A gleeful grin could be seen on Fren’s face as we talked about my plans for the rest of the dungeon floor. I only knew volcanos from pictures and books, but the ratkin had personally visited one in the past, allowing her to give me valuable insight and tell me stories about her travels and adventures that left me in awe.
She was still inexperienced when it came to her chosen line of work, but much like dwarfs, her tribe originated from the mountains, so seeing one of those spitting fire wasn’t exactly the strangest sight for her - albeit indeed a very rare one. Still, when she told me about the concept of mud volcanos or hot springs people would gather at to relax and share stories, I couldn’t help but feel envious. The latter of the two would make wonders for a safe room!
Safe rooms were a concept I had only ever heard about, as I had not set foot in a single dungeon before literally becoming one myself. Apparently, they were rooms of varying sizes and features that allowed adventurers to rest before making their way back out of the dungeon or deeper into it. This allowed the invaders to rest and regain their strength while also being beneficial for the dungeon itself, as it allowed the challenges surrounding the safe room to become much harder without them being considered too tough for adventurers to clear, given that there was always a way for them to regain their strength and try again.
Dungeons featured such safe rooms most often directly in front of hard fights such as those against mini-bosses or floor-bosses, especially hard opponents that not only prevented adventurers from making their way deeper into the dungeon without thoroughly being prepared for the challenges that awaited them but also served as an additional line of defense for the dungeon itself.
It went without question that I wanted some boss monsters for myself. Sure, I had both the three-tailed steam and obsidian fox ready to defend me now, but would they really be able to fend off more experienced groups of adventurers? Fren and her friends were still beginners, all things considered, and more battle-proven parties wouldn’t be stopped by a mere handful of lava monsters or a single three-tailed one!
Sadly, I had no idea yet how to select or summon boss monsters. I didn’t even know how to do challenges or puzzles yet! Fren couldn’t help me with that either given that she had never interacted with a dungeon avatar before, so I could only wait for the evening and pray to Cilia instead. Only she would be able to answer my many questions.
I couldn’t help but look at the artificial sky. The sun had already passed its zenith, meaning it would only take a few more hours before it would begin to set and I could get to praying. Right now, doing so didn’t feel safe, as there could still be adventurers invading the dungeon at any minute.
Right on cue, a cold shiver suddenly assaulted me, accompanied by the feeling of danger approaching. Fren saw me suddenly embracing myself and could only look at me in confusion before I explained to her what exactly was happening to me.
“There are adventurers invading the dungeon?!” She exclaimed.
“Quite strong ones, it seems…”
“So it isn’t the others…”
The others meant her party of friends that she was still waiting for to return. Fren didn’t have much trouble getting used to my slow life of playing with foxes, eating, using my mana, and sleeping, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t urging for some change, especially now that she had explored most of the dungeon’s features with her own hands and eyes.
A part of me was looking forward to seeing her go, as her being my hostage didn’t quite sit well with me, but I also considered her somewhat of a friend, albeit one that did not have much choice in the matter. It was nice to have someone to talk to, after all.
Long minutes passed by in silence as Fren was watching my ever-changing expressions, then, suddenly, a green board appeared in front of me, revealing to me that the invaders had found their way to the prayer room.
『Quest 14: The First Prayer
Task Completed: Have an adventurer visit your dungeon and pray to Cilia, Light of Life, within the bounds of your prayer room.
Reward: Unlock Temporary Blessing of your choice
I didn’t think you would be this fast with this one. Nevermind. Just be sure you pick the blessing you like the most!』
“They have just prayed to Cilia,” I told Fren.
I couldn’t help but feel relieved, as this meant my former father was in no way invading the dungeon right now. He would never pray to the goddess only to try to enslave her dungeon in the very next moment. It just didn’t make sense. But who has found their way into the dungeon? I couldn’t even begin to guess.
“Do you think they are dangerous?” Fren asked with some hesitation.
It took me a second to grasp the feeling into words, then I nodded: “I feel more threatened by them than I have ever felt before. They are certainly strong.”
“I- I am sure it will be fine! Nobody would mess around with a dungeon core!” Fren replied, her words dying off at the end as she remembered what had happened to me. “Yeah… right.” She shyly added.
A large, green board with white writing on it suddenly blocked my view of the ratkin woman, forcing my attention to itself. It was split into two halves, it seemed, each of them having a handful of entries.
“I can choose a Blessing now,” I explained before starting to read my choices. There were quite a few of them.
「Unlock Temporary Blessing:
Unlocked by Foxes:
Blessing of the Curious Fox
Marks Adventurers with the Mark of the Fox. This allows them to traverse the Dungeon without being attacked by any foxes. The Mark of the Fox becomes undone should its wearer willingly injure a fox. This mark is also lost upon leaving the dungeon's bounds.
Blessing of Fire
Marks Adventurers with the Mark of the Fire Fox. This gives them a strong boost to their fire magic and increases their resistance to fire and heat. The mark becomes temporarily undone when its wearer is wet. This mark is lost upon leaving the dungeon's bounds.
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Blessing of Earth
Marks Adventurers with the Mark of the Earth Fox. This gives them a strong boost to both their endurance and strength and also hardens their skin, making it easier to prevent injury and death. While active, the wearer will also be much heavier than usual. Being hit slowly consumes the mark until it becomes completely undone. This mark is also lost upon leaving the dungeon's bounds.
Blessing of Water
Marks Adventurers with the Mark of the Water Fox. While active, this mark passively regenerates their health. The healing effect increases rapidly while its wearer is heavily injured - this consumes the mark, however. This mark is also lost upon leaving the dungeon's bounds.
Unlocked by becoming Cilia’s Chosen Dungeon:
Cilia’s Grace
Marks Adventurers with the Mark of Fertility. While active, this mark increases their fertility and temporarily improves the health of their offspring. This mark wears off over time and can only be renewed by praying to Cilia, Light of Life. This mark stays active even outside of the dungeon's bounds.
Blessing of the Second Spring
Marks Adventurers with the Mark of Spring. Receiving a fatal injury will consume this mark, teleporting the wearer's body to safety and reviving it in its ideal state. This process heavily weakens said individual and applies the Mark of Cilia onto them if not already active. The Blessing of the Second Spring may only be gained by those strong enough to carry its mark. This mark is lost upon leaving the dungeon's bounds.
Blessing of the Guiding Light
Marks Adventurers with the Mark of Summer. While active, this mark reveals monsters and traps to its wearer but also draws the monster’s attention. The mark will immediately remove itself once its wearer is no longer surrounded by a source of light. This mark is also lost upon leaving the dungeon's bounds.
Blessing of the Bountiful Harvest
Marks Adventurers with the Mark of Fall. While active, this mark increases their intuition and skill while gathering plant matter within the dungeon. Harvested herbs, berries, fruits, and roots will have their effects and taste vastly improved. The Mark of Fall immediately removes itself when any Monster is injured by its wearer. This blessing is also lost upon leaving the dungeon's bounds.
Blessing of the Avalanche
Marks Adventures with the Mark of Winter. While active, this mark shrouds the surrounding of the wearer with an aura of bitter coldness only its wearer can withstand. The Mark of Winter lasts for ten minutes. Defeating an opponent will however renew and further strengthen it. Failure to defeat an opponent in time will immediately remove the Mark of Winter regardless of how strong it has become. This mark is also lost upon leaving the dungeon's bounds.」
“What does it say,” asked Fren after a few moments of me looking at the available options that remained invisible to her. “Anything good?”
Without hesitation I read the blessings out loud, separating them by those unlocked by foxes and those given to me by Cilia, much like the board itself had split them into two halves. The ratkin slowly nodded, before making her first judgment after I finished.
“Those given to you by Cilia are much more interesting.”
“I guess you are right about that. But I don’t want to make people stronger. I want to be safe!”
“How about you make them weaker then? Blessing of the Second Spring, isn’t it? Just kill them and make them as weak as a newborn fawn!”
“I am not sure it works like that.”
“But you are also against killing them for good.”
“... yes.”
“So what choice do you have, then? It is the only blessing that actively works for you!”
Fren was right, I knew that much. But picking that blessing would also mean I couldn’t defeat my former father once and for all. He would just return after a week and try again, this time with more experience under the belt. It would only do when I made him unable to receive the blessing in the first place.
A grin grew on my face as I had just found the perfect solution. Why not make my mother more popular as a goddess while also making me feel a lot safer in the process?
Having made my plan, I immediately selected the Blessing of the Second Spring before hugging my dungeon core. Afterward, I closed my eyes and concentrated on a very simple task any recipient of the blessing had to fulfill before gaining it, which was simply leaving behind an offering in the prayer room and - more importantly - sending an honest prayer to Cilia.
I was yet unsure whether the dungeon itself or Cilia would need to make the needed judgment for that, but given that the dungeon core soon rewarded me with a gentle wave of heat, I was sure my desired task was set in stone for now. Naturally, I immediately told Fren about my decision.
“That settles that then,” she answered with a nod. “What are you going to do about those invaders?”
“They will probably leave on their own. My monsters are pretty strong, after all!”
To that, the ratkin could only answer with another nod, having been on the receiving end of my foxes’ assault herself. So she could only reluctantly go back to chatting with me, this time already discussing how I would use the mana I would be earning by fending off my uninvited visitors. It was only in the middle of the discussion that I realized I had forgotten a very important tidbit of information: the young couple that was currently residing in the geyser room, enjoying their honeymoon.
“Fren?”
“What is it?”
“What do you think happens when a pregnant monster dies?”
“Monsters will reappear in peak fighting condition, meaning-”
“I HAVE TO GO!”
I immediately jumped to my feet and ran towards the network of tunnels leading to my dungeon rooms, leaving behind both my dungeon core and the shocked ratkin. For minutes, I made my way through the darkness, stumbling over my own feet and hitting the walls, before I finally found the door to the geyser room.
Tossing my entire weight against the thick sheet of mithril, it quickly gave way, allowing me to enter the sea of clouds more or less unhindered. I could barely see a thing in here, but I soon heard the sound of battle and the yelps of my foxes. They were in the middle of fending off those invaders!
I rushed forward and towards the pavilion in the center of the room, where the foxes used to stay to enjoy each other's company in peace and quiet. Before long, I already saw silhouettes inside of the mist, two of them vulpine, the other ones much more humanoid in shape. They were in the midst of a battle to the death.
“Stop it,” I heard myself beg. “Please, stop it!”
The two foxes immediately reacted. Instead of keeping on fighting their opponents, both of them rushed towards me, as if to search for protection at my side - and I was more than willing to give them that.
The two invaders had already turned towards me. One of them immediately dashed to the other's side, seemingly fearing another attack by me or the foxes, the other one… seemed strangely familiar?
Through the dense fog, I could only make out blonde hair and two large ears that rested on top of the stranger's head, but before I knew it, he or she was coming closer, revealing to me that it was a woman in a white and golden dress.
“Priestess' robe? It can’t be! She is a human!”
Within seconds she had already tightly embraced me like I was a long-lost child. I couldn’t even react to it!
“You are fine!” She cried out. “You are really fine!”
I knew this voice! I could never forget it in my lifetime! This was the priestess that had saved me! It was really her!
I couldn’t help but free myself from her grasp, trying to look into her face to confirm my idea. And it was really her. The priestess was crying, before hugging me again, this time making sure I couldn’t escape her show of affection. Soon I was following her example, both in hugging her and crying my eyes out as my tail waved behind my back, betraying the fear and anxiety I had felt only seconds prior.
“She is really alive!”