I stared up at the massive dead Octo-fish that looked like Cthulhu’s estranged mother. “So... how are we going to get this thing back to the city to sell?”
Jessica and Kron both stilled, like that thought hadn’t struck them. Murr, on the other hand, grinned.
“Don’t worry. I have that covered.” He pulled out a horn, then paused to clear his throat. “Quince Family Hiring Porters! Regis Lake. Immediately.”
The sound reached my ear as if he’d put the thing to my head and spoke softly. Right, I’d forgotten about those. Calling Horns were magic items used to ask nearby adventurers for support in a dungeon. They weren’t that expensive, but way out of my price range.
“That should reach everyone within a two-hour hike. While we wait, let’s eat! I’m starving.”
“Shouldn’t we cut it up so it will be ready for anybody who comes to help us?” Jessica asked.
He waved his hand. “There is no telling how many people are nearby and are willing to be porters. We also don’t know how big of a space they’ll have in their inventory. Until we do, we should keep it intact. In the meantime, I’ve heard the best way to eat octo-fish was fresh.”
The catfolk stared up at the boss’ head like he was about to drool. Then he walked up to it and pulled out his dagger. The teen took a minute to decide where he wanted to slice into the side. Just as he started to press the blade to its hard scales, someone yelled, “Stop!”
We turned to see a large human man running through the forest wearing the clothes of a ranger archer. He reached the clearing and rested his hands on his knees. “The... best... huff.”
“Take your time,” I said. He looked at me gratefully.
After a minute of catching his breath while drinking a stamina potion, he said, “The best way to transport it is in large sections. The skin helps to keep it fresh, so if you’re going to cut it up, you need to store each part as intact as possible.
I held out my hand to the man. “I’m Sam.”
[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/949515587766329405/1044151196421730304/SPOILER_Ryan_copy.jpg]
He grinned and shook my hand firmly. “I’m Ryan, the chef.” Then he winced. “Well, I’m still a chef but I was shockingly given the class Ranger. It must have been all the times I went searching in the forest for the best ingredients. I thought for sure I’d be non-combat, but...” He shrugged.
He had my sympathies. “It’s hard receiving a destiny you’re unprepared for.” Then pointed behind me with my thumb. “So, you know how to cut this up?”
He nodded. “I can butcher it for you for the small price of its egg sacs.”
Murr’s ears flattened. “No way. You’re not getting all the caviar from this thing.”
“Half,” he countered. “Having a boss like this professionally cut up will improve your chances of selling it significantly.”
“A tenth,” the catfolk replied, barely giving an inch. I was impressed.
“At least a quarter. And I’ll cook you all a filet once I’m done.”
“Deal!” we all said.
It didn’t help that we were starving after fighting for so long. Trail rations only did so much.
Chef Ryan, after signing a contract, worked fast separating the fish's head top from the octopus bottom as if they were two separate creatures instead of one. He skillfully popped the eyes out and tossed them to Kron, who hoarded them in his inventory. Next, he removed the nasty bits — not described for those with weak stomachs. By that point, I realized he was an expert and watching him wouldn’t get anything accomplished, so I left to gather firewood.
By the time I’d set up a fire thanks to the spell, Create Candle Flame, Ryan had finished carving up the boss. All five of us piled some of the best parts into our own inventories ready for selling to the highest bidder. The rest would be given to any porters in the area to carry back.
The chef brought out a metal stand and placed it over the fire, then he set a frying pan on top, threw in some oil and started cooking the octo-fish steaks we’d set aside for ourselves. He used salt and several spices to create a unique scent.
The ranger brought out a plate, sliced up the seared red fish, topped it with some kind of garnish and handed it to Murr, who grinned.
“This is the first time I’m eating food I caught with my own two hands.”
[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/949515587766329405/1044151196144894012/SPOILER_Murr_copy.jpg]
He took out a fork and slowly savored each bite, like it was the best thing he’d ever eaten.
Next Jessica received her filet, then he passed me a plate with mine.
Maybe it was the ridiculously amazing scent called to them, but several adventurers suddenly arrived. I stilled for a second, unsure if they were going to attack us or not. Murr showed no signs of worrying and immediately started to sign contracts with them through the system.
Ryan flash fried fish scales spiced them with shaved magic stones before handing them to Kron. Being able to accommodate every species’ flavor profile must be an important ability for chefs in the city.
When I bit into my portion — that looked like a dish I couldn’t even get at a high-end restaurant — it was like savoring the most delicious fatty tuna I’d ever had. It practically melted in my mouth. How could something taste so good? Either food just tasted better when you worked for it or maybe the freshest, highest-quality meat just tasted the best?
Murr managed to get most of the octo-fish into the hired porters’ inventories and whatever was left, we carried ourselves. Since we’d killed a wandering boss, the monsters in the area would smell that and hide from us. Hungry mobs wouldn’t risk attacking adventurers who took down something even they couldn’t fight. That also meant we couldn’t return to this bunny dungeon in the future. But it wasn’t like there weren’t more around.
Actually, I was rather impressed by everyone joining together to haul the massive octo-fish off. If this were a game in my past life, half of our kill would have been stolen by terrible players looking for a quick buck. Or some greedy individuals would have killed us to loot our bodies by now. Fortunately, this was a real world with a modern-ish society. People needed excellent reputations to enter better dungeons, and stealing from other people did not help someone get a good standing.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
It also helped that murder did not increase experience. Of course, that didn’t stop everyone. Large populations always expressed a bell curve, where there were a small amount of extremes at either end. Now and then I’d hear about assassinations. Sometimes it would be a rumor about murder or two that happened in dungeons all because adventurers found something incredible. Something worth killing over.
I still hadn’t forgotten that Kron once had assassins sent after him.
“So,” Murr said, breaking into my thoughts, “Once we’re done reporting to the guild about our quest and our defeat of this boss, should we go flaunt our success at that asshole team’s party?”
I grimaced. “That sounds a bit petty.”
The rogue grabbed my shoulders and held his hand in the air as if he were a con-cat, revealing a beautiful future in the sky. “Just imagine it, them partying away and us rolling up there two levels higher than them and having defeated a wandering boss. Don’t you want to see their faces when they find out?”
“We should let them have their fun. It’s not exactly polite to come to a celebration after surpassing their achievements by miles.”
“I say we go,” Kron said.
I stared at the golem in shock. “Didn’t you say they weren’t so bad?”
He grinned. “I feel like celebrating our success. Don’t you?”
Murr grinned and patted my back. “You’ve been outvoted, Sam.”
Well, I was curious how Bradvin, Kimmi, and Dos would respond when they found out. Or maybe, by the time we returned, Kron and Murr would change their minds.
***
We dropped off the best loot we acquired at the Quince Auction House, then we went to the guild’s hall and received our pay for the honey quest and the two kelpies we took down. Before we could leave, however, the secretary helping us once again had us wait in the fancy room from last time.
The orc guild master strode in with a hard to define expression. I couldn’t tell if Arok was angry or just constipated. I also couldn’t figure out if we did anything that might upset her.
She sat down on her couch and sighed when she looked at us. “You three are leveling too fast.”
I pointed to my face, but she waved me off.
“Yes, I know you’re an elven tank and need to reach 300 in four years. But, according to the guild’s level reading devices, you are all level 7! It’s only been 3 days since your Destiny Reveal! And you didn’t go out on your first day. A rate of 3.5 levels a day. 3.5! That’s unheard of. Are you trying to get yourselves killed?”
“It’s not like we were trying to level that quickly... it just happened,” Murr said, lamely.
She sucked in a breath and let it out to calm herself. “As you’re aware, the guild takes responsibility for making sure adventurers don’t take on more than they can handle and get themselves killed.”
We nodded.
She held up a shiny bronze Rank J dungeon pass. “This is what you three deserve after taking down the wandering boss. And I will give it to you! But first... “She set a wooden pass down on the table and slid it toward us. The name, Balrock’s Mine, was written on it. “Spend the rest of the week cleaning out each room of this mining dungeon while working on developing new skills or finding improved ways to use your current skill set.”
“But, Guild Master!” Murr complained. ” No one finds anything good in K-rank mining dungeons.”
“And that’s why I’m going to pay you,” she said, then sigh with lament. “Truth is, very few adventurers enter this dungeon because of that. And New Adults typically can’t go initially because the monsters are all level 7 through 10. The few regular guild members who open the dungeon only clear the first few rooms where their employers need to mine.”
Adventurers normally don’t like entering into dungeons ranked lower than themselves since their skills and spells regress to the highest level allowed within that space. It’s a very uncomfortable feeling for them. Also, a good way to get assassinated by any enemies they’ve made over the years.
She continued, “Being neglected for so long has left the monsters further inside to develop strange skills.”
“Which makes it the perfect training ground,” Kron said.
She grinned. “Exactly.” Then she glanced down at the token and frowned. “Have you all heard of the term dungeon break?”
“I have,” I said. Mostly from reading Korean manhwa from my last life, but my father mentioned it once. “It happens to some types of dungeons. If they’re not cleared out regularly, the monsters within will continue to spawn, then they’ll make a run for the exit. If enough of them hit the barrier, the protections that normally prevent mobs from coming into Faerule will collapse. After it fails, they can enter our world, kill people, destroy infrastructure, and ruin ecosystems for decades.”
Arok nodded. “This dungeon spawns monsters like that. I’d have to pay someone soon to clear it out. Since you three need the practice anyway, I may as well hire you to do it.”
Murr grinned. “Why didn’t you say that in the first place?”
I looked into the guild master’s predator-like eyes, and swallowed. “Will we also receive reputation for doing this?”
She nodded, then she took out three sheets of parchment and handed it to each of us. “In this city, reputation is set up as a point system.”
When I picked up the one with my name on it, it turned into a blue 2D menu. Everyone glanced at it with wide eyes. Ignoring them I cleared my throat and focused on the information.
Reputation of Samalrune (Sam) and team in Forestview City
Mantis Mission
N/A
Honey Retrieval Mission
50
Satisfied Customer
5
Complaint by New Guild Member
-1
Saved a New Guild Member
150
Appreciation by Hired New Guild Members
2
Appreciation by Hired New Guild Members
2
Appreciation by Hired New Guild Members
2
Appreciation by Hired New Guild Members
2
Total
212
I frowned. “What was the complaint?”
“Everyone gets one or two every now and then. As long as it’s nothing serious, a small gripe like this is no big deal. I think this was just someone whining about you taking too much time entering the bunny dungeon.”
I scowled. “They complained about that?” And I thought Murr wanting to flaunt our accomplishments to the other team was petty.
She shrugged. “That’s why something like this only counts as a single point loss. It’s no big deal.”
Back in my past life, during the time I drove for various rideshare companies, I learned the hard way that I couldn’t please everyone. Trying was futile.
I set the menu down like it was paper and it vanished.
Everybody stared at where it had been, even me. What the hell?
After thinking, reputation, really loudly, the screen popped up. Apparently, this Game Sight had more going on with it than I originally thought.
I decided to get everyone’s mind off my broken system menus. “So, I think we’re all in agreement that this quest sounds like a good idea, and we’ll gladly accept.”
She beamed at us. “Excellent. Now to discuss the terms...”