Lily POV
Haaaa... It has been over a day since the Dungeon Core went into a meditative work trance. I had heard at the Academy that Dungeons frequently get immersed into something. But I hadn't thought about how I wouldn't have anything to do and be very bored. Let's just check how far he is from completion and go give my report to the academy.
Using our bond I looked at how much work he had left and saw that he estimated that it would take around 8 hours. Yeah, I can go to Gilspire and back even accounting for some time dilation. I opened the portal to the Academy portal ports and stepped through. After coming through I quickly closed the portal and moved aside. Just as I moved out the portal frame lit up with a pinkish portal and three pixies came through giggling. They were wearing the academy uniform with the first-year badge. They must be this year's new students. This had me remembering my first year, Ember, Zeta...
I got out of the portal station and went towards the main academy building. Outside the station, there were many stalls selling and buying things from the students. Low-grade potions, herbs, meat, bones, feathers, mana crystals whatever a student might want these stalls were selling at an affordable price, no one truly guarantees their products but it's cheap and convenient for the students so they buy it here rather than go two levels down to the Market district. And the hawkers buy up most of the ok quality things students make during practice though at a lower price.
I strolled through the market looking at the stalls to see if something that might be interesting or something that might be good for the Dungeon. Yeah, he needs to pick a name soon, calling him 'him' and 'dungeon' was getting old. I suddenly heard a wail that froze me with fear, despair and sadness. In the next moment, it was all normal. I looked over in the direction that the wail came from and saw a bulbous child-like plant flailing around on the ground. It was still screaming but someone must have put up a silencing field around it. I saw what might be a forest nymph wearing the academy uniform getting scolded by the demon vendor. Yeah, he should be scolded for mishandling such a volatile thing.
The rest of the way to the main building went uneventfully. I looked up the grand architecture of the entry hall. The stained glass windows, illusory chandelier, animated constellations, dancing lights and shadow, even after seeing these for six years, their awe-inspiring marvel never became lesser. I went up to Nerathul, the sole voidling in Gilspire and the receptionist of the Academy.
"How may I help you?" The receptionist said in a crisp monotone voice through telepathy. "I wanted to report about the Dungeon Core I have made an Assistant Familiar pact with. There are some abnormalities with its soul. Can you tell me which terminal I should go to file it?" I replied.
"We are sorry for your inconvenience but due a some problems the terminal cannot be used. This ban relates to most appliances that interface with our Astral Network. Please write the report using paper and ink."
"What! Can't I type it on my phone and then print it out!? I don't even think I have extra paper besides some notebooks!"
"No, you cannot use the printers as they interface with the Astranet to transfer documents. And for the paper, we are selling it at a discount rate of 3 S4 sheets for 1 mark. If you need a pen we have single-use pens at 8 marks, refillable pens at 12, the ink refills at 5 and an everfill pen at 90 marks."
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I grumbled at the inconvenience and the money grab. Really, 3 sheets at 1 mark? That's a discount? It was 5 for 1 at the Market last I checked! But begrudgingly I bought 6. At least I didn't need a pen because those were also marked up. I pulled out two dull metal coins out of my storage and on the counter. Nerathul swiped them up with a tentacle and rolled six sheets with the other. I put the paper in storage space and went towards the Lift Station, which was right beside the Portal Station, to go down to the Residency Level where my dorm was.
I approached the token booth for the Lift, in it an imp wearing a navy blue coat was typing on a terminal, grumbling something. As I floated up a bit to level with the window the imp looked at me and asked, "Destination."
"Residency level." He nodded and took out a pink crystalline coin. "That will be 5 marks and the next shift is scheduled 6 minutes later." I gave him a 5-mark coin and picked up the pink token. I attuned it to me using a bit of mana and then stored it. I floated into the waiting room and went to a corner. I took my phone out and looked if I had unread messages. But I just got 'outside of network coverage'. Then I remembered that the network was down on this level. Sigh... I just started writing my report on the Dungeon in my notepad app.
After some minutes I felt the world shift and I found myself in the landing pad of the next level. I stored my phone and exited the station. I went to the cab stand next to the station and booked a ride to the G block dorms, as it would have taken around an hour to just float there myself. And I didn't pay for a portal anchor for what should have been my temporary residence. I tethered myself to the seat and the almost silent buzz of the engine started.
I got out of the cab and handed the driver 15 marks. I went to my room and took out the papers on my desk. I looked over to the pen stand to see my everfill pen missing. Shit! I started to pull on my drawers when I remembered my newly evolved Ability. I felt around the room with it and found it in my bag, then I just teleported it to me. Then I start to proceed to write my report on the Dungeon.
I had not thought that it would take 3 hours for me to fully complete my report. And my telekinesis still being of minor grade didn't help with the fine controls of my pen. If only I had taken more care of the apparatus Zeta had built for me to write with. I take a moment to relax a bit and check my messages. Oh! The LEZ group had some messages!
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Z: My contract will conclude this Restae. I intend to take some time to rest before seeking a new engagement. Will you be available during that period?
E: HELL YEAH! My contract wraps up on Mundae! We’re definitely hanging out!
...........
Z: Em, have you heard anything about Lily? It's been a day since we posted our contract completion, and she hasn't been online for six days.
E: No, I haven’t. It’s strange, though. She's usually on the Astral more than any of us, except for you with your digital form!
Z: Very amusing... Haha.
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Right! I had forgotten to tell them about my Dungeon Assistant Contract! I checked the Calendar to see what day this was and saw that it was Pentae. I saw that the last message was 6 hours and no one was online so I wrote.
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L: Sorry! I got so excited that I forgot to tell you guys—I finally got my first contract! It’s a Dungeon Assistant role for a new Rift Dungeon! And, well, he’s a bit strange. I don’t have a connection in the dungeon, and you know how expensive it is to get a new setup. So, um, see you guys on Mundae!
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I looked at the clock to see that it was 16: 30 and hurriedly bound the papers with a staple and put them in my storage. Then I quickly get out of the dorms and call a cab with the SuBer app.