Chapter Nine: Down to Business

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The days began to roll in thick and fast; much faster than Bly had been anticipating.

For the next several days, Bold Arrow set off for the dungeon in the early mornings, spent the middle portion of those days grinding against away, and in the evenings, they enjoyed each other’s company at the White Horn. It wasn't long before an entire week of delving had come and gone in the blink of an eye, not that Bly was complaining, and they settled down at the tavern to celebrate.

“Cheers!”

Tankards clanked as salutes resounded all around the table, which was immediately followed up by the sounds of drinking and laughter. It wasn’t quite dark outside yet, and so late afternoon sun beamed in through the west-facing windows of the tavern, stretching across the floor and tables alike, though the hearth was full of fire just the same.

“Alright, settle down.” Mister Ralf reigned them in, coming around with a tray filled to the brim. He set it down in the middle of the table, rubbing his callused hands before crossing his arms, as he said, “Now you kids eat up, and do try to enjoy yourselves. Plenty of grub where that came from too, so just holler out if you need more, and old Ralf will come running. Best believe it, heh!”

A round of ‘thank you’ rose through the tavern hall momentarily, but was soon replaced by the sounds of excitable fingers sifting through plates of hot food. Though Blychert couldn’t help but notice that Ralf seemed to have more of a spring in his step recently, ever since Bold Arrow came to stay at his inn.

“So, I’m thinking we rest up tomorrow and replenish our supplies.” Xander said plainly, after a few moments of silent eating among themselves. He then placed his elbows on the table, and interlaced his fingers, as he added, “After that, I’d like to propose we start trying to tackle this quest, for real.”

Bly stopped chewing abruptly, his eyebrow raising, and he thought to himself, Quest? And why does he look so serious all of a sudden?

“If you think we can.” Vineta replied belatedly, “I’d like to point out that not only have we found zero traces thus far, but I personally haven’t divined any indicators to suggest an item of that rarity is even in this dungeon. i know divination isn't exact, but it should have given me something.”

“It’s here…” Xander shook his head in denial, “I’m sure of it.”

What are they talking about? Bly wondered.

Talk of rare items meant they had to be referring to something out of the dungeon. Low rated dungeons didn’t have unique treasure, per se, at least as far as he understood, so that left drops. But the only drops he’d ever encountered were energy crystals? There was no point fantasizing about rare drops on the first floor, the boss's first-time clear reward was claimed a long time ago, and the second floor didn’t seem to have them either as far as its spawns were concerned.

That meant they really were aiming for something dangerous. Was it the second-floor boss? Something deeper?

It was beginning to make sense to Bly why Xander seemed to be so intent about everything. He’d brushed it off on the first day as excitement. The reality was, they didn’t even know where the boss room was, let alone what kinds of spawns were on the lowest level of the second floor. As Xander said, a D-rated dungeon was still very dangerous. And yet he didn’t seem to be taking his own advice in this instance.

“Don’t be so cryptic, man.” Bredic groaned, but said in a more serious tone, “Just come out and say it already: you want us to find the boss on the second floor. Right?”

There it was.

“Well—” Xander stammered, visibly flustered by the response.

“If the second floor is the last floor in this dungeon, then our odds of finding it as part of a clear reward are much higher.” Bredic continued, despite his party’ leader’s demeanor, “And if it’s not? We have a new active wayshrine; win-win. But you know something? We can’t just assume we’ll find the damned thing by fighting our way through every spawn we come across, including the ones that, by the way, not even Trelen here has information about. That’s the surest way to end up in the dirt. Or the snow, whatever.”

“Bredic is right, Xander.” Vineta nodded, though it seemed to pain her to agree with the wizard. She adjusted the scarf around her neck for a moment, before adding, “The Iridescent Blade has a rarity unlike anything we’ve been able to claim as a group thus far. If it's in this dungeon, and that’s a generous if, there’s no guarantee when or where we’ll come across it. We need to be cautious about overextending ourselves in the dungeon.”

Iridescent blade? Bly considered those words for a moment, but couldn’t think of anything. He’d never come across information about an item like that. Whatever it was, it had Xander in a spot of strangeness.

For his part, Xander’s eyes widened as Vineta concluded her statement, then narrowed. His expression was stark, solemn even, and he opened his mouth as if to say something in response, but suddenly his entire demeanor shifted in the same moment, and he smiled like he normally did, “No, you’re both right. Getting ahead of myself, I guess. Even still… I was thinking, what if we did a camp out? Spent a couple of days in the dungeon? We could set up tents outside. Make it seem like a real adventure? Don’t tell me you guys don’t miss sleeping out in the cold?”

There was laughter and banter all around the table for a little while thereafter, though they seemed to agree on camping out at the dungeon. Bly couldn’t help but notice Lisel’s expression from across the table however. She looked at Xander with an equally solemn glance, almost pitiful in nature.

Whatever all that was about, it was obvious to Bly that there was more going on in this party than he thought.

“Trelen, what do you say?” Xander’s attention turned on to him.

“—Huh, me?” Bly flushed, adjusting himself slightly so as not to appear so suspicious, “Say about what?”

“Camping, of course! You’re coming with us, aren’t you?” Xander pressed, but shrugged, “It’s not a problem if you don’t want to, I just figured it seemed only cordial to ask the resident dungeon delver. Since you leveled up, maybe you can even take point from time to time.”

Level up? Bly thought confusedly.

Oh, crap, that was right!

He’d nearly forgotten that Trelen leveled up the other day, and he hadn’t had the chance to talk with Alyse about it yet. That was priority number one, no questions asked! But he was more than interested in going with them. Though the question was, how deep were they all willing to go? And would he have to keep an eye out on Bold Arrow’s highly determined party leader at the same time? Well, for now, he supposed he could go along. There was something off-putting about this quest of theirs, and he wanted to learn more.

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“Right, uhm… yeah.” Bly stammered, but said more confidently, “Sounds like fun.”

“Perfect.” Xander clapped his hands once with a grin, “You won’t regret it.”

Blychert’s eyes shifted to Lisel again, as the topic of conversation changed. She glanced back at him apologetically for a split second, as if she was trying to communicate something he couldn’t parse, before averting her gaze entirely.

Maybe she can tell me more about what all this is about. Bly thought.

But for now, he needed to get home and speak with Alyse as soon as possible. It was high time she helped him decide on another ability to start progressing. If his imminent endeavors were anything to go by, he was going to need the help.

***

“Fifteen thousand cumulative…” Alyse started through a nasally sniffle, no doubt the onset of one of her usual colds. A look of momentary confusion crossed her face, as she glared at him from across the dining table, “That much already?”

Bly nodded, as he dug into his supper, “Delving with a party sure helped; pushed me over fourteen on Seconday.”

“I see.” Alyse nodded, picking at a potato wedge on her plate, as she added, “So, what does that put you at in terms of current total?”

“Just over eight thousand.” Bly furrowed his brow, “Why?”

Alyse shook her head, smiling somewhat, “No reason. I’m just—I’m impressed, that’s all. I didn’t expect you’d be at this experience marker by now.”

“It doesn’t really matter.” Blychert chuckled, “It's not like you track your progress with experience.”

“True, but that doesn’t mean it’s not without value. Or intrigue.” She popped a potato into her mouth, “What you have, has zero precedence in the world of the classless.”

“And you know that for certain? Do you?” Bly asked skeptically.

They’d talked a lot about his unique ability at length over the last year, but neither of them had any better idea on why he was the way he was than the other. Though Bly had grown into the idea that Alyse possessed more secrets and insights about the classless—or maybe even sage itself—than she led him to believe, even she was stumped by his experience point conundrum, and how to get the most out of it.

“I’ll have you know that I know a great many things.” She said with a sarcastic smile, but offered a forlorn expression momentarily, “I just wish there was an easier way to understand you better—er, you know what I mean. I’ve… been searching for answers when and where I can. No luck still, not yet."

"Is that what you do at your scrying table all day long?" Bly teased.

"Among other things." She replied with a wry grin, adding more thoughtfully, "But I’m not giving up hope just yet. I'll find something soon, I promise.”

“You? Hopeful?” Blychert snorted, letting the conversation simmer for a bit before turning his thoughts to other matters, “Anyway, Xander and the others were thinking about doing a longer delve; camping out and stuff. They invited me along, and I guess I was wondering—”

“Wondering if I’d give you my blessing?” Alyse interjected, “I would, and I think it’s a good idea.”

“You do?”

For some reason, he had been certain she wouldn’t, or at least wouldn't agree so quickly.

“Friends look good on you.” She said, a somewhat teasing tone of voice, “Those older boys seem decent, and that theurgist you told me about, Vineta? There's good magic in that class, and she's been helping you with your mana channeling. Isn't that what you said?"

Bly nodded in agreement.

"Good." Alyse's eyes narrowed, her gaze drifting somewhat, before settling on the plate in front of her, "I think this has all been for the best. And if it means I don’t have to worry about you so much while I’m working, then I encourage it even more.”

Blychert rolled his eyes, “Because you worry about me so much.”

Her expression went stone cold for a moment, and she said softly, “I do worry about you, Blychert. Not because I’m afraid you spread yourself too thin—although, I am—but because I know how hard the last year has been on you. You miss your friends, and your home, a sentiment I understand completely.”

“…Oh” Bly murmured, not expecting that answer.

“I’m sorry that you’ve felt stuck here—trapped, even—and I’m sorry that Bartolo hasn’t been here in my stead to train you, it’s… well, I hope you know, I do want what’s best for you. And I think that being part of a group of people, however brief it may be for, will help you learn to trust in others again. That’s what you, Blychert, need. Trelen can be whoever you wish him to be, but there’s only one of you. And I want him to do whatever his heart desires, as indeed I do for all those who endeavor to strain against the grain of this world. We deserve that, at the very least.”

Blychert was too puzzled to speak.

Putting aside that she’d totally been using her empathic abilities on him again, it had been a while since he’d heard her say something from the heart like that. When they trained, it was training, and a lot of it. Otherwise it was more like having an older sibling with her, than anything else. He had no idea why she cared so much about him, but maybe it was simply enough to know that someone did.

“Eh heh…” Alyse grunted with an embarrassed smile, “Goodness, I’ve only gone and said too much again. Haven’t I? That's what a lack of sleep gets you.”

Bly shook his head earnestly, “Not at all.”

“Hm.” Alyse expression warmed, and she smiled slightly, “I suppose this means you’ll be wanting to take on more power?”

Always reading my mind. Blychert chuckled to himself, but nodded, “Scatter shot is stable now, so… yeah, I think I’m ready."

Sitting back in her chair, Alyse sipped from her herbal tea for a long while, closing her eyes as she appeared to be thinking to herself. Suddenly, her eyes wrenched opened, and she furrowed her brow, “Bartolo has trained your barrier magic to within an inch of your life. It’s solid—forgive the pun—but there’s much more to spellcraft than perfect defense.”

Blychert nodded.

He agreed, anyway. His barrier magic was some of the strongest and most reliable spellcraft at his disposal. He always wondered why Bartolo held barrier magic in such high regard, but then maybe he was lucky that he had.

“We should continue to develop your summoning magic, it's more than useful." Alyse continued, "Bounding Field would be an appropriate ability for you, but…”

Bly smirked somewhat, “But I thought we agreed that it’d be smarter to take on another passive ability. Bounding Field is way too active, it’ll limit my options. I was thinking of something with a little more kick.”

Alyse glanced into the kitchen for a moment, before offering him the slightest of sidelong glances, “Kick? Hmm, you are gearing up for something serious. Aren't you? And that does change things. Call me old-fashioned, but I think what you're looking for, is an ace.”

“An ace?” Bly echoed confusedly.

“An ace.” She nodded. Alyse then placed the teacup down, and leaned forward over of the table somewhat, “Every spellcaster should have at least one to start out with; an ultimate strategy for that make-or-break moment, like those you'll encounter in a dungeon.”

“I have my transmogrifier.” Bly shook his head, “Doesn’t that count? And besides, if I take on another active ability now, it’ll just be at the cost of my mana in battle."

"Everything is at the cost of one resource or another, that's simply a fact of the world we live in." Alyse explained, "But don't forget, being in a party changes your mana output."

Oh, that's right. Bly thought, remembering how much less mana he'd been using as a result of delving with the others. Shaking his head, he still said, "But a spell cost passive would still be more useful long term. Wouldn't it?"

"That depends on you." She insisted, "On what kind of sorcerer you want to be. What role will Trelen fill? What will he provide to his team? Step outside this party for a moment and look at your goals more clearly. If you want to be in a party, then you have to start thinking like a party member. What's good for you, must be good for all. It's about being part of a team, and leaving your solo theatrics at the door."

Part of a team. So, damage support? Bly pondered, reminding himself of the role he'd selected.

He had plenty of support magic. What he needed was an ability that could help alleviate the pressure of his party members having to deal damage, while also increasing his own ability to output damage. But if their goals were to go deeper into the dungeon, then he also needed to be able to cover for his party mates if things went south, or if someone like Bredic needed a swap or was incapacitated for whatever reason. The line between damage and support had to be as fluid as possible. Luckily, imitating a sorcerer was good for just that.

"In other words, make or break." Bly murmured to himself, glancing up at a curious looking Alyse, as he nodded, "I think I have an idea."