Chapter 15

Bianca - Day 4 of Landing

Population of Thornhill - 12

The fish that was served wasn’t bad. It was roasted over an open fire, and we ate it with a sprinkle of sea salt and the juice of an unripe citrus fruit, which gave it a nice zest. We ate it family-style with a newly minted clay lantern in the center of the hut. Orion lit it with his Firewielder skill and fed it with resin he foraged. Orion commented that the fish gave him a buff that increased how long he could hold his breath underwater, whatever that meant. The atmosphere was light with conversation, children laughing, and the final raindrops of the dying storm beating on the new clay-tiled rooftop. The mood was positive since everyone was home safe and sound. Home. What a strange word to call this place.

“Thankful for the meal, thankful for the company,” everyone but the newcomers said in unison, which the newly rescued children then repeated, and their parents followed as a good example.

“Save some of those fish bones; they could be useful for needles and other tools,” Ethan said.

“Can’t leave anything to waste, it seems,” I said.

“When we have to find a place for a garbage dump, that’s when we know we’ve made it,” Orion said, checking the front of his teeth with his tongue. “For now, we have to be like the Native Americans and use everything.”

“About this dungeon...” I began, holding my head down in apology. “I’m sorry, but it’s my fault those kids got in there. I didn’t realize when the card was created that it was opened so close to us.”

“It’s alright,” Orion reassured. “It must be because they were triplets that they all spawned in at the same time. There’s no way you could’ve seen it coming.”

“I think we ought to close it,” I said, knowing how some would take it.

“What? No way!” Alex cried. Cass was not happy with the decision either.

“Bianca is right, yes,” Marek said in his thick Polish accent. “I don’t want my children playing in there like it's Lord of the Rings or something.”

“It’s dangerous. If any of you get hurt, we don’t exactly have the equipment to save you,” Ethan said. “I don’t have antibiotics, bandages, or splints yet. We don’t even have alcohol.”

“Anika is a herbalist and Ethan is a doctor. They have skills and can make potions, right?” Alex argued. “We can probably find potions in there too. It’s not a big deal.”

Anika and Ethan looked at each other, unsure, shaking their heads. Orion remained silent on the issue, looking like he was contemplating deeply about it. Herman was also quiet, mostly because he seemed out of his element whenever we talked about the video game elements of the world we were in. Alex continued his case, pleading with desperation in his eyes.

“In these isekai stories, the main character goes into the dungeon and finds a whole bunch of loot that helps the village out,” Alex explained. “I can upgrade the village by diving deeper into the dungeon. That’s why it’s there!”

“With what? That armor you’re wearing is to protect yourself FROM the dungeon,” I said. “If you get weapons, you’ll use them to fight more stuff INSIDE the dungeon. How can we use the coins you bring back? There are no vending machines out here.”

“They’ll be important later on, trust me,” Alex said.

“Orion, what do you think?” Anika asked, prodding at the young cook’s silence.

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“The knife I got there was far more useful than anything I can make out here, barring the creation of an iron forge. The giant rats there could make good pelts if we can actually carry it back here,” Orion sighed. “Bianca is right, though. I know Cass is going to try to go in there, and if any of us get hurt, it’s over. There’s no game plus or reviving here, Alex.”

“Dude, we stomped those rats in there. Sure, ban the kids from going in, but I’m a Hero class. I’ve got to level up in there,” Alex pleaded, almost whimpering.

I didn’t know Orion that well yet to presume much about him, but I knew he was struggling with this one. He usually made his feelings well-known about a topic, but for this, he was probably caught between wanting to level up and protecting his brother.

“It’s up to you, Bianca,” Orion said. “You hold the dungeon keys, you decide.”

“Everything here involves some risk, and... right now, I’ll only allow Alex and Rye to go in. If we get more fighter classes or a wizard or something, I’ll let them go in. But Alex, you’ve got to promise me something,” I said.

“Anything,” Alex agreed.

“The minute you or Rye get hurt, you get the hell out of there. Even one tiny scratch. You go out. No risks, mister! Just fight rats and low-level creatures. If you or Rye get hurt, I will close it. Got it?”

“Of course, of course. I’m not stupid; I know how to grind. I am the hero, after all. What’s the worst that can happen?” Alex laughed, and everyone under thirty groaned.

“There’s a more pressing issue,” Orion sighed. “In the dungeon, there is information that shows this is part of a larger land called the Veiled Realms. There are unknown people on a sort of leaderboard who have reached floor 20. We could barely finish floor 1.”

“Wait, what---” Ethan stammered nervously, “That means... we aren’t alone in this world?”

“Not only are we not alone, but we are greatly outmatched. If they have people who can descend to floor 20, that means they are powerful.” Orion looked far off in the distance as if contemplating the future, his voice filled with exhaustion.

“Should we try to make contact with other people? If they are part of a strong settlement, we can get the supplies we need. We may even be granted refugee status,” Anika suggested.

“Refugee status? I don’t think this world has a UN or governing body. More than likely, we are some uncontacted tribe, and they could very well be the Spanish conquistadors,” Orion said.

“We don’t even have horses or boats yet, let alone a map to find them. We should focus on building here until we get more information,” I decided, and with their silence, I took it as agreement. One did speak up, however.

“I can defend us if the natives here try anything. Just wait until I level up in the dungeon.” Alex clenched his fist, and the rest of the group looked at each other, unsure. A new, unknown world had opened up. Before, we felt like we were on some small island all alone, but suddenly the darkness outside our dimly lit refuge grew expansive, making us all feel small, weak, and ignorant. We were a tiny minnow in the deep sea swimming blindly past monsters.

Later, we discussed our non-dungeon plans for the next day. I saw Orion talking to Cass, getting him to promise him something, and then caught up with him.

“Rye, can we talk alone?” I asked him.

Orion looked suspicious as I approached him as if he expected me to stab him, but he followed me as we walked to the beach, him carrying a torch.

“What were you talking about with Cass?” I asked him.

“Oh? I just made him promise on our mother’s soul not to go into the dungeon until I think he’s ready,” Orion said. When we faced the water, he spoke up again, “What’s up?”

“I know you want to go into the dungeon,” I said.

“I said it was your call,” Orion shrugged, acting as if he didn’t care, but I could tell he wanted to go in.

“I did it to keep you two happy, but we need you, Rye. Around the camp, I mean. I know you want to have your adventures and have fun, but if something happens to you in the dungeon, then we are screwed.”

“I won’t get hurt. But I think you value me too highly and yourself not enough,” Orion said, showing me the tiniest bit of warmth. “I’m just a cook class. I don’t have a golem that can magically build stuff, and Herman can fish for food. Eventually, you’ll get more people with their skills, and you need to build this place in a way where no one is irreplaceable.”

“Then it’s okay to just go inside some dangerous place with a death wish?” I asked him.

“I’ll be careful. I have Cass to take care of, remember. Someone has to keep Alex in check down there, and... it’s dangerous, but I think it can be rewarding in the long term. Despite how crazy what Alex says sounds, he might have a point,” Orion said.

I let out a frown as it seemed he made his decision and nodded, “Just be careful.”

He patted me on the shoulder, and we walked back to the base camp. I noted then just how much bigger he was as if he had grown overnight in the dungeon. Stubble was starting to grow on his chin. He would walk his own path now, and that would mean he would be a different person. That was a path I couldn’t walk with him. A part of me felt a twinge of sadness that this meant we were going to eventually walk in different directions away from each other.