Claire slowly breathed in as the life-force from the hidden award she received began to flow around her. Well, she absorbed it, to be more precise. But it did feel a bit like breathing in air.
On the little map detailing the ancient dungeon system, which now formed her expanded territory, she saw a marker indicating that the extent of her territory currently lay at exactly 45 kilometres. Almost at the 49-kilometre threshold Territory Tycoon 2 indicated. She wondered what would happen once she crossed over to 50 kilometres. Was there a Territory Tycoon 3 just waiting to be unlocked? Then she noticed a strained silence in her core cavern. Rick did not look happy. In fact, he was staring at her with much of the same suspicion he displayed at the start of their relationship.
She frowned and took a moment to compose some words. Her mental faculties were quite slow, even as she was absorbing the life-giving energy of her new reward.
“Rick? Is something the matter?”
“Yes, there is something the matter. What is this reward, and how did you get it?”
“Ah, well it says that it is a hidden reward for having a large territory. Is that wrong?”
“Yes! I’ve never heard of it before! It wasn’t taught anywhere in our classes – you’re being anomalous again,” he accused.
Claire slowly pondered his words, then replied, “I don’t see how me being anomalous would make that happen. Are you sure you’ve never heard of it? I bet not everything gets taught in your classes.”
“Maybe,” Rick muttered. “But I don’t trust this. A mystery reward popping up just like that…”
“Okay fine, you don’t trust it. Why don’t you go back to your realm and find out then? You’ve gone back before for help when we first met…”
Rick flickered, bobbing in place. Claire stared at him, surprised at this sudden silence. Then she realised, “You don’t want to go back, do you. But why?”
At her words, Rick became even more agitated, flickering and randomly zipping from spot to spot in the cave.
“Uhh, no reason…”
“Come on Rick, we’ve already been through this right when we met for the first time. We’re in this together. We have to trust each other.”
He stilled, looking for all the world like a fire almost burned out.
“You know you were my first assignment, right?”
“Right.”
“Well, they didn’t expect you to last very long – most anomalous cores don’t as soon as the surrounding population realises what they are. So, my teachers allowed me to come back, after my friends had finished laughing at me, of course.”
“Oh,” Claire said. “That doesn’t sound like very nice friends…”
“Agh, they’re good. They weren’t being mean or anything. If I was in their shoes, I probably would’ve laughed at me too. They were like, ‘Oh that Rick. Always so nervous. And then HE gets the anomalous core!’ I guess it is funny, actually.”
“I suppose I can see that. But you are anxious about going back.”
“I guess I’m just worried that my teachers are going to take me away from you, once they know that you still exist. I mean, you do crazy things and all, and I keep worrying that you’ll die, but you’re also nice and I feel like we’re friends. I wouldn’t want to go work with just a normal core after this.”
Claire flushed a bright rose-pink colour at his words. “Aw, I like you too, and I’d hate to get a new elemental. This experience is much nicer with a friend like you!”
Rick stilled at her words. “Thank you, Claire. That’s very nice to know.” And he companionably bumped against her core.
“So, let’s make sure you don’t get reassigned. You know, my position was quite dire before this new reward. Maybe you can just tell your teachers all of that, and make it sound like you’re looking for a solution to avoid core thieves. That way you don’t have to lie very much at all, they think I’m on the brink of death, and you can still research.”
Rick laughed, “What a good idea – as usual. Let me go look up this reward then.” And wasting no time he created a new portal and zipped out once more.
“Good luck!” Claire called after him as the portal disappeared.
Outside, the predawn light was beginning to lift the night’s darkness. A new day had arrived.
<>
The hammering of a thousand dwarfs erupted at his door. Layne flew out of bed, grabbing for his sword as his foot got caught in his shirt on the floor and he smashed his forehead against the corner chair on his way down.
Status effect: Dazed for …
10
“Layne, get up! We’re talking. Now. In my study. Move, move!”
9
8
“And don’t think I didn’t hear that! Your old master at arms would be ashamed! I hope the servants are ready to defend our land because I don’t know about you!”
7
6
The Baron’s footsteps stomped down the corridor and away.
5
4
3
2
1
Status effect lifted.
Layne blearily shook his head as the status effect faded, then he looked at his skill increase in disbelief.
Skill increase: Constitution +1
All the hours he had willingly subjected himself to beatings, and a simple stumble produced the same result. Huh, he thought. And then his father’s words registered, and he groaned. Why didn’t he just sleep in High Plantation for the night? Why? Don’t I ever learn?
There was nothing for it. He would have to go join his father at breakfast, after he ‘accidentally’ got separated from him yesterday when they left Cornelia’s shop. And his father would not have forgotten about that.
<>
Claire floated in a sea of tranquillity as she watched her functional capacity slowly tick up. No current danger, no one to talk to, no plans to make. Just to recover and heal. Another itch soothed as one more hairline fracture disappeared. Her core structure was regaining its soundness. At 25 life-force for each of her current 45 kilometres of territory, she would be back at full capacity and more before the end of the day. It would bring her to … a total of 1 295 life force, equalling 130% of functional capacity, she lazily calculated.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Imagine that. She was even finally going to reach the performance provision goalpost for her levelling requirement. Her processing speed would be back to her glorious normal, her core integrity would be solid once more, and she would be ready to bring this wonderful ancient dungeon back to life.
Lazily she brought up her main stats, just to blissfully goggle at it.
Claire
Type: Life-Mind
Level: 1
Integrity: 84%
Processing speed: 60%
Functional capacity: 42%
Territory Tycoon 2
+25 LF per territory km per day for up to 49 km’s
Progress to next level
-1 080/250 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: 118
Mental energy: 9
Raw material: 334
Her functional capacity was back at 42% already. How wonderful. Experiencing the increases in her processing speed and integrity was even more amazing. She never knew one could be so blissed out without being high. Or maybe that’s what she was – who knew? Being so functional was FANTASTIC! If only she didn’t feel like there was something she had forgotten.
<>
Ten minutes later Layne was at the door to the study. Not that he really wanted to be there. In fact, he dressed as slowly as he could, pushing the limit of the Baron’s patience as much as he dared. Although he did bump his head pretty hard that morning. That must entitle him to some leeway. He paused, then smiled wryly as he shook his head. No. Of course it doesn’t. Why would he even think that?
“Is that you, Layne? Get in here, I’ve got things to say to you!”
<>
Today his father was seated behind the desk. Layne looked longingly at the softer couches, but then sat down on one of the chairs across the desk facing the Baron. His stomach growled. The Baron looked at him, and then his eyes narrowed and his nose wrinkled slightly. Layne froze. Oh no, how much did I drink last night? How much do I smell?! He steeled himself for the tirade to follow.
But, the Baron didn’t mention the stink of alcohol. At all. Instead, he broached the other topic Layne was hoping to avoid.
“So. You said the core has been taken. Is that right?”
“Yes father. Like I said yesterday, it looked like someone else had gotten to her first.”
“Her?”
“I, ah, well it was a pink core. It’s just the way I think of her. Er, it.”
“I see. But why did you go there alone? Why not take Tamrin?”
“I guess I thought I would go see if it was still there.” Catching his mistake, Layne corrected, “in the dungeon, I mean.” He could feel the beginnings of a sweat forming on his chest, as he rapidly thought about how to continue. “I knew from the previous time we were there that there was nothing truly dangerous to me in that little dungeon the core had started. So, I thought it would be faster if I just went quickly by myself instead of stopping to collect Tamrin.”
“I see,” the Baron responded. “Tamrin was quite disappointed not to see you in the city yesterday – we were supposed to meet up with her and Hariette for lunch after you and I saw Cornelia. Hariette wasn’t pleased that you went back to the dungeon location without Tamrin.”
“When was all of this arranged?” Layne asked. He didn’t know whether it was the idea that this lunch arrangement would’ve just been sprung on him, or whether his secret trip was now outed to Tamrin, but there was an indignation in his chest.
The Baron waved the question away. It was obviously not important enough for an answer. Layne’s displeasure died away at his father’s next words.
“I was glad to hear that you went back, though.”
“Why? It was fruitless.”
“Yes, but you finally took some initiative. You went without me directing you to, without consulting with your layabout so-called friends,” a look of distaste once again on the Baron’s face, “and without Tamrin leading you there. I was starting to despair that I had raised a second prince of Dhenemarket, so to speak.”
Layne shuddered at the comparison to that tragic prince. What was his name again? He did remember the stories about how that prince was cursed at birth with indecision. Reportedly, he would spend hours thinking about every little decision. From when to eat, to which foot he should step out of bed with first. Finally, the prince’s betrothed went insane from the frustration and used dragon fire to incinerate them both.
“But father, why would you say that? I’m not like prince Hamlidge at all. I can make decisions. I make them every day.”
“Yes, you do make all kinds of decisions. Just remember inaction is also a decision. And there does come a point where fruitless rumination must give way to a course of action. Any course of action.”
“But when have I ever ‘fruitlessly ruminated’?”
His father sniffed again and gave him a pointed look.
“What?” Layne asked, still confused.
The Baron just shook his head and changed the topic, “Just because the core is not in the dungeon, doesn’t mean it is destroyed or gone. We may yet be able to get our hands on it.”
<>
As her functional capacity drew nearer to 100%, Claire gradually came down from her healing high as her system adapted to more normal levels of functional capacity again. It's amazing how incredible just being normal feels, after being limited for so long, Claire thought to herself since Rick was still absent. It felt good, and she was ready for some dungeon creation again.
Then she paused, as her enhanced mental state picked up on a repressed emotion in her feelings. Guilt? What do I have to feel guilty about? It was obviously nothing. She had done nothing more than ensure her own survival. It was puzzling. Was I inadvertently mean to Rick? Claire replayed her most recent interactions with him. Finding the entrance to the ancient dungeon. Deciding to join its tunnel expanse. Him leaving to find out more about the hidden reward she stumbled on. No, it’s not Rick, she decided. So, what else was there? The muddy corridor and everything I put Lily through? She very firmly didn’t entertain Layne and Tamrin as part of that thought. If they couldn’t handle her first little corridor, that was their problem. Me messing with people’s emotions? She wondered. No, that wasn't it either. But something still niggled. There was something there… What was it?
Layne, she finally realised, remembering the last time she saw him in her dungeon corridor. He looked… devastated? But why? The why was a mystery. It’s not like he would’ve been sad if she disappeared. She was just a dungeon core to him. But no, he’d helped her twice already. Once when he gave her unsolicited advice, and once when he didn’t out her location to Tamrin.
No, Claire firmly decided. I’m being ridiculous. Clearly, he doesn’t care about me. To him I’m just another dungeon core. And if he did care, it’s probably just because he couldn’t get his hands on me and sell me to the highest bidder. With that settled Claire firmly redirected her thoughts. She had better things to dwell on than another Robert. I especially will not feel guilty about it.
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Character sheet summary at the end of Chapter 20
Claire
Type: Life-Mind
Level: 1
Integrity: 100%
Processing speed: 100%
Functional capacity: 70%
Territory Tycoon 2
+25 LF per territory km per day for up to 49 km’s
Progress to next level
-300/250 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: 118
Mental energy: 9
Raw material: 334
<>
Lily Hunter
Primary class: Rogue Level 1
Secondary class: Herbalist Level 1
Active quests
Help Little Harry!
Progress to Rogue Milestone 1
1/250 EXP
Progress to Herbalist Milestone 1
0/250 EXP
First-tier skills
Deception 2/20
*Herbalism, basic 9/20
*Identify 5/20
Lock picking 5/20
*Nursing, basic 2/20
*Observation 14/20
Petty theft 1/20
Pick-pocketing 4/20
*Poisons, basic 5/20
*Poison resistance 1/20
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
Two days assisting Widow Hari
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