Chapter 139
The group had gathered at the pool at Norri's side and sat quietly as everyone waited for their breathing and heart rates to calm down. Norri remained on the ground and made no move to stand up. She was exhausted.
“Five minute break?” Aiden said jokingly while he rubbed at his head with one hand.
M'redith laughed, “At least five minutes. That was a tough fight.”
Carly nodded but did not smile, “I couldn't hurt it enough for it to matter.”
M'redith gave Carly a warm smile, “That's ok. My sword strikes barely wounded it either once it changed. Everything was going great until it went berserk.”
Aiden didn't say anything at first but instead sat with his head in his hands. The patches were finally gone and his head was clear but he didn't feel up to talking just yet.
“I think we did really well. We damaged it enough to push it to its second phase – berserk. Yes, most of us couldn't damage it once it went berserk – but one of us could and did. That is what counts,” Jay said in encouragement.
Jay pulled at the collar of his leather armor before continuing, “We're not all going to be able to do as much damage as we normally do on some monsters – they're going to be stronger or tougher or armored. Thank the Goddess Norri took Ursine Rage as her second Class Ability.” Jay said as he shifted and wound an arm around M'redith's shoulders and gave her a side hug.
The giant rat, or at least the pieces that were left after Norri had gotten a hold of it, began to waft upwards in to motes of light as the biological smear on the ground that had once been a boss rat gradually disappeared in to nothingness.
It left behind a pink chest with silver bands around it. The pink color glittered and sparkled.
The group wanted to work up some enthusiasm but couldn't. They all knew what they would find in the treasure chest, even though they all hoped they would be wrong.
Jay gave M'redith one last squeeze before he stood up and walked over to the chest. It again had no latch or anything holding it shut. Jay checked it for traps but found nothing. So he checked again, just to be sure. Finding nothing a second time he gently raised the lid and hoped that he hadn't missed anything.
The lid raised easily and inside Jay found exactly what he had expected. Five wrapped bundles of armor and a pile of five silver coins.
Jay handed out the coins before he removed the packages from the box and set them out in front of him in five piles. Reaching in to his backpack he took out another ten packages and began to arrange them in to piles.
Five piles, each with a Sailor's Shirt, a Sailor's Pants, and a Sailor's Cap. Jay then passed out the piles to the group, one set at a time.
When he got to Norri he just set them on the ground next to her, not wanting to interrupt her rest.
Jay took his three packages and unwrapped them. As soon as he did so a notification popped up.
Congratulations! You have completed a Mechanics quest, A Light in the Darkness! Collect a complete Landlocked Lighthouse armor set: 3/3
In days long past low level adventurers would flock to this dungeon as it was once considered essential for beginning dungeon runners. You have found your first clue as to why. The groups that came here were rewarded with the same armor you have now collected. What did they do with it once they got it?
You have found a complete set of armor but this armor appears more ornamental than useful. What use could decorative armor have? Perhaps you could find a way to properly display the armor set?
Find a way to properly display an armor set: 0/1
Everyone else received the same notification and Carly read it with excitement. Quests were something heard of in stories – the fact that Jay could generate them by touching plaques was incredible. Carly felt extraordinarily lucky that she had gotten not just a single quest, but an entire quest line with a mystery reward at the end.
The chest disappeared in to motes of light.
Carly had begun to grow a bit jealous of Jay over his abilities. He was always clean and dry. He could find treasure with his eyes closed. He could upgrade the rarity of rewarded loot. He could generate quests. He could generate titles. People who ran dungeons with him were rewarded with commemorative patches. It seemed that the only thing Jay couldn't do was fight – something that mattered less and less as time went on.
Norri sat up and rubbed at her eyes before she noticed the packages of armor next to her. She opened hers and stuffed them inside of her bag before she read the notification that had popped up for her.
Everyone took their time reading through the quest text. They talked over what could possibly display an armor set but they hadn't seen any likely candidates so far. They all decided to keep an eye out as they continued on, and if they finished the dungeon and still didn't find it they'd figure it out then. Finally, Norri rose from off the ground and stretched her arms over her head and yawned. “Is it bed time yet?”
M'redith chuckled, “Not yet. Close? Maybe? We've fought three bosses already and collected a full set of dungeon armor each – what could be left in here?”
Aiden thought she was really asking a question and not just making a comment. “I don't know. Jay?”
Jay lifted an eyebrow, “Why do you always seem to think I know the answer?”
Aiden looked at him unflinchingly for a moment before he spoke again, “You do know the answer though, don't you?”
Jay sighed, “Fine. I think I know the answer.”
The others laughed but waited to hear what he had to say.
“I think we're headed to the main boss next. So we have a few things to do here. Finish the dungeon, which means defeating the main boss. We need to find a key to the trap door in the basement. We need to find a way to display an armor set. And, lastly, we need to keep an eye out for a use for the huge bobbin of sail yarn that we left on the first floor by the cooking station.”
Everyone nodded numbly as Jay rattled off the things still left for them to do before going home and going to bed.
Norri looked disappointed, “I had hoped that we were almost done.”
Jay smiled, “I think we're getting close to tell you the truth. Once we beat the main boss I think doing the rest will be a lot easier.”
“Sure,” Aiden groused, “as long as the main boss isn't as tough as the one we just fought.”
M'redith grinned, “I don't know, that last boss seemed pretty helpless once Norri got a hold of it.”
Norri smiled and chuckled, “It was crazy! I know the ability is called Ursine Rage but I thought that was just a cool name. Once I used it I got angry. Really angry. Angrier than I've ever felt. I had trouble thinking straight. All I wanted was to rip apart the monster. The feeling was so strong, I couldn't even fight it. Even after the rat was dead I couldn't stop attacking it!”
The rest of the group listened to her quietly as she shared what it had felt like to use her new ability.
Aiden grinned, “Well it worked.”
The others laughed and Norri felt a little better.
Aiden looked over at Norri in consideration. She'd always been the little one in the group and even though her staff work was the best out of all of them she was still looked at as the 'little one.' It was easy to forget that even though she was little her combat ability was deadly. Add on to that her new Ursine Rage ability and she could be a nigh-unstoppable powerhouse when she chose to.
She was tiny. And cute. And absolutely terrifying. Just not always all at once.
Aiden flashed Norri a smile and not for the first time was thankful that they were friends.
She looked confused for a moment but returned the smile and stood up.
“Bed awaits. Let's finish this,” she said as she turned to help Aiden to his feet.
Jay took some time to search the room. They had been thorough so far in searching for any hidden treasure and so far hadn't found anything. The room turned out to be clear of anything Jay could find. He returned to the group looking a little disappointed.
“It's ok,” Aiden said as he tried to comfort Jay, “not all dungeons have hidden treasure. Some day after we get back we'll take that trip to some ruins we all keep talking about. Give you a chance to really find some treasure instead of doing jobs for other people...or churches.”
Although Aiden was being funny Jay thought it sounded like a pretty good idea. “I could use some hidden treasure to be honest. Finding nothing over and over again gets boring.”
M'redith laughed. “You can be funny sometimes. You do know that finding hidden treasure is normally a rare thing? Some people go their whole lives without finding any hidden treasure.”
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“Not me though,” Jay said with a smile.
“No, not you.” M'redith agreed with a grin as the group fell in to line without needing to be told. Everyone wanted to get moving again, even if no one especially felt like moving again after the fight they had just had.
“Here we go, moving,” M'redith said as she led them through the exit door. It led in to another room containing only a stairwell, this one going only upwards. Next to the stairs 3F was written on the wall in large lettering.
M'redith paused. “Everyone good on health and mana, right?”
Everyone assured her that they were ready to go.
“Ok, let's head up.” she said as she led them up the stairs in their usual order.
The next floor was predictably labeled 4F, not that Jay was complaining. Predictable was good.
The floor they were on was longer than it was wide with a door set in the far distant wall. The floors were tiles, ceramic maybe? Jay couldn't be sure.
Before Jay could make out anything other than the far off door the room filled with thick white fog. For a time nothing happened but then a beam of light cut through the fog as if from a lighthouse lamp, rotating, the beam swiping across the room in a quick arc.
They waited and it took a minute before the light returned. It left as quick as it arrived, leaving the room in a dark gloomy fog.
M'redith whispered without meaning to. The vibe the room gave off made whispering seem appropriate.
“Stay close. Stay together. I'll lead us in and use the beam of light to guide us to the other side. Seems simple enough.” M'redith whispered in a hush to the others.
“It's never that easy!” Aiden insisted before hissing, “Why are we whispering!”
As if in answer a deep rolling series of clicks sounded from off in the fog. It was impossible to tell what it was but even worse it was impossible to tell where it was. Avoiding it would be difficult.
Everyone got quiet and Aiden didn't ask any more questions.
“Follow me,” M'redith whispered, this time even quieter than before.
She turned and led them in to the fog. Their line slowly disappeared in to the fog until they were all within its boundaries.
A clear area formed about them like a bubble where no fog would form. This let them see out to about three feet in front of them before the air again became a thick wall of fog. But they were in a room, surely they would run in to a wall eventually right? Jay wasn't so sure.
M'redith led them deeper in to the room for what seemed like half an hour but was more likely only a few minutes. They moved very slowly while their eyes darted quickly back and forth looking for any sign of whatever had made those clicking sounds earlier.
M'redith froze as a low slung shape pierced the veil of the fog three feet out in front of them. An insect like creature scuttled in to the clear area in front of the group and flexed its front pincers to attack.
That was when the beam of light swept past them again.
The insect was about the size of a large dog and cringed when the light splashed across its carapace. Its many segments squirmed and flexed in pain at the light and the creature struggled to turn away from it and run back in to the darkness.
The group all stood for a moment in shock. They hadn't even had time to try and fight off the creature, whatever it had been. None of them had recognized it although Jay had thought it bared a passing resemblance to a roach.
M'redith was confused. She could have sworn she had been marching forward in a straight line the entire time. The light should be coming from in front of them but instead it was coming from their left. She had a decision to make, which way to go? Go blindly forward hoping that was the right way or follow the light?
A clicking sound came from in front of her, the clicks rolling in to one long sound that trailed up and down in volume.
M'redith chose the light. They were in a lighthouse so she felt it was a fairly safe guess. Whatever magic dungeon trickery was at work with the fog the light most likely would lead them out of it.
Hopefully.
M'redith moved towards the light and her group followed her, a little puzzled at the sudden turn but not willing to talk it out in the middle of the fog.
More clicks sounded from behind them and M'redith picked up the pace, the group following as closely as they could as everyone moved at a jogging pace.
The light swept past them again, this time it came from off to M'redith's right and she didn't wait but immediately turned and led her group in that direction. As she did so she could see the light strike some of the insects chasing them. This time some of the insects struck by the light didn't get up again but lay still and motionless.
That was all Jay had time to see as they jogged off in to the mist.
As time went on it became clear that either the room was a lot bigger than it had initially looked, or there was some magic involved.
M'redith tried once to talk things over with Jay while they ran but as soon as she spoke she was rewarded with a number of clicks sounding off to her left in the distance as if they had heard her. She could hear them getting slowly closer even now as she led her group, now at a run, through the featureless fog.
The light swept past again, this time from behind them. It struck a herd of the insects that had almost reached them and left them still and lifeless as the light continued on.
It had been brighter that time, a lot brighter. They must be getting close.
They ran and were rewarded with a new sound. Deeper clicks that echoed through the space around them sounded loudly, almost hurting their ears. Something large moved in the mist off to their left.
Their right side stirred as well as something stretched and rose to its many feet. The two approached from opposite sides and M'redith yelled, “Run!”
That stirred up a whole lot more clicks behind them and the group raced forward to chase after M'redith who had sprinted forward.
The two shapes collided behind them with a loud crash before they heard loud scratchy scuttling as the beasts disengaged from each other and returned to chasing after M'redith.
Jay could see over his shoulder that the shapes were quickly getting larger.
“Do your bear thing!” Carly yelled to Norri.
Norri rolled her eyes as she ran, “I can't! Once per day remember!”
“Don't stop to fight just run!” M'redith insisted as the group ran on.
The large shapes had almost reached them when the light broke through the fog with a physical impact sending the fog fleeing away from its beam. It cut through the massive creatures as easily as it did the fog before continuing on. Jay and his party were left unaffected by the light.
The party had slowed down and were in a bit of shock at what had just happened. M'redith yelled at them.
“Run! Keep moving, don't stop!” she called out to them as they ran on in the direction M'redith had seen the light come from.
There was no resting, the beasts lumbering through the fog behind them made sure of that. They ran on and each time the light swept past it grew brighter.
Finally M'redith reached a light so bright she could not make out anything else around her and she was forced to run blindly towards it. As she did so she passed out through the other end of the fog and at the exit door at the far end of the room.
The rest of the group all emerged from the fog behind her with various looks of relief.
Aiden grinned, “Ok Jay, go check the fog for traps and treasure.”
The group laughed.
“Screw that. I'm not going back in there if I can help it.” Jay insisted.
Norri shrugged, “It wasn't so bad. We didn't even have to fight anything – the light kept destroying whatever got close to us.”
M'redith nodded tiredly, “Sure, but was that because we ran close enough to the light for it to have an effect or would it have saved us regardless? I have no doubt that if we hadn't kept running we would have been forced in to an incredibly tough fight.”
Norri nodded and smiled. “Thanks for leading us all to safety M'redith. Guess it was your turn to save the group!”
M'redith smiled shyly as the others thanked her for her quick thinking.
Jay did however check the exit door for traps and the surrounding area for treasure – why not, he thought to himself. He found nothing. As expected.
M'redith didn't even ask this time but just assumed that Jay hadn't found anything, “Ok, let's keep moving, we're all still full on health and mana so no need to break just yet.”
No one argued, they were all beginning to get a little tired. It had been an incredibly long and eventful day and they could all use a good rest when they finally got out of the dungeon. They all wanted to move things along.
So M'redith led them through the door and in to the next room. A giant 4F was painted on the wall next to a winding staircase that went only up, not down.
She led them up the stairs and in to a new room. 5F was painted on the wall. This one had sparkling white floors and walls, even the ceiling was an off white. The room held the stairs, which led back down, and a single metal door, currently shut.
“Uh oh. That looks serious.” Aiden said jokingly.
M'redith smiled, “Big boss time?”
Norri nodded. “Let's finish this so we can get snacks and go to bed.”
Carly chuckled. Norri sometimes sounded like she didn't take things seriously but Carly had learned that Norri could be frighteningly capable when it suited her.
Jay nodded. “Ready.”
Aiden shrugged. “Why not?”
“Ok, here we go,” M'redith said as she pulled the thick metal door open.