The next morning Layne was up uncharacteristically early. Even he was surprised. He kept thinking of his conversation with his father the previous day, as well as the thoughts he had about his own participation in their barony.
That’s why Asher went adventuring. Like Layne, he was trained as an adventurer not for the purpose of becoming a full adventurer, but to acquire skills that would be useful to his family’s pursuits. Many young nobles were trained similarly, including Tamrin.
In the case of Asher’s current journey, his family needed a new construction artefact for the textile enterprise they ran. Since Asher was old enough and well-trained, he was given the responsibility of acquiring it along with whatever other useful things he could find for the family. What was Layne doing for his family, aside from getting married to Tamrin? Maybe it was time to be more involved in the family holdings, on top of his status as an adventurer on the island.
He did know of one task which needed to be completed – collecting the dungeon core. It was a perfect intersection of his role as adventurer and the needs of the barony. He could do it by himself too. The dungeon was so basic and he knew exactly where the core was, even if he couldn’t imagine what the core was doing in that specific spot. It made no sense in terms of dungeon layout. Just more evidence of the erratic behaviours of an anomalous core, Layne guessed.
Thinking of the core distracted him momentarily. The core looked cute, and it seemed so vulnerable floating there in that little disguised hole in the dungeon corridor ceiling. Layne felt the same sympathy rising in him as he did the first day on the beach, when the core made that weird room beneath Stanley. Then he shook his head. It was a core. Dungeon cores acted according to their nature; they were not sentient. They certainly weren’t cute.
Getting back to the point, this was an easy enough mission for him to complete by himself. Even Tamrin would appreciate him going alone, since she really hated mud and critters. Dirt in general, to be exact. Yes, he would go out and get the job done for his family.
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The first thing Lily did when she woke up that morning, was to take out the dungeon compass and check on the cockroach dungeon. The needle still steadily varied between the location of the old dungeon and the new one. She was happy it still showed, but it was also strange. Why would the location still show up if the mistress and young master were going to remove the core?
Later, when she was out walking with Agnetha on her morning rounds, she asked her too. But Agnetha didn’t have any answers for her either. Trying to distract herself, Lily mentally took another look at the skill gains she had made during the morning. It was quite satisfying to see.
New skill unlocked: Nursing, basic 2/20
Skill increase: Herbalism, basic +2
Skill increase: Identify +1
Skill increase: Observation +3
As it turned out, most skills were not exclusive to specific classes. Meaning, a single skill could benefit multiple classes should they be available. And Lily was well on her way to qualifying for the Herbalist class, having already possessed Basic herbalism, Identify, and Observation. With the new addition of Basic nursing, she only needed one more relevant skill.
So deep in thought was she, that she almost didn’t notice who was coming from the other side of the street. Almost. Lily gasped and pulled Agnetha round a corner. Agnetha complied with uncanny deftness given her old age and walking cane, and further secreted them in the shadows.
“What is it, Lily?” she asked, carefully peering around the corner.
“Those two men,” Lily replied in a low voice. “They were part of the group who caught me on the beach the other day, when I was looking for the new dungeon.”
“Ah, the same group from whom you liberated your… tool?”
Lily nodded. Agnetha looked thoughtful for a moment, studying the huts surrounding them. Reaching some kind of conclusion, she said, “You know what, let’s go check in on Widow Hari. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her.”
Lily sighed and followed Agnetha as she changed direction and headed down a different path. She disliked being inside Widow Hari’s hut, which, thankfully, she didn’t have to enter a lot. It had a very strong smell, and things kept dying around it. Which was why she, like most villagers, generally avoided that parcel of land.
Not to mention the widow herself. The air of piousness with which she carried herself annoyed Lily. Not that there was anything wrong with being religious, but the widow’s overt devotion bordered on obsequiousness. Lily didn’t understand why the widow hadn’t joined a religious order. Instead, she got married and lost her husband not long after delivering their son.
Little Harry was always spotless and dressed neatly despite his age. It was a stark contrast to the general state of the other three-year-olds. It also meant that he was mostly standing on the sidelines while the rest of the boys his age lived boisterous lives, playing and getting dirty. Lily found his separation sad.
Despite these feelings, Lily trudged along after Agnetha. Herbalists went everywhere they were needed, unlike the healers Lily knew of. And in this case, she and Agnetha needed to not be here on the street.
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With the knowledge of the dungeon’s current location firmly settled in his mind, Layne was traversing the jungle terrain with purpose. He liked it. Thinking about it, he realised just how stale his life had become. It really was time to take on something new. He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn’t notice a small glasswing butterfly passing the other way.
Hey Rick, wake up! Layne’s on his way, he’s going to be here soon!
“On my way,” Rick yawned, blinking to reorient himself in their core cavern to which they had retreated.
Claire pushed Layne’s approach to the back of her mind, including the small burst of happiness she felt at seeing him. Happy to see your executioner? She really was messed up, she thought wryly to herself.
Anyway, he was still far away enough not to need much attention. Besides, she couldn’t observe his journey without having a construct present anyway, since her territory didn’t stretch that far.
Claire wasn’t alarmed at his approach since she had secreted herself away in her original core cavern. She would be safe, whether their ruse worked or not. Even the low life-force environment didn’t worry her, they had a plan in place for that little problem too.
So, she kept her focus on the new glasswing butterfly scout. It had to find civilisation without getting eaten again, so Claire could learn more about the island population. She could no longer afford to wait passively for adventurers to come to her and hope not to be abducted or killed. She had to go find the right ones, and then figure out a way to reach them with her dungeon.
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“Well hello there,” Widow Hari said. Her voice was melodious, complementing her youthful smooth skin and bright, shining eyes. How old was she? Lily wondered to herself. Definitely not past her thirtieth year. Lily looked around, expecting to see little Harry, but only the widow was present.
“Hello there to you as well, young miss,” Agnetha said, nodding cordially to Widow Hari. “Lily came to see if we might not brew you something strong this morning, there being so many new faces in the village.”
“I thank you for your consideration. The Gods bless good neighbours,” Widow Hari replied, bowing slightly and pressing her palms together in a prayer gesture. “I am curious though, new faces you say? Do you think little Harry should play home for a few days?”
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Agnetha turned to Lily, stating, “Lily has seen these men before, on the Wild Coast, while she was collecting herbs. Tell us Lily, what were your impressions?”
“They seemed like ruffians, and I was scared,” Lily replied quite honestly.
“At this point they might be more focused on … young ladies,” Agnetha went on. “Although keeping a close eye on one’s child might also be wise.”
“Well, the Gods are always watching and protecting us,” Widow Hari replied while walking over to the fireplace and readying a pot with water.
“But sometimes the Gods also expect us to help with the watching,” Agnetha responded. “If someone took a good look at Lily, for example, they might see something they’re not supposed to.”
Lily looked at Agnetha in alarm. Why would she say that, and to Widow Hari of all people! Agnetha just patted her on the shoulder as Widow Hari turned around and focused on her, causing the slight prickle of Identify to run through Lily.
“Now I truly do see, the Heavens forbid,” Widow Hari continued. “You’ve found yourself quite a talented apprentice, Agnetha. And, little Lily, you have the desire to also gain the Herbalist class?”
“Oh, yes Widow Hari. I would love to be as skilled a Herbalist as Agnetha one day,” Lily said, not mentioning some of Agnetha’s other talents she would love to emulate.
“That is why we came to you,” Agnetha supplied. “Lily could use some instruction in the art of brewing, especially the kind of brews of your expertise.”
“Well then, let’s see about it. I think a strong tea would be nice to start with, but I want it exactly to my own specifications. Don’t worry, I will guide you. And in return, you may assist me for a day or two. And perhaps watch little Harry the day after as well.”
Lily nodded in resignation. She was going to get buried in debts before she ever completed her class education.
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This is not a simple cup of tea, Lily reflected as they reached what seemed like the second hour of the process. In fact, she was not sure whether this was tea at all. She had never seen any tea of this colour before, and the smell was quite nauseating. Although it blended well with the general odour permeating Widow Hari’s hut. On the other hand, she had experienced several skill increases since the start of this tea-making process. Probably why Agnetha brought her here in the first place.
Skill increase: Basic herbalism +5
Skill increase: Identify +3
Skill increase: Observation +2
Agnetha herself took off some time ago, mumbling something about patients to see. This happened just as Widow Hari was about to sway into her second prayer trance about the benefits of good company, honouring one another and the lavish blessings pouring down from the Gods on her undeserving home. The widow certainly timed her religious trances well, usually when the “tea” needed an extended period of stirring.
Lily was also becoming more sympathetic to Little Harry’s plight by the minute. She could not imagine being stuck with the widow for longer than a day. Even these few hours were starting to wear on her self-restraint. Maybe her father could take Little Harry on as an apprentice hunter? Although, three is a bit young and they would need Widow Hari’s permission. Maybe Lily should just offer to watch him more often.
New blessing received
As a result of spending an extended amount of time in a religious atmosphere, you have been blessed. For the next twenty-four hours you will benefit from additional Godly favour.
As the notification flashed in Lily’s vision, Widow Hari gave a great cry and fell onto her knees on the floor thanking the Gods over and over for their gifts. Lily just stood their frozen in the moment. She didn’t know whether she should also prostrate herself, or just keep stirring as she has been instructed to. That was besides the cold sweat running down her back. Being noticed by the Gods often got people into situations they didn’t want to be involved with in the first place. Lily knew this because of the countless myths and fables illustrating this very danger. A suspicious part of her wondered if this was why Agnetha left so soon. Did she know this would happen?
Widow Hari’s smile was so large it almost split her face in half.
“Did you see that, Lily? The Gods have looked upon us!” Lily nodded, trying to steady her breathing. An effort that was not helped by the fumes in the hut.
Lily’s lack of response did not deter the widow. She flung an arm around Lily’s shoulder and exclaimed with pride, “I knew I was doing the right thing helping you! You are going to learn so much from me!”
Trying to ignore the smell, Lily focused on taking deep breaths.
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Layne’s heartbeat sped up as he approached the opening to the dungeon. They were here only yesterday, but still he felt anxiety building. From yesterday to today was plenty of time for the dungeon to change. There may even be some new traps present.
The reality of standing in front of the dungeon again had him questioning the wisdom of his earlier determination. There was a reason why soloing was discouraged. Most adventurers would recommend three-adventurer teams at the least, so his party of two with Tamrin was already considered risky. The only reason they kept it that way was because they both had relatively high class levels and their skill-sets complemented each other’s well.
He took a deep breath. It doesn’t matter if the dungeon interior may have changed. This was still a beginner dungeon, and his current class and skill levels should be more than a match for whatever was in store in there. Unless he got buried like Stanley did, a part of him whispered. Layne shook his head. He was not going to be deterred by contemplating outlandish doomsday scenarios. Sometimes you just had to act.
Preparing his dark vision, he stepped through the entrance. The corridor was still there, just like yesterday, but today the mud was gone. All that was left was uneven flooring, with some boot prints running back and forth. There were also some speckles of blue moss, but with the island humidity that stuff tended to spring up everywhere.
Looking deeper into the corridor, all Layne could see was empty darkness. Actually, it was more than darkness. There was also a feeling of hollowness, of desolation. Like an old house that had stood empty for too long. Frowning, he moved forward, keeping an eye on the boot prints in the dust. They were spaced regularly, like two, maybe three men, moving forward. Some of them were smudged, or covered by a second layer of boot prints, hinting at the same men exiting again.
Finally Layne reached the end of the corridor, and he looked up at where the core was located yesterday. The hidey hole was exposed, and worse, empty. Angry gashes ringed the rock surface around the recess, leaving shattered pieces of rock below that mixed with a confusion of boot prints on the ground.
Layne’s knees buckled. He was too late. The core was taken already.
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Wow Rick, I think it is working, Claire said in excitement down in their core room. She had believed it would, but seeing the full effect of her set-up on Layne made her success all the clearer. She did feel some guilt at the look of defeat on his face, but not too much. She did just escape abduction after all.
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Character sheet summary at the end of Chapter 16
Claire
Type: Life-Mind
Level: 1
Integrity: 56%
Processing speed: 35%
Functional capacity: 27%
Progress to next level
-470/250 LF Performance provision
928/500 Dungeon Investment, consisting of:
748/≥125 LF
180/≥125 ME
33/250 Skill Share Value
Core defence enabled
Cutting thorn barrier
5 LF to initiate
Continuous drain of 10 LF per day
Resources available
Biomass: 125
Mental energy: 20
Raw material: 251
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Lily Hunter
Rogue Level 1
Status effect: The Gods’ favour for 24 hours
First-tier skills
Deception 2/20
*Herbalism, basic +7 → 9/20
*Identify +4 → 5/20
Lock picking 5/20
*New: Nursing, basic 2/20
*Observation +5 → 11/20
Petty theft 1/20
Pick-pocketing 4/20
Quick thinking 2/20
Sneaking 8/20
Sleight of hand 2/20
Second-tier skills
Spying 0/50
*Skills contributing to secondary class.
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Lily’s tab (Yes, Agnetha is counting.)
x1 donkey
x1 glowstone
10% of Lily’s profit
Three days assisting Widow Hari
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