Liam stepped out of the portal. Unlike when he walked in, this time he felt a sudden urge to upchuck. He stumbled a bit as he tried to move off to the side so his shadowy form wouldn’t get noticed by anyone. He gripped his stomach and held down the vile while placing a hand on the wall.
After a few seconds had passed the feeling subsided. However, as that feeling disappeared a new one appeared. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling, except that something felt off. He looked around the room and scanned his surroundings. Nothing really stood out as he saw people talking to one another while they either walked towards any of the portals on this floor, headed towards the stairs for a different level of dungeons, or were leaving the Dungeon Tower. Even the two guards by the door that supposedly only personnel were allowed to enter.
This left Liam confused. Even though he had this weird feeling, nothing around was out of place or out of the ordinary. He was starting to think he could be going crazy. Not wanting to waste any more time trying to find something that wasn’t there, Liam started making his way out of the Dungeon Tower.
After leaving the area, he made his way to an alleyway full of shadows. It wasn’t hard to find one since the sun was starting to set. It wasn’t too late in the day, but it was late enough for the sun to set.
After getting deep enough into the alley way and making sure no one was close by to hear him, he pulled out his Web Watch. He channeled a small bit of his mana into it and waited for Silky to make her way into the black void area of the watch. He was glad to find out that his Veil of Shadows didn’t disappear while doing this. Shortly after she disappeared a message arrived.
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“Good evening, Phantom Cat. How can I help you? – Silky.”
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As quietly as he could, Liam whispered, “Is it possible for you to send Lady Arachne a message?”
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“It is…Does it have to do with the weird mana I had felt earlier? – Silky.”
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Liam was surprised by that. While she had mentioned before that she had felt some kind of fight from the other night, he still wasn’t entirely sure of the extent of what she could determine or do. Without waiting he whispered, “Yes. Let her know that I came across something she needs to know about, and I am on my way to the Fiddler’s Spider Web Branch right now.”
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“As you wish, Phantom Cat… - Silky.”
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After a few seconds had passed a new text appeared.
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“The message has been sent. Is there anything else you would like? – Silky.”
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“No, thank you Silky. You are a great help,” Liam replied.
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“That is why I am here. – Silky.”
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Liam waited for her to reappear from the black void and make her way towards the front of the Web Watch before Liam closed it. He placed the object back into a pocket and reentered the sea of people walking around.
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It didn’t take him long to reach the Fiddler’s Spider Web. He quickly reactivated his Spirit Weave before heading down. As soon as he walked through the door he looked around the room. He didn’t see Lady Arachne, but he did find Noxi behind the desk. He looked up as soon as he heard the door open and noticed Liam.
“Hey there Phantom,” Noxi greeted.
“Phantom?” Liam asked with a confused expression.
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure you know what its short for, but like how you call me Noxi I’ve decided to call you Phantom while inside here,” Noxi explained. “Got a problem with that?”
Liam was a bit flabbergasted by Noxi’s attitude, but he quickly shrugged it off as he replied, “Sure. I don’t mind.” He was about to say something else, but then remembered why he was there in the first place. His gaze grew serious before asking, “Is Lady Arachne in?”
Noxi picked up on his tone quickly and straightened. “She is here somewhere. Does this have to do with the task she gave you?”
Liam tensed. He didn’t know others knew about the task she had given him. However, after a brief thought it made sense that more than one person would have had to know about it in case she wasn’t there. Liam nodded as he added, “Yes. I have found something that needs to be brought to her attention. Possibly yours and the other Legs. However, I do not know proper protocol on things like this.”
Before Noxi could respond, an authoritative feminine voice stated, “What you have said is the right choice. If you believe it is something the Legs should know then it is wise to state it.”
Liam and Noxi turned to look at Lady Arachne who had just walked through an open door from Liam’s left. She was by herself and wore a serious look on her face, that Liam was able to see.
“I must also thank you for using your head on sending a message to me before making your way here,” Lady Arachne stated. “Luckily for us the others were already in the room with me when I received your message.” She then looked at Noxi and said, “Tranquil Noxitanous…if you would please.”
Noxi stood up and bowed before saying, "Yes, Lady Arachne.”
Liam waited for Noxi to walk around the desk before following the man through the portal door. After arriving on the other side he saw that Lady Arachne was right. Silent Saboteur, Tantalizing Orchid, Midnight Claw, and Cryptic Wing were sitting in what looked like to be the order of their Leg number would be from both sides of the table.
Liam made his way over to the side of the table he stood on last time he had to make a report. This time there wasn’t a seat for him so instead he stood there. He waited for Noxi and Lady Arachne to arrive to their seats.
After Lady Arachne sat down, she questioned, “Phantom Cat. I have tasked you with scouting the Green Dungeon known as The Goblin Forest. Rumors have circulated of things happening there that shouldn’t be. The main task was to see if there were any suspicious people hiding there. Not even a few hours into the task I received a message stating that you came across something that I needed to know about. What is this something that you have found?”
Liam felt all eyes on him. This report he was about to make, he wasn’t sure how big of a deal it would be. Undead creatures have appeared in plenty of dungeons before. However, from what he had gathered they only appeared in Black Dungeons. So for Undead Creatures to be in a Green Dungeon should fall under the things that shouldn’t be category, right? If it wasn’t then maybe the adventurers who were controlled by that disgusting spider thing would still be in that area.
Liam took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He focused on what he wanted to say and answered, “Undead creatures in the Goblin Forest.”
Liam felt everyone suddenly tense as he said that one sentence. No one said a word, making Liam believe they maybe were trying to process what he had said. Almost like they were hoping he didn’t say that.
It was Lady Arachne who broke the silence as she asked with a lot of sternness in her voice, “Elaborate Phantom Cat. What do you mean Undead creatures in the Goblin Forest.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“That is exactly what I said, Lady Arachne,” Liam started. “I found an area that had several Zombified Forest Goblins, a Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior, and…”
“Do not take us for fools Phantom Cat,” Midnight Claw suddenly stated. “You were in a Green Dungeon, not a Black Dungeon. Undead Creatures are from a Black Dungeon. Did you take the task serious at all?”
Liam turned his attention on her. He was starting to get angry with her with what she had said, but as he stared at her he noticed that her sudden outburst didn’t match the tone she had when speaking. He noticed slight tension in her arms as well as a bit of shaking.
Is she mad? Scared? Liam thought as he took in her body language. From what he was able to see, it seemed like she was trying to deny his claims. Why?
“I apologize Midnight Claw, but I did take my task seriously. After my fight with the creatures I burned their bodies in case something happened after I had left,” Liam stated.
“You fought with the Undead creatures?” Cryptic Wing suddenly asked.
Liam looked at the man and nodded. “Yes sir.”
“By yourself?” Cryptic Wing asked. Some skepticism in his voice.
Liam nodded once more as he replied, “Yes sir. I have some experience with fighting Undead creatures thanks to my Tutorial Dungeon being a Black Dungeon.”
Cryptic Wing brought a hand up to his chin and looked to be thinking.
Before anyone could say anything else, Liam continued, “However, I must add that these Undead were different from the ones I had fought before.”
This brought puzzled looks on everyone’s face, at least for the ones he was able to see.
“Different, how?” Noxi inquired.
“Their movements were shaky. They moved about as if they had been drinking themselves silly. Well, the Zombified adventurers did that is. The goblins had slightly better control over their legs and bodies, but not enough like a proper Undead creature.”
This brought more questions to everyone’s mind as they focused on the new bit of information he had dropped.
“What do you mean Zombified Adventurers?” Orchid and Cryptic Wing questioned.
“Undead creatures moving as if they were drunk? Were they really Undead Creatures?” Silent Saboteur asked.
Midnight Claw and Noxi threw in their concerns as well as everyone else continued to ask more.
“Quiet!” Lady Arachne demanded as she pushed out some force of mana.
Liam felt his body almost slide backwards as he felt the wave of power brush past him. He went back to his spot and looked back at Lady Arachne, waiting to see what she had to ask.
“Phantom Cat,” Lady Arachne stated with a tone that told Liam she didn’t like what he had found. It wasn’t a stop talking, but more of a I am not pleased with this kind of tone. He knew it wasn’t directed at him, so he continued to listen as she said while placing her elbows on the table, clasping her hands together and resting her chin on them, “It seems like there was more to this Undead findings you reported. Was this all of it or was there more?”
“There is more,” Liam stated without hesitation. He noticed her hands tightened a bit more at his words. “One bit of information I wanted to share was the reason why I knew there were Adventurers that were zombified in the group of Undead was because I received their A.I.D.’s as loot from them.”
“Please,” Lady Arachne stated, sounding like she was trying to hold back some anger that was growing inside of her. “Please tell us everything else you have on this incident.”
Liam nodded. He opened his mouth, but closed it as Midnight Claw interjected, “You’re not seriously playing with the idea that what he is saying is true are you? Everyone knows that Undead Creatures come from Black Dungeons not Green Dungeons. The Goblin Forest is a…”
“Midnight Claw,” Lady Arachne said, cutting her off. Her voice was like a knife, slicing the rest of Midnight Claw’s sentence off clean. “Must I remind you that we are having a professional meeting here. Phantom Cat might be new here, but all information he has brought to us has been real and verified. Not to mention, there is evidence of mixed colored dungeons. They are called Multi-colored Dungeons.”
“But there are no existing mixed colored dungeon where Black is in it,” Midnight Claw countered.
“That we know of,” Lady Arachne argued.
“I will acquiesce to that, but the Goblin Dungeon has always been a Green Dungeon,” Midnight Claw continued to push. “It has never been a Mixed Color Dungeon. With that truth, how can Undead suddenly appear in it?”
Lady Arachne looked at her. Liam didn’t know what she did, but the moment she did, Midnight Claw shuddered involuntarily. “Do you know how Mixed Color Dungeons come into existence?”
Midnight Claw shook her head.
“There is a theory out there that Mixed Color Dungeons never start out as Mixed Colors,” Lady Arachne started. “It is said that a dungeon becomes a Mixed Colored one when a monster of a different type enters a dungeon Portal and establishes a spot within it. After living in the dungeon for a certain amount of time it will change the nature of the dungeon, thus changing the single color into a mixed color.”
This was information Liam was unaware of. Since he was still new and was learning about dungeons and everything, he took this in and saved it for later.
“I have heard of this theory,” Silent Saboteur jumped it. “I believe it was called Dungeon Transformation Theory.”
Lady Arachne, who looked a little calmer after Silent Saboteur’s mention of the theory, nodded.
“However, that’s all it is currently,” Silent Saboteur stated. “A theory. No one has been able to prove that is how it works since the monster that enters usually is killed by the current inhabitants of the dungeon they enter.”
Lady Arachne let out a sigh. “You are right about that, however, there are a few monsters that are known for their aggressive behaviors in trying to create new territory. There are two current Undead type creatures that I can think of that fit that area. One is easy to deal with while the other is…more difficult.”
Lady Arachne suddenly focused her attention onto Liam after she made that comment. From her words, Liam understood she wanted to know if he had proof of any existence that didn’t belong there besides those Zombified creatures.
“Phantom Cat,” Lady Arachne started again. “Was there any weird named Zombified creatures in the group of undead?”
“Yes there was,” Liam started. “The Zombified Adventurers had a weird name, but that is not what you really want to know.”
Lady Arachne stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
“I collected the body of a creature that didn’t belong there,” Liam stated. “This creature came out of the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior’s nose and was about to be planted into a living adventurer until I intervened.”
Liam reached into his inventory and pulled out a jar with the dead Toxo Corpse Controller. He then placed it on the table for everyone to see. He knew they assessed the creature as gasps filled the room.
Liam watched as Lady Arachne slammed both fists onto the table as she let out a roar, “Those fucking cretins.”
This surprised Liam. Her anger rolled off of her as she stood up, pushed her chair back and started barking orders, “Tranquil Noxitanous, I need you to start making as many remedies, cures, and whatever you think will help against this creature.”
Noxi stood and stated, “Those are not my forte, however I will try to make as many as I can.”
“Whatever you can do will help,” Ladu Arachne assured. “The quality of the Medicinal Creations you can make right now is better than nothing. Make a list of the ones you know I want you to make and give it to Midnight Claw.”
“Yes Ma’am,” Noxi stated as he bowed and left the room.
“Midnight Claw,” Lady Arachne started back up as she looked at the woman. “Go and buy as many of the items he gives you on that list. Bring them back here as soon as you can.”
“Yes Lady Arachne!” Midnight Claw shouted before racing out of the room.
The shorter woman then looked at Orchid and ordered, “Tantalizing Orchid, I need you to recall everyone back here this instant. As soon as Midnight Claw returns I need you to hand out the items to them. I will get with you very soon on what I want them to do with those items as well as how many each gets.”
Orchid stood, nodded, and left the room.
Lady Arachne’s head swiveled towards Cryptic Wing. Before she could say anything, the man asked, “You want me to try and see if I can find any sign within the city of spider type creatures that do not belong here, right?”
A slight smile grew on her face as she replied, “Glad to see we’re on the same frequency. Please do that. Remember, the creatures that are carrying the eggs that turn into these abominations are good at hiding their presence.”
“I will keep that in mind,” Cryptic Wing stated before leaving the room.
Lady Arachne then looked at the final Leg and ordered, “Silent Saboteur, send a message out to the client that is tied to this mess.”
“What do you want me to say?” Silent Saboteur asked.
“Tell him we have found evidence on exactly what type of Black Dungeon those Seven Immoral Vice bastards plan on letting loose on the island,” Lady Arachne said. “Tell him to get his ass over here so we can show him the proof. Also have him bring as many bodyguards in case the outbreak happens soon. After that, please send a warning to our point of contact at the Adventurer’s Association so they are aware of the situation.”
Silent Saboteur nodded as he left the room. This left him alone with Lady Arachne. She stared at him without saying anything. This made him feel a bit uncomfortable. He was about to say something to break the silence, but stopped as she asked, “Do you mind if we have that corpse to show proof to the client and any who need it to take this seriously?"
Liam nodded. “Yes. I only brought it because I thought I needed to show some proof of what I saw in case someone didn’t believe me.”
Lady Arachne nodded. “That was a smart move. One that will help move things faster.” She paused after that. “I know you have just gotten back, but I need you to do one more thing for me.”
“What would you like me to do?” Liam asked.
“Go to the Adventurer’s Association and turn in the A.I.D.’s you looted from the Adventurers’ corpses,” the shorter woman instructed. “We don’t know if they have a family or someone waiting for them. Some closure will make it easier for them to understand why they haven’t returned.”
Liam stared at her. He wasn’t expecting that. He had planned on doing it, but hearing her ask him to do it made him feel better about the situation. He nodded as he said, “Yes ma’am.”
He was about to head out, but stopped as she added, “Also, you might want to find a mask and put it on to cover your face. If you have another set of gear wear that instead as well. You might look like this while you’re here, but you don’t want others to see your getup for our Association. It will also help hide your true identity too. You never know if there is some idiot listening and blame you for killing them instead of listening to the truth.”
Liam understood what she was saying. He didn’t wasn’t sure what he should do since he only had two sets of armor, and regular clothes. As for the mask situation…he had one, but he didn’t think he would have to wear it again.
He shook his head. This wasn’t the time to be stubborn. It wasn’t going to be for long so he shouldn’t have any issues wearing it. He looked back at Lady Arachne and said, “Thank you for the advice.”
The shorter woman nodded as she watched him leave the room. After he had left the room, she looked down at the jar. With a whisper she said, “It is I who should be thanking you. With this proof there might be a chance we can prepare for the disaster those crazy bastards are trying to make.” She then let out a long breath as she thought, I just hope we aren’t too late to prepare for it.