A dungeon. I hadn’t heard anything about Dungeons till this moment. I immediately had Konohora explain them to me. Luckily the three were used to my lack of knowledge by now.
“A dungeon… it’s a kind of strange magical phenomenon.” Konohora began. “Whenever certain leylines group together slightly incorrectly, they’ll try to correct themselves. That correction creates a loop. The loop, as far as I have been made aware and told, begins to ‘grow’ with excess magic. Eventually, it’ll ‘crystallize’ and, through a method unknown to me, rise out of the ground into a form of a ‘dungeon core’. It holds immense magic but more than that, it will try to reconnect with the leyline once it breaches the surface.
“It, more often than not, mirrors its surroundings in doing so. Creating caves in a mountainous regions, groves and underground forests in forests, and castle esk dungeons if made in cities. That’s where the name originally comes from, or so they say. The farther down a dungeon core gets, the more magic of a leyline it can tap into, creating ever more rooms, walls, traps and more. And there will be traps. Anyone entering a dungeon is considered by the dungeon core to be a kind of ‘invader’ like a poison in a body. Monsters are created inside by the magic once it’s deep enough and lured in before that by the magic emanating from it. Adventurers commonly use them to train and most large towns, cities, or capitals are built right on top of one or, at great expense, have a dungeon moved towards them if they have the manpower and resources to do so.”
Hmm.
“And your suggestion is that we… what, go there to train?”
She nodded but then also shook her head.
“Yes and no. Combat experience, especially working as a team, would be greatly helpful but that’s not all. B-Rank dungeons aren’t common, the Mauv Kingdom for example doesn’t have access to one. And they are lucrative. B-Rank adventurers will be there, as well as B-Rank trainers. Our recent Journey has been harsh and I believe greatly helped push us to our limits. How close would you say to all of us being B-Rank?”
How close? I focused on my ‘Analyze: Power Gauge’ for a second and really focused. The depth and variety of everyone has changed, in ways that my Analyze had itself shaking its head at a few things. Riary had more magic, more ‘intense’ magic, stronger magic, but there was also a weird change to it I couldn’t understand at the moment. Tyler felt like he has transformed himself from a human into a solid steel tank, one with a very sharp blade attached to it. But both of their souls and especially his aura just confused me.
And I could tell it was coming from their souls. My own recent experiences with the Gems and trying to figure out even a speck from Happy had gotten at least a tiny amount of knowledge from that. All I could tell was that unlike other people, their souls were not ‘benign’. They were active in a strange way.
And then there was Konohora. She had been put through the absolute ringer, especially near the end. She might have had it easier being used a necklace, but she’d also been eaten by a giant snake, mutilated, and then nearly lost her soul. I still, and would forever, remember her throwing that giant massive spear. Konohora, more than anyone else, was strong. If Tyler felt like a Steel unbreakable wall, Konohora felt like a mountain ready to crush me. Her vitality was also outrageous and only now could I realize that… her healing ability was absolutely insane. Insane to the point that despite it feeling… impossibly strong, I don’t actually think it so much as improved, but that the rest of Konohora did to the point that she could just wield it with more finesse. Especially after experiencing a literal Life Gem.
And then, well, there was also me. I didn’t often check on me, I was just there, alive, still kicking, still trying my best. But focusing on myself, and carefully ignoring my own power trying to Analyze itself, I began to judge myself by my ‘Power’. I was fast, that had become more and more readily apparent. It wasn’t just from my Race change either. It felt weird but almost like… if someone trained in defense, they’d be defensive. Magic, magical. Etc etc. After all, despite Tyler not being weak, he wasn’t as physically strong as Konohora. I had apparently embarked upon pure speed and sharpness. I couldn’t exactly match Tyler’s aura on that one, but I’d rip and tear everything apart in seconds. My tail was a living blade and my claws were an effective tool to follow up with on tearing things to shreds.
I don’t know when I, myself, had apparently decided I just wanted to be fast and sharp, as if I had spent a year training to be a runner but… it made enough sense. There was a certain appeal and it always felt that what I lacked was speed. I had to get to the baron fast, I had to be fast enough to block that first swing of a sword to me, I wasn’t fast enough to dodge Riary, wasn’t fast enough to dodge Vanessa, etc etc. Speed wasn’t the only answer, but it was something I could feel I craved now that I was thinking more about it. I don’t want to be a bulwark or lift mountains.
I’d be more than fine copying the flash.
But as for the Power of us all…
“We are all… strong. Much stronger than when we left. I feel like… there may be a barrier we’re approaching? I don’t understand it. I saw Vanessa and she felt like a miniature sun. We are nowhere near or close to that level but I also feel like… I’ve not seen many, no, any C-Ranks as strong as us.”
Konohora and the rest nodded to that.
“The Rank barriers, yes. Crossing from one Rank into another is not merely reaching a higher level of power but a higher quality of it. It doesn’t exist going from unranked to D, a high D-rank is merely a very well trained or powerful unranked, but D to C and so on are significant barriers. Demons are born at C-Rank, so it is no surprise you wouldn’t know.”
Demons are born at C-Rank? Holy shit, no wonder demons are strong as fuck. I still considered myself a demon civilian. A trained demon would probably wipe the floor with me.
“Alright, so your plan is that we head to,” I looked at the map. “Prinsk and make that final push to all become B-Rank?”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Konohora nodded.
“And use the money to buy B-Rank gear, trainers, and look out for both Gems and body changing magic, potions and more.”
I looked over to Tyler and Riary.
“What do you guys think?”
Riary was the first to speak up.
“Your Ability… are we really that close to B-Rank?”
She seemed to have a, heavy gaze in her eyes. Also, I caught a hint of disbelief. I shook my head.
“How can I know? My information is lacking. I only know what I’ve seen. There are C-Ranks in this town, guards, the Titans we saw, the small amount of monsters I’ve fought, and a few more. We are each stronger than any of them. To put it in perspective… there’s no ‘Numbers’ but… all four of us could probably each kill a horde of those ogres we fought before without much issue.”
Even Konohora looked surprised at that one.
“B-Rank….” Riary had a far away look in her eyes.
But Tyler nodded immediately.
“That sounds great. To Prinsk it is! Not only that but… I know exactly how we’re going to get there.”
I tilted my head, curious of what Tyler’s idea was.
****
“Alright, I’ll admit it. I thought you’re idea was going to be horrible.” I said, in the back of a cart.
“What? Why?!”
“I don’t know… you may be the ‘leader’ but you seem more like a figurehead. I figured your idea was going to be tedious and awful.”
“That’s so rude!”
I shrugged, a smile on my face. Tyler’s idea had been a good one. Konohora had mentioned it would take about a month on wagon and apparently Tyler had caught that, somehow. Now?
Now we were traveling by caravan! As guards though.
A merchant caravan, that is. We get paid for guard work, the merchants were more than happy to get C-Rank adventurers, a sponsored Hero team at that, guarding their wares, and we get to travel in luxury compared to before.
I was idling my time away by actually talking with Tyler. Konohora and Riary were up front. Although Riary didn’t show it… she cared about Konohora quite a bit and clearly wanted to talk to her after months had gone by. They were friends after all and she had clearly been at least a little worried.
Not that Tyler wasn’t close to her or anything, but he’d chosen to seek me out.
“You know.” He said. “I’m surprised. That you didn’t ask more about my… home.”
Oh fuck. Well, time to deflect. No need to let that cat out of the bag. One person capable of starting a war and a man hunt is enough for me, thanks.
“I’m from Hell. I’m from another world.” Both, kind of, equally true statements. My soul had been reforged and reborn in Hell, and I was from another world, earth. “The specifics of what you are matter, but… the general elements… aren’t anything special. I’m sure there’s other realms that connect to here, spirits or some other small planes of existence. Ones not connected to Gems, hopefully.”
Tyler seemed shocked by that, then barked out a laugh.
“You’re right! Man, I never even considered it like that. So… what’s Hell like?”
Fuck.
“I am not going to talk about that. Ever. But, let’s discuss some other stuff. Like how a certain someone had a fairly good time with a certain fiery woman, hmm? Had a good time in some igloos?”
“Th-That!”
Teasing Tyler was a fun way to pass the time. It’d be a month long journey after all, but luckily, this time it wouldn’t be unbearable or boring. Because… my strength was different. It was an odd thought but even after fighting together against Vanessa… I’d still been so much weaker than them. My life was on the line. The wrong words might still get me killed.
Now? Sure, I knew each of them better, but I’d dared to speak to them bluntly at first because I had elven guards ready to protect me. Now I dare to speak to them about how I truly feel and think because I’m strong enough for them not to kill me.
What a fucked up world. Guns were a problem but… they were also the great equalizer. You never knew if the weak teen could kill the 400 pound, 7 foot monster of a bully, by paying less than $100 and squeezing a trigger. In that one way, I miss guns. Not exactly the use of them, especially not the existence of them, but the threat of them, made everyone on their toes. You could speak as freely and as equally as you wanted to.
Then I frowned when I remembered cops.
Alright, power in general is a pain in the ass for everyone.
I truly thought the trip would be boring. And it wasn’t. Not even for negative reasons. I talked with all three of my teammates, even Riary who opened up a little to me. I say that but I meant that not all of her remarks were poisonous or venomous in some way. I don’t even think she meant it, one way or the other, being mean or nice. She just was who she was.
Tyler wasn’t the worst talking companion and he started to talk about his family, keeping things vague just in case, but it was nice. He also talked about food with me, which was great, and other such things. We would spar at night before going to bed, keeping things light and mostly focusing on technique, mindset, and footwork.
Konohora, well, she was like that person that you enjoy just because they're around. You don’t always need to have deep meaningful conversations with them, hell, you hardly talk to them at all. Still, surface level is still surface level, so I took the time to dive a little deeper, learn more about her and share some of the books I’d read. There would be a few moments, where she get an almost suspicious gaze in her eyes, but she’d keep listening. Knowing her, she actually knew what this world’s hell was like and some of the stuff I was saying wasn’t matching up with her knowledge base. But she didn’t push.
And it wasn’t only them. I got to know our employer, Pablo, an overall pleasant elven merchant with a fat body and some guards. Just as a merchant should be. He was currently transporting literally loads of spice! I asked him about where and how he got it and he was more than happy to detail me with the processes (it was magical golems!), distribution and more. Learning more about the world made me feel… I don’t know… happy. I loved to explore but that didn’t always mean going to new places. Sometimes it was the simple mechanics and histories of things, the processes and motivations. It was beautiful in a way. I’d always loved worldbuilding in stories and now I was living it. This world had its upsides.
That was the first two weeks of our trip. Interesting and easy.
And then we were attacked by bandits.