Alphonse stood near the edge of the cliff overlooking a sea of endless, verdant green. Far to the west of the dungeon's exit were the jagged teeth of mountains gnawing at the clouds. A break in the trees to the north revealed the remains of a fortress from a distant time when the human kingdoms extended further. The ruins of settlements barely stood as the clear line of a western border that no longer belonged to civilization.
According to Rinka, no human had set foot past the border in several decades. It was always defended when the monsters were emboldened by strength of numbers, but it was as if the humans feared the very soil their enemy tread upon.
Alphonse knew that when he climbed down the short incline at his feet, settled himself down and dangled his legs over the forest canopy below, he would officially be one of the few to venture past the border.
And I'm an outworlder. He chuckled to himself at the thought.
He prepared for his descent and prodded a jutting length of rock to make sure it was sturdy enough. The soles of his new boots held fast as he angled his weight and reached for a handhold. Both hands held him in place as he maneuvered through a narrow crevasse and found purchase on a slanted platform. Another quick push as he slid all the way through brought him to the outlying precipice that would take him over the border.
Alphonse marveled at the change in perspective. After just a few minutes of climbing, he was able to see through a break in the mountains where the sun bid a modest farewell. He sat down and watched as the broken, empty settlements faded into the shadows.
I could get used to this.
The silence and calm breeze encouraged him to reflect on the past week following his deal with the Construct Contract at the Submerged Oasis.
He'd spent the first three days recovering from fatigue and mending what remained of his wounds. Most natives of Hovestile would find themselves bedridden for almost a week, even with the constant healing from a spellcaster, but the extra health regeneration outside of combat for outworlders hastened the process.
On the fourth day, Alphonse, Kirie and Asa ventured as a party for the first time into the numerous dungeons and forest surrounding the oasis.
There were three exits outside the sanctum. One was in the direction where Kirie had found Alphonse in the deep recesses that were home to mostly goblins and ogres. At the top of a spiraling staircase in the opposite direction was the forest. Downwards was a vast cavern that extended far beyond sight, cradling the ruins of another ancient city far larger than the one leading to the oasis entrance.
Alphonse's perspective of the world changed drastically with these discoveries. It was incredible to think that so much was hidden beneath a standard, seemingly straightforward dungeon. The dungeons were the remains of a past civilization, and it explained the existence of what appeared to be unlimited loot and treasures.
Unfortunately, the great ruins proved far beyond their abilities. Grotesque creatures waited in the skeletons of dilapidated buildings and beneath false piles of collapsed stone cast by illusion magic. Some monsters used an almost imperceptible form of mimicry as they lay prone amongst the rubble or at the center of open walkways.
Alphonse was convinced to retreat from the derelict city when the terrible monsters with exposed rib cages and mangled limbs appeared. Their lower jaws held two rows of teeth in a perpetual grin with putrid saliva bubbling. Milky eyes bulged from the sides of their heads and smoldered in the dim light. Coagulated blood leaked from their chests and splattered on the ground with a seething hiss like grease in a frying pan.
Alphonse and Asa needed to force a stubborn Kirie back to the Submerged Oasis by each taking one of her arms and carrying her out. She'd thrashed about and shouted a number of expletives at the powerful guardians of the city as she was dragged away. They appeared to laugh at her with their permanent grins.
Thankfully, the forest was more tame and allowed them to practice as a true party against different monsters. The vegetation also made the trip worthwhile, and Alphonse harvested plenty of curing ivy and other healing herbs. Some of the plants were poisonous, and Asa appraised them for later reference.
Before the contract, Kirie and Asa were only able to venture in areas already claimed by monsters. The contract didn't allow them to leave Rinka past a certain distance (according to the bond), and she was bound to the Submerged Oasis. For the first time in years, they traveled beyond the boundary and observed all kinds of animals in greater detail that they'd only seen from afar: bears, deer, rabbits and other wildlife of the more strange variety.
Alphonse planned to hunt a deer at some point so the catgirls could try venison. He was surprised when they told him that they'd been eating mantis worm meat for the most part. Apparently, the poisonous monster was safe to eat when certain parts were boiled.
Alphonse swung his legs back and forth over the edge of the cliff as he reminisced. He jerked his head up when he observed movement through a break in the trees. Three deer jumped from a line of foliage, a mother doe and two fawns, who trotted to an open patch of grass. The mother stood between her two young and examined the surrounding area dutifully before pulling her meal from a cluster of bushes.
A thought occurred to him as he watched the deer.
Alphonse held out his hand, "I invoke the Construct Contract." The black book materialized above his palm, and he caught it in both hands as it submitted to gravity.
He'd taken notes on their progress as they explored around the oasis. There was also a small area that Rinka had repurposed as a sort of library from the books Kirie and Asa scavenged from the nearby ruins. They held topics on a variety of subjects: bestiaries, alchemy, maps, spellcasting and so forth. The tomes were dense and numerous, so sifting through them all was implausible in just a couple weeks.
Alphonse made sure his research took the personalities and habits of his party into account. Everything else he painstakingly gathered was moot if the group didn't work together.
The catgirl sisters were practically polar opposites, but what they did have in common was talent.
Alphonse prided himself on his reflexes and stamina, but Kirie was on a whole different level. What she lacked in tactics she more than made up for with instinct and battle prowess. She always readied herself two steps ahead while in the midst of swinging her double-edged axe. It wasn't something anyone could train. It was experience and a gift.
Asa always found the most advantageous position at range and maintained a clear view of the battlefield. Her ability to multitask and focus on her party members' statuses allowed everyone peace of mind. Protection spells were second nature and didn't even require an incantation when she delayed them. Her interruptible healing abilities also helped in a pinch when Kirie and Alphonse managed to distance themselves from opponents.
Their coordination was still a little shaky, and it would take considerable time to establish a more solid foundation as they fought different opponents in the future. But so far, things seemed to be looking up.
"Alphonse! Get your ass up here!"
Alphonse jolted from his ruminations when he heard the voice shouting from above. He windmilled one of his arms to balance himself as he leaned forward over the cliff. His book vanished with a stray, dismissive thought before he could drop it.
Goddammit. That would've sucked, he thought.
He took a deep breath and stared at the clouds that formed a blanket overhead. Losing track of time outside was a nice change of pace compared to the dark dungeon.
He hoisted himself up with a despondent shrug and reluctantly turned his back on the view. It wasn't difficult to discern which of his comrades called for him so emphatically.
He heard Asa's calm, articulate voice as he pulled himself up to the last handhold, "See, I told you he'd be fine."
Alphonse looked up and saw her crouched in front of him with a hand extended. The fading light of the crimson sun complemented her red hair and pale complexion. A soft shadow fell over part of her face from the hood of her healers robe.
He gratefully accepted her assistance and felt a hand under his other arm pull him up roughly. He almost headbutted Kirie as she yanked again, harder than necessary. Her insistence was palpable as she pointed dramatically at nowhere in particular.
"No more daydreaming. We have work to do," Kirie said.
Alphonse gawked at her. "Wait, what? Isn't it time for dinner?"
Asa led him along with a more gentle tug at his arm. "Normally, I'd agree, but this is a surprise for you."
Kirie gave him a wry grin and planted both fists on her hips. "I remember you mentioning something about a certain lizard."
"Wasn't it the real reason you came here?" Asa added.
Alphonse's jaw dropped when he caught on. "Wait, you don't mean..."
Kirie's grin widened. She pushed him the extra few feet to move him along. "That's right! We're going Migunne hunting."
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Alphonse swallowed hard as he observed the monster feasting at the center of the cavern.
The lizard creature was larger than the pictures depicted in the books he used for research, which described its size at a length around fifteen to twenty feet, with an average weight of close to five hundred pounds after eating.
Alphonse found himself terribly misinformed. The books were either wrong at the time of publication or out-of-date. A third possibility was that nobody had encountered a Migunne of this size, and it was a stroke of bad luck that the catgirls had stumbled upon this particular monstrosity.
The Migunne was a mass of pure muscle mounted on legs that propelled it at deceptive speeds. The books suggested waiting until the beast finished devouring its latest meal for this reason.
It didn't waste any time as it pounced on some goblins that wandered into its hunting ground. It swallowed them whole and deposited the intact flesh to its belly, which bloated until it dragged along the ground. The extra ten feet of its tail slapped the ground contentedly as it ate, and signs of thin cracks that widened with every hit crawled along the stone floor.
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Its throat bulged as it consumed the slimy goblin flesh. The flaps of skin on the neck reminded Alphonse of another reptile similar in appearance -- a komodo dragon. A wide tongue lolled from the lizard's spiked mouth and dropped whatever remains didn't agree with its stomach.
"So, that's a Migunne," Asa whispered. She hunched down behind the stalagmite and started preparing a delayed protection spell on her staff.
"What's the plan?" Kirie asked.
They frowned at Alphonse when they received no answer. The scout stared with his mouth hanging open as the leg of an ogre was ripped off its torso and disappeared into the giant lizard's curled tongue.
"Alphonse?"
He tore his eyes away from the monster in favor of the ground. His original intent was to craft a pouch with a special part of scaled skin for carrying liquid poisons, and then sell whatever remained of his portion for some coin. It didn't seem worth the risk seeing the monster in person.
"I'm thinking we should leave this thing alone." The lizard let out a belch that shook the cavern walls, as if affirming his suggestion.
Kirie observed the Migunne and failed to suppress a wince as another bulky limb went down its throat. Asa tapped the end of her staff against her chin thoughtfully.
"Nah, we can handle it," Kirie said. She punched a fist into her palm for emphasis.
Alphonse wasn't convinced, but he was even more certain that there was no going back once Kirie pumped herself up. Asa preferred to go with the flow, even if it was against her own admonition.
He took a deep breath. He'd formed a plan of attack for his previous party, before they elected to leave him for dead, but it needed a few tweaks since they were short an archer. Furthermore, being down an extra person meant there were less targets to distract the giant lizard.
Screw it, he thought. It was an opportunity to really test their party's coordination and patience.
He motioned for the catgirls to gather around. They crouched down in front of him and waited expectantly.
"Okay, here's the deal," Alphonse said. "Its weak point is at the back of the neck where the scales taper off, but the flesh is thick. A slice from my sword won't be enough, but a stab will sever one of its three arteries." He looked to Kirie. "I will attack first to get my critical damage. My attack also needs to be precise. You will strike from the opposite side and pierce the other two vitals. They are pretty obvious. Think you can do it with one swing?"
Kirie punched her chest. "Not a problem."
Alphonse nodded to Asa. "The blood loss won't be enough. It has a sort of backup that carries blood in large pockets if something happens to its circulation. And the arteries will regenerate after fifteen minutes."
Kirie choked as she processed the last bit. "That's friggin absurd."
Asa ignored her sister's outburst. "You're talking about the two bulges on the sides of its body."
Alphonse nodded. "Yup. You have fire spells. If you hit those areas with fireballs while we distract it, it will melt the mucous membrane covering the sacks' surface."
"The sacks will eventually implode," Asa concluded.
"Right." Alphonse figured that Asa had already done the research, but it didn't hurt to review the steps.
Kirie scratched the back of her head awkwardly as she watched the Migunne finish its meal. "Sure glad you guys did some reading."
"You should try it sometime," Asa said.
"Maybe."
Alphonse put a finger to his lips and shook his head as a low rumble coursed through the ground. The giant lizard was now pacing about in a circle like a dog preparing its bed. It settled down at the center of a cluster of stalagmites and let out a visible breath of air from its snout.
"Alright, time to go," Alphonse muttered.
He directed Kirie towards the path she'd be taking through the stalagmites. Asa was already pointing at where she would place a protection spell if things went south. All it took was one of them to signal that an artery hadn't been severed. Alphonse insisted that they retreat if they botched the first step. The Migunne was classified as a high-level threat when in perfect health, and he doubted they'd be able to handle more monsters after a head-on engagement that lasted too long. Luckily, goblins and ogres would avoid this area of the dungeon for a time after witnessing their brethren become the beast's dinner.
Alphonse slipped between the obstacles along his path with typical silent fashion. He'd placed more stat points into sneak after his other expeditions around the Submerged Oasis. The main damage for the party after the initial attacks would be dealt by Kirie. At some point, he planned to push himself to a decent range where he could use his bow and slip away when the enemy was distracted. Rinse and repeat. It had worked well enough so far.
It only took two minutes to reach the sleeping monster.
The Migunne's body rippled with each breath as a slight bubble of skin expanded under its mouth. The expelled air was strong enough to blow stray rocks away that clattered on the uneven stone floor. Alphonse nearly jumped when the creature's eyelids started pulsing sporadically. After a full minute's pause, he was convinced that it was just part of the monster's sleep habit.
He readied his short sword as he observed Kirie appear from behind a squat, stone plateau. Her double-edged axe was already partially raised above her head. She waited patiently for Alphonse to plunge his blade in first.
Alphonse carefully readjusted his grip on the sword's handle and hovered the point a generous distance from the exposed flesh of the lizard. He suppressed any misgivings he had about striking the monster and the messy business that would inevitably follow with the killing.
He focused on the throbbing area of the artery and brought his weapon down. It pierced the skin and met a bit of resistance as it drove through the thick artery on both sides.
The Migunne reared up and let out a pained roar. Its tail rose and slammed against the ground as it struggled to steady its massive legs underneath a generous belly. Alphonse had already withdrawn from the monster as a spray of blood indicated that his strike was true. Kirie's axe swung down and cleaved the remaining arteries in more of a geyser than a spray. The strength of the catgirl was enough that the bottom curve of the blade scraped against the outlying scales. The screech of steel against scale rivaled the roar of the monster.
Alphonse skirted behind the Migunne and ducked beneath its thrashing tail as Kirie planted a foot against the creature and wrenched her axe free. He dove towards her as the tail swung in his direction in a second vain attempt to crush him and tore a large chunk of rock from a stalagmite. A shower of debris clattered around him and obscured his form for a few precious seconds. He regrouped with Kirie just in time as a wall of melded, illuminated hexagons formed from Asa's protection spell. The shimmering wall appeared from thin air and expanded outwards to touch any rock formations that might help stabilize it.
The Migunne slammed its head into the protection wall and brought forth a shower of sparks from the impact. It raised one of its legs and clawed at the wall's surface, forming three jagged black lines.
Alphonse heard Asa shout from somewhere nearby, "It won't hold long!"
It seemed the Migunne had something to prove after the declaration. The monster heaved its body to the side with the aid of its rear legs and tore off the top portion of the wall with its tail.
Alphonse and Kirie dove in opposite directions as the full weight of the creature came down and shattered what remained of the spell. Sharp pieces, like glass from a burst window, showered around them and dissipated into useless mana particles.
Alphonse managed to gather his wits as a force pushed against his back through the protruding rock he took shelter behind. The crazed creature was trying to destroy whatever cover was available.
Kirie shouted from a short distance in front of him, "Circle around! I'll distract it on my side!"
A fireball from Asa slammed into the lizard's side as Alphonse broke from cover. Kirie took advantage of the monster's disorientation and swung her axe into the side of its jaw. The monster barely moved as the weight of its full belly held it fast to the ground, but the resulting cut near its sharp teeth evidenced that the strike had done more than agitate it. A flap of skin and broken scales hung from the mouth and tore off as the Migunne whipped its head.
Alphonse didn't stop to admire Kirie's strength. His bow was already nocked with an arrow and aimed at the target. He loosed the arrow and observed the faint blue streak that trailed behind from a delayed enhancement spell cast by Asa. He allowed himself a satisfied smirk as it struck the open wound made by Kirie. All the practice and hunting he'd sunk his time into back on Earth was starting to pay off.
It was as if the force of the arrow punched the lizard's head aside. The monster slammed into a tall stalagmite as more pain flooded through its upper body. The rock formation split at its base and slowly teetered to the side until it collapsed in a cloud of dirt and debris.
"Asa!" Alphonse shouted.
He realized the command wasn't necessary as a blur of white rushed past him. The catgirl was already close enough and at an appropriate angle that a missed attack was almost an impossibility.
She pointed her staff at the bulge in the Migunne's exposed side. "Fire orb!"
The flames swirling around her staff formed a sphere and launched at the prone monster. Fire trailed along the lizard's body as the blood caking its side ignited after the impact. It flailed about like a turtle stuck on its back. It seemed impossible that it managed to roll over with so much meat filling its stomach.
After a full minute of burning and thrashing, the Migunne went still, its entire side blackened and charred. Traces of stray embers remained with black trails leading to the exposed flesh on the back of its neck.
Alphonse hunched forward and took a few heaving breaths when he was sure the monster was dead. Kirie stood next to him with the handle of her axe leaning casually on one shoulder. Asa was already in the quiet midst of a healing spell.
"It's dead, right?" Kirie asked.
Alphonse straightened himself and slung his bow. A part of him felt remorse for killing the creature, but he reminded himself that he would use parts of it for survival and food. "Has to be. The pocket looks flattened, so there should be a whole lot of internal bleeding-"
A flame suddenly burst from the Migunne's neck before he could finish. A muffled crack echoed from somewhere. Parts of the giant lizard started to bubble and bulge. Trickles of blood seeped between scales that cracked or shattered completely, forming a sound like pins clattering on a marble floor.
"That doesn't seem right," Asa said. She hastily cancelled her healing magic in favor of another protection spell.
Alphonse glanced at her and noticed her mouth visibly tighten. She lowered her arms and gave him an unreadable look.
The sound from the Migunne escalated to something more like a marble floor splitting apart.
"Don't tell me..." Alphonse said.
She nodded. "Not enough mana."
"Shit..." Kirie muttered.
It was the only word she managed to get out before the Migunne exploded.
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Alphonse shifted on his feet as he watched the beautiful catgirl mother close her book and let out an exasperated sigh. Rinka closed her eyes, propped an elbow on the throne and rested a cheek in her palm. The rippling light from the partially obscured sun in the Submerged Oasis formed dancing shadows on her pretty face, making it difficult to read her expression. Judging from her body language, Alphonse had expected a reaction more along the lines of irritation and disbelief.
As the light shifted, he saw that her reaction was quite the opposite. She observed him with what appeared to be more of a knowing smile with traces of amusement.
The trio standing at the base of the dais stared at the floor under her gaze, and Asa had raised her hood to hide her embarrassment. Slimy gore and muck covered their bodies and trailed behind them on the once-immaculate floors. Behind them at the oasis entrance was a wooden sled they'd constructed of tree limbs tied with vines, which carried what remained of the lizard creature.
Rinka let the silence linger for a full minute before speaking, "Let me guess...you went after the Migunne."
The sorry lot standing below her nodded in unison.
"You used fire."
Another nod.
"But you failed to recall that Migunne blood is highly flammable when exposed to the air."
More nods. Kirie failed to suppress a cough and straightened herself as Rinka's eyes narrowed. The smile was a frightening contrast.
After a few more choice words and playful prodding at their expense, Rinka finally let out the chuckle she'd been holding. She rested a hand over her face and leaned forward as the mirth took over. It escalated to uncontrollable laughter when she saw Alphonse and her daughters look at each other in plain confusion.
She wiped a tear from her eye when she managed to calm herself. "W-well..." She stifled a snicker and almost doubled over again. "You killed a Migunne, so at least we know you work well together."
Alphonse looked at his companions uncertainly. He noticed Kirie's shoulders heave as a few stuttering giggles escaped her. Asa maintained a neutral expression and even lowered her hood further.
Rinka rose from the throne and patted the front of her dress to compose herself. "Alphonse is an outworlder who has only been on Hovestile for a couple months. I can forgive such an oversight on his part."
She descended the stairs and rested a hand on Alphonse's shoulder. An involuntary shiver crawled through his body at her touch.
She gave each of her daughters a calculated look. "You two, however, have access to a plethora of books on monsters, with plenty of years to peruse them."
She motioned for Alphonse to follow her. He made a quick bow on pure impulse and matched her strides as they walked beside the residue marring the white pathway.
"I want this place spotless when I return. If I see even a single drop of blood, there will be no dinner for you two."
Kirie let out a sputtering gasp and immediately rushed off to find some cleaning supplies. Asa trailed behind her, head still lowered and staff clutched to her chest.
A growl erupted from Alphonse's stomach at the mention of food. He'd forgotten that they'd delayed dinner in favor of hunting the Migunne in the first place, and it would be a while before the catgirls finished cleaning up the mess in the oasis.
He was sure Rinka had a stack of books prepared for him in the meantime.