Flutter laid on her flower bed, wholly uncontent. The servants were slow in getting her morning honeydew again. That it could only be obtained beyond the grove now was no excuse. It was unacceptable. Thinking of the grove’s sudden relocation only made her mood worsen. She sat up, the single long braid of her blonde hair flapping between a set of gorgeous butterfly wings on her back, her mind decided. She would punish them.
“Flutter!” A shrill resonating voice sent her into a panic, but before she could make her escape, the source barged into the room escorted by fairy guards, a fairy with wings much like hers and flowing blonde hair wearing a crown of flowers and a beautiful dress fashioned from the silk of petals.
“I heard it all.”
“H-heard what?” Flutter played dumb.
“Don’t pretend. I know all about how you’ve been sending the pixies and young fairies outside the grove.”
“There’s a reason for that…”
“No there is not! It is dangerous! Big monsters and big people everywhere!”
“It’s only a little outside.”
The fairy queen’s frown deepened. “You leave me no choice. You will patrol outside!”
“What?!” Flutter’s attitude changed in an instant. “Mother, I’ll die!”
“I’ve warned you but you won’t listen. Maybe when you see where you’ve been sending the servants, you’ll stop this nonsense. Escort her away!”
“Mother!”
Before she knew it, Flutter was outside the grove, a fairy guard closing the gate on her with a piercing stare from the shadow of his helmet. The spoiled fairy stared at the grove for a moment before shaking into a scream of frustration. The outside was truly dangerous. Her mother might be smarter than the average fairy but she was still prone to stupid decisions like this. And this was the stupidest of all as it was her life in peril.
Flutter quieted down, partly because she vented some of her anger, partly because she remembered where she was and wasn’t too keen on making much noise. On that note, she turned to the problem before her. Scouting for the grove was more than some roughshod planning. There were specific trees far away in all directions that scouts are to take a piece of bark from as proof of their journey. These pieces are all compared to others so they can’t be faked.
Had Flutter thought there need, she would have hidden away some of these pieces to cheat but never did she expect her mother to be so foolish. She sighs again and looked around anxiously before heading off. Cautiously and carefully, she darted from tree to tree, checking every which way at all times. What felt like hours but could more accurately be described as minutes passed before she reached her goal.
Flutter stared at the large tree with missing spots of bark from behind another. She swallowed her nerves and darted out, snatching a piece before returning to the comfort of her newly designated hiding tree. There were still three more to go but it had gone without hitch, save for her frayed nerves. Flutter began to think more optimistically. Perhaps there were no threats around today, and perhaps she could be done with this and be back in the comfort of her faerie tree within the hour. Things were looking up.
“Hi.”
Flutter turned in silence to the blacked haired eerie eyed human beside her, and her throat sank into her lungs. She screamed and fled with all her might. It took a few seconds before she realized the trees around her weren’t moving. She turned to see the human holding her feet by his fingers. She shouted back, meaning to say to let go but what left her mouth were nonsensical noises.
“I’m looking for spirits.”
“Don’t eat me!”
“I won’t?”
Futility and time, but mostly futility calmed the fairy down. Or rather, she half resigned herself to her fate with a bleak expression.
“I can bring sacrifices… I’m very useful alive…” Flutter sold out her own without hesitation in a desperate last bid to save her hide but even she didn’t seem to have much faith in the result.
Shin tilted his head at the muttering fairy. “Do you know where strong spirits are?”
Flutter looked up at her captor and a speck of light returned to her eyes. “Yes.”
“Where?”
Flutter’s disheveled expression gave way to a brilliant and cooperative smile. “I can get them and bring them here. I’ll bring them right away so stay here, okay.”
Flutter repeated her promises as she took her leave, flying at first with a forced smile and once the human was out of sight, sped off in a panic towards the grove. Forgetting all her previous fears, she made a beeline for the safe haven as fast as she could, slamming into the magical wall of trees and pummeled on the gate.
“Open the gate! Let me in! Let me in, let me in, let me in, let me-”
“Here?”
Air wheezed into Flutter’s mouth as she turned to see the same human standing casually near. A window in the gate opened up and the soldier looked at Flutter and then Shin.
“I wanna talk to the strongest spirit here.”
The soldier shut the window and then there was silence. Flutter floated down to her hands and knees on the grass. The grove had abandoned her. Shin waited patiently, oblivious to the fairy princess’ despair, and the gates soon opened. He nonchalantly walked in like an invited guest and Flutter followed behind on autopilot, her mind having shut down.
Shin looked around. It was a rather big place for a fairy village and interesting. Little trees filled much of the land, their trunks hollowed and furled together like roots, a glowing yellow mostly oblique substance like solid honey filled in the gaps like glass windows. Small doors were carved into each one at varying heights and all manner of plants, mushrooms, and flowers decorated them uniquely.
All of the residents stared at him, most with a kind of innocent curiosity, but the variants, especially the soldiers had a more guarded disposition. Shin continued on his way calmly over to a gathering of little souls awaited him. Like a makeshift open court, soldiers and other variants lined the sides on a path leading up to a fairy queen.
“That’s close enough!” Shin came to a stop at the shrill but shaky command. “Why have you come, big human?”
“Looking for strong spirits.”
“We are a grove of fairies, who told you there were strong spirits here?”
Shin looked at Flutter who flinched at the others’ attention turning to her, the queen among them.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The fairy queen cleared her throat. “There are no spirits for you to tame here. Please leave.”
“Are you scared of being tamed?” The queen flinched. “Don’t worry, it changed to befriend.”
“Do, do you think you can beat all my brave guards?!”
“Yeah.” The certain response gave the queen pause. “You seem stressed.”
The queen’s face reddened in a fluster. “Y-you are not welcome here! Leave at once!”
Flutter felt a wave of relief as soon she would be free of the human. “Flutter, for bringing danger to the village I banish you for good!”
“Wha?!”
The queen waved her hands and magic surged up from the village, Shin and Flutter finding themselves standing back outside the grove, a fairy guard closing the gate on them with a piercing stare from the shadow of his helmet. Shin looked around the grove, not particularly bothered by the whole thing.
“None of them seemed that strong.”
Flutter let out a shrieking wail in response, the shock at losing her safe and easy home sinking in. “This can’t be happening! I’m gonna die out here!”
“Lesser lord uncommon variant isn’t bad.”
“Fairies aren’t built for fighting!” Flutter snapped at him. “Ah, it’s over… It won’t be long until some monsters or players hunt me down now. I’m done for.”
“Good luck.” Shin wished her well as he started to leave.
“Wait, this is all your fault! You have to fix this!” Flutter shouted at him forgetting her past fears or the reality of her situations.
“I have stuff to do, though.”
Flutter’s eyes teared over in frustration. “Fix this, fix this, fix this, fix this-”
Shin thought for a moment as the fairy princess threw a tantrum. “I could make you a dungeon master.”
Flutter’s tirade stopped for a moment. “That’s even worse! Dungeons are super dangerous, they get wiped out all the time!”
“Dungeon or outside?”
Flutter started to open her mouth.
---
Shin jogged through the woodlands as Flutter followed close behind.
“Hey… I’m tired.” The fairy complained. She complained a lot.
Shin ignored her, continuing his search for a dungeon. He had passed by a few already by they were Peasant rank, preventing him from entering. Flutter got a bit annoyed at the lack of pampering and took it upon herself to find a solution, which came in the form of lying on top his head.
“Stinks… Run steadier…”
Shin came to a sudden stop.
“I didn’t mean it, don’t eat me!” Flutter stopped her apology halfway as she noticed the portal in front of them. “Why are we not going in?”
“You probably can’t come in with me without a bond.”
“So?”
“I don’t wanna waste one on you.”
“What do you mean waste?! I’m super smart and incredible, you’d never find someone like me in a thousand years!”
“You said fairies were weak.”
Flutter flinched. “Fighting isn’t everything… Anyway, you owe me!”
Shin paused for a moment and a wave of a welcoming expanse washed over Flutter, infinite and ethereal. Shin felt a bond form within his soul and inspected the silent fairy.
[Fairy Princess (uncommon) - Lesser Lord]
Strength - 45
Agility - 132
Constitution - 58
Vitality - 51
Dexterity - 124
Perception - 126
Force - 198
Spirit - 216
Control - 159
Willpower - 138
Skills:
Pixie Dust lvl 5, Dancing Light lvl 4, Befuddle lvl. 6, Glitterveil lvl. 1,
Traits:
Lesser Magic Affinity (rare), Faerie Presence (uncommon), Minor Curse Resistance (uncommon), Minor Charming Resistance (uncommon), Petty Poison Resistance (common), Petty Disease Resistance (common),
Her stats weren’t bad due to specialization, but her abilities truly weren’t suited for combat. Befuddle the superior version of Muddle, Glitterveil shrouding the area in dazzling lights making it harder to properly see the user, and Dancing Light outright just magic of convenience, creating a sphere of light to illuminate the surroundings. Pixie Dust seemed to be the most hopeful by name only but its description was quite vague, enabling one to manipulate specks of ether.
Shin’s attention shifted to the fairy who had been uncharacteristically still for a while and thought for a moment. “Name?”
“Huh?” Flutter snapped out of her daze and looked around still a little confused.
“Name?”
“Flutter…” She answered on reflex.
“What does Faerie Dust do?”
“Huh, oh… Make things, change things a little, make things float, make people sleep or do silly things…”
“Playing tricks…” Shin thought. Mildly useful in combat but with that she lacked any form of offense.
Shin’s mind turned to his gradually draining mana capacity, which he had been monitoring for a while. 1 mana about every 12 seconds consistently. Even with the greater blessing boost he couldn’t maintain a lesser lord uncommon variant for even 2 hours, at the cost of 5 mana a minute. Terrible efficiency considering he could summon Inari for 2 hours for less than half his total.
“Let’s go.” Shin wasn’t particularly thrilled but he made his choice and the slight regret already left his mind.
As the comforting sensation of water enveloped Flutter, she began to thoroughly consider she may have made a terrible decision.
---
Flutter watched from the safety of the human’s hair in horror as gnolls died in mangled droves. Vicious, terrifying, strong creatures, they were said to be. She could still remember being told stories of them as a newborn fairy to scare her into obedience. And they were being sawed through and cleaved in slaughter. A drop of blood splattered on Flutter’s cheek. Her eyes slowly slide in that direction and then back forward, dust cleaning it off as her shellshocked expression remained unchanged.
A large gnoll appeared before them, covered in heavy armor and wielding a long bloody flail. The human dodged around as the spiked ball bit and tore into the ground around them, dense pulsing mana swirling in his palm. He blurred in front of the armored gnoll and struck. Like the hammer of a giant the gnoll crashed back into the hardened rock wall, a dent caved into his armor. The gnoll staggered but an arrow pierced through its eye and it fell limp. Shin tapped the chest and stored the mask that floated out of it.
“Okay, done.”
Flutter didn’t react.
“Flutter?”
The fairy jolted in fright and prostrated on top his head. “I pledge my soul in service of you forever, master!”
“Shin.”
“Great Master Shin, long may you reign!”
“Here.” Shin pointed her attention to a glowing orb that appeared in the back of the boss room.
Flutter hesitated then flew over nervously. “How?”
“Don’t know?”
Flutter paused for a few moments, a million thoughts running through her mind, and reached out her hand to touch the orb. Shin sensed the bond leave his soul and looked back at the orb, feeling the same sensation from it at a distance. Flutter glowed bright and lights shattered into fragments, revealing the now Fairy Queen with a crown of flowers and more elaborate dress.
[Achievement: Dungeon Pioneer (uncommon). 50 attribute points rewarded.]
‘The first of your world to become the master of an uncommon tier dungeon.’
From the 100 points he acquired for slaying the worg boss, Shin had already put 25 points into strength, bringing it to a level that he would be able to use his elm longbow well without straining past his limits, and the remaining in Agility. The gnolls were easy to kill but uncommon tier monsters weren’t his concern. With his skill of Quicken lost, he needed more base speed, much more. He put 12 into Strength and 38 into Agility.
[Human Shaman (rare) - Lesser Lord]
Strength - 112 (145)
Agility - 338 (439)
Constitution - 50 (65)
Vitality - 84 (109)
Dexterity - 33 (43)
Perception - 150 (195)
Force - 24 (31)
Spirit - 416 (541)
Control - 83 (108)
Willpower - 36 (47)
Skills:
Cure Wounds lvl. 8, Mystic Wall lvl. 1, Summon Mystic Kitsune Guardian lvl. 10, Greater Buffer lvl. 1, Superior Martial Combat lvl. 10, Quickstrike lvl. 10, Befriend Spirit lvl. 10, Meditation lvl. 10, Vitalize lvl. 10, Quickstep lvl. 3, Harvest Spirit lvl. 1, Spirit Possession lvl. 1, Ripple lvl. 2, Condense lvl. 1,
Traits:
Body Supremacy, Eyes of the Spirit King, Ethereal Soul, Spiritkeeper,
His skills were progressing slowly, but that was to be expected with the 10x boost of the stage no longer present. Onamuji said there would be a second, so it’d be better to just wait until then and focus his efforts elsewhere. Namely, acquiring items. He had been given one for his rank, so others likely did too. But to do that, he’d need to find people first.
Shin glanced around at the now almost barren dungeon. “Can you get more?”
Flutter flinched and fiddle with the orb until a lightly armored Gnoll Savage appeared from thin air. It seemed similar to summoning and a quick glance with spirit eyes showed no difference between it and outside monsters. It showed no sign of hostility towards either Shin or Flutter.
“Just gnolls?”
The fairy panicked for some reason and a Redcap Butcher appeared, standing around in the same vein as the gnoll. Their statuses were visible to Shin, both being uncommon variants. Things seem to be fine.
“I’ll be back later.” Shin sped off back out of the dungeon, leaving behind a bleak eyed fairy.