ISMUND

Just a few minutes after the first interruption I hear Drifa stomping over again assaulting the tent for attention.

Huffing out a sigh I ignore it.

Against my best expectations, it continued for what felt like an hour. Of course, the beat changed every once and a while but it was making me pretty irritated at this point.

She’s not giving up, is she? What could she possibly want me for so bad?

Giving into my curiosity I open the tent’s door, which to my annoyance, Drifa doesn’t notice in the slightest.

Tilting my head lightly I walk over to Drifa until my shadow seems to catch her notice. Smiling awkwardly she crouches down to write in the snow again.

“Do you have that rabbit still?”

I nod.

“Can I have a piece?”

Letting out a huff of distaste, I bring the sickly monster leg forward slice a slab off of it and toss it to the girl. Holding it at arm’s distance with a wrinkled nose she takes it away. Disappearing into my tent I watch what she’s doing without letting on.

What could she be up to?

After staring for a while, right before I give up on the flushed girl something changes. The golden rim around her eyes seems to flash, and I can smell more than see something nasty slowly oh so slowly leak out of it.

Gross.

This goes on for a while, interspersed with huffs, hums, and grunts of concentration from Drifa who continued to make the hall smell a bit worse as the minutes dragged on.

At some point, I had opted to just mute my sense of smell because it was so stinking bad. It was like a wet mangy dog died in a pool of rotting blood.

A few tiresome hours later Drifa makes some movement, pumping her fists in the air in what I guess must be a success. Making sure I look as disinterested as possible I idly make some toothpicks, and let the tent flap fall.

about as soon as the door falls, I hear some light steps coming in my direction.

I guess I’ll find out what it is.

Fap,

Fap,

Fap!

After waiting a few seconds, I open the door with a flat expression clouding my face.

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Uncaring, she holds up a small chunk of fresh pink meat and looks down at the ground with her pale face.

“I got rid of the nasty bits! Can you store this so it doesn’t go bad?”

Quickly putting it in my inventory, I write out, “Will you take as long as you did for any meat you clean for now?”

Looking back up she bobs her head.

Right before she lifted herself to leave she pauses. And clears the snow to write again. “How are you not bored?”

“System.”

“Also, could I have some rations or water or something? I’m flagging.”

Right.

Pulling out the jerky I toss it over to her, and she misses it. Pursing my lips I decide to pull the pot of water out since I never actually got anything in it.

Thankfully she registered the fact that the dungeon was cold and that the water could freeze again any moment. Grabbing the whole thing she took a few drags and then motioned for me to put it away. After eating a few bites of the jerky some colour seems to have returned to her face and she lets out a delighted hum.

Upon finishing she asks, “Ah, I think I could probably try fixing one of those smaller cuts now?”

Trying to hide a grimace from her uncertainty I reluctantly nod.

Can’t hurt too bad right? At least I still have a few smaller cuts left, so I don’t think she can do anything too bad.

Lifting my hand I proffer a thin cut on my index finger.

Scooting up she holds my finger with trembling hands. After flitting her eyes up to mine for a second I can tell a deep focus overruns her as she suddenly goes incredibly still. A few minutes later it feels like there’s a bunch of ants racing through the cut and biting it. Thinning my lips I do the best I can to remain still and remain passive.

Gosh.

A few moments later I’m given the sweet relief of a distraction.

> [Soul tier D (295/500)->(296/500)]

At least there’s that.

…

I might be able to use this to farm some points.

Face brightening a fraction I notice that the burning feeling from the ants is gone and look back towards the cut. It was just a faint pink line, healed.

Right before a full-blown grin develops, Drifa lets go, heaving out a sigh of exhaustion.

Zap!

Right at that moment the whole process is almost completely undone, leaving clotted blood in place of healthy healed skin making me flinch back.

“I’msosorryIreallydidn’tmeanthatI’lldobetternexttime.Goshhowstupidofme.Doyouneedanything?”

After blitzing through some apologies I just order her, “Just go to bed. We all make mistakes, Just make sure you learn from ‘em.”

Shaking like a leaf she hurriedly steps away at my request and hides herself in my brother's cloak.

I wonder how long I’ve been in this tunnel. Eh, whatever. I’m just glad for the time-numb trait for once.

Observing myself I figure I just need a few days until I’m back in action. Or at least good enough to not have the skin tear too badly.

***

The following day…

“Can I try again?” Drifa asks sheepishly looking up at me.

“You need practice and I don’t want you to cut yourself.”

Blushing embarrassed, she takes the same finger again and offers me the feeling of horrible ants once again.

Lovely.

This time she succeeds as far as I can tell.

“Sorry, it took a bit longer this time. Last time when it, uhm, had whiplash it caused some more internal damage even if it didn’t on the surface.

So that’s what that buzzing feeling was. This goes on for the next couple of days, only finishing up my lightly scratched hands with, of course, many many mishaps.

Speaking up in the silent tunnel I glance at Drifa, “Can you do complicated ones yet?”

After hesitating a few moments she responds with pinched brows, “Oh with the wounds? Not yet, no. Unless you want it to get worse with some nerve damage or something.”

“After this, we’re heading to the next room. Go back, well whatever you have.”

Watching Drifa for her reaction she silently nods.

Maybe it’ll go better than last time.

Glancing back towards my inventory I decided I could give her a bit of help.

I think that people usually scout the next room right?

After packing my things I walk quietly across the snowy hall and take a peek at the room ahead. In front of me, there’s a massive hill flanking either side of a stone staircase. On the sides of the staircase that would normally have a railing, instead, there are ramps that somebody could use as a jump.

I’m not entirely sure what kind of situation we’re running into but it looks like we’ll probably have to go up the stairs, the monsters probably will as well since there’s no other way up except for the hill.

Nodding to myself fractionally with the assessment I head back towards Drifa with the report.

“A-ah, is that so?” she says nervously from my assessment.

At least it sounds like she might go this time. I’ll just sweeten the deal to make sure she sticks around. I haven’t told her yet but I think that our goal is gonna be the top. High ground and all that.

Taking my carving knife out of my inventory I hand over the handle with the blade facing away from her.

“So you sure you're ready?” she says gesturing to the remaining injuries littering me.

I just grunt in affirmation, storing my cloak away so it doesn’t get destroyed.

You know, on second thought…

Figuring I don’t want my last pair of fresh clothes to get ruined I assemble the tent again and change into those. It wasn’t like either pair was giving me much protection anyway after putting the tent away again I looked over to Drifa.

“I think we can get going now, stay behind me.”

The bundle of nerves skittishly inches up behind me with her breathing picking up.

Letting a breath through my teeth I inform her, “Breathing quicker won’t help. Relax as much as you can, otherwise it uh, won't go so well.”

With that, I pick up my pace and jog towards the entrance of the next room.