It would be best if we focused on getting through the circuit and all of its associated challenges first,¡± Alforde said. ¡°By the way, Vee, it looks like that business over there is open.¡±
The armorsoul raised a gauntlet and pointed at the door of a shop called ¡®The Fisherman¡¯. Vee walked inside. It was, inexplicably, a [Cobbler]¡¯s shop, with stacks of shoes rising up to the ceiling.
Vee didn¡¯t see anyone around, so he went up to the counter and rang the small silver bell on the countertop. A spindly man with lots of silver earrings emerged from the gloom in the back of the store and walked over to them.
¡°Yes? May I help you?¡±
¡°Hi,¡± Vee said, feeling a little awkward. ¡°I¡¯m Vee Vales, the [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart, and I just wanted to tell you that there¡¯s a dungeon sport circuit thing happening in the city next week. There¡¯s going to be a bunch of adventurers coming to town, and a good number of spectators too.¡±
The man waited for a moment, then said, ¡°Okay, and? How does that impact me?¡±
Vee wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to answer, but he stammered something out about ¡°being ready for an influx in customers and possibly offering some sort of special discount to celebrate the event.¡±
The [Cobbler] shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. Thanks for the heads up, I guess. Now, is there anything else you wanted to talk about? I¡¯ve got a bunch of things I need to get done before customers start coming in for the day.¡±
There wasn¡¯t, so Vee and his companions left. He felt a little awkward about the whole conversation, and tried to do a better job of spying out what type of place each business was before going into it.
The next forty minutes were spent making pitches. Some [Shopkeepers] and [Merchants] were enthusiastic about the idea of participating in a sort of district-wide special event. They promised promotional deals for visitors and circuit participants, or temporary ¡°holiday¡± offerings to celebrate the circuit. Others were grumpy about the short notice ¨C which Vee apologized for profusely ¨C but seemed willing to at least consider participating. A few flat-out rejected the idea, and one woman who was convinced Vee was trying to sell her something asked the [Dungeon Master] to leave and never return.
That particular experience stung a little bit, but Vee resolved not to let it bother him as he made his way to the Westown gate to get started for the day. He¡¯d gotten another point of Persuasiveness and Bargaining for his efforts already, and planned to return to the freshly cleaned streets after closing the dungeon in order to visit some of the other shops that hadn¡¯t been open.
He hoped that, in addition to a few more participants, he¡¯d get some people to help spread the word too so that he didn¡¯t have to go and visit every shop himself.
Feeling a renewed sense of purpose, Vee waved to the [Bellwethers] waiting near the gate, and hurried toward the dungeon alongside them so that they could do their quiet run before the day¡¯s first proper challengers arrived.
He looked up at the sky.
¡°Five days. I can do this,¡± Vee muttered.
[Determination +1]
Reginald¡¯s brim tightened around his head. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve got this, boss.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 39
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 16
Devious Mind: 27
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 6 (+1)
Persuasiveness: 6 (+1)
Bargaining: 4 (+1)
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 5
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 31
Intimidating Presence: 15 (+1)
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 42
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 20
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 12
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 18 (+1)
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 24
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 96:
While he watched the adventurers make their way through the dungeon, Vee toyed with a small chunk of ectoplasm. He knew that he wanted to make a series of small armorsoul-like ghosts to help improve the minion diversity of Crestheart¡¯s early floors, but there were a lot of different variations for ¡°armor¡±, and he couldn¡¯t make up his mind on what type he wanted most.
Sleek and angular, like Alforde¡¯s current armor? Or perhaps something softer and rounder, like the form his friend had had for most of Vee¡¯s life. Should he include spikes? Icicles? Chainmail-looking pieces? Overlapping scales? [Mold Ectoplasm] gave him lots of options for visual clarity, and Vee couldn¡¯t help but think that all the options were giving him a healthy case of decision paralysis.
Taking a deep breath, Vee closed his eyes and let his thoughts clear for a few moments. He was increasingly realizing that one of his biggest weaknesses was in committing to a given plan. Making contingencies and thinking through implications of a given course of action was easy, but the act of discarding possibilities and following his selected path was much, much harder. It was all too easy to get swayed by a new, shiny thing that promised to be a better and more perfect idea, or to discard the progress he¡¯d made simply because it was flawed in some way. Even now, a quiet, seductive voice in the back of his skull told him that adding armorsoul-like ghosts was a foolish idea. It urged him to try and come up with something better instead.
¡°Maybe you should make ghost horses, or griffons, or even dragons!¡± it whispered sweetly. ¡°Think about that! Giant ectoplasm dragons lounging in some of the rooms! Or giant hands that erupt out of the ground and walk like spiders, or floating masks that attack with soundwaves, or maybe even living pots and pans and pieces of cutlery that launch into song as they fight!¡±
No. Vee told himself firmly, clenching his hands into fists and telling his inner procrastinator-disguised-as-creativity to shut up. Stick to the plan, Vee. You¡¯re making mini armorsouls and that¡¯s the end of it.
Opening his eyes, Vee set down his bit of ectoplasm and took a moment to check the current adventurer¡¯s progress through the dungeon. The axe-wielding kitrekin walked with energetic confidence, and was clearly the type of fighter who smashed through his problems directly. It¡¯d be taxing to try and overwhelm him with brute force, but the [Dungeon Master] was confident that he could trip the adventurer up with a few unusual timings for traps in the rooms ahead; the kitrekin looked unusually clumsy in some of the platforming sections of the dungeon, and had fallen twice in the swing-across-the-pit room. Working quickly, Vee flipped switches and twisted knobs on his control panel until things were as he wanted them, then returned his attention to the small bit of ectoplasm.
Like a child playing with clay, Vee pulled and pinched it into something approximating a helmet shape. He rolled out a pair of rough spikes and jammed them into the top, gave it triangular eyes, and eight tiny arms that were reminiscent of spider legs. These would be the flying ghosts that harassed adventurers while they platformed, flitting down from the ceilings and crashing into challengers.
While he twisted and pulled the rest of the ectoplasm into an oval shape though, he also decided that it¡¯d be a good idea to give the little helmets an exploding attack too. It¡¯d require him to replace the ghosts more often, which would be irritating, but just bumping into adventurers wouldn¡¯t really be that disruptive. He wanted these little ghosts to be irritating.
[Devious Mind +1]
Leaning back, Vee tried to think through how to best craft such an attack. The specific sigil sequence he¡¯d need to use didn¡¯t come to mind right away, but the [Ghost Maestro] was confident that he¡¯d be able to find something related to self-destruction attacks in the reference materials Rortenferry had left him. After all, they were somewhat popular with [Ghost Maestros], [Ghost Generals] and others who specialized in massing hordes of ghosts capable of inflicting the Poisoned or Toxic statuses.
Instead of dwelling on his current lack of knowledge, as he was tempted to, Vee set down the helmet prototype and got to work on another model. This one would be for the bigger and bulkier ghost intended to replace some of the skeleton lancers in a few rooms on the second and third floor. Sticking his tongue between his teeth as he stretched and twisted, Vee hewed closer to Alforde¡¯s design. Of course, he simplified many of the armor pieces so that they¡¯d be easier to mass produce, sacrificing the elaborate details that made Alforde so intimidating. Big pauldrons and gauntlets felt natural, as did oversized conical boots.
As far as intended attacks went, Vee planned to make these ¡°minisouls¡± capable of attacking and defending in equal measure. He wanted to find a way to incorporate some grappling sequences too, though he might have to try and find a [Wrestler] or other similar classholder for inspiration and reference before attempting such a thing.
When he was satisfied with his progress with his little creation, Vee returned his full attention to the dungeon, and quickly lost himself in the rhythm of his normal duties.
Since only thirteen adventurers visited Crestheart, the day ended earlier than normal. Normally, Vee would have been worried about such a low turnout, but given that he had so much work to do, the [Dungeon Master] didn¡¯t mind at all. Instead, he directed Alforde to hurry in bringing up the day¡¯s earnings and poured another dose of aqua magia into Dheart for the sake of Reginald¡¯s core. The bottle¡¯s level was finally starting to show some signs of depleting, though Vee reckoned he still easily had weeks¡¯ worth of doses if not longer.
The dungeon heart bubbled and gurgled as Vee sealed it back up, and Dheart¡¯s tinny voice echoed through the air. ¡°You have an unread message from the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s union. Would you like to read it now?¡±
Vee paused, then nodded and said, ¡°Of course.¡±
One horrifying series of beeps, screeches, hisses, and shudders later, a thin piece of paper emerged from Dheart¡¯s side and Vee picked it up.
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In crisp, clear, handwriting, it said:
Attention, Mister Vales.
As you ready yourself to participate in the practical element of a dungeon development committee (DDC), we here at the union want to remind you of proper sportsmanship rules as well as your obligation for ensuring fair contests between your challengers and your [Dungeon Champion].
Please note: this is simply a refresher and not a suggestion of any wrongdoing on your part.
As the owner of a union-sanctioned dungeon, you agree to the following:
1. Any adventurer who meets the minimum level requirement for dungeon entry in their primary class and follows the proper procedure for challenging your establishment must be permitted to do so.
a) Acute refusals are allowed in the event that a challenging adventurer is intoxicated or injured before trying to enter.
2. Every adventurer who enters your dungeon must face an approximately equal version of it. While minor variation between rooms is normal and acceptable, it is not okay to allow certain adventurers to skip floors, rooms, mini boss battles, or [Dungeon Champion] bouts. Exceptions to this rule apply for so-called ¡°side-quest rewards¡± (See Union Handbook Page 574 for more details).
a) Dungeon redesigns (defined as changing 50% or more of a dungeon¡¯s layout and content) during a DDC are not allowed.
b) Dungeons must be clearable. So-called ¡°Softlock¡± designs are strictly prohibited.
3. Dungeon rewards must be standardized, and information about their value must be publicly available. The inclusion of so-called ¡°secret rewards¡± is allowed, but their general presence must be included in your dungeon snapshot (See Union Handbook Page 31 for more details on creating a compliant dungeon snapshot).
a) ¡°Unique¡± treasures can be offered as part of promotions or other special events, but must be clearly identified and removed from advertising material once claimed.
b) You must provide victorious adventurers with their rewards within three days (72 hours) of their run.
4. Your [Dungeon Champion] will do their best to emerge victorious in all of their contests.
a) Your [Dungeon Champion] will be under the influence of [Fair Fight].
b) [Dungeon Champions] are not to receive payments from parties other than the dungeon they¡¯re contracted to. Income from sponsorships, appearance fees, endorsements, and other similar things must be vetted by the [Dungeon Master] and disclosed to the union within 30 days of receipt.
d) Your [Dungeon Champion] must confirm that adventurers are aware of the rules that govern their confrontation before it begins.
Well, that wasn¡¯t too bad. Vee was pretty sure that Crestheart was in compliance with all the rules. Now, he was a little nervous about tweaking the minions like he¡¯d planned, but suspected that it¡¯d be fine since he was going to be done with it before the circuit started.
Folding up the paper, Vee tucked it into his pocket and thanked Dheart for letting him know of its existence. He returned the aqua magia to its storage spot as Alforde entered the room, summoned Cecil, and counted up the day¡¯s earnings. Not quite six and a half gold fleurs. Not good by any means, but not horrific either. The next payment to Sacre would be tight, but Vee hoped to have some more money in the vault by then. Or the bank.
Shoot. He still needed to go and set up a proper account.
[Leadership -1]
Cursing, Vee scribbled the words BANK ACCOUNT on his palm and double checked all of Dheart¡¯s security measures before leaving the dungeon for the night. He doubted that the mud golems would strike again, but once burned twice shy and all that.
Once he was back in the city proper, Vee resumed his work from earlier that morning. With the benefit of a few hours of diligent thinking, the [Dungeon Master] had refined his pitch somewhat, and he was able to secure a handful of other strong commitments for promotions of some sort.
With his appetite for pitching sated for the moment, Vee decided to turn his attention to another element of his to-do list: securing viewing crystals for the spectator arena. He wanted to find a [Crystal Vender] or [Enchanter] who could sell ¨C or more realistically, rent ¨C them large viewing crystals for the spectator arena. Unfortunately, as the sun set and the sky started growing dark, the [Dungeon Master] failed to see any locations that matched what he was looking for. Such places had been common, or at least relatively easy to find, back in Bardis.
They were apparently extremely rare here in Oar¡¯s Crest.
Had Hanako been around, he might have asked if her dad had any spares laying around, but the girl was still gone and wouldn¡¯t be back until after the circuit was long since done.
Vee threw his hands up into the air, preparing himself to call the search off for the night, but before the words could leave his mouth, Alforde tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at a shop across the street. ¡°How about there?¡±
The [Dungeon Master] groaned. ¡°A pawn shop? I guess it doesn¡¯t hurt to try.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 39
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 16
Devious Mind: 28 (+1)
Leadership: 21 (-1)
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 6
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6 (+1) [Deferred Due To [Fair Fight]
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 32 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??? (+1)
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 42
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 20
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13 (+1)
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 18
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 24
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 97:
Vee didn¡¯t have much experience with pawn shops. Back in Bardis, he would have never dreamed of entering one, and since coming to Oar¡¯s Crest he hadn¡¯t had any need to.
The place smelled odd and dusky, and it was full of curios and trinkets stacked in precarious pillars or crammed onto the sagging shelves. If there was any sort of rhyme or reason to the layout of goods, Vee couldn¡¯t discern it as he wandered deeper inside in search of the counter. Children¡¯s toys shared space with alchemical sets, dust-covered tomes, hand tools, and all sorts of other things.
He wove his way through the twists and turns of the shelves, thinking that they were a bit like a cave. Or at least, they were like what he imagined a cave to be; Vee hadn¡¯t exactly been the type to go out spelunking for fun.
Now and then he paused to examine something ¨C ratty old clothes that he could use for his mannequin shopkeepers, instruments he didn¡¯t know how to play, odd bits of decor that looked twenty years out of style ¨C but he slowly continued on until he came to the counter and the snake-looking [Salesman] who stood behind it.
¡°Hey there. Name¡¯s James. Help you with something?¡± the man asked, his voice jarringly different than his appearance would have suggested. ¡°Got something you¡¯re looking to pawn?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m here to buy, actually. I¡¯m looking for a couple large viewing crystals. Preferably something that projects an image, but I can live with simple attachment viewing too if that¡¯s all you¡¯ve got.¡±
James rubbed his chin. ¡°What are you looking to use it for?¡±
Vee explained his needs and desire for the spectator arena. While he ultimately wanted to have a sprawling stadium that projected a fully three-dimensional depiction of what was happening in the dungeon to crowds of spectators, all he wanted for the time being was a big enough picture that people could watch comfortably. Getting the rest of the features for spectator¡¯s that he¡¯d envisioned after his chat with Cornelius would have to wait.
¡°Hmm, full open air viewing is a bit trickier than the indoor version,¡± James said. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have anything out here, but let me call a buddy of mine and see if we have anything in the back that might better suit your needs.¡±
He turned around and left. Oddly, the door he walked through seemed to shiver as soon as it closed, and Vee felt something shifting in the ethereal as he was left with his companions.
The silence gave Reginald time to tighten his brim around Vee¡¯s head. ¡°Be extra careful when he returns, boss!¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Alforde added quietly. ¡°Guys who work in pawn shops are notorious for calling their buddies right before they offer you a horrible deal!¡±
Vee looked over at his friend and raised a skeptical eyebrow. ¡°How do you know that?¡±
The armorsoul shrugged. ¡°There are lots of copies of Celestial Pawn in the library. I read them while grabbing my other books, and they were all filled with stories of hilarious lowballs.¡±
Vee sighed and shook his head, and returned to waiting in silence. A few minutes later, James returned with a big box under his arm.
¡°My buddy thinks we¡¯ve got an old Sunrise Projector somewhere back there too, but for now I wanted to go ahead and bring this out for you to take a look at.¡±
He set the box on the table and opened it up, revealing a slender and heavily chipped crystal that was yellow with age.
¡°Projection quality on that guy isn¡¯t going to be the best,¡± James said apologetically. ¡°But it should at least let you keep an eye on your challengers and stuff.¡±
¡°Mind if we give it a try?¡± Vee asked.
¡°Course not. There¡¯s an open power core over there,¡± James said, pointing to a small red orb near the wall to Vee¡¯s right. ¡°It takes a couple minutes to warm up, but you should be able to get it projecting pretty soon after that. If you need anything else in the meantime, let me know.¡±
Taking the crystal over to the specified area, Vee sat down and started trying to figure out how to get it to work. There were no instructions to be seen, but viewing crystals were somewhat standardized.
He tapped the top of the power core, which caused it to pulse slowly and emanate soft waves of energy outward. He did the same thing to the viewing crystal, and watched as¡nothing happened.
Vee tried again, and got the same results as he had the first time. He looked over at James, who was fiddling with a bag of some sort.
¡°Hey, how do I get this thing to connect?¡±
¡°Pairing spot is on the bottom.¡±
Vee turned the viewing crystal over and found the spot he was looking for. It was a small circle, ringed by black and gold. A solid tap allowed the viewing crystal to sync to the power core, and sure enough, a few minutes later he had a small projection broadcasting on the wall.
The picture quality was definitely not good, the [Dungeon Master] thought as he examined the grainy image. Even with the ability to see the shelves that he was currently focused on so that he knew what he was looking at, Vee found himself struggling to make out what the crystal depicted. He suspected that if he ended using this one in the spectator arena, people wouldn¡¯t be able to see more than a few strange shaped blobs moving around.
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Hardly the experience he was looking to deliver.
He tried a few other things, and messed around with a few settings that improved the picture quality slightly, but was still relieved when the door to the back room opened and another man came out carrying a pair of boxes. He had a square, squashed face, and small beady eyes that were shrouded in darkness.
Vee couldn¡¯t help but think he wasn¡¯t entirely human.
¡°Dug these up too,¡± he grunted, setting the boxes down on the counter.
¡°Thanks,¡± James said. ¡°¡®Scuse me, Mister Vales? You want to come check these other options out?¡±
Vee did so, and thankfully they were much nicer than the one he¡¯d looked at first. Their image quality was still somewhat worse than he wanted, but it would work for now.
¡°How much do you want for them?¡± the [Dungeon Master] asked.
¡°Three gold fleurs for each of these,¡± James said, indicating the pair of viewing crystals on the counter. ¡°And two for that other one over there.¡±
Vee whistled through his teeth as Reginald tightened his brim. ¡°That¡¯s¡a little steep isn¡¯t it? The first one we tried barely works.¡±
¡°How much would it cost to rent instead of buy?" Reginald asked. ¡°We don¡¯t need them long term.¡±
James thought for a moment, and Vee felt something shifting in the ethereal. Curious, he activated [Third Sight], and saw a small and potbellied green ghost whispering in the man¡¯s ear. He didn¡¯t recognize what type of spirit it was, but it didn¡¯t seem particularly malicious or important, so he deactivated his skill and waited patiently.
¡°Hmm, I think I could let you guys have them for¡let¡¯s say fifteen silvers a day? Wait, scratch that. Twenty. How long did you have in mind?¡±
¡°A week or so,¡± Vee said. ¡°Ten days at the most, I think.¡±
¡°Perfect. In that case, I¡¯ll go ahead and take a gold and five silvers now for the week, and write down a continuation for up to twelve, just in case you end up needing them a little longer than that. Sound good?¡±
Vee nodded, and handed over the required coins as James pushed the rental form forward. He dutifully filled it out, then had Alforde collect all three viewing crystal setups.
Since there were a few hours yet before the gates were closed for the night, Vee decided to return to Crestheart and deliver the viewing crystals to his [Dungeon Maintainers]. He hoped that the fiends would be able to properly install the assemblies and get them set up, but in the event that they weren¡¯t, he¡¯d just take care of it tomorrow.
With that done, Vee decided to go up to his workshop and get to work on some of his new ghost designs. Alforde headed down to his arena to practice some new combination attacks Shadowforde had cooked up, and Reginald went along, ostensibly to ¡°provide feedback and advice¡±.
Shaking his head, Vee faced the stairs by himself and sat down at his bench. After converting the measurements on his little figures to the actual size he wanted them to be, he pinched his thumb and forefinger together to activate [Shape Ectoplasm]. Before he¡¯d gotten too far in his efforts, though, Nock¡¯s voice filled the room.
¡°Was starting to think you¡¯d forgotten about me, Blue. When am I going to get out of this place and get to working again, eh?¡±
Doing his best to pretend that he wasn¡¯t startled, Vee spun around and looked over at the weaponsoul¡¯s projection, who was leaning against the far wall of the workshop with his arms folded across his chest. The projection smiled, but it wasn¡¯t exactly a friendly expression.
¡°Uh, right. Sorry about that,¡± Vee said, setting down his ectoplasmic disc. ¡°How does tomorrow sound? We¡¯ve had some setbacks with our dungeon power arrangement, but I think we have enough capacity back that we can get you set up. Sound good?¡±
The projection nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and prepare myself then,¡± before fading into nothingness once more. Keeping his face neutral, Vee resumed work on his new ghosts. He squeezed and shaped ectoplasm until he had a helmet shaped blob that was slightly bigger than his forearm.
His first set of horns was a bit too big, the second was too jagged for the look he was going for, but he stumbled on a nice smooth curve for the third set that really brought the whole thing together. Attaching them was a breeze, but getting the sigilmancy that would let them fly to work was a real pain in the butt. No matter what he tried, the stupid thing wouldn¡¯t keep its path or a consistent height.
After twenty frustrating minutes, Vee struck on an idea that he felt stupid for not thinking of earlier.
Closing his eyes, Vee found his connection to Dandelion and reached out to the fiend.
Hey there. Any chance you and Kai could bring me a couple ghost slimes? I need them for a project I¡¯m working on.
He felt the fiend¡¯s response almost instantaneously. Of course, Master.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales (Unchanged From Last Chapter):
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 39
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 16
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 21
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 6
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 2
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged From Last Chapter):
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 32
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??? (+1)
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 42
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 20
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 18
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 24
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 98:
Setting down the ectoplasmic helmet that he¡¯d been working on, Vee decided to go ahead and take a little break until Kai and Dandelion arrived with the ghost slimes. It wasn¡¯t the most efficient use of his time, he knew, but he didn¡¯t mind. A few ¡°wasted¡± minutes here and there was far better than coming down with a nasty case of Burn Out. After all, Vee had no interest in spending the next weeks ¨C or maybe even months ¨C stuck in a sea of apathetic thoughts that prevented him from doing anything productive.
Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to wait long. The distinctive sound of Kai¡¯s barkbody footsteps approached the door, and the treant¡¯s voice rang out.
¡°Oy, Vee! Care to come give us a hand? This thing is heavy!¡±
Slightly bemused by the treant¡¯s choice of words, Vee made his way over to the door and opened it up. Kai and Dandelion were outside, cooperatively carrying a large, ¡°rustically¡± constructed box that was bigger than either of them. Tufts of warding hedges had been stuffed into the gaps between the boards, but even their presence didn¡¯t stop the wibbles and wobbles of the box¡¯s lid now and then.
Kai stepped into the workshop, his barkbody scraping Vee¡¯s shoulder as he passed. ¡°Sorry, gotta get this thing down as quickly as possible.¡±
They dropped the box onto the floor, and Dandelion let out a small, relieved sigh. Kai straightened back up, and his barkbody¡¯s amber eyes glowed for a moment as the treant separated himself from the walking suit¡¯s clutches and hopped out on top, giving Vee a better look at his [Menagerie Caretaker].
Kai¡¯s branches were covered in tiny green buds, and the flowers he¡¯d worn on his shoulders ¨C which had turned gray during the last bit of the winter months ¨C had vanished. Now and then, a tiny green mote flittered between his branches, disappearing into the wood only to reemerge a few seconds later.
¡°I hope you really need ghost slimes,¡± Kai trilled proudly. ¡°We brought a ton of them!¡±
Vee nodded and walked over to the box. ¡°I can see that. How¡¯d you guys get so many of them?¡±
He pried the lid off the box and found himself looking at a veritable sea of milk-white and luminescent green slimes. They differed greatly in size, ranging from as small as the [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s pinky to bigger than his thigh.
¡°Dandelion figured it out,¡± Kai said proudly. ¡°Go ahead, friend. Tell Vee what you did!¡±
The fiend ¨C who was starting to look a little¡stickish, Vee thought ¨C hemmed and hawed for a moment before it straightened up and looked Vee in the eye. There was a new green sheen there that was unmistakable, and for a moment Vee felt like a kid flopping around the maple leaves in fall. He shook his head, dismissing the bizarre sensation.
¡°Kai planted the seed of the idea. Dandelion simply followed and applied the thought.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not telling him anything,¡± Kai said, reaching over and giving his apprentice a friendly swat. ¡°Give him details, Dan! Details!¡±
The fiend¡¯s head dropped and it murmured something Vee couldn¡¯t hear. Kai repeated the swat ¨C a bit more forcefully this time ¨C and Dandelion looked up once again.
¡°Slimes can¡¯t digest warding shrooms,¡± it said slowly. ¡°Chopped some old ones up real fine and added to ectoplasm mix. Eventually mushroom build up causes slimes to split.¡±
Vee whistled softly. That was quite the discovery! ¡°Does it work on the normal slimes too?¡±
Kai shook his branches. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. I think the ectoplasm causes slimes to eat differently than they normally do, which is why the ghost slimes don¡¯t notice. The amount of time it takes for the split to occur varies too, but we can better control the amount of ghost slimes we have at any given time now.¡±
¡°Excellent,¡± Vee said. ¡°If this little experiment works I¡¯m probably going to need a lot more of them in the near future.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine. We have plenty of warding shrooms.¡±
While Dandelion and Kai waited, Vee selected a slime that was roughly the size of his palm and took it over to one of his helmet ghost prototypes. He squished the creature into place, then activated [Zipper Fingers] to fasten it there. The skill worked reasonably smoothly, though the [Ghost Maestro] had to fiddle with the initial connection between the slime and the helmet.
When he was done, Vee set the helmet down on the table and waited. A few seconds later, it floated up into the air, bobbing back and forth as the slime inside moved naturally. It was a little slower than Vee wanted it to be, but with the initial lift problem solved, Vee was increasingly confident that he could get the ghost to zip around the way he imagined it to.
He turned back to Kai. ¡°How¡¯s your verdant construction stuff going?¡±
The bonsai treant shrugged. ¡°Pretty well on the whole. Actually, now that you¡¯ve brought it up, I wanted to ask you about something related to it.¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent so that his [Menagerie Caretaker] could continue.
¡°Would you mind if I took Dandelion out to the groves with me? There are a few things out there that I think would help with my lessons and make the menagerie work better too. We should be back in a day or two.¡±
¡°Is there any risk of minions causing trouble with you gone?¡±
Kai shook his branches. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The skeletons have all been much calmer since that [Necromancer] came and sorted them out. He also gave me a few brushes and other little tools that I can use to make sure that unlife doesn¡¯t build up in their cores again, since he said that was probably a contributing factor.¡±
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¡°Got it. In that case, go ahead. I don¡¯t see why that¡¯d be a problem,¡± Vee said. ¡°Out of curiosity though, what sort of things do you need to grab from the grove?¡±
¡°Oh, you know. Mostly tools, but I¡¯ve also been wanting a few other warding growth specimens and a couple other plants that I haven¡¯t been able to find anywhere in the city. I¡¯m hoping to get some maintenance on my barkbody too. It¡¯ll be a pretty boring visit, all things considered.¡±
A faint chime sounded in the back of Vee¡¯s head - a proc of [Detect Falsehood] ¨C but he didn¡¯t find it particularly worrisome. He trusted Kai, but still tilted his head to the side and said, ¡°Is that really all? Couldn¡¯t you just send a letter asking for those things?¡±
The question hung awkwardly in the air for a few seconds, with Kai opening and closing his mouth like a fish in a fish tank.
It was Dandelion who broke the silence. ¡°Asked Kai to take me. Want to question grove elders about Green Spirit matters. Apologies, should have asked Master first.¡±
Vee regretted that he¡¯d already done the eyebrow raising thing, because this would have been a perfect time for it. Instead, he said, ¡°Is that so? Tell me more.¡±
The fiend straightened up and the green sheen in its eyes grew stronger for a moment. ¡°My Green Spirit wants to take new shape. Kai says elders provide guidance on such things.¡±
Vee looked over at Kai, silently inviting the treant to speak up.
¡°It¡¯s¡hard to explain. Technically we¡¯re not supposed to mention such things to an outsider,¡± Kai said apologetically. ¡°There¡¯s¡a whole bunch of rituals and stuff that most treants go through as they grow older and stronger that help them serve the grove. Dandelion isn¡¯t a treant, so I¡¯m not sure the rituals would be usable, but the elders would know best about how to guide Dandelion¡¯s future growth. Is that¡okay?¡±
Biting his lip, Vee thought the matter over. It rankled him that Kai hadn¡¯t mentioned this until called out on it, but he supposed he could understand the treant¡¯s reticence. He didn¡¯t know much about the ways of treants, and couldn¡¯t expect them to adhere to his preferences. It wasn¡¯t a small matter by any means, but again, he trusted Kai and didn¡¯t think the treant harbored any sort of ill will or intent.
[Patience +1]
He shook his head and sighed. There was nothing to be gained by naysaying the excursion, but he¡¯d have to reassert his position to make sure that something similar didn¡¯t happen again.
¡°Fine. Do what you think is best, Kai, but in the future I expect to be made aware of things like this. You might be Dandelion¡¯s teacher, but Dandelion is a member of my orchestra. Don¡¯t go forgetting that, okay?¡±
¡°Of course, of course,¡± Kai said, visibly relaxing. ¡°Sorry, Vee. I really should have brought it up.¡±
Waving his hand, the [Ghost Maestro] signaled that he considered the matter settled for the moment, and returned to his work on the helmet ghosts.
Finishing his second spin, Alforde brought Slammy up as quickly as he could, only to find that Shadowforde¡¯s hammer was already there and waiting.
¡°The timing is still off. You need to be quicker,¡± his Reflection said. ¡°Instead of a powerful strike landing in two places at once, this will only be a delayed combination attack between us. I doubt we¡¯ll get the results you want with such a tactic.¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Alforde said glumly as he relaxed his body and let his weapon fall toward the platform below. ¡°Is there any chance you can move slower? I¡¯m not sure I can make myself go any faster than that.¡±
The Reflection regarded him warily for a moment, then mimicked Alforde¡¯s own pauldron shrug. ¡°Such a thing is possible, I suppose, though the efficacy of our attack will be more potent at my speed.¡±
¡°The shadow is right,¡± Reginald piped up from where he was sitting. The hat had been offering advice and suggestions while Alforde and Shadowforde worked on their new attack, and while many of them had been the generic platitudes of someone who didn¡¯t fight often, some of them had been useful. ¡°You should always keep improving your speed. Sacha had a series of techniques for that, I think. Here, let me show you something. [Project Recollection]!¡±
Mist flowed out from beneath the hat¡¯s brim, and a tiny silvery figure appeared on the stage. Alforde recognized Sacha¡¯s silhouette, and paid close attention as the projection started to¡dance?
¡°Sacha always insisted that ballet was the best way to improve movement,¡± Reginald said with a wide, mischievous grin. ¡°What do you say, big guy? Think we should ask the boss to find you a dancing mentor? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s someone in town who can provide you with some lessons, eh?¡±
Alforde watched the projection spin and leap through the air. ¡°Not enough time before the circuit starts,¡± he said. ¡°But maybe afterwards. For now, I¡¯ll just have to try even harder. Let¡¯s go again, Shadowforde.¡±
Getting his weapon into position once more, Alforde did his best to empty his mind of all thoughts that weren¡¯t Spin As Fast As Possible and threw himself into the motion. He was still too slow, but felt the familiar tightness in his plates that indicated a new skill was right around the corner.
He just had to persevere in getting it to manifest properly. A notification popped up beside his helmet.
[Remaining focused in the face of distractions is a potent ability.]
[You can now earn points in Single-Mindedness!]
[Single-Mindedness +1]
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 39
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 16
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 21
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 23
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 6
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3 (+1)
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 32
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1 (+1)
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 20
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 18
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 24
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 99
The next morning, Vee returned to Crestheart bright and early and finished zipping the rest of the ectoplasmic slimes to his helmet mockups. The work was monotonous but not tedious, and after he finished up, the [Ghost Maestro] went ahead and installed his new minions in the dungeon. Thankfully, that was quick work too, requiring little more than removing the old ghosts and tweaking the floor orders in the relevant rooms to accommodate his new creations. A few tests confirmed that they behaved the way he wanted them to, swooping down from the ceiling along awkward arcs.
With that done and nearly half an hour until business started for the day, Vee scurried up to his workshop and did three tests of [Mold Ectoplasm] for his mini armorsoul ghosts.
Unfortunately, none of them produced results he deemed satisfactory ¨C the poured ectoplasm was oddly weak; even Vee¡¯s meager strength was more than enough to tear through it like paper ¨C and he mentally prepared himself for the possibility of not having the other ghosts ready in time for the circuit. He simply wasn¡¯t sure that he¡¯d be able to troubleshoot the issue quickly enough. Beyond that, he was confident in Crestheart¡¯s layout, and wholeheartedly believed that the dungeon would perform well against the adventurers coming from out of town.
Trying the skill one last time, Vee set his work down and headed up to the office.
After pouring the day¡¯s first dose of aqua magia into Dheart¡¯s side, Vee sat down at his desk and made sure all his switches and dials were in their proper position. A consultation of the day¡¯s applications revealed a somewhat familiar level 22 [Zapmancer], so Vee went ahead and activated [Boost Drops]. Most of the spindly salamander¡¯s skills were area of effect, so Vee was confident that all his marked minions would get destroyed. He still went ahead and rearranged some of his packs, though, to make sure that the marked minions would be the first to attack; there was no reason to leave things to chance if he didn¡¯t have to.
Pleased with the way things were set up, Vee looked over at Reginald and gave his [Majordomo] a thumbs up. ¡°Go ahead and get the day started whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±
The hat grinned wickedly and activated his magnifying crystal. One of his yellow arms reached over and opened the dungeon¡¯s front door.
¡°Welcome to Crestheart, adventurer. Do you feel¡a chill?¡±
About halfway through the day, Vee had to issue a temporary pause to give his [Dungeon Maintainers] a chance to repair some of the damage done by overly enthusiastic challengers in the rooms where Vee tended to activate [Ectoplasmic Surge].
It didn¡¯t take long for Do and the rest of the fiends to replace the broken tiles, damaged trap assemblies, and other things, but when they were done Do came up to the office and bowed deeply.
¡°Master, it occurs to me that our supply of replacement tiles, traps, and decorations is lower than it probably should be. We have plenty of raw materials, but lack finished inventory. Do you want us to halt our work on the spectator area to remedy this shortfall?¡±
Vee rubbed his chin. ¡°How close to complete is the spectator area?¡±
¡°Approximately three quarters. My [Estimate Job] skill says that we have approximately two solid days left of work before it¡¯s finished.¡±
Vee knew all too well how inaccurate [Estimate Job] could be; plenty of the [Contractors], [Handy Men], [Carpenters], and other laborers his father had hired to complete work around the manor back in Bardis had used it only to miss their deadlines by hilarious amounts.
So, he mentally budgeted three days of solid work for the spectator arena ¨C maybe a bit less, since the fiends didn¡¯t need to sleep ¨C and decided not to worry about replacing the dungeon elements just yet. His [Big Picture]-enhanced sense of the situation was that it wasn¡¯t critical right now. At worst, they could make replacements for tiles, traps, and everything else inside Crestheart as the circuit went on. That¡¯d be unpleasant, but was definitely doable.
Actually, now that he thought about it, Vee wondered if he could make tiles himself with [Mold Ectoplasm]. His creations would be substantially more fragile than the ones made by his orchestra, but he could produce such large quantities of them that it might not actually end up mattering all that much. Quantity had a quality all its own, after all.
He filed that thought away for later.
¡°Focus on the spectator arena until it¡¯s done,¡± Vee said, flipping a switch and sending an adventurer tumbling down into a pit filled with frost-armored slimes and plenty of traps.. ¡°That¡¯s a higher priority right now.¡±
Do bowed, but Vee caught sight of the fiend¡¯s displeased expression. ¡°As you say, master.¡±
Standing up, Vee¡¯s [Dungeon Maintainer] straightened back up to leave, but before he did so, Vee held up a hand and said, ¡°Wait a moment.¡±
The fiend froze.
¡°Is there something else, master?¡±
Vee leaned back. ¡°Do you disagree with my decision? Perhaps something that I missed?¡±
He looked at the fiend and waited, doing his best to avoid seeming upset or intimidating. His father had always insisted that it was important to genuinely seek out and listen to the concerns of workers, as their perspective was inherently different from an executive¡¯s.
¡°I believe that keeping the dungeon in good working order is always the highest priority,¡± Do finally said. ¡°There won¡¯t be anything for spectators to watch if we have to shut down unexpectedly.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a fair point,¡± Vee conceded. ¡°Would it ease your mind to have one or two of your crew work on replenishing traps and decoration stocks, then?¡±
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
Do visibly relaxed, and it nodded its head. ¡°It would.¡±
¡°Perfect. Let¡¯s do that then.¡±
¡°Of course, master. Thank you.¡±
With the fiend gone, Vee returned his attention to the dungeon below, falling into the familiar rhythm of knobs, switches, and letting the hours fly by.
After counting up the day¡¯s earnings of a dozen gold fleurs and three shards of chaos, Vee grabbed another handful of coins from the vault before sealing it completely shut. He nodded in thanks to Reginald, whose regained [Core Spirit] levels made such a thing possible.
¡°We¡¯ll deposit these in the bank once I finish my experiment, okay?¡±
Reginald nodded. ¡°Sure thing, boss. Me and the big guy will stay up here.¡±
Alforde plopped down on the ground and drew out his book, Steps of Burning Fate Volume 6. Vee thought that name was familiar¡oh right, it was one of the armorsoul¡¯s favorite [Martial Artist] tales ¨C the kind filled with [Young Masters] and [Jade Beauties] and skills with names that took up entire pages. Vee didn¡¯t see the appeal himself, but he¡¯d spent enough time with Alforde to know that such things were extremely popular and highly regarded in voracious reader circles.
Freed from his friends and feeling the ever-shrinking weight of his remaining time before the circuit started, Vee hurried down to his workshop in order to test his [Mold Ectoplasm] tile-making idea. He took a few of the dungeon¡¯s damaged tiles and used them as templates for his own, then activated his skill and waited.
As he¡¯d expected, his creations were thinner and flimsier than the versions made by his [Dungeon Maintainers], but they were also substantially easier to modify. It was barely any effort to add or change their floor orders, and Vee thought that alone might be worth the decrease in durability.
Before committing to making more though, Vee wanted to test them out. Taking his stack, Vee headed down to the dungeon and swapped out his new creations for some of the existing tiles. They didn¡¯t quite sit flush with the current ones, but they were close enough to not be obnoxious and future batches would be more carefully measured.
As a last step, Vee went ahead and tested the rooms to make sure that his tiles functioned properly and didn¡¯t interfere with the floor orders. After that was done, he gave the tiles one last once-over to make sure that they hadn¡¯t degraded at all, and when he was satisfied with his efforts he returned to the office.
Alforde was sitting on the floor reading a book, and Reginald was staring out the window. They both looked over when Vee walked inside.
¡°You good to head home, boss? I was starting to worry that we might end up spending the night here again.¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t take that long, but yeah. I¡¯m all done for the day. Let¡¯s get out of here, eh? I¡¯m starving.¡±
While Vee would have loved to sit down and really savor his meal, there was too much to be done and he didn¡¯t have time for such things. After wiping the last crumbs from his chin, he mustered up his courage and headed over to the bank, reminding himself that setting up an account was a far easier task than securing a loan.
Thankfully, the bank was nearly empty when he opened the door, and he didn¡¯t have to wait in any lines to talk to a [Teller].
¡°I¡¯d like to open a business account,¡± he said. ¡°Who do I talk to in order to do that?¡±
The [Teller], a friendly woman with short black hair, pointed over to the mass of desks on the far side of the room. ¡°You¡¯ll want to talk to our [Account Representatives] about that.¡±
Vee looked over, and as if they were stirred to life by his attention, the four well-dressed men and women over there looked at him with near-unified focus. It was more than a little unsettling, and Vee felt Reginald¡¯s brim tighten around his forehead.
Thanking the [Teller], Vee walked over and struck up a conversation with the least-wolfish of the quartet, following her to a desk and a comfortable leather chair. For just a second, Vee felt a little bit like he was back in Bardis, waiting for his father to finish up a meeting with an important customer or supplier. There¡¯d been many such times throughout his childhood, but Vee didn¡¯t dwell on any of them for long as he started slogging through the mass of paperwork necessary to open an account.
It went relatively smoothly, though there was a slight hiccup due to the fact that the dungeon lacked a ¡°proper¡± city address. Worse was that Vee¡¯s bag of fleurs apparently didn¡¯t meet the minimum balance threshold to avoid so-called ¡°service fees¡± ¨C as if the [Bankers] or [Tellers] needed to take his money for daily walks or something ¨C and so Vee made a mental note to bring more fleurs by every day until he reached the necessary amount.
After twenty minutes or so, Vee signed the last form and was the proud owner of an Oar¡¯s Crest bank account. It wasn¡¯t really that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but the [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t help but feel a flicker of pride all the same. Like the dungeon itself, this was his. Perhaps it was silly, but Vee felt as if his own fate and the fate of Oar¡¯s Crest had grown slightly closer together too.
The Expectation around his shoulders tightened.
[Citizenship +1]
With their tasks for the day done, Vee and his friends returned to the boarding house and went to sleep.
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character SheetsVee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 39
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 16
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 21
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24 (+1)
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 6
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ??? (+1)
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 20
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 18
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 24
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Ch. 100 A: Nock
Nock closed his projection¡¯s eyes and enjoyed the darkness that filled his senses. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the boredom that¡¯d been his constant companion for the past few weeks returned, but for now he could let his thoughts languish in peace.
His captivity in Blue¡¯s workshop rankled him in a way that he couldn¡¯t explain. Functionally, he knew ¨C knew ¨C that this was better than hanging from a rusty old nail in a half-collapsed shed the way he had after Dazen had settled down for his happily-ever-after with Esmerelda, but he would have traded almost anything to be back there instead of this place. At least in the shed he¡¯d been able to daydream about the Glory he¡¯d earned helping Dazen slay the [Ravenous Harpylord]. What a battle that¡¯d been! He could still hear the way that the beast¡¯s feathers had cut through the air as they¡¯d flown toward Dazen. They¡¯d been sharper than steel!
Nock¡¯s heart, or at least the errant bit of leftover magic from his maker that served as such a thing, twinged. How he missed having a proper wielder! How he missed the sense of having a purpose and the never-ending quest to become a {Legendary Weapon}. He¡¯d been so desperate, so Glory-starved in recent years that he¡¯d even agreed to go along with that fool¡¯s venture to become the |Bandit King|. As if attaining a Role was possible for a man like that!
Out of habit, the bow made his projection snort. Just like Kaletta used to do, he thought. His heart twanged again; he could still remember his second wielder¡¯s face if he tried hard enough, though enough years had passed that he couldn¡¯t quite recall the sound of her laugh when her companion Martin told bawdy jokes around their party campfire.
Of course, his recollection of the moment she¡¯d fallen was as clear as glass, like it would always be. The boiling orange radiance of Embermane¡¯s [Infernal Command], the smell of smoke as the trees around Kaletta turned to ash and blew away in a heartbeat, the pathetically small sound his wielder¡¯s lifeless body had made as it hit the ground. He once again felt his own frustration that her defensive {Artifacts} and skills had failed to keep her alive, and the fury that followed as he projected his first wielder¡¯s form in an vain attempt at vengeance.
¡°Might as well have been a fly fighting a thunderstorm,¡± he muttered quietly, mentally shivering at the memory of staring into six burning eyes while eight fiery arms fluttered and flexed. Embermane was a monster unlike any that¡¯d existed before or since; a nearly ten foot tall [Netherborne Titan] truly deserving the mantle of |Humanoid Calamity|.
It only took the weaponsoul a bit of effort to wrench a cold, mirthless laugh from his projection as he remembered his single, futile strike. Such human affectations were important to bonding with prospective wielders, and Nock wanted to stay in practice for when he got out of here.
Wanting to shake the melancholy threatening to consume his thoughts, Nock forced himself to muse on his next job instead. Stalking the halls of the dungeon, eh? It was hardly the most glorious job he¡¯d ever taken, but it certainly beat being stuck in here. Maybe a promising wielder would come visit, and he¡¯d be able to strike a deal with Blue to end his service early.
If only that [Witch] had been an archer, Nock thought as he stood his projection up and had it pace back and forth. Not for the first time, he wondered if it would have been worth it to offer her his service even if it meant leaving his body and taking up residence in another weapon; that girl was almost the living embodiment of Destined For Glory, and he had all the time in the world to get used to a new shape.
He shook his projection¡¯s head. That¡¯d never been a real option and he knew it. The act of becoming a different weapon ¨C instinctively, Nock thought of it as [Rebirth] ¨C was supposed to be safe. He¡¯d talked to other weaponsouls that he¡¯d met across the decades, and none of them had mentioned any issues beyond simple acclimation, but Nock didn¡¯t trust them.
His suspicion was well-founded too¡or so he thought. From time to time, he recalled the sensation of slicing and stabbing perfectly, despite the fact that those weren¡¯t things a bow and arrows did; he snapped and twanged.
No, no matter what anyone told him, Nock feared [Rebirth]. He didn¡¯t want to risk losing his memories, his sense of self, or the string of wielders whose names and faces were barely more than a blur in his memories due to their short tenure.
His life ¨C if it could even be called that he thought bitterly ¨C had been far from ideal, but it was still his and he didn¡¯t want to throw it away. Even the worst parts had been interesting, if terrifying.
He¡¯d just have to stay patient, and eventually he¡¯d find another wielder. A proper wielder, who would use him to attain Glory beyond measure. Who would immortalize their names in poems and songs. Who would one day hang him up for a Happily Ever After and start the cycle over again.
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That was what it meant to be a weaponsoul. The next step was always just a matter of time away, and Nock had plenty of that to spare.
A little half-finished ghost floated between the tables of the lab, and Nock watched it with great interest. One of its arms was missing, and its eyes were empty, but the weaponsoul still had his projection hold out its hand in a semblance of greeting.
¡°Evening to you, Butler,¡± he said, using his nickname for the little creation. ¡°How are you doing on this lovely day?¡±
Of course, the ghost didn¡¯t respond. It never did, but Nock didn¡¯t care. Talking to things that couldn¡¯t talk back was a key part of enduring extended periods of disuse.
At least the ghost was more interesting than the cobweb that he¡¯d used in Dazen¡¯s shed.
One of the most important things for a hunter to do ¨C and no matter what else happened, Nock thought of himself as a hunter¡¯s tool first and foremost ¨C was prepare a run before the quarry ever got close. That was why Nock had his projection carry him into a wide room down on the second floor of the dungeon and took a good look around. It was filled with pillars and pitfalls, and there were plenty of little nooks and crannies around the walls for him to hide in. Relishing the chance to actually move around freely and test his skills, the weaponsoul spent a few minutes checking all the angles of attack that he could find and thinking about the best path to follow in order to use the room¡¯s layout to his advantage.
When he was done with that, he walked into the next hallway and repeated the process. Room by room he was building his mental map. Already he could see the ebbs and flows offered by the floor, and while he would have liked a bigger space to work with he could make do down here.
Blue was waiting near the entrance to the floor, fiddling with a stack of multicolored tiles and mumbling to himself. For a moment, Nock felt an old itch: he could simply knock the [Dungeon Master] out and take his freedom. He¡¯d taken so many other things that he didn¡¯t value anywhere near as highly, surely this would be justified too?
No, that wouldn¡¯t be right. Blue had offered him a job and Nock had agreed to the terms. It wouldn¡¯t do to become a Cursed weaponsoul. That was a fast path to a forced ¨C and painful ¨C rebirth at the proverbial hands of a cleansing artifact or some wannabe [Hero].
Plus, if he tried to escape, he¡¯d probably have to contend with that [Pumpkin Witch] again. Given the way she and Blue looked at each other, Nock doubted that the girl would be content with simply capturing him if he fought his way out.
Nock made his projection sigh and waited for Blue to notice his approach, but after a minute or so it was clear that the [Dungeon Master] was nearly completely oblivious. After a long moment, he had his projection cough, and when Blue turned towards him with blooming surprise said, ¡°Alright, I think I¡¯ve got the measure of things down here now. I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s any chance that we could change the terms of our agreement to let me roam the entire dungeon? I think it¡¯d be a lot more effective if I could stalk an adventurer all the way down from the first floor.¡±
Blue laughed weakly and shook his head. The poor kid looked tired, with dark rings under his eyes and a slight tremor in his hands that wasn¡¯t just skill overuse. ¡°I wish we could change things up, but I¡¯m too tired to go through all the rooms and redo everything again. After the circuit finishes up though we can discuss it, okay?¡±
Nock had his projection nod. ¡°That¡¯s fine. You should get some rest, Blue. You look awful.¡±
¡°Thanks for your honesty,¡± Blue said with a tired smile. ¡°I just keep thinking that something¡¯s going to go wrong and so I¡¯m checking everything over and over again. Reginald and Alforde think I¡¯m crazy.¡±
¡°Like all things, preparation has diminishing returns,¡± Nock said. ¡°I¡¯m sure the dungeon is fine. You wouldn¡¯t want to accidentally break something or screw it up right before the circuit starts, would you?¡±
Blue paused and looked up at him, and Nock briefly wondered if he¡¯d said too much. His experience with the [Dungeon Master] was rather limited, but he¡¯d seen the young man¡¯s mercurial moods enough to be worried. Thankfully, it seemed that Blue was feeling pensive or permissive, because he exhaled slowly and said, ¡°Silly as it may sound, I hadn¡¯t really thought of that. You¡¯re probably right, Nock. Thanks.¡±
The weaponsoul had his projection nod again. ¡°Of course. Happy to help, since an incapacitated patron is one who doesn¡¯t pay.¡±
Blue stood up and dusted off his knees. ¡°Fair enough. Alright, I think I¡¯m ready to go ahead and go back upstairs. Are you sure that you got everything you need?¡±
Nock had his projection nod once again. Sometimes he wondered if he used the gesture too much. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯m going to be the best hazard in this dungeon within a few days of starting up. Just you wait and see.¡±
"I sure hope so. That''d definitely make my life a lot easier."
Falling into step next to the [Dungeon Master], Nock left the dungeon and returned to the lab. He waited patiently while his projection set him down on the table, then deactivated his skill and started seeing about emptying his thoughts.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow he¡¯d get to fight again. An old thrill thrummed up and down his string.
Tomorrow he¡¯d get to chase Glory on his own terms. The thought was frightening, but also exciting, and a tiny heretical desire bloomed inside his heart.
Maybe¡maybe he didn¡¯t need a wielder after all. Maybe he could make a name for himself by himself.
¡Maybe this was the best place to do it.
Nock¡¯s Character Sheet:
Nock:
{Hunter¡¯s Tool} (Nibor Greentights)
Glory: 517
Equip Bonuses:
Might: + 26
Wit: +3
Faith: + 16
Hunter¡¯s Intuition: + 6
Aim: + 8
Volume 2 chapter 100B: Matthew Cracklelance
Matthew heard the sound of Wendy¡¯s carriage stopping outside and hurried to finish putting on his armor. His shoulder caught a little bit as he raised his arm, a flash of pained awareness flickering through his eyes, but it vanished almost immediately and Matthew could pretend that he hadn¡¯t felt it.
Unfortunately, his wife Ginger noticed the minute change in his expression, and she gently rested her hand on Matthew¡¯s shoulder as he slowly spun around to face her.
¡°You don¡¯t have to do this yet,¡± she said, her eyes wide the way they always were when she was worried. ¡°We¡¯re doing fine¡we still have plenty of savings and you¡¯re going to be getting another royalty payment soon too. Why don¡¯t you take another few months and make sure you¡¯re really all better before you get back to the circuits?¡±
She paused for a second, then said in a quieter voice, ¡°Lori, Mason, and I all like having you home with us.¡±
Matthew laughed, wrapping his arms around his wife¡¯s waist and pulling her toward him for a quick kiss. ¡°I like being here too, love, but you know how I am. I¡¯m starting to feel like the walls are closing in a little bit. Don¡¯t get me wrong, spending time with you and the kids is great, but ¨C¡±
¡°--But you¡¯ve got to be out there trying to knock on the sky,¡± Ginger interrupted, smiling. ¡°I know. I know. That Drive is one of my favorite things about you, Matt, but I¡¯m worried that you¡¯re moving too quickly. You probably think it¡¯s silly of me, but you have to understand¡when I saw what that Wyrmblooded jerk Galtsbane did to you, I¡I¡I thought the worst. You were all crumpled up on the stage, and there was this horrible moment right after you fell where I didn¡¯t know if you were still breathing.¡±
Galtsbane. Matthew felt his own choler rising, then shook his head. His battle against the Alavakio [Dungeon Champion] had been¡rather one sided. It stung to admit, but Matthew knew it was true. The [Wyrmblooded] [Coinductor] had been seething about his loss to Canis, especially since there¡¯d been insinuations that he¡¯d taken a dive in that battle. No one would have ever said he hadn¡¯t given it all in his battle against Matthew.
Grinning, the adventurer tightened his arms around Shaina¡¯s waist. ¡°It wasn¡¯t much fun for me either but I¡¯m not going to be fighting Galtsbane again. At least, not for a while anyway. You¡¯ve got to remember, this is just to help me get back into the rhythm of challenges and fighting [Dungeon Champions]. Wendy wants me to get my confidence back. She says that¡¯s the number one problem for adventurers coming back after injuries.¡±
¡°Psh. That old woman doesn¡¯t know anything. She just wants to keep collecting her fee from your earnings.¡±
¡°She¡¯s been a [Dungeon Challenger Agent] for almost thirty years and has guided adventurers to seventeen distinct {Dungeoneering Pinnacle} trophies, love. I think it¡¯s safe to say that she knows a little bit.¡±
Ginger rolled her eyes, her expression lightening ever so slightly. ¡°If you say so.¡±
Matthew recognized that tone; almost twenty years together had burned it into his brain. He rested his forehead against hers. ¡°This is not even a proper circuit, Shaina. It¡¯s a dungeon development committee thing, comprised of a bunch of little no-name dungeons. Heck, the opening challenge is in Oar¡¯s Crest, for Gawain¡¯s sake! I bet you couldn¡¯t even find it on a map if I gave you ten minutes to look for it.¡±
Given the fact that Ginger had been a [Cartographer] ¨C and one of the best ones on the continent, at that ¨C before she¡¯d decided to stay home with the kids as a [Homemaker], there was no chance that was true, but Matthew didn¡¯t care. He playfully pulled back from her half-hearted swat and made a few exaggerated dodging motions.
¡°See? I¡¯m back in top form.¡±
Before his wife could answer, Lori¡¯s singsong voice floated into the room.
¡°Mama? Dada? Where are you? Are you lost?¡±
A slightly more warbly voice, belonging to Matthew¡¯s young son Mason, echoed it. ¡°Lost? Lost is bad!¡±
Ginger nodded toward the hallway. ¡°Alright, top form challenger. Go tell those [Dungeon Champions] that you¡¯re going to be gone again. Grab that hammer of yours and get out of here, before I change my mind and try to make you stay.¡±
¡°Then I¡¯d better hurry up and get out of here,¡± Matthew said, laughing. He opened up the chest that he kept next to the side of the room and looked down at his old, faithful weapon. {Boltsinger} was a short and stubby one-handed hammer, barely longer than his forearm and incredibly heavy. The leather grip around the weapon¡¯s handle was worn and comfortable, and Matthew felt the familiar tingle in his fingers as the weapon¡¯s anti-theft enchantments activated. Anyone but a [Thunderlord] like him would have been darn near incapacitated if they tried to pick {Boltsinger} up.
He stood up, giving {Boltsinger} a few tentative swings. It felt good to have the hammer in his hand again, and he activated . A rapid, zinging thrill raced up and down his spine, and after it passed Matthew looked at himself in the mirror. Under the influence of his domain, his eyes had changed; gone was the familiar brown, replaced by galvanic green His hair was shock white, and tiny wisps of lightning fluttered around his shoulders.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
¡°There¡¯s the man I fell in love with,¡± Ginger said, taking a small step toward him. ¡°But you might want to go ahead and deactivate that before you see the kids. I don¡¯t want Mason crying with nightmares for the next week. Especially since you¡¯re not going to be here to help me.¡±
¡°Right, sorry.¡±
It always felt a little¡sad to deactivate his domain, but Matthew went ahead and did it. There¡¯d be plenty of time to use it later.
Hanging {Boltsinger} from his belt, Matthew walked out into the hallway to where his small children were. The toddlers ¨C Lori was three, Mason was two ¨C were slowly tiptoeing toward their room. Both of them had wild curly hair and big eyes that definitely came from Ginger¡¯s side of the family.
He crouched down and extended his arms toward them both. ¡°Come here, you two.¡±
They ran as fast as their little legs would allow them to, laughing like maniacs and both looking like they were on the verge of tripping and falling any second. Matthew gave them both a good, tight squeeze and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got to go on a trip for work for a few weeks. You two be good for your mom, okay?¡±
Lori squeezed him tight. ¡°You don¡¯t want dada to go on a trip for work! You want dada to play dolls and tea!¡±
Matthew gently tapped her nose. ¡°Remember, when you¡¯re talking about yourself, Lori, you say I or me.¡±
She pouted, but rebounded quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t want dada to go on a trip for work. Want dada to play dolls and tea with me.¡±
¡°I wish I could,¡± Matthew said. ¡°But I¡¯ve got to go, sweetie. I promise that when I get back we¡¯ll play lots, okay?¡±
Mason tugged his arm. ¡°Is dada going to bring home presents?¡±
¡°Of course he is,¡± Ginger said from the door. ¡°Daddy always brings presents home for you two when he goes out to work.¡±
Lori folded her arms across her chest and pouted. ¡°Didn¡¯t last time.¡±
Ginger started to say something, but Matthew held up hand and ruffled his daughter¡¯s hair. ¡°You¡¯re right, honey. I¡¯ll bring back extra presents for you since I didn¡¯t do it last time.¡±
She held up her finger. ¡°Pinky promise?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Matthew said, returning the gesture with as much seriousness as he could muster.
[You have been given a quest: Bring Back Presents for Lori and Mason! Would you like to accept?]
Matthew hit yes, skimmed the following parameters, and the notification vanished. He gave his kids another hug, shared another kiss with his wife, and walked outside to the waiting carriage.
¡°Piper¡¯s blessings! I thought I was going to have to come in there after you,¡± Matthew¡¯s [Agent] Wendy snarled from her padded seat inside the carriage. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting out for here nearly fifteen minutes!¡±
¡°Sorry about that,¡± Matthew said sheepishly, withering slightly beneath the older woman¡¯s baleful glare. ¡°I had to say goodbye to the kids and stuff.¡±
Wendy folded her hands together and let them fall into her lap. ¡°It¡¯s fine. So, how are you feeling, Sparky? The shoulder heal up okay?¡±
Normally Matthew would have said that it was fine, but he knew that he could tell Wendy everything. ¡°It still twinges a little bit sometimes when I lift my arm up. It¡¯s not pain, per se, but it¡¯s definitely an unpleasant awareness of my body that I¡¯m not used to.¡±
¡°Think it¡¯s going to go away before we kick things off in earnest?¡±
¡°I hope so. I figure that even if it¡¯s not entirely taken care of I shouldn¡¯t have any issues with this little pseudo-circuit.¡±
Wendy snorted. ¡°That¡¯s for sure. These are all little craphole dungeons, you could clear them in your sleep and not even break a sweat. But still, if you¡¯re not a hundred percent, maybe we hold off on some of the promotional opportunities I¡¯m in the process of setting up. I know you want to kind of lay low while we see if you¡¯re still up to this.¡±
Matthew bristled for a moment, but he knew that Wendy hadn¡¯t meant to be rude. She was just extremely frank and forthright ¨C a side effect of [Straight Shooter] ¨C which was part of why he¡¯d signed with her over all the other [Agents] that had wanted to represent him after he¡¯d made a splash by winning the Mid-Continental Dungeon Running Championship as a teenager.
¡°We don¡¯t have anything to worry about,¡± he said as the carriage rolled out of his neighborhood and headed toward the main road that would carry them to their first destination. ¡°I¡¯m still working through my stretches and my rehabilitation exercises. They¡¯re helping a lot, and I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll be back to my normal self before we even get through this thing. Plus, I¡¯ve heard that there¡¯s a bit of a regenerative effect associated with [Master] class upgrades, and I¡¯m only a level away from that.¡±
Wendy waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Lots of [Trainers] say that, but there¡¯s not exactly a ton of evidence to support the idea. I don¡¯t want to gamble everything on a benefit that might not even manifest itself, you know?¡±
She leaned out the window and tapped on the side of the carriage. ¡°Driver! Change in plans. Please take us to Echowood Forest, okay?¡±
The driver¡¯s reply was muffled, but Matthew felt the carriage stop and turn around.
¡°Where are we going instead?¡±
¡°There¡¯s a new clinic in Echowood,¡± his [Agent] said. ¡°They have a bunch of high level [Druidic Healers] who specialize in adventurer cases. Their treatment is expensive, but it¡¯s potent and I¡¯ll sleep better at night knowing that they¡¯ve taken a look at you.¡±
Matthew nodded, then settled himself in his seat and stared out the carriage window. There were some ominous gray clouds in the sky, and the [Thunderlord] felt a twinge of kinship with them.
Galtsbane might not know it yet, but there were stormclouds over his proverbial sky. Matthew just had to clear all these little dungeons first.
Matthew''s Character Sheet:
Matthew Cracklelance:
Primary Class: Thunderlord (Allen Donald), Level 52
Secondary Class: Hammer Specialist (Allen Donald), Level 49
Tertiary Class: Fan-Favorite (Adventurer¡¯s Monthly Magazine), Level 35
Additional Class: Loving Husband (Ginger Cracklelance), Level 30
Additional Class: Doting Father (Lori and Mason Cracklelance), Level 20
Might: 183
Wit: 122
Faith: 115
Drive: 178
Competitiveness: 161
Ambition: 100
Charisma: 104
Diligence: 99
Endurance: 129
Agility: 140
Guts: 90
Volume 2 Chapter 100C: Yensin Duvocik
Yensin saw the strike coming, but his legs were too tired for him to duck in time. He winced as the wooden training sword rapped him on the head, and the match was called in his opponent¡¯s favor.
It took all of Yensin¡¯s self-control to keep from throwing his blade down on the ground in frustration. He hated to lose, especially when he was facing Jeimok.
The salamander sneered, his green scales glittering with sweat. Stepping back, he gave Yensin a mocking bow and spat on the ground. ¡°Guess you just got lucky last time, eh?¡±
Yensin shrugged, telling himself that it wasn¡¯t worth rising to the salamander¡¯s bait.
Jeimok pressed the issue. ¡°I bet you really thought you were going to win, right? That little taste of victory was just so sweet, wasn¡¯t it? I told you, I had a cold last time, so I had a hard time breathing. That was the only reason you won.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Yensin said quietly, feeling the familiar tide of rage building in his chest. Keenly aware of the [Training Master]¡¯s eyes on his back, Yensin held his breath for a moment before going on. ¡°I beat you last time because I¡¯m better than you are. You¡¯re the one who got lucky¡ facing me after I got a draw against Paige.¡±
The salamander straightened up, raising his chin imperiously and rolling his shoulders. ¡°Is that so? You want to try and prove that with another match?¡±
Yensin did, but before he could raise his weapon and say so, the bell governing the sparring matches rang out and it was time for him to move to the next station. As he walked away, he heard Jeimok call him a coward, and his training sword creaked as he squeezed the handle with all his Might.
Not today, he reminded himself. He could settle up with Jeimok later, but today he needed to focus on making a good impression on the [Training Master].
As he walked to the next arena, he couldn¡¯t help but look over at the man. The [Training Master] was old, with dark skin and wiry muscles made all the more prominent by the way he folded his arms across his chest. He sat on a rickety stool in the center of the training hall, and his face was set in a deep scowl. Yensin didn¡¯t know much about him, for he was elusive under the best of circumstances and his legendary disdain for most members meant that he almost never came down to watch the matches or instruct classes. Instead, the rumor went, he spent almost all his time in his office, frantically tinkering with workout programs and training regimens.
What had prompted him to come down today to supervise directly? Yensin had no idea, and he suspected that was true of everyone else sparring that day. Nor was it a question that he could afford to spend time or energy pondering just then, his next opponent was Eli, the burly kitrekin who was arguably the strongest person in the entire gymnasium.
Bracing himself for a rough bout, Yensin took a deep breath and readied his weapon, bowing to Eli as was customary before the bell rang.
Wincing, Yensin took Eli¡¯s offered hand and staggered to his feet. His guard had given out after a few [Sweeping Strikes] and that¡¯d been it for the match; Eli was simply too skilled not to take advantage of his openings.
Rage burned inside Yensin¡¯s heart, but it was a different type of anger than what he¡¯d felt after fighting Jeimok. Instead of burning fury, his anger was a small, cold thing that settled itself in the pit of his stomach and set his thoughts aflame.
I need to be stronger.
I can¡¯t afford to stop now or be content with what I have.
I want more.
I¡¯m going to work even harder.
I¡¯m going to be the best.
[Nothing tastes sweeter than a victory rightfully earned.]
[You can now earn points in Hunger For Victory!]
[Hunger For Victory +1]
All around the room, the trainees were flagging. Yensin was far from the only one injured, and several were in such bad shape that the elkin doubted they¡¯d be able to even walk to the locker room, let alone fight another bout.
Despite his newfound stat, Yensin himself wasn¡¯t sure that he could keep going either. His legs trembled, his arms felt like they were made out of stone, and his ribs ached like crazy.
Using his training sword as a makeshift cane, he sagged forward and tried to rest. Slow, steady breaths did little to help him feel better, and he felt no small sense of satisfaction when he saw that Jeimok also looked to be struggling. Even Paige, prodigy that she was, looked pale and unsteady.
Thankfully, it seemed that today wasn¡¯t the day in which everyone in the arena got to discover firsthand how capable they were of surpassing their physical limits; the [Training Master] stood up and clapped his hands together.
¡°I think that¡¯s enough for today, everyone. Go ahead and call it for now, eh?¡±
Relief fell like rain in the middle of summer, and the trainees separated. Stumbling and holding onto one another for support, they dispersed slowly, returning their training weapons to the racks as they headed back to the locker room.
Yensin stayed where he was for a moment. The [Training Master] had walked over and stopped in front of Jeimok. It wasn¡¯t proper to try and eavesdrop, but Yensin didn¡¯t care. Alas, he couldn¡¯t hear what the man said, but took some solace from the fact that Jeimok¡¯s shoulders slumped when he finished it.
Stolen novel; please report.
Negotiating every step with his exhausted legs, Yensin shuffled toward the locker room, but was stopped by the [Training Master]. The old man was smiling.
¡°You got it after that last fight, didn¡¯t you?¡±
The elkin bowed his head, fumbling with his antler. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean, sir.¡±
¡°Hunger For Victory. I can see it in your eyes. You want more than just this, right?¡±
He gestured around the room, and Yensin nodded.
¡°Excellent. That¡¯s the first step that most everyone who comes through here fails to take. They think there¡¯s something magic in this place, that just by being here they¡¯ll absorb something to make them more than normal, and when that fails to happen they leave. Now, you¡¯re pretty talentless, but with some time and training I think I could make a half-decent adventurer out of you.¡±
Yensin couldn¡¯t believe his ears, and hurried to bow his head in appreciation. ¡°I¡¯d be honored for your instruction, sir.¡±
The [Training Master] laughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you would be, but I¡¯m still not certain that you¡¯re worth my time. Here, take this.¡±
He produced a slip of paper and handed it over. Yensin took it and gave it a quick read.
Come test your mettle!
The ¡®Dungeons of the Future¡¯ development committee is hosting its inaugural challenge.
Fight in FIVE separate dungeons! Earn prizes, experience, and opportunities for standing out. ADS [Agents] will be attending to spectate!
There were other details on the paper too, but Yensin didn¡¯t pay much attention to them. He looked back at the [Training Master].
¡°You want me to enter this?¡±
The man nodded. ¡°Indeed. Paige and Jeimok will be entering too, and I¡¯ll make you the same offer I made them: defeat three out of those five dungeons and I¡¯ll make you my [Handpicked Protege]. I¡¯ll give you the fleurs for travel and accommodations, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that. You¡¯ve got almost two months until it starts up, so I suggest you take this time and figure out how to make some improvements in your fighting.¡±
Yensin swallowed hard. ¡°Er¡how exactly would you recommend I do that?¡±
The [Training Master]¡¯s eyes glittered. ¡°Start by picking a different weapon. You have no aptitude for the sword.¡±
And with that little nugget of wisdom, the [Training Master] turned around and vanished, leaving Yensin with a ton of questions and more than a little bit of frustration.
Yensin sprinted toward the bush that marked the finish line of his recurring [Road Work] quest and reveled in a moment of near-perfect satisfaction as he slowed to a stop. His breath came in short, rapid bursts, and his legs felt hot, but even if he hadn¡¯t got the little notification that told him he¡¯d earned another point of Endurance he would have believed the run to be worth it.
He walked into the gymnasium and settled into his stretches. Since it was so early in the morning, there was hardly anyone else to be seen ¨C only Paige, who was diligently practicing her sword forms ¨C and Yensin sprawled out to get comfortable.
When he was done, he rolled over and started his calisthenics routine. The [Training Master] had given it to him, and to say that it was grueling was a gross understatement. There were half a dozen different types of pushups, lunges, and stances that looked like they should be easy and relaxing but were secretly agony given physical form.
Gritting his teeth, Yensin pushed himself from one exercise to the next. Two months wasn¡¯t exactly a lot of time to attain serious changes to his physique, but he knew for a fact that he¡¯d gotten stronger.
And it¡¯s only the beginning, he told himself. With every few days of training, his Hunger For Victory continued to increase. I just have to beat three of those dungeons and the old man will train me for real.
As far as motivational goals went, it wasn¡¯t exactly the greatest one Yensin had ever heard of. It was small in the grand scheme of life ¨C while the [Training Master] was exceptionally skilled, there were others out there who could do similar, if lesser, things ¨C but Yensin didn¡¯t care. He wanted to carve his name into the tallest mountain of dungeon sport accomplishment. That was still a long way off, but Yensin repeated it to himself over and over again as he struggled with the so-called [Archer] pushups that pushed his balance beyond its natural limit.
Half an hour later, Jeimok sauntered in, drawing his ornately decorated saber and sending a stream of fiery projectiles at the gymnasium¡¯s skill-absorbtion crystals. Yensin watched him sourly; the salamander had become a proper [Spellblade Joybringer] in the past few weeks and while his progress wasn¡¯t quite as fast as Paige¡¯s, Jeimok was certainly outpacing Yensin himself. .
Jeimok spun around and sent out a trio of violet streamers that exploded when they hit the crystal, then sheathed his sword with an unnecessary flourish. Noticing Yensin¡¯s stare, the salamander preened and walked over.
¡°Wish you actually had a proper class, antlers? Or maybe you fancy a spar. The old man isn¡¯t going to be here for another hour yet, so there¡¯s nothing stopping us from getting a few rounds in.¡±
Yensin shook his head. ¡°[Training Master] forbade it.¡±
Jeimok sneered, and Yensin felt that old familiar rage burning inside his chest once more. ¡°Look at you, hiding away like you always do,¡± he said, his voice dripping with venom. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to watch you fail every dungeon you challenge.¡±
He walked off without another word, and Yensin clenched his fingers so hard he drew blood from his palms.
There was a thump from somewhere above him, and the elkin looked up to see the [Training Master] grinning down at him. When Yensin tried to resume his calisthenics workout, there was another thump.
The [Training Master] pantomimed a spear thrust, using his pen as a makeshift prop. He did it several more times, each one more aggressively than the last.
His meaning was clear: Put your anger to work.
Yensin still didn¡¯t get it, but who was he to argue? Getting to his feet, he walked over to the training rack and grabbed his practice spear. The wooden weapon was smooth and comfortable in his hands¡far more than any sword had ever been.
Centering himself, Yensin practiced his [Quick Thrust]. It was a core skill for most {Spear} classes, and the elkin let his temper fuel his movements. Anger made his hands move faster, and from time to time he could hear the air itself snap with his blows.
He lost track of time, focusing only on filling his every strike with all his anger. His rhythm faltered as fatigue set in, but after what felt like the thousandth strike of the day, a notification popped up in front of Yensin¡¯s eyes.
[You have unlocked the Incandescent Spearman class. Would you like to take it?]
Yensin smiled and hit yes.
[Congratulations, you are now an Incandescent Spearman Level 1!]
[You can now use the Furious Thrusts skill!]
[You can now use the Raging Sweep skill!]
[You can now use the Unceasing Advance skill!]
[Might +2]
[You can now earn points in Aggression!]
[Aggression +3]
Yensin''s Character Sheet:
Primary Class: Training Apprentice (Moonrose Gym and Adventuring Training Center), Level 10
Secondary Class: Incandescent Spearman (Self), Level 1
Might: 17
Wit: 11
Faith: 10
Ambition: 9
Endurance: 13 (+1)
Focus: 8
Persistence: 9
Temper Control: 5
Hunger For Victory: 4
Charisma: 2
Aggression: 3 (+3)
Volume 2 Chapter 100D: Alisanne Henret
Alisanne Henret could recall with perfect clarity the first time she¡¯d ever read about adventurers. It¡¯d been a cold, windy morning that followed a night of terrible weather that¡¯d painted the world in orange and yellow maple leaves.
She¡¯d been seven¡or maybe eight years old. Okay, maybe she didn¡¯t recall the morning with perfect clarity, but the set up wasn¡¯t important, it was the takeaway that really mattered when she contemplated her path through life, as she was doing now.
It¡¯d been an article about Alrick the [Brooding Spellblade], who¡¯d risen to fame by nature of possessing a sword that was somehow less cursed than his personality. However, despite his melancholy demeanor and tendency to sabotage himself through negligence and arrogance, Alisanne found him enchanting. She envied his fantastic twists of fate that snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. The coincidences that always seemed to break his way. The kindly strangers who offered aid on frigid nights seemingly without reason.
Alisanne wanted those things for herself.
The highly summarized and sanitized version of his campaign against a wicked dragon woke something up in her heart, and she dreamed of a world bigger than the dirty streets and broken windows of her neighborhood. She wanted to meet people and creatures beyond the beggars and criminals that seemed to lurk around every corner, and have adventures that were worth writing down.
From that moment, she became a girl possessed, saving her birthday and holiday money for training sessions at the adventurer¡¯s guild, helped weed gardens, walked and took care of pets, babysat for her neighbors, and did everything she could think of to scrape together a few fleurs here and there. With time and effort, her pile of money grew and grew.
At least, it had until she¡¯d started running Crestheart regularly. The [Fighter] sighed as she stared at the meager scraps of her savings.
¡°Nearly three months of spending roughly half a gold most days does that,¡± she muttered to herself.
Scooping up her training bag, which carried her clubs, knuckle tape, and other miscellaneous bits of gear, Alisanne decided to head down to the guildhall and see if there was any work to be had.
It was pretty early in the morning, so the streets of Oar¡¯s Crest were relatively empty except for the bits of garbage and debris that were always there. They bothered her in a way they never had before; she¡¯d gotten spoiled from all her trips to Crestheart, Alisanne thought with a smile.
Apparently [Dungeon Master] Vales was working to get the rest of the city cleaned up too. She couldn¡¯t wait to see it.
The guild hall was busier than the streets, with a gaggle of adventurers milling about near the job board. Alisanne nodded to the other adventurers she recognized as she gently pushed her way closer. It was hard for her to see over the shoulders of adventurers who were so much taller than she was, but things didn¡¯t exactly look promising.
Nominally, the job board was divided into two distinct sections. The first was for ¡°classical¡± adventuring jobs ¨C the type she¡¯d read about as a child¡the kind that people normally thought of when they heard the word adventurer ¨C like hunting monsters, delivering packages of varying importance with differing levels of secrecy, going on quests to find missing people or objects, collecting special ingredients from a far-of locale, and other things of that nature. The second section was for dungeon sports types jobs, which were almost exclusively advertisements for different dungeons and circuits around the continent.
However, beyond this simple distinction, which was made by the guild, there was another separation that was imposed by some of the adventurers themselves. These were ¡°open for all¡± jobs, and ¡°special¡± jobs that were only allowed to be taken by select adventurers¡which in practice meant just the high levels. This latter group made up the majority of jobs on the classical side of the board, which meant that adventurers like Alisanne were forced to compete for scraps like dogs at a holiday table.
Ugh. just thinking about that made Alisanne¡¯s blood boil. She hadn¡¯t ever imagined that adventurers could be so petty, short-sighted, and foolish. Weren¡¯t they all comrades chasing the mystical butterfly called adventure together? Shouldn¡¯t they all be striving to help each other grow stronger and improve their city and rest of the continent?
The stupid high levels didn¡¯t think that way, and they had a nasty way of making sure that the low levels stayed in line. Truthfully, that was one of the reasons that she remained a [Fighter] and worked so hard to keep leveling: if she reached the threshold of ¡°high level¡± ¨C somewhere around level 27 in her primary class ¨C she could more forcefully intervene and bring the practice to an end.
Unfortunately, that was still a long way away, and likely to get even further once the rest of her money ran out and she could no longer afford near-daily runs of Crestheart. She¡¯d have to make the most of those discounted runs she¡¯d bought, as well as the one on one fights with [Dungeon Champion] Alforde to have any chance at it.
A burly salamander carrying a socketed crystal staff slid to the side as she approached the board, hissing at her as she did so. She glared back, but the matter went no further than that and Alisanne turned her attention to the board itself.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
It was, of course, basically empty¡except for the poster that had caught her eye a few days before.
Upcoming Dungeon Development Committee Activity, it said. Starting in Oar¡¯s Crest, come test your mettle against five unique dungeons! Sign up today!
Alisanne winced as she threw open the door to the Quenching Bucket a good deal harder than she¡¯d originally intended.
¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± she said as she carefully shut the door with a sheepish grin. ¡°Misjudged my strength again. ¡±
She¡¯d have to be more careful with that, she thought. She was still gaining Might rather quickly, especially with the new weighted clubs she¡¯d gotten to help her training. Thankfully, the shop was nearly empty since it was still pretty early in the morning, and Vera, the old kitrekin who ran the place didn¡¯t seem to mind.
Vera was tall and regal, with sharp features and bright green eyes that seemed to see right through a person. She dressed modestly, had perfect posture, and was always covered in a bevy of beaded jewelry that looked to be handmade. Her fur was gray with a bit of a blue tint, and it grew more gray with each passing year.
Walking up to the counter, Alisanne forced herself to smile and said, ¡°Good morning, Vera. I¡¯ll have one strawberry tart, please.¡±
The kitrekin raised her eyebrows. ¡°Just the tart? No coffee this morning, child?¡±
Alisanne shook her head. ¡°Not today, thanks.¡±
She felt a pang of regret at the refusal. Truth be told, she would have loved a coffee, but she kept thinking back to her dwindling pile of fleurs and lack of income prospects. With that said, though, she wasn¡¯t quite ready to cut all of Vera¡¯s treats out of her life, but was committed to making some small changes until things turned back around.
Reaching into her pocket, Alisanne drew out a pair of bronze fleurs and set them on the counter, then wandered off to pick a table and sit down.
A few minutes later, Vera brought over a small plate with the tart on it, as well as a mug of steaming black coffee.
Alisanne opened her mouth to protest the free drink, but Vera waved it away as she sat down. ¡°Think nothing of it. You¡¯re a regular. It¡¯s just a cup of coffee.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t feel right taking it without paying for it,¡± Alisanne said.
¡°Bah. You humans are so weird about such things! Fine, you can pay me for the coffee by telling me what has you so upset,¡± Vera said, sitting down and setting her paws on the table. She smiled kindly. ¡°Your heart is twisted in knots, child. Some trouble at the guild, then? Something to do with those other adventurers you spoke of before that have been giving you and some of your peers issues, right?¡±
¡°Sort of, but it¡¯s not entirely their fault,¡± Alisanne said, taking a bite of the tart. It was as delicious as always, tasting vaguely of spiced strawberries and honey. ¡°I mean, make no mistake, they¡¯re not helping matters, but I¡¯m mostly just frustrated. There¡¯s something I want to do and I can¡¯t afford it.¡±
¡°Oh? What might that be?¡±
Alisanne spent the next few minutes explaining her situation. Vera listened quietly, and inclined her head forward slightly when the girl finished.
¡°I see. So your problem is that you lack the funds to enter this dungeon circuit?¡±
Alisanne nodded glumly, taking a sip of the free coffee and wincing. She idly wondered if it¡¯d be rude to ask for some milk to go with it, and decided against asking. It¡¯d be rude, given that the drink had been free. Telling herself that the bitterness of the drink offset the sweetness of the tart, Alisanne took another sip.
¡°I think I could pull the entry fees together, but I don¡¯t have enough for travel and lodging for the other dungeons. That¡¯s the biggest problem,¡± she said. ¡°So, I went down to the guildhall to see if there were any quick jobs open that I could take, but there aren¡¯t any. The high level adventurer jerks have got them all stashed away for themselves.¡±
Vera reached up and pulled one of her whiskers, tilting her head to the side as if deep in thought. ¡°That is unfortunate indeed. Pardon me if this is impolite to ask, but how short are you?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°How many fleurs do you think it would take for you to be able to participate?¡±
¡°Oh. I see what you meant. Uh¡fifteen gold would cover everything. I think.¡±
The kitrekin sighed quietly.
¡°Indeed, that¡¯s quite a bit of money for a girl your age. I understand that you can¡¯t get adventuring jobs, but have you considered a different way of earning money? A part time job in an unrelated field, perhaps?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to earn enough money in time before the circuit starts up,¡± Alisanne said hesitantly. She¡¯d thought about getting a job here and there, but hadn¡¯t wanted to distract herself from her adventuring journey.
That¡was probably not the wisest course of action, in the long run. Maybe she¡¯d have to make her peace with a normal job like most of the other adventurers in the guild did.
Vera drummed her paws on the table a few times, then got up and said, ¡°Give me a moment, please. I¡¯ll return shortly.¡±
She vanished into the back, and Alisanne heard the muffled voice of Vera¡¯s husband Mykl. A few minutes later, an interval of time that allowed Alisanne to finish her tart and coffee, Vera emerged carrying a small bag. It jingled rather brightly when she set it down on the table.
¡°It occurs to me that I might be able to offer you a solution to your current issue,¡± the kitrekin said, pushing the bag over toward Alisanne. ¡°How would you like to become the adventuring representative of my little shop here?¡±
Alisanne blinked hard several times. ¡°You mean a sponsorship?¡±
¡°Indeed. Aren¡¯t such things common in dungeon sports?¡±
¡°No¡I mean, yes, they are, but not for adventurers like me. Usually it¡¯s only the high levels that get sponsorships and stuff.¡±
Vera smiled. ¡°Well, then think of this as a stroke of good fortune, eh?¡±
As soon as the words were out of the kitrekin¡¯s mouth, stories about a pale, moody swordsman burned through Alisanne¡¯s mind. Shelter in storms. Guidance through deserts of dreambeasts and twisted magic. Sponsorship in a dungeon circuit.
She threw back her head and laughed.
Alisanne''s Character Sheet:
Alisanne Henret
Primary Class: Fighter (Self), Level 14
Secondary Class: Scrimping Saver (Self), Level 11
Might: 16
Wit: 9
Faith: 14
Determination: 12
Ambition: 7
Greed: 5
Focus: 8
Idealism: 8
Bravery: 6
Adventurousness: 5
Volume 2 Chapter 100 E: Tyrion and Emma Vales
Deep in the middle of a [Focused Work] session, Tyrion Vales frowned as he lifted the next supplier invoice in his stack and gave it a careful perusal. Journey Shipping was an old and well-trusted partner though, so Tyrion didn¡¯t expect it to take long.
He traced his finger over all the words on each line, checking the figures and adding them in order to make sure that the sum of each individual section was the same as the total listed at the end. Once he¡¯d completed that task, he read through all of the descriptions of the services billed, and compared those to previous invoices from the same supplier to make sure that no new charges, fees, taxes, or other funny words for taking fleurs away from him had appeared. Such granular assessment would have been daunting for even the most detail-oriented person, but Tyrion had two advantages that few others did. The first was his Diligence, which enabled him to remain focused for extremely long periods of time and keep track of all the little details that had a habit of trying to slip away with rote, monotonous work.
The second was [Immaculate Recordkeeping], a skill that summoned a folder filled with nothing but the papers in question from the pocket dimension Tyrion kept for such things. Setting up the pocket dimension had cost a fortune even a dragon would have been proud of, but the efficiencies having it allowed him to unlock had already paid for the thing a half dozen times over and only kept adding value with each passing year.
Tyrion activated [Speed Read] and flipped through a hundred invoices in less than a minute to compare them against the current one. Satisfied that nothing new had been added, he touched the signet ring on his right index finger and used it to stamp the invoice so that it would be paid when Edukaiser delivered the invoices down to his [Accountants].
Dismissing the stack of Journey invoices, Tyrion set the paper aside and grabbed the next one, which was from the Wollatavha Spice Company. He didn¡¯t immediately recognize the name, so he went ahead and closed his eyes while bringing his fingers to his temples.
¡°[Note From Self]: Who is Wollatvha Spice Company?¡±
When he opened his eyes, he was looking at a projection of himself as he¡¯d been a decade ago when he¡¯d become a level 54 [Tycoon] and first got the skill that let him store and sort through his memories through conversation.
His doppelganger was faded, vaguely transparent, and lacked the wrinkles and gray hairs that had both become increasingly noticeable when Tyrion studied himself in the mirror. Tyrion felt a twinge of jealousy at ¡°his¡± sharp features, but he dismissed it immediately. Such an emotion was naught but nonsense.
The skill¡¯s projection remained silent, and the [Tycoon] twirled his finger impatiently.
¡°Get on with it. I don¡¯t have all day.¡±
¡°Wollatavha Spice Company is a three adventurer firm that operates out of Gloomstar,¡± the other Tyrion said in a convincing, albeit monotone recreation of his own voice. ¡°They specialize in collecting herbs and spices from S.A.M. 8 and 9 beasts and locations. They are the only firm on the entire continent who can consistently harvest Settaseed, Yirikam, and Moon Turmeric. You have been working with them for three months, six days, ten hours, and fourteen minutes, though you also maintain suspicions that they are affiliated with the Cinderheart Cartel.¡±
That was enough to jog Tyrion¡¯s memory for the rest of the details, so he deactivated the skill and watched ¡°himself¡± fade away to nothing.
With his refreshed knowledge, Wollatavha¡¯s invoice went through a similar process that Journey¡¯s had, though the [Tycoon] went about his duties with renewed caution and gusto.
Good thing too: he noticed a new item had been tacked onto the end of the long list of purchases.
A dozen platinum fleurs for ¡®Convenient Delivery¡¯.
Tyrion growled and immediately stopped his read-through. Convenient Delivery?! This was Wollatavha! The ones who only delivered their wares to a singular port in Gloomstar that was completely run by the Cinderhearts, in a city so filled with crime that Tyrion had to send a small army of armored carriages, high-level [Caravan Guards] and a dozen [Trade Guarantor Judges] to make sure that there weren¡¯t any ¡®mishaps¡¯ that caused him to receive a fraction of his order if any at all.
As if he¡¯d pay such a thing! While a dozen platinums might be a miniscule amount of money in terms of his business, those who took little nibbles would soon try to find ways of taking big bites if they weren¡¯t thoroughly put in their place. Taking his pen, Tyrion drew a thick line through the ¡®Convenient Delivery¡¯ charge, wrote ¡®DENIED¡¯ next to it in large letters, and then wrote in a new total at the bottom as well as directions for Anthony ¨C his [Chief Accountant] ¨C to write a letter and investigate the matter.
¡°[Note To Self],¡± he said. ¡°In thirty days, follow up with Anthony regarding Wollotavha.¡±
A clunk in his mind told him that the skill had done its job, and Tyrion looked at the stack of remaining invoices. Many of his peers had told him that he was crazy to spend so much time on such minutiae. They insisted that his efforts would be better spent on things like ¡®strategy¡¯, and ¡®high level plans¡¯.
Tyrion thought they were fools. Like rot in wood or illness in people, business problems that started small could spiral out of control if left unchecked. He couldn¡¯t imagine leaving such important work to his employees, or doing anything else with his time. This was how he¡¯d always run businesses ¨C about six inches away from all the action, as he¡¯d learned from his father ¨C and he wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.
If there was one thing Tyrion truly believed, it was that a man at the top needed to pay close attention to what was at the bottom, lest he end up there himself; details were key to success.
Well, that and an incredible amount of Diligence.
Wrapping his fury and frustration into a small, cold ball that he kept tight in his chest like a lucky charm, Tyrion picked up the next invoice. However, before he could even start to read it, a knock he recognized came through his door, tap-tap-tap-rap.
¡°Love? Do you have a moment?¡±
Before he could answer, his wife Emma walked in with a big smile on her face and a magazine in her hands. She was pale and slender, with green eyes and freckles on her cheeks. Like Tyrion, she was getting older too, but she was still the most beautiful woman Tyrion had ever seen and looking at her eased some of the [Tycoon]¡¯s fury.
¡°You should really have a mirror in here so you can see how serious you look,¡± Emma said as she walked over and gave Tyrion a quick kiss. ¡°Who tried to cheat you this time?¡±
¡°Some upstart spice merchants from Gloomstar. They tried to get twelve plats for ¡®convenient delivery.¡¯¡±
¡°Gloomstar? Oh, those are the ones you think are laundering fleurs for the Cinderhearts, right? I still don¡¯t know why you agreed to work with them in the first place. Surely someone else can help you get whatever they sell without the hassle.¡±
Tyrion sighed. ¡°I wish. The fields of Moon Turmeric we used to collect from have been taken over by a bunch of nasty astral beasts. The company we used to work with lost four [Expert Gatherers] before they abandoned it completely and the branch of the guild that¡¯s out there is so incompetent I doubt they could find their¡knees with both hands if they tried.¡±
Emma raised an eyebrow before shaking her head. ¡°That sounds complicated.¡±
¡°It¡¯s really not that bad,¡± Tyrion said. ¡°Besides, these are the types of problems that I like to solve, love. It¡¯ll be fine. Eventually. Anyways, what brings you here?¡±
Emma beamed and handed over the magazine. ¡°One of the ladies I volunteer with at the food shelter gave this to me this morning. Look at it! It¡¯s got an interview with Vee in it!¡±
At the sound of his youngest son¡¯s name, Tyrion¡¯s stomach tightened, though he did his best to ignore it. He¡¯d done his best to avoid thinking about Vee ever since the boy had¡left.
With a much quieter voice than normal, Tyrion said, ¡°Is he¡alright?¡±
¡°He seems to be,¡± Emma said softly, and when Tyrion saw the sad shine in his wife¡¯s eyes the [Tycoon] felt every ounce of the invisible weight that his wife carried for the both of them. Most days it was easy enough to ignore it or pretend it wasn¡¯t there; he simply had to throw himself into his work the way he always had.
That wasn¡¯t an option right now though.
¡°Emma, you know, I think about that night a lot and I ¨C¡±
Emma placed her index finger on Tyrion¡¯s lips gently and shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t come looking for a fight, or to blame you, or to make you feel guilty, Tyrion. That night aside, I knew as well as you did that Vee was stagnating and going nowhere in Bardis. There was nothing here that made him wake up in the morning and say ¡®Alright, let¡¯s tackle the day.¡¯ He was moody and melancholy, he barely got through school, and he didn¡¯t have any friends besides Alforde.¡±
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She smiled again and withdrew her hand. Tyrion shifted uncomfortably.
¡°You two were bound to have it out sooner or later,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Vee¡¯s not loud and outgoing like Emory. He doesn¡¯t care about shiny things or enjoy social sparring the way I do, and Gawain knows he¡¯s not obsessed with details like you are.¡±
Despite himself, Tyrion snorted back a laugh. Emma¡¯s lips curled upwards too.
¡°But despite that, I still think he¡¯s more like you than you realize,¡± Emma said, leaning forward to give Tyrion another quick kiss. ¡°I¡¯ll let you get back to your work.¡±
Emma got up and headed back toward the door, but paused before she grabbed the handle and turned back to look at Tyrion.
¡°There¡¯s one other thing but we can talk about it later,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll understand what I mean when you read the article.¡±
And with that, Emma left, and Tyrion looked down at the magazine on his desk. He reached toward it but flinched back like it was on fire, then chided himself for being silly and grabbed the damn thing. A flicker of irritation bubbled up in his stomach, shoving his remorse out of its way as Tyrion flipped through the pages. Vee had given an interview? Hadn¡¯t that boy ever listened to him? Interviews were bad news! [Reporters] did nothing but twist a man¡¯s words into the worst shape possible just to sell a few extra papers. Or, in this case, magazines.
Thoughtful as ever, Emma had marked the page where the interview started, and Tyrion did a double take when he read the title.
DUNGEONS OF THE FUTURE: UPCOMING DUNGEON DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE STARTING IN OAR¡¯S CREST BEGINS SOON!
Emma Vales hurried down the hallway toward her and Tyrion¡¯s bedroom. There wasn¡¯t much time before her upcoming trip to Oar¡¯s Crest, and she had so much to pack and prepare before leaving. Not only were there her own clothes, snacks, and miscellaneous goods, but she needed to bring Vee some of his favorite things from home too.
Her emotions regarding her youngest son were mixed; on the one hand she was thrilled beyond belief at the thought of seeing him after so long, but on the other she was furious that he hadn¡¯t even so much as written a letter letting her know that he was safe! Had she made some grave mistake raising him?
After all, she¡¯d been sick with worry for the first weeks after he left, her mind a constant frenzy of panicked thoughts: was Vee okay? Was he eating? Was he sick? Was he hurt? Had he been robbed? Where was he sleeping? How was he cleaning his clothes?
She¡¯d lost weight and had trouble sleeping, and only a visit to a high level [Fortune Teller] to confirm that Vee was still alive and well had started to ease her stress. Then she¡¯d thought to check on Alforde, and had asked Yulanna ¨C the armorsoul who kept her studio clean ¨C if Alforde¡¯s flame still burned in the Forge, the strange metallic sanctuary hidden somewhere inside the mansion that no humans were allowed to step foot inside. Yulanna had confirmed that Alforde still lived, and that had given her some relief too.
Alforde wouldn¡¯t have let anything happen to Vee, because the two of them were best friends, a relationship that served as a sharp refutation of almost everything Tyrion had ever told Emma about the contract between the Vales family and the armorsouls who now served them.
Speaking of armorsouls, Edukaiser, the oldest and presumably most powerful of their number, fell into step beside Emma as she passed the stairwell leading down to the dining room. Her old-fashioned plates were freshly polished, her violet eyes gleamed from the swirling darkness inside her helmet, and her voice was smooth and bright as she addressed Emma.
¡°Milady, I¡¯ve done as you requested. The carriage is being loaded with supplies and will be ready to depart as early as you wish tomorrow with a team of griffons to fly it. We will of course be making some landings to let the creatures rest, but I have it on good authority that the roads are as safe as can be expected for this time of year so I don¡¯t expect the master to complain. However, it¡¯s possible that my own martial skills might prove insufficient for your protection, so I¡¯ve also gone ahead and requested a trio of [Expert Bodyguards] to accompany us as well.¡±
Laughing, Emma looked over at the armorsoul and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Your own skills might prove insufficient? I find that hard to believe, Miss ¡®Fought a dragon for half an hour while her master prepared a banishing spell¡¯. I pity the [Bandits] that try to bother me while you¡¯re around.¡±
Edukaiser lowered her helmet and tucked her gauntlets behind her back in a consummate display of humility. ¡°That was a long time ago, madam. My plates don¡¯t move as easily as they once did.¡±
¡°In that case, you could always consider exchanging them for new ones. We would be happy to hire any number of [Master Armorsmiths] to handle such a job, Edukaiser. You have but to ask.¡±
¡°Your generosity is noted and appreciated, milady, but I must decline.¡±
A proc of [Read The Room] ¨C which felt like a gentle tap on Emma¡¯s left shoulder ¨C encouraged Lady Vales to let the matter drop so as to not give offense. She did so, though she didn¡¯t fully understand why it was such an issue. Many of the family¡¯s other armorsoul servants changed their plates every year. Only Edukaiser refused, her elaborately decorated plates growing slightly dimmer with every passing summer.
Emma shook her head. Thirty years of near constant companionship hadn¡¯t been enough to shine light on the inner workings of the armorsoul¡¯s mind; further pondering today wasn¡¯t going to bridge the gap. Her attention and energy was better spent elsewhere.
¡°I have another task for you,¡± Emma said. ¡°Would you gather up some of Vee¡¯s clothes for me too and pack them in a suitcase to bring along as well? Knowing that boy, he¡¯s probably rotating through a maximum of five outfits every week. I¡¯m sure he could use a few more things.¡±
¡°Of course, milady.¡±
With a shallow bow, Edukaiser left Emma¡¯s side as the latter opened her bedroom door and stepped inside. It was a warm, inviting, and exquisitely decorated space that changed with Emma¡¯s artistic interests and pursuits. For many years, while she¡¯d been an [Artist] who specialized in oil painting, she¡¯d loved the bold colors and clean lines associated with the ancient masters. However, in recent times she found her eyes ¨C and paintbrush ¨C drawn to soft pastel tones and watercolors of Zalumnian artists. They better represented the soft edges of real life, she thought.
Opening her closet, Emma selected her hardiest clothes for traveling and set about getting them packed. It was slow and tedious work. Emma carefully folded one article of clothing after another, somewhat nostalgic for the days when she¡¯d been a [Wandering Artist] and had traveled so much that she had earned a [Rapid Packing] skill.
She¡¯d stopped traveling after Emory was born, and had accepted the class change to [Artist] after Vee, when she¡¯d realized that she no longer missed the road or the endless string of galleries, buyers, and her peers. It was a change she didn¡¯t regret, but during times like these she wished she could have kept some of the skills from her old class.
That was life though. People changed and moved on, letting new things take the place of old ones. Being a mother was a joy beyond compare, and she was still improving at her craft with every passing year. Her most recent pieces were leaps and bounds beyond anything she¡¯d even dreamed of creating during those long years on the road.
After she finished packing her clothes, she filled a suitcase with notebooks, pens, inks, and other art supplies. There was bound to be all manner of incredible inspiration out on the way to Oar¡¯s Crest, and she looked forward to capturing it all.
When that was done, Emma went down to the kitchens and directed one of the [Maids] to go and get some of Vee¡¯s favorite candy and snacks from the nearest market while she packed a few of her own favorite confections to enjoy during her trip. A few bites of sweets here and there always made travel far more bearable.
Humming a happy tune, Emma Vales finished the rest of her preparations.
As soon as he finished up his morning¡¯s inspection of the warehouses to ensure that they were all clean and running properly, Tyrion headed home so that he¡¯d be there when Emma left. The carriage was ready and the griffons who¡¯d carry it through the air were finishing the last scraps of their pre-flight snack. They looked strong and competent, and Tyrion saw no cause for concern when he [Inspected] the [Carriage Driver].
Emma stood with her bag clasped in her hands next to the carriage door, her face set in the expression she always wore when she was excited and nervous at the same time. Edukaiser relaxed next to her, her arms folded across her body.
Tyrion brought his hand up to the top packet of his jacket, but then returned it to his side. Inside it was a letter he¡¯d written for Vee, but even with each passing step toward his wife he wasn¡¯t sure that he wanted to give it to her for delivery.
He wished that this type of thing came as easily to him as invoices, warehouse arrangements, supplier negotiations, and all the other little things he did on a daily basis did.
Leaning forward to give his wife a kiss, Tyrion said, ¡°Enjoy your trip, love."
Turning to the armorsoul, Tyrion added, "Edukaiser, make sure that nothing happens to her.¡±
¡°Of course, milord, though I¡¯m sure that if something happens to me the dozen additional [Bodyguards], [Guardians], and [Protectors] you discretely hired will be more than sufficient for your wife¡¯s safety. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re heading into the Devolving Wastes.¡±
Emma took a small step forward. ¡°Ty, you could come with me, you know. I¡¯m sure Vee would be happy to see you and maybe we could air this all out.¡±
Tyrion shook his head. ¡°There are meetings I can¡¯t miss.¡±
He paused for a moment, trying to think of the best way to say next. Finally, he added, ¡°And Vee has his own things to figure out. It seems like he¡¯s done okay for himself so far.¡±
Emma¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Fine. But is there anything you want me to tell him for you?¡±
Tyrion shook his head again.
[Tolerance For Discomfort - 1]
"You''re always so difficult with stuff like this, Ty."
Rolling her eyes, Emma reached up with one smooth motion and pulled back Tyrion¡¯s jacket so that she could grab the letter the [Tycoon] had most certainly not mentioned.
Tyrion¡¯s mouth tightened. Sometimes he hated how Perceptive his wife was.
She gave him a hug and they stood there for a few seconds, until Emma gave Tyrion a kiss on the cheek and said, ¡°Guess it¡¯s time for me to be going. Be back soon.¡±
Tyrion Vales, level 57 [Tycoon], nodded. When he next spoke, his voice was barely more than a whisper.
¡°Thank you, my love. Safe travels.¡±
Tyrion and Emma''s character sheets:
Tyrion Vales:
Primary Class: Tycoon (Self), Level 57
Secondary Class: Accountant (Kingsword¡¯s Academy), Level 52
Tertiary Class: Loving Husband (Emma Vales), Level 26
Additional Class: Investor (Self), Level 22
Additional Class: Philanthropist (Self), Level 10
Additional Class: Socialite (Self), Level 6
Might: 54
Wit: 188
Faith: 126
Diligence: 170
Charisma: 44
Competitiveness: 135
Ambition: 130
Greed: 116
Intimidating Presence: 84
Leadership: 91
Vision For The Future: 72
Tolerance For Discomfort: 52 (-1)
Emma Vales:
Primary Class: Loving Mother (Emory and Vee Vales), Level 42
Secondary Class: Artist (Claude Renwalgogh), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Loving Wife (Tyrion Vales), Level 26
Additional Class: Socialite (Self), Level 25
Additional Class: Philanthropist (Self), Level 24
Additional Class: Teacher (Halleghast University), Level 13
Might: 31
Wit: 125
Faith: 131
Charisma: 75
Eye For Color: 72
Perceptiveness: 88
Driven: 60
Organized: 39
Ambition: 37
Nurturing: 55
Judge Of Character: 70
Silliness: 13
Silent Strength: 100 (+1)
Volume 2 Chapter 100 F: Kai and Dandelion
From the familiar comfort of his barkbody, Kai led Dandelion through the labyrinth of so-called ¡°abandoned¡± Westown. The bonsai treant didn¡¯t think that description fit in the slightest: the dilapidated buildings were teeming with life. It just wasn¡¯t the kind normally respected by people. Rodents, birds, insects, weeds, flowers, and even spiders made their home amidst the rubble, living in fallen equilibrium and doing their best to thrive.
With each step, the [Verdant Builder] saw opportunities for growth and change. There were alleys that could be cleared and turned into gardens, sidewalks that could be replaced with flower beds, and lots of space for young trees to flourish. Sure, the worst looking buildings here and there might have to be demolished for such things to happen, but even the biggest forests needed a cleansing fire once in a while, even if Kai hated to admit it. Give and take were two sides of the same Green Spirit coin, to borrow one of his favorite people phrases. Old trees fell at the end of their lives and provided shelter and nourishment to new plants and trees, such was the way of the world. The old industrial part of Oar¡¯s Crest would eventually give way to a lush and flourishing Verdant Construction. He just had to make it happen.
With Vee¡¯s help, of course. The dungeon was most certainly the fertilizer for Kai¡¯s ambitions, and the treant knew that he¡¯d need the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s help more and more in the weeks, months, and years to come.
¡°A moment, please,¡± Dandelion said suddenly. Its voice was still somewhat cold and stilted, but like the first blooms of the fiend¡¯s namesakes brought new color to fields of grass during early spring, Kai could hear new energies ¨C new life ¨C popping up in its inflection. There was a lightness in his apprentice¡¯s voice that hadn¡¯t been there before, a gentleness that was warm like sun-drenched grass on a summer¡¯s day.
Make no mistake: Dandelion was changing with every day, becoming more with every passing hour and blossoming into something different than the fiend that¡¯d first sought to become Kai¡¯s apprentice. The treant was glad for that, but also somewhat wistful. There¡¯d been something charming about that creature; an honesty and a simplicity in Dandelion¡¯s words and actions that were perfectly in tune with nature itself. With complexity came, well, complexity, and Kai wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about that.
Worse, he wasn¡¯t sure of his ability to remain a good teacher if Dandelion continued to grow the way it had been. There were simply too many things about too many things that the bonsai treant didn¡¯t know. He was too young and lacked the wisdom that he¡¯d taken for granted in the grove elders. How could he teach more than the basics of his craft when he¡¯d barely internalized them himself?
Oblivious to the pseudo-existential crises plaguing Kai, Dandelion knelt down next to a small, drooping buttercup next to what had once been a [Weapon Smith]¡¯s shop ¨C if the rusted metal sign above the door was of a sword like Kai thought it was ¨C and brought its hand onto the flower¡¯s stem. There was a moment of stillness, and then a trickle of the fiend¡¯s Green Spirit snaked out of Dandelion¡¯s hand and into the flower¡¯s petals. A moment later, the buttercup brightened and straightened, rejuvenated and refreshed through the fiend¡¯s intervention. Of all the skills Kai had taught it, [Refresh] was by far its best. It looked at its handiwork for a moment, pleased with its efforts, and then stood up with a nod.
¡°Thank you, master.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Kai said. ¡°A nice bit of work there. I¡¯m sure that buttercup will look quite nice in a few days.¡±
The two continued on until they reached the wall marking the edge of Westown, and while climbing up was somewhat tricker than Kai expected it to be, it was less of a hassle than smuggling Dandelion through the city and getting through the gate back to the orchards outside the city would have been.
Finding themselves in the vast space of overgrown, neglected fields where the grass and weeds reached up the barkbody¡¯s waist, Kai and Dandelion started the long march back to the grove.
The emberberry trees that marked the outside of the orchards were still on the cusp of blooming, their branches adorned with tiny red flowers. A warm spicy scent filled the air, and Green Spirit was everywhere, pulsing steadily in a serenade that Kai¡¯s sap couldn¡¯t help but joyfully sing to join.
Naturally, the grove wasn¡¯t entirely peaceful. There were pests aplenty, and more than once Kai and Dandelion were beset by beasts that saw in the pair an easy meal. It felt good to smack some oversized squirrels around again, and Kai was pleased to see that in spite of its growing softness Dandelion was still perfectly capable of defending itself. He was also amused by the fact that several of the fiend¡¯s moves were various wrestling holds and tackles it¡¯d perfected keeping the dungeon¡¯s skeletons in check back in the menagerie. It was obvious that the poor squirrels hadn¡¯t ever faced such tactics before, and the pair moved through the orchards without any real trouble.
When they reached a large clearing, a whistling sound from the branches above got their attention. Before Kai or Dandelion could react, a big dark shape fell down to the ground in front of them and landed hard. Leaves and twigs scattered, flying in every direction.
Kai let out a shout. It was an older barkbody, with roughly hewn black plates and burning blue eyes. It held a knotted staff in its left hand, and Kai felt a friendly pulse of Green Spirit coming from the treant inside.
¡°It¡¯s good to see you both looking so well, Kai Ginficus and apprentice Dandelion,¡± a hard, knotted female voice from inside the barkbody said. ¡°Elder Palmatum has been expecting you and asked me to help you both make your way to the grove. I¡¯m Shinra Quercas, by the way.¡±
Try as he might, Kai couldn¡¯t place the speaker¡¯s name with a treant¡¯s face. That meant it was probably one of the older treants of the grove, a member of that strata that was wedged painfully between saplings and elders. He frowned inside his barkbody. It was unusual for such treants to be so far from the heart of the orchard; their skills were required to be there on a near-permanent basis due to the danger associated with the ivyoak nests that continuously popped up. What was this treant doing here?
As if she could read Kai¡¯s thoughts, Shinra treant lifted one of her barkbody¡¯s arms. Or rather, tried to lift one of her barkbody¡¯s arms. It didn¡¯t move much though, on account of the binding vines in its shoulder and elbow that allowed such a thing being little more than tattered ribbons of brown and green. Worse, the plates near the barkbody¡¯s hand were all chewed up, splintered and broken in ways Kai hadn¡¯t ever really seen before.
¡°Got sloppy near a nest and paid for it,¡± Shinra said by way of explanation. ¡°Need to get repairs done at the grove so I can get back to the heart to help out with the rest of pollentide.¡±
Dandelion spoke up. ¡°Pollentide?¡±
Oh. Right. Kai felt a little silly at having forgotten about pollentide. He¡¯d been so focused on everything with the menagerie and Dandelion that it¡¯d completely slipped his mind.
Turning to his apprentice, Kai said, ¡°Pollentide is something that happens every early spring. All the creatures inside the orchards are coming into their full strength after being Snowsapped all winter, and everything is in bloom. There¡¯s a lot of wild Green Spirit in the air and the soil, and the ivyoaks start making trouble by trying to expand their nests.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± Dandelion said. ¡°Almost. What are ivyoaks?¡±
¡°They¡¯re a type of blight beast,¡± Shinra said. ¡°Twisted chimeras. Bits of slugs, snakes, possums, spiders, wolves and even treants stitched together with brambles and fueled by Green Spirit. They spread a thick, poisonous sap in their wake, and during pollentide they get real aggressive about trying to expand their nests.¡±
¡°Sounds terrifying,¡± Dandelion said. ¡°Any risk to the city?¡±
¡°Of course not,¡± the older treant said, a twinge of heat entering her voice. ¡°We always keep them in check. They¡¯re a bit of a pain during pollentide, but for the rest of the year they¡¯re extremely predictable, if still dangerous.¡±
None of them spoke for a moment after that, until Shinra suggested that they continue onto the grove. Even with only one fully functional barkbody arm, the older treant made fast work of the pests and hazards that tried to block their way.
With pollentide in full swing, the grove was a bustling hotbed of activity. Its usual tranquility was gone, replaced by a constant flurry of bonsai treants running back and forth. The sounds of hard work filled the air, and Kai wondered how his home for so many years could feel so much like a foreign place after only a season or so away. Sure, it¡¯d been a long winter, but Kai felt as if it¡¯d been years since he¡¯d last set foot in the grove. His sap sang a mournful song after he exited his barkbody, and the lingering gazes of his peers made his branches itch. He found himself looking forward to this errand being done, so that he could return to the menagerie as quickly as possible.
¡°Okay, master?¡±
Kai looked over at Dandelion, and saw that there was genuine concern in the fiend¡¯s eyes.
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, smiling to reassure his apprentice. ¡°Just thinking. Are you okay?¡±
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¡°Strange pressure here. Unfamiliar Green Spirit. Not threatening or unfriendly, but not welcoming either.¡±
That gave Kai a moment¡¯s pause. He knew that the elders took steps to protect the grove from unwanted intruders; they were similar in principle if not in tactics to his warding hedges. He wondered if his unease was perhaps related to these efforts. Maybe the fact that he¡¯d set down roots in Oar¡¯s Crest and had changed his class to [Menagerie Caretaker] meant that he was for all intents and purposes an outsider and subject to the adverse effects of the elder¡¯s influence.
Unfortunately, pondering that question didn¡¯t produce much in the way of results. There were simply too many things that he didn¡¯t know, and worrying about hypotheticals was wasted work: it would yield no fruit.
Instead, Kai spent the next few hours pointing to various bits of greenery around the grove and explaining their function and history to his apprentice until they were summoned to meet with elder Palmatum.
A notification popped up as Kai stood.
[Patience +1]
He dismissed it, and led the fiend deeper into the grove.
Dandelion had decided that it didn¡¯t like this place. The air was too sweet, the dirt too rich. It missed the familiar comfort of the menagerie and the duties to which it¡¯d grown accustomed. The monsters in the orchards hadn¡¯t been particularly dangerous, but there was a ferality to them that the fiend didn¡¯t like. They¡¯d reminded Dandelion too much of what it¡¯d once been: a creature driven by furious instinct, incapable of delivering anything but pain and misery to any souls unfortunate enough to cross its path.
The soft, squishy core of Green Spirit inside the fiend¡¯s chest fluttered, and Dandelion paused until the shakiness in its vision brought about by such activity faded away. Master said that such things were normal, but the fiend wasn¡¯t so sure. It certainly didn¡¯t feel normal, and Dandelion hoped that this Elder Palmatum would have some sort of technique or wisdom to make the flutters stop happening.
Master led the way down a long twisted path flanked by skinny witchwood tree trunks and mushrooms of every color. The pressure in the air grew heavier, and Dandelion¡¯s steps slowed down. Even master seemed to struggle to keep moving forward, his branches bending ever so slightly beneath an invisible weight.
Thankfully, when they reached a small circle of ground beneath a thick bit of canopy, the pressure eased and Dandelion found that it could walk normally once again.
An old, gnarled treant sat in the center of the circle, smiling at their approach.
¡°¡®Tis good to see you again, young Kai,¡± the treant said, his sonorous voice ringing with Green Spirit. ¡°My apologies for your discomfort in being here.¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing to be concerned about,¡± master said. ¡°We are grateful that you were willing to take the time to meet with us, especially during pollentide.¡±
Elder Palmatum smiled. ¡°Time waits for nobody, though we should probably refrain from tarrying overlong. I¡¯m sure you both have work to return to, as do I. Young Dandelion, let me see your hand.¡±
Dandelion looked over at Kai, who shook his branches approvingly, and then slowly extended its hand toward the older treant.
Elder Palmatum held it for a moment, closing his eyes and sighing heavily. A sensation like a vine creeping up a trellis flickered through Dandelion¡¯s mind, probing the fiend¡¯s Green Spirit as if examining it for any irregularities.
¡°Green Spirit can take many forms,¡± the old treant said quietly as his examination progressed. ¡°And that singular specific shape will influence the skills and strength of the holder as they continue to grow. Even the System recognizes these distinctions, offering certain classes only to those with a compatible Green Spirit shape. Broadly speaking, we think of them in three primary ways.The first is the tree, which consolidates its powers over a long life, growing denser with every year and providing shelter and other things to the world around the holder. While probably the most potent of the three, tree shape Green Spirit is limited in how it can move, and rapidly loses its power if it strays too far from its roots until it reestablishes itself. That process can take decades or longer.¡±
The elder smiled. ¡°As you might imagine, this shape is extremely popular with my kind because we are uniquely aligned with it.¡±
Dandelion nodded, returning the treant¡¯s smile with a small one of its own.
¡°The second common shape for Green Spirit is the flower, which brings great beauty and joy to a wider range of places than the tree is capable of reaching. However, this bounty comes at the expense of a fleeting nature. The bonds that tie it to the seasons are tight and constricting, causing its strength to fluctuate to a degree that many find uncomfortable.
¡°Lastly, there is the shape of the weed, which spreads rapidly and widely, though its power ¨C like the roots of its namesake ¨C is shallow compared to the other two. Its blessings are humble and straightforward, but are useful in bringing life to dead places and it is resilient against the seasons.¡±
¡°Which one is best?¡± Dandelion asked. It wasn¡¯t sure that it understood the nuances of what the old treant was saying. Frankly, it didn¡¯t think those descriptions had been of much use.
¡°That depends on you,¡± Elder Palmatum said. ¡°We treants have rites that will let you experience different possibilities of each shape, but the ultimate choice is yours. You have to decide what you want.¡±
Something about that declaration resonated with the fiend¡¯s heart, and Dandelion shivered.
¡°Mine?¡±
¡°Indeed. Now, close your eyes and we will begin.¡±
The fiend did as instructed, but when the elder¡¯s probing climbed toward Dandelion¡¯s mind, it was stopped hard by a pulse of something born from the bond that tied Dandelion to its true Master. The pulse was followed by the distant ¨C and possibly imagined ¨C roar of a great beast coming from the direction of the city.
The distinctive sound of master¡¯s branches swaying prompted Dandelion to open its eyes. To the fiend¡¯s horror, everything it saw was tinted blue for a moment, though the natural colors of the world returned quickly enough.
Elder Palmatum let out a chuckle and shook his branches. ¡°Oho, what an interesting and unexpected authority! The [Seer] will be most pleased by that development. We¡¯ll begin the rite through a different method. Dandelion, I¡¯ll need your other hand.¡±
The fiend held out its other hand. Elder Palmatum whispered, and six green motes of light emerged from the soil. They landed on Dandelion¡¯s hands, disappearing after a moment and filling the fiend with a comforting warmth.
Voices inside Dandelion¡¯s head started to whisper. They spoke of shade on sunny days, sweet fruit hanging from branches, pleasant perfumes in the air, joy brought to hearts, pops of green amidst seas of gray, and paving the way for new life. Some of their words were accompanied by images, and Dandelion rocked back and forth at the realm of possibilities presented to it while its Green Spirit quaked and shivered.
The fiend lost all sense of time, seeing itself with a thousand different classes ¨C [Herbalist], [Gardener], [Orchardist] were but a few ¨C or using some number of ten thousand different skills. There were a million different roots beneath the surface of the world, and they all led to different places. The fiend wasn¡¯t sure how to navigate through their twisting paths, and panicked at the thought of never finding its way to where it was supposed to be.
Rarely, Elder Palmatum¡¯s voice cut through the chaos, easing Dandelion¡¯s anxiety with calm words of wisdom.
¡°There is no right or wrong answer, young fiend. Growth is a response to one¡¯s environment, a force that can be shaped and managed. Don¡¯t fight it, embrace it instead.¡±
On and on the process went, for a full day and a full night. Dandelion drifted in and out its trance, its thoughts branching out into spaces it¡¯d never previously imagined.
What exactly did it want? What shape did it want its Green Spirit to take? What would be the most useful to master? Or to Master? Dandelion didn¡¯t think the rigid nature of the tree suited it, but was torn equally between the beautiful ephemerality of the flower shape and the enduring strength of the weed shape.
Was there some way to combine those two? Dandelion thought that it might like to do so, if possible, and sure enough it saw a root that offered such a path.
Reaching out, the fiend took hold of the option presented, and felt its Green Spirit stretching into a new shape into something that was like both weed and flower, but neither one in truth.
[Congratulations! You are now Blossoming!]
[Your ability to commune with plants and other living creatures is now more powerful!]
[In time, you will unlock new classes and skills!]
[Green Spirit +2]
Dandelion opened its eyes and read the notifications. It didn¡¯t really know what they meant, but it felt satisfied all the same. After dismissing them, the fiend consulted its soul¡¯s mirror and took a closer look at its core of Green Spirit.
It looked a lot like a sunflower.
Kai and Dandelion''s Character Sheets:
Kai Ginficus
Primary Class: Menagerie Caretaker (Vee Vales), Level 20
Secondary Class: Barkbody Pilot (Pachi Palmatum), Level 15
Tertiary Class: Verdant Builder(Self), Level 10
Might: 20
Wit: 7
Faith: 15
Green Spirit: 35
Adventurousness: 11
Guts: 11
Citizenship: 5
Mentoring: 9
Patience: 9 (+1)
Dandelion
Blossoming
Primary Class: Menagerie Caretaker¡¯s Apprentice (Kai Ginficus), Level 15
Secondary Class: Gardener (Kai Ginficus), Level 7
Might: 13
Wit: 10
Faith: 8
Endurance: 11
Green Spirit: 11 (+2)
Bashfulness: 5
Citizenship (Bound - Vee Vales): 1
DABB Volume 2 Chapter 101:
With only two days left until the circuit started, Vee discovered that he had an even greater capacity for stress than he¡¯d otherwise believed possible. His heart raced constantly, his stomach was as knotted as a fishing net, and he semi-seriously considered accepting the offered [Guy-Who-Overthinks-Unlikely-Possibilities] class when the notification popped up before his eyes.
Of course, Alforde and Reginald did what they could to help out, running errands and taking care of what still needed to be checked off Vee¡¯s list of things to do, but the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s presence and attention were required on so many things that some of the chaos couldn¡¯t be avoided.
Vee stuffed a slightly burnt piece of bread into his mouth and chewed mechanically as he strode out the door of the boarding house. ¡°I¡¯m off to supervise the fiends as they finish up the spectator arena. You two know what you¡¯re supposed to be doing?¡±
Alforde nodded solemnly as he stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to the adventurer¡¯s guild and collecting the registration documents as well as making sure that the guild knows about your welcome speech. After that, I¡¯m going to help Micah deliver some extra flour and other ingredients to the Lobby so that he¡¯ll be well-stocked when the circuit starts up.¡±
¡°And I¡¯m going to go talk to a bunch of the [Shopkeepers] we need to follow up with and make sure that they remember they need to put out their promotional signs when the circuit starts,¡± Reginald said as he directed his ghosthetic to follow after Vee. ¡°We¡¯ve been over this a dozen times already this morning, boss. You¡¯ve got to take some deep breaths or something. Maybe try counting to a million and see if that takes the edge off.¡±
Vee scowled at his [Majordomo], but the hat just grinned and Alforde chuckled.
¡°He¡¯s right, Vee. You¡¯re way too tense about this. I know you want to make a good first impression and show the world what we can do, but think about how bad it¡¯ll look if you collapse or something right before the event is supposed to start. We¡¯ll get everything done on time, okay? Don¡¯t worry so much.¡±
A small smile spread across Vee¡¯s face. He supposed his friends had a point. ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯ll try. Thanks, you guys. We¡¯ll meet back here once everything is done, okay?¡±
Alforde and Reginald nodded, and the trio split to go their separate ways.
Vee speed-walked through the city, smiling to himself as the streets got cleaner and more orderly as he neared Westown. The Kartine twins and the fiends were making good progress, though privately Vee worried they wouldn¡¯t be able to get all the roads cleaned in time. He pushed the thought out of his mind as best he could. After all, he didn¡¯t have any spare time or resources to help push them along any faster. Making peace with the things he couldn¡¯t change or affect was increasingly the name of the game, and the [Dungeon Master] did his best to focus on the things that didn''t fit that description before stopping in front of the gate to Westown.
The [City Guard] on duty was nice enough, but slow when it came to opening the gate up, and the [Dungeon Master] found himself irritated with how long the process took. He tapped his foot rapidly, and was probably a bit more curt in his thanks than usual, but the [City Guard] didn¡¯t seem to mind.
Some people.
Do and the other [Dungeon Maintainers] had built enough seating in the spectator arena to comfortably hold a hundred with plenty of room to spare. According to the fiend¡¯s estimate, the lot was big enough to hold up to five or six hundred spectators, though there wasn¡¯t enough time to build more stands before the circuit started. That job, like so many others, got shifted to the ever-growing list of Things To Do Later.
Beyond that, the stands themselves were roughly constructed and not visually appealing. They were lopsided and splotchy; the wood and metal used to build them taken from the stash built by Vee¡¯s usage of [Salvage Materials]. Alas, neither copious amounts of white paint nor the word ¡®rustic¡¯ ¨C those powerful fix-alls popular with [Woodworkers] across the continent ¨C would be enough to redeem the scraggly appearance of the spectator¡¯s arena for any discerning visitors.
Vee didn¡¯t mind. Better ugly stands you could sit in than pretty ones in your imagination. He walked along the length of each row, testing his weight and making sure that there weren¡¯t any dangerous spots. Appearance was secondary only so long as the stands were safe.
¡°Is it suitable, Master?¡¯
Vee turned and saw Do staring up at him. The fiend¡¯s features were pulled tight in a clumsy, but unmistakable expression of worry.
¡°It is. Thank you, Do. You and your crew have done great work. Have you got the viewing crystal assembly set up yet?¡±
¡°We have. Allow me to demonstrate. Re, Mi!¡±
There was a crackle in the air as the viewing system was activated, and for a moment Vee feared that the second-hand crystals were going to explode or something. Thankfully they didn¡¯t, and a grainy projection showing the inside of the dungeon materialized in the air. The image shifted and shook slightly, due to the fact that it was coming from a tiny golem that¡¯d crawled up into a corner on the ceiling of the dungeon room in question. The little golem had also been bought from the pawn shop, since Vee hadn¡¯t wanted to stuff his schedule further by trying to make a ghost that would carry the viewing crystal transmitter. That¡¯d been the right decision, probably, but the [Dungeon Master] still couldn¡¯t help but worry that the golem would get damaged by an errant skill or wouldn¡¯t be fast enough to keep up with the adventurers in the dungeon once the circuit runs started.
There were so many things that could go wrong, and Vee¡¯s mind increasingly focused on all of the ones he could think of.
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¡°Master? Are you alright? You look pale.¡±
Do¡¯s voice brought Vee back to his senses and he forced the unproductive thoughts from his mind. There was too much to do to be worrying about unlikely things.
Instead, he spent the next ninety minutes supervising the fiends and directing the final few touches for the spectator arena. When it was finished, he congratulated his minions on a job well done and gave all the [Dungeon Maintainers] a few bonus cubes of refined ectoplasm. Bidding them to enjoy the rest of their day, Vee headed over to Crestheart tower to make some ghosts in order to keep bolstering the dungeon¡¯s supply.
A few hours later, a somewhat exhausted Vee pounded on the gate and hollered for someone to come and open it up. He¡¯d been waiting for nearly twenty minutes, and was starting to get rather irritated.
¡°Sorry about that,¡± a different [City Guard] than had been on duty that morning said when she finally got around to letting Vee back into Oar¡¯s Crest proper. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear your knocks.¡±
That was annoying, but far too possible, Vee supposed. Normally Alforde knocked, and the armorsoul¡¯s gauntlets made a lot more noise than his own small fists did.
Vee scowled at the gate as it shut. It¡¯d been irritating twice today, and the [Dungeon Master] found himself having a strange thought as he stared at it before heading to his next task.
What would it take to get the gate opened more often? He had no delusions about having it left open all day ¨C the council and citizens of Oar¡¯s Crest would probably faint at the mere thought ¨C but perhaps there was something he could do to arrange a longer window of open that would last into the night or start in the early morning. He resolved to talk to Reginald and Sculla about it, then headed back to the boarding house.
His last task for the day, as much as he hated it, was to seriously attempt to write his circuit welcoming speech. Words were tricky and inconsistent; sometimes they flowed like a raging river after thirty straight days of rain while other times putting one to paper felt like a physical challenge akin to climbing a hundred flights of stairs. As such, Vee hoped that his task would go quickly but feared that despite his efforts and scheduling he¡¯d find himself facing the crowd of out of town adventurers with nothing prepared. Given that Vee didn¡¯t think of himself as a naturally skilled improviser, the prospect of such a thing was rightfully horrifying.
Strings of words and sentence snippets fluttered through his thoughts as he passed by other people out and about their business. Some of them Vee thought nonsense, others he did his best to try and remember as he crossed streets, dodged carriages and horses, and returned waves and greetings from people walking by.
Sculla wasn¡¯t on her stoop when he reached the boarding house, which meant that he couldn¡¯t ask the ogre about the gate just then, but he¡¯d do it the next time he saw her. Perhaps she still had some spare pull with the council she could put to work for his benefit once again.
Hurrying up to his room, Vee sat down at the table and got out his best pen and notebook. Taking a deep breath, he collected his thoughts and started trying to write.
But where was he supposed to start? Obviously, welcoming the adventurers and others to Oar¡¯s Crest would be good, but ¨C Gawain¡¯s beard! ¨C that was a boring way to lead things off.
At the same time, it was functional, and wasn''t it better to be a little boring than nonsensical? He didn¡¯t want to ramble or spew nonsense.
With his tongue stuck between his teeth and a strong sense that his efforts were largely wasted, Vee kept on working until Reginald and Alforde returned. Zeiken was with Reginald, and while the yellow salamander looked as tired as Vee felt, he bowed deeply to the [Dungeon Master] and smiled brightly.
¡°Mister Vales, it¡¯s wonderful to see you working on your welcome speech,¡± Zeiken said, drawing out a wad of papers from his envelope. ¡°As the knob turns, I actually have here some documents that you might find useful in your efforts. They¡¯re the official statement from the development committee, and should prove rather illuminating as you craft your own.¡±
Vee took the documents and flipped them open, marveling at the fancy handwriting as much as the content itself. He smiled.
¡°Well, the things that overlap are definitely written better here than they were in my version,¡± Vee said, crossing out large chunks of what he¡¯d so painstakingly written. Doing so only hurt his soul a little bit. ¡°Thanks, Zeiken. I appreciate it.¡±
¡°Of course, Mister Vales, I¡¯m glad to be able to help,¡± the salamander said. ¡°However, delivering those papers isn¡¯t the only reason I¡¯m here. There is another matter I hope you¡¯ll allow me to assist you with before the circuit starts.¡±
¡°Oh? What might that be?¡±
Zeiken grinned, and Vee felt a pang of trepidation at the way the salamander¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°It¡¯s simple, really. I believe, and your friends agree with me, that you should get yourself a new suit before we open for business. Your normal attire, while fine for daily business, lacks the gravitas necessary for an event like this. Adventurers and members of the press will be scrutinizing us carefully, as will other dungeon sport professionals and industry figures. It¡¯s like the old saying goes, Mister Vales. You never get a second chance to make a great first impression.¡±
Vee groaned, while Alforde and Reginald snickered.
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged from last chapter):
Main Character SheetsVee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 23
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 39
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 16
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 21
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 6
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 20
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 18
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 24
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
DABB Volume 2 Chapter 102:
The indistinct rumble of a crowd filled the air as Vee approached the Westown gate. Reaching up, the [Dungeon Master] fiddled with the collar on his dress shirt, uncomfortable with the way that it clung to his neck. He hated formal clothing, but had to admit that he¡¯d felt no small measure of satisfaction when he¡¯d looked at his reflection that morning in the mirror. Zeiken had chosen well; the salamander¡¯s eye for fashion was rather well trained.
Alforde had taken the time that morning to polish his armor, and his plates shone brightly in the morning sun. Slammy rested comfortably on his pauldron, and his eyes burned like fireplaces. The armorsoul¡¯s stride was smooth and unhurried next to Vee¡¯s, but the [Ghost Maestro] could sense the mixture of excitement and trepidation through the bond he shared with his best friend as they got closer to the crowd.
Only Reginald seemed to be unaffected by the spectacle of the crowd waiting for them. The hat was perched atop his ghosthetic, grinning wildly as the creature¡¯s arms swung back and forth and he took in the sight at the gate.
¡°Lots of new faces out there,¡± he said. ¡°Some of them look pretty tough, too, like they¡¯ve been through some real fights and not just this dungeon stuff. Heck, that one red elkin over there is more scars than fur, and that salamander with the crystal spear is missing her tail. Oh! Look at the bladed yo-yo that guy in the flannel has. Kind of a weird outfit choice, but maybe he¡¯ll wear something different for his run. I think you¡¯re going to be in for some rough fights, Alforde.¡±
Alforde snorted, or rather, made the small tinny noise that Vee believed was his friend¡¯s best effort to do so. ¡°More like they¡¯ll be in for some rough fights if they manage to reach me. The dungeon is going to stop most of them, right Vee?¡±
¡°That¡¯s the hope,¡± Vee mumbled as he tried in vain to activate [Stiffen Spine]. For some reason, the skill was simply refusing to work, which was more than a little irritating. Skill failures were a known thing across the continent, typically happening during periods of intense stress or great physical injury, but Vee didn¡¯t think he was that nervous about the start of the circuit. Heck, he¡¯d felt pretty good that morning as he¡¯d eaten and gotten dressed.
Tucking his hand into his pocket, Vee brought his thumb and forefinger together and tried to activate [Shape Ectoplasm]. It didn¡¯t work either.
Closing his eyes, Vee took a long, slow breath and held it for a moment. I¡¯m okay, this is going to be okay, and everything is fine. Relax, Vee. Re-lax.
He tried again, and relief flooded through his entire body as the skill activated and he squished a tiny ball of ectoplasm into existence. A few moments later, as if realizing that things were working right again, [Stiffen Spine] activated and Vee straightened up a few inches as it took hold.
People were starting to notice the trio now, and Vee felt the increasingly familiar sensation of being the center of attention. He refused to let it affect him though, and instead focused on the podium that the [Dungeon Maintainers] had hastily thrown together the night before and set outside the gate when the Light Section came in from their final cleaning before the circuit started. It was almost twice as tall as Alforde, and surprisingly aesthetic, with alternating colors of wood arranged in a pleasant geometric pattern around the sides and front. Even the staircase was well-built, and Vee found himself wondering if he could find some sort of use for the podium after today¡¯s use.
Alforde clapped him on the shoulder firmly when they reached the podium, and quietly said, ¡°Alright Vee, here we go. You¡¯re going to do great!¡±
Nodding, Vee looked over at Reginald, who winked and brought the ghosthetic¡¯s arm up to flash a cheeky thumbs up. ¡°You sure are, boss, so long as you remember to aim your voice at the magnifying crystal properly and stick to what¡¯s on the cards.¡±
Vee stopped dead in his tracks. The cards! He¡¯d left them on the table back in the boarding house; he could see them clearly in his mind¡¯s eye. He¡¯d set them down ¨C just for a moment, he¡¯d thought at the time ¨C to fuss with his stupid collar, and then had totally forgotten to pick them back up.
Now the [Dungeon Master] was faced with quite the dilemma. Certainly, it wouldn¡¯t be dignified to run back to the boarding house to collect them, but it would also be less than ideal if he fumbled his way through his speech and forgot all of the important things he was supposed to say, like the multitude of ¡°critical¡± things the development committee had asked him to include.
What was Vee going to do?
Thankfully, Reginald stepped in to save the day. His grin widening once again to that unnaturally large size that he was fond of in his smuggest moments, the hat said, ¡°Based on that mortified expression, I¡¯m guessing you just remembered that you don¡¯t have the cards. However, you can go ahead and relax because your faithful, criminally under praised [Majordomo] has your back! Take a look!¡±
Using one of Dogginald¡¯s arms, Reginald lifted himself up into the air which revealed Vee¡¯s cards underneath. Breathing a sigh of relief, the [Dungeon Master] picked them and flipped through them quickly to ensure that they were all where they were supposed to be.
¡°Thanks, Reginald,¡± Vee said as he tucked them back into his pocket. ¡°I appreciate you looking out for me.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± the hat said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a little flask here too if you want something to pick yourself up a bit.¡±
Pushing aside the brief question of why his hat had liquor, the [Dungeon Master] shook his head and climbed the stairs of the podium so that he could better see the crowd. He wished that there was some sort of fanfare to get their attention, and as if responding to his desire, the Expectation around his shoulder unfurled and flew up into the sky. Vee looked up at the spirit, which seemed to somehow be even longer than it¡¯d been the last time he¡¯d seen it, but the [Ghost Maestro] couldn¡¯t be sure. It wasn''t like he''d measured it or anything. Still, he craned his ears and managed to hear the Expectation¡¯s voice, which was little more than a whisper in the wind.
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~[Call To Attention]~
A shiver raced through the air, giving Vee goosebumps, and the air was filled with bright blue light. Small orbs of azure energy that crackled like flames surrounded the podium, and following various exclamations of surprise the crowd quickly fell silent.
The Expectation remained in the air for a few more seconds, then returned to its perch on Vee¡¯s shoulder with a sonorous cry and nuzzled the [Ghost Maestro]¡¯s cheek contentedly.
¡°Thanks,¡± Vee whispered, giving the snake dragon a quick pat like it was a purring cat before clearing his throat and setting his cards down on the podium. The magnifying crystal was slightly to his right, and he tilted his mouth toward it ever so slightly.
Putting on his best dignified smile, Vee raised his chin and said, ¡°Welcome to Oar¡¯s Crest! I am Vee Vales, [Dungeon Master] of Crestheart dungeon, and it¡¯s my great honor to welcome you all here to the start of the dungeon development event that¡¯s been dubbed ¡®The Dungeons of the Future¡¯.¡±
He flipped the first card over and exhaled. So far so good.
¡°I am proud to be participating alongside [Dungeon Masters] from Amespool, Old Narluc, Shontsdale, and Yew¡¯s Rise. My peers and I look forward to the contests to come, and hope that they¡¯re filled with excitement, drama, and good sportsmanship.¡±
Second card down. Vee was feeling the rhythm of speaking now, and was making sure to spread his attention across the crowd and make eye contact with audience members as he did so. Doing so helped calm his nerves, and his voice grew stronger as he started reading the next card.
¡°Now, with that said, we are a dungeon development committee, and all five of us have ambitions of joining other circuits around the continent at some point in the future. To that end, we welcome your honest and constructive feedback so that we can all improve our dungeon experiences in the future.
¡°For those of you who are members of the adventurer¡¯s guild, there are forms in the Oar¡¯s Crest branch that you can fill out following your run, and for spectators and others there¡¯s a different form at the small cafe known as the lobby across from Crestheart tower. Thank you in advance for taking the time to let us know how we¡¯re doing.¡±
He noticed Alisanne Henret in the crowd, and gave the [Fighter] a small smile when their eyes locked. She was wearing a new coat ¨C or at least, it looked new ¨C that bore an insignia Vee didn¡¯t recognize. She grinned back, and brought her fists together in display of friendly competitiveness as he looked away.
Neil and his party looked stoic and eager for the circuit to start. They all wore the same outfits Vee had seen in some of their magazines, so he surmised that they were probably sponsored in some way or were otherwise connected to their brand.
However, not all the expressions in the crowd were encouraging. One kitrekin carrying a spear had eyes that burned with rage, a brawny man looked bored, and a towering fellow with a thick graying mustache wore a grin that could make Reginald¡¯s look positively modest.
Actually, a good number of adventurers looked bored, and Vee had to resist the urge to speak faster so that his speech would end quicker. They could be bored; he had more to say.
¡°That last point is especially true for Crestheart. We are still a relatively new dungeon, and while we hope to continue growing and developing, I know for a fact that we have a long way to go before we¡¯re able to stand with other dungeons around the continent as equals.
Next card.
¡°However, I am proud of the challenge we offer to adventurers, and I believe wholeheartedly that any of you who underestimate our floors or our [Dungeon Champion] are setting yourselves up for keen disappointment. We are a dungeon centered around ghosts: don¡¯t let your ambitions join their number by being careless. Seriously, we even offer guides, so there¡¯s no excuse for any of you to be unprepared.¡±
That earned a few chuckles from the crowd, and Vee smiled as he turned to his final cards. They were mostly logistical in nature, and he read through them quickly before getting to the end of his speech.
Here, and only here, did Vee decide that he wanted to go off script. The last card didn¡¯t possess anything truly important, and all well-wishes were functionally the same.
Raising his hands, Vee lifted his chin and said, ¡°I hope that you enjoy your time here and encourage you all to explore the things our city has to offer, and look forward to testing your mettle in the days to come. Welcome to Oar¡¯s Crest. Now, [City Guards], if you¡¯d be so kind, please go ahead and open the gate so that we can begin!¡±
The [City Guards], who¡¯d been briefed on this the day before, hurried to do as Vee commanded. The gate swung open with a loud creak, and the adventurers and others flooded into the street toward the dungeon.
Vee breathed a sigh of relief.
[Congratulations, you are now a Dungeon Master Level 24!]
[Charisma +1]
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 39
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 17 (+1)
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 21
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 6
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged from last chapter):
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21 (+1)
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 18
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 24
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
DABB Volume 2 Chapter 103:
Vee climbed down from the podium, feeling lighter with every step. All things considered, that hadn¡¯t gone too badly. He hadn¡¯t stumbled over his words, fat-fingered any cards, or ran out of breath. While it was unlikely that many of the adventurers would have found their Competitive Spirit burning as a result of the speech ¨C several of the regulars wore expressions that bordered on¡bored ¨C it¡¯d been a competently delivered welcome, and that was all the [Dungeon Master] could have hoped for.
It might be a good idea to invest in some public speaking lessons, Vee thought as he reached the ground. While he hadn¡¯t seen the bevy of [Skill Trainers], [System Consultants], or other such people that were common in Bardis here in Oar¡¯s Crest, there were bound to be at least a few people who could give him some pointers on such things.
Directing Reginald to look into the matter for him, Vee turned his attention back to the adventurers, who were steadily making their way through the Westown gate and heading toward Crestheart.
¡°I suppose we should probably follow after them,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Get this thing started for real, eh?¡±
Vee nodded, and the trio joined the throng of people. Most of the adventurers spent several seconds looking at Alforde with a mixture of trepidation and excitement as they walked past, and Vee noticed with a small smile that his friend was doing everything he could to be as tall and imposing as possible. The [Dungeon Champion]¡¯s eyes burned like furnaces, and now and then the armorsoul shifted Slammy from one pauldron to the other with plenty of flourish, somehow managing to make the weapon¡¯s head whistle through the air without ever bringing it close to any of the other pedestrians.
Vee thought the movements looked more impressive than intimidating, but given the way a few of the soon-to-be challengers flinched away each time, the [Dungeon Master] was forced to reconsider his perspective.
As soon as they passed through the gate, Vee felt as if he¡¯d stepped into a different city. Like everyone else associated with Crestheart, Kai and Dandelion had been hard at work for the past several days, arranging snowdrops, crocuses, hyacinths, and an oddly high number of sunflowers into a decorative display that gave the street the feeling of a well-tended garden. The colors were muted and simple ¨C it was still too early in the year for there to be much variety ¨C but the air was sweet with floral fragrance and Vee couldn¡¯t help but smile as he took in the sights. Sure, boxes of carefully arranged flowers was a bit of a thematic mismatch with Crestheart¡¯s ice and ghosts, but that was fine. Probably. Ultimately, Vee¡¯s ambition for Westown was for it to be bigger than just the dungeon, so he didn¡¯t mind the juxtaposition.
Speaking of ice and ghosts, Vee had done his best to mold some ectoplasm into faux icicles and snowflakes and affix them to the dungeon so that it wouldn¡¯t look quite so boxy from the outside. His artistic ectoplasm shaping still had a long way to go, judging by some of the laughs from the more seasoned adventurers standing outside, but Vee didn¡¯t let that bother him. Instead, he waited until the crowd was mostly still once again, then reached through his bond to Do and commanded the [Dungeon Maintainer] to activate the final portion of his welcome ceremony.
Veins of blue light raced up the dungeon¡¯s side, and when they reached the top the big ghost Vee had previously installed on the roof expanded in size like an ectoplasmic balloon. It reared up, revealing a humanoid torso vaguely reminiscent of Alforde. It extended its arms like a [Magician] flourishing his hands right before a trick and Zeiken¡¯s booming voice filled the air thanks to a collection of hastily rigged together magnifying crystals. The sound was so loud it caused the empty buildings on both sides of the street to shake and a few plants hanging in baskets fell from their hooks and hit the ground.
WHO DARES CHALLENGE THIS DUNGEON?
Reginald let out a sharp peal of laughter as several of the adventurers jumped into the air or fell down at the sudden burst of sound. ¡°I¡¯m guessing they weren¡¯t expecting that.¡±
¡°Definitely not,¡± said Alforde.
The big ghost lowered its arms and the [Snow Flurry] trap gems that Vee had rigged up on the roof activated, sending a cascade of tiny snowflakes into the air as it spoke once more.
A WARNING FOR THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO ENTER:
BEWARE THE CHILLING TEMPEST BELOW¡
YOU SHOULD KNOW
IT DOES NOT COMFORT
IT NEVER YIELDS
ICE, WIND, AND FROSTNICKEL IT WIELDS
BEWARE!
It wasn¡¯t the best poem Vee had ever written ¨C though the upper limit of his skills in that arena wasn¡¯t much higher, truth be told ¨C but much like his welcome speech the [Dungeon Master] thought it was sufficient for the needs of the moment. Zeiken''s performance had helped it a lot; the salamander sure knew how to put on a commanding voice when he wanted to. One day he¡¯d have the time and resources to improve the exterior appearance of the dungeon and add better verses of welcome, but not today.
¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to head inside and get ready,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Wish me luck.¡±
¡°You¡¯re going to do great,¡± Vee said with a big grin. He clapped his friend on the arm. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to make sure anyone who makes it down to you is good and tired, okay?¡±
¡°I appreciate it. I¡¯ll make sure to give every fight my best.¡±
Vee was glad Alforde didn¡¯t have delusions about winning every fight. While it¡¯d be awesome, the trio had gone through the list of the upcoming challengers and there were a few who were simply too high of a level for the armorsoul to be competitive. In a few cases ¨C like the level 52 [Thunderlord] ¨C Vee wasn¡¯t even sure why such strong adventurers had signed up to participate in the first place; surely they were strong enough to enter a proper circuit, weren¡¯t they? The [Dungeon Master] didn¡¯t know much about the rules that governed such things, but one didn¡¯t need to be an expert to recognize that people in the high 30s and low 40s in their primary classes were far beyond what Crestheart could challenge.
Alas, there was nothing he could do about it either; he¡¯d discussed the matter with Zeiken and the salamander had been clear that facing such overleveled challengers was simply a fact of life in the dungeon circuit scene. So long as they didn¡¯t challenge the dungeon more than twice in a six month period, neither the adventurer¡¯s guild nor the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s union would intervene in any way.
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Vee didn¡¯t think that was particularly fair, but ¨C as Reginald and Zeiken both reminded him ¨C life often wasn¡¯t. Complaining about it wouldn¡¯t help either, so Vee resolved to just minimize his losses as best he could when those runs happened.
At least they¡¯d be good targets for [Boost Drops].
Hurrying up the stairs with Reginald right behind him, Vee walked over to Dheart and poured in the day¡¯s first dose of aqua magia. The bottle was slowly starting to empty, but Vee couldn¡¯t say how many more times he¡¯d be able to use it before it ran out.
With that done, Vee diverted the energy from Dheart back to the dungeon itself and made sure that all his dials, knobs, and switches were in their proper starting positions. This was an unnecessary check since he¡¯d done it multiple times the day before, but there was no point in opening himself up to a chance of failure at this point.
Reginald set himself on the desk next to his magnification crystal and pulled over the day¡¯s stack of adventurer sheets.
While he was setting them up, a knock on the door got Vee¡¯s attention. Frowning, the [Dungeon Master] got up and walked across the room, only to find an elkin and a kitrekin dressed in brown jackets standing outside.
¡°Hi there,¡± the elkin said, pulling out a wallet and showing it to Vee. ¡°I¡¯m Agent Tull and this is Agent Shorthair. We¡¯re with the Dungeon Sport Commissioner Office and we¡¯re here to observe your dungeon¡¯s runs as part of this development committee.¡±
Vee looked back at Reginald and raised an eyebrow. The hat¡¯s bemused expression made it clear that it was the first time his [Majordomo] was hearing about this too.
¡°We sent a letter about a month ago letting you know this would be happening,¡± Agent Tull said. ¡°Did you not receive it?¡±
Vee hadn¡¯t, but neither of his skills for detecting untruths procced so there was a good chance of that being true. He wondered what had gone wrong with the post.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I must have missed it,¡± Vee said. ¡°With all the hubbub getting ready for this event I¡¯ve been somewhat neglectful in terms of handling my usual business.¡±
¡°Totally understandable,¡± the kitrekin ¨C Agent Shorthair ¨C said. ¡°We¡¯re sure that you¡¯ve been extremely busy putting this all together. The observer policy is relatively new. You see, a few months ago we discovered a plot that was causing [Dungeon Champions] to intentionally throw their fights to benefit gambling houses around the continent. Such a thing is obviously antithetical to our office¡¯s mission of maintaining a good, competitive dungeon sport environment, and the office has since adopted the policy of sending agents to observe dungeon runs to ensure that no negligent behavior occurs.¡±
¡°Intentionally throw their fights? I can¡¯t imagine any [Dungeon Champion] doing such a thing,¡± Vee said, thinking about Alforde. ¡°Surely they all have too much pride in their position for that.¡±
Both agents gave him a look that Vee had only seen before at parties when a guest who¡¯d had too much to drink said something inappropriate.
¡°You¡¯d be surprised,¡± Agent Tull said diplomatically. ¡°Anyways, we won¡¯t bother you or interfere with your duties in any way, so if you¡¯d just let us step inside? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re eager to get these runs started, eh?¡±
Vee saw no reason to refuse, so he stepped aside and directed the agents to the chairs on the far side of the room. ¡°Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable. I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have much in the way of refreshments here. The Lobby, er, the cafe across the street, has wonderful coffee and cookies though if either of you get hungry.¡±
¡°Good to know, but we¡¯re fine for now,¡± Agent Shorthair said. He reached a paw into his jacket, drew out a small canteen, and took a long swig. ¡°But a cookie does sound nice. Maybe later, eh Tull?¡±
Agent Tull shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll see. Go ahead and begin, Mister Vales. We¡¯re simply here to observe. Please, don¡¯t worry about us and go about your business.¡±
Vee nodded, though he wasn¡¯t quite able to shake the budding performance anxiety stemming from the presence of the agents. Questions raced through his head. What exactly constituted negligence? He turned back to Tull and Shorthair.
¡°Um, excuse me, I have a question about your mission.¡±
¡°Oh? What is it?¡±
Vee rifled through the dungeon applications until he found the [Thunderlord]¡¯s. ¡°This guy seems way too strong for me to genuinely challenge, so I¡¯d planned to avoid using any of my expensive skills. Would that count as negligence?¡±
Tull¡¯s expression remained the same, but Vee thought he noticed a slight tightening in the man¡¯s shoulders. ¡°What sort of skills were you thinking of avoiding?¡±
Vee explained how [Ectoplasmic Boost] worked, focusing on his concerns about his refined ectoplasm supply, and the agents brought their heads together to discuss the matter amongst themselves in hushed voices for a few moments until they came to a consensus.
¡°We believe that such a withholding of skill usage would be appropriate in this case,¡± Tull finally said. ¡°While you¡¯re not doing your best in that specific match, your reasons for doing so are to improve your winrate versus the rest of the field.¡±
¡°In general, our office believes that more than twenty levels of difference between primary classes constitutes an unwinnable match for the lower-leveled party. We don¡¯t generally scrutinize such losses for competitiveness.¡±
Vee breathed an internal sigh of relief. That was good to know.
¡°Alright,¡± he said, turning back to the viewing crystal. He looked down at the pile of applications, and saw that their storymaker, Richter Arnis, was up first.
¡°Starting strong, I see. I wonder if we¡¯ll regret the fleurs we spent on getting this guy, eh?¡±
The hat clapped his spirit arms together and his mouth widened into his unnaturally large grin.
¡°Who knows, boss. I have a feeling that this guy isn¡¯t as strong as he¡¯s supposed to be. He looks soft to me.¡±
Vee looked down at the burly man standing outside Crestheart''s door with his whip brandished. Maybe it was because Reginald had already primed his brain, but the [Dungeon Master] couldn''t help but think the same thing.
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged From Last Chapter):
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 39
Faith: 26
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 17
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 21
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 6
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 18
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 24
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
DABB Volume 2 Chapter 104
When he¡¯d been a young [Treasure Hunter] just starting out, Richter Arnis had traveled across the continent seeking those whose footsteps he followed. He followed stories, rumors, and his own Intuition to dark and smoky bars, fancy retirement villages, and even a few prisons.
Each time he met an old [Treasure Hunter], Richter had asked the same question. What¡¯s the most important thing to do if you want to succeed in this business?
Oddly, they all had answered the same way. Follow your nose.
Richter had spent years trying to figure out what that meant. So far as he could tell, danger didn¡¯t have a smell. Neither did treasure. They weren¡¯t like wine, where a discerning palate like Richter¡¯s could detect variations in the soil where the grapes were grown, or pick up traces of stone fruit, chocolate, tobacco, and other flavorings that gave each wine its own character.
Tombs smelled like mildew, vaults like stale air, but no matter how he tried to pay attention to the scents he encountered, Richter had never been able to tell with a smell that he was on the verge of finding treasure.
Or disaster, he thought bitterly.
Stretching his arms upward, Richter rolled his shoulders to loosen them up, and lunged from one leg to the other as well. He felt okay that day, he decided. Not great, but not terrible either.
A quick consultation of his soul¡¯s mirror confirmed what he¡¯d already suspected since waking up that morning: thanks to the effects of his perpetual curses, he was level 22 as both a [Treasure Hunter] and [Whip Master]. It was somewhat uncommon for his classes to share a level, but hardly unheard of, and given that the [Dungeon Champion] of Oar¡¯s Crest was a mere level 18, he doubted that he¡¯d have any trouble defeating the fellow and completing the first leg of this dungeon development committee.
Still, it was frustrating that his levels had once again rolled such a low number. Worse, Richter feared that it was an increasingly common trend. His tracking of the matter revealed that in the last month he¡¯d only had two days over level thirty, whereas the month before he¡¯d had three. For many years after being cursed, it¡¯d almost been a fifty-fifty shot of waking up at his peak level. While all the best [Doctors], [Healers], and [System Specialists] he could afford insisted that his curse wouldn¡¯t get progressively worse with age, Richter couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that every passing year saw him losing a little bit more of his power without any chance for reclaiming it.
At least it wasn¡¯t a minimum roll. His stats were mostly on the lower end of their ranges, but he was still functional. There were few things less pleasant than having your body feel like it was made out of jelly all day because your levels and stats were way lower than you were used to.
Regardless, Richter had a job to do and wasting time on idle thoughts wouldn¡¯t help him do it. The [Treasure Hunter] took another slow, deep breath, and tried to figure out what the city of Oar¡¯s Crest smelled like. He frowned; it was far from pleasant, though this street near the dungeon was better than the rest of the city, but for the first time the adventurer thought that he might - might - understand a bit of what the old timers had been talking about.
There was something in the air here; a smell of spring fighting to rise above the rot of stagnation and decay that blanketed the streets and buildings all around. It was faint, but Richter got the sense that it was growing stronger with each passing day. A rising tide, a waxing moon. Opportunity, he thought, the seed of a story sprouting in his thoughts.
¡°Nellie, come here,¡± he said. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got a bit of a start for us.¡±
His [Assistant] scurried over with her notebook in hand and a scowl on her face.
¡°I sure hope so, Richter, because I¡¯ve got nothing but a burning desire to get the heck out of this city and never return. ¡±
Being a storymaker wasn¡¯t nearly as glamorous or exciting as being a real [Treasure Hunter] was. There was certainly far less glory to be had in collecting a steady paycheck clearing weak dungeons and finding nice things to say about them so that other adventurers would visit than seeking adventure by delving into deep and forgotten caverns, castles, caves, and mausoleums, but surprisingly enough, at the end of the day there were a surprisingly large number of similarities between the two.
They both involved going into the unknown, for example, and required Richter to follow imperfect clues to an uncertain destination. Success depended on great bravery, strength, flexibility, and resilience. It was just as much an intellectual pursuit as it was a physical one.
¡°Alright, write this down,¡± Richter said, straightening up and adopting what he called his ¡®Writing Voice¡¯, in which he made sure to enunciate all of his words perfectly and vary his pitch regularly.
¡°It is fitting that Crestheart, the dungeon of Oar¡¯s Crest, is home to many ghosts,¡± he started, pulling the sentences out from deep within his heart. ¡°For indeed, the city itself is a ghost of sorts. Like tombstones marking the final resting places of our dearly departed, ancient buildings line the streets, and abandoned remnants of industrial capacity ¨C forges, smithies, workshops ¨C rot the years away behind walls of debris. For decades, their only occupant has been vicious fiends that attack at the slightest provocation, but ¨C ¡±
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He trailed off, thinking about how he was going to finish that thought and deciding that he didn¡¯t like the setup. ¡°Actually, scratch that last sentence. Give me a second to think.¡±
Rubbing his chin, Richter paced back and forth for a few seconds, turning over the possible permutations in his mind. He needed a story for the dungeon, not just the city it occupied, and so he had to come up with a way to bring things back to Crestheart.
¡°Okay, I think I have it. Are you ready?¡±
¡°Of course, Richter. Hurry up, though. I have a feeling that your run is going to start soon. The torch above the door just ignited.¡±
Richter turned around and saw indeed that a pale blue flame burned in a small black brazier.
¡°Right, right,¡± he said, quickening his speech. ¡°Here it is. The dungeon stands in the middle of a wide street, and traces of life spread forth from it in all directions. For now, these ventures are humble ¨C a flower shop, a [Goldsmith]¡¯s workshop, and a cafe that tailors to the dungeon¡¯s challengers ¨C but it¡¯s obvious that [Dungeon Master] Vales has bigger ambitions. Who can say what sorts of treasures will be found here in the future? However, for now, it is merely the outline of a map.¡±
¡°No good on that last bit,¡± Nellie said. ¡°You said something similar to that map outline thing in your story about The Ephemeral Archipelago.¡±
Richter tilted his head to the side. ¡°I did? Really?¡±
¡°You did,¡± Nellie said, shrugging her shoulders the way she always did when she activated [Encyclopedic Recall]. ¡°Your exact words were: While it¡¯s beyond me to know what sort of treasures will be waiting within the archipelago in the future, for now it is little more than the outline of a map waiting to be filled in.¡±
¡°Crap. Yeah, that¡¯s too close. The last thing I want is to be accused of recycling my lines. How¡¯s the rest sound?¡±
¡°Fine, if a bit melodramatic.¡±
¡°Melodrama is the entire point of my profession,¡± Richter said with a grin. ¡°Because dungeon runs are boring by themselves, unless you¡¯re one of those people who really enjoys comparing various stats and things of that nature.¡±
Before he could finish his thought, the door to Crestheart opened and a reedy voice invited Richter inside.
Drawing his whip from its place on his belt, the [Treasure Hunter] winked at his [Assistant], activated his recording crystal, and stepped inside.
¡°A malignant breeze greets me as soon as the door slams shut,¡± Richter muttered. He¡¯d found over the years that narrating his runs while he did them provided better material than trying to remember the best bits afterwards.
¡°My hands are surprisingly sweaty as I raise my whip,¡± Richter said. ¡°What sort of challenges await me inside this dark and gloomy place? What perils will I face? What treasures will I find? For where there is danger there is opportunity, and I am a man who¡¯s always on the lookout for a good opportunity.¡±
Death and decay ¨C old, familiar smells ¨C reached Richter¡¯s nose, and his monologue was cut short by a sizzling orb of purple light. Drawing his whip as quick as he could, he ducked underneath the first salvo of ranged attacks and knocked the rest out of the air with a series of rapid [Snap Strikes]. Despite his success in avoiding the attacks, though, Richter felt himself starting to panic. His heartbeat quickened, and his chest felt tight.
This was no normal fear though, he knew. He recognized the almost clinical precision of the symptoms: they were the same that he¡¯d faced in several dungeons before.
¡°There¡¯s an [Aura Of Fear] active in this place,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not particularly powerful, but it¡¯s irritating all the same. Steeling myself, I walk deeper into the dungeon.¡±
Up ahead, there was a small glowing altar with two different statues on it. One was big, and the other small, and written under both was an amended dungeon reward agreement. Taking the small statue and protecting it for the entire run would yield a double payout, but if Richter took the large statue he¡¯d see his earnings be multiplied by five. However, there was also a warning that the larger statue would ¡°weaken¡± the holder, which Richter suspected meant a curse of some kind.
His grin faded. Treasure was one thing, and the pragmatic part of his mind warned him that if he found himself unable to work he¡¯d be happy to have earned all the fleurs he¡¯d been able to, but he couldn¡¯t force himself to grab the bigger statue as he¡¯d first planned.
After all, he¡¯d had his fill of curses and didn¡¯t dare take a chance with another, but beyond that his Endurance had rolled particularly poorly that day, and above all he didn¡¯t want to risk losing against this dungeon. A first dungeon in a circuit was supposed to be the weakest, and while it might make for a better story in the short term if he lost to it, his future prospects would be hindered.
Scooping up the smaller statue and hugging it to his side, Richter continued his narration as he walked toward the next door.
¡°A chance for greater riches appeared before me on an altar of ice and stone. Though I was sorely tempted by the prospect of treasure, as I always am, I dared not let my greed get the better of me. A graybeard once told me that a [Treasure Hunter] can¡¯t enjoy his earnings if he¡¯s dead in the bottom of a pit somewhere, and it¡¯s a lesson I¡¯ve always heeded. With my new possession in my grasp, I continued onward, cautious about what else I¡¯d find down here in the depths of Crestheart.¡±
Richter''s Character Sheet:
Richter Arnis:
~Permanent Level Decay~
~Permanent Random Level Display~
Primary Class: Treasure Hunter (Self), Level 22 (45)
Secondary Class: Whip Master (Ivy Jones), Level 22 (44)
Tertiary Class: Party Animal (Self), Level 20
Might: 48 (79)
Wit: 30 (49)
Faith: 6 (8)
Adventurousness: 40 (60)
Stealth: 16 (41)
Ambition: 25 (38)
Charisma: 50 (82)
Guts: 37 (64)
Persuasiveness: 36 (53)
Patience: 7 (11)
Competitive Spirit: 33 (80)
Endurance: 15 (50)
Coolheadedness: 19 (23)
Volume 2 Chapter 105:
Vee didn¡¯t understand why Richter had grabbed the smaller statue. Shouldn¡¯t a storymaker go for broke in a situation like this? After all, it wasn¡¯t terribly interesting to go through an event with a middling disadvantage, was it?
He studied the man closely. Richter Arnis was tall, and while he had the burgeoning paunch of a middle-aged man whose diet was starting to outpace the demands of his lifestyle, he still looked more than capable of handling Crestheart. His movements were smooth and controlled as he dodged the initial attacks from the dungeon¡¯s skeleton mages, and his whipwork was solid, if a touch slower than Vee expected it to be.
However, the [Dungeon Master] noticed a perpetual and deep-seated fear in the adventurer¡¯s demeanor. No matter how Richter ran, jumped, or struck, a shade of panic colored his every movement, and Vee started to think that the man was racing against an internal clock of some sort to beat the dungeon as quickly as possible. The storymaker didn¡¯t engage with any of the puzzles, nor did he test the walls and floor tiles for secret passages or hidden treasures the way Vee had been led to believe he would. So far, this storymaker definitely didn¡¯t seem to be worth the fleurs he¡¯d been given, though Vee couldn¡¯t write the expense off as entirely wasted either. The real test of value would be in measuring the impact of Richter¡¯s influence on other would-be challengers, and assessing that particular benefit would take time.
Although, now that he thought about it, there really hadn¡¯t been much of a discussion amongst his peers about the manner nor method of doing so.
He¡¯d have to talk it over with the other [Dungeon Masters] after the event finished. He didn¡¯t love the idea, but Zeiken had insisted that ¡°investing in social bonds and continued communication with competitors would be a positive catalyst for future growth and development¡± and Reginald and Alforde had agreed. Vee himself wasn¡¯t entirely sure that he wanted to do such a thing, but he was open to the possibility that his natural impulse wasn¡¯t correct here: instead he was willing to go along with the judgment of the people who he knew and trusted.
But that was a consideration for another time. For now, he had to do his best to trip Richter up before he could get down to Alforde.
When the [Treasure Hunter] reached the first set of floating platforms and gaps, Vee went ahead and adjusted the speed of the ones involved in the first jump. He slowed down the approaching platform while speeding up the one it led to, trying to break the ¡°cycle¡± of movement that would allow an adventurer to pass through. Of course, differences in jumping ability between runners meant that all of Vee¡¯s efforts might end up wasted, since a leap that would be nigh-impossible for a [Heavy Armor Specialist] would be easy pickings for a [Martial Arts Expert Bug Rider] or motivated [Plumber].
In this case, the increased distance between the platforms caused Richter to pause for a moment, but it didn¡¯t meaningfully slow him down or impede him.
That was okay, the first floor of the dungeon was designed to let Vee get the measure of a challenger, so that he could improve his chances of ending runs later in the dungeon by better tailoring the challenges on the lower floors.
He¡¯d even made a checklist of things to keep an eye out for, and he jotted ¡°Average to above average¡± next to the line marked ¡°jumping ability¡±. It might not end up being practical to keep track of such things for every runner that came through the dungeon, but for special runs like this one Vee wanted to crystalize his thoughts as much as possible.
Richter blazed through the next few rooms, despite all of Vee¡¯s attempts to interfere. He ducked under traps, ripped through minions with ease, and wasn¡¯t deterred in any way by the acrobatics required in the first floor¡¯s rooms.
Vee paused, trying to think about what he could do to improve Alforde¡¯s chances of taking a few stocks from the [Treasure Hunter] in what seemed like an inevitable bout. This was part of what he needed to figure out quickly so as to improve the chances of Crestheart performing well in the circuit: how was he supposed to handle adventurers who were simply too strong for the dungeon?
Maybe Nock would be the answer, actually. The weaponsoul would start his attacks as soon as Richter finished navigating the hallway at the start of the second floor, and while the adventurer had seemed resilient against ranged attacks thus far there was a chance that he wouldn¡¯t be prepared for such a powerful foe. It felt like something of a long shot, but Vee saw no other promising options, and watched with mute acceptance as Richter cleared the rest of the floor and headed down to the second.
The Expectation on his shoulders shifted, and Vee thought he felt something of a question in its motion. Reaching up, he gave the snake-dragon a gentle pat, and felt something shift in the ethereal.
However, he didn¡¯t have time to try and figure out what it was just then. Richter was disappearing into the darkness of the stairwell that led to the second floor.
A twinge of pain flickered through Richter¡¯s hip when he reached the bottom of the staircase and he trailed off mid-sentence. The discomfort persisted even after stretching his hips and sitting down. The hallway in front of him looked safe enough, but Richter¡¯s [Bad Feeling About This] had procced on first sight, and he suspected that it was more dangerous than it first seemed.
He studied the tiles in front of him carefully, wondering if the minor discolorations that marked some but not others were likelier to indicate traps than uneven manufacturing. So far, everything inside Crestheart felt¡homemade, with all the quirks the word implied. It certainly wasn¡¯t a cookie cutter dungeon that''d been cribbed together from catalogs, the adventurer thought.
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Grimacing, the [Treasure Hunter] got back up to his feet and tested his hip. It still ached, though Richter couldn¡¯t conceive of a reason why. He¡¯d dodged some attacks on the floor above, sure, but the maneuvers he¡¯d employed to do so weren¡¯t out of the ordinary by any means.
He looked down at the statue he¡¯d picked up earlier. Was it responsible for this sudden pain? Did the little thing carry a curse of some kind too? The sign hadn¡¯t said anything to suggest that as a possibility, but Richter had seen dungeons make mistakes like that before.
His breath sped up, and an uncomfortable warmth spread throughout his body. Surely it wouldn¡¯t be held against him if something went wrong with his run due to an error on the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s part, right? He could argue that a mislabeled hazard ¨C if indeed that was what this was ¨C was grounds for annulling his run. There¡¯d be a bunch of forms to fill out and it¡¯d be a real pain, but that was fine.
For now, there was no choice but to press on and do his best.
¡°A long and foreboding hallway greets me upon the start of the second floor,¡± Richter said. He licked his lips; when had they gotten so dry? His throat was burning too, and he desperately wished that he had some water to drink.
What was going on? Everything around him felt cramped and cloying, and no matter how he tried to assert his rational brain, his instincts were screaming. Something was wrong, and if he kept moving forward he¡¯d end up in a bad way.
Richter swayed back and forth, and for a second he lost track of where he was. The tiles of the floor started glowing in alternating patterns, orange and blue and yellow and purple and green. The [Treasure Hunter] cried out. This wasn¡¯t Crestheart! He was back in the lair of the dancing [Necromancer]! How had that happened?
A pair of glowing blue eyes appeared in the distance, and a pressure unlike anything Richter had ever felt before pressed down upon him. He fell to his knees, unable to resist its force, only to find his vision normalized once again when he hit the ground.
Sweat poured down his forehead and the small of his back as he tried to calm down. What in Gawain¡¯s name was going on here? Was it simply the dungeon¡¯s [Aura of Fear]? Had he misjudged its potency somehow?
He slapped himself on the cheek, trying to get a hold of his thoughts and emotions. Dungeon auras were annoying, but they were easy enough to resist if an adventurer put their mind to it.
Filling his thoughts with positive affirmations and reminders of his many accomplishments, Richter stepped forward into the hallway and readied himself for what was yet to come.
The tile beneath his foot shifted, and a panel on the wall to his right slid open.
A flash of orange caught Richter¡¯s eye, but he was rooted in place and too slow to dodge the object that shot out and hit him in the side. He stared down at it in disbelief.
According to dungeon sport rules, orange tipped objects were ¡°instant-kill¡± hazards.
All of the panic that had dominated his thoughts vanished, but a different kind of horror worked its way through Richter¡¯s thoughts.
A voice from the ceiling cemented things.
¡°Uh¡I¡¯m sorry to say it, but your run is over, adventurer. Please wait for a moment and then follow the arrows on the floor to the nearest exit. We hope you¡¯ll return one day and challenge Crestheart again!¡±
¡°We got royally ripped off on this entire storymaker thing, boss,¡± Reginald said sourly as soon as he deactivated his magnifying crystal. ¡°Roy-all-y. The guy didn¡¯t even make it past the second floor! I vote we get our fleurs back as quickly as possible.¡±
Vee nodded, staring down at the adventurer through his viewing crystal with a wide open mouth.
¡°I can¡¯t believe he got hit by the instant kill,¡± he finally said. ¡°He just¡stood there.¡±
¡°That¡¯s dungeon sports for you,¡± one of the agents behind him said. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to predict what¡¯s going to happen on any given day. It looked like he was struggling with your [Aura of Fear] to me.¡±
¡°But he¡¯s such a high level,¡± Vee protested. ¡°How could our weak [Aura of Fear] have affected him so much?¡±
¡°Adventurers differ in their ability to handle those types of things. If you have any aspirations of joining bigger circuits in the future you¡¯d better get used to it,¡± the other agent said with a shrug. ¡°Underwhelming runs are far more common than you might think, especially at higher levels.¡±
Vee drummed his fingers on the desk, disappointed. Technically speaking, an early end to Richter¡¯s run was still a story, though it wasn¡¯t the one he¡¯d been expecting. He wondered if it would inspire the additional visits the other [Dungeon Masters] had promised would follow. Only time would tell, Vee supposed.
[Faith - 1]
[Wit +1]
¡°Well, I¡¯ve learned an important lesson today,¡± he said, dismissing the notification.
¡°What¡¯s that, boss?¡±
¡°We¡¯re never hiring another storymaker,¡± Vee said with a laugh. ¡°What a waste!¡±
¡°For sure,¡± Reginald answered. ¡°At least it was a relatively cheap lesson, eh?¡±
Pressing a button on his console, Vee directed his [Dungeon Maintainers] to reset the dungeon for the next run.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 40 (+1)
Faith: 25 (-1)
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 17
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 21
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 6
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged From Last Chapter):
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17 (-1)
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25 (+1)
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 106:
The adventurer after Richter was a pink scaled salamander [Illusionist], who wore a fancy crimson robe and carried a spindly wand that was covered in jewels. Her arms were festooned with shiny gold bangles, and shimmering rings adorned all her fingers. She paced back and forth outside Crestheart, flicking her tongue in and out of her mouth and breathing sparks into the air as she waited for the [Dungeon Maintainers] to finish resetting things and get the dungeon ready for the next challenge.
Looking at her, Vee saw all the things he expected for someone dressed in such a gaudy fashion, and to his surprise there wasn¡¯t any sign of lurking dissatisfaction or insecurity. The adventurer truly believed that she was uniquely talented and skilled.
For some reason, that bothered the [Dungeon Master] in a way he couldn¡¯t quite explain, and while he went ahead and skipped activating [Boost Drops] since she didn¡¯t look like much of a fighter, he vowed to use [Ectoplasmic Surge] at the first decent opportunity.
The doors opened up, and the salamander pranced inside. She raised her wand, and after it flashed bright white, she¡¯d been joined by three illusionary copies. Unlike some duplicating skills, whatever version this was allowed all four entities to move independently. They worked in pairs, with one blasting at ghosts and minions from the entrance of a room with what looked like a socketed projectile attack while the other worked their way across to the next door. Once the second pair was in place, the roles reversed.
It was an interesting strategy, made somewhat more so by the constant diversions and distractions the salamander employed to throw the dungeon¡¯s minions off her trail. She summoned boxes and top hats that hid her position, filled rooms with fog that affected the sight of minions inside, and seemed to pass through walls at times. Beyond that, she was reasonably athletic when it came to the early jumps and obstacles, but had a poor sense for traps and got hit by multiple instances of [Frost Vent] and [Icicle Spikes], which slowed her down.
Vee hadn¡¯t been expecting her to take either of the statues, so he wasn¡¯t surprised when she passed through the room without doing so. However, he did find the extra wide berth the adventurer gave the altar a little strange, and pointed it out to Reginald.
¡°Storymaker probably blamed the statue for his loss,¡± the hat said. ¡°Adventurers can be superstitious like that, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if neither one gets taken for a while. Before long someone will get greedy though and we¡¯ll be fine.¡±
Down below, the [Illusionist] was facing off against a pair of skeleton lancers who were supported by some skeleton mages. Her projections all raised their wands at the same time, but before they could use any skills to fight, Vee felt something almost like a heartbeat in the ethereal that prompted them all to drop their wands. The images dissipated, and the [Illusionist] fell to her knees, tears pouring down her cheeks.
¡°I give up, I give up,¡± she sobbed, clasping her claws to her face.
Now that was weird, Vee thought. He¡¯d never seen two adventurers succumb to [Aura of Fear] back to back like that before. Heck, it was rare for the aura to take down two adventurers in a day. He wondered what was going on, pressing the button to deactivate the dungeon to give himself time to activate [Third Sight].
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there were plenty of little ghosts lurking in the corners of Crestheart. In a lot of ways, ghosts were a bit like rodents, gathering wherever the conditions were suitable. However, unlike rodents, a large quantity of ghosts wasn¡¯t likely to cause outbreaks of disease or other issues unless someone went and riled them up.
The ghosts he could see were small and malformed things, combinations of ambition, focus, and fear of failure. They huddled together in small knots, flickering in and out of existence, the way they did when in the presence of a greater spirit.
With his skill still active, Vee inspected the rest of the dungeon, looking for signs of any such being and finding nothing. However, there were ethereal blue scales here and there, and the [Ghost Maestro] could feel the Expectation pulsing on his shoulders. Through his bond with it, Vee got the feeling that the spirit was doing something, though he couldn¡¯t identify exactly what it was. Ultimately, the specifics weren''t important. Vee reached up, tapped the snake dragon¡¯s head, and muttered, ¡°Knock it off.¡±
The scales faded from Vee¡¯s [Third Sight], and the little ghosts returned to their normal meandering back and forth.
Reginald turned toward Vee with his eyes open wider than usual. ¡°You okay, boss?¡±
Vee nodded. The movement in the ethereal was similar to what he¡¯d felt before the skeletons had started acting weird in the menagerie, which made him wonder if another [Call] skill had somehow activated. Gesturing for the hat to keep things moving, Vee clasped his hands together and fell into deep thought.
The next adventurer was a tall guy in dirty clothes who, somewhat inexplicably, carried a trunkful of junk in his arms as he walked into the dungeon. Its purpose was made clear a short time later, when he dropped it on the ground and everything inside floated into the air to form a cloud. It surrounded the man ¨C who was a level 20 [Cluttermancer] ¨C and served as a minion of sorts, protecting and attacking in equal measures with flying candlesticks, brooms, broken plates, twisted toys, and all sorts of other household detritus.
Vee watched him carefully, looking for any signs of undue fear or extra potent aura effects. Thankfully, the [Cluttermancer] didn¡¯t seem to be suffering from anything other than an overeager desire to prove himself, which prompted him to pick up the big statue ¨C the one with a [Sap Energy] crystal socketed inside it ¨C and carry it into the next room. He sagged beneath the additional burden, but his cloud was more than sufficient to keep him safe as he finished the first floor and went down to the second.
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Even in the hallway that¡¯d felled Richter, the [Cluttermancer] carried on without issue. He blocked all of the instant kill traps with a wave of his hands, and despite his slovenly appearance proved to be rather adept at jumping and ducking at the appropriate times.
However, the biggest threat on the second floor wasn¡¯t the instant kill hallway, but Nock.
Whistling merrily, the bow¡¯s projection hunted down the [Cluttermancer] without mercy, firing arrows that managed to twist and dodge through the cloud¡¯s defenses like they were alive themselves.
No matter what the adventurer did, the bow seemed to anticipate it, and along with the other hazards on the second floor, the [Cluttermancer] fell before the halfway point and abandoned his run. He got up awkwardly and shuffled toward the exit with a new and more embarrassing stain on his pants.
His projection grinning madly, Nock bowed before returning to his starting point and waiting for his next quarry to appear.
So far so good, Vee thought. He¡¯d secretly nursed a fear that Crestheart would still be seen as a pushover despite his efforts to improve the challenge level of the dungeon and the advice and experience from the [Bellwethers]. It was reassuring to see the first runs going so well, and the [Dungeon Master] leaned back in his seat to watch the rest of the day unfold.
The first day of the circuit came to a close several hours later without any major issues or surprises. A few of the higher level adventurers made it down to Alforde, and two of them emerged victorious, though Alforde put up a good fight.
Vee didn¡¯t mind the losses; neither the level 28 [Chaindancer] nor the level 26 [Juggernaut] had elected to carry a statue during their runs, so he was only down two pendants.
They¡¯d gotten through thirty one runs in total, and there were still well over a hundred and fifty to go. Vee stood up, stretching his aching shoulders, and looked over at the agents who¡¯d been mostly quiet for the rest of the day.
Neither of them said anything beyond a simple thanks and a promise to return the next morning, and Vee picked Reginald up while he waited for Alforde to come upstairs so they could count the day¡¯s earnings.
The armorsoul didn¡¯t look happy when he finally appeared, but neither did he seem jaded or dejected. When asked about his losses, he shrugged his pauldrons and said that he¡¯d simply been overwhelmed.
¡°They were both too fast and too strong for me to keep up with, even after all my training and activating my Domain, but I won¡¯t let that get me down tomorrow,¡± the [Dungeon Champion] vowed with a gleam in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll bounce back and do my best! Just you watch!¡±
His friend¡¯s enthusiasm was a relief to Vee¡¯s ears, and he clapped the armorsoul on the arm and assured him that the next day would be a good one.
Once the day¡¯s earnings were counted up and half deposited into the vault ¨C the other half would be deposited into the bank ¨C Vee and his friends went down to the street, where there were still plenty of adventurers and citizens milling about. The Lobby was busy as could be, with a steady stream of people entering and leaving with various treats in their hands. Vee grinned when he saw that several of them carried boxes of dunpla figures too.
A [Guitarist] with long shaggy hair and a lost puppy dog expression had brought out his instrument near the lobby¡¯s door, and enthusiastic ¨C albeit slightly out of tune ¨C music filled the air. People laughed and hollered to one another as they wandered back and forth to the spectator¡¯s arena, and there was an inexplicable warmth in the sky that had nothing to do with the late afternoon sun overhead.
Vee stopped and stood still for a moment, simply letting the moment wash over him. This was a good start toward what he ultimately wanted ¨C the Expectation snuggled closer to him, confirming his thoughts ¨C but there was still more work to be done.
For now, Vee had to keep his focus on running Crestheart, but as soon as this leg of the circuit was done, he¡¯d start more aggressively wooing other ventures out here to Westown. Restaurants, bars, musicians, shops. One day Westown would have it all. Vee was sure of that much.
Reginald¡¯s voice cut through his thoughts.
¡°Time to be getting back, boss. Tomorrow comes early and we¡¯ve got a lot more runs to get through. You need to get as much rest as you can.¡±
The trio made their way through the crowd, and headed back to the gate. The [City Guard] on duty looked over and smiled as they approached.
¡°Looks like people are having a good time down there,¡± she said. ¡°A bunch of people told me that I should check it out on my next day off.¡±
¡°You should,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Just remember that as big and great as it is now, it¡¯s nothing compared to what it¡¯s eventually going to be.¡±
Laughing and promising to do just that, the [City Guard] waved and Vee led his friends back toward the boarding house.
Day one of the circuit had been a resounding success.
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged from last chapter):
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 40
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 17
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 21
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 6
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 107:
It was a good thing that Vee hadn¡¯t expected day two of the circuit to go as smoothly as day one, because he found himself having to handle several major problems as soon as he reached the Westown gate.
The first was that some of the people who¡¯d lingered around the dungeon after the day¡¯s runs were finished had gotten a hold of some alcohol and thrown a raucous party right outside Crestheart. Naturally, it¡¯d ended with all the¡debris that usually followed such an event, and to say the street was gross would have been an understatement of the same kind. Having finished their work in the city for the night, the light section of Vee¡¯s orchestra had already cleaned up the worst bits, but there was still a distinctly nauseating acidic tang in the air and some lingering stains. The [Dungeon Master] hoped the stench would blow away as the day went on, but in the meantime, he decided to ask Juniper for some flowers that would help mask things a little bit.
That brought him to the second problem, which was that someone ¨C or more likely, several someones ¨C had decided to have a bit of fun at the expense of the buildings near the dungeon. Several windows had been smashed to pieces, walls were festooned in crude, childish graffiti, and both Juniper and Thien reported some light thefts.
Thankfully, neither faced particularly serious losses, but the [Herbalist] and the [Goldsmith] both made it abundantly clear to Vee that they expected him to make things right and ensure that similar issues didn¡¯t happen again. Such was the responsibility of the landlord and the right of the tenant.
Summoning the medium section of his orchestra, Vee ordered the fiends to assist with the cleanup and promised some fleurs to help cover Juniper and Thien¡¯s losses. However, he knew that such measures wouldn¡¯t be lasting solutions, and found himself thinking about the next steps to take before diving into the third problem waiting for him. He¡¯d have to come up with some sort of security solution for businesses near the dungeon, especially if he managed to convince the council to keep Westown open all day and night.
This type of stuff wasn¡¯t his forte by any means, but Vee wholeheartedly believed that it was something he¡¯d have to figure out eventually, so the sooner he got to it the sooner he¡¯d make progress.
His first thought was to create special ghostly sentinels to patrol and monitor the streets at night, but he dismissed the idea pretty quickly as he thought about the logistical constraints. With the way things stood now, there was no way that he¡¯d be able to keep ghosts tethered to orders for long outside the dungeon. His ability to multitask just wasn¡¯t strong enough, and eventually the ghosts would wander off to do whatever they wanted, which was definitely not ideal.
Adding the sentries to his orchestra would mitigate that issue, but he had no space to spare in order to do so. All four of his sections were full, and there weren¡¯t enough fiends in the medium section to do a proper job as sentries either.
Plus, Vee didn¡¯t want to risk exposing the medium section to unnecessary risk; he¡¯d invested a lot of time and refined ectoplasm into their development and wanted to see what that would bring forth.
Vee rubbed his chin, deep in thought. Expansion, huh? He¡¯d never been all that interested in maximizing the effects of his class; in fact he¡¯d rolled his eyes and thought poorly of the people he¡¯d met at the academy who were. There was more to life than furiously optimizing every last facet of one¡¯s profession, hobbies, and personality in the hopes of adding a few points or levels here and there.
However, Vee increasingly found himself thinking that there was a lot of potential to make his life easier and improve Crestheart¡¯s performance by sitting down and actually putting some time and effort into focused leveling¡or concentrating on expanding his orchestra.
Orchestra expansion was a huge pain in the butt though, and Vee had never liked it. The process required him to sit still for hours ¨C or maybe even days ¨C repeatedly humming the same nonsense sound over and over while trying to connect it to a part of his psyche so that he could assign ghosts to it. It was tedious, and uncomfortable, and irritatingly finicky, which was why Vee hadn¡¯t ever bothered expanding beyond three sections during his time in the academy. Some of his peers had gone for five, or even six sections. Vee had thought them insane at the time. He still mostly thought that, but now wondered slightly if they¡¯d been onto something.
Vee gave the matter some more thought. Did he really want to sit around humming ¡®woah woah¡¯ to himself until the repetition made him nauseous? No, of course not, but that might end up being necessary in order to set up better security for Westown.
Alternatively, he could take one of the advancement options he¡¯d unlocked for [Ghost Maestro]. If he became a [Ghost Artificer], though, he could eventually learn [Ectoplasmic Device Fabrication] and use it to make some Ghostanchor Boxes, which would function like smaller and weaker versions of Dheart. By installing them around Westown, Vee could create areas where ghosts would follow orders without requiring his constant focus and energy. How long that would take though was anyone¡¯s guess. [Ectoplasmic Device Fabrication] was a so-called ¡®recipe book¡¯ skill; there were over a hundred different ectoplasmic devices it could build, and classholders unlocked access to them randomly as they used the skill and leveled. There were strategies and tactics to try and tailor the skill¡¯s progression, of course, but they weren¡¯t certain by any means. If he tried to go that route, he might end up being stuck with a bunch of useless devices for a long time before he got the ability to make Ghostanchor Boxes.
Alternatively, he could become a [Ghost General], which would immediately unlock [Control Host] and its related subskills. That would disband his orchestra and turn it into a host instead. Rather than distinct sections, there¡¯d just be one big blob ¨C for lack of better word ¨C of ghosts to control and think about, and its size wasn¡¯t constrained the way his orchestra sections were.
It did have some downsides too; he¡¯d lose a substantial amount of control over his ghosts, and his upkeep costs would skyrocket. Failing to pay that increased upkeep would lead to rampages, times when his host would refuse to obey his orders and follow their worst destructive instincts. Beyond that, Vee worried that the changes would automatically adversely affect his fiends or the Expectation. Most [Ghost Generals] tended to only have a few types of ghosts in their host which were easy to substitute for one another, and specialized in utilizing standardized formations and tactics. Since Vee liked the prospect of nurturing his orchestra as individuals, this didn''t seem like a particularly good idea.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Vee sighed. There were still dozens of options he had yet to think about, and the [Dungeon Master] shook his head. This was part of why he hated these types of considerations. There was simply too much to evaluate and compare, which was probably why [Class Consultants] had such stable careers. They got access to [Common Upgrade Wisdom], which let them see the most likely upgrade choices for various classes, among other things. Then from there they could follow a series of flow charts to make basic suggestions that depended on desired outcomes.
Vee only had his thoughts and personal experience, which meant that he¡¯d return to the matter at a later time.
For now, he had to focus on fixing the third problem of the morning: the gaping hole in the wall that led out into the rest of abandoned Westown.
Turning to Reginald, Vee seethed, ¡°What is it about forbidden areas that makes them so attractive to people?¡±
The hat, perched atop his ghosthetic, shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s one of the greatest mysteries of life, boss. You want me to go take a look and see if I can find anyone out there?¡±
Vee considered the time. There wasn¡¯t much time before the day¡¯s runs were slated to start, but he didn¡¯t want to deal with the public relations nightmare of missing adventurers.
Groaning, he went ahead and gave his [Majordomo] the go-ahead to start searching, as well as strict orders to return before the dungeon opened.
Once Dogginald vanished down an abandoned alley, Vee reached through his bond to Dandelion and asked the fiend to help too. Dandelion and Kai could take care of themselves in the abandoned section of the city, and while they were still busy with menagerie duties as well as making progress on Kai¡¯s Verdant Construction project, they had a good amount of free time.
Pinching his thumb and forefinger together, Vee activated [Shape Ectoplasm] and got to work making a simple patch for the hole in the wall. It wasn¡¯t a permanent solution by any means, but it would hopefully prevent anyone else from going out into the abandoned section of Westown.
Once the patch was in place, Vee did what he could to hide its existence, but there wasn¡¯t much he could do to obscure the contrast between the vibrant ectoplasm and the dull wall. He¡¯d have Do or another [Dungeon Maintainer] make him a better patch after the day¡¯s runs were finished.
Shaking his head, Vee ran his hand through his hair and swore under his breath. He looked up at Alforde and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready for these kinds of problems. All the solutions I can think of are going to take time to figure out. I suppose we can just refer problems to the [City Guards] for now and hope they can help us for the time being.¡±
Alforde clapped him on the shoulder.
¡°That¡¯s a good enough plan for now, and we''ll think of a better one later. Come on, let¡¯s go ahead and get to the dungeon. I can already see a crowd gathering outside. But just so you know, Vee, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re giving yourself enough credit. These are just growing pains, and you¡¯ll figure out how to handle them with time and experience. Don¡¯t look so down!¡±
Vee grinned.
¡°Thanks, buddy.¡±
Standing in front of Crestheart¡¯s door, Vee raised his hands for quiet and waited until the throng of people waiting outside the dungeon obliged.
Clearing his throat, Vee raised his voice and said, ¡°Good morning! I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all excited to challenge the dungeon, but before we start our runs, there¡¯s some housekeeping matters I need to address.¡±
He listed all of the issues that¡¯d occurred the night before, and made it clear that all new offenses ¨C in addition to the ones that had already occurred ¨C would be reported to the [City Guards] and the Adventurer¡¯s Guild for investigation. He¡¯d thrown in the mention of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild on a whim, but judging by the way several people paled, it had more impact than the [City Guards] did.
Vee made a mental note to remember that in the future.
Almost as soon as Vee finished talking, Reginald returned and discreetly reported that he hadn¡¯t been able to detect any signs of people in the abandoned section of the city.
¡°I bet it was just some low levels trying to show off by daring one another to go in,¡± the hat said as he led Vee upstairs toward the office. ¡°Stupid stuff like that is sadly far too common in situations like this. Everyone is trying to show off how strong and tough they are.¡±
Vee poured the day¡¯s first dose of aqua magia into Dheart and sat down at his console. Grabbing the day¡¯s stack of adventurer applications, Vee read the first name and grinned. He looked down at the street below, and saw a familiar [Fighter] warming up.
Alisanne Henret was deep in her warmup, swinging her clubs in long, lazy circles and hopping back and forth from one foot to the other. Her face was set the same way it always was, and seeing how determined she was, Vee was tempted to go ahead and use a charge of [Boost Drops].
Ultimately though, he decided against it. The Crestheart regular always did her best, but was still too rough around the edges to have a good shot of making it all the way through the dungeon, especially with the newest layout.
Reginald invited her to begin, and Alisanne cautiously stepped inside.
Main Character Sheets:
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged From Last Chapter)Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 40
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 17
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 21
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 6
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 108:
Alisanne took a deep breath as she stepped through Crestheart¡¯s front door and did her best to quell the flutter of nerves that assailed her. It was always the same; no matter how many times she challenged the dungeon, she was always scared as soon as she set foot inside. Would she get hurt? Or embarrass herself?
Her frequent runs had helped her overcome her normal fears, but now a new one had joined the mix and it gnawed at her as the door slid shut behind her.
What if I let Vera down?
Her kitrekin sponsor had assured her that she didn¡¯t have to worry about such a thing, but Alisanne had seen the way other adventurers looked at sponsored competitors and didn¡¯t want to be responsible for making people think less of the Quenching Bucket. It was probably a silly fear, but one she held all the same.
She¡¯d promised to do her best, waking up hours earlier than normal to scour the dungeon¡¯s guide and commit as many details to memory as she could. This version of Crestheart was far more complicated than every other version she¡¯d competed in, with all sorts of secondary and tertiary traps and obstacles in rooms that Alisanne was going to be dealing with for the first time.
However, as different as it was, there were still some things that never changed, and Alisanne didn¡¯t bother readying her clubs as she stepped into the first room. Instead, she fell flat onto the ground as soon as she heard the now-familiar skeletal laughter that preceded a barrage of hexes, and grinned as they flew by harmlessly overhead. One of the older adventurers at the guild had told her that [Dungeon Masters] were people too, and like anybody else they had tendencies that could be understood and exploited. For some reason, [Dungeon Master] Vales really liked to have his skeleton mages attack as soon as adventurers walked inside Crestheart.
Despite the quiet that lingered after the first attack, Alisanne didn¡¯t move an inch. According to both her own experience and the dungeon guide, there¡¯d be another two volleys before the next minions would appear, and Alisanne waited impatiently for them to happen.
When the final hex wisps dissipated on the tiles around her, Alisanne scurried back to her feet and brought up her clubs. The familiar sensation of the leather she¡¯d wrapped around their handles helped her calm down, and she started moving as soon as she saw the slats in the walls slide open.
A tide of tiny ghosts poured out, each a mismatched hodgepodge of cubes and spheres with two knobby hands and burning blue or green eyes. The ghosts wailed in unison, screeching in a way that some adventurers in the guild said reminded them of a hungry infant¡¯s late night cries.
They flooded toward her, raising their hands and increasing their volume, and Alisanne took a deep breath.
Game time.
Bringing back her right club, she activated [Kinetic Tempo] and swung hard. Like tearing through wet paper, the weapon moved through the ghosts with barely any resistance, and Alisanne followed her right club¡¯s swing with one from her left. She felt stronger and faster than ever, and even though she knew that the coat on her back was merely a bit of cloth with a name hastily stitched onto the shoulder, she couldn¡¯t help but think that it was somewhat responsible.
Her skill helped her keep her rhythm while she swept through the mass of ghosts, and also allowed her to keep an eye on the walls for the next appearance of the skeleton mages. They¡¯d be back for another round of hexes. Alisanne was sure of it.
Sure enough, they popped up a few seconds later and sent another barrage of purple orbs into the room, but since most of the ghosts were gone Alisanne didn¡¯t have much of a problem dodging them. She fought her way over to the slits in the walls the skeletons were hiding behind, and swung her clubs into each one, like she was a child playing Crush the Crocs again.
The skeletons were all vanquished with a single blow, and Alisanne gave the room a quick sweep before she moved on. There was a single shard of chaos in the far corner, and she hurried over to pick it up. Redeeming them wasn''t worth a ton of fleurs, but every little bit helped.
¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad,¡± Alisanne said quietly as she entered the next room and looked around for threats. A few frost elementals slid back and forth, their cuboid bodies making a faint swooshing sound with every lap.
Beyond those, though, Alisanne saw no threats, but looked down at the floor beneath her feet as she took her next steps. One of the things that Torres had mentioned in his guide was that there were a bevy of pressure switch-based traps in the newest version of Crestheart, and the [Fighter] had no desire to trigger any of them.
However, with her attention so focused on the floor in front of her feet, she failed to notice the movement above her head. It was only when her shadow grew larger and more circular that she realized that an enemy was coming from the ceiling.
She leapt back just as a four fingered, scaly hand dropped from the sky and flipped over on the ground. Its fingers tapping the floor, it scurried toward her, and Alisanne felt the cousin of the fear she felt every time she saw a spider above her bed during hot summer nights. Letting out a somewhat-less-than-dignified squeal, Alisanne brought her clubs together and activated [Steady Legs], her defensive skill. It wasn¡¯t particularly powerful as far as defensive skills went, but Alisanne hadn¡¯t been able to learn any others yet so it was the best she had.
When it was only a few feet away from her, the hand monster stopped moving and twitched before leaping at her with its fingers splayed out in a grabbing position. Alisanne thrust her left club forward, knocking the monster off its course. Then she walloped it with all her strength until it stopped moving, shivering at the sight of its demise.
¡°Gross. Gross. Gross.¡±
The dungeon [Announcer]¡¯s voice cut in through the ceiling.
¡°Speak for yourself, child.¡±
Glaring up at where it sounded like the voice had come from and kicking the nearest frost elemental to the side, Alisanne headed deeper into the dungeon.
Breathing hard, Alisanne stopped in front of the altar and looked at the two statues. She grimaced and touched her side; one of the skeleton knights in the last room had gotten underneath her guard and scored a nasty blow. It wasn¡¯t bleeding, but it ached like none other and the [Fighter] was sure that she was going to have a wicked bruise come tomorrow morning.
Here were the two statues ¨C or rather, the idols, as the other adventurers were calling them ¨C that would let her change her run if she wanted to. Her first instinct was to ignore them both and carry on. Richter Arnis had taken one and it¡¯d caused him to fail his run! Surely she didn¡¯t want to risk such a thing, right?
After all, she wanted to at least make it down to the third floor of the dungeon. She doubted that she¡¯d be able to make it down to [Dungeon Champion] Alforde, especially since she was starting to accumulate little injuries here and there that were going to inhibit her ability to fight as they built up. But she still didn¡¯t want to hinder herself unnecessarily if she could avoid it.
At the same time though, she couldn¡¯t help but think that several of the people outside ¨C who¡¯d looked skeptical at the fact that she was sponsored and they weren¡¯t ¨C would be duly impressed if she managed to carry the little idol down to the third floor.
She looked up at the ceiling once again. ¡°Um, excuse me? I have a rules question.¡±
There was a crackle and the [Announcer]¡¯s voice filled the room once more. ¡°Go ahead.¡±
¡°If I take that statue now, can I drop it later if I decide it¡¯s holding me back too much.¡±
Everything was silent for a long moment.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°Yes, adventurer. That is fine.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Alisanne said as the voice disappeared to nothingness. That definitely lowered the risk.
She thought about her books for a moment. What would Alrick do in a situation like this? She smiled. That was an easy question to answer. He¡¯d take the little statue until it bothered him and then drop it without a second thought.
Alisanne could do that too.
The statue was smooth and ever-so-slightly cool to the touch, and to her relief Alisanne didn¡¯t feel any sort of weird strength sapping or nausea building in her stomach. It was just a statue.
However, it did mean that she wouldn¡¯t be able to wield both clubs at the same time as easily, so she reluctantly returned her left weapon to her back and pressed on with just her right club at the ready.
The next few rooms were somewhat of a challenge, and due to only having half of her combat potential Alisanne took several more nasty hits. The skeletons, slimes, and ghosts that she¡¯d faced off against so many times before all seemed faster and more ruthless than normal, and they moved in ways Alisanne hadn¡¯t seen before. Part of her regretted taking the stupid little statue, but now that she¡¯d carried it a few rooms her pride wouldn¡¯t let her set it down and leave it behind. She''d carry it as far as she could, consequences be darned.
She found herself inside a hexagonal room, and immediately noticed that some of the bricks inside were a darker blue than the ones around them. Remembering Torres¡¯ mention of traps, Alisanne took great care to avoid them as she walked into the room.
Behind her, the door slammed shut with an ominous weight, and Alisanne set down the statue so she could have access to both her clubs. She wasn¡¯t sure what was going to attack her next, but knew that slamming doors in dungeons were generally a bad sign.
Much like the first room of the dungeon, the walls in front of her slid open to allow monsters to come out and attack. Unlike the first room of the dungeon though, these were all skeletons. Knights, archers, and mages all filed out into the room, and soon the air was thick with arrows and hexes.
Just dodging wouldn¡¯t have been too hard ¨C though a few arrows nicked her side here and there ¨C but Alisanne also had to contend with the skeleton knights, who moved toward her in groups of three or four with their shields raised. They were stronger than usual, working together more diligently than Alisanne was used to, and smashing her way through like normal didn¡¯t work.
A knight hit her in the back ¨C dungeon minions had no sense of fair dueling, and didn¡¯t wait for an adventurer to slowly deal with them one by one ¨C and Alisanne tumbled forward. She bit her lip and tasted blood, idly wondering for the millionth time why she willingly came back here and threw herself into situations like this one. Her friends all thought she was crazy, and while her parents told her that they were proud of her too, she couldn¡¯t help noticing the worry in their eyes when she came back injured.
Gonna have to go see a [Healer] before I go home.
Groaning, Alisanne rolled out of the way of a knight¡¯s triumphant downward thrust and stopped the skeleton¡¯s damnable rattling jaw with a [Club Toss]. The skill improved her power and accuracy, though it came at the cost of losing one of her weapons until she could pick it back up again. Eventually she wanted to learn [Boomerangify], which made weapons come back of their own accord after a throw, but the sole adventurer who could use it in the Oar''s Crest guild had been gone on an assignment for weeks and Alisanne had no idea when he''d be back.
Alisanne stood up and wrapped both hands around her remaining club. The weapon was too short for most two-handed tactics she¡¯d learned at the guild to be of much use, but she¡¯d have an easier time giving her swings some extra oomph with a grip like this.
Swinging, yelling, and getting as good as she gave, Alisanne knocked the skeletons to pieces and sagged to catch her breath. Her reprieve was short-lived, as a second wave ¨C this one even bigger than the last one, though composed entirely of mages ¨C entered the room and the air was once again filled with hexes. Interestingly, some of these spells were blue, but Alisanne didn¡¯t have the time or energy to wonder about what that meant as she ducked and dodged around them. It was enough to know that she didn¡¯t want any to hit her.
Without the knights impeding her movement, Alisanne was able to work her way through the room without as much trouble, and the skeleton mages were as easy to beat as they ever were.
The last one fell, and Alisanne leaned back against the wall, her lungs burning and sweat pouring down her face.
To her horror though, the space behind her gave way and Alisanne tumbled back into a hidden room.
She got up, confused. There hadn¡¯t been anything about any secret rooms on the first floor in Torres¡¯ Guide.
Yet here she was.
Alisanne blew out through her nose and rolled her eyes.
So much for ¡°Dungeon Insights You Can Trust¡±.
The floor was all the same color, and there was a treasure chest in the center, which Alisanne approached cautiously.
There was a sign above it that said, simply: Open at your own risk. You might find more than treasure inside.
A mimic, then? Alisanne tapped on the corners of the chest a few times with her club, which was a mimic-testing strategy she¡¯d learned from the older adventurers at the guild, but when it didn¡¯t quiver or move she went ahead and popped it open.
Instead of gold, silver and jewels ¨C like she¡¯d hoped ¨C there was a stack of coupons inside. That was a little disappointing, but not the end of the world. Alisanne picked them up and flipped through them with a smile. She recognized almost all the places, and even The Quenching Bucket was included.
Her sponsor¡¯s coupon included a free small coffee with any baked good purchase. Alisanne tucked that one away into her pocket where she was sure to remember to use it, and then turned back around. The rest could be handled later.
She found herself staring at a tall, mustachioed man dressed in a green tunic. Silver leaves adorned the article of clothing, and the man held an old bow in his hands. He was smiling, but there was no joy in his strange, silver eyes.
The [Fighter] clutched her club tightly and took a step back. Where had he come from? Why hadn¡¯t she heard him enter or appear?
¡°Congratulations on being the first adventurer to find this room,¡± the man said. ¡°I hear those coupons are worth a decent number of fleurs. Unfortunately, opening the chest to take them is the condition for bringing me up from downstairs, so you¡¯ll probably end up wishing that you¡¯d left them alone after all. They¡¯re a bit of a consolation prize, frankly. Now, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m rather bored, so let¡¯s see if you can give me a bit of entertainment, eh? Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t do any permanent damage.¡±
Alisanne activated [Steady Legs] and tried to drum up the necessary inner fire to fight this new foe. The skill barely did anything. If only she wasn¡¯t so tired!
The figure started whistling ¨C Alisanne recognized the tune as an old country song ¨C and raised his bow. Alisanne stepped behind the chest so that she could use it as cover when he fired.
Alas, the arrow sprouted a face and started laughing as soon as it left the bow¡¯s string. It twisted and turned as it flew through the air, moving in a way no arrow had any business moving. It hit her in the chest like a hammer, knocking her down to the floor.
Before she could even think about getting up, another arrow hit her in the side, and a third struck her right shoulder.
Roaring, Alisanne forced herself to unsteady feet, brought up her club like it was an axe and she was about to split some wood, and charged toward the archer.
Another arrow hit her stomach, and two more hit her legs, but Alisanne kept going. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she told herself that Alrick wouldn¡¯t stop for something like this.
Neither would she.
She was sponsored. She had to keep going.
The man¡¯s expression changed, and a glimmer of amusement twinkled in his argent eyes.
More arrows came, and Alisanne tried to bat them away with club, only for her efforts to be insufficient.
She fell again six feet away from the green clad foe, having not struck a single blow against him.
Having not moved, the strange man stopped whistling and shrugged as he regarded Alisanne.
¡°Darn. I was hoping for more.¡±
He strode across the room in a few bounding steps and nocked another arrow, which he aimed between Alisanne¡¯s eyes.
A voice she recognized ¨C it belonged to [Dungeon Master] Vales ¨C filled the room.
¡°Nock. Remember the deal.¡±
The man frowned. ¡°You¡¯re no fun, blue. Fine, fine, fine. Little [Fighter], do you surrender?¡±
Alisanne slumped back, feeling the all-too-familiar frustration of a lost run.
¡°I quit,¡± she said. Furious purpose bubbled in the back of her mind as soon as the words were out of her mouth. She¡¯d have to figure out some way to better handle ranged attacks. Having such a glaring weakness was unacceptable.
Maybe she¡¯d take another one of the guild¡¯s [Bubble Shield] classes or something.
The man held out his hand to help the [Fighter] up, though he felt oddly light as Alisanne pulled herself up. He stared into her eyes and gave her a pat on the shoulder.
¡°You''ve got heart, child. Most adventurers would have given up after the first arrow. What¡¯s your name?¡±
Alisanne introduced herself, and the archer bowed deeply. He gestured to the name on Alisanne¡¯s sleeve.
¡°I see that others already recognize your potential, but allow me to add my voice to theirs. Keep getting stronger, Alisanne Henret. If I might be so bold, I suggest you find a better class too. Your current one is limited and coarse. It''s holding you back.¡±
Nodding silently and feeling a strange tingle in the base of her stomach, Alisanne dusted herself off and stood. She made sure that she had all the coupons tucked away and hadn¡¯t lost any, then left the dungeon.
She looked around at the adventurers waiting outside, and was relieved that none of them wore scornful expressions.
It was a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but it felt like a big thing right then and there.
Alisanne''s Character Sheet:
Alisanne Henret:
Primary Class: Fighter (Self), Level 15
Secondary Class: Scrimping Saver (Self), Level 11
Might: 18
Wit: 9
Faith: 14
Determination: 13
Ambition: 7
Greed: 5
Focus: 8
Idealism: 8
Bravery: 6
Adventurousness: 5
Volume 2 Chapter 109:
Back in the office, Vee shook his head and started resetting the dungeon. He was sad to see Alisanne¡¯s run end so early; he liked the [Fighter] and thought she¡¯d improved tremendously since first coming to challenge Crestheart. Long gone was the girl who could barely keep her clubs up in the middle of a melee, and the [Dungeon Master] had zero doubts that she¡¯d just keep on getting better if she stuck with it.
Alas, there wasn¡¯t more time for thoughts, Vee had to prepare himself for the next challenge, which was coming from a [Potbellied Pitmaster] originally from Shontsdale. The man looked like something out of a children¡¯s book, with short stubby legs and a stomach that was big enough to be its own person. As soon as he took his first steps into the dungeon, his skin turned bright red, and spirals of smoke floated off his shoulders.
He fought with various fire attacks that came out of a small device on his shoulder and a large bludgeon that looked like a chunk of meat from a kid¡¯s comic book ¨C a cylinder of red with a single bone sticking out from the bottom ¨C but wasn¡¯t particularly nimble. His stomach was an easy target, the dungeon¡¯s traps hindered his progress. Ultimately, he failed to dodge any of the wrecking balls at the end of the dungeon¡¯s final first floor hallway. The repeated strikes from the heavy ectoplasm spheres knocked him to the ground, and after three failed attempts at passing through, the [Potbellied Pitmaster] abandoned his run.
Vee reset the dungeon again, this time reaching through his bond to the [Dungeon Maintainers] and ordering one of them to come and quickly replace one of the [Frost Vent] traps that the adventurer had destroyed. Mi appeared a few seconds later, swapping out the broken crystal for a fresh one, and in less than two minutes the dungeon was good to go once more.
The next adventurer was a [Beetleguard], whose body was covered in shimmering plated armor that made her look like a bug. She hovered in the air, bypassing most of the dungeon¡¯s tricks and traps, and fought with a spear that was shaped like a pair of horns.
She made it down to the second floor, but was taken out near instantly by Nock, whose [Laughing Arrows] passed through her armor with ease.
¡°That¡¯s a heck of a guardian,¡± one of the agents behind Vee said. ¡°Way stronger than a dungeon like this would normally have. How¡¯d you find him?¡±
Vee thought for a moment, picking his words carefully. He didn¡¯t know if it¡¯d be a big deal, but just in case, he didn¡¯t want anyone to know that Nock had been working with the bandits if he could avoid it.
¡°A friend introduced us,¡± he said. ¡°It was a rather lucky break.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± the agent said, his eyes twinkling. ¡°You have quite the affinity for the old martial souls, eh Mister Vales? A weaponsoul haunting the hallways, and an armorsoul [Dungeon Champion]. That¡¯s not something you see every day.¡±
Vee shrugged, and the conversation ended there because the next run was starting.
Neil the [Bellwether] [Heavy-handed Swordsman] was up next. He¡¯d put on a form-fitting black shirt, covered one shoulder with a piece of armor, and styled his hair so that it was as spiky as could be. Vee couldn¡¯t help but think that while the adventurer looked impressive, there was something oddly soulless about his appearance too. The [Dungeon Master] couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on what it was ¨C and certainly the gaggle of starry-eyed women surrounding the [Bellwether] as he approached Crestheart¡¯s door didn¡¯t see any issues ¨C but it bothered him as Neil brought up his sword and started cutting his way through Crestheart¡¯s first floor.
The [Bellwether] was like an entirely different person, moving with so much fluidity and grace that Vee had to double check his application to make sure that his primary class level wasn¡¯t actually in the forties or fifties.
True to his party¡¯s brand, Neil cleared the first floor without taking a single hit, and moved down to the second with his sword raised high. He slowed his pace a bit under Nock¡¯s attacks, carefully sweeping the arrows out of the air with steady strokes of his blade. When he was finally out of the weaponsoul¡¯s range, he sped right back up again, leaping over pits, solving puzzles in the blink of an eye, and fighting off every minion that he came across. Vee was grateful he¡¯d gone ahead and used a charge of [Boost Drops] before the [Bellwether]¡¯s run started; by his count Neil had already picked up five shards of chaos and there were still plenty of Marked minions left in the dungeon.
Twisting some of the dials in front of him, Vee did his best to throw off the [Bellwether]¡¯s groove. However, none of the traps he activated found their mark, and Neil wasn¡¯t bothered in the slightest by the variance in the speed of his platforms. He didn¡¯t blink when Vee used [Walking Walls], or respond in any way when Reginald started trying to insult him through the magnifying crystal. Instead, he soldiered on gamely, his eyes blazing like small stars and his sword never stopping for more than a few seconds.
The rest of Neil¡¯s run was uneventful, if brutal for Crestheart. None of the minions, traps, puzzles, or other obstacles hindered the [Bellwether] in any way. Vee winced. Even expecting the [Heavy Handed Swordsman] to clear with ease didn¡¯t do much to soften the blow.
¡°Keep your chin up, boss. We¡¯ve got a lot more runs to do today,¡± Reginald said.
Nodding, Vee went ahead and reset the dungeon once more.
For the most part, the afternoon¡¯s runs were simple and straightforward. There weren¡¯t many adventurers who managed to get past Nock, but almost all of those who did managed to make it down to Alforde¡¯s arena as well. The [Dungeon Champion] did his best ¨C summoning his domain and working gauntlet in gauntlet with Shadowforde ¨C but had a losing record as the day approached its end. He¡¯d lost six fights and won four.
Considering the fact that there¡¯d been twenty four runs already with only a few left, Vee didn¡¯t think that performance was too bad. Certainly the dungeon was still making money on the day. Only two of the winning adventurers managed to complete their runs while possessing the small reward boosting statue, so in terms of payouts it was really like eight adventurers had beat the dungeon already. That was definitely better than Vee¡¯s expectations.
He looked down at the next application. It was for an elkin named Yensin Duvocik.
Yensin lay panting on the floor of the second floor of the dungeon. His chest ached with every breath, as did his stomach, his left knee, both of his shoulders, and his right ear. Why had he been so eager to throw himself into this? So far, his dungeon challenge had been nothing more than a string of infuriating injuries inflicted by an insignificant minion that he should have had no trouble defeating. He¡¯d finally driven the stupid [Hunter] ¨C or maybe [Ranger], or [Archer] or whatever ¨C away for the time being, though he wasn¡¯t sure that was actually a good thing as it meant that he had no choice but to carry on.
Then, as if to prove that the universe sometimes has a sense of humor, the voice of the dungeon [Announcer] cut into the room from somewhere in the ceiling.
¡°Um, excuse me? Mister adventurer? Are you capable of continuing your run, or would you like to quit? I¡¯m afraid that our schedule is quite full today and ¡ª¡°
¡°Shut up, I¡¯m fine. Just give me a second,¡± Yensin snapped, sitting up and looking around for his spear. It was on the floor near the door, and the elkin cursed quietly under his breath when he got up to his feet. Why did his entire body hurt so much? Worse, why was he so calm about it?
While most people wouldn¡¯t think that a tranquil mind would be something to worry about, most people weren¡¯t [Incandescent Spearmen]. A pool of boiling rage had sloshed around his stomach almost perpetually since taking the class, and its sudden absence was worrying for a multitude of reasons. The biggest of these was the fact that he needed it to activate his two most potent skills ¨C [Furious Thrusts] and [Raging Sweep] ¨C and would be little more than a normal person with a spear without it. However, a close second issue was that the fresh sense of quietude in his thoughts allowed the tiny voice he¡¯d worked so hard to suppress lately to make itself heard once again.
This isn¡¯t what I was supposed to do. I¡¯m just as lost with this spear as I was with the sword.
Snarling, Yensin did his best to refocus and get his head straight. He couldn¡¯t afford to doubt himself right now, there was still the contest with his other peers to become the old man¡¯s [Handpicked Protege]. Jeimok had made it down to the third level of the dungeon, and Paige had taken two stocks from the [Dungeon Champion] before being defeated. This was Yensin¡¯s chance to get ahead of his rivals, and he did not want to squander it.
Leaning on his spear for support, the elkin entered the next room and looked up at the sound of clanging above his head. A quartet of bats ¨C no wait, those weren¡¯t wings they were horns¡actually, were those helmets? ¨C dropped down from the ceiling and struck him, making a strange whistling sound that sounded all too much like mocking laughter as they did so. Yensin batted them away to the best of his ability, but the helmets bounced off the ground each time they hit it and continued attacking him. None of the blows were all that painful, but given the elkin¡¯s other injuries, they were starting to add up.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Finally, Yensin managed to strike one of the helmets from below and destroyed the core of the slime hiding inside. WIthout the creature keeping it afloat, the helmet crashed on the ground and stayed there.
¡°Good riddance,¡± the elkin snarled, catching helmet after helmet like a ball and destroying the slime inside. When all the helmets were defeated, he heard the now-familiar sound of the door ahead of him unlocking and carried himself deeper into the dungeon.
The next rooms were relatively easy to manage, but the list of Yensin¡¯s injuries grew even longer thanks to a few well placed traps. The worst were the ones that sprayed the elkin with a chilling mist and caused him to slow down enough for more minions to hit him, but the ones that shot a stream of jagged icicles into the air was also a pain to deal with.
Breathing hard but still oddly calm, Yensin found himself in front of a pair of ornate doors. They were sealed with a large lock that contained several moving pieces. Yensin tried to open it, only to realize that the lock was a puzzle that needed to be solved first.
He slid a few pieces back and forth, until he got the shapes to line up in the way they were intended, and then pulled the lock of the doors with ease. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the room and jumped a little bit when the lights went dim immediately.
His surprise passed quickly, and Yensin tightened his hands around his spear. He had a dim idea of what to expect; Jeimok had complained about a ¡°stupid armored snowman¡± after losing his run, but had seen Yensin looking and had refrained from giving any details.
The floor of the room shook, and after making sure that there weren¡¯t any traps about to spring beneath his feet ¨C this dungeon was extremely fond of such tactics ¨C he noticed the hulking figure that¡¯d appeared out of thin air on the far side of the room.
¡°Congratulations on your progress so far,¡± the [Announcer]¡¯s voice said from up above. ¡°But how will you fare against Crestheart¡¯s miniboss Mister Chills?¡±
Mister Chills? That was kind of a stupid name, Yensin thought, but he was more confident that this was the snowman Jeimok had been complaining about. Man, if he could beat this mini boss he¡¯d have done better than the stupid salamander, and that was definitely something Yensin was interested in.
Alright, time to focus up, Yensin told himself. He quickened his breath, trying to turn the physical discomfort doing so produced into rage he could use for his skills, only to find that it was still nowhere to be found. No matter how he tried, Yensin couldn¡¯t find his anger, couldn¡¯t bring himself to the place that would let him utilize his class.
The lights came back up, giving Yensin a better look at the dungeon miniboss. It was a strange creature, well over ten feet tall and it looked like it¡¯d been split down the middle. The side that was to the elkin¡¯s left looked like a regular snowman: three orbs of varying size stacked atop each other. The other side was covered in jagged, ill-fitting armor, and the only feature that matched between the two were the monster¡¯s pair of crimson eyes.
With a roar, the miniboss slid ¨C or rolled maybe? ¨C forward, its arms moving behind its body like it was a stretchy pirate about to punch the ever-living daylights out of some unfortunate soul. A loud clang from the floor -- like the sound of trapdoors opening -- followed. However, instead of delivering a pair of open-handed slaps, when its arms returned to normal it was holding a pair of snowballs almost as big as Yensin himself. The miniboss threw both of them at Yensin at the same time, and only a well timed leap and roll kept the adventurer from being flattened like a pancake.
Or maybe not¡the snowballs popped like bubbles when they hit the ground. They were hollow, Yensin realized, but what was the point of throwing hollow snowballs? It didn¡¯t make sense.
An all too familiar clattering sound filled the air and Yensin swore. Two skeleton knights and a lone skeleton mage were standing up where the snowballs had landed, readying their chintzy weapons and moving toward him.
Swearing under his breath, Yensin leapt forward and raised his spear. He swept one skeleton¡¯s head off its shoulders, but missed the second one and had to trade a few blows with it before he managed to knock it to pieces with a well placed [Thrust]. The mage went down with a single blow.
As soon as the skeletons were dealt with, the miniboss roared again and this time three snowballs came toward him. Smirking, Yensin didn¡¯t bother dodging the first one and ¨C
WHUMP!
¨C found himself on the ground a second later, groaning. The miniboss made a strange, quaking sound that had to be laughter, and Yensin decided then and there that he hated this stupid miniboss. Another flicker of his anger came and went
Worse, before he even had time to get up, the floor beneath him started to hum and glow, and six pillars of blue ice shot out of the ground to form a circular cage that reached up all the way to the ceiling.
¡°Oh no!¡± The [Announcer] cried. ¡°Looks like our challenger is in a bit of a tight spot! How will he get free without his weapon?¡±
The last of those words got Yensin¡¯s attention, and the elkin snapped his gaze around to look for his spear. It was on the ground about ten feet from where he¡¯d landed, and well outside the bounds of the cage.
A panel in the ceiling opened up, and what looked like hundreds of slimes tumbled down. They were surprisingly ¨C and unpleasantly ¨C heavy and cold, and Yensin felt like he¡¯d plunged into a weird sort of reverse ice bath. An ice shower, maybe? Icy rain? A stupid trap that he needed to break out of as quickly as possible?
Definitely yes to that last one, and so Yensin lowered his head and activated [Antler Slam]. [Antler Slam] was an elkin-specific skill ¨C the way [Fire Breath] was for salamanders or [Thrill of the Hunt] was for kitrekins ¨C that didn¡¯t have any class requirements. It delivered a powerful blow, and unlike most headbutts didn¡¯t leave the user Dizzy or Stunned afterwards.
Struggling to keep his balance amidst an ever-growing pile of slimes, Yensin ran forward and hit one of the pillars as hard as he could. There was a satisfying snap, and the elkin managed to break free of the stupid cage and retrieve his spear.
¡°Enough defense,¡± he muttered, running toward Mister Chills and making sure to dodge every freaking snowball that headed his direction. Having seen more, he was pretty confident that the bigger ones were hollow and contained minions while the smaller ones were more solid, but that wasn¡¯t something he felt much like testing.
When he got close enough to do so, Yensin raised his spear and tried to stab the miniboss. However, before his weapon found its mark, Mister Chills vanished into thin air. He heard the sound of something scraping along the floor and looked around frantically, but saw no signs of the miniboss anywhere. That ended up not mattering much, because a hand almost as big as Yensin¡¯s torso wrapped around the elkin¡¯s stomach and lifted him up into the air.
Yensin turned around and found himself staring into one of those gleaming red eyes. He had a few heartbeats to panic before he was flying through the room once again and landing hard on the ground. Something inside the elkin snapped, but it wasn¡¯t any part of his body. Instead, it was his desire to keep going. This wasn¡¯t what he wanted to do. This wasn¡¯t who he wanted to be. This was¡wrong.
There was something oddly freeing about coming to that conclusion, and Yensin¡¯s heart was light as he looked up at the ceiling. Raising his hands, he said, ¡°That¡¯s it for me, I give up.¡±
The miniboss slumped immediately, and the [Announcer]¡¯s voice filled the room.
¡°Another one falls to the minboss! Better luck next time, adventurer!¡±
Yensin smirked. He wasn¡¯t so sure that there¡¯d be a next time. He¡¯d heard from plenty of other adventurers that dungeons were where a person might come to really know themselves, to find out what truly made them tick or how they wanted to go through life. None of them had mentioned the idea of getting to the second floor of a dungeon and deciding to give up the activity entirely. He looked down at his spear. When he¡¯d first got the weapon, he¡¯d thought that it was going to give him what he wanted. It hadn¡¯t, so Yensin closed his eyes and accessed his soul¡¯s mirror.
Take this away from me, he thought. I don¡¯t want it the way I thought I did.
A notification was waiting for him when he opened his eyes.
[Would you like to renounce your Incandescent Spearman class?]
Yensin hit yes, and was barraged with a series of messages.
[You are no longer an Incandescent Spearman!]
[Might - 2]
[Ambition -1]
[Hunger For Victory - 2]
[Aggression - 4]
Sighing, Yensin dismissed the notifications and exited the dungeon. He wasn¡¯t sure where he was going from here, but that was probably okay.
Not everything in life was supposed to be a nice straight shot.
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged from chapter 107):
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 40
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 17
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 21
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 6
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Bonus: Yensin''s Character Sheet:
Yensin Duvocik:
Primary Class: Training Apprentice (Moonrose Gym and Adventuring Training Center), Level 12
Secondary Class: None
Might: 16 (-2)
Wit: 11
Faith: 10
Ambition: 8 (-1)
Endurance: 13
Focus: 8
Persistence: 9
Temper Control: 5
Hunger For Victory: 2 (-2)
Charisma: 2
Aggression: 0 (-3) Warning: Due to the loss of the Incandescent Spearman Class, the ability to earn points in this stat will soon disappear.
Volume 2 Chapter 110: Emma and Edukaiser (Interlude)
Despite the warm reds and yellow of the sunrise bathing the city of Oar¡¯s Crest, Edukaiser¡¯s first thought upon the place was that it was dark and dreary. Not the darkest nor the dreariest place she¡¯d ever seen, of course. Not even close.
The leaning and abandoned buildings outside the walls made of scattered junk was no labyrinth of Eshurr ¨C where the black staircases had defied the laws of physics and nature with abandon, seamlessly blending into one another so that she¡¯d forgotten if she was climbing up or going down ¨C and the aura of despair that darkened the sky above the city was no match for the one she¡¯d experienced atop the peak of Deadsun mountain, where she¡¯d gone gauntlet to claw against Umbra the dragon until her companions had come up with a method of slaying the [Dark Dragon] permanently.
No, Oar¡¯s Crest was nothing compared to the worst places Edukaiser had ever been, but it was certainly closer than most of the places she¡¯d been since entering the service of the Vales family, and she couldn¡¯t help but think it fitting that Lord Vales¡¯ melancholy son had ended up in such a place. The boy had always been a bit odd.
A few minutes later, Edukaiser reached over and gently roused the mistress, as she¡¯d been instructed to do.
¡°Milady, we¡¯re approaching the city now. I have your art supplies ready, as you requested.¡±
Emma mumbled something incoherent and stayed still for a moment before sitting up properly and blinking the sleep from her eyes. Once she was a bit more awake, she thanked Edukaiser and blearily grabbed at her charcoal. With wide sweeps of her whole arm, Emma started drawing the city while Edukaiser returned her attention to the world outside their carriage.
There wasn¡¯t much to look at, she thought. Abandoned farmland and old ruins. Not even the interesting kind of ruins either; just houses, barns, and other buildings that¡¯d fallen over from age and disuse. The overgrown grass was dotted with the spiny red stems and tiny pink flowers that Edukaiser recognized as belonging to a rather pernicious weed called ¨C
¨C she couldn¡¯t remember. The armorsoul closed her eyes for a moment and tried to collect herself, but while the weed¡¯s physical characteristics rattled through her awareness, the name stubbornly refused to appear in her thoughts. She tightened her gauntlets and let the matter go. Such lapses in her memory had grown increasingly common of late, though they were generally related to minutiae that was unrelated to her normal duties.
Shifting her plates ¨C which felt more brittle than normal, though that was probably just her mind playing tricks on her ¨C Edukaiser looked over at Emma¡¯s drawing and saw that her mistress had finished her sketch and was starting to add color. Unlike the real thing, there was something hopeful about Emma¡¯s version, the blend of colors suggesting a deeper sunrise than the natural one the armorsoul could see.
¡°Edukaiser, I think I¡¯d like some breakfast,¡± Emma said, setting down her colors.
¡°Of course, milady. I¡¯ll prepare something for you right away.¡±
Finding accommodations for the carriage inside the city was surprisingly difficult. There was only one functional stable for griffons, and it was already filled with a mangy beast that looked like some sort of [Alchemist]-born hybrid that snarled at them like a dog.
Thankfully, the [Stable Master] was a reasonable man, and he directed some of his [Stablehands] to ready another berth for the visitors from Bardis.
¡°In the meantime, you can leave your carriage and luggage here,¡± the thin man said, gesturing toward the open, muddy square. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure that nothing bad happens to them and then move them to your stable as soon as it¡¯s ready.¡±
Edukaiser doubted that, but she had no room to overrule Emma, who thanked the man earnestly and gestured for Edukaiser to follow her.
¡°Let¡¯s go look around a little bit,¡± the woman said. ¡°Get to know the city a little bit, and then once we¡¯ve got ourselves situated we can start asking around about Vee. See if anyone knows where we might find him.¡±
Edukaiser bowed, waiting for her mistress to lead the way before falling into step behind her, casting a wary eye on the other people nearby. The other protectors Tyrion had hired for his wife would be along within the next few hours, which meant that for the time being Emma¡¯s safety was entirely the armorsoul¡¯s responsibility. That suited Edukaiser fine; she didn¡¯t anticipate any problems, even in a city like this, but the armorsoul was determined to do her duty impeccably, as she always did.
¡°[Dungeon Champion]! [Dungeon Champion]! Just a moment, please!¡±
The voice was clearly directed at Edukaiser, so the armorsoul turned around and saw an older man walking slowly toward her.
¡°May I help you with something?¡± she asked, relaxing her arms when she saw that the man clearly meant no harm. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t recognize that class.¡±
The man laughed. ¡°Got a sense of humor too, eh? Sir Alforde, my grandson is a big fan of yours. He¡¯s even got a little wooden hammer. Would you sign an autograph for him?¡±
¡°Sir Alforde? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re mistaken,¡± Edukaiser said stiffly. ¡°My name is Edukaiser.¡±
The old man blinked. ¡°It is? But I was sure that the [Dungeon Champion]¡¯s name was Alforde.¡±
¡°This is a different armorsoul,¡± Emma said gently, entering the conversation with a blazing bright smile. ¡°But as luck would have it, we¡¯re looking for Alforde too. Do you think that you could help us find him, perhaps? You see, my friend and I just arrived in town and don¡¯t know where he might be. It¡¯s such a big city, after all¡¡±
Edukaiser saw the familiar gleam in her mistress¡¯ eyes that always appeared when Emma used [Charm Offensive]. The poor old man was no match for it, and he stammered something about an opening ceremony the next day for some kind of dungeon thing down near the Westown gate. Wherever that was. Then, with a reddish tinge to his cheeks, he turned around and hurried away almost as fast as he could move.
¡°Thank you ever so much,¡± Emma called after him.
When Edukaiser and Emma were alone once again, the armorsoul shook her helmet. She¡¯d seen that reaction from people toward her mistress more times than she could count, and refused to believe that her lady was as ignorant to her own beauty as she seemed to be. Sure, [Socialites] were known for being a bit¡well, Airheaded from time to time, but Emma was almost unique in her ability to be oblivious to some things.
The only other person who came close was Vee, which was probably for the best.
¡°You know, I would have never thought that Alforde would have fans or be in a position to sign autographs. He was always so taciturn.¡±
¡°Only when you could see him,¡± Emma said, grinning. ¡°When he was with Vee, Alforde wouldn¡¯t ever quiet down. He was always ranting and raving about daring adventurers and singing ballads about beautiful princesses locked up in tall towers and guarded by dragons.¡±
Edukaiser stiffened, her gauntlets tightening. Princesses in towers guarded by dragons? She had some firsthand experience with those, and they weren¡¯t worth singing about.¡±
¡°How did he learn of such things?¡±
Emma waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Oh, you know, he read through all those pulp novels that I bought for Emory when he was little. Alforde loved them, and could recite most of them by heart by the time Vee was nine or so.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Edukaiser said. She¡¯d have to have a private talk with Alforde when she eventually found him. Changing the subject, she said, ¡°We should find lodging for the next few nights, milady. We can deposit the luggage there and then begin the process of exploring this city that your son has made his home.¡±
¡°But I want to go look for Vee! It¡¯s been months since I last saw him.¡±
¡°Then another day surely won¡¯t be too much to bear. If he¡¯s preparing for the beginning of a dungeon circuit, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s rather busy and it would be best if we didn¡¯t disturb him. He probably wouldn¡¯t appreciate such a distraction.¡±
¡°Hmm, I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Emma said, pouting. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll explore for the rest of the day and then go find Vee tomorrow.¡±
It took some time to find a hotel suitable for the mistress, as the hospitality sector of Oar¡¯s Crest was, in a word, deficient. There were plenty of places that offered rooms, but none of them could reach the high standards Edukaiser held them to and so they were disdainfully passed over. Forge burning brightly, they wouldn¡¯t have been acceptable even if Edukaiser had cut her standards in half four times in a row. They were filthy, decrepit things, buildings that should have been knocked down decades ago and turned into something useful instead. Yet, like a guest who¡¯d overstayed their welcome, they remained.
¡°What was wrong with that one?¡± Emma asked as Edukaiser led them away from yet another building. ¡°I thought the room was cute.¡±
¡°It was dark and dirty,¡± Edukaiser said curtly. ¡°There were miscreants in the lobby and old stains in the floors that no self-respecting [Maids] would ever allow to exist. The master would not approve of you staying in such a place, and neither will I. We¡¯ll carry on. Eventually there must be a hotel in this city that isn¡¯t a vile pit.¡±
Emma Vales sketched what she saw from the window of her room while Edukaiser finished putting the rest of their luggage away and put the finishing touches on their accomodations. While she appreciated the armorsoul¡¯s diligence and attention to detail, she wished that it hadn¡¯t taken them so long to find a place to stay that met her companion¡¯s absurdly high standards. During her years on the road, Emma had spent plenty of nights in far worse places than anywhere she¡¯d seen so far in Oar¡¯s Crest, and while she wasn¡¯t exactly looking to repeat those experiences, she didn¡¯t mind the prospect of a few uncomfortable nights in exchange for more time exploring the city her son now called home.
Her arm flowed back and forth in long motions, smoothly capturing the skyline of the city below. They were up on the fourth floor, which would have been laughably low back in Bardis where buildings would often reach the tenth story or higher, but here where most buildings were only a single story Emma felt like she was standing in the clouds themselves. It was an odd experience for the [Socialite], and she smiled, amused at how potent a change in perspective could be.
¡°Milady,¡± Edukaiser said quietly, ¡°I have finished my work. Would you like to walk around the city and explore for a few hours?¡±
¡°That¡¯d be lovely,¡± Emma said, putting down a few final lines on the piece she was working on. It wasn¡¯t the nicest sketch she¡¯d ever made ¨C she¡¯d made a mistake in setting up her vanishing points and, go figure, her perspective had suffered as a result ¨C but she was beyond the stage in her life when such a thing would worry her. Accepting the reality that even skill and practice were imperfect protection against sub-par work, she carefully tucked the drawing back into her notebook and stood up, smoothing her outfit as she did so. She¡¯d take a long look at it later, and try to glean whatever insights from it she could before starting again.
Smiling at Edukaiser, Emma led the way out of the room and down to the streets below. The roads of Oar¡¯s Crest were bigger than Bardis, she thought, or maybe the fact that they were so empty made them seem larger than they really were. An occasional carriage or wagon rattled by ¨C moving more slowly than they did back home ¨C but for the most part the streets were empty.
And dirty.
Emma stepped around bits of garbage that littered the sidewalks, frowning at how common they were and making a mental note to swap to more practical footwear for all future trips through the city. She simply couldn¡¯t understand how the people who ran Oar¡¯s Crest allowed such filth to exist. Did they feel no sense of civic pride? Or were they simply so poor that they couldn¡¯t afford to pay for regular cleanings? Judging by the rather poor appearance of the buildings around her, Emma found herself increasingly suspecting the latter, which prompted a bevy of competing thoughts to swirl throughout her skull. The city¡¯s bones were solid, so why was there such heavy gloom in the air? Why didn¡¯t the people come together to improve things? Surely the [Merchants] and [Shop Keepers], at the very least, could find a way to make the city look nicer? Why hadn¡¯t they?
When she asked Edukaiser ¨C who was better traveled than she was and often surprisingly insightful about these sorts of things ¨C for her opinion, the armorsoul shrugged and said, ¡°Inertia can be a difficult chain to break, milady. People get used to living in a certain way, so much so that they may fail to notice things that are screamingly obvious to outsiders like us, let alone take actions to remedy them.¡±
Wondering if her son had noticed the same problem she had, Emma nodded and continued on, taking a detour down a curly side street a short time later that looked like it was home to a small cafe called the Quenching Bucket.
Despite its size and rustic decor, Emma found the cafe a lovely place. It was warm and friendly, and she was more than happy to sit down and enjoy her cup of emberberry cream tea. The drink was pleasantly spicy, reminding her of her favorite spiced meads, and she looked around the shop while she sipped and savored. An etching on the far wall caught her eye, and Emma got up to go take a closer look.
The etching depicted a teenage girl making a strange face ¨C an expression torn between trying to smile and look intimidating at the same time ¨C and holding a pair of clubs. Her name was, according to the inscription beneath the image, Alisanne Henret, and she was an adventurer sponsored by the cafe.
Turning to the kitrekin shopkeeper, Emma pointed to the etching and asked, ¡°Forgive me for asking such a simple question, but I¡¯m from out of town. Has Oar¡¯s Crest always been a hub for dungeon sports?¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± the kitrekin said with a smile. ¡°Our adventurer¡¯s guild branch has always been focused on thinning the numbers of ghosts and fiends congregating outside the walls of the city and keeping the blight beasts in the surrounding countryside in check. Until Crestheart there¡¯d never been any genuine interest in having a dungeon at all.¡±
¡°What do you think changed?¡±
The kitrekin shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, really. The dungeon just kind of popped up one day, and before we knew it the [Dungeon Master] was running around everywhere with all sorts of plans for opening ceremonies and festivals and then this dungeon development committee happened. His enthusiasm was infectious, and we all kind of caught the dungeon sports bug. It¡¯s still small, but I know a lot of people around here expect big things from the dungeon in the future and want to be remembered as having been involved from the beginning.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Emma said, returning to her seat and taking another sip of her tea. She thought about other things to ask the shopkeeper, but before she got the chance the door to the cafe swung open and a hard-looking man swaggered inside.
His skin was pale, which made the manic gleam in his eyes stand out all the more, and malice hung over his every movement like a heavy cloak. The curve of his mouth was like the blade of a knife; he was a man who made his living through violence.
Edukaiser didn¡¯t stand up, or move meaningfully in any way, but Emma saw the flash in her companion¡¯s eyes that meant the armorsoul had also noticed the newcomer¡¯s demeanor and was preparing herself to act should it be necessary.
The man¡¯s gaze swept across the room, lingering on Emma for a long second and then turning to Edukaiser as he walked toward the counter without saying a word. Some sort of unspoken truce passed between them, and the man plopped his elbows onto the counter with an almost theatrical flourish.
¡°Hey lady, it¡¯s that time of the week again,¡± he said flatly. ¡°Mister Sacre sends his regards.¡±
The kitrekin nodded, quickly ducking down and bringing up a small bag that clinked when she handed it over. ¡°Please tell Mister Sacre that we appreciate his protection.¡±
The man didn¡¯t answer, simply turning around and walking away instead. A shadow that only Emma could see fell over the whole cafe, and the friendly warmth that¡¯d been omnipresent only moments before was completely gone.
Her eyes must have made her discomfort with the situation¡¯s ugliness obvious, because the kitrekin made a sad expression and shrugged.
¡°Some costs are easier to bear than the alternatives,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Places that don¡¯t pay up have a never ending stream of problems.¡±
Emma didn¡¯t know what to say after that, and was spared the effort of having to figure something out by another man, who came in carrying a crate of ingredients that the kitrekin signed for without issue.
Feeling like she¡¯d accidentally spilled a cup of coffee all over an unfinished piece of art, Emma finished her tea and wiped her mouth. Carefully arranging a few fleurs onto the table, she gestured for Edukaiser to follow and got up to leave.
¡°I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re so upset about what we saw in that cafe,¡± Edukaiser said after a little while. Emma hadn¡¯t said much since leaving the Quenching Bucket. ¡°I know for a fact that you¡¯ve seen worse plenty of times.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true, but the casualness of it bothered me,¡± Emma said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I understand this city, Edukaiser. Or my son. Why would Vee come here of all places? Why would he stay? Why would my little boy who could barely stand to get his hands dirty in the yard choose to set up a dungeon here in a place where extortion is apparently as common as a supply delivery?¡±
Edukaiser¡¯s plates made a soft sound as the armorsoul shrugged. ¡°I am no [Mind Reader], milady. Neither are you. We can simply ask Vee about that when we see him.¡±
For the rest of the day, Emma and Edukaiser walked up and down the streets of Oar¡¯s Crest and took the city in. They saw that more than half the places they passed were running some sort of promotional deal for the dungeon circuit, and those offering deals seemed to have more customers than those who didn¡¯t. They also spent half an hour in the market, and Emma bought some fantastic caramel apple candy from a salamander [Candy Man] who was also a skilled sugar sculptor. She also browsed the wares of a [Tailor], but didn¡¯t buy anything. While the prices were low ¨C laughably so, in fact ¨C the style of the dresses and other articles of clothing didn¡¯t match Emma¡¯s taste. She also browsed through a few stacks of used books, and purchased a thin volume of needlework patterns that a nearby [Sister of the Plate] suggested. She wasn¡¯t much for threadcraft, as a general rule, but some of the patterns were cute and it never hurt to broaden one¡¯s skills by working outside of one¡¯s comfort zone. At worst, she could simply admire the patterns and look for ways to incorporate them into mediums she was more used to.
Like any good market, there was plenty of gossip to be had, and while Emma had no interest in the politics and scandals of the Oar¡¯s Crest council or the recurring problem of crime caused by mud golems, there was lots of talk about the upcoming dungeon circuit that she listened to as carefully as she could.
¡°Had nearly twenty adventurers come through this morning for sharpening. Haven¡¯t been that busy in months. It was nice to just work the whet stone for a change.¡±
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¡°Apparently there¡¯s a place we can go watch the runs if we want. Might be fun, huh?¡±
¡°Wish Vales would get off his ass and start cleaning up the rest of the city. Gawain knows the council ain¡¯t ever going to get it done and it¡¯s not fair that just a few blocks around Westown looks like a proper city while the rest of us look like we¡¯re [Filth Mongers].¡±
At the sound of her own last name, Emma perked up and looked to find the man who¡¯d spoken. He was a younger, rough cut sort of fellow, with a stubbly beard and close cropped hair, and Emma saw in his eyes the same listless expression that she strongly associated with those who never did anything but complain about the work other people are doing. As such, she dismissed his criticism of her son a moment later and continued listening in on the other people in the market.
From the things she overheard, as well as a few questions she asked the natives in passing, Emma learned that the dungeon was located in a place called ¡®Westown¡¯, and was even pointed in the right direction by a helpful [City Guard] who looked more than a little intimidated by Edukaiser¡¯s presence.
However, as much as Emma wanted to go and take a look at the dungeon then and there, it was getting late, so she begrudgingly allowed Edukaiser to escort her back to their room for the night. Before sleeping though, she took out her colors and spent some time drawing. She sketched rapidly, assisted in no small part by the passive effects of her skill [Draw What You See], which allowed her to recall people and places she¡¯d been with greater accuracy and potency than a person would have otherwise. Her pictures weren¡¯t particularly detailed, focusing instead of themes ¨C or moods, really ¨C that manifested across people and places.
The ones that appeared from her brief stay so far in Oar¡¯s Crest were similar to the ones she¡¯d seen elsewhere; the city was a mosaic of every emotion imaginable. The classic dichotomies ¨C fear and greed, hope and despair ¨C were near omnipresent, as was a peculiar mix of beauty and ugliness that was strongest in her depiction of the Quenching Bucket. Interestingly, in all of them, Emma felt compelled to have light appearing in the corners or around the sides of the image, as if an unseen lightsource was just out of frame.
Surprisingly tired after her exertions, Emma bid Edukaiser a good night and fell asleep.
The next morning, Emma woke before sunrise and put on the nicest outfit that she¡¯d packed. She didn¡¯t know who she¡¯d be meeting, after all, and it never hurt to be prepared to make a fantastic first impression. She hummed to herself as she did her hair and makeup, excited by the prospect of seeing her baby boy and what he¡¯d done with himself over the past few months. Idly, she wondered what Vee¡¯s hair looked like ¨C he had a bad habit of letting it grow into a tangled mess if left to his own devices ¨C and smiled at her own preoccupation with something so mundane.
Edukaiser was pacing back and forth by the time she was done ¨C the sun had been up for almost half an hour by this point ¨C and she grumbled something that Emma pretended not to hear before tucking Tyrion¡¯s letter into her bag and leaving their room.
Despite the early hour, the streets were crowded beyond belief, and Emma quickly found herself frustrated by their slow progress toward Westown. She did her best to dodge spears and swords when they inadvertently crossed her path, but the adventurers carrying them were terribly inconsiderate, and Emma was almost nicked more than once. Each time she came close to danger, a blazing spark appeared in Edukaiser¡¯s eyes. Moving rapidly, the armorsoul would grab the offending person and yank them toward her to deliver a few choice whispers. Emma didn¡¯t hear them, but she could guess as to their contents, because without fail the adventurer in question would be profusely apologizing and begging her for forgiveness. Of course, she gave it each time, and Edukaiser shrank back into place behind her.
Unfortunately, despite Edukaiser¡¯s best efforts, the pair reached a clog of people that simply refused to move a few blocks away from the gate to Westown. By this time, Emma had decided that she¡¯d had enough of all the pushing, shoving, and coarse language and gestured for Edukaiser to follow her into a nearby alley.
¡°There¡¯s bound to be a short cut or something through here,¡± the [Socialite] said. ¡°If we stay in this mess we¡¯ll be here all day.¡±
¡°As you say, milady.¡±
The alley was relatively clear of people, and Emma relished the sensation of having her personal space restored. Interestingly, as she maneuvered through the twists and turns that would ¨C she hoped ¨C take her closer to the Westown gate, she noticed that there was less and less trash strewn about. The streets looked like they¡¯d been swept, scrubbed and scraped. While they weren¡¯t exactly the pinnacle of cleanliness, they weren¡¯t offensive in the same way that many of Oar¡¯s Crests others were either. Emma thought it slightly strange that alleys, of all places, had been given so much attention, but she was also relieved that at least somewhere in this city had been attended to. It meant that there was hope for the rest.
Unfortunately, her mental model of how the city was arranged didn¡¯t turn out to be correct. Instead of the nice straight lines of Bardis alleys, where you could be reasonably certain of where you¡¯d come out if you had a decent idea of the city around you, the alleys of Oar¡¯s Crest were chaotic and sprawling. They led to random places, or to nowhere at all which meant frustrating backtracks to the previous turn and going the opposite direction. On three separate occasions Emma felt like she was right on the verge of returning to the main street only to find herself in yet another pocket of the city that she hadn¡¯t been expecting, which galled her.
¡°Milady, perhaps we should turn back and simply wait through the crowd,¡± Edukaiser suggested. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that we¡¯re not accomplishing anything here but wasting time. The young master¡¯s speech is due to start anytime.¡±
Emma bit her lip, agreeing with the armorsoul on one hand but also somewhat curious about where the next turn led as well. Inspiration tended to lurk in the places you least expected to find it, and Emma was a strong believer in allowing herself to meander ¡°aimlessly¡± from time to time. Some of her best work had been born that way.
Admittedly, in her heart of hearts she wasn¡¯t entirely sure that she believed there were masterpieces waiting to be discovered amongst the dilapidated doors and windows, nor in the chipped and peeling paint of the statues and flowerpots that were everywhere. But that was part of the fun too. Sometimes, oddly, failure was its own reward.
¡°We¡¯ll just walk faster and I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll all work out,¡± Emma said with a smile. ¡°Surely we¡¯ll find a way out to the main street eventually, right?¡±
¡°Without a doubt, milady,¡± Edukaiser said, her voice tinged with the barest hint of skepticism. Emma ignored her and pressed on, turning this way and that as one alley led into another.
She wondered if this was how adventurers felt when they climbed down into dungeons. Did their heartbeats quicken at the thought of not knowing what was around the next corner? Or, instead, did they enter a state of emotionless focus, the way she sometimes did in the middle of a long painting session. Perhaps she¡¯d ask a few once the runs started up and see what they said. Maybe she could even glean some inspiration from their words. That¡¯d be nice.
A strange, squelching sound up ahead prompted Emma to stop, while Edukaiser stepped forward and rolled her pauldrons. The armorsoul¡¯s posture remained relaxed, but Emma knew her companion well enough to know that her guardian was ready to spring into action at a moment¡¯s notice should the need arise.
Something moved in the shadows on the far end of the alley and Edukaiser raised her right gauntlet.
¡°Remain where you are, milady.¡±
Craning her neck, Emma did her best to look and see what the source of the sound was, but all she could see was a slithering blob thing that was huddled down next to the ground.
She took a step left and stared past Edukaiser¡¯s arm. Scratch her original thought. It wasn¡¯t a slithering blob thing, it was actually a trio of slithering blob things. How had she failed to see that before?
The trio moved back and forth, as if they were looking for something, and then to Emma¡¯s surprise ¨C and mild horror ¨C they merged back together into a solitary creature.
¡°What is that?¡± she hissed.
¡°I thought it was some sort of slime at first,¡± Edukaiser said, ¡°but slimes don¡¯t recombine so easily, so instead I think it might be a golem. I don¡¯t think we are in any particular danger though, so we can safely walk past them. Follow me closely. They don¡¯t seem hostile to me, but if they get too close to us before we pass I will eliminate them.¡±
Nodding wordlessly, Emma fell into step behind the armorsoul, who walked with the calm, collected confidence of someone who is more than equipped to handle the situation they face.
When they got closer to the golems, more and more of their features became visible. They were made of mud, and looked rather old, if the cracks around their joints were any indication. Their only facial features were small, misshapen eyes that brought the image of holes poked into a ball of dough by a mischievous child to mind.
They made no sounds other than a low, constant gurgle, and left a trail of muck in their wake. Thankfully they didn¡¯t seem to move toward Emma or Edukaiser, and the lady Vales almost thought they were going to get through without issue.
Alas, around the next corner were a dozen more of the little mud golems, and this time they didn¡¯t seem inclined to ignore the pedestrians. A kitrekin stepped out of the shadows with a wicked smile on his face.
¡°Sorry, lady. This isn¡¯t anything personal, eh? You just look like you¡¯ve got plenty of fleurs. [Combine]!¡±
The smallest of the golems shivered and slammed into each other, congealing into an oblong mass without any eyes or limbs to speak of. The larger golems followed in turn, until the entire group was replaced by a single monstrosity that was two helmets taller than Edukaiser.
Unlike the little golems that¡¯d given birth to this one, the big golem had a gaping maw in addition to a pair of spiral eyes. Its arms were far too long for its height, and looked even longer on account of the creature¡¯s hunched posture.
Making a wet, gurgling sound, the big golem raised one of its arms and brought it down toward Edukaiser.
Snorting, the armorsoul raised her left gauntlet and stopped the blow with ease.
¡°Such arrogance.¡±
The golem strained, trying to free its arm, but Edukaiser held it fast. A lazy sweep of Edukaiser¡¯s free gauntlet later and the golem¡¯s arm was separated from its shoulder.
¡°Did you really think we would be such easy prey? Insolent child. I faced dragons and [Dark Wizards] before you were born,¡± Edukaiser said quietly as she tossed the severed arm to the side. It melted into a puddle of mud as soon as it hit the ground.
Edukaiser stepped forward, her pauldrons chipping away to form a cloud of steel that hovered near her helmet.
¡°I have traded blows with [Fallen Heroes] and survived hundreds of battlefields,¡± she said. ¡°I crossed both the Infernal Expanse and the Twilight Bliss, and emerged with hardly a scratch.¡±
She started punching, and each of her blows sent great chunks from the golem¡¯s body flying into the alley. ¡°I¡¯ve climbed three of the Night Towers, and helped retrieve a {Pearl of Heart} from the Coral of the |Crimson Tidesinger|. Who are you to make such a threat against my lady?¡±
Standing a safe distance away from the melee, Emma couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. For all that Edukaiser whined about Alforde¡¯s flair for the dramatic, the old armorsoul would have been right at home at any [Bard] contest. Three of the Night Towers and the Coral of the |Crimson Tidesinger|, indeed! Everyone knew those were just children¡¯s tales!
Although¡Emma didn¡¯t hear even the slightest hint of untruth in the armorsoul¡¯s words, and to be fair Tyrion had said that ¨C
Not important, Emma decided, shaking her head. The present demanded her attention; there¡¯d be time to think about the past in the future.
The kitrekin, for what it was worth, seemed to believe Edukaiser wholeheartedly. He flexed his paws back and forth, summoning more mud golems in an attempt to undo the damage being done, but there was no way he could keep up with the armorsoul¡¯s barrage. His golem broke and dwindled, turning into little more than a gooey mess and leaving the [Summoner] with few options and even fewer good ones.
He brought his paws together, and a pool of mud formed at his feet.
¡°[Mud Portal]¡± he said, sliding down into the ground. However, just before he vanished, a small blue bolt flew through the air and struck him in the arm. He snarled and tried to remove it, but it remained where it was until the kitrekin vanished.
Without their summoner, the last remnants of the golems melted away and Edukaiser¡¯s pauldrons reformed a few seconds later. She relaxed, lowering her gauntlets to her sides before turning to Emma and bowing low.
¡°Are you alright, milady?¡±
Emma nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you. Are you injured at all?¡±
Edukaiser laughed. ¡°I would melt myself down if such a foe was capable of injuring me. I regret that it took me so long to make that mangy kitrekin flee, and fear that we¡¯ll be late for your son¡¯s speech. If you¡¯d like, I can carry you back the way we came. I mean no offense, but I can move faster than you can.¡±
Before Emma could answer, a voice overhead cried, ¡°I think he was down here, come on!¡±
Two young women, ¨C one dressed in blue, white, and silver and the other in various shades of orange, brown, and red ¨C wearing peculiar hats landed on the ground next to Emma and Edukaiser. They were both armed. The girl in blue held icicles in both of her hands, and the girl in orange carried a lance. Or a spear. Emma had never been entirely sure what the difference between the two was.
They were both breathing hard as they swept their gazes up and down the street.
¡°Do you see him?¡± the girl in orange asked.
¡°No, I think I lost him,¡± replied the girl in blue. ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure I hit him with that [Icicle Dart] and we can track him with that.¡±
Nodding, the girl in orange turned to Emma and tipped her hat. When she straightened back up, Emma saw that the girl¡¯s pupils were strange; they looked like pumpkins. More, when she walked forward and offered her hand, the air became sweet. Cinnamon, cloves, and other fall spices filled Emma¡¯s nose, making her feel like she was relaxing in front of the fire back at home with a blank canvas or three and no afternoon plans.
¡°Are you alright?¡± the girl asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that we weren¡¯t able to stop the golems before they accosted you.¡±
¡°My lady is fine, Witch,¡± Edukaiser snapped. ¡°We seek no bargains nor boons, so begone.¡±
¡°Hey! There¡¯s no need to be rude,¡± the girl in blue ¨C another Witch? ¨C snapped. ¡°Luna was just asking if you two were okay.¡±
Edukaiser stiffened once more, surely about to say something more, but running a hand through her hair, Emma shook her head.
¡°Calm down Edukaiser. These girls mean me no harm.¡±
¡°Witches cannot be trusted, milady. They lie in the same way that you breathe. They are evil without fail.¡±
¡°Cannot be trusted? Evil without fail? Piper¡¯s cat, what century are you stuck in, you shiny rustbucket?¡± the girl in blue hissed.
Bit of a nonsensical insult, that one was.
¡°Don¡¯t get worked up Holly,¡± the girl in orange ¨C Luna ¨C said with a smile. ¡°We have no quarrel with these travelers.¡±
The girl in blue snorted and folded her arms across her chest. Luna raised an eyebrow and Holly closed her eyes.
Ignoring her companion, Luna said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe, madam. My name is Luna Redhenny, and indeed I am a [Pumpkin Witch]. My companion Holly is a Witch too. It¡¯s just the two of us for now, but I guess we¡¯re the Oar¡¯s Crest Coven. I promise we¡¯re not evil. We help the people of the city.¡±
¡°...only because you¡¯re a goody goody¡and crazy,¡± Holly muttered, shifting her weight to one leg. Spitting on the ground, she opened her eyes back up and glared over at Emma. ¡°Enough about us though. What brings you to Oar¡¯s Crest, lady? You don¡¯t look like the type to visit a place like this.¡±
¡°I¡¯m here to visit my son,¡± Emma answered. ¡°He¡¯s the¨C¡±
¨C Before she could continue though, Holly¡¯s eyes flashed and her mouth fell open.
¡°Ohmygawain ohmygawain ohmygawain¡you¡¯re his mom! Eek! You need to talk to Luna! For¡reasons. Important reasons. Armorsoul! Come here, now!¡±
¡°My name is Edukaiser,¡± Emma¡¯s companion said testily. ¡°And I¡¯ll be staying right here in case that kitrekin and his golems return to threaten my lady.¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid that for better or for worse he¡¯s gone and won¡¯t be back anytime soon,¡± Luna said. ¡°Each time we get close to catching him, he vanishes like that and it takes us days to track him down again.¡±
Edukaiser rolled her pauldrons and tilted her helmet. ¡°How many times has that happened?¡±
Luna shrugged. ¡°A couple dozen, easy.¡±
¡°I see. Such incompetence is to be expected of Witches.¡±
Holly bristled, her flicker of mischievous humor vanishing like ice on a hot sidewalk, and even Luna¡¯s smile faltered a bit.
Feeling like she was soothing hurt egos at a Bardis gala, Emma decided that it was as good a moment as any to step in and divert the conversation¡¯s direction. After all, some people just couldn¡¯t help themselves from making things worse and it fell to people like her to smooth things over lest things that couldn¡¯t be taken back get said. That was one of the most important duties of a [Socialite], or so Emma believed.
Tapping her throat to activate [Soothing Voice], she held up her hands and said, ¡°You mentioned that you should be able to track him with your magic, right? How long will that ability last?¡±
The words flowed out like water, warming the air and the atmosphere in an instant. Holly¡¯s face softened, as did Edukaiser¡¯s posture.
¡°An hour or so. Maybe two at the most?¡±
Emma looked over at Edukaiser and smiled. ¡°It sounds like these girls could use some help. Do you think you could capture him if you encountered him again?¡±
The armorsoul bowed. ¡°Without a shred of doubt, milady.¡±
Nodding, Emma gestured toward Holly. ¡°Please assist them, then.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t leave you by yourself, especially not in the wake of an attack, milady.¡±
¡°Luna can protect her!¡± Holly said quickly. ¡°She might not look like much, but she¡¯s really strong! I promise! Plus, there¡¯s the fact that ¨C¡±
She moved over to Edukaiser and stood up on her tiptoes, whispering something in the armorsoul¡¯s¡helmet. Edukaiser sighed.
¡°I see. I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m surprised.¡±
A conclusion was starting to form in the base of Emma¡¯s skull, and she trusted her instincts enough to run with it a bit.
¡°I¡¯d be most obliged if you escorted me to the Westown Gate,¡± the lady Vales said.
¡°Not so fast,¡± Edukaiser said, extending a gauntlet toward the [Pumpkin Witch]. ¡°Milady, your husband tasked me with your safety, and I do not trust the words of this Witch enough to entrust you to this slip of a girl. Give me your hand, Luna. I will see what you¡¯re made of for myself.¡±
Luna did as directed, and a long moment passed. Motes of gold and silver light played in the air around the Witch, as did a faint orange outline that looked like heavy armor to Emma¡¯s eyes.
Finally, Edukaiser shook her helmet and released Luna¡¯s hand. ¡°I suppose you will suffice, but know this, Witch. Should any harm befall my lady, I will tear this city down around your hat.¡±
Isn¡¯t that a little harsh? Emma thought, but she bit her lip and said nothing.
Luna simply nodded.
¡°Fear not, Edukaiser. I¡¯ll keep her safe.¡±
¡°Not that I¡¯m not dying to see how this shakes out,¡± Holly interrupted, ¡°but time is ticking and if we want to go catch that stupid kitrekin we should get moving. He¡¯s already several blocks away.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Edukaiser said, kneeling down. ¡°Hop onto my back, Witch. If you¡¯re convinced of your friend¡¯s strength, then I¡¯m sure that I can move faster than you. You point the way and I will close the distance.¡±
Holly looked like she wanted to protest, but that would have been rather hypocritical given her seeming interest in time, so while she grumbled about doing so, she climbed up onto Edukaiser¡¯s back.
It was something of a funny image, Emma thought, committing it to [Flash of Memory] so that she could sketch it later.
¡°That way,¡± Holly said, pointing down the next alley.
Without a word, Edukaiser took off running, moving far faster than a giant suit of armor had any right being.
When she and Holly were gone, Emma and Luna were left alone, and the [Pumpkin Witch] pointed toward another alley.
¡°This will get us to the Westown gate faster,¡± she said. ¡°Follow me, please.¡±
Any doubts about what Holly had been hinting at vanished as Emma walked alongside the [Pumpkin Witch] and noticed a tiny pink butterfly that seemed to be following them. From time to time it bobbed down and landed on Luna¡¯s hat before flitting away once again.
Emma couldn¡¯t help but smile. Infatuation. Oh, how she remembered those days.
Luna looked over furtively, a pinkish tinge appearing on her cheeks.
¡°Um,¡± she said. ¡°You mentioned your son earlier. Is he¡an adventurer here for the circuit?¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Emma said with a laugh. She decided to have a bit of fun with Luna, get the girl¡¯s measure.
¡°Though I must admit that¡¯d be quite the sight. My son¡¯s name is Vee, and he¡¯s the [Dungeon Master] here in Oar¡¯s Crest. Have you met him?¡±
Silence. Further blushing. A small nod.
¡°He¡¯s a..friend of mine.¡±
Feeling a little guilty ¨C the poor girl was clearly naive in matters of the heart ¨C Emma cocked an eyebrow and said, ¡°Is that all? Your friend¡¯s behavior gave me the impression that it¡¯s more.¡±
When Luna next met her eyes, Emma recognized the expression there all too well. It was the same look that she¡¯d doubtlessly had the first time she¡¯d met Gladfaye ¨C Tyrion¡¯s mother ¨C a mixture of surprise, fear, pride, and just a sprinkling of defiance. Emma¡¯s stomach twinged.
Had she ever been so young? It felt like both yesterday and forever ago that she¡¯d put on her best dress, agonized over her makeup, and gone to Meet Tyrion¡¯s Parents. How the woman had cackled!
¡°I suppose that¡¯s true,¡± Luna said. The butterfly landed on her hat once again and stayed there. ¡°But I¡¯m not really sure. We haven¡¯t exactly talked about it much, you know? Anyways, since you¡¯re here to watch his speech can I ask you a selfish question?¡±
An old habit took control of Emma¡¯s tongue. ¡°I don¡¯t know, can you?¡±
She softened the question by adding, ¡°You don¡¯t look like you have a selfish bone in your body.¡±
Luna shrugged. ¡°My da always said I could be selfish when it came to people I cared about.¡±
¡°What is it that you want to ask?¡±
Luna kicked a small pebble, sending it bouncing down the alley. She looked like she was having a hard time putting her thoughts together. Finally, she stiffened her shoulders and met Emma¡¯s gaze once again.
¡°Would you be willing to hold off on seeing Vee for a few days? He¡¯s put so much into this circuit and I want it to go well for him. Please?¡±
Hearing the girl¡¯s sincerity, Emma paused. Her mouth tightened and her voice grew cold.
¡°You¡¯d have me skip visiting my son, after I¡¯ve come all this way to do so?¡±
It was a challenge and both women knew it. To her credit, Luna didn¡¯t back down. The pumpkins in her eyes blazed, and the scent in the air grew almost uncomfortably strong.
¡°I would. After all this time apart, I don¡¯t think a few more days would hurt anything. He needs to focus on running the dungeon, and I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to do that if he knows you¡¯re here watching him.¡±
Emma folded her hands together and thought it over.
¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°But I¡¯d still like to hear his speech. Can you take me somewhere I can do that without him noticing?¡±
Luna smiled.
¡°Sure, that¡¯s easy enough. Here, give me your hand.¡±
Emma did so, and the [Pumpkin Witch] closed her eyes. She muttered something quietly, and a big green leaf popped out of the ground beneath their feet. It was connected to a vine that crawled its way up the nearest building, and then raised the women into the air like a pair of flying stairs would.
They climbed off on the nearest rooftop, and once again Emma thought it was marvelous how much difference a change in perspective could make. The rooftops spread out before her like a street of their own.
¡°Come on,¡± Luna said, pulling her forward. ¡°He¡¯ll never think to look up here.¡±
Emma thought of Tyrion¡¯s letter tucked away inside her bag.
She supposed it could wait a few days too.
Emma''s and Edukaiser''s Character Sheets
Emma¡¯s Character Sheet:
Primary Class: Loving Mother (Emory and Vee Vales), Level 42
Secondary Class: Artist (Claude Renwalgogh), Level 40
Tertiary Class: Loving Wife (Tyrion Vales), Level 26
Additional Class: Socialite (Self), Level 25
Additional Class: Philanthropist (Self), Level 24
Additional Class: Teacher (Halleghast University), Level 13
Might: 31
Wit: 125
Faith: 131
Charisma: 75
Eye For Color: 72
Perceptiveness: 88
Drive: 60
Organized: 39
Ambition: 37
Nurturing: 55
Judge Of Character: 70
Silliness: 13
Silent Strength: 100
Edukaiser¡¯s Character Sheet:
Edukaiser Armorsoul
-Worldweary-
-Faded Eminence-
Primary Class: Steelheart (Alloysia Moltenscales), Level 57* (Reduced by Faded Eminence and Worldweary)
Secondary Class: Right Hand Woman (Tyrion Vales), Level 55
Tertiary Class: Stalwart Companion (Marveil Newcastle), Level 48
Additional Class: Bodyguard (Tyrion Vales), Level 46
Additional Class: Roadside Philosopher (Self), Level 14
Might: 262* (Reduced by Worldweary)
Wit: 140
Faith: 100
Bravery: 232
Endurance: 182
Intimidating Presence: 166
Diligence: 104
Loyalty: 275
Flair For The Dramatic: 67
Adventurousness: 131
Volume 2 Chapter 111:
Vee stood up and stretched as the elkin left the dungeon. Oddly, he thought the adventurer¡¯s face looked peaceful, and his steps were far lighter than they¡¯d been at any point during his run. The elkin¡¯s fury, which had boiled just beneath the surface of his coat, was completely gone, and the [Dungeon Master] idly wondered what sort of revelation the adventurer had experienced in the depths of Crestheart.
Increasingly, Vee found himself intrigued by witnessing such things; it seemed that many adventurers were inspired to greater feats of self-assessment by going into dungeons. At least, the ones in Crestheart did. Maybe that wasn¡¯t the case for every dungeon; Vee would have to ask some other [Dungeon Masters] to see if the experience was universal or specific. If it was the latter ¨C a possibility that Vee¡¯s rational mind couldn¡¯t wholly entertain ¨C perhaps that was something he could lean into more heavily with marketing materials aimed at enticing more out of town adventurers to come and run Crestheart.
Yawning, Vee shook his head and pushed the thought from his mind. It, like so many other things, could be considered and given the proper amount of time later. For now he had to stay focused on getting through the next few days and making sure that Crestheart made a good impression as part of the development committee circuit.
As such, he sat back down and went through his now familiar routine for getting the dungeon ready for the next run. He reset dials and switches, directed his [Dungeon Maintainers] to replace some tiles and traps that Yensin had damaged, used [Walking Walls] to return the ¡°squishing¡± hallway to its normal configuration, and went to reconfigure his minion packs.
¡°Huh,¡± he said as he peered through the magnification crystal. ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡±
¡°What¡¯s weird, boss?¡±
¡°A bunch of these refill rooms aren¡¯t as full as they should be,¡± Vee said. ¡°I¡¯ve found two now that are missing some ghosts, and another that¡¯s completely devoid of slimes.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Are there enough minions in the dungeon¡¯s main storage to cover the shortfalls or are we going to have to get creative?¡±
Having to do that sounded like a terrible idea, Vee thought, all the rules and regulations he¡¯d regarded about ¡°fair contests¡± running through his mind. Especially since the [Agents] were still sitting behind him. Sure, they¡¯d said that they were there mostly to keep an eye on [Dungeon Champion] bouts, but was that really true? Vee snuck a peek back, and was relieved to see that the [Agents] were still engrossed in their card game. Neither gave any indication that they were paying attention to what was actually happening in Crestheart, and Vee hoped it stayed that way.
Giving Reginald a look that the hat acknowledged with a wink, Vee said, ¡°I¡¯ll check with Do and have him bring some minions up for now. It¡¯s just weird that we¡¯re so low since I even went ahead and added some extra to each refill room.¡±
¡°I was wondering if there were more full clears than normal or if I was just imagining things,¡± Reginald said.
Vee nodded. ¡°Same. I¡¯ll have Cecil do a comparison on how many minions are destroyed each run after today is finished and we can compare it to our historical average to see if it¡¯s actually higher. Maybe I just miscounted on my initial stocking plans.¡±
¡°Could be. We were running up pretty close to the deadline,¡± the [Majordomo] said with a grin. ¡°That¡¯s something we should probably work on too, boss. Making sure that we¡¯ve got plenty of time to do everything we need to without having to panic and rush.¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Vee said. ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡±
Their conversation was interrupted by the next adventurer, a scrawny mustachioed fellow carrying a large sack, who stepped up to the front door of Crestheart. He carefully set his bag down before raising his hands overhead and opening his mouth.
His voice came through the magnifying crystal.
¡°Adventurers, spectators, if I could have just a moment of your time?¡±
There was a crowd of people right in front of the door, and sure enough a few heads turned toward the adventurer.
¡°Whaddya want?¡± someone hollered.
The adventurer bowed. ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll keep this short! My name is Benardo Torres, and I am going to change the world!¡±
While his proclamation failed to bring forth any sort of enthusiasm, he continued on undaunted. ¡°For the past several months, I have been working hard on an invention. An invention that will bring about a change. An invention that will redefine how we adventurers go through dungeons. An invention that will change what it means to be an adventurer! Allow me to present¡the omniweapon!¡±
At the device¡¯s name, he grabbed the top of his sack and threw it open, revealing a towering bronze object that looked like¡
Looked like¡
Well, to tell the truth, it looked like a big bronze coat rack that someone had glued a bunch of knobs and gears to. Vee tilted his head to one side. Was this some sort of abstract sculpture that one needed to have the ¡°proper perspective¡± ¨C a fancy way of saying drunk ¨C in order to appreciate?
He was relieved when the crowd largely seemed to be reacting the same way he was. If it was such a groundbreaking device, it certainly didn¡¯t look like one.
Benardo picked the device up and strapped it to his back. ¡°Behold! I shall use this device in my run and should you find yourself interested in purchasing one for yourself, I will be available after I emerge victoriously. This price is unbeatable! Only a single gold fleur!¡±
¡°There¡¯s no way a single person is going to buy one,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Is this guy crazy?¡±
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Looking down at the adventurer¡¯s application ¨C mostly to read his last name once again ¨C Vee couldn¡¯t help but feel that the answer to that question was, probably, yes. At least a little bit. Torres wasn¡¯t exactly a common name, and the propensity for exaggeration alongside the mustache were pretty strong indicators that this¡level 16 [Overtinker] was probably related to his [Stationer] acquaintance, who certainly walked to the beat of his own drum.
Vee still had two charges of [Boost Drops] left, but he refrained from using one as Bernardo entered the dungeon. Something told him that the invention on the man¡¯s back wouldn¡¯t end up being quite the incredible device its maker claimed it was.
He almost didn¡¯t get the chance to find out, for Bernardo displayed almost immediately that he really was more of a thinker than a fighter by almost getting eliminated by the first volley of skeleton mage fire in the dungeon¡¯s first room. Holding his stomach, Bernardo fell down onto his rump and pulled the omniweapon off his back. He fussed with a few of the knobs and dials, unfolding a set of bronze feet that formed a tripod on the ground. A twist of a big gear rotated the top of the weapon¡¯s head, revealing a long tube and a glowing red socketed crystal.
Grinning like a madman, Bernardo pulled on the back of the omniweapon and sent a barrage of fireballs into the walls where Vee¡¯s skeleton mages were hiding. Parts of the walls were blown to smithereens, and Vee winced at the upcoming repair costs.
The fireballs made short work of the first room, and Bernardo spent the next few minutes turning the omniweapon back into its original form.
¡°That was more potent than I was expecting, but it¡¯s rather fussy, isn¡¯t it?¡± Reginald asked. ¡°Takes a long time to set up and take down. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to have much fun in melee combat with it.¡±
Sure enough, in the next room Bernardo manipulated a different set of gears and knobs to turn the weapon¡¯s top into a long flat facsimile of an axehead. Due to his scrawny frame though, he struggled to swing it. After a few awkward blows, he dropped it on the ground once again and tried to repeat the same trick he¡¯d used in the first room. Unfortunately for him though, the skeleton knights attacking him didn¡¯t back off to give him time and space to use it, and he was defeated a few seconds later.
¡°So much for changing the world,¡± Reginald said.
Vee couldn¡¯t help but agree.
***
Finally, the day¡¯s runs came to an end and Vee slumped back in his seat. He reached up and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow; he was exhausted and wished that he could go home early to sleep.
Alas, duty called, and after bidding farewell to the [Agents] Vee headed down into the depths of the dungeon. Summoning both Do and his [Excellent Spreadsheet], Vee decided to take a closer look at Crestheart¡¯s minion situation.
The refill chambers connected to the dungeon¡¯s main rooms were depleted, and the situation was worse than Vee had expected. He¡¯d been prepared to see numbers as low as half or even a quarter of his starting amount, but a majority of the rooms were filled with only no more than single digit numbers of ghosts, slimes, and elementals. The lone bright spot was the skeletons, who were wholly intact thanks to the strange bonds formed by their burgeoning shaman.
Thankfully the main storage room was in much better condition. Though the number of minions inside was also lower than Vee would have liked to see, he wasn¡¯t worried that they were in immediate danger of running out of minions.
Closing his eyes, Vee reached through his bond to Dandelion and asked the fiend to have Kai bring as many slimes, and elementals to the dungeon as they could before the next day¡¯s runs started. Dandelion assented, and though Vee was still somewhat stressed out he was increasingly confident that this shortage could be managed.
At least for the next day or two. If the adventurers kept on burning through his minions at the pace they had been so far¡there might end up being a problem.
Turning over possible courses of action in his mind, Vee decided to try and see why they were suddenly so short.
¡°Cecil, I¡¯d like you to compare how often we¡¯ve had full clear runs over the past few days versus our normal rate, please.¡±
The spreadsheet sparkled and hummed for a moment.
¡°By floor or in total?¡±
¡°Both,¡± Vee said.
Another few moments of humming later, Cecil made a loud sound and said, ¡°The first floor rate over the past few days is nearly ninety percent. On average, adventurers in Crestheart full clear the first floor of the dungeon sixty one percent of the time. For the second floor, recent runs have full cleared seventy three percent of the time compared to the average of forty nine. The third floor is even more divergent, with recent attempts full clearing fifty two percent of the time compared to the average of sixteen percent.¡±
Vee blinked. Well, that explained a lot. It also meant that he had to dramatically increase his minion production if he didn¡¯t want to run out in the next day or so.
Turning to Do, Vee asked, ¡°How bad are the repairs? Do you think we¡¯ll need to procure more material to keep the tiles in good working order?¡±
Do shook its head. ¡°Fear not, Master. My team and I prepared quite the surplus of extra tiles so we are in good shape. Even though we are going through them faster than normal, we shouldn¡¯t run into any issues like running out.¡±
Well that was good. Thanking the fiend for its foresight, Vee dismissed Cecil and decided to head up to his workshop to start making replacement ghosts. Although, even as he climbed the stairs to do so, he feared that he wouldn¡¯t be able to make enough ghosts to keep up with the demand.
Standing in front of the first ectoplasm press, Vee brought his hand up to his chin and thought. How could he improve his workflow to make it faster?
The Expectation wriggled around his shoulders.
Main Character sheets (Unchanged From Chapter 109):
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 40
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 17
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 21
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 6
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 112:
Vee sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve really got to stop doing that,¡± he said quietly, activating [Third Sight] so that he could properly see the snake dragon around his shoulders. ¡°I know that you can talk, so if there¡¯s something you want to say to me, you should just do that instead of forcing me to try and discern what you desire by interpreting your wiggles. I¡¯m no expert on dragon body language.¡±
The Expectation shivered but remained silent, and Vee clenched his jaw, irritated. Why was this spirit such an annoyance? Nearly every other spirit he¡¯d encountered ¨C especially those he¡¯d added to his orchestra ¨C had basically fallen over themselves to do as he wished. Only the Expectation continued to act as it wished.
Was it something to do with the fact that it was a dragon? The truth of those creatures was obscured by centuries of tall tales. Some accounts described dragons as monstrous, yet majestic beings, with the knowledge of all languages and secrets of the world. In those tales they were almost worth being worshipped like the gods themselves, a state they seemed to revel in. Other stories painted them as weak, cruel things. Lesser tricksters who put on airs above their stations and made themselves sick with their love of gold. This theory was partially supported by those few who managed to attain the +Blessing of the Wyrm+, as they tended to be consumed by covetousness.
Vee rubbed his chin, thinking. While those two were far from the only descriptions of dragons that he could easily call to mind, a common thread of how to deal with the beasts existed. Like many creatures, dragons respected strength, and for better or worse he was the Expectation¡¯s master. He might as well throw his weight around a little bit.
Summoning his strongest voice, Vee straightened up and said, ¡°Expectation, move to somewhere I can take a proper look at you, and if there¡¯s something on your mind tell me what it is. I command you!¡±
That last bit sounded a little silly to his ears, but to his surprise there was a shift in both the ethereal and the real as the Expectation started slowly unfurling itself from his shoulders.
¡°As you wish, my liege.¡±
Vee noticed the difference in the way the spirit addressed him compared to the rest of his orchestra but said nothing. The process took longer than the [Ghost Maestro] expected; it was certainly slower than when it¡¯d put itself there and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the spirit had grown since.
As it stretched to its full size, Vee took in the way its appearance had subtly changed. Its scales were hexagon-shaped now, and they were a riot of every shade of blue imaginable. Flickering light danced across them from the beast¡¯s head to its tail, moving so fast that it took Vee a few seconds to realize that they were the words he¡¯d first seen on the beast. The hopes, wishes, and dreams that gave the spirit its reason for existence; the things that made it an Expectation.
Vee shivered. There were a lot more of them now.
Safety.
Somewhere I can make a name for myself.
Markets full of exotic fruits and vegetables from all across the continent.
A place with [Healers] who can cure my son.
These, and many others that touched on similar thoughts and ideas swirled across the Expectation¡¯s scales. The creature¡¯s eyes burned like briers as its face drew close to Vee¡¯s own.
¡°There is a way for you to speed your task considerably.¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? And what might that be?¡±
¡°Should you choose to upgrade your class and select [Ghost Artificer], your ability to mass produce ghosts would increase rapidly. Beyond the immediate benefits, as you leveled the class further you¡¯d be able to automate your production considerably, which would prevent you from facing potential shortages like this in the future.¡±
That was true. Of the three options he¡¯d been given, [Ghost Artificer] was definitely the one he¡¯d been leaning most toward. It aligned with his needs and his lifestyle, and there were dozens of ways that ectoplasmic machinery could help him with his dungeon building goals.
¡°I admit that I don¡¯t know much about how [Ghost Artificers] work,¡± Vee said. ¡°And I find it somewhat curious that you do.¡±
The Expectation smiled. ¡°I know many things, my liege. My kind are attuned to the river of knowledge that spans all time, and free to drink from it whenever we wish. I have studied much since awakening.¡±
¡°Then tell me about what I might experience, if I decide to take your advice.¡±
¡°Of course. [Ghost Artificers] build and maintain devices that rely on ectoplasm to function. You know this already, my liege, but there is more to it than you probably understand.¡±
¡°And what might that be?¡±
¡°A servant skill that is usually gained within the first five levels of activating the class. It is called [Transmute Assessor], and it converts a ghost under your command into a spirit of tinkering that can provide you with a basic framework for designing a device to solve any problem you give it. Automation of existing machines, for example, would be child¡¯s play for it.¡±
Vee frowned. That sounded¡somewhat sinister, actually. ¡°Converts? What manner of ghost? Just a mindless drone like the ones in the dungeon?¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid not, my liege. The spirit would have to be one that you have a bond with. A member of your orchestra would serve nicely. They would, of course, lose their personality as it is, but I¡¯m sure that you would find the trade off more than worth it.¡±
¡°I am uncomfortable with such a plan,¡± Vee said reflexively.
¡°Why? Many of your medium section fiends lack a proper purpose, my liege.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°Your minions exist to serve. Not wanting them to do so is irrational.¡±
Vee clenched his hand into a fist. ¡°Would any other [Ghost Artificer] skills require similar¡service?¡±
¡°Many of the higher level ones, yes. Unlike [Ghost Maestros], [Ghost Artificers] see spirits and ghosts as parts. As fuel to be used as needed.¡±
He was increasingly ill at ease with the cold and uncaring way the Expectation seemed to think, though his rational mind supposed that it was just the beast¡¯s nature and not any sort of malice. Another aspect of dragons that appeared across most of their stories was the simple fact that they were the ultimate utilitarians ¨C that was part of why they¡¯d been unable to peacefully coexist with people in the first place ¨C and expectations of the normal kind had a way of being indifferent as well. That last thought brought an image of Vee¡¯s father to his mind for a moment, though the [Ghost Maestro] banished it quickly enough.
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He shook his head. ¡°Then I will not become a [Ghost Artificer]. Sacrificing my orchestra in the name of efficiency does not sit well with me. I will find other ways to improve my operations once the circuit is done, but for now it seems I must content myself with making ghosts the way I know how. If there¡¯s nothing else you wish to say to me, Expectation, I shall be about my work.¡±
The Expectation bowed its head. Its expression was lopsided, somewhat embarrassed, as if it hadn¡¯t expected Vee to push back against its suggestion. ¡°Of course. I simply wished to offer advice in the hopes of easing your burden, my liege. The gains in efficiency from taking my suggested course are considerable, and I can sense that you are fatigued from your efforts. If you would only consider it more carefully I¡¯m sure that you would ¨C¡±
¡°I appreciate the gesture,¡± Vee said, interrupting with an upraised hand. ¡°But I believe that there are some means that can¡¯t be justified by their ends. I will find a better way. Do not mention this to me again.¡±
¡°I see. I will remember that going forward.¡±
[Determination +1]
[Leadership +1]
Vee deactivated [Third Sight] and the Expectation returned to its familiar perch. In the wake of that conversation, Veee wasn¡¯t so sure that he liked this Expectation around his shoulders. That was an alien sensation for the [Ghost Maestro]; he had a hard time thinking of other spirits that had so rubbed him the wrong way.
Vee stood still for a moment before shaking his head and getting on with it. He had work to do and he could muddle through his thoughts and feelings later. Taking a deep breath, Vee looked at his machines and the piles of refined ectoplasm on the floor in the workroom. The snake dragon had been right in one regard: he was tired and making ghosts would only make him more so.
However, that didn¡¯t mean that he needed to take the first easy solution that presented itself to him. Rortenferry had made the machines, and he wasn¡¯t a [Ghost Artificer]. Like many things, there was probably knowledge that existed independently of any class, and Vee could learn it if he took the time and made the effort to do so.
After the circuit was finished, of course. Everything else could wait until then. Just a few more days.
Grabbing his templates and a few blocks of ectoplasm, Vee activated the first machine and got to work. He pulled the levers and twisted gears, falling into a familiar pattern of movements almost instantly and feeling a warm glow of satisfaction in his stomach as his ghosts came into being. A few times, he felt the Expectation shifting, but it was only the restlessness of sleep and nothing more significant. The snake-dragon did not speak again.
Vee¡¯s thoughts started to drift, and he found himself thinking about his medium section. The Expectation had also been right that most of them lacked a proper purpose. Dandelion seemed to be thriving as Kai¡¯s apprentice. Could another perhaps serve as his own? What would such a thing even look like?
While he was strictly opposed to ¡°transmuting¡± a member of his medium section into something that no longer resembled itself, was that the same thing as teaching and training one to take a role with more responsibilities? He didn¡¯t think so.
At the same time though, none of the fiends seemed interested in working Vee¡¯s machines. Dandelion had sought out plants and flowers; it had shown signs of burgeoning Green Spirit of its own accord. Perhaps that initiative was the crucial part?
If so, he could give them a chance to display their own now.
Closing his eyes, Vee reached through his bonds and summoned the six members of his medium section who weren¡¯t Dandelion. He continued working while he waited for them to arrive, going through the now well-practiced motions with ever greater efficiency. Using the machines was kind of like playing an instrument, he realized, though he¡¯d never gotten much further with one of those than awkwardly plinking away at a few guitar chords as a teenager. His hands knew where to go of their own accord, and there was a rhythm to his every movement.
It was, in a way, beautiful.
Eventually, the members of his medium section arrived and stood before him. Like the other sections of his orchestra, their appearance was different than it¡¯d been when he¡¯d first recruited them to his service. However, unlike the [Dungeon Maintainers] and the Light Section, whose forms were increasingly tailored to their tasks, the medium section remained somewhat amorphous. Their limbs shifted in size from moment to moment, and their faces still bore the sharp, monstrous features that inspired terror in so many Oar¡¯s Crest citizens.
¡°How may we be of service?¡± a fiend asked. Also unlike the [Dungeon Maintainers] and the Light Section, the remaining Medium Section members didn¡¯t have names.
¡°I¡¯d like you all to look at these,¡± Vee said, gesturing to the machines. He wasn¡¯t sure if this would work, but figured that it was worth a try. ¡°Do any of you feel anything staring at them? Does the sight of the work inspire any interest? Any desire?¡±
A moment passed, and then two and so on. None of the fiends said anything, and Vee started to think that his idea of awakening something akin to Dandelion¡¯s desire to work with plants had been in vain.
However, just as Vee was about to dismiss them back to their nebulous suite of duties, the smallest of their number stepped forward. It pointed at the trio of gears on Vee¡¯s biggest machine.
¡°Am curious about those,¡± it said. Its voice was soft and raspy, as if it didn¡¯t get much use.
Vee grinned. ¡°Excellent. Then stay here, and I will show you how they work,¡± he said. ¡°The rest of you are free to return to what you were doing when I summoned you.¡±
The fiends bowed and disappeared, leaving Vee alone with the one who¡¯d stepped forward. Vee gestured for his minion to approach, and the fiend did so. As it walked, Vee noticed a tiny spark of something blossoming in its gaze. It was delicate, he sensed.
I need to be careful, he thought. Pushing too hard or too fast would be like a strong gust or a spurt of rain; it would extinguish the fiend¡¯s desire.
However, if he nudged it gently but firmly, it would work like a steady breath helped start a campfire.
¡°For now, I just want you to watch,¡± Vee said. ¡°Pay attention to what I do and memorize each step, okay?¡±
¡°Understood, master.¡±
Vee picked up the next block of ectoplasm and fed it into the first machine. Another thought struck him as he did so.
¡°And also,¡± Vee said. ¡°While you¡¯re doing that, I want you to think of a name for yourself. Something that you¡¯d like me to call you.¡±
He had a feeling that was important.
The fiend pointed at the trio of gears again. ¡°What are those called?¡±
¡°Gears. Cogs,¡± Vee said.
The fiend nodded.
¡°Like sound of that. Cog.¡±
¡°Cog it is then,¡± Vee said, pulling the flat sheet of ectoplasm free and sliding it onto the second machine, where it would start to be shaped into the body of a ghost. ¡°This is how we make ghosts for the dungeon.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 32
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 40
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 17
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 22 (+1)
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7 (+1)
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 113:
Cog was an attentive, if quiet listener. The fiend simply stood still and watched Vee work, its presence serving as a great inspiration for the [Dungeon Master] to narrate his every action. In addition to detailing the processes he hoped that Cog could eventually help him with, talking out loud also gave Vee a chance to reflect on his current setup and find places he could make efficiency improvements.
As it stood now, it took the [Ghost Maestro] between four and six minutes to make a full batch of six basic ghosts. He didn¡¯t think that was a terrible amount of time, per se, but even shaving a handful of seconds off that number would mean a substantial increase in the amount of ghosts he could make in any given session.
The helmet ghosts were significantly slower, taking ten minutes for a batch of four. That was because one of Vee¡¯s machines for making them required two adjustments mid batch. He had to grab a lever and pull it so that a rod of ectoplasm would move down and punch out the helmet¡¯s eyes. Surely there were changes that could speed this up, Vee thought.
One of the biggest timesinks was the actual physical process of carrying his sheets of ectoplasm from one machine to the next. There were several steps of space between them, and Vee wondered if he could move the machines closer together to cut that time down. He tested his weight against the machine he was working with and frowned. It didn¡¯t budge.
That was fine; Vee had Alforde and the [Dungeon Maintainers] for heavy work like that. Still, he would have liked to have had something he could do now.
With the turn of a big crank, Vee finished a batch of helmets and watched them roll down the small ramp onto the floor. Now that was an idea, actually. Could he add other ramps to his setup so that ghosts in progress could seamlessly move from one station to another?
The more he looked at his machines, the more Vee became convinced that such a thing was not only possible, but intended. There were several jutting shelf-looking things on the end of each machine where the ghosts came out after being finished, as if Rortenferry had planned for Vee to discover this opportunity and address it at a later date. Vee smiled. Hiding a lesson in plain sight sounded exactly like something his old [Professor] would do.
He was somewhat pressed for time, but getting this into place would hopefully speed up the rest of his work. Pinching his thumb and forefinger together, Vee activated [Shape Ectoplasm] and grabbed a few blocks of refined ectoplasm. Using his [Ghost Baton] as something of a ruler, Vee stretched and shaped the material into a series of long, flat sheets that he used to connect each machine to the next in the sequence. Getting them to move on their own required a bit of finagling, but it wasn¡¯t too bad. They were rough and flimsier than they probably should have been, but for now they were just a proof of concept and Vee didn¡¯t want to give them any more time than necessary. He¡¯d come back and make better ones once he got the machines rearranged to his liking.
An odd thought filled his mind. He remembered hearing about how apprentice [Smiths] of all kinds weren¡¯t allowed to start working for themselves until they showed their masters that they were capable of making their own tools. Was this the same sort of thing?
Maybe? That was something to think about later.
¡°Do you have any questions so far?¡± he asked Cog. ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to explain anything that you¡¯re curious about.¡±
Cog started to shake its head but stopped. It pointed to the crowd of ghosts aimlessly bobbing around near the end of the last machine and said, ¡°Messy, no? Proper storage technique?¡±
Vee¡¯s cheeks flushed. Muttering to himself, he scurried over to where the ghosts were and started squishing them down into their smallest size, which was a little box.
¡°It¡¯s a bit like folding up a shirt,¡± he said to Cog by way of explanation, only to be greeted by quite possibly the blankest stare Vee had ever seen. Right. Fiend. Probably not a lot of experience with folding. Or shirts.
¡°Come here,¡± Vee said with what he hoped was an encouraging smile. ¡°This is pretty simple, and then you can fold up the ghosts and keep watching while I make the rest, okay?¡±
Cog nodded, approaching slowly. It was a bit clumsy in how it handled the ectoplasm, probably because it wasn¡¯t used to controlling its strength all that well.
Vee winced when two helmets snapped under the fiend¡¯s pressure, and Cog¡¯s shoulders slumped.
¡°Apologies,¡± it said quietly. ¡°Will stop.¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re still learning. I can fix those pretty quickly too, so it¡¯s not a big deal. Just try to be a bit more careful going forward. It should fold down pretty easily, so if the ectoplasm resists, try changing your angle a little bit.¡±
Cog seemed to perk up a bit at that, and a few minutes later it was happily folding down all the ghosts without issue. It stacked them in the corner of the room, forming a neat little tower that was organized by type of ghost.
Reaching up, Vee rubbed his eyebrows and closed his eyes. He was definitely starting to feel the first signs of a headache, and while he needed to keep making more ghosts he decided to go ahead and slow down his pace a little bit.
On the bright side, his little makeshift ramps were working better than he¡¯d expected, feeding his in-process ghosts to his next step without any need for direct input from the [Ghost Maestro] himself. That helped offset his slower pace, and by the time Reginald and Alforde came to collect him, Vee had made enough ghosts to ease his worries for the next day¡¯s run.
The [Ghost Maestro] leaned back and wiped the sweat from his brow.
[Congratulations, you are now a level 33 Ghost Maestro!]
[Wit +1]
[Your ability to passively refine ectoplasm has improved!]
[Reminder: Class Upgrade options are available!]
[Preparing additional upgrade encouragement!]
I know, I know, Vee thought, dismissing the notifications. He briefly wondered what sort of form the encouragement would take, but didn¡¯t worry much. It would probably be something that was hard to miss and he¡¯d recognize it when the time came.
¡°See that these are delivered to Do, the [Dungeon Maintainer],¡± Vee ordered Cog, gesturing at the fruits of his labor.
¡°Will do, Master.¡±
Bidding Cog to return to its fellow medium section members after that, Vee and his friends returned to the boarding house for the night. The [Dungeon Master] was so tired that he barely spoke or ate, choosing instead to hurry to his bed and fall into a dreamless sleep.
***
Vee woke up half an hour later than he should have and glared at Reginald before rushing to get ready.
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¡°Why didn¡¯t you get me up earlier?¡±
¡°You looked like you really needed the rest, boss,¡± the [Majordomo] said. ¡°Your eyes were all bright and shiny when you went to bed, and it¡¯s not like we need to be at the dungeon super early anyways. We don¡¯t need to set anything up or do any prep work this morning, so we can take our time and get there a little later.¡±
He paused for a moment, and then added, ¡°Besides, I sensed that you had a conversation with that snake around your shoulders, and I know that dealing with Expectations can take a lot out of a person.¡±
Vee raised his eyebrow skeptically. ¡°Got a lot of first hand experience with that?¡±
Reginald just flashed him a felty grin, and Vee didn¡¯t have time to press the matter further. He needed to get to the dungeon.
Over on the far side of the room, Alforde was practicing a few different footwork patterns, and it almost looked like he was dancing.
¡°I lost too many fights yesterday,¡± the armorsoul said when Vee asked him what he was doing. ¡°In at least two of the fights I tripped over my boots and lost stocks that I shouldn¡¯t have. I don¡¯t want to repeat that mistake today.¡±
Vee watched his friend repeat a few more cycles of the steps, chugging down two cups of coffee to chase away the fatigue that still lingered behind his eyes and in the back of his skull and then it was time to go.
The trio headed to the dungeon, exchanging friendly greetings with the people they passed by. Several of the [Shopkeepers] thanked Vee as they did so, saying that they were seeing lots of new faces inside on account of the circuit and asking if there were plans to have more similar events in the future.
¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know,¡± Vee answered honestly each time. ¡°Making plans like that isn¡¯t really my specialty.¡±
For some reason, more than a few people laughed at that every time he said it. A couple [Shopkeepers] even clapped him on the shoulder, like he¡¯d made some sort of grand joke.
Vee didn¡¯t totally understand that, but he didn¡¯t really bother giving it much thought either. Instead, he focused on the day ahead and quickened his pace to reach the dungeon a little faster.
While he was walking, something in a nearby alley glinted and caught his eye. When he looked though, he didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary, but had the strange, tingling sensation that he associated with someone watching him carefully. He craned his neck and looked around, but nobody popped out of the darkness.
Weird.
He wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed something amiss; Alforde shifted uncomfortably a second later.
¡°I keep feeling like I¡¯m back in your family¡¯s house,¡± he said when Vee asked him what was up. ¡°Like I¡¯m back on cleaning duty and Edukaiser is scowling at me or something.¡±
Vee scratched his chin. He activated [Third Sight] and looked around, but there wasn¡¯t anything unusual there either.
Seriously. Weird.
Anyways, there were a good number of adventurers gathered outside the gate, but unlike the last two days the atmosphere wasn¡¯t particularly festive. Many of the would-be challengers checked their weapons and gear in sullen silence, sitting in groups of two or three and poring over copies of Crestheart¡¯s guide. Vee spotted Torres over near the guardhouse with a smug grin on his face. He returned Vee¡¯s wave but didn¡¯t come over to say hi or anything.
Once Vee got inside the tower, he confirmed with Do that all the rooms were fully stocked and ready for the day¡¯s runs. The [Dungeon Maintainer] foresaw no problems with the minion supply for the day, since Kai had brought over a few dozen slimes and elementals the night before and Vee¡¯s ghost making efforts had been productive.
Still, Vee figured that he probably had another round after that evening, although his head was already starting to ache. He bid good morning to the agents when they came into the office and turned around when they went to start their card games.
¡°Try not to push yourself too hard, boss,¡± Reginald said when he noticed Vee¡¯s sigh. ¡°It won¡¯t do us any good if you make yourself sick before we finish this all up.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll try my best,¡± Vee said, sipping on some water and leafing through the day¡¯s applications. The day¡¯s first challenger was a level 14 [Lumberjack] who didn¡¯t look like anything special. Vee doubted that the man would get terribly far in the dungeon, since this was his first foray into adventuring and his class didn¡¯t seem like it would be well suited to combat.
After that there was a level 11 [Cleric of the Wind], a level 16 [Deep Thinker], and a level 20 [Trident Afficionado]. None of them looked like much of a threat, so Vee figured that he¡¯d be safe to go ahead and take a little cat nap. He wasn¡¯t going to use [Boost Drops], and the dungeon¡¯s base setup could probably handle itself.
¡°Wake me up if anything bad or unusual happens,¡± he muttered to Reginald, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes.
¡°Sure thing boss,¡± the hat said before putting on his [Announcer] voice.
¡°Welcome, adventurer! You are about to enter Crestheart! Steel yourself for a challenge!¡±
Vee¡¯s thoughts emptied, and he slipped deeper into his seat. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep and dreaming of a hallway. It was a strange, somewhat familiar place, where no matter how much he walked, he never got any closer to his goal.
Cupping his hands to his mouth, Vee called out, ¡°Is anybody there? Hello?¡±
A steady hammering sound reached his ears, and suddenly Vee understood where he was.
This must be his encouragement.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: Ghost Maestro (Locksmagister University), Level 33 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 41 (+1)
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 17
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 114
No voice boomed in the darkness above his head, no suit-wearing [Guide] appeared to lead the way. Vee had heard of both of those happening in situations like this one, and was ever so slightly disappointed that he didn''t get to experience either. There was only what looked like an endless expanse of hallway ahead and the perpetual sound of hammer blows.
How long the dream would last was anyone¡¯s guess. Some people were only ¡°encouraged¡± for a few minutes, others claimed that it felt like days passed. Vee hoped he would be one of the former; he had work to get back to.
Like he was a member of the infamous thirteenth [Lightning Soldier]¡¯s ragtag party whose bizarre, overly linear legend Vee didn¡¯t properly remember except for the bit where the only somewhat personable character got turned into a crystal in the first act, he had no choice but to walk forward.
The ground was made of gray and white tile, with a thin ribbon of royal blue on either side. In some places the ribbon was a little thicker, and in others it was thinner, giving the hallway the impression of growing and shrinking in size as Vee made his way toward the hammering sound.
On first glance the walls looked like they were made of wood, but as Vee continued further he started to notice that the ¡°grain¡± seemed to shift back and forth in unusual ways. More than once he saw knots that looked like eyes or a gaping maw, and when he activated [Third Sight] he saw that he was surrounded by peculiar ghosts and spirits.
Some of them were humanoid, albeit much larger than any Vee was used to seeing, and others were distinctly animalike. There were also some that were little more than wisps of otherworldly green or purple. They turned to stare at Vee as he passed, their blank eyes cold and unblinking.
[Stiffen Spine] activated, and Vee met each gaze without flinching. He was not a person who believed that ghosts and spirits were evil or frightening, though he wished that these entities weren¡¯t all so menacing.
A faded fresco adorned the ceiling a little further on, depicting a woman in armor leading an army of screaming spirits that were the same unnatural blue as her eyes. Vee shivered at the fury in her expression, and quickened his steps so that he wouldn¡¯t linger under the fresco for long.
There were other paintings too: one showed a man in a dark suit playing a violin while a single fuzzy feminine figure stood lovingly behind him, a second depicted a gigantic salamander sitting at a forge, a third depicted a kitrekin with charcoal gray fur staring intently into a fire where another pair of eyes stared back, and the fourth ¨C which was surprisingly faded in terms of its color palette ¨C showed a elkin with shattered antlers working atop a bulging, fleshlike machine that looked a little too much like Dheart for Vee¡¯s comfort. Sinister lights fluttered around it, and Vee felt much better when he finally pulled his eyes away from it.
So far, he was unsure what he was supposed to be getting out of this experience. It didn¡¯t take a genius to guess that these images all depicted his various class upgrade options, but none of them provided any new information. Heck, in at least two cases ¨C the image with the elkin and the machine and the woman with the horde of angry blue ghosts ¨C Vee suspected that his decision to avoid picking a specific future class had affected the paintings themselves. He doubted they would have been painted in such faded colors originally.
Only three options remained: [Ghost Wizard], [Ghost Smith], and of course refusing to take an upgrade at all and remaining a simple [Ghost Maestro].
He struggled with his thoughts and feelings as he walked. When it came down to it, when everything was weighed and measured and given its proper consideration, did Vee even want to upgrade his class in the first place? The more he thought about it, the less sure of an answer he became. There were upsides and downsides to picking an upgrade and staying as he was, just like there were with any decision. Vee knew that he couldn¡¯t keep pushing it off forever; part of being an adult meant having to weigh tradeoffs and make hard choices when it became necessary to do so.
But was that where he was? Surely he had some time yet. The System would tell him when he¡¯d missed his chance, and so far it hadn¡¯t made any indications of that point approaching. Maybe he could just stay put and think about it more fully after the circuit finished.
On the other hand, what exactly was he waiting for? Upgrading his class now ¨C or at the very least, soon ¨C would make his life easier in many ways. If he picked well, his upgrade could be a boon that boosted Crestheart beyond what he¡¯d ever imagined. Classic wisdom dictated that upgraded classes were unambiguously a good thing. It was in the name. Most [System Philosophers], [System Consultants], [Life Coaches], and others would probably agree: progressing further was the clear choice.
But Vee still struggled, and he didn¡¯t particularly care if doing so was petty or irrational. He knew many talented and powerful [Ghost Maestros] who didn¡¯t seem to want for anything as far as their skills went. Most of them could do things he associated with the class upgrades, like Rortenferry had made Vee''s machines.
Besides, at the end of the day Vee liked being a [Ghost Maestro]. It was a crucial part of his identity, a key pillar of how he saw himself. It was a dignified class, if a little quirky, and Vee appreciated that.
Surely how he felt should count for something?
That was the type of question that invited a pause, so Vee did so, waiting with bated breath for something from the System to appear before him. A statement of reassurance or denial.
He kept waiting, but nothing showed up, and eventually the [G-h-o-s-t M-a-e-s-t-r-o] gained further understanding that the decision was his alone to make.
Change, that is to say moving forward, was an inevitable part of life. Change was uncomfortable, and in many cases frightening. However, thinking about how his life was different now than it¡¯d been when he¡¯d been wasting away back in Bardis, Vee decided that it was fundamentally a good thing. So long as he got to keep his orchestra and didn¡¯t lose any of his most important skills like [Shape Ectoplasm] or [Refine Ectoplasm], what would he really be giving up? After all, if he was really being honest with himself he didn¡¯t exactly use all of the skills available to [Ghost Maestros]. All those [Ectoplasmic Dance Numbers] simply made his head spin so he''d never bothered the memorize them, let alone use them.
Why not swap them out with something more immediately beneficial? Was a name really so important?
Increasingly Vee couldn''t justify saying so. Clenching his hand into a fist, Vee took a deep breath and said, ¡°Show me what¡¯s at the end of the tunnel.¡±
With his emotions temporarily sorted, the hallway seemed to shrink. Barely a dozen steps later Vee found himself in front of a large staircase leading down into the dark.
On a placard above the stairs was a simple sign. It was a plank of wood with the words [Ghost Wizard] burned into it.
Vee climbed down, his heartbeat quickening. At the bottom of the stairs, Vee smelled two unmistakable things: fire and brimstone. There were also some odd spices that made him want to sneeze. He also felt a writhing in the ethereal that made his skin crawl. There was something deeply¡wrong about this place, but the [Ghost¡?] had no choice but to press forward.
Ahead, there was a hooded figure crouched in front of a small and sickly white flame. It was a kitrekin with charcoal fur ¨C the one from the painting, if Vee had to guess ¨C and if it noticed Vee¡¯s approach it gave no sign.
A series of bags filled with strange herbs and powders sat in a mismatched pile around its legs, and from time to time the kitrekin grabbed a pinch of one or another and threw it into the flames.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Most did nothing, but eventually the flames grew taller and changed color. Instead of white they were red and black, with maybe a touch of purple mixed in?
This development horrified Vee but excited the kitrekin, who stretched out its paws and gazed into the fire.
¡°[Come Forth], mighty spirit,¡± it said in a low, almost sensual tone, ¡°I demand your attendance!¡±
The fire crackled and spat, hissing like an angry snake, and six malevolent eyes appeared in its heart.
¡°WHO DARES SUMMON ME?!¡±
With a snarl, the kitrekin leaned forward, its paws positioned like it was pressing against something heavy, and an oppressive weight settled in the air. The fire grew and writhed, causing the kitrekin¡¯s shadow to look like it was in the middle of a ferocious wrestling match.
Vee took a step backwards, watching in morbid fascination.
For all that the struggle was ferocious, it didn¡¯t last long. With a shout of triumph, the kitrekin¡¯s paws jutted into the fire and pulled out a small, shiny, core. The fire died down, the last of the flames whimpering into oblivion, and the kitrekin popped the core into its mouth like it was eating a piece of candy.
"Delicious," it said.
A moment later, the kitrekin¡¯s fur changed color ¨C taking on a blood red hue ¨C and a pair of jagged horns burst out of its head. Raising its paw, the kitrekin mumbled something in a language no decent person should understand, and a fiery orb of blood appeared in the air.
Seemingly satisfied, the kitrekin closed its paw and its appearance returned to normal. Only then did it turn and address Vee.
¡°What brings you here, child? Are you looking to become a [Ghost Wizard]?¡±
¡°I¡wasn¡¯t sure when I got down here,¡± Vee admitted. ¡°But¡¡±
¡°There are mighty spirits beyond imagination in the space past the ethereal,¡± the kitrekin said conspiratorially. ¡°Ghosts of powerful [Heroes], fallen [Witches], and even some false gods. They rule over realms not unlike our own, and they know many things we might find useful. By summoning them through flames and overcoming their will with our own, we can subjugate them to our service and take some measure of their power for ourselves. Does that not quicken your heart?¡±
Vee swallowed hard. It did, but not in the way she probably meant. Frankly, subjugating great spirits to learn hidden secrets of the world didn¡¯t hold any interest for him, but Vee felt very strongly that was the sort of thing he couldn¡¯t say aloud just then. From the reverent tone of the kitrekin¡¯s voice, she clearly took great pride in her¡work.
Carefully, Vee shook his head. He didn¡¯t like anything about this and didn¡¯t want to be here a minute longer than necessary. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but don¡¯t think this is the class for me. Best of luck to you.¡±
Before the kitrekin could say anything more, Vee turned and left as quickly as his feet would carry him.
That was terrifying, he thought as he hurried back up the stairs and breathed a hearty sigh of relief. Definitely not the upgrade for me.
Sure enough, the painting of the kitrekin and the flames was now grayed out the way the other two had been.
He continued on his way, comforted by the now familiar decor of the hallway and made his way toward the sound of the hammer. With three of his four upgrade options mentally checked off his list, Vee found himself somewhat nervous about what lay beyond. What if the [Ghost Smith] was also wrong for him? He¡¯d feel foolish if he had to remain a [Ghost Maestro] after all that resolve and thinking!
Thankfully, Vee found himself somewhat reassured by a warm humming sound that grew louder and louder with every step.
It sounded like someone singing. That was usually a good sign.
Finally, Vee reached another door. Above it was another sign that said [Ghost Smith].
The door was heavy, but Vee shoved it open and the sounds of hammer and song both enveloped him like a warm blanket on a cold winter night. The air grew so heated that Vee started to sweat, or at least he did when he remembered that he was supposed to ¨C dreams were funny like that ¨C and Vee crept forward until he found himself in yet another large room.
Here too there was a fire, though this one belonged to a great golden forge filled with a crackling blue flame. Its sheen instantly brought to mind the aqua magia Vee had been pouring into Dheart every day, with the same sparkle and shimmer that unmistakably meant magic.
More interesting than the flames though was the person sitting in front of them.
He was quite possibly the largest salamander Vee had ever seen. His scales were rubies ¨C not just the color, mind you, but the actual gemstones themselves ¨C and his tail glittered as he swept it back and forth in time with his swings. His arms, shoulders, and back were heavily muscled, and he grunted as he raised a massive hammer into the air.
¡°Spirits sing and spirits dance,¡± he crooned, his deep baritone voice booming to fill the entire room. ¡°But souls are forged anew in flame! All across the world I¡¯ve traveled, and everywhere it is the same!¡±
The hammer came down like a bolt of lightning and the sound of the hammer blow made Vee¡¯s teeth feel like they were made of jelly. He clutched his hands to his ears, grateful that this was merely a dream where such a sound would only make him uncomfortable and not the real world where it would have permanently eliminated his ability to hear.
The salamander raised his hammer once again, and sang some more.
¡°With each blow I¡¯ll change your fate ¨C¡±
BOOM
¡°-- and turn you into something great.¡±
Another flurry of blows almost knocked Vee off his feet, but when they finally fell silent the giant salamander turned around with a wry smile.
¡°Why hello, youngling. It¡¯s been some time since one like you visited my forge. Would you like to see what I¡¯ve been making?¡±
Perhaps it was just the difference in their respective sizes, but Vee felt very small just then. He nodded, the way he had as a child when his mother had asked him if he wanted a snack before bed.
The salamander waved towards the flame. ¡°Come on then and see!¡±
In the heart of the flames was a mammoth piece of ectoplasm. It was mostly black, though veins of gold and silver ran through its length, and one end of it was hammered so that it¡so that it looked like a frying pan.
Vee couldn¡¯t help but laugh; he¡¯d been expecting an impossible sword or shield or some other type of weapon, and here was a kitchen implement fit for a giant!
¡°Do you always make things like this?¡± Vee asked.
The salamander laughed. ¡°Not at all, youngling. Not at all. One of the joys of being a [Ghost Smith] is that you can make anything you want. Your only limit is your imagination.¡±
Vee felt like he¡¯d heard that one before, but he couldn¡¯t remember where. Before he could ask further questions ¨C like ¡°Do you engage in anything a reasonable person would consider evil?¡± ¨C , his body jarred from one side to the other. Then it happened again more forcefully. It felt like an invisible pair of hands were jostling him back and forth.
¡°Oh, it looks like our time together is at an end for now,¡± the salamander said with a kindly smile. ¡°That¡¯s a pity. Should you decide to come back in the future, I¡¯ll show you some of the other things I¡¯ve made.¡±
The forge faded away, and when Vee opened his eyes he was looking up at Reginald. The hat wore a curious expression.
¡°Sorry to wake you up, boss,¡± the hat said, his expression turning to a grin. ¡°But that [Baker] you hired for the Lobby is here. He says he needs to talk to you.¡±
Sure enough, Micah the [Baker] stood in the doorway looking sheepish as could be.
¡°Hey,¡± he said awkwardly with a small wave of his hand. ¡°Um, I didn¡¯t mean to bother you, but uh¡see, I was wondering if you had any more of those dunpla figurines nearby? I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re just about out.¡±
Main Character Sheets:Main Character Sheets:Vee Vales:
Primary Class: G-h-o-s-t M-a-e-s-t-r-o? (Locksmagister University), Level 33
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 6
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 17
Devious Mind: 28
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 13
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 46
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 115:
For a moment, Vee thought he was caught up in some sort of nested dream. He looked around his office, seeing that everything was as it should be and resisting the sudden temptation to pull a fleur from his pocket so that he could spin it on the table to make sure it eventually fell down.
¡°How many dunpla figures do you have left?¡±
Micah shrugged. ¡°Three full dungeon sets, one Alforde figure, and less than ten ghosts.¡±
Vee couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±
¡°I guess they were more popular than you were thinking, boss,¡± Reginald said.
Vee nodded. ¡°Absolutely. I figured some people would like them, but never thought they¡¯d come close to selling out.¡±
He reached up and rubbed his chin. What was he going to do now? He¡¯d given Brice Gilbert plenty of flattened ectoplasm sheets, but had no idea if the [Toymaker] had additional stock that could be delivered in a hurry. At best there¡¯d be a supply of additional figures, but even if that was the case he still had to go talk to Torres about getting boxes for them. Then there was the work of actually packing the figures into boxes and getting them to the Lobby.
In other words, it was a lot to do and Vee wasn¡¯t sure when he¡¯d find time to do it. However, Vee also knew that it was something he had to do. Instinct told him that preserving the momentum on dunpla sales was critical for the dungeon¡¯s future. They didn¡¯t earn much money from any individual fleur sale, but since they were the supplier of the primary material that went into the figures they stood to profit significantly if the figures maintained their popularity.
This was a chance Vee didn¡¯t want to miss. Despite what most people said, momentum was actually the most fickle of mistresses. It came and went as it pleased, didn¡¯t care one whit about fairness, and was nearly impossible to predict. Should one be lucky enough to have it make an appearance on their behalf, their only actionable decision was how to best capitalize on it. Most of the time, that was simply running in its direction full force and hoping that it continued of its own accord. What did that look like right now though? Vee wasn¡¯t sure.
He turned to Reginald. ¡°In the event that we can¡¯t get more dunpla figures in the next day, what can we do to keep people excited about the prospect of having them in the future?¡±
Reginald thought for a moment, then said, ¡°We could always take pre-orders for a new collection.¡±
¡°But we don¡¯t have a new collection planned or designed.¡±
The hat shrugged. ¡°Details. I¡¯m sure that you and Brice could come up with a theme and get it into production fast enough that it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Shipping it might be a bit of an issue, but there¡¯s a decently robust network of carriages in the city that could get the dunpla figures to Shontsdale. There¡¯s a shipping company there that handles a lot of cross-continent cargo. They¡¯re expensive, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯d have the ability to get the figures anywhere we wanted them to go.¡±
¡°Ugh, that sounds like a lot of work,¡± Vee said. He could already feel the headache starting to form at the back of his head. Reginald¡¯s plan made sense from a bird¡¯s eye view, but Vee didn¡¯t have the time or energy to go build an entire shipping apparatus. The same was true for an entire second collection of dunpla figures. Obviously adding new designs was a good goal to strive for, but not right now.
¡°I need something else,¡± Vee said. ¡°Something we can do today, or at worst tomorrow.¡±
¡°Give me some time to think,¡± Reginald said. ¡°In the meantime, let¡¯s see what kind of backup supply Brice has on hand and go from there. It¡¯s possible that he¡¯s got dozens more figures ready to go and we¡¯re worried for nothing. Let¡¯s go see him after today¡¯s runs. For now, I guess we have no choice but to put up a sign that says something about how we¡¯re temporarily out of stock.¡±
Turning to Micah, Vee asked, ¡°Do you think that people would be willing to pre-order new figures even if they couldn¡¯t get them that day?¡±
The [Baker] shrugged. ¡°Maybe? It¡¯s hard to say. People do seem really excited about them, but I don¡¯t know if that would be the case if they weren¡¯t right there for the taking, you know? That said, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any harm in trying.¡±
True. Vee frowned; he would have liked to have had a better plan in place, but sometimes things just didn¡¯t work out that way. Thanking Micah for bringing the matter to his attention, the [Dungeon Master] returned his attention to the run happening down in Crestheart below.
Faced with a large gap and a series of floating platforms, a heavyset level 14 [Spirit Blaster] had his hands extended and a look of intense concentration on his face. Vee briefly wondered what he was doing, then noticed a strange deformation on the nearest platform: one of the ends was drooping like an ice cream cone on a hot day.
¡°Hey, knock that off,¡± Vee said into the magnifying crystal, his voice booming into the room. ¡°Stop destroying the platform!¡±
¡°Why?¡± the adventurer asked. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in the rules that says the dungeon can¡¯t be destroyed, right? I¡¯m simply doing what I need to do in order to clear the room.¡±
Vee looked over at Reginald, who shook back and forth to indicate that the adventurer was right; there wasn¡¯t anything in the rules that outlawed destroying the dungeon itself. Some amount of collateral damage was to be expected during runs, of course, but this wasn¡¯t a skill gone astray or an adventurer being ignorant of their full strength. This was deliberate, though Vee couldn¡¯t understand how destroying the platform would allow the adventurer to cross the gap.
The answer became clear a moment later. Bringing his hands together, the [Spirit Blaster] said, ¡°[Reconstruct Spirit Matter: Bridge]!¡±
Perhaps it was a bit elitist of him, but Vee couldn¡¯t help but smirk at the poor excuse for a bridge that appeared in the air in front of the adventurer. Though it was similar in color to one of his own ectoplasmic creations, the shape was simple and it looked¡cheap. Thin, and far too flexible.
Sure enough, it bent and bowed beneath the adventurer¡¯s weight, though the man was able to get across the gap without it snapping the way Vee had expected it to.
As if he¡¯d sensed Vee¡¯s judgment, the adventurer looked up toward the observation crystal and made an obscene gesture before continuing to the next room, which was also filled with platforms.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
¡°Some people,¡± Vee said quietly, feeling a surge of manic encouragement that had to be coming from his [Guy-Who-Takes-Things-Way-Too-Far] class. He wasn¡¯t sure why the [Spirit Blaster] was being so rude, but if that was the way the adventurer wanted to do things he could accommodate. Though his ability to escalate was somewhat limited due to the rules of the development committee, he still had a wide degree of latitude in controlling rooms for each run. Plus, the agents behind him were completely engrossed in their card game and unlikely to notice him putting his fist on the proverbial scales. That was the important bit.
Sitting down at his console and stretching his fingers like he was a [Master Pianist] about to perform before an audience, Vee cranked every knob that was a part of the next room all the way to the right to increase their speed to the max.
As such, instead of a wide open room with a collection of smoothly moving platforms that formed a path of sorts up to a switch suspended from a rope on the ceiling, the jerkventurer was treated to a frantic and chaotic mess of platforms jerking back and forth at top speed while a series of snow-themed trap crystals activated on their own accord. A chilly mist settled over the floor, and in the center of the office Dheart groaned something terrible. This was not something that the dungeon heart could sustain for long or do terribly often, it seemed.
However, for the moment Vee was fine letting it run; the adventurer clearly had no idea how he was supposed to progress. He looked back and forth, his confusion writ plain on his face, and Vee couldn¡¯t resist activating the magnification crystal to gloat.
¡°We call this room ¡®The Consequence of Our Actions Made Manifest¡¯,¡± Vee said, making his voice as obnoxiously saccharine as he could manage. ¡°Think of it as a roometic representation of that gesture you just made. Good luck, challenger!¡±
For good measure he hit another button to activate a nearby [Ice Geyser] trap, sending a spray of small and jagged ice pieces at the [Spirit Blaster].
The adventurer scowled up at the crystal and held up his arm to block them, then started moving forward toward the nearest platform.
Reginald squinted over at Vee. ¡°Roometic? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a word, boss.¡±
The [Dungeon Master] waved his hand. ¡°Details.¡±
[Congratulations, you are now a Guy-Who-Takes-Things-Way-Too-Far Level 7 !]
[You can now use the Grudge Mark skill!]
[Devious Mind +1!]
Closing his eyes, Vee consulted his soul¡¯s mirror about his new skill.
[Grudge Mark: By focusing your malevolent desires on a target, you can inflict them with the Minor Hex status ailment for thirty minutes.]
Further examination revealed what Minor Hex actually did: it negated a single instance of any luck-based skill used by the affected person. Vee himself didn¡¯t have any skills like that, but plenty of classes did. Metaphysical dice rolls and coin flips were an all too-common element of daily life for all sorts of people.
It wasn¡¯t the most useful skill in the world, Vee thought, but perhaps he could find a way to use it against any [Gambler] type adventurers who came into the dungeon. Otherwise it¡¯d probably end up like far too many skills: unused and largely forgotten about.
A giant block of ice slid across the floor and smashed the adventurer into the wall. Despite his best efforts to free himself, more traps activated and kept him in place. A few flailing moments later, the adventurer gave up his run and Vee deactivated the room.
¡°Wow, jeez¡that guy must have really gotten under your skin,¡± Micah said awkwardly, and Vee¡¯s eyes snapped open while his cheeks grew warm. Crap. He¡¯d¡kind of forgotten that the [Baker] was still there. Stammering, he started to explain himself but was stopped from doing so by Reginald.
¡°The [Dungeon Master] takes manners seriously,¡± the hat said gravely. ¡°Very seriously. Do you understand?¡±
Micah nodded and stood up quickly. A little too quickly, perhaps. ¡°I see that. I¡¯m, uh, going to get back down to the lobby. I¡¯ll go ahead and put that sign up too when I get there, okay? I¡¯ll tell people that more dunpla figures are on the way. Have a, uh, good rest of your day!¡±
When the [Baker] was gone, Vee turned to Reginald and asked, ¡°Do you think he thinks I¡¯m nuts now?¡±
¡°Nah, he¡¯s just a bit shaken,¡± the hat said, flapping his brim. "He¡¯s a nice kid; he isn¡¯t used to that type of thing. But you¡¯ve got a rep to protect, boss, and that was a nice bit of showmanship. I¡¯m sure that before the day is done the news will be out that anyone who thinks they can just smash their way through the dungeon will think twice.¡±
Vee sank back in his chair, his emotions settling after the surge brought about by his class.
One of the agents behind him coughed. Vee turned and looked back. Both the agents had set down their cards. They both looked rather serious.
¡°We couldn¡¯t help but notice that you seemed to go above and beyond on stopping that adventurer. While you¡¯re allowed some degree of discretion in how you deal with dungeon challengers, that was pretty obviously an unfair set of changes you put into practice there. Especially given your conversation with your associate afterwards.¡±
Vee¡¯s mouth went dry.
¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d notice,¡± he mumbled.
One of the agents smiled. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be the first [Dungeon Master] to think that. My associate and I can both use [Eyes In The Back Of My Head], which lets us keep an eye on dungeon runs while we¡¯re doing something else.¡±
Seeing Vee¡¯s increasingly horrified expression, the agent smiled. ¡°Now don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re hardly the first [Dungeon Master] who¡¯s lost their cool with a challenger. Still, the rules exist for a reason and it¡¯s not okay to violate them just because you¡¯re upset. However, since this is your first offense, we¡¯ll just go ahead and ask you to refund his entry fee and that¡¯ll be the end of it. Any more displays like that, though, and we¡¯ll have to start fining you. One gold fleur per additional offense. Understand?¡±
Vee nodded, his cheeks warm once again. That was a pretty hefty fine. Way more than he''d been expecting. The momentary satisfaction he¡¯d gotten from his actions was definitely not worth that much money. He¡¯d have to work harder to keep a lid on his temper from now on.
¡°You should probably go check on those platforms,¡± Reginald said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if the [Dungeon Maintainers] have the resources to get things up and running right away. I¡±ll go ahead and announce a short delay in the meantime.¡±
Vee sighed. ¡°Yeah, good point. I¡¯ll go see what I can salvage out of them.¡±
Getting up, he walked across the office and headed down to the dungeon so that the next runs could get rolling as quickly as possible.
Main Character Sheets:Vee Vales:
Primary Class: G-h-o-s-t M-a-e-s-t-r-o? (Locksmagister University), Level 33
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7 (+1)
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 17
Devious Mind: 29 (+1)
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14 (+1)
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 116:
Crouching down next to a hole in the wall of a first floor room, Vee sighed before pinching his thumb and index finger together to activate [Shape Ectoplasm]. He gathered a few handfuls of ectoplasm and spread it like paste over the damaged section while telling Cecil to mark the room down for further repairs after the day¡¯s runs were done. For now the name of the game was getting Crestheart back into runnable condition as quickly as possible, and that meant quick and dirty fixes were good enough.
Behind him, Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers] were hard at work repairing the damage left behind by the previous adventurer. The fiends moved quickly, chattering to each other as they held tiles in place, replaced broken traps with new ones, and cleared debris that would have otherwise prevented minions from getting out into the dungeon''s rooms.
Vee finished spreading his ectoplasm and stood back up slowly. He¡¯d been at this for just over half an hour, and his knees and thighs were displeased with the amount of bending down and standing up he¡¯d been forced to do in that time. Beyond that, he was starting to think that he¡¯d let the [Spirit Blaster] off too easily; how could one adventurer do so much damage? More importantly, why would one adventurer do so much damage? He didn¡¯t think there was anything nefarious at play here ¨C any thought of sabotage was nonsensical ¨C but was frustrated at how little respect his dungeon had been given.
At least the ectoplasm platforms were easy to repair, he thought bitterly as he attached new ectoplasm to replace the parts that¡¯d been melted off. Once again, the fixes weren¡¯t pretty, but he tested them with his own weight and was satisfied that they¡¯d hold up for future runs. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Vee continued on to the next room in need of repair.
All told, it took the [Dungeon Master] and his fiends nearly an hour to get the dungeon back into decent shape and ready for the next runs, and by the time they were done several adventurers outside were starting to grumble. They paced back and forth muttering, and when Vee walked past them to head back up into the tower he heard a few cracks about ¡®a really disappointing lack of professionalism¡¯ and ¡®how the [Dungeon Master] doesn¡¯t even care about the adventurer experience¡¯. Both types of comments incensed Vee, but he bit his tongue and pushed past them without letting his temper get the better of him. A universal truth of existence is that there would always be loudmouthed jerks saying stupid things that had no basis in reality, and as someone who actually had things to do he didn¡¯t have time to waste trying to convince them otherwise. He knew how much he cared about the experience Crestheart offered, and decided that would be enough for him.
¡°We good to go?¡± Reginald asked as Vee sat back down at his console.
Vee nodded. ¡°Yeah, though we¡¯re definitely a good bit behind schedule for the day now. Hopefully we won¡¯t have another adventurer like that [Spirit Blaster] for a while, eh?¡±
¡°Your lips to Gawain¡¯s ears. Alright, here we go boss. Ahem. Welcome to Crestheart, adventurer! Enter the depths if you dare!¡±
The next adventurer was a thin, frizzy kitrekin who was clearly frustrated by having had to wait and slammed the doors open to start his run. He charged into the first room and laid about with great ferocity, seemingly oblivious to receiving injuries while dealing with the dungeon¡¯s minions. Was that something Vee could exploit?
A check of the kitrekin¡¯s application revealed that the adventurer was a level 15 [Brawler] and Vee racked his brain. Did those classholders ever have any sort of reciprocal damage skills? Like [Retaliate] or [Blood to Blood]? He couldn¡¯t remember; there were simply too many adventurers who came through the dungeon on a regular basis for him to recall all of their various skills.
Regardless, he decided to go ahead and activate [Ectoplasmic Surge] in the next room, and watched the kitrekin get even further injured by attacking recklessly. It definitely didn¡¯t seem like he had any sort of skill bolstering his performance as he took damage either, and Vee decided that in the interest of expediency he¡¯d activate [Ectoplasmic Surge] over and over until he defeated the adventurer. It wasn¡¯t efficient in terms of his refined ectoplasm stores, but that was fine. Of late he¡¯d had more ectoplasm cubes than he knew what to do with; he¡¯d probably been too cautious with them until now.
It took two more rooms, but eventually the kitrekin gave up, and Reginald hurried him out of the dungeon.
Vee looked back at the agents behind him. Neither one of them seemed bothered by the fact that he¡¯d used [Ectoplasmic Surge] so many times, and thankfully there was no talk of fines while the fiends reset the dungeon. Vee couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the reason why was simply that he hadn¡¯t said anything about using extra skill charges. Were the rules really so soft? He didn¡¯t feel like asking to try and find out.
Instead, Vee gestured impatiently at Reginald to start the next run and settled back in his chair. He looked through the magnifying crystal, focused on his next opponent. She was a diminutive salamander holding a spear¡no, a paintbrush that was taller than she was. Thick black ink coated its tip, and left tiny puddles in her wake as she cautiously entered Crestheart.
¡°Reila Cahn, level 20 [Inksurfer],¡± Reginald said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like much, does she?¡±
That was true. The salamander was slow in how she tackled the dungeon, carefully examining floor tiles and walls for hidden traps and cautious in how she engaged with Crestheart¡¯s minions. Her attacks sent waves of ink across each room, and occasionally she rode atop them to deliver the finishing melee strike with her paintspear. It was an entirely different approach to the previous kitrekin¡¯s, and Vee found himself increasingly frustrated as her run dragged on.
He wanted to grab the magnifying crystal and tell her to get on with it, and breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief when she was overwhelmed by a barrage of arrows from Nock and gave up early on the second floor.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Thankfully the runs started speeding up after that, since there was a stretch of adventurers who were clearly new to dungeon sports and all had primary class levels in the low teens. None of them managed to get to the end of the first floor, except for a human [Battle Bugler].
The screeching brass notes from his instrument proved to be rather sharp in more ways than one.
At the end of the day, Vee looked at the list of adventurers who had yet to complete their runs. There were seventy seven left, which was probably too many to get through in one day but definitely not too many to finish in two. That was good; the stress of the circuit runs was much higher than normal and he was desperate to return to his regular routine.
After counting up the day¡¯s earnings ¨C just over sixteen hundred silver fleurs on account of higher than usual minion replacement and dungeon repair costs, alongside a bumper crop of eight shards of chaos ¨C Vee and his friends started making their way to Brice Gilbert¡¯s shop to check on the dunpla figure situation.
Despite the hour ¨C it was half past eighth evening bell ¨C plenty of people congregated around the Westown gate and the shops near it. A handpainted sign next to the gate read, Oar¡¯s Crest Night Market. Vee had never heard of such a thing, but his heart started beating faster all the same.
It was lovely.
A mixture of locals and out-of-towners talked and laughed together, and the smell of grilled meat, sweets, and alcohol was heavy in the warm evening air. Even the [City Guards] seemed relaxed, lounging back against their posts and watching the events unfolding with warm, albeit wary, expressions.
Stopping for a moment to buy a fried meat bun to satisfy his growling stomach, Vee looked around the street, a smile blossoming on his face. Kai hadn¡¯t yet reached this part of town with his planter boxes and other bits of verdant construction, but there was undeniably new life sprouting here, as evidenced by the fact that the [Dungeon Master] had no idea who had put the whole thing together. If he did, he would have thanked them profusely.
A young woman with a guitar sat in front of a store, mixing strums, fingerpicking melodies, and rhythmic hits against her instrument¡¯s body as she sang a warm song mixing languages Vee didn¡¯t recognize. Even though he didn¡¯t understand the words, the sense of love, loss, and hope for the future that words embodied echoed in his heart and soul.
Someone from the crowd of listeners standing beside her stepped forward and dropped a handful of coins into the hat she¡¯d set on the ground. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Vee stepped forward and added a bronze fleur of his own.
¡°Your song was lovely,¡± he said.
¡°Thank you,¡± the woman said in a bright, lilting voice. ¡°You¡¯re very handsome.¡±
She winked at Vee and he hurried away, his cheeks burning. Something that sounded oddly like a satisfied snort up above his head got his attention, but when he looked up there was nobody around who it might have come from¡only lingering shadows and a hint of spice so faint that Vee suspected he was imagining things.
Another oddity.
The unofficial party went on for the next two blocks, and Vee gave the meat pie in his stomach some additional company in the form of a fried chicken skewer and some sort of honey glazed vegetable. He also bought a bag of Joleimna¡¯s caramel apple candy to eat later.
Other musicians were playing too, though thankfully the [Battle Bugler] was nowhere to be seen. Beyond that, [Artists] of all kinds ¨C including Wureini Rufh, a salamander [City Guard] Vee interacted with pretty often ¨C were selling their wares too. There were drawings, paintings, prints, clay pots, small metal statues, and more. Some pieces were more functional than others, and there were a few enchanted artifacts too. Most of those were low quality pieces of junk, like rings that promised to tell the wearer¡¯s mood by changing the color of their inset stones, or bottles that promised to keep liquids hot or cold indefinitely, which was a feat Vee had yet to find replicated outside of expensive [Enchanter] work.
¡°We should buy some of these and use them for dungeon rewards,¡± Alforde said, enthralled by a hand carved bone pipe that could draw any sort of smoke animal the user wanted, so long as they could describe its features in three words or less. Judging by the bevy of blobby shapes hovering around the tent, Vee didn¡¯t get the feeling that the pipe was particularly effective.
Still, Alforde had a point, he decided. It would be cool to offer local handiwork as a reward to those adventurers who cleared the dungeon, though he wondered if local runners would be interested or if it would be best for those who came to challenge from out of town. Maybe they could adopt some sort of voucher system, where victors could choose their prize from a list of available options? Or maybe implement some sort of lottery system, where rewards were distributed randomly? Such things were loudly bemoaned in the few [Dungeon Master] resources Vee had read, but they also seemed to be fairly popular.
Ideas of all sorts floated around Vee¡¯s brain as he and his friends reached Brice¡¯s shop. It was still bright inside, and Vee saw the [Toy Maker] sitting at his bench in the back. That was good.
Opening the door, Vee cupped his hands to his mouth and called out.
¡°Mister Gilbert, it¡¯s Vee Vales! Do you have a moment? I need to talk to you about our stores of dunpla figures.¡±
The [Toy Maker] waved for Vee to come inside. ¡°Come on in, Mister Vales.¡±
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged From Last Chapter):Vee Vales:
Primary Class: G-h-o-s-t M-a-e-s-t-r-o? (Locksmagister University), Level 33
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 17
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 117:
¡°Just a second,¡± Brice said. ¡°I¡¯m almost done with this one and then we can chat, Mister Vales. In the meantime, feel free to take a look around and see if anything catches your fancy.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Vee said. ¡°Take your time.¡±
Putting his hands in his pockets, Vee looked around the shop while Alforde and Reginald went over to amuse themselves with a large wooden castle that folded up into a large carriage.
Nothing really caught his eye. While the works were undeniably high quality they weren¡¯t to his taste. He didn¡¯t need dolls, or stuffed animals, or little toy boats, and so Vee turned his attention back to Brice.
The man¡¯s workbench was a mess, with half finished figures strewn across it and snipped scraps of ectoplasm covering it like multi-color snow. Here and there were pieces of paper covered in measurements, with some crossed out and others circled. Vee, who was hardly a stickler for clean and tidy workspaces, felt himself mentally grimacing at the mess.
Brice was hunched over a small figure about four inches tall, carefully carving with a knife that was barely bigger than Vee¡¯s finger. Closer inspection revealed that it was a skeleton, and the [Toy Maker] was hard at work carving its ribs into existence. As he worked tiny shavings of ectoplasm fell onto the table, and Brice occasionally paused to sweep or blow them away. A line of similar figures ¨C each with their own tiny idiosyncrasies ¨C waited on a shelf near his left thigh.
Now here was a process that could stand to see some efficiency improvements, Vee thought. As beautiful as the figure would doubtlessly be, it simply took too long to make. There had to be a way to speed it up somehow¡like by making molds for the basic shapes!
This was perfect! If making molds for the dunpla figures wasn¡¯t the best use case of his exploratory skill, he didn¡¯t know what was. Besides, he¡¯d wanted to talk to the [Toy Maker] about it anyways, so he might as well go ahead and kill two birds with one stone here.
When the [Toy Maker] finished his carving and set the little skeleton aside, Vee explained the dunpla shortage situation and asked if Brice had any spare dunpla figures in his shop.
¡°A couple boxes here and there,¡± Brice said, pointing. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nowhere near enough to keep up. I¡¯ve gotten faster at making them too, but I didn¡¯t expect there to be this much demand, you know?¡±
Vee smiled. ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s a good problem to have, right?¡±
¡°Right, but I wish I knew a way to fix it.¡±
¡°I might be able to help with that, actually,¡± Vee said. ¡°Do you have any empty frames or boxes laying around? There¡¯s something I want to show you.¡±
Brice grunted and pointed to the corner, where sure enough, there were several little boxes stacked in a neat column. Vee grabbed one and brought it over, setting it on the cleanest spot of workbench he could find.
Gathering some ectoplasm from around the shop, Vee filled the box. He stuffed it as best he could to the corners then hovered his palm over the top.
¡°Watch this. [Mold Ectoplasm],¡± he said, feeling the skill activate.
Just like it¡¯d done during his tests, the ectoplasm inside the mold turned to liquid, held in place only by the walls of the box around it, but this time Vee knew what to do with it. Grabbing one of the other figures from the line next to Brice, Vee dropped it into the ectoplasm and watched it sink straight to the bottom.
Right. He¡¯d have to figure out a way to hold it up too.
Thankfully that was an easy fix. Dunking his hand into the melted ectoplasm ¨C which was nice and cool ¨C Vee retrieved the figure and wrapped some wire around its limbs to form a set of supports that would keep the dunpla figure from sinking down all the way.
The figure didn¡¯t rest evenly; some of the wires were bent so the little skeleton¡¯s head and arms were both deeper than its legs were. That was fine. This was simply a proof of concept and not a finished piece.
Soon enough the ectoplasm hardened back up and Vee removed the skeleton figure. It left a slightly uneven space where it¡¯d rested, and even did a decent job of preserving the skeleton¡¯s details.
Brice rubbed his chin and stared at the mold for several seconds. ¡°I see. It¡¯s like wax casting for jewelry. We¡¯d have to make a separate one for the backs too, and then find a way to keep some ectoplasm liquified so we could pour batches. How long can you make that skill of yours last?¡±
That was a good question. Normally Vee had been content to let it harden right away ¨C but there had to be a way to extend the working time further. He couldn¡¯t think of anything off the top of his head, but strongly suspected that there¡¯d be another skill that would let him do so if he upgraded his class to [Ghost Smith] and leveled it up a bit. That was usually the way things went, since the System had a way of understanding a classholder¡¯s needs and tailoring skills to match them.
Vee rubbed his forehead. All signs were pointing toward taking the upgrade sooner than later, weren¡¯t they?
He shook his head. ¡°Not long enough to be useful to us right now, but there might be a way around that. I¡¯ll let you know. For now we¡¯ll take the stock you have to the lobby so it can be sold, and then once the circuit is over we can find ways to boost production. I have a new assistant of sorts who can help, though if Crestheart starts playing a bigger role in production we¡¯ll have to renegotiate our agreement on payment.¡±
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
¡°I have no issues with that,¡± Brice said with an exhausted sigh. ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ll keep working on making as many figures as I can.¡±
He looked at his bench and the sheets of trimmed ectoplasm. ¡°I can probably make another dozen or so tonight and a handful more tomorrow morning after I wake up. I¡¯ll run them over to the lobby right as you guys open, okay? Fair warning they probably won¡¯t have any fancy boxes since I used all the ones I had, but there will at least be figures for people to buy. I¡¯ve always wanted something I made to get popular like this.¡±
His professed enthusiasm didn¡¯t match the tone of his voice, and Vee studied the man¡¯s face carefully. To say that the [Toy Maker] was worn down would be an understatement. His eyes were rimmed with red, he trembled on his stool, and judging by the patchy stubble on his chin it¡¯d been a few days since he¡¯d last shaved.
The [Dungeon Master] frowned, wrestling with his thoughts. Part of him wanted to encourage the [Toy Maker] to go ahead and get to work. After all, the success of the dunpla was exciting and good news for the dungeon; he wanted to press forward with it at top speed.
But at the same time he couldn¡¯t deny the obvious physical exhaustion of the man in front of him. Surely the risk of pushing Brice to illness or Burnout was greater than a few figures worth of profits.
Yeah, definitely.
Vee thought about his father. What would Tyrion Vales do in such a situation? He shook his head, dismissing the thought before arriving at an answer.
It didn¡¯t matter. For better or for worse, Vee wasn¡¯t his father and he never would be.
That was fine. He knew what he was going to do.
¡°Thanks for all your hard work, but you should get some rest,¡± Vee said kindly but firmly. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough, don¡¯t bother trying to make any more tonight. Honestly, seeing that you have any spare inventory already surpassed my hopes.¡±
[Charisma +1]
Brice laughed, a flicker of relief in his eyes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have except a few adventurers came to the shop today and asked if I had any in stock. I thought they were just weirdos at first, but I guess not.¡±
He held out his hand. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. Thanks, Mister Vales. I guess I am pretty tired. Still, we¡¯ve got a bit of a monster with these figures on our hands, eh?¡±
Vee smiled and shook it. ¡°Definitely looks that way, but we¡¯ll see how it goes from here. Plenty of things start well and then fade into obscurity. We¡¯ll have to do what we can to prevent that from happening to us too.¡±
He looked up at where his friends were involved in an intense mock battle between a giant stuffed lion and a slightly less giant stuffed bear. Vee couldn¡¯t tell which one was winning.
Rolling his eyes, he said, ¡°Knock it off you two. Alforde! Come get these boxes and we¡¯ll take them back with us so we can deliver them to the dungeon in the morning.¡±
¡°Sure thing,¡± the armorsoul said, carefully returning his fluffy combatant to its proper shelf.
Reginald scowled, then returned his to its shelf too.
¡°I was winning,¡± the hat hissed.
¡°In your dreams.¡±
With the boxes picked up, Vee and his friends returned to the boarding house for the night.
They left the dunpla figures behind the lobby counter early the next morning with a note saying that there wouldn¡¯t be anymore ready before the end of the circuit, and headed over to the dungeon, where Vee made a few more ghosts with Cog before the day¡¯s runs started. The fiend was already much better at helping than it¡¯d been the first time Vee had gotten its assistance..
As he worked, he looked around the workshop. Was there enough room to add a forge if ¨C or more realistically, when ¨C he upgraded his class to [Ghost Smith]. Maybe? Probably not. There was a bit of space between all his machines and the walls of the room, but not enough to really add any new ones.
He suspected that he¡¯d have to go up or down a floor and start fresh there, which was probably fine. Separating the dungeon¡¯s primary activities, like making ghosts, from its ancillary activities like making the dunpla figures was probably for the best.
Unless he ended up needing the forge for his dungeon work or something like that. Then he¡¯d have to figure out how to plan his production more efficiently or find a way to move materials from one place to another quickly so that he didn¡¯t bottleneck himself as he worked.
Ugh. That, like so much of layout planning, sounded like a pain. There were so many little details, and all of them could cascade into huge gains or losses in speed.
Micromanaging things like that wasn¡¯t exactly his strong suit. Maybe if he kept leveling up as a [Dungeon Master] he¡¯d start to find it more enjoyable, but for now it sounded like a chore.
Oh well. Bridges and crossing them he supposed. Shaking his head, Vee finished the ghost he was working on and gave it to Cog to fold up and store.
He considered the time. He didn¡¯t think he had enough to start another batch of ghosts, and he thought that they had enough to get through the day¡¯s runs, so he bid farewell to Cog and trudged up the stairs to his control room.
The agents were already there, their deck of cards already being shuffled.
Reginald was waiting by the dungeon control console, looking over the stack of applications with an eager grin on his face.
¡°What¡¯s got you so smiley?¡±
¡°Most of these adventurers are pretty low level. Lots of tens and elevens.¡±
¡°So you think we can get through most of them today?¡±
The hat nodded.
¡°In fact, if we get lucky, we might even get through the rest!¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: G-h-o-s-t M-a-e-s-t-r-o? (Locksmagister University), Level 33
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 18 (+1)
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 118:
Reginald¡¯s assessment proved correct. The day¡¯s first twenty adventurers took less than an hour, thanks in no small part to the seven in a row that didn¡¯t manage to make it through the first room. A career in dungeon sports for those people didn¡¯t seem like an especially wise choice in Vee¡¯s opinion, but the [Dungeon Master] was glad they¡¯d come to Crestheart all the same. Having adventurers that did no damage and required no reset time was something of a blessing, and Vee selfishly wished that more of his challengers would prove to be similar in the future.
Alas, the stretch of quick runs came to an end with the challenge of a level 18 [Axe Thrower], who made it far enough to pick a totem and decided to try her luck with the larger, draining totem. As a result, her progress slowed to a crawl, as she had to take frequent breaks. Vee was glad to see her lose her run to a series of [Frost Vent] traps followed by a barrage from his skeleton mages.
The pace picked back up again after that, and Vee fell into a familiar rhythm. He used [Boost Drops] twice when faced with adventurers who seemed capable of clearing all the Marked minions, but was disappointed when only one of them managed to do so. Losing a charge of [Boost Drops] wasn¡¯t ideal, but neither was it devastating. They couldn¡¯t all be perfectly efficient, and choosing to use one always constituted a risk.
He swept his hands over the dials, used [Walking Walls] as often as he needed to, and kept the challengers on their toes with well-timed activations of his traps and platform manipulations. To an outside observer, none of the things Vee was doing would have looked unusual. Quite the opposite in fact: they were all things that he¡¯d done hundreds of times before.
However, with every repetition Vee felt weight being added to the growing sense of something greater happening in the ethereal around the dungeon. He paused and looked through the nearest window, activating [Third Sight] as he did so. Sure enough, there was a strange gray-blue fog of ectoplasm in the air.
It was thin and wispy, floating around the streets outside the dungeon and flickering in and out of existence every few seconds. A large mass congealed around the lobby, while smaller ones lingered outside Juniper¡¯s flower shop and Thien¡¯s other workshop.
Vee got up and walked over to the window. It was fine for him to leave the console for a moment, the adventurer in the dungeon was working on solving the disassembled key puzzle and having what could charitably be called a ¡°hard time¡±. There were only a few pieces of ectoplasm, and Vee thought their connection points were painfully obvious, but as is often the case things that seem glaringly simple to their creator are obtuse to outsiders.
Holding his hand out the window, Vee grabbed some of the fog as it blew by. It was neither warm nor cold, but tingled against his skin ever so slightly. It wasn¡¯t malicious, of that much Vee was sure, but he didn¡¯t know what it was either.
Reaching down with his other hand, Vee touched the Expectation on his shoulder and whispered, ¡°Something to do with you, maybe?¡±
The snake dragon quivered, but didn¡¯t answer, and Vee let the matter drop. He¡¯d keep an eye on it and see how it progressed. Maybe that would give him a better idea of what it was.
While he was standing at the window, Vee looked over across some of the nearby buildings in the direction of the spectator¡¯s area. Due to the way the streets were arranged he couldn¡¯t see the whole thing too well, but what was visible didn¡¯t look empty.
He wondered how spectator¡¯s were enjoying the experience. There hadn¡¯t been enough time to get it really looking nice before the circuit, but Vee definitely wanted to make sure that it got expanded and improved once things were back to normal. His conversation with those old dungeon sports fans had convinced him that it was important for a dungeon to have a good spectator area, and he could use it as a launching pad for so many things.
With his curiosity satisfied for the moment, Vee returned to his console only to see that the adventurer was still struggling with the key.
¡°Go ahead and give him the hint,¡± Vee instructed Reginald. ¡°Otherwise he¡¯ll be here all day.¡±
The hat flapped his brim and activated his magnification crystal. ¡°Adventurer! If you flip over that slab that you got the pieces off, you¡¯ll find an image of the completed key.¡±
Thanks be to Gawain and Piper, the adventurer took Reginald¡¯s suggestion and managed to assemble the key with the picture¡¯s help. Vee made a mental note to add something to help adventurers find that image for themselves in future runs and returned to his work.
***
Down in his arena, Alforde was bored. Nobody had come by to challenge him yet today, and he was eager for his first bout. He paced back and forth, occasionally pausing to give Slammy a few test swings to keep his mind sharp.
He¡¯d expected there to be far more challenges given the comparatively higher level of the out-of-town adventurers compared to the normal people he faced from Oar¡¯s Crest, but apparently Vee¡¯s redesign of the dungeon had been quite potent. A lot of adventurers got taken out by Mister Chills or the instant kill hallway, making Alforde¡¯s days a bit too easy for the armorsoul¡¯s liking.
Alforde rolled his pauldrons and shook his helmet from side to side. He had to stay vigilant! A strong challenger could appear at any moment!
Vee¡¯s voice crackled through the crystal from up above. ¡°Hey buddy! We¡¯ve got the day¡¯s first bout coming up. It¡¯s a level 21 [Knuckle Philosopher] and he¡¯s pretty strong, though I¡¯ve got to warn you that he¡¯s kind of obnoxious.¡±
¡®Oh yeah? How so?¡±
His friend sighed, and Alforde could immediately visualize Vee¡¯s frustrated expression.
The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°He has this whole monologue about how talking with his fists is the only way to really get to know somebody or have a conversation with them. It¡¯s way too long and he says it before every fight too.¡±
¡°Whips his shirt off like he¡¯s a [Treasure Hunter] before every fight too,¡± Reginald added darkly. ¡°Adds an extra minute or so to each room. Knock him out quickly so that he shuts up and goes away, okay?¡±
Alforde chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡±
He planted himself firmly at the edge of his stage, and held Slammy vertically beside him. He summoned his frost cape and activated the small [Frost Vent] trap he¡¯d secretly installed beneath his stage. The cold didn¡¯t bother him and the trap provided more than enough breeze to set his cape fluttering dramatically.
The armorsoul giggled quietly. It was a cool look and he knew it. Now to wait for his foe to arrive!
Sure enough, the man entered a moment later. He was wearing, oddly, a gray suit with a dark red shirt, and while his hair was messy on account of all the fighting in the dungeon it had clearly been slicked back originally.
Before Aforde could launch into his welcome speech ¨C which he¡¯d been practicing so diligently! ¨C the man dramatically spun around and struck a fighting pose with his hands balled into fists and held at the ready.
¡°I see that fate has brought us together beneath these moons,¡± he said dramatically. ¡°Brought us together to let us compare our strength. To battle and see which of us¡you or me¡is the stronger.¡±
Alforde blinked. He blinked a few more times, trying to process what he¡¯d just heard. There was some, uh, or actually a lot, to unpack. And some finicky bits too. Like using the word ¡®stronger¡¯ right after using the word ¡®strength¡¯. That was a no-no in Alforde¡¯s book; would it be rude if he suggested a different word to the poor fellow? He was clearly trying so very hard.
¡°Indeed,¡± the man continued, clearly oblivious to the raging battle inside Alforde¡¯s mind about the potential differences between ¡®mightier¡¯ and ¡®greater¡¯. ¡°Indeed beneath this moon I sense a kinship betwixt us! We are brothers, you and I, and I will prove it to you with these fists of mine!¡±
Bemused, Alforde looked up at the ceiling, making sure that Vee hadn¡¯t secretly installed some sort of mobile or decoration that could be mistaken for the moon. When he saw that there was not, he held up one of his gauntlets and asked, ¡°Why do you keep talking about the moon?¡±
¡°We¡¯re underground,¡± he added helpfully a moment later. ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re not related, either. We can go ahead and fight though! That¡¯s why we¡¯re both here after all.¡±
The man visibly deflated, and started muttering awkwardly about the differences between butterflies and ducks or something similarly nonsensical, which gave Alforde enough time to go ahead and give his speech. It definitely wasn¡¯t polite to extoll one¡¯s own accomplishments too much ¨C Edukaiser had drilled that into him almost literally when he¡¯d been freshly forged ¨C but he couldn¡¯t deny that his speech was much more thought out and coherent. It had gone through the rarest of all crucibles: two rounds of extensive editing.
As soon as he tossed the man his SSB ¨C the pill that would keep him from getting injured during the bout ¨C the adventurer ripped off his shirt like he was being paid to do so and assumed a different fighting pose.
¡°[Brawling Beast Stance]!¡± he shouted, causing competing blue and yellow auras to hover above his skin.
A second later he seemed to change his mind.
¡°[Burning Fist Stance]!¡±
The color changed to a deep red, and heat started rolling in waves off his body.
¡°Show me the strength of your soul,¡± the adventurer cried in an oddly baritone voice. ¡°Show me your might!¡±
Alforde stepped back and brought Slammy into ready position. This was definitely going to be one of the weirder challengers he¡¯d ever fought, but the armorsoul didn¡¯t dare underestimate the challenge he faced.
The [Dungeon Champion] swung his hammer with all his strength and it met the man¡¯s fist, which was rushing toward his helmet. Through the power of the SSB the blow was transformed into nothing more than a battle of force instead of a cause of critical injury, and from there Alforde launched a [Combo Attack] intended to throw the man off the platform.
However, while his blows landed they did barely anything to his opponent, who simply grunted and rushed in closer to grab Alforde in a bear hug.
A second later the armorsoul was flying, and when he looked down the adventurer was grinning, the red aura around his body bigger and brighter than it¡¯d been a second before.
Something held Alforde¡¯s limbs in place, an invisible force that prevented him from moving, and when he got close to landing the adventurer grabbed him like he weighed no more than a bag of rice and slammed him around the arena until the armorsoul finally wiggled free.
¡°Let us converse with our fists!¡± the adventurer cried. ¡°For that is the best way to get to know each other!¡±
Alforde retreated, stopping a safe distance away from the edge of the stage and readying himself for the next clash.
¡°You know, if you¡¯re just looking for friends there are other adventurers in town you can talk to,¡± he said. ¡°No fists required! You just have to like, talk to them. WIth words.¡±
He activated [Unstoppable Charge] and raced toward the [Knuckle Philosopher], raising his hammer to strike a mighty blow.
The combatants met again, and this time Alforde¡¯s strength was greater. A well-timed [Pauldron Smash] sent the adventurer flying.
¡°Take that!¡± the armorsoul yelled, feeling immense satisfaction in scoring the first point of their bout.
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged from last chapter):
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged From Last Chapter):Vee Vales:
Primary Class: G-h-o-s-t M-a-e-s-t-r-o? (Locksmagister University), Level 33
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 119:
Alforde let out a triumphant cry as his hammer connected with the [Knuckle Philosopher]¡¯s side and launched the man off the stage for the final time of their bout. He let out a second one when the fellow hit the ground and confirmed his victory. It¡¯d been a hard fought battle, and he only had a single stock remaining, but a win was a win and Alforde wasn¡¯t going to complain.
He waited patiently for the adventurer to climb back up to the stage and held out a gauntlet to shake the man¡¯s hand.
¡°Victory was yours this time,¡± the [Knuckle Philosopher] said with a bow of his head. ¡°But I¡¯ll continue to search my heart for even greater truths, and will return in time. Examine yourself and seek the meaning of your existence before then.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Alforde said, hoping that the man was lying. After the drivel he¡¯d had to listen to for the past several minutes, he didn¡¯t think he could mentally handle another fight with him.
After putting his shirt back on and smoothing his hair down, the adventurer left and Alforde was alone once more. He mentally reviewed the fight, thinking of things he could have done differently. Like keeping his distance to avoid those grapples, which all temporarily Paralyzed him so that the adventurer could complete some ludicrous chain of actions that usually sent him flying. Had he been a human, kitrekin, elkin, or salamander, those would have hurt.
Walking over to the treasure chest near the exit of his arena, Alforde reached down to the small bag he¡¯d hidden and drew out his notebook. He jotted down his notes, adding some things to think about in the future, and then stood up to wait for his next challenger. He hoped it wouldn¡¯t be too long.
¡°Praise be that guy is done,¡± Reginald said with an exhausted sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many more of those melodramatic lines I could have taken without losing my mind.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± said Vee. ¡°I hope we don¡¯t have too many more like that one.¡±
¡°We shouldn¡¯t. There aren¡¯t that many challengers left.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Take a look for yourself. The stack is almost empty.¡±
Sure enough it was. Somehow they¡¯d managed to make pretty good time on the day¡¯s runs, and while it was far from a sure thing, Vee didn¡¯t have to stretch his imagination too hard to think that they could actually finish up today.
If that ended up happening, Vee decided that he¡¯d go ahead and close Crestheart for a few days afterwards. There were lots of things he wanted to do.
First, there were some tweaks he wanted to make to a few of the dungeon¡¯s traps and layout, and he wanted to go ahead and order some new minions too. He¡¯d seen enough slimes, little ghosts, and skeletons; there were dozens of other minion options available to him through the union''s catalogue and it was past time for Crestheart to have some more variety.
Beyond that, the [Dungeon Master] wanted to take a bit of a break and spend some time relaxing. Take Luna out for a date, go relax at the Grinning Pig, wander around the city.
He¡¯d earned at least that much, he decided.
Plus, he was starting to feel that while the dungeon still had lots of room to continue growing and improving ¨C which he was eager to pursue ¨C there were things in the city that needed his attention as well. His fiends and the [Slime Ranchers] had made decent progress on cleaning up the streets, but there was still so much to do before they looked properly presentable. Frankly he probably needed an army of fiends and slimes to get the streets looking nice, but he¡¯d work with what he had for now and eventually it would start to shape up a bit more. No great city was built in a day, after all.
Also, seeing the night market had given him greater conviction that it was worth his time and energy to lobby the council to allow the Westown gate to remain open on a permanent basis. It didn¡¯t need to lead to the creation of a permanent night market or anything like that ¨C though Vee wouldn¡¯t mind such a thing in the slightest ¨C but it would be good to let more things take root near the dungeon.
A strange tingle raced down Vee¡¯s spine and he rubbed his forehead until it went away. There was the matter of his class upgrade too. Cold certainty filled his heart: for better or worse, he¡¯d decided to go ahead and become a [Ghost Smith], which brought with it some potential side effects. While most people didn¡¯t experience any issues, it was possible for a person to experience a day or two of headaches, nausea, and other cold symptoms when changing their primary class. With his luck, the [G-h-o-s-t- M-a-e-s-t-r-o?] would be one of the poor souls who suffered such ill effects, and he didn¡¯t much fancy the thought of trying to manage the dungeon while ill.
Indeed. A few days of rest and relaxation ¨C a week at most ¨C and then he¡¯d get back to work.
Looking down at his console, Vee took a deep breath and readied himself for the next run.
Alforde was most certainly not sitting on the floor in his arena bored out of his helmet when Vee¡¯s voice finally announced his next challenger, thank you very much. Instead, he was deep in meditation, pondering his existence for reasons completely unrelated to his fight with the [Knuckle Philosopher].
Instead, the inspiration for this bout of self-reflection was the strange sensation he¡¯d felt just a moment ago coming through his bond with Vee.
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He¡¯s decided to take the upgrade, Alforde thought, pleased with his friend¡¯s resolve. He had to make sure that he didn¡¯t get left behind, which meant working even harder to become a good [Dungeon Champion]. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to do that, though. He loved his hammer skills and his fighting ability, but it felt like he was starting to plateau in both areas. There were only so many ways that he could hit things with his hammer.
The best path for making progress from here, he knew, was to level further as a [Glaciernaut]. There were sure to be lots of new skills and stats waiting for him by doing that, especially since the armorsoul had done so little to dabble with the class since getting it other than bolster the consistency of his domain.
He wondered what sort of skills they would be, trying to remember details from all the books he¡¯d read on the subject in the Vales family library. [Juggernauts] excelled at buffing themselves to avoid pain and other status effects, and excelled at breaking through defensive skills ¨C especially all the ones in the [Wall] family ¨C but Alforde had never heard of any other [Glaciernauts]. Now, while that didn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t exist, it did mean that there was a good chance he¡¯d have a decently flexible path forward that he could somewhat shape to his own liking as he leveled up.
That was both a blessing and a curse. Far too often, a person with the freedom to do anything they wanted ended up choosing to do nothing. While his ability to shape his progression was limited and difficult to predict, he risked watching his levels tick by without any meaningful increases in his power if he failed to come up with a plan for the types of things he wanted.
Since that wasn¡¯t an acceptable outcome, Alforde did his best to start coming up with a solid direction to keep in mind once he started focusing on leveling up [Glaciernaut]. The fact that it also helped pass the time was simply a nice bonus.
What sort of skills would benefit him the most in the dungeon? Alforde thought about the types of adventurers he really struggled with. By far the most common type were quick and nimble challengers, who could keep away from him and avoid exchanging heavy blows. So, something that would prevent them from moving around too much would be extremely useful. Like¡like an [Ice Maze] or something, or an [Ice Tomb] or even just an [Ice Wall]!
He glanced up at the ceiling and waited, but there was no answer or affirmation that his thought had done anything more than give him some mental images of what he might like to have. That was fine: not all thoughts and personal revelations earned System intervention.
With no sign of any approaching challengers, Alforde returned to his pondering.
Beyond using ice to make things to impede adventurers, Alforde thought it might also be nifty to have a skill that would allow him to synergize better with Shadowforde or improve his own mobility. Thankfully, ice-based classes had lots of options for both of those things: [Ice Clones], [Chill Cart], and [Ice Trail] were the most common and straightforward, but [Living Ice Sculpture] and [Frosteleport] could also be useful too, especially paired with his other existing skills.
For example, he could activate [Frosteleport] to cover the distance across the stage in the blink of an eye, and then launch a close range [Combo Attack], [Pauldron Smash], or even a [Cyclone Smash]. Without having the skill telegraphed like his movements normally were, his opponents would be hard pressed to respond properly and Alforde would probably be able to pick up a bunch of easy stocks.
There were other synergies too, like using [Unstoppable Charge] and something like [Ice Ramp] to redirect himself and get a second ¨C or maybe a third, with two [Ice Ramps] ¨C attempt at hitting his opponent, or increasing the potency of the barrage during and simply enduring it with a new defensive skill.
Or! Or he could find a way to turn his cape into a grasping arm or claw or something and use that to keep adventurers away from the stage once he knocked them off. There were probably a lot of opportunities to swing matches in his favor by being more aggressive in that situation.
Vee¡¯s voice came down from the ceiling.
¡°Got a real monster headed your way, buddy. He¡¯s way overleveled for us, so don¡¯t feel bad if you lose, okay? Heck, don¡¯t feel bad if you don¡¯t manage to take any stocks, alright? Promise me.¡±
Alforde looked up and blinked. ¡°Okay, I promise. But what gives? You don¡¯t usually make such a big point of telling me that I¡¯m going to lose.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not usually up against such a strong opponent. Seriously, just do your best and that¡¯s more than good enough.¡±
Vee¡¯s voice disappeared as the doors swung open once again and a tall, muscular man wielding a short hammer walked inside.
The air crackled around him with his every step, and Alforde watched bolts of lightning dance down his arms. He smiled at the armorsoul, and waved politely, but Alforde still felt a fear almost unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt before.
Vee hadn¡¯t been kidding: this guy was seriously strong.
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged From Last Chapter):
Vee Vales:
Primary Class: G-h-o-s-t M-a-e-s-t-r-o? (Locksmagister University), Level 33
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 120:
One of Alforde¡¯s favorite things to read about was desperate last stands. He loved the hopeless beauty of defiance in the face of certain defeat, the way people with no chance of winning would stand their ground and scream defiance until the bitter end. It was romantic in the truest sense of the word, and the armorsoul had always hoped that if he ever found himself in such a situation that he¡¯d have the grace and inner strength to accept his circumstances with the same spirit as his favorite characters.
Of course, standing in his arena and facing Matthew Cracklelance was nothing at all like any of those stories, and Alforde felt a little silly for even thinking of them as he met the big adventurer¡¯s eyes. No matter how bad the battle went it¡¯d be over in less than ten minutes, and at the end of the day he would walk upstairs like he always did to help Vee count their earnings. This bout had no real consequences, other than some marks on a piece of paper and the loss of a trinket from the treasure chest behind him.
Still, Alforde couldn¡¯t help but imagine that the looming sense of dread in the back of his helmet was the shadow of the same feeling. An overwhelming knowledge that defeat was imminent, that nothing he did would be enough to eke out a victory.
In a way, that was freeing. He didn¡¯t need to worry about making any mistakes: they¡¯d all simply be overlooked as a gap in strength and talent. A footnote barely worth noticing, let alone mentioning or dwelling on for any significant period of time.
Tightening his gauntlet around Slammy, Alforde rolled his pauldrons and gave the adventurer a polite nod.
¡°Welcome to my arena,¡± he said quietly. There was no point in bothering with bluster, bravado, or bragging like he did with some challengers. Both he and Matthew Cracklelance knew the outcome of the fight that was about to happen; it was just a matter now of going through the motions.
A traitorous thought ran through Alforde¡¯s helmet. Given such a situation, did it even make sense for him to try and win? Wouldn¡¯t it be better and faster for him to simply roll over and quit?
No, that wasn¡¯t right. He could hear that voice in his helmet even though it didn¡¯t speak. A champion doesn¡¯t worry about the outcome, only the process to obtain it.
He had to remember that despite not looking like it, there was value in doing his best here. Fighting strong opponents was the best way to improve his skills, and while he was sure to lose that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t learn from the experience.
Matthew tilted his head from one side to the other and brought up his weapon. Alforde was pleased to see that it was a hammer, albeit a small one with a comparatively large stone head that was covered in white runes. The hammer crackled with power, and a ton of tiny green bolts arced up and down its handle.
¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve gone up against another hammer user,¡± the adventurer said. ¡°Your weapon sure looks impressive. What¡¯s it made out of?¡±
¡°Frostnickel from a forge here in town,¡± Alforde said.
¡°I like that. It¡¯s a good [Dungeon Champion] that uses local products. Too many of you guys are obsessed with master-grade stuff, and as good as those weapons are, they really don¡¯t make that big of a difference.¡±
The armorsoul shrugged. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know anything about that. How about yours? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen anything like that.¡±
¡°It¡¯s Bolteorite, a lightning infused stone that¡¯s only found in the mountains near my homeland,¡± Matthew said. ¡°Came from a fallen star and was crafted into a weapon by an old |King of the Sky|.¡±
Alforde huffed. As far as he was concerned, there were far too many adventurers running around with fallen star weapons and armor with provenances from |Kings| of various flavors. When everyone had a weapon that could star in its own legend, didn¡¯t that kind of mean that nobody did?
Alas, there wasn¡¯t time to ponder that properly, because the adventurer went ahead and settled into a fighting stance.
¡°Look, I¡¯m not trying to be rude here, but let¡¯s go ahead and get this over with,¡± Matthew said. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ve both got better things to do with our time.¡±
He was still smiling, but there was something patronizing in the expression now that made Alforde angry.
It wasn¡¯t going to change the outcome of the fight by any means, but Alforde went ahead and held nothing back. He summoned Shadowforde right away, and activated before his Reflection hit the stage.
Matthew looked back and forth with one eyebrow raised. He casually ducked beneath a large chunk of ice that flew toward his head and batted a smaller one away with his hammer.
¡°Oho!¡± he called. ¡°I didn¡¯t realized you had a domain too! That makes this a little bit interesting! Let me show you mine! !¡±
Instead of creating a zone like Alforde¡¯s domain, Matthew¡¯s instead affected his body. His muscles bulged against his clothes, his hair turned white, and his eyes glowed with power.
Crouching down and letting out a roar that would have sent any great beast running for the hills, the adventurer leapt forward and drove his hammer into Alforde¡¯s cuirass like it was a spear.
It¡¯d happened so fast that Alforde hadn¡¯t even started getting ready for it, and the impact blew him from one side of the stage to another.
He didn¡¯t even have time to land before the [Thunderlord] delivered a second strike to his helmet, and the next thing Alforde knew he was bouncing off the ground outside the stage.
It might have been the fastest stock he¡¯d ever lost, which forced the [Dungeon Champion] to reconsider the value in fighting such a strong opponent. If he couldn¡¯t even process what was happening to him, was there really much to be gained in terms of learning from the battle beyond useless platitudes like ¡®Don¡¯t Get Hit¡¯?
He shook the thought out of his helmet and got back onto the stage. His domain still raged, and Alforde did what he could to bolster the storm further. Frost spread from his boots, covering half the stage in a thick layer of ice.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Giving Shadowforde a nod, the [Dungeon Champion] launched an attack from two directions, hoping that at least one of his blows would make it through the man¡¯s guard. He swung and thrust and jabbed and jostled, only for his blows to all be swatted away.
His Reflection didn¡¯t fare much better, but Alforde thought that if they could just keep up the pressure eventually they¡¯d¨C
¡°[Bolt Burst]!¡±
A green sphere erupted from the adventurer¡¯s chest, knocking Alforde and Shadowforde away. Before the [Dungeon Champion] had time to recover, Matthew was right in front of him.
¡°[Combination Attack Six]!¡±
A flurry of hammer strikes, combined with electrically charged punches and kicks peppered Alforde and drove him backwards. He activated [Give No Ground], but his skill was rapidly overwhelmed and he went flying over the edge once again.
Two stocks gone in less than a minute. That might not have been a record, but it certainly felt like one.
Alforde clapped his helmet to clear his thoughts and warily climbed back up. His domain raged with fury, but it didn¡¯t seem to bother or slow Matthew in any meaningful way. The adventurer¡¯s face was calm.
¡°Are your fights always like this?¡± Alforde asked before getting back into his fighting stance.
The adventurer shook his head. ¡°Not when I¡¯m up against a [Dungeon Champion] closer to my own level.¡±
Though there was clearly no insult intended in the statement, Alforde found himself offended all the same. It was irrational, he knew, but he still launched his next attack with all the fury he could muster. Shadowforde mirrored him, as was appropriate, and the two of them almost ¨C almost ¨C managed to land a blow against their foe.
Another strike from the [Thunderlord] sent Alforde reeling, and the armorsoul found himself at a loss for what to do. None of his attacks worked, and he was against an opponent who was faster, stronger, and more experienced than he was. There was no simple tactic he could employ to turn the tables, no new skill he could call upon nor previously set up but unmentioned trick waiting to be deployed.
He¡¯d been weighed and measured, and like all those characters he¡¯d read about, had been found wanting.
Alforde hit the ground outside the stage twice more.
Sometimes you just lost and there was nothing you could do about it except try to come up with a way to prevent it from happening in the future.
To be a champion is to refuse to believe that defeat is final.
¡°The big guy is probably going to be feeling pretty crummy after that one,¡± Reginald said as the adventurer took his treasure and left the dungeon. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since he looked that helpless against a challenger.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Vee said. ¡°Hopefully he doesn¡¯t beat himself up too bad about it; it wasn¡¯t his fault by any means and he put up as good a fight as we could have expected him to.¡±
¡°I wonder if he¡¯ll see it that way,¡± the [Majordomo] said. ¡°He¡¯s probably going to spend the rest of the day moping about things he could have done better and trying to come up with new plans for the future.¡±
¡°Probably,¡± said Vee. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky he¡¯ll get one more match today that he can win, and then we won¡¯t have to worry about him being upset afterwards.¡±
Reginald pointed to the tiny stack of applications left. ¡°There¡¯s only five or six challengers left. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a great chance of that happening, do you?¡±
Vee leafed through them and winced. The prospects for another champion bout happening weren¡¯t great. The strongest adventurer remaining was only level 17 in their primary class ¨C [Sabotage Slinger] ¨C and the rest were all three or four levels lower.
¡°If it doesn¡¯t work out I¡¯ll just get him some new books to read,¡± Vee said with a shrug. ¡°That¡¯ll make him happy.¡±
¡°You¡¯d best start thinking about those books,¡± Reginald said as the day¡¯s ¨C and the circuit''s, as far as Crestheart was concerned ¨C last run came to a somewhat disappointing close. The level thirteen [Sparkling Archer] proved to be no match for Nock, and was completely overwhelmed by the weaponsoul¡¯s harrying on the second floor.
¡°I¡¯ll let him pick,¡± Vee answered. ¡°He¡¯s got a list of books to read later that he¡¯s been keeping since I was a kid. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to find a few of them in the local bookstore.¡±
One of Reginald¡¯s yellow spirit arms reached over and clapped Vee on the shoulder. ¡°We did it, boss. All in all, I¡¯d say that was an extremely successful circuit initiation. Now we just have to do it again and again and again.¡±
Vee nodded, but before he could respond he was interrupted by a notification.
[Congratulations, Crestheart is now a Level 4 Dungeon!]
[Your dungeon aura skills are now more powerful!]
[Passive shard of chaos drop rate has been doubled!]
[+1% chance of passive minion skills activating!]
[You may now choose one of the following perks to make your dungeon more powerful!]
[OPTION ONE: Miniboss Buff Aura]
This activatable buff will empower your dungeon minibosses. Estimated buff value is 5% to a miniboss¡¯ primary stat multiplied by the total number of minibosses in your dungeon. Limit of one buffable entity per dungeon floor. Selecting this option will increase your chances of being offered passive aura perks with additional dungeon levels.
[OPTION TWO: Stone Golem summoning basin]
This crystal powered artifact will generate one basic stone golem every day. Original crystal will deplete over time, but can be swapped out for more powerful versions which will increase the daily rate of golem generation. Selecting this option will increase your chances of being offered additional artifact perks with further dungeon levels.
[OPTION THREE: Minion Purchase Discount]
Save 10% on all future purchases of Union-sanctioned minions. Selecting this option will increase your chances of additional discount perks with further dungeon levels.
[Please note, all perk deliveries are subject to delivery conditions, and may not arrive for some time after being selected.]
Vee rubbed his chin and dismissed the notification. He¡¯d think about the choice later.
For now, he was going to go ahead and take a bit of a break from all things dungeon related.
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged):
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged):Vee Vales
Primary Class: G-h-o-s-t M-a-e-s-t-r-o? (Locksmagister University), Level 33
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 121 A: Irvine Randstrider (Interlude)
For the third night in a row, the kitchen was an absolute madhouse. Orders came in faster than the trio of [Line Cooks] and the [Head Chef] could keep up, and everyone¡¯s tempers were as fried as the meat and vegetables they served up. Mistakes ¨C which always happened, even on slow nights ¨C became frustratingly common, and furious cursing was the only conversation amongst the employees as they fell further and further behind.
Crouching down to pick up a carton of chopped vegetables, Irvine felt a familiar click in his lower back that heralded trouble come tomorrow morning and grimaced. He stood back up slowly, hoping against all knowledge and experience that it would somehow undo whatever he¡¯d just done. Unfortunately, the barely perceptible tightness in the small of his back remained, taunting him and promising future misery.
He swore under his breath, grabbing two big handfuls of onions and red bell peppers and angrily tossing them into the skillet, where they hissed and sizzled. He stabbed at them with his spatula, flipping them over when they started to crisp and color and adding a bit of sauce.
His back twinged again. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have happened if I¡¯d gotten my break an hour ago like I was supposed to,¡± Irvine muttered darkly, scowling over at Loren, the [Head Chef] who was responsible for his longer than expected shift.
The younger man was a whirlwind: he was managing three skillets and a chopping board at the same time, his long blond hair tied back in a ponytail and his shirt damp with sweat as he cut, stirred, flipped, and served. Everything he did was purposeful, and not a single motion was wasted.
Irvine hated Loren, though he knew it was irrational to do so.
He remembered when Loren had first started working at the restaurant as a [Prep Cook] five years earlier. The blond man had been slow and shaky, so nervous about hurting himself in the kitchen that he took three or four times longer to do anything than the rest of the crew. Worse, his food tasted like crap. When it wasn¡¯t bland it was almost as salty as seawater, or so spicy you could taste nothing else.
Somehow though, he¡¯d snowed the owner of the joint into thinking that he was better than he was, and it was only a few months before he got promoted and upgraded his class to [Line Cook]. That same process had taken Irvine three years of hard work.
By itself, that would have easily been enough for Irvine to dislike the other man, but it got worse from there. See, Loren moved even faster after that, leveling rapidly and becoming a [Chef] ¨C and then [Head Chef] ¨C within two more years.
The faint smell of burning distracted him from his brooding recollection, and Irvine glared down at his skillet. Sure enough, almost half of his onions had gone from pleasantly brown to unpleasantly black, and Irvine swore under his breath once again.
Scraping the more-than-slightly charred vegetables out onto a plate, the [Line Cook] started another batch. Loren would yell at him if he tried to serve burnt vegetables.
The thought of enduring another scolding from a man he¡¯d taught the ropes to sent a fresh wave of unpleasant thoughts through Irvine¡¯s mind. He didn¡¯t care what people said: the System definitely played favorites. It picked winners and losers, because there was no other way to explain Loren¡¯s rapid ascent while his own leveling had been so slow it was basically nonexistent. They¡¯d both done the same work in the same place, with the same rules and constraints around their behavior.
After all, Irvine was positive that those stupid cookbooks and lifestyle magazines Loren had brought in and read during his breaks could never have caused such a difference.
There was just no way, he told himself, the old thought familiar and comfortable in his skull. There was just no way.
Right as his veggies finished ¨C without being burned this time ¨C Loren¡¯s voice filled the kitchen. ¡°Come on, guys, I¡¯m still waiting for a bunch of stuff to get this order up. Let¡¯s pick up the pace a little bit, eh? We can get back on track if we just keep at it!¡±
¡°Pick up the pace yourself,¡± Irvine grumbled, plating his dish and bringing it over to where the rest of the plates were waiting.
As he walked, he looked out into the restaurant and caught a glimpse of the crowd eating. There were easily sixty people if not more, and judging by the weapons and armor stacked near the tables they had to be adventurers. Same as the last two days.
Irvine shook his head. He didn¡¯t know why there were suddenly so many freaking adventurers in town, but it probably had something to do with the dungeon in town. He vaguely recalled some sort of event or something taking place, but while he didn¡¯t remember the specifics of it he was ready for it to end. Being so busy was unpleasant; the [Line Cook] desperately wanted to go back to the slow, relaxing nights he¡¯d gotten used to over the years.
Returning to his station, Irvine grabbed the next ticket and groaned. It was another fancy pants order that was going to take way longer than it should. He went to grab some potatoes and found that the bucket was empty, which meant that he¡¯d have to chop some himself.
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Knife in hand, Irvine arranged a dozen potatoes on a chopping board and activated [Quick Cubing], letting the skill guide his hands and the knife as he turned them into a pile of mismatched shapes that were only vaguely cuboid on account of his version of the skill being faulty. He¡¯d watched Loren ¨C and the other [Line Cooks] ¨C get perfect cubes without problems, but his own efforts never reached that level of quality.
Oh well. It wasn¡¯t like it really mattered, Irvine thought as he scooped the potatoes into his skillet and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. The people eating them wouldn¡¯t care if they weren¡¯t all the same size or shape.
With that done, Irvine turned to making the sauce for his dish, counting down the seconds until he could be done for the day.
Half an hour before midnight, Irvine finally got to take off his filthy apron and step outside. His shift was finally done, having been made longer by the fact that he¡¯d drawn the short straw on cleaning and locking up the restaurant for the night. Hobbling across the alley, Irvine sagged against the brick wall near the dumpster and started fumbling around in his pockets for a cigarette and his lighter. His back was starting to properly hurt now, each movement an exercise in willpower.
¡°That was miserable,¡± Irvine said after his first blissful pull of his cigarette. ¡°Absolutely. Miserable.¡±
The rats scurrying around the dumpster didn¡¯t respond, but Irvine hadn¡¯t been expecting them to; like anyone in the continent he¡¯d heard stories of ¡°kin¡± other than kitrekins and elkin that he knew ¨C born from rabbits and turtles and bears and all sorts of other animals ¨C but never any involving rats.
He thought about that for a moment ¨C since it was rather weird ¨C before his more usual melancholy returned to his skull and he slowly sank down to the street to finish his smoke and stare at the sky.
Twenty years he¡¯d been doing that. Actually, now that he counted back, it was more than that wasn¡¯t it? He was thirty seven now, and had started working at the restaurant at fifteen, which meant it¡¯d actually been¡twenty two years.
¡°Just something to do for a while to get some spending money while I figure my life out,¡± Irvine said with a small, bitter chuckle. ¡°Nothing I¡¯m going to stick with long term.¡±
Of course, that carriage was long since left the station. What was he supposed to do now? Join the adventurer¡¯s guild? That wasn¡¯t possible: Irvine had no other skills, no ability to go forth and seek adventure and glory in other areas of life. He only had one class and his body was starting to betray him with almost alarming regularity, and the aches and pains that had been minor inconveniences were rapidly replaced by near-crippling agony.
What was left for him to accomplish over the next five years? Let alone ten, twenty or thirty? What did he even want to do? He¡¯d grown up in the city of Oar¡¯s Crest and he was going to die in the city of Oar¡¯s Crest. Nothing he did was going to change that.
It was simply too late. Some people were fated for great things, and he simply was not. They got so-called ¡°fortuitous encounters¡± that charted the course for their lives, and kept them on it without issue. Other people, normal people like him weren¡¯t so lucky. They had no choice but to muddle forward with the hand they¡¯d been dealt and do the best they could.
Such was the way of the world, as it always had been and always would be. It was like his back. There was no point in complaining about it, because nothing would ¨C no, could ¨C ever change.
He might as well scream at the sky for being blue.
[Jaded Heart +1]
¡°Bugger off,¡± Irvine grunted, swatting the notification away like it was a mosquito.
Irvine brooded for a few more minutes, wondering if his back would tolerate him getting back up and the long walk home. A small movement forward told him that the answer was no, because of course it was. He¡¯d have to stay here for a while and rest until his willpower was sufficient to push himself to move again. Irvine patted his pockets again. He had a few more cigarettes somewhere in there, so that wasn¡¯t the worst thing in the world.
A low, powerful voice came from the shadows. ¡°Excuse me, any chance you have a lighter I can borrow for a second? I can¡¯t seem to find mine.¡±
Irvine turned to look and found himself staring up at a huge ogre holding a large pipe. She had a single cracked horn, and even in the dark gloom of the alley her eyes seemed to glow with a strange light.
¡°Sure.¡±
He jimmied out his lighter and handed it over, only to be surprised by the ogre sitting down beside him and lighting her pipe. The smell of her tobacco filled the air, old and strong and carrying a whiff of something that reminded Irvine of a medicine he¡¯d had as a child.
¡°Thanks. Mind if I join you for a while?¡±
Irvine shrugged, and the two strangers sat quietly, looking up at the sky.
¡°It¡¯s nice, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°What is?¡±
¡°The sky. It looks nicest at the end of a long day, don¡¯t you think?¡±
Irvine snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never really thought about it before.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
Silence reigned for a little while longer, but eventually the ogre stood back up and said. ¡°Well, I should be going now. Thanks for the light. {Be Well}.¡±
With long, almost impossible steps, she strode away and vanished into the gloom of the alley.
Wondering what that¡¯d all been about, Irvine finished his cigarette and smoked another. Only then did he decide that it was time to be getting home. Gritting his teeth, the [Line Cook] went to stand up and was shocked by the lack of pain in his back. He twisted his torso and bent down. Still no pain or discomfort.
What the heck?
He started walking home, somehow feeling better than he had in years.
A few blocks from the restaurant, Irvine stopped and his mouth fell open.
Loren was walking toward him, an eager smile on his face.
¡°Hey,¡± the [Head Chef] said brightly. ¡°Just finished up, huh?¡±
¡°I took a bit of a break outside afterwards. What are you doing out so late?¡±
¡°I came up with a new idea for a dish that I want to try making before we open up in the morning. I think the adventurers and other people coming to the restaurant will really like it.¡±
Any other night Irvine would have wished him well and kept going. He didn¡¯t care what Loren did. However, a curiosity he¡¯d never felt before filled Irvine¡¯s stomach, and despite his own fatigue he tucked his hands into his pocket and said, ¡°You mind if I come with you?¡±
¡°Sure. Come on, I¡¯ll tell you all about it.¡±
[Jaded Heart - 3]
Irvine''s Character Sheet:
Irvine Randstrider
Primary Class: Line Cook (Russel¡¯s Restaurant, Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 22
Might: 31
Wit: 16
Faith: 6
Ambition: 2
Persistence: 1
Jaded Heart: 62 (-2)
Volume 2 Chapter 121 B: Cornelius Boll (Interlude)
¡°Look, all I¡¯m saying is that it¡¯s not a proper spectatin¡¯ experience without peanuts, that¡¯s all. Roasted, boiled, whatever. I¡¯m not picky. Any kind will do.¡±
Cornelius leaned back against the bench behind him and looked over at his friend Roger, who had returned to the lack of peanuts for the third time that morning and held up his hand.
¡°Enough about the snacks. We heard you the first two times today,¡± he said. ¡°And all the times yesterday and the day before it too. I¡¯m sure that if you mention it to [Dungeon Master] Vales he¡¯ll take care of it. He¡¯s a good kid, he¡¯ll listen to you.¡±
Roger snorted. ¡°An¡¯ how am I ¡®sposed to do that? Find out where he lives and wait outside his door with my hat in my hands?¡±
¡°Why do you always gotta be so darn dramatic?¡± Cornelius¡¯ wife Cheryl said. ¡°Crestheart has an office right there in Westown next to the dungeon. It¡¯s right there in the open. You could just go there like a normal person during regular hours. Or if you don¡¯t want to do that, I¡¯m sure you could leave a note at the adventurer¡¯s guild and ask them to pass it to Mister Vales.¡±
Roger huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, mumbling something Cornelius didn¡¯t hear. That was probably for the best; there was an interesting run on and Cornelius didn¡¯t much feel like Having Words with his friend just then.
Turning his attention back to the projection down in the center of the spectator arena, Cornelius watched a young salamander with some sort of weird poleaxe weapon swing wildly at a trio of floating helmets that dropped onto him from the ceiling like bats. The kid had heart, but he didn¡¯t have much in the way of technique and it was the latter that tended to determine whether or not a run was successful.
Deciding that the run was over when a skeleton lancer popped from one of the walls and knocked the adventurer down, Cornelius turned away from the display and rubbed his eyes. Something about the crystal projection didn¡¯t agree with him, and he made a mental note to suggest that Mister Vales find an alternative once this circuit was done. He wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d had issues, and while they were minor it would be better to get them taken care of sooner rather than later.
When his eyes felt a bit better, he cast his gaze over the rest of the spectator¡¯s area. Much like the rest of the circuit, most of the benches were empty, though Cornelius believed that had more to do with how few people knew that spectating dungeon runs was something they could do than any shortcoming of the area itself.
Although, with that said, there was definitely plenty of room for the spectator¡¯s area to be improved. The benches were serviceable, but were roughly hewn and lacked any sort of proper padding: definitely not comfortable enough to watch runs for hours. No posters or tapestries or other hanging decorations covered the walls, and if not for the hastily painted sign that proclaimed this the spectator arena for Crestheart it would have been completely indiscernible from any other abandoned lot in the city.
That was disappointing; a dungeon needed to advertise its heroes and villains. Whether that was their [Dungeon Champion], local adventurers, or even the [Dungeon Master] themself, people needed someone to anchor their hopes, dreams, and animosities onto.
Making the situation worse was the fact that there weren¡¯t any proper refreshments either: a good dungeon sports spectator arena would have at least two separate spots for people to get a bite to eat or something to drink, and probably a merchandise area too. Those would probably help with the fact that the space felt so big and empty, and maybe give a reason for people to come in the first place. Sometimes arena food was what the stomach wanted.
¡°Look at the couple over there,¡± Cheryl said, gently nudging Cornelius in the ribs and gesturing at a pair of teenagers over on the far bench. ¡°They¡¯re so shy around each other, smiling and giggling like idiots. Were we ever that young?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Cornelius said with a laugh, reaching out and wrapping his arm around his wife¡¯s waist and giving her an affectionate peck on the cheek. The years had been kinder to her than they had to him: her once-golden hair was mostly silver now and tiny laugh lines were permanently etched into her skin near her eyes.
Thankfully her smile was just as bright and beautiful as it¡¯d been the day he¡¯d first asked her on a date, and Chester got a good look at it as he leaned forward to whisper, ¡°But we were much better looking. Still are.¡±
The musical sound of his wife¡¯s laughter filled the air. ¡°Cornelius Boll, you¡¯re still one of the most shameless liars I ever met.¡±
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Just then, a cold breeze blew by and chilled the top of Cornelius¡¯ bald head. He looked up and scowled at the clouds above, though he was grateful that they didn¡¯t look particularly ominous. That was another thing the spectator area needed, he decided: something to keep the weather at bay. He didn¡¯t much fancy the idea of sitting out in the rain or sun without some more coverage and added that to his list of things to suggest when he next saw Mister Vales.
Still, it wasn¡¯t like things were all bad. It was nice and quiet in the arena, which made it easy to hear the dungeon¡¯s [Announcer] and its champion during runs. That wasn¡¯t always for the best, since both needed to work on their banter skills, but Cornelius wasn¡¯t worried about that particular shortcoming. Both [Announcer] and [Dungeon Champion] would get better at it with more time and experience. Developing the art of witty words was a perpetual work in progress.
Beyond that, Cornelius was pleased that no fiends or ghosts had rattled the nearby fence or caused any issues. He¡¯d always thought that his fellow citizens of Oar¡¯s Crest were overly sensitive about the denizens of the old city, but it was good to have some solid evidence that going ¡°beyond the wall¡±, so to speak, wouldn¡¯t lead to immediate problems or danger. He¡¯d have to tell the other members of the basilisk club and see if he could convince some of the guys there to come watch some runs. They didn¡¯t usually have much else going on.
A group of kids and their parents walked in, sitting down a few rows behind Cornelius and his friends. The moms reached into their bags and brought out bags of snacks ¨C smart thinking, Cornelius thought, his stomach rumbling ¨C and the old man nodded at the nearest dad.
¡°First time watching dungeon sports live?¡±
The younger man, broad-shouldered and curly haired, nodded. ¡°My wife thought it¡¯d be fun for the kids, and I heard that some of the matches have been great.¡±
¡°Dungeon sports are great family fun,¡± Cornelius said. ¡°There¡¯s always something exciting to look at and lots of excitement.¡±
The conversation shifted from there, drifting to other mundane pleasantries and talking about the runs as they happened. It warmed Cornelius¡¯ heart when the kids cheered for an adventurer, though he inwardly regretted his ¡®great family fun¡¯ comment when the sight of Crestheart¡¯s skeleton lancers prompted multiple terrified shrieks and sobs.
Feeling a little embarrassed, Cornelius looked over and met the dad¡¯s raised eyebrow with a sheepish chuckle.
¡°You know, when I was their age my dad took me to visit a blight beast circus. Right before they all became Contagious.¡±
A few hours later, the last of the day¡¯s ¨C and the circuit¡¯s ¨C runs came to a close and Cornelius slowly got to his feet. His back ached and he was hungry, but he stayed for a few minutes to talk to some of the other spectators. The parents with the kids had left shortly after the skeleton lancer incident, and the stands were almost completely empty.
Amongst those remaining, the mood was happy and spirits were high. Most people Cornelius talked to expressed an interest in coming back on a somewhat regular basis for viewing parties. There were talks of potlucks and snack schedules, hopes for improvements and discussion of the some of the best runs, and with each eager face he looked at Cornelius found himself excited for the future. He could use some of his [Community Organizer] skills that''d grown rusty in recent years.
It¡¯d take some work, but he was confident that a community of dungeon sport fans could build something special here.
Before he could celebrate too much though, a strong metallic hand touched Cornelius on the shoulder, causing the old man to nearly jump out of his skin.
¡°What the¨C?¡±
He spun around as fast as his aching hips would allow and found himself staring up into the steady gaze of a mud-covered armorsoul he didn¡¯t recognize.
¡°Pardon me,¡± she said in a cold, heavy voice. ¡°But you strike me as a man who knows what¡¯s going on. Everyone is leaving. Does that mean this damnable dungeon circuit is finally finished?¡±
¡°Sure is,¡± Cornelius said, wrenching himself free from the armorsoul¡¯s grip. ¡°Well, at least Crestheart is. The last few runs weren¡¯t so great, but man that [Thunderlord] was something special, wasn¡¯t he?¡±
The armorsoul shrugged. ¡°I have no interest in such things, but my lady wanted to know. Thank you for your time.¡±
She turned and left, her footsteps oddly quiet for someone as big as she was.
Cornelius watched her walk over to a finely dressed woman sitting in front of an easel. She was drawing or painting something ¨C her tools changed every few strokes ¨C and Cornelius watched the armorsoul bow down next to her.
He couldn¡¯t hear what was said, but its effect was obvious. Moving with a speed and enthusiasm that was, frankly, a little disturbing, the woman slammed her art supplies into the large bag near her feet and scooped the canvas under her arm. The easel she¡¯d been painting on was broken down with incredible efficiency by the armorsoul, and as the pair left Cornelius heard the woman talking.
¡°Finally! Finally I can go see my baby boy!¡±
Cornelius shook his head and left the arena, his arm around Cheryl¡¯s shoulders.
Dungeon sports attracted all kinds.
Cornelius'' Character Sheet:
Cornelius Boll:
Primary Class: Retired Lumberjack (Hector Enervan), Level 30
Secondary Class: Community Organizer (Basilisk Club, Oar¡¯s Crest Branch), Level 20
Tertiary Class: Retired Laborer (Self), Level 16
Additional Class: Loving Husband (Cheryl Boll), Level 15
Might: 45
Wit: 41
Faith: 60
Ambition: 16
Caution: 28
Patience: 33
Passion: 35
Wistfulness: 26
Dedication: 30
Organized Mind: 21 (Affected by Forgetfulness)
Volume 2 Chapter 122:
With practiced professionalism, the two agents from the union packed away their cards and notebooks and stood up in unison. They walked over to where Vee sat, shook the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s hand, and congratulated him on a successful circuit.
They also offered ¡°advice¡± about keeping his temper during future runs, which ¨C on account of the stern tone with which it was delivered ¨C had the unmistakable smell of a thinly veiled threat. Vee nodded and smiled, promising to do as they said, which he¡¯d of course planned to do anyways.
Once the agents were gone, Vee waited for Alforde to come up to the office with the day¡¯s earnings, summoning Cecil while he waited for his friend.
He rubbed his chin and looked outside. There was still a crowd of adventurers down in the streets below. They mingled in small groups traveling to and from the lobby to get snacks and refreshments, a temporary mass of people that would disappear entirely in the next few days. By next week there¡¯d be no sign of them at all.
That was kind of weird to think about.
He smiled at the armorsoul when Alforde opened the door and deposited the chest filled with fleurs.
¡°Tough break on that [Thunderlord] fight,¡± he said, trying to test the waters to see how Alforde was feeling. ¡°You fought your best.¡±
The armorsoul rolled his pauldrons. ¡°It¡¯s alright. After that warning you gave me I wasn¡¯t expecting to win that one, and honestly I think I did better than I was supposed to against the rest of the adventurers.¡±
He paused for a moment, then added, ¡°I¡¯m going to focus on leveling up my [Glaciernaut] class from now on, though. I think there¡¯s a lot of potential there that I haven¡¯t even started to unlock. I don¡¯t think it would have changed the outcome of that fight, but it¡¯ll be better in the weeks and months to come.¡±
Vee nodded, glad that Alforde didn¡¯t seem overly distraught about his last loss. He was similarly pleased when the armorsoul expressed the same level of excitement at the prospect of adding another book to his collection as he did for the idea of taking a few days off.
¡°As much as I¡¯d like to just leave this for a few days and come back to it later, I guess we really should go ahead and get this all counted up and totaled,¡± Vee said, summoning Cecil and directing Alforde to spill the chest onto the desk. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything hanging over us when we come back to work, you know?¡±
¡°Agreed!¡± Alforde nearly shouted, hoisting the chest like it weighed nothing and opening it over the desk. Perhaps as a result of his exuberance, or for some other reason, the pour was stronger than normal and the bright jingling sound of coins hitting the floor filled the office.
Cursing, Reginald hurried to pick up the fleurs that had gone bouncing or rolling, and Vee started the laborious process of counting up the ones that had not. Even with the mess, there were far too many to keep track of easily, so the [Dungeon Master] first stacked them into towers fifty coins tall. Thankfully they were all bronze or silver fleurs, which made the process a lot easier than it would have been otherwise. Extremely rarely, adventurers would pay for their run with a gold fleur and ask for change, which was a huge pain in the butt.
Like the rest of the circuit, business had been good that day, and after far too long Vee had the day¡¯s total fleurnings, which he added to the rest of the circuit¡¯s before starting to go through and analyze its composition.
He started with entrance fees. All told, one hundred and eighty two adventurers came through Crestheart as part of the Dungeons of the Future event. Every single one of them had paid to challenge all three of the dungeon¡¯s regular floors and Alforde himself, which meant that they¡¯d grossed twelve thousand, five hundred fifty eight silver fleurs in total. Of course, they didn¡¯t get to keep all of them: more than two hundred and fifty went to taxes and others went to paying for repairs and minion replacement like they always did. There was also the costs of replacing the rewards for adventurers who¡¯d beat the dungeon.
Unfortunately, Vee didn¡¯t have a super clear idea of how much those latter costs were going to be; his [Budgeting] skill was less accurate these days than it had once been in regards to Crestheart.
He suspected that was in no small part due to the fact that many of his replacement costs were being brought in-house ¨C like the ghosts and slimes ¨C or essentially rendered nonexistent in the case of the skeletons. Heck, even the costs for physical repairs to the dungeon itself, like the ones for tiles and walls, were coming down on account of improvements made by Do and the rest of the [Dungeon Maintainers].
All those things taken together meant that Vee had a tougher time estimating how much to ¡°set aside¡± for upcoming expenses, so he decided to do what any proper [Accountant] would and err on the side of higher expenses than not. As such, he set aside thirty-five percent of earnings to hopefully cover whatever the final number ended up being, and added the rest to the dungeon¡¯s still-recovering general fund.
That didn¡¯t account for all the fleurs Vee had counted. In addition to the entrance fees, there was also the revenue from potions sold during the runs. Unfortunately, the out of town adventurers hadn¡¯t been terribly interested in bolstering themselves with potions, and the entirety of the circuit had only brought in five hundred and twenty two silvers that could be attributed to those sales.
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When totaled, Crestheart had added nearly eight thousand five hundred silver fleurs to its coffers, which was a great amount for just four days of operation. After all, a quick check confirmed that Crestheart normally netted only around a thousand silvers on a normal day, and Vee had yet to meet the business that would turn its nose up at doubling its daily earnings.
Of course, with that said, eighty golds wasn¡¯t all that much in the grand scheme of things. It would cover the next payment to Sacre and help grease the wheels of the next one, but didn¡¯t pay off the rest of their debt by any means. Vee hadn¡¯t been expecting it to, but it was still somewhat disheartening to realize that after so much work and effort he¡¯d only bought himself another week to keep grinding away.
He reminded himself that there were some other sources of income too that he had yet to count ¨C fees from Torres from the dungeon guides, a share of the lobby¡¯s profits, and the earnings from the sale of dunpla figures ¨C but Vee didn¡¯t expect those to be big enough to meaningfully change his financial position.
Although, the dunpla earnings might actually be significant since they¡¯d sold out completely. That was definitely something Vee wanted to scale up in the days, weeks, and months to come.
Still¡
¡°It¡¯s kind of disheartening, isn¡¯t it,¡± he said quietly. ¡°All that work to improve the dungeon with the advice of the [Bellwethers], all the stress and long nights to get it done in time and it¡¯s over in less than a week. Can we really afford to take time off?¡±
¡°It¡¯d be irresponsible not to,¡± Reginald said firmly. ¡°We¡¯ve got the next few repayments in the bank, right?¡±
Vee nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve almost got three payments worth between the vault and the bank.¡±
¡°Good. Then we¡¯re definitely taking time off. You should take a good look at yourself when you get a chance, boss. Your skin is all pale and your eyes look deader than some of the ghosts in the dungeon. You need to rest and recharge.¡±
¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Alforde chimed in. ¡°You pushed yourself really hard to improve the dungeon over the past couple weeks and it took a toll. If you try to keep going you¡¯ll end up with Burnout.¡±
Vee shuddered. There were few status effects across the continent as feared as Burnout, which could cause months to pass without even a whiff of productivity. He definitely didn¡¯t want that to happen.
The mood somewhat more somber, Vee turned his attention to the dungeon¡¯s shard of chaos earnings while Alforde went over to his favorite corner to read and Reginald hurled colorful and mostly playful insults out the window at some of the adventurers below.
Thanks to his aggressive use of [Boost Drops] and the, ahem, eagerness of most participants, a lot of minions had been destroyed during the circuit. In total, they¡¯d collected sixteen of the strange blobby stones that seemed to whisper sometimes when he touched them, which meant that they had nearly forty in total. They were still a long way away from being able to afford adding another floor to the dungeon, but Vee had planned to use some to buy higher tier minions which also required some so that wasn¡¯t a big deal.
When he finished counting and checking Cecil¡¯s tables to ensure that he hadn¡¯t made any mistakes, Vee directed Alforde to deposit half the fleurs and all the shards of chaos into the dungeon¡¯s vault. The other half was destined for the bank, from where Vee might be able to find some other more productive ways to use it. He didn¡¯t necessarily want to go speculating, but having the ability to do so as an option if their financial position deteriorated further and they became desperate for fleurs was (maybe?) a good idea.
The back of Vee¡¯s neck tickled as the vault burped closed, and he cast a nervous glance over toward the door. An awareness of something ominous washed over his senses, punctuated by heavy metallic footsteps clanging their way up the stairs.
Alforde straightened up, his eyes growing wide and glowing with a strange light.
¡°That sounds like ¨C¡±
He never got to finish, because the door slammed open and a shouting voice that Vee hadn¡¯t heard in months but never could have forgotten filled the office, followed a moment later by a woman and an armorsoul.
¡°VICTORISSIMO VALENCIAN VALES! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE YOUNG MAN! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I HAVE BEEN ABOUT YOU?! MONTHS AND MONTHS GONE AND NOT A SINGLE LETTER?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!¡±
Vee gulped. He cast his eyes down in shame. Suddenly the strange moments of feeling like he was being watched over the past few days made a lot more sense.
¡°Uh¡hi mother. I¡¯m, uh, really sorry about that.¡±
¡°Gawain¡¯s balls,¡± Reginald said with a bit of a whistle, looking up, down, and up again at Emma Vales. ¡°How¡¯d such a pretty woman end up with such an ugly son?¡±
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged):
Vee Vales
Primary Class: G-h-o-s-t M-a-e-s-t-r-o? (Locksmagister University), Level 33
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 123:
Alforde became a blur of motion, zipping across the office and bopping the hat so that Reginald went flying.
¡°That¡¯s not a very nice thing to say,¡± the armorsoul chided, casting a nervous look over at Edukaiser, who¡¯d tilted her helmet sideways.
¡°Can¡¯t help it if it¡¯s the truth,¡± Reginald said with a wide smile. Seeing where Alforde was looking, Reginald fixed his gaze on the other armorsoul and expression changed in an instant. to one of poorly hidden horror.
¡°You¡you! I didn¡¯t know it was you!¡± he veritably wailed. ¡°After all these years our paths have finally crossed once again!¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued, only to feel like a fool a moment later when the hat continued, ¡°Wait, no, sorry. I think I mixed you up with a different armorsoul. I don¡¯t actually have any idea who you are. My bad. My name is Reginald, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±
Edukaiser harrumphed and folded her arms. ¡°This city is full of jokers and fools, milady. It¡¯s dirty and dilapidated, and the sooner we leave the happier I¡¯ll be. Are you absolutely positive that you don¡¯t want me to simply bring the young lord home by force?¡±
Vee¡¯s mother didn¡¯t answer, but that was mostly on account of the fact that she¡¯d moved almost as fast as Alforde and was in the middle of squeezing Vee so hard that the [Dungeon Master] was nearly seeing stars. It would be wrong to call such a gesture, powered as it was by a mother¡¯s love, a ¡®death hug¡¯, but no term fit better.
¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay,¡± Emma whispered to her son, repeating the phrase over and over again.
Vee returned the hug as best he could ¨C which was not all that much, on account of his arms being pinned to his sides ¨C and for a moment he felt like a little boy again, getting a hug from his mother after falling and scraping his knee. A pair of tears formed in the corners of his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, and the [Dungeon Master] was grateful for his mom¡¯s long hair which served to hide them from Alforde and Reginald. The armorsoul wouldn¡¯t have said anything, but Vee¡¯s hat was in a peculiar mood and would have teased him mercilessly.
¡°It¡¯s good to see you too,¡± Vee said, wiggling one arm free to wrap around his mother¡¯s waist. He was surprised at how small she seemed. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡±
Emma pulled away and smiled, wiping a tear from her own face and chuckling at the remnants of the ones in Vee¡¯s eyes.
¡°You¡¯ve always had my heart, that¡¯s for sure,¡± she said, touching his cheek after she finally let him go. ¡°Can I sit down? There¡¯s so much I want to talk about.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a great idea,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Sit down and let¡¯s talk! I¡¯ve got the starting topic! What in Gawain¡¯s name is that full name?! Victorissimo?! Valencian?! I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, I totally get why you go by Vee, like, totally get it. But! Come on! What sort of human being could ever think that name was okay? There¡¯s got to be a story there.¡±
Edukaiser rolled her pauldrons, but Emma chuckled and held up her hand to pre-empt the armorsoul¡¯s wrath.
¡°Not much of one, I¡¯m afraid. Victorrisimo is my father-in-law¡¯s name,¡± she explained. ¡°I never met him, but by all accounts he was a great man and my husband wanted to honor his legacy.¡±
¡°I thought Vee had an older brother,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he get the name?¡±
¡°In the Vales family the firstborn son is always named Emory,¡± Emma said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s been that way for generations. After that, Valencian was my choice.¡±
Reginald squinted. ¡°You wanted to name your son ¡Valencian Vales? Did you like your last name so much you wanted to try and use it twice?¡±
¡°That¡¯ll be enough,¡± Edukaiser said, stepping forward, her eyes blazing. ¡°You¡¯re rather mouthy, for a hat.¡±
¡°He¡¯s a [Loudmouth],¡± Alforde offered, moving to stand between Reginald and Edukaiser. The hat¡¯s ghosthetic was growling, and it was lifting its arms into a fighting pose.
¡°He just yatters, but it never really means anything.¡±
This explanation, simple as it was, seemed to mollify Edukaiser, who stepped back and muttered something rude just loud enough that Reginald was sure to hear it. She continued glaring at him while Vee led his mother over to the nearest chair so that they could catch up.
The pleasantries ¨C how did she know he was here? How was her trip? What¡¯d she think of the city ¨C passed quickly. Vee vaguely remembered talking to some magazine people a while back, but hadn¡¯t ever imagined that the article would find its way to his mother or that she¡¯d drop everything to come and see him.
Even crazier was the fact that she¡¯d been in town for a few days and had held off from coming to see him. That was definitely out of character.
When he asked about why she¡¯d done such a thing, his mother gave him the slyest smile he¡¯d ever seen and said, ¡°Luna asked me not to. She said this circuit thing was really important to you and that you wouldn¡¯t be able to focus on it properly if you knew I was around.¡±
Unable to properly believe his ears, Vee looked up at the ceiling and glared, directing a heartfelt, albeit internal Really?! at the powers that be that lay beyond it.
With all the people in Oar¡¯s Crest, his mother had already somehow met Luna? Worse, they¡¯d talked about him ¨C oh Gawain, oh Piper, that couldn¡¯t be good.
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He was less sure of what to make about the fact that Luna had asked for a favor on his behalf. His stomach felt warm, which was strange but also somewhat comforting.
That¡¯d been really sweet of her; he¡¯d have to buy her some flowers before he saw her again and say thank you.
¡°It seems like there¡¯s a bit of a¡situation there,¡± Emma went on, her eyes sparkling. ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell me all about it. You know, she¡¯s very pretty.¡±
Edukaiser harrumphed once more and Vee looked over at the elder armorsoul.
¡°She¡¯s a [Witch].¡±
Emma rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh my goodness. Not this again, Edukaiser. You examined her yourself and found no issues. Surely that¡¯s enough to be convinced that she¡¯s nothing to be concerned about. With the way you¡¯ve been acting since we arrived, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not finding a thousand things wrong with Vee¡¯s friend Reginald over there.¡±
¡°Oh, but I have,¡± Edukaiser said, her voice flat and emotionless. ¡°Though greatly diminished, I can feel the remnant of a [Wizard]¡¯s influence on him, and his foolish grin and mannerisms remind me far too much of a [Herald of¨C¡±
¡°-- that¡¯ll be quite enough of that,¡± Reginald interrupted, his voice unusually sharp. He was frowning now, all his previous good humor gone, and there was a gravity in both his voice and expression that Vee didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°I have been many things and will undoubtedly be many others, but we¡¯re not here to talk about me. It would be best to drop it.¡±
Those last two words had been said with the strange skill-tone Reginald rarely used, and its presence lingered like a threat in the air. Edukaiser regarded the hat warily for a moment, and Vee thought the office might have grown a bit colder, but eventually bowed her helmet.
¡°Indeed. Forgive my poor manners.¡±
Awkward silence followed but didn¡¯t stay for long; Emma cut back into the conversation smoothly, the same way Vee had seen her do dozens of times at parties and otherwise tense dinners of years past. ¡°Well, with all that settled, why don¡¯t we go get a bite to eat? I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m quite hungry. That spectator¡¯s arena you¡¯ve got set up leaves much to be desired in the way of food and refreshment.¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Vee said, running a hand through his hair. ¡°I wanted to get some local [Chefs] to set up some booths or something but didn¡¯t get around to it. There was simply too much to do.¡±
¡°You had a decent number of watchers from what I saw,¡± Emma went on. ¡°With a bit of proper work and organization I could see something great blooming there.¡±
She stood up with a [Warm Smile] and held out her hand. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m sure that you have a favorite restaurant, right? I¡¯d like to try it.¡±
Vee blinked slowly. Favorite restaurant?
He nodded and got up. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s got kind of a strange name, but the food is good.¡±
¡°A strange name?¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s called the Grinning Pig.¡±
The restaurant was busy, but Vee and company had no trouble getting a table. A few loudly dressed kitrekins eating at one table in the corner kept fixing Edukaiser with dirty looks, but they didn¡¯t cause any trouble and there were no other issues with the service or the food.
Vee hadn¡¯t expected his mother to like her meal, which was decidedly more¡simple than even the most rushed lunch he¡¯d had back home, and was surprised by the genuine enthusiasm with which she devoured her chicken drenched in gravy with mashed potatoes.
¡°Don¡¯t look so shocked,¡± Emma said with a smirk as she mopped up the last traces with a bit of roll. ¡°Food is rarely the type of thing your father expects. This type of meal is what kept me going for years while I was on the road.¡±
She looked around, taking in all the details of the restaurant before wiping her mouth clean and sighing with content.
¡°Heck, I can see why you like this place,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s definitely cozy and the food is made with love.¡±
Vee breathed a sigh of internal relief, and waved Big Simon, who was looking somewhat haggard, over to handle the bill. Before he could reach into his pocket though, Emma set four gleaming gold fleurs down on the table.
¡°That¡¯s far too much,¡± the ginger kitrekin said, his mouth and eyes oddly tight.
¡°Not at all. Consider it my heartfelt appreciation for a delicious meal,¡± Emma said. ¡°I¡¯m sure my son¡¯s been coming here often and it soothes my soul to know that he¡¯s been eating well.¡±
The compliment softened big Simon¡¯s expression, and while he continued to glare at Edukaiser until they left, he sounded more like himself when he wished Vee well until his next visit.
¡°What was that all about?¡± the [Dungeon Master] asked Edukaiser once they were a short distance away from the restaurant. ¡°Why did all those kitrekins look so pissed off?¡±
Edukaiser shrugged. ¡°I suspect it had something to do with that mud golem [Summoner]. He wore a similarly loud shirt.¡±
Vee raised an eyebrow and the armorsoul continued, ¡°Shortly after arriving in this city your mother and I were accosted by a mud golem [Summoner]. After meeting your [Witch] friends, I agreed to help capture the insolent fool so that he couldn¡¯t cause further problems.¡±
¡°Did you succeed?¡± Alforde asked. ¡°Holly and Luna have been after him forever.¡±
Edukaiser cocked her helmet to the side.
¡°What do you think?¡±
They fell silent as they walked, until Emma looped her arm through Vee¡¯s.
¡°With our bellies full for the moment, there¡¯s just one thing left to do,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s see where you¡¯ve been staying,¡± Emma said.
Vee gulped, the images of dirty dishes, discarded clothes, and a bathroom that was overdue for a cleaning flashing through his mind.
¡°Uh¡sure,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s this way, come on.¡±
Alas, even [Stiffen Spine] couldn¡¯t shake the sense of dread that dominated Vee¡¯s thoughts.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: G-h-o-s-t M-a-e-s-t-r-o? (Locksmagister University), Level 33
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 14
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 58
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 1
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 124:
Vee closed his eyes as he opened the door to his boarding house room, praying for a miracle but knowing that one wouldn¡¯t appear. He waved his mother inside and waited for all of two rapid heartbeats, which was all the time it took for Emma Vales to let out a shriek.
Now, there were two kinds of shrieks. The first was quick, bright, and not too loud, like the kind a teenager might make when feigning anger at their crush over some silly bit of hijinks. The second type was horror made audible, a bloodcurdling yowl that brought to mind the stuff of nightmares: men with masks and bloodied knives lifted overhead, creatures with too many limbs for comfort and unblinking eyes, little girls dressed in green blocking the only exit of the store and trying to sell you cookies.
Truly horrifying things.
It should go without saying that the sound Emma Vales made was that second type, and that Vee had to awkwardly wave off no fewer than four concerned neighbors who popped their heads out into the hallway to make sure nobody was being murdered.
¡°My mother is visiting,¡± he said each time. This earned him two judgmental glares and a pair of sympathetic smiles, which was probably better than could be expected otherwise under the circumstances.
He stepped inside, his heart falling at the sight of cups, bowls, plates, and dirty laundry that had failed to be magically whisked away.
¡°Shame! Shame, shame, shame!¡± Emma scolded, puttering around the room and scooping up the mismatched dishes. ¡°This is exactly what I was worried about!¡±
¡°I thought you were worried about him not eating, milady,¡± Edukaiser said from the corner of the room, the barest hint of amusement creeping into her voice. ¡°Based on the state of these dishes I think that particular fear has been proven unfounded.¡±
Emma, eyes blazing, turned and faced the armorsoul. ¡°You know perfectly well what I mean.¡±
Edukaiser nodded. ¡°Of course, milady.¡±
Holding a stack of plates, Emma jerked her finger toward the sink and said, ¡°You are going to help me wash these right now.¡±
There was no room for dissent or protestations, so Vee meekly nodded and trudged over to the sink, rolling up his sleeves and turning on the water.
For the next few minutes, mother and son simply scrubbed plates, soaked mugs and cups, and wiped out bowls. Emma¡¯s anger sent ripples through the ethereal, but Vee didn¡¯t dare activate [Third Sight] to take a look.
¡°Where did you even get all these?¡± Emma asked. ¡°None of them match.¡±
¡°I just¡sort of picked them up piecemeal,¡± Vee admitted. ¡°I figured that since I wasn¡¯t entertaining anyone the way they looked wasn¡¯t really important.¡±
Emma shook her head. ¡°Good aesthetics are always important. How you treat yourself in private carries over into public life too.¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Vee said. ¡°Being surrounded by outer beauty brings out a person¡¯s inner beauty.¡±
He¡¯d heard this a million times before.
¡°Don¡¯t look so skeptical,¡± Emma chided. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of strength in beauty, son. People like beautiful things. We¡¯re drawn to it instinctively, we seek it out and give preference to it. Beauty is worth its weight in gold.¡±
Vee chewed on that, metaphorically speaking, while he handed his mother plate after plate and bowl after cup. Would the dungeon benefit from being made more beautiful? Probably not, but depending on how one chose to define beauty¡maybe? At the very least, the outside of the dungeon could probably stand to see some improvements, even if the interior rooms benefited from their¡utilitarian minimalism. The flowers Kai was growing and setting up were a good start, but there was definitely room for more. With the circuit now done, Vee had time to start building some ectoplasmic sculptures ¨C or directing the [Dungeon Maintainers] to make some out of wood and metal ¨C that could also help set the mood and improve Crestheart¡¯s ¡°beauty¡±.
Food for thought, and Vee resolved to return to the idea in the coming days once he¡¯d settled some of his other more pressing issues. When the dishes were done, Emma turned her attention to Vee¡¯s wardrobe and linens. She made her disapproval with both of those things clear and vowed that she¡¯d take Vee shopping the next day to rectify all the things that she saw as unacceptable in her son¡¯s living space.
¡°You¡¯re a [Dungeon Master], not a college student,¡± she said when he protested. ¡°Your living space should reflect this.¡±
It was late when she finally finished her examination and rectification, but eventually Emma and Edukaiser left. Exhausted, Vee flopped down on his freshly made bed and lay there for a moment.
His mind was running faster than it had any right to, but at the same time fatigue made his thoughts feel like they were running through mud.
At least one thing came through clearly and consistently: clean sheets and blankets felt wonderful.
Before long, Vee was asleep.
True to her word, Emma showed up at the boarding house early the next morning and loudly rapped on Vee¡¯s door. Alforde opened it up, and the trio was dragged outside to go and do what Vee¡¯s mother called a ¡°light bit of shopping.¡±
Vee and Alforde groaned. Having been subjected to this type of thing on more than one occasion before, they both knew that it would be neither light nor just a bit. Instead, they steeled themselves for a long day of traipsing from one store to another, enduring prolonged conversations with [Shopkeepers] about the minutiae of their goods and the little details of their stores, and collecting enough bags to start their own enterprise.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Reginald, though, had no frame of reference for what to expect, and happily asked, ¡°So when will we be back? Like an hour or two?¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°My mother is a high level [Socialite],¡± he said. ¡°That means she has an endurance for shopping that regular people can¡¯t imagine. If we end up spending hours walking around stores and looking at three hundred different versions of any given thing without buying a single one she¡¯ll think it¡¯s great, while we¡¯ll wonder what sort of Great Beast we pissed off to be subjected to such torture.¡±
¡°Ah. I see. That doesn¡¯t sound as good.¡±
¡°It might not be awful,¡± Alforde said brightly. ¡°There¡¯s bound to be lots of new and exciting things for us to see and explore! Since we¡¯ve been so busy with the dungeon since we arrived, we really haven¡¯t gotten out and explored all that much.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Emma said, looping her arm through Vee¡¯s. ¡°Don¡¯t look so dour, son, I¡¯m sure we¡¯re going to have lots and lots of fun.¡±
The city was filled with the same quiet melancholy it usually was, but Vee thought he saw more smiles and heard more laughs than he normally did. That might not have been true on a strictly numerical basis, but there¡¯s a strength in perceptions and Vee took heart in it all the same. With that said, though, after four hours of shopcrawling with his mother throwing fleurs around like they were rice or candied nuts at a wedding, Vee decided that he¡¯d finally had enough. His feet hurt. His knees, lower back, and shoulders ached too. His palms didn¡¯t burn anymore, but that was probably not a good thing.
Taking a deep breath, Vee stopped in front of a shop that advertised the services of a level 30 [Haberdasher] and refused to go any further.
¡°Please, mother. No more. I¡¯m begging you. Let¡¯s be done for the day.¡±
Emma paused and looked back with a confused expression, as if unable to fathom the possibility that someone wasn¡¯t having as much fun as she was so Vee made a show of demonstrating how overburdened he was. He held a half dozen bags stuffed full of clothes and coats and socks and underwear he didn¡¯t want or need. He¡¯d argued against the first two, only to be talked into assenting by his mother, who was very persuasive when she put her mind to it. It¡¯d only gotten worse from there, with Emma finding a half dozen things in every shop that Vee ¡°needed¡± and ¡°couldn¡¯t live without.¡±
As bad as Vee had it, Alforde had it worse. The armorsoul was carrying a stack of boxes filled with dishes and decor that was nearly as high as he was tall, which meant that he was no longer able to follow them into stores. So far he¡¯d somehow managed to keep them from falling while darting around the crowd, but Vee suspected that it was only a matter of when his best friend would drop them, and not a matter of if.
Even Reginald, or more specifically Dogginald, had been roped into carrying pieces of art that Emma insisted would look nice on Vee¡¯s walls. The hat muttered darkly at being ¡°put to work like a pack horse,¡± and complained endlessly, but after the first hour or so nobody listened to him any further.
He perked up now.
¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go back to the boarding house,¡± the hat said. ¡°I¡¯ve had my fill of shopping for the next decade.¡±
Then, in a quieter voice that only Vee could hear, ¡°If you went through this anywhere near regularly, boss, I¡¯m starting to think you had the right idea in leaving home.¡±
That earned a chuckle from Alforde and a glare from Edukaiser, whose sense of hearing was uncanny. That brought back a bit of a memory for the [Dungeon Master]: as a child he¡¯d often snuck out with his brother Emory to steal sweets from the kitchen. Edukaiser had almost always caught them, though she hadn¡¯t been nearly as successful when Emory had gone by himself.
Vee wondered how his brother was doing. Maybe he¡¯d have to write him a letter and have his mother deliver it for him.
A thought for another time.
¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± he said aloud. ¡°I want to be done and go back to the boarding house.¡±
¡°But there are so many shops left to explore,¡± Emma said. ¡°We haven¡¯t even finished this street yet.¡±
There was something in her tone that made Vee pause and take another deep breath. He¡¯d always gotten along better with his mother than his father, and he was really happy to be spending time with her ¨C which definitely made this harder ¨C but he wasn¡¯t enjoying himself and there were other matters that required his attention.
This wasn¡¯t going to be another moment like he¡¯d had with his father before getting kicked out, but if he didn¡¯t manage things well here he could definitely sour things with his mother for a while and Vee didn¡¯t want that. He didn¡¯t want that at all.
Not for the first time in his life, Vee wished that he was a little better with words and pressed on anyways.
[Guts +1]
He jiggled his bags once again. ¡°Look at all this stuff we¡¯ve already got. We really don¡¯t need to explore the rest of the street, do we? Surely this is enough for me to make whatever statement you think I need to, right?¡±
He paused for a moment before continuing.
¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m cold. It¡¯s been a long few weeks and I don¡¯t have the patience for this. I¡¯d much rather just sit and talk to you than go through twenty more shops and buy a bunch of stuff I¡¯ll never use, you know? In the last two hours I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve exchanged any words that aren¡¯t some variation of Come see this or Tell me what you think of that. I want to hear about how you¡¯ve been. How things are back home. What Emory has been up to. How¡how father is doing.¡±
His voice cracked at that last bit.
¡°Can¡¯t we just be done for now?¡±
Emma¡¯s shoulders stiffened, but she didn¡¯t look angry or upset as she slowly nodded.
¡°Of course we can, darling. Of course we can.¡±
Vee breathed a sigh of relief, and the group trudged back to Sculla¡¯s boarding house.
Main Character Sheets:Vee Vales
Primary Class: G-h-o-s-t M-a-e-s-t-r-o? (Locksmagister University), Level 33
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 15 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 59 (+1)
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 2 (+1)
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 125:
Back at the boarding house once more, Vee dropped his bags and flopped onto his bed, earning a tut-tut from his mother and less affectionate words from Edukaiser. Vee let them both wash over him, rolling onto his back and closing his eyes while savoring the sweet relief spreading through his limbs. Judging by the dull ache that remained, he¡¯d definitely be sore tomorrow ¨C there was no doubt of that ¨C but he was confident that at the very least he wouldn¡¯t have to waste another day shopping.
Eventually, Emma decided that Vee¡¯s room was as clean as it was going to be for the time being, and she brewed a pot of coffee to enjoy while her and Vee talked. Edukaiser and Alforde sat down in a far corner to do the same, and Reginald occupied himself as he often did: staring wistfully through the window at the moons above.
Vee¡¯s mother sat down at the table and pulled out a small sketch pad and pen. Resting her head on her hand ¨C maybe all the shopping had taken more out of her than Vee had originally thought ¨C she alternated her attention between dainty sips of her coffee and quick scribbles that were better looking than anything Vee could have ever produced even if he¡¯d spent a year on nothing else.
The [Dungeon Master] recognized several of the shops they¡¯d visited, and a few of the more memorable faces they¡¯d encountered out in the city, and she had nearly a dozen done by the time Vee got up to join her.
¡°This is a fascinating city,¡± Emma said, adding details to her sketch of an elkin beggar sitting outside one of a dilapidated and abandoned shop. The haunting ache in the poor man¡¯s eyes had been strong enough for Vee to look away out of habit, but Emma¡¯s pen captured it so perfectly that the young man had no doubt his mother had stared at it for quite some time. ¡°There¡¯s so much old beauty, and so much present pain.¡±
She paused, putting the final touches on her sketches and moving to another. This one was markedly happier: a salamander mother leading her three children in a straight line, each of them smiling and carrying a small toy.
¡°I did some reading in the carriage while we traveled,¡± Emma said. ¡°And I think I understand why you chose to come here of all places. It was the ghosts, right? I don¡¯t have your affinity for the ethereal, son, but I can imagine such a wealth of material, a place where the ghosts of the pasts must be strong, would have been a boon for a [Ghost Maestro] like yourself.¡±
Vee smiled and shook his head. ¡°I wish I¡¯d had the foresight to plan something like that. I ended up here by pure chance. After father kicked¡after I left home I wanted to get as far away from Bardis as I could for the cheapest price. Oar¡¯s Crest happened to fit those requirements. I knew nothing about the ghosts until after we arrived.¡±
¡°So tell me, son. What¡¯s happened to you these past few months? Why in Gawain¡¯s name did you decide to open a dungeon? You were never interested in dungeon sports back home.¡±
¡°It just kind of happened,¡± Vee said, getting up to pour himself a cup of coffee. It was later than he would have normally chosen such a drink, but the fact that his mother had made an entire pot made it clear that his mother expected them to talk for a long time.
That was fine, Vee had wanted to do that anyways.
Before sitting back down, Vee took a test sip of his drink and grimaced; his mother had always taken her coffee far too strongly for his tastes. Reaching for the sugar, Vee added two heaping spoonfuls and a third smaller one, stirring vigorously before trying another sip.
Much better, he thought with a sigh, returning to the table. His mother didn¡¯t say anything, choosing instead to add a human shopkeeper with thick glasses and stooped shoulders to her picture of the happy salamander family.
¡°I really didn¡¯t know what I was going to do when I got here,¡± Vee said. ¡°I¡¯d hoped in the carriage that coming to a new place would Invigorate or inspire me, give me a clear cut path to follow. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t really happen, but I thought the ghosts in the city were interesting. Especially since the locals were all so scared of them.¡±
He snorted. ¡°Would you actually believe that my first instinct was to think that Alforde and I might find some work as adventurers?¡±
Emma laughed. ¡°You¡¯re not the adventurer type.¡±
¡°Right, but even if I had been I couldn''t afford the Guild¡¯s entry fee. I only took a small bag of silver fleurs with me, and I lost most of them playing cards with a [Bandit] in training.¡±
His mother¡¯s eyes flashed, and Vee held up a hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. He was actually a pretty nice guy and it wasn¡¯t like I had a ton of expenses. Sculla, the ogre who owns this building is quite accommodating. Anyways, while I was at the guild hall, I saw a newspaper article about a huge payout for some celebrity adventurer. That was when I got the idea to try opening a dungeon.¡±
The night ended up being late indeed. Following the tale of Crestheart¡¯s founding, Vee told his mother all about the things he¡¯d done and learned as a [Dungeon Master] while Emma talked about people back in Bardis and the news there.
When asked about, the most interesting tidbit to Vee by far was the ongoing trouble caused by Industrious Ace, a [Phantom Thief] with a habit of stealing Unique //artifacts// from wealthy citizens and making fools out of the [Lawkeepers] who tried to catch him.
¡°Your brother thinks the whole situation is hilarious,¡± Emma said, shaking her head.
¡°I could see that. How is Emory doing otherwise?¡¯
¡°He¡¯s the same as ever. Has a new girlfriend every week, it seems. Sometimes two. When he¡¯s not out buying lavish gifts for them or finishing a project for your father, he spends his time at the theater or at one of the museums where he¡¯s on the board of trustees.¡±
¡°I see. That¡¯s good. I¡¯m glad he¡¯s doing well.¡±
Not wanting to spoil the mood, which was rather warm and cozy, neither Vee nor his mother mentioned Vee¡¯s father until it was nearly time for Emma to leave, after the woman had hugged her son goodnight.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°I have something for you,¡± she said, reaching into her purse and drawing out a letter. "It¡¯s from your father.¡±
Vee took the letter carefully. If his mother noticed the slight tremor in his hands as he did so, she didn¡¯t mention it.
¡°There¡¯s no pressure to read it anytime soon,¡± Emma counseled gently, reaching out and resting her hand on Vee¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t think he was expecting a response. However, if you decide that you¡¯d like to write one, I¡¯d be happy to bring it back with me.¡±
Vee nodded, staring down at the letter like it was a box full of hungry snakes.
¡°How much longer are you going to be in Oar¡¯s Crest, mother?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet,¡± Emma said. ¡°No less than a few days, but no more than a week I think."
She smiled. "I miss having a proper studio to work in. Why do you ask?¡±
¡°This is going to sound silly, but there¡¯s something I want to do before reading this letter,¡± Vee said. "It might take a day or two."
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
Vee took a long breath and squared his shoulders before meeting her eyes.
¡°I¡¯m going to upgrade my primary class to [Ghost Smith].¡±
Vee¡¯s mother let out a joyful gasp and grabbed her son in a tight hug once more.
¡°That¡¯s wonderful news, Victorissimo. Your father will be so happy to hear that.¡±
With Emma and Edukaiser gone, Vee sat down at the table once again and set the letter down in front of him. He didn¡¯t yet have the courage to open it, but wanted it close by in case that changed.
Reginald, having finished his pondering of the sky for the night, turned around and said, ¡°Going to do the upgrade tomorrow, huh boss?¡±
¡°I¡¯m actually thinking about starting it now,¡± Vee said, rubbing his eyes. The coffee had worked its magic on him, hiding his fatigue even though the [Dungeon Master] knew it hadn¡¯t gone away in truth. ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s any real benefit to waiting more.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Alforde said. ¡°Plus, if you end up having side effects you can just stay in bed all day tomorrow if you go ahead and do it now.¡±
That was true too, and like that the decision was made.
Like many things, the process of upgrading a class was somewhat specific to the class in question. Some changes ¨C like Alforde becoming a [Hammer Specialist] ¨C required nothing more than levels, happening automatically. Such upgrades were generally considered ¡°class evolutions¡±, since they didn¡¯t really change in terms of how they worked or the skills they conferred.
Other classes, the so-called ¡°Quest Activateds¡±, required a classholder to fulfill a condition ¨C or more commonly, an irritatingly long series of conditions ¨C in order to unlock their upgrade. These were usually gathering or hunting type classes, and the conditions were often things like fetching flowers or hunting certain types of monsters.
Others still required the use of specific artifacts, consumables, or locations. Piper¡¯s priestesses, the [Sisters of the Plate] were one such group. Once "blessed" by their [Abbess] via a set of // Redemptbrass Knuckles//, they upgraded from [Initiates of the Plate] by spending one night in meditative prayer inside a temple¡¯s sanctuary.
Similarly, there were plenty of classes ¨C many with a martial arts focus ¨C that required the classholder to take dozens of dubiously made and quite possibly toxic pills to upgrade from one class to the next.
Thankfully, Vee¡¯s [Ghost Maestro] class required no such efforts. Instead, all he had to do was close his eyes, access his soul¡¯s mirror, and find the upgrade prompt next to [G-h-o-s-t M-a-e-s-t-r-o?].
It felt a little bit like cheating, Vee thought as he confirmed that he wanted to upgrade his class.
Through his bonds to Alforde, Reginald, and his orchestra, Vee felt twenty four pangs of concern as the process started. He did his best to respond with a calm that he desperately wished he felt in truth. His stomach felt tight and his temples felt hot.
Most of the time, change was scary because of the uncertainty involved. However, even having some degree of knowledge about what his upgrade entailed didn¡¯t completely eradicate Vee¡¯s concerns. Perhaps irrationally, he still worried that he¡¯d lose something so intrinsic to his personality that he¡¯d overlooked it.
A prompt appeared before his eyes.
[You have upgrade options available. Would you like to upgrade your class?]
Vee hit yes, and within his soul¡¯s mirror a row of selectable boxes appeared. Three of them ¨C [Ghost General], [Ghost Artificer], and [Ghost Smith] ¨C glowed white, while the remaining number were dull and covered in question marks.
Vee looked at them for a moment. There¡¯d been other options, but he hadn¡¯t discovered them.
He sighed. That was just the nature of life.
Making his peace with the proverbial roads unexplored, Vee reached out and touched the box labeled [Ghost Smith].
A confirmation box appeared, and Vee had a thought. Was he really ready to stop thinking of himself as a [Ghost Maestro]?
Yeah, he was. It was going to take some getting used to, but he¡¯d be alright.
[Upgrade Process Initialized!]
[Consolidating Levels¡]
[Level Consolidation Complete!]
[You are no longer a level 33 Ghost Maestro!]
[Congratulations, you are now a level 8 Ghost Smith!]
[Pruning Skills!]
[You can no longer use [Push the Tempo], [Conducting Dynamics: Legato], [Conducting Dynamics: Marcato]. [Conducting Dynamics: Espressivo], [Take a Bow], [Impeccable Performance], [Promote Soloist], [Demand Perfection]!]
[Your [Mold Ectoplasm] skill is now permanent!]
[You can no longer use your other Exploratory skills!]
[Your upgraded class comes with an advanced tutorial, would you like to access it now?]
Vee smelled forgefire and hit yes.
Red and blue light bloomed inside his soul¡¯s mirror, and Vee once again felt like he was falling.
When he landed, he was back in the giant salamander¡¯s forge and greeted by a booming voice.
¡°Oho! I didn¡¯t expect to see you again so soon, young man.¡±
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Smith (Self), Level 8 (Consolidated)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 15
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 59
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 2
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 126
When he opened his eyes, Vee was back in the forge of the ruby salamander, but found that things felt more¡solid somehow. Taking the [Ghost Smith] upgrade had caused the shadows that had obscured some of the tools and stations in the forge during his first visit to disappear, and everything was brightly lit and looked freshly cleaned. It was possibility ¨C or possibly possibilities ¨C given physical form, and Vee stared at them with wonder while he wandered toward the faint scratching and scraping sounds coming from deeper within.
The giant ruby salamander sat on a stool that was probably twice as tall as Vee was though it looked small beneath his shimmering body. A pillar of ectoplasm was cradled against his shoulder and braced with his legs so that it looked like he was wrestling it, and his attention was focused on one of the pillar¡¯s curved beads, which he was carefully cutting with a tool he pulled toward himself. Vee scratched his chin; he¡¯d seen [Woodworkers] and [Carpenters] use a similar tool before but coudn¡¯t remember the name. A shave¡shaver? No, that wasn¡¯t it. Or at least not all of it.
It was a something-shave. He¡¯d probably want to memorize the real name sooner than later.
The salamander grunted with effort, his brow furrowed and a hungry gleam in his eyes. His apron was caked in ectoplasmic dust of many colors, and while he wasn¡¯t singing like he had been on Vee¡¯s first visit, he hummed with happy steadiness as he worked.
Vee, unsure of what exactly he was supposed to do in this ¡®tutorial¡¯, waited for the salamander to finish his task and notice that he was there.
Thankfully he didn¡¯t have to wait long.
Straightening the pillar back up onto the ground and giving it a gentle spin to evaluate the quality of the curve he¡¯d just cut, the salamander gave Vee a wide, welcoming smile.
¡°I see you decided to return,¡± he boomed, the walls shaking ever so slightly at the sound of his voice. ¡°And you¡¯ve joined our ranks as well. Good for you, youngling! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Soleir, and I am the [Ghost Smith] Classmaker.¡±
He tilted his head forward politely. ¡°I shall endeavor to forge you a solid foundation as you continue your journey on this new path.¡±
He raised his head with a smile, and there was a lighthearted, mischievous twist to it that elicited a smile back from Vee. ¡°Goodness, what a stiff greeting that is. If Gawain wasn¡¯t so obsessed with proper etiquette¡well, then I suppose he wouldn¡¯t be a god. Regardless, welcome. We have much to discuss. Follow me.¡±
Gesturing for Vee to follow, Soleir led the way deeper into the forge, stopping in front of a towering black furnace that radiated power into the ethereal. Every color of ectoplasm blazed inside its heart, and Soleir watched for a moment before reaching in and plucking out a vermillion nugget.
¡°This ectoplasm right here is the cornerstone of everything we do,¡± he said, his deep voice rumbling. ¡°And the [Ghost Furnace], where we make it, is the foundational skill of the [Ghost Smith] class. Observe.¡±
[Congratulations! You can now use the Ghost Furnace skill!]
Closing his eyes, Vee accessed his soul¡¯s mirror and consulted what the skill actually did.
[Ghost Furnace ¨C Summon a reclaimable construct that continuously refines and stores ectoplasm for future smith work. Once summoned, this skill transforms into Lesser Ghost Furnace, which creates a weaker, temporary version when used.]
That sounded simple enough, and Vee reopened his eyes to Soleir pulling out a string of green ectoplasm that was longer than Vee was tall.
¡°This will do nicely for what¡¯s next,¡± the salamander said, forming it into a plank and nodding once more for Vee to follow. The pair traveled deeper into the forge.
They stopped this time at a towering obsidian sphere, and once again Vee nearly stumbled at the strength of its pull in the ethereal. Sigils far more complex than any he¡¯d ever seen swam across its face, imbuing the [Ghost Smith] with a gamut (not to be confused with a gambit) of emotions that ranged from profound calm to manic terror.
¡°This is an [Ectoplasmic Anvil]. It can serve as an anchor for your work and be used to imprint sigils into everything you make.¡±
Vee grinned. ¡°Without having to draw them first?¡±
¡°Well, you have to draw them all the first time you use them, but after that you won¡¯t need to do it again. The sigils will all be stored in the anvil. The process of using them to make ghosts is slightly different from what you were used to as a [Ghost Maestro], but you¡¯ll pick it up in time. Allow me to demonstrate. Simply hold your hand out and say the sigil¡¯s name like this¡¡±
Soleir reached toward the orb, his claws barely pressing against it. ¡°Ruhminiatelin¡and it will appear.¡±
Sure enough, the sigil ¨C a long snake of curved lines that made Vee slightly nauseous ¨C appeared and Soleir pressed the green ectoplasm against it. He held it in place for a moment, and when he pulled it away, the sigil was clearly visible amidst the green. A wave of the salamander¡¯s hand dismissed the sigil from the orb and it returned to its previous inky state.
¡°Now, you should know that your anvil will be much smaller than this to start with, but it¡¯ll grow as you level, add more sigils, and make more things.¡±
[Congratulations! You can now use the Ectoplasmic Anvil skill and its related subskills!]
¡°And when the time comes to shape your work, your anvil can help you in all sorts of ways. Anvil, hold this please.¡±
He pressed the ectoplasmic plank against the side of the anvil, and a shadowy finger and thumb emerged to pinch the plank in place.
With a grin as big as a doorway, Soleir began to twist the plank until it looked like a corkscrew, then bent it into the shape of a fish hook. When he was done, he told the anvil to let it go and made sure it didn¡¯t drop.
¡°Darned useful thing. I suggest you get nice and comfortable with your anvil, young man. You¡¯re going to be spending a lot of time with it.¡±
From there, the tour continued, with Soleir pointing out other tools and devices that would be useful for Vee¡¯s work as a [Ghost Smith]. There were chisels, pliers, tongs, and a surprisingly high number of hammers. Vee smiled at them as he passed, trying to commit their details to memory so that he could tell Alforde about them.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
¡°Am I going to get all of these with skills?¡± he asked, looking at a strange device with string and multiple arms whose purpose he could not ascertain.
Soleir laughed. ¡°Of course not; where would the fun be in that? Like any good smith, you¡¯ll invent your own tools and devices as you need them. It took me decades to make all of these, and I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t even their final form. Solving problems and making the solutions more efficient over time. That¡¯s fundamentally what it means to be a [Ghost Smith]. That said, there is one tool skill you¡¯ll get to help you on your journey. No smith class is complete without a good hammer.¡±
Another notification appeared before Vee¡¯s eyes.
[Congratulations! You can now use the skill Ghost Hammer!]
¡°Every smith¡¯s hammer is different, because every smith is different,¡± Soleir said. ¡°Their weight, their balance, the shape of their heads, the jobs they¡¯re best at.¡±
The salamander¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°Heck, some smiths even find that their hammers are best wielded by a bonded assistant who¡¯s better suited for swinging them.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± said Vee. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for all the advice so far, but I still don¡¯t really know how to start working as a [Ghost Smith]. Can you show me?¡±
¡°Of course, youngling. We¡¯ll make something together.¡±
Though Soleir insisted that there was no danger from Vee reaching into the furnace to grab a bit of ectoplasm, he was still wary as he set his hands into the gleaming heart. Thankfully, the light was cool to the touch, and Vee carefully drew out a bead of molten blue ectoplasm and started rolling it into a sphere as the salamander had instructed him.
¡°Blue is a good color to start a project with,¡± Soleir said. ¡°It¡¯s easy to shape, but doesn¡¯t get as hard as red or green does. Nor does it have the innate beauty of yellow and purple ectoplasm or the boosting capacity of pink and orange. However, when it comes to flexibility it can¡¯t be beaten and that¡¯s probably for the best when you first start making something. You¡¯ll find that the color of ectoplasm matters a lot more now than it ever did when you were just a [Ghost Maestro]. Now, a first project can set the tone of your class for a long time to come. Do you have any thoughts for what you¡¯d like to make?¡±
Truth be told, Vee didn¡¯t. He hadn¡¯t really been thinking of any projects he wanted to pursue with his new class. Instead, he¡¯d seen it only as a stepping stone toward the work he was doing to improve Crestheart, and so that was where his thoughts turned first. Could he create some sort of reusable armor for his minions? Maybe something that would regenerate when damaged? Or perhaps something that could temporarily deactivate a minion wearing it, protecting them from being completely destroyed?
That might be beyond him for a long while, but if his first project truly would shape his class in the levels to come it was a good goal to start working toward.
Fresh instinct guided his hand, and Vee splayed his fingers before summoning his [Ghost Hammer]. It was a little bigger than his [Ghost Baton] had been, but substantially heavier and he wondered how long it would take him to get used to wielding it.
¡°Made your decision?¡±
Vee nodded, and explained his ideas. The salamander listened dutifully, and nodded with genuine enthusiasm when Vee finished.
¡°I have a soft spot for armor. My greatest projects have all included it. If this is something you¡¯re interested in, youngling, I can provide you with a skill path to make it possible as you level. By my best estimate, you¡¯ll need to reach level twenty at a minimum to be able to craft regenerating ectoplasm, and likely level thirty before you can send a ghost into Stasis with a creation. However, there¡¯s a nice and simple utility modifier you can learn right now that might be useful for your creation.¡±
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
Soleir tapped the head of Vee¡¯s hammer.
¡°Thorns. The ability to reflect impact damage back toward its source.¡±
Vee¡¯s entire arm started to tremble, and another notification appeared before his eyes.
[You can now modify your ectoplasm creations with :Thorns:!]
¡°We¡¯ll begin with the basic form or an armor plate,¡± Soleir said, summoning a tiny hammer of his own. ¡°Flatten your ectoplasm into a sheet like this.¡±
After what felt like far too much hammering ¨C seriously, how did Alforde not go crazy swinging as often as he did ¨C Vee found himself staring down at a small, uneven rectangle of ectoplasm that was barely big enough to fit one of the dungeon¡¯s smallest ghosts. He suspected that future practice and production would improve the quality of his work, but for now it was somewhat embarrassing.
¡°Worry not,¡± Soleir said. ¡°It¡¯ll look nicer once we put the other layers on. Go back to the furnace and fetch some red ectoplasm. Grab a similar amount that you did for the blue.¡±
Vee did as instructed, splitting it into two equal pieces at Soleir¡¯s request. One he set aside, and the second was hammered into a smaller, thinner, slightly more even rectangle.
¡°Put it atop the blue plate,¡± Soleir said, ¡°and then run your finger along the edge while thinking about the two pieces becoming one.¡±
About halfway through his task, Vee¡¯s finger grew hot and its tip started to glow.
[Congratulations! You can now use the Weld Ectoplasm skill!]
The two sheets fused together ¨C though their colors didn¡¯t blend ¨C and unlike the ghosts Vee had worked on before, nothing he could do would pry them apart.
¡°The red ectoplasm will harden substantially from here, giving the plate most of its strength,¡± Soleir said. ¡°But before that happens, we¡¯ll go ahead and add the thorns. Divide that second bit of red ectoplasm into ten rods of equal size, and then we¡¯ll go ahead and attach them to the plate.¡±
This was much closer to the work Vee was used to, and it went fast. Once all the rods were attached, Vee touched each one in turn, modifying them so that they became :thorns: and watched as they melted into small barbs along the plate.
He picked the plate up, surprised to find that it was still so light, and looked over at Soleir.
The first of hopefully many projects to come,¡± the salamander said. ¡°And with that, youngling, our time together comes to an end. I wish you well.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Vee said. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±
[Tutorial Complete!]
[You will be given the option of returning for further tutorials at higher levels!]
The forge grew hazy, and Vee¡¯s body grew heavy. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again he was back in the boarding house, his newest creation on the table beside him and an awful pain in the center of his skull.
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged from last chapter):
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Smith (Self), Level 8
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 15
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 18
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 59
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 2
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 127:
To Vee¡¯s chagrin, it didn¡¯t take long after waking from his tutorial to start feeling the adverse physical symptoms of his class upgrade. The first indicator was that the walls of the room started to bob ¨C or at least looked like they were bobbing ¨C and within a few minutes the freshly minted [Ghost Smith]¡¯s awareness became distinctly floaty. It was a subtle malady, the type that could almost be overlooked by focusing on other things, but Vee suspected that it would probably get worse in the hours to come.
That was probably for the best, as it also let Vee pretend that the trembling in his hands or the tight twinge in his stomach as he reached for his father¡¯s letter were similarly from his class upgrade.
He took a deep breath.
It wasn¡¯t a big letter by any means, but by Gawain did it feel heavy as Vee pondered what was inside and tried to work up the courage to open the envelope. He had decidedly not thought about his father too much since coming to Oar¡¯s Crest, and honestly that¡¯d been working for him pretty well. Was it really such a good idea to go ahead and abandon a winning strategy? There was all that wisdom about horses and streams and such for a reason.
Still, in the base of his stomach Vee knew that his ruminating was for naught. He didn¡¯t necessarily want to, but knew that he needed to see what his father had to say.
He looked up and met Alforde¡¯s eyes, only for the armorsoul to give him a thumb¡¯s up and an encouraging nod.
¡°It¡¯s just words on paper,¡± the armorsoul said.
¡°Yeah. You¡¯re being way too dramatic about this, boss. At worst it¡¯s mean and we can just go ahead and burn it,¡± Reginald said, settling down next to Vee¡¯s arm and looking at the letter with barely constrained glee. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s see what your old man has to say, eh?¡±
Alforde shook his helmet, picking up the hat and setting him on the windowsill.
¡°If you¡¯d like us to read it when you¡¯re done we can,¡± Vee¡¯s best friend said, sitting down next to Reginald to ensure that the hat stayed put. ¡°But until you say so it¡¯s none of our business.¡±
Despite himself, Vee snorted and wedged his thumb under the envelope¡¯s flap. Truth be told, the paper was a bit on the flimsy side when he pried it open.
The letter was written on a nice thick paper, and Vee¡¯s nerves peaked at the sight of his father¡¯s immaculate handwriting.
Vee unfolded the letter and started to read:
Son ¨C
I hope this letter finds you well. While I do not know much about Oar¡¯s Crest, I am familiar with the types of trouble a young man far away from home can run into, for those are easy to find in any city.
My sincere hope is that you have both managed to avoid them so far and continue to do so in the future, though I imagine Alforde¡¯s presence will deter most of the bad things that lurk in dark alleys.
However, should you find yourself in true danger, I implore you to remember the skill I showed you when you turned ten and to use it without reservation: an armorsoul is easier to replace than you are.
Vee paused there for a moment, gritting his teeth and scrunching the edge of the paper into his fist before continuing.
I was pleased when I heard that after all these years you have finally decided to get serious about a venture, though I must admit a healthy degree of skepticism with regard to your choice. Managing a dungeon is risky, susceptible to booms and bust like any other industry but tied to the thirst for entertainment that plagues us all.
I hope you know what you are doing.
When I went to my father for advice regarding my own first proper venture ¨C a decade younger than you are now ¨C he gave me some good advice. I will pass it along here, in the hopes that you have an easier time digesting it than I did.
First, set rules for your spending and stick to them. Nothing sinks a business faster than a loose purse. Fear neither credit nor debt, but be wary of compound interest. It is a blade that cuts both ways.Take nothing for granted, and always, always check your invoices yourself!
Second, follow through on what you say you will do. Never fail to hold up your end of a bargain, even if it kills you. A good reputation will smooth your road and open doors otherwise locked tight, but is virtually impossible to repair once broken.
Third, protect yourself through smart diversification. It is no great secret that people¡¯s preferences change, but it¡¯s dangerously easy to fall into a habit and fail to see such shifts coming. Keep your ear to the ground and always be ready to move. Should a change in direction become necessary, commit to it with all your heart.
Fourth, keep your emotions in check. Do not fall prey to the irrationality of fear or exuberance. In all endeavors, let cold reason be your only guide.
Fifth, keep professional and personal affairs separate. You will undoubtedly encounter others that you do not like, but a lack of congenial rapport need not be an impediment to doing good business. Similarly, friendships that go beyond professional can invite disaster.
Sixth, and last, know where you stand and stay there. This applies to fields of knowledge and market opportunities, but also to your values and beliefs. There will be times when you¡¯re offered a poisoned chalice, and it might not always be obvious. Remember, it is sometimes necessary to plant your feet, shake your head, and refuse to go along with the will of others.
Even if you follow all this advice, success is not guaranteed. It never is in business.
And now, to other matters.
First, our family.
Your mother, as I¡¯m sure you have already realized, misses you terribly. I must admit that I am disappointed but not surprised that you haven¡¯t written home. I¡¯m sure you believe you have good reasons for that shortcoming, but you should reconsider them.
Emory is sufficiently dutiful as my [Handpicked Heir], but wastes too much of his free time at the theater.
As for me, I am in the middle of several lucrative projects that will continue to ensure that our family continues to enjoy the same level of prosperity we are used to.
Next, our previous conversation.
Having given the matter some thought, I have come to the following conclusions:
Your decision to remain a mere [Ghost Maestro] is nonsensical to me, but I concede that there is a small chance I was hasty in my judgment of your reluctance to follow the course I laid out for you.
I make no apologies for what I said, for it was ¨C or rather, is ¨C the truth. No matter how distasteful you find the idea, life on a ship as a [Steelsoul Captain] is not the end of the world. There are wonders beyond imagination outside the continent, and our family has a long, proud lineage of seafaring glory. You would do well to add your name to their number.
More, you could bond with another armorsoul just as easily as you have with Alforde. They are expendable. Easy to replace. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Here again, Vee paused, cursing under his breath and clenching his fist. He looked over at Alforde, who was decidedly not looking at him, and forced himself to continue.
I do not seek to relitigate this, Vee. You have made your refusal clear, and I will not ask you to reconsider. However, I do wonder if there might have been a different way to phrase my points that you would have understood better.
Perhaps your inability to see the long term benefits born from short-term pain is a shortcoming of my own made manifest. I will not pretend to be a perfect father, nor will I ask forgiveness for not being one.
I am a Vales.
As are you.
My son¡
You have defied me.
Being who I am, this is a reality I can neither overlook nor forget.
As such I am compelled to write this: your old life here in Bardis is forever lost to you. You will never aimlessly haunt your room like the ghosts you are so fond of ever again. Should this venture of yours in Oar¡¯s Crest fail, you will find no comfort at my table nor shelter beneath my roof.
You have chosen to make your own way in the world.
Grab success by your own hands.
I could not be more proud of you.
At the bottom of the letter was the familiar swooping signature ¨C the one bit of handwriting frippery that Tyrion Vales allowed himself ¨C and Vee set the letter down gently.
He picked up the envelope and saw that there was a second, smaller piece of paper tucked inside. This one, written in his mother¡¯s handwriting, was much shorter, but it brought a smile to Vee¡¯s face.
Never forget that your father and I love you, our precious baby boy.
His throat awkwardly tight, Vee slipped both letters back into the envelope and drummed his fingers on the table. The symptoms of his class upgrade were getting worse with every passing second: the room was swaying so much he felt like he¡¯d ended up at sea after all and his stomach still hurt. Maybe he''d leave his response for later...
No, that wouldn''t do. His thoughts were clear enough that he knew how to respond, and he feared that if he went to sleep the crystalline resolve in his heart would fade away. He''d had plenty of experience with that. Grabbing a nice sheet of paper and his favorite writing instrument, Vee penned his own letter, his hand moving feverishly to get the words out before the moment passed.
Father,
Thank you for your letter. I am glad that you are all well and will endeavor to write more often. It is no proper excuse, but I have been so busy with my work that the matter slipped my mind. I¡¯m sure that you, having had so many similar experiences over the years, can at least understand if not forgive my lapse.
Similarly, I am grateful for the advice and wisdom. I will think about them and do my utmost to put them into practice as I carry on with my dungeon Crestheart.
However, I still disagree with your assessment and plan every bit as strongly as I did when we last spoke. I am not suited for a life chained to a single vessel, no matter how splendid it may be. A dozen ¨C no, make that a hundred ¨C such lives would not come close to being worth as much to me as my friendship with Alforde is.
My resolve remains firm on this matter, and so the proud seafaring tradition of the Vales family will have to wait a bit longer to be furthered, unless Emory decides he¡¯s tired of the theater and is ready to set sail.
I would not hold my breath on such a development occurring, and I¡¯m sure you will not either.
With regards to my class, I¡¯d like you to know that I¡¯m writing this letter in the immediate aftermath of having upgraded my [Ghost Maestro] class to [Ghost Smith]. The side effects of the upgrade process are unpleasant, though I hope they will pass quickly with rest so that I can get back to work. I have lots to do both inside my dungeon and out in the city of Oar¡¯s Crest.
I understand your declaration and appreciate its honesty. I will not be coming back to Bardis except perhaps to visit sometime in the future. My place is here now, and I promise you that I am going to do great things.
Watch me.
Vee signed his name with a bit more force than he otherwise might have and sealed it into an envelope. He¡¯d give it to his mother the next time he saw her.
[Guts +1]
The Expectation on his shoulders shifted, and when Vee looked down at the snake dragon he saw that one of its scales had started glowing extra brightly. The words ¡®Great Things¡¯ were burned into it, shimmering with azure sparkles.
As interesting as that was, though, it was the next scale that got Vee¡¯s attention. The words on it weren¡¯t fresh, but Vee hadn¡¯t properly read them before. Rocking back and forth in his seat, the [Dungeon Master] spent a long time reading and then re-reading it to make sure he had it right -- mostly on account of his vision, which was increasingly blurry by the second.
However, he eventually confirmed that it said what he thought it did and a new task to tackle in the coming days took root in his mind. It wasn''t a blazing bonfire of revelation, with its adulating emotions and its feverish omniscience, but was instead a small, cold certainty.
Vee raised a finger and pressed it against the scale, his heart quickening at the touch.
¡°Open Westown Permanently,¡± the [Dungeon Master] whispered.
The idea shoved aside all his previous priorities ¨C ordering new minions for the dungeon, expanding the lineup of available dunpla, spending time with Luna, setting up his new forge ¨C and stood alone in his thoughts. The Expectation around his shoulders purred like a cat and nuzzled his cheek.
Ideas for how to bring about such a reality started to bloom in the back of Vee¡¯s thoughts, but he was in no shape to consider them properly. For now, he needed to rest.
Smiling, Vee got Alforde¡¯s attention and asked for help getting to bed. After all, he didn¡¯t trust his legs now that the room was rocking back and forth like the tops of trees in a strong windstorm.
¡°You okay?¡± his best friend asked, guiding him across the room.
¡°Never been better,¡± Vee mumbled. ¡°You can go ahead and read those letters if you want to while I sleep. I don¡¯t mind.¡±
Alforde responded but Vee didn¡¯t hear it, because he fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Smith (Self), Level 8
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 16 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 19 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 59
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 2
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 128:
Vee felt like a new man when he opened his eyes. The walls were blessedly still, and he was no longer aware of his floating thoughts or uneven stomach. His eyes weren¡¯t heavy, and there was a strange itch in his palms that urged him to go forth and work. To create.
Was this an aftereffect of becoming a [Ghost Smith]? Or was it simply a remnant of his determination from the night before? Such things were difficult to discern sometimes, but Vee decided that the source didn¡¯t truly matter. He wanted to move and make things, and that was what was important.
Sitting up, Vee saw that Reginald and Alforde were off in the corner of the room, quietly playing cards. They both moved furiously, slapping cards down to the floor and swapping them back and forth with thinly veiled competitive brutality. Based on the piles of cards next to them both, Vee couldn¡¯t tell what game they were playing, but they both glared at him when he coughed to get their attention.
¡°Well good morning to you too,¡± Vee harrumphed, getting out of bed and stretching.
¡°Morning? Hah! Try again,¡± Reginald said, gesturing to the window while scowling down at the cards on the floor. ¡°It¡¯s nearly evening!¡±
Vee looked out and saw that the sun was indeed fat on the horizon, casting the world in shades of orange and red. Darn. He¡¯d slept longer than he would have otherwise liked, but that was okay. Clearly he¡¯d needed the rest.
Still, Vee didn¡¯t much like the idea of losing an entire day with nothing but feeling refreshed to show for it. He technically had a bit of wiggle room on reopening the dungeon but it was limited: Sacre¡¯s debt would keep getting bigger by the week, and Crestheart¡¯s proverbial war chest wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up for too long. A few days wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference ¨C probably ¨C but he knew that he needed to start earning fleurs again sooner rather than later.
Vee mulled over his options for how to spend the rest of the day. It was too late to go to the dungeon to set up his forge, and after a brief consideration he decided that he still didn¡¯t have the stomach for reading through the union¡¯s minion offerings either. Part of that was practical: he wanted to do some proper thinking about what Crestheart needed before diving in, lest he wind up enthralled by the prospect of new things and buying a bunch of minions he didn¡¯t actually want all that much. However, the bigger reason was that the circuit was still fresh in his mind and he really just wanted some time away from it entirely.
Vee¡¯s stomach grumbled; no matter what he ended up choosing to do, the first order of business was to go and get himself something to eat.
¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. You guys can finish your game later,¡± he said, grabbing his coat and throwing it on. His arms moved easily, oddly light, and though his Might was unchanged ¨C confirmed with a quick check of his Soul¡¯s Mirror ¨C he felt stronger.
Reginald glared over at him, but before the hat could protest Vee had an idea for what he could accomplish on his trip in addition to filling his belly. He held up a finger. ¡°Actually, give me a second first. There¡¯s something I want to do before we go.¡±
¡°Make up your mind,¡± Reginald muttered, passing a trio of cards over to Alforde.
The armorosoul growled as he took them, staring at his hand for a long time before carefully selecting two cards to return to the hat.
Vee turned his attention elsewhere. He sat down at the table and grabbed some paper and a pen and started to write. Unlike the letter to his father, this was going to be much easier to do.
Tired of trash?
Overnight street cleaning services available!
If interested, contact Vee Vales at Crestheart Dungeon for pricing and availability.
Satisfaction Guaranteed!
Vee studied his handiwork, rubbing his chin. It was fine, albeit slightly generic.
Then, with a little smile he crossed out ¡®Guaranteed¡¯ and replaced it with ¡®Likely¡¯.
Now it had some pizazz! It certainly wasn¡¯t the strongest marketing pitch of all time, but it was clear and concise and that had to count for something. His handwriting wasn¡¯t particularly neat, and the paper itself was plain ¨C he inwardly winced at what Torres might say, if the [Stationer] could see his handiwork ¨C but this would do what he wanted it to, and that was all that was important.
Future versions could be nicer.
He hurried to copy down his copy several more times, until he had a stack of flyers as thick as his hand. Reginald and Alforde were done with their game by the time he was done, and given the way the hat was grinning, Vee surmised that Reginald had won.
¡°He cheated,¡± Alforde huffed when Vee brought the matter up. Vee didn¡¯t bother asking how, and the trio headed out into the evening air.
The streets were somewhat busy ¨C a happy medium between the emptiness of normal daily life and the crammed mess that the circuits had brought ¡ª and Vee waved to a smiling Sculla as they left the boarding house, promising to have Alforde carry some boxes for the ogre when they returned.
¡°Forget her! I heard that every room in the place was booked during the circuit,¡± Reginald said, tightening his brim around Vee¡¯s head as the [Dungeon Master] walked. ¡°She doesn¡¯t need us to carry boxes!¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Alforde said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind helping out.
The three of them fell into an easy conversation, laughing and joking as they talked about small things. It was restful in a way Vee couldn¡¯t explain, and he felt better and better with every step.
Hungrier too. The smells coming from every restaurant he passed bordered on the divine, and Vee¡¯s mouth was watering before he got anywhere near the Grinning Pig ¨C where he¡¯d originally planned to eat ¨C and he hurried into a small noodle shop to get an order of dumplings.
Blowing on the scalding hot pork and onion between bites, Vee decided to head toward the blocks just outside the radius he¡¯d set for his slimes and fiends to clean before the circuit. He wanted to explore a bit, and sampling food from a bunch of restaurants would also give him an easy excuse and opportunity to distribute his flyers.
After the dumplings, Vee got a small sausage sandwich from a salamander¡¯s grillshop, a pastry stuffed with various nuts and spices from a kitrekin¡¯s stall, and sipped on a cup of strange gray soup an elkin street vendor had offered to him. It was a tad too bitter for the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s tastes, but wasn¡¯t bad by any means.
He continued on like this for several streets, nipping into businesses here and there to grab something to try and passing out his flyers as he did so. No matter how much he ate, though, his stomach felt barely any fuller than it¡¯d been when he¡¯d started. Under other circumstances, Vee might have worried about his seemingly endless appetite, but it was another relatively common side effect of the class upgrade process and so he didn¡¯t let it bother him. Instead, he focused on enjoying his food and talking to the merchants he was patronizing.Stolen novel; please report.
Interestingly, most of them recognized him right away and as thanks for the influx of business they¡¯d gotten from the circuit, more than a few gave him his requests free of charge. Vee greatly appreciated that bit of generosity; his pockets were definitely much lighter than they¡¯d been when he¡¯d left the boarding house and would have likely been empty if he¡¯d had to pay for everything he tried.
The flyers were more of a mixed bag, with most shop owners accepting them with veiled disdain and promising ¡°to take a look at them later¡±. A handful seemed interested in having the streets around their businesses cleaned but weren¡¯t particularly willing to pay for it. When Reginald suggested to these individuals that they could band together with their neighbors to reduce their costs, a few rolled their eyes and said they¡¯d give it some thought.
Vee doubted they were telling the truth. [Detect Falsehood] didn¡¯t proc at all, but there was definitely a ¡°half-hearted¡± loophole that meant the skill wasn¡¯t foolproof. Still, he smiled politely and thanked them for their time before leaving, undaunted and undeterred that his idea wasn¡¯t yet finding more fertile ground.
¡°We¡¯ll get the next one,¡± Reginald said encouragingly after yet another rejection.
¡°I know,¡± Vee said with a shrug. ¡°It might take a while, but eventually someone will bite and we¡¯ll get some new business. We just have to stay optimistic.¡±
Reginald tightened his brim. ¡°Are you¡are you sure you¡¯re feeling okay, boss? You¡¯re definitely¡more upbeat than normal. Right, big guy?¡±
¡°Yeah. I think you¡¯d be a lot more frustrated under normal circumstances, but it¡¯s not a bad thing by any means. Maybe it¡¯s another side effect of the class change?¡±
Vee shrugged and picked his next destination: a small tea shop that had plenty of sugar-coated pastries in the window. He wasn¡¯t going to sweat a good mood, especially after all the stress of the past few weeks. If it stuck around for like a week or something, he¡¯d go talk to a [Healer] and make sure he wasn¡¯t being influenced by any sort of weird Status Effect, but for now he was down to just relax and enjoy the vibes of the evening.
¡Wait. Enjoy the vibes of the evening? What the heck kind of thought was that for him to have? Vee knew himself well enough to know those weren¡¯t natural words for him to use in his deepest thoughts!
Was he suffering from a new Status Effect?
Snapping his eyes shut, Vee accessed his Soul¡¯s Mirror and started poking around.
Sure enough, underneath his long-standing <3 <3 Infatuation <3 <3 status was a new one that most certainly hadn¡¯t been there the day before: Overcooled.
Overcooled was a status effect that kept the affected person relaxed no matter what happened to them. By itself that wasn¡¯t much of a problem¡unless you were in a dangerous environment or situation where such a mindset could get you hurt or killed, which really wasn¡¯t all that common for people on the continent. In fact, many people deliberately sought Overcooled out, paying far too much money for a variety of supplements that were commonly mixed with baked goods to induce it so that they could escape the stressors of their lives for a few hours or a few days.
However, like any Status Effect, Overcooled definitely wasn¡¯t without its harms or problems. It was extremely sticky, and could propagate itself for days or even weeks if not actively nullified.
Vee swore loudly, drawing a surprisingly sharp rebuke from an older couple passing by. He definitely didn¡¯t have time to waste being nothing but chill. For real.
¡°Change of plans,¡± Vee said, shaking his head and pushing back against the wave of calm that tried to keep him from doing so. ¡°I¡¯m Overcooled. We¡¯re going to go find the nearest [Apothecary] and see about getting me a righteous cup of sober-root coffee, anxie-tea, or low-range tea so I can shake this off.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a shame it¡¯s so late,¡± Reginald said. ¡°Otherwise we could just go talk to Juniper. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d fix you right up.¡±
¡°Yeah, the gate¡¯s probably closed already for the night,¡± Vee said, glaring at the sky and forcing himself to shake his fist at it. He didn¡¯t care that doing so was silly: it let him feel like he was properly himself.
Tucking his hands into his pocket, Vee started walking again, keeping an eye out for an [Apothecary] shop. He went down alleys and across streets, past groups of people who reeked of booze and other things.
By the time he found one, he was in a part of town that was properly gross and dingy. He rubbed his hands together and grinned.
With any luck, this was where he could kill two birds with one stone.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Smith (Self), Level 8
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 19
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Overcooled
Alforde Armorsoul (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 19
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 59
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 2
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 28
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 129:
Vee walked into the [Apothecary]¡¯s shop expecting a dingy, poorly lit mess. The kind with jars of floating bits of monsters crammed onto sagging shelves and ¡°aisles¡± that only existed in the owner¡¯s imagination. The kind that smelled like both death and unnatural life simultaneously, with a hint of cheap lemon candy added for good measure.
What he found instead was nothing of the sort. Or, rather, it was dim inside, sure, but the lack of lighting was clearly intentional. It cast moody, modern shadows on the walls, giving the place more of a trendy coffee shop vibe than the bloated corpse of a store owned by an aspiring [Mad Scientist].
Vee appreciated that.
He looked around at the portraits and etchings on the wall. Most of them he vaguely recognized from the annals of famous adventurers he¡¯d read as a kid. While he didn¡¯t really remember their names, half-formed recollections of daring deeds and great voyages fluttered to the forefront of his memory.
It wasn¡¯t just people on the walls either; there was also a collection of drawings Vee recognized from Epscot Roosgerald¡¯s Monster Manual. Here for the first time the shop showed some of the darkness Vee had expected; most of the drawings were for nightmarish beasts Vee hoped to never see in the flesh. Peanut-shelled Spider-sentries with their half-dozen glowing eyes and their cracked carapaces from whence they got their names, Blistering Cactipodes who ran on two legs and hugged their prey to death, Crawroses with a mouth on every petal, and plenty more.
The shelves were free from dust and organized well, though there were many jars filled with mysterious goo and even more mysterious floating contents. Somewhat oddly, they were all wrapped with decorative little strings and other bits of prettification that made them seem like interesting novelties and not horrifying body bits.
Vee appreciated that too.
A middle aged man with graying hair and trim square glasses was sitting at the countertop, reading a thick book. He didn¡¯t seem to notice the trio approaching, though he looked up when Vee coughed politely.
¡°Help you?¡± he asked, in a surprisingly strong voice.
¡°I¡¯m suffering from Overcooled, and was hoping you could give me something to shake it off.¡±
The man¡¯s eyebrow went up. ¡°Why¡¯s that? Most people like being Overcooled.¡±
He shrugged. ¡°Besides, it¡¯ll probably dissipate on its own in a few hours or so. Maybe a day at the most.¡±
Vee shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not most people, and I didn¡¯t get it intentionally. I just upgraded my primary class and it popped up.¡±
The apothecary closed his book and rubbed his chin. ¡°I see. Upgrade statuses do tend to linger sometimes. Let me go grab some things. I don¡¯t think I have anything ready right now, but if you don¡¯t mind waiting a few minutes I can whip something up for you.¡±
That was fine with Vee, especially so given his status effect. He said as much, and the [Apothecary] walked off to the far shelves and started sorting through jars with practiced expertise.
Instead of watching the man work, which would probably be boring, Vee headed over to an etching that¡¯d caught his eye on the way in and stared at it instead.
It showed four grinning young men standing over a bloody behemoth¡¯s carcass. They all wore armor and carried weapons that looked like they¡¯d been cobbled together out of random monster bits: pieces of shell for shields and armor, horns for lances, mandibles for maces or rip-swords.
One of the men looked familiar: Vee Vee turned to the [Apothecary], who was coming back to the counter with a trio of jars carefully tucked under his arm.
¡°Is this you?¡±
The [Apothecary] stopped and gave Vee a small smile as he looked at the picture. ¡°Aye. Those were the days. My friends and I were all [Dauntless Hunters], and we thought we were going to be [Heroes] one day if we slew enough behemoths.¡±
The smile faded and he shrugged on his way back to the counter. ¡°Didn¡¯t end up working out, as you can see, though I guess getting comfortable with chopping up and using bits of monsters is a skill that helps me quite a bit these days. Sorry that took so long, I¡¯m having a bit of a shortage on some ingredients lately.¡±
¡°Oh? What kind of shortage?¡±
The man shrugged again. ¡°Nothing outside the norm, I suppose. There¡¯s a whole network of [Monster Dealers] that I order from, but ever since that mess with the bandits a while back they¡¯ve been inconsistent as heck. Give me a few minutes, and I¡¯ll have your remedy done in a flash.¡±
WIth the ease of practiced professionalism, the [Apothecary] opened the jars and started extracting ingredients. Vee walked around and looked at the other images, listening to the steady rhythm of the pestle pounding and pretending that he hadn¡¯t seen the copious amounts of slime that¡¯d come off the first ingredient. Ignorance, bliss, et cetera.
A few minutes later, the [Apothecary] poured a brown sludgy liquid into a vial and set it on the counter. ¡°There we go, all done. It¡¯s a little thicker than normal, but it should take care of your issue.¡±
¡°Thanks, what do I owe you?¡±
¡°Hmm¡let¡¯s go ahead and call it one silver fleur, thank you kindly. The Status Effect should fall off in twenty to thirty minutes, depending on your metabolism.¡±
Vee thanked the man and picked up the vial, decidedly not asking what all was in it and pinching his nose shut as he drank. The slight thickness of the mixture and the bitter tang he still tasted confirmed his wisdom on that account, and when he was done he paid the man and took out one of his slime cleaning flyers.
¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard anything about this,¡± Vee said, passing the paper over to the [Apothecary], "but it¡¯s something you might find beneficial. See, much like you I¡¯m interested in finding ways to utilize monsters in daily life.¡±
The man cocked an eyebrow and looked at the flyer. ¡°Slimes, eh? I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got some acid-spitting ones around, do you?¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
¡°Afraid not,¡± Vee said. ¡°My dungeon doesn¡¯t use them, so I don¡¯t have any in my herd. Why?¡±
¡°Drat. I¡¯m low on acid slime cores too, and they¡¯re darned useful in all sorts of recipes. I was hoping that I¡¯d found another potential supplier.¡±
Vee ran his hand through his hair, thinking. ¡°I see. Sorry about that. I don¡¯t suppose regular slime or ghost slime cores could work instead?¡±
¡°Ghost slimes? Don¡¯t know what those are, but regular ones aren¡¯t any good. They¡¯re too small. Acid slimes have got real big cores on ¡®em.¡±
¡°Got it, got it. Well, I¡¯ll come by again and let you know if we ever end up getting some of those acid spitters. Now, about these slime cleaning services we offer.¡±
***
One surprisingly easy sale of slime cleaning services sealed and a timer ticking on his Overcooled status later, Vee left the [Apothecary]¡¯s shop with a newfound sense of confidence and a list of monster names beyond acid spitting slimes that might potentially lead to future business.
¡°See, boss? This is why you keep me around,¡± Reginald said, flopping forward to leer down at the paper with a wide grin. ¡°You were just going to stop there with the cleaning service bit and call it good.¡±
¡°Yeah, you did good,¡± Vee admitted. ¡°That was a nice bit of conversation steering.¡±
He looked down at the list. Some of the names were vaguely familiar ¨C Spikespitter Lizards, Pint-size Punchers, Scalemongers ¨C while others like Roundheart Claggles or Ornamental Zilleen were total mysteries.
There were probably a dozen names on the list, and Vee planned to pay special attention to the union¡¯s monster ordering manuals when he got around to scouting his next purchases to see if there were any matches.
Perhaps there was a chance for some¡recycling¡income.
[Plotting +1!]
Although, even if that was the case, Vee wasn¡¯t sure it¡¯d be viable. Talking to Kai and the Kartine twins about adding some acid-spitting slimes to the herd was one thing, purchasing large amounts of other monsters they weren¡¯t familiar with was another.
¡°You¡¯ve got that crossed-eyed look of yours, boss. What¡¯s on your mind?¡±
¡°I¡¯m just thinking about the options. If we want to get into wholesale monster dealing on any sort of scale, we¡¯ll have to expand the menagerie by quite a bit. That¡¯s doable, I think, but it might not be a good idea.¡±
¡°Why not?¡± Reginald asked, peering up and frowning. ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of space in abandoned Westown. Heck, if we wanted to we could turn into a full service monster retreat.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not just the space,¡± Vee said. ¡°Though you¡¯re right on that count. The bigger issue is that it¡¯s pretty far outside our current goals and skillset. Kai and Dandelion are limited in what they can do at any given moment in time.¡±
¡°So? The Kartine twins can help and if we need more than that you can just hire a few people and things will work themselves out.¡±
Vee drummed his fingers along Reginald¡¯s brim.
¡°Are you intentionally screwing with me? There¡¯s way more to it than just hiring people. We¡¯d have to make sure they had relevant skills, put safety measures in place to make sure no monsters go rage in the city, and handle a million other little details. It¡¯s not just a snap your fingers type of situation.¡±
Reginald whistled.
¡°Gawain¡¯s beard. I was just brainstorming with you. Jeez. That [Apothecary] sure knows his stuff. You¡¯re basically back to your normal self, with all those little stumbling block details at the forefront of your mind.¡±
Vee cursed at his hat and stuffed his hands into his pockets. It was properly dark outside now, and to Vee¡¯s surprise his appetite was fading. He didn¡¯t know whether that was on account of the [Apothecary]¡¯s remedy or if all the food he¡¯d eaten was finally starting to catch up with him, but either way he passed a half dozen restaurants without any impulse to go inside.
Maybe it was because he was focused on it, but much like sobering up in the evening after an afternoon of drinking, a few flickers of clear normal thought were starting to bubble up in the back of his mind.
He settled on a few key thoughts. Full-on monster raising was not what he wanted to do, but if he could find a way to collect extra fleurs from the cultivation he needed to do for Crestheart anyway it¡¯d be foolish to leave those fleurs on the proverbial table.
Putting some of his flyers up where they¡¯d be seen by passerby, Vee finished the night wandering around and talking to Alforde and Reginald and resolved to talk to Kai in the morning to see what the treant thought about the acid-spitting slimes thing.
He also decided that the next day was as good a time as any to go ahead and set up his new forge.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Smith (Self), Level 8
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 41
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 20 (+1)
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 19
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 11
Might: 59
Wit: 15
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 2
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 29 (+1)
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47 (+1)
Patience: 11
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Bonus Content: Peanut-Shelled Spider Sentries (Epscot Roosgerald Excerpt)
Epscot Roosgerald¡¯s Even Bigger Book of Monsters, Pages 102-105 (Removed from the Complete Collection and all subsequent printings)
Peanut-Shelled Spider Sentries
Rarity: Rare
Threat Level (S.A.M.): 5
Epscot¡¯s Overview:
Should you ever find yourself in a cemetery or on an old battlefield at midnight during a double full moon, you might find yourself in grave danger, dear readers. After all, there¡¯s a good reason we teach school children that, ¡°[Witches] delight in old death beneath twin orbs bright.¡±
Now, I know what you¡¯re thinking: no sane person would ever be in such a place during such a time, but I humbly submit that you¡¯d be surprised by how easy it is to slip off the precipice into insanity.
For example, you might be in desperate need of money, searching for valuable //Unique// {Artifacts} with no other options, or out for a romantic walk with your beloved along some magisalt chasms and not paying attention to anything but the color of their hair and the way the stars seem dull in comparison to their eyes.
It was in this latter situation that I once found myself, where I first encountered the Peanut-Shelled Spider Sentry. Now, before I go any further, I must once again lament that these creatures, like far too many others, have such an unfortunate name. While they are indeed spider-like and covered in something that looks like a peanut¡¯s shell, they are not sentries of any kind so far as I can tell. Instead, they are hunters, and fearsome ones at that.
As such, I do not know who named them, dear readers, but I must restate my abject disbelief that this person survived for any meaningful amount of time given their obvious lack of imagination.
Regardless, I must press on.
It was a beautiful night, with the twin moons full overhead. My beloved and I were walking along in amorous silence, perfectly content with nothing more than each other¡¯s company when a strange mist filled the air. It was thick and cold, and moving through it felt like wading through a flood. With every step, whispers in the air grew louder ¨C the sentries, as I¡¯ll call them, inflict Eldritch Whispers on their prey to disorient them before they strike ¨C and my beloved seized my arm. She had grown up near the chasms and knew what stalked us, her aforementioned bright eyes filling with terror as our pace slowed and luminescent orbs appeared just beyond the mist. They flickered in and out of sight, and my beloved whispered in my ear that we needed to flee.
My mind turning to jelly with each passing second, I haltingly asked if there was anything we could do to protect ourselves, and she began to dance.
Now, this wasn¡¯t as foolish as it might first seem, dear reader, for my beloved was a [Flaming Coat Dancer], and with several twirling steps conjured a wreath of fire around us that chased away the mist and dulled the whispers. Much like the rhymes I mentioned above, there is a good reason we teach adventurers to turn to fire first when facing the denizens of the dark.
My thoughts cleared enough to see dozens of spider-like limbs crawling toward us, all covered in segmented scales with thick purple veins that looked like a peanut¡¯s shell.
Beyond that feature I saw nothing, though I readily admit that my thoughts were on other matters as I ran back to safety alongside my beloved.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
We returned to her village, and spent the night relishing the fact that we¡¯d survived such a dangerous encounter. Ah, to be young once more!
The next day, I started asking some questions about the creatures, and realized that I¡¯d heard similar tales across the continent.
Intrigued, I decided to learn all I could about these peculiar creatures, and while I make no claims that I understand them ¡°properly¡±, I shall endeavor to provide as much of this information to you now, dear readers, as I can.
Just like I always have.
Origin and Social Structure:
It¡¯s widely agreed that the Sentries first appeared in the aftermath of the Coven Wars, with most of my peers pointing to the Last Stand of The Six Jinxes as the event that brought them into existence. I do not know what sort of horror they were originally, but I suspect they were blood golems of some kind: their distinctive shell is reminiscent of the well-documented effects of certain recorded blood magics from that era.*
The first recorded mention we have of them is ¡°a swarm of fairies in the fog around the battlefield, blinking and bobbing with quiet menace.¡±
A group of six adventurers ¨C hardened veterans from said battle who were all at least level 40 in their primary classes, though sources differ on the speicifics ¨C went into the fog, and while they all came out alive, three of them were seriously injured. They reported being struck by ¡°crazy thoughts¡± and fighting ¡°monsters that moved like spiders but with too many legs¡±.
Afraid that the beasts were some sort of accursed magical remnant, the army¡¯s [General] sealed the battlefield and rallied his troops. They entered the next morning, but there was no trace of any monsters that matched the descriptions given by the adventurers from the night before.
For several years after that, it was believed that the sentries were nothing more than myth, until a kitrekin [Treasure Hunter] named Herold Fastpaw** brought a corpse home from one of his most successful expeditions. He claimed he¡¯d ¡°recovered¡± various {Artifacts} from one of their nests, and that he¡¯d originally had four bodies in his possession. The other three, he explained, had disappeared as soon as they were struck by sunlight.
Other adventurers sought the sentries out, and more bodies ¨C adventurer and sentry both ¨C were recovered. From these corpses, I¡¯ve learned that in general, Peanut-shelled Spider Sentries have six large eyes that look like seed heads and are attached to stalks. They have anywhere between eight and fourteen legs, varying in length and thickness for reasons we don¡¯t fully understand. Their shells are hard, but oddly paper-like, and surprisingly susceptible to Impact damage. All but one of the specimens I¡¯ve seen have only a single mouth, but one especially large individual had three.
In terms of how they organize, ¡°nests¡± definitely seems to be the appropriate term. The size and number of members varies, and studying them is difficult. Any given nest can move without warning from one day to the next, or disappear for months or years at a time before reappearing in the same place.
Those who have fought them report that they seem to use rudimentary squad tactics when encountered in groups of less than four, but function more like a mob in bigger encounters.
Variations:
None recorded. There are folk tales of ¡°crab-like sentinels" that exist in the canyons between Ogreheart Mountain and the Starving Sea, but I haven¡¯t seen them for myself. Similarly, none of my peers have ever seen them, and so I am somewhat loath to mention them here.
Epscot¡¯s Closing Thoughts:
Dear readers, I won¡¯t lie to you. These are not creatures you ever want to encounter, unless you are a powerful warrior or some sort of [Eldritch Priest]. Like many of the entities that call our continent home, they are extremely dangerous, and seeking them out can prove fatal.
However, I implore you not to fear them overmuch. So long as you¡¯re mindful of the moons and where you search, the sentries shouldn¡¯t harm you.
So, go out and explore! Seek answers to questions that excite you! Despite all the darkness in our world it is a beautiful place with limitless potential for adventure.
Remember, those who seek to understand the world enjoy it best!
E.R.
*For a more comprehensive overview of these powers, I humbly suggest that you consult Toil and Trouble: A history of [Witch] Magics, by the esteemed [Historian] Aleinza Suhett.
**Fastpaw is a fascinating character of history. He lived a colorful life, having once been a [Gambler] who was wanted dead by one of the most vicious crime syndicates to ever befoul the continent and a [Treasure Hunter] who literally mortgaged his life on more than one occasion to fund an expedition before fleeing with the money. Those interested in learning more should read Not Quite Fast Enough, also published by Wingheart Books.
Volume 2 Chapter 130:
It¡¯d been a long time since Big Simon was twenty, but sitting in the don¡¯s grimy antechamber with Atlas, Aris, and Smore sipping ¡°coffee¡± ¨C lukewarm, burned, gritty sludge ¨C while waiting for the boss to come out and scold them he sure felt like he¡¯d somehow managed to go back in time by a few decades.
Maybe that was why he wanted to smoke so bad, even though it¡¯d been nearly fifteen years since he¡¯d quit. For good, that is. All the other tries didn¡¯t count, but if they did it would been probably closer to thirty. His paws itched something terrible¡though to be fair, it might have just been the aching.
Simon sighed deeply and leaned back, grimacing at the ache that rolled its way up and down his spine like a damn carriage wheel before looking over at his companions. They were, like him, definitely worse for wear: Atlas was missing a chunk of his left ear, Smore¡¯s fur was covered in burns and his suit was little more than charred tatters, and Aris had his right arm in a makeshift sling that was painful to look at.
Heck, it¡¯s not like anyone was keeping score, but if they were Simon had come up positively smelling like roses. He smiled at that: another thing ¨C just like the coffee and decor ¨C that hadn¡¯t changed. He went through the worst of every scrap and came out just fine.
Closing his eyes, Simon silently thanked the world for that Lucky status he¡¯d gotten as a kit. It wasn¡¯t in his soul¡¯s mirror anymore, having disappeared of its own accord a week or so after he got it, but Simon wholeheartedly believed that getting such a status was, well, lucky, and had credited it with his successes and good fortunes ever since.
That type of thinking had power, and Simon saw no reason to abandon it now.
Alas, he was also pretty sure that his luck was about to run out. Million-to-one shot, or maybe one-to-a-million he and the young [Enforcers] were about to get their tails chewed off by the Don just as soon as the boss found time in his busy schedule to come out and do it.
The four battered kitrekins had been waiting for an hour already, but Simon wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if it took two or three more before the Don came out. One time in the old days he¡¯d screwed up a simple delivery job and had been forced to wait in this room all night to deliver the bad news.
So, naturally, he couldn¡¯t believe his ears when he heard the quiet creak of the polished mahogany door ¨C the one bright spot in the otherwise dreary room ¨C swinging open. He stood up as quickly as he could, grimacing at another flash of pain, and led the young [Enforcers] inside.
The room was deathly quiet, and plenty dark. The Don ¨C Simon still thought of him as ¡°Chub¡±, the cute little kit that he¡¯d been when Simon had first joined the family ¨C was sitting at his desk, drumming his claws and scowling at them. His eyes were heavy and bloodshot, his fur was a ragged mess, and the smooth grin he normally wore had been replaced by a murderous scowl. It¡¯d been a bad few weeks and that didn¡¯t look to be changing anytime soon.
¡°Shut the door,¡± he hissed, adjusting his thick bathrobe, and Smore hurried to comply.
Complete silence fell, broken only by the sounds of breathing and the occasional fidget from Aris, Atlas, or Smore. Bad form, those. Simon resisted the urge to snort. Back in his day, an [Enforcer] would have stayed perfectly still ¨C like a [Stone Sentinel], as the old saying went ¨C but the kits these days couldn¡¯t do that.
Finally Chub broke the silence.
¡°Rough night, eh lads?¡±
Simon stayed silent, inwardly wincing when his companions answered.
¡°Yeah, boss.¡±
¡°Yessir.¡±
¡°Sure was.¡±
Chub stopped drumming his claws on the table and leaned forward. ¡°I take it that despite your¡valiant efforts you were unsuccessful?¡±
Simon heard the dagger in the don¡¯s voice and stepped in. Better to head this storm off before it got to build up anymore strength. ¡°Aye, boss, that¡¯s the long and short of it. We failed. Sacre¡¯s boys were ready for us and we couldn¡¯t get through them fast enough to get to the elixirs.¡±
A dangerous gleam appeared in the don¡¯s eyes. ¡°Would you have been able to do so if Shadow was with you?¡±
Simon nodded. There was no point in beating around the bush; that was the heart of their current problems anyway. Ever since Shadow ¨C the [Mud Golemancer] that was technically on loan from the main family across the continent whose real name Simon didn¡¯t know ¨C had gotten locked up things had all been going wrong for the kitrekins. The careful balance of power between the kitrekins and Sacre was unraveling, tilting one direction faster and faster with each passing day toward the side of the ¡°[Honest Businessman].¡±
It was all because of those freaking elixirs. Nasty powerful, those. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
The¡elixir¡¯d in Sacre¡¯s crew ¨C especially that prick Walnut ¨C had gone from a thorn in the kitrekin¡¯s side to a full-fledged wall they couldn¡¯t break through. There were only a handful of them, for now, but that was bound to change eventually and all of ¡®em outclassed the don¡¯s [Enforcers] in everything from speed to strength to sheer freaking insanity.
Simon was no fool. Unless something big changed soon the family would be in real trouble. He tightened his paws into fists, furious that this was the moment he¡¯d been born to. If he was younger ¨C still had all his levels ¨C he might have been able to do more. As it stood though, he knew all too well the limitations of his own strength.
Worse, he knew deep down that he didn¡¯t even want to. He missed the Pig. He missed laughing with customers and the constant smell of cooking food, the uneven-but-still-comfortable benches and the quiet satisfaction he felt locking the door each night.
Something hit Simon in the chest and snapped him out of his thoughts. The don was standing up now, his eyes blazing and his whiskers splayed something fierce.
¡°What¡¯s the matter with you idiots, eh? Too stupid and slow to go and break some bottles? Too scared of a guy who turns into a freaking nut when he fights or something? Eh?!¡±
¡°You haven¡¯t seen him boss,¡± Smore said.
Simon winced. That was a mistake.
Chub stomped out, his tail slashing from side to side like a sword wielded by a guy who¡¯d only ever learned how to do it from reading books, and stormed over to Smore. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen him? I should skin you, fur ball. You¡¯re Piper-promised right I haven¡¯t seen him! What do you think I pay you idiots for? Your job, no, your entire reason for being, is to make sure that I don¡¯t have to see anybody. Instead I have to see that our family is slowly getting pushed back all across the city and losing the things we¡¯ve all worked so hard for to a bunch of morons who found and drank some sketchy potions. I think that¡¯s a lot worse!¡±
He grabbed Smore¡¯s face and looked into his eyes. ¡°The next time you see Walnut,¡± he hissed, ¡°I want you to break his shell. Permanently. Do you understand me, fish breath?¡±
Smore nodded and looked away, muttering an apology and promising to do as asked.
Atlas and Aris wisely didn¡¯t jump in, the way they otherwise might have, and to their credit they took their scolding from the don better than Simon had expected them too. They were quiet and apologetic, which was probably the best thing for them to be. Chub was the type who blew off his temper right quick if you let him, which was a good thing in most cases and a bad thing in others.
Simon steeled himself to do the same when his own turn came, meeting the don¡¯s glare with his best contrite expression.
¡°And you! You don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve done anything! Barely a wound on you.¡±
¡°Just lucky,¡± Simon said with a shrug. ¡°That¡¯s all, boss.¡±
Chub snorted. ¡°Wish I could say the same.¡±
He gestured to his desk, to the chair on the opposite side of his own, and Simon took it while the other three [Enforcers] stayed standing.
The don closed his eyes and rested his chin on his paw. ¡±I¡¯ve known you my whole life, Simon. I know you¡¯ll give it to me straight. How screwed are we? Any chance we can get another chance at those elixirs?¡±
Simon shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t think so, boss. Sacre¡¯s too careful for that. He¡¯ll have his stash moved somewhere more protected and keep working through them ¡®til his entire living crew is elixir¡¯d up. When that happens, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be too good for our side.¡±
¡°You think I should ask for another loan from the main family? Maybe seek out a heavier hand than Shadow.¡±
Simon shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know nothing about that, boss, it¡¯s your call.¡±
¡°What would you do if you were in my position?¡±
Simon rubbed his chin, thinking. ¡°I think I¡¯d try to get Shadow out before asking for more help. The prison isn¡¯t all that hard to get into, and I doubt that armorsoul would interfere.¡±
Chub cursed loudly. ¡°That accursed armorsoul! I¡¯d give my right paw for a fighter like that.¡±
Simon agreed. He¡¯d only seen the last moments of the fight between the armorsoul and Shadow but it¡¯d burned itself into his brain. A swirling storm of steel shredding Shadow¡¯s golems like they were nothing. He thought he¡¯d known armorsouls on account of spending so much time talking to Alforde, but it was obvious to him now that he hadn¡¯t seen anything yet.
¡°So, yeah, like I said. The first thing we should do is get Shadow out. He can tell us if we have a chance against Sacre¡¯s crew or if we need more help, and then we can go from there. But there¡¯s one other thing, boss.¡±
Chub¡¯s eyes flicked open. ¡°Yeah? What is it?¡±
¡°I think I might have seen a way to deal with the [Flamespeaker],¡± Simon said.
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°When he was fighting Smore, I noticed that he was carrying a little ruby egg in his hand. He¡¯d rub it before he attacked each time. If we could get it away from him, we might be able to interrupt his power.¡±
¡°And how do you propose we do that? I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll just give it to us if we ask politely. Do you?¡±
Simon knew better than to answer that question, so he simply shrugged and kept his mouth shut.
¡°There has to be a way to turn the tables,¡± Chub muttered. ¡°Some new element we could introduce to shift the balance. Something we can do.¡±
He shook his head. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve gotta think. You four get out of my sight and get some rest. Get yourselves cleaned up too, eh? You stink.¡±
Simon stood up and followed the other [Enforcers] out of the office, feeling low in his stomach and chest. This too was the same as it had ever been.
Big Simon''s Character Sheet
¡°Big¡± Simon Coppertail
Primary Class: Shopkeeper (Self), Level 31
Secondary Class: Enforcer (Haverty Curlytail), Level 26
Tertiary Class: Boxer (Self), Level 22
Additional Class: Street Cat (Self,) Level 10
Might: 81
Wit: 45
Faith: 23
Ambition: 24
Greed: 36
Loyalty: 52
Guts: 37
Endurance: 30
Charisma: 40
Citizenship: 4
Volume 2 Chapter 131:
Standing on the empty floor of Crestheart Tower that was soon to become his forge, Vee couldn¡¯t help but smile. It was rare that he had occasion to pat Past Vee on the back for a good decision, but having picked a building with so much empty space to serve as the center of his operations certainly qualified.
He¡¯d briefly considered adding his forge to the same floor as the rest of the ghost-making machines Rortenferry had helped him build, so that it¡¯d be easy to go from one task to the other, but had ultimately decided against it and had taken the floor beneath it for the forge instead. The work he¡¯d be doing down here was different from the work he¡¯d be using the machines for, so it made sense to keep them separate, especially if both endeavors continued growing in the future.
It wasn¡¯t exactly like he was hurting for space.
There was a loud crack and a bit of ceiling slammed into the floor on the far side of the room. Do¡¯s head emerged from the resulting hole and the [Dungeon Maintainer] gave Vee a thumb¡¯s up.
¡°First part is done, master! Will get to work on cleaning it up and making it look nice right away!¡±
Vee returned the gesture with a nod, acknowledging the fiend¡¯s efforts. He¡¯d asked for a trapdoor of sorts to connect his ghost manufacturing operation to his forge so that it¡¯d be easy and convenient to send freshly made ghosts for modifications before having them delivered to the dungeon proper, and was rather pleased by how well it was coming along.
Fa and So ¨C two other [Dungeon Maintainers] ¨C came into the room and cleared away the debris. They were both quiet as they did so, and Vee sensed something distinctly sullen through his bond to them. That was interesting, he thought, but not enough to derail what he was doing just then. Instead, he made a mental note to talk to them later and see what was going on before returning to his original task: finding a place to put his [Ghost Furnace].
His original plan had been to put the furnace in the center of the room, where it could serve as the heart of sorts for his forge, but a test of the location hadn¡¯t felt right to the [Ghost Smith]. Vee couldn¡¯t entirely articulate why that was, but it stuck with him each time he tried it.
Instead, he was slowly coming around to the idea of putting the furnace in one of the corners and building out from there. But which corner?
He folded his arms across his chest to think.
¡°Gawain¡¯s balls, boss, it can¡¯t be that hard to pick one,¡± Reginald sighed from atop Vee¡¯s head. ¡°They¡¯re all the same, aren¡¯t they?¡±
Like any [Artist] expected to explain the nuances of vibes to the uninitiated, Vee rolled his eyes and tried to think of the best way to answer. On the one hand, yes, they were all the same superficially, but there was something intangible about them that made them distinct. He couldn¡¯t really explain what that was, but he knew that it was there the same way he knew his hair was blue.
Holding out his hand, Vee started activating [Ghost Furnace] and watched the transparent blue-gray indicator appear before his eyes. He rotated it with a twist of his fingers and tested each corner again, weighing which one felt right.
Three of the corners felt normal, but on the fourth one Vee paused. There was a slight hum in his palm and fingertips, though it was so minor he couldn¡¯t be sure that he wasn¡¯t just imagining things.
Reginald sighed and muttered something disparaging, but Vee ignored it and swept across the corners again. This time the sensation was slightly stronger, but wasn¡¯t localized in any corner. Instead, it was in the middle of the wall behind him.
Deciding to trust his gut ¨C or rather, his fingertips ¨C Vee fully activated his skill and summoned his furnace into reality.
Reginald chuckled. ¡°Is that it?¡±
Vee flicked his hat¡¯s brim, though he couldn¡¯t entirely disagree with his hat. The furnace was¡all things considered¡ pretty unimpressive. It was short and squat, barely two feet tall and probably a bit more than half of that again wide. Colorwise it was similarly dull, flat gray like plain iron. Unlike iron though, it was warm to the touch, and Vee hurried to fill it with some cubes of blue refined ectoplasm. He still wasn¡¯t sure what his first proper project would be, but figured that he couldn¡¯t go wrong starting with blue ectoplasm. He¡¯d go ahead and add other colors later.
Thankfully, ¡°lighting¡± the furnace happened automatically, and in a few minutes the ectoplasm had melted into a thick, soupy liquid that was bubbling away happily.
With that done, Vee went ahead and summoned his [Ectoplasmic Anvil], setting the small silvery sphere close to his furnace so that he could reach it easily when it came time to work.
He summoned his [Ghost Hammer] too, and marveled at the way it fit his hand. Heck, it actually felt a lot like his old [Ghost Baton], albeit substantially heavier. A few gentle swings to test the weight later, and Vee put the hammer on the floor next to his anvil.
Hmm. That didn¡¯t feel quite right. In time there¡¯d be other tools beyond his hammer: tongs, chisels, punches, other hammers. He wanted a place to store them properly.
Pinching his thumb and forefinger together, Vee activated [Shape Ectoplasm] and collected enough ectoplasm to make a long, thin sheet. A table wasn¡¯t much better than the floor in the strictest sense of the word, but it was an improvement and wouldn¡¯t be too hard to make.
¡°Anvil, hold this flat for me, would you?¡± Vee said, resting the ectoplasm atop his anvil. A tiny pair of hands ¨C each barely bigger than a trio of Vee¡¯s fingers ¨C emerged from the sphere and locked the ectoplasm into place. It was surprisingly strong and stable, and Vee used his hammer to flatten and shape what would eventually be the tabletop.
When that was done, he made some thick sticks of ectoplasm for the legs and jammed them on. He used a bit of the melted ectoplasm from his furnace to bind it all together, and stepped back to marvel at his handiwork. It wasn¡¯t the prettiest table known to mankind, and he could have probably made something similar without his new [Ghost Smith] skills, but it still felt good to have something he¡¯d made to look at.
He set his hammer down on it and stepped back, pride swelling in his chest. The forge would need more work to be fully functional, but for now he was happy with what he had.
[Congratulations, you are now a Level 9 Ghost Smith!]
[Wit +1!]
Reginald tightened his brim. ¡°Looks good. Are we done now, boss?¡±
Vee shook his head. Alforde was still down in the dungeon, testing an idea he¡¯d had for a new move, so the [Dungeon Master] wanted to keep working until his friend came back. He thought about what he could do and decided to modify some of the dungeon¡¯s ghosts with :thorns:.
Closing his eyes, Vee contacted Cog, telling the fiend to attend him and bring some ghosts.
Alforde stared at the makeshift ramp in the center of his arena and settled into a crouch. He was nervous: he¡¯d awkwardly shaped the ramp out of a chunk of ice he¡¯d stolen from and it was pretty sad looking. He hoped it would hold his weight. The last two he¡¯d tried had broken as soon as he¡¯d started climbing them.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
He shook his helmet. Making a new technique was harder than it had any right to be.
Bracing himself, Alforde activated [Unstoppable Charge] and aimed himself as best he could at the ramp. He hit a bit of frost along the way though and lost his angle, going up the ramp awkwardly and exiting about halfway up. Since he knew he wouldn¡¯t have time for what he wanted to do next, Alforde simply let himself land and waited for his skill to run out. When that was done, he trudged back over to his starting spot and set himself up again.
At least the ramp hadn¡¯t broken this time. That was progress, technically speaking.
He slid a few inches to the right, and then went back a bit to the left so that his center was relatively aligned with the ramp. In theory, this should be the easiest part, but perhaps because he was so focused on what he wanted to do after launching himself he kept making mistakes.
Readying Slammy, Alforde activated [Unstoppable Charge] once again and zipped toward the ramp. This time his aim was true and he sailed into the air.
There was no time for celebration though, as the armorsoul only had a few seconds to activate his next skill. Spinning his body as quick as he could, Alforde tried to activate [Cyclone Smash].
The skill failed, and Alforde landed hard. He was grateful that nobody else was around to see him just then, as he imagined he looked rather undignified.
Sorting himself out and sitting back up, the [Dungeon Champion] wondered why the skill hadn¡¯t activated. A check of his soul¡¯s mirror confirmed that there was no condition stopping him ¨C it wasn¡¯t like [Cyclone Smash] required him to be on the ground or anything like that. So why hadn¡¯t it worked?
Maybe he just hadn¡¯t been spinning fast enough, he decided, getting up to try again.
Unfortunately, three more attempts all ended the same was as his first did.
Feeling a bit dejected, Alforde summoned Shadowforde, hoping that his Reflection might have an idea for what changes he could make so that his plan would work.
¡°Let me see what¡¯s going on,¡± Shadowforde said, after Alforde gave him the quick and dirty rundown of the situation.
Alforde tried a few more times to no avail. It didn¡¯t matter how fast he spun, he couldn¡¯t get [Cycloe Smash] to activate.
¡°Maybe [Unstoppable Charge] is interfering,¡± Shadowforde said. ¡°It¡¯s still active while you¡¯re in the air, so it¡¯s possible that it¡¯s preventing [Cyclone Smash] from triggering when you spin. Can you end it early?¡±
Alforde rolled his pauldrons. ¡°Maybe. I haven¡¯t ever really tried to do that before. But even if I can¡¯t I could always try and start a bit further back so that it ends on its own as I¡¯m getting into the air.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a possibility,¡± his Reflection said. ¡°Go ahead and give it a try.¡±
Unfortunately, Alforde had already been at the furthest edge of his arena, so getting extra charging space would require an additional platform. That meant that even if this worked, the maneuver might not be terribly practical for bouts.
Oh well. That wasn¡¯t the end of the world. If he could prove the concept worked, he could always go ahead and refine it further down the line.
Moving one of the arena¡¯s platforms so that it was right against the edge of his stage, Alforde moved back and activated [Unstoppable Charge] once more. It ran out as he hit the ramp and his momentum carried him up into the air.
Even still, he couldn¡¯t activate [Cyclone Smash] the way he wanted to. The best he could muster was a heavy overhead swing that probably looked sweet but wasn¡¯t all that practical.
¡°Sorry, that¡¯s all I¡¯ve got,¡± Shadowforde said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep thinking though. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something we can do.¡±
Alforde nodded. The ramp wasn¡¯t looking so great, so he broke it up and shoved the bits of ice off the stage before reactivating his domain and collecting more.
Like a [Sculptor] might work with clay, Alforde stacked the ice into a pile and started breaking bits off to form another ramp. It was surprisingly peaceful work, though the ice was finicky and broke just before he finished, leaving him with a half-sculpted piece of ice.
He raised Slammy to break the failed ramp into pieces for discard, and then stopped. He¡¯d gotten an idea.
Rushing over to the edge of his stage, Alforde shuffled through the collection of crystals he had to socket through Slammy until he found the [Frost Breath] one.
Getting it socketed into his hammer, Alforde hurried to finish another ramp, then asked Shadowforde to hold the broken piece on top of it to form a loop. His Reflection complied, and Alforde triggered [Frost Breath] to fuse the two ramps together. A quick hit from his gauntlet confirmed that it was fastened tight, even though Alforde doubted it¡¯d stay together for long.
He hurried back to the edge of the stage and activated [Unstoppable Charge]. His aim was perfect and miraculously the loop held as he went through it. Coming out on the other side with his boots still on the ground, Alforde activated [Cyclone Smash] and let out a whoop of joy when it activated.
The attack wasn¡¯t the flashy aerial maneuver he¡¯d wanted, but going through the loop had changed the timing, which gave him other ideas. If he could figure out a way to summon loops, ramps, and other obstacles on command, he could throw his opponents off by turning the stage itself into a hazard demanding navigation.
[Congratulations, you are now a Level 12 Glaciernaut!]
[Wit +1!]
Deep in thought, Alforde dismissed the notification and summoned his domain once again.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Smith (Self), Level 9 (+1)
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 24
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 15
Wit: 42 (+1)
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 20
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 29
Leadership: 22
Guts: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 19
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 12 (+1)
Might: 59
Wit: 16 (+1)
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 33
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 14
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald:
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 2
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 29
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 10 (-1)
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Volume 2 Chapter 132:
Breathing hard, Vee hit the block of blue ectoplasm on his anvil with his hammer and watched the corner budge ever so slightly. He swore and hit it again, a mixture of frustration and panic setting in when it barely moved again. His hands ached and there was sweat running down his back, hot and sticky and all he could focus on.
Another swing, another smidgen of movement. Vee growled, swore under his breath. How in Gawain¡¯s beard did [Smiths] do this any sort of proper duration? This wasn¡¯t like working his machines to make ghosts which was soothing and somewhat interesting, it was like trying to climb stairs for fun.
Heck, the [Ghost Smith] thought as he paused to catch his breath and wipe the sweat away with his coat ¨C which he¡¯d long since discarded in an attempt to cool himself ¨C he might actually have to start climbing stairs for fun to make this work a bit easier.
Stretching his hands nearly brought tears to his eyes, and for just a moment Vee allowed himself to wonder if he¡¯d made the wrong choice becoming a [Ghost Smith]. Physical work was most certainly not what he¡¯d had in mind. This wasn¡¯t fun at all.
He glared down at the ectoplasm: it was still out of shape, too thick on one end and too thin on the other. He didn¡¯t know why, but that bothered him more than it had any right too. Brushing a lock of hair away from his eye ¨C making a mental note to get a headband for future smithing sessions ¨C Vee pushed the doubtful thoughts away and picked up his hammer once more.
His swings were inefficient and erratic, propelled by stubborn desperation, but bit by bit the plate took the shape he held in his mind¡¯s eye. He set the blue ectoplasm aside and drew a glob of red ectoplasm from his furnace. He¡¯d not noticed it before, but there was a subtle difference in the two kinds of material. Blue ectoplasm felt stiff, like cold butter, while red ectoplasm felt more like stirring a spoon through a thick stew. The two were close, but Vee definitely had a much easier time working the red than the blue.
Setting the red plate down atop the blue, Vee used [Weld Ectoplasm] to fuse them together.
¡°At least that one isn¡¯t hard on my hands,¡± he muttered, setting the welded plate down and rolling out a rod of orange ectoplasm as quickly as he could. He¡¯d used red ectoplasm with Soleir during his tutorial, but now that he was free to do as he wished he wanted to see how different colors of ectoplasm worked for applying modifiers. Experimentation was at the heart of [Smith] work, he thought, or at the very least was probably somewhere close.
Knowing that his time was limited, Vee worked quickly to cut and shape the nodules that would eventually become :thorns:. As such they were unevenly sized, which Vee would have to remember when he started testing the plates on his ghosts.
For what felt like the hundredth time, Vee wished that he could simply work on the parts for the plates in batches. What he was doing right now, making each piece start to finish, was most certainly inefficient. Alas, his first attempt at batch production had rendered half a dozen red and blue plates oddly brittle and incompatible with [Weld Ectoplasm] for reasons unknown. That was part of the learning process too, Vee supposed.
There had to be a way ¨C a skill, no doubt, but perhaps tied to his furnace? ¨C that would let him keep projects ¡°workable¡± for some amount of time while he was away. He¡¯d have to go and do some digging later, but for now he wanted to get at least one more plate made.
The door to the forge opened, and Cog walked inside with another stack of folded ghosts in its arms. Vee smiled sheepishly at the fiend, gesturing to the large pile near his feet and returning his attention to the thorn nodule in his hands.
¡°Put those down over here, would you? Don¡¯t worry about bringing more in afterwards though,¡± he said, fusing the thorn to the plate and grabbing the next piece. ¡°I think I vastly overestimated my ability to put these things together.¡±
Cog nodded and did as directed, then stood watching Vee work. The [Ghost Smith] did his best to keep up his pace, but adding the :thorns: was oddly draining ¨C especially while being watched ¨C and he was moving like a slug by the time he finished.
¡°I think¡I¡¯m going to take a little break,¡± Vee said. He set down his hammer and winced, dismissing the notification that he¡¯d just gotten another point of Might. ¡°Or maybe just call it for the day.¡±
The fiend walked over to the haphazard pile of :thorn: plates next to the anvil picked one up.
¡°Surprising. Is light,¡± it said after a momentary examination. ¡°Expected heavier.¡±
It paused, setting down the plates gently and then turned to face Vee. ¡°Master? May help?¡±
Vee thought it over, then shrugged and handed the fiend his hammer. He drew some blue ectoplasm out of the furnace and set it on the anvil. ¡°Go for it, knock yourself out.¡±
Cog was an enthusiastic worker, mimicking Vee¡¯s motions near-perfectly and approaching the taskwith the same tireless intensity all of the orchestra members did to their given tasks. Its blows were steady, even, and powerful enough to shape a plate of blue ectoplasm in a half dozen hits. The red went even faster, and Vee¡¯s assistant stacked the two atop each other for the [Ghost Smith] to fuse together.
In this way they made another batch of :thorn: plates, and Vee was relieved to find that attaching the plates to the ghosts was easier than he¡¯d feared. While he wasn¡¯t exactly looking forward to the new repeating task of making additional plates, he was intrigued by the possibility of giving some of his ghosts :thorns:.
When they were done, Vee went out to the stairwell and listened for any sound of Alforde¡¯s approach. No sign of his friend reached his ears, but since Vee was thoroughly done being a [Ghost Smith] for the day, he decided that now was as good a time as any to go and do some [Dungeon Master] work while he waited.
***
The union¡¯s list of purchasable monsters and minions was much heavier than Vee remembered. When he¡¯d first got it, it had been a hefty book but still quite manageable and easy to lift. Now it was nearly the size of his waist and picking it up was a chore.
At first Vee thought that this might simply be his fatigue from making so many :thorns: plates, but a quick skim of the later chapters revealed monsters he most definitely had not seen before ¨C Spheres of Flame, Eternal Night Bats, Skeletons Without Bones, Thwockers, Argent Blades, and many others ¨C and took a look at the back cover.
There, on a strange, leathery stamp were the words ¡°A Living Book prepared at the behest of the Union of [Dungeon Masters]¡±.
Vee had heard of such things before ¨C books that could have bits added to or removed from them by the [Author] long after they were published ¨C but had not seen one himself. His feelings on it were mixed: the ability to change the contents of a book after it was printed was interesting, but also philosophically concerning depending on how the identity of the [Author] was decided.
To ease the strain on his arms, Vee set the book down and opened it from the front. He skimmed past the tier-one monsters he¡¯d long ago decided not to buy ¨C insects, small statues, and other such beasts ¨C and opened the section of tier-two minions. Here too there¡¯d been additions, the [Dungeon Master] didn¡¯t remember nearly so many different types of snailmeras or crowlems.
Over the past few days, Vee had spent a decent amount of time thinking about what type of minions he wanted to add to the dungeon next, but hadn¡¯t yet come to any hard conclusions.
In theory, he could simply ¡°reinvest in what was working and reduce what wasn¡¯t¡±, but like far too many ideas in business, this was surprisingly hard to measure. After all, what constituted ¡°working¡± and ¡°failure¡±? Was success defined by the number of minions that ended the most adventurer runs or was it tied to the ones that got destroyed the least? There was an argument to be made for both, especially when taking into account the way minions interacted with adventurers; a minion that sacrificed itself to critically weaken a challenger was probably more valuable than a minion that never actually fought but didn¡¯t get destroyed. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Similarly, was it better to measure and compare performance on absolute or relative terms? Did the starting number of minions play into the calculation? If so, how much?
Ugh. These were the types of decisions Vee hated making. There were a million different tiny details that could change the best way to approach a problem like this, and giving them anything more than a cursory consideration was probably a fool¡¯s errand.
Heck, maybe any sort of serious thought was a fool¡¯s errand. Maybe true wisdom in situations like this was to simply just make it up as he went along.
Vee frowned. That was deeply unsatisfying too, and with a sigh he decided that it was time to get serious and start actually making progress. Thinking for its own sake for too long was bad too.
He decided to start with the easiest choices to make and set the harder ones aside in the hopes that doing the former would aid in the latter.
The easiest decision to make as far as Crestheart¡¯s minions went was adding a few new types of skeletons: no matter what metric one chose they were definitely the dungeon¡¯s stars. Especially since the strange arrangement they¡¯d made with the skeleton shaman in his menagerie kept them from getting destroyed so long as he was smart about their deployment.
He flipped through the pages until he found the skeleton offerings and navigated to the tier threes. There were, of course, stronger versions of the ones he already had ¨C Heavy Skeleton Knights, Double Archers, and Boosted Mages ¨C but Vee wasn¡¯t particularly interested in them.
Instead, his eye was drawn to skeleton sappers, which were distinctly barrel shaped creatures with four arms. He read their description:
Skeleton Sappers:
These little guys will really explode if you give them a chance. They work in pairs: a tunneler and an erupter. As the names indicate, the tunneler has the ability to summon a temporary tunnel beneath the ground that its partner can use. Erupters burst out of the ground beneath their targets¡¯ feet and use [Bonesplosion] or [Shatterbone Burst], which apply different types of damage. For further details, please consult the minion skill appendix.
Sighing once more, Vee tucked his finger into the book¡¯s spine to hold his place and hunted down the appropriate appendix. The two skills were similar in that they both caused a skeleton to blow up but [Bonesplosion] did impact damage while [Shatterbone Burst] did piercing damage with a 15% chance of inflicting a Minor Bleeding status and a 2% chance of inflicting Major Bleeding.
Vee shook his head. Not those then, unless he could arrange for them to only use [Bonseplosion]. Bleeding was one of those statuses that was potent but also nearly as annoying to the inflicter as the inflicted; he didn¡¯t much relish the idea of having to clean up a dungeon¡¯s room between runs because the ¡°lucky¡± 2% chance had hit.
He returned to the monster listings and continued reading. In addition to the sappers, there were also skeleton ground-bursters, which made tunnels like the sappers did but were focused around grappling challengers after popping out of the ground instead of blowing up on them. Vee liked that more, and decided to go ahead and buy some when he saw that they were made by the same supplier he¡¯d bought his current skeletons from.
A pack of twelve cost two gold fleurs, which he jotted down on a spare bit of notebook paper.
Now that was another question Vee had to think about too: how much exactly did he want to spend? Ten gold fleurs? Twenty? A hundred?
After a moment, Vee decided to set that aside and go ahead making a preliminary list first. Then, once that was done he could go through and whittle down his choices to only the most interesting or best fits.
In addition to the ground-bursters, Vee also liked the idea of adding a few trapskeletons ¨C who waited disassembled on the ground until an adventurer stepped on one of their bones before recombining and attacking ¨C and some skeleton smashers to his mix too. This latter minion was big and slow, but carried a hefty mace that could probably overpower the average Crestheart challenger if they were foolish enough to fight head on and could also serve as the centerpiece of some new custom packs.
Vee drew a circle around the smashers: Crestheart definitely lacked strong defensive minions and getting some would certainly open up new pack crafting options.
Maybe that was the criteria he should be using, Vee thought while he flipped over to the ghosts and other ectoplasmic beings section. What new strategies and tactics could he employ with his purchases? Right now all of the dungeon¡¯s packs operated under a very simple framework of attacking straight on¡surely there were minions that would let him do other things too.
He found an interesting option a few minutes later in a section titled ¡°Mimics and Mimic-mimics¡±. It was a Spitting Armoire-y ¨C or possibly ¡®armory¡¯, if the description was to be believed instead.
Spitting Armoire-y:
An eight foot tall monstrosity of wood and malice, this innocuous-looking monster is the perfect fit for any dungeon. Powered by a [Chained Spirit], the armory attacks adventurers by ¡°spitting out¡± (summoning) tier-one animated weapons. These weapons will persist for up to five minutes and can be wielded by other minions in the room if they¡¯re capable of doing so. Made by skilled [Craftsmen] (min level 30). Modular design makes for easy replacement and repair. Available in blood-cedar, Mahowlgany, and teak.
The price was ten gold fleurs, and while Vee balked at such a cost he thought the concept was interesting too. He¡¯d always had a soft-spot for mimics of all kinds, and this one sounded like it¡¯d fit Crestheart well. Especially if he could rig up something that would let his ghosts use weapons.
The discovery propelled his searches further, and Vee spent the next hour or so looking through the rest of the tier three minions and also going back to the tier twos, in case he¡¯d missed promising candidates.
By the time Alforde came up to find him -- crowing about some progress he''d made with his training down in the dungeon -- Vee had trimmed his choices down to six new types minions in total and how many of each he wanted to buy. Writing all the names down carefully on an order form provided to him by Dheart, the [Dungeon Master] sent the purchasing request off to the union, earned himself another [Dungeon Master] level, and decided to call it a day.
Main Character Sheets:
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Smith (Self), Level 9
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 25 (+1)
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 16 (+1)
Wit: 42
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 21 (+1)
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 30 (+1)
Leadership: 22
Guts: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 19
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 13 (+1)
Might: 60 (+1)
Wit: 16
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 34 (+1)
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 15 (+1)
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 2
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 29
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 10
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
DABB Volume 2 Chapter 133: VOLUME TWO END
Vee was barely halfway back to the gate when the realization of what he¡¯d forgotten hit him: he could have saved some money on his minion purchase if he¡¯d taken the minion discount perk that¡¯d been offered with Crestheart¡¯s most recent level up. It wouldn¡¯t have been much on this order, but with his debt to Sacre still looming over his head like a sword suspended by a single horsehair, every fleur counted, and it would have continued being helpful as time went on.
However, as he walked alongside Alforde and thought about the dungeon¡¯s options, Vee decided that that the stone golem summoning basin was probably the best pick. The miniboss buff aura was nice, but Vee didn¡¯t know how long Nock was planning to stick around, and didn¡¯t want to overcommit resources to the Mister Chills fight in case he decided to remove it sometime in the future.
The basin was probably the safest pick, though the rate of production wasn¡¯t very high. A single golem per day wouldn¡¯t dramatically change the dungeon¡¯s power unless it was extremely strong, but at minimum Vee could stick it in a hidden room somewhere ¨C on the third floor, probably ¨C as a hidden encounter. Maybe tie it to some other bonus loot or something.
Beyond that, the basin could probably be improved by socketing a stronger crystal. He made a mental note to talk to Hanako about that, if she ever returned from her seemingly endless vacation.
An ache between his shoulders took his mind off his duties for the moment, and his stomach growling like a bear caused the [Dungeon Master] to change course and head to the Grinning Pig for dinner instead of the boarding house to sleep.
He sat down at a booth across from Alforde and ordered a bowl of ¡°hearty¡± soup ¨C defined of course, as having lots of vegetable chunks in it ¨C some bread, and a glass of emberberry brandy to go along.
He looked around, and saw that the place was largely empty. Barely a handful of other patrons were inside eating, and to Vee¡¯s first glance they all looked like they were in a rush to finish their food and leave.
That was a little weird.
Alforde gleefully rocked back and forth on his gauntlets while they waited without saying a word, and Vee had known his friend long enough to know that the onus of asking what had prompted such happiness was fully and completely on his own shoulders. Such was life, and truth be told he didn¡¯t mind.
Taking a sip of his brandy ¨C which burned like someone had mixed cinnamon with chili peppers and lit them both on fire for some reason ¨C Vee leaned back and grinned, ¡°What¡¯s got you all riled up, buddy?¡±
Alforde was nothing if not consistent; words started spilling out of the armorsoul like water out of a failed dam and Vee sat back for the next few minutes nursing his drink and soaking up his friend¡¯s enthusiasm.
¡°And then I WHAMMED the ice and it kind of broke funny and didn¡¯t look like it¡¯d support my weight right so I started thinking that maybe if I WHUMPED it instead I could get a more consistent ramp, but then trying that revealed that there¡¯s really not that much wiggle room when it comes to breaking the ice fast enough to be practical so I had to go back to big heavy strikes and ¨C¡±
The minute details of Alforde¡¯s efforts were eventually interrupted by Big Simon himself, who delivered Vee¡¯s soup before sitting down at a nearby booth.
He looked tired. His ears and whiskers were both slightly drooped, and his shoulders were slumped. Still, his eyes were as bright as ever and he gave Vee a weak little smile.
¡°When you finish your soup, Mister Vales, there¡¯s somebody that¡¯d like to talk to you,¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯d be willing? I¡¯d appreciate it quite a bit.¡±
There was something in the kitrekin¡¯s tone that made Vee pause, but he took his first bite of soup and nodded all the same. ¡°Sure, Simon. I don¡¯t mind at all.¡±
A smile spread across the kitrekin¡¯s face. ¡°Aw, thanks. That¡¯s great of you, Mister Vales. Really great. Thanks so much.¡±
Looking visibly relieved, he got up and hurried to the back of the restaurant, leaving Vee to his meal.
¡°Well, that¡¯s not ominous or anything,¡± Alforde said, his voice losing its elated pitch. ¡°Wonder who he wants you to talk to.¡±
¡°It¡¯s probably the Don,¡± Reginald said from his perch next to Vee¡¯s bowl. ¡°Though why he wants to talk to you now is still anyone¡¯s guess.¡±
Vee looked at his hat, who for once wasn¡¯t smiling. ¡°Should I have said no?¡±
Reginald thought for a moment, then shook his brim. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. The kitrekins are generally pretty honorable, so I don¡¯t think the don has anything beyond talking in mind. So long as you¡¯re respectful I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to worry about, though it¡¯d probably be wise to finish your soup sooner rather than later. Kitrekins don¡¯t like to be kept waiting.¡±
Trusting his [Majordomo]¡¯s instincts, Vee hurried to slurp down the rest of his soup and tossed back the last half of his drink. That was absolutely a mistake, evinced by a terrible fit of coughing immediately afterwards, and Vee slugged down half his water to ease the raging inferno in his throat.
Once his bowl was cleared away, Big Simon returned to his table and gestured for Vee to follow him. Standing tall on account of [Stiffen Spine], Vee walked behind the kitrekin to the back of the restaurant, ducking beside the heavy curtain that separated the kitchen from the dining area.
Alforde stood beside him, his gauntlets loose and relaxed but his eyes tight and focused. A slight chill radiated from his armor, and Vee couldn¡¯t help but shiver as they continued down a long hallway that led to a room at the back of the restaurant.
There were four other kitrekins inside and Vee recognized three of them as the Don¡¯s other [Enforcers]. The fourth, which by process of elimination had to be the Don himself was a stout kitrekin with dark fur and piercing eyes. He was dressed nicely in an understated suit that looked ever so slightly too tight around the waist. Unlike his [Enforcers], who wore copious amounts of jewelry, his wrists and ears were unadorned. He held a cigar loosely in one paw and had his other paw around a half-empty ¨C or possibly half-full, depending on one¡¯s status as an optimist or pessimist ¨C glass.
¡°Mister Vales,¡± he said in a silk-smooth voice, gesturing across his table to the empty seat on the other side. ¡°What a pleasure it is to finally meet you. Thank you so much for agreeing to speak with me. Please, sit down.¡±
Vee did as requested, doing his best to keep his expression neutral. Alforde took up position right behind him, at ease but alert.
¡°Before anything else, I¡¯d like to extend my apologies for not greeting you personally sooner,¡± the Don said. ¡°I¡¯ve been terribly busy ¨C business can be a demanding mistress, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re well aware.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Vee said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you as well, Mister¡?¡±
¡°Don Curlytail.¡±
¡°Don Curlytail. Right.¡±
Vee coughed to buy himself a second; he wasn¡¯t sure what to say next, and didn¡¯t want to risk offending the kitrekin by asking him to get to the point, so he was relieved when the don leaned forward and said, ¡°Would you care for a drink?¡±
Truth be told, Vee would have preferred to pass. On account of the speed with which he¡¯d finished his brandy he was starting to feel the familiar pulsing in his skull that marked the first stages of being Tipsy. Drinking more would only serve to make that worse, but it paled in comparison to the risk of offending Curlytail by refusing a drink.
¡°Kind of you to offer,¡± he said, nodding toward the bottle next to the kitrekin¡¯s glass. ¡°I¡¯ll take the same thing you¡¯re having.¡±
After trying the spirit ¨C which tasted a bit like licorice mixed with honey ¨C and complimenting it, he leaned back in his chair and asked, ¡°Is there anything in particular you¡¯d like to discuss, Mr. Curlytail?¡±
¡°There is, in fact. Are you familiar with the work of Carvitawn?¡±
Vee thought for a moment, the name somewhat familiar but ringing no proper bells. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±
Don Curlytail smiled and took a sip of his own drink. ¡°He was a [Philosopher] shortly after the dawn of the First System and a prolific writer. Wrote like he was getting paid by the page. Of course, like most such creators, the overwhelming majority of what he wrote was utter nonsense, but when it came to Balance his work was immaculate.¡±
The last word hung there in the air, heavy with implication, and Vee nodded. ¡°Balance in what sense? Between classes?¡±
Such inquiries were common ¨C especially amongst teenage boys, who often have nothing to do but argue with each other about various inanities ¨C and Vee had spent a good amount of time in his youth listening to his friends list off dubiously reasoned points about why one given class was better or worse than another. He¡¯d participated from time to time, but hadn¡¯t ever felt the urge to really dig into the details the way some people did. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
¡°Among other things,¡± the don said. ¡°Anyways, I digress. He believed that fundamentally a world such as ours offers near limitless ways for any individual person to cause havoc and bring mayhem to the people and places around them. Or, perhaps if said person is virtuously inclined and uncommonly gifted, peace and prosperity. Over a long enough time horizon these dynamics eventually lead to balance, but the short term reality for most people would inevitably be chaos. Do you see where I¡¯m going with this?¡±
Instead of giving Vee a chance to answer, the don leaned forward and continued, ¡°Now, before you arrived here, Mister Sacre and I were locked in a stalemate. Though we schemed and fought, neither of us could obtain any sort of durable advantage over the other. We were balanced. Perfect counterweights to each other. It wasn¡¯t perfect or desirable to me, but it worked.¡±
¡°I see,¡± said Vee, taking another sip of his drink. ¡°Am I to assume that I have somehow thrown that balance off?¡±
¡°You have,¡± the kitrekin said, his smile fading. ¡°Inadvertently, perhaps, but undisputedly this is the truth. Ever since you opened that dungeon of yours things have been changing here in Oar¡¯s Crest. Such is the way of any ecosystem when something new is introduced.¡±
Vee drained his glass and set it down while the Don continued.
¡°Of course, some of those changes are for the better, like your domesticated slime cleaners and the various events you¡¯ve organized and held. Certainly the recent surge in business was appreciated by many of our local [Merchants] and [Shopkeepers], including many who pay me for protection and were flush with fleurs as a result of all the extra traffic. However, other changes your presence has inspired are for the worse. The situation between Sacre and me firmly falls into this latter category. No, don¡¯t give me that look, I¡¯ll explain. Of late, Sacre¡¯s cronies have gained new classes and skills that my boys can¡¯t keep up with despite their best efforts. They reek of blood and madness, and while it shames me to admit it the gap between his and my strength grows greater by the day.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that,¡± Vee said, feeling more bold than he otherwise might have on account of the booze, ¡°but frankly I¡¯m not sure how that¡¯s my problem. I don¡¯t have any interest in the dispute between you two. My focus is on my dungeon.¡±
Don Curlytail huffed and shook his head. He set down his cigar and fixed Vee with an expression so heavy it had to be some sort of skill.
¡°Given what I¡¯ve heard about you, Mister Vales, I¡¯d expect nothing else. Alas, life isn¡¯t that simple. You might think that you have the luxury of only worrying about your minions and your little room layouts, but that¡¯s not the case. You came and shook things up, which means that you¡¯re a player in the city now. The bigger your dungeon gets and the more you expand your little Westown activities the more you¡¯ll need the city itself to support you. By default, that means that you¡¯ll increasingly find yourself pulled into the conflict between Sacre and I whether you like it or not. This might not be your natural inclination, but you should accept that responsibility and act accordingly.¡±
¡°And how would you define that?¡±
The don smiled wide, his fangs displayed prominently. ¡°Be a proper counterweight. Help me bring Sacre back into line. Look, the specifics aren¡¯t my business. All I can do is encourage you to act in your own self-interest and hope that you give Sacre a bigger headache than you give me. I promise that you¡¯ll regret it if you don¡¯t; Sacre is not a man you want calling all the shots.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Vee said, squaring his shoulders against the sudden contraction of the Expectation. ¡°Thanks, Don Curlytail.¡±
¡°You¡¯re welcome, Mister Vales. Simon will see you out. Have a good rest of your night. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll talk again soon.¡±
Vee got up to leave, but before he could open the door the don spoke once more.
¡°Oh! Forgive me, but there was one last thing, Mister Vales.¡±
¡°And what might that be?¡±
The kitrekin¡¯s eyes glinted and he cut himself another cigar with one of his extremely claws. ¡°Should that other armorsoul interfere with my business again I¡¯ll personally see to it that your dungeon is reduced to a pile of rubble.¡±
Reginald tightened his brim around Vee¡¯s head once more, and the [Dungeon Master] said nothing. He simply nodded and left the Pig, his thoughts swirling as he led his friends back to the boarding house.
¡°Mother, I promise that I¡¯ll be fine here,¡± Vee said as he gently pried Emma¡¯s arms off his neck and took a step back. His cheeks were burning and the [Dungeon Master] was careful not to make eye contact with Luna, who was standing a few feet away next to Alforde. ¡°I¡¯m an adult and can take care of myself. Besides, I¡¯ve got Alforde with me.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right Lady Vales! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got him covered,¡± Alforde said, saluting with Slammy.
Luna smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him too, Madam Vales.¡±
Edukaiser harrumphed and shook her helmet, muttering something about [Witches], but didn¡¯t press the issue. Instead, she turned and loaded up one of Emma¡¯s many bags in the pristine carriage waiting behind them..
Vee¡¯s mother wiped a tear from the corner of her eyes and nodded. ¡°I know, it¡¯s just that cities like this are dangerous, Victorissimo. And no matter how old you get you¡¯ll always be my baby boy. Alright, I think that¡¯s it. Edukaiser, did we forget anything?¡±
¡°No, madam. We have everything we need for our return trip, unless the young master has something for you?¡±
Nodding, Vee reached into his coat and drew out the letter he¡¯d written to his father. ¡°Could you deliver this for me?¡±
He went to hand it over, but his mother grabbed his hand before he could let it go and squeezed tight.
¡°One condition. Promise me that you¡¯ll write more often,¡± she said. ¡°I want a letter at least every other month, okay? Even if nothing is happening, just to let me know that you¡¯re alright.¡±
Vee coughed, having expected that much. ¡°Of course. Have a safe trip back to Bardis. I love you.¡±
¡°Oh, son, I love you too.¡±
They hugged again, and then it was time to say goodbye. Vee wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about the decidedly fiendish wink his mother gave to Luna before she climbed into the carriage ¨C he couldn¡¯t shake the thought that he¡¯d missed something there ¨C but he pushed it out of his mind and watched the carriage roll away. Not all questions needed to be answered; sometimes it was okay to just leave things be.
He looked up and took a deep breath. It was a warm, sunny afternoon. A proper spring day, judging by the cheerful birdsong and the scent of blooming flowers all around him. The Expectation on his shoulders purred like a cat, tightening and loosening in turns as it slept peacefully. Vee shrugged and it shivered.
The [Dungeon Master] shook his head. Maybe he¡¯d take another day off before returning to the dungeon, he thought. One more day to get his head straight, one day to really give the don¡¯s words proper consideration.
You¡¯re a player in the city now¡Accept that responsibility and act accordingly.
Crestheart was his base. His anchor and his first priority. However, after spending most of the night thinking about his future in Oar¡¯s Crest, Vee had decided that the dungeon wasn¡¯t enough by itself. He wanted more.
Naturally, Vee didn¡¯t have everything worked out yet, but the [Dungeon Master] knew what his immediate next steps would be. He could visualize what needed to be done and that he¡¯d be the one to do it.
Starting tomorrow, or the day after of course. One didn¡¯t simply rush into things like this.
After all, he had plans for the rest of the day.
¡°Where do you want to go?¡± he asked Luna.
She grinned. ¡°I¡¯m fine with anywhere, lead the way.¡±
Straightening up, Vee held out his arm, and his heartbeat quickened when the [Pumpkin Witch] took it.
¡°Let¡¯s go get some candy from Joleimna,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out after that.¡±
DUNGEONS ARE BAD BUSINESS, VOLUME TWO END
THANK YOU FOR READING!
Main Character Sheets (Unchanged)
Vee Vales
Primary Class: Ghost Smith (Self), Level 9
Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 25
Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 7
Might: 16
Wit: 42
Faith: 25
Adventurousness: 7
Ambition: 16
Plotting: 21
Charisma: 18
Devious Mind: 30
Leadership: 22
Guts: 16
Intimidating Presence: 11
Citizenship: 24
Public Relations: 8
Determination: 7
Persuasiveness: 6
Bargaining: 4
Patience: 3
Competitive Spirit: 1
Pragmatism: 1
<3<3 Infatuation <3<3
Alforde Armorsoul:
Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6
Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 19
Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar¡¯s Crest), Level 18
Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 13
Might: 60
Wit: 16
Faith: 28
Adventurousness (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Endurance: 34
Intimidating Presence: 15
Heart of a Champion: 15
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
Vigilance: 11
Vanity: 2
Single-Mindedness: 1
Reginald (Unchanged):
Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???
#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##
Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43
Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21
Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14
Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5
Might: 2
Wit: 37
Faith: 17
Ambition: 29
Greed: 24
Deceptiveness: 27
Manipulativeness: 42
$#&*!@!!: !!!
Loyalty: 47
Patience: 10
Irritability: 25
Remorsefulness: 17
Expository Prowess: 23
#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5
Hop@#!! @#$@!@#
@#$@%%^
#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#
Citizenship (Bound ¨C Vee Vales): 9
DABB Interstitial 1 Part One: Alisanne Leaves Oars Crest
Slinging her awkwardly packed bag over her shoulder, Alisanne Henret pushed open the heavy door that led into the Oar¡¯s Crest Adventurer¡¯s Guild and stepped inside. Before the door had even closed, another adventurer ¨C a heavily armored kitrekin carrying a spear ¨C bumped into her, sending a fresh wave of aching across her bruised ribs and shoulders.
¡°Sorry,¡± the kitrekin muttered, not looking at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t see you there.¡±
He yanked the door open and walked out, leaving Alisanne to tell empty air not to worry about it through grit teeth. Frustrated, the seventeen year old [Fighter] swore under her breath and aimed an obscene gesture at the now-closed door before turning back around. That made her feel a little better.
The guildhall¡¯s comfortable common room was still busier than Alisanne was used to, with a few dozen adventurers sitting at the long wooden tables cleaning their weapons, gathered around the twin job boards in its center looking for their next jobs, or sitting in the comfortable chairs and couches next to the fire sipping drinks and chatting, but it was nowhere near as bad as it¡¯d been for the past two weeks. Alisanne didn¡¯t miss the claustrophobic mess of bodies pressing her in all directions, or the dull roar of a hundred conversations blending together.
There was barely a line at the [Receptionist] desk, so Alisanne made her way over to wait. She looked at the big clock on the wall and winced when she saw it was nearly fourth afternoon bell. She¡¯d spent too much time ¨C not to mention money ¨C at the market looking for a new book to bring with her on the trip to Old Narluc. She¡¯d told her parents that she¡¯d be home by fifth afternoon bell for dinner, and it was a twenty minute walk from the guild if she hurried.
As such, she was extremely grateful for her luck when the [Receptionist] said that the [Guild Trainer] Theikal, who she¡¯d come to see, could see her immediately. Thanking the [Receptionist], Alisanne scurried down the long hallway that led to Theikal¡¯s office as quickly as her legs would carry her. She stepped to the side when a trio of women ¨C all [Witches], judging by their hats and boots ¨C walked past, and sighed at the pleasant smell of vanilla, cinnamon, and cloves that lingered in the air for a few seconds afterward.
¡°Come on in,¡± Theikal said when she knocked on the door, and Alisanne gave the blue-scaled salamander a little wave when she walked in. He was sitting at his desk, looking far too large for his little chair like he always did, and had an open book held in one clawed hand.
The office was a mess, like it always was, with tomes, pamphlets and manuals scattered across the floor and a multitude of bookshelves. Some were focused on skills and techniques based on specific weapons, others were based on class, and some were even organized by application. Theikal claimed that Alisanne carefully made her way to the other open chair in the room, careful not to disturb the mess as she sat down and put her bag on the floor.
Setting down his book, Theikal took off his glasses and leaned back in his chair. It creaked ominously. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you here Henret. I would have thought that you¡¯d be halfway to Old Narluc by now.¡±
¡°Couldn¡¯t get a carriage seat until tomorrow morning,¡± Alisanne said, shrugging. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem though, the next dungeon in the circuit is going to be taking runs for at least a week.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear,¡± the old salamander said, closing his book and looking her in the eyes. ¡°So what brings you by? How can I be of assistance?¡±
¡°Uh, see, ever since my last Crestheart run I¡¯ve been thinking about changing my primary class. A miniboss there told me that being a [Fighter] was holding me back, and I want to put my best foot forward for the next four dungeons in the circuit. I was hoping you could give me some good options that wouldn¡¯t be too hard for me to become.¡±
Theikal¡¯s eyes widened and he shook his head. ¡°Folly of taking class advice from a dungeon miniboss aside, I think it¡¯d be terrible and counterproductive for you to change classes until after you¡¯re back. You¡¯re only level fourteen, right?¡±
¡°Fifteen.¡±
¡°Same difference. After the conversion process you¡¯d be looking at level five or six at best in any new class, and that¡¯s nowhere near high enough to have a real chance at clearing anything more than a training dungeon.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Alisanne said, slumping forward. She¡¯d expected as much, but hearing it said so bluntly still stung. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go ahead and go then.¡±
¡°Now hang on,¡± Theikal said, raising his claws to stop her from getting out of her chair. ¡°That doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that there¡¯s nothing you can do to improve your chances in the circuit stops to come. There are a lot of skills that you can learn pretty quickly that might be able to shore up some of your biggest weaknesses. Let¡¯s talk about those. What sort of enemies do you struggle with the most?¡±
Alisanne didn¡¯t need to think much to answer that question. ¡°Ranged attackers, easy.¡±
Theikal nodded. ¡°That makes sense. Dual-weapon [Fighters] like you often have a hard time against those. A good defensive skill will go a long way here, I think. Do you already have any?¡±
¡°Just [Steady Legs].¡±
¡°Hmm. No doubt that helps you endure attacks but doesn¡¯t do anything about avoiding them.¡±
Theikal fell silent, drumming his claws on the desk for a moment while he thought. ¡°Aha! I think I¡¯ve got just the skill for you to try and pick up. Give me a moment, I¡¯ve got to find the manual.¡±
He stood up and walked to the far side of the room, stopping in front of an overburdened bookshelf and sorting through the books on its sagging shelves with uncanny speed while muttering to himself.
Barely a few minutes later, the salamander found the one he was apparently looking for ¨C a thick leather tome with faded gold lettering that said Basic Skills for Adventurers, Volume Three ¨C and brought it back to the desk. He closed his eyes, muttered, ¡°[Find Heading: Twirling Block],¡± and started flipping pages like it was a race.
Alisanne watched, amazed at the way the pages blurred. While she could intuit the general idea behind what sort of skill [Twirling Block] was, she was curious about the specifics. Mostly she worried about whether or not it¡¯d be easy to learn. Her previous experiences with picking up skills from text were not great to say the least, and after her last attempt ¨C a spectacular failure to learn [Shatterstrike] that¡¯d nearly shattered her right wrist ¨C she¡¯d been tempted to write the practice off entirely. Still, she trusted Theikal who¡¯d always given her good advice and was desperate for anything she could do to improve her chances of winning her upcoming dungeon runs, so she forced herself to read the skill description with an open mind when the salamander turned the book around and offered it to her.
¡°Alright, here¡¯s the first option. Now traditionally, [Twirling Block] is used by [Fighters] who wield a spear or a staff,¡± Theikal explained, ¡°but there¡¯s no reason you can¡¯t adapt it to your clubs. It¡¯s a simple skill so you shouldn¡¯t have much trouble learning it. Of course, you¡¯ll have to figure the timing out for yourself, and the illustrations probably won¡¯t be much help, but I have every confidence in you.¡±
Alisanne leaned forward and started to read. The skill¡¯s description and list of instructions were indeed quite simple at first glance; an adventurer spun their weapon in front of their body fast enough to knock incoming projectiles out of the air. A successful use would cause said weapon to glow green, which was a nice touch for tracking her progress. If only every skill offered that type of visual confirmation to help learners!
Now, that said, [Twirling Block] was also more than a bit on the boring side. It was the type of skill that almost didn¡¯t need to be a skill, but that fact made Alisanne think that she had a pretty good chance of mastering it before she arrived in Old Narluc. After all, it was easier to imagine spinning her clubs around than it was to imagine herself suddenly able to summon a wall out of the ground which was what she¡¯d been expecting.
¡°I¡¯ll give it a shot,¡± she said, prompting Theikal to go ahead and use [Make Pamphlet] to give her a copy of the instructions.
Unlike the entry in the book, the pamphlet itself was a bit more detailed. There were extra notes about posture, arm position, and weapon angle too, but like Theikal had said she¡¯d have to adapt those to her own circumstances.
¡°I know it¡¯s not a very exciting skill,¡± Theikal said, pulling the book back toward his body. ¡°However, depending on how well you learn it, you might be able to trigger the skill with both clubs at once. That¡¯d seriously boost its efficacy. Start with just one until you get to a perfect success rate though, okay?¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Alisanne said. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. Do you have any other skill recommendations?¡±
Theikal laughed. ¡°Of course. I¡¯d be a poor [Guild Trainer] if I just gave you a single option. If I remember correctly, you like to use [Kinetic Tempo], right?¡±
Alisanne nodded.
¡°Perfect. In that case, you should have no problem learning [Dodge Dance], since it shares a skill tree. Instead of helping you keep your rhythm while you¡¯re attacking, it¡¯ll help you keep from getting hit, and you should be able to activate them both at once. Plus, as an extra benefit it¡¯s a key skill for becoming a [Battle Bopper], if you still want to change your primary class when you get back.¡±
Another pamphlet materialized in the salamander¡¯s hand, and Alisanne took it.
Grabbing a different book, Theikal said, ¡°Admittedly this one is a bit of a long shot, but it won¡¯t hurt for you to try and learn it..The skill is called [Armored Charge], and in addition to giving you some resistance to any kind of attack it¡¯ll also help you close the distance to your enemy. If you¡¯re thinking it sounds familiar, that¡¯s because this is the lowest form of [Unstoppable Charge], which you should undoubtedly be familiar with given all your runs of Crestheart.¡±
Alisanne smiled. ¡°Yeah. [Dungeon Champion] Alforde is a big fan of that one.¡±
¡°Indeed. Now the reason I say it¡¯s a bit of a long shot for you is that [Armored Charge] draws on the strength of your armor to provide its benefit. That¡¯s probably why the [Dungeon Champion] likes it so much; it¡¯s basically pure synergy for him. Unfortunately, since you don¡¯t usually wear much armor during your runs the skill will have to use your body¡¯s strength instead. That¡¯s bound to be a lot weaker, so don¡¯t expect to shrug off attacks the way he does. Of course, you could always rent out a plated vest or a bit of ring mail to help smooth that out if you¡¯d like, but you probably won¡¯t have time to do that before you leave.¡±
Speaking of time, the clock had already chimed the quarter hour following fourth bell, so Alisanne shook her head. ¡°Probably not. I¡¯ve got to get home pretty soon.¡±
¡°Of course. Take a pamphlet anyway. And this [Fighter] tome too. If none of the skills I suggested work out you might be able to find something else that¡¯s more to your taste.¡±
Alisanne did so, surprised by how heavy the small blue and brown book he handed her was, and then stood up to leave. ¡°Thanks, Theikal. I really appreciate all the help.¡±
The burly salamander grinned and stood up to shake her hand. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Alisanne. I wouldn¡¯t be earning my silver fleurs each week if I couldn¡¯t do this much. Now good luck and safe travels. Get yourself some levels and beat a couple of those other dungeons, okay?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±
¡°And make sure you come see me when you get back. We can figure out a class change for you if you¡¯re still interested.¡±
Nodding, Alisanne folded the pamphlets up and put them in her pocket, picked up her bag, and left the [Guild Trainer]¡¯s office. She passed back through the guild¡¯s common room, waved to a few of her peers that she recognized, and headed home.
After a few blocks she broke into a light jog so she¡¯d be home in time for dinner.
Alisanne literally jumped out of bed when the sun finally rose the next morning. Gawain be praised, what a long night that¡¯d been! She¡¯d spent the whole thing tossing and turning, her excitement and nervousness brawling in her stomach while her thoughts raced like they were being chased by a rabid blightbrute.
Yawning, she looked out her window ¨C which didn¡¯t provide much of a view despite being on the second floor on account of being surrounded by much taller buildings ¨C and marveled at just how ordinary the sky looked; a muted, cloudless gray. It was the kind of sky that promised a bright, albeit cold, day to come. Nothing at all like the sky in her favorite Alrick The [Cursed Swordbearer] novels, which were always some ominously alliterative shade of purple on the days he set out on his adventures as a bit of foreshadowing for the events to come ¨C morbidly mauve, loathsome lilac, hateful heather ¨C and filled with menacing clouds to boot.
She smiled, hoping that her trip would be as plain as the sky. Or at least, less prone to being attacked by furious dragons and wicked [Necromancers] than Arick¡¯s.
Though she was tired, Alisanne got down on the floor and dutifully did her morning exercises: pushups, planks, lunges, and a wall sit until her legs wouldn¡¯t hold her anymore. Admittedly, she didn¡¯t do as many as she normally did, but Theikal and some of the higher level adventurers at the guild had assured her that keeping the habit of regular morning exercise was more important than reaching an arbitrary threshold every time and she believed them. Forward progress was forward progress after all, even if her efforts that morning weren¡¯t enough to earn any additional points of Might or Determination like she¡¯d secretly been hoping for.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°Oh well,¡± Alisanne muttered as she changed out of her pajamas and into the traveling outfit she¡¯d agonized over picking out the night before. ¡°I just got a point of Determination the week before last. I¡¯ll try again tomorrow and maybe I¡¯ll get a point of Might.¡±
She checked her reflection in the mirror, spinning in a slow circle to see how she looked from multiple angles, and then fixed her long brown hair into a ponytail. Unfortunately, by the time she was done Alisanne had decided that she didn¡¯t like her outfit after all and needed to change once again.
Two shirts, four pairs of pants, and one long skirt later, Alisanne grabbed her bags and headed downstairs dressed in the original outfit she¡¯d put on. The warm, comforting smell of her ma¡¯s baking greeted her in the kitchen, followed by the sight of a dozen muffins cooling near the window.
Her ma was still in her long robe, sitting at the table and sipping a cup of coffee. She smiled as Alisanne walked in, the dark bags under her hazel eyes making it clear that Alisanne wasn¡¯t the only person in the house who¡¯d had a hard time sleeping the night before.
¡°Good morning,¡± Alisanne said, draping her arms over her ma¡¯s shoulders and squeezing gently before grabbing a coffee mug for herself. As she always did, Alisanne filled her cup about halfway with coffee and poured in milk until it was the right shade of light brown for her liking. She added a healthy spoonful of sugar and gave it all a good stir before taking a sip.
Alisanne sighed. It was perfect.
¡°I made those for you to take with you,¡± Alisanne¡¯s ma said, gesturing to the muffins. ¡°They¡¯re your favorite.¡±
Alisanne grabbed one and tore it in half. The muffin was pleasantly warm, and the inside was mostly bits of melted chocolate with a few token cranberries thrown in for good measure. She bit in and smiled; the muffin was like a warm hug.
¡°Thanks, they¡¯re delicious.¡±
¡°Your little brother will say there¡¯s too much chocolate,¡± Alisanne¡¯s ma said with a laugh. ¡°But that¡¯s only because he¡¯s got no sense of taste.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no such thing as too much chocolate,¡± Alisanne agreed, finishing the rest of the muffin and grabbing another one. It was every bit as good as the first.
¡°How are you feeling? You look tired.¡±
Alisanne shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep great, but I¡¯ll probably be able to nap in the carriage on the way to Old Narluc. It¡¯s a pretty long trip.¡±
Her ma nodded. ¡°The first time I took a carriage outside the city I was shocked at just how big the world really is. Of course, I spent most of the trip worried that we¡¯d be attacked by monsters or [Bandits] so I didn¡¯t really get to enjoy it.¡±
Alisanne smiled. She¡¯d heard that story plenty of times, especially since telling her parents that she¡¯d be traveling to compete in the circuit. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep my clubs close.¡±
¡°I know you will, but that¡¯s not going to stop me from worrying. My little girl is going to be gone for a month or more, by herself in a bunch of strange cities.¡±
¡°There will be plenty of other adventurers around,¡± Alisanne said. ¡°And a few of the girls from the guild and I agreed to keep an eye out for each other while we¡¯re on the road. I¡¯ll be fine, I promise.¡±
Alisanne¡¯s ma pulled her into a tight hug.¡°That makes me feel better, but I¡¯m still going to worry. Keep your wits about you, okay?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
They pulled apart a few seconds later, and Alisane¡¯s ma wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got to be going, so I¡¯ll get these packed up for you,¡± she said, grabbing a towel and carefully wrapping it around the muffins. ¡°Go say goodbye to your brother and your pa.¡±
Alisanne finished her second and bolted back up the stairs. Her little brother¡¯s door creaked when she opened it up, and dodging the mess of his toys was a little bit like navigating a dungeon, but he didn¡¯t wake until she kissed his forehead.
¡°Alisanne?¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to be gone for a while, squirt,¡± she said. ¡°So I wanted to say bye. Be good for ma and pa, ¡®kay?¡±
¡°Mmmkay,¡± her brother slurred, falling back asleep. ¡°Love ya.¡±
¡°Love you too,¡± Alisanne whispered, tiptoeing back out of the room and taking great care to close the door quietly.
Saying goodbye to pa was much the same as saying goodbye to her brother had been, as he¡¯d only been home from the warehouse for a couple hours and was an extremely heavy sleeper.
With that all done, she went back downstairs, gave her mother another big hug and slung the bag holding the muffins ¨C along with plenty of other snacks ¨C over her shoulder.
¡°Good luck, darling,¡± her ma said. ¡°I know you¡¯re going to do great.¡±
¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll see you when I get back,¡± Alisanne said, opening the door and heading outside.
Something in her stomach settled at the sound of the door closing behind her; it was a lot like being inside a dungeon, she thought, and she steeled her will the same way she would have if she¡¯d been inside Crestheart.
Her assessment of the weather through her window earlier had been correct: it was indeed a cold walk to the carriage station, though the sunny parts of the street were nice and warm.
All around her, the city was waking up, with [Shopkeepers] coming out and getting ready for the day, and cargo wagons and carriages rolling down the wide streets. A few [City Guards] stood watch here and there, their bright frostnickel armor glinting in the sun and their expressions colder than the morning air. Alisanne exchanged polite, albeit brief, greetings with two guards she recognized, and passed market square.
She had one more stop to make before heading to the carriage station, and Alisanne took a turn down the long and crooked side street that would lead her to the Quenching Bucket. Vera, the owner of the coffee house and her sponsor for the dungeon circuit, had told her to come by and collect some cards and flyers to distribute while she was traveling.
Mindful of her strength when she opened the door ¨C the Bucket¡¯s was far lighter than the ones she was used to ¨C Alisanne walked inside and called out for the kitrekin.
Vera appeared almost instantly, smiling and hunched ever so slightly, holding two more bags in her blue-gray paws. Alisanne sighed, briefly wondering if this was what a packhorse felt when it got loaded up.
¡°You look splendid,¡± Vera said, handing the bags over. Alisanne took them and looped her arm through their handles. She¡¯d have to do some shuffling once she made it to the carriage to fix the balance, but the extra weight wasn¡¯t all that bad. Maybe carrying all her stuff would help her get another point of Might.
¡°Thanks,¡± Alisanne said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to have so much stuff for me to take.¡±
Vera laughed.
¡°Well, I might have gotten a little carried away. Truthfully I¡¯m not expecting much to come of these little trinkets,but it¡¯d be nice to get the occasional customer from Yew¡¯s Rise, Amespool, or Shontsdale.¡±
¡°Not Old Narluc?¡±
Vera shook her head. ¡°The people who live there are a little too¡unusual for me. Old Narluc is one of those cities that attracts a very specific type of person. It¡¯s mostly elkin who are seeking deeper dreams than normal folks like to have. You¡¯ll see what I mean when you get there. Now, before I forget there¡¯s one other thing I want you to have.¡±
She went to the back counter and drew out yet another bag. This one, however, looked like a coin purse, and it jangled like one too when she handed it to Alisanne.
¡°It¡¯s not much, but I want you to have this too.¡±
Now it was Alisanne¡¯s turn to shake her head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t. You¡¯ve already done so much by sponsoring me for this whole circuit.¡±
¡°And what sort of sponsor would I be if I didn¡¯t give you some discretionary money, eh? Come on, take it. It¡¯d be doing me a favor, honestly.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s possible,¡± Alisanne said, taking the bag and tucking it into her pocket. ¡°But thanks.¡±
¡°Having too many fleurs around makes my paws itch,¡± Vera said with a wink. ¡°Gets me thinking about things I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about at my age. Besides, I had so many adventurers come through here with that circuit that I¡¯ve basically made back all the money I spent on sponsoring you in the first place. Just don¡¯t spend it all in one place, make sure you save some for the last couple stops!¡¯
The kitrekin gently touched Alisanne¡¯s arm. ¡°Alright, I think that¡¯s everything. Make sure you pass those flyers out and deliver the contents of the other bag to the adventurer¡¯s guilds in each city. There should be enough for you to leave them all an equal amount. Got it?¡±
¡°Got it.¡±
¡°Then be on your way,¡± Vera said, pushing Alisanne toward the door. ¡°Go get ¡®em, but make sure you tell them that Quenching Bucket sent you!¡±
Chuckling, Alisanne left the coffee house and headed for the carriage station.
Sometime during elementary school Alisanne had learned that the during the Oar¡¯s Crest glory days ¨C when its [Smiths] and [Armorers] had been the envy of the continent and business had been brisk ¨C the carriage station was built to be big enough to house two hundred carriages at any given time. That was an absolutely crazy number as far as Alisanne was concerned; these days it was rare for there to be more than twenty or so carriages present at a given time. She couldn¡¯t even imagine what the station would look like when it was full.
Looking over her shoulders every few steps and doing what she could to make herself look bigger and tougher than she was, Alisanne crossed the muddy ground warily. Perhaps on account of the fact that it was usually so empty, the station attracted the denizens of the city¡¯s underbelly like sugar attracted ants, and Alisanne¡¯s heartbeat quickened when a disheveled man wearing a ringmail shirt and dirty green cloak emerged from the gloomy depths of the station¡¯s massive bays.
¡°I don¡¯t want any trouble,¡± she said, fumbling with her bags in an attempt to grab out one of her clubs. She cursed the clutter, but eventually managed to extract one of her weapons, which she held up threateningly.
The man held up his hands. ¡°Same here. I mean you no harm, I¡¯m an adventurer like you. My name is Bentley. Bentley Macrob.¡±
The faint lilt in his speech didn¡¯t sound like an Oar¡¯s Crest accent, so Alisanne relaxed a bit and lowered her weapon. Bentley took another step closer, stopping in front of one of the bay¡¯s stone arches next to a faded relief carving of the hulking forge demigoddess of the city whose name Alisanne could never remember. She thought it might have had something to do with bone.
In the open station air, Alisanne got a better look at Bentley. He was probably around her own age ¨C maybe a year or two older, if that ¨C tall, and broad. His scraggly brown hair hung down to his pale chin, and he had a long thin scar across the bridge of his nose that nearly reached his right eye. Judging by the state of his clothes and hair he¡¯d had a rough few days, but he had a handsome smile and Alisanne felt a gentle flutter in her chest before she looked away.
¡°How¡¯d you know I was an adventurer?¡± she asked a moment later, once she¡¯d gotten ahold of herself and pushed the irritating thought away.
¡°I didn¡¯t feel like buying a dungeon guide so I watched a lot of attempts from the spectator arena.¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯ve got a good memory when it comes to faces and saw your run. You were doing well until you went up against that weapon soul. Kina and I couldn¡¯t beat him either, but you put up a good fight, miss¡?¡±
Alisanne blinked. ¡°Henret. My name is Alisanne Henret. Who¡¯s Kina? A summon of some kind?¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Bentley said with another smile. He reached toward his belt and drew the knife he wore on his hip. ¡°This is Kina. She¡¯s a weaponsoul and my knaifu.¡±
¡°Gawain¡¯s beard, I hate it when you call me that,¡± a cold, steely voice said from somewhere around the weapon¡¯s hilt. ¡°Can¡¯t you just be normal and say that you¡¯re my wielder?¡±
¡°But there¡¯s no fun in that!¡± Bentley protested, faking a pout and waving the knife around a bit before returning it to its sheath.¡±Besides, if I was normal you wouldn¡¯t have picked me in the first place, right?¡±
¡°Right,¡± the knife said, its voice muted and muffled on account of the sheath.
Bentley winked as he bowed to Alisanne, pressing his hand to his heart.like he was a [Knight] and she a [Court Lady]. ¡°Forgive my blade¡¯s manners. It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Henret. Perhaps we will see each other again in Old Narluc and beyond. A fair day to you!¡±
His delivery was so over the top that Alisanne couldn¡¯t help but giggle. Putting on her finest voice, she warmly bid him farewell before making her way over to the carriage check-in counter on the far side of the station.
Loitering in the carriage bay near the counter were a half dozen people of the type Alisanne had expected to see when she first walked in: stick-thin men and women with dead expressions and ragged clothes.. Most of them were humans, but there were a few scruffy kitrekins and greasy salamanders around too, and Alisanne did her best to avoid making eye contact with any of them. To do otherwise was to ask for trouble, and that was the last thing she wanted to do just then.
Thankfully there were some other adventurers around too, and after politely introducing herself Alisanne hung out on the fringe of their circle and participated in their conversation. The topics were almost the same as they would have been if she¡¯d been in the guild hall: bragging about successful dungeon runs while complaining about failures, arguing about professional dungeon sport competitors, and swapping bits of Systemic superstition disguised as fitness advice. It was a welcome bit of familiarity, and the knot that¡¯d settled itself in the base of Alisanne¡¯s stomach loosened considerably.
With a fresh mental list of things to try for quick points when she got the chance, Alisanne boarded her carriage and sat down. Through sheer luck she¡¯d been assigned the seat next to the window, and she pressed her forehead into the glass, watching the northern outskirts of Oar¡¯s Crest rattle by as the carriage left the city and headed for the roads beyond.
The hills outside the city were like green waves, and off in the distance Alisanne could see the tallest tree tops of the once-great emberberry orchards on the eastern side of Oar¡¯s Crest. They were little more than a tangled knot of discolored leaves and branches now, but once upon a time they¡¯d been a veritable paradise of Green Spirit. Or at least that¡¯s what her pa had always told her. He¡¯d wanted to be an [Orchardist] as a boy.
Alisanne yawned, and for a moment considered napping. She was tired, after all, but her excitement at being on the road kept her desire for rest at bay. She could always get some shuteye later, she decided; the trip to Old Narluc would take them a minimum of two days if they didn¡¯t encounter any sort of trouble which meant that there was plenty of time for her to pay off her sleep debt before her next dungeon run.
An old blight scar ¨C little more than a gray splotch in the earth now ¨C marred the side of the road, and Alisanne stared at it until it vanished behind another hill. Over the next few minutes, more scars popped up, often accompanied by the little memorial rods that the guild drove into the ground as a shrine of sorts to honor fallen members.
The number was surprising and sobering: adventuring ¨C real adventuring, not dungeon sports ¨C was often dangerous and bloody work. Alisanne tried to think of something else¡like the invitation made by the open road. Like the promise of¡well, adventure. Like not knowing what was around the next curve and having to rely on your gear, training, and skills to survive.
Of course, that romantic vision was rather tempered by the fact that she was safely in a carriage on a well-traveled road, but for the rest of the afternoon, Alisanne Henret let herself dream.
Alisanne''s Character Sheet:
Alisanne Henret
Primary Class: Fighter (Self), Level 15
Secondary Class: Scrimping Saver (Self), Level 11
Might: 18
Wit: 9
Faith: 14
Determination: 13
Ambition: 7
Greed: 5
Focus: 8
Idealism: 8
Bravery: 6
Adventurousness: 5
DABB Interstitial 1 Part 2 (Part 1): The Road to/Arrival in Old Narluc
The thing about dreams was that while they were beautiful and inspiring they were also fragile, and after a few agonizingly boring hours of carriage travel Alisanne¡¯s were thoroughly broken. There was no romance or excitement to be found amongst the miles and miles of abandoned, overgrown, and blight-stained farmland outside Oar¡¯s Crest, just a gray melancholy that hung over the countryside like a thick fog. Alisanne knew that her city had once been an agricultural hub ¨C she¡¯d paid attention in school ¨C but those days were long since passed and seeing the vastness of what had once been for herself was sobering in a way she hadn¡¯t expected.
Now and then another carriage or cart passed them on the road, but without fail all their drivers looked weary and broken, their backs hunched and their expressions joyless.
Eventually Alisanne decided to ignore the outside world for a while and read through the manuals she¡¯d gotten from Theikal.
Shimmying and contorting like a high level [Ballerina] into a different position that was as comfortable as she¡¯d get in the cramped seat, Alisanne fished the manual for [Twirling Block] out of her bag and set it on her lap. The constant conversation all around her made it somewhat difficult to focus on the words, but she grit her teeth and forced herself to read through it.
While limited in application to physical projectiles, [Twirling Block] is a solid foundational defensive skill that can be of great use to any melee combat adventurer, and can eventually be upgraded to [Twirling Fortress], [Windmill Shield], or [Spinning Slam] depending on the user¡¯s class. Talk to your [Guild Trainer] for more details if you¡¯re interested in any of these upgrades and think you¡¯re ready for them.
[Twirling Block] works by knocking projectiles out of the air, rendering them harmless by knocking them onto the ground. Be aware that some explosive projectiles ¨C like the types often thrown by [Tinkers] or [Alchemists] ¨C are explosive, and trying to deflect these with this skill can lead to the same consequences as not blocking at all. Users are urged to exercise their best judgement for whether any given attack is better blocked or avoided.
With time and practice this skill can be maintained indefinitely, providing an opportunity for the user to close the distance against a ranged foe, though it should be noted that most users find themselves slowed significantly while [Twirling Block] is active.
To activate this skill, the user should stand still with their feet approximately shoulder-width apart and their weapon held vertically in front of their bodies. While invoking the skill, the user should rely on their dominant hand to spin their weapon clockwise as quickly as they can without causing it to move forward or back, aiming to complete a full rotation before stopping in the vertical position once again. If the skill fails to activate, the user is to repeat the motion up to four more times before invoking the skill again. A successful attempt will see the user¡¯s weapon glow green. A user is considered to have mastered the skill if they can get the weapon to glow during the first spin.
Common causes for failure:
Spinning the weapon too slow
Not holding the weapon straight while spinning it ¨C users are recommended to lock their elbows and generate the spin from their wrists to make this easier. Additionally, asking for another person to confirm the weapon is straight before starting the first spin can be helpful as well.
The rest of the manual was dedicated to various diagrams that showed the motion from different angles, but Alisanne ignored them. She knew full well that she¡¯d have to fumble through the motions herself until she got the hang of it.
Before she could start reading the next manual, the carriage slowed to a stop and the [Carriage Driver] ¨C a portly man in a red vest who carried a rapier on his hip ¨C jumped down to the ground.
¡°Rest break! Go ahead and stretch for the next half hour or so,¡± he bellowed, slapping the side of the carriage before raising his arms over his head. ¡°Get a snack, relieve yourselves, do whatever you wish. We¡¯ve made good time, so we should be at our stop for the night a little early.¡±
Various declarations of approval greeted the announcement, and Alisanne eagerly disembarked with the rest of the adventurers. The ground was damp but firm, and the air was pleasantly warm. Eating another of her mother¡¯s muffins, Alisanne took a few steps and looked around, thinking of the [Carriage Driver]¡¯s directions. When she saw nothing but field in all directions she found herself gripped by a novel horror that she¡¯d never previously considered. There were no bathrooms out here.
Alisanne muttered a curse and started walking. She was a city girl, and the less said beyond that the better.
[Bravery +1]
Before they were slated to resume their journey, Alisanne took out her clubs and walked to an empty bit of field to stretch and exercise. Her shoulders and back were stiff, and Alisanne swung her weapons hard until they felt more normal again. It felt good to move, and she threw herself into the routine until the [Carriage Driver]¡¯s voice rang out through the clearing.
¡°Five minutes until we leave! Five minutes!¡±
Alisanne swore under her breath. She¡¯d been planning to start trying to learn [Twirling Block], but five minutes wasn¡¯t enough time to make a proper attempt.
Still, she could at least go through the motions a few times and see what the first stumbling block would be. Spreading her feet apart, Alisanne stretched her right arm out and held her club up. It took some time to get straight. She jerked her hand to the right and stopped when her club was horizontal; her wrist didn¡¯t want to turn any further.
Alisanne frowned. How the heck was she supposed to complete a spin from this position?
Well, at least it hadn¡¯t taken long to find the first issue, Alisanne thought. She returned her club to its starting position and adjusted her grip so that she was holding it more with her fingertips than by her palm. Maybe she could start the spin with her wrist and then use her fingers to propel the weapon the rest of the way.
¡°Two Minutes! All passengers gather your belongings and start boarding, please!¡±
¡°[Twirling Block],¡± Alisanne said, spinning her club once more and trying her new idea. It didn¡¯t work, and her new looser grip caused her weapon to fly out of her hand. It sailed through the air and landed on the ground a few feet away.
Spitting on the ground, Alisanne scooped up her club, wiped the dirt of its handle and hurried back to the carriage. She¡¯d have to keep working on that.
After a brief bit of freedom, the lumpy carriage seat felt even more uncomfortable than she¡¯d thought before, but Alisanne didn¡¯t care. She had a problem that she could focus on now, and spent the rest of the day¡¯s travel thinking about what she could do to get her weapon to finish its spin properly. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
The second day¡¯s travel was much like the first, except for the fact that the empty fields and rolling hills were eventually replaced by a strange forest filled with bent and twisted trees that looked like monsters with their arms outstretched above their heads. According to their [Carriage Driver], Old Narluc was at the heart of this forest, which had no name beyond ¡®The Wood¡¯.
Nothing ominous about that!
During their breaks, Alisanne stayed extremely close to the carriage and the other adventurers, practicing [Twirling Block] over and over. She was making some progress. Possibly. It was hard to be sure, all things considered, but she¡¯d managed a few wobbly spins that gave her hope she was on the right track, though she was nowhere near being able to try and repeat the motion multiple times to ensure the skill triggered. She hoped that she¡¯d be able to get it down properly once she had unfettered time to practice in Old Narluc.
On the final break before they reached the city, the [Carriage Driver] made his way from adventurer to adventurer and handed them all a small yellow candy-looking thing.
¡°This is a beedlebloom nostrum. It bolsters your mental fortitude. Take it when I hit the carriage top,¡± he explained to Alisanne. Seeing her bemused expression, he continued, ¡°Old Narluc is different than most cities, and some people don¡¯t initially react well to its, uh, ambiance.¡±
¡°Ambience? What does that mean?¡± Alisanne asked.
¡°You¡¯ll see. Or rather hear. Or maybe even feel. Doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s important to remember is that it¡¯ll pass in a day or two at the most, and that you¡¯ll be fine if you take the nostrum when I tell you. Got it?¡±
Alisanne nodded. Yet another totally unconcerning development, yes indeed! She got back into the carriage, clutching the nostrum like it was a beloved pet and looked around. Judging by the worried expressions on the faces of her peers, she wasn¡¯t the only one unsettled by the [Carriage Driver]¡¯s warning. Heck, a heavily muscled kitrekin who carried a pair of gleaming bronze scimitars on his hips was visibly shaking and a blue-scaled salamander with a golden necklace looked like she was on the verge of tears.
¡°Heck of a place to have a dungeon circuit stop,¡± Alisanne muttered, pressing her face against the window as the carriage started rolling again. Two of the nearest trees seemed to turn toward her, the grain of their bark looking entirely too much like gruesome faces for Alisanne¡¯s satisfaction.
¡°Heck of a place indeed.¡±
Just before sunset on the second day of travel, the forest finally started to thin. The trees were now consistently otherworldly shades of purple and green, and they were thin and spindly. No matter where she looked, Alisanne saw no animals but crows with purple streaks in their wings, which all watched the carriage with unblinking red eyes.
She wasn¡¯t sure when it started, but at some point Alisanne became aware of two distinctly new sensations. The first felt like she was standing under a leaky downspout or being tapped on the shoulder repeatedly, and it ran from her shoulder blades to the top of her skull. The second was a quiet, high-pitched buzzing, like the sound of a mosquito buzzing near her ear.
Just before they started to get genuinely uncomfortable, the [Carriage Driver] knocked on the roof three times and Alisanne wasted no time in swallowing the beedlebloom nostrum. It mostly tasted like mint, but there were a few other hints of flavor there too that Alisanne didn¡¯t mind. It worked quickly, and within a few minutes her symptoms had mostly subsided, though she could still hear the buzz in the air if she tried hard enough.
When Old Narluc finally came into view, Alisanne was relieved. Weird as the city undoubtedly would be, she was ready to be out of the carriage. After the first night of travel she¡¯d resolved to buy some additional books to read and splurge for a more expensive ¨C and hopefully spacious ¨C seat to make her future trips more comfortable.
The city was much smaller than Oar¡¯s Crest, and the biggest feature was a spiraling tower of gray-blue stone that rose above the city¡¯s black walls. When they got closer, Alisanne saw that it was a clock tower and that a snarling winged elkin statue with clawed hands stood in the center, pointing at the time with two of its six arms. She half-expected it to start pulsing while she looked at it, like it was a great stone heart beating to keep some sort of unfathomable monster alive, but it didn¡¯t and Alisanne sighed with relief.
She disembarked, thanked the [Carriage Driver] for the trip and the nostrum, grabbed her bags, and headed into the city. A bevy of smells that were as interesting as they were unusual greeted her nose, inviting her to go wander and explore. What sort of interesting people were out there waiting to meet her? What sort of hidden adventure lurked in the spiral streets beyond the station?
Alisanne was curious and more than a little tempted; Alrick would have gone and explored a bit. He would have wandered the markets and drank at a few bars, talked to the richest and poorest looking person he could find, and probably have gotten into at least three fights. That was always how Alrick¡¯s adventures went. Lots of talking and lots of fighting¡just the way Alisanne liked them.
Unfortunately, Alisanne¡¯s appetite for a similar experience was surprisingly nonexistent. She suspected the temptation ¨C which seemed to emanate from every building and the ground beneath her feet ¨C was yet another part of the city¡¯s ¡°ambiance¡± and willed herself to ignore it. Her first priorities were to secure lodging for the next few days and then make her way to the adventurer¡¯s guild to check in as a circuit competitor and get further instructions. After that she could maybe ¨C maybe - do a bit of wandering and see what Old Narluc had to offer.
Making her way down the curved street, Alisanne kept an eye out for an inn. There didn¡¯t seem to be much in the way of signage in Old Narluc: buildings might have been color coordinated according to some rules she didn¡¯t understand, but there was nothing she recognized as an inn or anything similar.
The citizens of Old Narluc were almost entirely elkins wearing robes with eyes the color of milk. They sat on rich red and black blankets, passing small golden trinkets from one hand to the other and muttering into the wind. A few sold dried herbs and mushrooms ¨C Gawain¡¯s beard, there were so many mushrooms! ¨C or jars filled with strange floating things that Alisanne didn¡¯t recognize.
The streets were clean ¨C which was quite nice, Alisanne had to admit ¨C and while there wasn¡¯t much in the way of plants anywhere to be seen, there were plenty of statues and other decorations throughout the city. Most were similar to the one atop the clock tower, but there were also a bevy of snakes, eyeball creatures, shamblers, and cats too.
Most strange were the regularly spaced rows of leather bound books along the street, contained neatly in small pentagonal lockboxes that were gilded with silver and polished gemstones. Handpainted wooden signs above them all said, ¡°An invitation to the Mysteries, one secret.¡±
She didn¡¯t see a coin slot of any kind, but each box also had a small brass sculpted ear on the very top. Perhaps one simply had to whisper a secret to get the box to open?
Alisanne paused and thought for a moment. She had plenty of secrets ¨C what seventeen year old girl didn¡¯t? ¨C and the sign made no distinction of how valuable a given secret needed to be. Would telling the box that she¡¯d cheated to win a scavenger hunt in elementary school count?
Eventually she decided that she didn¡¯t want to find out; she didn¡¯t know what Mysteries they were talking about ¨C or why they were deserving of the capital letter ¨C and that was okay.
Alrick would have been disappointed in her, but he was a fictional character so Alisanne didn¡¯t put much stock in his opinion.
A group of salamanders walking in a line with their heads bowed passed her, and Alisanne stopped to get a better look. They were scrawnier than the salamanders of Oar¡¯s Crest, and while they were all different colors their scales were faded to a near-identical shade of gray and covered with strange, painted symbols. Much like the elkins, their eyes were starkly white.
In what must have passed for a park or a town square of sorts stood a towering elkin with red fur and a far more ornate robe than the others she¡¯d seen. He carried a large sign that said, Seek new truths! Gawain slumbers near distant shores, but will soon awaken in rage. A new Patch is upon us!
¡°You were right, Vera,¡± Alisanne muttered, relieved that the strange elkin hadn¡¯t made eye contact with her as she¡¯d passed. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to spend any more time here than I need to. Here¡¯s to hoping I can do my run sooner rather than later.¡±
DABB Interstitial 1 Part 2 (Part 2): Old Narluc/Hshshshshshs
Some time later, Alisanne stopped next to a street lamp and rubbed her arms to warm them. It was much colder than she¡¯d been expecting, but she didn¡¯t feel like unpacking all her bags to get to where she¡¯d stored her coat. Instead, she decided that the best way to get warm would be to find a place to stay for the night, so with renewed determination Alisanne quickened her pace and set off again. As she walked she did her best to avoid the shadows: they seemed to be growing by the second and reminded her of snakes. The ambient buzzing in the air was more annoying now, but it was far from the only thing that bothered her as she crossed street after street. Up above her head, the twin moons looked strange; their crescent bodies twisted like sinister smiles, and in the poor light of the city¡¯s lamps even the streets themselves seemed to quiver and throb like they were alive.
Alisanne sped up again, her heart pounding in her chest and her mouth growing dryer with every step. How long had she been walking? It didn¡¯t feel like it¡¯d been that long ¨C couldn¡¯t be that long ¨C but her throat burned and Alisanne started fantasizing about the relief that would come from drinking a nice tall glass of water with extra ice.
It was almost so bad that she stopped in front of a tall fountain filled with bubbling black liquid and contemplated taking a sip, only to be put off by the strong medicinal smell and the lethargic elkin sleeping near the fountain¡¯s base. Curling her fingers into a fist, Alisanne continued on.
A cloaked shape burst out the alley to her right and Alisanne leapt back. Her hands fell to her sides where her clubs normally rested, but they were packed away in her bags and she swore at how many things she needed had ended up out of reach. That¡¯d have to change moving forward, but for now she¡¯d just have to make do with her fists if it came down to it.
Thankfully, it didn¡¯t. The cloaked figure, with his wide smile, was none other than Bentley, and Alisanne was relieved to have finally found someone she recognized.
¡°You look stressed out,¡± the other adventurer said, leaning back and rolling his shoulders. ¡°First time here in Old Narluc?¡±
Alisanne nodded. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve been here before?¡±
¡°More than a few times.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think I ever want to come back,¡± Alisanne said, shivering. ¡°This place is just too creepy.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that bad once you get used to it,¡± Bentley said as he fell into step beside her. ¡°The whispering gets a little old but you can ignore it with practice. I¡¯ve definitely been to a lot of worse cities. Some of the places out past Lavadancer¡¯s Lake, like the villages where the ogres live make Old Narluc look like a nursery.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯ve been out past Lavadancer¡¯s Lake,¡± Alisanne said, smiling. ¡°Unless you¡¯re going to try and claim that you¡¯ve killed a boiling seawyrm?¡±
¡°Killed? Gawain¡¯s beard, no, of course not. I might be a [Wandering Knifesman] without peer, but I¡¯ve never fought anything anywhere near that big. However¡¡± he paused, and leaned forward as if wary that someone might overhear what he said next. ¡°Boiling seawyrms are easily bribed.¡±
The thought of a boiling seawyrm ¨C monsters that were easily two or three hundred feet long with scales that boiled if exposed to the air, hence the name ¨C being easily bribed was hilarious. Alisanne laughed, and felt the shadows creeping into her mind recede like she¡¯d just lit a torch.
¡°Oh, are they? And pray tell, how is that?¡±
Bentley flashed his eyebrows and smiled again. ¡°Okay, well maybe I wasn¡¯t entirely telling the truth.¡±
¡°They can¡¯t be bribed?¡±
¡°They can, Miss Henret, it¡¯s just that it¡¯s actually a rather complicated process that requires a great deal of knowledge.¡±
He held up his hands and started counting his fingers. ¡°You see, bribing them requires a traveler to know alchemy, gastronomy, astrology, illusions, accounting, musical theory, classic poetry, and of course board games.¡±
¡°Board games?¡±
¡°Board games. The seawyrms are avid board game enthusiasts.¡±
¡°I find that hard to believe, Mister Macrob.¡±
¡°Were I in your position I¡¯m sure I¡¯d feel the same. Would you like to hear more about them?¡±
Alisanne thought for a moment. The quality of the story aside, it¡¯d be nice to have someone to talk to while navigating this uncomfortable city. ¡°If you can lead me to the adventurer¡¯s guild at the same time, sure.¡±
Bentley bowed once again. ¡°Of course, it would be my pleasure. We¡¯re actually pretty close to the guild branch. It¡¯s only a few streets from here. Right this way, Miss Henret.¡±
They walked side by side, Bentley¡¯s ¨C almost assuredly exaggerated ¨C story helping Alisanne keep her thoughts straight until they came to a small dome-shaped building with a crowd of adventurers outside.
Bentley gently created a path for her to follow to the door, nudging and joking with the other adventurers to get them to move and gesturing for Alisanne to follow.
Thankfully, while the guild hall smelled different than the one back in Oar¡¯s Crest that was virtually the only difference. The furniture was the same, the job board was in the same spot, and the grumbled conversations she heard as she walked up to the counter sounded like the type she¡¯d hear back home.
Alisanne sighed, relaxing at the sensation of warm familiarity, and turned to Bentley.
¡°Thank you for leading me here,¡± she said. ¡°I enjoyed your stories.¡±
¡°As I enjoyed telling them,¡± Bentley said, inclining his head ever so slightly. ¡°I have more wandering to do tonight, but in the event I don¡¯t see you again before your run here I¡¯d like to wish you the best of luck.¡±
¡°Same to you,¡± Alisanne said, privately surprised at the thought that not seeing the [Wandering Knifesman] again soon would be something of a disappointment. She pushed those thoughts aside and got into line.
The [Clerk], an elkin with brown hair and normal eyes, took her paperwork that marked her as a participant in the Dungeons of the Future circuit, gave her a time to meet the [Dungeon Master] and complete her run the next day ¨C a nice bit of luck, Alisanne thought ¨C and directed her to an inn nearby that had plenty of affordable rooms. When she asked about food options, he snorted and handed over a single sheet of paper. It was a list of available deals like the ones she¡¯d seen back home, but unlike the bevy of options [Dungeon Master] Vales had arranged there were only two restaurants listed.
¡°I¡¯m afraid that we¡¯re not big on that sort of thing here,¡± the [Clerk] said, seeing Alisanne¡¯s disappointed expression. ¡°But should neither of these be to your liking you should know that the inn also serves food. Most out of town guests enjoy it quite a bit.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Alisanne said, folding up the piece of paper and tucking it into her pocket. She thanked him, then remembered the contents of Vera¡¯s package and hurried to dig it out of her bag.
Sure enough, there were sixteen little boxes in the bag, and Alisanne set four of them down on the counter.
¡°What¡¯s this?¡± asked the [Clerk], his eyes growing wide.
¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure,¡± Alisanne admitted. ¡°My sponsor asked me to distribute these to each branch of the guild along the circuit¡¯s route.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± the elkin said with a smile. ¡°Yours is hardly the first. Allow me to take them on behalf of the guild.¡±
He did so with a little bow, and Alisanne thanked him. Feeling relieved that things had been so easy, Alisanne headed back out into the evening and made her way to the inn.
The [Clerk] had been right; the smell coming from the inn¡¯s kitchen had been good enough for her to gamble on the ¡®house stew¡¯. She was glad that she did.
She¡¯d been given a large bowl patterned like a turtle shell and filled to the brim with a rich yellow-brown stew filled with roasted root vegetables, lentils, and pieces of beef. Or at least she was pretty sure it was beef; she didn¡¯t much feel like asking.
There¡¯d also been some crusty white bread that tasted of herbs and cheese, and it paired perfectly with the stew. There were also strange translucent sprouts of some kind, though Alisanne hadn¡¯t liked the way they¡¯d felt when she¡¯d first picked one up and had decided to leave them where they lay.
Two bowls of deliciousness later, she¡¯d headed to her room, a handful of bronze fleurs poorer but her stomach nice and full.
Her room was small and sparsely decorated. There was no bed, just a thick brown rug on the floor, and the only other bits of ¡°furniture¡± were a mirror and a knee-high table with a pitcher of water and an empty basin atop it.
She was up on the inn¡¯s third floor, with a window that looked out over a garden. The beds were arranged in a complicated square pattern, with a multitude of intersecting lines made of stakes. Plenty of little green shoots poked out here and there, but there was not a single flower in sight. Given the types of things she¡¯d seen so far in Old Narluc, Alisanne decided that was probably a good thing.
Someone in a nearby room was plucking away at a stringed instrument ¨C perhaps a lute? A guitar? ¨C and the music was bright and cheerful. Almost determinedly so, Alisanne thought. She appreciated that, and sat down on her rug for a few minutes just to listen, taking heart at the way the tune seemed to chase away the city¡¯s whispering.
She yawned, and stretched out onto her back. The rug was thick and inviting, perfectly conforming to her body, and Alisanne put her arms behind her head. The urge to sleep grew stronger. Her eyes grew heavy, and more than once she felt herself snapping back to consciousness. For the first time since leaving home, she felt calm and content, but with those things came a stark reminder of her body¡¯s exhaustion. Carting around all her luggage and the constant stress swings had taken more out of her than she¡¯d thought, and the warm notes of the other traveler¡¯s songs offered to lead her to pleasant respite.
No. She shook her head and forced herself back up to her feet, ignoring the protests from her legs as she did so. While it was a good thing that she¡¯d been able to get her run scheduled so quickly, it also meant that she didn¡¯t have as much time to practice [Twirling Block] as she¡¯d originally wanted.
Digging out her clubs, Alisanne positioned herself in front of the mirror and extended her right hand. Being able to see herself while she practiced would be a huge help¡so long as she didn¡¯t accidentally send her club flying and accidentally break the mirror.
Much like she had during her previous practice sessions, Alisanne jerked her wrist to the right while invoking the skill, and once again tried to ¡®pop¡¯ or ¡®flick¡¯ the club with her fingers to get it to complete the spin. A few times she thought she was making progress, but even without the mirror she could have seen that the weapon didn¡¯t remain straight while it moved.
After more than a dozen failed attempts, Alisanne swore and stamped her foot. She flinched a second later, remembering that there was another guest in the room under her own and that it was late.
Muttering a useless apology, Alisanne practiced twirling her club a few times. She watched its tip weave back and forth about three-quarters of the way through the spin and tried to adjust her hand and fingers to keep that from happening. She made a bit of progress, but couldn¡¯t quite get that last little bit to click.
Alisanne frowned. Why was such a simple skill so frustrating to learn? While it¡¯d be unreasonable to expect to have the skill perfected by now surely it wasn¡¯t too much to ask for at least a flicker of activation, was it?
What was she missing? The proper dexterity? Or even Dexterity ¨C that oft-whispered about stat rumored to have once been in consideration for membership among the big three? Was it that she was trying to learn something she was incompatible with?¡¯
She twirled her finger through her ponytail. Maybe, actually.
Classes were rather individualized; other than so-called ¡®Core Skills¡¯ ¨C which nobody could agree on more than half the time ¨C it was generally true that two people with the same class at the same level would have different skills and stats when compared to each other. That was because that skills and ¡°paths¡± through classes were affected by, like, a million different things. Personality, physical and emotional needs, weapon choice, et cetera. They changed depending on how the classholder saw themselves, and how they were seen by the world around them.
However, with that said, it wasn¡¯t like classes were perfectly sculptable either. There were rules and logic to the way a classholder progressed and evolved their skills. Some skills would come naturally with levels and experience, others could be attained through hard work and dedication. Others still might never be learned, because the classholder simply was not compatible with it. In such cases, no amount of effort would change that. One couldn¡¯t wring blood out of a stone, after all.
Alisanne stared at her reflection. Was she simply incompatible with [Twirling Block]? Alisanne couldn¡¯t believe it. It was such a basic skill, and she needed what it offered!
¡°I¡¯ll just have to keep practicing,¡± Alisanne said, shaking her head and stretching her arm out once again. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get it soon.¡±
And so the night wore on, with Alisanne trying what felt like a thousand subtle variations of her wrist and finger position and movements, until she finally had a flicker of insight.
Swat and pop. Like you¡¯re telling a story and want to scare the person listening. Swat and pop.
The words crystallized in her mind, and Alisanne did her best to put them into practice.
When her hand reached the perpendicular point, she popped her hand open as explosively as she could. Her fingers made a loud swishing sound as they rubbed against the rough skin of her palm, and she was rewarded for her efforts with the faintest flickering glow of green that she¡¯d ever seen. It coated her club like someone had spilled a bucket of paint on it for a heartbeat or two, and then vanished into the gloom of the night.
Alisanne repeated the motion, invoking the skill again, and this time the green lingered for a few complete seconds before disappearing.
She grinned, resisting the urge to jump up and down for joy. Person in the room below.
But progress! Now she was getting somewhere! Filled with fresh determination, Alisanne pressed on, repeating the motions over and over again until her exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her.
A little voice in the back of her mind warned her that she still needed to rest before her dungeon run the next morning. It¡¯d do no good to learn the skill only to be so tired that she failed to finish the dungeon¡¯s first or second room.
Just three more tries, she promised herself. And then I¡¯ll go to sleep.
Her room was quiet ¨C the musician had long since stopped playing ¨C and the whisper in the air had taken on a lower, calmer buzz.
Alisanne brought her arm up once more, focused on recapturing the feeling she¡¯d experienced twice now, which was mostly concentrated in the sound of her fingers scraping against her palm. That was her anchor, and she successfully sought it twice more before a notification popped into the air before her eyes.
[Congratulations! You can now use Twirling Block!]
She reveled in her accomplishment for a moment before dismissing the notification. There were few feelings that compared to the complete and utter satisfaction of being recognized by the System as capable of using a new skill.
Taking a deep breath, she held out her right hand again and said, ¡°[Twirling Block].¡±
The skill activated, and while she still had to move her hand her body knew exactly what to do. The motion was smooth and consistent now, and Alisanne relished the ease with which her club spun. It shone like an emerald, and Alisanne managed a second consecutive glowing spin before she lost track of the timing and the skill ended.
Still more work to be done, but at the very least she¡¯d be able to protect herself a bit more in the dungeon.
Then, feeling an exhaustion all the way to her bones unlike anything she¡¯d felt before, Alisanne shuffled over to her bed-rug and flopped down, falling asleep almost instantly.
Peculiar dreams in which she had to bluff a boiling seawyrm into forfeiting a game of cards aside, Alisanne slept well and felt rested the next morning. She went down to the kitchen, got herself a hearty porridge for breakfast and directions to the dungeon, and returned to her room to clean herself, change into her sponsored outfit, and make sure that she had all her belongings.
Thanking the [Innkeeper] for the comfortable stay, she left a few minutes later.
Not for the first time Alisanne thought her jacket might be magical; she stood up straighter, walked more confidently, and didn¡¯t shy away from any eye contact on the street. It even gave her the confidence to ¨C awkwardly, admittedly ¨C hand out a few of Vera¡¯s flyers
She found herself growing more nervous as she walked. What sort of dungeon was¡? Actually, now that she thought about it she didn¡¯t know what the dungeon was called. Everything turned to whispers whenever anyone tried to say its name.
Regardless, what sort of challenges would she face? She¡¯d hadn¡¯t seen any guides for sale in the adventurer¡¯s guild, and hadn¡¯t been able to watch any other runs happening. She was effectively blind, which was more than a little scary.
¡°Just have to do my best,¡± Alisanne told herself.
and she pointedly ignored the elkin [Merchants] who heckled her as she passed.
¡°Bit of powdered bravery, miss? Take a sniff and all your fears will flee! Promised to work! Only one silver fleur per dose!¡±
¡°Faith-boosting mushrooms for sale! Two mysteries per cluster! Take them before you go into the dungeon!¡±
¡°Temporary weapon enhancements! Eight silver apiece! Lasts for an hour!¡±
Not all the elkins were selling dungeon-related products. Several were offering counseling service, or private instruction in ¡°deeper mysteries¡±, and a couple were even offering ¡°data driven, actionable insights that will bring great wealth and happiness.¡±
Alisanne passed all of them without feeling even the barest hint of temptation, but she did stop and purchase a trio of harmless-looking clay figurines from an elkin [Potter] to give to her family as souvenirs when she got home. Her little brother would love it; probably so much that he¡¯d shatter it into pieces.
Her shopping done, Alisanne followed the last of her directions until she found herself standing in front of a great cave that looked more than a little like a gaping maw.
A handful of other adventurers were waiting outside, their expressions surly and their eyes a touch too manic for comfort.
Hoping to get some information about the challenge ahead, Alisanne asked them all in turn if they knew anything about what lay inside but they all shook their heads.
¡®[Dungeon Master] is real secretive,¡± a kitrekin wearing spiked gloves said. ¡°Nobody¡¯s come back since going inside.¡±
¡°What do you mean?!¡± Alisanne asked, suddenly afraid. Nobody had come back? How did the guild sanction such a place?
¡°There¡¯s another exit somewhere else in the city,¡± the kitrekin explained, giving Alisanne a look that made it clear what he thought of her. ¡°It takes you to another carriage station and then you can leave. Apparently the locals don¡¯t much care for all the adventurers tromping around the city. Unseeking souls affect their mysteries or something.¡±
He spat on the ground. ¡°¡®S far as I¡¯m concerned they can keep them. This city isn¡¯t right.¡±
¡°I¡¯m with you on that one,¡± Alisanne said, setting down her bags.
¡°Here here,¡± said a salamander adventurer lingering nearby. She was some sort of sword-bearer, though the bevy of rings near her claws made Alisanne think she was some sort of [Spellblade].
¡°How will I know when it¡¯s my turn to enter the dungeon?¡± Alisanne asked.
The kitrekin shrugged. ¡°The [Dungeon Master] will come out and invite you in. Real spooky elkin type, you can¡¯t miss him.¡±
Judging by the way the kitrekin returned his attention to his gloves, Alisanne surmised that their conversation was over, which was fine by her. She offered him one of Vera¡¯s flyers for good measure, but wasn¡¯t offended when he shook his head and pushed her hand away.
This was uncomfortable. Alisanne wasn¡¯t used to such a somber mood outside dungeons: Crestheart always had a, well, party of sorts waiting outside chattering and swapping information about what was happening inside. It felt weird not having that atmosphere around here.
She looked into the cave. It was impossible to see what lay beyond the entrance, but a fell air emanated from it. The [Fighter] shivered, and decided to chase away the chill with some light exercise.She took out her clubs and slowly started going through her forms.
The sun was high in the sky by the time the [Dungeon Master] emerged to invite Alisanne to start her dungeon run. He was a tall, dark elkin, and his features were mostly obscured by the hood of his robe. His voice carried the hint of something slithering, and there was some errant resonance in his every other word.
¡°Alisanne Henret, my name is Orij Everdark and you are invited to challenge my dungeon. Come with me.¡±
Nodding, Alisanne tucked her clubs into her belt and picked up her luggage before following the mountain of an elkin. Her heart was pounding ¨C the anticipation of what was to come dominant in that moment ¨C she tried to steel herself so that she wouldn¡¯t freeze up when her run started. This was always the worst part, she thought, fighting back a tiny anxiety-induced yawn. Once things got going there was too much to focus on to panic, but until things actually started there was nothing to do but ruminate on all the bad things she might end up facing.
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The [Dungeon Master] stopped and pointed to a small cart next to the wall.
¡°You can put your belongings in that,¡± Orij boomed. ¡°They will be taken to your next destination and I give you my personal assurance that nobody will upset them while you are in hshshshshshsh.¡±
Alisanne blinked. She was sure that he¡¯d just said the dungeon¡¯s name but she hadn¡¯t been able to keep hold of the sounds that made up the words.
The [Dungeon Master] led her to a large room with an octagonal rug in the center and knelt down in the center.
¡°These are my administration chambers,¡± Orij said. ¡°It is where I organize my thoughts, seek the truths of this world, and handle the daily affairs of my dungeon. Please sit, Miss Henret. There are a few matters we must discuss before your run.¡±
Alisanne did as directed, and Orij produced a cup and a large pitcher out of nowhere. He took a small tea bag from a box next to the pitcher and poured hot water over the top, mumbling to himself as he did so.
A few minutes later, he removed the bag and handed the cup to Alisanne. It was filled with steaming blue-purple tea that smelled bitter. Unusual spices mixed with ginger and something else. Peach, maybe?
¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Alisanne asked hesitantly, taking the cup and staring at it apprehensively.
Orij laughed, a low and scratchy sound that reminded her of the noise a broom makes when sweeping a floor. ¡°Fear not, adventurer. ¡®Tis simply a concoction that will help expand your mind to properly accommodate the offerings of hshshshshsh. I assure you, the adventurer¡¯s guild has checked my recipes and assures you that it is completely safe.¡±
He tapped the box, and sure enough when Alisanne looked at it she saw the familiar official seal of guaranteed quality that she recognized from some of the guild¡¯s other offerings. She took a sip of the tea. It was surprisingly bitter, especially accounting for how sweet it smelled. Wondering if this was the first challenge of the dungeon, Alisanne forced herself to finish the cup.
By the time she was done, the lights in the room were a little brighter and tiny wisps of fog flittered from one corner to another.
¡°How long does this last?¡±
¡°No more than a few hours,¡± Orij said.
¡°Is it going to affect my ability to complete the dungeon?¡±
¡°Not at all. There will be a moment as the concoction reaches its full strength where you feel overwhelmed but it will pass quickly enough. You have my word that you won¡¯t experience anything beyond a greater awareness of the possibilities in the rooms beyond. Now, how many points of Faith do you have?¡±
Alisanne thought for a moment. ¡°Fourteen.¡±
¡°An auspicious number,¡± Orij said, nodding to himself and stroking his chin. ¡°Suitable for one who seeks the mysteries of balance and duality the way your choice of weapons leads me to suspect that you do.¡±
He looked at her, his milky eyes betraying nothing of his inner thoughts, and Alisanne swallowed hard. It seemed that the [Dungeon Master] was waiting for her to say something.
¡°Um¡thanks?¡± she said tentatively.
The elkin nodded and brought his hands together. ¡°You should feel the effects very soon.¡±
He lowered his head like he was praying, and when he spoke next the elkin¡¯s words were a string of harsh, discordant syllables that sent shivers down Alisanne¡¯s spine. The only words she recognized were ¡°[Measurable Madness].¡±
Purple fog ¨C a haze, in fact ¨C filled the room and Alisanne¡¯s brain. The room pulsed twice, and when it stopped again it didn¡¯t seem the same as it¡¯d been a moment ago. Alisanne¡¯s stomach felt funny ¨C like it was an [Acrobat] in the middle of an exciting show ¨C and she started shivering.
¡°Excuse me,¡± she said, flopping onto her back. Time froze for a moment, and the ceiling looked so close that Alisanne felt as if she could kiss it if she really tried.
¡°It will pass in a moment. Just be patient.¡±
Time stretched and twisted so that each second seemed to last for an eternity, but Orij was right; eventually Alisanne felt completely normal once again.
She sat back up and saw the elkin smiling at her, a vaguely sinister expression, given his eyes and general demeanor.
¡°And now we can discuss things more clearly,¡± he said. ¡°According to your application you¡¯ve never competed in a dungeon outside of Oar¡¯s Crest, so please allow me to explain how your run through the Ribs of Knowledge will go.¡±
Alisanne blinked. Ribs of Knowledge? What was that? The dungeon¡¯s name?
¡°I see that you¡¯ve pierced the first veil, Miss Henret. Indeed, this dungeon was once the ribcage of a great beast. Narluc, a dragon unlike any other. Rather than the coarse gold, gems, and precious artifacts that turned so many of her kind ¨C and our own ¨C into slavering fools, Narluc coveted knowledge. Over her long life she built a hoard of mysteries. A hoard of the deepest truths known to this world, represented in books and tablets. Knowledge born from obvious geniuses, from obvious madmen, and from those for whom the difference between the two was as a whisper in a roaring crowd. Many of those secrets have been harvested over the years, but more remain in the depths of the dungeon, waiting for the right person to discover them. Power and wisdom beyond your understanding, beyond your comprehension. This is what is available to you for the duration of your run.¡±
That was actually pretty cool. Alisanne knew that Crestheart wasn¡¯t exactly the greatest dungeon of all time in terms of rewards, but some coupons for local businesses were definitely a far cry from access to ancient knowledge. Was she going to find the manual for some sort of amazing skill, or even a Unique class?
¡°Of course, such mysteries are not easy to obtain,¡± Orij said, dampening her enthusiasm. ¡°And you¡¯ll find that the ribs themselves resist your efforts to plumb their depths. It will gnaw at you, make you question who you are and who you wish to be. That¡¯s where your Faith comes into play. Your Faith is not just a shield, not just a sword, but also a currency that you must manage as you descend.¡±
¡°Could you, uh, explain that a little better? I¡¯m not sure my brain is working properly right now,¡± Alisanne said.
¡°This is a Race dungeon, where in addition to the minions and minibosses you are used to, there¡¯s another foe you must contend with. That foe is time. I have used the skill [Measureable Madness] on you, which means that you will eventually be afflicted with the Mad status effect should you stay in the dungeon long enough. The time until that happens can be measured in tokens of Sanity. More tokens, more time.¡±
¡°And how do I get these tokens?¡±
¡°Before you enter the ribs I will give you three for each point of Faith that you have. You can gain more by defeating the monsters inside, solving puzzles and returning treasures that you obtain to preset shrines on each floor. Beware, though, for what can be gained can be lost. Being hit by monsters, failing challenges, and making bad deals will cost you your tokens and end your run faster. Should you make it to my [Dungeon Champion], you will likely spend the remainder of your balance in your bout. My suggestion is that you try to get your balance to three hundred or so before you get to Lwayne, as that is the threshold that offers you the best chance of success.¡±
He fixed her with another look. ¡°Any questions?¡±
Alisanne shook her head, and Orij helped her back to her feet. She was unsteady for a moment, but regained her balance within a few steps and readied her clubs.
¡°The entrance to the ribs is there,¡± Orij said, pointing to a tall door Alisanne was positive hadn¡¯t existed when she¡¯d first entered the room. ¡°Best of luck to you, Miss Henret.¡±
Alisanne thanked him and went into the ribs.
As soon as the door shut, Alisanne realized that she should have asked how long it would take for each of her tokens to disappear. Without that knowledge, the stress of a clock whose duration she didn¡¯t know nagged away at her, propelling her to walk faster than she otherwise would have down the long staircase lit by spooky purple torches.
Morbid curiosity propelled her to bring her hand close to the flickering flames. They were ice cold, and she hurriedly brought her hand back.
No monsters assailed her on her way down, which was probably a good thing, and the staircase opened up into a wide room. Instinct from running Crestheart so often urged her to dive onto the floor for an impending skeleton mage attack, but nothing of the sort happened as she stepped forward with her clubs raised.
Alisanne waited there for some time, her breath quickening with her heartbeat as she waited for something ¨C anything ¨C to happen. Why was this room so empty and quiet? That wasn¡¯t right!
Panic started setting in. What was going on? Why wasn¡¯t anything happening? Why was ¨C Alisanne slapped herself in the cheek and shook her head hard. She knew this fear; it was too irrational to be real.
¡°[Aura of Fear], huh? It¡¯s definitely more potent than Crestheart¡¯s, but it won¡¯t stop me,¡± she grumbled, forcing herself to breathe normally as she walked forward. [Auras] were annoying, but she could handle them so long as she knew what to expect. They were only really threats if you weren¡¯t expecting them, and given that it would be strange for a dungeon to use one [Aura], Alisanne did her best to expect others. She watched her steps for any signs of Dizziness or Disorientation, and checked in on how she was feeling to be mindful of Weakness or Sluggishness. So far she felt totally normal, but that could change at any time.
There were two doors ahead of her, each with a number next to them. The one on the left had a zero above its handle, the one on the right a two.
¡°Knowledge is not free, choose your path wisely,¡± said a sign above the doors. ¡°Convenience comes at the price of resilience.¡±
Alisanne looked at them for a moment. She wasn¡¯t eager to spend some of her precious sanity tokens so early, but the writing above the doors had her considering it. Was two tokens worth an easier path forward? Did it depend on how much easier it became?
Ultimately, she wanted to give herself the best chance of winning her run that she could, so with a heavy sigh she took out two coins and put them into the slot above the door¡¯s handle. The sound of coins sliding down a ramp ¨C like the one she associated with cheap vending machines ¨C was followed by the sound of a lock unclicking, and the door slid open.
Alisanne stepped through and into the next room, where she got her first taste of the dungeon¡¯s monsters.
Two large bony rats with emerald eyes chittered toward her, their mouths filled with razor sharp teeth. Alisanne sidestepped their first attack, activated [Kinetic Tempo] and went to work. The rats were soft, and each of them dropped a single sanity coin when she finished defeating them.
Alisanne breathed a sigh of relief: with a single fight she¡¯d already paid back the cost of going through the door, but before she moved on she wanted to see if time had ticked away any of her other coins.
It took her some time to count, and she was frowning by the time she¡¯d finished. She should have had forty-two coins since the rats and the door hand canceled each other out, but she only had forty one. A check of her pockets didn¡¯t turn up the one that was missing, which left Alisanne no choice but to assume that she¡¯d already lost one to time.
She¡¯d have to pick up her pace.
This room had three doors, though none of them had any sort of sanity coin cost. Alisanne took the rightmost one at random ¨C vaguely thinking about the best way to get through a maze being to put your right hand on the wall and keep it there ¨C and started walking.
It led to a hallway filled with bookshelves, dusty old things with languages on the spines that Alisanne didn¡¯t recognize. She looked at them as she hurried by, but didn¡¯t stop.
Books she couldn¡¯t read were of no value to her, and she wanted to find the next challenge to recoup some sanity coins as quickly as possible.
The hallway of books became another room filled with books that was guarded by a half-melted candle-man ¨C a bipedal wax monster bearing a cutlass or some other type of sword ¨C that shouted at her as it fought. She defeated it, but not without trading three hits, and found to her chagrin that in addition to the cuts on her arm and shoulder the two coins the monster dropped were outweighed by the fact that she¡¯d lost three more.
Okay, so combat was definitely riskier than she¡¯d been expecting. She¡¯d have to pick smarter fights from here on out to avoid losing her run instantly to some low tier minions.
Ugh. With each passing second Alisanne could feel her stress level rising. While some of it might have been from an [Aura], it was more likely that she was just out of her depth and uncomfortable with having to face a dungeon with a time constraint.
¡°Come on, calm down,¡± she told herself as she jogged to the next room, which was blocked by a fog gate. ¡°You can do this, Alisanne.¡±
The pep talk helped her relax a little bit, which was good because waiting in the next room was a towering robed figure. A mini boss. Alisanne would have bet everything on that. It was at least eight feet tall, and had a wooden mask with four eyes instead of a regular face. Its joints were weird and bent twice, above and below where its elbow should have been.
On first look, Alisanne thought that it carried no weapon, but that wasn¡¯t really saying much and she kept her distance. Producing a weapon was the least of the tricks a dungeon mini boss could produce, and she didn¡¯t want to be taken by surprise.
It turned to look at her, and the first of its eyes lit as if a candle had been lit behind it.
¡°Welcome to the first arena,¡± it said in a low and rasping voice. ¡°You may call me the reaper, and unless you give me thirty of your sanity coins here and now we will do battle.¡±
¡°Fat chance of that happening,¡± Alisanne said, raising her clubs. ¡°I¡¯d be almost completely out if I did that.¡±
¡°Have it your way,¡± the creature said, raising its double jointed arms and lunging toward her in a classic zombie run.
Alisanne held her ground; zombie runs were easy to deal with if you knew how to duck and sidestep, and she did just that when the reaper drew near. As soon as its hands went over her head Alisanne leapt into action, moving to the reaper¡¯s side and striking it hard with both of her clubs. The creature stumbled and Alisanne activated [Kinetic Tempo] once more, striking several more times and dancing away from the mini boss¡¯ clumsy counterattacks.
This fight was too easy, she thought. The monster was slow and its attacks were so telegraphed that even a level one [Fighter] would have had no trouble dodging them.
Sure enough, the reaper collapsed after another few blows, but instead of disappearing the way Alisanne expected it turned to her once again.
¡°We shall meet again, adventurer.¡±
It disappeared, leaving behind a box containing a huge pile of sanity coins. Given that she hadn¡¯t taken any hits, that was a very nice bolster to her stash.
Pocketing the coins, Alisanne moved to the next room, where there was a large and ornate chest waiting for her.
She tapped it carefully ¨C always expect a mimic, went old guild logic ¨C and when it didn¡¯t move she saw that it had a number above it much like the door earlier. This time though, instead of two it wanted ten.
Though she was nervous about the cost, Alisanne decided that taking a risk on engaging with the deals presented to her was probably worth it. She counted out ten sanity coins as quickly as she could, fed them to the chest and popped the top open.
[Adventurousness +1!]
Great, Alisanne thought, brushing the notification aside and peering into the chest. What was waiting for her inside?
It was a potion. Just a simple glass bottle filled with an orange liquid that shimmered in the torchlight of the room. That¡probably wasn¡¯t worth ten sanity coins, but Alisanne picked it up and opened it all the same.
The smell of tangerines filled her nose, which was more than a little odd, and after a silent prayer that she wasn¡¯t about to poison herself Alisanne drank the contents.
Another notification appeared before her eyes.
[Congratulations, you have quaffed a potion of protection!]
[The Sanity Drain-Touch of enemy minions will be disabled for the next ten rooms!]
Sanity drain-touch had to be the name for the effect that took her sanity coins when she got hit by an enemy monster. That was¡potentially quite valuable, though once again there was a tradeoff built into the design. If she got hit more than ten times in the next ten rooms, she¡¯d come out ahead in terms of sanity coin loss, but would have to contend with the physical injuries which were sure to be substantial. Conversely, if she protected herself well, she¡¯d have wasted the payment to open the chest.
Ugh. She was starting to feel stressed again.
When she finally reached the end of the first floor, Alisanne had well over a hundred sanity coins in her possession. The rooms following the potion chest had been filled with enemies, and she¡¯d put her temporary immunity to losing sanity coins from getting hit to great use.
Unfortunately, that meant she was quite injured, with cuts running down her arms and a pain in her side that was absolutely going to bruise like none other come the next day. She was tired, increasingly paranoid, and had yet to find any sort of mysteries that she was interested in.
All of the books she¡¯d found had been for decidedly yucky things ¨C necromancy, flesh-smithing, eyeball-magicks, et cetera ¨C which, in addition to being unpalatable, had also cost an absurd amount of sanity coins. Many of them cost four digits, which she supposed only those with super Faith-focused classes would ever have the opportunity to buy.
She, however, happily paid a floating eyeball monster with a bow tie fifteen of her precious coins for a minor healing potion, which soothed her wounds and made her more willing to continue her run.
If the ribs were anything like Crestheart, the second floor would be a step up from the first in terms of difficulty, but Alisanne didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be too much to handle.
She looked at the rest of the eyeball monster¡¯s offerings and was tempted by a medallion that apparently ¡°could be traded¡± to a denizen of the next floor as a bribe, but without any way to know how valuable said bribe was Alisanne decided that the fifty sanity coin cost was far too steep for her to pay.
On the other hand, she did buy another minor healing potion, carefully tucking it into her pocket and hoping that it wouldn¡¯t break before she needed it.
Ignoring the whispering in the air that had gotten substantially louder, Alisanne headed deeper into the dungeon.
The first thing Alisanne noticed about the dungeon¡¯s second floor was that it was dry. Like, the kind of dry where it hurt to breathe, and she kicked up a cloud of dust with her every step. Beyond that, it was hot, and the [Fighter] was sweating profusely by the time she reached the second room.
¡°Should have bought water from that shopkeep,¡± Alisanne panted, hiding behind a statue of an elkin carrying an oversized staff while a floating painting of the same elkin spat globs of fire at her. One landed near her left foot and sizzled, and Alisanne stamped it out before it could spread to the discolored scrub grass all around. A spark or something must have landed on her ankle, because a sharp pain shot up her leg, but Alisanne ignored it.
Her statue wasn¡¯t the only one in the room, but the distance to the others was too far for her to reach easily. The fireballs were quick, and Alisanne knew from firsthand experience that they hurt if they hit.
She briefly considered trying [Twirling Block], but then remembered that it only worked against non-magical projectiles. In other words, it would be useless against fireballs. Similarly, she might be able to hit it with [Club Toss], but doubted that would defeat the painting and didn¡¯t want to risk having to go into the next room with only a single club.
Alisanne put her hand out and barely pulled it back in time to dodge the next attack. She swore. This stupid painting! It was watching her way closer than it had any right to.
There had to be a way to get through here. Time was ticking away; she couldn¡¯t afford to be stuck here forever. This was not where she¡¯d imagined herself losing her run.
A plink in the back of her skull alerted her to the fact that another one of her sanity coins had just disappeared. If there was one good thing about this room, it was that she¡¯d been here long enough to discover that little nugget of information. Unfortunately, she still didn¡¯t have much of an idea for how she¡¯d get past. Maybe she should just make a run for it, see how many fireballs she could dodge and deal with getting hit by the rest. That had to be better than just waiting here to lose all of her sanity coins, right?
This was what it meant to be an adventurer; sometimes you just had to make crappy decisions and run with ¨C or in this case, for ¨C it.
Taking a deep breath, Alisanne hopped out and immediately took a fireball to the chest. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, but she didn¡¯t stop moving, and managed to duck under the next half dozen that came her way. Her luck ran out and she got hit two more times before she reached the next statue, but from there it was a clear path to the door.
Alisann ran again, and managed to escape without taking another hit, which was great because she¡¯d lost far too many coins in that stupid room.
Oh well. Spilled milk and all that. Tightening her hands around her clubs, Alisanne pushed on, and entered a large circular room with a fountain bubbling happily inside.
¡°Deposit treasures here for additional coins,¡± the placard near the statue said. Alas, Alisanne had no treasures to deposit other than her health potion, but there was no way she was going to give that up with her other wounds aching and her burns¡burning.
Her ankle pulsed again, more painfully this time, but Alisanne ignored it once again. She tested her weight and it didn¡¯t protest too much, so it wasn¡¯t really worth worrying about.
She did put the empty bottle in the fountain, just to be polite, and was rewarded for her efforts with a single sanity coin. That was a nice touch.
Another rack of books caught her eye, but while she could read some of their spines they were all about various kinds of shadow arts, which were absolutely useless to her.
Although¡Alisanne paused. Becoming a [Shadow Fighter] or something else in that vein might be interesting. Kind of an [Assassin]-slash-[Brawler] combo, maybe.
She picked up the thinnest book on the rack and looked at the price. Ufta. Two hundred and fifty sanity coins. Her mental count was a little fuzzy, but she would have been surprised if she¡¯d even been close to having half that many.
[Dungeon Master] Orij had told her to try and have three hundred before meeting the [Dungeon Champion]. That was starting to look impossible, though Alisanne forced herself to take some solace in the fact that there was still plenty of second floor left.
Maybe she¡¯d find a windfall of sanity coins again.
The next few rooms were standard fare, and Alisanne managed to bolster her reserves by fourteen coins. She spent seven on another treasure chest, but this one only contained a small piece of jewelry that didn¡¯t seem to do anything special. It was small, but was pretty enough that she¡¯d probably keep it until she got home. She doubted she¡¯d wear it often, but jewelry was something that was nice to have.
Room after room, hall after hall, Alisanne pushed on. Her steps were growing heavy; there were so many different paths that she could take at any given time that she¡¯d entirely lost her sense of direction. Her sense of time had gone with it, and the only things she could focus on was the constant cadence of losing her sanity coins to the dungeon¡¯s internal timer. It felt like it was going faster than it had been earlier. Did the time requirement to stay in the dungeon increase with time?
Was this an [Aura]? Or was she just getting tired? Most of her runs through Crestheart would have ended by now, she thought, but she couldn¡¯t be sure.
Up ahead was another fog gate, and Alisanne had to force herself to go through it. The excitement that she¡¯d felt going into the first one was gone now, replaced only by a sinking sensation of dread that she didn¡¯t want to fight another mini boss.
And of course, the reaper was waiting for her, this time with a scythe in its hands. Alisanne barely had time to raise her arms and activate [Steady Legs] before it attacked, the second of its four eyes now glowing like the first.
Something was definitely affecting her now, Alisanne thought as she sluggishly dodged a strike and felt something slice across her shoulders. Her body wouldn¡¯t cooperate the way she wanted it to, and she barely managed to beat the reaper back when it came in for what would have been a final attack.
The plink of her sanity coins being stolen became almost-continuous. Her vision swam, and all the strength left Alisanne¡¯s legs. Falling to her knees, she raised her clubs and tried to swing at the dark, pulsing blob in front of her, but her weapons found only air.
A voice overhead cut through her troubled thoughts. ¡°That was your last coin, Miss Henret. Your run is over.¡±
The reaper froze in place, and Alisanne¡¯s senses snapped back to normal. The miniboss floated backwards and lowered its weapon. Its eyes dimmed, and it seemed no more than a wire puppet in a robe.
All the fatigue she¡¯d been feeling vanished, replaced by rage and frustration. Yes, she was tired, but Alisanne knew now ¨C knew! ¨C that had enough energy yet to get back up and beat the everloving crap out of the monster in front of her. She could have continued!
[Congratulations, you are now a Level 16 Fighter!]
[Might +1]
[Bravery +1]
Looking up at the ceiling, Alisanne dismissed the notification and asked, ¡°What got me? Why did I suddenly start feeling so weak?¡±
¡°Check your ankle,¡± Orij boomed. ¡°One must be mindful of the way little things build up when seeking mysteries, lest they become too big to overcome.¡±
Alisanne did as he said, cursing loudly at the sight of a small fat orange caterpillar thing with three heads that was attached to her ankle like a leech. It was turning grayer and grayer by the second, and turned into ash when she flicked it and floated away.
¡°The heck is that?¡± she demanded.
¡°A sanity sucker. They¡¯re minions that increase the passive rate of your sanity coin loss. This one got onto you when you stomped on the fireball in the room with the painting. Your efforts were commendable, but you have much to learn about yourself if you want to find success here in the future.¡±
Alisanne snorted and swore again.
¡°Fat freaking chance I¡¯m ever coming back here,¡± she said. ¡°Now how the heck do I get out of here?¡±
In answer, a door opened up in the wall, and sunlight streamed into the room. Picking herself up off the ground, Alisanne left the Ribs of Knowledge.
Her thoughts were bitter as she walked.
Two dungeons into the circuit and two straight losses.
Maybe this adventuring thing wasn¡¯t for her, after all.
No, that wasn¡¯t true, she told herself as she grabbed her bags and headed for the carriage that would take her to the next city. This was just another fluke, and she¡¯d practice extra hard before her next challenge.
She¡¯d turn this around.
She¡¯d finish the circuit with a winning record.
[Determination +1!]
Alisanne''s Character Sheet:
Primary Class: Fighter (Self), Level 16 (+1)
Secondary Class: Scrimping Saver (Self), Level 11
Might: 19 (+1)
Wit: 9
Faith: 14
Determination: 14 (+1)
Ambition: 7
Greed: 5
Focus: 8
Idealism: 8
Bravery: 8 (+2)
Adventurousness: 6 (+1)
DABB Interstitial 1 Chapter 3 (Part 1): Arrival in Yews Rise
1.
Yew¡¯s Rise was a four day carriage ride northeast of Old Narluc. Alisanne spent the entire time brooding, reading, and looking out the window.
Frustrated by her loss ¨C which had been totally preventable if she¡¯d just been paying better attention ¨C she¡¯d spent the entirety of the first day on the road with her head buried in her [Fighter] manual, angrily flipping page after page in the hopes of finding a skill that she could learn to prevent such a thing from happening again.
In an ideal world, she would have found some sort of healing skill like [Mend Wounds] or a status detection skill ¨C something like [Scan Body], which would have noticed the little bug on her leg in the ribs ¨C but her book didn¡¯t have any. [Fighters] weren¡¯t big on healing, apparently. The closest thing she found were skills that could be used to ignore pain or injury for some period of time, like [Shrug it Off] and [Defiant Endurance], but Alisanne wasn¡¯t particularly interested. They were higher level skills ¨C commonly learned around level 30 ¨C and while she could have probably managed to learn them early if she wanted to, the struggle of going out of sequence for a skill that would simply make her better at the thing she was intentionally trying to avoid was unappealing.
Given that, she didn¡¯t even bother trying to find any sort of poison resistance or mitigation skills. If her class couldn¡¯t be bothered to offer her ways of healing off the most common adversities she¡¯d encounter, the odds of it having something for status diagnostic purposes were virtually nonexistent. Maybe there¡¯d be something at like level fifty or sixty, but Alisanne was increasingly convinced that Nock had been right about her class holding her back and that she needed to seriously consider a replacement.
As a result, Alisanne had spent the first day of the carriage ride stretched out on her bigger, comfier seat ¨C she¡¯d paid an extra dozen silver fleurs for a private bench, which was luxuriously comfortable ¨C looking at the other adventurers she was riding with between fits of reading and trying to decide if it was worth striking up a conversation with any of them about their primary classes.
Ultimately she decided against it; she had no interest in swords or bows, which ruled out almost three quarters of the other passengers, but even the few other blunt weapon bearers that she could have talked to didn¡¯t spark her curiosity.
For the time being she reconciled herself to simply having to keep her eyes and ears open in the hopes of something interesting coming across her path.
During the second day, Alisanne pressed her forehead into the glass of the window and stared at the world going by. Say this for the land they were passing through: it was prettier than any Alisanne had seen so far, with well-maintained fields of shimmering sapphire chimeglass that looked like it was as tall as her waist and tinkled with every breeze.
They passed a wide variety of other carriages, ranging from gaudy private vehicles pulled by well-bred horses to sturdy industrial wagons carrying stacks of sealed wooden crates. Naturally, they were also passed in turn by all manner of beasts ¨C mostly elemental horses with manes of fire or lightning, but also two scaled and dirty groundsharks with ragged fins and hungry eyes ¨C and classholders who needed no mount to move with incredible speed.
¡°Freaking [Couriers], a lightly armored human sitting in front of Alisanne grumbled when one such fellow, an obnoxiously blue salamander with a pair of fluffy wings sticking out of his shoulders, zipped past and disappeared over the horizon. ¡°I¡¯d give my right hand for speed like that.¡±
¡°You could always just eat bugs for fun,¡± a kitrekin to his left answered. ¡°Because I promise you that¡¯s ninety percent of the experience.¡±
The armored man laughed, and Alisanne cracked a smile too.
Another benefit of being on busier roads was that there were actual rest stops along the way for the carriage to stop at. They were small buildings made of stone, with red tile roofs and a few decorative bushes scattered here and there. They really weren¡¯t anything special in terms of how they looked, but as far as Alisanne was concerned they were fit for a [King].
And actually, speaking of [Kings], according to an informational placard at the first rest area they¡¯d stopped at, all of the little buildings and their associated plumbing had been the idea of a long-since-dead [King] named Rigel, who¡¯d wanted to provide amenities for the ¡°thousands of pilgrims who would undoubtedly cross the continent to come and worship at the feet of his burgeoning divinity.¡±
Alisanne shook her head. ¡°Must have been a [Mad King].¡±
Hmm. Rigel¡Rigel. Alisanne thought it over. Had she ever heard of him? Nope, but she thought it was rather funny, in a morbid sort of way, that the placard ¨C apparently unironically ¨C mentioned the fact that Rigel had been equal parts far-sighted and short-lived.
¡°Definitely a [Mad King],¡± Alisanne said, walking away to go and grab some coffee from the cheerfully plump [Merchant] who was selling her wares from a small kiosk nearby.
In addition to coffee there were plenty of snacks for sale, and after a bit of [Polite Bargaining] ¨C a skill she¡¯d learned when her [Scrimping Saver] class hit level ten ¨C Alisanne handed over a handful of bronze fleurs in exchange for a few sausages, a small block of yellow cheese, and three bags of differently colored raisins that were all small enough to fit in her pocket with room to spare.
¡°You ever think about becoming a [Merchant], girl?¡± the woman asked with a friendly smile as she scooped the coins into a bag beneath her counter. ¡°We¡¯re always looking for young talent and you¡¯ve got the head for it, for sure.¡±
Alisanne returned the smile but demurred. ¡°That¡¯s kind of you to say but I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have much of a knack for the numbers that come along with it. I¡¯m just used to making every fleur count.¡±
That prompted the woman to laugh out loud. ¡°Anyone can learn numbers if they put their mind to it, my dear. What you¡¯ve got is a nose for a bargain, and that can¡¯t be taught. Here, take my card, and if you decide that fighting inside dungeons isn¡¯t actually how you want to spend your life feel free to send me a letter. Tell me you¡¯re the girl who knocked four bronzies off a thirteen spend at Azalea¡¯s Thronestop and I¡¯ll remember you.¡±
Promising to do so if that happened, though she didn¡¯t share the [Merchant]¡¯s optimism with regard to learning numbers, Alisanne thanked the woman and went on her way. The cheese was slightly softer than she would have liked, but that was offset by the sausage, which was a touch too hard.
At least the raisins were as good as she could have hoped for.
With her belly full for the moment, Alisanne stretched out and practiced her [Twirling Block] some more, trying to incorporate her second club. The skill hadn¡¯t been useful at all in the Ribs, but that didn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t be useful in the dungeons ahead and Alisanne was determined to win her next three runs.
She got her clubs out and planted her feet, holding her arms straight in front of her body. Having the skill learned properly with her right hand was a boon to her efforts, since she already knew the trick of swat and pop. Now it was just a matter of getting her left hand to cooperate too, which was proving to be more difficult than she¡¯d been expecting. Her non-dominant hand was slow and clumsy, and her fingers couldn¡¯t get out of their own way when she tried to finish the second half of the skill.
Still, she was basically perfect with her right hand now, and could even maintain the skill for three complete revolutions.
After a decent number of double spin failures, Alisanne decided to change direction and focus instead on moving while keeping the skill active. That would probably be useful in more situations, like if she got pinned down by another ranged enemy like she had by that living painting inside the Ribs.
Activating [Twirling Block], Alisanne carefully took a breath and stepped forward, only for the skill to immediately get canceled on account of her club¡¯s balance getting thrown off. She tried again and again, ultimately managing to successfully slide her foot a few inches forward along the ground without deactivating the skill before the [Carriage Driver] called a return to the road.
That was good enough for now, progress-wise. Alisanne would have to practice more later. She wanted to be able to take at least ten steps before going into the Yew¡¯s Rise dungeon. Ideally she¡¯d get it to a point where she could move ¡°freely¡± with it active, but that was probably still a ways beyond her grasp.
But how long would that be true? With diligent practice, Alisanne knew she could improve. In fact, as she put her clubs away and got back into the carriage for the next leg of her journey, she decided that she¡¯d have it down by the time she reached Shontsdale, which was the final city of the dungeon circuit.
She settled into her seat and waited for it to start rolling once again. If, somehow, she managed to figure movement out faster than she expected, maybe she¡¯d even go back to trying to use both clubs at once again.
Forward momentum, that was the name of the game.
2.
Much like Old Narluc, Yew¡¯s Rise was close to a forest. Unlike Old Narluc, the forest leading to Yew¡¯s Rise was a thing of beauty and majesty. Towering old trees ¨C some so big around that they¡¯d take multiple minutes for Alisanne to jog around ¨C shared space with smaller ones, their branches splayed like hands reaching for the sky and their needle-leaves every shade of green imaginable.
In addition to the trees there were berry bushes that were heavy with red and purple berries. Some of the other adventurers scooped handfuls into their mouths when the carriage made an impromptu rest-stop to repair a cracked wheel, but Alisanne was wary of poison and refrained from joining them until a kitrekin adventurer who was originally from Yew¡¯s Rise assured her that they were safe.
¡°They¡¯re rumberries,¡± he explained, popping one into his mouth and closing his eyes to savor its flavor. A bit of juice dribbled down his chin. ¡°They¡¯re quite popular in Yew¡¯s Rise, though they tend to be baked or boiled into dishes first. Trust me, you¡¯ll regret it if you don¡¯t try a fresh one.¡±
Alisanne took his advice and was glad for it; the rumberry was pleasantly sweet, though it did leave an afterburn when she swallowed that made obvious the reason for the berry¡¯s namesake. Intensity-wise it was no match for the emberberries of Oar¡¯s Crest ¨C which could, under the right circumstances, literally allow you to breath flames for a few seconds ¨C but Alisanne didn¡¯t judge any of her fellow adventurers who started spluttering or gagging after trying more than a handful.
Unfortunately, the carriage¡¯s cracked wheel was simply the first logistical issue they ran into as they drew closer to Yew¡¯s Rise. Shortly after the city itself became visible in the distance, a bright collage of red and blue roofs nestled on the side of a small mountain just above the treeline, the carriage came to a stop unexpectedly.
Along with several of the other passengers, Alisanne readied one of her weapons on the slim chance that there were [Bandits] nearby. Such a thing in a place like this was extremely unlikely but it never hurt to be prepared for the worst and pleasantly surprised when it failed to pass.
The odds proved true in this case; it was not [Bandits] that approached the carriage in the following moments but instead a group of burly kitrekin [Lumberjacks]. At least, Alisanne assumed they were [Lumberjacks]; they were wearing flannel shirts and carrying large saws on their shoulders.
¡°Our apologies,¡± the leader of the group, a kitrekin with red fur, hollered, ¡°But the road up ahead is blocked. Big ole tree came down this morning, and it¡¯s going to take us a few days to get it cleared out of the way. Your passengers are welcome to use the lifts in our camp to get into the city, but it¡¯s a few miles from here and they¡¯re going to have to hoof it.¡±
Plenty of grumbling followed that, but Alisanne found that she didn¡¯t mind all that much. After so much riding in the carriage, it¡¯d be nice to get some exercise and walk a little bit. A few miles wouldn¡¯t be too bad, even carrying all her stuff.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
She was one of the first adventurers out, slinging her various bags onto her shoulders and setting off in the direction one of the [Lumberjacks] pointed out to her.
The road was crisp and well-maintained, with small decorative stones evenly spaced along its sides. Despite its gentle slope, Alisanne found the walk pleasant, and unlike her hurrying peers was in no rush to reach the [Lumberjack] camp.
Warm and friendly birdsong filled the air around her, and the [Fighter] took great solace in how cheerful it sounded. She quite liked birds, but only really ever got the chance to see crows in Oar¡¯s Crest, so she paused now and then to try and get a better look at the tiny creatures as they fluttered by over her head. Unfortunately they were too quick for her to properly identify them, but Alisanne didn¡¯t really mind. After the unsettling nature of the forest outside Old Narluc she was simply happy to be in a place that was calm and relatively normal.
When she got a bit deeper into the woods and saw the tree that was blocking their path she better understood why the road had been closed. It was bigger than the carriage was tall, and a veritable army of kitrekin [Lumberjacks] working in groups of two or three and armed with some of the biggest saws and axes Alisanne had ever seen. They pulled and pushed in unison, singing loudly while they chopped and split the massive tree into more manageable chunks.
Where there¡¯s wood there¡¯s work, or at least that¡¯s what they say
But in Yew¡¯s Rise we don¡¯t see it that way
Hopping from trunk to branch like we were born to live in trees is fun
And when we hold our saws steady, our work is quickly done
Aye lads, swing those axes, swing them good and hard
I¡¯d rather be in the forest than in my own front yard!
Where there¡¯s wood there¡¯s work, or at least that¡¯s what they say
But we kitrekins of Yew¡¯s Rise see it instead as play!
Alisanne came up to a pair of ginger kitrekins who had derpy expressions but worked fast enough to make her wonder if they perhaps shared some sort of telepathic link. Like [Twinspeak] or something similar¡or their perfect synchronicity didn¡¯t make much sense.She thought about asking, but just before she could one of them hollered, ¡°[Sprintstroke]!¡± and their pace quickened further, causing them both to begin panting for breath. Alisanne decided that she was better off leaving them to their work; her curiosity wasn¡¯t as important as what they were doing.
Just past them was a ladder of sorts made of large iron stakes that had been driven into the tree¡¯s side. Rivulets of golden sap dripped down to the ground and formed thick puddles, only to be collected into jars by another [Lumberjack] who was the sole kitrekin that looked like she wasn¡¯t having any fun that Alisanne could see.
She met Alisanne¡¯s eyes and shook her head. ¡°You break one little saw and you¡¯re on sap gathering duty for the next month. It¡¯s just not fair.¡±
Alisanne smiled kindly and grabbed the makeshift ladder to start climbing. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be back to chopping trees in no time.¡±
¡°Your lips to Gawain¡¯s ears,¡± the kitrekin grumbled, bending down to scoop some of the sap into her jar with the help of a long wooden spoon.
There were a few other kitrekins on the other side of the tree, and one of them was more than happy to point Alisanne in the direction of their camp. It was just another mile or so through the trees, he explained, and there was a nice clear path for Alisanne to follow.
Alisanne¡¯s shoulders were starting to ache from all her bags by the time she got to the camp, which was far bigger than she¡¯d been expecting. Really it was more of a settlement, with big permanent buildings and the signs of long use. The smells of campfire smoke, roasting meat, and alcohol were heavy in the air, and Alisanne marveled at the towering piles of logs stacked on the far side of the camp.
The occupants she could see were almost entirely kitrekins, but there were a few humans and salamanders too, and they sat shoulder to shoulder with the other [Lumberjacks], smiling and clapping each other on the back as they told bawdy jokes and munched on various types of food. Mostly scrambled eggs, as far as Alisanne could see.
There was a group of four or five adventurers standing next to a large wooden platform near a wide valley that led to a steep hill, and Alisanne joined them with a nod and a few pleasantries. They all looked tired and like they could use a bath, but to be fair Alisanne suspected she probably did too; while the journey had been far more pleasant than the one to Old Narluc, traveling still lacked the comforts of home.
Nobody seemed inclined to proper conversation, and so Alisanne and the rest of the adventurers simply loitered around waiting for further instructions.
A few awkward minutes later, a scrawny salamander carrying a thin saw that was almost as tall as he was walked over. He was smiling warmly, and gestured to the thick rope up over their heads that was wiggling like a snake.
¡°Platform should be along in a few minutes,¡± he said. ¡°You hear that hum in the trees? That¡¯s the sound the lift makes when it¡¯s getting close.¡±
¡°You expect us to trust this thing?¡± a human adventurer asked. ¡°It looks like it¡¯d snap if I jumped up and grabbed it.¡±
The salamander laughed. ¡°Aye, the first time I took the lift I thought the same thing. But fear not, lad, the rope is enchanted and won¡¯t snap even if all of you jump around on the lift like you¡¯re wild animals.¡±
He paused for a moment, then added, ¡°Though I wouldn¡¯t recommend that. If you jump around you might fall off and end up as some beastie¡¯s dinner.¡±
Laughing to himself, the salamander walked away, and sure enough a few minutes later the lift slid into view. It was a big raft made of logs, lashed together at both ends with rope that was the same color as the one it hung from, if a bit thinner. Two bands of metal braced its sides, providing the barest hint of a lip to hold its cargo in place.
Not much of a hedge against falling off, Alisanne thought darkly as she stepped onto the raft and was herded into the center by the lift¡¯s operator. Her heart leapt into her throat when the platform lurched into motion ¨C a vision of herself falling down into the valley flashed through her eyes ¨C but thankfully the lift stabilized after a few seconds and the ride was smooth after that.
The operator explained that they used the lifts to take logs up from the camp to the city, where they would be handled by the multitude of woodcraft guilds in the city.
¡°Best [Carpenters] on the continent live here in Yew¡¯s Rise,¡± the operator said, his voice filled with pride. ¡°You¡¯re all about to see some real masters of their craft, I tell you what.¡±
3.
Wooden buildings of all shapes and sizes as far as the eye could see greeted Alisanne when she stepped off the lift some time later. Some were ornate, with curved roofs and elaborately patterned walls while others were simply logs stacked atop each other with holes for windows carved out. The air smelled strongly of sawdust, and Alisanne could hear no fewer than a dozen songs playing from every direction.
Beyond that, there were people ¨C kitrekins mostly, with a decent number of humans too ¨C walking around with tools on their backs or belts. Yew¡¯s Rise was a working city, that much was clear, and Alisanne saw things many things for the first time as she followed the big signs directing adventurers to the local branch of the adventurer¡¯s guild.
The streets were somewhat narrower than she expected, but they were all perfectly straight and clean to boot. Carriages rolled along them slowly, almost all of them packed to the brim with various building materials.
At the sound of shouting, Alisanne stopped and looked to her right, where there seemed to be an auction of sorts happening in a large yard. Absolutely gigantic golden logs were stacked in a pyramid in the center, and a kitrekin wearing overalls and a silly hat stood atop it.
¡°Finest Blossomgold logs you¡¯ll see this year, buckos!¡± he cried, waving his arms madly. ¡°Freshly harvested from the northern groves and rated S-Rank by their [Archdruid]. I promise anything you make from these beauties will sell for five times your normal price. At a minimum! You might even be able to get ten times or more! This wood is just that good! Now, obviously such trees are extremely valuable, so let¡¯s go ahead and start the bidding at two platinums!¡±
A well-dressed human raised his arm, and then it was off to the races. By the time the auctioneer finally declared the first log sold the price had reached three and a half platinum fleurs. It was truly a staggering amount of money; Alisanne could hardly believe her ears. After all, a single platinum fleur was more than her entire family would earn in a decade, so the prospect of a tree costing three and a half times that was astonishing.
Just when she thought it couldn¡¯t get any crazier, the next tree, which must have been larger and thicker than the first, started its bidding at five platinum, and when the flurry of bidding on it was even higher than it¡¯d been for the previous one, Alisanne temporarily feared that her brain might actually explode.
Who could have guessed that people would pay such prices for wood of all things?!
¡°If this adventuring thing doesn¡¯t work out I should try and become a [Lumber Merchant], Alisanne thought. Those guys had to be absolutely rolling in fleurs, and while money wasn¡¯t the end of everything, it was nice to have coins in your pocket when you wanted to spend them.
Which, speaking of, there was a fruit stand a few blocks past the auction yard and she bought herself a small green apple-looking thing. It was cheap, but also pleasantly sour and refreshing. Much like the rumberries she¡¯d tried earlier, it left her mouth burning pleasantly, and Alisanne gave in to her temptation to go back and buy a handful more.
Unlike Old Narluc, Alisanne found herself thinking that it might be fun to actually get out and explore Yew¡¯s Rise a little bit. See what else there was to do ¨C and buy ¨C around the city after she checked in with the adventurer¡¯s guild.
The signs on the streets really were a nice touch, Alisanne thought, as she followed them to the wide and inviting entrance of the guildhall. A crowd of adventurers, their armor and weapons caked with mud and blood stood outside, grinning like fools as a towering salamander with a wooden prosthetic arm handed out bulging bags of coin.
¡°A fine hunt, lads! A fine hunt! It¡¯s not every day that an ironskinned behemoth gets brought down by such a ragtag bunch of ruffians! Now don¡¯t go wasting it all in less than a week, eh? We don¡¯t have another hunt till next month!¡±
The adventurers cheered, though Alisanne couldn¡¯t help but shake her head at the ways several shouted that they were planning to spend their money.
Past the celebration, there were a few more parties inside, talking together and studying maps on the long log tables that filled the guildhall. Here too the city¡¯s woodwork stood out, with immaculately polished tabletops that almost glowed when the light hit them through the hall¡¯s windows.
Alisanne made her way to the [Receptionist] desk and checked in, delivering Vera¡¯s goods while confirming her upcoming run and asking about accommodations. Much like Old Narluc, there was a list of inns with space for out of town adventurers, and while the rates were a little bit on the high side they weren¡¯t prohibitively expensive by any stretch of the imagination.
A map of the city in hand, Alisanne headed out, having decided to deposit her bags and gear before going out to enjoy the evening.
Interestingly, she couldn¡¯t help but notice that one name ¨C Sureclaw ¨C was all over the map. Whoever they were owned various trade buildings, workshops, and also both of the city¡¯s dungeons. The one Alisanne was going to be competing in, which was called ¡°Sureclaw¡¯s Toybox, was barely half the size of ¡°Sureclaw¡¯s Cedarcrown Workshop¡±.
Neither really sounded like proper dungeon names, but [Dungeon Masters] all had their own quirks and if things in the city were a family affair there might not have been a ton of flexibility available.
There was a market up ahead, and Alisanne briefly wandered through, admiring the variety of tools, intermediate trade goods, and trinkets for sale. But by far the coolest part were all the wooden golems. Almost every booth offered some for sale, which ranged in size from smaller than her hand to bigger than anybody she¡¯d ever met and offered a variety of services. There were a bunch designed for household assistance ¨C cooking, cleaning and mail collection were the most common ¨C to larger projects like construction, transportation, and personal protection.
Some were socketed with gemstones and others had veins of metal running up and down their limbs, but the majority were plain wood of various colors.
The [Merchants] and [Booth Owners] were all extremely friendly, offering to let Alisanne try any of the golems that caught her eye if she was so inclined. While she didn¡¯t have any interest in the big bodyguard golems on account of their cost, she did let a tiny golem with a music box in her chest run around her palm a bit. The tune it played was an old lullaby that she was quite fond of, and despite the fact that it cost fifteen silver fleurs Alisanne went ahead and bought it.
Fearing for her coinpurse if she stayed in the market, Alisanne hurried to the inn where she¡¯d be staying and checked in. Her room was bigger than the one she¡¯d had in Old Narluc, but not by much.
It had a small bed with a nicely decorated headboard, a couch barely big enough for two people, and a small bookshelf filled with shopping pamphlets from local craftsmen. Alisanne flipped through a couple, still stunned but less surprised by the prices listed for various goods. Apparently Yew¡¯s Rise was just an expensive place to live.
Though she¡¯d originally intended to go out and explore the city a bit more that evening, the sight of the dirt on her skin and the sad state of her hair made Alisanne decide that her actual first priority needed to be taking a bath.
By the time she felt human again it was starting to get late, and all the fatigue of traveling was starting to make its presence known. She¡¯d take a nice quiet night in instead and go explore tomorrow since her dungeon run wasn¡¯t for another two days.
Reclining on the little couch, Alisanne grabbed her Alrick novel and the pamphlets Theikal had given her, alternating between sword fights in which every stroke was described in painful levels of detail and diagrams for [Dodge Dance] that definitely needed more explanation than they¡¯d gotten.
Eventually she came to the realization that she¡¯d just read the same page for at least the fourth time, which meant that it was time for her to go to sleep.
DABB Interstitial 1 Chapter 3 (Part 2): Yews Rise
Warm sun and a cloudless blue sky greeted Alisanne the next morning when she left the inn. With the exception of a stop by the dungeon in the afternoon for a pre-run briefing hosted by the [Dungeon Master], the day was hers to spend how she liked and she was determined to explore Yew¡¯s Rise a bit more and see what it had to offer.
Armed with her clubs, a tourist¡¯s map provided by the adventurer guild, and a growling stomach, she marveled at the sights and looked for something to eat.
At first, she feared that finding food might be harder than she expected: signs of industry were everywhere around her and Alisanne didn¡¯t see a single restaurant in any direction for several blocks. Most of the shops were focused on woodcraft ¨C as was to be expected given everything else she¡¯d seen so far ¨C but among the mass of stained bowls, pieces of furniture with complex joinery, and hand-turned wooden pens there were also plenty of [Potters], [Smiths], and [Jewelers] offering their wares too.
The upscale nature of the businesses did contrast somewhat sharply with the average citizen Alisanne saw walking, who tended to be wearing thick and practical clothes that showed signs of heavy use. People wore saws and axes on their belts, or even on their backs the way adventurers did swords, and even a good number of children had loaded toolbelts around their waists.
She passed by a towering wooden pillar that was wrapped in thick rope and, oddly, covered in scratches. After seeing a few more in short order she decided they must have been rather common in Yew¡¯s Rise. Some were surrounded by long, luxurious platforms securely bolted to nearby buildings, and Alisanne saw a few citizens ¨C primarily kitrekins ¨C lounging atop them and reveling in the sunshine. They looked comfortable, but the lack of stairs or a ladder leading up, or more importantly, down, gave Alisanne pause on trying to make her way up to one of the unoccupied ones. Maybe after she found something to eat.
Which, speaking of, she followed her nose to a small cafe where for a single silver fleur a [Cook] in a dirty-apron served her a plate of eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns that was as big as her torso with four slices of toast thick enough to stop an arrow on the side. The food was cheesy and greasy beyond belief, but probably even more delicious as a result, and Alisanne suspected she wouldn¡¯t need to eat lunch ¨C or maybe even dinner ¨C given how full she was at the end.
After pausing to watch a group of kitrekins work on a large wooden sculpture of something that was either a large fish or a poorly shaped tree, or possibly some combination of the two, Alisanne continued on.
Other details of the city stood out as she walked, like the elaborate murals that looked like they were painted but were actually made of wood. According to a passerby she asked, they were examples of marquetry, a craft that used different bits of wood veneer to make a larger picture. There were, apparently, several workshops in the city that specialized in said craft, and sold smaller versions of the mural images in addition to other original work.
Alisanne made a mental note of the shop names, resolving to buy a piece for her ma, who loved that type of thing, and headed toward a small park she could see in the distance.
The park was nice, with a large sand garden in the center that could be raked or re-organized by visitors. Alisanne used a rake to make a few snaking paths, decided she didn¡¯t have the patience or desire to make more, and then spent the next fifteen minutes or so on a nearby bench listening to the songs of the various little birds who called the park their home.
After another delicious meal ¨C as it turned out, walking around for a few hours did stimulate the appetite ¨C Alisanne followed the signs pointing to the Toy Box and found herself standing in a large crowd of adventurers outside. The conversation was light and snappy, and filled with actionable insights Alisanne fully intended to take advantage of. Like the fact that this dungeon, like Crestheart, had guides for sale, though they weren¡¯t particularly detailed.
A clock somewhere struck the hour that the meeting was supposed to start, but nothing happened. The adventurers fell silent, and an uncomfortable feeling filled the air. Where was the [Dungeon Master]? Why was she late?
The answer arrived some minutes later, when a buzzing sound above Alisanne¡¯s head got her attention. She looked up just in time to see a blurred form whiz by on a rope much like the one that had carried her on the lift into town.
The [Dungeon Master] ¨C or at least, that¡¯s who Alisanne hoped it was ¨C let go of the rope and landed on the stage near the dungeon¡¯s door, raising her arms into the air and delivering a hearty bow. She was a broadly built kitrekin with shaggy brown fur, and her toolbelt was so full Alisanne feared it would snap at any second. One of her paws was wrapped with bandages, and she tucked it behind her back before she started to speak.
¡°Welcome to Yew¡¯s Rise, adventurers,¡± she shouted. Her voice was gritty but not unkind. ¡°My name is Amity Sureclaw, and I¡¯m the [Dungeon Master] of the Toy Box. I¡¯m excited for you all to challenge my dungeon, as so many of your peers already have done. While I don¡¯t want to give you too many hints and spoil the fun, allow me to give you all a brief introduction to what you can expect. How¡¯s that sound?¡±
Alisanne added her voice to the rising cheer all around her, and the [Dungeon Master] waited for it to die away completely before resuming her spiel.
¡°The Toybox is a three floored dungeon. Normally the layout of those three floors changes randomly every day, but in order to be compliant with the union¡¯s rules regarding fair challenge, there are a few standardized layouts that we¡¯re using instead. Details on all of these can be found in the dungeon guides you may or may not already be aware of, which are for sale in the office across the way.¡±
She pointed to a building with a yellow awning, which was both the ¡°Dungeon Office¡± and ¡°Gift Shop¡± according to the signs in its windows.
¡°Now, as I understand it, during your last dungeon challenge you were tasked with showing off your Faith. My dungeon also tests one of your primary stats, but instead of Faith I am interested in Wit. After all, that is the virtue we citizens of Yew¡¯s Rise value above all others. We are a city of builders, dedicated to finding the best ways of preserving the traditions we¡¯ve inherited from our forebears while also growing and solving new problems. I¡¯m sure that you have seen some of our golems at work in the city, and so I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be surprised to hear that they¡¯ll play a role in the dungeon as well. You might be thinking¡how? Let me explain
¡°When you enter the Toy Box, you will be given a {Golem Core} and a choice of three bodies to socket it into. The golem will accompany you from room to room and will be crucial for opening certain doors or accessing specific areas. Defeating minions or solving the puzzles inside each room will allow you to select new parts to upgrade your golem. Now, don¡¯t worry if you¡¯re better at breaking things than building them, each room is equipped with a modification bench that will handle all of the details of upgrading your golem. Your only job is to pick the best parts.¡±
¡°How do we know what the best parts are?¡± an adventurer in the crowd yelled, and the [Dungeon Master held up her injured paw to quell the ensuing chorus of similar questions.
¡°For ease of understanding, the dungeon golem uses three stats of its own. Strength, Durability, and Speed. Each part will offer some value of one or more of those stats, and you can decide what you want to optimize for as you navigate the dungeon. More details are available in the dungeon guides, and the golems themselves inside the dungeon offer further explanation as well.¡±
Another question from the crowd: ¡°What will we do if the golem breaks? Or even just a part of it?¡±
The [Dungeon Master] smiled and said, ¡°Your golem will play a key role in beating the dungeon, so if any part of your golem is destroyed during your run, the broken piece will be replaced by the base version of that part. Should your entire golem be destroyed, you will be given another {Golem Core} and a second copy of the initial body shape you chose. No matter what, you will have a golem with you in the dungeon¡¯s final room. Everyone understand?¡±
Alisanne started thinking. A golem assistant in the dungeon? What stat should she focus hers on? Assuming that the stats all meant what their names implied ¨C which wasn¡¯t always the case with artificial stats, to be fair ¨C probably Strength? Depending on the types of challenges she ended up facing, maybe Durabilitty?
She¡¯d have to read more and do some thinking before her run. To that end, she started sidling closer to the dungeon office/gift shop to get ahead of the crowd while continuing to listen to the [Dungeon Master]¡¯s speech.
¡°Should you manage to complete the dungeon¡¯s final room successfully, you will be entitled to an entry-level golem from my own personal workshop, or the equivalent fleur value of eighty silvers. For convenience and speed we ask that you let me or one of my assistants know your preference before your run begins. If you¡¯re unsure and would like to see what the golems are capable of, there¡¯s a collection of them in the workshop next to the dungeon. Best of luck on your runs, adventurers! I look forward to seeing how many of you manage to defeat the Toy Box!¡±
Before the kitrekin was even finished speaking, Alisanne was heading to go buy her guide. She felt the crowd stir behind her a few seconds later, their bodies turning like one as the masses realized that whatever they knew about the dungeon aside it was probably for the best for them to brush up a bit more on the details.
She was the first person into the dungeon office-slash-gift shop and ignored the variety of wooden statuettes on the shelves along the wall. She hurried to the counter, grabbed a guide, and handed her coins to the increasingly scared [Receptionist], who looked wholly unprepared to handle the absolute swarm of adventurers that burst through the door and filled the place to bursting.
Feeling for a moment like she was in a dungeon, Alisanne dodged and danced around her peers on her way out, careful not to get sliced by any errant exposed blades. Something almost like a rhythm formed in the back of her skull as she did it, but it vanished into nothing as soon as she was outside.
After a moment¡¯s consideration, Alisanne decided to head back to the inn for the afternoon. She wanted to do some reading and some thinking. While walking, Alisanne flipped through the guide. It wasn¡¯t particularly impressive. The paper was thin and flimsy, and the printing was splotchy and weak. Some words were missing entirely.
¡°It¡¯s nothing at all like the ones back home,¡± she said as she flipped past what was supposed to be a diagram of a common type of trap inside the Toy Box that was nothing more than a large black square in the middle of a page.
Disgusted, she closed the guide back up and tucked it into her pocket. Clearly she hadn¡¯t realized how good she¡¯d had it back in Oar¡¯s Crest, and Alisanne made a mental note to thank Mister Torres for all of his efforts. His guides were veritable works of art compared to the one here.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Still, she hoped she¡¯d be able to glean some interesting insights from the bit on the golem parts at the very least, and maybe get some hints for how to tackle the puzzles she was sure to encounter inside. After all, a dungeon that was focused on Wit was unlikely to be filled with anything else.
Back at the inn, Alisanne closed the guide once again and leaned back in her chair. Shutting her eyes, she thought through what she¡¯d just read and started trying to put together a cogent plan about how she¡¯d tackle the toybox.
The golems were simple but their role was complicated. They were both a permanent ally that could be controlled with simple voice commands and a hindrance that needed to be protected in every room. Her job, according to the guide was to ¡°Escort¡± the golem to the final room, where it would assist her in her bout against the de facto [Dungeon Champion], which was also a golem.
There were some rooms the golem would need to ¡°solve¡±, and her job as the challenging adventurer was to make sure that none of the dungeon minions destroyed it while that process, whatever it was, happened, lest she ¡°fail¡± the room. Alisanne didn¡¯t know what that exactly meant because the guide didn¡¯t explain it beyond those terms, but she could bodyguard a golem for a while if that was what she had to do.
The section on the golem¡¯s body parts was similarly underdeveloped. The parts themselves were divided into four different subtypes that corresponded to various parts of the body. Heads, chestplates, arms, and legs. Each part could have a primary stat and a secondary stat, but there was little description of what those stats did beyond the obvious implications of their names.
In fact, the more she read about them, the more it seemed that the stats were simply there to serve as point aggregators; the dungeon would measure if a golem had a high enough score of a given stat before allowing certain things to happen, like unlocking doors or chests.
She¡¯d have to figure out if there were any benefits beyond that once she got inside, but Alisanne couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit deflated at the fact that there wasn¡¯t much to analyze. The guide really wasn¡¯t worth that much ¨C heck, a reasonably short conversation with another adventurer who¡¯d gone through the dungeon would have probably been just as instructive, if not more so ¨C and she halfheartedly wanted her fleurs back.
WIth that done, she got her [Fighter] manual back out and spent the rest of the afternoon reading through it once again, looking for a new skill she could try and learn to help herself through the dungeon.
One caught her eye. It was called [Cartwheel Kicksmash], and the description made it sound simple enough that Alisanne thought she had a decent chance of picking it up with a few hours of practice.
Admittedly it had been a while since she¡¯d last done cartwheels, but after a few awkward falls and failures her body remembered the way to best carry its momentum and she started trying to get her foot to slam down hard enough for the skill to trigger.
It didn¡¯t take long for the [Innkeeper] to knock on her door and ask her to be quiet on account of complaints from other patrons, but the woman was kind about it and told Alisanne there was a park nearby where she could practice to her heart¡¯s content.
Apologizing for the ruckus, Alisanne followed the [Innkeeper]¡¯s directions to a small, rocky square. There were a few heavily battered training dummies evenly spaced throughout it, and Alisanne took that to mean she wasn¡¯t the only adventurer who¡¯d come to practice her techniques.
Out of habit and for good measure she went through a warm up with her clubs, activating [Kinetic Tempo] and striking the dummies until her hands started to feel warm. Then it was back to trying to learn [Cartwheel Kicksmash], aided once again by the freshly battered dummies.
When her first few efforts didn¡¯t manifest results, Alisanne found herself wondering if she needed more momentum. She took a few steps back, got a bit of a running start, and then threw herself into a cartwheel as hard as she could. As she started to bring her foot down insight flashed through her mind ¨C it needs a slide! ¨C and after landing a solid kick on the dummy¡¯s head, she slammed her foot down to the ground and pumped her fist when a notification appeared before her eyes.
[Congratulations! You can now use the skill Cartwheel Kicksmash!]
She dismissed it and paused, taking a sip of water from the nearby fountain. It was late afternoon now, and while it wasn¡¯t exactly hot it was warm enough that she found herself looking for a bit of shade to sit in.
¡°That¡¯s quite the skill you¡¯ve just learned,¡± a voice behind her said, and Alisanne spun around to see Bentley standing just outside the park. He was smiling and waved at her, and Alisanne became acutely aware of the sweat on her brow and the fact that her hair was probably a mess.
¡°How¡¯d you know I learned a skill?¡±
¡°Your entire body quivered mid-air on that last one, and then you System tranced right after,¡± the [Wandering Knifesman] said with a shrug. ¡°One doesn¡¯t have to be a genius to put two and two together. How¡¯d you do in the Ribs?¡±
¡°Got knocked out by a stupid leech monster,¡± Alisanne said with a shrug of her own. ¡°How about you?¡±
¡°I managed to get to the [Dungeon Champion] but didn¡¯t win. He dragged me into some kind of pocket dimension and attacked me with every deeply held fear I¡¯ve ever had. I had to duel a gigantic version of my older sister¡¯s teddy bear and a six-eyed vein ripper at the same time. Got surrounded by pickled onions too. It was awful.¡±
Alisanne smiled. ¡°Pickled onions?! Pickled. Onions?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that! They¡¯re scary. Or at least my mom¡¯s were. She had this spice she liked to add to them for some reason, so the sweetness of the onion would get jarringly messed up by this like dragonfire-level burn.¡±
He paused, then shook his head. ¡°Anyways, the onions aren¡¯t important. When¡¯s your run through the Toy Box?¡±
¡°Tomorrow.¡±
¡°Oh? Me too. It¡¯s weird that we keep lining up like that, eh?¡±
There was something in the way that he said it that made the back of Alisanne¡¯s neck feel a bit warmer than it should have, and all she could say was, ¡°I guess.¡±
Bentley swallowed and coughed into his fist with his eyes closed. A moment later he opened his eyes back up and said, ¡°Since you learned your skill are you done practcing? Or were you going to keep going for a while?¡±
¡°I hadn¡¯t quite decided yet,¡± Alisanne admitted. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Well,¡± he said, squaring his shoulders and looking her in the eye. ¡°If you¡¯re not planning to stay, I was wondering if you¡¯d like to join me for dinner. My treat, of course.¡±
Alisanne thought for a moment ¨C long enough for her heart to hammer half a dozen times in rapid succession ¨C and then nodded. ¡°Let me get cleaned up first? I¡¯m a bit of a mess.¡±
Visibly relaxing, Bentley nodded and said, ¡°I think you look fine, but do as you¡¯d like. I¡¯ll wait here until you return.¡±
Alisanne hurried back to the inn and went through her clothes in a panic. While she¡¯d brought plenty of outfits, they were all for traveling, training, and completing dungeon runs. She didn¡¯t have anything suitable for dates, and this was a date, right?
Obviously!
She really should have predicted something like this, she thought as she fussed with a top and wondered if she could make it into a cute outfit with a pair of training shorts she had in the bottom of her bag. Romance was legendarily common for adventurers on the road.
She held up her top and shorts in front of the mirror and studied it. It was fine but not great; the clothes were too plain for a date but it was the best she could do, and so it would have to suffice.
After changing and fixing her hair, Alisanne returned to the park and rejoined Bentley.
¡°That was quicker than I expected,¡± the [Wandering Knifesman] said. ¡°You look very nice.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Alisanne said awkwardly. ¡°Where were you thinking of going?¡±
¡°Well, that depends in part on you. Are there any foods you particularly dislike?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a huge fan of fish,¡± Alisanne said.
Bentley smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid that rules out some of the nicest places in the city. Kitrekins, as you can imagine, a huge fans of fish. That¡¯s fine though. There¡¯s lots of other options.¡±
¡°You seem rather familiar with Yew¡¯s Rise,¡± Alisanne said. ¡°Been here before?¡±
¡°I actually lived here for a few years,¡± Bentley said. ¡°It was right after I left home. Before I was a [Wandering Swordsman] I was a [Lumberjack]. Eventually I decided that I didn¡¯t want to cut down trees for the rest of my life.¡±
They stopped to let a heavily-laden carriage pass by before continuing and Alisanne said, ¡°Where¡¯d you live before coming here?¡±
¡°I grew up in a small village called Emberine. It¡¯s near the base of Saltshine mountain. Do you know where that is?¡±
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Alisanne admitted that she didn¡¯t, but Bentley didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°It¡¯s pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and almost everyone who can manage it leaves as soon as they¡¯re old enough.¡±
Now that was something Alisanne recognized. ¡°Same for Oar¡¯s Crest. Most of my friends want to get out as soon as they can. Go live in New Sally, or Teckintott, or even Bardis.¡±
¡°Eh. Big cities are overrated,¡± Bentley said. ¡°Of those three Bardis is probably the nicest, but it¡¯s still not a place I¡¯d like to live. Here, turn right. The restaurant is down this way. It¡¯s the spinning disc over there.¡±
He pointed to a large pillar down the street, and sure enough there was a great wooden disc rotating slowly a dozen feet in the air.
¡°Don¡¯t let the spinning bother you,¡± Bentley said. ¡°It¡¯s slow enough that you won¡¯t even feel it. Come on.¡±
There was another platform beneath the disc, and it took Alisanne and Bentley up inside.
The restaurant was decorated nicely, with dark colors and an open kitchen where [Chefs] and [Cooks] ¨C it was sometimes hard to tell the difference between the two ¨C prepared food over open flames and in wood-fired stoves.
Their table was big and glossy, though the menus were not. Given the prices they were charging on said menu ¨C while most dishes were listed in silvers a few of the most expensive items were marked in golds! ¨C Alisanne thought they probably could have afforded to make the menus look a bit nicer.
That aside, Alisanne now had to navigate the maze that was deciding on a meal. Since it was Bentley¡¯s treat it technically didn¡¯t matter what she ordered, but her parents had raised her right and so she picked a few different options at varying price points with the intent of picking one that was close to, and ideally a little cheaper than whatever Bentley ordered for himself.
Of course her plan wouldn¡¯t work if she ended up needing to order first, but that was the kind of unavoidable coin flip that happened in life sometimes.
Their [Server], a towering kitrekin with black and white fur that matched her outfit came over and asked if they¡¯d like anything to drink before their meal.
¡°I¡¯ll have a Blossomgold Sour,¡± Bentley said.
¡°Excellent, and for the lady?¡±
Alisanne hurried to look at the drink menu. A blossomgold sour was a whiskey drink that was mixed with blossomgold syrup and sparkling water.
¡°I¡¯ll have one of those too,¡± she said, thinking of the kitrekin she¡¯d seen gathering sap before coming into the city. She wondered if that was the sap they used to make the syrup.
With a deep bow, the server left, leaving Alisanne and Bentley to small talk while she went to get their drinks. The conversation was light and friendly, and Alisanne found herself laughing far more than she¡¯d expected. Bentley was funny and interesting, and he ordered first when the [Server] came back which made Alisanne¡¯s life a lot easier.
The food was good ¨C though more than a little overpriced relative to its quality ¨C and the drink, which consisted of golden syrup swirls tangled around ice cubes, was sweet and refreshing.
They talked about adventuring, and dungeon sports, and books they¡¯d read. Alisanne was pleased to discover that Bentley liked Alrick novels almost as much as she did.
It was a lovely meal, and when they were done, Bentley walked Alisanne back to the inn and bid her a good night.
¡°Best of luck in your run tomorrow,¡± he said with another winning smile.
¡°Thanks,¡± Alisanne said. ¡°You too.¡±
Then, feeling rather bold, she added, ¡°I had a nice time, Bentley. Maybe we can do something like this again in Amespool or Shontsdale.¡±
¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± the [Wandering Knifesman] said. ¡°Until then, Miss Henret.¡±
Alisanne watched him walk away, dozens of stories she¡¯d read over the years crystallizing for her in a way they never had before.
And then, after taking a few deep breaths and pushing some new and somewhat uncomfortable thoughts to the back of her mind, Alisanne went upstairs to her room and did her best to fall asleep.
The next day she was going to challenge the Toy Box.
The next day she was going to win.
DABB Interstitial 1 Chapter 3 (Part 3): Yews Rise Dungeon Fight
Alisanne paced back and forth outside the Toybox the next morning, her clubs in her hands and her heart racing. She¡¯d slept well the night before and had felt good upon waking, but now that her run was imminent she found herself growing more anxious with each passing second.
Taking deep breaths didn¡¯t help, nor did counting to a hundred, thinking of the people around her in their underwear, or any of the other idiotic tricks she¡¯d been taught for managing her nerves since she was a child. Every step, every passing second, every run that ended in success or failure ¨C as judged by the chorus of cheers and jeers coming from somewhere close by ¨C spiked her stress levels and left her wondering how close she was to the point where she might as well go find a bar and throw down a few drinks before going into the dungeon. If she was guaranteed to lose anyway she might as well feel good doing it.
She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, and saw a trio of well-dressed people carrying clipboards walk past. They were involved in some sort of serious conversation, and Alisanne only heard snippets of what they were saying. However, given the way they talked about ¡°bigger circuits¡±, ¡°a painful lack of star power¡±, ¡°no way the bosses will be happy if we add these losers to our stables¡±, she inferred that they were dungeon sport [Scouts], or possibly even [Agents] who were there on the lookout for new talent.
[Scouts] and [Agents]. Like anyone who hung out in the adventurer¡¯s guild and participated in dungeon runs knew, these were the secret People Who Made Things Happen. Like [Cosmic Forgemasters], they gave birth to stars ¨C albeit of a different variety ¨C and were as ruthless as bloodthirsty sharks. They were secretive, quasi-mystical beings, who wrote strange symbols that were indistinguishable from the runes of any [Wizard] and were blessed with vision unlike that of regular people. Unlike [Prophets] or [Fortune Tellers], who merely saw the future, [Agents] and [Scouts] shaped it.
Alisanne nearly broke out into laughter. Thirty seconds before she¡¯d thought her stress levels had been as high as it was possible for them to go. Oh, how wrong she¡¯d been!
Fighting back the urge to go find a nice quiet alley somewhere to master the art of projectile vomiting ¨C why wasn¡¯t that a skill in any of her manuals?! ¨C Alisanne watched the [Scouts] and/or [Agents] talk to a few adventurers outside the dungeon.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when somebody tapped her on the shoulder and turned around as quickly as she could.
A small, slightly overweight man with spiky black hair was standing in front of her with a big grin on his face and a business card in his hands.
¡°Hello, miss,¡± he said in a somewhat raspy voice. ¡°Are you Alisanne Henret by chance? From Oar¡¯s Crest?¡±
Alisanne nodded.
¡°My name is Doyle Nimaton,¡± the man said, ¡°and I¡¯m a Probationary [Agent] from Colmere. My agency represents Pierre St. Drod, another adventurer from your city.¡±
He paused, as if expecting Alisanne to know who that was, and then doubled down by hopefully adding, ¡°You know, the [Balloonbarian]? Master of the [Popsplosive Mace]?! He¡¯s the number three adventurer in the Colmere Bronze dungeon circuit.¡±
Alisanne nodded awkwardly. None of that was ringing any bells. ¡°That¡¯s¡quite good?¡±
Doyle deflated ever so slightly, his shoulders drooping for a split second before he rallied. ¡°Indeed! Pierre has been one of our best adventurers and he¡¯s got a bright career ahead of him, no doubt. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be a household name across the continent in a year or so. Anyways, the reason I¡¯m here today is to look for more promising talent, and my boss and I believe Oar¡¯s Crest is a veritable untapped mine of potentially great adventurers. As such, I¡¯ll be watching your run with great interest! Should you emerge victorious, perhaps we can talk further about other circuit opportunities and events in the future!¡±
Once again he fell silent, and Alisanne was proud of herself for not punching him then and there. Instead, she clenched her jaw into what she hoped was a smile and forced herself to nod as she tucked his card into her pocket.
¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± she said, surprised by how stiff her voice sounded in her ears.
¡°Excellent! Best of luck on your run!¡±
Alisanne watched the Probationary [Agent] walk away, cursing him under her breath for going ahead and adding even more expectation to her shoulders before she went into the Toy Box. Of course she wanted to emerge victorious from the stupid dungeon, but now she felt extra obligated, and that sucked!
At least the frustration elbowed some of the nervousness out of her mind, and when it was finally her turn to enter the dungeon Alisanne walked in with her head held high. The wait was over; her nerves would be back to normal as soon as she was four strikes into a combo on some monster trying to knock her out.
Gawain please, let there be some monster trying to do that in the first room.
She took the offered {Golem Core} from the [Dungeon Attendant] ¨C a surly young kitrekin who absolutely did not look like he wanted to be there ¨C and stepped inside. It was a small crystal cube, covered in carved, glowing symbols. It was heavier than its size would have otherwise suggested, and while Alisanne wouldn¡¯t have ever dared do so, seemed sturdy enough to resist breaking if she threw it on the ground with all her strength.
The heavy door shut behind her and locked, followed a second later by a series of golden crystals coming to life one after another. Alisanne looked from left to right. She was in a small, circular room, and the way the ground beneath her boots looked reminded her of a clock.
Alas, there was no monster here to fight, but just like [Dungeon Master] Sureclaw had explained there were three empty golem bodies in the center of the room. One was humanoid, one looked like a dog or big cat, and one was wayyyy too reminiscent of a spider for Alisanne¡¯s tastes. She ruled that one out entirely before she even went and looked at the plaques in front of each.
The humanoid model was named ¡®The Wanderer¡¯, and it was apparently the Strength golem. It had ten points of that, and only one point of Speed and Durability each. The dog ¨C Alisanne liked dogs more than cats ¨C model was ¡®The Follower¡¯, and its stat spread was the same as the Wanderer¡¯s, albeit biased toward Durability instead of Strength. The spider, also known as ¡®The Hunter¡¯ was instead focused on Speed, and above them all was a sign with some more food for thought.
It said:
There are many rooms inside the Toy Box, many games you can choose to play
But it¡¯s up to you to decide which of these golems makes you say
¡®This is who I choo, even if it¡¯s not who I¡¯ll always be, for right now
This is the closest one to me¡¯
So are you Strong, or are you Quick, or can you take a Hit?
Do you like to fight? Trust your sight? Or are you full of Wit?
Choose now, wisely!
Choose now, pick!
Alisanne read the poem twice more, trying to see if there was some sort of hint hiding in the number of capitalized letters or some other such nonsense ¨C she¡¯d seen such things many times in various Alrick novels ¨C but if there was it eluded her.
Deciding that she wasn¡¯t missing any sort of obvious message in the text, Alisanne looked at the three ¨C or more realistically, two ¨C golem options and thought about which one to pick. Was she more of a Strength person or a Durability person? What did those even properly mean? Did it even matter? The guide hadn¡¯t made any real differences between the golems clear, and she suspected that she was partially, if not mostly, simply choosing for aesthetic reasons.
In that case, it was a no-brainer: she picked the Follower golem and inserted the core into the perfectly sized slot on the creature¡¯s back. It socketed into place with a satisfying snap and the golem shuddered to life. At the same time, the floor beneath her rumbled and the walls began to spin, revealing a door that hadn¡¯t previously been there.
Alisanne looked into the golem¡¯s dark, dull eyes, and motioned for it to follow her as she started walking toward the newly visible door.
It stayed put, and Alisanne swore. Right, it needed verbal directions.
¡°Alright, follow me and stay close,¡± she said.
The golem crossed the distance between them in a few leaping steps, stopping when it was a mere few inches away from her back.
¡°Not that close,¡± Alisanne said. ¡°Back up a bit.¡±
It scooted back another few inches, and Alisanne realized that she was going to have to be a lot more specific if she didn¡¯t want to lose her mind dealing with this thing.
¡°Keep going. Make sure that there¡¯s a few feet ¨C no, make that six to ten feet of distance between us at all times unless the layout or threats of a given room make that impossible.¡±
The golem didn¡¯t respond or react, but it did as she asked.
Readying her clubs for anything, Alisanne opened the door to the next room of the Toy Box and stepped through it. She was greeted immediately by a pair of wooden humanoids wielding wooden axes and trying to split her in half with them with heavy overhead strikes.
Sidestepping one blow, and then the other, Alisanne activated [Kinetic Tempo] and lunged forward, striking back with her clubs as best she could. Her blows bounced off the bodies of her foes, and she slid around to the nearer foes back to try and knock them down.
As she did so, a panel on the creature¡¯s back fell open, and a boxing glove on a spring shot out and hit her squarely between the eyes. Alisanne fell back, swearing.
A quick check with her hand confirmed that her nose was indeed bleeding, but it didn¡¯t seem broken and Alisanne wiped herself off the best she could as she dodged another strike and got back to her feet.
This was most definitely not starting off all that well, she thought, raising her clubs and trying to think up a strategy to take down the creatures. Maybe she could sweep their legs or something?
Standing a few feet apart, they moved toward her again with their weapons raised and ready. Something about the space between them gave Alisanne an idea.
Instead of backing up, as her first instinct urged her to do, she ran forward and stood between her enemies. As expected, they both turned toward her and brought their weapons down with terrifying speed.
Of course, since they were both standing in the way of the other¡¯s blows, their axes did Alisanne¡¯s work for her. The creatures collapsed to the ground, their heads nearly split in two.
The room rumbled, and a small bed with three different wooden heads appeared on the far side. Alisanne walked over to it, and saw each of them offered different stats.
The first offered three additional points of Durability, the second offered two but also included a point of Strength, and the third offered one point of Durability, Strength, and Speed. Alisanne grabbed the first one, thought it over a bit more, and then grabbed the one that offered all three stats instead. The way she figured it, she was likely to need combinations of different stats as she went through the dungeon, and would only be hurting herself by focusing only on Durability. Everyone knew that people who spent all their time and energy maximizing just one stat came to bad ends, and while dungeons were not real life Alisanne suspected that some similar principles still applied.
¡°Would you like to install that part on your golem?¡± a voice from the ceiling asked, and Alisanne nodded.
¡°In that case, press the button next to the hammer symbol and stay calm. You will not be in any danger until you enter the next room.¡±
Alisanne did as instructed, and a loud beeping sound came from the bed. Her golem walked over to it and lay down, like it was going to take a little nap. A pair of wooden hands swung down from the ceiling, and yanked her golem¡¯s head off with absolutely zero hesitation or ceremony. It popped the new head back on and twisted it, retreating into the sky when the job was done.
A few moments later, the golem stood back up and returned to its place a few feet away from Alisanne and they continued on.
The second room was much like the first in terms of design, but this time Alisanne found herself beset by a half dozen wooden rats that were nearly half her height. They rolled around on wheels, and Alisnne defeated them by leading them to the large circles on the floor, which were pressure plates and dropped large cages down onto them.
Her reward was a choice between six different paw pieces, which added the new dimension of parts containing negative stat modifiers like the one that would have offered her five points of Speed in exchange for giving up four points of Durability.
There were also two parts that offered three points of Durability for a cost of three points of Strength or Speed, respectively.
Alisanne looked up at the ceiling. ¡°Uh, can I ask a question? What happens if my golem goes negative on any given stat?¡±
¡°Golems are not allowed to drop below zero points on any of their three stats,¡± the voice answered. ¡°Otherwise they will cease to function.¡±
Crud. She¡¯d figured it would have been something like that, but it still wasn¡¯t good to hear. Feeling somewhat paranoid and committing herself to only picking parts with a downside of the upside really justified it, Alisanne selected a part that gave her another point in Durability and Strength, had it installed, and continued on.
The third room was filled with hanging ladders that swung back and forth like pendulums in all directions, and the floor was covered by a series of orange-tipped pillars. Alisanne remembered that such things were ¡°instant kill¡± hazards ¨C she¡¯d heard plenty of complaining about them back in Oar¡¯s Crest, when [Dungeon Master] Vales had added some to Crestheart ¨C and so she stood still for some time, watching the ladders swing back and forth.
On the far side of the room was a big green button, and it was pretty obvious that her job was to get across without touching the de facto spikes. Given the number of swinging ladders, there were a ton of different ¡°paths¡± that she could follow to do such a thing, but eventually Alisanne found one that only required her to ride on three different ladders instead of four or five.
Jumping from one swinging thing to another was pretty common in dungeons, so Alisanne wasn¡¯t particularly scared as she tucked her clubs away and raised her arms overhead to wait for the ladder she wanted to catch. She¡¯d done similar things dozens of times before, and was confident in both her grip strength and her endurance to make it across.
The ladder rung felt good in her hands when she grabbed it, and other than a moment of discomfort as her feet were lifted off the ground, Alisanne felt fine as the ladder swung upwards. However, when it reached the apex of its rise, Alisanne saw something up near the ceiling that made her wonder if her plan was really wise. Small dark spheres were suspended by wires there, and there was something about the way they swayed back and forth that made Alisanne suspicious.
Instead of simply moving forward and hoping for the best, Alisanne began climbing the ladder. It was much harder than it would have otherwise been on account of the swinging, but Alisanne managed to pull herself up until she saw that she was close to a platform that hadn¡¯t been visible from the ground.
Jumping free, Alisanne caught the platform¡¯s edge and held on for what felt like a long time before pulling herself up. She silently thanked the older adventurers back home who¡¯d stressed that nothing but a complete mastery of one¡¯s own bodyweight would suffice when it came to navigating dungeons. It was shocking how often an adventurer ended up dangling over a cliff, they said, and Alisanne couldn¡¯t help but be amazed that they¡¯d been so right.
She took some time to rest and catch her breath, then got back up and walked across the platform. The hanging sphere closest to her started vibrating, and when she was only a few feet away its cord snapped.
Pieces of wood whirling and twirling, the sphere turned into a convincing bat-thing and flew towards her. Alisanne reacted quickly and yanked her clubs free. Thankfully, the ability to transform appeared to come with a cost for the bat; it was flimsy and broke under the impact of a few solid blows.
Moving slowly, Alisanne moved forward, dealing with each bat one by one. The platform she was on went all the way to the far side of the room, and Alisanne saw that with a bit of creative acrobatics, she could maybe find a way down to the ground without the need to go all the way back and use the ladders to cross as she¡¯d originally planned. That was a relief.
Some classes had a skill for sliding down walls ¨C it was, aptly, named [Wall Slide] ¨C but [Fighter] was not one of them. What it did have, though, was [Steady Legs], which meant that so long as she crossed her clubs in front of her body as she went through said acrobatics she could improve her balance and hopefully avoid falling or injury.
That did mean she¡¯d have to jump off the platform though, and so after activating her skill, Alisanne put her best foot forward and went for it.
She hit the wall and twisted, her legs barely registering the impact, and launched herself at the nearest ladder. This too she kicked herself away from, hoping to arrest some of her downward momentum. Unfortunately she¡¯d misjudged her angle a little bit so it didn¡¯t do as much as she¡¯d originally hoped, but from the ladderside Alisanne was able to fall to the ground without getting hurt. Nor did she hit any of the instant kill pillars, so her plan had worked as far as she¡¯d been concerned.
Hitting the button caused all the pillars to retreat into the ground, and stopped the ladders from swinging as well. It also revealed another platform with a treasure chest inside it, and Alisanne collected a small wooden statue for her troubles.
The statue was marked with a tag that said ¡°Your golem can carry this statue for you, and it can be exchanged for ten silver fleurs at the dungeon office following the completion of your run.¡±
Huh. That was nifty. Alisanne waited for her golem to make its way across the now-clear floor and held the statue out. A door in the creature¡¯s chest opened up and Alisanne set the statue inside. Judging by how much space there was still in there, it seemed that there were lots of opportunities to earn fleurs in this dungeon, which was great.
No golem parts appeared though, which wasn¡¯t all that big of a deal. Alisanne was sure that she¡¯d find more in the rooms to come.
Looking once more at the unconventional path she¡¯d taken to cross the room and feeling proud of herself, Alisanne smiled and shook her head. Her legs felt a little tired, but she was still fresh enough to press on through the next door.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
It led to a long hallway, and as Alisanned walked its length the sound of a ticking clock began to echo through the air. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
Well, nothing ominous about that or anything! Alisanne readied her clubs and looked around in every direction. Up, down, left, right. She even looked behind her, but other than her golem there was nothing concerning that she could see. The walls weren¡¯t moving, no trap doors were appearing, and Alisanne saw nothing else that indicated any sort of threat.
Apparently this was just one of those ¡°rest and recover¡± hallways, and while Alisanne remained alert until she reached the end, she encountered no threats.
There were, however, three doors waiting for her. One was red, one was green, and one was blue. Other than that nothing differentiated them, and so Alisanne chose the green one ¨C which was in the middle ¨C and went through it.
By the end of the first floor, Alisanne¡¯s head was starting to hurt. Partially because every room required her to think about the optimal way to solve it instead of simply beating up monsters until a door opened, and partially because in the floor¡¯s final room her efforts to defeat a big rolling golem had resulted in her receiving several heavy blows to the skull.
She¡¯d been Dizzy for a few minutes, but the status effect had worn off and she¡¯d made her way to the towering lift that would take her up to the dungeon¡¯s second floor.
She¡¯d even earned an additional point of Wit for her troubles.
Her golem was behind her, its shape similar to what it¡¯d been when she¡¯d first started her run but with a few subtle differences. The head she¡¯d swapped after the first room had been swapped again, this time for a head that offered more Durability while maintaining its additional Strength and Speed. She¡¯d swapped its legs for better versions ¨C though she¡¯d lost two especially promising pieces in a room filled with swinging pendulums. A hefty bit of acrobatics had been enough for Alisanne to get through without issues but her golem simply hadn¡¯t been fast enough to avoid them. It¡¯d taken her another four rooms to get replacements that were even close to the parts she¡¯d lost.
All told, her golem now had sixteen points of Durability, five points of Strength, and three points of Speed. Alisanne wasn¡¯t sure if that was good or bad, since there¡¯d been some rooms with doors that she couldn¡¯t open. She suspected that the doors led to other rooms with better parts and potentially more loot. Other than the one statue she¡¯d found, she had yet to come across any other treasure.
Maybe the second floor would be better.
Up ahead there was yet another lift, and Alisanne stepped onto it before directing her golem to follow. A humming moment later the platform lurched to life, and Alisanne was steadily carried up to the second floor.
It was a pleasant ride, the movement of the lift itself perfectly smooth and steady. Alisanne sunk into a crouch to rest, reveling in the sensation of relief.
There wasn¡¯t much to look at inside the chute, but the perfectly clear windows all around did provide an amazing sight. Through them Alisanne could see the entirety of Yew¡¯s Rise stretching out in every direction. What a view it was, with the buildings tucked neatly into their spaces and all the citizens and visitors moving around like tiny ants.
Alisanne smiled. It really was a pretty city, and the [Fighter] knew that she wanted to come back again someday. Maybe with her family. Her ma and pa would love the shops and industry, and her little brother would think the golems were the coolest thing in the world.
The lift came to a stop, and with it Alisanne¡¯s thoughts. She could fantasize about family trips some other time; right now she had a run to win.
A kitrekin dressed in fancy black and white clothes was waiting for her on the second floor. He was sitting at a small desk, reading a newspaper with a pot of coffee next to him and a bunch of items for sale on the table.
¡°Welcome to the second floor,¡± he said nonchalantly as Alisanne approached. ¡°These products are for sale if you¡¯re so inclined.¡±
Well, his service left much to be desired, but Alisanne seriously looked at his wares all the same. Most adventurers in the Oar¡¯s Crest guild branch recommended buying at least a few supplements in any given dungeon run. The costs were usually minimal relative to the gains they could provide if the adventurer knew what they were doing.
Everything here cost ten silver fleurs, so Alisanne went ahead and bought two things since one was effectively free on account of the statue inside her golem. If she found a similar object before the end of her run she¡¯d break even, and that seemed like a reasonable
The first item she bought was a small jar of golden syrup mixed with a few sprigs of herbs. The description card said it was good for recovery, and Alisnane certainly felt better after eating the contents, using her finger as a spoon.
The second item Alisanne bought was a small vial filled with a dose of Power Potion, which would give her some extra hitting power for a few minutes after taking it. She¡¯d keep it for the boss, in the hopes that it could counteract some of the fatigue she¡¯d invariably build up by making her way over there.
Tucking the potion into her belt, Alisanne bid the kitrekin a good day and headed into the next room.
Inside were three slowly rotating wooden circles, with a big spire in the center connected to a set of pedals, wheels and pulleys that looked too big for her to comfortably use but were probably the perfect size for her golem.
It was eerily peaceful and quiet as she directed the golem to use the pedals, which caused all three circles to start moving. They were slow, awkward things, but it looked like they were moving toward stacking atop each other, and would form a cylinder of their own in a few seconds.
About a third of the way in, the trouble started. Tons of small wooden creatures with triangular heads and spherical bodies popped out of the ground and started swarming. They carried tiny pitchforks tipped with a strange blue metal and made loud squealing noises as they approached.
As they got close, a voice from the ceiling thundered, ¡°Protect the spire!¡±
Now, generally speaking, that was the strict opposite of Alisanne¡¯s first instincts related to spires, and she was ironclad in that belief. However, the fact that this was a dungeon run forced her hand and she settled into a crouch with her clubs raised to protect her golem until it finished what it was doing.
The little pests were annoying but not particularly hard to deal with; Alisanne swept them away by the dozen with every stroke. A few managed to slip by her attention, getting onto her golem¡¯s back and stopping its progress entirely until she knocked them away.
Once, when dealing with a large swarm of slightly bigger golems ¨C the foes came in waves, and their sizes varied from one wave to the next ¨C a pair of enemies got onto her golem¡¯s back and started stabbing it with their weapons. At first Alisanne didn¡¯t think much of it, intending to handle the foes first and then go and remove them, but then she noticed that with every few stabs her golem took she actually lost progress on getting the circles to align properly, and so that was the end of that.
After what felt like an eternity ¨C especially the last bit, which by itself seemed to go as long as the rest of the room up until that point ¨C the three circles were aligned and the room was filled with a great burst of golden light.
All the enemy golems were gone after that, and two different golem pieces were waiting for her next to the spire. One offered four more points of Durability at the expense of one point of Strength, and the other offered no stat changes but would let her golem use a [Tackle] skill.
The points were nice, but so far Alisanne hadn¡¯t needed them for much of anything, so she chose the second option and waited for it to install.
When it was done, she directed her golem to use its new skill, and was pleasantly surprised by how quick and far it moved when it did so. Maybe she¡¯d be able to use it if she encountered another room that required quick movements. After all, her golem wasn¡¯t going to be getting many points of Speed any time soon.
The next few rooms were blessedly straightforward, simply a series of fights against various wooden minions that she had no trouble defeating with her usual tactics. It was refreshing to be freed from the constant stream of mental challenges that the toy box had given her so far, and Alisanne relished the straightforward demands of combat.
With each success, Alisanne further upgraded her golem. She swapped out its head twice, its legs three times, and even added a tail that gave it another two points of Speed. Unfortunately, her decision to balance the golem¡¯s stats came back to bite her when she found a treasure chest that required 20 points of Durability to open.
It really was a nice touch, Alisanne thought, that all the thresholds inside the dungeon were based on the template the adventurer picked to start. It hurt to not be able to get into the chest and collect what was inside, but it would have been painful and frustrating if she¡¯d found one that wanted a golem focused on Strength or Speed instead.
In addition to chests that had stat requirements, the second floor also introduced doors that did as well. Here Alisanne¡¯s instinct toward balance was rewarded: no fewer than four times did she find doors with requirements for all three golem stats that she barely met, though traveling through said doors didn¡¯t seem to be meaningfully different from the other doors she¡¯d already gone through.
One such room did yield another bit of treasure, which was apparently worth five silver fleurs. Alisanne tucked it into her golem¡¯s stomach and pressed on.
After another room that required her to build stacks of blocks to climb from one platform to the next and down again, Alisanne took a short break. There were a pair of doors ahead of her, with one leading further into the second floor and the other apparently leading to the third floor and the boss fight.
Alisanne took a few deep breaths and stretched. Part of her wanted to keep exploring the dungeon in the hopes of finding some more treasure, but she had to be mindful of her physical condition as well. Her arms were aching and her legs felt heavy; she¡¯d do herself no favors if she failed her run here in an attempt to get a little more in the way of rewards.
The wisest course of action was to simply head up to the boss now, she decided. Knowing her body and its limits was just good adventuring, and there was that [Agent] who said he¡¯d want to talk to her further if she won.
She was curious about what he had to say, so she took a deep breath and headed up to the third floor.
On the lift up to the big arena, Alisanne pulled the little potion she¡¯d bought from the second floor vendor out of her pocket and popped the cork. She¡¯d drink it just before the battle began in the hopes that she¡¯d be able to get some value out of it before it wore off. That was easier and better than fumbling around in the middle of a fight trying to find time or space to drink.
She didn¡¯t know much about the dungeon¡¯s boss. It wasn¡¯t a proper [Dungeon Champion], but was apparently some sort of amalgamation golem made up of a dozen different parts. Her guide hadn¡¯t gone into any more specifics than that, but it was better than nothing.
At least the mood was fitting for a boss battle, she thought, when the air was filled with loud and aggressive cello music. Bobbing her head to the beat, Alisanne got off the lift and swallowed her potion in a single sip. She carefully set the empty bottle down on the ground and continued walking, keeping an eye out for any sort of threat that might be the boss.
The arena was a big pentagon, and judging by the walls and ceiling ¨C which all had plenty of platforms, staircases, rope bridges, and other things to stand or climb on ¨C Alisanne assumed that she¡¯d be tasked with fighting an enemy that liked to climb and jump around. That was bad news for a tired adventurer, but Alisanne had no choice but to do her best.
There were also several smaller versions of the spires she¡¯d dealt with earlier, so it was likely she¡¯d also have to protect her golem several times. What a joy that was sure to be.
The cellos grew louder and Alisanne stopped near the center of the arena. Her heart was racing, equal parts nerves and excitement at the prospect of being so close to defeating another dungeon. She was so close to victory, she could taste it.
Ports in the ceiling and floor opened, and too many harpoons pulling ropes to count exploded out. They were no danger to Alisanne, following their trajectories to a series of black cubes where they were safely anchored in place, but the [Fighter] felt her stomach drop at the sight of them.
She was surrounded by what looked like a web, and in her experience things that looked like webs brought things that looked like spiders.
A moment later, her suspicions were partially borne true when another large door in the ceiling opened and a massive beetle-golem shimmied down the nearest rope. Its body was a mixture of black, gold, and amber wood, and some of its pieces were engraved with runes or socketed with gems. Its eyes shimmered, each one a different precious stone, and Alisanne readied her clubs, crossing them in front of her body so that she could activate [Steady Legs] right away.
The beetle landed on the ground in front of her, and Allisanne got a better look at its body, which towered over her. The seams between each part stood out enough to draw her attention, and upon closer counting she saw that there were four pieces of each color. There were also plenty of sharp-looking wooden bits tucked away, and Alisanne suspected that a beetle wasn¡¯t the only shape this golem could take.
¡°And now, the final spectacle of this run,¡± a loud voice shouted, echoing through the arena. ¡°Alisanne Henret, versus the amalgamation golem! Dungeon boss battle, begin!¡±
The beetle lunged forward, revealing a pair of nasty wooden fangs that looked plenty sharp. Alisanne danced back, not wanting to get into a contest of strength against something so much bigger than she was. Even bolstered by the potion she doubted she¡¯d have much of a chance of winning.
Her foe landed hard and froze, gears along its back and legs twisting and turning as if resetting. That was good to know. The golem was apparently capable of great speed, but maybe it needed time to reset itself after committing to a big attack.
If so, maybe she could interrupt it and buy herself some more time.
¡°Golem, [Tackle] the enemy!¡± she called, deactivating [Steady Legs] and running to the side of the boss. Her golem¡¯s skill wasn¡¯t particularly useful, but maybe it¡¯d be enough to do what she needed.
The beetle shuddered under the force of impact from Alisanne¡¯s golem, and the [Fighter] took advantage of the delay to get close to one of its legs and swing as hard as she could. Unfortunately her blow failed to dislodge the piece she was aiming for, and she had to jump away from its counter attack, which was another one of those spring-loaded gloves she¡¯d faced earlier.
Knocking her golem away, the beedle got back up and attacked again, this time moving in a diagonal line three times and stabbing forward with its fangs each time. Alisanne dodged each of them, then jumped up onto the beetle¡¯s back and started looking for something to hit. She struck every part she could, hoping to find one that was loose enough to knock free, but none of them so much as budged.
Hmm, that was annoying, but thinking logically that also meant that there was some sort of gimmick she had to satisfy to get the boss to a point where she could ¡°hurt¡± it.
But what might that be?
She hopped off the beetle¡¯s back and started looking around. There had to be some sort of sign ¨C a mark, or a strangely colored tile on the floor, or a symbol that didn¡¯t quite match the rest of its kind ¨C for what she was supposed to do next.
The beetle got up onto the nearest rope and started climbing. Once it was up in the rope web, it chased Alisanne by leaping from one rope to another, and that was when Alisanne noticed the giant red circle on the creature¡¯s stomach.
She slowed to a stop and waited until the boss was right above her head. When that happened, she took aim, pulled back her arm, and activated [Club Toss]. Her weapon spun through the air and landed right on target.
A loud shriek filled the air, and the golem fell off its rope and landed hard on its back. Alisanne let out a sigh of relief; the creature¡¯s fall had been an attack of its own, and she¡¯d only barely gotten out of the way in time.
This time when she leaped up onto it and started hitting, she saw results. The beetle started separating into two pieces, but she didn¡¯t manage to break it apart by the time it flipped back over.
Baiting the creature up onto the ropes again took a bit longer than it had the first time, but that was fine. Alisanne needed to pick up her club again anyways, which she did manage thanks to another well-timed [Tackle] from her golem.
The second time through the [Club Toss] to beating on the golem¡¯s underside loop it separated into three parts, and Alisanne found herself wondering if she¡¯d just made life easier or harder on herself when she found herself facing three golems.
They were color coordinated, and in fact looked like the three base golems she¡¯d been offered at the beginning of the dungeon. The humanoid one had a wooden blade reminiscent of the axes she¡¯d seen early on and a heavy shield, the dog-like one had seriously long claws, and the third looked like a little spider with a series of holes open on its back.
She stepped back while they circled her, trying to think of the best way to handle multiple foes at once. Technically she wanted to find a way to duel each of them in turn, which meant that she had to figure out a way to get them all alone.
Alright, she could do that, Alisanne thought as she ducked beneath the first golem¡¯s sword and sidestepped an unmistakable [Tackle] from her golem¡¯s doppelganger. The little spider stayed still for the most part, though it slowly rotated to follow her as she ran away.
¡°Golem, interfere with that one,¡± Alisanne directed, pointing at the spider golem before fleeing the others. Her ally complied, using its [Tackle] skill and its rather awkward biting abilities. It was hardly a competent combatant, but the spider was occupied and that was all Alisanne really cared about. Three had become two.
There was a spring up ahead, and Alisanne jumped up onto it and hoped for the best. It shot upward, throwing her up into the sky in the direction of the nearest platform. Moving through the air was surprisingly fun, and Alisanne found that she could somewhat change her trajectory so that she landed well.
The humanoid golem followed her up by using the same tactic, but it was clumsy in the air and landed on the platform awkwardly. Alisanne activated [Cartwheel Kicksmash] and knocked it right back off again, only to find herself facing the dog-golem a few seconds later.
It proved to be a simple enough foe; a series of heavy blows bolstered in the last moments of the potion¡¯s efficacy broke its claws and without them it was no more than a series of blocks to be knocked apart.
Alisanne kept an eye on the pile of wood for a few seconds to make sure there wasn¡¯t going to be any sort of reassembly shenanigans and turned her attention back to the humanoid. Now this was a proper one and one, and Alisanne was confident that she could overcome it in a proper duel. She jumped down, once again feeling the thrill of moving through the open air in the back of her skull and brought her clubs down on the golem¡¯s arms.
They resisted the blow, but Alisanne activated [Kinetic Tempo] right away and started swinging hard at its joints. Eventually one shoulder gave way, and then a knee followed.
Of course, it wasn¡¯t entirely one-sided. The enemy golem landed a few blows of its own, and Alisanne stumbled under the strength of one that hit her right thigh. Her leg burned, but Alisanne simply grit her teeth and struck her foe¡¯s remaining good leg and knocked it into two pieces.
Despite the fact that it was down to a single arm and no proper legs, the golem still tried to fight her, swinging its weapon and making a menacing grinding sound that was probably unintentional. Feeling somewhat guilty, Alisanne stepped out of the way and took off the golem¡¯s final arm, then removed its head from its body with a few good whacks.
Much like the dog golem, the humanoid golem remained ¡°dead¡± after that, and Alisanne turned her attention to the final third which was still where she¡¯d left it.
Her own golem had lost some of its own parts, courtesy of the spider¡¯s wicked fangs, and was barely moving.
¡°Golem, back!¡± Alisanne shouted, moving toward the little spider with every intent of giving it the same treatment as she¡¯d given the others. Of course, well before she got into range of her foe, it turned to face her and started rapid firing tiny wooden projectiles at her. They stung her face, neck, arms, and chest when they hit, and Alisanne stopped in her tracks.
Every time she tried to move, she ate another barrage, and Alisanne didn¡¯t feel like waiting it out. Instead, she slid her feet apart so that they were aligned with her shoulders, raised her right arm, and activated [Twirling Block]. The skill delivered a satisfying thunk every time it blocked one of the projectiles, and Alisanne slowly advanced, doing her best to keep the skill active.
She dropped it a few times because she lost her sense of the timing¡¯s rhythm, but a few more hits from the golem¡¯s projectiles weren¡¯t the end of the world.
When she got close enough to the spider golem to hit it, Alisanne did so, doing her best to keep [Twirling Block] active while using her left hand to deliver blows. The spider was just as weak as the other two, and fell apart after a few whacks.
She kicked the pile of debris, and saw a pair of wheels connected to a bit of wood that she didn¡¯t remember breaking. Perhaps that was why it hadn¡¯t moved and had simply attacked from range. If so, that was a lucky break, and Alisanne was happy for it.
The voice announced her victory a few seconds later, and Alisanne fell to her knees. Victory! Sweet, sweet victory!
[Congratulations! You are now a level 17 Fighter!]
[Might +1!]
[Wit + 1!]
She dismissed the notifications, only for another to appear.
[What joy there is to be found in the fair skies of battle!]
Nothing followed that strange pronouncement, and Alisanne dismissed it a moment later like she had the others and stood up. Weird, but not worth dwelling on just then.
A door to the outside world had opened on the far side of the arena, and she stepped over the broken bits of wood to leave.
As she walked, she wondered why there had been so many other things in the arena that she hadn¡¯t used or interacted with? What would it have taken for them to be activated?
Maybe she¡¯d have to come challenge the Toy Box again someday and see.
Her coin purse substantially heavier than it¡¯d been that morning ¨C Alisanne had elected to take the fleurs over the golem simply on account of storage space considerations ¨C Alisanne met again with Doyle the [Agent] and got a pamphlet of information from him about potential sponsorship opportunities. The majority of his offer was related to other dungeon circuits around Colmere and a few other cities, and he assured her that ¡°there were a lot of people who started there and made their way to the biggest circuits on the continent.¡±
The only condition was that she had to defeat the dungeons in Amespool and Shontsdale, and since Alisanne had already planned to do exactly that it wasn¡¯t much of a condition. She thanked Doyle for his interest and promised to look over the pamphlets in greater detail during her trip to Amespool.
Then, her body aching, Alisanne cashed in her little statues and left the dungeon area. She had one more stop in Yew¡¯s Rise ¨C to the marquetry shop, to get a present for her ma ¨C but it could wait. Her carriage didn¡¯t leave until the next morning, after all.
Feeling like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders ¨C and pointedly ignoring the gazes of people in the streets whose shocked faces told her that she was a mess ¨C Alisanne followed the nice neat streets back to her inn so that she could rest and recover.
And think about that strange notification she¡¯d gotten after the fight. There had to be something more there.
¡°Fair skies of battle, huh?¡±
Alisanne found herself liking the sound of that.
Alisanne''s Character Sheet:
Alisanne¡¯s Character Sheet:
Primary Class: Fighter (Self), Level 17 (+1)
*Fair skies of battle call ye*
Secondary Class: Scrimping Saver (Self), Level 11
Might: 20 (+1)
Wit: 10 (+1)
Faith: 14
Determination: 14
Ambition: 7
Greed: 5
Focus: 8
Idealism: 8
Bravery: 8
Adventurousness: 6
Unscheduled Hiatus Announcement
First of all, my apologies for the lack of a chapter last Friday; I''d meant to get at least the first part of the Amespool section of the Alisanne interstitial written, but unexpected family emergency issues prevented me from writing.
Sadly, the situation is as of yet unresolved, and though I really hate doing this, I will be on a hiatus for an unknown amount of time. I hope it won''t be too long.
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Now, I''ve definitely been on the other side of this as a reader a good amount of times, and so I really want to stress that I remain 100% committed to writing volume 3 of DABB and will do so as soon as possible.
Thank you all for reading DABB. I really appreciate it.
Also, I will be locking comments on this post. Thank you for your understanding.