Selvara fluttered after some of the duskgnome children through the corridors of the dungeon: "Not that way! That way leads up into the sewers. The other corridor leads through the labyrinth of traps, that's dangerous!"

With difficulty, she got the gang back on course. As soon as they disappeared around the corner, she sank to the floor, exhausted: "Little slobs."

"Still three times your size." Weylan's voice came from behind him and didn't sound as cheerful as the cheeky line suggested. Selvara turned around. Brown liquid was dripping all over him. He was carrying an equally soaked sack over his back. Selvara flew up: "You stink!"

"While you look wonderful. As always." He bowed and little wet things fell out of his hair to splat on the floor.

"We absolutely need an easier way up. It has been raining. The channels on the top level are full and the walkways are slippery."

"We can't possibly let the dungeon penetrate to the surface. That would trigger every Clairvoyance spell in the Adventurers' Guild. We'd immediately appear on every quest map. As far up as the second sewer level is already risky."

"Especially as dungeon moss is slowly spreading. I wouldn't have needed the lantern at all in the last two corridors. If you're not paying attention, you can still miss it with bright lighting. But the canal workers know their way around here. They'll soon notice the glowing growth."

Selvara's voice took on a teacherly tone: "Dungeon etiquette. The creator gods don't like dark dungeons. If the dungeon doesn't provide its own lighting, the glowing dungeon moss will spread. Malvorik cannot remove it. If he orders dungeon monsters to scrape it off, they can't detect it."

Weylan scratched dirt from his hair thoughtfully: "Not everyone will know such a rare plant. Most of the townspeople haven't been in a dungeon in their lives. Then again, glowing plants are rare..." He thought about it further for a moment, then cursed, "Cofefe's orange hair! Someone will try to sell it to the mage academy or an alchemist. They'll recognize it immediately."

"Do you have any idea how we can prevent this? My training doesn't involve hiding the fact that there's a dungeon. On the contrary! Once it is sufficiently developed, I know a lot of strategies to publicize the dungeon and guarantee regular visits from adventurers. Dungeon fairies can't lie to their dungeon. We're not good at deception."

"I'll think of something. Can you tell me where the nearest bathroom is? I stink like a cesspit."

The voice of the Dungeon Heart rang out in her mind:

The wall on the left formed an entrance. A short corridor appeared, then a circular room spread out. Before Weylan's fascinated gaze, a pool formed in the floor and filled with slightly steaming water. A bowl with white ovals appeared at the edge.

Weylan took the bag off his back and placed it carefully on the floor: "I spent almost all of my first month's salary on your last list. Apprentices don't get a fortune. Can you give me something to sell or just a few gold pieces?"

Selvara raised her finger in warning: "Golgoroth doesn't like it when dungeons give away gold that hasn't been properly earned."

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Weylan raised an eyebrow:

"Complication?"

.

The air next to the bath began to shimmer and a coin appeared. Weylan took it carefully and examined it. The coin was made of shiny gold. Freshly minted. One side showed a cave exit with three hydra heads sticking out of it. The sign of Golgoroth. He turned it over and could not suppress a low groan. The back showed a hand with fingers far too long, holding a dagger. He read the words aloud, written in a circle around the edge: "Unnamed Dungeon at Mulnirsheim."

"At least it doesn't say under Mulnirsheim."

"Maybe I could file that off..."

"What happens if I melt it down?"

"I'll think about what we can do. I'm sure there's a way. In the meantime, here's the last of your shopping. He pulled the sack wrapped in wax-soaked cloth out of his rucksack and pulled the wax cloth apart. Head-sized sacks came first: "Seeds of wheat, corn, barley and oats. Wouldn't a little less have been enough? This stuff is heavy."

The assassin nodded and then placed finger-length ingots on the ground. "Iron with low, medium and high carbon content. The blacksmiths had difficulty with the specification at first. They call it iron, steel and cast iron." Next came a shiny dagger.

"Half of my budget went on this. Small, but forged by a master blacksmith from the best sword steel, as ordered. A gift for the child of a nobleman. Still cheaper than a real sword from a master blacksmith. Then I also have copper and bronze here."

"What are the duskgnomes currently eating? The mushrooms won't be ripe for another two weeks."

"Dwarf cookies? Are those the ones you have to soak in water for an hour to make them edible?"

"A retailer once had them and then gave them away in our village because nobody really wanted them. They taste like damp socks."

"Pass. I think I'll eat again upstairs."

Two hours later, Selvara sat on Weylan's shoulder while he made himself comfortable on a stone next to the dryad tree. The stone ground around the tree had been replaced by the dungeon with black topsoil, in which small grass shoots were already protruding. When he had just tried to look at the tree, he had almost run into a spear. Ulmenglanz hadn't even apologized when she had driven him back. After he had retreated with his hands up, she had become much friendlier and was now sitting on the ground next to him: "I didn't think you were interested in plants. Except as food for your sheep."

"It's about keeping the existence of the dungeon a secret. I have an idea, but I need to know how to plant moss. Is it possible with cuttings or seeds? How can I plant it on stone?"

"On stone? Is it about the dungeon moss?"

"Exactly."

"Moss reproduces via spores. Like seeds, but much smaller. You could cut open the small spore bodies in the moss. But it should be easiest if you mix a mixture that you can paint directly onto the wall. The best way to do this is to chop a large piece of moss into fine pieces. Then mix it into a mixture of buttermilk and water. Stir well and paint directly onto the stone."

"Can you cast another spell on it to make it grow faster?"

She hesitated. "Well... I don't have nature magic. Not anymore. But I'm still a dryad. I could mix some of my saliva into it. Then the mixture can store some of my life energy. But remember, dungeon moss only grows inside dungeons."

"You'd think..."

"No really, to glow so strongly the plants need a strong mana field. You only get that in dungeons."

Weylan grinned: "I have an idea. But first we have to collect a lot of moss and chop it up. Then I'll go back up in the morning."

"What exactly are you up to?"

"Well, I'm going to solve two problems at once..." He explained his plan in broad strokes. The dryad and Selvara listened attentively and ended up shaking their heads in sync:

"That will never work."

Weylan shrugged: "Yes, it will. Just wait and see."